text:
It is starting to look like spring has come early around here, even though it is cold, and we are about to have a very wet, cold week. Our maiden ewes are half way through lambing and are facing a tough week with all this rain and cold. And foxes. And crows. They have shelter and plenty of feed, and baiting for foxes is an ongoing process.
Our merged mob of older ewes are due to start lambing from 26th August. We didn't scan for multiples, just wet and dry, but it looks like we have many twins and triplets coming judging by the size of the girls. Some have their stomachs touching the grass and look like they'll pop any minute. They can only waddle when walking.
Below are the photos of our weaners, now in Delta paddock. This was day three for them in that paddock. Even though they are growing bigger and eating more, the grass is growing faster. Paddocks are also recovering much quicker now from grazing. By the next rotation, the grass will be past the 3-leaf stage. It'll only get worse if we don't get more sheep as the days are getting longer and spring is coming. Our peak pasture period is October, so there is a lot of feed ahead of these sheep, and trade sheep hopefully.
Even though we have all mobs down to zero with worms, and will try and keep them at zero for a year, more and more are starting to scour, I presume because we don't have any more roughage to give them.
It is my aim in the future that when we see sheep scouring, we take them out immediately into a containment area and they will stay there on feed until they go to market. We are not in a position to do that at the moment. We have also tagged rams that are the first to scour and they will not be used again.

domain: agronomy


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A beautiful lace bodysuit that is so gorgeous with its lace floral design. The plunge v-neckline is seductive and ties delicately across the middle with satin ribbon. The elasticated shoulder straps are simple and crossover at the rear and tie shut for a perfect fit.
- Lace floral design
- Plunge V-neckline
- Elasticated straps
- Hook and eye closure at the crotch
- 80% Polyamide, 20% Elastane

domain: design


text: My comfortable house is close to the Sunport airport, Sandia Labs, Kirtland Air Force Base, local hospitals, Nob Hill, UNM, Uptown, downtown, and Old Town. You’ll love my place because of the comfy bed, easy access to interstates, and quiet neighborhood. I welcome couples, solo adventurers, and business travelers. Interns, traveling nurses, recent transplants and students have stayed at my house because of the fully furnished house. Solar panels, WiFi, central heat and A/C included.

domain: geography


text:
|Statement||with 50 illustrations by A.T. Elves.|
|The Physical Object|
|Number of Pages||248|
The Complete Tales of Uncle Remus larep-immo.com, $ This is the definitive modern Uncle Remus volume. Pages, published May Favorite Uncle Remus larep-immo.com, $ USD. Published in , this contains a subset of the stories of The Complete Tales of Uncle Remus (above). Uncle Remus." Within months, magazines across the country were reprinting his tales, and after more than 1, written requests for a collection, the first Uncle Remus book was published in November, At the time, Harris said his purpose was not ethnology, or . Uncle Remus or to give it its original title, Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings was published in late and received instant acclaim. The book was reviewed in hundreds of journals and "Bearing a striking resemblance to Aesop of Aesop's Fables fame, American author Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus is also a former slave who loves to /5. paperback. condition: new. language: english. brand new book. the dialect, lore, and flavor of black life in the south during the nineteenth century is portrayed as it appeared to georgia-born joel chandler harris in uncle remus's legends of the old plantation.
It’s been more than a hundred years since the publication of the first Uncle Remus book, and it was in that all of the delightful and inimitable tales of Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, Brer Bear, and Brer Wolf were gathered together in one volume/5. If you like children's short stories for all ages because it is not only exciting but brings back childhood larep-immo.com Remus' stories was a group of slave stories collected by Joel Chandler Harris and is a very entertaining book. Uncle Remus' stories are full of adventures with Brer Rabbit and his struggles with Brer Bear and Brer Fox/5(8). Antiquarian & Collectible Books for sale - Free shipping on many items - Browse rare books & antique books on eBay. Jun 07, · Uncle Remus or to give it its original title, Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings was published in late and received instant acclaim. The book was reviewed in hundreds of journals and newspapers across the country, leading to its immense success, both critical and financial.4/5(2).
Bearing a striking resemblance to Aesop of Aesop's Fables fame, American author Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus is also a former slave who loves to tell simple and pithy stories. Uncle Remus or to give it its original title, Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings was published in late and received instant acclaim. The book was reviewed in. Joel Chandler Harris (December 9, – July 3, ) was an American journalist, fiction writer, and folklorist best known for his collection of Uncle Remus stories. Harris was born in Eatonton, Georgia, where he served as an apprentice on a plantation during his teenage larep-immo.com spent most of his adult life in Atlanta working as an associate editor at the Atlanta larep-immo.com: December 9, , Eatonton, Georgia, United States. You searched for: uncle remus book! Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and one-of-a-kind products and gifts related to your search. No matter what you’re looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Let’s get started! Get the best deals on Uncle Remus when you shop the largest online selection at larep-immo.com Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands Make Offer - Vintage Little Golden Book UNCLE REMUS Walt Disney Tar Baby 29 Cents. Walt Disney's UNCLE REMUS STORIES Big Golden Book Joel Chandler Harris. $ 4d 13h.

domain: literature


text:
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10:43, 23 OCT 2018
John McGinn hailed for 'terrific' Aston Villa debut as midfielder runs the show against Wigan
The ex-Hibs midfielder joined the Championship side in a deal worth £3 million and starred in a 3-2 win against Wigan.
Timing of Brendan Rodgers rant on Celtic transfers was wrong but he's right that Hoops are weaker - Chris Sutton
Chris says Rodgers and the Celtic board must iron out their differences quickly before Steven gerrard and Rangers make life far more uncomfortable.
Brendan Rodgers opens up on Celtic's failed pursuit of John McGinn and admits star is now out of range
Rodgers has been left frustrated in the summer window and admits the McGinn "boat has sailed" after midfielder chose Aston Villa.
Arrogant and foolish Celtic have cost themselves a fortune over John McGinn with their biscuit tin – Hotline
Aston Villa’s capture has not gone down well with Hoops supporters finds Gordon Parks.
Neil Lennon hails John McGinn and insists midfielder was one of Hibs' best players 'in last 25 years'
The Easter Road boss also revealed some of the advice he gave the Scotland midfielder before his departure.
John McGinn completes Aston Villa move as Celtic miss out
Celtic were interested in recruiting the 23-year-old but have been beaten to the punch by the English Championship club.
Celtic match John McGinn offer from Aston Villa as Hibs midfielder weighs-up move
McGinn travelled south for talks with Villa yesterday and is now mulling over a move.
Brendan Rodgers warns Celtic chiefs to start getting transfer deals over the line
The manager has issued a crystal clear message to the club’s hierarchy.
John McGinn mulling over Aston Villa offer after positive talks with boss Steve Bruce
Celtic also want the midfielder but Villa's move has put the situation in the balance.
John McGinn at Aston Villa for talks but Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers admits he still wants midfielder
Hibs star has travelled to the English Championship side for discussions about a move.
John McGinn race heats up as Blackburn get set to battle Celtic for Hibs midfielder's signature
The Hibs man is in-demand and Tony Mowbray is poised to raid his old club for their prize asset.
Premiership clubs are right to now be demanding proper transfer fees after years of being fleeced - Gordon Waddell
Hibs' valuation of John McGinn and Aberdeen's of Scott McKenna shows that there is some pride back in our game.
Transfer news RECAP: All the best of Friday's rumours and done deals
The only place to be for all the latest gossip from Planet Football.
Neil Lennon expects John McGinn bidding war to begin as transfer deadline looms down south
English clubs only have until Thursday to wrap up their business and McGinn has a lot of clubs looking at him.
John McGinn opens up on Celtic transfer saga and admits he's found it 'tough'
Celtic have had two bids knocked back for the Hibs midfielder, who has been leaning on his boss for advice.
Asteras 1 Hibs 1 as John McGinn's goal sets up Europa League clash with Molde
Neil Lennon's men are through to third round after surving a late onslaught in Greece.
Asteras Tripolis 1 Hibs 1 RECAP: Neil Lennon’s side march on in the Europa League
Hibs head to Greece desperate to avoid a tragic end to their Euro dream after staging a remarkable fightback in the first leg in Leith.
Celtic WON'T increase John McGinn bid as Hoops chiefs stand firm on latest offer
McGinn caught in the middle of transfer stand-off with Celtic offering Hibs £2m plus add-ons for the player who is in the final year of his contract.
John McGinn born to play for Celtic claims Hibs star's former boss Danny Lennon
McGinn's old mentor is convinced the Scotland ace is more than ready for a move to the champions.
Celtic confident of landing John McGinn – even if it is in January
Celtic Transfer News
Daniel Arzani is poised to join the Scottish champions in this window though.
Neil Lennon insists Hibs could have one advantage over 'favourites' Asteras Tripolis
The Easter Road boss concedes the Greeks have more experience in European competition than his side.
Steven Gerrard's reliance on loan Rangers is a disappointing transfer strategy - Hotline
Celtic and their pursuit of John McGinn was also a hot topic on today's Hotline.
Celtic aren't penny-pinchers any more and are right not to splash cash on John McGinn - Michael Gannon
Michael believes the old belief Celtic had a biscuit-tin mentality are no longer true and understands why they don't just pay £4m for McGinn.
David Gray insists Hibs Europa League dream is still alive even if John McGinn departs
Celtic have had two bids knocked back but the Easter Road skipper is confident of success.

