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Merlin's weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.
Merlin's weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.
"What's 43 Folders?"
43Folders.com is Merlin Mann's website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.
43f Feature: Michael Buffington's "How I use iGTD"
Merlin Mann | Jun 19 2007
Michael Buffington is a pal of mine who's a talented developer and all-around swell fellow. I got to work with him a bit on the Stikkit project and, in some of our offline talks on productivity stuff, I was intrigued to learn about some of his ninja geek skillz. I asked Michael to write up a series on some of his favorite tricks to get his stuff done, and he kindly obliged. Here's part one. --Merlin How I use iGTDThis is the first part in a multipart series about using iGTD with Quicksilver and how it's changed my life, allowed me to grow hair where I never thought it possible, and more importantly, spend more quality time with my children (who are, as you might know, super humans with indescribable special abilities). I'm a recent and somewhat enthusiastic convert to GTD. I have had the good fortune of starting to manage my digital life with GTD the same day Merlin first mentioned a great application for OS X called iGTD. I have to admit though that I'm not a very hard core GTD follower yet. The most important parts of GTD for me are getting my tasks out of my head the moment they pop into existence, and putting them into some sort of system I can trust. iGTD allows me to do exactly that in a very intuitive way, but if I'm having a good day I only ever bring iGTD into focus when I'm not sure what's next on my list. "I've emphasized this before already, but for me the most important part of GTD is writing tasks that you can follow as if you're a robot..." For task capturing, I use Quicksilver, and I have to say it's a slice of heaven. Without a doubt my life has improved quite measurably both because of GTD, and the iGTD plugin for Quicksilver. So at the most basic level, here's how I use iGTD to reinforce what I think is the most important behavior for leading a GTD lifestyle: I invoke Quicksilver. I hit the period (".") key to switch to text entry mode. Some people have different settings, so the the important part here is invoking text entry. I begin typing out my task with some simple markup that iGTD understands. For this blog entry, I once wrote: I then hit tab and type iGTD so I can send the text I entered to iGTD. I hit enter, and I know that my task has been captured. I even set iGTD so that it doesn't pop up once I've captured a task, I simply trust that it's there. Here's a quick screencast of the process in action - it's worth noting that the screencast is all of a few seconds long, and the actual task capturing part is incredibly quick. I've emphasized this before already, but for me the most important part of GTD is writing tasks that you can follow as if you're a robot (avoiding writing ambiguous sounding tasks in favor of writing very "actionable" tasks) and getting those tasks capture the moment you think of them. So I'll be writing code, thinking about how to do something like simulate multiple inheritance in Ruby when unannounced the thought "I should call the local game place to see if my reality might someday be shared with a Nintendo Wii of my very own" takes center stage. If I weren't adhering to GTD practices, I'd ignore that thought and move on, but it'd nag me. It'd keep nagging me, and my focus would suffer. With Quicksilver and iGTD I get the task out of head and into a place I trust, and because it took mere seconds to record I'm right back in flow, realizing that if I'm wanting to do multiple inheritance in Ruby I've probably designed something incorrectly in the first place. I become more efficient at what I do, and have less "free radical" thoughts fighting for attention in my head, which makes me a far more patient, confident and relaxed person. That in turn makes play time with the kids sublime. In the next entry in this series, I'll write about a particularly horrifying experience I had with iGTD, and what I did to solve the problem. About the AuthorMichael Buffington - A serial entrepreneur and creative technological consultant, Buffington most recently served as the Community Advocate for Values of N, makers of Stikkit and iwantsandy.com. He's now secretly building games for the masses. POSTED IN:
I too have been using... by Sage (not verified)
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OK, here's a question. ... by Prostr8 (not verified)
I'm a fan of iGTD... by Dave (not verified)
@Dave: that sounds great! ... by m_s (not verified)
okay, okay.. you got me... by sergio (not verified)
Wouldn't using iGTD's F8 option... by DG (not verified)
@DG - I wasn't even... by Michael Buffington (not verified)
@Michael - and I didn't... by DG (not verified)
About MerlinBio Merlin Mann is an independent writer, speaker, and broadcaster. He's best known for being the guy who created the website you're reading right now. He lives in San Francisco, does lots of public speaking, and helps make cool things like You Look Nice Today, Back to Work, and Kung Fu Grippe. Also? He's writing this book, he lives with this face, he suffers from this hair, he answers these questions, and he's had this life. So far. Merlin's favorite thing he's written in the past few years is an essay entitled, "Cranking." |
EXPLORE 43Folders | THE GOOD STUFF |

subset: commoncrawl


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Google Education and Acer asked European Schoolnet (EUN) to conduct an evaluation programme on the use of Acer Chromebooks and Google tools in classrooms, together with a professional development programme for the teachers involved. 12 teachers were specially selected from the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK to take part in the evaluation.
The aim of the evaluation programme was to explore the impact of Acer Chromebooks and the associated Google tools such as the management console on both the pedagogical and administrative processes in the classroom and school.
Initially, the selected teachers were trained to create innovative learning scenarios that include the Chromebooks and associated Google tools. Scenarios could be anything from moving learning outside of the classroom to personalising the learning for every student. Subsequently, they developed concrete learning activities that support these scenarios.
As part of the programme, the teachers tested out the scenarios and activities and developed resources that helped other teachers put the Chromebooks to pedagogically effective use.
A set of teacher-created resources that support the scenarios and activities piloted are available here, along with their school blogs and the final evaluation report.
The programme involved 12 teachers from 6 schools in Spain, Netherlands and the UK. At each school 2 teachers participated. At the level of secondary schools, the two teachers taught different subjects. The schools and teachers were selected by Acer and Google.
School blogs
- Elgoibar Ikastola, Spain
- Compton Church of England Primary School, UK
- Filey Junior School, UK
- CSG De Waard, The Netherlands
The pilot projects runs over a period of 12 months from January to December 2015. It's separated into three phases:
- Phase 1 provides the schools with the resources and training to embark on the piloting activity. Furthermore, during Phase 1, data is collected about classroom practices before the adoption of Chromebooks.
- Phase 2 consists of the piloting phase in which the teachers pilot the scenarios developed during Phase 1.
- In Phase 3, data is collected about any potential changes to classroom practice as well as technology administration and management, the evaluation report is drafted and a package of resources that support other teachers is developed and presented to a larger audience.
Results and outcomes
- Final evaluation report (including school case studies)
- Classroom scenarios created by the teachers
- Webinar on the results, 9 December 2015 (see below)
- Videos
Roger Blamire explains in this video the evaluation main findings {coming soon}
Chromebook pilot: Findings and results - 8 Dec 2015 (ppt) from European Schoolnet
FCL Newsletter
- be always up-to-date with the latest developments & innovations in education
- be part of a community of forward-looking teachers across Europe
- be the first one to know about all our upcoming courses, events & publications.
Postal and visiting address
EUN Partnership / Future Classroom Lab


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Diamond Supply Co.
Diamond Supply Co. is a California based skateboarding accessories and clothing line that was started in 1998 by skateboarder and designer Nick "Diamond" Tershay. The Diamond Supply diamond logo is quickly recognizable, and is seen on the streets and at skate parks across the US and further.
So what's everyone getting so worked up about? Diamond Supply are the talk of the town. Well, maybe it's their catchy streetwear designs, quality made skate gear, and their own unique twist on street-skate looks.
YNG is the place to find Diamond Supply in The Bahamas carrying an array of products.
Sorry, there are no products matching your search.


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Derek Lowe (5-6, 3.90) vs. Mark Buehrle (4-6, 4.28).
COMMENTS: The White Sox have just come off a disappointing sweep at the hands of their cross-town rivals, who boast the best record in baseball and have all the press in Chi-town. However, we face a starter who Buehrle lost a no-hit bid in the sixth during his last outing, and everyone knows the Dodgers are a sad 2-7 in interleague play in 2008. Can we pull off an second victory in a row off an AL team (something we haven't done all year), and maybe gain a game back against the fumbling Snakes?
On our end, we are again pulling out the stops by sending SoSG Orel to the park to cheer on the blue. SoSG AC worked his magic in Sunday's day game, but he now suffers from third-degree burns from the 110-degree temperatures at the Stadium (free cups of water from Frankie McCourt notwithstanding). Orel needs to do his part tonight and make sure the hot streak continues even if the LA heatwave has abated.


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Welcome to NGC Ancients, a branch of Numismatic Guaranty Company devoted to ancient coins. We identify and grade most coins struck in the Western world from the origins of coinage through c. AD 500, as well as coins of the Byzantine Empire (AD 491-1453). All other eligible World coins can be graded under NGC's World Coin program.
The program is led by David L. Vagi, author of Coinage and History of the Roman Empire and a specialist in ancient coins since 1990.
NGC Ancients attributes, grades and encapsulates ancient coins for collectors and dealers worldwide. We offer a full suite of service levels. Please visit our NGC Ancients service roster.


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The Best Travel Blogging Courses at a Glance
6 min read
Updated on May 14, 2024
- iVisa is NOT affiliated with any government agency. This site does not provide legal advice and we are not a law firm. None of our customer service representatives are lawyers and they also do not provide legal advice. We are a private, internet-based travel and immigration consultancy provider dedicated to helping individuals travel around the world. You may apply by yourself directly on the various government websites. For government source information, please visit our product pages.


