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Q&A | Howard Wolpert on CGM Research and the Artificial Pancreas
Monday, September 20, 2010
A senior physician in the Joslin adult clinic and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, Howard Wolpert, M.D., analyzes the best ways to adopt technology for type 1 diabetes management. Here, Dr. Wolpert answers six questions about his lab’s Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) studies and the quest for an artificial pancreas.
What’s an example of your current projects using CGM closed-loop systems?
One is cognitive dysfunction from low blood glucose. When people get low blood glucose, they become cognitively impaired since glucose is the fuel the brain depends on. It’s been known for some time that blood fingerstick readings are not a good measure of people’s brain glucose and their actual cognitive status. The glucose concentration in the interstitial fluid that’s under the skin, which is what the CGM sensors measure, is actually a better measure of what the brain sees.
We’re doing a study in which we take people (initially non-diabetic people), give them an insulin infusion to carefully lower their glucose level, and do cognitive testing. At the same time we’ll measure their interstitial glucose and blood glucose level. The goal is to test our hypothesis that interstitial measurements will be a better measure of brain glucose and cognitive ability.
If so, that will shift the thinking in the field about therapeutic decision-making. We may have to change the nomenclature, to say “glucopenia” (low glucose) rather than “hypoglycemic” (low glucose in the blood).
What else are you studying with closed-loop systems?
When people with diabetes have a high-fat meal, pizza for example, typically the glucoses go up quite dramatically because fat makes you less responsive to insulin. But there are essentially no scientific guidelines on how to adjust insulin to compensate for that.
We are doing a study in which we’ll bring people into the clinical research center and control their dietary intake very closely. We’ll have two situations in which people have dinners with the same carbohydrate and protein content, but one dinner will be low fat and the other dinner will be high fat. We’ll use CGM, an insulin pump and closed-loop software to regulate their insulin delivery.
So we’ll be able to define exactly how much extra insulin people need when they have a high-fat meal. We’ll also know how it needs to be delivered, because we know from experience that it won’t just be one bolus; the insulin will need to be extended out.
We also can examine how results vary among individuals, the role of animal fats versus other kinds of fats, and other research topics.
Overall, we’re aiming to give people much more scientifically based recommendations on how to adjust their insulin for changes in fat, and this could cause a shift in nutrition guidelines. The work also could be helpful in focusing people on the importance of controlling their fat intake as a way of optimizing their glucose control.
This is another instance in which closed-loop research may give us insights for open-loop glucose control as well.
Is your closed-loop system a bit like an artificial pancreas?
Yes, when people talk about an artificial pancreas, that’s essentially what they’re talking about.
Do some artificial-pancreas approaches go beyond insulin administration?
In addition to an insulin pump, several groups are looking at administering glucagon, a hormone the body produces to counteract low blood glucose levels.
There’s also work going on elsewhere about administering pramlintide, which is a peptide that delays stomach emptying. Because one of the issues that one finds with CGM is that people’s glucoses often spike up very rapidly after meals and the insulin action is too slow to right that. In another approach to that problem, other groups are investigating faster-acting insulins.
What steps do you see toward an artificial pancreas?
At the moment, a person actually has to interpret the CGM data to adjust the insulin pump. Their brain is the pancreas that makes that decision. Things are evolving toward software that adjusts insulin delivery based on the CGM data.
But there will be huge regulatory steps required for an artificial pancreas and frankly I don’t think it’s ever going to be fully feasible, because if the system ever goes into overdrive you’ll be in real trouble. The closest one will see is a system where the insulin delivery is suspended if a person has a low blood glucose. That would be protection against low blood glucoses overnight, for example. But you could end up with the opposite problem where the system inappropriately suspends and you get real high glucose levels.
There are other challenges as well. One issue, for example, with mealtimes is that it takes too long for the increase in glucose to register by the sensor. And when you’re delivering insulin subcutaneously with a pump, the delivery is much slower than with the pancreas. So there’s a delay in sensing the increase in glucose and a delay in delivering the insulin to cover that. The end result is that the system can’t turn on and off quickly enough.
Also, how would the system know you just ate two pieces of pizza or jogged for an hour?
Absolutely, you’ll have to provide some input. At best what you’re looking at is a hybrid system.
But while the pace of developing an artificial pancreas is slower than people want, it’s still very important to take advantage of today’s incremental advances in diabetes management such as CGM.
The risk of long-term complications for people with type 1 diabetes can be quite different than it was in previous eras. A follow-up to the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial published last year, for instance, showed that only about 1% of the 1,441 participants required kidney dialysis or transplantation. We can substantially reduce the risk of complications with best use of today’s diabetes tools.
News | Diabetes Research
Page last updated: November 18, 2018


Tyler Reddick Talks Dirty To Me
I sat down with NASCAR's Tyler Reddick yesterday to chat about his experience being one of the more aggressive drivers within the growing group of young bucks (Tyler just turned 25) in NASCAR's Cup Series.
Reddick is a 2x NASCAR XFINITY Series champion who made history by winning back-to-back Xfinity Series championships with two different teams.
He is in his sophomore Cup Series season and finished 2nd two races ago at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Tyler is a longtime Stoolie and all-around great guy, and after he broke down his plan for this week's race in Phoenix, our conversation naturally drifted towards March 28th when the Cup Series goes off-road and races on dirt at Bristol.
Like so many other drivers, Reddick started his career racing on dirt, and fans are champing at the bit to see how the field fares with their modified cars running off of asphalt in a couple of weeks.
But until then, you can catch Tyler driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing in the Instacart 500 At Pheonix this Sunday starting at 3:30 PM on FOX… And if you head on over to the Barstool Sportsbook App, Tyler Reddick is looking pretty tempting at +230 for a Top 10 finish.
Take a lap.


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It never crossed my mind to be an actor, I always wanted to be a Celtic goalkeeper. When I was leaving school, I was sick of exams, and didn't want to go to university. The Careers Officer told me to write to various banks for a job, and before I knew it, I was working in the Clydesdale Bank, thinking, ‘How the hell did I end up here?’
I worked in the Clydesdale Bank on Buchanan Street for 9 years - my office window looked out to the old Athenaeum where the drama students went, and I'd see them sitting out there in the sunshine. By this point, I was involved in the amateur dramatic world and played in bands for a hobby, I'd also grown out of being a Celtic goalkeeper. One day I was so pissed off, that I stormed out of work at lunchtime and got a prospectus for drama college. I had friends who were drama teachers, who helped me with my audition pieces, and I was accepted. So, I ran away from the Clydesdale Bank and went to study drama.
It never crossed my mind that I'd be an actor. Auditioning for college was initially an escape route from what I was doing and not liking. I thought I'd probably end up being a drama teacher, but the longer I was in college the more I fell into acting and here we are - 31 years an actor. There are so many roles I’ve played that stand out for me. I've played the pantomime dame for 29 years, and the last 18 of those, at His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen, so that's a regular role which is a joy and a privilege to do. I played the cop in High Road for 5 years which was great fun, and there’s no better training than churning out 3 television episodes a week for 3 months at a time. I've done shows with Wildcat, 7:84 and National Theatre of Scotland. It's hard to say what was most enjoyable because every one of them was, as well as a great learning experience, and you're either always working with old pals or making new ones.
People always ask me if I get nervous performing - I don't - if anything I feel positive nerves. I'm confident in what we're doing with the show, and you get to that point where you just want to go out and share it with the audience. It’s more like it's an apprehension about wanting to do your best. Negative nerves are feelings of, ‘I hope I don't screw up that line, I hope I'm not rotten’. I don't ever have those feelings, I feel very much at home on stage, for me, it's a relaxing place to be.
Playing my latest role of Victor Zavaroni, the father of the late Scottish singer and TV star Lena Zavaroni, in "Lena", is a genuine honour and privilege. Victor is in his 80's now and I've been lucky enough to build up a relationship with him. I've played the roles of real people like Buddy Holly or people who have passed away before, but playing this role is different because Victor is still alive, and we respect the trust he's put in us in making this production. The guy's been through a lot, and in a lot of ways he's blamed himself for what happened to his daughter. He says his problem was that he was always too soft, maybe if he'd been harder things would have been different for Lena, but you can't legislate or plan for the way life turns out.
I've learnt so much from Victor, and my job in this, as well as performing the show for the audience, is to be sensitive to Victor's memories, he’s keen for Lena's story to be told and we've got to honour that - we're not sensationalising or trivialising it. I'm just so lucky to have been asked to play this part and to have been able to build up a relationship with such a lovely guy.
Alan McHugh is playing the role of Victor Zavaroni in’ Lena’, Beacon Arts Centre, Wed 16 - Sat 19 March. For more information, visit: beaconartscentre.co.uk

domain: artistic


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Who wouldn’t fancy the great Henry Avery’s pirate ship aptly named The Fancy. It was one of the most famous privateering ships of the 17th century when the dreaded pirates of the seas lorded it over during their heydays. Its equally famous captain Henry Avery, who was once a part of the Royal Navy, commandeered it and brought it to the top of the treasure looting ships of the golden age.
The Fancy pirate ship actually started life as the Charles II, and was seized by Pirate Avery in a celebrated mutiny in Spain during the year 1964. A short lived career with the Indian Ocean as its playground, the Fancy claimed an enormous stolen fortune which Avery and his men used for bribes while seeking shelter in the gorgeous island of Bahamas in 1965.
The Fancy pirate ship was armed enough to qualify as a potential military ship. A 46-gun arsenal made it quite a battle readied ship for the country of Spain under the control of one Captain Gibson. A mutiny initiated by Henry Avery on May 7, 1694 saw it changed ownership and status; from being a Spanish service ship to a high profile piece of machinery for the journeying pirates. It sailed to the Cape of Good Hope from its former home in A Coruña, and was given a new name from Charles II to Fancy.
Henry Avery decided to strengthen and improve the Fancy as they sailed the pirate ship further and had it stationed in the island of Johanna in the Comoros Islands. It underwent some works that focused on its speed and agility when traversing the deep oceans. Its hull became barnacle and weed free, plus some excess parts in the exterior of the ship that give much weight to it were strategically removed. The Indian Ocean then bore witness to how quick the refurbished Fancy became, and its new found speed was an instrument in conquering a treasure-laden French pirate ship. Aside from the sizeable loot, about 40 crew of the victim ship has reinforced greatly the manpower capability of Fancy that totaled to about 150 strong.
It also has 62 cannons as part of its arsenal which has proven to be very beneficial whenever they attacked other ships, including rival pirate ships. The Fancy pirate ship had its own fair share of setbacks, experiencing a cannon explosion that claimed the lives of some of its gunners. Fancy’s string of criminal success was put to a halt when Avery decided to return to Nassau Bahamas, and eventually calling it quits as he heads home to Britain aboard the small sail ship Isaac.
Fancy was said to be given as a form of a bribe and was left in the hands of the governor of Nassau. Wherever Fancy is, no doubt that it has left its mark as one of the sturdiest pirate ships of all time.