domain: news


text:
SEATTLE, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/28/13 -- Residents are encouraged to do their part for the environment by bringing their old batteries to Westlake Park in celebration of the second annual Battery Recycling Day. The event, hosted by Call2Recycle® -- North America's first and largest consumer battery stewardship program -- honors communities and residents who have made recycling and reducing landfill waste a priority.
The celebration is an opportunity for residents to scour their homes for old batteries and bring them to help "Tip the Scales," a battery collection challenge with special guest and Emmy Award-winning Seattle media personality, John Curley. The activities and fun will include the announcement of the winner of the "Greenest Seattle Neighborhood" competition.
Battery Recycling Day 2013 has been embraced by Seattle's local businesses, libraries and the community-at-large who are working together to promote environmentally responsible end-of-life disposal of batteries. The event highlights the importance of battery recycling which ultimately reduces the amount of solid waste and potentially harmful materials that go into local landfills.
The collection event is today at Westlake Park (401 Pine St., Seattle) from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
•Tip the Scale Challenge with John Curley: Noon - 2 p.m. Collected batteries will be placed on Call2Recycle's custom-built, super-sized 16-by-9-foot scale. Each battery donated will help lift Curley off the ground and "tip the scales" for battery recycling. •Greenest Seattle Neighborhood Award: Noon. The Seattle Public Library put battery collection boxes at six different branches across the city. The neighborhood that collected the most batteries will be crowned the greenest in Seattle by Call2Recycle. •Prize Drawings: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Those who bring batteries to the event can spin the prize wheel and be rewarded for recycling.
"Seattle is an environmentally-conscious city and a natural location to promote community-focused battery recycling," said Jennifer Childress, director of marketing and communications for Call2Recycle. "We fully expect to raise John Curley off the ground and raise awareness about the environmental benefits that battery recycling provides to communities and families everywhere!"
All types of household batteries, up to 11 pounds, will be accepted for recycling, including both rechargeable and alkaline batteries.
Questions about batteries or the event? Tweet @Call2Recycle using hashtag #TakeCharge
Founded in 1994, Call2Recycle® -- North America's first and largest consumer battery stewardship program -- is a non-profit organization that collects and recycles batteries at no cost for municipalities, businesses and consumers. Since 1996, Call2Recycle has diverted over 75 million pounds of rechargeable batteries and cellphones from the solid waste stream and established 30,000 collection sites throughout the U.S. and Canada. It is the first program of its kind to receive the Responsible Recycling Practices Standard (R2) certification. Learn more at call2recycle.org or 877-723-1297. Follow at facebook.com/call2recycle or twitter.com/call2recycle.
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Development of Space-Time Kinetics Techniquee to Analyze Localized Perturbations in Pressurized Water Reactor
M. Philip Soris Fernando, Ph.D, 03
Supervisor(s): J. B. Doshi
This work concerns with the development of space-time kinetics technique which is accurate and fast to analyze localized perturbations in Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR). Indirect solution based on modal synthesis is adapted for space-time kinetics solution. To overcome the shortcomings of the simple modal expansion technique, a local effect correction is introduced to take advantage of faster space-time solution characteristic of modal expansion technique as well as not compromising the accuracy of the solution. The local perturbation is accurately treated by solving the local perturbation by means of finite difference formulation and used to correct the flux predicted by simple modal expansion technique. In order to validate the faster space-time kinetics solution, an accurate but time consuming solution by improved quasistatic (IQS) method has been obtained and used as the benchmark solution. Solutions are also validated using appropriate transient benchmarks available in the literature. The 2-D benchmark problem is a realistic representation of CANDU-PHW reactor. The reactor core is divided into 12 regions and consists of inner and outer fuelled regions surrounded by a heavy water reflector. The transient represents a non-uniform loss-of-coolant-accident (LOCA) and a subsequent asymmetric insertion of reactivity devices. The initiating perturbation is due to coolant voiding in one-half of the reactor core. The 3-dimensional benchmark problem chosen is based on the more realistic representation of CANDU-PHWR. The reactor dimensions are 780 cm in X and Y directions and 600 cm in the Z direction. The reactor core is divided into three regions in the radial direction (X-Y plane) consisting of inner core, outer core and reflector. Having established the accuracy of IQS3D method, the benchmark problems are used to test the accuracy and speed of the model developed, in the present work. The present method is based on modal synthesis method coupled with finite difference solution for local perturbation and the programme developed is called FDLP. Considerable gain in computational time is achieved using modal synthesis methods. Methods using modal synthesis along with local perturbation correction have improved the accuracy considerably with only a little increase in the computational time. 2-D benchmark and 3-D benchmark solutions have been obtained by using the method developed in this work. The benchmark problems taken for solution represent non-uniform LOCAs along with asymmetric insertion of shutdown devices. Modal expansion method has been used for the solution. The modes chosen for the expansion are the lambda modes or static modes which are generated considering the steady state before the start of the transient. The accuracy of the modal expansion method is improved by including local perturbation correction. The local perturbation is accurately treated by solving the local perturbation by means of finite difference formulation. Thus a powerful tool, which is computationally inexpensive, has been developed to accurately analyze the 3-D space-time kinetics problems. This method can be used for strictly localized perturbations as well for transients which involve global and local perturbations, giving it versatility.


text:
Community Land Trusts
Introduction to and practical guide for creating community land trusts.
Basics of community land trusts from a city planning perspective.
“The National Community Land Trust Network is the umbrella organization supporting the work of community land trusts across the United States”
Conservation Land Trusts
“The Alliance is the only organization dedicated to the effectiveness and sustainability of the nation’s land trusts and their use of conservation easements.”
Resources for people interested in creating conservation land trusts.
“This article describes the economic tradeoffs of these two conservation methods.”


Please see the factual update to this article.
East Side Monthly this month (no link yet) ran an extensive interview with former mayor and parking lot/casino aficionado Joe Paolino. One thing caught my eye especially. Joe Paolino thinks that bike lanes are the cause of the 6/10 Connector's expense. He blames Jorge Elorza pointedly, in what can only be described as a set up to run for mayor (he's been doing a lot of those lately. . . ):.@joepaolino on record in @eastsidemonthly saying @jorge_elorza & @provplanning caused 6/10 Connector expense-- with bikes. Sheesh! pic.twitter.com/nMYXFXaOfv— Transport Providence (@TransportPVD) February 9, 2017
I worry about the mayor's over-reliance on planners. The 6/10 changes are fine but can we afford them? The bicycles paths they brought in are underutilized and have safety and maintenance issues like the one in front of the Providence Journal building where not only is it confusing but you can't plow them.
I once referred to Paolino-- a Clinton supporter-- as the Donald Trump of Providence, because of his intense desire to build things that will bankrupt the city and his faux-populist mission of creating umbrage about a supposed explosion of crime and delinquency in Kennedy Plaza as a way of shunting away "bus people". It seems Joe is at it again, and we need to take him seriously. Like Trump, he's full of dumb ideas, but he could come to power.
Every broken clock is right twice a day, but Joe Paolino is right only once. He calls the Fountain Street protected bike lane confusing and unsafe, and I agree. It ends by spilling into a turn lane at Fountain & Dorrance, it only goes in one direction, it doesn't have adequate bollards to keep drivers from parking in it, and so it ends up being ineffective. The plowing issue is real, but could be resolved by using snowblowers, or by making the bike lane wide enough for an ordinary plow to go down it (I suggested these changes during the planning process).
But Paolino really has some chutzpah talking about an issue he clearly doesn't understand. Like the broken clock, he's only right by accident.
The 6/10 Connector is a tremendously expensive project, but it's not because of bike infrastructure. It's not even totally clear whether RIDOT is going to include real bike infrastructure beyond paint. As someone who has looked at the plans in meetings with the WBNA and the Fix the 6/10 Group, and as part of planning meetings with RIDOT, what comes out clearly from RIDOT's renderings is that they consider a bike "path" to be merely some paint on the ground. Most of what RIDOT plans biking-wise is for show to pretend that the state is concerned about cities, but there's little substance to it. And that is why I'm glad that community groups have been meeting to push for more.
Let's be clear, even if real, Dutch-style bike infrastructure gets included in 6/10, it will be a rounding error on a rounding error of the cost. And the reason that the 6/10 Connector is so expensive is not because of Mayor Elorza-- well, it's a little his fault, but I'll get to that-- it's because of RIDOT. RIDOT insisted that the project go forward as a highway, which is much more expensive than the boulevard model the mayor and his planning department--and the public-- supported.
Not news: somebody parked in the bike lane. News: they got a ticket! pic.twitter.com/3pMS1Rez4w— Car Free in PVD (@carfreepvd) February 8, 2017
I am often a critic of Mayor Elorza, but I have watched Joe Paolino's demagogic rise with concern. Mayor Elorza's biggest problem is he runs with half-measures. The bike lane on Fountain Street needs to get fixed so people can't park in it. The 6/10 Connector should have been a boulevard, and probably still can become one if Mayor Elorza grows a spine and tells RIDOT and Gina Raimondo to shove it, reopening the planning process.
|Some of the "lack of parking" in downtown (the Biltmore|
While we're speaking about parking in bike lanes, let me remind people of something: in 2014, candidate Jorge Elorza came out to support the city's second annual Park(ing) Day, in which a temporary protected bike lane was tried on Broadway for the day, in cooperation with local businesses and the WBNA. I was extremely stressed that day,
because a certain former mayor, Joe Paolino, decided to park his car in the bike lane all day, making it useless. Joe had complained to the city (then under Mayor Taveras) that by no means would he accept a parklet in front of Paolino Properties, and we stepped out as far as we could to accommodate that. He then slapped back at us anyway. Remembering just how much of a prick Joe Paolino was that day is one of many reasons I would never want him to be mayor again.
Let's talk about expensive: Also in 2014, Joe Paolino interviewed with James Baar at the Projo, claiming that Downtown Providence was plagued by crime and a lack of parking. He called for strict policies to get rid of the homeless and the buses, something he currently is working with Gina Raimondo to accomplish. And he said that the best thing to do with Kennedy Plaza was to turn the whole thing into an underground garage. Paolino apparently didn't know that underground parking runs at $100,000 a space, and that Providence has no lack of parking available at all hours of the day and night. Maybe before telling us how expensive bike lanes are, he ought to look to some of his own past statements.
The best way for Mayor Elorza to fight back against Joe Paolino is by doubling down his efforts to make the city a progressive place. I respect many of the things the mayor tries. Now he needs to try harder. Half-measures like the 6/10 Connector or the Fountain Street Protected Parking Lane will only weaken his efforts. Joe Paolino is an idiot who happens to have lots of money. But idiots with money win sometimes, and especially if the opposition isn't clear-headed and strong. Stick it to him, Mayor. A good place to start would be a tax on those damn parking lots.
But we must stop Joe Paolino.


