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Ringleader: Brian Catterson
Hours: 40
Mods: Acerbis hand guards, DeCal Works numberplates, Continental Gelande Sport and Dunlop Geomax MX51 tires
"It's time," read the subject line of Yamaha Media Relations Manager Tim Olson's email. "I hate to say this, but I need to get the YZ450F back from you."
Drat. Of course, I knew this day was coming. And symbolically, it came the same day Valentino Rossi first tested a Ducati MotoGP bike after seven years on Yamahas. I'm not going to kiss my YZ-F goodbye like Vale did his YZR at Valencia, but then there aren't millions of fans watching me on TV.
My YZ450F was the optional white model, which for $100 more than the standard blue version gives buyers black rims and a gold chain. Custom red number-plate backgrounds from DeCal Works ($62.45; www.decalmx.com) made the bike look "factory," even after I stuck REM stickers over the AMA Pro Racing logos to avoid looking like a poser.
Like every dirtbike my YZ looked great while factory-fresh, but after 20-odd race weekends it looks like it's been sandblasted! The black rims are now silver where they've been gacked by rocks and tire irons, and the gold chain has been replaced once, and will soon be due again, along with the sprockets. The white plastic has seen better days as well; particularly the side numberplates, the mounting tabs of which broke in crashes, leaving the plates flapping. Fortunately, it's a simple matter to pop-rivet them back in place.
Because I'm 6-foot-1, the first order of business was moving the handlebars to their farthest forward position. And because I weigh 215 lbs., I had the accessory stiffer fork and shock springs installed. Adjusting the damping to suit, I really couldn't complain about the suspension on the mostly "old-school" natural-terrain motocross courses I rode.
Early on, I used Yamaha's GYTR Power Tuner ($279.95) to tone down the abrupt off-idle hit, which let the bike hook up better off corners. Yamaha's recommended settings are posted online, and I ran the "Less Hit Feeling at Low RPM" setting. But after installing a Dubach Racing Development exhaust ($649.99; www.dubachracing.com), I was able to revert to the stock fuel and ignition maps. The DRD pipe not only tamed the bottom-end hit, but also gave the engine more over-rev on top. That helped compensate for the too-tall stock gearing, which makes for a big gap between second and third that lets the engine fall on its face when shifting going uphill or in heavy dirt. I ran the stock 13/48 gearing, but heard good things from riders who tried 49 and even 50-tooth rear sprockets.
My YZ was delivered with Dunlop knobbies, a D742F in front and a D756 in the rear, both good all-around "intermediate" tires. When those wore out I replaced them with Dunlop's latest Geomax MX51s, which worked even better in the soft sand at Glen Helen. Along the way I also tried Continental's new Gelande Sport Intermediate knobbies, which worked great in the soft stuff but gave the bike a tippy, falling-in feeling on harder dirt.
Of course, Glen Helen is also rocky, so I bolted on a set of Acerbis Uniko hand guards ($38.95; www.acerbis.it) to deflect roost. These were simple to install, look and work great, and never broke despite a relentless beating.
Maintenance was a mixed bag. With the airbox sandwiched between the engine and gas tank, and the seat having to come off first, getting to the air filter is a chore, particularly if you misplace the little wire thingamajig that holds the tank up out of the way. But once you get to the filter it comes right out, and its flat, square shape makes it easy to clean, lube and replace. Moreover, because the air intakes are high up behind the radiator shrouds, the filter doesn't live in the dirt thrown up by the rear tire, so it gets less dirty. You really don't have to clean it after every ride.
The valves were checked once at around 20 hours, and at double that figure are probably due again. The oil and filter were changed every five or so races-a pretty straightforward procedure. The spokes were presumably tightened at the original press intro and never came loose after that. The only actual problem I had was leaky fork seals, one of which oiled the front brake pads, rendering them useless. After replacing both the seals and the pads, I made it a habit to shove an Acerbis Fork Saver between the front tire and fender when tying down the bike. At $19.95, it's cheap insurance.
Powerful, fast, sweet handling, super-stable and virtually trouble-free, my YZ450F proved to be a worthy teammate, giving me a good reason to get out of bed early on weekend mornings. I still have yet to win at the Saturday REM races, but I did win the Modern class at the ARX vintage races one Sunday, so added to my trophy collection.
Maybe I'll kiss it goodbye after all...


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Hi Mary-I'm an investor/real estate agent in the Southern California area. Most of us who own one (or several) apt. buildings did it just as you have suggested. We bought a home and built some equity and then took a loan for that equity and invested in a small rental property. Then we kept following the same formula until one became several. Another way to start out is with some kind of partnership (usually parents or relatives) in which they come up with most of the down payment to get things rolling and you do all the leg work and fix-up, etc. ("sweat equity"). Good email@example.com
This is the time to buy. Please call me at your convenience and I will share some do's and don'ts in buying investment property. I have been a property manager, in addition to having many other responsibilities in real estate, for the past 30 years. I can give you some tips and will try to help you avoid some of the mistakes I have seen many other young investors make. My web site is: TomEwing.RAAR.com You will find my phone number there.
Save as much as you can. Read real estate books and try and familiarize yourself with the real estate market in your area.There is no textbook formula to buy real estate. Every deal requires a certain amount of creativity. When you become more knowledgable, learn to be more creative in your pursuit of buying and financing.When you are ready, you'll know it.
One way to start is to purchase a duplex, triplex, or four-unit property in which you live in one unit and rent out the rest. 2-4 unit properties are often easier to finance than 5+ units, and it's a good way to become acquainted with all the issues that are involved in managing income property. Then, if you decide that owning an apartment building isn't for you, it'll be easier to sell the 2-4 unit property than it would be to sell 5+ units. I purchased my duplex in 1997 with 10% down (with PMI) and then had the PMI payment removed in 1999 when property values went up and I had 20% equity in the duplex. I've had ups and downs but have learned a lot from owning this duplex -- and I've built a good chunk of equity as well.
I would try and gather together some investors... otherwise try and start small as you said with a residence.http://www.gregorygarver.com
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My daughter was recently invited to a birthday party with a unique, fun theme. The girls dressed in their fancy clothing and arrived at the birthday girl's home. A limosine arrived and the girls got a ride to the mall to go window shopping. Afterwards they traveled back to the birthday girl's house for dinner and cake, and on their way out the door they received glittery purses bursting with lip gloss, nail polish and other little girly gifts. Cool, right? Yes.
The thing that has been bothering me about that day is the message behind the party-- how fabulous it is to consume. Not that that isn't fun. I like to go to the mall as much as the next girl...well, actually, maybe not as much as the next girl. But I do like to make the occasional shopping trip and covet all the cute outfits and fabulous accessories. It is satisfying to walk the wide halls, a heft on my arm from glossy bags filled with crinkly paper newness. But when I come out I always feel full and deprived at the same time. Fat and yet lusting for more. Overwhelmed and yet yearning for...something.
I've mentioned before that I believe children need to see the people they love creating things. We live in a culture where we value consumption, and devalue creation. This is something we've all heard before, so often that it becomes a cliche. But it is still true.
Last year my oldest began making sculptures out of her Babybel cheese wax, so I stopped buying those annoyingly overpriced little processed chunks. She wasn't eating her lunch at school because she was spending that time making cunning little red kitties and goldfish. The fact that she was creating things out of garbage made me do some hard thinking and I began to realize that our family was getting bogged down in the everyday consumption grind. It's another cliche, right? The mom has fun with the kids by taking them places and buying things. The parents drive the kids to soccer practice while the kids play on their electronic gaming systems. The family communicates through the internet even when they are sitting in the same room. We weren't quite to that point, but I thought we were getting close and I believed that we needed to search for something real. That could take the form of hiking and camping, concentrationg on religion, family meetings and game nights, community service, combinations and permutations of these things and more. There were so many options. I finally realized one day, as I was tossing into the garbage a tiny garden my daughter had planted in the found lid from a soda bottle, that I had lost my habit of creation. And I wanted it back.
In high school and college I used to make things. And write things. And create. My friends were all painters, photographers and poets. My husband's friends were all partiers--the fun, cool crowd, the consumers. When we first started dating he told me, "My friends destruct; your friends construct." I loved that comment. It sounded neat and tidy, a way to draw a line between the separate worlds the two of us seemed to inhabit. Looking back, and having drifted myself somewhat over the imaginary line, I believe that was a false line to draw. Everyone has the germ for construction and destruction within themselves.
I decided to take a page from my oldest's book and look at the world through less wasteful eyes. I bought a sewing machine, some crochet hooks, and yarn. (I started my efforts to consume less by buying? Ironic.) I called my sister and sisters-in-law and declared that all of our Christmas gifts would be homemade. Some agreed more readily than others. But they all agreed. And my kids and I went on a two month spree of crafting. We learned new techniques. I learned to crochet and made amigurumi dolls for the youngest nieces. My son taught himself origami, while his little sister practiced sewing on buttons and painting. My oldest changed her medium from cheese wax to felt. With the help of a fabulous book by Nellie Pailloux, called Felties, she created some of the cutest little felt creatures you can imagine. Including the one at the top of this post. We spent a lot of time together, not connected by the thin strand of a Zelda battle wi-fi connection, but on the same side of the room, threading needles and smoothing fabric.
The kids still send each other virtual gifts on Webkinz, and I still find myself throwing miniature scultures in the gabage. Afterall, I don't have much use for a tiny mobile made out of broken pencils, string pulled from a t-shirt hem, and magic markered pop tabs. But when I throw them away now, I am less likely to sigh with frustration. Instead, I take the time to look at them first, and enjoy for a moment the transient beauty of small creations.


