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It is bordered by Canada to the north; by the Bering Strait to the northwest; by the Atlantic Ocean to the east; by the Pacific Ocean to the west; by Mexico and the Confederate States to the south. The United States is separated with the Soviet Union only by the Bering Strait, making the strait become known as the "Ice Curtain" for the continued tensions between two superpowers since the end of World War II.
The United States is the fourth-largest country by total area and third largest by population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The geography and climate of the United States is also extremely diverse, and it is home to a wide variety of wildlife. The United States has the world's largest national economy and being the world's foremost economic and military power, a prominent political and cultural force, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovation.
Colonization (1609–1775)European colonization in the area that known today as the United States of America was started at the Colony of New Netherland, a Dutch settlement located in present-day New York City and the Hudson River Valley in 1614. The Dutch were Calvinists who built the Reformed Church in America, but they were tolerant of other religions and cultures. The New Netherland Colony left an enduring legacy on American cultural and political life, including religion tolerance and free trade. The city was captured by the English in 1664; they took complete control of the colony in 1674 and renamed it as New York.
The Plymouth Colony was established at present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 by the English religious separatists called the Pilgrims. They arrived aboard a ship named the Mayflower and held a feast of gratitude which became part of the American tradition of Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims were soon followed by other Puritans, who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony at present-day Boston in 1630. Later, in 1691, these two English colonies were united into the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
There were 20 English colonies in North America by 1775, 13 among them later rebelled against the British rule and formed the First Union of the United States of America. Those colonies were Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. By the 18th century, the American colonies were growing very rapidly because of the abundant supplies of food and low death rates which attracted a steady flow of immigrants.
American Revolution (1775–83)An effort to unite the British American colonies under single formal colonial union was first called in the Albany Congress in 1754 and reflected by Benjamin Franklin’s call “Join or Die.” Although the Congress failed to realize the Union plan and it didn’t even have any goal to create an independent American nation, it was later greatly inspired the political concept of the United States of America following the American Revolution in 1776.
The resistance against the tax imposition by the British Parliament in late 1760s also preceded the moment of American Revolution. The colonists felt the Parliament had no any rights to tax them since they have no any representation in the British Parliament. The colonists began to set up the militia, in a preparation for the war against the British Empire. They who rebelled against the British Empire called as the Patriots.
In 1774, the First Continental Congress was convened by the Patriot leaders from the 13 Colonies as a response for the Coercive Acts that was passage to repress the Boston Tea Party in 1773. The Congress called for a boycott for British trade, rights and grievances; and petitioned King George III of the Great Britain and Ireland for redress of those grievances. The appeal to the Crown had no effect, and the Second Continental Congress was convened in 1775 to organize the resistance to the British rule under one armed and diplomatic effort.The independence of the 13 colonies as the United States of America was declared by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Benjamin Franklin was unanimously elected as the President of the Continental Congress. Later, during the Radical Reconstruction era, Franklin began to be honored by most U.S. historians as de facto first head of state of the United States, instead of George Washington who was elected the first U.S. President in 1789. Today, July 4 is celebrated as the Independence Day in the United States and as the Liberty Day in the Confederate States.
Under the command from General George Washington, the Patriots waged a war against the Loyalist forces that lasted until 1783 when the United States and Great Britain were agreed to end the war by signed the Treaty of Paris. The treaty recognized the United States as an independent nation and its sovereignty over most territory east of the Mississippi River.
Articles of Confederation (1776–87)
The short-lived First Union of the United States of America structure was based on the Articles of Confederation that created in 1777. The Articles provided a loose confederation between the Thirteen Colonies without any federal institution except the Continental Congress, although established a small common army and limited financial authority. The First Union government had no head of state nor judiciary, although the post of the President of Congress existed, it was a ceremonial one and doesn’t have similar functions like current post of the U.S. President.
Under this situation, the newly independent United States were so fragile to defend itself from either any external invasions or internal rebellions. The Constitutional Convention was convened in Philadelphia in 1787 to create a new constitution that provided more powerful and efficient central government, one with a strong executive head of state, and powers of taxation, while at the same time guaranteed the individual liberties, republican idea, and democratic principles.
Nation-building (1787–1812)George Washington, a renowned hero of the American Revolutionary War, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and president of the Constitutional Convention, was elected as the first President of the United States under the new Constitution in 1789. The U.S. national capital was moved from New York to Philadelphia and finally to Washington D.C. in 1800. Washington is the only U.S. head of state that ever elected with 100% of electoral votes. Together with Alexander Hamilton, Washington created a strong national government that would become a model for the modern U.S. government.
Hamilton established the Bank of the United States to stabilize the financial system and set up a uniform system of tariffs (taxes on imports) and other taxes to pay off the debt and provide a financial infrastructure. To support his programs, Hamilton created a new political organization, the Federalist Party, the first in the world based on voters. The opposition Republican Party was established by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison as its response. Both political establishments have later resulted to the First Party System that would last until 1824.
The purchase of Louisiana Territory that had been claimed by the French by the administration of Thomas Jefferson almost doubled the nation's size in 1803. With that purchase, the U.S. could potentially expand its territory westward of the Mississippi River.
War of 1812 and Era of Good Feelings (1812–29)In response to continued British interference with American shipping (including the practice of impressment of American sailors into the British Navy), and to British support for hostile Indians attacking American settlers in the Midwest, the Congress, despite strong opposition from Federalists in the Northeast who did not want to disrupt trade with Britain, declared war on Britain in 1812. The United States and Great Britain came to reach a stalemate toward the end of war. Both warring sides finally agreed to negotiate and sign a peace treaty in Ghent, Belgium, that officially ending the war and returned to the status quo ante bellum without any boundary changes.
The American victory at New Orleans as well as the news of the peace, giving a psychological triumph to the Americans and opening the Era of Good Feelings. During this era, the partisan politics began to decline following the end of war. The Federalist Party collapsed, but without an opponent, the Democratic-Republican party decayed as sectional interests emerged. The Monroe Doctrine, expressed in 1823, proclaimed the United States' opinion that European powers should no longer colonize or interfere in the Americas in response to American and British fears over Russian and French expansion into the New World.
Jacksonian Democracy (1829–61)
The victory of Andrew Jackson on 1828 Presidential election saw the coming to power of Jacksonian Democracy, thus marking the transition from the First Party System to the Second Party System. The entrepreneurs who envisioned an industrial nation instead, for whom Henry Clay and Daniel Webster were heroes, fought back against the Democrats and formed the Whig party. The Democrats and the Whigs emerged as the dominant parties from 1828 to 1854. Under the Second Party System, the old requirements for voters to own property were abolished and wider male suffrage was introduced.In 1830, the U.S. Congress passed the Indian Removal Act that authorizes the forced relocation that moved Indians into the west of the Mississippi River to their own reservations. Whigs and religious leaders opposed the move as inhumane. Thousands of deaths resulted from the relocations, as seen in the Cherokee Trail of Tears. Many of the Seminole Indians in Florida refused to move west; they fought the Army for years in the Seminole Wars.
The Second Great Awakening, beginning about 1800, converted millions to evangelical Protestantism. The Second Great Awakening stimulated the establishment of many reform movements, including abolitionism, women's rights, and temperance, designed to remedy the evils of society before the anticipated Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The wave of religious revival contributed to tremendous growth of the Methodist, Baptists, Disciples, and other evangelical denominations.
Whig candidate, Henry Clay, was elected President in 1844, defeating the Jacksonian James K. Polk. Clay Administration was faced a strong pressure from the Democrats for annexing Texas into the United States. Bitterly opposed the Manifest Destiny and realized the annexation risking a war with Mexico, Clay instead negotiated with the government of Mexico regarding agreeable boundary of Texas between two countries. The 1845 Texas Treaty, and later the 1848 California Treaty, with Mexico led to U.S. control of the present-day American Southwest.
In 1850, Clay proposed the Compromise of 1850 admitted California as a free state including Southern California, organized Utah Territory and New Mexico Territory with slavery to be decided by popular sovereignty, abolished the slave trade in Washington, D.C., and strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act. The treaties with Mexico and the Compromise of 1850 equally alarmed both the Northerners as adding new territory on the Southern side simply meant the expansion of slavery and the Southerners that viewed its as early steps toward abolition of slavery.
War of Southern Secession (1861–65)By 1860, tensions between slave and free states worsened and mounted with arguments about the relationship between the state and federal governments, as well as bloodshed and violent conflicts over the spread of slavery into new states. Abraham Lincoln, candidate of the largely antislavery Republican Party, was elected president in 1860. As result, seven Southern states declared their secession and formed the Confederate States of America on February 9, 1861.
After Confederate General Pierre Beauregard opened fire upon Union troops at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, the War of Southern Secession (or the War for Southern Independence as it known in the Confederate States) began and four more slave states seceded and then joined the Confederates States. The Secession War reached its stalemate in 1863 and after received the pressures from Radical Republicans and the abolitionists, the United States government recognized the independence of the Confederate States in August 1, 1864 with the signing of Treaty of Princeton in Princeton, Kentucky.
Radical Reconstruction and the Gilded Age (1865–1900)After the war, the U.S. government implemented the Reconstruction policies that aimed at the restructuring of U.S. constitutional framework by ending the legalized slavery in the slave states that remaining in the Union while ensuring the rights of the newly freed slaves. Lincoln's assassination in 1865 was followed by the bitter split between Radical and Liberal wings of the Republican Party. The Radicals controlled the Congress and after its candidate, the former U.S. commander during Secession War, Ulysses S. Grant, being elected President in 1868, its applied more radical social and economic reforms.
Another notable move during Radical Reconstruction era that the Congress decided to relocate the national capital further north and Philadelphia was used as a temporary seat of government between 1865–1880. Hyde Park Township in Cook County, Illinois, was then selected by President Grant in 1870 to be the new location for U.S. national capital. The construction of new administrative complex, including new U.S. Capitol and new official residence for the President of the United States, taken about 20 years before its completion in 1891.Some Liberal Republicans later merged with the National Union and the rump Northern Democrats, formed the Liberal Party in 1874. The Liberals gained its momentum when its candidate, Samuel J. Tilden defeated Republican candidate, Rutherford B. Hayes, in the 1876 presidential election. Tilden's presidency signaled the emergence of the Third Party System that would last until the early 20th century.
Rapid economic development at the end of the 19th century produced many prominent industrialists, and the U.S. economy became the world's largest. The emergence of many industrialists gave rise to the Gilded Age, a period of growing affluence and power among the business class. The 1867 Alaska Purchase from Russian Empire and the 1870 Oregon Treaty that ended a long-time boundary dispute with British Empire, completed the country's mainland expansion that extended the United States from Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast. Dramatic changes were accompanied by social unrest and the rise of populist, socialist, and anarchist movements.
Progressive Era and World War I (1900–21)
The Gilded Age eventually ended with the beginning of the Progressive Era, a period of great reforms in many societal areas, including regulatory protection for the public, greater antitrust measures, and attention to living conditions for the working classes. The notable leading figure of the progressives was Republican Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt, who assumed the post of Presidency in November 1901 after President McKinley assassinated by an anarchist. Roosevelt later won the presidency in his own right in a landslide victory in 1904 Presidential election.Roosevelt called for a "Square Deal", and initiated a policy of increased Federal supervision that aggressively curbed the power of large corporations called "trusts". Forty antitrust suits was brought by Roosevelt and major combinations such as the Standard Oil, the largest oil company, were broke-up. A new Department of Commerce and Labor was created in 1903. Conservation of the nation's natural resources and beautiful places was also a very high priority for Roosevelt. He placed 230 million acres under federal protection for preservation and parks and began systematic efforts to prevent forest fires and to retimber denuded tracts.
The United States emerged as a world economic and military power in the late 1890s. Roosevelt then worked to build and to strengthen the Army and the Navy into the forces befitting a major world power that would able to protect U.S. interests. In late 1904, following the Colombia Crisis of 1902–03, Roosevelt announced his corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, stated that the U.S. would exercise of international police power over its Caribbean and Central American neighbors against European interventions. In 1905, Roosevelt negotiated an end to the Russo-Japanese War and ironed out a final conflict over the division of Sakhalin and Korea in the Treaty of Portsmouth: Russia took the northern half and Japan the south, and Japan dropped its demand for an indemnity.
Roosevelt declined to be nominated by Republicans for the third term in 1908 and instead supported his Secretary of War, William Howard Taft, for the nomination. Taft was easily elected to the office and continued anti-trust policy. However, after Taft attacked U.S. Steel that Roosevelt had personally approved as a "good trust", Roosevelt decided to seek for the third term in 1912. After failed to get Republican ticket, Roosevelt run his own for a newly-established Progressive Party with Governor of California Hiram Johnson as his running mate. Survived from an assassination attempt during his campaign, Roosevelt was successfully re-elected. It signaled the beginning of Fourth Party System.When World War I began in Europe in 1914, the United States firmly maintained its neutrality despite President Roosevelt's strong sympathy for the Allies. Roosevelt, without enough support from the U.S. Congress, avoided war entry for all cost. However, on other side, naval and land forces were prepared for defensive purposes after the sinking of the RMS Lusitania in 1915. The Zimmerman Telegram, that offered the Confederate States to go to war with Germany against the United States, was the "last straw" for the United States.
The U.S. declared war against Central Powers in 1917. American troops, money, food, and munitions arrived quickly to Europe; by winter 1917 American soldiers under General John J. Pershing arrived at the rate of 10,000 a day, while Germany was unable to replace its losses. After the Franco-American forces launched the successful final offensive in Verdun (September Offensive), the Americans played a central role in the Allied final offensive (Hundred Days Offensive). Victory over Germany achieved on November 11, 1918. France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Italy imposed severe economic penalties on Germany and Spain in the Treaty of Versailles. The U.S. Senate did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles and rejected American entry to the newly created League of Nations; instead, the United States signed separate peace treaties with Germany and its allies.
Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression (1921–33)
In the U.S. presidential election of 1920, the Republican Party returned to the White House with the victory of Warren G. Harding, who campaigned for the "return of normalcy" of the U.S. society after the years of war, ethnic hatreds, race riots and exhausting reforms. During Harding's administration (1921-1923) and his successor, Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929), the United States enjoyed a period of widespread prosperity, except for a recession in 1920–21.Good times were widespread for all sectors (except agriculture and coal mining). New industries (especially electric power, movies, automobiles, gasoline, tourist travel, highway construction, and housing) flourished. However, in 1920, the manufacture, sale, import, and export of alcohol were prohibited by the Eighteenth Amendment. It was enforced at the federal level by the Volstead Act. Most states let the federals do the enforcing. Drinking or owning liquor was not illegal, only the manufacture or sale. The result was that in cities illegal alcohol became a big business, largely controlled by racketeers.
During the 1920s, the nation enjoyed widespread prosperity, albeit with a weakness in agriculture. A financial bubble was fueled by an inflated stock market, which later led to the Stock Market Crash on October 29, 1929. This, along with many other economic factors, triggered a worldwide depression known as the Great Depression.
Republican President Herbert Hoover was slow to react to the crisis. He did not provide federal relief to farmers and stubbornly refused to give help to the unemployed in urban areas. Hoover vetoed a bill that would have created a federal unemployment agency and also opposed a plan to create a public works program. During this time, the United States experienced deflation as prices fell, unemployment soared from 3% in 1929 to 25% in 1933, farm prices fell by half, and manufacturing output plunged by one-third.
New Deal and World War II (1933–45)The Republicans who were blamed for the Great Depression were defeated by Progressive nominee, Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1932 presidential election. Upon taking the office, Roosevelt administration called for a "New Deal" to provide economic reliefs and restore the economy to normal condition. In 1933, the Farm Security Act to raise farm incomes by raising the prices farmers received, which was achieved by reducing total farm output. The Social Security Act was passed in 1935, established a permanent system of universal retirement pensions.
Numerous federal employment projects were also created to return the unemployed to the workforce, including the Federal Public Works Project, the Federal Health Project, and the Federal Art Project. The Federal Public Works Project, for example, employed more than 8.5 million workers who built 650,000 miles of highways and roads, 125,000 public buildings, as well as bridges, reservoirs, irrigation systems, parks, playgrounds and so on. The U.S. economy improved rapidly from 1933 to 1937 but then relapsed into a deep recession.
Roosevelt's New Deal produced a political realignment. Many progressives that still remained at the Republican Party and the Liberal Party switched side and supported the Progressives. As most of the progressive Liberals shifted their support, the Liberal Party adopted a more conservative platform against New Deal and gradually took conservative votes away from the Republicans. On the other hand, the Republican political prominence eventually diminished during the war, ending its hegemony since the War of Southern Secession.
In 1937, after some of his New Deal legislation ruled as unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, President Roosevelt successfully expanded the size of the court through the Judicial Procedures Reform Act. Roosevelt's act for packing the court resulted to the formation of Conservative Coalition between the Republicans and the Liberals and crystallized the political realignment between American progressives and American conservatives that would be strengthened during Joseph P. Kennedy's administration in the 1950s.
At the wake of World War II in Europe, the United States at first declined to enter the war, limiting itself to giving supplies and weapons to Britain, Japan, and the Soviet Union. American feeling changed drastically with the sudden joint Italian-Spanish naval attack on Havana Harbor in December 1941. Following the attack, President Roosevelt officially asked for a declaration of war on Spain and Italy before a joint session of Congress on December 8, 1941. The motion passed with only one vote against it, in both chambers. The U.S. enthusiastically went to war against Spain, Italy, China, and Nazi Germany.