domain: history


Materials Used in Conductors
Conductors are materials that permit the flow of electricity through wires and cables. A conductor resistance depends on its dimensions and the materials it is made of. conduction materials include metals, semi conductors, super conductors, plasmas, electrolytes, and sometimes even non-metallic conductors like graphite and polymers.Improving Efficiency of Water Pumps With VFDs
With the increased use of Variable Frequency Drives distributors like Crompton Greaves, Schneider and many others in India have a wide variety of VFDs to choose from, suitable in every field. Most often VFDs are used for industrial purposes and otherwise to improve efficiency in motors and pumps. Here’s a look at how VFDs improve pump efficiency.What Happens After a Rear End Collision?
If you have been involved in a rear end collision, it is important to know that you do have rights. All too often, insurance companies try to negotiate the smallest claim possible, particularly if there is little apparent damage which has been done to the car. Do not try to deal with the insurance company on your own. Find a good personal injury attorney to help you get the best settlement possible.Benefits of LED Light Bars
Learn all of the benefits of having an LED light bar attached to your truck, boat, or ATV. For more than just looks, light bars are also a great source of light.6 Excellent Tips to Ensure Your Car Runs in Top Notch Condition
Getting a new car is exciting. But you must be prepared to do all it takes to extend the life of your new car. You’ll have to keep up with some servicing and repairs if you don’t want your car to breakdown when you least expect it.


Tiffany Jones hit three free throws in the final minute and finished with a triple double as No. 6-ranked Dunbar clinched a berth in the Baltimore City girls basketball championship game with a 67-62 win at No. 17 Mervo yesterday.
Jones, a 5-foot-7 junior guard, had 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the defending City and state Class 2A champions into the Feb. 21 title game, likely setting up a rematch of last year's final against No. 14 Western. The Poets improved to 16-3 overall and swept Division I with a 7-0 record.
"It feels good to be back [in the title game] again," Jones said. "We deserve it, because we worked hard throughout the year with everybody coming after us."
Yesterday, the host Mustangs had a chance to claim the title-game berth for themselves, rallying within 64-60 on Tobie Ashley's short jumper with 1:28 to go.
Ashley's basket and the previous one by Patrice Faison followed Dunbar turnovers - and Nell Wilson tried to force another. Wilson tried to take the ball from Jones near midcourt but was called for a foul. The freshman guard was also hit with a technical foul, apparently for slamming her fist into her palm too violently in frustration, although she never made a move toward Jones or any Poets player.
Jones hit the second of the two free throws for a 65-60 lead with a minute to play. On the ensuing possession, Jones was fouled again and nailed both shots. In the final 42 seconds, Ashley tried a couple of desperation three-pointers but could not convert.
Although the game was close most of the way, Dunbar briefly opened up a 14-point lead midway through the third quarter by hitting 11 of 13 shots, including two three-pointers from Toni Kennedy and other from Jones.
The Mustangs (13-3, 4-1 league) easily broke the Poets' full-court press early on, getting open shots on the wing and then relying on 5-11 center Camella Boyd to convert the misses. Boyd had all of her 10 points and 11 of 13 rebounds in the first half.
Still, the Poets kept pace, and coach Wardell Selby eventually called off the press for a 2-3 zone that still pressured the guards but also put a rein on the Mustangs' inside game.
"Boyd was rebounding well," Selby said, "and if we could keep her off the boards, we knew we could probably control the game a whole lot better, because we knew we needed to stop the sisters [Tobie and Erin Ashley]. She was the key with those second shots."
Erin Ashley scored a game-high 19 while Tobie had 13. Faison had 10 points and 10 rebounds. For Dunbar, Kennedy scored 13.
Call in leaders
The Sun is compiling statistics for boys and girls basketball for publication of area leaders on Mondays.
Coaches or team statisticians should call 410-332-6786 or 1-800-829-8000, extension 6786, between 8 p.m. Fridays and 11 p.m. Saturdays. Any stats received after the deadline will not be published.
Leave a message with the name of the team, player's name and the spelling, number of games played, plus totals and cumulative averages for points, rebounds and assists. Include only players averaging at least 12.0 points, 8.0 rebounds or 3.0 assists.
Please spell all names. Also, leave your name and telephone number to confirm stats.


