DPP welcomes membership of former independent VP Chen Chien-jen
Taipei, Feb. 22 (CNA) The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Tuesday confirmed that former Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) had joined its ranks and was returning to active politics.
Following reports in the local media about Chen's recent membership in the DPP, party spokesman Chou Chiang-chieh (周江杰) said the DPP always welcomes members who share its values and President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文's) vision for Taiwan's development.
Chen, a renowned public health scholar at Academia Sinica in Taipei, served as vice president of Taiwan from 2016 to 2020 in Tsai's administration, but he remained an independent politician.
According to the local weekly Mirror Media magazine, Chen late last year accepted President Tsai's invitation to join in the DPP, which has given the party a strategic boost ahead of the Nov. 26 nationwide local government elections.
Citing high-level DPP sources, the magazine said Chen may be named as the DPP's mayoral candidate in Taipei, head of the country's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), or even as premier.
Asked Tuesday whether Chen would replace the incumbent CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said there was no such plan.
China's provocation against Taiwan 'deeply destabilizing:' Blinken05/27/2022 12:42 AM
France selected as theme country at Taipei book fair for the fourth time05/27/2022 12:26 AM
COVID-19 death rate exceeding 0.1 percent a warning: health minister05/26/2022 11:36 PM
Self-health management rule for migrant workers to be relaxed from Friday05/26/2022 11:33 PM
Taiwan freedivers compete under 'Taiwan' at Caribbean Cup after protesting05/26/2022 10:09 PM


Where Should Organizations Start Data Strategy, AI Strategy, or Concurrent Data and AI Strategies
Data Strategy is by all means at the heart of digital strategy, while AI Strategy is like one vein carrying blood (data) from that heart. So, an AI strategy without a foundational data strategy can not realize its return on investment and it will be more of a hindrance than help in today’s digital battles, as it is going to inherit the common challenges of today’s siloed and heterogeneous platforms which results in poor internal and external integration capabilities, lack of data consistency, validity, completeness, timeliness and integrability, weakness of decision-making capabilities and henceforth fragile operational capabilities. So, the resultant AI product will be no better off.
Therefore, Organizations should start their digital mission by embarking on the data strategy by establishing and developing the potentially governed, managed, and operable foundational data platform with an elastic and open architecture (Lambda Architecture). The open and elastic architecture of such a data platform will realize its potential value from the following perspectives :
Integeration : The data platform is going to be the single source of truth for all internal and external integrations adhering to governance , security and compliance schemes. The norm of integration will be reliant on a unified data model (Canonical Data Model) and catalog (Enterprise Data Catalog) avoiding the technical complexities of APIs and ESBs maintenance and operations.
Operation : The data platform can be a trigger for operational excellence initiatives that employs the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) , which guarantees the organization operational excellence.
Decision-Making: Decisions will be timely and accurate, as it will be based on accurate and consistent information not just a veneer of quality hiding lots of inconsistencies and anomalies.
Advanced Analytics: Having built the data platform , organizations can embark on advanced analytics products like ML , AI and RPA on accurate , consistent and panoramic view of the enterprise exemplified in their data platform.
Cost Efficiency: since the data platform will render the organization a data-driven , so IT strategy will be driven by the fit-for-purpose technologies and platforms which will result in cost effectiveness enterprise wide.
Strategic Alignment : having a data platform in place will benefit the organization in a manner that strategy and business operations will be aligned and concurrent through the established KPIs and performance management schemes , as it will minimize the previously reported gaps between them.
Parallel with the Data platform development , Organizations can concurrently apply some AI use-cases to realize the ROI of foundational data platform development.
In conclusion , Organizations should embark on the initiative of establishing the data platform where all the governance , management and operations can be maintained. Also , organizations can implement some core AI use-cases during the establishment of the data platform to guarantee the added-value of the data platform , which can surely scale up to more and more AI use-cases. So , starting with an AI strategy overriding the overarching data strategy is not recommended at all if organizations would like to render themselves a data-driven or even an AI-driven organizations.


text:
Yahoo news reports
Paris Hilton is too hot for Indian censors.
The country's Central Board of Film Certification has issued an "Adult" certification for her new music video "Stars Are Blind," which means it cannot be broadcast on any
channel. Now this will generate a lot of buzz for the song which has some nice reggae beats. First blogs, then TV channels, the Indian censors seem to be working overtime on making India a police state

domain: news


text:
|Attack Style||Melee & Magic|
|Always Drops|| Charm (variants), Black Dragon Leather
and Dragon Bones.
|Weakness?||Ranged and Stab|
|Approximate Capture Kills||864|
|Examine text||It's a King Black Dragon.|
This is the King of all dragons. The King Black Dragon (KBD) has three heads, and is very powerful. He is able to be captured via bolt pouch after 864 kills, with a requirement of 99 Summoning and Hunter. He uses 3 different dragonfire attacks: Blue - A freezing attack which freezes the player and renders them unable to attack for 3 seconds. Orange - a regular dragonfire attack which can deal heavy damage. Green - A poisonous attack which can also deal significant damage.
- The KBD often attacks with magic; so it is strongly advised that protect against/deflect magic prayers are used when fighting him.
- It is recommended to bring magic resistant armor such as dragonhide armor when fighting him, due to its relative affordability.
- The KBD, along with most other Dragons, is susceptible to ranged and stab attack. Thus it is highly recommended that the player implements a ranged approach, or for melee, the use of inexpensive stab weapons.
- An anti-dragon/dragonfire shield or anti-fire potion is absolutely necessary when fighting the KBD in order to negate the massive damage he can deal through dragonfire attacks.
- Use of Saradomin brews is also strongly advised, as well as a good stock of high healing food (Sharks or better).
- As the KBD's lair is multi-combat, it is also advised that familiars are used for either combat or beasts of burden.
- To get to the KBD's lair, go to the "Dungeon Teleport" and click "King Black Dragon(Wild)". After you have teleported to the Wilderness, enter through the gate and go down the ladder, after which you must pull the lever to reach the KBD. Be Warned! You WILL be teleported to the Wilderness initially so be aware of possible Pkers.
- Sometimes players can get glitched in the cave and cannot pull the lever in the KBD's tunnel or at the Mage Bank (And anywhere else that has lever teleportation), resulting in a message saying "Please try to pick the lock." There is currently no fix for this bug.
- KBD can only be captured by members since the update of 11/03/2014.
- During early June 2014, it was said that Mod Bando changed the KBD lair into Non-wilderness area as it was suppose to be.
- While doing Black Dragon slayer task, killing KBD also contributes towards the kills.

domain: game


International Armoured Vehicles 2020
Start Date: 2020-01-20
End Date: 2020-01-23
Time: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Phone: 44 (0) 207 036 1300
Over 650 armoured vehicles professionals – including over 250 industry experts and 400 military leaders will gather for what is ‘The World’s Largest Dedicated Armoured Vehicles Conference.
A global platform for the comprehensive discussion of everything armoured vehicle related, covering strategic issues from the threat environment, to the challenges of MRO and lifecycle management, all the way through to the next generation of ‘optionally manned’ combat vehicles. Over 4 days, military practitioners, research and development colleagues, acquistion specialists and partners from industry will discuss the emerging technologies and changing CONOPS, preparing for the challenges for 2035 and beyond.
A truly unique experience for the armour community, this is the World’s Premier Armoured Vehicles Forum.
Click the link for registration or ticketing information:
Organized by : IQPC Ltd. Organizer's Address : 129 Wilton Road, London SW1V 1JZ Website : www.iqpc.com


Heading to the track day with the Lego Ford F-150 Raptor & the Ford Model A
Let’s celebrate the 4th of July with these great American muscle cars!
The 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed started today. Lego brought a nice surprise there – a life-sized replica of the McLaren 720S. I decided to create a small scene with the McLaren and some other Speed Champions racers at Goodwood:
I created a short video to show you how the Lava scene of the Darth’s Angels photo series was created. It’s a quick demonstration of the scene arrangement, the light setup and the smoke effect.
I love to watch the glowing brakes during the night of Le Mans. Are you still up and following the race?
Photo scene is 100% Lego as always, no photo manipulation involved 🙂
The 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans will start in a couple of hours, will you watch the race? Do you think Ford can repeat last year’s victory?
I’d like to share with you my biggest project so far – Darth’s Angels. I had the idea to create custom motorcycles for the Star Wars buildable figures ever since my son got his first set. As I realized the Stormtrooper fits perfectly on the 42036 Street Motorcycle, especially on the B model. That was the first step, and after a few weeks of building, refining and constructing the photo scene finally I managed to create the shot I imagined:
For this Lava shot I had to collect around ~6000 round plates and pins 🙂 I’ll share a separate post about the techniques used for the photo because it was quite a nice challenge 🙂
Three custom motorcycles were created for Darth Vader and the two Stormtroopers. I wanted to add an extra twist to the build so all of the motorcycles are using pieces only from specific sets.
Darth Vader’s bike – 42036 Street Motorcycle + 42050 Drag Racer
First Stormtrooper bike – 42036 Street Motorcycle + 42039 24 Hours Race Car
Second Stormtrooper bike – 42036 Street Motorcycle + 42045 Hydroplane Racer + 42047 Police Interceptor
A video presentation of the motorcycles:
More photos of the gang – with a special guest:
A little fun project from the weekend – we built some Lego Technic fidget spinners together with my son. Check out the results and the instructions in the video below:
When I built the upgraded 42050 Drag Racer I wanted to film the race between the two versions, so I needed to have the start system of the drag racers so called “Christmas tree”. This device has multiple versions for the different types of races, I decided to make the following one:
As I don’t have the resources at the moment to create building instructions for this set and the changes are not that difficult, I think it is enough to share some detailed photos of the set without the body. I also took some photos of the two sets side-by-side to make the differences visible.


