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New Member
Date Joined Aug 2009
Total Posts : 5
Posted 8/12/2009 7:07 PM (GMT -6)
Hi, New here.
I am in a huge dilemma. First off, I was put on Topamax for my migraines years ago and it worked really well but I started to get high pressure in my eyes and was taken off of it. Well I went back on it with a different doctor, the one I see now, and I started getting visual side effects and facial numbness/tingling amongst other things. I went and saw my ophthalmologist who said I needed to be off the medication (also found optic nerve swelling). So I tapered off of the medication. Well I have tried just about
everything preventative for the migraines and they are back real bad. The neurontin was a no go, the depakote was no go and the notriptyline interacted with one of my other medications causing muscle jerks but did not work anyway. I have been taking Midrin for a long time to stop the migraines and way back in the day before they were daily it worked real well to stop them. I should also mention I already take Toprol for my hypertension.
So anyway the migraines/headaches are daily now and almost at the same time every day. Nothing seems to make them go away. I am stuck with Tylenol as I am allergic to NSAID's and the Midrin is not working long enough. It provides short relief. I am on Zonegran now as a preventative and so far it is not helping either. My pain now sticks to one side of my head and my nose runs often. My old headaches were regular migraines without aura. I don't know why things are changing. I have also been plagued with sex headaches (migraines) that have started about
a little over a month ago. I feel like I am in headache hell.
I feel like my neurologist is doing nothing to help me. I have seen him once this year for less than 2 minutes because I wasn't "scheduled to see him" and have only seen the nurse practitioner. They have done two MRI's and one MRA which they stated were normal other than an incidental hemangioma found on my cervical MRI. I really need someone who is going to help me as I feel they aren't. There HAS to be something they haven't done that can be done. I am considering changing neurologists especially because I never get to see the actual doctor.
Anyone have any words of advice or help for me? What would you do? Thanks!
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Regular Member
Date Joined May 2007
Total Posts : 328
Posted 8/12/2009 7:40 PM (GMT -6)
Did your visual disturbances stop once the Topamax left your system? Also how many times do you think you take Midrin or Tylenol each week and at what dose? You've probably been told this before but using analgesic medications more than a few times a week can perpetuate your headaches or even transform episode headaches to chronic ones.
Have you tried any neuroleptic medications as abortives? Also, what about
the more common triptans (Imitrex, Maxalt, Relpax, etc) or DHE?
And what about
interventional treatments? Any outpatient infusions or planned hospitalizations for IV DHE or Lidocaine? Have you had nerve blocks or trigger point injections? Or Botox treatment? Any alternative treatments like biofeedback, acupuncture, physical therapy, chiropractice, etc? Have your tried any psychological treatment (medication or therapy based)? I don't ask this to imply that you have any sort of psychological problem but because psychological treatment often compliments other headache treatments.
Also have you been able to isolate any major headache triggers? Keeping a headache diary or log can help with this. Additionally, making dietary changes can help you find whether any foods might affect your headaches.
Sorry to ask so many questions but I really need a better idea of your situation to give good advice. From what you posted it sounds like you've had a rough time and have tried a lot, though it also sounds like there are a lot of things that you haven't tried. Let's see if we can help you!
DX: NDPH, Recovered(?) CRPS
RX: Lamictal, Concerta (Methylphenidate), Clonazepam, Wellbutrin XL, Namenda, Rozerem, Magnesium (1000 mg/d), Riboflavin (400 mg/d).
Ketamine nasal spray
, Oxycodone, Toradol, Celebrex, Haloperidol, Lodine, Migranal, Zofran, Phenergan, Thorazine, DHE IM, Droperidol IM, Reglan, Ambien CR, Provigil, all triptans
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New Member
Date Joined Aug 2009
Total Posts : 5
Posted 8/12/2009 8:16 PM (GMT -6)
Yes the visual disturbances stopped once I was off the Topamax. I take the Midrin about
twice to three times a week at most. I was told by the nurse practitioner it would begin to stop working if I used it too much so I will sometimes just deal with the pain and go without the med. I very rarely use the Tylenol now because it just doesn't work, so I would say once a week I give one extra strength dosing a shot to see if it will work. I am unsure of the dosing of my midrin, the script
label does not specify each drug ingredient dosing but does say I am allowed one per headache and up to three in a 24 hour period. I generally take one and sometimes a second one, if they don't work I give up on the Midrin. I don't know if that is fair for me to do so but that is how I handle it.
The triptans like Zomig I was told I could not take due to my hypertension. I found this out after using Zomig before I was diagnosed with my hypertension and I had an episode of chest/jaw and arm pain the second time I used it for a migraine. The Imitrex never worked when I tried it many years ago and the new Imitrex drug derivative that came out has the NSAID which I am allergic to. I think I had tried Relpax and got no response from it at all.
No Botox, No trigger point injections and no nerve blocks have I ever tried. They have never been offered to me. I have tried physical therapy which seemed to aggravate them worse. Actually I do have psych treatment. I am on medication currently. The only trigger I have noted is if I am just starting to doze and fall asleep and someone or something wakes me up even gently it is like something explodes in my head and an instant headache/migraine begins. I don't have the greatest of sleep habits as some days I suffer from terrible insomnia and then some days I sleep for very long amounts so that could be a contributing factor. Other than that I can only see diet as being another trigger. I will use your suggestion and keep a journal for awhile and see if I can figure out what triggers them. I am on quite a few medications for different illnesses but have been on most of them a long time before the migraines got this bad. So I am not sure they are related. My only new medication is the one to help the migraines. Also some vitamins the doctors have put me on (prescript
ion and non)
I hope this helps. Thank you for responding!
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Regular Member
Date Joined May 2007
Total Posts : 328
Posted 8/12/2009 9:57 PM (GMT -6)
Yeah, I imagine taking vasoconstrictive drugs like triptans and DHE wouldn't be too safe with hypertension--didn't really connect the dots there. Neuroleptics could be helpful and I don't think they'd cause any blood pressure problems. I've had the most success with Haloperidol and some with Zyprexa. I've also tried Thorazine and Droperidol (and probably some others...). They tend to be sedating but can be quite helpful as abortives or rescue medications (Droperidol is administered through injection and it'll usually knock you cold for hours, but the others aren't as potent).
Your mention of a trigger related to sleeping/waking is interesting. A former neurologist of mine was very concerned that my headaches might have been aggravated by sleep problems (my sleep habits have been terrible for most of my life and I've struggled with insomnia also). So I was referred to the sleep disorder center at a local hospital and I've had several polysomnograms (overnight sleep studies) since then. Even though it didn't end up being a solution for me, considering your poor sleep quality and waking-related headache trigger, I think that seeing a sleep disorder specialist could be a good idea.
What sort of neurologist are you seeing? Considering the treatments that you've been offered it sounds like an educated neurologist who probably doesn't specialize in headache treatment (I'm guessing). With how much your headaches have been bothering you I'd really recommend trying to see a specialist. If there's a headache clinic in your area that's even better. In either case headache specialists have more experience and (more importantly) have a lot more resources at their disposal to get your headaches under control. If you need help finding one let us know.
DX: NDPH, Recovered(?) CRPS
RX: Lamictal, Concerta (Methylphenidate), Clonazepam, Wellbutrin XL, Namenda, Rozerem, Magnesium (1000 mg/d), Riboflavin (400 mg/d).
Ketamine nasal spray
, Oxycodone, Toradol, Celebrex, Haloperidol, Lodine, Migranal, Zofran, Phenergan, Thorazine, DHE IM, Droperidol IM, Reglan, Ambien CR, Provigil, all triptans
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New Member
Date Joined Aug 2009
Total Posts : 5
Posted 8/12/2009 11:44 PM (GMT -6)
Won't go the Zyprexa route but I never would have thought Haloperidol would help nor Thorazine. I have never heard of Droperidol. I don't mind the sedation if it is temporary to get rid of the headache. I have been on similar medications to those before long term and not on an as needed basis for psych condition. I did have one sleep study a few years back but at the time I was given Lunesta and was doing a little better with my sleep habits, the doc I had been seeing was concerned with apnea I think and RLS. Turned out I just snore quite a lot and have several hypopneas I think they are called but it was ruled no apnea. I think I should really take that study again and it was suggested on the sheet that I take a daytime test for narcolepsy. I know my neurologists office sets up those studies all the time. Mine was done at a different place before.
I think the neurologist I am seeing is a general neurologist. Upon checking my insurance list there are no vascular neurologists within 100 miles that my insurance covers. My insurance states that as someone who specializes in strokes, migraines etc. Do you think seeing a pain management specialist would be worth my while? There are a few of those nearby. I already do have an inflammatory arthritis which causes me pain but is being treated so-so. I actually have more pain from my migraines than my arthritis currently. I just don't want too many doctors, I already have a bunch of them. I see a gastroenterologist, a psychiatrist, a neurologist, a rheumatologist, a gyn, and a primary care doctor. It is so frustrating sometimes.
Generally the best relief I get is usually when it gets so bad I go to the emergency room and they give me a shot along with the shot of phenergan. I always forget what they give me when I go. I remember one time though they made me sit and wait for about
three hours before calling me back to give me something and it was real bad that night. When it gets real bad I get weird, agitated, start crying and can't sit still. So what do you think about
the pain management specialist considering the situation and all I stated above? I just don't think the neurologist/nurse practitioner I am seeing now is going to be able to help me much more. Maybe if I saw the doctor himself I would get better results I don't know but he is like nonexistent there.
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Veteran Member
Date Joined Dec 2004
Total Posts : 921
Posted 8/14/2009 1:42 AM (GMT -6)
**butting in**
I am so sorry to hear about
the situation with your neurologist. I hate when we pay to see a doctor and end up seeing everyone BUT the doctor. Very frustrating.
I agree with Ben and his posts. Sometimes he can say the things I am thinking, only better.
As for my personal experience, I have been seeing a pain management specialist (After many years of what you describe) and I have had a lot of success with my PM doctor. They offered botox (denied by insurance), they work with different medications, I have had nerve blocks, radiofrequency lesioning and am going to have a spinal cord stimulator. I guess what I am saying is that, in my case, my pain management doctor seems more interested in finding relief. I realize some of these things aren't solving the root of the problem-but I take what I can get.
If I were you I would SPECIFICALLY ask to see the neurologist and give them one last chance...and then start looking for other options if you dont feel like you are getting anywhere with them. Life is too short and you are having too much pain to continue on the same path.
Good luck and keep us posted on how things are going!!!
Sara-Migraine/Headache Forum Moderator
Battling headpain for 17 years.
DX: occipital neuralgia-radiofrequency nerve ablation every 6mo
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Regular Member
Date Joined Jun 2009
Total Posts : 20
Posted Yesterday 5:49 PM (GMT -6)
I don't know if someone already said this or if you have this checked out.... but you said your optic nerve was swelling? that could be a sign of something called "pseudotumor cerbi". It's an unusual condition but one I had when I was little. (I also just watched an episode on Mystery Diagnosis with someone who had it!) When I was seven years old I started getting really bad migraines that were constant and as it turned out that's what I had. My doctor 1st brushed it off as just regular migraines that I had inherited from my mother. Many doctors ignore the symptoms because it is uncommon. Normally it occurs in females who are between ages 20 and 45 and are overweight. However I was 7 and an active child when I got it. There are many things that could trigger the pseudotumor cerbi.. from weight gain to medications. It doesn't always show up on an MRI.... the only way to actually test for it is by getting a spinal tap.
I have been in headache hell since May now with headaches almost everyday and now a 3rd doctor since May. My doctor now doesn't believe im in rebound migraine.... there are lots of debates on rebound. I know someone who takes triptains daily as a "prevention" and live a normal happy headache free life.... Some doctors say its only truly rebound if the medication you take gives no relief. Also if you are in rebound its hard to tell which came first... you could have been having daily migraines that turned into rebound.
Anyhow I like my new doctor and I see him again Tuesday.... if your doctor is not helping you..keep looking! Treating migraines is very complicated because every doctor you meet will have there own opinions about
how to treat you. Most people I know who have migraines have more than 1 reason causing them.
feel better!
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New Member
Date Joined Aug 2009
Total Posts : 5
Posted Today 3:49 PM (GMT -6)
Well I followed up on that optic nerve swelling with my regular neurologist back in June when I was also referred to a neuro-ophthalmologist. The problem was the appointment with the neuro-ophthalmologist wasn't/isn't until August 25th and I was diagnosed with the condition back in May or June. So I thought my regular neurologist could handle it. After the way they treated me that initial appointment for this problem I don't have much confidence in them. To make a long story short I was treated disrespectfully and was in tears when I left that time. Of course I still continued to follow through with the test they wanted to do and keep going back. They still haven't helped even my migraine issue. The nurse practitioner claims she saw no optic nerve swelling with the light when she looked in my eyes and none was found on MRI so there is not any. I was basically evaluated for MS from what they said. Anyway.. I just got the paperwork in the mail for the neuro-ophthalmologist appointment next week and I am debating whether or not to go. I don't want to waste money and time should it end up being nothing they can help me with but on the other hand what if it is something they find they can help me with?
I did read about
the condition you mentioned and I am a woman, 29 years old and overweight. I also am on the prescript
ion lithium which I saw is mentioned as a factor in causing that condition in some cases. I am not sure how recent the head injury would have had to have been but I did have that head injury years ago. My current neurologist had mentioned getting a possible spinal tap but when the decision was left up to the nurse practitioner after the blood work and MRI were done she declined it would be helpful. This past week I had about
two free days of pain and the severe head pain was back. I am just sitting here waiting for it to happen again today.
Do you or anyone out there think it is worth it to see this neuro-ophthalmologist? Also has anyone seen any of these doctors at Emory here in Atlanta? If so what was your experience like? I have waited a few months to get in and I am thinking I should stick with it but I am so afraid of wasting everyone's time and money.
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Regular Member
Date Joined Jun 2009
Total Posts : 20
Posted Today 8:33 PM (GMT -6)
You defiantly have a complicated case! If it were me I would go to the neuro- ophthalmologist. Mine didn't show up at first when the doctor looked in my eyes. The swelling was found by the ophthalmologist. They also found a bacteria in my spinal fluid. Long story short my doctors pretty much diagnosed me with everything else under the stars! It was finally an infectious disease expert from Yale; whom my doctors got into my case, which figured out what was going on.
So basically it can take several doctors and time to figure out whats going on. Even he/she does not find anything... I don't think it would be a waste of time. It just rules out another thing and brings you closer to figuring it out. This doctor may be able to recommend another neurologist.
Also, I know how neurologist can be, even ones who specially treat headaches. My dad is a clinical psychologist and works with neurologists and even says how bad there bedside manor is. Many neurologists also have this thought that that pain in an ok thing to live with. Many don't really understand the psychical and emotional toll it takes on us! I think tysmyboo talked about
seeing a pain management specialist and I think that is also a great idea. My new neurologist is a headache specialist who is also trained in pain management and alternative medications. He seems to understand the concept of pain and what it does to ones life. (My old neurologist did not seem to get that... even though he just specialized in treating headaches!)
Hopefully you will find a doctor who has more compassion and wants to commit to making your quality of life better! When you do go into the doctor tell them how much your life is being impaired by this and you need help finding a solution. You like me might need a multi disciplinary approach.
No one knows your body better than you. Doctors honestly don't know all the answers... even though some act like they think they do. Especially with migraines. A good doctor should give you confidence and act like they want to do what they can to help you.
Lastly, I know you are waiting for your pain to come back… I find myself doing that at times. However, I find it better when I don't give it power and go out for a walk, take a bath, whatever calms you. I find that helps… even if it comes later I feel like I did something good for myself and stopped thinking about
it for a little bit.
feel better!
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Our savvy builders are learning to study every building process, and root out wasted effort and delay that adds up to lost profits.
Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) January 18, 2012
As builders continue their struggle to be competitive in a market full of foreclosed properties, many are finding innovative ways to turn routine wasted effort and materials into profits, according to experts at AxisPointe, a leading quality assurance provider serving home builders in the USA and Canada.
"I have been through three recessions, but this one is hitting builders harder than ever," cites Stan Luhr, AxisPointe's CEO and a forensic expert who assists builders in eliminating risk as well as mitigating claims. "Our savvy builders are learning to study every building process, and root out wasted effort and delay that adds up to lost profits," says Luhr. "Anything that does not add value to the final product is considered waste, and can be scrutinized for elimination."
Luhr reports that builders are beginning to emulate other world-class manufacturers which utilize specialized tools to identify, manage and eliminate wasted efforts. By developing replicable processes the products' consistency is greatly improved, and waste is eliminated since it becomes so obvious.
Prior to joining AxisPointe, Luhr created unique quality processes that identify risk in the building plans, within a builder's operations, and during the construction of the project. His programs became so popular that major insurance companies mandated his services and gave builders cost reductions and expanded insurance coverage. "We learned that our programs were highly successful in eliminating defects and inefficiencies, and verified over $9 billion in total risk elimination," Luhr said. "Time and time again, it was the builders who told us that focusing on quality paid them back in spades, and eliminated headaches."
Builders are always striving to build a better home, with more energy-efficient features that improve comfort and durability. But Luhr says risks can be increased as complexity rises—the more steps required to complete a product, the more opportunities for failure. Luhr provides builders with tools to reverse the process, creating "opportunities for Improvement" and rooting out waste.
"The Japanese manufacturing industries were devastated after World War II, but they quickly learned to focus on process improvement and the elimination of 'Muda'," which translates roughly into waste, Luhr said. "Now companies like Toyota and Mitsubishi are the envy of the manufacturing world, and it is time that builders employ the same proven process tools to transform our industry."
One of the quality tools Luhr teaches builders became popularized by Taiichi Ohno, Toyota's chief engineer who developed the Toyota Production System now emulated around the world. Luhr offers these seven metrics for builders to begin analyzing their waste, in all facets of the construction operation:
1. Transportation: Parts in motion increase risk of damage or loss, create cluttered work areas and disrupt the production area. Think of ways to streamline the raw material delivery, placement and storage to minimize impact.
2. Inventory: Lumber and raw materials dumped into the mud before they are needed cause spoilage due to exposure and loss from theft. Lumber stored poorly creates warped wood making it difficult to build straight walls. Builders often throw away over 3 tons of once-valuable raw materials per home.
3. Motion: Popularized by Frank Gilbreth's studies for Henry Ford, wasted motion of the workforce creates stresses, injuries and inconsistent performance. (Think how many times a subcontractor retrieves tools and spare parts from his work truck, or climbs a ladder multiple times to perform tasks which are more safely and easily done on level ground).
4. Waiting: Whenever a home sits idle with no progression, value stops and if exposed to weather may begin to deteriorate causing re-work. An integrated work schedule with efficient manpower organization is key.
5. Over-processing: Added studs which provide no greater structural value than what is needed is waste, and can create additional waste by decreasing the energy performance of the home.
6. Over-production: Homes built but not sold are obvious financial drains to builders, just as much as the baker who makes too much bread before it is purchased.
7. Defects: Likely the largest risk and customer service issue for builders, the elimination of defects improves profits by reducing customer service claims and increases client loyalty. Insurance premium reductions soon follow when a builder can demonstrate that its quality culture eliminates defective work. Defect elimination is often the first metric to focus efforts since payback is quantifiable and significant.
Luhr believes that builders must not lock themselves into rigid quality systems, but employ greatly flexible processes and empower their trade partners to participate and drive the quality efforts forward. "Unlike Mitsubishi, a builder does not directly employ the factory worker, but must still control the factory and the workers," Luhr said. "Incredible savings can be achieved when builders large and small take some time to carefully map out their construction tasks, then integrate the perfect opportunities for staging the workforce so conflicts can be avoided. Then, everyone is a winner because trade workers are not stepping on each other and their work becomes efficient." Luhr believes that builders need to help the trades become more efficient, and in turn benefit from their improved profits and efficiencies.
AxisPointe has developed several new tools to assist builders in promoting quality, and Luhr is most excited about their new mobile application, which operates on the iPhone iOS platform. He says the new program will streamline job tasks, and link those tasks to physical quality metrics that a builder completely controls. Such software tools have previously been available only to the largest builders and contractors, but Luhr says his InSite Mobile™ field management system and customer service platform is priced at under $200 per home with no setup fees.
Luhr is optimistic that despite the economy, there is hope for builders who can develop a quality culture where improving the process is "Job One". "I love it when a new builder sees how much money they are now making by eliminating re-work, wasted effort and warranty service. The light turns on for their entire company and that is very rewarding."
About AxisPointe
AxisPointe partners with home builders and contractors with technology solutions to streamline the construction process and eliminate risk. AxisPointe's HomeProfile® document management software has been employed on thousands of homes by leading builders. AxisPointe's platform of services includes project quality assurance, safety and control systems, project document storage and archiving, customer service management, insurance certificate management, post-warranty claims and litigation management systems.
For more information visit http://www.axispointe.com.


