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When medication abortion received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000, some abortion advocates believed that primary care practices would be quick to offer the service. In doing so, advocates hoped, access to abortion care would grow while the stigma attached to terminating a pregnancy would diminish.
More than two decades later, however, freestanding clinics provide most medication abortions. A host of barriers — including federal and state restrictions, community and institutional resistance, and lack of training — have impeded the integration of medication abortion into patient care, according to the authors of a study of 48 family physicians published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine (JABFM).
But many healthcare institutions are stepping up to guide clinicians on integrating medical abortion services in states where it’s still legal after the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v Wade.
“Providing medication abortion specifically is very simple,” Christine Dehlendorf, MD, MAS, professor and director of the Person-Centered Reproductive Health Program at the University of California, San Francisco, told Medscape Medical News. Given their expertise in counseling, primary care physicians “are well-equipped to provide this care, and there is support for clinicians interested in providing abortions.”
Practices can obtain a variety of technical and clinical tools from the Reproductive Health Access Project (RHAP), including a toolkit for primary care providers. Training in Early Abortion for Comprehensive Healthcare (TEACH) offers an extensive curriculum that includes medication abortion instructions.
Multiple organizations have developed simplified protocols for providing medication abortion that do not involve in-person visits or clinical testing.
A list of resources has been compiled in Access, Delivered: A Toolkit for Providers Offering Medication Abortion, a project of the University of Washington, Seattle, and Plan C, a nonprofit that champions access to medication abortion. The compendium covers dispensing medication, information about liability insurance, and comparisons of clinical protocols.
The materials have been downloaded more than 1600 times since they appeared online in September 2020, said Anna Fiastro, MPH, a research manager for the project. Downloads rose sixfold after a draft of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion leaked to the media in May, she added.
The fall of Roe brought renewed calls for primary care practices to offer medication abortion, which accounted for more than half of US abortions facilitated by physicians in 2020.
Advocates say that primary care doctors could ease pressure on abortion clinics, which are facing an influx of patients traveling from other states.
Honor MacNaughton, MD
“One reason access to abortion care is imperiled in the US is because it has been siloed outside of mainstream medicine,” Honor MacNaughton, MD, associate professor of family medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, said. MacNaughton treats patients at a safety-net health system in Massachusetts that began offering medication abortion in 2010. Patients “appreciate being able to receive abortion care in a familiar setting from providers who treat their other healthcare needs,” she said.
During the pandemic, simpler protocols and loosening federal restrictions enabled primary care practices to begin offering medication abortions remotely, according to a recent study of telemedicine abortion services across 14 delivery sites. Of the seven primary care practices, five were independent and two were part of large health systems.
The independent practices partnered with mail-order pharmacies and used patient portals to dispense medications at lower cost than online-only and brick-and-mortar clinics, according to the study, which appeared in the July issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
“These services are very new and innovative in the US context,” Fiastro said, adding that they could provide a “roadmap” for others.
During the pandemic, the FDA lifted a burdensome in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone, a drug that ends pregnancy by blocking progesterone. The agency has since announced other modifications to its Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy for mifepristone that will permit sales at retail pharmacies.
Many Hurdles Remain
Despite some momentum, primary care providers still face substantial regulatory and administrative barriers to integrating medical abortion in their practices, said Dehlendorf, who co-authored the study in JABFM that highlighted some of those hurdles.
Physicians in the study “overwhelmingly believed that abortion is part of family medicine,” Dehlendorf noted, yet just 17, or 35%, provided medication abortions. Only seven did so in a primary care setting.
Dehlendorf and her fellow researchers suggested that primary care physicians look to the learning collaborative ExPAND Mifepristone, which offers expertise in navigating administrative barriers. Physicians at Federally Qualified Health Centers can also share best practices for working around the Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal funding of abortion except in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the pregnant person.
Others agreed that fellow clinicians are a valuable resource.
MacNaughton said that her practice had to overcome concerns about safety, conscientious objection by staff, and competing demands on resources. “Speaking with people who had already implemented medication abortion in their practices was most helpful as we began the process,” she said.
Local advocates can also provide support, said Ying Zhang, MD, MPH, a family physician at the University of Washington, Seattle, and a consultant for RHAP’s National Reproductive Health Care and Advocacy Fellowship.
“It is helpful to have allies and people who have championed this work in their own clinics and organizations,” Zhang added.
Dehlendorf, Fiastro, MacNaughton, and Zhang reported no relevant financial conflicts.
Mary Chris Jaklevic is a healthcare journalist in the Midwest.
For more news, follow Medscape on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube
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Safe-distancing ambassador stole Lego sets while deployed at mall, gets jail
The 34-year-old stole Lego sets from Toys "R" Us and a backrest from Self-Fix at VivoCity.
SINGAPORE: A man who was deployed to a mall as a safe-distancing ambassador during the COVID-19 pandemic stole from shops instead, selling Lego sets he filched from Toys "R" Us.
The court heard that he was a serial thief with convictions dating back to 2007.
Muhammad Israfael Abdullah was given 20 weeks' jail on Thursday (Sep 8). The 34-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, with two other charges taken into consideration.
The court heard that Israfael was deployed to VivoCity in HarbourFront as a safe-distancing ambassador. While on duty on Jun 13 this year, he went to Toys "R" Us three times and stole three Lego sets worth about S$540 by placing them in a tote bag.
He immediately put up advertisements online and sold the Lego sets to an unknown buyer at the vehicle drop-off point at VivoCity that same day.
He received S$100 for the sale and went back to the mall to steal a backrest worth about S$110 from the Self-Fix store.
Israfael's acts were captured on closed-circuit television cameras. A manager of Toys "R" Us lodged an electronic police report that afternoon and Israfael was arrested.
The S$100 cash was seized from him, as well as the backrest. The Lego sets have not been recovered and no restitution has been made, said the prosecutor.
Israfael's charges taken into consideration show that he had stolen from the shops at VivoCity on other occasions: He took Lego sets and a pocket fishing game worth about S$168 in total on Jun 4 this year, and five Lego sets worth about S$390 on Jun 11 this year.
The prosecutor asked for 20 weeks' jail. He listed Israfael's previous convictions: He was sentenced to probation in 2007 for theft, and breached his probation a month later. For his breach, he was fined but instead served four days' jail in default.
In 2009, he was convicted of theft and having unlawful carnal connection with a minor, for which he received seven weeks' jail.
In 2017, he was jailed two weeks for theft. In 2019, he was given four weeks' jail for theft. His latest conviction was in August last year, when he received six weeks' jail for theft.
The prosecutor said the theft in the present case was premeditated and that Israfael was deployed to perform his duties as a safe-distancing ambassador but instead stole from the shops.
"Immediately after stealing the Lego sets, the accused sold them for profit," said the prosecutor.
The judge told Israfael that he read his mitigation plea and will not be considering a community-based sentence given that he has "so many past offences".
Asked if he had anything else to say, Israfael said: "Whatever it is, I am prepared to take the 20 weeks."
The judge told him: "I hope at some point you will stop stealing. If you continue to do so, you can expect heavier sentences."
He allowed Israfael to defer his jail term to October to settle some matters, and asked Israfael to stay in court for a while after his case to speak to a court counsellor.
For theft, he could have been jailed up to seven years and fined.

domain: news


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FREE DOWNLOAD SEPT. 20-22, 2014
Welcome to the Omani Realm, composed of twelve squabbling kingdoms, ruled by a holy dictator, who takes a new consort every six years during the Festival of the Single Moon. Young noble women are painstakingly groomed to be presented as one of the consecratia and perhaps chosen as the next shallan breda, all with the hope of bearing a male heir.
People ask, what is the book about? Well, think "Game of Thrones" plus Arthurian legends plus a little of "The Tudors" and a hint of "The Borgias," strongly slanted toward female characters. The Cadian Sisterhood are what would have happened had our early Christian nuns been cautious (and even a little scheming) feminists.
There's a little magic, but not so much that readers who don't care for fantasy will be put off by it. There's a little romance, but not so much that it will make your stomach turn, because, after all, I wrote it and I have little patience for sap. There is a lot of drama, suspense, intrigue, betrayal, and scheming. All good stuff, right?
If you can, please share the link on your Facebook page. If you belong to Goodreads, please post a review and recommend it there. Review it on Amazon, and go to my Author's Page and "like" me. You will earn my undying gratitude!
And my mom's, too. Because she doesn't understand why I'm not on the bestseller list already. Hurry up and put me there so she'll stop saying, "But your books are so good, I just don't understand...."
All kidding aside, I really hope you like it.
Misery's Child, my beloved fantasy novel, is available for free download on http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CGP37RA
I LOVE THE WEB
Because nobody can interrupt me; they can only de-friend me.

