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Changes in the epidemiological characteristics of measles since 2007 appeared in the Jiangsu province. Although the reported coverage with two doses of measles vaccine was greater than 95% in most regions of the province, measles incidence remained high across the whole province. Cross-sectional serological surveys of measles antibodies in the Jiangsu province of China were conducted from 2008 to 2010 to assess and track population immunity.
Measles-specific IgG levels were measured in serum samples using ELISA. GMTs and seroprevalence with 95% CIs were calculated by region, gender, and age. ANOVA and χ2 tests were used to test for statistically significant differences between groups for GMT levels and seroprevalence, respectively.
Seroprevalence showed a significantly increasing trend annually (CMH χ2 = 40.32, p<0.0001). Although the seroprevalence among children aged 2–15 years was consistently over 95%, vaccine-induced measles antibodies may wane over time. Measles seropositivity in the Jiangsu province was 91.7% (95% CI: 90.1–93.2%) in 2010. Among adults aged 15 to 29-year-olds, the seropositivity rate was 88.4% (95% CI: 82.7–92.8%).
Citation: Liu Y, Lu P, Hu Y, Wang Z, Deng X, Ma F, et al. (2013) Cross-Sectional Surveys of Measles Antibodies in the Jiangsu Province of China from 2008 to 2010: The Effect of High Coverage with Two Doses of Measles Vaccine among Children. PLoS ONE 8(6): e66771. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0066771
Editor: Mohammed Alsharifi, The University of Adelaide, Australia
Received: March 15, 2013; Accepted: May 12, 2013; Published: June 25, 2013
Copyright: © 2013 Liu et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: The authors have no support or funding to report.
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease. A routine two-dose, single-antigen, live attenuated measles vaccine has been available for children administered the first dose in 8–12 months and the second dose at 7 years old in the Jiangsu province of China since 1978. In 1997, the age for the second dose was lowered to 4 years of age [1]. The routine measles vaccination schedule was changed in 2006 to administration of the measles vaccine at 8 months of age followed by the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine at 18–24 months of age. [2]. A Chinese national plan for the elimination of measles was also approved in 2006 that was consistent with the World Health Organization (WHO) initiative to eliminate measles in the Western Pacific Region by the year 2012 [3]. This plan included (1) reaching at least 95% immunity to measles in each cohort born after the adoption of the elimination goal, (2) conducting targeted supplementary immunization activities (SIAs), and (3) strengthening the routine surveillance system for measles. Serological surveillance has been a core component of integrated measles surveillance [4].
Since 2007, changes in the epidemiological characteristics of measles appeared in the Jiangsu province, which may be associated with the increasing size of the migrant population [5]. The highest incidence of measles occurred in children less than 5 years old, especially among children less than 8 months of age. During the same time period, the incidence of measles among adults also increased, with most cases occurring among individuals 20–30 years of age. Catch-up supplemental immunization activities (SIAs) among children from 8 months to 15 years old were conducted in 2009 to achieve high levels of population immunity and rapidly interrupt the chain of measles virus transmission in the province. Follow-up SIAs among children from 8 months to 5 years of age were conducted in 2010.
Measles seroprevalence surveys were conducted in the Jiangsu province from 2008 to 2010 to track changes in population immunity year by year and to identify the susceptible or high-risk cohorts to help target immunization activities. In this study, we report the results and interpretation of those surveys.
Materials and Methods
Serological survey
Population-based, cross-sectional surveys for IgG antibodies to measles virus were conducted annually in the Jiangsu province between 2008 and 2010. The 13 cities within the Jiangsu province were stratified into 3 regions (south, center, and north) to account for variations in geography and socioeconomic status. One city in each region was sampled at random. Individuals within each selected city were sampled to be proportionally representative by age and gender.
A total of 10,902 serum samples from individuals 2 months to 74 years old were collected over the 3 study years. Sera were stratified into 10 age groups in each region: ≤7 months, 8–12 months, 13–24 months, 25 months-4 years, 5–9 years, 10–14 years, 15–19 years, 20–29 years, 30–39 years, and ≥40 years old.
Approval for the study was obtained each year from the Medical Ethics Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Written informed consent was signed by individuals or by parents of children. Participants were asked to anonymously fill out a questionnaire about personal information such as sex, age or date of birth, vaccination status, and date of sampling.
Laboratory assay
Serum samples were stored at −70°C before being tested. Serological tests were performed at the measles laboratory of the Department of Expanded Program on Immunization, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This laboratory meets the accreditation criteria for WHO National Measles Laboratories.
Commercial ELISA kits (SERION ELISA classic anti-measles virus IgG, InstitutVirion\Serion GmbH) were used to detect and quantify human IgG antibodies against measles virus in sera. The control and standard sera were ready-to-use without further dilution. For each test run, control and standard sera were included independent of the number of microtiter test strips used, and the standard sera were set up in duplicate. In addition, in-house control samples were included with every assay run. To maintain high quality control, we took strict precautions to avoid non-specific binding throughout the process: avoiding contamination and severe hemolysis during sera collection and separation; prohibited repeated freezing-thawing of serum; leaving the reagent at room temperature for 20 minutes before the start of the test procedure; using aseptic techniques when removing aliquots from reagent tubes; and adequate washing and avoiding foaming.
ELISA results were expressed quantitatively as optical density (OD) measured at 405 nm. Antibody activities (titers, IU/ml) were calculated using software from SERION, and antibody and titers were categorized as negative, equivocal, or positive using fixed cut-off values that were in agreement with international standards [6], [7]. Greater than 0.20 IU/ml was considered positive, less than 0.20 IU/ml was considered negative, and samples with titers between 0.15 IU/ml and 0.20 IU/ml were retested prior to categorization as positive or negative.
Statistical analysis
Data from the questionnaires were double entered into Epidata software with suitable edit checks and validations. The geometric means titers (GMTs) and seroprevalence of antibodies were calculated with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), stratifying values by region, gender, and age grouping.
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for comparisons of GMTs with a p-value of 0.05 set as the significance threshold. The Student-Newman-Keuls q test (SNK-q test) was used for multiple comparisons. Differences among seroprevalence by region, sex, and age in each year were assessed by Pearson's χ2 test with a significance level of 0.05. A Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel χ2 test (CMH χ2) was used to analyze the trend in seroprevalence between years. R 2.10.0 statistical software was used for analyses [8].
The GMT of measles antibodies in 2009 was 1.52 IU/ml, which is significantly higher when compared to 2008 (0.80 IU/ml, p<0.05) but not significantly different when compared to 2010 (1.25 IU/ml, p>0.05). The GMT of measles antibodies in 2010 was significantly higher when compared to 2008 (p<0.05, Table 1).
Seroprevalence in the entire province showed a significantly increasing trend by year (CMH χ2 = 40.32, p<0.0001). While the prevalence of measles antibodies in 2008 (88.7%) was lower than in the later 2 years, there was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of measles antibodies between 2009 and 2010 (93.6% vs. 91.7%, p>0.05, Table 2).
GMT and prevalence of measles antibodies in different regions in 2008–2010
As shown in Tables 1 and 2, the lowest GMT of measles antibodies was observed in the central region in 2008–2009, while the lowest GMT in 2010 was seen in the north region. In 2008, the prevalence of measles antibodies in the north and central region were relatively lower when compared to the south region. The lowest seroprevalence occurred in the central region in 2009. In 2010, the seroprevalences of all of 3 regions were approximately 90%, with no significant differences.
The GMTs of all 3 regions showed an increasing trend year by year. Similarly, the seroprevalence of measles antibodies in the north and south regions also showed an increasing trend by year. In contrast, there was no significant increase in seroprevalence in the central region from 2008 to 2010.
GMT and prevalence of measles antibodies in different age groups in 2008–2010
The GMTs from sera from children less than 7 months of age were below 0.13 IU/ml in each surveyed year. After the first dose of measles-containing vaccine was administered at 8 months of age, the GMT increased to 1.00 IU/ml; the highest GMT appeared among children from 13 months-4 years old. Most of these children received two doses of measles-containing vaccines. Subsequently, the GMT declined to 1–1.5 IU/ml and was similar in the next age group.
Age-specific seroprevalence showed a trend similar to the GMT in each year: less than 36.7% of children aged ≤7 months were seropositive. Seroprevalence increased to more than 70.5% in children 8–12 months old, and increased further to more than 95% in the 13 months to 4 years old age group. Seroprevalence remained relatively stable through 15 years of age. Seropositivity declined to 88.4% in the age group from 15 to 29 years old, but in adults aged 30 years and older, seropositivity increase to more than 95% and remained high.
Although there were no statistically significant changes in seroprevalence from 2008 to 2010 in any age group older than 8 months, the GMT had an increasing trend in the following age groups: 8–12 months, 13–24 months, 5–9 years, 10–14 years, 20–29 years, and ≥40 years old.
GMT and prevalence of measles antibodies between sexes from 2008–2010
No significant difference was observed between males and females in either the GMT or the prevalence of protective measles antibodies in the provincial sample each year.
Region-specific GMT and prevalence of measles antibodies in different age groups in 2008–2010
As Figure 1 shows, although the seroprevalence in each region showed an upward trend with age, GMT peaked between 13 months and 4 years followed by a downward trend (Figure 1A, B, and C), which was similar to that seen in the whole province (Figure 1D). It should be noted that the seroprevalence in central region declined dramatically in individuals aged the 20–29 years in 2010 (Figure 1B).
The seroprevalence in each region showed an upward trend with age: the GMT climbed to a peak between 13 months - 4 years of age followed by a downward trend in subsequent ages (A, B, and C), similar to what was seen throughout the whole province (D). The seroprevalence in the central region declined dramatically in individuals 15–29 years old in 2010 (B).
According to the Western Pacific Regional Plan of Action for Measles Elimination (WHO, January 2003), the elimination of measles can only be achieved if population susceptibility is below the level that can sustain transmission of measles. Thus, 95% population immunity is necessary to interrupt transmission and eliminate measles [3]. Our 3 years of successive cross-sectional surveys revealed that the overall measles seroprevalence was 91.7% in 2010 in the Jiangsu province; this needs to be further increased to achieve the elimination goal. When considering the immunity of the population older than 12 months in age, the seropositive rates for the 3 surveyed years were all over 95%, but there were still wild measles viruses circulating among individuals of these ages. These data suggest that an overall seropositive rate in the province higher than 95% may be insufficient for elimination of measles. For example, the seropositive rate of those older than 12 months was 95.3% in 2010; however, the rate was 88.4% in adults aged 20–29 years old, which may be representative of an epidemic and outbreak of measles due to the frequent migration of adults. Therefore, one of the operational indicators for measles elimination is to maintain 95% immunity to measles in each cohort in every district [3]. Strategies may vary according to population immunity in each age group in each city or county.
The Pan American Health Organization has interrupted indigenous measles transmission since November 2002. One of the primary strategies used to eliminate measles was the strengthening of routine vaccination [9]–[11]. In contrast, the experiences of some European countries showed that SIAs were essential to measles elimination [12]. Our survey supports SIA-based strategy. For instance, although the reported coverage with routine two-dose measles vaccine was over 95% in most regions of the province in 2008, the seroprevalence in several age groups from our survey was lower than 95%, indicating a high risk of measles epidemics to the general population in the province [5]. Further evidence supporting this hypothesis was the significantly higher incidence of measles in the last 2 months of 2008 when compared to 2007.
In February 2009, catch-up SIAs were performed across the whole province among children between 8 months to 15 years old. A total of 9,679,489 children were vaccinated within 2 months, and vaccination coverage of 97.2% was achieved. To accelerate measles elimination and based on the risk assessment of measles epidemics and immunity in the general population, follow-up SIAs in children aged 8 months - 4 years were conducted in October 2010. In that SIA, 4,254,194 children were vaccinated with 95.3% coverage. The most important impacts of SIAs were the upward trend in the immunity of the general population shown in this study, where the measles incidence was observed to dramatically decline from 73.7 per million in 2008 to 9.5 per million in 2010 following the SIA. Several studies also indicated that the estimated reduction in the population susceptible to measles was more than 75% after SIAs [13]–[16].
The purpose of a follow-up campaign is to reduce any accumulation of susceptible individuals born since the previous SIA. These are conducted every 2 - 4 years following catch-up SIAs [17]. The interval between campaigns was only 20 months in Jiangsu province because (1) both rapid, convenient monitoring and coverage surveys after the campaign indicated that the coverage rates in 3 of 13 cities were still lower than 95% in the catch-up SIAs, and (2) the seroprevalence of children from 8 months -15 years old in the central region was lower in 2009 when compared to 2008. The results of the serological survey after the 2010 follow-up campaign revealed that the seroprevalence of 8 month - 4 year olds was significantly higher when compared to 2009 in the central region. In contrast, a small rise in GMT and relatively stable seroprevalence were seen after a follow-up campaign in the other regions.
When the results of these surveys were interpreted longitudinally, seroprevalence and GMTs in children aged 8–12 months (when the first vaccination was offered) was lower than 83% and 1.00 IU/ml, respectively. In children 25 months - 4 years old (when the second vaccination was offered), a significant rise in the prevalence of protective levels of measles antibodies and GMT was observed. These data demonstrated that a two-dose schedule can provide a second chance at immunization for primary vaccine failures and for persons who missed the first dose. The results from other studies showed that short-lived antibodies titers increased after booster immunization with live attenuated vaccine [18], [19], which may represent the immune response when individuals with pre-existing immunity are vaccinated.
Another challenge to the elimination of measles is that, despite the very high seroprevalence among children aged 24 months to 14 years old, the GMTs showed a downward trend with age (Figure 1A, B, C, and D). This could imply that vaccine-induced measles antibodies wane in time, as indicated by previous studies [20]–[23]. Both GMTs and seroprevalence declined in adults from 15–29-year-olds who were born in the post-vaccine era. Gaston De Serres and others recently found indications that there may be a higher risk of measles among high school students when the first dose of measles vaccine is given before 15 months of age [24].
Our study suggests that administering the first dose of measles vaccine at 8 months of age may not be the optimal age at this stage in the elimination of measles. China provides the first dose of measles vaccine at the young age of 8 months. In 2009, the WHO recommended that countries nearing the elimination of measles consider administering the first dose of measles vaccine at 12 months of age. However, prior to changing the age of the first dose of measles vaccine, the WHO recommends that 4 pieces of evidence be considered: (1) the seroconversion rate by age of vaccination, (2) the actual ages of administration for the first dose, (3) projected differences between vaccination rates at 8 and 12 months of age, and (4) the age-specific incidence of measles [25].
Considering all 4 lines of evidence is essential to making an informed policy decision. For example, with more mothers having vaccine-induced antibody levels, the proportions of their children who derive maternally protective levels of antibodies may be lower in the future [26]. Infants will be at a higher risk of being infected before vaccination if measles circulates. In line with our studies, surveillance over the whole province found increasing proportions of infants younger than 8 months old who were infected with measles in recent years.
The incidence of measles in adults aged 20–29 years was also high, at approximately 70–100 per million from 2005–2010 [27]. Some studies have revealed that conducting a revaccination program in secondary school may be a way to improve immunity for adolescents, which may improve the interruption of measles virus circulation in young adults [28], [29]. Most adults aged 30 years and older were born in the pre-vaccine era and thus infected measles. Persistence of protective measles antibodies after natural infection seems to be for life [30].
Successive serosurveys measured the age-specific immunity profiles of the general population in each region of the Jiangsu province from 2008–2010. These studies revealed that there are some new challenges facing measles elimination. Further actions to increase vaccination coverage in the general population should be implemented to eliminate measles. Routine vaccination of children should also be strengthened, especially in children 8 months -15 years old. Vaccination strategies may be adjusted depending on the ages and regions [26], [31]. It is urgent to explore new, feasible vaccination strategies for adults 20–29 years old, especially in the central region. Targeted SIAs may be essential to close the age-specific immunity gaps. Finally, gathering evidence to support policy decisions on the timing of the first dose should be a priority for China because the country is nearing the elimination of measles.
This study was guided by the preventive medicine scientific research project from department of health of Jiangsu Province (NO. Y2012068). We would like to thank the following institutions for their field works: Nanjing Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Wuxi CDC, Xuzhou CDC, Changzhou CDC, Suzhou CDC, Nantong CDC, Lianyungang CDC, Huaian CDC, Yancheng CDC, Yangzhou CDC, Zhenjiang CDC, Taizhou CDC, Suqian CDC. We appreciated Dr. Lance Rodewald in WHO and Dr. Xia wei in NIP to polish and review the manuscript.
Author Contributions
Conceived and designed the experiments: YL FM P. Lu HT HY. Performed the experiments: YH X. Deng CJ X. Ding. Analyzed the data: YL YH ZW P. Liu JM. Wrote the paper: YL FM.
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- 21. Jaber SM (2006) A serological survey of measles, mumps and rubella immunity among school aged children in western Saudi Arabia. Saudi Medical Journal 27: 63–69.
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- 23. Chen C-J, Lee P-I, Hsieh Y-C, Chen P-Y, Ho Y-H, et al. (2012) Waning population immunity to measles in Taiwan. Vaccine 30: 6721–6727.
- 24. De Serres G, Boulianne N, Defay F, Brousseau N, Benoit M, et al. (2012) Higher Risk of Measles When the First Dose of a 2-Dose Schedule of Measles Vaccine Is Given at 12–14 Months Versus 15 Months of Age. Clinical Infectious Diseases 55: 394–402.
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- 28. Sasaki A, Suzuki H, Sakai T, Sato M, Shobugawa Y, et al. (2007) Measles outbreaks in high schools closely associated with sporting events in Niigata, Japan. Journal of Infection 55: 179–183.
- 29. He H, Chen E-f, Li Q, Wang Z, Yan R, et al. (2013) Waning immunity to measles in young adults and booster effects of revaccination in secondary school students. Vaccine 31: 533–537.
- 30. Markowitz LE, Preblud SR, Fine PEM, Orenstein WA (1990) duration of live measles vaccine-induced immunity. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal 9: 101–110.
- 31. Bechini A, Boccalini S, Tiscione E, Pesavento G, Mannelli F, et al. (2012) Progress towards measles and rubella elimination in Tuscany, Italy: the role of population seroepidemiological profile. Eur J Public Health 22: 133–139.


