text:
COPD is a lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. It is caused by
damage to the lungs over many years, usually from smoking.
is often a mix of two diseases:
COPD gets worse over time. You can't undo the damage to
your lungs. But you can take steps to prevent more damage and to feel
COPD is almost always caused by
smoking. Over time, breathing tobacco smoke irritates the airways and destroys
the stretchy fibers in the lungs.
Other things that may put you
at risk include breathing chemical fumes, dust, or air pollution over a long
period of time. Secondhand smoke also may damage the lungs.
It usually takes
many years for the lung damage to start causing symptoms, so COPD is most
common in people who are older than 60.
You may be more likely to
get COPD if you had a lot of serious lung infections when you were a child.
People who get emphysema in their 30s or 40s may have a disorder that runs in
families, called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. But this is rare.
The main symptoms
As COPD gets worse, you may be short of breath even when
you do simple things like get dressed or fix a meal. It gets harder to eat or
exercise, and breathing takes much more energy. People often lose weight and
get weaker.
At times, your symptoms may suddenly flare up and get
much worse. This is called a COPD exacerbation (say "egg-ZASS-er-BAY-shun"). An
exacerbation can range from mild to life-threatening. The longer you have COPD,
the more severe these flare-ups will be.
To find out if you have
COPD, a doctor will:
If there is a chance you could have COPD, it is very
important to find out as soon as you can. This gives you time to take steps to
slow the damage to your lungs.
The best way to slow COPD is to
quit smoking. This is the most important thing you can do. It is never too late
to quit. No matter how long you have smoked or how serious your COPD is,
quitting smoking can help stop the damage to your lungs.
Your doctor can prescribe
treatments that may help you manage your symptoms and feel better.
People who have COPD are more likely to get lung
infections, so you will need to get a
flu vaccine every year. You should also get a
pneumococcal shot. It may not keep you from getting
pneumonia. But if you do get pneumonia, you probably won't be as
There are many things you can do at home to stay as healthy
as you can.
Dealing with flare-ups: As COPD gets worse, you may have flare-ups when
your symptoms quickly get worse and stay worse. It is important to know what to
do if this happens. Your doctor may give you an action plan and medicines to help you breathe if you have a flare-up. But if the
attack is severe, you may need to go to the emergency room or call
Managing depression and anxiety: Knowing that you have a disease that
gets worse over time can be hard. It's common to feel sad or hopeless
sometimes. Having trouble breathing can also make you feel very anxious. If
these feelings last, be sure to tell your doctor. Counseling, medicine, and
support groups can help you cope.
Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.
Learning about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD):
Being diagnosed:
Getting treatment:
Ongoing concerns:
Living with COPD:
End-of-life issues:
COPD is most
often caused by smoking. Most people with COPD are long-term smokers, and
research shows that smoking cigarettes increases the risk of getting
COPD is often a mix of two
chronic bronchitis and
emphysema. Both of these diseases are caused by
smoking. Although you can have either chronic bronchitis or emphysema, people
more often have a mixture of both diseases.
Other possible causes of COPD
When you have
Many people with COPD have attacks called
flare-ups or
exacerbations (say
"egg-ZASS-er-BAY-shuns"). This is when your usual symptoms
quickly get worse and stay worse. A COPD flare-up can be dangerous, and you may
have to go to the hospital.
Symptoms include:
These attacks are most often caused by infections—such as
acute bronchitis and
pneumonia—and air pollution.
Work with
your doctor to make a plan for
dealing with a COPD flare-up. If you are prepared, you
may be able to get it under control. Try not to panic if you start to have a flare-up.
Quick treatment at home may help you manage serious breathing problems.
Tobacco smoking is the most important risk factor for COPD. Compared to smoking,
other risks are minor.
To learn more, see the topic Quitting Smoking.
people may be more at risk than others for getting the disease, especially if
they have low levels of the protein alpha-1 antitrypsin (alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency), a disorder that runs in families.
Preterm babies usually need to have long-term oxygen therapy because their lungs are not fully developed. This therapy can cause lung damage (neonatal chronic lung disease) that can increase the risk for COPD later in life.
Asthma and COPD are different diseases, even though both of them involve breathing problems. People with asthma may have a greater risk for getting COPD, but the reasons for this are not fully understood.
Call 911 or other emergency services now if:
Call your doctor immediately or go
to the emergency room if you have been diagnosed with
COPD and you:
If your symptoms (cough, mucus, and/or shortness of breath)
suddenly get worse and stay worse, you may be having a
COPD flare-up, or exacerbation. Quick treatment for a
flare-up may help keep you out of the hospital.
Call your doctor soon for an appointment if:
you have been diagnosed with COPD, talk with your doctor at your next regular
appointment about:
Health professionals who can diagnose
COPD and provide a basic treatment plan include:
You may need to see a specialist in lung disease, called
pulmonologist (say "pull-muh-NAWL-uh-jist"),
To diagnose
COPD, your doctor will probably do the following
Because COPD is a disease that
keeps getting worse, it is important to schedule regular checkups with your
doctor. Checkups may include:
Tell your doctor about any changes in
your symptoms and whether you have had any
flare-ups. Your doctor may change your medicines based
on your symptoms.
The sooner COPD is diagnosed, the
sooner you can take steps to slow down the disease and keep your quality of
life for as long as possible. Screening tests help your doctor diagnose COPD
early, before you have any symptoms.
Talk to your doctor about
COPD screening if you:
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) doesn't recommend COPD screening for adults who are not at high risk for COPD.5 And some experts recommend that screening be done only for people who have symptoms of a lung problem.6
The goals of
treatment for COPD are to:
Much of the treatment for COPD includes things you can do for yourself.
Quitting smoking is the most important thing you can do to slow the disease and improve your quality of life.
Other things you can do that really make a difference including eating well, staying active, and avoiding triggers. To learn more, see Living With COPD.
The medicines used to treat COPD can be long-acting to help prevent symptoms or short-acting to help relieve
them. Medicines include:
If COPD gets worse, you may need other treatment, such as:
COPD flare-ups, or exacerbations, are
when your symptoms—shortness of breath, cough, and mucus production—quickly get
worse and stay worse.
Work with your doctor to make a plan for
dealing with a COPD flare-up. If you are prepared, you
may be able to get it under control. Don't panic if you start to have one.
Quick treatment at home may help you prevent serious breathing problems.
A flare-up can be life-threatening, and you may need to go to your
doctor's office or to a hospital. Treatment for flare-ups includes:
The best way to keep
COPD from starting or from getting worse is to not
There are clear benefits to quitting, even after years of
smoking. When you stop smoking, you slow down the damage to your lungs. For
most people who quit, loss of lung function is slowed to the same rate as a
Stopping smoking is
especially important if you have low levels of the protein
alpha-1 antitrypsin. People who have an alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency may lower their risk for severe COPD if they get regular shots of alpha-1 antitrypsin. Family members of someone with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency should be tested for the condition.
Other airway irritants (such as air pollution, chemical fumes, and
dust) also can make COPD worse, but they are far less important than smoking in
causing the disease.
If you have COPD, you need to get a
flu vaccine every year. When people with COPD get the
flu, it often turns into something more serious, like
pneumonia. A flu vaccine can help prevent this from
Also, getting regular flu vaccines may lower your chances
of having
COPD flare-ups.7
People with COPD often get
pneumonia. Getting a shot can help keep you from getting very ill with
pneumonia. Usually, people need only one shot, but doctors sometimes recommend
a second shot for some people who got their first shot before they turned 65.
Talk with your doctor about whether you need a second shot.
Pertussis (also called whooping cough) can increase the risk of having a COPD flare-up.8 So making sure you are current on your pertussis vaccinations may help control COPD.
COPD gradually
gets worse over time.
Shortness of breath gets worse as COPD gets
It's very important to stop smoking. If you keep smoking after being diagnosed with COPD,
the disease will get worse faster, your symptoms will be worse, and you will
have a greater risk of having other serious health problems.
lung damage that causes symptoms of COPD doesn't heal
and cannot be repaired. But if you have mild to moderate COPD and you stop
smoking, you can slow the rate at which breathing becomes more difficult. You
will never be able to breathe as well as you would have if you had never
smoked, but you may be able to postpone or avoid more serious problems with
Other health problems from COPD may
Treatment for COPD is
getting better and better at helping people live longer. But COPD is a disease
that keeps getting worse, and it can be fatal.
It's important to
talk with your doctor about these issues:
When you manage COPD,
It's never too late to quit smoking. No matter how long you have had COPD or how serious it is,
quitting smoking will help slow down the disease and improve your quality of
Although lung damage that already has
occurred doesn't reverse, quitting smoking can slow down how quickly your COPD
symptoms get worse.
One Man's Story:
Ned, 56
"I tried to quit cold turkey, but after just a few days
I could tell that wasn't going to work. I realized that I needed to try
something else. So I tried the patch, and that made a big difference. I can
feel a difference in my breathing. And I feel hopeful that quitting will give
me a few more years on my feet."—Ned
Read more about how Ned quit smoking.
You may think that nothing can help you quit. But today
there are several treatments shown to be very good at helping people stop
smoking. They include:
Today's medicines offer lots of help for people who want to quit. You
will double your chances of quitting even if medicine is
the only treatment you use to quit, but your odds get even better when you
combine medicine and other quit strategies, such as counseling.9
For more information, see the topic Quitting Smoking.
Do all you can to make
breathing easier.
Cal, 66
"There was a time when I couldn't take 10 steps without
running out of breath. Now I walk an hour around my neighborhood every
day—without needing my oxygen. I feel better than I have in years."—Cal
Find out how Cal was able to build up his strength.
Good nutrition is important to keep up
your strength and health. Problems with
muscle weakness and weight loss are common in people
with severe COPD. People with COPD who are very underweight, especially those
emphysema, are at higher risk of early death than are
people with COPD who have a normal weight.10
Treating more than the
disease and its symptoms is very important. You also need:
One Woman's Story:
Sarah, 67
"Not being the person I used to be—it makes me really
sad sometimes. There are lots of days I don't want to even get up, but then I
think about taking my walk or seeing my friends, and I want get out there. COPD
may slow me down, but it isn't going to stop me."—Sarah
Read more about how Sarah deals with her emotions.
Medicine for
COPD is used to:
Most people with COPD find that medicines make breathing
Some COPD medicines are used with devices called
inhalers or
nebulizers. Most doctors recommend using
spacers with inhalers. It's important to learn how to
use these devices correctly. Many people don't, so they don't get the full
benefit from the medicine.
The first time you use a bronchodilator, you
may not notice much improvement in your symptoms. This doesn't always mean
that the medicine won't help. Try the medicine for a while before you decide
if it is working.
Metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) and
nebulizers work equally well. MDIs are easier to
carry. Nebulizers usually need to be plugged in.
Many people don't use their inhalers right, so they don't get
the right amount of medicine. Ask your doctor or nurse to show you what to do.
Read the instructions on the package carefully.
Lung surgery is rarely used to treat
COPD. Surgery is never the first treatment choice and
is only considered for people who have severe COPD that has not improved with
other treatment.
Other treatment for
COPD includes:
The American Lung Association provides programs of
education, community service, and advocacy. Some of the topics available
include asthma, tobacco control, emphysema, infectious disease, asbestos, carbon monoxide, radon,
and ozone.
The American Thoracic Society provides information for
professionals and consumers about the prevention and treatment of lung
diseases. Its website provides educational materials for the consumer.
The COPD Foundation develops and supports programs that
improve research, education, early diagnosis, and treatment of chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They provide information to people with
COPD, caregivers, and health professionals.
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
(NHLBI) information center offers information and publications about preventing
and treating:
National Jewish Health is a hospital devoted to
treatment, research, and education in chronic respiratory diseases. It publishes a newsletter and pamphlets; maintains the LUNG LINE, a free call-in
information service for consumers; and has a patient referral center (inpatient
and outpatient services).
This website provides free information and
professional assistance to help support people who are trying to quit smoking.
The information provided is for both the immediate and long-term needs of
people who are trying to quit and for friends and family who care about them.
This website includes an online guide to
quitting smoking, local and state telephone quitlines, the National Cancer
Institute's national telephone quitline and instant messaging service, and
publications that can be ordered or downloaded and printed. There is also a link to women.smokefree.gov, which has more resources for women who want to quit smoking.
CitationsTan WC, et al. (2009). Marijuana and chronic obstructive lung disease: A population-based study. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 180(8): 814–820.Senior RM, Silverman EK (2007). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In DC Dale, DD Federman, eds., ACP Medicine, section 14, chap. 22. New York: WebMD.Lundbäck B, et al. (2003). Not 15 but 50% of smokers develop COPD?—Report from the Obstructive Lung Disease in Northern Sweden Studies. Respiratory Medicine, 97(2): 115–122.Lovasi GS, et al. (2010). Association of environmental tobacco smoke exposure in childhood with early emphysema in adulthood among nonsmokers. American Journal of Epidemiology, 171(1): 54–62.U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2008). Screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using spirometry: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Annals of Internal Medicine, 148(7): 529–534.Qaseem A, et al. (2011). Diagnosis and management of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease: A clinical practice guideline update from the American
College of Physicians, American College of Chest Physicians,
American Thoracic Society, and European Respiratory Society. Annals of Internal Medicine, 155(3): 179–191.Poole PJ, et al. (2005). Influenza vaccine for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2). Oxford: Update Software.Pesek R, Lockey R (2011). Vaccination of adults with asthma and COPD. Allergy, 66(1): 25–31.Talwar A, et al. (2004). Pharmacotherapy of tobacco dependence. Medical Clinics of North America, 88(6): 1528–1529.Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (2011). Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of COPD. Available online: http://www.goldcopd.org/uploads/users/files/GOLD_Report_2011_Feb21.pdf.Other Works ConsultedCriner GJ, Sternberg AL (2008). A clinician's guide to the use of lung volume reduction surgery. Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society, 5(4): 461–467.Diaz PT, et al. (2008). Optimizing bronchodilator therapy in emphysema. Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society, 5(4): 501–505.Falk JA, et al. (2008). Inhaled and systemic corticosteroids in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society, 5(4): 506–512.King DA, et al. (2008). Nutritional aspects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society, 5(4): 519–523.Maclay JD, et al. (2009). Update in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 2008. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 179(7): 533–541.Qaseem A, et al. (2011). Diagnosis and management of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease: A clinical practice guideline update from the American
College of Physicians, American College of Chest Physicians,
American Thoracic Society, and European Respiratory Society. Annals of Internal Medicine, 155(3): 179–191.
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July 20, 2012
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Ken Y. Yoneda, MD - Pulmonology
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
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text: Download Now Download Now Learn the international language Esperanto by this multimedia program. Only 12 lessons. Pronunciation, exercises and MP3 songs. Esperanto (the one who hopes) is the most widely spoken constructed auxiliary international language. It's goal is to facilitate communication and bring people together as it has no tendency towards political, cultural or religious hegemony. Esperanto is considered to be the easiest language to learn, and this free multimedia course will help you master it in a few weeks. Translation available in almost 30 languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Polish, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, German, Greek, Lithuanian, Russian, Swedish, Indonesian, Latvian, Finnish, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Icelandic, Catalan, Croatian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Turkish, and Vietnamese. License Free File Size 19.04 MB Version 4.0 Operating System Windows 8 Windows Vista Windows XP Windows 7 Windows Download Now Download Now