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To comply with the legal exposure limits, it's imperative that the noise workers are exposed to, even with the appropriate safety equipment, is not above 87 decibels for daily or weekly exposure.
When providing employees with ear defenders, make sure they are used properly and that any hearing protection safety zones, wherein hearing protection is compulsory, are clearly identified.
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When choosing the right ear defenders, you should consider the following:
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Equipping your team with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential. Stocking up on PPE for your workforce doesn't just uphold legal safety requirements, but is also fundamental to securing the safety and well-being of your team.
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The range of helmet mounted ear defenders available from Protec Direct
We're proud to say that all Protec Direct equipment meets the necessary British and European legislation requirements. This means that we can support you, as an employer, with your moral and legal obligations to take care of your team. We only offer high-quality, durable brands such as Scott Safety, Centurion and Peltor 3M helmet mounted ear muffs; for workers that are required to wear a hard hat with ear protection.
Ear protection and the law
As of 2005, the Control of Noise at Work Regulations require that employers supply their staff with sound cancelling ear protection if they're in an environment with 85 decibels (Db) of daily or weekly exposure. For those of you who may be unsure about the exact sound level of your workspace, you can use the HSE noise exposure calculator to see if you need to invest in hearing protection.
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- If it's necessary that the worker remains aware of their surroundings, and they work in low to medium noise level environments, then Zone 1 Mounted Earmuffs are recommended. This is suitable for DIY workers, or those working in food processing industries, as these earmuffs provide lightweight defence without over protecting.
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Browse our full range of helmet mounted ear defenders below, and enjoy free next day delivery when you spend £25. For any further queries, don't hesitate to contact a member of our team.


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San Francisco Goo is an extremely heavy indica recommended for night-time use and used to fight insomnia. It has a pungent earthy scent and taste. Great for minor aches and pains and lack of appetite. With 19% THC, SF Goo is a good end of the day remedy for relaxation and a great stress relief with .16% CBD.
Strain Profiles


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Filter by
Co-ordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions
Children learn how to join clauses using co-ordinating conjunctions and how to add subordinate clauses using subordinating conjunctions.
Whale Words
This text, with its stunning illustrations, is the perfect accompaniment to a teaching session on information texts. Guaranteed to capture a child's imagination, it is nevertheless simple enough to be read by those just starting their reading journey.
You can purchase printed copies of this Group Reader from Hamilton Education.
SPAG: Present and Past Tenses, including Progressive Form
Revise present and past tenses, then understand how we can also use the continuous form: progressive present and progressive past.
Sentence Punctuation PowerPoint
Play a game, following simple instructions BUT only if they are punctuated correctly!
Prepositions and Adverbs PowerPoint
Children learn to recognise prepositions and how these add information about when, where and why; they then identify adverbs and how these can do the same.
Boris and Sid are Bad!
The tale of two naughty children. There is not a child on the planet who won't empathise with these two in this little story about a very familiar domestic situation! The book is very simple for those just starting on their reading journey.
You can purchase printed copies of this Group Reader from Hamilton Education.


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When I found out I was having a boy, I was happy that I would not have to deal with teenage girl drama or pay for a wedding. But, being the crafty lady that I am, I was disappointed that I would not get to make all those adorable dresses, dolls, etc out there in crafty land for my baby. The world of craft is definitely dominated by things for girls. There are so many different accessories and types of clothes that girls can wear. The possibilities really are endless. As a result, boys tend to get overlooked. One thing I did decide to get even before I knew the sex of the baby was some beautiful decorative sheepskin pillows for the nursery. A couple of my favorite blogs decided to create a series called "Celebrate the BOY."
Dana of MADE and Rae of Made by Rae are a couple of amazing crafting mamas who also have boys. To help remedy the lack of crafty boy stuff out there, they have collaborated to round up some great projects for the BOY. I'm loving it. When you want to sop watching porn for example, go and visit pornaddiction.co.uk. In addition, this dallas center has over 20 years of experience in treating drug and alcohol addiction in a rehab setting. This experience provides them the knowledge and training to give all Paramount Recovery Center patients the type of addiction treatment that has proven to work.
Since February's all about the BOY, I whipped up a little something for my little man. I bought some rockin' awesome Star Wars undies from Wal-Mart for V last month. They were briefs, and he's really more of a boxer guy, so they've just been sitting around the house. Last night, I got inspired and got to work. The result:
an awesome Darth Vader onesie!
His daddy was quite pleased. 🙂
In other news, for Valentines Day, V got me a serger! I am so excited about all the potential things I can make now. Thanks to "Celebrate the BOY," I've also got lots of great ideas. What have you made for your boy?Read More
One thing I like about my job is that I can crochet or knit while on the phone. It actually helps to pass the time a little more quickly and take some of the stress of calls away. Since I was able to work on it while at work and thanks to the snow storm we had on Wednesday, I got the blanket done in no time.
I love that it has a seat belt hole for the car seat.
The hat size is for a six-month-old, so it is a bit big on him. He'll grow into it, though, and it works for now.
And of course the day that I get it done, it's 60 degrees outside and we had no need for a cute blanket with matching hat. I'm sure there will be some more cold days still to come. Love that Arkansas weather!Read More
Wow, the last two weeks were definitely something. I started back to work, and while the first day was hard, I think I'm overall ok with the daycare situation. Lex seems to be doing well– eating and sleeping like a champ. I swear he gets bigger every day.
I've been trying to get a hang on getting home, feeding Lex, making dinner and trying to get any other stuff done. This week I'm going to try some slow cooker recipes to make life easier.
With all the snow we've been getting here, I've finally found the motivation/inspiration to crochet again. Carting Lex around without a suitable winter hat when I can knit and crochet seemed like a shame. I found some lovely new colors of Red Heart Super Saver yarn at Wal-Mart of all places. They are called Windsor Blue and Tea Leaf. Very English, don't you think? I am in the process of making my boy a matching hat and blanket set out of Debbie Stoller's Happy Hooker. It's gonna be adorable! (pics coming soon)
What have you all been up to?Read More