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Each entity you interact with in marinemotion (stations, channels, programs, pages, users, etc.) has a friendly URL and a hashed URL. A friendly URL is easy to read and remember, but changes based on the form title. A hashed URL is less memorable, but doesn't change when the form title changes.
For example.. each of these URLs will call up the same program :
Hashed: http://www.marinemotion.com/channels/destinations/programs/57d2c9528eaaa4d6ab000021
Friendly: http://www.marinemotion.com/channels/destinations/programs/pt-approach-demo
We can use this in various ways, but primarily your purpose for a friendly URL is to help search engines and spiders to know what it on your pages and reference them properly.
You always link to the hashed URL, and you can create a custom friendly URL in the "Path" section of the meta data column on your program editing interface.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is working on an original television show with Dr. Dre, the co-founder of Beats Music and an Apple executive, according to a person with knowledge of the project.
The show, currently titled "Vital Signs," will be an Apple Music project offered through Apple TV, the company's streaming video device, said the person, who was not authorized to discuss the plans because they are private.
The show, which was first reported by the Hollywood Reporter, could be Apple's first big television venture. The person said it was not clear when the show would be available.
Apple has been trying to make inroads into the living room, where viewers still watch tremendous amounts of content and advertisers still jockey for screen time. But the company trails competitors. The streaming device category is dominated by smart TVs, the Roku box and Google's Chromecast, data from the research firm eMarketer shows.
"There has been such a proliferation of video streaming services and hardware in the past year that the only way Apple can get a leg up in the market is to differentiate with original content," said Paul Verna, an analyst at eMarketer.
But Apple has struggled with content, while companies like Netflix and Amazon already have award-winning original shows.
Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president for Internet software and services, has been trying to put together a bundle of television shows for Apple TV that would be smaller than what cable companies offer, said a person with knowledge of the plan who declined to be identified because the discussions are private. But television and cable companies have balked at a deal. Apple has also held talks with film and television executives about financing original programs to be offered exclusively through Apple TV.
Creating a show with Dr. Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, would help Apple overcome some of its content difficulties. Dr. Dre joined Apple after it acquired his Beats Music for $3 billion in 2014. In addition to working with Apple Music, he produced the 2015 film "Straight Outta Compton," which is based on his musical career. The television show is Dr. Dre's project and Apple is backing it, one person said.
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the project, but noted that the last quarter of 2015 was the best for Apple TV sales.
Apple Music recently signed its own content agreements, including a deal to stream a concert film from Taylor Swift's world tour.
"Like so many Apple products, Apple TV wants to be a self-sufficient ecosystem," Mr. Verna said. "If a company has to look within to find entertainment industry talent, thanks to Apple Music and the company's tremendous entertainment industry contacts, Apple is as well positioned as any company to do so."


