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On November 22nd, the NHL made headlines when it tweeted that “Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Nonbinary identity is real.” Predictably, this declaration was widely praised by progressives and just as widely mocked by conservatives. And yet, amid all this culture-war sound and fury, there was little news to be had about the event that had precipitated the league’s controversial gender diktat in the first place: an NHL-supported and -sponsored “All-Trans Draft Tournament” held in Middleton, WI—reportedly the first tournament of its kind in the history of hockey.
Aside from a tweet containing four photos of the November 19th–20th event, the NHL provided no substantive information about how the tournament unfolded. Nor did media outlets such as Hockey News, whose reporting consisted instead of cheery tournament summaries (“The arena was just buzzing with trans joy for two solid days”) sourced to the organizers’ social media accounts. Vice sent a five-person film crew to cover the tournament, including two cameramen, but so far hasn’t reported anything on what that unit filmed. So as far as I know, in fact, I’m the first person to publicly report the events described below.
In this regard, the All-Trans Draft Tournament seems to have been a success: Video from the event venue, Capitol Ice Arena, shows the participants—a mix of trans men and trans women playing side by side—having a great time. The ambience seemed particularly friendly in the opening round-robin phase, during which the bigger and better players appeared to play at reduced intensity in order to keep things competitive. In the entire video archive of the tournament, there’s no fighting to be seen, nor even much in the way of deliberately rough play (which is more than I can say for most of the Canadian hockey tournaments I’ve experienced as either participant or parent). The tournament had been timed to coincide with Trans Day of Remembrance. And at one point, members of all the teams had a group hug and recognized the victims of the previous day’s fatal LGBT nightclub shooting in Colorado Springs.
As most youth coaches and parents can attest, there’s been a growing emphasis on LGBT inclusion within hockey culture for a while now. And by this point, I don’t know anyone involved with the sport who’d dispute the message—attributed to Team Trans by one of Benjamin’s interviewees—“that you belong, no matter who you are, no matter what your gender is.” But as in many other sports, hard questions arise when it comes to the interplay of biological sex, gender identity, and protected female leagues and spaces. Specifically: Should naturally bigger, stronger, faster biological males who self-identify as girls or women be permitted to compete in leagues and tournaments with (on average) smaller, weaker, slower biological females?
The reason why the gender slogans tweeted by the NHL attracted so much controversy is that the league now seems to be answering that last question in the affirmative: That “Trans women are women” post came in direct response to someone who’d asked, “So, men playing on [women’s] team[s]?” Given the NHL’s newly announced position on this subject, one might have expected league officials to demonstrate at least a passing interest in the outcome of the All-Trans Draft Tournament—an event that offered a case study in regard to the rejection of biological sex as a criterion for assessing eligibility.
At ordinary hockey tournaments, teams register and compete as collective units—typically representing their school, neighbourhood, city, or region. “Draft” tournaments are different: Players register individually and get assigned to tournament teams through some formal, informal, or even random process. I have no idea what selection method was used at the All-Trans Draft Tournament, where the roughly 80 players were allocated to six teams designated as Black, White, Purple, Blue, Yellow, and Pink. But however it was done, the results were lopsided: A single team, Pink, ended up stacked with physically imposing biological men (i.e., trans women). And by no coincidence, that team also went on to become tournament champion.
This awkward result may help explain why no one seemed anxious to publicize event details once the tournament was over. Team Pink’s victory over Black in the finals—which I was able to watch on video, along with all the other games—was an embarrassing 7–1 rout. According to one rink-side source who attended the tournament, Team Pink players even called a meeting during the second period in order to discuss whether it would be best to end the game prematurely. (Some of their deliberations are audible on the video I viewed.) Two players floated the idea of simply announcing that the tournament was over and that “everyone” had won.
“There [was] just an enormous difference in size between the two teams—height, weight, shoulder width, muscles—the differences were plain to even a child,” is how one rink-side observer described the finals to me. On video, a quartet of large Team Pink players stood out: #1, #9, #42, and #90. Each of these she/her biological men—at least one of whom played Division I college hockey on a men’s team before transitioning—appeared head and shoulders taller than most of Team Black (whose 12-player roster contained only two she/hers). And this group didn’t even include #29, a speedy Team Pink she/her, and self-described male-to-female trans woman, who consistently skated circles around the opposition, and who ended up netting two hat tricks in the space of four games during the tournament.
(Print copies of the team rosters were available at the arena, but the contents haven’t, to my knowledge, been published electronically. I’ve decided not to indicate the names of individual players, except in such cases where players have gone public on social media. Instead, I’ll generally refer to the players’ jersey numbers and announced pronouns (which included some they/thems, as the tournament was open to players who describe themselves as non-binary).
At no point in the tournament video archive did I see trans women deliberately bullying the trans men. It was simply a case of larger, biologically male players using their size and speed to grab loose pucks, break up opposing rushes, and control the area around the nets. But even in the absence of ill intent, their size advantage produced a heightened level of risk for the biological women. “I don’t know how the teams were made,” that aforementioned rink-side source told me. “But any [fan] could see that this couldn’t possibly be fair, and that someone could get hurt—and someone did.”
That someone was Team Black player #91, a self-described FTM (female-to-male transgender) player who was pushed to the ice by a much larger she/her member of Team Pink—#90, who self-describes publicly as “a bisexual trans woman”—with three minutes left in the first period. The contact doesn’t look particularly serious when you watch it on video. It may even have been entirely accidental. But the size imbalance between the two skaters was so great that the Team Black player ended up being propelled head first into the boards with enough force to deliver a concussion.
As the Vice crew continued to film, players clustered around the seemingly knocked-out #91. Shortly thereafter, a panicky voice booms out from amid the scrum, “Get a stretcher! Get a medic!” And the audience, which had formerly been burbling enthusiastically in response to the arena announcer’s trans-positive patter, fell silent. It would take more than 17 minutes for the head-injured player to be placed on a stretcher and wheeled off the ice. When the game eventually re-started, a subdued mood persisted till the final buzzer.
One reason this final match felt odd is that this was supposed to be, on one hand, the concluding game of an ordinarily structured competitive hockey tournament, complete with all the usual hoots, taunts, and cheers; while also serving, on the other hand, as a solemn, quasi-sacred exercise in trans solidarity. The announcer kept switching back and forth between the two conceits, and the effect was discordant. During the second-period intermission, a somewhat morbid ceremony was conducted, whereby the game was formally dedicated to “all those [trans people] who came before, to those who never had the chance to play, and to all those who come after us.” This dramatic gesture placed a heavy moral burden on the players—a fact that might help explain the second game-delaying drama that unfolded.
With about 10 minutes left in the second period, Pink #90—the same she/her who’d just sent Black #91 headfirst into the boards—scored Pink’s fourth goal on a soft wrist shot that somehow got past Team Black’s goalie, Mason LeFebvre (he/him). LeFebvre, the tournament’s liaison with the NHL, had become visibly upset when #91 was carried off the ice. (The two players were listed as co-captains in the tournament program, and their social media feeds suggest they’re good friends.) Something about the moment pushed LeFebvre over the edge, causing the goalie to literally collapse in a corner of the rink, whereupon several team members skated over to offer words of consolation.
LeFebvre was eventually coaxed out of the corner, though not before a rink-side supporter enlisted the crowd in a chant of “We Love Mason.” At this point, the coach of another tournament team—Team Yellow—walked to centre ice and held a sort of pep talk, consisting of slogans such as “We’re not defeatist,” “We’re not done yet,” and “The score doesn’t determine your value.” The game then continued, following what had been a seven-minute delay, with Team Black swapping out LeFebvre for another goalie (who let in three more Team Pink goals—a second from #90, and a pair from #29).
Team Pink’s she/hers were evidently instructed to stop running up the score, with #29 being relegated to defensive duty. Everyone was gratified to see Team Black finally get a goal—a slap shot from a she/her with jersey number 99 that got under the Pink goalie’s stick. (The video shows the play as clearly offside. But under the circumstances, I thought, the refs’ decision to lay off their whistles was justified.)
When the game ended, the two teams shook hands, and Team Pink held a muted celebration under a boom mic operated by the Vice film crew. In a nice touch, the tournament organizers then opened up the ice for a free skate so that the trans players could circle the ice with friends and spectators in a show of togetherness and solidarity.
The campaign to ensure that transgender hockey players feel included within the sport isn’t new. It made headlines six years ago, when the New York Times reported that “Harrison Browne, who was born Hailey Browne and [now] identifies as a man, was ready to debut as the first openly transgender athlete in professional team sports in North America.” At the time, it was unclear whether a self-identified man would be allowed to play in the (since rebranded) National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL). But the NWHL made it clear that it would allow admission to anyone who’d been “designated female at birth, regardless of their gender identity.” This was, of course, an eminently sensible way to treat cases such as Browne’s, as it would be completely unfair to expect biological women, whatever their pronouns, to compete with men in the NHL.
But when it comes to biologically male trans women seeking to play on women’s teams, the analysis is more complex—which is why the policy guidelines produced by the new Premier Hockey Federation (the successor league to the NWHL) are such a mess. Those rules contain nine references to “inclusion” and three to “safety,” and seem to have been drafted with the knowledge that these two values would be starkly at odds when biological men seek admission. What happened in Middleton, WI last month offers a cautionary tale about what to expect.
Yes, it’s possible to pair very young boys and girls against each other in little-tyke leagues. But even by middle school, male skaters are taller and heavier than their female counterparts. They benefit from greater bone density, muscle mass, power-to-weight ratios, and lung capacity. As World Rugby noted when it banned biological men from female competition, men are, on average, over 50 percent stronger than females, and 10 to 15 percent faster. Male hockey players cover more ice with longer strides, have longer reach, and longer sticks that correspond to their taller frames (a rule of thumb is that your stick should come up to your nose when you’re standing without skates). They can shoot harder and at longer distances, yielding more scoring and passing options.
By the time they’re in their teens, elite male and female hockey players aren’t really playing the same game—and not just because the female leagues forbid full checking. When Canada’s national women’s hockey team tunes up for international tournaments by playing junior male teams composed of players aged 15 to 18, the women tend to losebadly. At the provincial level, Quebec’s women’s under-18 team was beaten 7-to-1 last year by a low-ranked Bantam AAA team made up of 13- and 14-year-old boys. Such lopsided contests regularly occur despite the fact that the male players aren’t allowed to throw a check, and are always instructed to calibrate their play style so as to avoid potentially catastrophic collisions. Thankfully, none of the teenage boys who play in these training games against women take their cues from NHL-style Twitter slogans that downplay the reality of biological sex.
Given what happened in the final game of the All-Trans Draft Tournament, it’s also important to note that competitive hockey presents a significant concussion risk; and that women are physiologically more vulnerable to such injuries due to (as one research team concluded) having “significantly less isometric strength (49%), neck girth (30%), and head mass (43%), resulting in lower levels of head-neck segment stiffness (29%).” According to a Canadian hockey parent whose AAA-level teenage daughter occasionally competes against boys’ teams:
The different contact rules and vulnerability to injury are the reasons why there is usually a mass exodus of girls from elite boys hockey at the Bantam level [typically ages 13 to 14], which corresponds to a flood of testosterone in adolescent males. Girls who stay in boys hockey subject themselves to a dramatically higher risk—concussions and broken collar bones being the most frequent … Only goalies—playing a non-contact position relying almost entirely on intelligence and skill—can safely remain [playing with boys], but few do. Most parents of girls switching from boys to girls hockey will report the same thing: Their daughter kept up, maybe even dominated, on tactics and skill, but could not match the strength, physicality, and often dangerous aggression of boys after puberty.
I’ll end with some good news: That Team Black player knocked into the boards has recovered. In a recent social media post, #91 reported, “I am okay, [though] I was diagnosed with a concussion and muscle strains in my left neck, shoulder, and back.”
Strangely, though, the player then went on to provide an apparently fictionalized account of the accident. While the video plainly shows #91 being struck by a Team Pink player, the victim reports that, “I was playing the puck, and I took a very odd fall into the boards.” There’s no mention of any opposition player—though the post also notes, cryptically, that this part of the story is “sensitive.” Reading this self-blaming narrative reminded me of those stories about women in troubled relationships who tell friends they got their black eye from walking into a door.
One is left to wonder if the “sensitive” nature of this tale helps explain why details about the tournament went unreported, notwithstanding all the NHL and media hype that came before the puck dropped. Ignoring or hiding the importance of biological sex may align with the publicity needs of NHL executives and the ideological demands of trans activists. But it does a grim disservice to every female hockey fan who skates up to play.