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IN SILICO ENZYME MODELING: A STUDY OF ENTROPIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENZYME CATALYSIS AND THE DESIGN OF ARTIFICIAL KEMP ELIMINASE by Jie Cao A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (CHEMISTRY) May 2011 Copyright 2011 Jie Cao
Object Description
|In silico enzyme modeling: A study of entropic contributions to enzyme catalysis and the design of artificial kemp eliminase
|Cao, Jie
|Author email
|email@example.com; email@example.com
|Doctor of Philosophy
|Document type
|Degree program
|College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
|Date defended/completed
|Date submitted
|Restricted until
|Restricted until 4 Nov. 2011.
|Date published
|Advisor (committee chair)
|Warshel, Arieh
|Advisor (committee member)
Chen, Xiaojiang
Gauderman, W. James
|Naturally occurring enzymes are exceptional catalysts. One of the most fundamental challenges in biotechnology, and in some respects in biochemistry, is the ability to design effective enzymes. Such ability would be one of the most convincing manifestations of a full understanding of the origin of enzyme catalysis. Thermodynamics properties play an important role in the catalytic effect. The free energy reflects entropic and enthalpic contributions, and understanding the origin of these contributions is undamentally important. It is important to evaluate the relative entropic and enthalpic contributions to the overall free energy. Such an evaluation is useful for assessing temperature effects and exploring specialized option in enzyme design.; Despite impressive progress, most of the advances on this front have been made by placing the reacting fragments in the proper places, rather than by optimizing the environment preorganization, which is the key factor in enzyme catalysis.; Improving preorganization would require approaches capable of evaluating reliably the actual catalytic effect. The empirical valence bond (EVB) method can give reliable prediction of enzyme activity and mutational effect.EVB is much less time-demanding and thus allows for the extensive conformational search needed in enzyme design. EVB can be used in the final screening stage in computer-aided enzyme design.; This work starts by looking thermodynamic properties of the enzymatic reactions for better understanding of general catalytic effects. It elucidates the microscopic nature of the contribution to the activation free energy and dissect its entropic and enthalpy components. This provides the physically based quantitative analysis of the temperature dependence of the entropy change in hydride transfer reactions. The analysis suggests that the observed effect is due to the response of the environment to the change in polarity of the reacting system upon moving from ground state to the transition state. Previously designed kemp eliminases as a benchmark for a computer aided enzyme design, using the EVB as the main screening tool. The observed absolute catalytic effect and the effect of directed; evolution are reproduced and analysed. It is found that, in the case of kemp eliminases, the transition state charge distribution makes it hard to exploit the active site polarity, even with the ability to quantify the effect of different mutations. Unexpectedly, it is found that the directed evolution mutants lead to the reduction of solvation of the reactant state by water molecules rather that to the more common mode of transition state stabilization used by naturally evolved enzymes.Finally it is pointed out that the difficulties in improving Kemp eliminase are due to the challenge in designing a preorganized environment that would exploit the small change it charge distribution during the formation of the transition state.
|computer-aided enzyme design; entropy; QM/MM; kemp eliminase; reorginization; EVB
|Part of collection
|University of Southern California dissertations and theses
|Publisher (of the original version)
|University of Southern California
|Place of publication (of the original version)
|Los Angeles, California
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|University of Southern California. Libraries
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|University of Southern California
|Cao, Jie
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|Libraries, University of Southern California
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|University of Southern California
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|IN SILICO ENZYME MODELING: A STUDY OF ENTROPIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENZYME CATALYSIS AND THE DESIGN OF ARTIFICIAL KEMP ELIMINASE by Jie Cao A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (CHEMISTRY) May 2011 Copyright 2011 Jie Cao


