We’ve covered a lot of diseases over the past few years, but what we haven’t covered much of are the vectors that carry them. A few months ago, we looked at bats. Now, we bring you… rats!
It is hard to find anything good to say about rats. For one thing, they eat garbage. You find them in stinky sewers, musty pipes, attic spaces, and crawling around underneath the third rail of the subway. Rats are often thought of as disgusting, dirty, and creepy; and yet, they are commensal. This means they live right alongside us, above us, and around us. They eat our food, gnaw on our walls, and leave droppings and urine markings in our basements. The Allen County Department of Health in Indiana says, "The word 'commensal' means these rodents live off humans without returning anything of worth", and "we all agree that commensal rodents are good for nothing" (3). Harsh words.
Though it may seem like rats take but never give, sadly this isn’t the case. Rats do give us something. The CDC says that worldwide, rats and mice spread over 35 diseases. These include leptospirosis, salmonellosis, rat-bite fever, murine typhus, and the dreaded plague (2). Rats spread diseases directly and indirectly. An example of direct transmission is the rat’s habit of “urine marking.” Rats do this for two main reasons: sexual advertisement and habitat labeling. They like whatever smells familiar, so they mark everything, including each other, the pathway back to their nests, and their food, with urine. This leaves tiny tell-tale droplets all over surfaces. Bacteria, such as the spirochete Leptospira, accumulate in the kidneys and are shed in urine. When bacteria enter the human body through a cut or mucous membrane, infections can occur. Of the eight diseases that the CDC lists as directly transmitted by rats, five are spread by contact with contaminated urine: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome, Lassa Fever, leptospirosis, and South American Arenaviruses (2).
Rats can also directly spread disease through bites. Rat-bite fever (RBF), caused by the bacteria Streptobacillus moniliformis in North America and Spirilium minus in parts of Asia, is one of the diseases carried and transmitted by rats. The number of rats carrying RBF-causing bacteria varies greatly: recent reports indicate that between 50 and 100 percent of wild rats carry it in some countries and between 10 and 100 percent of lab rats carry the bacteria (6). Humans are infected mostly through bites, but also from contact with contaminated urine. This disease is more common in Asia, and in Japan is known as Sodoku. According to The Humane Society of the United States, more than 15,000 rat bites are reported each year (7). The total number of bites may be under-reported, but they are not as frequent as one might think. A study by Hirshborn and Hodge (4) found that the incidence of rat bites in Philadelphia was a mere 2.12 bites per 100,000 people per year from 1974 through 1984, and only 1.39 per 100,000 people per year from 1985 through 1996. Because wild rats live in such close proximity to humans, bites may occur at night when fingers and toes are exposed. Most rat bite victims are children. Though the idea of being bitten by a rat is scary, there are relatively few cases of rat bite fever reported in the literature. For example, as of 2004, only 200 cases had been documented in the United States. (6).
Rats also spread diseases indirectly, by acting as hosts for parasitic vectors like mites, ticks, and fleas. Plague and murine typhus are both transmitted through the Oriental rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis. Rats do not carry the plague; when they are bitten by fleas carrying the Yersinia pestis bacteria they die just like we do. The fleas, however, escape the dying rat, and are forced to find other hosts, which might include humans who previously (and possibly unwittingly) provided food and shelter for the rats. This close association provides means for transmission of plague, which has erupted many times in human history: Europe in the 1300s, London in the 1600s, France in the 1700s, and Central Asia in the 1800s. Modern outbreaks still occur, most recently in Madagascar, where more than 30 lives have already been lost (5).
Murine typhus, caused by Rickettsia typhi bacteria, is another illness that is transmitted by the Oriental rat flea. The word "murine" means caused or transmitted by a rodent of the family Muridae or subfamily Murinae, including rats and mice. Murine typhus is also called endemic typhus, and is different than epidemic typhus (which is the disease we usually mean when we refer to typhus). Murine typhus tends to be less severe than epidemic typhus, and occurs rarely in the United States. According to the California Department of Public Health, "in the United States there are about 200 cases of murine typhus reported every year. Most of the cases occur in Texas, California, and Hawaii" (1).
To sum it up in the words of the CDC: "Rodents destroy property, spread disease, compete for human food sources, and are aesthetically displeasing" (2). They are clearly not one of the most beloved animals on Earth. But they are one of the most ubiquitous, at least in places where people also dwell. As long as we have garbage to get rid of, we will not soon get rid of them. Rats consume untold tons of our refuse every year, leaving us with less waste to haul away and toss into landfills. Some estimate that there are as many as one rat for every human in big cities like New York. That may be too many rats to think about, but let's say there are roughly 18 million roaming the New York City area. What follows may be a conservative estimate, since rats also hoard food, perhaps as much as four times the amount they actually eat. But if rats can eat one-third of their body weight in a day, and each rat weighs a pound—well, that is a lot of garbage. Maybe that is the best thing we can say about rats.
1) California Deprtment of Public Health. "Murine Typhus (Endemic Typhus)." Dec 2012. [Retreived December 22, 2013]. From http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Documents/MurineTyphus.pdf
2) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). [Retrieved 15 Dec. 2013]. From http://www.cdc.gov/rodents/index.html
3) Fort Wayne/Allen Country Department of Health. (n.d.). [Retrieved 15 Dec. 2013]. From http://www.allencountyhealth.com/divisions/vector/?ID=articles1228767614
4) Hirschborn, R.B. and R.R. Hodge. 1999. Identification of Risk Factors in Rat Bite Incidents Involving Humans. PEDIATRICS Vol. 104 No. 3, p. e35
5) Rabary, Lovasoa. “Bubonic plague claims 32 lives in Madagascar.” (20 Dec. 2013). [Retrieved 20 Dec. 2013]. From http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/bubonic-plague-claims-32-lives-madagascar-21286016
6) Spickler, Anna Rovid. "Rat-Bite Fever Factsheet." (Last Updated August 2013.) [Retrieved 6 Jan. 2013]. From http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/DiseaseInfo/factsheets.php
7) The Humane Society of the United States. 4 Oct. 2009. [Retrieved 24 Dec. 2013]. From http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/rats/tips/solving_problems_rats.html


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Addressing the rumors that she and Lil Baby broke up after she was caught texting Bow Wow, Jayda went on Instagram Live on Sunday, March 20. "No shade to Bow Wow but where are y'all getting that from? It's not giving that," she insisted.
This arrived after Jayda raised eyebrows with her shady messages on social media. On Friday, March 18, Jayda took to Instagram to talk about ending. "Everything comes to an end," she wrote on Instagram Stories," adding, "Never force it. Be happy."
In another post, Jayda shared that she's "finally standing up." An hour later, Lil Baby wrote on his own page, "When a MF think they can play wit me."
Without elaborating what she was referring in her post, Jayda clarified in an Instagram comment underneath The Shade Room's post. "I'm [for real] y'all. Lmfao we ain't gon talk about it. y'all will see," she teased.
Fans believed that Jayda was hinting at her split from the rapper. One user tweeted, "Jayda said she's seriously done this time and i hope she is, ain't no use in wasting your baddest b***h years on anybody who isn't contributing to your peace and happiness."
Jayda got candid about her relationship with Lil Baby in an interview with Hollywood Unlocked back in December. "There's so much tension, so many things have happened," she admitted.
"He do love me, I must say, but... it's just a lot of damage that has been done, as far as social media," Jayda explained. "So once we could get over that part, I feel like maybe we could rekindle and build another relationship."
She continued, "But as far as right now, I just feel like there's so much damage that has been done publicly to just put a Band-Aid over something and say, 'Let's just get back together.' Like, nah."

domain: celebrity


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February 8, 2022
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Metro Atlanta WBC
This webinar will focus on advice for business owners when preparing to file their taxes. This will include what documentation is needed, deductions & credits to consider, and how recent tax legislation may affect your tax returns.
Registration is closed.
Need to create an account? Start here.

domain: economics


Haiti and the pitfalls of sharing police powers
Abstract: This article examines the benefits and pitfalls of international policing in Haiti over the past quarter century. It shows the importance of the political foundations for joint policing arrangements. Haiti's experience illustrates that international personnel can provide useful stopgap policing services when the interests of national and international partners converge around public order crises. However, the Haitian case also shows how weak political commitment on one or both sides can lead to vague mandates, poor cooperation in the field, weak police accountability, and stalled domestic reforms. These problems have undermined the performance of international personnel and the Haitian National Police, eroding public trust in both. Ultimately, international intervention has failed to yield a capable, trusted, and apolitical Haitian police force or a notably stronger rule of law. Haiti thus offers a cautionary tale for international policing.


