text:
|High blood pressure
|High cholesterol
|Family history of heart disease
|Sedentary lifestyle
|Overweight by 20% or more
|High stress lifestyle
|Men over 45 years old
|Women over 55 years old
Coronary artery disease, also known as atherosclerosis, occurs when the arteries that carry blood and oxygen to the heart become clogged with plaque. The plaque build-up slows the flow of blood to the heart muscle causing ischemia and increasing the chance of fatal and non-fatal heart failure.
CT cardiac scoring is the best noninvasive test for quantifying coronary artery calcium content.
The procedure begins with a fast, convenient, and painless computed tomography (CT) exam. CT, more commonly known as CAT scanning, is the process of making an x-ray image of a very small section of your body. During CT scanning, an x-ray beam passes through the body and is recorded by electronic detectors. These detectors send the information to a computer where it is translated into an image.
During your exam, you will be attached to a cardiac monitor and then you will simply lie on the CT couch as it slowly moves into the donut-shaped gantry. The scanner then takes an image or picture of your beating heart while you hold your breath for approximately 20 seconds. The procedure requires no injections, treadmills, or preparation such as fasting.
The information acquired during your CT exam is then processed with HeartBeat-CS, a cardiac scoring software package that evaluates and quantifies the amount of calcium in your coronary arteries. The results will be sent to you and your doctor for further consultation.
NEW in 2010!
Health insurance may now cover this test. A physician's order is required.
Facts About Heart Disease
- Every 26 seconds, someone has a cardiac event.
- Every 45 seconds, someon has a stroke.
- Over 33% of all Americans who have a heart attack each year, show no symptoms before hand.
- 85% of sudden heart attacks may be prevented if the conditions that lead to the attack are diagnosed early enough to prescribe treatment to correct the problems.
- Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in most industrialized nations.
- Coronary artery disease claims more lives than lung, colon, prostate and breast cancer combined.
- Cardiac scoring is at least ten times more powerful a predictor of coronary artery disease episodes than cholesterol screening.
- 45% of all heart attacks occur in people under the age of 65.
- 44% of women who have heart attacks, die within a year after the attack.
- Women are 10 times more likely to die of heart disease than of breast cancer.
Where to go.
For information on where to go when you arrive for your appointment, visit our Where to Go page.
To schedule an appointment for a Cardiac Scoring Test, please call Lourdes at 607-798-5723.


text:
While Nate Silver and the many of the nation's pollsters are calling this year's presidential election pretty much a dead heat, the president is taking a commanding leading in at least one poll.
Convenience store mega chain 7-Eleven is selling barely drinkable coffee in either blue paper Obama cups or a red Romney variation and tallying the results as part of their 7-Election 2012 campaign.
Obama is trouncing his GOP opponent with a 20-point margin; in terms of electoral votes, he's carrying the entire nation with the exception of Idaho and West Virginia. The poll, which was introduced during the 2000 presidential election has been shockingly accurate — to within 1% of the popular vote.
No word yet on who has the upper hand in the next round of the Great American Slurpee® Debates.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Compare mortgage rates from top national lenders, with up to 4 custom mortgage quotes for Indiana home owners.
Save today with our network of top Indiana lenders
Compare interest rates with custom mortgage quotes
Loan programs for all credit scenarios
Over 900,000 requests to our partner network in 2007!
"I lowered my house payment by over $500 per month, thanks for helping me find a great mortgage loan!"
Ricardo D Oakland, California
"We were surprised how easy it was to get a mortgage quote, thank you for helping us save on our new home loan!"
Helena B San Diego, California
Thinking about refinancing?
Looking to consolidate debt?
Shopping for a low mortgage rate?
Compare up to 4 free mortgage quotes from top Indiana lenders!
Get started ! No obligation application
How to save on financing
Our Loan Network provides you with free mortgage quotes for debt consolidation, low rate refinancing and purchase home loans. We work with the countries top lenders to offer you the lowest mortgage rates and most competitive financing options. We also offer student loan consolidation, auto loan refinancing, great deals on credit cards and free mortgage calculators.
Comparing Indiana mortgage quotes has never been easier. In 2006 our national lender exchange partner network processed over 900,000 requests to help find the best rates on mortgages, debt consolidation and more. We make it easy with simple forms and match you with the countries top lenders to help ensure you get the best deal on your next loan or mortgage. We look forward to your feedback and success stories.
Loan Network is proud to be amongst the first companies to provide access to compare free mortgage quotes in Spanish.
Compara tasas de inter?s para hipotecas con hasta 4 presupuestos gratis de los mejores prestamistas nacionales. Obten un Presupuesto, ahora mismo
Indiana mortgage loan options
From South Bend to Indianapolis we've got you covered for the best loan options in the State of Indiana. Whether you are looking for a $125,000 mortgage on a condominium or a multi million dollar Super Jumbo Loan for your dream home our lender network has the options you are seeking. We work with top Indiana lenders to provide you with the most popular home loans in Indiana including; deferred interest mortgages, pay option loans, interest only arms and fixed rate jumbo loans.
Stop searching for rates and fees, relax and let our top lenders send you a customized quote. Get up to 4 free quotes on Indiana's most popular loan programs; option arms, interest only and deferred interest mortgages. Compare mortgage interest rates from top Indiana lenders.
Our loan network offers up to four mortgage quotes for free, Mortgage Quote with our 60 second easy, no obligation application and get matched with the countries top mortgage lenders.
Prime Rate 5.25%
Six Month Libor 3.29%
Call For Your Custom Mortgage Quote
Option arms and deferred interest mortgages. Compare mortgage quotes
Pay off credit card debt with a consolidation loan. Apply Now
Indiana Mortgage Rates and Lenders Indiana Refinance
Can I consolidate my student loans? Learn More
Compara tasas de inter?s para hipotecas con hasta 4 presupuestos gratis de los mejores prestamistas nacionales Hipotecas
Mortgage math made easy with our refinance calculator Launch
Fixed rate interest only loans Details
Safe and Secure
Note: SecureRights is responsible for the collection and transfer of information on this page for the purpose of completing your request. By submitting your request you agree to be contacted in accordance with SecureRights Privacy Policy. View SecureRights Licenses.


text:
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Meet your fellow owners in our Owners Clubs
Chevrolet Blazer Emissions Control System Problems
Im 16 and this is my first car, today driving the check engine soon light came on, it didnt come on to school, but it came on, on the way home. It gave me the code P0452, which it says is a emissions control system low pressure sensor. What could this be? Is it something i can buy and fix myself or do i have to take it to te dealer? How long can this go?
Okay, first make sure your gas cap is on and tight. I remember how it was many years ago when I was in school, and someone may have stolen your gas cap.
Next, disconnect your battery for about 10-15 minutes and reconnect. This will reset the trouble codes stored in the computer.
As a friendly suggestion, when you post list the year model and mileage on your car. Makes it easier for the nice folks on this board to help you.0
nmart Posts: 3HAd to edit the prior post here
I have a 1989 S10blazer The 4.2 V6 fi 175,456 mileas. Went for emissions test and Air inj sys, egr,pcv,fuel inlet restrictor, Cat Coverter,Evap control sys, gas cap integrity all passed, tail pipe #'s
Idle limit 1.20 reading 7.22 fail
2500 rpm 1.20 reading 6.86 fail
HC ppm
Idle 220 ...382. fail
2500 rpm 220... 267 fail
Seems there is to much emisions coming out of tail pipe all other things are ok. I do smell fuel when it starts though, and iot runs rough sometimes. I always kept up on tunups. also seems to eat more gas.. Need to know what parts would effect emissions that would cause high CO%. need to know something before having it fixed. thanks
added OBD code
I did th OBD I code flashes 44 lean mixture. if that helps any
thANks again0
With all the measurements showing a rich condition, and getting a code 44 on the oxygen sensor, I would wonder if the O2 sensor is bad, or if the wire is off. With the miles you have on the car, the O2 could have just flat croaked.
Bosch O2 sensors are something like $20 from O' Reilly's (The local franchise parts house) or about $45 for a Delphi.0
cobrajetken Posts: 1Hi! I have a 1996 Blazer L-10 with the 4.3 Vortex engine. The Service Engine Soon light recently came on. I brought it to AUTOZONE and they nicely ran the error code for me. It came back "Evaporator Control Problem" The gas cap seems OK, No obvious loose vacuum hoses and the canister looks OK. I do have gasoline leaking out of the rubber hose that connects the fill pipe to the gas tank pipe whenever I fill up with gas. It only leaks when I get gas. I think it's the short lenght of rubber hase between the fill pipe and gas tank pipe. Could this do be the problem? If not which vacuum hose do I need to check. I need to get it inspected and they can't inspect it with the engine light on so I'm kind of "up a creek with half a paddle". Thanks. Ken :sick:0
This discussion has been closed.


