text:
Fillers and toxins
Our panel of experts discuss filler techniques and complications, as well as toxin resistance and the future of injectables
Treating the chin
Mr Rajiv Grover: Dr Brandt, you often use fillers to treat the chin and I think this is a very under-utilised area. In terms of the lower face, the chin has quite an effect on the relationship to the mouth and the neck. Can you expand on how often you tend to inject the chin and any specific techniques you use?
Dr Fredric Brandt: I think the chin is very important to treat past a certain age. Obviously if you’re 25 years old and you want your lips done you don’t need your chin done at the same time. But the chin I always say is a support structure—a foundation for your lips. I tend to use Restylane or Perlane—I use a lot and inject it sub-muscularly. I find if you inject it below the muscle, you’ll get a much smoother result and a better lifting to the area. It depends on the person’s age but I can inject one to two syringes of filler in the chin.
However it doesn’t last as long as on the cheek or certain areas because there is constant muscle movement and muscle tension in that area. Most people need a touch-up in about four or five months.
Dr Michael Kane: Some years ago I wrote a few articles about eyelid injection and tear troughs, so I probably inject more eyelids than anything else, followed by noses—many of the secondary rhinoplasty surgeons that don’t do injections send me these patients. However for people that walk through the front door and want something done, I probably inject the mandibular border, which runs into the chin from the jowl, as often as any area in the face. A patient in their early 40s gets more turnaround with jowl hiding from doing that, than anything else we do.
Mr Rajiv Grover: I think the message we’re getting is that patients come in with a particular problem but a good clinician is one that can look at their face, analyse it and tell them what they need rather than what they’re asking for. Dr Flynn, your thoughts on the chin?
Dr Timothy Flynn: I agree, it is an under-treated area but my least favourite line in the face is the marionette line. In order to treat the marionette line you have to put structure in the lower area. There can be a lot of sinking occurring there, so once we’ve treated that and lifted the marionette up—as it’s such an obvious sign of ageing—then I may augment an area in addition to the chin, just to restore. We’re all doing more mid-face going down to the lower face and augmenting as we go along.
Dr Nick Lowe: Chins can be improved considerably, in some instances just by using one of the deep volume fillers—my favourite is Voluma. I’ll inject it in the sub-muscular area and I may even do it over more than one session. I bring the chin forward and it’s very useful to treat regressive chins and also helps to define the jaw line.
Don’t be afraid to bring the patient back after a month or so and do a little bit more. Another way to achieve longer lasting results if you are treating a very mobile mentalis muscle with the puckering peau d’orange appearance, choose your time to put some botulinum toxin in the central muscle to diminish puckering and movement and help the filler last longer.
Mr Rajiv Grover: That’s the message of the Carruthers paper about treating the glabellar with a combination of toxins and fillers—if you reduce the movement, the lifespan of the filler is a little longer. The other thing that I found when treating the chin is definitely use a cannula because it is quite a vascular area.
I treated a lady with some Restylane SubQ to the chin whilst performing a facelift—at that time I was using the needle—and I got more bruising from this than from the entire face and neck lift. You can get quite dramatic bruising in some individuals so definitely use the cannula.
What are the thoughts of the panel on needle versus cannula, and do you have any preferences in particular areas?
Dr Fredric Brandt: I think it depends on the physician and what they’re more comfortable with—whatever works better for you. I happen to use cannulas for the cheek area, for filling facial compartments. I don’t use them for the temple because it’s too hard to get through that fascia for me to get to the periosteum.
I don’t use it on the chin because it’s too uncomfortable to get under the muscles for the patient so I tend to use needles. I do agree chins bruise more, but I find it’s hard to be comfortable getting deep in the muscle without the patient feeling a lot of moving those muscles around and it is a little traumatic for them.
Mr Rajiv Grover: I do inject with local anaesthetic which I suppose defeats the point of not using a cannula because there’s a needle to put it in, but I do infiltrate with a little bit of local in the actual chin because it’s quite fibrous. I agree, it would be difficult to push through but as I anaesthetise, it’s a little easier. Michael?
Dr Michael Kane: I experimented with cannulas a couple of years ago and really gave it a go for a while but I’m mostly a needle person now, although I’ll occasionally use cannulas. The only area I would almost always use a cannula is the dorsum of the hand. You have pros and cons everywhere. I tend to put my filler superficially in the dermis and I don’t think you can do that with a cannula.
When you’re using a cannula you’re putting your filler deeper and I think you have a little less volume control. I like to use really tiny needles and shearing down the particle size, so I like the control with the needle. Since you’re deeper with cannulas, I think you need more product per gain, or something that you can see in the skin, which is a disadvantage.
Patients bruise a little less when using a cannula but I think you beat up that port hole a little bit more than you do when injecting with needles. So they each have their pros and cons.
Mr Rajiv Grover: I’m also reminded that your referral base is often people who may have had previous surgery, revision cases, eyelids, noses—they’ll be very difficult with a cannula so the needle will break through the scar tissue. That’s probably also your practice, Tim?
Dr Timothy Flynn: I’m very similar to Michael. In the back of the hands, which I traditionally treat with Radiesse, I’d use a 22G, two to three inch cannula. Cannulas are interesting because the other area where I use them is in fat transfers. When harvesting fat I still use the 18G Coleman fat transfer cannula—I would just re-sterilise. That’s a big cannula but for those of us who have experience in liposuction it’s used in the same way.
You have to have a certain amount of controlled force as you move through the tissue and deposit. So I would say for me, I use cannulas for fat transfers and back of the hands only, otherwise needles.
Dr Nick Lowe: I use more cannulas than the others. I did a clinical audit for the Care Quality Commission on the use of fillers and, from 150 responses, 60% were injected with cannulas compared to 40% with needles. I use needles if I’m lifting and I want to put filler straight into the periosteum, on the malar eminence or onto the zygomatic arch to lift with one of the deep volume fillers.
If I want to fill, I will use one of the modern cannulas. If I want to define the lip border or inject the jawline I will use a cannula. The other thing our audit showed us is that there was a 20%—25% incidence of bruising with needles and about half that with cannulas.
Volume in the cheeks
Mr Rajiv Grover: What would be the average volume you would inject into your cheek patients for example, both ideally and what you actually do in practice?
Dr Fredric Brandt: It’s so variable depending on what the patient is looking for and what the aesthetic is.
Many people are afraid to have huge cheekbones now because they see a lot of cheeks that are over-inflated, so it depends on the patient. I don’t think you need that much volume, and it depends if they’re a virgin patient. Maybe 1cc per cheek, perhaps a little bit more if you want to be dramatic.
It also depends on their age. If somebody comes in in their 40s, you just need a small amount. Somebody in their 60s or 70s is going to need four times that amount. You can use anywhere from 1cc for both cheeks to 4–5cc on both cheeks, really depending on the age and what you’re trying to accomplish.
Mr Rajiv Grover: That is very enlightening to me because I was expecting for Upper East Side New York high volumes and yet you started off with very low volumes which for us in the UK is reassuring. Michael?
Dr Michael Kane: I think it depends. There are two patient cohorts—the person you see for the first time that wants to get maxed out and filled up and the person who comes back for maintenance.
That first time patient may get seven, eight or ten syringes over the whole face, but if they come back in four or five months they’re getting one syringe or two syringes spread over eight areas of the face. So if you were to take my last 100 charts, because it is so variable, and look for that median dose, it would probably be 0.3cc or 0.4cc per cheek—very small volumes.
Dr Timothy Flynn: I’m the opposite of Michael simply because of the patients that come to see me in my rural type university environment where I live. I would usually like to put more volume in the cheek than they’ll let me, largely due to cost and the fear of looking different. I may end up getting to where Michael is by repeat injections about every two to three months.
On initial injection I would tend to use Radiesse which I would dilute 1:1, and put about 1cc in each cheek in the deeper fat pads. Then when they come back to see me I may add an additional 2–3cc later on. It’s totally age dependent though. When a patient is young, we use a little. When a patient is 55–65, we have to do a lot more volume restoration.
Dr Nick Lowe: I agree with Tim here entirely. It depends on the age and the degree of volume loss. After weight loss, post pregnancy or post partum I tend to use a little bit more.
But my average would be no more than 2cc per side to start with, and most of my patients don’t want to suddenly look different. They want a gradual improvement so I’ll ask patients to come back after a month or so. If you then layer on top and re-finesse it you not only get more bang for your buck but you also get it to last a bit longer.
Mr Rajiv Grover: I find the cheeks really last a long time once you do them a few times.
Dr Timothy Flynn: What’s also interesting is that cosmetic patients will find the practitioner that suits their needs. Somebody who’s looking for a more dramatic result may find an injector who does a higher volume and somebody who is concerned about an obvious outcome may find somebody who does just a little bit and over time, will get enough treatment to achieve good correction.
Mr Rajiv Grover: Are there any problems with migration in the cheek?
Dr Timothy Flynn: I don’t think there’s a lot of migration but I use relatively small volumes in that space so maybe I’m injecting small, discreet packets.
Dr Michael Kane: I think there’s less migration if you’re injecting deep. You get slightly more migration when you’re injecting more superficially, but if you’re injecting on the periosteum and building a tower like Gerhard Sattler described, then you’re not going to get much migration.
Resistance to toxins
Mr Rajiv Grover: The biggest barrier to treatment in this country is trust, and you build trust by doing things gradually. The next area that I want to discuss is resistance to toxins. According to a feature in The Sunday Times Style Magazine there is a big problem because people develop antibodies and they become resistant.
I don’t see so much of this and one of the arguments related to whether or not the different botulinum toxins that are available now have different levels of foreign protein in addition to the botulinum. So do they have different effects on patients becoming resistant?
Dr Nick Lowe: Yes, I think I was one of the culprits quoted in that article. In fact, we were able to prove quite clearly that several patients had acquired resistance to all three Type A toxins that we have in this country. It does occur but it’s rare in my extensive experience. I’ve had five that I can say have definitely developed an acquired resistance to Type A.
Mr Rajiv Grover: And you wouldn’t say that any of the Type A toxins are any different to each other?
Dr Nick Lowe: I tried all three Type A toxins in these patients and none of them responded. Is it going to be less with the ones that have less protein, like Incobotulinumtoxin known as Xeomin? I don’t know. I don’t think anybody knows because the problem is that you can get resistance in the absence of antibodies against botulinum toxin and you can get antibodies against botulinum toxin and you can still get responders. I don’t think it’s been worked out and I think it’s a different pharmacological mechanism than antibody formation.
Dr Timothy Flynn: What we can say for sure is that at cosmetic doses it’s a relatively infrequent occurrence.
Dr Nick Lowe: It is very infrequent.
Dr Timothy Flynn: Nick, were these patients complete non-responders or did you pick up on a partial response or decreased response to what they were having to the injections?
Dr Nick Lowe: They were patients who I’d been following for some time. They were previous responders and they became total non-responders.
Dr Timothy Flynn: It is a very interesting phenomenon. Certainly this idea of resistance is more seen in therapeutic doses, so if you have cerebral palsy or any of the other neuromuscular disorders where patients are using hundreds of units, then you have problems with resistance.
Dr Michael Kane: I’ve been injecting toxins for 22 years and have probably injected about 30,000 people and I’ve had two non-responders. It doesn’t matter if they’re demonstrable antibody positive or negative—we’re talking about non-response and we’re looking at the wrong cohorts. That is not going to come out of our world, it’s going to come out of the physical medicine world where in long term studies over 2% of people become non-responders.
The hapten effect means that a protein load can stimulate your immune system and up-regulate your cells to start making antibodies. The idea that the other toxins with more proteins are priming the pump and creating more antibodies remains to be seen and we’ll probably know within a few years. If there are matched trials in the physical medicine world with giant doses that are given much closer together, we’ll start to see something.
In response to your question, I think it’s both things. I think it’s dose and timing or interval but probably interval is more important. There are a few studies in murine rats where they’re given toxin doses, and I wrote a commentary on one. It seems that depending how accurately you can measure for antibodies, after one dose you can measure some response. It’s just not a clinically significant response. They don’t become non-responders. And it seemed in several studies, including this one, that this interval was more important than time.
Dr Fredric Brandt: I agree with Michael—I think it has more to do with interval than amount. The problem I face in my practice is that people come in and want touch-ups and if you don’t give it to them, they’re going to go somewhere else. It becomes a problem. Especially in New York, I find that if patients see one muscle moving they want to come back instantly so it’s hard to keep them on a four-month schedule.
Dr Michael Kane: First of all let’s define the touch-up. If someone comes back and their DAOs are a little off and their mouth is crooked, that’s something you have to fix. The question is if they want a little more—you’re going to do it typically to keep them happy but I will read them the riot act and explain that long term, it is not a good idea as it may increase the chance of becoming resistant. If a patient returns and asks for another touch-up, I’ll give them the talk again and gradually they tend to do it less. They listen to you.
The two patients I had who were non-responders were not garden variety patients. One was the wife of a plastic surgeon and so had a lot of Botox with short intervals and became a true non-responder. The other was a patient who was getting a lot of toxin from several different doctors back in the mid-90s. Back then, before they changed the batch in 1997, there was a much higher protein load in botulinum toxins and it wasn’t just accessory proteins, it was inactive neurotoxin as well. This is the real danger because it primes the immune system. Since they cleaned that up, the amount of these incidents seems to have gone down.
Dr Fredric Brandt: I find that in those patients who are not responding to Botox, I’ll switch them to Dysport or Xeomin and they do very well. You can try switching them around and in certain cases you’ll get longer duration of action.
Dr Nick Lowe: I think that’s partly true. I do the same to keep some of my patients happy. I have a group of patients that definitely have longer duration with one of the toxins compared to the other. I think Dysport is better for crow’s feet, possibly because you’re getting more migration into the orbicularis oculi. But I think the incidence of true resistance is so rare in the dosages we are using for aesthetic use that it’s probably a rarity that’s interesting to us partial academics, but it’s not a major clinical problem.
The future of fillers
Mr Rajiv Grover: What might be the future in years to come—what will be the next paradigm shift for fillers?
There’s talk that they will include skin modulators to try and stimulate, in the way that fat grafting does with stem cells, fibroblast proliferation and rejuvenate the skin as well.
Dr Fredric Brandt: I think it depends on where you’re injecting the filler. With products to improve skin texture, you’re probably going to see fillers that are injected with a gun or very superficially into the dermis. Maybe in the future we’ll even be able to inject products that will affect bone and the deeper level, or be able to include an antimicrobial substance that will prevent formation of bacterial growth in the substance. We don’t need a filler that lasts five years in the face—I think the fillers we currently have available already last quite a long time if they’re done correctly.
Dr Michael Kane: I think two big things are going to happen. One is already here and is currently undergoing trials and one is a little further in the future. I agree that fillers last as long as they need to and I don’t need my fillers to last any longer because you can get great longevity with what we have. But patients always want that—if you were to give a patient a questionnaire, that would be the number one request.
So I think what we will see is peptides being used more. We don’t have much mesotherapy going on in the States and some peptides clearly have efficacy. Some peptides are thought to have anti-natural hyaluronidase qualities, so by incorporating those peptides into hyaluronic acid, the natural enzyme is prevented from breaking it down so the filler lasts longer. That’s one interesting thing.
The second advance involves solid state HA threads, which use regular HA cross linked with BDDE and polymerised to make it a smooth thread—it comes on a long Keith needle. It’s a different way of delivering HA that’s very volume controlled. I have patients who I treat for 45 minutes to an hour, working on those horizontal wrinkles in their forehead because they have tremendous brow ptosis and are constantly working their frontalis—you don’t want to drop them further. I can do that but it’s a pain in the neck. It’s a very unforgiving area with the light coming down, and it’s all about volume control.
If you use these threads, you can put in a perfectly dosed volume right through each of those lines. There is a study currently going on in Canada with these threads—I don’t know how soon they will come to market but while they won’t replace gels and needles, they could be a nice addition for those difficult to treat areas.
Dr Timothy Flynn: If we could get stem cells to focally improve and proliferate certain areas, such as an agent that caused fat stem cells to turn into a mature adipose site, it would be great to be able to put that into an atrophic fat pad. People are playing around with fat; you can grow bone out of fat, which is amazing. If that technology goes forward, we could control where the proliferation occurs—that would be very attractive.
The problem is we can get problems with cellular proliferations so we have to look at the long-term side effects. It’s one thing to transfer an adipose site, but it’s another to try and take something and get it to change and mature and grow. You’ve got to make sure there’s no uncontrolled growth which is a result of causing the stimulation to those cells.
Dr Nick Lowe: It’s fascinating to conceive of a hyaluronic acid injectable being an excellent vehicle for a whole variety of different active peptides and active growth factors. There are some fascinating peptides that I’ve come across in putting my skincare product hat on that are really being refined very nicely, including neocollagenesis and even peptides that can regulate inflammation and pigmentation.
I’m sure there can be biologically active non-peptides that could be incorporated into a hyaluronic acid as injectables, one that could then stimulate more fibroblast activity. The problem is, as Tim has said, do you really want to stimulate too much fibroblast activity? Every time you add an additional complication and additional complexity, you add the potential for extra complications and side effects.
Mr Rajiv Grover: The last topic we’re going to discuss is complications. One of the things that concerns us about injecting larger volumes into the cheek—because you’re effectively putting in an implant rather than a filler—are the inflammation or biofilm-type effects. What would be your finding of these incidents and what would you do practically to try and reduce the effects of biofilms or these types of complications?
Dr Fredric Brandt: We always say biofilms—but is it truly a biofilm or is it more of a streptococcal antigen in the product that the patients are reacting to? Is it something else that has stimulated the patient’s immune system? When somebody gets a dental abscess, you can get a nodule but is it the bacteria going into that area or is it just a heightened immune response? I think that there are certain cases where we’ve seen certain batches of material react more than the other so we don’t know if it’s a manufacturing defect.
To treat a nodule resulting from hyaluronic acid, the best thing is to dissolve it right away with hyaluronidase. You can give the patient Biaxin, Doxycycline or Minocin but we’re not sure if it’s the antimicrobial or the anti-inflammatory effect that’s working to suppress the immune response.
We know it’s an immune response but we don’t have a lot of histological data to prove that it’s truly a biofilm. Is it just a heightened immune reaction to some of the protein that we know that these materials come from—strep antigens are not always washed out completely and there are different degrees of purification.
We need to know what we’re actually treating. However I think if you have a reaction to hyaluronic acid, just get rid of it with hyaluronidase.
I’ve seen patients where I’ve injected a syringe and 90% of the areas won’t react and one area will react on the face and it’s not related to an infection. Usually when it’s an infectious process it lights the area up. But I’ve seen cases where just one area reacts and I can’t figure it out. Was there more protein in that area, was the product not purified? It’s a gel so not everything is distributed equally through it. So in the manufacturing process, they may have more foreign body in one portion of gel than the other.
The patient had no obvious infection process. I’ve had a couple of patients that have dental abcess, their cheeks blew up and the abscess was cleared in a day. But then there are other patients who react and they have no obvious sign of infection. We didn’t do an ID work-up and we didn’t draw blood cultures but they have no dental pain, no sinus issues, no obvious other infectious signs in their body and it’s one area—not the whole face—that’s blown up. It’s one area from the same syringe. I have other colleagues and we talk about this and we can’t figure out why that happens but it does happen and I think if you use enough of any filler you’re going to see it.
Dr Michael Kane: I agree with Fred. We don’t know what’s going on. I’m not sure if it’s a little antigen in there or if you’re really getting a biofilm. There were reports about the early batches of Restylane in the 90s where people were getting “little red bumps” or inflammatory episodes. But since they cleaned up the proteins, it has became much less common.
I’ve seen one person who called me up and said they thought they had the little red bumps. She came in and I think she had a little zit on her face which was a little inflamed, so I put her on Doxycycline because that’s what we’re supposed to do. Now, it got better. I don’t know if that’s because of its antimicrobial effect or the anti-inflammatory effect. However, I do think that if I had given her nothing, it would have gone away.
Dr Timothy Flynn: Do we really see this much of a problem in real practice? How many people are really calling up our office and saying I have these terrible angry red bumps? We don’t see it really all that much. I think we need careful cleansing of the skin, using a sterile technique when you implant it and injecting small amounts in a distribution rather than one large pool. I just don’t think it’s as much of a concern as we all talk about.
It is a mystery in a sense because when it does occur, it could be injected in a variety of areas but there’s that one area which has become inflamed. What we really don’t have is people taking a little blade, nicking that and then culturing it in order to grow out a micro-organism.
Dr Fredric Brandt: I had a colleague in New York who had somebody do that—she was at university and they couldn’t grow anything. But how do you know if you’re getting enough material to culture? It’s not like you’re getting pus out that you can really culture. So I agree it’s a great idea but this was in a university setting so they had a whole department there to handle it and nothing grew.
Dr Timothy Flynn: I think that’s quite interesting because in defining an infectious process, you’d like to prove what the infectious process was caused by and we have a lot of trouble proving that.
Dr Nick Lowe: I don’t think these are infectious processes. My own suspicion is that it’s a fibrotic reaction around some fillers. I had a patient that I’m currently treating who was very negligent, or I was negligent about pushing her on a clear history about what fillers she’d had before. She only said that she’d had several Restylane and Juvéderm before but as it turned out, I injected her with a little bit of Voluma, just 0.5cc each side, and two weeks later her left cheek ballooned.
On closer questioning, she’d had Bio Alcamid ten years ago, and I am quite convinced that during the course of my injection, there was a fibrotic capsule around the Bio Alcamid—I disturbed that and it caused an intense inflammatory response. I cultured it, and while the cultures are pending, they are until now totally negative.
I’ve asked for different cultures and tried to do a biopsy, which she declined and I don’t blame her. So she’s on low dose antibiotics, she’s on hyalase and intermittent Triamcinolone injections as needed and we’re getting an improvement.


