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"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross." – Anonymous (no, not the hacker group)
"If God existed, only in one way could he serve the cause of human liberty—by ceasing to exist." – Mikhail Bakunin
"If God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish him." – Mikhail Bakunin
"A Boss in Heaven is the best excuse for a boss on earth, therefore If God did exist, he would have to be abolished." – Mikhail Bakunin
"He who desires to worship God must harbor no childish illusions about the matter but bravely renounce his liberty and humanity." – Mikhail Bakunin
"People go to church for the same reasons they go to a tavern: to stupefy themselves, to forget their misery, to imagine themselves, for a few minutes anyway, free and happy." –Mikhail Bakunin
"The first revolt is against the supreme tyranny of theology, of the phantom of God. As long as we have a master in heaven, we will be slaves on earth." – Mikhail Bakunin
"I have a total irreverence for anything connected with society except that which makes the roads safer, the beer stronger, the food cheaper, and the old men and old women warmer in the winter and happier in the summer." – Brendan Behan
"No republic can long exist unless a substantial equality in the wealth of citizens prevails." – Edward Ballamy
"A rich enemy excites their avarice, a poor one their ambition. To robbery, slaughter, and plunder they give the lying name of government; they create a wasteland and call it peace." – Calgacus of the Caledonii, 85 CE
"You got what you asked for, Dean, no paradise, no hell, just more of the same. I mean it, Dean; what would you rather have? Peace or freedom?" – Castiel
"Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours." – Cesar Chavez
"An injury to one is an injury to all." – David C. Coates
"I don't believe in God because I don't believe in Mother Goose." - Clarence Darrow
"Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free." – Eugene Debs
"I have no country to fight for; for my country is the earth and I am a citizen of the world." –Eugene Debs
"The God of the Christians is a father who is a great deal more concerned about his apples than he is about his children." – Denis Diderot
"Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest." -Denis Diderot
"A nation which thinks that it is belief in God and not good law which makes people honest does not seem to me very advanced." - Denis Diderot
"The God of the Christians is a father who is a great deal more concerned about his apples than he is about his children." – Denis Diderot
"It is very important not to mistake hemlock for parsley; but not at all so to believe or not in God." – Denis Diderot
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." – Albert Einstein
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from inferior minds." – Albert Einstein
"I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate [the] grave evils [of capitalism], namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals. In such an economy, the means of production are owned by society itself and are utilized in a planned fashion. A planned economy, which adjusts production to the needs of the community, would distribute the work to be done among all those able to work and would guarantee a livelihood to every man, woman, and child. The education of the individual, in addition to promoting his own innate abilities, would attempt to develop in him a sense of responsibility for his fellow-men in place of the glorification of power and success in our present society." – Albert Einstein
"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own -- a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism." - Albert Einstein
"I do not believe in the immortality of the individual, and I consider ethics to be an exclusively human concern with no superhuman authority behind it." - Albert Einstein
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." – Dwight D. Eisenhower
"If I can't dance, I don't want to be in your revolution." – Emma Goldman
"The only demand that property recognizes is its own gluttonous appetite for greater wealth, because wealth means power; the power to subdue, to crush, to exploit, the power to enslave, to outrage, to degrade." – Emma Goldman
"Anarchism stands for liberation of the human mind from the dominion of religion; the liberation of the human body from the dominion of property; liberation from shackles and restraint of government." – Emma Goldman
"'What I believe' is a process rather than a finality. Finalities are for gods and governments, not for the human intellect." – Emma Goldman
"If they don't give you work, ask them for bread. If they deny you bread, take it!" – Emma Goldman
"If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine." – Che Guevara
"If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine." – Che Guevara
"At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love." – Che Guevara
"Our affluent society contains those of talent and insight who are driven to prefer poverty, to choose it, rather than to submit to the desolation of an empty abundance. It is a strange part of the other America that one finds in the intellectual slums." – Michael Harrington
"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come." – Victor Hugo
"The end of democracy and the defeat of the American Revolution will occur when government falls into the hands of lending institutions and moneyed incorporations." - Thomas Jefferson
"Socialism without democracy is unthinkable." – Karl Kautsky
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." – Martin Luther King
"The arch of history is long, but it bends toward justice." – Martin Luther King
"You have to distinguish between two things – the economy and the stock market. The economy is the sum of all the goods and services that are produced in the country every day. The stock market is something very different. There is no economy and no production of goods and services. There are only fantasies in which people from one hour to the next decide that this or that company is worth so many billions, more or less. It doesn't have a thing to do with reality or the economy." – Stieg Larsson
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, the tempest tossed, to me. I will lift up my lamp beside the golden door." – Emma Lazarus
"These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in concert to fleece the people, and now that they have got into a quarrel with themselves, we are called upon to appropriate the people's money to settle the quarrel." – Abraham Lincoln
"Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is the only fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves the much higher consideration." - Abraham Lincoln
"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. Corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavour to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed." – Abraham Lincoln
"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. Corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavour to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed." – Abraham Lincoln
"There is no democracy without socialism, and there is no socialism without democracy." – Rosa Luxemburg
"Religious suffering is the expression of real suffering and at the same time a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, as it is the spirit of spiritless conditions. It is the opium of the people." –Karl Marx
"The traditions of all the dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brain of the living." – Karl Marx
"Workers of the world unite. You have nothing to lose but your chains." – Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism, since it is the merger of state and corporate power." – Benito Mussolini
"In the time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." – George Orwell
"Finding that no religion is based on facts and cannot therefore be true, I began to reflect what must be the condition of mankind trained from infancy to believe in error." - Robert Owen
"You cannot put a rope around the neck of an idea." – Bobby Sands
"Guns don't win wars; guns and bombs may kill a man but they cannot make him follow their lead, nor will they ever coerce an unyielding man to yield." – Bobby Sands
"Everyone has his or her particular part to play. No part is too great or too small. No one is too old or too young to do something." – Bobby Sands
"There are still too, too many who walk amongst the people bubbling with false enthusiasm, false patriotism and false concern...political magpies and political opportunists and parasites. Equality and fraternity, can't, and never will be, gained whilst these parasites dominate and rule the lives of a nation.'" – Bobby Sands
"I believe that if we had would keep our dirty, bloody, dollar-crooked fingers out of the business of these nations so full of depressed, exploited people, they will arrive at a solution of their own." – Gen. David Shoup, USMC (ret.)
"Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." – John Steinbeck
"It's an incredible con job when you think of it, to believe something now in exchange for life after death. Even corporations with all their reward systems don't try to make it posthumous." - Gloria Steinem
"Sacred cows make the best hamburger." – Mark Twain
"People should not be afraid of their governments; governments should be afraid of their people." – V
"Anarchy does not mean without rules; it means without rulers." – V
"Artists use lies to tell the truth; politicians use the truth to tell lies." – V
"It is better to live on your feet than to die on your knees." – Emilio Zapata
"Civilization will not attain to its perfection until the last stone from the last church (mosque/synagogue/temple/pagoda, etc.) falls on the last priest (mullah/rabbi/brahmin/bhikku, etc.)." – Emile Zola


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Insane Instagram Comments – RealPaigeWWE
Just Summer Rae and Paige grabbing some down time at a trash can before a show. Nothing to see here…
…I have to give credit where credit is due. At least Jorge.Cano was polite in his ask to rest his head in Paige's ass. And you all thought chivalry was dead! Not on Instagram it's not!
Posted on March 3, 2016, in Insane Instagram Comments and tagged comments, instagram comments, paige, WWE. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

subset: commoncrawl


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Pakistan has been banning sites right and left, first they started out by Banning Facebook, then YouTube and later Twitter too. In a more recent incident a petition was filed to get a Death Warrant for Mark Zuckersberg, the founder of Facebook.
Now, there are reports that a Lahore High Court bench has ordered the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to immediately block some very popular websites which include Google, Yahoo, MSN, Hotmail, YouTube, Bing and Amazon for publishing and promoting sacrilegious and blasphemous material.
The petition was filed by an individual who claimed that these websites were publishing sacrilegious material. However, the PTA officials have denied receiving any court orders to block these websites.
Nevertheless, considering how Facebook was blocked by Pakistan, this ban may also take effect shortly, leaving millions of Pakistanis without email and search for some time. Once again the thought that "If you cannot control the internet, ban it" is seriously not the right way to do things.


