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As your children and teenagers are headed back to school, you might be giving them a pep talk concerning the choices they make and avoiding influences like alcohol, drugs and tobacco. We all know there are multiple reasons why these items are not good for your children, but how does it affect their dental health?
Alcohol is also something many teens experiment with, which can contribute to mouth cancer as well as tooth enamel erosion and cavities when consumed often or in great amounts. It’s important to emphasize to them that there is a reason why there is a specific drinking age, so the teeth can more fully develop.
When it comes to illicit drug use, if teens are using them regularly, they are subjecting their oral health to side effects such as dry mouth which causes halitosis, dental erosion, tooth decay and gum disease. Another side effect might be teeth grinding (bruxism), which can also lead to worn down enamel. Some drugs increase cravings for sweets and soda, which puts them at greater risk for dental cavities.
Teens who use tobacco or smoke can find themselves with chronic bad breath and stains on their teeth since both cigarettes and other forms of tobacco contain nicotine and tar. They can even invite more damaging results such as gum disease, tooth loss or cancer of the mouth.
Similar to cigarettes, vaping or e-cigarettes are considered a “safer” option for some people since it’s a vaporized form of tobacco smoke. In reality, they are not any safer and can have just as many harmful effects. They can cause inflammation that could lead to gum disease and other teeth and mouth problems. Many people develop painful sores, lesions and sore throats from vaping.
What You Can Do
Many of these activities – if not all – can result in costly repairs and suffering for years to come. We want to help your teen prevent any long term effects by emphasizing the importance of avoiding alcohol, drug use and tobacco, at least until their teeth have fully developed. Some things you can do to protect your children and teens include the following:
– Discuss the risks of these kinds of choices
– Practice good oral hygiene (brushing twice a day, flossing once a day)
– Regularly visit their dentist
– Set a good example; avoid tobacco use or vaping (or even stop altogether for your own health benefits!)
To protect your child’s dental health, be sure to explain the disadvantages and how they can create a great smile to last for years. If they need more convincing, we’ll be happy to give you and your child more information on the effects of these products. Feel free to give us a call today to set up an appointment or ask us any questions. We are happy to help!


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A romantic, old-fashioned Bed &B; Breakfast Inn privately located on 3 1/2 acres in lovely bayside Brewster. While maintaining its original turn of the century style and charm, it has become one of the finest Inns on the New England sea coast.
Stay at one of our historic Cape Cod inns to experience traditional hospitality combined with many modern amenities and luxuries. Inns on the Cape and Islands range from stately former sea captain’s homes in downtown areas, to gorgeous retreats off the beaten path, within walking distance to beaches. Some have in-house dining options and offer delicious breakfasts.
A former stagecoach hotel from the early 1800s, following a recent complete renovation, has become a stylish Boutique Hotel, without compromising its unique heritage and Antebellum plantation architecture. An outstanding location mid-Cape in the historic village of Yarmouth Port, makes it a great central base to discover the best of The Cape and Islands: Only 15 minutes or less to Island Ferries, Whale-watching, Hyannis and ten popular Atlantic and Bay beaches; You can also walk to 2 beaches and boardwalk, 3 restaurants, nature trails, 2 museums, Captains Mile and so much more.
Here at Sea Meadow Inn, our goal is to create the perfect get-away bed and breakfast experience Cape Cod has to offer.
At the historic Isaiah Clark House, located in Brewster, Massachusetts, we blend the best of history with modern amenities to create the perfect getaway for you and your family. After a great night's sleep you will be treated to an unforgettable breakfast.
Set like a jewel in the heart of historic Sandwich Village, The Belfry Inne and Bistro beams its warm welcome. The Abbey and its former manse, Painted Lady - two elegant architectural masterpieces. Sumptuous decor, imaginative architectural interiors and outstanding service have established the Inne as a landmark in Cape Cod hospitality.
Welcome to the Liberty Hill Inn Cape Cod, a TripAdvisor.com Travelers Choice, award-winning bed and breakfast located in Yarmouth Port.
The Liberty Hill Inn’s main house accommodates five spacious rooms, from the ground floor to the third floor. All rooms have private baths, new quiet air-conditioning units, and TVs. Wi-Fi is accessible on the entire property, and free on-site parking is included with your stay.
Location, Location, Location! Enjoy the personal hospitality of an Inn, hotel, motel and bed and breakfast, our waterfront location, our two beaches, plus downtown Hyannis shopping, nightlife and ferries to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. The best lodging location of any oceanfront Hyannis inn. Our B& B (bed and breakfast) inn is just up the street from two beautiful sandy Cape Cod beaches, directly across the street from scenic Hyannis Harbor, and one block south of the shops, restaurants and entertainment of Main Street Hyannis, Massachusetts.
Welcome to our Antique circa 1870 Guest House! The Saltwinds Bed and Breakfast has been providing guests all the comforts of home for over fifty years. Your hosts, Ginny and Craig Conroy, take pride in continuing to offer guests the latest in amenities, services and all the "little extras."
Enjoy the peaceful tranquility of our beachfront hotel on Cape Cod in Chatham, Massachusetts. Experience picturesque ocean views from your very own townhome, suite, or efficiency room equipped with kitchenettes or full kitchens at our beautiful hotel, the Chatham Tides. Whether you're going on vacation, taking a relaxing escape, or weekend getaway, Chatham Tides is the perfect place to stay. Complete your vacation to Chatham, MA and relax at our luxurious hotel on Cape Cod.
Located at the south-west corner of Cape Cod, Falmouth is an ideal base from which to explore all of southeastern Massachusetts. Falmouth is the closest mainland port to the famed Martha's Vineyard, a short 35 minute ferry ride from Falmouth Harbor and Woods Hole.
It's time to relax and let go of your stress. Have a seat in the sun, and try a warm cookie and a cold glass of lemonade. Take a deep breath and smell the pines, and the salt water, and the cranberry bogs. Welcome to the Outer Cape - Cape Cod the way it used to be.

domain: travel


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Scott Boutier: The Foam Metronome
Drums, Tour Manager
Often known to adorn the stage in various headgear from rock ‘n’ roll wigs to outrageously large foam cowboy hats, Scott has been keeping the beat for Frank Black since Frank started the Cult of Ray and was swiftly baptized in Catholic tradition following various rites of passage of which little is known.
Scotty, as he is affectionately called from time to time by fellow band members, is on-stage much the same as off. He is not forefront on stage, but rather sits at the back behind his kit and out of the limelight. Off stage, his personal life is also somewhat of a mystery. Where did he come from? How old is he? Is Scotty B. even his real name? We may never know.
In fact, little is known of Scott aside from his music career. We suspect that his real name is, in fact, Scott Boutier, he is in his mid-30’s, and a product of Providence, Rhode Island. Perhaps he even grew up with Dave McCaffrey – the two have been virtually inseparable in what little history we have. They played for a time in Rhode Island band What Now, a band with a kind of “Hüsker Dü background” according to Miracle Legion frontman Mark Mulcachy.
The move to Miracle Legion was made in 1990 by both Scott and Dave, and Scott “Spot” Boutier is credited as drummer on their 1992 record Drenched. Miracle Legion began working on their next album, Portrait of a Damaged Family but serious label problems delayed the album and eventually spelled the demise of Miracle Legion. However, Portrait was eventually released on Mulcachy’s own label, Mezzotint, in 1999.
Scott moved to Chicago to do some off-broadway work but was no sooner gone to Chicago then called back in 1993 to work with Mulcachy on a new project: a house band for “The Adventures of Pete & Pete” on Nickelodeon. The first season, he and Mulcachy worked alone, but they were joined by fellow Catholic-to-be David McCaffrey in Polaris under the guise of Harriss Polaris in the second year. You can view a clip from the show on the Mezzotint website. The show lasted three seasons, and the music from the show was popular enough to warrant a CD release, Music From the Adventures of Pete and Pete, which was also released in 1999.
A year later, 1994, and Frank Black had already met and jammed with Scott & Dave on several occasions. Frank was asked on to “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”, and asked Scott & Dave to join him. They have been with him ever since.
If you’ve noticed an insider named Harris occasionally stopping in on the forum to give us the scoop on tour dates and various other insider-flavoured tidbits, you’ve been met by none other than Mr. Boutier. We’re pleased to have him as a member of our site contributing facts and helping sort rumour from reality.
These days, Scott is living in Los Angeles, California with his wife and child, born in the fall of 2003, and is without a doubt enjoying the chance to spend some time with the new addition while Frank Black is touring with the Pixies.
- Dean Katsiris
Got something to add? Please send Dean a note and let him know!

