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"It's very hard for you to believe isn't it? It's very hard for you to believe, that there are still some of us who can bring a child into this world without recourse to cannabis & government handouts!"
"It's very hard for you to believe isn't it? It's very hard for you to believe, that there are still some of us who can bring a child into this world without recourse to cannabis & government handouts!"
In a hurried and emotive statement after London's markets had closed, Barclays attempted to calm fears that it faces a cash crisis. Rumours had circulated all day that Barclays was forced to go to the Bank of England after the central bank said it had lent £1.6bn at its penal rate of 6.75%. It is thought that Barclays borrowed the entire amount.
Hmm 6.75 % that's the 'penal rate' which makes the rate to us poor schlubs what exactly? Capital punishment? Meanwhile besuited scumfucks aren't getting as much swill as they'd like-
Major private equity buyouts have ground to a halt because of a backlog of "a year's worth" of debt financing that banks must sell to other investors before they can start funding new deals, industry sources said. "There is a $100bn (49.7bn) pipeline of deals [in Europe] that needs to be sold…"
A syndicate of lenders led by Deutsche Bank has been unable to get rid of any of the £9bn it put up to finance KKR's takeover of Alliance Boots, despite much of it being at a discount. Barclays and Mizuho, the lead banks on the £6.1 merger of the AA and Saga, have also been stuck with the loans from that deal.
Do you want to know what causes recessions? Greed. That answer also applies to executive pay, so how much did your wages go up this year? Was it 37%?-
Only a handful of top companies in continental Europe and the US are led by UK executives, despite claims that high levels of boardroom pay are essential to prevent a management brain drain. The Guardian/RTF survey of executive remuneration revealed this week that average pay for directors at Britain's top companies rose 37% last year, with chief executives making on average £2.875m. Supporters of such high levels of pay say that British talent would migrate overseas if the price wasn't right at home.
Analysis of Germany's Dax 30, the Dow Jones industrial average and the companies that make up the Euronext 100 – in France, Portugal, Holland and Belgium – reveals less than half a dozen are run by UK chief executives.
So what happens when we begin to win some victories against big corporations? Yep that's right they connive with the govt. to put the claims to court and until the case is decided (can you say- litigation and endless appeals) no more payouts-
While the test case is going on, claims will be suspended, except in genuine cases of financial hardship.
At the end of this orgy of greed the crash that's coming will mean less income for the govt. and what do you think our conservative govt. will cut? After all we all know social programs and health services only make the labour market less…malleable.
There is a graph hidden somewhere in Europe of which Church of the Free Market disciples will never speak, it is a fabled document as blasphemous to them as the Necronomicon, it shows that with generous social spending and universal education/healthcare, the crashes of the boom and bust capitalist con game are smoothed out and become less severe. People suffer much less, however the trade off is the booms are not as great… are you getting the picture? Anything that bogart's their greed high is attacked even though it would lift millions out of poverty, poor health and substandard education
The recent turmoil in financial markets could cost the Exchequer as much as £10bn per year in lost revenues. Research by Credit Suisse based on past market downturns suggests that a 10 per cent fall in real share prices "might eventually be associated with a 7. 5 per cent fall in business investment and a 2.5 per cent fall in consumer spending. The larger part of the impact on business investment comes through over a two to three year period. It takes longer in the case of consumer spending". This would equate to about 2 per cent of GDP, a significant hit, with an implied reduction of around the same magnitude in Government revenues, or approximately £10bn per year by the end of the timescale.
They make their mess, jump ship with their booty and the Church of the Free Market corrupted governments do not hold them to account and instead the most vulnerable suffer. Can't wait to hear the next spate of benefit scroungers and single mother speeches given by both our conservative pro-market parties. Always makes a recession go with such a swing, because y'know it's someone surviving on £60 a week that's wrecking our economy, innit?
From Juan Cole's blog–
Barnett Rubin relays a message from a well-connected friend in Washington on the Cheney Administration's plans to roll out a military confrontation with Iran in September. He writes at the Global Affairs blog:
" My friend had spoken to someone in one of the leading neo-conservative institutions. He summarized what he was told this way:
They [the source's institution] have "instructions" (yes, that was the word used) from the Office of the Vice-President to roll out a campaign for war with Iran in the week after Labor Day; it will be coordinated with the American Enterprise Institute, the Wall Street Journal, the Weekly Standard, Commentary, Fox, and the usual suspects. It will be heavy sustained assault on the airwaves, designed to knock public sentiment into a position from which a war can be maintained. Evidently they don't think they'll ever get majority support for this–they want something like 35-40 percent support, which in their book is "plenty."
Of course I cannot verify this report. But besides all the other pieces of information about this circulating, I heard last week from a former U.S. government contractor. According to this friend, someone in the Department of Defense called, asking for cost estimates for a model for reconstruction in Asia. The former contractor finally concluded that the model was intended for Iran."
Earlier, McClatchy reported on Aug. 9 that Cheney has been urging bombing of Iranian trails to Iraq. This position struck me as eerily reminiscent of Nixon-Kissinger's treatment of Cambodia (which is what really caused the Khmer Rouge horrors, not, as Bush said the other day, US withdrawal from Vietnam; we dropped enormous amounts of ordnance on that country and severely disrupted it).
It perhaps has already begun, remember the Iranians arrested and blindfolded in Baghdad who were actually engineers & energy ministry officials there as guests of the Iraq govt.
prior to the Iranians' arrest, U.S. soldiers were aware that the hotel where the Iranians were staying had proof that the Iranians were in Iraq at the invitation of Iraq's Energy Ministry.
They were sat eating dinner at their hotel when US forces with corporate media camera crews busted in and arrested them, they were released the next day footage of Iranians being arrested in Iraq achieved. The lie had been shouted, the retraction the next day whispered and Iran insulted and provoked and slow of thinking domestic viewers have -Iran are baddies- imprinted on their lizard brains. Mission accomplished.
Oh yeah, I have to admit I did a trace myself but the traffic demands on the scanner stalled it. But fear not SOA Watch caught the Fort Benning pixies at their naughty work (from SOAW email bulletin)-
A new scanning program has revealed that Wikipedia entries on the School of the Americas, renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (SOA/WHINSEC) have been edited from an IP address from Fort Benning to omit all references to human rights abuses connected to the school.
The IP address used was 126.96.36.199. Any IP address that begins with 150.226 belongs to Fort Benning. That IP address has the name of doim1-358.benning.army.mil, which is via the Directorate of Information Management at Fort Benning.
The program also revealed that an entry about Fort Benning was altered to delete all mention of SOA Watch. Graduates of the School of the Americas have a documented track record of using the skills they were taught at the SOA/WHINSEC against union organizers, social justice activists, faith leaders and everyone who speaks out for social change and the rights of the poor.
And in good news-
Chile's Supreme Court has upheld the life sentence handed down to a former general for his part in the murder of 12 opponents of Augusto Pinochet.
Hugo Salas Wenzel, a graduate of the School of the Americas was the head of the National Information Center, the intelligence service, which carried out the killings. He is the first senior member of Augusto Pinochet's military government to be given a life sentence for human rights abuses committed between 1973 and 1990.
The 1973 coup and its bloody aftermath were largely the work of SOA graduates. The Spanish lawyers who presented the charges that resulted in Pinochet's 1998 arrest also requested the indictment of 30 other high-ranking officials of the Chilean dictatorship. Ten of those are SOA graduates. Although Pinochet himself was not an SOA graduate, his influence is clearly held in high esteem. In 1991, visitors could view a note from Pinochet, and a ceremonial sword donated by him, on display in the office of the SOA commandant.
Courtesy of MISTER Chuck D. free mp3 download is here (Oh yeah, don't say I never give you nothing). So get down to that and remember blame Bush all you like but keep on target- racism, privatisation, conservatism. Here, there and everywhere is deadly. The same partisan hacks who made fortunes contracting in Iraq are doing the same on the gulf coast, party connected, corrupt corporate disaster capitalists.


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One of the many things that pull back the current generation from being in the prime of fitness is the prolonged hours of improper sitting in front of a computer. The improper posture during sitting puts certain parts of the body under stress. The neck, shoulder and lower back are the most commonly affected areas.
As neck and shoulder can be easily moved, the problems usually do not aggravate. But with an immovable lower back, it is tricky to relieve the pain. Here are 6 stretches that will aid in relieving the pain in lower back and achieving ideal body posture.
- Knee to Chest Stretch
The stretch is done while lying down on the floor. Lie with your back on the floor and both legs bent at knees. Bring forward the left leg towards the chest and grab it with both your hands. Bring the leg as closer as you can towards the chest.
Alternate the legs and ease your muscles. Hold the knee close to the chest for about 20 seconds as this will help strengthen and relax your glutes. Wear proper fitness clothes before getting on the floor. You can use healthkart discount coupons to get good offers on gym and home exercise essentials like fitness clothing, gloves and belts.
- Spinal Stretch
This is one of the most effective stretches that helps get rid of the lower back pain. You can start by lying down on the gym mat on the floor. Twist your left leg to one side while moving the upper body to the other. This will be effective on the lower back and instantly reduces the pain.
Feel the relaxation yet again when you twist your leg and the upper body in the other opposite direction. Hold the position for a minimum of 20 seconds on either sides to ease the muscles and allow the flow of blood.
- Hamstring Floor Stretch
The Hamstring Floor Stretch focuses on the hamstring muscles and aims to reduce the pain in the lower back. Enjoy the easing of back muscles as you work your hamstring as well. Lie on the back with your legs bent at the knees.
Raise one leg as you bring forward your hands to grab it. Keep the lifted leg straight and hold the position for 30 seconds. Now, alternate the position with the other leg. Do a maximum of 6-8 reps for each leg.
- Yoga Cat/Cow
A good exercise that works your neck and lower back muscles, the Yoga Cat/Cow is done by kneeling on all fours. Keep the hands under shoulders and knees right below the hips. Exhale as you gently arch your back and bring the head down. Now, inhale and return back to the previous position.
You can try to hold the position for a maximum of 20 seconds before relaxing. A minimum of 5-6 reps is recommended.
- Cobra Stretch
A good movement to release the pressure from tight abdominal muscles and extend the lower back, Cobra stretch starts with lying on the floor with face towards it. Extend your legs and lie on the stomach with palms planted on either side of the body.
Exhale as you being your body up and hold it with the palms. Reach a comfortable position and stretch your back. Hold it for 10 seconds and slowly move back to your starting position. Take up gym classes using nearbuy coupons and feel the difference by strengthening your neck, shoulder and back muscles.
- Total Back Stretch
The total back stretch focuses on the entire back area. You can stand at a hand's reach apart from a table. Bend down and hold the table while not bending your knees. You will feel the relaxation of lower back muscles.
Hold the position for about 20 seconds before letting go and returning back to the original position. Do a minimum of 5-6 reps and take a rest of 2 minutes before beginning the next.