domain: artistic


Bought this as a replacement for the standard charger for my wife's Huawei Y201 (U8666-1) as that stopped working after only 3mths! The power output rating is identical to the original (5V 1A) so there's no worry of damaging the battery with too much current, as seemed the case with a lot of other chargers I'd looked at. The blue 'charging' LED is very bright so there's no chance of overlooking the fact that it's actually on. My only criticism is that the lead is actually no longer than the original USB charging lead supplied with the phone, approx. 1.2m (4'), so the title of 'extra long' is slightly misleading. Perhaps it's just longer than the leads supplied with some of the other compatible phones? Product does the job & is inexpensive.
4 people found this helpful.
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Why Cooler Bags Are Perfect for Spring
Spring is in full season and that means enjoying the outdoors. But if you’re going to spend a considerable amount of time outside, you’re going to need a cooler bag as a companion. Why? Because whether you are going to the beach, camping, hunting, having a picnic, tailgating at a sports game, or even playing outdoor sports, cooler bags will keep your drinks cold and your food hot.
HOW THEY WORK
Cooler bags work by insulating the inside of the bag, through foam padding exterior and with heavy duty liners, to prevent any cold air from escaping while simultaneously blocking any external temperatures from entering the bag. You will find the higher quality cooler bags are waterproof, watertight, and sealed with airtight zippers and seamless welding which creates a vacuum of air. This maintains the desired temperature for the contents of your insulated bag for much longer. The same works for hot food. For example, if you’re making tortillas for family functions, cooler bags maintain the warm temperature while you’re traveling so the food stays fresh.
Soft-sided convertible coolers are the most convenient. They can act as tote bags when you need to grab items, but offer the convenience of a duffel bag or backpack when you need to carry items. Soft-sided means they are made with a foam padded polyester, with a liner inserted to absorb water/ ice melting, not to mention they are easier to store and not as burdensome to carry. We recommend the Duffelgear brand coolers: Available in 6pk 12pk, 24 and 48pk sizes (cans and bottles), these act as tote bags with carry handles on the side, but when closed with zippers, buckles, and a shoulder strap, they carry as easy as duffel bags. Not to mention they hold ice all day. Perhaps the best feature of the DuffelGear brand coolers is the patented removable liners. So, if you have an unfortunate puncture, no need to replace the cooler bag, just swap out the liner. You can check out DuffelGearcooler bags at Duffelbags.com.
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domain: travel


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Date of Award
Open Access Thesis
English Language and Literatures
This study endeavors to apply computational methods to a large dataset of popular fictional material, to see what topics emerge when viewed across genre lines and from a new, “machine” perspective. The dataset consists of 1,136 popular and commercially successful novels published between 2005 and 2016, including New York Times bestsellers and “genre fiction,” including science fiction, young adult, romance and mystery novels. Methods are discussed, including dataset preparation, LDA topic modeling and topic number optimization, qualitative topic interpretation, data analysis and visualization. The experiment was conducted in two parts, with the "document" or unit of analysis as each full novel, and then all of the sentences of every novel (over 9 million). 23 topics at the novel level and 66 at the sentence level were qualitatively interpreted, compared across genres and visualized. This study argues that computational tools can be generatively used to vastly broaden the scope of literary analysis, but results must still be interpreted through qualitative means. The novel may be quantitatively analyzed at both the level of the entire novel and the level of the sentence but analyzing at the level of the sentence offers more granular and interesting results. Topic modeling here identifies latent, ubiquitous topics that a human researcher may ignore or miss, re-centers research focus on the human body, its functions and the embodied nature of fiction, and was able to identify novel conventions such as linearity, characterization and settings and to distill many socially relevant topics including violence, surveillance and human institutions and activities. While topic modeling here reinforced some topical expectations based on genre conventions and tropes, topics also appeared unexpectedly in other genres: helping re-imagine the popular fiction landscape outside of genre-based siloes. Statistical analysis of a fictional dataset offers a new, birds-eye view of the contemporary popular fictional landscape, but also has many limitations, many of which are discussed.
Lundy, M.(2020). Text Mining Contemporary Popular Fiction: Natural Language Processing-Derived Themes Across Over 1,000 New York Times Bestsellers and Genre Fiction Novels. (Master's thesis). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/5759

domain: library


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Slumped against the coldest, darkest corner of the cell, my tears stopped flowing. I think I had reached that point, where no more were there to cry. I looked up, brushing my golden brown waves out of my ever changing eyes, to see him, sitting across from me. I smiled softly. Phoebe and Josh sat, holding each other gently, comforting one another as best as they could. I saw Josh playing with a piece of her hair, twisting it and letting it fall slowly, onto her back, before picking it up again and entwining it around his fingers. I put my focus back on Wynter, faintly aware of what was happening.
"Hey, where's my ocean colour, missy?" He said, his eyes twinkling.
"You left me, I don't have that colour anymore, you own it," I whispered, ignoring Phoebe's startled look, as I spoke to myself.
"I'll give it back, I want to see you wearing it, and smiling,"
"I want you to come back, yet you can't,"
"I'm so sorry," He whispered, giving me a sad smile.
And then he disappeared, the figment of my imagination gone. I found more tears, and used them.
Phoebe's muffled sobs caught my passive attention, and I looked to see them in a tighter embrace. I smiled; they had each other still, their love was something worth saving in all this mess. My emotions were swirling around, and I experienced them now as a stranger to my body and mind, as if no longer actually feeling it, just seeing it, appreciating the pain. I had left my body, and I had no desire to reenter it, ever again.
I stood lithely, and looked out of the third story window, grateful we had a cell with a view.
From my peripheral vision, I could see Phoebe shooting fervent glances to Josh, obviously worried by my sudden burst of life. I turned around and gave an alarmingly natural smile, trying to reassure her that everything would be okay.
And it would. I had made my decision now, I knew what I wanted and needed to do. If I had to choose a way to die, this would be it. It was beautiful, dying to save those left that you love, and in the process, getting to go be with the one you love. I was lucky, really. No one could desire anything more. How many people, got to cheat death?

domain: psychology


Thermochemistry Measurements in Non-Isobaric Flows
MetadataShow full item record
The primary research objective of this study is to advance our understanding of flame suppression in supersonic flows by improving a technique capable of measuring the full thermochemistry in such non-isobaric reacting flows. This is achieved through two different channels: firstly, by further developing an incoherent Raman laser diagnostic technique capable of independently measuring temperature and density, and secondly, by analyzing and modifying an existing miniature supersonic burner (currently utilized as the test bed for the experiments). Vibrational Raman scattering is used to measure density and composition of major species (CO₂, O₂, CO, N₂, CH₄, and H₂O) while rotational Raman scattering is used to measure temperature. The independent measurements of density and temperature allow for the determination of pressure. This line imaging technique is applied to flows with very high strain rates and Reynolds numbers emanating from a miniaturized combustor. A matrix inversion method is incorporated into the laser technique to account for crosstalk in the vibrational spectra. Spectral sensitivity in the charged-coupled device (CCD) array is also introduced into the vibrational processing. Laser energy normalization and laser pulse synchronization are added to the experimental setup. Significant improvements in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are observed. A commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code is utilized to model the flow inside the burner. Due to the burners complex geometry, a three dimensional computational domain is used at the expense of a detailed chemical approach. Burner configurations with short and long fuel injectors were studied. Results for the short injector show a flame attached at the tip of the injector while results for the long injector show no combustion taking place. Computational and experimental mole fraction distributions at the nozzle exit are also compared. Results for both injector configurations demonstrate frozen flow in the external supersonic flow, suggesting configuration inside the burner needs to be modified for future use.
Ellis, Dean William (2017). Thermochemistry Measurements in Non-Isobaric Flows. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A & M University. Available electronically from


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For decades, the late congressman Jack Kemp was western New York’s conservative champion. A tough supply-sider and former Buffalo Bills quarterback, Kemp personified the region’s grit.
Since Kemp left office, the area’s blue-collar factory towns and sprawling farms, which constitute much of New York’s 26th congressional district, have remained solid Republican territory: Sen. John McCain won here, as did George W. Bush.
Until this week, NY-26 was widely expected to remain safely in GOP hands. Republicans enjoy a 26,000-voter registration edge, and the district’s residents are more socially conservative than those in other parts of the state.
With the click of a BlackBerry, things fell apart.
In February, Rep. Chris Lee, the district’s clean-cut GOP congressman, became an Internet sensation. Gawker, a New York–based gossip website, published shirtless pictures of Lee, his muscles flexed.
The snapshots were provided to Gawker by a woman who had placed a personal ad on Craiglist.com. In e-mail exchanges with the woman, Lee, who is married and 47 years old, reportedly described himself as a divorced 39-year-old lobbyist.
As the blog post drew giggles, Lee’s staff initially claimed that the congressman’s e-mail had been hacked. When more unseemly details emerged, the libidinous backbencher ’fessed up, and within hours resigned.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo promptly called for a special election. Voters will head to the polls next Tuesday.
Republican Jane Corwin, a state legislator, faces stiff competition from Democrat Kathy Hochul, the Erie County clerk. Jack Davis, a 78-year-old former Democrat, is running on the “Tea Party” line. Ian Murphy, a satirical blogger, has the Green-party nod.
In other words, it’s a mess. Davis, a wealthy industrialist and fiery former Marine, is a perennial congressional candidate. Yet after stumbling in past bids, he has suddenly mounted a strong third-party challenge. His protectionist views and anti-establishment rhetoric have connected with a slice of the electorate, much of which has struggled through the recession.
Corwin also finds herself in the middle of a proxy war between national Republicans and Democrats over Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget. Corwin backs Ryan’s effort; Hochul has tethered her hopes to demonizing Ryan’s Medicare reforms, which she claims would harm seniors.
Democrats, sensing disarray in a deep-red district, would love to pick up the seat, mere weeks after Ryan and his House GOP colleagues promoted the budget at town-hall meetings. Republicans, fearful of that spin, are performing triage, sending organizers and volunteers to Corwin headquarters.
“Democrats are going to try to make the 2012 House elections a referendum on ‘Paul Ryan’s plan to end Medicare,’ which all but a small handful of Republicans voted for,” says Larry Sabato, a political analyst at the University of Virginia. “NY-26 has too many complicating factors for this to fairly be considered a referendum on Ryan, but inevitably that is how many will interpret the election.”
Corwin acknowledges that Medicare has become the central debate in the race, even as she works to shift the focus to jobs and the deficit. “The tough part is that Democrats in Washington are sending their message that the Ryan plan is going to end Medicare,” she laments in an interview with National Review Online. “We all know that is simply not the case.”
In the final days, the race has tightened. A Siena College poll late last month showed Corwin leading the field with only 36 percent of the vote. Hochul drew 31 percent in the survey; Davis galloped to 23 percent. But Corwin remains far from a safe bet. A recent survey conducted by Public Policy Polling shows Hochul leading with 35 percent, Corwin with 31 percent, and Davis within nine points at 24 percent.