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Paul King, MHA, is the executive director (CEO) of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital, two hospitals that are part of the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In this role, Paul provides executive leadership for a 350-bed women’s and children’s hospital and serves as an executive of the University of Michigan Health System. Prior to joining the University of Michigan, Paul served as the chief executive officer of the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Medical Group, a 500-physician pediatric multi-specialty group that is an affiliated faculty practice plan of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC). In addition, Paul served as the president and CEO of Pediatric Management Group, a physician management services organization.
Before becoming CEO of the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Medical Group, he served as a vice president and member of the executive leadership team at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), providing oversight for its outpatient services, centers of excellence and hospital support services, including radiology, pathology, anesthesia, quality systems, regulatory affairs, and facilities operations.
Prior to joining CHLA, Paul was the executive director of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Center and COO of Samaritan Physician's Center in Phoenix and he served in a number of managerial positions at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and Scottsdale, Arizona. Paul was also a trustee of Anaheim Memorial Hospital.
Paul's extensive management experience working with the University of Michigan, CHLA, Mayo Clinic, Kerlan-Jobe, and Samaritan Physician's Center provides valuable insight into the relationship between hospitals and physicians.
Paul has served or currently serves on the boards of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California, Saban (formerly Los Angeles) Free Clinic, and the California Partnership for Children. He has also served as president of the Los Angeles and California Chapters of the Medical Group Management Association. He is president and CEO of Pediatric Management Group, a physician management services organization, and has served as president of the Los Angeles and California Chapters of the Medical Group Management Association.

domain: medical


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Giant Valentine's Day Gift Bag - With All My Love
For someone special
This pretty Valentine’s Day gift bag is perfect for putting all kinds of romantic presents inside. The stylish black, white and red love heart design will make them smile before they’ve even seen what’s inside. Simply write on the attached tag and hand it over to your special someone on Feb 14th.
Materials: paper and rope (100% polyester)
Dimensions: H 43.5cm x W 45cm x D 21cm

domain: design


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One of the more mystifying conundrums of the Montreal anglo comedy scene is the continuing exodus of local stand-ups in seeking greener pastures elsewhere on the continent.
One might assume that the world’s largest and most prestigious comedy fest, Just for Laughs, taking place in Montreal, would keep comics at home. Same, too, for the fact there are two full-time anglo clubs, the Comedy Nest and the ComedyWorks – don’t hold your breath for the return of the on-again, off-again Yuk Yuk’s – and a slew of part-time chuckles venues in addition to Théâtre Ste-Catherine.
Yes, there are Montreal comics, Derek Seguin and Mike Paterson, for example, who manage to survive here, but they work both sides of the cultural divide, do lots of corporate events and, in the case of Paterson, a number of acting and commercial gigs. Joey Elias stays afloat, but it’s his full-time radio job and teaching work that helps pay his rent.
Comedy Nest owners and comedians David Acer and Phil Shuchat primarily earn their daily bread touring the land with their SuperDogs spectacles.
Then there is Sugar Sammy, who has cleaned up by not only appealing to anglo, franco and allophone audiences but has cleverly monetized his act by taking charge of all aspects of his shows, from the promotion to booking of the venues. He recently hightailed it to France to try to work his magic solely en français.
Ironically, franco stand-ups like Mike Ward and Rachid Badouri, thanks to Just for Laughs hosting jobs, are seeing their careers blossom in English.
But the list of promising anglo wits who used to be based here but have felt the need to bolt town is, sadly, massive: Faisal Butt, Ali Hassan, Steve Patterson, Christophe Davidson, DeAnne Smith – to name but a few.
Soon to join that group of émigrés are the extremely talented Abdul Butt – who recently made his mark penning material and performing on This Hour Has 22 Minutes – and ever-amiable funnyman Franco Taddeo – who has subsisted by working at the McGill University library. Butt plans to hit Hollywood. Taddeo is Miami-bound.
Andrew Searles is the latest to announce he’s leaving town, for Los Angeles. Prior to bidding us adieu, Searles will be doing one last gig here: Thursday to Saturday, he will headline at the ComedyWorks, where he will pass biting judgment on everything from Brexit to other relationships fraught with dysfunction.
Searles would prefer to stay put here, but feels, like so many others, that circumstances really aren’t in his favour. He is understandably a tad bitter.
“I just feel that no matter how hard you try, or how good you are on stage, it’s never good enough for some local people,” Searles says. “I just feel that I’ve hit a glass ceiling, and there is just a lack of opportunity here. So I feel it’s time to leave town.
“When I was told in 2012 that I wasn’t good enough to headline, and saw that comics with TV or festival credits were getting jobs over me, I rented a theatre here and put on my own five weekend shows in 2013, on the exact same days and times as the two city comedy clubs, just to prove a point that I could headline and that I didn’t need credits to headline. And I sold out my shows.”
Searles was asked to headline at the ComedyWorks last year and spent three months promoting the shows on his own. The result was another sold-out weekend.
Curiously, Searles did much better away from his hometown. The first club to hire him as a headliner was The Laugh Shop in Edmonton in 2012. He has since done the Cracking Up the Capital comedy festival in Ottawa, the Calgary Folk Festival, and the Halifax Natal Day Comedy Gala, among other events.
“But after 14 years of doing comedy in Montreal, I was never asked to do the Montreal Just for Laughs,” Searles says. “People are always asking me why. I’ve auditioned for the festival countless times. I wish I had a more concrete answer as to why I’ve never done it.
“Basically, I realized the best things that ever happened in my career were accomplishments that I had done on my own, and that I achieved in cities other than Montreal. At a certain point you go: ‘OK, I’m done giving 110 per cent. It’s time I go somewhere else.’ There will be more opportunity and stage time for me in L.A.”
Yes, Just for Laughs has given breaks to a few local comics. But what was once among the most popular features of the festival, the Montreal Show, is now almost an afterthought, held in a small venue and late into the night. Even the most ardent of fans required a microscope to find the show at this year’s fest.
“The sad reality is that even when some of the local comics get a chance at the festival, they are rarely promoted,” Searles says. “It seems that locals have to make it in other places before being recognized here. But I do have to say I’m sad about leaving. I’ll miss the comfort zone I’ve had in Montreal. And as weird as the politics can be here, I’ll really miss that a lot as well.”
At A Glance:
Andrew Searles performs Thursday at 8:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. at the ComedyWorks, 1238 Bishop St. Call 514-876-8777.
On the bright side, there is a comedy festival in town that pays special heed to local performers who often feel left out of the loop. In addition to the Montrealers, the second Ladyfest, continuing until Sunday at Théâtre Ste-Catherine, celebrates the work of mostly women – and some men – doing stand-up, improv, storytelling and burlesque from Toronto, New York and Boston.
Back by popular demand is fest mascot “Narnie the Narwhal” (Lise Vigneault), who will host the Sketch showcase, Thursday at 8 p.m. and who will also be making surprise appearances throughout the festival. Narnie has special symbolic significance as well, representing “those funny ladies out there who are enthusiastically hustling through the sometimes cold and icy waters of the comedy world.”
Among some of the wits on the festival bill are Emma Wilkie, Kirsten Finch, Alex Brown, Sasha Manoli, Katie Leggett, D.J. Mausner, Inga Knoth, Britt Dash, Erin Hall and Sucre à la Crème.
And among some of the highlight shows are: C’est What, hosted by Tranna Wintour, Thursday at 10:30 p.m.; Standup Showcase, hosted by Wilkie, Friday at 8 p.m.; The Pretty Feminist Show, hosted by Wintour, Friday at 10:30 p.m.; Joketown, four short comedy plays written and performed in less than a week, Saturday at 8 p.m.; and the closing Sunday Night Improv, Sunday at 8 p.m.
Ladyfest also offers such workshops as Sketch Comedy Basics, with New York instructor Amanda Xeller, Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and Storytelling in Improv, with Montreal instructor Sandi Armstrong, Sunday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
At A Glance:
The second edition of Ladyfest continues until Sunday at Théâtre Ste-Catherine, 264 Ste-Catherine St. E.. Tickets are $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 514-284-3939 or visit ladyfest.ca.

domain: artistic


The Fox Valley Festival Chorus will present the concert “Rock, Roll and Remember” on Sunday in Aurora.
The show will begin at 3 p.m. at Rosary High School, 901 N. Edgelawn Drive.
Mary Beth McCarthy, chorus director, will lead the chorus through familiar rock tunes from the 1950s through the ‘90s. Ensembles from the chorus will be featured during the concert.
The program is a preview for the chorus’ summer concert tour including performances at The Royal Ontario Museum in Canada and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
A reception will follow the performance.
Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and children 12 years old and younger.
Pancake breakfast fundraiser in Montgomery
The Montgomery and Countryside Fire Protection District will hold its annual pancake breakfast fundraiser from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at 198 Railroad St. in Montgomery.
The menu will include pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, milk, coffee and orange juice.
Tickets are $5 for children and adults. Children under 5 years old eat for free. Raffle tickets are $2.
Fire trucks will be on display during the event. For more information, call 630-897-0622.
Hatha yoga set at St. Charles nature center
Creek Bend Nature Center in St. Charles will host an evening hatha yoga series this summer.
The sessions will run from 6:45 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays from June 12 to Aug. 7. There will be no class July 10.
Instructor Jennifer Falbo-Negron will lead the sessions, which are for all levels from beginners to advanced, officials said. Some portions of the class may be outdoors, weather permitting.
Advance registration is required for the series, which costs $96. For information, call 630-444-3190 or email email@example.com.
Creek Bend Nature Center is at 37W700 Dean St. in St. Charles.