text:
MG&E Innovation Center
"Forbes Ten Technology Incubators Changing the World" Forbes 5.2010
In response to increasing space needs from Dane County's rapidly growing and changing high-technology industry, Strang designed the 113,000 square foot Innovation Center in University Research Park (URP). The facility is three times as large as the high-tech incubator it replaced – houses 15 small companies specializing in research and development activities, including gene therapy, software development, cancer/AIDS research, and drug development.
The facility is flexible enough to respond to tenants' diverse technical, space, and budget requirements, and adaptable to accommodate URP's future tenants and their unique operations. To increase efficiency and support collaboration among the tenants, the Center features shared lab space, machine shop, multi-media training room, conference rooms, office equipment, commons/food service area, and reception. By sharing these building components, operating costs are reduced so tenants can channel their resources into product development. Modular laboratories are designed to accommodate a chemical fume hood, acid waste, and the lab tenants' specialized equipment. Mechanical and plumbing systems provide excellent control, flexibility and efficiency at a low construction/capital cost.
A 4,000 square foot vivarium facility includes four independent rodent colonies, cage wash, and procedure room. The mechanical systems serving this suite are independent of the building system. Each suite features easy access to fiber-optic Internet links and automated building communication systems.
Madison, WI
University Research Park
Construction Type:
New Construction


