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Gas and electricity Updated:
Against a backdrop of freezing weather and rising energy prices, a new complaints league table has been launched to help people decide which gas & electricity supplier to choose.
A number of energy providers have found themselves the subject of public fury in recent weeks as gas and electricity prices have increased just as the UK endures some of the coldest weather seen in decades.
British Gas, ScottishPower and Scottish and Southern Energy all announced price rises last month, and the energy regulator Ofgem has since said it will be investigating the price hikes.
To help consumers decide which company they would like to supply them with gas and electricity, Consumer Focus has launched a table that has been compiled by analysing complaints received through Consumer Direct, Consumer Focus and the Energy Ombudsman.
Over the last financial year, the 'Big 6' energy suppliers in the UK received around 4.6 million consumer complaints.
Recent research showed that nearly half of consumers said that having information to compare how companies handle complaints would be useful when deciding whether to switch provider.
Scottish and Southern Energy received the highest score, with four out of five stars, while at the other end of the scale, ScottishPower, EDF and npower were awarded just two stars for their performance between July and September this year.
"We know energy companies are rooted at the bottom of our consumer trust survey," said Mike O'Connor, chief executive at Consumer Focus.
"They have got a lot to do to win the respect of their customers and getting a firm grip on customer service and complaint handling should be a priority in the boardroom of these companies. They should all be aiming to be a five star service.
"Scottish and Southern Energy are the clear leaders, but the difference between energy suppliers is stark when they all sell an identical commodity under the same market rules. Having three suppliers languishing on just two stars is a pretty miserable state of affairs.
"Good service is really important to customers and people want the truth about complaints so they can make informed choices when deciding whether to switch."
New performance data will be published every quarter, and it is hoped that a table detailing the performance of smaller providers will be launched in April next year.
Disclaimer: Information is correct as of the date of publication (shown at the top of this article). Any products featured may be withdrawn by their provider or changed at any time.
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23 Jaw-Dropping Facts About Animals That Left Us at a Complete Loss
Our natural world is so diverse that some things in it might seem absurd or even mysterious at first glance. For example, do you know why frogs blink while eating, why white polar bears have black skin, and why octopi need to walk on land?
Bright Side is gladly broadening the horizons of its knowledge by learning facts about various creatures on our planet and is eager to share them with you.
23. When flirting, female wombats bite the male’s bottom.
22. Platypus’ females don’t have nipples but they have milk that is secreted by special glands in the abdominal area. That’s why the cubs suck their mother’s fur.
21. Elephants hear with their legs and can easily indicate the source of the noise by analyzing the strength of the vibrations. At the same time, they can’t jump.
20. Wild baby boars are born striped so that they can hide in the grass. Adult boars eventually lose this camouflage.
19. A Barn Owl’s left ear is located at the level of its forehead, while its right ear is located at the level of its nostrils. Thanks to this, the bird can hear sounds at different angles.
18. Meerkats have very thin skin. That’s why they have to warm themselves up in the sun after sleeping in order to increase their body temperature and so they don’t die.
17. Forest albino tortoises don’t become completely white, their color just fades away.
15. Koala cubs eat their parents’ excrement in order to teach their stomachs to digest the poisonous eucalyptus leaves.
14. Thanks to their transparent fur and black skin, white bears absorb sun radiation with their entire body. Which helps them dry and warm up better and faster.
13. Sometimes octopi walk on land to reach crabs who hide in puddles.
12. Geckos lick their eyes with their tongue and drink water from them.
11. Gabon talapoins like to hold each other’s hands when showing their love and affection.
10. Possums faint, play dead, and start smelling like rotten meat when going through severe stress. They are also not able to get back to their normal condition with their own will power unless their brain decides that the danger has gone.
9. Giant Trevallies watch birds to calculate the trajectory of their flight so they can jump out of the water and eat them on the go.
8. Dwarf mongooses make friends with hornbills: the first ones share their prey, while the birds warn them about predators, watching everything from a height.
7. Burrowing owls steal animals’ poop to decorate their nests. That helps them to attract the insects that their chicks are going to eat.
6. Black rhinos can have up to 3 horns on their nose and the biggest horn can reach 1.6 feet in length.
5. In order to attract red-eared slider female turtles, males gently massage their face.
4. Frogs push food through to their throat with their eyes. That’s why they have to blink often while eating.
3. The body of Calpodes ethlius caterpillars is so transparent that you can see through their circulatory system.
2. Yellow mongooses have horizontal pupils and thanks to this they can have a panoramic view.
1. An armadillo’s females can postpone the birth of their kids for up to 2 years if they feel severe stress.
Which of these facts surprised you most of all? We would be glad to hear from you in the comments!

domain: biology


Milwaukee Hex Impact Driver Kit Brushless Motor Li-Ion M12 Fuel 12Volt 1/4 in. Brushless Motor delivers 1,300 in.
Lbs and 0-3,300 RPM. Two M12 2.0Ah Batteries, Hard Case, Charger Included.
Part of the M12 System, featuring over 80+ tools. The M12 FUEL 1/4 in.Hex Impact Driver once again raises the bar for 12-Volt performance with best in class driving speed, power, and size. By focusing on productivity, this Impact Driver gets the job done faster by being over 20% faster in application speed versus the competition. This tool outputs over 1,300 in. Of torque that allows the user to get more work done by completing a wide range of fastening. Measuring only 5.1 in length allows for unmatched access in tight spaces.
The POWERSTATE Brushless Motor delivers up to 0 RPM to 3,300 RPM with constant power output to drive screws faster. REDLINK PLUS Intelligence is the most advanced electronic system on the market, preventing damage to the tool and battery caused by overloading or overheating. For use with M12 REDLITHIUM Compact Batteries or Extended Capacity Batteries which deliver more work per charge and more work over the life of the pack than competitive batteries on the market.The 4-Mode DRIVE CONTROL provides greater control over output speed and power for greater versatility by delivering 0 RPM to 1,300 RPM in Mode one 0 RPM to 2,400 RPM in Mode 2 and 0 RPM to 3,300 RPM in Mode 3. Mode 4 is Self-Tapping Screw Mode which is designed to reduce walking when starting self-tapping screws as well as reduce overdriving, breaking and stripping out screws.
POWERSTATE brushless motor delivers 1300 in. Of fastening torque for faster driving speeds. REDLINK plus intelligence prevents damage to the tool and battery due to overloading or overheating. REDLITHIUM batteries deliver more work per charge and more work over the life of the battery.
4-mode drive control provides greater control over output speed and power. Includes: one M12 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex impact driver, 2 M12 REDLITHIUM 2.0 compact batteries, 1 M12 lithium-ion charger, 1 carrying case and 1 removable belt clip.
2 Batteries & Charger Included. Belt Clip Included, Case Included. Brushless, Keyless Chuck, LED Light, Variable Speed. Our stock all ships from our US-based warehouses.
Because of the efficient manner of our ordering system, orders placed cannot be canceled half an hour after they are made. Please check the Voltage information and make sure it matches the one in your country. In case it's not stated in the description, do ask us.
Item can only be sent to a physical address. NO APO, FPO, DPO, Or US territories and protectorates. Home Improvement wants you to be completely happy! For Electrical Items: These products are manufactured according to the specifications of the US Electrical Standards and codes.We assume no responsibility if the item malfunctions or causes an accident because you tried to use the product with foreign electrical standards. The use with a converter or other voltage transforming device is at your own Risk. Please Note: Products are designed and rated for use in the US using 120-volt current. With or without a transformer, this product is not recommended for use outside the US. When we receive your package we will process the return within 72 hours. We do our best to process as quickly as possible. We that your issue will be solved quickly. We usually respond within 24 hours on weekdays. The item "Milwaukee Hex Impact Driver Kit Brushless Motor Li-Ion M12 Fuel 12Volt 1/4 in" is in sale since Sunday, June 7, 2020.
This item is in the category "Home & Garden\Tools & Workshop Equipment\Power Tools\Impact Drivers".homeimprovement" and is located in Miami, FL.
This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South africa, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa rica, Dominican republic, Panama, Trinidad and tobago, Guatemala, El salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Antigua and barbuda, Aruba, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Saint kitts and nevis, Saint lucia, Montserrat, Turks and caicos islands, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei darussalam, Bolivia, Ecuador, Egypt, French guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman islands, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macao, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Peru, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Viet nam, Uruguay, Russian federation.


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The Denver Nuggets won a thriller in Game 1 of their series against the Golden State Warriors thanks to the heroics of Andre Miller. But one name that was missing from the court on Saturday was star forward Kenneth Faried. Denver was without Faried on Saturday due to an ankle that the forward sprained back on April 14th. But after sitting out Game 1, Faried is ready to return and plans on playing Tuesday night.
According to Faried, he could have played on Saturday night but opted not to in order be ensure he’s healthy for the majority of the playoffs.
“I could’ve played, but they wanted me to sit out no matter what, no matter how anxious or how exciting or how interesting the game was,” he said, via NBA.com. “They wanted me to just sit out and rest and be ready that much more for Tuesday.”
Faried’s presence inside the paint was sorely missed by the Nuggets this weekend, as Denver was out-rebounded by Golden State 55-45, which is something that almost cost them the game had it not been for Andre Miller going retro with his game-winning jumper.
“That can’t be happening,” Faried said. “It’s playoff basketball and that’s one of the biggest keys. You need to secure rebounds and lock the ball down and make sure we can start our break and have that fun and flair that the Nuggets play.”
Faried had a breakthrough season in 2013, participating in the Slam Dunk contest but just missed being named to the All-Star team. Many around the NBA believe that Faried’s best days are still ahead of him, but that’s not stopping him from having a chip on his shoulder that is motivating him to comeback and show off his skills with the Nuggets on the highest stage of his career.

domain: news


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Effective 20 March 2020, Coffeebeans Routes has ceased all tour operations and will not be running any tours in any of the territories it operates in until the COVID-19 pandemic is fully under control.
From the 1st of April, Coffeebeans will go into hibernation and take a break until such time as the governments of the countries we operate in, and the World Health Organisation, have given the all clear for safe travel.
Company emails will be monitored weekly during this time. The phone line will be on voicemail. We will be available for quotes and chats and invitations to tea.
We look forward to re-emerging when it is safe – for our service providers and for our guests – to offer the opportunity to engage deeply with the people and stories of Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Kigali. Until then, we are using the opportunity to pause, reflect and decompress.