text:
At some point every writer has trouble with motivation (or her brother, procrastination). We get sidetracked with thousands of other tiny daily chores, putting off our writing, or waiting for inspiration to strike that at some point we no longer feel the need to write at all. Then we move on to other projects that seem more interesting, that will yield more immediate results, that give us the same sense of accomplishment as a strong, well-written scene.
Then along comes a challenge (from a twitter feed or writing website) or a friend, who also happens to be a writer, tells you about the upcoming printing of his next novel, describing the excitement of choosing a cover and having to schedule book signings. The vicarious enthusiasm we feel for his good fortune produces in us a seed of envy that, if nurtured and pruned, grows and blossoms into the drive to do as well as him.
Some advice I’ve come to rely on to keep my motivation high is to write every day. In the past I wrote only when inspiration struck me, and at times went a month or longer without putting a single word down. Since deciding to continue my Master’s program and while working bimonthly with an awesome, prolific critique group, I can’t find enough time in the day to work on my own novel. The creativity it takes to analyze and critique literature breeds the creativity I need to continue my own story.
Now, I purposely set aside an hour or two to write, revise, outline, plan, edit, and write some more. I’m a convert to scheduled writing and its results manifest in completed chapters, new storylines, and blog posts like these.
Don’t let whimsy decide your success. Set aside time everyday to write and the motivation to continue will follow. And eventually so will a completed manuscript.

domain: artistic


text:
Don Rex Sofa
Sculpted, post-war design lines from Australian maker Don Rex.
This stunning sofa from Queensland based mid-century furniture maker Don Rex features a crisp blond maple frame and an inspired lightness of form. We love the sculpted arms that perfectly combine flowing curves with sharp detailing.
If you're looking for a memorable and equally comfortable sofa for the lounge then this will be an absolute treat.
NOTE: This piece is currently not in store. Please get in touch if you would like view
Materials: Beautifully crafted from Queensland maple
Wood: Professional refinish by our restoration team
Construction: Joints are sturdy and solid. All checked and ready to go
Fabric Type: Reupholstered with Victory 'Sable' designer fabric from Warwick. Composition: 53% PL, 40% Acrylic, 7% VI. Care: See here for instructions
Upholstery Foam: Luxurious new upholstery grade foam (10 year guarantee)
Spring Cover: Crisp new spring cover


text:
The Winchester Model 1873 is the classic cowboy's saddle gun of the late 19th century American West, often paired with a Colt Frontier Six Shooter. The factory letter from 1976 lists this carbine as shipped on March 31, 1885. It has a block mounted nickel-silver blade front sight, period added notch and folding ladder rear sight, Third Model frame with integral dust cover guide rail, standard markings, tang mounted peep sight, and smooth carbine forearm and stock with a three-piece cleaning rod in the compartment.
Good with gray and brown patina, mild pitting, period modified/lowered hammer spur, and general mild overall wear. The refinished wood is also good with mild dings and scratches. Mechanically fine. This is definitely a classic Western firearm with a lot of character.
There are currently no customer product questions on this lot

domain: hobby


text:
James 1:19) say “Wherefore my beloved brethren let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.”
As Christians we must learn how to listen. And learning to listen is not always easy because most people tend to want to tell it instead of listening and receiving. It’s been said that God obviously wanted us to listen more because he gave us two ears and only one mouth. Certainly there must be some truth to that because after reading (James 3) which ministers on the power of the tongue we all need to be sure that we listen more and talk less.
In fact, we also need to be swift (quick) to hear and slow to anger as well. A good listener must be one who makes eye contact with the speaker, one who doesn’t allow himself/herself to be distracted by the things going on around them or in them (thinking about other things); it’s also important that you be able to give the speaker some positive feedback on what you have heard.
Hence, it would be nice to know that you understood what you heard. Listening was so important to the Lord that he said “He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Thus, God can tell who is listening to the word of God and who is not by how they live their lives. If heaven is to be ours we must become good listeners, because there are those who hear but don’t receive or perceive the things of God. However, those who really listen to God’s word by the Spirit make the necessary changes to grow in Christ and become who God ordained them to be from the time He spoke it from our mother’s womb.
God Bless You


text:
It all came down to whether Woody Allen would agree then find time in his schedule.
Without a crucial cameo from the celebrated New York filmmaker, the French director Sophie Lellouche would not have had a film.
And given the comic romance Paris-Manhattan was her debut, the former lingerie designer would not have had a filmmaking career either.
''If Woody Allen had said no, I'd have had to forget it,'' Lellouche says. ''I would have even stopped thinking about becoming a director. So it was very important to me that he would say yes.''
Paris-Manhattan centres on a French pharmacist, Alice (Alice Taglioni), who is obsessed with Woody Allen. She has his poster on her wall, quotes from his movies and even prescribes them to her customers along with more conventional medicines.
But living in a fantasy world, it takes a meeting with the more down-to-earth Victor (singer and actor Patrick Bruel) to give her the chance of real-life romance.
It's a very Woody Allen premise - a French version of his angsty New Yorkers pondering the meaning of existence and relationships - that borrows from Play It Again, Sam, the 1972 comedy that had Allen as a mild-mannered film critic taking advice from Humphrey Bogart.
While Allen was making Midnight in Paris as a homage to the city, Lellouche was planning to return the compliment with a Parisian homage to him. So, like a sleuth, she tracked him down.
First stop was the Ritz hotel in Paris. ''Every Christmas holidays he's in Paris at the Ritz,'' Lellouche says. ''So I gave the script to the concierge.''
The same day, Allen's producer and sister, Letty Aronson, contacted Lellouche to say he was fine with her quoting from his movies but too busy to act in Paris-Manhattan.
Two years later, having financed the movie, Lellouche joined a queue to meet Allen after his regular Monday night jazz gig, playing clarinet at the Carlyle Hotel in New York.
''I waited till it was my turn and I said, 'I sent you a script six months ago to the Ritz hotel,''' she says. ''He said, 'Yes, I remember. What's happened with your movie?'''
Lellouche explained it was still rolling but not ready to shoot.
Six months later, after rewriting the script, she tracked Allen down in Paris again and met him ''by luck'' in the street. ''I was looking for him near the Ritz hotel,'' she says. ''He said, 'OK, send me the script and I'll tell you if I can make the movie or not.' Two weeks later, his assistant sent me an email saying he'd agreed to make the movie.''
But so tight was Allen's schedule that he was available for just one hour while in Paris for a concert. So Lellouche assembled a small crew and three cameras for her first scene as a movie director.
When it all worked perfectly, Lellouche was finally away. She started shooting the rest of Paris-Manhattan 10 days later.
The relationship at the heart of the movie, she says, turns on a woman who lives in the future meeting a man who lives in the present. ''She has a problem with reality,'' Lellouche says of Alice. ''The present is always bad for her. When she meets Victor, she learns to just appreciate the present.''
Taglioni, a former classical pianist best known for The Story of My Life and The Valet, thought it was a fresh premise for a French movie. ''I loved the character of Alice,'' she says. ''She's in a transition from teenage times and the world of adults. And she's a bit afraid of it. She doesn't want to be an adult.''
When Lellouche finally worked with Allen on Paris-Manhattan, she was impressed. ''In France, when you need to contact an artist, you might wait a month. But with Woody Allen, I'd send his assistant an email at 2 o'clock and at 2.05 I'd get the answer.''
Paris-Manhattan opens tomorrow. Garry Maddox travelled to Paris courtesy of Unifrance Films.
Tomorrow in Arts - Paul Byrnes reviews the film.

domain: entertainment


Do I need a passport or visa to enter?
A valid passport is required of U.S. citizens for entry to Trinidad and Tobago. The U.S. passport card alone is not accepted for entry to Trinidad and Tobago or for direct air travel from Trinidad and Tobago back to the United States. U.S. citizens do not need a visa for tourism or business-related visits of 90 days or less. Work permits are required for compensated and some non-compensated employment, including missionary work. Visas may be required for travel for purposes other than business or tourism. Questions pertaining to visas should be directed to the Embassy of Trinidad and Tobago, 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036, telephone (202) 467-6490, or the Trinidad and Tobago Consulates in Miami or New York City. Visit the Embassy of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago website for the most current visa information.
If you are a U.S. Citizen or a dual U.S. citizen, you must have a valid U.S. passport in order to board U.S.-bound flights departing from Trinidad and Tobago. Airlines are not permitted to board U.S. citizen passengers carrying Certificates of Naturalization or expired U.S. passports. Such passengers are refused boarding until they return with a valid U.S. passport.


