text:
OREO and PFLAG have released a limited-edition rainbow cookie in celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month. PFLAG, which up until 2014 was called "Parent, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays," was founded in 1973 after "the simple act of a mother publicly supporting her gay son," according to the organization’s website. The organization is focused on fostering community between lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people and their families and allies. There were 10,000 packages of cookies that were given away. The giveaway ran during the month of October.
The cookies could not be found or sold in stores and were instead given out to fans to "reward acts of allyship for the LGBTQ+ community," a spokesperson for OREO told CNN. The cookies are part of OREO and PFLAG's new Proud Parent platform, "a long-term campaign shining light on the importance of a supportive family in fostering greater LGBTQ+ acceptance."
People were able to find out about the giveaway on social media, and were encouraged to participate. “Join OUR #ProudParent campaign and share a photo of what allyship means to you. Whatever it is, we love to see it,” the company said on social media. “Post your photo on Instagram or Twitter using #ProudParent + #Giveaway and tag @OREO. Don’t forget to follow @OREO too.” Out of the 10,000 packages of cookies that were given away, one of the recipients that received a package was ISU LGBTQ+ Resource Center Graduate Assistant and Director of Programming for Spectrum Aryn Long Suiter.
Aryn learned about the giveaway through Facebook. Aryn stated, “I follow a lot of affirming LGBTQ+ pages, and I saw Oreo's post about the cookies. I decided to take part in the giveaway because I thought it would be great to share my experiences on being an ally. I also wanted to try and win the cookies because I have only won one other giveaway in my life, so I said, ‘why not?’” When asked how she felt being one of the recipients of the rainbow cookies she said, “receiving the Oreos has made me feel very special. I know others were wanting these cookies, and it makes me grateful that Oreo thought I was a great ally to the LGBTQ+ community and other minorities. It makes me appreciate myself and I am glad others see me the way I see myself.”


text:
If you have been wondering how to come into right relationship with tools like boundaries, organization and bullet journaling, or wanting to understand the difference between productivity and busyness, you are in the right place at the right time! Guest Brandice Schnabel is a clinical psychotherapist, intuitive productivity consultant, lifelong creative, and a passionate animist living in northeast Ohio with her supportive family. She divides her time between a clinical private practice, Sky Witness Healing Arts, and her newest venture, Soulful Focus, a space for fostering intuitively grounded and productive living. She is also a co-host of the podcast Everyday Animism and a proud participant and organizer for National Novel Writing Month since 2002.
Soulful Focus: http://soulfulfocus.com
Sky Witness Healing Arts: http://skywitnesshealingarts.com
Everyday Animism: http://everydayanimism.tumblr.com

domain: literature


Austin Town Hall described Moon Kill as, "There’s something in the band that feels very much like you’re driving West on I-10 in an old Cadillac with your hair blowing from beneath your cowboy hat…basically Danzig fronting Clutch." Whatever influences are being harnessed, Moon Kill promises a powerful set to showcase the new songs from their freshman full length album they have been recording w/ producer, Roky Moon. Moon Kill goes on at 8:00pm followed by Kezek, Dream Eater and My Education.
We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this information. However, you should always call ahead to confirm dates, times, location, and other information.


text:
View your shopping cart.
If you're a local customer, any books you order can be available for in-store pickup. Simply fill out the "delivery information" section with your home address, and select "In-Store Pickup" under "Calculate shipping cost". We'll let you know when your order is available to be picked up!
A swashbuckling adventure story that reveals for the first time how Diego de la Vega became the masked man we all know so well
Born in southern California late in the eighteenth century, he is a child of two worlds. Diego de la Vega's father is an aristocratic Spanish military man turned landowner; his mother, a Shoshone warrior. Diego learns from his maternal grandmother, White Owl, the ways of her tribe while receiving from his father lessons in the art of fencing and in cattle branding. It is here, during Diego's childhood, filled with mischief and adventure, that he witnesses the brutal injustices dealt Native Americans by European settlers and first feels the inner conflict of his heritage.
At the age of sixteen, Diego is sent to Barcelona for a European education. In a country chafing under the corruption of Napoleonic rule, Diego follows the example of his celebrated fencing master and joins La Justicia, a secret underground resistance movement devoted to helping the powerless and the poor. With this tumultuous period as a backdrop, Diego falls in love, saves the persecuted, and confronts for the first time a great rival who emerges from the world of privilege.
Between California and Barcelona, the New World and the Old, the persona of Zorro is formed, a great hero is born, and the legend begins. After many adventures -- duels at dawn, fierce battles with pirates at sea, and impossible rescues -- Diego de la Vega, a.k.a. Zorro, returns to America to reclaim the hacienda on which he was raised and to seek justice for all who cannot fight for it themselves.
About the Author
Isabel Allende is the author of nine novels, translated into more than twenty-seven languages, including the New York Times bestsellers InÉs of My Soul, Portrait in Sepia, and Daughter of Fortune. In 2004 she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Born in Peru and raised in Chile, she lives in California.
Praise for Zorro…
“This is a full-blooded retelling of the old masked-man legend, and it crackles with action.”

domain: library


text:
Upload your photos, chat, win prizes and much more
Can't Access your Account?
New to ePHOTOzine? Join ePHOTOzine for free!
Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more for free!
Another shot from my Mumbles Head series....sorry!
Your comments always appreciated.
Thanks for looking.....
Composition is spot on
Excellent capture great comp
Very good excellrnt comp.
Well, actually this is the first one of Mumbles lighthouse I've seen today, so don't worry, it ain't boring!
In fact it's very nicely done. I like the mist effect and the comp is excellent.
Superb work Ol really great water movement and depth. Wonderful foreground
Very nicely done Oliver.
A beautiful image lovely light and tones and a lovely composition.
I like the cool blue tones & the texture of the rocks.
Simply beautiful. That blue is so calming.
This is a nice shot, but I prefer the one from the 19th.
I think the foreground in the previous shot is more in harmony with the image - this one is a bit jumbled.
It might work better as landscape composition cropped just above the rockpool in the centre of the frame. Trying covering the bottom of the image with your hand to see what I mean.
Well composed with good perspective, textures and detail ... the light is a bit special too.
Excellent image, great details and comp, have RC on me
Thank you Mark, and thank you everyone else for comments and clicks!
ePHOTOzine, the web's friendliest photography community.
Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more.
You must be a member to leave a comment
Get the latest photography news straight from ePHOTOzine in your email every month and win prizes!
1st November 2015 - 30th November 2015
Check out ePHOTOzine's inspirational photo month calendar! Each day click on a window to unveil new photography tips, treats and techniques.
View November's Photo Month Calendar

domain: artistic


text:
Botulinum toxin type A (a.k.a. Botox) is a FDA-approved treatment for severe underarm sweating, a condition commonly referred to as Hyperhidrosis. The doctor uses a very fine needle to inject small doses of purified Botox into each underarm to temporarily block signals from the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands. A common misconception is that you’ll start to sweat more in other places or that your sweat will get backed up somehow. Untrue: the rest of your body will continue to perspire as normal. Interestingly enough, there is no physiological need for you to sweat underneath your arms.
If you have a needle phobia, this procedure is a bit hard to stomach. Your dermatologist will need to administer about 15 injections under each arm, but luckily, the treatment doesn’t take more than five to ten minutes. As far as pain goes, it’s just a lot of small pinches and truly not that bad. If you can get through a bikini wax, you’ll have no problem with this. Plus, the results last for six—yes six!—months.
The Bottom Line
Patients usually notice a significant reduction in sweating just 24 hours after their appointment. While that may seem like a lofty claim, we’re here to say it’s the truth. We felt a difference immediately and didn’t have any underarm swelling or pain to speak of. The bottom line? If you really feel that you sweat under your arms more than normal and find it interfering with your daily life, then this is a liberating option. Imagine — being allow you to lift your arms worry-free!
Check out more of our crazy beauty adventures in our Test Drive series.

domain: medical


text: Scientists have had a major breakthrough in using stem cells to treat chronic pain. Chronic pain that’s caused by damaged nerves is often resistant to painkillers. Using mice, researchers injected stem cells which then migrated to the site of the injury and helped relieve pain. This is advancing the research and therapy used to treat soldiers with spinal cord injuries and lower back pain. By researching how the stem cells alleviate pain, medical professionals will be able to actually treat these injuries instead of masking them with painkillers. This will help soldiers immensely on the road to recovering from nerve damage and those suffering from chronic pain.

domain: news


text:
After the Wings prospect camp, goalie coach Jim Bedard stated, “”I don’t think we’ve ever had two goaltending prospects as good in the Red Wings rookie camp in the 11 years” referring to Daniel Larsson and their first pick from this year’s draft Thomas McCollum.
Does this team have the deepest depth at goaltendingin the NHL? Here is the chart-
1. Chris Osgood 2. Ty Conklin 3. Jamie Howard 4. Daniel Larsson 5. McCollum
The Wings never seem to have any worries and considering their depth chart in net, things won’t be changing anytime soon.