text:
Icelandic Seafood is a leading global brand
With more than 75 years of experience
With our 75 years of experience within the international fishing industry Icelandic is beginning a new chapter of its development.
It has reflected upon what is at the core of the company, the industry it is a part of and assessed the way it is perceived in the marketplace.
Icelandic will enlighten and innovate within its markets to become the number one fish and seafood brand and expand into new categories.
Today Icelandic owns the trademarks 'Icelandic' and 'Icelandic Seafood' and handles all the marketing and services to license holders and other producers in Iceland.


text:
New Yorkers weep no more! I found the Best Athentic Mexican here in NYC
El Maguey y La Tuna
321 E Houston St
New York, NY
This place is cozy, and I like that they play tunes from a Spanish radio station (although I heard an American ad for some clap-on type gadget). The brunch is awesome. You get their cafe infused with milk and an entree. I chose the strip steak with chilaques with green sauce (a tortilla type casserole - I first had one in Puerto Vallarta), and Nick had the Mexican pork chorizos sausage omelet (i.e. usually restaurants use regular sausage, but they use the real deal). It was really delicious. Then I got this dessert, which when I read on the menu, I thought it was going to be something else, but it was heavenly. Not to sweet, but sweet enough. Those chips remind me of Taco Bell's cinnamon chips, but El Maguey's taste a lot better (because the whole chip is coated on both sides with cinnamon), and honey with Neapolitan ice cream (ours didn't have chocolate, but I'm not sure if that was intentional or not)...magnificent!
Anyway, if you see me around, I can give you a 15% off coupon. They also handmake their tamales, which is a traditional all-day holiday experience. I think the lady mentioned that they had a dessert version of it. It's a little out of the way, but the walk is definitely worth it.
I forgot to mention prices. Brunch is only $9.95, which includes coffee and entrée, and the dessert was $4 or $5, but it was definitely worth it.
Dish Names:
Chilaquiles, Huevos Con Chorizo, and the dessert is called Sopapilla.


text:
The American Pistolsmiths Guild (APG) is dedicated to the pistolsmithing craft and to the shooters and customers who patronize the profession.
The APG is also active in pertinent legislative matters that effect the trade specifically and is in firm support of our Second Amendment rights.
The American Pistolsmith Guild is proud to announce the 2018 recipient of the prestigious 'Pistolsmith of the Year' award to:
James " Jerry" Keefer of Keefer Gunsmithing, Maidens VA.
The American Pistolsmith's Guild is pleased to announce our website has been launched using an all-new, all-different platform. Our new website will work great whether you're using your phone, tablet or desktop computer.
Article Posted: 02/07/2019 12:23:05 PM
Published on March 7, 2016, this is the APG 2016 Newsletter.
Article Posted: 03/07/2016 12:04:22 PM


text:
Hours of Practice
Clinic Hours*:
Monday – Friday 9.00am – 7.00pm
Saturday 8.00am – 5.00pm
*Psychologists may see clients outside these hours by appointment.
Where is Anxiety House Brisbane?
Our address is Suite 7, 171 Riding Road, Balmoral, QLD 4171.
We are located in the suites underneath the Hawthorne Medical Centre.
By car: there is free car parking located at the back of the medical centre, or street parking on Riding Road or Grosvenor Street.
By bus: there is a bus stop approximately 100m from the clinic before Grosvenor Street and the Thirsty Camel. It is bus route 230 or 232.
By train: the closest train station is Morningside train station, from there it is approximately a 20 minute walk to the clinic.
By CityCat: please disembark at the Hawthorne Ferry Terminal and walk up Lindsay Street and cross over to Orchard Street and continue until you reach Riding Road. This is approximately 1 km and will take you 15 minutes.


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Pitches Camping Car
The camping car, of course. Your privacy, of course. Flexibility, highlighted.
The pitches C1 to C11 on riverside "Le Céou" are partially dedicated to you so that you can arrive and leave easily and at your leisure any time of the day.
You will find in addition for your camping car of vast parcels arranged in terrace clearly delimited by a varied vegetation. It is up to you to choose whether you want a shady or sunny place. In the early seasons, as a couple or as a family, far from any major road, enjoy the peace and observe the fauna and flora of the surrounding nature.
rates 2020 Availabilities / Booking cancellation insurance
Our 2 sanitary blocks provide you with enough showers, toilets and washbasins to not have to wait, as well as a room for people with reduced mobility and a baby bath area. A little extra with very hot water for cleaning your dishes. One of the sanitary blocks is heated out of season.
Family-friendly, whether you are on the riverside or on a terrace, the size of each pitche will preserve your peace of mind.
The green cycling path along "Le Céou" will open the doors of the tourist wealth of the Périgord Noir. Castelnaud castle, Marqueyssac gardens, canoe departures, the medieval city of Sarlat, the Gouffre de Padirac, the cave of Cougnac, Le Chai of Domme, and the gastronomy of the perigourdine inns.
Days of arrival and departure are free all year. However, it is strongly recommended to book in advance. Possibility of blocking a place number when booking.
You prefer to stay in one of our mobile homes ?
Experience the camping experience differently in one of our lodge tents.
Plant the tent on one of our large camping pitches in the countryside.


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Free entry to New Orleans Audubon Zoo
New Orleans Audubon Zoo
New Orleans Pass Benefits:
Free entry to New Orleans Audubon Zoo
Normal Ticket Price: Adult: $23.97; Child: $18.75
Considered one of the best zoos in the country, Audubon Zoo is definitely worth a visit – especially with the family! Set inside the Audubon Park, by the Mississippi River, the zoo is 58 acres and is home to over 2,000 animals from gorillas, to tigers and even Asian elephants!
Some of the exhibits and buildings at Audubon Zoo were built by the WPA program in an art deco/modernistic style. One of the most impressive features of this diverse zoo is the Swamp exhibit, which is home to some of Louisiana's most native creatures from raccoons, nutria, otters, black bears and alligators.
Things to see:
- Gorillas
- Alligators
- Leopards
- Tigers
- Asian elephants
- Sea lions
- Komodo Dragon
- Anaconda
Fun Facts:
• New Orleans Audubon zoo is home to two rare white alligators with blue eyes
• The zoo survived Hurricane Katrina because it is built on high land near the Mississippi River.
see the: full list of attractions included
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6500 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70118,
(504) 581-4629


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Tortoise Shell Spring bubbles in front of the sinter cone of Castle Geyser. Upper Geyser Basin. Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USAStock Photo: 13430Location: Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USAFormat: Digital 3:2Copyright © Phillip Colla, all rights reserved worldwide.
Keywords: castle geyser, environment, geothermal, geothermal features, geyser, landscape, national parks, nature, outdoors, outside, scene, scenery, scenic, spring, tortoise shell spring, upper geyser basin, usa, world heritage sites, wyoming, yellowstone, yellowstone national park, yellowstone park
Updated: January 28, 2020


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Rectangle Detox Array Features
- Durable between around 60+ uses depending on care.
- Standard size, compatible with most ionic foot bath machines.
- More powerful, durable and effective
- Stainless steel for superior performance and longevity
- Low maintenance – just spray with water
- In stock ready to ship immediately
Special Note: The BioEnergiser foot bath is not compatible with our detox arrays. There is a special adapter you can use to convert plug types but we do not suggest it.