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The New Year of 1997 brought surprises that, for once, were something to celebrate. Shortly after the world started work once more after the long Christmas break, I had one of my regular review meetings with Phil at KPMG's offices in Leeds. "We've had a positive response from the last batch of letters I sent out," Phil informed me, "Metal Spinners up in Newcastle are prepared to meet you. However, when I spoke with them they told me how much they wanted for the business and it's more than a bit rich." I remembered the business well from the last batch we had discussed and when Phil let on the amount they wanted, I groaned inwardly.
There are many ways of valuing a business but one of the simplest is that of a multiple of sustainable earnings. Somewhere between 6 and 7 times profit before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation would be a reasonable average for a privately owned manufacturing or engineering business at the time. The problem was that the figure they had quoted Phil was way above that. "Sod it," I responded, "We haven't had a nibble for a while and the pipeline is a bit depleted, I'll go and see them." We fixed a date for a week or so later and Phil volunteered the services of Crevan, one of his managers, to accompany me. Perhaps there was some reason not evident in the published accounts as to why they had such an apparently inflated view of the value of their business. Time would tell.
Back in my office the phone rang a short time later and I had Mark T from 3i on the line. "We've just concluded a management buy out (MBO) of an engineering business in Sheffield and we need a Chairman on the board. No guarantees that they'll pick you as we have provided them with the names of a few suitable candidates, but are you interested in having a talk with them?" A few days later saw me seeking out the address on a small industrial estate on the south side of Sheffield. The business was housed in old premises and specialised in the production of small batches of bespoke tungsten carbide components and was very profitable. The business had been bought out by its management (the engineering director and finance director) who now shared the role of MD. I was given a tour of the facilities and we then discussed the business plan they had used to support their bid. The meeting seemed to go well and they said they'd let me know when the other candidates had been seen.
The next week Crevan and I made the journey up to Newcastle and met with Clifford the MD and Mike the finance director of Metal Spinners (Newcastle). The business had been founded in 1953 by Clifford's father and proved to be spread across numerous sites in Newcastle, Washington, Manchester and Birmingham. The premises that we saw that first visit were old (like so many UK engineering firms I had seen over the last year or so) but there was something about them that gave off good vibes to me. I liked the fact that their main process (metal spinning) was very much a niche one and that they had both a major blue chip industrial company as their main customer plus over a thousand others. The incredibly welcome news was that the business was in fact a group of eight separate companies that were non-consolidated. The combined turnover and profitability of the group was far higher than I had realised (having only seen one company's accounts) and put the asking price right back in the realms of the feasible.
The other great news was that the business was not on the market and wouldn't be if we could deliver a deal on their asking price. Crevan and I came away with a complete set of books for the total company and pages of notes that we had made during our discussions. Driving back to Yorkshire we summed up the opportunity; the shareholders seemed willing (although there was an absent shareholder and a family trust), the business was in a highly specialised niche, it was profitable, it had very limited exports and seemed to offer once more the opportunity to acquire smaller competitors and consolidate onto a smaller number of sites. This was the best opportunity I had seen in a year and a half and it was exactly the type of company I had set out to buy. Crevan and I agreed a split of the workload needed to assess the business and I headed back to my office to telephone Mark with a briefing on the day's events.
The following day I received a call from one of the joint MDs in Sheffield. They had completed their interviewing and wanted to appoint me as chairman if we could agree terms. A few days later I formally became the non-executive chairman of Hallamshire Hardmetal Products with a requirement to chair monthly board meetings and be on hand to guide strategy, oversee the delivery of the business plan and provide whatever assistance they might require. The company was run on a relaxed basis but I was pleased that their accounting systems were rigorous and Trevor H and Trevor S (the joint MDs) were easy enough to work with but had an all consuming passion in keeping things simple. There isn't a great story to tell but over the next ten years or so we formed a great working relationship, evaluated several businesses, bought a smaller competitor and then staged a further buy out from 3i. The business never failed to make profits in all these years and was finally sold to a buy-in candidate in 2008. Sadly, Trevor H never lived to realise the fruits of his labours, dying a short time prior to the sale.
Meanwhile, I was still in the midst of evaluating the Metal Spinners business when Mark T came on the phone once more. "We have a buy-in deal we're trying to complete but have a problem with their choice of chairman and are not sure about the business. Would you like to have a look at the business for us and let us know your views? If it looks good, we'd like you as investing chairman to lead the team." There's a long and tumultuous tale to tell here but suffice for the moment to record that I did approve and complete the deal and became investing chairman of Rothmere Ltd in the first half of 1997.
Over this hectic period I was burning the midnight oil with Mark and KPMG to pull together a heads of agreement with the owners of Metal Spinners. Earlier that year we had managed to get Clifford and Mike down into the 3i offices in Leeds to thrash out an outline deal. The sum that they had put on the table had transpired to still be far too expensive once Mark and I had put together a full 5 year projection. I had discovered Clifford to be volatile and I was concerned as to how the meeting would go. After an hour or so we had reached what seemed to be a significant hurdle and were well over seven figures apart. We were also surprised to learn that they had appointed neither lawyers nor accountants to advise them; proving to be both advantageous in the short term and a near disaster later on. Paul called a breakout and very quickly came up with a plan.
That morning we had received the first set of up to date management accounts and learnt that the business was rapidly building a substantial pile of surplus cash. Going back into the meeting Paul spelt out (in the absence of any advice of their own) the net proceeds they were likely to walk away with after tax if we delivered the price they were asking. This wasn't enough to keep Clifford and Mike happy. He then asked them what they thought they would be happy receiving after tax. Having established this figure, Paul then laid out a formula whereby they took a combination of pre-sale dividend of the cash they had build up and took a substantial slice of the proceeds in the form of loan notes spread over the two years following a sale.
This formula of deferred consideration would give us a hefty contribution to our working capital requirements and lessened the upfront investment. These loan notes together with the pre-sale dividend (their own money) produced a substantially lower overall tax bill that just brought the net proceeds up to the level Clifford and Mike had agreed they wanted to achieve. In effect they were financing part of the transaction to achieve a lower tax bill. They agreed and by lunchtime we had a signed copy of heads of agreement on this basis. As part of the agreement they were giving us a period of exclusivity to enable us to complete the deal during which they would neither approach another prospective purchaser nor would they enter into negotiations with any other party. The deal was on and it seemed achievable but a vast amount of work needed to be done in terms of due diligence. A phrase was then uttered by Paul that was to come back to me time and again over the years in every transaction I was a part of, "The devil's in the detail." he cautioned.
A couple of weeks later Mark T called me to ask what my time commitments were like. By this stage I was chairman of one 3i investment and had recently completed my first MBI as investing chairman of another. In addition, over the last couple of years I had continued my work with Jerrard Bros Plc and had been appointed chairman the previous year. I responded that I still had some spare time and asked what he had in mind. By this time it had become clear to me that, even if I couldn't pull off the one big acquisition I had set my sights on, I could achieve a very nice portfolio of non-executive roles combined with equity participation. We agreed to meet the following day.
Sat once more in the 3i offices (where I was beginning to feel at home) I listened to Mark T describe the problem he had. They had backed the growth plans of a small technology products distributor that had grown extremely rapidly (by around 35% each year) and had expanded into the USA and Germany. Profits had been sacrificed for growth but the latest year's results had produced an unexpected loss of £1m (largely as a result of the US investment). The shareholders equity was now 'below water' and the bank was making ominous noises. Would I go and meet the two director shareholders and, if they agreed, join the board as a non-executive? I was subsequently appointed to the board and another rollercoaster ride was about to start.
Over and above my due diligence work on Metal Spinners and maintaining the research and analysis to keep the MBI target pipeline full, I was now working for various periods each month in businesses based in Croydon, Hull, Heathrow and Sheffield with various additional activities in London, Bristol & Birmingham. I stopped all efforts to win new consulting clients and knew that something would have to give in these activities if I managed to pull off the major acquisition I had been seeking. I was burning the candle at both ends and in the middle but was enjoying life more than I had for many years. And any concern about money had disappeared over the previous few months as my portfolio of activities had grown.
My new life as a non-executive & chairman seemed to be the role my career had been building towards. I was responsible to 3i to ensure that their investments in the companies I had joined produced the results they had planned. However, this role was legally (and in practice) overridden by my responsibility to all of the shareholders (and in my mind to all of the stakeholders) of these businesses. My broad experience had provided me with an ability to see these businesses in a wider context than their other directors (whose deep functional & specialist experience certainly exceeded mine). Freed of the responsibility to manage a day to day role I was able to concentrate on direction, strategy & people (including customers). These key aspects could only be achieved as a result of the closest working relationships with my fellow directors and their teams. I was finding my business life to be immensely fulfilling. Unfortunately, I was also going to find out that it would shortly become vastly more challenging than I could ever have imagined.
Meanwhile, alongside my work and responsibilities with these four companies, I was ploughing every once of energy and expertise I could muster into completing the acquisition of the Metal Spinners group of companies. I was increasingly confident that I could pull this off but completely unaware of the scale and scope of the problems that were about to emerge in three of the other companies.
Image courtesy of en.wikipedia.org


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GO LOCAL member and CEO Dale Wannen of Sustainvest Asset Management was recently featured in the newly launched, nationally distributed Conscious Company Magazine.
By Dale Wannen
As I was driving into a Whole Foods' parking lot last week, I couldn't help but notice how many Priuses were in the parking lot. Walking through the crowded aisles, the blaring signs of Organic and GMO-free labeling decorated everything from produce to potato chips to pickles. And then, when I got home, I noticed that my wife was using non-toxic cleaning products and our baby girl was dressed in a fair-trade organic cotton onesie. This got me thinking, "Are people doing the same with their investment portfolio?"
To read the rest of the story at www.consciouscompanymagazine.com, go here.