Though no firm groundbreaking date has been set, the site for the Ukrainian Man-made Famine (Holodomor) memorial was consecrated last month by the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, just days after the project received concept approval from the Commission of Fine Arts.
Located on a 3100-s.f. triangular wedge at the intersection of North Capitol Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and F Street, the memorial is dedicated to victims of the 1932 Ukrainian catastrophe, created when Stalin exported the bulk of Ukraine's grain stores, deliberately inducing a famine that he hoped would lead to a repopulation of the country by ethnic Russians. Presently the site is a popular lunchtime gathering place for the throngs of neighborhood workers who patronize the nearby food trucks, perhaps foreshadowing the future irony of young urban professionals shoveling back kimchi tacos and twelve dollar hula burgers in the shadow of a famine memorial.
Since securing authorization from Congress in 2006, the Holodomor project has made slow but steady progress. The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) awarded the site in October 2008, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine began soliciting designs the very next year. From 52 submitted proposals, they narrowed it down to five, which were then vetted down to two that met NCPC standards. The project team, led by architects-of-record Hartman-Cox Architects (who were brought in to shepherd the project through the labyrinthine approvals process), presented these two designs at an NCPC meeting on December 1. The “preferred” scheme, dubbed “Field of Wheat,” is comprised of a small paved area and bench in front of a wall-like bas-relief sculpture of wheat. The “alternate” scheme (which seemed to be much preferred at the last NCPC meeting, due to the one-sided design of “Field of Wheat”) is a small sculpture in-the-round of a ten-foot-tall pair of open hands, surrounded by trees. The designs received concept approval from the Commission of Fine Arts in mid-November, and now go to the National Capital Advisory committee.
According to NCPC Acting Director of Urban Design and Plan Review Shane Dettman, the monument is being funded directly by the Ukranian government, which will also take on an unusual level of responsibility for the finished site. “Unlike most monuments that are given over to the National Park Service for maintenance, this particular memorial will be on a Park Service reservation that's owned by the federal government, but the Ukrainian government will take care of upkeep and maintenance,” Dettman said.
Still, the memorial does seem puzzling to some, in the same way that the U.S. erecting a “Trail of Tears” memorial in downtown Kiev might raise eyebrows. The boilerplate justification for the project, taken from the proposal/environmental impact study, is that America's long-standing role as the foremost champion of human rights in the world makes Washington, DC the best location for a memorial to this tragedy. Which is undoubtedly true, as far as that goes. (Which isn’t very far.)
The Ukrainian embassy wasn't forthcoming with any context, but recent history might lend some. George W. Bush signed the legislation authorizing the Holodomor memorial into law in 2006, coincidentally a few years after Ukraine was one of the only countries to make a significant contribution to the multinational Iraq invasion force, inviting the suspicion that the monument was a chip in a much bigger picture of backroom diplomatic horse-trading. Additionally, it's well-known that the U.S. needs a regional ally to keep Russian’s empire-ish ambitions contained (a Taiwan to Russia’s China, if you will), so it makes sense that we would want to keep the Ukrainians happy. They get a sculpture in the capital city of the world's leading superpower, we get a missile installation, that sort of thing. If it saves us from a 21st century “Red Dawn,” it's a small price to pay.
Washington D.C. real estate development news


text:
Greek Company to Build Large Dairy Farm near Bulgaria's Kardzhali
Greek investors are looking to build a large dairy farm near the southern city of Karzdhali, according to Kardzhali Mayor Hasan Azis.
The investors have expressed interest in a municipally-owned or state-owned plot of 2000 decares, which will mainly be used as a pasture for the cows and for building industrial facilities.
The local authorities have provided the requested information and are expecting a reply from the Greek company, according to reports of the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).
The amount of the potential investment is unclear.
The dairy farm project is the first case of expression of serious investment intention of a Greek company in the Kardzhali municipality after the opening of the new Makaza border crossing point on the Bulgarian-Greek border in September 2013.
- » IAEA, EBRD Officials among Speakers at Nuclear Decommissioning Conference in Sofia
- » Bulgaria EconMin Visiting Azerbaijan on Thursday, Friday
- » Bulgarian Parliament Approves Financial Aid Bill for Payment of NEC's Debt
- » Bulgarian Parliament To Vote On State Loan To NEC
- » Dutch Transavia To Launch Sofia-Amsterdam Flights
- » Bulgarian PM Borisov Talks With Russian President Putin

domain: economics


Are you an Indian “green enthusiast” eagerly awaiting the day when the Indian government will be successful in realizing its target of bringing 33 per cent of Indian ground under green cover or forest cover?
Well, in that case it is time you heaved a sigh of pain.
The Environment & Forests Minister Mr. Jairam Ramesh has been very candid in saying that the Indian government’s aim to achieve 33 per cent green cover for India is impossible. Reason? Well, mainly two factors are playing the spoil sport – the size of the population and the developmental issues.
Mr. Ramesh has said that instead of running after the elusive goal, it is better India focuses on retaining the 21 per cent forest cover that it enjoys at present.
Interestingly, Mr. Ramesh has also admitted that 40 per cent of that 21 per cent forest cover is open and degraded land, and is not exactly worthy of being called “forest”.
Mr. Ramesh’s acceptance of the harsh fact might have broken many of our hearts. But it is better we appreciate his honesty, and wish and encourage him that he manages to retain and nourish the 21 per cent forest cover enjoyed by our beautiful motherland.


text:
(This article was first published on 23 December 2017. It has been reposted from The Quint's archives to mark the birth anniversary of the former prime minister.)
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is admired even by those who are not with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Many qualities have made him an ajaatashatru (a leader with no enemies).
Among them: his spell-binding oratory, which was at once poetic and thoughtful, and frequently philosophical.
Here’s what makes his speeches stand out, among the rest.

domain: politics


Refuse and Recycling - Greetings card
- Where to dispose?
- Clear sacks - kerbside recycling
- Personal data should be removed along with any glitter
See our dedicated coronavirus webpage for changes and updates to our services, how to get help in your community and support and advice for businesses.All coronavirus information


text:
Gov. Sonny Perdue released his amended FY10 and FY11 budget recommendations to the General Assembly on Jan. 15. During Senate and House Appropriations Committee hearings last week, lawmakers heard presentations from state agencies regarding their individual budgetary concerns and the impact that can be expected in FY10 and FY11.
In July, Gov. Perdue announced a $900 million reduction in the revenue estimate for the FY 2010 Budget due to the sharp drop in revenues the last six months of FY09. The 2010 amended budget presented by Gov. Perdue raises that reduction to $1.44 billion.
2010 amended budget proposals
The FY10 Amended revenue estimate is 7.3 percent below FY09 actual revenues and 8.5 percent below the original FY10 general budget revenue estimate of $16.99B. The FY10 amended revenue estimate represents a 23 percent decline from the original FY09 general budget ($20.1B) proposed by Gov. Perdue just two short years ago. Gov. Perdue is now projecting a $1.44B shortfall for FY10.
To combat this shortfall, Gov. Perdue has proposed an additional three furlough days for state employees and teachers, bringing the total to 6 for this fiscal year. This measure alone would save the state nearly $245M. For additional funds, the governor has chosen to liquidate $140M from the Other Post Employment Benefit reserve fund designated for the health benefits of future retirees. The budget also proposes to shift the State Health Benefit Plan to a cash basis using $67M in funds set aside for bills that are funded from “Incurred but Not Reported” (IBNR).
Gov. Perdue has allocated an additional $92.8M to the QBE formula to fund K-12 enrollment growth of 0.67 percent. Although this is an increase, the governor’s recommended budget reduced the QBE formula by $188M for the six furlough days. This paired with a $281M across the board reduction brings the total QBE base funding to a -5.6 percent reduction, although partially offset by federal stimulus funds to local systems.
The governor has called for a $9.7M reduction in Georgia’s school nutrition program and a $4M reduction to its Special Needs Scholarship Fund. Pupil transportation would also be cut by $24.7M and the Equalization formula would decrease by 4 percent or $17.5M.
To meet increased growth in enrollments, the FY10 HOPE program includes an increase of $146,963 for the HOPE GED, $49.3M for the HOPE Grant, $2.1M for private school HOPE Scholarships, and $26.9M for public school HOPE Scholarships.
The amended budget recommends a net cut of 7.76 percent to the Regents funding formula, a net cut of 7.48 percent to the Technical Colleges funding formula, and the elimination of the Guaranteed Educational Loans Program. From lottery funds, $33.7M would supplant State General Funds to finance the HERO Scholarship, Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Program (LEAP), North Georgia Military Scholarship Grants, North Georgia ROTC Grants and Tuition Equalization Grants.
Medicaid, Peachcare and Public Health
Gov. Perdue has designated $20.3M in additional funds to the Department of Behavioral Health for state hospital improvements and $8.6M in state matching funds for private hospitals to assist in indigent and uncompensated care.
The governor has also called for an 11 percent reduction in Low Income Medicaid, a 3 percent reduction to the Medicaid Aged Blind and Disabled fund, and a 9 percent reduction to Georgia’s Public Health Grant in Aid, generating the state nearly $90M in savings.
The FY10 amended budget recommends the closure of Scott State Prison (closed August 2009), Bostick State Prison (May 2010), and the Bill Ireland Juvenile Facility (January 2010) for a total savings of nearly $20M.
Next week’s column will include a summary of Gov. Perdue’s FY2011 general budget proposals.
Jobs program for employers
The Department of Human Services (DHS) has received nearly $200M in federal stimulus funds to be put towards a temporary, subsidized employment program for 5,000 adults. All families with dependent children and incomes of less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level (approximately $60,000 for a family of four) are eligible to participate.
Employers who choose to participate in this program will receive an 80 percent subsidy for employing adult workers for up to six months at minimum wage or above. The subsidy expires Sept. 30.
For more information regarding eligibility requirements please send all inquiries to:
Job Seekers: firstname.lastname@example.org
I may be reached at
234 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 656-5038 (phone)
(404) 657-7094 (fax)
E-mail at email@example.com
Or call toll-free at
1-800-367-3334 day or night
Reidsville office: (912) 557-3811