text:
Review of Nokia C2-03 Touch and Type Dual SIM Mobile Phone
Nokia C2-03 is the latest touch and type dual SIM mobile phone from the house of Nokia. It is an excellent example of touch screen mobile with 2.6 inches of TFT resistive touch screen display with 56k colors with resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. It is a 2G supported handset and all basic features like EDGE, GPRS, Camera, Bluetooth are present in this model. This may not be the one that you are looking at a time when Smartphones are rocking in the market. But it is a budget friendly mobile phone that comes in the range of Rs. 5000/-
Features of Nokia C2-03
2G Network:GSM 900 / 1800 – SIM1 & SIM 2 and GSM 850 / 1900 – SIM1 & SIM 2
3G Network: No
Dimension: 103 x 51.4 x 17mm
Weight: 118 gm.
Display Size: 2.6 inches and 480*800 pixels
Display Type: TFT resistive touchscreen, 56K colors
GPRS: Available, Up to 48 kbps
EDGE: Available, Class 12
WLAN: No
Bluetooth: Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
Infrared: No
USB: Available, Yes, microUSB v2.0
Camera: 2 MP Camera with resolution of 1600×1200 pixels
Secondary Camera: No
Video recording: Yes, QCIF at 15fps
Internal Memory: 10MB
External: Up to 32 GB, microSD card slot
3.5 Audio Jack: Available
Java: Enabled via MIDP emulator
Games: Available, Downloadable
GPS Navigation: No
Browser: WAP 2.0
Colors available: Chrome Black, Golden White
Battery: BL-5C Li-Ion 1020 mAh standard battery with up to 400 hours of stand by time
Talk time: Up to 5 hours
General Features
Phonebook: Yes, 1000 Entry
Call Record: Yes
SMS: Yes
MMS: Yes
FM radio: Stereo FM radio with recording feature
Loudspeaker: Yes
Special Features
- Handwriting recognition
- FM recording
- Dual SIM
- Easy Swap between SIMs
- FlashLite support
- Swipe feature or predictive text input
- Slide open the keypad for fast, easy messaging
- Downloadable apps straight from Nokia OVI store
Cons of Nokia C2-03
- No 3G support when 3G is rocking in the market
- Small display resolution and
- No secondary camera
- No GPS features
Watch this video of� Nokia C2-03 :
Overall Nokia C2-03 is a good phone with all basic features at a very competitive price. But if you are looking for a Smartphone you must look for other models.


text:
You are here
4 Weeks to Gorgeous Abs Workout
Get envy-worthy abs in one month! Choose one move from each zone to create a 1-move abs circuit that works your transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis, obliques, and your lower back, hips (Iliopsoas) and glutes.
Dorit Thies
Transversus Abdominus: Scrabble Ball
What you'll need: A stability ball, a pair of 2- to 5-pound dumbbells, and a mat.
- Get into plank position with hands under shoulders, legs extended, back straight, and feet on top of a stability ball, forming a line from head to heels.
- Keeping abs tight, roll ball under feet to spell out the letters of the alphabet.
- Aim to spell up to O.
- As you advance, try to make it all the way to Z.
Dorit Thies
Transversus Abdominus: Horizontal Plank
- Get into plank position on mat (hands under shoulders, legs extended, feet hip-width apart, back straight, abs engaged), holding a dumbbell in left hand.
- Slowly lift left arm straight out to side at shoulder height, keeping hips and core still.
- Lower arm.
- Do 10 reps, staying in plank.
- Switch arms; repeat.
Dorit Thies
Rectus Abdominus: V Rock and Roll
- Lie faceup on mat with legs together, toes pointed and arms extended overhead by ears, hands stacked (like you're about to dive into a pool).
- Engage abs and lift both legs and shoulders about 6 inches off ground, slowly rocking body back and forth.
- Do 10 reps.
Dorit Thies
Rectus Abdominus: Stand-Up
- Stand with back to mat, feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, holding a dumbbell vertically at chest with both hands.
- Squat to sit down.
- As soon as butt touches mat, bring knees into chest and roll onto shoulder blades.
Dorit Thies
Obliques: Around the World
- Lie back on top of a stability ball, butt slightly off edge of ball, feet hip-width apart on ground.
- Extend arms overhead in line with ears.
- Rotate upper body in a circular motion to the right, up, left and back, keeping abs tight.
- Do 10 full circles.
- Switch sides; repeat.
Dorit Thies
Obliques: Windshield Wipers
- Lie faceup with legs extended over hips, arms extended at shoulders, abs engaged.
Dorit Thies
Lower Back, Hips (Iliopsoas), Glutes: Glute Bridge
- Lie faceup on mat with arms by sides, knees bent and feet flat.
- Engage abs and glutes and slowly press hips toward sky, forming a straight line from knees to shoulders.
- Hold for 3 counts; lower.
- Do 12 reps.
- For a challenge, do the bridge with one leg lifted.
Dorit Thies
Lower Back, Hips (Iliopsoas), Glutes: Ball Opposites
- Lie facedown on top of a stability ball with palms on ground under shoulders, legs extended, and toes on ground.
- Squeeze glutes to lift right leg straight up while extending left arm out in front, keeping abs tight, shoulders relaxed, and head in line with spine.
- Hold for 1 count; lower.
- Switch sides; repeat.
- Do 16 reps, alternating sides.
Originally published in FITNESS magazine, July 2008.


text:
Tagged: Jon Herrera
I'll Be Back if my Back Lets Me Back
It's been a while since I logged into MLBlogs and clicked that "Create Entry" button. Now I'm staring into a solid empty white box with a lot to say but I'm having difficulty getting started.
Let me run this at you from the beginning. Last August I was lifting a box at work in the squatting position and as I went to stand up something pulled and my left butt cheek and leg went numb.
As the day progressed the numbness and pain got worse. At the end of my shift I was told to go see the doctor. My doctor figured I had a lower back strain and prescribed a few pain killers and some muscle relaxers (standard procedure).
I was put on light duty and I took it easy at work. As time passed I noticed that sitting and standing for long periods was beginning to become uncomfortable.
During an average Rockies game I'd say I normally stand four to five hours including batting practice. I've never had an issue with the prolonged standing at games but now after thirty to forty-five minutes my lower back would start to ache and I would have to sit.
Through the month of September my back issues kept getting worse. My left foot felt and still feels like it's asleep. It's a constant half-numb feeling. I started getting this things I call "stingers". Stingers are deep stabbing pains that I've been getting in my hip, quad, calf, butt and foot.
These "stingers" as I call them are totally debilitating as they demand and get your full attention. If I'm driving or riding passenger and a stinger starts doing its thing, I'm looking for a place to pull over immediately and hopping around outside my truck until that f'ker lets loose.
At the beginning of Sept I was averaging 30-40 stingers a day. Now I get them all day long. I can't sit for more than five minutes because the stingers start tap dancing on my sciatic nerve.
My day consists of sitting, standing and pacing until my lower back gets sore from standing then sitting again. I do get some relief from lying completely flat but eventually my lower back starts to hurt from that position and I have to get up.
It's hard to sleep because the stingers could care less what time it is.
Still the doctor was convinced that I had a lower back strain. Finally after pleading with him I convinced him to take X-Rays and schedule me for an MRI.
The X-Ray showed absolutely nothing. A week later I was able to get the MRI.
I had another visit with my doctor a few days after the MRI and when I had a chance to say what was going on with me I just vented on the guy.
I told him how miserable it was just existing. I told him how I couldn't sit, drive, sleep, or do anything. I told him about the severe leg spasms I was having. I told him the pain pills were not working..I layed it all out…"I'm getting worse not better doctor" was the last thing I told him.
My doctor was like "Well I have your MRI results right here let's see what's going on". He opened the envelope and read it and he said," Well that would explain it".
I said "What's it say?"
He reviewed with me the written results as he didn't have the actual MRI pictures. He explained that according to the MRI results a good size chunk of my L5/S1 disc is severely extruding. The extruding disc has nestled itself nicely up against my nerve and that nestling is the cause of my misery.
The doctor immediately took me out of work, increased my meds and scheduled an appt. with a surgeon.
Fast forward (11/20/10)
My surgery is this Tuesday the 23rd thanks to some cool people who jumped in and helped a brotha out.(Thank you, you know who you are). They plan to remove the extruded piece of my disc, clean up any scraps and hopefully the rest of my disc will tuck back in nicely and I'll be me again.
Anyways I've been out of work almost two months now and anyone that has known me for any period of time knows that I don't do NOTHING well.
The term "going squirrley" would fit this situation well.
I've got an inner energy that drives me I can't turn it off. However, not having my back and legs fully functional has severely hampered my energy flow. There is nothing worse than wanting to do something and just not being physically able to do it.
This surgery just has to work. Damn right I'm scared, my back is my life and my livelyhood and I'm still too full of pi-ss and vinegar to slow at this point.
If my surgery doesn't work I'll have to retire the Ranter and go back to being a regular Rockies fan who watches baseball on a non HD television.
I much prefer the 3-D HD I get at Coors Field.
Nov 23rd
I showed up for my surgery and all was a go. Unfortunately I had a bad reaction to the meds that were administered before they put me under and went through a ten minute session of "I can't breathe". It felt like every breath that I took was getting shorter and I felt like I was suffocating.
After that episode my surgeon was like "Uh, I don't think we're going to do the surgery today."
So as it stands right now my new surgery is at 10:15am on December 1st.
Any positive vibe or thought you can send my way is greatly appreciated.
I dont' like to end my blog entries on a sad note.
So here are some pictures I'm pretty sure sure not many of you have seen. These pictures were taken by Master Photographer Mike who now has a blog called Rox Addict.
Mike thank you for letting me use these pictures.
These pictures were taken after the final game of the season and is what you would call Rookie hazing…Rockies style I guess?
This season I personally met a crazy amount of people who read the Rockpile Rant.
One of the perks of writing a blog is getting to meet the folks who actually read my Rockies ramblings and enjoy looking at my pictures.
This season I met and got to hang out a little bit with Gary X and his family. In one season Gary and his family have mastered Coors Field.
If I'm correct Gary and family managed to get all of the Rockies signatures in just a few months. At the end of the final game the only missing signature was Troy Tulowitzki.
Gary and family happend to be hanging around after the game checking out the Rockies Rookies in diapers and guess who happend to walk by.
Tulo and the magic mullet.
Mission accomplished…One helluva job..Congrats to all of you!!!
Gotta love a happy ending.
I'm looking forward to the Pavilion Party at Gunther Toodys in December as I didn't get to say see ya next season to all my Pavilion friends because I missed the last game of the year.
I'm "D" The Rockpile Ranter…Wednesday's almost here…Wish a brotha luck…"D"


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We work hard every day to make sure every customer has the best possible experience. Simply complete the form below and we will send this vehicle straight to your phone.
*Please contact dealer to verify price, options, and other vehicle details.
Although every reasonable effort has been made to insure the accuracy of the information contained on this site, absolute accuracy cannot be guaranteed. This site, and all information and materials appearing on it, are presented to the user 'as is' without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. All vehicles are subject to prior sale. Internet Price must be presented to salesperson at time of write-up and includes all rebates and incentives applicable from Nissan USA, may vary based on zip code and may require customer financing through NMAC, with approved credit. Internet price may not valid for special financing customers. Prices do not include applicable tax, title, license or $599 documentation fee.