text:
news letter 8-14 maggio
Aperti 7/7 per pranzi, aperitivi e cene ( sabato a pranzo solo per eventi privati)
Lunedi 8 maggio
Family brunch – LABORATORIO TRA ECOLOGIA E TEATRO. ACQUA: UN BENE PREZIOSO…VALORIZZIAMOLA CON COLORI, SUONI E IMPROVVISAZIONI TEATRALI di Emanuela –
Cena e aperitivo : evento privato
Martedi 9 maggio
Mercoledi 10 maggio
Giovedi 11 maggio
Venerdì 12 maggio
Ore 23: 4cento garden party Torna in consolle al 4cento la grande Anna Tur con il suo unico e coivolgente sound. Direttrice e conduttrice di una delle radio piu raffinate del pianeta in fatto di musica elettronica e suoni d’avanguardia, Ibiza Global Radio.
Ana Tur 4 hours set..
• Ingresso con drink
10 euro fino alle 24:30
15 euro dalle 24:31
• Info & Reservation
☎ Dinner & Table: 0289517771
guest list: https://www.facebook.com/
✉ mail firstname.lastname@example.org
[La Direzione si riserva il diritto di selezione all’ingresso]
ANNA TUR [Bio]
Anna has had a link with music since she was a young girl, starting her artistic career in 2010. Nowadays, her name appears in the booths of the best clubs in the underground scene, a fact which has helped her to catapult to international fame, and means that she is living in unending activity, accumulating performances in the five conti-nents visiting the best clubs and festivals of the planet. In her sessions she shows her passion for music, making her energy on the sets evident. A mixture of sounds that go from house with more groove until balancing it with the most melodic techno. This unique sound, her elegance and entertaining in the booth, have turned Anna into the perfect attraction, living with her an unforgettable experience on the dance floor. The identity of the Ibiza sound is international and Anna Tur is part of this, thanks in part, to the recent foundation of her own record label “Illusion Music” which came to light in mid 2016 with her EP debut in the production under the name of “A New Illusion”. Anna Tur is not only a DJ, but also the Managing Director of Ibiza Global Radio TV, one of the radio-TV stations devoted to the most advanced music in the world, which counts with more than 12 million monthly listeners on the net. Her facet as entrepreneur, her charisma as a DJ and her great energy, impetuousness and illusion for each project in which she becomes involved, make Anna one of the most charismatic and influential people in the industry. Anna, above all, is a romantic.
A lover of music, radio and her native island, Ibiza.
Sabato 13 maggio
Domenica 14 maggio

domain: artistic


text:
New Jersey workers in the entertainment industry may be interested in learning the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has renewed a partnership focused on improving safety for those employed on theater and movie sets. A five-year alliance with the International Alliance of Theater Stage Employees (IATSE) and the United States Institute for Theater Technology (USITT) was set to expire later this year but has now been extended through 2023.
In testimony before the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, former Occupational Safety and Health Administration head David Michaels outlined his belief on why voluntary compliance programs don't have the same results as standard enforcement measures. According to Michaels, compliance assistance programs are useful for companies that are proactively seeking to protect their employees from hazardous working conditions, but the result is no substitute for vigorous, fair regulation enforcement.
Employees in New Jersey and across the country may be concerned about the potential dangers of exposure and inhalation of respirable crystalline silica. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has published a fact sheet that aims to encourage compliance with its standards on exposure to the mineral product. Employers are mandated to take action to protect employees from silica exposure, including assessing the potential for exposure in the workplace, providing training and establishing clear plans in case of exposure.
New fines have been put in place by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for violations of the crystalline silica standard that became law in 2013. Constructions workers in New Jersey who cut, sand, saw or drill concrete or brick materials must follow safety protocols to avoid dangerous levels of exposure to health-harming silica dust.
New Jersey paramedics have plenty to be concerned about when it comes to fatigue on the job. Because a major part of EMS work can involve vehicle operation in emergency situations, the impact can be catastrophic. The potential for serious accidents and injuries due to fatigue has inspired a collaboration between the National Association of State EMS Officials and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to develop guidelines that can reduce the likelihood of this.
A yearlong analysis of existing programs dedicated to worker safety in the U.S. has resulted in a call from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to reconfigure existing information systems to create safer working conditions in a changing economy. Analysts say that the study illustrates a need for improved health surveillance systems as well as better tracking and monitoring of occupational injuries. Experts are also calling for a systemic sharing of information between agencies.
When the winter snows come and workers go out for the task of removal, new injury risks emerge. Workers in New Jersey should know that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has some tips on how to avoid the hazards of snow removal.
Though no job can be considered 100 percent safe from workplace accidents, New Jersey workers know that some jobs are just naturally more dangerous than others. When workplace safety is a concern, New Jerseyites may want to avoid jobs in the timber industry as logging is the most dangerous occupation in the United States.
Sodexo, the facility management company, has launched an initiative called Ambition 2025 in the effort to improve employees' quality of life. This means making systematic changes, so it's no surprise that the North American branch discussed what those changes would be during the 2017 Safety Leadership Conference in Atlanta. Its goal of creating a "zero harm mindset" in its employees is something that many business owners in New Jersey may be able to imitate.
Many New Jersey residents have seen changes in what is required when finding suitable employment. People are becoming part of the gig economy. This umbrella term describes work that is done on a piecework basis. Instead of hourly pay or a yearly salary, those in the gig economy get paid per job that they do.


text:
Most overlooked movies of 2014
Like last year, there are two requirements to be one of the year’s most overlooked films. The first is that the movie has to have made less than $25 million in its theatrical run. That’s a lot of money to you or me, but 102 movies made it over that line in 2014.
Let me start the list with a horror flick. “As Above, So Below” isn’t the kind of movie you’d expect a critic to highlight on a year-end list, but the POV horror film gets the job done. Most found footage movies, where you watch through cameras worn or placed by the actors, are cheap and shoddy, but “As Above” pulls off an Indiana Jones meets “Paranormal Activity” plot. It’s soaked in creepy atmosphere, has some good jump scares without abusing the technique, and it’s anchored by a terrific performance from Perdita Weeks. It gave me the best pure horror experience in yet another year that lacked many good scary movies.
I only heard about “Better Living Through Chemistry” because I’m a fan of some of its actors -- Michelle Monaghan, Sam Rockwell, and Olivia Wilde. A pharmacist (Rockwell) emasculated by his wife (Monaghan) begins an affair with a rich woman (Wilde), driven by dipping into his store’s supply. The comedy stands on its own -- it’s funny and emotionally resonant. Aside from a needless cameo at the end, the film’s a hidden gem, with excellent performances by all three leads.
“The Guest” is a smart spin on B-action movies. A veteran moves in with the family of his fallen brother-in-arms, but it’s difficult to tell how much of his personality is a put-on, and how much of his protection will give way to violence. It’s a smart mash-up from Adam Wingard, who landed the horror re-mix “You’re Next” on this list last year.
If there’s one film here you decide to rent, make it “I Origins.” A biologist (Michael Pitt) is dead-set on disproving the existence of God. He begins a relationship with an extremely spiritual woman. It’s not meant to last and -- without spoiling anything -- he’s later set on a path that leads him to explore his own need for and distrust in belief. It is a profoundly moving drama that manages to marry together the logic of religion with the logic of science in a way that is respectful to both and shows how they can co-exist. In an age when we often feel forced to choose either/or, this is the most important movie on this list. I’ll also let you in on this: I’ve cried at movies before. Everyone has. “I Origins” is one of two films in my life that’s made me openly weep.
If you like martial arts, “The Raid 2” cannot be missed. An Indonesian movie, it contains some of the best fight choreography ever put to film. It’s far more immediate, brutal, and bloody than the elegance of something like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” but it’s also housed inside an incredibly good gangster movie that amounts to an artistic scream of frustration at the corruption of Indonesian politics.
“The Rover” is an Australian post-apocalypse movie with stunning performances by Robert Pattinson and Guy Pearce. I expected it from Pearce, but not the guy from “Twilight.” Pattinson is brilliant as a man of limited intelligence who idolizes the older man and emulates his violence in an effort to impress him.
“Snowpiercer” is a weird one. Starring Captain America himself, Chris Evans, it’s a mix of satire, fantasy, and action that takes place on a long train circling a frozen Earth. Evans leads a revolt of the poor classes at the back of the train, and what results is sometimes dark comedy and sometimes touching drama -- there’s even a martial arts sequence and a brief musical number. It’s unabashedly crazy, but also very well done. The art design is amazing and Evans is solid. It can be a fun and unexpected ride if you’re in the right mood.
“Under the Skin” obviously makes the list. I named it co-film of 2014 just last week (with “Interstellar”). It’s a love it or hate it film starring Scarlett Johansson as an alien consuming vagabonds in Scotland. It’s weird, it’s frightening, it’s creepy, and it will test your patience. I wrote about it at length last week, so I’ll move on very quickly to:
“Whiplash,” which has earned a best picture nod from the Academy Awards. It’s about a drummer pushed past his limits by a ruthless, abusive instructor. It’s a story you’ve seen before, but delivered with such style and such a commanding performance by J.K. Simmons that it bears watching again.
Please remember to check out every film’s rating before deciding on whether it’s appropriate for you and your family!
Gabe Valdez grew up in Chicago, went to college in Massachusetts, is a former news reporter in Floresville, Texas, and worked in politics in Oregon. He writes and directs films when he can find the time. Reviews, views, photos and more can be found at http://basilmarinerchase.wordpress.com. Email him at firstname.lastname@example.org.
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South Texas Living Archives
Baptist choirs combine to present ‘Glory Divine’ (December 7, 2016)
Celebrate the season with TV Programs & Specials ... and Favorite Holiday... (December 7, 2016)
Christmas Cantata in La Vernia (December 7, 2016)
Commodore computer (December 7, 2016)
Enjoy Christmas at The Den Dec. 8 (December 7, 2016)
Enjoy Christmas Cantata at Immanuel Lutheran (December 7, 2016)
Guadalupana Society plans novenas, celebrations (December 7, 2016)
Magik Theatre presents ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ at the Empire (December 7, 2016)
Mighty Tiger Band Reindeer Run & Holiday Market (December 7, 2016)
One girl and her horse (December 7, 2016)
Sheriff Santa donation drop-off locations (December 7, 2016)
Top ten movies (December 7, 2016)
Tree Lighting Ceremony moved to Dec. 7 (December 7, 2016)
What your shoes can tell you (December 7, 2016)
Witness German Christmas Celebration (December 7, 2016)
Witness Las Posadas Dec. 11 in Seguin (December 7, 2016)