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In an address to the nation, Ghani said that the ceasefire between the government and Taliban will be extended from the fourth day of Eid-al-Fitr.
He added that details of the extended ceasefire will be made public in the near future.
However, he called on governmental forces to be prepared to respond to any attack.
Meanwhile, the Afghan President asked the Taliban insurgent group to extend their three-day truce as well.
Instead, he promised that medical facilities and humanitarian aids will be provided to injured Taliban fighters during the truce.
According to President Ghani, the Attorney General’s Office has released 46 Taliban prisoners in the spirit of the ceasefire and Eid-al-Fitr on Friday.
He said the process will continue if Taliban gives a positive response for extension of the ceasefire.
Ghani asserted that his government is ready for comprehensive peace talks including the negotiations about the role of neighboring countries and the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan.

domain: news


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Instead of a notch at the top, the S10+ display stretches from edge to edge and a small hole punch on the top right that houses a dual-camera set-up at the front - a 10 MP selfie shooter and an 8 MP depth sensor.
Even with fairly respectable macros, the state of the economy is nothing to write home about.
The Bengaluru-based company offers innovative solutions to simplify products and claim settlement.
The government's much vaunted New Industrial Policy appears to have been put on hold.
The Election Commission's social media guidelines might not be enough to contain fake news during the upcoming polls.
This year's study includes what gig workers and women employees consider important.
- Banks take control of Jet Airways board as Naresh Goyal exits, lenders to infuse Rs 1,500 crore
- Will L&T splurge more to woo Mindtree promoters?
- AgustaWestland case: CBI court allows Rajiv Saxena to turn approver
- Arun Jaitley terms Rahul Gandhi's minimum income plan 'biggest bluff', says Congress betrayed India for more than 7 decades
- OLX shifts gears to attract millennials, new internet users on its platform
- Apple TV app announced, curates content from over 150 streaming apps
- Apple ventures into cross-platform gaming with Apple Arcade
- Apple launches Apple Card, a credit card for iPhones
- Apple News Plus launched with focus on privacy
- T-Series takes the crown of number 1 channel on YouTube from PewDiePie, but only for few hours


Footage of the Lee County Education Foundation press conference announcing The Head of Class Project.
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Remember Ken Jennings? He is the software engineer who won $3,172,700 on Jeopardy. He and fellow Jeopardy millionaire Brad Rutter famously lost to IBM’s Watson in a February 2011 matchup (video below).
You can imagine just how powerful a computer needs to be to process natural language and respond to unstructured queries faster than some of the world’s smartest human beings. Now, IBM wants to bring the power of Watson to consumer smartphones, so it is sponsoring a contest to collect ideas and will then help the winners build what could be the world’s smartest app:
The first phase will narrow the field to 25 finalists. Those finalists will receive access to the Watson API and sandbox so they can build a prototype to be judged in the second phase. From there, the top 5 finalists will pitch their concepts to a panel of IBM judges in a live session. The judges will then determine three winners who will have IBM mentoring support and sandbox access to build the next Watson-powered app.
IBM is accepting submissions until March 31, 2014.
To give you an idea of just how powerful the technology is, Watson is already helping doctors make decisions about cancer treatments. Don Melanson explains on Engadget:
IBM, along with WellPoint, Inc. and Memorial Sloan-Kettering, have today announced what they describe as the "first commercially developed Watson-based cognitive computing breakthroughs." More specifically, they've developed a system that allows Waston to draw on a wealth of medical information and quickly provide evidence-based treatment recommendations to doctors.
And we do mean a wealth of information; as IBM explains, Watson has spent the last year digesting more than 600,000 pieces of medical evidence and two million pages of text from 42 medical journals, and it has the ability to parse some 1.5 million patient records covering decades of cancer treatment history.
The potential for governments to use this technology in law enforcement, 311 and libraries is endless. Whose idea will win out? Enter here. And check out Watson taking on Ken Jennings, below.


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The season came to an end Sunday for the Chadron FNBO Senior Nationals as they lost to Gering 4-1 in an elimination game at the American Legion B7 area tournament.
In Sunday’s other game, Alliance shutout host Ogallala 5-0 to advance to the Championship Game Tuesday at 5:30. Alliance has yet to give up a run after shutting out Chadron 8-0 on Friday and having a bye on Saturday.
Alliance will play the winner of tonight’s 6:00 game between Ogallala and Gering, who also met on Saturday with Ogallala winning 10-2.
The Sheridan County Security First Regulators will have to come back through the elimination bracket to win the C7 Area Tournament after losing 7-5 to Valentine on Sunday.
The Regulators, the tournament host, had only 4 hits and scored all 5 of their runs in the 2nd inning to take a 5-3 lead, but Valentine scored 4 times in the 4th for the win.
Valentine advances to Tuesday’s championship game while Sheridan County plays Imperial Monday night at 6:00 at the Modisett Ball Park In Rushville. Imperial eliminated Bridgeport 15-7 Sunday after losing to the Regulator 13-5 on Saturday.


...or how I learned to stop worrying and start a Blog
1951 ... 'Windscale' Britains Atomic Bomb disaster
... 2 hour documentary on Britain's rush to develop it's own atomic weapons and the near disaster at it's plutonium manufacturing plant.
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The Trindade Island incident is one of ufology’s most famous photographic cases because of its circumstances and the official interest it received from Brazilian authorities.
In the Open Minds archives, which were passed on by Lt Col. Wendell Stevens, There are several photographs and other items that document this event.
These photos’ all have this “APRO” copyright stamp on the back and this envelope looks as if it is what the original images were sent in.
Well-known civilian photographer, Almiro Barauna, took the pictures. He took the photo while onboard the Brazilian Navy training ship Almirante Saldanha, which was conducting research for the International Geophysical Year at the island of Trindade in the South Atlantic Ocean. Many officers, sailors, and civilians on the ship confirmed the sighting of a UFO, and while the navy investigated the case, it was initially kept secret. But when the dossier reached Brazil’s President Juscelino Kubitschek, he released it to the press and the photos made worldwide headlines.
- UFO and secret alien base reports found in declassified U.S. Forest Service documents
- Cheryl Costa – UFOs by the Numbers – April 10, 2017
- Exclusive full interview of former Arizona governor discussing his Phoenix Lights UFO sighting (Video)
- The disappearance of the UK’s “most spectacular” UFO photo
- Kurt Russell alleges he witnessed famous Phoenix UFO event (VIDEO)
- Documentary on alien implants convinces filmmaker topic not so crazy
- Charles Lamoureux – New Canadian UFO Documentary – July 10, 2017
- Indiana witness illustrates UFO moving overhead
- Report of UFO over nuclear plant in Nebraska found in recently declassified documents
- Robert Powell – USS Nimitz UFO Encounter – October 24, 2017


