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Why I Gave My Kid More Screen Time
I went to pick up my 10-year-old (we like to call him Big Brother) from a playdate recently, and found him and his friend hunched over separate laptops playing Minecraft. "Sorry, they've been on the computer all afternoon," his friend's mother sheepishly apologized.
Not that I am one to judge. After all, many a playdate at my house has gone something like this:
"Can we play Wii/Wizard 101/Webkinz?"
"No, you and Johnny should play with each other. Go build LEGOs or trade Pokémon cards or jump on the trampoline."
"But he's going to show me how to get to the next level/meet me in the server/breed his Pokémon with mine." (Yes, they really breed).
"Why don't you do other things for the first hour, then you can play video games?"
Ten minutes later.
"Can we play Wii/Wizard 101/Webkinz?"
"Go play in the backyard!"
"Can we play Wii/Wizard 101/Webkinz?"
"Oh … I guess … OK."
RELATED: Parenting With Social Media
I should have seen it coming last summer, when Big Brother turned 10. We were wandering around Toys"R"Us, something that used to take hours because we had such a hard time trying to narrow down what to buy. Even with his fistful of gift cards, Big Brother was indecisive because he couldn't find any toys he wanted to buy.
"Can we look around that section?" he asked, pointing to the corner of the store where the video games were kept.
We live in Silicon Valley, where plenty of other children are playing video games before they can read. One of my son's friends builds websites in HTML. (I need to get his number). I may live in the ground zero of technology, but I was a Luddite until recently. We were the last family on the block to get a game console. Until a year ago, all four of us shared one PC. And we still don't have an iPad or Kindle, and if we want to watch TV, we actually have to park ourselves on the couch at a designated time, because we don't own a DVR. The last time I enjoyed gaming, it involved borrowing my roommate's Apple IIe to play Tetris.
So why did I change my mind on video games? Facebook made me do it. Let me explain …
One day, when I was yelling at my kids to end their games (don't finish the level, don't save, just turn it off!), Little Brother mouthed back at me, "But you've been on your computer for hours!"
"That's different. I'm working."
"You're not working, you're just … on Facebook!"
RELATED: The Trouble With Technology
That launched me into a long monologue into how mommy is a writer; reading and commenting and sharing things online is part of how I find out what's going on and connect with people. It didn't resonate well with a 7-year old. But as I thought about it, I realized that knowing how to relate to others online is the new people skill. And just like toddlers need to spend some time in the sandbox to learn how to play well with others, tweens probably now need to get gradually introduced to the world of social media—and gaming is now part of social, as well. The boys trade characters over Wi-Fi on their Nintendos and meet each other in different parts of the Minecraft world. We've had talks about what kind of people they can interact with and what kind of language or discussion is acceptable.
I know some adults who are perfectly capable of designing circuits, but have no idea what to do with the circles on Google+. I also know some adults who over-share—with no filter—every detail of their lives, especially if it's numbingly mundane or personal enough to be cringeworthy. I don't want my kids grow up to be at either extreme.
So I'm letting them get their feet wet, trying on avatars and screen names. There are limits, but not as strict as before. They might be imitating adults and perhaps trying to act older than they are—but that's how kids learn. After all, isn't that what play is all about?


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Is It Really Winter?
Friday, November 30, 2007
I don't have my camera to show you but we are having what can only be described as a dreary day. I can't even see our beautiful Mt Graham it's totally covered in clouds.I am hoping that when it clears we will have a winter wonder land hovering over us for the next 4-5 months. I just can't believe we actually get to have "seasons" here. It definitely makes me want to curl up by the Non working Fireplace with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate. I know we don't have snow on the ground here and that's OK but at least I can see it.

subset: commoncrawl


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Listen & view Trey Songz's lyrics & tabs
Tremaine Aldon Neverson (born November 28, 1984 in Petersburg, Virginia, USA), better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is a Grammy award nominated American singer, producer and actor. After releasing many mixtapes under the name Prince of Virginia he signed to Atlantic Records in 2005 and released his debut album I Gotta Make It. His second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007 and earned him ...read more
Similar Artists of Trey Songz
Top Tracks of Trey Songz
Panty Droppa (The Complete Edition) (Prod. by Troy Taylor, Patrick Hayes) (iTunes Deluxe Version and Japan Bonus Track)


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Mobile home IRM Mercure sold ! Sale Mobile home Vendée (Pays de la Loire)IRM Mercure
Mobile home 2 bedrooms - 4 Sleeps
Characteristics of the mobile home
Type of roof : Duo-pitch
Cladding : Vinyl
layout : Central
Double glazing
Fixtures & fittingsWater heater Gas
Hob Gas
Comfort / Insulation
Heathing electric
1 convector(s)
Model :
Year : 0
Dimensions : 7.32 x 4 m
layout : Central
Type of roof : Duo-pitch
N° of bedrooms : 2
Sleeps : 4
N° of bathrooms : 1
General condition : Good condition
Without pitch
- Contact the seller
Show telephone
Guide price only.
Although this information is considered to be correct, we decline all responsibility in the event of incorrect information. Information is not contractual. All the measurements given above are approximate.
See more models on www.secondhandmobilehome.com


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In LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game on the Xbox 360, your adventure begins as blacksmith apprentice Will Turner in Port Royal. From the outset, you must utilise the abilities of the different characters to solve puzzles and complete challenges by switching between them. Will's boss Mr Brown fixes things with his hammer, while female characters jump higher to reach ledges and ropes. Captain Jack Sparrow is the star of LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game and this game follows the 4 films. Use his trusty compass to find hidden objects, just select the item you want to look for and follow the trail - as in all good pirate stories, X marks the spot. There are tons of treasures stashed throughout the game that unlock new areas and help you solve puzzles.
Super Gamer Dude
Xbox 360
Developer Traveller's Tales just keeps the Lego fun coming. The maker of such favorites as Lego Star Wars, Lego Harry Potter and Lego Batman, the developer keeps finding new Hollywood franchises in which to insert a little Lego magic. If you've played any of the previous games in the Lego series, you will know exactly what you are getting with Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. You're getting a fun game that you can mindlessly button mash away on as you work to unlock new hilarious scenes featuring your favorite movie characters portrayed as Lego figures. It's a great way to spend a night with your friends and family. With that said, the Lego video game franchise has been out for a number of years now and with each new release, the weak combat, poor camera and other features start to annoy you just a little bit more. Overall though, this game offers more Lego magic for all.
The game works through the plot of all four Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and all of your heroes and villains are there. Once again there is no spoken dialogue, you are left watching cutscenes that can be quite hilarious as you watch the Lego counterpart of your favorite movie character like Jack Sparrow go to battle in Lego form. The gameplay is the same as always. Mash a couple buttons, smash enemies, smash everything in sight. Two players can play at once for some co op fun. You'll fight through levels with different objectives and some levels have no fighting at all which is a welcome change of pace from all of the button mashing. You'll work to unlock new costumes and other collectibles just like in other versions of the Lego franchise. All in all, it's more of the same for fans of this franchise and for most people, that's a good thing.
Still, it should be said that the same problems that have always hurt this franchise still remain to this day. When you are doing a bit of platforming, the imprecise controls can get you killed. The camera, as always, is a mess and doesn't always offer the best view of what is coming after you. One feature, or a lack of a feature really, that we really have to question is the lack of online play. We've been playing co op Lego games for years. Why can't we connect online and play with people all over the world? Games with significantly smaller budgets than the successful Lego series manage to incorporate online play. This is really something there's no good excuse for.
Lego: Pirates of the Caribbean is exactly the game a long time fan of the series wants it to be. It's Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones in Lego form. It's hilarious Lego inspired cut scenes. It's button mashing to collect items to unlock hidden features. But in this day and age, the game's weak camera, sometimes poor control and lack of online play are really starting to hurt the game's overall quality.


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That dude was his mask or something like that.
That dude was his mask or something like that.
I really like your animation style. It has a distinct minimalist aesthetic. Using only black and white to create more dramatic imagery. I also like how precisely the music synchronizes with the animation.
Good work. Look forward to seeing more.
I like this though it is sorta depressing, the black and white correlation with the music gives this a lot of emotion and the the part where he tore his own head apart was just surprising. Other than that the animation was smooth and the audio quality was just perfect for this, I hope you achieved what you were going for in this.
the mess is broken and a hero must save the d...what the, he tore himself apart!
Perfect blend of audio and visuals. I like the lack of color, and the piece speaks volumes in its simplicity. Incredible work.