Kendry Morales of the Angels hit a walk-off grand slam to beat the Marines yesterday, and as he jumped to touch home plate, Morales landed awkwardly and shattered his leg. He’ll have surgery today. His season is likely over. He joins Gus Frerotte and Bill Gramatica – among others – in an embarrassing group of athletes who were injured while celebrating.
Marshawn Lynch sighting!
He left the game tonight after colliding with Kam Chancellor.
Jay Gruden blasted his players after their loss to Arizona on Sunday.
Detroit Lions mock ESPN experts on Twitter after win.
Blake Bortles was the surprise #3 pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2014 NFL draft. Some pundits at Teddy Bridgewater (taken 32nd) as (…)
Clay Helton took USC back to the Rose Bowl in his first season as head coach.
Not bad after 15 months away.


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All About Feed has updated its whitepaper ’Is there a silver bullet to eliminate mycotoxins?’ This whitepaper gives you the latest information on mycotoxins and looks into some of the major symptoms in different animal species.
Mycotoxins produce a wide range of adverse and toxic effects in animals, hindering their overall health and productivity. There is a lot of information available on how to mitigate them. But is there is a silver bullet to eliminate mycotoxins, and what the main mycotoxins are that pose a problem in livestock?
The All About Feed whitepaper summarises some of the main information on this topic. This easy-to-read whitepaper has now been updated with the latest information on the effect different mycotoxins have on different animal species from pigs to poultry. It also looks at the strategies that can be used to prevent and eradicate them.
2/3 articles remaining | Register to continue reading.

domain: biology


Bryant was his usual self, getting open downfield with ease and showing a remarkable ability to catch the ball in traffic. He did have a ball viciously ripped out of his hands by Cardinals cornerback Jerraud Powers, but it was the lone blemish on an otherwise dominant preseason performance.
Fantasy Spin: Summer reports indicate that Bryant has turned a corner and appears poised to build even more off of his monster 2012 campaign. Bryant caught 92 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns, making him the third-highest scoring wide receiver in standard leagues. There is no reason to believe his volume of targets will diminish with that kind of success, and Romo will continue to feed him the ball in what will once again be a pass-happy offense. Health permitting, consider Bryant a lock for top-10 production among wide receivers with the upside of finishing in the top three once again.


Having a mobile antivirus attached to your equipment is extremely important for the purpose of security. Spy ware can perform lot of damage, including deleting files, transforming data, and in some cases wiretaps. Viruses will also take information from your device and spread through remote sites and TEXT MESSAGE and email transmissions. In brief, it’s a good idea to stay shielded by obtaining your system with a portable antivirus method. However , mobile ant-virus software is more difficult to use than it seems.
First of all, you must realize that mobile devices are quite vulnerable to viruses, malware, and scams. Even though both Apple iOS and Google Android have made improvements to their security, you can still find many weaknesses that can be used. For instance, a phishing episode can compromise your account or cause you to generate losses. To protect your mobile system, download a portable antivirus app. It will preserve your machine from malicious attacks, which include identity https://mobilehints.net/the-best-data-room-for-advanced-performance theft. And the majority antivirus programs have parent controls.
Many Android antivirus programs can be found in the market. Malwarebytes, for instance, protects your device by viruses and ransomware. It can be effective in detecting up to 8 , 000, 000 threats a day, and it can tidy up threats that may have destroyed your device. Other software that Malwarebytes can check are those that help you manage your notifications and keep the device safe. Kaspersky Mobile phone Antivirus is another popular cell antivirus application. It can diagnostic your equipment manually or automatically, block websites that appear untrusted, and control the access to applications.


Dec 31, 2015, 8:00pm
Thu, December 31, 2015 to Thu, December 31, 2015
Foxtrot lesson 7:30 - 8:00
ballroom dance 8:00 - 11:00
Promoted by: USA Dance (Pittsburgh) Chapter #3007 (Pittsburgh, PA)
We support dancing and hold monthly ballroom dances and social dance events at various locations in the Pittsburgh area.
| Ask for: Mary Ann


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Many narrative-focused video games nowadays like to boast that your choices really matter, stating even the most trivial decisions could have dire consequences on the story’s overall outcome.
More often than not, that simply isn’t the case, as branching storylines eventually always converge to the same ending regardless.
Until Dawn is one of the rare exceptions to this rule, as Supermassive’s PS4 exclusive not only decided its character’s fates on the choices that were made but also on the skill of the players that controlled them.
Whether it’s failing a quick time event, not exploring the surroundings for clues, or simply choosing the wrong path, one wrong choice in this interactive survival horror game could mean the death of any of the seven main characters.
As such, mistakes are bound to be made on anyone’s first playthrough of Until Dawn. While not all of them may deserve it, playing again is warranted in order to save these irresponsible, prank-loving teens.
Dragon Age: Origins
If you ever wanted to see what Bioware looked like it its prime, Dragon Age: Origins is a perfect example of an RPG with endless options for replayability.
As the title dictates, Dragon Age: Origins is the origins story of a character known as The Grey Warden. He or she is one of the last of an elite order, tasked with saving the world from the disastrous event known as the Blight.
When customizing, players are given the ability to choose their character’s gender, appearance, race, and class. While this sounds pretty straightforward for any RPG, it is what comes after that sets the tone for the story.
Depending on what players pick for their overall race and class, there are six different origin stories that dictate the plot of the game: Dalish Elf, Dwarf Commoner, City Elf, Mage, Human Noble, or Dwarf Noble.
Dialogue, stories, and numerous other things in the game revolve around the first choice in the game, making each playthrough its own unique experience.
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
I know what you’re thinking: “I can barely finish one playthrough of The Witcher 3, let alone multiple!” While it is indeed a long game, I can assure you that CD Projekt Red’s final installment in Geralt of Rivia’s trilogy really should be played more than once.
Like other games on this list, there are so many choices and stories that simply can’t be experienced the first time around.
Whether it is the fact that you choose one path over another or simply rushed to the ending in order to get to the climax, plenty of small and large details can be missed the first go around.
The power of hindsight also allows Geralt to possibly choose which of the three endings he’d like his surrogate daughter to get to experience – as well as who he could end up with romantically.
If that isn’t enticing enough, The Witcher 3’s new game plus mode allows Geralt to carry over all of the inventory and skills he earned by the end of the first playthrough.
Enemies are also scaled accordingly, allowing for those looking for more of a challenge a few hundred more hours of monster hunting fun.
The sheer amount of endings in NieR: Automata is amazing. In total, the game features 26 different outcomes to its story.
While a handful of these endings may be jokes that aren’t canon to the main plotline, just as many are packed to the brim with changes to the narrative.
Somewhat similar to Mass Effect, Automata takes advantage of its save system in unique ways. For example, carrying over a save file after beating the game for the first time results in a different perspective of the main story when staring new playthroughs.
Things as simple as upgrading tools can also affect the outcome of endings as well.
The coolest part about all of this is how it fits in line with NieR: Automata’s story, characters, and ongoing themes. While they may have somewhat similar overlap, each of these new playthroughs feels like a continuation of the story as a result.
If you want to talk about revolutionary games in-regards to multiple playthroughs, no title is more important than Chrono Trigger.
When Chrono Trigger released back in 1995, it set a new standard for JRPGs. Few games before this Square-developed title featured multiple endings in a game.
Chrono Trigger had 13 endings in total. Even by today’s standards, that many endings is insane.
What is even crazier is just how fleshed out each path ended up being. Each of the game’s endings was entirely dependent upon when and how players reach and complete the game’s final battle.
The title is also still praised to this day for the sheer amount of choice it provides its players. Never before had a game placed so much emphasis and focus on character-driven side plots that also bear weight on the main story.
Mass Effect Trilogy
Few series have as much depth and care placed into its lore and dialogue as the Mass Effect trilogy. From the very get-go, backstory, class, and character selections alter the way things play out throughout the entirety of each game to come.
Dialogue tree options, the way NPCs interact with Commander Shepard, and even unique missions are all centered around things as simple as choosing where and how they were raised.
The vast array of choices alone are enough to warrant multiple playthroughs for every title, as only specific paths can lead to unique conversations and stories that would otherwise be unheard.
What makes the trilogy truly special though is its continuity. With each new installment in the series, players get to see how their choices affected the next game.
These choices include NPC interactions, romances, and even character deaths. Depending on how players (mis)handled the entirety of Mass Effect 2, it is even possible to go into Mass Effect 3 missing almost every member of the Normandy crew.
If nothing else, each of these games is certainly worth replaying just to get a glimpse of what polar opposite a Paragon and a Renegade Shepard can look like – figuratively and literally.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Despite the fact that you’ll have to trudge through the grueling, snowy prologue once again, Red Dead Redemption 2 more than merits a replay to fully experience all it has to offer.
The first reason being that a second playthrough allows the ability to play the exact opposite playstyle you may have done the first time around.
Was Arthur as noble as physically possible the first playthrough? Well now that he’s got that out of his system, it is time to see what the game is like when he robs, plunders, and kills everyone in his way.
Not only will this change the way the game plays for gamers, but it also affects the world around Arthur. Different dialogues pop up around camp depending upon the moral choices that are made, as Arthur even sits down and chats with members of the Van der Linde gang about his aggression issues the more innocent people he kills.
Regardless of whether you alter your playstyle or not, there is definitely a lot of important information you’ll be able to pick up on by going through Red Dead Redemption 2 a second time.
A conversation that may have seemed trivial during the first go-around could foreshadow what is to come.
Fallout New Vegas
The Fallout series has always been notorious for letting players customize how their character makes it through the game. Each title lets the protagonist invest in certain abilities, which then open up different opportunities to approach situations relevant to the narrative.
Of all the titles in the series, Fallout New Vegas is the shining example of what a branching path narrative can be when it reaches its full potential, thanks in large part to its amazing storyline.
Like other installments in the series, New Vegas deals with the Fallout of a Nuclear Apocolypse. This time around, players fill the shoes of The Courier: a mailman out for revenge after the game opens with them being shot in the head.
What follows is a cavalcade of crazy adventures, including a battle for power between three factions: The New California Republic (NCR), Caesar’s Legion, and Mr. House.
Choosing one of these three sides has effects on missions and interactions with the other two. As such, there are three different ways to approach the game’s main narrative.
If that isn’t enough of a unique experience, New Vegas also features a Hardcore mode. In this mode, the game is far more realistic and intense, requiring The Courier to eat, sleep, and maintain other real-life necessities alongside playing the story.
With all of that in mind, it is really no surprise that a lot of people are still playing Fallout New Vegas today, almost 10 years after its initial release.