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I got some flack for episode 1.4 of the URS podcast because people thought some of my reasoning for why people would leave for the colonies was a little too extreme. I mean, surely it can't really be as bad as all that, parents and kids getting arrested for things like truancy or dumb jokes…
But… and I really hate to say this… It's actually worse than even I thought it was at the time.
Just this week, two stories crossed over my news reader. And both of them are amazingly sad.
So… Let's take the first. About a girl from Texas:
For one day, public enemy number one when it came to forgery was 13-year-old eighth grader Danesiah Neal at Fort Bend Independent School District's Christa McAuliffe Middle School.
Now 14, Daneisha was hoping to eat that day's lunch of chicken tenders with her classmates using a $2 bill given to her by her grandmother when she was stopped by the long arm of the law.
"I went to the lunch line and they said my $2 bill was fake," Danesiah told Ted Oberg Investigates. "They gave it to the police. Then they sent me to the police office. A police officer said I could be in big trouble."
Not just big trouble. Third-degree felony trouble.
And that's just one of eight counterfeiting charges investigated against high- and middle-school students at Fort Bend ISD since the 2013-2014 school year.
"She's never in trouble, so I was nervous going in there," [Daneisha's grandmother Sharon Kay Joseph] recalled to abc13.
The officials asked, "'Did you give Danesiah a $2 bill for lunch?' He told me it was fake," she said.
The alleged theft of $2 worth of chicken tenders led a campus officer — average salary $45,000 a year — to the convenience store that gave grandma the $2 bill.
Next stop — and these are just the facts — the cop went to a bank to examine the bill.
Finally, the mystery was solved: The $2 bill wasn't a fake at all. It was real.
(Edited for brevity, I promise, no salient facts were omitted.)
So… pardon my French… but… WHAT THE FUCK!?!
I mean, look, I get it, I hear they don't make $2 bills any more. In fact, after reading this, I went down to the bank to get a handfull to give as gifts and, at least the bank I went to anyway, didn't have any. But they'd heard of them. As had I and I'm 37. So have all of my siblings, the youngest still being in her late 20's. Our grandmothers used to give them, usually as stocking stuffers and we did our best not to spend them unless we were really out of money and we just had to buy that bag of Everlasting Gobstoppers.
How the fuck has no one at this school ever seen or heard of a $2 bill?
Reason number 1001 why being a kid today sucks. Aparently a group of misinformed idiots has never heard of a $2 bill so they arrest a 13-year old girl and threaten her with passing counterfeit money. Rather than just, you know, calling a bank if they really thought it was fake or, more reasonably, just asking around to see if anyone had ever actually heard of a $2 bill before.
And before anyone says that $2 bill is really unusual and bound to be considered strange, consider that Europe has a €2 coin which I found infinitely more useful than the one Euro coin…
As if that weren't bad enough, here's an example of a kid pulling a stupid prank and paying the "consequences" for it:
A US teen is facing multiple counts of indecent exposure after school officials in an Arizona town discovered he had exposed himself in a football team picture that was published in his school's yearbook.
[redacted O], a 19-year-old student at Red Mountain High School in the town of Mesa, was arrested over the weekend and told police that he exposed his penis as a prank after being dared by a teammate, US media reported.
"It is a small picture and a small part of a small picture so it's not as blatant or obvious as some stories may lead to believe," Hollands said.
Police said [O] is facing 69 counts of indecent exposure in accordance with the number of students and staff who were present when the picture was taken. He was also charged with one count of furnishing harmful items to minors.
(Kid's name removed because he doesn't deserve any more pain from this whole thing)
Was showing his junk in a team photo stupid? Yes. But apparently his real crime was that no one noticed until it had been printed into 3,400 yearbooks. And the school and district were embarassed that they hadn't noticed.
But… per the new policy of letting no stupidity go unpunished, the police decided that a high schooler should be arrested over what amounts to a dumb prank. Worst case scenario, he should have been responsible for the cost of re-printing the yearbook. But, then, where does responsibility really lie? In a kid pulling a dumb prank or the undoubtedly dozens of adults who review the yearbook for, no doubt, exactly this kind of thing?
Apparently not with the adults. Because one prank managed to slip through, it's not their fault. It's obviously his.
At least there's some good news in this story, which is that his 69 "victims" all declined to file a police report and the prosecutor dropped the ify felony charge.
Still… Reason 1002 why childhood sucks today.
But think about the message this sends to kids… Don't use money people don't recognize, even if it's totally legal because cops might threaten you with up to 10 years in prison. And don't do stupid things teenage boys might think are funny because you might get straight up called a sex offender and face who knows how many charges…
Despite the fact that both of these cases "worked out", the truth is that neither did. In the first case, you had a girl pulled out of class, threatened with jail time, and to make it all worse not even fed. Imagine how she feels about "law enforcement officers" after this experience? Will she really think they're there to safeguard her and her rights? Or will she potentially think something else…?
And what about the other kid? Now his name is all over the internet and people who Google his name, be it for college admittance or as a job candidate, will find that he once faced close to a hundred sex offense charges. Will they read past the headlines? Will as many news outlets push the story that the charges were dropped as published that he was charged? Also, did he spend time in a jail cell? Was he humiliated in front of a judge? How much did he have to spend on a lawyer? None of these things are coming back to him.
Honestly, kid, good luck. And good luck to everyone who is a kid these days. As much as I look back on my own childhood with some fondness, you couldn't pay me to be a kid again.


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Hot Swappable?
I walked in our server room on Thursday afternoon to find one of our APS UPS' had a battery fault.  They have been in two years, so it was about time to be honest.  So I pop on the APS website to find the RBC (replacement battery cartridge) number, and ordered two (so I had a spare).  They arrived late yesterday (Monday) and so this morning I am ready to replace them.
I would normally power down the attached equipment, shut off the UPS and swap the cartridge, but then why should I?  My UPS claims to have hot swappable batteries. Leave everything attached and running, undo four screws, disconnect the battery cable and pull out the cartridge.  Reverse for fitting the new one.  Fantastic.
However, with mission critical devices I prefer to do my research.  I came across this blog from a consultation and support business Trueblade Systems Inc, who have been through the same issue.  They write that on completion of a battery hot swap, the UPS does not clear the battery failure light.  To turn this light off, you must power-cycle the device!
In my environment, I have built in as much resilience as we could afford.  This UPS only powers one of my three pooled XenServers (although it is the master in this case). So I can migrate my VMs to the other two hosts (because I have also designed it so we can run on just two hosts), power down the physical server, replace the battery on or offline and boot the server back up, without anybody knowing.
However, I wanted to test the theory of Trueblade Systems Inc. So I completed the battery change with a hot swap. Â They seemed to be correct, the battery error light does not clear when you change the battery, even though whilst no battery is connected the state of the light changes to flashing, and there is an error bleep.
It was at this point that I was just about to power down my server, and switch off the UPS. Â But something stopped me…
I hardly ever read bits of paper any more.  If it's not documented on the internet, and brought up with a google search within the first couple of results pages, it's not worth knowing.  However, for some reason, I had a look at the three bits of paper which came with the RBC.  One about physically swapping the batteries, one about disposing of the old one correctly, and the final one, an  addendum.
Point III. Clearing the Replace Battery LED
A. In order for the replace bettery LED to be cleared, it is necessary to run a valid self test. For a self test to be considered valid, the following conditons must be satisfied:
- battery capacity must be greater than 75% (minimum of four battery bar graph LEDs illuminated)
- Smart-UPS must have been charging for at least 8 hours from the last low battery condition.
B. Ways to initiate a self test
- Start up of the UPS
- Smart-UPS front panel test button
- Powerchute PLUS software
- SmartSlot Accessory
- Automatic timer- every two weeks from turn on
I've made the important bits bold.
So I gave it a try and it works. Â Press the power on / self test button for about three seconds and the self test clears the light after about 5 seconds.
So don't believe everything you read on the web, and read the bits and pieces that come with your equipment. Â It might just save you some time!
What do you think about hot swapping? Â Is it a last resort for you?


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An A4 sized linocut that I printed down the street with the kids at Willowra until too much sand got into the ink! (Sand is the sworn enemy of relief printmaking)
Monthly Archives: October 2013
The big complaint
The big complaint
This was the big complaint,
the one that had them all grumbling:
He has gone to be the guest
of one who is a sinner.
He's hanging out with the ratbags,
the worthless ones;
the dodgy people that nobody cares about.
Taking seriously his message,
(he says it comes from God),
of life-changing love
and grace without limit;
he takes it beyond the mere words
of earlier stories
and moves confidently
into disreputable reality.
Apparently unconcerned
by the great offence he has caused
to those who practise polite religion,
he claps his hands,
laughs in celebration
of the unexpected new beginning;
and calls it 'salvation'.
© Ken Rookes 2013
More poems about Zacchaeus can be found here, here, and here.
Grumbling, mumbling,
and fearing the crumbling
of respectable walls,
the righteous are offended
by bumbling sinners
who fall, stumbling,
into the kingdom.
Particularly offensive is
the humbling teacher, who
heeding the deep
rumblings of grace,
jumbles the rules,
embraces the fumbling
and makes them welcome.
© Ken Rookes.
More poems about Zacchaeus can be found here, here, and here.
Come down, Zacchaeus.
The crowd offered no help
to the short-in-stature man, whose face
confirmed their initial impression
that this was one Zacchaeus, chief
among the ratbag tax collectors.
The tree was a sycamore;
its gnarled and twisted branches
offering a convenient means of elevation,
enabling the man to rise above his dilemma
and successfully view the teacher,
whose reputation had travelled ahead of him,
all the way to Jericho.
Perhaps the Zac-man's reputation
had also preceded him. Who can say?
When the teacher looked through the shadowed
leaves and branches he saw the face
of the climbing man, and called him down
with an unexpected invitation.
Hospitality is extended and accepted,
much to the grumbling derision
of the good religious people,
who could offer only sneering observations
about who one should choose as friends.
The teacher laughs them off, captive
to a larger vision of divine friendship.
Unsettled by such disturbing grace,
sinner Zacchaeus offers compensation
and justice to any he has defrauded; a sure sign
that the gospel has been truly proclaimed
and the kingdom has indeed come near.
© Ken Rookes 2010
More poems about Zacchaeus can be found here, here, and here.
The Bonsai Man
The Bonsai Man
Zacchaeus the bonsai man,
growing stunted and gnarled;
his roots bound and starved
of human respect and affection.
Until the gardener looks up
into the twisted branches
of another tree, sees him,
calls him friend,
uproots him from the cruel pot
of judgement and derision
and offers him a plot
in the field of God's kingdom.
There he can grow as God intends;
with space to send roots deep
into love, to stretch out his limbs,
and to be made fruitful.
© Ken Rookes
More poems about Zacchaeus can be found here, here, and here.
I am flawed
I am flawed;
not what I could be,
not what I should be.
I need your grace, Lord,
to paint me a picture
to see what I might become.
Let me look into your mirror,
and let me be brave and strong
and filled with enough love
to go at least part of the way.
God, be merciful to me,
a sinner.
© Ken Rookes 2013
Another poem for this coming Sunday can be found here.
Standing far off
Standing alone
while the good people pray out loud;
aching with the deep sadness
of one whose life lacks the easy handles
of the uncomplicated
and comfortably righteous.
Standing separate
in the unfashionable garb of the outsider,
with head scarf and turban
as the indelible red stamp
inviting the special treatment
of those who are different.
Standing in isolation
in the designated space
in the appointed queue,
watching as doors are opened for a moment
and shut again, tightly.
Standing apart,
yearning to belong,
waiting for the word, crying:
Lord, have mercy!
© Ken Rookes
Another poem for this coming Sunday can be found here.


