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Our Fitness Blog
The Power of Thinking Positively
If you want to optimize your fitness results it could definitely be in your benefit to think positively and avoid thinking negatively. The power of positive thinking can give you that extra push needed to obtain your fitness goals when you most need it. Here are a few ways to help improve your positive thinking.
- Be happy. It is up to you to decide if you want to be happy today. You must choose to be happy and know that you are in control to decide how your day will be. Never allow yourself to be the victim. You are victorious in everything you do. Nothing ever just happens to you, but you make things happen to you.
- Achieve your goals. In order to be victorious in real life, you must first see yourself achieving your goals. However you picture yourself to be, you will become. Envision yourself as a winner. You must believe in yourself to reach your goals, or you will never be able to push yourself hard enough to achieve them.
- Leave your comfort zone. It is easy to get sucked into repeating what we are most comfortable with, but it can benefit you to switch up your routine. You should try new things that challenge you in different ways. There is so much out there to discover, so open yourself up to the many possibilities. You just have to let yourself get out there and see what there is to enjoy.
- Think big. You should know your limits and push yourself a little bit past that each day. Never let the fear of failure creep into you thoughts, and you will experience success. Your results can only be affected by how big you can dream. Remember if you can dream it, you can achieve it.
You may be surprised by how much thinking positively or negatively can affect your goals. When it comes down to crunch time, positive thinking may just give you that little extra push you need to achieve the results you want.


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|photo credit: mikebaird
Today's post is from Dr. David Alexander, Rice Professor of Physics and Astronomy and creator of the Space Frontiers Lecture series.
This has not been a good year for the space enthusiasts of Houston with the cancelation of the Constellation program, the end of an era with the last space shuttle flight, and the decision not to have one of the orbiters spend its retirement in Houston.
However, the people of Houston are known for rising to any challenge and the opportunity to enter a new phase of space exploration with the development of the multi-passenger crew vehicle, the continued operation of the International Space Station, and the push to maintain an American presence in space only emphasizes the importance of Houston and NASA to the nation.
Houston has been at the forefront of the human space adventure for five decades and this is a record worth celebrating. Come join us in acknowledging the people whose dedication, excellence, and ingenuity put humans on the Moon (and brought them back again), created the "world's greatest flying machine" in the Space Shuttle, and stimulated the imaginations of generations of would-be space explorers.
Welcome to a new and exciting year in the history of Rice University.
The 2011 incoming class is the 100th to walk through Rice's historic Sallyport and the next year will see us work towards our centennial celebrations in October 2012. Another major anniversary for Rice and the Greater Houston area is marked this September as we celebrate 50 years of the NASA Johnson Space Center and we are proud to note that Rice was there at the beginning. September 14 marks the 50th anniversary of NASA Administrator James E. Webb's decision, conveyed in person to President Kennedy, to build the NASA Manned Space Center in Houston (later to be named the Johnson Space Center) on land that was deeded to the government by Rice. The public announcement of the location was made on September 19, 1961 and the manned space program made its home in Houston.
To celebrate a remarkable 50 years in human history, Rice and partners are hosting the Rice NASAversary, a week-long set of events from September 9 to 16.
To open the Rice NASAversary celebrations Rice will host Space City 2020, a space strategy workshop bringing together local academic, business, and government leaders to promote space technology and exploration. The culmination of the workshop will be a banquet with keynote speaker Dr. France Cordova, president of Purdue University and former NASA Chief Scientist. The banquet is open to the public.
We celebrate our 50 years of connection to JSC on Wednesday, September 14, with the first in this year's Space Frontiers Lecture Series.
We are honored to host Mr. Norm Augustine, Chairman of the Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee. Among many honors and awards, Mr. Augustine has been named one of the "Fifty Great Americans," has received the National Medal of Technology from the President of the United States, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Distinguished Public Service Award and is five-time recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal from the U. S. Department of Defense. The "Augustine Report", the 155-page output from the United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee, is a comprehensive and critical assessment of the US human space flight program and what is needed to maintain American leadership in space.
Mr. Augustine's talk, entitled The Greatest Obstacle to Human Space Travel, will be held at the McMurtry auditorium in Duncan Hall at 7pm on September 14 (reception at 6:30pm).

subset: commoncrawl


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Make this elegant Menorah sandwich for your Hanukkah celebration. Made with bread, filling of choice and veggies, it is a great way to add to your holiday celebration. Use as an individual sandwich or make a large one for an edible centerpiece.
Items needed:
- 2 slices dark bread
- Baby asparagus tips
- Orange pepper
- Yellow pepper
- Sandwich filling
Trim crusts from bread. Using photo as an example, cut out a simple candleholder from bread slices, utilizing the full area of the bread. Fill this with your desired sandwich filling. Cut 9 "holders" from orange pepper slices and set above the candle holder. Also cut a thin rectangle for the middle holder so it will set above the others.
Cut asparagus tips for candles and set in place. You can substitute small carrots or green beans for candles, or even strips of pepper. Make "flames" from triangular pieces of yellow pepper.


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Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross (1838-1898), soldier, statesman, and university president, was born at Bentonsport, Iowa Territory, on Sept. 27, 1838. Sul's love for action and horses involved him in his first Indian fight while he was still a boy, after his family moved to Texas. Although his early ambition was to be an Indian fighter like his father, he recognized the value of education and enrolled at Baylor University in Independence, Texas, and then at the Wesleyan University in Florence, Alabama, where he obtained his A.B. degree in 1859.
After graduating from college, Ross built an illustrious career with the U.S. Army and Texas Rangers. After leaving the Rangers, he married Elizabeth Dorothy Tinsley, daughter of a Waco planter, on May 28, 1861. After acting as state peace commissioner to various Indian tribes, he enlisted in mid-1861 in the Confederate Army as a member of the Waco company raised by his older brother, Peter F. Ross. First as Major and then as Colonel of his regiment, Ross took part in numerous western campaigns, including those of Pea Ridge, Corinth, and Vicksburg. He was promoted to Brigadier General in early 1864 and commanded the Texas Cavalry Brigade.
The wartime period undermined Ross's health, and he spent the eight years of Reconstruction farming near Waco with his wife and growing family. In 1873 the citizens of McLennan County elected Ross sheriff. In his two years in office he ended a reign of terror and helped form the Sheriffs' Association of Texas. He urged needed reforms and helped write the document that governs Texas today, the Constitution of 1876.
He was elected to the state Senate in 1880, and then Governor in 1886, 1888 and 1891. During his two terms as Governor, the new Capitol was completed, the state attained new heights of industrial, agricultural, and commercial growth, and state eleemosynary and educational institutions flourished. Even more important, Ross's time in office was later considered one of exceptional good will and harmony.
When he left the statehouse, he stepped immediately into the presidency of the seriously troubled Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now Texas A&M University). Under his presidency the number of students grew, many new buildings were built, and public faith in the institution returned. In 1893 he was elected commander of the Texas Division of the United Confederate Veterans, and two years later he turned down an appointment to the Railroad Commission that would have taken him away from A&M. It was a blow to the university when President Ross died suddenly at his home in College Station on Jan. 3, 1898. As an editorial written after his death stated, "It has been the lot of few men to be of such great service to Texas as Sul Ross." Sul Ross State University, in Alpine, also is named in his honor.
Judith Ann Benner, "Lawrence Sullivan Ross," in Handbook of Texas Online, accessed June 30, 2009