subset: commoncrawl


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When Franklin arrives, Simeon is yet again arranging a scam deal with a customer at the dealership. Simeon tells Franklin he needs another vehicle repossessed, this time from James De Santa so he can't wreck it, but continues to pay the huge interest rate.
Go to Michael's House
Drive to Michael's house. On the way there, an angry Simeon discovers that Franklin kept the bike from the previous mission for himself, and calls Franklin to chastise him for it. After Franklin apologises, Simeon will also give further details about the job.
Return to Premium Deluxe Motorsport
Once you've found the garage and the car, enter it, and the garage door will open. Head back to the dealership. Franklin will call Simeon and tell him about the good news.
Once the short phone call is finished, Michael, hiding in the back seat of the car, will emerge and take Franklin hostage. Continue driving to the dealership.
Beat Simeon
You will regain control as Michael. Follow the onscreen instructions to beat Simeon up. If you are aiming for the gold medal for this mission, ensure that Simeon doesn't land a hit on Michael. After beating him up enough, the final cutscene will be trigger the final cutscene, in which Michael questions the deal made between the dealership and Jimmy, completing the mission.
If the player switches immediately back to Franklin after completing this mission, Franklin will be in the middle of a call with Lamar, informing him of the situation that just took place.


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Service is the Light, we say to anyone who will listen and understandably so because the Knights of Omega Delta Phi do not take the needs of our surrounding communities lightly. This weekend, our entities at Stephen F. Austin State University, the University of Oklahoma and Our Lady of the Lake University each dedicated their efforts to a different cause.
The Alpha Lambda brothers set off to support the North Texas Region on a Road Warrior Weekend at the University of North Texas' Alpha Chi Chapter at their new member's unmasking Friday evening but made it a point to be back in Nacogdoches early enough to host an Adopt A Highway Cleanup. Numerous chapters have partnerships and carry out this type of work, either at the city level (adopt a street) or with the state (adopt a highway).
The SFA Knights recently welcomed two new additions to their chapter lineage and these two brothers are hitting the ground running by delving into the service aspect of the brotherhood. The Adopt a Highway program in Texas requires sponsoring organizations to clean at least four times per calendar year, the agreement to sponsor a stretch of highway is for two years minimum.
The Beta Mu Chapter at Our Lady of the Lake University partnered up with the San Antonio non-profit, Work Out Help Out this past Saturday as part of their recruitment week. The brothers from OLLU invited all brothers in the area to come participate in this event aimed at furthering the mission of the Alamo City non profit. According to its website, WOHO hosts weekend volunteer service events and integrates exercise into every event which makes volunteering FUN by incorporating socialization, music, and healthy eating.
The brothers gathered at Phil Harderberger Park where they assisted in beautification efforts by mulching the children's vegetable garden. Not only did the brothers participate in a fun activity but they also provided service in a way that encouraged a healthy lifestyle and community involvement.
In Norman, the Xi Chapter provided their time to serving one of the most vulnerable populations, the children of the Norman, Greater Oklahoma City area through the Early Birds child development and school readiness non profit program. According to their site Early Birds strives to educate parents and provide them the tools necessary to develop their children and prepare them for school before they even set foot in a classroom. Early Birds provides "90 minutes of instruction led by a trained professional covering topics like child development, everyday learning opportunities, activities that promote school readiness, purposeful parenting techniques, and health and safety.
The Xi chapter assists the program with spending time with the children, playing with them, and looking over them while parents sit in for courses. As proponents of education and more importantly, higher education, ODPhi strives to provide platforms for communities to feel validated and for them to be able to reach their full potential. As Early Birds asserts, the preparation begins at a very young age and parents are of pivotal importance in the development of their children.
Whether it be a street cleanup and environmental beautification efforts, or promoting healthy lifestyles and choices, or promoting early childhood development and education, the men of Omega Delta Phi continue to set the bar for what it means to be a service oriented organization. Service is the light that Omega Delta Phi shines upon the world and these efforts are a testament to that commitment.


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Three exclusive apartment blocks of 5-6 floors are being built in the heart of Tallinn. As they are located in the interior block between Tartu mnt and Kunderi Street, they can offer residents life in greenery and away from street noise. There are lifts in the houses, while the courtyard with a children's play area and a car park add cosiness.
The 3- and 4-room apartments overlooking both sides of the house are filled with light. What makes them so attractive is a great selection of interior finish materials, as well as the practical floor plans and sunny rooms. There are two apartments on each floor, and most apartments have a balcony. Cars can be left in the car park under the house or in the courtyard. The crown jewels of the top floors are the large terraces with breath-taking views. Only class A solutions have been used in construction, providing significantly better soundproofing, energy efficiency, and lower heating costs, all making the house more exclusive and valuable.
The main focus of these class A apartment buildings is convenience and low running costs for the residents. The construction relies on a "green" approach and only high-tech solutions are used. Underfloor water heating is installed instead of radiators. Heat recovery ventilation is planned for the houses to ensure energy efficiency. Solar panels on the roof generate extra energy. Soundproofing is of particular importance, given that the houses are built in the city centre, although the complex is located in an interior block of apartments, which is already a quiet spot.
K6 Residence will be ready in March 2017.


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- 05Mar2018
Registration Now Open for PV Systems Symposium
The 2018 10th PV Systems Symposium will be held May 1-3, 2018 at the Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Co-sponsored by Sandia National Laboratories, CFV Solar Test Laboratory, and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), this three-day workshop will examine the technical challenges and opportunities related to PV systems and their grid integration.
There will be two (overlapping) tracks. Performance Modeling and Monitoring will be held Tuesday-Wednesday, and the Grid Integration events will be Wednesday-Thursday. There will also be a PVLIB workshop on Thursday morning.
Head to the event website for complete details and to register now.
- 5 Mar, 2018
- Kathleen Connors
- 0 Comments