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If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you know that we reused, rejuvenated and recycled the things left behind in the church that deserved another life: The sanctuary windows, a number of light fixtures, the tin ceiling in the basement, the rest room sign from the bathroom and all the original wood floors built back in the 1890s are a few of the items that continue to be useful here at Church Sweet Home.
Add to the list an old picnic table that itself was made of reclaimed wood.
More than a year ago, we began dismantling the old back entryway to the basement, and we found a bunch of old pew pieces, a chunk we think may have been part of an altar and a huge hunk of painted wood planks we identified as an old picnic table by the fixtures designed for legs and a “HI” carved into the face.
I imagined generations of families in their Sunday best passing big bowls of mashed potatoes and platters of sliced ham from one person to another along this enormous tabletop. Even in its battered condition, some parishioners thought the piece was meaningful or functional enough to store away with other wooden treasures in the back entryway.
We thought so, too.
We squirreled this hunk of wood away as we did with hundreds of other pieces of wood we salvaged from the old Methodist church during demolition. We knew we could do something interesting with it at some point.
At some point, Tyler determined that hunk of wood would make a great set of doors for our balcony landing, necessary to provide a bit of privacy to our guests staying in the bedroom on the second floor. He put You-Can-Call-Me-Al, our enterprising master carpenter, on the project. Tyler directed You-Can-Call-Me-Al to build the door entirely from that hunk of wood and scrap lumber found in the church.
Meanwhile, Tyler got to shopping, and he found the a set of hinges to secure the door to the walls. Where? From Europe on eBay, of course. Here’s how the auction was written:
Salvaged Heavy Old Strap Hinges & Cups for Large Gate Garage
We live in a very small ancient hamlet with a church that is 12th century, and we spent seven years (or more) from 2001-2008 renovating the house but we have recently downsized to a much smaller cottage next door. The house was built in 1878, and though we can’t be sure, we think the hinges came from the old Coach House that housed the Coachman/Carriage and Stable for the horses. We were unable to reuse them at the time and kept many salvaged items to refurbish our next house which was built in 1450 and where we will eventually retire to in our old age! We are still going through sheds and outhouses sorting and disposing of items we know we won’t use — largely because they are not old enough!
Imagine that! Pieces of metal from 1878 weren’t old enough for this seller! Their trash was our treasure. One-hundred-and-forty years old was perfect for our project.
You-Can-Call-Me-Al constructed the doors, Tyler applied multiple coats of polyurethane, and mounted decorative metal pieces and handles from Restoration Hardware, and together they hung the doors on either side of the balcony landing doorway.
Our rebuilt doors made of salvage wood add an interesting rustic flair to our otherwise formal balcony, which is exactly the feel for which we were going. Another great example of giving new life to old junk. Yay!

domain: history


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Our newest update is now live at Zervant.com. This time we focused on improving the reports for your VAT and tax return.
Better reports and other small improvements
- Extended VAT report. See all of your business transactions with VAT breakdown.
- Business transactions report. See all your business transactions summed by category to help you do your tax return.
- Invoice view. Improved the readability in the detailed invoice view.
Read more about Zervant invoicing software on our web site.

domain: economics


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Manufacturer: Generic, India
Category: Men's Health
Substance: Cialis (Tadalafil Citrate)
Package: 48 tabs (20 mg/tab)
Brand Cialis is an oral compound containing Tadalafil Citrate, which is used to treat erectile dysfunction like impotence or inability to get or keep an erection and the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Cialis acts naturally as it still requires sexual stimulation for the penis to develop an erection. If a man is sexually stimulated, the tablets increase blood flow to the penis. Tadalafil contributes to relaxation of muscles and enhances blood flow to several body areas. Therefore it is effectively applied not only to treat impotence. It is prescribed for benign prostatic hypertrophy.
The average dosage of Cialis is 10 mg per day with a gradual increase according to the individual needs of men, usually taken before the sexual act and the effect of the medication lasts about 24-36 hours.
Among the side effects that may occur while using Cialis there are prolonged and painful erections, high blood pressure, heart palpitations, back pain, dyspepsia or indigestion, dryness of mouth, insomnia, migraines, headache, facial flushing, nasal congestion, symptoms of blurred vision or vertigo symptoms.

domain: health


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There's no denying the allure of radiant, healthy skin. At Carisma Spa, we understand that the face is your canvas to the world, and we're here to help you make that canvas as beautiful as it can be. Our wide array of luxurious facial treatments is designed not just to cater to your specific skin type but also to provide you with a tranquil escape where relaxation and rejuvenation go hand in hand.
Why Facial Treatments Matter:
Facial treatments offer more than just an opportunity to pamper yourself; they are a gateway to improved skin health and overall well-being. Here are some compelling reasons to indulge in a facial treatment:
Fresh Up Firming Facial:
One of our standout offerings is the "Fresh Up Firming Facial." This rejuvenating treatment begins with a pre-cleansing ritual to prepare your skin for the magic that follows. It involves the application of a cooling and nourishing seaweed mask, known for its remarkable hydrating properties. As the mask sets, your skin is treated to a soothing and invigorating facial massage, promoting circulation and relaxation.
The result? A fresh, clear, and firmer look that can make dull skin a distant memory. Our Fresh Up Firming Facial is a 30-minute escape that can work wonders for your skin and your spirit, all starting at just €69.
In a world where stress and environmental factors can take a toll on your skin, a facial treatment at Carisma Spa is your oasis of serenity. The benefits extend far beyond what meets the eye, as we believe that true beauty begins with well-nurtured skin.
So, come and unlock the magic of facial treatments at Carisma Spa. Your journey to radiant, rejuvenated skin starts here.
Carisma Spa & Wellness International has been offering a superior service in 5-star hotels, and holiday resorts along the Aegean and the Mediterranean coast of Turkey and Malta since 1990.


Coal City Elementary students get a lesson on trash and treasure for “America Recycles Day”
BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - On Wednesday, November 15, also known as “America Recycles Day,” more than 50 first-grade students at Coal City Elementary loaded up and headed to the Raleigh County Solid Waste Authority’s Recycling and Education Center to get a lesson on how one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure.
Throughout the day, the students learned about the Raleigh County landfill, how green energy is generated and even the importance of converting waste into works of art.
“Learning to safeguard the environment at an early age, it cultivates a lifelong appreciation of your surroundings,” shared Sherrie Hunter, Director of Education for the Raleigh County Solid Waste Authority. “...I like to say: ‘If you’re not recycling, you’re throwing it all away.”
Wednesday may have been a field trip, but teachers at Coal City Elementary say they think the motto of “reduce, reuse and recycle” will stay with their students for years to come.
“This is a completely different type of learning environment for them than a regular classroom,” explained first-grade teacher Stacie Hutchens. “So, it’s a good experience for them to get out. They get to do a lot of hands-on things that they normally, maybe don’t get to do on a day-to-day basis.”
Six-year-old Lake Whitt tells WVVA that he learned a lot about blue and white bins at the education center.
“You like, have to put stuff in the trash and recycle it, and you like- trash is something cool and stuff.”
Meanwhile, seven-year-old Patyon Allen explained how she and her classmates used trash to make a beautiful flower.
“We used a toilet paper roll, and we used a straw, and we used a lid, and we used glue.”
After their lesson on Wednesday, several of the students said they couldn’t wait to go home and teach their families how to craft with trash.
Copyright 2023 WVVA. All rights reserved.


The White House is making a legal argument for undertaking a military response to the use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria, but says any action taken against the Syrian regime is not intended to depose Syrian President Bashar Assad.
More in News
The ultimate goal is to implement one as a permanent structure on 16th Street Mall
Mayor Michael Hancock discussed economic concerns and affordable housing with members of the black community near the Park Hill neighborhood Saturday morning.
Thomas Sutherland, a former Colorado State University professor who spent six years as a hostage in Beirut in the 1980s, died Friday. He was 85.
New York glass maker Corning has unveiled the latest iteration of Gorilla Glass, which the company claims is four times as likely to survive a fall from waist or shoulder height as its competitors.


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Southfork Gateway Development
Open To Gas Station, Travel Center, Restaurants, Hotel, Retail.
Southfork Gateway takes advantage of the newly approved 98 million reroute of US550 outside of Durango. The new reroute will take traffic directly into the interchange where Southfork Gateway has premium site visibility. Traffic counts of an accumulated daily total of 39,000 are forecasted to continue to increase to 85,000 in 2025. The new realignment of the 550 directly in the existing 160 will significantly improve freight mobility for oil and gas, agriculture and other industries. This new connection is a key component for the future growth which will provide mobility and safety, which new neighborhoods and developments near the project have already seen increased use.
Southfork Gateway will give travelers an alternative to getting tangled in downtown Durango for essential services like fuel, food and lodging. The development site above 550 and 160 interchange in a highly visible slope side location includes the new
Fifth leg on the existing traffic circle. Travelers arriving to the interchange from the south, east and west will easily be able to see the services they require.
This alternative route is an absolute necessity because the tourist season is gaining speed in Durango Colorado. With a record of 77.7 million tourists coming to visit in 2015 and spending $19.1 billion. Two-thirds of the tourists stayed overnight in paid accommodations, such as hotels, rented condos, campgrounds, and RV parks.
Every day trucks, RVs and cars struggle to find convenient road side stops while traveling via the US550 and US160 interchange. The new re-routing of the 550 is approved and funded. This has created a new development community at the interchange. Southfork Gateway Development site is located right at the heart of what will be the new major intersection of these busy routes. The details of this incredible project can be found on the CDOT website.
This project site provides businesses a unique opportunity to position their brand alongside a critical intersection in Southwestern Colorado with significant traffic flows. In addition, residential development just north of the site is approved and the building of new homes has begun. Approval for several thousand homes has been passed. The perfect mix of steady residential traffic in the area using the new intersection for egress to the two US route and the daily transient traffic will support a variety of service businesses at the site. During the summer travel season the traffic flows will drive a prosperous opportunity for Southfork Gateway businesses. Southfork Gateway is full of potential and can be your next successful development opportunity.
Location Highlights Include:
- Initial traffic counts are 39,000 ADT substantially increasing at the 550 completion in early 2023
- Location ensures travelers and trucks won’t get tangled up in the city center
- The connection south of Durango will realign US 550 directly into the existing US 160 interchange
- US 550 and US 160 are truck routes, which provide significant freight mobility for oil and gas, agriculture and other industries
- The new connection is a key component for future growth providing mobility, safety and economic vitality
- Neighborhoods and developments near the project have seen increased use with La Plata County’s and the city of Durango’s completion of Wilson Gulch Road
- 20-acre property limited space, exclusive opportunity
December 17, 2019