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As an independent nonprofit organization, we bring stakeholders together to produce transparent information about the quality, utilization and costs of health care in Oregon. We are a trusted community resource for unbiased health care information.
Q Corp Data Collaborative
The Q Corp Data Collaborative refers to both the robust partnership we maintain with our network of stakeholders, and the comprehensive administrative claims database this partnership produces. Since 2008, we have been aggregating claims data from multiple payers to produce quality and utilization reports for consumers, providers, health plans, policymakers and employers. Our claims database includes 83 percent of the state's fully insured commercial population, 24 percent of the self-insured commercial population, 100 percent of the Medicaid population and 89 percent of the Medicare population. Currently we generate more than 50 quality improvement and utilization measures.
Goals of the Q Corp Data Collaborative include:
1. Measure the quality of health care using data aggregated from major health plans in Oregon;
2. Provide comprehensive and reliable measure reporting to support transformation efforts;
3. Provide quality, utilization and cost reports to primary care providers to improve systems of care;
4. Educate patients and the public on how to contribute to high-quality, affordable care.
Refer to the Data Collaborative Overview and the Data Collaborative Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
Measures of Quality, Utilization and Cost
In selecting quality, utilization and cost measures to produce and report, Q Corp aims to create alignment with other measurement initiatives in the state of Oregon and nationwide. We ensure that our measures adhere to national standards set by the National Quality Forum (NQF).
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Health plans, Medicaid managed care organizations and the Medicaid and Medicare fee-for-service plans that participate in our measurement and reporting initiative include:
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- Regence BlueCross/BlueShield of Oregon
- Tuality Healthcare


text:
J.J. Abrams strikes back
BBM/Nielsen Top 30: Sept. 8 – 14, 2008
Abrams' Fringe attracts the most viewers for the week.
Here are the national champs (for all persons 2+; all times ET) according to BBM/Nielsen for Sept. 8-14, 2008.
Monday: Canadian Idol, on CTV at 9 pm, remained on top with an average minute audience of 1.467 million viewers (up from 1.334 million last Monday).
Tuesday: Fringe, on CTV at 8 pm, was the winner with 1.539 million viewers (replacing Global's 90210, which was at 1.358 million viewers last week).
Wednesday: Bones, on Global at 8 pm, kept the top spot with an average minute audience of 1.451 million viewers (down from 1.663 million last week).
Thursday: Flashpoint, on CTV at 10 pm, finished first with 1.289 million viewers (replacing CSI on CTV, which was at 1.314 million viewers last week).
Friday: CTV's evening news at 6 pm won again with an average minute audience of 1.223 million viewers (up from 1.195 million viewers last week).
Saturday: CTV's evening weekend news at 6 pm took the top spot with 884,000 viewers (down from 973,000 viewers last week).
Sunday: So You Think You Can Dance Canada, on CTV at 8 pm, was the winner with 1.244 million viewers (replacing Big Brother 10 on Global, which was at 1.124 million viewers last week).
For lists of the top 30 TV shows nationally and by region for the week, according to BBM/Nielsen, please click on the links below:


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Once In A Lifetime Opportunities
Team Q is so very honored today to be part of a project that could change forever how emergency medicine is practiced in the near future. Our inspired client and true partner, TeleMedCo are demonstrating a system powered by IBM Watson that will make it possible to rapidly and accurately triage people coming into busy emergency rooms and assist the medical staff in providing diagnosis and care with information instantly presented through TeleMedCo's Hippocratic Code platform.
The brainchild of three co-founders – Dr. Tina Miranda, Dr. Ronald Klatz, and Barry Solomon – TeleMedCo's software interface to IBM Watson is being designed and developed to pervasively assist doctors by handling lower level patients from diagnosis to prescription or treatment recommendations and by processing an approved e-script and coding and billing the entire visit, while also triggering immediate human intervention based on the information, analysis and "rules" built into the software.
And it's important – more and more people are visiting ERs, with fewer doctors available to serve them. Wait times are increasing, and people are suffering. This is not the fault of the medical staff in busy ERs – we simply need to find more efficient ways to assist ER teams in pulling together relevant information in real time, making it possible to do more with less.
And do better – with IBM Watson's cognitive processing capabilities, along with extremely fast and secure access to x-rays and other patient data – outcomes can be improved.
Qualesce has been building the prototype which we are demonstrating at Perspectives 16, a VIP invitation only conference sponsored by GENBAND where over 700 communications professionals from around the world are gathering this week in Orlando.
We're there thanks to our mutual partnership with Kandy, a communications as a service platform that is making immediate collaboration possible – triggered by an event. For example, a cardiologist can "subscribe" to his or her patients and receive a secure text message when a patient is admitted to the ER – and with one touch can initiate a voice or video consultation in seconds.
And when lives are on the line, seconds matter.
Meaningful work like this is what gets us up early in the morning at Qualesce – we're all about quality, including quality of life which is where TeleMedCo, IBM Watson, Kandy and other partners joining in the near future meet.