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ALSO READBJP using militants to gain power in Tripura, says CM ahead of election Tripura votes on Feb 18; Meghalaya, Nagaland polls on Feb 27 Amit Shah lashes out at Left Front government in poll-bound Tripura 4 more state elections in 2018: How it willl change the political equations Periscope: Modi to visit Tripura on Thursday; Adityanath's Budget on Friday
Nomination for the seat will begin from today and the last date of filing documents is February 22, he said. The last date of withdrawal of nomination is February 26.
Only CPI(M) will be allowed to file fresh nomination as other nominations are declared as valid, he said.
The result of this particular election will be declared on March 15.
Polls for 59 Assembly seats of the 60-member house will be held on February 18.

domain: news


The website for Advanced Engineering have featured an article about Made in Britain's panel debate which is due to happen at their 13th annual Advanced Engineering conference on the 3rd November at the Birmingham NEC.
The panel is entitled ‘Innovation Nation: How British Engineering Firms are Leading the Way in Solutions and Sustainability’, and will be moderated by Made In Britain CEO, John Pearce, with speakers from member companies that represent British manufacturers including Brafe Engineering LTD, Pudsey Diamond Engineering LTD and R E Thompson.
"Our ‘Innovation Nation’ Made in Britain panellists are great examples of how adaptable, diverse and vibrant the engineering business is in the UK. Engineers working sustainably are crucial for our future – providing solutions to a wide range of industries, from pushing the boundaries of applied science to transport. I am delighted to be moderating this stellar group of speakers from member companies that represent creativity and innovation from across the engineering sector," says John Pearce.
The panel event will take place at 11am on 3rd November 2022 at Advanced Engineering, Birmingham NEC.
Read the full article ‘Made in Britain brings together engineering firms for panel debate at Advanced Engineering on 3rd November at Birmingham NFC’. Alternatively, visit the Advanced Engineering website.


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Brushing, Flossing, Rinsing
A healthy, beautiful smile is our goal for you and your family and is the overall goal for the treatment and prevention plan that our dentists and hygienists will recommend for you.
Your personal home care starts by eating balanced meals, reducing the number of sugary snacks, and brushing, flossing and rinsing to prevent disease and bacteria in the mouth.
Use an ADA approved soft bristle brush or electric tooth brush recommended by your dentist. Brush at least twice a day and especially before bedtime.
Use the 2 minute Rule and brush vigorously for a minimum of 2 minutes. If you have had plaque buildup in the past you might want to increase that time.
Daily flossing is the recommended way to clean between teeth and under the gum line. Flossing not only helps clean these spaces, it disrupts plaque colonies from building up, preventing damage to the gums, teeth, and bone. Your hygienist will show you the best way for you to reach all of your teeth and which product is ideal for you and your family.
It is important to rinse your mouth out with water after brushing, and also after meals if you are unable to brush. This will help to remove plaque that has settled in your mouth after you eat or brush.< Back


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Pericom Semiconductor Corporation has appointed Aaron Tachibana to the position of senior vice president (SVP), finance, and chief financial officer (CFO). Tachibana was previously SVP and CFO of Asyst Technologies.
Current CFO, Angela Chen, informed the company that, for personal reasons, she would like to relocate back to Asia. Chen will become SVP, finance Asia, heading the company’s finance and accounting functions in Asia.
Tachibana served as SVP and CFO of Asyst Technologies since August 2008. He joined Asyst in June 2004 as division controller. Tachibana served with Asyst as vice president, finance, and principal accounting officer from June 2007 to August 2008, senior director, FP&A and operational finance from January 2005 to May 2007, and division controller from June 2004 to December 2004. From December 2000 to June 2003, he was vice president, corporate planning and development of Allied Telesyn, a provider of networking solutions.
From November 1999 to October 2000, Tachibana served as vice president, CFO of TapCast, a provider of software applications and content delivery to wireless devices, and from July 1997 to October 1999, he was vice president, ontroller of TeraStor, a provider of optical recording and storage devices. Tachibana also previously held financial management positions with Maxtor Corporation and was a member of the financial management programme at General Electric.
Tachibana holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration – Finance, from San Jose State University.
The annual BNP Paribas Cash Management University kicked off on Thursday morning with treasury professionals congregating in Paris from across Europe.
APIs may be a solution to MT940 challenges, says Karen Fagan, treasury operation manager, for British television company, ITV.
Kicking off the first day of the Singapore Fintech Festival, issues with cryptocurrencies were addressed by MIT media labs director, Joi Ito, and panels of technology leaders discussed how they’re using data analytics.
Sibos 2017 day two highlights: Brexit and banking, and why ‘data is the new oil’ in financial services
How nation first politics can impact global financial organisations It’s clear that data and regulation are the two key topics that are ... read more

domain: finance


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We are obsessed with this print. She’s giving all the colors of the southwest and then some! Imagine you are the star of every show in our free-flowing abstract Coloratura Cape. She’s a statement-making outerwear piece that has the power to transform any look into an all-eyes-on-you moment! The wide, open Dolman-like sleeves allow the fabric to follow your every move. Style her over any dress, with jeans and a tee, over a bodysuit, or even your favorite athleisure outfits giving them sophistication and elegance. We've even worn ours over swimwear for a pool day! She’s super versatile and ready for the spotlight in any setting. Last but not least, she packs like a dream. Take a few different Coloratura Capes with you on vacay, and you’ve got effortlessly glamorous outfits for days… plus extra room for shoes!
Revel in the Details
A Flexible Fit


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A HERD of rare breed Dexter cattle has been used in a two-year research project into the nutritional benefits of meat from cattle fed only on grass.
The research, which included detailed analysis of sirloin meat taken from six animals in the herd near Barford, where Dr Malcolm Eykyn has been breeding Dexter cattle for 20 years, found it contained vital minerals, vitamins and fats essential for a balanced human diet.
The two-year project was carried out by post-doctoral research scientist Dr Sarah Morgan, under the direction of Professor Michael Lee, one of the acknowledged global leaders in grass-only fed ruminant research, based at the world’s oldest and largest agricultural research institute Rothamsted Research in Devon.
Dr Morgan, whose results will be fully unveiled at a meeting of the Dexter Cattle Society in Warwickshire on July 11, said red meat was an important dietary source of many essential minerals, including iron, zinc and selenium; vitamins, such as B12, which we need to make blood; and mono-unsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
She said: “There is increasing demand for pasture-fed meat and milk, which are considered to be healthier than grain-fed meat and milk, due to their higher unsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acid content.”
Dr Morgan explained that “Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids make up the tissues in our body, particularly in the brain and nervous system, and are a vital part of many processes within the body including immune function”.
“Humans can only obtain these essential nutrients through food consumed as part of their diet. The analysis showed that Dexter beef reared on grass-based diets contained more unsaturated fats compared to saturated fats and had high levels of health-beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acids.
“The results also showed that grass-fed Dexter beef had high levels of Iron, Potassium, Phosphorus and Zinc, which are more readily absorbed by the body compared to plant-based sources.
“We are what we eat and humans can’t get all they need from plants; meat is essential to the human diet. According to scientists, we only need 70 gms (about 2.5 ozs) of meat a day, no more than that”
“We need to redesign agriculture and food to reduce carbon and to be sustainable. Grazing cattle put carbon back into the soil through manurials.”

domain: food


How do you determine bike size?
How to calculate a bike size? Measure your inseam!
- Stand close to a wall, your feet should be 6-8″ (15-20 cm) apart.
- Place a large, hardcover book between your legs – it will simulate the saddle.
- Mark where the book’s spine touches the wall.
- Measure the distance from that point to the floor – that’s your inseam.
What does 26 inch mean for bikes?
And what does it mean when they say “26 inch”? A 26 inch mountain bike means that the wheels have an internal diameter of 26 inches. For example, a man who stands 5’8″ would be best suited for a 20-inch frame with 700c wheels or larger (700c refers to the diameter of the wheel).
Is a 26 inch bike for adults?
“ 26” wheel size is perfect for most of adults with a height above 6 feet. Most of the touring bikes and hybrid bikes come in 700C metric wheels, which are also known as 29-inch wheels.
What does frame size mean on a bike?
Frame size generally refers to frame height, the length of the seat tube from the bottom bracket (crank bearing) to the top tube. Also, frames are measured differently. Some companies measure from the center of the bottom bracket to the center of the top tube/seat tube junction.


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Mayors want answers on Trump admin 'sanctuary city' policies
Mayors and local police chiefs have a message for the Trump administration: Define "sanctuary city" before you demonize us.
A bipartisan group of mayors and police chiefs met Wednesday with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to discuss President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement executive orders -- and some afterward expressed frustration with the lack of answers from the administration.
The first few months of the administration have been marked by increased tension between the administration and localities over Trump's aggressive immigration enforcement, which many major city mayors have decried as destabilizing.
The meeting came days after Attorney General Jeff Sessions re-emphasized the administration's desire to take federal funds away from so-called "sanctuary" jurisdictions, telling reporters that any jurisdictions applying for Justice Department grants and funds will be required to certify compliance with a piece of US law on sharing citizenship information -- a policy first put in place by the Obama administration.
The week before, the Department of Homeland Security put out its first weekly report of law enforcement jurisdictions that declined to honor requests to detain undocumented immigrants beyond what is required by criminal proceedings. Mandated by the executive orders signed by Trump in January, the reports are part of continued pressure and a name-and-shame effort by the administration on cities to push them to help with federal immigration enforcement.
But after that first report, several cities listed claimed that they were erroneously included, and after Sessions' comments, mayors immediately put out statements saying they are already in compliance with federal law he cited, and that their policies are focused on maintaining trust between local law enforcement and communities by not complicating their work with the duties of federal immigration officers.
Montgomery County (Maryland) Police Chief Tom Manger, who serves as president of the Major Chiefs Association, said Wednesday the group got "no answers" on specific administration plans to define and punish sanctuary cities.
"It could have been more productive had we gotten answers to those questions," Manger said. "My hope is when I say this is a good start that there is follow up and we do get answers."
Austin, Texas, Mayor Steve Adler said that if the administration's goal, as it says, is to get "bad people off the street," that they'll recognize that is also mayors' goal.
"In that regard, his priority is the priority of the mayors as well, so that gives us a place to start, common ground to achieve that result," Adler said. "Most of the comments by the attorney general as well as the executive order would seem to indicate that the federal government is concerned about cities that are violating federal law, and since Austin and Travis County and the other cities represented today are not violating any federal law ... my hope is we can find a common place to be."
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he asked Kelly to avoid "caricature," saying no mayor wants violent criminals on their streets.
"The idea that there's these cities who are like, 'Please come here if you're a violent criminal and if you're undocumented you get extra bonus points and we'll protect you,' I said that doesn't exist," Garcetti said. "If the definition is that we're going to continue our policies of four decades of our cops doing their job and the feds doing their job, then sure, we are, but we need you to define that, we need greater transparency and communication."