domain: game


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While sheltering in place, we at Urban Market Bags have found some amazing online resources to help inspire and facilitate countless activities at home. From interests that you already may have to a host of new opportunities to explore, these websites have something for everyone.
Games and Activities
- Coursera – Whether you are interested in skills, a degree, building a career or your organization, Coursera offers thousands of courses all online. (For a limited time some certificates are being offered for free!)
- Master Class – Learn from the masters in culinary arts, film & TV, sports, business and many more subjects with an annual membership. (Buy one and give one free!)
- Class Central – Here’s a unique opportunity to learn from Ivy League schools.There are over 400 class options and they are all free!
- Duolingo – Learn a new language with this popular website and app in as few as five minutes a day. (Option to learn for free or upgrade with a premium subscription!)
- Glo – From newbies to yogis, Glo offers yoga in various types, levels and speeds. (Free for a 15 day trial period!)
- Pop Sugar Fitness – For all-around fitness fans, check out this YouTube channel for a wide selection of classes targeting all areas and types. (Free membership for all!)
- iNaturalist App – Getting outside (responsibly) and exploring nature does wonders for the soul. With this free app, you can take pictures of flora and fauna and learn from your online community about the nature around you.
- Billboard – Planning an online gathering with friends or missing that special concert? This website is a one-stop-calendar for live music performances.
- Yousician – ”Unleash your inner musician” by taking on a new instrument or trying out your own vocals. (Take lessons free for a 7-day trial period!)
Games and Activities
- Cozo – Bring out your inner artist with these geometric coloring sheets. Print them out for free!
- GOG – For an afternoon of gaming, choose between both new and vintage video games. GOG is currently offering over 25 games for free!
- Chef Massimo Bosuro – Make your own Michelin-rated meal, with Chef Massimo Bosuro who is offering daily cooking videos.

domain: hobby


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n Acta Classica : Proceedings of the Classical Association of South Africa - Laispodias Andronymios PAA 600730
|Article Title||Laispodias Andronymios PAA 600730|
|© Publisher:||Classical Association of South Africa (CASA)|
|Journal||Acta Classica : Proceedings of the Classical Association of South Africa|
|Affiliations||1 University of Vienna, Austria|
|Publication Date||Jan 2013|
|Pages||93 - 113|
Laispodias, the son of Andronymis, is a rather obscure, but nevertheless important, figure in late fifth-century Athens. He had an aristocratic pedigree, became general at a turning-point in the Peloponnesian war, and was the target of the comic poets on several occasions, probably for his physical appearance as well as his politics. In 411 BC he became entangled in an oligarchic conspiracy which was to shake Athenian society for years to come. Although he is an interesting case in Attic prosopography, Laispodias has attracted relatively little attention from scholars, and this article seeks to throw new light on his life and deeds, as well as the historical events of which he was a witness. Hopefully, a new appraisal of this historical figure may contribute to our understanding of some not so well-known moments and intricacies of late fifth-century Athenian history.
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domain: history


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Ellen had plenty of faults, but amidst them all love to her mother was the strongest feeling her heart knew. It had power enough now to move her as nothing else could have done; and exerting all her self-command, of which she had sometimes a good deal, she did calm herself... -from The Wide, Wide World It was the first bestseller in American publishing history, this sentimental tale of an orphan's...
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The House and Senate just reached a deal on a stimulus package of $789 billion.
My first instinct is that, despite some handwringing, it's hard not to see this as a pretty clean win for the president. During the transition Obama called for a stimulus package in that ballpark, and said he hoped to get it through by first week in February.
It's February 11, just a few days late, and he appears to have more or less what he wanted. He's now going to get credit for massive spending on thousands of popular projects, further enhancing his political capital, at least for now.
He, and the plan, will be judged on the larger course of the economy. But this deal appears to leave a strong president even stronger.

domain: economics


The hysteria hasn't reached the dizzy heights that greeted Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol but booksellers are expecting healthy interest when the latest instalment of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy goes on sale today.
The death of its author Douglas Adams in 2001 could not halt the series, with the writer's estate choosing Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl children's books, to write the new book, And Another Thing…
The marketing manager of Dymocks, Sarah Wakely, predicted plenty of interest once the worldwide embargo was lifted today.
''Our stores have a bit over 1300 books in stock, which is a bit higher than average,'' she said. ''It will probably end up in the top 30 but it's a big month … If you're a fan, you'll know about it and you'll be knocking the door down to get a copy.''
Borders was equally upbeat. Its spokeswoman, Angela Grasso, said there had been considerable interest.
''We haven't taken pre-orders but we're expecting a lot of eager fans to come in to snap it up.
''It's been a well-loved title and we're hearing about a lot of people coming into stores and asking about it.''
Colfer, who described his previous work as ''traditional fantasy adventure with a touch of James Bond and a lot of Inspector Clouseau'', said his new offering was a labour of love. Initially he had been doubtful about the project, but those who approached him ''said it would be a nice way to bring a new generation of people to the original books''.
In And Another Thing…, Arthur Dent finally makes it home to Earth only to find it is about to be blown up again.
What would Adams think of the new book? ''I would hope he had a little giggle and would enjoy the respectful but not slavish way I have entered his universe … I don't think he would be disgusted,'' Colfer said.
Some hardcore fans will be ready to pounce if they think Colfer's prose doesn't measure up. But Adams's agent, Ed Victor, said his widow Jane and daughter Polly had ''loved every word'' of the Artemis Fowl books.
''He has kind of channelled Douglas in a way. I feel 100 per cent sure Douglas would have loved this book.''
with Guardian News & Media