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Museo Sans Font For Free Download
This OpenType font family offers also support for CE languages and even Esperanto. Besides ligatures, automatic fractions, proportional/tabular lining and old-style figures, numerators, denominators, superiors and inferiors MUSEO also has a 'case' feature for case sensitive forms.
Museo Sans is based on the well-known Museo. It is a sturdy, low contrast, geometric, highly legible sans serif typeface very well suited for any display and text use.


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A few thoughts:
- I originally thought this kind of yoke would be made in a mesh illusion fabric, but later decided it must be chiffon. It has a floatiness (is that a word?) to it rather than the fitted mesh of a figure skater's costume.
- I can only find this kind of design addressed in one sewing book, Singer's out-of-print Sewing for Special Occasions. The text suggests making a double layer of sheers--one is a lining and one is the outer layer. Sew right sides together, trim down the seam allowances, and flip right sides out. The problem with this method is that a double layer spoils the super-sheer effect of the dress above. I can't imagine that it's more than one layer.
- The neckline above seems to resemble a serger's rolled hem, no? It looks more like thread than fabric at the edges. Do you think that's possible given the time period? Also, would you use a serger rolled hem around a curved neckline? I would worry about stretching out the bias.
- The other option is to bind the neckline with self fabric. But it seems that would give a wider effect rather than the narrow edge in the photo. (And also be a major pain to sew in chiffon!)
All these photos were taken from this Peggy Hunt photo collection on Flickr. I credit Sarai with introducing me to its wonders!


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Hand Lettered Pinch Proof Free SVG Cut File
Hand Lettered Pinch Proof Free SVG Cut File
No pinching here! Make yourself Pinch Proof on St. Paddy's Day with our latest free hand lettered cut file.
Download the Freebies here:
FAQ: What font is that?
I'm super flattered when people ask that, but it's actually not a font! The design is drawn by hand, then digitized, and turned into a cut file…so it's truly one of a kind.
All freebies are ©2016-2017 Kimber Dawn Co. and are for personal use only, please.
I'm getting an error message when I click the .Studio3 file and it won't open.
Yep, that's because your computer doesn't know what program to use to open it. To open it, you need to open Silhouette Studio first. Then go to File>Open and select the file from your desktop (or wherever you saved the cut file).
How Do I Use the SVGs?
You will need the Designer Edition of the Silhouette Studio software to open an SVG file. You can get it on Amazon here. They sometimes have it as low as about $25 which is about half of retail and was available at the time this posted. If you have the Designer Edition of the software, here is a video tutorial on using SVGs.
How Do I Get the Designs into My Silhouette Studio?
Unless you're buying from the Silhouette Design Store, designs won't automatically download to Silhouette Studio.
- First, save the downloads to a folder on your desktop.
- Then, open Silhouette Studio.
- From within the software, Go to File>Open and select the design(s) you want to use.
- Once you have them open you can go to File>Save>Save to Library to save them in Silhouette Studio.
Happy creating!
Kimber + Dawn


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Google scholar: h-index=21: i10-index=39
INRIA: h-index=21; g-index= 39
Most of my early papers are related to my PhD thesis and deal with evolution analysis.
The essence of my PhD can be found in a journal article published in JSME.
Since 2005 I got involved in various projects and I co-authored publications on topics mostly in the reengineering area.
We reported on the Story of the Moose and the role of Smalltalk and meta-modeling in its development.
Other works relate to semantic analysis or dynamic analysis. A particular topic that continues to capture my attention is identifying how teams work. Thus, I worked on correlating authorship information with code duplication or feature development
I also got involved in dynamic analysis. I worked on identifying features and their evolution, and I participated in the development of object-flow analysis, a novel dynamic analysis that led to a publication that received the distinguished paper award at ECOOP 2008.
Visualization and interaction are crosscutting concerns in my research. The experience resulted in the development of Mondrian, and of Glamour.


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Forsyth County is pleased to announce that Tanglewood Park (4061 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, N.C.) will be the host site for a farmers market! The Tanglewood Farmers Market for the 2014 season will begin May 8 to November 1. Once the season starts in the month of May, the Tanglewood Park Farmers Market will be open to the public on Saturdays from 8:30am to 12:30pm and on Thursdays from 4:00pm to 7:00pm.
The Tanglewood Park Farmers Market is sponsored by Forsyth County and the Village of Clemmons and operated by Tanglewood Farmers Market Volunteer Group organized by the Village of Clemmons. The location of Tanglewood Park Farmers Market will be across from the Tanglewood RV Campground and adjacent to the dog park area. Patrons will be able to access the farmers market without paying the park entrance fee due to the location being prior to the gate entrance of Tanglewood Park.
If any farmers are interested in being a vendor at Tanglewood Park Farmers Market, please print out our vendor guidelines. If you are a farmer wanting to sell your products or your organization is interested in volunteering with the Tanglewood Park Farmers Market, please contact the Village of Clemmons' Planner, Megan Ledbetter, at (336) 766-7511 or via email email@example.com.


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Petroski on Engineering: Design Begets Design
December 4, 2012
New designs have a variety of origins. Some are prompted by necessity, some by desire, and some by just plain playfulness.
An interesting historical example that incorporates all three forms of prompting is the Forth Bridge, which was designed and constructed in the 1880s and which still carries railroad trains high above the River Forth near Edinburgh, Scotland.
The Forth Bridge and another across the River Tay about 35 miles north at Dundee had their origins in the need for fixed crossings over the respective rivers so that the North British Railway could do away with the use of ferries to transfer rolling stock wherever the rails came to a river bank. By bridging the two rivers, the railway company could reduce travel time between Edinburgh and Dundee, and so better compete with the inland Caledonian Railway.
The commission to design the two bridges was given to veteran engineer Thomas Bouch. Both river crossings were to be made at their wide estuaries, which the Scots call "firths," and so long bridges were required. The Firth of Tay is shallow, however, and so Bouch designed a bridge with many piers connected by relatively short girders, except for the so-called "high girders" over the navigation channels. When the Tay Bridge opened in 1878, it was the longest in length of any bridge in the world, reaching across almost two miles of water.
As ordinary a design as it was, the Tay Bridge lasted less than two years. During a storm in December 1879, its high-girder trusses collapsed while a train was passing over them, taking the lives of 75 people. The accident naturally led to an investigation, and a court of inquiry found that the structure had been "badly designed, badly constructed, and badly maintained," and engineer Bouch, who had been knighted when the bridge had been completed, was discredited and the commission to design a span over the Forth was taken from him.
A new Tay Bridge, designed by railway engineer William Henry Barlow, was built right beside the failed one, with the stubs of the piers remaining exposed to this day as a reminder of the tragedy. The commission to design a bridge across the Forth was given to the engineering firm of Sir William Fowler and his young partner, Benjamin Baker. There was no confidence in the suspension bridge that Bouch had designed for the Forth, and the railway desired that Fowler and Baker come up with a novel design that would in no way remind potential rail passengers of either of Bouch's designs.
Baker was the lead designer for the new bridge across the Forth, and he came up with a structure based on the cantilever principle. Like a cantilever beam that is supported at one end only, Baker's bridge reached out from its towers without any need for additional support from below. This was an ideal choice for the site, since the Firth of Forth is deep and so erecting a supporting structure in it would be time consuming, dangerous, and expensive. Only three sets of deep foundations, over 1,700 feet apart and supporting 300-foot-high piers, had to be constructed in the water. The daring configuration would give the Forth Bridge the longest spans in the world, a record that would not be surpassed for almost three decades.
About the Author(s)
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International Shipping and Delivery
We use US Postal Service and UPS for our shipments going overseas. We stock our merchandise in our US warehouse. By stocking everything we sell, we can get your product shipped quickly. We ship all international orders complete, we do not split ship in the case of back-ordered items. Please allow a few extra days for processing international shipments.
Shipping Charges
On orders shipping internationally, we base our shipping charges on the weight of the item. If you add something to your cart, we will give you an estimate of the shipping charge. The exact shipping charges will be available to you prior to entering your credit card information.
Contact Us
Phone: +1-608-203-1129
Email: email@example.com
Fax: +1-608-203-1112
Shipping Charges: (See Shipping Charge information above)
All of our prices are listed in US Dollars (USD).
Duties and Taxes
International customers are responsible for any VAT, customs fees, or duties that may be due at time of delivery. We have no way to estimate these fees. These fees are solely the responsibility of the recipient. The value and description of items shipped will be accurately stated.
Importer of Record
When ordering from SharpeningSupplies.com, the recipient is the importer of record and must comply with all laws and regulations of the destination country. Title and risk of loss for items ordered will transfer to the recipient upon delivery to the common carrier in the United States.
We take pride in the products we sell so we want them to arrive in great shape. In the highly unlikely event of damage during shipping please just contact us and we will take care of it for you.
Please note that products shipped internationally may not be designed in accordance with destination country standards, specifications, and labeling requirements. The manufacturer warranty may not be valid. Instructions for your item may not be available in your country's language. The customer is responsible for determining which products can be lawfully and legally imported into the destination country. All of our electric sharpeners are designed to work on 120V, we do not offer any 220V models. We, unfortunately, are unable to ship electric sharpeners outside the USA and Canada.
Please note that international shipments are subject to opening and inspection by customs authorities. Additionally, information about your order, shipment and products contained therein may be communicated to our shippers and the customs authorities as part of the customs clearance process.