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I got an email from Babycentre titled 'Your Toddler this week'. My what?!? My toddler?! I don't have a toddler. Do I?? It was only last week that the email was titled 'Your Baby this week'. Things can't change that drastically…can they?!
So Reuben is a year old! And apparently a baby no longer 😦 This also means that I can no longer complain of 'baby brain' I guess 😦
His development is at a shocking rate, and every day I'm amazed at how little humans can learn so much, so quickly. Also I'm amazed at how much he can communicate, despite not being able to speak. He very clearly lets me know what he wants, and very clearly complains when he doesn't get it!
So a little bit about Roo as a 1 year old…
He loves music. Especially playing piano and being sung to. He doesn't just bash the keys on a piano, he methodically plays one key over and over, or will stretch up to play a tinkle on the 'top' keys. He looks like a cute little mini Mozart when he sits at the piano, and I love putting it on Demo mode and pretending he's a musical genius 🙂
He loves books. Especially ones with flaps! He is great at opening flaps but surprisingly clumsy at turning just 1 page at a time. I have to help him with that. His favourite book is 'Where's Spot'. He knows that for each flap the answer is 'Noooo' and then for the last flap he looks at me expectantly and claps and smiles as I say 'Yayyy!'. (Can you tell I love reading it too?)
He loves the outdoors. If we're not outdoors then he's sitting on the windowsill chatting to himself while looking at the birds, dogs and people that populate our street. When we take him out he prefers to be in a carrier on our back (either the Connecta or Little Life Ultralight) so that he can reach out to touch trees. I'm romanticising. He does love ducks and trees but streetlights still hold a special place in his heart and he gets excited when we go past one, Every. Single. Time.
He loves swings, seeing friends, eating anything, putting inedible things in his mouth, and the TV show 'Baby Jake'.
He is very loving (clingy?). It kind of happens in a converse way to what I would expect. He is more independent when we're out somewhere new than when we're at home. In fact when we're out he couldn't care less about us! He goes off and plays and explores and couldn't care less what we did. At soft play he prefers to be far away from me with the bigger kids. Same at stay and play. But at home he frequently wants hugs and cuddles and to sit within touching distance of us. He'll play alone for a long time, but only if we're in the same room. If we change room he'll be there within a few minutes, and will play in that room with us.
He communicates! It's a mixed blessing being able to understand him because now I have to say No! I have to do some 'proper' parenting and place boundaries on things. No Roo, you can't touch that. No Roo, that's not yours. No Roo, you've already had crisps today. I'm doing parenting!! For his part, Roo complains every time I stop him from getting what he wants. And at the moment that's usually my lip balm. Yes, he has eaten lip balm.
Walking isn't happening yet, and I'll be honest I'm not really giving him any incentives to try it or practice it. I'm terrified what life will be like with a walker! It's extremely unlikely that he'll be able to walk quicker than he can crawl, at first. But I would have to accept that he's no longer my little baby.
To me…he is the most perfect little boy in the whole world!!
I absolutely love him to bits! I know the years ahead are going to be full of toddler tantrums, arguments and teenage smelliness (eugh), but right now he is still a huggable little bundle of cuteness and I intend to make the most of it 🙂
Eczema, allergies and sleeping update
A lot has happened! Reuben got an appointment at a London hospital's allergy clinic as he is allergic to so much and we've had rushes to hospital with anaphylactic reactions and everything. They were great there- in one visit he saw a doctor and a dietician and had skin prick testing and blood testing. Reuben was in tears through most of it but at least we now have answers. And the answers are – he is allergic to everything! Aaargh! Or it seems like everything – nuts, dairy, eggs, wheat, salmon, sesame, horse hair. And there's the likelihood that he is also allergic to other seeds, rye and barley but he wasn't tested for them. On the plus side, we can now feed him soya, rice, coconut and cod which gives us some more meal options and there are some milk replacement products he can have.
His eczema is still kept under control with steroids. Interestingly we now only need a very small amount of the potent steroid daily to keep it under control, but if we use a lot of the mild steroid it doesn't work. He has had 2 flare ups recently, one caused by a cold spell and the other by an illness. Both affected his face the most which was a shame as I really don't want to use steroids on his face.
His illness also affected his sleep, which was going so well! He was sleeping through the night in his own bed and then he got ill and Bam! Everything went out the window! He was so upset about being snuffly that he was waking really often, and I found I was spending more time in his room than my own bed. Then he got a fever and I preferred to keep him in with us to keep an eye on him and give frequent doses of Calpol. The illness lasted a week, which was long enough for sharing our bed to become routine! And to be completely honest, Simon and I are starting to love cosleeping! It's such a joy to wake up with a smiley child patting your back (or even hitting it for that matter!). Reuben is back in his bed now he's better, but frequently comes into ours at about 2 or 3am.


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This medium-sized, portly sandpiper has the most northerly distribution of all shorebirds in winter, occuring in small groups along exposed, rocky seacoasts of the north Atlantic. Noticeably agile and confident on rocks and near surging waves, the Purple Sandpiper is the commonest wintering shorebird along the eastern coast of Canada, as well as in Iceland and Greenland. The diet of this species varies from marine mollusks and other invertebrates in winter to insects (marine and terrestrial) and seeds in summer. Called "winter snipe" by gunners, Purple Sandpipers were hunted in North America, along with other shorebirds, at the beginning of the twentieth century.
This species has a noticeably dark and uniform plumage in winter, with slate to charcoal upperparts that in some lighting conditions shows a faint purple sheen. In summer, however, Purple Sandpipers are more colorful, with chestnut, buff, and light-brown highlights to otherwise dark back feathers. Usually quiet away from the breeding grounds, individuals are quite approachable in winter, and when flushed, tend to fly only a short distance, low over the water.
On breeding grounds from the high Arctic to the subarctic, Purple Sandpipers perform aerial courtship displays and lure predators away from the nest with a Rodent Run display. Females typically lay 1 clutch of 4 eggs, incubate for 3 weeks, and then leave the area. Males remain behind for several more weeks to tend the precocial young, which fly well within 5–6 weeks.
Most research on Purple Sandpipers has taken place outside of North America, on breeding grounds in the northwestern Palearctic (Arctic Ocean islands and northern Scandinavia) and on wintering grounds in the midwestern Palearctic (for example, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, United Kingdom). Only a few studies have considered this species in North America, so our account draws heavily from studies of populations elsewhere, especially from the eastern part of the species' range.


text: The Educated Wealth Center's is striving to enhance both the current and future way of life for the pre and post retirees we proudly call our friends. Far to many families are not properly positioned to retire, and will experience a lesser quality of life throughout retirement. We believe in fighting to preserve your quality of life...learn more