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Exploring the Dynamic Relationship Between Paid Traffic and Organic SEO Traffic: A Comprehensive Analysis
Table of Contents
- Defining Paid Traffic and Organic Traffic
- Google’s Role in the Correlation
- Synergies Between Paid and Organic Strategies
- Paid Traffic as a Testing Ground for Keywords
- Brand Recognition and Trust
- Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and the Impact on ROI
- The Mobile Landscape and Its Impact
- The Role of Content Quality and Relevance
- The Impact of Social Media on the Correlation
- The Buyer’s Journey: Navigating the Crossroads
- The Attribution Conundrum: Navigating the Credit Game
- SEO Best Practices for Maximizing the Correlation
In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, the relationship between paid traffic and organic SEO traffic remains a focal point for SEO managers and marketers alike. Understanding the correlation between these two traffic sources is essential for devising a well-rounded and effective online marketing strategy. This article delves into the intricacies of the dynamic interplay between paid and organic traffic, drawing insights from relevant studies and applying SEO best practices to shed light on optimizing this symbiotic relationship.
Defining Paid Traffic and Organic SEO Traffic:
To comprehend the correlation between paid and organic traffic, it’s crucial to first define these terms. Paid traffic refers to visits generated through paid advertising, such as pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, social media ads, or display advertising. On the other hand, organic traffic encompasses visits driven by unpaid search engine results which can be improved by making use of our professional SEO Services. Achieving a balance between these two sources is vital for a holistic digital marketing strategy.
Google’s Role in the Correlation:
Google, being the dominant search engine, plays a pivotal role in shaping the dynamics between paid and organic traffic. The search engine giant constantly updates its algorithms to deliver more relevant and personalized results to users. Google’s SERP layout, featuring paid ads at the top and organic results below, highlights the interconnectedness of these two traffic sources.
Studies have consistently shown a correlation between high-ranking organic results and a reduced reliance on paid advertising. According to a study by Backlinko, pages appearing on the first page of Google’s search results receive significantly more organic clicks, diminishing the need for supplementary paid promotion. This underscores the importance of organic SEO efforts in capturing user attention and driving traffic without the associated costs of paid advertising.
Synergies Between Paid and Organic SEO Strategies:
While the correlation indicates a potential reduction in reliance on paid traffic with high organic rankings, the synergies between paid and organic strategies are noteworthy. Numerous studies found that when a brand appears in both paid and organic search results, there is a notable increase in clicks and a higher likelihood of conversion. We can attest to these findings through our own experience.
This phenomenon, often referred to as the “double-dipping” effect, implies that users are more likely to click on a result when they see a brand both in the paid and organic sections of the SERP. This emphasizes the importance of a unified marketing approach, where paid and organic strategies complement each other to enhance visibility and credibility.
Paid Traffic as a Testing Ground for Keywords:
One of the practical applications of paid traffic in conjunction with organic efforts lies in keyword testing. Paid advertising allows marketers to experiment with various keywords, ad copies, and landing pages to assess their performance. The insights gained from paid campaigns can inform organic SEO strategies, helping to identify high-performing keywords and optimize on-page content accordingly.
By analyzing the click-through rates (CTRs), conversion rates, and other metrics from paid campaigns, SEO managers can refine their organic keyword targeting, tailoring content to align with user intent and preferences. This iterative process enables a more data-driven and effective organic SEO strategy.
Brand Recognition and Trust:
Studies have consistently shown that the combination of paid and organic visibility enhances brand recognition and trust. Studies reveal that users tend to trust brands more when they appear in both paid and organic search results. This reinforcement creates a sense of credibility and legitimacy, positively impacting user perceptions.
The synergy between paid and organic efforts contributes to a comprehensive online presence, fostering trust and confidence among users. A strong brand presence across multiple touchpoints on the search results page reinforces the brand’s authority in its industry.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and the Impact on ROI:
Understanding the correlation between paid and organic traffic extends beyond mere visibility. Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is a critical aspect of digital marketing that directly influences the return on investment (ROI) for both paid and organic channels.
Studies emphasize the importance of aligning paid and organic strategies with CRO principles. A seamless user experience, compelling call-to-actions, and consistent messaging across paid and organic touchpoints contribute to higher conversion rates.
Implementing A/B testing, analyzing user behaviour, and optimizing landing pages based on insights from both paid and organic campaigns can lead to improved conversion rates. This holistic approach ensures that the investment in both paid and organic channels yields the desired results, ultimately maximizing the ROI.
The Mobile Landscape and Its Impact:
As mobile usage continues to surge, the correlation between paid and organic traffic has become more pronounced in the mobile landscape. Mobile search results often feature paid ads prominently, and users are more likely to engage with these results due to the limited screen space.
Studies, such as those conducted by Statista, highlight the increasing dominance of mobile search, with a significant percentage of users relying on smartphones for their online activities. For SEO managers, this underscores the importance of mobile optimization in both paid and organic strategies to capture the growing mobile user base.
Optimizing for mobile-friendliness, ensuring fast page load times, and creating responsive ad creatives are crucial steps in aligning paid and organic efforts for the mobile audience. The correlation between mobile search behaviour and the interplay between paid and organic strategies presents a valuable opportunity for marketers to enhance their digital presence.
The Role of Content Quality and Relevance:
At the core of any successful SEO strategy, be it paid or organic, lies the quality and relevance of content. Content serves as the bridge between paid advertisements and organic search results, influencing user engagement and satisfaction. Studies consistently emphasize the importance of creating high-quality, relevant content that meets user intent and provides value.
Search engines, including Google, prioritize content that aligns with user queries and offers valuable insights. SEO best practices dictate the creation of content that addresses user needs, incorporates relevant keywords naturally, and is structured for easy consumption.
Paid advertising campaigns that echo the same messaging and value proposition as organic content contribute to a cohesive user experience. This alignment strengthens the correlation between paid and organic efforts, fostering a seamless journey for users from initial discovery through conversion.
The Impact of Social Media on the Correlation:
The relationship between paid and organic traffic extends beyond search engines to social media platforms. Social media advertising has become an integral component of digital marketing, with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter offering robust paid advertising solutions.
Studies, such as the one conducted by HubSpot, highlight the increasing reliance on social media for product discovery and research. Integrating social media advertising with organic social efforts can amplify brand visibility, drive traffic, and enhance overall online presence.
By leveraging the targeting capabilities of social media ads and aligning them with organic social content, marketers can create a cohesive online presence. This synergy enhances the overall impact of digital marketing efforts, contributing to a holistic strategy that resonates with the target audience across various online touchpoints.
The Buyer’s Journey: Navigating the Crossroads:
Understanding the buyer’s journey is paramount for SEO managers seeking to leverage the correlation between paid and organic traffic. The buyer’s journey typically consists of three key stages: awareness, consideration, and decision. Paid advertising and SEO play distinctive roles at each stage, working in tandem to guide users seamlessly through the conversion funnel.
- Awareness Stage:
- Paid Advertising: At the awareness stage, paid advertising shines as a beacon to capture the attention of potential customers. Through targeted ads on search engines and social media platforms, brands can introduce themselves to a wider audience.
- SEO: Concurrently, SEO efforts contribute to brand visibility by optimizing content for relevant keywords. Organic search results, when aligned with paid advertising messaging, reinforce brand recall and authority.
- Consideration Stage:
- Paid Advertising: Paid ads continue to play a crucial role in the consideration stage by retargeting users who have shown initial interest. Display ads and social media retargeting campaigns keep the brand in front of users, nurturing their consideration.
- SEO: In the consideration stage, organic content becomes pivotal. Informative blog posts, product reviews, and comparison guides optimized for relevant keywords provide valuable information, establishing the brand as an industry authority.
- Decision Stage:
- Paid Advertising: Paid channels can strategically present promotions, discounts, or compelling offers to users who are on the verge of making a decision. Remarketing through paid ads can tip the scale in favour of conversion.
- SEO: Organic content tailored for users in the decision-making phase, such as product pages and testimonials, reinforces trust and credibility. High-ranking organic results instil confidence in users as they finalize their choices.
- Awareness Stage:
The Attribution Conundrum: Navigating the Credit Game:
Attribution modelling involves assigning credit to various touchpoints along the customer journey, helping marketers understand which channels contribute most to conversions. Paid advertising and organic search often find themselves in a complex attribution game, with each vying for a share of the credit, this phenomenon is more evident in industries with longer sales cycles requiring multiple visits to the website from various sources.
- First-Touch Attribution:
- Paid Advertising: Paid channels often excel in first-touch attribution, being the initial point of contact that introduces users to a brand.
- SEO: Organic search can also claim credit for first-touch interactions, especially when users discover a website through a specific search query.
- Last-Touch Attribution:
- Paid Advertising: Last-touch attribution models may credit paid channels for the final click leading to a conversion.
- SEO: Organic search results can also stake a claim to last-touch attribution, particularly when users directly navigate to the website from an organic search result.
- Multi-Touch Attribution:
- Paid Advertising and SEO: Multi-touch attribution models, which assign value to multiple touchpoints in the customer journey, provide a more nuanced view. Both paid and organic channels contribute at various stages, and understanding this interaction is crucial for a balanced marketing strategy.
- First-Touch Attribution:
SEO Best Practices for Maximizing the Correlation:
Applying SEO best practices is essential to capitalize on the correlation between paid and organic traffic. Here are key strategies to enhance your digital marketing synergy:
- Keyword Harmony:
- Align keywords used in paid advertising with your organic SEO strategy for a unified brand message, don’t be afraid to target specific keywords in both strategies to increase trust and CTR.
- Content Synchronization:
- Ensure consistency in messaging across paid ad copies and organic content to reinforce brand identity.
- Landing Page Optimization:
- Optimize landing pages for both paid and organic traffic, providing a seamless user experience.
- Data-Driven Insights:
- Leverage data from paid campaigns to refine organic keyword targeting and content strategies.
- Mobile Optimization:
- Optimize for mobile devices, as mobile users often encounter paid ads prominently in search results.
- Social Media Integration:
- Integrate paid social media campaigns with organic social efforts for a cohesive brand presence.
- Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO):
- Implement CRO principles across both paid and organic channels to maximize conversion rates.
- Local SEO Focus:
- Prioritize local SEO efforts, as paid and organic local search results often influence user decisions.
- Keyword Harmony:
The correlation between paid traffic and organic traffic is a nuanced and dynamic aspect of digital marketing that requires a strategic and holistic approach. Understanding the interplay between these two sources is crucial for SEO managers aiming to maximize the impact of their online efforts.
As studies have shown, achieving high organic rankings can reduce the reliance on paid advertising, but a balanced and integrated strategy often yields the best results. The symbiotic relationship between paid and organic traffic presents opportunities for testing, optimization, and enhanced brand visibility. It has been shown time and again that investing in acquiring Paid traffic also increases Organic Traffic to a website as a result of the Buyer’s Journey, the Paid Advert may attract visitors initially but they often return via Organic methods.
By aligning paid and organic efforts, marketers can create a unified online presence that resonates with users across search engines, social media, and other digital platforms. The insights gained from studies and the application of SEO best practices are instrumental in navigating this dynamic landscape, ensuring a comprehensive and effective digital marketing strategy. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, SEO managers must stay attuned to emerging trends and adapt their strategies to capitalize on the evolving correlation between paid and organic traffic.

domain: literature


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domain: design


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GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA)- 54 emergency housing vouchers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are now available to people in Greenville County.
They’re among 70,000 issued across the country as part of the American Rescue Plan.
The vouchers are supposed to help the most vulnerable, including those who are homeless, at risk of becoming homeless, or are fleeing domestic violence or human trafficking.
People can use the vouchers to help pay their rent. Right now officials say they are looking to determine who will get the subsidies, and there’s already a long list of households that qualify.
“There are only 54 vouchers, and there are hundreds of people who are vulnerable and who need them,” said Lorain Crowl, who is the chief executive officer at United Housing Connections.
According to the CEO of the Greenville Housing Authority, the funds will be available through at least September of 2030. She said they are looking for landlords to participate in the program, as well.