To celebrate the Brazilian Music Day event (in collaboration with the Archive of Contemporary music), host Béco Dranoff invited acclaimed American producer & DJ Maga Bo to be his first live guest on Sonoridade. Based in Rio since 1999, Maga Bo's original music project 'Comando Digital' and his exquisite remixes have been smashing the lines between roots and modern Brazilian music. A true pioneer of the electro/world music scene coming out of Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, India, Senegal, Angola, South Africa, Kenya and all over, he is constantly travelling the world producing, DJ'ing and mixing everything he get his hands on. We were lucky to have him for a full hour to talk about the current Brazilian music scene, play some of the most forward thinking tracks of the recent crop and take a deep sonic voyage into the future sounds of Brazil. Dub, Chill, Dubstep, Funk Carioca, Roots, all genres dissolve in the world of Maga Bo. Happy Brazilian Music Day 2012!!


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A study recently published in PLOS ONE saw researchers from the University of Houston (UOH; TX, USA) investigate the molecular effects of alcohol consumption on ER-positive breast cancer cells, as well as elucidating alcohol’s effect on tamoxifen efficacy.
Alcohol consumption is attributed to an estimated tens of thousands of breast cancer cases across the USA and Europe and is also associated with an increased risk of disease recurrence in patients with early stage breast cancer.
Chin-Yo Lin and colleagues (UH Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling and the Department of Biology and Biochemistry, UOH), in collaboration with Rajesh Miranda (Texas A&M University; TX, USA), sought to determine the effects of alcohol on estrogen’s action in breast cancer. The team established that estrogen-induced cell proliferation is increased by alcohol consumption, providing a direct link between alcohol, estrogen and BRAF expression in the promotion of cancer cell growth.
BRAF expression was found to be inappropriately promoted by alcohol, even in the absence of estrogen, thus either enhancing or mimicking the effects of the hormone and increasing breast cancer risk. Another key finding was tamoxifen’s ability to suppress the rapid growth of cancer cells was diminished by alcohol.
Lin and colleagues suggest that these findings elucidate the mechanistic actions of alcohol in breast cancer, as well as provide fresh insight to the cross-talk between alcohol and cancer-related gene pathways.
Although the overarching goal is to use these results in breast cancer prevention, their findings may also have implications for women who are undergoing hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms. The research also further highlights potential chronic health effects for young women, who may binge drink as part of their social environment.
“We hope these and future findings will provide information and motivation to promote healthy behavioral choices, as well as potential targets for chemoprevention strategies to ultimately decrease breast cancer incidents and deaths within the next decade,” Lin explains. “We want to provide women, in general, with more information and insight to be better able to balance their consumption of alcoholic beverages with the potential health risks, including cancer patients who may want to take into consideration the potential detrimental effects alcohol consumption might have on treatments and modify their behavior and habits accordingly.”

domain: biology


(5) Among probable duties of the provost marshal are
(a) All necessary measures to determine what traffic
should be permitted within the commander's area of respon-
sibility, and how such traffic should be supervised. The
traffic plan should include procedure to prevent the move-
nent of trouble-makers into or from disturbed areas.
(b) Traffic routing in such a way that roads will be kept
open for passage of troops, fire-fighting equipment, and other
emergency personnel and equipment.
(c) Supervision of rail, interurban, and bus terminals, to
prevent unauthorized individuals from entering communi-
ties where their presence might cause trouble.
(d) Supervision and direction of movement of prisoners
from collecting points to jails or stockades.
(e) Enforcement of prohibition of or limitations on public
(f) Recommendation of off-limits areas or communities.
(g) Arrangement of the most effective method in which
to present the commander's proclamation to the lawless ele-
ments. (See par. 43b).
(6) The judge advocate will advise the commander in
legal matters and supervise the administration of military
(7) The chemical officer will advise the commander con-
cerning the use of smoke and other chemicals, and supervise
any use of chemicals.
(8) Engineering Corps personnel will make recommenda-
tions concerning the construction of street barricades (and
supervise their construction). Duties may also include re-
moving obstacles erected by the lawless elements.
(9) Signal Corps personnel will recommend and may
install and operate such communication systems as are
United States. War Department. Domestic disturbances. Washington D.C.. UNT Digital Library. http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc96652/. Accessed December 4, 2016.


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Intraoperative ultrasonography is a useful tool for the detection and extirpation of liver metastases, breast masses, and melanoma. However, the efficacy of this technology in intraoperative localization and resection of small soft tissue tumors has not been addressed. The purpose of this study is to report on the efficacy of intraoperative ultrasound assistance in excising impalpable musculoskeletal soft tissue tumors.
Twenty-two soft tissue tumors <3 cm (range, 0.7–3 cm) were resected with intraoperative ultrasound assistance. All tumors were localized in the deep panniculus, fascia, or muscle. Surgical time and length of incisions was recorded in all the cases. Intra- and postoperative reregistration was made to confirm the tumor resection. Ultrasound assistance was successful in obtaining an accurate localization in all treated cases. Mean surgical time was 30 minutes (range, 13–87 minutes). Average incision length was 5.7 cm (range, 2.5–10.6 cm). Reregistration allowed intraoperative confirmation of the adequacy of the excision. The procedure allowed recognized and excised additional nodules not previously diagnosed in 3 cases. Postoperative echography done in all patients confirmed complete extirpation of the tumors, and histopathology confirmed adequate margins obtained.
Intraoperative ultrasound can be used as an efficient tool to localize and treat impalpable small soft tissue tumors.
- 1.Lin J, Jacobson JA, Fessell DP, Weadock WJ, Hayes CW. An illustrated tutorial of musculoskeletal sonography: part 4, musculoskeletal masses, sonographically guided interventions, and miscellaneous topics. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2000; 175(6):1711–1719. Crossref MedlineGoogle Scholar
- 2.Bodner G, Schocke MF, Rachbauer F, Differentiation of malignant and benign musculoskeletal tumors: combined color and power Doppler US and spectral wave analysis. Radiology. 2002; 223(2):410–416.
10.1148/radiol.2232010406Crossref MedlineGoogle Scholar
- 3.Liu JC, Chiou HJ, Chen WM, Sonographically guided core needle biopsy of soft tissue neoplasms. J Clin Ultrasound. 2004; 32(6):294–298.
10.1002/jcu.20038Crossref MedlineGoogle Scholar
- 4.Kulig J, Popiela T, Klek S, Intraoperative ultrasonography in detecting and assessment of colorectal liver metastases. Scand J Surg. 2007; 96(1):51–55. Crossref MedlineGoogle Scholar
- 5.Zacherl J, Scheuba C, Imhof M, Current value of intraoperative sonography during surgery for hepatic neoplasms [published online ahead of print February 14, 2002]. World J Surg. 2002; 26(5):550–554.
10.1007/s00268-001-0266-2Crossref MedlineGoogle Scholar
- 6.Feld RI, Rosenberg AL, Nazarian LN, Intraoperative sonographic localization of breast masses: success with specimen sonography and surgical bed sonography to confirm excision. J Ultrasound Med. 2001; 20(9):959–966. Crossref MedlineGoogle Scholar
- 7.Shoo BA, Kangelaris G, Callen PW, Kashani-Sabet M, Leong SP. Detection of occult melanoma by preoperative positron emission tomography-computed tomography and intraoperative ultrasonography. J Cutan Med Surg. 2010; 14(3):130–135. Crossref MedlineGoogle Scholar
- 8.Knapp EL, Kransdorf MJ, Letson GD. Diagnostic imaging update: soft tissue sarcomas. Cancer Control. 2005; 12(1):22–26. Crossref MedlineGoogle Scholar
- 9.Bancroft LW, Peterson JJ, Kransdorf MJ. MR imaging of tumors and tumor-like lesions of the hip. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am. 2005; 13(4):757–774.
10.1016/j.mric.2005.08.003Crossref MedlineGoogle Scholar
- 10.Arai E, Nishida Y, Tsukushi S, Wasa J, Ishiguro N. Clinical and treatment outcomes of planned and unplanned excisions of soft tissue sarcomas. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2010; 468(11):3028–3034.
10.1007/s11999-010-1392-7Crossref MedlineGoogle Scholar
- 11.Potter BK, Adams SC, Pitcher JD, Temple HT. Local recurrence of disease after unplanned excisions of high-grade soft tissue sarcomas [published online ahead of print September 26, 2008]. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2008; 466(12):3093–3100.
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- 12.Manoso MW, Frassica DA, Deune EG, Frassica FJ. Outcomes of re-excision after unplanned excisions of soft-tissue sarcomas. J Surg Oncol. 2005; 91(3):153–158.
10.1002/jso.20323Crossref MedlineGoogle Scholar