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Signing Up for Medicare
If you're new to Medicare, you may understandably have a lot of questions about how and when to sign up for Medicare.
Most people qualify for Medicare if they are 65 or older. However, how you sign up may vary, depending on your situation and, in some cases, how you qualify for Medicare. For example, some beneficiaries are automatically enrolled in Medicare, while others need to manually sign up for it.
Read on to learn more about how Medicare enrollment works and what you need to do to get coverage.
When to sign up for Medicare
In most cases, you're automatically enrolled in Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, if you're already receiving retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration or the Railroad Retirement Board before you turn 65. In this situation, your Medicare coverage will automatically start on the first day of the month that you turn 65. If your birthday falls on the first day of the month, you'll be automatically enrolled in Medicare on the first day of the month before you turn 65.
You'll generally also be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B if you're receiving disability benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board for at least two years; if you qualify for Medicare because of disability, you'll be automatically enrolled in Medicare in the 25th month of disability benefits. If you get Medicare because you have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease), you'll be automatically enrolled in Medicare in the first month that your disability benefits starts; you don't need to wait two years in this case.
You can expect to get your Medicare card in the mail about three months before your 65th birthday or the 25th month of disability benefits if you're automatically enrolled.
If none of the above situations applies to you, you'll need to manually sign up for Medicare. This includes:
- If you're not receiving retirement benefits yet.
- If you qualify for Medicare because you have end-stage renal disease.
- If you live in Puerto Rico and want to sign up for Medicare Part B. Note: You'll be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A
Most people who qualify by age can sign up for Medicare during their Initial Enrollment Period, which is the seven-month period that starts three months before you turn 65, includes the month of your 65th birthday, and ends three months later.
If you missed your Initial Enrollment Period, your next chance to enroll in Medicare is during the General Enrollment Period, which runs from January 1 to March 31 each year. However, keep in mind that you may face a late-enrollment penalty for Medicare Part A and/or Part B if you didn't sign up when you were first eligible.
You may be able to enroll in Medicare outside of the above situations if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. For example, you may have delayed Medicare enrollment if you were working when you turned 65 and had health coverage through your current employer. In this situation, you'll have an eight-month Special Enrollment Period to sign up for Medicare that starts when your health coverage ends or when you stop working, whichever happens first. You usually won't owe a late-enrollment penalty if you sign up through a Special Enrollment Period.
Keep in mind that COBRA insurance doesn't count as health coverage based on current employment, so don't wait until your COBRA coverage ends to enroll, or you could wind up having to pay a late-enrollment penalty.
Medicare eligibility if you have end-stage renal disease
You may qualify for Medicare at any age if you have end-stage renal disease (permanent kidney failure, also known as ESRD), need regular kidney dialysis, or if you've had a kidney transplant. In addition, you'll need to be already receiving or eligible for retirement benefits or have worked long enough under Social Security, the Railroad Retirement Board, or as a government employee in order to qualify. You can also qualify for Medicare through the work history of your spouse or dependent child.
Certain waiting periods may apply before your Medicare coverage can start. Contact Medicare for more details on eligibility and enrollment if you have end-stage renal disease by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, seven days a week (TTY users, please dial 1-877-486-2048).
How to sign up for Medicare
You can enroll in Original Medicare through the Social Security Administration or, if you worked for a railroad, the Railroad Retirement Board.
You can apply through Social Security in the following ways:
- Online: Visit SSA.gov to apply through the Social Security website. In many cases, you can apply for retirement benefits and Medicare at the same time. If you're not yet ready to retire, you can apply for Medicare only.
- By phone: Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY users, call 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, from 7AM to 7PM.
- In-person: Visit a Social Security office near you to apply in person. Use the Social Security Office Locator to find office locations near you.
If you worked at a railroad, you can sign up for Medicare through the Railroad Retirement Board by calling 1-877-772-5772 (TTY users, call 1-312-751-4701), Monday through Friday, 9AM to 3:30PM.
Signing up for Medicare plans
Once you're enrolled in Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, you may have other options available to you. Some of those might include:
- Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, which provide stand-alone prescription drug coverage that works alongside Original Medicare.
- Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans, which also work alongside Original Medicare and help cover costs like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles.
- Medicare Advantage plans, which are an alternative way to get your Original Medicare coverage and may also cover extra benefits like routine vision, dental, or prescription drugs.
Enrollment for each of these types of coverage works differently, including eligibility and when you can enroll. If you're interested in Medicare prescription drug coverage, Medigap insurance, or Medicare Advantage plans, you can contact the plan directly to sign up. You can also find plan options through a licensed insurance broker like eHealth.
If you'd like to learn more or get help finding Medicare plan options that may work for your situation, contact an eHealth licensed insurance agent to get personalized assistance with your Medicare needs. Or, if you prefer, you can start comparing Medicare plan options right now using the eHealth plan finder tool on this page.
This website and its contents are for informational purposes only. Nothing on the website should ever be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. You should always consult with your medical provider regarding diagnosis or treatment for a health condition, including decisions about the correct medication for your condition, as well as prior to undertaking any specific exercise or dietary routine.


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You might have heard by now that Whole Foods changed its stubby purchasing carts with huge ones. Rated 5 out of 5 by MiaDoll from Couldn't Live Without I live in a multi-story residence constructing with underground parking and use this sturdy, spacious, cheerful, procuring cart to haul everything from groceries to small furniture gadgets! Rated 5 out of 5 by smihich from Great little purchasing cart It was love at first sight and I don't remorse shopping for it. It's spacious despise it appears and the chilly meals division works great to not mention the additional pockets.
Grocery procuring is usually a problem at the very best of occasions but contemplate the obstacles dealing with individuals with special needs. Siternity procuring carts and on-line cost services combine with all the main online credit card cost suppliers together with Realex Payments, , PayPal, SagePay and Worldpay, and totally supports 3D Secure. Despite having a pretty young girl on the entrance to help prospects arrange the carts, the one folks desirous about using them have been the aged.
If, on the other hand, you reside far out of your chosen grocery store, retail spots, or every other store you frequent, or if the streets and sidewalks near your own home are less than easy and effectively-maintained, and/or if you happen to dwell in an area liable to dangerous weather, you may want to consider a heavier responsibility purchasing cart, and perhaps one prepared for rain and snow.
The easy act of getting to the grocery retailer is usually a frustration if your preferred market isn't near your home, and while suburban or rural dwellers with vehicles can load up on groceries and different goods and easily load them into a automobile, the urban resident usually needs to contemplate what he or she can carry in one journey as opposed to what they really need to purchase.
The granny term may be a bit of demeaning, however I even have good recollections of tagging together with my grandmother on grocery runs the place she used her granny cart. All pedestrian exits have specifically designed flooring tiles which, together with specifically designed wheels on the cart, will immobilize the cart as they roll onto them. That's because it's a story about why purchasing carts are big, not a story about why they're getting bigger. The carts ranked third on the record of nastiest public objects to touch, with solely playground equipment and the armrests on public transportation producing more germ-laden results.


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In 1996 I became involved in a project to restore an area of arable farmland back to a wetland, known as Kingfisher Bridge. In some areas ponds and scrapes were excavated to provide permanent and semi-permanent water, reedbeds and wet meadows. Planting of wetland species such as reed, rush, sedge, willow and many other plants was undertaken.
12 years later the site is now well and truly established as an important wetland habitat.
The open water is home to herons and egrets, terns and gulls, and a variety of wildfowl and waders.
and the reedbeds are home to Bitterns, Bearded Tits, Water Voles and many species of insects.
Personally I would prefer to see existing natural habitats better protected and respected, but this project and others like it have proved that habitats can be restored and recreated.
To learn more visit the website Kingfisher Bridge.