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GUIDED • Half Day • €25 per person
I, Florian, am a native Albanian, born and raised in Shkodër, the northern corner of this country. With soaring mountains, pristine lakes and a turquoise ocean nearby, this area is a place of indescribable beauty. As a child, I lived under the communist regime and was forced to worship the Premier, Enver Hoxcha, at school. I lived through the arrival of democracy and the subsequent civil war of 1997, where I, armed with a Kalashnikov, personally guarded my family’s farm through the night against looters. My city is culturally rich, replete with churches and mosques, fortresses and flourishing gardens. Over the past thirty years I’ve watched new cultural layers accumulate. I have a close relationship with the land through our family farm where we keep animals and grow our own grapes to make wine and Rakyi. I’m deeply in touch with the tides of history that course through this city, mirroring the hundreds of tributaries that course into nearby Lake Shkodra; gentle on the surface, but roiling with the currents of the past underneath.
Shkodër is situated on a lush plain that straddles the land between the nearby lake and the mountains, which are both easily reached from the city. The city is 3000 years old and is one of the oldest in Europe. It was occupied successively by the Illyrians, Romans, Slavs and Ottomans, before being won by the Albanians for the first time at the turn of the 20th century. After nearly half a century of oppression under communism, my city emerged bold and vibrant. Sharing the unwritten history of my city – through tours, fables and stories – is my passion. I want to share this with you.
Starting with a pick-up from your hotel or guesthouse, our professional tour guide will take you to the most important sites around the city.
- Rozafa Castle – Set on a rocky hill approximately 130 meters above sea level, this imposing fortress has beautiful views of Shkodër and the surrounding areas from each of its 3 “yards.” It was built by the Illyrians and is more than 1,000 years old.
- Mesi Bridge – Built in the 18th century by Kara Mahmud Bushati, a local Ottoman Pasha. This bridge is often referred to as the “Lord of the Rings Bridge.” It is one of the longest Ottoman bridges in the area and spans the Kir River.
- Communist Jail – During Albania’s Communist Era (1946-1992), numerous prisons and internment camps were created throughout the country confining individuals considered to be a threat to the regime. Like their counterparts elsewhere in the country, most of the prisoners in Shkodër’s Communist Jail were primarily Catholic priests, clergy, Muslim imams, academics and political prisoners. In total, it is estimated that 5,548 individuals were executed in the country during this time. To learn more about life for everyday Albanians during this difficult period of history, visit this website which details restrictions on everything from eating to clothing and transportation.
- Marubi Permanent Photo Exhibition – The first ever photograph taken of Albania is on display at this interesting exhibition. It shares depictions of various Albanian places of importance, events and portraits.
- Lunch Break – We will have a 70-minute break for lunch.
€25 per person
There is a minimum of 3 people required for this tour.
What to Bring
Snacks and Water

domain: travel


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It's been a tough year for the group, which has underperformed the broader market. The KBW Nasdaq Bank index is down about 5 percent for the year, worse than the S&P 500's drop of 3.8 percent as of Monday morning. The index was rallying Monday on the heels of a broader market move higher.
Last week's Fed decision to keep its key funds rate near zero came largely over concerns about global growth. That in turn may have spooked bank-stock investors who fear that a global recession would be felt worst in the financial sector.
Read More The Fed has to deal with its own zombie apocalypse
Bove said that even in the case of a global slowdown, a low-rate environment will keep a floor under bank stocks.
"One immediate impact of the failure to raise interest rates is that it caused the value of bank assets to rise and it improved real book values," he wrote. "This is because an estimated 92 percent of bank assets are financial instruments. If interest rates remain stable or decline slightly, the value of these assets rises in real terms. This improves banking industry book value."
Higher rates also can boost banks by increasing margins, though that applies to rates rising in a stronger economy, which presumably would be the case.
Bove urged a focus on bank earnings, which he said are solid.
Read MoreHere's why the Fed knows better than to hike now
The broad financial sector is expected to grow 7.8 percent in the third quarter, 8.9 percent for 2015, then 11.3 percent for all of 2016, according to S&P Capital IQ.
"No one is estimating that banks will lose money this year or next or the year after that," Bove said. "Book values will rise creating more economic value in bank stocks."

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Bring the world of Rippers: Resurrected to your tabletop and virtual games with the newly-released Rippers Combat Maps! Whether you’re sticking to the cityscapes of the Empire or going to exotic foreign locales, we’ve got the map for you.
The more rural settings of the downloadable PDF maps bring you an Ancient Tomb, a Castle Courtyard, a Country House, and a World of the Rippers large-scale map. Maps for city settings include a Lodge and a set of Urban Alleys (with bonus Rooftops map).
These maps let you control the printing and can be used with any setting you like, not just Rippers: Resurrected. Besides, the night is dark, and you best know where you’re going…
If you backed the Rippers: Resurrected Kickstarter, check the Kickstarter Updates for details on downloading.


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Like something right out of the pages of a storybook this handsome Hansel and Gretel bed does double-duty as both a playhouse and sleepspace. The Gingerbread Cottage Bed‘s intricate hand-painted details can even be customized to match your current decor.
Calmer reds with a matte finish are apt for rustic vintage or traditional bedrooms and look lovely when paired with natural wooden textures. Find a compromise between the shades you love and the style you desire for a bedroom that you’re comfortable with.
While the Arch White Wardrobe‘s styling is decidedly classic cottage its bright white finish gives it a fresh modern look. With five roomy drawers and a large cabinet for shoes bags or bedding it’s great for any bedroom that could use a little more storage than just a dresser.
Think of rustic style and the first thing that comes to mind are large logs and rough wooden surfaces that define the walls and the ceiling. While such a look is not natural for most modern homes you can give your kids’ bedroom a special makeover by adding a few beams to define the ceiling and add warmth to the room.
DIY diva AngieintheThickofIt took some plywood and old dressers and turned them into this pretty and practical daybed for her kids. By making it taller than most typical bed frames she was able to incorporate ample cabbies and drawers as well.
Plus there are all kinds of options available regardless of whether you’re a fan of country cottage or more of a modernist maven. Flip through our gallery for a roundup of our favorites!
You may even choose to repaint your existing pieces DIY-style. If you need a little inspiration to get started hit the jump for our gallery of white furniture finds to get the design juices flowing.
In case you already have a bedroom clad in gray adding a bit of red to it becomes a pretty simple task. But for those starting out fresh pick an elegant shade of gray that will serve you well across the changing seasons.


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|The Bremerton Waterfront
with John Smiley and the Mountaineers Photography Group
October 10, 2009
Bremerton is a small city in Kitsap County, Washington. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton
Annex of Naval Base Kitsap. Bremerton is connected to downtown Seattle by a 55-minute car and passenger ferry ride..
We arrived at the Bremerton Ferry Termnal at 8:45 a.m., but the Mountaineer photo group was not on the ferry. Checking my
printout I realized the group was coming over on the next ferry arriving at 9:45 a.m. And I got Jackie up at 5:30 a.m. for a prompt
As we sat and waited for the group to arrive, we noticed a mini Washington state ferry. A passerby explained to us that this is
the passenger "foot ferry" from Port Orchard..
Eventually the ferry came into view with John and the five other photographers.
Clearly, the Washington State Ferry system has seen better days.
The photo outing started out in the park next to the ferry terminal. The group was disappointed by the dark cloudy day.
Ironically, when we got back to Port Angeles, it was all sunshine. The fountains did not seem like the first attraction for most of
the group. Rather, they were keenly interested in the rocks and plants.
While we waited for the ferry, we went down to the little park next to the ferry terminal where we were supposed to meet the rest
of the group. There is a really cool set of five fountains in the park which are synchronized in a very unpredictable way.
Maybe we didn't have a tripod like the rest, but we could pretend to be camera sophisticates and take pictures of the rocks and
sculptures like the pros.!
We followed the group with fascination watching and learning from the pros. Soon, we came to another set of rocks and
From the fountains we walked to the water front on our way to the Turner Joy.
The destroyer Turner Joy was built by the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company of Seattle and commissioned at Puget
Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. She was launched on 5 May 1958 and decommissioned in 1982. The Turner
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the legal foundation for the US to become fully engaged in the Vietnam war.
What makes a visit to the Turner Joy worthwhile is that most of the ship is open for a guided tour including the engine room and
The Mountaineer group departed at 12:30 to catch the return ferry to Seattle. Time ran out and we had not seen the Bremerton
Naval Museum, something we will do another time.
A great day. A fun place. Thanks John and the rest of the group. We had a great time and learned a lot watching you.