text:
Aartform Curvy 3D is an easy and fast sculpting program for Windows.
Rapidly sketch natural forms direct to 3D.
Non-technical interface makes sculpting fun with speedy model development.
Sketch, paint or even trace. Curvy is the easy pathway to 3d modelling.
Curvy 3D
Find out more:
Software Features & Screenshots
Artists Forum
Art Gallery
Try Sculpting with Curvy
in the Free Demo:
Download 30 Day Trial
Aartform Curvy 3D 3.0 Demo
Use your 2D skills to
model in 3D
Draw 3D forms with your tablet or mouse.
Blend forms together to make complex shapes.
Detail the model using Curvy's surface sculpt tools.
Paint bumps and colours onto the surface in 3D.
Aartform Curvy 3D 3.0
is now available! 3.0 has Adaptive Subdivision meshes that make sculpting easier than ever. Also a new range of Primitives can be quickly sketched in 3D including Blob and Slab shapes. 3.0 also has a cleaner user interface that makes it quicker to learn and more fun to play with.
Aartform Curvy 3D 3.0 is now available to
Buy Now
Aartform Curvy 3D
has new volumetric sculpting tools that makes basemesh creation incredibly easy. You can draw the shapes for your model then merge the shapes together to create a seamless base mesh. This is great for rapid content creation and produces an even mesh for detailing in other modelling software.
Curvy's hand drawn curves turn effortlessly into rounded forms and, with no UV mapping required, can be textured and exported ready for instant conversion to Sculpted Prims. Curvy is the easiest sculptie program for Second Life.
Curvy is great at organic art, and now adds a full set of digital clay tools to its drawing toolset. Warp brushes let you sculpt as easily as you can paint colours onto the surface. You can pinch, and buldge, roughen, smooth and flatten the model easily. 3D Sculpting is easy and fun with Curvy.
Artists with an interest in getting into computer graphics appreciate the sketch based graphic tools and intuitive controls to shape and sculpt models in Curvy - it is all simple and non-technical, you don't have to work with individual triangles. And it is easy to use Curvy models with programs like Bryce, Poser, Fragmotion & Meshlab, both for import and to export then render.
Curvy has improved obj export so it is easier to use Curvy models in other rendering software. You can also save hi-resolution screenshots from Curvy's views for use in another graphics program, and Curvy's TGA screenshots support Alpha for easy compositing in your graphics program.
Originally a sketch-based sculpting program, Curvy now lets you create image based 3D models using a simple image inflate tool. This is handy for photo based modelling and for shapes that are much easier to create as a graphic design rather than a 3D model.
Lighting and texturing are easy in Curvy as the viewports are always use the best realtime render settings. You can paint on bump and displacement maps and see the results as you paint. Image creation is WYSIWYG making for friendly artist software. Curvy's realtime renderer lets you create a wide range of materials (eg: skin, glass, metal) using lightmaps.
A sculpting tool designed for easy 3-d modelling, suitable for - Curvy is compatable with most leading graphics tools. Curvy has been used as fast concept visualization software, image creation, illustration artwork, and game modelling, and is increasingly used to generate basemesh geometry for hi-resolution sculpting.
"Perfect base modeling for detailing." - Mykyl
"Curvy ... makes some very smooth, elegant base meshes. ... Fun, fun, fun." - Monsoon
"I constantly tout [Curvy] in my corner of the 3d world as THE lathe modeler of choice." - Monsoon
"..... what can I say... Curvy ROCKS!!! " - Vanrailey
(After getting Hive Queen into ZBrush)
Press Release: Aartform Releases Curvy 3.0
If your magazine has covered Curvy 3D and you would like to be included here
contact us
Download 30 Day Trial
Aartform Curvy 3D 3.0 Demo
Software Features
User Art Gallery
Organic Art
Game Graphics
Model Painting
Caricature Modeller
Make Sculpted Prims
Arch Sculpties
3D Art Software
3D Modelling Program
Free Software Tutorials
Lathe Modeller Tutorial
Modeling a Helmet
Sculpting a Figure
Neal's Yard Elaine Kingston
Aartform Curvy 3D is developed by
The Curvy Team


text:
Lawmakers have competing ideas about expanding Yosemite
Two veteran California lawmakers are at loggerheads over how to expand Yosemite National Park.
A House Republican and House Democrat now have competing bills folding nearly 1,600 acres in Mariposa County into the park's boundaries. They share some ideas. They differ, though, on key questions, including whether to offset the park's growth by the sale of federal land elsewhere.
The explicit differences, now that they are spelled out in legislative text, could theoretically accelerate negotiations toward a final deal. Or, they could yield stalemate, over mountainous land both sides agree meets Yosemite's high standards.
"The proposed addition to the park offers spectacular views from Henness Ridge and still has remnants of timber roads that could be adapted for hiking, riding, mountain biking, and other recreational pursuits," Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., said in a statement.
This month, following extended study, McClintock introduced his version of a Yosemite park expansion bill. His congressional district includes the park and several of its surrounding gateway communities.
The land was reportedly part of naturalist John Muir's original plan for Yosemite.
Like an earlier bill introduced 16 months ago by Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., McClintock's legislation authorizes the National Park Service to expand Yosemite's western boundary through the addition of several adjacent Mariposa County parcels.
The non-profit Pacific Forest Trust owns about half of the 1,575 acres covered by the bill, and a consortium of medical professionals owns the other half. The trust bought its share with the long-term goal of conveying it to Yosemite. The doctors bought the land as an investment, potentially for a development. The development never transpired.
On Thursday, Pacific Forest Trust Vice President Paul Mason said in an interview that it was "progress" for McClintock to have introduced the bill, though Mason added that there are problems with specific parts of the legislation.
"I think it's positive that he's actually come to the table," Mason said.
A staunch conservative who frequently denounces federal management of public lands, McClintock included in his bill a requirement that the Yosemite expansion only occur after the Interior Department has sold, through public auction, about 1,575 acres elsewhere.
Nationwide, Interior manages more than 400 million acres, including more than 23 million acres in California. Yosemite currently has 747,956 acres.
McClintock said the provision "assures that acquisition of this new parcel will not add further to the problem" of public land management. Costa, though, called the requirement a deal-breaker.
"That's a precedent, of exchanging land, that doesn't make any sense to me," Costa said in an interview. "I don't think the administration will support it, and I'm not so sure it will pass the Senate."
Mason was less adamant about this portion of the bill, observing that "the Interior Department owns so much land."
California's two Democratic senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, have introduced a bill that mirrors Costa's.
Costa further suggested McClintock's bill was supposed to "get him off the hot seat" with Yosemite-area constituents interested in the long-debated park expansion idea. McClintock said his discussions with the Republican-controlled House Natural Resources Committee convinced him that "it has been clear that a successful bill" must include certain elements.
The two bills also differ in how the land might be acquired.
Costa's bill allows for a donation, swap or outright purchase. Laurie Wayburn, president of the Pacific Forest Trust, has previously indicated the land could be purchased through the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.
McClintock's bill, though, specifies that the park service can only obtain the land through a donation; in part, he says, because he doesn't want the government to simply bail out private investors. This requirement, he says, will "protect taxpayers."
Mason, stressing that "we stepped in to address a real threat to the park," said a donation of the Trust's land was out of the question.
"We can't donate the property," Mason said. "We're not that large of an organization."


text:
Welcome to Crenn's Mind
Welcome to Crenn's Mind. Currently, it's a little empty, but I'm working on filling it up as you think.
Please consider donating to the project jar on the side.
It's been a while again
Well it's been quite some time since I last updated my website, and quite a few things have happened since then. Firstly, I've finished the semester for the year, it was due to be my last semester providing I passed all 4 subjects, however this was not the case. But the situation isn't too bad, providing I can manage to complete 12 weeks work experience before a certain date, I can apply for an additional exam for the subject to allow me to finish up the course this year. The thing for the moment is just finding out a position, but the free time has enabled me to work on projects and generally start working on parts I've wanted to get working for some time.
Micro Electric Helicopter with Autopilot
Summary of Project Idea
I've been thinking about designing autopilots for some time now. To get the project off the ground, I'm planning on starting with a little and hopefully easy to control helicopter, initially understanding the concepts for the helicopter to fly, and then later on automating those functions so the helicopter just hovers. From there, complete the control system to allow the helicopter to fly around controlled via an RC kit (reusing the kit used from understanding the concepts for the helicopter to fly) or a joystick connected to a computer, then adding in positioning functions (GPS and air speed sensors) to allow for a basic autopilot which can be built on.
Small Electric Plane with Autopilot
Summary of Project Idea
This is a continuation of the MEHA (Micro Electric Helicopter with Autopilot) autopilot that enables the autopilot to be tested on a different type of aircraft. This project later will lead onto a bigger plane being developed for the UAV Outback Challenge which has more complex design and task to complete.