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New Constructions, roof repair and maintenance services in Cleveland, Ohio
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For directions, check out Holland Roofing of Northeast Ohio on Google Maps.
For Employment Opportunities Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com


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What good is vermicompost? Make predictions and check your results while you visit with Sunny the Sunflower.
21st March, 2011 - Posted by Sammie Gann - No Comments
Now that you have your compost made, what do you do with it? This nutrient rich soil provides a great environment for plants to grow.
Does a strawberry plant grow better in vermicompost or regular soil? Make predictions and compare your results while you visit with Sunny the Sunflower. What other variables could you change that might effect the result?
Tags: compare results, experiment, game, prediction, soil, strawberry plants, sunny the sunflower, variables, vermicompost
Posted on: March 21, 2011
Filed under: Uncategorized
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text: To parse means to break something down into units that can be analyzed. To parse a sentence means to break it down into its parts of speech. In computer terms, a compiler must parse source code so that it can be analyzed and then assembled into object code. An XML parser, for example, is a tool for reading eXtensible markup language documents. XML parsers can pass data to a browser if that data is "well-formed." XML doesn't provide an application programming interface (API) to an application, it just passes data to it. Both Microsoft and Netscape include XML parsers in their browsers.Go Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article.


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raquel's face kind of says it all. wtf marc. when you take a season off, you reallllly take it off.
but you know what, what do i know. maybe we will all want to look like kid from kid n' play by the time september comes around.
ps..i cant wait to see how cathy h and the rest of the critics spin this into some sort of GENIUS statement...it's basically his marc jacobs collection part 2, and they thought that was great, right?
louis vuitton f/w 08
Labels: crackheads, f/w 08 paris, meh
1 comment:
- hard liquor; soft holes said...
c. horyn: "marc said backstage as we were sipping out of mini sofias that his inspiration for lv this season was about economic collapse and it was really apparent in a dress of sheening red fabric that while luminously reflecting light seemed to withdraw in on itself in pleats and folds and gathers apparently haphazardly (but in actuality excruciatingly intricately). also, he mentioned kid from kid and play as a touchstone."
- March 3, 2008 at 11:28 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
General Description
cleanRoar is a WordPress theme developed by the AmberPanther team. The theme is available for download at WordPress.org Themes . This theme is the first in a series of a contributions the team is planning for the web community.
cleanRoar boasts a clean and light design. It makes the readers experience effortless. It is easily accessible and customizable for your needs. It features a primary two-column design, the left main content column and the right sidebar. The right sidebar is subdivided into two columns as well. The thin one was originally intended for a banner ad. Both sidebar columns are widget ready. The new version of cleanRoar supports multiple styles/skins also.
We hope you will enjoy this clean and light theme.You can see the theme in action here…
You can download it from WordPress Themes…
If you have any comments or suggestions about improving the theme leave us a note below. Exchange of ideas leads to excellence…
Version Information
- Default style back to Legacy with Christmas style as an option
- Addition of Red style, derived from the Christmas style
- Addition of Redmad style, courtesy of Redmad
- Global variable conflict in WordPress theme editor resolved
- Four (4) layouts to choose from.
- Option for custom CSS.
- Control information (site name and description) shown in Header.
- Display an image/logo in header through a url or Gravatar!
- Display of Home link on main navigation.
- Display excerpt or whole post on blog page.
- Global control of comments on pages.
- Control default sections to be shown on sidebar.
- Multiple skins (style) support, Legacy style and Christmas style
- Snow effect for Christmas style
- Categories listing on the main menu bar, not just in the sidebar
- Support for social links, twitter and facebook, and third-party RSS url, to replace the native WordPress one
- Google Analytics script can be set from the options, no need to edit template files
- Support for up to four 125 by 125 px Ad boxes, displayed at the top of the sidebar
- enhanced back-end securities
- first public release
- Ad banner and Ad script support in the sidebar


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Maths Tuition and Tutoring Upton Upon Severn
Are you looking for a Maths tuition in upton upon severn? Top grade Tutoring offer one to one Maths Tuition in key stage 3 and 4 in the Upton upon severn area of Worcestershire. In accordance with the protection of children act 1999 all of our tutors are CRB checked. Our tutors are of the highest quality and can provide up to three references. We have an impressive 100% A*-C pass rate.
Benefits of Maths Tuition Upton Upon Severn
Having home tuition is extremely beneficial to your child. Your child will effectively learn twice as fast as in a classroom environment. In some cases this can be considerably more. Some children have been seen to go up by as much as two grades, purely as a result of having one to one Maths tuition.
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Try Top Grade Tutoring and get the grade for your child today! Contact us today to arrange your free lesson or call 01905 947807


text:
|Ranked Choice Vote ID
|Ranked Choice Vote
|Bylaws Interpretation: Election of GPUS Delegation Alternate seats
|Number of Seats
|Ranked Choice Vote Administrator
|Victoria Ashley, Brian Good, Laura Wells, Eric Brooks, Mike Goldbec
02/12/2018 - 03/25/2018
|03/26/2018 - 04/01/2018
|Voting ends at Midnight Pacific Time
Presens Quorum
The GPCA state Coordinating Committee approved the bylaws interpretation below on July 10, 2017, as amended by the Coordinating Committee during its August 7, 2017 and February 5, 2018 Meetings, and as further amended during the Standing General Assembly discussion period for the item.
GPCA Bylaws 13-3 governing bylaws interpretations state that such interpretations may be made by the Coordinating Committee, subject to confirmation by the Standing General Assembly (http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2013-06-23#Article_13-3_Bylaws_Interpretation.) This interpretation is being put forward simultaneously with the election it authorized.
That the Standing General Assembly approve the following bylaws interpretation:
— WHEREAS, the GPCA's timeline for Standing General Assembly applications, discussion and voting is based upon the practice of predictable communications via the GPCA's email lists, web pages, voting pages and the GPCA Inform list; and
— WHEREAS, in the spring of 2017, the GPCA's information infrastructure faced unanticipated problems; and
— WHEREAS, in the past, GPCA members used this information to decide whether or when to run for GPUS Delegate or Alternate; and
— WHEREAS, in April 2017, fewer applications were received than seats existed for GPUS Delegation Alternate (nine for 12 seats), while there were far more applications for GPUS Delegate than seats (22 for 13 seats); and
— THEREFORE, the GPCA shall hold a special election to fill the remaining three Alternate seats for the remainder of the July 2017 to June 2019 term, in which election any GPCA member who correctly follows the application process may qualify for the ballot.
Delegate Apportionment Formula in Section 8-6 of GPUS Rules and Procedures Article VIII National Committee Size and Delegate Allocation: http://gpus.org/rules-procedures/#08
GPCA Bylaws Article 8, Section 8-2
Membership: http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2013-03-23#Section_8-2_Membership
GPCA Bylaws Article 13, Section 13-3 SGA Confirmation of Coordinating Committee Bylaws
Interpretations: http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2013-06-23#Article_13-3_Bylaws_Interpretation
Full details are available at: http://www.sjcgreens.org/sga_vote_bylaw_interpretations


text:
Generally, each week students will receive a grade for classwork, homework, and tests. Students will have a variety of notes, handouts, maps, and diagrams to prepare at home.
Tests and home assignments are usually announced a week ahead of time and posted to Active Parent. It is the students' responsibility to prepare for their exams and it is their responsibility to keep up with homework assignments. Homework is usually given at the beginning of the week and due at the end of the week.
Occasionally, there will be an element of class that will need to be completed at home. This is an effort to guide the student in preparing for their exams.
If a student misses a test, it is his/her responsibility to make it up. If other assignments are given while the student is out, it will need to be completed at home or in Learning Strategies. Active Parent will list whatever assignments a child is missing with an "NM". If it is not made up within the time frame, it will result in a zero. I will strictly adhere to the make-up policy in the handbook.
Projects and such will be announced weeks ahead of time with accompanying information. These will be large grades, so it is very important that the student makes great effort in them.
In the event that a child is absent, or you need assistance in helping your child prepare for a test, please feel free to email me. If it is possible, I may be able to provide material to assist you.
Please feel free to utilize the information below to assist your student in their study.
Middle School > Seventh Grade >