domain: entertainment


The second season of UAE’s ILT20 2024 will start on January 13 next year and features major overseas players such as David Warner, Mark Wood, Shadab Khan, and Ambati Rayudu. As a result of their recent Ashes rivalry, Warner and Wood will join Dubai Capitals while Shadab will join his Pakistan team-mates at Desert Vipers, along with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Azam Khan.
In ILT20 2024 Squads: Warner, Shadab, Wood, and Rayudu are among the high-profile overseas players
A retired Rayudu, who plays in the CPL currently, has signed up with MI Emirates, while Martin Guptill and Maheesh Theekshana will join Sharjah Warriors alongside Lewis Gregory.
Along with Warner and Wood, the Capitals also signed Andrew Tye, Dasun Shanaka, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Sam Billings. In addition to Josh Little, Laurie Evans, Ravi Bopara and David Willey, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders have signed Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who played for Capitals last year, to defending champions Gulf Giants. The Warriors have signed Qais Ahmed.
Corey Anderson and Kusal Perera have also been drafted in by MI Emirates in addition to Rayudu. The team also acquired Vijayakanth Viyaskanth.
Gulf Giants and MI Emirates teams have picked USA’s Saurabh Netravalkar and Noshtush Kenjige, respectively, while Vipers and Capitals have selected Bas de Leede and Roelof van der Merwe as Netherlands players. Warriors will be coached by Chris Sole and Mark Watt, while Knight Riders will be coached by Brandon McMullen. UAE players will be selected at the end of the squad-building process.
There will be a close overlap between the second season of the ILT20 and the second season of the SA20 league in South Africa, as well as the BBL. As well as that, England will be touring India for five tests starting January 25, which could force players like Root and Wood to leave the ILT20 early.
Here are the ILT20 2024 Squads at this point
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders Squad for ILT20 2024
ADKR is pleased to announce the following new signings: Brandon McMullen, David Willey, Jake Lintott, Josh Little, Laurie Evans, Michael Pepper, Ravi Bopara and Sam Hain. They are also pleased to announce the following retentions: Ali Khan, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Joe Clarke, Sabir Ali, Sunil Narine, Marchant de Lange and Matiullah Khan.
MI Emirates Squad for ILT20 2024
The new signings at IM Emirates are Akeal Hosein, Ambati Rayudu, Corey Anderson, Kusal Perera, Nosthush Kenjige, Odean Smith, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, and Waqar Salamkheil.
Andre Fletcher, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, McKenny Clarke, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult, Will Smeed, and Zahoor Khan have all been retained.
The Desert Vipers Squad
They have signed Adam Hose, Azam Khan, Bas de Leede, Michael Jones, Shadab Khan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Retentions include Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Colin Munro, Dinesh Chandimal, Gus Atkinson, Luke Wood, Matheesha Pathirana, Rohan Mustafa, Sheldon Cottrell, Sherfane Rutherford, Tom Curran and Wanindu Hasaranga.
Dubai Capitals Team
New signings: Andrew Tye, Dasun Shanaka, David Warner, Mark Wood, Max Holden, Mohammad Mohsin, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Nuwan Thushara, Roelof van der Merwe, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Sam Billings
Retentions: Dushmantha Chameera, Joe Root, Raja Akif, Rovman Powell and Sikandar Raza.
Gulf Giants Team
New signings: Dominic Drakes, Jordan Cox, Karim Janat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Saurabh Netravalkar and Jamie Smith are added to the squad for ILT20 2024.
Retentions: Aayan Afzal Khan, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, Gerhard Erasmus, James Vince, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Richard Gleeson, Sanchit Sharma and Shimron Hetmyer.
Sharjah Warriors Squad for 2nd edition ILT20 2024
The Sharjah Warriors signed Chris Sole, Daniel Sams, Dilshan Madhushanka, James Fuller, Johnson Charles, Kusal Mendis, Lewis Gregory, Maheesh Theekshana, Mark Watt, Martin Guptill, Sean Williams and Qais Ahmed. Chris Woakes, Joe Denly, Junaid Siddique, Mark Deyal, Muhammad Jawadullah and Tom Kohler-Cadmore will remain in the ILT20 2024 squad.


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Automatic Food Packaging Machines: Safest Way for Food Containment
Food Packaging Machines
Latest modern methods of containing goods that we see on stores are processed by automated packaging machines. These machines are highly developed equipment that could be controlled and contain a specific commodity with the help of professionally trained operators.
Automatic food packaging machines are now essential not only for consumers but also for businesses. Without proper food containment, buyers will questionably doubt the product that is placed on the shelf. With the modern atmosphere packaging, expiration of the food will be longer for the reason that the procedure of automated food packaging or modern atmosphere packaging contains oxygen absorbers that could extend the food shelf life.
Good thing about modified atmosphere packaging is the almost 100% security and production efficiency for food industries. With automated food packaging machines, we do not worry much about how well protected the meat, vegetables, fruits and fish that we eat. With the quality of packaging that machines do for us, we can never go wrong.
Some old-fashioned folks still believe that modern way of packaging is harmful, but they do not know how safe packaging equipment can deliver to give consumers like us well protected goods to share with our families.
Security is always in a consumer's mind that is why we thoroughly read labels and inspect the goods that we pick on the market or stores. Food packaging plays a very important role when consumers choose the grocery items that they purchase. We are not just looking into the beauty of the packaged item but we consumers are aiming for the safe purchase as we always concern the welfare of our household members. It is always the safety that concerns us before anything else.

domain: food


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Orion 10145 Dual Finder Scope Mounting Bracket
Free Shipping Included! Save 1% on the Orion 10145 Dual Finder Scope Mounting Bracket by Orion at Tech News Horizon. MPN: 10145. Hurry! Limited time offer. Offer valid only while supplies last. Attach two different aiming devices to your Orion telescope quickly and easily with the Orion Dual Finder Scope Mounting Bracket. Many amateur astronomers prefer using not one, but two finder devices to help aim their telescope accurately. For instance, using a magnified optical finder scope along with a non-magnifying reflex sight is very common thanks to the different aiming benefits offered by both designs. Our Dual Finder Scope Mounting Bracket makes it easy to two different aiming devices o
Product Description & Reviews
Attach two different aiming devices to your Orion telescope quickly and easily with the Orion Dual Finder Scope Mounting Bracket. Many amateur astronomers prefer using not one, but two finder devices to help aim their telescope accurately. For instance, using a magnified optical finder scope along with a non-magnifying reflex sight is very common thanks to the different aiming benefits offered by both designs. Our Dual Finder Scope Mounting Bracket makes it easy to two different aiming devices on one telescope. Since most telescope optical tubes are equipped with a single dovetail mounting base for a finder scope, hobbyists who wish to use two finder devices usually have to consider drilling a fresh set of holes into the telescope tube (and possibly voiding the telescope's warranty) in order to securely attach a second aiming device. Well, back away from the workbench and leave those tools where they are, because the Orion Dual Finder Scope Mounting Bracket lets you use two different aiming devices without having to hassle with drilling holes in your precious telescope tube. Since the Dual Finder Scope Mounting Bracket features two separate dovetail mounting base platforms on a single-stalk bracket, it allows two aiming devices to be mounted on a telescope equipped with a single dovetail base - no drilling required!
Features & Highlights
- Attach two finder scopes or other aiming devices to your telescope quickly and easily
- Use any combination of two aiming devices you wish including finder scope, red-dot reflex sights, green laser pointer brackets, mini guide scopes, and more
- Allows use of two finders with no drilling required
- Great for both visual observers and astrophotographers
Telescope & Microscope Accessories
2.8 x 2.3 x 4.6 inches
Have questions about this item (10145), or would like to inquire about a custom or bulk order?
If you have any questions about this product by Orion, contact us by completing and submitting the form below. If you are looking for a specif part number, please include it with your message.
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domain: hobby