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By Anne Fox, President of Massachusetts Citizens for Life
I had the privilege of speaking briefly at the Mothers' Day Dinner in Agawam. I want to share with you what I said because it applies equally to you.
I am here to honor the work that you do. Since the height of abortions in the early 90's, the number of abortions in this country has dropped by a third. In that same time, the number of abortions in Massachusetts has dropped by more than one half. In those 25 years, 250,000 babies have not been aborted in Massachusetts! Is this because of the media? Is it because of the legislature? This is because of pro-life people who speak to youth groups, to church groups, to civic groups. This is because of pro-life people who work at the Big E and other places where they can educate the public. This is because of pro-life people who write letters to the editor and help pregnant women. This is because of pro-life people who call and visit their legislators and work for pro-life candidates. This is because of pro-life people who speak to their friends and neighbors and relatives about the dignity of each human life. That is one quarter of a million babies saved because of your work. To each and every one of you: a BIG SHOUT OUT!
Leon Kass, the noted bioethicist and friend of Dr. Joe Stanton, spoke of "the wisdom of repugnance". The "social issues" are losing ground rapidly yet opposition to abortion is growing. Abortion is not a social issue. Abortion is a life issue. Whether or not they all realize it consciously, people find abortion repugnant. Our job is to lead these people to recognize their uneasiness with abortion and other threats to human life.
A friend of mine just emailed me, "I wanted to talk to you at some point about the pro-abortion stance I see every day at the Harvard School of Public Health where I work. I wish there was something I could do. I feel so sorry for the students who are being led down this path. Maybe you would have some ideas?"
What we are talking about here is how we win over people who do not currently see things our way. They may be curious about us. They may even be hostile without knowing why.
It's not necessarily what we say, but who we are and how we present ourselves that almost always will decide whether someone will give any consideration to our words. It is surprising how often abortion or other life issues come up.
We must know our pro-life facts well enough to seize opportunities that will occur – indeed we must be able to create seemingly innocent opportunities. An example would be the story that appeared in all the Boston media at the time of the Boston Marathon this year about a new father who was running to benefit the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC). His yet-to-be-born daughter, Tenley, was diagnosed at 11 weeks. As the young couple went through all the agony of thinking of the things their child wouldn't be able to do in life, they knew that Tenley wasn't the first person with Down syndrome to touch their lives. The wife's late uncle had Down syndrome. She told ABC News, "He was the most wonderful, loving, kind person. He brought incredible joy to his siblings and profoundly affected my mom and dad's lives." Amazingly, Tenley is due to be born on his birthday.
Tenley's dad's original fundraising goal was $15,000. He actually raised more than $64,000. When something like this comes up in conversation – or you bring it up— people find things on which they agree without openly discussing abortion on which they may think they don't agree.
Many people who think they are in favor of abortion have not really thought it through. They are not locked into a position and can be gently led to a more pro-life position. When approached respectfully they will actually hear what we say.
Other natural opportunities to convey the pro-life message without seeming at all dogmatic are things like friends' ultrasounds and the funny and sweet videos that go viral of unborn babies waving in time with their parents' singing or unborn twins hugging. As long as we come at it from that point of view, not abortion, people will not bristle, will be receptive, and will be led toward the point.
Wearing the little "precious feet" pin on your clothing is very effective. People will ask. When you say they are the actual size feet of a ten week unborn baby and that the feet are the last thing to develop, some people will leave it at that but many will draw you out further. I once had a very prominent doctor bring up my "precious feet". He is not someone I would have pegged as pro-life, yet, once he got started, he gave me a wonderful pro-life lecture.
We have changed the debate in this country through many means, some of them beyond the skills of us as individuals. We all can, however, "speak to friends and neighbors and relatives about the dignity of each human life" as I said earlier.
Those who are already convicted pro-lifers need to have the latest information on pre-natal development and all aspects of the life issues. They need to have a local organization where they can act, interact, find a home, and make a difference. This is what MCFL has provided for 44 years and will continue to provide until every person in Massachusetts is respected and protected under law.
Anne's column originally appeared in the Summer 2017 issue of the member's publication, MCFL News.


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Level 3 Diploma: Beauty Therapy Techniques 16+
If you want a long term career in the Beauty Industry then successful completion of this course you will become a fully qualified Beauty Therapist with opportunities in all the top Salons, Spa's Health Clubs, Hotels and Cruise Ships internationally.
This course offers a range of advanced units that build on skills that students have already mastered at Level 2. Level 3 also offers further complex treatments such as massage, body and facial electrical treatments and electrolysis which most salons now offer; this qualification is essential for the career of any beauty therapist.
You will be provided with a uniform to wear whilst you are at college and a beauty kit that you will own to support you completing your practical treatments and to be used personally.
On successful completion of this course you will become a fully qualified Beauty Therapist. You will build on your skills gained at Level 2 Beauty Therapy and develop yourself both professionally and personally, learning a range of advanced skills which will leave you ready for employment.
- Facial Electrical Treatments
- Body Electrical Treatments
- Body Massage Treatments
- Aromatherapy Massage using Pre-blended Oils*(depending on English and Maths)
- Microdermabrasion
- Epilation
- Trade Testing & Interview Preparation
- Enrichment
*As part of your course you may need to complete Functional Skills in English and/or Maths or GCSE. If you do need to complete English or Maths you will complete one or more of the additional units *. If you need to complete English and/or Maths these unit/s won't form part of your qualification.
A good level of English, successful interview and initial assessment. Potential learners need to be able to demonstrate dedication and commitment to learning and have aspirations to work and progress into the industry. Level 3 entries will require a completed Level 2 Beauty Therapy Diploma and for internal students a positive reference from their previous tutor. Applications are allocated on a first come, first served basis, we cannot hold places.
FIND OUT MORE – At an Open Day, Call or Drop in and speak to an advisor anytime
VISIT the LCBT Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to see what's happening!


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Before anyone starts to get angry I understand my affair was wrong but I cant say it was a mistake. Our marriage has been dead for years. Im married 15 years to a 20 plus stone overweight . Her weight doesnt matter its the fact we have no connection anymore we dont get along and we have no sex life and she wont do anything about it I have tried to help endless times but she does not listen to me. Around 5 years ago my cousin introduced me to his now wife . At the time I was completely blown away with her beauty and still to this day I dont understand how my cousin ever got her. Shes 12 years younger than me , petite body brunette and I have always been attracted to her. But I never ever once did anything . Me and my own wife were having problems. We lost respect for eachother and both spoke to eachother terribly rather than fix these issues I began to distance myself and grow a bond towards this other woman and it happened unexpectedly. I didnt ever imagine Id be in this situation. I did try to work on my marriage and when nothing was right I lost interest. I take full responsibility for my actions and understand what I was risking.
We are all close net we drink together go to each others houses we see eachother at least every weekend. We would all take sun holidays together and I used to be lost for words seeing her in a swimsuit. I felt nervous around her and sometimes tongue tied. Last summer her car broke down so I pulled over it was there we clicked . It was our first time being really alone together. We just had normal conversation I felt good after seeing her . I gave her my number and asked her if she ever needed anything again to call me. As the weekends past I made a move to see if there was anything as I always felt she flirted with me and I always flirted back it wasnt anything serious it was usually a joke flirt remark she would always wink . A wink would send me to overdrive. That night they came to our home . I was tipsy and had a guilty excitement-inside me . I poured her a glass of a wine and told her she looked beautiful in her black dress she smiled and was jokingly asked me what am I after and I replied you , she raised her brow took her glass and walked away laughing but holding eye contact . I did no more until I text her that night and told her I was attracted she replied and said Im attracted to you too.
The next weekend at her home I joined her for a smoke outside I told her how I felt for a second she held back then she told me that she does too but its complicated we have kids and explained her husband can get violent when angry , I was aware he had an incredible temper aand I told her I know but Im just letting you know my feelings .
That night we went outside again and she dropped something we both went to get it butted heads laughed and then there was a moment where we just looked at eachother so I kissed her and she kissed me back it lasted 30 seconds because we knew how risky it was but I didnt want to stop. She pulled away. I asked her to meet me she replies where I said I dont know but somewhere alone I need to talk to you. Mid week we met up meeting up wasnt hard her husband was always away during the week as was I . While her kids were away Id call. Sex didnt matter it wasnt what I wanted I wanted her I had so for years. We held an emotional affair for 2 months. When we met we kissed there was so much tension built from the week of waiting whenever we met I just wanted to hold her touch kiss her. We never did anything other than that, it was all text calls and meeting up in the square of time we had until I had planned to take her away. With work I fly away now and again . This time I lied to my wife when really I booked a night away for just us out of town. She left her children with her parents told her husband she was going on a night out .
That night we met up. It was then we had sex for the first time. It was passionate incredible I never felt such strong emotion and connection with someone during sex before it felt almost like a dream. She knew exactly how to please me and I tried the same for her. I never made love like it before . The weeks would pass and I would count the days until Id see her. I loved her. I told her I did. We opened up a lot to eachother and I knew the relationship she had with my cousin was hard as I saw first hand him be physical to her to a time where I told him go easy on her and the argument got heated .
Our affair was special she was special we talked about how we would go forward how we would handle things eventually it was going to take time . Until she cut me off. She began to act strange . When we met at weekend she would curl up when I touched her. Until she told me she cant do this anymore. For weeks I was irritable I was so angry . I came so many times close to telling my wife of our affair. But I told myself what was the point she used me. It wasnt until we called to there home and my cousin told me that she was pregnant that I nearly collapsed. I replied with I thought you were done having kids he replied I did too and laughed it was then that it clicked that the baby could be mine. When we first locked eyes I could tell she was hurting she was guilty looking at me. I decided to ask how many weeks and when I made the weeks up I could tell very easily that it was around the time we booked a night away. She walked out and when I finally got her alone I asked her how shes feeling her eyes welled up and goes Im sorry. I said for what she said cutting you off but I had to . I asked her was it mine she said shes not sure but more than likely could be. I could feel my heart drop because I knew deep down I wasnt going to have access. I told her Im here and held her hand. My wife walked out and gave me a weird look and I quickly covered up saying that shes emotional .
As the weeks progressed I called more often to her bringing her favorite foods magazines massages just caring for her I knew her husband wouldnt . Our affair had stopped but I was there for her as I knew this baby could be mine. Just to feel her growing belly would make my heart beat fast to see her from a distance at family occasions carrying her little belly around made me feel so incredibly in love with her. I only wished I could tell the world it could be mine. She could be mine. When the nine months came and the baby was born she told me a time to call to see them . We got a paternity test and the child was indeed mine. Only me and her know this and its killing me inside. When I got the results I lost it she pleaded with me to not tell or she was going to be dead. Since then I have called weekly on my own to see the child hold him only wishing he knew who I was . I tried to discuss what can we do and she wont give me an answer. Shes afraid of her husband . She knows he will take her kids if she tells him and all I want to do is be the man she deserves.
We have passionately kissed on four meetups at her place. I have told her that I want to be with her Ive told her we can start a life if she just gives me the go head. She wants to but she says she knows if she does her husband will take their kids. She said if she didnt have kids with him she would have left as soon as . Ive asked her is the affair over are we done and she says no shes in love with me her feelings for me are crazy but she doesnt want me to wait around for her because for now she only dreams of leaving but knows she cant right now . I look at my son every time angry at the fact I cant tell the world he is mine . She knows Im hurting and she knows what I want. I feel Im getting more and more frustrated by the day. I understand the fact I have I wife in all this but I can promise that my wife has no interest in me. When Im gone she doesnt even ask me when Ill be back .I cant live my whole life looking on at my child not know who I am . Please help me.


