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Sj(SqrRoot)(Delta)gren s Syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the glands that
produce saliva and tears, causing dry eyes and dry mouth.
Researchers do not know the exact cause of SS, but they believe that it may be caused by
abnormalities in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that stimulate these glands.
To better understand ANS function in patients with SS.
To compare information about ANS function in healthy individuals and in patients with SS.
Patients with Sj(SqrRoot)(Delta)gren s Syndrome who are 18 years of age and older, and who
are not pregnant or breastfeeding.
Participants will be asked to taper or discontinue the use of certain medications or dietary
supplements before the ANS testing.
Participants must be willing to discontinue the use of alcohol and tobacco 24 hours prior to
The study will require one inpatient admission and/or outpatient visits to the NIH Clinical
The following tests and procedures will be performed:
- Saliva, tear, and sweat production measurements to evaluate the function of glands.
- Testing of changes to the cardiovascular system, including blood pressure and blood flow
testing, and an electrocardiogram designed to evaluate hemodynamic changes controlled by
the ANS.
- Testing of changes to the gastrointestinal system, including a swallowing assessment
study, barium swallow study, and gastric emptying study designed to evaluate
gastrointestinal function controlled by the ANS.
- Tests to evaluate the ANS function in response to certain drugs (edrophonium, glucagon
and acetylcholine).
- Self-reported questionnaire on ANS function and emotional/psychological well-being.
Additional procedures and tests may include the following:
- Blood samples.
- Optional skin biopsy to study sweat glands and nerve supply of the skin.
Sj(SqrRoot)(Delta)gren s syndrome (SjS) is a systemic exocrinopathy that affects as high as 5
percent of the population. It is manifested predominantly as dry eyes, dry mouth, and
fatigue. The exocrinopathy can be encountered alone (primary SjS) in approximately one half
of the patients or in the presence of another autoimmune disorder such as rheumatoid
arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or systemic sclerosis (secondary SjS). The most
widely accepted classification for SjS is the American-European consensus classification
criteria for SjS.(Vitali, Bombardieri et al. 2002)
Current understanding about the pathogenesis of SjS stems from the assumption that the
autoimmune destruction of the exocrine glands leads to their hypofunction and symptoms of
dryness. The existing evidence however does not fully support this assumption and cannot
explain the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of SjS for the following reasons: 1) Discordance
between severely affected function and abundance of histologically normal and ex vivo
functional salivary glands; 2) at least 20% of patients have no evidence of systemic
autoimmunity; 3) Animal models of SjS develop glandular dysfunction long before they develop
autoimmunity; 4) Dryness and related symptoms respond poorly to immunosuppressive, including
newer biologics, but fairly well to secretagogues such as pilocarpine. 5) No pathogenic
antibodies or target epitopes have been identified to date to unify the pathogenesis of the
All exocrine glands are innervated by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and dysautonomia can
mimic the phenotype of SjS, particularly cardinal manifestations, such as xerostomia and
xerophthalmia. Thus we hypothesize that ANS dysfunction is central to the pathogenesis of SjS
and propose to systematically study the ANS function in our cohort of patients with primary
SjS compared with normative data from age and sex-matched controls. This protocol calls for a
comprehensive evaluation of autonomic function, using physiological, neuropharmacologic,
neurochemical, and imaging approaches, to identify consistent distinctive patterns of ANS
involvement in SjS and thereby improve the diagnosis and understanding of pathophysiologic
mechanisms of SjS.
1. Diagnosis of primary Sjogren s syndrome based on American-European Consensus
Group Sjogren s syndrome classification criteria or healthy volunteers.
2. Both genders and all minorities.
3. Age at entry at least 18 and less than 65 years.
1. Current use of medications known to significantly influence the activity of the
sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system if they cannot be held safely at the
time of ANS testing
2. Known co-existing diagnosis of ANS dysfunction (for healthy volunteers)
3. Medications-requiring diabetes mellitus
4. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy
5. Vitamin B12, folate deficiency, requiring replacement
6. Hepatic failure (AST or ALT greater than 1.5 x upper limit of normal)
7. Renal failure (GFR less than 30 ml/min, as estimated by the MDRD)
8. Congestive heart failure (Class II-IV)
9. Refractory ventricular arrhythmias
10. Symptomatic coronary heart disease
11. Previously established diagnosis of sinus node dysfunction
12. Severe anemia (Hgb less than 8)
13. Psychosis
14. Pregnant or lactating women
15. A candidate subject is excluded if, in the judgment of the Principal Investigator,
protocol participation would place the subject at substantially increased acute
medical risk.
16. Not able to provide informed consent
Medications: A candidate subject is excluded if clinical considerations require that the
subject continue treatment with a drug likely to interfere with the scientific results i.e.
a tricyclic antidepressant or fludrocortisone. Subjects with known or suspected allergy or
hypersensitivity to any test drug are excluded from receiving that drug. Subjects who must
take medications daily in the following categories are excluded: tricyclic antidepressants,
beta blockers, barbiturates, if they cannot be safely held during testing. Subjects unable
to discontinue nicotine or alcohol temporarily are excluded. Subjects are not to
discontinue any medications before the subject or the subject s physician discusses this
with the Principal Investigator, Dr. Nikolov, or the Associate Investigator, Dr. Goldstein.
If it is decided that discontinuing medications would be unsafe, then the subject is
excluded from the study. Subjects must discontinue use of alcohol and tobacco throughout
the period of testing in the protocol.
Herbal Medicines and Dietary Supplements: Certain herbal medicines or dietary supplements
are known or suspected to interfere with the experimental results, and such herbal
medicines or dietary supplements must be discontinued before enrollment in the study. For
many herbal medicines or dietary supplements, the mechanisms of action and therefore the
possible effects on the experimental results are unknown. In cases where the subjects wish
to continue their herbal medicines or dietary supplements while on study, and search of the
available medical literature fails to identify effects that are known or expected to
interfere with the experimental results, then the subjects may participate.
Principal InvestigatorStamatina J Danielides, M.D.National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Bethesda, Maryland 20892United StatesThere is no listed contact information for this specific location.Site Status: N/A
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ClinicalConnection.com does not conduct or endorse clinical trials. Please consult your physician before participating.
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text:
- $4.99
- Published By: eXtasy Books
- Authors: Jen Suits, Paula Calloway
- Page: 340
- Word Count: 85000
- Publication Date: June 19, 2011
- Series: LaViolette #2
- Heat Level:
- Available Formats: Adobe Acrobat, Hiebook, Microsoft Reader, Mobipocket, Mobipocket (.mobi), Palm DOC/iSolo, Rocket
Adaptations to their new life involve Maxwell and Ekaterina coping with a shared loss that binds the couple even closer. Hungry for knowledge and intrigued by magic, Ekaterina seeks the books she long ago spurned, but finds her mind easily distracted by the man who holds her heart. Alone for a long time, Maxwell readjusts to a woman in his world as the little elf sets his senses on alert in numerous ways while he restructures his life to a more honorable status. Jealousy rears its head as little gifts are given and opportunities arise. With a stronghold on the horizon and confrontation looming, a night with the dragon becomes pleasure. Soft caresses, tender kisses and fervent love fill the couple's days and nights as they learn what seduces an elf, arouses a dragon and stirs ardent dedication. Maxwell and Ekaterina are tested and pushed as revelations bring incidents into the light. Clearing the past means starting the future as the couple steps into the lair.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A handy little download for when your feeling anxious. Be it general anxiety, or heightened anxiety, this is good advice. This is similar to how I learned to deal with my anxious moments. Eventually, they just stopped coming! Practice makes perfect
Sunday, 7 December 2014
Having a Panic Attack?
Posted by Lynn at 18:36 4 comments
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text:
I'm excited about the launch of ePrintedBooks Store and Mall. Authors can register their books at this store and take advantage of a GREAT deal – no waiting for your payments. Immediately you receive 80% via PayPal. Readers can buy the listed books (most of them at a discount during the launch.) and download the ebook format of their choice. Check it out at http://eprintedbooks.com/Store/index.php
Steve Caresser from ePrintedBooks will be doing a live interview with author, Robert Hatting, on the radio in London, England on August 12th at 12:00 PM UK time. Don't know if it will come in for you, but this is the station http://westside.listen2myradio.com/ Hatting has multiple listings at the store including Partners, Alaska be Damned, Revolution of Fools, Murder in Panama, Halfbreed, Expat, Crystal Cowboy and Boomer.
ePrintedBooks offers several other services too. They offer website services, editing services, cover design and very professional ebook formatting. I personally have used ePrintedBooks services for cover design and ebook formatting and advertizing with both of my books. They deliver a very professional product at a very reasonable price—and as far as I am concerned you always get more for your money than you might expect. Check them out at http://eprintedbooks.com/
Check out my books on http://eprintedbooks.com/Store/index.php
HEARTS AT RISK Sample to read:Hearts-At-Risk-Sampler-New
YOU CAN RUN Sample to read:You-Can-Run-Sampler
Entries tagged with "fools".
Did you find what you wanted?
Sat 11 Aug 2012
ePrintedBooks new Book Store and Mall –authors list your books and receive 80% immediately for every sale. No need to wait for weeks or months for revenue from your book! Check it out at at http://eprintedbooks.com/Store/index.php
Posted by Gloria Antypowich under Indie Publishing, Other Topics
[4] Comments