text:
Finally the day has come! Today happens the worldwide digital release of Final Symphony on iTunes. The album contains 94 minutes of music from Final Fantasy VI, VII and X recorded at Abbey Road Studios with performance by London Symphony Orchestra with arrangements by Jonne Valtonen, Roger Wanamo and Masashi Hamauzu.
Surprisingly, the track list brings some new features compared to the set list of the first concert in Germany back in 2013. In the second part of the interview, producer Thomas Boecker answered these and other questions for Hadouken, which brings also more curiosities and discusses the viability of other concerts (including a concert with Yuzo Koshiro’s music!).
01 Fantasy Overture (Circle within a Circle within a Circle)
02 Final Fantasy VI (Symphonic Poem: Born with the Gift of Magic)
03 Final Fantasy X (Piano Concerto)
04 Encore: Final Fantasy X (Suteki Da Ne)
05 Final Fantasy VII (Symphony in Three Movements)
06 Encore: Final Fantasy VII (Continue?)
07 Encore: Final Fantasy Series (Fight, Fight, Fight!)
Continue lendo ‘Interview with Thomas Boecker, game concert producer in Germany (part 2 of 2)’

domain: entertainment


text:
Madison joined Donaldson Callif Perez in 2021. Madison works in all areas of the firm’s entertainment and media law practice, including rights acquisition, clearance, and distribution. Prior to joining the firm, Madison worked in Business and Legal Affairs at Media Arts Lab, where she advised on all aspects of production legal for a number of international marketing campaigns, and at Verizon Media Group, where she handled negotiations relating to development, financing, and distribution of the company’s unscripted slate.
Madison received her B.A. in Political Science from Loyola Marymount University in 2010. After her time at LMU, Madison moved to South Carolina and enrolled in the Charleston School of Law, where she focused on constitutional law courses. After graduating summa cum laude from Charleston School of Law in 2013, Madison returned to Los Angeles and began her own boutique practice, where she counseled a roster of clients, which included apparel start-ups, co-working spaces, and an entertainment-related non-profit organization on a variety of legal matters.
In Fall 2023, Madison began teaching as an adjunct professor with USC’s Gould School of Law. Her Entertainment Law course – part of the Master of Studies in Law program – provides nuanced insight into the challenges and opportunities facing the entertainment industry and the role of legal professionals in navigating them.
Madison is passionate about documentary films. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two children, and dog.

domain: law


The Federal Reserve issued a final rule today that effectively bans yield spread premiums paid to mortgage brokers, along with loan officers employed by depository institutions.
These loan originators will no longer be able to bump mortgage rates higher or steer consumers toward certain loan products in exchange for a higher commission.
This was a major problem prior to the mortgage crisis, when the highest risk loans (option arms) were often accompanied with the greatest compensation.
“The new rule seeks to ensure that consumers who agree to pay the originator directly do not also pay the originator indirectly through a higher interest rate, thereby paying more in total compensation than they realize,” the Fed said in a statement.
“The final rule also prohibits a loan originator that receives compensation directly from the consumer from also receiving compensation from the lender or another party.”
However, loan originators can continue to receive compensation based on the loan amount via mortgage points.
For example, originators may collect one percent of the loan amount, or $2,000 for a $200,000 loan, in upfront closing costs. They just can’t adjust their commission based on the interest rate associated with the loan.
The final rules are effective April 1, 2011.
Consumers to be Notified When Loan Changes Hands
A number of other rules were proposed today, including a provision that consumers be notified when their home loan changes hands.
This is another important rule seeing that loans are quickly resold to other companies shortly after origination. These days, it’s rare to see the originating lender actually retain the loan.
Usually, within a month or two, the loan servicing rights are sold off to an entirely different company. While this might be perfectly legal, it can lead to a lot of confusion in terms of who to make mortgage payments to. It can also foster scams if borrowers aren’t sure who their “lender” is.
The move should help facilitate loan modifications, while reducing payment confusion and mortgage-related scams.
Additionally, mortgage lenders‘ cost disclosures must include a payment summary in the form of a table, which displays the interest rate and corresponding mortgage payment, along with the maximum rate/payment for the first five years and the life of the loan if it’s an adjustable-rate mortgage.
It must also include the fact that consumers may not be able to avoid increased payments by refinancing their current loan(s).
These rules are applicable come January 2o12.


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Training on military mental health part of APA-sponsored Give an Hour Celebration of Service event
Future mental health professionals can learn to recognize and treat the invisible wounds of war at Give an Hour’s Celebration of Service, April 6-8, in Washington, D.C. APA is co-sponsoring the event, which brings together experts in military culture, military medicine, mental health and civic engagement. Sessions will address issues such as the use of technology to support service members and their families, nontraditional forms of healing and the effect of war on children.
Give an Hour is a national nonprofit organization that provides free mental health services to military personnel, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, their loved ones and their communities. It was founded by APA member and APA presidential citation awardee Barbara Van Dahlen, PhD.

domain: psychology


text: On October 26, the government adopted Draft Decree 2.18.855, adding 60 minutes to standard time in Morocco, moving Morocco to GMT+1 year-round. Before the decree, Morocco was set to move off of DST (GMT₊1) and back to standard time (GMT) on Sunday, October 28.The decision stirred confusion and questions about the government’s hasty move without prior notice. Clocks set by the internet with Moroccan cities selected as the time zone returned to GMT on Sunday and, as of Wednesday, are still showing the wrong time.In an interview with Morocco World News, MP Abdellatif Ouahbi called on the government to reveal the study that the government claimed to have conducted on time change. Following the backlash, a source at the government told Telquel Arabi that the minister delegate in charge of administration reform, Mohamed Benabdelkader, had the idea to stop the biennial time change in March. However, the government did not say anything about it until October 25, when it abruptly announced an emergency government council meeting the following day.The council decided to stop the upcoming time change by adding 60 minutes to standard time.Read also: MP Urges Government to Reveal Alleged Study on Daylight Saving TimeBenabdelkader, according to Telquel Arabi, said that the research aimed to study the reactions of Moroccans to time changes. He added that the study kicked off in May. The government received the preliminary results of the study on October 9.The government never mentioned the alleged study until Benabdelkader told a press conference that the government based its decision on a survey. A Telquel source said the study was conducted under the supervision of Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani.Benabdelkader admitted, “The study did not include direct questions about the preferences of Moroccans.”When the minister announced the decision on October 26, Benabdelkader said the decision aims to end the public’s confusion about time changes, which come four times a year. In addition to moving to DST in the summer, Morocco temporarily returns to standard time over Ramadan when the holy month falls in the summer.“The purpose of the study was to know the effects of the time change on Moroccans. We found that 68 percent of them prefer stability. The decision to maintain daylight saving time is a political decision,” Benabdelkader said.Benabdelkader also claimed that the survey studied the impacts of the time change on Moroccans.“It caused tensions and diseases. We have also studied the economic aspect of this problem. I repeat it is a political decision of the government. This decision was adopted on the basis of a comparative study with developed countries.”Besides Benabdelkader, Telquel’s government source also defended the Ministry of Education’s decision to change school time-tables.Instead of 8 a.m., students will have to start school at 9 a.m. On Monday, El Othmani said that there will be more measures accompanying the government decision to adopt DST year-round, without giving further details.He also explained that the government is aware of the public’s confusion about the time change, but it would be “risky to go back to the Standard Time,because we want to ensure sustainability in the supply of electricity.”“The electricity supply must be continuous all day long and throughout the year, but in the summer, we have a peak in electricity consumption that poses risks … and that can sometimes lead to power cuts.”He said that staying on GMT+1 will save Morocco MAD 240 million annually.

domain: sociology


text:
Carved from 200 year old African wood, the Gresso pendant is purely a collectible more than anything else. It’s finished in a variety of jewels and metals. They’re $5,000 Euros each and Gresso has only manufactured 99 of them.
I’d prefer just a straight up wood pendant. Adding a USB drive makes it seem so late 90s.
Official site here


text:
Bored Dog Licking Penis or Health Issue
by Laurie Ragsdale
(Oldtown, Id, USA)
Reader Question: Dog Cleaning Penis and Anus
Hank is a German short-haired pointed, neutered and approximately 5+ year old (rescued). Within the last few months, Hank excessively cleans both his penis and his anus more than 20 times a day.
Hank goes on frequent walks (3x a day) and is able to spend time in a fenced in backyard; he is also a house dog. We live in a rural area, so Hank will sometimes ingest deer poop before we know what he is doing.
Is there a possibility of worms/parasites causing this issue?Veterinarian Suggestion On Dog Penis Related Behavior
Because Hank’s behavior is a change from what has previously been normal for him, it is important to first rule out any medical causes for it. If he were my patient, I would want to perform a physical examination (including a digital rectal exam), urinalysis, fecal examination, and perhaps some blood work. Any problems that were revealed should be addressed and Hank’s behavior monitored to see if it returns to normal.
Once you are confident that Hank is healthy, you need to determine whether his behavior is significant enough to warrant intervention. Boredom can result in obsessive-compulsive type symptoms, and in these cases increased amounts of physical exercise and mental stimulation (e.g., food puzzles) can be a tremendous help. When lifestyle changes are not sufficient, medications will sometimes help reduce the anxiety that is at the root of many canine behavioral disorders.
Jennifer Coates, DVM

