text:
- Research article
- Open Access
Utilization and responsiveness of the asthma control test (ACT) at the initiation of therapy for patients with asthma: a randomized controlled trial
BMC Pulmonary Medicine volume 12, Article number: 14 (2012)
The aim of this study was to assess the responsiveness of the asthma control test (ACT) to detect changes at the initiation of therapy and its utilization in the initiation of asthma treatment.
This study was designed as a randomized clinical trial conducted in a primary care setting. The subjects were asthma patients who had not received controller therapy for at least two months. The patients were randomized into two groups: The Saudi Initiative for Asthma (SINA) group and the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) group. Treatment in the SINA group was initiated at step1 when the ACT scores ≥ 20, step 2 when the score between16-19, and step 3 when the score < 16 began at step 3. The GINA group patients were started on step 2 when they had persistent asthma symptoms or step 3 when they had severely uncontrolled disease.
Forty-five patients were analyzed in each group. The improvement in ACT score after treatment initiation was significantly higher when the SINA approach was used (2.9 in the SINA group compared to 1.7 in the GINA group (p = 0.04)). The improvement in FEV1 was 5.8% in the SINA group compared to 3.4% in the GINA group (p = 0.46). The number of patients who achieved asthma control at the follow-up visit and required no treatment adjustment was 33 (73.3%) in the SINA group and 27 (60%) in the GINA group (p = 0.0125).
The ACT was responsive to change at the initiation of asthma treatment and was useful for the initiation of asthma treatment.
Trial Registration number
The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) has evolved management from being based on a severity index to the concept of achieving asthma control [1–4]. It has adopted a five-step approach to control asthma, where each step represents a different treatment option with increasing efficacy. The five-step approach is designed to maintain control with the least amount of medication [1, 5]. For the initiation of treatment, the GINA recommended step 2 for most treatment naïve patients with persistent symptoms, while step 3 was recommended for severely uncontrolled disease . The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) is another major guideline that utilized asthma severity categorization when initiating treatment in treatment-naïve patients or in those with newly diagnosed asthma . These different approaches were based on a consensus of experts' opinions, as there was insufficient available evidence.
The Saudi Initiative for Asthma management (SINA) was created by the Saudi Thoracic Society which was adopted and customized from the GINA, the NAEPP, and the available local literature [7, 8]. The SINA panel has reached a consensus of using the Asthma Control Test (ACT) score to simplify the initiation and adjustment of asthma therapy, as there are variations in the qualifications of health professionals dealing with asthma . The ACT is a validated, short, easy to use, and self-administered instrument used to assess asthma control . It consists of five items that cover a patient's activity limitations, shortness of breath, frequency of night symptoms, use of rescue medication and a rating of overall control of the disease over the past 4 weeks [9, 10]. The score of the ACT is the sum of five questions, where each is scored from 1 (worst) to 5 (best), leading to a maximum best score of 25. A score ≥ 20 indicates controlled asthma, scores from 16 to 19 indicate partly controlled asthma, and scores < 16 indicate uncontrolled asthma . In addition to its availability in Arabic, it is a valuable tool that is responsive to changes in patient clinical status over time when used for treatment maintenance and adjustment [6, 8, 12–14]. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the utilization and responsiveness of the ACT at the initiation of asthma therapy in a primary care setting.
This study was a randomized clinical trial conducted in asthma patients who presented at primary care centers belongs King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between 21 September and 12 November 2011. These primary care centers were operated independent of the main hospital and open to patients who has medical records at the center. The inclusion criteria included the following: an age above 12 years, a diagnosis of asthma, and literacy, as patients had to answer the ACT without assistance. Patients were excluded if they had used controller therapy for the two months prior to the initial presentation in order to ensure that our findings are contaminated by a prior controller treatment. Controller therapy was defined as the use of inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers, and/or long-acting bronchodilators agents. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the King Abdullah International Center for Medical Research (RC10-091). It was also registered in the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register with the number ISRCTN31998214.
Patients were randomized to receive their initial treatment based on either the SINA approach (Group A, Figure 1) or the GINA approach (Group B). More specifically, block randomization was carried out with a block size of 4. To avoid selection bias, the random numbers generated were kept in closed opaque envelopes to assure allocation concealment. Following obtaining the written consent from each patient for participation in this study, a research nurse collected each patient's data, which included basic vital signs, a baseline spirometer reading, ACT score and basic demographic data (disease duration, education level, respiratory symptoms, exacerbation and hospital admissions, smoking history, and pulmonary function tests). Peak expiratory flow (PEF) was obtained at the initial and follow-up visits . The measurement of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was performed by a spirometer, as per American Thoracic Society standards . Primary care physicians attended a half-day workshop presented by the authors (MA and AA) on SINA or GINA approaches. An Arabic version of the ACT has been used which was available from the ACT website [14, 17, 18]. Patients who were assigned to the SINA approach received their initial treatment based on their ACT score . Patients with an ACT score ≥ 20 started with step 1, patients with ACT scores 16-19 started with step 2, and patient with scores less than 16 started with step 3. Patients allocated to group B commenced with step 2 based on the GINA recommendations for persistent asthma symptoms or step 3 when they had severely uncontrolled disease . The physicians of the patients allocated to the GINA approach were blinded to the result of the ACT results. Both guidelines recommended short-acting beta 2 agonists for step 1 and low-dose inhaled steroids for step 2. Although both guidelines recommended the introduction of LABA at step 3, there was a difference in the dose of inhaled steroids where the GINA recommended a low dose of inhaled steroids and SINA recommended a low-medium dose of inhaled steroids. Therefore, to avoid any variation, step 3 was unified to be the combination of LABA with low dose inhaled steroids for both groups. Patients received an educational session for their asthma that included an explanation of the nature of the disease, the importance of compliance, the features of an asthma attack, and inhaler technique. A follow-up visit was offered to the patients four weeks later to assess their level of asthma control using the aforementioned ACT score, and treatments were adjusted accordingly [1, 6]. Patients were advised to return to their physicians between visits if they felt that their asthma was not under control.
The primary outcome was measured by changes in the mean FEV1, PEF, and ACT scores. More specifically, the proportion of controlled patients in each of the two arms was compared. Any treatment adjustments were also noted at the follow-up visit.
Sample size and statistical analyses
Sample size calculation, we estimated the controlled patients to be 30% and thus, a sample size of 45 is needed in each arm to have an 80% power to detect a difference of 30%, at an alpha level of 0.05. The data were entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, which was then transferred into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program, which was used for data cleaning, management, and analyses. The difference in outcome between the first visit and the follow-up visit was calculated, and then patients with a significant response were flagged. Descriptive analyses were carried out by calculating the number and percent for categorical variables and mean and standard deviation for continuous data. The inferential statistics for the comparison between the two groups was carried out using the Chi-square test for categorical variables, and the t-test for continuous variables. The association between the changes in the different measures considered (FEV1, PEF, and ACT) between baseline visit and follow-up visit was done by calculating the Pearson correlation coefficient. A p-value less than or equal to 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. All randomized patients were included in the analysis, as per the intention-to-treat principle.
Ninety-eight patients were recruited for this study (Figure 2). Forty-five patients in each of the two groups (SINA and GINA) completed the study and were analyzed. The baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable (Table 1). Although the initial PFM and FEV1 values were lower in the SINA group than the GINA group, this difference did not reach statistical significance. Table 2 shows the treatment responses of patients assigned to each group. Although there was more improvement in the mean FEV1 score of the SINA group (5.8%) than the GINA group (3.4%), this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.46). In contrast, the improvement in PEF was higher in the GINA group compared to the SINA group, but this difference also did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.803). The improvement in the ACT score after treatment initiation was significantly higher in the SINA group compared to the GINA group (2.9 compared to 1.7 (p = 0.04)).