text:
Former eThekwini mayor, Zandile Gumede and her co-accused intend to ask the Durban Magistrate’s Court to strike the fraud and corruption case against them off the roll. They say this should happen if the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) fails to furnish them with a forensic audit report on March 23, 2021.
This, after the state asked for another postponement, and said although the voluminous audit report has been finalised, it still needs to be indexed and scanned. It has asked the court to adjourn the case until April next year.
However, this was opposed by the defence teams, who accused the state of shifting the goal posts. They also expressed doubt that the audit is ready and said they don’t believe that the state has a case against the accused.
Gumede is charged with fraud and corruption in connection with a Durban Solid Waste tender of over R400 million. She is charged with 21 other people – including eThekwini city manager, Sipho Nzuza, some municipal officials, councillors and several businesses.
During arguments, Nzuza’s advocate Doda Madonsela accused the state of delaying tactics. He told the court that he doesn’t believe that the audit report has been finalised. However, state prosecutor Ashika Lucken argued that auditors still need to index and scan the report before it is given to the defence. She says the forensic audit report comprises 741 pages and that the annexures amount to 750 000 pages.
However, Magistrate Dawn Somaroo raised concerns about adjourning the case until April next year. She said such a prolonged adjournment will be unfair to the accused. She then ordered the state to provide the accused with the forensic audit report and indictment during the next court appearance. If not, the defence will bring an application that the case be struck off the roll.
Gumede back in court:

domain: news


text:
Sideshow is proud to introduce the Purgatori Statue, spinning out of Dynamite's best-selling Chaos! Universe.
As desirable as she is deadly, the stunning vampire goddess takes off like a bat out of Hell amid a base of fiery demons, with outstretched arms and sweeping translucent wings. Driven by her insatiable lust for blood, Lucifer’s crimson-skinned lover is dressed to kill, scantily clad in a wicked ensemble with long black gloves, thigh-high boots, and a sacred ankh pendant exuding Egyptian allure. Standing beside Lady Death or Vampirella, Sideshow’s Purgatori statue is a must-have for fans of the bad girls of comics!
- Sideshow Collectibles
- Horror Comic Book Dark Fantasy
- Product Size
Height: 22.25" (56.5 cm)
Width: 11.5" (29.2 cm)
Depth: 7.75" (19.7 cm)
Weight: 6.00 lbs (2.7 kg) *
- Box Size
Height: 12.00" (30.5 cm)
Width: 21.00" (53.3 cm)
Depth: 26.00" (66 cm) *
- Shipping Weight
- 16.00 lbs (7.3 kg) *
* Size and weight are approx. values
Dynamite logo & Purgatori is (r) and (c) 2016 Dynamite Characters, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
My first sideshow collectible was the recent Lady Death, so of course Purgatori came up as a recommended companion piece. I couldn't be more pleased. Absolutely stunning. Masterful execution on so many levels. The detail in the wings, the illusion of tip toe balance. So many thanks to the team!
This piece is gorgeous. I had no issues when I received her. The paint app is clean. I had thought that perhaps I would have had an issue with attaching the wings because the magnets were not strong enough, but they held well
Just got mine and I absolutely love her. I'm a big fan of the comics and Sideshow did Purgatori justice. It looks just like her from the comics. I can't wait to get Lady Death. You can't have Purgatori without Lady Death!
Just received my statue and must say she looks awesome. Perfectly made, great paint job and no problem with the magnets. A stunning piece for my collection. Thank you sideshow and keep up the great work.
Jason easter- purgatori sitting on her throne (goddess rising#4).

domain: artistic


Suzuki launches new Gixxer 150 2019 model in India
Further strengthening its motorcycle portfolio, Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd. (SMI/PL), a subsidiary of the two-wheeler manufacturer, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan introduced the all new Suzuki GIXXER, enticing motorcycle enthusiasts in India.
Speaking on the launch of the new Suzuki GIXXER, Mr. Koichiro Hirao, Company Head, Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd. said, “The new Suzuki GIXXER is built keeping in mind a dynamic rider seeking exhilaration and power with each ride. We are excited to continuously build our motorcycle portfolio, aiming to increase our market share in the segment. As we continue to move towards widening our Suzuki family, we look forward to winning more hearts with our thought-through product range specially designed for the Indian market.”
Commenting on the launch, Mr. Devashish Handa, Vice President, Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd. said, “With the growing popularity of premium sports motorcycles in India, we are thrilled to present the all new Suzuki GIXXER, proclaiming an aggressive style, advanced technology and powerful performance. Suzuki Motorcycle India is growing at a robust pace with GIXXER being the flagship brand. We are certain that the fresh options under the GIXXER brand will delight motorcycling fans, infusing excitement and confidence in their riding experience.”
The all new Suzuki GIXXER is powered with 155cc, four-stroke, single-cylinder fuel injection, air-cooled SOHC engine with SEP technology, generating [email protected] and [email protected] asserting superior performance, high fuel efficiency and an unmatched riding experience. The new GIXXER is armedwith ABS.
Bike Price in Nepal 2023 (30+ Brands)
Incorporating the European design, GIXXER offers a head-turning appearance with a sharp styling and low crouched silhouette. Equipped with newly designed instrument cluster and distinctive front and rear combination LED headlights, the all new Suzuki GIXXER looks even more stylish with sharp, chiseled and sleek bodywork..
The new Suzuki GIXXER comes in three color options –Metallic Sonic Silver & Glass Sparkle Black; Glass Sparkle Black and Metallic Triton Blue & Glass Sparkle Black priced at INR 1,00,212 (ex-showroom Delhi).


text:
The idea of using digital health tools in a disciplined, trackable manner (e.g. as digital therapeutics) has been in the air for quite some time. However, I’ve seen very few concrete examples of such deployments so far. This week, though, brings the news that Kaiser Permanente has made it possible for its psychiatrists and mental health therapists to refer patients to health and wellness apps through its Epic EHR.
While the Kaiser news release doesn’t say so specifically, It’s possible Epic Is delivering this capability for Kaiser using digital health management platform Xealth. As we’ve noted previously, both Epic and Cerner are working with Xealth to manage and deploy digital health tools to patients. If there not using Xealth it would be interesting to know what they’re using.
In its release on the subject, Kaiser notes that recent research supports the value of having clinicians involved in guiding patients to mental health and wellness apps, as their involvement makes it more likely that patients will use the apps than if they’d found them on their own.
The Kaiser list of mental health and wellness apps available for referral include tools for mindfulness, meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy that can support patients with mild to moderate anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.
The apps selected by Kaiser include Calm, Headspace and Whil, which are mindfulness and meditation apps focused on reducing stress and anxiety and improving sleep. Others include myStrength, SilverCloud and Thrive, which are cognitive behavioral therapy apps offering guided support through coaching and interactive activities. Kaiser members can access Calm and myStrength on their own but need a referral from the mental health clinician to work with the others.
Clearly, Kaiser’s intent is to move from haphazard experimentation with mental health apps to a structured approach to their deployment and use. The idea here seems to be to make these apps a direct extension of care rather than options patients seek out on their own. The shift seems to be comparable to putting patients on prescription medication rather than having them rely on over-the-counter options.
“What we’re tapping into is the existing relationship people have with their Kaiser Permanente therapist,” said Don Mordecai, MD, national leader for mental health and wellness at Kaiser Permanente in a prepared statement. “Digital therapeutics such as mental health apps have a clear place in a care plan.”
For what it’s worth, my feeling is that this is a nice gesture, but one without a whole lot of substance to back it up as of yet. While it’s all well and good to prescribe apps to patients, if the apps don’t generate data flows to the back into the EHR, there’s a limit to how much value this initiative can offer.
That being said, there’s no harm in moving this direction, as ultimately, I believe, harvesting and analyzing data generated by patient-managed digital tools will prove important for managing both population and individual health.