domain: pet


text:
The Young Vic has revived its 2001 production of Lorraine Hansberry's award-winning play A Raisin in the Sun directed by artistic director David Lan. When it was produced on Broadway in 1959, Hansberry won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play of the Year, becoming, at the time, the youngest American and the only African American to have done so. Just five years later, she died of cancer at the age of 34.
The play gets its title from Langston Hughes's poem A Montage of a Dream Deferred - "What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun / Or fester like a sore - / And then run?" The dreams in question are those of a black American family living in a rented, cockroach-infested apartment on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s. Lena, the matriarch of the family, receives a large insurance cheque after her husband's death and cannot decide what to do with the money. Her son wants to invest in a liquor store to break generations of servitude and join the middle class American Dream; her daughter wants to go to medical school and become a doctor; her son's wife would like a decent home for the whole family. Hansberry does a remarkable job of putting together a number of characters - none of which is portrayed as wholly good or wholly bad - that represent radically different points of view convincingly and she makes it seem so simple and natural.
This production certainly does justice to this great play. Whilst there are no weak performances, Novella Nelson as Lena, Lennie James as her son Walter Lee and Noma Dumezweni as his wife Ruth give particularly powerful performances. Francis O'Connor's set design cleverly shows us both inside and outside the apartment simultaneously, although sometimes it is difficult to work out the layout of the rooms in relation to one another in the house. Tim Mitchell's lighting design manages to be both natural and atmospheric, and the soundtrack, which combines Richard Hammarton's original music with classic jazz tracks from the period, fits perfectly.
This production finds the full emotional range in this play, moving its audience from laughter to frustration and tears. This talented, hard-working cast does an excellent job of bringing to life one of the most important American plays of the twentieth century.
"A Raisin in the Sun" runs until 9 April and continues to tour until 7 May


text:
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Wedding Crashers (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
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Wedding Crashers (DVD) (WS) (Unrated)
Academy Award-nominated Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn star as John Beck with and Jeremy Klein, two partying divorce attorneys - and committed womanizers - who have figured out a surefire way to meet women: they crash weddings. But the guys' happy-go-lucky lives change abruptly when John unexpectedly falls in love with a bridesmaid. Things become even more complicated when the men discover that the object of John's affection is the daughter of the US Secretary of the Treasury. Also starring Rachel McAdams, Academy Award-winner, Emmy Award-nominee, and Golden Globe- nominee Christopher Walken ("The Deer Hunter," "Catch Me if You Can"), Golden Globe-winner and Emmy Award-winnerJane Seymour ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" "East of Eden"), and Isla Fisher ("Scooby Doo," "The Lookout"). Guest Starring Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominee Will Ferrell ("Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," "Stranger than Fiction").]]>
With Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson as a pair of brazen wedding crashers, this buddy/romantic comedy milks a few big laughs from its foolproof premise. Under the direction of David Dobkin (who previously worked with Wilson on Shanghai Knights), the movie ranges from bawdy romp to mushy romance, and that tonal identity crisis curtails the overall hilarity. But when the well-teamed costars are firing on all pistons with fast-paced dialogue and manic situations, belly laughs are delivered at a steady clip. Things get complicated when the guys infiltrate the family of the Treasury Secretary (Christopher Walken), resulting in a romantic pair-off between Vaughn and the congressman's oversexed daughter Gloria (Isla Fisher) while Wilson sincerely woos another daughter, Claire (Rachel McAdams), who's unhappily engaged to an Ivy League cheater (Bradley Cooper). Walken is more or less wasted in his role, but Jane Seymour and Henry Gibson make amusing appearances, and a surprise guest arrives late in the game for some over-the-top scene-stealing. It's all a bit uneven, but McAdams (considered by some to be "the next Julia Roberts") is a pure delight, and with enough laughs to make it easily recommended, Wedding Crashers will likely find its place on DVD shelves alongside other flawed but enjoyable R-rated comedies that embrace a naughtier, nastier brand of humor with no need for apologies. --Jeff Shannon
On the DVD
The "Uncorked" edition of Wedding Crashers adds about 8 minutes of footage to the theatrical release. Of chief interest are extended beach and bathroom scenes between Vince Vaughn and Isla Fisher, and Vaughn's extended confession to Father O'Neil (Henry Gibson), but there are also new scenes featuring Keir O'Donnell as the eccentric Todd and Ellen Albertini Dow as the potty-mouthed grandmother. This edition is billed as unrated because it wasn't resubmitted to the MPAA, but the sexier bathroom scene and coarser confession aren't particularly raunchier than the original film, and there's no additional nudity. You can watch the Uncorked edition once to see the new footage, but for subsequent viewings you'll probably choose to stick with the theatrical release, which is also included on the DVD.
Bonus features consist of two very good commentary tracks, one by director David Dobkin and another by Vaughn and Owen Wilson. Dobkin's is more technically informative, and he specifically discusses why the added scenes were originally cut. Vaughn and Wilson are a little more subdued than might be expected, but they share some laughs, recall some material that was left out, and wander into irrelevant territory such as football and Wilson's dog. Other features include four deleted scenes with optional commentary by Dobkin, and two featurettes covering the making of the film (including the logistics of staging five different weddings, and interviews with the "magic and balloon consultant") and Vaughn and Wilson's meandering discussion of "the rules" of wedding crashing. For a more organized recap, there's a 24-screen text-only list of all the rules. The opening menu is clever, but slow to load after you've watched it the first time. --David Horiuchi
Vince Vaughn's Movies
Why We Love Rachel McAdams
Owen Wilson's Movies
The Return of Crass Comedy
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
- Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : s_medNotRated NR (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 4 Ounces
- Director : David Dobkin
- Media Format : Dolby, Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Run time : 2 hours and 8 minutes
- Release date : January 8, 2008
- Actors : Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher
- Subtitles: : English, Spanish
- Producers : Peter Abrams, Guy Riedel, Robert L. Levy, Toby Emmerich, Richard Brener
- Language : Unqualified, English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
- Studio : WarnerBrothers
- ASIN : B000BKVQS4
- Writers : Steve Faber, Bob Fisher
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #7,930 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- Customer Reviews:
Top reviews from the United States
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1) For me, it wasn't a non-stop 'laff riot,' which is what I'd expected. "Blazing Saddles" = no. Feydeau ("Flea in Her Ear") = no.
2) It's very uneven & too long, imo. (I saw this expanded director's cut-- I assume that's what "uncorked version" means?)
3) The casting sells it. Wow. All the leads are extraordinary.
4) Why didn't I like this film more? I certainly tried. I think because the farce elements (the film's strong suit) conflict with the dramatic parts so harshly.
I'm a little intimidated to express reservations about this film because of its huuuge fan base!
The whole movie is basically about trying "to score" at weddings. The movie is hilarious! They picked the 2 best guys to make this movie. No kids in the house if you watch it.
Watch it while you're still young! Though... you're not THAT young...
Top reviews from other countries
This edition comes with the original and new “uncorked” edition that includes interspersed deleted scenes edited into the movie seamlessly. Personally, I didn’t find the uncorked edition funnier; actually I felt it unnecessarily delayed the story and just goes to show how much good editing can affect a film. Students of film take note here.
Cast are exceptional and chemistry between them is natural and unforced. Wilson and Vaughan are excellent together but Isla Fisher steals the show as ‘stage five clinger’ Gloria. The supporting cast all have individual moments where they shine and have memorable scenes e.g. Jane Seymour’s ‘kitty kat’ scene is hilarious; Christopher Walken’s scene where Jeremy (Vaughan) is tied to bed is another stand out scene of hilarity; and Will Ferrell’s Chaz, the crasher king, is one of his funniest characterisations.
Be aware that there are some risqué scenes that leave nothing to the imagination. What I found remarkable about this movie however is that these scenes actually help the plot and develop the story and characters. Perhaps this is why I stated it’s a film that might be considered an acquired taste. Today, it’s one of my favourite comedies and I enjoy and look forward to my favourite scenes. Like a good wine, it’s gotten better with age...
Vince Vaughan's funny man bounces well off Owen Wilson's charming straight man. The wedding crasher concept is itself original and gets the duo into new and interesting situations. Add to this, a number of wierd and funny characters with which they interact and you have a recipe for side-splitting laughter. The little bit of nudity in it is unnecessary and could have been left out. I don't know why movie-makers insist on including it as leaving it out could have appealed to a wider audience.
I bought this movie on DVD and watch it from time from time when I need a good laugh. The comedy is silly, slap-stick, and juvenile but also very clever. Add to this the romantic stories in the background and you have a great feel-good movie which should be sold with a money-back guarantee.
Don't miss it!


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Mykonos town is an oasis in and of itself. The white buildings, the rare but helpful locals, the clear waters and the blue doors. Touristy areas like in front of the ferry offices and at the bus stop are comical after a day of relaxing in the sun and driving a quad home to a hotel room with a postcard view. It is the kind of town that makes you want to get lost. It is safe and breath-taking at so many unsuspecting moments, like the picture above. Rounding a corner to have the path in front of you drop off into crystal water framed a picture instantly. Greece is all my eyes expected but nothing I thought it would feel like to experience. Go get lost in the oasis that is the Greek islands.
The main form of transportation in Mykonos was either the bus for longer distances or quads for shorter distances. This was one of the best parts about my stay! Mobbing a quad in Greece was an unexpected facet of the trip that allowed for my witnessing of the most gorgeous sunset of my life.
When the road ends and the dirt path starts that is when a quad really gets to be used to its full potential. That dirt path brought us around the end of point of land so all you could see looking out was water and sunset. As the sun fell down the sky, the levels of red that were reached was something that made me not want to take the time to blink.
I said to my friend, "I shouldn't be here. I haven't work hard enough in my lifetime yet. My Mamma should be here. She has far beyond earned this." She agreed, so the best we could do is capture the sunset in all its phases and send our Mamma's email with the photos attached tell them how thankful we are for all they do.
A place that looks like this and inspires a person to do that is an oasis in every sense of the term.
Not only Mikonos is a party island, the layout of the downtown area is also make it famous. Small streets between blue and white colored structures, and occasionally if you look up or look back, you may see more color palate tuck in the corners.
When I mention my trip to Greece, most people naturally assume that we spent a portion of our time exploring Greek islands. Typically, when we think of Greece, we envision the quintessential blue-capped whitewashed homes; the islands that surround Greece's main land. While there are literally thousands of islands (though only a couple hundred that are inhabited), there are a few that are top of mind for most travelers. Santorini and Mykonos are definitely in that mix.
Being that I was traveling with my cousin, we opted out of Santorini and decided to explore Mykonos, an island better known for its cosmopolitan feel and nightlife than romance. Those white buildings with cerulean caps? Yeah, those exist here amidst the windmills and the dramatic backdrop. The entire scene was stunning with postcard-perfect turns that sent my camera into super-speed. In the summer, it was undoubtedly crowded, but it would be a perfect getaway in the spring or fall when fewer tourists are flocking to the sun-drenched beaches.