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An oily stripper, who prances and dances around in just a thong and dickey bow tie, not exactly the image of a man who was a member of the writing team for World Wrestling Entertainment programming over the last five years, but that's exactly what Chris De Joseph -- perhaps better known for his on screen persona Big Dick Johnson -- did for WWE until his release in November 2010.
While wrestling fans all over the world are currently excited by WrestleMania season, for De Joseph this period is an odd time, as while instead of being involved with plans for this year's extravaganza he will instead be watching from the sidelines and reminiscing.
With WrestleMania almost upon us, De Joseph shares his experiences in an exclusive interview with SLAM! Wrestling of what it was like working in the weeks, months and days leading up to mega event affectionately known as "The Granddaddy of them all."
"Plans of what will happen at WrestleMania next year usually start straight after the WrestleMania that's just happened. You then start to head towards that provisional plan that has been laid out. In WWE a year is seen as being from one WrestleMania to the next, and you can bet that on April 4th, Vince [McMahon] will start thinking towards Miami and WrestleMania 28 next year."
De Joseph is quick to stress that while the focus each month is placed on the next pay-per-view in hand, WrestleMania is always at the back of everyone's mind. He also points out that plans are subject to change and can do so at the drop of a hat.
"Millions of things can happen that can change the course of the plan over the year, something doesn't get over, a character wasn't going to do as well as was thought or even an injury occurs. For example the WrestleMania 23 plan had to change because Triple H got injured.
"There are WrestleMania meetings that are held periodically in the months before and these get held more frequently as the months go on.
"Vince and all the team, from the writers to Kevin Dunn's production crew, are all extremely focused; it's the culmination of the year. It's what the whole year has been about. It means so much to the entire company and their success. There are so many people involved who are extremely focused in making the event bigger and better every year."
Working for WWE was an absolute dream come true for De Joseph, whose first experience of attending a WrestleMania event live came back in 1993 at WrestleMania IX which emanated from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. While he enjoyed his time in the company and has no regrets about it, he was glad to be leaving the busy job of a WWE writer.
"Being a member of the writing team, while it was a lot of fun, boy it was completely hectic. You would be on the road a lot, travelling to the different places, you would have to go to the office to attend creative meetings and then travel again it really was a road that never ends. You could spend 9 a.m. to midnight working until everything was done.
"I think they released me because they wanted to go in a little bit of a different direction; they were looking toward more Hollywood writers. I loved working for WWE. I wouldn't change a thing, but for now I wouldn't go back and it felt good to leave, there's no more pressure.
"Vince is a perfectionist 100% of the time, not just for WrestleMania, he is always focused and dedicated to the cause. He was a very challenging man to work for because of that perfectionist mentality, which as an owner of a company wasn't a bad trait to have at all. WrestleMania, he probably puts a little more of his energy into because it is the Super Bowl of wrestling, the World Cup of wrestling, whatever you want to call it, it's a huge deal."
One of the best things about being a writer for WWE, De Joseph said, was seeing storylines, angles and matches that he had a creative hand in play out in front of a live crowd. In fact De Joseph was had a hand in one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time, Shawn Michaels against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 in Houston, Texas.
"Creatively there is nothing that makes you feel prouder than watching a storyline that you have been creatively involved in, grow and play out in front of a live crowd. Sometimes there can be a bit of despair if it doesn't come off right, but there is complete elation when it comes off well -- especially at WrestleMania in front of 70,000 odd people.
"At WrestleMania alone, I had a hand creatively in such matches like Candice Michelle and Torrie Wilson at WrestleMania 22, Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy at WrestleMania 25 and I also remember coming up with the Shawn Michaels/Undertaker WrestleMania 25 angle, with Michaels being portrayed in the light and Taker in dark, with Dave Kapoor (Ranjin Singh, The Great Khali's manager). I helped Michaels construct the promo that he did when he was dressed in all white.
"Watching that story play out was one of the coolest things I ever saw, I actually went out to the crowd to watch that match live; it was absolutely incredible, the best WrestleMania match of all time bar none."
When asked if he will be watching this year's edition of WrestleMania, De Joseph is undecided about whether to watch, but when asked about the card, there is one match confirmed for the event that is catching his eye.
"The one match that I find most interesting is Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole. I think it's great that the King is finally getting to have a match at Mania, and Cole is a good friend of mine.
"If I were to watch WrestleMania it would be because I'm a big time Coleminer, but maybe even that isn't enough to get me to shell out 65 bucks -- after all, I'm unemployed."
You can follow Chris De Joseph at twitter.com/chrisdejoseph.
Darren Wood is a freelance journalist in the United Kingdom, working for various publications including SLAM! Wrestling, Fighting Spirit Magazine and The Wrestling Press.


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A prospective student met with a Karate Sensei and asked, "How long will it take for me to become a black belt?"
The instructor thought about it and replied, "It really depends, but it could take about 10 years."
"But I have already practiced another style of Karate for 5 years and have a black belt in that style," clarified the prospective student.
"In that case it could take 20 years!" declared the instructor.
It can take 10 years to undo the bad habits formed in 5 years. In other words, it might take 10 years to get the student back to zero.
Besides, who asks about belt issues? There are so many more interesting and important issues to discuss. When I am asked about belts, my eyes glaze over. Perhaps that is why we often wear no belts at all in our dojo. Students can train in a gi bottom and T-shirt, in which case they wear no belt. If they wear a gi top they really should wear a belt, but my second son, who is in charge of the dojo, doesn't care.
Charles C. Goodin
How Long For Black Belt?
A prospective student met with a Karate Sensei and asked, "How long will it take for me to become a black belt?"
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, March 25, 2009


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Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, has reportedly sent out a memo thanking employees for their hard work and extending their Thanksgiving vacations so they can spend an entire week relaxing and recharging with their families. 9to5Mac's ace reporter, Mark Gurman, scored a copy of the memo, which includes in part:
In a little over six months we've launched outstanding new products in each of our major categories, starting with the new iPad this spring. The response was incredible, and continued to show Apple's unrivaled leadership in this post-PC era. Over the summer we introduced the radically thin and light 15″ MacBook Pro with Retina display, and shipped Mountain Lion, the fastest-selling update to OS X ever. Today, iPhone 5 is taking the world by storm. And in the next few weeks we'll ship the new iPod touch and completely redesigned iPod nano with innovative designs that our customers are going to love this holiday season.
Those products listed above have been released at a breakneck pace, even for Apple. Staff has been hunkered down, some working around the clock, for weeks if not longer leading up announcement events and launches. From executives to engineers, it's been a Herculean effort, and one not made any easier by problems associated with iOS 6 Maps. Hopefully this lets everyone take a break, take a breath, and come back better energized and better focused.
Retail staff, of course, will have to keep working, especially with Apple's only annual sale, Black Friday, immediately following Thanksgiving. Cook, however, says their extra days off will be scheduled sometime thereafter.
Read the rest of the memo via the link below.
Source: 9to5Mac


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Go Fish! Learn to Fish Event
9:00a to 12:00p
Sat, April 09, 2016
Sat, April 09, 2016
Youth and adults can learn the basics of fishing.
Families can learn the basics of fishing through fun, hands-on activities. Take away a fishing fun pack and enter the drawing for door prizes. Equipment and bait provided or bring your own. No fishing license necessary. Adults must accompany children. Bring sun protection and water. Registration and start time is 9:00 A.M.


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A new survey from 451 Research's ChangeWave service on smartphone buyers in North America shows that while demand for the iPhone has dropped from the its last survey period, one in two likely smartphone buyers plan on purchasing an iPhone 5 within the next 90 days. Apple continued its impressive record of customer satisfaction, with 71% of respondents saying they were "Very Satisfied" with their iPhone.
Demand for the iPhone dropped from 71% in the last survey period, which took place around the launch of the iPhone 5 launch, where Apple always sees a large spike in demand. The last few non-launch survey periods have seen demand normalize between 50% and 54%. However, the size drop between the last survey period and this one may be due, in part, to Samsung. Demand for Samsung products has jumped eight points to 21%, which 451 Research attributes to the Galaxy Note II. While more likely Samsung customers are planning to buy the Galaxy S III by a wide margin, 4.8% of total likely smartphone buyers plan on purchasing a Note, more than half of Samsung's jump.
Whether current demand for the Galaxy Note II reflects a future filled with larger screen sizes or simply a trend that will rise and fall, remains to be seen. While 50% is historically a high for Apple, they might be concerned with the traction that Samsung is gaining. The smartphone battle is between these two companies for the foreseeable future, and as they fight it out, that makes things more interesting for consumers. Whatever either company has in store for consumers, 2013 is going to be a very eventful year for both companies.
Source: 451 Research


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Deputy Minister Malusi Gigaba was born on August 30th 1971 at Eshowe in KwaZulu/Natal. He is a second born to Reverend Jabulani T.L. Gigaba, Anglican Priest, and Mrs. Nomthandazo A. Gigaba, Nurse. He has three sisters and a brother. He is married to Nokthaba P. Nxumalo and together they have a daughter, Lerato Minenhle Qhakazile. His hobbies include soccer, gym, jogging, reading and writing.
Current Position
He is currently the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (29 April 2004) and a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC).
Academic Qualifications
Gigaba graduated from the University of Durban-Westville with a Bachelor of Pedagogics (Education) in 1991. He further completed a Master of Arts degree in Social Policy, majoring in Urban Affairs and Policy, in 1993, graduating in 1994.
In 1996, together with his supervisor, Gigaba published an article: Gigaba, M. and Maharaj, B. (1996): "Land invasions during political transition: the Wiggins saga in Cato Manor" in Development Southern Africa, Vol. 13, pp. 217-235.
Awards Received
In 1997, the UDW Faculty of Education conferred on him a Certificate of Merit for Outstanding achievements and contribution to faculty and society. In June 2002, the Cuban National University Students Federation awarded him the highest medal awarded to students and youth leaders in Cuba, the Jose' Antonio Echeverrias Medal, at the University of Havana's Aula Matta.
Academic Conferences
Addressed in 1995, Gigaba presented a paper at The First International Geography Conference, 10th-14th July 1995, at the University of Durban-Westville entitled: "Land Invasions during political transition: the Wiggins saga in Cato Manor". This paper was based on his MA dissertation.
Political and Community Experience
He has been active in various students and youth organisations. He is a member of the ANC and the ANC Youth League (ANCYL), and has served in different leadership positions within these organisations, especially the ANCYL. He was elected ANCYL President in 1996 and was re-elected in 1998 and again in 2001 for the third term.
Between 1999 and 2001, he was a Member of Parliament for the ANC and resigned in 2001. He was re-elected to Parliament in 2004.
In 1999, he was nominated as a Patron of the Celebrating Youth Awakenings Projects (a project aimed at collecting a South African youth anthology).
He is a Patron of the Oasis for Hope Hospice in Daveyton, Ekurhuleni. He is also a patron of the Tholulwazi Organisation of Youth which is a Youth Leadership and Life-Skills Programme.