text:
|NCAP Value: 4
|Transmission: MANUAL & AUTOMATIC
|Engine Size: 1120 to 1396
|Emission: EURO 6
|CO2: 84 - 155 g/km
|Car Tax: £140
|Insurance Group: 5E
|Fuel Economy (Combined): 42.2 - 88.3mpg
|Warranty: 5 Year Unlimited
Its sophisticated design gives the i20 greater road presence, with quality standard features and exceptional fuel-economy, it's the ideal super-mini for urban drivers and motorway commuters. With excellent handling and comfort, a smooth ride is to be enjoyed on every journey. Engineered from strong, high tensile steel all but eliminates road and wind noise, so you can enjoy every drive free from outside noise.
Combining sophistication, comfort and a smooth drive is easy with the i20 S, SE, Premium and Premium SE models.
From every angle, the i20 exudes style and is a reflection of what lies within.
With stand out features including LED daytime running lights and LED rear combination lights, the i20 blends technology and style to give you everything you need to create a lasting impression.
The interior is just as stylish. Featuring piano black and chrome highlights and a range of interior colours, the inside is designed to perfectly compliment the car's exterior.
The i20 has been expertly engineered with materials which keep vibrations down to a minimum to all but eliminate outside noise. Suspension configured to minimise bumps on uneven roads gives you a smoother drive and clever technology inside will enhance your journey even more. Enjoy cruise control, on SE, Premium and Premium SE, and you can keep in touch safely through Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition.
Packed with advanced safety features, the i20 will keep you safe on every journey. Benefit from the Lane Departure Warning System (SE and Premium models) which warns if you drift lanes. The clever Tyre Pressure Monitoring System alerts to tell you if your tyres aren't inflated to the optimum level, which not only improves safety, it helps with fuel efficiency. With six airbags as standard, the i20 is a car you can trust to get you there safely.
A trip computer, as well as USB and Aux connection points, are standard to all specifications; SE models and above include amenities such as a leather steering wheel, Bluetooth® connectivity, and parking sensors.
Tailor your i20 to suit your lifestyle. The following options are available; interior LED lighting, stylish entry guards, towbar, carpet mat set, boot liner and much more.
Three petrol and two diesel engines are available with the i20, allowing drivers to choose a powertrain that suits their needs. The most powerful of all is the 1.4 litre 100PS unit with a six-speed manual transmission, which can move from stationary to 62mph in 11.6 seconds.
|1.2 Petrol - 5 Speed Manual Transmission (75PS)
|S, S Air
|1.2 Petrol - 5 Speed Manual Transmission (84PS)
|SE, Premium, Premium SE
|1.4 Petrol - 6 Speed Manual Transmission (100PS)
|SE, Premium, Premium SE
|1.4 Petrol - 4 Speed Automatic Transmission (100PS)
|SE, Premium, Premium SE
|1.1 CRDi - 6 Speed Manual Transmission (75PS)
|S Blue, SE
|1.4 CRDi - 6 Speed Manual Transmission (90PS)
|SE, Premium, Premium SE
|Intelligent Stop & Go
|S Blue


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If you would just like to find out more about Freemasonry then please download a PDF booklet which will be able to answer some of your questions.
Having read the booklet, if you would like to find out more about freemasonry please contact us and we would be delighted to assist you.
1, Jalan 3 / 155, Bukit OUG,
58200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


text:
Castelfidardo has a strong reputation for manufacture although economics, global change and factory splits, mergers and closures have always been part of the accordion industry there. The top producers seek opportunities to perfect their instruments, for example the seriously good concert performer's instrument the Scandalli Super VI Extreme which has one of the longest production runs of any accordion and is currently supplied to Scotland Accordions.
Castelfidardo is renowned for quality accordion manufacture and although output is lower than at its peak, the industry is still very strong. The majority of serious players prefer European made instruments, especially from the main centre of production at Castelfidardo, Italy. Top end instruments are now more favoured in Castelfidardo.
While there are a great many companies connected with accordion manufacture and development only comparatively few build the whole accordion. At the other end of the scale some brands are simply rebadging bought in accordions.
At the present time several producers are notable for their quality, volume of production and ability to build whole accordions. The larger producers have modern factories. In a recent visit to Scandalli and Beltuna, there was clear evidence of very busy order books. On the other hand there was evidence of some 'quiet factories' e.g. Borsini, Ballone Burini and Vignoni where production has, at this time, stopped. The landscape does change and there have been examples of factories or brands restarting in the past.
The really strong message is that if you want a very high quality and often bespoke instrument then the real manufacturing perfectionists can be found in Castelfidardo. Producers of such high quality instruments would be at a competitive disadvantage if not located at Castelfidardo because of the incredible support of the component specialists in the town and surrounding areas. The traditional crafts are evident throughout the town. Many of the businesses are family businesses and partnerships often with good continuity between generations and a promising future. It is a good time to buy an Italian accordion from one of the top brands with excellent build quality, superlative finishes and a sound second to none.
The above account is not intended to be a complete account but some examples of the current direction of the industry in Castelfidardo, and we are grateful to our friends at Scotland Accordions for their review.


text:
Last year, two Roman Catholic lawyers and a paralegal set up shop in the heart of Frog Hollow to help the poor and needy with disability claims, as well as family and domestic legal problems.
A year later, they are doing so well they have moved into an office that is about twice the size of the old one on Grand Street. They are now located at 141 Washington St., just north of Fleet Bank.


text:
Greatest Hits – The Police
Greatest Hits
(1992), 9.5/10
I've heard four out of the five Police studio albums, and I don't find any of them particularly outstanding, but the trio were one of the best singles bands of their era. Throughout their tenure The Police produced a golden run of singles, from 1978's 'So Lonely' and 1979's sublime 'Message in a Bottle' through to 1981's 'Every Little Thing She Does is Magic' and 1983's 'King Of Pain'. The trio of Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland, and Gordon Sumner, better known as Sting, had a tight and distinctive sound, shoehorning instrumental virtuosity into concise pop songs. Copeland is one of my favourite rock drummers, bringing his jazz background into a rock background, and his expertise on the cymbals is noteworthy. Veteran guitarist Andy Summers employs weird riffs and catchy solos, and while Sting is sometimes a figure of ridicule, he's immensely talented as a songwriter, bass player, and vocalist.
This 1992 Greatest Hits collects all their signature hits and also includes the entire brilliant second side of Synchronicity, so you don't need to sit through Andy Summers' 'Mother' to get to gems like 'Wrapped Around Your Finger' and 'Synchronicity II'.
It's not quite perfect – I would trade 'The Bed's Too Big Without You' for this overlooked track from 1981's Ghost In The Machine:


text:
My Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W)
Full Colour Illutrations
Hardback 24 Pages
Size : 26 x 27 x 2 cm
Publisher : Learning Roots
About The Book
A classic first tale.
My Prophet Muhammad (S) encapsulates the timeless story of the life of the best and final Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (S). Designed for early childhood, this rendering of the Seerah serves as an ideal first acquaintance with the miraculous story of Allah's finest creation. With its vivid illustrations and appropriately rendered authorship, this book is designed to increase your child's knowledge, appreciation and love for the Prophet Muhammad (S).
My Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) is a perfect introduction to the seerah of the Prophet (S.A.W). The essential parts are covered in a basic way, enabling the child to understand the story of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and the difficulty that was experienced in conveying this message of Islam to others; 'Worship Allah alone, do what Allah likes, and Jannah will be yours.' The Quraysh are mentioned, the battles are mentioned and finally how the Quraysh finally accepted the message. For older children the book is ideal as a starting point for more detailed discussions.
My Prophet Muhammad (S) is a solid-build board book with a sumptuous sponge cover glittered with special shine effects to captivate your child's heart right from the start. The book has 24 pages, making it your child's perfect introduction to the Messenger of Allah (S).
Quotations are based on Authentic Works, Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum By Safiur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri and Waqafaat Tarbawiyyah Ma'a As-Seerah An-Nabawiyyah by Ahmad Fareed.
Weight: 920