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Water damage is one of the most common yet one of the most dangerous problems faced by millions of home owners today. You should be smart enough to spot these problems in the earlier stages before they assume alarming proportions. You can experience severe mental and financial stress when you suffer losses due to water damage. Choose a good service provider who provides you high-quality support during this crucial time, so that can be relieved. From a host of companies that make tall claims, choosing a good water damage repair contractor can be a huge challenge. The following tips will help you think clearly and join hands with the right agency.
1. Valid certification
You are going to entrust the safety of your house with a contractor when you call them for restoring the water damage at your place. Therefore, you need to ensure that the contractor whom you choose should have a valid certification and license to operate in your locality. The agency that you choose should possess the right expertise and technical sophistication to understand the damage caused to you and should be in a position to apply the best possible solution to get rid of the same, permanently.
2. Local references
Nothing works like local references when it comes to choosing the right company to help you with any kind of home improvement work. Ask your friends and colleagues about some of the best companies in your area, research online to read customer reviews, visit social media pages of these companies to see how they respond to customers and assess the quality of their services through customer feedback that you can find on various sites. Always narrow down your choice to about three companies, talk to them and get their quotes for the services you require so that you can make a detailed comparison. Choose the service provider who gives you ultimate value for your money.
3. Locality
Problems related to water damage at your home can be really serious at times, where you are left stranded on the roads or where you have a broken pump from which water keeps leaking in at a great speed. Therefore choose a water damage repair agency that is located quite near to your home. This way, expert technical staff from the company can reach you faster when you call during an emergency. Geographical vicinity is a very important factor to consider when you are choosing a company to restore water damage issues.
4. Variety of services
Choose a service provider that has enough experience in the field of restoration of water damage. Cleaning water leakages, unblocking the entry of sewage, removing bad odour, fixing broken and blocked parts, etc. are some of the areas in which the company should be well-versed in. It should be available round the clock to reach you during all times of emergencies. Choose a service provider that is open 24/7, so that you can rest assured that you have a credible partner to rely on, when things go wrong.


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25.06.2022 02:30
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At any rate, let me tell you a little bit about this little piece. It was the first non-fruit related costume I had made for Lily. It represented a departure from babyhood for me. I was a little excited about sewing a 'pretty' costume. I have so many things running through my mind about this costume but I guess I'll start with the material. I used a satiny aqua blue material. In hindsight, I wish I had used a real taffeta material in a midnight blue color. But the lining was exactly what I had wanted. It is gold satin with tiny purple and yellow flowers embroidered into the fabric. It would have looked even better offset by blue taffeta but que sera. I used a gold knotted trim at the mid-sleeves, around the collar and the waist.
Last year, Lily's hair was painfully short. I always wanted her to have long hair but it just refuses to grow so I made this cute little wreath of flowers with brown extensions hot glued onto a round wire. Surprisingly it worked like a charm! Looks real.... enough. I also found the star wand for $1 at Michaels Craft store. I painted it gold and added the rickrack and striped ribbons. Lily didn't even mind wearing the fake hair....much.
The cut of the dress begins with an empire waist that billows out underneath. The arms cinch above the elbows then flare out to give the dress a 'wizardy' look. I only wish I had some fake pointy ears to match! The best part about this costume was that it was conducive for cold weather. Last year Lily was easily able to wear a sweater, jeans and sneakers without having a stitch of contemporary clothing peaking out.
Of course, as I had mentioned earlier this is not a giveaway. However, if you like the dress feel free to link:) I like to get the Grosgrain word out whenever possible:)
Create a Link!


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Face-Lift (Rhytidectomy)
Surgery Overview
A face-lift is the most extensive way to remove or reduce the appearance of wrinkles and sagging of the face caused by age. In a traditional face-lift, the skin is literally lifted off the face so that the skin and the tissues beneath can be tightened and the skin can be repositioned smoothly over the face.
For the procedure, you are either given general anesthesia or a sedative through an intravenous line and local anesthesia to numb your skin. Next, the surgeon makes an incision that starts in the temple area and circles around the front of the ear. The skin is raised, and the muscle and tissue underneath is tightened. The surgeon may remove some fat and skin. The skin is then redraped over the face and the incision is sutured. The incision usually falls along the hairline or in a place where the skin would naturally crease so that it does not show after the surgery.
Some people are able to have a limited-incision face-lift. This surgery uses shorter incisions at the temple and close to the ear. Sometimes an incision is made within the lower eyelid or under the upper lip.
A neck lift can tighten sagging jowls and loose skin under the chin. The incision starts in front of the ear lobe and goes behind the ear to the lower scalp.
The surgery usually takes several hours. You may be able to go home that day. But people sometimes spend one night in the hospital.
What To Expect
Your face will be bandaged after the surgery. The dressings are usually removed 1 to 2 days later. If a drainage tube has been placed (usually behind the ear), it will also be removed 1 to 2 days after the surgery. Your doctor will remove your stitches in 5 to 10 days.
Your doctor may prescribe medicines to relieve pain after the surgery. Expect to have swelling and bruising of the face. Cold compresses can help relieve these side effects. Your doctor may instruct you to keep your head elevated and still as much as possible.
It is important to avoid smoking and even second-hand smoke for 2 to 4 weeks before and after surgery. Tobacco smoke increases the risk for skin and tissue death and will delay your face's healing process and make scarring worse.
Most people can return to their normal activities 2 to 3 weeks after a face-lift.
At first your face will feel stiff and will probably look and feel strange to you. This is normal, but it is important to be prepared for it.
Numbness of the skin may last for months after the surgery. Your skin may feel rough and dry for a few months. Men sometimes have to shave in new places because the skin has been rearranged, but laser hair removal or electrolysis can be used for beard hairs that have shifted to a new position.
Why It Is Done
Face-lifts are done to make an older face look younger by eliminating wrinkles, lifting sagging muscles, and tightening the skin.
How Well It Works
Having a face-lift can make your face appear younger and healthier. Your face will continue to age, but a face-lift does indeed "take years off" your face. For some people, this may increase self-confidence and reduce anxiety over growing older.
A face-lift can reduce signs of aging to a great extent. But it cannot reverse sun damage to the skin or remove all facial wrinkles around the eyes, below the nose, and around the lips. For best results, you may want to have a face-lift and then treat any skin damage.
The effectiveness and safety of your face-lift surgery depends heavily on the skill of your surgeon.
Problems that may be caused by having a face-lift include:
- Reactions to the anesthesia.
- Bleeding under the skin.
- Infection.
- Damage to the nerves that supply the muscles of the face. This can cause paralysis or spasm in the face, but the effects are usually temporary.
- Numbness (in areas of your face) that may last 6 months to a year.
- Hair loss (alopecia).
- Tissue loss.
- Scarring.
- Blood clots in large veins traveling up to the heart and lungs (pulmonary embolism). This is not common.
As with all cosmetic procedures, there is also the risk that the results will not be what you expected. But an experienced plastic surgeon can usually give you a very clear idea of what to expect after surgery.
What To Think About
As with other cosmetic procedures, you are more likely to be happy with the results of your face-lift if you have clear, realistic expectations about what the surgery can achieve and if you share these with your plastic surgeon.
Insurance companies do not cover the costs of face-lifts. It is important to find out what the total costs of the procedure will be, including fees for the operating facility, the anesthesiologist's and surgeon's fees, medicines, office visits, and other services and materials.
Current as of: April 1, 2019
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Anne C. Poinier, MD – Internal MedicineAdam Husney, MD – Family Medicine & Martin J. Gabica, MD – Family Medicine & Keith Alan Denkler, MD – Plastic Surgery
Current as of: April 1, 2019
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Anne C. Poinier, MD – Internal MedicineAdam Husney, MD – Family Medicine & Martin J. Gabica, MD – Family Medicine & Keith Alan Denkler, MD – Plastic Surgery
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. Learn how we develop our content.