text:
BORIS RUEBNER, M.D.
Myelosclerosis with a leuko-erythroblastic anemia and splenomegaly has become a well recognized clinical syndrome. Much controversy still surrounds its etiology, which may well be multiple.1 The present case is thought worth reporting because of the unusual situation and marked fibrosis of some of the extramedullary foci, and also because of the severity of the hepatic involvement.
History: A 67 year old night watchman of partly West Indian, partly European ancestry was first admitted to the Victoria General Hospital in 1951. He had been suffering from increasing weakness and fatigue during the preceding seven years.
On physical examination the
RUEBNER B. MYELOSCLEROSIS WITH SEROSAL MYELOID METAPLASIA AND FATAL LIVER INVOLVEMENT*. Ann Intern Med. 1960;53:1075–1088. doi: https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-53-5-1075
Download citation file:
Published: Ann Intern Med. 1960;53(5):1075-1088.
Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Liver Disease.
Results provided by:
Copyright © 2019 American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.
Print ISSN: 0003-4819 | Online ISSN: 1539-3704
Conditions of Use

domain: medical


|Publication number||US7914536 B2|
|Application number||US 11/077,910|
|Publication date||Mar 29, 2011|
|Filing date||Mar 11, 2005|
|Priority date||Mar 11, 2005|
|Also published as||EP1871249A1, US20060217735, WO2006094754A1|
|Publication number||077910, 11077910, US 7914536 B2, US 7914536B2, US-B2-7914536, US7914536 B2, US7914536B2|
|Inventors||Joel MacDonald, Jonathan Rose|
|Original Assignee||Aesculap Ag, University Of Utah Research Foundation|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (20), Non-Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (3), Classifications (12), Legal Events (4)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
The present invention relates to bone fixation devices, and more particularly to apparati and methods for spine repair.
The spinal column is a highly complex system of bones and connective tissues that provides support for the body and protects the delicate spinal cord and nerves. The spinal column includes a series of vertebrae stacked one atop the other, each vertebral body including an inner or central portion of relatively weak cancellous bone and an outer portion of relatively strong cortical bone. Situated between each vertebral body is an intervertebral disc that cushions and dampens compressive forces experienced by the spinal column. A vertebral canal containing the spinal cord and nerves is located behind the vertebral bodies.
There are many types of spinal column disorders including scoliosis (abnormal lateral curvature of the spine), kyphosis (abnormal forward curvature of the spine, usually in the thoracic spine), excess lordosis (abnormal backward curvature of the spine, usually in the lumbar spine), spondylolisthesis (forward displacement of one vertebra over another, usually in a lumbar or cervical spine) and other disorders caused by abnormalities, disease or trauma, such as ruptured or slipped discs, degenerative disc disease, fractured vertebra, and the like. Patients that suffer from such conditions usually experience extreme and debilitating pain, as well as diminished nerve function.
An exemplary spinal treatment for some of the above problems involves immobilizing the spine by using orthopedic rods, commonly referred to as spine rods, that run generally parallel to the spine. This may be accomplished by exposing the spine posteriorly and fastening bone screws to the pedicles of the appropriate vertebrae. The pedicle screws are generally placed two per vertebra and serve as anchor points for the spine rods. Clamping elements adapted for receiving a spine rod therethrough are then used to join the spine rods to the screws. The aligning influence of the rods forces the spine to conform to a more desirable shape. In certain instances, the spine rods may be bent to achieve the desired curvature of the spinal column.
The present invention provides a device for repairing a bone disorder, and in particular for repositioning a vertebrae, such as in a spondylolisthesis reduction. The device includes a screw extension having a longitudinal sleeve, a moveable rod extending from within the sleeve and moveable within the sleeve, and a contact surface disposed on the end of the rod which is configured to transmit a force against the head of the polyaxial bone screw to prevent movement of the polyaxial bone screw for as long as the force is transmitted. Preferably, the contact surface is a contact rod disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the threaded rod, and the contact rod is free to rotate around a central axis which is the same as the longitudinal axis of the threaded rod. An alternative embodiment has the contact surface being a torque applying means which contacts the screw head directly.
Also included is a fixation device for the repair of a bone disorder, the fixation device having at least one polyaxial bone screw that can be screwed into the vertebral body to be repositioned, and at least one other bone screw that can be screwed into an adjacent bone, which bone screws are connected with one another in an articulated manner by means of a cross strut, the bone screws having extensions which extend in their longitudinal direction, the extensions having free ends and opposite ends that act on the bone screws with a tightening device that applies a tensile force on one of the two bone screws, wherein the tightening device has a pivoted lever mounted rotatably to an extension of one of the bone screws and which extends essentially at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the extension to which it is mounted and is in contact with a stop on the other extension associated with the vertebral body to be repositioned, characterized in that the extension that acts on the at least one polyaxial bone screw comprises a longitudinal sleeve, a threaded rod having an end, the threaded rod extending from within the sleeve and rotatable within the sleeve, and a contact surface disposed on the end of the threaded rod which is configured to transmit a force against the bone screw to prevent polyaxial movement of the polyaxial bone screw for as long as the force is transmitted.
Also included is a method for repairing a bone disorder, such as a spondylolisthesis, comprising inserting a polyaxial screw into a vertebral bone, the polyaxial screw comprised of a screw and a cap, applying a force on the head of the polyaxial screw to prevent polyaxial rotation of the screw within the cap, adjusting the vertebra having the screw with respect to an adjacent vertebrae, removing the force on the head of the polyaxial screw to allow polyaxial rotation of the cap with respect to the screw, and securing a rod to the polyaxial screw cap to thereby fix the repositioned vertebrae.
The features of the invention believed to be novel and the elements characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The figures are for illustration purposes only and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The invention itself, however, both as to organization and method of operation, may best be understood by reference to the detailed description which follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:
The present invention generally involves a technique commonly referred to as spinal fixation whereby surgical implants are used for fusing together and/or mechanically immobilizing vertebrae of the spine. Spinal fixation may also be used to alter the alignment of adjacent vertebrae relative to one another so as to change the overall alignment of the spine.
The invention is directed in large part to isthmic and degenerative spondylolisthesis, which is a common cause of lumbar symptomatology and one of the most common indications for lumbar reconstruction. One of the keys to safe reduction is the careful, controlled application of force and limited distraction amounting to no more than physiological disc space height. A successful instrument and method for reduction in accordance with this variable was developed by Aesculap and is known commercially as the SOCONŽ spondylolisthesis reduction instrument. (SOCON is a registered trademark of Aesculap AG for a fixation device for repositioning a lumbar spondylolisthesis with bone screws and rods.)
More particularly, such a device includes a bone screw that can be screwed into a vertebral body to be repositioned, and a bone screw that can be screwed into an adjacent bone (adjacent vertebral body), which screws are connected by a cross strut via portions of each screw that protrude from the bones in an articulated manner, wherein the articulated connections between the bone screws and the cross strut can be fixed. The device includes extensions that act on the bone screws and extend in the longitudinal direction of the bone screws, which extensions are connected to a tightening, adjustment device, which applies a tensile force on at least one of the two bone screws.
This object of that development was accomplished by the tightening device which had a pivoted lever mounted rotatably at the extension of one of the bone screws, which pivoted lever extended essentially at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the extension and was in contact with a stop of the other extension associated with the vertebral body to be repositioned. This aspect of the device will be understood more fully in accordance with the drawings and description below.
Essentially, the tensile force was transmitted by the pivoted lever. That lever was mounted at the extension, which was associated with the bone part that was not to be repositioned. In other words, the tensile forces were introduced from the mounting site of the pivoted lever directly into the bone part that is not to be repositioned, which thus forms an abutment for the entire device. That was typically the vertebral body that was adjacent to the vertebral body for which repositioning was necessary. In particular, with the development of that device, it became unnecessary that the cross strut act as an abutment for the tightening device, so that the pivoted connections between the cross strut and the extensions remained separate during the repositioning of the vertebral body.
Specifically, and turning now to
A clamping piece 9 and 10, respectively, was pushed over shank 5, 6 of each bone screw 1, 2, respectively. The two clamping pieces 9 and 10 were passed through by a cross strut 11, which was a threaded rod that extended essentially at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the bone screws 1 and 2.
The cross strut 11 was screwed into the clamping pieces 9, 10 and fixed in the axial direction as a result. Both clamping pieces 9 and 10 had clamping screws 12 and 13, which made possible the pivoting of the cross strut 11 in relation to the bone screws 1, 2 in the detached state, doing so about an axis that extended at right angles to the plane extending through the cross strut and the bone screws. By tightening the clamping screws 12 and 13, the clamping pieces 9 and 10 could be fixed such that the pivoting of the cross strut 11 in relation to the bone screws 1 and 2 was prevented.
Both bone screws 1, 2 had an internal threaded hole 14 and 15, respectively, into which a respective extension 16 and 17 was screwed, at their ends, facing away from the respective screw-in thread 3 and 4. Both extensions had an elongated sleeve 18 and 19, respectively, through which extended a fixing screw 20, 21, which were screwed into the respective internal threaded holes 14 and 15 of the respective bone screws 1 and 2. The sleeves 18, 19 carried in their upper end areas respective flutings 22 and 23, and respective flutings 24 and 25 were likewise arranged at the upper ends of the fixing screws 20, 21 in the areas projecting from the respective sleeves 18 and 19.
At the free ends of the fixing screws 20 and 21 were pin-shaped extensions 26 and 27, respectively, with two parallel collars 28, 29 and 30, 31, respectively. The grooves or offsets 32, 33 and 34, 35, respectively, which were formed between these collars, were used as a working surface for a prior-art distraction instrument, not shown in the drawings. Such a distraction instrument optionally carried, for example, hooks, which could be inserted into the grooves and which were held by the branches of the forceps-like instrument.
Insofar as the parts of the fixation device have been described so far, the corresponding parts were essentially all of symmetrical design, i.e., the clamping pieces inserted into the extensions and screwed onto the bone screws are of an identical design; these assembly units of an identical design are connected with one another by the cross strut.
Turning now to a non-symmetrical aspect of the prior-art device shown in
An arm 40 of the lever 37 is designed as a threaded rod, on which a knurled nut 41 is screwed. The arm 40 dips, furthermore, into a bearing sleeve 42, in which the arm 40 is displaceable in the longitudinal direction. The bearing sleeve 42 has a bearing bore 43, and the latter is in turn mounted rotatably on a bearing bolt 44, which is arranged in parallel to the bearing bolt 36, but at the sleeve 19 of the other extension. The bearing sleeve 42 is fixed by a screw 45 screwed into the bearing bolt 44.
The other arm 46 of the lever 37 forms an angle of about 135° with the arm 40; it is bent, in turn, so that the free end of the arm 46 points approximately in the direction of the bone screws and the extensions. See especially
An adjusting screw 48, which can be brought with its free end into contact with a fixed stop 49 of the sleeve 18, is screwed into an internal threaded section 47 of the lever 37, which threaded section extends essentially in parallel to the arm 46. When the adjusting screw 48 is in contact with the stop 49, a pivoting movement of the lever 37 is blocked in one direction, in the clockwise direction in the exemplary embodiment shown in
During use of the prior art instrument described, the two bone screws 1 and 2 are at first inserted, one bone screw being inserted into the vertebral body 50 to be repositioned, and the other bone screw being inserted into an adjacent bone, for example, an adjacent vertebral body or into the hip bone. The screwing in of the screws is performed laterally in relation to the central longitudinal plane of the spine.
After the bone screws 1 and 2 have been screwed in, the clamping pieces 9 and 10 with the cross strut 11 are attached to the shanks 5 and 6 of the bone screws 1 and 2, respectively. The clamping pieces 9 and 10 remain loosened, i.e., the cross strut is pivotable in relation to the bone screws 1 and 2, but the distance between the two clamping pieces 9 and 10 is fixed by the cross strut 11.