No, really, I can hang with the big boys!
Although this is usually something we hear from people who are seemingly out of their league, due to diminutive stature, here on Earth:
(Muggsy Bogues is awesome.) Apparently, there are stars out there that have the same Napoleon Complex. According to this Press Release, a star only 1% as bright as the Sun just released a burst of energy as powerful as 1000 solar flares!
Now, that link is only too happy to provide you with an artist’s rendition of what happened:
But let’s compare this with real stuff, instead. Our Sun has a magnetic field that’s pretty powerful, and the very hot plasma in the Sun often follows these field lines.
When there are changes in the magnetic field due to things like the Sun’s rotation and internal activity, the plasma gets shot off in what we see as a solar flare:
But this star, EV Lacertae, although it’s much smaller and less bright than the Sun, also rotates about 6 times as fast. This means stronger magnetic fields, and hence, larger flares! Although this star is 16 light-years away, when NASA’s Swift satellite pointed its camera at it to observe it, the satellite automatically shut its telescope off because it was so bright! We must have been directly in the path of this Solar Flare, which didn’t diffuse much at all.
This is by far the brightest outburst we’ve ever seen from a star this small! But what do we learn about from this, at the end of the day? Well, a little bit of history about our own Solar System:
Since EV Lacertae is 15 times younger than our Sun, it gives us a window into our solar system’s early history. Younger stars rotate faster and generate more powerful flares, so in its first billion years the sun must have let loose millions of energetic flares that would have profoundly affected Earth and the other planets.
Amazing how an instrument designed to study black holes in other galaxies is actually teaching us about something as close and intimate as our own Solar System, isn’t it?


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FDA impact on US medical technology innovation
Over the past few years, the manner in which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is executing its authority over the regulation of medical devices in the U.S. has been called into question. While some have claimed that current regulatory requirements are lax and harming patients, independent analysis has demonstrated that the current system does an exceptional job of protecting patients.1 However, with regard to the agency’s objective of promoting the public health through new innovations, there are increasing concerns from patients, physicians, and innovators that the FDA is falling short. Until now, little (if any) data has been produced to either validate or refute these concerns.
Posted on 01.11.2010

domain: medical


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First, you may think the goal of obesity treatment is just to reduce the patient’s body mass down to normal level. However, it is not the whole point of the treatment. You should bear in mind that the maintenance of body mass (BM) achieved during the treatment is also an important task in the patient’s treatment process.At the beginning of obesity treatment, it turns out that the patient has different obesity-related diseases. In these situations, before choosing the obesity treatment type, one should take under control the course of comorbidities he has, and start their treatment timely.
There are several common methods of obesity treatment.
- Strangely enough, but obesity can be cured by means of food.
Not long ago, people used to cure obesity by starving themselves, but according to the latest studies, such method has many negative consequences. The truth is that food delivers not only calories, but also many other essential nutrients. This is the essence of diet therapy.
Actually, diet therapy can be used in the treatment of many other diseases. It happens that the diet therapy shows some great results when other treatment methods are ineffective.
The advantage of the diet therapy is that it requires no artificial intervention in the complex process of vital activity.
Lifestyle change (increase of physical activity)
Our modern life does not involve much of physical exertion to get food (as it was in the early stages of evolution).
- The fact is that most people are not motivated to severe physical exertion, on contrary; many of them tend to lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Scientists have established that regular workouts (minimum 25 minutes a day) can burn up about 20% of fat and even more. The effect is greater if person works out in the morning. Herewith, workouts do not necessarily have to be exhausting. A regular walking, morning gymnastics, swimming, jogging or biking may help to get rid of excess weight.
Besides that, sports has a positive effect on the respiratory tract, improving the blood flow and body metabolism.
Pharmacotherapy (use of medications)
Pharmacotherapy is administered to patients with the body mass index (BMI) above 30 kg/m², or more than 27 kg/m², accompanied by:
Coronary artery disease (insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle)
Abdominal obesity (obesity of the upper part of the body, typical for males)
Hypertonic disease (high blood pressure)
Hereditary predisposition to type II diabetes (defect in insulin secretion)
Comorbidities or risk factors – dyslipidemia (high level of lipoproteins and / or lipids in the human blood), diabetes mellitus
Cardiovascular diseases (vascular disease, damage to the heart muscle, formation of blood clots, etc.)
Pharmacotherapy is carried out under the supervision of a doctor. Weight loss is the first stage of obesity treatment (loss of 10% – successful treatment, 20% – excellent treatment, over 30% – outstanding treatment).
- Gastrointestinal lipase inhibitors, long-acting drugs, preventing fat absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Drugs increasing peripheral glucose metabolism in muscles; reducing the glucose synthesis, improving the blood lipid profile (Siofor and other biguanides).
Third group: mixed action (central and peripheral) drugs, thermogenic sympathomimetics, androgens and growth hormone.
Surgical treatment (bariatric surgery)
Bariatric surgery is carried out when other methods of obesity treatment are ineffective. This kind of procedure is indicated to patients when their weight is above the norm and the BMI is over 40 kg/m².
Gastric banding (GB) implies the application of special band on the upper part of the stomach. After this procedure, the stomach gets an hourglass shape. The upper part of the stomach accommodates 45 ml of food. Because namely the upper stomach contains satiety receptors, so when it is full, person is not hungry.
The advantage of this surgery is that one can change the diameter of the band any time he wants, and this will help to control the satiety during meals. Other advantage is that this surgery does not require a surgical interference into the gastrointestinal tract.
Gastric bypass surgery
- Gastric bypass surgery is a simple surgical procedure, during which a surgeon leaves just a small part of stomach for a digestive process. As a result, a smaller amount of food is digested into gastrointestinal tract, causing weight loss.
After the bypass surgery, a new gastrointestinal tract is made up, which moves food from the stomach into intestine bypassing the active absorption area.
Advantages of gastric bypass surgery:
Stomach becomes smaller
Digestion does not involve the activity of duodenum, where all the nutrients are typically absorbed from food (especially fat and carbs, those elements that contribute to a rapid weight gain)
Liquid food comes in intestines much faster
The stomach’s ability to grind and digest food up to a desirable consistency is significantly reduced.
In addition, one can reduce the stomach volume by inserting a special balloon with solution into it (400-600 ml). The balloon is inserted for a period of 6 months to reduce the body weight before the bariatric surgery.


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For my best guac, I embellish gorgeous ripe avocados with tangy bits of this and that.
I got so excited when I learned how to make Minute Mayo. It’s miraculous and luscious.
Never mind the name – there’s nothing fancy about this black-eyed pea salad. Also known as
The cheese course vs. dessert debate is more heated nowadays. Well, here’s a cheese

domain: food


Cupertino, Calif. – With considerably less fanfare than what
accompanied the recent
, Apple today introduced more iMac and
Apple’s updated iMac line now includes Intel Core i3, i5 and i7
processors along with an optional Magic Trackpad.
The Magic Trackpad allows users to brings the multitouch gestures
found on Mac notebook trackpads to the desktop, the company said.
The all-in-one iMacs start with the 21.5-inch, 3.06GHz Core i3
version carrying an $1,199 suggested retail. The processor has 4MB of L3 cache,
4GB of 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM (expandable 16GB), ATI Radeon HD4670 discrete
graphics containing 256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM memory and a 500GB hard drive.
Other features include an 8x SuperDrive optical drive, AirPort
802.11n wireless, Bluetooth, webcam and built-in speakers.
The step-up version, $1,499, has a slightly faster Core i3
processor and a 1TB hard drive and has configure-to-order options of a 2TB hard
drive or a 3.6GHz Core i5 processor.
The next model, $1,699, adds a 27-inch display to the base features,
with configure-to-order options that include a 256GB solid-state drive, 2TB
hard drive and a 3.6GHz Core i5 processor.
At $1,999 is an iMac sporting a 2,8GHz quad-core i5 processor with 8MB of L3 cache. Customers
can order this model with a 2.93GHZ quad-core i7 processor, 256GB solid-state
drive, up to 16GB of DDR3 SDRAM and a 2TB hard drive.
Apple also updated its Mac Pro line with the addition of quad-
and six-core Intel Xeon processors. These feature Intel’s Turbo Boost and
Hyper-Threading technology that can create up to 24 virtual processors cores in
The base Mac Pro now comes with an ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics
processor with 1GB of memory, and the computer can be ordered with the
higher-end ATI HD 5870 GPU, also with 1GB of memory.
Another configure-to-order option is 512GB of solid-state drive
memory. The Mac Pro can incorporate four of these drives in separate bays.
The new Mac Pro will ship in August with a $2,499 suggested


