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Technology has robbed the world of a lot freedom… just as it has added great freedom in other ways.
Technology allowed me to live in Hong Kong in the 1970s.
Technology has brought us the freedom to see the world in an instant… to speak to the world in an instant… to message the world in an instant… to travel the world… to buy and sell with those who offer the best deal… plus ever so much more.
Yet the same technology has allowed governments everywhere to restrict privacy and in many instances lifestyle.
For example… US legislation has slowly created such a burden on overseas banks that to serve US citizens most overseas banks will no longer accept Americans as customers.
Technology allowed me to live in London and …
work in the Isle of Man in the 19080s.
Our newsletters and later this website have warned about this problem for nearly 4o years as we have observed the gradual erosion of American access to global banking.
The first clues of our restricted freedom came clear back in the early 1980s when overseas mutual funds started dropping American investors. I saw the results of this myself. The 2nd book I wrote about global investing "Three Confidential Reports About Making Money Abroad" recommended several overseas mutual funds including Action Suisse (A Swiss fund that invested in Swiss shares) and Deutscher Investment-Trust (a German fund investing in German shares). These were great funds for that time as the Swiss franc, German mark and these stock markets were exploding.
I invested in these funds and was making triple digit returns when my Swiss banker at that time, Credit Suisse wrote and said…"Sorry we have to sell these funds for you because you are an American. Thank you very much."
Since that time Swiss bankers and banks globally have been fighting a rear guard action against more and more legislation that does not make it illegal for Americas to bank overseas…. just financially impractical. The cost of complying with all the legislation is so high that overseas banks can't charge enough.
The beginning of the end came in in 1996, when the USA concluded a new double taxation agreement with Switzerland, which, among other things, regulated the conditions for administrative assistance in matters of taxation. Switzerland agreed to provide assistance with regard to "tax fraud and the like".
"And the like." Three infamous words.
This extension of the concept of "tax fraud" was like a ticking time bomb. US authorities simply had to wait for some bank and in this case it was UBS to act in a way so the US authorities could expand their control over non US banks. Thus banking secrecy was well and truly dead not in 2009, but already in 1996.
UBS activity allowed the US government to pile so much additional paperwork on overseas banks that other banks in other countries began closing down American accounts as well.
A Daily Telegraph article "Lloyds Bank hit by Obama tax purge" shows what happened to Americans (even those who had lived in England for decades) says: Lloyds Banking Group is ditching American customers based in Britain pending a crackdown on international tax evasion planned by President Barack Obama.
This week American private client account-holders at Lloyds's received letters informing them of an "important change in policy regarding clients who are resident, domiciled or linked to the United States by property or asset holdings". They were told the bank had "no choice" but to "cease acting as your investment manager. One letter sent to Bank of Scotland's portfolio management division, which is now part of Lloyds, said: "The USA has a mature regulatory environment governed by its Securities and Exchange Commission. These regulations mean that we are not licensed to manage portfolios for US clients".
The letter added: "Unfortunately we cannot offer an equivalent service from within Lloyds Banking Group." Clients have been advised to transfer their assets.
One recipient, who has lived in the UK for over 25 years, said: "After all this time, I've suddenly been told I must take my money elsewhere and I don't understand why. Now I'm scared that other banks won't take me on either."
There you have it. Americans are totally free to bank abroad… yet many cannot because the cost of compliance is so high. This is true in many other fields. There are some great natural health products available that aren't offered because of the high cost of FDA approval. The list could go on.
This is not a unique American phenomenon by the way. European food supplements are even more restricted than in the US.
What can we do to maintain freedom?
Freedom is an attitude and lifestyle we choose… not something legislated so we can use technology to help us be free as citizens of the world which I recommended in my first book (written in the 1970s) "Passport to International Profit".
Here is an excerpt from that book.
Don't be a Shooting Duck
This is the first story in the second chapter of a book, Passport to Profit, I wrote in 1979. Does this now apply to you?
Having a Harbor
Doesn't everyone dream of having some safe harbor for the ultimate escape? A completely dependable last line of defense, so that when everything else falls to pieces, one can drop back inside this cozy little shelter and enjoy a safe snug comfortable life. Certainly it is sensible to have one. In fact, to my way of thinking, anyone who doesn't have quite a few safe harbors is not only playing a dangerous game he doesn't have to play, he is missing one of the greatest contentment's of life..confidence.
Duck in the Pond Theory
We would all have our own little partnership with our own little pond if we were ducks. The pond gives us water, food, shelter and peace. We, in turn, give it ducks. For what is a pond without ducks? We clean it, eat up unnecessary plants and in general keep everything in tiptop condition. However, every once in a while the hunters arrive. Very quickly the rules of the partnership change. You see, the pond as your partner has a limited range of powers. Whether it likes it or not, a new partnership is about to be imposed upon the pond. It will be forced to join in a hunter/pond partnership and part of the rules of that relationship is that the hunters can shoot at the ducks on the pond. This not only throws you, the duck, into an unrequested, unwanted hunter/hunted partnership but threatens to terminate quickly your duck/pond partnership.
It's possible if you are not careful that you will become a diner/dinner partner on the wrong end of the fork. Logic dictates what to do in a situation like this. Since your pond partner is no longer dependable because the rules are about to be changed, you should take the initiative. Rule #1 of the Duck in the Pond Theory is in fact "Don't be a sitting duck when the shooting starts", so you've go to decide what to do.
All too often in real life, people get too upset with change to use logic. Their first reaction instead is dismay. They sit there wallowing in disappointment, shock and anger because their pond has let them down. Or even worse, they sit there looking at the gun barrels and choose to blind themselves to the reality of the situation, saying this is some sort of joke or the hunters are really looking for rabbits or the pond won't let this happen.
Rule #2 in this theory is "be realistic". If you don't accept partnerships change daily or ignore the limitations of your partner; you are not capable of deciding when to run for your harbor. You'll lie to yourself and probably to your partner. This gums up the whole works. You'll mess up a fairly clean machine by adding unwanted, useless nuts and bolts which do nothing but clog everything up.
The human mind/body partnership has an almost unlimited capacity to ignore its eyeballs, to adjust reality to match its desires. This inbred flaw causes humans to ignore reality and expect the world to revolve around them. Being realistic is accepting that no person, thing or partnership is indispensable or permanent. Realism is recognizing change and accepting it when no one is able to stop it.
If, by being realistic, you recognize that as much as you love your pond and as much as the gun barrels look harmless, that the shooting is not far away, you must act. You must get off the pond. Where do you go?
Rule #3 of the theory is to be sure you have another pond to go to. I call it having a positive pond factor. The more places you have to go, the more positive your pond factor.
Technology allows Merri and me to live on a remote Blue Ridge farm…
in Florida…
and Ecuador now.
Until next message, where we learn how to find other ponds, may your pond be a good one.
One bank that still welcomes Americans is Jyske Bank. They spent years (and probably millions in legal fees I might add) figuring out all the ways to make it possible for them to serve Americans. This is why I am pleased to be speaking at their 9th Global Wealth seminar.
See details on how to join Merri and me at Jyske's bi annual Copenhagen seminar here Global Wealth Management Seminar.
Join us on the waterfront restaurants and coffee shops along Nyhavn as we learn about global investing in Copenhagen.
How We Can Serve You
How to Have Real Safety
There are only three reasons why we should invest. We invest for income. We invest to resell our investments for more than we had invested. We invest to make our world a better place.
We should not invest for fun, excitement or to get rich quick, or in a panic due to market corrections.
This is why the core Pi model portfolio (that forms the bulk of my own equity portfolio) consists of 19 shares and this position has not changed in over two years. During these two years we have been steadily accumulating the same 19 shares and have not traded once.
The portfolio has done well in 2017, up 22.6%, better than the DJI Index.
However one or even two year's performance is not enough data to create a safe strategy.
The good value portfolio above is based entirely on good value financial information and mathematically based safety programs developed around models that date back 91 and 24 years.
The Pifolio is a theoretical portfolio of MSCI Country Benchmark Index ETFs that cover all the good value markets developed combining my 50 years of investing experience with study of the mathematical market value analysis of Keppler Asset Management and the mathematical trend analysis of Tradestops.com.
In my opinion, Keppler is one of the best market statisticians in the world. Numerous very large fund managers, such as State Street Global Advisers, use his analysis to manage over $2.5 billion of funds.
The Pifolio analysis begins with Keppler who continually researches international major stock markets and compares their value based on current book to price, cash flow to price, earnings to price, average dividend yield, return on equity and cash flow return. He compares each major stock market's history.
Michael Kepler CEO Keppler Asset Management.
Michael is a brilliant mathematician. We have tracked his analysis for over 20 years. He continually researches international major stock markets and compares their value based on current book to price, cash flow to price, earnings to price, average dividend yield, return on equity and cash flow return. He compares each stock market's history. From this, he develops his Good Value Stock Market Strategy and rates each market as a Buy, Neutral or Sell market. His analysis is rational, mathematical and does not cause worry about short term ups and downs. Keppler's strategy is to diversify into an equally weighted portfolio of the MSCI Indices of each BUY market.
This is an easy, simple and effective approach to zeroing in on value because little time, management and guesswork is required. You are investing in a diversified portfolio of good value indices.
A BUY rating for an index does NOT imply that any stock in that country is an attractive investment, so you do not have to spend hours of research aimed at picking specific shares. It is not appropriate or enough to instruct a stockbroker to simply select stocks in the BUY rated countries. Investing in the index is like investing in all the shares in the index. You save time because all you have to do is invest in the ETF to gain the profit potential of the entire market.
To achieve this goal of diversification the Pifolio consists of Country Index ETFs.
Country Index ETFs are similar to an index mutual fund but are shares normally traded on a major stock exchange that tracks an index of shares in a specific country. ETFs do not try to beat the index they represent. The management is passive and tries to emulate the performance of the index.
A country ETF provides diversification into a basket of equities in the country covered. The expense ratios for most ETFs are lower than those of the average mutual fund as well so such ETFs provide diversification and cost efficiency.
Here is the Pifolio I personally use.
70% is diversified into Keppler's good value (BUY rated) developed markets: Australia, Austria, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Norway, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
30% of the Pifolio is invested in Keppler's good value (BUY rated) emerging markets: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan.
The Pifolio consists of iShares ETFs that invested in each of the MSCI indicies of the good value BUY markets.
For example, the iShares MSCI Australia (symbol EWA) is a Country Index ETF that tracks the investment results the Morgan Stanley Capital Index MSCI Australia Index which is composed mainly of large cap and small cap stocks traded primarily on the Australian Stock Exchange mainly of companies in consumer staples, financials and materials. This ETF is non-diversified outside of Australia.
iShares is owned by Black Rock, Inc. the world's largest asset manager with over $4 trillion in assets under management.
Pi uses math to reveal the best value markets then protects its positions using more math created by Richard Smith founder and CEO of Tradestops.com to track each share's trend.
We use Smith's algorithms that calculate momentum of the good value markets.
The Stock State Indicators at Tradestops.com act as a full life-cycle measure that indicates the health of each stock. They are designed to tell you at a glance exactly where any stock stands relative to Dr. Smith's proprietary algorithms.
Kepppler's analysis shows the value of markets. The SSI signal indicates the current trend of each stock (performing well, or in a period of correction, or stopped out).
The SSI tells you one of five things:
Akey component of the Stock State Indicator (SSI) system is momentum based on the latest 521 days of trading. A stock changes from red to green in the SSI system only after it has already gone up a healthy amount and has started a solid uptrend.
How SSI Alerts Are Triggered
If the position has already moved more than its Volatility Quotient below a recent high, the SSI Stop Loss will trigger. This is an indicator that the position has corrected more than what is normal for this stock. It means to take caution.
Below is an example of how SSIs work. This example shows the Developed Market Pifolio that we track at Tradestops.com.
Equal Weight Good Value Developed Market Pifolio.
At the time this example was copied, all the ETFs in the Developed Market Pifolio (above) currently had a green SSI.
We do not know when the US market will fall. We only do know that it will. We also do not know if, when the US market corrects, global markets will follow or rise instead.
The fact that the Pifilios are invested in good value markets reduces long term risk.
Additional protection is added by using trailing stops based on the 521 day momentum of each stock in the Pifolio.
Take for example the graph below from our Tradestops account that shows the iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF. This ETF had a green SSI and a Volatility Index (VQ) of 13.26%. This means the share can move 13.26% before there is a trend shift.
iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (Symbol EWU)
Pi purchased the share at$31.26 and in this example the share was $34.43 and rising. Tradestop's algorithms suggested that if the price drops to $31.69 its momentum would have stopped and it would have shifted into trading sideways. The stop loss price is currently $29.86. If EWU continues to rise, both the yellow warning and the stop loss price will rise as well.
When the US stock market bull ends, know one knows for sure how long or how severe the correction will be.
When the bear arrives, what will happen to global and especially good value markets?
No one knows the answer to this question.
What we do know is that the equally weighted, good value market Pifolios have the greatest potential long term and that math based trailing stops can be used to protect against a secular global stock market correction when it comes.
My fifty years of global investing experience helps take advantage of numerous long term cycles that are part of the universal math that affects all investments.
What you get when you subscribe to Pi.
You immediately receive a 120 page basic training course that teaches the Pi Strategy. You learn all the Pi strategies, what they are, how to use them and what each can do for you, your lifestyle and investing.
You also begin receiving regular emailed Pifiolio updates and online access to all the Pifolio updates of the last two years. Each update examines the current activity in a Pifolio, how it is changing, why and how the changes might help your investing or not.
Included in the basic training is an additional 120 page PDF value analysis of 46 stock markets (23 developed markets and 23 emerging stock markets). This analysis looks at the price to book, price to earnings, average yield and much more.
You also receive two special reports.
In the 1980s, a remarkable set of two economic circumstances helped anyone who spotted them become remarkably rich. Some of my readers made enough to retire. Others picked up 50% currency gains. Then the cycle ended. Warren Buffett explained the importance of this ending in a 1999 Fortune magazine interview. He said: Let me summarize what I've been saying about the stock market: I think it's very hard to come up with a persuasive case that equities will over the next 17 years perform anything like—anything like—they've performed in the past 17!
I did well then, but always thought, "I should have invested more!" Now those circumstances have come together and I am investing in them again.
The circumstances that created fortunes 30 years ago were an overvalued US market (compared to global markets) and an overvalued US dollar. The two conditions are in place again!
30 years ago, the US dollar rose along with Wall Street. Profits came quickly over three years. Then the dollar dropped like a stone, by 51% in just two years. A repeat of this pattern is growing and could create up to 50% extra profit if we start using strong dollars to accumulate good value stock market ETFs in other currencies.
This is the most exciting opportunity I have seen since we started sending our reports on international investing ideas more than three decades ago. The trends are so clear that I have created a short, but powerful report "Three Currency Patterns for 50% Profits or More." This report shows how to earn an extra 50% from currency shifts with even small investments. I kept the report short and simple, but included links to 153 pages of Good Value Stock Market research and Asset Allocation Analysis.
The report shows 20 good value investments and a really powerful tactic that shows the most effective and least expensive way to accumulate these bargains in large or even very small amounts (less than $5,000). There is extra profit potential of at least 50% so the report is worth a lot.
This report sells for $29.95 but in this special offer, you receive the report, "Three Currency Patterns for 50% Profits or More" FREE when you subscribe to Pi.
Plus get the $39.95 report "The Platinum Dip 2018" free.
With investors watching global stock markets bounce up and down, many missed two really important profit generating events over the last two years. The price of silver dipped below $14 an ounce as did shares of the iShares Silver ETF (SLV). The second event is that the silver gold ratio hit 80, compared to a ratio of 230 only two years before.
In September 2015, I prepared a special report "Silver Dip 2015" about a silver speculation, leveraged with a British pound loan, that could increase the returns in a safe portfolio by as much as eight times. The tactics described in that report generated 62.48% profit in just nine months.
I have updated this report and added how to use the Dip Strategy with platinum. The "Platinum Dip 2018" report shares the latest in a series of long term lessons gained through 40 years of speculating and investing in precious metals. I released the 2015 report, when the gold silver ratio slipped to 80. The ratio has corrected and that profit has been taken and now a new precious metals dip has emerged.
I have prepared a new special report "Platinum Dip 2018" about a leveraged speculation that can increase the returns in a safe portfolio by as much as eight times.
You also learn from the Value Investing Seminar, our premier course, that we have been conducting for over 30 years. Tens of thousands of delegates have paid up to $999 to attend. Now you can join the seminar online FREE in this special offer.
This three day course is available in sessions that are 10 to 20 minutes long for easy, convenient learning. You can listen to each session any time and as often as you desire.
The sooner you hear what I have to say about current markets, the better you'll be able to cash in on perhaps the best investing opportunity since 1982.
Tens of thousands have paid up to $999 to attend.
In 2018 I celebrate my 52nd anniversary in the investing business and 50th year of writing about global investing. Our reports and seminars have helped readers have better lives, with less stress yet make fortunes during up and down markets for decades. This information is invaluable to investors large and small because even small amounts can easily be invested in the good value shares we cover in our seminar.
Stock and currency markets are cyclical. These cycles create extra profit for value investors who invest when everyone else has the markets wrong. One special seminar session looks at how to spot value from cycles. Stocks rise from the cycle of war, productivity and demographics. Cycles create recurring profits. Economies and stock markets cycle up and down around every 15 to 20 years as shown in this graph.
The effect of war cycles on the US Stock Market since 1906.
Bull and bear cycles are based on cycles of human interaction, war, technology and productivity. Economic downturns can create war.
The chart above shows the war – stock market cycle. Military struggles (like the Civil War, WWI, WWII and the Cold War: WW III) super charge inventiveness that creates new forms of productivity…the steam engine, the internal combustion engine, production line processes, jet engines, TV, farming techniques, plastics, telephone, computer and lastly during the Cold War, the internet. The military technology shifts to domestic use. A boom is created that leads to excess. Excess leads to correction. Correction creates an economic downturn and again to war.
Details in the online seminar include:
* How to easily buy global currencies, shares and bonds.
* Trading down and the benefits of investing in real estate in Small Town USA. We will share why this breakout value is special and why we have been recommending good value real estate in this area since 2009.
* What's up with gold and silver? One session looks at my current position on gold and silver and asset protection. We review the state of the precious metal markets and potential problems ahead for US dollars. Learn how low interest rates eliminate opportunity costs of diversification in precious metals and foreign currencies.
* How to improve safety and increase profit with leverage and staying power. The seminar reveals Warren Buffett's value investing strategy from research published at Yale University's website. This research shows that the stocks Buffet chooses are safe (with low beta and low volatility), cheap (value stocks with low price-to-book ratios), and high quality (stocks of companies that are profitable, stable, growing, and with high payout ratios). His big, extra profits come from leverage and staying power. At times Buffet's portfolio, as all value portfolios, has fallen, but he has been willing and able to wait long periods for the value to reveal itself and prices to recover.
This chart based on a 45 year portfolio study shows that holding a diversified good value portfolio (based on a good value strategy) for 13 month's time, increases the probability of out performance to 70%. However those who can hold the portfolio for five years gain a 88% probability of beating the bellwether in the market and after ten years the probability increases to 97.5%.
Time is your friend when you use a good value strategy. The longer you can hold onto a well balanced good value portfolio, the better the odds of outstanding success.
Learn how much leverage to use. Leverage is like medicine, the key is dose. The best ratio is normally 1.6 to 1. We'll sum up the strategy; how to leverage cheap, safe, quality stocks and for what period of time based on the times and each individual's circumstances.
Learn to plan in a way so you never run out of money. The seminar also has a session on the importance of having and sticking to a plan. See how success is dependent on conviction, wherewithal, and skill to operate with leverage and significant risk. Learn a three point strategy based on my 50 years of investing experience combined with wisdom gained from some of the world's best investment managers and economic mathematical scientists.
The online seminar also reveals the results of a $80,000 share purchase cost test that found the least expensive way to invest in good value. The keys to this portfolio are good value, low cost, minimal fuss and bother. Plus a great savings of time. Trading is minimal, usually not more than one or two shares are bought or sold in a year. I wanted to find the very least expensive way to create and hold this portfolio so I performed this test.
I have good news about the cost of the seminar as well. For almost three decades the seminar fee has been $799 for one or $999 for a couple. Tens of thousands paid this price, but online the seminar is $297.
In this special offer, you can get this online seminar FREE when you subscribe to our Personal investing Course.
Save $468.90 If You Act Now
Subscribe to the first year of The Personal investing Course (Pi). The annual fee is $299, but to introduce you to this online, course that is based on real time investing, I am knocking $102 off the subscription. Plus you receive FREE the $29.95 report "Three Currency Patterns for 50% Profits or More", the $39.95 report "Silver Dip 2017" and our latest $297 online seminar for a total savings of $468.90.
Triple Guarantee
Enroll in Pi. Get the basic training, the 46 market value report, access to all the updates of the past two years, the two reports and the Value Investing Seminar right away.
#1: I guarantee you'll learn ideas about investing that are unique and can reduce stress as they help you enhance your profits through slow, worry free, easy diversified investing.
If you are not totally happy, simply let me know.
#2: I guarantee you can cancel your subscription within 60 days and I'll refund your subscription fee in full, no questions asked.
#3: You can keep the two reports and Value Investing Seminar as my thanks for trying.
You have nothing to lose except the fear. You gain the ultimate form of financial security as you reduce risk and increase profit potential.
Subscribe to Pi now, get the 130 page basic training, the 120 page 46 market value analysis, access to over 100 previous Pifolio updates, the "Platinum Dip 2018" and "Three Currency Patterns For 50% Profits or More" reports, and value investment seminar, plus begin receiving regular Pifolio updates throughout the year.
Subscribe to a Pi annual subscription for $197 and receive all the above.