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Remember we have a DT Call just now. For more Details Pop over to the post HERE!
Please Do not Backlink to cards you have made earlier than our start date for that weeks challenge. Its not fair!
To be in with a chance of being in the Top Three you MUST use the Sketch or Theme!
Most of all though we hope you enjoy your time here.


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If I had perservered without reinstating Lustral for another month or so into 2004, I think the internal agitation, desperation and despair would have driven me to something dreadful to end the misery. Fortunately with my husbands encouragment I reinstated Lustral and fairly swiftly my symptoms subsided. This was my insight into the dark side of SSRI's.
No one told me this could happen.
Since writing this blog I've met many others with similar experiences and I've read a lot. Really I do need to get a life, but knowing the medical establishment are either genuinely ignorant or totally in denial and there is so little help out there, I am prepared to talk about it here knowing that others stumble on it and find they are not alone.
Sometimes even now when I drop my dose I get a flavour of that "dark side" again for a few days, and then it just suddenly disappears as my brain/body gets used to the new slightly lower level of Prozac. My husband is so finely tuned into me, he knows, he said to me the other week I looked like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders, and then almost overnight it just went as my metabolism adjusted to the new lower dose.
In recent years as I've done a lot more research into SSRI's I've discovered my experience wasn't unique, but many many people when it happens don't know the inner agitation/adrenaline surges is a side effect of dropping a drug too fast. Suicide and violence are now recognised in many circles as side effects of dropping Prozac/Lustral/Seroxat etc too fast, or starting it too fast.
SSRI stories This is a really interesting data base of reported SSRI related violence/suicide, there is even a celebrity section.
Many many stories of random violence or suicide that you read in the media have an underlying hidden story of prescription medication behind them that the media generally don't pick up on, unless it's a celebrity, maybe. Unless you've experienced it yourself it just doesn't cross your mind.
Hmm I can hear some people I know reading this and thinking, yes, but how do you know it's the drug? you might be a sandwich short of a picnic and the drug might be nothing to do with it, how do you know it's not the mental illness? well that's the head f*** because it can always be blamed on the original illness and big pharmaceutical companies hide behind this.
But don't just take my word for it, look at SSRI stories and Dr David Healy, professor of psychiatry in Wales.


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i really like this show love the chemistry between the two main characters - looking forward to season 2 and delving deeper into this unique story
Really was not sure during the first episode, but now having watched all 9; i though it was fantastic I highly recommend it.
Somehow I find the plot more interesting when Javier (?) isnt involved. ^^ But great show so far!
With every new episode it draws me in more and more. I'm cheering for Letty and hoping that he gets Jacob back. Also once you learn about Javier more it all makes sense and I am cheering for him (not for him to continue in his current profession, but for him to get a new one.) Good behavior has quickly became one of my favorite shows, great acting and is really enjoyable, each episode makes you want more and more. Highly recommend.
Not my type of show. Yet, I am hooked. They're both equally adorable great acting skills.
so far so good. i like the development of letty and javier's relationship (not in the romantic sense, because they're neither of them in the right place for it - right now, particularly letty...) but just how they push each other to be. not that it's a /good/ relationship please note. but still fascinating to watch in a car crash way. definitely watching the whole season


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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 11:44 — 15.1MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS
The Justice League Dark animated movie finally has a release date. We'll be seeing it very early in 2017. There has also been a lot of speculation lately on who should direct The Flash solo film, starring Ezra Miller. Tom and Zac discuss their wish list for who they would like to see direct the movie.
00:20 Justice League Dark animated film has a release date – Empire Online
- Cool article with Director Jay Oliva
- Will be available digitally – January 24, 2017
- Blu-ray/DVD combo pack – February 7, 2017
02:45 Kevin Smith thinks Tim Miller should direct The Flash solo film – Fatman on Batman
- Is the script from Seth Grahame-Smith ready to go?
- Is Tim Miller a legitimate option?
- What names would we like to see as a director?
- Edgar Wright, Brad Bird, David Yates, Justin Lin, George Miller
We are now a proud member of the Batman Podcast Network. To find other great DC and Batman shows, be sure to check out the podcasts on that site.


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Hello. I got 3 days ago operated on a horizontal lying visdomstand out of the left mandible.
The operation was very unpleasant when I had pain during it(which was also bad ex post).
Now on the 3 day I seemed to have still sharp pain and a very nasty taste and lugti mouth, I get pennicillin and painkillers but don't work like that they work as intended. Yesterday I had to løgevagten and have something stronger painkillers in the form of codeine! I am very swollen in the face and sore in the neck down to the collarbone. My question is: is it here normally, or is there a reason to seek help??
Mvh lars
Dear Lars,
You should seek out a dentist/ doctor that can look at you. It can be acute if you are raised down on the neck.
Hope you can use my answer.
With kind regards
Dentist Joan Olsen
Dentistry.dk™ – the Road to healthier teeth
Questions answered by the dentist can be posted on the portal in anonymous form. However, we can not guarantee answers to all the questions and answers from the dentist can never replace dialogue or consultation with a private doctor. A reply through the letterbox must be seen as informational material.
Terms of use:
Translated by Yandex.Translate and Global Translator


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Info Agency Main Banner Content
Flooding is the most common natural disaster in the United States. Floods can develop over the course of a few weeks or happen at a moment's notice. If you are curious if you live in a flood plain, click here to go to check FEMA's maps.
Flooding Fact Sheet
Sandbag Disposal Fact Sheet
To join the mailing list for updates regarding February 2018 flooding, click here.
Flood Watches:
Conditions are favorable for a flooding event.
Flood Warnings:
A flood is occurring or is very likely to occur very soon.
During a Flood:
- Get to higher ground.
- Evacuate if flooding is possible.
- Have alternate escape routes in case one is blocked.
- Take pets with you if you evacuate. However, many shelters usually do NOT allow pets inside due to sanitary conditions so plan accordingly.
- Do NOT try and drive through water. As little as 2 feet can wash away most vehicles, and just a few inches can stall a vehicle or wash away the roadway.
- Do NOT try to cross moving water on foot. As little as a few inches can knock an adult off their feet.
- Monitor TV, radio and social media to find out what actions to take next.
Preparing for a flood
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States. In the past several years, about 60 percent of all declared disasters involved flooding.
What to do before a flood…
- Develop a family emergency plan and put together a disaster preparedness kit. For more information, click here.
- Safeguard possessions
- Create a personal flood file containing information about possessions and keep it in a secure place, such as a safe deposit box or waterproof container. This file should have:
- A copy of any insurance policies with the agent's contact information
- A household inventory that includes written and visual documentation of all household items and valuables.
- Copies of all other important documents
- Prepare your house
- If the home has a sump pump, make sure it is working and has a battery operated backup system.
- Clean debris from gutters and downspouts
- Raise electrical components at least 12 inches from the home's projected flood elevation
Flood Insurance
According to the Federal Emergency management Agency (FEMA) , in the last 10 years, floods have cost U.S. residents nearly $3 billion in damage and losses. Purchasing flood insurance is one of most cost-effective steps to protect yourself financially in case of a flood. An average flood insurance policy only costs about $600/year.
Floods can be very expensive. FEMA's FloodSmart website has created a tool to quickly estimate the cost of damages from various amounts of floodwater in your home. Click here to visit the FloodSmart website.
Flood insurance protects two types of insurable property: building and contents
- Building coverage typically includes:
- The insured building and its foundation
- The electrical and plumbing system
- Central air conditioning equipment, furnaces, and water heaters
- Refrigerators, cooking stoves, and built-in appliances such as dishwashers
- Permanently installed carpeting over unfinished flooring
- Contents coverage typically includes
- Clothing, furniture, Curtains and electronic equipment
- Portable and window air conditioners
- Portable microwaves and dishwashers
- Carpeting that is not already included in property coverage
- Clothing washers and dryers
When flood insurance is required
- Residents of High-Risk Areas
Homes and buildings in high-risk flood areas with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders are required to have flood insurance. These areas have a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year, which is equivalent to a 26% chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage.
- Residents of Moderate-to-Low Risk Areas
Homes and businesses located in moderate-to-low risk areas that have mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders are typically not required to have flood insurance. However, flood insurance is highly recommended because anyone can be financially vulnerable to floods.
- How do I know if I'm in a High-Risk area?
The FEMA FloodSmart website (above) offers a tool to quickly assess your flood risk. By typing your address into the "One-Step Flood Risk Profile" box, you will get detailed information about your flood risk, maps, estimated insurance costs, and contact information of flood insurance agents in your area.
- Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to offer flood insurance to property owners and renters. The NFIP flood insurance can be purchased through property and casualty insurance agents. Rates are set and do not differ from company to company or agent to agent. These rates depend on many factors, which include the date and type of construction of your home, along with your buildings level of risk. For more information, click here.
Additional Information for Homeowners
- Recording and Reporting Damage
- After a Flood: Cooperation, Patience Safety Keys
- Help! The Power Is Out...
- What to do After a Flood or Flash Flood
- First Steps You Can Take After a Flood
- Flood Cleanup and the Air In Your Home
- Water Treatment After a Flood
- Water Well Disinfection
- FEMA - Flood Information For Homeowners
- Indiana Department of Insurance Complaint Form