By, The Narwhal
Space lasers. That’s the reason some people gave for the catastrophic burning of Lytton, B.C., in 2021 after a historic heat wave set a new temperature record in Canada, exacerbating a wildfire that essentially destroyed the town.
And while the idea seems wild, it wasn’t even the first time the conspiracy theory had been floated. As far back as 2018, space lasers were blamed for causing wildfires in California, some tinged with antisemitic theories the space lasers were owned by Jewish bankers.
So it almost seems quaint that a not-insignificant chorus of Canadians blame the current wildfires sweeping across much of the country on climate activists and laser-less government operatives willing to drive into the woods and strike a match.
Supposedly it’s arson, not natural forces or human carelessness coupled with a hotter and drier climate, that’s the real culprit for the choking smoke that has kept children inside, blocked out the sun and made it nearly impossible to breathe.
These theories aren’t quaint, and they’re not just being spread in fringe digital corners.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith didn’t flinch in early June when asked by talk show host Ryan Jespersen about reconciling her push against federal climate and environmental policies with the intensity of the current wildfire season and its link to climate change.
“I’m very concerned that there are arsonists,” she said. “There have been stories as well that we’re investigating and we’re bringing in arson investigators from outside the province.” (Arson is not a major factor in wildfire ignition — more on that later.)
It’s not just Smith. Canadian politicians across all levels of government are not aligned on what started the fires and what needs to be done to combat them, a discord that is fuelling a deep misunderstanding of this intense and destructive climate moment.
There is real fear, in Alberta and beyond, about what these fires represent. They are burning during a critical time for climate policy discussions that will have an enormous impact across Canada, particularly in the oil and gas heartland.
Hardly anyone in the country is unaffected. There is a direct and visceral threat to home and security for the tens of thousands who have been forced to flee. Then there’s a fear of job loss and security for those who work in sectors including oil and gas. Not to mention the physical and emotional stress on firefighters forced to work without adequate resources or funding.
Millions more Canadians have been trapped under smoky skies caused by fires thousands of kilometres away.
Everyone is carrying the anxiety of a changing planet.
The discussions that need to happen now — that should’ve started long ago — are complex and wide-ranging, and the solutions they result in will require unprecedented co-ordination across ideologies. Along with better approaches to fire prevention and management, governments need to cope with misinformation and social media companies that allow it to spread.
Given all of that, space lasers can seem like an easy out.
Here’s a rundown of what we know about how the wildfires actually started and the truth behind the most prominent conspiracy theories. It’s also a look at who benefits from spreading untruths and what politicians and social media platforms could be doing to stop the climate disinformation blazing across the country.
Just how on fire is Canada right now?
Natural disasters at their worst seem cinematic and fictional. And this year, for the first time in our collective memory, the entire country was very much on fire.
Since March, 11 provinces and territories have been affected by thousands of forest fires, many of them out of control. Canada is on track for its “worst wildfire season” in recorded history, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in early June. You could see the fires from coast to coast.
British Columbia saw the single-largest wildfire in its history this year in Donnie Creek. Alberta was the most impacted overall in May, forcing the government to declare a provincial state of emergency that lasted a month. Almost 40 per cent of the country’s fires were in Quebec in mid-June, threatening to evacuate more than 15,000 people. Newfoundland and Labrador saw 34 wildfires before May 1, compared to only two fires in the same period last year. Nova Scotia saw its largest recorded forest fire in history; more than 16,000 residents were evacuated from the Halifax area.
The sheer cumulative effect was, well, apocalyptic. A wall of smoke descended across the U.S.-Canada border. New York City experienced its worst air quality since a dramatic smog event in the 1960s. Skies turned orange, horizons and skylines disappeared.
North America has never experienced fire like this before. It is scary and visceral. In Ottawa, the smoke became the perfectly haunting metaphor: parliamentarians and policymakers were trapped in the heavy fog, unable to act or see ahead.
And it’s not over: the large Donnie Creek fire is expected to keep burning for several weeks.
How did the 2023 Canadian wildfires start?
The majority of new forest fires started in Canada in recent days are from natural causes, like lightning: Mother Nature’s energy weapon that literally sparks flames.
In any given year, almost half of the fires that burn across the country are started by lightning, but those fires account for nearly 67 per cent of the land burned, according to the federal government. There have been 2,715 wildfires across Canada already this year.
But a strike of lightning will not turn into a catastrophic wildfire unless the conditions are ripe for one.
In dry, hot conditions, the flames become raging blazes and if the wind picks up, it carries the thick smoke quickly. Such conditions will become the norm for longer periods of time as Earth’s atmosphere warms rapidly due to carbon pollution created from burning fossil fuels. Wildfire seasons will start earlier, last longer and be more intense.
As of June 20, almost six million hectares of land in Canada have burned. That’s more than the amount of land that burned in 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2022 combined.
Lightning strikes have an outsized impact, according to Natural Resources Canada, because they can occur in remote, less populated areas and the fires are often left to burn. Or they can happen in clusters, with multiple fires lit at once, forcing firefighters to decide which ones to tackle with limited resources.
Humans do cause the majority of wildfires, just over half, but they tend not to be part of a balaclava-clad crowd of ne’er do wells and extremists.
Figures released by the B.C. Wildfire Service show more than a third of this year’s 460 wildfires as of June 20 were caused by lightning. Another 275 were attributed to suspected human activity, not arson but carelessness, like “vehicle and engine use, industrial activity, fireworks, sky-lanterns, outdoor flame lighting and discarding burning items (e.g. cigarettes).” That doesn’t mean there hasn’t been a history of trying to blame everyone from Antifa to environmentalists for the conflagrations.
Alberta’s June 13 update on the wildfire situation showed 368 of 634 — 58 per cent — wildfires this year were human caused, which the province says covers “everything from recreational fires to agricultural incidents to wildfires caused by people on residential land.” It’s part of the reason Alberta implemented bans on outdoor fires and all-terrain vehicle use through much of the spring.
During a news conference on June 12, Melissa Story, an information officer with Alberta Wildfire, said the service is also seeing an “emerging trend with fireworks and exploding targets.”
Lightning, according to the province, was responsible for 129 fires and another 135 are under investigation.
And yes, sometimes arson is the cause.
In Alberta, RCMP charged a man in May for a series of arsons, including what they say were intentionally set wildfires, in 2022. The man was also charged with breaching conditions for a previous charge that was supposed to confine him to his property. There was no mention by police of climate motivations for the fires he set, which also included a church, post office and rodeo grounds among targets. That same year, a woman from Kamloops, B.C., was also charged with wildfire arsons. She pled guilty and has yet to be sentenced.
“We see arson wildfires every year, in one form or another. Sometimes they’re under-represented, sometimes they’re over,” Story with Alberta Wildfire told The Toronto Star on June 8. “It’s not an emerging trend that we’re concerned about right now.”
Arson happens, but it is rare.
According to the RCMP, most of the current fires are not suspicious.
“While the vast majority of these fires have been attributed to naturally occurring sources, such as lightning, the RCMP Forestry Crimes Unit is currently investigating 12 suspicious wildfires (January 1, 2023, to June 12, 2023) where human activity is believed to be a factor,” it said in a media release on June 14. “In 2022, 21 suspicious wildfires were investigated. A total of 40 were investigated in 2021.”
So why are arsonist theories so widespread?
There’s a certain logic to trying to distract from the terror of wildfires and the changing climate that helps set the conditions for them. For many individuals, perhaps the truth is so unimaginable, unsettling and unavoidable, they refuse to accept the complex origins of the new reality.
Others have more nefarious motivations and use positions of influence to shore up their own interests — from business leaders to politicians to influencers.
Often, misinformation takes a piece of truth and twists it. In early June, the B.C. Wildfire Service released a video explaining how it uses planned ignitions — a fire management tactic that strategically burns areas of the forest a fire hasn’t reached as a way to contain it. But in a doctored version of the video going viral online, footage from the service is edited so all you see is a yellow helicopter flying above a smoke-filled forest in Donnie Creek, in the northeastern part of the province, with a torch suspended from one of the wings shooting flames into the trees. The words “it was a setup” flash on the screen.
Some of the theories show how new crises are absorbed into existing disinformation spheres. As politicians and health officials advised people to stay indoors or wear masks outside, it activated people who felt COVID-19 lockdowns had curtailed their freedoms — and ignored that N95 masks prevent both the spread of viruses and inhalation of harmful smoke. Then there are those who believe the wildfires were intentionally set to destroy rural life and force everyone into 15-minute cities — an urban planning concept in which daily life exists within walking or biking distance. And there’s the long-running classic, that the wildfires are purposely lit to give the Trudeau government cover to increase the carbon price, which is one of the most effective tools to reduce industrial emissions.
“Climate is just the latest victim in a trend that has already claimed conversations around public health, conversations around migration, conversations around sexual and reproductive health rights, conversations around LGBTQ rights [and] conversations around racial justice,” Jennie King, head of climate research and policy at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, told The Narwhal.
“The kind of underlying unifying theme is one of the so-called woke agenda and the cabal of internationalists or globalists who are instigating that supposed agenda,” said King, whose organization is an international think-tank that researches threats to democracy, including disinformation. “That can then be applied to any topic.”
That’s probably why the list of conspiracy theories is endless. There are varying (untrue) explanations of how arsonists operate, from stealing ammonium nitrate from a train to a more elaborate theory about eco-terrorists who co-ordinated the lighting of matches at the same time across the country.
None of these assertions are new this year, or to Canada — similar theories have been floated globally, as fires increase and intensify. But their veracity is deeply concerning, not only because of the growing risk of wildfire, but because of the threat disinformation poses to broader climate action.
What leads people to believe climate misinformation?
Studies have shown increased anxiety and feeling a loss of control can contribute to belief in conspiracy theories. If anxiety is increased, so too is a disposition to justify theories outside the realm of reality.
Education or intelligence don’t factor in, at least not in the way many would snidely suggest. One study from Yale Law School in 2017 showed people with higher abilities to interpret quantitative information were better at contorting facts to fit their ideological bias.
Adrian Bardon, a philosophy professor at Wake Forest University in North Carolina and author of The Truth About Denial, calls this “toxic, system-justifying identity politics.”
Humans are hardwired for a certain amount of bias and self-justification. Bardon says we often have reactions and then we find reasons to justify those reactions, not the other way around.
Existential threats — whether it’s the world burning or the loss of your paycheque — are powerful drivers of fear and conspiracy. Powerlessness in the face of global forces is visceral.
But there is also some calculation at play among the top spreaders of climate disinformation, with influencers, grifters and politicians leading the herd away from climate and toward, say, arsonists.
When it comes to climate change, the age of denialism is largely over, according to a report from King’s Institute for Strategic Dialogues. What has taken its place are strategies to muddy the discursive waters, particularly from polluting industries and those with vested interests.
“Whether through conspiracies like ‘climate lockdown,’ or by conflating climate with divisive issues like critical race theory, LGBTQ+ rights and abortion access, the goal of much climate change [misinformation] now is to distract and delay,” reads the report.
“Yet, with the window to act deemed ‘brief and rapidly closing,’ such an approach may prove fatal.”
So what are Canadian politicians saying about wildfires?
When fire season started this year, Alberta politicians were in the midst of an election campaign devoid of serious climate talk even as the province burned — shrouding cities in smoke and forcing the evacuation of homes and oil facilities.
It didn’t take long for evidence-free theories to start spreading: the idea that shadowy NDP operatives, perhaps working in concert with Trudeau, intentionally set the fires in order to help defeat the UCP. In reality, the UCP slashed the budgets for wildfire suppression in 2019, leaving a “skeleton crew” to tackle this year’s infernos.
There’s been a lot of finger pointing and climate denial as this year’s fires reached record levels, across the country and all levels of government.
Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said his ability to act on wildfires was limited by political differences. “What would greatly help our capacity to accelerate our fight against climate change in Canada is if I didn’t have to fight with certain jurisdictions all the time on doing the bare minimum to fight climate change, if I wouldn’t have to fight the Conservative Party of Canada,” he told CTV News in early June.
Meanwhile at Queen’s Park in the heart of Toronto — which had the second-worst air quality in the world at one point in early June due to fires in northern Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec — Premier Doug Ford refused to link the wildfire smoke to climate change. When asked about it by Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles, he accused the opposition of “politicizing the fires.”
Instead, Ford touted the work of Ontario’s firefighters while failing to mention or justify his government’s decision to cut 67 per cent of his province’s emergency forest firefighting funds in the 2019 budget. Ford’s Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry Graydon Smith matter-of-factly said “we’ve got forest fires every year in Ontario” as schools across the Greater Toronto Area cancelled recess due to smoke.
Then, on the last day of the legislature’s summer session, Ford declared Ontario’s economy “is on fire,” making a badly timed pun as 54 forest fires engulfed the province in smoke.
Why aren’t social media companies stopping the spread of wildfire conspiracy theories?
Probably because it helps them make money.
According to a report by the Climate Action Against Disinformation coalition published earlier this year, fossil fuel companies spent around US$4 million on Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram) for paid advertisements that spread false or misleading claims on climate issues.
The findings show “a stark comeback for climate denial” and “negligence from Big Tech companies who not only continue to monetize and enable, but in some cases actively recommend, such content to users,” the report says.
Big Tech’s failure to crack down on climate misinformation has been cited as a serious obstacle in reaching global climate goals. In November 2021, more than 400 organizations and individuals wrote an open letter demanding global action to tackle climate misinformation and disinformation.
There has been some progress. In October 2021, Google announced it would “prohibit ads for, and monetization of, content that contradicts well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change.” In April 2022, Pinterest announced a policy to reduce climate change disinformation in content and ads. And ahead of Earth Day this year, TikTok amended its policies to require the removal of any content that “undermines well-established scientific consensus, such as denying the existence of climate change or the factors that contribute to it.”
On Earth Day last year, Twitter also announced a new policy to demonetize climate denial in its advertising, although that hasn’t lasted. Since July 2022, when Elon Musk took over the platform, the Climate Action Against Disinformation coalition has observed an increase in climate denial content on Twitter. The group noted a concerning spike for #ClimateScam, a hashtag that “soared back up the top search results” on the site last week, according to King’s early analysis. “That was obviously linked to the stories around the wildfires,” she said.
There’s more work to be done, as the online discourse around this year’s wildfires makes clear. Canada is expected to introduce wide-ranging policy around online harms later this year, after two and a half years of discussion, and King said it can’t come too soon.
“Canada is probably a little late to the party in recognizing the threat of climate, mis- and disinformation, both at a low local policymaking level, but also, the broader trend of climate being weaponized within kind of identity politics, and dynamics of, of cultural discourse,” she said. There’s finally a recognition that climate disinformation carries “a real vector of harm,” she said, that is creating confusion and perpetuating inaction.
So why should you care?
There are a lot of climate policies taking shape in Ottawa, from clean electricity regulations, to new clean fuel standards, increased carbon prices and potential caps on emissions from the oil and gas sector. The federal government is ramping up efforts to get to net-zero emissions by 2050 after years of dithering as emissions rose.
It’s essential these policies are discussed and debated on a level playing field, not one distorted by misinformation, so Canadians feel the measures are being passed in their best interests. Especially given the profound impacts of a changing economy, in a world that’s clearly changing despite warnings that were shrugged off.
Wetter wet seasons and drier dry seasons will increase floods and fire. Already, 20,000 Canadians have been displaced by this year’s wildfires. Many more will have to leave their homes behind as shorelines and floodplains shift and forests and grasslands burn. Managed retreat and its incalculable costs will challenge governments across the country.
It’s a huge problem — the existential challenge of our times. The urge to turn it into a fantastical but simple tale that has a beginning, middle and end, an obvious villain and a clear-cut spark is understandable. But these tales are just a smokescreen, distracting from the growing number of smoke signals from communities across the country desperate for serious climate action.
— with files from Denise Balkissoon
Updated June 16, 2023, at 1 p.m. MT: This story was updated to correct a typo in Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault’s name. It was also updated to clarify that natural causes, such as lightning, were responsible for the majority of new fires instead of all fires currently burning and to add comment from the Alberta RCMP on the number of investigations currently underway.
Updated June 20, 2023, at 3 p.m. MT: This story has been updated to reflect the most recent wildfire statistics.
Catch more news at Great Lakes Now:
Featured image: A not-insignificant chorus of Canadians blame the 2023 wildfires sweeping across the country on arson. But the truth is lightning and carelessness cause the majority of wildfires, made more likely by heat and dry conditions caused by climate change. (Illustration: Shawn Parkinson / The Narwhal)