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Carlos Rogers sits out practice again
Cornerback Carlos Rogers (calf) sat out practice for the second consecutive day, stirring further doubt about his status for Sunday's season finale against the New York Giants at FedEx Field.
Rogers did not play during the second half of last week's overtime victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hamstring problems also sidelined Rogers for three games during the second half of the season.
Rogers, who could be an unrestricted free agent after the season, is not concerned that his injuries would deter the Redskins or other teams from investing heavily in him.
"I don't worry about that," he said. "That's something you can't do nothing about. You can't control hamstrings. I'm not an injury-prone person. If that was the case, it would kinda be different.
"...I think I got enough film to prove and show other general managers and coaches I can play. And not even others, just here with these guys, that I can play any position or any defense that they have me in."
Rogers expressed doubt about playing against the Giants.
"I hardly could walk without limping after the last game," Rogers said. "Today, I ran a little bit.
"I actually could run, so I got a few more days. Hopefully, I'll be able to play."
Regardless of Rogers's status, the Redskins' defense could receive a boost from outside linebacker Brian Orakpo (groin) and safety Reed Doughty (concussion), who sat out the previous game against Jacksonville at EverBank Field. Orakpo leads the Redskins with 8 ½ sacks. Free safety Kareem Moore was assigned to the season-ending injured reserve on Wednesday.
Jason Reid
| December 30, 2010; 4:01 PM ET
Categories: Carlos Rogers
Save & Share: Previous: What happens to Albert Haynesworth when suspension ends?
Next: Kyle Shanahan still evaluating Rex Grossman
Rogers signs with another team and leads the NFL in picks next season...
Posted by: rich20ssu | December 30, 2010 4:16 PM | Report abuse
Rogers .... leads the NFL in picks next season...
Posted by: rich20ssu | December 30, 2010 4:16 PM
Haynesworth leads the league in passing next year.
Posted by: beep-beep | December 30, 2010 4:19 PM | Report abuse
KS beeps.
Posted by: wireman65 | December 30, 2010 4:25 PM | Report abuse
If we couldn't get Andrew Luck, our next best option is Ricky Stanzi. I'm of the opinion that Ricky is pro ready, Cam Newton is not. I also believe Ricky will be available in the early second round, which will allow Shanny to use the first round pick on other needs.
Posted by: abxinc | December 30, 2010 4:43 PM | Report abuse
Kitna out with a strained...??
Dallas angles for the Cam Newton Draft position?
Posted by: SkinsneedaGM | December 30, 2010 10:59 PM | Report abuse
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subset: commoncrawl