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Shaun Murray -
The romantic guitar of Shaun Murray is the ideal choice to create an atmosphere of elegance and style at your wedding or event.
A virtuoso solo performer with many years experience, Shaun's repertoire embraces the broadest range of musical styles – from Bach to Bacharach and from Cole Porter to Coldplay.
A Sample of Shaun's Repertoire
|My YouTube Videos


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- Research
- Open Access
The placental cholinergic system: localization to the cytotrophoblast and modulation of nitric oxide
- Md Badiul Bhuiyan1,
- Ferid Murad1 and
- Michael E Fant2Email author
© Bhuiyan et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2006
- Received: 23 December 2005
- Accepted: 10 May 2006
- Published: 10 May 2006
The human placenta, a non-neuronal tissue, contains an active cholinergic system comprised of acetylcholine (ACh), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and high affinity muscarinic receptors. The cell(s) of origin of placental ACh and its role in trophoblast function has not been defined. These studies were performed to define the cellular location of ACh synthesis (ChAT) in the human placenta and to begin studying its functional role.
Using immunohistochemical techniques, ChAT was observed primarily within the cytotrophoblasts of preterm placentae as well as some mesenchymal elements. Similar intense immunostaining of the cytotrophoblast was observed for endothelium-derived nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) suggesting that ACh may interact with nitric oxide (NO)-dependent signaling pathways. The ability of carbamylcholine (CCh), an ACh analogue, to stimulate a rise in intracellular Ca++ and NO production in trophoblasts was therefore tested using the BeWob30 choriocarcinoma cell as a model system. First, CCh significantly increased intracellular calcium as assessed by fluorescence microscopy. We then examined the ability of CCh to stimulate NO production by measuring total nitrite/nitrate production in conditioned media using chemiluminescence-based analysis. CCh, alone, had no effect on NO production. However, CCh increased measurable NO approximately 100% in the presence of 10 nM estradiol. This stimulatory effect was inhibited by 1 (micro)M scopolamine suggesting mediation via muscarinic receptors. Estradiol, alone, had no effect on total NO or eNOS protein or mRNA.
These data demonstrate that placental ChAT localizes to the cytotrophoblast and some mesenchymal cells in human placenta. It further suggests that ACh acts via muscarinic receptors on the trophoblast cell membrane to modulate NO in an estrogen-dependent manner.
- Nitric Oxide
- Estradiol
- Muscarinic Receptor
- Human Placenta
- Vascular Endothelial Cell Growth Factor
The presence of acetylcholine (ACh) in the human placenta, a non-innervated tissue, was first reported in 1933 by Chang and Gaddum [1]. Subsequent studies have documented the presence of all components of the cholinergic system in this tissue [see ref. [2] for a review]. The placenta-derived acetylcholine synthesizing enzyme, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), was identified and reported by Comline in 1954 and purified to homogeneity by Hersh and Peete in 1977 [3, 4]. Fant and Harbison later confirmed the presence of its degradative enzyme, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and identified the presence of high affinity muscarinic receptors [5, 6]. Subsequent studies have confirmed that at least four of the five known muscarinic receptor subtypes and all of the α-subunits of the nicotinic receptor exist in placental tissue [7–10]. However, their temporal and cell-specific expression patterns have not been fully defined.
Harbison and Sastry demonstrated that the placental content of ACh varies with gestational age, reaching a peak at approximately 20–22 weeks gestation and declining toward term [11]. This developmental pattern paralleled the activity of ChAT, suggesting that the placental cholinergic system may be involved in regulating developmental processes relevant to placental growth. The cellular source of placental ACh and its role(s) in placental biology are not known. Initial interests focused on its potential role in regulating placental vascular tone and in regulating amino acid transport. However, those studies have not been conclusive. Carbamylcholine (CCh), an ACh agonist, was shown to stimulate Ca++ uptake in membrane vesicles derived from the microvillous membrane brush border of the human placenta suggesting it may modulate Ca++-sensitive signaling events at the plasma membrane [6]. Subsequent studies have also demonstrated the expression of the Ca++-dependent, endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in human placenta [12–14]. This isoform has been shown to respond to cholinergic stimulation in other tissues [15, 16], suggesting potential signaling interactions may also exist in the placenta. The purpose of this study was to determine the site(s) of ChAT in the human placenta and to examine potential cholinergic/NO signaling interactions.
Immunolocalization of placental ChAT and eNOS
Effect of CCh on Ca++ rise in the BeWob30 cell
Effect of CCh on total NO release
Effect of estradiol on eNOS activity
The mechanism by which estradiol sensitized the BeWob30 cells to CCh is unknown. We therefore sought to determine if estradiol increased cellular levels of eNOS by assessing eNOS protein levels by immunoblot analysis and eNOS mRNA using semi-quantitative RT-PCR.
We have demonstrated that multiple placental cells express immunoreactive ChAT. Preterm placentae strongly express ChAT in the cytotrophoblast as well as some stromal elements. This is consistent with the report by Sastry and Janson [18] demonstrating the presence of ChAT enzymatic activity in BeWo and JAR choriocarcinoma cell lines. The ability of multiple placental cell types to express ChAT, as indicated by this study, suggests it potentially regulates a variety of cell functions within the placenta. We have previously shown that the placenta expresses muscarinic receptors [5, 6]. Subsequent reports by others have suggested that multiple muscarinic receptor subtypes (M1-M4) as well as all subtypes of the nicotinic receptor α-subunit are present in the placenta [7–10]. Each receptor subtype possesses distinct signaling capabilities and thus determines the pharmacologic and biologic specificity of cholinergic agonists. Potential cellular targets of cholinergic stimulation, therefore, are likely to include several cell types influencing cell proliferation, ion flux, secretory processes, cell motility, and cell differentiation. The cell-specific expression of these receptor subtypes and their expression throughout gestation have not been defined but are likely to define important determinants of its cholinergic responsiveness.
Placental ChAT expression overlaps that of eNOS, suggesting that locally produced acetylcholine may stimulate eNOS activity via Ca++-dependent mechanisms. The regulation of calcium flux in the trophoblast is critical to fetal and placental development. Molecular systems involved in the cellular uptake and extrusion of calcium have been identified in the BeWob30 choriocarcinoma cell [19, 20]. We have provided evidence that CCh, an acetylcholine analog, can stimulate a rise in cellular Ca++ and NO release via muscarinic receptor-mediated pathways (scopolamine sensitive) in the BeWob30 cell line. The mechanism(s) by which CCh modulates intracellular Ca++ in this cell line is not known. Interestingly, this stimulatory effect requires the pretreatment with estradiol. The mechanism(s) by which estradiol sensitizes the cell to CCh was not determined. Possibilities include genomic as well as non-genomic mechanisms. Based on these studies, estradiol pretreatment does not appear to regulate eNOS protein levels or gene expression. We have not determined if estradiol regulates functional aspects of eNOS activity or alters its subcellular location that may facilitate modulation of eNOS activity, independent of its expression level. Alternatively, pathways important for NO degradation may be affected, resulting in increased measurable NO.
The role of CCh-modulated NO in the trophoblast is not known. Clearly secreted NO may play roles in maintaining low resistance in the maternal and fetal vascular compartments. Several studies have suggested that NO may play a role in angiogenesis and cell differentiation [21–23]. Additional reports by Sakuragawa and colleagues [24, 25] have demonstrated non-neuronal ACh in amniotic epithelial cells, as well, indicating that cholinergic regulatory activity is ubiquitous at the maternal-fetal interface. The physiological significance of ACh-regulatable NO at the placental-maternal interface remains to be established.