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Arnold4 needed a new stationery design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 35 designs submitted by 14 freelance designers.
Paradigm Development
Website development specializing in custom builds, startup projects pretty much anything that interests me.
I only focus on code and not design.
See some of my work:
Primarily a minimalist business card. With space for me to write something somewhere if needed.Some advice on texture and finishes would also be appreciated.
If other stationery designs are included it would be amazing!
Given that its mainly black and white i think it would be good if the we two variations of the primary card.
I would describe myself as a
I am a big fan of the Bauhaus school of thought.
I would also like to use the triangle pattern on the stationary.
Checkout my online presence.


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Proper care and maintenance is a must for surgical tools like safety scalpels in Oklahoma City. They need to be sterilized and disinfected before and after use. When it comes to instruments like scalpel, forceps, retractors etc. it is understandable that they will be used on vital body organs so you must ensure that they are completely germ free and disinfected before you end up using them. If the surgical instruments are cleaned and disinfected properly there is little to no chance of infections.
Correct Use of no 11 surgical blade in Oklahoma City
Proper maintenance of these instruments are required in Oklahoma City, and it also increases the life span of the instruments. This results in reducing extra costs like repairs and replacements. Also you need to make sure that the instruments which are disposable are being disposed in a proper way as per the health regulations of Oklahoma City. You do not want them to get used by someone else. So ensure that all needles and other disposable surgical instruments are gathered and properly disposed off, since failure to do so will allow microorganisms to spread to and cause further diseases. These are some of the factors which everyone who uses operating room instruments must keep in mind; they will help in ensuring the safety of the patient as well as the other people in the Oklahoma City area. Hospitals have proper procedures for disposing off such medical devices as well.
Laser Surgery as a Scalpel
Electrosurgery is the application of a high-frequency (radio frequency) alternating polarity, electrical current to biological tissue as a means to cut, coagulate, desiccate, or fulgurate tissue. Its benefits include the ability to make precise cuts with limited blood loss. Electrosurgical devices are frequently used during surgical operations helping to prevent blood loss in hospital operating rooms or in outpatient procedures.
In electrosurgical procedures, the tissue is heated by an electric current. Although electrical devices that create a heated probe may be used for the cauterization of tissue in some applications, electrosurgery is usually used to refer to a quite different method than electrocautery. Electrocautery uses heat conduction from a probe heated to a glowing temperature by a direct current (much in the manner of a soldering iron). This may be accomplished by direct current from dry-cells in a penlight-type device.
Electrosurgery, by contrast, uses radio frequency (RF) alternating current to heat the tissue by RF induced intracellular oscillation of ionized molecules that result in an elevation of intracellular temperature. When the intracellular temperature reaches 60 degrees C, instantaneous cell death occurs. If tissue is heated to 60-99 degrees C, the simultaneous processes of tissue desiccation (dehydration) and protein coagulation occur. If the intracellular temperature rapidly reaches 100 degrees C, the intracellular contents undergo a liquid to gas conversion, massive volumetric expansion, and resulting explosive vaporization.
Appropriately applied with electro surgical forceps, desiccation and coagulation result in the occlusion of blood vessels and halting of bleeding. While the process is technically a process of electrocoagulation, the term "electrocautery" is sometimes loosely, nontechnically and incorrectly used to describe it. The process of vaporization can be used to ablate tissue targets, or, by linear extension, used to transect or cut tissue. While the processes of vaporization/ cutting and desiccation/coagulation are best accomplished with relatively low voltage, continuous or near continuous waveforms, the process of fulguration is performed with relatively high voltage modulated waveforms. Fulguration is a superficial type of coagulation, typically created by arcing modulated high voltage current to tissue that is rapidly desiccated and coagulated. The continued application of current to this highly impedant tissue results in resistive heating and the achievement of very high temperatures - enough to cause breakdown of the organic molecules to sugars and even carbon, thus the dark textures from carbonization of tissue.
Diathermy is used by some as a synonym for electrosurgery but in other contexts diathermy means dielectric heating, produced by rotation of molecular dipoles in a high frequency electromagnetic field. This effect is most widely used in microwave ovens or some tissue ablative devices which operate at gigahertz frequencies. Lower frequencies, allowing for deeper penetration, are used in industrial processes.
RF Electrosurgery is commonly used in virtually all surgical disciplines including dermatological, gynecological, cardiac, plastic, ocular, spine, ENT, maxillofacial, orthopedic, urological, neuro- and general surgical procedures as well as certain dental procedures.
RF Electrosurgery is performed using a RF electrosurgical generator (also referred to as an electrosurgical unit or ESU) and a handpiece including one or two electrodes - a monopolar or bipolar instrument. All RF electrosurgery is bipolar so the difference between monopolar and bipolar instruments is that monopolar instruments comprise only one electrode while bipolar instruments include both electrodes in their design.
The monopolar instrument called an "active electrode" when energized, requires the application of another monopolar instrument called a "dispersive electrode" elsewhere on the patient's body that functions to 'defocus' or disperse the RF current thereby preventing thermal injury to the underlying tissue. This dispersive electrode is frequently and mistakenly called a "ground pad" or "neutral electrode". However virtually all currently available RF electrosurgical systems are designed to function with isolated circuits - the dispersive electrode is directly attached to the ESU, not to "ground". The same electrical current is transmitted across both the dispersive electrode and the active electrode, so it is not "neutral". The term "return electrode" is also technically incorrect since alternating electrical currents refer to alternating polarity, a circumstance that results in bidirectional flow across both electrodes in the circuit.
Bipolar instruments generally are designed with two "active" electrodes, such as a forceps for sealing blood vessels. However, the bipolar instrument can be designed such that one electrode is dispersive. The main advantage of bipolar instruments is that the only part of the patient included in the circuit is that which is between the two electrodes, a circumstance that eliminates the risk of current diversion and related adverse events. However, except for those devices designed to function in fluid, it is difficult to vaporize or cut tissue with bipolar instruments.
Neural and muscle cells are electrically-excitable, i.e. they can be stimulated by electric current. In human patients such stimulation may cause acute pain, muscle spasms, and even cardiac arrest. Sensitivity of the nerve and muscle cells to electric field is due to the voltage-gated ion channels present in their cell membranes. Stimulation threshold does not vary much at low frequencies (so called rheobase-constant level). However, the threshold starts increasing with decreasing duration of a pulse (or a cycle) when it drops below a characteristic minimum (so called chronaxie). Typically, chronaxie of neural cells is in the range of 0.1–10 ms, so the sensitivity to electrical stimulation (inverse of the stimulation threshold) decreases with increasing frequency in the kHz range and above. (Note that frequency of the alternating electric current is an inverse of the duration of a single cycle). To minimize the effects of muscle and neural stimulation, electrosurgical equipment typically operates in the radio frequency (RF) range of 100 kHz to 5 MHz.
Operation at higher frequencies also helps minimizing the amount of hydrogen and oxygen generated by electrolysis of water. This is especially important consideration for applications in liquid medium in closed compartments, where generation of gas bubbles may interfere with the procedure. For example, bubbles produced during an operation inside an eye may obscure a field of view.
There are several commonly used electrode configurations or circuit topologies:
With "bipolar" instruments the current is applied to the patient using a pair of similarly-sized electrodes. For example, special forceps, with one tine connected to one pole of the RF generator and the other tine connected to the other pole of the generator. When a piece of tissue is held by the forceps, the RF alternating polarity electrical current oscillates between the two forceps tines, heating the intervening tissue by the previously described synchronous oscillation of intracellular ions.
In monopolar configuration the patient is attached to the dispersive electrode, a relatively large metal plate or a flexible metalized plastic pad which is connected to the RF generator or electrosurgical unit (ESU). The surgeon uses a pointed or blade shaped electrode called the "active electrode" to make contact with the tissue and exert a tissue effect...vaporization, and it's linear propagation called electrosurgical cutting, or the combination of desiccation and protein coagulation used to seal blood vessels for the purpose of Hemostasis. The electric current oscillates between the active electrode and the dispersive electrode with the entire patient interposed between the two. Since the concentration of the RF current reduces with distance from the active electrode the current density rapidly (quadratically) decreases. Since the rate of tissue heating is proportional to the square of current density, the heating occurs in a very localized region, only near the portion of the electrode, usually the tip, near to or in contact with the target tissue.
On an extremity such as a finger, there is limited cross-sectional area to disperse the current, a circumstance which might result in higher current density and some heating throughout the volume of the extremity.
Another bipolar instrument is characterized with both electrodes on the same design, but the dispersive electrode is much larger than the active one. Since current density is higher in front of the smaller electrode, the heating and associated tissue effects take place only (or primarily) in front of the active electrode, and exact position of the dispersive electrode on tissue is not critical.
Types of Surgical Scalpel
Hospitals can be scary sometimes but we can't deny the fact that millions of lives are saved in these institutions every day. Being a doctor is definitely not an easy affair. Not only do these professionals have to become masters in understanding human biology but they also have to perfect their skills and capabilities of using various medical instruments. Can you think of a painter without the required paint brushes? Or a carpenter without his tools? Similarly, a doctor without his medical devices would be just like an audience on a show where, ideally, he should be performing on stage. No operation or diagnosis or procedure or even test can be carried out without necessary tools and equipment. It is important to know what these tools are and what their utilities are.
So if you are interested in medical tools and procedures and would like to understand how these are carried out, here is a list of the most basic medical instruments that you can find on an operating room. Hope this article helps you in your search for information.
# Scissors
The use of scissors as operating room instruments need not be highlighted or stated. No operation can be done without scissors. Scissors used in surgery come in two main types: Metzenbaum and Mayo scissors. Metzenbaum scissors are used in case of cutting or dissecting soft delicate tissues. Mayo scissors are preferred for cutting hard tissues such as joints. These scissors are used to cut thick tissues located in the breast and the muscles. Made up of stainless steel, these scissors are usually manufactured in variable lengths.
# Scalpel
Whether it is a major or a minor operation, a scalpel plays a very vital role in all of them. It is a knife that comes with stainless steel blades. Each and every surgery has its different needs but during every surgery, a correct incision is a must which cannot be carried out without a scalpel.
# Forceps
Forceps look like kitchen tongs. It allows the surgeon to hold and grasp the skin tissues firmly. Whether it is clamping the arteries or holding a part of intestine while operating, forceps can be relied upon. Also, this surgical instrument comes in a range of sizes so that the surgeon can choose one depending upon the need of the situation. The large ones are designed to hold a baby's head and their main purpose is to safely get the baby out from the birth canal during a cesarean.
Of course there are other tools as well which will vary from surgery to surgery. They are manufactured with a wide variety of materials like platinum, stainless steel, tungsten carbide, chromium and other non-reactive and high strength metals. Designs and applications of medical devices have also evolved much over time. The more we advance into health care and medical science, the more new tools and equipment we will create for aiding surgeons in performing life saving procedures.