text: Not only is Jordan Brand bringing back the Air Jordan 13 this year but they've also kept the first Air Jordan in mind, so how do you pay homage to both silhouettes? making a hybrid that fuses both AJ 1 and AJ 13. We've already shown you the "He Got Game" AJ 1 earlier today and now, we take a look at the "Playoffs" colorway that should be making it's way into retailers come March. Let us know if you'll be scooping these up when they release. For those wanting them early, You Can Buy them Now


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We'll be playing at The Stagger Inn in beautiful downtown Edwardsville this Friday night (4/30) from 10pm -1am. This is our first time bringing the classic country stylings of Trigger 5 to Illinois. I hope they're ready for it. Come out and see the show. By the by, it's going to be packed with student pharmacists from SIUE cuz we're donating our take to the pharmacy school.
Archive for April, 2010
Trigger 5 on the East Side
Posted in Uncategorized on April 28, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Soulard School Orchestra feat. Trigger 5
Posted in 1 on April 5, 2010| Leave a Comment »
We'll be making history with members of the Soulard School Orchestra this Saturday at the Atomic Cowboy. We're going to jam a few blues, fiddle and country classics with the kids starting at 6 PM. Then it's Trigger 5 with your classic country faves for the rest of the night. $5 cover charge. All proceeds will go to the school/string program. Bring your family and friends!


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At a recent meeting the Board of Chemical & Allied Products PLC "CAP PLC" made the following Board changes.
Following the appointment of Mrs. Omolara Elemide as Executive Director, Corporate Services of UAC of Nigeria PLC, Mrs. Oluwakemi Ogunnubi has been appointed the New Managing Director of CAP PLC.
Mr. Abdul Bello, the GMD/CEO Designate of UAC of Nigeria PLC has also been appointed as a Non–Executive Director of CAP PLC. Both appointments are with effect from 1st January, 2018.
The profiles of the new appointees are as follows:
A Chartered Accountant (ACA), Kemi was born on 25th of November 1968. She attended The Polytechnic, Ibadan where she obtained Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy in 1992. She joined UAC of Nigeria Plc.
(UACN) as a Mid-career Accountant on 1st February, 2001. She has worked in various capacities within the UACN Group as Lead Internal Auditor (Lagos/West) – UACN Audit, Business Efficiency Manager – CAP plc, Supply Chain Manager – CAP pic and National Customer Service Manager – CAP plc. She was transferred to UAC Foods in July, 2009 where she worked as
National Sales Manager. Following the Strategic partnership with Tiger Brands South Africa in 2011, she became the GM Sales UAC Foods Limited.
On establishment of the Risk and Compliance unit of UACN in 2013, Kemi was appointed the Head, Risk and Compliance of UACN Pic on 11th June 2013 and subsequently appointed Head Financial Services of UACN Plc on 14th of March 2016. She has attended various local and international courses. She is an alumnus of Ashridge Business School UK, and also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and the Institute of Risk Management, UK.
Mr. Bello is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He has attended leadership programmes at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard Business School and IMD Switzerland. He is an alumnus of Oxford University's Advanced Management and Leadership Programme. Mr. Bello has worked variously as Chief Accountant, Inlaks Plc, Chief Accountant and Financial Controller, Grand Cereals Limited, Senior Group Accountant, UAC of Nigeria PLC, Finance Director and Company Secretary and later Managing Director of CAP Pic. He was the Managing Director of UPDC Pic from November 2007 until his elevation to the Board of UAC as Chief Financial Officer in January 2010. He is the GMD/CEO Designate of UAC of Nigeria PLC.


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: Home
Head over to: http://www.whenthedeaybreaks.com to download my 6 song EP for FREE!!
"The King of NYC Americana." - Twangnation
"I can count only a handful of times that an artist has struck me as having 'it' within the first 10 seconds that I hear them. The last time was Justin Townes Earle. Now I can say that the last time was Joe Whyte!" - Torchy Blaine, WDVR
"alt-country pearls that shimmer with simplicity and effectiveness."