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Lux Grand Gaube in Mauritius
The Lux Grand Gaube is a romantic hideaway set beneath gently swaying palm trees. The most developed area of Mauritius, the north coast, and particularly the resort town of Grande Baie, is known for the island's best nightlife and restaurants.
Situated just a gentle stroll for a quiet fishing village on the north coast of Mauritius, Lux Grand Gaube is a tranquil retreat where each of the 152 rooms, suites and villas boasts spectacular ocean views. Sheltered from the winds and looking out onto a series of bays, it looks out onto a crystal clear lagoon dotted with islets. Inspired by authentic island living, each of the six room types has been designed to reflect the vibrant energy and lively ambiance of Mauritius through its colourful décor and thoughtful design. Chic, polished interiors feature warm wooden fittings and bright accents of ochre and sand.
Guests can enjoy a variety of dining options, from The Kitchen, set against a breath-taking lagoon backdrop to informal Mediterranean dining with your toes in the sand at The Beach. Also on the beach is Abalone, which specialised in barbeques and fresh seafood. Banyan – The Island Kitchen enjoys the shade of one of the island's oldest trees and serves us traditional Mauritian street food. Transforming into a live music venue at night, The Bar serves light meals and an extensive range of cocktails, while Café Lux is the ideal place for a fragrant cup of coffee. A wide range of water sports and land-based adventures is available at the resort.
Why We Recommend This Property
- Relax with the traditional Zhengliao treatment at the luxury spa.
- Go swimming with dolphins in the company of the resort's professional guide.
- Pull up a bean bag and enjoy an open-air movie show at Screen on the Beach.


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20 year old lyricist extraordinaire Earl Sweatshirt has had an eventful four years. From the dark immature doldrums of his first eponymous mixtape Earl to the Free Earl movement and from the highly anticipated debut album Doris to this release, it's obvious that the Odd Future rapper connects with a large audience who yearn to hear his existential yet widely relatable struggles.
This release follows up the consistently enjoyable Doris. An album that highlights a depressed Earl who criticizes the world around him for the majority of the project and the same can be said for I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside. It illustrates the social problems faced by Earl and the album's subject matter is dominated by darkness. All tracks apart from 'Off Top' are produced by Earl operating under the pseudonym 'randomblackdude'. This personal touch and subject matter leaves room for a lot of subjectivity. Regardless of personal connectivity, this attitude is admirable as it sticks two fingers up to the middle man of the music industry and the archaic nature of an 'album'. The album contains a lackluster single titled Grief and there aren't any stand out bangers on here. Yet there are multiple good songs that deliver. [That is, if we leave out the awful song DNA which features OF member Na'kel; let's not even go there]
We're given a look into Earl's mind once again on this project and this is provided on Grown Ups and the opening track Huey, both are dominated with the image of a defiant, determined Earl and brings beautifully crafted, typically Earl beats which are executed with deeply personal and impressive lyricism throughout.
"I spent the day drinking and missing my grandmother"
"My father ain't my mother f—-ing friend"
The track Faucet is a different story, depicting a depressing realization with a slow instrumentation and furious outbursts from Earl. This really projects the darkest side of Earl's apathetic view towards life in general but in spite of this, it's a very relevant and hard-hitting number for today's culture. The same sentiment is provided on the short but sweet track 'Inside'. This is my favourite song on the record as its theme of success's woes are amplified in the most ordinary fashion.
Overall I personally enjoyed this album. Most of its themes came close to my heart, but I do understand its critics. It's not Earl's most quality-filled piece and although it may be condemned as lazy and lackluster, I believe Earl has successfully created a platform on which to build and master. I'm scoring it a 7 out of 10, I feel that's an objective marker which allows for a little personal bias from an album filled up with existentialism.


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Last week, at the Lake Placid Fast and Female Power Hour at the Olympic Training Center, something important happened. As she talked to this group of 40 glittered, pink 9-to-19-year-olds, Clare Egan gave an astoundingly simple piece of advice. "If you see a job you want to do, go up to the person doing it and find out what you need to do to do it. If you think being a farmer looks cool, ask your local farmer how she got her job. If you think being an astronaut looks fun, ask scientists how they got where they are. If you think Barack Obama has a cool job, figure out how to get it!"
Pause. Stop. Rewind. Freeze frame whatever image you had in your mind of the room and focus in on the reaction from the girls. Do they look confused? These ones were. "Barack Obama is our president," one of the Fast and Female ambassadors interjected, "in case some of you didn't know that."
I don't think the kids were confused because they didn't know the name of our president. I think maybe, for those girls, balanced on the line between childhood and autonomy, it had been a while since someone told them that they could be president. In the first grade, children of both genders are equally as likely to dream of the oval office. By the time they are 15, a massive gap emerges and leadership is thought of as a solely masculine pursuit (missrepresentation.org). I was so proud to be amongst a group of women proving that stereotype wrong.
Copied below is my column for this week's Manchester Journal. Enjoy!
Before I delve into this month's subject, I'd like to take a moment to comment on the name of my column. "Getting Girled" is a phrase commonly used by young boys and middle-aged men, or any age group defined by insecurities over masculinity, when a female beats them in an athletic endeavor. One reader contacted me about the title, stating the name of my column may in fact be counterproductive to my cause, that it places a negative spin on the issue before anyone can begin reading.
Unfortunately, my fair reader, what you point out is true. That is also kind of my point. The very ubiquity of the phrase "getting girled" proves the existence of gender bias in athletics: it exhibits an ideology that actively restrains women from gaining equal standing with their male peers.
This ideology, the one that paints female success as a bad thing, the one that says "you can be good, but not too good" is that which is being tested and questioned on all levels of the women's movement today. Thus, I hoped that my title would grab eyes and introduce my content for me.
Great. Now that I have your attention, I'd like to share a personal anecdote. Growing up, I was always "the bossy one." At a very young age, I was chastised by both friends and their parents for being opinionated during playtime. When I began participating in athletics, however, I finally found an arena in which that agency was no longer seen in a negative light. My attitude even got a new name: I was no longer bossy, I was a leader.
Yet, despite the empowerment I gained from leading in athletics, I lacked an advantage many young male athletes enjoy: role models in leadership positions. The success of Sheryl Sandberg's best-selling book "Lean In" has sparked a discussion about women in leadership positions, how societal sways have caused women to hold themselves back and how beneficial empowered women are to upcoming generations.
In athletics, where coaches, team owners, department directors and referees are in inordinately male, the effects are tantamount. You cannot be what you cannot see.
Herein lies one of the failures of Title IX. In the wake of 1973, while the number of supported female athletes in this country doubled, female coaching staffs more than halved. In order to meet the requirements of the act, most predominantly male athletic departments created female teams or took over existing female departments, rendering already existing female administrators, directors and coaches superfluous.
Despite the success of coaches like Vivian D. Stringer and Pat Summit, the world of athletics, including the female athletes themselves, are still reluctant to trust female leaders. Even here in Vermont, stark inequalities go virtually unnoticed. If one casually peruses the athletics website of Burr & Burton Academy (which I did, although it wasn't all that casual), she will notice that of the 41 teams at the school, eight of them have women as head coaches. While the school's athletic director and trainer are women, and two women lead cross-country and snowboarding co-ed teams, no women are the head coaches of all-male teams, even though nine of the all-female teams have male head coaches.
I am not arguing that men shouldn't coach women, or that women should coach men; I don't think that gender makes any one person a better or worse coach (duh), but I would like to question why this inequality exists. At first, I would have played the blame game. I would have written the issue off as pure sexism, that women weren't getting jobs as coaches because men weren't hiring them, that patriarchal administrators were all in on an agreement to keep men in charge and women out of the job.
It is not that simple. If sexism were simple, we would have solved this problem long ago. One of the reasons women are not in head coaching positions, one of those unbearable facts that makes feminists everywhere cringe, is that women simply are not applying for the jobs. Just like the women Sandberg targets in her book, we are holding ourselves back.
As more and more women begin to lead businesses and corporations, I hope that the trend transcends into the athletics. If anything, I hope that greater visibility of female leaders in sports will mean that more young women stick with their athletic endeavors and that no more little girls will be overgeneralized and misunderstood as "the bossy one."