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UPDATE: Chris Rainey gone.
We have waived RB Chris Rainey.— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 10, 2013
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert - “Chris Rainey’s actions this morning were extremely disappointing, Under the circumstances and due to this conduct, Chris will no longer be a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Gainesville Police confirmed to the Miami Herald.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Chris Rainey was arrested Thursday morning in Gainesville for slapping his girlfriend in the face during an altercation over a cell phone.
Rainey was charged with one count of simple battery, a first-degree misdemeanor, and he is currently being held and awaiting his first court appearance.
Gainesville Police spokesman Ben Tobias said
"Police responded to a 911 call from witnesses that said Rainey and a female later identified as his girlfriend of nine months got into an argument because she took his cellphone and got into Rainey's roommate's car in an attempt to get away from Rainey. According to the written police report the witnesses said Rainey went to the passenger side of the car and pulled his girlfriend slapping her across the face and both fell to the ground.Rainey chased after her, again trying to obtain his cell phone that was in the female's purse, grabbing it and causing both to fall to the ground again.

domain: law


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DWT’s immigration lawyers are best known for handling complex business immigration cases for corporate clients all across the country and around the world. The DWT immigration team is part of a full-service law firm with over 500 attorneys located in offices in Seattle, Bellevue, Portland, Anchorage, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., and Shanghai.
Our immigration partners based in Portland and Seattle have more than 65 years of business immigration experience. DWT’s team is also well known for serving Chinese and Japanese clients, since we have a number of attorneys and paralegals who are bilingual. All of our immigration attorneys are members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), which provides daily updates regarding important legal developments in the field of immigration law and policy. Ours is a close-knit, well-organized, and highly efficient team that has worked together for years.
Our corporate clients include universities, research institutes, hospitals, performing arts organizations, hi-tech companies, newspapers, TV producers, commercial real estate developers, telecom companies, seafood processing companies, restaurants, retail stores, and multinational corporations in a wide range of industries. We also regularly assist individuals with family based green card applications and citizenship applications.
We handle all types of nonimmigrant and immigrant visa petitions, including the following:
- L-1 intracompany transferee, E-1 treaty trader, E-2 treaty investor
- H-1B specialty occupation, H-2B skilled workers in short supply, H-3 trainees
- TN professionals from Canada and Mexico
- P-1 athletes and entertainers, P-3 culturally unique performing artists, and O-1 aliens of extraordinary ability in arts, sciences, education, business and athletics
- B-1 business travelers, F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors
- PERM labor certifications
- Green cards for multinational executives, outstanding professors and researchers, and persons of extraordinary ability who are at the top of their field
- Green cards for spouses and parents of U.S. citizens and other relatives
- Green cards for EB-5 investors and their family members
- Applications for U.S. citizenship
We also regularly advise clients on immigration compliance issues, including
- Completion and retention of I-9 employment verification forms
- Responding to I-9 audits and other worksite enforcement issues
- Immigration consequences of mergers and acquisitions
We wrote the book
Many companies rely on Davis Wright Tremaine's "Business Immigration Handbook," written by our immigration attorneys and updated regularly. The handbook is a summary of immigration rules for U.S. employers. The handbook explains the basic requirements for the nonimmigrant visa categories that are most often used to employ foreign nationals and the steps involved in obtaining green cards and U.S. citizenship for foreign nationals who wish to permanently live and work in the U.S.
Order the "Business Immigration Handbook"