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Enhancing the lineup of the SD memory card series
TOKYO-- Toshiba Corporation, a leading innovator in memory card technologies and solutions, today reinforced its memory card line-up with the launch of a 16GB microSDHC card offering the largest capacity available in the market. At the same time, the company extended its range of industry-leading memory card solutions by adding ultra fast read write 8GB and 16GB SDHC cards to its line-up. Mass production of the new SDHC cards will start in December, with production of the new microSDHC slated to start in January 2009.
All the new SD memory cards comply with the SD memory standard Ver. 2.00, and the SDHC cards support class 6 ultra fast read write speed-- a maximum write speed of 20MB per second, delivering the performance level necessary for continuous shooting of still images and recording video images. The new cards meet strong market demands for cards combining high capacities with high speed data read and write. The new microSDHC can be used with an adapter that allows it to be used in SDHC slots.
Demand is growing fast for larger data storage in portable digital consumer products. Micro SDHC cards provide a solution for mobile phones, while SDHC memory cards support for other digital consumer products.
The high-level specifications and wide range of memory cards announced by Toshiba will allow third-party developers to bring exciting applications to future generations of consumer products. Toshiba will continue to meet market demand by further expanding its SD memory card series.
Note: Product names above are for the Japanese market.
1. microSDHC Memory Card
(1) Large 16GB capacity in a microSDHC Card. Can store 270 hours of music at a bit rate of 128kbps.(2) "Class 2" SD Speed Class(3) Integrates highly secure CPRM copyright technology.
2. SDHC Memory Card (Ultra High Speed Type)
(1) Realizes maximum write speed of 20MB per sec.(2) "Class 6" SD Speed Class(3) Integrates highly secure CPRM copyright technology.
Note: Product names above are for the Japanese market.Notes:* Maximum read and write speed depends on such factors as device and file size.* SDHC Memory Cards can be used only with devices that support the SD Memory Card Ver. 2.00 standard. They are not backward compatible with standard SD Memory Cards.For further information about Toshiba's memory card solutions, please visithttp://www.toshiba.co.jp/p-media/english/index.htm
Information in the news releases, including product prices and specifications, content of services and contact information, is current on the date of the press announcement,but is subject to change without prior notice.


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The Malt Desk will be 3 years in come May 22nd 2015 which some of you know is also the legal age for Scotch Whisky. Think we might celebrate that a little when we reach the end of May :-)
Now, I just mentioned age which is something the Scotch Whisky industry haven't been very good at lately - as it seems they'd rather have no age on their bottlings... a trend I'm sad to say, that's gaining more and more ground with the producers... :-( This topic has it's been covered plenty on here and on many other whisky blogs/vlogs, and I'm afraid that we do have to get used to a range of whiskies where many are now below par in quality and over priced... and until either the whisky bubble bursts or (new) whisky drinkers become aware that whisky used to/can taste better than what's being hitting the market at the moment, we'll just have to settle with what in our cupboards, 'cause life is simple too short for bad whisky.
That said, there are a few producers out there that do put out decent No Age Statement whisky, but they are few and far between - so if you're just starting out on your whisky journey, I suggest you visit as many blogs, forums etc to try and get a lay of the whisky land as regards to the whole No Age Statement concept and from that make up your own mind...
Phew, I had promised myself that the last post in 2014 wasn't going to be a rant on missing age statements and/or anything else, but since its easy (for me) to get passionate about a thing like this, it happened anyway... and to round that off, I'll rub this whole age thing in a bit and do a review of some 40yo whisky from 1968.
Caperdonich 1968 40yo (15.10.1968/04.12.2008) 52% cask#2612, bottle no. 39 of 94, Duncan Taylor
Colour is amber
First think that hits you is the oak, quite a bit actually but once you've gotten used to the nose tingle, it also bring crush pepper, fruit and some of the 52% alcohol. There's spirit filled chocolates, heavy vanilla, bit of varnish, mango chutney, melon, herbs (tyme?) a little hint of flowers and old veneer cigarbox
Gentle arrival and then a rush of fruit and old oak wood spices... Ginger (ale), nutmeg, mint, lemon/lime, honey, som wood shavings and fruits all sort, but mainly the more exotic kind. Finishes mainly on ginger and also some dashes of cinnamon.
This is very much an oak driven dram and it might not be to everyones preference.
I'm actually guessing quite a few will say this has too much oak... and its walking a very fine oak branch here, I agree
Happy New Year 2015!


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I got invited by the lovely guys at Eau De Vie to attend their first Johnnie Walker tasting night event of the year. Now I'm not usually a big fan of Scotch, I have to be honest. I figured I'd give it a shot, if nothing else I could review it as a great gift for the blokes in the relationship thingy types (forget what they're called) out there.
Now let me start with the venue, it's simply a very classy, uber cool establishment – it has character, atmosphere and the most amazing drink selection you've ever seen. Deep mahogany tones (a lot of Anchorman type reference here), leather seats and 1940's style design ooze glamour and sophistication. With this in mind however, the mixture of clientele only proves how it is a 'one-size fits all' kinda place – Gentlemen who drink scotch on the rocks. Ladies who lunch with a cosmopolitan and guys who want their rum and coke (or shock horror – a schooner) it has it all.
It's located at the very back of the Kirketon Hotel with no signage out front. Cue driving around in a taxi – not helped by the fact that the numbers go up on one side of the road, and down on the other – not confusing, not confusing at all!! Grrrrr
Once you manage to locate the place however it is well worth it, I like to call it escapism at its best – your transported into a pre world war, high society, Manhattan type bar.
We didn't have time to get a pre-tasting session drink as we were late (due to the street number fiasco!). We were ushered into the tasting room – decedent space lined with every kind of whisky you can imagine. The room holds about 25 people and we all sat around the edges of the room. At the front of the room is James, a cocktail/ Johnnie Walker connoisseur. He owns Grandma's Bar – a venue I hope to frequent soon!
We're walked through the history of Johnnie Walker and other whiskey from around the world – Japanese, Irish, Canadian and American. Suffice to say, me and the lovely Georgia didn't fair to well on any of the taste tests.
I did however get a gold star and a pat on the back (performed by myself as only cool people do) when I correctly pointed out that the reason they fill the ice with glass for 'Scotch on the rocks' is so that the ice doesn't melt as fast! (I learned this during my cocktail bar tending days in Manchester – good times.)
Another shining moment – that saw James asking what you're meant to do with Scotch – a guy shouted out "to be drunk!" to which Georgia shouted: "Just like me!" he he. We also agreed that we are in fact 'on the rocks' kinda girls. Quite a revelation!
I won't spoil the whole tasting session for you, otherwise you won't need to go will you, but let me tell you, it is the IDEAL Valentine's gift for your other half.
At the end of the tasting session we were welcomed into the bar to sample some Johnnie Walker cocktails – yum!
Def go check it out for yourself! You won't be disappointed!
Address 229 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst, 9357 2470 Open Mon-Sun, 6pm-1am


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Skip the explanation part(s) if you know what you are doing, I have written this manual for intermediate users of UNIX-like systems.
Brief Explation
I like my Kindle Voyage and its PDF display capabilities but once in a while I am having a hard time enjoying the content because of non-OCR'ed PDF material. I recently bought a 40 USD 1950 edition old book from Google Play (I can't take the risk of getting the hard copy through the customs in Turkey considering the actual book is around 100 USD) and it's a shame I couldn't read it on my Kindle without pulling all kinds of stunts. For starters, OCR is what makes a regular scanned document more than just an image version of it by detecting the text on it and making it an actual text document rather than a simple photocopy. Why is OCR important? If you want to do a text search, copy a text, do annotations or look up the meaning of a word inside your PDF, OCR is your single solution for older documents (or even the newer ones when the document is intentionally left as scanned). Unfortunately, most OCR software is very expensive, starting from around ten dollards going up to thousands of dollars. But the best part is most OCR software use the same open-source, free back-end, TESSERACT. TESSERACT was started by HP decades ago, now it is sponsored by Google. Actually, the famous Google Docs utilize it for the pdf's you have on your Google Drive or even Gmail. The problem with TESSERACT for the regular users is that it is too powerful to be user-friendly. In fact, it does not even have a GUI or interface. So the following gives brief and simple (as much as possible) instructions on how to tame it in OS X.
Install Homebrew
Homebrew is an indispensable package manager for powerusers of OS X, similar to apt-get or yum in Linux distros. In fact, it is much like Gentoo's package manager since it compiles most stuff directly on your computer instead of downloading binary executables.
To install it via Terminal, which is the only way actually, run:
/usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"
Install Imagemagick
The almigthy Imagemagick has more juice and tricks than Photoshop if you know how to use it. No wonder why even Hollywood studios use it (Shrek, Toy Story, Stuart Little, The Incredibles are just a few examples of the movies it was used in), too. I honestly don't know how to do anything with it other than simple image manipulation.
Run this:
brew install --with-libtiff --with-ghostscript imagemagick
Install Tesseract
Time to unleash the monster in all its glory. The current procedure will use a lot of CPU power and memory. So leave your computer be while the fans cry their lungs out:
brew install --with-all-languages tesseract
A necessary modification here. The latest version of tesseract (3.04.00) has a glitch with generating the fonts on the final pdf. I have contacted the development team, and it seems that a fix is on the way;however for now, you have to use an alternative font. Ken Sharp saves the day with his font. Click here to download it. Run this in the terminal and replace pdf.ttf with Sharp's font:
open /usr/local/Cellar/tesseract/3.04.00/share/tessdata
Scanning and OCR'ing:
Run this (by replacing the INPUT part) to create tiff versions of your original pdf:
convert -density 300 INPUT.pdf -type Grayscale -compress lzw -background white +matte -depth 32 page_%05d.tif
OCR the tiffs with:
for i in page_*.tif; do echo $i; tesseract $i $(basename $i .tif) pdf; done
Now, merge the single page pdfs with CPDF, which is available here (CPDF was an expensive pdf toolkit before it was made open-source, now the back-end binaries are free to download but you still have to pay thousands of dollars for the GUI if you are a company):
./cpdf page_*.pdf -o MERGED.pdf
That's it! You have a searchable pdf which you can use both on your computer and on Kindle.