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Dear KLA leaders,
¡Hola! ¡Bienvenidos a la clase de español! I'm Ms. Muñoz and I am so excited to be your Spanish teacher this year!
Let me tell you a little about myself. I am originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where I taught middle school Spanish for 12 years! This will be my 3rd year teaching Spanish at KLA. I have both a Bachelor and Master's degree in Education and Spanish. I enjoy traveling and have traveled to numerous Spanish-speaking countries including: Colombia, Perú, Dominican Republic, México, as well as many other countries around the world. Besides traveling, some of my other hobbies include dancing, reading, cooking and exercising.
I look forward to meeting all of you!
Check out the secondary electives website for more information about each elective!

domain: hobby


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With a US$299 (P3 000) per night accommodation cost in some of the primed tourists sites in Botswana locals have often been left out of enjoying the beauty of their country. However, some insist that the cost is worth it due to the incredible beauty of the area and the fact that the environment needs to be conserved. ONTAMETSE SUGAR reports
There is no doubt that Botswana is soaring as a tourist destination, attracting elite travellers to the Okavango Delta, Chobe and other areas. But one thing that the tourism providers have shown is that beauty does not come cheap, as most people from areas surrounding these nice places do not even have the money to afford to see them. Savuti, Khwai and Linyanti are three of the elegant campsites that draw in the elite from abroad, but do not come cheap for a regular Motswana. Bookings here are exclusively done in US Dollars. Rachel Mbulawa, the daughter of one of the owners of the campsites, explained the reasons behind the heavy pricing structure. Savuti, Khwai and Linyanti are unique campsites in prime national parks. These tented campsites have services that a hotel does, though not on a permanent structure because they also have to make sure that they do not impact the environment anyhow. “It is just a hotel in the middle of nowhere but just that canvas was used, but when inside there is no much difference or it is even better than the one on a permanent structure, she said.
On what makes them exceptional and quite attractive to many even though most Batswana regard them as expensive, Mbulawa said it is their model that makes them exclusive, because they are in the middle of nowhere and in a place that is not tapped on. “Imagine coming all the way to the middle of nowhere and there is so much to see, wildlife around you and nature, and that is why most people will assume it is expensive,” she said. She said clients appreciate more what they see and that is why they never have a problem with the fee. Their client base is mostly from European countries which are Germany, UK, Netherlands and a little bit of Australia and the American market. She said they are beginning to have locals turning up to enjoy their product, which is something that they have always wanted. They strive to offer high quality and this has resulted with most people believing that campsites are foreign-owned. She revealed that they are regulated by Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), and hence do not just price as they wish.
Savuti has proven to be very popular and Mbulawa said it is because the camp is very attractive. The BBC World and National Geographic Channel have run documentaries on it. “This is where you can see a lot of species of animals,” she said. It hosts different leopards, lions, Zebras and buffaloes. She said there are paintings that show that Basarwa must have stayed there. She said that is a match that anyone always loves to see because it is animals in their nature where one can see lions on the prowl and even coming closer to their prey. She urged Batswana to come and see these places. For a Motswana it takes P100 to get in for camping and they can always go to different places that are affordable. She said when someone wants to sleep at Savuti they have the cheapest room at a citizen price of US $299 per night, which she does not think is very expensive. “Batswana should just come and see these places, they will realise it is worth it,” she said.
The minister of Tourism Tshekedi Khama hailed the high value-low impact product that Botswana offers, saying it minimises the flow of people to places of high value. He said there are places in Botswana that are so unique with no other place that is like them in the world. “This is the diversity of the products that Botswana wants to offer. It is about conservation, conservation, conservation,” he reiterated. He added that he does not think Botswana is expensive at all but it is because of the offerings that the country has while conserving the ecosystem.

domain: travel


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Chronic lung abscess
Acute Lung abscess - limited cavityformed as a result of purulent fusion of the lung tissue. Pathogen - various microorganisms (usually Staphylococcus aureus). Characteristically reduction of general and local immune function due to entering the lungs and bronchial foreign bodies, mucus, vomit - in alcoholic intoxication, after a convulsive seizure or unconscious. Contribute to chronic diseases and infections (diabetes, blood diseases), violation of the drainage function of bronchi, long-term use of glucocorticoids, cytotoxic drugs and immunosuppressants.
Chronic lung abscess - a long-termsuppurative the current process, which is the outcome of an acute abscess. If lung abscess is not completed within 2 months, it becomes chronic.
Transition Causes of acute to chronic abscess may be divided into two groups:
Conditional features of the pathological process:
- very large, a diameter of 6 cm, the cavity in the lung
- the presence of seizures in the cavity
- poor conditions for drainage (narrow tortuous draining bronchus; move out of the cavity, starting in the upper part), the localization of abscess in the lower lobe
- sluggish reaction to the inflammatory process
Caused by errors in the treatment of the patient:
- later started antibiotic therapy
- small doses of antibiotics, antibiotic sensitivity, excluding flora
- insufficient use of measures aimed at improving conditions for the drainage of abscess
- insufficient use of restorative therapeutic agents
Symptoms of chronic lung abscess
Against the background of the common symptoms of acute and chronicabscesses, such as tachycardia, asymmetrical breathing movements of the chest, loosening respiratory noise, mixed wet rales, breath amforicheskogo with good drainage of the abscess cavity, three-layer sputum: yellow mucus, watery layer, and pus (at the bottom).
For chronic lung abscess is characterized byPeriodic exacerbation of purulent process. In remission: paroxysms of barking cough, increase in the number of purulent sputum with a change in body position, possibly hemoptysis, severe fatigue, weight loss, increased sweating.
Illness flows in cycles, with periodicacute exacerbations of fever, an increase in the amount of a typical three-layer sputum. The duration of the stages depends on how the functions are preserved draining bronchus and oporozhnyaemosti abscess cavity.
In the long possible complications: cachexia, bronchiectasis (bronchiectasis with regard to inflammation), pulmonary fibrosis (growth of connective tissue scar), emphysema (increased airiness of lung tissue), pulmonary hemorrhage, respiratory failure, amyloidosis (protein amyloid deposition), internal organs, brain abscess, and others.
There are two basic types of course of chronic abscesses.
The first type. The acute stage is completed clinicalpatient recovery or significant improvement. The patient was discharged from hospital with a normal body temperature. After discharge, the condition remains satisfactory, and the patient often starts to work. However, after a certain 'period again increased body temperature, cough increases. After 7-12 days there is an abscess drained, the body temperature drops. Subsequently exacerbation become longer and more frequent. Developing phenomenon of purulent bronchitis, growing intoxication and associated degenerative changes in the organs.
The second type. The acute period without pronounced remission enterschronic stage. The disease occurs with hectic fever. Patients secrete a large number of purulent sputum, dividing when standing on three layers. Rapidly evolving and growing severe intoxication, leading to exhaustion and a general degeneration of parenchymal organs. Often this type of disease occurs when multiple lung abscesses. Patients distinctive look: they are pale, sallow skin color, mucous membranes cyanotic, there is puffiness of the face, swelling appear on the feet and lower back related to protein starvation and impaired renal function. Rapidly growing pulmonary heart disease from which patients die.
In chronic abscess may develop the same complications that are inherent in the acute period of the disease.

domain: medical


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- Modern Market Eatery will open its first drive-thru restaurant for the brand in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Friday, the company said in an email to Restaurant Dive.
- In addition to a drive-thru, the restaurant will offer dine-in and delivery and serve the brand’s full menu, including its winter menu that launched on Nov. 1 with eight new dishes.
- The company owned-unit is the third Modern Market in the Colorado Springs market and is likely to be the first of many drive-thru locations the chain anticipates developing in the future.
Modern Market, which has over 30 units, is aggressively franchising and signed its first franchise deal last year for 41 units across 11 new markets. Rob McColgan, Modern Market co-founder and president, previously told Restaurant Dive that he expects that more than 71 units Modern Market units will be open or under development within six years.
Drive-thru locations are expected to “handle the increasing volume of take-out orders,” McColgan said in a statement. The drive-thru employs a traditional set up with a speaker box, digital menu boards and order confirmation screen, Chris Cheek, chief development officer of Modern Market, said in an email to Restaurant Dive.
This restaurant, located at 3015 New Center Point, Suite 100, is the brand’s third unit to use a double-sided assembly setup that “allows for quicker prep times, meaning guests wait less for their fresh, made-to-order meals,” according to the press release. This assembly model was originally developed in a high-volume restaurant and was so successful that Modern Market decided to incorporate it into more stores.
Because of the use of the double-sided production line and equipment stack, Modern Market didn’t need to adapt its menu for the drive-thru channel since this setup allows for “some of the fastest ticket times in our category,” Cheek said.
“Today, many guests will make restaurant decisions based on convenience. All limited-service restaurants must meet this customer demand,” Cheek said. “In addition, we feel as if a drive-thru gives us yet another point of meaningful differentiation. We don't feel that there is another brand currently that is delivering food of our quality, flavor, and freshness through a drive-thru.
The chain doesn’t plan to include drive-thrus in all its future restaurants, but the results of the drive-thru location will influence how it thinks about sites with room for drive-thrus in the future, Cheek said. He added that its current restaurants are leased and tend to be part of multi-tenant development sites so adding a drive-thru to existing location would not work, and drive-thrus would only be considered for new locations.
The new restaurant also will have a “Mini Market” merchandise area offering diners various locally made products, like Switchback Coffee Roasters coffee, Bibamba Chocolates and Scratch Labs’ sports nutrition products as well as Modern Market hats, mugs and more, the company said.