This report demonstrates that ACh modulates the release of NO by cells of trophoblastic lineage in an estrogen-dependent manner. Additionally, they establish that the expression of ChAT overlaps the expression of eNOS in the human placenta suggesting that these signaling interactions are likely to be physiologically relevant at the maternal-fetal interface. Collectively, these findings support the hypothesis that the placental cholinergic system interacts with nitric oxide and estrogen signaling pathways to regulate placental cell growth and/or function.
Source of placental tissue
Human placental tissue was obtained at various gestational ages immediately after delivery in accordance with a protocol approved by the University of Texas-Houston Medical School. The tissue was rinsed and fixed in phosphate-buffered formalin for 16–24 hours and imbedded in paraffin.
BeWob30 cell culture
The b30 clone of the BeWo choriocarcinoma cell line was propagated in Dulbecco's Modified Eagles Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) in the presence of 100 units/ml penicillin and 100 (micro)g/ml streptomycin. When the cells were approximately 90% confluent, they were washed in serum free media and placed in Keratinocyte Basal Media (KBM), 0.2% BSA, for 48 hours. Total RNA was then obtained using the RNAeasy kit (Qiagen) per protocol. The RNA was then size fractionated on a 1.5% formaldehyde agarose gel to assess RNA quality. Cellular protein was obtained by lysis of confluent plates of cells using 1 ml of standard RIPA buffer (150 mM NaCl, 10 mM Tris, pH 7.2, 0.1% SDS, 1.0% Triton X-100, 1% Na-Deoxycholate, 5 mM EDTA) in the presence of 1 mM PMSF (phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride) and 100 uM Na-orthovanadate. The cells were lysed on ice and detached by scraping. The detached cells were then aspirated through a 22 gauge needle 10 times and centrifuged at 10,000 × g for 5 minutes and the pellet discarded. Protein content of the cell lysate was determind using the Bio-Rad Protein Assay DC per protocol.
Immunoreactive ChAT was detected using standard immunohistochemical methods using a monoclonal antibody specific for ChAT (Chemicon) following the Vectastain Elite protocol as previously described [26]. Similarly, eNOS was detected utilizing a monoclonal antibody purchased from BD Biosciences (San Jose, California). Small 0.5 × 0.5 cm. segments were cut and rinsed in ice cold PBS. The tissue was then placed in phosphate buffered formalin and imbedded in paraffin. Sections were cut, deparaffinized and washed × 3 in phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.4 (PBS) followed by 1% H2O2 in PBS to block endogenous peroxidase activity. The sections were then incubated for 30 minutes at 22°C in normal goat serum (1:50 dilution in 1% bovine serum albumin). The tissue was then rinsed and incubated overnight with a 1:500 dilution of anti-ChAT antibody at 4°C. Finally, the sections were washed and incubated with secondary antibody, biotinylated goat, anti-mouse IgG 1:200 in 1:200 normal goat serum with 1% BSA, for 30 minutes at 22°C. The sections were then washed and incubated with Vectastain (Vector Laboratories, CA) avidin:biotinylated enzyme complex (ABC) 30 minutes followed by 3-3'diaminobenzidine (DAB) for 3 minutes at 22°C per instructions. Finally, the sections were counterstained with hematoxylin. Tandem sections were incubated with 1:500 dilution of non-immune mouse serum to identify non-specific staining.
Measurement of Ca++ flux
Glass coverslips with cells were incubated for 10 minutes at 37°C with the fluorescent molecule FLUO4-AM, 3 micromolar final concentration (Molecular Probes, Eugene OR) in DMEM buffered with HEPES. Cells were rinsed with DMEM and then transferred to the heating stage. 1.0 ml of DMEM was added to the chamber and placed on the microscope. Measurements of fluorescence intensity of the Ca++ fluoroprobe and sequential image recording of events were made on a Perkin Elmer (Gaithersburg, MD) Concord system incorporating a SpectraMaster multi-wavelength controller. Images were captured by an Olympix AstroCam CCD4100 Fast Scan camera (12 bit; 768 × 576: 1000 frames/sec; 9 micron resolution) every 43 milliseconds. Fluorescence data was analyzed with a Merlin High Performance Ratio Fluorescence Workstation (Olympus America, Melville, NY). Baseline data was taken for 15–20 seconds, then carbachol was added and data acquisition was continued for 1–2 minutes.
NO quantitation
A chemiluminescence method (Sievers #280 NOA Instruments, Boulder, CO) was used to measure total nitric oxide (NO) as previously described [27]. Briefly, NO released by cells in culture is immediately converted to its oxidative products nitrate and nitrite. Vanadium chloride III, a very strong reducing agent, was used to reduce nitrate and nitrite into NO gas. Sampled gas reacts with ozone to produce activated nitrogen dioxide (NO2). NO2 reverts to the ground state by emitting electromagnetic radiation that is detected by a photomultiplier tube and generates a computerized digital signal. This signal is expressed quantitatively as NO concentration. A standard curve based on known nitrate concentrations was used to calculate unknowns and the observed values were expressed in nanomolar concentrations.
Semi-quantitative RT-PCR
eNOS mRNA was measured using relative RT-PCR standardized against 18S RNA using the Quantum RNA Kit (Ambion) per protocol. Primer sequences for human eNOS were as follows:
Forward: 5'-CTGCTGCCCGAGATATCTTC-3'
Reverse: 5'-AAGTAAGTGTGAGAGCCTGGCGCA-3'.
This produced an approximately 421 bp fragment derived from base positions 2158–2579 of the coding sequence. The 18S internal control represented a fragment of 324 bp. Briefly, the linear range for eNOS amplification was determined (25 cycles) and subsequent assays performed under these conditions. 18S primer:competimer ration of 2:8 was found in preliminary experiments to yield optimal results, relative to eNOS abundance. Reverse transcription was carried per protocol at 42°C. PCR was then carried out following the vendors protocol for 25 cycles (94°C × 30 sec, 55°C × 30 sec, 72°C × 30 sec.).
Immunoblot analysis
BeWob30 cells were grown in culture. 50 (micro)g aliquots of total BeWob30 cell lysate was subjected to 4–20% SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions followed by transfer to nitrocellulose membranes. The membranes were then blocked in 5% dried milk and incubated for 2 hours in anti-eNOS antiserum (1:500 dilution) followed by washing and detection using a chemiluminescence detection system (Amersham) per instructions.
Statistical analyses
The effects of different treatments on measurable NO, and their interactions, were assessed using a 2-way factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA).
The authors acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Robert Lasky (UT-Houston Medical School) for his assistance in performing the statistical analyses reported.
Authors' Affiliations
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This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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Hey there, little guy! With that cutie little face! I want to snuggle your little fuzzy guy self!! Seriously, why oh why can't raccoon babies be the cuddly pets I want them to be? I understand they've got rather sharp claws and that, as they get older, they're not really the kind of animal you'd want to tangle with. BUT LOOK AT THAT FACE!
Apparently the guy who filmed this took care of the, er, raccoon babymama at some point last year, and so she decided to bring her babies back to meet him (probably helped that he had dishes of water and tasty racooon treats all over his porch). Coincidentally, I once dated a guy who had a raccoon babymama living under his back porch, and when those babies started exploring (just like these guys!) it was all I could do not to scoop one up and put a little baby bonnet on its furry head. (Actually, the guy I was dating wouldn't let me. Should have been a relationship red flag!)
Anyway, since I'll most likely never have a baby raccoon for a pet, the only way I can console myself is by watching this video repeatedly. Daily. Hourly, perhaps.
Check this out and you'll understand. Wait until the part where they go inside the guy's house, omg!! And the other part where that one baby raccoon is trying to eat the slippery animal cracker!!!
You see? You see what I'm talking about?! I wish I could get paid to feed baby raccoons animal crackers all day long.
Do you have raccoon visitors at your house? (Are they as cute as these babies?)
Image via bradgillette/YouTube


