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Kayak Waterway Clean-Up (KWC) [suitable for students and corporates]
The Kayak Waterway Clean-Up provides participants the opportunity to be in direct contact with nature and to learn about the impact of litter on wildlife and the environment.
Participants will be introduced to the basics of paddling and have the opportunity to visit litter hot-spots while exploring the Kallang Basin. Through this activity, they will discover how litter accumulates in the water and a better idea of the magnitiude of resources that go into cleaning the environment.
After returning from the activity, facilitators will lead a discussion about what we as individuals can do to protect the environment and improve the health of our planet Earth.
Student rate
$30 per participant (minimum of 20)
Corporate rate
$40 per participant (minimum of 20)


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Event Library
Leveraging Data 2017
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Opening Keynote - Digital Revolution: The Data Driven Enterprise
Speaker: Manish Dasaur, Managing Director, Accenture
Session 1: Design + Data: A Design Thinking Approach To Driving Value Out of Big Data
Presented by: Accenture
Session 2: Transforming the Customer Experience by Leveraging Data Analytics
Presented by: Deloitte
Session 3: The Do's and Dont's of Data Visualization
Presented by: Kiefer
Session 4: Enabling Analytics - Its more than just selecting some tools
Presented by: DXC
Session 5: Citizen Driven Strategy: Steps to build & sustain an effective model
Presented by: CGI
Session 6: Data Quality - The Foundation of Digital Transformation
Presented by: Pitney Bowes
Session 7: How is a Data Driven Enterprise Executed in Real Life
Session 8: Gain new insights from existing data to deliver better citizen service.
Presented by: Oracle
Session 09: How to Prepare for the Unknown.
Presented by: MarkLogic
Session 10: Data Storytelling - Turning Data from Insights to Value
Presented by: Symsoft Solutions
Session 11: Integrating Data Analytics: Start to Finish and Lessons Learned
Presented by: Pyramid Technologies
Session 12: Chaos to Clarity!!!! What is a Data Driven Enterprise?
Presented by: Commvault
Session 13: Data-Fueled Citizenship, New Opportunities for the Public Sector
Presented by: Cloudera
Session 14: Free the Data- Techniques and Best Practices on accessing and sharing data
Presented by: Advanced Onion
Lunch Presentation - Social Media Providing Public Sectors Solutions
Session 15: Ensuring Compliance to Data Privacy Directives using Virtual Databases
Presented by: Delphix
Session 16: From Bots to Drones - A Showcase of Advanced Analytics Solutions
Presented by: Microsoft
Session 17: Machine Learning 101
Presented by: Net App/Infiniti
Session 18: Cognitive Transformation for Public Sector, Next steps with IBM Watson
Presented by: IBM
Session 19: Chopped - DATA CHALLENGE!
Presented by: Delegata
Session 20: Embracing Changing Culture and Technology in Data Driven Organizations
Presented by: Trinity Technology Group
Session 21: Digital Workspaces Securely Enable Access to Apps and Data, Anywhere!
Presented by: Entisys 360
General Session - How Organizations are Leveraging Data to Improve Service Delivery
LD2017 Awards Ceremony & Closing Remarks
Congratulations to the Award Winners!!Awards were presented in 3 categories:
Most Valuable Program:
The Data Management Office Program
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Russell J. Nichols Director, Enterprise Information Services
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Recognition Award presented to:
Karen Johnson
LD2017 Executive Sponsor
Chief Deputy Executive Director, Operations, Covered California
Video Coming Soon!

subset: commoncrawl


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Does anyone else feel like they can live on french toast for the rest of their life? I'm not alone? Whew. I have been loving french toast since I can remember. I have very fond memories enjoying french toast at my childhood friend's house - her mom made the BEST french toast ever. I also remember ordering it as a kid when we went out to breakfast. Who am I kidding? I still order it now! With all the brunch festivities coming up...Mother's Day, Father's Day, plus Spring in general, … [Read more...]
Green Bean Casserole
With Thanksgiving coming up, I'm thinking you may need some side dish ideas. Am I right? I know I know. It's not even Halloween yet but the holiday talk is already happening in our family. We go back to Iowa to visit my parents for Thanksgiving and now that we are older, we try to all help in the kitchen instead of leaving the daunting cooking task on just my mom. It only makes sense for me to help cook and bake, right? I love to cook in my parent's kitchen because it was the first … [Read more...]
Cheesy Italian Stuffed Shells
I could seriously eat all the shells. Cheesy Italian Stuffed Shells is one of my FAVORITE Italian dishes to make...and eat. A cheesy filling of ricotta and parmesan is stuffed into adorable pasta shells then topped with homemade sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake until bubbly and dinner is served! Ugh give me all the Italian food! It's my favorite. I will be honest...I haven't had stuffed shells in like a bazillion years and it's one of my favorite dishes ever. I can't explain why. I just … [Read more...]
Butternut Squash and Kale Pasta Bake – stuckonsweet.com – Jessica Loizzo
This post is sponsored by Prego® but opinions are all my own. The air is cooler, school has started, and the leaves are turning colors. Fall is here! When I think of Fall I think of football, cozy sweaters, beautiful walks and comfort food. Comfort food, being my favorite part of Fall, of course. This recipe for Butternut Squash and Kale Pasta Bake is a simple, flavorful and a healthy meal that your family will love. Roasted butternut squash, fresh kale, sage, and whole wheat penne pasta is … [Read more...]
Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
Lobster Macaroni and Cheese. Need I say more? Probably not. Lobster Mac totally speaks for itself. But I'm going to talk about it anyway mmmk? Macaroni and Cheese is the number one comfort food in the WORLD. I have no idea if that's true, but if I had to guess, I might put some money on that. Adding buttery lobster just takes it up like 420803 notches! Bread crumbs are a must in macaroni and cheese according to Vincent Loizzo. "Give me a lot with the crunchy topping." That's … [Read more...]
Barbecue Beef Pot Pie
I'm on a comfort food kick. I know it's the new year and all and we're supposed to be eating healthier, but it's been so darn cold and dreary that salads and smoothies just aren't doing it for me. I need something warm and comforting like this Barbecue Beef Pot Pie. This recipe is also crazy easy. We like crazy and we like easy don't we? This is my first time making a "pot pie." I didn't even really know this was a pot pie until I began writing this post. My sister actually … [Read more...]
Spaghetti Casserole
Well it's Wednesday and it's negative 2 degrees. yaaaay...Winter has finally arrived. I am so hating it. I have been woken up twice at 3am by snow plows, my UGG boots already have salt stains, and Izzy can barely last but 30 seconds outside before she freezes up. Is it Spring yet? Don't get me wrong, there are wonderful things about Winter - it can be really beautiful, cozy fires, hot chocolate, comfort food... Ahh yes, comfort food! It's what keeps me going during these cold dreary … [Read more...]


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Renfrew Chrysler
Renfrew Chrysler
376 O\'Brien Road, Renfrew, Ontario, K7V 3Z2
Call us: +1-613-432-8532
Request Information
* Every reasonable effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information listed above. Vehicle pricing, incentives, options (including standard equipment), and technical specifications listed is for the 2020 RAM 1500 Tradesman may not match the exact vehicle displayed. Please confirm with a sales representative the accuracy of this information.
General Information and Specifications
|Body Style
|Fuel Type


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How Safe Would Your Home Be in the Event of a Fire?
Home fire sprinklers can contain and may even extinquish a fire in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive on the scene. Nationwide, nearly 3,000 people die in fires each year.*
The Fire Sprinkler Time e-newsletter focuses on the important safety role of fire sprinklers in homes.
Brookstone Homes was the first Wisconsin builder to offer fire sprinklers as an option in all of their homes. Download article here
Fire Sprinkler Facts
Fires kill more people in the United States every year than all natural disasters combined.
83% of all fire deaths occur in the home.* The single most effective way to prevent fire-related deaths is the installation of residential fire sprinklers. Combined with smoke alarms, they cut the risk of dying in a home fire by 82% compared to having neither.
Fire sprinklers can save money for developers, builders, home owners, and communities.
Through the use of trade-ups, developers and builders can achieve reduced construction costs while providing higher value homes for their customers. In the event of a home fire, homeowners can expect financial losses 90% lower than those that occur from fires in unsprinklered homes. Communities can deploy emergency services resources more effectively by reducing the burden caused by home fires.
Fire sprinklers provide high-value personal security for your new homes.
Home buyers have never been as aware of security and safety as they are now. New home builders must offer buyers a new level of value to compete successfully. Fire sprinklers are an economic way to increase the desirability of new homes and enhance the builder's reputation for quality construction.
Only the fire sprinkler closest to the fire will activate, spraying water directly on the fire.
Each fire sprinkler is individually activated by heat. Despite "sight gags" on TV sit-coms or in the movies, smoke does not trigger fire sprinkler operation. The rest of the fire sprinklers in a house will not activate unless there is also a fire in that location. Ninety percent of all home fires are contained with a single fire sprinkler.
Fire hoses, on average, use more than 8-1/2 times the water that fire sprinklers do to contain a fire.
According to the Scottsdale Report, a 15-year study of fire sprinkler effectiveness, a fire sprinkler uses, on average, 341 gallons of water to control a fire. Firefighters, on average, use 2,935 gallons. Reduced water damage is a major source of savings for homeowners.
The odds of accidental activation are 1 in 16 million.
Sprinkler mishaps are generally less likely and less severe than accidents involving home plumbing systems.
Modern fire sprinklers provide unobtrusive protection.
Unlike commercial fire sprinklers, residential fire sprinklers are small, and can be recessed into ceilings or walls. Some models are completely concealed by plates that can be matched to a room's paint color.