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Kitchen Countertops - What Kind of Countertops Work Best?
Kitchen Design Trends for New Custom Homes
Stone, stone-look laminate, marble, concrete, tile or solid surface – compare and contrast today's most popular kitchen countertop selections.
Granite Countertops – Compare and Contrast Kitchen Countertops
Granite is a natural product harvested from quarries. Colors and patterns vary depending on the geological processes in the region where they are quarried.
Granite is a more expensive countertop option, with prices starting at about 3-4 times the cost of laminate. Because this is a natural material, selections are not made from a color chart. Buyers can select from samples representative of a type of granite, or choose a unique individual slab from which their countertop will be carefully cut. There are a variety of edges – including bullnose, radius, straight, and bevel – are available at no additional charge, while upgraded edges can include a full bullnose and ogee (graceful serpentine curve).
Granite is fairly resistant to heat and scratches. If damaged, it may be possible to polish the countertop, since it is made of the same material throughout. The material must be resealed about every five years to protect it from stains, and careful attention must be paid to the natural stone seams.
Marble Countertops – Compare and Contrast Kitchen Countertops
Marble is another 100% natural product. It is not as popular as other kitchen countertop materials, because it's lime-stone base makes it less resistant to stains from oils and acids.
Like granite, marble comes in slabs that are always different because they come from a natural source.
The cost of marble is a little higher than granite, and the seam and sealing processes are identical.
Quartz, or Engineered Stone – Compare and Contrast Kitchen Countertops
This is one of the newest countertop products, and is becoming increasingly popular. Quartz is actually a quartz composite, made of quartz, colored pebbles, polymers, and epoxy. About 97% of the composite is quartz. The other 7% is pigments and resins. Natural granite is only about 50% quartz, which is very high on the hardness scale – only diamonds, topaz and sapphires are harder!
Quartz comes in many more colors than natural stone and has a more even pattern.
The cost is very similar to granite. It doesn't need to be sealed, and is more resistant to stains, scratches, and other damage. Seams are less noticeable due to the consistency of the pattern.
Stainless Steel – Compare and Contrast Kitchen Countertops
Stainless steel is also becoming a popular option in higher-end homes. It is one of only a few countertop materials that can be safely bleached, and heat will not hurt it.
Brushed and/or textured finishes are available to help hide scratches. In some cases, the sink can be created with the countertop for a totally seamless one-piece installation. All this comes with a price tag – steel countertops cost about twice as much as granite.
What's the bottom line on countertop costs?
All countertop pricing is determined by square footage. Most standard countertops are 2 ¼ feet wide. To find out how much countertop you need, take the length of the countertop and multiply by the width. Then multiply the total square footage by the cost per square foot for the desired material. This will give you the starting point.
But there are additional considerations as well.
The cost of backsplashes depends on material and style, as does the edge of the countertop – which can all be customized in different materials.
Even the type of sink makes a difference in countertop cost. An under-counter mount requires a more finished edge around the sink, which raises the cost for some materials. Additional sinks or other cut outs can add to labor and installation expenses, as well.
Custom home builders like Stanton Homes can walk you through the costs when you plan your home, so you can decide what kind of countertop you want to live with.
Read Best Kitchen Countertops Part I Here
More Kitchen Trends and Ideas - Building Your New Custom Home:
Kitchen Color Schemes for 2011 - This Year's Color Trends
Kitchen Backsplash Ideas - Behind the Cooktop
Storage Solutions: Top 5 Options for Kitchen Base Cabinets
Get ideas from these kitchen floor plan transformations, designed by Stanton Homes to fit the lifestyles of our homebuyers.
We can redesign your kitchen floor plan to put everything just where you need it – BEFORE you build.
Choosing to build your new home with exceptional NC custom home builders like Stanton Homes allows more creativity, within your budget, than you ever thought possible! Find out more today – here's how to get started:


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Taking the Strain out of Vat
By Contractor Weekly
Efficient ways to pay your VAT
Under normal circumstances, most VAT registered businesses have to send in quarterly VAT returns which must be done electronically. Payment of VAT should be made electronically either by Direct Debit, Faster Payments by internet/telephone banking, CHAPs, BACs, Direct Credit, Online debit/credit card using BillPay and payment by Bank Giro Credit.
Direct Debit
Setting up and paying your VAT by Direct Debit is certainly the best way to ensure that your business does not miss a payment. As payments are debited automatically from the business bank account, then all you have to concern yourself with is ensuring that the VAT return is filed on time.
For those businesses that are disciplined enough to do so, an alternative would be to calculate the amount of VAT owing at the end of each month and place that money on deposit thereby earning a little interest before it is then paid over to HMRC. It is important however that payment dates are not missed. Payments must be received by HMRC seven days after the end of the month following the end of the VAT period. For example, if a business is filing a VAT return for the period 31st March, then HMRC must have the return and payment by 7th May.
As interest rates are currently not that favourable, many businesses may consider this approach unattractive.
Cash accounting
Businesses with a turnover of not more than £1.35 million can use the cash accounting scheme as long as they are up-to-date with their VAT obligations.
Under this system, output tax (VAT on sales) does not have to be accounted for until the cash is received. Conversely, input tax (VAT on expenditure) can only be claimed once the invoice has been paid.
HMRC can refuse entry to the scheme or withdraw it, if they deem it necessary to protect tax revenue.
A business can leave the scheme voluntarily at the end of any tax period. In these circumstances, the business may either account for all outstanding VAT in that period or opt to account for it over a period of six months.
Annual accounting
Just like cash accounting, entry level for this scheme is a turnover of less than £1.35 million.
VAT is paid in nine monthly instalments based on the previous year's liability. Only one VAT return is required to be filed, within two months after the end of the year when balancing payment is also due, unless there is a refund of VAT due. As an alternative to paying monthly, payments on account of VAT can be made quarterly.
If a business knows that its VAT liability is going to be much more or less than the estimated amount, then they can ask HMRC to adjust the level of instalments, so as to avoid a large bill at the end of the year or significantly overpaying.
With the imminent introduction of the limited trader rate of 16.5% under the Flat Rate Scheme, (FRS) there will be contractors considering whether it is still beneficial to remain in the FRS. Either of the two schemes discussed may provide a suitable alternative.


text: Help at a Distance Published on March 1, 2018April 6, 2019 by michaelwatsonvt We gladly provide support to individuals and families at a distance. Shamanic aid and Reiki work across time and space, and do not require you to be physically with us to receive benefit. Please contact us for more information or for aid. Share this:TwitterFacebook


text: Stalled efforts to reach an agreement between Israelis and Palestinians are once again front and center. Secretary of State Kerry has committed himself to finding a way forward on a dispute that has become one of the world's immovable objects. Will Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chairman Abbas share ownership of the process Kerry is attempting to restart? Will President Obama do the same? And is there any reason to believe that this time can be different? Aaron Miller, a veteran of Middle East negotiations, provides context.