Although both groups showed similarities in categorization based on the initial ACT scores (table 1), the follow-up visit revealed that the SINA group contained 32 controlled asthmatics (71.1%), 9 partially controlled asthmatics (20.0%), and 4 uncontrolled asthmatics (31.1%), while the GINA group contained 26 controlled asthmatics (57.8%), 14 partially controlled asthmatics (31.1%), and 5 uncontrolled asthmatics (11.1%) (p = 0.185). The correlation between the difference in FEV1 and that of the ACT scores between the initial and follow-up visits was found to be statistically significant, with a correlation coefficient of 0.21 (p = 0.05). Although there was a positive correlation between the changes in FEV1 and PFM (correlation coefficient = 0.19), the change was not significant (p = 0.07). Finally, there was a very weak positive correlation between the changes in the PFM and ACT (correlation coefficient = 0.06, p = 0.6).
Figure 3 showed steps adjustments for patients assigned to either approach. There were 33 (73.3%) patients in the SINA group who achieved control at the follow-up visit and required no treatment adjustment, compared to 27 (60%) in the GINA group (p = 0.0125). Eight (17.8%) patients in the SINA group required a step down in therapy, and 4 required a step up in treatment at the follow-up visit. In comparison, 18 patients in the GINA group required a step down, while no patients required a step up.
This study showed that the ACT was responsive to changes at the initiation of asthma treatment . It has also showed the usefulness of the ACT score for the initiation of asthma treatment compared to the GINA approach. Despite ample amount of evidence that supports the use of the ACT for treatment adjustment, a unique feature of this study is the presentation of new evidence supporting the utilization of the ACT in making an initial asthma treatment decision. The initiation of asthma treatment has evolved from being based on severity index to achieving asthma control by recommending step 2 for most treatment naïve patients with persistent symptoms and step 3 for severely uncontrolled disease. Both the GINA and the NAEPP approaches require the cumulative experience of healthcare practitioners to make the appropriate clinical judgment. While the severity index and the ACT both use common items related to asthma symptoms, such as nocturnal symptoms, the use of reliever inhalers and the effect of asthma on daily activities, in their classification strategies, the ACT lacks any pulmonary function measurement. On the other hand, a unique characteristic of the ACT is the adoption of a simple 5-item Likert scale that is different from the complex scale adopted in the severity index. Therefore, there are similarities in the items covered in the two instruments, but a lack of pulmonary function measurement in the ACT. The ACT was utilized in this study because it is a standardized objective tool that avoids the variability in the practitioner's experience and qualifications. It has also been utilized by both the SINA and the GINA and validated in the Arabic language [10, 13]. Due to the lack of any other validated gold-standard tool for asthma treatment initiation, the GINA approach was included in the study protocol as a benchmark. Moreover, the GINA has received increasing global acceptance as a guideline for asthma management.
Utilizing the initial ACT score to determine the appropriate treatment in this study has led to an improvement of 2.9 units, better than the 1.7 unit improvement observed when treatment was determined by physician judgment based on the GINA approach (p = 0.04). Though the improvement in FEV1 was better in the patients who followed the SINA approach, this difference did not reach statistical significance. This lack of statistical significance could be related to an inadequate sample size to assess a positive response of this outcome. The conflicting results obtained regarding the improvement in PEF in the GINA group may be related to the poor correlation of PEF with the ACT and pulmonary function when used to assess asthma control [19, 20]. An interesting study from Greece utilized the ACT to assess disease control after treatment initiation in naïve patients, showed an average response of 1.73 units, which is similar to the response we observed in the group that used the GINA standards . The uncontrolled asthma status present in the previous study based on initial ACT was found to be statistically correlated with a higher fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and positively correlated with pre-bronchodilator FEV1. Moreover, the change in the ACT between the two visits was significantly correlated with the change in the FEV1 and FeNO in that study . The scanty data regarding the correlation of the ACT with different parameters at the initiation of treatment are supported by studies regarding the utilization of the ACT to assess asthma control. Recent studies have also shown that a score of less than 19 on the ACT has a 66% sensitivity in detecting uncontrolled asthma and serves as an objective measure of control that correlates well with the GINA [22–24]. Another study from Hong Kong showed that an ACT score ≤ 20 correlated better with treatment decision than PEF and FeNO. Their finding revealed a sensitivity of 70.5% and specificity of 76.0% . Although FEV1 is the main objective physiological measurement of asthma control, the ACT was also found to correlate well with lung function and inflammation [20, 25]. Moreover, the ACT was found to be a useful tool for detecting poorly controlled asthma to optimize asthma control . These studies have shown that the ACT was at least equivalent to pulmonary function or FeNO in assessing asthma control or making a treatment adjustment. This has a practical implication for treatment adjustment due to the unavailability of spirometry or FeNO in primary care settings, especially in developing countries.
We observed a non-significant trend toward achieving control upon follow-up when the ACT was utilized to determine a treatment plan. Nevertheless, the SINA group patients showed significant stability in treatment plan upon follow-up when compared to the GINA group patients (73.3% vs. 60%). This was supported by the fact that 40% of those treated with the GINA approach required a step down in treatment upon follow-up, compared to 17.8% of those who treated with the SINA approach. Commencing treatment with the appropriate dose would enhance compliance and minimize the side effects of medications. On the other hand, 8.9% of the patients who followed the SINA required a step-up in treatment compared to none in the GINA group, a finding that may indicate an inadequate initial treatment.
Finally, it is worth mentioning a few limitations and concerns related to this study. The utilization of the ACT as an objective measure for initiating asthma therapy is independent of the practitioners' clinical judgment. In contrast, the knowledge of those practitioners who utilized the GINA approach in this study may have been augmented by the pre-study workshop, possibly contaminating the results in that group. This issue was discussed during the preparation of the study protocol, and the authors felt that it was inappropriate to deny the practitioners' placement in the GINA arm due to ethical considerations. In day-to-day practice, most practitioners have variability in their knowledge and experience and may not have the opportunity for dedicated education sessions. Therefore, it is an area for future research to challenge our findings in general practice. Another limitation was the use of set ACT score limits of 16 and 19 for decisions regarding the appropriate initial treatment step. Due to the lack of evidence identifying ACT reference scores for treatment initiation, these numbers were extrapolated from studies that assessed asthma control to make decisions about treatment adjustment and maintenance. Defining the ACT categories that determine initial treatment is another area that needs to be challenged to support its suitability [25, 27].
We believe that despite the aforementioned limitations and concerns, this study can be considered a pilot project that showed the ACT to be responsive to change at treatment initiation and showed usefulness for the initiation of asthma treatment compared to the GINA approach.
This study was supported by a grant from the King Abdullah International Center for Medical Research.
Asthma control test
Saudi Initiative for Asthma
Global Initiative for Asthma
National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
Peak expiratory flow
- FEV1 :
Forced expiratory volumes in one second
Fractional exhaled nitric oxide.
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The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2466/12/14/prepub
The authors would like to thank the King Abdullah International Center for Medical Research for their assistance in the final editing of the manuscript. We would like also to thank GSK-Saudi Arabia for having ACT available in Arabic.
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
MSAM: primary author, study design, analysis, and writing of the manuscript. MOAG: study design, data collection, and writing of the manuscript. AGAK: data collection, approvals, and writing of the manuscript. HMT: study design, randomization, data analysis and manuscript writing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Cite this article
Al Moamary, M.S., Al-Kordi, A.G., Al Ghobain, M.O. et al. Utilization and responsiveness of the asthma control test (ACT) at the initiation of therapy for patients with asthma: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Pulm Med 12, 14 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2466-12-14
- Asthma control test
- Global initiative for asthma
- Saudi initiative for asthma