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*daily rates in Wellington Airport based on a 1 day rental (24hr period) and for guidance purposes only.
Hi, I have just emailed myself a quote for a rental at Wellington airport, can u tel me how long is the quote valid?
Hello, the price should be valid for 24 hours from time of quote, however our rates do change daily as you approach the collection date so it's wise to book as far in advance as possible. You can cancel for free up until 48 hours prior to pick up should your plans change.
Driving in Wellington Airport - Need to know
Road Driving Side
Urban speed Limit
Rural Speed Limit
Motorway Speed Limit
Current Petrol Price
Drink Drive Limit
Min Rental Age
Min Driving Age
Next Upcoming Holiday
Monday 27 Jan 2020
Northland Anniversary Day - Local holiday
We specialise in car rentals throughout New Zealand fo find you the best price and that's a promise...
+44 (0)845 508 9845
Read our Frequently Asked Questions
We welcome and actively invite all of our customers to review us on independent review platforms, see what they have to say...
What our customers say


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Saudi Arabia at the time of prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) was a very progressive society. His first wife was a famous business entrepreneur. Women had greater share of role in social reconstruction. With the passage of time, all shattered one by one.
Islam is now reduced to only five times of prayer and strict code of hijab. Well! Prayer does have a place in Islam, so does veil. But the dynamic scope of Islamic message goes far beyond what has been confined to.
Islam is more about peace than about war, Islam is more about tolerance than about fanaticism, Islam is more about education than about ignorance, Islam is more about science than about dogmatism and so on.
But sadly you will notice none of them in most of the Muslim countries. They are but following pseudo-Islam…Islam looked through their own narrow prism, thus the reason for the community to remain behind in every sphere.
Categories: Islam, Mohammad Azeemullah, Peace


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Blog Archives
LivingSocial UK TV Advert
Posted by ravinar
With the huge amounts of money behind Groupon's biggest rival LivingSocial I saw their advert on TV earlier this week
I guess if you have the spending power TV still is a powerful channel backed by web and social media et al.
I think the tie-up between FourSquare and LivingSocial is actually more beneficial for FourSquare as people question the value of "checking in" and getting badges. FourSquare need to make money and LivingSocial with their deep pockets and daily deals can make that happen. What LivingSocial do get is access to the FourSquare mobile user base.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags: dailydeals, foursquare, livingsocial, socialmedia


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Upper Darby, Pa. (PA) – State Representative Margo Davidson of Delaware County has been evicted from her campaign office for failure to pay rent, according to court documents. Although this elected official has a staggering salary of over $80,000.00/year, paying rent was not on her agenda.
- Margo Davidson failed to pay rent at a campaign office located in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania.
- 83-92 Lansdowne Ave. LP filed suit against Rep. Davidson July 14, 2016, for $3,740.90.
- Margo Davidson was found at fault, and the judgment was for the plaintiff for $2,796.77 with the condition she would have to vacate the property.
- According to court documents, the monthly rent was $1,133.00.
- Davison filed a countersuit Aug. 8, 2016, for $2,200.00 where the judge entered a judgment for the defendant, 32-92 Lansdowne Ave. LP not granting Rep. Davidson – Rep. Davidson lost the countersuit.
- The managing company of the property was unable to comment on the case.
Margo Davidson is no stranger to the court system as she has been brought before the court numerous times – including for failure to pay taxes. According to court documents, on Nov. 5, 2009, Margo again was brought to court for failure to pay rent where the plaintiff asked for $782.50 and was awarded $853.50. According to campaign finance reports, Davidson has received over $125,000.00 in campaign contributions with a new report due in just a few days.
Edited 10/28/2016, 4:03 p.m.: Added campaign contributions


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05 Jul2012
I had never cooked quail until yesterday. Eaten quail several times, yes, but never cooked them. And what started off as a a rather jurassic looking experiment turned into a lip-smacking, finger-licking good dish. For years I have wanted to try cooking quail, but it isn't that easy to find it in local groceries or markets. I once called a quail egg farm in Cebu and while they agreed to sell the fowl, but they were quite a ways from our offices so that never panned out. Finally, a week or so ago, I sent someone to the Arranque market in Binondo to hunt down some pugo or quail for me. I was hoping for the meaty, farm-raised and fattened quail that might approximate this dish I had recently at Antonio's in Tagaytay… I reiterate, farm-raised, not rare endangered wild quail like this one that was photographed and documented three years ago.
When my "scout" got to Arranque, the vendors said they were all out of the heftier, meatier quail typically purchased by restaurants and chefs. But they did have several dozen live quail that they could kill, gut and dress while he waited. After a quick text message, and an agreed price of PHP35 per piece, sight unseen, I told him to go ahead. I figured, after all the effort to get there, we might as well give it a try. So he purchased 10 small quail and they were cleaned and dressed (de-feathered) and they were stuck in the deep-freeze back at home. I defrosted them, was a bit concerned about how small and scrawny they were, but motored on…
I decapitated them and sliced them in two, removing the backbone. The resulting pieces looked less jurassic, more like minuscule chicken halves. ( Btw, did you know minuscule is the more proper spelling for miniscule? I didn't know that until last week.) These were carefully rinsed, and any remaining feathers removed.
The original plan was to do a nice adobong pugo or quail in a vinegar and garlic braise, but these birds just looked so emaciated, victims of a fat loss diet gone bad, so I decided to deep fry them instead, similar to the way chinese restaurants might treat pigeon or other fowl which has really tasty and often more dark meat. First, I blitzed together some kosher salt, szechuan peppercorns, white peppercorns and some five spice powder. This pepper salt was sprinkled on both sides of the quail halves…
…which were laid out on a flat pizza pan. Next, I brushed the quail with a mixture of half Kikkoman soy sauce and half Shoaxing rice wine and let this marinate for about 1.5 hours.
Just before deep-frying, I sprinkled the quail with a generous amount of Wondra flour (you can use all purpose flour or a mixture of flour and cornstarch if you like) and deep-fried the quail.
I didn't take much longer than say 2 minutes to get the quail nicely golden and cooked through. It was incredibly easy to cook, actually. Of course there's all that fat and a bit of splatter… but I deal with that by having a high heat burner outdoors with its own small LPG tank. No lingering smells in the house after a deep-frying session!
You could tell just by the look and aroma that the deep-fried quail were going to be something special…
…less than a minute out of the fat and the pieces looked like miniature fried chicken, with a burnished skin that dried out and looked and felt incredibly crisp. I toyed with the idea of a sauce or dip of some sort, but nixed the idea after tasting one of the slightly cooled pieces of quail.
I jazzed the quail up for the photos with some sliced jalapeños and cilantro leaves, but they weren't really necessary. These were AN ABSOLUTE HIT! Incredibly tasty meat, nicely flavored by the salt pepper and five spice. They were crisp and the meat still a bit moist. Perfect finger food. The Teen and I munched through 3 or 4 quail each and there was other good stuff on the table for lunch.
Let's just say I am now a HUGE FAN of quail, and hope to get my hands on more soon. And maybe, just maybe, I can find some of the fatter ones to continue my quail experiments with. It's unfortunate that more restaurants don't have quail on their menus here in Manila or elsewhere in the Philippines (I understand they are a bit more accessible in Central Luzon). Quail are incredibly tasty and quite native. A bit expensive when you consider that you get barely any meat for the cost, but definitely delicious.
when i was a teenager, the company my dad worked for had a huge poultry farm that included really plump japanese quails. at the company guesthouse, the fare always included fried and adobo quail. in our parties at home, however, we had whole barbecued quail, and my mom always included a whole boiled, peeled quail egg in each quail's cavity, and the guests were always delighted to discover it. this post made me miss those days, and quails are now hard to come by here.
Jul 5, 2012 | 8:18 am
I've eaten quail only once, and I have to confess I didn't really enjoy it. The birds weren't fried; they were cooked in some savory-sweet brown sauce. I can't remember the name of the dish, though.
The birds were very bony, and I had a really tough time eating them. Maybe we were served skinny quail, like the ones you were able to procure. The difference is, you cooked them in such a way that made it possible for the bones to be munched on (I presume). :)
Jul 5, 2012 | 8:32 am
Oh dear, I started to worry at 'low fat diet gone bad'. They are so skinny! When I was very young we raised quails in a special little hutch. At least fatten them up a bit more! All this in a suburban backyard in Manila. Give them a happy if brief life at least….
Jul 5, 2012 | 8:50 am
… The fried quails look like synchronized swimmers…
Nice plating, MM! Overdue thanks also for being so gracioso during my husband's visit to your restaurant in Cebu- the liempo and lechon he brought home was delicious, the skin, so crisp!
His greatest surprise was a photo in his iphone WITH YOU!! Thanks, MM!
Jul 5, 2012 | 9:07 am
This reminds me of the odd looking birds (with chicks) which we used to see walking around our property a few years ago. We never really got close enough to ID the birds but we suspected that they were quails. Might be someone's pet gone loose.
Jul 5, 2012 | 9:08 am
Hi MM,
You're right about quails being more available in Central Luzon. In my hometown (Guagua), we have vendors selling them on the side streets and we barbecued them. :-)
Jul 5, 2012 | 10:34 am
My dad used to raise quails in our backyard and sold the eggs as a side-business. They were quite easy to raise actually. I wasn't really a fan of quail meat, though. My mom used to fry it and I think always over fried it as the meat became rather hard and chewy -not crispy at all. But after reading this, I suddenly craved for quails. Properly cooked quails, that is. :)
Jul 5, 2012 | 10:56 am
What do you do with all the heads? Throw it out?
Jul 5, 2012 | 11:58 am
Hey MM why not include fried quail in your Zubuchon menu?
Jul 5, 2012 | 1:16 pm
Looks very delicious! Nice golden color.
I used to hunt (or so, I thought) hunt wild quail – a.k. pugo , with my friends when I was a kid. Armed with a simple (and practically ineffective) sling shot, or "tirador".When we 'd see a pugo up the woods of our village, we'd try to sneak in closer to get a better shot. Almost always, the pugo would eventually sense us, and would immediately scamper for the bushes. We'd patiently wait for the pugo to re-surface again, but would realize that the pugo WAS MORE PATIENT THAN US. If I recall rightly, we'd wait for about 30 minutes at the shortest time, to about an hour, before the darn quail would go out from the bushes. Then after a weak and useless attempt at a shot with our tirador, the quail would once again hide under the bushes, this time a longer period. I never was able to hit and kill a single pugo with my tirador – my unintended gesture to preserve the endangered wild quail.
Jul 5, 2012 | 1:54 pm
The best quail dish I ever had was a Foie Gras stuffed quail at Commander's Palace in New Orleans. I remember how flavorful and tender the meat was.
Jul 5, 2012 | 3:01 pm
My mom used to cook quails back then, when supply was easily accessible. She would marinate it in BBQ sauce and grill in coals or the turbo broiler.
Jul 5, 2012 | 4:44 pm
@EileenC, they do look like synchronized swimmers!
Jul 5, 2012 | 6:58 pm
Typo (title), Deep *Fired*. Btw, i really like Quail and we used to breed them. It is easy to maintain and you get a lot of quail eggs everyday and they multiply so fast.
Jul 5, 2012 | 11:57 pm
More breeders of quail … more supply … so more can enjoy the item.
I remember having adobong-pugo as a child (plain good old adobo recipe with hard-boiled quail eggs in). It was a Kapangpangan household, they love cooking that along with "lelut-tugak" (lugaw with frog), not to mention other crispy-fried bugs … never mind — just go with the first two!
Jul 6, 2012 | 7:03 am
Along the Maharlika Highway going north, at a certain intersection somewhere within Baliuag, are stalls that sell heaps of deep-fried pugo on a daily basis. It is a favorite quick stop for truck drivers and other motorists who buy the quails for a yummy snack or for pulutan. They're cheap, too! — one hundred pesos for seven birds.
We were on our way home from a family vacation last summer when I (being the driver) conveniently detoured to the said crossing for my fix of these famous fried pugo which I had been missing for years. We excitedly bought some, and it smelled incredibly yummy in the car.
Unfortunately, my folks couldn't live up to my level of enthusiasm. They were bothered by the "jurassic" look of the tiny things as these came out of the paper bag. And worse, the birds tasted awfully malansa and incredibly tough! My little daughter politely changed the topic of banter to save me the embarrassment of having made such a big deal about the supposed delicacy.
I guess I had the misfortune of picking the wrong stall. The quail I got was probably not dressed properly, and was obviously an unsold batch that was simply reheated in hot oil. What a bummer!
Jul 6, 2012 | 7:49 am
Mr. Marketman, I'm in the poultry business for three years already and I do say that I like quail (whatever way it is cooked) more than chicken. Quail has a nicer bite, cleaner, gamey taste and is pumped with fewer antibiotics than chicken because they are primarily bred to produce eggs.
Jul 6, 2012 | 10:47 am
My, my, my, those birds look scrawny indeed! I wonder if there is a distant quail relative with shorter limbs, looks more plump and caught in rice fields, at least that is how I remember them. Mom called them pugo.
Eons ago when I was a little girl, Mom would buy them from walking vendors. She would cook them "estofado" like with soy sauce and star anise and brown sugar. I have never been able to replicate this delicious dish and sorry I never paid attention to how she did it.
And Josephine: my mom would do as you said, fatten poultry up before dressing them , in the days when you still bought live poultry and dressed them yourself. This I can still do with my eyes closed though I remember with horror when a helper dressing a hen lost grip and the decapitated fowl ran around for a while before sighing its last breath and "nangisay".
Jul 6, 2012 | 8:12 pm
Quail are one of our favourite meats–occasionally we'll buy farm-raised birds but there's nothing like wild quail in flavour or excitement (they will explode out of the brush in front of you, the sound of a covey taking off is like nothing else). Not easy to hunt, tough little critters, and I must say you do feel like you've earned your dinner when you bring them home. I like them in any dish, but our party favourite is a paella with quail (or rabbit) and beans.
Jul 7, 2012 | 11:55 am


