text:
Everyone has a mock draft. And most, come April 28, won't mean much.
But prior to the big show in New York City, there are 32 draft boards that really do matter. Those are the projections made in team war rooms that can guide how far a club thinks it needs to trade up to get a player, and how far it believes it can deal down without really regretting it.
With that in mind, I thought it would be interesting to seek out a college scout to put together his own mock draft. And one I know from an AFC team was nice enough to take on the task.
Here is his take on how the first 32 picks could shake out:
First round
Dareus has a well-rounded skill set on the interior. Nick Fairley gets the hype, but Dareus is the best defensive tackle in this draft.
Cornerback Champ Bailey was re-signed, but he isn't getting any younger.
A Derrick Thomas-type pass-rushing talent off the edge for the Bills.
A huge need for the Bengals, and they get the best defensive end in the draft.
The pick here could be Blaine Gabbert, too, but with Miller off the board, it will be a quarterback.
Their young quarterback needs weapons, and Green is the best non-quarterback offensive player in this draft. Some would argue he is the best offensive player in the draft, period.
Fairley is not an ideal fit for their defensive scheme, but the 49ers can't pass on his elite talent if he drops to them here.
Some people feel as if Gabbert is a lock to be a top-5 pick, but he's got some "bust" factor to him, so he falls to the Titans.
If this seems high for Castonzo, it is. The Cowboys would love to move back in the first round to get him, but this is an enormous area of need for this team.
Pick No.10JAKE LOCKERQBWASHINGTONThe Redskins could go with wide receiver Julio Jones here, too. But if they trade back to try and get Locker, they risk not getting him at all. They'll take him here.
Sure, they have tons of needs as Wade Phillips installs a new 3-4 defense, but in the end they'll be thrilled to match Jones with Andre Johnson.
It's no secret the Vikings need help along the defensive line, and they could lose Ray Edwards.
It's the safe, smart pick. There's nothing sexy about this strategy; Jim Schwartz just needs to keep his quarterback upright in 2011.
They wanted A.J. Green or Julio Jones with this pick, and could opt to move back if both receivers are gone.
Mark Ingram is the easy pick with this one, but the Dolphins will opt to go defense here and take a running back with their next pick.
The Jaguars are thrilled that a top-level athlete like Amukamara falls to them here.
This is terrific value for the Patriots at No. 17. Ingram could also be an option here.
They would rather have Aldon Smith or Quinn here, but the Chargers will happily take Kerrigan and address a position of need.
Pick No.19GABE CARIMIOTWISCONSINThe biggest area of need for the Giants is addressed.
Ayers is a very balanced football player who will be solid in coverage assignments in the Bucs' defensive scheme.
Taylor might not have a great motor, but these big two-gap players are tough to find, and he's helped himself with a solid Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine.
Pick No.22COREY LIUGETDTILLINOISEither way, the Colts will go offensive or defensive line with this pick.
: Smith could surprise some people and go higher than No. 23, and the Eagles are thrilled to get him here. If he drops, it will be due to character concerns, not football ability.
The Saints address a big need with the best safety in the draft.
Clayborn falls a bit and the Seahawks address a need on their defensive line.
Harris is a player on the rise and could go higher than this. The Ravens would be thrilled to pick him up at No. 26.
The Falcons will likely draft the best player on their board at No. 27 due to multiple needs, but Pouncey would upgrade the interior of their offensive line.
Pick No.28MARK INGRAMRBALABAMAHis marginal timed speed causes him to drop, and the Patriots will benefit from it by getting the best running back in the draft.
He's a versatile player who will help the Bears on their defensive line.
This is a big need for the Jets. Houston has pass-rushing ability and a thick, well-built lower body.
Pick No.31TYRON SMITHOTUSC
Watkins is an instant starter for the Packers. He is an older player who plays with a mean streak.


text:
I'm Megan. I'm 22 years old and I live in the UK. I recently
started modelling and i'm having the time of my life. I just
love getting naked infront of the camera, it really turns me
on. Would you like to join me? If so, just click
here :)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Juggle Away the Jiggle
JuggleFit, a Fun Workout that Tones the Body, Boosts Brainpower & Improves Coordination
Ever dream of running off and joining the circus? If you're like the millions of Americans who are now trying out new and fun "fusion" workouts like acrobatics-based fitness or trapeze fitness in replace of traditional exercise, 'clowning around' is now a serious fitness goal.
"More than ever, fitness enthusiasts are looking for non-traditional and fun ways to exercise," says Heather Wolf, Certified Fitness Trainer and Creator of JuggleFit. "Referred to as fusion fitness, performance-based fitness or hybrid fitness, it's all about getting fit and having fun. Although doing any type of exercise is better than none, running on treadmills and riding on stationary bikes at gyms can get boring and expensive. People are looking for new ways to recharge their fitness routines with unconventional – yet effective – exercises."
What is JuggleFit?
Perfect for fitness enthusiasts who want to conquer the latest trend, and for novices who are motivated by new and "entertaining" workouts, Heather Wolf proudly introduces JuggleFit, a fun and effective exercise routine that promotes coordination, concentration and fitness through instructional juggling DVDs. According to Heather, "Although it may not look like exercise, juggling is a highly aerobic (burns up to 280 calories an hour), no-impact workout that engages the body's core, utilizing muscles to tone the arms without adding stress on the joints."
Unmatched by conventional and monotonous types of fitness activities like running on the treadmill or lifting weights, juggling adds an entertainment element to exercising that helps keep people motivated during their workout. The cost-friendly fitness program can also be done by anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Learn to Juggle with Juggle Your Way to Fitness DVDs
JuggleFit DVDs are available in two levels: Beginner and Intermediate. Throughout the first DVD, Heather uses slow-moving scarves to teach beginners the fundamentals of juggling (the scarves are included in the cost of the DVD). After the user graduates to the intermediate level, the scarves are replaced with three JuggleFit Professional Juggling Balls (sold separately from the DVD). "Each DVD will help to burn calories, develop balance & coordination and exercise the mind while having fun," says Heather. Also included in the Intermediate DVD is an upper body toner workout and five minute balance workout.
"Clowning Around" Provides Health Benefits
Whether you're on the go or just have no time to make it to the gym, JuggleFit can be done at home or even at work. Simply carry the scarves or balls in a bag and take them out whenever there is free time. JuggleFit is the ultimate portable exercise for the fitness road warrior!
· Sharpens Focus and Concentration: Juggling requires intense focus and concentration. Learning how to juggle enhances problem solving skills and over time, helps teach how to react quickly in various situations.
· Improves Coordination: Not everyone thinks of coordination as an essential part of fitness, but it is. Whether a professional athlete or an avid gym-go'er, enhancing coordination helps vamp up one's fitness level while making some simple daily activities even easier.
· Relieves Stress: Whether stress is attributed to work, family or finances, many are constantly seeking outlets to channel their stress. Juggling is a great way to escape from everyday worries and stress.
· Promotes Fun Family Activity: In today's technology-driven world, quality family time is rare. JuggleFit brings fun family time back to basics as it simultaneously promotes exercise and bonding time.
JuggleFit Tracker
Want to keep track of your juggling progress? There's an App for that! JuggleFit Tracker allows users to record the number of throws for juggling patterns and moves. Whether learning to juggle the basic "three-ball cascade" pattern, or working on something as challenging as the "seven-ball cascade," the JuggleFit Tracker App makes it easy to keep track, with a set of pre-defined moves to record your progress.
Meet Heather Wolf
Heather Wolf, a certified group fitness instructor and ACE certified personal trainer founded JuggleFitin 2006. As the lead trainer and CEO of JuggleFit, she has taught thousands of people to juggle through her classes, events and appearances in her Juggle Your Way to Fitness DVDs. Heather makes it simple to learn juggling techniques and shows her students how to use their new skills to achieve increased levels of brain-body fitness.
Utilizing her tech-savvy skills, Heather has also developed the company's JuggleFit Tracker App for the iPhone and iPod touch. Heather is currently based in Pensacola Beach, FL but travels across the country for workshops.
For more information about Heather Wolf or to view the Web site, please visit: www.JuggleFit.com
Doesn't that sound like a fun way to work out? Great news for one lucky reader, you will find out! I am able to give one of my lucky US readers a Juggle Fit Beginner's DVD!
To enter, just leave me a comment about working out, exercise, health in general. Anything you want, just please be topic related :)
Extra entries ~
- Share giveaway (blog, tweet, etc)
- Follow on Google Friend Connect
- Subscribe to RSS or Emails
- Vote on Picket Fences (button on sidebar)
Contest will end on April 7th
I was not compensated in any way for this post
Like this post ~
Subscribe in a reader