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The Instigator
Pro (for)
0 Points
The Contender
Con (against)
0 Points
Electric Vehicles are better than Gas Vehicles.
Post Voting Period
The voting period for this debate has ended.
after 0 votes the winner is...
It's a Tie!
|Voting Style:
|Point System:
|7 Point
|2 years ago
|Post Voting Period
|1,114 times
|Debate No:
Debate Rounds (3)
Comments (2)
Votes (0)
Some categories I have thought of.
-Strength (Towing capacity)
-Cool factor (Optional because it is opinion based.)
-Range and Reliability
-How well it works in winter
I believe electric vehicles are the same if not better in each of the above areas.
For most of my arguments I will use The Model S/X/1 from Tesla Motors as my electric vehicle of choice.
Please cite your sources, no made up facts, no "because I said so" "because it just is" etc. And finally this is meant to be enjoyable so no insults.
I have used round one to set up this debate, whoever accepts can use round one to introduce yourself and your points OR jump right in.Thank you again! May the best debater win.
Just as an outline, I believe that gas cars are better today and the immediate future, just not forever.
Electric vehicles will not include hybrids.
EV"s win on the efficiency front and they are improving. As stated by Forbes Magazine "EVs tend to win hand down in this category, primarily because the large natural gas-burning turbines at power plants remain far more efficient than the small ones squeezed into cars." Not to mention how much money you will save by not having to fill up at the gas station. "Assuming 15,000 miles driven per year, Plug-In America came up with an an annual fuel cost of $2,135. However, with an estimated average electricity rate of 12 cents per kWh, it pegged the annual electric car energy cost at just $540, meaning drivers could save $1,595 per year" http://ecomento.com...
Second Argument: Strength.
"Gas vehicles are heavy duty, electric"s are not." Again electric can compare to gas. I know shocking right? Even I thought "Oh darn gas has me beat here," I was happily proven wrong with some research. For this argument I present an ally in the battle for Electric Vehicles, Mr. Elon Musk.
(Why He Is Amazing, please skip if this doesn"t interest you.) This guy is up there, like quoted by some as "Evolutionary," "The Next Henry Ford," and "As Intelligent as Isaac Newton." To back that up he is the Co-founder of Paypal, sold his part of the share (for billions) used his money to start and become the CEO of Space X, Solar City and Tesla Motors. Space X is much less expensive at making rockets and better at it than NASA and is going to have people living on mars in 20 years for only $500,000 a ticket! (Source Waitbutwhy.com). Solar City is saving people millions. Tesla is revolutionizing the auto industry. AND he started a project that is going to build a super fast train rail that can travel USA states in an hour "Hyperloop" (No sources, Hyperloop based on Waitbutwhy.com). If I had that many qualifications I wouldn"t be typing this. And hey Bill Nye the science guy supports this guy so that"s cool.
Back to my post, this lovely man and his team from Tesla came out with the Model X. The Model X has a towing capacity of 3,500lbs and can even go up to 5,000lbs with specialty tires! As stated from http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...
An article titled "How much truck do you really need?" Estimates the most you"ll need for an average citizen is a towing capacity of about 1,685 lbs. The average towing capacity for most vehicles is about 2000 lbs.
So while it doesn"t beat out gas vehicles an electric is all you need realistically to tow.
Third Argument: The Cool Factor
Cannot attach photos but Tesla has come out with luxury sport car electric vehicles.
The Model S boasts
Highest Safety Rating In US over any other car
Autopilot: Automatic steering, speed, lane changing and parkingAll wheel drive dual motor
(No sound)
Zero to 100 kp/h in 3 seconds435 kilometer range before charge.Top Safety Pick
Fourth Argument: Price
At a pricy $50,000 the Model S is not cheap enough for you and me but Tesla predicts they will have another cheaper model produced within the next year at around $30,000, the extra incentive? The government federal tax credit (around $5,000 for the model X) $30,000-$5,000=$25,000 More than affordable. Still don"t believe? Refer to Argument One to see how much money you will save on gas.
(Sources: Tesla Motors, Google search) for all arguments.
Fifth Argument: Range and Reliability (The dreaded winter)
"Your electric will be stranded and I"ll have to tow you out with a gas vehicle." An electric can tow me just fine. As for the range the Model S can go 435km! That is enough to take you from Ottawa to Toronto without a stop! (google maps). You will never have to stop at a gas station, why? You can charge your car at home! 30 minutes equals 80% charge. Too long of a charge time? Ask yourself, do you go farther than the distance from Ottawa to Toronto every day?
Now to tackle the biggest problem. Winter. I dread winter, but the electric car doesn"t, it can still go 300km. 435km (Model S) -76km (given by cbc.ca) = about 300km, still plenty enough for the daily commute. Electric cars also do start in winter by the way.
Sixth and Final Argument: Pollution
Sorry this isn"t really an argument because electric vehicles win hands down. It"s important to note that electricity made by nonrenewable sources isn"t good for the environment, only electricity made by renewable sources produces no carbon emissions. Renewable sources include geothermal, hydro, wind, solar etc. Luckily these renewable sources are on the rise and shortly electric vehicles won"t be tied to C02 emissions at all, unlike gas vehicles that burn the fuel and cost CO2 when the fuel is made.
The rise of the pollution contributes to global warming, which fuels natural disasters, which have been predicted to lead to a mass extinction if something is not done about it. So electric cars help save humanity, just saying.
Don"t take this from just me, read this!
"We're running the most dangerous experiment in history right now, which is to see how much carbon dioxide the atmosphere... can handle before there is an environmental catastrophe."
Elon Musk
Which in turns points to where we would lower emissions, the answer is electric vehicles.
"When Henry Ford made cheap, reliable cars people said, 'Nah, what's wrong with a horse?' That was a huge bet he made, and it worked."
Elon Musk
"The time is right for electric cars - in fact the time is critical."
Carlos Ghosn
Obama the US president wants to put over 1 million electric cars on the road by the end of this year. (google search)
As you can see most of the quotes are from Elon Musk, but that man is a genius. I"m sure you could find more support by just looking up arguments like I did.
Closing notes.
The book the "Clean Disruption of Energy and Transportation" predicts that gas cars will be obsolete by 2030. I personally disagree; I think it may be around 2040-2050. But I"m no expert and they are. Now let"s see what that means for gas cars.
Obsolete definition (google): adjective 1.= no longer produced or used; out of date.
Wow. No longer produced or used. With Tesla changing the automotive industry other companies will simply have to go electric, your Ford, Chevy, Dodge and the like are already converting and coming out with electric vehicles and hybrids, it is only a matter of time. To thank? Tesla Motors and Elon Musk. Not only are electric vehicles better than gas vehicles they will make gas vehicles obsolete.
I have done extensive research on EVs' efficiency(in terms of gas mileage). I admit, they far surpass gas vehicles in this sector. For example, the Nissan Leaf has 144 MPGe (combined City/Hwy). Wile any average compact ranges from 30-45mpg.
2.Cool Factor
I recognize that the Tesla model may seem pretty sweet, but most that do are expensive. The electric cars that most people can afford tend to be considered ugly or even hideous, like:
Nissan Leaf, Toyota Prius, Chevy Volt, Smart Car, etc.
The "electric" label for most cars is an excuse for looking abnormal, ugly, and most often futuristic in a pitiful way.
3. Price
The price, when comparing EV's and gas is not simple. Here are some comparisons (according to Daily Finance):
Ford Focus ST Ford Focus Electric
Sale price$24,495-$39,995
Battery replacementN/A-$13,500
Major engine repair
(1/5 original sale price)$4,899-N/A
8-year fuel costs
(15,000 miles/year)$16,222-$5,067
Total costs$45,616-$58,562
We can see here that 2 cars, with the same basic capabilities, the extreme difference in cost.
Mercedes S ClassTesla- Model S
Sale price$92,350-$87,400
Battery replacementN/A-$12,000
Major engine repair
(1/5 original sale price) $18,470-N/A
8-year fuel costs
(15,000 miles/year)$16,846-$5,262
Total costs$127,666-$104,662
We can also see here that 2 cars, with the same basic capabilities, the extreme difference in cost.
(Source: Mercedes Benz, Tesla Motors, U.S. News.)
The benefit of electric cars is that, as shown in these examples, fuel costs are cheaper. However, the price of gas changes dramatically. In many regions of the US, the average price of regular gas is just $2.11 per gal.(www.fuelgaugereport.com)
The average price of an EV, with an equal amount of energy, ranges from $2.40-2.70. But gas prices are always changing.
Batteries for EV's are also expensive, ranging from $3,500- 23,000.
This segment has a clear winner: gas cars.
According to fueleconomy.gov, the number of gas stations in the US is 168,000. According to Climate Home, the number of electric stations was 9,578. Fueling stations for gas cars are far more accessible than for EV's. In addition, the fueling time for electric cars is grossly larger. The average time for fueling a gas car to max capacity is less than ten minutes (estimated). In fact, in most cars an 80% charge does not take 30 mins. Rather, according to HowStuffWorks-Auto, a full charge can range form anywhere between 3-8 hours. Tesla though has been revolutionary with quick charge, even a 40 mile range would still take 20 min.
It may seem obvious that electric cars are more beneficial to the environment than gas cars. However, many do not consider where the electricity comes from. According to Time Magazine,"The key is where the source of the electricity all-electric cars. If it comes from coal, the electric cars produce 3.6 times more soot and smog deaths than those powered by gas, because of the pollution made in generating the electricity, according to the study that is published Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS). They also are greater producers of heat-trapping carbon dioxide that worsens global warming,"
Another study finds that "all-electric" vehicles cause 86 percent more deaths from air pollution than do cars powered by regular gasoline. Coal produces 39 percent of the country's electricity, according to the Department of Energy.
Thus, electric cars commonly spread more pollution due to the source of their energy. Future advancements in technology must be made in order to make it a greener solution then gas.
I have left out the strength and reliability sections because those widely range on the types of cars and more extensive research by the manufacturers must be done.Also, all my sources are neutral, not from any "green" or "anti-EV" website.
In summary these are our arguments to this point. Brackets indicate which side is stronger in each section.
-More Efficient (Electric)
-Strength (Tied, as in electric boasts just as much power)
-"The Cool Factor" (In argument)
-Price (In argument)
-Good range and reliability (Electric)
-Pollution (Gas as stated above, but I will refute that point)
-Accessibility (Gas)
I will try to argue against the areas where Gas is on top. The areas that are under argument in my opinion depend on the vehicle. The next Tesla model will be within price range (not to mention it may look nice) and there are some luxury sport electric vehicles. With that out of the way I will tackle Pollution and Accessibility this round.
Pollution: As stated in my first argument about pollution I noted that electric vehicles create less pollution only if their energy is made by renewable sources. Since the world is moving closer and closer to renewable energy each year electric vehicles are becoming cleaner and cleaner where as gas will always be harmful. To use Canada as an example here is what their government has to say, "The most important source in Canada is moving water, which generates 59 per cent of electricity supply." and "Electricity produced from renewable and nuclear sources is considered primary energy because it is captured directly from natural resources, while electricity based on fossil fuels is considered secondary energy because is produced from primary energy commodities such as coal, natural gas and oil." http://www.nrcan.gc.ca...
So Canada is one example where they state that non renewable is secondary to renewable. This trend of renewable coming out on top isn't going away and as you can see most electricity is already made from renewable sources. To stick with Canada as an example I know that Ontario has just burned it's last piece of coal to create electricity http://www.desmog.ca.... So with all of this electricity being made from clean sources that means that electric vehicles will be so much cleaner than gas vehicles, so much so that I would say electric now wins by a landslide in this category.
This point is Electric pro as well. "By the end of the year, the Schnells or anyone else with a chargeable vehicle will be able to drive an "electric highway" to Canada, Oregon or across Stevens Pass without having to worry about running out of juice." http://www.heraldnet.com.... With the government giving grants to get this done it won't be long before there are enough electric charging stations.
The one point that really hits home is this, you can charge your electric car at home. Gas simply does not have the ability to plug into an outlet and for a small fraction of the cost of gas refill itself.
So as you can see electric wins on both of these fronts as well. In a couple of years it just won't make sense to not go electric. You can get everything that a gas vehicle has except it is cheaper and cleaner for the environment to go electric. A gas car simply can't boast that it saves our precious earth the way electric vehicles do.
So let me update my list.
-More Efficient (Electric)
-Strength (Tied, as in electric boasts just as much power)
-"The Cool Factor" (Opinion)
-Price (Electric): Still not convinced? "Get up to $8,500 back when you purchase or lease an eligible electric vehicle.
Get up to $1,000 back on the purchase and installation of an eligible charging station." http://www.mto.gov.on.ca....
The government really wants you to save money here because it helps them reach their goal of becoming a cleaner country.
-Good range and reliability (Electric)
-Pollution (Electric hands down)
-Accessibility (Electric)
With that I will turn this debate back over to Gas, good luck!
First, I'd like to refute your points on "Pollution" and "Accessibility".
As of December 2014, over 10,000 highway-capable plug-in electric cars have been sold in Canada since January 2011
(www.greencarreports.com). As of September 2015, the United States has 373,007 highway-capable plug-in electric cars sold since 2008. Even though the US' statistics were measured in a much larger period of time, a total of 81,675 plug-in electric cars were sold during the first nine months of 2015 (HybridCars.com and Baum and Associates)! So in fact, most of electric cars, by the thousands, don't have this renewable energy. The majority of electricity is powered by non renewable energy, like natural gas and coal- which as previously stated makes up 39 percent. Only 13 percent of electricity is powered by renewable energy. The argument must deal with reality and facts, not speculation.
Once again, gas wins by far.
Even though in 2 years, the number of EV charging stations has increased by 5,00 between 2011 and 2013. However, the number of EV charging stations is in a decline! "The number of new electric charging stations for which opening dates were available fell by two thirds in 2014, to 685 new stations from 2,003 in 2013 and 1,347 in 2012. That slowdown will be a concern for the electric vehicle industry, given that poor charging infrastructure is cited by drivers as a top reason for not buying an electric car" (Climate Home).
The argument continues to provide supposed examples of the accessibility of electric cars with the "electric highway". Once again, this may sound like a solution, but there are thousands upon thousands of highways in the US. What will be the cost of this expansive project? At this period of time this is totally unrealistic.
Also, outlets at home? Not only would that greatly lengthen the time of charging, since the technology to quickly charge cars is expensive today, but what if you are at work, or on a road trip? In addition, the house's electricity bill would greatly increase.
So let me update my list.
-More Efficient/Range (Electric)
-Strength (Tied, as in electric boasts just as much power)
-"The Cool Factor" (Gas- Opinion- BUT the majority of people consider electric cars ugly-except Tesla)
-Price (Tied): Many point to the cheap price of the Leaf and Prius. However, the decrease in price is because of the engines being replaced by expensive batteries, and these cars lack in power and comfort)
-Reliability (Tied)
-Pollution (Tied, if not gas)
-Accessibility (Gas)
My point is, because gas cars are easier, more accessible, possibly better for the environment, and more realistic, that they are better than electric vehicles. (AT least for now)
Thank you for this insightful, entertaining, and informational debate- I enjoyed it
2 comments have been posted on this debate. Showing 1 through 2 records.
Posted by Quadrunner 2 years ago
Posted by mattynmax 2 years ago
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text:
WUBC: Day 1 opens with Canada at Taipei
by Gen on Jul.30, 2010 @ 1:51 am, under College
The World University Baseball Championship begins today (7/30).
The following three match-ups are on the schedule:
Canada at Taipei - Meiji Jingu Stadium - 12:00
Sri Lanka at USA - Utsumi Shimaoka Ball Park - 14:00
Korea at Japan - Meiji Jingu Stadium - 18:00
In other tournament news:
Yuki Saito and Tomoyuki Sugano held bullpen sessions on Thursday. Saito tossed about 40 pitches in preparation for his start against Korea today.
The US team held a press conference on Thursday to provide their thoughts on the tournament.
The Cuba national baseball team had a chance to watch the Yomiuri Giants and Chunichi Dragons take pre-game practice on Thursday.