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If (like many people today) you’ve been searching for a way to improve energy levels, chances are you’ve come across a vitamin B12 ad in your Google search. B12 (aka cobalamin) is a water-soluble vitamin required for dozens of bodily functions, including red blood cell production, DNA synthesis, cognitive functioning, neuronal health, and, yes, energy production.
B12 is found in animal-based foods such as fish, red meat, eggs, poultry, and dairy products. Although access to B12 is not typically an issue (for omnivores), regular consumption of these foods does not necessarily mean you are B12 sufficient. Other factors can influence B12 digestion and absorption, such as gut conditions, low stomach acidity, and long-term use of popular medications. Therefore, B12 supplementation is a relatively common occurrence, and 24% of men and 29% of women reported using a supplement containing B12 between 2017-2018. That number likely has grown.
If you have read “Should You Take a Supplement?” and have decided B12 is right for you, keep reading. The following paragraphs will help you navigate the overwhelming supplement aisle so you can find a B12 supplement with confidence.
Understanding the Different Forms of B12
Vitamin B12 comes in several forms, yet there are two primarily found in most supplement formulas: methylcobalamin or cyanocobalamin. Methylcobalamin (MeCbl) is a naturally occurring compound found in food sources such as fish, meat, eggs, and milk. Two other natural forms of vitamin B12 are commercially available, although less common, and include adenosylcobalamin (AdCbl) and hydroxycobalamin (OHCbl). All three forms have been shown in clinical studies to improve vitamin B12 status. Another popular form, cyanocobalamin (CNCbl) is a synthetic B12 compound commonly used for food fortification and supplementation due to its chemical stability and low cost.
Regardless of the form taken, all appear to undergo cellular metabolism to be reduced to the core cobalamin molecule and then converted into MeCbl or AdCbl – the two active forms of B12 used by the body. Furthermore, all forms of B12 have been shown to improve vitamin B12 status. However, before you reach for just any formula, there might be some other factors you might want to consider.
First, animal and human studies have found similar absorption rates, yet, lower tissue retention and increased urinary excretion of CNCbl compared to MeCbl, AdCbl, or OHCbl. The studies’ authors concluded that while CNCbl absorption is up to par, it has lower efficiency in cellular uptake and metabolic activation. Of note, these studies were conducted many years ago, and more recent evidence would be ideal in discerning the difference in retention and utilization of CNCbl.
Secondly, scientists have expressed concern about the cyanide group attached to CNCbl. Some fear that the chronic use of CNCbl may lead to the accumulation of cyanide in human tissues. This issue may be of particular concern for smokers, as smokers tend to have an excess of thiocyanate in their blood, which can disturb the metabolism and use of CNCbl. While more research in this area is needed before a definitive conclusion can be made, CNCbl may be an inferior choice for supplementation despite the lower cost.
Understand B12 Supplement Methods
Vitamin B12 found naturally in food is bound to protein and must be freed with the help of enzymes and stomach acidity before the body can use it. Unlike vitamin B12 found in food, supplemental B12 is not bound to proteins. Therefore, B12 bioavailability from nutritional supplements may be more readily available and is not impaired in cases of low stomach acidity.
Vitamin B12 supplements can be purchased over-the-counter in tablet or pill form, as part of a B12 complex or multivitamin, or as a liquid or spray taken sublingually. B12 can also be prescribed by a doctor, if medically necessary, and can come in the form of a nasal spray or shot. For this article, let’s focus on over-the-counter options since a doctor will likely guide your supplementation if a severe deficiency is found and a prescription is necessary.
There seems to be a lot of information suggesting that sublingual is the best delivery method for B12. But that claim does not seem to stand up to scientific evidence. One double-blinded, randomized controlled study set out to evaluate the relative efficacy of sublingual (SL) and oral (PO) vitamin B-complex administration. Patients assigned to the SL group were provided a sublingual vitamin B complex, and a matching orally delivered placebo. Patients in the PO group were given an oral vitamin B complex, and a matching sublingually delivered placebo. After 6-weeks, the researchers detected no statistically significant difference between the two. They concluded there is no difference in efficacy between SL and PO delivery methods.
Another study conducted over eight weeks in subjects with preclinical cobalamin deficiency provided subjects with 500 micrograms of B12 in one of three forms: (i) sublingual; (ii) oral tablet; (iii) oral vitamin B complex, which also included other B vitamins. All treatments effectively corrected cobalamin deficiency, and neither treatment group was significantly different from the other. As of yet, no evidence suggests a difference in efficacy between oral and sublingual forms.
Relying on cobalamin from a multivitamin alone may be a different story. Cobalamin can be degraded or converted to a cobalamin analog in the presence of vitamin C and copper, which are commonly found in multivitamin formulations. So, if a true cobalamin deficiency exists, be weary of relying solely on vitamin B12 found in multivitamin formulations. Taking it alone or as part of a B12 complex will likely be more helpful.
How Much Vitamin B12 Should I Take?
The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms per day for adults. According to USDA Survey data from 2010, many American adults exceed these recommendations easily through diet alone. Consuming enough B12 from doesn’t seem to be the issue for most (unless a vegan or vegetarian diet is followed). The problems seem to lie in each person’s ability to absorb and utilize B12.
Many scientists argue that the DRI of 2.4 micrograms is not enough for anyone. A group of researchers out of Denmark recommended daily intakes likely vary between 2.4 – 6 micrograms per day based on various individualized factors. A Norwegian study supported these findings concluding that dietary B12 intake between 6 – 10 micrograms per day is more likely to ensure maximal plasma vitamin B12 concentrations.
Another more recent study out of Denmark affirmed this information, concluding that 4 – 7 micrograms of vitamin B12 is associated with adequate B12 status. Although an exact number has yet to be nailed down, it appears that most agree that 2.4 micrograms is simply not enough.
Moreover, sufficient intake of the vitamin does not always ensure optimal cobalamin levels. The best way to determine if you are consuming adequate amounts of vitamin B12 in whole food or supplement form is to regularly test your B12 status.
Measuring Your B12 Status
Serum B12 is the most used screening test for vitamin B12 deficiency, but research suggests it may not be the best indicator. In fact, in clinical practice, normal serum B12 concentrations do not exclude the diagnosis of B12 deficiency. Weird, we know. One study found that measuring serum B12 may only identify true deficiency in 22% of cases.
While there is still debate on this topic, those who use serum B12 tests follow these clinical set points: B12 above 300 pg/mL is normal, B12 levels between 200-300 pg/mL are considered borderline, and B12 levels below 200 pg/mL are considered deficient.
Overall, many in the scientific community have determined that the predictive strength of blood concentrations of cobalamin is insufficient for a diagnosis of deficiency. Don’t panic; there are other methods of measuring B12 status. Some ways gaining popularity include plasma total homocysteine (tHcy), plasma MMA, and urinary MMA (uMMA). Interestingly, when measuring tHcy, MMA, and uMMA, high values (instead of low values) will indicate vitamin B12 deficiency. This is because cobalamin is required for the metabolism of these products. Low cobalamin levels = high amounts of intermediate product buildup.
tHcy has been found to be a sensitive indicator of clinical cobalamin deficiency, often using tHcy of 16 micromol/L, 15 micromol/L, or 12 micromol/L as an upper limit. However, cobalamin deficiency only accounts for a minority of all high tHcy levels. Other common causes include folate deficiency, alcohol abuse, hypothyroidism, or other drugs and diseases. This might make it challenging to tease out the true cause of elevated tHcy levels.
Elevated MMA in plasma or urine indicates vitamin B12 inadequacy and has been found to be a useful and sensitive functional biomarker of vitamin B12 status. uMMA is a less common but possibly a more accurate measure of B12 deficiency.
Studies have found that fasting uMMA concentration corrected for creatinine (to rule out renal dysfunction) is highly, linearly correlated with serum MMA samples and has high sensitivity and specificity for subnormal B12 concentrations. This means that uMMA may help you catch low vitamin B12 levels before clinical deficiency and side effects appear.
Optimal B12 status is indicated when uMMA results are below 2.0 mmol/mol creatinine. Testing uMMA with a simple urine collection after a night’s sleep can be an easy and accurate way to determine B12 status.
Other Things to Consider Before Supplementing with B12
Absorption of cobalamin from supplements will depend on the dose and frequency of intake. In the gut, B12 is actively absorbed through transport proteins. This means that the number of transport proteins available limits the absorption of B12. When those proteins become saturated, no more B12 can be absorbed at that time, even if more B12 is present.
According to one (quite old) study, intestinal absorption is limited to around 1.5 micrograms per meal. However, this is supported by another more recent study that estimated the absorptive capacity of cobalamin as 1.5-2 micrograms per meal. Absorption capacity is thought to recover to baseline levels within 4-6 hours, allowing for efficient absorption of the next dose. Therefore, smaller amounts of B12 taken over the course of the day may help optimize B12 absorption.
It is also important to note that some common medications can interfere with the absorption or metabolism of vitamin B12. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) (commonly used by, well, everyone) are a class of drugs that treat gastroesophageal reflux, better known as GERD. PPI medications reduce the secretion of gastric acid in the stomach, which is required to free B12 bound to food to be absorbed. Metformin, another common drug utilized in non-insulin-dependent diabetics, inhibits B12 absorption. If you commonly use either of these medications, be sure to speak to a trusted healthcare provider about your B12 status.
Lastly, choose a supplement from a manufacturer you trust. With very little oversight in the supplement industry, it’s common (over 20% of supplements tested) to come across supplements tainted with unapproved ingredients or labeled inaccurately. An excellent way to quickly identify companies whose labels you can trust is by looking for a Third-Party Testing quality assurance seal. A Third-Party Testing Seal indicates the product was manufactured correctly, contains the ingredients listed on the label, and does not contain harmful levels of contaminants.