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Anaheim Ballet students will conclude four weeks of intensive study by treating residents to a free performance.
At the annual event, 35 students and a few guests will put on the "Anaheim Ballet: Stars of Tomorrow" at Pearson Park Amphitheatre. Students performing range in ages from 11 to 20.
The performances will include a condensed version of "La Esmeralda," which is based on "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," as well as selections of tap, musical theater, hip-hop and jazz.
The ballet is part of an entertainment series that goes on each summer at the historic amphitheatre.


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You can select and send a cake to Plano. Our services will ensure that we can deliver the cake anywhere in the USA. We can ensure that we deliver cake to Plano.
Cake Delivery in Plano : Utterly Butterly Delicious Delights
A delicious cake is central to the proceedings of a lot of special occasions. From birthdays to romantic dates to weddings, a beautifully decorated and delightful cake can brighten up any celebration. But are you wondering how to deliver cake to Plano? We can help you. Our online services allow you to choose the right cake with the right flavour and have it delivered no matter where you are. If your loved one is sitting far away in Los Angeles, we can still help you send gift to Plano. All you have to do is click on our website and order. What are you waiting for? Do it now!
Cake to Plano from India : For The Love Of Your Brother
A rakhi is a perfect symbol of devotion between a brother and a sister. However the distance between you and your brother on Raksha Bandhan due to different geographical locations can act as a real dampener on Raksha Bandhan. But is there a way to still keep the magic alive? There sure is! Visit our website and send rakhi to Plano. We also ensure cakes delivery in Plano. Order today!


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Have you ever wondered how your brain works? What is the reason behind your feelings and actions? What is the reason that your brain works in the way it does? Psychology gives the answer to that. It is the study of behavior and mind, embracing all aspects of conscious and unconscious experience as well as thought. I, personally, love this field and I am always attracted towards the weird facts related to our mind and behavior. It is quite incredible that how such unique people having unique minds have such strikingly similar attributes to their behavior. Even the colors you see the type of eye contacts you make a difference to how you feel in the context.
For all those who have the same cravings for such interesting and amazing facts, here are some mind-blowing facts that you should know:
Music impacts your perspective. This one seems kind of obvious! Music has a dramatic impact on your perception. Say, if you sad and listen to a cheering song, your moods instantly lifts up. Also, Your favorite song is likely associated with an emotional event. From now, try avoiding listening to sad songs when you are sad.
18 to 33 year olds are the most stressed out people on earth. You know how family, education and work can all be pretty stressful.
Attractive and honest appearance can easily be misleading. People tend to trust appearance more than sincerity.
People sincerely believe that their negative opinions about others are truthful and have no connection with them and their self-confidence. In fact, the humiliation of others helps them restore their own self-esteem.
Convincing yourself you slept well tricks your brain into thinking it did. Thus, giving you more energy. They called it "placebo sleep".
When you remember a past event, you're actually remembering the last time you remembered it. This is why our memories fade and distort over time.
If you announce your goals, you're less likely to succeed. Studies suggest that doing so decreases your motivation.
Biochemically speaking, being in a romantic love affair cannot be distinguished from having an obsessive compulsive disorder.
Feeling ignored causes the same chemical effect as that of an injury. It is because your brain takes rejection just like a physical pain.
When someone cries the tears of joy, the first teardrop will always come from the right eye. Tears of pain start from the left.
Your tongue length is related to your sexual curiosity. Those who can lick their elbows are more willing to try new experiences.
If you want someone to say yes to something you're asking for nod as you ask. Our brains have what are called 'mirror neurons' which activate to make us mimic other people's actions. Sometimes they will also start to nod, which then makes them then agree with you.
I hope you guys enjoy this blog. Don't forget to share some interesting facts that you might know.
Veenu Sharma
Latest posts by Veenu Sharma (see all)
- Money Saving Tips for College Students - October 2, 2016
- 12 Interesting Psychology facts that you need to know - September 25, 2016
- 5 Steps to get a salon like hair spa at home - September 18, 2016


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Spotflux: Encrypt Internet Traffic, Access Blocked Websites & Remove Ads
When browsing through the massive, never-ending universe of the world wide web, we often come across various visible and hidden threats in the form of viruses, malware, keyloggers etc. One way to counter these threats is to use an updated antivirus program and keep your firewall active at all times. However, sending and receiving data over an unsecured connection still continues to be a security threat. Previously, we covered an application called TrafficLight that keeps your computer safe by continually scanning the internet traffic and blocking almost all possible vulnerabilities and potentially harmful elements. Today, we have a relatively advance traffic monitoring application called Spotflux. It provides you with an encrypted connection, malware and virus protection, open and unrestricted access to blocked content, and a private, ad-free browsing experience. Keep reading past the break for further details.
When you start Spotflux, an encrypted and secure tunnel is set up. All your internet traffic is sent through the punctuation filters of Spotflux in order to clean it off from malware, privacy invading tracking cookies and advertisements. The result is a secure and encrypted connection that not only protects your privacy, but also prevents you safe from virus and malware Spotflux continuously scans and protects your internet traffic from inbound threats and gives you a highly-secured, ad-free browsing experience. Although it works as a VPN service by encrypting the internet traffic and allowing you to view blocked or restricted content, it is not exactly a VPN service. According to the product page, Spotflux leverages secure tunneling as part of it's over-all solution.
Using the application is simple; it does not confuse you with a lot of configuration consoles. After installation, just Enable the application and the rest will be automatically taken care of.
The Settings dialog box (accessible from the top-left corner of the main window) allows you to specify general application behavior and configure proxy settings. You can choose to hide main window at startup and enable/disable warning messages and tray notifications.
Since all your internet traffic is encrypted and sent through the Spotflux cloud, you might feel the browsing experience to be a little slower. Considering the usefulness of this software, this is a very small cost to pay for safe and private internet usage. In our experience, AddictiveTips failed to load only once during all testing.
Below you can watch a video that explains how Spotflux works, and how it secure your internet traffic.
Currently, Spotflux is available for both Windows and Mac OS X. The mobile version is in works, and will be available soon.
Download Spotflux


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Organise a Study Abroad Tour for Your Students to the Land of Enchanting Landscapes & Fairy-tale Castles
Slovakia, bordered by countries including the Czech Republic, Austria, and Poland, is a magical and mountainous place to go on an educational tour.
Often, we have found that professors and faculty leaders like to take students to Slovakia as part of a multi-city educational program. For example, Slovakia could be combined with the Czech Republic, or Poland to create a custom tailored educational tour for your students.
Anglo Educational Tours has organised student trips to Slovakia's capital city, Bratislavia. Thus far, groups have typically focused on Business & Finance, but our contacts at local universities also offer the potential to arrange guest lectures and site visits in fields such as:
- History
- Geography
- Marketing & PR
- Sports Management
- Student Leadership
Customise Your Educational Tour Today!Get in touch


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The Internet can be a dangerous place. It can be difficult enough for adults to spot dangers on the web. But what about kids?
Here are 7 tips for parents to help their kids stay safe online:
Make sure you're protected. Contact TCU Insurance Agency at (800) 772-8043 or contact us online to learn more about cyber liability insurance options.