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Charlotte Hobson’s account of her year as a Russian language student in Voronezh in 1991-92 is Russia in Fiction’s favourite memoir about Russia. Some time in the next few months, we will add a post here about other memoirs, but this one deserves a post all of its own.
Of course Black Earth City does not really belong on the Russia in Fiction blog, as it is not fiction; hence this post’s appearance in the ‘Editorials et al’ section and the fact that we are not counting the memoir in our path to reviewing one hundred books that portray Russia in fiction.
Russia in Fiction has noted before that when you choose your reading based on whether a novel engages with Russia or not, you end up reading genres that might otherwise have passed you by.
Geoffrey Rose’s A Clear Road To Archangel sits on the edge of such a situation. It is a thriller and such are this blog’s staple diet, even as we endeavour to vary the menu with regularity. But beyond the thriller meta-genre, A Clear Road To Archangel fits into the so far neglected ‘man on the run’ sub-genre.
The book’s unnamed first person narrator is a British spy, caught up in the convulsions of revolutionary and Civil War Russia, and trying to find his way to Archangel (Arkhangelsk) in the far north. If he can get there, he is confident of rescue by British forces or their allies.
In the flurry of Russia-related thrillers published in 2018, Karen Cleveland was a new name. She is one of those ex-security service officers (in her case, CIA) who bring a degree of inside knowledge to their writing. Although, this in itself is no guarantee of authenticity and quality; as the late Jason Matthews’s outdated portrayals of Russia illustrated, for example in Red Sparrow.
The plot of Need To Know is centred around a Russian sleeper agent who lives a normal happy family life with his wife and two young children in the Washington area; a convincing and likeable young American guy, going by the name of Matt.
The original twist is that Matt’s wife, Vivian, works for the CIA, is tasked with uncovering Russian sleeper agents, and discovers that her husband is a spy.
And before anyone complains of spoilers (never a complaint that Russia in Fiction has that much truck with anyway), all of the above is the set-up. It is in the blurb, it is in the first chapter.
‘Nobody knows more about Russia than you’ (p. 33). So Dr Sam Gaddis, the hero of Charles Cumming’s fifth novel, is told.
Part-way through The Trinity Six, Russia in Fiction was less impressed with Gaddis, being more inclined along the lines of
‘Blimey – Dr Sam Gaddis gives academics a bad name. He is so slow, as if he’s never read a thriller in his life. Every coincidence that happens, he accepts unquestioningly. He completely fails to read the situation.’
Happily Gaddis improved, and with him the novel, which is a relatively complex example of the ‘secrets from history which must never come to light’ genre.
G. D. (Garry) Abson’s first book is a cracking crime novel, set in contemporary St Petersburg and shaped around the character of a maverick female detective, Natalya Ivanova.
In Abson’s portrayal of Russia, for ‘maverick’, read ‘not corrupt’. Ivanova’s efforts to solve crime —in this case the disappearance of a young woman— are hindered as much by obstructive, careerist, regime-loyal colleagues as they are by the normal stuff such as lack of evidence and the deceptive nature of the criminal class.
One strap-line we have seen used for Motherland goes like this.
The Betrayal is not the first book reviewed on the Russia in Fiction blog that is set in Leningrad in the opening years of the 1950s. That honour goes to City of Ghosts, which is set in 1951. Helen Dunmore’s novel takes place a year later, in 1952.
In both cases, the key fact in relation to setting is that Stalin was still alive.
Before Stalin’s death in 1953, the feeling that the demise of his repressive dictatorship was long overdue was particularly keenly felt in Leningrad, a ‘hero city’ that suffered more than most during the Second World War.
The former Soviet Union. It’s a short phrase that became commonplace after 1991. The phrase —and its abbreviation, FSU— cropped up in policy papers and elsewhere from that date on, and still does.
Did its first use appear in Donald James’s The Fall of the Russian Empire in 1982, almost a decade before the Soviet Union was former?
The plot of The Fall of the Russian Empire builds a scenario of workers’ unrest in the self-proclaimed workers’ state. The dissatisfaction of the workers swiftly turns into physical resistance to the Soviet regime and allies itself with nationalist sentiments amongst the republics that make up the Soviet Union.
Towards the end of The Fall of the Russian Empire, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and all of the Central Asian republics formally break away from the Soviet Union on the same day.
And what is that date? To quote precisely, ‘then on the morning of December 21st …’.
Nine years after this novel was published, these self same republics all signed, on the same day, the Alma-Ata Protocol, which saw them join the Commonwealth of Independent States and leave the collapsing Soviet Union behind. And what was the date of that signing? December 21st 1991.
The Fall of the Russian Empire was published in 1982, when almost no analyst was imagining the imminent collapse of the global superpower that was the Soviet Union.
In 1989, when Communist governments were thrown out of the power that they had usurped across Eastern Europe, the geo-political certainties of decades went with them. Almost overnight, multiple possible paths forward opened up; and fiction writers mapped them as much as did scholars, journalists and policy professionals.
John Hands’s Perestroika Christi was published in 1990. In that in-between bit during the collapse of Communism. Soviet control over the Central and East European satellite states had been lost, Germany was re-uniting —but what of the Soviet Union itself?
Russia in Fiction has developed a bit of a fascination for books published in the Chernenko era. We did not intend this. After all, Chernenko did not really have an era.
Konstantin Chernenko was in office as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union for less than a year from April 1984. He followed on from Yurii Andropov’s comparatively lengthy 15 months in that role. And both came at the end of nearly a decade in which the Soviet superpower had been ruled by a gerontocracy —between the time that Leonid Brezhnev died for the first time in 1976* and a sprightly Mikhail Gorbachev came to power at a mere 54 years of age in March 1985.