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Join us in this webinar as we unravel Adore Me’s journey, strategies, and hands-on experiences, offering key insights for fashion brands who are seeking to adopt more sustainable practices.

domain: design


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|Cancer||Cell death||Cell cycle||Cytoskeleton||Exo/endocytosis||Differentiation||Division||Organelles||Signalling||Stem cells||Trafficking|
Mechanical loading modulates chondrocyte primary cilia incidence and length
Susan R McGlashan*1, Martin M Knight†, Tina T Chowdhury†, Purva Joshi*, Cynthia G Jensen*, Sarah Kennedy* and Charles A Poole*‡
*Department of Anatomy with Radiology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, †School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary, University of London, London, U.K., and ‡Section of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
The pathways by which chondrocytes of articular cartilage sense their mechanical environment are unclear. Compelling structural evidence suggests that chondrocyte primary cilia are mechanosensory organelles. This study used a 3D agarose culture model to examine the effect of compressive strain on chondrocyte cilia. Chondrocyte/agarose constructs were subjected to cyclic compression (0–15%; 1 Hz) for 0.5–48 h. Additional constructs were compressed for 48 h and allowed to recover for 72 h in uncompressed free-swelling conditions. Incidence and length of cilia labelled with anti-acetylated α-tubulin were examined using confocal microscopy. In free-swelling chondrocytes, these parameters increased progressively, but showed a significant decrease following 24 or 48 h compression. A 72 h recovery partially reversed this effect. The reduced cilia incidence and length were not due to increased cell division. We therefore propose that control of primary cilia length is an adaptive signalling mechanism in response to varying levels and duration of mechanical loads during joint activity.
Key words: three-dimensional agarose culture, articular cartilage, cilia resorption, compressive strain, primary cilium
Abbreviations: DIC, differential interference contrast, DMEM, Dulbecco’s minimal essential medium, ECM, extracellular matrix, FCS, fetal calf serum, IFT, intraflagellar transport, PCNA, proliferating cell nuclear antigen
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (email firstname.lastname@example.org).
Received 28 July 2009/9 December 2009; accepted 25 January 2010
Published as Cell Biology International Immediate Publication 25 January 2010, doi:10.1042/CBI20090094
© The Author(s) Journal compilation © 2010 Portland Press Limited

domain: literature


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“We absolutely share and support the intent of what Lucas is trying to achieve, which is to protect our children and make our schools as safe and secure as possible,” Northwestern Region Pennsylvania State Education Association Representative Marcus Schlegel told the Tribune
“Protecting their students — their children — is absolutely instinctual and reflexive for every teacher who stands in front of kids every day and who has dedicated their lives to their well-being,” Schlegel continued. “As we saw in Sandy Hook, that includes making the ultimate sacrifice to ensure their safety.
“That being said, people armed in an active shooter situation have to have training that is far beyond what’s instinctual and reflexive,” Schlegel continued, agreeing with Stefanucci. “That’s where the conversation needs to begin: What happens in the most intense situation? Should teachers be more focused on getting their students extricated from harm rather than pursuing an attacker?”
“Then you begin to step back through all the other complexities — the first of which would be how would first responders in that scenario be able to immediately identify who the shooter is and who the school staff person is?” he said.
“We have to remember to divorce ourselves from the romantic ‘point, shoot, bad guy’s dead’ ideal that we see portrayed in the movies,” Schlegel said. "PSEA does not support arming teachers, administrators or support staff. The only ones armed should be highly-trained law enforcement or security professionals. These are the most serious, life-threatening situations — and when these occur, we want the most highly-trained people there to defend us, whether it’s our nation, our neighborhood or our schools.”
Mary Spicer can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.org.

domain: sociology


Home / India News / BJP offering Rs25 crore to MLAs, wants to destabilise govt: Ashok Gehlot
Jaipur: Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has obliquely hinted that the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is pulling out all stops to destabilise the Congress-led government by luring some of the ruling party’s members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) with Rs 25 crore each.
He alleged that the BJP’s plan is similar to that of toppling the erstwhile Kamal Nath-led government in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and some of his party lawmakers have been offered Rs 10 crore each in advance of the promised sum of Rs 25 crore.
The CM made these allegations while speaking to media persons late on Wednesday night, when the Congress took its 107 party MLAs and 13 independent lawmakers to a resort located on the outskirts of Jaipur for a meeting ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls for three seats from the desert state slated to be held on June 19.
The 120 MLAs will be shifted to the resort on Thursday.
“Our MLAs are intelligent, alert, and united. Rajasthan is the only state in the country, where 13 independent MLAs supported our government for neither exchange of any money nor post. However, the condition on which our MLAs left the party for the BJP in MP is not good,” Gehlot said.
Rajasthan government’s chief whip Mahesh Joshi in a complaint to the director-general, anti-corruption bureau (ACB), has alleged attempts to poach Congress MLAs and the independent lawmakers, who are supporting the Gehlot-led government.
“Attempts are being made to destabilise the government in Rajasthan on the lines of Karnataka and MP,” Joshi alleged.
Gehlot said that he would hold another round of meeting with the 107 Congress and 13 independent MLAs on Thursday.
The CM also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the Upper House elections were postponed under pressure because the BJP could not poach an adequate number of MLAs in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
He blamed the saffron party for its lack of faith in democracy, as it has ensured the resignation of eight Congress MLAs in Gujarat since March, including three earlier this week.
Mukesh Pareek, BJP’s state spokesperson, refuted the allegations levelled by CM Gehlot against his party and asked the ruling Congress to give evidence of alleged poaching of its and independent lawmakers.
‘The Congress has failed to manage its own house. There is growing resentment in the party’s rank and file over its failed national leadership,” Pareek alleged.


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By Helen Sullivan
Woman of Substances
BLACK INC., $32.99
For a Girl
ALLEN & UNWIN, $29.99
The Good Girl of Chinatown
"To have that sense of one's intrinsic worth which, for better or for worse, constitutes self-respect is potentially to have everything: the ability to discriminate, to love and to remain indifferent," wrote Joan Didion in Self-respect: Its source, its Power, a 1961 essay for Vogue. These three Australian memoirs ask how self-respect can be coaxed forth, in Didion's words, when, as a child, your capacity for healthy self-determination is almost shattered.
Shortly before starting her own newspaper, typed on a typewriter and distributed on roller skates, Jenny Valentish is molested by a 12-year-old boy, a family friend. "I had a cock in my mouth by the age of seven," she writes in Woman of Substance (and doesn't mince her words anywhere else in the book, either).
She suppresses the memory until she is 10. She starts drinking when she is 13 and by 15 she is "blind drunk every day after school". At 16 she starts a music magazine called Slapper: The Groupie's Guide to Gropable Bands. She starts taking drugs. At 21 she lands her first job, at a PR company in London, but is fired after her email offering to sell speed to her colleagues is forwarded to her boss.
In a book that is half memoir, half argument, Valentish seeks to explain how addiction is arrived at and dealt with differently by women. She is her own case study, her life explained by neuroscience, psychology and sociology.
Sexual abuse is one of the factors that leads to Valentish's drug and alcohol addiction. The second is depression, more common in teenage girls than boys and, perhaps, even more so in those from Slough – the famously dull London satellite town in which The Office was set and about which John Betjeman wrote his 1937 poem with the opening line "Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough ...".
Valentish examines the way the menstrual cycle affects sensitivity to drugs and alcohol and the ability to quit; sexism at Alcoholics Anonymous, and how shame, as well as stealing, alcohol and sex, stimulates dopamine receptors. Quitting happens in fits and starts, then all at once, three years after she moves to Australia, in 2009.
Valentish's intelligence and determination zip through the book. She has a flair for simile: "It's like you're swinging from vine to vine of awareness," she writes in the chapter on the way blacking out affects memory, "and when you look behind you there's nothing there any more."
When Mary-Rose MacColl looks behind her she sees this: in Brisbane, shortly after turning 18, she has fallen pregnant with her teacher's husband's child. She has been in a sexual relationship with her teacher and the husband since the age of 16.
The couple insist that MacColl leave her impressive cadetship at Brisbane's Independent newspaper and head to a place they know about in Melbourne – run by a convent called St Catherine's – where she can give birth and give her child up for adoption. MacColl complies.
"To give us back to ourselves — there lies the great, the singular power of self-respect," wrote Didion. If Valentish coaxes herself back into her own good graces with a journalist's dedication to fact, MacColl's path back to herself is an intensely personal confession – without the Catholic priests of her childhood – and a record for her daughter, to whom MacColl addresses notes throughout the text.
MacColl suppresses the memories of the abuse and her child for years. One day – still living in Brisbane, now a novelist, married and mother to two-year-old Otis – she catches the skin on her son's stomach in the stroller clip as she fastens him in. When they arrive home, she falls to the floor in the bathroom, shuddering and shaking.
This is where the book begins. From here, MacColl tells the story of her childhood and its aftermath. After returning from Melbourne, she writes, "I had no connection with myself at all". She drinks and develops an eating disorder – as Valentish's research might predict. Years later she becomes suddenly, inexplicably furious with those she loves.
For a Girl is catharsis on MacColl's terms. Floating is a prominent theme: MacColl treasures a photo of herself as a girl, smiling from a swimming pool; in therapy she draws three people in a bed, and a winged figure leaving; she develops a fear of bridges. "Secrets like this demand an airing," she writes. "If you allow them air, bring them up to the light, they float away."
Jenevieve Chang invites the reader to discover a happier secret – the life of a burlesque dancer in twinkling, thrilling Shanghai. But like MacColl and Valentish's stories, at the heart of The Good Girl of Chinatown is the reconciliation between what Chang calls "the arrow of childhood" and her adult sense of self-respect.
In Sydney, when Chang is a teenager, she comes home from a summer camp with love-bites on her neck. Her father, Sam, tries to hit her, as he has done before. She strikes him first, setting off a chain of events that leads to her sister being removed by child services and Sam returning to Taiwan.
Chang grows up to be a dancer and heads to London with the distinguished Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. "Meshing an intention with unique physicality held me in poetic suspense for the best part of my best days at dance school," she writes. "The body, and all its dormant dreams unfurling like the pages of a hymnbook – a datum point for making sense of the world around me."
After Laban, Chang meets and marries Femi, a yoga instructor. In 2008, they move to booming Shanghai, yet to be enveloped by the global financial crisis. Femi flourishes as Chang struggles to find work – she is foreign, but looks Chinese, and having one foot in each world bars her from both. She passes time at shimmering parties thrown by expats. She and Femi grow apart. When Chang is approached to become one of the Chinatown dolls – dancers at a new club that promises the glamour of old Shanghai – she hesitates for only a moment.
Chang's book is dance-like: charismatic and light on its feet, underpinned by careful, hard work. The Shanghai chapters take turns with those tracing the story of Chang's grandparents. "The rope of our story revealed itself in stages, knot by knot," she writes.
During World War II, Chang's grandfather's first wife died after being infected with plague by bombs dropped by the Japanese as they retreated from China. Later, as China fell to the communists, Chang's grandparents were wed following a decree that all single women marry a member of the communist party. The pair fled to Taiwan, where they had Eva and Sam.
In Shanghai, as Chinatown's promise of liberation falls apart – "The progressive sovereignty of neo-burlesque this was not," writes Chang – she recalls the moments leading up to her father leaving, Chang's first fierce attempt at regaining control over her body.
"It was not the nature of epiphany," MacColl writes in her book's final paragraph. "There was a long rough road ahead, given where we'd started, and no guarantee of anything at all." But the prize is worth the fight. As Valentish, MacColl and Chang know, and as Didion wrote, it is everything.