But the talks stalled over a series of significant policy differences, and they were affected by a Friday controversy over secret inflammatory remarks the Star revealed President Donald Trump had made about the negotiations on Thursday.
Earlier, as word of Trump's off-the-record remarks rippled through the media corps gathered outside the offices of the US trade representative, a stoic Freeland maintained her diplomatic countenance, saying only that both the Canadian negotiating team and USTR officials were working hard to reach an agreement.
"My negotiating counterparty is Ambassador [Robert] Lighthizer, and as I've said, he has brought good faith and goodwill to the table".
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland is set to make an announcement on the state of the NAFTA talks at 4:30 p.m.at the Canadian embassy in Washington. "I love Canada, but they've taken advantage of our country for many years", Trump said during a speech in North Carolina.
Following a week of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations that yielded few tangible results, U.S. Our officials are continuing to work towards the agreement.
The Star's report on Trump's off-the-record remarks appeared to complicate matters.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to Trump's off the record comments at a press conference this morning.
Trump optimistic about Nafta talks with Canada
Under nearly any normal circumstance, the negotiation of a trade pact between countries should result in benefits for consumers, say experts who are closely watching the North American free trade talks unfold in Washington.
The greenback had rallied late on Thursday in a safe-haven move after Bloomberg News reported that Trump wanted to move ahead on a plan to impose tariffs on Chinese imports worth $US200 billion next week. His remarks raised doubts about whether the two countries could quickly reach a deal to keep Canada in the 24-year-old trading bloc, along with the United States and Mexico. "At least Canada knows where I stand", he later said on Twitter.
"One of the things I think we're accomplishing in this agreement is a better deal for Canadian and American auto workers", Freeland said Friday, praising the "rules of origin" agreement between the United States and Mexico to raise the amount of content in a vehicle that is produced in North America and ensure that 40 to 45 percent of the car's content is made by workers earning at least $16 an hour.
Speaking to Bloomberg of the record, he'd said a deal was possible "totally on our terms" and that he'd threatened Trudeau's government in the talks with tariffs on Canadian cars.
"Clearly that's not what the Mexicans and the Americans agreed to", said Leblond.
According to scholar and author He Qinglian, a widely respected expert on the Chinese economy who lives in the United States, the core issue for Washington is China's theft of USA intellectual property and using counterfeit goods to take US companies' market, and the "Made in China 2025" initiative. "I can't kill these people", he said of the Canadian government.
The Council on Foreign Relations estimated that a third of USA jobs in auto manufacturing have been lost since NAFTA came into effect in 1994.
The U.S. president has repeatedly criticized Canada's "unfair treatment" of American dairy farmers - even though the United States has a surplus in dairy trade with Canada.