The sleeves 18 and 19, respectively, are subsequently attached to the bone screws 1 and 2, respectively, by means of the fixing screws 20 and 21 and fixed there. The two-armed lever 37 acts on both sleeves 18 and 19 in the manner described. This initial position of the operation is shown in
The spine is extended by distraction in a first step of the method. The pin-shaped extensions 26 and 27 of the two sleeves 18 and 19, respectively, are acted on for this purpose, and the ends of these sleeves 18 and 19 are brought close to one another by means of a suitable distraction instrument. Due to the distance of the assembly units comprising the bone screw and the extension, which distance is fixed by the cross strut 11, the spine is expanded, on the one hand, and adjusted by a slight tilting of the vertebral body 50 to be repositioned, on the other hand. Because the clamping pieces 9 and 10 are not fixed, the two assembly units can be pivoted in relation to one another to an extent. The lever 37 does not hinder this distraction in any way, and the arm 40 slides during the distraction in the bearing sleeve 42, which can freely adjust its angular position in relation to the sleeve 19.
The desired repositioning of the vertebral body 50 takes place after the distraction by pivoting the two-armed lever 37 in such a way that the arm 40 exerts an upwardly directed tensile force on the sleeve 19 and consequently the bone screw 2. This can be achieved in a simple manner by pivoting the lever clockwise (
As soon as the desired position of the vertebra has been reached, it can be fixed by bringing the adjusting screw 48 into contact with the stop 49 and by bringing the knurled nut 41 into contact with the bearing sleeve 42. The clamping screws 12 and 13 are subsequently tightened, so that the two bone screws 1 and 2 and the cross strut 11 will form a now rigid fixation for the vertebral body 50 to be repositioned. The extensions 16 and 17 can then be removed from the bone screws 1 and 2 by loosening the fixing screws 20 and 21, so that only the fixation device formed from the bone screws 1 and 2 and the cross strut 11 will remain in the body.
Provisions are made in a preferred embodiment of the device just described for the stop at the extension of the vertebral body to be repositioned to be pivoted about an axis that extends in parallel to the pivot axis of the lever. The stop preferably surrounds the lever here and is freely displaceable relative to the lever in its longitudinal direction. A pivotable bearing sleeve is thus obtained for the lever, which guides the lever at the extension of the vertebral body to be repositioned, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, transmits the tensile forces to the extension without hindering the pivoting of the extension during the distraction of the vertebrae.
Provisions may be made for the lever to have an external threaded section, on which a stop nut is screwed, in the area between the two extensions. The effective length of the lever between the articulation site of the said lever and the stop of the extension is thus fixed, so that during the pivoting of the lever, the cross strut and the lever, together with the extensions, form a parallelogram arm-like guide, which makes possible an essentially tilt-free transverse displacement of the vertebral body to be repositioned.
Provisions are made in a preferred embodiment for the extensions to be detachably connected with the bone screws. Contrary to conventional extensions, which are snipped off at the end of the operation, the extensions can be simply removed. They can also be reattached later, so that the repositioning may possibly also be performed in steps. Sharp areas, which are formed due to the extensions being pinched off in conventional extensions and could possibly lead to injuries, are avoided as a result.
In particular, the extensions may have sleeves, at which the lever and the stop are mounted. These sleeves are held at the bone screws by fixing screws, which extend through the sleeves and can be screwed into the bone screws.
The extensions may additionally have offsets at their free ends for receiving a distraction instrument, by means of which distraction of the spine is performed prior to the repositioning proper in order to create the space that is needed for the repositioning in the first place for the vertebral body to be repositioned.
The present invention improves upon the design just described by adding additional features.
In this exemplary embodiment, bone screw 500 has threaded shaft 505 and a semi-spherical head 510 with a recess 520 defined therein to receive torque-applying means such as a hex-head wrench or screwdriver. Bone screw 500 would be inserted into threaded bone screw cap 600 in the direction of arrow 605 shown in
After bone screw 500 is placed into bone screw cap 600, bone screw polyaxial insert 700 is inserted and affixed within bone screw cap 600. As shown in
In order for this polyaxial screw system to operate, the screw is inserted into a bone, at which point the polyaxial bone screw cap 600 is allowed to freely rotate (or revolve) around the screw head. Once a rod is placed into the channel of the screw cap, it is compressed downward by virtue of the application of a set screw into the internal threads of the screw cap 600, which compresses the bone screw polyaxial insert 700 against the upper portion of the screw head, which locks the orientation of the screw cap against the screw and thereby anchors everything together solidly. Many such methods and devices for securing a rod in a screw cap are known to those skilled in the art.
Turning now to the invention with more particularity, it is noted that polyaxial screw systems (one type of which is noted above) and the fixation device noted above with respect to
Specifically, in this embodiment, the fixation device of the prior art as discussed above has been modified as a part of the present invention to allow for connection to a polyaxial screw assembly like that shown in the exemplary embodiment of
In the case illustrated, compression bar 910 is disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of rod 920 but is rotatable around the central longitudinal axis of screw engaging arm 900. Thus, as the threaded portion 930 rotates into screw cap 600, compression bar 910 is moved longitudinally with respect to rod sleeve 925, but remains in a single rotational orientation. Threaded portion 930 can be rotated by applying a rotational force (or torque) on opposite end 934. Also shown as a part of polyaxial screw engaging arm 900 in
Other means exist for progressively advancing and locking the compression bar 910 away from rod sleeve 925, such as a ratcheting system or other such means. The key is that the contact surface or area be able to be advanced and locked against the screw head, or polyaxial screw insert, and then be removable again by a reversal of that force. A preferred embodiment to achieve this is a threaded rod.
In an alternative embodiment, the contact surface could apply a force directly to the screw, instead of through the polyaxial insert. It is preferable in the case as noted above that the polyaxial insert be mated with the compression bar so that the force applied by the compression bar is evenly applied to the screw head by virtue of the shape of the polyaxial insert. It is possible, however, for the contact surface to be other than the compression bar embodiment and still be within the scope of the invention.
In such an exemplary alternative embodiment, such as that shown in
The device as described in accordance with the present invention allows the adjustment of a polyaxial screw system with an adjustment device heretofore only useable with non-polyaxial (mono-axial) screws.
The downward force applied to bone screw polyaxial insert 700 as the threaded portion 930 of polyaxial screw engaging arm 900 is threaded into internal threads 620 of polyaxial bone screw cap 600 causes the locking of the screw 500 with respect to bone screw cap 600 and a locked orientation thereof as described above. This process is performed for each of the polyaxial bone screws being used in a procedure. In some situations, it may be preferable to use only one polyaxial screw with another mono-axial screw, or multiple polyaxial screws with multiple mono-axial screws. The number and type of each screw would be determined based on the particular bone disorder being treated or repaired. In a typical spondylolisthesis reduction procedure in accordance with this invention, four (4) or six (6) such polyaxial screws would be used, although 2 or more could be used.
Once locked in accordance with the above, orientation of the bones in which the screws are inserted can proceed in accordance with the fixation device described above. After fixation orientation is achieved, polyaxial screw engaging arm 900 is unscrewed from bone screw cap 600, allowing once again free rotation of the cap with respect to the now-adjusted bone, at which point a rod can be placed into the bone screw cap and secured in accordance with known methods.
Also included is a method for repairing a bone disorder, such as a spondylolisthesis, comprising inserting a polyaxial screw into a vertebral bone, the polyaxial screw comprised of a screw and a cap, applying a force on the head of the polyaxial screw to prevent polyaxial rotation of the screw within the cap, adjusting the vertebra having the screw with respect to an adjacent vertebrae, removing the force on the head of the polyaxial screw to allow polyaxial rotation of the cap with respect to the screw, and securing a rod to the polyaxial screw cap to thereby fix the repositioned vertebrae. It is also possible to secure a fixation rod within the polyaxial screw cap to fix the repositioned vertebrae before removing the force on the head of the polyaxial screw. This later embodiment would prevent any slight slippage of the vertebrae between the time the force is released and the fixation rod is placed.
In a preferred embodiment in accordance with the above, the present invention includes the method described wherein the step of applying a force includes screwing a contact rod down into the cap from an extension attached to a fixation device. In an alternative embodiment, and in accordance with that discussed above, the method may include applying a force by screwing a torque applying means down into the screw and compressing the torque applying means against the screw to thereby lock the screw and the cap in a fixed relationship.
The method is preferably performed by applying the force on the head of the polyaxial screw via a threaded rod being advanced within a sleeve into a screw cap to compress a contact surface against a screw cap insert, thereby locking the screw orientation with respect to the screw cap. Once the vertebral adjustment is made, the locking force against the head of the screw is removed by retracting the rod from the screw head insert in accordance with the above.
Although the present invention has been particularly described in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives, modifications, and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US4130152 *||Oct 19, 1977||Dec 19, 1978||John Sawyer||Slot-head fastener and driver therefor|
|US5219349 *||Feb 15, 1991||Jun 15, 1993||Howmedica, Inc.||Spinal fixator reduction frame|
|US5484440 *||Aug 18, 1994||Jan 16, 1996||Zimmer, Inc.||Bone screw and screwdriver|
|US5536268 *||Dec 22, 1993||Jul 16, 1996||Plus Endoprothetik Ag||System for osteosynthesis at the vertebral column, connecting element for such a system and tool for its placement and removal|
|US5672176||Mar 5, 1996||Sep 30, 1997||Biedermann; Lutz||Anchoring member|
|US5782833||Dec 20, 1996||Jul 21, 1998||Haider; Thomas T.||Pedicle screw system for osteosynthesis|
|US5810816||Apr 19, 1995||Sep 22, 1998||Roussouly; Pierre||Device for stabilizing orthopedic anchors|
|US6740086||Apr 18, 2002||May 25, 2004||Spinal Innovations, Llc||Screw and rod fixation assembly and device|
|US6858030 *||Jul 17, 2002||Feb 22, 2005||Stryker Spine||Pedicle screw assembly and methods therefor|
|US20020091386 *||Jan 5, 2001||Jul 11, 2002||Greg Martin||Pedicle screw assembly|
|US20020095153 *||Sep 12, 2001||Jul 18, 2002||Jones Robert J.||Spinal rod translation instrument|
|US20040138662 *||Oct 30, 2003||Jul 15, 2004||Landry Michael E.||Spinal stabilization systems and methods|
|US20040143265 *||Oct 30, 2003||Jul 22, 2004||Landry Michael E.||Spinal stabilization systems and methods using minimally invasive surgical procedures|
|US20040236330||May 19, 2004||Nov 25, 2004||Thomas Purcell||Variable angle spinal screw assembly|
|US20040243126 *||Apr 26, 2004||Dec 2, 2004||Stryker Spine||Methods for stabilizing bone using spinal fixation devices|
|US20040267264||Jun 27, 2003||Dec 30, 2004||Konieczynski David D.||Polyaxial bone screw|
|DE4127303C2||Aug 17, 1991||Sep 16, 1993||Aesculap Ag, 78532 Tuttlingen, De||Title not available|
|DE19726754A1||Jun 24, 1997||Feb 4, 1999||Aesculap Ag & Co Kg||Implant for fixing parts of bones in particular at spine|
|EP0528177A2||Jul 16, 1992||Feb 24, 1993||Aesculap Ag||Internal fixator for the correction of a lumbar spondyldisthesis|
|EP1090595A2||Sep 21, 2000||Apr 11, 2001||Stryker Spine SA||Slotted head pedicle screw assembly|
|1||Aesculap Socon SRI Spondylolisthesis Reduction Instrument The Finer Points, Jeffrey Kozak, MD, 2002.|
|2||Aesculap Spine S4 Spinal System Instrumentation Guide.|
|3||Int'l. Search Report for PCT/EP2006/002060 dated May 30, 2006.|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US8162996||Oct 28, 2009||Apr 24, 2012||Orthopro Llc||Methods for repairing bone discontinuities|
|US9011507||Mar 30, 2011||Apr 21, 2015||Orthopro Llc||Compression plate kit and methods for repairing bone discontinuities|
|US9066762||Jan 27, 2014||Jun 30, 2015||Zimmer Spine, Inc.||Instruments and methods for adjusting separation distance of vertebral bodies with a minimally invasive spinal stabilization procedure|
|U.S. Classification||606/86.00A, 606/104, 606/279|
|Cooperative Classification||A61B17/7032, A61B17/7077, A61B17/7037, A61B17/7008, A61B17/66|
|European Classification||A61B17/70B5B, A61B17/66, A61B17/70T2B|
|Jul 18, 2005||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: AESCULAP AG & CO. KG, GERMANY
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ROSE, JONATHAN;REEL/FRAME:016275/0354
Effective date: 20050607
|Mar 16, 2006||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: UNIVERSITY OF UTAH RESEARCH FOUNDATION, UTAH
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:UNIVERSITY OF UTAH;REEL/FRAME:017313/0364
Effective date: 20060213
Owner name: UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, UTAH
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:MACDONALD, JOEL;REEL/FRAME:017313/0409
Effective date: 20060207
|Feb 24, 2011||AS||Assignment|
Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:AESCULAP AG & CO. KG;REEL/FRAME:025855/0993
Owner name: AESCULAP AG, GERMANY
Effective date: 20080506
|Sep 29, 2014||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4