text:
Good riddance, New Jersey!
In their last ever game at the Prudential Center, the Knicks defeated the New Jersey Nets 104-95. In typical Knick fashion, the 'Bockers got off to a hot start only to let New Jersey back into the game in the 3rd quarter. New York survived their 3rd quarter woes and pulled away late in the 4th quarter. Carmelo Anthony was red hot in the first quarter, scoring 21 points on 8/10 shooting. Tyson Chandler chipped in with a solid 18 point, 10 rebound performance. It wasn't a perfect game for the Knicks, but they were good enough to win. New Jersey was shorthanded and the Knicks took care of business. I'm not jumping off the walls about this one, but it was a solid win for our Knicks.
Here are my notes from the game:
- Good lord, Melo. Carmelo Anthony was absolutely fantastic in the first quarter of this game. His first layup hit more rim then the other 7 of this made shots in that quarter. He couldn't miss from downtown, shooting 4/4 from outside the arc in the quarter. Anthony finished the game with 33 points on 11/21 shooting. I think he tired out a bit as the game went on. New Jersey also did a better job of defending Anthony, occasionally throwing a double team his way. I thought Anthony also played well defensively. He had a monster block (and possibly a foul) on ex-Toronto flameout Sundiata Gaines. I loved Anthony's energy early in the game and I think he just kind of put it on cruise control to finish out the game.
- Steve Novak and JR Smith cooled down from Tuesday's firestorm. It was to be expected, but Novak and Smith weren't nearly the 3 point shooting dynamos they were against Boston. They combined to shoot 6/17 from downtown. I wasn't surprised that they didn't shoot the ball well tonight. They aren't going to shoot 15/20 from downtown every game. I'm not taking too much from this game. I didn't think either player played poorly, they just were eh on the night. No big deal though! No more New Jersey!
- The corpse of Mike Bibby played a decent game tonight. He did some nice things offensively. He shot just 3/10, but he dished 8 assists and turned the ball over just once. Defensively, he was quite corpsey (I know that isn't a word). There were times were Sundiata Gaines ran circles around him. Bibby is never going to be good defensively, and I know the Nets suck, but I thought he did some nice things tonight.
- I don't like that the Knicks had another 3rd quarter lull. They've been awful in 3rd quarters all season. As of late, they have been better, but tonight was a step in the wrong direction. Now, I understand they were playing the Nets on a back-to-back, but it doesn't matter. The Nets flat out suck. They're horrible. The Knicks should have come out of the locker room and beaten them into submission. Instead, they started turning the ball over and taking bad shots and let the Nets right back into the game. I won't freak out about it, because a win is a win, but this is a problem the Knicks have to fix. They won't be so lucky if they do this against the Heat…
- My main man (sarcasm) Billy the kid Walker played tonight! As I expected, he was pretty bad. Within his first 12 seconds of playing time, he fouled a jump shooter. I slapped my forehead, but also let out a small chuckle.
- It was nice to see Jerome Jordan back up with the Knicks. I'd be lying to you if I said I had any idea what happened in the D-League playoffs, but I assume Erie lost. Jordan was then brought back up to the 'Bockers and played some Jordan time minutes tonight. I was impressed with Jordan's camouflage ability that induced the Nets 2nd stringers to leave him completely uncovered for a late 4th quarter dunk. You go, Jerome!
- Toney Douglas still sucks.
- Tyson Chandler still rocks.
- Baron Davis was still sick.
- Josh Harrellson somehow got a black eye.
- Mike Bibby was a +18.
- Iman Shumpert rocks too.
- I still procrastinate too much on my English essays and Knicks post games.
- Night folks!
- … or morning to some folks!


text:
The RSS service enables your application users to add and view RSS 2.0 formatted feeds within your application. This chapter describes how to integrate the RSS Viewer into a Framework application at design time.
This chapter includes the following sections:
For more information about managing and including RSS feeds, see:
"Managing the RSS Service" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Administrator's Guide for Oracle WebCenter Portal
"Working with the RSS Service" in Oracle Fusion Middleware User's Guide for Oracle WebCenter Portal: Spaces
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) provides a means of accessing the content of many different web sites from a single location—a news reader. Oracle WebCenter Portal provides the RSS service that encompasses the RSS Viewer and the service to show RSS feeds from various WebCenter Portal services. The RSS Viewer enables you to view external news feeds from different web sites from within your Framework applications.
This section provides an overview of the features and requirements of the RSS service. It includes the following subsections:
To display news feeds from external sources on your application pages, you add the RSS Viewer task flow and specify the URL for the required RSS feed, as shown in Figure 53-1. Your application users can then view the RSS feed at runtime.
For accessing secure application content, the RSS Viewer task flow supports integration with external applications to provide credential mapping services to authenticate with a remote feed. For information about using external applications, see Section 69.13, "Working with External Applications."
Figure 53-1 RSS Details Specified at Design Time
The RSS service does not require any back-end server. You do not need to set up a connection to use this service. However, you can set up a proxy server for the RSS service, if required.
At runtime, RSS news feeds are displayed from the RSS feed location specified at design time. Users can click the RSS icon on the top-right corner of the application page to open the URL specified as the RSS feed location.
Any user who has permissions to modify the application page can access the RSS Viewer parameters and change the URL of the RSS feed that is rendered.
For information about the RSS service at runtime, see the "Working with the RSS Service" chapter in Oracle Fusion Middleware User's Guide for Oracle WebCenter Portal: Spaces.
Figure 53-2 RSS Feed at Runtime
This section describes how to set up the proxy server for the RSS service and add the RSS Viewer task flow to your Framework application.
This section includes the following subsections:
Section 53.2.1, "Setting Up a Proxy Server for the RSS Service"
Section 53.2.3, "Setting Security for the RSS Viewer Service"
The RSS service does not require any connections. You can simply point to the URL of the RSS feed. However, if you want to point to an RSS feed that is external to your intranet and application, you may need to set up a proxy server for your application.
To set up a proxy server for the RSS service:
In Oracle JDeveloper, from the Tools menu, choose Preferences.
In the Preferences dialog, scroll down the list on the left side and select Web Browser and Proxy.
In the right pane, under Web Browser and Proxy, select Use HTTP Proxy Server and enter the host name and port number of your proxy server, and note any exceptions (Figure 53-3).
Click OK.
Figure 53-3 Setting Up a Proxy Server
This section describes the RSS Viewer task flow and how to add it to your application.
This section contains the following subsections:
Section 18.104.22.168, "How to Add the RSS Viewer Task Flow to Your Application"
Section 184.108.40.206, "How to Modify RSS Viewer Task Flow Parameters"
The RSS service has a single task flow called RSS Viewer, which you can add to your application to enable your users to access an RSS feed. You can add multiple instances of the task flow to your application and use the Edit Task Flow Binding dialog to point to multiple RSS feed locations.
To add the RSS Viewer task flow to your application:
Follow the steps in Section 7.2.1, "How to Prepare Your Application to Consume Services" to implement security, and create a customizable page in your application, if necessary.
Open the customizable page on which you want to add the RSS Viewer task flow.
If the RSS feed you want to use requires authentication, create an external application. If it does not require authentication, proceed to Step 4.
For more information about external applications, refer to Section 69.13, "Working with External Applications."
In the Resource Palette, open the WebCenter Portal - Services Catalog, then expand the Task Flows folder.
Click RSSViewer, drag it to your page in the Design view, and choose Region.
In the Edit Task Flow Binding dialog, specify the URL of the RSS feed. If an external application is used for authenticating the RSS feed, specify its name (the application name, not the application display name), as shown in Figure 53-4.
Figure 53-4 Example of the Edit Task Flow Binding Dialog for the RSS Service
Table 53-1 describes the possible values for the RSS Viewer task flow binding parameters.
Table 53-1 RSS Viewer Task Flow Binding Parameters
Enter the location of the RSS feed. For example, to use the Oracle Press Releases RSS feed, enter:
Enter the name of the external application you want to use to authenticate the Framework application with the RSS feed. If the RSS feed does not require authentication, you do not need to set up and identify an external application for this service.
Click OK and save your page. The binding displays on your page.
If you look at the Source tab of your page, you can see the RSS Viewer task flow in the page source, as shown in Example 53-1.
The RSS Viewer task flow has required and optional task flow binding parameters.
You can adjust the parameter values when you drop the task flow onto a page or after you have placed a task flow on a page:
Click the Bindings tab at the bottom of the page (next to the Source tab).
Under Executables, the RSS Viewer task flow you added is listed (Figure 53-5).
Figure 53-5 Page Data Binding Definition
Select the task flow, and next to the Executables heading, click the Edit selected element (pencil) icon.
In the Edit Task Flow Binding dialog, revise the binding parameter values as required.
When you are finished, click OK.
Save and run your page to see the results.
To use the RSS service with a public RSS feed, you do not need to set security. To use the RSS service with an RSS feed that requires authentication, you can set up an external application for your Framework application that sets up either user credentials or public credentials for accessing the RSS feed.
For secure application content, your news reader must support BASIC authentication.
For more information about using external applications, see Section 69.13, "Working with External Applications."
Only authenticated users can view secure RSS feeds. If a user is not authenticated and the RSS feed is secured, the user will not see any content in the RSS Viewer unless the external application specifies public credentials.
When you add the RSS Viewer task flow to your Framework application, the View grant is automatically added to the