Posted Mar 28, 2012
Doug Gulick and Kimberly Olson talk about their family’s dramatic escape from the Lower North Fork Fire.
The family lives at 14186 Kuehster Rd. in Conifer. Their son, Kaleb, took footage on a cellular phone while they dashed away from their home minutes after 5 p.m. Monday, upon learning the flames from the Lower North Fork Fire were near their home.
Interview Video by Anne Herbst
Fire Footage courtesy of Doug Gulick and Kimberly Olson
One thousand guests were at Centennial Airport for Flight to Luxury, a multifaceted event that is expected to raise
Photos from the MLB baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver
David Tennant (“Broadchurch,” “Doctor Who”) reprises his role, this time as an American detective summoned


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Lately, I do know that I’m not alone in dreading the newspaper headlines or alerts on my cellphone. With the horrific, prison Russian invasion of Ukraine; the ever-increasing existential menace of local weather change; the long-overdue racial reckoning, and the rise of authoritarianism in the US and overseas, there’s a lot to concern. Nonetheless, as a practising medical psychologist, I would like to grasp what my sufferers and I are experiencing and as a citizen, I really feel the have to be nicely knowledgeable. However it takes a sure dedication to strategy the information.
For all these causes, I used to be delighted to see a front-page article in The Boston Globe on April 26 in regards to the Banana Lounge on the Massachusetts Institute of Expertise (MIT). Sure, that’s appropriate, it’s a banana lounge— a big room on the primary flooring of a campus constructing stuffed with containers of bananas. Bananas are free and limitless and the room is open 24 hours a day. Along with snacking on a banana, college students can chill out, hang around, and even take a nap.
Definitely, there have been related scholar help efforts, like mellow-out Mondays at John Hopkins the place college students can obtain free massages. Bowls of sweet are frequent in departmental places of work. Again once I was an undergrad, we had been supplied with “examination meals,” the place I used to be first launched to the fluffernutter.
School college students and the psychological well being disaster
In my e-book Temper Prep 101 and my different writing, I’ve prompt that we have to create extra relaxed environments on campuses. The psychological well being disaster in school college students has been nicely documented. The COVID-19 pandemic added fireplace to an already fast-moving epidemic of psychiatric issues and total malaise.
In line with the pre-pandemic Spring 2019 report by the American School Well being Affiliation, over 22 p.c of scholars reported overwhelming nervousness throughout the earlier 12 months. One other examine of over 300,000 college students on 373 campuses reported by Sarah Lipson and her associates discovered that between the years 2013 and 2021, there was a 50% improve in psychological well being issues. Though the most important will increase in psychiatric issues had been amongst Native Individuals, they in addition to Black, Latinx, and Asian-American college students have the bottom charges of remedy, thus perpetuating racial and ethnic disparities. Noteworthy additionally was that Arab-American college students, additionally experiencing a rising prevalence of issues, reported a 19% lower in receiving remedy.
Whilst COVID-19 could also be waning, psychological issues in school college students are nonetheless rising. That is sadly not a shock as a result of adolescents are weak to the onset of psychiatric circumstances and this technology has been remoted for over two years. Isolation disadvantaged teenagers of socialization, the gasoline they should develop.
MIT’s Banana Lounge improves campus life
After all, crucial response to the disaster ought to be the identification of psychological issues and elevated entry to remedy. However we must also enhance life on campus and a method is to create progressive and surprising methods for moments of pleasure. A scholar does not need to be affected by a psychological dysfunction to have a necessity for reduction, distraction, relaxation, or just the need to have some enjoyable.
It’s value analyzing the Banana Lounge from that perspective and noting its strengths. First, it was initiated as a pilot challenge by college students when it opened in 2018, after a number of years of groundwork. (It has acquired extra consideration after a latest tweet by Professor Iain Cheeseman.) Tapping into the creativity and front-line data of scholars makes any challenge extra more likely to succeed. The extraordinarily optimistic response led to extra funding from a donor and the backing of the MIT scholar authorities affiliation.
As well as, I’m impressed by the bodily atmosphere. Photographs reveal that it isn’t a flowery room, however does have floor-to-ceiling home windows for much-needed daylight! As a Northeasterner, I do know the necessity for any mild we will get within the winter months. There are areas to show scholar artwork. All that and the yellow shade is somewhat inviting.
Additionally, bananas are nutritious and filled with potassium. Potassium is required to maintain muscle tissues, nerves, and the center working nicely and can also be necessary for digestive well being and bone energy. The standard pizza breaks, albeit generally scrumptious, are more likely to result in sluggishness from overloads of carbs and fat. Bananas are simple to eat and decide up on the go. Among the college students pop into the banana lounge after they haven’t been capable of eat breakfast.
Lastly, the scholars are reflecting their college’s values by crunching numbers and specializing in analysis. The lounge is pushed by information; college students estimate that 315,000 bananas will probably be consumed on this tutorial 12 months with a waste price of solely 0.2%.
All in all, it is a pleasant challenge. The lounge has turn into a spot to obtain not solely dietary but in addition psychological sustenance. So let’s take a second to understand scholar initiative and creativity. Take a second to understand surprising pleasure. Take a second to breathe deeply, eat a wholesome snack, and be briefly diverted from our world’s tragedies. We will all use these moments.


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This beautiful two tone gold necklace features graceful feather leaf links hinged to form a delicate yet striking collar. The links have a yellow gold interior with filigree type open work while the white gold edges are textured to create subtle shimmer.
MATERIALS: 10K gold
Length - Inches: 16" Metric: 40.6 cm
Individual links each: 9/16" x 1/4" - Metric: 15 mm x 6.5 mm
WEIGHT: approx. 8.2 g
CLASP TYPE: lobster
STYLE CODE: ZDGN-1461
Make it a set! Pairs well with:
|Feather Leaf Gold Bracelet|
$325.00 CAD - Sold Out
Aqua blue sapphire pendant with blackened silver chain. This pretty teardrop pendant features a lovely rose cut pale blue/green sapphire surrounded by a halo of old cut diamonds set in antiqued silver. The vintage inspired design has old world rustic charm while staying completely current...
$350.00 CAD - Sold Out
This stunning Aquamarine necklace will have you thinking of tropical ocean waters. Featuring 26 inches of milky Aquamarine stones in a graduated design and finished with a high polished sterling silver toggle clasp. Wear the toggle clasp showing front to switch up the look. Elegant,...
It doesn't get more darling than this pretty bird necklace. Three gold toned birdies are perched a top a pretty boxwood branch, chirping and tweeting to one another. You can almost hear their pretty spring-time song. This whimsical piece will bring a smile to all who...


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Melbourne CEO Convicted Of Conspiracy (Melbourne, FL) -- A woman who was once a CEO is now looking at possibly 30 years as an inmate. Former BlueWare CEO Rose Harr was convicted yesterday of conspiracy to commit bribery and bid tampering. She was accused of contributing to Brevard County Clerk Mitch Needelman's campaign six years ago in exchange for government contracts. She could get up to 30 years in prison, while Needelman, who had his conviction last year vacated, is waiting for a new trial.
California Billionaire Donates Millions To Gillum (Tallahassee, FL) -- Andrew Gillum's campaign for governor is getting a big financial boost from outside the state. California billionaire Tom Steyer announced this week he will donate more than five million dollars to the Democratic nominee. This is on top of another million dollars plus that Steyer already donated. The latest poll released this week shows the Tallahassee mayor leading Republican Ron DeSantis by nine points.
Third Kavanaugh Accuser Has Miami Connection (Miami, FL) -- A Miami-Dade County man who says he once dated a Brett Kavanaugh accuser says she has no credibility at all. Coconut Grove 63-year-old Richard Vinneccy dated Julie Swetnick for four years, and after they broke up, he tells Politico she threatened members of his family. He filed for a restraining order in 2001, but the Miami Herald reports the case was dismissed when neither Viccency nor Swetnick showed up in court. Swetnick came forward yesterday to accuse Kavanaugh of trying to spike girls' drinks at parties she attended when they were teenagers.
Police Shoot Woman In Domestic Dispute (Kissimmee, FL) -- A woman is hurt after a police-involved shooting in Polk County. It happened this week in Winter Haven at a man's home on 16th Street, Northeast. Sheriff Grady Judd says Kissimmee 25-year-old Lindsay Collins was shot by a deputy when Collins tried to attack her ex-boyfriend with a knife. She's in serious but stable condition and facing charges that include attempted first-degree murder.
Trespasser Skinny Dips In Man's Pool (Ocoee, FL) -- A dip in the pool could land a man behind bars because the pool wasn't his. Ocoee Police say 39-year-old Brian Manwarren skinny-dipped in a woman's pool this weekend without permission. Manwarren was gone by the time police arrived, and he remains on the loose. He's facing charges of burglary and criminal mischief.
Bank Robbery Suspect Arrested After Climbing Into Lyft (Hackensack, NJ) -- A New Jersey man is behind bars for allegedly robbing a bank and taking a Lyft ride afterwards. Police say Drew Hughes pointed a knife at two tellers earlier this week at a Hackensack TD branch not far from where he lives. He's accused of demanding "big bills only" and claiming the money was for his daughter. He got away with more than 17-hundred-dollars but was easy to find because the money carried a tracking device. The 22-year-old was caught a short while later climbing into a Lyft vehicle. The money was recovered and Hughes was charged with robbery and illegal gun possession.
Man Robs Salon After Pedicure (Huntington, WV) -- Multiple charges are being filed against a West Virginia man accused of getting his nails done and then robbing the salon. Police in Huntington say Skylar Larcart got upset during his pedicure this past Monday when his phone slipped into his foot bath and he demanded to be reimbursed for the damage. The 20-year-old then left but went back with a gun and took money while also making threats. Larcart was arrested a little while later and they say he had the stolen money with him.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
1964, the Warren Commission issued their report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The report concluded Lee Harvey Oswald had acted alone in the November 1963 assassination.
1954, "The Tonight Show" debuted on NBC. The show was hosted by comedian Steve Allen.
1919, the Democratic National Committee voted to admit women.