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Wikitravel talk:Country surgeon Expedition
Country surgeon Expedition
Swept in from the pub:
Our "See sections" on country articles tend to be empty, despite being potentially the most useful section for giving people an idea of how to spend their time in the country. I think Iraq#See is a decent example of how useful this can be (and I wrote that with just a couple hours of research and nearly no prior knowledge). I've organized a list of countries that need see sections, or at least better developed see sections, which could serve as a checklist, in the same manner as we do at the Wikitravel:Regions map Expedition. We have been discussing this issue at Wikitravel:Collaboration of the month#Update Country See and Do Sections.
So in short, I'd like to start the Wikitravel:Country surgeon Expedition! --Peter Talk 18:15, 24 August 2011 (EDT)
See and Do
One of the challenges is dealing with the crossover between See and Do, and to a lesser extent Understand. For example, it is difficult not to repeat information from a Natural Attractions sub-section of See, in a Trekking sub-section of Do. The Culture sub-section of Understand likewise has crossover with Cultural Performances in Do. It's tricky. --burmesedays 09:35, 9 September 2011 (EDT)
I have started on a See section for Brazil, but it is not complete yet. Brazil is way bigger than the Netherlands, and I'm not sure how it would be possible to write a single succinct paragraph for each subsection, so I am doing bulleted points in each subsection for now. Let me know how you think it looks.
Looking forward to your comments. texugo 03:42, 10 September 2011 (EDT)
Featured region
One of the more successful things we did with the country region maps was to feature a certain region and all focus on finishing it, so that we could tackle the world piece by piece. I'd like to do that here too, once we've finished cutting our teeth on the countries we all personally know best (or are simply most interested to start writing). Maybe in a week or so, we could try featuring a specific region. Any suggestions for which one? --Peter Talk 03:44, 11 September 2011 (EDT)


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How many times have you heard someone say, "Wow, can you believe it is summer already?" or "I can't believe it is (X month) already?" or "Where does the time go?"
Yes, it is just idle chit-chat or a general conversation, but here is the reality: we are more than half way through 2012. Spring is gone and we have only two months of summer remaining. Have you accomplished what you wanted to do to date this year? Are you going to put something else off, not realizing until it is too late and then say I will do it next time?
I work a lot — and I procrastinate as well. To counter that, I have set a few summer goals for myself. I am the type of person that needs to write something down, that way it is a constant reminder to get it done or else I feel I have failed myself. I always meet my goals if I do it this way, too.
I know you are supposed to start fresh at the beginning of the year, but as I said mentioned, time is a ticking there are only five months left in 2012 after July. These goals or accomplishments don't have to be life-changing, but anything is a start. I always look forward to accomplishing them, no matter how big or small they are.
My first is a result of weighing myself on July 1. I checked in at 265 pounds. Yikes! As such, I am dieting, changing my workout routine and trying to do different exercises. I am also not going near my archenemy — the scales — until Aug. 1 and then Sept. 1. I do need to see progress, but I am not going to fret over having only lost a pound in a day — or heaven forbid — I gained a pound. I want to be 250 pounds, my supreme body weight, and I hope to achieve it.
My second goal is to go white-water rafting, something I have wanted to do, but put off due to my hectic travel schedule or the timing not being right. The main reason for not doing this was fear of further injuring my back, but I have been pain-free for quite some time and I want to do it while I am still young enough to enjoy it. I have put this off since I was 27, and I am 41 now. It's getting to be a now-or-never situation.
Goal No. 3: I am going to go to a baseball game at a stadium at which I haven't been before. I only have a handful of staduims left — Miami, St. Louis, Texas, Colorado, Arizona and Seattle. Admittedly, I probably should have been to them all by since I have been in those cities and had oppurtunities to go, but I changed my travel plans or just figured I would do it another time. Well, one can't go see baseball in Olympic Stadium or Yankee or Shea stadiums anymore. I've got to get going on this.
Finally — and I know my fans and especially my editor will love this. I plan to write one chapter a month of my life story as a professional wrestler. I started three chapters in 2005 and here it is seven years later and I am still not a best-selling author. Look out, 2013, because that will change.
There you have it. Those are my summer goals. I know I can achieve them. My goals may seem simple to you, but they mean a lot to me. I have lived the life of a rock star and done and seen so many things many people would die to experience.
It's worth noting I'm not the kind of person to fail at my goals.
Consider: I am proud to say I read every page of the Bible. I set out to do it one year and I did it. I got just as much enjoyment at that as I did hanging out with Ozzy Osbourne once when I hosted Ozzfest.
So set your goals. If you need help, tweet me (@THETOMMYDREAMER). I will recommend stuff. Here are a few for consideration:
• Spend a day with your kids doing what they want to do or take them to something you enjoy.
• Read a book.
• Take a day trip.
• Go to a convention and take a picture with someone you admire thank them for entertaining you.
• Spend an entire rainy day watching a trilogy. I did that one with Star Wars and the Rocky flicks.
• Sleep late or get up early.
• Go for a bike ride.
• Go to the beach or the mountains for a hike.
• Adopt a pet.
• Make a charitable donation or lend your time to a charitable cause.
• Clean out a closet, room or garage.
Bottom line, do something you have been putting off. We are not guarenteed tomorrow, so live your life today. I look forward to hearing from you as you achieve your goals.
Thanks for reading.
Tommy Dreamer is a legendary and influential pro wrestler and a father and husband who has worked for World Wrestling Entertainment, Extreme Championship Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action. His column appears in the Kingston Whig-Standard and on SLAM! Wrestling. Follow him on Twitter @THETOMMYDREAMER and check out his website at thetommydreamer.com. He can be booked for live appearances through his website. Check out his new, custom-designed T-shirts and merchandise on his website as well.