text:
Instinct Raw Boost Mixers Immune Healthby Instinct
Product has been added to cart
- Real raw, freeze-dried chicken with antioxidant-rich ingredients
- Can be fed as a treat or mixed into kibble or wet food
- Easily digestible, natural ingredients
- Contains natural antioxidants to aid with maintaining the immune system
- Grain, corn, potato, wheat and soy-free with zero by-product meals, artificial flavours or preservatives
- Available in a (5.5 oz.) bag.
- Made in the USA
Instinct Raw Boost Mixers Immune Health contains real, cage-free freeze-dried chicken including the bone, heart and liver mixed with antioxidant-rich ingredients to add not only delicious flavour to your dog's regular food but to help keep the immune system healthy. Each piece is packed with a raw protein designed to mirror your dog's ancestors' diet with selenium, vitamin A & E naturally from beets, kelp, blueberries and flaxseeds. This meal mixer is easily digestible and is grain-free with no corn, potato, wheat, soy and no use of by-product meal, artificial flavours or preservatives.
Instinct Raw Boost Mixers Immune Health are to be used as a supplement to your dog's daily feedings. They can be used as a treat or mixed in with kibble or canned food. Please see the specifications tab for more information, available in a 156 g (5.5 oz) bag, made in the USA.
|Crude Protein (min.)||36.0%|
|Crude Fat (min.)||30.0%|
|Crude Fibre (max.)||15.0%|
Calorie Content (Calculated):
Metabolizable Energy: 288 kcal/cup or 4590 kcal/kg
|Dog Weight||Cups Per Day||Calories Per Day|
|Up to 20 lb.||1/4||72|
|21 to 40 lb.||1/2||144|
|40 to 60 lb.||3/4||216|
Chicken (including Ground Chicken Bone), Chicken Liver, Pumpkinseeds, Chicken Heart, Beets, Ground Flaxseed, Dried Kelp, Salmon Oil, Blueberries, Cranberries, Mixed Tocopherols (for freshness), Rosemary Extract.