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The next meeting of Beijing Writers' Network will take place on Tuesday 12th April, from 7.30-9.30pm, at Zarah.
We will be sharing our work and offering each other constructive but robust feedback. If you are interested in creative writing you are very welcome to drop by, to meet other writers or just to see what it's like; there is no need to book. However if you would like to have your work critiqued please email firstname.lastname@example.com, or contact AndyKilleen on WeChat. (Depending on numbers, it may not be possible for everyone to get feedback. Anyone who misses out will be given priority at the next meeting.)


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Print of my original art. printed on 220gsm photo paper, signed by artist (Simon Rudd). limited printing run of 150.individually numbered.
posted first class within one working day.
colours may vary due to screen settings.Cropping may occur due to difference in original painting size and print.
please check out my other original paintings and prints.
Type : Print on glossy or matte paper
Original :Print available


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Group portrait of men, some on horseback
- 22-2-a032929
- Stuk
- c.1920
Part of Fred Ryckman fonds
Several men wearing native clothing sit astride horses, facing away from the camera. Other men stand in a field near them. A tipi can be seen copy right and mountains are visible in the distance.
Fred Ryckman


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Strawberries are the angels of the earth,
innocent and sweet with green leafy wings reaching heavenward.
~Terri Guillemets
My participation with French Fridays with Dorie this month has not been up to snuff, but I'm ready to jump back in the game. I skipped Week One's Warm Weather Vegetable Pot au Feu, in favor of a Summer Salmon, Arugula and Couscous Salad, and Week Three's Roasted Rhubarb. I did make a go of Week Two's Cola and Jam Spareribs, but was rather disappointed. Despite buying two slabs of tender baby back ribs, the Chinese five spice powder, ginger, apricot preserves and can of Coke for the basting sauce didn't float my boat. In Dorie's defense, that was also the Sunday my Dooley-dog got sick, and we were off to the vet emergency room just as the ribs came out of the oven.
I'm looking forward to some interesting recipes scheduled for July, like Salmon and Tomatoes en Papillote and Coconut Lemongrass-braised Pork. If I can find my way around my new kitchen, you'll see a few more FFwD posts in July.
I actually made this week's Mozzarella, Tomato and Strawberry Salad almost a month ago, for Concert in the Park, along with Cherries as Olives. Both were fine additions to the gourmet spread put out by our culinary gurus for the first summer concert of the season. I put a little twist on the salad by roasting the strawberries, and used luscious, creamy burrata.
Roasted Strawberries
Adapted from Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen
via Leite's Culinaria
Makes about 2 cups
2 pints small to medium strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2 tablespoons tawny or ruby port
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Freshly cracked pink peppercorns
Preheat the oven to 350°F, with the oven rack adjusted to the middle position.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the strawberries in half or in quarters, depending on size. In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, olive oil, and salt. Add the strawberries and toss very gently to coat. Arrange the strawberries in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Roast just long enough for the juices to thicken, but not long enough for the juices to burn, 20 to 30 minutes.
Transfer the roasted strawberries and juices while still warm from the pan into a bowl. Drizzle with port and balsamic vinegar, and gently combine. Use immediately or let cool and refrigerate for up to several days.
To complete the salad, gently combine the roasted strawberries with about 16 grape tomatoes, halved. If you are not using roasted strawberries, Dorie's recipe uses about 16 small strawberries, hulled, and halved, and 16 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved. She then seasons the strawberries-tomato mixture with fleur de sel, freshly ground pepper and a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil. Serve family style, by placing about a 1/2 pound of burrata on the platter, with the strawberry-tomato salad on the side, and garnish with basil chiffonade, a drizzle of olive oil, and crushed pink peppercorns. Lightly toasted baguette slices complete this summery and colorful picnic-in-the-park platter.
French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group, with over 2,000 members, dedicated to Dorie Greenspan's newest book, Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours. As members of the group, we have purchased the cookbook and cook along as much as we can. There is a new recipe each week, and we post about that recipe on Friday. We are asked to refrain from posting the actual recipes on our blog. The book is filled with stunning photography, and personal stories about each recipe, which makes it that much more intriguing. I highly recommend adding it to your cookbook collection if you haven't already!


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mains power from battery
mains power from battery
I don't know if Tesla is planning to do anything like that, but I would like to have some high-voltage output plug somewhere too. Sounds easy to do and car with 90kWh battery could run my home for nearly three weeks without even trying to reduce elec usage. UPS of big scale.
Currently I am testing.. I call it... a "solar battery" I got a 30kVA UPS from our Co. and use it without any great modification to supply my home at night with the power which I get from the PV during the day. It works quite well. I just have to throw the switch manually.
Altogether I have 2300 Ah on 12 V Lead Batteries, which is approx. 27kWh in total.
Now, the idea of Mark occurred to me as well. Perhaps when the warranty is over and the capacity is down to 70% (as they say after approx. 10 years) and I need to invest in a new Battery for the Tesla, Then I might try to tap the energy from the old Battery.
Only.. will it be possible? I understand that the Power Module (PME) and some of the system will surely be needed or "borrowed" as well. (Just thinking about the complexity of charging etc.)
So I am not too keen to follow this track.... unless... as Mark mentioned about Nissan...
that Tesla installs a simple socket... and viola... we have emergency power during a black-out.
I know the utility company in my area is very concerned about this kinda backup power. If your car can simply reverse feed your house then many ppl will use the feature a few without thinking about manually turning off their main breaker. The average Tesla forum reader is a little smarter than the average person.
So here's the story of a poor outside lineman repairing a downed line. A person comes home with their new electric fairly charged car and discovers the powers out. They plug it in and turn it on to generate mode without disconnecting the house from the grid. The car for a seconds sends power to the whole neighborhood seriously injuring the worker.
Any vehicle-to-grid system would be designed to automatically cut out when power is lost. If there's a bypass feature for powering your own home, it would have to be designed to disengage from main power. It would never be approved for use otherwise.
Power workers are trained to never assume a line is dead. They are always supposed to check it first, even if they "know" it isn't powered. People are always doing fool things like hooking generators to their house with a two-ended plug without throwing the main breaker.


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|Biosequences .. Software .. Molbio soft .. Network News .. FTP
What make you think Nobel Laureates would even bother? I'm sure they have better things to do than explain basic botany and genetics to you. They would probably tell you to go back to school and learn the basic concepts first. "George Hammond" <ghammond at mediaone.net> wrote in message news:3A3C2C39.90DE4F09 at mediaone.net... > Lee Hadden wrote: > > > > Maybe we ought to arrange a time over the holidays and meet in a chat room somewhere > > instead of tying up the plant-ed net and overloading the archives. > > GH: No problem.... I'll delete "plant-ed" from all future headers. > Sorry, I don't waste time talking to anyone "privately" > unless they're Nobel Laureates. > > snip > > > >...But it sure as heck beats Ginkgo!!! > > Lee Hadden > > GH: you betcha.. > > -- > BE SURE TO VISIT MY WEBSITE, BELOW: > ----------------------------------------------------------- > George Hammond, M.S. Physics > Email: ghammond at mediaone.net > Website: http://people.ne.mediaone.net/ghammond/index.html > -----------------------------------------------------------