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Valley Ride
Our Six Gap team wants to give everyone a chance to experience this incredible cycling adventure, so we created the Valley Ride. This 35mile valley option is a great introduction to the infamous Six Gap Century. Enjoy some of the most scenic mountainside in the Southeast as you pedal your way past Yahoola Valley, Turner's Corner, and RRanch in the Mountains.
The Valley Ride includes 1 full rest stop supplied with a great selection of food and drink. Valley Ride participants will be greeted with a huge spaghetti dinner after the ride.
Ride Info
Registration includes:
- Food & Drink at Rest Stops
- Custom Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty Bike Ride T-Shirt
- Post-ride Spaghetti Dinner (11:00 am - 6:00 pm)
- Timing chip
- Law enforcement support
- Medical Support
- SAG, Tech Support and On-Course Communication
- Official Participant Numbers
- Give Aways from Sponsors
- Hot Showers after the Ride
- Discount on Official Six Gap Century & Three Gap Fifty Bike Ride merchandise (pre-ordered online sales only)
The Six Gap Century includes 9 full rest stops, all supplied with a great selection of food and drink. We also include a huge spaghetti dinner after the ride.
Your safety is our biggest concern! The ride is fully supported and assisted by local and state law enforcement and ambulance services.
Blow a tire on course? Don't worry! Tech support from a variety of local bike shops and sponsors is offered during the ride in many locations. Please be aware that there may be a fee for parts. We recommend bringing extra bike supplies as parts and supplies for your bike may not be readily available.
Weekend Schedule
Saturday, Sept 28th
9 am - 6 pm: Check-in & Packet Pick-Up
9 am - 6 pm: Six Gap Bike Expo, Jersey Pick-Up & Sales
11 am - 6 pm: Six Gap Criterium
Sunday, Sept 29th
6 am - 8:30 am: Check-In & Packet Pick-Up
7:30 am: Six Gap Century START
8:30 am: Three Gap Fifty & Valley Ride START
11 am - 6 pm: Spaghetti Dinner, Jersey Pick-Up & Sales. Massage Available.


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Training Products
Why AudioSolutionz?
Free Resources
Rick Farrell is president of tangent knowledge systems, a Chicago sales training company. He is the author of the upcoming book-selling has nothing to do with selling. He has been in sales for 30+ years and speaks at conferences and conventions worldwide. He has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, NBC, and PBS. He is the unofficial record holder for the number of B2B association speaking engagements (manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, professional services, manufacturers representatives, service providers). His in-depth knowledge of the sales challenges of small to midsize companies (commoditization, price pressure, new market opportunities, transactional selling, poor sales accountability, unqualified sales pipelines, ineffective new business generation, long selling cycles and increasing cost of sales) is unparalleled. Delivery is fluff-free, content rich, 'PowerPointless,' fast-paced and extremely interactive (gets out and engages the audience for questions, answers, examples and role-playing). The delivery style is authentic, self-deprecating, entertaining and real world with a problem solution orientation. Audience participants should be prepared to be respectfully challenged and to think outside the box.


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Hajj 2019 Live Transmission
Hajj 2019 will start in Saudi Arabia and you can watch live transmission of Hajj here or visit official website of Makkah Live.Hajj which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
Muslim all over the world gather in Makkah for Hajj. Muslim watch Live Hajj in their own country every years and Watch Live Hajj from Arafat and Hajj Khutba(Khutba e Haaj) from saudi Arabia.
Hajj 2019 Live Streaming from Saudi Arabia
|LIVE WATCH HAJJ transmissions 2019
watch Hajj 2019 from Makkah/Mecca Live online:
watch Hajj 2019 from Makkah/Mecca Live online from different channels in Pakistan. Makkah Live Streaming will telecast on PTV in Pakistan and Live streaming from the city of Makkah for exclusive coverage directly from the Holy Khana Kaaba in Saudi with during Hajj.
Hajj live streaming From Saudi Arabia:
Saudi authorities have completed all arrangements to facilitate the pilgrims. Department of Public Security Daily helicopters and aircraft through 100 flights of aircraft Sacred take stock of the situation by monitoring.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8YHp37-tp0
Hajj live 2019
The Saudi Ministry of Health does not cause any disease outbreak during the Hajj, pilgrims posted for healthcare facilities.
Hajj live tv
Pilgrims may not engage in any activity prohibited to influence political propaganda, or pilgrimage.
Hajj live youtube
The families of the pilgrims can watch each and every movement of Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Hajj live streaming
Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah treatment field for 23 thousand workers have been deployed
Hajj live broadcast
You can watch Hajj transmission/live streaming from Makkah.
hajj 2019 live video


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Your wedding gown is a symbol of your big day. It deserves lavish care that will protect its beauty and the history it represents.
Carousel Cleaners, in partnership with Time in a Box Co., provides bridal gown cleaning, restoration, and preservation services. Left untreated, even invisible stains and scents can bloom into irreversible damage, so your gown should be cleaned as soon as possible after your wedding.
We provide analysis of your gown and prepare an individualized treatment plan to ensure comprehensive cleaning according to specific fabrics, decorative trim, embellishments and the specific recommendations of leading designers. Your gown will be enclosed in acid-free tissue and placed in the Time in a Box co. TM Pack. Never sealed, this archival pack includes your monogram and wedding date, and allows you to view and enjoy your beautiful gown whenever you wish.
We invite you to coordinate with Carousel as part of your wedding planning.


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Innokin was founded in 2011 with the goal of combining technological innovation, leading designs and the highest standards of quality to create the best electronic cigarettes and Advanced Personal Vaporizers in the world. Innokin electronic cigarettes give you true vaping freedom. With Innokin ecigs you simply add your preferred eLiquid flavors and then you select the precise power output which creates a perfect taste with the ideal amount of vapor. Here you will find single battery, dual battery, squonk and lipo cell Vape mod units from Innokin manufacturing.
No products were found matching your selection.


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The free pattern pictured here is titled, "Vicki". You can find it in my book, "Knitted Heirloom III".Click here to download it.
(This pattern requires you to have Acrobat Reader © on your PC. If you need this plug-in, click here.) I hope that you'll enjoy this pattern. I think it's quite unique.
Gloria Penning


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We're All In This Together!
I thought I would share this beautiful video that I discovered this morning. The world would quickly become a better place if we all practised daily acts of kindness, generosity and service to others 🙂 ❤
'Sustainability and Food Choice: Why Eating Local, "Less" Meat, and Taking Baby Steps Won't Work.'
This is a genius video! I do wonder though….if more people saw this video, would they actually be willing to open their minds to this idea, let alone actually change their consumer habits? I do find it hard to believe because people have totally lost the connection between food and our health and the health of the planet. But I will still continue to make my own changes and spread the word in the hope that eventually people will start to open their eyes and consider the true consequences of their actions!
'Do You See What I See?'
This is very true indeed and runs through my mind each and every day. But rather than burying our heads under the sand, we should take care of ourselves as best as we can and make a stand to make our planet a more harmonious place! Times are changing and we need to keep pushing to achieve the changes that we all deserve 🙂
101 Simple Truths We Often Forget
101 Simple Truths We Often Forget
I have only read a quarter of the way down the list of this post on 'Higher Perspective' but already felt that it was so good that I needed to share it now! This list encompasses the full spectrum of struggles that we go through on a daily basis and serves as a brilliant reminder that when things get too much for us, we should probably take a step back and consider these fundamental truths. Now I am off to read the rest 🙂
10 Steps to Becoming "Enlightened"
So….I have a LOT of work to do then! Great post though 😀
- Stop 'trying' to be enlightened. Trying and striving create separation – a need to distinguish yourself from others. Simply remember who and what you truly are. If you align yourself with God you no longer need to try. Simply Be. A tree can be enlightened – so can the worm in the ground. Enlightenment is not a position above or apart from all others – Enlightenment is awareness of your connection to All Things.
- Get over yourself: Surrender to the "true" God. You (the personality you opted into) is NOT God. You were created by LOVE – the Source of all things and you are a part of that Love. Your ego is not God. The sooner you get over yourself, the better.
- Stop judging: Realize that every person you judge as well as the people you "idolize" is all a version of you. We all come from the same…
View original post 286 more words
Teal on Self-Love, Relationships and Soulmates
This video brings together many things I have been thinking about recently. I am definitely going to research into the 5 languages of love 🙂
Here is the original description below the video:
Ask Teal Website – http://www.askteal.com
In this episode, Teal explains in depth how it is our relationships that are the necessary condition for our expansion. She also discusses Twin Flames and the Five Love Languages.
Our relationships reflect our conscious and subconscious mind. So the most important question to ask oneself in a relationship that is not going the way we would like is: What thoughts and beliefs are present in me that are making me a match to this situation?
Teal addresses the pros and cons of marriage versus polyamory. She also explains the concept originated by Dr. Gary Chapman of the five love languages.
These five love languages are:
Physical Affection
Words of Affirmation
Quality Time
Finally, Teal addresses the concept of Twin Flames.
Mooclef's Photos From The Bilderburg Fringe Festival 08/06/2013
Mooclef's Photos From The Bilderburg Fringe Festival 08/06/2013
A good friend of mine also took some photos at the festival yesterday! Feel free to check out the rest of his website too, he has some very interesting sounds/videos/discussions going on over there 🙂 http://mooclef.com/
David Icke Bilderburg Fringe Festival Watford 08/06/2013
I was lucky enough to catch David Icke on video whilst queueing to get into the Bilderburg Fringe Festival yesterday. It must be hard for him to compress what he needs to say into such a short space of time but I think his words are always relevant and uplifting. What a great guy 🙂
Photos from the Bilderburg Fringe Festival in Watford 08/06/2013
This gallery contains 16 photos.
"The Meatrix" – where meat/animal products come from
Although this cartoon has a comedy aspect to it, the message is very serious – sad but true! Put your money where your mouth is and buy products from responsible sources – try to shop locally and choose organic 🙂