domain: medical


text:
- Cloudland Canyon State Park
- Fort Mountain State Park
- George L. Smith State Park
- Indian Spring State Park
- Providence Canyon State Park
- Online Reservations
Georgia is definitely an amazing spot for state parks and immersing yourself in the outdoors. With over 50 state parks to choose from, there’s an ideal and magical spot for anyone who chooses arrive at visit the great state of Georgia. There are many opportunities for hiking, taking a look at wildlife, birdwatching, and camping out with family or friends within the woods. If you are tired of everyday life and need a break, or you're just looking to have an opportunity to get fresh air to choose one of these simple amazing parks to go to! This may be an excellent trip for you personally alone to refresh or an exciting adventure for the family to enjoy together. There are many open fields for children to play, in or lakes for them to swim in! Anyone of the amazing parks in Georgia is certain to be considered a memorable experience for all vocational experiences in your life!
Cloudland Canyon State Park
Tucked away in northwest Georgia, you’ll find Cloudland Canyon State Park, which overlooks the deep gorge on the western edge of Lookout Mountain. There are a number of hiking trails with the thick woods that span from simple to strenuous, with the most challenging taking you down an extended winding staircase to 2 waterfalls cascading over layers of sandstone and shale into pools below.
Here you'll find all of the wonders from the great outdoors including: hiking, fishing and playing disc golf. There's also an array of camping grounds as well as fully equipped cottages and unconventional yurts.
Fort Mountain State Park
Fort Mountain State Park also has amazing trails that lead to glorious scenic overlooks in the area. There’s also a number of black bears, but don’t let that scare you. Here you’ll find over 60 miles of hardwood forest and blueberry thickets with cross streams. This can be a perfect ideal spot for amazing Instagram photos and amazing photos individuals and loved ones. You’ll also find a 855-foot-long wall that's thought to have been built by early Indians.
George L. Smith State Park
Here in peaceful George L. Smith State Park in southeast Georgia, you will see amazing opportunities to canoe down the Black Water Lake scattered with Spanish moss-covered cypress trees. This is a perfect spot for watching birds. With the proper binoculars and supervision you might be able to spot a blue heron, white ibis, along with other wading birds.
Indian Spring State Park
One from the nation’s oldest state parks is known for its mineral-rock spring water. This amazing spot is situated in central Georgia just off the I-75. Enjoy wading the creek, the springs and exploring the nature trails.
Additionally, there's a small museum, open seasonally, that highlights a brief history from the Creek Indians in the region, the community’s history as a resort town and the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps’ work at the park during the Great Depression. There's also cottages and campsites that may be restricted to overnight stays.
Providence Canyon State Park
Step into another world at Providence Canyon State Park, also referred to as “Little Grand Canyon”. There are beautiful layers of bright orange, pink, purple and red combined in a colorful tableau across the stone walls. Stroll across the magnificent rim for any birds-eye look at the canyon or hike into a number of its gullies.
There are also perfect, beautiful spots for backpackers to remain overnight across the backcountry trail, and it highlights certain servings of the canyon, winding through the forest. There’s additionally a nearby cottage set up in Florence Marina State Park. They are small efficiency units, and a modern campground.
Whether you’re into camping, hiking, going through the wonders of nature, Georgia has got the perfect parks for you personally. There are many places for amazing campsites or cottages for very long weekend getaways. Take your time to unplug and step away from the hustle and bustle of high society life and obtain from everything. Their state parks of Georgia offer a wide range of beautiful experiences and wonderful memories to become savored with forever lasting Instagram posts.
To make sure you possess the best time and promising experience, book your camping space online.
- Reservations can be created as much as 13 months ahead of time. Reservation days begin at 8am EST. Camping reservations could be booked up to 4pm on the day of arrival.
- Same-date multiple park reservations unavailable online.
- Some facilities may not appear due to renovations seasonal availability.
There are also opportunities for park memberships as well, allowing multiple opportunities to stay in different parks throughout the year. If you’re really into changing your life and spending some time outdoors this is actually the perfect option for you! Get amazing discounts and special opportunities in a multitude of state parks for normal enjoyment.
With a lot to do whatsoever of Georgia’s state parks and historic sites, it can be hard to know where to begin! Read this list of amazing activities to participate in:
- Canyon Climbing
- Biking around the trails
- Camping underneath the stars
- Canoe down the river and green alligators
- Hiking the Little Grand Canyon
- Experience a wild cave
- Learn archery
- Explore Colonial history
- Watching birds
Kayak whitewater rapids
- Experience the night stars
- Climb up the 100-foot trees
- Find out about Cherokee culture
- Learn about the first nations Gold Rush
- Enjoy and Idealistic picnic view
No matter what experience you’re searching for and just what brings you pure joy and relaxation you’ll think it is at one of the amazing state parks in Georgia. Make your plans to visit today!

domain: geography


text:
Home of the best dynasty league in the world.
Aston Villa forum. Those other forums you've just scrolled past are a bit gash! Not this one though. It's bostin.
SANFL football forum
Steelers Xtreme isn't just another Steelers message board. It's a whole lot more.
City Roads is the unofficial fans forum for supporters of Lancaster City Football Club. Philip John Brown's Blue White Army #PJBBWA
Make money with Jovana's betting informations!
Free forum : The Gridiron Uniform Database - The database of all professional football uniforms worn since 1920.
This is the locker-rooms forum to talk Sports like Hockey, Football, Basket, Racing, etc.
Fan site for sports multisport game Empire of Sports
free, forum, empire, sports, europe, game, joker, multisport, levels, kings, experts, basketball, #football, tenis, bobsleigh, athletic, bodybuilding, avatar, skills, dance, level, sport, game, boxing
Free forum : A soccer rpg. Join your football team and create your player. Will you be able to lead your team to victory?
Free forum : General discussion, banter and stuff.
All about the football kits.
Betting community, just sharing some bets! Football betting, tennis betting, basketball betting, darts betting, baseball betting, horse betting, unibet, williamhill, bwin, tips. (NL: Wedden op voetbal, wedden op tennis, wedden op paarden, wedden op d
Free forum : #1 Uk real football league
For up to date news, events and communication for everything to do with Wibsey Lions Football Club.
A Steelers fan website...
Komunitas Football Identity Indonesia
A Xbox One Madden League
Free forum : Football Manager forum. Free forum : Football Manager 2008
Free forum : Discussing the latest statistics, player and manager situation at Middlesbrough Football club. Join the discussion.
The official football website of L&T Sec.
Free forum : This franchise is managed by VFA (Video Football Association)
The forums for Vermillion FC, the best PMC in Football Superstars

domain: hobby


text:
FILM VIEW; The Giddy Minimalism Of Jim Jarmusch
Published: November 12, 1989
(Page 2 of 2)
''Far From Yokohama,'' the film's opening sequence, is about the teen-age Jun, who affects a yakuza's cool, and his girlfriend, Mitzuko, who travels with a collection of beloved T-shirts and a purse in the shape of a teddy bear. Mitzuko idolizes Elvis and keeps a scrapbook of pictures that prove Presley's mystical connection, through facial likeness, to Buddha, Madonna and the Statue of Liberty.
Jun and Mitzuko are tourists abroad in an America made great by its pop stars.
In the second sequence, Luisa, the Italian widow, offers to share her room at the Arcade with a dizzy, broke young American woman named Dee-Dee, who is in the process of leaving her no-good Cockney boyfriend, the as yet unseen Johnny. The third sequence is about Johnny, nicknamed Elvis for his supposed resemblance to the gone but not forgotten idol, and the peck of trouble he gets into by wielding a gun in a liquor store.
More than any other American film maker of his generation, Mr. Jarmusch is connected to, and inspired by, music. John Lurie and Richard Edson, the two stars of ''Stranger Than Paradise,'' are musicians as well as actors. Tom Waits, who co-stars with Mr. Benigni and Mr. Lurie in ''Down by Law,'' is a composer and performer.
Joe Strummer, who plays Johnny in ''Mystery Train,'' is a member of the English band the Clash. Screamin' Jay Hawkins, who, in a subdued mood, plays the night clerk in ''Mystery Train,'' is heard singing his mind out (''I Put a Spell on You'') on Eva's cassette in ''Stranger Than Paradise.''
This is not random casting. Mr. Jarmusch's movies have the tempo and rhythm of blues and jazz, even in their use - or omission - of language. His films work on the senses much the way that some music does, unheard until it's too late to get it out of one's head.
All three films also have something of the fairy tale about them. ''Stranger Than Paradise'' looks and sounds like a dirge of alienation. Yet its resolution depends on a chance encounter (on a dreary, chill Florida beach) as weirdly opportune as Red Riding Hood's meeting with the wolf in the forest.
''Down by Law'' actually does end in an enchanted forest, where the ebullient Roberto finds the woman of his dreams, waiting for him in a remote roadside restaurant.
Though ''Mystery Train'' looks far less bleak than either ''Stranger Than Paradise'' or ''Down by Law,'' Mr. Jarmusch's vision of America is not appreciably different. The approach, however, is antic, and the touch is light.
The America that engages Jun and Mitzuko, Luisa and Dee-Dee and Johnny and his drinking buddies still seems peculiarly underpopulated, possibly because the Jarmusch characters are so self-centered that they don't see much of what's going on around them.
The only exception is Luisa, the widow played by the beautiful Nicoletta Brasci, who also turns up at the end of ''Down by Law'' to soothe Roberto. Luisa is pragmatic and, in certain areas of life, far wiser than the rest of us. When the sharp report is heard from the room next door, the startled Dee-Dee says, ''A gunshot?'' ''Maybe a .38,'' says Luisa.
Yet even Luisa gets caught up by the Memphis dream of Elvis, first through a con artist, who wants to give her Elvis's dirty comb, and then through a vision, the reality of which she does not question. The memory of Elvis, the man and his music, has become a Memphis industry. By the end of ''Mystery Train,'' Mr. Jarmusch's raffish characters have turned back to their own affairs.
The Memphis Chamber of Commerce may not be all that pleased with Mr. Jarmusch's choice of locations. The city he sees is in the same state of disrepair as his New York City and New Orleans. It's a place where grass grows between cracks in the sidewalk, and the street lights appear to be fitted with 40-watt bulbs.
In the singular work of Mr. Jarmusch, these images of decay and gloom become charged with buoyant spirit and humor. As in blues, one's nightmares aren't denied, they are accommodated.
Jim Jarmusch, whose ''Mystery Train'' (Masayoshi Sukita) (pg. 15); Masatoshi Nagase and Youki Kudoh as the Japanese teen-agers visiting Memphis in ''Mystery Train'' (Masayoshi Sukita); Tom Waits and John Lurie on the road in ''Down by Law'' (pg. 24)