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Tag Archives: discussion
Is twitter killing the blog? No.
There is a lively discussion at the moment about the relationship between twitter and blogging in a 'cloud' of the same name, is twitter killing the blog?, at Cloud Works. I'm not quite sure where the discussion started but it was the topic of a debate between Josie Fraser and Graham Attwell at a F-ALT09 (ALT-C 2009 fringe conference) session at the Contact Theatre, Manchester on Tuesday 8thSeptember. The answer to the question, for me at least, is no. The evidence suggests that regular and frequent tweeting seems to be associated with a reduction in the frequency of blogging. Although this seems to be the case for me, I was already blogging less often before I became involved with Twitter and tweeting. In fact I am not a regular tweeter and tend to do so in little pulses of activity around conferences and other events, for instance the ALT 2009 conference that took place last week. On the other-hand, my lurking in Twitter is rather more constant. Speaking for myself, I feel that my use of Twitter may well revitalise my blogging, perhaps not so much by increasing the frequency of posts but, hopefully, by stimulating rather more considered and reflective posts. Generally in the past I have posted in order to record and clarify ideas and produce notes and resources for my future reference. This has been done largely for my own benefit but with the notion that it might be of interest and use to others and perhaps even solicit some response by way of comment. If so, this was a bonus rather than the prime motivation. Ideas about developing a 'digital' identity and a personal research network came later when I began to 'listen in' on conversations round these issues in the edublogosphere. However, because my posts are beginning to be inspired by conversations in Twitter, they may become of greater interest and relevance to others than before.
Here is the gist of my argument. Twitter produces ideas, thoughts and topics as part of a fairly loose distributed discussion amongst those I follow and engage with on Twitter. As a matter of interest, I enjoy the social banter and seeming trivia as well as finding useful ideas, references, information and relevant focused discussions. All the 'useful' content is coming to me filtered by a network of people who in some sense I know, relate to, empathise with, value and trust as more rounded and real (rather than virtual) friends and colleagues, all to some extent sharing a similar(ish) world view and hopes and aspirations. This comes over far more strongly in Twitter than through the more formally written, structured and focused blog posts. This is a big plus for Twitter. So the general picture emerging is as follows. Discussion, banter, information exchange etc. in Twitter leads to the gradual emergence of an idea for a blog post. Some topic and a set of ideas and thoughts coalesces. In this respect discussion and comment precedes and shapes the blog post. The post summarises and clarifies (in the eyes of the author at least) thinking on the tweeted topic and, hopefully, feeds back into the ongoing discussion in Twitter. If this is the case, the relationship between Twitter and blogging is one of mutual enhancement with the bonus that your co-tweeters and bloggers are already contributors to the blog post and are more rounded and human to you as a result of the broader social contact made within Twitter. Blog posts become sites for summary and reflection within the stream of tweets and as such, and to some some extent, may contribute to, create eddies, even divert, the stream itself.
Another quick thought. Some one at ALTC2009 said (was it Alan Cann?) that their use of RSS has diminished somewhat since using Twitter. I think this is true for me. My feed reader only tells me what has been posted. My twitter network tells me what is worth reading – the wisdom of a crowd I have selected and am very happy and priviledged to be some part of. And technology, used in ways that its originators did not intend or foresee, has made this possible.
If anyone doubts the value of Twitter and the people it connects, surely the use of Twitter for the #altc2009 conference has given them pause for thought? What a pity the ALT powers that be did not see fit to project the #altc2009 Twitter stream in the keynote presentations. A lost opportunity. Perhaps next time.
Tags: altc2009 · blogging · falt09 · twitterNo Comments
Case Study: Moving to Web 2.0: Part 1: The Community
Update July 2014 :
This is Part 1 of a three part series of articles detailing a case study that I undertook in 2008 as part of a research project into social media and online communication and was originally published on my own personal blog Ffynnonweb which continues to undertake a journey across the changing online landscape, observing and chronicling developments in social technology and noting how they impact upon online communities – with a particular focus on opportunities in education known as 'technology enhanced learning' (TEL).
Julia Ault
A full list of all the posts in the social media research project can now be found on this page Social Media Research: JA
Please also read:
to gain the full picture…
When I was deciding upon a suitable topic for my dissertation, (extracts from which can be read in other posts on this blog) I decided that a rewarding area of research would be to investigate the social side of the web and to attempt to prove my theory that social communication online mirrors social communication offline and has done so from the very early days of online communities right up to the latest revolution in online social networks. That the internet has in effect come full circle with the new emphasis on people, user generated content and social communication but that online communities have remained the same, it is merely the platforms they operate in that have changed.
Online Communities may be defined as follows:
- Communities of Purpose – members are trying to achieve a similar objective.
- Communities of Circumstance – generally more personally focused.
- Communities of Interest – united by a common theme or interest but whose members may know very little about each other outside this shared interest.
- Communities of Users – beginning to be developed by some of the more innovative business networks to engage with their customers in a more informal, interactive way than had hitherto been the case.
- Communities of Practice – perhaps the most well-known and researched in academic circles – these are communities of people who are engaged in the same profession, vocation or 'practice' – they facilitate professional exchanges which may also add value to offline networks.
The initial motivation for undertaking this particular project was the desire to move a splinter group of an existing online community of interest from a Web 1.0 forum to a newly created online social network. The decision to move to a social network on the new Web 2.0 platform rather than another Web 1.0 forum, was made because it was instinctively felt that the members of the current forum who were principally interested in the social science of observation and analysis of behavioural patterns, albeit through the 24/7 observation of the housemates in the television show Big Brother via the TV or Internet Live Feed, would also be interested in and embrace the enhanced social aspects of the Web 2.0 software. It was expected that change management issues would be of great significance at all stages of the move and it was decided that this would be a rewarding subject for in-depth study.
The Case Study.
The story ostensibly began in the summer of 2007 with the launch of the reality TV program Big Brother UK, but had its roots back in 2003 when I first joined a Big Brother forum on a large public website.
Initially, I contented myself with what has been described as 'Legitimate Peripheral Participation' (Lave and Wenger)1 which, in the world of online communities, is more colloquially termed 'lurking'.
I watched the programs on the TV, subscribed to the 24/7 Internet Live Feed from the Big Brother House and read the threads in the forums where members discussed and analysed the housemates' actions and behaviour. After a little while, I felt sufficiently confident and knowledgeable to begin to join in these discussions and moved from a 'lurker' to a 'newbie' – literally a new poster in the forums. Over the years, I increased my level of participation through every series of BB, until I had become something of an expert on the subject and had raised myself to the level of 'practitioner' in the community where I was able to help and guide other, newer members of the forums and became a 'Key Contributor'.
The diagram below that was designed for the Lurker Project, illustrates the three types of people who may be found in an online community.
When I was not absorbed in Big Brother, I was developing a keen interest in the Internet and the web and set about increasing my knowledge by creating, designing and developing websites, whilst also becoming fairly proficient in the creation of web graphics. This interest in web graphics led me to open my own graphics website and I began to write tutorials and build up a large collection of resources on the subject. Gradually, the resources and the tutorials broadened their scope to include more general topics related to web development and the Internet in general. In this way, I became particularly fascinated by the new Web 2.0 social media that was beginning to make its appearance on the internet and had already begun to dabble in some of these areas by the summer of 2007 when Big Brother was launched.
Many members of the BB forums were absorbed by the turbulent relationship of two of the housemates in that season – and a number of us began posting regularly in the 'XXXX' thread throughout the summer and autumn as we continued to follow their media activities outside of the BB House. In the 'post-XXXX' era (after the relationship between the two housemates had ended acrimoniously with a 'Kiss and Tell' story in the Sunday newspapers), followers of the relationship split into two camps. This led to a war of words ensuing in the BB forums (dubbed the 'XXXX Wars') and in an attempt to restore harmony to the general BB forums, moderators eventually forcibly split the two groups into separate Appreciation Threads, where supporters could converse and share information. Those members who had supported both parties continued posting in the joint appreciation thread. Unfortunately however, this thread was continuously 'invaded' by supporters of each individual housemate and was eventually closed.
The small nucleus of remaining 'XXXX' supporters thus found themselves metaphorically 'homeless' and I started a new 'refugee' thread in a general forum to allow us to chat quietly amongst ourselves, away from the warring factions. After a short time though, we were 'discovered' and the previous discordant atmosphere was replicated in the 'refugee' thread. The moderators had no choice but to close this thread as well and we were advised against creating any more similar threads for obvious reasons.
At this point one of our group members contacted us all via private message to tell us that a new private forum away from the public website had been created for us to use. Membership of the forum was by invitation only and this was to be limited to our small 'XXXX' refugee group.
However, it very quickly became apparent that invitations were being passed on to virtually everyone who had ever posted in the Big Brother forums about either housemate.
Naturally, this soon resulted in the disharmony that had been such a problem in the BB forums being transferred to the new private forum. There were some major differences however, because the public forums are very heavily and anonymously moderated with miscreants being summarily banned from the forums, either temporarily or permanently.
The new private forum consisted of several different boards catering for a variety of entertainment interests as well as just 'XXXX'. Individual boards for both halves of 'XXXX' were created to ensure that members would not squabble amongst themselves as had been the case in the public BB forum. Unfortunately, the 'one size fits all' mentality of only posting in one single 'on-topic' thread on one board that the group had become accustomed to on the public BB forum remained ingrained into the psyche of most members of the new forum and they all clustered into the one joint thread and refused to move out.
The idea of posting in the one thread would have been perfectly fine if membership had been restricted as originally envisaged. The fact that a more diverse group of people had joined caused problems from the outset. I likened it at the time to a large family wedding when a number of family members who do not really get on with each other are herded together into a crowded room and forced to co-exist. One is fortunate if several fights have not broken out by the end of the evening!
Anarchy was threatening to take over due to this 'family wedding' atmosphere, so I offered to help out. I had operated several similar forums on my own websites in the past and thought that I could easily take some of the pressure off by running the administration control panel and undertaking some moderating duties in the forum. What I failed to realise and this only became clear to me much later on, was that my general approach to the group as a whole was completely at odds with that of the founding members and that my offer of assistance was only accepted out of desperation. With the benefit of hindsight, my intervention, far from being the cavalry turning up to save the day as I had rather naively and optimistically hoped, merely placed a sticking plaster on a deep wound that actually required major surgery to allow the healing process to take place.