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Senator Barack Obama is a man of few rhetorical stumbles, but this week a few of his words opened a racial door his campaign would prefer not to step through. When Senator John McCain's camp replied by accusing him of playing the race card from the bottom of the deck, the Obama campaign seemed at least momentarily off balance.
The instinctive urge to punch back was tempered by the fact that race is a fire that could singe both candidates. So on Friday the Obama campaign, a carefully controlled lot on the best of days, reacted most cautiously as it sought to tamp down any sense that it was at war with Mr. McCain over who was the first to inject race into the contest. Mr. Obama made no mention of the issue, except for a brief reference in an interview with a local newspaper in Florida.
"I was in Union, Mo., which is 98 percent white, a rural conservative, and what I said was what I think everyone knows, which is that I don't look like I came out of central casting when it comes to presidential candidates," he told The St. Petersburg Times. "There was nobody there who thought at all that I was trying to inject race in this."
The furor started on Thursday when Rick Davis, Mr. McCain's campaign manager, said, "Barack Obama has played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck." Mr. Davis was alluding to Mr. Obama's remarks on Wednesday that Republicans would try to scare voters by pointing out that he "doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills."
As Mr. Obama carefully addressed the issue on Friday, his campaign's formidable network of grass-roots activists, and the Web sites crafted to give them "talking points" to carry into battle against Republicans, remained uncharacteristically quiet on the matter, even though the issue dominated political blogs for a second straight day.Continue reading the main story
David Plouffe, the campaign manager, talked briefly, and not too eagerly, about it. And the campaign's chief strategist, David Axelrod, blamed the Republicans for misconstruing Mr. Obama's words as an attack, and quickly moved on.
The muted response should not be taken, even campaign insiders acknowledged, to reflect high-mindedness; the Obama campaign can wield a rhetorical gutting knife. There simply was no percentage for the first black major-party presidential candidate in the nation's history to draw too much attention to his race, much less get into a shooting war with the Republicans over the combustible issue.
"For our part, there is no stake in abetting that strategy," Mr. Axelrod said. "The best we could do is call this and move on."
By the day's end, Mr. McCain proclaimed that he did not want to dwell on the issue either, although he repeated his campaign's central charge that his probable opponent had injected race into their battle.
"He brought up the issue of race; I responded to it," Mr. McCain told reporters in Panama City, Fla. "I don't want that issue to be part of this campaign. I'm ready to move on. And I think we should move on."
For Mr. Obama, the risks of fighting back are that anything that calls attention to the racial dynamics of the contest would potentially polarize voters and stir unease about his candidacy, particularly among white voters in swing states. He is, after all, a candidate who has sought to transcend his own racial heritage in appealing to the broad electorate.
"Ideally, you want to punch back right to the solar plexus," said Chris Lehane, a Democratic strategist. "But when race gets injected, given the 200-year history of this country, it is really fraught with peril."
More broadly, the battles this week over Mr. Obama's comments and Mr. McCain's efforts to link Mr. Obama's celebrity to that of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears raised the question for some political types of both parties about whether Mr. Obama is aggressive enough to lunge for the Republican jugular.
Although his campaign has been known to fire volleys back at Mr. McCain, and Mr. Obama has often been critical of Mr. McCain's policies in his speeches, opportunities to draw blood have come and gone. And he finds challenges on many fronts these days, including at one of his rallies on Friday, where seven self-styled African revolutionaries began shouting and pointing at him, accusing him of undermining revolutionary struggle.
This was perhaps one of Mr. Obama's easier moments of the week, as the crowd was allied as one with him. He motioned the crowd to let the revolutionaries have their say, and then he responded.
"I may not have spoken out the way you want me to speak out," he said. "But I am suggesting that I have spoken out, and spoken out forcefully."
After two straight defeats in presidential elections, Democrats sometimes speak of hungering for a more aggressive standard-bearer to confront Republican attacks. Some wonder why, every time he speaks of the economy, Mr. Obama does not mention that Mr. McCain's chief economic adviser referred to a "mental" recession rather than a real one.
"I am somewhat mystified that he isn't attacking much harder on the policy front," said Ronald Walters, a political scientist at the University of Maryland. "He needs to rev up his attacks, and his proposals."
But this is to some extent Mr. Obama's sleight of hand. He relies heavily on surrogates, and tends to back into his attacks. So he cues up Mr. McCain as "an honorable man" and a "war hero," before skewering him as lacking in ideas.
He has, too, a Teflon quality that reminds Democratic strategists of Ronald Reagan. He can get himself in trouble with words, he can flip-flop on a position or three, and little sticks.
"Obama and Reagan are quite similar in this regard," said Jim Jordan, a Democratic strategist who managed John Kerry's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2004. "They deflect humor with a quip."
So Mr. Obama spoke to a crowd of supporters in Orlando, Fla., on Friday, and poked fun at Mr. McCain. "We were expecting a more elevated debate," he said. "They are running commercials about Hilton and Britney — I mean, that's frivolous."
Still, the candidate has the peculiar habit of rehearsing his faults for listeners, apparently in an effort to inoculate himself against attacks. And that could be how Mr. Obama got himself tangled up in race.
The candidate and Senator Claire McCaskill, Democrat of Missouri, traveled this week around the Republican precincts of rural Missouri. Ms. McCaskill tried to set minds at ease by recalling an "old Ozark habit" of saying "they say," as in, they say he's too young, they say he's not the right color.
So far, so politically artful; she never specified Republicans, much less Mr. McCain.
But when Mr. Obama traveled this rhetorical ground, he tripped. "So nobody really thinks that Bush or McCain have a real answer for the challenges we face, so what they're going to try to do is make you scared of me," Mr. Obama said. "You know, he's not patriotic enough. He's got a funny name. You know, he doesn't look like all those other presidents on those dollar bills."
Even some Republicans are not convinced that Mr. Obama intended to accuse Mr. McCain of racism, as there's no percentage for him. Mr. McCain talks of himself as experienced but never, ever, old; Mr. Obama talks of change but charily of his status as a historic first.
"He's the candidate who happens to be African-American," Mr. Lehane said. "He's much more effective when he can just throw McCain's words back at him."Continue reading the main story


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Formed by Jeffrey Holt, P.E., CPG, in 1993, Holt Consulting is pleased to provide our clients with the highest level of professional experience.
With 40 years of industry experience, Holt Consulting can provide you with the professional services that you need for many areas of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Engineering.
Call us and ask how we may be of service to you!
Contact us for to find out how we can help be of service to you!
(518) 784-9021
Professional Engineer:
New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont
Professional Geologist:
Oregon, Pennsylvania
American Society of Civil Engineers
American Institute of Professional Geologists
Associaion of Engineering Geologists
National Ground Water Association, AGWSE
Central New York Association of Professional Geologists
Holt Consulting
PO Box 660
Valatie, NY 12184


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...for a snooze...
Monday, January 30, 2017
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Sunday walk after rain
The rain stopped for a bit and we went for a walk after about 2 weeks. He enjoyed himself tremendously and refused to go home.
Labels: Just Because Bujang
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Happy Chinese New Year
They were extremely tolerant when I made them all pose next to our doorstop chicken. Even Ninja Rez took a picture with good grace.
Labels: CNY 2017 Rooster
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Monday, January 23, 2017
Jet is a star
This is our newest 'relocated' kitty. He appeared 2 weeks ago and is now at Rezki's old carpark. He has only 3 legs. His left back leg had been amputated. I don't know why he was abandoned here and we could not find his caregiver.
We named him Jet as it was easier to say than 'the 3-legged cat in the carpark' as he is more than that. He is still uncertain and frightened of us but he knows to come out at the ring of keys and the sound of 'kitykittykitty.'
We already have a place to board him - at Joanna's where I used to board Rezki before. He already has 2 families willing to adopt him even without seeing him. They only know he has 3 legs and abandoned.
We should be able to catch him some time next week as he seems much more comfortable with us and once that is done, it's to the vet for vax and FIV/Felv tests. We hope and pray that it would be negative as both families have other cats.
Please pray for Jetstar.
Labels: abandonment, commcat, Community cat issues, relocation
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Saturday with Bujang
Bujang saw Adrian today. Adrian was pleased with his progress and said that his body was much better. So he advised me to continue massaging the back of his neck so he does not get cramps there which would worsen his disposition. Adrian also said that whenever Bujang is irate I should try to put an ice pack wrapped in a cloth on his head and back for about 30 secs as this would make him less uncomfortable as well.
The surprise today was that he decided to get out of his carrier to take a walk. This was the first time in almost 2 years he was with Adrian that he decided to do this. Of course I didn't allow it as he didn't have his harness.
Labels: arthritis, Just Because Bujang, osteopathy
Friday, January 20, 2017
And yet another one
He tried to disturb Bujang at the cat seat but Bujang hissed at him. So he decided to see the lights instead. Clever boy Rezki!
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Just Because
Rez enjoying the space as Bujang was asleep someplace else.
Just hanging out
Monday, January 16, 2017
Monday Mood
Even a ninja loves a good sunpuddle.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Just Because
A true ninja blends with his surroundings.
Saturday, January 07, 2017
No more shenanigans san
Last night when San was watching tv I sat right infront of her and looked at her straight in the eye. I told her she was not to go away for many nights and leave us. I also said that I had to make sure that everything was ok in the house but it was best if she stayed home so I can see that she was okay as well.
Just in case she tried to make a run for it, I sat here on the coffee table to stand guard.
Then even later that night I decided to take a break but I sat here to keep watch. I am sure she knew I meant business.
Labels: Just Because Bujang
Friday, January 06, 2017
San is back from camp today. We're spending the morning together. This is our favourite thing.
Labels: Just Because Tanaka
Thursday, January 05, 2017
Where is San?
San had to bring some students for a 3-day camp so san's sister took care of us. But she came home for a bit just now and we decided to sit in her wardrobe so she could not take anything away. We thought she would be forced to stay home if we sat on her clothes.
I decided to sit here where her t-shirts were. I guarded them carefully in case she wanted to take them.
Akira was asleep so she didn't manage to persuade san. But I was awake and thought that we women can take care of ourselves. Anyway if san does not work, we would not have so many nice things. As she said she would be back home tomorrow morning I told her to stay safe and come back home quickly. Boys are such wimps!
Monday, January 02, 2017
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Nishiki, Competition – 1978
Nishiki only produced racing bicycles of very high quality for a relatively short period of time; this Competition is one of them.
This Nishiki Competition is one of the last models with a frame hand-build by the Kawamura Cycle Co. in Kobe, Japan (*). The size of the frame is 58.5 cm and it's build according to professional race geometry. Weight of the complete bicycle is only 9.8 kg.
Read more…