text:
Green Dragon
|Line 1:
|Line 1:
[[Image:The_Green_Dragon_Sign.jpg|thumb|right|The sign of the
[[Image:The_Green_Dragon_Sign.jpg|thumb|right|The sign of the , as depicted in [[The Lord of the Rings Online]].]]{{quote|There's only one Dragon in Bywater, and that's Green.|[[Ted Sandyman]]<ref name="Party">{{HM|FR}}, "[[A Long-expected Party]]"</ref>}}
The '''Green Dragon Inn''' was one of [[the Shire]]'s many inns.
The '''Green Dragon Inn''' was one of [[the Shire]]'s many inns.
Revision as of 02:27, 5 April 2010
This article or section needs expansion and/or modification. Please help the wiki by expanding it.
- "There's only one Dragon in Bywater, and that's Green."
- ― Ted Sandyman[1]
The Green Dragon Inn was one of the Shire's many inns.
The Green Dragon Inn stood on the Bywater Road, the last building passed by travellers from Bywater on their way towards Hobbiton. It was perhaps most famous as the starting-point of the Quest of Erebor: it was here that a flustered and unprepared Bilbo met with Thorin and his Dwarves on the morning their adventures began. It remained an important meeting-place and a centre of gossip long after Bilbo returned from the Quest, and at the time of the famous Birthday Party, Sam Gamgee was among its regular visitors. For all its proud history, it did not survive the coming of Sharkey and his Men to the Shire during the War of the Ring, and it was a desolate and empty place by the time Sam returned with Frodo and the other Travellers.
Portrayal in adaptations
2001: Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring:
- The Green Dragon is the location of several scenes. The activities from the Ivy Bush were relocated here. Rosie Cotton appears there, implying that she works there as a barmaid.
2002: Vivendi's The Fellowship of the Ring:
- The Green Dragon is situated in Bywater. Daddy Twofoot sits outside, while inside, Robin Smallburrow, Rosie Cotton and Hamfast Gamgee can be found. Merry and Pippin reveal their "conspiracy" there.
2003: Sierra's The Hobbit:
- The Green Dragon is a small building with a thatched roof. Entering it marks the end of the first level.


text:
By Greg Watry
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The church must evolve with the times, and the clergy must stand by their faith in the face of animosity from the secular world, a Catholic philosopher said.
John Rist, a philosopher and professor at The Catholic University of America, said in the latest edition of Vatican Voices that in order for Catholicism to flourish the clergy "have got to be visible, they have to be unpopular in many cases. If they don't, they'll be failing their job."
Rist recognizes the risks the clergy take when promoting Catholic philosophy. "If you say you're opposed to abortion you don't get your head cut off, but you get abused. You might be called a pedophile or something like that."
But young people, who are idealistic, are drawn to morally brave behavior, he said. Priests set a good example for the laity by defending their faith.
In order to defend the faith, Rist said, one must learn what secular culture says and why. By not engaging with the secular world, the church alienates itself and "the outside world gets further and further away, and you get less and less chance to have contact with it or even understand what it's doing."
The church addressed the issue of secularism during the Second Vatican Council. However the council fathers didn't understand "the problem they were trying to solve," Rist said. "They knew somehow the church was out of sync with the modern world," he said, but not why.
During Vatican II and still today, he said, the problem of disconnection with the modern world lies in stagnant thinking.
Theologians don't understand that the church is allowed to evolve, Rist said. "They think that if we open the door to thinking and considering change, we're going to lose everything."
The truth is the church is always in a state of flux, Rist said. Dramatic changes, as those that occurred during Vatican II, have happened throughout the history of the church.
In the New Testament, Rist said, Jesus claims, "'I will lead you to all truth,' not I'll give it to you right now on a plate."


text:
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- The family of a Brown University student missing since March 16 is appealing to area businesses to turn over surveillance footage.
Twenty-two-year-old Sunil Tripathi, a native of Bryn Mawr, Pa., was on leave from the Ivy League school, but living in an apartment near campus with several other Brown students.
His family last heard from him around midnight on Friday, March 15, and he was last seen the following morning.
His sister, Sangeeta, says they're hoping businesses with security cameras near where he lived on Angell and Brook Streets turn over footage from that day so they can try to track his movements.
Providence Police are working with police at Brown and the FBI to investigate Tripathi's disappearance.


text:
Badges and Check-In
- 1 Badges, Tickets, and a Smooth Check-In
- 2 No Changes: Check-In and Badge Holder Pickup
- 3 Changes or Corrections: Will Call and Special Services
- 4 My Badge Did Not Arrive
- 5 Purchasing Tickets for Special Events
- 6 Purchasing Single-Day Registration or Exhibits Only Passes
- 7 Empowerment Conference Registrants
Badges, Tickets, and a Smooth Check-In
If you registered prior to May 18th, your conference Badge is in the mail and will arrive at your address of record by June 14th. Any tickets for special events or meals that you purchased with your registration will be included with your Badge. Please open the envelope and review the contents before you leave for conference. Also, please bring a photo ID with you to check-in.
No Changes: Check-In and Badge Holder Pickup
If your badge and tickets are correct, please go directly to the Badge Holder Pickup counters in the registration area at the conference center to check-in and receive your conference guide book and exhibits guide. The registration area is located in the Washington Convention Center, Street Level, East Registration Area.
Alternately, on Thursday, June 21 and Friday, June 22 ONLY, you can complete your check-in, get your badge holder and other conference materials at any of our Satellite Check-In Hotels: Washington Hilton, Marriott Crystal City and Fairmont Hotel. You cannot register for the conference, make changes to your badge, or register for additional events at these hotels. Hours for Satellite Check-In are Thursday, June 22 - Friday, June 22: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Changes or Corrections: Will Call and Special Services
If any changes or corrections need to be made to your badge or your ticketed events, we will be happy to make them on-site at the Will Call counters in the registration area. Additonally, if you receive a Balance Due notice rather than a badge, please visit the Special Assistance counter in the registration area first. Please note that a photo ID is required for any changes or corrections.
My Badge Did Not Arrive
If you do not receive your badge in the mail before you leave, no worries. Please proceed directly to the Will Call counters in the registration area to have a new Badge (and special event tickets, if applicable) issued. A photo ID is required.
Purchasing Tickets for Special Events
A limited number of tickets for special events are available for purchase in the registration area for attendees. Visit the Registration counters for details.
Purchasing Single-Day Registration or Exhibits Only Passes
Your colleagues, family and friends can purchase either one-day full conference registration or any of the Exhibits passes at the on-site Registration counters in the conference center. Photo ID is required.
On-Site Registration and Badge Holder Pick-up Hours:
Thursday, June 21 - Friday, June 22: 7:30 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday, June 23 - Monday, June 25: 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
Tuesday, June 27: 7:30 am - 2:00 pm
Satellite Check-In Hours:
Thursday, June 22 - Friday
June 22: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Empowerment Conference Registrants
When you arrive for the conference, you should go to the Empowerment Conference registration booth in the Washington Convention Center. It will be located next to the Invited Guests booth in the registration area. Give the staff your materials pick-up ticket, which you should have received in the mail. You will then receive your meal tickets and bag with relevant conference materials inside.
The Empowerment Registration booth will be open during the following days and times:
Thursday, 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Friday, 7:30 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday, 7:30 am- 5:00 pm