text: Over the past few years, important publications have addressed the issue of longitudinal assessment of valvular heart disease. The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association jointly published guidelines on echocardiography. Aortic stenosis continues to be well studied, with papers characterizing the rates of progression of mean and peak gradients, as well as aortic valve area changes. Doppler assessment of the progression of aortic regurgitation has been shown in larger studies than have been performed in the past. Based on an important study in patients with chronic aortic regurgitation, the optimal timing of surgery in asymptomatic mild to moderate aortic regurgitation may be predicted by indices of left ventricular function and left ventricular stress. Finally, mitral stenosis and mitral regurgitation studies evaluated rates of progression and also optimal timing for surgery.

domain: health


- Solaris says it can make fracking environmentally friendly by treating and recycling used water.
- It has pledged that 60% of the water it provides for fracking will be recycled by 2022, up from 42.1% in 2020, with the remainder being groundwater.
ConocoPhillips-backed Solaris Midstream Holdings, the water pipeline company serving the U.S. oil and gas fracking industry, is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) that it hopes will attract sustainability-focused investors, according to people familiar with the matter.
Fracking, which uses water combined with chemicals and sand to split open rocks and release oil and gas, has drawn criticism from environmental groups who say the process consumes and contaminates fresh water sources.
The issue is acute in arid New Mexico and Texas where Solaris operates. Energy companies in the Permian Basin have consumed millions of gallons of groundwater even as farmers and municipalities struggled with perennial water shortages.
Solaris says it can make fracking environmentally friendly by treating and recycling used water. It has pledged that 60% of the water it provides for fracking will be recycled by 2022, up from 42.1% in 2020, with the remainder being groundwater. By 2030, it says nearly all the water it provides will be recycled.
Solaris set these targets as part of a $400 million sustainability-linked bond it issued in March. It used the proceeds to refinance debt and redeem preferred equity held by ConocoPhillips, its biggest customer which also owns a 30% stake in the company.
"Solaris is the only company in (its) peer group to have concrete targets to increase recycled produced water," ISS ESG, a consultancy commissioned by Solaris to assess its sustainability targets, wrote in an opinion in March.
Solaris has filed confidentially for an initial public offering (IPO) in New York that could value it at more than $1 billion, plus debt, the sources said. The listing could come before the end of the year and will seek to attract investors guided by environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) principles, they added.
Solaris declined to comment. ConocoPhillips did not respond to a request for comment. Private equity firms Trilantic Capital Partners and Yorktown Partners together own 52% of Solaris. Trilantic declined comment and Yorktown Partners did not respond to a request for comment.
If successful, Solaris would be the first U.S. pipeline company to debut on the stock market since Rattler Midstream in 2019. Many investors have snubbed the sector because of years of poor returns, especially versus other industries such as technology.
Rob Fernandez, director of ESG Research for Breckinridge Capital Advisors, said energy investors often focus on how well fracking companies manage their water usage.
"In fracking and the energy sector, water has become such a big issue," Fernandez said. Among investors, he said, "it is a mainstream ask."
Water recycling rates vary widely between U.S. companies and shale basins. For the U.S. industry as a whole, data provider IHS Markit forecast in an April 2020 report the vast majority of wastewater leaving an oil field in 2022 will still not be recycled and, instead, will be injected into disposal wells.


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B&B and Guest House Insurance
Contact Intasure today: 0800 470 2012
Guest House insurance from one of the UK’s Property Insurance specialists, designed with the benefit of extensive experience in the B&B Industry. It is designed to offer comprehensive household and business protection for Bed & Breakfast owners.
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- Cover for up to 8 letting rooms (16 paying guests)
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- Monthly direct debit payment option
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- Money Cover
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- Personal Effects and Valuables cover for your possessions taken away from your Bed & Breakfast
For more information why not get a quote below or give Intasure a call today.
Intasure is a trading name of Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. (Financial Services Register Number 311786) Registered Office: Spectrum Building, 7th Floor, 55 Blythswood Street, Glasgow, G2 7AT. Registered in Scotland. Company Number: SC108909. www.ajginternational.com


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New Comic Art and Narrative Illustration
edited by Roanne Bell and Mark Sinclair
Looking for the ISBN number on this book, it struck me how oddly some books come together: this is put out by Yale University Press, printed in China, and the majority of artists in it are European.
The editors don’t talk much about how they arrived at their selections. They don’t have much to say at all, opting instead for very brief introductory material and short, blurb-like commentary with each selection. The effect is similar to reading the wall-text at a museum exhibit.
If you are a fan of independently produced/published graphic novels, you’ll find much to like in this collection (Jason, Jordan Crane, Joe Sacco). That there are no superheroes makes sense; this book isn’t about genre in that way. I don’t mean to knock them for who they did include — I love Tom Gauld’s work, as well as Simone Lia’s and they are the front and back covers — but it is easy to wonder at who was chosen and who was not. Unless you have no exposure to contemporary comic art, you’ll probaby find yourself compiling a list of folks who could be included in a book on this topic, but for whatever reason, weren’t included here. I know I did: Actus Tragicus, Craig Thompson, Shaun Tan, and Lynda Barry, just to get started.
I don’t think the editors’ ambition was to present an exhaustive collection, however. This is more a sampling of contempory work, with barely enough framework holding things together — leaving plenty of room for exploration. It’s a large book, and the art is reproduced in color and black and white at high quality — definitely worth leaving out on the coffee table, if you are the sort that would leave an illustration of a giant robot out. Recommended.


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Sat, Aug 24 | The Family Room
The Market at the Family Room August 24
On the 2nd and 4th Saturday May - October you'll find me at the Market at the Family Room in Laytonsville, Maryland alongside other makers, artists, farmers, food vendors and more. This is a wonderful community event and you're invited to join in the fun hometown feel. There's always live music.
Registration is Closed


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The Quarterly, a new publication from the minds behind The Creative Book is the perfect fuel to my publishing addiction. Censorship is the theme of their inaugural issue. Exploring the idea of censorship through literature, fashion editorials, and photo sets from all over the world. It’s always interesting to see how we are censored or the perception of the idea through different mediums.
Get their first issue in PRINT and support the independent publishing scene! Use the code “GettingGrungey” for 50% off the digital edition and 1.50 off the print version!

domain: literature


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Fish fry masala or masala fish fry is a mouthwatering and very tempting fried fish recipe made using fresh fish pieces coming out straight from fresh waters. Fish fry simply best as a side dish or even as a starter.
You can also use small fish fillet and deep fry or shallow fry to make it as finger foods which are a great choice for a party or potluck snack. Pan-fried Fish fry consumes minimal oil but still has a crunchy crust and taste delicious while deep-fried consumes a lot of oil.
There are various ways to cook fish. Talking from the health point of view the best ways are baking, shallow frying, grilling, poaching and steaming.
The main and the most important part in making fish recipes is the selection of the fish and if a good fish is selected, then half work is done. The fish has to be alive, fresh, then it has to be cut into desired shapes and sizes.


|Birthdate||1960 (age 60)|
|Occupation||Speaker of the House of Representatives|
|Played by||Richard Lawson|
Charles Davis is the Speaker of the House of Representatives during Taylor Kingston's presidency.
TO Season 4Edit
Davis does not appear during this season, but is mentioned frequently.
TO Season 5Edit


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(Shipped in 7-10 days)
Because we don't keep this item in stock, and order from the supplier, there will be a delay before shipping. We do our best to update availability daily, but it is possible the supplier will be out of stock when we order the item. To avoid disappointment, you can drop us a call or email and we'll verify availability for you.
Mechanica Inc. will make the world spotless with their Tidybots: ambitious vacuum robots made for global DOMINATION cleanliness! Humans are messy. It’s time they got some help! Build the best Tidybot factory and ship out as many Tidybots as possible to prepare for (the definitely harmless) OPERATION CLEANUP. The player who has sold the most money worth of Tidybots wins! Mechanica is a game of tile-laying and engine building. Each player buys puzzle piece-shaped machines and slots them together to form their factory. The different machines all improve the Tidybots your factory can make: building new Tidybots, upgrading them, copying them, and more. There are many strategies for putting your machines together, and everyone has fun trying to build the perfect factory! Players compete to buy the best machines for their factory at the best prices while running their factories, shipping out Tidybots for profit, completing specialty bot blueprints to fill their vaults with money, and turning the rotating shop wheel.