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May 19, 19 10:29 AM
Air-pollution is detroying our hibitat
May 12, 19 03:34 PM
Mednews announcements of latest treatments, medicines and discoveries
Apr 28, 19 05:19 PM
obesity is a growing problem worldwide.
This is lead in page to take you to the various animals. We cover
To look at the e-book version go here animal attacks e-book
May 14th 2018
Bloodsucking flies that leave huge blisters set to cause havoc in hot weather
Bloodsucking flies which can leave people with huge blisters and a fever from one single bite are set to strike in the south of England.
The Blandford fly, known as one of the UK's most irritating pests, thrives in warm weather and is most common in May and June.
It can make its victims seriously ill and they usually target the ankles and legs while flying low to the ground.
The fly tends to strike in warmer weather – and the recent rise in temperatures could create ripe conditions for the Blandford bloodsucker.
Some of the most serious reactions include swelling in the groin, a fever and blistering.
So what exactly is a Blandford fly?
It usually strikes near rivers or streams
It got its name after an outbreak of residents being bitten around Blandford in Dorset in the 1960s and 1970s
Anyone who is bitten should clean the bite area and dry it gently, Somerset Live reports .
Do not under any circumstances scratch the bite, as it could become infected.
Apply a cold compress or calamine lotion to cool it down, but don't use antihistamine creams as they can sometimes cause skin reactions.
Cover large blisters with a dry dressing, and rest with your feet supported on a stool if you are bitten on your legs or ankles.
Swelling often lasts for days, so it's important to reduce the pressure.
Seeking medical advice
You should seek immediately medical advice if you have any of the following symptoms…
Discomfort, swelling or red lines in the groin or armpit
A fever
Stomach cramps
A spreading redness or hotness around the bite, which lasts longer than three days
Professor Rod Thomson, director of public health for Herefordshire, said in a recent warning about the upcoming invasion: "We are seeing more cases of Blandford fly bites across the county, especially as the weather has been getting warmer over the past few weeks.
May 12th 2018
Here are 10 most dangerous sea creatures that swim in the ocean:
Fire Coral: Fairly closely related to jellyfish and anemones these small organisms can deliver a power sting with it's invisible tentacles. The results can vary from a mild irritation to severe pains and is sometimes even associated with nausea and vomiting.
Lionfish: Fairly closely related to jellyfish and anemones these small organisms can deliver a power sting with it's invisible tentacles. The results can vary from a mild irritation to severe pains and is sometimes even associated with nausea and vomiting.
Sea snakes: Sea snakes can be found in Indian Ocean and Pacific oceans. They can reach a maximum length of between 4 and 5 feet while some species can reach lengths of up to 10 feet. Sea Snakes aren't aggressive animals but due to the amount of toxicity in some of the species venom, they are in the list of most dangerous sea creatures. Human confrontations are rare.
Stingray: Stingrays are one of the more passive creatures in oceans and hardly ever attack. The majority of stingray incidents happen when divers and swimmers accidentally step on them, causing the stingray to defend itself using it's sting.
Tiger Shark: Commonly known as sea tiger, the tiger shark is a relatively large macropredator, capable of attaining a length of over 5 m. The tiger shark is a solitary, mostly nocturnal hunter. Its diet includes a wide variety of prey. The tiger shark is reported to be responsible for a large percentage of fatal shark bite incidents, and is sometimes regarded as one of the most dangerous shark species.
Great White Shark: The Great White tends to attack humans when they are hunting for food, it's nothing more than basic instinct. Moreoevr, a lot of time humans on surfboard often look like turtles to them from the ocean floor. Turtles are their natural prey.
Stonefish: Despite its small size (up to 12 inches) is regarded as the most venomous fish in existence. It's camouflaged body can keep it perfectly hidden between rocks underwater, adding to its danger. It's the dorsal fins you have to be worry of, which are sharp enough to pierce through a shoe so watch your step.
Blue-Ringed Octopus: Growing no more than 8 inches in length, this cephalopod feeds on small crabs and shrimp, yet still has enough venom to kill a human. In fact, they have enough venom to kill nearly 30 humans within a matter of minutes.
Crocodiles: A recent story was doing the rounds where a bride had her arms ripped off by a crocodile while on her way to her own wedding. Crocodile attacks are not uncommon along sea shores, where sea water crocodiles may have come to sun bathe or catch prey.
Chironex (Box Jellyfish): It does not have a venomous bite, rows of sharp teeth, or even an obvious mouth for that matter. But nevertheless, the box jellyfish is more responsible for human deaths than snakes, sharks, and saltwater crocodiles put together.
May 10th 2018
Please remember that it is of the utmost importance that you get the appropriate inoculations and vaccinations for that particular country or countries. If you are planning to travel abroad, consult with your doctor early as some inoculations take several weeks to become effective, take note of all warning signs that are posted in the location you are visiting, if in any doubt you should ask the natives.
Please review the warnings that I put up on buzcall, these could save you from serious injuries or infections and may even save your life.
Please consider giving a financial donation to keep buzcall.com alive.
I cannot remember all the lives we have saved in the last few years.
May 8th 2018
Bride reveals how Brit husband saved her life by 'raining blows' down on 8ft crocodile that ripped her arm off
Zanele Ndlovu, 25, married Jamie Fox, from Bromley in Kent, five days after her arm was bitten off and the reptile has now been tracked down and killed
A brave bride who got married five days after her arm was bitten off in a horrific crocodile attack has revealed how her Brit husband fought off the monster eight-foot long reptile.
Former national tennis player Zanele Ndlovu, 25, lost most of her right arm in the savage attack as she paddled down the Zambezi river in Zimbabwe.
But it could have been much worse if her husband Jamie Fox had not rushed over to help her and 'rained down blows' on the crocodile - which has since been hunted down and shot dead.
Zanele has told told how the Nile crocodile - which can weigh half a ton and be over 12 feet long - shot out of the water and tried to drag her to the bottom of the river.
The couple had been paddling down the Upper Zambezi above the Victoria Falls with six other canoes including several tour guides.
The scaly predator struck from below launching itself out of the water beneath their inflatable raft and grabbing her right arm in its jaws.
She told The Chronicle newspaper in Zimbabwe: "The waters were very calm and we had guides and there were about seven boats in the water when the crocodile just jumped out.
"It jumped out of the water and bit a chunk of my right arm together with the side of the canoe which started deflating and it all just happened so fast.
"The crocodile bit me again and pulled me into the water. My husband was thrown out the opposite side so the boat was between the two of us.
"Jamie swam over to where I was struggling with the crocodile that was trying to pull me to the bottom of the river and grabbed my waist and with the other hand he rained blows down on the crocodile.
"It all happened so fast we have conflicting accounts of events. The guides saw us battling the crocodile and joined in and the crocodile finally let go.
"The pain was excruciating but Jamie was by my side and I summoned the strength to fight through it and although he was in shock he calmed me down."
One of the tour guides who was first aid trained applied a tourniquet from the first aid kit while the other called for a helicopter to whisk Zanele to the nearest hospital.
Doctors at the Victoria Falls initially treated her then she was airlifted to the Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo where doctors said they had to amputate what was left.
After the attack the crocodile was hunted down and killed.
Tour guide Skinner Ndlovu said:"We started hunting for it on Wednesday and we managed to shoot it on Friday afternoon with the assistance from a Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) ranger.
"We were monitoring it and after positively identifying it through its bruises and being territorial and we shot it when it was sun bathing.
"Such crocodiles are a danger to humans and it was no longer safe at the site."
Zanele said: "I get depressed by people who come here to hospital and start crying. I know people feel pity for me but being sorrowful does not help the situation.