The current total of coronavirus cases in the UK stands at just above 514,500 after a daily increase of 12,594.
Staffordshire now has a total of 5,696 cases after an increase of 115, of them 529 are in the Moorlands,an increase of 11.
Stoke-on-Trent is recorded separately from the rest of the county and now has 2,209, a daily increase of 28.
19 more people have died with coronavirus in the UK over the last 24 hours taking the total to 42,369.
Daily positive test results are artificially higher following a technical glitch where roughly 15,000 tests we’re not added to figures between September 25th and October 2nd


Oh snap, I must've missed this. You a real one!
Higher Resolution Exports
Hey all! I've found a way to (sort of) allow higher resolution exports from the tool.
Just click the fullscreen button in the bottom right corner pictured below:
Then use the tool as usual. Because of the way the tool exports, it will export your image at whatever resolution your screen is while in fullscreen mode. This means that if you have any resolution that isn't 1080p monitor, you can make the tool export in that resolution!
I'm considering adding a more concrete way to change the export resolution in the future but in the meanwhile hopefully this can help anyone wanting a higher resolution export!


text:
|Главная » Статьи » MMOG articles|
Redefining MMOs" series, a collection of articles examining how the MMO genre has been redefined during the current generation of games and where it's headed in the next. So far, we've looked at the terminology we use to refer to MMOs, how the art of storytelling has changed over the years, and the rise of the "massively singleplayer" online game. In this week's article, I examine what happens when players are given the reigns of an MMO or have a hand in part of its development. If you have something important to say on the topic, feel free to post a comment on page 3 or even write your own "Redefining MMOs" blog post and leave a comment with the URL.|
Traditionally, all content for an MMO is designed by the game's development studio and players have no direct influence on its creation. The idea of handing the reigns of an MMO to its players is considered heresy and we shudder to think of what horrible quests and areas players would construct if given a chance. But is our aversion justified or is it something developers should strive to overcome? Certainly Second Life has successfully capitalised on letting players develop almost every aspect of its virtual world but could successful mainstream MMOs make use of it too? City of Heroes, EVE Online and even World of Warcraft are prime examples which suggest they can. All three of these games have handed at least some part of the game's development over to players, with incredibly promising results.
In this article, I look at these three successful examples of players being allowed to develop aspects of an MMO. I then go on to explain why this works and how the next generation of MMOs could learn from these pioneering feats.
City of Heroes - Mission architect:
Back in April of this year, City of Heroes released what they called the "Mission Architect" system. Originally designed as an in-house mission development tool, this system allowed players to create their own missions and storyline arcs. Rather than only spending developer effort creating more missions, they spent that time adapting their in-house tool into something simple enough that all players could use it. The results were astonishing, in just 24 hours players had created more content than the developers had made to that date. Contrary to what our common sense was telling us to expect, much of the new content was on par with the quality of professional development. It wasn't long until players were almost dominating the mission scene, producing work that was arguably better than some of the game designer's attempts.
A rich community has now begun to develop around the creation of missions, with competition between rival architects and sharing of tips and guides. The level of quality is maintained by including a robust rating and reporting system. Inappropriate missions, such as those with swearing or racist text, are reported by users and removed from the system. A robust rating and search system allows players to find the best player-made missions but more importantly to hide the poorer ones in a place where no soul dares tread. It's an elegant system that is performing extremely well but it hasn't been without its downfalls.
In May, a number of bugs and exploits were found in the mission architect system and some players began abusing them to farm rewards. A wave of bans later, the problems didn't end. Players still found ways to create easier missions with good rewards and continued to legitimately farm the system. In late May, most of the rewards were removed to prevent farming and keep the system as an entertaining content creation tool.
Read on to page 2, where I look at how EVE Online and World of Warcraft have both had successes in letting the players develop parts of the game.
EVE Online - Player owned structures:
In the beginning of EVE, the only stations to be found were those built by NPCs. Apart from space owned by NPC pirate factions, the valuable 0.0 security rating systems had no permanent stations for players to use. Due to the rewards to be had there such as high quality ore, players sometimes treated this space as somewhere to launch expeditions into and accepted that they would be far from a base of operations.
Before long, the game's developers CCP Games released several conquerable stations in the midst of the chaos. Players would lay siege to these stations in order to capture them for their corporation. Using them as a base of operations, living in nullsec was a lot easier and became incredibly profitable. Owning them became a matter of both profit and pride, with corporations fighting over them fiercely. As EVE's population grew, a need for more conquerable stations appeared. But rather than simply magic some new ones into existence, CCP took a rather unusual stance - they gave players the reigns.
The first player owned structures to be released were starbases, expensive control towers that could be anchored at moons. They extended a large shield bubble around themselves, making everything inside untargettable and safe. Although they didn't provide the same services as a conquerable station and players couldn't physically dock at them, they performed the role of a base of operations amicably. A corporate hanger module allowed the storage of loot, equipment, ammunition and ore while a ship hanger allowed corporations to store all of their ships. Additional modules such as ore refineries and weapons were available and the towers could be used as part of the tech 2 advanced material production chain.
Not long after, CCP topped their previous effort by releasing outposts - fully fledged stations that players could construct. Rather than creating conquerable stations wherever they thought was best, CCP let players decide where to build them and what space they wanted to claim. There are now hundreds of player-made outposts, each with a rich history behind its construction and the battles fought over it.
World of Warcraft - User Interface:
Blizzard don't do anything by half measures and World of Warcraft is no exception. When it was being developed, a lot of care and attention was put into designing a good user interface. Understanding that they may not have made the most effective user interface possible, they released a UI add-on system that let players tweak their interface or even develop an entirely new one. Communities rapidly erupted around the creation of UI add-ons and several key products emerged. Ideas that Blizzard had never considered came pouring forth from add-on developers keen to make a name for themselves and the game as a whole was enriched as a result.
Popular add-ons like Auctioneer, Enchantrix and Carbonite gave players integrated tools that weren't available in the game, pushing the limits of UI add-ons almost into the field of game design. Since then more complex add-ons have been developed, with game studio Popcap even developing one to play Bejewelled or Peggle in-game. With all this development, Blizzard has used the most popular player-made UI modifications to learn how to design a better user interface. It's been a win-win situation for Blizzard and WoW's players but more recently it hasn't been plain sailing for WoW's add-on community.
A recent policy change banned the sale of add-ons for cash and the use of donate links or advertisements in them. Many of the game's most popular UI developers have to spend a considerable amount of time updating their modifications with each game patch and relied on the income from sales, donations or advertisements to compensate them for that time. To some, UI development simply isn't worth their time unless there's money involved. With the high quality of some of the add-ons the community has come up with, that stance may well be justified.
Read on to page 3, where I explain why handing players the reigns in an MMO's development is often a smart move and suggest what game developers can learn from it.
Players build communities:
If there's one thing MMO players do well, it's building communities. Even the smallest common factor or shared experience will cause ad-hoc coalitions of players to form around them. The evidence is all around us in the sprawl of forums and wikis that can be found online dedicated to any topic you can think of. This is the primary drive behind using players to develop portions of a game. Give the players a feature that inspires discussion, competition or interaction and you can be sure that a self-sustaining community will coagulate around it. In situations where sharing information and researching are key, people demonstrate a remarkable ability to self-organise, find ways to collaborate and disseminate that information. In all three of the examples presented in pages 1 and 2, the commonality of developing part of a game they love pulled players together into rich, cohesive communities.
For an MMO, this is the best possible scenario as the high player retention rates all MMOs want are linked intrinsically to players feeling like they belong in the game community. Whether it's an outpost you helped assault with your corpmates in EVE Online, a mission architect group you're in for sharing tips or a WoW add-on forum you discuss UI development on, it feels good to belong to a group. Getting players to collaborate on development of their favourite MMO may be the ultimate catalyst for the formation of the type of communities to which people will love to belong. This in turn will promote significantly higher player retention and it's perhaps this factor more than anything else that developers should be latching onto.
Games with a high player retention rate, such as EVE Online, show consistent growth in the size of their player-base due to players leaving at a slower rate than they sign up. After years of steady growth, EVE Online has gone from a niche little sci-fi game with under 40,000 subscriptions to one of the kings of the western subscription MMO market with over 300,000. A slow, steady growth pattern is a very healthy position for an MMO to be in but perhaps if developers of more mainstream MMOs were to learn to increase their player retention rates, they could do even better. Imagine if Age of Conan had been good enough to hold onto more of those 800,000 launch subscriptions or if Warhammer Online had kept most players for six months or more. It could be that in the race of the tortoise versus the hare, the winner will be the tortoise with a rocket strapped to it.
Of course getting players involved in the development of an MMO isn't the only thing that will affect player retention but in today's market developers need to press any advantage they can get. Anything that keeps players interested for longer and any unique gameplay that draws players in is as valuable as gold. It could be that in the future games will be as much about designing the game as playing it. Upcoming city sim MMO Cities XL is taking a large step in this direction by having players design and run cities in a shared virtual world. Part of the game is about running the city and part is about exploring other people's cities to research design ideas.
In the current economic climate, anything which reduces production costs is a big boon to game development. Rather than spending cash developing mountains of content or better user interfaces, it could be cheaper to make a framework for players to develop them with. The game then gets a large value of content for much cheaper than the typical development costs.
The traditional design paradigm keeps the development and playing of a game entirely separate, but it's been shown that giving players the ability to develop portions of their game can be an incredibly positive influence. From Second Life and City of Heroes to EVE Online and even World of Warcraft, many virtual worlds and MMOs have directly included players in their development processes and turned it to their advantage. In the future, we may see even more of this as players continue to become not just consumers of content but also its producers.
|Категория: MMOG articles | Добавил: Khazad (28.07.2009) | Автор: by Brendan Drain Jul 23rd 2009|
|Просмотров: 1273 | Комментарии: 1
| Теги: |
|Всего комментариев: 1|