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Right now, the i-ACT team is in Eastern Chad visiting Camp Goz Amer, where the first Little Ripples school site was completed earlier this year. In September, we learned that the school had been open and running since August 5 – a great surprise to us. As this was still during the rainy season, the attendance was relatively low because many families leave the camps during this time to tend to their fields and crops. This actually was what we had envisioned as being most ideal – a sort of 'soft opening' for the teachers and staff to work out the kinks of opening a new school and get used to the new schedule and routine.
On this current trip, i-ACT 17, our team is extremely excited to check in with the Little Ripples teachers and staff and see how the school has been running – learning about the challenges and successes they've had thus far. Gabriel and Sara-Christine will also be leading a second round of teacher training, this time focusing on peace-building classroom strategies, health and hygiene practices, and assessment processes for the teachers and staff.
Follow the journey as our team shares Tools4Peace. We'd love to hear from you – participate in the conversation through instagram and twitter using the hashtag #tools4peace. What are things that you use in your own life to bring you peace? What are things that can promote peace in your family, in your community, in our world? Take a picture, leave a comment here, or tweet your answer!
Little Ripples is creating spaces where children can thrive, physically and emotionally. Support our mindfulness work.
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Explore Further◄ Browse by Call Number ►
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Lovely story along the lines of folktale - maybe not authentic Irish, but for those of us of Irish decent it's a lovely armchair visit "home."
Excellent movie for Adults and Children. Lovely, lovely story and I didn't find it too sweet. Beautiful scenes of Ireland, the sea, and wonderful actors and characters.
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Whenever you want a truly "fresh" cup of coffee, come get an organic cup from us. Don't forget about our pastries and other goodies as well.
From salads and sandwiches, to our delicious wood-fired pizza, you'll find an array of amazing food choices here – all made using fresh ingredients.
Grab a beer and a chair because you'll want to hang out at the 218 Taphouse all night. Live music every Thursday and Friday night, so come join us.
The Shop Coffeehouse is a naturally-sourced, as organic as possible, restaurant that has a diverse mix of everything you love. Our Minnesota shop is comprised of the Coffee House, the Woodfire Café and the 218 Taphouse. Day and night, you can come to our location for anything, from organic coffee and pastries to craft beer and wood-fired pizza. Our three-part location is your one-stop culture spot for natural food, pure entertainment and a fun time with the people you love. You'll find the perfect mix of old and new at our coffee shop in Virginia, MN.
At The Shop Coffeehouse, many of the ingredients we use and the items we sell are from quality conscious, local sources. From our certified organic coffee to our made-from-scratch muffins, the majority of what we do here is locally grown and always made from scratch. Bring your friends and stop by our coffee house in Virginia, MN, and help us create an environment of people that is locally grown as well.
235 Chestnut Street
Virginia, MN 55792
Call Us
Phone: (218) 248-8157
Mon: 7:00AM-2:00PM
Tue: 7:00AM-2:00PM
Wed: 7:00AM-2:00PM
Thu: 7:00AM-2:00PM
Fri: 7:00AM-2:00PM
Sat: 7:00AM-2:00PM
Sun: Closed


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Mossman Gorge home swap
We live in a open plan tropical timber Queensland style stilt home set in wild rainforest grounds with views across the valley to Daintree national park.
Our home has 6 air conditioned bedrooms, 3 with ensuite bathrooms, indoor and outdoor lounge areas, indoor and outdoor dining areas, bbq area, garden dining area, we have a salt water swimming pool and are just minutes from the rainforest pools of Mossman gorge national park.
Our home is timber clad, has polished timber floors, vaulted ceilings and has timber french doors opening onto two verandahs, one over looking the pool, the other overlooking the valley and Daintree national park.
We have wifi internet, playstation 2, wii and satellite television, an extensive library of both non-fiction and fiction books, binoculars and lots and lots of board games.
Mossman just a couple minutes from the house has all the normal small town conveniences supermarket, banks, bakery, newsagent, post office and restaurants and cafes.
Port Douglas with restaurants, boutiques and its magnificant beach is 15 minutes to the south, Cairns and it's international airport one hour south and Cape Tribulation with it's secluded beaches and ancient rainforests about one hour to the north.
Some of the best diving and snorkeling on the barrier reef is off the coast here and Reef trips depart from Port Douglas each day.
Beaches and swimming holes are just minutes away.
About the location
We live in a beautiful part of Far North Queensland, with Daintree national park and the Great Barrier Reef on our doorstep.
Type of home swap
- Home Exchange
Conditions of home exchange
- Non smokers only
- No pets allowed
- Children welcome
- Swimming pool
- Garage / Parking
- Internet
- Garden
- Washer / Drier
- Car exchange offered
- Use of bike
- Boating
- Fishing
- Golfing
- Horse Riding
- Walking
- Shopping facilities
- Scuba diving
- Local restaurants
- Car recommended
- Golf
Closest airport: Cairns
Nearest city: Cairns/Port Douglas
Property type: House
Location type: Rural
Mossman near Port Douglas (HE24973)
Queensland, Australia
- 6 bed (sleeps 12) 4 bath
Preferred destinations
- Scotland
- Open to offers
Dates available
Swap duration: 3 - 4 weeks
Meet the member
Membership expiry date: 08 Mar 2017


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The other day I mused on the simultaneous outpourings of sadness and loss over Jack Layton & Steve Jobs and what each of them represented. As I noted at the time I am a Mac Head and a bit of a technophile/gadgetphile. Having had a few days to think about what I wrote I've decided that I was too soft on Mr. Jobs. My eyes were filled with iPhones - perhaps it's my anxious wait for the new iPhone 5/4S coming in the next few weeks - and I felt a twinge of betrayal as I typed up my blog post on a Macbook Pro. But I've broken free of Steve's evil spell and I think it's important to set the record straight.
Steve Jobs real advance was not in creating great products. Of course he realized that for Apple to survive meant leveraging cutting edge tech that was nonetheless ready for the consumer market. He hired Jonathon Ive to design stuff that looked sexy and Steve thought outside of the box when it came to things like ways to transmit audio and, ultimately, video. The creation of the smartphone was, perhaps, his biggest masterstroke and a game-changer.
All that is true but the man who to whom Steve Jobs handed the throne at Apple wasn't Jonathon Ive the innovative designer, it was Tim Cook the Chief Operating Officer. Cook's claim to fame is not technological innovation or having a finger on the pulse of the American (world?) consumer. Rather, he is the man credited with cranking up Apple's bottom line by neo-liberalizing the hell out of the company - getting Apple out of manufacturing and outsourcing everything that wasn't nailed down, particularly to Asia and other low wage economies. Of course, that shouldn't surprise us, Cook is also on the board at Nike, another notorious sweatshop company. He is, in other words, a hatchet man. So much for all that hippie love and Levi's jeans wearing regular guy shit that Apple was supposed to represent. In this sense, Apple really led the way in decimating the American tech industry and putting manufacturing into the hands of workers living in repressive low wage regions like China where trying to form an independent union can get you some serious jail time. According to this article in Working In These Times:
According to former Intel CEO Andy Grove, in the 1970s there were about 150,000 Americans working in the computer industry. Between the 1970s and now, the computer industry economic footprint grew from being a $20 billion a year industry to $200 billion a year. At the peak of U.S. employment in the computer industry, there were two million people employed in making computers in the United States.In These Times is, frankly, a bit obsessed with moving tech jobs back to the USA, as though that is a solution. Workers in the USA have also suffered declines in real wages over the past two generations. In fact, if the issue were social justice, Chinese workers could rightly point to the fact that their incomes have doubled or trebled in the same time period and wildcat strikes have not only been more widespread than in the USA, they have won bigger wage gains. "Buy American" is simply not a viable solution for the problem of neo-liberal wage and benefit cuts. However, it is certainly the case that while wage rises have been significant in China in the past 20 years, wages remain low and conditions are still often appalling as an investigation by the UK Daily Mail discovered:
Now, with most computer manufacturing being done overseas, there are only 150,000 Americans employed in the computer industry, according to Grove, who wants to reverse the trend.
Yet, amid all the fanfare and celebrations this week (for the release of the iPhone 4 when the article was written), there was one sour, niggling note: reports of a spate of suicides at a secretive Chinese complex where Jobs's iPhone, iPod and iPad - Apple's new state-of-the-art slimline computer - are built and assembled.But while the workers who make Apple products lack the right to form independent unions and make less than $40 a week, not so Tim Cook who helped create the sweatshop. According to Forbes Magazine, Tim Cook received total compensation of $59 million in 2010. No, you didn't read that wrong - fifty-nine million dollars. As a reward for his new role as the CEO of Apple, Cook was given a little gift: 100,000 shares in Apple. At its present value those shares are worth $383 million. Just to put that in perspective, last year Tim Cook was paid the same amount as 28,365 workers at Foxconn who made the iPhone, iPad, etc etc. And that, really, sums up Steve Jobs' greatest hit.
With 11 workers taking their lives in sinister circumstances, Jobs acted swiftly to quell a potential public relations disaster.
Stressing that he found the deaths 'troubling' and that he was 'all over it', the billionaire brushed aside suggestions that the factory was a sweatshop.
'You go in this place and it's a factory but, my gosh, they've got restaurants and movie theatres and hospitals and swimming pools,' he said. 'For a factory, it's pretty nice.'
His definition of 'nice' is questionable and likely to have his American workers in uproar if such conditions were imposed upon them.
Foxconn employs 420,000 workers at its Shenzhen plant where conditions are very basic with no air-conditioning
For, as Apple's leader was taking a bow on the world stage, the Mail was under cover inside this Chinese complex. And we encountered a strange, disturbing world where new recruits are drilled along military lines, ordered to stand for the company song and kept in barracks like battery hens - all for little more than £20 a week.