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Teen convicted of killing baby gets life in prison
Published 12:00 am Friday, September 13, 2013
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia teen convicted of fatally shooting a baby in a stroller was sentenced Thursday to spend the rest of his life in prison with no chance of parole after the grieving mother asked a judge to punish the gunman for taking "the love of my life."
De'Marquise Elkins, 18, stood silent and showed no emotion as he was sentenced in a courtroom less than two weeks after a jury found him guilty of murder in the slaying of 13-month-old Antonio Santiago during a robbery attempt.
"His first word was never heard. His first sentence was never said," Sherry West, the baby's mother, said through tears on the witness stand as she read a statement made to rhyme like a poem or a nursery rhyme. "He never got to sleep in a toddler bed."
The baby was in his stroller and out for a walk with his mother when he was shot between the eyes March 21 in the Georgia coastal city of Brunswick. West, and a younger teenager charged as an accomplice, both testified at trial that Elkins killed the baby after his mother refused to give up her purse.
The killing drew national attention and Elkins' trial was moved more than 300 miles away to the Atlanta suburbs because of pretrial publicity.
Elkins was spared the death penalty because the killing occurred when he was 17, which the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled is too young to face capital punishment. Under Georgia law, the only possible punishments for Elkins were life with or without a chance of parole.
Elkins' defense attorneys told Superior Court Judge Stephen Kelley that life without parole was too harsh for such a young defendant. They introduced court documents from the past seven years showing Elkins had been neglected by a mother who struggled with drug abuse and sometimes left him home alone without food.
The judge not only gave Elkins the maximum possible punishment for his murder conviction, but also sentenced him to 105 additional years in prison for other counts including aggravated assault and attempted armed robbery. That included 30 years for shooting and wounding a pastor outside his church 10 days before the killing.
"We're definitely disappointed with the ruling," defense attorney Kevin Gough said as he left Glynn County Superior Court. "Life without parole for a juvenile, our position remains, is cruel and unusual punishment."
Gough said he plans to appeal both the verdict and the sentence. Elkins would have been eligible for parole in 30 years had that been allowed as part of his sentence.
Ultimately the judge sided with prosecutors who spoke of the brutal circumstances of the crime and that Elkins escaped facing the death penalty only because he was a few months shy of his 18th birthday when the baby was slain.
"He aimed that gun right between that baby's eyes and shot that baby," District Attorney Jackie Johnson said. "I don't know of a more inhumane act or wantonly vile act … than to aim a gun at a sleeping baby in a stroller and take that baby's life."
At trial, prosecutors had said West was pushing her son in his stroller home that March day from a post office when two teenagers approached her, blocks from her apartment.
Dominique Lang, 15, testified at trial he was with Elkins when the older teen pulled a gun and demanded West's purse. When she refused, Lang said, Elkins twice threatened her baby and counted down from five.
West testified she pleaded with Elkins that she had no money and tried to cover her child with her arms as the gunman fired a warning shot, a bullet into her leg and then shot the baby.
West left the courthouse Thursday without comment after sentencing. On the witness stand, she told the judge he deserved "a life in prison."
"The love of my life was taken away, far away," West said. "All I can do is cry and wonder when I'm going to die."
Police recovered a .22-caliber revolver from a pond, and prosecutors said it matched the gun used in the killing.
Lang also faces murder charges. No trial date has been set and it's unknown how his cooperation in the Elkins prosecution might affect his case.
Elkins' mother, Karimah Elkins, stood trial alongside him and was convicted of evidence tampering for helping dispose of the gun. Elkins' sister and aunt have also been charged with trying to help him avoid prosecution.
Elkins' never testified at his two-week trial in August. But his defense attorneys argued police rushed to build a case against Elkins without considering other possible suspects. They even suggested the slain child's own parents may have been the real killers.