domain: medical


Les Arts Florissants
William Christie Molière et ses musiques
The vocal and instrumental ensemble Les Arts Florissants, founded in 1979 by the famous harpsichordist and conductor William Christie, specializes in baroque music and historically informed interpretations. From their establishment to this day, Les Arts Florissants have consistently played a leading role in making old music known to wider audiences, rescuing from obscurity and presenting unpublished musical works. This year, on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Molière’s birth, Les Arts Florissants present an original spectacle that combines music, dance and – of course – theatre, in an anthology of some of the emblematic French playwright’s crowning works. Although Molière is considered one of the greatest figures in French literature, the place of music in his work has often been underestimated. To shed light on this relationship, Les Arts Florissants present excerpts from fine compositions by Jean-Baptiste Lully and Marc-Antoine Charpentier, written for the great comedian’s major successes.
Marie Lambert-Le Bihan
Les Arts Florissants Baroque Orchestra
With dancers of the group Compagnie Les Corps Éloquents
and graduates of the young singers academy Le Jardin des Voix
Molière and his musics
Semi-staged musical spectacle
After the sensational solo recital that Maria João Pires gave at Megaron last April,...
Organizer: Megaron Athens Concert HallSaturday 18.02.2023, 20:30
The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is Italy’s oldest festival and one of the oldest in...
Organizer: Megaron Athens Concert Hall01 - 02.03.2023


text:
As a teenager growing up in Perth, Sunshine first tapped into the illegal rave scene to nurture a growing interest in dance music. Several years on the dancefloor led to her first vinyl purchase, exploring the worlds of hip hop, jazz, funk, soul, disco, house and techno. By the time she moved to Melbourne in 1998, she’d amassed her first crate and a dream to DJ. Within a year she’d garnered her first gig, at a small party in Port Melbourne. Naturally, she started playing bars around town, eventually working her way up to sets in the side rooms of the bigger parties such as 33 & 1/3.
An ongoing love affair with Revolver began around this time as well, when she started playing Wednesday nights. It’s fair to say that DJs earn their money at mid-week gigs – the punters aren’t up for a big one, so they’re constantly fighting just to get them on the floor, let alone keep ‘em there. It was here that Sunshine honed her craft, mastering the art of building sets all the way from downtempo jam to undisputed banger and back again.
2001 saw the start of OREO, a monthly club night run by Sunshine, 8Bit and Ladyboy. Essentially an R&B night for the not-so-R&B crowd, it attracted a diverse group of people to Alia, all of them keen to get their funk on. OREO tapped into the trends of the time, when names such as Missy Elliot, Outkast and The Neptunes were pushing the boundaries of hip hop and in the process, drawing the attention of kids outside the usual urban spectrum. Success brought the chance to do several big one-offs at the Public Office, with crowds of up to 1000 people showing up.
By 2003, Sunshine had turned enough heads to be offered Saturday mornings at Revolver, a reasonably prestigious set in the grand scheme of things. She grabbed the chance with both hands and made it her own. Hell, any morning set at Revolver is bound to be rather monumental, but to this day she’s brought a sense of humour to her work, proving she was one of the punters rather than a superstar on raised platform. Not many DJs would have the sheer nerve to stop while the club is rammed, stand on the turntables and start belting out a rendition of The Gossip (as she did the morning after Daft Punk’s Melbourne show). As regular visitors will confirm – you walk in for “just one drink” and end up rolling out the door a la Andrew O’Keefe several hours later.
With gigs as large as the Big Day Out under her belt, the future seems bright for this talented spinner. Catch her before her career takes off and she’s playing festivals overseas - you heard it here first.
Revolver Saturday mornings
Superdisco Saturday nights
2many DJ's, nic fanciulli, don diablo, the juan maclean, Josh wink, jamie jones ,LCD Soundsystem, Radioslave, Stacey Pullen, Claude Von Stroke, Vitalic, Booka Shade, Carl Cox, Tocadisco, Style of Eye, Alex Kid, Jason Herd, Barbra Tucker, The Presets, Ritchie Hawtin, Brett Johnson, Mike Monday, Chromeo, Stephan Bodzin, Kraftwerk, Felix Da Housecat, Zoo Brazil, Eric Laville, Sven Vath, Black Eyed Peas, LTJ Bukem

domain: artistic


According to Google, governments and businesses are at a watershed moment when it comes to addressing cybersecurity. The company declared it would invest $10 billion over the next five years. Google training 100,000 Americans in industries such as IT support and data analytics, as well as in-demand skills such as data privacy and security, through the Google Career Certificate program.
“Cyber attacks are increasingly jeopardizing important data and key infrastructure. While we applaud additional initiatives to improve cybersecurity, governments and companies are also confronting critical difficulties,” said Kent Walker, SVP of Global Affairs at Google.
“Primarily because many organizations are still using insecure old systems instead of implementing current IT and security policies. Governments rely on outdated vendor contracts that limit competition and choice, raise costs, and cause privacy and security problems, according to the study “he continued.
To begin with, many suppliers lack the tools or skills to block nation-state actors, cybercriminals, and other hostile actors from exploiting flaws in software supply chains.
A third problem is that nations are simply lacking the resources to prepare for and deal with these dangers, Walker said.
In the aftermath of multiple high-profile hacking incidents against government agencies and energy infrastructure, tech giants including Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon promised US President Joe Biden on Wednesday that they would assist him to enhance cybersecurity infrastructure and 100,000 americans will get Google training.
While Microsoft announced that it will invest $20 billion over the next five years, and Amazon announced that it would provide a free multi-factor authentication device to all AWS account users.
“Security is the cornerstone of our product approach,” Walker stated.
Over 160 scholarly articles on computer security, privacy, and abuse prevention have been published by his team. “We also alert other software businesses to problems in their systems,” he said.