text:
High-Dose Vitamin C
A New Therapeutic ApproachOctober 2006
By Laurie Barclay, MD
Vitamin C's health-boosting benefits go far beyond fighting the common cold and flu. In fact, nutritional scientists have discovered that this potent antioxidant is crucial in supporting the health of the cardiovascular system, kidneys, bones, respiratory system, and more.
Unfortunately, many people fail to consume enough vitamin C to realize its vast array of health benefits. Most adults wrongly assume that the 75-90 mg of vitamin C recommended by the federal government is an optimal daily dose. In fact, this "recommended dietary allowance" is only enough to prevent vitamin-deficiency disease states such as scurvy—but not nearly enough to support optimal health.
The Nobel prize-winning scientist Dr. Linus Pauling was among the first to recognize the importance of high-dose vitamin C supplementation more than 30 years ago. Since then, scientists have amassed impressive evidence supporting the numerous benefits of high-dose vitamin C.
In this article, we examine recent studies supporting the efficacy of high-dose vitamin C in preventing and fighting infections, improving endothelial function, reducing heart attack risk, promoting longevity, and enhancing cancer survival.
What you need to know
Vitamin C advocate Linus Pauling appears to have been right about this critical nutrient. A number of studies support the use of high dose vitamin C to help maintain a balanced immune system, support endothelial function and cardiovascular health, and maybe even improve our chances for a longer life.
Vitamin C Suppresses Cell Damage, Promotes Immune Health
Dr. Linus Pauling noted that vitamin C is a critically important water-soluble antioxidant, as it protects proteins and lipids from free radical damage associated with infection, intensive exercise, and other stressors that can injure cells.1-3 These very properties make vitamin C a valuable agent for improving immune function. By suppressing oxidative stress, vitamin C increases the life span of immune cells and reduces infection-related cellular damage.4-7 This bolsters the immune system's ability to fend off a broad range of infectious agents.
Interestingly, research has clearly demonstrated that during times of infection, concentrations of vitamin C are rapidly depleted in the blood and in white blood cells. Scientists have found that supplementation with vitamin C improves several important parameters of immune function. Therefore, supplementing with vitamin C during infection may protect immune cells and strengthen their ability to fight infectious pathogens.8
Vitamin C Helps Prevent and Fight Infections
Vitamin C not only speeds recovery from infections, but more important, may also help to prevent the onset of infections. Study after study has shown that vitamin C can dramatically reduce infection time as well as boost one's resistance to infections. For example, studies of vitamin C supplementation in military personnel and other subjects living in close quarters have shown that pneumonia occurred a remarkable 80-100% less often in subjects taking vitamin C than in those who did not supplement with the vitamin.9
Similar protection against the onset of infection has been observed in children in developing countries, who are highly vulnerable to developing life-threatening infections. In this at-risk population, daily supplementation with up to 1000 mg of vitamin C, along with the mineral zinc, greatly reduced the likelihood of developing potentially deadly pneumonia, malaria, and infection-related diarrhea.8 In addition, supplementation with vitamin C improved outcomes even when infections had already occurred. The study authors suggested that vitamin C helps strengthen children's resistance to infectious organisms. Based on these findings, it is vital that young children receive appropriate supplementation with vitamin C.
Vitamin C intake has been found to speed resolution of upper respiratory tract infections in young people. Students who supplemented with hourly doses of 1000 mg of vitamin C for six hours and then three times daily thereafter exhibited an extraordinary 85% decrease in cold and flu symptoms compared to those who took pain relievers and decongestants for their infectious symptoms.10
These benefits of improved healing are not limited to children and young adults. Elderly patients that were hospitalized with pneumonia or bronchitis showed substantial improvement following supplementation with vitamin C.11 In a study of women with non-specific vaginal infection, locally administered vitamin C significantly improved symptoms and led to a reduction in bacterial count.12
Vitamin C's strength in countering bacterial infection was further demonstrated in a study of the dangerous breed of bacteria known as Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori. Chronic infection of the stomach with H. pylori contributes to gastritis, stomach ulcers, and even deadly gastric cancer.13 In an epidemiological study, however, high intake of the powerful antioxidant vitamins C and E was associated with an astounding 90% reduction in the risk of developing stomach cancer.14 Lending additional support to these findings is another study showing that infection with H. pylori was a major risk factor for gastric cancer in patients with low vitamin C intake, but not in those with high vitamin C intake.18 By protecting against infection with H. pylori, vitamin C may thus help to prevent potentially fatal stomach cancer as well as other painful gastrointestinal complications.
Vitamin C may even have an important role to play in the ongoing global battle to contain the ubiquitous HIV virus.19-21 For example, laboratory experiments indicate that high concentrations of vitamin C are preferentially toxic to HIV-infected cells, thereby promoting their destruction while sparing uninfected immune cells.21 In other laboratory studies of human immune cells, vitamin C helped suppress the HIV virus.19 Moreover, in a clinical study of HIV-infected patients, subjects with advanced immune deficiency who supplemented with high doses of vitamin C and the potent antioxidant N-acetylcysteine exhibited significant improvements in several measures of immune system function.20
Vitamin C Supports Endothelial Function and Protects the Heart
As the aforementioned studies attest, vitamin C's ability to help prevent and fight infection by strengthening the body's natural defenses against disease-causing pathogens is uncontested. Less recognized—but perhaps equally important—are the many other ways in which vitamin C supports optimal health.
Mounting evidence, for example, associates higher vitamin C levels with protection against cardiovascular disease, America's leading cause of premature death. Vitamin C may help support the heart and vascular system by protecting against endothelial dysfunction, preventing heart attacks, and countering the dangerous oxidation of blood lipids.
Scientists now know that one of the instigating factors in cardiovascular disease is the insidious process known as endothelial dysfunction, in which blood vessel walls become stiffer and less able to dilate in response to the body's need for increased blood flow.
While elevated levels of the amino acid homocysteine hasten endothelial dysfunction, scientists have discovered that pretreatment with vitamin C (1000 mg daily for one week) reduces oxidative stress and thus protects the delicate vascular endothelium from the damaging effects of elevated homocysteine.22
Similarly, researchers have found that while eating a meal high in fat temporarily impairs endothelial function for up to four hours in healthy individuals, pretreatment with the antioxidant vitamins C and E prevents this impairment.23 Scientists have also shown that vitamin C may reduce oxidative stress and subsequent endothelial dysfunction.24
In a study of patients with coronary heart disease, vitamin C enhanced the ability of coronary arteries to expand in response to a naturally occurring vasodilator.25
Smokers often have a drastically impaired endothelium. Vitamin C has likewise demonstrated powerful effects against endothelial dysfunction caused by smoking. In one trial, subjects who received pretreatment with 2000 mg of vitamin C had an impressive 59% reduction in a clinical measure associated with endothelial dysfunction.26 In a similar study, German researchers found that either short-term vitamin C infusion or long-term vitamin C treatment markedly increased blood flow to the heart muscle in smokers.27 In this same trial, long-term supplementation with vitamin C also increased blood flow to the heart muscle in patients with high blood pressure.27
How does vitamin C protect endothelial cells? Although its precise mechanisms of action are not yet fully understood, researchers have discovered that vitamin C, at high doses, activates an enzyme that may be involved in reducing the oxidative stress that can contribute to endothelial dysfunction.28


text:
New York Knicks Superstar Amar'e Stoudemire has signed on with Scholastic Books to produce his own kids' chapter book series. STAT: Standing Tall and Talented is scheduled to be released in August 2012. The series is based on the life of Stoudemire and how he overcame a poor upbringing to become an NBA superstar. The series is made for middle school level children as Stoudemire is committed to converting more young children into readers. Stoudemire's mission statement:
"I am excited to create my book series with Scholastic. They are the best in the business so I trust them with my stories. I decided to write for children because although I am an avid reader now, I wish I had read more as a child. I hope that together with Scholastic, we can creatively inspire a new generation to read."
Once again I am impressed with Stoudemire. I have written before about how he should be an inspiration to children for overcoming what he has overcome and I think it is great that he can now tell his story to the masses through his books. Once again Stoudemire is using his basketball stature to create opportunities for himself outside of basketball and help other people. Stoudemire's hard work outside of basketball is inspirational and I wish him the best of luck with his new book line.
[Image Via The Crab Dribble]
Follow @tarmosino