Measuring Cuba’s Moral Degeneration
HAVANA TIMES — We speak so much about the moral degradation of Cuban society that sometimes it feels we are deep in a quagmire that can’t get any worse. This isn’t exactly true, and we should not deceive ourselves that it is.
Today, I had one of those days in which you go out with all of the positive energy in the world, hoping to get some things done, and you come home frustrated and empty-handed. This does not exactly illustrate my point, I know.
I don’t have any statistics at hand that would support my claim either. I only have the facts. I sometimes wish there was an instrument designed to measure what I’m talking about. It would be called a “degradation meter,” or something like that.
It would suffice to go out to the street and point it towards people’s rude behavior, the misconduct of consumers and public officials, bosses and employees, adults and the young. The device would then give us a reading.
Since such an extraordinary piece of technology does not exist, I will try and measure the vibe of Cuba’s streets on the basis of my own experiences.
The incidents I will describe are not exactly revealing, in and of themselves. I think the fact they took place within the course of a single day, however, gives us a sense of how inhospitable Cuban society has become. My best reason for saying this is the simple and overwhelming fact that incidents like these no longer shock anyone.
To improve public transportation, the number of buses operating in Havana was recently increased. On this day, however, we are witnessing bus stops with the kind of large crowds we hadn’t seen for a good while.
Public transportation difficulties giving rise to stress among passengers has been described at length in posts like this one. It is understandable that people should be irritated. The hot August sun also has a say in this.
But the fact that people – particularly the young – speak in a loud tone of voice all the time has nothing to do with the public transport system or the heat. That people should curse and say rude things to one another while joking, that can’t be chalked up to the weather or bus shortages either.
This morning, a woman almost knocked me down while scrambling to get a seat in the bus. Things like this, folks, bring us a step closer to savagery, even barbarism.
Another fellow who got on the bus was wearing a sleeveless T-shirt. His armpits were hairy and sweaty. By then I was sitting on the seat the rude woman had emptied. He settled next to me, placing his hairy armpit very close to my face. He didn’t seem to notice what he was doing.
My arm still hurts from having had to wrestle my way onto the bus, and I was third in line. It actually hurts, the people standing behind me almost tore it off, supposedly trying to keep others from taking their place in the line.
On my way back, I ran into a friend. Just before I got off the bus, she told me she had seen a man looking at her and masturbating, right behind me. In effect, he had been fondling his genitals a few centimeters behind my back. She had said nothing “to avoid problems.”
Something isn’t right here. Many things aren’t right, for people are shedding all civility with less and less shame and no one does anything. This trend continues to grow and the “decent” appear to have become immune to it.
8 thoughts on “Measuring Cuba’s Moral Degeneration”
Whatever may be the current state of things, Cubans had gotten used to commonly civil behaviour because the worst offenders chose to leave after 1959. Happily for Cuba, they took their ugly inclinations off to Florida and New Jersey.
All good points. Worthy of discourse but on another day and in another forum. Cheers
Is not just distinct groups, is society in general. Thats why we establish what is considered acceptable behavior and punish those who broke the social contract and codify such things in laws.
The problem with today’s Cuba is that illegal behavior has become acceptable by sheer necessity, and that broke the dam for refraining to condemn even more unacceptable or illegal behavior or being accused of hypocrisy.
Interesting exchange of opinions. Is “Civics” one of the studies subject in the schools in Cuba. I remember going thru such subject in school. I did not have to be religion brain washed, nor I could behave in the manner described in this article without the risk of being ostracized from the “civic society” at large. It is the lack of those civil associations, that allows a given individual to be a member of an identifiable group. whose membership required a minimum of acceptable social behavior, the main culprit.
And I include among those “civic associations” not just the elite groups like Masons. Lions, etc but labor associations, teachers associations, merchants associations.
In my humble opinion, these groups, some of them disregarded in terms of importance, were the must influencial in the behavior of the ordinary citizen.
No, they didn’t had those issues before the crisis of 1990. That moral decay is directly related to the economical crisis, the ridiculous inflationary process and the mockery of the salary as source of income for the vast majority of the population (thanks again, dual currency), not religion.
As for the rest of your assertions, there is a NEGATIVE correlation between religiosity and virtually all social indices in ALL nations:
The main reason is that some religions, Christianity in particular tend to look for the forgiveness of some higher being as the thing that matters the most instead of making amends for the bad behavior and rewards belief over deeds as moral compass. That simply has no place in the modern world where personal responsibility for your own actions are a must in our societies.
And don’t get me started on Christianity and Christ. Most Christians are fans of Christ, not his followers. Followers are not supposed to ignore his explicit teachings and instructions, like “love your enemies” and “don’t resist evil with evil” and pick and choose what they want to believe and how they want to behave.
As for the Catholic church, you REALLY don’t want to get there. Child molestation, rape cover-ups, teen pregnancy galore, opposing to family planning (thus perpetuating poverty all around), destroying the international efforts to eradicate AIDS, killing children in Africa accused of witchcraft, genocide in the new world, not condemning Hitler’s actions (actually Hitler was one of them) and a long etc.
What kind of moral upper ground you plan to establish based on all that?
Your facts are correct but your analysis of these facts is lacking. The absence of religion in Cuba has directly affected Cuban moral consciousness much more so than Cuban crime statistics. The police state that exists in Cuba has had a much greater impact on the actual commission of crimes. Although “LA” is largely Catholic, you assert that there is no correlation between religiosity and morality, where morality is defined as a state of mind. Actually, according to the bible, it should come as no surprise that where there is a higher concentration of devout practitioners of the Christian faith, there would also exist a higher presence of evil to attack these believers faith. Without getting into a sermon here, because Cuba has banished God evil is less active in its pursuit of souls. You follow? That said, Cuba is left today as a bastion of pagan and syncretic religions like Santeria. Even Fidel claims “Marti-ism” whatever the heck that is. As a result, lacking real moral guideposts, most Cubans are free to pick and choose what is right and wrong for themselves. In Mexico, for example, most Mexicans are professed Catholics and therefore see right and wrong as taught by the Church. This awareness obviously does not prevent those who would do evil from committing horrific violent crimes but the few who do so can not say that what they do will not be judged by God. On the other hand, Cubans who live by their own personal moral beliefs actually justify theft in the workplace and prostitution by minors. Some believe that scamming ‘extranjeros’ is morally just as Cubans have little and the foreigner has so much. Mankind as a whole continues to degenerate morally. In Cuba, it is happening faster and among a broader spectrum of people. How else do you explain doctors who steal from the state and schoolteachers who prostitute their bodies?
Lol sure you know your stuff. Now lets do a quick reality check:
-Cuba is the 4th ranked country in LA by homicide rate (#1 Argentina, #2 Chile, #3 Martinique)
-Cuba is considered a safe country, while most of LA is not. Actually, the list of 50 most violent cities contains an overwhelming majority of Latin America cities (42 of 50).
Source (in spanish):
So your argument is factually bogus. Now do you want me to dig into the Bible (your implied source of morality) to show you how outrageously wrong you are by picking Christian countries as examples of moral behavior?
Because the Castros decimated the church at the onset of their totalitarian rule, Cuba lacks the moral parameters typically established in most societies, especially in Latin America. As a result, the moral degeneration in Cuba that has largely been taking place since the early 1990’s has no natural end in sight. It will likely get a lot worse before it gets any better.
Comments are closed.


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It’s abundantly clear that over the years the federal government has done a very poor job of regulating the automobile industry. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has dropped the ball on too many occasions. Based on our litigation experience, lawyers in our firm know that NHTSA has failed to discover safety issues involving a number of automakers. Two classic examples were when the agency failed to discover decade-long cover-ups of known and most serious safety defects by Toyota and General Motors. Those safety problems killed and injured hundreds of innocent victims.
The automobile industry is fully aware that NHTSA has been underfunded and inadequately staffed for years, and, as a result, not able to do its job as regulator very well. The industry had tremendous influence over Congress. That influence has assured that Congress has not done its job when it comes to giving NHTSA the tools it needs to adequately regulate the automakers. That has made regulation sort of like the tail wagging the dog.
Brooke Melton was killed in 2010, when her Chevy Cobalt crashed due to the defective General Motors ignition switch in her vehicle. The defect allowed the key to move from the “run” position to the “off” position, cutting power and disabling the vehicle’s power steering, power brakes and airbags. It’s rather ironic that Brooke’s parents, Ken and Beth Melton, were able to do that which NHTSA had failed to do by finding the defect in Brooke’s car. The agency was unaware of this fatal defect until it was brought to light following Brooke Melton’s tragedy, through the efforts of the Meltons. The Meltons worked through their grief to make more progress in vehicle safety than the regulator had over a much longer period of time and are continuing to work to make sure other families do not experience a similar tragedy.
In partnership with The Safety Institute (TSI), the Meltons are funding a Vehicle Safety Watch List in their daughter’s memory. Ken Melton had this to say in a TSI news release:
Brooke would still be alive if GM had acknowledged the ignition defect and fixed it. Brooke would be alive if the regulators had followed up on their own investigations which revealed the problem. It ’s clear to us that the accountability systems we have in place don’t work as well as they should. The Watch List provides another tool, another way to look at defect trends. So, we are investing in a process that can help uncover emerging problems before they take more lives and turn into a full-blown crisis and cover-up.
The watch list will definitely help to save lives. Beth Melton added the following comments in an interview with NBC: “What we really hope is for other families to be able to use this information and prevent accidents. We think it can save lives.”
The Meltons suffered greatly because of Brooke’s death. But they are determined to help other families avoid what they went through because of GM’s conduct and the automaker’s cover-up of a known about defect for 10 years. Through the litigation, it became known that GM knew about the ignition switch defect, and withheld that knowledge from the NHTSA and the public for a full decade. In the period of time, hundreds of innocent victims were killed because of GM’s wrongdoing and intentional cover-up. GM has now admitted that this defect killed — by its own count — 124 innocent people. The automaker recalled about 3 million cars with exactly the very same defect that the Meltons had discovered and made public.
The Meltons’ lawsuit against GM not only exposed GM’s ignition switch cover-up, but also brought to light the failure of NHTSA to effectively monitor automobile defect complaints, or hold automakers fully accountable for their wrongful acts and omissions. The TSI watch list will address shortcomings in the current regulatory system. TSI works to identify potential motor vehicle safety defects that it believes should be more fully investigated, and gathers information from a variety of sources, including publicly available data from NHTSA complaints, manufacturer reported Early Warning Reports on deaths and injuries, and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
The courage and dedication of Ken and Beth Melton cannot be overemphasized. Determined to find out what really happened to their daughter and what caused her to lose control of her car, they enlisted the help of Lance Cooper, an experienced products liability lawyer from Marietta, Ga. Lance discovered the defective ignition and exposed GM’s cover-up. Without the efforts of the Melton’s and Lance Cooper, there would have been no massive recalls, no civil or criminal fines and no multidistrict litigation. Sadly, the fines that GM was assessed — regardless of the amount — will be no real consolation to the hundreds of families who were devastated by GM’s conduct. There is no question some persons from GM should go to jail. I will have more to say about that in this issue. We were honored to have been asked by Lance Cooper to assist his firm in the Melton litigation.
By supporting the Vehicle Watch List, Ken and Beth Melton will continue to make a difference for families throughout the country. The efforts of the Meltons — without a doubt — will help to save lives. We can only hope that by shining a spotlight on the despicable conduct of the automobile industry, and the woefully inadequate safety monitoring by NHTSA that has been in place, the Meltons will also help to turn the tide of public opinion at the grassroots. The American people — once they are fully informed — will no longer stand for this sort of “business as usual” in the automobile industry and at NHTSA. The public demands to be informed, and fortunately, the automotive industry and the NHTSA are finally receiving the message.
Sources: NBC News, The Safety Institute, and The Associated Press
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Anyone can participate in any of our group distant healing events on a purely donation basis, without becoming an Earth Heal member. Participants are worked on as individuals and also assist in anchoring the incoming healing energy on behalf of the collective energy field.
For more info about annual membership, please go to this link.
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Visit our new site: www.earth-heal.com
News, articles and videos related to the healing of the planet and the collective consciousness, updated daily.
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If you come across a link which does not work, please send us an e-mail to earthhealadmin [at] gmail [dot] com
About Earth Heal
The Earth Heal Geoharmonic Research Project provides distant healing work to people, animals, groups, buildings, areas of land and water, and the collective energy field shared by all. More about our work here and here.