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The following commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of AgWeb or Farm Journal Media. The opinions expressed below are the author's own.
Have your agronomic questions answered by a Farm Journal agronomist. E-mail us directly at email@example.com, and we'll respond on this blog to provide an interactive dialogue.
Question: We farm in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon, about an hour south of Portland. We run a complex rotation of irrigated vegetables (sweet corn, snap beans and cauliflower), grass seed (turf-type tall fescue and perennial ryegrass) and wheat. Some years we grow sugar beet seed. Our wheat is soft white, mainly public varieties from breeding programs at Oregon State University and Washington State University. Wheat is often planted following a vegetable crop, using a small amount of conventional tillage (no moldboard plowing). Varieties such as Goetze, Tubbs06 and Stephens yield from 100-140 bu/a, depending on the year and the ground (if everything comes together on a good piece of dirt, 175 bu/a is possible).
Traditionally, we plant in a pretty rough seedbed, in early to mid-October, using an end wheel drill with double disk openers on 6" centers. University recommendations would have us using 75-100 pounds of seed per acre, but most growers bump that to 120-140 "for insurance."
A few growers (especially those with large acreages) have been broadcasting seed, at 160-200 lb/a, then incorporating it with a field cultivator or disc harrow. As you can imagine, emergence is not very uniform, but if the spreader does a good job with the seed, and the tillage tool is set right, some of these fields look pretty good!
My question: Besides the extra seed cost, what are these growers giving up? Winter wheat here tends to just come up and then just sit there through the winter. Does uniformity of emergence matter? Is it time to park my 12' end wheel drill, and start seeding wheat 50' at a pass? If you'd care to comment, I'd welcome hearing from you.
Answer: Consistent depth control and uniform emergence are both very important for creating high wheat yields, in fact replicated research work from Canada found that wheat plants which emerge 7-9 days after initial emerging plants yielded 3.2 times less at harvest (data averaged over 2 years). Uneven emergence becomes an even greater yield limiting factor later in the season, especially when trying to apply a foliar fungicide. For example, early emerging plants are likely to flower ahead of later emerging plants, so when trying to time the fusarium fungicide at flowering, the standards of control are reduced on account of variation in timing.
You mentioned seeding by pounds per acre. My suggestion is to seed by live seed population per acre (not pounds), simply because the size of the seed can vary significantly between growing seasons, different seed lots and even varieties. For example I have often seen varieties with 18,000 seeds per pound and others with 9,500. Seeding both varieties at 120 lb/a for example, would result in seed populations ranging from 1.1 million all the way up to 2.16 million per acre. The seed population actually planted needs to be adjusted up or down, according to seeding date, fertility practices and seedbed conditions.
If everything hits just right, it's certainly possible to broadcast wheat and make top yields, but year in and year out I'm afraid there are often yield limiting problems which arise from broadcasting wheat. Two of the biggest challenges include spinner spreaders which don't spread the wheat evenly across the fields (air-trucks are usually much better) and inconsistent incorporation depth across the fields, especially within the wheel tracks of the tractor pulling the tillage equipment.
Without conducting stand counts after seeding, it's not possible to comment on the performance of your end wheel drills. However, if you find the stand counts are consistent across all rows and the depth control is uniform, then keeping what you have might be OK. However, older drills (especially those with worn parts) often don't provide the standards of stand uniformity required for high yields, so in these examples it could be costing you more money to seed with older drills than to spend the money on newer ones which provide better emergence standards.
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SAN ANTONIO (SBG) -- A Southside Independent School District elementary school principal has found herself in a very sticky situation.
As part of a kick-off to the Spring Semester, Pearce Primary School Principal Brenda Gonzales promised the student body at the San Antonio school that they could duct tape her to the wall after meeting a fundraising goal.
Gonzales admits she was a little scared about the whole idea because she doesn't know what will happen when the stool she'll be standing on is kicked out from under her once she's been taped.


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In 1990, 2,280 acres were purchased by an outdoorsman by the name of Albert. He bought the land envisioning the potential of a hunting preserve that was unlike anything ever before seen in the entire state of Michigan. After installing a 10 foot fence around the entire parcel and years of developing a trophy-tier deer herd, his vision began to come to life. Before he knew it, he had converted a simply beautiful piece of land into a world class hunting preserve. Thus, The Double Eagle Ranch was born. This ranch has been family owned, shared and appreciated for almost 30 years. For the first time in over a quarter of a century, the time has come to find its next owner to call it home just as Albert had years ago. From its seemingly endless trails, to its remarkable facilities, The Double Eagle Ranch is a luxury destination that stands in a league of its own & now is your opportunity to own one of the largest private parcels in the State of Michigan. More specifically, The Double Eagle Ranch features the following; Log home: A relatively new construction log home situated delicately between two ~20 acre lakes. 4,500 sq.ft.. 5 bedrooms. 3.1 bathrooms. 2 car garage. Whole house generator. Lake house: Quaint smaller guest house. 1,200 sq.ft.. 3 bedrooms. 3 bathrooms. Clubhouse: This is every outdoorsman's dream come true. 'Antler's Inn' accommodates large parties. Showcasing trophy deer from wall to wall, the main floor includes a larger-than-life fireplace, a pool table, shuffleboard table and an open kitchen. Hilltop: Living arrangements directly outside of entrance of the Ranch. 900 sq.ft.. 3 bedrooms. 1 bathroom. Additionally, this unique property includes; - 10 ft. fence surrounding the entire parcel. - Approximately 50 miles of two-track roads. - Two private ~20 acre lakes (Willing and Atchel). - 8 large deer feeders. - Variety of out building for storage / toys. Buyer must confirm all dimensions.
|New Value: $8,995,000
|New Value: Active
|New Value: Price Change
|New Value: $8,995,000
|New Value: $11,995,000


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Saturday, September 22, 2012
Didi-giri... Cholbey na! Cholbey na!!
13 comments:
- Anand said...
MANGO PEOPLE (Aam janta) : Is there any politician in our country who are selfless and devoted to serve our struggling nation.. Like we see in our movies, will there be a protagonist hiding there who will come out someday to combat all the illegalities, clear out the corruptions, tear all the masks of the so-called good people, exhibit good relations with our neighbour countries (neighbour states is the priority), improve trade relations and all the spic and span required to shine our country.. It gives me nightmares in just thinking our country is in such people's hands who are not giving us any trust or hope.. We get promises in the election manifesto during polls.. And the ALL OF A SUDDEN alliance among political parties sounds so silly and absurd, I mean they are so unstable.. There is something called value and ethics one needs to have in whatever he does.. I'm 23 now, I think I'l die complaining till i'm 83.. Bush iii or obama ii or queen of england will be ruling us by then..
- September 22, 2012 at 2:06 PM
- Shilpi Karnani said...
very well written..somehow the magic you can infuse on your readers with stringing words together is awesome..it always leaves me wanting for more..
Its really sad on how the commoners like us are actually getting affected by all this political melodrama..but still we fail to realize it..But I am positive that things will change 5-10-20 yrs down the line..We have had enough..
- September 22, 2012 at 4:39 PM
- Tsomo85 said...
Anand! Loved the name; it's rather very very close to my heart! Any ways, expecting good things from politician is nothing but joke! Let me tell yeah the secret, while growing up politicians had always been best subject to ROFLMAO with my elder cousin sisters at home! They've had always succeed in having rocking bad impression. Specially, after demanding such huge amount of $$$$$ for every little work that needs to be done. That, only a business men & women knows the best! Their true color! Now you know why a children from decent family would never dare to sacrifice their children into politics unless the parents must had lost their mind or the patents must love the nation more than their own children! So the best is let them do what they're best at even if it's lie or robbery; it will be foolish to take them seriously! The best is you stay true to yourself, be well informed, be kind & nice to others, earn a sky rocking good deeds because at end that's all it matters. Wasting time on pretending to be smart or trying hard to impress digital human is equivalent of masturbating & if men, won't increase the size of their crown jewel or if women, won't grand them with good looking
child! I tend to judge people by looking at the ugliness of their children! For example Mayavadi, Mumta Di, Akailesh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi, Diggy, Namo, etc! It's equivalent to if we take good care of flowers & animal we tend to have good looking children! HAHA So take a chill pill & ROFL at them!! Whenever someone try to act smart over important figure like Dalai Lama right away I check out the ugliness of their kids & mostly it does full on justice; on top of that they are often out of shape, combo of both skinny & fat. Haha which explains the status of how healthy their patents are! Hehe so buddy everything is equally weighted. Don't get pissed; just piss & laugh on them! Their rate race is nothing but joke & only fooling themselves! BAHAHAHA
- September 23, 2012 at 10:52 AM
- Tsomo85 said...
Ops I mean rat! There's some typos kindly avoid since i can't edit! :-$
- September 23, 2012 at 11:00 AM
- Anand said...
Its just that m such a movie buff and I always want a happy ending.. People go through lot of miseries and finally the evil fails and they live happily ever after.. I just wish it 'l be same in reality.. What a fool I'm.. We need to bring changes and reform the whole system.. The government moves things at snail's speed.. With this pace I dont foresee any twist in the drama.. All I can do is work for a 5 figured salary and live happily ever after.. But the disobedience pisses me off.. I mean what the beep, i'm going to stop watching happy ending movies, have to start some crime or ghost movies where everybody dies at the end..
- September 24, 2012 at 12:37 AM
- Anand said...
Death, disease, famine, homelessness, abuse. I cant even watch the evening news. When did we lose control and do we rebel. Take a look around, we're on a rocket ship to hell. There could be an answer, it may not be too late but it involves a transfer. Try love instead of hate, all you can do is be good to people and hope that those people will be good to you too. But good luck I doubt it.
- September 24, 2012 at 12:43 AM
- harry porter said...
Thanks for the good advise..
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SAN JOSE, California (Reuters) - Canada's Milos Raonic beat Tommy Haas 6-4 6-3 on Sunday to win his third straight San Jose Open title and bring the final curtain down on the second oldest men's professional tournament in the United States.
Raonic became the tournament's first three-times winner since Tony Trabert (1953-55) and said it was a pity he would not have a chance to chalk up another win at the event, which dates back to 1889 and is being dropped from the ATP schedule.
"I'm really sad to see it go," Raonic said. "It was a got-to part of my schedule and it's really unfortunate I won't get the chance to play it again."
Raonic, who has only been broken twice in 12 match wins in the past three years, nailed 19 aces and never faced a break point.
The 34-year-old Haas could never get into his service games, while Raonic broke the German three times. The 22-year-old Raonic also fired in a 148mph (238kph) ace.
"If he plays like that consistently, on this type of surface, in this arena, take anybody at the top of the world and I would say he's got a shot at beating them," Haas said.
"He played extremely well. He placement on the serve was extremely good. His speed and power at times ... especially on that surface, where it kind of skids and goes through, it's really tough to try to control and get it back.
"I didn't play a bad match, I just came up against a guy who played some unbelievable tennis."
Raonic, who won his fourth overall title, said he had improved so much since winning the 2011 title.
"I'm a much better player in general and a better competitor and I have more experience in knowing how to deal with situations," he said.
Editing by Peter Rutherford