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This time, i would begin with questions like; why is Governor Ugwuanyi so loved by all and sundry?
Why has Enugu state government under the watch of Rt. Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, turns into a destination centre for national political integration?
Why has Enugu state remain peaceful for the last 5years of this administration?
Why has majority of our political class in the southeast chose to call on the governor for a dinner host?
Why has there nobody finding fault on the divine administration of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi?
Now, it has become a serious concern and much excitement that our state has become the national centre for peaceful dialogue and an economic integration for the people of Nigeria, irrespective of tribe, party lines, religious beliefs and ethnic nationalities. This can only happens under the humble servant leader and well focused political gladiator – the Executive governor of Enugu state, Rt. Hon Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (GBURUGBURU).
Few days ago, governor Ifeanyi Ugwuany played host to some prominent Emires from our northern state, especially the Kano Emirate council and that of Sokoto state respectively. Last month, a prominent political figurehead in the presidency paid a presidential visit to our governor along side with federal ministers of the Nigerian government. Upon that visit, fruitful deliberations on matters of national security importance were discussed which preceded a unique communique arising from the meeting. Today, the 27th of November 2020, the former leadership of the 7th national assembly led by the former speaker and governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Barr Aminu Tambuwal and former deputy speaker and an erstwhile Imo state governor, Rt. Hon Emeka Ikedioha with other current national lawmakers visited the government of Enugu state under the leadership of our most sincere governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. Ndi Enugu state, have you seen that what is happening in our dear state can hardly been seen in any other part of the country! This is because we have a peaceful man who is not an only Enugu governor, but a pan Nigerian democratic leader, a nationalist and a detrablized Nigerian.
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state, has remain the only name widely acknowledged in the annals of Aso villa politics of the present administration of our dear president, Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, when comparing the leadership and political space of the entire southeast region. The governor has demonstrated his uncommon resolve and political will, to not only developing Enugu state, but to also ensure the total reintegration of the southeast states into the mainstream of our national politics, even as an opposition governor. This has never happened before in the history Enugu, and the entire Igbo nation. No wonder there is an enormous peace and security in our dear state, and the southeast component as a zone in the national political discuss.
Thank you, Your Excellency, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for your peaceful nature, leadership disposition, national political character of your politics of inclusion and national cohesion. Thank you for bringing the southeast into the federal structure of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR. Thank you for making Enugu, a destination for national peace dialogue. God bless you sir!
Proactively, Ugwuanyi has redefined the politics of the southeast by his instrumentality of peace and humble leadership. Ndi Enugu are very much happy to have him as their governor at this critical moment of their both state and national live. However, we shall continue to pray that God almighty remove every obstacle that will hinder the economic growths of our dear state. May God also grant us our prayers that our governor be much healthier enough to liberate more of our state citizenry from the age long political slaves masters and deliver our state to a true path of truth and righteousness come 2023. We never had it so good like this before. May God continue to reign over the affairs of men.
Enugu State is in the hands of God, and only Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s leadership, the entire southeast region has witnessed a successful national reintegration into the mainstream of the federal government, even in an opposition and different party lines.
Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku.
MEDIA TEAM MEMBER: ENUGU DI N’AKACHUKWU MOVEMENT

domain: news


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State pension discriminates against women. It has to stop.
Una Mullally: Official policy found yet another way to financially penalise Irish women
Sometimes scandals break when something previously unknown comes to our attention, but sometimes they erupt when the environment itself tilts, showing already known information in a new light. That’s the case now as issues concerning women and their pensions are bubbling up.
We know the financial discrimination women suffered – and suffer – in this country. Maybe now we might finally begin to reflect on how egregious that truly is, and examine ways to remedy it.
In the aftermath of the budget announcement, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohue took a call on Sean O’Rourke’s RTÉ Radio 1 programme from a man named Eamon Tynan who wanted to detail how much his wife was losing out on her State pension (€35 a week), all because she took a summer job as a secondary-school student.
Contributory pensions are based on contributions made during one’s working life, the “stamp” earned for every week’s work. Your contributions are divided by how many years make up your working life. In 2012, new applicants for a pension had to have double the minimum number of contributions they once needed – 520 – and new bands for reduced contributions were introduced, which for some people cut up to €30 a week from their State pension. That’s €1,560 a year.
But this “averaging out” of a person’s working life has an impact on women, because every year from when you start working until you stop is taken into account, regardless of the breaks you take. So a woman’s working career, from 18 to 66 might be 48 years, but perhaps only 38 of those were spent in the workforce. Nevertheless, devoid of 10 years of contributions, the number of years divided is still the same.
When those changes happened in 2012, 36,000 people had their State pensions cut, 62 per cent of whom were women, according to Age Action.
It wasn’t until 1994 that the practicalities of childrearing were taken into consideration regarding the qualifying conditions for the State pension. The Homemaker’s Scheme, introduced in 1994, disregards years spent working at home while caring on a full-time basis for a child up to 12 years. A maximum of 20 years can be disregarded that way. So, if you have spent 20 years raising your children full-time, those 20 years will not be added to the number of years you worked in total, and your PRSI contribution total will not be divided by them, leaving you with a higher average of contributions. The problem is, anyone who raised their children before 1994 isn’t taken into account.
The reasons women’s pensions are on shakier ground than men’s is linked to the economic vulnerability of women, a vulnerability often purposefully created by policy. Women earn less – historically, much, much less – and have been discriminated against in pension terms for taking time off work to have and raise children.
Of course, our pension schemes also ignore the outrageous marriage bar, which banned women from working in the public service and elsewhere, such as banks, when they got married, while men faced no equivalent. This forcibly removed from the workforce countless women who in another context would have continued working. The marriage bar was an act of gross discrimination against women, and that legacy of discrimination continues to be upheld into old age.
From 1932, no married woman was allowed to work in the public sector and some other workplaces. From 1958, married primary-school teachers (but not secondary) were allowed to remain in their posts after they got married. The marriage bar went in 1973.
The National Women’s Council has been campaigning on the marriage bar and women’s pensions for years, but the powers that be aren’t listening. The Government is not at fault for the marriage bar, but it can do something to remedy its legacy.
The current pension system benefits those who worked full-time without interruption, and it chips away at one’s pension payment if you took on a short stint of part-time work, because that counts when it comes to pension calculations.
The State pension scheme is heavily gendered, prioritising male work and ignoring the social and historical context of how women carry out their working lives. It also shows how the State enacted discriminatory policies against working women, and interfered with their economic independence.
Our unenumerated constitutional rights include the right to earn a living. What would be the cost of adjusting this?
There are three costs, really. The first is reversing the changes made by then minister for social protection Joan Burton in 2012. Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald said this would cost €60 million next year and €10 million annually thereafter. The second cost is paying back the money people have lost from their pensions since then, €230 million. A third cost should be reparations for women forced to leave the workforce when they got married, between 1932 and 1973.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s so-called “Republic of opportunity” should not just be about opportunities for those embarking on their careers, but also about the opportunities our mothers and grandmothers deserve in their retirement.
We should stand up for them, and so should the State.