So says Rupert Gavin, CEO of Odeon & UCI Cinemas, speaking on BBC radio. Odeon is spending £70 million ($107 million) converting screens to digital. Odeon expects to have 500 digital projects installed by the end of summer, with Cats & Dogs and Step Up 3 still to come on 3D.
Odeon’s also holding a 3D live fashion show for Ozwald Boeteng at its flagship Leicester Square site in September. Sashaying up and down the catwalk will be beamed live to other cinemas in Paris, Milan and Tokyo. I’ve always felt a bit sceptical when I hear multiplex operators tub-thumping cinemas as conference venues but live 3D does sound innovative. I’m guessing those 3D sunglasses look enough like Wayfarers to satisfy the fashionistas.
There will be 15,300 digital 3D screens worldwide by the end of this year. This compares with 8,989 3D screens at the end of 2009. So says Screen Digest in its latest report, Digital Cinema Moves Into the Mainstream. Sixty per cent of the world’s digital screens will be 3D by Christmas. There will be 25,600 digital screens compared with 16,335 in 2009 – a rise of 57%.
Frantic building of 3D will come too late for distributors this summer though. I predict sharp elbows in the UK this August, with Hollywood releases pushing each other out of the way for precious 3D screen space.
August 6-8 is the crunch weekend. Warner Bros will have just released Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, while Universal debuts Step Up 3D. But Disney’s Toy Story 3 will still only be on its third weekend. One exhibitor tells me studios should brace themselves for sharp drop-offs.
With all the 3D screen building going on, too few screens will not be an issue next summer. Odeon and Cineworld both say 40-45% of their screens will have gone digital 3D. But will audiences have grown bored of the gimmick by then?


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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 30, 2001
By Steve Newton
The Black Crowes are one of the most popular retro-minded bands around, so when they hooked up with guitar legend Jimmy Page last year to tour the U.S. and record a live album, it was like a dream come true for many classic-rock fans. But performing with the Led Zeppelin cofounder wasn’t something that the Crowes’ Rich Robinson had been fantasizing about for a long time.
“It just sort of happened,” the guitarist explains from a tour stop in Fargo, North Dakota. “That’s what was so cool about it. You know, we’d actually known Jimmy for a long time. We had toured with Robert Plant in 1990 in one of our first arena opening tours, and a coupla years later he brought Jimmy to see us at the Royal Albert Hall. We really hit it off, and a week later Jimmy flew in to see us at a show in Paris, and he got up and played a coupla songs.”
The Black Crowes went on to open on the South American leg of the Page & Plant reunion tour, and in ’99 Page asked them to join him on-stage at a charity show, where they would perform some Zep tunes, a few blues standards, and a couple of Crowes tracks. The rest was retro-rock history.
“We learned the songs at sound check,” Robinson recalls, “and it was so natural, it was just so easy for us. We fit with the music and vice versa. So we said, ‘Hey, let’s do some shows in the States,’ and we did six shows in the States, and everyone was so psyched about it we made a record.”
Originally available only over the Internet, the double-disc Jimmy Page & the Black Crowes Live at the Greek pulled in enough dot-com action to go gold in the States. The Crowes—who have sold more than 17 million albums worldwide—followed it up with their sixth studio CD, Lions, which introduced former Cry of Love guitarist Audley Freed. Freed wasn’t given the opportunity to get many licks in on Lions, though.
“He plays a couple of leads,” notes Robinson, “but we just didn’t want too heavy a guitar record—we really wanted it to have a lot of space. We wanted everything to sort of stand out, and have Eddie, our keyboard player, come more to the forefront.”
Freed joined the Black Crowes just after they finished recording 1999’s By Your Side CD. That was the first album on which Robinson played all the guitars himself, having previously relied on Marc Ford and, before that, Jeff Cease to help out. But he wasn’t too concerned about going it alone. “It’s just sort of what I do,” says the cocky rocker, who writes almost all of the band’s material with his older brother, vocalist Chris Robinson. “You know, no one knows the songs better than me, so I’m pretty comfortable with handling the guitars. It’s not a big deal to me.”
For the tour that brings the Black Crowes to the Orpheum Theatre on Friday (August 31), Robinson has seen fit to pass on more of the guitar-playing duties to Freed. The two pickers had lots of time to get tightened up on a recent European tour with Neil Young and, before that, a much-publicized North American tour with Oasis. Since that band’s Liam and Noel Gallagher are famous for their violent squabbles—and the Robinson brothers have been known to go at it themselves—it may have been wishful thinking that caused the jaunt to be labelled the Tour of Brotherly Love. But no one actually suffered from a brotherly beating. “We really had a blast doin’ that,” says Robinson. “They were cool, and everyone got along.”
The Black Crowes are one Yankee band that can’t seem to get enough of British rock groups. As well as owing much to the likes of Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, they’ve been heavily influenced by the likes of the Faces and Humble Pie. Chris Robinson even paid tribute to Steve Marriott by donning a Humble Pie T-shirt for the photo that graced the back cover of last year’s greatest-hits CD.
“Well, they were a great band,” says Robinson. “We all really loved Humble Pie and stuff. But music as a whole was our influence, you know, where music came from. I mean, we love all kinds of music, from jazz and bluegrass to country blues to rock ’n’ roll music and where it’s come from and where it could go. We’ve just always been big fans of that.”

domain: artistic


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Clarkston Community Council minute - 5 February 2020 (Adobe pdf documents)https://eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/media/1939/Clarkston-Community-Council-minute-5-February-2020/pdf/Clarkston_Community_Council_Minutes_-_5th_February_2020.pdf?m=637341335033270000
02/03/2020 1 Clarkston Community Council February Meeting Minutes Date: Wednesday 5th February 2020 Time: 7pm to 8.45pm Venue: Clarkston Community Halls Attende...
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Clarkston Community Council Wednesday 3rd February 2021 Agenda 1. Welcome and apologies 2. Meeting Minutes for January 3. Police Scotland Report 4. CCC Business...
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Clarkston Community Council Minutes Wednesday 2nd February 2022 7 – 9pm via Zoom Item Notes Attendance 1. Welcome & Apologies In attendance: PC Members: Rebecca...


Manatee County (Fla.) Fleet Services has been awarded the 2015 Fleet Master Award by Construction Equipment and the Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP). Mike Brennan, CEM, accepted the award during AEMP’s Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla. This was Manatee's third Fleet Master Award.
Manatee County displayed impressive employee training and education. Its team has many ASE-certified crew members, along with many other specialized training certifications from OEMs. In the past year, Manatee County exhibited superior management of resources, which saved the county time and financial resources. Manatee also has a selection of electric, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles, and applies well-planned preventative maintenance and superior equipment management processes.
“The Fleet Master award recognizes equipment professionals who demonstrate excellence in meeting the unique challenges inherent to delivering cost-effective and cutting-edge management of mixed fleets of on-road and off-road equipment,” said Rod Sutton, Construction Equipment’s editorial director. “Nominees are judged according to five major areas within their operation: finance, information management, policies, controls, and customer service.
Construction Equipment and AEMP have been acknowledging outstanding fleets with the Fleet Master award since 2004. The two organizations created the award to recognize the impacts professional fleet managers have on the heavy-equipment sector.