domain: economics


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Thanks for your reply....
My impression from your answers is that you are prepared to not stay with the exercise/looking until the answer is clear for you. But this will not get you anywhere. You need to determine the answer for yourself. Receiving the answer from me will do you no good at all if have not seen the truth of how it is arrived at. It is the seeing that provides the freedom. Maybe you could ask yourself if you are hungry for the truth or not?
You could stay with this exercise several days until you are 100% sure of the outcome, rather than settling for not being sure. Just drop me a line and let me know that this is what you are doing - that would be fine.
Is a thought controlling the palm? Or is there an assumption that thought is controlling the palm?
It’s very well possible that it’s an assumption. But when I turn the palm a thought seemingly says ‘do it now’ or ‘do it slowly’ or ‘fast’ and so on. It can be that the decision is not made through a thought and the thought claims it very quickly as its own decision. But then this happens so quickly that I cannot experience this!
Here again, you may need to repeat this exercise. It's about taking your time and doing them until you get to see what is being pointed at...look until you are clear about what is being pointed at. There is no destination point that will be reached in a certain time frame. It's all about the careful looking.
Nice noticing that the impulse to turn the palm happens and that thought then claims it. However, you need to be clear on whether it is a thought that is controlling it or whether it is an assumption. It is either an assumption or it isn't.
Did you at all notice that when the thought "turn the palm" arose, that the palm didn't turn? If thought were needed to turn the palm, and if thought was the catalyst that turned the palm, then the palm would turn every time the thought arose...whether you wanted it to or not and would not turn without a thought. If that were the case, then you would be aware of the thought each time it arose.
Can a thought be hidden? Can a thought happen without your knowing of it?
Look at this very carefully and go back and do the thought exercise where you had to look to see if you could predict your next thought...and redo that entire exercise several times to see the answer to these questions. Even redo looking for the gap between thoughts if that is going to be helpful to you.
Try to notice how things happen in life. Does the sun need a thought to move? The earth to turn? How about the wind? How about your beating heart? Your lungs? Your hair to grow. Your body when a car pulls out on you when you are riding? Your hands on the gears when you sense you have hit a gradient?
Notice what happens when you have an itch - how the hands move to it. Watch yourself eating breakfast, how the hands move, how the mouth opens and closes and so on.
Watch how your hands move in the shower. Maybe when you wash your hair?
Or the fingers as you type your reply to me.
Deeply immerse yourself in the curiosity of looking.... What is really happening?
Please take a couple of things like this in your daily, observe and write back what you find.
The answer refers to the answer before: I don’t get what’s really happening.Is it possible for you to look without any pre-conceived ideas and just see what is happening?
That is fine. Not knowing how it happens is great because there is no knowing of how... but are you clear that a thought isn't the controller?
Yes, walking/cycling is happening by itself. But what is happening when I speed up or stop? Is this also happening by itself or is thought involved?Do you need a series of thoughts to walk/cycle. Or does walking/cycling happen without thoughts?
That is for you to look and see if it is thought that controls the speed or not! That is why you given the thought exercises so you could become aware of thoughts. If you don't become aware of thoughts, then we are going to get nowhere fast.
The whole point of giving you the palm exercise, and getting you to look when you walk or cycle, is so you can look at the pointers to see for yourself if thought is the controller!
LOOK and see if it is thought and come back and tell me what you find!
I don’t know?Are thoughts actually the catalyst for actions?
And from this answer it shows that you are not looking carefully. It is quite obvious if thought is or isn't the catalyst for actions if you look.
So please look again and let me know if thoughts are the catalyst for actions.
I agree that it’s happening by itself. But where come all the decisions from: fast, slow, left, right, stop….?If thoughts are about something else whilst walking/cycling, does walking/cycling cease?
I want you to look for yourself and tell me what you find. It's no good me telling you the answers. You need look and see for yourself if there is anyone or anything, including thoughts that is making any decisions for these things to happen. Let me know what you find.
Wishing you well,

domain: psychology


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Genesis is a sci-fi shorvtfilm about two souls that unite in cyberspace to create the perfect being.
Girl / Genesis: Natalia B. Herraiz.
Motorist: Emilio Caparrós.
Directed by David Placer. ()
Produced by David Delgado.
Music by Siddhartha Barnhoorn.
Director of Photography: Ana Ramos.
Art Director: Julián López.
Sound Design by Dave S. Walker aka Kyoto Dragon
Edition & VFX: David Placer.
Assistant Director: Alfonso Ruiz.
Assistant Art Director: Kike Rodriguez.
Runner: Pablo Couto.
Red Dress by Amaia Relloso.
Raiders: Sebastián Moreno & Pablo Couto
Original Soundtrack: Siddhartha Barnhoorn


text:
Most Recent Articles In Fashion Features
Latest Fashion Features Articles
- H&M Unveils Capsule Collection by Ximon Lee
- Gaby Basora Relaunches Tucker Label
- Paris Right Now: Drama and Edge on the Spring 2016 Runways
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Nature, nostalgia and neon lights are just a few of the themes behind the spring collections.
RELATED STORY: Spring 2014 Designer Inspirations — Part One >>


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CLEARWATER, Fla., Nov. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Morton Plant Hospital has been invited to participate in the second phase of a research study using a minimally invasive procedure to treat patients with severe aortic heart valve stenosis. Called the PARTNER II Trial, the trial is studying transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, where a metal valve is fed through a catheter inserted through an incision made either in the groin, between the ribs, or in the chest wall to replace the diseased aortic valve.
The PARTNER II trial is the follow-up trial to the PARTNER Trial, which demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of the Edwards SAPIEN valve in inoperable patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. The PARTNER trial was the pivotal study that led to the FDA approval of the Edwards SAPIEN valve for inoperable patients in November 2011 and for high-risk patients in October 2012. Since the FDA approval of the SAPIEN valve, Morton Plant Hospital has completed more than 50 TAVR procedures. The PARTNER II trial is designed to study the second generation valve (SAPIEN XT) and delivery system (NovaFlex).
The SAPIEN XT has a smaller profile than the SAPIEN valve. The smaller profile may allow patients who were previously ineligible for the transfemoral approach to now be candidates for TAVR. In the PARTNER II trial, the second generation valve (SAPIEN XT) and delivery system (NovaFlex) are being compared to standard aortic valve replacement for intermediate-risk surgical patients. The Edwards SAPIEN valve is FDA approved for non-operative and/or high-risk surgical patients only.
To qualify for this study, patients must be diagnosed with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis and must be considered intermediate risk or contraindicated for open heart surgery. For more information, please contact the Morton Plant Hospital Valve Clinic at (855) 448-2583.
The Morton Plant Hospital Valve Clinic Team is a multi-disciplinary team of cardiovascular surgeons, cardiologists, and cardiac anesthesiologists focused on working together to determine the best medical or surgical options for each patient. The team will serve on the trial committee and will oversee this multicenter investigational study.
Morton Plant's TAVR program is evaluating patients with severe aortic stenosis for consideration of medical, surgical, and transcatheter approaches for therapy. The Morton Plant Hospital Valve Clinic Team has evaluated more than 150 patients. The team includes: Michael Barry, MD; Gregory Girgenti, MD; Todd Kovach, MD; Lang Lin, MD; John Ofenloch, MD; Joshua Rovin, MD; and Douglas Spriggs, MD.
Morton Plant Hospital continued its legacy as a leader in heart care by performing the first transcatheter aortic valve replacement surgery (TAVR) in the Tampa Bay area. A treatment for severe aortic stenosis, the TAVR procedure is used for patients who were previously considered inoperable or high-risk surgical candidates.
The first two TAVR procedures were performed at Morton Plant Hospital on February 2, 2012. Since then, Morton Plant has completed more than 50 TAVR procedures. Morton Plant also was the first hospital in the Tampa Bay area to offer TAVR by the transapical approach, in which a small incision is made between the ribs of the left lower chest. The replacement valve is then inserted directly into the heart and across the diseased aortic valve.
For TAVR and other specialized heart procedures, Morton Plant constructed a new hybrid operative suite, along with opening a Valve Clinic for the treatment of complex heart valve disorders such as aortic stenosis. Patients receive their surgery and recover in Morton Plant's Morgan Heart Hospital.
For more information about the Morton Plant Hospital's Valve Clinic, call (855) 448-2583 or log on to www.MPMHealth.com/ValveClinic to learn more about TAVR procedure outcomes.
About Aortic Stenosis
Aortic stenosis is a disease process that affects the aortic valve. In late stages of the disease, the valve does not open and close properly. This causes the heart to work harder to push blood through the calcified aortic valve and eventually the heart's muscles weaken, increasing the patient's risk of heart failure.
About Morton Plant Hospital
Established in 1916, Morton Plant Hospital is a 687-bed facility that has built a national reputation for heart care. For three years, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has awarded Morton Plant Hospital's heart surgery program its prestigious overall three-star rating, the highest designation given to hospitals by STS.
Morton Plant is one of only approximately 13 percent of more than 1,000 hospitals with a cardiac surgery program to receive a three-star rating. Morton Plant Hospital is located at 300 Pinellas Street, Clearwater, Fla.
About BayCare Health System
BayCare Health System is a leading community-based health system in the Tampa Bay area. Composed of a network of 10 not-for-profit hospitals, outpatient facilities and services such as imaging, lab, behavioral health and home health care, BayCare provides expert medical care throughout a patient's lifetime. With more than 200 access points conveniently located throughout Tampa Bay, BayCare connects patients to a complete range of preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services for any health care need.
BayCare's family of hospitals are: Mease Countryside, Mease Dunedin, Morton Plant, Morton Plant North Bay, St. Anthony's, St. Joseph's, St. Joseph's Children's, St. Joseph's Hospital-North, St. Joseph's Women's, and South Florida Baptist. For more information, visit BayCare on the Web at www.BayCare.org.
SOURCE Morton Plant Hospital

domain: medical


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The subject, a rather hesitantly drawn, two-arched stone bridge seen from a riverbank with wooded ground rising beyond, is possibly the old crossing over the River Teign west of Chudleigh. This is by comparison with a 1794 watercolour of the bridge with Chudleigh Rocks beyond by the Rev. John Swete; the bridge was scheduled for demolition in late 1814, and replaced by a single-span structure.1 Later trees obscure the view to the rocks, and the proposed identification is largely prompted by the proximity of Chudleigh subjects on folios 2 recto, 3 recto and 4 recto (D09483–D09485).
There may be a coach and horses on the bridge.
See reproduction of the watercolour and photograph of the new bridge at ‘Parish Bridges’, Chudleigh History Group, accessed 30 May 2014, http://www
.chudleighhistorygroup. .com /toll -houses .html
A dark mark at the top left matches one on the opposite page (the verso of D09485; CXXXII 4).