domain: finance


text:
- sphere of influence
any area in which one nation wields dominant power over another or others.[1880-85]
* * *In international politics, a state's claim to exclusive or predominant control over a foreign area or territory.Beginning in the late 1880s, European colonial powers undertook legal agreements consisting of promises not to interfere with each other's actions in mutually recognized spheres of influence in Africa and Asia. After colonial expansion ceased, geopolitical rather than legal claims to spheres of influence became common, examples being the U.S. claim to dominance in the Western Hemisphere under the much-earlier Monroe Doctrine and the Soviet Union's expansion of its sphere of influence to eastern Europe following World War II. See also Iron Curtain.
* * *in international politics, the claim by a state to exclusive or predominant control over a foreign area or territory. The term may refer to a political claim to exclusive control, which other nations may or may not recognize as a matter of fact, or it may refer to a legal agreement by which another state or states pledge themselves to refrain from interference within the sphere of influence.It is in the latter, legal significance that the term first gained currency in the 1880s when the colonial expansion of the European powers in Africa and Asia was nearing its completion. The last stage of that expansion was characterized by the endeavour of all major colonial powers to carry on the mutual competition for colonies peacefully through agreed-upon procedures. Agreements on spheres of influence served this purpose. Thus, the agreement between Great Britain and Germany in May 1885, the first to make use of the term, provided for “a separation and definition of their respective spheres of influence in the territories on the Gulf of Guinea.” This agreement was followed by many of a similar nature, of which article VII of the agreement between Great Britain and Germany of July 1, 1890, concerning East Africa (eastern Africa, history of), may be regarded as typical. Its text is as follows:The two Powers engage that neither will interfere with any sphere of influence assigned to the other by Articles I to IV. One Power will not in the sphere of the other make acquisitions, conclude Treaties, accept sovereign rights or Protectorates, nor hinder the extension of influence of the other. It is understood that no Companies nor individuals subject to one Power can exercise sovereign rights in a sphere assigned to the other, except with the assent of the latter.When colonial expansion came to a close after World War I, spheres of influence in the legal sense lost much of their importance.Spheres of influence in the loose or nonlegal sense of the term date to the beginning of recorded history. As a tool of great power or imperial control, the assertion of spheres of influence can bring order to peripheral areas but can contribute to conflicts when rival powers seek exclusive influence in the same area or when secondary or client states resist subordination. In antiquity, conflicts between Rome and Carthage for exclusive influence in peripheral areas of the western Mediterranean led to the Punic Wars beginning in the 3rd century BC. More recently, the Monroe Doctrine (1823) asserted a U.S. sphere of influence in the “New World,” excluding further European colonization in the Americas and presaging attempts by the United States to intervene in the internal affairs of smaller neighbours. In the aftermath of World War II, the Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) created a sphere of influence as a political fact in the territories of the nations of eastern Europe.Daniel H. Deudney
* * *

domain: history


text:
Fancy Classic Elevating Coffee Table Convenient Adorable Products Baskets Family Diningroom
File Type: image/jpeg
Furniture — This furniture, is one of the 10 designs published under the gallery: Amazing Decorated Elevating Coffee Table With Hidden Modern Storage. In the next page, we have the squared shaped elevating coffee table white minimalist colours astonishing creative stuff [ ... ].
View other and more furniture designs below.
File Size: 10 KB
Dimension: 263x192 pixels
Downloaded: 454 times
Updated: Mar 3th, 2017
Browse More & Get Even More Inspired
Home Interior & Furniture Designs
Astounding Bench Coffee Table For Your Home features so many gorgeous furniture and interior design mainly furniture designs, namely: Charming table for fantastic small home remodel ideas with rustic, Willem smith marina coffee table bench front right with pillow, Yukon coffee table bench in side coffee tables crate and barrel, Bench coffee table slat bench coffee table, and many more. [ continue ... ]
Best 10 of Oval Marble Coffee Table for Home features some lovely furniture and interior design specially the furniture designs, inluding: Stainless steel oval marble coffee table sample themes cocktail, Greenwich simple oval marble coffee table shadow below cream, Surface oval marble coffee table themes antique stainless steel, Simple oval marble coffee table pinterest themes powell cocktail, and many more. [ continue ... ]
Excellent Modern Coffee Table Set Living Room features some gorgeous interior decor and furniture design but mostly the living room designs, which includes: Modern coffee table modern furniture jampm furniture coffee tables, Modern coffee table sets square coffee tables, Set coffee table coffee tables great on modern table accessories, Modrest snyder modern square glass coffee table unique coffee, and many more. [ continue ... ]
Black and Traditional Coffee Table Marble Top Dining Set for Sale shows so many great interior and furniture design but mostly the living room designs, which includes: Traditional white coffee table marble top pinterest sample nice, Custom coffee table marble top sample square theme nice great, Nuevo coffee table marble top sample living great nice jasmine, Simple stainless steel coffee table marble top theme wallpaper, and many more. [ continue ... ]
Awesome Cool Coffee Tables Design is complemented with many stunning furniture and interior design largely on the living room designs, namely: Cool coffee tables by vans the omega dailybri cool coffee table, This is the perfect table for a cozy cabin in the mountains cool, Fire coffee table unique coffee tables designs terrific interesting, Knock off a restoration hardware factory cart coffee table save, and many more. [ continue ... ]

domain: design


text:
Friday, January 28, 2011
Haiti Mission Trip Update
1/27/2011 Haiti Mission Trip Update From Shelly Mannella
We went to Reiser Heights today. It is a breathtaking drive up the mountain. The contrast is incredible. We came from cement and dust, up the mountain to fresh air and green land. It's still poverty but I say in the city it's chaotic poverty, in the mountain, it's quite poverty. It was good to visit Mialta, principle at Reiser Heights while school was in session.
The children are beautiful. We had them make bracelets with pipe cleaners and beads. Can you imagine going into our public schools and doing this and having the kids like it? We also had tooth paste and tooth brushes to give them along with school supplies and balls to play with. Two members of our team bought goats for some people in the community around Reiser Heights and we delivered them to the new owners.
There is a lot of need up there for the up keep of the building, adding new class rooms, stocking the shelves at the medical clinic, and keeping up on the salaries of the teachers. They work hard there to provide an education and also to involve the community in the school. The teachers were patient and kind, but the school books are worn.
They will continue on in their silent poverty trying to make a life for the children by providing them with an education.
Reiser Heights by Marie Schrank Hi, it's Marie. We had such a great day today; taking in all the beauty that Haiti truly has to offer. We took a two hour drive up the Mts. of Fort-Jacques /Donte/Lespinasse, which was absolutely breath taking and gave me a whole new perspective of Haiti. The drive took us up to Reiser Heights which is a school for all age children of which over 400 attend. What a wonderful time we had sharing a craft and treats with the kids. The Haitiian children are so kind and grateful. You can see the innocence and love in their eyes. They loved our presence and we loved being with them. It was hard to leave them. We took many wonderful pictures and hope to share them with you all. Many blessings to you all until tomorrow.

domain: sociology


text:
Last week's appeals court decision that threw out the Florida ban on gay adoption has once again highlighted the idiocy of attempting to promote the interests of children by arbitrarily declaring one entire class of people necessarily superior as parents to another entire class - without considering specific parents and and specific children. The ban was rooted in simple prejudice:
Here is the basic problem with the law. The state of Florida does not want homosexuals to adopt kids because, well, just because they're homosexuals. They can be foster parents, just not adoptive parents.
If I could sum up the court's lengthy ruling in one word, it would be, "Huh?''
That's not surprising given the origin of the ban. It did not come from need or compelling evidence. It came from singer Anita Bryant, who in 1977 convinced lawmakers with this argument: "Since homosexuals cannot reproduce, they must recruit and freshen their ranks."
Just as in the Prop 8 trial in California, and the two recent trials showing DADT to be unconstitutional, the parties arguing for the ban were unable to produce evidence in support - and once again conceded the opposite:
The unanimous decision by three judges on Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal — Republican appointees — found “no rational basis” to the state’s approach of banning adoption by gay men and lesbians while allowing them to be foster parents.
Yet some politicians, most notable including gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott, continue to support it:The state had nothing credible to offer to justify the adoption ban. It presented only two expert witnesses, noted Judge Gerald Cope Jr., who wrote the main opinion. One witness undercut the state’s case by saying adoption decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis. Opposing experts quickly discredited the state’s second witness, Dr. George Rekers, a Baptist minister and clinical psychologist (subsequently caught up in a sex scandal) whose pseudo-scientific research was laughable.
Rick Scott does not approve of the appeals court rulingthat upheld a lower court's decision that Florida's ban on gay adoption is unconstitutional.Speaking in Jacksonville after a town hall event, Scott, the Republican candidate for governor, said he was opposed to what he termed "single sex adoption.""Children should be raised in a home with a married man and a woman," Scott said.
Rick Scott and his ilk just don't get it. His basic premise that opposite sex couples make better parents than same sex couples is not supported by evidence, or by the professionals who really know about these things:
An overwhelming number of studies demonstrate good homosexual parents are just as competent at parenting as good heterosexual parents. That is why every organization concerned with the welfare of children — groups that include the American Pediatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the Child Welfare League of America — support gay adoption.
Even if you accept his premise, against all the evidence, there is still the problem when it comes down to specifics: not all straight couples make good parents. The kids at the centre of this case were up for adoption in the first place only because their biological parents, one mom and one pop, were abysmally incapable of responsible parenting. They were then fostered by a gay man, when heterosexual couples did not exactly rush to take on such appallingly neglected, maladjusted children.
In the face of all evidence, and sidestepping attempts at rational argument, Rick Scott stands by his opposition because, well - that's what he believes.
In this, there is a striking similarity to the Catholic bishops' collective stance on sexual ethics - and homosexuality in particular. The US bishops have responded to a thoughtful, highly acclaimed 2008 book, "The Sexual Person" by two respected lay Catholic theologians (both heterosexual and married). The book takes a careful look at the subject of sexual ethics, affecting marriage, contraception, cohabitation, homosexuality and reproductive technology. They consider evidence from a range of perspectives, historical, scriptural, medical and anthropological, and conclude that there is much in traditional teaching that needs reconsideration.
In a 24 page "response", the bishops firmly reject the book, because - well, because their conclusions are contrary to church teaching.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Editorial: Victory for Families (nytimes.com)
- Florida Court Confirms: Gay Adoption Ban Unconstitutional (itsaqueerworld.blogspot.com)
- The Fallacy of the Church Push Against Gay Adoption (rooting-for-gay-marriage.blogspot.com)
- Family Equality and the Question of Evidence (queeringthechurch.com)


text:
What are you doing this weekend? Hiking Yosemite's Mt. Hoffmann
If Yosemite National Park is in your plans for a weekend getaway, consider leaving crowded Yosemite Valley to go stand in the center of the park — literally. Hiking Mt. Hoffmann — the geographical center of the park — is a challenge, but hikers are rewarded with sweeping views of the park's backcountry. In fact, it's a 360-degree, bird's-eye view of the park.
Image 4 of 11
Hiking Mt. Hoffmann( Mike Morris )
Follow the lake around to the left, walking through the backpackers camp, in the direction of Mt. Hoffmann. Keep following the ducks -- rock piles pointing out the direction of the trail. As the trail starts to get steeper and rockier, the view gets more breathtaking.

domain: geography


A document management system works by allowing documents to be captured, stored, retrieved, secured, and shared in a single repository. It serves as the foundation for businesses to digitize their documents and automate their internal processes in order to achieve the most effective and efficient business operations.
In this article, we’ll explain what an open source document management system is. What are the best free/open source document management systems available?
In this post, we will discuss the top 15 document management system benefits that will help in becoming a digital enterprise
This article is the complete guide to document management system including definition, features and its importance to an organization.