text:
Milk Snakes Forum
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Quiller Snakebuz
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I tried to find this before posting and couldn't so I'm super sorry if it's been asked before.
My Honduran Milksnake sheds a lot. He's shedding every 4-6 weeks and his last skin was over 5 feet long so I know he can't possibly get much longer. He's actually about to shed in the next few days... again.
Either way, I don't know how old he is, I'm his third owner. The first was military and gave him away when he was deployed, the second was a married female whose husband would feed him, they divorced, she couldn't tolerate it so I got him about a year ago. I was told at that point that he gets two mice every week.
He would shed every three weeks so I dropped him down to two mice every two weeks. He was still shedding at least once a month.
I dropped him down to one mouse every two weeks and he became less active and less friendly. He turned the color he does just before he sheds and stayed that way for a week so I gave him two mice at the next feeding.
I tried one mouse every week and he went back to shedding once a month.
I'm now alternating. He gets fed every two weeks, first feeding is one mouse, second feeding is two. He' still shedding every 4-6 weeks.
He got loose once (closer to five or six times) and was MIA for two months. I found two skins.
Am I feeding him too much? Is he supposed to shed this often and I'm just freaking out for no reason? I got a ball python three months ago and she's only shed once.
|06/14/14 08:29am
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Message To: Quiller In reference to Message Id: 2305640
He sheds in direct proportion to the amount of growth.....which is directly dependant with how much he is fed. A snake generally grows throughout it's whole life if feeding properly. Although there is a juvenile growth phase where he would shed every two to three weeks if getting an ample amount of food, it does tend to slow a little after adult onset, but if enough food is coming in, his shedding will still be very often. The fact he is still shedding often is a good thing, rather than something to be concerned about. If the skin is 5 foot, he is probably more in the 4-4.5 foot range as the skin stretches while coming off. Some hondurans can reach 6-7 foot, although most don't. Its like saying some people can get almost 7 ft tall, Most of us don't make it out of the 5-6 foot range though. Feed him what he can and will eat and still keep down, and he will be the healthier snake for it as long as he doesn't get too fat. SSSSSsssssnakebuz
|06/26/14 11:41am


text: Another great weekend has just passed and we have our first of many School Galas starting this Saturday the 29th. Drury School are having there Calf Club & Gala Day. Blast Entertainment will be there with there 5x5m Bouncy Castle and the Water Walkers from 9am to 1pm. Its sure to be a fun day! Drury School - Youngs Crescent, Drury, Auckland