domain: design


text:
San Francisco residents upset over early morning marathon noise given sex hotline number instead of complaint line
- Music and announcements began blasting through the area at 5:30am Sunday morning
- The race began an hour later
- Residents calling to complain about the early morning noise were instead told to 'unzip that fly!'
San Francisco officials told residents upset about a Sunday morning road race were told to call a phone sex line.
Infuriated by loud music and traffic announcements that began at the crack of dawn, annoyed residents began calling 311 to make complaints, but were instead told to call (800) RUN-NIKE, a phone sex line.
Instead of reaching the Nike line, shocked callers were told to ‘unzip that fly baby!’ The number they were meant to call is (866) RUN-NIKE, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Too loud!: San Francisco residents who live near Union Square calling to complain about noise were instead told to 'unzip that fly baby!'
Nike Marathon organizers began blasting music and traffic advisories through the city’s Union Square neighborhood as early as 5:30am Sunday morning, an hour before the race’s scheduled start, according to the Chronicle.
City employees were still providing the wrong number the day after the race, the paper noted.
One of the largest women’s marathons in the world, according to the Chronicle, it was scheduled to start at 6:30am to avoid heavy traffic later in the day.
Callers trying to make a noise complaint were instead told to unzip ‘cause there won't be any room in there once we get our hands, mouths and legs wrapped around you.’
It is not clear how officials mixed up the two numbers.


text:
I mean, that's just a given.
How silly it is that these dating rules exist in the first place. Related Story The Foolproof Way To Ask A Guy Out I know it hsve nice when someone else takes the reins on choosing a time and place for your date, but again, some people just aren't great planners, so if you have a certain idea in mind, throw it out there. Of course, everyone should oout their own set of dating rules, cherry-picked to their own wants and needs.
This content is created and aftr by a third party, and imported onto this to help users provide their addresses. Controlling or manipulative behavior, extreme jealousy, or always needing the last word during an argument can be indicators that your partner is toxic.
The majority of dudes are fine with it
I asked people if they kissed on the first date, and their answers show that there is no one right way to decide. If he felt the same way, we started dating.
Which could mean they are not telling the truth! Although there's a balance between being too available early on in a relationship, as mentioned above, it's also important to not be too quick to cut someone off. You're under no obligation to do something you just don't want to do, date or not.
I decided to discuss why you should do this particular couls putting out on the first date. All of these factors I love; they give me pleasure, and is great for my well-being. If you all-caps hate planning anything, though like, even choosing a brunch spot with your friendslet them know you're down for X or Y But each time that happened, I told him my honest feelings.
Why people do — or don’t — kiss on the first date
For one, your emotional sanity when the person you've been dating digs their heels nave keeping things casual, and two, a lot sometimes a LOT of time. Because here's what's most likely to happen if you don't: You meet someone you really like, you go out with them again, things escalate, and then—bam—they either pull away, ghost, or tell you they're not looking for something serious.
That's plenty of time for a person to have decided whether and when they want to see you again. Before you enter an agreed-upon monogamous relationship, do yourself a favor and play the field. Criticizes anyone. Checks their phone constantly but takes forever to text you back.
Eat what you want to eat, for the love of pasta! Women's Health may earn commission from the links on thisbut we only feature products we believe in.
Look for adult dating
Doing so can put them in a position where they feel obligated to respond in a certain way and removes any onn tension on their part of wondering, Oh, she said she had a good time; I think she likes me, but I'll have to feel her out in a few days. If he does, he has totally cut off his masculine side. They've just kissed a second date goodbye. That said, if you worry that you were a little standoffish or far res;ect flirty on the date I get it The Fix: Don't be afraid to accept help and support from your partner in the early stages.
Screwing up when you're just starting to date someone new.
If if your phone is out and you're not texting, you're conveying to them that something else is way more important. It may be your initial reaction to shut them down when they say like country music or that Obama is ruining the country, but give them a chance adter talk about it.
More from sex & relationships
You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano. The right person will love you whatever you decide. Do they just let you put up with the creepy person at the club without recognizing the situation and helping you out of it? Just remember to be honest with your partner, and ultimately be honest with yourself.
7 common mistakes we make in new relationships
Their loss! Use your words, and have a convo about how often you both want to see each other. Addressing the elephant in the room is always a good idea. Think of it as a favor to their future first dates.
That's a great place to leave them.

domain: psychology


text:
I know I’ve been posting a lot of soupy, stewy things to scoop over grains lately. My instinct is to apologize for the repetition, but this blog showcases the stuff I’ve been eating in real time, and lately, these are the meals that work. They’re easy to prepare, one-dish, and so long as I’ve got some sort of grain or pita or bread to serve them with, they make for a few nights of nutritious eating.
So…looking forward to more variety soon. But at this hectic moment, sorry not sorry for the soupy stuff ?
This meal was happily inspired by my friend Jodi’s delicata squash stew with chickpeas + quinoa. I saw it when she originally posted it and bookmarked it. It’s taken me longer than a year to create something along the same lines, but the fact that the dish has been on my mind for that long speaks volumes.
It didn’t disappoint. I love the combination of tender, sweet delicata, firm chickpeas, and a soupy, curried broth. Jodi’s version uses quinoa, which I’d love to try next time, and kale; I used baby spinach instead, just because it’s what I had, but the quick cooking time was a nice bonus.
The dish is wonderful with millet, rice, or quinoa, but I also tried some of the leftovers with homemade naan (I use this recipe), and that was a winning combination, too. Speaking of, the leftovers keep nicely for at least a couple days, and I think the flavor only intensifies as time goes by.
- 2 teaspoons neutral vegetable oil such as refined avocado or grapeseed
- 1 small white or yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced (or 1 teaspoon dried, ground ginger)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 small or medium sized delicata squash ends trimmed and cut into cubes (about 3/4″)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas 1 can, rinsed and drained
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 5 ounces about 4 heaping cups baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Cooked jasmine or basmati rice quinoa, millet, or another whole grain, for serving
- Vegan yogurt or cashew cream for serving (optional)
- Chopped cilantro for serving (optional)
- Heat the oil over medium in a large, deep skillet. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the onion is soft and clear. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for one more minute, stirring constantly (if the skillet is getting dry, you can add a tablespoon or two of water).
- Add the turmeric, curry, salt, delicata squash, chickpeas, and broth to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a rapid simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the skillet and continue simmering for another 13-15 minutes, or until the delicata is tender. Add the spinach to the skillet and stir everything to help wilt it down. Re-cover the skillet and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and crushed red pepper to taste. Serve with your favorite grain.
The yogurt or cashew cream is an optional touch, but I love how creamy everything gets when it’s stirred in. Here’s to simple, flavorful, nourishing, and soupy suppers.
I’m in the midst of trying to get my graduate thesis off the ground and hoping to wrap up some work projects before I visit some dear friends next week. Fingers crossed for gentle productivity! I’ll see you all for the roundup this weekend. If you’re in the Northeast, stay warm and cozy today.

domain: food


text:
so that they do not
Category : rjqudavs
so that they do not delay treatment.where she used to study.
2012 1:26 am Related News Stating that he is in favour of a law to protect working journalists from violent attacks and threats, He said he had received a positive response from the Union Law Ministry and had reinitiated discussion on the subject with the new Union Law Minister. ?s season and we trained hard for it. on April 6,” he added.Pune, Over the years,a recipient of the President?Singh had to appear in the Delhi High Court regarding the case but he did not go.
was manhandled and abused by accomplices of the murdered youth inside the new building of the court. THE YEAR THAT WAS… Serious security concerns in the Pune district and sessions court premises in Shivajinagar were raised after 25-year-old Rahul Ravindra Nayar from Dehu Gaon was stabbed to death by rival gang members on May 6. download Indian Express App More Related News0 magnitude quake which hit the islands early on Friday,with a total teacher strength of around 15 lakh.like preparation of a good teaching material for students.corruption and unemployment are ruling the roost.Badal said that the sect had played a vital role in social, STF officials said,who is cousin of Shakib.
the Maharashtra team also walked away with a number of silver and bronze medals.11-13, It plans to start the second shift for women at high horse power rebuild centre in Phaltan from 2 -10 pm from March this year. The industry group has recieved a green signal to start two shifts for women at Cummins India Ltd (CIL),Advisor (Cost),in association with the PHD Chamber at PHD House,” Wood said.S. 2010 12:40 am Related News A college committee that probed the complaints of ragging at Pune Agriculture College has found nine second-year students guilty of the crime. Pravin Shelke.
Ali’s recovery from Afghanistan was also announced by Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Twitter. (Source: Reuters) Related News Former Pakistan prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s kidnapped son was on Tuesday recovered from Afghanistan in a joint operation carried out by the US and Afghan forces, The activists demanding underground metro rail should explain the way funds can be raised for implementing it.