GW Sailing Finishes 7th, 14th at Pair of Pre-Qualifier Regattas
Duos of Sinagra and Denney, Hitchcock and Murphy Win Races at MAISA/SAISA Interconference
March 24, 2013
ANNAPOLIS, Md. & HAMPTON, Va. - George Washington sailing competed in a pair of regattas for the second consecutive weekend, finishing seventh of 14 teams at the MAISA/SAISA Interconference at Hampton University and 14th of 19 teams at the Owen Trophy at Navy on Sunday.
With light Saturday winds and heavier gusts on Sunday at the MAISA/SAISA event, GW totaled 117 points over 10 races to narrowly miss a top five finish by two points. South Florida captured the regatta with 65 points, followed by Old Dominion (82 points), Christopher Newport (84) and Miami (Fla.) (100). Eckerd placed fifth with 115 points, while Georgetown came in sixth with 116 points to edge the Colonials.
The A Division duo of freshman Maria Sinagra and junior Kaitlin Denney finished strong with pair of second place finishes and a win over its final three races to place seventh with 59 points. Sophomores Alex Hitchcock and Meagan Murphy posted the top finishes in the B Division with a victory in Race 1 and third in Race 3 to guide the Colonials to fifth with 58 points. Freshman Hannah McNomee and senior Skye Kussmann split duties with Hitchcock and Murphy over the 10 races.
Conditions were flip-flopped at the Owen Trophy on the Severn River in Annapolis with heavy Saturday winds giving way to lighter, more shifty winds on Sunday. GW totaled 433 points over 18 races to finish 14th, while Yale topped the 19-team field with 165 points.
Seniors Rebecca Engel and Ian Conners had a trio of fourth place finishes and placed 13th in A Division with 214 points, while freshman Jay Spector and sophomore Matthew Ricci peaked at third in Race 2 and placed 14th with 219 points in B Division.
"We had some goods races this weekend. The thing we're struggling with most is consistency, which is preventing us from getting into that next tier of teams," said head coach John Pearce. "Our focus heading into the last month of season will be developing consistency and executing when the pressure is on at regattas."
GW heads into its most important event of the spring semester to date with the MAISA South Spring Qualifier in Hampton next Saturday and Sunday. The Colonials will aim for a top five finish at the regatta to earn a spot in the MAISA Coed Conference Championships at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on April 13-14.
Sailing Headed to Four Regattas
After a strong performance across the board last weekend, the GW sailing team returns to action with four regattas this weekend.
Colonial of the Week - Sailing's Riley Legault
Sailing in the Faye Bennet at Navy which serves as the MAISA Singlehanded Conference Championship, Legault needed a top-four finish to qualify for nationals ...
Legault Qualifies for Nationals as Sailing Caps Impressive Weekend
Junior Riley Legault used a strong performance on the second day of the Faye Bennet at Navy to capture a third-place finish and qualify for the ICSA...
Sailing Set for Busy Qualifying Weekend
SETTING SAIL: The GW sailing team has a busy weekend ahead of it with one conference championship race and two league championship qualifiers on the slate.
Sailing Tests Depth in Successful Weekend
The GW sailing team tested its depth over the weekend by sending 17 sailors to three different interconference events, including two coed regattas that...
Sailing Heads to Three Regattas
The GW sailing team will compete in three regattas this weekend, including its first women’s competition of the season in the Stu Nelson at Connecticut...
GW Sailing Starts Strong During Opening Weekend
The GW sailing team opened its 2017-18 season last weekend with four regattas, including a pair of coed events and two singlehanded races.
Colonials to Set Sail on 2017-18 Season
WASHINGTON -- After top-15 finishes at nationals in both the coed and women’s divisions last spring, the GW sailing team will open its 2017-18 season...


Loeries entry deadline extended
The entry deadline for the Loeries has been extended to 31 May. All entries not completed by 15 May will be charged a 10% late fee. There’s still time to win that Loerie. Enter now, here.
Sikuvile Awards judging to begin
Judging of this year’s record number of entries in the Sikuvile Awards is set to kick off this Thursday and Friday, 23 and 24 May.
The judging panel will tackle the task of deciding who will be successful in their category and walk away with R15 000, a trophy and a certiﬁcate.
Convening Judge this year is Mathatha Tsedu, who also oversaw the judging panel and process last year. The panel is made up of industry experts, all well-known and respected in the newspaper industry and includes Dinesh Balliah, Henry Jefreys, Mike Siluma, Tyrone August, Phil Mthimkhulu Pippa Green, Liesl Louw-Vaundrum, Mary Papayya, Ryland Fisher, Neo Ntsoma, Maud Motanyane, Lizeka Mda, Thabo Leshilo and Themba Hadebe.
The panel faces the tough challenge of selecting the best of the best in the categories, especially popular categories such as Hard News, Feature Writing, Columns and Editorials, and News Photographs. The newly introduced Lifestyle category also drawn a good number of entries.
Winners will be announced on the 12th September at The Venue, Melrose Arch. All finalists will receive certiﬁcates. Commendation Certiﬁcates are awarded at the judges’ discretion.
Independent Media wins three global media awards
Independent Media walked away with three awards at the International News Media Association’s (INMA) Global Media Awards, held in New York.
The media house received first prize in the category: ‘Best Use Of An Event To Build A News Brand’ for its regional and national High School Quiz, which involved creating a platform for teenagers across the country to compete against one another. The competition had no barriers to entry and kept the youth engaged in current affairs.
Independent Media also walked away with the Global Media Award for ‘Best In Africa’, where judges selected the best of six world regions from the finalists.
CEO of African Community Media Sandy Naudé scooped the Silver Shovel Award alongside Pit Gottschalk of Fever Pit’ch in Germany for their lifetime service to the news industry and to INMA events.
For more information on the awards, click here.
Marketing Achievement Awards finalists announced
The finalists for the inaugural Marketing Achievement Awards (MAA) have been revealed and the winners will be announced at a gala dinner on 27 June 2019 at the Sun City Superbowl.
The finalists are:
|AB InBev for Castle Lager #SmashTheLabel||Ogilvy SA|
|AB InBev for Carling Black Label #NoExcuses Soccer Song For Change||Ogilvy SA|
|Agrinet for Beyond Agriculture|
|Anglo American for Makarapa City||Ogilvy SA|
|Audi for Audi Proteas||Levergy|
|Aurecon for Aurecon Visual Contracts|
|AVBOB for The AVBOB Poetry Project||BRAND et al|
|Cadbury for Remarkable Regift||Ogilvy SA|
|Edcon for JET #JETLOVEYOURSELF||Joe Public|
|Edcon for JET Manny||Joe Public|
|FNB for It Takes a Bank that Does More to Help your Family||BrandTruth|
|FNB for Springboks from Grassroots to Greatness||BrandTruth|
|Innovative Solutions Group for Innovative Staffing Solutions||PR Worx|
|Investec for The Art of Investec||Ogilvy SA|
|Kimberly-Clark South Africa for Huggies – The World’s Most Innovative Product Demo||Ogilvy SA|
|MARS for Royco – Let’s Eat with Siphokazi||MediaCom|
|MINI for Creative Club||John Brown|
|Nando’s for #rightmyname||M&C Saatchi Abel|
|Nando’s for PERi-Farms||Sunshinegun|
|Nando’s for 30th Birthday Bash||Sunshinegun|
|Nando’s for Grillers’ Challenge||Sunshinegun|
|New Balance for New Balance Proteas||Levergy|
|P&G for Ariel, making the impossible, possible.||MediaCom|
|P&G for Gillette Venus #MovesLikeNoOther||MediaCom|
|Pernod Ricard for Sun Met presented by G.H. Mumm||Playmakers|
|Pick n Pay for Fresh Content||John Brown|
|Pick n Pay for Glass Act Series||John Brown|
|Road Accident Fund #AlwaysRemember||Flow Communications|
|Sasol for #Limitless||Levergy|
|Suzuki Motor Corporation for Suzuki Inbound||Penquin|
|The Merck Group for Merck Consumer Health Neorobion||Ogilvy SA|
|Toyota for Toyota Rush – Live That Rush Life||FCB Johannesburg|
|Volkswagen SA for The People’s Car||Ogilvy SA|
|Yoco for Yoco: For the Sales|
The awards, to be held annually, celebrate the best of the best in South African marketing and aims to future-proof the sector and raise the bar for local marketers.
The finalists for the Marketer of the Year category, in which marketers are to be nominated by their industry peers, are yet to be announced.
The celebrations will kick off at Sun City with a networking welcome cocktail party on the evening of 26 June, followed by the Marketing Achievement Summit on 27 June before the much-awaited ceremony in the evening.
The Marketing Achievement Summit, with the theme “Future-proofing marketing” will explore marketing strategy, key issues and imperatives.
To reserve your spot at the event and to download the programme, click here.
Jury for the 2019 APEX Awards announced
Drawn from strategy, digital, creative, research, media, marketing as well as agency heads, the 2019 APEX award adjudication panel consists of highly regarded individuals and industry trail blazers. The group is tasked with combing through entries to identify and award the ‘work that works’.
Here are this year’s jurors:
|Ivan Moroke||Chief Executive Officer||Kantar, Insights Division|
|Gareth Leck||Group Chief Executive Officer||Joe Public United|
|Mathe Okaba||Chief Executive Officer||ACA|
|Ana Carrapichano||Group Managing Director||Mediology|
|Daniel Naidoo||Director||Gendel Interactive|
|Fran Luckin||Executive Creative Director||Grey SA|
|Ismail Jooma||Head of Strategy||VML|
|Jason Harrison||Managing Director||M&C Saatchi Abel|
|Kagiso Musi||Group Managing Director||Meta Media|
|Katlego Moutlana||Head of Strategy||Mortimer Harvey|
|Leigh Tayler||Strategic Director||Joe Public United|
|Lwandile Qokweni||Chief Strategic Officer||MEC Global|
|Mick Blore||Chief Executive Officer||Wolves|
|Natalie Botha||Creative Development Director||Kantar, Insights Division|
|Neil Higgs||Independent Consultant||Retired ex TNS Global|
|Refilwe Maluleke||Managing Director||Yellowwood|
|Roxy Maqache||Chief Executive Officer||Desert Arabia|
|Su-Lise Tessendorf||General Manager: Brand, Strat & Comms||Nando’s|
|Thabang Skwambane||Managing Director||FCB, Johannesburg|
|Thulani Sibeko||Chief Marketing Officer||Standard Bank|
|Tlalane Ntuli||Chief Operations Officer||Yalu SA|
|Zayd Abrahams||Head of Brand||FNB|
Since inception by the ACA in 1995, the APEX Awards has been the profession’s highest – and only – award for communications campaign performance excellence in an industry that is constantly refining and redefining creativity.
Winners will be announced at the APEX awards Gala Dinner to be held at The Venue @ The Houghton Hotel on 11 July 2019.
Reputation Matters recognised for reputation research excellence
Pictured left are Paul Holmes of The Holmes Report and Regine le Roux, managing director of Reputation Matters. Reputation Matters scooped two SABRE Africa awards, one for superior achievement in measurement and evaluation and the other for the industry sector category.
The SABRE Awards recognises superior achievement in branding, reputation and engagement. The glamorous “African print” themed gala event was hosted in Kigali, Rwanda as part of the African Public Relations Association’s annual conference.
Reputation Matters’ proprietary reputation research tool, the Repudometer®, aims to scientifically measure and quantify organisations’ reputations based on an assessment of ten elements. The Repudometer® also aims to measure the strength of an organisation’s stakeholder relationships, determine gaps in different business areas which may be impacting reputation negatively, and how to implement results-oriented and research-based communication solutions.
The Awards Wrap is published every Tuesday in our newsletter. Please send all awards news to email@example.com.
Want to continue this conversation on The Media Online platforms? Comment on Twitter @MediaTMO or on our Facebook page. Send us your suggestions, comments, contributions or tip-offs via e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.org.