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MILWAUKEE (AP) ? The husband of a police officer who was fatally shot on Christmas Eve while patrolling in suburban Milwaukee has been arrested in connection with her death, authorities said Thursday.
Benjamin Sebena, of Menomonee Falls, was booked into Milwaukee County Jail on Wednesday night on a tentative charge of first-degree intentional homicide, the Wauwatosa police department said in a statement.
He has not been formally charged in the death of his 30-year-old wife, Jennifer Sebena. A message was left with the district attorney's office seeking comment.
Ben Sebena, 30, is a decorated U.S. Marine who served two tours in Iraq before suffering severe arm and leg injuries in a mortar attack, according to Pastor Scott Arbeiter at Elmbrook Church in nearby Brookfield.
Police officers found Sebena's body in the early hours of Monday morning after she failed to respond to radio calls. She had been shot several times. Police have released few details about the shooting.
Jennifer Sebena had worked for the Wauwatosa police department for two years and her death was the first in active duty in the department's 96-year history. Wauwatosa is a city of about 46,000 people just west of Milwaukee.
Sebena's funeral is scheduled for Saturday.
Dinesh Ramde can be reached at dramde(at)ap.org.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/husband-slain-wis-cop-arrested-her-death-140253161.html
once upon a time once upon a time adam shulman adam shulman peanut butter recall jason aldean Brigitte Nielsen


text:
Mapping America - Census Bureau 2005-9 American Community Survey - NYTimes.com - 40 views
shared by Lisa DuFur on 30 Mar 11 - No Cached
Lisa DuFur on 30 Mar 11Browse local data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, based on samples from 2005 to 2009. Because these figures are based on samples, they are subject to a margin of error, particularly in places with a low population, and are best regarded as estimates. Create tons of lessons around this data. WOW


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Login | Checkout | My Account | Shopping Cart Now in your cart 0 items
Peppermint Tooth Swish - Tooth Soap
Mrs. Adler formulated this one for her two girls who don't remember to brush even though their mother tells them to DAILY.
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These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.


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Leery of Organ Donation? Debunking Common Transplant Myths
That little red heart on your driver's license could help you save lives.
But myths about organ donation are leaving some people uncertain, and sometimes leery, about donating their organs or tissue in the unfortunate case of a fatality, creating fewer options for the 100,000 people across the United States waiting for a life-saving transplant.
April is National Donate Life Month, and experts urge the general public not to believe everything they hear about donating organs and tissue.
There are only about 22,000 kidney transplants from deceased donors that are done in America each year and about 79,000 people on the waiting list for a kidney. Kidneys are the most commonly transplanted organ. The disparity exemplified by these numbers is startling.
There are a number of donation myths that make people think twice about offering their kidneys or corneas for the cause.
Myth 1. If a patient is identified as a donor, the hospital staff will not work as hard to save his or her life and will remove his or her organs as soon as possible, even prematurely, to help others.
This is absolutely not true. The organ procurement organization, or OPO, is not even involved with the potential organ donor until after the patient has been pronounced dead. Your doctor has nothing do to with donation.
Myth 2. Organ donation goes against religious beliefs.
This is heard from time to time, and every major religion stresses selflessness. Organ donation is consistent with the beliefs of most religions including Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam and most branches of Judaism. This is one of the kindest, most selfless things that one human being could do for another: save a life.
Myth 3. A person can be too old or too young to be an organ donor.
If you are able to sign your driver's license, then you're not too old or young to donate. Organ and tissue donors who are well into their 70s are seen. In many reconstruction surgeries, doctors use the bones, skin and ligaments, or tissues, from older donors. In addition, there are very few medical conditions that disqualify a person from donating organs. For example, if a person has diabetes, we may not be able to use their kidneys or pancreas, but doctors can potentially use their livers as well as other tissues, such as bone, tendons, etc.
Myth 4. Open casket funerals are impossible for organ donors.
Donation takes place under the same strict, sterile conditions as any surgical procedure. A donor is treated with extreme care and respect, and the body is not disfigured in any manner whatsoever.
Myth 5. It is impossible to do a live kidney donation unless the donor is giving to a close family member.
This certainly is not true. There are many avenues for live kidney donation if someone wants to donate to a random person in need. In fact, a kidney from a living donor is healthier in almost all ways than a kidney from a person who is deceased.
Also, live kidney donors often worry that they will face medical problems after giving up one of their kidneys. The chances for a kidney donor who is evaluated and deemed to be an acceptable candidate for donation to have a kidney problem are minuscule. Transplant programs that do live kidney donation have very specific rules as to who can be a live donor. In addition, the surgery is minimally invasive and a donor is usually out of the hospital in two days and back to work within several weeks.
Myth 6. Rich, famous or powerful people are moved to the top of the list when they need a donor organ.
There are stringent rules against this. The United Network of Organ Sharing, or UNOS, makes sure that all aspects of transplantation are highly regulated. We list people for transplantation based on their need, how sick they are, not on how famous, rich, or well-connected they are. In addition, nearly 50 percent of all patients waiting for organ transplants are ethnic minorities. Some people think that minority patients do not receive organs in a timely manner. This is simply not the case. The chances of finding a match for transplant recipients are greatly increased if the donor is of the same ethnic background. To help ensure that more black and Latino patients receive a vital transplant, it is important that these same races become more involved in donor registration programs.
Myth 7. The family of the donor will be charged for the donation. In addition, the family has a say in the donor's decision.
The only cost to the donor or to the donor's family is for the time the donor is being treated in the hospital. Once he or she is declared brain dead, the insurance provider of the recipient takes over the costs. The OPO is notified when the medical personnel declare the donor dead. The medical criteria are documented, and once the family has consented, the organ is recovered.
When a person obtains a driver's license or state ID, they are asked if they want to be an organ and tissue donor. When he or she says, Yes, this is considered first person consent, a legally binding contract. Once a potential donor is determined to have given a first person consent, the family is not to be involved in the consent process. The wishes of the deceased are supposed to be respected, and donation is expected to proceed. However, OPOs want to be respectful of the family's wishes as well. This is why it is so important for people to discuss their donation plans with their family ahead of time.
This article originally appeared in UC Health Line (4/16/09), a service of the NetWellness.org Academic Health Center Public Relations Department and was adapted for use on NetWellness with permission.
For more information:
Go to the Digestive Disorders health topic.