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Open Public Wi-Fi: How To Stay Safe
Open public Wi-Fi networks are still very common in coffee shops like Starbucks, public libraries and other common areas, yet using them can compromise the confidentiality of your communications. We do have many ways for you to protect yourself, some stronger than others.
Using open public Wi-Fi networks is dangerous business; if you're not careful, your communications are open to everyone else on the network. But there are ways to protect yourself. If you have the option, you should use an encrypted network. In the alternative, if you use an open, unencrypted network, use a virtual private network to protect your communications. Failing even that, be sure to use only HTTPS sessions.
Beware those without the lock icon (click image for larger version)
When you look at a list of available Wi-Fi networks, like the one nearby, there are basically two types: those that are encrypted (with the lock icon) and those that are unencrypted.
If you connect to an unencrypted network all of your traffic is open for all the world to see, unless you take other measures to encrypt it. On such a network, all users can see all other users' traffic. Worse still, other users can hijack your session and communicate with the website you were on as if they were you, or redirect your computer to a site you didn't intend to visit. These attacks, while not strictly new at the time, were made widely known by the release of Firesheep, which made it easy to do.
Even if you are forced to log in to a web page or check a box after you connect to an open network, your traffic is not being encrypted. The login merely controls your access outside the wireless gateway to the Internet.
There are three main encryption standards supported by the networks with the lock icon: WEP, WPA and WPA2. WEP is an old and broken protocol, easily cracked. WPA is strong, but WPA2 is the state of the art. A properly-implemented WPA2 network gives you protection strong enough for all but secret agent work.
But even more important, both WPA and WPA2 support session isolation. Other users on the network can't see your traffic. For this reason it's better to offer a WPA2-protected network and publicize the password, perhaps with a big sign on the wall, than to offer open Wi-Fi. Another possibility is to include the password in the SSID, such as "WiFi-pw-is-ChakaKhan."
What if encrypted Wi-Fi isn't available? Your best option is to use a VPN or Virtual Private Network. Most users who have a VPN get access to it through their business, but there are private VPNs for individuals, too. Many are free or low cost. I use HMA! Pro VPN (HMA stands for Hide My Ass). It has a free web proxy and there are free VPNs, but I pay for the Pro version of HMA because I like the fact that it protects my entire network stream. Any application I use that communicates on the Internet uses strong encryption talking out to its network, at which point it is proxy-ed out to its final destination. The site I'm talking to doesn't know who or what I am based on network traffic; it only sees HMA's network, so I'm also anonymous to these other parties.
The other option you have on an otherwise open network is to make sure to use HTTPS websites only. When you use HTTPS, all communications are encrypted using TLS/SSL. Well, almost all. Sometimes a site will say HTTPS and you'll get the lock icon, possibly even an EV-SSL site with the green address bar, but some elements on the page, such as some graphics, are transported on HTTP. This is an opening for an attacker.
Back when Firesheep came out, many large and popular websites like Facebook and Twitter offered HTTPS, but didn't force it on users. Since then both have changed to switch the user to an HTTPS session if they attempt to connect to HTTP.
After Firesheep, a standard was also developed for web servers to force clients to interact with them only over HTTPS.HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) is implemented through the HTTP header "Strict-Transport-Security," but I can't find any good numbers on how widely it is implemented. The Qualys SSL Server Test allows you to test an HTTPS server for many characteristics, including support for Strict Transport Security.
So you have many ways to ensure that when you are surfing in dangerous waters the sharks don't see you. One day our systems will be built to default always to secure configurations, but we're not there yet. We do know how we can protect ourselves and it's our job to do it.
About the Author(s)
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Sometimes you just need to step back and stop thinking. Turn off the ol' idea-machine. Let the engine cool down.
Leave your brain alone for a minute and it might surprise ya.
I spent way too long looking for and thinking about something festive to make for my coworkers in celebration of Independence Day. Ideas were few and far between, and none of them were good. I got frustrated and finally gave up, deciding not to make anything. Shortly thereafter, I had a miniature epiphany, and the Mint-dependence Day flag was born.
(I left the red part a bit swirly intentionally. Swirls are pretty.)
These are your typical cream cheese mints, which I've done before. A little food coloring, a little artistic positioning, and the result is a patriotic display of sweetness. It's not an outstanding production, but it satisfied me (and my co-workers, who I'm convinced will devour just about anything).
July 4, 2009
happy mint-dependence day!
Yum61 comments:
- lisa is cooking said...
Love it! These are so cute. And, they're delicious with the cream cheese. Happy 4th of July!
- July 4, 2009 at 8:49 AM
- kat said...
Super cute, have a great 4th
- July 4, 2009 at 9:23 AM
- Shari said...
Happy 4th! What a cute treat for your co-workers! Cool idea.
- July 4, 2009 at 9:50 AM
- kimberleyblue said...
What a creative idea! They look so delicious too...your coworkers are very lucky.
Happy 4th! - July 4, 2009 at 10:17 AM
- Anonymous said...
Love it! Happy 4th!
- July 4, 2009 at 10:29 AM
- Creative Classroom Core said...
What a fun and yummy treat! Thanks for sharing! I will be bookmarking these! :)
- July 4, 2009 at 10:36 AM
- oneordinaryday said...
That's perfect. Not only pretty, but patriotic and delicious too. Sounds like a winner to me.
And very clever.... Happy Mint-dependence Day. : )
Michelle - July 4, 2009 at 10:43 AM
- Sweetflutterbys3 said...
I've made a chocolate covered version of these before, and I had to make another batch because the first disappeared! I will be trying your recipe too. They sound so good and I love the creative colors.
Happy 4th to you too! - July 4, 2009 at 11:23 AM
- Ingrid_3Bs said...
Happy 4th!
~ingrid - July 4, 2009 at 11:43 AM
- Zoe said...
These are so sweet! Little pockets of minty heaven!
- July 4, 2009 at 12:45 PM
- Gloria Baker said...
I love these Grace!! Look absolutely yummy !!! amazing colours!! Happy 4th!! kisses!! Gloria
- July 4, 2009 at 1:12 PM
- kellypea said...
You are so good to your co-workers. And I completely agree with you. Sometimes I spend a ridiculous amount of time entertaining myself with all the possibilities and then I don't make what I set out to make. DOH. Your flag is quite cute and definitely more patriotic looking than the dessert I made recently which was mauve and pink. Um...not quite 4th of Julyish? Hahahaha!
- July 4, 2009 at 1:17 PM
- Cucinista said...
What a great idea to make mints -- I had never seen a recipe for those before. They open up a whole world of possibility for treats and decorations. Thanks!
- July 4, 2009 at 1:57 PM
- Lyndas recipe box said...
A great idea, Grace-I love these mints,although I've not made them before. I love the swirls too!
Happy 4th! - July 4, 2009 at 2:27 PM
- Rebeca said...
So Cute! Happy Independence Day!
- July 4, 2009 at 3:21 PM
- OhioMom said...
What a clever minty flag .. Happy 4th!!
- July 4, 2009 at 4:16 PM
- Kathy Walker said...
Cute idea! I am going to explore how to make mints. I have never made them before.
- July 4, 2009 at 4:28 PM
- Unknown said...
Great idea, Grace! Sometimes simple is best, right? You have pretty lucky co-workers. I hope they appreciate you!
- July 4, 2009 at 8:02 PM
- Beth said...
Happy 4th! Yummy looking mints too!
- July 4, 2009 at 9:25 PM
- Jacque said...
Those are seriously cute! your little flag made me smile :)
Happy 4th! - July 4, 2009 at 9:38 PM
- KJ said...
Fantastic!! This reminds me of the time I made a massive Olympic flag out of lollies (jelly beans, snakes, smarties etc) for a work function to celebrate the opening of the Syndey Olympics.
- July 5, 2009 at 3:18 AM
- Donna-FFW said...
Absolutely the most perfect idea fo the 4th. Have to remember this for next year. Nicely done !
- July 5, 2009 at 7:28 AM
- Lindsey said...
So cute! I have never made cream cheese mints before, but they sound delicious!
- July 5, 2009 at 8:19 AM
- Bunny said...
I'm bookmarking this Grace this would be fantastic Christmas gidfts! I've never made them before but cream chesse paired with anything has to be good! Happy 4th of July ( belated)
- July 5, 2009 at 8:31 AM
- giz said...
The beauty in this is the energy to dedicated to it and the novelty of what you created. So cute and memorable.
- July 5, 2009 at 10:16 AM
- Barbara said...
I say: your page is so very festive, patriotic and so yummy looking I could reach right into the page and grab one. Aren't the old recipes the best? Never have tried cream cheese mints- but I will now.
- July 5, 2009 at 11:27 AM
- noble pig said...
Seriously that is stinkin' adorable...unreal.
- July 5, 2009 at 11:45 AM
- Anonymous said...
very cute and patriotic!
hope you have a great mint-dependence day! - July 5, 2009 at 6:10 PM
- Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...
Happy 4th of July Grace! Whata cool way to celebrate it and I like food related epiphanies! :)
- July 5, 2009 at 8:19 PM
- Lori said...
So you are telling me to cool my jets, huh. Sure, no problem, pass me one of those and I can cool my jets with some mint!
You know, I must have lead a sheltered life cause I never heard of these. I am so grateful for this post. I need to make these now. - July 5, 2009 at 8:30 PM
- Karine said...
Such an original way to create the flag!
- July 5, 2009 at 9:46 PM
- La Bella Cooks said...
What a fun idea! Sounds delicious with the cream cheese. Hope you had a great 4th.
- July 5, 2009 at 9:52 PM
- MaryBeth said...
Do we work in the same office and just don't know it? I think your flag is adorable and very creative.
- July 5, 2009 at 10:10 PM
- Laura said...
Awesome! You know how much I love mint--why I have I never tried something like this? Oh and we have 2 eps to go in Fringe and we are LOVING it. Did you finish (or ever watch) Pushing Daisies? We have 1 to go there...
- July 5, 2009 at 10:14 PM
- Anonymous said...
wow!! These look sooo petite and whimsical and absolutely drool-worthy! Too pretty and cute for words!
- July 6, 2009 at 12:06 AM
- Anita said...
Great photo! I've never seen these mints before... must look into it further
- July 6, 2009 at 8:09 AM
- Nic said...
Cool! Hope you had a good 4th!
PS. Sent you an email. - July 6, 2009 at 8:14 AM
- Chef Fresco said...
Aww how cute! Hope you had a great 4th!
- July 6, 2009 at 8:41 AM
- Albany Jane said...
Oh Grace, I love it when you play with your food! So freakin' cute!
- July 6, 2009 at 9:17 AM
- Cookie baker Lynn said...
So cute! I'm a fan of Mint-dependance day!
- July 6, 2009 at 2:40 PM
- The Blonde Duck said...
I want to be your co-worker. And your buddy. And pal.
Lucky bastards. - July 6, 2009 at 2:48 PM
- Marjie said...
Red, white and blue! It's nothing but Independence Day goodness.
- July 6, 2009 at 4:14 PM
- LilSis said...
What a cute idea! Very clever. Amazing what you can come up with when you actually stop trying so hard.
- July 6, 2009 at 5:56 PM
- Abby said...
I think we have the same co-workers.
I've made those mints before, and I colored them for Valentine's Day.
Great minds are we. - July 6, 2009 at 8:26 PM
- Robin said...
Another fun recipe for my little ones! I think this is great any time of year too!
- July 7, 2009 at 12:50 AM
- Anonymous said...
Awww, these are so cute! What a creative idea :D
- July 7, 2009 at 1:58 AM
- Anna said...
So cute! I might try that recipe with orange flavouring... I'm not a big mint girl but love the texture. Hmm!
- July 7, 2009 at 3:59 AM
- Maria said...
How fun!
- July 7, 2009 at 10:56 AM
- Juliana said...
Great idea...really fun!
- July 7, 2009 at 1:36 PM
- Delicious Dishings said...
So creative! I love it!
- July 7, 2009 at 3:43 PM
- unconfidentialcook said...
What a great idea...so much more interesting that the blueberry-strawberry flag on a sheet cake. LOVE it! Can't wait for next year.
- July 7, 2009 at 5:53 PM
- Jaime said...
how creative! i didn't know you could make those mints at home!
- July 7, 2009 at 9:47 PM
- Deborah said...
Beautiful! Hope your holiday was wonderful!
- July 7, 2009 at 9:59 PM
- Emily said...
I love it! That is one delicious, beautiful flag. What a great idea!
- July 8, 2009 at 3:54 AM
- pigpigscorner said...
Very creative!
- July 8, 2009 at 11:54 AM
- foodhoe said...
beautiful! I'd like have to have that with chocolate fondue... Hope your holiday was very festive.
- July 8, 2009 at 11:58 AM
- Jessica@foodmayhem said...
I don't like mints but dig your design.
- July 8, 2009 at 1:43 PM
- Lisa said...
And those are lovely mints too! Sounds fun to me. I hope your holiday was spectacular.
- July 8, 2009 at 5:37 PM
- Pam said...
You clever, clever girl. Hope you had a great fourth.
- July 9, 2009 at 1:54 AM
- ♥Rosie♥ said...
Those are so cute and Happy belated 4th July Grace!
- July 9, 2009 at 1:22 PM
- eatme_delicious said...
Great idea!! I've never had a cream cheese mint.
- July 10, 2009 at 10:26 AM