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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I book a session?
It's really easy to book a session with us! Just fill out the Session Inquiry Form, and we will get you all set up! A booking fee is required to schedule a consultation and then the remaining session fee balance will be paid during your consultation. Your session fee includes the time and talent of your photographer as well as your private viewing and ordering appointment.
How far ahead do I need to book?
We book typically 3-6 months ahead, and even sooner during the Christmas season. If you are expecting, we highly suggest booking as early as possible. We do maternity sessions between 28-36 weeks of pregnancy, and newborn sessions are best done when baby is between 4-14 days.
Who is your clientele?
Our client can really be anyone, but it's anyone that's looking for images they will love for generations. Our services are not for people who want something quick and simple, they are for people who are enthusiastic about an in-depth process.
What is your style like?
Our style is very warm and rich. We prefer neutral tones so that our clients can shine and not their clothing or location choices. Our goal is to create images where the background and subjects compliment each other instead of compete for attention.
What should we wear to our session?
More than any other question, our clients always ask us what they should wear to their session. Coordinating your family outfits can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be! We've put together some sample outfits on a Session Clothing Ideas Pinterest Board to help inspire you to create your own ensemble. If you're stumped trying to coordinate your outfits, don't worry! We are always here to help. We encourage our clients to text photos of potential outfits if they get stuck because ultimately its our job to know what looks best in images. For images where mom is included, we also provide complimentary professional hair and makeup.
Where does our session take place?
Newborn sessions are only ever done at the studio. This is because all of the props and lighting we use are just too big and bulky to take with us anywhere. It is also because sometimes babies pee and poop on things and we have to switch them out or change up what we are using for one reason or another. Family sessions are done almost exclusively on location. This can be anywhere from Tybee Island, to downtown Savannah, to parks in several other locations around town. The location we pick for your session will be unique to you and your family's style. Maternity, baby, and children sessions are done in studio or on location, depending on the look you want. Your session location is totally up to you, and we even offer the ability to do half studio and half on location
Does the session fee include any products?
The session fee does not include any products. The session fee covers our time and talent, post-processing, delivery of a gallery of a minimum of 40 hand-edited images, travel time, and in-person consultation and viewing appointment.
What types of products do you offer?
We specialize in providing our clients with finished heirloom artwork. This comes in the form of Canvas Gallery Wraps and/or Metal Prints that come ready to hang, Mounted Gift prints that can be put in a frame, and Session Albums that are beautiful enough to remain out on your coffee table at all times. We pride ourselves on quality USA made products. All of our products are heirloom quality and are made to be passed down for generations. They also come with a Limited Lifetime Warranty so that if anything were ever to happen to them, all you would need to do is contact us and we will get started on a replacement. We want you to love your artwork for years and year and not have to worry about it fading or falling apart. We also offer smaller gift items such as custom holiday cards or birth announcements, acrylic block images, and gift prints to share with family and friends. We invite you to set up an in person consultation so that you can view samples of all the products we offer and check out the amazing quality for yourself!
Do you offer digital files?
Our goal is to encourage our clients towards tangible printed heirlooms, rather than having images live on a computer or hard drive. For this reason, the only digital format we offer is complimentary social media files for each images purchased that you are able to share online only. All printable files stay with us so that we can ensure you receive the best quality products for displaying your images. We do offer an online gallery at the first bonus reward where the images you purchased will be for 90 days. You can share that link with family and friends, and they are able to purchase their own prints from your session! We do understand the desire for files, so if you wish to purchase the edited digital files after you make your artwork investment, we can discuss the fee for these at at that time.
Do you offer any discounts? Payment plans?
We do offer payment plans. We understand that photography is an investment, and we want to make sure that we can cater photography needs easily. We do also offer referral gifts. Please ask for details.
How long does a session last?
An outdoor/in studio session lasts 1 hour, a cake smash session lasts around 90 minutes, and a newborn session lasts 3-4 hours.
How many photos do we get in a session?
We will present 40-60 images in your gallery. These are the images that have met our standards in the quality of images that we want to present to you. A few of the images will be fully edited so that you can see what your finished images will look like. Once you decide which images you would like to purchase, then those images are fully edited before your artwork is ordered.
Can I keep the images from my session private?
All clients sign an optional model release before the session. If you would prefer to keep your images private, you may indicate your request at that time. For clients who choose to decline the model release, we absolutely respect your decision and will keep your images under lock and key.
Where are you located?
The studio is located in Savannah GA on Abercorn Street down by the Oglethorpe Mall. We are in a smaller shopping complex that contains The Patio Place Store and Hertz Car Rental. Please let us know if you need further direction in finding us.
What is your technique with kids?
If your babe likes to run around, so will we! It's the best way to capture how they are! We use all kinds of techniques to get the littles to work with us such as peek-a-boo, singing songs, and making silly faces. The more we get everyone laughing, the more fun they have, and the more real connection and joy we get in the images.
How long does it take to receive our images?
Your in-person viewing and ordering appointment is usually scheduled for about 1 week after your session. Once your order is paid in full, it takes 4-6 weeks to get your products, depending on what you order. Once we have your full order quality checked and packaged, you will be contacted to set up a date for us to hand deliver your artwork right to your home.
Can we use the poses I found off pinterest during my session?
Pinterest is such a great place for inspiration! With boutique photography, though, we do enjoy creating unique to you images! We even strive to not create the same two images for different people. Part of you hiring us as your story teller is that we promise to create images that best show you off, and we do this on an individual basis based on each family's dynamic connection. This way, we produce images that are sincere and not contrived! You are welcome to show us your Pinterest inspiration, and together we will create a session all your own.


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Embrace the Beginner's Mind
We live in the Age of Authority where the highest value is placed on expertise, being know-it-alls, and masters of the universe. In this era of achievement obsession, great emphasis is placed on knowledge over wisdom and on information over truth. We look down our noses at amateurs, feel judged when others call us a "beginner", and view starting over as a form of failure.
Yet, life is a never-ending series of stops and starts, expansion and shrinkage, progress and regress, venturing forward full of hope and falling back in perplexity. In spite of our longing for fixed outcomes, we know that existence is two-steps-forward-one-step-back and that uncertainty rules this realm. We're also aware, if we are honest, that persevering in spite of setbacks, and starting again when we have been stopped, is precisely what tests our mettle as human beings. In Samuel Beckett's famous words, "I must go on. I can't go on. I'll go on." This declaration of hopeless hope mirrors our struggle as imperfect creatures on an imperfect planet, wired to strive for more experience and hunger after more life.
Even when we're knocked to the ground and stripped of the will to go on, when the odds of succeeding are piled against us, when we look behind at our mountains of failure and wonder why we bother proceeding in a world where nothing lasts forever; even then, in the toughest of times, a mysterious spirit will rise up to save us, reminding us that life is for the living and that we owe it to ourselves to keep moving forward, to not give up, to not waste this precious incarnation.
There's a beautiful poem by Stan Rice that captures this primal experience. "I was lost," Rice begins,
and sang my broken down songs in
the hell of the hour.
Then in my heart moved an oar,
And I was found by a breeze from a
Door in the sea of forms
And I was rowed to the cherry trees
On the shore.
Selah Selah
In moments of darkness when all may seem lost, we're saved by this miraculous oar that rows us toward the beauty of life, for no other reason than it is there. The inexplicable will to live, to taste existence even when it's bitter, is our sacred mandate. This echoes Mallory's classic response on being asked, "Why do you want to climb Mt. Everest?" "Because it's there," he said, simply. In our daily lives, the impulse to restart our journey—again and again, in all kinds of weather—mirrors this eternal sentiment. Why do we continue to strive for our dreams? Why do we keep struggling on the path of joy? Why do we rise from our figurative ashes—over and over, in spite of the damage—and continue flying toward the light? Because we can. Because life is short. And because it is there.
This power to begin again is a cornerstone of many spiritual traditions, from the homespun Christian wisdom of William Hickson ("If at first you don't succeed, Try, try, try again"), to ancient Vedanta ("Take it back to its starting place—the mind—again and again"), to Zen Buddhism ("In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few.") In fact, all spiritual practice calls on the ability to meet each present moment of life anew, with fresh eyes and a tender heart; to "be here now," as Ram Dass teaches, engaging intimately with our lives in an attitude of surrender and openness; courage, too, and enlightened desire. As my friend Sharon Salzberg likes to say about meditation, "Each time we remember that we have forgotten—that our attention has strayed—is a moment of enlightenment." On the cushion and off, this principle is all important. Each time we begin again, leaving the past and its regrets behind, that is a moment of awakening. The more we practice starting over, the more resilient, creative, and empowered we become. We see risk and failure as enlightening steps rather than mistakes to be avoided. We dive into the stream of life and stop clutching, endlessly, at the shore.
So ask yourself, how do you respond to starting over? To the idea of being, forever, a beginner? Do you view each day as a fresh start, an opportunity to wake up, savor your life, experiment, explore, and grow? Or do you see your life as a kind of "Groundhog Day," with each day blurring into the next, repeating itself, and locking you into sameness? What is your attitude toward risk and mistake making? Do you wear your losses lightly and wisely or drag them behind you like unwieldy garbage, limiting the present by belly aching over the past? Do you believe in the power of starting over or view this as a childish illusion? How do your feelings about being a beginner affect energy and your morale?
Years ago, I talked to the late great novelist Peter Matthiessen about his Zen practice. "I've been sitting for 25 years," he told me. "I'm just a beginner." Matthiessen wasn't being coy or ironic; he wasn't faking false humility or downplaying his own development. He was stating an undeniable fact about what it means to be a seeker. As seekers, we know that we never arrive. We're aware that there is always more practice. We're not trying to be masters of the universe; we much prefer being works in progress. We relish the fact that there's room to grow. We're happy just to keep on looking.


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Maike Havemann of IBM Germany talks about the proud moment she had presenting the Cognitive Dress at the Re:publica Digital Conference in Berlin.
BY Maike Havemann
My name is Maike, I'm 21 years and I joined IBM three years ago. This sounds like quite a long time but in reality the time passed very quickly. I'm doing a dual degree in Business Informatics at the HWR in Berlin (Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin / Berlin School of Economics and Law) – meaning I study for three months and then work at IBM for three months continuously throughout the degree.
During the working months I can decide which part of the business I want to work for. In my view this is the biggest advantage and the reason why I chose IBM. I can work very independently, allowing me to be self-determined and at the same time I can get to know a lot of IBM's business.
Modelling the Cognitive Dress at re:publica
I had the opportunity to present the Cognitive Dress to re:publica and this was a great achievement for me as not many of my peers who work for other organizations can boast of having such opportunities.
The first time I got the chance to see IBM's cognitive dress was at this year's CeBIT in March. At that moment, I was really fascinated by the dress and I never thought that there would be a chance for me to wear it but I got a call shortly after that they needed someone who could present it at "re:publica" in Berlin, one of the largest and most exciting conferences about digital culture in the world. I was even happier when I found out that my measurements matched and I was able to wear the dress.
Whoever thought I would be a 'model' when joining IBM?
"Love Out Loud" was this year's motto of the re:publica convention and I felt great about presenting the cognitive dress. Everyone at the convention had their eyes on me and wanted to take pictures or have an interview about the innovative dress. The camera flashes provided what I can only describe as a lightning storm! I felt like a celebrity!
What Makes the Dress Cognitive
You may ask yourself, what makes the cognitive dress so amazing? It's while standing in a darker place that you really see the dress's sewn-in LEDs that change their colors and it looks fantastic.
But how and why are the colors of the LEDs changing?
The original cognitive dress was made and developed in the USA by Marchesa and IBM but the dress I wore was recreated in cooperation with a fashion design student of the HTW Berlin and the dress is a way to visualize Watson. In the background the IBM Watson Tone Analyzer is working, which analyzes sentiments to a particular hashtag; in this case, we chose the hashtag #IBM. Using this social media analysis, trends or social conversations can be recognized and the Watson Tone Analyzer allows the classification of moods in more detail than just positive, neutral, and negative. We have chosen five moods, each with its own color – for example, purple stood for enthusiasm.
My personal highlight of the re:publica was of course, being able to present the cognitive dress. Particularly on Monday, as many interviews took place and I could show off what makes my company so special on TV! It is much easier to explain what the cognitive business is about when you have something that visualizes it. My family, who did not know anything about the cognitive dress, were very impressed after watching some interviews and being able to see 'cognitive in action'. On Tuesday, I had the honor of opening the IBM Human Resources Festival together with Norbert Janzen, CHRO of IBM Germany. It included an excellent program and interesting speeches as well as a nice get together.
The re:publica was a very special experience for me, one which I will never forget and I encourage new graduates to come join me at IBM to have an opportunity in becoming part of a global team that is creating meaningful solutions with passion. We have got lots of opportunities for Graduates and Experienced professionals. Why not join us and discover what you can do at IBM.
To keep up to date with our career opportunities and other IBM facts, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube and Instagram