text:
CRAMERTON--Sprinting through the regular season and playoffs with only two set losses in 35 sets, Cramerton represented a huge threat to W.C. Friday�s run of dominance in Gaston County Middle School Conference volleyball.
But whether it was tradition, coolness under fire, or skillful execution, Friday turned back the challenge Thursday to claim its sixth straight county championship in front of a lively crowd at Cramerton Middle.
Friday won 3-2 in a match that fittingly went five games. Cramerton, which beat Friday 3-2 in the regular season, had a 2-1 lead going into game four, but the Cavaliers won that game 25-22, turning back a frantic rally by the Eagles from an 18-8 deficit.
After surviving that comeback effort, Friday dominated the decisive fifth game 15-7. The line score was 25-21, 19-25, 10-25, 25-22, and 15-7.
The win in game one was key for Friday.
�The first game when we won, that always helps,� Friday coach Heather Pasour said. �We started up ahead, so when they started to catch up, we had so big of a lead that it was hard to catch us.�
And another pivotal swing came when the Cavaliers held on to win game four to even the match at 2-2.
�After we lost that third set, I told them I was okay with losing but not giving up. So they came out in that fourth game fighting with everything they had. I am proud of them,� Pasour said.
A key change in strategy came when Pasour juggled her lineup late in the match.
�I turned my lineup around. I was asking people what my best lineup was, and that was with Casey (Almond) on the back serving. So that was big,� Pasour said.
Cramerton coach Kristen Albright, who guided the Eagles to the brink of a county title in her first season, said her team left everything on the floor.
�All the way up to the end, the girls wanted it the whole time,� Albright said. �They didn�t quit. I was proud of how hard they played with desire.�
For Friday, Casey Almond led the way with 13 service points, seven kills and two blocks. Kaitlyn Towery had 18 service points while Kailey Addis added seven service points and Spencer Britton contributed 10 service points.
For the host Eagles, Sydney Bowen recorded 22 service points, followed by Ashley Beaty with 16 service points and Caroline Swaim with nine kills.
And even thought Cramerton came up short, Albright looks to the future.
�I think we are in a good position for maintaining this momentum and keeping the excitement alive. We have a lot of strong seventh graders coming up,� Albright said.
It marked the fifth time in six seasons that Friday and Cramerton have met for the county title. The Cavaliers have now beaten their rival five straight times in the final.


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The Royal Mint has released a range of limited edition precious metal coins to mark the 75th anniversary this year of the Battle of Britain.
In July 1940 Britain faced the imminent threat of invasion. Although supported by many others working tirelessly on the ground the successful defence of the nation was due in no small part to the immense courage and sacrifice of those pilots and aircrew we have come to know as "The Few".
In total less than three thousand pilots and aircrew from Britain, the Commonwealth and its allies, including those from occupied nations such as Poland and Czechoslovakia, fought tenaciously during the summer of 1940 for control the skies above Britain.
The eventual victory by the RAF enabled the Western Allies to later launch the liberation of Western Europe and compel the Nazis to fight on two fronts leading to their consequent defeat.
The 50p coin, which commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, incorporate a design by renowned sculptor Gary Breeze.
Although he has produced many major commissions, including for example the Bali Bombing Memorial at Horse Guards Road, this is his first coin for the Royal Mint.
Speaking of his design on the reverse of the coin he said, "In some ways the Battle of Britain appeals to our innate joy at winning against tremendous odds.
"I wanted to celebrate that in one sense. But I think that remembering the cost of war is more relevant today.
"I spent a good deal of time concentrating on the machines at first, but the aircraft didn't say enough about the sacrifice of life or the meaning of the Battle today.
"I've always recalled my Grandfather talking of the skies being dark because there were so many bombers. I believe he was in fact talking about our own planes flying out, but I wanted to illustrate that threat and sense of danger.
"I would like people to be reminded of the selfless sacrifice of the Few. The airmen run away from us. They don't walk slowly to their fate, and we may never see them again."
Visit the Royal Mint's website for more.


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Culinary Arts Degree
In June 2007, the University of North Alabama received approval for a four year Culinary Arts concentration from The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE). Students completing the concentration will be prepared in:
- Culinary Arts
- Facilities Management
- Budget and Cost Control
- Appreciation of Cultural Diversity
- Visual Presentation of Food
- Educational Requirement for Chef Certification
Job opportunities for qualified culinary managers are substantial in the southeast and other parts of the United States with a strong potential for growth. The interest in the culinary and hospitality industry is evident in the current growth patterns of the industry and media programming based on the population's interest in foods and nutrition. This program is designed to serve and to enhance the emerging needs of the food service industry in our immediate area and beyond.


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Seeking re-election, Imelda extends Marcos dynasty
MARCOS, Philippines — Twenty-seven years after a public revolt ousted her dictator husband, Imelda Marcos is the Philippines' ultimate political survivor: She dazzled voters with her bouffant hairstyle, oversized jewelry and big talk on the campaign trail this week bidding to keep her seat in Congress.
Ferdinand Marcos' widow is widely expected to win in Monday's congressional polls. Approaching 84, she is nearing the final chapter of a tumultuous political life in which she once astounded the world by amassing a mammoth shoe collection as first lady of the impoverished country. Never showing any remorse for her past, she has against all odds succeeded in orchestrating the rebirth of a political dynasty tainted by allegations of corruption and abuse during her husband's rule.
"I'm running for re-election," Marcos, clad in her trademark party gown, diamond and pearls, proclaimed before hundreds of villagers in Paoay town in northern Ilocos Norte province.
Despite her reputation for extravagance, including expensive shopping trips and lavish beautification projects in a nation where a third of about 94 million live on $1 a day, Marcos twice ran unsuccessfully for president and won seats in the House following her return from exile.
She is currently campaigning for a second of a maximum three terms to represent Ilocos Norte, a vote-rich agricultural region where many are fiercely loyal to the late dictator because of the money he poured into development.
After lingering until midnight at the town fiesta, Marcos barnstormed farming villages the following morning in the sweltering summer heat, showing off several "mothering centers" she had built to provide health services and livelihood training to poor villagers.
She cradled newborn babies before a tangle of photographers and cameramen in the centers, each displaying a painting of a young Imelda embracing a child at the entrance. "We care and love you all," reads a sign at the door.
Although she said she still brimmed with energy, her face was puffy and a crew of nurses trailed her to check her blood sugar levels. Bodyguards stood close by when she alighted from her van or the stairs. Talks with journalists strayed into the legacy she will leave behind, and she mentioned that she had decided her epitaph would read: "Here lies love."
Marcos said she would not step down as long as she had energy.
"If God will bless me with good health, as long as I'm alive and I'm strong, I'm going to give it all to the Filipino people," she said.
When she eventually bows out of politics, her children will carry on. Her eldest daughter, Imee, a former member of Congress, is seeking re-election as governor of Ilocos Norte, her campaign posters pasted side by side with her mother's.
The Marcoses are among the most prominent of at least 250 political dynasties or families that have monopolized power across the Philippines. Such dynasties are prohibited under the 1987 constitution, but Congress — long controlled by members of powerful clans targeted by the constitutional ban — has failed to pass the law needed to define and enforce the provision.
The current president, Benigno Aquino III, is part of one such dynasty.
Critics worry that a single family's stranglehold on different levels of government could stymie checks against abuses and corruption. A widely cited example is the 2009 massacre of 58 people, including 32 media workers, in an ambush blamed on rivalry between powerful clans in southern Maguindanao province.
But Imelda Marcos argued that candidates, whether coming from one family or not, could only rise to power if they were given a mandate by voters.
"If some families have a record of great service … let it be," she said. "In the end, it's up to the people."
Political analyst Ramon Casiple said that powerful clans have been known to resort to electoral fraud, intimidation, patronage and bribery to preserve their hold on power.
One of the Ilocos Norte towns visited by Imelda is called Marcos, named after the late dictator's father, who served as a congressman in the 1920s. Mayor Salvador Pillos said that residents were forever grateful to him for building sturdy roads and other pet projects.
"We love the Marcoses," Pillos said.
The dictator's son, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Jr., won a seat in the upper chamber in 2010, the highest nationally elected post the family has captured since the 1986 uprising. That has raised the possibility the young Marcos may run for president — something he has not ruled out. His mother said it would be up to destiny, but acknowledged that she savored the thought.
"I know my son and I'm proud of him and I would be prouder still if he will be like his father — a great president," she said.
Marie Hilao-Enriquez of SELDA, a group of former political prisoners under Marcos' dictatorship, said the prospect of another Marcos rising to the presidency was alarming but possible. She said it was crucial to educate young Filipinos, who never saw the atrocities committed after Ferdinand Marcos placed the Philippines under martial law in 1972.
In Ilocos Norte's Batac town, the Marcoses have opened public galleries filled with mementoes and pictures showcasing the late president's achievements. There is no mention of the 1986 uprising.
In one of the galleries, called the World Peace Center, streamers bearing the images of Imelda Marcos and her son adorn the driveway leading to the entrance. Inside, walls and tables are crammed with portraits of the Marcos couple meeting world leaders, including Fidel Castro, Mao Tse-Tung and Moammar Gadhafi.
Above the door hangs a sign that might as well pertain to the Marcoses' stunning political longevity: "Paradise Regained Unto Infinity."
See the bigger picture with the Inquirer's live in-depth coverage of the election here https://inq.ph/Election2019
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.