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Acting Like Americans on Ramadan
Last summer, I was honored to be invited to an Iftar dinner -- the meal to break the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan -- hosted by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. The guests consisted of many high ranking government officials, including a large number of Muslim government employees.
These Muslim officials seemed similar to other government employees I have met - highly professional, smart, personable, distracted by the constant buzz of their smart phones, and, for the most part, dead tired.
I recalled this dinner when I read about the malicious attacks launched by Rep. Michelle Bachmann and four other members of Congress on Obama Administration officials who are Muslim, claiming that they are advocating for the interests of the Muslim Brotherhood and a risk to our national security. Bachmann's letters named Huma Abedin, long-time, trusted aid to Secretary of State Clinton, but they implied that many other officials were part of this broad "infiltration" of the American government.
Besides disgust at Bachmann's guilt-by-association tactics reminiscent of the McCarthy period, I couldn't help but feel a deep sadness, for all of the hard working Muslim American officials with whom I celebrated the Iftar dinner, and by extension, millions of Muslim Americans whose lives have been complicated by 9/11 and the wave of anti-Muslim sentiment that has swept over segments of our population. They wake up every day, do their best to be both good Americans and good Muslims, and even then, a woman with the most impeccable credentials imaginable can be accused by five members of Congress of being a disloyal traitor. And this incident comes on the heels of so many other - the Qur'an burning by a Florida preacher, opposition to mosques being built around the country, a host of state laws targeting Muslim holy law, a presidential candidate saying the Muslims could not serve in his cabinet, and large scale protests against a proposed Islamic center near Ground Zero in New York.
Perhaps, if I were Muslim, I would be heartened by the bi-partisan defense of Ms. Abedin that has been mounted, led by Senator John McCain. But still, I would be depressed by the weight of distorted thinking that fueled the Bachmann attack in the first place, most of which McCain and the others did not really address.
What is plaguing our society is the deep ignorance about Islam that conflates the entire religion and all those who practice it with much that disturbs us around the world, whether it be terrorism and other forms of political violence, the Iranian nuclear program, discriminatory treatment of women and minorities, and intolerance by some Muslims of other religions. Bachmann's screed is laced with the paranoia that anyone who believes in Islam is religiously bound to the practices and political agenda of every Muslim organization, political party, or governing institution around the globe, many of which are antithetical to both U.S. interests and values. This is pure nonsense.
Bachmann's logic is akin to saying that I, as a practicing Jew, hold the same worldview and am responsible for the actions of ultra-orthodox Jews in Israel who are discriminating against women and believe that the West Bank should be cleared of Palestinians and incorporated into Israel. But I have much more in common with the Muslim Americans with whom I shared Iftar dinner with last summer than I do with these Jews. We read the same holy texts and love our religion very deeply, but that is about where the commonality ends.
The American public needs to understand that Islam is as diverse as our other great religions - it is practiced by many in a manner that is consistent with democratic values of pluralism and tolerance and it is used by other to justify violence and discrimination in the name of religion. Determining where organizations affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood movement fit on this spectrum is a topic worthy of public debate. The violent terrorist organization Hamas is a spin-off of the Muslim Brotherhood. But many Muslim organizations in the United States that have had some linkages to the movement in the past operate firmly within U.S. law and our democratic traditions. We must demand that our leaders have the wisdom to make these types of distinctions.
The ultimate solution to this problem, like many others, is education and interaction. I hope that over the next month, Muslim Americans open their doors to many non-Muslims to share the experience of Ramadan. I am confident that non-Muslims who have the opportunity to observe the prayers and search for understanding, together with the social interaction (and eating!), that occur during these holy days will come to the same conclusion that I have. We Americans are pretty much all the same.
David Schanzer is Associate Professor of the Practice at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, and the director of the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security at Duke University, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and RTI International. This commentary was originally published in The Huffington Post.


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I will not dwell too much on the issue of unfinished estates, although I have brought it up. While I share the views of Deputy Michelle Mulherin, I am not as inclined to blame local authorities, as responsibility rests with the Department, as well as those who did not insist on bonds. They allowed builders to cash in their bonds or go away without finishing works. The issue needs to be tackled. We speak about homelessness and housing, yet there are many unfinished estates across the country. There are no lights or the lights have gone out and not been replaced. They are no water services and the roads are in an appalling state. This is something that needs to be addressed and we need to be more specific about it.
The other issue I wish to raise concerns the various groups and bodies which are exempt from participating in the planning process. That is fine, but I want to relate an experience with the ESB. Its staff come on to a farm to put up a power line and it will do what it likes. I know farmers who have been put out of business. On the wettest day of the year, its workers walk in - if they walked in, it would not be too bad, but they bring in heavy machinery - plough up the place, do untold damage to drainage infrastructure and put farmers out of business, not just for that year but a couple of years. The land is made useless. What safeguards are built into this legislation to protect people? If the Minister of State is prepared to give companies carte blancheand free rein to enter people's property, will he outline the protections available to them?


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I was recently asked a few questions by a design magazine DOLODY about some of my Pinterest observations in my Web Design is Dead post. (Questions provided by Joanna Wiebe.)
Q: In comparison to previous methods of cataloging information (esp. visual info) online, can you please unpack how you feel Pinterest's approach – i.e., visual, random, social – is different?
A: The pros and cons of Pinterest are both in it's visual simplicity. I was amazed the first time I looked at a Pin Board at the quality of the photos. "This has to be planted material, how could consumer generated content have such great photos?"
So Pinterest is all about the image. The photo or video still represents the content. There is room for a CATEGORY (a board) and a short description. But the majority of people visiting Pinterest and PINNING and LINKING out will only react to the image.
The downside of this approach is the Pin Board is not sortable. So your navigational systems are very flat. And with the current UX the user must bounce back and forth from the Pin Board to the various Pins. I have written a post on fixing that problem with simple back and forwards arrows on the PIN page itself.
Q: When designing in this new Pinterest world, what should a UI or UX designer keep in mind? In particular, I'm interested in hearing what will kill a novice who's not paying attention vs helping someone who is?
A: The image is everything. Can you sell the entire story with your image? Do you have a hero image that will draw in the Pinners?
Q: What do you think Pinterest is going to do to user/visitor expectations from an interaction perspective? From a content perspective?
A: I'm hoping Pinterest won't have too much of an influence on navigation and UX design. We would be moving backwards and not evolving. The Pinterest API is coming, so soon you will be able to embed Pinboards into your site. But do you want to? Do you think giving Pinterest all of your link-love is wise? I think you will want to add PIN THIS buttons on your sites, but finding a way to not lose your traffic to PIN-happy visitors will be a challenge.
Q: What is your opinion on the type of content being pinned on Pinterest?
A: For the most part, Pinterest has been a women's network. The Likes of Pinterest on Facebook are 97% women. And there are 2 million Likes. So Pinterest is a force to be understood. As the mainstream internet users get ON to Pinterest, the content will evolve. Today the taxonomy overlaid by Pinterest's categories is a bit rudimentary. And I would guess the SEARCH function is not used very much, yet. But for Pinterest to be of "interest" to the mainstream net user it will have to provide more features and functions. Today it is like electronic scrapbooking with other people's pictures. And it's not very social.
Q: What might 'democratizing' visual feedback mean for bloggers and web designers alike, if anything?
A: I'm not sure what you are asking. If the PIN is a VOTE then Pinterest will have an affect as long as the buzz continues. I'm already a bit bored with it. And even bored of talking about it. I want to see what it will become, or if it will fade back into a scrapbook of shoes, skirts, and kitchen ideas.
Q: Is there any cause for concern – or joy – about Pinterest users shaping expectations of what is beautiful / pin-worthy (in a way similar to machines in the Industrial Revolution influencing Art Deco and then the Arts & Crafts reaction to mass production)?
A: Well, there's going to be a ton of Pinterest clones. Walls of images with little or no coordinated navigation. And there will be SOCIAL Pinterest extensions as well. Today it's a PIN and POST network. Tomorrow, I'm betting the PINS and your friend's PINS will become more connected, more threaded. It's not social today, but I'm sure someone is working on that.
Q: Did Pinterest kill web design as we know it? If you think so, please explain why. If you think not, please explain why.
A: Web design as we used to know it has been dead for awhile. I think the first wave of destruction was blogs and the ease of use of WordPress and the free template. Certainly grabbing your information from RSS-feeds, as I do, rather than from the site itself has gone a long way towards taking the "design" out of the information for me.
Pinterest is again going to challenge the designers of the world when new clients arrive and ask, "Can you make it like Pinterest?" The designer's question needs to be, "What about Pinterest do you like? What things do we need to change?" And the most important question of all, from a design AND business angle, "What is the goal of your site?"
The User-Interface on Pinterest is pretty simple. See a picture, click on a picture, click BACK, and repeat. After a while that gets quite tedious. And that's were designers can come back in and make a better Pinterest-like site.
The visual is ever more important today, but the navigation is key to the usability of the site. Without navigation and organization, Pinterest is merely pretty pictures. And what is the user goal of that model?
@jmacofearth (also seen on Google+: jmacofearth)
permalink: http://uber.la/2012/02/pinterest-design/
All Uber.la Pinterest posts:
- PIN THIS! How Pinterest is *Not Really* Kicking Ass for Me Personally
- PIN might be the new POKE (meaningless) What's POPULAR Right Now on Pinterest
- Is Pinterest More Than Shoes, Skirts, and Happy Kitty Pictures? < But Is It A Social Network?
- Pinterest and the Power of Social Bookmarking: Tag Yourself (Web Design is Dead)
- Fixing Pinterest in One Slide – Improving the Usability of the Fastest Growing Site in Social Media
- The 11th and 12th Disciplines of Social Media: Pinterest and Instagram
- Web Navigation is Magical and Random (Pinterest in 2 slides/slideshare.net)
Other posts about kicking ass in social media:
- Why It Would Suck to be Dell or HP Right Now: Apple, the German Car of Consumer Electronics
- Twitter Broke the ReTweet Awhile Ago, Making Lazy RT-ers of Us; Do It Yourself
- The Social Economy: I'm Trying to Give It Away, What's the Problem? (So Is Everyone Else)
- Do Your Slides Resonate? How Slideshare Sets a Higher Standard for Your Presentation
- Love, Valentine's Day Marketing, and Computers: Dell vs. Apple Marketing
- Social Media MBA – The Reading List
- The ROI of Social Media – It's Easy, Right? (return on investment)