text:
November 19, 2015
This webinar will explore some of the implications gene drive research has on biosecurity, including entomological warfare and agricultural security. The webinar is an information-gathering meeting for the committee in which the speakers are invited to provide input to the committee.
General considerations for biosecurity– Edward You, Federal Bureau of Investigations bio
Mr. Edward You is a Supervisory Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Mr. You is responsible for creating countermeasures, programs, and activities to coordinate and improve FBI and interagency efforts to identify, assess, and respond to potential intentional biological threats or incidents. These efforts include expanding FBI outreach to the Biological Sciences community and supporting efforts to identify and address potential security challenges in emerging biotechnology, such as synthetic biology and the use of big data in the life sciences.
Implications of gene drives for agricultural security – Jacqueline Fletcher, Oklahoma State University bio
Dr. Jacqueline Fletcher is Regents Professor, Sarkeys Distinguished Professor, and Director of the National Institute for Microbial Forensics and Food and Agricultural Biosecurity (NIMFFAB) at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Fletcher's research focuses on molecular biology and gene regulation of phytopathogenic molecutes (bacteria that lack a cell wall), insect transmission of phytopathogenic mollicutes, and phytobacterial disease of importance to agriculture in Oklahoma. As Director of NIMFFAB she oversees the institutes programs to assess and support U.S. capabilities in the use of microbial forensic to detect plant pathogens and monitor food safety.
Potential for the use of gene drives in entomological warfare— Amesh Adalja, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center bio
Dr. Amesh Adalja is a Senior Associate at the UPMC Center for Health Security, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Critical Care Medicine, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, and Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Medicine's Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC. He also serves on the City of Pittsburgh's HIV Commission. Dr. Adalja expertise spans infectious disease, pandemic policy, emerging infections, and preventing bioterrorism. He is board certified in internal medicine, emergency medicine, infectious diseases, and critical care medicine.
Follow on Twitter: #GeneDriveStudy


text:
Atal'ai tribe
|Main leader
|Character classes
|Theater of operations
The Atal'ai tribe[1] (or the Atal'ai),[2] an extremist faction of the Hakkari,[3] are worshipers of the Blood God Hakkar and are based within Temple of Atal'Hakkar. They are green or white skinned with green, purple, or white hair.
The Atal'ai trolls are a tribe of dark casters, known for practicing forbidden magic,[4] including necromancy which was taught to them by Hakkar for their unwavering loyalty.[5] The Atal'ai was a once great troll civilization that was destroyed, its buried artifacts can be found beneath the Pool of Tears.[6]
The term "atal'ai" means Devoted Ones in Zandali, the language of the trolls.[7][8]
The long centuries following the Great Sundering were difficult ones for the troll race. 1,500 years before the opening of the Dark Portal,[9] the jungle trolls, driven to desperate ends, enlisted the aid of the god Hakkar, also known as the Soulflayer. Hakkar brought the trolls great power, but in return the bloodthirsty god required that souls be sacrificed to him.
His demands quickly escalated, and he grew impatient with his loyal priests, the Hakkari. He told them to find a way to summon him physically into the world, so that he might directly drain the blood of his victims. Most of the Hakkari were horrified at the idea, but the Atal'ai, a small extremist faction of the Hakkari, decided to do as Hakkar wished. Before the Atal'ai could complete the summoning, the other jungle trolls, including the Hakkari, rose up in open revolt against the cruel god. Even the Zandalar tribe was drawn into the conflict, which finally ended with the destruction of Hakkar's avatar. Driven from the jungles, the Atal'ai were hunted nearly to extinction. Yet a small group of Atal'ai escaped into the Swamp of Sorrows, where they secretly built a great temple to their god: the Temple of Atal'Hakkar.
They were joined by the Hakkari not much later. The Hakkari, too, were killed or exiled for the evil deeds they had done in Hakkar's name, despite the fact that they had fought the Atal'ai. In great bitterness and despair, the surviving Hakkari tracked the Atal'ai to the Swamp of Sorrows and pledged to help the Atal'ai summon Hakkar into Azeroth. Pleased by the Hakkari's obvious suffering, the Atal'ai welcomed their former brethren into the temple. Even so, Hakkar had not forgotten that the Hakkari had betrayed him in opposing his first entry into Azeroth, and so the hungry god would always regard the faithful Atal'ai with greater favor. Both groups bent all their efforts toward bringing about Hakkar's entry into the physical world.
The green Dragon Aspect, Ysera the Dreamer, soon learned of the evil priests' plans and smashed the temple beneath the marshes. To this day, the temple's ruins are guarded by mighty green dragons. What much of Azeroth does not know, however, is that the dragons are actually guarding the wrong location.
In recent years the exiled Atal'ai have discovered that Hakkar's physical form can only be summoned within the ancient capital of the Gurubashi Empire, Zul'Gurub. Jammal'an the Prophet, leader of the Atal'ai, told his people that if they succeeded in bringing Hakkar physically into Azeroth, then Hakkar would grant the Atal'ai immortality. The Atal'ai and Hakkari lost no time in dispatching a number of their most skilled priests to Zul'Gurub, where their efforts met with success at last. Numerous spies have confirmed the presence of the dreaded Soulflayer in the heart of the ruins...
This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.
After Hakkar was defeated the Atal'ai and the Hakkari lost control of Zul'Gurub with Jin'do's defection.[citation needed] Despite they were able to recover a significant portion of Hakkar's skeleton[10] that allowed them to call forth Hakkar's avatar into the world once more. Lord Itharius sends adventurers to put an end to the Atal'ai, the Hakkari, and destroy Hakkar's new avatar.
The subject of this section did not make it out of the beta stages.
Items and objects
- [Atal'ai Artifact]
- [Atal'ai Boots]
- [Atal'ai Breastplate]
- [Atal'ai Gloves]
- [Atal'ai Girdle]
- [Atal'ai Leggings]
- [Atal'ai Scepter]
- [Atal'ai Spaulders]
- Atal'ai Statue
- [Atal'ai Tablet]
- Atal'ai Totem
- Curiously many members of the Atal'ai tribe have a grayish skin tone not seen in other jungle trolls.
- ^ [44] The Atal'ai Exile, The Temple of Atal'Hakkar, Jammal'an the Prophet
- ^ Troll Compendium/Jungle Troll Tribes#The Atal'ai
- ^ Troll Compendium/Jungle Troll Tribes#The Hakkari
- ^ [43] Pool of Tears
- ^ Troll Compendium/Jungle Troll Tribes#The Atal'ai - The Atal'ai knew that they needed greater numbers to achieve their goal. Fortunately their unwavering loyalty to Hakkar had pleased him greatly, and he taught them further dark magics, including necromancy.
- ^ [43] Pool of Tears
- ^ [Atal'ai Scepter]
- ^ [120 Daily] A Time to Reflect
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 138
- ^ [54D] The Blood God Hakkar


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We are the leading sports surfacing contractor throughout the UK being able to offer the full scope of works from design, construction and maintenance. At the design stage of the multi-use games area all details need to be collated with primary sports from football, basketball, netball, tennis, athletics and many more.
Multi Use Games Area Specification
A multi-use games area aka MUGA is designed with all surroundings being a factor for the drainage, height of sport facility fence and floodlights. There are several types of dual use surfaces that we can install – Type 1 macadam surface facility, Type 2 macadam surfacing, Type 3 polymeric court, Type 4 polymeric sports surface, Type 5a sand filled synthetic turf pitch, Type 5b sand dressed synthetic turf hockey pitch, Type 5c needlepunch synthetic turf sport flooring and last a 3G synthetic turf sports surface. All of these have their advantages and disadvantages to meet the playing characteristics of different sports. Below is a photo of a polymeric multisport recreational facility recently installed in Stoke.
Sports Facility Contractors
We are a specialist multi sport area installation company and we've got a wide variety of knowledge within the upkeep, repairs in addition to construction of multisport areas. Multi-use facilities are good for many different organisations, for example schools and sport clubs. One good thing about MUGA facilities is that various activities are able to be played in a single area. Every construction is unique and specifications are created for specific needs. There are a number of surface types accessible; included in this are polymeric surfaces, artificial grass, tarmac as well as needlepunch. The surface type may vary depending on what the facility will be utilized for and the budget you are willing to pay out.
MUGA Pitch Maintenance
Our recommendation is that you perform routine cleaning and maintenance, after your MUGA has been constructed. To make the most from the facility and minimize the chances of needing pricey repairs, we suggest carrying out regular inspections to look for any damages. If dirt and debris get onto the MUGA facility, it is recommended you remove it as soon as possible in order to prevent contaminants. If your MUGA does get affected with contaminants, a chemical treatment can be applied as well as restoration to get rid of it. It is great to have a maintenance plan you can follow and stick to.
We've completed a number of MUGA court constructions across the UK over the years. As a professional sport surfacing company, we aim to build sport facilities to the top possible standard. If you're interested to find out more regarding the construction of multisport areas, please have a look at one of our constructions in Macclesfield:
Get in Touch
If you've got any questions or queries about the construction and building of a sport facility then please fill in our contact form and we'll get back to you with some helpful advice. We've got many product sheets and case studies we can send you to answer all your queries and here is a video link of a case study showing the works carried out for the construction – Polymeric Sports Court.
We have a wealth of experience in the sport surfacing industry and we've installed numerous multi use area facilities all over the UK. Our aim is to give all our clients a personalised service which meets their requirements and fits within their budget. We make our quotes and specifications flexible so that you can design the perfect sports facility for your organisation. If you would like to see any further details of our products and services, please visit https://www.softsurfaces.co.uk/ where you may find information for installation, specifications and maintenance.
What surface type would you choose for a multi-use area?
Tell us what you think about this in the comments below and share our article if you found it helpful!