The group that formed over the shared bonding experience of following the fortunes of 'XXXX' was a somewhat idiosyncratic, extremely diverse collection of people although the majority of members were females between the ages of 35 and 65. Many of these people were highly opinionated and became incredibly passionate in their devotion to and defence of one or other of these housemates. Perhaps because two of the housemates remained in the public eye for longer than is normally the case, the supporters group also stayed together longer, and deeper friendships were formed.
This goes some way to explain why so many of us moved across to this forum and why so many of the members continued to squabble and attempt to settle old scores when they got there. They had been restricted from doing so in the public BB forum under the threat of a lifetime posting ban – the management style there was very authoritarian, with members being treated in a similar manner as employees on a production line having no say whatsoever in the process. Threads were summarily closed, posts removed and entire chunks of conversation deleted if they became contentious. Forum moderation is anonymous and autocratic with little or no right of appeal.
On reflection, I can now see that most people moved to the new forum with a sense of release and a feeling that they would be afforded 'freedom of expression' as one member succinctly put it, without the draconian moderation of the public forums. They did not want to be moderated, organised and controlled and revelled in the new freedoms. However, with freedom comes responsibility and I think it was widely expected that people would use these new freedoms sensibly and responsibly, without any real need for management or supervision. Unfortunately, some members took full advantage of this relaxed atmosphere and this was when anarchy began to take over. I set about attempting to impose some rules and regulations and this had the sticking plaster effect as described above, for a short time.
Meanwhile, some people continued to flout the terms and conditions on other public forums to the point where they were banned for life from posting in public forums. A few members got round this by creating new online personas, but others did not and were forced to decamp permanently to the new private forum.
One fascinating fact about online personas is that they are often (but not always) quite different from the person's real offline personality. It has been observed that extrovert personality types are less comfortable in an online persona than introverts, perhaps because they need to be seen and heard and are used to being the centre of attention. Introverts by contrast, find it easier to hide behind a computer screen and develop a much more aggressive, lively or passionate persona online than the one that they exhibit in the real world. I can only conclude that this must be the case with some members of the XXXX group, because if they exhibited the same aggression and combativeness offline as they did online, they would all either be high-powered CEOs running multi-national companies or part of a criminal underworld! The fact that most have ordinary jobs and families and are probably nice, mild-mannered folk generally, lends a certain credence to the above argument about on and offline personas.
As the atmosphere in the forum worsened, my role amounted to little more than a daily routine of fire-fighting with no back-up. Finally, things became so bad that I decided that it was ridiculous to spend all my free time doing something that was supposed to be enjoyable, but had become unpleasant and was making me unhappy. It slowly dawned on me that I was being over-worked, under-valued and used for my technical ability, but that I was not really wanted in the role I was performing. I knew then that it was time for me to leave, but had got so used to spending all my time with some people that I had grown quite fond of, that I wondered if there was some way that this friendship could be continued in surroundings that were more conducive to fun and enjoyment.
This is when I had the idea that I might be able to combine leisure and research in the form of a new online social network.
See also Part 2: The Online Social Network for details of the move and Part 3: Aftermath and Conclusions.
1 Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991) Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press.
Update June 2014: A full list of all the posts in the social media research project can now be found on this page Social Media Research: JA
Which Online Social Network?
Update July 2014:
This post was part of a research project into social media and online communication that I undertook in 2008 and was originally published on my own personal blog Ffynnonweb which continues to undertake a journey across the changing online landscape, observing and chronicling developments in social technology and noting how they impact upon online communities – with a particular focus on opportunities in education known as 'technology enhanced learning' (TEL).
Julia Ault
A full list of all the posts in the social media research project can now be found on this page Social Media Research: JA
An online social network or social networking site, as they are sometimes called, is the Web 2.0 version of the "virtual community," a group of people who use the Internet to communicate with each other about anything and everything.
Such networks require users to join and become members before participating in the community. Members can communicate with each other by way of comment walls, forum postings, chat, instant messaging, bulletins and blogs, and these services usually provide a way for members to contact friends of other members.
Facebook and Myspace are the big names in online social networking but other, smaller social networking sites are now beginning to make an appearance.
This is a very new area of social media – even in web terms – Facebook was initially created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg to enable students in Harvard University to connect with each other online. The term 'Facebook' incidentally, although initially unfamiliar to British ears, refers to the book of 'faces' (photos) of all members of a campus community given out by some American colleges and schools to enable new students to instantly recognise college staff.
This was expanded to include all student networks by the end of 2005 and finally it was opened to all in 2006.
It remains very popular among university and college networks and offers a simple method of almost internal communication between students themselves, their lecturers and student unions. Each educational establishment has its own network which only registered students and staff are permitted to join. Privacy options may be set so that this is kept very private or may be open to all.
All non-student users are required to join one geographical network only. This is generally the area in which one resides, allowing for social and business networking within a local area. Students may join their local geographical network as well as their education network. Users are encouraged to make contact with and become 'friends' of, other users in any network however, thus facilitating both local, national and international communication.
Facebook has the standard set of features of a modern social network; comment walls, videos, photos, friends, RSS activity feed, interest groups and so on, but also allows third party developers to create their own 'apps' or applications which integrate within the Facebook API (application programming interface). This is another example of user generated content, albeit of a more technical nature than most. These applications were originally rather facile and tended to merely offer amusement value to bored students, but they are now maturing into quite useful sophisticated additions to one's profile and of course, the fun content is still widely available.
Additionally, developers are now creating applications (sometimes known as widgets or gadgets) to integrate other social media within Facebook and begin the process of meshing all one's social media outlets together in a similar way to that discussed in my post Exploring Social Media – Facebook is included in the social aggregation graphic in that article for that very reason.
As noted at the end of an earlier article, Evolution to the Web, Myspace, Google and Yahoo are all now collaborating in the OpenSocial project to create similar third party applications which may be integrated into a wide range of social network sites, and Facebook is now getting in on the act with its own Facebook Open Platform.
Myspace was started in 2003 by a group of eUniverse employees who wanted to compete with the first social networking site (Friendster) launched in 2002. eUniverse was renamed Intermix Media and became the parent company of Myspace. Intermix Media was an internet marketing company which used its own employees and resources to set up Myspace and its 20 million users and email subscribers to attract users. Intermix Media (including Myspace) was sold to Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation in 2005 for $580m, to become a part of Fox Interactive Media, which also owns Photobucket, (online image storage and hosting).
Friendster is still functioning as a social network but, due to a catalogue of business and management difficulties has fallen to 13th place in the list of social networks in the US and has a market share of just 0.3 percent.
Myspace feels much more commercial in tone and nature than Facebook, perhaps due to its more business-like origins and uses fairly obtrusive advertising on all its pages as its main revenue stream. This has not deterred the majority of its 110 million users from becoming enthusiastic participants in the site however.
In fact the majority of users have taken their cue from the very busy and lively tone of the myspace home pages and have delighted in filling their own pages with as many videos, slideshows and glittery animated graphics as possible.
The sheer size of such graphics has often resulted in bandwidth problems with 'technical error pages' occurring at certain busy times of day, but to date Myspace has not set any limits to the amount of content a user may add to their pages, in order to counteract this issue.
Myspace promotes itself as being a 'place for friends' and asserts that 'myspace is for everyone'. Users have their own myspace page to which they can add music, videos, images, themes and more recently, third party applications similar to Facebook. Myspace contacts are also Friends but do not belong to networks in the way that Facebook users do.
Myspace users can join groups and forums, send private messages, write comments, blogs and bulletins and use MyspaceIM, (Myspace Instant Messenger) Chat Rooms, Myspace Mobile and text to keep in touch with friends.
Additionally, there is a large and growing entertainment section comprising music, TV, films, showbiz and games to occupy and entertain users.
Due to its extreme popularity and high profile amongst young people in particular, many up and coming bands and embryonic celebrities are using myspace as a form of free advertising and publicity to very good effect. Users enjoy having the opportunity to befriend and send messages to well-known and famous people, knowing that their comments could appear on the celebrity's pages and that they might even receive a personal message in response. Bands can send out bulletins detailing latest tour dates and upload selected music tracks that users can add to their own pages thus offering the chance to sample new releases prior to purchase or download.
Interestingly, one can note the rise in popularity of social networking sites by looking at the Alexa.com Top Global 500 Websites list – ranked by website traffic or visits. Yahoo, Google and Youtube are the top three respectively, whilst Myspace is now the 6th ranking website with Facebook and Blogger coming in at a very respectable 7th and 8th position.
Blogger.com is presumably the most visited blogging site due to an obvious name and ease of use for newcomers to blogging. Live Journal by contrast, although still fairly popular (ranked in 56th position) is considerably more complicated to learn and although much loved by its regular users is not recommended for those new to the web. The theme of ease of use and relative popularity of the new social media sites will be explored in greater detail in forthcoming articles.
There are other social networking sites of course, but a trawl through the entire Alexa Global 500 reveals very few with such reach and popularity.
Whilst researching for these articles, several targeted networks were identified and examined, including:
TBD.com (To Be Determined) is an American-based network for persons aged 40+, (traffic rank on Alexa of 81,185 on 5th May 2008). It was noted that the policy of the network's founder was to lightly moderate and allow discussions on all topics…religion and politics seemed to be topics that occasioned a certain amount of volatility and caused some of the more sensitive members to feel bullied and just quietly leave. It is perhaps understandable that such topics are often considered taboo on other general networks and communities where there are likely to be members with a range of different views and opinions.