text:
Portrait of a Killer
Head back to the United Liberty Paper building at the center of Algonquin, on the under construction section of Columbus Avenue. This time, Michelle... we mean, Karen, is no where to be found. Instead, you'll be dealing directly with the guy she brought you to before. He liked what you did with Oleg, and he has more for you to do this time. The two men mess with each other, but it's clear that Niko isn't even remotely in a power position in his relationship with his unnamed contractor. He asks Niko to go steal a cop car and access the police computer. He also wants Niko to await a picture on his cell phone from him showing a picture of the target.
When you head outside, you might as well cut to the chase and get the unpleasant task of boosting a cop car out of the way. While you may be able to find out randomly parked and abandoned somewhere, chances are you'll have to steal one, which is gonna net you at least a two star wanted level. If you want to keep it really low key, attempt to boost a car by smashing a cop car, getting out of your car, coercing the cops to come towards you, and then jumping in their car. This should only net you an easier-to-escape one star rating.
With a cop car in your possession, you can now use the picture sent to you by your contractor of the guy you're going after. Choose to look through the records and cross-reference pictures (this will happen automatically, thankfully), and your target will come up on-screen. His name is Adam Dimayev, he hangs out at an importer-exporter, and he's wanted for financing terrorist activities. Most importantly, however, you'll get his location, which is at Hooper Street in Dukes (it will be added to your HUD via GPS). So, once the coordinates are in place, drive over to your destination posthaste.
When you arrive at your destination, a plethora of red dots will appear on your HUD. These represent all of the enemies in the area, and naturally you're going to need to eliminate them all, not only your intended target. Thankfully, as seen in the screens below, there's a great place to begin firing upon as the driveway slants upwards. You can peek over it and begin firing away at foes (use a shotgun for nearby enemies and automatic weaponry for those far away). Then, as you work your way towards the left, use the various cars as cover, being sure to dodge enemy bullets as you keep the heat on.
It's a good idea to aim a machinegun up at the roof of the garage and begin thinning out the enemies there. That's because, using a ladder on the building itself, you'll need to head up there, and preemptively clearing the enemy ranks before your climb will make surviving your brief stay on the roof a lot easier. After clearing what enemies you can (kill at least three foes before your climb), you can then climb up and begin exterminating any remaining foes. The baddies up here have better cover to utilize, so take things slowly and target one foe at a time to make the situation easier for you.
Now, when all of the red dots but one have disappeared from your HUD, that means that it's time to go after your mark. You'll notice that the red icon has a black line on it, however, indicating that the foe is either above or below you. To get to him on the higher-up roof adjacent to the building, you'll need to head to the far right of the initial roof and boost yourself up onto some metal crates. Use these crates to climb and jump up to the roof where the foe is located. Then, do him in with a firearm of your choice. Case closed.
Was this guide helpful?


text:
Copycat Restaurant Recipes: 17 Casseroles to Make at Home
Bonus: Get our newsletter & special offers for free. We will not share or sell your email address. View our Privacy Policy
Latest Comments
luck1293 1844011
"This sounds so good and easy to make, but I have a problem. Even though I love fresh green beans I'm not allowed to eat them. Is there something that I replace them with?"
rezzutoj 7633235
"I recently won the Ayesha Home Collection Porcelain EnamelNonstick Covered Straining Casserole giveaway. However it arrived damaged. Is there any way to exchange it for another one? I love your site and giveaways. Thanks."
apostolic1966 8130121
"Tried this recipe? What did you think?"
gouchr 0236764
"Follow my post next time and let me know how it turned out.."
gouchr 0236764
"Have made this, but mine is better..... First I purchased 2 packages of the largest breast from "Sprouts" openair market.. Roughly 9lb's of chicken of skinless breast meat.. 3 diced red bell peppers,,,,,,, 2 cns (7oz) of diced green chili's,,,,,,,, 1 cn of the "HATCH" diced chili's.... 1 large bag of 3/4" egg noodles..... A large jar of Alfredo sauce and a 16 oz of sour cream.. Combine these 2 with the cn's of green chili's and bake @ 350 (covered) for the first 45 minutes.. Then twards the end of oven time,,,, Sprinkle "GENERIOUSLY" with "Monterey Jack ckeese"..... WATCH OUT,,,,,,,,,, This one hurts!!"
Sort Results By:
Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole
(1 Votes)
Apple Fritter Casserole
(1 Votes)
Skinny Tuna Salad
(1 Votes)
Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
(1 Votes)
Quiche Lorraine
(1 Votes)
Sausage and Veggie Breakfast Casserole
(0 Votes)
Veggie Bonanza Egg and Cheese Bake
(0 Votes)
Slow Cooker Italian Breakfast Casserole
(0 Votes)
Fancy French Toast Casserole
(0 Votes)
Homemade Cinnamon Bun Pie
(0 Votes)
Slow Cooker Blueberry French Toast
(1 Votes)
Overnight Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
(0 Votes)
Recipe of the Day
Just Like Trisha Yearwood's Charleston Cheese Dip
Y'all know we love Trisha Yearwood. So it should be know surprise that we adore thisJust Like Trisha Yearwood's Charleston Cheese Dip… Continue reading: "Just Like Trisha Yearwood's Charleston Cheese Dip"
What's Hot
- 4-Ingredient Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
- Italian Crescent Casserole
- Easy Cheesy Beef Stroganoff Casserole
- One Pot Goulash
- 1950s Upside Down Ground Beef Casserole
- Sour Cream Rice Bake
- Poor Man's Hamburger Casserole
- Sinfully Sinful Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Easy, Cheesy Slow Cooker Hamburger Casserole
- Meat and Potatoes "Lasagna"
My Recipes (0) View »
Something worth saving?
- SAVE all your favorite recipes
- ADD personal notes
- QUICKLY reference your recipes
Sponsored Content
Free eCookbooks
- 11 Recipes for Easter Brunch
- 14 Slow Cooker Casseroles
- 15 Easy Ground Beef Casserole Recipes eCookbook
- 15 Easy Potluck Recipes For A Church Supper
- 19 Scrumptious Casserole Recipes for Breakfast
- 20 Casserole Recipes for Mexican Food Lovers
- 9 Casserole Recipes to Make When Eating on a Budget
- Cooking Vegetable Side Dishes: 9 Easy Casserole Recipes
- Copycat Restaurant Recipes: 17 Casseroles to Make at Home
- Easy Tater Tot Casserole Recipes: 12 Ways


text:
Once Upon a Time's fairy tale characters might be in even more trouble!
When Emma (Jennifer Morrison) and Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) are sucked into Zelena's (Rebecca Mader) time portal during Sunday's two-hour season finale (8/7c on ABC), the dynamic duo will find themselves in the Enchanted Forest of the past, where they'll quickly discover that their arrival could endanger the future. Seeking Rumple's (Robert Carlyle) help, Emma must admit that they've already meddled in the wrong places. But whose past have they changed? Check out an exclusive sneak peek at the season finale below:
Lightning Round 13: Once Upon a Time bosses answer your burning questions
Once Upon a Time's two-hour season finale airs Sunday at 8/7c on ABC.


text:
The math, I read, is
$$F = G\frac{m_{1}m_{2}}{r^{2}}.$$
What I'm unclear about is how does it work in practice.
Say there are two identical pebbles massing 1 kilogram each outside Sol's gravity well close enough to attract each other.
What happens then? And, How long does each 'stage' take?
Do the pebbles start to orbit around each other and eventually coalesce?
Do they, without coalescing, begin to attract other particles around them?


text:
Located opposite the Isle of Man Airport and close to historic Castletown in the south of the Island, Sefton Express is a modern, well-appointed budget hotel sharing the Sefton Group's commitment to the highest standards of customer service. A perfect base from which to explore the beautiful Isle of Man.
Share |


text:
We are powered by the latest in video and audio software. Whether you prefer busier or quieter rooms, regardless of race, age or sex, we have you covered. Connect online with thousands of other users today.
Are you an adult, teen, single, gay, lesbian, or do you prefer one on one private conversation?
Please remember to follow all the rules listed at the bottom section of each specific chatroom.
In order to participate, the one basic requirement is you need to be a minimum of 13 years of age or older.
As stated, we do not discriminate against race, gender or sex but age specific requirements may or may not apply to each individual room.
This website values the safety of people seriously, we try our best to staff live and active moderators as much as possible to create a safe environment.
We support free video cams and audio chatting in the majority of our rooms.
All of our rooms are staffed with online moderators to keep your visit clean, safe, relaxing and fun. We respect everyones privacy and that is of major importance to us.
There is absolutely no registration or sign up required and you do not need to have a webcam or audio speakers to participate.