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4Step iCare Plan
Developed by Goals of Care Coalition of NJ, the 4Step iCare Plan is an individualized advance care plan that has a simple 4-step approach to help you make difficult medical decisions. In addition to the video series available on our website, the plan can be downloaded as a PDF document.
As an agent of change. Join the Goals of Care Coalition of New Jersey to help improve end of life care for patients and families.
As a supporter of our efforts. We depend on the generosity of our donors to help the sickest and most vulnerable New Jerseyeans get the care they need and no less, and the care they want and no more. Donate today to help us provide critical information to patients and families and raise our voice with local, state and federal policy makers.

domain: health


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Lambeth CCG, Bromley CCG and Southwark CCG are piloting a new telephone advice and guidance service called 'Consultant Connect'. The service allows GPs to speak with local speciality consultants at Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) and King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (KCH) in real time anytime Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.
The service has been available since Monday 16 October 2017. Each practice will receive its unique dial-in number to access the service. Further communications will be made over the next month as the service establishes.
The service will initially include the specialties below (further specialties to be added later):
The service should be used for the same clinical advice and guidance that GPs would usually seek via a written request or through the switchboard or bleep system. GPs will be able to use the system to seek help with the treatment of a patient who may otherwise be referred.
How does it work?
1. GP calls via landline or app and chooses a specialty from a list of options. Each practice will be given a dedicated number to call.
2. GP will then be asked to enter the patient's NHS number.
3. The call loops through a rota of available consultants at either GSTT or KCH (average waiting time to connect is 50 seconds).
4. The first available consultant answers the call and provides advice and guidance (call lengths are on average four minutes).
5. On completion of the conversation GPs will need to stay on the line to assign an outcome to the call. GPs will be asked to select from five options (e.g. referral made, referral avoided)
The clinical dialogue between the GP and Consultant will be recorded and accessible after the call has ended should you need to hear the advice again.
Further information will be distributed from Consultant Connect to practices over the next two weeks. In the meantime, if practices have any questions please contact with the Service Redesign Team either via email LAMCCG.firstname.lastname@example.org or telephone on 020 3049 6221/6222/9985. You can also contact Jonathan Patrick from Consultant Connect directly on 01865 261467.

domain: medical


Las Vegas, NV – If you are covering Jill Biden’s visit to Nevada, please see the following statement from Nevada GOP Chairman Michael J. McDonald:
“The Biden administration has failed Nevadans over the first 100 days of being in power:
- Biden is kowtowing to Russia and China so they cooperate with his Green New Deal agenda to destroy millions of jobs.
- Only 7% of his $2.25 trillion bill is for roads, bridges, waterways, ports, and airports.
- He killed actual infrastructure projects like the Keystone Pipeline and the border wall.
- His infrastructure proposal will hit Americans with $2 trillion in tax hikes and would lower wages and shrink America’s economy.
- On Day One, Biden crushed thousands of jobs by canceling the Keystone Pipeline, killing 11,000 jobs including 8,000 union jobs.
- Migrants are surging to the border in record numbers because of Joe Biden’s policies.
Not one member of the administration has traveled to the border to address the ongoing crisis, yet they visit the Silver State to tout the work that will cripple our state and country.”


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You may have heard about refugees, but are not sure what the difference. How can a person obtain refugee status instead of being considered an undocumented immigrant?
First, let’s discuss how a refugee is determined. When a person enters this country without going through proper channels (i.e. doesn’t have a visa or a work permit), that person is considered an illegal immigrant. But if that person had fled their country because of persecution and comes to this country for asylum, then that person may be considered a refugee. The reasons are usually different between an immigrant and a refugee as well. For example, an immigrant may come to the U.S. hoping to find a better life or to be with family. The immigrant has chosen to resettle in another country. Meanwhile, a refugee leaves his/her home not because that person wants a better life, but because of war or political reasons or religious persecution. This individual was forced to resettle.
According to the U.S. Department of State, America has welcomed more than 3 million refugees since 1975 from all over the world. In 2016 alone, our country welcomed 84,995 refugees from all around the world.
In order for a refugee to be granted asylum in the U.S., he/she must register with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It is up to this agency to determine if the individual can be qualified as a refugee and the best solution — either to return to his/her home country, resettlement, or local integration. The UNHCR uses specific criteria to decide whether someone can be granted refugee status:
- Be considered one fo the refugees who are determined by the President of the United States to be of special humanitarian concern to the U.S.
- Meet the definition of a refugee
- Bot be firmly resettled in any third country
- Be otherwise admissible under U.S. law
If the individual is determined to stay in the U.S., he/she needs to go through an extensive screening process which includes security checks, interviews with the Department of Homeland Security, and even medical checks. The whole process can take up to 24 months.
Is it a possible for an immigrant to apply for asylum? Yes, but it can be a complicated process. Check out this article for more information.

domain: politics


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Kohinoor Foods (up 15% at Rs 79.85), KRBL (8% at Rs 647) and LT Foods (8% at Rs 99.65) have rallied more than 7% on the BSE. On comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was trading 0.1% higher at 34,336 at 10:20 am.
On Monday, February 12, 2018, The Pabrai Investment Fund II LP and The Pabrai Investment Fund IV LP had bought combined 6.41 million equity shares representing 2.73% stake of KRBL for Rs 3.81 billion.
The Pabrai Investment Fund II LP bought 2.4 million shares at Rs 594 and The Pabrai Investment Fund IV LP bought 4.02 million shares at Rs 594, the bulk deal data shows.
Abdullah Ali Balsharaf and Omar Ali Obaid Balsaraf sold 3.25 million shares each at Rs 594 on the BSE. CLICK HERE FOR BULK DEAL DATA
The stock of KRBL is trading close to its 52-week high of Rs 673 touched on December 21, 2017 on BSE in intra-day deal. It rallied 17% in past five trading sessions from Rs 551 on February 6, 2018.


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1 year 8 months
Custom designed outfits from scratch, Ready to purchase outfits, Sample pieces on which orders can be placed
Years since established
What year did your store start in
Retail Shop, Studio / Boutique, Multi designer studio
Last Review Updated on 16 Jan 2020
1 year 1 month ago
They custom designs outfits from scratch according to the demands and requirements of the customer. They offered me the ready to purchase outfits .Their different and unique approach towards designing makes her collection stand out among others. The outfit made by them was liked and highly appreciated by everyone.


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MEET THE ARTISTS
William Wolfram was a silver medalist at both the William Kapell and the Naumburg International Piano Competitions and a bronze medalist at the prestigious Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow. Wolfram has developed a reputation as the rare concerto soloist who is also equally adept as a recitalist, accompanist and chamber musician.
Making his concerto debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony under the baton of Leonard Slatkin, he has since appeared with symphony orchestras throughout the world including the San Francisco Symphony, the Saint Louis Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, the San Diego Symphony, the Edmonton Symphony, the San Luis Obispo Mozart festival orchestras, the BBC Symphony Orchestra of London, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Bergen Philharmonic (Norway), the Beethovenhalle Orchestra Bonn, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, among others. He enjoys ongoing associations with ensembles such as the Dallas Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra, as well as the musicians of the New York Philharmonic for chamber concerts.
Other highlights include several chamber music collaborations, including recitals and recordings with Oscar Shumsky, recitals with Harvey Shapiro and numerous collaborations with Leonard Rose.
Wolfram has extensive experience in the recording studio including four titles on the Naxos label, one for the Albany label, and most recently a recording of the Bach Goldberg Variations on the PlayClassics label.
As educator and teacher, Mr. Wolfram is Head of the Piano Department at the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina, and a regular featured guest at the Colorado College Music Festival in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At the acclaimed Manhattan School of Music he teaches chamber music and was recently appointed a private piano studio.
A graduate of the Juilliard School, Wolfram resides in New York City with his wife and two daughters and is a Yamaha artist.