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Happy New Year, Beautiful!!
Hey there, I hope everyone is having a great start to the new year. 2013 ended eh for me, I was sick and it was nasty. It left me a bit blah, so I decided to do something simple for today's post. I thought it was only fitting to begin the new year with what started all of this...nail art. To be more specific leopard print nail art.
In 2011 I reacquainted myself with nail art, after a very long hiatus lol, because I wanted leopard print on my nails. Now it's a classic nail design, right there with the french manicure. But always feeling new with the countless number of color combos you can do. For this design I used O.P.I. Don't Pretzel My Buttons (a serious lemming I'm so happy it's finally mine), Sephora by O.P.I. Caught With My Khakis Down, and China Glaze Mingle with Kringle. I have a couple gold polishes and Mingle with Kringle is DEFINITELY my favorite. Do you see it's gorgeousness? It's the perfect gold!!! I feel sorry for my other golds because they are seriously about to get neglected lol.
What was your gateway design into nail art? I'd love to know, let me know in the comments below.
Thanks For Stopping By!


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One of our volunteer befrienders, Jennifer Learmonth, shares experience of being a volunteer befriender:
About Me
"I began befriending just over a year ago. I had worked for a private company previously where the focus on money and selling had driven me to want to fulfil my dream of working in a more person focused job. Seeing the opportunity to become a volunteer befriender and get to know someone isolated by their disability seemed like the ideal chance to challenge myself and achieve the more rewarding post I was after.
I am now glad to say that befriending has achieved exactly that, when I visit my befriendee once a week and feel a sense of reward every time."
About Us
"I aim to meet my befriendee for two hours every week. The days vary depending on when we are both available which makes our friendship flexible and laid back. We discuss the week before what we would like to do when I next visit, although we usually just pop out for a cup of tea and a chat.
It is these simple things that my befriendee cannot do alone, which means she constantly lets me know how grateful she is that I make the effort to come and visit.
Our friendship is very positive and happy, and we have got to know about different aspects and pastimes about each other through our befriending relationship. My befriendee has had an amazing life of being a professional dance teacher, and keen bowler – my knowledge of these two things has increased dramatically over our friendship!
It is so nice to know someone with a complete blank canvas, there is always lots to talk about although ECAS also has conversation starters you can borrow like quiz games and dvds to watch."
Training and Support
"A befriending relationship is inevitably different to normal friendships; there is a lot to know about boundaries and preparation so you can be as prepared and knowledgeable as possible to assist your befriendee.
I have support and supervision meetings every 6 months where I can let Ecas know about any potential worries I would like to flag up, and generally just to check in with each other that everything is going ok. This also gives Ecas the opportunity to feedback to me comments from my befriendee.
I have also had fantastic First Aid training, and wheelchair training up at the Astley Ainslie SMART centre. All of these courses were arranged by Ecas after my S&S, and the skills I have learnt make me a more confident befriender. They are incredibly valuable to my befriending relationship although also transferable to all aspects of my life, particularly working in Norton Park.
Ecas also runs great volunteer focus groups for befrienders, which are a great opportunity to meet other befrienders who may have gone through similar challenges as you.
As my befriendee wasn't confident leaving the house when we first met, I found the task of convincing her to come out with me quite daunting. The focus groups gave me a great boost as I met many befrienders who had this same challenge and had overcome it. We are also treated to lunch during the focus groups which adds to the rewards of being a volunteer befriender!"
My Further Development
"I feel that over the last year of getting to know my befriendee I have become a lot more confident, not only in our friendship but also in myself to apply these skills to other things. My befriending relationship reminded me I wanted to work with people, and I have just completed my first year at University doing a degree in Health and Social care.
I have also started a fantastic sessional job with Edinburgh Young Carers, something that I probably wouldn't have applied to if I didn't have the people skills and confidence I have found with befriending. I find the whole experience very rewarding and would highly recommend it to anyone that wants to feel like they are making a difference to someone's life."


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In 1700 the first settlers came to "The Land of Waveren" which was to be renamed Tulbagh in 1806. Straatskerk, now known as Morgansvlei, together with the likes of Twee Jonge Gesellen, Le Rhone, Montpelier and Theuniskraal were some of the first farms in the area. Morgansvlei has the added distinction of being the first farm to be leased to a married woman, one Jannetjie de Clerq, who named the farm after her birthplace in the Netherlands. She was left to farm on her own as her husband languished on Robben Island, serving a life sentence for "bestial treatment of his slave" and other offences.
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The 2015 sessions recorded by Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love for The Wrong Rock Show and Dandelion Radio are now available to download for free from us & Audio Antihero. Features covers of The Microphones and Bedhead alongside stripped-down versions of "Last" tracks. This is the LAST of Low Low's recordings (as far as we know), and it's bittersweet to share them wtih all of you. "One last crash of all the cymbals..."
Recent Blog Entries:
We're beyond thrilled to announce the addition of Richmond, VA's Yankee Roses to the OE family. We've been fans of George Geanuracos' "revenge folk" songs since first hearing them at Sweat Records in Miami a few years back. Yankee Roses' debut EP, Dreamless Winter, drops in October. Stay tuned for a preview coming soon!
The Fontaneda Deluxe Edition of Archival Feedback is now available. This is the complete Archival Feedback box set collection, including a clear vinyl version of AF with 5 art prints, a custom-designed, printed collector's box with protective cover, and a copy of the AF cassingle. The contents was designed, printed and assembled over the course of two years - EVERYTHING was made by hand. An edition of only 39 units, this is the version for true collectors, with the prints suitable for framing. Pick up a copy over at our Bandcamp shop.
We're excited to bring you a new series of soundtrack releases, beginning with the uniquely Miami-centric Ectotherms. The no-budget, hybrid, debut feature from filmmaker Monica Peña features a sountrack by black metal trio Slashpine. Each purchase of the soundtrack comes with a stream of the entire film, all for less than half the price of seeing a shitty, blockbuster movie in a freezing theatre. Kind of a no-brainer, huh?
Starting today, Holly Hunt hits the road with Japanese post-rock masters Mono for a massive North American tour. They've also got copies of the ltd. repress of Prometheus in tow, so grab one if you can. We've got limited copies over at Bandcamp if you're not able to hit up any of the tour dates.