"I look forward to friends and family who are going to make me laugh and not remind me of what is going on – I actually spend more time comforting my relatives."
The couple had their wedding planned for the Busters Sports Club in Bulawayo but were unable to attend due to her injuries so decided to book the hospital chapel.
A Methodist Minister took the service which was packed with 60 of her closest family and friends and guests at Busters were able to watch the service by video link.
After Zanele became Mrs Ndlovu-Fox they posed for happy wedding photo's then shooed their family and friends off to their wedding reception but did not join them.
Doctors insisted she spent another 24 hours in hospital but discharged her yesterday and the couple plan to complete their visa paperwork for her to live in the UK.
Zanele said: "I spent a lot of time preparing for my wedding day. I didn't know that fate would have me being wed in a hospital chapel with one limb missing.
"But in all this I am not complaining and my wedding was the best and I am so happy we proceeded despite all the drama and I have a wonderful husband."
Groom Jamie, 27, from Bromley, Kent, works for the National Citizen Service which is a government funded programme focusing on teaching skills to teenagers.
He said: "It is a miracle she is here there is no other way to explain it. I thought at first it was a joke and it took about five seconds to see it was actually real.
"The tour guide had said before we left that it was "rare" to see a crocodile but it "can happen" and it certainly happened but I didn't see it or hear it.
"It just jumped from the water and grabbed her arm and she was pulled one side out of the boat and I fell out on the other. The crocodile eventually let go.
"I could see her arm hanging off and I could see it was really serious. The guides were using towels to stem the blood. She was lying on the floor of the boat.
The helicopter with doctors arrived within five minutes – they were really quick. They took her to a hospital in Victoria Falls and they sedated her to examine her arm.
"They decided they needed an expert and she was taken to Bulawayo and the doctors said it was best to amputate. There wasn't any choice in it really.
"Her arm was hanging off."
Jamie added: "We are both outdoors people but I'm not sure if we will go canoeing again. I just want her to get better soon and then we can plan our lives together.
"I never even at one point thought of calling off the wedding. I love her even more and this incident made me feel even more the deep feeling behind our vows.
"For better or worse, in sickness and in health, that's just how it's going to be."
The couple met 18 months ago when Jamie was on a work programme in Zimbabwe and he visited her a number of times and proposed on Valentine's Day this year.
He said: "I was at my most nervous as I so wanted her to say yes and she agreed and I approached her family and paid the bride price and we began planning.
"She planned the wedding and I am sorting out the visa."
Brave wife Zanele said: "There is always something good about life to celebrate. I just look out and see how beautiful the view is. Sunshine and green. I am happy."
April 29th 2018
Unusual Rat Virus Strikes 8 People in Illinois and Wisconsin
A virus rarely seen in the United States recently infected eight people in Wisconsin and Illinois who were working in facilities where pet rats are bred, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Authorities first became aware of the infections when two people in Wisconsin who operated a rat-breeding facility fell ill in December 2016, with one going to the hospital. Both breeders tested positive for Seoul virus, which is part of the Hantavirus family, a group of viruses that typically infect rodents, the CDC said.
Health officials then discovered that the Wisconsin breeders had purchased rats from two rat-breeding facilities in Illinois, and tests showed that six people who worked at the Illinois facilities were infected with the same virus. [10 Deadly Diseases That Hopped Across Species]
The Seoul virus is known to infect a species of rat called the Norway rat (also known as the brown rat) all over the world. Sometimes, people can catch Seoul virus from rats. So far, most human cases of Seoul virus have occurred in Asia. This is the first time that human Seoul virus cases have been linked with pet rats in the United States, the CDC said.
People become infected with Seoul virus when they are bitten by infected rats, or when they come into contact with the blood, saliva or urine of infected rats, the agency said.
The virus cannot spread from person to person, and "therefore, the general public is at extremely low risk," from these cases, Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), said in a statement. "Out of an abundance of caution, we want to let the public know in the event they have recently purchased rats from an affected facility and become ill."
The CDC is working to determine if anyone else who bought the rats has become infected with Seoul virus, and to make sure that any rats that are infected are not distributed from the facilities, the agency said.
People who become infected with the Seoul virus can develop fever, severe headaches, back and abdominal pain, chills, blurred vision, red eyes, or a rash, the CDC said. But some people infected with the virus don't show any symptoms. All eight people infected in the current outbreak have recovered, and five out of the six people in Illinois who tested positive for the virus did not show symptoms, the IDPH said. Rats infected with the virus do not typically show symptoms. [Sting, Bite & Destroy: Nature's 10 Biggest Pests]
People who may have purchased rats from the affected breeders should contact their local state or health departments, the CDC said.
To avoid catching an infection from rats, the CDC said that people can take the following precautions with their pets:
· Wash your hands after touching or feeding pet rats, or cleaning their cages.
· Make sure pet rats are properly secured (in a cage) so they don't contaminate surfaces in your home.
· If possible, clean rodent cages and rodent pet supplies outside of your house, and never clean the animals' cages or supplies in your kitchen or other areas where you prepare food.
· Avoid bites and scratches from rodents.
· Take your pet to a veterinarian for routine care to keep the animal healthy and disease-free.
April 19th 2018
Meet Ben Kilham, the American bear whisperer
Stripy and Jake are bear cubs fed by bottle, who frisk around happily. Other bear orphans perch in the trees when Ben Kilham ventures into their enclosure.
Meet the American bear whisperer, who lives in the woods of New Hampshire and whose life work is understanding black bears, winning him not just international stature but greater insight into humankind.
From the bear photos and paintings on the wall, to the three little wooden bears bidding visitors "welcome" at the entrance, everything in his renovated barn home exudes his passion.
So does the nearby, three-hectare (7.5-acre) enclosure, where he cares for orphan cubs entrusted to him each year by the New Hampshire fish and game department.
With their mothers perhaps shot dead or knocked down by a car, the six-foot-four (1.93 meter) Kilham makes sure they grow up safe and well, before releasing them back into the wild aged 18 months.
In addition he observes adult bears in the wild, including Squirty, who is now 22 years old and has had 11 litters.
His dedication to black bears -- the most common in North America with a population of around 750,000 -- has made him such an expert that China asked for his help with the giant panda, a collaboration that inspired the recently released documentary "Pandas."
After a quarter of a century of study, Kilham has no doubt that bears are as close to humans as great apes, even if as he says, apes "were our closest genetic relative."
He quickly realized that female bears were capable, like humans, of "reciprocal altruism" -- or in other words looking after each other for the greater good.
Squirty provided early proof of that. Shortly after releasing her into the wild, Kilham says another wild female false-charged him in a bid to protect Squirty, despite never having seen her before.
'Reciprocal altruism'
"I was like 'Wow, what's going on?'" the 65-year-old recalls.
"She is unrelated! That's pure altruism!" he explains. "She is taking a huge risk, encountering a human which is her greatest foe, to defend unrelated cubs from me."
Since then, Squirty has shared her resources with this wild female, and shows more aggression toward her own family members than she does from this unrelated female, he says.
These are parallels that many scientists are still reluctant to draw, convinced that man is more capable than animal.
Stripy and Jake are bear cubs fed by bottle, who frisk around happily. Other bear orphans perch in the trees when Ben Kilham ventures into their enclosure.
Meet the American bear whisperer, who lives in the woods of New Hampshire and whose life work is understanding black bears, winning him not just international stature but greater insight into humankind.