(Ottawa) The federal Liberal government’s decision to purchase a surface-to-air missile system and then donate it to Ukraine raises questions about why such armament is not available to the Canadian Army as well.
The “army” has been without specific weapons to defend Canadian soldiers against enemy aircraft, rockets and drones since the last of its anti-aircraft weapons were removed from arsenal in 2012. Efforts to acquire more news have remained in limbo for years.
Several army commanders have described the lack of such weapons as a major shortcoming, including the current Chief of Staff, General Wayne Eyre, when in 2019 he was in charge of the Canadian Army — l ‘” Land Force “.
Last December, Mr. Eyre still declared that the restoration of anti-aircraft defense was one of his main priorities.
A spokesperson for Defense Minister Anita Anand said on Tuesday that supplying Ukraine with an American-made surface-to-air missile system, at a cost of 406 million each, would help the country protect itself from air attacks against cities, infrastructure and military sites.
“Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine is also an attack on the international rules that protect us all,” Daniel Minden wrote in an email. In other words, Ukraine’s security is Europe’s security and the security of the world — including Canada’s. »
” Why not us ? »
The decision to buy a surface-to-air missile system for Ukraine was welcomed by former military officers interviewed by The Canadian Press. But these retired officers also wondered why the Canadian government was not doing the same for its own army.
Former Liberal MP Andrew Leslie, who had previously served as commander of the Canadian Army, for example, said he was initially pleased to learn that his government was giving an air-to-ground system to Ukraine. But he immediately wondered, “Why the hell don’t you buy it for Canada too?” “.
The need for air defense is particularly relevant now that the Canadian military is preparing to deploy more soldiers and equipment to Latvia, where Canada leads a NATO battle group tasked with defending Eastern Europe against Russia.
In the minister’s office, Mr. Minden did not explain why Canada was buying what is called the “National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System” (NASAMS) for the Ukrainian army, but not for its own army. Instead, he pointed to an acquisition project launched by the Liberal government in 2018 to obtain a variety of air defense systems.
This billion-dollar “ground-based air defense system” project is expected to provide a variety of capabilities to defend against different threats. However, there are no plans to deliver anything to the military until at least 2027.
In the meantime, Mr. Minden said, “Canada continues to operate alongside allied nations that have that capability.”
Nothing since 2012
Retired Lieutenant General Marquis Hainse said the need for what is known as a ground-based air defense system was identified in 2013 when he took over as commander of the Canadian Army.
“We certainly made it a priority for the military in my time, and we never got there,” he said in an email.
Analysts have already pointed out that when the Canadian Army put away the last of its anti-aircraft weapons in 2012, it did so on the assumption that Canada and its allies would have air superiority in any battle — and any would therefore not have to worry about air attacks.
But Mr. Hainse points out that the war in Ukraine has exposed a number of different gaps in the Canadian Army’s capabilities, including the need for air defences.
The two retired officers admit that the surface-to-air missile system, designed to intercept short-to-medium range threats, may not be perfect, but is still a start. “Is it state-of-the-art technology? No. But we have nothing yet. »
Retired Lieutenant-General Guy Thibault, who previously served as Deputy Chief of the Defense Staff, believes there may be legitimate reasons why the government took its time before buying a ground-based air defense system for the military.
These include the lack of a clear threat, other priorities on the cards, and Ottawa’s focus on Canadian content and economic benefits to Canada, which have guided Canada’s military procurement system in the course of the last decade.
“But I think things have changed in people’s minds when they look at what’s happening in Europe and think about our soldiers who are on the front lines there,” he said.
“And as an important NATO partner, I think it’s rather embarrassing that we can’t provide that kind of capability, or that we’re not able to provide more capability to contribute to the mission of defense and deterrence of the alliance in Europe. »