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Mandatory New Regulations: Staff Must Spy on Paranoid Schizophrenics in ICU
Taking care of paranoid schizophrenics presents unique challenges for medical personnel and families alike. This can be especially challenging when they ends up in the ICU. Recently the American psychiatric association in conjunction with the American association of critical care nurses came out with the following guidelines for the care of critically ill paranoid schizophrenics.
1. Additional monitoring equipment needs to be installed around the room. For example, cameras can be placed in the sprinkler system, on the IV pole, on the ventilator, or on the faucet. Extra ecg leads need to secured to all limbs and the trunk, the sound must be turned on. This way we can keep and eye on and an ear on them from multiple different angles at all times. A BIS monitor needs to be placed on their forehead so we can read their thoughts. This will undoubtedly soothe them and let them know we are watching and listening so they can feel extra safe.
2. The soothing voice of a loved one who has passed on can be extremely calming. We must work with families to try to obtain audio recordings of these deceased individuals. Once we do, we can place hidden speakers around the room and play these voices at various intervals throughout the day. This way the patients will know their dead relatives are rooting for them. It's so important to include the deceased in these efforts. 3. The monitor alarms must be turned up to maximum. This way, if the systolic blood pressure falls below 90 or the heart rate falls below 60 just as the patient falls asleep, they will be alerted immediately and wake up so they can be aware of the emergency. It can be so empowering to them to know their vital signs at all times.
4. Messages of love and hope must be embedded in their ekg, tracings, Aline waveforms and IV pumps alarms. Everyone needs a little hope.
5. Signs need to be placed around the room that say "we are watching you". This can be helpful in making the patients feel less lonely and to know they are cared for.
6. We do need to let them know which nurses and doctors are trying to kill them, and which medications are simply for mind control, just so they are aware and can take proactive measures and make informed decisions.
7. We must room them as close as possible to the fire alarm and conduct drills at least twice a day. That way, they know what the alarm sounds like, and they be confident that when there is a fire or bomb they will definitely hear the alarm.
8. We must schedule blood draws every 4 hours. They will feel so much better knowing their electrolytes haven't changed. And they can rest easy knowing that some of that blood will be sent off to government laboratories to conduct cloning experiments.
As I said earlier, caring for paranoid schizophrenics in the ICU presents unique challenges. These guidelines have been put forth to simplify the process and improve patient outcomes.


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If you've tried anything else from the Urban Decay Naked line – the Naked 2 Palette being my favourite – you'll know that they're pretty much all go-to items that make the every day make-up feel special. The Ultra Definition Pressed Finishing Powder is exactly that, merging the simple necessity of finishing your make-up with a dewy, fresh finish, and adding a hint of extra coverage.
The reason that this has gone down so well for me is that it works; it's that simple. My make-up stays put all day when I wear this, and although it does add a slight hint of extra coverage, there is in no way a chalky or drying residue. Somehow it seals everything in without flattening your make-up; as someone who always favours the fresh, dewy look, this is very important to me.
A bonus is the packaging. If you're treating somebody to this it comes in a pretty purple floral pouch and then the compact itself is a brilliant mix of sturdy but light. Having this in my handbag is no bother at all; I can be as rough as I like knowing that a) it won't break but b) it also won't open or spill everywhere. It opens out to reveal a second layer to store an applicator sponge, but I'm personally using the Real Techniques Blusher Brush to apply mine with lovely results.
One thing I'd say is to be sure you find your perfect match before you buy. This comes in 5 shades it's slightly more coverage than an average setting powder so a colour match is essential.
For a finely milled, silky texture, there's no longer a need to mince around with messy loose powders; Naked Skin have nailed the finishing touch of your base.
Naked Skin Ultra Definition Pressed Finishing Powder is £21.00 at Debenhams: www.debenhams.com.


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BCCS, an urban public charter school located in Dorchester,was founded in 1998 with a simple yet ambitious mission: to prepare eachstudent for college. We have grown from 120 students in grades 5 through 7 to over600 students in grades 5 through 12.
nemnet Minority Recruitment & Consulting Group Copyright. All Rights Reserved.


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Real Estate / Yard Signs
Whether it's one sign or hundreds of signs, put your name in front of prospective customers with eye-catching and attractive real estate or yard signs. Perhaps one of the most widely used, visible, and effective promotional type of signs around, these types of signs can advertise your business, sell your home, or, for campaign purposes, elect your local, state or federal politician! Depending on their intended use, real estate or yard signs come in various sizes, material options, decoration methods and more. Installation methods are just as varied. By utilizing simple sign stakes or frames you can quickly install and remove some of these signs around your local community (keeping local ordinances in mind, of course!). To draw the attention of a passersby, lawn signs can feature bold, high contrast colors and large fonts. If you're looking for something more durable and semi-permanent, choose a site sign that can be installed on posts set in the ground.
Post and Panel Signs
commonly used for business ID and campus style directional signs made from architectural grade materials available in custom sizes and shapes. Help compliment your business or organization with multiple paint and lettering colors.
Please contact us today and let us answer questions you may have about real estate, yard, or post and panel signs.


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Convenience vs. Security: Can there be a balance?
In a breakout session during The Internet of Finance: Innovation in Financial Services and Cyber Security Event, a question was posed to the audience about what was more important to them: convenience or security. People fidgeted and looked around uneasily, knowing as business and IT professionals that security should be their priority. Most people took the easy way out by answering "both" while a few hippies admitted to choosing convenience.
In Microsoft Partner, Office 365, Microsoft, Security, Convenience