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The reports linking free-agent receiver Mike Wallace to the Dolphins continue to mount.
And that should make every Dolphins fan nervous.
The latest comes from Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post, who writes that it's a "done deal." But if we learned anything for the scrum of news that capped the end of the 2012 regular season, it's that no deal is done until it's, well, done.
From 95 percent to virtual certainty, multiple crystal-clear reports regarding coaching hires and player moves ended up being clearly incorrect.
In this case, it makes plenty of sense from a football, business, and political standpoint for the Dolphins to want Wallace. I've believed for weeks that it's the most obvious free-agent move of them all. He'll stretch the field, he'll sell tickets, and he'll buy votes in the upcoming stadium renovation referendum.
But we've seen it before with the Dolphins under owner Stephen Ross. Amid high expectations, they're left standing at the altar as the bride climbs aboard a bus with Rain Man.
None of this means that some other team is destined to emerge from the weeds and snatch Wallace away from the Dolphins, either during the final hours of the legal tampering non-tampering period or after free agency begins. But as we inch toward another outcome that seems to be definite, let's not forget that plenty of similarly definite situations have fallen apart.


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Cape Cod & The Islands
The Cape Cod Regions, consisting of Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, will make you happy; it's as simple as that. That is, unless amazing mini golf, even more amazing regular golf, beautiful beaches with rolling dunes, legendary seafood, homemade ice cream, countless kid-friendly activities, the world's most romantic places to stay, pristine conservation land, and fantastic water sports don't make you happy. But that'd be next to impossible. We said homemade ice cream!
Cape Escapes: 30 (More) Ways to Enjoy the Cape & Islands
An Insiders Guide to the Islands
Check out Andrew James Cempellin's great drone footage of Chatham!
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Caught On Tape: NYPD Officers Pocket Money While They Raid A Bar!
"A shocking video showing NYPD cops raiding a bar, smashing gambling machines and shoving confiscated cash into their pockets has become an Internet hit and led to an internal probe of the officers involved," The New York Post reports.
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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The Most Sickening Individual Online "Trash Man" Addresses The Comments On WSHH About Him & His Daughter "I Can't Be Caught, The Feds Is On Our Payroll" [Offers A $65K Reward To Find Him]
Everyone knows by now this guy TrashMan is down right sick. He is now offering a reward to anyone who can find him. We are disgusted as much as you are. Will it ever stop?
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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If you ride a bicycle in New York City, you're probably familiar with Time's Up!, an environmental organization that promotes NYC bicycling through education, outreach and creative direct-action campaigns. But you might not know the organization's founder and director, Bill Di Paola, who works tirelessly behind the scenes. See, Bill's one of these old-school activists – the kind who's involved not for the media attention, the prestige, or the opportunity to tag himself in edgy critical mass photos on facebook – but because he truly believes in the capacity (and responsibility) of concerned individuals to effect positive change.
Bill's been doing this work for more than two decades (i.e., long before urban cycling became fashionable and every hipster and his mom started riding track bikes around Williamsburg) – and like everyone else involved in Time's Up!, he's a volunteer.
In this week's Our Heroes podcast, Bill discusses bicycle lanes, bicycle crackdowns and the city's contradictory responses to environmental initiatives. He also explains that Time's Up! isn't just about bikes (think community garden activism)!
*Full disclosure: I've long supported Time's Up! as a volunteer, a member of its advisory board and as an all-around, ardent proponent. You should support Time's Up!, too. And check out the video above; the group needs a new space.
You can listen to the episode by clicking on the audio player above, download a podcast of the full conversation or read a PDF transcript. Here's a snippet of the interview:
To start off, tell me a little bit about Time's Up!
Time's Up! is a 23-year-old environmental organization located in New York City, right in the middle of the downtown area, right in the heart of New York City. We started off as an environmental organization and we still are. We have several different campaigns that we work on throughout the years. The interesting thing about our group is it's 100 percent run by volunteers. So the volunteers kind of structure the campaigns, the events, the workshops, the day-to-day operation, how they want to deal with the press, how they want to dress, how they want the group to work, what times we should work. So it's a very unusual group because so much volunteer involvement kind of structures the group itself and kind of dictates how we can do things and how we can't do things, and what our strong points are and what are our weak points.
Time's Up! is known for it's bicycle advocacy efforts – tell me about this work.
We were doing some of our traditional environmental campaigns about 20 years ago, and we realized we were all riding our bikes to the campaigns. The way it was kind of structured, I guess, 20 years ago, was that people would protest what they didn't like to see: they didn't want to see people in fur coats, they didn't want to see McDonalds using Styrofoam packaging. So there was a lot of protesting.
So Time's Up! kind of switched it around… we figured, we don't want to protest – we want to celebrate, and we want to highlight positive things instead of highlighting negative things. Just naturally, whenever we'd go to these depressing demonstrations, on our way there, on our way back, we'd all be riding our bikes together and then it just kind of dawned on us, "Wow, we're doing something positive on our way to the action and on our way back." And then we realized, "Wow, this is fun; we like it; it's mobile." So we actually thought, "We need to incorporate the bicycle more." So we've been able to integrate bicycles as a pretty strong part of our message. Over the years, as I said, since we're structured by volunteers, there have been many programs to support more bicycling, because a lot of people feel, once you get on a bicycle, you see the world differently.
As a cyclist, what do you love about riding in this city?
I still think when I get on my bicycle, the word "freedom" just comes right in. I mean, you're free. There's no paperwork, there's no insurance... you feel the air on your face, you can talk to people on the sidewalk, you're not inside a car. So it's this feeling of overwhelming freedom and the air and the sun hitting you, and you're directly connected to the road. Also, as you pedal, you're creating your own energy – so then you realize as soon as you hit the brakes, "Wow, I just wasted all that energy." So it really makes you understand how energy works; you're not just turning on a light switch; you're creating your own energy. So it's so educational, and so uplifting; it really makes you realize a lot – and that's only the first five blocks. Then the second 20 blocks you start realizing, "Wow, why are these people in cars interfering with me? I'm trying to do the right thing." And so it opens you up to both the positive and the negative as well.
I wanted to change gears a little bit and talk about one of Time's Up's! other campaigns, which is promoting, growing and defending gardens in New York City. How did Times Up! get involved with this?
That's an interesting thing. I don't know exactly how it happened, but I have to say, I live in the Lower East Side, and the Lower East Side is a place where people really stand up for their community and always have and they're not going to run away when the police come. So the Lower East Side has always been a place where there've been a lot of community gardens… Times Up! has always been based in that area. We have a lot of volunteers in that area.
Basically there were a lot of abandoned buildings in the city at one time; the buildings kind of fell down, they had fires. So the communities got together and cleaned them up. When they cleaned them up, they had to make a decision about what to with them. So then they put in some trees, they put in some flowers and they made community gardens out of them. And each community made it a different type of garden; some of them were open space, some of them were plots. Then later on, the city tried to destroy these gardens after the communities had brought them back. So there's been a continuous fight to save these community gardens, and Time's Up! has several different campaigns around that. One of them is, "We'll help clean up the garden with the community and then the community will take it over." Another campaign is, "We'll go there and lock down and defend it, and make a big public scene, so the city won't destroy it." Another one is, "We'll go there and just have tours of the community gardens." Also last year, we were very involved in the legislation to protect the community gardens. So we have a lot of different campaigns around community gardens.