From the bear photos and paintings on the wall, to the three little wooden bears bidding visitors "welcome" at the entrance, everything in his renovated barn home exudes his passion.
So does the nearby, three-hectare (7.5-acre) enclosure, where he cares for orphan cubs entrusted to him each year by the New Hampshire fish and game department.
With their mothers perhaps shot dead or knocked down by a car, the six-foot-four (1.93 meter) Kilham makes sure they grow up safe and well, before releasing them back into the wild aged 18 months.
In addition he observes adult bears in the wild, including Squirty, who is now 22 years old and has had 11 litters.
His dedication to black bears -- the most common in North America with a population of around 750,000 -- has made him such an expert that China asked for his help with the giant panda, a collaboration that inspired the recently released documentary "Pandas."
After a quarter of a century of study, Kilham has no doubt that bears are as close to humans as great apes, even if as he says, apes "were our closest genetic relative."
He quickly realized that female bears were capable, like humans, of "reciprocal altruism" -- or in other words looking after each other for the greater good.
Squirty provided early proof of that. Shortly after releasing her into the wild, Kilham says another wild female false-charged him in a bid to protect Squirty, despite never having seen her before.
'Reciprocal altruism'
"I was like 'Wow, what's going on?'" the 65-year-old recalls.
"She is unrelated! That's pure altruism!" he explains. "She is taking a huge risk, encountering a human which is her greatest foe, to defend unrelated cubs from me."
Since then, Squirty has shared her resources with this wild female, and shows more aggression toward her own family members than she does from this unrelated female, he says.
These are parallels that many scientists are still reluctant to draw, convinced that man is more capable than animal.
His work led recently to a PhD in environmental sciences, not bad for someone not great at school, whose work has been looked down on by the scientific community.
He has enjoyed quite the following nonetheless, thanks to articles in National Geographic and the popularity of his book, "Among the Bears," which came out in 2002.
His commitment is to raising awareness about bears, still feared and hunted in the United States. Around 10-15 percent of New Hampshire's 5,000 to 6,000 bears are killed every year in hunting season.
"Bears are not interested in people. Zero," he says. "They are afraid of us."
Despite advice to the contrary everywhere, people still leave food out or fail to secure chicken coops, attracting an animal that needs to fatten up before hibernation and again in early spring. In human-bear situations, the bear is always the loser.
"We can live very easily with bears, it's a matter of educating the public," says Kilham. "Unfortunately educating the public is like herding cats. They don't take in information very well."
Feb 8th
Video has emerged that shows a leopard attacking a man after entering a school.
The incident occurred in Bangalore, India, where the eight-year-old male cat injured six people.
The rescue effort lasted 10 hours before the cat was cornered and eventually tranquilised.
Senior police official, S Boralingaiah, described why the operation lasted so long.
"It was a long struggle to capture the leopard," he said. "Although it was injected with tranquilisers it could be captured only around 20.15 local time when the medication took full effect."The BBC reported that the cat was then moved to a national park, while the six injured people have been treated for minor injuries. Fortunately no students were in the school at the time of the leopard's arrival, with no classes being held over the weekend. India's leopard population is estimated to be between 12,000 and 14,000. Such incidents become more frequent as residential or urban areas expand into their habitats.
Feb 2nd 2016
A British tourist has been killed after being trampled and gored by an elephant in front of his daughter.
Gareth Crowe was taking part in a trek on the island of Koh Samui in Thailand when the elephant turned on its handler after he got down to take photographs.
He and his 16-year-old daughter, Eilidh, were thrown by the elephant which is then said to have trampled Mr Crowe and stabbed him through the chest with his tusk - killing him instantly.
Eilidh was admitted to hospital with minor injuries but is believed to have escaped with her life after the elephant ran off into the forest.
Mr Crowe, 36, was on holiday with his partner Catherine Hughes, 42, and their two children.
The family are believed to originally be from the Isle of Islay in Scotland but moved to the Scottish mainland two years ago.
The local newspaper, the Samui Times, suggested Mr Crowe - who worked as a diver - had teased the elephant with a banana but Eilidh denied this on Facebook from her hospital bed, according to the Scottish Sun.
Ms Hughes said: "We were all here on holiday. My son and I didn't go on the elephants. I've been given no information as to what happened or how it happened. Eilidh is OK but I don't know exactly what happened."
A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We are offering support to the family of a British national who has sadly died following an incident in Koh Samui, Thailand, and are making contact with the local authorities to seek further information."
The local provincial governor, Wongsiri Phromchana, said an investigation had been launched into the incident.
A spokeswoman for World Animal Protection said her thoughts were with Mr Crowe's family but the incident "was a stark reminder" that elephants are wild animals which are not supposed to be ridden.
She explained most tourists do not know the cruelty elephants on these tours are subjected to in order to make them tame enough to give rides.
She said: "If you can ride it, hug it or have a selfie with a wild creature, then the chances are it is cruel and the beast is suffering."
Jan 12th
Recent attack reports talk of a woman trying to kiss a snake in a zoo, which ended up with the Python sinking its teeth into her nose, pythons have no venom so just stitches were required.
Almost all Animal attacks can be avoided by you taking these simple precautions.
You should read the warning notices relating to the area that you are in and consider very carefully whether it is wise to continue, some creatures can be particularly dangerous if they have their young with them.
Our four legged friends are unpredictable and usually equipped with claws and teeth that can do serious damage to humans and others.
Even good pets can turn bad sometimes and we advise you to be very cautious at all times, especially the children should be told not to tease the family pets.
Rabies is a very nasty infection that can be passed to humans not only by dogs but by a range of other creatures so if you see anything with foam around the mouth stay well clear and report it to the authorities.
You should also consider whether you are at risk from poisonous insects and reptiles few of these bites are fatal but can be very damaging and should be treated immediately, seek medical advice straight away, anti-venom could save your life.
If you suffer from any wound that breaks the skin you should seek medical advice, you may need tetanus and anti-rabies injections, they are readily available from most medical facilities. It is very important that you do this as soon as possible after the wound has been inflicted.
If you are in an area strange to you, do your research, ask the locals and read the warning signs carefully, if you are in an area where there is a possibility of an attack think again do you really want to be there.
Fortunately with modern communication systems these dangerous situations can be monitored easily and warnings issued by local government, civil defense, police, local radio and television,
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CarPlay, Android Auto coming to Ford vehicles in 2016
Ford finally has timeline for CarPlay, Android Auto integration, but still developing its AppLink platform
Ford has planned to integrate Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto into its vehicles for awhile, and now we have a timeline. If you have a 2016 vehicle, you'll be able to upgrade to the new platform later this year; 2017 models will have the technology built-in. The 2017 Ford Escape, due in spring, will be the first to have it. The Escape also features LTE, as will other Ford vehicles with Sync 3 later this year.
CarPlay and Android Auto effectively turn your vehicle's display into a smartphone, so you can listen to music, check driving directions, and so on with your vehicle much like you would on your phone.
Despite its endorsement of CarPlay and Android Auto, Ford is soldiering on with its AppLink platform, promoting it at CES. One upcoming AppLink enhancement: vehicle mileage logging, made possible by newfound direct access to vehicle data. Much more is expected to come.
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