text:
ISSN Online: 2177-1235 | ISSN Print: 1983-5175
INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have shown that the public has misconceptions about the work of plastic surgeons in hand surgery. However, no specific Brazilian data on this issue are available. The objective of this study was to evaluate the public perceptions about the role of plastic surgeons in the field of hand surgery in Brazil.
METHODS: Members of the Brazilian public chose one or two specialists whom they believed to be experts in eight scenarios related to hand surgery. The patterns of the responses were distributed into "plastic surgeons" or "non-plastic surgeons."
RESULTS: Non-plastic surgeons were significantly (p < 0.05 for all comparisons) more recognized as experts than plastic surgeons in all scenarios related to hand surgery.
CONCLUSION: The knowledge and perceptions of the Brazilian public about the work performed by plastic surgeons in the field of hand surgery are limited.
Brazil; Surgery, Plastic; Hands; Social perception; Specialization.
INTRODUÇÃO: Estudos prévios têm revelado que o público tem conhecimentos equivocados sobre a atuação dos cirurgiões plásticos em cirurgia da mão. No entanto, não existem dados específicos na literatura científica brasileira. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as percepções do público sobre o papel dos cirurgiões plásticos no campo de cirurgia da mão no Brasil.
MÉTODOS: Membros do público brasileiro escolheram um ou dois especialistas que eles acreditassem serem experts para oito cenários relacionados à cirurgia de mão. Os padrões de respostas foram distribuídos como "cirurgiões plásticos" ou "não cirurgiões plásticos".
RESULTADOS: "Não cirurgiões plásticos" foram significativamente (p < 0,05 para todas as comparações) mais reconhecidos como experts que "cirurgiões plásticos" em todos os cenários relacionados à cirurgia de mão.
CONCLUSÃO: Os conhecimentos e as percepções do público brasileiro sobre o trabalho realizado por cirurgiões plásticos no campo cirurgia da mão são limitados.
Brasil; Cirurgia plástica; Mãos; Percepção social; Especialização.
In 2014, Brazil surpassed the United States and became world leader in cosmetic surgeries, according to the latest report published by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 1. Although plastic surgeons may choose to limit their practice to a particular area (e.g., based on aesthetics) or to act in the overall field of plastic surgery, plastic surgery as a specialty must be understood as a field of medicine that is in constant expansion and evolution, with surgical interventions that range from complex craniofacial reconstructions to aesthetic procedures2.
In this context, attention of the entire community of plastic surgeons to the lack of knowledge, misunderstandings, and underestimation of medical and non-medical agents regarding the field of plastic surgery is of utmost importance, presented in a growing list of international studies3-12. According to these studies3-12, the field of hand surgery is among the areas less related to plastic surgeons. In addition, the perception of the public about the performance of plastic surgeons, particularly in the field of hand surgery, has not received due attention in the Brazilian scientific literature12.
The objective of this study was to assess the perception of the public on hand surgery as a working area of plastic surgeons.
An anonymous survey was randomly presented to members of the public (> 18 years) in public places of Southeastern Brazil, between February and April 2014. All multiple-choice questions, including eight scenarios related to hand surgery, were adapted from previous studies 3-12. The respondents were asked to choose one or two medical specialists (general surgeon, dermatologist, orthopedic surgeon, ophthalmologist, vascular surgeon, plastic surgeon, otolaryngologist, head and neck surgeon, or neurosurgeon) whom they recognized to be experts (trained specialist) for each question. All questions and specialties were arranged randomly. The participants were not informed about the source of the study (plastic surgery) or on the purpose of the study, and none of them could access questions already answered. Demographic data were also collected. The present study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the Helsinki Declaration of 1964 and subsequent amendments. The completion of the questionnaire was understood as an implied consent of participation, and questionnaires with incomplete responses were excluded.
Response profiles were defined as "plastic surgeons" or "non-plastic surgeons"7,10,12. For the descriptive analysis of data, metric variables were presented as the mean values; and categorical variables, as percentages. Different tests (analysis of variance, equality of two proportions, paired t test, and confidence interval for the mean) were applied in the statistical comparisons. The values were considered significant for a confidence interval of 95% (p < 0.05).
Of the participants, 300 answered the survey. We found significant prevalences (p < 0.05) of individuals between 18 and 30 years of age (53%) and those with high school (41%) or university schooling (39%), with no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the sexes.
The "plastic surgeons" were chosen by more than 70% of the respondents and by less than 30% in none (0%) and five (62.50%) scenarios related to hand surgery, respectively (Table 1). "Non-plastic surgeons" were significantly (p < 0.05 for all comparisons) more frequently identified as "experts" than as "plastic surgeons" in all scenarios related to hand surgery (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Percentages of responses patterns "plastic surgeons" (PS) and "non-plastic surgeons" (non-PS) distributed in accordance with the eight scenarios related to hand surgery. "Non-plastic surgeons" were significantly (p
< 0.05 for all comparisons) more frequently chosen than "plastic surgeons" in all scenarios. RA, rheumatoid arthritis; PN: peripheral nerves; UE: upper extremities.
Although plastic surgeons have played a fundamental role in the creation and establishment of hand surgery2,13, several studies3-12 have revealed that outpatients, medical students, and physicians in primary care, among others, have misconceptions about the actuation of plastic surgeons in hand surgery. However, the perception of the general public is limited3-11, and no similar data are available in the Brazilian plastic surgery literature, although resident physicians have been previously questioned12.
Therefore, we investigated a cross-sectional cohort of members of the population to assess their understanding and perception about the role of plastic surgeons in the field of hand surgery, particularly in Brazil. Although our data are mainly from a Brazilian perspective, as others10,12, we believe that such data may guide the community of plastic surgeons toward a better education of the public on the role of this specialty in the context of hand surgery, besides helping preserve hand surgery as an integral part of the practice of plastic surgery.
We demonstrate that "plastic surgeons" were significantly less identified as specialists in interventions related to key hand surgeries for plastic surgery as a specialty, such as hand fractures, deformities in the hands after burns, nerve compression syndromes of the upper extremity, lesions of the peripheral nerves of the upper extremities, replantation after amputation of fingers, rheumatoid arthritis with hand deformities, and congenital deformities of the hands. These findings demonstrated that plastic surgeons are not recognized as experts in hand surgery among the Brazilian public, a trend that is also true in international studies3-11. In Brazil, a study12 with medical residents also revealed that plastic surgeons were significantly less chosen than all other response patterns in all scenarios related to hand surgery.
Several factors may have contributed to the non-recognition of plastic surgeons as experts in scenarios related to hand surgery. In addition to the numerous potential explanations (e.g., overlapping activities between the different medical specialties, increased marketing, promotion and education of other specialties, and influence of mass media) discussed in similar studies3-12, we believe that the peculiarities of Brazilian plastic surgery may also explain, in part, our results.
International studies3-11 have revealed that plastic surgeons are recognized mainly as aesthetic surgeons. In Brazil, plastic surgery has become a mass phenomenon, with important implications for society and individuals, and physical appearance has been placed as an essential element for the construction of the Brazilian national identity14,15. Thus, the philosophy of cosmetic surgery may overshadow the work of plastic surgeons in other fields of practice, including hand surgery.
In addition, reconstructive plastic surgery (including hand surgery) has historically received less attention in the events organized by the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery (SBPC). This particular behavior, which ignores the branch of reconstructive plastic surgery, certainly contributed to the spread of a selective impression of plastic surgery. In the international scenario, Menick16 recently stated that specialties other than plastic surgery have been more involved in the acquisition of skills related to facial reconstruction. Menick16 also emphasized that the organizations governing plastic surgery often respond that the emphasis on aesthetic surgery is essentially to satisfy the interest of plastic surgeons themselves. However, the lack of opportunities and educational incentives in reconstructive surgery leads to a lack of experience, frustrations, and fear of facial deformities, discouraging plastic surgeons to perform reconstructions and increasing the reference of patients historically treated with plastic surgery toward other specialists16. This potentially culminates in a vicious cycle. The spectrum of reconstructive interventions will be reduced to the extent that less-quality education is offered.
Finally, the configuration of hand surgery in Brazil can also explain our findings. As described in other countries17, the training of hand surgery in Brazil has many gaps. Few Brazilian medical residency programs in plastic surgery offer formal training in hand surgery18, and the number of residents who complete their training in plastic surgery and sought additional training in hand surgery is probably even lower than the rate of the United States19.
Based on our data and previous studies3-12, there is active participation of the Brazilian community of plastic surgery (SBCP, all 84 programs of medical residency in plastic surgery accredited by the SBCP and Brazilian plastic surgeons) in education (e.g., through newsletters and high-quality websites with trusted content) of the public on the role of the plastic surgeon in the context of hand surgery. In addition, the next generation of plastic surgeons should be encouraged to practice the full scope of the specialty1, including hand surgery1,13. We believe that a Brazilian task force committed to improve and strengthen training in hand surgery within plastic surgery is necessary, following previously established models20.
Some limitations of our study deserve to be addressed. As in previous studies3,6,10,12, our data are susceptible to regional bias because only the public from a single geographic area were included. Despite these limitations, we believe that our data are relevant to Brazilian plastic surgery because they provide data for a further in-depth discussion on the importance of hand surgery for our specialty. Future research should address our limitations and expand our findings for different groups (e.g., physicians in primary care).
The Brazilian public does not recognize hand surgery as a field of practice of plastic surgeons.
1. International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. ISAPS Biennial Global Survey: Trends in procedures and geographic leadership. International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, New York, NY (2014) [Cited 2015 Feb 10]. Available from: http://www.isaps.org/pt/
2. Furlow LT Jr. Plastic surgery: generic or proprietary? Plast Reconstr Surg. 1992;90(6):1059-60. PMID: 1448501
3. Kim DC, Kim S, Mitra A. Perceptions and misconceptions of the plastic and reconstructive surgeon. Ann Plast Surg. 1997;38(4):426-30. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00000637-199704000-00020
4. Park AJ, Scerri GV, Benamore R, McDiarmid JG, Lamberty BG. What do plastic surgeons do? J R Coll Surg Edinb. 1998;43(3):189-93.
5. Dunkin CS, Pleat JM, Jones SA, Goodacre TE. Perception and reality-a study of public and professional perceptions of plastic surgery. Br J Plast Surg. 2003;56(5):437-43. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0007-1226(03)00188-7
6. Agarwal P. Perception of plastic surgery in the society. Indian J Plast Surg. 2004;37(2):110-4.
7. Tanna N, Patel NJ, Azhar H, Granzow JW. Professional perceptions of plastic and reconstructive surgery: what primary care physicians think. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2010;126(2):643-50. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181de1a16
8. Gill P, Bruscino-Raiola F, Leung M. Public perception of the field of plastic surgery. ANZ J Surg. 2011;81(10):669-72. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1445-2197.2011.05753.x
9. Kling RE, Nayar HS, Harhay MO, Emelife PO, Manders EK, Ahuja NK, et al. The scope of plastic surgery according to 2434 allopathic medical students in the United States. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2014;133(4):947-56. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0000000000000164
10. Agarwal JP, Mendenhall SD, Hopkins PN. Medical student perceptions of plastic surgeons as hand surgery specialists. Ann Plast Surg. 2014;72(1):89-93. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/SAP.0b013e3182583f3b
11. de Blacam C, Kilmartin D, Mc Dermott C, Kelly J. Public perception of Plastic Surgery. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2015;68(2):197-204. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2014.10.008
12. Denadai R, Muraro CAS, Raposo-do-Amaral CE. Cirurgiões plásticos como cirurgiões de mão: a visão dos residentes. Rev Bras Cir Plást. 2014;29(3):422-31.
13. Szabo RM. What is our identity? What is our destiny? J Hand Surg Am. 2010;35(12):1925-37.
14. Edmonds A. 'The poor have the right to be beautiful': cosmetic surgery in neoliberal Brazil. J R Anthropol Inst. 2007;13(2):363-81. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9655.2007.00427.x
15. Dorneles de Andrade D. On norms and bodies: findings from field research on cosmetic surgery in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Reprod Health Matters. 2010;18(35):74-83. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0968-8080(10)35519-4
16. Menick FJ. Learn it or lose it: the failure of organized plastic surgery education. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2015;135(2):463e-4e. PMID: 25626846 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0000000000001117
17. Higgins JP. The diminishing presence of plastic surgeons in hand surgery: a critical analysis. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2010;125(1):248-60. PMID: 20048616 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181c496a2c
18. Batista KT, Pacheco LMS, Silva LM. Avaliação dos programas de residência médica em Cirurgia Plástica no Distrito Federal. Rev Bras Cir Plást. 2013;28(1):20-8. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1983-51752013000100005
19. Herrera FA, Chang EI, Suliman A, Tseng CY, Bradley JP. Recent trends in resident career choices after plastic surgery training. Ann Plast Surg. 2013;70(6):694-7. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/SAP.0b013e3182863669
20. Noland SS, Fischer LH, Lee GK, Friedrich JB, Hentz VR. Essential hand surgery procedures for mastery by graduating plastic surgery residents: a survey of program directors. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2013;132(6):977e-84e. PMID: 24281644 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0b013e3182a8066b
1. Sociedade Brasileira de Cirurgia Plástica, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
2. Instituto de Cirurgia Plástica Craniofacial do Hospital SOBRAPAR, Campinas, SP, Brazil
3. Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Institution: Instituto de Cirurgia Plástica Craniofacial do Hospital SOBRAPAR, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Av. Adolpho Lutz, 100 - Cidade Universitária
Campinas, SP, Brazil Zip Code 13083-880
Article received March 23, 2015.
Article accepted June 07, 2015.
All scientific articles published at www.rbcp.org.br are licensed under a Creative Commons license


LIHUE — A Kauai Police Department assistant police chief has been placed on unpaid leave amid an internal investigation.
State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers President Tenari Ma‘afala says Roy Asher will remain on leave until the investigation is finished.
“On Thursday, November 16, Assistant Chief of the Patrol Services Bureau Roy Asher was placed on leave pending an internal investigation,” KPD Police Chief Darryl Perry said in a prepared statement. “At this time, the details of that investigation are considered a confidential personnel matter, and no additional details will be released while that investigation is ongoing.”
Ma‘afala says Asher is temporarily stripped of all police powers, meaning he was to turn in his badge, guns and other equipment.
Asher is a 30-year veteran of the department.


text:
If it isn't about immigration, then it's something else. Disenfranchising minorities continues to be a favorite way to exclude non-Republican voters.
The latest push to restrict trans girls from being able to participate in women's and girls school sports, has been gaining momentum lately.
For those who remember South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (and her gift of a model of Mt. Rushmore with Trump in it), it comes as no surprise she's in the vanguard of this suppression of human rights.
Yesterday she signed two executive bills that made sure trans girls would not have any rights to appeal. One for K-12 athletes, and another to to do so in college athletes.
Meanwhile LGBTQ+ advocates are deeply concerned about the Republican push for similar laws across the nation.
There's been 192 anti-LGBTQ+ bills scattered across the country since Biden took office.
Last week, Arkansas signed into law a ban on transgender women and girl's ability to compete in school sports.
Mississippi and North Dakota passed similar laws last month. The GOP's goal is to erase and exclude trans people from participation in all aspects of life. It's that simple... and evil.
The good news is there's resistance with organizations - and Democrats - fighting for trans rights.