domain: literature


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Bipartisan Congress Likely to Reject Many of Biden’s Proposed DOT Changes
March 10, 2023|Jeff Davis
In broad strokes, the White House’s fiscal 2024 budget request for the U.S. Department of Transportation is pretty simple:
- Get rid of $5.4 billion in Congressional priorities. Eliminating all Congressional earmarks would save $2.6 billion. Eliminating all general fund “plus-ups” for trust fund contract authority programs in the aviation, highway and mass transit modes would save another $2.0 billion. And the budget proposes to eliminate the 2024 annual appropriation for RAISE grants, saving $800 million. (RAISE would still get the $1.5 billion advance appropriation provided by the IIJA for 2024.)
- Add back $4.6 billion in new Administration priorities, starting with $1.2 billion for MEGA project grants (in addition to the $1.0 billion provided by the IIJA). MEGA is arguably more oversubscribed than RAISE. The budget would also increase Federal Railroad Administration funding by $1.4 billion, Federal Aviation Administration funding by $1.3 billion, and increase Federal Transit Administration by almost $250 million, in addition to proposing smaller increases here and there.
- End up with a proposed DOT total that is $882 million below fiscal 2023, and those proposed savings can then offset proposed increases elsewhere in the non-defense discretionary budget (and the budget proposes an overall $46.9 billion in base non-defense funding, not counting veterans health).
In millions of dollars, here is ETW’s summary table of the big substitution:
(See our full packet of funding tables, downloadable here).
However, almost all of those proposed cuts are to bipartisan Congressional priorities, and are likely to be instantly rejected by Congress. Whereas many of the funding increases are unlikely to pass bipartisan muster in Congress, either, even if DOT gets an adequate budget allocation this year (which it probably won’t).
Earmarks. The Administration did the same thing last year – start the process by proposing to get rid of the $1.5 billion in earmarks that were in the FY 2022 law. Congress ignored this request and instead went the other way, increasing the earmarked total to $2.6 billion in the FY 2023 law. Earmarking is just about the most bipartisan thing that Congress does today, and it is absurd to think they will stop just because President Biden put it in his budget request.
Other General Fund plus-ups. Ever since President Trump negotiated the spring 2018 budget-busting discretionary caps deal, the Appropriations Committees have had enough money to “plus up” trust fund contract authority programs for airports, highways, and mass transit with hundreds of millions of extra dollars from the general fund. The Biden budget proposes to get rid of all of those program plus-ups for 2024.
But when you look at the specifics, there are as many Democratic priorities among those plus-ups as there are Republican priorities. Let’s start with the biggest one – $1.15 billion for an extra formula-based highway bridge improvement program. This was originally the brainchild of former Senate Transportation-HUD Appropriations chairman Jack Reed (D-RI), whose home state had the worst bridges, per capita, in the U.S., and thus was going to get the most benefit, proportionately speaking, under any needs-based distribution formula.
Reed is no longer chairman of THUD, but the program continues because it has widespread popularity and some key blue state beneficiaries. Similarly, the 2023 Act gave an extra $150 million for PROTECT climate resiliency grants at FHWA, which have at least as many Democratic supporters as they do Republicans, and the 2023 law also put an extra $130 million in mass transit buses and an extra $275 million into airport grants, which are broadly popular. And Congress included $100 million for Appalachian highways in those redder areas.
These are not the kinds of things that Congress will stop funding just because the Administration asks them to. If they have the money, they will continue most of these plus-ups so that the appropriators can have some control over relative priorities at DOT.
RAISE vs MEGA. The fact that the IIJA provided five years of guaranteed supplemental funding for both the existing RAISE multimodal grant program and the new MEGA multimodal grant program has allowed the Administration the room to propose to shift priorities from RAISE to MEGA. By killing the regular appropriation for RAISE and proposing a new, larger appropriation for MEGA, this would combine with the IIJA money to make MEGA the larger program. In millions of dollars:
|FY 2023||FY 2024||Change|
|RAISE – IIJA||1,500||1,500|
|RAISE – Regular||800||0|
|MEGA – IIJA||1,000||1,000|
|MEGA – Regular||0||1,220|
The problem is, as the Administration has discovered, that $1 billion per year doesn’t really go far when you are dealing with megaprojects. The first round of announcements (FY 2022) only named nine projects, whereas DOT was able to make 166 separate grants under the FY 2022 round of RAISE grants.
There are 435 Representatives and 100 Senators. Congress is not set up to give preference to programs that give out fewer, larger grants; they are set up to prefer programs that spread the wealth as widely as possible.
While DOT may be right that MEGA is more underfunded than RAISE, relative to program goals and demand, the fact that RAISE was created and nurtured by the Appropriations Committees, and is a hugely popular program, means it is extremely unlikely that Congress will even partially defund it.
Rail programs. The Administration proposes increasing funding for railroad programs by $1.4 billion over 2023. For ease of presentation, we are combining the IIJA and regular funding in the following table, even though the Administration is only proposing changes in the non-IIJA funding in 2024:
|IIJA + Regular||FY 2023||FY 2024||Change|
|Amtrak – NEC||2,460||2,427||-33|
|Amtrak – NN||4,393||5,041||+648|
The House, on a bipartisan basis, is unlikely to re-prioritize Amtrak’s National Network so far ahead of the Northeast Corridor (it is the Senate that keeps the National Network alive, and always has been). Similarly, it would be extremely unlikely if Congress were to expand the already-huge federal-state partnership program, at least until the Administration makes a round or two of grant announcements from the 2022 and 2023 appropriations to demonstrate how they are administering the program.
Mass transit. The Administration proposes a $215 increase in the Capital Investment Grant appropriation (to $2.85 billion), in part so they can sign promises to spend $12 billion in future appropriaitons made by future Congresses. The fight over the new Hudson River Tunnel is finally here and will be fought on this appropriations request. (See elsewhere in this issue for more information.)
Aviation. The budget proposes $1.3 billion in increased aviation spending, and much of that is actually plausible, even in divided government. Covering the air traffic controller annual salary increase is always a top priority, and the budget says that is an uncontrollable $523 million increase. Given the complaints about air service, one might also expect the $117 million for the aircraft controller hiring surge (aiming for 1,800 new controllers in 2024, up from just 500 per year during COVID) to get a favorable reception.
There are strong bipartisan arguments in favor of the proposed $517 million increase in FAA capital spending as well, but capital programs always suffer when put up against pay raise and other check-writing-to-individuals benefit programs.
November 17, 2023 | Jeff Davis
November 17, 2023 - The earliest that the federal government will close for a lapse-of-appropriations shutdown is now January 19,...
November 17, 2023 | Jeff Davis
November 17, 2023 - Just how far apart are the House and Senate versions of Transportation-HUD appropriations this year? On...
November 9, 2023 | Jeff Davis
November 9, 2023 - Earlier today, the House of Representatives called off a scheduled vote on final passage of a...
November 8, 2023 | Jeff Davis
November 8, 2023 - Last night, the House of Representatives finished amending the fiscal 2024 Transportation-Housing appropriations bill (H.R. 4820)...
November 3, 2023 | Jeff Davis
November 3, 2023 - House Republican leaders yesterday decided to postpone consideration of the fiscal year 2024 Transportation-HUD appropriations bill...
November 3, 2023 | Jeff Davis
November 3, 2023 - The U.S. Senate passed a three-bill package of fiscal 2024 appropriations measures (H.R. 4366), including the...
October 27, 2023 | Jeff Davis
October 27, 2023 - After a month-long detour, the U.S. Senate resumed consideration of a three-bill package of fiscal 2024...
October 20, 2023 | Garett Shrode, Sohail Husain
October 18, 2023 - The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Highways and Transit met to discuss the solvency...
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October 6, 2023 - This week, the Federal Highway Administration started the New Year by giving $61 billion in highway...
October 6, 2023 | Jeff Davis
October 6, 2023 - The Federal Highway Administration last week opened applications for almost $5 billion in funding for large...
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October 2, 2023 - The federal government will remain open as usual today, after a last-minute change of strategy by...
September 29, 2023 | Jeff Davis
September 29, 2023 - The House of Representatives voted down a stopgap continuing appropriations bill today, and with the Senate...

domain: news


Officials work to capture a gator off the coast of Tybee Island. (Courtesy: Lorrie McClure Smith)
ATLANTA (AP) — Authorities have closed some beaches along the Georgia coast as a precaution after a large alligator was spotted in the Atlantic Ocean on the south end of Tybee Island, a popular tourist spot near Savannah.
The gator, estimated to be 8 feet to 10 feet long, was spotted in the water early Friday morning just off the beach, and a trapper on Friday was trying to capture it so it can be removed, authorities said.
"Our role now is to keep the people out of the water," Tybee Island Fire Chief Ashley Fields said by phone.
An alligator swimming in the ocean off Tybee Island "is a very rare occurrence," Fields said, adding that he's talked to people who have been around the island for 30 to 40 years who had never seen one off Tybee's beach.
"He might have come out of the Savannah River Channel is the only thing I could figure, but I wouldn't bet money on that," Fields said.
Though rare, alligator sightings in the ocean have led to beaches being closed elsewhere in the Southeast, so it's not unprecedented to find one in the Atlantic, Tybee Island Mayor Jason Buelterman said. Gators in the South are typically found in fresh water such as ponds, rivers, streams and swamps, but they're able to swim through saltwater in the ocean to get from one place to another, the mayor said.
There are an estimated 200,000 alligators in Georgia, according to the Department of Natural Resources. They're typically found south of what's known as the "fall line" — a line that connects the cities of Columbus, Macon and Augusta.
Jack Douglas, a professional trapper known as "Trapper Jack" who frequently removes alligators when they are found in the Savannah metro area, is trying to capture the animal so that it can be removed from the area, authorities said.
In Florida, beaches at Walt Disney World resorts remained closed Friday after an alligator killed a 2-year-old Nebraska boy after dragging him from shallow water in a lake at a Disney hotel Tuesday.
"Even if Disney World wouldn't have happened, we still would have closed the beach just to be safe and take care of people," Fields said.
Tybee Island, once known as Savannah Beach, is a popular tourist destination for people from around the nation. With about 3,000 full-time residents, its population swells to several times that number during weekends in the summer season, Buelterman said.


A man charged in a Clay County murder case pleaded guilty this week. Police say Roscoe Henson along with his brother, Gilbert, Ashley Nicole Lawson and Thomas Miracle worked together in July 2015 to murder Trevor Dykes. Investigators say Miracle hired Roscoe Henson to kill Dykes. Deputies said Gilbert Henson helped bury the murder weapon. The dispute reportedly stemmed from a custody dispute. The plea agreement is sealed for now so we do not know what exactly he pleaded guilty to or how long he could spend behind bars.
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Yeah, this post is late, but hot damn kilogram, the Toronto Urban Roots Festival starts today and the lineup makes The Murderers’ Row look like the 7/8/9 slot the Jays are throwing out there lately.
This four day festival isn’t littered with buzzy bands playing stages too big for their own songs; no, the days are full of talent that with the songs and stage presence required to entertain a huge crowd. Instead of shitty of the moment synth tones and gimmicks raps, TURF offers names like She & Him, Joel Plaskett, JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE (!!!), Dawes, The Hold Steady, the Barr Brothers, FRANK TURNER (!!!)… oh, and the chance to see Neko Case followed by Belle & Sebastian as the sun sets on Sunday.
Make no mistakes, these are the days you remember.
Here’s the complete schedule. Get your tickets now.