text:
Cristina Pato is a jazz pianist from Spain who also plays flute and sings. But on her new album, Migrations, there's a striking sound not often heard in jazz: a bagpipe. Pato has been playing the traditional gaita (pronounced "GY-tah"), a version of the bagpipe from her native region of Galicia, since she was 4 years old.
"I think right now in Galicia, there are more bagpipe players than soccer players, which is a very big statement to say," Pato says. "But, you know, bagpipes, they are all around the world, and they are all related to the people where they are from. ... It's probably one of the oldest instruments in history."
The gaita's stark, commanding sound is an odd fit for jazz, but Pato says she's been able to use that contrast to her advantage.
"I think that is the reason I get so passionate about the instrument," she says. "It has so many beautiful limitations that really make you work harder to get things done."
Here, Pato speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about moving from Spain to New York, fielding bagpipe questions from strangers and getting up the nerve to record a Miles Davis tune. Hear more of their conversation by clicking the audio link on this page.
Cristina Pato is a jazz pianist from Spain.
SIMON: She also plays flute and sings.
CRISTINA PATO: (Singing) I see, just as I seen you, more than...
SIMON: But on her new album, "Migrations," there's a striking sound not often heard in jazz - the bagpipe.
SIMON: Cristina Pato plays the traditional gaita. That's the bagpipe from her native region of Galicia in Northwestern Spain. But a world of jazz opened up to her when she came to the United States in 2004. Cristina Pato joins us from our studios in New York. Thanks so much for being with us.
PATO: Thank you so much for having me as (unintelligible). I'm enamored.
SIMON: We're going to get the jazz stuff in a moment, but tell us about this instrument. Because I gather you began playing the bagpipes when you were four years old. Does that happen in every Galician family?
PATO: Well, kind of. Not when you're four years old. But the gaita, the bagpipe I play, is like the national instrument of Galicia. So, I think right now in Galicia there are more bagpipe players than soccer players, which is a very big statement to say. But, you know, like, bagpipes, they are all around the world and they are all related to the people where they are from. So, coming from a traditional family of musicians, it kind of made sense for me to start with it when I was four years old.
SIMON: I don't have to tell you, in this country, as a generalization, you say bagpipes, people think you're talking about Scotland.
PATO: Well, you cannot even imagine the amount of faces I get when somebody asks me, oh, what do you do? And I say, hey, I'm a musician. And then they ask what do you play? And I say bagpipes. And you also get this typical line of I have a bagpipers playing in my grandparent's funeral. That is the other typical bagpipe conversation. No, I mean, the bagpipe is one of these instruments that is in almost every culture because it's probably one of the oldest instruments in the history. It was a shepherd instrument so it's related to...
SIMON: A shepherd instrument. I was going to ask if that was the derivation.
PATO: Yeah. Like wherever there was a shepherd, there was a bagpipe. But, you know, it's like the typical image we have of the bagpipers is usually the Celtic tradition, the Celtic connections in Scotland and Ireland, and Galicia, which is related to that culture to, to the Celtic connections. But there are bagpipes everywhere.
SIMON: Let's listen to another track on this CD, because you have the audacity to do Miles Davis "Blue and Green."
SIMON: Wow. That's very nicely done.
PATO: Thank you.
SIMON: You know, this is a song that when you hear the Miles Davis original, there's something introspective about it, something about contemplative about it - late night, dark of the moon, all that stuff. The bagpipe has - we think of, is such a commanding song. You know, rousing people, getting them out. How do you make the bagpipe work in this situation?
PATO: Well, that is a constant challenge I have with my instrument with the guide down, because - and I think that is the reason I get so passionate about the instrument, because it has so many beautiful limitations that really make you work harder to get things done. So, this piece, this "Blue and Green," is related to another Miles Davis recording I did three years ago. And that recording was related to his album, "Sketches of Spain," in which apparently in his piece, "The Bagpiper," he was inspired by a Galician bagpiper. But that for me was the excuse to say, OK, now I can take him and play this tune. And if somebody asks me, I just will say that Miles Davis was listening to a gaita when he was writing "Sketches of Spain."
PATO: If you ask me right now where is home for me, I actually don't have an answer, because that is what happens when you move around and when you migrate and you try to find your place in the world. And then you feel connected to your roots, of course, but also disconnected because you don't live there anymore. And then you're here, and everybody in New York is from abroad. And it's such a strange and beautiful sensation that keeps me connected to this city. This is why the whole album is called "Migrations," because we are carrying our roots wherever we are going. I am from Galicia, I live in New York, and I brought my roots with me but my roots re-rooted again here. And from those re-roots, another thing was born. And this album was about that.
SIMON: Cristina Pato. Her new album, "Migrations." She joined us from our studios in New York. Thanks so much.
PATO: Thank you. A pleasure.
SIMON: And you can hear more of Cristina Pato on our website, nprmusic.org. This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
Dr. Doug Welch, a member of the Hamilton Centre and astronomy professor at McMaster University, has been awarded the McNeil Medal by the Royal Society of Canada.
The McNeil Medal is awarded to a candidate who has demonstrated outstanding ability to promote and communicate science to students and the public within Canada. Previous winners include David Suzuki, Jay Ingram, and Bob McDonald.
"The award is a great honour," said Welch who enjoys introducing the sky to everyone he meets. "There are so many people who have mentored me and shared my journey that I realize this is an award for them, too."
Welch's love of astronomy began in the mid-1960s, and he has been a professional astronomer for more than two decades. In that time, he has revived and directed the largest planetarium program in southern Ontario, which educates both the public and trains generations of new scientific explorers. He is the author of the successful children's book Amazing Facts about Australia's Southern Skies, now in its sixth printing, and is co-host of the popular Slacker Astronomy podcast.
A popular speaker at many RASC Centres, Dr. Welch is well-known in the amateur community as the co-creator of the Sky Quality Meter which allows astronomers to make accurate measurements of sky brightness.
Welch will receive the Medal at an Induction and Awards Ceremony Nov. 27 at the National Gallery in Ottawa.


text:
Brief Encounters
An official iCheckMovies list.
Favorited 152 times, disliked 5 times, added to 197 watchlists.
This list is a ranked list of the top 250 shorts as compiled by the They Shoot Pictures, Don't They website as a companion to their Top 1000 films. This follows a project originally started and abandoned in 2009 to do the same, the preliminary list for which was the original source of this list.
Source (dead link)
Pssst, want to check out the Brief Encounters list in our new look?
Last updated on Feb 20, 2017 by PeacefulAnarchy; source