At the other end of the scale there are 'teen networks' such as Bebo.com (traffic rank on Alexa of 108 on 5th May 2008). (popular with British schoolchildren) and Tagged.com (traffic rank on Alexa of 236 on 5th May 2008). (whose members now seem to have a broader age range than was perhaps envisaged at its start-up in 2006). This may be due to the fact that at this time, corporate buyers and venture capitalists were keen to invest money in any online social project that would be likely to attract the elusive, (but potentially highly profitable to advertisers) demographic of the under-25s. Rupert Murdoch's acquisition of Myspace, which is very popular with this age group, appeared to precipitate this trend.
MOLI.com promotes itself as a 'next generation' social networking site that offers members the chance to manage multiple profiles under one account. The proposed advantage of this is to be able to keep one's business, social and family contacts separate, but easily accessible in one portal. The network is open to adults over the age of 18 only (although there is a MOLI Kids spin-off for children aged 5 and over, aimed at creating "Kidpreneurs'' – teaching children about business in a fun and relevant way) and the specific market segment they are targeting is 'enterprising individuals and small businesses'. Along with all the usual Web 2.0 social network features as detailed above, users have the opportunity to add ecommerce facilities for £2 per month. At present this is still a rather embryonic network, (ranked at 26,851 on Alexa on 5th May 2008), but as with all new enterprises, it could become the next myspace or disappear into oblivion.
The online social network that was chosen for a case study on social online change management – which will be discussed in future articles – is Ning.com, (ranked at 566 on Alexa on 5th May 2008).
Ning is one of the newer networks – opened to all in February 2007 after a lengthy period of testing from 2006 – but has impeccable web credentials. The company CEO and founder is Marc Andreessen – discussed in earlier articles as the creator of the Mosaic and Netscape browsers and whose blog is linked on my blogroll.
Ning has been in the tech news recently after raising $60m net on a $500 million pre-money valuation.
This has brought some criticism from various commentators and has occasioned an interesting debate about the probable 'over-valuation', longevity and sustainability of many of the newer social media sites and whether a second 'dot com' bubble is likely to burst in the near future.
Ning CEO Marc Andreessen was interviewed by the magazine Fast Company for the May 2008 issue and explained that the growth rate of Ning is based on a 'viral expansion loop' which is apparently what is used in all the social networking sites and may explain the phenomenal explosion of members in some of the most popular networks. The following image illustrates graphically what is meant by this concept. It is basically that of friends inviting their friends who invite their friends who invite their friends….and on and on it goes.
In the case of the Ning diagram, in some networks most members are invited by the creator (the one in the case study falls into this category). When users subsequently invite new members to join, new clusters are formed in the viral chain. Each white dot represents one user in a single network. Each starburst represents the extent and pattern of that user's invitations to new users across all networks throughout Ning. This viral effect means that each member is equal to two new users compounded daily. In this way Ning has grown from 60,000 networks in June 2007 to 130,000 networks in May 2008, and this growth rate continues apace.
Ning operates in a slightly different manner from Facebook and Myspace in that the Ning Network itself provides the infrastructure or framework for a multitude of self-contained, individual social networks – 'nets' as they are rather affectionately called by Ning themselves – to be created within this framework. Each individual net has its own identity, members, groups, forums, photo albums and so on, which are quite separate from any other 'nets' hosted on the Ning Network. Initially an individual net or community is joined by providing a username and password and creating a 'login'. This login also serves as a 'Ning ID' which can then be used to join any number of other individual communities as desired. Ning also operates the 'Friends' system and this is where it converges with other social networks in that Friends are held by the Ning ID and can be friends across all Ning 'nets'.
A side-note about the online ID system is that a new OpenID is now being promoted by a number of providers in which a single secure 'sign-in' allows access to a wide range of different social media, thus increasing security and convenience for users for whom creating and remembering multiple logins is becoming an increasing nuisance. Already, OpenID has been adopted by over 10,000 websites and this figure is increasing all the time.
An earlier example of such an ID is that of an MSN passport which could be used to sign up for a number of different MSN communities which were very similar in tone and nature to that of Ning networks, but without the 'Friends' aspect, which does seem to be a very 'web 2.0' concept. The only real difference is that the technology has moved on, but the fundamental principle of belonging to a community, whether of 'interest' or of 'practice' remains the same.
Thus far, this series of articles has focussed on the changing technologies that have enabled people to communicate with others electronically, irrespective of geographical location. However, online communication isn't just about the media used, of course.
In fact – particularly in this latest era when the focus is very much upon 'social media' and 'user generated content' – it is more about the people who are actually using these technologies than ever before and what is sometimes forgotten, is the fact that not everyone embraces change with as much enthusiasm as the 'early adopters' those 'technologically able' users who are often referred to as the 'movers and shakers' on the web. Maybe one or two of you are actually reading this article now!
This area particularly interests me personally and will be specifically addressed in future articles when change management as it relates to the online environment is explored in the case study referred to above.
Update July 2014: A full list of all the posts in the original social media research project can now be found on this page Social Media Research: JA
Exploring Social Software
Update July 2014 :
This post was part of a research project into social media and online communication that I undertook in 2008 and was originally published on my own personal blog Ffynnonweb which continues to undertake a journey across the changing online landscape, observing and chronicling developments in social technology and noting how they impact upon online communities – with a particular focus on opportunities in education known as 'technology enhanced learning' (TEL).
Julia Ault
A full list of all the posts in the social media research project can now be found on this page Social Media Research: JA
The term 'social software' broadly refers to software that is mainly accessed via a web browser but which can also be downloaded to the desktop in some circumstances and enables the user to communicate and interact socially with others online.
Online social communication is the general overall theme of this blog and we have explored several methods in earlier posts, but the over-riding characteristic of social software in the Web 2.0 age is that of consumers becoming users and taking ownership of the web in a way that wasn't previously possible.
Perhaps some of the better-known and more successful names in this area now are those of YouTube, Flickr, Del.icio.us, Twitter, FriendFeed, MyBlogLog and of course Facebook and Myspace. More of these sites are springing up all the time (indeed, you can subscribe to even more from this blog!) and therefore this list is by no means exhaustive.
YouTube was purchased by Google in 2006 and is a video sharing site offering free online facilities for users to upload, view, share, comment on and subscribe to video clips. It is not permissible to download these clips to the desktop, but users are able to copy and embed clips into other websites, blogs and social networks as desired. YouTube is an extremely popular website storing around 83 million videos amongst 3.5 million user accounts and its bandwidth requirements are huge. It is estimated that the bandwidth consumed by YouTube alone in 2007 was equal to the bandwidth of the entire internet in 2000.
As mentioned in a previous post Evolution to the Web, Flickr and Del.icio.us are both owned by Yahoo and allow users to upload and share their photos and bookmarks with others.
Social bookmarking services are a relatively new phenomenon and in some ways capture the very essence of the Web 2.0 philosophy. Hyperlinks (or more simply links), are at the core of the World Wide Web, as each site links to another, then another and so on. Whilst search engines are wonderful tools, it is never going to be possible to find every apposite or relevant link during one's lifetime. It is quite possible however that another like-minded individual may have found just such a link and stored it in their browser bookmarks for future reference.
Social bookmarking tools allow users to upload their own personal browser bookmarks to an online database where they can not only retrieve them themselves from any computer with internet access, (Yahoo has facilitated such a system for years on their My Yahoo pages) but can share them with others, add to them at will and 'tag' them for referencing. Many blogs, articles and general websites – including those of major mainstream newspapers – now offer users the opportunity to add their content to Del.icio.us and other similar sites by a simple click of a button on the page.
Tagging refers to a non-hierarchical categorising method of adding freely chosen keywords to links or articles. Other users typing in the same keyword in a search will thus be able to easily find these links and articles. This method of collaborative referencing has been dubbed a folksonomy referring to a user-generated taxonomy (classification). Tagging has become a major feature of Web 2.0 social media and is routinely used throughout such applications for photos, videos, comments, forum and blog posts as well as bookmarks, thus enabling simple and easy sharing of relevant and interesting content with other like-minded users or 'friends'.
The concept of 'Friends' in its online context has taken on a much more wide-ranging connotation than the generally accepted term in offline use which normally refers to members of one's own personal social circle. Unless one is either famous or exceptionally popular, this social circle is usually reasonably small and intimate, made up as it is of people that are actually and physically known to a person in their real life.
Online friends are different of course, because the 'global village' that is the world wide web enables people to befriend others on the other side of the world without ever meeting them. This began to happen in the first web communities and forums when people were able to join groups that were not based in the same geographical area as themselves. This often led to personal bonds being formed between people (typically across the Atlantic because most web hosts and servers are based in the United States) but East to West communication also took place. I am firmly of the belief that such bonds greatly assist with tolerance and understanding of diverse cultures and is to be encouraged wherever possible. Many long-term international friendships have been nurtured in this way.
Web 2.0 social media applications take this concept one step further by labelling every online person you make contact with as a 'friend'.
Twitter and Friendfeed enable users to share details of their everyday lives both on and offline by posting 'tweets' or short messages directly to the Twitter.com website, via text message from a mobile phone or from a small desktop application that sits in one's system tray and pops up periodically when one receives a 'tweet' from a friend. Users may also send RSS (Really Simple
Syndication) feeds from their blogs or websites to Twitter to enable their friends to quickly read and/or comment on new content as it is created. Friendfeed is a service that collects and aggregates all such services in one single feed. Even more integration is made possible by Minggl an internet start-up company which has developed the Minggl browser toolbar (currently in beta), to allow access to all your friends from several different social networks in your browser sidebar.
MyBlogLog offers a blog tracking service with simple statistics and the opportunity to make 'friends' and follow the activities of others within the MyBlogLog family of communities.
The following images (again with grateful thanks to Dion Hinchcliffe) depict graphically how social media works in relation to Friendfeed and the other services discussed above:
In our next article, we will be taking an in-depth look at Online Social Networks which are, in many ways, the all-singing, all-dancing successors to the MSN Communities that we discussed in an earlier post; Evolution to the Web.
Read the next article in the series:
Which Online Social Network?
Update July 2014: A full list of all the posts in the social media research project can now be found on this page Social Media Research: JA