domain: artistic


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Welcome to the Library!
Warner’s gateway to information, education and entertainment.
Come see a play by the Book Nook Theatre Group based on the book James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, at Warner Town Hall on Saturday, May 7 at 4 pm. Entry fee is a suggested donation to the Warner Area Food Pantry. Yummy Cookies also available to buy to support the library. Poster: James&GiantPeachPoster
Anyone is welcome to get creative and bring an edible, book related entry for our “Edible Books” Contest on Saturday, May 14 by 9 am. Visitors will vote on their favorites from 9:30 to 1:30, in the categories of Youth, Amateur (adult), Professional, funniest, cutest, and most amazing. Get an edible books ENTRY form or at the library. FREE. RULES can be read HERE or downloaded

domain: library


Gocator® 3D Laser Line Profile Sensors
Gocator® Smart 3D Laser Line Profile Sensors paired with UR cobots deliver a smart 3D robot vision solution for applications such as measurement and inspection of elongated targets (e.g., cables, pipes, and conduits); applications that require larger fields of view not covered by Gocator® 3D snapshot sensors (such as large scale bin picking); and a wide range of vision guidance, flexible quality inspection, and smart pick-and-place applications.
Easy UR integration with Gocator® 3D laser profilers allows production engineers to get a complete vision-guided robotic solution up and running with minimal cost and development time.
An example of an end user application is a Gocator® 2450 blue laser profiler mounted to a UR+ cobot performing glue bead scanning, measurement, and inspection in inline consumer electronics assembly processes. This set up is implemented at the application-specific level, where the sensor is mounted to the UR robot to inspect the adhesive bead and ensure it is applied within the correct volume tolerance.
Gocator 2450’s blue laser 3D profiling is able to quickly and accurately determine the width, position, height and volume of the applied adhesive. 3D is also contrast-invariant, allowing detection of transparent or translucent glues to generate accurate measurements. In addition, the 2450’s large field of view provides maximum coverage in a single scan.
Gocator line profile sensors use a projected laser line to perform high-resolution scanning, measurement and control for automated quality inspection, material optimization, and factory automation applications at inline production speed. These workhorse sensors come in a wide variety of models for ultimate flexbility in your scanning applications.
• Scan speeds up to 10 kHz
• Provides critical 3D shape date for height/depth/volumetric measurement
• Onboard data processing and measurement tools, no 3rd party software required
• Can easily handle a wide variety of surface types including shiny, low contrast, textured etc.
• X resolutions up to 6.7 microns
• Wide range of fields of view from 100 mm up to 2000 mm
• Measurement ranges from 80 mm up 1525 mm
• Includes red laser and blue laser models for optimal performance and maximum flexibility in your scanning applications
Gocator® 3D laser profilers are easily mounted onto the UR robot flange using a metal plate. You can then connect the sensor to a robot controller or PC application to perform sensor hand-eye calibration (using the Gocator® URCap plugin) and implement your desired robot movement.
The Gocator® Calibrate node in the URCap automatically performs hand-eye calibration between the sensor and the robot flange. When the node runs, it moves the robot-mounted sensor over the calibration target multiple times to capture scans and return the required poses. After the node has run, the resulting sensor-robot transformation matrix is loaded onto the robot.
Once hand-eye calibration is complete you can connect to the sensor’s web-interface to load a job, trigger a scan, and return positional measurements in the X, Y, and Z axes.
Includes a URCAP?Yes
CertificationsCE, RoHS, LMI vibration standard
DependenciesGocator firmware 6.1
DimensionsGocator: 2120 35x120x149.5 (mm) (side mount)
Gocator: 2130 49x75x142 (mm) (top mount)
Gocator: 2140 49x75x197 (mm) (top mount)
Gocator: 2150 49x75x272 (mm) (top mount)
Gocator: 2170 49x75x272 (mm) (top mount)
Gocator: 2175 49x75x272 (mm) (top mount)
Gocator: 2180 49x75x272 (mm) (top mount)
Gocator 2320: 35x120x149.5 (mm) (side mount)
Gocator 2330: 49x75x142 (mm) (top mount)
Gocator 2340: 49x75x197 (mm) (top mount)
Gocator 2350: 49x75x272 (mm) (top mount)
Gocator 2370: 49x75x272 (mm) (top mount)
Gocator 2375: 49x75x272 (mm) (top mount)
Gocator 2380: 49x75x272 (mm) (top mount)
Gocator 2410: 44x90x145 (mm)
Gocator 2420: 44x90x145 (mm)
Gocator 2430: 44x90x155 (mm)
Gocator 2440: 44x90x190 (mm)
Gocator 2450: 44x90x240 (mm)
Gocator 2490: 49x85x272 (mm)
Gocator 2510: 46x80x110 (mm)
Gocator 2512: 46x80x110 (mm)
Gocator 2520: 46x80x110 (mm)
Gocator 2522: 46x110x110 (mm)
Gocator 2530: 46x80x110 (mm)
Gocator 2280: 49x75x498 (mm)
What’s in the box?Sensor, Quick Start Guide
License typeTerms and Conditions


"Libraries have been the keepers of information for centuries. We're excited to unlock that wealth of Information." - Susan Wojcicki, Google's director of product management.
Faced with increased competition, Google is under pressure to bring something special to on-line searching, and has long said it plans to make the world's information accessible and searchable. Google, which itself sprang out of a library digitization project at Stanford, now has the technology to make these dreams a reality.


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American Aftermath magazine has released a new track and an exclusive interview with NJ hardcore band LIFELESS! The track is called “Surrender” and can be heard below.
Here’s a message from the band:
5 years ago, we were just getting started. Here’s a video from some hole in the wall bar in South Philly where probably 10 people total came out. I was a XXL, Kyle was probably a (s)medium, Michael would end up playing the same cymbals for the next 4 years until they resembled ninja shurikens, Ryan was smoking cigarettes while he was playing, and Jay wasn’t even in the band yet. In those 5 years, Jay was brought on board (a blessing? a curse?); Kyle found the weight in muscle that I had lost after becoming an uneducated and emaciated Vegan; Michael had a baby, broke like 40 pairs of drumsticks per set, and got some new cymbals like 2 days ago; And Ryan… Well, he’s exactly the same. Can’t argue with consistency!
Those 5 years brought us to this year’s LP. It’s been a long, fun, and crazy road…but it’s far from over. Thanks to everyone for making it well worth the journey!
NLFTW in 2015. DREAM in 2015.


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Cristiano Ronaldo smashed five goals for Real
Ronaldo, who has been talked up with a shock return to Old Trafford, was in imperious form as he took centre stage in Real's 9-1 thrashing of Granada at the Bernabeu.
The win put Carlo Ancelotti's in touching distance of Barcelona and the emphatic win will no doubt help Los Blancos' goal difference.
The comments on social media was incredible too with fans hailing the Portuguese sensation.
Express Sport brings you the best of the reaction.
Ronaldo leading La Liga with most penalties too .... GOD— Heisenberg (@GoodFella__) April 5, 2015
Ronaldo now on 36 goals in la liga only— Omo Iya Yinka (@Legendary_sean) April 5, 2015
its also amazing how cris scored 5 goals and got the record for most hattricks and top scorer in la liga back— chris (@makorraisdead) April 5, 2015

domain: sports


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| Apr 8, 2012
As the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival expands from one weekend to two, so do the fashion and music marketing opportunities in Southern California.
Labels such as Levi's, H&M, Lacoste, Armani A|X, Mulberry and Madewell (J. Crew's little sister)...
| May 15, 2011
When it comes to style on "American Idol," this season, all the action has been at the judges' desk.
FOR THE RECORD:
Steven Tyler: In the May 15 Image section, an article about Steven Tyler's fashion sense said the rocker wears...
| Jan 19, 2011
Don Kirshner, the veteran music mogul who shepherded songs from a monstrously talented stable of young writers to the top of the pop charts in the 1960s, launched the career of the Monkees and then became a familiar face to millions of rock fans as...
| Jun 11, 2011
| 3:59 PM
Trumpet player Alan Rubin was recruited to join the Blues Brothers after backing up John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in the "Saturday Night Live" television skits that spawned the band in the late 1970s.
One of many gifted session musicians in the group,...
| Jun 12, 2012
| 5:56 AM
The title of this episode best sums up the problem that each and every housewife has been struggling with for years: "Say what you mean, but don't say it mean."
The first major event in the episode is when Ramona and Luanne decide to meet up at the...
| Jan 18, 2012
| 8:52 PM
"American Idol"kicked off its 11th season with a retrospective feel as it took us back to 2002 and reminded us of the moment when waitress Kelly Clarkson won the inaugural season. Video clips of Idol hopefuls as kids performing were flashed before our...
| Jun 4, 2012
| 6:17 AM
LOS ANGELES -- Johnny Depp brought the biggest star power to the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, taking the stage to play guitar while he was honored for his acting career.
Aerosmith's Joe Perry and Stephen Tyler presented the MTV Generation Award to Depp,...
| Sep 8, 2010
| 2:21 PM
Whether Aerosmtih frontman Steven Tyler ends up on the judging panel of "American Idol" or not, you can be sure of one thing: Bandmate Joe Perry won't be tuning in. In fact, the guitar god says that if he had a choice, Aerosmith wouldn't even be mentioned...
| Sep 22, 2010
| 1:24 PM
INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler will join Randy Jackson as "American Idol" judges next season, after months of turnover and speculation about the future of TV's top-rated show.
With pomp rivaling that of a U.S. Supreme Court...
| Nov 11, 2010
| 4:36 PM
Steven Tyler admits he never watched "American Idol", and now that he's a judge it's not what he was expecting, "it was more", he said in an interview with FOX40's Bethany Crouch.
The Aerosmith frontman, now music talent judge, says he was out touring or...
| Jan 25, 2012
| 7:47 PM
"The altitude's kinda giving me a bit of a headache. Does anyone got (an), Aspen?"
Oh, Steven Tyler. It was so funny I forgot to laugh.
"American Idol" travels to Aspen, Colo., for the first time, where we learn about Rocky Mountain Oysters and...