domain: geography


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That’s right! Avatar has started to share live reporting statistics with their clients. Every hour the reports update to display the latest traffic, goal completions and any other statistics that our clients need to know. We are constantly finding new and innovative ways to improve the way we work and the live reporting tool helps out clients see it in real time.
Let’s see what CrowdPower has achieved in June:


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After demands for a caste-based census from Bihar and Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh also passed a resolution to request the Centre to conduct a caste-based census of backward classes in India. During the assembly session on Tuesday, state minister for backward classes welfare, Chelluboyina Srinivasa Venu Gopala Krishna introduced the resolution following the state cabinet’s unanimous approval on October 28 to introduce the resolution in the assembly.
Speaking at the assembly, chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said, “Be it academic, social, financial or political… If we have the specifics of a community in advance, governments will have more clarity on what action should be taken. Everyone is aware of the fact that there are castes in the country, we have been collecting data on scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in the census since independence and enactment of the Constitution in 1951. Now, it is essential to broaden our view and find out why it is necessary to include details of BCs (backward classes) in the census.”
During the discussion on the resolution, Chelluboyina said, “As a BC citizen, I thank the CM for giving me the opportunity to be the minister of BC welfare in a government that has worked towards the upliftment of the backward classes, who were grossly ignored by the previous government at all possible levels. From nominated posts to creating 56 corporations to creating posts of directors to extending financial assistance under a plethora of welfare schemes, this government has prioritised the welfare of BCs. The directors of corporations being sworn in on the same stage as the CM says a lot about the pedestal that the CM has placed the community on.”
Why the clamour for a caste-based census
Not just Bihar and Jharkhand, opposition parties in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have also demanded caste-based census of backward classes. The central government, however, has categorically refused for such a census citing operational difficulties. Census operations in India are one of the largest in the world and enumerate different characteristics of the population, covering important parameters like education, literacy, health and other aspects.
The last caste-based census in India was conducted in 1931. Since then, a caste-based census has not been conducted and is one of the demands from different forums, organisations, thinkers and intellectuals to meet the interests and aspirations of the backward classes. At present, there is no scientific data regarding the population of the backward classes to ascertain their social, educational and economic backwardness.
Article 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution state that special provisions for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward class can be made. The lack of scientific data regarding backward classes is proving to be a hindrance for the government, resulting in limitations to implement initiatives to benefit the community when it comes to welfare schemes, measures and other developmental activities.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.

domain: law


Wine 1.7.50 Brings Experimental DirectX 11 Support
Wine developers have just announced that a new version of the application has been released and is now available for download. This is the version that shows signs of DirectX 11 support, so it’s going to be an interesting one.
It’s been a while since anything truly exciting happened with Wine, but the current release does feature a few interesting entries that show how much progress has been made. Besides all the changes and improvements that have been made for various apps… (read more)
Remember to like our facebook and our twitter @ubuntufree for a chance to win a free Ubuntu laptop by Dell or HP!


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The Plainfield Park District is hosting an Open House to present the Springs at 127th Park Development Project and gather resident feedback 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., September 21 at the Prairie Activity & Recreation Center, 24550 W. Renwick Road in Plainfield.
The Plainfield Park District is seeking an Open Space Land and Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant for the Springs at 127th Park Site. This site is just north of 127th Street, east of Route 59, and just north and east of the Wheatland Township Park site.
This site has been inaccessible until now with the recent Landsdowne development began allowing for access through that new subdivision. The proposed development will feature a dog park, trails, fitness stations, a shelter/seating area and a pollinator garden, as well as new landscape. This new park will also connect to the existing Wheatland Township Park site, creating a nine-acre park campus with a variety of recreational amenities.
A concept plan will be presented at the open house. Contact Director of Planning Bob Collins at firstname.lastname@example.org for more information.


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I stayed at Travelodge in May as part of my extended trip, for a family reunion. We were very happy with the spacious nicely remodeled, clean rooms. We were able to walk out directly to a well groomed courtyard. I was able to use my laptop with excellent wifi provision. Kids enjoyed the large pool and were excited to know they had a Game Room and Fitness Room coming up soon. Breakfast was hot and had various nice options.I would definitely recommend this hotel with its friendly and kind staff to anyone travelling in this area. I will certainly come back here.
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- Newly Renovated Travelodge Inn & Suites. Travelodge Inn & Suites offers resort like accommodations. Onsite is the largest hotel pool in town, Free Wi-Fi, Continental Breakfast. Also on site is the Kimi Grill & Sushi Bar, a delicious favorite in town. At Travelodge Inn & Suites our new rooms are over-sized and are larger than normal hotel rooms, decorated with all the modern amenities. We also have new renovated enormous extended stay suites which are approximately 800 sq ft. ... more less
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Hotels.com, Expedia, Priceline, Booking.com, Travelocity, getaroom.com, HotelQuickly and Hotwire so you can book your Travelodge Inn and Suites Yucca Valley/Joshua Tree Nat'l Park reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.
- Also Known As:
- Travelodge Yucca Valley Hotel Yucca Valley
- Yucca Hotel Valley


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Point Of Sales
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If you have any question or enquiry, please click on the button and tell us about your thought. We are ready to hear your opinion.