How to Renew Your Vehicle Registration in Oregon
You need to get a car registration renewal in Oregon every two years, as this registration allows the government to approve your vehicle for public roads. You can get your Oregon DMV registration renewal online, and this is the most popular method due to its convenience. However, you may choose to get your registration in person or via mail, if you prefer.
Requirements for Car Registration Renewal in Oregon
Before you can pay your Oregon DMV registration renewal fees, you must have the proper level of automobile insurance. This is the same insurance required when you initially register, which means you need:
- Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Insurance.
- Personal Injury Protection.
- Uninsured Motorist Bodily Insurance.
- Underinsured Motorist Coverage.
Most cars will also need to get a DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) inspection, which is a type of vehicle emissions inspection intended to make sure all automobiles in Oregon meet environmental guidelines. Exceptions are given to vehicles with a model year that is 2016 or newer.
Leased car registration renewal requirements are the same, unless your name is not on the registration. In that case, the vehicle’s owner needs to give you power of attorney before you can renew.
What do you need to renew your car registration in Oregon?
To renew your registration, you need to have either a renewal notice or an Application for Registration, Renewal, Replacement or Transfer of Plates and/or Stickers. Acceptable forms of payment vary based on which renewal method you choose.
Oregon Vehicle Registration Renewal Notice
The Oregon DMV reminds you of your DMV registration renewal status shortly before your registration is set to expire. The notice that it sends contains your renewal access code, which is required to renew online, as well as other important registration information. Though you do not need this notice, it is designed to make the renewal process easier.
Oregon Car Registration Renewal Notice Lost or Not Received
If you lost your car registration renewal notice or never received one, you will need to contact the DMV in order to renew online. Alternately, you can renew in person or via mail.
To do so, you will need to submit the Application for Registration, Renewal, Replacement or Transfer of Plates and/or Stickers. This application will require you to submit information that is also on your renewal notice, such as your title and registration number.
This is not a lost car registration renewal form, but it will allow you to change the address that is on file with the DMV. That way, if the DMV is sending your renewal notice to the wrong address, you can ensure that you receive your notice at the right address for your next registration.
Oregon Car Registration Renewal Options
Understanding how to renew a car registration in Oregon means understanding the three different renewal methods. Each of these methods has its own advantages, with the online option allowing you to renew conveniently from home, and mail-in renewal allowing you to renew from home without a computer. The in-person renewal option allows you to work through any issues that could be preventing your application from being accepted.
How to Renew Your Car Registration Online
To renew a car registration online in Ohio, you will need to use the Oregon DMV’s online portal. The portal will ask you for your vehicle title and registration numbers, as well as a renewal access code. This information can be found on your renewal notice. You will then need to have proof of insurance. This means you must be able to provide your insurance policy number.
To pay for a vehicle registration renewal online, you can use either a debit or credit card. You will not be able to renew online if:
- The address on your vehicle renewal notice is different than your current mailing address.
- There are issues with your DEQ inspection. This could mean your vehicle failed the inspection or that the system incorrectly states that your vehicle needs an inspection.
- You need to renew an expired registration that is more than 75 days past its expiration date.
How to Renew Your Car Registration by Mail
To apply for your Oregon motor vehicle registration renewal via mail, you can send your renewal notice to the DMV. If you do not have the notice, you may also fill out an Application for Registration, Renewal, Replacement or Transfer of Plates and/or Stickers. This application requires you to submit the following information:
- Vehicle model year
- Vehicle weight
- Current registration information
You must also submit information about yourself and any co-owners or lessees.
If you renew your Oregon registration by mail, you can only pay the fees with a check or a money order. Mail the application and payment to the following address:
DMV Vehicle Mail 1905 Lana Ave NE Salem, OR 97314
If your vehicle needs an inspection, you must get the inspection before submitting your mail-in renewal.
How to Renew Your Car Registration in Person
When deciding where to renew your car registration in person, you have two options. You can renew:
- At your DEQ emissions test location
- At a DMV office
In order to get your renewal at a DEQ location, you need to have your renewal notice. Motorists who own newer vehicles and do not need an emissions test will also not be able to use this method.
The process of renewing at a DMV office is similar to renewing by mail. You can bring a vehicle registration renewal notice or a filled-out Application for Registration, Renewal, Replacement or Transfer of Plates and/or Stickers. You will need to have proof of insurance. You can pay the renewal fees a debit card, a credit card, a check or cash.
Most Oregon car registration renewal offices are open Monday through Friday. Some offices have different operating hours, and they will sometimes close due to bad weather. Before you go to renew your car registration, you should call to make sure your local Oregon DMV office is open.
Military & Out of State Vehicle Registration Renewal in Oregon
Active service members need to renew their car registrations in Oregon using the same process available to civilians. You cannot drive with an expired vehicle registration, regardless of your military status, and active service members are encouraged to use the online renewal method if they are not currently in the state.
That said, you may apply for an exemption on your vehicle’s emissions inspection if you bought your vehicle while serving in the military outside the state. To qualify, you will need to submit the Declaration of Exemption from the Oregon Low Emission Vehicle Requirement. Disabled veterans or prisoners of war are not required to pay county registration fees, though they are still required to pay state registration fees.
Oregon Vehicle Registration Renewal Fees
The car registration renewal cost in Oregon is consistent regardless of the weight of your car. While the state registration fee remains the same for all passenger vehicles, some counties charge an extra fee.
- The state of Oregon charges $112 for a two-year vehicle registration.
- Washington County charges $30 for each year that the vehicle is registered, on top of the state registration fee.
- Multnomah County charges $19 for each year that the vehicle is registered, on top of the state registration fee.


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Just a few days after anointing a new chief executive, Cisco revealed fiscal third quarter financial results after the bell on Wednesday.
The networking giant reported a net income of $2.4 billion, or 47 cents per share (statement).
Non-GAAP earnings were 54 cents per share on top of a revenue of $12.1 billion, up five percent year-over-year.
Wall Street was looking for earnings of 53 cents per share with $12.07 billion in revenue.
Cisco CFO Kelly Kramer gushed about the positive results in the report, remarking, "I feel great about the quarter. We executed well and the strategy is working.
Kramer attributed the better-than-expected results to a "good balance again across our portfolio," highlighting earnings per share grew faster than revenue.
John Chambers, who held the CEO title at Cisco for the last 20 years, uttered similar exuberant comments in the report, arguing Cisco is "pulling away from our competition using the same formula we've always used: integrating our industry-leading products in every category into architectures and solutions that deliver real outcomes."
When the transition is complete, Chambers will assume the role of executive chairman, focusing on Cisco's role in country digitization.
Chuck Robbins, Cisco's senior vice president of worldwide field operations, will take the helm effective July 26. Robbins did not provide comment for the third quarter report.
For the current quarter, Wall Street expects Cisco to finish off its fiscal year with $12.59 billion in Q4 revenue and earnings of 56 cents per share.


Israel expects a record appearance of voters on elections to Duma
TEL - ABIB, 4 deck - News. Tel - Abib expects a record appearance 4 Israel the Russian voters on elections in the State Duma, the ambassador of the Russian Federation in Israel Sergey Jakovlev has informed News.
According to embassy, more than 4,51 thousand persons from an order 150 thousand diasporas of compatriots at present have voted. " we count that upon termination of the working day the number voted considerably will increase and will beat the previous indicators of activity of voters which reached 8 thousand persons " - Jakovlev has told.
As the Russian diplomat has informed, in connection with increase in a tourist`s stream from Russia on the Israeli coast of Red sea this year the decision to open additional polling district in the resort city of Eilat was accepted. In total in Israel 13 polling districts in the cities of Haifas, as Karmiel, Natseret - Illit, Hadera, Netanija, Tel - Abib, Rishon le - Tsion, Jerusalem, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Beer - Sheva, Arad, Eilat work.
" At present data on infringements did not arrive. Voting passes in a regular mode " - the ambassador has informed.
the Russians who are in territory of Gaza Strip and the West Bank of Jordan, have taken part in elections past Friday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia in June has opened in Gaza Strip consular point 4 the help to fellow citizens which from - for blockade have appeared cut off from the native land and representation of the Russian Federation on the West Bank of Jordan. To vote in consular point in the city of Gaza 70 Russians while on the West Bank of Jordan 50 persons have voted nearby have come.


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Trust me, I wanna see that too.
It’s probably because “quirky” young girls who read episode like thrilling bad boys. And the shy gullible girl who falls for the mafia leader is very similar to the girls reading these stories. Yes it’s disgusting because it means they will let their partner off with a lot because thats what it was like in a episode story so it must be “normal”. But i guess its a cliche that does well
“Strong female characters” should be female characters with strong character development. Too often they are just as Mary Sue-ish as the damsel in distress characters. They can “keep up with the boys” and do things like roll their eyes and say “whatever,” but those are pretty cheap ways of suggesting “strength.” Shy characters can still be complex and even strong. So I definitely agree with you, but I also find it tiresome when MC’s are constantly in need of rescuing by some bad boy who treats her like garbage until it suits him to be decent.
I wish more people focused on developing nuanced characters first and then let the romance stem realistically from that. Instead I think the issue might be prioritizing the contrived romantic drama and just letting the cardboard Mary Sue do whatever works best for reader projection from scenario to scenario.
MC is mad at the LI for some petty jealous reason so she gets drunk at a party and LI proves what a nice guy he actually is by taking a break from vague gang business to carry her home. That’s could be one of 100+ Episode MCs. What drives her? Does she care about anything other than the fact she thinks she saw LI kissing some other girl? What makes her psychologically real? If her only objective is “hot dude” and her only obstacle is “he’s a scary jerk (but even that’s kind of hot),” I’m not going to care, and if that’s the only source of the tension between the two leads, I’m definitely not reading it.
That does seem to be enough of a draw for a lot of people. I guess everyone’s different.
This is literally the best idea I’ve heard in a while
Its a wonder all these authors aren’t suing each other for copyright breaking or plagiarism of their stories and sh*t.
Like, the plots of their stories are so synonymous with each other… its just so sad to know that these famous authors lack in creativity. I mean, don’t you think we should come up with something new other than copying the same thing every time? Ahem, ahem, MissMj and LadyDianna…
Moved to Episode Fan Community since this is about Episode stories. Make sure to check out our Forum Tutorial for more info about where to correctly create topics, and feel to PM me if there are any questions.
yes episode romanticises everything, i mean, mafia gang leaders are essentially murderers, but episode turns it into some sexy fantasy and honestly i just don’t get it. like i understand everyone has different types of stories their interested in and no i don’t think that people shouldn’t write these stories if they want, i just think that other stories that aren’t focused on a bad guy and innocent girl should be brought forward. becuase whenever i’m looking for a story, the descriptions are all VERY similar. even the thumbnails are close in appearance.
yes absolutely. it’s so unrealistic. it always starts with a nerdy shy girl who gets noticed by the popular guy and they fall in love and get married.
yes i feel as though each main character and love interest in ever story are exactly the same. they all act the same way. whereas if you read a book, each character is it’s own person, it’s like you know them. but when i’m reading episode stories it feels like the same two people put in slightly different scenarios.
and as for a powerful female lead, i’m not talking about a girl that just slaps the guy for no reason, or is rude to him, that isn’t empowering that’s just being plain rude.
i’m talking about a main lead who doesn’t fall head over heals over the first guy she meets, and when he first appears in the episode there isn’t a whole paragraph on how hot he is. i actually love stories where none of it is centred around each other’s appearances. i hate reading a story and the MC just talks about how hot and sexy someone is and gets so flustered looking at him. because in real life, if you saw someone that sexy you’d probably just think “hmm he’s fit” then move on with your life.
Honestly it would help stories with originality get the attention they deserve!
Like, don’t get me wrong i like a bit of romance in the stories i read. Like the books i read, the Slated trilogy and the Contagion trilogy (if you’ve heard of them). One is about an antimatter virus taking over the UK and one is about a future where people’s minds are wiped- yet they always include a bit of romance around characters, but the whole book isn’t focused on that. I wish people wrote episode stories more like books, because right now they kind of remind me of fam fiction and i cringe with almost every story i read.
i feel as though when some people write an episode story they just get so excited to get the romance started and forget to actually thoroughly create their characters. i feel like whenever i start an episode, the first thing that happens is you create yourself and your LI, without even knowing anything about them. and the whole story is about how they act around each other. never acting as a character themselves if you get me?
The best story that i have read with its main focus not being romance, is Galactic Game by Lucky. It’s honestly great.
Mafia stories and bad boy stories have always been a thing tbh. All I want is my deep compelling characters with heart wrenching angst god damnit.
I think that most authors write stories like that because 1) it’s easy and 2) it “sells”.
You don’t need to think about any of the character’s traits when writing such a story because you already know that the target audience ( some weird teenagers) wants a “weak” girl and a “hot” guy. You only have to add some kissing and making out and the readers will like it even when the guy doesn’t treat the MC right. They just don’t care as long as the guy is hot and rich, I guess.
I’m actually thinking about adding a bad boy as a “LI” in a story I’m working on and instead of falling for him the MC will call him out for his behaviour because I’m very annoyed by these bad boy and mafia clichés and maybe the people will start to think about how wrong these romance stories are.
Exactly what i’ve been trying to say, but in much better words. Thankyou!! I guess it’s the same with the media- Sex sells. And unfortunately, rude, hot, dangerous boys chased by innocent girls who usually haven’t ‘had their first kiss’ is the trending topic on episode. I guess it’s because that’s the type of content that gives younger, impressionable teenagers butterflies and makes them swoon over. I, as a 17 teen year old would rather read a story with a real plot and story line. I feel as though most episode stories look like the writer has just written it as they go a long and not really thought through it first.
It is true that these types of stories are easy to write and for some reason very popular, and a lot of the time the writers are good at what they are writing. Very punctual and write as if it were a book, it’s the content that just doesn’t fit. If only these talented writers could write something unique, and different, and take their time to write a really good, gripping story, rather than following the cliché
I agree with all of you. I personally want a story that is based on how we act in real life, not who we act like in our fantasies. In real life, you could fall in love with a mafia leader (or be totally terrified of him), but he more than likely won’t like you and will just kill you. And normally, the “bad boy” won’t fall for a “nerd”, he’ll fall for some other rich girl or is gay. Episode is more of a way for people (authors) to express how they want their life to be. Not how they are. Episode reflects on dreams, not reality which (not to be selfish or anything) kinda bugs me.