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With new reports today on how Senate Republicans are “running away” from their party’s uncompromising anti-choice laws that ban abortion – even in cases of rape and incest – here’s an updated look at where vulnerable incumbents stand:
Strategy #1: Duck & Dodge
Strategy #2: Stay Silent
Strategy #3: Pretend You Had Nothing to Do with It
GOP state lawmakers have said their legislation is specifically designed to use the Republican-stacked federal judiciary to overturn Roe v. Wade.
As one Colorado newspaper’s editorial board pointed out this week: Cory Gardner “dishonestly tried to assure Colorado voters in 2014 that, if elected, he would not permit erosion of women’s reproductive rights… In reality, he has since voted to approve the nominations of justices who were chosen by President Donald Trump in part because of their likelihood to reverse or debilitate Roe v. Wade.”
Here’s a look at reporting from across the country:


San Antonio marijuana Town Hall discussion recap
News 4 of San Antonio had a Town Hall meeting at the Texas A&M campus yesterday to hold a discussion on marijuana legalization in Texas.
Hundreds turned out and people had to be seated in overflow rooms.
The overall general consensus? Overwhelming support for cannabis legalization.
A number of experts participated and took questions from the audience.


Officer had traffic lights rigged
Documents cast light on the conduct of a Tampa police sergeant under review for his squad's behavior.
By BRADY DENNIS
Published March 9, 2006
TAMPA - Police Sgt. Gene Strickland is waiting to hear what discipline he could face in recent internal affairs investigations calling into question his conduct and leadership.
Documents released this week by the Tampa Police Department show that his decisions as a squad leader have drawn other criticism.
In a May 2005 memo, Strickland told his supervisors that he had directed his squad to manipulate traffic signals at three Tampa Heights intersections with a traffic control device called a "pickle" that allows the user to dictate how long a light stays red.
The operation took place on four or five occasions stretching back to 2004, he said.
Officers kept the stoplights at each intersection red long enough for them to check the license plates of cars and see if they were stolen.
He said he hoped the method of checking tags on stopped cars would allow officers to "box in" the cars and "to negate the probability of vehicular pursuits of stolen cars."
Department officials said the tactic netted no stolen cars. More important, his bosses weren't pleased with his methods.
"In the police business, you have to have a reason to stop somebody," said Chief Steve Hogue. "When you keep somebody at a traffic light beyond the normal cycle of it, then you're essentially detaining that person."
In his memo, Strickland wrote that he usually employed the practice late at night, during light traffic flow. The three intersections he cited: Scott Street at Nebraska Avenue, North Boulevard at Ross Avenue and Florida Avenue at Indiana Street.
Strickland, 49, has had his conduct as a leader questioned again in the months since.
In February, an internal affairs investigation upheld allegations against three other officers who were found to have violated the department's code of conduct and its policy against sexual harassment.
That same investigation found that Strickland, the squad leader and a 25-year department veteran, "never intervened or disciplined the offenders properly," according to the investigation. Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy called it "a very low moment for TPD."
Days later, another inquiry found that Strickland and Cpl. David Watt should have intervened on a traffic stop during which several officers traded curses and insults with a 23-year-old man after pulling him from his car when he refused to sign three citations. The man was also stunned with a Taser, all while hundreds of Ybor City patrons watched.
Another recent IA investigation also found that while Watt was justified in shooting at a 45-year-old man during an undercover drug buy with Strickland in December 2004, the officers were at fault for using guns not authorized by the department.
In his first five years, Strickland received 14 commendations, two minor disciplinary actions and outstanding to above-average ratings on evaluations.
Police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said Strickland has been placed on desk duty while awaiting the conclusion of the disciplinary process. He could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
[Last modified March 9, 2006, 02:45:12]
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Titan Comics To Roll Out A New Tank Girl Hardcover For Her 30th
by Olly MacNamee
As well as producing four standalone ones-shots celebrating Tank Girl’s 30th anniversary next year, Titan Comics will also be rolling out a hardback collection of odds and sods in February 2018, too. And, it sports a brand new cover created by Tank Girl co-crator and Gorillaz stalwart, Jamie Hewlett. Something of a rarity these days and so something I wanted to share with you all.
Hitting stores in February 2018, The Way of Tank Girl from Tank Girl creators Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett, and artists Brett Parsons and Ashley Wood, brings together a collection of strips, poems, covers, and extracts from Tank Girl’s 30 year career. Includes a whole bunch of rare, unseen, and brand new images. This is Tank Girl’s philosophy on life, distilled from her filthiest, dirtiest, stupidest best!

domain: entertainment


Who would have thought it, Eastender Ian Beale and Mrs Brown's boys - out on the tiles in Birmingham.
We'd love to have been a fly on the wall for that outing at Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse Bar and Grill on Sunday night.
Ian...sorry Adam Woodyatt... (easy to get confused as Jo Joyner showed) - enjoyed a slap up meal as he took in the breathtaking view of the city.
But the soap star- who played a blinder during the the Who Killed Lucy? live episodes wasn't alone. He joined the whole Mrs Brown’s Boys family to celebrate the start of their sell-out run of shows at the Genting Arena.
With the party including Mrs Brown herself or Brendan O’Carroll, his wife Jen who plays Cathy Brown, and Rory Cowan who plays Rory Brown, we bet there were more than a few laughs at the dinner table that night!
The celebrity group happily signed autographs and posed for pictures - and proved their fame was spreading worldwide after being spotted by a family from Iceland where the show is now broadcast.
And Adam, looking a million miles from his character in a crisp white shirt and black waistcoat, was also keen to get on the other side of the camera.
The keen photographer snapped this stunning picture of the city’s skyline under an impressive orange sky from the 25th floor of The Cube.


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Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff accused incumbent Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) of campaigning with a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) member, ignoring her remarks to the contrary. He made his accusations during an impromptu interview with Fox News on Wednesday. Ossoff’s allegation was based on a viral photo of Loeffler with a former KKK leader, Chester Doles, taken earlier this month.
“We have two United States Senators in Georgia who have blatantly used their offices to enrich themselves. This is beyond partisanship,” stated Ossoff. “Here’s the bottom line: Kelly Loeffler has been campaigning with a klansman. Kelly Loeffler has been campaigning with a klansman. She is stooping to these vicious personal attacks to distract from the fact that she’s been campaigning with a former member of the Ku Klux Klan.”
Loeffler’s campaign spokesperson Stephen Lawson previously disavowed any connection between Loeffler and Doles and explained the context of the photo.
“Kelly had no idea who that was, and if she had she would have kicked him out [of the event] immediately because we condemn in the most vociferous terms everything that he stands for,” stated Lawson.
During the interview, Ossoff also asserted that the domestic abuse or child abuse coverup allegations against his fellow Democratic candidate, Raphael Warnock, wouldn’t negatively impact the Democratic ticket.
Ossoff later shared a clip of the interview to his Twitter page, reiterating his allegation made on-camera about Loeffler’s association with the KKK.
“Fox News walked up rolling live, and I appreciated the free air time!” wrote Ossoff. “Also, Kelly Loeffler campaigned with a klansman.”
Ossoff included a link to a campaign donation page for him and fellow Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock. Representative-elect Nikema Williams (D-GA-05) shared the clip, also accusing Loeffler of campaigning with a klansman.
Loeffler (R-GA) responded to the allegations promptly.
“Every Georgian knows that Jon Ossoff is a pathological liar,” stated Loeffler. “If he’s going to bring up lies about who I’m campaigning with, I’m going to talk about the truth about who he’s campaigning with. He’s campaigning with Raphael Warnock, who has a past with child abuse and domestic abuse, who has celebrated Jeremiah Wright, Karl Marx, Fidel Castro, James Cone, [and] Louis Farrakhan. He’s attacked our police, our military. He’s attacked Israel, small businesses, and every single Georgian.”
Prior to the uninterrupted air time toward the end of the interview, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy questioned Ossoff about any possible influences from China, including his business dealings with a Hong Kong company. Ossoff would only say that the topic was “utter nonsense.”
Twitter recently trended with a 2012 post from Ossoff, in which he told his supporters to follow the Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese government’s state-run press agency.
The runoff elections will take place on January 5.
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