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University of East Anglia.
Andreas Musolff is Professor of Intercultural Communication at the University of East Anglia (Norwich, UK). His research interests focus on the Pragmatics of Figurative Language Use, Political Discourse Analysis, and Intercultural Communication. His most recent book publications include the monographs National Conceptualisations of the Body Politic (2021), Political Metaphor Analysis: Discourse and Scenarios (2016) and the co-edited volumes Pandemic and Crisis Discourse. Communicating COVID-19 and Public Health Strategy (2022) and Migration and Media. Discourses about Identities in Crisis (2019).

domain: library


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Comcast characterized the Federal Communications Commission as a winded fighter on the ropes in its version of the battle over the agency’s BitTorrent decision that found the top U.S. cable operator in violation of the agency’s network-openness principles.
The company also suggests that the commission dealt a self-inflicted blow to its own argument by adopting last week’s network neutrality Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to turn its policy statement into “enforceable rules.”
In reply comments filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Comcast said that in the BitTorrent order, the commission “bobs and weaves,” “ducks the threshold issue” and “audaciously embraces” the point that “nothing more than policy underlies the order.”
Comcast argued that the FCC violated “basic rules of fair notice” because the conduct it targeted — reducing peer-to-peer traffic on the network — did not violate any FCC rules.
“[T]he unenforceability of the Policy Statement has now been confirmed by the initiation of a rulemaking to establish the Policy Statement (and two new principles, including nondiscrimination) as enforceable regulations,” Comcast said in its brief.
Comcast also argued that the FCC’s invocation of “virtually the entire Communications Act” for its authority is a regulatory theory that “would free the agency of any meaningful statutory limits on its power, restrict Congress’ role to prohibiting agency action rather than, as present law establishes, authorizing such action.”
The company took umbrage at the FCC’s argument that the order was “modest,” calling it “an exercise in revisionist history.”
While Comcast maintains that it did nothing wrong but voluntarily agreed to discontinue the network management practice at issue. Nonetheless, the FCC held that Comcast violated “federal Internet policy”; mandated that the company cease the challenged practices by Dec. 31, 2008; asserted continuing jurisdiction over the company’s network management practices; and threatened further sanctions for failure to comply.”
Final joint briefs are due Nov. 23, according to Comcast. Comcast executive vice president David Cohen told reporters that he did not expect a decision sooner than the second quarter at the earliest.
The court last week set Jan. 8 as the date for oral argument. It will be before a three-judge panel. NBC Universal is an intervenor in the case, according to the court, likely on the issue of network management as it relates to piracy. Intervenor briefs are due Monday, Nov. 2, according to Comcast.


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Horwich A.,Institute of Cancer Research |
Hugosson J.,Gothenburg University |
Wiegel T.,Klinik For Strahlentherapie Und Radioonkologie Des Universitatsklinikum |
Fizazi K.,Institute Gustave Roussy |
And 22 more authors.
Annals of Oncology | Year: 2013
The first ESMO Consensus Conference on prostate cancer was held in Zurich, Switzerland, on 17-19 November 2011, with the participation of a multidisciplinary panel of leading professionals including experts in methodological aspects. Before the conference, the expert panel prepared clinically relevant questions about prostate cancer in four areas for discussion as follows: diagnosis and staging, management of early localized disease, management of advanced localized disease and systemic disease. All relevant scientific literature, as identified by the experts, was reviewed in advance. During the Consensus Conference, the panel developed recommendations for each specific question. The recommendations detailed here are based on an expert consensus after careful review of published data. All participants have approved this final update. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. Source
Albers P.,Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf |
Bangma C.,Erasmus Medical Center |
Drudge-Coates L.,Kings College |
Magnani T.,Prostate Program |
And 4 more authors.
European Journal of Cancer | Year: 2011
The widely recognised benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer may be particularly important in prostate cancer, where there are so many treatment options to choose from. It offers patients the best chance of receiving high-quality medical procedures administered by a team of specialists in prostate disease, which is able to tailor treatment and observational strategies to their needs, and ensure access to specialist counselling, supportive care and rehabilitation. This article proposes Prostate Cancer Units as the most suitable structures for organising specialist multidisciplinary care for patients at all stages, from newly diagnosed to advanced disease, including preventing and managing the main complications, whether physical, emotional or psychological, arising from the disease and its treatment. Following the German example with prostate cancer, the British example with urological malignancies and the European breast cancer units, this article proposes general recommendations and mandatory requirements for Prostate Cancer Units, with a view to laying the basis for a network of certified units across Europe. Such a network could help improve standards of care throughout the region, providing patients, practitioners and health authorities with a means of identifying high-quality units and providing a system of quality control and audit. The article is intended as a contribution to the debate within the European uro-oncologic community on the best way to organise prostate cancer care. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Source
Folini M.,Fondazione Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori |
Gandellini P.,Fondazione Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori |
Longoni N.,Fondazione Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori |
Profumo V.,Fondazione Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori |
And 9 more authors.
Molecular Cancer | Year: 2010
Background: Aberrant expression of microRNAs, small non-coding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally repress gene expression, seems to be causatively linked to the pathogenesis of cancer. In this context, miR-21 was found to be overexpressed in different human cancers (e.g. glioblastoma, breast cancer). In addition, it is thought to be endowed with oncogenic properties due to its ability to negatively modulate the expression of tumor-suppressor genes (e.g. PTEN) and to cause the reversion of malignant phenotype when knocked- down in several tumor models. On the basis of these findings, miR-21 has been proposed as a widely exploitable cancer-related target. However, scanty information is available concerning the relevance of miR-21 for prostate cancer. In the present study, we investigated the role of miR-21 and its potential as a therapeutic target in two prostate cancer cell lines, characterized by different miR-21 expression levels and PTEN gene status.Results: We provide evidence that miR-21 knockdown in prostate cancer cells is not sufficient per se i) to affect the proliferative and invasive potential or the chemo- and radiosensitivity profiles or ii) to modulate the expression of the tumor-suppressors PTEN and Pdcd4, which in other tumor types were found to be regulated by miR-21. We also show that miR-21 is not differently expressed in carcinomas and matched normal tissues obtained from 36 untreated prostate cancer patients subjected to radical prostatectomy.Conclusions: Overall, our data suggest that miR-21 is not a central player in the onset of prostate cancer and that its single hitting is not a valuable therapeutic strategy in the disease. This supports the notion that the oncogenic properties of miR-21 could be cell and tissue dependent and that the potential role of a given miRNA as a therapeutic target should be contextualized with respect to the disease. © 2010 Folini et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. Source
Rancati T.,Prostate Program |
Fiorino C.,San Raffaele Scientific Institute |
Fellin G.,Radiotherapy |
Vavassori V.,Radiotherapy |
And 8 more authors.
Radiotherapy and Oncology | Year: 2011
Background and purpose: To fit an NTCP model including clinical risk factors to late rectal toxicities after radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Methods and materials: Data of 669 patients were considered. The probability of late toxicity within 36 months (bleeding and incontinence) was fitted with the original and a modified Logit-EUD model, including clinical factors by fitting a subset specific TD 50s: the ratio of TD 50s with and without including the clinical variable was the dose-modifying factor (D mod). Results: Abdominal surgery (surg) was a risk factor for G2-G3 bleeding, reflecting in a TD 50 = 82.7 Gy and 88.4 Gy for patients with and without surg (D mod = 0.94; 0.90 for G3 bleeding); acute toxicity was also an important risk factor for G2-G3 bleeding (D mod = 0.93). Concerning incontinence, surg and previous diseases of the colon were the clinical co-factors. D mod(surg) and D mod(colon) were 0.50 and 0.42, respectively for chronic incontinence and 0.73 and 0.64, respectively for mean incontinence score ≥1. Best-fit n values were 0.03-0.05 and 1 for bleeding and incontinence, respectively. The inclusion of clinical factors always improved the predictive value of the models. Conclusions: The inclusion of predisposing clinical factors improves NTCP estimation; the assessment of other clinical and genetic factors will be useful to reduce parameter uncertainties. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Source
Valdagni R.,Prostate Program |
Nahum A.E.,Clatterbridge Center for Oncology |
Magnani T.,Prostate Program |
Italia C.,Radiation Oncology Radiotherapy |
And 5 more authors.
Radiotherapy and Oncology | Year: 2011
Background and purpose: To report the long-term biochemical control of a non-randomized trial comparing standard (STD) and hyper-fractionated (HFX) radiation schedules for prostate cancer treatment. Materials and methods: Between 1993 and 2003, 370 patients entered the study; 330/370 (STD: 179; HFX: 151) were evaluable for current analysis. Median doses were 79.2 Gy and 74 Gy for HFX (1.2 Gy/fr, two daily fractions) and STD (2 Gy/fr), respectively; median follow-up was 7.5 yr. The two regimens were compared in terms of biochemical relapse-free survival (according to ASTRO definition, bRFS) by univariate (log-rank test) and multivariate analyses (Cox regression hazard model). Based on published relationships between EQD2 and 5-yr biochemical control, α/β values for each subgroup could be estimated. Results: 7.5 yr bRFS were 53.4% (±4.4%, 95% CI) and 65.4% (±4.0%) for HFX and STD, respectively (p = 0.13); HFX was associated with a poorer outcome in NCCN low + intermediate patients (7.5 yr bRFS: 56.6% vs 73.5%, p = 0.048) while no differences were seen for high-risk patients (7.5 yr bRFS: 44.1% vs 45.3%). Multivariate analysis revealed that NCCN risk grouping (high vs low + intermediate; OR: 0.59, p = 0.009) and age (< vs ≥70 yr; OR: 0.67, p = 0.03) were the main predictors of worse bRFS. In the subgroups of low + intermediate-risk patients <70 yr, the poorer outcome of HFX was more evident (7.5 yr bRFS: 47.1% vs 70.9%, p = 0.078) while no difference was seen for older patients (7.5 yr bRFS: 69.4% vs 72.0%, p = 0.76). Our α/β estimates differ between low + intermediate-risk and high-risk patients. Conclusions: The bRFS long-term results of this non-randomized trial are consistent with different sensitivities to fractionation depending on NCCN risk grouping. The impact of age on the outcome of HFX for younger low + intermediate patients is consistent with an incomplete repair effect in older patients. © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Source