domain: sociology


Sat 9 Jan 2016
Dr. Dre’s The Pharmacy returned to Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio airwaves on Saturday afternoon, marking their first show of the new year. The show featured a special guest mix from DJ Green Lantern, a new member of The Pharmacy squad. Celebrating the moment, Green Lantern and Dr. Dre decided to premiere an unreleased record from the vaults called “Back to Business.”
Produced by Swiff D, the song features T.I., Justus, Victoria Monét, and Sly Piper. Check it out below.
Continue after the jump….
New Music: Dr. Dre Feat. T.I., Justus, Victoria Monét & Sly Piper – “Back to Business” (prod. by Swiff D) (Radio Rip)
EXCLUSIVE!!!!!!! NEW DR. DRE….. "BACK TO BUSINESS"
— DJ Green Lantern (@DJGREENLANTERN) January 9, 2016


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Oregon: the Death with Dignity Act
In November 1994 the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, a citizens' initiative, was passed in a referendum by the narrowest of margins: 51% to 49%. Implementation of the Act was delayed pending a court challenge to its con stitutionality. On 27 October 1997 the injunction preventing its implementation was lifted by the Federal Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In November 1997 voters rejected a proposal to repeal the Act by 60% to 40%. Since then, several people have made use of the legislation to end their lives by PAS.
The Act allows physicians to prescribe patients lethal drugs in certain circumstances. The Act provides:
An adult who is capable, is a resident of Oregon, and has been determined by the attending physician and consulting physician to be suffering from a terminal disease, and who has voluntarily expressed his or her wish to die, may make a written request for medication for the purpose of ending his or her life in a humane and dignified manner.1
Some of the Act's requirements relate to patients, others to physicians.
The patient must be an 'adult', which the Act defines as an individual aged 18 or over.2____________________

domain: law


New E-bikes in Chattanooga
As Bike Chattanooga marks its sixth anniversary, they are celebrating with the community. Hitting the streets is a pilot program integrating BOOST e-bikes. The BOOST e-bikes combine traditional bicycling with an electric assist. With its smart riding intuitive technology, the e-bikes will detect how much electronic boost each unique rider needs or wants and adjusts accordingly to deliver a smooth, easy riding experience. BOOST e-bikes can reach a maximum speed of 15 mph, and has a traveling range of 35 miles on a single charge.
Also, on Wednesday, August 1, Bike Chattanooga will offer Free Ride Wednesday. All 24 hour pass purchases are free and includes unlimited 60 minutes trips. Not heading near an E-station? No problem! Dock anywhere, anytime and let Bike Chattanooga ensure all bikes are charged for your use. Learn more about BOOST e-bikes here.
Bike Chattanooga will also host an event to celebrate six years in the Scenic City:
Wednesday, August 1, at 12 noon at Waterhouse Pavilion in Miller Plaza
- Join CDOT and Bike Chattanooga for the BOOST e-bike launch event where lunch will be provided by MoJo Burrito. (rain or shine)
- At 12:30 pm, there will be remarks by City Officials and an overview of the BOOST e-bike from Bike Chattanooga.
- Following lunch, there will be a group ride on the BOOST e-bikes to mark the official launch of the pilot program into the Bike Chattanooga system. (weather permitting)


The JFK assassination: Meet the Mobile man who was at the ‘Cold Shoulder of History’
JFK: GULF COAST CONNECTIONS
- MONDAY: Mobile man who was in the autopsy room.
- TUESDAY: Oswald’s Spring Hill College speech.
- WEDNESDAY: The New Orleans connection.
- THURSDAY: The David Ferrie conspiracy?
- FRIDAY: Mystery death in Pensacola?
MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A desire for adventure prompted Jim Jenkins to join the Navy in 1961 as an aviation cadet. Color blindness ended his dreams of flying fighter jets, though, so an interest in medicine led him to serve as a corpsman in the Navy.
Luck put him in the room during one of history’s most famous autopsies.
What Jenkins saw as doctors examined the wounds of slain President John F. Kennedy sparked doubts that stuck with him for decades – doubts he rarely spoke out loud until he wrote about the experience in “At the Cold Shoulder of History” last year. The book has helped fuel conspiracy theories.
“I think that before we even started the autopsy, there was a, you know, preordained results that – that would correlate with the single bullet (theory),” said Jenkins, who has lived in Mobile since 1991 when he became director of the hematology lab at the University of South Alabama.
An investigation headed by then-Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren offered the notorious single-bullet theory to explain how one bullet from assassin Lee Harvey Oswald’s rifle managed to injure both the president and Texas Gov. John Connally as the convertible they were riding in cruised through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.
The Warren Commission’s findings have produced a legion of doubters over the ensuring five-plus decades. Jenkins is among them. His story is the first of five Gulf Coast connections to the assassination that FOX10 News will explore this week on the eve of the 56th anniversary of that fateful day in Dallas.
Jenkins pointed to a diagram he made during the autopsy, under the direction of Dr. J. Thornton Boswell, detailing the location of Kennedy’s gunshot wounds. Those locations conflict with the autopsy results published in the Warren report. Jenkins speculated that the change was made to increase the plausibility of the trajectory of the bullet from the Texas School Book Depository to Kennedy’s car.
“If it was from the Book Depository, it would have had to have gone that way, came back up, went out that way,” he said during an extensive interview.
Within hours of the shooting, authorities sent Kennedy’s body to Bethesda for the autopsy. It was a strange choice for a number of reasons, starting with the fact that jurisdiction over the body technically rested with local authorities.
Famed forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, who led a team of experts that reviewed the autopsy about 15 years later, was blunt.
“The body was illegally removed from Texas,” he told FOX10 News. “The body belonged – the body should have been autopsied in Dallas. … The doctor in Dallas, the chief medical examiner, was an excellent pathologist who had done hundreds of rifle and gunshot wounds for autopsies.”
‘Least qualified to do the autopsy’
Jenkins said the Bethesda Naval Hospital was an unusual choice for another reason – the staff lacked experience in homicides. Then a fresh-faced 21-year-old, Jenkins had assisted on a few dozen autopsies. But none were homicides.
The same was true of the senior staff. The highest-ranking officer during the autopsy, Dr. James Humes, had never conducted an autopsy of a shooting victim.
“We were probably, actually, the least qualified to do the autopsy,” Jenkins said.
According to the Warren Commission, officials left the decision to first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and she chose Bethesda because it was a Navy facility and her husband had been a Navy man.
Baden pointed to another possible reason for having a military facility do the autopsy. Perhaps, he said, then-Attorney General Robert Kennedy wanted to conceal the fact that his brother suffered from Addison’s disease. No reference to that appeared the autopsy report.
In his book and during the interview with FOX10 News, Jenkins described a number of irregularities he witnessed. For starters, he said, he was surprised when the president’s body arrived in a plain shipping casket and not the ornamental, bronze one that was loaded onto Air Force One in Dallas. Conspiracy-minded authors have speculated that Kennedy’s body was swapped with a decoy during the flight, or that it had been altered during the cross-country flight.
Humes, who directed the autopsy, stood by the official findings in testimony before the Warren Commission and again to the House Select Committee on Assassinations, which in the 1970s revisited the killings of Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
“It did not seem inconsistent to us if this bullet exited the anterior neck of the president, it had to go somewheres, and the person who was sitting in front of him was the former governor, and if it didn’t hit him, I for the world have no idea where it went,” Humes told House investigators.
But Jenkins described other irregularities, including Kennedy’s brain. He said part of his job during the autopsy was to help preserve the removed brain for further examination. He said the organ appeared far less damaged than what he would have expected given the fatal shot to the back of Kennedy’s head.
Beyond that, Jenkins said, something else didn’t seem quite right.
“It was different from what I normally had seen,” he said. “It seemed to be a little too small for the cranium.”
Not only that, Jenkins said, but the brain appeared to be older than one that had come from a man who died only hours earlier. He said he had trouble injecting a needle in the carotid artery to infuse the brain with a formalin solution.
“They were kind of shrunk, shriveled up,” he said. “And I was having a hard time trying to get the needles in without going through the wall of the vessel.”
Doubts about the Warren Commission have extended far beyond crackpots with wild conspiracy theories. The House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1979 concluded that Kennedy probably died as the result of a conspiracy based on auditory evidence that suggested someone fired a shot from in front of the president’s vehicle.
‘The Warren Commission was correct’
But the panel of pathologists led by Baden determined that the doctors in Bethesda got the medical evidence right – that Kennedy suffered two gunshot wounds from behind. The first shot from Oswald’s gun missed, Baden said. He said the second – derided by critics as the “magic bullet” sliced through Kennedy’s neck and into Connally’s thigh. The third was the fatal blow to the president’s head.
“Clearly, the Warren Commission was correct – two bullets from behind, and we further confirmed that with the other things that we found,” said Baden, a former New York City medical examiner.
Baden told FOX10 News that his team did not examine the casket, but he downplayed the significance of the body arriving in Bethesda in a different coffin.
“There was no evidence that the body was tampered with after it went into the first casket,” he said.
As for the brain, it went missing at some point after the autopsy.
“It was never clear where the brain was,” Baden said, speculating that the Kennedy family had it buried along with the slain president’s body.
Baden said there had been some discussion about exhuming the body, but he said the pathologists studying the case ultimately determined that they had all the information they needed.
The House Select Committee on Assassinations was one of four government investigations that followed the Warren Commission. All reached the same general conclusion. But that does not mean that the autopsy was without flaws, Baden said.
“There were various mistakes made,” he said.
Baden said the Secret Service intervened when a technician began taking autopsy photos. He said the agents exposed the film and sent him away, instead leaving the job to untrained FBI agents. The result, Baden said, is that the photos were not very helpful to his team of pathologists.
Baden also said the measurements of the wounds included on the diagram submitted to the Warren Commission were off by an inch or two.
And Baden said the military command structure complicated the autopsy. Although Humes was the senior officer, he had no experience with autopsies of gunshot victims. Another doctor, Dr. Pierre Finck, was an experienced pathologist but held a lower rank.
“Humes thought that if he did anything wrong, Pierre Finck would tell him, whereas Pierre Finck felt, told us that, well, he was there but he had no authority to tell him anything,” Baden said.
Copyright 2019 WALA. All rights reserved.