domain: literature


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‘Grow It Local’ partnership continues to flourish
Published 26 September 2023
Avid green thumbs and beginner gardeners across Moreton Bay are connecting like never before, thanks to an initiative bringing those growing backyard produce together online and face-to-face.
Since its launch in July 2021, Moreton Bay’s ‘Grow It Local’ platform has attracted almost 1400 members, making it the largest membership of any local government area in Australia.
Acting Mayor Jodie Shipway said Council was thrilled to announce it is continuing this partnership for an additional two years.
“This partnership is another way Council is living up to our mantra of ‘Going Green as We Grow’, by hosting hands-on events that bring the community together to share their passion for gardening and local food,” she said.
“Grow It Local has proven to be the root of gardening things fun and interactive, providing a fertile ground where green thumbs and home-grown food fans can connect, share valuable tips, and learn from experienced professionals.
“By registering your patch, you can showcase your flourishing garden and connect with other local growers to share your fantastic produce, knowledge, space or skills.
"Fear not, this is an active and welcoming community of local green thumbs that’s open to gardeners of all levels, whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting your gardening journey.
“There are also plenty of videos and ideas to kickstart your gardening adventures, available through their platform online.
"I really hope that like a local sporting club or community group, the Grow It Local concept will not only nurture local gardens but also help cultivate stronger social bonds and a sense of belonging among our residents.”
Grow it Local isn't just for individual enthusiasts - community organisations, schools, clubs, and businesses can also grow green.
Grow It Local hosts webinars and interactive Q&A sessions featuring renowned gardeners and chefs, providing an extensive range of digital resources and tools to support the community on their gardening journey.
To dig in, celebrate the joy of gardening, and find out more about Grow It Local events and activities in our region, visit the website.
To explore more opportunities to go green and live more sustainably, join City of Moreton Bay at Eco Fest, Saturday 30 September at Caboolture Town Square: Moreton Bay Eco Fest.

domain: sociology


Samsung is rumoured to be unveiling one or more Galaxy devices at its March press event
Samsung is expected to unveil the latest handset in its Galaxy range, the S4, at a press event in New York on March 14.
A report from technology news site The Verge said it had confirmation from sources that the Korean manufacturer is launching one or more new devices at the event.
Other devices which may be unveiled include Samsung’s latest tablet, the Galaxy Note 8.0.
It is rumoured the Galaxy S4 will have a higher screen resolution than its predecessor, use a quad core processor and run on Android 4.2.


Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been at the center of headlines lately thanks to their promotional circuit for ‘World War Z’. Brangelina have been doing their best to sell the movie, and to correct all the negative publicity that was surrounding it a couple of months ago. Lo and behold, they have succeeded – World War Z debuted to positive reviews, and sources say that the film is at least likely to break even.
So how do they celebrate? Well, it was Angelina Jolie’s 38th birthday, fresh off her recovery from her double mastectomy. Angelina, Brad, and the family attended the Berlin premiere of ‘World War Z’, and then all headed out to a private dinner. After the dinner, Brad and Angelina dropped the children off at their hotel and continued to the movie’s afterparty at the Soho House.
According to Radar Online, Angelina only stayed for an hour and Brad stayed until 2:30 in the morning. Now, calm down, Brangeloonies. We are not suggesting anything, although other outlets certainly are. Brad partying alone?! What does this mean?! It means that Angelina was tired, but World War Z was always Brad’s baby, and of course he was going to stay and hang out with his crew and cast. What’s the big deal? Oh, he should have dropped her off at the hotel, at least. Um, that’s what cabs are for!
Either way, Angelina seemed to have a great birthday and she got to spend it with her family, which is really what probably means the most to her. In addition, World War Z continues to track well, so overall, it’s a win for the Jolie-Pitt family. At this point, anyone thinking that Brad and Angelina are going to break up [at least in the near future] is erring on delusional, sorry to tell you.
Allie is Wired Talks About How Angelina Jolie Dealt With Her Birthday – CLICK HERE
Photo Credit: FameFlynet
If You Want More Hot Celeb Dirty Laundry News Then Please Like Us On Facebook and Follow Us On Twitter!


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Liberal journalists don't have a clue when reporting on religious topics. (Conservatives are not that much more sophisticated in their coverage, but for different reasons.) This writer, for example, didn't think twice about writing: "Then the Rev. Kym Lucas explained Communion and the collection — taking care to demystify the rituals for those who are new to church services..." Combining one of the church's holiest sacraments with the mundane collection of offerings for the church's work, is almost vile. And labeling both "rituals," well, that's just stupid. As for the subject of liberal religious organizations having new "activist" visitors... that's no surprise. They are spiritually empty. Sadly, they won't find much of eternal value in the places where they are searching.
I think Erick has a point. I will say that I find myself feeling a certain suspicion regarding "megachurches" and the like. I recall my father telling me about how one of his seminary professors would say "if you're in a church and the people are going after the preacher's sermons like pigs after slop, he's not preaching the Gospel." Even the Bible notes the bit about the wide and narrow ways. So, if, in this deeply sinful world and culture, some churches are thriving and some are dying, are we really sure that it's the thriving churches that are bringing the Word of God?
Erick pointed out on his radio show a few weeks ago that the problem in churches these days is that younger clergy don't preach church to the culture, but culture to the church. These folks flock to the most liberal to be reassured that what they already feel (not think, mind you) is really okay.


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Fall River Trail Extension
The Town of Estes Park will host an open house on the Fall River Trail Extension project Thursday, March 28 from 4 to 6p.m. at the United Methodist Church, 1509 Fish Hatchery Rd. The meeting will include an overview presentation at 4:15 p.m. followed by breakout sessions for the various segments of the trail, which are in various stages of planning and pre-construction. Residents, property owners and businesses along Fall River and Fish Hatchery Road, and anyone interested in receiving information on the status of this project is encouraged to attend. The 4:15 p.m. presentation will cover construction grant awards, schedule of upcoming construction for at least one segment of the trail, design updates, and proposed long-range schedule to complete the project.
Trail design is complete with the exception of a few specific alternative alignment areas, and the Town has made significant efforts to identify funding sources for construction. Partners helping to complete this project include the Estes Valley Recreation and Park District, Rocky Mountain National Park, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, the business community, outdoor recreation groups, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and many others.
The Town of Estes Park intends to construct a ten-foot wide 2.5-mile concrete extension that will connect the existing trail that ends west of Sleepy Hollow Court along Fall River and Fish Hatchery Roads to Rocky Mountain National Park at the Aspenglen Campground. This would be the first multimodal trail that connects downtown Estes Park with Rocky Mountain National Park.
Please continue to check this webpage for updates, or for more information contact the Town of Estes Park Public Works Department at 970-577-3587 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
In 2018, the Town of Estes Park received a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in the amount of $400,000 for the 2019 construction of the Fall River Trail extension. In addition to funds from the Estes Valley Recreation and Park District, the Town's Ballot Issue 1A sales tax and Larimer County Open Space fund, this grant funding will fund a portion of Fall River Trail from David Drive down Fish Hatchery Road to the Rocky Mountain National Park boundary. Construction of this portion of the trail is expected to occur in summer/fall 2019. The trail will be built within the public right of way.
The trail design is shown below. Trail alignments and design for the Fall River Trail have been completed with funds awarded through the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The Fall River Trail has been built in phases (2002 through 2010) and currently connects downtown Estes Park to the Fall River corridor near the Black Hawk Lodge. As funding is secured, the Town of Estes Park will construct the remainder of the multiuse trail, which will ultimately travel about 4.5 miles from downtown to Rocky Mountain National Park. For more information on the project, call the Public Works Department at 970-577-3587.