text:
House Party at Mietek Weinberg’s
The House Party at Mietek Weinberg’s is an event that took place by the wall of the tenement house at 66 Żelazna Street in Warsaw – Weinberg’s family home. The project consisted of several events. It began with an exhibition of photographs by Agnieszka Stępka, who won the competition for an arts residency by the tenement, organized by our Institute. The vernissage was followed by a chamber concert on an impromptu stage in the tenement’s courtyard. Later, a piano trio consisting of Roksana Kwaśnikowska, Rafał Kwiatkowski, and Marek Bracha performed. Finally, our guests were invited to a screening of the exceptional 1936 film Fredek Beglads the World, starring, among others, Mieczysław Weinberg. The screening took place at the Czary Cinema, located at Weinberg Street.
The project was implemented with the support of the City of Warsaw.
The second edition of our House Party took place the following year, once again at the beginning of September. This time, we devoted more attention to Mieczysław’s father, Shmuel, who was also a prominent composer, known throughout Jewish Warsaw. He specialised in theatre and revue music and worked with the majority of Jewish theatres in the city. Warszawskie Combo Taneczne (The Warsaw Dance Combo) accepted our invitation to perform at Domówka, and brought back several of Shmuel’s compositions to life. The POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, which we collaborate with, provided our guests with a unique snack – “ziemniaczki po warszawsku” (“Warsaw-style potatoes”), inspired by pre-war recipes.


text:
How can Hartford hang on to its many passionate, creative young people? Answers typically center around major attractions: The Yard Goats. Bigger names performing at the XL Center.
Meanwhile, niche cultural events that have sprung up organically often get left out of the conversation, even though they arguably play a more dynamic role in cementing the cohesive community spirit that is taking hold.
Free, monthly events like Syllable, KNOW GOOD Market and Creative Cocktail Hour go beyond entertainment. These gatherings can reliably fill up your social calendar, offering chances to make connections.
At Syllable, a monthly reading series at Little River Restoratives, founder Julia Pistell introduces the evening's three readers — Brett Maddux, Susan Campbell and Ony Obiocha. It is an emotional hour. One woman in the audience confesses, "I cried. It's always good to cry."
Most Syllable readers have a tie to Hartford, the city's hopes and struggles expressed in their writing. When Campbell mentions Little River Restoratives, the bar hosting the reading, by name in her essay about Frog Hollow's history and the American Dream, that gets a cheer.
After the final piece is shared, Pistell takes a minute to thank people for coming and to announce details about the following month's event.
But the night is not over. She encourages everyone to stay, "have a drink and make a friend." Little River is known for its cocktails and offers a special menu on Syllable nights.
If you follow Pistell's instructions to stick around afterward, you can join the people lollygagging outside to talk about the readings and offer feedback to the writers. It's also a chance to meet new people and find out what else is going on around the city.
On this night, the chatter on the sidewalk outside the Capitol Avenue bar includes word about two events coming up: KNOW GOOD Market and Creative Cocktail Hour.
"The more people you know, and the more times you come to something like this, the more you find out is happening, that you didn't even realize was happening," Maddux says. Before long, he adds, you'll see familiar faces.
"You'll meet painters and photographers and writers and visual artists — people who are doing some of the best work I've ever seen in my life," he says. "Everyone's like, 'Come to my thing!'"
On Fridays and Saturdays, food trucks gather outside the Hog River Brewing Co. on Bartholomew Avenue, about a mile from Little River Restoratives, and the event is ramped up the second Thursday of the month from April through October, when Breakfast Lunch & Dinner hosts its KNOW GOOD Market, adding booths for local artists and artisans and a DJ for dancing.
Visual artist Trasloof, also known as Nathan Sturdivant, says he chose to sell his work at KNOW GOOD Market for a reason.
"I was born in Hartford. I grew up in West Hartford. I didn't really want to go to another art show before I did something [here]. I kind of wanted to give back to Hartford."
Ian, a West Hartford resident who commutes to East Hartford for work, says he typically does not go out in Hartford. But friends who know he loves food trucks invited him to KNOW GOOD and, seeing the large crowd, he calls the event a "step up" for the city.
The principal "complaint" heard at the market? People want to see more things like it.
Breakfast Lunch & Dinner is working on it, and there are opportunities for others to join them in dreaming up new social events. Connie Carmona, a local DJ, envisioned a party for people who want to dance but still make it to bed by midnight. Earlier this year, with the help of Breakfast Lunch & Dinner, she launched the idea into a series of gatherings around the city, known as the Early Bird Social Club, now a popular regular event in the city with a growing following.
They also wish they'd known about it sooner. Jack Sullivan, a young teacher in Hartford, at the market for the first time, asks with some amazement, "Does this happen often?" He had no idea until he was invited by a friend. He plans to come again.
Over at Real ArtWays on Arbor Street, Creative Cocktail Hour, held the third Thursday of each month, blends art shows, live music and/or a DJ, food trucks and a special component that changes each month. In September it would be a small farmer's market, with stands from farms across Connecticut, along with the opening of Hong Hong's first solo exhibition, titled "All the Light in a Vivid Dream."
Stephanie Briggs says she wants to branch out and meet other creative people in the city, but only attends the cocktail hour if she has a friend to go with her. "I feel like it's hard to approach people," she says.
Amber Pitt, a new faculty member at Trinity College, discovered Creative Cocktail Hour when she first moved to Hartford last year and started inviting other new faculty members to join her.
"It was not only a cool-sounding event, but it was also something where we thought like-minded people would be," she says.
"I was actually not sure how I would like Hartford when I was moving here," Pitt says. "But I have been so pleasantly surprised and have really loved Hartford. And it's because of events like this."
For more on Syllable, visit syllableseries.com, or find Syllable: The Reading Series on Facebook.
For more on KNOW GOOD Market, visit BreakfastxLunchxDinner.com or follow @BreakfastxLunchxDinner on Facebook, a page that also promotes other Hartford events.
For more on Creative Cocktail Hour, visit RealArtWays.org, or follow @RealArtWays on Facebook.


text:
NI newspaper review: Abused teachers and 'filthy' ambulances
Disturbing accounts of attacks on teachers and concern over the cleanliness of ambulances are among the standout stories in Friday's papers.
Pregnant teachers have been kicked and school staff have been bitten during classroom attacks, says the Irish News.
The Ulster Teachers' Union tells the paper one of its members was mistaken for a victim of domestic violence when her GP noticed her injuries.
The issue will be debated at the UTU's annual conference over the weekend.
It is the second Northern Ireland teaching union to highlight violence in classrooms this month.
Bloodstained and "filthy" ambulances are posing a risk to patient safety, according to the Belfast Telegraph.
It says senior staff at the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service are facing sanctions for repeatedly failing to address problems highlighted by inspections.
In one ambulance station, bloodstains found by inspectors were still there two months later.
As a result of the continued failure to comply, a health watchdog carried out unannounced checks at 21 ambulance stations last month.
It found some had "unacceptable standards" in terms of hygiene and infection control and has asked the Department of Health to intervene.
Several pages of Friday's papers are dedicated to the closing arguments in the rape trial of two Ulster and Ireland rugby players.
Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding deny raping the same woman in Mr Jackson's Belfast home in June 2016.
The News Letter's headline asks: "Why would she lie?"
It quotes a prosecution barrister asking the jury why the complainant would put herself through the ordeal of a rape trial.
"The shame, the indignity of a physical examination, going to the police reliving al this knowing what is likely to be deployed against her... unless of course she is telling the truth," Toby Hedworth QC told the court.
The Belfast Telegraph and the Irish News both pick up on Mr Hedworth's claim that the case was a "throwback to the days of male entitlement," and that the accused were "not interested" in consent.
However, all the papers report the defence's assertion that the prosecution case is "flawed to its core," as the jury was reminded of the "inconsistency" in the woman's account.
The Irish News follows up on a story it reported earlier this week, which pointed out variations in the amount of money Sinn Féin politicians donate to their party.
Its assembly members are expected to donate a large percentage of their £49,500 salary to the party and accept what is often dubbed an "average industrial wage".
But the figures, from the Electoral Commission. showed that only 14 of Sinn Féin's 27 MLAs donated part of their salary to the party over the last six months of 2017.
In a follow-up statement, Sinn Féin tell the paper that several of the MLAs, including Michelle O'Neill, had already made donations during the first six month of the year.
Where is the best place to live in Northern Ireland?
According to the Sunday Times, the top spot goes to the east Belfast suburb of Ballyhackamore.
It was one of five towns and villages in Northern Ireland that made it on to the paper's list of the best places to live in the UK.
Following up on the story, the Belfast Telegraph says the "once unheralded corner of east Belfast" has now been nicknamed "Ballysnackamore" due to its abundance of restaurants, bars and cafes.
But the Friday feeling prize goes to the Irish News, which meets a punk-turned-university-academic from Belfast's Shankill Road who once toured with The Pogue's frontman, Shane MacGowan.
Thomas Paul Burgess recalls how Macgowan once turned up for an appearance on a Saturday morning children's TV programme with a "bottle of port in one hand and a bottle of rum in the other" and was slugging from both.
To mark the singer's recent 60th birthday, Dr Burgess has written a new song called 'Shane MacGowan's Smile".
The paper says it contains the rousing chorus: "They say he's made of iron, some say he's hard to kill.
"They say he's quit the gargle, some say he never will."


text:
08 Nov 4 WNY Organizations Supporting Refugee Resettlement
Omar El Akkad is an Egyptian-born author and journalist. He has reported on current events in places all over the world, including Guantanamo Bay and Afghanistan. This Thursday, November 10th, he will be participating in the BABEL author series at Kleinhans Music Hall. His featured book, What Strange Paradise, tells the story of 9-year-old Amir, an immigrant boy who washed up on a small island after the overcrowded ship he left home on tragically sank. Through his novel, El Akkad depicts the unfortunate harshness of the immigrant process, and the world at large, through the eyes of a child. Below is a list of local organizations that strive to make the immigrant experience in WNY a little easier.


text:
you are viewing
NELSON BLUEGRASS BANDS
Blend some banjo picking with harmonica harmonies and you’ll have the makings of a classic Bluegrass Band. Our professional performers can bring more than the sounds of the South to your event – book one in the Nelson, CA area and see for yourself!
Please note these Bluegrass Bands
will also travel to Durham, Richvale, Biggs, Butte City, Feather Falls, Cohasset, Chico, Palermo, Gridley, Glenn, Paradise, Hamilton City, Princeton, Oroville, Live Oak, Magalia, Berry Creek, Bangor, Willows, Artois, Orland, Rackerby, Forbestown, Colusa, Brownsville, Sutter, Maxwell, Browns Valley, Clipper Mills, Vina