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Our Tampa odyssey began early the Saturday morning preceding the convention. We arrived in Tampa around lunch time, and the airport was abuzz with arriving delegates and greeters from Tampa, including a barber shop quartet which serenaded arriving visitors. My wife and I grabbed the keys to our rental car and headed west to Safety Harbor, a small Tampa suburb where the Tennessee delegation would be holed up for the duration of the convention.
Upon our arrival to Safety Harbor, we checked into our hotel and then walked across the street to the Safety Harbor downtown area. Safety Harbor is a quaint and friendly town, and tourism drives the local economy. In some ways, it is a Mayberry style community where just about everything is in easy walking distance. Clearwater is the nearest mid-size town, and my wife and I enjoyed a casual stroll to Clearwater from Safety Harbor. We also walked to First Baptist, Safety Harbor the following day and worshiped with the local body of Christ.
One of my favorite aspects of the convention was the opportunity to strengthen and develop friendships. I was by far the youngest delegate from Tennessee (I am twenty-eight), so my wife and I struck up quite a few friendships with seasoned Republicans and staffers who were closer in age. We appreciated listening to great stories of Tennessee's GOP resurgence during delegation breakfasts and dinners. Particularly interesting were stories recounted by our Lieutenant Governor, Ron Ramsey, explaining how the GOP took control of the Tennessee legislature for the first time since Reconstruction. Ramsey's strategy included recruiting solid Republicans for races no one thought they could win. Ramsey along with the party chairman at that time, Bob Davis, (former advisor and campaign chairman to Fred Thompson) opted not to show these particular GOP candidates horrific poll numbers during the campaign. The Republican candidates pulled off big upsets and the GOP gained enough seats to realize a one vote majority in the Senate. However, one GOP Senator sold out conservatives and expressed his intention to caucus with Democrats to gain a committee chairmanship. Instead of dwelling over his imminent misfortune, Ramsey launched a stealth campaign to persuade a disaffected Democratic senator to break ranks with her colleagues and support the GOP leadership. The successful result of that effort launched the beginning of the Republican tsunami in Tennessee politics. The GOP captured the Senate and within four years controlled the House and Governor's mansion also. The funniest vignette was recounted by a long-time party operative reminiscing the 1980 convention in Detroit. At a party function in Detroit, a gigantic Tennessee-shaped ice sculpture, slid off a table, crashed through a high rise hotel window and (fortunately) smashed into a lower part of the building.
Occupiers a Non-factor
While the media loves spotlighting leftist protestors, I did not actually see a single protester until the last night of the convention. Three left wing radicals dressed as female genitalia held signs with leftist slogans. Though we often walked several blocks to the convention, I never saw or had any interaction with any other protesters. The protestors were a non-factor, and several protestors finally accepted this reality.
En route to the convention from Safety Harbor a massive Romney "Believe in America" flag flew outside a small business in Tampa. I remember thinking that a) over the last four years, I had never seen anything like that displayed for Obama and b) America would never see or hear anything about it from the mainstream media. But the flag, along with conservative billboards strategically located along the interstate definitely stood out and seemed much more effective to me than two or three college kids modeling bizarre costumes as a protest.
The Paulbots
The first day of the Convention the RNC held its roll call of state delegation vote totals. During the Presidential campaign, Ron Paul opted to suspend his campaign but announced he would try to win as many delegates as possible. This savvy strategy enabled Paul to increase his delegates at the RNC and influence and steer the party platform. In the future, I expect other GOP candidates to adopt this tactic. This development resulted in a large number of delusional Paul supporters arriving at the convention foolishly convinced they could pull of a miracle and nominate Ron Paul. I had gotten to know some Paulites while campaigning in Iowa in January. I admired many of their libertarian ideals including their tenacity and admiration for the Constitution, and I shared many of their concerns regarding our fiscal and economic crisis. However, many of them struck me as young, ignorant and lacking real-world understanding of global politics and international relations. They reminded me of the lost boys from Peter Pan: enthusiastic, energetic but not particularly bright. Many youthful supporters view Paul as some sort of a father figure (not necessarily a bad thing in itself), and their devotion is truly cult-like. To some Paulites, the man is a demigod deserving founding father status. This ridiculous notion demonstrates how little some Paulites truly understand our founding fathers and how much disregard (or ignorance) they have for modern-day conservatives who devotedly uphold and defend the Constitution. Regrettably, the obnoxiousness and juvenile behavior of the Paulites were loudly displayed during the first day of the convention during the role call. While Santorum and Newt delegates decisively unified and backed Romney, Paulites never outwardly demonstrated any party unity even while the RNC went to great lengths to ameliorate their grievances by generously extending an invitation for Sen. Rand Paul to speak (Rand delivered an excellent speech by the way) and by playing a Ron Paul tribute video. Several Paulites demonstrated an intense desire to be heard but no desire to listen to opposing conservative viewpoints or find common ground. For the libertarian movement to have a significant impact on the GOP, they are going to have to engage in constructive dialogue with Republicans and find common ground. In essence, they need to follow the younger Paul's leadership and example.
Noteworthy Speeches
I didn't actually get to hear Ann Romney or Chris Christie's speech live as I left the convention that night to help work an after-party event. However, I watched Ann Romney's speech later that night on Right Scoop, and it was outstanding. Several GOP women who watched the speech thought it was very effective and would resonate with women voters.
In addition to Ryan and Romney, Mia Love, Secretary Condi Rice, Gov. Susanna Martinez and Sen. Marco Rubio gave particularly noteworthy speeches. Their stories were truly American and showed the promise of America available to those willing to work hard and overcome obstacles. Rice's argument that education is the civil rights issue of our day was right on target. In Tennessee with strong Republican majorities, we have a great opportunity to lead the nation in reforming education and making school choice available to students and parents. I am optimistic we will make school choice available to lower AND middle income families. I loved how Martinez explained the moment she realized she was a Republican. If Romney wins in November, it will result from many Americans realizing they are Republicans and understanding that the Democratic party has failed the country. Rubio's life story is all-American, and few Republicans can articulate conservatism better than he can. I am optimistic that the responsibility of Senate Majority Leader lies ahead for Marco Rubio.
Watching Paul Ryan deliver his convention speech, I couldn't resist thinking I was watching a young Ronald Reagan circa 1965. He embodies Reagan's conservatism, charisma, passion for America, powerful intellect, Midwestern roots, optimism and smooth speaking style. Ryan eloquently articulated that Obama had failed and announced the moment to elect the adults in the room had arrived. He convincingly argued Americans ought to choose a leader who had actually turned disastrous organizations around and developed a proven record of accomplishment. One of his most memorable lines compared Obama's presidency to a faded Obama poster belonging to a kid who can't find a job and move on from living with his parents. The line spawned an excellent ad by Crossroads.
I've seen several media reports that viewership of the RNC plunged 31% in comparison to 2008. These reports are very misleading. They fail to take into account that many people watch the news online far more than they did four years ago, and this is especially true for younger Americans. My wife and I fall into that category. We don't have cable or even local news. We watch virtually everything from our computer (which we can run through our tv). My wife and I now watch our favorite shows online, and we watched several of the convention speeches again on Right Scoop. With less household income, many Americans are abandoning cable and finding alternative methods to access media. Pew Research reported in January 2011, that 41% of Americans rely on the internet as their primary news source. This is 17 points higher than 2007. Does anyone seriously think this trend has actually declined over the last 19 months? With the introduction of tablets and more Americans switching to iPhones and Android smart phones, it seems very unlikely. In fact, I'd be willing to bet the trend has accelerated. The trend is cross-generational. For example, my 70 year old grandmother and 53 year-old father have tablets, while I do not. Suffice it to say, the drive-by media narrative that RNC viewership has plunged is likely a farce or at least grossly exaggerated. If anything, the media completely ignores the complexity of Americans relying more on the internet and new technology for their news.
The Clint
Full disclosure: I am a huge Eastwood fan. While I love his westerns, my favorite Eastwood movie is "Where Eagles Dare." His "conversation" with America will go down in history as either amazingly brilliant and effective or hopelessly inept depending on the Presidential outcome. His dialogue was very intentional, pointed and quite hilarious at times. He had the audience eating out of his hand. The chair prop completely surprised Team Romney, but Mitt watched it backstage and apparently thought it was funny. Eastwood primarily wanted to talk to independents and Obama 2008 voters, and he dropped some serious bombs on Obama. The way he entered the stage even looked intentional. I cannot believe no one else has noticed or commented on his entrance. Every other RNC speaker I remember seeing walked on stage from a particular side. Not Clint. He centered himself backstage and walked directly forward. This added several steps to his entrance, and it looked like he was walking into a town ready for a gunfight. Simply put, his entrance itself was epic. His line "When someone isn't doing the job, we've got to let [him] go" struck me as poignant and essentially summed up the election. Whatever one thinks of Eastwood's performance, the fact that Obama hastily fired off a 12:30 AM tweet in reply signaled he thought Eastwood's message resonated with Americans and merited a response. As Legal Insurrection aptly pointed out, that was not a tweet from a confident man. One observer from the American Thinker correctly compared Eastwood to an old respected Grandpa that says things no one else in the family wants to say but probably needs to say. You really just need to read the American Thinker analysis, because it is very convincing. I also think Mark Steyn at National Review sums up Eastwood's performance quite well.
Romney's Acceptance Speech
Mitt Romney gave a terrific speech. His non-standard entrance into the arena reflected outside-the-box thinking. Instead of entering the stage from behind a curtain like a movie star, Romney emerged from a tunnel, gave hugs and shook a lot of hands as he made his way to the podium. The entrance conjured up images of a President about to give the State of the Union address. Romney appeared simultaneously Presidential and populist. He gave a easy to understand conservative comeback plan which included lowering the tax burden on families and small businesses, repealing and replacing Obamacare and moving America to complete energy independence to jump start the economy. The liberal media immediately attacked the plan as vague and short on specifics. This attack line is standard operating procedure when liberals find themselves unable to argue against conservatism or point out any inaccuracies. Remember this criticism originated from the same liberal media which expressed endless news stories of praise, admiration and love for Obama, the man who inexplicably promised to lower the sea levels and heal the planet. I never remember hearing demands for specifics from the media sycophants after Obama delivered that speech riddled with absurdity and empty promises. After pointing out that every American president (with the exceptions of Carter and Obama) over the last several decades could accurately argue that life was better for Americans than when they'd assumed office, Romney made a very simple, reachable, and in light of his record, a reliable promise: he would make life better for Americans and their families.
A Night to Remember
One particular exciting memory in Tampa occurred Wednesday night. As an alternate delegate, I had a great seat about 15-20 rows almost directly from the stage. Only primary delegates sit on the floor. The pros are that primary delegates are closer to the stage and are afforded more opportunities to meet VIPs. It's unquestionably the most exciting place to watch the convention. The down side is that the seating isn't layered, so you may see an awful lot of the back of people's heads. However, the camera guys are always working the delegate floor, so delegates usually appear on national television for reaction shots. Most delegates are older, distinguished party and elected officials. Wednesday night, I was sitting in the nosebleeds (spouses of alternates and guests are assigned the worst seats) with my wife minding my own business when I received an urgent text instructing us to get down to the delegate section ASAP for a photo op by the Tennessee sign with our local county delegation. We hustled down for the photo op and some of the primary delegates and our Tennessee liaison on the floor devised a strategy to get us past the ushers on the floor. The scheme worked masterfully. Amazingly, the ushers let us through. After our photo op, it suddenly dawned on us. We're already on the floor. Why in the world would we go back to the nosebleeds? While the ushers stringently enforced access to the floor, they didn't police the delegates already on the floor. Also to our good fortunate, many Tennessee delegates did not attend Wednesday nite (Thursday night is a different story—everybody and their mom showed up for Romney's speech). So my wife and I sat in the very back section of our delegation area on the floor and watched Paul Ryan deliver a fabulous speech. I fired off a text to my family informing them we'd made it to the floor. If they were going to see us on national television, this was the night. To our surprise, we appeared not once, but twice on national television. My twitter, facebook and cell phone began blowing up almost immediately. Several friends photographed screenshots on their television and posted it to facebook and twitter. In a way, we shared the experience with them, and it became a very special night.
VIP Encounters
Tuesday night, my wife and I helped with an after-party for Tennessee delegates honoring our excellent Lieutenant Governor, Ron Ramsey. Gov. Rick Perry stopped by for about 30 minutes to express his thanks for Ramsey's strong support during the primary. The opportunity to meet and grab a photo with Perry was memorable. In January, I campaigned for him in Iowa, and I was in the same room in Charleston, South Carolina when he announced his withdrawal from the race. Perry built an exceptional record of accomplishment in Texas, and I'm hopeful he will re-emerge onto the national stage and helped steer the country toward conservatism.
The day Perry announced his withdrawal from the campaign, I became an undecided GOP voter. That night, the GOP hosted its umpteenth Presidential debate in Charleston, and I managed to gobble up some tickets for me and my wife and parents who had arrived in the Columbia area earlier in the day to campaign for Perry prior to his announced withdrawal. We all entered the debate as undecideds, but we left as Santorum fans. We thought Santorum dominated the debate, and that may have been another pivotal moment that he solidified support among a large bloc of conservatives. After returning to Tennessee, I contacted our party chairman (who is a friend) and informed him I was backing Santorum and willing to serve as a delegate for him should the need arrive. Santorum later won Tennessee comfortably. On Thursday morning, Rick Santorum stopped by our delegation breakfast and gave a stirring speech explaining the stakes of this election for America. He declared America was about to have the most important elections of our lifetimes, and I could tell he truly meant it. Santorum showed great kindness patiently meeting with delegates and posing for pictures. I appreciated the opportunity to snap a picture with him.
Here's a good reason why you always should be kind to staffers and party planners: they have the power to arrange memorable opportunities for you if they like you. Thursday morning, our delegation held a luncheon recognizing our Governor (Bill Haslam). Senator Lamar Alexander (a legend in Tennessee politics) was sitting near the front of the room at one of the VIP tables. Apparently, not all seats were going to be filled at his table, so a friend working the event asked us to sit at his table. I ended up sitting next to Alexander and thoroughly enjoyed conversing with him. We talked quite a bit about school choice (an issue near and dear to my heart as I have two young children), and I asked him about the back story of his unusual swearing in as governor (Alexander was sworn in three days early to replaced a notably corrupt Ray Blanton who incidentally landed on RealClearPolitics Ten Most Corrupt Politician's List for accepting bribes to pardon vicious murderers. Alexander developed an excellent reputation as governor (brought Nissan and GM to our state) and took many steps to move Tennessee in a positive, conservative direction (although I wish he would lead as a solid conservative in the US Senate).As we prepared to fly back to Nashville, a friend informed me he had just met Karl Rove. I turned around and sure enough there he was. I walked over to "the Architect," shook his hand and told him I enjoyed his book Courage & Consequence. Spotting my Army National Guard computer bag, Rove told me he appreciated me also. While Rove's political analysis and commentary often drives me crazy, I deeply respect and appreciate him for the daily beatings by the drive-by media he absorbed on behalf of President Bush and conservatives for the years he worked in the White House. Many conservatives fail to realize the toll that takes on our leaders and their families.
Parting Thoughts
These experiences just don't present themselves very often in normal, everyday life, but they occurred almost routinely in Tampa. I'm hopeful that, looking back, Tampa 2012 will mirror Detroit 1980. America desperately needs competent, principled leadership. I'm praying God will extend his mercy on our nation and allow us to end the Obama malaise in November. But I'm confident we will have to work very hard to accomplish this objective. My family and I are planning to campaign in a swing state for Romney. This election may be decided by a razor thin margin analogous to Bush-Gore in 2000. I agree completely with the sentiment Santorum expressed earlier in the week: our children will look back at this election and ask us what we did on behalf of our country. I hope to answer we worked as hard as possible to impact the outcome to preserve life, liberty and the pursuit.