domain: celebrity


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A stunning adaptation of the classic story of the creation of a masterpiece, this film has the additional value of an astounding musical score by Alexandre Desplat plus others too numerous to mention, but including Beethoven. It also has sparkling performances by Saoirse Ronan as Jo March and Florence Pugh as her sister Amy. The other sisters are played by Eliza Scanlen (Beth) and Emma Watson (Meg). The storyline is pretty much the one we all know—oodles of sisters (only four but it seems like a lot more) as Jo pursues her writing career (see Louisa May Alcott) and the other sisters go after their own dreams of painting, acting and housewifery while being pursued by various and sundry males in the neighborhood.
Outstanding supporting roles are played by Meryl Streep as grumpy Aunt March (who has a heart of gold underneath, of course) and Laura Dern as the ever-present Marmee, the girls’ mother.
The whole leads at times to an over-supply of crinoline and pastels, but the marvelous music makes up for it. There is also a lot of dancing in the film as the 19th century is celebrated in various ways. There are also stunning shots of New England and 19th century New York City for the panoramic fans.
But the central story is really one of male domination of the printing industry when Alcott/March tried to invade it as a woman. She is given much advice by her publisher, Mr. Dashwood (Tracy Letts), most of it bad like the following: “If your main character is a girl, make sure she’s married by the end—or dead.”
Jo eventually turns out to be a tough dealer, getting 6.5 percent on royalties and ownership of her copyright.
The story is a very romantic one, of course, with the women all married, most happily, by the end, but the underlying theme of women’s liberation runs heavily throughout the film. For most of the movie, the men in it are merely figures to be sought for marriage or ignored for someone richer and handsomer. Things work out better in the end, so don’t judge too early.
Visually, this is a stunner, musically the same and dramatically the same except for those moments when men seem almost unnecessary. Even the older youngsters will enjoy seeing this and becoming familiar with the outlines of a great classic read.
Spies in Disguise (PG)
Will Smith has the dual role of Lance Sterling, the world’s greatest spy, and the Spy Turned Pigeon in this farcical satire of the spy genre in general. Walter Beckett (Jarett Bruno) is a loser in school. He’s far too serious in his own pursuits, which include making things and fantasizing about using them. Lance turns up and Walter offers him a glass of what Lance thinks is water, but it is charged with Walter’s secret formula that allows things to assume miniature proportions. Walter thinks this is a great cover for a spy: “Pigeons are everywhere and nobody notices them. It’s the most perfect form a spy can take!” OK unless you have not had flying lessons or can tolerate eating what other people have rejected.
Walter hooks up with the pigeon and soon they are on the trail of the evil Kimura (Masi Oka). One of the odd things about this film is that Japanese voices play many parts as many of the characters are Japanese. Kimura at one point admits a weakness, “I peed in the pool!”, a line that gets a big laugh from the younger members of the audience and a smile and even a chuckle or two from the older ones. Walter and the bird pursue Kimura and his men and try to avoid the dangerous drones that fill the set and destroy most of DC. Walter and Lance form “Team Weird” as they succeed (as they must) and form a good partnership for future Lance Sterling films. Smith has his usual good time, the animation is effective and the lines sharp and funny. And watch those prolific pigeons!
Uncut Gems (R)
Adam Sandler breaks his own mold as grifter Howard Ratner, also a “gemologist” and owner of a jewelry establishment with uncertain security issues. In a brilliant performance, Idina Menzel chews up some major scenery as Howie’s long-suffering and fed up wife, Dinah. His mistress and store clerk, Julia (Julia Fox) is pretty but deeply in the shadow of Dinah.
This may be the most-obscene soundtrack in history. The “F-Word” is used so prolifically that several patrons fled the theater. Howie, you see, is mixed up with a group of hoodlums, each trying to cheat the other over a deal Howie is putting together for Kevin Garnett, playing himself, over a group of uncut precious stones embedded in rock. He has it informally appraised for several million dollars since there are several stones in the rock, none as valuable on its own as the black opal that Garnett becomes attached to.
Howie decides to have the stone go to auction and starts to play his prospective profits into other deals, all of which start to go sour. Howie ends up with broken glasses, several bruised eyes, and desperately plots with Julia to make at least some profit by betting on Garnett in the upcoming seventh game of the NBA finals against the 76ers. The game is re-created by old tapes of the event as Howie watches his fortune ebb and flow.
In the meantime, Julia has a moist tattoo of “Howie” on her backside, Dinah tells Howie to take a hike and everything seems to be falling in place. Not so fast, boys and girls. Hang on for an inevitable predictable ending.
This is gritty storytelling and a definite departure for Sandler, but it is hard to see him playing this kind of role again. Maybe a mere straight role, not one as loud, obnoxious, unlucky and fated as Howie Ratner. Definitely not for kids under 17 and many of those over 17 won’t like it or understand it. Adults, this one is purely up to your tastes.