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The Winter White Photo Contest with our friends over at EyeEm came to an end last week, and the results are in! After pouring over the 2975 photo entries submitted by 1015 photographers, we've finally managed to narrow it down to three grand prize winners, and 25 runners-up. Each winner will receive a CanvasPop gift voucher, to create their own photo to canvas prints. We're stoked to share the gorgeous winning photos with you!
In celebration of the winter season, we asked EyeEm users to submit their photos of anything that's white. From the snow blanketing your neighbourhood, to … Read more


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WELCOMEWelcome to the web site of Alan Penny.
I am an Honorary Reader and Visiting Scientist in the Astronomy Group of the School of Physics and Astronomy in the University of St Andrews.
See my research page for my work on SETI and previous work on stellar photometry of bright stars, extra-solar planets.
The School has an observatory on the outskirts of St Andrews.
To contact me:
Alan Penny
Last updated - 2015 February 11th


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I was thinking your wedding was the last weekend of the month.
Congratulations to both of you!
I was thinking your wedding was the last weekend of the month.
Congratulations to both of you!
"It may be that your soul purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others" ~Steven Wright~I'm in my own little Lat/Lon
Danse avec les Arbres
And what a weekend it was! It was amazing how they made it *almost* more about the people that were there, then about them. We all were encouraged to appreciate the ones around us, all in the beautiful surroundings of Acadia National Park.
Congratulations again you two, and thanks for the refreshing weekend. Can we do it again soon? (8-8-8)
Wow I wish I had known about it, a nice card would have been in the mail.
Just smile it won't crack your face
The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is
suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best
friends -- if they're okay, then it's you.
Congrats, guys! And on your honeymoon, have a Foster's for Hiram and me, ok mate?
congratulations! best wishes for a wonderful life together
"life is short...make a mess of it!"
The best, deserve the best.
Why not live life like it is your last day....instead of pretending to be a member of the Peter Pan Club and believing you will be around forever.
Congratulations indeed!! Hope you have a wonderful and fulfilling life together!
~ Beach Comber ~


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Search Content
News in Brief
The economics of climate change and tech innovation win U.S. pair a Nobel
Two U.S. economists, William Nordhaus and Paul Romer, have received the 2018 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for their efforts to untangle the economics of climate change and technological innovations.
Nordhaus and Romer "significantly broadened the scope of economic analysis by constructing models that explain how the market economy interacts with nature and knowledge," the...
Speeding up evolution to create useful proteins wins the chemistry Nobel
Techniques that put natural evolution on fast-forward to build new proteins in the lab have earned three scientists this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry.
Frances Arnold of Caltech won for her method of creating customized enzymes for biofuels, environmentally friendly detergents and other products. She becomes the fifth woman to win the Nobel Prize in chemistry since it was first awarded...
Science Ticker
Speeding up the evolution of proteins wins the chemistry Nobel
Frances Arnold of Caltech, George Smith of the University of Missouri in Columbia and Gregory Winter of the University of Cambridge have won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for speeding up evolution to make proteins with new and useful properties. Such proteins are suitable for a variety of uses, ranging from new drugs to biofuels. The new laureates were announced October 3 at the Royal Swedish...
Dazzling laser feats earn these physicists a Nobel
Fantastic feats performed with lasers have earned three scientists the 2018 Nobel Prize in physics.
Half of the award, which totals 9 million Swedish kronor (about $1 million), went to physicist Arthur Ashkin for his development of optical tweezers. The technique uses laser light to manipulate tiny particles such as viruses and bacteria.
The other half of the prize went to two...
Science Ticker
Groundbreaking ways of manipulating light win trio the 2018 physics Nobel
Three scientists who invented innovative ways to manipulate light have won the Nobel Prize in physics. The 9-million-Swedish-kronor award (about $1 million) will be doled out to Arthur Ashkin of Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, N.J., Gérard Mourou of École Polytechnique in Palaiseau, France, and Donna Strickland of the University of Waterloo in Canada, the Nobel Prize committee announced October...
Discovery of how to prod a patient's immune system to fight cancer wins a Nobel
Stopping cancer by removing brakes on the immune system has earned James P. Allison of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and Tasuku Honjo of Kyoto University in Japan the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.
"Allison's and Honjo's discoveries have added a new pillar in cancer therapy," Nobel committee member Klas Kärre said in an Oct. 1 news conference...
Science Ticker
Cancer immunotherapy wins the 2018 medicine Nobel Prize
James P. Allison of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and Tasuku Honjo of Kyoto University in Japan have won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for advances in harnessing the immune system to fight cancer.
All previous types of cancer therapy were directed at the tumor cell, but Allison's and Honjo's approach was to remove brakes that keep the immune system in check, unleashing...


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NEW YORK, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- All Broadway shows were back up and running Thursday in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, theater officials said.
All plays and musicals on the Great White Way were canceled Sunday through Tuesday.
Although most productions resumed Wednesday, several favorites including "Evita," "Jersey Boys," "The Lion King," "Mary Poppins" and "Scandalous," remained dark. They were back on schedule Thursday, however.
"The show must go on, and Broadway shows are doing just that," Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The Broadway League, said in a statement Wednesday. "As of tomorrow, all Broadway shows are playing as scheduled. We are aware that some of our fans are still unable to get to the theater, and our thoughts are with them. For cooped-up New Yorkers and out-of-town visitors who are staying in hotels and can't get home, now is a great time to see a show."


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Dr. Edward H. McGehee, 90, a former director of medicine at Chestnut Hill Hospital, died of heart failure Jan. 29 at Cathedral Village in Andorra where he had been a resident for the past five years.
Dr. McGehee, who was medical director at Chestnut Hill Hospital from 1966 to 1970, also had been director of family medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
He began a family practice from his home in Chestnut Hill in 1953 and worked as an attending physician at Chestnut Hill Hospital from 1954 to 1973 and as a hematologist at Pennsylvania Hospital from 1966 to 1970.
In 1974 he became the first full-time faculty member of Jefferson's new department of family medicine and served as chairman of the department from 1990 to 1992. He received a Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1977, and in 1989 he was named director of the Jefferson/Kendal Crosslands fellowship in geriatrics.
The McGehee Loan Fund was set up in 1996 by longtime patients to support the education of third- and fourth-year students of family or internal medicine.
Born in Mobile, Ala., Dr. McGehee earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a medical degree from what is now Jefferson Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. After interning in Mobile and serving in the Navy, he completed a fellowship in pathology at Jefferson and a research fellowship in hematology at Pennsylvania Hospital.
He also completed a Thomas McCrae fellowship sponsored by Pennsylvania Hospital at Guy's Hospital in Southwark, London.
He was a former president of the Philadelphia Society of Hematology, a laureate of the Pennsylvania chapter of the American College of Physicians and president of the Jefferson medical alumni association.
He was a member of the vestry at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Chestnut Hill, the St. Andrew's Society and the Philadelphia Cricket Club.
Dr. McGehee is survived by a son, Edward H. Jr.; daughters Virginia Condon and Sarah Komisin, and five grandchildren. His wife, Carolyn, died in 2005. A son, James, died in 1985.
A life celebration will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at St. Paul's Church, 22 E. Chestnut Hill Ave., followed by a reception at Cathedral Village's Presser Lounge. – WF


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Chicago Bulls Team Report – November 9
=== Chicago Bulls Team Report – November 9 ===
(Sports Network) – Jalen Rose scored 34 points off the bench and Donyell
Marshall netted 22 as the Chicago Bulls stunned the New Orleans Hornets,
109-106, on Saturday at the New Orleans Arena. Eddy Curry added 16
points and nine rebounds for the Bulls, who came back from Friday's
blowout loss to Philadelphia for their second win in three games.
Chicago led by one at halftime and took an 85-80 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Bulls went up by as many as 13 points at 98-85 when Rose hit a three-
pointer with 9:17 left to play.
But the Hornets came storming back with a 21-10 run and pulled within two at
108-106 on a P.J. Brown jumper with 1:33 remaining.
Kirk Hinrich put the Bulls up by three at 109-106 by making 1-of-2 from the
free throw line with 14 seconds left to play.
Baron Davis missed a jumper at the other end, but the ball went out of bounds
off a Chicago player to give New Orleans another chance. However, after a
time-out, Rose blocked a jumper by David Wesley to seal the win for the Bulls.
Rose did his damage on 10-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three-point
Jamal Crawford chipped in with 14 points and six assists, and Kendall Gill
netted 12 to go along with five assists for Chicago, which snapped a 10-game
road losing streak against the Hornets.
The Bulls are off until Monday when they host rookie sensation Carmelo Anthony
and the Denver Nuggets.
Chicago's Tyson Chandler missed the game against New Orleans with a back
injury and is questionable for Monday's game.