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Aug 15
Rabo Direct Pro 12 Predictions competition
Only a little over 3 weeks to go until the new season is upon us. The team is already in pre-season training and the building work at ravenhill is progressing - though let's face it some of us are a little nervous about whether our spots on the Terrace/Prom will be ready in time.
One thing that is ready for the new season is the Rabo Direct Pro 12 Predictions competition. The first 4 rounds are all open and ready for your predictions.
It's time to get your thinking caps on and get your...
Oct 11
Heineken Cup Predictions Competition
It's time to turn your attention to the Heineken Cup!
Not to be mistaken as the RaboDirect Predictions League, this is run as a separate competition... so join the fun, and have a go.
Enter your predictions here...
Sep 2
2012-2013 Predictions competition
The new season is upon us. Although already started, but not widely publicised, we are running a predictions league competition similar to every year for the last 5 seasons. Try your hand at predicting the scores against the other UAFC members.
Enter your predictions here or sign up for the first time. You need to register a new password, as it's a different system to the messageboard, and you are not logged in automatically.
The first week's results have been entered. First leader is Pauline...
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3145 Center Pointe Drive
Cervical Cancer
What is Cervical Cancer?
Cancer is a disease that happens when body cells don't work right. The cells divide really fast and grow out of control. These extra cells form a tumor. Cervical cancer is cancer in the cervix, the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb). The uterus is the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a baby grows during a woman's pregnancy. The cervix forms a canal that opens into the vagina (birth canal), which leads to the outside of the body.
Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a virus that is passed from person to person through genital contact, most often during vaginal and anal sex. You are more likely to get HPV if you have multiple partners. However, any woman who has ever had genital contact with another person can get HPV. Most women infected with HPV will not get cervical cancer. But, you are more likely to develop cervical cancer if you smoke, have HIV or reduced immunity, or don't get regular Pap tests. Pap tests look for changes in the cervical cells that could become cancerous if not treated.
If the Pap test finds serious changes in the cells of the cervix, the doctor will suggest more powerful tests such as a colposcopy (kol-POSS-koh-pee). This procedure uses a large microscope called a colposcope (KOL-poh-skohp). This tool allows the doctor to look more closely at the cells of the vagina and cervix. This and other tests can help the doctor decide what areas should be tested for cancer.
Why Should I be Concerned about Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer is a disease that can be very serious. However, it is a disease that you can help prevent. Cervical cancer happens when normal cells in the cervix change into cancer cells. This normally takes several years to happen, but it can also happen in a very short period of time.
How Can I Help Prevent Cervical Cancer?
Scientists have developed a vaccine that helps prevent certain types of HPV. The vaccine helps protect against the types of HPV that most often cause cancer. Right now, the HPV vaccine (called Gardasil®) is only given to females ages 9 to 26. The vaccine is given in three doses (shots) over a six-month period. Women who are pregnant should not get the HPV vaccine until after the baby is born.
The HPV vaccine works best in females who haven't been exposed to the virus. It protects against four types of HPV. Studies show the vaccine prevents about 70 percent of cervical cancers if it is given to women and girls before they have sex for the first time. It also protects against about 90 percent of genital warts. The shot works for at least five years, maybe longer. It is still under study.
About 30 percent of cervical cancers will not be prevented by the vaccine. But there are other ways to help prevent cervical cancer. By getting regular Pap tests and pelvic exams, your doctor can find and treat the changing cells before they turn into cancer. Practicing safer sex is also very important. Below are things you can do to help protect yourself against HPV and cervical cancer.


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Monday November 5, 2007
Heinz Field - 8:30 PM EST
We could probably call this "Revenge Game I" after the thumping the Ravens put on the Steelers in both games last year! Those two losses are definitely something the Steelers want to erase and hopefully return the favor becasue they were completely owned by the Ravens last year. The combined numbers were just staggering and left a bad taste in everyone's mouth for sure.
This year though things are different. The Steelers are tops in the AFCN but the Ravens are clipping at their heals, so this is a great opportunity to start to separate themselves from everyone else in the North. Plus the Steelers have the top D in the league as well as the top Rushing Offense! Both of the teams bring a solid D to the field, but the Steelers have the edge because the game is in Heinz field. Also, the biggest change of all, which Ogden forgot about this week when he was running his mouth, is the Steelers new head coach, Mike Tomlin!
Reports this week indicate the Steelers are going to attack the Ravens with the run. Not sure sure if this is a decoy or not, but the Steeler players always say one thing to the media and end up doing the complete opposite! Maybe this is like that fake end around they always run? You get so use to seeing that end take off on the fake around the outside and you know he's not getting the ball until you least expect it... so maybe this is the plan of the players, show the media this but we are really doing this! I'm probably reading into this entirely to much but you have to wonder, and start to realize teams are using the media as part of their chess match during the week trying to psych out the other team.
Join us this Monday night here in the gameday thread as we talk about the game and cheer our Steelers to a victory!!!!


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Description of 154 Red Leaf Boulevard, Moncks Corner, SC 29461
MOVE IN READY!! Located on one of the largest lots in Foxbank Plantation, this home boasts a 2 story Great Rm filled with natural light and a fabulous eat-in kitchen with large center island, generous cabinet space, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, pantry, Butler's Pantry, and a beautiful tiled floor. The kitchen opens to a large Family Rm centered around a wood burning fireplace. The Master is on the 2nd level and features His and Her Walk-in Closets. The Master Bath features an extra large walk-in shower, beautiful soaking tub, dual vanities, linen closet and private water closet. 2 guest rooms, a shared bath with dual vanity, Laundry Rm, and a spacious 20' X 14' Bonus Rm complete the upstairs. 1 Bedroom and bath are also located on the main level. Additional accents include a screened in porch and fenced backyard. Foxbank Plantation is a Master Planned community with a brand new Elementary School, retail shops, church, fitness center, an amazing pool, playground and open air pavilion on a 67 acre lake! $1700 credit available toward buyer's closing costs and pre-paids with acceptable offer and use of preferred lender. Welcome Home!!
Property Features of 154 Red Leaf Boulevard, Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Single Family Detached
Foxbank Plantation
G. Cr./M. Cor. Hwy 17A-Oakley-Hwy 52
|Elementary school: Foxbank
|Middle school: Berkeley
|High school: Berkeley
|Woodburning fireplace(s)
|Fireplace in living room
|Central air
|Electric heat
|Two car garage
|Vinyl siding
|Screened porch
|Lot acreage is: 0.24
|Corner lot
|Level lot
|Subdivision: Foxbank Plantation
|Ceramic tile flooring
|Eat-in kitchen
|Wood floors
|Wall to wall carpeting
|Kitchen island
|Living and dining room combo
|Separate dining room
|Walk-in closet(s)
|Slab Foundation
|Community clubhouse(s)
|Community swimming pool(s)
Rooms & Dimensions
|Laundry room
|Great Room


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Fanzine was the early term for what we call a zine today (zine is generally thought of as a shorter term for the word fanzine). The term fanzine was created by Russ Chauvenetin in 1940 to describe small self-published publications by fans of science-fiction to differentiate them from Professional Magazines of Science Fiction. Fan Magazines had been around, in various forms, for more than 50 years before the term was coined.
Most of the earliest Fan Magazines were dedicated to sports figures or teams and were often published by organized Fan Clubs. When movies came about, fan magazines sprung up dedicated to famous movie stars such as John Bunny and Bronco Billy. In the 1920s, with the introduction of inexpensive mimeographs, there were hundreds of fan magazines dedicated to movie stars, as well as hundreds more dedicated to interests as varied as Fly Fishing, Pro Wrestling, Sherlock Holmes, Baseball, well-known politicians and True Murder Stories.
Today many zine publishers and readers use the terms zine and fanzine interchangeably, while other believe fanzine better describes to types of zines that are dedicated to a specific subject matter that the author/publisher is a fan of (like punk fanzines, film fanzines and skateboarding fanzines). Most science fiction fans still refer to their zines as fanzines even if the zines themselves do not directly comment on science fiction.