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I've been bouncing around looking for a barber ever since mine moved to Pittsburgh (dammit, Shannon). I've gone chain (disaster), I've gone young (flighty)...
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Your Barber Shop can be found at Sw Yamhill St 520. The following is offered: Hair Salons. The entry is present with us since Sep 8, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Portland there are 68 other Hair Salons. An overview can be found here.


text: The Rams caught the Seahawks on a perfect play call for Steven Jackson to break a big run. Deon Grant had come up to the line to blitz, and Julian Peterson also blitzed on the play. When Jackson got through the initial line, there was nobody left to stop him. All this could have been avoided if Rocky Bernard had fallen on that fumble. The Seahawks again have their work cut out for them, trailing 9-0 on the road.


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Dance Photography Workshop 2013 With Nicola Selby
I am very excited to announce the dates for my 2013 dance photography workshops. I will be running these on the 23rd/24th March 2013, 21st/22nd September and the 26th/27th October. Places are limited to 7 photographers per weekend. The workshops in the past have been a huge success with amazing feedback. The course is designed to help build you confidence with the techniques used to captures dancers as well understanding the highly skilled subject manner. As a trained dancer and internationally published photographer I will take you through all aspects of this beautiful subject. For more information please click here.
Nicola Selby Dance Photography News - Oct 30, 2012 | Ballet Dance Photography, Contemporary Dance Photography, Dance Photography Workshop, Velocity Studio
Tagged | Ballet Dance Photography, Contemporary Dance Photography, Dance Photography UK, dance photography workshop, Dance Photography Workshop 2013


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Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Last Airbender
Click here for The Last Airbender Trailer.
In a world where people can harness and control the four elements of wind, water, earth and fire, one individual stands supreme, the Avatar. The Avatar has the unique ability to learn how to control all four elements and is tasked with keeping peace between the four nations. But the last Avatar went missing nearly 100 years ago. Since then, the Fire Nation has declared open war on all other nations and has completely wiped out the Air Nation and begun enslaving both the Water Nations and Earth Nations.
The threat of Fire Nation dominance over the world seems almost complete until a two young members of the Water Nation, a young warrior named Sokka(Jackson Rathbone) and his water bending sister Katara(Nicola Peltz), find a young boy frozen in a globe of ice. When they release the boy, they realize that he is of the Air Nation and the last of his kind, Remembering the stories that the Avatar was to be born of the Air Nation, Sokka and Katara determine that this boy is the Avatar.
The Avatar has reincarnated himself as Aang(Noah Ringer), you young boy from the Northern Air Temple. Aang doesn't realize that he has been frozen for nearly 100 years. Sokka and Katara take Aang back to their tribe where Young Prince Zuko(Dev Patel), son of Fire Lord Ozai(Cliff Curtis), is waiting. Zuko was exiled by his father and determines that the only way to get back into his good graces is to capture the Avatar and deliver him to his father.
Aang agrees to go with Zuko if he promises not to hurt any of the villagers. While aboard Zuko's ship, Aang quickly escapes and is picked up by Katara and Sokka on Appa, Aang's pet flying bison. Sokka and Katara tell Aang that they will travel with him on his journey. The Only way for Aang to defeat the Fire Nation is to master all four elements. Aang, Katara and Sokka make their way to the Northern Water Tribe where so Aang can learn water bending from a true master.
Zuko learns of this plan and the Fire Nation attacks the Northern Water tribe in order to stop the Avatar. Fire Lord Ozai realizes that there is only one way to stop the Avatar. A comet, known as Sozin's Comet, pases by the world of the Avatar every hundred years. The Fire Nation benders are able to draw power from it as the comet makes their bending impossibly powerful. In order for Aang to defeat the fire nation he has to master the four elements before Sozin's Comet arrives in 3 years.
Ok so I am a HUGE fan of the Nickelodeon cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender, the basis behind this movie. The cartoon brought something different to the normal hodgepodge of animated crap that decays the minds of today's youth. It had plot, entertainment, humor, drama, action and anything else you could want in a good show. So needless to say that when I saw the first teaser for The Last Airbender I was giddy, to say the least. And then I saw that it was being directed by M. Night Shyamalan and I thought "no no no! Why him!" Let's face it, after The Sixth Sense and Signs Shyamalan's movies have pretty much sucked. But then I thought, "well this already has a set plot and characters and storyline, he can't possibly throw something in there to completely ruin it." I was wrong.
To say that M. Night Shyamalan ruined this movie is an understatement. He literally took the pure joy that was the cartoon and beat it to within an inch of its life and then proceeded to run over it with a combine while laughing at it. Almost everything about this movie was wrong, from the over exaggerated bending moves to the dull, lifeless characters to even the mispronunciation of the characters' names Shyamalan just didn't get anything right.
Lets start off with the characters. Noah Ringer plays Aang and here we have our first mistake. This kid was purely horrendous. Ringer was emotionless, lifeless and tried to act better than he really can. The original character is supposed to be fun loving, charismatic and energetic and Ringer was anything but all those. Nicola Peltz, who plays Katara, was equally as bad. While she was slightly better than ringer, its only like saying that cat poo is better than dog poo. The we have Mr. Rathbone. Jackson Rathbone, who many of you may recognize from those Twilight movies, plays Sokka, Katara's older brother. Shyamalan decided to take the most unserious character from the show and try to make him into a badass leader. Well Mr. Shyamalan, mission failed.
The only salvageable performances came from Dev Patel, who played Prince Zuko, and Shaun Toub who played Zuko's uncle Iroh. Patel's performance wasn't bad considering he is an Indian actor playing and Asian character! Toub wasn't hard;y in the movie enough to get screwed by Shyamalan so kudos to him. Nearly all the characters were lifeless. Even Aang's pet flying bison Appa and his lemurbat MoMo (who was only seen maybe twice) were emotionless, as opposed to the cartoon where they added life and comic relief.
My next gripe is with the dialog and mispronunciation of names. Sokka, Aang and Iroh were the top three mispronounced names, oh, and even the word Avatar was pronounced with long "a" instead of a short one sometimes. Is it really that hard to insert the DVD of the cartoon into the DVD player and listen to how they pronounce the names? I mean seriously? The bending effects were cool. I will give the movie that. When there was actual bending and fighting going on the movie did good though the actions used sometimes to perform the bending were too long and drawn out which seemed completely pointless.
The opening credits have given anybody who has seen the show or movie regret as it stated "Book One: Water" which, of course, was the name given to the first season of the cartoon implying that there are two more movies that are being made. I feel that their only hope of success is to find a new director and writer. And while I am not particularly fond of different actors being brought in to play the same role as somebody else, the next movies could definitely benefit from it, especially in the title character of Aang.
Overall M. Night Shyamalan managed to take a beloved Nickelodeon cartoon that was one of the best ever created and turn it into a steaming pile of crap. If you have never ever seen the cartoon then there is the vague hop that you may find something in this film to like. But for those of us who were fans the original source material, this film just does not simply live up to our heightened expectations.
I give The Last Airbender 5 six-legged flying bison out of 10.
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3 comments:
- AnonymousJuly 10, 2010 at 9:23 PM
Good input. It's always difficult casting young people for movies because maybe acting is a little tougher than people like to think. BUT that being said, i also found the mispronunciation of the names in the movie to the most irritating and most easily avoidable flop ever. Did Shyamalan even watch the cartoon? When I saw The Village I actually said to myself, "holy donkey balls."ReplyDelete
Good Review Z.
Excellent review. Film critics weren't slow to proclaim that director M. Night Shyamalan had finally been deprived of his last bit of ability, when they first laid eyes and ears on this summer's live action movie - The Last Airbender - a big screen flick based on Nickelodeon's immensely popular TV-show.
Exquisite. I bought the DVDs of all three seasons and watched it from start to finish. I was impressed, not only by the animation, but also by the complex story line and the strong messages it was teaching kids about honor, responsibility, friendship, trust, faith, and love.