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Tumblelog !!
- Custom Bilstein HD 37mm Motorsport Inserts + Eibach Springs ready to rally! March 25, 2017 at 06:37PM from ift.tt/2nAE3ed
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- It was past time for a fresh coat. Rally car prep beats up the floor pretty good. I will epoxy the next garage, but this will clean up this one for now. ☺ January 14, 2017 at 05:00PM from ift.tt/2jRmHcd
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When you build your own rally car – at some level – you have no idea what you're doing. Whether or not you meticulously plan it all out, at some point you're going to have to just try it and … Continue reading
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Our Library contains over 85,000 obituaries and
death notices from local Butte County newspapers The collection covers
the years 1855-2017. This is not a
full collection but we are working on updating our records as we
acquire new sources. (Note: Some of the records are
from the adjacent counties of Colusa, Glenn, Plumas, Sutter, Tehama and
We will do free
look-ups of all letters (A-Z). Copies of records are $5.00 donation each.
Important: If you do not
find what you are looking for in the indexes below, ask for a free
look-up. We do have new sources that are not yet indexed
The E-MAIL address below is for Obituary Requests.
In the 'Subject ' line include: Obit request and Surname(s) you are
searching. Sample: Obit request for Smith, Jones
and Brown
Be patient, the pages are large and take a few seconds to load.
Paradise Genealogical Society, Inc.
Post Office Box 460,
Paradise, CA 95967-0460,
(530) 877-2330
Site Updated: 24 April 2018
Rights Reserved – 2007 - 2018


text:
Americans get top seed for new LPGA International Crown
The International Crown on the LPGA Tour has all the trappings of the best team event in golf until the Olympics in 2016. And considering there will be no team medal awarded in Rio, the LPGA event might be best team format in golf after the Olympics.
The Americans nudged South Korea as the top seed for the International Crown, which features eight teams of four players from July 24-27 at Caves Valley in Maryland. The combined world ranking of their four players — Stacy Lewis, Paula Creamer, Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr — added to 32. South Korea's ranking added to 33 with Inbee Park, So Yeon Ryu, Na Yeon Choi and I.K. Kim.
Japan is the No. 3 seed with 131 points, illustrating a large gap after the top two countries. The other teams are Thailand, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan and Australia.
A new tournament, which required more planning than usual, means England and teen star Charley Hull will have to sit this one out.
The eight teams were locked in when the International Crown was announced in November. England's four best players amounted to No. 9. Over the past four months, Hull won her first pro tournament on the Ladies European Tour, and her ranking went from No. 119 to No. 67. Holly Clyburn moved up 23 spots to No. 98 with two good finishes. If the teams were determined Sunday — the cutoff for players — England would have been the No. 7 team and Australia would be out.
But there was reasons for teams to be locked in eight months in advance: sponsorship, promotion and television.
"If we waited until later, you can't knock on someone's door and say, `How would you like to support the International Crown in three weeks?' " LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said Tuesday. "And we wanted to make sure we had quality television deals in the countries that are playing. . . . We have good TV deals. But this event is more significant for a lot of countries than a regular tour event."
He plans to start announcing some of the sponsors this week at the LPGA's first major of the year.
As for players who qualify for the teams, Whan said he could see moving the deadline back as the International Crown gets more traction. For the first year, however, he thought it was important for players to have more than enough time to build their schedules around it. These aren't just LPGA players; eight of the 32 players who qualified for the International Crown are not LPGA members.
Three players from the top 10 in the world will not be at Caves Valley because their countries did not have enough highly ranked players: Suzann Pettersen (Norway), Lydia Ko (New Zealand) and Shanshan Feng (China).
Whan expects there to be some flaws, and he would be prepared to identify them after the first year.
"When you bring a brand new idea to the game, be prepared to be critiqued. And on the flip side, reach each one and don't be put off," he said. "`New' doesn't come easily."


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make the favorites board easier to find on desktop version, ive only been able to find it once and i had to go to your FAQ's soi could do it
put the favorites on a tab at the top of the screen, it would be more convenient
3 votes
Anonymous shared this idea
under review · AdminMeuy (Business Analyst, The Knot) responded
Hi and thank you so much for your idea!
We will definitely take this into consideration. We're always trying to improve the Wedding Website experience for couples so we welcome all of your great ideas.
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Enjoy your planning!


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|Safe Haskell
Reifying the sharing in an
This module is based on the paper Type-Safe Observable Sharing in Haskell (Andy Gill, 2009, http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/1596638.1596653).
- reifyGraph :: Constrained dom => (forall a. ASTF dom a -> Bool) -> ASTF dom a -> IO (ASG dom a)
|:: Constrained dom
|=> (forall a. ASTF dom a -> Bool)
A function that decides whether a given node can be shared
|-> ASTF dom a
|-> IO (ASG dom a)
Convert a syntax tree to a sharing-preserving graph
This function is not referentially transparent (hence the
IO). However, it
is well-behaved in the sense that the worst thing that could happen is that
sharing is lost. It is not possible to get false sharing.


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Home Depot Kitchen Cabinet
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It's going to be a long time before the Fed "tightens" monetary policy in any conventional sense.
But for the first time in a long time, people are really talking about the Fed "exiting" ultra-easy monetary policy in a serious way.
In her latest edition of Top Client Questions, SocGen's Michala Marcusen reveals that the #1 issue atop investor minds concerns the Fed removing the so-called "punch bowl":
WHEN WILL THE FED END QE? The FOMC has kept guidance on asset purchases deliberately vague but termination is tied to a significant improvement on the employment outlook. FOMC minutes last week showed a wide range of views on when conditions for ending asset purchases might be met; (1) "a few" viewed end 2013, (2) "a few" gave no timeframe but noted the need for 'considerable' accommodation, (3) "several" said well before end 2013 and (4) one (Lacker) was against any additional purchases. With the Fed quite evenly split on the asset purchase timeframe, the final agreement on the automatic spending cuts (due to be decided by end-February) will be an important determinant. Our new growth forecast for 2013 of 2.4% assumes that half the spending cuts ($55bn) will be implemented. This, in turn, should allow the Fed to bring about an additional $1.1tn of additional QE over the coming year. Risks that QE could end earlier, however, have increased. The end of this week will see the Fed's Bullard, George, Kocherlakota and Plosser speak on the US economy. MARKET ISSUES: QE demand, stall-speed growth and low inflation acted as a triple-anchor on Treasury yields in 2012. Our expectation is for yields to now track gradually higher as sustainable recovery takes root in the US, but with still low inflation and high unemployment promising additional QE. The balance of risk, however, is clearly shifting to the upside for Treasury yields and the US dollar.
This concern echoes what Citi FX analyst Steven Englander talked about in a note this week, that there are concerns about a "1994"-style move, whereby the Fed tightened before people expected, and bonds get pulverized.
The long-end of the yield curve (yields on 10 to 30 year bonds) has been moving sharply higher lately, and as Marcusen notes above, that should be dollar bullish.