domain: library


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What's Black And White And Sells Medicine?
Published: August 27, 2000
(Page 4 of 4)
Concerned early last year about the growing resistance of bacteria to drugs, a C.D.C. panel of doctors recommended which antibiotics should be used to treat children's ear infections. The panel recommended that a pediatrician's first choice should be amoxicillin, which has been used for years. As a second choice, the panel recommended several drugs made by Pfizer's competitors.
Dr. Dowell, the C.D.C. official, said the panel did not recommend Zithromax because most studies had shown that it was not as effective as the recommended drugs against the bacteria that is the leading cause of children's ear infections, if that bacteria had become resistant. A growing number of ear infections are caused by resistant bacteria, he said.
''We still stand by the recommendations,'' he said. ''The studies that have come out since have supported them.''
But Pfizer moved quickly to offset the recommendations. Soon after they were published, Pfizer paid the Children's Television Workshop to sponsor a season of ''Sesame Street,'' running 15-second Pfizer announcements at the beginning and end of each show.
Then, in an unusual partnership, Pfizer and the Children's Television Workshop produced a video featuring Elmo going to a doctor with an ear infection. Zithromax was not mentioned in the video, which was distributed to doctors and child care centers, but the drug was advertised on a Pfizer Web site, KidsEars.com, where the video was also given away in a drawing.
''We used something kids love,'' Mr. Kelly said, ''to get them past something they don't like.''
Pfizer also paid for a children's health magazine that was produced by the Children's Television Workshop and included Zithromax ads.
What happened next is open to interpretation. The latest sales statistics suggest that the C.D.C.'s recommendations could be changing pediatricians' minds. In the first half of this year, Zithromax sales fell 10 percent, compared with the corresponding period last year. And prescription statistics show that amoxicillin prescriptions began to climb in 1999 after declining for years.
But Mr. Kelly of Pfizer said Zithromax prescriptions fell because the flu season was shorter this year than last, and total sales of all antibiotics declined. Zithromax continues to gain market share, he said.
To make sure it does, Pfizer is working on two new formulations for children, including one that would require only one dose to treat an ear infection instead of five.
The company is also working on a clinical study that could create a huge new market for the drug. The study, nicknamed the Wizard trial, is looking at whether the antibiotic could become part of the treatment for heart disease, the leading cause of death among Americans.
Mr. Steere said the study was an expensive, high-risk gamble. ''But if we win,'' he said, ''we win big.''
Photos: Pfizer created Max, a plastic zebra attached to stethoscopes, to help sell Zithromax. (Joseph Kugielsky for The New York Times); Pfizer and the producer of ''Sesame Street'' made a video featuring Elmo going to a doctor with an ear infection. (Associated Press); Janice Saunders, left, of Pfizer, gave a presentation on the antibiotic Zithromax to Dr. Naomi Jackman in Manhattan. (Chang W. Lee/The New York Times); In late 1998, Pfizer donated a zebra to the San Francisco Zoo. The animal was later named Max, just like the plastic mascot. (Peter DaSilva for The New York Times)(pg. 1); Two Pfizer scientists, Arthur E. Girard, left, and Gene Michael Bright, were involved early on with Zithromax, used to treat children's ear infections. (Thomas McDonald for The New York Times)(pg. 11) Chart: ''Zithromax Vs. Amoxicillin'' Pfizer's antibiotic, Zithromax, is taking business from a rival drug. Chart shows the amount of perscriptions for Zithromax and Amoxicillin since 1995. (Source: IMS Health)(pg. 11) Chart: ''How Pfizer Stacks Up'' Financial data for the combined Pfizer and Warner-Lambert. REVENUE 1999: $27.4 billion 2000 est.: 30.8 billion NET INCOME 1999': $5.18 billion 2000 est.': 6.45 billion WHERE THE 1999 REVENUE WENT Taxes and other: 8.1% Research, development: 14.7% Selling and administration: 39.5% Net income: 18.9% Manufacturing: 18.8% Last year, drug companies spent $1.85 billion marketing directly to consumers. Here is what the biggest companies spent. Glaxo-Wellcome*: $250.1 (in millions) Pfizer+: 193.4 Merck: 192.3 Schering-Plough: 189.7 AstraZeneca: 170.3 Johnson & Johnson: 114.2 Roche: 101.4 SmithKline Beecham*: 75.5 American Home Products: 73.9 Aventis: 72.5 Warner-Lambert+: 63.8 *A merger between Glaxo-Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham is pending and is expected to be completed later this year. +Pfizer and Warner-Lambert merged June 19, 2000. (Sources: Bloomberg Financial Markets; company reports; Ryan, Beck & Co.; IMS Health)(pg. 11)

domain: news


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We had three nights at Gibb's Farm. Best food we got on our whole 3 weeks in Tanzania! Grounds are lovely, take a walk through the veg. garden...it is amazing! Rooms are pretty dark and cold. Very limited hot water the whole three nights we were there. Washed clothes in the sink and nothing dried...cold, damp weather when we were there. Staff was wonderful, very friendly and nice! We would huddle by the small fire in the lounge and have drinks before dinner....would have loved a big roaring fire! Nice hike up to the elephant caves and down the road to Karatu.
- Free Parking
- Breakfast included

domain: travel


text: One of my fave. TV shows are premiering tonight! Hell's Kitchen with Gordan Ramsay! He is hilarious and his Scottish temper is very entertaining! I love his passion for food and perfection which I am a huge fan of, just not so much in the kitchen with him! Catch it on CityTV, Channel 13 (in Vancouver) at 9.00pm!

domain: entertainment


If you’ve bought multiple email accounts, chances are you’re feeling snowed under by the sheer daily volume. Control it before it controls you: a clean inbox will effectively increase your productivity. According to various polls we can spend up to 13 hours a week looking at out virtual mail, writing or responding to messages and checking our Facebook or Twitter accounts. In addition, 28% of people check their emails multiple times a day and over 50% at least once daily.
So for the email enthusiasts, here are some tips to manage your email accounts:
Filter what you want
We don’t want to read every email we receive so get a good spam filter system to sort the wheat from the chaff. Trust it to do its job but glance at the contents of the junk folder now and again to check it hasn’t thrown out anything you actually want. Take a look Google’s Priority Inbox System or Apples VIP: fight! as a great example. It will remember your habits, what you ditch and what you open and you can adjust settings to avoid mistakes.
Others, like Email Tray, have an anti-phishing function that will show corporate logos or red markers so that you know what is genuine and what is spam. Some will allow you to reschedule messages that are not urgent but will need to be addressed at some future point.
There’s an app for that
Find an app or a Gmail widget which allows you to preview images, feeds, videos that are coming into your inbox so that you can decide which to follow and which to ignore.
Decide what is personal and important and what can wait or be deleted quickly. Use temporary mail addresses for anything that is not personal so that you can delete contact in the future if it gets full of spam or you encounter any problems.
Manage your time and your inbox will follow
Set yourself a block of time each day to check your inbox and keep to it. It is so easy to get distracted so stick to your schedule and keep your inbox in check.
Don’t answer immediately
Once you answer a message instantly you can often get locked in an ongoing conversation so refrain from sending instant responses, even to friends. Finish checking your emails before beginning your responses – that way once you’ve finished you can close your emails down until next time rather than getting caught in multiple conversations.
Turn off notifications
To avoid being alerted to new messages, turn off notification features on your phone and other smart devices. Unsubscribe to anything that you don’t want to be updated on regularly by adjusting settings for groups, pages and other accounts on these sites.
Finally, the easiest way to manage your inbox is to be ruthless. Don’t spend more time than you have to sifting through messages and be very careful about who you give this important contact detail to. Always make sure unsubscribe boxes are ticked when setting up accounts with online retailers, for example, and considering setting up a separate account which you use purely for business or job hunting purposes to differentiate between that and your personal correspondence.


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Statement on Baraboo High School Photo
We are alarmed by the disturbing display of anti-Semitism by a group of Baraboo High School students.
We are alarmed by the disturbing display of anti-Semitism by a group of Baraboo High School students. Though the incident apparently took place last May, it reflects a rising swell of anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry. We are particularly concerned with the prevalence of bigotry within schools; more than 25 percent of all the recorded anti-Semitic incidents in Wisconsin last year took place among students or on campus. We have witnessed numerous egregious incidents targeting African Americans, Latinos, and other minority groups.
We appreciate the school district’s comment and look forward to working with them to prevent any future such incidents. As we know, acts of hate begin with hateful expressions. Such expressions must be a call to action for schools and families to educate youth to respect diversity and to embrace difference. The values that will hold us together must be taught and reinforced, lest we see the continued rise of hate and its consequences.
Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation
Jewish Federation of Madison
Wisconsin Jewish Conference
Congregation Emanu El B’ne Jeshurun Social Action Committee
Greater Milwaukee Synod, ELCA, The Rev. Paul D. Erickson, Bishop
Just Be Hope United Methodist Center, Rev. Deborah Thompson
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of Wisconsin
MA’RUF — Aamer Ahmed, President
Masjid Al Qur’an Milwaukee, Hafiz Muhammad Shafique
Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church, Rev. Tory V. Topjian, Senior Pastor
Milwaukee Zen Center, Rev. Tonen O’Connor, Resident Priest Emerita
Milwaukee Islamic Dawah Center
The Spark Wisconsin, Rabbi Moishe Steigmann
Wisconsin Conference, United Church of Christ, Rev. Franz Rigert, Conference Minister
Underwood Memorial Baptist Church, Rev. Kate Fields, Pastor
University of Wisconsin Hillel Foundation
Wisconsin Council of Churches, Rev. Kerri Parker, Executive Director
Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, Rabbi Bonnie Margolis
YWCA Southeast Wisconsin
Rabbi Mordechai Cohen, Director of Religious Programming, Park Plaza Retirement Center, Chicago
Rev. Dr. Steven Hecky, United Church of Christ – Wisconsin
Rev. Erik Koepnick
Tim McMurtry II, Associate Pastor, World Outreach Center and State Director, Christians United for Israel – Wisconsin
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by Milwaukee Jewish Federation
Announcing the Milwaukee Jewish Federation Journalism Prize for Tolerance and Democracy
Wherever you are on Oct. 27, you can send a message of solidarity to the Pittsburgh community.