text:
Remember Father Alberto Cutie, a.k.a. "Father Oprah"? He was the, ahem, "hunky" and popular Miami priest and media personality who was caught in some rather compromising tabloid photos gallivanting on a beach with one of his parishioners. It was a big scandal at the time -- it even made the New York Times. Well, guess what -- he's back! Cutie is now married to that parishioner, the two have a child and he's now an Episcopal priest. And for our purposes, he's got a book out about his ordeal that's generating a fair amount of media coverage.
His regional fame notwithstanding, a major reason why Cutie's story blew up was that issues of celibacy in the Roman Catholic church have been under a good deal of scrutiny as a result of the ongoing pedophilia scandals. While there were a few things to be desired about the coverage of Cutie's initial indiscretion, tmatt noted at the time that the rule of celibacy was treated as a serious issue with two opposing sides by some important news outlets.
Sadly, I don't know if that can be said about this latest round of coverage. Book publicity is typically not the most in-depth journalism, but in dealing with such a sensitive religious debate you'd hope for even a cursory effort to provide some balance. No such luck with this ABC News report, "Father Albert Cutie Lashes Out at Catholic Church":
Although he still holds some resentment toward the Catholic Church, Cutie is now an Episcopal priest, which allows him to keep his marriage. Cutie told "GMA" that celibacy was not for him, and is not for most clergy members.
"Celibacy works for some priests some of the time, but it does not work for most priests most of the time."
Many faiths, including Jewish, Muslim, Protestant and Orthodox Christians, allow their religious leaders to marry, but Roman Catholic priests are required to stay single and celibate.
As a religious matter, I don't support the Catholic Church's teaching on celibacy and am not at all inclined to defend it. But as a journalist, the ABC News report is regrettable puffery, with little beyond Cutie lobbing unanswered charges of hypocrisy at Rome over celibacy. I realize this appears to be a quick and dirty write-up of his Good Morning America appearance, but still. It's mighty generous of Cutie not to hold any resentment toward Catholicism for breaking his own vows he made to the church. And as tmatt noted of the Cutie coverage last time around, it's not technically correct to say that Catholic priests are required to remain single and celibate. There are a few married priests are ordained by Rome. There are married priests in Eastern Rite Catholicism, as well as a few former Anglican and Lutherans ordained as priests even though they were married.
To be fair to Cutie, he appears to be a bit more self-critical than ABC News would suggest. Time does a much better job of probing Cutie's motivations:
In an interview with TIME, Cutie admits that "I not only disappointed others but also myself" by leading a double life as famous pastor and furtive paramour. Yet most Catholics, who continue dealing with crises like clerical sexual abuse of minors, shrugged at his indiscretion; and Cutie just as rightly notes that "there are much bigger problems in the church" than his otherwise healthy relationship with a consenting adult. Cutie's tell-all saves its harshest censure not for the gossip rags (which he all but thanks for outing him) but for the Catholic hierarchy's retro hypocrisies -- especially celibacy, which he posits, based on a flood of letters he's since received from priests, is a promise broken by many if not most clerics (some promiscuously) as they combat the loneliness it can breed. The church is "disconnected from the very people it was meant to serve," he writes, and it acted more distressed by his peccadillo than by "the truly criminal, outrageous and blatantly immoral behavior" of pedophile priests.
Cutie critics will argue that he's attacking the church to deflect attention from, if not to rationalize, his own dishonest actions -- and that he stayed in the priesthood as long as he did because he was as much in love with his talk-show renown as he was with his covert girlfriend, Ruhama Canellis, now his wife. But Cutie, who insists "celebrity is not essential to who I am," writes in Dilemma that he instead felt boxed in by his notoriety. Because Latino Catholics admired "Padre Alberto" in the 2000s as much as U.S. Catholics admired Bishop Fulton Sheen in the 1950s, "I knew that if I left the church for this woman, I would shake the faith and trust of many, many people. I couldn't make myself do that yet."
Time at least acknowledges that Cutie could be seen as engaged in excessive of rationalization. I just wish they could make this point in a much less dismissive fashion than "Cutie's critics will argue..." While Time's report is thankfully much more nuanced than a shameless book plug, I still get the feeling that a fair presentation of the issues was an early casualty.
To the credit of the AP, in their brief story they didn't just act as a Cutie stenographer or conjure up what they think the Catholic response to Cutie's accusations would be:
The 41-year-old says church leaders secretly accept homosexual and heterosexual relationships among priests but disapproved of his because it became public.
"There are so many homosexuals, both active and celibate, at all levels of clergy and Church hierarchy that the church would never be able to function if they were really to exclude all of them from ministry," Cutie writes.
The Archdiocese of Miami and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops declined comment Monday.
Cutie calls former Archbishop John Favalora "an aloof CEO" with a "cold and rigid approach" who was "disconnected" from the parish. He said the two rarely spoke during the scandal.
A phone listing for Favalora could not be found.
Well, I'm glad they tried. But even if all the immediate players were not available for comment, surely there are some important Catholic voices out there that would have something interesting to say about Cutie's charges of hypocrisy. They deserve to be heard. As always, let us know in the comments if you see any other stories about Cutie that are worth noting -- especially any good coverage.


text:
At Monster, we look for people who want to be the best at what they do - people who aren't afraid to meet a challenge head on, and turn it inside out, upside down or even a little sideways to get the best possible results. We encourage collaboration, embrace innovation, and believe in the importance of work-life balance. We're seeking talented candidates for a wide range of rewarding career opportunities.Join our team
Monster is an online employment solution for people seeking great jobs, and employers who need great people. Our roots are as a "job board", but we've grown into so much more. Today, Monster is a recognized global provider of a broad range of job search, career management, recruitment and talent management products and services.
Innovation is the heart of our success...and our future. We're changing the way people think about work, and we're helping them improve their lives and their work performance with new technology, tools and training.


text:
Teacher of Science, Kirklees
Closing date:
Start date: September 2019
Contract type: Full Time
Contract term: Supply
Suitable for NQTs: Yes
Teacher of Science
September 2019
Vision for Education (part of TES) are a well-respected education specialist supply agency. Our Huddersfield branch covers Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield.
We are currently assisting a school in the Kirklees area in their search to appoint a suitably qualified Science Teacher. The position is full-time, to start September 2019, until December 2019.
This is a high-achieving school with high expectations of both students and staff. You will be energetic and enthusiastic, able to inspire and share your passion for the subject. This is a great opportunity to join the school and become part of its committed teaching team.
To be considered for this position you must:
- Have experience teaching Science to Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 level
- Hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
- Have a genuine desire to become part of a committed team of Secondary teachers
- Have a passion for teaching with the ability to plan and deliver inspiring lessons
At Vision for Education we take our responsibilities to you seriously and our aim is to ensure you are well supported and rewarded for your efforts. As part of our supply team you will benefit from:
- Excellent hourly rates paid weekly through PAYE
- £50 reward every time you recommend a colleague
- Support throughout your placements
- Access to a dedicated consultant 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Access to free CPD such as Team Teach, Autism Awareness and Child Protection in Education qualifications
- Full compliance with AWR (Agency Worker Regulations) to make sure you get paid what you deserve
- Regular social events with 100% complimentary food and drink
If you are a qualified teacher who can enthuse, motivate and engage students and would like the challenge of working in a demanding and rewarding environment then we want to hear from you.
Apply today or for more information on this and other teaching opportunities across Vision for Education contact the Secondary Education team at the Huddersfield branch.
Vision for Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All candidates will be required to complete our safeguarding checks and undergo an enhanced DBS check.
Contact Vision for Education Ltd
Thanks for your interest in this role.
Simply fill in the form below to ask any questions, request a call, or schedule a school visit.
This field is required


text:
Have any? Pictures, questions etc all welcome.
Have had a range of things including Parrots, Rabbits, Hamsters, Budgies, Terrapins a Cat and even a Jumping Spider collection (which was a pain in the arse to keep because I had to catch fruitflies for them).
Recently bought a Netherland Dwarf bunny for my sister with my first NS pay, adorable little guy


text:
The sweet 16 squad 2017
The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament is complete, and only 16 teams remain alive with a chance to win a national title. In that group of 16 there are blue blood programs like North Carolina, Kentucky Kansas and UCLA, traditional overachievers like Butler, and supremely talented squads like Arizona. So who is the sweet 16 squad of this years NCAA tournament?
This year there is no school like Oklahoma last year which didn't feature a single top 100 player. Only Butler has less than 2 four or five-star players on their roster. The only Bulldog who was rated as a four-star prospect is fifth year senior Tyler Lewis. Overall five of the 16 teams remaining have multiple five-star players in their rotation, they are Arizona, Florida, UCLA, North Carolina, and Kentucky. With that another three, Purdue, South Carolina, and Kansas, have one five-star in the rotation.
121 players make up the rotations of the 16 teams alive
In terms of raw numbers, 121 players make up the rotations of the 16 teams alive. Not included are injured players such as Edmond Sumner of Xavier, Chris Boucher of Oregon, and John Egbunu of Florida who were key contributors and in the rotation, but unavailable in the NCAA Tournament. Also not included is a kid like Kobi Simmons of Arizona who has fallen out of the rotation after having been involved in it for most of the year.
Of those 121 prospects, 22 were rated as five-stars, 39 as four-stars, and 43 as three-stars. 16 prospects were not evaluated and given a star ranking by Scout.com. Those are mostly junior college or European kids who weren't really seen.
It should be of no surprise that Kentucky leads the way with five, five-star prospects on their roster. The Wildcats however aren't all stars, three-star prospects Derek Willis and Dom Hawkins are key members of the Kentucky rotation. Following Kentucky is North Carolina and UCLA with four five-star players a piece, while Arizona has a trio of five-star prospects. Interestingly no rotation is made up entirely of four and five-star talent. North Carolina features three-stars Nate Britt and Luke Maye, while UCLA has Bryce Alford and Gyorgy Goloman. The Wildcats of Arizona have a three-star in Keanu Pinder and a non-evaluated prospect in Kadeem Allen. Still those four programs, along with Florida who boasts a pair of five-star talents, really lead the way when it comes to recruited talent in the Sweet 16. It is likely also no surprise that those schools are considered among the favorites to cut down the nets in Phoenix.
As noted the only school without multiple prospects viewed as four-star or better is Butler, which is almost made up entirely of upperclassmen who were viewed as three-star players. Also Wisconsin, West Virginia, and South Carolina are somewhat light on highly recruited players. Wisconsin has Brevin Pritzl and Bronson Koenig who were top 100 players. Guys such as Nigel Hayes and Ethan Happ have exceeded expectations and made the Badgers into a very tough out in the tournament.
West Virginia has Ohio natives Esa Ahmad and Elijah Macon who were each top 100. However guys such as Nathan Adrian, Daxter Miles, and Jevon Carter were viewed as three-stars who have grown over time and made the most of their ability. Finally there is South Carolina. The Gamecocks have one five-star in Perry Dozier, and then an extremely high four-star Sindarius Thornwell. Beyond that however there are several hidden gems such as Rakym Felder that have led the way for Frank Martin and his Gamecocks.
Let's compare!
Last year 115 prospects made up the rotation of the Sweet 16 teams, and 15 of them were five-star prospects and 53 were four-star prospects. Also last year seven teams featured a five-star prospect while only two had multiple five-star prospects. Percentage wise this year 18 percent of the prospects are five-stars and 32 percent are four-stars. Last year it was 13 percent and 46 percent respectively. Overall this year is a more five-star heavy group, but also more of the under the radar junior college and international prospects. As 16 players in rotations didn't receive a Scout.com ranking this year while that number was only six last season. There are so many talents out there this year! Good luck to all the team who made it into the sweet 16.