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Since its inception in 2006, Momondo services have been able to expand its branches to over 40 countries, and have over 250 people working with them. Having its headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, calling the Momondo Airlines customer service number will give you a lot more information about their operations.
Noted as a subsidiary to KAYAK, Momondo 1800 toll-free number will be able to help you get in contact with some of the experienced executives that can provide you with quality deals on your travel plans. The true purpose of providing customized plans for travel will be established.
With the vision to let everybody travel around the world without any kind of sacrifices on their travel plans, calling the Momondo helpline number will be a definitive help to people. This would enable them to stay curious as well as open minded and enjoy that particular trip without any hindrances.
Benefits of using Momondo: –
When you look at the quality Momondo Airlines reviews, you realize that this is one of the best services that people have experienced across the world. Some of the benefits provided by them include;
- Customized plans for travel that people would be able to embrace for all their needs.
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Is this the right company for you?
If you look back and the amount of travel agencies that you have consulted for your travel plans, going for the Momondo USA number airlines booking to book your tickets will be the best deal. To get better information, you can give a call to the Momondo phone number.


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In today's edition of Hawks Headlines, we take a look at several Chicago Blackhawks players, including Brandon Pirri and Marian Hossa, as well as what new-age hockey statistics can tell us about the play of Jeremy Morin, among others.
-With Michal Handzus still out of the lineup for Chicago, it appears as though Brandon Pirri will remain in the second line center position. As Tracey Myers reports, it's so far so good for Pirri as he tries to stick in the NHL after many years in the AHL. [CSN Chicago]
-That "so far, so good" ethos also carries over to Marian Hossa, who is feeling pretty good after worrying for the first month of the season about his back. Chris Kuc has more. [Chicago Tribune]
-Barry Melrose took to the airwaves to say the struggles of Hawks back-up goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin have the potential to hurt the Blackhawks down the road. Obviously, there are ways to improve the back-up goaltending, but the point is that Khabibulin DOES need to improve. [ESPN]
-After the Hawks visited the White House on Monday, it seemed like a good time to evaluate whether or not the team has experienced a Stanley Cup hangover through 15 games. According to Tim Sassone, the answer is no. [Daily Herald]
-That road to a repeat that the president endorsed so heartily on Monday is going to be a tough one, as Mark Lazerus reminds us. [Chicago Sun-Times]
-Finally, Sam Fels has been an outspoken critic of the way that head coach Joel Quenneville approaches his decisions about the team, but he went further than that in this post, which is about the revelations that advanced statistics can provide. [Committed Indian]


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By Bill Reid, Vice President of Business Development, SCI Solutions
Patients are tired of waiting for the other shoe to drop.
We've all experienced it. We get a referral to see a specialist, who then orders some tests, and perhaps a procedure, too. We think we have insurance coverage for it all – or at least, no one has told us we don't. We believe we have sorted through all the rules, understand our remaining deductible balances, our co-insurance and our co-pays. And then we wait. We wait for the Explanation of Benefits, for the provider bills, for the other shoe to drop. We hope we were right in our math.
What a strange industry we are in. Where else, besides in healthcare, do we consume a service or commodity before we really know what it will cost us? Menus have prices, stores have tags and grocers have end caps that call out special deals. In all those cases, we show up at the end and settle up on what we basically know to be the price. If we went over our budget, we can take an item out of the cart or put back the outfit, or not have the Key Lime pie.
Yet every day, we as health consumers wait to find out what we owe, and for many Americans, we are finding out that it is way more than we thought or can afford to pay. According to a report by health consultancy Deloitte,
"Uncompensated care—the combination of bad debt and charity care—reached an all-time high of $45.9 billion in 2012, or 6.1 percent of hospitals' expenses, according to the American Hospital Association. And healthcare trends, including increased patient cost sharing, are expected to send bad debt surging to $200 billion by 2019, according to an analysis of 2011 Medicare and Medicaid statistics. The Deloitte report concluded that out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for consumers reached $672 billion by 2012. That amount is expected to increase substantially as more employers shift to high-deductible insurance and more people gain coverage through public health insurance marketplaces, which are dominated by high-deductible plans." (Rich Daly, HFMA, November 21, 2014) http://www.hfma.org/Content.aspx?id=26253
The report stated that they believed that hospitals should "help patients anticipate and pay their bills." I agree.
There really is no longer a good excuse. Patients deserve the right to know in advance the financial consequences of care. Sure, they may get the care, but at a cost they may not have been willing to abide, at least not without a discussion.
With managed referral and order processes, where a one physician electronically refers a patient to another provider, it allows us time in our industry to use technology and connected information to evaluate the costs of that care, to direct it to a better value provider and to provide the patient with an assessment of the financial impact of the care. Better yet, it allows that patient to figure out how to make it work financially. In some cases, it may be to defer an elective procedure. In other cases, it may be to seek a second opinion. And in some cases, it will be to say no.
We owe it to our patients to equip them to know, so we can all stop waiting for the other shoe to drop.


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20 years old HIGH blood pressure
November 12th, 2012
I am 20 years old, 115lbs about 5'2''. I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure now for about a year. I am currently taking a beta blocker. I had all sorts of tests performed to see if there was an underlying cause for my high blood pressure (kidneys were tested, WBC count, thyroid, heart, etc.) everything came back clear. I went to the DR today and my blood pressure reading was 151/103 the first time and 131/92 the second time. I am an active person but I am currently interviewing at dental schools so I am under an immense amount of stress. Do you think my high blood pressure could be attributed to stress? Or should I switch medications? I already eat extremely healthy and workout so that isn't the problem I don't think. Any help would be great!!
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replied November 19th, 2012
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Really? at the early age you are experiencing high blood? maybe i should go to a doctor. sometimes when i was angry my head is getting hot. and i feel all my bloods are rising up through my head.
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To help you get in the mood for the weekend, we've decided to give you one more reason to visit No2 Pound Street on a Thursday evening. You can pick any bottle of wine off the shelves and enjoy it here for JUST THE RETAIL PRICE!
Usually we add £7 to the bottle price to drink-in (that small amount of corkage helps us pay our bills - we're much more than a wine shop and have much higher costs as a result!) but for Thursdays we'll waive that, meaning you get unbelievable value for money!
I don't want to go into the margins that restaurants and bars (need to) make on their wine prices but I can assure you, you won't get a better deal for drinking great wine than this. Think about the quality of wine you normally get in pubs and think about how much it costs. Think about how much a decent bottle costs in your favorite restaurant. We buy our wine very carefully, choosing the best examples from the World's most exciting regions and from the very best winemakers; we are very proud of our range and genuinely want to share these wines with you. The wines we stock appear on lots of the great restaurant lists around the World, they just happen to cost a LOT LESS HERE!
Great wine really shines alongside great food and although we don't have a kitchen and a team of chefs, we like to think that our food is a pretty perfect accompaniment to wine. A simple plate of the finest British cheese? Great British Artisan Charcuterie? The Finest Smoked Salmon from Forman & Sons? Simply perfect!
Plus there's the wonderful atmosphere, expert sommelier advice and sparkling banter! You can book a table by emailing HERE or by calling 01296 585022. Or just turn up! See you on Thursday!!