POWER SI PADDED SHIRT ADULT
Added to Cart
- Form-fitting Baselayer
- Padded Shoulders, Rib, & Spine Area
- Mesh Ventilated Back Insert
- Lightweight & Breathable Moisture Management Fibers
ADVANCING THE GAME
Riddell has been the long-standing leader in football head protection and protective athletic equipment for more than 90 years, and we’re just getting started.


text:
The Friday Five – National Minority Health Month
During the month of April the HHS Office of Minority Health (@MinorityHealth) leads the observance of National Minority Health Month. This year the OMH and federal and non-federal partners will focus on the impact COVID-19 is having on racial and ethnic minority and American Indian and Alaska Native communities and underscore the need for these vulnerable communities to get vaccinated as more vaccines become available. Our Friday Five covers some resources, new tools, commentary from experts and what the new CDC director has to say about minority health policy.
We are proud to work with our partners to help communities get #VaccineReady this National Minority Health Month. Together we can #StopTheSpread and help those hardest hit by the pandemic. https://t.co/BkcQeLamKV #NMHM2021 pic.twitter.com/bnlQjH2bJD
— Minority Health (@MinorityHealth) April 2, 2021
Minority Health and Health Equity from FDA
FDA encourages everyone to take time this month to learn about the COVID-19 vaccine resources that are available from FDA and our partner agencies in HHS. On their webpage, you will find educational materials such as videos on vaccine safety and diversity, podcast episodes, webinar recordings, and a special message from RADM Richardae Araojo, the FDA Associate Commissioner for Minority Health and Director of OMHHE.
— FDA Minority Health and Health Equity (@FDAHealthEquity) April 7, 2021
NIH’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Bingo Challenge
Have some fun during NMHM and play along with NIMHD’s Bingo Challenge game. Additionally, check out all of the resources and activities NIMHD has to offer.
Let’s stay healthy in body & mind by completing the #MinorityHealthBingo challenge. Mark the squares with the activities you completed – 5 in a row means BINGO! Take a picture & post it with #MinorityHealthBingo & #NMHM2021. Available in English & Spanish: https://t.co/jXDucicKSP pic.twitter.com/rKNArQBRt4
— Health Disparities (@NIMHD) April 6, 2021
Powerful New Tool Predicts COVID Trends
“We have reached a place where predictive analytics will guide decisions to keep our diverse communities safe be the threat COVID, diabetes, cancer or sickle cell.”
— NMQF (@NMQF) April 6, 2021
Media Statement from CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, on Racism and Health
CDC Director, Rochelle P. Walensky MD, MPH declared racism a serious public health threat. Adding action to words, she highlighted several new efforts CDC is leading to accelerate its work to address racism as a fundamental driver of racial and ethnic health inequities in the United States. As the nation’s leading public health agency, CDC has a critical role to play to address the impact of racism on public health.
Racism is a serious threat to public health, @CDCDirector Rochelle Walensky said today, launching a new racism and health web hub for the agency’s work: https://t.co/96aKsdQsYy pic.twitter.com/4UmdjBoqlA
— APHA (@PublicHealth) April 8, 2021
Physicians for Human Life
— Physicians for Human Rights (@P4HR) April 9, 2021


text:
William M. Windsor has been nominated as candidate for Chief Magistrate of Cobb County Georgia.
“This is an extremely powerful position, so I am delighted to be nominated. I will use this nomination in an effort to educate hundreds of thousands about judicial corruption, attorney misconduct, and government corruption.”
The election is in November, and I need almost 20,000 signatures to get my name on the ballot….
There are almost 400,000 registered voters in Cobb County, Georgia, and it will take 190,000 votes to win.
While I am going in with every intention of working hard to win, I am realistic — this is the longest of longshots. Even getting the necessary signatures may prove impossible since I spend 18 hours a day working on judicial corruption and government corruption nationally….and I am scheduled to drive to all 50 state capitals for 127 days starting March 21 while producing a documentary movie on judicial corruption.
I am interested in this position, and I believe others who want judicial reform should be interested in this position in their counties, because the Chief Magistrate gets to hire and fire all of the magistrate judges. There are 14 magistrate judges in Cobb County. So, I would be able to ensure that the people of Cobb County have what may be the only true fair and proper judicial system in America.
My platform is basic. I am an experienced corporate executive with exceptional knowledge of the law and the rules of civil procedure. I understand the fundamental rights that our forefathers provided in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and I will ensure that those rights are always protected. I will always be honest, and I will insist that those working in the magistrate’s office are also scrupulously honest at all times. Everyone who enters a magistrate courtroom in Cobb County will be told that they must tell the truth, and if they do not tell the truth, they will be prosecuted for perjury. Every attorney and pro se party will be told right up front that if they ever make a false statement in court or in any court filings, action will be taken against them including action for disbarment. All attorneys will be told that they must always go by every rule, and they must live by the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct. Failure to do so will be dealt with swiftly and decisively. As new magistrate judges are hired, honest, capable people who do not have conflicts of interest will be top candidates. I believe every attorney has a built-in conflict with the attorneys who appear before them.
I will tell the people of Cobb County that I do not believe they have been treated fairly when they have had to deal with the courts, so as far as their magistrate courts are concerned, that will all change. No one should lose in court because they were deprived of essential rights and were compromised by prejudice and bias. I have signed a Contract with the Citizens of Cobb County in which I promise to be honest and in which I make myself accountable to the people. If I violate the contract, a grand jury can vote to remove me from office, and I will resign. I give the people a guarantee. To the best of my knowledge, no other elected official has ever done so.
Neither the Georgia Republican Party nor the Georgia Democratic Party even extended the courtesy of responding to my inquiry about being a candidate, so I am proudly the nominee of the Libertarian Party. I have considered myself an independent since I discovered that corruption is rampant in both parties. I read the Libertarian Party Platform, and I was surprised to learn that I can agree with it. The Libertarians want us to have our fundamental rights, and they are sincere about it. If you have never really paid much attention to the Libertarian Party, please take a few minutes and read the Libertarian Party Platform.
In the meantime, anyone who wants to get 19,000 signatures for me in Cobb County is cordially invited to get started!
I, William M. Windsor, am not an attorney. This website expresses my OPINIONS. The comments of visitors or guest authors to the website are their opinions and do not therefore reflect my opinions. Anyone mentioned by name in any article is welcome to file a response. This website does not provide legal advice. I do not give legal advice. I do not practice law. This website is to expose government corruption, law enforcement corruption, political corruption, and judicial corruption. Whatever this website says about the law is presented in the context of how I or others perceive the applicability of the law to a set of circumstances if I (or some other author) was in the circumstances under the conditions discussed. Despite my concerns about lawyers in general, I suggest that anyone with legal questions consult an attorney for an answer, particularly after reading anything on this website. The law is a gray area at best. Please read our Legal Notice and Terms.

domain: law


text:
Change is in the air between China and the Vatican. There are indications that Chinese authorities are focusing more on religion and the Vatican has long wanted to normalize ties with Beijing. Sabina Castelfranco has more.
Pope John Paul the Second started the process of normalizing relations with China and Pope Benedict has made it a priority during his papacy.
But reestablishing diplomatic ties, severed more than half a century ago, is not simple.
Last November, a Vatican delegation visited China and met with representatives of the government in charge of religious affairs. Vatican officials described the meetings as fruitful.
In his Christmas greetings to Roman Catholics, Pope Benedict spoke of the need to pursue a serene and constructive dialogue with Chinese authorities. And earlier in the year, the Vatican published a letter that the pontiff wrote to Roman Catholics in China .
But Professor Agostino Giovagnoli, an expert in Vatican-China relations at Milan´s Catholic University, says problems persist. "The Vatican should cut the relations with Taipei and the Vatican has to avoid interference in internal affairs. These two points are always in Chinese official documents."
The Vatican has indicated the possibility of moving its embassy from Taiwan back to Beijing . But Taiwan's ambassador to the Holy See, Tou Chou-Seng, says he is certain the pope will not forget Catholics in Taiwan and he says normal diplomatic ties between the Vatican and China are still far off. "As long as there is no religious freedom in mainland China, as long as the pope cannot appoint bishops, the Vatican will be very reluctant to normalize relations with China."
In 2006, all five bishops ordained in China had the approval of Chinese authorities and the pope. But Reverend Bernardo Cervellera, editor of Asianews, says there is still no structure for making common decisions, and he says the Chinese organization that deals with religion remains an obstacle. "The real problem now in the dialogue between China and the Vatican is the Patriotic Association, the function of the Patriotic Association, because this organization is still thinking in a Stalinistic way."
Reverend Cervellera says the Patriotic Association still wants to control the church, ordinations and the property of the church in China.
Ambassador Tou Chou-Seng says the Vatican is concerned about China because of the large number of Catholics living there. Up to 15 million people are believed to practice Catholicism in China, many still underground. "So many bishops are still in prison. People have no right to pray together with their neighbors, with their friends, in their own house."
He also says the ordinations this year are not sufficient evidence of a change of heart by the Chinese authorities. "There are more than 40 dioceses who are waiting for a bishop. So no one is sure whether all 40-some bishops will be appointed without a problem. Too early to say that. We have to wait and see."
With the Olympic Games taking place in China next summer, there is little doubt that Beijing wants to show a liberal image of itself. A more open dialogue with the Vatican is one way of doing this.
Professor Giovagnoli adds, "The Olympic Games in China can help this dialogue because the eyes of the world, we can say, are looking at China and the Chinese government knows that the Vatican is not a power in the political, military sense, but in the moral sense the pope is very important.
Professor Giovagnoli says he does not think the games will be enough to bring the immediate normalization of ties between China and the Vatican. But a summit of Catholic Church officials is planned in the Vatican before March to discuss relations with China.