text:
Q&A with Dan Holligan
Related Links
The UC San Diego men's cross country team enters the 2006 season with a mix of juniors, sophomores and some outstanding newcomers. As the lone senior, Dan Holligan took time to discuss the upcoming season and how he has been spending this summer. Last season the UCSD men finished with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA West Regionals at Chino Hills in November. The 2006 season begins with a home meet with CSUSM, PLNU and SDCC on the
Q- What has been your favorite cross country course to run on?
HOLLIGAN - One of the best parts of cross country is the variety of courses we get to race on. I enjoy the challenge of tough courses, like our home course, but it's also fun to race on flat, fast courses. My favorite was probably racing at the Paul Short Invitational in
Q- What type of activities/workouts have you been doing this summer?
HOLLIGAN - Our workouts for this cross-country season started before finals in spring quarter even began, and the by the end of July, the intensity has risen a lot. We are doing much tougher workouts this summer compared to years past. My teammates and I have been playing a little bit of Ultimate to mix it up, but it's mostly been increasing our fitness with a lot of running.
Q- Are you taking any classes or working this summer?
HOLLIGAN- I'm working at the UCSD HNRC in Hillcrest and I'm also taking a prep course for the August MCAT.
Q- How did you get started running?
HOLLIGAN - My parents are both runners as well as all of my mom's side of the family, so they got me interested when I was fairly young. I remember running mile races and local cross country races while I was in elementary school. By the time I got to high school, I was ready for cross country.
Q- Entering your final year as a Triton, what specific goals would you like to achieve?
HOLLIGAN - We've got a young team this year, with a lot of juniors and sophomores. What I would like to accomplish is for this team to learn how to race well together and to race tough. Cross country requires a lot of skills, but also just teaching your body to fight through pain. We've got to balance running smart and just running tough. If we focus on this, I think the other results will come, such as finishing top two in the conference, and earning a trip to nationals by finishing top three in the west region. With all of our up and coming talent on this team, these goals are attainable and would be great indicators for the future.
Q- What do you like about running for coach Ted Van Arsdale?
HOLLIGAN- Aside from his great attitude, experience, and knowledge about cross-country, what I've come to love most about running for Ted is how important each of his athletes are to him. He doesn't just want us to be successful as athletes, but also as students and people in general. He looks after all of his athletes and wants to be involved in our lives. Plus, I can't think of a practice where Ted hasn't made me laugh. He's just a fun guy to be around.
Q- How are you able to manage your time with studying, being a tutor and athlete?
HOLLIGAN- Most athletes know that the busier you are, the more efficiently you work and get things done. Having lots of things to do makes me use my time wisely and forces me to get my work done when it needs to be. I don't want time to be a constraint on the things I want to do. I have my share of late nights, but I like having a routine and the discipline of being a student athlete helps me accomplish what I need to.
Q- What do you enjoy outside of running?
HOLLIGAN - Outside of running!? Well, I like being active and exercising, anything that gets me outside and moving around. I've also been lucky to have been able to do a lot of traveling and enjoy visiting new places. I love being in the mountains and being with my family.
Q- Can you share a funny story that has taken place with the cross country team during your time here at UCSD?
HOLLIGAN- With guys on the team like Ben Schuster and Jake LeVieux, every day is a funny story. They're a walking comedy act. However, we recently had a fun experience on the fourth of July. Six of us who were here in
Q- What do you plan to do with your Biochemistry and Cell Biology major after graduation?
HOLLIGAN - I'm going to apply for
Q- With three younger brothers, is there a sibling rivalry?
HOLLIGAN- Well, being the oldest there used to be no contest as to who was the fastest and most athletic. However, now that everyone is getting bigger and older, the playing field is getting level. I'm sure that in a few more months, I'm going to be the shortest out of all four. Having three brothers is awesome because there is no game or sport you can't play. Spending time with my brothers is one of the greatest parts of my life. As for rivalries, all of us have our own strengths. They might not beat my high school track PR's, but they could destroy me in tennis, basketball, chess, computer games etc. If you lose at something, you can find something different to beat everyone else at. However, one of my favorite sports to do other than running is ultimate. However, when my brother Brian started school at the
Previous Q&A articles


text:
GOSHEN, Mass. - An ambulance company that serves six rural western Massachusetts towns has purchased a new ambulance thanks to a $150,000 gift from the bass player for the hard rock band Staind.
The gift from Johnny April enabled Highland Ambulance to buy a new vehicle to replace its aging 1998 model.
Highland Ambulance director Michael Rock says the gift was a "godsend." Rock tells The Recorder of Greenfield (http://bit.ly/uOM3IA) the old ambulance was nearing the end its useful life and the company would have been hard pressed affording a new one.
Highland serves the towns of Ashfield, Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Plainfield and Williamsburg. It responds to about 550 calls per year.
April, although originally from Springfield, lives in Goshen.
Staind is best known for its 2001 song "It's Been Awhile."


text:
Please log in to view this page
You need to log into the platform to access this page. If you have forgotten your password please click here.
If you are already logged in, you may not have a permission to view this page. Please feel free to get in touch at email@example.com if you have any questions.


text: 0 Food Jokes Jokes Crabby!What do you get if you cross an apple with a shellfish? A crab apple! Cheese factory Thyme to Laugh More Jokes Dirty JokesJokesI'm very sexy girl I'm very hot girl .. if you interest hookup with me. its totally free, search my name Ama7 and text me. Please come here>> http://oovy.2track.infoRead More share Bad JokesJokesMe on Saturdays Me*walks up to girl* "Hi!" Her:"Sorry I have a boyfriend." Me:"Yes and that's who I'm here for."Read More share Dirty JokesFactsI bang minors Hmu any age girlsRead More share Funny JokesJokesThe Funny est Joke You'll Ever Hear boy: Women are supposed to be in the the kitchen ! Girl: do you know why women live longer than than men ? boy: why…Read More share Crazy FactsJokesi am free now darling please fuck me herd.please contact me my pussy is humbly waiting for your cock .good Hey there, so when are you usually free?Would love…Read More share Halloween JokesJokesHallobean Q: What's a ghoul's favorite bean?A: A human bean.Read More share Hilarious JokesJokesAre you next? My old aunts would come and tease me at weddings, "Well Sarah? Do you think you'll be next?" We've settled this quickly once I've started…Read More share Black JokesJokesreal bad What do you call 100 Ni**ers at the bottom of the ocean? …….A good startRead More share JokesRacist JokesYou can say You can say what you want about slavery but you can't deny black unemployment was a lot lower back in those days.Read More share JokesRacist JokesWhy doesn't Mexico Why doesn't Mexico have an Olympic team? Because everybody who can run, jump and swim are already in the U.S.Read More share