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Valentine's Day Special Menus & More
Offering Special 5- Course Menu $79.95 per person! 4pm-9pm Saturday & Sunday! (regular menu not available)
Petite Violette is MY go to restaurant. I am there a minimum of 4 times a month and enjoy each visit. The service is impeccable; food is fabulous and the French onion soup is beyond comparison with any restaurant in Atlanta as is the Creme Brulee!! This restaurant is my favorite as you can tell. I always made a reservation and have the same booth each visit. Wine list is excellent! There is nothing about Petite Violette that is not excellent and anyone who enjoys fine dining will enjoy an evening(orlunch) there.
Took our 3 teenage grandchildren who had never tasted french onion soup or mussels. They feel in love with both. We had tastings of the Petite Violette salad with hearts of palm which was excellent. Each ordered something different from the main menu and we all had a taste of each other's. Five thumbs up and smiles all around. The only complaint was that food was brought out too soon---before each of the dishes were finished.
No Bavarian platter or weiner schnitzel at lunch. Very sad
Eric was great! He gave great service and I definitely will be returning!
Always a delight to dine here. We enjoy trying a new wine each visit and the recommendations are spot on. We always stay late and vow to make an earlier reservation next time !
We had a beautiful dining experience! The restaurant was quaint and romantic, plus the food was incredible! We highly recommend this place for locals and tourists!
The waiter was extremely helpful in assisting the vegetarian in our group with food selection. The bread pudding was out of this world delicious!!!!
The restaurant is always amazing BUT last night not so much. The quality and size of steak not even close to what it normally is. Three of us ordered the filet and all of them were the same. Hope it was just an off night or a new chef.
Always a great experience, from the service to the food! Thank you!
Petite Violette never ceases to impress us. We have been there 5 times now and the food and service is *consistently* amazing! I wish I could say I've tried other main courses besides the Beef Wellington, but it is my absolute favorite dish and they make it better than anywhere I've ever had it! The French Onion soup is not to be missed and the Bread Pudding is amazing. My husband had the lamb and said it was also fabulous. You can't go wrong here!
We went for our belated anniversary. The atmosphere was inviting, the food exquisite, and the service impeccable. They made sure it was extra special. I also love this is off the beaten path so not a hectic experience with parking in traffic. I highly recommend.
Impeccable service! Food magnificent!
The NYEve dinner, 5 courses and sorbet, was a nice value. Our server - a young, tall, and slender African American gentleman (I forget his name!) was very gracious and attentive. Crab cake starter was excellent, as was lobster bisque and Beef Wellington. Hearts of palm salad was very good, though unusual with its inclusion of a small mound of mushrooms in a creamy dressing. We took home chocolate mousse cake desserts and enjoyed later. Wine pours are very generous - a nice change from many upscale places these days - and by-the-glass prices reasonable. The wine list is a bit limited, and for a traditional French restaurant seemed to give a heavy nod to California and New World wines. Overall, though, a very pleasant experience. Thank you for making the last evening of 2020 a memorable one.
Great food, service
GREAT French food! (I should know, I'm French!)
Quality products and thoughtful service.
Excellent food and service.
This is the best French onion soup I have ever tasted. The palm salad with mushrooms is outstanding. This is so affordable at lunch. Yum--on the mussels
This is one of my favorite restaurants. Food and service is excellent, and pricing is just right. I recommend you order the Petite Auberg salad with salmon and their French Onion soup. Delicious!
The food was amazing! Atmosphere was wonderful. Service was great!! Will eat there again.
Best classic French restaurant in Atlanta, hands down! Everything was delicious, especially the rack of lamb and scallops. Great value too for what you are getting, not inexpensive by any means but for the quality of food and service you receive it’s exceptional. And don’t leave without trying the bread pudding for dessert! We will be back for sure!!
Always excellent service and good food. Server was very professional yet friendly and attentive.
I have been going to Violette's since 1996, there has been a gap, but it is now back on my "Go-to" list, quality of food and service is wonderful! Its a nice place to relax with friends and family for a leisurely, unhurried meal.
Excellent dining and service. One of our favorite restaurants - and during these difficult times have always felt safe with distancing and very cautious staff. Fine dining as ever!
Absolutely excellent food!!!
Wonderful dinner and service!
It was a perfect birthday dinner. The dining room was inviting with white table cloths and candles on each table. Carson, our server, was very attentive and commended our choices of wines, appetizer (crab cakes), lobster and leeks crepe, and Coquilles St. Jacques entree. Everything was delicious, including the birthday bread pudding with ice cream to finish the meal.
Love this place. Wellington overcooked this time. Almost as if precooked. Pastry very limp and almost cool. Gotta watch this dish. It’s a signature. Still a very favorite place! Just will avoid this particular dish!
Excellent dining experience. We felt safe and protected from virus. Delicious food and good service.
Petite Violette is an excellent neighborhood restaurant with a variety of menu presentations to satisfy every taste. Never been disappointed.
Service and Food are always spot on! Great job to all!
Appreciated all the Covid protocols followed by the restaurant. Felt safe dining there. Had excellent service and very goo d food.
Excellent quaint neighborhood French restaurant with authentic bistro influenced feel. Always quality food with great service that we enjoy both take out and dine for that nice occasion. Great current social distancing and PPE guidelines strictly followed by the staff to allow for a comfortable experience under current global health restrictions.
Atlanta's best kept secret...I hate to share it! Authentic French cuisine. Miranda was a delightful server. Good pour on the wines.
Our family loves Petite Violette. With an excellent menu that delivers classic French food mixed with a few Bavarian favorites, there is something for everyone on the menu. The service is attentive in a great way. We feel very safe dining at Petite Violette; we are impressed with the COVID-19 safety precautions they are taking.
Delicious. Beef Wellington, my favorite, done just right. Very clean, and socially distanced. Crab cake appetizer wonderful. Will go back.
The food was delicious and nice presentation, too! Nice place to go for social or business luncheon. They practiced safe Covid 19 rules.
Great menu and great service. This was my first visit here, but I plan on returning to sample more of the menu.
Food was excellent, the wine was perfectly chill, the soup brought back memories, the crabs cake was perfectly shaped and the sauce that went along was amazing. Eat so much was no room for dessert. Definitely will be back.
This place never disappoints. Wonderful food and service every time.
We really enjoyed our lunch at Petite Violette. We were able to sit outdoors on the patio and socially distance from other diners. We were celebrating a birthday and the birthday dessert and the meal were very nice.
Petite Violette is rated 4.8 stars by 1854 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.

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Owning a home is one of the most important decisions you will make in your lifetime. It is an emotional and financial commitment that requires careful planning and consideration. If you are looking for a new home, there are certain things you should know about Myrtle Beach homes before deciding where to search. Here are some tips to help you find your dream home.
Some Things You Should Know About Myrtle Beach Homes
Myrtle Beach homes come in many different neighborhoods. Some of the most popular are North Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, Surfside Beach, and Garden City Beach. There are also some great communities on Hwy 17 like Litchfield Beach and Georgetown.
There’s a lot to consider when looking for your dream home. One thing you should know about myrtle beach new homes is that there are many different living options. You can find condos, townhomes, and single-family homes in all of the different Myrtle Beach neighborhoods.
If you’re seeking to buy a new home in Myrtle Beach, you have the choice of constructing with one of the local builders or purchasing a house that has already been constructed.
Alternatively, you might look for an oceanfront site and construct a new house from the ground up! Finally, the cost of a house will vary based on the amenities you want to add in it as well as where it is situated inside the city limits. Another thing to keep in mind regarding Myrtle Beach houses is that finding a property to rent might be difficult at times due to the strong demand for them.
Rental housing may be your best choice if you want to live near the beach or a golf course but cannot afford to own a condo or condominium of your own. However, make sure you do your homework before signing any contracts since there are a lot of frauds out there to be aware of!
Location Is Key
Choosing a location for your new home in Myrtle Beach is a crucial decision if you are relocating to the area. As most people are aware, Myrtle Beach is a popular tourist destination with a growing tourism industry. While this is beneficial to the local economy and creates a large number of employments, it might make it difficult for individuals to locate cheap homes.
Those migrating to Myrtle Beach and seeking for property should concentrate their efforts on locations outside the city borders, rather than inside them. Those who live north of Myrtle Beach or in the southern portion of Horry County will find a more inexpensive alternative with comparable facilities. Additionally, you may want to check at condominiums or townhouses for sale in these regions.
Upkeep for your new home
Homes in Myrtle Beach are often located on the beach or near golf courses, and both of these areas can require a lot of upkeep. If you purchase your home near a golf course, you will have to maintain the lawn. If you buy a home on the beach, you will need to be prepared for sand and ocean debris that can accumulate over time.


Color TFT Display
Part Number: TFT, TFTRD
Turn your monochrome mass flow meter into a color mass flow meter. Our backlit color displays are available on most of our instruments. The screen is the same size as the 160 x 128 pixel monochrome display at 2.1″ diagonal, but with a higher resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. A seventh touchpad button beneath the Alicat Scientific logo toggles the backlight on and off to conserve power when the unit is in operation. The adjustable backlight has 12 levels of variable brightness, perfect for low-light environments.
The color display shows measured variables in white with green engineering units. The numbers turn yellow when they reach their full-scale maximums. Red indicates that the parameter has reached its maximum measurable value.
Color displays may be ordered for most meters, gauges and controllers, with the exception of dual-valve pressure controllers and ATEX- and CSA-rated units. When ordering a TFT, simply replace the “-D” part number extension with “-TFT” like the following example: M-20SLPM-TFT
The color TFT option is also available as a remote display using the code “-TFTRD”.