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Drew Goddard Will Direct 'Spider-Man' Reboot, Iron Man Will Reportedly Appear
Marvel is moving forward with their plans to reboot Spider-Man, and that starts with the hiring of a pretty damn talented director.
Cabin in the Woods helmer Drew Goddard will both write and direct the reboot, named Spectacular Spider-Man after the comic book series of the same name, according to Latino Review. The plan is to reportedly release a trilogy of Spidey films over three consecutive summers.
Although no official announcement from Marvel has been made, some other rumored details have been revealed about the project:
First and foremost is that this movie will not, I repeat NOT, be an origin story. Peter Parker is already Spider-Man at the start of the film, which thankfully saves us from having to sit through a third take on an origin everyone knows inside and out already.
Secondly, the actor Marvel hires to take over for Andrew Garfield will be expected to grow up in the role, as the expectation is that this new Spidey franchise will feature a series of trilogies that allows for the actors and character to mature before our eyes, not unlike the Harry Potter series. This would seem to rule out Logan Lerman and Dylan O'Brien, who were rumored to be the two major frontrunners for the role last month. Of course, that isn't to say that neither actor could convincingly play a high schooler, but it seems Marvel wants an actor closer to high school age, for the Harry Potter effect.
Thirdly, but perhaps most importantly, the film will feature Iron Man. Reportedly, part of the film's plot will focus on Spidey auditioning to be an Avenger, a task which involves fighting Iron Man directly, since every Avengers movie apparently needs to feature Avengers fighting each other for one reason or another, I guess. What bolsters the likelihood of this particular tidbit being true is that Robert Downey Jr. teased a "big announcement" on Twitter last week. Granted, he said the announcement wouldn't be revealed until March 5, so if this is true, it appears the formal announcement will come on Thursday.
Lastly, the performance of this first Spider-Man film will decide whether Marvel moves forward with the proposed spinoffs. The Aunt May spinoff that everyone thought was a bad idea is now officially dead in the water, but the studio might still move forward with the Sinister Six film. I would imagine part of it would also depend on how well the Suicide Squad movie does over at Warner Bros., since it will be the first film to test the waters as to whether or not audiences will flock to see a movie centered entirely around supervillains.
In short, it's looking like Marvel has a clear plan for this new Spider-Man franchise, one which will try to start Spidey off on the right foot. It shouldn't be an uphill battle for the character, but considering the lukewarm fan response for The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, Spider-Man could probably use every advantage he can get. And if that means a younger actor, an appearance by Spider-Man, and a pre-reboot introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (the character is expected to first appear in Captain America: Civil War), then all the better. Spider-Man is easily my favorite superhero, so I'm really excited to see how a big screen franchise for the web-slinger turns out, now that it's in Marvel's hands.
But what do you think? Is the Spider-Man franchise headed in the right direction? Will it be a success, or is a second reboot in one decade too much? Which actor should be cast in the lead? Sound off in the comments!


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I started feeling better from having my wisdom teeth out on St. Patrick's Day! My mom made us from fancy French press coffee and then we went to St. Vincent's to pick up some art supplies. While there I spotted a Scooby Doo Mystery Machine suitcase! I was so tempted! I also found a really cool children's book called The Marvelous Journey Through the Night. When we got back I was happy to see some tulips sprouting through the ground!
I played more of that addicting Stardew Valley game in the afternoon. Then Ryan picked me up so we could go out and about on the square before the St. Patrick's Day parade. We went to a chocolate shop called Chocolate Temptations to get a butter rum latte and to the candy store Rainbow Confections for a chocolate peanut butter sundae. Yum!! We walked around the square while waiting for the parade. The sky was such a pretty blue!
The parade was adorable and exactly what I expected it to be!
The day was a little too windy for this leprechaun!
Ryan caught me a Jimmy John's sandwich! I love their little baby sample sizes! Sometimes I wish I could just order this size normally!
Then there was this fellow at the end of the parade! No idea what he felt the need for...
Ryan and I traveled around the square some more to enjoy the day. Although it was chilly, the sky was so gosh darn blue and beautiful! :)
In the evening there were no males in our house so we decided to have a girl's night! My mom, sister, and I did facials, pedicures, and manicures while listening to happy music and drinking oblong tea. It was so great to just relax and have girl talk. My mom painted Easter egg-like designs on my nails in honor of the upcoming holiday!
The following morning I tried really hard to work on anatomy since I've fallen behind in the readings. My method of taking notes is very time consuming! I finally finished the chapter on the lymphatic system yesterday and in total it took nearly eight hours!! They are extremely detailed though.
In the afternoon, Ryan and I went to Walmart to pick up some eggs to dye along with some pasta for lunch! While there we noticed that this guy snuck in too!
We made a very packaged meal with noodles and jarred sauce. We added a lot of spices to try and give the sauce more flavor, which worked a little bit. One of the many things I want to do this summer is make tomato sauce from scratch!
Next year once I actually have a kitchen I imagine pasta will become a staple because noodles are so inexpensive! Finding a variety of sauces will be key to keeping it interesting.
We gave a little to the dogs as well, which made them very happy!
Then we made a treat that I was inspired from by a pin on Pinterest: sherbet floats! You take any flavor of sherbet that suits your fancy and then add ginger ale on top! It's the best thing ever!!
After eating so much, we decided it would be a good idea to get out for a bit. We went to a nearby park to take nature photos. Although the day was bleak and I wasn't expecting much, some of them turned out really well! Prepare for photo-mania...
Now some glamour shots of a playground...
After taking nearly 200 photos between the two of us, we decided to spend the rest of our time together swinging on the swings. It was super relaxing and we talked about a lot of important things and shared quite a few laughs as well.
I'm back at school now, and getting back into the swing of college has been slow but I'm getting there!! I hope your weeks are going well!
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Hi my name is Emilee and these are my adventures as a young adult living in Milwaukee. Here I will share my experiences as I navigate through college. Thanks for stopping by!