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Monday, June 09, 2014
Send a link to a friend
Writer and artist Mary Anne Radmacher has said,
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is
the little voice at the end of the day that says
I'll try again tomorrow."
If there ever was a story about courage, look no
further than the story of the exodus of God's people
in the Hebrew Scriptures. No other book in the Bible
has been more dramatized and filmed except the life
of Christ. Perhaps the fascination with this story
is because God is not talked about, or even
theorized about. Rather, God is there. And God's in
the face of Moses almost the entire time.
When we are introduced to Moses, "courage" is a word
that resonates and reveals what this stammering
prophet's story is about.
The story of Moses' beginning would be impossible
without the strength and courage of women. There is
the bravery of his own mother, who defies the law of
the state to keep her son alive; pharaoh's daughter,
who takes the baby she knows is a Hebrew boy and,
also in defiance of the state and her father, raises
him as her own; and Moses' sister, Miriam, who
guards Moses from a distance as he floats in his
basket--eventually bringing their mother to
pharaoh's daughter to be his wet nurse.
The progression of heroines and their showing of
courage begins with the midwives Shiphrah and Puah.
It is they who defy pharaoh's edict and refuse to
kill the Hebrew boys.
To do that—to stand in the way of genocide and to
confront commands from a powerful empire—requires
You know what else requires courage?
To be honest with God.
Soon these little ones will have gained enough
courage to spread their wings and fly...
This is why Moses' story is fascinating. After being
saved by the courage of midwives, Moses courageously
enters into perhaps the most intimate relationship
we see unfold in the story of God.
I'm not talking about the obvious and well known events of Moses'
life: the burning bush, the parting of the Red Sea, the final scene
of his life where he stands on the edge of the Promise Land but
doesn't get to enter. No, I'm talking about the moments in Moses'
life where he expresses his frustrations towards God as he and the
Israelites wander aimlessly in the desert, when Aaron and the
Israelites build a golden cow, and when God calls Moses to the task
of being God's spokesperson–one perk being to go before pharaoh and
declare that God's people be let go. Like most of us would, Moses
thinks this is one horrible idea and tries to get out of it: "O my
Holy One, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even
now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech
and slow of tongue."
Moses, in the presence of God, had the courage to express to God
Moses' fears and doubts.
And guess what?
God doesn't abandon Moses. And God also doesn't buy his excuses.
God responds to Moses: "Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them
mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Holy One? Now go,
and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak."
Thus continues the story of God's presence and promise to always be
with God's people.
Courage doesn't always look like a person who has their lives in
order, who always has a smile on their face in all their Facebook
photos, nor is courage defined as a radical act of protest in the
face of an oppressive political play out.
Courage, like many of the most-treasured virtues, is often much more
subtle. It looks like ordinary people, doing ordinary things, and
being honest not only with others and themselves, but with God.
We resolve to "try again tomorrow" because we, as God's people, live
in the hope and promise that, like with Moses, God will meet us
[Adam Quine, First Presbyterian Church in Lincoln]
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By car or taxi from Amman
Take the Airport Highway south of Amman. After about 20km, turn westward following the signs. Madaba is 45 minutes away from Amman.
By Bus:
Alpha Daily Tours
Tel: (06) 5855196 - Organize a half day tour in the afternoon, Tour includes entrance fees and an English speaking guide. Departure is from the Alpha Terminal at the 7th circle in Amman. The bus leaves at 2pm. Click here for more information.
By Service Taxi:
Take a taxi from Al-Abdali station. The taxi trips are not scheduled; the service taxis start their trips as soon as they have a full passenger load.
A modern city built on the sands of time.
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A rose red city half as old as time.
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The lowest point on the face of the earth.
Read More
A timeless place virtually untouched by humanity.
Learn More
99 Things to do in Amman
Postcards From Jordan
Tourist Testimonials
Travel to Jordan with EarthCam's and the Jordan Tourism Board's collection of live
streaming cameras! Jordan is a land of mesmerizing beauty and offers so much for
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Find a tour operator near you. Browse our list of tour operators who are ready to
help you plan your perfect vacation now.
For more information on the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, enjoy flipping through
our brochures or download the PDF version.
Read the latest news on Jordan and its tourism sector.
Our Newsletter
Looking for your next cover image? JTB has a library of
more than 400 high resolution digital images of Jordan .
Do you have a general question
about Jordan ?
Contact Us


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Shirley L. Sturdevant, Vice-President of the Ontario Genealogical Society, has just issued this statement concerning the 2011 Canadian Census -
"If you have not already completed your electronic census, please consider doing the following:
1. Print each page before you go to the next set of questions and store it with your family documents
2. Check 'yes' to the last question which will give permission to release your information in 92 years for the next set of family historians who might be looking for you. (If you say 'no', or leave it blank, your information will not be released.)
If you feel comfortable doing so, please forward this message to family and friends.
Shirley can be reached at email@example.com.


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in the world in mobile internet usage
in the world with Average Connection Speeds
fastest internet speed in the world
In 2016, the amount of users of e-services has surpassed the average of EU: in Latvia, 36% of total internet users have used the e-services of state or public institutions. EU average is 32%.
Free wifi is available in more than 800 public libraries in Latvia. Also, a 2014 and 2015 study on the availability of wireless internet in the EU countries showed that Riga still Europe's capital of free WiFi.
Thanks to the new Internet of Things network, Riga, Latvia's capital, is becoming one of the smartest cities in Europe.


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Albert Espley is my wife's 2nd cousin 2x removed. His parents are Enoch Espley and Ann Lymer. My wife and Albert's common ancestors are James Espley and Martha Silvester, my wife's 3x great grandparents.
Albert was born in 1896 in Hanley, Staffordshire and his birth is registered in Q2.
I haven't been able to find any service records for Albert on http://www.ancestry.co.uk or http://www.findmypast.co.uk. However there is some information on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website – http://www.cwgc.org and on http://www.forces-war-records.co.uk.
I know that Albert was a Private in the 4th Battalion of the Grenadier Guards. His service number was 19584.
The 4th Battalion of the Grenadier Guards was formed on 14 July 1915 and mobilised for war on 19 August 1915.
Albert was killed in action on 25 September 1916. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France.
The following information is taken from the CWGC website.
On 1 July 1916, supported by a French attack to the south, thirteen divisions of Commonwealth forces launched an offensive on a line from north of Gommecourt to Maricourt. Despite a preliminary bombardment lasting seven days, the German defences were barely touched and the attack met unexpectedly fierce resistance. Losses were catastrophic and with only minimal advances on the southern flank, the initial attack was a failure. In the following weeks, huge resources of manpower and equipment were deployed in an attempt to exploit the modest successes of the first day. However, the German Army resisted tenaciously and repeated attacks and counter attacks meant a major battle for every village, copse and farmhouse gained. At the end of September, Thiepval was finally captured. The village had been an original objective of 1 July. Attacks north and east continued throughout October and into November in increasingly difficult weather conditions. The Battle of the Somme finally ended on 18 November with the onset of winter.
In the spring of 1917, the German forces fell back to their newly prepared defences, the Hindenburg Line, and there were no further significant engagements in the Somme sector until the Germans mounted their major offensive in March 1918.
The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. The memorial also serves as an Anglo-French Battle Memorial in recognition of the joint nature of the 1916 offensive and a small cemetery containing equal numbers of Commonwealth and French graves lies at the foot of the memorial.
The memorial, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, was built between 1928 and 1932 and unveiled by the Prince of Wales, in the presence of the President of France, on 1 August 1932 (originally scheduled for 16 May but due to the death of French President Doumer the ceremony was postponed until August).
The dead of other Commonwealth countries, who died on the Somme and have no known graves, are commemorated on national memorials elsewhere.


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Kilgore Home Inspections
East Texas real estate is being developed, built, remodeled, bought and sold at a rapid pace, John Wayne Inspections conducts home inspections in Kilgore 7 days a week.
Our TREC-certified & licensed Professional Home Inspectors can usually complete a residential property inspection in about four hours. We supply the completed home inspection report to our client within 24 hours.
John Wayne Inspections has more than 20 years of experience inspecting homes in Kilgore. We have examined properties of all ages, sizes and styles and know what to look for to ensure the residence's structure and systems are performing properly. Our home inspectors understand the soil conditions and climate of the Dallas and Collin County areas, and the effects they can have on foundations in this area. Many Kilgore home inspections will see foundations with cracks caused by fluctuating moisture levels. We examine the areas near the house for proper slope and drainage, and look for signs of erosion or foundation damage. Our inspectors also scrutinize the exterior and interior of the roof to check for wind damage or water penetration.
All John Wayne home inspectors are all Certified Pool Inspectors, and can conduct a special pool, spa or sprinkler system inspection for a small additional fee.
If you're buying or selling a home in Kilgore area, call John Wayne Inspections: 903-705-6516