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BACKGROUND AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: Patients with heart failure (HF) may be predisposed to malnutrition. Little is known about the nutritional status of patients with HF, particularly patients who have coexisting major medical conditions such as chronic kidney disease. The purposes of this study were to (1) describe the nutritional status of 211 patients with chronic HF, (2) examine relationships between nutrition variables and health-related quality of life, and (3) evaluate the nutritional status of the subset of HF patients with coexisting chronic kidney disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The sample included 211 patients with chronic HF recruited for a larger study about health-related quality of life. Clinical data were retrieved retrospectively from the computerized medical records system at the study site. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Mean body mass index of the 122 patients for which height was available was 31.4, and no differences in body mass index were noted among patients with varying New York Heart Association class functional status. Evaluation of the mean laboratory values indicated that patients had abnormal elevations of serum glucose, hemoglobin A1C, creatinine, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Higher hemoglobin A1C levels were significantly correlated with poorer health-related quality-of-life scores, although the magnitude of the correlations was modest. Estimated glomerular filtration rate indicated that 54 (27%) of the HF patients likely had coexisting chronic kidney disease, and these patients had significantly lower serum albumin and worsening anemia. The results indicate the need for future prospective studies that incorporate evaluation of nutritional status and the ways in which coexisting chronic kidney disease influences outcomes.
- Chronic kidney disease
- Health-related quality of life
- Heart failure
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
- Advanced and Specialized Nursing

domain: literature


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Who We Are
The Sweetener Users Association (SUA) represents American food companies that use sugar to make the products U.S. consumers know and love – from sweet treats to everyday staples like bread, pasta sauce, yogurt and peanut butter.
Sugar-using companies employ hundreds of thousands of Americans across the United States, including bakers, confectioners and factory workers.
SUA advocates for legislative and regulatory reforms that will make U.S. sugar policy more market-oriented, both domestically and internationally, so that consumers aren’t forced to pay high prices that result from government subsidies.
SUA believes in less government intrusion into the marketplace and in sugar and trade policies that protect American workers, companies and consumers.

domain: food


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This is my favorite chicken marinade to make. It creates so much flavor and keeps the chicken extra tender! It will quickly become your absolute favorite chicken marinade recipe ever.
Today I have a delicious easy chicken marinade to share with you. It is my absolute favorite! We’ve been taking advantage of the beautiful weather this summer and grilling as much as we can, however I don’t plan on stopping this fall. The kids started school yesterday and the pool closes today, so I guess that means summer break is officially over. I’m still in denial, yet I’m starting to get REAL excited for fall. I debated sharing this recipe now or waiting until next year, but if you’re anything like us, you’ll still be grilling a few more months so you’ll want to try this easy chicken marinade out!
You only need a few simple ingredients for the recipe (find the printable recipe for easy chicken marinade below).
- Olive oil -I love to use the extra virgin olive oil from Costoc.
- Lite soy sauce -Make sure to use lite or low-sodium so it isn’t too salty.
- Lemon juice -I prefer to use fresh lemons, but you can use jarred when in a pinch.
- Garlic -this adds a great flavor depth.
- Dijon mustard -I love the flavor this adds, but it can be left out if preferred.
The flavors in this chicken marinade blend so well together creating a delicious flavor!
How long should I marinate the chicken?
I love to marinate my chicken for about 2 hours. You want to make sure to marinate for atleast 30 minutes. The longer you marinate the better.
- Pat chicken dry with a paper towel before placing in marinade to allow it to absorb more flavor.
- To cook chicken, lift out of the bag with tongs and place directly on the grill (no need to wipe off marinade). You can brush on any extra marinade within the first few minutes.
- Always cook chicken to at least 160°F but check as it gets close so you don’t overcook the chicken, making it dry.
- Make sure to let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving to retain the juices.
- Grilled vegetables
- Mexican street corn
- Baked zucchini fries
- Baked sweet potato fries
- Baked potatoes
- Serve leftovers over a fresh salad.
Chicken marinade recipe
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (or lite soy sauce)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- juice from lemon (optional)
- Thaw and trim chicken breasts. Pat down with paper towels and then place in a zip top bag or a large bowl. If the breasts are thick, I like to pound the chicken down with a rolling pin once they are in the bag.
- Then add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic salt and pepper. Squish the ingredients around until it is mixed well. Place in a bowl or pan and then into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to the all day.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat. Place chicken on the grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side (or until a thermometer reads 160° to 165°F and then center is no longer pink). Let meat rest for about 5 minutes before serving.


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Dragon Age Inquisition: Astrarium solutions
How to solve all of these fiddly puzzles.
Destiny: How to get to level 32
The Dark Below raises the level cap - how do you get there?
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It might have suffered from less than perfect execution, but Scribblenauts has to be one of the most ambitious gaming concepts of recent years. Here's how 5th Cell came up with it.
4 minutes 31 seconds
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domain: game


Transparent Nanowire Electrodes As a Tool for Electrochemical Detection
In our study, we fabricate and characterize transparent electrode based in metal nanowires for electrochemical detection. By changing the length, diameter and amount of deposited nanowires, we can vary their transparency (up to 90% transparent), sheet resistance (up to 0.1 ohm/square) and effective surface area. Compared to conventional evaporated plain electrodes, printed nanowire electrodes can achieve more than 80% transparency (in visible range) with the same electrochemical effective surface area. Using these electrodes, we can fabricate new sensors with high transparency (> 90%), flexibility and high sensitivity to oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. The detection of these two components is predominant in healthcare and environmental monitoring.
The combination of those properties could allow us to use this type of sensors as opto-electrochemical sensors for monitoring living cells and also for glucose detection on humans. Transparent nanowire electrodes can also be a real alternative to existing indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent electrodes for other applications.
Figure 1.Pictures of electrochemical sensors based on metal nanowires on PET transparent substrate. WE and REF electrodes are made from metal nanowire have 80% transparency, CE electrode are made from gold.
Figure 2. SEM image of silver nanowire electrode and the size distribution of nanowires.
Figure 3. Voltammetry response of the nanowire based electrochemical sensor to hydrogen peroxide in phosphate buffer (pH=7)