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That Notorious Good Friday Homily
In his controversial sermon at St. Peter's last week, Reverend Raniero Cantalamessa expressed no concern for Catholic Church policies that endanger women, writes Angela Bonavoglia, author of "Good Catholic Girls: How Women Are Leading the Fight to Change the Church."
It was indeed outrageous that Reverend Raniero Cantalamessa in his Good Friday homily at St. Peter's Basilica, with Pope Benedict in eyeshot, compared the public denunciation of the Catholic Church hierarchy for harboring child molesting priests to the homicidal viciousness of anti-Semitism.
While not nearly so shocking, there was another reason to be troubled by that homily. Cantalamessa chose to focus a part of his talk on the need to end violence against women, which is crucial, but he did so without any acknowledgement of the church's own culpability in the abuse, endangerment and intimidation of women.
"Much of this violence," he declared, "has a sexual background." Yes, let's start there. In 2001, a year before the pedophilia crisis hit the news, the National Catholic Reporter analyzed internal church reports written by two Catholic nuns—a physician who was a Medical Missionary of Mary and the AIDS coordinator for the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development—documenting the sexual exploitation of nuns by priests in 23 countries on five continents.
One of the most stunning allegations concerned a nun impregnated by a priest, who forced her to have an abortion that killed her and then officiated at her funeral. Priests were alleged to have raped young nuns who approached them for the required certificates to enter religious orders; to have told nuns that oral contraceptives would protect them from AIDS; and to have used nuns as "safe" alternatives to prostitutes in countries plagued by AIDS—with some priests going so far as to demand that heads of convents make the nuns sexually available to them.
And it is not just nuns, of course. Like the recently reported case of a 14 year-old Minnesota girl allegedly molested by a priest who was not removed from ministry but simply transferred to a parish in India (this after the Vatican supposedly toughened up its policies), thousands of girls, from infancy through adolescence, have been molested by priests. Adult Catholic women have been subject to clerical transgressions from sexual exploitation to harassment to rape to beatings to potentially negligent homicide. Many sexually active priests have left a trail of wounded women and fatherless progeny in their wake—testament to the hypocrisy in the claim of a celibate priesthood.
Cantalamessa expressed great concern about violence "in the relationship between husband and wife," crediting "many associations and institutions" that provide women with support. Yet, the founders of those associations and institutions were not Catholic clergy, but secular feminists, whom the church hierarchy regularly and ruthlessly condemns. And if domestic violence is such a priority for the church, why did Pope John Paul II beatify Elizabeth Canori Mora—the path toward sainthood—a beaten, abused woman, subject to both physical and psychological violence at the hands of her errant husband, for her "absolute fidelity" to the sacrament of marriage? And what of the church's policies—so well known—that endanger women worldwide?
Its condemnation of birth control, despite the fact that voluntary family planning not only prevents maternal deaths (which take half a million women's lives each year) by helping women delay risky early pregnancies, space births, and reduce HIV transmission, but also increases the survival of babies, who are most likely to survive in the developing world when they are adequately spaced.
Its refusal to approve condoms to prevent AIDS, a position that 60 nuns calling themselves Sisters for Justice of Johannesburg publicly decried several years ago on behalf of women and girls. They urged the oblivious Church fathers to change their life-threatening theology and recognize that 14 to 19 year-old girls faced the greatest incidence of new HIV infections because of the "high incidence of forced or reluctant sexual intercourse" and that women were at great risk of infection due to "abusive, oppressive or desperate relationships or circumstances."
Its absolute condemnation of pregnancy termination, leaving 60,000 women to die each year from botched procedures, a position so extreme that they excommunicated the mother of, and the doctor who ended the pregnancy of, a nine-year-old girl raped by her stepfather.
Cantalamessa pointed out that intimidation is violence too, empathizing with the "wife and children [who] live under constant threat of 'Daddy's anger.'" Yet, this church, this Pope, this hierarchy, continue to threaten any woman in the church who dares challenge authority and call for radical change. And make no mistake; it is women in the church who are the ones clamoring for change.
It is Catholic women who have written about gender-inclusive prayer language and been fired for it; defended the rights of gays and lesbians and being silenced for it; fought for women's ordination and been excommunicated for it; blown the whistle on priest sexual shenanigans and been relieved of their duties for it.
Many of these change-makers are nuns. Witness the 60 leaders of religious orders, representing 90 percent of the 59,000 Catholic women religious in the United States, who defied the American bishops and supported health care reform, insisting that legislation that helped pregnant women was "a REAL pro-life stance."
Representative Bart "I-don't-call-up-the-nuns" Stupak—who at that point, like the bishops, opposed health care reform for being insufficiently pro-life—tried to minimize their power, but it is real. It is why the Vatican has launched two confidential investigations into the lives of American nuns—not American bishops. One is examining the "quality" of their religious lives; the other is focused on their alleged "doctrinal" failures—like questioning an all-male priesthood.
In relationship to that angry dad, Cantalamessa suggested reminding him that "The word addressed to Eve after the fall: 'He (the man) shall rule over you'…was a bitter forecast, not an authorization."
Someone ought to tell the church fathers that.
More articles by Category: Health, International, Religion
More articles by Tag: Reproductive rights


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Gross. Barack Obama Uses Sandy Hook Massacre to Push Tax Hikes (Video)
This was gross.
During his press conference this morning Barack Obama used the masssacre at Sandy Hook School to push Republicans to agree to his tax hikes.
"After what we've gone through over the past several months, a devastating hurricane and now one of the worse tragedies in our memory, the country deserves the folks to be willing to compromise for the greater good."
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UPDATE: The number of Clifton customers without power Friday afternoon ballooned at one point to more than 7,600, PSEG reported.
PSE&G managed to get Clifton's number down to about 5,500 just before 3:45 p.m.
All but a few of what became a total of 1,700 or so customers in Wayne had their power restored by mid-afternoon.
ORIGINAL STORY: While Hawthorne High School and an area assisted living facility were regaining power Friday morning, nearly 4,500 customers in Clifton and another 1,500 or so in Wayne were losing theirs.
PSE&G told some Clifton customers that their power might not be restored until after dark.
Those in Wayne were told it could be by 1:45 p.m.
An outage forced Hawthorne High School to delay Friday's opening for an hour and a half.
Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.


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Transfire – Translate your life (and chat)
Yea we know, there's been quite a load of app news today but bear with us for one more, with the Transfire App (aka Translation Fire). This handy little app is free from the app store (for a limited time apparently) and comes packed with some neat features that we can actually foresee ourselves using in the near future (especially with the amount of travelling this Editor does).
Basically, the app is a language translator that can translate to and from 52 languages from around the world, including all the major languages. But here's where it get's interesting, as you get quite a bit more from the app than you would expect from a regular translator. Certain languages have the 'text-to-speech' ability which will read out the translation in the local dialect, and the the best part about that is that the app has inbuilt voices. What that basically means is that if you can't read the foreign language you translated to, the app will read it out phonetically (and it sounds realistic, not like a robot or computer's voice). And if you want, you can also email, facebook, sms or tweet said words and sayings.
Another cool feature is that you can copy and paste a whole set of phrases and words into the Transfire clipboard, and the app will automatically load the messages and start translating (which you can do with it what you want). It's quite useful to have, especially when travelling.
Their biggest feature however, would be Translated Gchat (Google Chat). This feature unfortunately only works with GChat (for now) and basically you can choose what language you want to speak to your friends in, and while you type in English, the app will actually send the words in the language you have selected. It's all very quick, and it's extremely accurate for an online translator which is why we found it extremely effective. We even managed to surprise some of our friends by talking to them in Arabic, despite knowing maybe 1% of the language.
There's more coming up for Transfire in the future as well, as we found out in the Press Release they sent us recently. The company behind Transfire, TNT Creations have been given $170,000 USD in equity funding (led by Gemstone Ventures), thanks to the simplicity and speed of their app (not to mention the 150,000 downloads they have received since launch).
President and co-founder of TNT Creations had this to say "Improvements in chat technology are continious and significant" said Elik Topolsky (perhaps related to Joshua Topolsky of The Verge?). "We are on the verge (!) of a universal platform where any user can communicate, no matter what programs they are using or what language they speak". And we would have to agree with him, and in the coming months when Version 2.0 of Transfire is released, we expect to see plenty of improvements including more languages, and hopefully more chat communication platforms. These are exciting times for TNT Creations, and we urge you all to go and have a try of the app, which is available for free in the iTunes store, the link which you can find below in the source. Meanwhile, we'll be getting a beta preview of Version 2.0 soon here at Techin5, so we hope to share what improvements have been made on the app soon (hopefully an offline mode)!


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To re-energize this topic, most recent community briefs for this year's promotion boards call out JOCCP and CNODP as valuable for promotion to O4. I strongly believe both programs are phenomenal opportunities, with caveat. Timing is key. Keep in mind community push for technical Masters degree and have a plan. If in JOCCP you are ranked and need to consider how to break out against NIOC MD Wardroom.
BL: chance to become an expert in one of our core competencies... Just go in with eyes wide open.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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Please follow our advice below to help ensure the safety and security of all the Marina users.
Each bridgehead has a self locking gate, access is via a pontoon security fob. Contact reception for these. There is a refundable deposit of £5.00 per fob, please retain your receipt. Please do not leave or prop the gates open; site security is in everyone's interest. A security officer patrols the marina at night and CCTV is in operation throughout the marina.
General Safety
Fire extinguishers are located at regular intervals in large red boxes on the pontoons, as well as life rings. Please do not remove these items, they may be needed in an emergency. Small children should wear life jackets at all times. Public telephones are located near each bridgehead in Phase 1.
Speed Limits
There is a 4 knot speed limit in the Marina, impounded water and river. The speed limit in the river is enforced by the docks board. Please control your wash.
Pontoon Safety – Adverse Weather
The pontoons can become very slippery when they are wet or icy. Grit bins are situated close to each bridgehead. High winds can cause mobility problems and strong gusts can catch you off guard. Customers are advised not to go out onto the pontoons in adverse weather conditions unless absolutely necessary. Particular care should be taken when negotiating the bridgehead ramps and getting on or off boats.
The fire cabinets on the pontoons are checked once a week. In case of a fire on board please follow these simple steps.
- Raise the alarm
- Contact the emergency services. Telephone point – Marina Office, telephone Phase I or North side by bertholders' gate
- Clear the area of people
- Only tackle the fire if it is safe to do so, with the extinguishers provided in the emergency cabinets
- Retreat to a safe distance upwind – DO NOT RUN!
- Do not obstruct bridge – emergency services will need clear access
- Follow instructions of marina staff
- Do not return to the vessel until the all clear has been given
Fire Action – Buildings, on hearing the alarm:
- Leave the building immediately
- If possible call the fire service
- Contact Marina Office
Fire Action – Pontoons, on discovering a fre:
- Make your way to a safe distance
- If possible call the fire service
- Contact the Marina Office.