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I am master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.
Failure so often hates the very sight of success. Speaking with successful men, I have noticed they speak in complimentary terms of other men who are succeeding. Their attitude is not one of envy, but of willingness to learn from others.
The object of your definite chief aim should become your "hobby." You should ride this "hobby" continuously; you should sleep with it, eat with it, play with it, work with it, live with it and THINK with it.


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Employees from TUI Destination Experiences are cleaning beaches again this year. As part of "Beach Clean" activities, colleagues meet on the beaches of holiday destinations and collect everything that does not belong there. This year, already 23 such beach cleans took place. More than 700 TUI employees as well as employees of partner hotels, local organizations and also some guests took part.
42.5 kilometers of beach have been cleaned this year, 726 garbage bags have been filled with 5334 kg of garbage, especially plastic. In August and September alone, 21 Beach Cleans are planned. Particularly active were colleagues in Greece with six beach cleans, but also colleagues in Turkey and Italy (with 3 events each).
In addition, TUI Group's largest hotel brand RIU makes an important contribution to avoiding plastic waste. The RIU hotels in Spain and Portugal as well as Cape Verde have been offering compostable straws to their guests since this summer. Likewise, RIU is planning to incorporate them into its hotels in America as of 2019. This will produce less plastic waste and protect the environment. The new drinking straws are 100 percent biodegradable and also compostable.
More information about the sustainability commitment of the TUI Group can be found in the sustainability report 2017.


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BOOK TWO OF THE DINOCALYPSE TRILOGY!
Thrown through time and space, Jet Black and his friends find themselves in a future that has changed everything they’ve ever known. Hunted, exhausted, and desperate to return home, they must stay one step ahead of the conquering psychosaurs who have taken over the world and enslaved humanity!
But as the world changed, so did the people they left behind.... [click here for more]
BOOK THREE OF THE DINOCALYPSE TRILOGY!
A BATTLE IN THE PAST... TO SAVE THE FUTURE!
A time portal deposits the Centurions into the wilds of prehistory, where Gorilla Khan and his ape warriors are preparing for their invasion of present day. They’ll have to defeat the Conqueror Ape, save the domed city of Atlantis, and destroy the army of psychic dinosaurs before it can... [click here for more]
LOST ON THE RED PLANET!
When erudite ape Professor Khan and rough-and-tumble cowboy Bulls-Eye Gutierrez are zapped away on a one-way trip to Mars, they are thrown into a world in chaos. Under the malevolent gaze of the Weather Witch, Princess Cyclone, our heroes face the intrigue and war raging across an alien world. Will they survive long enough for the other Centurions to build... [click here for more]
JUSTICE WILL BE DONE!
Some girls languish under the weight of a broken heart, but not Amelia Stone. After a youthful encounter with the villain known as le Monstre aux Yeux Verts,Amelia is left with regrets—and a stalwart determination to right the wrongs of the world.
Years later, when world-renowned performer Josephine Baker becomes the target of a nefarious plot,... [click here for more]
If curiosity killed the cat, Benjamin Hu could solve the crime…
But Benjamin’s latest mystery has nothing to do with feline assassins. With the aid of his bodyguard-slash-cook Clayton and special computational agent Dr. Fang Mei, Benjamin pursues a cult with nefarious plans of a mathemagical nature. The Red Lands Cult has gotten their hands on a Methuselah Equation, and anything... [click here for more]


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String Poets Quartets are a great choice for your wedding ceremony. The ensembles have performed over 2000 weddings and are made up of talented musicians. They can perform classical, jazz, and modern music.
These unusually talented string ensembles set assurance to create a wonderful and unforgettable ambience at your event, bringing a touch of sophistication to your wedding ceremony, drinks reception or dinner.
We will fill the space with enchanting music that will make your ceremony extra special. You can even have them play the recessional song as you walk back up the aisle. If you want a more personalized experience, you can upgrade the group to include a vocalist.
The string quartet comprises cello, viola, and a double violin, the ideal recipe to accompany a reception or for entertaining your guests at your reception drinks. Available for hire as a trio or duo The band offers an extensive repertoire of music that can be customized for every occasion.
Surprise that special someone in your life by sending the professional romantic String Poets Trio perfect for marriage proposals, anniversaries and valentine’s day!
String Poets Ensemble is made from only the best well-known and talented people from May, TX each having extensive experience performing in studios, orchestras, as well as on international and national stages.
If you're searching for experienced and friendly wedding ceremony musicians located in the May, TX area and would like to inquire about a string quartet, contact us today.
May, TX Wedding Music | May, TX Wedding Musicians | May, TX Wedding Ceremony Music | May, TX Ceremony Music | May, TX Ceremony Musicians | May, TX. Wedding Ceremony Musicians | May, TX Wedding Entertainment | May, TX String Quartet | May, TX String Musicians | May, TX Classical Music | May, TX Classical Musicians | May, TX Wedding Reception Music | May, TX String Trio | Wedding String Quartet |
The String Poets Trio that performed at our wedding reception was exceptional. They were extremely professional, incredibly talented and not only met but exceeded our expectations. They were fabulous and I would recommend them to anyone. They provided a beautiful musical backdrop to our wedding reception. Bravo!!!
Hi Radhi, I am writing to let you what an amazing addition you and your string quartet were to the wedding. I only wish I could have been more appreciative on Sunday and that I could have talked with you at length, but alas, I was quite caught up in my wedding. When I first heard you playing I was getting ready in the bridal quarters and, while I am proud to say that I did not cry at all during my wedding, I almost became a faucet when I first heard you play! It was so beautiful! When I heard you play the very first notes, it was like my wedding was starting at that very moment and the whole day was brought to life. It was at that moment that it all began, as all my bridesmaids and flower girls prepared for the processional and scampered around the room to the lovely music that you played. All of my guests have repeated the sentiments to me that you added a beautiful touch to the event. I will recommend you for future weddings or any lovely event where your playing would be appropriate. You are a very talented man for having put together such an amazing group, but even more importantly, you espouse a love and happiness that transcends your music. The extra effort that you made to specialize the songs was more than many others would have done for me! Last, when you played my first dance, "Stand By Me," it was a dream come true and I will cherish that moment always. Deepest and sincere thanks,
"String Poets are talented and generous. Our memorial service at Wolftrap was a challenge as it included a classical set, a dove release and several secular pieces interspersed within a program. Extraordinary musicians and professionals, the String poets hit every challenging entry, page turn and pause. As a modest singer, I would recommend String Poets to enhance any gig. They make you sound like a star. Their accompaniment to Josh Groban piece ("To Where You Are") was straight from heaven
The String Poets did an amazing job providing all the music for our wedding, from ceremony processional and recessional to cocktail hour to reception! These musicians are amazing, incredibly professional, and their sound is amazing. They also have an incredible repertoire, and had all of the pieces we wanted for our Jewish ceremony. Radhi Santos, the contact for the String Poets, was fantastic to work with- he was always very approachable and dedicated to making sure that we got exactly the lovely string quartet music we wanted. All in all, fantastic!! I highly recommend them.
Wanted to take a quick moment to thank all of you for the amazing performance last night. I just wish I could have been there longer, but our guests were blown away by the strings. Everything was perfect and really added to a great wedding day. Thanks again. Derek A.
String Poets set the tone for the entire wedding with their beautiful music and tone. I am a professional musician and I was very particular with the music for my son's wedding. Radhi Santos was excellent to work with and impressed my son's fiance with the time that he spent with her planning songs for the ceremony. I would highly recommend String Poets to anyone. The group is made up of professional musicians who perform as principals with major area orchestras. They are highly trained and take pride in their work. Thank you String Poets for making my son and daughter in law's wedding such a beautiful occasion.
I couldn't have been more pleased. These guys sounded just perfect! They played a non-traditional piece for me as I walked down the aisle - Dvorak's Humoresque No.7 as well as other pieces we selected for the reception. They are finely skilled musicians and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a string trio (they also have a string quartet) for their event.


In July of 2010, Sondra “Sosa” Arquiett was arrested on drug charges. Her mobile phone was confiscated, and along with it, dozens of personal photographs, including some that were “revealing and/or suggestive,” according to Arquiett’s lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims that DEA agent Timothy Sinnigen then used those photos to set up a counterfeit Facebook account in which he pretended to be Arquiett, though cunningly changing her name to Sondra Prince.
“I miss Hovie,” one post read, without clarifying who – or what – Hovie is.
Sinnigen friended people, exchanged messages, and by all accounts had a grand time.
Not having a Facebook account herself, Arquiett said she discovered the impersonation after a relative asked why she was posting such provocative photos.
The plan was to use the phony account to lure in other drug dealers, which Arquiett’s lawsuit says placed her “in danger,” partially because it could lead fugitives to her front door, but also because it made it seem like Arquiett was “willfully cooperating in his investigation of the narcotics trafficking ring.”
Sinnigen also posted photos of Arquiett’s young child and niece, potentially placing them in harm’s way, as well.
Initially, the Justice Department claimed that Arquiett had “implicitly consented by granting access to the information stored in her cellphone and by consenting to the use of that information…” While the department is reviewing its policies, it has admitted no wrongdoing on the part of Sinnigen.
“The Department of Justice promised to review the behavior at issue in this incident and today we have found a fair resolution to this case,” U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian said in a statement.
The sting operation did manage to ensnare two fugitives who were fooled by the account.
The case bears resemblance to a similar 2007 sting, in which the FBI concocted a fake Associated Press story to trick a suspect into clicking the web link and revealing his location.
While FBI Director James Comey defended his agency’s actions, the Associated Press cried foul and is still “reviewing options” for further action.