Radiation Therapy Reinvented
Our Lumina24 Radiation Therapy is a new concept based on “CLIPT” (Continuous Low Intensity Photodynamic Therapy).
RSI has invented and patented this new IP to treat a variety of maladies.
The core idea is to achieve better remedial efficacy with less collateral damage by using a lower level of irradiance over a longer period of time.
Unlike conventional high intensity radiation which is limited to one treatment course administered in minutes the Lumina24 therapy can be applied for as long as 24 hours at a time, and can be repeated over weeks, months or years delivering these Better “Outcomes.”
Superior Remedial Results
Less Pain for the Patient
Less Burning and Scarring
How it Works
Our proprietary delivery system (“Kit”) is comprised of a power source and optical device, a fiber optic cable, and an innovative light “patch”. The irradiance is modulated by the optical device to deliver non-ionizing radiation at a lower level of intensity (low frequency) for longer periods.
Because the radiation is not harmful, it can be utilized for as long as 24 hours at a time.
Here you can learn about the Expert Opinion


text:
Beppe Gambetta and Friends: Live in Genova [DVD]
- SKU: 14932488
- Release Date: 03/21/2006
- Language options in Italian and English
- 100 minutes concerts
- Presentations from the old town
- Videoclip-cartoon: "On the Road With Mama"
Italian flatpicking master Beppe Gambetta offers fans a guided tour of Genova, Italy while introducing an impressive all-star collection of talented performers in this unique concert video captured live at the famed Teatro della Corte. With over 100 minutes of concert footage showcasing the talents of Gambetta's own acoustic guitar super group Men of Steel as well as such individual talents as Martino Coppo and Patty Larkin, this release offers guitar fans across the globe to witness a series of talented guitarists performing some of their all-time favorite songs. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

domain: entertainment


text:
Not only will this multiply the money you’re bringing in in a serious way, but it protects you against any sudden changes in the market or in your business. Remember that old saying about putting all your eggs in one basket? A few hours a week committed to just one or two of the following opportunities will put you in a much stronger position to be financially safe and independent.
Considering that you have a finite amount of time, passive income should make up a large part of your work. And if you're serious about generating any semblance of income online, then passive income should be one of your sole goals and ambitions. Why? Simply this. Wouldn't you prefer to do the work one time and get paid repeatedly as opposed to relying on your time to generate that income?
High-ticket consulting or coaching: You could sell your own high-ticket consulting or coaching products from your website. You'll still need a website, merchant account, sales funnel, lead magnet and many other items. But you can easily earn a substantial amount of money from each individual customer, making it well worth the arduous setup required.
How does this loophole continue to exist? Compass Point gestures to a key reason: big institutional money is unable to own small REITs in any kind of volume. Large REITs are the only way they can get into the game and these investors need the stocks' liquidity, so big investors have to pay up for large REITs. Second, investors know the large REITs, but are less familiar with smaller ones. Third, large REITs have a lower cost of capital. Their cost of equity is cheaper (due to the higher multiple) and their cost of debt is less because they're more diversified. Because of this cheaper financing, they can acquire properties at lower cap rates than smaller REITs can. But all the big companies drive acquisition prices higher.
Rescue battered wood. Pallets and pallet stock are cheap (or free) and easy to come by. Look for untreated specimens at construction sites, community colleges, buildings under renovation, or shipping warehouses and plane them down and/or kiln-dry them in a homemade kiln-dryer to uncover their hidden beauty. You can then resell the wood as is or even turn it into beautiful furniture. (Be sure to advertise that the wood is “reclaimed,” as people are often willing to pay much more for this.)
Earn cash back for shopping. Earning cash back on your purchases is a smart idea, and credit card rewards aren’t the only good cash-back strategy out there. With sites like ShopAtHome.com, eBates.com, and TopCashBack.com, you can earn up to 10% cash back on purchases made with approved merchants. Many frequent shoppers also love the Ibotta app, which lets you earn cash-back on every purchase.
Start analyzing your decisions from the perspective of a firm. In economics, a firm's goal is simply to maximize profit. Well-run firms spend money only if they can expect to make more money from their investment, and they allocate their resources to the most profitable use. You're not a firm, of course, and you have other considerations, but if you make the majority of your time and money decisions by choosing the options that promise the highest return on investment, you'll likely earn more money, and that's good news for your shareholders (you and your family).
Make money on YouTube. People who love the spotlight and have other online hustles should consider creating their own YouTube channel. If you’re interested — and interesting — you can use the platform to market affiliate products, sell products you create yourself, or receive ad revenue for your informal tutorials or entertaining videos. Once you get the ball rolling, YouTube offers a partner program that can help you monetize your business further.
Whether it’s an important consumer application, a specialist app to solve a particular niche problem, or even a time-wasting game you can play on your phone, you can create a massively successful business if you build software that helps people. (Look at the rise of Slack—the team communication software that went from side project to billion-dollar company in just 2 years.)
Consider day labor. You can post an ad online or on a bulletin board offering to do odd jobs. In addition, there are employment agencies that specialize in temporary work. An alternative way to find day labor is to go where other day laborers meet, if you know of any, and wait for employers (building contractors, landscapers, home owners and small business owners). Common odd jobs people need day laborers for include:
Do you see all of those articles, tutorials and guides all over the Internet? Somebody wrote every one of them! If you have decent writing ability (no, you don’t need a journalism degree!), and knowledge in a few specific topic areas, you can be one of those writers. It’s an opportunity to make money online and without ever leaving your home. It’s also the kind of venture that can start out as a small side business, but grow into a full-time career.
Under no circumstances should any information from this blog be used as replacement for professional financial advice. DollarSprout.com is owned by VTX Capital, LLC and neither are licensed by or affiliated with any third-party marks on this website and third parties do not endorse, authorize, or sponsor our content except where clearly disclosed. DollarSprout.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.


text:
Hamlin’s recovery moving in ‘positive direction’: family rep
Posted January 4, 2023 10:24 am.
Last Updated January 4, 2023 12:49 pm.
Damar Hamlin’s recovery is moving in “a positive direction” two days after the Buffalo Bills safety collapsed and went into cardiac arrest during a game against Cincinnati, the player’s marketing representative said Wednesday.
“We all remain optimistic,” Jordon Rooney, a family spokesman who described himself as a good friend of the player, told The Associated Press by phone. He said he was unable to go into further detail on Hamlin’s status at the request of his family not to provide specifics.
On Tuesday, the Bills said Hamlin was listed in critical condition.
Damar remains in the ICU in critical condition with signs of improvement noted yesterday and overnight.
He is expected to remain under intensive care as his health care team continues to monitor and treat him.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 4, 2023
Rooney said Hamlin’s family was staying positive and buoyed by the outpouring of worldwide support the Bills player has received since his heart stopped and he was resuscitated on the field before being loaded into an ambulance and transported the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
“They are elated right now,” Rooney said. “Damar is still their first concern. But for them, they always look at how they can turn a somewhat troubling situation into a good one. The bounce back from this, for him and his family is going to be incredible.”
Rooney’s update comes after Hamlin’s uncle, Dorrian Glenn, told numerous media outlets Tuesday night there were some encouraging signs in his nephew’s progress, such as doctors lowering the level of oxygen Hamlin needs from 100 per cent to 50 per cent.
“He’s still sedated right now,” Glenn told CNN. “They just want him to have a better chance of recovering better. So, they feel that if he’s sedated, his body can heal a lot faster than if he was woke and possibly cause other complications.”
Rooney did want to clarify one thing Glenn said by saying there was a misunderstanding when the uncle said Hamlin had to be resuscitated twice. Rooney said that “isn’t exactly true,” without going into further detail.
The chilling scene of Hamlin’s collapse, which played out in front of a North American television audience on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, has put the NFL on hold, with the pivotal game suspended indefinitely. The Kansas Chiefs (13-3) are battling with the Bills (12-3) and Bengals (11-4) for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
The Bills, who returned to Buffalo early Tuesday, are scheduled to hold team meetings and a walkthrough practice on Wednesday. They are expected to resume practicing on Thursday in advance of their home game against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Players and fans from across the NFL rallied to Hamlin’s support, with vigils held in Cincinnati and outside the Bills’ home stadium. The shock of what happened also reverberated in Pittsburgh, where the 24-year-old Hamlin grew up and was determined to give back to those in need.
Hamlin was hurt in the first quarter when he was struck squarely in the chest while making what appeared to be routine tackle of Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. Hamlin briefly got up and adjusted his facemask before collapsing backward.
Hamlin is from McKees Rocks, a hardscrabble exurb of Pittsburgh, and was selected by Buffalo in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of Pitt. He spent his rookie season limited to special teams roles, and took over the starting job in Week 3 in place of veteran Micah Hyde, who remains sidelined by a neck injury.

domain: sports


text:
As one of the top offensive tackles in the country, just about every major college program from coast to coast has recruited Ronnie Stanley.
Subscribe today to read the full article and get everything Rivals has to offer.
- Member-only message boards
- Exclusive highlights and recruiting interviews
- Exclusive coverage of Rivals Camp Series
- Breaking recruiting news


TIGI Pistachio Mesh Sequin Top
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.
Stand out in the crowd with this gorgeous pistachio green top, featuring mesh-lining and delicately scattered sequins and bobble-knit. Our model wears a size S and is 5ft 7in Collection: LABYRINTH Length approx: CM Colour: PISTACHIO Care: MACHINE WASH 40°C (03) Fabric: 100% POLYESTER Product Code: T20-38C


text:
Heat some oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add in the onion, red bell pepper and green bell peppers. Sauté until everything is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and Mexican spice blend.
In a large 12-inch (30-cm) frying pan, heat a knob of butter on medium to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, pour on the egg mixture. It should spread across the entire bottom of the pan. Allow it to cook about 2-3 minutes, undisturbed. The eggs should be fully set on the bottom, and starting to look set on the top.
On half of the omelette, top the onions, peppers, and chicken. Gently fold the omelette over, leaving about a 1-inch gap so you can see what is inside the omelette.
Turn the heat down to medium. Allow the omelette to cook for another 5 - 7 minutes, until the eggs look fully cooked through.
Remove from heat and sprinkle on the cheese. Top with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. Serve immediately.

domain: food