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Medium Leather Trim Colour Block Nylon Backpack
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- A colour-block backpack in showerproof nylon with utilitarian pockets and topstitched leather trims.
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Modern CRPGs are console shooters. And that pisses me off. But how did they get this way? Last week I wrote about some features I'd like to see in a classic-style CRPG. I've been thinking more along these lines, thinking carefully about all of my favorite CRPGs and attempting to isolate the elements that so endeared them to me. What I've discovered is that this exercise is futile. You cannot create a good game simply by taking out the best gameplay mechanics from different games--what's more important is how well a designer has been able to build an attractive and coherent homology. I don't much like the term, but I like how Barry Brummett defines "stylistic homology" as "the signifying system that is a style is held together by formal properties such that one could look at a new article of dress, for instance, newly designed, and identify it as Edwardian." I think we could easily do the same for individual games or even whole game franchises, assuming it's well-designed. For instance, World of Warcraft has such a coherent homology that I'm sure most players would be able to look at screenshots of a city they hadn't personally visited--such as the Undercity--and realize it was from WOW and not Guild Wars 2. If you bear with me a moment, you can also see that this concept extends beyond just artwork and into gameplay. Even before you ever played a monk in WOW, for instance, if you're familiar with the other classes then you already have a pretty good idea of how the talents, abilities, and so on will play out. I think it's the sign of a great game when you can introduce something as radical as an entirely new class and not have the rest of the game fall apart.
Unfortunately, the problem is that such coherence comes at a cost. The same factors that allow us to already have a pretty good idea of what the monk will be like are the same factors that lead to boredom and disinterest. And man oh man, am I bored with WOW and Skyrim.
Styles, Edwardian or Victorian or whatever, inevitably change as we become bored with them. A truly clever developer is able to recognize when the reigning style is growing stale, and then swoops in with something fresh (but just as compelling). As merely a critic, it is obvious to me that both Skyrim and Dragon Age II are the discotheques of the 1980s. Pretty soon, anyone who still listens to and dances to this music will feel as ridiculous as they look.
That said, I think it's always a mistake to think something radically new will appear, though that's always how it's presented in the marketing. "Revolutions" in videogames are notoriously anti-historical, refusing to even consider that what they think makes them so novel has been done many times before. I'd go so far as to say that nothing of real consequence has changed about games since the 1980s. It wasn't like kids playing Donkey Kong weren't just as impressed with the graphics or immersed in the gameplay back then as a kid today playing Halo 4 is today. Please don't kid yourself into thinking that the industry has made any "progress," or done anything else but simply go along laterally, temporarily embracing and later abandoning one fashion after another. I'm sure plenty of New Wave fans of the 80s felt that their music was more "advanced" than disco, just as some heavy metal fans of today feel their favorite bands are much "heavier" or more musically sophisticated than Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. In truth, though, there's nothing like that in the music itself, but just in our waning and waxing affiliations with different groups of fans.
If we can expect games, though, to follow a similar style cycle as clothes and music, then I expect what we're seeing now with all of these "old school" Kickstarter projects is the resurgence of 70s culture in the 90s. If my predictions are accurate, at least some of these games will do surprisingly well, and we might enjoy a brief appropriation of these older styles for awhile, though I don't think we'll get a massive shift in mainstream gaming.
I'm starting to think that MMOS and shooters are becoming more like sports than videogames anyway; at this point, the rules and expectations have solidified to the point that talking about them becoming obsolete is like saying basketball or football will be obsolete one day. Of course, there will be changes, but I expect there are plenty of people who'd be happy to continue playing (and more importantly buying) shooters for the rest of their lives. Contrast that, then, with the relatively short-lived phenomenon of fighting arcade games of the 90s, when seemingly every male between the ages of 12 and 24 were obsessed with learning every combo of the thousands of Street Fighter II games on the market. I'd be happily proven wrong on this, but I don't see shooters experiencing the same fate of being doomed to niche gaming and the occasional nostalgia-fueled retro release.
The stylistic homologies I think we're stuck in now, at least regarding CRPGs and MMORPGs, is best shown by looking at Skyrim and Dragon Age II on the CRPG side and Tera and GW2 on the MMORPG. What's happened to CRPGs, at least with major releases, is an increased tendency to make them as much like the reigning genre of shooters as possible, going so far as to use the same engines. To someone like me, playing Skyrim is a lot more like playing Doom than a true CRPG experience such as Ultima VII. This shift towards shooter-ization began very early, of course, with games like Ultima Underworld (1993), Elder Scrolls: Arena (1994), and Might & Magic VI (1998). Now, of course, you can't find a CRPG that doesn't look like it's just a shooter with some grafted on "CRPG elements," and, what's worse, the console-ization of the shooter has homogenized the whole industry into one fast food joint after another. I greet the new Halo or Black Ops game with the same enthusiasm I would greet the Brand New San Diego Bacon Burger with Olives at McDonald's. Sure, it's a "sandwich revolution," yadda yadda, whatever. Yawn.
A lot of these issues are caused by fear. There's a growing fear within the industry, I think, that one day we'll reach a point where's consumers will simply be satisfied with their current consoles and games and stop buying new ones. We've seen this already on the PC with WOW. Instead of striving to make new games and hype them as something extraordinary, Blizzard took a more sensible (if cynical) route and just keeps selling the same game, month after month, to millions of satisfied fans. It seems there's a point where producing new content (what most developers want to do) is replaced by maintaining existing content (what I assume nobody really wants to do). It's like our game designers are these creative types who keep wanting to offer up new versions of basketball and football or new sports altogether, when the public is increasingly demanding that they quit messing with it.
I'm convinced that the only way WOW is going down is if Blizzard decides to do something truly stupid--which they've gotten close to several times before--and alienate their fanbase with radical gameplay changes that piss people off. I think they could keep the same engine for another ten years or more, since by now the fans probably don't even see the graphics (much like basketball players don't spend a lot of time marveling at how shiny the court looks).
Where we DO need to see more innovation, namely the single-player CRPGs, is where we get it the least. Other than the shift to shooter-ization and console-ization, I don't think we've seen anything worth talking about. The current CRPG fan, with his slavish devotion to games like Skyrim and Fallout 3, leave me wondering if any of them have bothered to play any of the classics. I am tired of playing Doom and trying to con myself into thinking it's a role-playing game. It's not. It's Doom. Skyrim is Doom. I don't hate Doom. But I do hate that Skyrim is Doom, and I can't play anything but Doom no matter how much I spend on "new" CRPGs. We're talking here about a genre whose titles are so similar that you have to get into "story" and "characters" and other bullshit that really have no business being in the game at all. At least if you're talking about how the game handles cover and shield recharges (or whatever), you're talking about something that is actually part of the game and not some pretentious "story arc" that would make a fan fic author look like Shakespeare.
Before someone starts accusing me of not appreciating good stories in the few games that have them, such as Planescape: Torment, I do. But that game is one of only a handful I can think of where the way the story unfolds is directly connected to the gameplay, and not merely grafted on. I'm talking, of course, of the death gameplay mechanic in that game and how it needs the story to justify it. That's actually an interesting application for story. A game like Mass Effect 3, though, does the opposite, merely putting us in the movie and letting us move the camera around a bit in between scenes.
Here's an idea for those who love stories in games so much. Watch a great movie, like Seven Samurai, with a game controller in your hand. Keep pressing buttons and moving your thumbs about during the movie. I promise you will enjoy the characters and story in this game a lot more than Skyrim.
So, I've bitched enough. But what sort of stylistic homology would I like to see in CRPGs?
First, I want us to take several giant leaps back from shooters and consoles. I do not want to play Doom, and I do not want to play a CRPG with a gamepad. If the gameplay is simplified or action-oriented to the point where it's playable on a gamepad, count me out. If you want to copy another game, I'm fine with that, but make it Wizardry or Rogue or Pool of Radiance. If you want to bastardize another genre's gameplay mechanics, please take from strategy games, not shooters. The intensity should come from the thought I am asked to put into the game, not the rapidity with which I can mash buttons on a controller.
Second, I want a story that either directly ties to the gameplay or stays the hell out of my way. There's a reason why so many RPGs (paper and videogames) have cliched plots like "kill the evil wizard/dragon/witch who's brought on eternal winter to the realm." That's because the story is not important. What is important, by contrast, is how you go about killing that wizard, building up your resources, abilities, and fortunes. Ideally, that evil wizard will begin to arouse some real hatred in us by the time we get to him, at which point bringing him down with a finger of death will be extremely satisfying. You don't arouse hatred in a player's heart by showing cutscenes or dialogues that paint the wizard as a real asshole. You do it by having him affect the gameplay, taking some or all of the player's money, for instance, or something as simple as a slow spell. Imagine a game where periodically the evil wizard forces everyone in the realm (including, of course, the players) to pay a 40% tax on all their property, losing items if they don't have the money. Are you telling me you wouldn't be foaming at the mouth hysterical by the time you finally got to that asshole's inner sanctum?
If you must have characters, they should exist primarily to reinforce the achievements and failures of the player. They should act exasperated if the player sucks, making fun of him or giving advice. Even if the player is good, they should encourage him to do better. I'd love to have a Gordon Ramsey like character in the party (or perhaps as a king) that would constantly berate and make the player feel like a nob whenever they do anything stupid or incompetent. Imagine the satisfaction you'd feel as you gradually began to impress him, until at the end he's offering to make you his executive sorcerer. The key to a character like this, of course, is not giving him static screens or dialog, but tie his responses directly to the gameplay. We get a bit of this in some of the new casual games, though I still think developers are more concerned with stroking egos than setting a high bar and forcing players to rise to it.
I'd like to think that most players feel letdown by a game that does too much ego stroking or hand holding, though. I personally find it embarrassing to play a game where I'm stuck controlling a "bad ass" main character. It's degrading to me; like the designer is saying--"Hey, little wimp, don't you want to fantasize about being He-Man and stomping all those bullies who pick on you? Don't you wish you had abs like that?" I'd rather play as a party that gets its ass kicked until I finally figure out what I'm doing and still barely manage to make it to the end. I don't want you to make me feel like a real man. I want you to let me be one.
Don't think that having me kill a dragon in the opening scene of the game is going to impress me. It does the opposite. It disgusts me that you think you need to pander me, because I'm so insecure and idiotic, that I need to be patted on the head and told how "big of a boy I am!" I'd rather be locked into a 15-minute fight with a rat and barely manage to escape with one party member still conscious. Show me that you respect me as a mature gamer and have set a very high standard for me to reach. Just @$@ give us that chance and to hell with what your marketing people or focus groups or other charlatans that all we want is candy.
Would more people like basketball if you changed the size of the baskets to twelve feet across and put a targeting reticule on the ball? Yet that's precisely what's happened with CRPGs. It disgusts me, and it should disgust you. CRPGs are not the genre of the elite anymore. This is the genre of the spoiled rotten brat.
Preaching to the choir, Matt, but we salute you all the same.
I salute you, mr. Barton.
Combat is essentially a glorified mini-game. Whether it is real-time or turn-based, uses guns or swords and magic, it doesn't really matter. You could completely strip combat out of RPGs and they would still be RPGs. This is why people can call a RPG like Arcanum good when the combat is absolutely atrocious.
The problems with MMORPGs are much deeper. By design, MMOs have little or no consequences. Developers will water down everything, so that some players don't get alienated by others. The only reason to play MMORPGs over single player RPGs is for the social or competitive aspects, or simply because there's no single player RPGs available. I don't think MMOs should even really be compared to CRPGs. You will get a better RPG experience by playing point-and-click adventure games.
RPG's does not fall under DIY adventure.
RPG's are hard to describe in a single sentence but it is even more moronic to believe you figured it out by just spelling out the acronym.
Without the character mechanics that defines the limitations of what the player can and can't do, it all amounts to sitting in a room blabbering about how cool your guy is like a badly written fan-fic.
What annoys me is that people overstate the "Role" part as role in a story.
But its more then that, PC's are agents(not the spy kind) within a setting/world/scenario, and plays a Role in the same way a soldier plays a role in the battlefield, with successes and failures and having to react and respond like an entity which is capable of action.
Not just in immediate choices like who to chop or what to say, but to also prioritizing how well you want to chop and how eloquent you want be.
You're right, Matt, but we are elite and there will be no company to risk it's money on game for the few gamers. And yes, Kickstarter is not a solution. At least not if we don't want to be indie cRPG's players forever...
Hey Matt, good article and I agree with most of it but I'm curious, have you played any of the recent "Strategy with RPG elements" games? Things like the new Xcom from Firaxis, and Blood Bowl from Cyanide? Both of those games have turn-based combat and characters gaining persistent XP, generally have unobtrusive stories, set a reasonably high bar and expect the player to reach it (Xcom mainly if you play on classic, Blood Bowl a bit less so due to poor AI) and have few if any ego stroking moments.
There definitely isn't enough of this style of game to qualify as a full RPG replacement, but mechanically they feel more like proper RPGs than anything calling itself an RPG from big-name developers in recent memory (Since Temple of Elemental Evil from Troika, I guess. Or as much as it pains me to say it I suppose Dragon Age Origins qualifies). To me at least, which was why I was curious about your thoughts on them.
Thanks for the article and all the work on Matt Chat! I present you with this honorary brofist from RPG Codex. :brofist:
Hahaha, thanks for the link Stefa!
"And no, there are no rats in X-Com, so it's not technically a CRPG." Sectoids skitter around a lot. Surely it's a strategy game with RPG-elements and rat-elements!
Glad to see he mostly enjoyed it though. Despite the lack of rats.
Nice to read a rant again, Matt. I am with You on this one. I am not the most hardcore rpg-gamer, but it's easy enough I think to see the formula (really only one) being beaten to death endlessly. The current trend in console gaming has swept away most of the creative games and gamers. This is bound to change eventually I think, and growing indie development could be a part of that.
Thanx again for Your videos and writings, Sir.