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Innovator | Guy Eymin Petot Tourtollet
Wallpaper That Protects Your Data
Caroline Winter
Forget those prim Laura Ashley floral patterns and opulent Louis XIV-style designs: Wallpaper's no longer just about room atmospherics. High-tech versions emit light, purify the air, and even keep buildings from crumbling in bomb attacks. Now Guy Eymin Petot Tourtollet, 46, scientific director of the French pulp and paper research institute Centre Technique du Papier, has invented a snowflake-patterned wallpaper that blocks Wi-Fi signals, while still allowing FM radio and emergency frequencies to pass through.
Eymin Petot Tourtollet — he goes by all three last names — wanted to help people and businesses guard their Wi-Fi networks to improve data security and network speed. Alternatively, the barrier could be used to create Wi-Fi-free zones in homes, hospitals, and theaters for privacy and health reasons. "A lot of people want spaces where they are protected from electromagnetic waves," he says, referring to potential hazards such as an increased risk of genetic damage and cancer. These have not been conclusively proven, but, he says, "in France there is very much concern about this."
After four years of collaboration with France's Institute Polytechnique de Grenoble, Eymin Petot Tourtollet's team came up with MetaPaper, a filter that's 99 percent effective against Wi-Fi signals. The secret's in the patented pattern — printed in conductive metallic ink on nonconductive paper — that blocks only certain frequencies. The selectivity sets MetaPaper apart from anti-Wi-Fi paint, introduced by Japanese scientists in 2009, which blocks all frequencies. Eymin Petot Tourtollet and his team drew inspiration for the pattern from fractals and other geometries. "We even visited some painting exhibits to get ideas from modern artists," he says.
MetaPaper, which can be covered over with traditional wallpaper, doesn't block signals that pass through windows and doors. For full protection, Eymin Petot Tourtollet recommends covering windows with standard plastic thermal shields, which filter out all electromagnetic waves. This would create a uniform barrier for Wi-Fi while still allowing other signals to travel through the walls.
Ahlstrom, a Finnish materials company that helped fund Eymin Petot Tourtollet's research, plans to make MetaPaper commercially available this year. The company did not respond to requests for comment, but research firm Global Industry Analysts says Ahlstrom will sell MetaPaper for roughly $12 per square meter and forecasts that the Wi-Fi-filtering paper will generate sales of up to $38 million in France alone within a year of the launch. "The significance of the discovery lies in the ability ... to endow the material with the same functionality and aesthetics as traditional wallpaper, as well as price the product at the same rate as conventional wallpaper," a GIA spokesperson wrote in an e-mail.
Eymin Petot Tourtollet plans to install MetaPaper both in his office and own home in Grenoble, though he doesn't yet have permission. "I must speak with my wife," he says.
Pattern • Inspired by modern artists' paintings
Effectiveness • Wallpaper blocks waves entering from any angle
Beyond Wi-Fi • Also developed a paper that blocks cell phone signals


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Year: 2019 |2018 |2017 |2016 |2015 |2014 |
Emma von Glahn Joins Fenimore
February 2, 2016
Emma von Glahn has been appointed Operations Administrator at Fenimore Asset Management, the investment advisor to FAM Funds, in Cobleskill, New York. Ms. von Glahn worked previously as an intern at UBS Financial Services and Ernst & Young. Most recently, she worked as a Staff II within the Risk Assurance Practice at Ernst & Young. Ms. von Glahn received her B.B.A. in Accounting, with a minor in Finance, from the Frank G. Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University.


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According to a new study by researcher Greenfield Online, Westport, Conn., and gay marketing consultancy Spare Parts, New York, average yearly household income among lesbians and gays is $57,300. That figure collected in July is in line with the $52,000 annual income uncovered by research conducted online in April by Georgia Tech Graphics Visualization & Usability Center.
The new income data differ from a gay market survey by Simmons Market Research Bureau conducted in late 1996 that found 28.5% of gay and lesbian household incomes exceeded $50,000 while 21% surpassed $100,000 annually.
Greenfield found only 11% of gay households attained the latter income level, equal to the general market in the Georgia Tech study.
The gay community is "only marginally more affluent-not significantly more-than the average," said Sue Hines, product manager of syndicated studies for Greenfield.
She added that "disposable income" wasn't surveyed, but said it will be in the future in the ongoing, quarterly study.
The Greenfield survey also found lesbians and gays to be more settled than previously thought. Thirty-nine percent of respondents answered that they live in a domestic partnership, compared to 44% of the general population who are married.
Such downscaling of the market and evidence of nesting could be behind the entry of more common household products advertising directed to the market.
Chesebrough-Ponds' Mentadent toothpaste became the first toothpaste to run an ad in gay media, for the new Crystal Ice line extension. The first pet food ad in Out broke in the October issue, from Nature's Recipe Pet Foods.
Over-the-counter pain relievers are starting to test the waters as well. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. began running Excedrin ads on gay Web site PlanetOut (planetout.com) recently, and an ad from McNeil Consumer Products Co. for its Motrin IB appeared in the guidebook for 1998's San Francisco Gay Pride Parade.
Industry experts say soft-drink and beauty-care marketers also are sizing up the market.
"Package-goods folks are in a wonderful position" to enter the market since there are so few competitors, said Scott Seitz, a partner at Spare Parts.
The Greenfield survey asked brand and media preferences as well, finding analgesic preferences mirrored the general population, with McNeil's Tylenol and American Home Products Corp.'s Advil ranking No. 1 and No. 2 in preference, respectively.
Among respondents to automotive questions, 51% planned to buy a car in the next six months; General Motors Corp. was the top choice for the purchase (20%), followed by Chrysler Corp. (11%), Ford Motor Co. (10%) and Toyota Motor Sales USA (7%).
ABC ranked as the favorite TV network. Also, 27% of lesbians and gays aren't exposed to gay media.
Tom Wilson, president of Wilson Media, New York, which handles marketing to gays for Glaxo Wellcome and Kobrand Corp. brands, said males in general have been undermarketed to for household goods.
"If companies have gone so far as identifying the male market as a niche, they'll have to do the gay market, too," he said Gay readers helped fuel the successful arrivals of magazines such as Men's Journal and Men's Health.
According to Mr. Wilson's studies, also conducted online, news-weeklies and radio are strong in the market, he said.


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|Gaining Early Advanced Riding Skills
GEARS Registration is open with an all new program for 2018! This year, the MOA Foundation will offer two levels and two forms of training. First, we will have the GEARS training many of you know and may have experienced your selves. This training will be provided by long-time instructors and our old friends at Dirt Bike Tech. This program will be divided into two groups, depending upon the needs and desires of the riders. For new or very inexperienced riders or those who wish to learn from scratch, the basic GEARS instruction is for you. For those who are a little more advanced in their abilities, Dirt Bike Tech will offer training that is suitably more advanced with a more aggressive riding course.
Whether novice or slightly skilled, students will need to bring proper riding clothes, to include helmet, goggles or glasses, long sleeved shirt, long pants, appropriate riding footwear and gloves. If you are not sure, don't hesitate to ask what is appropriate. Motorcycles of appropriate size will be available for each rider. There is a total of twelve slots available for this portion of the program. The age range for this training is 14 – 26.
Second, for those riders with more experience and who are willing and able to provide their own motorcycles (licensed motorcycles), along with proper riding gear, renowned Street Masters will be putting on a course in connection with the GEARS program. This is the very same Street Masters that will be providing advanced rider training to MOA members later in the Rally. There are twenty-five slots available for this portion of the program. The age range for this group is 16 – 26. A motorcycle endorsement is required.
As in past years, all registrants will be required to submit a registration fee of $50.00. There are no refunds for those who register but fail to show. But, also as in past years, this fee is completely refundable upon successful completion of the course.
It is our ambition to fill every seat (so to speak) and provide this early training to 37 participants this year. Register online now!
For any other questions you may have, feel free to contact Will McHardy, MOA Foundation Director and GEARS Committee Chair.