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SMS Text Messaging and QR Codes
QR codes are here. They can be used very effectively for virtual tours. SMS lists help build a list of buyers and sellers. You have access to texting them once they are in your database.
The use of QR code scans increased 300% in 2012!
US mobile and social media revienue increased to $45 billion dollars in 2011.
I recently went to Disney with my daughter and her family. She had her IPhone in her hand the whole time we were in the parks. She had an app to figure out where we were. An app to figure out
how long the line is at the ride my grandson wanted. Another app to tell her how long a wait a fast pass would be,or in fact, if you could even get one.
Okay, so that convinced me. I need a mobile site and sms text messaging.
Labels: qr code, qr codes, realtor, sms text messaging, social media, text messaging


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Created By Lee
The game I have choose to start us off with is "Organ Trail", available for computers and smart phones, and it's exactly what it looks like. In my opinion it's amazingly fun and challenging. It captures the feel of the the original "Oregon Trail" that it is inspired by, having a lot of the same mechanics and moments with a zombie twist to the gameplay. So without further ado.


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bluetango necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 77 diseños de 30 diseñadores freelance.
DialToSave is an existing website at http://www.dialtosave.co.uk. We want a new single logo for a Web 2.0 version of the website, which as yet is undesigned.
DialToSave (or possibly dialtosave)
Desired Color Scheme:
White background. Logo should include mauve colour at http://www.dialtosave.co.uk/dialtosave.gif but can have other colours.
Desired Style:
Web 2.0 on white background.
Accepted File Formats:
Editable file format from the program used to create the logo.
Website and company name is DialToSave (note the capitalisation, although I may possibly want dialtosave instead, haven't decided yet)
Current website is at http://www.dialtosave.co.uk
Old logo at http://www.dialtosave.co.uk/dialtosave.gif
New logo should be Web 2.0 on a white background. It must include the mauve/purple from the old logo but can have other colours aswell.
Previously we had a slightly modified logo for each section of the website e.g. http://www.dialtosave.co.uk/mobile/dtsmobile.gif BUT we're pretty sure (not 100%) we don't want this unless anyone comes up with something really amazing.
Ideally the logo should include some image/symbol and then the text "DialToSave" (like the Sitepoint) logo but again that depends on what people come up with.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Recently I asked you, "When you take the word 'can't' out of your vocabulary, what do you find yourself saying instead?"
This question prompted Sharifa Karen Krongold PsyD. to write the following email to me:
Sharifa wrote –
My friend gave me an amazing tip.
I said to him "I really want to do that hour-a-day meditation with support, but I just can't make the time for that."
He said to me, "Why don't you just tell yourself the truth? You don't really want to. If you wanted to do it, you would."
Now, that is not always the answer to "I can't," but it was an astounding insight for me. I stopped being a victim to my "I can't." I knew that if I really wanted to meditate an hour a day, I would make it happen. It was very empowering.
As Sharifa saw so clearly, when you pull "I can't" from your vocabulary, you get down to the truth in a big hurry.
She went on to say, "'I can't' has been one of my ongoing personal quicksands. Realizing that 'I just don't really want to' has been very empowering." I admitted to her, and now you, "When I say 'I can't,' I usually mean 'I don't know how to do this, this scares me' or 'this all looks way too big to me.'"


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Welcome To Frugal Usenet!
Greetings fellow Usenet afficionados, and welcome to Frugal Usenet. What does Frugal Usenet mean you ask? Well...errr...Cheap Usenet Accounts is what it means, we were just trying to sound all high class and stuff. Please read on....
Here at Frugal Usenet, we have a mind numbing 2(!) account options that you can choose from. $4.99/month or $50/year with UNLIMITED access! Included in this sweet deal are some pretty nifty features...
- A whopping and earth shattering 2,000 Days of retention! Sure others have higher, but hey, they are also more than twice the price of us and like our old high school girlfriends used to tell us, size does not matter. Give our FAQ pages a look if you need higher retention.
- Access to 4 servers! 1 US & 2 EU servers PLUS 1 Separate Bonus / Backup EU server so you can choose whichever server combination will provide you the best speeds and completion! Woo-Hoo!
- Sign up today and we will throw in Free SSL....well okay, you can sign up tomorrow and it will still be free but we would really like it if you signed up today.
- Every now and then a non-spam message is found on Usenet...maybe it can be yours! Posting is included.
- Up to 100 connections so you can get your usenet high that much quicker
So that is our simple service in a nut shell. No huge upfront costs, no contracts, no first born children. Just a low cost Usenet account that you will not find anywhere else.


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Last week, Team Renegade did some team grappling matches ahead of the ACOM Sports NY grappling tournament held in Fishkill on Saturday. Several team members won first place, and there were a few second and third place finishes as well. Overall, the team did well and you can definitely see an improvement in their technique (and mine) since this program started in May.
Here's the video of team members competiting with each other in the gym. After the jump, check out Anthony Sansonetti and the team meeting and a highlight video of the tournament itself.


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Princeton Professor Burton Malkiel is well-known for many reasons, but for me, I associate his name with the book, A Random Walk Down Wall Street, and its oft-quoted passage about a blindfolded monkey:
A blindfolded monkey throwing darts at a newspaper's financial pages could select a portfolio that would do just as well as one carefully selected by the experts.
(If you're interested, here are links to a review of that book and a follow-on book: Book Review: A Random Walk Down Wall Street (at Zen Personal Finance); The Random Walk Guide to Investing: Ten Rules for Financial Success (at Get Rich Slowly).)
Professor Malkiel says U.S. investors are "underweight" in their exposure to China. (See Listen to the professor: Princeton's Burton Malkiel says U.S. investors are underweight China (at Marketwatch).)
Professor Malkiel's apparently been talking up China for at least a few years, building on his 2006 book, From Wall Street to the Great Wall: How Investors Can Profit from China's Booming Economy. (For more description, here's a non-sponsored link to Amazon's listing for From Wall Street to the Great Wall: How Investors Can Profit from China's Booming Economy.) Here's an excerpt from the "inside flap" of the book:
China is positioned to rule the economic world in the coming decades. Western producers find it impossible to compete with China's 60-cents-per-hour average labor costs, and its manufacturing sectors continue to grow exponentially. Export markets are flooded with high-quality, brand-name consumer goods produced in China. In addition to fueling China's dynamic growth curve, this exploding industrial sector has created a new class of worker with unprecedented disposable income and the desire to spend it on, of course, Chinese-produced goods…. China is the most populous nation on earth. As it emerges from decades as a controlled economy, its financial markets are showing every sign of following suit.
In a recent speech discussed in the MarketWatch article, Malkiel gives stats on this—stating that China's economic growth averaged 9%-10% per year over the last 25 years and was over 11% both in 2006 and 2007. He says this growth—unprecedented in world history—is sustainable at a high level (if not over 10%), though there are many risks:
Aside from market ups and downs, he said risks include some geopolitical tensions with Taiwan and Japan, environmental issues, corruption and an uneven distribution of income, though he said none of these would sway him from the country right now.
Still careful selection of China stocks is key, especially when it comes to the jittery investor. "The best that China has to offer investors is a mix involving direct and indirect shares. It's a lower-risk way of getting involved," he said.
As to "direct" investments, Professor Malkiel mentions:
- iShares FTSE/Xinhua (FXI)
- Claymore/Alpha China Real Estate (TAO)
And on "indirect" investments, Professor Malkiel mentions several U.S. companies that do business in China and benefit from its growth:
- Yum Brands, Inc. (YUM)
- The Coca-Cola Company (KO)
- FedEx Corp. (FDX)
- McDonald's Corp. (MCD)
- PepsiCo Corp. (PEP)
Malkiel expects more ups and downs and says, "investors must be committed for the long haul." He also suggests getting into China gradually through dollar-cost averaging.
Dying for more detail? I came across the video below of a speech Professor Malkiel gave in April 2006, titled, "Investment Opportunities in China." It seems to pre-date his book on China, as he mentions the book will be coming out and what its tentative title is. In the video, Professor Malkiel says return on equity investments in China will out-pace those in the U.S. by at least a couple of percentage points. Over a long period of time, a couple of percentage points is pretty much monumental!
I haven't made it through the whole video, which runs over an hour. Be forewarned—Professor Malkiel may be a brilliant mind, but he is not what I'd call a riveting speaker; and he gets into some fairly technical detail here and again.
Related Posts:
Allocate 50% to Non-U.S. Stocks, According to Wharton Professor


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iOS apps
My Picture Book
My Picture Book is a picture book for small children.
PEF Viewer
PEF Viewer is an app for viewing PEF-files.
Web apps
For the Swedish market, I have two web apps available.
Melodikrysset is an iOS compatible version of a crossword called "melodikrysset". For a long time Sveriges Radio (Radio Sweden) only had a web version for the Adobe Flash technology, which is not available on iOS devices. In late 2011, Sveriges Radio released an app in the app store. However, the lack of native iPad support and, in my opinion, a less responsive UI has convinced me to continue to publish puzzles for my own version.
E-nummersök is a very simple encyclopedia app, which contains basic information about the food additives in the "E number" code system.