text:
Leonard Pitts Jr
Leonard Pitts: Race is the stupidest idea in history
On New Year's Day, it will be 150 years since Abraham Lincoln set black people free from slavery.
And there is no such thing as black people.
The first of those statements is not precisely true; a clarification will be offered momentarily. The second statement is not precisely false. And the clarification begins here:
It is a clarification needed not simply because it helps us to better understand the milestone of history we commemorate this week, but also because it helps us to better understand America right here in the tumultuous now. The Republican Party, to take an example not quite at random, enters the new year still nursing its wounds after an election debacle most observers laid upon its inability to sway Hispanics, young voters and, yes, black people. Then there is the Trayvon Martin shooting, the mass incarceration phenomenon, the birther foolishness.
A century and a half later, in other words, race is still a story. Black people are still a story.
How can that be, if there is no such thing as black people?
Granted, most of us think otherwise. The average 18-year-old American kid, says historian Matt Wray, thinks of race "as a set of facts about who people are, which is somehow tied to blood and biology and ancestry."
But that kid is wrong. If you doubt that, try a simple challenge: Define "black people."
Maybe you think of it as African ancestry. But Africa is a place on a map — not a bloodline. And, as the example of Charlize Theron, the fair-skinned, blond actress from South Africa, amply illustrates, it is entirely possible to come from there, yet not be what we think of as "black." Indeed, Theron, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2008, is by definition an African American. Yet, she fits no one's conception of that term, either.
Or, you might define "black people" by physical appearance: i.e., people with dark skin and coarse hair. If so, consider Gregory Howard Williams, a pale-skinned American educator and author of the memoir Life On The Color Line, who did not learn he was "black" until he was 10. Or consider Walter White, the former executive secretary of the NAACP, whose 1948 autobiography begins: "I am a Negro. My skin is white, my eyes are blue, my hair is blond." Consider the people from India who have dark skin or the ones from Asia, the Middle East or Latin America who have coarse hair.
And perhaps here, you are tempted to throw up your hands and paraphrase Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart who famously said of pornography that he might not be able to define it, "but I know it when I see it."
The difference is that pornography, at least, exists. But there is no such thing as black people. Or white people. Or Asians. Or Indians.
What is my point? It's simply this: Race is the stupidest idea in history.
Or, as Wray puts it, "race was a big mistake."
To which Nell Irwin Painter adds the observation that a decade of research and writing on the subject taught her "that if you try to consider race as a real thing, it makes no sense."
Wray, a Temple University professor and the author of Not Quite White: White Trash and the Boundaries of Whiteness, and Painter, a former professor at Princeton and the author of The History of White People, are leading lights in a burgeoning field of study whose aim is nothing less that the deconstruction of race. It seeks to answer the question of when, how, and why we ever got it into our heads there is such a thing as race; when, how, and why we decided we could divide human beings into subgroups whose members all shared similar traits and that those subgroups could be ranked, superior to inferior.
The "when," as it turns out, is pretty easy to answer, though the answer is surprising, in light of how conditioned we are to think of race as something that always was and always will be. The concept of race, says Painter, dates from about the mid-18th Century. It is less than 300 years old.
Though there were always a few people, she says, who attempted to impute character or worth from a stranger's color, it was more likely in that era for people to make those judgments based upon a stranger's religion or wealth. "So if you were a light-skinned person and you met a dark-skinned person in rags, and you weren't [in rags], you'd feel superior," says Painter. "But if you were in rags and that other person was in rags, you'd be trying to figure if that person had something that you could get."
Then came race — that which would allow one person in rags to feel superior to another person in rags. Early on, it was defined not by appearance but as a function of climate. Greek scholars believed people from places where the seasons do not change were placid. Those from places of dramatic seasonal shifts were wild and unsociable. Those from hot places were impulsive and hot-tempered. Those from cooler climes were stiff and intellectual.
Race was also defined geographically. Hippocrates, the great Greek physician, thought people who lived in low-lying areas tended to be dark-skinned, fat, cowardly, ill-spoken and lazy. Those who lived in flat, windy places would be large in stature, "but their minds will be rather unmanly and gentle."
And then, there were those who decided the key to race lay in measuring the size and shape of people's skulls.
"American scientists and anthropologists get ahold of this concept by the early 1800s," says Wray. "For the whole of the 19th Century, they're refining and tweaking their models to really give scientific weight and authority to the notion that these racial differences can be empirically verified. In other words, they're out there in the world. We just have to figure out whether it's the distance between the eye sockets and the bridge of the nose, or some combination of measurements from the back of the skull to the chin divided by the circumference of the head that will give us the kind of golden ratio we're looking for — in other words, the one that will enable us to definitively say, this person is African, this person is Caucasian and so forth."
The great Harlem Renaissance author Zora Neale Hurston was fascinated by this thinking. She was known to stand on New York City street corners with a pair of calipers, asking passersby for permission to measure their skulls.
In 1895, D.B. Brinton, an American anthropologist, published a complicated chart purporting to categorize all the races of humankind. He ended up with more than a hundred kinds of Caucasian alone.
Brinton and Hurston were never able to quantify race. No one was. And yet, the nation — indeed, the world — was never able to give it up. Race was, and is, too useful.
Says Wray, "It has enabled in the United States for us to justify and legitimate the conquest of Indian land and the near genocide of Native American tribes. It enabled us for such a long time to justify slavery and when we got done with that justification, when people called B.S. on that, we said, 'Well, this is how we can explain Jim Crow.' When the Civil Rights Movement happens in the 1950s and '60s, when African Americans rise up and say, 'Enough Jim Crow,' then we use it to justify mass incarceration of black Americans. We find the idea of race and inherent racial differences and the idea that some people are frankly, just better than others, to be indispensible."
It is worth remembering that when newcomers from Europe flocked to these shores in search of opportunity, they did not automatically see themselves as white. They were French, English, Scottish, Spanish or German, and far from having some identity in common, they were often in contention for the riches of this land. Whiteness was something that had to be learned and earned, particularly for those — Jews, Poles, southern Italians, Hungarians, the Irish — who were regarded as congenitally inferior. They were seen as white, says Painter, but it was a sort of defective whiteness. They were "off white" for want of a better term, and as such, a threat to American values and traditions. And they were mistreated accordingly until, over the passage of generations of assimilation, they achieved full whiteness.
University of Illinois history professor David R. Roediger recounts a telling episode in his book, Working Toward Whiteness. It seems David, a Russian Jew, has come to America seeking refuge from anti-Semitic persecution. He arrives in Georgia and begins working with his cousins as a peddler. But soon there is a problem. His cousins complain that he is too friendly with his black customers. "The schvarters here are like we are in Russia," they explain. To treat them too well is to risk his own acceptance.
David replies that he cannot bring himself to treat the blacks as he himself was treated in Russia. "It is easy," he tells his cousin, "for you to forget how to feel and what it is like to be hurt and stepped on when you think of yourself as white today and forget what it was like being a Jew yesterday."
As Jon Stewart noted recently on The Daily Show, that history is what lends a certain pungent edge to some of the post-election hand wringing among conservatives. Surely, the gods of irony laughed aloud when a television personality named O'Reilly (Bill) and a guest named Goldberg (Bernie) lamented how newcomers were changing "traditional America."
As whiteness was invented, so was blackness. When Africans were gathered on the shores of that continent to be packed into the reeking holds of slave ships for the voyage to this country, they saw themselves as Taureg, Mandinkan, Fulani, Mende or Songhay — not black. As Noel Ingnatiev, author of How The Irish Became White, has observed, those Africans did not become slaves because they were black. They "became" black because they were enslaved.
But though blackness and whiteness were invented they still, to a remarkable degree, govern perception — and thus, destiny.
Some months ago, my wife Marilyn and I were at dinner with two other couples and somehow, we all got talking about identity. One couple, brown-skinned like Marilyn and me, saw themselves, like Marilyn and me, as black or African American. The other, fair-skinned couple, pointedly declined to define themselves as white. She said she saw herself as Jewish; he defined himself as a first-generation Polish American.
It struck me, not simply because it underlined the ultimate falsity of these identities, white and black, but also because it highlighted what has always struck me as the problematic nature of one of them in particular: white. I've often thought the word "white" had a tendency to discomfit the people to whom it is applied, to carry some hint of accusation that is no less real for being unspoken. In my experience, white people are often ill at ease with being referred to as white people.
There is, I think, a reason for that. "Black" and "white" are equally artificial, but black fairly quickly took on the contours of a real culture. The people to whom it was applied, after all, were required to live in close proximity to one another, sharing the same often-squalid circumstances, the same mistreatment and oppression, conditions that no degree of personal excellence or achievement could mitigate or help them escape. These pressures shaped them, drew them together.
"White," on the other hand, was held together only by the single condition of being not black, being a member of the advantaged class. It has little existence apart from that.
As illustration, try a mind experiment. If someone says to you that she enjoys black literature, what do you interpret her to be saying? Likely that she reads Ernest Gaines, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker. But what is "white literature?" What is "white music?" What is "white art?" How often, in media, does one even see "white" used — physical descriptions of crime suspects aside — where it is not positioned as a counterpoint to "black?"
This is the thing that is often misunderstood by people who try to impute some sinister double standard to things like the Miss Black America Pageant. "If there was a Miss White America Pageant," they are fond of saying, "black people would have a fit."
But there is a Miss Italia USA pageant. And a Miss German America pageant. And a Little Miss Irish Princess contest. And a Miss Russian California.
So the problem isn't black people having a fit. It is white people recognizing, if only viscerally and instinctively, that "white" is a problematic word to be avoided when possible.
What, then, do we do with this history? Where does it take us as the future dawns?
Some would say it takes us nowhere. Some would say the best thing we can do with race is leave it alone. If I had a dollar for every person who has ever told me that talking about race causes racism, or even half that much for every person who has ever told me the "hyphenated Americanism" of African Americans causes racism, I'd never have to buy another Powerball ticket in life.
But such people are looking through the wrong end of the telescope. People embrace hyphenated Americanism because no other Americanism has been available to them. And if we stopped talking about race tomorrow, racism would persist; all we would lose is the language by which we frame and confront it.
You don't end race by silence, nor do you end it by blaming it on the people it has been used against.
Again, race persists because race is useful. If you want to end race, stop allowing race to be useful. Consider some of the political debates of the recent past and note how issues with no obvious racial component soon end up being about race.
"I think you see it with health care now," says the historian, Roediger. "Very quickly, something that's kind of a fundamental human right, it'll end up being talked about as if it were a racialized entitlement. The achievement of the right in making the word 'welfare,' which means good, sound like a bad thing, is so connected with the way they can pull on race."
But Roediger does sense that a change is afoot, that perhaps the utility of race has peaked. The election, he says, showed "that this kind of Republican refrain of 'food stamp president' doesn't work quite as well when so many white people are on food stamps and know people who they know are trying to get jobs and can't get jobs."
As a result, he says, the GOP, which has, for generations been able to "take advantage of race," now faces a race problem of its own. "I think there are fewer whites who respond to these kind of dog whistle, coded appeals, partly because they have misery in their own families, partly because anti-racism has made some progress."
There is no such thing as black people.
Except, of course, that there is — even if we have to use what might be dubbed the Justice Potter Stewart standard to define them.
Race is the stupidest idea in history. It is also, arguably, the most powerful. It determines who goes to jail and who goes to college, who gets loans and who gets rejections, who gets the job and who gets the unemployment check. It determines the life you live and the assumptions that are made about you.
For example, Gregory Howard Williams, the man who did not know he was "black" until he was 10, once told the story of how, when he became dean of his law school, a white woman congratulated him on this well-deserved achievement. "Then," said Williams, "she found out that I was black, and her first response — not to me, but to someone else — was, 'Did he get the job because he was black?' When she looked at me and assumed I was white, she assumed that I was qualified for the job. When she discovered I was black, she assumed that I was unqualified for the job."
Then there is Walter White, the "Negro" with blond hair and blue eyes, who was, as a child, cornered in his house with his father, a mail carrier, by a white mob intent on violence. "There's where that nigger mail carrier lives!" they cried. "Let's burn it down! It's too nice for a nigger to live in!"
Back in 2000, a group of scientists announced that, after mapping the genetic codes of five people, self-identified as African American, Caucasian, Asian and Hispanic, they had been unable to tell them apart. As one researcher put it, "The concept of race has no scientific basis."
That same week, I was in New York City where I stood on 44th Street with my hand raised, watching empty cab after empty cab pass me by. The irony was pointed. Science could not define "black," but a New York City cab driver certainly could.
This is the reality to which our history delivers us, one in which these artificial designations — "black," "white," "Asian," etc. — are considered to have all these inborn markers for intelligence, criminality, athleticism, honesty, cleanliness, and we accept it without question, accept it like sunshine and air, as a thing that simply is. And it seems beyond us to look into the face of that other person who sits on the other side of that artificial designation and see reflected in his or her eyes, our own tears, our own laughter, our own self.
A century and a half ago Tuesday, the first Republican president issued the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves. Except that, as most historians will tell you, it didn't actually free anybody; it applied only to slaves in states like Florida and Mississippi, which were then in rebellion and no longer recognized U.S. authority, while ignoring those in states like Maryland and Kentucky, which remained in the Union. As the movie Lincoln shows, it actually took the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery.
But the one thing Abraham Lincoln's document did do was challenge a nation's understanding of its fundamental social order, its comprehension of the way things were and were meant to be. At a time when the very humanity of "black" people was in controversy and any suggestion that they might actually be equal to whites was met with scornful laughter, this homely country lawyer put the idea of freedom on the table and forced the nation for the very first time to grapple with that which it had previously accepted without question, like sunshine and air.
Getting the nation to think seriously about the concept of black people, free, was, as much as anything, a triumph of imagination.
One hundred fifty years later, getting the nation to understand that there is no such thing as black people will require a similar jolt to hidebound thinking. If and when it comes, perhaps a nation that once freed itself from slavery will finally free itself from race, as well.