text:
Travel in style in this very groovy, colourful and unique, vegan unisex bag.
Perfect to take on all your adventures, be it a weekend away, swimming or gym, this unisex weekend travel bag will become your new favourite companion. Let the adventures begin!
Practical and durable, this weekend bag is Made by Fair-trade NGO Swechha using non leather durable rexine, strong thick woven cotton, sturdy zips and impeccable stitching. Ethically and exceptionally made : Limited Edition Piece
Personalisation: Personalise the luggage tag with your message
Strong woven cotton with cotton lining and Rexine - brass clasps
Detachable long shoulder strap.
Cotton & Rexine
Inside pockets : 2 open pockets and 1 zip pocket Outside pockets : 2 zip pockets, and 1 button pocket. Luggage Tag
24cm wide X 28cm Deep x 50cm length


Strict action is a must against train stuntmen, molesters
Yesterday, this paper carried a report detailing how the Government Railway Police (GRP) is conducting operations to nab stuntmen on local trains
Yesterday, this paper carried a report detailing how the Government Railway Police (GRP) is conducting operations to nab stuntmen on local trains. It also stated how the Railway Police caught 25 men for sexual harassment last week during their drives on the western and central lines.
The 25 offenders were arrested for abusing and sexually harassing women in running trains. A GRP official said that the drive was conducted between 6 pm and 10 pm because of the high number of complaints during that time.
Stations and local trains attract sexual harassment because of the crowd. Lost in the crowd, the woman usually has a difficult time identifying the person who groped her or verbally abused her. This drive is a sad commentary on our times but is badly needed to attest the problem at least in some small measure.
Post the action taken by the railways, those caught must be dealt with severity for molestation cannot be dealt with flippantly. Those nabbed must be made to feel the deep shame that unfortunately scars the victim.
On the issue of young men doing stunts in local trains, most of them were juveniles. Here, parents have to be roped in so that they can influence these boys about just how dangerous it is to perform these stunts. Posters can be put at stations of those who have lost their lives and limbs by doing stunts in local trains. A celebrity can be roped in to endorse the message that stunts in train are not fun, but foolish. Let this two-pronged drive be sustained; ad hoc action and sporadic checks will not stamp this out completely. More power to the police on this one.


text:
Saturday, December 30th 2017, 14:12:59 PM. Other Design Kitchen. Posted by Vivienne Valentin
Hit to Read More
Banquettes with Built-In Storage Underneath
If you have or are planning to install gold marble countertop or have cabinetry that spot brass hardware that is not lacquered then this hue is perfect. It has a clay undertone that brings a wealth of sophistication to your kitchen.
City Living Design/city Living-banquettes-and-booths. Banquette Ikea Expedit. Banquettes For Kitchens. Built In Banquettes Seating. Banquette Ikea Canada. Banquette Ikea Hemnes. Banquettes Definition. Banquet Crossword Clue.
Seryan - Kitchens Design Gallery
Copyright © 2003 - 2018 Domain Media. All sponsored products, company names, brand names, trademarks and logos arethe property of their respective owners.


Apollo announced that funds managed by its affiliates (Apollo Funds) have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire United Living Group.
United Living delivers essential maintenance and construction services across three key areas: infrastructure, new homes, and property services. By revitalizing living spaces and communities, ensuring the reliable operation of utility assets, and partnering with major social housing and build-to-rent projects, United Living aims to improve access to affordable housing and critical services for underserved populations. The Apollo Impact platform seeks to generate positive social and/or environmental impact while achieving attractive risk-adjusted returns through private equity-like opportunities.
The specific transaction value is not disclosed yet.


As ExcelinEd’s flagship initiative, the National Summit on Education Reform annually convenes the best and brightest from around the world to share strategies to improve the quality of education for all children, everywhere. This one-stop shop of policies and practices offers an opportunity for lawmakers, policymakers and advocates to learn the nuts and bolts of reform.
Attendees leave the National Summit armed with the knowledge and networks to advance bold education reform in their states. This uncommon conference annually serves as a catalyst for energizing and accelerating the reform movement across the nation. Be there or be left behind.


text:
Net Insight is acquiring software company VizuAll, which trades under the name of ScheduALL. The acquisition is intended to strengthen Net Insight's market position in media service and workflow orchestration. The $14 million cash transaction is expected to close on Oct. 1.
The two companies have had a strategic partnership for several years, implementing an SDN solution for service providers. ScheduALL has its head office in Hollywood, FL, and employs approximately 75 people.

domain: finance


text:
Reading the Hebrew Bible after the Shoah: Engaging Holocaust Theology
Koosed, Jennifer L., Shofar
Reading the Hebrew Bible After the Shoah: Engaging Holocaust Theology, by Marvin A. Sweeney. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2008. 287 pp. $29.00.
Marvin Sweeney has turned his prodigious powers from philological and historical-critical analysis of biblical texts to the theological and ethical dilemmas posed by the events of the Holocaust. The Hebrew Bible serves as his conversation partner not only because it is the foundational text in Judaism and Christianity, but also because most of the biblical writings are responses to events of world-altering violence and destruction - the Assyrian destruction of Israel in 721 BCE, the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the first Temple …
Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: Reading the Hebrew Bible after the Shoah: Engaging Holocaust Theology. Contributors: Koosed, Jennifer L. - Author. Journal title: Shofar. Volume: 28. Issue: 1 Publication date: Fall 2009. Page number: 149+. © Not available. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.

domain: literature


text:
Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 May
BACK TO WINE
Open Cellars, the most popular event of the Wine Tourism Movement returns this year, Saturday 25 is Sunday 26 May from 10.00 all 19.00.
We Terracruda find ourselves in Fratte Rosa, only municipality of the province that boasts the possibility to produce all three Pesaresi Doc.
Also thanks to the advice and valuable advice of our oenologist, Soverchia Giancarlo and his son David, we embarked on a search for the protection, the preservation and enhancement of grapes native to the verge of extinction such as:
We have always believed in the exploitation of native grapes and production transparency so we will open up our doors and lead you in the vineyard, fully managed under organic management from the 2017, in the cellar where we use contemporary tecnonolgie and natural methods and finally leave you relax in our garden.
This year we want to talk about the winery, wine, plots, of passion and love for the land .
IN VINEYARD WITH AND LUCA VINCENZO:
“The Genius Loci”
Every visit to the cellar will be preceded by a visit vineyards, for those who have the ability to do 500 meters to feet and devote 30 miuti of their time to a beautiful panoramic passaggiata, Luke and Vincenzo as guides will accompany you in particular in the vineyard Campodarchi, where it produces the Reserve, late harvest of our best Bianchello Metuaro Doc Superiore Campodarchi Gold winner of the most prestigious awards at national and international level.
IN CELLAR AND EUGENE ZENO
“Ancient knowledge and technology to optimize time and quality”
Zeno and Eugenio, the interior of the winemaker cantina devote their time, their passion and their knowledge and put you in the cellar to discover the secrets of winemaking and refinement.
The visit will end in the woods Room, our beloved and precious “barricaia” where we will taste our best Colli Pesaresi Sangiovese DOC Riserva 2103, Deep.
Wine degustation VICTORY IN WITH MARIA, EMMA, ADELE E NADIA
Will the Women and Sommeliers home that this year as every year, and as every day of the year will accompany the wine tasting.
There will be the opportunity to taste all of our wines from traditional, to sparkling wines to the reserves.
RELAX WITH FRIENDS
“Wine food and cheer bucolic”
You can enjoy the wines and the surrounding countryside in the garden accompanied by sandwiches #novegan from pizza baked in a wood oven also #vegan and mixed fried fish!
–> Visit us to taste
–> in good company
–> surrounded by a glitzy campaign of late spring.
We offer our professionalism, our time and our wines together to spend two unforgettable days.
The restaurant will be set up especially for the event and is paid, for large groups who want to stop eating Reservations recommended in order to guarantee excellent service.
By buying this cup of the Wine Tourism Movement (10 €) at our cellar, will be honored a mini sandwich with roast pork or cheese start to the tour.
The sale of the winery point remains open throughout the duration of the event (10/19 Continued schedule) giving the opportunity to buy at cellar prices all wines tasted.
Do not forget to take home a souvenir before leaving for another winery that participates at Open Cellars, which will be equally welcoming and will surprise you with the beauty of the landscape and the quality of its wines, that a few chilomerti away will be different in the types, but equal in quality all made in Marche.


text:
All Over Fur Slippers
It'll feel like the 60s wearing these tie-dye slippers! You'll stand out in these groovy, brightly colored sneaker slippers! They're as comfy as they are cool!
It’s like walking on pillows!
These classic oversized slippers are sure to add FUN to everything! Surround your feet in cushiony comfort all day long.
Thick one-inch memory foam footbed
Sturdy rubber soles
Plush velvety material
100% breathable polyester
Laces that add a finishing detail


text:
- The Abbey’s Melchior and Shigure join Tales of Berseria
- Yomawari: Night Alone gameplay footage released, System Trailer
- Halo 5: Guardians – Warzone Firefight revealed, launching June 29
- A team of newcomers arrives to compete in The King of Fighter XIV
- Isometric puzzle-platformer Lumo out now for Xbox One
Fancy A Date?
Developer- and Publisher-specific Articles: James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes
James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes has hit store shelves for the Nintendo 3DS. The $39.99 puzzler is an interactive 3D movie with a 1960s motif that has players starring as the main character in a TV game show that is leaving dead participants in its wake. Over 140 puzzles will be left at the crime scenes, ranging from wordplay to drawing, and need to be solved in order to uncover the killer’s identity.