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Friday, 26 September 2014
Wednesday, 24 September 2014
Part two of my showcase of the epic coloured versions of my designs by Etienne St-Laurent! You can see the full set on his DA page HERE! Massive respect, Etienne!
Friday, 19 September 2014
Wednesday, 17 September 2014
Remember THESE AMAZING COLOUR VERSIONS of my concept cars from last month? Well, the exceptionally talented artist behind them, Etienne St-Laurent, is back with some astounding colour work on my Wooden Robots...
In fact, these are so good, I'm going to split them into two posts, with part 2 coming next week. A huge thanks to Etienne for working his magic over my lineart and creating something truly new in the process. Oh, and you can see my original lineart below!
Monday, 15 September 2014
If you are free and up for some fun, Lorenzo and I will be travelling to Cheltenham for the annual Literature festival on the 4th October to perform our live show shenanigans in conjunction with the mighty Phoenix Comic, and generally have a hoot.
For those of you unfamiliar with Cheltenham, is a cracking festival, with a huge array of talented writers and speakers, comedians and performers, for adults and children alike. Lots to see, lots to do, lots of inspiration for young minds and old. And they have a rather tasty green room for the attendees too...
Even more awesome than free cake (!) is the fact that this festival will mark our very first public signing session for Long Gone Don. Everyone present will be able to get their copies of the Monstrous Underworld, and Von Doogan's first amazing puzzle adventure, sketched and signed by us both. WHOOP!
And if that's not a reason to get out of bed and travel to Gloucestershire, then I don't know what is.
Hope to see you on the 4th of October! Tickets are selling fast but there are still some available HERE!
Friday, 12 September 2014
Those good folks over at the awesome Page45 independant comic emporium have taken the time to write a great review for Long Gone Don. You can read the full review HERE (scroll down until you see the Don cover) and you can buy Don through the page 45 store right HERE.
Thursday, 11 September 2014
It's been a busy production year for us Etheringtons, with the release of the first Von Doogan and Long Gone Don graphic adventures, new book covers from Lorenzo and dozens of comic stories all over the place (not to mention all the projects we CAN'T yet talk about).
But now we're another exciting new book title to announce, and this time for our youngest readers.
Today sees the release of Let's Make Comics, published by Oxford University Press as part of their Reading Tree inFact range. It has been written by me and illustrated by the ever-fantastic Zak Simmonds-Hurn.
This colourful fun-filled guide was created to give younger readers, aged 4-7, a great introduction to making and creating a comic strip story. Through ten easy-to-digest chapters we cover the basics from Bright Ideas to Bubbles, from Scribbling to Sound Effects, and every page is lovingly brought to life by Zak's fantastic art ... and our very own superhero bear, Captain POW!
We'll be sharing more samples and news about the book later this month, but if you've a young son, daughter, nephew, niece, brother or sister who loves to draw and write, THIS little book holds the key to opening their minds to the excitement of comics. And that's no bad thing!
You can order individual copies via Amazon, and a mixed pack for your school (including five other amazing books!) via the OUP site HERE!
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
Friday, 5 September 2014
The excellent novel The Boundless was released yesterday, and it comes wrapped in a brand new cover by yours truly. This is one of the last few book covers I completed before stopping undertaking such work to focus on my own series. I have one more book cover to show you, but it's a bit of a biggie, and is thus protected by an epic non disclosure agreement at the moment, so I can't say any more just yet!
For now, here's some pics of the colour variations the Boundless cover went through, and the final design...