domain: pet


text:
- For years, operators have been trying to crack the code on how to offer cost-effective global M2M services that can span multiple network footprints.
- Two alliances – one from Jasper Wireless-enabled operators and one from standards bodies across the world – point to new models that may accelerate the growth of global M2M.
Over the last couple of weeks, there have been some unusual partnership announcements from the M2M ecosystem that may solve a set of problems which have thwarted the widespread growth of global M2M deals. Last week, KPN, NTT DoCoMo, Rogers Communications, SingTel, Telefónica, Telstra, and Vimpelcom agreed to form an alliance to support a single, global platform that multinational businesses will leverage to enable connected devices to span multiple countries cost-effectively with a uniform SIM. Since these operators all use the Jasper Wireless service delivery platform (as does AT&T, which was not part of the partnership), they can also service customers consistently; the Jasper platform provides a uniform portal for service activation, SIM management, troubleshooting, and subscription/rate management. While a number of operators such as Orange, Vodafone, and AT&T have already developed global SIMs that can be used in multiple countries to simplify inventory management and related expenses, there has still been a lot of work to do to make global M2M seamless and cost-effective. Some operators have also been working together to offer global connectivity at prices below the traditional expensive commercial roaming rates, but in many cases, enterprises have either had to set up relationships with multiple carriers or gone to aggregators to try to bridge together a global network with a single point of contact and single contract.
Meanwhile, on July 17th, it was announced that ICT industry standards bodies in different regions that have been working on the M2M service layer for several years (seemingly without much coordination), including TIA, ATIS, ARIB, CCSA, ETSI, TTA, and TTC, will meet July 24 in Bellevue, Washington, to announce more details about combining forces. The seven standards bodies announced in January have plans for the joint development of end-to-end specifications for M2M solutions. The lack of common standards and protocols has resulted in machines of one type or within a given industry being unable to communicate with those in other industries, creating inefficient communication silos that require a lot of work and expense to bridge.
While these alliances are not guaranteed to reduce the fragmentation that has held back M2M growth, they point to the fact that the industry has recognized that it needs to do something more radical if we are ever to get to the projected billions and billions of connections of devices, machines, and ‘things’ over the next five to ten years. Without these partnerships, significant revenues for the operators, device manufacturers, platform developers, and application providers that make up the ecosystem may never be realized.


text:
Poker Deluxe ProFunction introduction

For the latest message to the players from the Pokemon Masters' producers, they released a 10-minute video to detail several upcoming additions and changes to the game. They provided information on the legendary event, upcoming Sync Pairs and improvements for the game.

First of all, they discussed the upcoming legendary event called Lurking Shadow that will see the first Sync Pair to be added to the game where the Pokemon is a legendary. This pairing will be Giovanni and Mewtwo.

During the event, you'll be able to collect special vouchers that can be exchanged for items to make Mewtwo more powerful. Collecting a total of 800 of them will allow you to unlock a special area that will allow you to team up with Giovanni and Mewtwo.

The wording on how you unlock Mewtwo though is a little confusing as they mention being able to scout it, but the image above appears to suggest you can unlock the duo, guess we'll have to wait and see for now. They also mentioned that legendary events would return periodically and teased more legendary duos in the future, so I'm holding onto hope for Tobias and Darkrai.
 Need friends in Pokémon Masters? Share your friend codes here!
They also revealed new Sync Pairs that will be heading to the game, starting with Grimsley and Liepard who'll have a featured Sync Pair scout from 27th November to 18th December. Running from that same date will be a Support Rally login event that will provide players with up to 4200 Gems if they log on for 14 days during that period.

To celebrate Christmas there'll be a festively dressed versions of Rosa and Siebold available in mid-December. This time around they'll be teamed up with Delibird and Octillery respectively. Then, in January we'll see the arrival of Lance and Dragonite, as well as Cynthia and Garchomp, bringing the two elite trainers to the Pasio.

From Assoluto Racing MOD APK you can have access to the best models of racing cars where you can flaunt your racing skills and potentials. With the relative physic, the game promises to keep the racing experience as real as possible. Keep your pace with dominating attitude in the race while keeping your head around your surroundings as well as circumstances when you brim with all the difficulties.
It is absurd to ape our betters.

The latest game from Kairosoft, the folks behind Silver Award-winning Game Dev Story, is here.

It's called Biz Builder Delux and you can buy it on either the App Store or Google Play for £3.99 / $4.99.

Previous Kairosoft games let you run a bakery, a school, an anime studio, and more.

Biz Builder Delux gives you the chance to become the best entrepreneur in town and run several business at once: fast food places, video game stores, coffee shops, and more.

You'll also need to figure out how to compete with business rivals, invest in R&D, train staff, and ultimately climb your way to the top.

Grab the game now on the App Store or Google Play for £3.99 / $4.99.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is one of those games that you don't think will work, but is actually amazing. Lucky us, the DLC's on its way pretty soon too.

Over the weekend, a new patch dropped on the game which, at the moment, doesn't look like it's done much. However, it could have been preparatory as on Reddit, user ReedyBuilder pointed out that their Season Pass receipt shows the first part of the DLC could come out as early as tomorrow.

The picture also shows the second part of the DLC as launching on January 16th 2018. Bear in mind none of this has been confirmed by Nintendo or Ubisoft, so do take all information with a pinch of salt to avoid disappointment.

We were very impressed with the game, giving it a Gold Award in its review and I admit it's an addictive tactical adventure with a heck of a lot of charm. Are you planning to get the Season Pass? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Reddit

Download and play ninja warrior – Ninja fighting games right now, we believe ninja games will bring a lot of emotions for you.Don’t forget to send me feedback to help us develop and improve Ninja Combat Games in the next versions
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domain: entertainment


“What tale shall serve me here among
Mine angry and defrauded young.”
Rudyard Kipling: “A Dead Statesman” 1919
For the next twelve months controlling the spread of COVID-19 will depend on sustaining major changes in people’s behaviour. The level of necessary compliance can only come from widespread trust and respect for the judgement and integrity of government ministers.
In my part of coastal Suffolk COVID-19 etiquette is impeccable. Everyone is well-behaved. This is not just because the population is retired and elderly with good reason to keep to the two - metres rule. Younger holidaymakers, laden with wind-breaks, picnics, mini-surf boards, buckets and spades, step into the road or the fields, to keep their distance. A polite ‘thank-you’ is the norm for the first to take avoiding action.
All accommodation close to the coast has been booked here. Camp-sites filled. Camper- vans spilling overnight into car parks. I estimate that there are three times more people enjoying Suffolk North Sea beaches than in former years. The demography is interesting. Couples with two children, one dog are the most common. The vast majority of visitors are in family groups, some bubbled or extended, like the large Muslim group from Walthamstow I met three weeks ago, first time out of London for five months, and a breakfasting group from West Sussex who had arrived at 5am to watch the sunrise.
The Suffolk coast is a different world from the South Coast with its Costa Brava-style occupancy, packed burnt-nose to nose, a few under sun-shades. If TV news shots illustrating how no-one is paying attention to government Covid advice tell the full story, the crowds on beaches like Bournemouth, Poole and westward consist mostly of 18-25 year olds with fewer vulnerable elderly. Mind you, Frith’s painting Life at the Seaside shows Ramsgate sands in the nineteenth century only a little less congested and with mixed ages, though considerably more clothed.
Dunwich, the mediaeval town ‘hidden beneath the sea’, inundated as currents and river changed course, has a special charm; its beach at 10 am on a sunny Summer’s day has, surprisingly, a touch of Seurat’s La Grande Jatte about it. The picture couldn’t be more different, the Seine not the sea, trees not pebbles, with a few huts for winding-gear, no-one elegantly dressed, but there is something similar about the light, the spaced placing of groups of people, the sense of leisure and time slowed, away from the urban bustle. Dunwich beach also has its fishermen, spaced according to fishing etiquette, further than COVID-distances, sitting meditatively in small encampments, rods pointing skywards, line just visible above your head. And plenty of toddlers captivated by hard-wired beach rituals: run down to the water’s edge, waves crash, spray, screams compulsory, scuttle back up the beach, repeat with bucket, collect water, pour into hole, repeat. Did Neanderthals do the same? Probably.
North of Southwold, this region’s best known beach, is Covehithe within weekend range of journalists from north London who, some time ago, began writing articles calling Covehithe something like “Suffolk’s Best Kept Secret” - which means it no longer is. The once quiet, little-known and secluded shore, reached by a path through high bracken and fields, then along crumbling cliffs, now is busy. All along the narrow path passing recesses have been cut into the surrounding vegetation for those who are ‘shielding’ and for well-behaved visitors. In the past, you could imagine the beach as the location for the final scene in Planet of the Apes when Charlton Heston spots the charred head and torch of the Statue of Liberty emerging from the sand. Now it’s dotted with picnickers, sunbathers and swimmers.
At Covehithe you can still see marsh harriers cruising ready to grab baby sand martins sticking their heads out of their cliff holes, watching for their parents coming back with food. Or over the sea but close to the shore on quiet stretches, hovering terns hunting, dropping like stones, beaks first, to snatch out fish. A lone, anti-social, seal patrols this beach, black doggy head appearing as it surfaces to take a look at Homo Sapiens. In the early Autumn, long skeins of Canada geese practise slipstreaming low above the waves. Covehithe blissfully banishes Covid from the mind. Welcome back to the comforting old normal.
I am not working for Suffolk Coastal Tourist Information, or auditioning for a Nature Notes column, nor is my purpose to attract visitors, but simply to emphasise that advice on preventing the spread of COVID must take age and location into account. The contrast between the behaviour of visitors to this stretch of the Suffolk coast and behaviour in London, Birmingham and on the South Coast is striking. A short while ago, over one weekend, West Midland police had to shut down over eighty illegal gatherings (many of them ‘raves’) and I’m told by Londoners holidaying in Scotland that they were struck by how many people wore face-masks. Why these differences?
On the face of it, the main rule-breakers are young adults who are now recognised as major carriers of infection. They voted overwhelmingly against BREXIT, only to be ignored, were more activist about climate change, only to be patronised, and, in big cities and towns, see no chance of ever moving in to their own homes. COVID has brutally disrupted their lives and, along with BREXIT, will curtail their job opportunities. On the whole in the early weeks of lockdown they complied. The turning point came when Boris Johnson failed to sack Dominic Cummings for breaching government guidelines. Many young people decided ‘to hell with it’. If they are to be persuaded to keep the rules once more, they will need to trust government. In Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has retained that vital trust; infection rates, similar to Northern Ireland’s, are 377 per 100,000 against England’s 518.
The generation gap, reflected in national voting behaviour, is becoming a serious issue. At the last election fewer than 25% of 18-25 year olds voted Conservative against 56% of the over 55s. Voluntary compliance with COVID prevention from the young remains critical. If the Johnson government fails to retrieve respect and public trust it will cost more lives. There are no signs Johnson and Cummings understand this.
See TheArticle 27/08/2020