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Aktuelle tema
Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) to be launched July 1st 2015Tips en venn Skriv ut
The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) will be Norway's largest interdisciplinary research institute in the agricultural and environmental sphere, and one of Norway's largest research institutes. Alvhild Hedstein has been appointed Director General.
On 6 February 2015, the King in Council of State approved the establishment of the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), effective July 1st 2015. The new institute will merge the tasks and staffs of the Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research (Bioforsk), the Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute, and the Norwegian Agricultural Economics Research Institute. NIBIO will be Norway's largest interdisciplinary research institute in the agricultural and environmental sphere, and one of the country's largest research institutes.
"The Norwegian agriculture and food sector needs effective resource centres and research groups to be able to develop competitive products and services and safeguard other societal needs. The name of the new institute stresses the Government's high ambitions for its activities and the key role it will play in developing the bioeconomy in the green sector," said Minister of Agriculture and Food Sylvi Listhaug.
NIBIO, which will be the institute's designation in its day-to-day activities, will begin with a team of roughly 650 work-years and an annual turnover of roughly NOK 680 million. The new institute is a public administrative body with special powers of authority. Its headquarters will be located in Ås, with a branch in Oslo and regional offices.
"It is my hope that the institute's name will provide a good starting point for building a common identity and culture across the three existing institutes," continues Ms Listhaug. "At the same time I wish to commend the employees, who have been working very hard to realise a viable, cutting-edge institute from July 1st."
"The name 'Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research' implies a platform on the offensive," says Einar Steensnæs, chair of NIBIO's provisional board.
"The bioeconomy encompasses central administrative and research tasks relating to agriculture, food and the environment. The bioeconomy is also an important part of the framework for clarifying the global conditions needed for a sustainable future. The provisional board is therefore seeking to shape NIBIO not only as the leading national institute for the bioeconomy, but also as an international leader in selected scientific areas."
"It is an inspiring and challenging job for the provisional board to lay a foundation that enables NIBIO to achieve the ambitious scientific goals that have been set."
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food has adopted the following social mission for NIBIO:
The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) will be the country's leading institute for development of knowledge about the bioeconomy. The institute will promote food security, sustainable resource management, innovation and value creation in the value chains for the food, forestry and other biobased industries. The institute will deliver research, administrative support and knowledge to be used towards national preparedness, public administration, trade and industry, and society at large.
The website of the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research will be www.nibio.no.
Alvhild Hedstein appointed Director General
Alvhild Hedstein has been appointed Director General of the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO). Ms Hedstein will be coming from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, where she has been Director General of the Department of Environment and Coastal Management. She was previously Managing Director of the Foundation for Ecolabelling (a national branch of Nordic Ecolabelling) and has held a number of positions with the environmental management authorities and at Bellona.
Ms Hedstein also has broad-based political experience, including having served in the Storting and as a political adviser to Lars Sponheim when he was Minister of Agriculture and Food. She has served on the boards of a variety of organisations, including the corporate boards of Norgesgruppen and the Rainforest Foundation Norway, and has been a member of two government-appointed committees: the Norwegian Commission on Low Emissions and the committee on reducing emissions of environmentally hazardous substances.
Ms Hedstein received her education at the Norwegian College of Agriculture (now the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)) in Ås, where she studied natural resource management, environmental protection and resource economics.


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About Us
Remember the first time your child rode without training wheels? How about the time you rode further than you ever expected, or finding that new piece of single track on your mountain bike?
Those are all the moments Evolution Cycles gets to be a part of with you. From our B1 EVO road cycling club that rides 6 days a week, our weekly mountain bike race series, and new this year our weekly social ride around Richmond Hill's paths which finishes with a tasty treat. We have trained mechanics to make sure your bike is always running smooth, along with a wide range of bikes and accessories for every type of rider. We're here to take care of you.
Ride by and say hello...


text: Muskegon Heights students on possible closure: "We are not a failing school." By Jennifer Guerra • Apr 5, 2017 Lindsey Smith / Michigan Radio Students in Muskegon Heights are very familiar with uncertainty. They've been threatened with school closure many times over the past several years—first because of finances, now because of failing test scores. Muskegon Heights Academy high school is one of the 38 schools the state School Reform Office says could close by the end of year if some kind of turnaround plan isn't put in place. Living in a violent neighborhood can give you PTSD, study suggests By Paulette Parker • Apr 3, 2017 A Health Blog / Flickr CC / HTTP://J.MP/1SPGCL0 Our experiences shape who we are. Here at State of Opportunity, we've talked extensively about how Adverse Childhood Experiences—or ACEs—can affect a child throughout their lives. But new research suggests traumatic experiences in adulthood can be just as harmful. Hunger in the first few years of life has lasting effects on academic achievement By Paulette Parker • Mar 31, 2017 Tim Lauer / Flickr CC / HTTP://J.MP/1SPGCL0 Children who experience hunger may lag developmentally behind their peers starting as early as kindergarten. That's according to a new study published in the journal Child Development. Study authors suggest that dealing with hunger in the first five years of life can hurt school performance not only in kindergarten, but for years to come. Google opens Howard University campus in Silicon Valley to boost diversity By Paulette Parker • Mar 30, 2017 :D / Flickr CC / HTTP://J.MP/1SPGCL0 The tech industry has a diversity problem. In 2014, Hispanics made up only 4.4% of the professional-level workforce at the headquarters and local branches of the top 75 Silicon Valley tech firms, according to the Center for American Progress. And blacks made up just 1.9% of these firms. Google recently released its workplace diversity data, which revealed black employees represent only 2% of the company's workforce, according to NPR. And although the company admits to falling short of its diversity goal, it's taking a step toward changing that with a new campus called Howard University West. Annual community breakfast in Detroit's Osborn neighborhood offers hopeful view By Jennifer Guerra • Mar 28, 2017 Jennifer Guerra / Michigan Radio With award-winning restaurants and lofts going for half-a-million dollars, Detroit's midtown and downtown areas are hot right now. But the view is different out in the neighborhoods. Here's why more babies in the U.S. are sleeping in boxes By Paulette Parker • Mar 27, 2017 Donnie Ray Jones / Flickr CC / HTTP://J.MP/1SPGCL0 Last year I told you about babies in Finland sleeping in boxes. It's a program Finland's government started in 1938 that provides all expectant moms with a maternity box filled with clothes, bedding, and baby products and accessories, along with a mattress to go in the bottom of the box to create a safe first bed for baby to sleep in. 5 stories about this week's Supreme Court ruling on special education By Paulette Parker • Mar 24, 2017 Phil Roeder / Flickr CC / http://j.mp/1SPGCl0 Earlier this week, in an 8-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of bolstering the rights of millions of students with learning disabilities. The decisions requires public schools to offer special education programs that meet higher standards. Taking a look at the days following, here are five stories about the Supreme Court's ruling you should read to get caught up. Want better test scores? Serve healthier school lunches. By Paulette Parker • Mar 23, 2017 DC Central Kitchen / Flickr CC / HTTP://J.MP/1SPGCL0 Education leaders and policy makers have attempted to improve standardized test scores with strategies like longer school days and smaller class sizes. But there could be a simpler and more cost-effective solution: school lunches. A young immigrant in Michigan: "The hope is still there, but fear is really intense." By Dustin Dwyer • Mar 22, 2017 flickr/chrisgold CC by-NC Listen Listening... / 4:15 Thousands of young immigrants in Michigan today are living in a state of limbo. During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump vowed to end the Obama administration's deferred action program that allowed these young immigrants to go to school, and work, without fear of deportation. Start your weekend with these education stories you may have missed By Paulette Parker • Mar 17, 2017 alamosbasement / Flickr CC / HTTP://J.MP/1SPGCL0 Got some free time this weekend? Check out these 5 education stories you may have missed this week: 1. Applying for college aid just got harder | NPR Pages« first ‹ previous … 2 3 4 5 … next › last »


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The Double-Cross is the 34th episode of WWE Total Divas and the 9th in season three.
Eva lashes out at Jonathan and Brie as she struggles to cope with her dad's terminal cancer; Ariane's decision to hire Nikki as her real-estate agent backfires; Nattie and TJ face the harsh realities of getting a divorce.
So before we get to our first potential breakup in "Total Divas" history (no, JoJo and Justin Gabriel doesn't count), let's cover the other happenings in the Divas division.
First off, Cameron and Vinny decide to use Nikki Bella as their real estate agent to help them purchase a house. After a rough start, the Divas find a home that'd be perfect for the young couple, but the only way they could afford it is if Nikki doesn't take her commission. She politely shoots down that suggestion, but missteps when she inadvertently insults Vinny's job, and Cameron summarily severs the business partnership. They manage to remain friends despite everything, though.
Eva Marie is still eagerly anticipating her wedding, despite the fact that her father's health seems to be in decline. His mood is still positive, though, and therefore so is Eva. Brie and Jonathan's suggestion that Eva has chosen to deal with her dad's illness by denying it's happening is met with swift, profane resistance. But Brie mends the fences by throwing Eva a surprise bridal shower with the Divas and Eva's mother and friends. When the discussion of her father's health arises, Mama Marie reassures Eva that, while she doesn't have to be wallowing in sorrow, her father would appreciate a phone call every now and then.
Finally, we get to it: Natalya and Tyson Kidd's discord has grown so severe that they seem to be actively contemplating the idea of a divorce. It's Tyson who cracks the code that his luggish behavior causes Natalya to flip out on him, which leads to bigger and bigger fights. So he decides to remedy the situation by moving out. Natalya's relieved that she can at least get some peace for the time being, but her reprieve is short-lived when she runs into Kidd backstage at a show and blows a gasket in front of their fellow Superstars and Divas. Even Jimmy Uso is speechless, and that's when you know it's bad.