New tests: Uranium removed
MARQUETTE – The results of more testing by Rio Tinto at the company’s Eagle Mine site affirm prior tests showing trace amounts of uranium found recently in water samples are being removed by the mine’s water treatment plant.
Earlier this month, officials said testing confirmed the presence of uranium in water samples from within aggregate layers at the bottom of the mine’s Temporary Development Rock Storage Area that exceeded the federal maximum concentration level for safe drinking water.
The finding did not violate any state or federal regulatory permits at the mine, but Rio Tinto and the Superior Watershed Partnership – which conducts the independent Community Environmental Monitoring of Rio Tinto’s mining activities – wanted to make sure the element was being contained, learn more about its potential sources and report the information to the public.
Later tests on water entering and leaving the water treatment plant – by Rio Tinto and the partnership – showed the uranium was being successfully contained and was not being released into the ground or back into mining processes.
Rio Tinto had also received results of tests on solids retained by the plant showing the uranium was being contained.
The latest tests were performed April 8. Those results were reported this week.
Rio Tinto spokesman Dan Blondeau said the water treatment plant creates two solid waste products, one in the filter press and the second is crystallizer waste. Solids removed from the plant are disposed of in a municipal landfill.
Tests on the filter press waste showed 1.9 milligrams per kilogram of uranium concentration, which compares favorably to the company’s previous solid waste test which registered 2.5 milligrams per kilogram. Tests on the crystallizer waste did not detect any uranium, duplicating the result from Rio Tinto’s previous testing.
“Once more, this indicates that the system is working as designed,” Blondeau said. “The uranium is being contained and treated and poses no risk to the environment or the community.”
The mine’s Temporary Development Rock Storage Area is designed to be an environmentally secure feature which holds waste rock from mining tunnel excavation until it is later put back underground to fill voids where ore was removed.
The bottom of the storage area has two multi-layered lining systems: a primary contact water sump and a lower secondary lining, called the leak detection sump.
Last month, Underwriters Laboratories in Indiana determined a water sample taken from the leak sump in February by partnership staff was found to contain 72.6 parts per billion of uranium. Partnership workers were test sampling water quality in the leak sump to compare with previous test results produced by Rio Tinto.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – which has been regulating uranium in community drinking water supplies to reduce the risk of kidney disease and cancer since 1993 – set a maximum concentration level for uranium under the Safe Drinking Water Act at 30 parts per billion, with higher levels considered unsafe.
Rio Tinto’s rock storage area and water treatment plant are not governed by the Safe Drinking Water Act, but by the company’s mining and groundwater discharge permits. Mining company officials said they were confident the EPA-recommended processes in the mine’s water treatment plant would remove the uranium and no threat was posed to the environment.
John Pepin can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206.


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An iceberg about twice the size of Manhattan has broken free from Greenland's massive Petermann Glacier. Scientists say the event could speed up the march of ice into northern waters. This is the second time in less than two years that the Petermann Glacier has calved a monstrous ice island. Previously in 2010, it unleashed another massive ice chunk into the sea.
The latest break was observed by NASA's Aqua satellite, which passes over the North Pole several times a day, and was noted by Trudy Wohlleben of the Canadian Ice Service.
"At this time of year, we're always watching the Petermann Glacier," Ms Wohlleben said, because it can spawn big icebergs that invade North Atlantic shipping lanes or imperil oil platforms in the Grand Banks off Newfoundland. A large piece of the 2010 iceberg did just that, but caused no damage, she said.
NASA images showed the iceberg calving - breaking off from a floating river of ice called an ice tongue - and moving downstream along a fjord on Greenland's northwest coast. A rift in the ice had been identified in 2001, but on Monday a crack was evident.
On Tuesday, the satellite spied a bigger gap between the glacier and the iceberg, and the ice chunks further downstream were breaking up, NASA said.
The movement of this huge amount of ice into open water is not expected to have an immediate impact on sea levels, since this ice was already part of an ice shelf that was attached to land.
Arctic oceanographer at the University of Delaware, Andreas Muenchow said climate change is a factor in the current state of the Petermann Glacier. He said the glacier is as far back toward the land as it has been since the start of the Industrial Revolution more than 150 years ago.


Tuesday, May 21 2013 6:55 PM EDT2013-05-21 22:55:51 GMT
It's no secret the Calcasieu Parish School Board's projected budget for the 2013-2014 school year is nearly $13 million in the hole and KPLC is learning teacher reductions is one of their options to reducingMore >>
It's no secret the Calcasieu Parish School Board's projected budget for the 2013-2014 school year is nearly $13 million in the hole and KPLC is learning teacher reductions is one of their options to reducing that deficit.
Tuesday, May 21 2013 5:37 PM EDT2013-05-21 21:37:13 GMT
As children with autism grow into adults-- their parents strive to help them live as independently as possible. But housing to meet the needs of adults with autism is in short supply. Brendan o'reillyMore >>
As children with autism grow into adults, their parents strive to help them live as independently as possible. But housing to meet the needs of adults with autism is in short supply. More >>
Local News, Weather, Traffic, Sports, Stocks, Movies on your Cell PhoneMore >>
Get local news, weather, sports, and video on your mobile device.More >>
Lake Area shoppers will soon have more options as the Prien Lake Mall will open three more stores before the end of next month. This is in addition to the Coach store that launched at the end of June.
The new stores include: Express (Women's and Men's), Body Central, Apricot Lane (women's boutique). There is also an airbrush shop opening up called Studio 57.
Express: Mid October
Body Central: Sept. 20
Apricot Lane: Within the next 30 to 45 days Studio 57: Oct. 1
Most of these stores are geared toward women.
"It's great because we love to shop. We are girls. That's what we do," said Lauren Lister and friends Mallory Petry and Elizabeth Stretcher.
The stores will not only offer more options but job opportunities as each location is now hiring. It will also help the sales tax revenue base and keep more shoppers local.
"My husband likes to shop at Express so we will now be able to shop here rather than go to Beaumont. So that will be great," said Hilda Wright.
Another free standing store is under construction outside the mall in front of Kirklands, however there is still no word on what retailer will call the space home. Meanwhile back inside local artist Johnny Cryer is set to open his airbrush shop Studio 57. After 20 years of working the festival and car show circuit he hopes setting up shop in the mall will help grow his business.
"The word of mouth is going to come out and everybody is going to say wow let's see what this guy can do. We will have T-shirts, hats, and license plates to airbrush. You say it - I can spray it," said Cryer.
This all comes as the Christmas shopping season is about to get underway. With that in mind young shoppers already have a wish list of other stores they would like to see come to the Prien Lake Mall.
"I definitely would like to see a Forever 21. That's my favorite store," said Shelby Castille.
"We definitely could use a Forever 21. They have one in Lafayette. That would be perfect," said Elizabeth Stretcher.


Great white sharks appear to use darkness and depth to ambush prey, marine biologists have learned, thanks to unprecedented footage by an undersea drone that was attacked nine times by four sharks.
In the 13 hours of footage, the sharks cruise low above the sand, swim up to the robotic vehicle and inspect it from all sides, bump it curiously, and burst out of the blue to seize the drone in their jaws. In research published on Monday in the Journal of Fish Biology, the scientists described the first great white predatory behavior filmed from under the surface.
“Most of what we know from white sharks is from electronic tagging, or from what we see at the surface,” Greg Skomal, a biologist and lead author told the Guardian. “But when these sharks disappear, what they’re actually doing at depth, where they spend their time – we don’t have a sense of that.”
He said automated unmanned vehicles (AUVs) like his team’s let humans observe marine life in comprehensive detail, rather than what scientists can see in the fleeting shark breaches, or their encounters at the surface or through electronic tracking.
From the waters off Guadalupe, an island off Mexico where Pacific white sharks congregate, the scientists observed 10 different individuals, including the 20-foot female named Deep Blue and a local shark nicknamed Bubba. Skomal said that the behavior captured by the drone cameras supports the idea that white sharks dive down as far as 200 meters in order to use light to their advantage.
“If the shark hangs down at a great depth, in the darkness, then its prey swims above it silhouetted and the shark reduces its own likelihood of detection,” Skomal said. “The remarkable new observations indicate that [my colleagues’] hypothesis is correct, and the sharks ambush from the darkness.”
Most surprising to the researchers, Skomal said, was that “the hunter would become the hunted – the AUV was viewed by the shark as potential prey and aggressively attacked”.
Some sharks did not bite but rather bumped the drone, nudging the vehicle with their snout in what the researchers call an “agonistic” behavior – an aggressive or even defensive thump, but not anything like a committed attack. At other times the sharks simply approached the drone to look at it, before moving on along their way.
The AUV also captured sharks swimming close to the bottom when they were in shallower waters, which Skomal said may be “an effort to snatch prey or spook it up from below, or associated with navigation”.
Amy Kukulya, one of the researchers and an engineer with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said the “groundbreaking” AUV is so far the first way scientists will be able to study white sharks and other animals in the open ocean.
“Not only do we get to see what they are doing, but we also know exactly where they are and collect data about the physical environmental in which they live.”
Although the drone has opened a window into daily life under the sea, white sharks remain mysterious. Decades of research, tagging and diving have done little to answer basic questions about the fish, including what social lives they might have and where they might reproduce.
Around Guadalupe, presumed to be a white shark haven because of the large number of seals that gather there, the drone did not observe any interaction between the sharks.
“They’re arguably the most charismatic, if not the most well-known species on the planet,” Skomal said, “and it’s still one we know remarkably little about some of its most basic natural history.”
He added that the undersea drone technology could help broader studies of marine ecology, sustainable fishing and ocean conservation. “We could apply it to studying hermit crabs as much as to great white sharks.”