More than 70 CSOs working in the field of human rights have called on the UN Human Rights Council to maintain support for the National Committee for Investigating Into Alleged Human Rights Abuses.
In a joint letter addressed to the UNHRC president, Joaquín Alexander MazaMartelli, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights ZeidRa'adand the member ambassadors of the UNHRC, the CSOs said, "the National Committee for Investigating Into Alleged Human Rights Abuses has and still been playing a great an serious role in investigating into all human rights abuses."
The organizations highly valued the Committee's "transparent investigation into the alleged abuses attributed to all warring parties with no bias." The statement said that the Committee.culminated its investigation efforts "by the issuance of three monthly reports" which indicate what methodology is followed in conducting its mission amidst delicate political and security circumstances.
The CSOs expressed their hope that "the UNHRC will maintain its support for the Committee for several reasons including that the Committee serves the interests of the Yemeni people and guarantees the preservation of its rights."
The CSOs warned against wasting the Committee's two efforts in the name of replacing it with international investigation committee, which only constitutes a backdown from the UNSC relevant resolutions, the mission of the Punishments Committee and its affiliate experts panel formed by resolution no. 2140.
The CSOs said that " transitional justice and national reconciliation are national dimension issues" and that the internationalizing of investigations will affect the efforts that the UN envoy IsmaiilOuldCheikh Ahmed is exerting to secure peace and limit the political options available."
The CSOs said that the Yemeni people are more deserving and worthy of the financial resources that will be spent for years on the international investigation panel/committee in case of being formed.
The CSOs said: "Since one of the UNHRC's goals is to promote the rule of law in the UN member nations and to ensure that crime perpetrators don't go unpunished, then it is required to promote the role of the state institutions and not allow outlawed groups to disintegrate the state by the use of force."
Presidential Committee for Opening Roads accuses Houthis of one-upmanship and indifference to human suffering
Yemen, Russia discuss parliamentary, economic cooperation
Health minister conducts inspection visits to health facilities in Marib
Finance, Defense ministers discuss paying salaries of displaced employees
Sana'a: Sixteen abductees and forcibly disappeared killed and 134 others injured in a year in Houthi-run jails
Water Minister: Government is doing its outmost to avoid ship Rubymar disaster
PM arrives in Moscow on a state-visit to Russian Federation
Houthi terrorist militia's landmine kills, injures five in Jawf highway
Al-Arada reiterates political leadership's resolve to upgrade armed forces' capabilities
PM orders emergency panel be set up to handle Rubymar crisis.


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Braised shin in red wine with buttered porcini mushrooms
- 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- 1,2kg free-range shins, bones in and excess fat trimmed
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 200ml red wine
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 800g tinned, chopped tomatoes
- 375ml (1½ cups) chicken stock
- 5ml (1 tsp) sugar
- 25g dried porcini mushrooms
- 200g fresh exotic mushrooms, sliced
- 30g butter
- vegetables/creamy polenta, to serve (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Heat a little of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season the shins on both sides with salt and pepper, then brown the meat on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add a little more olive oil to the same pot and sauté the onions until softened. Add the celery, carrot and garlic and cook, 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and allow to reduce by a third. Add the herbs, tomatoes, stock and sugar. Return the meat to the pot, cover with a lid and cook in the preheated oven, 3 hours.
Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in 250ml (1 cup) warm water for 25 minutes.
Heat the butter in a pan over high heat and cook the fresh exotic mushrooms, 10 minutes. Drain the soaking mushrooms and reserve 125ml (½ cup) of the liquid. Add the soaked porcini mushrooms to the pan-fried mushrooms and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add the reserved soaking liquid and all of the mushrooms to the meat dish. Adjust the seasoning and serve with a side of vegetables or creamy polenta, if desired.

domain: food


text: EstateGuru is the leading European marketplace for property financing and investing. We operate in 8 countries, serving 100 000 investors of over 100 nationalities. Our mission is to make property financing and investing attainable for anyone, anywhere in the world. Our talented team of 100+ top-notch professionals is all about growth, both in terms of the business and on a personal level. Our core values are determination, boldness, and freedom to embrace diversity. We practice empathy and honesty every step of the way.


SOLD - 1943 Nazi Mauser P.38
Availability: Out of stock
3061m - 14305
1/26/21 - This is an all matching and original Nazi Mauser P.38 from October or November of 1943. Original blue rates at about 93-94%, with most of the wear on the left side of the barrel and top of the barrel, visible through the ejection port. Bore is shiny with strong rifling, but minor frost throughout. Excellent reddish-brown grips. Original Mauser magazine. Good mechanically, including de-cocker.
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Wale hinted at a potential upcoming collaboration for the second time on Twitter.
The hint came after Rap Monster had sung part of the pairs first collaboration on a live stream, prompting ARMY to tweet Wale.
— 3motion (@__3motion_suga9) June 25, 2017
Rap Monster worked with Wale previously on “Change” a single that deals with social and political unrest and a call for change.
Needless to say, we’re all ready to see what’s coming next after that fiery collaboration.
— ✨you're with the stars now✨ (@earthyjimin) June 25, 2017


ESTA is extending the range of its tried and tested DUSTOMAT 4 series and now also offers the dust extractors as IFA-tested welding fume filters.
High separation efficiency with efficient device operation
The combination of high separation performance and the simultaneous high efficiency of the device offers users a central benefit: clean air with low running costs. The EasyControl controller, developed in-house, takes care of the latter. By the interplay of sophisticated sensor technology and a frequency converter, it tricks conventional control systems with up to 50 % power savings. The extraction power can be adjusted manually as well as automatically.
Powerful performance to cope with welding fumes
ESTA offers the DUSTOMAT 4 welding fume filter with W3 certificate in two capacities up to a maximum air volume flow of 3,300 cubic meters per hour. The devices can be quickly and easily exchanged in almost any production process and are suitable as a single or multi-station solution for direct extraction (e. g. on welding robots). Optionally, collection hoods, extraction arms and smaller pipe systems can be connected, so it is always highly flexible in use.
Versions for every requirement
The extraction technology specialist offers the DUSTOMAT 4 line for both welding fumes as well as for dusts and chips. Whether as the eco + version, with W3 certificate, in ATEX-compliant design, with H-mark or with Industry 4.0 functions, the devices represent a suitable extraction solution for almost every application.
DUSTOMAT 4 WELDING FUME FILTER WITH W3 CERTIFICATE


text:
Jun 16, 2021
In this episode you will learn:
Welcome back to the Be That 1% Podcast, today I am recording on the road. In this episode I am talking about a subject that has great importance and that can add structure to your life. It can provide a guiding force for you, help you make better decisions, control how you show up as a person and it can influence who you surround yourself with. Today, you'll learn about the importance of having a personal philosophy and how to create one in 5 steps.
Expand your mindset with James:


text:
Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrives at the San Siro! Will he make a difference?
The whole world knew that the veteran striker was a free agent after leaving LA Galaxy earlier this month. Ibrahimovic netted 52 goals in 56 appearances for the MLS side. With this, he proved that he still has the capability to play at a higher level.
Despite being 38 years old, the Swede was linked to many clubs around the world in recent weeks, one of them being Ancelotti’s Everton. But it seems that it was just a matter of time before he made a return to Serie A.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic made a sensational return to Serie A with AC Milan. It was reported on Boxing Day that Milan were confident of reaching an agreement with the player, but as per the reputed, Sky Italia and Guardian journalist, Fabrizio Romano, a deal has surely been agreed.
There were several meetings held as Milan stepped up their efforts to sign the former Barcelona, PSG and Manchester United star. As said, Milan will be offering the striker a six-month contract worth £3 million.
Zlatan, who won the Serie A title during his previous spell at San Siro has been recalled to help Milan restore their glory days. The Rossoneri has been going through a rough patch for the past few years and this signing could prove to be the catalyst to turn things around.
The former Swede international has signed a deal until the end of the season, with the option to extend it into the 2020-21 campaign. Ibrahimovic told Milan’s website that he is coming back to a club that he has huge respect for and also to the city that he still loves.
Zlatan left Milan in 2012 after an impressive season and joined PSG. Milan are 11th in the Serie A table, 14 points adrift of the top four, and were thrashed 5-0 by Atalanta in their last outing.
featured image credits- dailymail.co.uk


Tussencolloquium – Nahide Soyal
Tijd: 11:30 - 12:30
Sluiting inschrijving: niet van toepassing
Creep of aluminium in fire conditions
Aluminum alloys experience large reductions to their elastic stiffness, proof strength, ultimate strength and creep strength when heated over the range of 100â€“400 â—¦C, which is well below the temperature of many fires. As a result, aluminum structures can distort, buckle and collapse within a short time when exposed to a hot fire. The constitutive behavior of aluminum alloys at elevated temperatures is dominated by creep. This makes aluminum structures relatively sensitive to fire.