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Texas fertilizer plant blast injures dozens
April 18, 2013
WEST, Texas (AP) — A massive explosion at a fertilizer plant near Waco on Wednesday night injured dozens of people and sent flames shooting into the night sky, leaving the factory a smoldering ruin following a blast that damaged buildings for blocks in every direction.
The explosion at West Fertilizer in West, a community about 20 miles north of Waco, happened shortly before 8 p.m. and could be heard as far away as Waxahachie, 45 miles to the north.
Tommy Muska, West's mayor, said at a news conference three hours after the explosion that he didn't yet know how many people had been injured or killed. He said buildings in a five-block radius from the plant were severely damaged by the explosion.
Among the damaged buildings was the West Rest Haven Nursing Home, from which first-responders evacuated 133 patients, some in wheelchairs. "We did get there and got that taken care of," Muska said.
Information was hard to come by in the hours after the blast, with even Texas Gov. Rick Perry saying state officials were waiting for details about the extent of the damage.
"We are monitoring developments and gathering information as details continue to emerge about this incident," Perry said in a statement. "We have also mobilized state resources to help local authorities. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of West, and the first responders on the scene."
Aerial footage showed fires still smoldering in the ruins of the plant and in several surrounding buildings, and people being treated for injuries on a flood-lit local football field, which had been turned into a staging area for emergency responders.
Debby Marak told The Associated Press that when she finished teaching her religion class Wednesday night, she noticed a lot of smoke in the area across town near the plant, which is near a nursing home. She said she drove over to see what was happening, and that when she got there, two boys came running toward her screaming that the authorities ordered everyone out because the plant was going to explode.
She said she drove about a block when the blast happened.
"It was like being in a tornado," Marak, 58, said by phone. "Stuff was flying everywhere. It blew out my windshield."
"It was like the whole earth shook."
She drove 10 blocks and called her husband and asked him to come get her. When they got to their home about 2 miles south of town, her husband told her what he'd seen: a huge fireball that rose like "a mushroom cloud."
The explosion caused the roof of what appeared to be a housing complex of some kind to collapse. In aerial footage from NBC's Dallas-Fort Worth affiliate, KXAS, dozens of emergency vehicles could be seen amassed at the scene. Entry into West was slow-going, as the roads were jammed with emergency vehicles rushing in to help out.
Authorities set up a staging area on a flood-lit high school football field, where the injured were being treated or taken to area hospitals via road or helicopter.
Glenn A. Robinson, the chief executive of Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco, told CNN that his hospital had received 66 injured people for treatment, including 38 who were seriously hurt. He said the injuries included blast injuries, orthopedic injuries, large wounds and a lot of lacerations and cuts. The hospital has set up a hotline for families of the victims to get information, he said.
Robinson did not immediately return messages from the AP.
American Red Cross crews from across Texas were being sent to the site, the organization said. Red Cross spokeswoman Anita Foster said the group was working with emergency management officials in West to find a safe shelter for residents displaced from their homes. She said teams from Austin to Dallas and elsewhere are being sent to the community north of Waco.
A West Fire Department dispatcher said any casualties would be transported to hospitals in Waco, which is about 90 miles north of Austin.
The explosion knocked out power to many area customers and could be heard and felt for miles around.
Brad Smith, who lives 45 miles north of West in Waxahachie, told the station that he and his wife heard what sounded like a thunderclap.
Lydia Zimmerman, told KWTX that she, her husband and daughter were in their garden in Bynum, 13 miles from West, when they heard multiple blasts.
"It sounded like three bombs going off very close to us," she said.
Rafael Abreu, a geophysicist with National Earthquake Information Center of the U.S. Geological Survey, said the explosion did not register on a seismograph because most of the blast's energy dissipated in the atmosphere.
In 2001, an explosion at a chemical plant killed 31 people and injured more than 2,000 in Toulouse, France. The blast occurred in a hangar containing 300 tons of ammonium nitrate, which can be used for both fertilizer and explosives. The explosion came 10 days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S., and raised fears at the time it was linked. A 2006 report blamed the blast on negligence.


text:
Finding out you have a medical condition can be scary. Part of what is frightening are all the unkowns—there may be many things that you do not know or do not understand. But, by asking your doctor questions, you can gain a better understanding of what to expect.
Being prepared before you get to the doctor's office will help ensure that your questions get answered. Here are some general tips to get you ready:
- Write a list of concerns and questions. Include any new symptoms you may be having (ie, a change in appetite, sleeping, energy level, or other daily habits).
- Bring a list of all prescription medicines, vitamins, herbal remedies, dietary supplements, over-the-counter medicines, and any other nonprescription medicines you are taking.
- Consider bringing a friend or relative with you.
- Be honest. Do not just say what you think the doctor wants to hear.
Here are some sample questions to get you started:
About Your Condition
- What is my condition, exactly?
- Can you determine a cause?
- Can it be treated?
- What symptoms or changes should I watch for?
What, if any, lifestyle changes should I make related to:
- Diet
- Exercise
- Smoking
- Drinking alcohol
- How will this affect my lifestyle?
- Can you recommend a support group?
About Your Treatment
- What are my treatment choices?
- How successful has this form of treatment typically been?
- How long will my treatment last?
- What are the benefits of this form of treatment?
- Are there any side effects I should watch for?
- What are the risks involved with this treatment?
- For medicines, what should I do if I miss a dose?
- Are there any alternative or complementary therapies I should consider?
- Should I avoid any foods, drugs, activities, or alcohol?
- Will my medicine interact with any other prescribed medicines, over-the-counter medicines, or dietary supplements that I am currently taking?
- How will I know if my treatment has been successful?
About Your Tests
- What kind of tests will I have?
- What will these tests tell you?
- When will I have the results?
- Will you call me with the results?
- What do I need to do to prepare for the tests?
- Are there any risks associated with the tests?
- Will I need more tests later?
If You Do Not Understand Your Doctor's Answers
- Ask more questions. Ask the doctor to explain any words or concepts that you do not understand.
- Bring a pad of paper and take notes. Or ask your doctor to write things down for you.
- Ask your doctor for any written materials, pamphlets, or videos that may relate to your condition.
- Ask where you can get more information.
- Try talking with other healthcare providers (such as nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, and pharmacists) who may take more time to explain things to you.
Depending on your condition, there may be many other questions that you will want to and need to ask. Do not be afraid to speak up, ask questions, and insist on answers—even when the answer is "We do not know." Remember, your doctor is your partner in healthcare and you both have the same goal, returning you to optimum health.
National Institute on Aging http://www.nia.nih.gov/
Women's Health.gov http://www.womenshealth.gov/
Canadian Family Physician http://www.cfp.ca/
Canadian Institute for Health Information http://www.cihi.ca/
National Institute on Aging website. Available at: http://www.nia.nih.gov . Accessed July 15, 2008.
The National Women's Health Information Center website. Available at: http://www.womenshealth.gov/ . Accessed July 15, 2008.