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HST Campaign Poster "Thompson for Sheriff" Women's T-Shirt
The Battle of Aspen is where it all began.... with Hunter's 1970 article for Rolling Stone entitled "Freak Power (in the Rockies)"... detailing Joe Edwards (lawyer, biker, non-conformist) run for mayor of Aspen, Colorado.
This was the turning point that began HST on a path of disobedient civil service... albeit short-lived (who could stand themselves being a politician anyway?!?)... this was what introduced Gonzo to the ideology that even a 'head' could be (should be) president in these crazy times!
After all, there are good reasons that unlikely anti-heroes like Hunter Thompson, Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys, and Jon Stewart gain slight political aspirations... they all want to see real change, and they happen to find themselves in a position to actually further that ideal... despite their seamy backgrounds, ethics and abuses... all it takes to gain political office, is approval.
No matter what drugs you're on, if the people agree with your platform, you can win... and the "Freak Power" platform in 1970 was actually a serious political direction for millions of younger hippies during the backlash of the Vietnam war (a 15 year war at that point, since 1955).
Now of course, I'm not taking into account political corruption... which is exactly why Thompson didn't win... the old money would never let youngblood slip through the front door like that, they banned together and did everything in their power to make sure the freaks stayed outside.
While there's much more I could mention about this unusual American historical event... I'll leave you with one of Thompsons brilliant political moves, illustrating his savant and iconoclastic nature: During the campaign, Thompson shaved his head bald and would publicly refer to the crew-cut ex-military Republican incumbent as, "My long-haired opponent".
HST is one of the few famous people that actually deserves to be remembered...
unfortunately there's No Sympathy for The Devils Rejects!


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Doriane Lambelet Coleman
For Doriane Lambelet Coleman, the path to Cornell and track stardom went through Villanova University. Coleman, a New York State 880-yard champion in high school, was offered a track scholarship by Villanova.
"I didn't know about financial aid," says Coleman, who was from a single-parent family in rural Woodstock, New York. "I thought I needed a scholarship to go to college."
Villanova got itself a fine runner when it recruited Coleman — she ran the then-world's fastest time over 600 yards and finished in the top five in the 880 yards at the Collegiate Nationals in 1979 — but she was dissatisfied.
"I decided to transfer to Cornell early in my freshman year," remembers Coleman, " I was looking for a better balance between academics and athletics."
She found it at Cornell. During her three years in Ithaca, Coleman was a multiple Heps (Heptagonals — the Ivy League's track championships) winner and All-American, and her 1500-meter mark of 4:22.46 at the 1982 Outdoor Heps endures as the fourth-best all-time. Her crowning athletic achievement at Cornell was winning the 1982 national 800-meter indoor track championship.
Coleman found an academic home at Cornell as well. "When I transferred to Cornell," she recalls, "I was committed to continuing to excel as a student and as an athlete. I knew I didn't have time to do everything college students typically do, so I focused on studying, running, eating, and sleeping."
Her regime worked. Coleman graduated in 1982, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree with concentrations in Biopsychology and Soviet Studies, and did well enough to later gain admission to the Georgetown University Law Center. "I loved my time at Cornell," she says. "I got a superb education and had a good collegiate athletic experience in an extraordinarily beautiful and serene setting."
But first Coleman tried her hand as an international track athlete. She moved to Switzerland and trained for the Swiss national team (she is a dual citizen) while working for the International Olympic Committee Museum in Lausanne. While she found some success — Coleman won two Swiss national 800-meter championships — she became bored. "It was difficult for me to remain 100 percent committed because I didn't see myself breaking into the top 10 in the world, where the real rewards are."
Coleman kept running but applied to law school, and started at Georgetown in 1985. "My first year I just ran to keep in shape, and then competed in regional events." Competing and attending law school caused Coleman to realize how "difficult it is to balance high level athletics with high level academic and professional work." She continued to compete until 1992, but her focus was now on the law.
She became editor of the Georgetown Law Review (an honor reserved for top students), and received her degree in 1988. Coleman then joined the prestigious Washington, D.C. law firm Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, where she was a litigator. While she loved her work, Coleman found herself drawn to "intellectual ideas rather than the day-to-day work of litigation." She also wanted children, which she felt was incompatible with the life of a Washington lawyer. So she became a law professor, and now teaches at Duke University.
Coleman's area of interest is children and the law, specifically the "extent to which the state has a proper role to play in the family, to ensure that children are safe, healthy and educated," she explains. Coleman's currently working on "the legal implications of using children as research subjects, and of using healthy children as organ donors for their ill siblings. The role of law is unsettled here," she says.
Running just to stay in shape now, Coleman is training for the Charlotte half-marathon. "I'm running with a bunch of Duke students, staff, and faculty," she explains," we're raising money for the student loan repayment fund."
This story was written by Stephen Eschenbach in 2006 in conjunction with the Ivy@50 celebration.


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Before Repost Friday which features Scoop, my old kitty who died two years ago, 2 notices:
I will be sharing top internet research tips over 2 free talks at the Monash University Open Day tomorrow on Saturday 22nd May.
The focus is on helping pre-university students learn quick ways of getting good information online - and on how to get credit for online research from teachers.
Rather than a lecture, most of each session will be devoted to allowing participants to get hands-on experience. Each person will have access to a PC and Net connection.
As I am a writer who is also hoping to promote my books, each session will be followed by a book signing session for my two books Katz Tales and Logomania. See previews by clicking on the images to the right of this post.
The sessions are:
11.00-11.45: Getting to the Goodies: Finding Useful Resources Online
1.30- 2.15: Evaluating Information Found Online
Seats are limited so it's first come, first serve. Doors close for each session so don't be late.
Location: Monash University, Jalan Lagoon Selatan,Bandar Sunway, 46150, Selangor, www.monash.edu.my, tel: 03 5514 6000
Also, I got this message that Rocky, a rescued dog from Batu Caves area, is looking for a good home. He's very sweet, vaccinated, dewormed etc but not yet neutered (cos he's too small) If you're interested, please contact EE LYNN: 013 228 6812 And here's Scoop! This repost is from 9th April 2007.
or EUGENE LEE: 012 316 0954 eugene.t.lee AT aya.yale.edu
Bedroom BoxWhen our 10 year old washing machine collapsed a few weeks ago, we bought a big cardboard box for the cats... and the shop gave us a washing machine to go with it. At least, that's how Scoop and Au see it.
The cats already have their box on the landing upstairs. Although it's meant for both, Au is the one who spends most time in it. He prefers to walk into a box and close the flap behind him. Scoop will play in it, but usually only when Au is there to join in.
Both cats investigated the monster box when it first arrived but the shine went off it some days ago. I was going to move it downstairs and hand it over to the recycling man, but was caught redhanded by Scoop.
When he saw me moving the box downstairs, he blocked the way and scolded me with a loud YOW!! Yik Praw Yow!
Apologising profusely I put it in his room on the bed and he's now lying in it, determined not to let this treasure out of his sight.
Clearly this is HIS box!


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Category: Lauren's posts
Lauren, the bio engineering student came to Gothenburg in 2012, in order to work in the lab of Dr. Gunnar C. Hansson. There they study cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease, she was diagnosed with at three months of age. During her first semester, she had the opportunity to visit Stockholm and attend the Nobel Award Ceremony. Read her posts


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Swatches: Hard Candy Glossaholic Sequin Saturated Shine Lip Glosses in Chill Out and Fireball8:00 AM
I am a Glossaholic...need proof? Look above - that's one drawer full of lip glosses. This isn't included the numerous glosses strewn throughout the 3-5 randomly placed purses in my house, car and office. Yes, I am a Glossaholic and I know it.
Saying that, it was only appropriate that I picked up two of the Hard Candy Glossaholic Sequin Saturated Shine Lip Glosses at Walmart about a week ago. From the Hard Candy website:
"SUPER HUGE MEGA WATT LIPS One dip covers your lips! Ginormous applicator with gloss cup deposits gloss to your whole mouth in one swipe! These super lustrous lip glosses are infused with prisms of color that make lips appear fuller and plumper. Out of this world hyper-reflective prisms of pearl make lips sparkle like crazy! Feeling tired or wired? Two Glossaholic sparkling clear top coats are infused with mood altering elixirs to help you Chill Out or Rise & Shine! – You can wear alone or as a top coat. "
(this is with the flash - see all the foilies in it?)
These are called Sequin Saturated because of the foiled effect of the gloss. I love this type of glitter in my nail polishes (think Sally Hansen "Hidden Treasure"), and thought it might be a neat effect in a lipgloss as well. The pictures of the applicators below give you a good idea as to the amount of the foil in the actual product - sometimes looking at the full tube (above) can be a bit intimidating. Don't let it fool you - these are very, very wearable.
Swatches on the skin and lips below. The swatches on the skin are pretty generous, so you get more of a feel for the color against skintone. On the lips it is one swipe. You'll notice on the lips you don't get a lot of color. Obviously, adding a little more will give you somewhat of a *pop* of color in the Fireball, but it's not over-the-top. I was actually surprised to find that it was as sheer as it was. To be honest, this would look nice on top of a lipstick - not only is the gloss very shiny, but I think the foils would stand out better against more of an opaque background of a lipstick, versus my actual lips.
Now, onto the little surprise. If you remember above, the description online mentioned a "Ginormous applicator". Yes, ginormous is a word, but we'll address that at another time. The applicator...is...HUGE. Look at it below compared to a "normal" sized doe-foot applicator! Isn't that unbelievable? This is why I was apply to apply just one coat above. At first, this was very intimidating to me, but really it just takes a bit of getting used to. On a side note, for those of you Avon lovers out there, the new Avon SuperSHOCK Liquid Lipshines have the same, enormous, applicator. I need to post about the colors I picked up, but that's for a later date.
Well, what do you think? Are you going to pick up these lip glosses? Retail price is $5 a piece, so really not bad considering the size and amount of product. Of course, you do have to deal with the dreaded Walmart, but sometimes you just have to, right?
1 comments
I find it a pity to throw my lip glosses away without hardly having used it, that's why I buy lip glosses when one of my lip glosses are almost finished or it has to be some lip gloss that I really really want, then I'll definitely buy it. At the moment I have 6 lip glosses and there are lipsticks and tinted lipbalms in my beautycase, so I think that's more then enough for now. The Fireball looks great on your lips. I'm using the Supershock Liquid Lipshine from Avon and I love the oversized applicator; you can put on your lip gloss in a fast way. Sometimes I don't have time to do makeup; this lip gloss is very handy to still get some beautiful color on your face.ReplyDelete