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Out of the Void Poster by Bebops
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Zazzle Wallet Case from Bebops: Deer and Frosty Hills Galaxy S5 Wallet...
Zazzle Wallet Case from Bebops: Monarch Butterfly Abstract Galaxy S5 W...
Zazzle Wallet Case from Bebops: Red Tailed Hawk Galaxy S5 Wallet Case
Carina Nebula in Argo Navis constellation Custom Jewelry
tagged with: jewelry, jewellery, carina nebula, argos navis constellation, carina the keel, star formation, gas clouds, galaxy stars, astronomy pictures, hrbstslr carnebngcttst, ngc 3372
Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series Hubble's view of the Carina Nebula shows star birth in a new level of detail. The fantasy-like landscape of the nebula is sculpted by the action of outflowing winds and scorching ultraviolet radiation from the monster stars that inhabit this inferno. In the process, these stars are shredding the surrounding material that is the last vestige of the giant cloud from which the stars were born. The immense nebula is an estimated 7,500 light-years away in the southern constellation Carina the Keel (of the old southern constellation Argo Navis, the ship of Jason and the Argonauts, from Greek mythology).
The original image is a mosaic of the Carina Nebula assembled from 48 frames taken with Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys. The Hubble images were taken in the light of ionized hydrogen. Colour information was added with data taken at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. Red corresponds to sulfur, green to hydrogen, and blue to oxygen emission.
more items with this image
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image code: carnebngcttst
Image credit: Hubble Space Telescope; colour data from the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile
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Spring Hill Tarpon Springs Largest Roofing Companies
Are you looking for a Roof Repair contractor in your area? Whether you need new tiles, tar, shingles, or a simple patch repair for your roofing project these 3 tips will show you exactly what to look for when selecting a good roofing repair service in your area. From experience, licensing, and a proven track record you will be set to call for your roofing project bid.1. Make sure that the roofing company that you choose has years of experience and are familiar with the different types of roofing repairs and construction. You can ask the contractor how long they have been doing repairs and if they have before and after photos or other examples of past jobs. Flat tiles, felt materials, slate materials, and other types of roofing examples should be available with an experienced roofer. 2. Is the company certified, licensed, and insured to do roofing work? Roofing jobs can be very dangerous and there is always a chance of a worker slipping and injuring themselves so be sure they are insured! Along with being licensed you will want to make sure the roof repairs being completed will pass fire code specifications for your buildings safety.3. What type of warranty or guarantee can the roofer provide to you with your purchase of their services? This is important because your roof is the main protection and preventative measure towards any future interior damages and deterioration. These damages can cause many dollars of damage! If you live in South Dakota there are many storms, rain, snow, heat, and extreme temperatures so make sure when selecting a Sioux Falls Roof Repair company they can assure you your roof repairs will hold up overtime through these conditions. By being aware of your locations weather conditions in Spring Hill, getting a warranty to best suit your location, and by having an experienced and certified roofing service you can be sure your Tarpon Springs Roof Repair needs will be completed in proper condition for a favorable price.
Roof Repair - Call the Specialist or Do It Yourself?
Many clients are in a dilemma when it comes to choosing roofing contractors. Especially in my area, Houston, TX, because there are a multitude of roofing companies to choose from. In making your selection of roofing contractors you will want to know which one can give you the highest quality work at the lowest possible price. Of course, you want only the best for your home or business and to get the most for your money. To help you solve your quandary, here are some tips you might find useful.Get WarrantyThe warranty is as important as the actual job. Be sure to find the company that provides you with a longer warranty. Aside from this, check the customer's feedback about their responsiveness to clients' queries. Read the reviews and testimonials of customers. The best Houston roofing contractors have an excellent after-service communication.
At some time or another most people will be encounter a leaky roof on their home. Knowing roofing repair is a fairly easy task, especially if you are somewhat of a handyman. If not, it is still possible to do this on your own. There is no need to hire a expert. Since you have a leaking roof, it does not mean that it is time to change the entire roof, it simply means that one spot came loose. If you have a flat roof, where water is permitted to sit and rot away at the shingles, you are going to have more leak problems.The initial thing you'll need to do is determine if you have a shingle that is missing. It is usually easy to see, other times, it is not so easy. Look and see if the roof caulk is missing, this would be a good indicator of where to begin your roofing repair. If you can't tell exactly where the leak is coming from, you can go inside your home and try to estimate where exactly the leak is coming from, and go straight up from there. Of course there is no guarantee this will work.And just because you call a roofing repair company this doesn't always mean you'll end up having to get your whole roof repaired. Beware though, many local roof repair companies will try to get you to replace the whole roof when it may not really be necessary. Some of these roof repair companies are what I call "storm chasers". They will come into town after a big storm and pressure people into getting their roof replaced. The problem is that many of them do shoddy work and then when there are problems, the roofing company is not around as they have moved on to the next town.
Roof Repair Cost - How to Hire the Right Roofing ContractorFlat roofing systems are an excellent method to keep a building safe from water. Understanding precisely what to do with a flat roof will guarantee you have a working roof system that will last a long time. They may look excellent, and are extremely typical, flat roofing systems do need regular upkeep and in-depth repair work in order to efficiently avoid water infiltration. You'll be delighted with your flat roofing for a very long time if this is done correctly. Flat roofing systems aren't as attractive and/or popular as its more recent equivalents, such as copper, slate, or tile roofs. They are just as important and need even more attention. In order to avoid getting rid of cash on short-term repairs, you need to understand exactly how flat roofing system systems are developed, the various types of flat roofings that are available, and the value of routine assessment and maintenance. A flat roof system works by providing a water resistant membrane over a building. It consists of several layers of hydrophobic products that is placed over a structural deck with a vapor barrier that is typically put between the deck and the roof membrane. Flashing, or thin strips of material such as copper, intersect with the membrane and the other building parts to prevent water seepage. The water is then directed to drains pipes, downspouts, and rain gutters by the roofing system's minor pitch. There are four most common kinds of flat roofing systems. Listed in order of increasing sturdiness and cost, they are: roll asphalt, single-ply membrane, built-up or multiple-ply, and flat-seamed metal. They can vary anywhere from as low as $2 per square foot for roll asphalt or single-ply roof that is used over and existing roof, to $20 per square foot or more for brand-new metal roofing systems. Used given that the 1890s, asphalt roll roof usually consists of one layer of asphalt-saturated organic or fiberglass base felts that are applied over roofing system felt with nails and cold asphalt cement and usually covered with a granular mineral surface. The seams are generally covered over with a roofing compound. It can last about 10 years. Single-ply membrane roof is the most recent type of roof product. It is typically utilized to replace multiple-ply roofing systems. 10 to 12 year warranties are normal, but proper setup is essential and upkeep is still required. Built-up or multiple-ply roof, also called BUR, is made from overlapping rolls of saturated or coated felts or mats that are interspersed with layers of bitumen and surfaced with a granular roof ballast, tile, or sheet pavers that are used to secure the hidden products from the weather condition. BURs are developed to last 10 to 30 years, which depends upon the products used. Ballast, or aggregate, of crushed stone or water-worn gravel is embedded in a covering of asphalt or coal tar. Because the ballast or tile pavers cover the membrane, it makes examining and keeping the joints of the roofing system difficult. Flat-seamed roofing systems have actually been utilized because the 19 th century. Made from little pieces of sheet metal soldered flush at the joints, it can last lots of years depending on the quality of the direct exposure, maintenance, and product to the components. Galvanized metal does require regular painting in order to avoid deterioration and split joints have to be desoldered. Other metal surface areas, such as copper, can end up being pitted and pin holed from acid raid and typically requires changing. Today copper, lead-coated copper, and terne-coated stainless-steel are preferred as long-lasting flat roofings. Flat roofing systems aren't as popular and/or attractive as its newer equivalents, such as copper, tile, or slate roofs. In order to avoid tossing away cash on short-term repair works, you must understand precisely how flat roofing system systems are created, the various types of flat roofings that are readily available, and the value of regular evaluation and maintenance. There are four most typical types of flat roofing system systems. They can vary anywhere from as low as $2 per square foot for roll asphalt or single-ply roof that is applied over and existing roofing, to $20 per square foot or more for new metal roofs. Today copper, lead-coated copper, and terne-coated stainless steel are favored as long-lasting flat roofing systems.
They are workers who replace and repairs roof on commercial buildings and homes. Many are self-employed but there are some construction firms that will hire many roofing contractors to do major projects like installing roofs on housing projects that have recently been constructed. They work year around. Some builders have become roofing contractors because of their knowledge of home construction. Before a roofing contract can start getting clients, they must obtain a business license, which is a form of legal authorization to operate a business in the county, state, or city. They will also have to go through a certification process. This involves spending time working with an experienced roof contractor to gain a good understanding of the work they do.Before agreeing to insure a commercial or residential property, some insurance companies may require that the owners pay to have a roof inspection first. The reason is that roofs are among the most expensive part of a home or building to replace. If the roof is in a state of disrepair, the insurance company may refuse to insure the home or building. When a roofing contractor performs a roof inspection, they will accept a flat fee for the work. The contractor will give the insurance company a roof inspection report and if repairs have to be made the owner will have to make them before getting insurance.
Spring Hill Tarpon Springs


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As retailers strive for increased efficiency, reinvent in-store models, offer additional services, and become increasingly digital, they must build critical capabilities—from people processes to more robust data and analytics infrastructure.
The bar gets raised every year by retailers (both traditional and pure-play online players), technology companies, and digital start-ups. Retailers must innovate to stay relevant—creating more efficient internal operations and offering more personalized, consistent, and integrated shopping experiences that help customers shop faster and smarter.
To execute those innovations, retailers must build up critical capabilities, including:


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Ylang & Amber Fragrance Oil
An alluring floriental that combines nature's most exotic sumptuous floral - Ylang Ylang, interweaving into an intoxicating base of amber and woods.
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Product Description
Gel compatible
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Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes
Why is there so much hate for the number 3? Supposedly 3's a crowd and if there is a 3rd person on an outing they are the 3rd wheel. And then they also say bad things always come in 3's. I mean this is just unfair hate for the number 3! I think 3 cupcakes is fabulous! You always need 3…or 33….or 333….
These cupcakes were fabulous! I really, really liked the actual cake part of the cupcakes. Then again, I am a self proclaimed Coke-A-Holic! Growing up I would beg my Dad to take me to the gas station and buy me a bottle of Mexico Coke. And what is Mexico Coke? Well…it is coke, in the glass bottle, made in Mexico. Apparently the USDA came out and told people not to drink it because they found some bad stuff in it…something like lead, or lighter fluid, or anthrax. Whatever it was, it made for DELICIOUS Coke. Like honest to God crack (Let me just say I have no idea what actual crack is like, but if I would guess, I would say it is the equivalent of Mexico Coke). So to make these cupcakes, I knew I just had to go find some of the real Mexico Coke. In Texas, it was really, REALLY easy to find. Here in Florida….not as easy. However I drove on down to one of the Spanish stores around here and picked up a hundred couple bottles to make these cupcakes. I think it really put the edge on the cupcakes. Coke in a glass bottle has a lot stronger flavor then regular coke, so it gave it that extra bit. The cake was moist, delicious, and with a great hint of Coke. When filled with the cherries, topped with the glaze and whip cream frosting…they really take on a Coke Float likeliness! I was really happy with how these turned out and plan on making these again!
Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes
3 cups all purpose flour
6 T cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups Coke (don't use diet)
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 can cherry pie filling
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 T Coke
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 T powdered sugar
Maraschino Cherries for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with liners or spray with baking spray. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa in a bowl and set aside.
In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine sugar and butter and beat on medium-high until light and creamy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating about 1 minute after each. In a large mixing cup or small bowl, combine buttermilk, Coke and vanilla extract. (Make sure you wait for the foam to go down when measuring the Coke and don't worry if your mixture looks curdled when you add the buttermilk.)
Beginning with the dry ingredient mix, add in 4 parts to the butter mixture, alternating with the Coke mixture. Beat each addition just until incorporated.
Use a cookie scoop or piping bag to transfer the batter to the muffin tins, filling each tin about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the tops spring back when touched lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool about 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, use a paring knife to cut out a cone shape in the middle of each cupcake. Add a spoonful of cherry mixture (2-3 cherries) to the well.
Mix together with a whisk in a small bowl. The mixture should run slowly off a spoon so you can drizzle the cupcakes but it won't run all over the place.
Beat cream in a chilled bowl with whisk attachment or hand mixer on low speed. Begin adding sugar, 1 spoonful at a time, increasing speed as the cream comes together. Whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks, if you dip a spoon in it, the whipped cream should stay on the spoon when you turn it upside down. Pipe the whipped cream onto cupcakes as desired and top with maraschino cherries for garnish.
Adapted from: Homemade By Holman
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.