text:
Hidden from a busy Eagle Rock street at the end of a long driveway sits a structure the size of a small bedroom. Its walls are comprised of sliding door panels and it is topped by a corrugated metal roof. One big step up, made shorter by a simple cinder block, lets us inside, where art is gracefully arranged. The intimacy makes it feel as if the exhibit was created just for us. This is the Los Angeles Museum of Art, a sculpture and project by artist Alice Könitz.
Könitz has many artist friends who, when visiting from out of town, would ask where they might be able to show their artwork. So she decided to create a museum of her own.
"It came out of the opportunity that I had. I had this empty space and had always been interested in architecture. I always wanted to build something," Könitz said.
LAMOA opened in December 2012. It offers a new show every three months and has exhibits booked through spring 2015. Sonia Leimer of Austria will show her sculptures, including "Place Holder," in an exhibit that opens Saturday and runs through March 4. Her abstract work often resembles common objects slightly skewed and somehow out of place.
The exhibits so far at LAMOA have consisted mainly of sculpture, ceramics and film. Because the space is more like an outdoor patio than a sturdy, enclosed room, fragile objects or any that are difficult to set up and take down would not do well here. Each artist incorporates the space itself into his or her exhibit, taking the museum's doors off or opening or closing them. There is no electricity, so the availability of natural light must be taken into account as well. For this reason, Könitz will change LAMOA's hours as needed, such as with Margo Victor's recent video installation, which was better viewed in the dark.
Könitz is a sculptor who works with wood, Plexiglas, mirrors, plaster, paper and other materials. Most of her pieces can be used in some way and many have been exhibited around the world. She also has made videos featuring her sculptures.
Könitz's father is an artist, so creativity came easily while she was growing up in Germany.
"When I was very young, I think it was somehow clear I was going to be an artist and by the time I finished high school, it wasn't spoken about, but when it came time to make a decision I decided to get into art school and if it doesn't work I'll do something else," Könitz said.
Könitz attended Kunstakademie, an art school in Düsseldorf, Germany, and completed her master's degree in art at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. In addition to her sculpting, she teaches at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
LAMOA, as small as it is, has a museum store — a rectangular box on a pedestal that looks somewhat like a large aquarium. Behind its sliding doors on one side are books, museum tote bags and paperweights. The other side holds a "mini-exhibit" (currently Könitz's banana peel sculpture and one of her wooden purse pieces). Like the museum, the store is also a sculpture and was featured in the exhibit "Demolition Woman" at the Guggenheim Gallery of Chapman University in Orange in September and October 2013.
"It's how I think about sculpture, that it's always something that has a use somewhere, that it's tied in somewhere," Könitz said. "I have a tagline: a sculptural platform that gets activated by participation. It's an object, but it becomes a social space, it becomes an information space."
In addition to art fans, neighborhood families often visit. Könitz says the space is a great first step to experiencing art. Unlike going to a large museum, visitors don't have to make a decision as to what they have time to see and they won't be overwhelmed by too many items on exhibit.
"People find this very friendly and inviting, too," Könitz said. "It's free and very personable. Maybe it's less intimidating than other museums."


text:
Business Directory Search – Find here quality products, manufacturers, suppliers & exporters.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Name *
Email *
urlof.website is a general web directory that lists various quality sites under popular categories and relevant sub categories. "URL of Website" is committed to maintain high standard of listings to ensure the success of the listed sites.
Please email us at email@example.com for any enquiries, one of our editors will get back immediately.


text:
These things take time. Timing, too. Simon Rowe calls it "flux."
These things take time. Timing, too. Simon Rowe calls it "flux."
There's also plenty of communication and improvisation involved. Community, too.
Rowe is working diligently to make Stockton a legitimate Jazztown. He's getting lots of help. It's a long way from New Orleans or Kansas City, but progress is being made.
That's mostly due to the artistic and cultural accomplishments of Dave Brubeck (1920-2012), the now-venerated jazz pianist whose name graces University of the Pacific's Brubeck Institute and its annual Brubeck Festival.
The 1942 Pacific graduate's international reputation and commitment to education and diversification have helped his namesake institute gain visibility and credibility on a similar scale.
The Brubeck Festival has been a vital component. In March, Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Orchestra helped accelerate that awareness. (Marsalis, 52, was named director of jazz studies at New York's Juilliard School on Monday.)
March 27 through 29, Al Jarreau, Eddie Palmieri and Terri Lyne Carrington are scheduled to sustain that momentum during the 13th Brubeck Festival.
"The idea is to create more town-and-gown flux between businesses and the city proper and educational institutions," said Rowe, who's in his third year as Brubeck Institute director. "The first effort went extremely well. I feel there was a real change. We're deliberately just trying to continue that flux."
The major fluctuation in 2013 was involving more aspects of the community - including Stockton Unified School District students - and four venues, expanding the festival to off-campus locations. That continues.
In 2014, Palmieri, 76, a veteran pianist, band leader and Latin jazz ambassador from New York, opens the three-day festival - with his band - March 27 at San Joaquin Delta College's Atherton Auditorium.
Jarreau, 73, a master of vocal invention and improvisation originally from Milwaukee, performs March 28 at the Bob Hope Theatre.
Carrington, 46, a multi-faceted drummer, composer and record producer from Medford, Mass., closes the festival March 29 at Pacific's Faye Spanos Concert Hall.
Tickets for the Grammy Award-winning lineup won't be available until mid-November.
"I feel there's been a lot of receptivity," said Rowe, 51, who learned to appreciate American jazz while growing up in Sydney. "This year, a whole spate of sponsors came on already. We're not having to start at zero. Instead, it's a standing start. We've got some momentum."
That thrust has been enhanced by weekly shows and jam sessions at Take 5 Jazz at the Brew, the revamped Pacific Avenue venue (Valley Brewing Company) that again will be a hub for similar activity in 2014. The Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet plays a prominent role.
Jarreau and Carrington will lead on-campus seminars.
The teenage members of the Brubeck quintet - who spend two years exclusively studying jazz - have extended the institute's reach and reputation with regional club and theater performances and appearances at the Monterey Jazz Festival and in Washington, D.C., and New York.
The Brubeck Institute's ongoing viability and increasing visibility - many of the Brubeck Institute students develop professional careers and become credible contacts - also have helped make Stockton a viable, hospitable option for a wide range of touring musicians who perform at Take 5 Jazz.
That also ups the credibility level when Brian Hendrick, a drummer and jazz director, is scheduling his periodic shows at Delta College. He's also a regular Take 5 jammer who leads his own 18-piece big band and directs jazz studies at Delta.
"The activity at the jazz club and the levels of engagement and momentum have just sort of carried through," said Rowe, a piano player and organist who's a regular performer at Take 5 and experienced similar acceptance in a club-college setting in Fargo, N.D.
As always, Rowe is acknowledging the kind of diversity and concern for community that qualified Brubeck - who died Sept. 6, 2012, in Norwalk, Conn., at age 91 - as representing more than a world-class musician.
"We're trying again to cover a real eclectic approach to music," Rowe said of Jarreau's vocal vamping, Palmieri's Puerto Rican-based rhythms and Carrington's contemporary creativity. "We've got the young and up-and-coming and the elder statesmen."
The Brubeck Festival also is being linked to a week (April 7-12) of concerts and events paying homage to Brubeck in New York. The institute's student quintet plays nightly at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola.
Brubeck was helping Marsalis plan the program two weeks prior to his death. Rowe was present during those meetings at the Brubeck home in Wilton, Conn.
"So, we're calling the whole celebration 'coast-to-coast.' " Rowe said.
That's good timing for Stockton's jazz cred.
"I would hope so," Rowe said. "I certainly get the sense our work to engage the community - at the local, regional, even national level - is becoming more realized. There's a real recognition that jazz and the world of education are becoming much more connected."
Ultimately, Rowe knows who knows best.
"I think he would be very happy," he said of Brubeck, a Concord native who grew up on an Ione cattle ranch. "His closest representative on this planet is Iola, his wife of 70 years. I hear from her on a weekly basis. She's absolutely thrilled with our various enterprises."
Contact Tony Sauro at (209) 546-8267 or email@example.com.


text:
Threads 1 to 1 of 1
Forum: The Lounge
Use this forum to chat about anything that doesn't fit within the other forums, including non-technical, non-development topics.
Moderators of this Forum
Users Browsing this Forum
There are currently 1 users browsing this forum. (0 members & 1 guests)
Development Centers