Five exciting stars and the paths the lie ahead…
07.04.08 - By Michael Montero: I wanted to take a look at five of my favorite fighters to watch and talk about what lies ahead for each of them. Where do I see their careers going over the immediate future? Which fights make the most sense financially? Which do the fans want to see? What don’t we want to see??
Article posted on 08.04.2008
ISRAEL VASQUEZ: 43-4 (31), Undisputed Super Bantamweight Champion of the world
He’s #5 on my current Pound For Pound List and the legitimate champ at Super Bantamweight (122 pounds). The first thing Israel needs is a long, well deserved rest – which he is currently taking. But then what? There has been talk about “El Magnifico” moving up in weight to test the waters at Featherweight, but why? There are plenty of matches for him at his proven weight that will not only make fans happy and further secure his legacy, but pad his bank account as well.
First of all, there’s the winner of this June’s match between Daniel Ponce De Leon 34-1 (30) and Juan Manuel Lopez 21-0 (19) in Texas. Should Ponce De Leon beat Lopez and defend his WBO title – it sets up a big, all Mexican showdown with Vasquez late this year. On the flip side, should the Puerto Rican Lopez snatch the WBO title this June, it sets up a chance for Vasquez to defend Mexico’s honor and try to win the belt back for his countrymen. Either way, it’s a win-win situation for Israel to fight the winner of this bout in attempt to unify his WBC title with the WBO.
Another direction may be Canada’s Steve Molitor 27-0 (10), the current IBF titlist. This would be a big bout in Toronto, Ontario and who doesn’t love unification? Of course there’s always a lucrative forth match with Rafael Marquez, which I wouldn’t blame either man for taking in the beginning of 2009. They could go Pay Per View this time around and even with only a modest turn out of 200,000 or so buys, would stand to make the seven-figure paydays they deserve. Either way, there are plenty of options for Senior Vasquez. Whatever path he chooses, I just pray that his handlers don’t let him fight too long past his primes. This guy wears his heart on his sleeve when he’s in the ring and I don’t want to see him go out like a Fernando Vargas or Arturo Gatti (and no I’m not comparing Vasquez to those fighters in terms of skill, just in regards to getting hit a lot).
MANNY PACQUIAO: 46-3-2 (35), Undisputed Super Featherweight Champion of the world
Manny’s made it clear that his next fight will be at Lightweight and that’s where he’ll stay. He’s scheduled to face WBC titlist David Diaz 34-1 (17) this June in Las Vegas and is already a betting favorite. Should he be successful and add yet another title in a different division to his collection, where does he go from there? A sure-fire, all action bout with Juan Diaz 33-1 (17) is always a possibility. Diaz just signed with Golden Boy Promotions, who’s never been afraid to put their guys in the ring with “The Pacman”, so a deal wouldn’t be hard to make. Then there’s the linear, RING Magazine Champion, Joel Casamayor – who’s also a Golden Boy fighter. What if Manny were to beat Diaz this June, then fight and beat Casamayor toward the end of the year? He’d be the linear, undisputed champion of yet another weight class! It could happen. However nobody could call him undisputed until he faced newly crowned champion Nate Campbell 32-5-1 (25), who scooped up the WBA, IBF and WBO titles when he upset Juan Diaz last month. This would be a tougher fight to make though because Campbell is promoted by the infamous Don King, who would make negotiations hell for such a match. In fact, don’t be surprised to see Campbell sit on the sidelines for the rest of the year and be stripped of at least one of his belts. But I digress…
If none of those bouts interest Manny or his handlers, there’s always the possibility of a very lucrative third match with Juan Manuel Marquez. Who wouldn’t want to see those two do it again? This time, the fight would be at Lightweight, everything else would be the same though – the same rivalry the same passion, the same action, guts and heart. All of the bouts I’ve listed above make sense for Pacquiao – but the one that doesn’t is the one I’ve heard the most about and has me concerned. There is absolutely NO SENSE in an Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao match, which there have been talks of on both sides. Pacquiao is 5’6” and fought his first pro bout at 106 pounds. He’s not even a proven Lightweight (135 pounds) yet, the same division in which De La Hoya started his career. Not only is Oscar four inches taller, but has a substantial reach advantage and has fought at 147 pounds or greater since 1997! No folks, this is not just some internet rumor, there have actually been talks between Golden Boy Promotions and Bob Arum (who handles Manny) to make this fight happen! With all the available legitimate, realistic matches out there for Pacquiao that make sense for all parties involved, I really hope all this De La Hoya talk goes away.
KELLY PAVLIK: 33-0 (29), Undisputed Middleweight Champion of the world
Undoubtedly, Pavlik will end up moving to 168 and more than likely 175 before it’s all over – but for now, there’s unfinished business at 160 pounds. Sure, he’s the linear, undisputed middleweight champ, but he needs to defend that title a few times and secure his legacy in the weight class before moving up. The obvious #1 contender right now is Germany’s Arthur Abraham 26-0 (21), the current IBF titlist. Abraham’s handlers claim to want a fight with Pavlik and further claim to be willing to come to the states to make it happen. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in boxing, it’s not to trust these German promoters. In other words, I’ll believe it when I see it. The same can be said for another German titlist, current WBA belt-holder Felix Sturm 29-2-1 (13). Sturm is a good boxer, and has shown a willingness to come to the states before as he did to face De la Hoya in 2004, a fight in which he was robbed of victory by the judges. If Sturm were to come to the USA again to fight Pavlik, he’d probably want to do his best to keep it out of the judges’ hands and that might make for a more entertaining bout than expected.
But if the Germans don’t want to play along, there’s always Winky Wright 51-4-1 (25), who needs a fight right now in the worst way. Wright is a big name, multi-divisional champ, has faced numerous future hall-of-famers and is yet to be soundly defeated in his 18 year career. Imagine if Pavlik became the first to stop Wright - he was the first to stop Zertuche, Miranda and Taylor so it’s not out of the realm of possibility. A couple defenses of his championship and a dominant win over Wright would firmly secure Pavlik’s legacy at Middleweight, then he could move up in weight leaving no stone unturned.
One fight being discussed that I’m firmly against is a match with Joe Calzaghe; in my opinion it just doesn’t work. Kelly is on the way up; Joe is on the way down. Not only that, but Calzaghe has made it clear that he intends to stay at 175 pounds, should he be successful when he fights Bernard Hopkins in a couple weeks – Pavlik isn’t even proven at 168 yet. It’s just an unnecessary bout on so many levels, especially with potential matches for “The Ghost” against numerous young opponents at 160-168.
JOE CALZAGHE: 44-0 (32), Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion of the world
Of course there’s the aforementioned fight with Hopkins 48-4-1 (32) coming up on the 19th, but then what? Should he be successful, he would be the linear light heavyweight champion, but hardly undisputed. There are only two directions that make sense for Joe if he beats Hopkins. The first (and more likely) scenario is to immediately call out Roy Jones Junior – and I mean immediately. Right after the fight with Hopkins, when Joe is standing in the ring and Max Kellerman asks him, “Joe, who do you want next?” – Calzaghe should start talking trash about Jones right then and there. Roy’s win over Felix Trinidad earlier this year, combined with a Calzaghe victory over the living legend that is Bernard Hopkins, sets up a mega, Pay Per View, Calzaghe-Jones bout at year’s end. I could see HBO going all out on that one, “24/7” series and all. Both fighters are in the twilight of their careers and this fight makes too much sense NOT to happen. Of course if Hopkins should be victorious on the 19th, he should do the exact same thing I suggested of Joe and immediately call out Jones. But back to Calzaghe (who I pick by UD over B-Hop by the way)...
The second scenario for the undefeated Welshman would be to sit back and let the victors of this weekend’s Dawson-Johnson and Woods-Tarver bouts face each other, then call out the last man standing. If this scenario actually plays out, I suspect Joe would be calling out “Bad” Chad Dawson. The winner of this fight would be not only the linear, unified champ – but the undisputed champion of the world at light heavy. What I DON’T want to see happen is Joe beat Hopkins, then fight Clinton Woods in the UK for the IBF title (should Woods beat Tarver this Saturday). That bout may do well in the UK, but nobody else would really care about it. Sure, a win over Woods would give Joe the IBF strap at 175, but it would do very little for his legacy worldwide. In my opinion, Roy Jones Junior is the best direction for Joe to go in – not just for the celebrity status or financial benefit, but for his legacy as an all time great as well.
DAVID HAYE: 21-1 (20), Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion of the world
The best Cruiserweight since Evander Holyfield is making his way up to Heavyweight and fans worldwide are buzzing about it. “The Haymaker” hasn’t been quiet bout his goals in boxing’s most storied division, having already called out the heavyweight elite. But we all know he’s unproven with the big boys and needs a few fights before going up against the likes of Wladimir Klitschko 50-3 (44), the best Heavyweight this side of Lennox Lewis. David should make his Heavyweight splash in the UK against a B-level opponent from that side of the pond; why not call out Danny Williams, Matt Skelton or even Audley Harrison? Then it’s on to the states…
For his American Heavyweight debut, I’d like to see him in the ring against a faded veteran like Hasim Rahman or Andrew Golota, but that probably won’t happen as those two are currently pining for one last title shot of their own. However, serviceable vets like James Toney or even Lamon Brewster would prove a stern test for Haye. Either fight would be fairly easy to make, both men are durable and would give him some valuable rounds and both were top five heavyweights just a couple years back. A win over either or those two (or the like) and he’s in the mix as a legitimate top ten heavyweight. Of course what would be ideal is for Haye to take on a fellow up-and-comer like Alexander Povetkin 15-0 (11), Chris Arreola 23-0 (21), Vladimir Virchis 24-1 (20), Eddie Chambers 30-1 (16), etc. This is what the division needs more than anything else; the top rising prospects/contenders to fight one another in order to find a definitive challenger for the world heavyweight champion, Wladimir Klitschko.
What worries me is that we may see David Haye never leave the UK, fight a few bums, work his way into a bogus mandatory position and go after Klitschko too soon. Guys like Haye and Povetkin should be facing each other, NOT Klitschko. If Haye were to go for any title belt at heavy right now, he should try with the WBA. By next year he could probably work his way into a mandatory position, probably against John Ruiz or Ruslan Chagaev. The heavy-handed Londoner is only 27; time is on his side.
Questions, comments, hate mail – you know what to do:
previous article: Brits on Tour 2008 – Golden Era for British Boxing
next article: Is Shannon Briggs ‘ducking’ Andrew Golota?


text: The hotel offers guests a range of services and facilities, making it ideal for business travellers and holidaymakers alike. Internet access (no extra charge) is available to travellers in the public areas. Each of the rooms is appointed with air conditioning and a bathroom. A balcony is included as standard in most rooms, offering additional space for relaxation. A sofabed ensures a good night's sleep. Amenities in all rooms include internet access. The bathroom offers convenient facilities including a shower. Copyright GIATA 2004 - 2016. Breakfast can be booked.

domain: travel


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When I was in Southport several years ago, I carried Charles Farrell's photographs to an old menhaden fisherman named Charles “Pete” Joyner. At the time, Mr. Joyner was 93 years old.
The Beauty of Old Fishing Nets
Far more than I usually do, I am noticing the beauty in even the smallest, most everyday parts of my world.
Photographs from the National Fisherman
The Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, Maine, has recently made available for the first time more than 20,000 historical photographs from America's fishing communities, including those here on the North Carolina coast. It is an extraordinary collection: the photographs from every issue of the National Fisherman, the leading trade journal of the commercial fishing industry.
The Fisher-Woman of Blue Hill
On the other side of Union River Bay, just west of where I am staying on Mount Desert Island, in a village called Blue Hill, the menhaden oil and scrap industry was born, if one can say it was born anywhere.
The Navassa Guano Company
This is a photograph of the Navassa Guano Company’s factory circa 1905. The landmark fertilizer company was located 5 miles north of Wilmington, N.C., on the northwest branch of the Cape Fear River. The sprawling complex included, left to right, the main line of the Atlantic Coastline Railroad, which crossed the Brunswick River by the plant, a sulfuric acid factory and, behind it, the fertilizer factory proper.
The Menhaden Fishermen’s Strike
My conversation with folk singer and social activist Guy Carawan had gone in surprising directions. When I called him, now almost a decade ago, I had really just wanted to know more about his pilgrimage to his father’s homeplace in Pamlico County, N.C. in the summer of 1953.
The Night the Fish Factory Burned
I called the legendary folksinger and social activist Guy Carawan after I listened to his oral history interview at the Southern Folklife Collection at UNC-Chapel Hill. He was in his 80s when I contacted him. (He has since passed away.) He was very generous with his time and he seemed to enjoy re-visiting his younger days.
Music All Over the Ocean
In 2009 and 2010, an extraordinary community project, called “Raising the Story of Menhaden Fishing,” commemorated the central role that the menhaden industry played here in Carteret County, N.C, for generations. Inspired by the closing of the state's last menhaden factory, Beaufort Fisheries, in 2005, the project involved a series of community forums, school events and documentary projects. Led by cultural anthropologist and local fisheries activist, and my old friend, Barbara Garrity-Blake, the project’s organizers worked hand-in-hand with former menhaden fishermen and factory workers to create a unique community-wide period of reflection on the passing of a way of life.

domain: history


text:
No Intro Fix
Just a simple tweak that will make the game skip the intros.
1) Go to the game directory.
2) First make a back up copy of "Aztaka.cfg".
3) Open "Aztaka.cfg" with notepad or your favourite editor.
4) Search for the line:
"ShowIntro = false"
And replace it to:
"ShowIntro = true"
This will take care of the intros, you will be instantly directed to the main menu at game launch.