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By Lachman Balani
TORONTO: The Rockpile is the go-to venue for rock music, where rock will never die. It is a very unassuming place on Dundas Street, east of the 427 highway in Toronto that frequently puts on rock shows.
Oct 19 was a night to remember as Carmine Appice (US incredible drummer), Gene Cornish (US accomplished guitarist), Geoff Downes (UK superb keyboardist), Phil Naro (US amazing vocalist), Rudy Sarzo (US/Cuban deadly bassist ) and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (US guitarist extraordinaire), together known as The Platinum All Stars Band, blew off the top of The Rockpile.
These six musicians have at one time or the other played with well-known bands such as Vanilla Fudge, Guns n Roses, Yes, Quiet Riot, Blue Oyster Cult, Rascals, Classic Albums Live and more. Combined, they have sold more than 150 million albums, so you can well imagine the excitement that filled the air at The Rockpile.
They played all the top hits of the bands they were a part of letting loose with Guns n Roses raunchy `Welcome to the Jungle', getting the audience all pumped up right from the start.
Then followed Rod Stewart's `Hot Legs', exciting the air followed by the world famous popular number `Video Killed the Radio Star!', that would play in all the clubs in India as well. Every last number that followed was a super hit: `You Keep Me Hangin' On' (Vanilla Fudge), `Knockin' on Heaven's Door'(Guns and Roses), `Come on Feel the Noise!' (Quiet Riot), `Groovin' (The Rascals), `Owner of a Lonely Heart' (Yes), `Here I go Again' (Whitesnake), `Crazy Train' (Ozzy Osbourne), `Do You Think I'm Sexy?' (Rod Stewart), `Sweet Child of Mine' (Guns N Roses), `Heat of the Moment' (Asia) and many more.
Together these musicians could have played songs all night long into the crack of dawn and still not run out of material!
What set this magical rocking night apart was that all the songs were done by musicians who were part of all those globally famous bands who did those songs originally. Their wizardry and mastery over their instruments was incredible. Each one was as superb and superlative as the next.
The music gripped the audience and totally blew their minds as they sang and danced with all the songs. There was plenty of head banging as well and a lot of actions by middle aged folk that defined a totally new cool!
The crowd wouldn't let them leave!
But all grand things must come to an end and so it was as the band came back for the last song sending The Rascals' `Good Lovin' everybody's way!
Yes folks, a fabulous night with a real super group of kick-ass platinum rock stars!
READ NEXT: Fun times in Toronto – at the EX
READ NEXT: Led Zeppelin: Rock god who transported me to rock N roll heave


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17 Year Cicadas Are Coming Soon!
You may not remember the last time you heard the shrill screeching of cicadas, but they will be back very soon to remind you! This particular batch of 17 year cicadas are expected to emerge in the next couple of weeks and the cacophony they are expected to create will be 'spectacular' according to many entomologists who enjoy studying such creatures. Perhaps for you, the average home or business owner in St. Louis, the noise will not be as spectacular.
What are cicadas? These are insects that spend a great deal of their lives underground. The cicadas that will be out soon were born about 17 years ago up in the trees and shortly after birth, the juvenile cicadas fell to the ground and burrowed into the soil. Once in the ground, they fed off the juices of plant roots. Now finally 17 years later, they are ready for mating, so they have begun to dig their way up out of the ground. Once they emerge from the soil, you should be able to hear their shrill mating call as they climb trees and search for their mating partner.
So what kind of noise are we talking about here? Check out this YouTube video. Amazingly this chorus of cicadas can reach up to 90 or more decibels! That's as loud as a lawnmower! And even though cicadas aren't known for causing too much trouble, they really can become a noise nuisance, especially when more than 40,000 cicadas are singing in every tree!
So what can you do about cicadas in St. Louis? Unfortunately, not a whole lot can be done about these insects. The chorus of mating cicadas doesn't last for very long- a few weeks at most. When the whole thing is done and dusted, you may end up seeing thousands of dead cicadas on the ground that have successfully mated. If you find that the buzzing is driving you nuts, it might be a good plan to invest in some high-quality noise cancelling headphones or ear plugs- but as for treatment, it isn't really necessary.
If you've got more questions about the incessant cicada cacophony you are hearing, we'd be happy to help you learn more! Give our St. Louis pest control professionals a call to learn more about cicadas or to discuss our residential pest control services available in St. Louis and throughout our service area. And try not to let the mating cicadas bother you too much- just remember it only happens every 17 years!


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23 Historic Modern Dance Musicians
One of the sessions I presented at this week's International Conference of Dalcroze Studies (ICDS3) was on Piano Music for Modern Dance. I began researching these musicians because I wanted to know what music early modern dancers heard in their daily studies. After all, modern dance and modern music once worked together, and I wonder what happened.
Several people asked for a list of the musicians whose works I featured. This is a rather quick compilation, so it's not in proper bibliographic form and may be missing some details. (I'll try to write individual posts in future to highlight a few of these people and their work.)
- Sally Tobin Dietrich – Notes for Modern Dance with Mary Patricia O'Donnell, 1938, A.S. Barnes & Co. – Both Dietrich and O'Donnell were on the faculty of Teachers College, Columbia University.
- Sally Baker Hewitt – Dance Rhythm Music, 1946.
- Various, published by Louis H. Chalif – so-called "Greek" dances with choreography and music, 1910s.
- Hazel Smith – Natural Dance Studies, 1928.
- Louis Horst – Rhythmic Design (1929) in collaboration with Portia Mansfield and Charlotte Perry of the Perry-Mansfield School, and Sixty Exercises in Rhythmic Movement (1939). Horst was musician for Martha Graham over many years.
- Adda Heynssen* – several books of Music for Modern Dance from 1940s, including Modern Dance Accompaniment: Relationship of Music and Dance.
- Daniel Jahn – 11 Choreographic Etudes, 1959)
- Norman Lloyd – Accompaniments for the Modern Dance: Technique and Rhythm Studies, Orchesis Publications, 1960. (He and his wife, Ruth Lloyd, played for classes at the early Bennington College summer dance festival. They also wrote books Creative Keyboard Musicianship (scarce but great for studying improvisation) and The American Heritage Songbook.
- Jess Meeker, 16 Dances in 16 Rhythms, in association with Ted Shawn, Witmark & Sons, 1956. (Also made recordings including First Primer of Modern Dance.)
- Pia S. Gilbert – Music for the Modern Dance. (Musically not my favorite, but the text is interesting from a historical perspective.)
- Rupert Thackray – Playing for Dance plus six books of Music for Modern Educational Dance. Very accessible, easy to play and still welcome in today's classes. Thackray was a musician and teacher from Australia, known to some Dalcrozians there.
- John Colman – Two records in association with Hanya Holm: Contemporary Dance for classwork and The Dancer Creates for improvisation or choreography. Colman was a brilliant musician who studied with Jaques-Dalcroze and worked with dancers including Holm, Doris Humphrey, Eleanor King and Kurt Jooss. His records occasionally crop up for sale on eBay, and I have a sample here.
- Ernest Lubin – Music for Contemporary Dance in association with Norman Walker.
- Sarah Malament – Improvisations for Modern Dance, Series #1, #2 and #3. Very interesting music. One of her performance works is titled There Are Dreams, honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.(She was also the dance class pianist in the movie "Fame.") I am in the process of gathering more info about her.
- Hazel K. Johnson* – Complete Piano Music for the Modern Dance Class and Studio (Microcosm Press) and LP Metamorphoses. Both are quite scarce. Music includes simple ostinato patterns that lend themselves to flexible variation, and modern devices such as playing on the piano stings or preparing the piano with keys and pencils, for example. She was the musician for classes at Barnard when the chair of UMBC's Dance Dept. was a student. She's even in one of the pictures in the book!
- Cola Heiden – Keynotes to Modern Dance.
- Kathleen Merrill* – Studies and Sketches for Modern Dance, apparently self-published.
- Freda Miller* – Five LPs: Accompaniments for Technique, Second Album for Dance, Third Album for Dance, Music for Rhythms and Dance, and Fifth Album for Dance. Her compositions Include story ballets such as The Donkey, The Daily Paper and The Pied Piper. I was able to find manuscripts of a few of her works, and found a relative online. More to come!
- Kay Ortmans* – Music for Movement No. 1 (1967), She produced others, but this is the only one I have at the moment (another is in the mail to me!).
- Cameron McCosh – Music for Modern Dance with Mary Anthony, 1960. There's also a booklet published with movement exercises to perform with the music. (I videotaped a few students doing some of this and hope to post that eventually!)
- Paul Kueter – Modern Dance: Music and Materials for Technique with Bruce King. The music is based on folk tunes, nicely harmonized.
- Evelyn Lohoefer De Boeck – Records include Music for Movement Expression, Drumtalk and Going Places, Listening and Movement and my favorite, Come and See the Peppermint Tree, a children's album narrated/sung by dancer Donald McKayle. I had this one as a young child and still know all the songs by heart! Someone has posted a download if you are interested: http://jessibird.net/2010/come-and-see-the-peppermint-tree
- Edward Muller – Hoctor Records, various "Modern Dance" – he is unnamed on most of these labels, but I found copyright entries naming him. He also wrote a wonderful article, "Musicians Don't Look and Dancers Don't Listen," in Dance Magazine, 1971.
* If anyone has biographical information about these musicians – Heynssen, Johnson, Merrill, Miller or Ortmans – please contact me!
(Edited on 10/19/17 to make a few updates and corrections. Of note, There are Dreams was composed by Sarah Malament.)