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Obey Rotation Golden Palm Snapback Hat
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Obey Hats
The perfect topper to your street worthy look, shop Obey hats to get a style fit for your kit. Including snapback styles with flat bills, cool colorways, and adjustable size pieces, the Zumiez selection of Obey hats will have what you're outfit needs. Choose from classic Obey embroidered logos, Posse and Propaganda designs, or the OG original for a clean look anywhere you go. Check out the Obey hats now for a streetwear inspired threads for your head.


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This guide covers the installation of the door warning lights to the Volkswagen Golf and Jetta front doors as was fitted to the very first Mark V's before they were discontinued for I assume cost reasons. Along with the Puddle Lights these really light up the area around the side of the car and Volkswagen really did the owners a disservice by discontinuing these.
The light operates every time the door is opened day or night but it does shut down after the door is open for a period of time.
The white light visible on the other side of the door is the Puddle Lights mod which I performed at the same time.
Parts required:
- 1K0 947 411 A (1K0947411A) – Door Warning Light (1 per door)
- 1J0 971 972 (1J0971972) – Connector Housing (1 per door)
- 000 979 019 (000979019) – Repair Wire for Connector Housing (1 per door – 2 connectors)
- 000 979 009 (000979009) – Repair Wire (1 required for 2 doors or 1 required per door – see below)
As you will see in the guide below I only had one end of a 000 979 009 (000979009) – Repair Wire left and took my ground from a nearby connector, I strongly recommend you take the easier approach and take the ground from the controller as it's quicker and doesn't require interfering with the stock harness. I have detailed how to do it this way as well in the guide.
- Interior fabric adhesive tape – Fabric Adhesive Tape for wiring looms and harnesses
- Trim Removal Tools
- Selection of heat shrink tubing (3-5mm), soldering iron/blowtorch, solder
- Vagcom/VCDS to code the door (this can be done before or after the install)
Volkswagen Golf & Jetta Door Controller Information Mark V has information on the door controllers. This guide was based on the install in my March 2008 build MY08 GTI.
The 1K0 947 411 A (1K0947411A) – Door Warning Light (bulb is preinstalled) and c0 971 972 (1J0971972) – Connector Housing.
The original reflector installed (left) and the new warning light (right), installation is simple, unclip the old light by pulling it towards you from underneath and clip the new one in.
The view from underneath the door, red light is visible and white light is projected onto the area below the door.
First remove the door trim – Drivers Front Door Trim – Removal and Installation or Passengers Front Door Trim – Removal and Installation and lay the door trim down on a work surface.
Plug both ends of the 000 979 019 (000979019) – Repair Wire into the 1J0 971 972 (1J0971972) – Connector Housing as shown and lay the cable out along the route that cable will run.
Using some side cutters remove the cable tie from the rear of the connector housing.
Using a small screwdriver, your fingernail or any other sharp tool to lever the release and at the same time pull the connector housing away from the housing.
Connect the end of the 000 979 009 (000979009) – Repair Wire into location 18 on the housing. If you are taking the ground from here as recommended above you will need to install the other end into location 19. The numbering on this side is from 17 to 32.
Please note these pins are for MY07 cars and later, earlier cars have a Gen 1 or Gen 2 controller and this uses pin 1 instead of 18. To tell them apart a Gen 1 or Gen 2 controller will have have the pin 1 location vacant and on a Gen 3 controller pin 1 will be driving the door LED. I'm not sure at what location is a spare ground. See the Volkswagen Golf & Jetta Door Controller Information Mark V page for more information.
Route the repair wire(s) down the harness running them through the two labels stuck to the harness. If you are running the two wires as recommended you may need to extend one of them, don't cut the repair wires until you work out what lengths you require, better to extend one cable than two.
Wrap the wire(s) to the harness with interior fabric adhesive tape.
Pin 1 which is to the left on the photo should be ground and pin 2 to the right is positive. There is a zener diode fitted inside the lamp housing and if you wire it up incorrectly it won't work until you reverse the pins or reverse the zener diode. Fit a suitable piece of heat shrink tubing, strip the wire from pin 18 from the controller and the wire from pin 2 on the lamp, twist them together and solder.
If you are taking the ground from a nearby connector skip the next instruction.
If you are taking the ground from the 32 pin connector as recommended strip the wire from pin 19 and the wire from pin 1 on the lamp, twist them together and solder without forgetting to put heat shrink tubing on prior to joining.
Please note these pins are for MY07 cars and later, earlier cars used different pins. See the Volkswagen Golf & Jetta Door Controller Information Mark V page for more information.
Bend the soldered joint backwards
Pull the heat shrink tubing over the soldered connector and heat to shrink the tubing.
If you're taking the ground from a nearby connector press the tab as shown to the right and pull the connector from the bottom of the fuel flap switch (this only applies to the drivers door – there are similar grounds on the door switch, pin 21 of the controller, pin 18 of the controller and so forth).
Open the connector housing by levering it towards the front (the part that is sticking up towards the middle of the connector)
Push down with a suitable tool to release the pin, pull backwards at the same time on the brown/white wire as you are depressing the pin.
Bare the insulation from the wire without cutting.
The result should look something like this.
Twist the repair wire over the uncovered wire.
Solder the two together (I use a small gas torch as I get instant heat and don't have to wait around for it to warm up but sometimes you end up burning the ends of the insulation).
Cover the soldering with heat shrink tubing and heat that to shrink it.
Slide the pin back into place and clip the cover back into place.
Reinstall the connector into the base of the fuel lid switch and wrap the repair wires as shown to the harness using interior fabric adhesive tape.
Wrap the other end as well.
Slide the connector back into the housing.
Place a new cable tie over the end of the connector.
And the door trim is ready to reinstall.
Coding using Vagcom/VCDS
Open the door controller, in this guide it's the drivers door 42 and select "Coding – 07"
Note the current coding.
Add 64 to the coding to enable the Door Exit/Warning Lights and select "Do It!" to save.
Note that the coding has changed and is now 64 higher than before. Select "Close Controller" to finish.


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Gwen Stefani has been named a coach on "The Voice" for the singing competition's upcoming seventh season, NBC announced Tuesday.
After rumors of the singer's move to the show, of the No Doubt frontwoman turned solo artist will officially occupy one of the big red chairs alongside longtime coaches Blake Shelton and Adam Levine, as well as fellow new coach Pharrell Williams.
Stefani, 44, will be taking the place of Shakira for the show's seventh season and Christina Aguilera will return for season eight. Aguilera is opting out of the upcoming season because she's expecting her second child.
U.S. & World
To welcome the new coaches to The Voice stage, the two will be performing on the show Monday, May 5. Gwen Stefani will be performing her number one hit, "Hollaback Girl" and Pharrell will perform his new single "Come Get It Bae."
Pharrell Williams is taking over for CeeLo Green, who will not be returning to the show.