From the introduction, The Whatmans and Wove Paper
The process in use in England at the time of the development of the first wove papers, namely, towards the end of the first half of the 18th C., was made up of five basic stages. Only one of these is really relevant to the subject of this book, that is the formation of the sheet at the vat and the subsequent de-watering of the paper. But the other four and closely interdependent stages would have had a bearing on the quality of the finished product and in due course would require adjustment to suit new manufacturing needs; so it is not always possible to divorce the one from the others. As it happened the process had been undergoing a major technological change for several decades and in some paper mills this was still in progress. The main features of this were changes in the method of stock preparation, improvements to the surface of the paper and the method used to construct the laid papermaking mould, all relevant in the present context.
Most people today would come across a sheet of paper in its dry and sized state; but its formation takes place in the wet state from a suspension of carefully prepared cellulose fibres in water. The stages which precede and follow this operation are:-
During the eighteenth century paper was made from rags. The supply and quality of these tended to be irregular, a mixture of all kinds and varying in degrees of cleanness. White paper, especially White Writing, was the best and was made from furnishes composed almost entirely of linen rags, employing only the whitest of these. As the paper maker of those times had no process available to him for improving their whiteness other than washing the rags in cold water (see stage two), it follows that the ultimate whiteness of the paper was directly dependent on the skill of the rag sorters in selecting the right qualities during the initial stages of the process, a skill that should in no way be underestimated.
After sorting, the rags were washed and dismembered in water into their component threads (rag-breaking, one of the most critical phases in the whole papermaking operation) using low consistencies (ratio of stuff to water) and the equipment outlined below. Having achieved this state the consistency was increased and the threads were subdivided into their ultimate fibres, at the same time plasticizing them in readiness for sheet formation (the beating operation).
Mechanical processes were used to achieve these states, processes that had evolved from their most primitive form in which a pestle and mortar had been employed. In Europe the first major advance had been to replace the early methods with a process that used heavy hammers, armed with nails and raised and lowered by means of water power, to pulp the rags. By the time wove paper came into being this technique had been replaced by a revolutionary new method where the rags were reduced to pulp by what was known as a washer/beater, the "Engine", a contrivance that originated in Holland during the seventeenth century. In this Engine the rags, immersed in water, were circulated in an oval and contoured trough by means of a cylindrical roll, furnished with axially oriented metal bars (fly-bars), rotating at high speed and grinding the rags against fixed bars set in a bed-plate, the whole of this plant driven by the paper mill's waterwheel. This was a very skilled operation, only marginally less so than that required for making a sheet of paper by hand.
Before this could take place the stuff had to be diluted with further water to a milk-like consistency in readiness for the vatman to make his sheet. He achieved this by separating the fibre from the water, in which it was suspended, using a sieve-like construction, the papermaking mould, which allowed the free water to pass through it leaving the newly formed wet sheet on its wire cover (an operation that is described in greater detail later).
The next phase was to separate the wet sheet from the mould, a function performed by a second member of the vat crew, the coucher, who transferred it onto a woollen cloth by means of a combined rotary and pressing action. Another woollen cloth (the hand felt) was pitched over this, followed by the transference of yet another sheet in a similar manner. This sequence of actions led to a pile of interleaved felts and sheets, known as a post. The sheet at this stage was still very wet and fragile.
The post was taken away and pressed in a screw press to remove as much of the remaining free water as possible. After withdrawal the sheets were in a sufficiently consolidated state to allow a third member of the vat crew (the layer) to separate each sheet (the fibres were now held together by surface tension forces) from the hand felts and lay sheet upon sheet (a pile known as a pack) ready for further pressing (pack-pressing) and then separating again (pack-parting) before being removed to a drying loft. Here the sheets were air-dried. As drying proceeded so inter-cellulose hydrogen bonds were progressively formed to give the dry paper its strength. In this waterleaf state it was an absorbent article unsuitable for use with aqueous media such as ink or watercolour.
This is an additive process that confers on the paper the ability to bear ink. The traditional practice of immersing the unsized sheet in a tub filled with a hot solution of gelatine to which potash alum had been added was observed in the 18th C. The function of the alum was to fix or cross-link the gelatine to the cellulose sub-strate. Excess gelatine was pressed out and the sheet dried once again in a loft under carefully controlled conditions, first cooling the paper to convert the size from the sol to the gel state; and then either protecting it from exposure to excessive chilling or ensuring that the size did not revert to the sol state as it might have done in very hot weather. This was always a very tricky operation, "le collage du papier manque souvent".
These activities were performed in the Salle where the felt hairs were removed from the surface of the paper which was then sorted for faults and graded into various qualities, the best being "White Writing" (important to note in the context of this work). Lower grades, but still White, were used for printing and copy papers. Finishing (or Perfecting) generally involved further, dry, pressing; and, in special cases, the paper might have been subjected to a so-called glazing process, which could have taken the form of hammering; slicking with a smooth stone; or the use of a glazing wheel to buff the surface. Not all papers were perfected because hand press printing involved moistening the paper again (a practice that persisted until quite late in the 19th C.) which would have nullified any "finish" given to the sheets. As the paper had been air-dried in this process there was no need to leave it to "mature" for long periods as in more recent times.
The sheets were then counted into quires and reams, the former being folded with defective or broken sheets placed between them, the worst of these being on the outside. The whole was then tied up in wrappers made out of "vat bottoms" and other waste material.
The above is a very much abridged account of the papermaking process, but it should be sufficient for the purpose of this book, placing the sheet-making operation in perspective.
A sheet of paper can, however, be formed in a number of different ways. This is an appropriate point to outline some of these in order to present the first European specimens of wove paper in their proper context.
 Balston, J.N. Bib.2 A detailed account of the changes that took place in the making of paper by hand in Britain between the end of the 17th C. and the third and following decades of the 18th, and their impact on the economics of the process, the improved status of the domestic White paper industry and the quality of its products. This work should be consulted, if further information is required beyond the summary account in the text above. (Introduction to both Volumes: and Vol.I Chapters I Part 3; V & VI; Vol.II App.V).
 Water is used with or without additives. Other liquids have been used experimentally in order to demonstrate the essential relationship between cellulose/water which imparts strength to a sheet through inter-cellulose hydrogen bonding, a property not conferred on it by other solvents (Bib.2 App.V).
 Illustrated accounts may be found in Bib.2 Chap.VI Plates 11, 12; or, more extensively, Le Francois de Lalande, J.J. Bib.8 Pl.IV; Desmarest, N. Bib.27 Pl.III, V.
 For a full account of the Engine and mode of operation, including its ability to water-wash rags, see Bib.2 Vol.I Chap.VI and Vol.II App.V.
 For process Bib.2 Vol.I p.40; Vol.II pp.259-260. Regarding "Alum" it was not until quite late in the 19th C. that the effectively more acid hydrated aluminium sulphate (Al2[SO4]3.18H2O) replaced potash alum (K2SO4, Al2[SO4]3.24H2O). The latter is a true alum and for an account of its history and production see App.I to this book.
 Le Francois de Lalande, J.J. Art.97-109.


Fairfax County is home to approximately 9,000 units of “market affordable” multifamily housing considered affordable to households earning 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) or below – about $75,000 or less per year for a family of four. With the continued affordability of these homes facing critical pressures from redevelopment, renovation and repositioning of older properties into higher-rent communities, the County’s Affordable Housing Preservation Task Force presented its strategic recommendations for preserving market and committed affordable multifamily housing and achieving the Board's commitment of “No Net Loss” of affordable homes.
“The types of housing addressed by our Task Force provides affordable housing options for thousands of individuals and families. For many of these households, the impact of diminished income or lost employment among households with low- to moderate-income due to COVID-19 has exacerbated the challenges they face. As a Board, we want to protect those family’s abilities to live in those homes and ensure their inclusion in our vision of future success of the County.”
-Jeff McKay, Chairman
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
The Affordable Housing Preservation Task Force, established by the Board of Supervisors in July 2020, initiated an aggressive work plan indicative of the priority placed on the outcome of the group’s work. Melissa McKenna, Chair of the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority, and Walter Clarke, Mount Vernon Planning District Commissioner, provided invaluable leadership as the Task Force Co-Chairs, and delivered the Recommendations to the Board of Supervisors’ Housing Committee on April 6, 2021.
Video of the April 6, 2021 Housing Committee meeting will be posted HERE once available.


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‘Ohana serves up grilled chicken, pork, and steak at a family-style dinner each night. This restaurant in the Polynesian Resort is also known for its Bread Pudding for dessert!
Posts Tagged ‘chicken’
Today we’re bringing you all the NEW dishes at the 2014 Disney World Epcot Food and Wine Festival!
We are counting down our Top 3 Favorite Kids’ Dining Spots in Disneyland today!
We have more news about restaurant closures as Downtown Disney in Orlando transforms into Disney Springs! Check out our post to see if we will be waving goodbye to your favorites.
We’re having dinner at the newly renovated California Grill high atop Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Walt Disney World!
We’re having lunch at the Magic Kingdom’s Tony’s Town Square Restaurant in Walt Disney World for their hearty Italian fare and great views!
Dinner at Epcot’s Teppan Edo in Walt Disney World is always a fun experience. Join us as we dine at this teppenyaki-style Japanese steakhouse and tell you all about it!

domain: food


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In today's episode, we join Bruce Ibsen in his June 25th, 1985 interview of Doug Lychak, City Manager. Lychak describes his time before being hired as the City of Edmonton's City Manager, as well as crucial points in his carrier during.
This interview was originally recorded on a 5 inch open reel tape and was digitized by an archivist on March 25th, 2021.
These interviews were recorded in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Both social attitudes and language standards have changed since that time. Some opinions expressed and language used may be offensive to listeners today.


Moognify II from Combo Square on Vimeo. Here’s an antidote to the trend toward virtual knobs, touchscreens, and mobility: a big-ass, tangible knob bigger than your head. That may be a slightly impractical idea, but behind it is something absolutely practical: a simple, open source OpenSoundControl to Control Voltage interface. Unlike MIDI’s standard Control Change […]Read more
brings together the latest breaking news on music, technology, gear, and live visuals. Got a project, found a news tip, or want to share your product? Submit to us directly.


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If you tend to wonder about how long a teeth cleaning takes, you are not alone! Unfortunately, many have a phobia against going to the dentist, even if it involves a simple dental cleaning. An expert cleaning is simple, pain-free, and helpful for your oral health in many ways. Today we will look at how long a teeth cleaning takes and everything you should know about dental teeth cleaning.
Why exactly should I get dental teeth cleaning?
Every day, millions of bacteria enter our mouths. If you allow, this bacteria can form a clear, sticky substance called plaque in just a couple of hours. If plaque is not immediately removed, acids in the plaque start to attack the tooth’s hard enamel surface. This can lead to a damaging cavity. In addition, if it develops down the tooth to the gum line, it can come in contact with soft tissue. Unfortunately, this can result in an infection in your gums.
We strongly recommend brushing twice a day, using mouth wash, and flossing at least once to help remove plaque. Even if you brush very well, reach all the very tough places in the mouth, and consume non-staining foods, it is still likely that plaque will form. At this point, this is precisely where professional teeth cleaning comes into play.
What happens during a professional dental cleaning?
It is best to get a dental cleaning at least every six months. First, your dentist will check for any oral illnesses as well as a diagnosis of soft tissues. X-rays help capture what is going on with your teeth’ health, especially below the gumline. Immediately following, your dental cleaning will begin.
Your dentist will review the health of your gums and check for the development of any cavities. After, the process begins to remove any buildup of plaque or tartar with a scaling instrument or an ultrasonic device. The amount of time you are in the dental chair is dependent on the amount of plaque in your teeth. It may be surprising, but most dental cleanings last between 1-2 hours, sometimes less, making it worth the wait and effort.
Depending on your dentist, they may use a rough toothpaste with an electric toothbrush to clean your teeth lightly. This is a safe procedure; however, it should not be done at home to avoid wearing the enamel. Next, your teeth will be flossed. Even if you do it at home, it is highly beneficial to have an expert floss your teeth to help remove any remaining plaque.
Finally, you will use a fluoride treatment shortly after the cleaning. This will help fight against cavities for many months to come.
Are you in need of dental teeth cleaning?
We hope it is a bit clear about how long a teeth cleaning takes. If you need professional teeth cleaning, you have come to the right place! Mission Bend Dentistry can help give you a teeth cleaning that will make your teeth feel fresh and crisp! We are your local dentist in Richmond, Texas, and we want to ensure you have a dentist who can execute amazing dental teeth cleanings! Call us today at 832-895-5110 . You can also visit our website at.

domain: medical


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NEW YORK CITY – A tombstone with Donald Trump's name mysteriously surfaced in Central Park near the Tavern on the Green.
Photos of the tombstone started popping up on social media. Instagram user sachinrb shared the photo with the caption: "Someone placed an actual Trump tombstone in Central Park."
The tombstone has his name and date of birth, but no date of death, and the epitaph reads: "Made America Hate Again."
According to NBC New York, the stone was removed Sunday evening. There were no clues as to who placed it there.