text:
A biopsy system includes a housing, a cannula, a hollow cutter, and a rotatable tissue sample holder. The cannula extends distally from the housing and is rotatable with respect to the housing. The cutter is movable with respect to the cannula for severing tissue received by the cannula. The tissue sample holder includes a plurality of separate tissue sample compartments, the tissue sample compartments being disposed about an axis of rotation of the tissue sample holder. The biopsy system transports severed tissue samples to the tissue sample holder.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/045,596, filed Mar. 11, 2011; which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/535,066, filed Aug. 4, 2009 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,918,803); which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/931,411, filed Oct. 31, 2007 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,794,411); which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/671,500, filed Feb. 6, 2007 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,981,050); which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/364,062, filed Feb. 11, 2003 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,226,424); which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/734,787, filed Dec. 13, 2000 (now abandoned); which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/825,899, filed Apr. 2, 1997 (now abandoned); the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods and devices for tissue sampling, and more specifically to improved biopsy instruments and methods for acquiring subcutaneous biopsies and for removing lesions.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is often desirable and frequently necessary to sample or test a portior tissue from humans and other animals, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cancerous tumors, pre-malignant conditions, and other diseases or disorders. Typically, in the case of cancer, when the physician establishes by means of procedures such as palpation, x-ray, or ultrasound imaging that suspicious circumstances exist, a biopsy is performed to determine whether the cells are cancerous. Biopsy may be done by an open or percutaneous technique. Open biopsy, which is an invasive surgical procedure using a scalpel and involving direct vision of the target area, removes the entire mass (excisional biopsy) or a part of the mass (incisional biopsy). Percutaneous biopsy, on the other hand, is usually done with a needle-like instrument through a relatively small incision, blindly or with the aid of an artificial imaging device, and may be either a fine needle aspiration (FNA) or a core biopsy. In FNA biopsy, individual cells or clusters of cells are obtained for cytologic examination and may be prepared such as in a Papanicolaou smear. In core biopsy, as the term suggests, a core or fragment of tissue is obtained for histologic examination which may be done via a frozen section or paraffin section.
The type of biopsy utilized depends in large part on circumstances present with respect to the patient, and no single procedure is ideal for all cases. However, core biopsy is extremely useful in a number of conditions and is being used more frequently by the medical profession.
Two types of guided percutaneous core breast biopsy instruments are presently available. One such instrument is a spring-powered single-use device, such as the BIOPTY® gun, available from C. R. Bard, Inc. Such a gun is shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,699,154 and 4,944,308, as well as in U.S. Reissued Pat. No. Re. 34,056, all of which are herein expressly incorporated by reference. These devices are useful because of their inexpensive construction, enabling them to be economically used for only a single patient, and because they are lightweight and easy to use. However, they also have disadvantages. An important disadvantage is that the small core size makes it necessary to accurately place the needle when sampling small lesions. To sample a lesion thoroughly, many separate insertions must be made. Each time a new sample is taken, the device must be removed, and the breast or organ must be punctured again upon re-insertion of the device. This action is tedious and time consuming.
A further disadvantage of such single-use guns is the needle typically used in such a device, e.g. the True Cut® needle manufactured by Travenol Laboratories. This needle optimally allows a roughly cylindrical shaped sample of tissue, termed a "core", to be obtained from a pointed, side cutting device, percutaneously, and comprises a pointed inner stilette with a side-facing notch to receive tissue near its distal pointed end and an outer, sharpened sliding cannula. In operation, once the lesion is targeted, the inner stilette is thrust into the organ or lesion of interest. Tissue passively prolapses into the side facing notch and the outer cannula is rapidly advanced, thereby severing the sample of tissue contained within the notch. Unfortunately, the True Cut® needle is rough on organs and lesions, often only obtaining small fragments of tissue, and is quite operator dependent—some individuals are good at operating the device and some are not. It also is tissue selective, meaning that the piercing stilette and sliding cutter can "push away" the lesion of interest, particularly in situations where a relatively large lesion is surrounded by much softer tissue (i.e. fat).
The second type of image guided percutaneous core breast biopsy instrument currently available is a vacuum-assisted automatic core biopsy device. One such successful biopsy gun is shown and disclosed in related parent application Ser. No. 08/217,246, filed on Mar. 24, 1994, which is commonly owned by the assignee of the present application and is herein incorporated by reference. This gun has the capability to active capture tissue prior to cutting the tissue. Active capture allows for sampling through non-homogeneous tissues, meaning that the device is equally capable of cutting through hard and soft tissue. The gun also includes means to direct and position the cutting chamber in arbitrary positions about and along its longitudinal axis, means for rapid and atraumatic removal of an arbitrary number of core samples with only a single needle insertion into the body and organ, and means for coding and decoding the location from which the samples were obtained. Together, these capabilities allow for more complete sampling of large lesions and for the complete removal of small lesions. This type of instrument has been very successful in permitting the obtainment of a plurality of tissue samples from different locations with only a single needle insertion, as well as in obtaining high quality samples in a manner which does not require direct handling of the samples by the operator. However, it does not operate equally well in all procedures and in all bodily environments. For example, instrument performance and success often varies dependent upon the type of body tissue being sampled; i.e. relatively fatty or relatively hard.
What is needed then, are innovations for improving the quality and completeness of the tissue sample obtained using a single-use core biopsy instrument, as well as constructional improvements and variants with respect to the active capture type of instrument which will permit it to operate with maximum efficiency and to operate equally well in all tissue environments.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention addresses the aforementioned needs by providing a number of important new features and innovations for the active capture type of biopsy instrument which each collectively or singly contribute to improved and more versatile operation For example, such innovations include a molded tissue cassette housing, permitting easy and inexpensive fabrication while also permitting the handling and viewing of multiple tissue samples without physical contact by the instrument operator. The housing is interconnected with the piercing needle using a thumbwheel which permits the needle to rotate relative to the housing, thereby preventing the vacuum tube from wrapping about the housing. Several variant vacuum port embodiments are disclosed, each of which have advantages in certain tissue environments. Also disclosed is a method for backflushing biological debris from the instrument which builds up after repeated sampling procedures, without removing the instrument from the selected tissue location.
With respect to the single-use type of biopsy instrument, several tissue capture embodiments are disclosed for improving the capture process, so that complete and well preserved samples are obtained. Many of these embodiments are also applicable for use with the active capture instrument type.
More particularly, in one aspect of the invention, a biopsy instrument is provided which comprises a housing and a needle assembly, wherein the needle assembly includes a tubular piercing member having a distal pointed end and a laterally positioned tissue receiving port proximate to the distal pointed end which opens into a tissue sample chamber. The tubular piercing member is rotatably attached to the housing and held in an axially fixed position within a selected tissue mass. The needle assembly further includes a cannular cutting member adapted to coact with the tubular piercing member to cut a tissue sample from the tissue mass. The tissue sample is transported to a proximate end of the tubular piercing member by the cutting member as it is withdrawn proximally along the tubular piercing member. An elongate knock-out pin is disposed coaxially within the tubular piercing member and the cannular cutting member for the primary purpose of dislodging the tissue sample from the cutting member at a predetermined location as the cutting member is withdrawn.
Surprisingly, the inventors have found that preferably, in order to minimize tissue clogging of the cutter, the knock-out pin should have an effective diameter or cross-sectional area of at least 0.030 inches, and the ratio of the effective diameter of the knockout pin to the internal diameter of the cannular cutter should be at least approximately one-half.