domain: literature


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Walk to most bus stops won't exceed 5-7 minutes, city promises in revised bus network plan
'Majority' of walks to bus stops
Bus riders in Edmonton won't have to walk up to 10 minutes from home to get to their bus stops, city officials said Friday in rolling out a refined version of the bus network redesign.
The revised plan will ensure that "the walking distance to bus stops is no more than five to seven minutes in most neighbourhoods," the city said in a news release.
It's one of the changes made based on public feedback.
"Top challenges, we all heard about them," Eddie Robar, branch manager of Edmonton Transit Service, told a Friday news conference.
"Walking distance was one of those for sure, and I think that today we're pretty pleased with what we've seen on the adjustments we've made with that."
Most bus riders will have to walk farther than they currently do, but not by much, Robar said.
"[A] majority of the routes are within a five- to seven-minute walk, 400 to 600 metres."
Community bus routes that primarily serve seniors residences and destinations like shopping and medical centres will be adjusted to serve more popular destinations, the city said.
Sarah Feldman, director of planning and scheduling, said some community bus routes were performing well.
"We've just transferred them over and kept them exactly as they are because they're very popular," Feldman said. "And the ones that were a bit lower, we've adjusted and made changes to make them what we think will be more successful."
As well, the entire Castle Downs bus network will be revamped to provide better connection to local transit centres.
The bus network redesign is the first major action coming out of the transit strategy adopted by council in 2017.
The city plans to replace the current bus network in 2020 with a new system with different route types.
The changes unveiled Friday reflect community input received on a draft bus network redesign released in March that proved controversial.
"Lots of work has gone into the last few months of really reviewing every single comment that we got from the public," Robar said. "Our planners went thoroughly through every single route's justification."
The earlier draft plan cut the number of main routes from 200 to 100 in a bid to reduce overlap and eliminate routes that wind through neighbourhood collector routes. The revised plan doesn't change the number of proposed new main routes.
The city said in March that the new bus network would continue to provide local routes in neighbourhoods, but warned that walking distances to bus stops may increase. Some people would have to walk up to 10 minutes to their stops, city officials said.
At the time, Mark Tetterington, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, said the 10-minute walks would prove difficult for some, especially those with challenges getting around.
"There's certain areas where they're going to have to walk up to 800 metres to catch a bus," Tetterington said then.
Up next: more community input
Robar said about 20 per cent of the routes proposed in March have been adjusted "to better meet transit customer needs."
For example, the plan now calls for direct service between downtown and the Fulton Place and Gold Bar neighbourhoods. New routes will connect West Edmonton Mall to the Donsdale and Oleskiw neighbourhoods. Service will be improved in Chinatown.
The next phase of the redesign will involve more community input.
"This is our final network design so when we go to the public we're asking for their feedback on what it looks like today," said Robar.
"Unless there's something catastrophic that got missed, our intent is to take that feedback back to council so they have a clear understanding of what the public's response is to this final network."
Edmontonians are invited to complete an online survey or attend one of 13 drop-in community workshops to share their thoughts with transit planners about the final draft bus route network.
That phase will run from Oct. 25 through Dec. 9.
4 types of bus routes
The plan includes frequent buses on major corridors in inner areas and to some extent, outer areas. Buses on these routes will run every 15 minutes or better on weekdays and Saturdays, and every 20 minutes or better during late nights and Sunday.
Other buses, on what the city called "rapid bus routes," will connect areas of the city that don't have LRT service to major destinations such as downtown, the University of Alberta and shopping centres.
Crosstown routes will connect major destinations in outer areas of the city without having to go through downtown or travel on neighbourhood roads. They will run every 20 to 30 minutes.
Local routes will provide connections to LRT, frequent bus routes and local centres.
Robar said the nearly $340-million transit budget has not changed.
"We're hoping to increase our ridership with these changes. We weren't looking to save money with these changes, we were looking to reinvest."

domain: travel


text:
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domain: design


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This week's Throwback Thursday takes us back to April 2007. This is a rather unique concrete sign for the Shunpike, which is a county road in Dutchess County, New York (Dutchess CR 57 for those playing at home). The sign was along the eastbound lanes of US 44 east of Millbrook, and at last check, they are still there. Over time, some of the letters on the sign have fallen off, but you may be able to make out that Stanfordville is 7 miles away. I believe that the other town in question is Bangall.
Infamous and the subject of much controversy the Pasadena Gap in the Long Beach Freeway has long existed as a contentious topic regarding the completion of Interstate 710 and California State Route 710. While the Pasadena Gap of the Long Beach Freeway effectively has been legislatively blocked the action only came after decades of controversy. While the Pasadena Gap of the Long Beach Freeway is fairly well known what many don't know is that a small segment was actually constructed south Interstate 210 and the Foothill Freeway. This disconnected segment of the Long Beach Freeway exists as the unsigned and largely hidden California State Route 710. On June 29, 2022 the California Transportation Commission relinquished California State Route 710 to the city of Pasadena. The blog cover above depicts a southward view on the completed Pasadena stub segment of the Long Beach Freeway which ends at California Boulevard. Part 1; the history of the Pasadena Gap of the Long Beach Freewa

domain: geography


These BOSS Orange trainers have a very individual finish: smooth leather sections combine with textured, tweed-effect canvas. Tone-on-tone laces top off the design, and the textured, extremely lightweight sole creates a contrasting accent. Men’s shoes that look simultaneously sporty and urban, and which are perfect for unconventional streetwear styles.
Material and Care
Upper material: 100% Polyester, Lining: 100% Polyurethane, 100% Polyester, 100% Cotton, Sole: 100% Rubber, Facing: 100% Calfskin


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The lovely Ella over at Purple Mum has listed her top 10 songs and I wanted to share mine (well some of them - as have loads!) too!
I have a huge range of music that I love listening too - I always have to have music on, especially when I'm 'playing' on the computer, heehee! I also go through phases of what I like to listen to - at the moment country is coming out tops :)
So here are 10 songs I love at the moment:
1. 'Who I am' by Jessica Andrews - I have always loved this song as the opening credit theme tune to the TV show Sue Thomas FB Eye, so this week I finally looked it up on Spotify and am hooked!
2. 'Vivo por Elle (Vivo Per Lei) by Andrea Bocelli - I listen to Andrea Bocelli when late night 'playing' on the computer - I final classical music really relaxing!
3. 'Travel to Romantis' by Ace of Base - takes me back to my youth! Always makes me feel happy :)
4. 'lullaby' by Nickelback - this is playing at the moment in the car and this is mine (and Little Man's) favourite track.
5. 'Everybody knows' by the Dixie Chicks - the first country band I really got into - through a friend of a friend!
6. 'Bring me to life' by Evanescence - love love love them!
7. 'Pukeae (The Trumpet)' by Oceania - really different!
8. 'Decode' by Paramore - from the soundtrack to Twilight. I looked them up too and again, hooked!
9. 'Still Standing' by the Rasmus - taking me back a little into my younger days!
10. 'Wherever you will go' by the Calling - another bans I recently found, I think it's the theme song to a TV show, but can't remember which one!
So there you have it - a brief glimpse into the weird and wonderful music that I love!
(don't forget to pop over and check out Purple Mum 's list out too!)