domain: hobby


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Celebrity Central / Top 25 Celebs
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty
Published: Saturday April 20, 2013 06:00 AM EDT
More from PEOPLE
See More News
108 of 731
Yes, she's wearing black. Again. But at least the actress ditches her go-to LBD for cool separates – a Christian Dior tuxedo-style bustier and shorts – for the premiere of Call Me Crazy: A Five Film in West Hollywood.
Copyright © 2015 Time Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

domain: celebrity


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"I recommend this book to anyone who would like to read a "love story" about how one may transform from self-absorption to learning how to love, one of the most complicated and important of all endeavors."
Melba Vasquez, PhD, ABPP
American Psychological Assoc.
"In these broken times -- when we are challenged personally, interpersonally, nationally, and internationally -- this book is a must read."
Ambassador Pam Willeford
Former U.S. Ambassador
"Bugen challenges us to look deeply inside ourselves and truly confront reality; then he presents us with six wonderful "gifts," habits of the heart, providing us with the tools of transformation to mature and generous living."
Bishop John McCarthy
Diocese of Austin

domain: library


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Peak Manor is Grade II Country House offering its guests privacy & exclusivity.Situated in the Derbyshire countryside, very private 3 acres of grounds on the edge of the Peak District National Park.
13 spacious bedrooms and each with their own unique charm and décor plus an additional 3 bed owner’s apartment.
Premium quality bedding, fine linen are standard throughout Peak Manor whilst luxury bath and shower gel compliment the bathing facilities.
Premium quality bedding, fine linen are standard throughout Peak Manor whilst luxury bath and shower gel compliment the bathing facilities. If you are self catering our well stocked kitchen means you can cook in style.
Take a daily wander around the gardens and grounds, like a Victorian novel, sunshades in hands, stop now and then to sniff a rose, to watch a butterfly flit from flower to flower. Manicured lawns wrap around three sides of the house, there are numerous mature shrubs and trees. Have a family game of hide and seek, French cricket or rounders, play outdoor ping-pong on the table supplied, or just idle the days away lazing on the lawns, listening to the birds twittering, feeling the fresh air on your face.
Very much in keeping with the Victorian theme is the wooden pavilion at the front of the house, use it as an open air dining pavilion, take paper and crayons out there and get the kids to do sketches of the house.
How about an outdoor BBQ AND A SIT IN THE HOT TUB ?

domain: travel


POM is a company of many talents
To fully utilize its equipment and skilled labor force, POM actively pursues contract manufacturing projects with the highest quality at the lowest cost in mind for the customer.
We especially welcome short-run die-casting.
Our capabilities include:
- Custom Aluminum and Zinc Die casting
- Custom Plastic injection molding
- Screw machine parts
- Punch press work
- CNC turning and machining
- General machine shop capabilities
- Electrostatic powder painting
- Mechanical or electronics assembly
- Complete tool and die design and development
POM is an ISO 9001:2008 quality certified facility. POM's Quality Policy: Every employee at POM strives to exceed customer expectations through a commitment to being our customers' preferred supplier. We are committed to achieving the highest level of quality standards and initiating continual improvements within the Quality System and in all areas of the company. POM is also a 100% Woman Owned Business.
For A Quick, Professional Quote
A POM representative will be glad to provide a detailed cost and lead-time quote upon review of technical specifications, print and optional sample part(s). Customers are always welcome to tour the POM facility and see firsthand our quality and dedication to work.
We welcome you to download our:


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What is the degree of difference or the degree of sameness that you are introducing into your daily ordinary life today?
Allow me to explain.
Are you 100% happy with the bigger picture of your life in this present moment? Could your future do with some improvement?
- Drive to work or school or the grocery store using a different route today.
- Do something this week that you’ve never, ever done before.
- Eat something you have never eaten before.
And the less that percentage of life-perfection is, the bigger the gap between what is and what you want, the more changes you should make to your daily routine.
We create our future every day by the choices we make. And by this I don’t just mean the big ones, the person you decide to marry, the job you decide to take (or not).
We create our future by our choices and the more we make the same hundreds of choices over and over again, from the way we brush our teeth to the food we eat for breakfast, the more we create a future of sameness over and over again.
So, if you want to create a future that is hugely different from the present reality, you have to make huge changes in even the little things you do out of habit every day.
You have to create the greatest degree of difference you can, in every inane, small way you can.
- Go to a yoga or spinning class if you’ve never been.
- Take a photography class.
- Visit a different coffee shop.
- Choose an Americano instead of a Cappuccino.
Start following your impulses even if they make no sense whatsoever. It doesn’t matter so much what you do differently, as that you do differently.
You have to consciously choose to introduce the biggest possible degree of difference in your life, and as if by magic, changing the small stuff, like the way or place you eat lunch or the side you part your hair, or where you walk your dog will start shifting you and lead you off into a different future.
Don’t wait for the big changes, start changing the smallest things today, especially the ones you think will make no difference whatsoever!
Because together they add to the sum total of the degree of difference in your day, and that my friends, is what creates the degree of difference in your future.
Inversely, the degree of sameness in your day will create the degree of sameness in your future.


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Peanut brittle is good and all but, if you feel like kicking things up a notch make pecan brittle instead. To make that even better, add some cocoa and you’ve got a treat that will knock your socks off.
I make my brittle with cane syrup, not corn syrup, as my sweetie reacts to the high fructose in corn syrup. The Steen’s website has a recipe for mixed nut brittle that I used as a jumping off point.
Chocolate Pecan Brittle
Butter a baking sheet and set aside.
Sift together cocoa and baking soda to remove any lumps. Set aside. Chop pecans – you want tiny pieces, small pieces, medium pieces and even some whole pecans to make sure every bite has nutty goodness. Set aside.
In a large heavy pot, melt the butter. Add syrup and sugar. Stir to blend well over medium heat. Continue to stir once it begins to boil to keep it from overflowing the pot. When the mixture reaches 270 degrees on a candy thermometer (soft crack stage), remove from heat. Quickly stir in cocoa mix and nuts until cocoa is incorporated.
Pour the mixture evenly onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading the nuts quickly and evenly with a silicone spatula. Sprinkle with flake salt. Allow the mixture to cool completely. Surface will be shiny. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.


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The easy way into the city from the southern burbs is along a road that parallels the freeway artery connecting Cape Town with its outskirts. This lower main road is relatively flat and changes names several times until it becomes the strand. Unfortunately, there is no bicycle path on most of this thoroughfare. Even so, it has been a delight to see the transition from the affluent communities to the gentrified inner suburbs. A Mercedes parked up against a crumbling wall that serves as a canvas for graffiti.
Stopping to inflate my tires and have more caffeine, I appreciated the art of Woodstock. Young talent is evident on the walls of this central hood.
Studios are tucked away on the roadside and the murals speak for themselves.
Gang tags (perhaps) are juxtaposed with urban images.
This is a part of the texture of the complex city which may be the cultural capital of South Africa.


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I'm looking for a dye finish that won't be too slippery. I built my 3yo daughter a climbing wall next to mine in the garage and made her some handholds out of wood. Many of the holds on my wall are just bare wood lightly sanded, I find bare wood is grippy enough for hands and just a little slick for shoes but that adds to the challenge for myself. For my kids wall though I'd like to add some fun colors to the handholds, while keeping them a bit grippy for confidence holding on. I feel like a poly finish with pigment may end up too slippery for the holds she'd be standing on. On the other hand dye without a sealing finish may bleed onto hands and clothes.
At least worth pricing mfd hand/ft holds. There are some products available that are intended to be mixed with floor paints/epoxy/etc to prevent slipping on wet floors. There are various types and could be mixed into poly or whatever finish you want. I think different grit sizes are available and you control how much you use to get the desired grip.
Straight dye will rub off, and it can be difficult to get bright intense color with dye. Recommend paint with a bit of abrasive. Also, just a "roughening up" of the surface, say a rasp or low grit sandpaper, could work. A coat of poly thinned 1:1, keep wet for 20 min, wipe off, will soak into and harden the wood so it doesnt wear as quickly, then paint bright colors over that. Paint wont harden the wood as much as poly.
I've made a few holds - out of wood. They work great, and are much cheaper than $20/apiece jugs. But for better grip on the slopey ones, I smeared some 2 part epoxy and sprinkled on clean crushed quartz (not playground sand). It leaves a good rough surface, but not one that will tear skin at a touch. I imagine you could just spray paint over that and still keep a good gripy surface.
I made some from glued up Baltic birch that are still good years later without finish. There used to be an online book on making climbing walls, but I think it may have been published and taken down in the interim.
I suspect brightly colored permanent markers would work to dye the wood without rubbing off or interfering with grip. That's what I would try.
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The ship – Kaami – grounded on Sgeir Graidach in the Little Minch between the isles of Skye and Lewis at about 1.40am on 23 March last year.
A watchkeeper of a local fishing vessel warned the Kaami on a very high frequency radio channel it was headed towards a submerged ridge of rocks.
Within six minutes of the warning, crew felt two heavy impacts and the vessel came to a stop.
With Kaami’s movement on the rocks worsening, the movement of the boat became “so violent” that the crew were unable to stand safely and had to lie down on the deck.
At about 3am, the ship’s master informed Stornoway coastguard he wanted to abandon ship, and at about 4am a helicopter flew the crew to safety.
No-one was injured in the incident.
A report recently released by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch confirmed the rocks had not been identified as a risk during the planning for the crew’s trip.
The document also said look ahead features on the ship’s electronic chart were not activated and the lookout was therefore not “effective”.
The watchkeepers at Stornoway Coastguard Operations Centre did not intervene prior to Kaami’s grounding as they were unaware of the developing situation, the report confirmed.
The cargo ship was eventually refloated six weeks later, but was so badly damaged it was declared a "constructive total loss" and had to be scrapped.