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Have you ever tripped over your laptop's power cable, bringing it crashing to the ground? A recent do-it-yourself mod hopes to prevent just that from happening.
The power cable alteration, which comes courtesy of a modder going by the handle "Freeload", is relatively easy to complete, simple to remove and shouldn't harm your laptop or power adapter.
His modification takes a normal laptop power connection and transforms it in to something similar to Apple's patented MagSafe adapter. Apple's MagSafe, which was introduced back in 2006, is a power connection which is held in place magnetically. If pulled, the power cable simply pops-out, instead of dragging the would-be attached laptop with it.
The "MagSafe For The Rest Of Us" modification takes just eight steps and around $30 worth of materials to complete. To get started, you will need a few basic tools and materials, the full list of which can be found over on Instructables.
If you give it a try be sure to let us know in the comments!
[Via Hack A Day]
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THE quintessential MAGAZINE is a subscription only free online magazine.
Aiming to complement the sensory experience of enjoying a meal, potter and ceramic designer David Edmonds has been creating unique and versatile tableware for over 25 years. quintessential duckeggBLUE, a retailer and supporter of this artisan maker, has been stocking – and using – Edmonds Handmade Ceramics for ten years. Take a look behind the scenes as we Meet the Maker at his Rozelle studio and discover the craftsmanship that lies behind each one of David's creations.
I call myself a ceramic designer but I honestly don't really care anymore. The potters call me a designer and the designers call me a potter and the art world thinks I'm too commercial. After 35 years, you do your own thing.
People want things in a hurry. That's what it's all about these days. But you can't hurry this process. That's the value in it, the time invested. You need to have patience and stamina. What people don't understand is how long and involved the ceramic process is. It takes ten days to make a plate. You put things in the kiln and you shut the door. You've done everything perfectly up to that point but there's no guarantee it's going to come out how you expect.
I set out to create something people wanted to lick. That was my inspiration: to complement the sensory experience of enjoying a meal.
The creative process is a pretty solitary pursuit. I talk to myself all the time. I do it when the staff is here, too – so they tell me! I question, discuss and argue, usually through my dust mask.
Intrigued? Read the full interview and view our complete editions online by subscribing to THE quintessential MAGAZINE today, complimentary as always. Enjoy!
Photography: Ellis Parrinder – Styling: John Mangila
It took a decade to turn this humble worker's cottage into an homage to industrial chic. If you're prone to thinking a monochromatic colour palette lacks imagination, then take a look at Leanne Carter-Taylor's light-filled beauty in Sydney's inner-west suburb of Rozelle.
As featured in this month's edition of ELLE magazine, the home of quintessential duckeggBLUE's owner, who spent more than 10 years renovating her early 1900s sandstone-fronted worker's cottage and managed to transform the space into a sun-soaked haven filled with her personal curation of salvaged antiques and one-of-a-kind pieces.
"I'd rather find pieces from heritage makers with impeccable quality and craftsmanship that are built to last, even if that means going without until I can afford it" – The fact that her dining room did not have a dining table for three whole years can attest to that.
"Even though we love the old and worn, we like pieces finished to a high standard that aren't shabby around the edges"
Rather than throwing the look together in a few weeks, Carter-Taylor took a collector's approach by slowly evolving the home – a task made easier by sticking to a consistent colour scheme.
"I love neutral tones of white and black. Then I layered in natural timbers, such as reclaimed French bistro tables made from walnut, and leathers – original club chairs and gym benches"
"Ninety-eight per cent of our furnishings were salvaged. I love that I can admire them all, knowing exactly where I found them and what state they were in when I saw their potential. They all have a yesteryear charm and a story to tell."
If Leanne Carter-Taylor managed to oversee the creation of this masterpiece while attending to her 3 boutiques and an e-zine (www.thequintessentialmagazine.com.au), there's no telling what she's capable of with the new-found space in the schedule.
For the full feature, check out the March 2014 edition of ELLE Magazine Australia.
Photography: Sharyn Cairns – Styling: John Mangila
Another year has been and gone, and what a busy, crazy, deadline driven 12 months it has been here at offices of THE quintessential MAGAZINE … We all truly enjoyed the amazing creative journey we've been on. While we are already busy planning our next edition, we would like to take the opportunity to look back and share with you our favourite moments of 2013.
After launching the first edition of THE quintessential MAGAZINE in late 2012, we started off the year 2013 with its follow-up, Edition 2, in early February. The feature story 'The Personality of a Chair' looks at the original purpose and life of industrial and vintage chairs and tells their story through beautiful, creative styling and photography.
Photography: Sam McAdam-Cooper Styling: John Mangila
In the same edition, we got up close and personal with Philippe Mesnage, quintessential duckeggBLUE's expert clock restorer, who shares his world filled with time – and lots of it, literally – as he invited us into his home & studio in 'Meet the Maker'.
'I became a clock restorer after … Buying my first antique clock as a teenager. I still remember the day –I felt as though I had entered a new league.' Philippe Mesnage
Photography: Sam McAdam-Cooper Styling: John Mangila
Launched in April, Edition 3 of THE quintessential MAGAZINE celebrated collections – the grouping together of well-loved objects from the practical to the sculptural – and explored how they have the ability to transform our homes and our lives. Carefully considered and styled imagery from our feature story, quintessential Collections, included antique French bread boards, English shoe lasts and unique Danish bread cutters.
Photography: Sam McAdam-Cooper Styling: John Mangila
With the launch of Edition 4 in June, our collaboration with Instagram sensation (over 123,000 followers, how insane is that?!), stylist, photographer and wishful thinker Stephanie Somebody began. We are still beyond excited and very humbled that she joined our team and now contributes the most inspiring images to every one of our editions.
'I am so drawn to the nostalgic Scandinavian look of deer antlers …' Stephanie Somebody
Photography & Styling: Stephanie Somebody
Did you manage to watch Racket's short video featuring disembodied dolls' heads and dancing legs? No! Oh you must! Patiently filmed, over 3000 individual still images were photographed and edited to create this bizarre, amusing, yet beautiful stop-motion video. By far their most extravagant and time-consuming project in 2013. It's a true piece of art and an absolute must watch!
Without doubt, one of our favourite stories in 2013, our trip to Old Bond Street in London where we talked to the charming George Glasgow Jr, whose bespoke shoes have been worn by such famous customers, past and present, as Winston Churchill, David Beckham, Humphrey Bogart and Jason Statham (to name just a few).
Photography & Styling: Nassima Rothacker
Asked if you can actually judge a person's character by their shoes. George Glasgow Jr responded: 'Absolutely! It is the first thing a lot of people look at … Always spend good money on your shoes and your bed, because if you're not in one, then you're in the other …' We reckon, he's got a point there.
Photography & Styling: Nassima Rothacker
Meet the Maker was shot by London-based photographer Nassima Rothacker, whose empathy and visual story telling is nothing more than poetic. Set alongside our interview with George Glasgow Jr, this is without doubt one of the most inspiring stories we featured in 2013, and a personal favourite of our founder and curator, Leanne Carter-Taylor.
George Glasgow Jr is CEO & Creative Director of the bespoke English shoemaker G. J. Cleverley. Cleverley's charming shop can be found in the heart of London's West End in the 19th-century Royal Arcade just off Old Bond Street.
We also chased down Catherine Myers, the proud owner of the Chanel letter 'C', which she purchased a few years ago at quintessential duckeggBLUE. The huge Chanel fan explains, 'Of course I purchased it – my name starts with 'C', and it is a piece of history from the famous House of Chanel.' The giant letter featured in the short film, No. 5 the Film, made by Australian director, screenwriter and producer Baz Luhrmann and starring Nicole Kidman and Chanel's iconic No. 5 perfume.'
Photography: Dan Himbrechts Styling: John Mangila
Inspired by the words of Marc Chagall – 'Art is the unceasing effort to compete with the beauty of flowers – and never succeeding' – we were inspired to feature the oncoming Australian spring in Edition 5 with a petal-strewn celebration of all things floral.
We adore this beautiful imagery by our truly talented Glen Proebstel, who regularly contributes with his visual journey from New York and San Francisco that captures the beauty and magic he sees in the unexpected and witty hidden treasures these great cities have to offer.
Photography & Styling: Glen Proebstel
Styled by the talent that is John Mangila and shot by leading Australian photographer Sharyn Cairns, our feature story Portrait of a Flower embraces the art and beauty of flowers and reclaimed furniture. From simple arrangements to a dramatic display, it shows how the sophistication and strength of flowers can completely transform a space, creating something very quintessential.
Photography: Sharyn Cairns Styling: John Mangila
For our Meet The Maker, we again headed to the UK and took time to chat with famed London-based florist and stylist Nikki Tibbles in her flagship Pimlico London store, Wild at Heart.
Photography & Styling: Nassima Rothacker
'I always wanted to do something creative; I can't write, paint or draw, working with flowers is my medium. I love working with colour and nature, it's ever changing and each moment is different.' Nikki draws her inspiration from 'everything from nature to fashion and architecture.' Her love for flowers and all things floral serve as inspiration for her distinctly luxurious bouquets. Locally grown, seasonable blooms being her absolute favourite, every Wild at Heart bouquet is handmade with love and always of the highest quality.
Photography & Styling: Nassima Rothacker
In our latest edition, we celebrated all that is genuine, traditional and emotive during the festive season and embraced, in a discerning and creative way, the beauty and character of vintage treasures that evoke memories of a time gone by.
In our A Christmas Past story – styled by the talent that is Glen Proebstel and shot by leading Australian photographer Sharyn Cairns – the talented duo brought to life a beautiful collection of vintage finds from quintessential duckeggBLUE that will add character and charm to your home during the festive season, with a nod to and appreciation for the past.
Photography: Sharyn Cairns Styling: Glen Proebstel
In the same edition, we Met the Maker, potter and ceramic designer David Edmonds whose versatile and tactile handmade tableware has been an integral for the last ten years at quintessential duckeggBLUE. David admits, 'after all these years of deadlines, I still find them a challenge. What people don't understand is how long and involved the ceramic process is. It takes ten days to make a plate. You put things in the kiln and you shut the door. You've done everything perfectly up to that point but there's no guarantee it's going to come out how you expect.'
Photography: Ellis Parrinder Styling: John Mangila
Our team visited Martin Benn, owner & head chef at the award-winning Sepia Restaurant in Sydney, who was inspired to make his very own butter at the restaurant after purchasing a beautiful old butter churn from quintessential duckeggBLUE. Martin explains, 'we churn the cream by hand to produce the most amazing butter that we sprinkle with a little salt and serve with house-made sourdough bread.'
Photography: Ellis Parrinder Styling: John Mangila
Given the number of great makers in our local area, we decided to feature a second Meet the Maker and visited award-winning French artisan baker Myriam Cordellier of Sydney-based bakery Victoire in order to celebrate the art of bread and pastries in the holiday season. Here she talks frankly and openly in what is to be her last interview (ever) about her career that spans more than 30 years. Captured on camera, our team worked the late shift to share with you Myriam's daily bread.
Photography: Dan Himbrechts Styling: John Mangila
'Carb-free is just a fashion. So is gluten-free. It's an excuse to choose a different type of food without having to say, I'm on a diet. The percentage of people who actually suffer from coeliac disease is small. The real wisdom is to get the quantity right. If you want to be thin, you have to refuse to put on weight. It's what the French are good at.' Myriam Cordellier
Photography: Dan Himbrechts Styling: John Mangila
'I think I will be remembered as a difficult French woman. People think I'm hard. And I am hard. But I'm hard because I'm very soft inside. I have had to protect myself. Soon, I will be ready to hand over the reins of my business to my children. I'm at a stage in my life now when I need to close the book. And we are closing the book today. There will be no more interviews with Myriam Cordellier.'
Finally, a few Behind The Scenes moments that we thought you might enjoy…they certainly bring a smile to our faces!
We hope you enjoyed the past 12 months of THE quintessential MAGAZINE editions? We certainly had fun editing and curating all that is original, emotive and beautiful, bringing to and celebrating with you all that we are inspired by. We look forward to bringing you more stories through our rich visual blend of beautiful photography, interactive features and inspiring videos in our 2014 editions of THE quintessential MAGAZINE.
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text: The basic assumptions that informed the launching of the CODESRIA Research Programme remain as valid to this day as they were in 1973: There is no fatality about the African condition, and research, properly undertaken and deployed, can and should play a key role in the social transformation and development of the African continent – as, indeed, any other region of the world. African scholars, through their research output, can and are expected not only to contribute to the expansion of the frontiers of scientific knowledge but also the strengthening of the capacity within the continent to respond to the multifaceted challenges of development that confront society. The Council, therefore, mobilises support for research in the conviction that the primacy of knowledge, and the freedom to pursue and transmit it, are indispensable to progress and advancement of any society.