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Streisand says she can "relax" after Obama victory
By Christian Wiessner
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Barbra Streisand's liberal political voice rose to a crescendo in last year's U.S. presidential race but the singing legend says the election of President Barack Obama has allowed her to relax.
During her 2006 singing tour, she was joined onstage by an actor portraying former President George W. Bush as an inept fool, and in the campaign that followed she was so focused on seeing a Democrat elected, she said she went a little crazy.
"I was so incensed, so passionate about having a Democrat in the White House, I was insane. I was just crazed," Streisand told Reuters ahead of a new TV special and DVD release.
"I trust this administration. I trust Barack Obama and his intelligence and have faith that he'll do the right thing," said the winner of eight Grammys, two Academy Awards and numerous Emmys. "So I've been able to relax the last few months."
After all the acrimony of the 2008 campaign, Streisand finally met Bush for the first time last December when she was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor.
Streisand said she wanted the event to be apolitical and, to her pleasant surprise, so did Bush, who kissed her.
"It's even in Talmudic law that one must not embarrass someone else in public and so it was not an appropriate time to share my views since he knew my views quite well," she said.
"He was smart and very clever to extend his arms and say, 'Give me a kiss,' because it caught me off guard and was disarming. It was fine," she said. Continued...

domain: politics


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Tuf enough: Cooper wins $20,000 in match roping at Cinch Roping Fiesta
SAN ANGELO — Multi-time world champion Tuf Cooper of Decatur earned a winner-take-all check of $20,000 in match roping at the 67th annual Cinch Roping Fiesta at the outdoor arena at the San Angelo Fairgrounds on Saturday.
San Angelo calf roper Ty Harris received a check of $2,174.36 for finishing third in the second go round with a time of 9.6 seconds.
Cooper won a 12-head match against Haven Meged of Miles City, Montana. Caleb Smidt, of Bellville, was originally scheduled to compete against Meged, but due to an injury he was replaced by Cooper earlier in the week.
Meged didn't go away empty-handed, after receiving a payoff of $6,637.52 for winning the average in calf roping earlier in the day.
Menard's Marcos Costa placed sixth in the first go round of calf roping to earn a check of $572.20. His time was 10.2
Festivities for the three-day extravaganza wrap up Sunday.

domain: news


Go to Admin » Appearance » Widgets » and move Gabfire Widget: Social into that MastheadOverlay zone
January 30th, 2014 by Temple City Tribune
We caught up with ELO front man Jeff Lynne ( not sure of his real name) at NAMM Saturday in Anaheim. Lynne (originally from Temple City) had just finished a set and told us his band was the only ELO tribute band in North America. Several other bands hit the tribute circuit thanks to a company appropriately called MusicZirconia.
If you can image your favorite musicians, there is probably a tribute or parody band out there keeping the 60’s alive. One of our favorites has always been Kenny Metcalf at Elton John. However this time we got to chat with the Lynne legend.
Jeffrey “Jeff” Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer who gained fame as the leader and sole constant member of Electric Light Orchestra. He was later a co-founder and member of the Traveling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. Lynne has produced recordings for artists such as the Beatles, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Brian Wilson, Randy Newman, Roy Orbison, Dave Edmunds, Del Shannon and Tom Petty. Among the many compositions to his credit are such well-known hits as “Livin’ Thing”, “Evil Woman”, “Turn to Stone”, “Do Ya”, “Strange Magic”, “Sweet Talkin’ Woman”, “Telephone Line”, “Mr. Blue Sky”, “Hold on Tight”, “Don’t Bring Me Down”, “When We Was Fab”, “I Won’t Back Down”, “Free Fallin'”, “Handle with Care” and “End of the Line”.
For more information on this phenomenon of tribute bands go to: www.mztributebands.com.
–Photo by Terry Miller


Private Buckaroo (1942)
WWII era Musical starring Dick Foran, the Andrew Sisters, Harry James, and Joe E Lewis. Dick Foran play a western style crooner who's anxious to join the Army. After he's enlisted he thinks he's to good for basic training which raises the ire of his fellow soldiers.
Back to the Musicals Library
back to Uncle Earl's Classic TV Channel


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The Bubble Jet Set 2000 has revolutionized the way we print on fabric! A simple non-toxic chemical formula designed to treat fabric for permanent images with Ink Jet Printers. This product allows you to treat your own fabric at home and create your own designs when making your craft projects. Size: 16 oz.
P.O. Box 100358
Staten Island, NY 10310
Phone: 718-448-0060 Copyright 2006 - DL Creations

domain: design


text:
Confirming room availability...
Hanting Express North Taihua Road Branch, North East Corner Of The Cross Of 3Rd North Ring And North Taihua Road Weiyang District, Xi'an, China
Accepting only Mainland Chinese citizens Hanting Express North Taihua Road Branch is located in Weiyang District. The hotel offers cozy guestrooms and free WiFi across the hotel. Every unit here comes with air conditioning and a TV with cable channels. The private bathroom is stocked with slippers and free toiletries. The hotel is 2.2 mi away from North Coach Terminal. Xianyang International Airport is 14 mi away.


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Everyone is touched by today's unprecedented global economic situation. Healthcare, although less directly affected than other industries, is also impacted by these complex issues. Healthcare institutions derive much of their funding from Wall Street bonds, as well as philanthropic individuals and organizations donating large sums of money for new units, updated technologies, or facilities on the hospital campus. Another source of revenue for hospitals is elective surgeries – those not covered by healthcare insurance – so that when people cut back spending they often elect not to have those procedures, and thus, fewer elective surgeries are performed.
When these revenue sources are reduced, a healthcare organization is affected as well. Capital projects are put on the back burner, expansion plans are halted and staffing plans may be reduced.
It is critical to stay competitive and to maintain the employment message and the integrity of the healthcare brand. Staffing shortages still remain alarmingly high and this affects a wide span of workgroups. Looking ahead, the healthcare staffing outlook for the next 5+ years still has critical shortages. Organizational hiring goals reflect this need for qualified and experienced staff to provide a high standard of care. Patient care depends on human capital, and in order to maintain that level of care, organizations must maintain adequate staffing for their units.

domain: finance


Now, a section of media is quoting Gen Shah as denying the report adding that he was never there at the meeting involving Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Irani.
As for our report, we got the lead from a website ummid.com, which had quoted Milli Gazette. We clearly attributed to both the sources in our report.
But because the allegations were serious, we had to give the stakeholders an opportunity to respond and clarify.
We contacted AMU’s VC office at 13.36 on 29 February. The PRO, Rahat Abrar, confirmed that he was aware of these reports being circulated in social media but declined to comment.
(Listen to the audio below.)
That’s precisely what we reported.
The question is if Gen Shah was not present in the meeting as he claims now, why did his office not clarify on 29 February when we contacted precisely for that purpose.
We don’t know the reason why Gen Shah has issued a denial now. But even in his reported denial he confirms that Irani threatened to close down the AMU campuses.
We also made at least a dozen calls to the HRD ministry between 13.40 and 13.55 the same day, but there was no response.
We then contacted Chandy on his mobile, but he too did not return our call.
And that’s precisely was reflected in our report. We did everything that’s required of a responsible journalist and, therefore, we stand by what and how we reported them.