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With the U.S. economy's downward spiral still accelerating and the federal government looking at its largest budget deficits since World War II, some are saying that this is not the time to expand health care coverage to all Americans.
But this is exactly the time for the Obama administration to move boldly on its campaign promise to implement a universal health care system.
Obama wants spending that stimulates the economy in the short term, but he also wants to reduce the long-term deficit problem after the economy recovers. This is exactly what health care reform will do.
In the short run, health care spending, like other government spending on goods and services, creates jobs and generates income. This will help arrest the economy's downward spiral.
With the collapse of private spending, the federal government must act as the consumer of last resort - hence the vital importance of the $787 billion stimulus package that Congress passed last week. Fortunately this package did contain at least some health care stimulus. In included $87 billion for Medicaid payments to the state governments, $25 billion towards helping unemployed workers extend their employment-based health insurance after being laid off, and $19 billion for health information technology.
But health care reform would do vastly more. President Obama has proposed a reform that would, while keeping the employer-based health insurance that covers most Americans, create a public health insurance system for the 46 million that do not have insurance. Large employers would be required to either pay into this system or provide their employees with insurance that is at least as good as the federal system. Individuals without insurance could buy into the public system, and the federal government would subsidize these payments so that they would be affordable for low-income households and those without ties to the labor force.
The White House estimates that their plan would cost $50-65 billion annually, but it would be better to spend much more than this, with more federal subsidies to employers to cover uninsured workers and improve existing coverage. As big as it may seem, the $787 billion stimulus bill passed by Congress amounts to less than 2.7 percent of GDP. This is not nearly enough to counteract our deep recession: the Congressional Budget Office estimates the output gap (i.e., how much output is below the economy's potential) at $2.9 trillion over the next three years.
Besides saving thousands of lives by providing health care to the uninsured, and supplementing the fiscal stimulus, health care reform has another huge advantage: it can drastically reduce future federal budget deficits. The vast majority of our government's long-term shortfall is due to exploding health care costs in the private sector. These spill over to the public sector, which currently finances about half the nation's health care costs. The United States spends about twice as much per person on health care as other high-income countries, and yet has worse health outcomes, including life expectancy and infant mortality.
The main economic reason for this colossal failure is that our system of private insurance and powerful monopolies is vastly more wasteful and inefficient than the health care systems of other developed countries. Insurance companies spend tens of billions trying to insure the healthy, avoid the sick, and deny payment for claims. Pharmaceutical companies take $350 billion of our health care dollars for drugs that cost a small fraction of that sum to produce.
The Obama health care plan won't eliminate most of these perverse incentives and waste - eventually we will need a truly national, single-payer system like Medicare to accomplish that. But it would be a big step in that direction, creating a nearly universal insurance system and laying the foundation for a sustainable system that can contain costs.


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"chiba. yeah. see, molly's been to chiba, too."
molly does not know what the master means when he says that. but he smiles and pats molly on the head when he does, and he is proud of molly, and that is the best thing in the world.
molly has a job. molly is fast, and molly's claws are razor sharp, and molly kills whomever the master says should die. it is a good job, and molly does it well because molly wants to please the master.
today there is a baby, a little bunny rabbit. molly could easily kill it and eat it, but that is not molly's job. the baby is to be protected, so that it can grow to be strong and fierce and serve the master, alongside molly. this will be a good thing. so molly does not kill it.
the baby rabbit is facing a bandicoon. it swipes at the baby, who tries to dodge, but it is young and slow. blood! the bandicoon has hurt the master's baby! evil, evil bandicoon! it must die!
molly runs forward into the fight. the evil bandicoon turns toward molly, but it is slow and stupid and molly's claws are cutting it, slicing, killing, destroying. it manages to bite molly's leg, but this is not important. molly does not have time to bleed. soon the bandicoon is dead, and the baby is saved. the master will be pleased.
treachery! the evil one had an ally, lurking in the grass. it attacks molly with teeth and claws, but molly is smart. molly twists out of its path, then uses its own ferocity against it. some of its attacks hurt molly, but they are of no consequence. molly is fast and molly's claws are sharp, and molly serves the master, and so she cannot lose. soon the second bandicoon lies dead on the ground, next to its evil friend.
again! these bandicoons think they can drown molly with numbers, but they will fail. slice! stab! blood! fury! molly's ferocity is too much, and soon the third villian is defeated. molly roars in triumph, a warning to all who defy the master.
why ... why is it so dark? was there ... poison? nasty ... evil ... bandicoons.
the baby ... the baby survived. the baby gained experience. so ... molly did her job? the master ... is pleased with molly?
the master ... will ... revive ... loyal ... molly?
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
a day in the life of a flayer youngling
Posted by Ratshag at 10:57 AM
10 comments:
I really must get around to naming my pets. I look forward to the accounts of your pet battles :)ReplyDelete
OK, now, let's get one thing straight. NO MAKING ME CRY WITH PET BATTLES. Srsly. What's the world coming to...ReplyDelete
- theanorakJanuary 16, 2013 at 3:06 PM
my my, william gibson-themed pet battles. :)ReplyDelete
I like. Very much.ReplyDelete
Oh dear .. surely the master will revive ... good read =)ReplyDelete
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