text:
10 Best WWE Theme Songs by Popular Bands
Wrestling and rock 'n' roll have long been synonymous with one another. Whether it was Alice Cooper's celebrity appearance at Wrestlemania III or growing up listening to Hulk Hogan's unforgettable 'Real American' theme, the two go hand in hand.
Theme songs are a quintessential part of many wrestler's personas, and often ignite fury, fear, or cheers from the audience. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the best theme songs sung by well known rock bands in wrestling history.
Living Colour – Cult of Personality [CM Punk]
By far the most recognizable theme song by casual fans, Living Colour's 'Cult of Personality' was introduced after Punk's hiatus from the WWE. He was the hottest commodity in pro wrestling at the time, and having a recognizable and edgy mainstream theme song made his return that much more special.
The attached video is of CM Punk's return to the company after his threat to leave the company. As you can tell, CM Punk's new theme throws the crowd off at first. However, once he makes his way out to the ring, the crowd is electric.
Motorhead– The Game [Triple H]
It may be the most recognizable theme song in the WWE today. HHH, often recognized as "The Game" because of his cerebral, tactical, and mind manipulating ways, fits perfectly with this Motorhead song.
His dark, slow, menacing entrance compliments the song well and it always sets the tone for a serious confrontation.
Rob Zombie – Never Gonna Stop [Edge]
The famous 'You Think You Know Me' line to begin the song ignited crowds like few theme songs could and followed by the heavy drums and guitar riff, fans knew immediately who was on their way to the ring.
The 11-time world champion spent long sections of his career hated by fans for his cowardly ways, and this song often ignited a buzz of boos throughout the arena.
Limp Bizkit – Rollin' [The Undertaker]
The Undertaker's reincarnation as the American Bad-Ass caught a lot of people off guard. The long-time dead man now rode a motorcycle to the ring and wore bandanas.
He needed something edgy, fast-paced and impactful to accompany the new personality. 'Rollin'' by Limp Bizkit fit The Undertaker well and the live accompany to the ring at Wrestlemania 19 was a sight to see.
Finger 11 – Slow Chemical [Kane]
For 15 years, Kane has been perhaps the most menacing figure in sports entertainment. Whether he dawns the mask or shows his hideous face, Kane is a force to be reckoned with.
To accompany his hellacious personality, Kane needed a song that was dark and violent. Finger 11 did exactly that with this lasting theme song.
Our Lady Peace– Whatever [Chris Benoit]
We know, we know -- we're supposed to ignore that Chris Benoit ever existed. Nevertheless, the fact he had a bad ass theme song cannot be denied. The opening riff, by a Canadian band for a Canadian wrestler, let fans know who was in the building.
The song is intense, vicious, and relentless, much like Benoit was inside the ring.
Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child [Hollywood Hulk Hogan]
When Hulk Hogan made his triumphant and improbable return the World Wrestling Entertainment in 2002, it was clear he was going to need a new theme song. Using the infamous 'Real American' song would remind fans of his initial run in the company, while using the NWO theme would go against the Hulkamaniac gimmick they trying to get over.
Who better than Jimi Hendrix to fill the void? 'Voodoo Child' accompanied Hogan to the run during his unbelievable run to the WWE Championship in 2002.
Rev Theory - Voices [Randy Orton]
Randy Orton was in need of an edge after his inaugural run with the world championships. Competitive feuds with The Undertaker and John Cena had elevated Orton to world champion status, but his plain, run of the mill haircut and style was doing little to impress fans.
'Voices' represented a new Randy Orton during his feud with HHH where the infamous punt gimmick was established. The sadistic boot to the head and viper-like mannerisms made Orton WWE's resident psychopath. Orton's theme song, 'Voices' by Rev Theory, helped to establish Orton's edge as a competitor and let fans know he was unstable.
Breaking Point - One of a Kind [Rob Van Damm]
For the superstar with more unique and unbelievable offense than any other competitor in the WWE, a song titled "One of a Kind" fit perfectly. The WWE made little effort to get Rob Van Dam over as a face during his early WWE days but everywhere they went, more RVD signs appeared. Fans continued to chant "RVD" and his status continued to climb.
After establishing him self as a top level talent, it was time to get Van Dam some theme music to go along. Breaking Point combined aspects of RVD's old music with his "one of a kind" moniker to come up with a fitting song for one of the most dynamic wrestlers to appear in the WWE for a very long time.
Killswitch Engage - This Fire Burns [CM Punk]
For a new WWE talent to get a theme song by one of hard rock's most prominent bands, it instantly helped to establish CM Punk as a talent worth watching. Punk broke onto the scene in WWE's incarnation of ECW back in 2006. The song, unlike many, stuck with bunk for over five years at he used it until the previously mentioned 'Cult of Personality.'


text:
As a test run, I'd like to visualize population on census blocks for a few states (New England for example). I assume that the kml to do this will be huge, when you factor in the census boundaries and population data.
How can I make my data efficient to be able to do such visualizations keeping in mind that I might extend this to having multiple census periods, and doing a time lapse combined with a flythrough?
Also note that usage of Google Earth isn't necessary. I'm open to using QGIS


text:
Continuing Education (CE) is defined as systematic professional learning experiences designed to augment the knowledge, skills, and attributes of nurses and therefore enrich the nurses' contributions to quality health care and their pursuit of professional career goals1
1. American Nurses Association & National Nursing Staff Development Organization (2010). Nursing Professional Development: Scope and Standards of Practice. Maryland: ANA.
Learn more:


text:
Just click and play this game video of Hen House Win and see how easy…
Basketbull – Casino Video
Posted On March 2, 2018
Just click and play this game video of Basketbull and see how easy it is to play and possibly win large amounts. Remember, there are loads of bonus opportunities for slot games with all kinds of interesting, amusing and entertaining themes.
We hope you enjoyed this quick demo and invite you to play it yourself and WIN BIG on the Basketbull and many others.


text:
Games, Audio & Entertainment - Franchises for Sale
View the latest opportunities in Games, Audio & Entertainment, Bedding, Furniture and Homewares, Clothing, Footwear and Accessories, Convenience Stores and Supermarkets, Gifts and Florists, IT & Telco, News Agencies, Cards & Gifts and more. Refine your search by selecting the highlighted categories.
Showing 0 of 0 results
- Sort by:


text:
Police have been using dash cams for decades to record evidence at traffic stops, and now the technology is catching on among civilians.
Continue Reading Below
If you've been unfairly accused of causing a wreck or you have a newly licensed teen driver at home, then you can probably understand why.
The dashboard-mounted cameras record the sights and sounds while the car is driven, providing footage to document what happens on the road or in the car. While no company yet offers an insurance discount for adults who have installed a camera, at least one sees the value in monitoring new drivers.
The dash cams join a widening array of technology -- such as the onboard data recorders installed in all new cars and the pay-as-you-drive devices that bring discounts to cautious drivers -- that can document your behind-the-wheel behavior.
The biggest reason for sales growth: plummeting prices.
Catch it on video for $100
Marc Horowitz, spokesperson for BrickHouse Security in New York, which sells security and surveillance products, says online search traffic for dash cams as well as sales of the company's products has doubled so far this year over the same period of 2011.
The technology became available on the consumer market about 10 years ago, Horowitz says, but at that time a decent dash cam retailed for thousands of dollars. Now you can get a basic model for under $100.
Twice that amount can get you something as fancy as BrickHouse's dual-camera model that records high-definition video even in total darkness. One camera faces forward to record what's happening on the road, and a rear-facing camera records what's happening inside the car. A G-force sensor automatically saves files in case of an accident. For another 100 bucks, you can get a dash cam with GPS, which logs data for review on a PC.
Horowitz says buyers generally fall into two categories:
"No. 1 is someone worried about a teen driver," he says. Parents are buying them as a condition for letting a teen have access to a car. Want to know whether your teen is texting behind the wheel? Dash cam footage provides irrefutable answers. (See "A parent's guide to insuring a teen driver.")
The second category is made up of drivers who saw their car insurance rates go up or were stuck paying their collision deductibles for accidents they didn't cause. Dash-cam video footage can provide sweet satisfaction in his-word-against-mine cases.
Evidence against scammers and idiots
A slew of dash-cam video clips are posted on YouTube, including a clip that purports to show a scammer running into the road, and then faking getting hit by a car that's already pulled to a stop.
Frank Scafidi, spokesperson for the National Insurance Crime Bureau, says he's unaware of dash-cam video footage being used to prove any fraud cases referred to the bureau for investigation. But the technology has potential to fight fraud, he says.
"Video is an awesome piece of evidence," he says. "In a perfect world, could a video help thwart auto theft or fraud? Absolutely."
He says truckers are using them because they say they're often unfairly blamed for accidents. (See "Spying on truckers' every move.")
"I think you'll see insurance companies warming up to the idea of giving customers discounts for using the technology," he says.
Tune in to your teen driver
American Family Insurance's Teen Safe Driver Program provides free use of a dash cam for one year, along with education and professional coaching to help licensed teens become better drivers.
The camera records sights and sounds inside and outside the vehicle when triggered by erratic movement, such as swerving, hard braking and sudden acceleration. The images and sounds are sent wirelessly to a center where professional driving coaches review the footage. Parents then can log in and review a weekly report card featuring the video footage and an assessment of their teens' driving, including comparison to other teen drivers.
The results do not affect car insurance rates or policies; American Family says it never sees the results (unless a parent gives the insurance company permission in a special instance, such as to prove another driver's fault in an accident).
More than 11,000 families have taken part in the program since the insurer began offering it in 2007, American Family spokesperson Janet Masters says. The company offers a 10 percent participation discount in Colorado and Minnesota.
"We've seen immediate and impressive results, including a reduction in risky driving behaviors by about 50 percent immediately and 70 percent within the first five weeks," Masters says.
Dash cams aren't just about revealing what teens are doing wrong. The footage can also show what they're doing right. Masters says one family used the dash-cam footage to prove their teen driver did not cause an accident.
The original article can be found at CarInsurance.com:Do you need a dash cam?