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Welcome to Casa Rocca Piccola! One of the last noble still lived palace in Valletta. This house is lived by an ancient Maltese family and his history goes up again to 400 years ago when the Riders of St. John decide ...Read More »
Malta climate: when to go to Malta
Malta is an island located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, which has a mild and warm climate, typically Mediterranean, the main features of the Maltese climate are the long dry summers and the short and humid winters. The ...Read More »
Malta tourist attractions: what to see in Malta
Malta, due to its location, has always been a bridge between the European and African cultures, the island has exceptional prehistoric monuments and medieval fortifications, and interesting natural attractions, but the main tourist attraction is due to its sea. The ...Read More »
Malta: fortifications, prehistoric remains and sea
Malta (Republic of Malta/Repubblika ta' Malta) is a parliamentary republic located in the central Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily between 36° and 35° north latitude. The country is made up of an archipelago, which consists of the islands of Malta, ...Read More »


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Another Charlaine Harris series has made it to the small screen in the form of Midnight, Texas. The show premiered last Monday on NBC. It follows the mysterious adventures of Manfred Bernardo, psychic extraordinaire, as he parks his RV in Midnight. Manfred is played by François Arnaud, who is a favorite actor of mine. The story has many interesting elements and supernatural creatures. I've been a tad jaded with supernatural and fantasy shows lately. I gave up on Once Upon a Time because they were dragging out so many storylines. Midnight, Texas made a good first impression on me and here is why.
- The visuals of the show were not bad. I liked how they made the ghosts look. Also, the props and buildings for the town gave it a rugged and mysterious look.
- Excepting two characters, I was interested in the cast. I'm looking forward to seeing the characters revealed and their stories. The talking cat was especially sassy.
- I'm biased, but I love François Arnaud. He always gives a great performance as a mysterious character.
- Charlaine Harris adds the supernatural to mundane life in a unique way. Midnight, Texas has the same fun and quirky feel as True Blood. Yes, I know that show went off the rails, but the books were amazing. The feel of the show is great so far.
- The pace of the show is well done. I don't know if it will keep the pace, but it gets all the good plot points in and also develops back stories. It's not crowded with too much fluff.
- Manfred is not an over the top powerful being, nor is he a weakling. I like the balance of that and it gives room for Manfred to grow.
Overall, my first impression of the show is great. It is NBC so I'm worried about the lifespan of the show. I will hope for the best. Check out Midnight, Texas if you have the time!
About Mandi Harris
Mandi is a would-be writer who enjoys nerdy things. She lives in Georgia but she wishes to live many other places as well. Just not anywhere with a zombie infestation. Thanks to books, games, and movies she can live many lives. She hopes she can share with you all her favorite nerd things.


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all muslim are not terrorist. but all terrorists are muslims
Reader comment on item: Sudden Jihad or "Inordinate Stress" at Ft. Hood?
Submitted by vigilant (United States), Nov 9, 2009 at 10:53
I will not spend much time on this maligned thought that all people have some good in them and they are not responsible for the destruction and killling and grand wholelsale slaughter of many because they had a bad hair day. Until this nation wakes up to the fact tha on 9-11, one of the most if not the most horriic of evil and contemplated planned out jihads against a nation because they exist in Christian faith and not Islamic triubnals who decide who is and who is not evil in the name of a mortal man who existed over thousands of years ago and denied the deity of the ONE TRUE GOD OF ALL CREATION, HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. for a man who was so mortal he led a movement contrived in hate and tyranny against all humanity in the name of the god called ALLah. Not the God of the prophets and men who were called by God to teach peace and fredom of worship to all men and not guillty and despised by men who claim to have been prophets of the true GOD OF ALL CREATION, but the figament and disposable element that their god muhammed was to be followed by all mankind and if not they were to be held without any pity or compassion until the bowed to this god who was proven to be nothing but the devil himself when in the Bible he was challenged and found to be without CLAIM.
ANY MASS ORDER THAT FORCES IT'S OWN PERSONAL RELIGON ON OTHERS IS NOT OF THE LORD GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC NOR JACOB. THAT WAS LAID BEFORE THE VERY FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH. MUHAMMED DIED AND IS DEAD! JESUS CHRIST WAS BORN DIED ON CRUEL CROSS AT THE HANDS OF ROME AND ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY AND LIVES TO COME AGAIN SOON! i would like to make the claim that I worship a forgiving and living Savior who died to make ,men free from tyranny of those evil doers who GOD has said will reap what they have sown 10 times the worklng so their evil ways and I WILL SAY TO THESE SONS OF ISMAEL...DEPART FROM ME I NEVER KNEW YOU." blessings in the name of the LORD GOD.
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To explain it with a formal definition Money is :
Anything that is accepted as a way of exchange to buy products and services
The basics mechanics of the whole monetray system are invisible. Many individuals take money for granted when they are spending it. So when you walk in a restaurant, shop or anywhere. Whatever it is, these pieces of paper along them can assist them anywhere. So why on earth are some green pieces of paper able to get you what you want . Why would a shop keeper be willing to give you a piece of the tasty donuts it had made with all the resources and handwork put in it for some few pieces of paper ? Sounds absurd. But the answer to these questions is what MONEY really is :
A means of Payment
A store of Value
A unit of Account
Money as Means of Payment or Medium of Exchange
These piece of papers play a vital role in working with the market economy. The mere thought of its absence makes you feel what alternative can you use to have what you want . Well yes ! there was an alternative to a monetary economy which was called the BARTER SYSTEM.
In this system, you have to find someone who can give you the products that you want. And that someone must be willing to trade for the goods that you have. For example if you want flour and egg, You have to find someone who is willing to buy the meat and vegetables you are willing to trade for. So there needs to be a double coincidence of wants to make the trade possible.
In a dynamic and complex society with so many products and goods, barter system requires a tireless effort. This effort is simply eliminated by having a kind of medium of exchange where you do not have to worry about finding someone willing to trade for. In a monetary system, Money is that medium of exchange which works as the means of payments for the products you require. This is the element that performs the function of the market economy.
A Store of Value
Among other roles of money , economist also consider Money as store of Value. For example if you raise alot of cats and sell them more than the immediate amount you want to consume. Than you can keep that money until the time you want to use it again. Thus , the value of those kittens is stores in the shape of Money that can be used. What benefits you as a store of value of Money is such that you can keep the surplus amount to buy more products in future. There are many other reasons that money is considered to b more feasible than a barter system.
- Money is Portable.
- You are not trading or compromising any of your other good to buy another.
This also brings you to the notion that Money is more liquid form of transaction. Thus,
Disadvantage of Store of Value of Money
One of the main disadvantage of store of value of Money is that its VALUE falls with the passage of time when the prices of goods and services rise. Thus, the products you are able to buy before cannot be bought at the same price in future. In such a case it is better to utilize that store of value instead of keeping and lowering it value even more.
Unit of Account
Among other roles of Money – It is also a Unit of Account – a method of quoting prices. And these are quoted in monetary units. in other words, Money is a standard Unit of account which provides quoted prices to all products showing their worth in the economy. A book cost $90 and an orange cost $2. Infact, what else would you quote a product with except for money ?