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The first popular jazz singer to move audiences with the intense, personal feeling of classic blues, Billie Holiday changed the art of American pop vocals forever. More than a half-century after her death, it's difficult to believe that prior to her emergence, jazz and pop singers were tied to the Tin Pan Alley tradition and rarely personalized their songs; only blues singers like Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey actually gave the impression they had lived through what they were singing. Billie Holiday's highly stylized reading of this blues tradition revolutionized traditional pop, ripping the decades-long tradition of song plugging in two by refusing to compromise her artistry for either the song or the band. She made clear her debts to Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong (in her autobiography she admitted, "I always wanted Bessie's big sound and Pops' feeling"), but in truth her style was virtually her own, quite a shock in an age of interchangeable crooners and band singers.
With her spirit shining through on every recording, Holiday's technical expertise also excelled in comparison to the great majority of her contemporaries. Often bored by the tired old Tin Pan Alley songs she was forced to record early in her career, Holiday fooled around with the beat and the melody, phrasing behind the beat and often rejuvenating the standard melody with harmonies borrowed from her favorite horn players, Armstrong and Lester Young. (She often said she tried to sing like a horn.) Her notorious private life -- a series of abusive relationships, substance addictions, and periods of depression -- undoubtedly assisted her legendary status, but Holiday's best performances ("Lover Man," "Don't Explain," "Strange Fruit," her own composition "God Bless the Child") remain among the most sensitive and accomplished vocal performances ever recorded. More than technical ability, more than purity of voice, what made Billie Holiday one of the best vocalists of the century -- easily the equal of Ella Fitzgerald or Frank Sinatra -- was her relentlessly individualist temperament, a quality that colored every one of her endlessly nuanced performances.
Billie Holiday's chaotic life reportedly began in Baltimore on April 7, 1915 (a few reports say 1912) when she was born Eleanora Fagan Gough. Her father, Clarence Holiday, was a teenaged jazz guitarist and banjo player later to play in Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra. He never married her mother, Sadie Fagan, and left while his daughter was still a baby. (She would later run into him in New York, and though she contracted many guitarists for her sessions before his death in 1937, she always avoided using him.) Holiday's mother was also a young teenager at the time, and whether because of inexperience or neglect, often left her daughter with uncaring relatives. Holiday was sentenced to Catholic reform school at the age of ten, reportedly after she admitted being raped. Though sentenced to stay until she became an adult, a family friend helped get her released after just two years. With her mother, she moved in 1927, first to New Jersey and soon after to Brooklyn.
In New York, Holiday helped her mother with domestic work, but soon began moonlighting as a prostitute for the additional income. According to the weighty Billie Holiday legend (which gained additional credence after her notoriously apocryphal autobiography Lady Sings the Blues), her big singing break came in 1933 when a laughable dancing audition at a speakeasy prompted her accompanist to ask her if she could sing. In fact, Holiday was most likely singing at clubs all over New York City as early as 1930-31. Whatever the true story, she first gained some publicity in early 1933, when record producer John Hammond -- only three years older than Holiday herself, and just at the beginning of a legendary career -- wrote her up in a column for Melody Maker and brought Benny Goodman to one of her performances. After recording a demo at Columbia Studios, Holiday joined a small group led by Goodman to make her commercial debut on November 27, 1933 with "Your Mother's Son-In-Law."
Though she didn't return to the studio for over a year, Billie Holiday spent 1934 moving up the rungs of the competitive New York bar scene. By early 1935, she made her debut at the Apollo Theater and appeared in a one-reeler film with Duke Ellington. During the last half of 1935, Holiday finally entered the studio again and recorded a total of four sessions. With a pick-up band supervised by pianist Teddy Wilson, she recorded a series of obscure, forgettable songs straight from the gutters of Tin Pan Alley -- in other words, the only songs available to an obscure black band during the mid-'30s. (During the swing era, music publishers kept the best songs strictly in the hands of society orchestras and popular white singers.) Despite the poor song quality, Holiday and various groups (including trumpeter Roy Eldridge, alto Johnny Hodges, and tenors Ben Webster and Chu Berry) energized flat songs like "What a Little Moonlight Can Do," "Twenty-Four Hours a Day" and "If You Were Mine" (to say nothing of "Eeny Meeny Miney Mo" and "Yankee Doodle Never Went to Town"). The great combo playing and Holiday's increasingly assured vocals made them quite popular on Columbia, Brunswick and Vocalion.
During 1936, Holiday toured with groups led by Jimmie Lunceford and Fletcher Henderson, then returned to New York for several more sessions. In late January 1937, she recorded several numbers with a small group culled from one of Hammond's new discoveries, Count Basie's Orchestra. Tenor Lester Young, who'd briefly known Billie several years earlier, and trumpeter Buck Clayton were to become especially attached to Holiday. The three did much of their best recorded work together during the late '30s, and Holiday herself bestowed the nickname Pres on Young, while he dubbed her Lady Day for her elegance. By the spring of 1937, she began touring with Basie as the female complement to his male singer, Jimmy Rushing. The association lasted less than a year, however. Though officially she was fired from the band for being temperamental and unreliable, shadowy influences higher up in the publishing world reportedly commanded the action after she refused to begin singing '20s female blues standards.
At least temporarily, the move actually benefited Holiday -- less than a month after leaving Basie, she was hired by Artie Shaw's popular band. She began singing with the group in 1938, one of the first instances of a black female appearing with a white group. Despite the continuing support of the entire band, however, show promoters and radio sponsors soon began objecting to Holiday -- based on her unorthodox singing style almost as much as her race. After a series of escalating indignities, Holiday quit the band in disgust. Yet again, her judgment proved valuable; the added freedom allowed her to take a gig at a hip new club named Café Society, the first popular nightspot with an inter-racial audience. There, Billie Holiday learned the song that would catapult her career to a new level: "Strange Fruit."
The standard, written by Café Society regular Lewis Allen and forever tied to Holiday, is an anguished reprisal of the intense racism still persistent in the South. Though Holiday initially expressed doubts about adding such a bald, uncompromising song to her repertoire, she pulled it off thanks largely to her powers of nuance and subtlety. "Strange Fruit" soon became the highlight of her performances. Though John Hammond refused to record it (not for its politics but for its overly pungent imagery), he allowed Holiday a bit of leverage to record for Commodore, the label owned by jazz record-store owner Milt Gabler. Once released, "Strange Fruit" was banned by many radio outlets, though the growing jukebox industry (and the inclusion of the excellent "Fine and Mellow" on the flip) made it a rather large, though controversial, hit. She continued recording for Columbia labels until 1942, and hit big again with her most famous composition, 1941's "God Bless the Child." Gabler, who also worked A&R for Decca, signed her to the label in 1944 to record "Lover Man," a song written especially for her and her third big hit. Neatly side-stepping the musician's union ban that afflicted her former label, Holiday soon became a priority at Decca, earning the right to top-quality material and lavish string sections for her sessions. She continued recording scattered sessions for Decca during the rest of the '40s, and recorded several of her best-loved songs including Bessie Smith's "'Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do," "Them There Eyes," and "Crazy He Calls Me."
Though her artistry was at its peak, Billie Holiday's emotional life began a turbulent period during the mid-'40s. Already heavily into alcohol and marijuana, she began smoking opium early in the decade with her first husband, Johnnie Monroe. The marriage didn't last, but hot on its heels came a second marriage to trumpeter Joe Guy and a move to heroin. Despite her triumphant concert at New York's Town Hall and a small film role -- as a maid (!) -- with Louis Armstrong in 1947's New Orleans, she lost a good deal of money running her own orchestra with Joe Guy. Her mother's death soon after affected her deeply, and in 1947 she was arrested for possession of heroin and sentenced to eight months in prison.
Unfortunately, Holiday's troubles only continued after her release. The drug charge made it impossible for her to get a cabaret card, so nightclub performances were out of the question. Plagued by various celebrity hawks from all portions of the underworld (jazz, drugs, song publishing, etc.), she soldiered on for Decca until 1950. Two years later, she began recording for jazz entrepreneur Norman Granz, owner of the excellent labels Clef, Norgran, and by 1956, Verve. The recordings returned her to the small-group intimacy of her Columbia work, and reunited her with Ben Webster as well as other top-flight musicians such as Oscar Peterson, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Charlie Shavers. Though the ravages of a hard life were beginning to take their toll on her voice, many of Holiday's mid-'50s recordings are just as intense and beautiful as her classic work.
During 1954, Holiday toured Europe to great acclaim, and her 1956 autobiography brought her even more fame (or notoriety). She made her last great appearance in 1957, on the CBS television special The Sound of Jazz with Webster, Lester Young, and Coleman Hawkins providing a close backing. One year later, the Lady in Satin LP clothed her naked, increasingly hoarse voice with the overwrought strings of Ray Ellis. During her final year, she made two more appearances in Europe before collapsing in May 1959 of heart and liver disease. Still procuring heroin while on her death bed, Holiday was arrested for possession in her private room and died on July 17, her system completely unable to fight both withdrawal and heart disease at the same time. Her cult of influence spread quickly after her death and gave her more fame than she'd enjoyed in life. The 1972 biopic Lady Sings the Blues featured Diana Ross struggling to overcome the conflicting myths of Holiday's life, but the film also illuminated her tragic life and introduced many future fans. By the digital age, virtually all of Holiday's recorded material had been reissued: by Columbia (nine volumes of The Quintessential Billie Holiday), Decca (The Complete Decca Recordings), and Verve (The Complete Billie Holiday on Verve 1945-1959).
by John Bush


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Prosecution's Choice Of Charge Complicates Case Against Zimmerman
By charging George Zimmerman with second-degree murder rather than manslaughter, prosecutors have chosen a path that presents them with some steep legal hurdles, experts tell The Associated Press.
According to the wire service, prosecutors will "have to prove Zimmerman intentionally went after Trayvon Martin instead of shooting him in self-defense, refute arguments that a Florida law empowered him to use deadly force and get past a judge's ruling at a pretrial hearing."
"Prosecutors must prove Zimmerman's shooting of Martin was rooted in hatred or ill will and counter his claims that he shot Martin to protect himself while patrolling his gated community in the Orlando suburb of Sanford. Zimmerman's lawyers would only have to prove by a preponderance of evidence — a relatively low legal standard — that he acted in self-defense at a pretrial hearing to prevent the case from going to trial."
Florida defense attorney Richard Hornsby tells the wire service that there is a "high likelihood [the charge] could be dismissed by the judge even before the jury gets to hear the case."
On the PBS NewsHour last evening, Florida attorney Jeffrey Weiner said that to convict Zimmerman on the second-degree murder charge prosecutors will "have to show that he had really a depraved mind. In other words, he didn't plan this ahead of time. It wasn't premeditated, but it was as reckless and wanton behavior as could possibly have taken place short of premeditation."
"The proof is certainly more than what is required for manslaughter," he said.
The Orlando Sentinel adds that according to defense attorney Patricia Cashman:
" 'A second-degree charge is generally thought of as a heat-of-passion thing' ... as opposed to a premeditated killing. Often, it's the result of 'an argument that ends in a death.' ... However, under Florida law, a manslaughter charge requires only 'culpable negligence' on the defendant's behalf. Second-degree murder, the law says, results from 'an act imminently dangerous to another and evincing a depraved mind regardless of human life.' "
Florida State Attorney Angela Corey, who is the special prosecutor in the case, declined Wednesday to offer details about how she arrived at the second-degree murder charge rather than manslaughter.
Zimmerman, 28, shot and killed 17-year-old Martin on Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman has told police he acted in self defense. Martin's family and supporters believe Zimmerman racially profiled the black teenager. Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, had called police to say that a "suspicious" young man was walking around the area. Martin, according to police reports, was unarmed.
The case has rekindled a national discussion about race relations and has led to marches and rallies in cities across the nation by people calling for Zimmerman to be brought to justice.
Zimmerman, who turned himself into authorities Wednesday, is due at a court hearing in Sanford this afternoon. His attorney says Zimmerman will plead not guilty.