text:
Marquee and Tent Hire Cwmgwrach
Marquees and tents for hire in Cwmgwrach. Get a quote for Marquees to hire available in Cwmgwrach with Add to Event.
- 100% Free Service
- Quick & Simple
- No Commission
113 Marquee Suppliers near Cwmgwrach
Afon Events Collective
Total set-up, management and take-down. Whether it's just a stretch tent you want or a fully furnished bell tent village. All the effect with none of the hassle.
Absolute Marquees Ltd
If you are planning a wedding, corporate event, county show, party, festival or need to hire marquee equipment then look no further - contact us today. Absolute Marquees has over 20 years ...
Wild West Entertainment
We have been supplying our clients with our services for over 20 years. Nothing is ever to much trouble for our clients we really do go that extra mile to fulfill our clients dreams.
Alternative Events
We provide a full bar service at both outdoor and indoor events. Our beautiful 12ft bar is made from reclaimed wood and we have a carnival style bar sign which looks fantastic. We are able to ...
Tiger Tents
TigerTtents is a welsh based, multicoloured tradtional marquee hire company. We travel all over the UK, supplying marquees to events and celebrations. We have lots of small tents, for garden ...
Ruby Amore Wedding & Events
We are a wedding and events decor business, We provide chair covers, centrepieces, handmade invitations, starlight backdrop and much more. We are also qualified wedding planners so if you don't ...
Phenomenal Events ltd
Phenomenal Events is a family run business that specialises in all types of events, we are based in South Wales but travel throughout the UK. Our principle aim is to provide high quality, fun ...
Harleys Hogroasts
Here at Harleys Hogroasts, we are confident that we serve the best hogroasts in South Wales, West Country and South Midlands Having been established for over 25 years we provide a quality ...
Wedding Tipi
Wedding Tipi provide iconic Nordic Kata Tipi's & Bedouin Stretch Tents for corporate events, festivals and weddings throughout the UK. If you are looking for an event structure that will wow ...
Acacia Marquees
We are a family run marquee and equipment hire company based in Hay-on-Wye and cover Powys, Herefordshire, and surrounding counties by providing marquee hire and accompanying equipment rentals for ...
Roundhouse Yurts
Yurt hire for parties, weddings, anniversaries and special events. Solid oak doors, ash beams and pristine white canvas, coupled with gorgeous interiors make this a truly organic experience inside ...
Fedwen Tentage
With over 50 years' experience in the Marquee Trade we can help create the ideal space for you, your family and friends to enjoy your perfect day. With a choice in marquee styles between the ...
Fedwen Tentage
Fedwen Tentage is a well-established company that has grown rapidly over the years, specialising in a second to none service in the event industry. Whether we provide you with a marquee for a small...
Dragon Tentage
With a standing capacity of 1500 and a large stage and backstage area this structure is certainly the landmark to make your event stand out. The tent is double skinned with breathable vents that ...
Your event made perfect with a stretch tent. A true wow factor! A beautiful space and place for you and your guests to celebrate in. Stretchevent is one of the founding stretch tent companies in ...
Sunrise Marquees
Sunrise Marquees is one of the most reputable and trusted marquee hire and rental companies in the Southwest of England. This integrity is forged upon our commitment to delivering the best ...
24 Carrot Event Hire
Marquees & tents for hire. Whether its for a garden party, village fete or birthday celebration - or whether you need a large tent for wedding, showground use or a music festival, we have a tent to...
Silver Stage Event Structures
At Silver Stage, our modular SaddleSpans are ideal stage covers and temporary event structures for corporate events to festivals or intimate weddings. Our structures can hold capacities from 100 to...
Dingle Marquee Hire Limited
We have been erecting & fitting quality marquees for weddings, private parties, retail shows, trade exhibitions, corporate events, sporting occasions and all manner of family celebrations for over ...
Covered Marquees
Our contemporary stylish trapeze marquees are the perfect temporary venue for your wedding, festival, party or corporate event. They are modular so can be as big or small as you need, versatile to ...
We have 113 marquee and tent hire companies near Cwmgwrach
Contact them all with a single request
"Within hours I received 5 detailed quotes from a wide variety of companies that were all within my budget. Saved me so much time and effort!"Natalie HCasual Event Organiser
How it WorksMore information
Submit a Request
Submit a request and receive personalised quotes from a range of local suppliers.
Compare Suppliers
View an estimate, personal message, reviews and profile of each company that gets in touch.
Hire the Best
Call or message your favourite suppliers and hire the best match for your event
Nearby Locations
- Marquees and Tents in Glyn neath
- Marquees and Tents in Glyn Castle
- Marquees and Tents in Pont Walby
- Marquees and Tents in Resolven
- Marquees and Tents in Glyncorrwg
- Marquees and Tents in Seven Sisters
- Marquees and Tents in Tynewydd
- Marquees and Tents in Crynant
- Marquees and Tents in Tre Forgan
- Marquees and Tents in Abercregan


text:
Hank Silverberg, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – Anyone planning on taking Metro to the Presidential Inauguration should considering planning for it now.
Estimates say as many as 800,000 people may be attending the inauguration, the swearing in and the parade on Jan. 21.
Metro has already sold 20,000 of its special $15 commemorative SmartTrip cards, which will give riders a one-day unlimited pass on both Metro rail and Metro bus.
Riders who don't buy a card in advance would have to buy cards at the station, when long lines and malfunctioning equipment could cause delays.
Because of the expected long lines, riders who already own SmarTrip cards should plan on reloading the card before Inauguration Day.
Metro is also suggesting you purchase SmartTrip cards for any out of town guests you may be expecting.
You can order the commemorative SmartTrip card on Metro's website. The card must be ordered by Tuesday, Jan. 15 in order for it to arrive on time.
Both the regular and commemorative SmarTrip cards are available at Metro sales offices or regional transit store.
Read about Metro's plans for Inauguration Day here.
Follow @hsilverbergwtop and @WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2013 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)


text:
The 240-seat Tricycle, one of London's most singular off-West End theaters, has been punching well above its weight for decades thanks largely to the 28-year stewardship of a.d. Nicolas Kent, who stepped down in May. Small wonder, then, that new a.d. Indhu Rubasingham admits to a slight degree of relief that her first show has proved an immediate hit.
"Red Velvet," which opened Oct. 16, has won a slew of excellent reviews, and generated buzz on Twitter and beyond and is coming close to selling out its entire run.
The Tricycle is best-known to most on the U.S side of the Pond as the home of "The 39 Steps," the Hitchcock spoof that played two years on Broadway, toured globally, and is still in the West End, grossing some £20 million ($32 million) so far.
But in the U.K., the company is known as London's foremost political theater with two strands of plays. Most famously, there is the long-running series of "tribunal plays," headline-grabbing productions that re-enact verbatim accounts of behind-closed-doors political enquires. And then there are its collective dramas on such hot topics as "The Great Game: Afghanistan," a cycle of 12 plays investigating 170 years of history that toured to New York and played Washington, D.C., perfs at the specific invitation of the Pentagon.
Rubasingham's widely supported arrival indicates a potential shift, with a less dogmatic tone to the politics and more diverse voices. But there is some degree of continuity as well.
On the face of it, "Red Velvet" looks like business as usual with a typical mix of race and politics that fits snugly in a venue that is in London's most ethnically diverse borough, where around 90 languages are spoken in local schools. It was, however, a risk.
The politics have been woven into a more traditional bio-drama that uncovers the once notorious, now forgotten African-American actor Ira Aldridge, who caused a sensation on London's premier stage in Covent Garden in 1833. The writer was a risk, too: actress-turned-scribe Lolita Chakrabarti. "Red Velvet" is the world preem of her first full-length play.
The only known quantity the play had going for it was bankable lead Adrian Lester, a stage veteran who is also the star of hit BBC series "Hustle."
While happy that critics noted the shrewdness of Rubasingham's choice for her debut, "For me, it's a personal statement about anyone who has been seen as an outsider, as well as being about what our industry can do, and still does, and the frustrations that all that engenders," she says.
That tension between so-called "outsiders" and "the mainstream" are at the heart of her programming, she adds. "I'm interested in the diversity of voices. I don't want that to be a tokenistic gesture. The norm will be diverse, not the occasional slot."
That's certainly borne out by the next show Rubasingham is staging and will direct. "Paper Dolls," which begin previews in February, is an adaptation by Philip Himberg (a.d. of Sundance Institute's theater program) of Tomer Heymann's award-winning documentary about a group of Filipino immigrants in Tel Aviv who, six days a week, work as caregivers to elderly Orthodox Jewish men. On the seventh day, they are a drag act.
The ability to program such an ambitious an opening slate is the result of government subsidies. On top of box office and sponsorship, the Tricycle receives around £900,000 ($1.44 million) per year in local and national government grants.
This, she argues, is vital for a healthy artistic climate: "We're not wholly dependent on box office." That's why, she adds, British theater has been a leader in the caliber of writing and its accent on formal experimentation, leading to such international hits as "Jerusalem" and "War Horse."
"Without subsidy, not only will we kill off the art form, but rises in prices will make theater inaccessible to only the entitled and the privileged," she adds. Top price at the Tricycle is $35.50.
Prior to taking up the a.d. post, Rubasingham had been happily pursuing a flourishing career as a freelancer — including Tricycle credits such as "The Great Game," which she co-directed with Kent, as well as helming the U.K. preem of Lynn Nottage's caustic comedy "Fabulation" and a string of other shows.
She says she approached the a.d. gig with some trepidation. "I was worried that it might pollute my pure art," she says with a laugh. "But it turns out that being able to program what you believe in, and to be able to implement a bigger vision about the potential impact of theater, is a real joy."


text:
Bin Hindi opens new Kia showroom in Bahrain
A A Bin Hindi has opened its second Kia showroom in Sitra. The new showroom was opened yesterday (April 21) by Industry and Commerce Minister Zayed Al Zayani, A A Bin Hindi Group chairman Abdullah Ahmed Bin Hindi, Kia Motors CorpoMore…
Batelco introduces Hindi IVR for helpdesk
Batelco, a leading telecom services provider in Bahrain, has introduced Hindi language to its interactive voice response (IVR) Customer Contact Centre, to enhance support services for its Indian customers. Through the Hindi IVR, cMore…
Zain offers services in Hindi
Zain Bahrain, a leading telecom services company, is now offering an interactive voice response (IVR) service in Hindi, for the first time in Bahrain. The Zain Bahrain offering, for all those calling its call centre on 107, also offers forMore…


text:
Are you experiencing the Symptoms of Mild Mitral Valve Prolapse? Do you want assistance with real time cardiac device monitoring and other monitoring related services? If yes, then you are in the right place.Our team can help you with your Cardiac Device Monitoring needs
To get your questions answered, you can reach out to us by phone or email.
Contact: 888.948.7884
Email: email@example.com
Address 1: Rhythm Management Group, PLLC 1050 Connecticut Ave Ste. 500 Washington, DC 20036
Address 2: Rhythm Management Group Corp. 300 Cadman Plaza West One Pierrepont Plaza, 1 12th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201
The promotion of the quality of life of patients is the perfect environment all over the country
Rhythm Management Group is a national provider of reliable heart device monitoring. Rhythm Management Group provides answers for patients wishing to maximize the welfare of life benefits of their implanted machines. We provide service for all implantable devices for the heart involving Heart Failure monitors, single, dual and multi-lead Pacemakers, defibrillators, and the latest implantable Loop Recorders.
Real-Time Monitoring For Mild Mitral Valve Prolapse Symptoms
In order to improve the mortality rate and decrease the frequency of hospitalization of a patient, we demonstrate real-time observation and event examination and informing of their inserted heart device.
We Never Compromise the Quality of Care for Our Patient
Our goal is to provide our patients the leading standard of care and enhanced quality of life, that's why Rhythm Management Group is giving a compliant and efficient observation system for you.
The Advantages that a Patient Can Have from Using this Technology
The technology of implanting machines near the heart of a patient is capable of real-time remote observation and is now available. We work with the machine suppliers and the physicians, then we extract the information and report on cases and inconsistencies of the patient that can manifest between regular visits to the Doctor's clinic. More likely, the patient can prevent future urgent in-patient care because a possible problem can then be cured much quicker in an out-patient surrounding.
Our Excellent Group of Experts is Here to Help You
Our group is composed of competent professionals with great background and the enthusiasm about patient care. The 30-year background experience working in the heart apparatus industry, directing main device medical centers and leading the science of machine implantation is what our administrative team has to about. All of our personnel are also device technicians with IBHRE Certification and/or Registered Nurses.
Rhythm Management Group provides you monitoring and assistance for Mild Mitral Valve Prolapse Symptoms.