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The main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case twice slipped through the net of Portuguese investigators, court documents and witness testimony suggest.
Christian B, as the German drifter is known, has been revealed as the prime suspect being investigated by a German prosecutor who believes Madeleine is dead.
Court documents from the suspect’s conviction for fuel theft in the Algarve in 2006, a year before Madeleine vanished, reveal that he hid his paedophile past.
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Sky News videos are now available in Spanish here/Los video de Sky News están disponibles en español aquí https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzG5BnqHO8oNlrPDW9CYJog

domain: law


text:
Reason 1: Retraining impulses
From my experience, most people tend to react defensively or pejoratively under stress in order to protect themselves. As a result, 90 percent of all scenes begin negatively with impro newcomers (and not just with those). In part, the negativity is hidden, it’s little things that are wrong, that you or my partner are not doing right. “You are late.” is a much more common phrase than “Great, you’re here at just the right time.”
So when we start improvisational theatre, there are impulses that we have to “retrain”. To have a plan and not to let yourself be distracted from it can be very helpful in everyday life. For improvisation on stage it is rather uninteresting. To ask questions to people can signal great interest in my fellow human beings outside the stage, but on stage it very often shows insecurity. Because: We tend to ask for information in order to hand over responsibility to the other person. A similar impulse is the initial negativity. To protect ourselves, quite useful in everyday life, but problematic for the stage. Why?
Reason 2: The creative process
When we create a scene/story/situation together, we make ourselves vulnerable. I give an idea and with it a piece of me, and when my partner goes into it, we are in the middle of being creative together. If I now – subliminally or openly – always (re-)act negatively and critically, my counterpart gets the feeling that his/her ideas are not good enough. And automatically the other person suddenly feels uncreative. (An experiment, which by the way can be done quite easily).
Therefore: Being positive relieves my fellow players and helps the creative engine to get going.
Reason 3: Raising the stakes
Saturday night. At the club. All evening long I’ve been watching an attractive man with a stunning smile at the other end of the room.
Scenario 1: I dare to approach him and tell him that I can’t take my eyes off him and that I find him incredibly attractive. – He beams at me, answers me: “Wow, that’s great that you’re talking to me. Can I buy you a beer?” We were both positive.
The beginning of a story about you and me.
Scenario 2: I dare to approach him and tell him that I can’t take my eyes off him and that I find him incredibly attractive. – He laughs out loud and answers, that he doesn’t need to hear this from someone like me, then turns to his buddies to tell them how pityful I am to talk to him so clumsily. I was positive. He was negative.
The beginning of my story.
Scenario 3: I dare to approach him. I get cold feet on the way there, so when I get there I just say: “Hey you, I just wanted to tell you that your shirt is not buttoned up properly. – He replies, “Why don’t you mind your own business?” We were both negative.
End of story.
As soon as (at least) one character on stage behaves positively, he or she raises the stakes. If you make yourself vulnerable then there is something important to you. On the one hand, this makes you sympathetic and thus suitable for the audience to identify with, on the other hand it becomes easier to let something happen to your character and thus tell a story.
(But aren’t there also improv schools where people are taught to start in the middle of a conflict? Is that “wrong” then? – No. But that would go beyond the scope here…)

domain: psychology


text:
A blog by Dr. Emmanuel O. Nuesiri, international scholar and editor of a new book on responsive forest governance – a look at how forest governance has global implications for regulating climate and more.
Calculating the value for money of investments in restoration is complex – but becoming clearer. Guatemala has made strides in forest landscape restoration, and IUCN played a small but significant role. A new publication explores this dynamic field.
Until recently, the significance of forest dependence had not been well understood. It was generally assumed that the livelihood value of forests was primarily derived from cash commodities like charcoal – and particularly for poorer households...
Last updated - Mon, 16 Sep 2019
Keep up with the latest in conservation, subscribe to one of our IUCN newsletters

domain: geography


text:
A good crowd turned out to the MOCO Gallery in Halls Gap for a visit by author Susie Sarah.
Susie was on hand to sign copies of her children's books, Jumping Jack Jones and Playing Possum.
Storytime was conducted on Wednesday night, giving youngsters an opportunity to listen to Jumping Jack Jones. There were upwards of 30 children in attendance for the reading.
Susie also read Playing Possum, her latest book and very first book, which is now in its second re-print in just over two years.
There was also an impromptu acted out story, which the children enjoyed, as it was made up as Susie went along and was told in the vein of stories told at bedtime.
Helen Leach and Susie signed books, adding little personal greetings for all who attended. Many visitors purchased multiple books.
Grant Thomas made an inspired speech to launch both books and as usual had everyone laughing.
Susie and Helen and the crew also attended Red Rock in Horsham last Friday and then The Gifted Wombat in Stawell on Saturday morning to sign and sell copies of the books.
Susie said she was delighted with the support.
"Many Stawell people drove out to the Gap to enjoy the launch and we also had local and visiting families," she said.
"Mt Langi Ghiran poured a lovely wine which went down well with savouries."
Susie was back in Halls Gap yesterday, hosting a writers workshop at MOCO Gallery, as she encouraged locals to dip their toe into book creation.
"Even small runs of 10 or so books for a family history can be greatly rewarding," Susie said.
In the afternoon, participants wrote a short blog and posted it on ABC Open - a first for many who have never been published before.
Today, Helen Leach will be hosting a pastel workshop at MOCO Gallery to help even the rawest beginner create beautiful artwork.
All materials are supplied and lunch can be purchased at the gallery. Susie will be joining this class and is looking forward to creating her very first pastel painting.
Bookings for today's session can be made at the MOCO Gallery in Halls Gap.


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At least 100 people have been killed and 4,000 more injured in a huge explosion in Beirut, Lebanon according to latest reports.
Footage shared has shown the moment a building several storeys high exploded, sending an enormous shockwave across the city that shattered windows, shook buildings and destroyed homes.
An estimated 200,000 people have been left homeless.
The explosion and shockwaves were reportedly heard and felt as far away as Cyprus – more than 200km away.
The destruction of Beirut’s port will devastate the country further as it relies heavily on imports for its essential supplies.
Families Relief are collecting to providing essential aid to the devastated families who are in need of vital food, clean water and basic medical aid to help them sustain a normal life.


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Nature Action 100 has finalised the list of companies that will be targeted for engagement and letters will be sent this month, Responsible Investor can reveal.
Work on the initiative – billed as the biodiversity equivalent to Climate Action 100+ – has been going on for more than two years.
In June 2021, RI exclusively revealed that Robeco, the World Bank, the World Benchmark Alliance (WBA) and the Finance for Biodiversity Foundation were exploring the possibility of developing a nature equivalent to the influential CA100+ with several other unnamed global investors.
Since then, institutional heavyweights including Storebrand Asset Management, BNP Paribas Asset Management, AXA Investment Managers, the Church Commissioners for England and Federated Hermes have backed the initiative and are among the members of the initiative’s launching investor group.
In November, it was announced that the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) and sustainability advocacy non-profit Ceres would co-lead the secretariat and corporate engagement workstreams.
The Finance for Biodiversity Foundation and Planet Tracker were also revealed as co-leads of the technical advisory group, which will help to identify priority engagements and develop science-based investor guidance and tools.
The initiative was “soft launched” at COP15 in Montreal the following month.
In June, Nature Action 100 outlined the six key expectations, which will be the starting point for corporate engagement for its investor signatories.
Among the asks, companies will be expected to assess and publicly disclose nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities at the operational level and throughout value chains, as well as set time-bound, context-specific, science-based targets.
As part of this update, the initiative also unveiled the eight sectors from which target companies would be drawn: biotechnology and pharmaceuticals; chemicals; household and personal goods; consumer goods retail; food; food and beverage retail; forestry and paper; and metals and mining.
Nature Action 100 said these sectors are deemed to be systemically important in reversing nature and biodiversity loss by 2030. “They are the major drivers of nature loss due to their large impacts on habitat loss, overexploitation of resources, and soil, water, and solid waste pollution.”
RI can now reveal that the list of companies has been decided. Nature Action 100 would not provide the list, although a spokesperson said the companies will be named.
Alongside this, investor engagement teams are being finalised and the “initial baseline engagement letters” will be sent later this month.
Investors have until Friday to sign up to Nature Action 100 to be able to add their names to the letters. After this date, investors can still express interest in joining the initiative “but it will not be possible to sign the baseline engagement letters”, according to a post by the Finance for Biodiversity Foundation.
Nature Action 100 confirmed that it will release the content of the letters.


Every home, business, and public place has misuse management needs. In order to control the trash that may acquire in any given space, it is necessary to have trash containers to help organize and maintain the throw away demands. However , while most spaces may have the dependence on garbage cans, not all spaces will benefit from the same kind of garbage can. Therefore , when contemplating garbage containers, it is critical to keep in mind the various factors that can effect which trash can is best suited for any particular space. Initially, it is critical to remember the purpose of the room in question. Different spaces will inevitably attract different kinds of waste products. The garbage that accumulates in an office space will often vary greatly from the trash that may be most usual in a kitchen or cafe. Therefore , it is prudent to decide on trash cans that are properly suited for the area being thought of. Kitchen garbage containers tend to be larger and sturdier in order to accommodate messy food throw away. In contrast, garbage containers that are to be used in office spots may be smaller or thinner since most of the trash in those areas is dried and paper-based.
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domain: library


VPNs are not new and apps to reduce battery drain are quite common, but what happens when you combine the two? You get a unique app that not only increases your security, but also the phone's battery life too.
Security and privacy is a constant concern with mobile phones and tablets. Could someone access your contacts, personal information, photos, or run apps and change settings? AppLock will prevent this.
The Pomodoro technique is an interesting and useful way to organise your day and by using it you can get more done in less time. Download a Pomodoro app for your iOS device and work smarter and faster today.
Three years ago I bought a brand new Google Nexus 7 and an Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7, both were Android tablets with 7in screens. How have they lasted over the last three years and which one turned out to be the best? There is a lesson to be learnt here.
Without realising it, you probably perform certain actions in certain circumstances, such as when you get to work, when you return home, when the battery level falls below a certain level, and so on. Trigger for Android automates those actions.
Read the reviews for many apps in the Google Play Store and a common complaint is that the app simply does not work or worse, that it crashes. There may be a simple solution. Get your apps working again!
Space, memory and data usage are the three key system functions that you must monitor on your iPhone and iPad. The question is, what is the best way to do it? Here is a great free widget that does the job nicely.
The Google Play Store is often taken for granted. As long as it works, people don’t explore the settings, but are they right for you? The Play Store app could be set up to drain you battery and use your data unnecessarily.
Have you ever wondered how much time you spend at work? Do you really spend as much time as you think you do at the gym? Which friend do you visit the most? Chronos for iPhone can answer all these questions.
If you have played games like DomiNations on iOS and Android, you should check out Space Ape Games Rival Kingdoms: Age of Ruin. It has a similar theme, but there are significant differences and its gameplay will have you hooked.
If you have an Android phone, you probably have a battery problem. They just drain too fast. If you are struggling to make the battery last a full day in your phone, Battery Saver – Free could be the solution.
Every phone has an alarm function and it is one of the basic features of the device. You would not describe it as fun, entertaining, or even slightly interesting and they are deadly dull. AlarmMon makes alarms exciting.
Comodo is well known for PC security and like many rivals, it has entered the next big market, mobile security. The company’s Android app has some good features, but also some irritations. It is free though, which is a bonus.
Have you ever played as a tadpole in a game? Have you ever eaten flies? In this fun, fast-paced game for both Android and iOS phones and tablets you get to do both.
We store a lot of personal and private information on our mobile phones, but is it secure? Can other people access it? Does information leak out? Are your private details being passed on? Clueful Privacy Advisor will tell you.
Avira is a company best known for its antivirus and security software. In fact, I was at the Avira website downloading some security software when I spotted Avira Android Optimizer. It looked interesting and was free in the Google Play Store.
If you have an iPhone or iPad you probably use the iTunes Store app to buy music and the Music app to play it. However, this is not the only way to buy and play music on iOS devices. There is an alternative.
If you like the sort of game where you build a city, train troops, build an army, then go and battle other players, you should add Dominations to your iPhone, iPad or Android phone or tablet.
There are numerous options when it comes to email on your Android phone. Google Mail is the obvious choice, but your phone may come with another general email app and there are dozens in the app store. Which is best?
Page 15 of 21