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"The real heroes … are the guys who didn't come back." –John "Doc" Bradley, Navy corpsman and flag raiser at Iwo Jima, as quoted in "Flags of our Fathers" by James Bradley
One of the greatest honors of my profession is getting to meet some of the many veterans that fill the ranks of the trucking industry. It's been my good fortune to meet truck drivers, technicians, and countless others that proudly served in the ranks of our armed forces – including some of the truckers that signed up to haul freight as war zone contractors in Iraq.
Trucking – and truck drivers in particular – always pay special attention to veterans. It's the reason OEMs such as Volvo Trucks North America, Mack Trucks and Freightliner (now folded into Daimler Trucks North America) create special one-of-a-kind artistic tributes for the annual "Rolling Thunder" parades in Washington D.C. It's why drivers emblazon their rigs with a whole host of personal tributes to the military.
It's also why – despite widely disparate feelings over whether the wars our nation fights should be fought in the first place – drivers are united in their support of the troops, here and abroad. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a soldier in uniform at a trucking show wear out his or her hand from the many 'thank you' clasps bestowed upon them.
It's a feeling reflected by the industry as a whole. For example, in late August, Navistar unveiled a documentary film "Drive and Deliver" to provide an inside look at the pride and hard work of the truck-driving professional. Yet the company is also giving the proceeds from the DVD sales of its movie to a driver recruitment campaign – 'GetTrucking.com' – created by the American Trucking Association (ATA) to help place veterans of the armed services into much-needed truck-driving positions.
"One of the goals of the film is to showcase truck drivers as a vital and proud breed of the American workforce," said Al Saltiel, vice president of truck marketing at Navistar. "Now, in partnering with the ATA, we have the opportunity to celebrate the service of our military personnel and help them transition to truck-driving jobs when they return home."
Yet I also find it incredibly interesting that many veterans – though obviously proud of their service and even more so of their comrades – don't talk about it all that much. To them, I've found, it's as if they were called upon to do a tough, nasty job … then once it was over, went on with their lives. Almost all of them push away the mantle of heroism. Sean McEndree a combat wounded veteran and truck driver, exemplifies this. He turned his rig – 'Fallen Heroes II' – into a rolling memorial for the soldiers, sailors, and aircrews that died in Iraq and Afghanistan; not for himself. In fact, his best buddy – Sgt. Barry Meza, the man who saved Sean's life after he was wounded – is really the 'hero' of the truck, placed in honor right along the engine cowling.
In many ways, though, this is the American way. Now, sure, there are plenty of ex-military types that promote their service and themselves to the high heavens (and many who never served faking all kinds of war stories – the most nefarious of untruths). But just look at examples from our history and you see the real score. Heck, the founder of the U.S. Marine Corps – Samuel Nicholas – was a QUAKER for goodness sake. Yes, a Quaker – as in the religion devoted to pacifism. Yet he realized – as many did during the Revolution – that fighting would be necessary to secure our survival as a people and as a nation.
So Nicholas – a friend of George Washington – founded the Marines in 1775, became its first officer … and then quickly disappeared from the history books once the war was over, dying young reportedly around 1790. "It is strange indeed that such a heroic and capable figure faded quickly from view," the USMC notes in its official histories. "The Marine Corps of today is greatly indebted to this gallant Quaker, who, armed in righteousness, established the prestige and the glory that we are pledge to 'carry on.'"
[It is perhaps the supreme irony that he is buried at the Quaker meetinghouse at Fourth and Arch Streets in Nicholas' native Philadelphia … and that Marines seeking to honor his gravesite cannot carry any weapons onto the grounds.]
So to you, our veterans – both inside and outside the trucking industry – we salute you. Carry on.


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With research showing that close relatives of glaucoma sufferers are up to four times more likely to develop the sight-threatening condition than those without a family history of the disease (IGA, 2014), Specsavers in Fishponds is encouraging locals to book in for a sight test.
By observing the main nerve in the eye, measuring the pressure in the eye (puff test) and checking peripheral vision, optometrists are able to detect signs of glaucoma – one of the leading causes of preventable sight loss in the UK, by carrying out three simple tests.
Neil Foster, store director, said: 'An estimated 600,000 people in the UK have glaucoma, but at least half haven't been diagnosed (IGA, 2014). Many are unaware that glaucoma can be hereditary and signs go unnoticed, especially in the early stages when there are often no symptoms.
'Early detection means the condition can be monitored and future damage to vision minimised, which is why we're asking people to make sure they have their eyes tested, especially if their siblings or parents have glaucoma.'
Family Foresight
National Glaucoma Week 2016 sees the International Glaucoma Association launch the Family Foresight campaign, supported by Specsavers, which aims to raise awareness of family history linked with glaucoma.
Russell Young, CEO of the International Glaucoma Association, said: 'We're pleased to be working with Specsavers to highlight the importance of regular eye health checks. As glaucoma is not well understood, many people could be irretrievably damaging their vision without realising it. Detection, diagnosis and treatment can help to save vision.'


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By Matthew Heimer
In today's Wall Street Journal, Evan Ramstad reports that the most feverishly anticipated smartphone in the pipeline right now isn't an iSomething from Apple, but the latest Galaxy from Samsung. It's expected to arrive in April or May, and with the company staying largely mum, tech blogs in the U.S. and abroad have been left to whip themselves into a meringue as they speculate about the phone's features – it'll be waterproof and unbreakable! It'll have a stylus! It'll be amazingly blindingly super-fast!
But one thing that does seem likely, according to various sources including the AnandTech blog, is that the phone's screen will measure 4.99 inches across, diagonally. That would make it bigger than the high-end Samsung currently on the market, the Galaxy S III (4.8 inches), which in turn is substantially bigger than the state-of-the-art iPhone 5 (4 inches) .
And speaking as someone who, earlier today, squinted my way through the physically arduous process of editing a colleague's article on my iPhone 3 (3.5 inches, diagonally), all I can say is: Praise the lordy.
The Galaxy line has drawn a lot of acclaim for its role in positioning Samsung and Google's Android platform as genuine threats to Apple's dominance; indeed, Samsung reported this week that sales of the Galaxy had topped 100 million units. (Apple's stock, meanwhile, is wrapping up a down week amid concerns about how long the tech giant can stay on top, as MarketWatch's Barbara Kollmeyer and Sue Chang report.) But while the Samsung phones get plaudits for their apps and screen resolution, it seems to me that larger screens play a role, too – particularly in sustaining the loyalty of users over 40. During the holiday season, when Encore wrote about mobile-phone shopping habits, readers of all ages weighed in with complaints about the toll that smartphone screens took on their eyes and fingers.
As another Journal story earlier this week suggests, the Galaxy may just be the most high-profile example of a bigger, boomer-friendly pendulum swing toward bigger screens. Shira Ovide wrote on Tuesday about the rise of "phablets" – bigger phones that split the difference between phone and tablet. Ovide's piece riffed entertainingly on the fashion challenges of figuring out where to put a big phone, but it also mentioned in passing this striking factoid: "Shipments of smartphones with screens 4.6 inches or larger grew to 82.7 million units last year from 1.8 million units in 2011, says New York-based market-research firm ABI Research."
Not coincidentally, the two consumers featured in the phablet article are 39 and 47 – old enough to be beginning to make regular visits to the reading-glasses display at the Walgreen's. In short, it seems like the tech industry is giving us midlifers the bigger phones we hate to admit we need.


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People say that reporters are supposed to be unbiased, but that is a bunch of bunk, and by bunk I don't mean a cigar-chomping, whiskey-swilling, wise-cracking homicide detective. Reporters are humans, and humans have biases. The real goal is to prevent those biases from appearing in print. One of my biases is that I, like most of the Delaware Valley, have a soft spot for Carlos Ruiz. I like the guy. I don't know him well enough to serve as a character witness, but in his role as a professional baseball player, I can certainly testify.
Quick anecdote: the Phillies' gameday ops crew runs a program that allows nine kids to join each member of the Phillies at his position during the playing of the national anthem. They stand side by side, stare at the flag, then scurry back to the stands. During one day game, I looked down at the field while the kids were out there. Most of the players were standing like soldiers, hats over their hearts, casting shadows over the kids next to him. Then I looked at home plate, where Ruiz was standing with his right arm draped around the little shoulders of the kid standing next to him. That, in a nutshell, is why people like Carlos Ruiz.
One of the joys of covering the Phillies for the last five years has been watching Ruiz's evolution, as a player, as a leader, and even as an adoptive American. When I first started covering the team, Ruiz would sometimes use a translator to talk to big groups of reporters. He did not like talking in front of cameras. But he has made amazing strides in his English. Last night, after he hit his ninth home run of the season and caught eight strong innings from Cole Hamels, Ruiz bounded through the clubhouse, joking with Roy Halladay's son about his fastball and fist-bumping Brian Schneider's son. When a team official told him that the media wanted to speak with him, he strode to the center of the clubhouse, leaned against the island counter that sits in the middle of the room, and spent a few minutes fielding questions with a veteran's ease.
Thus far, it has been a career year for Ruiz. After last night's game, he ranked third in the National League in hitting with a .369 batting average, fourth in on base percentage (.417) and fifth in OPS (1.003). His wOBA, a stat that attempts to measure all of a hitter's contributions at the plate, was .427, which ranked fifth among all major league hitters.
Three months into the season, Carlos Ruiz isn't just the best-hitting catcher in game, he is one of the best hitters, period.
In a year that has been filled with turmoil for the five-time defending NL East champions, the performance of an ever-improving Panamanian catcher has been a huge bright spot.