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Proposal (715) to
Recognize Sporophila digiacomoi
Background: A presumed new species of seedeater has been discovered in northeastern Argentina. Similar to Sporophila ruficollis but with plumage differences and a distinctive voice, the new species is described as Sporophila digiacomoi in an article by López-Lanús that is being distributed electronically as a pdf (Available from: http://www.xeno-canto.org/docs/lopez-lanus-2015.pdf). The article is an “Adenda” to a forthcoming field guide of the birds of Argentina. Sporophila digiacomoi is already included in the Xeno-canto database (), but we don’t know of other lists or databases that have adopted this name so far.
More recently, Di Giacomo and Kopuchian (2016) described the new species as Sporophila iberaensis. That S. digiacomoi is the same species as S. iberaensis is clear from the description and ultimately from the fact that they share the same holotype specimen (Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales 72854). Therefore, S. digiacomoi and S. iberaensis are objective synonyms. This rather peculiar situation is the result of a disagreement among former collaborators. An earlier manuscript co-authored by Di Giacomo, López-Lanús, and Kopuchian was submitted for publication in a prestigious ornithological journal and went through peer review. While Di Giacomo and Kopuchian gathered more information to address reviewers’ comments, López-Lanús decided to publish the new species by himself, as part of his forthcoming book. Di Giacomo and Kopuchian reacted by publishing a brief article to keep authorship of the name and declared that a full manuscript with all the details will be published soon after.
The present proposal discusses only the validity of S. digiacomoi. The validity of S. iberaensis will be treated in a separate proposal, for which we might wait until the extended paper by Di Giacomo and Kopuchian is published.
The addendum where S. digiacomoi is described has not been published yet. Although the year 2015 is shown in the document, the book is not yet out of the press and becomes a case of an incorrectly reported date (ICZN Art. 21.4). The pdf that is being distributed is a preprint distributed electronically in advance of publication, and therefore does not constitute a publication for nomenclatural purposes (Art. 9.9). Therefore, S. digiacomoi is not yet available for naming the new species.
On the other hand, the description by Di Giacomo and Kopuchian (2016) is pretty standard and complies with the requirements of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), including new provisions for publication in electronic format, which require registration in the newly created ZooBank database (). Therefore, regardless of taxonomic considerations, once the book by López-Lanús is published, the name S. digiacomoi will become a junior objective synonym of S. iberaensis.
Recommendation: Given the considerations above, we recommend a NO vote for this proposal.
Di Giacomo, A. S, & C. Kopuchian 2016. Una nueva especie de capuchino (Sporophila: Thraupidae) de los Esteros del Iberá, Corrientes, Argentina. Nuestras Aves 61: 3-5.
Santiago Claramunt and Nacho Areta, March 2016
Additional notes from Claramunt:
Basically, there are new provisions in Article 8 of The Code that allow for online-only publication.
"8.5. Works issued and distributed electronically. To be considered published, a work issued and distributed electronically must
8.5.1. have been issued after 2011,
8.5.2. state the date of publication in the work itself, and
8.5.3. be registered in the Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (ZooBank) (see Article 78.2.4) and contain evidence in the work itself that such registration has occurred.”
The Lopez-Lanús description has not been registered in ZooBank. But in addition:
"Article 9. What does not constitute published work. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 8, none of the following constitutes published work within the meaning of The Code:
9.9. preliminary versions of works accessible electronically in advance of publication”
The Lopez-Lanús Adenda is clearly a preprint, a pdf distributed electronically in advance of the actual publication of the book in which it will be included.
The on-line articles of Nuestras Aves, on the other hand, are the final versions of the articles that are being published online for the permanent record. They are not preprints nor online-first preliminary versions.
Comments from Remsen: “NO. As the proposal makes clear, the name digiacomoi is not yet available under the Code, and when if/when it is properly published, it would clearly be a synonym of iberaensis.”
Comments from Pacheco: “NO. It appears to me that the description of S. digiacomoi in Nuestras Aves/Xeno Canto is only published online, and without the code ZooBank. This conflicts with the fact that S. iberaensis is considered (by the same database) available on 22 March 2016. It is not clear that the name S. digiacomoi meets - before March 22 - the three criteria of Article 8.1 of the ICZN to be available / or have priority.”
Comments from Stiles: “NO. An unfortunate and rather distasteful situation. But as I understand it, the only validly published name at this point is iberaensis, in which case when the name digiacomoi is validly published, it will become a synonym of iberaensis.”

domain: literature


text: CoCo Sansoni returns to Totem Pole Playhouse, after a nearly 15 year absence, with a special musical tribute to all of the great ladies of country music. This will be an evening of toe-tapping country classics we all know and love. Join her as she salutes Dolly, Reba, Trisha, Patsy and a host of others in a rollicking evening of country classics. With Totem Pole favorite, Darren Server at the keyboards and leading the band, you won’t want to miss this dynamic performer with the voice of an angel and a heart the size of Texas. Shows are June 25 & 26 at 8:30 PM and part of the Outdoor Concert Series. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and enjoy this evening under the stars. Get ticket here.


text: For all of you who just received a drum set for christmas, this lesson is for you! In this drum lesson you will learn how to play your first drum beat and also how to apply that same beat around the kit! Trust me, I know that sometimes sitting behind the drum kit can be very intimidating. Especially as a beginner. But this lesson will teach how to be confident behind the kit and it will give you an awesome building block to learn more cool drum beats!


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Voices Inside My Head
Stuff I just need to get off my chest.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Merry Christmas entertainment (belated)
I was reminded of I Want a Hippopotamus when I was flipping through
and she mentioned that she got a hippopotamus for Christmas. Which I'm assuming was her point.
So here it is, entertainment for you.
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domain: entertainment


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(686b) Concurrent Desalination and Boron Removal Via Reverse Osmosis
AIChE Annual Meeting
Thursday, November 1, 2018 - 12:50pm to 1:10pm
In the CDBR process, the saline water is fed to one or more SSRO stages in series whose retentate is fed to a countercurrent membrane cascade with recycle (CMCR) and whose permeate is fed to a low pressure membrane stage (LPMS) for further boron removal. The permeate from the LPMS is blended with that from the CMCR to obtain the desired product water. This process configuration employs countercurrent flow of the retentate and permeate, permeate recycle, and retentate reflux in the CMCR to reduce the required osmotic pressure differential (OPD) significantly. This reduces the pumping, maintenance, pretreatment and brine disposal costs. The performance metrics of the process have been predicted for operation at the thermodynamic limit.
The performance metrics for this novel CDBR process are compared with those for using two SSRO stages in series for desalination and boron removal. The assumptions are a seawater feed containing 35,000 ppm salt and 10 ppm boron producing water containing 0.5 ppm boron and less than 100 ppm salt and, pump and energy recovery device (ERD) efficiencies of 85% and 90%, respectively. For these conditions the CDBR process employing commercially available RO membranes with a 90% boron rejection can reduce the OPD relative to two SSRO stages in series by 35% at a water recovery of 55% and 37% at a recovery of 75%, and can reduce the net specific energy consumption (SECnet) by 0.87% at 55% recovery and 39% at 75% recovery. The SECnet and OPD can be further reduced by recycling and blending the retentate of the LPMS stage with the feed to the SSRO.
A total cost analysis of water production for the CDBR configurations is also carried out in terms of the fixed and operating costs, relative to a two-pass SSRO process. In the comparison, both processes are designed using commercial membranes to yield a water product with less than 0.5 ppm boron concentration from a saltwater feed containing 10 ppm boron and 35000 ppm TDS. While the two-pass RO process yields an overall water recovery of 46%, the yield of the CDBR process is 61%. The gross specific energy consumption of the CDBR process 4.44 kWh/m3 in comparison to 4.76 kWh/m3 for the two-pass RO process. If energy recovery devices are used, then the net specific energy consumption of the CDBR process is reduced to 3.51 kWh/m3 in comparison to 3.19 kWh/m3 for the two-pass RO process. The cost comparison is based on a water production capacity of 10000 m3/day.
A novel CDBR process for achieving concurrent desalination and boron removal has been developed. The CDBR process uses only membrane technology without the need for increasing the pH or using other technologies such as ion exchange that are required for current commercial processes for desalination and boron removal. As such, the CDBR process permits concurrent desalination and boron removal rather than requiring sequential processes.
This work is supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) through Project No. 114Y165.
Krantz, W.B., S. VelioÄlu, S. KÅ±rklÅ±, M.G. Ahunbay, S.B. Ersolmaz, âConcurrent Desalination and Boron Removal (CDBR) Process,â Patent application no. PCT/TR2016/050387, October 19, 2016.
KÃ¼rklÃ¼, S.; Velioglu, S.; Ahunbay, M. G.; Tantekin-Ersolmaz, S. B.; Krantz, W. B., Concurrent Desalination and Boron Removal (CDBR) Process, Desalination, 423,79-94, 2017.