text:
Animated GIFs have remained a standard in basic online media over the years. Social media platforms like Tumblr thrive on them, and a single GIF reaching viral status can have a big impact on your social strategy and success. They are also great for creating animated instructions that will auto-play the steps on Twitter, Pinterest, and now Facebook.
Health care facilities, pharmaceutical companies and those working in medical research make good use of 3D medical animation for in-person demonstrations, public broadcasts, websites, social media and investor relations. 3D medical animation is effective in creating brand awareness and for presentations of concepts and products that are in the development stage.
Vyond lets you create videos easily with our library of templates, sounds, props, and so much more. Great for training your distributed workforce or achieving higher conversion rates for your marketing team — while being flexible and affordable enough for any organization. Vyond is the essential tool for creating content that drives positive business outcomes. Start transforming generic content into dynamic results in minutes.
Please review the portfolio of our work shown on the 3D animation demo reels, and our client list to understand why Ghost Productions remains a pioneering leader among the best medical 3D animation companies. We are ready to create a stunning 3D medical animation video for you — and look forward to working with you. Contact us today to get started with a quote and proposal for your project.
Hi Aira, Anastasia Melet from Animatron here. Our customers frequently use whiteboard animation videos for business for a number of reasons, with one of the most compelling being that normally whiteboard videos are cheaper to produce since they involve only text and simple illustrations and do not require particular detalization. Besides, whiteboard animation is very versatile and can be applied when creating explainer videos, product demos, presentations, etc., you name it. I personally appreciate whiteboard style for being universal which means that those videos are understandable by almost any audience, in any part of the world, speaking any language. It’s important when, for example, you have to promote your product or service on overseas markets. Hope it helps! Cheers
Whether you want to become a YouTube star or just capture and share your happiest moments, Movavi Video Editor puts you just a few clicks away from creating stunning videos. This easy-to-use app will help you create a movie with music and special effects, even if you’ve never done anything like it before. Download Movavi Video Editor for PC or Mac and start making videos right away!
Video has become the most powerful way for businesses and marketers to sell & engage with their target audiences online. But this is not just about having a video. Video is an online reflection of your business and visitors judge your business based on experience from watching your video. All it takes for your visitor to turn away from your website forever is a bad first impression caused by a non-appealing video.
Using Adobe Spark as a free video maker simply couldn’t be easier. After selecting the “Video” option from the main menu, you’ll be taken to a title screen — where you can give your video project a title. Enter some text, or skip this stage and head straight to the design interface. Don’t worry if you want to change the title later, as you can make unlimited changes to text. You then get the opportunity to choose a video template or start the design process from scratch.
Each item in a scene takes up one row on the timeline. The gray bar is how long the media is animated for and can be dragged along the timeline to change when it appears on the screen. The order each media item appears in vertically is the order in which appears to be stacked (i.e. topmost items are the most forward and visible), but the arrangement of the gray bars determines which elements animate and appear first.
The steps are easy to follow, and the interface rather intuitive. You can edit the GIFs with overlay text and images, apply image filters, and more. It is a great tool for making preview animations for longer videos to post on Pinterest, your blog, Instagram, and beyond. It does cost $4.99, but it is well worth the price if you are planning on regularly making GIF files.


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Court Order Allowing Immigration Officials to Restore DACA, Accepting First-time Applicants
December 8, 2020
Under a recent court order, the Trump administration reinstated a program created under President Obama which will shield undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as minors from deportation. This program, entitled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), is now accepting initial applications for the first time in three years. Started in 2012, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security states that this program will grant approved applicants work permits and deportation deferrals that last for two years. This will also allow DACA-holders to travel abroad under certain circumstances. The restoration of President Obama’s immigration policy is a major victory for over 600,000 current DACA recipients as well as over 300,000 undocumented immigrant teens and young adults who could be eligible for DACA.
DACA is an immigration policy that defers deportation of individuals who were unlawfully brought to the U.S. as children. To be eligible for DACA, applicants must have arrived in the United Sates before they were 16. They must also have lived in the country since 2007 and earned a high school diploma or have served in the military. An applicant may not be eligible if they have a serious criminal record or any felonies.
Every year, immigration laws get updated and changed, which can be confusing for those who are trying to obtain citizenship. If you have questions or concerns regarding DACA and its reinstatement, contact the Philadelphia immigration lawyers at the MC Law Group, LLC for more information. Our legal team is highly skilled in immigration laws and will ensure that the legal rights that you have in the U.S. are protected and enacted. Call us at 215-496-0690 or contact us online for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, we serve clients throughout the tri-state area, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and nationwide.

domain: politics


I was inspired by Moralrat's walker builds.
I had planned to make it look like a spider, however working with braces instead of wood or changing the shape made it too flexible to work. So I just put a repeater catapult in there.
I and K control the left legs. O and L control the right legs.
/ shoots the catapult.
Use 1,2,3 and 4 to load the second bomb.
Use 5,6,7 and 8 to load the third bomb.


text:
I heard that this small island off the coast of Kenya (and fairly close to Somalia) rivals Zanzibar for the title “Paradise on Earth.” Since I have not been to Zanzibar, I was not sure what to expect from Lamu either. However, I think even if I had had expectations upon embarking on our weekend getaway to the coast, they would have been exceeded…
The journey started at Nairobi’s Wilson airport /airstrip. This is where a lot of the small (emphasis on this) internal flights leave. My most recent trips have always been across borders and so I have become used to the nuisances when flying and thus was armed for liquid policies, long security checks etc… At Wilson, however, flying becomes a whole new experience. It started with the liquid policy. All of us, in our group of 10, were carrying at least 2 bottles of some beverage (as Lamu is a dry island), so we asked at the check in desk (where they asked you to identify your name, but did not require you to show a ticket or any identification) what their liquid policy was. They said they had one, which made us all very nervous. They said that if we put all our bottles in one bag then we could carry that bag through. Apparently this was the policy.
Then we proceeded through the non-existent security check – I think the security guard’s exact words were “are you carrying anything dangerous?” and a quick pat of my shoulders and I was through. At the airstrip, with the open air departure lounge, where we waited for our 12-seater plane, there was a duty free shop. The shop had a sign that you could only purchase goods if you held a ticket for an international flight. Given that there is one flight to Kilimanjaro every two days and all the rest are domestic flights, I am not sure how they make the big bucks.
The plane ride was much smoother than I had anticipated. In fact, I had been terrified before boarding the plane, as it has been a very long time since I had been on a plane that small. The security instructions consisted of our pilot turning to us and saying, “Please fasten your seatbelts.” Apparently the whole switching off your mobile phone is a lot of nonsense as we could very happily continue texting and searching the internet (for those with smart phones – which now includes ME 🙂 ) without a problem. Take off (and later landing) were relatively smooth, as was the flight. It just takes the plane a little bit longer to reach its cruising altitude, so all in all a positive experience. There is something slightly disconcerting, however, about being able to fully observe the every move of your one pilot – especially when he looks like he is falling asleep or confused about something.
Flying over Kenya’s very diverse and beautiful landscape also reminded me why people actually come here for holidays (it is definitely not because of Nairobi):
We arrived at Manda airstrip, which again is an airstrip next to a shack, that functions as an arrival and departure hall. Then we took our boat taxi from Manda Island across to where we were staying at Shela Beach on Lamu Island. Now, at this point I also have to mention that a really lovely friend organized the whole trip and we did not really know what awaited us in terms of accommodation etc… What we walked into was truly amazing. It turns out that it was in fact the holiday residence of the Peugeot family (i.e. the car owners). It was a five-bedroom villa with a beautiful pool that looked out on the sea (and apparently the only triangular pool in East Africa). There was a wonderful staff that literally attended to all our needs and a chef that made the most amazing Swahili meals three times a day (fresh fish, fresh seafood, coconut rice etc…):
In one of the bedrooms there was a copy of the August 2010 issue of Architectural Digest – and the villa was not only featured in an 8-page spread, it also made the front cover. It was really a taste of how the other side of the world live.
A large part of Lamu’s charm is the fact that it is very untouched. There are a few tourists and villa’s belonging to very rich people (e.g. the Peugeot family and the Prince of Monaco), but otherwise it is best described as sleepy. A friend and I decided to go to the beach before breakfast one morning. There was only one track of footprints in the sand but otherwise we had the whole stunning beach to ourselves.
You can walk to Lamu town from Shela beach during low tide, however, at high tide you have to take a boat taxi. Most boat taxis are named after a Prophet or other religious figure. Ours, however, had a much funkier name:
Lamu town is a very refreshing break from Nairobi as it has no cars. To get around the town’s very narrow streets, you have to either walk or use donkeys. I have never seen so many donkeys in one place and so they fascinated me. They are very cute, very serene and can carry unbelievable amounts on their backs. I decided I want to try and ride a donkey. I think my exact words, about a minute into the ride, were “I understand now why we ride horses.” They are not particularly comfortable animals and also it is sometimes frustrating as you feel that at the pace they are going, you could be walking faster. Its actually quite funny, as the things we complain about in Nairobi, i.e. traffic and matatus nearly running you over as pedestrians, play true in Lamu too – except with donkeys. You get donkey traffic jams and they will not give way to you either. But I would definitely take donkeys over matatus any day.
Another main feature of Lamu are the Dhows. These are boats with large triangular sails that seat about 10-15 people. On Saturday night, we took a 2.5 hour Dhow ride into the sunset. It was absolutely incredible. The sunset brought with it so many different colours in the sky (I am not a great photographer, but the scenery really just made it easy to take great pictures):
And then to top it all off, there was a full moon.
Yes, we were sitting on a boat sipping wine, with my friend strumming his guitar under the full moon and stars. Now if that isn’t a cliché…
So as you can tell by the length and detail of this blog post, it was a trip to paradise. I will definitely be going back and I hope it provides inspiration enough for you to come and visit me.
One last funny anecdote to finish off with: Lamu is an extremely safe place (another plus point over Nairobi) and you can walk around at night without a problem. It also means that doors to houses are usually open and people wander in and out. On our first day there we were all lounging by the pool when a woman walked in. She said that her name was “Batty” and that she was the local masseuse that could take care of our “stiffs.” On a pamphlet that she left us that listed her services, it said that she was an expert in a technique called “twisting.” Needless to say, none of us felt much like having a massage.
Note: For the full set of the 171 best photos of my trip to Lamu, please see my facebook profile.

domain: geography