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GAIL (India) Limited
16, Bhikaiji Cama Place R.K. Puram New Delhi - 110 066
Applications are invited by Gail India Limited from Indian Citizens for filling up vacancy post of Senior Engineer as per details given below:-
Last Date of Receipt of applications : 20.10.2009
- Senior Engineer
- Job Discription :- Boiler Operations
- Pay scale: Rs. 24900- Rs. 50500/-
- Minimum Qualification : Full time Graduate Degree in Chemical / Mechanical Engineering with minimum 60 % marks in aggregate and Boiler Operation Engineer's Certificate (1st Class Boiler Proficiency Certificate).
- Age Limit: The upper Age Limit is 35 years as on 10th October, 2009 (Age relaxation as per rules)
- Application Fee : Candidates belonging to General and OBC category are required to pay a non- refundable application fees of Rs. 200/- (Rupees two hundred only) by Demand Draft / Pay Order drawn in favour of GAIL (India) Limited payable at New Delhi.
or visit at http://www.gailonline.com/ Official Site of GAIL (India) Limited


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Using OpenEBS on StackPoint Cloud
Documentation for OpenEBS v0.5 is no longer actively maintained. The version you are currently viewing is a static snapshot. Click here for the latest version.
This section helps you integrate StackPoint with OpenEBS. It is possible to integrate StackPoint with OpenEBS in all major platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud (GKE & GCE), Azure, and Digital Ocean. Detailed procedure for installing OpenEBS using StackPoint in AWS is explained below.
- An AWS account.
- Ubuntu machine to run awscli.
Creating a User in AWS
To create a user in AWS, use the following procedure.
- Open AWS Management Console.
- Select the option IAM (Identity and Access Management) under the services category Security, Identity & Compliance.
- Select Users on the left pane in the dashboard.
- Click Add user. Provide a username, for example, devops.
- Select Access type as Programmatic access and click Next:Permissions.
- Select Attach existing policies directly as permission.
- Select the policy IAMFullAccess from the policies list. Type IAMFullAccess in the search box and select the policy.
- Click Next:review and click Create User.
A user will be created as seen in the following image. Note down the user's Access Key ID and Secret access key.
Now, the user account is created in AWS and you can go to stackpoint.io for creating cluster and installing OpenEBS.
Note: If you have already created a k8s cluster using stackpoint, you can Import OpenEBS Helm Charts.
Configure K8s Cluster
Go to Your Clusters section in stackpoint.io and click Add a Cluster now. Select AWS and the Cloud provider. Go to next page.
Add your AWS credentials such as Access Key ID and Secret Access Key and click Create. You can then edit your Node configuration details. The recommended configuration is One Master Node and 3 Worker Nodes.
Click Distribution and choose Ubuntu16.04 LTS.
Click on Submit to create your cluster. This should take around 5–8 minutes to bring up one Master and three Worker Kubernetes Cluster.
Import OpenEBS Helm Charts
Select Solutions tab on the top of the screen. Select Trusted charts and OpenEBS from Trusted charts and then select Import Charts from the top pane.
Add the chart repo with the following details:
— name : openebs-charts
— type : packaged-charts
— Packaged Charts URL : https://openebs.github.io/charts/
Click Review Repository.
Ensure Access Verified displays OK and click Save Repository to finish adding the chart repo.
Adding OpenEBS to your Kubernetes Cluster
First, ensure that your cluster and all nodes are running.
On the Control Plane tab from stackpoint.io, click on your cluster name.
Once the Kubernetes cluster is running on AWS with Helm, click the Solutions tab and Add Solution.
Next,click My charts. Select openebs.
Edit the below value and Click on Install to deploy OpenEBS into your cluster.
- namespace : default
State field should be green after OpenEBS is successfully added.
Your cluster is ready. You can now install OpenEBS storage class templates on this kubernetes cluster using the following command.
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openebs/openebs/master/k8s/openebs-storageclasses.yaml
The above command deploys storage class templates. You can run your workloads with openebs-standard storage class if you are using default storage class.
To confirm, click K8s Dashboard. This will bring up your Kubernetes Dashboard UI in a new window. You should be able to find the openebs-standard option under StorageClasses.


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Room Description
Ideal for parties of two or more, or those traveling with children.
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Complimentary Parking (Subject to Availability)
- LCD Television with Cable Programming
- In - Room Safe
- Complimentary Coffee and Tea
Reservation Terms and Conditions
- Rates are quoted in Philippine Peso per room per night on double occupancy.
- Deluxe Double Room may accommodate up to 4 persons using existing bedding.
- Extra person fee is Php500 nett without breakfast.
- Children (12) years old or below stay for free.
- Add Php350 nett per person to avail of Buffet Breakfast.
- Room charges are subject to 10% service charge and applicable government taxes.
- All guests are required to register and present a valid ID upon Check-In.
- An additional deposit for incidentals will be required upon Check-In.
Cancellation Policies
- No Show Policy: Guests who do not arrive within twenty- four (24) hours of the expected check-in date and time will be charged the total amount of the reservation.
- Cancellation Policy: Cancellation made two (2) days prior to the expected arrivald ate are subject to a cancellation fee equivalent to the total amount of the reservation.
- Modification Policy: Amendements on Check-In and Check-Out dates may be made without penlaty up to three (3) days before the expected arrival date and are subject to availability. Exceptions may apply.
Deposit Policy
- Incidentals deposit of Php 1,000 will be collected upon check-in.
Guarantee Policy
- Two (2) days prior to your arrival your Credit Card will be authorized with the full amount of your reservation.
Property Policies
- Standard Check-Out time is at 12:00noon and Check-In time is at 14:00Hrs.
- Smoking is only permited in smoking guest rooms, the roof deck and designated smoking areas.
- Pets are not allowed inside the hotel premises.


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That Page Does Not Exist
United Guaranty and Arch MI are now one company. If you can't find what you are looking for below or via the search function, please visit the Arch MI website. Unfortunately, the page you were looking for is no longer at this location. We apologize for the inconvenience.
To find the relocated page, refer to the sitemap below.


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In order to receive notifications, you need to enable notifications in your iOS or Android Settings.
For iOS users:
1) Go to your settings page on your phone. Scroll down and find the Vanitee app. Click on it
2) To enable notifications, click on "Notifications".
3) Toggle the push buttons located on the right of the page. Ensure that it turns green under "Allow Notifications", and toggle the rest of the options according to your preference.
For Android users:
1) Go to your settings page on your phone -> Click on notifications -> Scroll down to Vanitee, and toggle the push button for Vanitee located on the right of the page.
2) For more advanced notification settings, go to "Advanced" -> Scroll down to Vanitee and click on it.
3) To ensure that you receive Vanitee notifications on your lock screen, under "On lock screen", ensure that "Show content" has been selected.


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Fashion is a super hot industry right now. It is a great industry for anyone that is interested in fashion or that enjoys marketing and fashion. Most people do not realize that fashion has many facets. Most people just get to see the end results they do not understand what an effort it takes to pull it all together and that it requires a good deal of education.
One of the first things you can do to get into the fashion industry is to get the education under your belt that is going to make you an attractive option to potential employers. The right degree in fashion marketing and management can propel you to the top of any potential employers list.
Experience VS Education
In today's market many times a person with a degree is promoted over someone without a degree regardless of the amount of experience. In many cases the experience is not weighed as heavily as the education. Finishing a course of study shows employers that you can stick to something and see it through.
Getting the right education usually surpasses experience because what you learn are up to the minute industry policies. You are also in a position where you are learning a newer approach and how to use newer technology. Sometimes the old way of doing things is outdated and a fresh new look is valued more.
Getting the Education
Any information that you read about breaking into the fashion industry will reference the importance that a degree in fashion marketing and management always comes in handy! Even Wikepedia offers fashion industry education advice.
Ultimately it is a step you can not skip. Anyone that has tried to circumvent their fashion education has done it at a dear price. Typically you will only get so far in the industry without a degree. You will get stuck in middle management and not be able to get to the top where the real money is.
You would not be the first person that learned the hard way that education is key to top positions. Your talent will not be able to shine through if no one will give you the opportunity because you do not have the education.
Your degree will open the door for you so that you can use your acquired talent to get the position you want! Get the education and get the career of your choice it is that simple!
Do you want to have a career in fashion? Get matched to the perfect fashion school using our fashion degree finder at the top of this page. ↑


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There was not an exact match for the language you toggled to. You have been redirected to the nearest matching page within this section.
Scandic Hotels – i alla större städer från norr till söder
Nordic Choice Hotels – en annorlunda hotellkedja
Thon Hotels – boende med fantastisk frukost
De Historiske – hotell och restauranger med klassisk charm
Hostelling International – porten till Norge
Smarthotel – bästa pris, smart läge, Skandinavisk frukostbuffé
Widerøe – Skandinaviens största regionala flygbolag
AutoEurope – smidigaste biluthyrningen
Vy express – gör det smidigt att resa grönt med buss
DFDS – Europas ledande färjeoperatör 2012-2019
Rent-A-Wreck – det smarta hyrbilsalternativet
Arctic Campers – hyr husbil i Norge
Hurtigruten - världens vackraste sjöresa
Authentic Scandinavia – spännande Norgeresor
Up Norway – skräddarsydda resor
Hvitserk – äventyrsresor och expeditioner
Fjord Tours – upptäck Norge i ett nötskal® med en biljett
50 Degrees North – oförglömliga, skräddarsydda turer i Norge för mindre grupper
DanCenter – din expert i stuguthyrning i Norge
Norgesbooking – boka den perfekta stugan i Norge
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Tinn has many beautiful churches. Churches with dramatic history and idyllic locations.
Tinn has many beautiful churches. Atrå church dates back to 1836. The church is beautifully decorated with floral paintings by the talented local painter, Øystein Orekås. Mæl church was built in 1839 and Hovin church in 1850. Dal church was built in 1775 and is the oldest church in the district. There were stave churches at all these locations previously. Austbygde church was completed in 1888, While Rjukan church dates back to 1915.
Rjukan church has a dramatic past. In 1927, there were terrible floods in Rjukan. There were lots of rockslides that crashed down the mountainsides and one of these swept the vicarage and a corner of the church away. The next episode was in 1953, when the ceiling collapsed, but fortunately no one was inside the church at the time. The latest thing to happen was in 1965, when the film "The Heroes of Telemark" was being made. One of the scenes was shot inside the church and a fire broke out during the same evening. Everything inside the stone walls that could burn, did. The church was subsequently rebuilt and refurbished in a modern style.
Frøystul Sportskapell is situated on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau. This building used to be the billiard room at Krokan Fjellhytte, before it was moved - and consecrated. Skirva Fjellkirke is situated on the edge of Hardangervidda. This church is quite a modern building and also has a lounge with an open fireplace, bedsits and a hobby room.