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The Law of Homeschooling
The Law of Homeschooling is a resource guide for homeschool families and advocates, public school teachers and officials, college and university professors, students, and other interested members of the general public. The monograph does not advocate for or against homeschooling, but provides detailed information on a subject that invokes passion on both sides of the issue. The information can be used by homeschool advocates and public school officials to do what is in the interest of children, collectively and individually, and will help to ensure that each child receives an appropriate education within the context and scope of the law. Also included is an overview of the history of homeschooling in the United States as well as updates to homeschool statutory and regulatory requirements for all fifty states and Washington D.C.

domain: law


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A new study in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics It found that women with food insecurity more frequently reported symptoms of food addiction, such as compulsive eating of certain types of food, and unsuccessful attempts to reduce withdrawal symptoms. Further study of the mechanisms of addiction may be a valuable approach to understanding the relationship between food insecurity and excessive consumption of processed foods.
Food-insecure families often have limited access to nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, and greater access to foods that are less expensive, processed and high in refined carbohydrates and fats. Research has found that highly processed foods can activate neural reward responses.
“A new line of research indicates that highly processed foods can lead to addictive processes that can lead to a compulsive pattern of overeating, with significant physical and mental health consequences. We know that food-insecure individuals are more likely to live In an environment dominated by these highly processed foods and being targeted more by Food IndustryExplains first author Lindsey Barnarowskis, MA, PhD candidate, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
“We hypothesized that food-insecure individuals may be more likely to be addicted to processed foods, but no one has investigated this before.”
The study included a secondary analysis of data collected in two previous studies. The Maternal Obesity, Metabolic and Stress Study (MAMAS), conducted between August 2011 and June 2013, examined an eight-week mindfulness-based intervention on gestational weight gain in low-income pregnant women in California. Participants were individuals with a BMI in the overweight or obese range, and whose household income was 500% lower than the US Federal Poverty Guidelines.
The Family Food Study (FFS), conducted between September 2018 and December 2019 low income families in Michigan to assess associations between food insecurity and increased infant weight and maternal weight gain. Participants were identified adult caregivers with children aged 8-10 years and Family income Less than 200% of the federal poverty guidelines in the United States.
Food security was measured using the US Home Food Security Model. It assesses the frequency of experiences of food insecurity, such as worrying about whether food will run out before more money arrives to buy more, reduce portion sizes, or skip meals because there is not enough money to buy food.
Food addiction was measured with the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), an instrument that uses criteria for substance use disorder from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which are adapted to the context of highly processed foods. The MAMAS study used the original YFAS model based on the DSM-IV; The FFS study used a modified version based on the DSM-5. Using different versions of YFAS as an outcome measure means that these results cannot necessarily be usefully compared across samples.
The researchers did not find significant demographic differences between participants in food-secure and food-insecure households. Participants in food insecure households in both samples reported significantly more food addiction symptoms compared to participants in food insecure households.
In MAMAS, pregnant individuals in food insecure families had 21% more food addiction symptoms than individuals from food insecure families. In FFS, caregivers in food-insecure households had 56% more symptoms of food addiction than caregivers in food-secure households.
“One of the study’s main strengths is that we observed consistent associations across two distinct samples of low-income adult females with a high prevalence of food insecurity,” notes principal investigator Cindy W. Leung, ScD, MPH, assistant professor of public health nutrition, Harvard College. TH Chan Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
“Despite the data collected in different geographic regions, at different time periods, and at different stages of parenting or caregiving, the similarity between the associations suggests that this association between food insecurity and food addiction is worrisome and deserves further ongoing research.”
Ms Parnarowskis points out that as this is the first study to report this association, further research is needed to replicate these initial findings and test in other samples to generalize to the broader population, particularly because YFAS has not been psychologically validated in either Food insecure people or pregnant individuals. It is possible that the endorsement of food addiction symptoms in food insecure individuals reflects an increased desire for pleasure to eat any available foods, not just the highly processed foods that are usually implicated in food addiction.
In an accompanying editorial, lead author Kara A. Christensen, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA, and co-authors note the need for more qualitative and quantitative testing of measures that assess eating behaviors in order to validate Use in food insecure populations. Furthermore, they urge researchers to work together to perform psychometric validations of measures of eating behavior that include the common overlapping identities of food insecure people.
Dr. Christensen and co-authors emphasize that, “Given the reasons why measures of eating behavior such as the YFAS may be conceptualized differently in food-insecure people, one must be careful in interpreting results using these measures to avoid exaggeration of pathological behaviors or poor categorized.”
“Therefore, to enhance understanding of maladaptive eating behaviors in these populations and to enhance confidence in outcomes, further psychological testing of measures is required in food-insecure populations. These studies will enhance the field’s ability to understand phenomena related to Food insecurity and draw conclusions that can positively affect public health, nutrition and dietetics, public policy and mental health treatment.
“If low-income families have unequal access to food with the potential for addiction, then this is an important social justice issue, on par with lack of access to clean water or adequate housing, that must be addressed through systemic policies and environmental changes,” Dr. Leung concludes. “We need more research on the mechanisms driving this association to inform policies to ensure that people have equitable access to nutritious food.”
Lindsey Parnarouskis et al, Association of food insecurity and symptoms of food addiction: a secondary analysis of two samples of low-income adult females, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2022). DOI: 10.1016 / j.jand.2022.04.015
Kara A. Christensen et al, Measures used with food insecure populations: a call for increased psychological validation, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2022). DOI: 10.1016 / j.jand.2022.05.017
the quote: Women facing food insecurity may be at high risk for addiction to highly processed foods (2022, September 20) Retrieved September 20, 2022 from
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Practical / technical difficulties
One of the difficulties of this exercise has been that because has been working with different images, I ended up with so many versions of images on my computer desk top and on paper. I could hardly keep track. I ended up with a big pile of paper with lots of drawings and bits of text and equally my computer desk top was covered with images. So much so that I had a hard time remembering which version was the last one. I was dreading writing up the process as it was such a jumbled one.
The version I showed to my friend consisted of 4 separate drawings with the wording written separately and stuck on with masking tape.
The second layer of complication was refining the images in photoshop which again took me ages. I thought the easiest route was to combine the words and pictures as different layers. The theory being that I could then fiddle with each bit to get it right. In practice this led to a lot of different technical difficulties, when to erase, when to leave the background as white, whether to erase it, at which point in building the layers to use the invert comment to create a dark image. One of the things I learnt was that my writing needed to be in a heavier, darker line. I was able to adjust this in photoshop but it would have been easier to just use a thicker pen in the first place! In the past I have scanned images into Illustrator and made them thicker that way but this results in a slight distortion of the line, making writing more illegible.
I spent such a long time on this exercise, which makes me laugh a bit, now I see the end result because I don’t rate it as my greatest piece of work but it represents an enormous amount of blood sweat and tears!
I finally decided on just 3 frames. This was because there was a lot of text, so each frame had to be quite large. I changed the first image to one of the “Fonz”. I took out the other people in the middle frame (it is the confusion of illustrating a true story and actually just removing superfluous detail). In the last frame I turned the girl round to show her sad face.
The issues I had to deal with during this exercise:
- the narrative arc and which information to include, which was superfluous.
- the balance between words and images and avoiding repetition between the two and working out what was best told in pictures, what in words.
- how difficult it is to judge when one is too close to the story, and how neutral advice is invaluable.
- still learning about using photoshop and refining my skills.
- my visual language. I ended up switching between styles halfway through the exercise, but I just had to leave it as it was as I was in danger of never finishing it. With regards to my visual language, this is an area that I really want to work on. I started with quite realistic drawings but ended up with a more cartoon style, then finally ended up with 2 realistic images and 1 more cartoony. I realise that for this exercise, I spent so long thinking about the words and narrative that the imagery became secondary.I’m thinking that the issue for me is about drawing from a model or reference image versus drawing from imagination or memory. I feel that I need to develop my visual language in the latter.