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- My sexual identity:
- I love sensitive male
- Tone of my eyes:
- I’ve got huge hazel eyes
- What is my gender:
- My figure type:
- I prefer to drink:
- Other hobbies:
I am looking for someone over 50 that knows how to enjoy life and how to enjoy being with a women. Description: Let's Do Some Adventuring! She defers to my decisions and accepts my leadership because she knows that I put her and our relationship first, before my own wants and needs. There is no point in ing up to a site which has many guys and very few women since your chances of success on such an adult dating site are much, much slimmer. Just the two of us getting to know each other and getting away from the stress of the work week.
Try out PMC Labs and tell us what you think. Learn More. Research and clinical data have shown that couples with sexual problems report a lack of sexual communication. However, no published meta-analyses have evaluated the relationship between sexual communication and sexual function. Effect sizes were larger for studies conducted outside of the U. We address the importance of addressing the relationship between sexual communication and sexual function as well as future directions for research in this area.
Research demonstrates that couples with sexual difficulties have more sexual communication problems than couples without sexual concerns e. It may be that sexual problems make communication more challenging.
However, the reverse could also be true; couples that have trouble speaking openly about their concerns, both sexual and non-sexual, may be more likely to develop sexual difficulties. Either way, it is likely that sexual function and sexual satisfaction are both directly impacted by sexual self-disclosure, which may protect against future sexual dysfunction Reese et al. Metts and Cupach defined sexual communication as the combination of sexual self-disclosure, the quality of the sexual communication, and the frequency of the communication.
Frequency of sexual communication captures how often couples discuss different aspects of their sexual relationships. There are numerous potential pathways though which sexual communication may be linked to sexual function. MacNeil and Byershypothesized that two key pathways link sexual communication to sexual satisfaction, which some researchers believe to be an important aspect of sexual function. This pathway is important for several reasons; 1 partners differ in their sexual preferences e.
Importantly, this pathway provides an avenue for altering sexual behavior, thereby potentially addressing sexual function and sexual satisfaction. The second pathway, labeled the expressive pathway, assumes that sexual communication le to greater sexual well-being by enhancing intimacy.
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This enhanced intimacy facilitates sexual communication, creating a positive feedback loop. When partners fail to communicate their sexual needs and preferences, these pathways cannot operate effectively, which in sexual difficulties. Although MacNeil and Byers do not explicitly connect sexual communication to other domains of sexual function, they and others have found empirical support for both the instrumental and the expressive pathways.
According to MacNeil and Byersdisclosure of sexual preferences enables the reconciliation of disparate preferences, maximizes sexual rewards, and minimizes sexual costs, as long as partners respond to the disclosed preferences. The expressive pathway suggests that greater sexual self-disclosure le to greater emotional intimacy, which in turn facilitates increased sexual satisfaction.
Perhaps for that reason, intimacy and love are not often the primary focus of empirical research; however, they are critical ingredients of healthy sexual function for many individuals and couples McCabe et al.
It is therefore likely that, by increasing emotional intimacy, sexual communication also improves other aspects of sexual function e. Although research suggests a relationship between poor sexual communication and sexual problems, a meta-analysis addressing the strength of the association between these two variables, and specifically the strength of the relationship between sexual communication and specific domains of sexual function, has yet to be published. Although there are relatively consistent findings that speak to the link between sexual communication and sexual function, a synthesis of the findings will allow for a more systematic understanding of this association for different domains of sexual function.
Further, identification and analysis of the moderators will elucidate how the association between sexual communication and dimensions of sexual function vary by study characteristics. Finally, the findings from our meta-analysis will help identify gaps in the literature and areas to target in future research. Each dimension of sexual function likely has a unique relationship with sexual communication. Sexual problems are multifaceted and complex; a lack of desire or decreased arousal may require a different form of communication between partners than would sexual pain.
Similarly, the relationships between specific sexual concerns and sexual communication may differ between men and women, as different diagnoses pertain to these two groups. In order to elucidate the relationship between communication and different types of sexual problems, it is important to examine each domain of sexual function separately. Sexual desire refers to the motivation to engage in or be receptive to a sexual event, whether partnered or alone. Narratives in popular media frequently portray men as having high or unwavering levels of sexual desire, which may make it difficult for men to report low sexual desire.
Psychological treatments for low desire often highlight the importance of open dialogue and enhancing communication between partners Greenberg, Sexual arousal is an emotional or motivational state characterized by physiological and mental changes in response to an internal or external stimulus Althof et al. In a study that examined factors associated with sexual arousal in women, several participants noted that partner-level variables e. Similarly, communication between partners about erectile function may improve arousal in men.
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Lubrication is distinct from but highly related to sexual arousal in women. No studies have directly assessed the relationship between the quantity of natural lubrication and sexual communication, but research that correlates the six domains of the Female Sexual Function Index Rosen et al. In men, ejaculation is the discharge of semen that is usually accompanied by an orgasm, though they are not always linked. Sex education and communication skills training are often included in the treatment of orgasm disorders. Kelly, Strassberg, and Turner found that women who were unable to achieve orgasm reported more problematic sexual communication with their partners and increased discomfort when talking about sexual issues compared to women without orgasm concerns.
Similarly, a ificant positive correlation between poor sexual communication and premature ejaculation has been reported e. Taken together, there is limited, but consistent evidence that communication or lack thereof about sexual needs can be an important factor in facilitating or inhibiting orgasm. Some women experience ificant genital pain upon or following penetrative intercourse.
Clinically ificant distress caused by any one of these four symptoms is sufficient to warrant a diagnosis. There is great variability in the severity, location, and initiation i.
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By definition, only women receive this diagnosis, but several studies suggest that men may experience similar problems e. Findings on the relationship between sexual communication and sexual pain are mixed. Perhaps women with better sexual communication are able to adapt sexual activities to for their pain. We examined the following potential moderators of the link between sexual communication and sexual function to understand factors that weaken or strengthen the relationship.
By nature, studies that recruit clinical samples typically report more severe sexual dysfunction symptoms compared to those that recruit non-clinical samples.
Furthermore, couples in which one partner has a sexual problem also tend to report worse sexual communication compared to couples with no such problems e. Thus, it is possible that the association between sexual communication and sexual function differs between clinical and non-clinical samples. Sometimes, sexual minority populations are included in studies on sexual function, but they are often subsumed in the general population without consideration for potential differences. Sometimes, sexual orientation is simply not assessed.
Thus, we examined whether effect sizes differ based on the inclusion, lack of inclusion, or inattention to sexual minorities. There were a of variables that we tested as moderators that may be interrelated and may change over time: relationship status, relationship length, age, and year of publication. For example, satisfaction with sexual communication follows a curvilinear pattern over the course of a relationship Wheeless et al.
Specifically, satisfaction with sexual communication increases as a relationship moves towards more commitment, with the highest scores occurring when individuals enter committed relationships. This trajectory may impact the effect size of the association between sexual communication and sexual function, as commitment should be greater in longer relationships or marriages. In both longer relationships and marriages, the link between sexual communication and sexual function may be stronger than in shorter or dating relationships. It is possible that, as relationships develop, sexual needs and desires may change; communication would be necessary to meet new needs.
We therefore examined age as a potential moderator. Lastly, as the self-report instruments that assess sexual communication and sexual function have changed between the oldest and most recent studies included in our analysis, we tested publication year as another potential moderator.
Although direct comparisons of cultural differences in sexual communication are scarce, it is generally accepted that values about sexuality and communication between partners vary from culture to culture Hofstede, Therefore, we examined the effect of the country in which a study was conducted on the relationship between sexual communication and sexual function. Used in over 1, studies Forbes et al. Given the strong psychometric properties of the FSFI, we examined whether the relationship between sexual communication and sexual function differs between studies that used the FSFI and studies that used other tools to measure sexual function.
We investigated the relationship between sexual communication and separate dimensions of sexual function, both un-stratified by gender and for men and women separately i. Both published and unpublished i.
It was required that studies a measured at least one of the following: sexual desire, arousal, erectile function, lubrication, orgasm, ejaculation, pain, or overall sexual function; b be published in English; c include sufficient information to calculate at minimum one effect size; d include a majority of participants who were currently in a relationship; and e include a measure of interpersonal sexual communication that did not focus on sexual risk. Database searches were conducted for articles between and May Two searches were conducted to maximize the of included studies.
A database search was then conducted i. The database search returned 1, articles for the specific search. After removing duplicates, abstracts were screened. The screening process resulted in 41 articles.
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The authors reviewed the references lists of the 41 articles and identified any other articles that may have not been captured in the database searches. This search process produced an additional eight articles See Figure 1 for a summary of article selection process. Ultimately, 48 articles were included in this review. In total, these articles included 12, participants, and they led to the calculation of effect sizes see Table 1 for of effect sizes and studies for each dimension of sexual function. For the un-stratified models, we used a three-level model with effect sizes nested within gender, nested within study.
For the gender stratified models, we could not nest the effect sizes within gender, so a two-level model was used. We were interested in evaluating the relationship between sexual function and interpersonal communication.
There are a few sexual communication scales that measure what we would call intrapsychic sexual communication, which we believe to be distinct from interpersonal communication. It is important to disentangle these two types of sexual communication for several specific reasons.
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First, it is unclear from an assessment of individual willingness or desire to communicate if any direct communication has taken place within the context of a partnership. Second, most studies that use intrapsychic measures focus on the individual and therefore document individual outcomes. We were interested in the dyadic nature of sexual communication and its association with sexual function, so measures that capture shared or interpersonal sexual communication were more appropriate for this analysis.
Because one of the searches relied on the names of the psychometric tools that measured sexual communication, the scales were identified a priori so that we could determine which dimension of sexual communication they assessed. Each of the measures described below were deed to specifically assess one of the three aspects of interpersonal sexual communication sexual self-disclosure, quality of the communication, or frequency of the communication or contain a subscale that assessed sexual communication.
For the sake of brevity, we only discuss the measures that were included in the meta-analysis.
The SSDQ inquires about the degree to which a person has shared his or her sexual likes and dislikes of six behaviors e. The SSDS-R has 24 subscales with three items each that assess the degree to which partners have discussed specific sexual topics. This measure is unique in that it asks about emotional aspects of sexual communication e.
A detailed code sheet was developed to collect relevant information for the meta-analysis.

domain: sociology


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Boat Story: Cast talk about how much they enjoyed filming latest BBC drama in Yorkshire
The series is set on the Yorkshire coastline and was filmed at locations across the county earlier in the year.
Paterson Joseph, who plays Samuel Wells in the series, said he was surprised by his experience in Halifax, and added he had loved every minute of being in Yorkshire.
When filming for the series took place back at the start of the year, Paterson was spotted in Halifax Borough Market buying a pie from Grosvenors Butchers for his lunch.
He said: “Yorkshire has been beautiful; I've loved every minute of it.
"Halifax was the big surprise for me and going into the covered market and finding ‘the street in the sky’, which is five-bedroom houses above a market.
"It’s a beautiful place and should be renovated as I think artists would love to live up there.”
Daisy Haggard, who plays Janet Campbell, also had good things to say. She said: “Shooting it in Yorkshire was beautiful.
"It's such a lovely place and eating fish and chips on my lunch break was a high point.
"I really enjoyed it as a job. I found it really liberating, oddly, walking around with no makeup and blue hair, in a big pair of comfy boots and a huge jacket.
"I found the whole experience really fun, inventive and inspiring. I really enjoyed it.
“There's such a beauty to Yorkshire. It's stunning and there's something about the bleak beauty of a winter, being on the beach and the wind just stripping you. "
The cast and crew were at Old Cock Yard filming at The Old Cock pub – which they renamed The Three Brothers for the show – and were also at Westgate Arcade.
The six-part thriller has been written by Harry and Jack Williams, who also wrote hit shows The Tourist, The Missing and Baptiste.