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Healthcare in Gaza: The Waiting Game
The lives of Gaza patients hinge on Israel's whims
Sabreen Abu Sultan, 32, turns over in her hospital bed, howling in pain. She had two head surgeries in the past three months to remove a tumor that was blocking her vision. As she twists and turns in her bed, her mother, Khitam, 61, tries to comfort her.
Not far from the Abu Sultan family's room, on the same floor and ward at Makassed Charitable Hospital in the Mount of Olives area in East Jerusalem, 29-year-old Nasim Abu Tarabish lies in his bed with a bandaged nose, hardly able to speak.
Abu Tarabish also had a tumor pressing on his eyes and had to have it removed before it proved to be fatal. Next to him sits his father, Rafiq, 66.
The Abu Sultan family hails from Jabaliya in the Gaza Strip and the Tarabish family is from Gaza City. Hospitals in Gaza were not able to provide them with adequate medical treatment to save their lives, forcing them to transfer to more capable hospitals. But to leave Gaza and reach Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem or the West Bank, around 50 kilometers to the north, is not an easy task.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health says it is ready to provide critical Gaza patients with all-costs-paid transference papers to specialized hospitals in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
But in order to reach these hospitals, the patients have first and foremost have to obtain an exit permit from the Israeli occupation.
Such a permit, if ever received, would allow them to leave Gaza through its only exit point with Israel, the Erez crossing, to reach the West Bank or Jerusalem.
A 10-year Israeli military blockade, and Egypt to the South keeping shut the Rafah border crossing—Gaza Strip's only exit to its Arab neighbor—have contributed to the decline in health and other services in the world's most densely populated and impoverished coastal enclave.
Some 1.8 million people live in the 360 square kilometers Gaza Strip.
"Last October, doctors diagnosed a tumor in Sabreen's head that was pressing on her eyes and causing her lots of pain," says her mother, Khitam. "The doctors did not think that Gaza's hospitals were qualified to operate on her and therefore suggested to transfer her to Makassed Hospital in Jerusalem," she tells Newsweek Middle East.
In Abu Tarabish's case, the doctors in Gaza thought they could operate on him by removing the tumor with a head operation.
His father, who is a medic, did not agree because he knew that at Makassed they could remove the tumor through the nose rather than opening up his head, which has a better chance of success, according to the father.
Both families began immediate steps to get their children the proper papers to reach Makassed Hospital. They obtained hospital appointments, which for Sabreen was May 10 and for Nasim June 18. The next step was to get the Israeli military's permit and the procedure for that is relatively easy, but the outcome is never predictable.
The families sent their medical papers and appointment dates to the Palestinian Authority's Civil Coordination Office, which in turn sent them over to its Israeli counterpart to issue the patients a permit. All that the families could do now was wait.
Normally, the Israeli reply arrives a day prior to the appointment date and could be one of three: a rejection; a request for a meeting with the military officer at the crossing point; or an acceptance.
In Nasim's case, he was lucky and got an acceptance and therefore immediately travelled to Erez crossing and was able to reach Jerusalem in time for his hospital appointment.
But for Sabreen, the family was told to come for an interview with the military officer at Erez on May 9, a day prior to her hospital appointment.
"We went there on time but we got a rejection," Khitam says.
"We do not know why they rejected her application. No reason was given to us," she adds.
Meanwhile, as Sabreen's health deteriorated, her family scrambled to find a way and applied for another appointment in hopes to get a permit.
The new hospital appointment was set for June 2. But on June 1, the Israeli military handed them another rejection.
"I had no choice but to admit my daughter to Shifa Hospital in Gaza and demand that she gets an emergency transfer to Makassed," the mother says as she sits by her daughter's side.
Sabreen was put in an ambulance and taken to Erez crossing.
"We waited there for hours while people and organizations intervened and pressured the Israeli government to allow us to cross into Jerusalem," says Khitam.
Finally, the Israeli Shabac, the General Security Service (GSS), which has the sole responsibility of deciding who gets or does not get a permit, agreed to let them through but informed the mother and Sabreen very strictly that they were not to leave the hospital, not even to go and pray at Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Sabreen underwent an operation immediately upon arrival at the hospital and the tumor was removed from her head. But she lost sight in one of her eyes. Ten days later, the Abu Sultan family returned to Gaza. Sabreen later developed complications and was readmitted to Shifa hospital in Gaza. The hospital again referred her to Makassed for a follow-up appointment for August 4. Once more, her application to reach the hospital was rejected by the Israelis and the family was forced to follow the same measures as before and transfer Sabreen in an ambulance to Erez checkpoint, which worked and Sabreen made it to Makassed Hospital on time for her appointment.
Other patients in Gaza trying to reach a hospital in Jerusalem, the West Bank or even Jordan or Israel suffer a great deal to get there, and the majority do not even make it.
"Between 25 percent and 30 percent of Gaza's patients wishing to come to Makassed or any other hospital outside Gaza for treatment had their application for an exit permit rejected," Rafiq Husseini, director of Makassed Hospital, tells Newsweek Middle East.
"The only excuse we hear is that there is a security ban against them but no one really knows what the security reason is," he adds.
In its monthly report on the referral of Gaza patients to other hospitals outside the Gaza Strip, the World Health Organization (WHO)'s office in the Palestinian territories says that three out of 10 patients were denied or delayed permit to exit Gaza.
"Of 2,105 applications for permits submitted by patients to exit Gaza through Erez checkpoint for hospital appointments in June, 69.31 percent were approved," the report states. "209 patients (9.93 percent) were denied, including 6 children and 10 elderly persons over 60 years." In addition, 437 patients (20.76 percent) received no response to their applications, including 135 children and 45 elderly people over 60. The report adds that 39 patients were ordered to go for GSS interviews at the Erez crossing in June. Only two were approved.
WHO says there was a decline in Israeli approvals for patients' permit applications, and an increase in delays after July 2015.
"Delays were higher in 2016 compared to the 2015 average, possibly due to an increase in GSS requests for security interviews. Denials [for the permits] have been increasing since the beginning of the year."
WHO has reported cases in the past in which a patient died while waiting for a permit to reach hospitals outside Gaza.
Every patient is also allowed only one companion to travel with him or her; but that companion should be old and a first degree relative, such as a father or mother.
In some instances, the GSS would approve the transfer of a patient and not the companion.
The WHO says the approval rate for patient companions' permit applications was 58 percent in June.
In one case, Israel arrested a father of a 2.5-year-old boy as they were returning to Gaza after the son was taken to a hospital in Israel to donate bone marrow for his younger brother, who was getting treatment at that hospital.
The father was arrested and held for 15 days but then released without any charges. The boy was left at Erez crossing alone for several hours until his family members were able to get him.


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Louise Abate first noticed an itchy tingle near her hairline. The pain started a day or two later as a blistering rash swept down from her scalp onto her forehead. "My eye was so swollen I couldn't open it," she said.
Shingles. Ms. Abate, 76, a retired casino supervisor in Rio Rancho, N.M., had had the disease twice before, in her 60s, but the episode three years ago hit particularly hard.
Long after the rash healed, which took about three weeks, she suffered the complication called postherpetic neuralgia — lingering nerve pain that can last for months or even, as in her case, years. "I get up every day, and it's there," she said. "I go to sleep, and it's there."
She had heard something about a shingles vaccine, but "I really didn't pay attention," Ms. Abate confessed. And she is hardly unusual.
It's an ongoing and vexing public health problem: People once vigilant about vaccinating their children aren't nearly as careful about protecting themselves as they age, even though diseases like influenza, pneumonia and shingles (a.k.a. herpes zoster) are particularly dangerous for older people.
"Trying to prevent these common and often debilitating conditions is incredibly important for older adults," said Dr. Carolyn Bridges, associate director for adult immunization at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet in the C.D.C.'s 2014 and 2015 reports on vaccination coverage, she said, "we really didn't see much change."
Most Americans over 65 get an annual flu shot, but the proportion actually declined a few percentage points last season to about 63 percent. The C.D.C. estimates that of the 226,000 people hospitalized for flu in an average year, 50 percent to 70 percent are over 65; so are the great majority of those who die from it. "Older adults take the brunt," Dr. Bridges said.
Similarly, in 2014, about 61 percent of older adults had received one or both of the two pneumococcal vaccines, which protect against infections that can lead to pneumonia and meningitis. That represented no improvement, leaving millions of older people still vulnerable.
About 58 percent of older people had been vaccinated against tetanus during the past 10 years, but only 14 percent had received the recommended dose of the Tdap vaccine against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. It's especially important for grandparents and others who have contact with infants too young to be vaccinated.
And elders have been particularly slow to take advantage of the shingles vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration approved it a decade ago, and the C.D.C. recommends it for those over 60, including those who've already had shingles.
Coverage has climbed steadily, but in 2014 it had still reached only 31 percent of those over 65. As with nearly all of these vaccines, older whites were more likely to have been vaccinated than blacks, Hispanics or Asians.
Why these missed opportunities?
"Vaccines are less likely to be routinely incorporated in adult medical practice," Dr. Bridges said. "Every time a child comes in, a pediatrician makes sure they're up-to-date."
Older adults often have medical issues that take precedence during brief office visits. They also see specialists who are more focused on cardiology or oncology than on flu and shingles.
Seniors and their caregivers should request vaccinations; the C.D.C. publishes guidelines and a quiz that explain which ones are recommended. Zostavax, the current shingles vaccine, reduces the risk of the disease in adults over 60 by half, and the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia by two-thirds.
(Quick primer: Shingles results from the same virus that causes chickenpox, which nearly all older Americans have had. The virus typically remains dormant for decades, but the odds of its reactivation rise steeply after 50 as the immune system weakens. The lifetime risk of shingles is one in three, rising to one in two for those over 85.)
The vaccine's underuse can be blamed, in part, on supply shortages in its early years until about 2012. The manufacturer, Merck, and the C.D.C. didn't increase media campaigns until vaccine supplies were sufficient; such campaigns had just started when Ms. Abate became ill. It's not surprising that she was only vaguely aware of Zostavax.
(She's starting to feel better, but still needs a sedative to sleep and Zoloft for the depression that chronic pain can produce. "It's been a long road," she said. Now vaccinated against a shingles recurrence, she's urging her children to get the shot.)
Cost remains a barrier to getting Zostavax and some other adult vaccines.
In a study published this past summer, researchers reported that nearly 40 percent of the time, patients over 50 who requested a prescription for Zostavax at a pharmacy chain chose not to receive the vaccine; out-of-pocket costs were most frequently the reason.
The Affordable Care Act requires private insurers to cover Zostavax without co-pays for people older than 60, and many cover it for policyholders over 50. But Medicare beneficiaries find that, unlike the flu and pneumococcal vaccines, which are covered under Part B and often administered in physicians' offices, Zostavax and Tdap are covered under Part D.
Physicians can't easily bill for Part D reimbursement, so they often send patients to pharmacies, which can. But because Part D involves a welter of different plans and formularies, some requiring patients to pay for the vaccine and then seek reimbursement, the cost and co-pays can discourage use. Zostavax, at about $200 a dose, is the most expensive adult vaccine.
This landscape could change drastically in a year or so. In October, the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline submitted a new shingles vaccine for F.D.A. approval.
International studies indicate that the newcomer, Shingrix, is far more effective than the current vaccine, reducing the incidence of shingles by 90 percent. Moreover, the effectiveness doesn't appear to decrease among older age groups, as Zostavax's does.
Shingrix has its own drawbacks. For one, it requires a second injected dose several months after the first; some people won't follow up. The manufacturer has yet to set a price, and unless Congress changes the law, any new vaccine will face the same Part D billing complications.
But if the F.D.A. approves it, and the C.D.C. recommends its use (which triggers insurance coverage), Shingrix may also prevent a lot of shingles cases — but only if older adults are actually vaccinated.
They don't have a great track record.
Public health leaders don't want older adults waiting to see what the F.D.A. does. One million Americans will get shingles in the coming year; the C.D.C. wants seniors to get vaccinated now.
Dr. Bridges endorsed an unfestive but pragmatic holiday gift idea I suggested: a card with a promise to take an older family member to get vaccinated, and to pay any charge or co-pay.
Dr. Bridges suggested another gift: that younger family members get flu shots themselves. Since more than a third of older adults don't, families can at least avoid infecting their senior members at holiday gatherings.
"Give them the shingles vaccine as a gift," Dr. Bridges said. "But don't give them the flu."