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A task-force headed by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya will soon come up with a new methodology to estimate the number of poor in the country.
Seeking dismissal of RIL's plea for appointing an umpire for the arbitrators' panel in this dispute, the government also accused RIL of "not disclosing full facts".
The central government has already announced a subsidy of Rs 4000/tonne for export of 1.5 million tonne sugar till September 2015.
One must remember that we used to have SLR of 37 per cent in 90s; we have come down a long way, points out Rangarajan.
Mukherjee, the Visitor of the university, appointed Rangarajan for a term of three years, a release from Madras School of Economics (MSE) said here today.
Public money which has gone into the setting up and working of the committees was being squandered when their recommendations are not implemented, it said.
Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the PCI was fully responsible for the lack of facility required for differently-abled athletes during the event.
The Constitution amendment bill providing for the roll-out of the long-pending Goods and Services Tax (GST) was today referred to a Select Committee after the opposition forced the government in the Rajya Sabha where it lacks majority.


Spurs' Keldon Johnson (conditioning) questionable again Tuesday
San Antonio Spurs small forward Keldon Johnson (conditioning) is questionable for Tuesday's game versus the New York Knicks.
Johnson cleared the league's health and safety protocols but is still working on his conditioning after not playing since February 14. He could be on a minutes limit even if the Spurs say Johnson can play, so Trey Lyles could remain in the starting lineup. LaMarcus Aldridge has been ruled out with a stomach illness on the second leg of San Antonio's back-to-back. Derrick White, Rudy Gay, and Devin Vassell all remain out due to league protocols.
Lyles is averaging 19.4 FanDuel points during Johnson's three-game absence. He has a salary of $4,000 on Tuesday's six-game slate.
- Pistons' Dennis Smith (knee) out on Sunday April 11th, 2021
- Pistons' Wayne Ellington starting on Sunday in place of Dennis Smith (knee) April 11th, 2021
- Enes Kanter coming off the bench for Portland on Sunday April 11th, 2021
- Kendrick Nunn starting for Heat in place of injured Victor Oladipo on Sunday April 11th, 2021
- Rockets' Sterling Brown (knee) out on Monday April 11th, 2021
- Warriors' Kelly Oubre (wrist) out again on Monday April 11th, 2021
- Gorgui Dieng (shoulder) out again for Spurs Sunday April 10th, 2021
- Spurs' Gorgui Dieng (shoulder) ruled out on Friday April 9th, 2021
- San Antonio's Lonnie Walker (wrist) available for Friday's game against Denver April 9th, 2021
- Gorgui Dieng (shoulder) questionable for Spurs Friday night April 8th, 2021
- Lonnie Walker (wrist) questionable for Spurs Friday April 8th, 2021
- Spurs starting Dejounte Murray (foot) on Wednesday, Luka Samanic to bench April 7th, 2021


(Pocket-lint) - Huawei's Ascend W1 represents the company's first foray into Windows Phone 8. Boasting a cyan coloured back and matte-effect plastic all round, it fits in nicely to the usual Windows Phone landscape
The handset is fairly compact at 10.15mm thick, feeling and looking like a mix between a Lumia phone and an 8X. The 4-inch IPS touch screen is nice but a lot of that smooth, slick feel of Windows Phone 8 appears to have been lost on the phone.
The W1 we played with was fairly laggy, slower even we would say than the Lumia 620. The IPS element of things does however make for some tasty viewing angles and decent brightness and colour reproduction.
With a resolution of 480 x 800, it/s not exactly sharp compared to, say, the Lumia 920, but the simplicity of WP8 means it gets away with it to an extent, apart from when doing text-heavy things like web browsing.
Inside the phone is a Snapdragon S4 MSM8230 dual-core 1.2GHz chip with a Adreno 305 GPU. Keeping it powered along is a 1950mAh battery. Huawei is promising 470 housr of standby, which is a lot, possibly explaining why the phone is a touch laggy as it may be underclocked, although we can't be sure.
The 5-megapixel camera was fun, although low resolution. There isn't any pricing yet for this O2 UK exclusive phone, but we imagine it won't be massively expensive.
All in all, a good first venture into the world of Windows Phone for Huawei, with the lagginess being forgivable if the price is right.
Given how mad Huawei has gone on Android, however, with the Ascend D2, we might be inclined to wait and see what other shaped Windows Phone devices they release, especially given hints yesterday at a CES for new products at MWC.


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Cat Kid Comic Club is back in session in this groundbreaking graphic novel narrative by Dav Pilkey! Flippy, Molly, Li'l Petey, and twenty-one baby frogs each have something to say. Naomi and Melvin don't see eye to eye and Poppy perceives the world differently than her siblings. Will the baby frogs figure out how to work together and appreciate one another's point of view -- both inside and outside the classroom?
by Dav Pilkey