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Michelin Challenge Design today announced that due to the tremendous response to the 2017 Michelin Challenge Design, Le Mans 2030: Design for the Win theme, the deadline for entries is being extended from May 1 to August 1, 2016
“Through our collaboration with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, we want to provide an opportunity for those who become aware of the program around the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hour race, June 18-19, to enter the Le Mans 2030: Design for the Win competition,” said Thom Roach, Vice President OE Marketing, Michelin North America.
Extending the deadline for entries until August 1 provides additional time for students, designers, enthusiasts and prospective designers from around the world to share their ideas and vision for the future.
Michelin Challenge Design also announced the following recognition and awards for the First, Second and Third place winners.
- Hosted by Michelin Challenge Design at the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS-Detroit). Includes airfare, hotel accommodations and airport transfers for the sole designer or, in the case of a team design, one team representative.
- Entry credentials for Press Days and Industry Preview days at NAIAS (January 9-12, 2017).
- Invitation to attend and recognition at the private Michelin Designer’s Reception, Monday, January 9.
- Private Portfolio Review with members of the Michelin Challenge Design Jury.
- Recognition on www.michelinchallengedesign.com and www.cardesignnews.com.
In addition, the 2017 Michelin Challenge Design First Place winner will be recognized at the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours race. Additional details to be announced.
Michelin Challenge Design may also recognize a select number of entries for Honorable Mention which will be publicized on the Michelin Challenge Design and Car Design News web sites.
The Michelin Challenge Design 2017 – Le Mans 2030: Design for the Win – invites you to create a breakthrough race car to win the Le Mans 24 Hours in the year 2030. Entrants are encouraged to utilize future-looking technologies, innovations, and pioneering problem solving skills to design a car that reinforces the premium brand image of a company that is either famous for its historical successes, or ready to elevate its brand through a Le Mans 24 Hours win.

domain: design


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Campaign (16 Oct 2017)
Vashi lets consumers design their engagement rings at its new experience-led London store
VASHI has hired agencies PD3 and DBLG to create a campaign which offers consumers the chance to design their own diamond ring. Called ‘The brave make,’ the campaign has been designed to highlight the diamond jewellery retailer’s focus on personalisation and how investing time into creating a piece of jewellery has more emotional impact than an off-the-shelf purchase.
Campaign (14 Jun 2016)
PD3 has created a series of 30-second TV ads for music streaming service Deezer. The first ad enlists help from two dogs to highlight the benefits of listening to ‘Flow’, Deezer’s personalised soundtrack tool, as opposed to a favourite CD album.
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Bob Capelli, head of global sales for the firm, which is a division of Chinese company BGG, said there are glyphosate free certifications in the marketplace that test to levels of parts per billion.
But he said a presentation at a meeting sponsored by the Organic and Natural Health Association in Florida laid out the importance of a finer level of detection. That presentation, by John Fagan, PhD, CEO of HRI (Health Research Institute) Labs rested on published research on rats.
Widespread use of chemical
Glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup, is one of the most widely used agricultural chemical in the world. The herbicide, which was first brought to market by Monsanto, has been paired with Monsanto’s GMO crop varieties specifically designed to be immune to the chemical.
The herbicide has long been touted as safe by its manufacturers, but more and more health advocates have raised concerns about its widespread use and its ubiquity in the environment.
Many alarm bells have been sounded about the ‘possible dangers’ of exposure to man made chemicals in the environment at low levels. A consensus statement published in journal Environmental Health alleged that use of glyphosate had increased 100 fold from the 1970s to 2016. Capelli said what caught his attention was that Fagan had some actual research to point to about the possible health effects of these exposures.
“He made a very convincing reference to peer reviewed research,” he said.
Concerns with chronic, low-level exposure
NutraIngredients-USA spoke with Fagan about his organization, based in Fairfield, IA, and the importance of the new testing. Fagan referred to a study published in 2015, also in Environmental Health, that showed that chronic glyphosate exposure at 50 parts per trillion caused transcriptome changes in rat liver cells. This equated to liver damage, the researchers maintained.
Fagan said he collaborated on a paper published last year in JAMA that showed the exposure to glyphosate has increased markedly over time. Fagan also said that in addition to the rat transcriptome study, other research has pointed to low level, chronic exposure to the chemical with biomarkers indicative of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. It all adds up, Fagan said, to a need for more sensitive testing for the presence of this chemical.
Finer-grained testing called for
Fagan, who was trained in biochemistry at Cornell University and is a former principal in the firm Global ID Group, said HRI Labs is offering testing that rests on existing equipment, just used in a different way.
“If you have a Tesla you can drive it like a Chevrolet or you can push it to its theoretical limits,” Fagan said.
“We have some of the best analytical equipment that’s available globally in the marketplace. The USDA has the same equipment as do many of the commercial labs. But they test to thresholds that are sometimes orders of magnitude higher than what the equipment is capable of,” he said. “They are not testing to 30 parts per trillion; they are testing to 10 parts per billion in some cases.”
“I am concerned that the rapidly increasing incidence of fatty liver disease in Americans may be due to the widespread use of glyphosate. In addition, levels of glyphosate may be an indicator for risk of other contaminants. We encourage all food and supplement manufacturers to have their products tested to the parts per trillion level to ensure that their supply chain is clean and to avoid potential consumer health issues,” Fagan said.
Capelli said testing done at HRI Labs has indicated its flagship astaxanthin product, branded as AstaZine Natural Astaxanthin, has tested 100% Glyphosate-Free to a level of detection ranging from less than 26 to 50 parts per trillion in independent laboratory testing. BGG produces its astaxanthin in a closed-cell tube facility in southwestern China.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Mercola was the primary financial source of ONHA which suggested that Mercola controls the organization. As noted by ONHA's President Todd Harrison, ONHA is not controlled, financially or otherwise, by Dr. Mercola. Mercola is simply a member of the Association that has a seat on the board. We stand corrected and apologize for our mischaracterization of Mercola’s relationship with the Association.


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Legendary musician Johnny Clegg will be laid to rest during a private funeral service later on Wednesday.
Clegg died in his Johannesburg home on Tuesday at the age of 66.
The grammy-nominated singer was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015.
Clegg was fondly known as the ‘White Zulu’ for his command of the language.
His unique blend of African Zulu Rhythms and Western Pop accentuated Clegg as a symbol of change in the 1970s and 80s.
As tributes continue to pour in for the celebrated musician, his family is preparing to lay Clegg to rest. He has been described as a legend that was able to transcend racial barriers.
Clegg retired from the music scene in 2017.
President Cyril Ramaphosa also took the time to pay tribute to the Impi singer when he spoke in Parliament on Wednesday.
Clegg leaves behind his wife and two sons. His memorial service is expected to be held sometime next week.
The post Johnny Clegg to be laid to rest Wednesday evening appeared first on SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa's news leader..


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The Maddening Rain at Soho Theatre from 06 Dec.
The Maddening Rain, written by Nicholas Pierpan, is at the Soho Theatre, an off west end venue in central London, from 06 Dec - 10 Dec 2011.
Directed by Matthew Dunster, designed by Alison McDowall, sound by David Sharrock, lighting by Emma Chapman and produced by Darbourne Luff and Upstart Theatre.
Cast includes Felix Scotts.
This one-man play cuts to the heart of the global recession, following one man’s rise from a dead-end job in a bowling alley to the trading floors of the Square Mile. As he reaches the top in securities finance, he realises the only obstacles are the people in his way.


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