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ROOTS | MEMORIES OF TOMORRW: DEAR DISTANCE BY LUIS KATIGBAK (BOOK REVIEW) by Jose Marcelo BarromeoRead Now
In the notes at the end of Dear Distance, Luis Katigbak writes: "Some of these stories were sparked by sights or sounds by other people; some of them approach the character of collaborations." He then proceeds to enumerate which of the stories in the anthology he means, listing their respective inspirations, but it is hard to imagine that only a small portion of the anthology is covered by this blanket-disclaimer, when really the whole book can be read as a series of observations—some grounded in realism, others probing surreal, fantastic realities—the author taking down a verbal sketch in his notebook. Yet the observations bear the mark of depth, and we see in varying degrees how far Katigbak plunges the reader into the psyche of the contemporary common Filipino.
To begin, the story "The Girl on the Bus", for instance, reads like a semi-sentimental Missed Connections entry on Reddit. In describing his seatmate on the commute, who stands out throughout the ride for wearing a party hat and eating cupped Jello, the narrator seems to evoke an unspoken desire to seek this girl out, to fulfill his compulsion to talk to her on the bus, perhaps to let her know that he remembers her, if she ever comes to read the piece. This kind of whimsy is common all over Katigbak's writing, and even comes in stronger doses in the book's longer pieces.
By the time we reach the next story, "We Built This Robot", the reader comes to know another kind of writing that Katigbak is deft at, relating how the narrator's best friend commits an act of betrayal, stealing his mind in order to provide their lifelong robot project with a central processing unit. "I could not scream or cry or go on a rampage," the narrator laments, waking up to discover that he has become a gallery fixture instead, "much less protest that my best friend's betrayal meant that our creation was technically a cyborg, and not a robot at all."
Here, we come to see a key strength of Katigbak's stories: his observations bear the element of surprise, and not of the plot twist variety. Instead, his stories pivot on revelations of character, on discovering thoughts that might be considered too sentimental for an intellectual crowd but are no less honest or sincere to the Filipino sensibility. These thoughts are mediated by common themes of memory and perspective, and in the best of his stories, an extended period of time in which these thoughts are given time and space to grow.
This is evident in stories where Katigbak plays around with our sense of time, speaking in a definite present, but jumping back and forth through history without warning. In "Sabado, 1995", inspired largely by the music of the Eraserheads and the era they played in, the narrator, while navigating the Quezon City traffic on the way to work, recalls time with his now-estranged barkada, his close group of friends. As he presents to the reader the tragic circumstances of their drifting, the songs that keep him company throughout his drive suddenly push him to steer towards the campus of their alma mater, the University of the Philippines, where the members of the Eraserheads also studied and launched many of their greatest hits. Suddenly the smallest details of his drive evoke vivid flashbacks, and the story ends as if they are young and together once again.
Another story, "And You Tell Me '87", ties memory down to the question of possibility. The reader is told by Martin, the narrator, how he meets Christina in a hotel bar after they both escape a forgettable prom night, and how the two begin a friendship on the premise that their lives have yet to play out. They imagine what lives they can end up living—Christina comparing herself to Meg from A Wrinkle in Time and Martin fancying himself a Batman—and before we know it, Martin tells us that twenty-five years have passed, that the two of them have lived separate lives, intersecting at key moments. Martin, quietly thinking of the life he and Christina could have had together, remembers a question he would have liked to ask Christina shortly before the birth of her first child: "Can something that never truly properly began be said to have ended?" The response he imagines: "[T]hat's the beauty of it, something that never properly began, never ends."
Katigbak, who passed away in April earlier this year, was right to be fixed on our obsessions with time and memory. In a tradition that's so often limited to an obsession with national history, Dear Distance feels fresh. The voices and characters are quirky, but they carry fully developed worlds that are eager—moving across vast distances—to be known. As Katigbak ruminates at the end of the book's title story: "In the end, distances and surfaces are all we can ever be sure of, and this is no sad thing. In a world that has accelerated almost beyond recognition, it may be the only comforting thought of which I am still capable."
J. Marcelo Borromeo is a young writer from the Philippines. He graduated with an MA in Humanities from the University of Asia and the Pacific, and was, for a very brief period, the online editor of Rogue Magazine. A typical schoolboy, he lives by the motto Bene Omnia Legere (Read all things well). You may ramble with him on Twitter.
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May 2017


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Amagansett, the small East Hampton community that is home to Scarlett Johansson, Alec Baldwin and Sarah Jessica Parker, is getting yet another celebrity neighbor: Stella McCartney.
The fashion designer and daughter of former Beatle Paul McCartney recently closed on a $1.5 million deal for a bayfront beach cottage in Amagansett. The property, which was listed with Diana and Dawn Neway of Douglas Elliman, had an original asking price of $1.7 million.
A person familiar with the deal, first reported by the New York Post, confirmed the buyer's identity to Mansion Global.
MORE: A Beverly Hills Mansion Once Owned by Donald Trump Lists for Nearly $30 Million
Ms. McCartney's new home, which clocks in at 1,350 square feet, has an open floor plan that includes three bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus "plenty of decking for entertaining," according to the listing.
The house is noticeably modest, and the Post quotes sources who say that Ms. McCartney will likely tear down or at the very least greatly expand the cottage.


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Women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer are faced with a tough choice either to have parts of the affected breast removed, a procedure followed by several weeks of potentially toxic radiation therapy, or to opt for a mastectomy, removing the entire breast and contending with the disfigurement that entails. The decision typically rests on where and how widespread the tumors are. It's no wonder, then, that more and more women are relying on high-tech MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans to help them examine their cancer and choose the right treatment.
But that may not be such a good idea, say researchers in a commentary appearing in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, a publication of the American Cancer Society. The authors looked at studies pitting preoperative use of MRI, which relies on magnetic waves, against mammograms and similar tests that use radiation to take pictures of breast tissue. Researchers found that women choosing MRIs often ended up with more aggressive surgery much of which wasn't necessary than women who did not use the scans. What's more, employing the newer and more sensitive MRI technology did not improve a woman's chance of surviving cancer or her chances of avoiding a recurrence of tumors.
While there is no doubt that MRIs are more sensitive than mammograms, says Dr. Daniel Hayes, clinical director of breast oncology at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center and a co-author of the commentary, it's not clear that the technique is more specific than mammography. Studies of each diagnostic screen have shown that compared to mammograms, MRIs can pick up additional cancer lesions 16% of the time. "But," says Hayes, "the question is whether they are biologically important."
The risk of recurrence in women treated for early-stage breast cancer ranges from 5% to 10% in the 10 years after diagnosis. Three decades of studies have shown that lumpectomy combined with radiation therapy yields the same survival and recurrence rates as mastectomy; while more cancer may remain in a breast following lumpectomy, these lesions are generally destroyed by the radiation, which gives the two procedures the same outcomes. Yet women receiving an MRI tend to choose the more invasive approach.
Why? Because MRI is particularly good at diagnosing small tumors and picking up abnormalities that mammograms may miss in young women with dense breast tissue which may cause undue anxiety. Evidence suggests that women who opt for MRIs tend to react to seeing their lesions, whether they are cancerous or not, by having their entire breast removed rather than just a portion of the tissue. "I just saw two patients who both had MRIs done at an outside institution, and both came in wanting mastectomies based on the MRI findings," says Dr. Anthony Lucci, a surgical oncologist at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Neither of the MRIs showed cancer, just abnormalities, says Lucci, but more and more patients are requesting an MRI not as a diagnostic screening tool but as a prognostic one. And in those situations, "they are much more likely to request a mastectomy if the MRI reveals an abnormality," he says.
According to the studies that Hayes and his co-author, Dr. Nehmat Houssami, analyzed, such mastectomies are often unnecessary; earlier studies have shown that many of the small cancers that a lumpectomy may leave behind are in the same region as the surgery site, and therefore will most likely be destroyed by the radiation treatment that follows. "Radiation is very good," says Dr. Larry Norton, a breast-cancer specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. "We do know that if you don't irradiate a breast after surgery, you get local recurrence."
Aside from increasing the rate of radical surgery, the use of MRIs may also harm patients who already have a diagnosis. Patients may take several weeks to investigate the lesions, get biopsies and wait for pathology results, delaying the actual treatment of cancer.
So why do women continue to insist on having an MRI? Part of it has to do with the culture of technology: we believe that newer and more is better. Part of it also can be traced to a me-too spillover from the diagnostic arena. As a diagnostic tool, MRIs can be useful in picking up what mammograms may not find which is why the American Cancer Society, for example, recommends both screens for otherwise healthy women with a strong family history of the disease and younger women with dense breast tissue.
Hayes acknowledges that MRIs may also prove useful in detecting the spread of cancer from one breast to the other, but even here, he says, the data are still preliminary; MRIs may pick up about 3% to 5% of tumors that mammograms miss, but there is little evidence suggesting whether those additional tumors are malignant or benign. To find out the true benefit of MRI, he says, more research needs to be conducted. "Without randomized trials, we really don't know everything," says Norton.


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Search Results
|High Fructose Corn Syrup
I was at Walmart late last night to pickup a few things. I was also thirsty so I grabbed a bottle of Coke in a fridge next to the self-checkout cash register...
|BlaK is BlaK
I just heard that Herb Weisbaum is going to give Coke BlaK a try on KOMO 4 News later this afternoon. I tried it over the weekend too, and have to agree with...
|No match found. Try the same search on Google.