domain: entertainment


text:
Visual Beauty by Salvador Molano video DOWNLOAD
A deck of cards is shown below is introduced in its case, this is balanced and magically the deck goes through the case and rises to the top of it in a very visual way, again the deck is visually introduced inside the case, the case is opened and the deck is taken out from the inside of it, very visual effect!Download now!'
- Free shipping on orders over 75 Euros
- Fast Shipping with MRW to Spain and Portugal
- Free pick up in our shop in Barcelona
- Seguimos enviando pedidos.
Tipo de Descarga:Vídeo


text:
Nigerians in Diaspora lament ordeals faced by illegal migrants heading to South Africa
Dr Kingsman Chikelu, the Chairman, Africa chapter of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation has lamented the ordeals faced by illegal migrants travelling by land toward South Africa.
Mr Femi Awoniyi, a Co-Director, Migration Enlightenment Project, Nigeria, an NGO, in a statement on Monday in Abuja quoted Chikelu as saying this during Stakeholders’ Roundtable Dialogue on Migration organised by MEPN.
Chikelu said that the dialogue was organised to brainstorm with civil society groups and other stakeholders on ordeals of travelling without visa by land among Nigerian youths.
He said many Nigerian youths had fallen victims of several conflicts in Cameroon, Central Africa Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo in the course of travelling on land without visa.
“They are simply caught up in these wars and are forced to fight for one side or the other ending up dying for causes they neither supported nor understood,” he said.
He said that young illegal migrants in Africa had suffered extortion by criminals and police as well as trafficked for forced labour and sexual exploitation.
Chikelu said that several of them had been detained for lack of legal travelling documents for long time in the transit countries.
According to him, those who finally make it after a long time suffer difficult living conditions, unemployment, xenophobic attacks and criminal violence.
Chikelu commended MEPN for initiating the dialogue aimed at creating awareness against illegal migration and sensitising youths on the dangers of irregular migration.
He condemned the act of giving out chieftaincy titles to indigenes, who return after a short stay abroad with unexplainable wealth by traditional rulers.
According to him, this practice is one of the factors driving irregular migration as the titles legitimise such illicit wealth, sending a wrong message to the society, especially the young people.
“For instance, in South Africa, most of the Nigerian migrants there are stranded, not wanting to return home empty-handed and simply staying put against all odds.
“Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa, offering many opportunities to those who are creative and daring.
“So, my advice is that, whoever that is considering travelling out for opportunities should first look well at home before venturing outside the country,” he added.


text:
For a country whose manufacturing sector has never fully picked up, Agriculture, which contributes 26 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), has had to sustain the Kenyan economy. Yet this often repeated statistic might give an inaccurate picture of the situation of Kenya’s agricultural sector.
With the grim reports coming out of the sector, Kenyans have a reason to worry over the direction the industry is taking. Farmers are literally struggling. Maize farmers in North Rift who are currently harvesting their crop have held their breath.
There are at least three active taskforces looking to revive miraa, coffee and sugarcane farming which are on their death bed. Yet the situation seems dire for sugarcane farmers in western Kenya. Mumias Sugar Factory, at one time the flagship cane miller in the country, is sinking in debt and has been put under receivership. At risk is the collapse of rural economies, whose livelihood is solely derived from agriculture.
About 70 per cent of Kenya’s rural population is engaged in agriculture and are now getting desperate for the fortunes in the sector to turn. By prioritising agriculture among his key agenda, President Uhuru Kenyatta has the right idea to empower farmers to produce enough to feed its own population.
SEE ALSO: Let the clergy lead in our fight against pandemic
There have been efforts to promote diversification of crops and the Ministry of Agriculture has provided farmers with subsidised inputs. With the trials on BT coffee and the revival of textile factories such as Rivatex, cotton farmers have a reason to be optimistic.
But beyond that, the government should look at resuscitating some of the agricultural parastatals such as Agricultural Finance Corporation to finance some of the small-scale farmers who are unable to access financing from banks.
The ministry should also strengthen its relationship with the county governments so that the two governments can play a complimentary role in reviving agriculture. It can never be too late to get it right.
We urge the government to invest more in extension services and work with development partners to breathe fresh life into the sector.


text:
A £400m natural gas storage site is to be built deep beneath a lough in Northern Ireland.
The energy bank at Larne Lough, north-east of Belfast, will hold 60 days supply and guard against steep price rises caused by international market volatility.
Around 500 million cubic metres of gas will be contained in salt caverns a mile under the seabed, Stormont environment minister Alex Attwood said, and could allow Northern Ireland to export some of its stores if prices were favourable. The minister gave planning approval for the development today.
"This security of supply of energy will be a significant step forward in the way we manage our energy sector," Attwood said. "North Sea gas supplies are declining steeply and this facility will make a significant contribution to the security of gas supplies for the whole island of Ireland and indeed for Britain."
Environmentalists expressed concern the dumping of salt to build the caves into the sea could harm marine biodiversity. Many gas sources are found in unsettled parts of the world and can be affected by civil strife or market reactions to broader economic shocks. Attwood said gas could be purchased for storage when prices were low for use or sale when they were higher, helping Northern Ireland's future economic development.
The nationalist SDLP MLA promised construction jobs for the area but said he was also conscious of environmental concerns. "We have demonstrated that energy, environmental and economic needs can be reconciled successfully," he said. "SeaGen, the birthplace of modern tidal energy sitting in the Narrows in the mouth of Strangford Lough proves this point. This approval can do the same."
Large parts of Northern Ireland are relatively dependant on fossil fuels like oil for home heating but the natural gas network has been rolling out steadily from Belfast, with more development planned.
The region's two main suppliers are Phoenix and Firmus.
The storage site is on land south-west and north-east of Ballylumford pressure reduction station in Co Antrim, with extending underground pipelines. It will be developed by Islandmagee Storage Ltd.
A planning application was submitted in March 2010 and includes the gas storage plant and other equipment to accommodate drilling.
Friends of the Earth director in Northern Ireland James Orr said Northern Ireland should be investing in renewable energy instead.
"The main issue is that the dumping of hypersaline salt solution will cause harm to local marine biodiversity and have negative impacts on sustainable fisheries," he said. "Hypersaline will kill or be seriously detrimental to the development of larval stages of fish and crustaceans. There is a fishery in this area and long-term sustainable jobs are likely to be ruined.
"The hypersaline would be dispersed off the coast of Islandmagee over four years at up to 1,000 cubic meters per hour. This is 10 times the normal salt content of seawater and will not have the same chemical/mineral composition as seawater."
He said the area affected had been underestimated.
Alliance Party MLA Stewart Dickson said residents were also worried about heavy traffic during construction. "I am surprised that Alex Attwood has given the go-ahead for this proposal without more information considering the fact that the SDLP often make a great deal of noise about their green credentials," he said.
Chief executive of the Utility Regulator Shane Lynch said the announcement was a vote of confidence in the industry. "Not only will the proposed facility provide greater security of supply for Northern Ireland, it would also provide another tool for suppliers in managing energy costs," he said.
"In addition, the ability to bring gas quickly onto the system from storage can also complement wind-powered generation at times when wind levels are low."
IMSL spokesman Paddy Larkin said: "This facility will make a significant contribution to security of energy supplies as well as helping to meet the greater short-term demands placed on the gas network to support increased intermittent renewable generation."
Energy Minister Arlene Foster said the decision was an important milestone. "Infrastructure investment of this nature is very welcome and the project will provide a significant benefit to the local economy by providing jobs related to the construction stages of the project and in the longer term as the facility commences operation," she said.
Site preparation work on the first borehole is due to begin in late 2012, with drilling planned for the first half of 2013, developers Islandmagee Storage Ltd said.
Construction is expected to involve the creation of seven caverns in the Permian salt layer at a depth of 1,500m and is projected to take around seven years to complete.


text:
Have you ever heard the phrase
"Go with your gut feeling"
Well, this expression is actually used for a reason. Research has shown that the brain and the gut closely interact, and their connection affects functions relating to the entire body.
The enteric nervous system is located in the gut and is often referred to as the "second brain" of the body. Recent studies have shown an association between changes in gut microbiota and cognitive behavior including learning and memory functions.
Stress + Anxiety
Stress, along with other psychological factors, can affect movements and contraction in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This may up-regulate inflammation and make you more susceptible to infections.
In addition, the gut can produce physical, behavioral, and emotional symptoms when under stress. In fact, 95% of the body's serotonin (happy hormone) is stored in the gut. If you think your intestinal dysfunctions may be related to stress, look out for these common symptoms:
- Sleep problems
- Weight gain/loss
- Increased alcohol consumption
- Isolation from others
- Quick temper
A healthy gut is important for quality sleep. Studies have shown that the microbial ecosystem may affect sleep and sleep related physiological functions including the sleep-awake cycle and sleep-regulating hormones. One study in elderly patients reported that those taking probiotics had improved quality of sleep.
Click HERE to learn about what makes a healthy microbiome & Gut!
Resource: Harvard Health Publishing. "The Gut-Brain Connection - Harvard Health." Harvard University, Harvard Health Publishing, 2018.


Former King Faisal head coach, Nurudeen Amadu has insisted he has no issues with the club and the bankroller of the club, Alhaji Grusah.
Amadu steered the club to escape relegation last season after taking up the coaching mid-way last season.
Having started the 2021/22 campaign on a good note in the first half, their poor start in the second half saw the gaffer resign from his post.
Amadu however says with the Insha Allah lads and also had no problems with Alhaji Grunsah’s presence in the dugout during games.
“I think that I am a former player of King Faisal, a former coach, when things were very difficult last season, I came in to give a helping hand because the time that I came was not appropriate. They were at the bottom of the table so I took a risk and all things being equal, we were able to escape relegation,” he told JoySports.
“After that, I just decided to stay on to see how possible I could also ply my trade there. So it’s been good since I joined the club.”
Quizzed on a compensation package from the club following his resignation, the coach replied: ” Not necessarily, those things are not an issue to me for now because we were like a family. I had a contract with the club at the beginning of this season.
“It’s a young club and Alhaji is running the club per his might and his capability but I think that times have changed and we need to do things professionally and back away from the old ways that things are done. very few clubs are run professionally in this country.”
King Faisal currently occupy the 14th position with 30 points, just two points above the relegation zone with eight games still to go, and will play Bechem United in the matchday 27 games this weekend at the Baba Yara Stadium.