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Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Kurt Vile is one of my favourite musicians on the scene today, and every album he completes only brings more of the same pure excellence. His fifth record, 2013's 'Walkin On A Pretty Daze' is nothing short of five star worthy, and was the one which first brought him real attention in terms of chart success. It received a placing all over the world, most notably in Sweden where it peaked at a respectable no.21. It was also a reasonable hit in the US, and narrowly missed the top 40 over here in Britain.
This is an excellent album from the founding member of The War on Drugs is a folk-rock lover's delight, with one classic tune after another, no fillers or substandard moments whatsoever, they all fit and gel together beautifully. The epic 9 minute, 30 seconds opener 'Walkin' On A Pretty Day', is a sublime psychedelic-folk rock song, and one of those few extra long tracks that I can happily listen to in it's entirety, without ever becoming bored or tempted to skip forward. Other magical moments can be found under the titles of 'KV Crimes;, Was All Talk, 'Girl Called Alex', 'Pure Pain', and 'Never Run Away'.
Kurt Vile, a kind of modern day Bruce Springsteen or Tom Petty, and really - what Lou Reed would have sounded like in Nashville, sure knows his way around a guitar, and sings his heart out with real emotion. I don't say this very often, only really with the Scottish legend Donovan, but hearing Kurt's well-crafted, beautifully written songs on any album always makes me able to conquer up all kinds of wonderful imagery inside my head, it's like listening to cotton wool.
As what has become a common theme with Kurt's releases, the package is eco-friendly. The disc is housed in a separate cardboard sleeve, which is contained inside the album's main cardboard packaging, which looks very stylish, with a colourful graffiti wall there as the inlay. The accompanying booklet contains the full lyrics of all of the songs.
A fantastic follow up to Smoke Ring For My Halo. The songs are excellently developed with a lot more instrumental layering and incredibly catchy hooks. Each song flows easily into the next but without sounding too 'samey'. One of the best albums you'll buy this year...and probably next year too!
You will hear echoes of Richard Buckner and Howe Gelb in the singing on this album. The songs follow a line from Dylan through Neil Young and Tom Petty.Then onto more recent songsmiths of differing styles like Will Oldham,Jason Molina,Will Johnson,J Masics,and those two mentioned in the first line.All major players in most peoples` books. Kurt Vile fits in well in such exalted company,even if he hasn`t as yet released a piece of work comparable with those artists` classic releases(arguably we`re still waiting for J Masics`,but you get the point) As with the previous release this album is a grower so stick with it.There really isn`t one weak track,and the album highlights Kurt`s singing and guitar playing. Overall it is slightly darker,yet slightly better than his previous offering and is easily deserving of 4 stars. I think and hope, there`s even better to come,which is why this is not a classic 5 star album. My advise is to buy and enjoy the music from such a great artist and such a great release. Then visit his previous work as a solo player and as a member of the band The War On Drugs,the current darlings of certain music mags(Uncut in particular)
I genuinely look forward to those times when I can play this album in its entirety through a decent set of speakers. Most recently it provided the perfect woozy, uplifting soundtrack to a post-party clean-up. Having only heard a couple of tracks from earlier Kurt Vile records I had listened to 'Snowflakes are Dancing' and 'Girl Called Alex' on Spotify but been wary of the length of WOAPD and the number of longer tracks (which on appearance seemed extravagant). Man was I proved wrong. After the second occasion on which I played this album from front to back I decided, 'Right, I gotta buy this on CD.' This is just such a well-sequenced record and the arrangements are so compelling in terms of their shifting layers that the number of longer tracks doesn't make for a slog but instead an opportunity for joyous immersion. As with any great album, it helps that it's bookended by two tracks that encapsulate everything that is charming, melancholy, and life-affirming about Vile's wise-ass drawl and sparkling guitar tones. Thoroughly recommended and certainly one of the best records of 2013.
Philadelphia's finest Kurt Vile has gone out of his way in the build up to this new release to accentuate his impeccable slacker credentials as a prelude to his fifth solo album "Wakin' on A Pretty Daze". This reviewer is having none of this propaganda, since at work here is a dogged perfectionist who has over the past five years led the dynamic heartland rock community in the City of Brotherly Love that has orbited around the best band in America bar none "The War on Drugs". All these musicians have been releasing music like its going out of fashion. Vile in particular seems to relish putting out more eight minute plus songs on this new record than contained on the the average Allman Brothers album thus when he confesses in the title track that "I live along a straight line/ Nothing always comes to mine/To be frank, I'm fried /But I don't mind" you wonder how much more he would release were he ever to become hyper? It raises the question if this level of prodigious output serves to lower his quality control; happily the answer is an emphatic no. That said for anyone who owns 2011's epic "Smoke Ring for My Halo" whilst there is no noticeable sharp rupture or break with its illustrious predecessor ("KvCrimes" would fit on either album), this new records aesthetic does provide a noticeably different approach which emphasises a much more assured and confident songwriter.
Starting at the album closer is illustrative, since the ten minute plus "Goldtone" happily ambles along at a luxurious pace and Vile's polished drawl punctuates it with verses which keep your attention in a loose way throughout its subtly languorous duration. This is good old fashioned A grade stoner rock which spread out over an hour of music and eleven songs cements Vile has one of the best solo acts on the North American continent. Opener "Walkin on a pretty day" bears a symbiotic relationship to "Goldtone" in length and is underpinned by that that melodic guitar solo infused rock which Vile and his War on Drugs counterpart Adam Granduciel should take out a full patent upon. This album does indeed veer slightly closer to the vibe of WODs "Slave Ambient" not least in the synth driven rock of the best song present "Was all talk" and one of the standout tracks the wonderfully powerful "Snowflakes are dancing". The impact of this is a less grungy album than "Smoke Ring" but a stronger set of much brighter pop/rock songs plus some convergence with "Air Bud" almost sharing the same guitar backdrop as Granduciel's "Brothers". Throughout the more airy and light infused tracks scream an attempt by Vile to combine his roots rock credentials with a dreamy feast of spacey drone not least in the punchy "Shame Chamber" and the Tom Petty inspired "Pure Pain" which will belt out of car audios when the north winds cease blowing. Finally the simple acoustics of "Never run way" is perfectly pitched and economical in approach.
Some will argue that Vile remains an acquired taste for those in need of retro musical fixes that involve a hybrid of Lou Reed crossed with Neil Young. This has lead the Independent in its review to snottily conclude that all this album amounts to is "mid-paced alt rock, reminiscent of the Dandy Warhols in a coma". This is errant nonsense and sharp pins should be stuck in a copy of the Indy for its lack of taste and foresight. Granted Vile is not a true original but "Wakin on A Pretty Daze" is a record full of exultation of spirit, songs that grow on every listen and represents real prime steak amongst much of the horse meat burgers of modern rock.
Wakin On A Pretty Daze is the fifth long-playing release from blue-collar hero Kurt Vile, the current king of heartland rock and, or so it would seem, the whole city of Philadelphia. True to his increasingly laid-back narrative and with a running time well over an hour, it's now fairly safe to assume Vile's snotty, lo-fi past is behind him. Yet, despite a storytelling arc which, amongst other things, deals with having to comes to terms with responsibility, Vile is nevertheless still keen on sticking it to the man - albeit in more subtle tones than on 2011's smash Smoke Ring For My Halo.
Forever a product of his FM upbringing, Vile continues to draw from a rich palette of American icons, largely limiting himself to three main players this time around: Dylan, Young and Reed. "Making music's easy" Vile jokes on "Was All Talk". Well, it's not if you're gonna emulate these three and get away with it any credibility. There's certainly more to it than Wakin On A Pretty Daze`s vintage construct, the Sunday-morning pacing sure to alienate some younger ears and their Internet-fried attention spans. A downbeat mid-section will do little to convince them neither - a dose of considered bile would help enliven the listen, but Vile is no flavour-of-the-month. He lives and breathes the lonesome Americana he preaches, edging his craft closer to the greats on which he grew with each chord progression. His imagery of the road-less-travelled is borne of experience and if his tales are not toasted with the same romantic beams of sunlight that warmed his own back in reality then they certainly are in ideal.
There's a balance to be struck and with "Pure Pain", on which Vile laments his own success via mixed tempos, audible fretwork and train-like pedal steel, he manages to instil a sense of hopeless optimism entirely apt for his brand of competent, conscious slacking. Indeed, Vile's easy-going drawl leads you to think he's been hammering the herb, but a declaration that he doesn't "touch the stuff" during the dreamy, sun-dappled "Goldtone" would seem to disprove the notion.
Though his eyes may nevertheless remain half-mast, Vile's brain is working overtime. His folksy finger-picking is mesmeric, the unobtrusive arrangements of long-time partners The Violaters blissful and/or sorrowful as appropriate. And whilst this is a collection that unquestionably meanders through MOR psychedelia under its own organic steam, Vile brings confidence enough to know when to sit back and let the guitars do the talking and when to allow his withering observation to bite. Though it's played at too slow a speed, "KV Crimes" is straight-up classic-rock for example; "Snowflakes Are Dancing" and the focussed "Never Run Away" relatively dynamic in such gentle company too.
Whilst Smoke Ring For My Halo seemed very much timeless in the landscape of American rock, Wakin On A Pretty Daze seems a little more out of place. Rather, it's of a specific time and place no longer generally accessible outside of the grand traditions of the American dream. Vile hasn't lost his touch - far from it - he's just living in a world of pure aesthetic, beaming his celestial ideology back to us in album form - his earthly crown very much intact.
Bought this is a result of the link with War on Drugs whose album "Lost in the Dream" I couldn't stop playing. This is an excellent album whose tracks nurdle their way into your brain as you penetrate each nuance. Had it for about 4 weeks and can't stop playing it. Current favourite is "Girl called Alex". Will now trawl Kurt's back catalogue.


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Pandora Silver Queen of Hearts Clip Charm 790959
SKU: bc0200 Manufacturer: 790959 by Pandora
Price From £35.00
Pandora Silver Queen of Hearts Clip Charm. Your heart will skip a beat when you add this super clip-on charm to your Pandora collection. Lovingly made from silver, this charm is all heart. Pandora beads are designed for you to remember your special moments, celebrate events and mark occasions. Show, commemorate and celebrate your love with Pandora.
Hand finished sterling silver.
Part of the Moments collection.
What's your Pandora moment?

domain: design