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Robert Judson Clark, a Princeton professor emeritus of art and archaeology who was considered the father of the Arts and Crafts revival, died Tuesday, Jan. 4, at home in Lafayette, Calif., after a lengthy illness. He was 73.
Clark taught a graduate seminar and an undergraduate course in modern architecture covering the late 18th century to the present and an undergraduate course in American art from the colonial period to 1916. He also participated in the University's Program in American Studies, an interdepartmental course of study on American civilization.
In 1972, Clark directed an exhibition for the Princeton University Art Museum titled "The Arts and Crafts Movement in America, 1876-1916." The exhibition traveled to the Art Institute of Chicago and the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.
"His pioneering work in the promotion and revival of the Arts and Crafts movement needs to be remembered," said Peter Bunnell, Princeton's David Hunter McAlpin Professor of the History of Photography and Modern Art Emeritus and a colleague of Clark's in the Department of Art and Archaeology. "From one point of view, it's very important to make sure that people recognize that that was a very early and pioneering effort at the repositioning of American art in the world view."
The original Arts and Crafts movement started in 1895, with key names in America such as Elbert Hubbard and Gustav Stickley holding exhibitions and publishing magazines that touted the movement as a preferable alternative to the Victorian era and as a way to bring art -- from furniture to pottery to architecture -- in the middle-class home. After World War II, the style was largely forgotten until Clark's 1972 Princeton exhibition.
According to Bruce Johnson, publisher of Arts and Crafts Collector and organizer of the Grove Park Inn national Arts and Crafts conference in Asheville, N.C., Clark and his Princeton exhibition inspired a generation.
"When historians look back on the 20th century and do their assessment, the name that will be credited with pioneering the revival of the Arts and Crafts movement is Robert Judson Clark," Johnson said.
"Robert Clark was the one who didn't just talk about this style, he identified firms and names and really pointed out the work that people had done, put them in the 1972 exhibition and really made an impact because he got this work into major venues."
Johnson met Clark during the Arts and Crafts national conference in 1992, when Clark spoke and was honored for the 20th anniversary of the Princeton exhibition. The catalog for the exhibit, of which Clark was editor and co-author, was reprinted by Princeton University Press in 1992.
"The exhibition catalog has really become the bible for collectors and people who follow this movement," Johnson said. "There's a whole generation of collectors who use Clark's work to guide them along the way."
Clark also wrote "Louis Christian Mullgardt," the catalog for a 1966 exhibition at the University Art Museum of the University of California-Santa Barbara and the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco about the American architect who lived from the late 19th century to the early 20th century and was influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement.
Clark was described by those who knew him as a renowned scholar, a determined researcher and dedicated teacher.
"He was the kind of person you wanted to keep informed of your work, and he would do the same," Bunnell said. "He was very generous, and I'd say an optimistic person."
Clark joined the Princeton faculty in 1968 as an assistant professor, was promoted to associate professor in 1975 and professor in 1988. He retired from the university in 1997.
After Clark's retirement, he moved to California and remained instrumental in a number of restoration efforts of a number of classic buildings, including the First Church of Berkeley and Thorsen House, also in Berkeley.
Clark was born Aug. 31, 1937, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He earned a bachelor's degree at the University of California-Berkeley in 1960 and spent the next three years in Germany. After he returned, he received his M.A. from Stanford University in 1964, and an M.F.A. and Ph.D. from Princeton in 1966 and 1974, respectively.
A memorial service for Clark was held Jan. 8 in Moraga, Calif.


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Refractive Errors in Children
What is normal vision?
In order to better understand how certain problems can affect your child's vision, it is important to understand how normal vision occurs. For children with normal vision, the following sequence takes place:
Light enters the eye through the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye.
From the cornea, the light passes through the pupil. The amount of light passing through is regulated by the iris, or the colored part of your eye.
From there, the light then hits the lens, the transparent structure inside the eye that focuses light rays onto the retina.
Next, it passes through the vitreous humor, the clear, jelly-like substance that fills the center of the eye and helps to keep the eye round in shape.
Finally, it reaches the retina, the light-sensitive nerve layer that lines the back of the eye, where the image appears inverted.
The optic nerve carries signals of light, dark, and colors to the area of the brain (the visual cortex), which assembles the signals into images (our vision).
What are refractive errors?
The following are the most common refractive errors, all of which affect vision and may require corrective lenses for correction or improvement:
Astigmatism. Astigmatism is a condition in which an abnormal curvature of the cornea can cause two focal points to fall in two different locations--making objects up close and at a distance appear blurry. Astigmatisms may cause eye strain and may be combined with nearsightedness or farsightedness. Astigmatism can start in childhood or in adulthood. Some symptoms include headache, eye strain, and/or fatigue. Eye rubbing, lack of interest in school, and difficulty in reading are often seen in children with astigmatism. Depending on the severity, eyeglasses or contact lenses may be required.
Hyperopia. Commonly known as farsightedness, hyperopia is the refractive error in which an image of a distant object becomes focused behind the retina, either because the eyeball axis is too short, or because the refractive power of the eye is too weak. This condition makes close objects appear out of focus and may cause headaches, eye strain, and/or fatigue. Squinting, eye rubbing, lack of interest in school, and difficulty in reading are often seen in children with hyperopia.
Myopia. Commonly known as nearsightedness, myopia (the opposite of hyperopia) is a condition in which an image of a distant object becomes focused in front the retina, either because the eyeball axis is too long, or because the refractive power of the eye is too strong. Myopia is the most common refractive error requiring correction seen in children. This condition makes distant objects appear out of focus and may cause headaches and/or eye strain.
Eyeglasses or contact lenses may help to correct or improve myopia by adjusting the focusing power to the retina.
What causes refractive errors?
Refractive errors (myopia and hyperopia) have been found to cluster in families. A variety of inheritance patterns have been observed including dominant (one gene passed from a parent with a refractive error to a child), recessive (caused by two genes, one inherited from each parent who may or may not have a refractive error), and multifactorial (combination of genes and environment). Refractive errors are present in a number of genetic disorders, such as Marfan syndrome and Down syndrome.
Eyeglasses or contact lenses may help to correct or improve hyperopia by adjusting the focusing power to the retina.


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This week on the podcast we're talking about the pains and pleasures of jailbreaking your iPhone and how to record and watch live TV through XBMC. We're also answering your questions about finding cross-platform software alternatives, the best phone for a little old lady.
How to Listen to This Week's Episode
Here's how you can listen to our episode:
Download the MP3 directly.
Watch the recorded live broadcast (or just view it via the video above).
Just listen to it in the Souncloud player below.
News and Top Stories
Twitter Hacked and 250,000 User Accounts Potentially Compromised: Change Your Passwords: Twitter was hacked again. Chances are your password wasn't compromised, but change it anyway just to be safe.
Instagram Launches Photo Feeds on the Desktop Web, Still Prevents Image Uploading: Instagram launched a web version that allows you to view your own photo stream as well as the photo streams of people you follow. Although this has been a long-desired feature amongst users, the release has received much criticism due to the lack of photo uploading from the desktop.
iOS 6.x Gets Jailbroken, We Show You How Its Done: iOS 6.x received a long-awaited jailbreak and we updated our always up-to-date guide to show you how its done. The jailbreak was a little buggy, however, but patch was released to help solve the problem.
The Best Jailbreak Apps and Tweaks for iOS 6: With the new jailbreak for iOS 6, it's time to start playing around with all the great apps and tweaks on your newly freed device. Here's a look at some of our favorites available in Cydia for iOS 6.
Dachis Joins the Android Crew: Dachis briefly discusses his reasoning for switching to Android, inspired by this article.
How to Watch and Record Live TV on Your XBMC Media Center: Building a media center is a killer way to watch or stream your favorite movies and TV shows, but if you miss being able to watch live TV-and record it so you can watch it later-you can turn your XBMC box into a personal video recorder (PVR) with just a bit of setup. Here's what you need to do.
Questions and Answers
Each week we answer five questions from readers and listeners. Here's what we tackled this week.
What are some alternatives to Fine Print and Teracopy for the Mac? Also, how do I save battery on a jailbroken iPhone 4? Instead of Fine Print, check out Clean Print (and take a closer look at the OS X print dialog). While it does a lot more stuff than Teracopy, PathFinder is really the only way to get better copying options (like queuing). That said, there are some alternatives like UtraCopy, Ultracopier, and Minicopier that might do some things better but aren't really worth using (in our opinion). To save battery on your jailbroken iPhone, check out BattSaver and these tips.
How do I manage two contacts with the same first and last names so my phone doesn't think they're the same person? Add different middle names. If they don't have middle names, make some up or just use numbers. Also, adding additional information fields (e.g. a nickname, birthday, etc.) to the contact info can help.
What's a good, simple-to-learn phone for a little old lady? Pretty much any Windows Phone.
How can I post to Google+, Facebook, and Twitter all at the same time? Like this.
What's the best productivity system? Anything that makes your to-do lists do-able. We all kind of use piecemeal systems and take the ideas that work for us. You don't necessarily need a productivity system, but rather a set of tools and ideas that help you do things better.
Tips of the Week
Thorin's Pick: The Correct Way to Clean Eyeglasses
Whitson's Pick: Use Silica Gel Packets to Keep Food Fresh
Dachis' Pick: Easily Restart Your Overburdened Router with a Christmas Light Switch
Downloads of the Week
Thorin's Pick: Spotify Apps (Spotify)
Whitson's Pick: SiriProxy (iOS)
Dachis' Pick: aText (OS X)
How Do I Submit a Question?
There are two ways to send in your question:
Call (347) 687-8109 and record a question. Calls are awesome! We like them!
Email your question to [email protected].
Please keep your questions as brief as possible. This means about 3-5 sentences for emails and 30-60 seconds for calls and videos. Your questions can be specific, but broader questions are generally better because they'll apply to more people. For example, "how can I breathe new life into my old PDA?" is much better than "what can I do with an old HP iPAQ 210?" Either way, we look forward to hearing from you!
Newspaper, Computer, Clock (by Brandon Hopkins), and Alert (by Dima Yagnyuk) provided by the Noun Project.