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New England Urgent Care Staff
Not only does our urgent care staff have emergency care experience, we are sensitive to the needs of all age groups and treat ALL ages including elderly, infants, toddlers, children and teens.
New England Urgent Care staff is selected for their knowledge, ability, experience, and professionalism. We draw blood, place IV lines for hydration, provide health assessments, and take x-rays for all aspects of patient treatment. Our skilled nursing staff offers a high level of patient education and exceptional care during your visit.
Staff Bios
Michael Gutman, MD, PhD, FACEP, Medical Director, NEUC Co-Founder
Michael has been in practice for over 20 years. In 1988, Dr. Gutman received his MD/PhD at the University of Western Ontario. He began his career training for Neurosurgery before switching to Emergency Medicine residency. He earned his American Board Certification in 1996 and worked as an attending Emergency Physician at St. Francis Hospital, Hartford. In 2002, Dr. Gutman joined the US Army Reserves following 9/11. He served overseas three times over a five-year period — twice to Iraq and once to Bosnia.
Dr. Gutman brings his keen intellect and passion for excellent care — gained from years of training and experience — to his patients here at New England Urgent Care. In addition, the organizational and leadership skills acquired during his service to the US army serve to optimize the operations and effectiveness of this organization.
Yahel Gutman, RN, BSN, CYI, Clinical Director, Certified Yoga Instructor (YTT-200H), NEUC Co-Founder
Yahel has years of experience in emergency care nursing, teaching Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Trauma. In 2009, as an Emergency Care Nurse, Yahel received the Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing from Saint Francis Hospital.
A graduate of Hebrew University, Yahel's impressive résumé includes teaching emergency care in the Israeli Army, teaching in nursing school and working as an ICU nurse. In 1991, after switching her main focus to emergency care, Yahel taught pre-hospital emergency care and ACLS, was part of the Emergency Department management team, and a nursing director of a bone marrow transplant unit.
Over the last 10 years, Yahel has studied crystal healing and guided imagery both here in the U.S. and abroad, and is a Certified Yoga Instructor (YTT-200H).
Yahel's vast knowledge and love of emergency nursing provides patients of New England Urgent Care with compassionate care and thorough treatment education.
Lisa Shakun, Lead Physician Assistant
(Photo unavailable)
Angela Cremins, Physician Assistant
Angela Cremins, MPAS, PA-C earned her undergraduate degree and Physician Assistant training from Springfield College in Massachusetts in 1999, and her Master's Degree in Physician Assistant Studies with specialization in sports medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2004. She has clinical experience in trauma surgery, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, hand surgery, and neurosurgery. She is a former adjunct professor for the PA program at Springfield College and has precepted PA students and fellows from several regional universities. She is the former clinical leader for the Department of Trauma Surgery at Hartford Hospital and served on committees with The Center for Injury Prevention in Hartford. She has been a registered leader, committee member and instructor with the Boy Scouts of America since 2010.
Ms. Cremins is a Fellow Member of the Amercian Academy of Physician Assistants and is on medical staff at Hartford Hospital and Connecticut Children's Medical Center. She is board certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
Jesse Howes, M.H.S. PA-C
"As a graduate of Quinnipiac University 2006 with Masters in Health Science, I am a Physician Assistant with experience in both Orthopedic Surgery and Emergency Medicine. Before starting my graduate work at Quinnipiac, I studied Sports Medicine at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC.
Western Massachusetts was where I grew up and I now live in the Connecticut river valley. Time with my family, wife and two kids is what I enjoy the most. Also, I enjoy all outdoor activities and am an avid runner and Obstacle Course Racer.
Sonia Fields RN BSN
Carlos Paulo, RN, Lead Nurse for Manchester
"I'm a graduate of Goodwin College, trained in Emergency and Interventional Radiology Nursing. Before joining New England Urgent Care in 2010, I worked at Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford.
As the Lead Nurse at our Manchester location, I've been given the opportunity to care for adults and children in the community. Its gratifying to know that we are making a difference by offering knowledgeable and efficient care to patients of all ages and backgrounds.
When I'm not at NEUC, I enjoy spending time with my wife, two children and Boston Terrier, Ralph. Cooking, traveling and sports are my other interests."
Luciane Mastrangeli, RT, Lead X-ray Technologist, Marketing Coordinator
"For the past 13 years, I have been a resident of Connecticut. In 2011, I graduated from Capital Community College with a degree in Radiologic Technology. Through my training at Rockville General Hospital and Manchester Memorial Hospital, I became familiar with ER, Fluoroscopy, and Surgical X-ray procedures. Even though X-ray is my life career, I can offer so much more to our patients at New England Urgent Care.
Most of all, I enjoy working at the New England Urgent Care facilities because we provide that extra experience with wonderful employees and a sense of family."
Jodie Pastore, Lead X-ray Technologist
(Bristol and West Hartford)
(Photo unavailable)
Christina Caetano, X-ray Technologist
Christina is a graduate of Capital Community College's X-ray program, class of 2016. She has a passion for people and thoroughly enjoys what she does. Christina enjoys the challenge of achieving detailed images while ensuring each and every patient has the best experience possible.
Outside of work you can find Christina enjoying nature and taking day trips throughout New England. Along with her love of nature she has a fascination with all things elephants and hopes to one day be able to travel to and volunteer at an Elephant Sanctuary.
Christine Potter, RT, X-ray Technologist
Christine earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Connecticut in 1991. She worked as a Physical Therapist for 12 years before leaving the profession to raise her young children. Christine decided on a career change following 10 years as a stay-at-home mother. In 2011, she graduated Summa Cum Laude and Valdictorain from Capital Community College with a degree in Radiologic Technology. Christine has worked for New England Urgent Care since 2011.
Bella Armour, Human Resources/ Operations Manager
Bella is the Human Resources and Operations Manager for New England Urgent Care. In addition, she has been a part of the NEUC team since the opening its West Hartford location in 2010.
Bella holds a Bachelors of Art in Psychology and has worked in the healthcare field for several years. Also, Bella oversees all Patient Registrar staff.
Patient Registration
Meet our friendly patient registration staff. These are the first people you're likely to encounter at our walk-in centers. Their goal is to gather your information and get you seen by the Provider as swiftly as possible!
Paula Cole, Patient Registrar Supervisor
Elon, Patient Registrar


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Overcome gum disease with periodontics.
Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, is caused when bacteria in plaque (a sticky, colorless film that forms in the mouth) builds up between the gums and teeth. When the bacteria begin to grow, the gums surrounding the tooth can become inflamed. Periodontal treatment controls any infection that exists and halts progression of the disease. In more advanced cases, surgery may be required to restore supportive tissues. If you feel concerned about your gums and would like a professional to exam them, set up an appointment today.
Schedule Appointment
(248) 547-3700
About Periodontal Treatment
Dr. Omar El-Banhawy, a trained periodontist, can slow down gum disease and provide you with better oral health. Click here to schedule your appointment with Dr. El-Banhawy.
Periodontal treatment methods depend upon the type and severity of the disease. Your dentist and dental hygienist will evaluate for periodontal disease and recommend the appropriate treatment.
Periodontal disease progresses as the sulcus (pocket or space) between the tooth and gums gets filled with bacteria, plaque, and tartar, causing irritation to the surrounding tissues. When these irritants remain in the pocket space, they can cause damage to the gums and eventually, the bone that supports the teeth!
If the disease is caught in the early stages of gingivitis, and no damage has been done, one to two regular cleanings will be recommended. You will also be given instructions on improving your daily oral hygiene habits and having regular dental cleanings.
If the disease has progressed to more advanced stages, a special periodontal cleaning called scaling and root planing (deep cleaning) will be recommended. In this procedure, tartar, plaque, and toxins are removed from above and below the gum line (scaling) and rough spots on root surfaces are made smooth (planing). This procedure helps gum tissue to heal and pockets to shrink. Medications, special medicated mouth rinses, and an electric tooth brush may be recommended to help control infection and healing.