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New Finding Aid – PCL MS-68 Carl Jacobi Collection
Tuesday January 31st 2012, 3:52 pm
Filed under: News
Filed under: News
We have a new finding aid up on the web site. It's for the Carl Jacobi Collection (PCL MS-68). Mr. Jacobi was a notable author of horror, fantasy, science, and adventure fiction.
The finding aid is located at: http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/pcl/pclms68.html. Try this search to find books Mr. Jacobi wrote in the University Libraries.


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Tier 5: A Hearthstone Podcast - Episode 35 Who Listens To The Watchman
Who Listens To The Watchman?
We do, and now you do you too!
https://twitter.com/watchmanhs - Grant from Velen's Chosen appears!
The guys go over Grant's history and love of Hearthstone.
They discuss the recently announced ladder changes and the announced nerfs.
Velen's Chosen can be found https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/velens-chosen-a-hearthstone-podcast/id1037879338?mt=2
(They're good people).
The music, as is always, is provided by Metaphorical Lions, who can be found at https://www.facebook.com/MetaphoricalLions/.
You can find Rod on twitter http://twitter.com/rod_johnston and on twitch at https://www.twitch.tv/rod_johnston.
You can find the podcast on twitter @tier5podcast and through email at email@example.com. You can find a link to our discord at https://discord.me/tier5


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Guardian writers' prediction: 7th (This is not Andy Hunter's prediction, but the average of our writers' tips)
Last season's position: 7th
Odds to win the league: 300-1
There is a stark contrast between the Everton of August 2011 and 2010. Unfortunately for the club's board, although not necessarily David Moyes and his team, it lies in the prevailing mood around Goodison Park where optimism has given way to protest.
This time last year there were no major additions to the senior squad at Everton, merely Jermaine Beckford signed on a free from Leeds United, and the available budget was spent securing Mikel Arteta, Tim Cahill, Jack Rodwell and Leighton Baines on new long-term contracts. The end result was relief plus a sense that retaining a team who finished the previous campaign so convincingly, losing only twice in its final 24 matches, could challenge for Champions League qualification. It was a view endorsed by Moyes and Sir Alex Ferguson, albeit with a prescient warning from the younger Glaswegian that a lack of a top-class striker could hinder those ambitions.
There are no new signings this summer either, at the time of writing, and Moyes is facing the prospect of a sixth transfer window without a net spend on new players. Everton's last splurge, in the summer of 2009, was funded with the proceeds of Joleon Lescott's £22m sale to Manchester City. Similarly, there have been no major losses despite frequent speculation over Baines and Rodwell plus Arsenal's rejected £12m bid for Phil Jagielka. Arsène Wenger will need to offer at least another £8m before Moyes contemplates parting company with the England international. Same as it ever was? Not quite.
Everton's problems off the field are well documented – owner looking to sell, no genuine offers to buy, old stadium, no plans for a new or redeveloped ground and £45m of debt that, while not excessive by Premier League standards, represents the club's upper limit. The inability to attract new investment after so long, to freshen the squad and to give Moyes genuine hope of winning Everton's first trophy for 17 years next season (the club is currently experiencing the second longest drought in its history – the first includes the hiatus for the second world war) has resulted in several campaigns calling for answers and/or protests against the chairman, Bill Kenwright, and his fellow directors.
This week saw the launch of "The Blue Union", a coalition of supporters groups including Evertonians for Change, Keep Everton in Our City, The People's Group and School of Science 1878, that has voiced concern at, among other things, "the stagnation" of a club that had won more league titles than Manchester United before the inception of the Premier League but has barely warranted mention in the transfer gossip columns this summer. That resentment was audible in the friendly at Birmingham City on Saturday, where there were banners calling for Kenwright to go, but many supporters also accept the futility of such a move without a credible alternative in place. One can read the last edition of the Evertonian fanzine When Skies Are Grey to see the division between those questioning the board's efforts to make the club an attractive investment proposition and those who argue "most fans accept the situation the club finds itself in".
The debate will continue until Everton demonstrate they are not standing still and can meet the ambition of a fine manager who marks a decade in charge at Goodison in March. But, and yes this should be a blog about Everton's prospects on the field next season, the investment/ownership/stadium debate should not be a distraction or excuse for a team who had only themselves to blame for not challenging for Europe last season.
Moyes's team were out of the running before they won a game last term, at the seventh attempt and not until October, but were then unbeaten at home in the league from November and defeated four of the six teams who finished above them in the table (Chelsea, Manchester City home and away, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool). Their consistent failing was unlocking lesser, defensive teams – with Arteta enduring a poor campaign and shouldering too much responsibility until Leon Osman flourished following the sale of Steven Pienaar – and the absence of the proven goalscorer that Moyes had lamented before a ball was kicked.
The latter problem persists and it merely intensified Evertonian worries to hear their manager extolling the virtues of Victor Anichebe this pre-season. Moyes's plan to fund the signing of Charles N'Zogbia from Wigan Athletic through the sales of James Vaughan, Joseph Yobo and Yakubu Ayegbeni floundered due to a lack of takers for the two Nigeria internationals (though both could yet depart). Somewhat surprisingly, given how last season unfolded and with Marouane Fellaini yet to extend a contract with two years remaining, but perhaps because he has not seen the Pienaar money, the Scot has resisted cashing in on a blue-chip player to fund improvements elsewhere.
There remains scope for improvement from this Everton squad and even an astute loan purchase before the transfer deadline, a Daniel Sturridge or an Adam Johnson for example, could reap major dividends. Beckford began to adapt to the demands of a Premier League striker towards the end of last season, Cahill has finally had a summer off and young players such as Seamus Coleman, Magaye Gueye and Apostolos Vellios all progressed. In Ross Barkley, a commanding 17-year-old central midfielder, they have another homegrown talent waiting to step up, although expectation must be checked as he returns from the triple leg fracture suffered last October.
Everton remain the best of the rest. The question being asked is whether that is good enough?


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Huawei is playing on New Zealanders' love of sport with an advert it hopes will soften the rugby-mad nation's stance towards using the Chinese giant's technology.
The advertisement has appeared in two major newspapers and on billboards.
It read: "5G without Huawei is like rugby without New Zealand."
New Zealand is one of several nations to block the use of Huawei equipment for building a new 5G mobile phone network over security concerns.
In November, New Zealand's intelligence services, followed other countries' lead, in concluding Huawei technology should not be used in the country's roll-out of next-generation 5G network, citing "significant national security risks".
Huawei told Radio New Zealand the concerns were "groundless" but it had chosen to tackle the problem in what it described as "a quirky way" to appeal to New Zealanders' better judgement. The firm argued consumers would lose out if its technology was sidelined.
"New Zealanders wouldn't accept second or third best on the rugby field, and they shouldn't have to put up with it when it comes to 5G," Huawei said.
'They can bark'
The advertisement comes at a time when relations between the small Commonwealth country and its largest trading partner and Asia's dominant economy are already under strain.
New Zealand has expressed concern over China's growing influence in the South Pacific and although Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been planning to visit Beijing since the end of last year, no date has yet been fixed.
"Our relationship with China is a complex relationship and sometimes it will have its challenges," said Ms Ardern in an interview with New Zealand television.
She said China had decided last week to postpone the launch of a major tourism campaign, due to take place in Wellington in a few days' time.
The government said Huawei's left field move, playing on New Zealanders' love of rugby, would not affect policy decisions.
"They can bark as long as they like, but we have decisions to make about New Zealand's national security interests. That's the only thing upon which we will make a decision," said Andrew Little who oversees intelligence services.