domain: artistic


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Chapter 16: Diagnosis F31.73
“Sallie, you have bipolar disorder,” *Dr. Lane stated.
Bi-po-lar dis-or-der, bi-po-lar dis-or-der stomped across my mind. I bit my lip. I measured the syllables: three in each word. Rigidity seized my body. My pupils were pinned down. My spine was a steel rod. Someone could slam it with a sledgehammer, and I wouldn’t crack. Everything went numb. But I felt my other self. I saw her. Though Dr. Lane could not see her, I could. This had happened before: “Trauma,” the nurse had said back at the Dallas hospital. “She’s dissociating.”
Someone had just assaulted me with a staple gun: Rat-a-tat-tat…Rat-a-tat-tat…Rat-a-tat-tat. Stop hurting me! sliced through me, and my face burned. I folded over, grabbed my shins, clawed my fingernails into them, and jerked my knees up. The heels of my brown flats dug into the sofa cushion. I needed to protect my face. Cover it, Sallie, cover it. Goddamn it, cover it! Was my brain falling apart? Was my life falling apart? I whipped my arms across the top of my skull and bore down. I heard my back pop. I stared into my abdomen, an expanding and contracting cavern of growling nausea. Of defeat. I had lost.
“Sallie, Sallie, can you hear me?” She had wheeled her chair closer to me. She wasn’t touching me, but she was leaning into my space. Trying to connect with me?
Pinch yourself, Sallie, grip yourself, I thought. Echoes of the social worker at the hospital soothing me with those “grounding words” returned. However, I was a frozen statue. I could not cry. My tongue was sandpaper reaching back to my collapsed vocal chords.
What the fuck are you telling me? I tried to scream. But I couldn’t. So I slapped my legs down, feet on the floor, and then I was pulling my hair. Saliva seeped from my mouth as I gnawed at tips of my jagged hair. When was the last time it had been cut? Sweat drizzled down my back, and I stroked my lower back. I watched her, chest rising and dropping, slow measures of her breaths. She had moved back, closer to her desk, and I focused on her face. Her eyes had widened, gentle depths of sapphire experience. She sat still. Her arms were folded in her lap. There was enough space to cradle a baby had someone passed one off to her. She had delivered this news before.
“Will I die from this disease?” I asked. I stared out the small window behind her. The grey afternoon starkly contrasted the fluorescent office lights. My eyes scanned above her desk—framed diplomas and another print. She waited, and I continued to watch her breathing patterns. I wanted to count her inhales and exhales, but I couldn’t. One, two, then four, no three, give it up, Sallie, give it up, I thought. She looked at my file in her lap and shook her head. Then I fired off more questions: “Will I get this sick again? Will my children inherit this disease?” She reassured me I would probably never get as sick again.
“I think you’re brave, Sallie. You told me your story of what happened on March 30. You came here.” I nodded. I thought of Mark and John and all the other people back home who had helped get me here. My right shoe had slipped off, and I leaned over to slide it over my foot. My shoes had grown a bit looser. Maybe it was the weight I had lost in the last month?
“I need to know if my children will get this.” I grabbed a Kleenex on the side table and dabbed at my eyes. My nose was running, and I sniffled. My sight was blurred as my contact lens clouded up. I wanted to peel them off my eyes, but I knew I would lose almost complete focus on her if I did.
“Sallie, we don’t know for sure. You’re a great mom, and I know you’ll watch your kids. However, it does have a genetic link. Based on what you’ve told us about your dad, he may have had it. It often coexists with addiction.”
“It does?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said. “You’ve told us your father was an alcoholic. The patient anesthetizes his feelings with alcohol, drugs, other addictive substances and behaviors.” I thought about my father. He always arrived home from work at 6:00 p.m. sharp. Then he would retreat to my parents’ bedroom upstairs to smoke a few Winstons, drink a couple of Coors, or maybe even mix a hard drink, usually bourbon and Coke, in our breakfast room to bring upstairs. Sometimes the hard liquor was reserved for the weekend, but occasionally he seemed desperate to escape the pressures of running a bank and raising four children.
During my middle school years, he also contended with my mother beginning to blaze her path toward becoming one of the first Episcopal female priests in Texas. Every now and then, she was absent from our family life. He was left to manage it all. Daddy couldn’t express his feelings well. Usually, we knew how he felt based on the number of drinks he downed and the words he might slur because of them.
“Shit, I’m not ready to come down for dinner!” he would shout at my mother from the top of the stairs. Or, “Baby, I love you, and I’m proud of you for working so hard at your school work. I know that place isn’t easy,” he would say to me. His blood-shot eyes disturbed me. The scarlet lines scrawled across the whites of his eyes seemed to have a life of their own. I wondered if narratives from that day or his past were carved in them. I frequently averted my eyes if looking at my father when he was tipsy or completely plastered. His skin also emitted the putridness of cigarette smoke and alcohol gone sour. Often, I wondered if my father would decay right before my eyes. I loathed him in this altered state.
Dr. Lane must have known I was ruminating on part of my past. How could she not? She had just told me I had bipolar disorder. Wouldn’t I wonder how I might have gotten it? She didn’t rush me through my efforts to process the news. Instead, she said something that startled me, “You know, Sallie, many doctors have bipolar.” I wasn’t sure why this news disarmed me, but it did. I couldn’t look her in the eye; instead, I wiped my eyes and tried to control my spinning thoughts.
Sallie, put on your laser look, I thought. Stare at her and return to the conversation. I rubbed my eyes gently; the tears had lubricated my dry contact lens, and I could see her better. I zeroed in on the lower part of her face. Connecting to her eyes seemed too intimate, too vulnerable at this moment. Her mouth was only slightly open, a soft roundness that had the appearance of a child preparing to blow bubbles. But then, I took a risk and stared at her eyes. They had widened, enough to reflect a reassuring look, and this gentleness slowed my mind’s whirling. “Really?” I asked, in complete disbelief. I was surprised the rigors of practicing medicine could permit such chaos to spin through one’s life.
“Yes, Sallie. It’s okay. You’re getting treated for this disease in multiple ways. You will feel better. And, you will be functioning at a much higher level.” For the first time in her office, I smiled. “Functioning at a much higher level” propelled me into better self-control and a touch of peace. I did not know if she herself suffered from the disease, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was how she had calmed me, how she had risked part of herself. I believed she wanted me anchored in strength and hope. And I believed she wanted to educate me: mental illness does not have to carry the stigma so many assign to it.
“Is there anything else today, Dr. Lane?” I asked. I had inched to the edge of the sofa, stretched one leg out to step up, and leaned over. I felt empty-handed, like maybe I should have had a small notebook to take notes. I didn’t quite know what to do with my hands. I repeatedly curled my fingers into fists. My knuckles had a bleached, raw appearance. My veins protruded like pale blue haphazard flowing rivers. I wrung out my hands, like a woman who’s been washing dishes and hasn’t yet grabbed the dish towel. Because I felt awkward clutching nothing, I decided to cross my hands in my lap.
“No, Sallie. We’re done for today. I appreciate your honesty. I’ll be seeing you again at the end of the week,” she answered. I thanked her, walked to her door, opened it, and crossed into the quiet, still hallway. After closing the door, I exhaled and began to wander back to my bedroom. The fluorescent lights over me seemed extra intense. I massaged my eyes again and felt myself wobble a bit. The air seemed thick, as though I were moving through an alternate atmosphere. Was I off-center? I wondered. I held onto the wall’s wooden rails until I reached the common room, only a few yards from Dr. Lane’s office. One patient was reading the newspaper; another was near a phone booth seemingly waiting on a call.
I noticed how someone had scattered puzzle pieces off a table onto the floor. They were a 1,000 piece tangled mess of blues, oranges, fragments of mountains, and parts of a village nestled in their valley. I walked around them, as though dodging shards of glass. Goddamn it! I thought. I had an idea who the person was, and I knew the others would be just as enraged. We had been working on it for a long time as we shared various parts of our life stories with each other. The person whom I believed had flung it across the table had an obsession with things looking just right, every angle arranged to perfection.
My roommate wasn’t in the room. She might have been at an appointment, in class, or in the kitchen getting a snack. I was so relieved. I slipped each shoe off and reclined across my twin bed. I cherished the bedspread. Soft and thick, in a shade of pine green, it contrasted the more institutional-like thin, white one at the hospital. I rolled on my right side and fumbled through my side table drawer for the portable CD player I had brought to Menninger. Mark had written or called every day, and when he had time, he would send me a small care package. A couple of days earlier, he had mailed a CD he had burned for me. “Calling You” by Blue October was on it. I played it incessantly, and the words would occasionally wrap themselves around me when I felt sadness or homesickness creeping in.
I replayed the song a few times. I didn’t know if he would call today. It was Wednesday which meant he would be especially busy driving our children to their after-school activities. Friends and family were helping Mark, but I knew he cherished driving them to and from school each day. Since he was balancing all our family life, he looked forward to the conversations they could have in the car, ones uninterrupted by phone calls and email. He continued to move through our nightly routine of putting them each to bed. He had not let up in the nine days I had been here, and I worried about him. When we did speak, his voice often sounded strained, even as he told me he loved and missed me. “Calling You” was a perfect song for bridging the distance between us. Blue October’s vocalist had a robust voice. It carried the strength that our own always couldn’t. I remembered when he had asked, “Did you get the CD?” I had smiled and whispered, “Yes, I love you. Thank you.”
Since I had entered Menninger, teachers in Dallas had organized a schedule of dinners to be delivered. I surmised his greatest challenge was helping our children understand why I was away from them. A Dallas doctor had told me to explain to them, “Mommy is sick. My body is fine, but my mind is not.” I had never thought of a mind being sick, except when I read newspaper headlines that announced, “The perpetrator’s mind was sick. He was crazy. That’s why he stabbed the victim.”
I did tell them. But because of their young ages, ten and seven, I couldn’t really comprehend if they understood. Our daughter had become clingy. When we went somewhere together, she latched onto my waist or legs and insisted I stay with her, even as she wandered to the ice cream freezer at the grocery store to choose her favorite flavor. Our son had unusual crying spells, frequently at bedtime, and he became obsessed with wanting a dog. No matter how much I comforted each of them, I felt they sensed their mother had abandoned them. Once our son had proclaimed, “Mommy, you won’t let me get a dog because I am a bad boy!” I had wrapped him in a tight hug and folded my face into his neck, crying. When I let him go, I saw where my tears had dampened the back of his pajama top.
My absence from my children devastated me the most. Mark had to fill that absence for both of us. I felt grateful for the love their teachers and my family and friends were offering them. I had finally given Mark permission to shed the secrecy of my illness. Keeping up a front was bringing us all down. People responded to our crisis, and help arrived. Although I struggled with failing my family, I no longer could witness their deterioration.
In my Menninger room that afternoon, I sat up, numb, on the side of my bed and stared out the one window in the room. I had the sensation of disembodiment from myself, so I decided to speak Dr. Lane’s words: “You have bipolar disorder, Sallie.” They reverberated through my mind. Bipolar disorder…bipolar disorder. Again, I sobbed. My chest heaved, tighter with each repetition, as I gasped in my new reality.
*Name of clinician has been changed for privacy.


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CYBERJAYA, Malaysia — Computermaker Dell Inc. on Tuesday opened its first global business center outside the United States to provide 24-hour engineering and technology support to its branches worldwide.
Chief Executive Officer Kevin Rollins opened the 200,000-square-foot center in Malaysia’s high-tech city of Cyberjaya. Dell says the center will employ 600 people by year-end and 1,000 within five years.
The center mostly will provide internal support to Dell offices in countries around the world, not so much customer support, Rollins said. It will also include process design facilities, software development and local sales and marketing.
“Malaysia plays an integral part in our global initiative. We can think of no better partner than Malaysia to establish our first global business center outside the U.S.” said Rollins, who was awarded a Malaysian government title equivalent of the English “sir” on Monday.
He said Malaysia was picked over other countries such as China and India because of its skilled workforce, conducive business environment, robust infrastructure and the government’s commitment to the information technology industry.
Dell, based in Round Rock, Texas, has operated a manufacturing facility in the northern city of Penang since 1995, producing notebooks, desktop computers, servers and storage systems.
In 2005, Dell products accounted for 28 percent of Malaysia’s electronics equipment exports and currently employs more than 5,000 people in the country.
Dell is vying with Hewlett-Packard Co. for dominance in the global personal computer market.
For all of 2006, the two companies each registered about 16 percent or 17 percent market share, according to tallies by IDC and Gartner Inc. But in the fourth quarter, HP had 17 percent to 18 percent of the worldwide market compared with Dell’s 14 percent to 15 percent.
The changing fortunes of the two companies have come as HP has retooled itself as a leaner company under CEO Mark Hurd, while Dell has struggled with strategic questions, an accounting investigation and huge laptop battery recall.
Rollins rejected speculation that he might step down. Asked if he plans to stay on with Dell, he said: “I do.”
He declined to say how much Dell has invested in the Cyberjaya center. He said the center is expected to help overall business conditions worldwide for Dell, but he would not talk about the company’s business issues such as increasing competition from HP.
Rollins said Dell is trying to boost expansion by developing factories in emerging markets such as India and Brazil and that the company is working to balance market share with profitability.
He noted that the Penang plant, which mainly produces notebooks, currently has the ability to expand capacity by 30 percent to 40 percent, which means it could potentially produce 14 million units per year.