domain: entertainment


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White Water Rafting on River Kali in class 3 rapids. An unforgettable experience for any travelling doul
Kayaking in the kali river, Natural Jacuzzi In the Rapids. Bathe in the pristine & frothing white river water
Walk through the jungle trails. Hike through the lush green forest of Dandeli and feel the sheer adventure
Accommodation in Camps/Homestay | Vegetarian Food (Lunch, Breakfast, Dinner) | Guided trek & hike
Day 0: Late evening start. Bangalore to Dandeli distance 472 km covered by overnight bus journey
Day 1: Reach campsite in morning, freshen up | White water rafting at Kali river. Natural Jacuzzi in rapids
Day 2: Early morning nature walk | Bird watching trip | Return to Campsite | Return journey to Bangalore
Leaving from Bangalore at late evening. We request you to have some light food before travelling. This trip would be an overnight journey to Dandeli Jungle Campsite which is about 472 km away from Bangalore, in which we would have an informal introduction and have fun.
We will reach Campsite in morning. Fresh up and Set up for the water sport activities after a nice breakfast.
For those who really want to feel the fury of its cascading waters and experience the thrill of white-water rafting, this is the place to be. The trip offers true adrenaline-rush white-water rafting on River Kali, with very high safety norms to boot. This is the only place south of the Himalayas, where white-water rafting is organized.
Natural Jacuzzi in rapids
By the way in today’s day and age where all things natural are a fad, why leave a natural Jacuzzi behind? At Dandeli you get to experience this all natural therapy – a rejuvenating massage from the hosts themselves: the rapids of the river Kali. In order to witness this rare phenomenon you need to travel to one of the islands near Dandeli
For first time kayakers the experience can be slightly humbling for balancing the narrow boat, especially when you need to move in sync with another person in the boat – your instructor. Get set to paddle away to glory and have a lot of fun while enjoying this unique experience.
We will head back to the base for the much awaited camp fire and hot dinner by the bank of the lake at campsite.
Nature Walk and Bird Watching
Early morning jungle walk with bird watching. Some of the varieties you get to see here are Magpie Robin, Bar Winged Flycatcher Shrikes, Blue Headed Ground Thrush, Pompadour Green Pigeons, Golden Back, Woodpecker, Yellow Browed Bulbuls, Cuckoo, Crested Serpent Eagle, Pied Hornbills, Jungle Babblers and many more birds.After the trek, come back to the campsite, get fresh and start our journey back to Bangalore.
Things to carry


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domain: finance


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This has nothing to do with anesthesia however I wanted to share with our readers.
By Kelly Young
Edited by André Sofair, MD, MPH, and William E. Chavey, MD, MS
One in three U.S. high schoolers and one in eight middle schoolers currently use tobacco, according to new CDC data in MMWR.
Among the other findings from the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey:
- Roughly half of high schoolers and a quarter of middle schoolers said they had ever tried tobacco.
- E-cigarettes were the most common product, used by 28% of high schoolers and 11% of middle schoolers.
- Nearly 70% of students who reported current tobacco use opted for flavored products.
- Among current tobacco users, 26% of high schoolers and 21% of middle schoolers said they’d experienced tobacco cravings in the past 30 days.


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Mona Santos Ojeda
Cherry Hill, NJ
Earlier this year Mona Santos Ojeda became a member of the Women’s Professional Network, where women can build relationships with each other and promote their businesses. Mona Santos Ojeda loves being part of an organization that allows her to network with other women in the workforce, especially when it means that she can connect with other working moms. Additionally, Mona Santos Ojeda appreciates the fun and exciting events that the Women’s Professional Network hosts for its members.


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The weather is starting to get really upsetting here in Milan. Last week it was really warm and sunny and all of a sudden this week everything has became dark and gloomy. Isn’t it supposed to be May? Last year this week I was wandering around town in my favorite jean jacket and now I have to get out of the house with my winter coat on. Seasons are really starting to change, aren’t them? Climate change really scares me. We should talk about it more and actually do something about it. But what could a girl sitting on her bed do? Nothing I guess.
Moving on, I was trying to battle depression from the super dark and gloomy weather and I decided that the only way to feel a tini tiny bit better was baking. You guys know that even though my blog is supposed to be a lifestyle blog, most of my posts are about baking. And this post is no exception (but you probably guessed that already by the title). If you guys have seen my latest post, the amazing and glorious Red Velvet cake I made for my 5th anniversary with my boyfriend, I had some cake left overs from when I cut all my layers. The first thing I wanted to do was throw it away, but then I realized that I had also stored some cream cheese frosting in the fridge. I couldn’t just throw them away. They were too delicious and it would have been such a waiste! So I decided to combine the two together and make Red Velvet cake pops!
Cake pops are such a fun treat to make. Everyone loves them. They are easy to eat, they look amazing and they taste just like a friggin’ cake only bite size. You can find the recipe for both the red velvet cake and the cream cheese frosting here. To make the cake pops you’ll only need left over cake, left over frosting, chocolate and sprinkles. Here is the recipe:
To make the Red Velvet Cake Pops:
Take your cake and crumble it up into a large bowl. Add the cream cheese frosting and stir untill sticky. Take small pieces of the mixture and rub it in between your hands to form small balls. Set them on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Melt the dark chocolate in a glass bowl over simmering water. Take your cake pop stick, dip it in the chocolate and press it into the balls. Let them rest in the refridgerator for at least 30 minutes. When your little balls are all set and cold, melt the white chocolate and let it cool a little. With the help of a spoon cover the cake pops in chocolate (make sure the chocolate is not too liquidy otherwise it will drip down and won’t stick to the cake pop). Finish your cake pops with sprinkles and let them rest in the refridgerator until the chocolate is set. Enjoy!

domain: food


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Hutson Mason ranked 9th best SEC quarterback by FOX SPORTS
FOX SPORTS has ranked the 2014 SEC quarterbacks from best to ‘most to prove,’ and UGA’s Hutson Mason is ranked 9th.
9th? Yes, 9th. Hutson Mason is ranked behind Kenny Hill of Texas A&M, who may not even be the starter.
Mason is also ranked behind Jeff Driskel (Florida), Maty Mauk (Missouri), Dylan Thompson (South Carolina), Jacob Coker (Alabama), Bo Wallace (Ole Miss), Dak Prescott (Mississippi State), and of course, Nick Marshall (Auburn).
Here’s what FOX says about Mason:
Mason takes over full-time for Aaron Murray and will be solid for Georgia, but the Bulldogs will lean on their strength, which is a ground game led by Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. If Mason can complete 60.9 percent of his passes, as he did last season, and limit the turnovers, the Dawgs will be fine in the East.
I can see Mason begin ranked behind Marshall and Mauk, and possibly Bo Wallace and Dak Prescott, simply because he hasn’t seen that much time on the field.
In five games played in 2013, Mason completed 67-of-110 passes (60.9%) for 968 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Some of that was mop-up duty against North Texas and Appalachian State.
But after Aaron Murray was lost for the season, Mason finished the game against Kentucky and then started against Georgia Tech and Nebraska.
Mason has shown he’s definitely not the 9th best quarterback in the SEC. He will get the chance to prove that soon enough.

domain: sports