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BEIJING — Rapeseed plants in Sichuan Province flowered a month late in 2008. People did not think much of it. In those days, people still believed experts and the experts said the delayed flowering season was normal. They also said the thousands of frogs suddenly jumping onto streets was normal.
That day, I was sitting in my study in Chengdu working on an article. When the floor started moving I thought it was just the cat being naughty. I realized an earthquake had struck only when books started to fall off the shelf.
Buildings shook. Lampposts swayed. An ominous glow was on the horizon. I rushed down the stairs. The ground heaved like boiling water. Along with my neighbor, I finally made it to safety in an open area outside our apartment complex.
News arrived slowly. Many people had died in the Dujiangyan area at the epicenter of the quake. Roads to Beichuan, a county close to the epicenter, were cut off. Blood supplies were running out.
"My country is calling me," I thought to myself. "It's time for us to build a New Great Wall with our flesh and blood." Our national anthem resonated in my head. The next morning I set off to Beichuan with two friends.
I didn't know it at the time, but those were my final days as a typical Chinese patriot.
I arrived in the town of Beichuan and was perplexed as I stood in front of the ruins of Beichuan No. 1 High School. I couldn't understand why the rubble of a brand new five-story building covered half the area of a basketball court while nearby structures built decades ago were still standing. I couldn't understand why new buildings seemed as fragile as crackers. I couldn't understand why even the students on the ground floor of the school were apparently unable to make it to safety.
I saw a woman loitering around the pile of debris. Pointing at the rubble, she muttered: "Look, that's my baby. Her hand is still moving. She is still alive but I can't pull her out." I could see the bottom of a little girl's floral printed shirt, and other children as well. Many of the children were still moving. But the military rescue team forbade us from getting closer to the rubble, fearing further collapse. We stood by helplessly. The children eventually stopped moving.
I was a typical patriot before 2008. I believed that "hostile foreign forces" were responsible for most of my peoples' misfortunes. As a soccer commentator covering games between Japan and China, I wrote lines like, "Cut off the Japanese devils' heads." I saw Japanese soccer players as the descendants of the Japanese soldiers who brutally killed Chinese civilians in the 1937 massacre of Nanjing. I used to curse CNN for its anti-China commentaries. I was one of the protesters who stood in front of the U.S. consulate in Chengdu and raised my fist after the U.S. bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in 1999.
But my patriotism began to come into question as I stood in front of the ruins of Beichuan High School. It became clear that the "imperialists" did not steal the reinforced-steel bars from the concrete used to make our schools. Our school children were not killed by foreign devils. Instead, they were killed by the filthy hands of my own people.
I still believe that we should "build a New Great Wall with our flesh and blood" but now I also believe the Great Wall should protect our flesh and blood.
After the quake, I roamed for many days over the mountain areas in Beichuan with other volunteers and managed to rescue some elderly people and young children. One day, we came across a primary school funded by Project Hope, a welfare organization that aims to bring schools to poverty-stricken rural areas of China.
The school building was still standing and even the glass windows were intact. All of the students of this school had survived the quake.
I later asked the school principal and the teachers the reason for this miracle. They said we should thank the person who supervised the construction of the school building. This man, once a member of an engineering corps in the People's Liberation Army, had been hired by the company that donated the money to build the school. They told me the man used to tap on every newly built cement pillar with a little hammer. By listening to the sound, he could tell whether the concrete was mixed at the right ratio. The construction team was ordered to start all over again if the man was not happy with the sound.
Teachers added that two kinds of noises used to reverberate in the school construction site: the sounds from building and the yells from the man arguing with people — either with builders over the quality of the construction or with the local government officials over delayed payment for construction (all donations to Project Hope for building new schools had to go through local governments and all builders were assigned by local governments).
I met this construction supervisor and asked him if he had followed any special codes when building the school. "No, it was simply built by following the national standards," he said. I also learned that he had supervised the construction of five other school buildings and all of them withstood the quake. Meanwhile, the mainstream media is prohibited from praising this man. They may not even mention his name.
One evening two years ago, I received a call from him. He said he had been forcibly treated for fictitious mental problems and his wife had left him. He said he wanted to escape from Sichuan, the source of his troubles. He begged me to help him leave and find a job in northern China. Then we lost touch.
Four years after the Sichuan earthquake I am still perplexed. Why can't we publicize the names of children who died during the quake? Every single victim's name of the 9/11 attacks was read out loud and published many times. And why can't we mention the name of the man who built safe structures that saved so many lives?
Four years after the earthquake, I now reveal his name: Gou Yandong
Gou Yandong is a remarkable patriot. He saved many Chinese children by building safe structures. He deserves to be rewarded.
A month after the quake, I returned to Beijing. One day I bumped into a respected journalist from CCTV, the state television news channel. We talked about the shoddy "tofu structures" that claimed many lives during the quake.
"Corrupt officials deserve to be shot dead," I barked.
"No," responded the respected wise man while gazing intently at me. "Tackling such issues in China must be a gradual process. Otherwise, there will be chaos again. After all, we have to rely on these officials for post-quake reconstruction."
I used to have a lot of respect for that man. Now we are strangers.
Some people now call me a traitor. Some call me an agent of the foreign devils. But how can I be an agent of the foreign devils when I don't even have a U.S. green card, when unlike much of the Chinese elite my child doesn't drive a Ferrari or study at a prestigious foreign university, when I don't own any real estate in the United States or Europe. I love my country, but I cannot love a government that is responsible for so many shoddy "tofu structures."
These days, people in China like to talk about patriotism because of the disputes with our neighbors over small islands and sea lanes. I am, in fact, quite open to using military force to claim Huangyan Island, the disputed island between China and the Phillippines. But I am against the idea of fighting enemies abroad while letting bad guys at home get away with murder. Many typical patriots think differently. They believe bringing bad guys to justice can wait but claiming a tiny island can't.
After witnessing events in 2008 — not only the quake but also the Olympic Games and the melamine milk scandal — my definition of patriotism changed.
Patriotism is not about robbing our own people while claiming foreigners are looting us. Patriotism is not about bullying mothers of children who died in the earthquake, while calling for people to stand up to the foreign bullies of our motherland.
Patriotism is about taking fewer kickbacks and using proper construction methods when building classrooms. Patriotism is about constructing fewer extravagant offices for the bureaucrats and building more useful structures for farmers. Patriotism is about drinking less baijiu (a fiery Chinese spirit) using public money. Patriotism is about allowing people to move freely in our country and letting our children study in the city where they wish to study. Patriotism is about speaking more truth. Patriotism is about dignity for the Chinese people.
I am a patriot. I would love to see a little island added to our vast territory of this great nation. But I would much prefer to see the names of countless of extinguished souls engraved on humble memorials in my country.
Li Chengpeng is a writer and a blogger who has over five million followers on Sina Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter. This article was adapted from a longer article posted online on the fourth anniversary of the Sichuan earthquake earlier this month. It was translated from the Chinese by Jane Weizhen Pan.


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Acomb Carers Hub
Monthly hub for carers to get together in the local community; take a break and have a chat, share skills and learn something new, gain support and information and have fun. Cared for welcome. No need to book.
For more information call York Carers Centre on 01904 715490 or email email@example.com
Second Mondays of the month


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Prior to the holidays, the San Clemente Tritons pulled together dozens of care packages for the HMLA 369 Unit in Afghanistan. Everything arrived to some very grateful soldiers.
Major P.C. Payne has sent the following letter of thanks:
Athletes, Staff and Families of Triton Football,
_The Marines of HMLA-369 received an amazing amount of support from the Triton's efforts. Reminders
from home are one of the best things we get to break up the monotony and tedium of our day to day
grind. Coach Ortiz sent some T-Shirts and I've got the guys excited to come and watch the Tritons play
next year. I will definitely be there and looking forward to meeting the players. I'm a personal fan of
college football and missed the entire season this year so I have some catch up work to do next fall. _
_Many of you asked about our holiday period and how we celebrated so I will take a second and explain
our schedule. Gunfighters fly the UH-1Y and AH-1W, classified as utility and attack gunships. Our
primary role is Close Air Support (CAS). CAS is defined as the delivery of aerial munitions against enemy
targets in close proximity to friendly forces, such that detailed coordination must exist between aviator
and ground based terminal controllers. In practice this has become a highly procedural business where
the sensors (infrared imagery and camera imagery) on our aircraft are used to locate and positively
identify combatants. Once we identify combatants, we work with ground based terminal controllers to
ensure no civilians or structures will be affected by the delivery of our fires: missiles, rockets and guns.
When the conditions are met in accordance with the rules of engagement, we prosecute targets. _
The Gunfighters offer "Strip" and "Escort" services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Strip alert is an
immediate response to the Marines, Danes, Georgians, Afghans and Special Forces in our area of
operation. When the ground forces declare "Troops in Contact", taking effective fire from the enemy,
we launch in order to provide the fires listed in the paragraph above. Escort is a task where we provide
protection to medically equipped helicopters who extract injured personnel from the battlefield. Our
enemy does not honor the Geneva Convention and aggressively targets medical responders. As a result,
we provide overhead fires for medical assets to ensure the safety of the aircraft, aircrew and injured
personnel. Escort is also the process of clearing landing zones, providing suppressive fires and being in
position to defend assault support helicopters as they insert ground forces for combat operations.
_On a day to day basis, every Marine works 12 hours on and 12 hours off. We don't get days off and
find relief by staying in touch with home: watching football games, calling families and the camaraderie
developed through trying circumstances. _
On Christmas day we took some time to celebrate by sharing special foods we received packages like
yours. The Marine Corps is a large melting pot so it was eclectic: Japanese Mochi, smoked salmon,
crackers, olives, European near beer, nuts, chocolates and various other shelf stable delicacies. It was
nice to take an hour off and enjoy the company of the men on our shift.
Train hard, study, and enjoy your time in high school. You are blessed to live in such a unique city, and
have a talented school full of respected educators and coaches!
Maj P. C. Payne


text: This happened this am we had 6 vehicles chase us from corral Mexico North on 97 all the way to Reynosa . I had to ride over 110mph to keep in front . My gf was scared shitless ! I will post more when I get to a commuter . On phone .