text:
Mirallas injury blow puts Everton's Champions League hopes in jeopardy
Everton's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League have been dealt a blow with the news Kevin Mirallas will miss the rest of the season.
The Belgian forward suffered a groin injury in the final moments of Everton's 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday and will be sidelined for three weeks.
That means he will not be available for the Toffees' remaining games against Southampton, Manchester City and Hull.
Everton reported the news on their website, saying: "Roberto Martinez today revealed that the Belgian has a small tear in his groin and will be out for the next three weeks."
Mirallas has scored eight goals for Everton this season, including three in the last four games.
He netted the second goal against United on Sunday, scoring from a tight angle after beating the offside trap.
Everton trail Arsenal by a point in the race for fourth place as they bid to finish in the top four for only the second time in the Premier League era.
Martinez will hope for better news to come on the injury front, with captain Phil Jagielka, Steven Pienaar and Darron Gibson all in line to return before the end of the season.


text:
HTC Omega
Read help info
You can set your phone to find a network automatically or you can choose a network manually. Follow these instructions to choose a network.
1. Find "Network selection"
2. Choose option
Select network manually, go to 2a.
Select network automatically, go to 2b.
3. 2a - Select network manually
Your phone searches for networks within range.
A list of available networks will show on your display.
Your display will tell you if you've access to the network you've chosen.
4. 2b - Select network automatically
5. Exit
Email this article to your friend
Required information *


text:
Rights groups to Pentagon: End 'cruel' force-feeding
Human rights organizations are asking Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to order troops to abandon the practice of force-feeding prisoners at Guantánamo, a move that could permit them starve to death if they choose.
The American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Victims of Torture, Human Rights Watch and 17 other groups wrote the Pentagon on Monday, hours after the Qatar-based Al Jazeera website posted the prison's 30-page forced-feeding procedures with the headline "military document lays bare the brutality of force-feeding."
The letter called Guantánamo's force-feeding process "inherently cruel, inhuman, and degrading."
"We urgently request that you order the immediate and permanent cessation of all force-feeding of Guantánamo prisoners who are competent and capable of forming a rational judgment as to the consequences of refusing food," they wrote.
The letter also asked Hagel to allow "independent medical professionals" access to the prison to "review and monitor the status of hunger-striking prisoners in a manner consistent with international ethical standards."
A surgeon, Navy Capt. Daryl K. Daniels, took charge of the medical team on Friday, according to an announcement in the base newsletter. It said he got his medical degree from Yale in 1991 and joined the Navy after doing a residency in general surgery at the University of New Mexico in 1996.
As of Tuesday, the U.S. military counted 100 of the 166 captives there as hunger strikers. It said 29 prisoners were being force-fed, five of them at the detention center hospital.
Guantánamo earlier called in reinforcements and now has about 140 Navy doctors, nurses and medics called corpsmen working at the prison complex, enough to handle the current caseload, said Army Col. Greg Julian, a spokesman for the Southern Command, which supervises the prison.
The Defense Department had no comment Tuesday on whether Hagel had read the letter.
"The Department will reply directly to the letter in the form of direct correspondence," said Marine Lt. Col. Jeff Pool, a Pentagon spokesman. "The Department does not respond to correspondence via the press."
On Monday, the al Jazeera news channel put a spotlight on the forced-feeding practices by posting the portion of the military's so-called Standard Operating Procedures, or SOPs, that instruct on how to strap a captive into a restraint chair and pump cans of nutritional supplement into his stomach via a tube snaked up his nose.
The document provides elaborate instructions to the Army guards and Navy medical staff, including a recommendation that the captive not be restrained to the chair for more than two hours to achieve a "feeding" that "can be completed comfortably over 20 to 30 minutes."
It gives a nurse authority to order a soldier to wash the hands of a detainee brought in shackles to the restraint chair with feces on his hands.
And it reflects two "talking points" that military medical staff have repeatedly told members of the media visiting the prison medical facilities.
• A captive can request olive oil rather than a "sterile surgical lubricant" or "viscous lidocaine" to lubricate his nostril before the Navy medic snakes the feeding tube up his nose.
• A long-term hunger striker who cooperates and comes to a guard on command is rewarded with "single-point leg restraint" rather than the full body shackle into the restraint chair. The procedures specify the language of the command, "It is time to feed."
It makes no mention of the Guantánamo prison practice of doing forced feeds at night during the Ramadan holy month, when faithful Muslims fast by day.
The document did reveal that medical staff place a mask over the face of hunger strikers during tube feedings, a detail that was not mentioned during previous media visits to the prison hospital. Monday, the prison released a new photo of its hospital feeding display alongside a model restraint chair with a surgical mask added to it.
It also lays out elaborate procedures for how medical and guard staff will handle a captive who resists the feedings by either trying to bite the nurse or bite the nasogastric feeding tube, once snaked up his nostril through the back of his throat.
"If a detainee is actively attempting to turn his head to bite the tube between the nose to the [enteral feeding] bag, the RN will affix the tube with tape to the midline of the detainee's nose and extend it upwards, affixing it with tape to the detainee's forehead," it said.
At times, the document calls the captive receiving a forced feeding a "patient." Mostly it calls him a "detainee."
It was adopted March 5, about a month after the detainees claim they had begun a widespread hunger strike inside the prison to protest a particularly aggressive guard search of their Qurans.
Military spokesmen denied that a hunger strike was under way and said the prison treats the holy book with respect. The portion entitled "Clinical Protocol for the Evaluation, Resuscitation, and Feeding of Detainees on Hunger Strike" appeared to anticipate what the captives' lawyer said already occurred.
"In event of a mass hunger strike, isolating hunger striking patients from each other is vital to prevent them from achieving solidarity," it said.
"Given the inability to isolate patients in the [detention hospital] because of the physical structure of the building," it added, a hunger striker can get intravenous fluid treatment for 24 hours at the prison hospital "followed by transfer back to Camp 5 to begin enteral feeding in an environment of single cell operations."
Since then, guards stormed inside the communal camp where prisoners had covered up the surveillance cameras in their cells, put all the once cooperative captives under single-cell lockdown and systematically added them to the hunger strike rolls.


text:
Reading about Yakuza 4 is great, but you could also be playing it! And ... wearing it! We've got five copies of the game, and five t-shirts, to give away at the end of this interview.
Sponsored Links
Yakuza 4 changes the narrative structure of the series by focusing not on one badass wandering the streets of Kamurocho, but four. "The decision to take the multi-character narrative approach was to challenge ourselves with new storytelling devices to enhance our game design," Noguchi told Joystiq. In addition to breaking up the story, it also allows for varied combat mechanics, a benefit that will carry over into Of The End. "In the case of Ryu Ga Gotoku: Of The End, we have main characters who specialize in the use of certain types of weapons."
In addition to the storytelling structure, Sega made big changes to the localization plan for Yakuza 4. Fans complained about excised content in Yakuza 3, including minigames taking place at hostess clubs in which you interact with, and eventually date, the hostesses. The hostess clubs are intact in the Western release of Yakuza 4, and the localization is noticeably more thorough elsewhere, with the team even going so far as to translate ads for items and services that don't exist outside of Japan, like Mobage Town and Ameba Pigg.
By the way, I'm not sure if you caught it, but I even changed the name of Haruka's dog back to the Japanese original.- Yasuhiro Noguchi
"When I took on the project," Noguchi told us," I reviewed the Yakuza franchise history in the West as well as the valuable feedback we received from our fans on Yakuza 3. Based on consultations with the Yakuza team in Japan, we decided to bring a more complete localization that was more faithful to the source material."
Noguchi also took the opportunity to make some updates to the translation practices used throughout the whole series. Notably, where protagonist Kazuma Kiryu was referred to in the English-language Yakuzas 1, 2, and 3 as "Kazuma," here he's referred to by his surname, Kiryu. "It was a subtle change that I fought for to 'de-Westernize' certain aspects of the legacy localization changes from Yakuza 1," Noguchi explained. The other three all use their surnames exclusively in conversation, so "given the context, it would have been awkward if Kiryu was the only one that went by his first name." One NPC, an information broker, is known in the Japanese games as "Sai no Hanaya" (roughly "Florist of Purgatory") due to his habit of sending flowers along with information. He was renamed "Kage" (Shadow) in the American versions, but is mostly called "Florist" in the new game.
"By the way," Noguchi added, "I'm not sure if you caught it, but I even changed the name of Haruka's dog back to the Japanese original." And so "Rex" is now the much more Japanese-sounding "Mame." A dog's name is a minor detail compared the presence of glitzy clubs full of overly made-up hostesses or an effectively renamed main character, but it's evidence of care nonetheless.
So, you've read this far -- why leave empty-handed?
To enter the giveaway:
- Leave a comment telling us your favorite dog name. (It's the least violent thing we could think of.)
- You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the U.S. or Canada (excluding Quebec).
- Limit 1 entry per person.
- This entry period ends at 6:00PM ET on Thursday, April 14.
- At that time, we'll randomly select five winners to receive a copy of Yakuza 4 for PS3 and a t-shirt.
- For a list of complete rules, click here.
What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition.
For more info on our policy, click here.