In another aspect of the invention, a biopsy instrument includes an elongate hollow outer piercing needle having a lumen, a sharpened distal end for piercing tissue, and a lateral opening located proximal to the sharpened distal end for receiving a portion of a tissue mass positioned adjacent to the lateral opening. Also included are an elongate inner cutting cannula having a lumen, which is disposed coaxially and slidably within the outer piercing needle. The inner cannula has a sharpened distal end for cutting the portion of tissue protruding into the lateral opening of the outer piercing needle when the inner cannula slides distally past the lateral opening. This causes the portion of cut tissue to be deposited within the inner cannula proximal to the distal end. A vacuum generator generates a vacuum pressure which fluidly communicates with the lateral opening through the inner cannula lumen. In such an embodiment, it is often desirable to prevent the tissue sample from migrating proximally through the cutting cannula lumen, so an inventive tissue stop device is disposed in the lumen of the inner cannula which has a structure, preferably a corkscrew portion of a linear wire, disposed proximally of the lateral opening. This structure sufficiently obstructs the lumen so that the tissue sample cannot migrate proximally past it.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a biopsy instrument includes an outer hollow cannula having a distal end portion which comprises a plurality of leaftlets. Each leaflet has a proximal end which is hinged to the outer cannula wall and a distal end, and are each biased to pivot about their hinges to a closed position wherein the distal ends of the leaflets contact one another. The instrument further includes an inner hollow cannula, and at least one of the inner and outer cannulas is slidable relative to the other cannula, so that first the inner cannula may be extended distally with rest to the outer cannula to force the leaflets to an open position, and to cut and contain a tissue sample, and then the outer cannula may be extended distally with respect to the inner cannula sufficiently so that the leaflets clear the inner cannula and snap closed about their hinges, thereby severing the tissue sample and containing it within the inner cannula.
In a further aspect of the invention, a biopsy instrument has an outer hollow cannula having a sharpened distal end portion and an inner hollow cannula having a distal portion which is biased to expand radially at its distal end. At least one of the cannulas is slidable relative to the other cannula, so that first the inner cannula may be extended distally with respect to the outer cannula, such that the inner cannula distal portion expands radially to capture a tissue sample. Then the outer cannula may be extended distally with respect to the inner cannula sufficiently so that the distal end portion of the inner cannula is forced by the outer cannula to close about and sever the tissue sample, thereby containing the sample within the inner cannula The distal portion of the inner cannula may comprise, for example, either an alligator tip having a pair of hinged jaws which are biased to expand radially, or a plurality of hooked extractors.
Still another aspect of the invention involves a method for flushing debris form a biopsy instrument, which includes an outer piercing needle having a laterally positioned tissue receiving port which opens into a tissue receiving chamber and an inner cutting cannula having an axial lumen and a sharpened distal end, which is disposed coaxially and slidably within the outer piercing needle. Further included in the biopsy instrument is a vacuum lumen disposed beneath the tissue receiving port which further comprises at least one fluid communication port disposed distally of the distal end of the inner cannula when the inner cannula is in its fully advanced position. The inventive method includes the steps of advancing the inner cannula of the instrument so that it extends distally sufficiently to completely close off the tissue receiving port and then injecting a pressurized fluid through one of the inner cannula and the vacuum lumens, so that the fluid flows through the fluid communication port and into the other one of the two lumens, from which the fluid returns to its source, thereby flushing accumulated debris from the biopsy instrument.
The invention, together with additional features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawing.
Referring now to
Telescopically and coaxially arranged within the hollow outer piercing needle 20 and the inner cutter 22 is a knock-out pin 36. It is mounted to be stationary, and is preferably fabricated of stainless steel, but may also be constructed of other biocompatible materials, such as plastic. The pin 36 preferably is tubular, and the hub H of the knock-out pin serves as a secondary vacuum port which supplies the vacuum through the needle 20 and inner cutter 22. Surprisingly, Applicants have found that it is important to appropriately size the knock-out pin to minimal clogging problems. For this reason, it has been found that, for the preferred embodiment where the inner diameter of the outer piercing needle 20 is approximately 0.074 inches and the inner diameter of the inner cutter 22 is approximately 0.063 inches, the effective diameter of the knock-out tube 36, meaning the cross-sectional area of the tube, should be at least approximately 0.030 inches. Preferably, the effective diameter of the knock-out tube is about 0.045 inches.
The biopsy instrument housing 14 contains the driving mechanisms and controls for operating the needle assembly 18, and may be mounted in a stationary fashion on a base 37. This base 37 may be an integral part of the housing 14 and is preferably designed to mate with an I-beam rail of a stereotactic imaging unit, but may be modified and designed to match and mate with any of the various imaging units available in the industry. The driving mechanisms for the illustrated preferred embodiment include a long spur gear 38 and a cutter drive gear 40, which is housed within a pinion housing 42 and is rotatably and drivingly attached to the inner cutter 22 within the housing 14. In order to rotate or oscillate the cutter 22, the gear 38 is rotated by a driving motor or stepper motor (not shown). Rotation or oscillation of the gear 38 in turn drives the gear 40 to rotate or oscillate, thereby rotating or oscillating the cutter 22.
In addition to rotation or oscillation, the cutter 22 may also be driven to travel axially, both distally and proximally. A slide handle 44, which is attached along with the pinion housing 42 to a slide (not shown), may be actuated by an operator in either direction, as illustrated by the arrow 46, to drive the pinion housing 42 axially. Since the cutter 22 is fixedly attached to the pinion gear 40, which in turn is contained within the pinion housing 42, the cutter follows the axial travel of the pinion housing, permitting the operator to advance or retract the cutter, as desired.
A piercing mechanism or linear actuator 47, located distally of a partition 48 in the housing 14, functions to rapidly advance the entire needle assembly 18 distally in order to locate the tip of the outer piercing needle 20 at the site from which one or more tissue samples are desired. The piercing mechanism preferably includes a driving spring (not shown), a carriage assembly 50, which is attached to a proximal end portion 52 of the tissue cassette housing 24, a cocking lever 54 which operates against a fixed lever 55, a pierce button 56, and a safety button 57. Operation of the piercing mechanism is described in greater detail hereinbelow.
Of course, the illustrated embodiment is just one of many possible ways to drive and control an automatic core biopsy device of the type shown and described. For example, the control system could be an integral part of the computer system in the stereotactic or other imaging device used to guide the biopsy device, so that the stereotactic device computer would be used to control the cutter, the angular and longitudinal position of the piercing needle 20, and the knockout tube position. Additionally, different driving mechanisms could be employed, such as substituting a friction drive for the long spur gear drive. In some instances it may be preferred to be able to rotatably and linearly drive and control the hollow outer piercing needle and the knock-out pin, as well as the inner cutter, as disclosed in application Ser. No. 08/217,246, or to employ one of the other needle assembly or needle assembly driving arrangement embodiments disclosed therein. Of course, any of the embodiments disclosed in that application may also be used in conjunction with the inventions herein disclosed.
In operation, as described in the aforementioned application and with particular reference to
Once the point 58 is adjacent to the specific lesion region to be sampled, fine tuning of the location of the point 59 within the tissue sample is preferably accomplished by actuating the linear actuator 47 to thereby advance and retract the hollow outer piercing needle 20 along its axis (the actuator 47 may, however, be used for rapid piercing as well). While the linear actuator 47 illustrated in
Now with particular reference to
Once the tissue is fully prolapsed into the tissue receiving port, as shown in
As the inner cutter 22 is withdrawn through the tissue cassette housing 24, the tissue sample 60 is deposited into the tissue cassette 26 by means of the tubular knock-out pin 36, the distal end of which stops the tissue sample within one of the tissue containment chambers 62 (
Referring now to
Yet another advantageous feature of the preferred needle assembly 18 is the thumbwheel 30. The needle 20 is glued or otherwise securely attached to the thumbwheel, which is then snapped into the housing 24. Wrings 65 fluidly seal the interface between the housing 24 and the thumbwheel 30, in order to preserve the vacuum between the port 32 and the vacuum lumen 35 while simultaneously permitting rotation of the thumbwheel relative to the fixed housing 24. Because of this inventive feature, the vacuum may be communicated to the needle 20 from the vacuum port 32 in the housing 24 no matter what the orientation of the needle is, without the problem sometimes encountered in prior embodiments wherein the vacuum tube 34 wraps about the housing 24 as it rotates with the needle 20. The ability to keep the cassette housing 24 stationary solves this hose wrap problem.
Now with reference to
Attached to the proximal end of the needle point 58a is a distal tip 66 of a tissue stop or wire assembly 67, which comprises a wire 68 which is integral with and extends proximally of the tip 66. The attachment of the point 58a to the tip 66 is preferably made by brazing, though other equivalent known attachment methods may be used as well. The wire 68 extends beneath the entire axial length of the tissue receiving port 28a. Proximally of the tissue receiving port 28a, and near the proximal end of the wire 68, is a corkscrew portion 69, which has a diameter or cross-sectional width just slightly less than the internal diameter of the inner cutter 22a, as illustrated in
In operation, with the cutter 22a withdrawn proximally from the region of the tissue receiving port 28a, the wire assembly 67 is stationary in the lumen of the hollow outer piercing needle 20a. With the needle in position in the tissue to be sampled, a vacuum is drawn through the cutter lumen 23a and the needle lumen, thereby prolapsing tissue into the tissue receiving bowl 28a. A potential problem is that such tissue will prolapse all the way to the bottom of the bowl at a proximal region of the bowl, thereby cutting off the vacuum distally of the blocking portion. Without the vacuum, the distal portion of the bowl may not receive a full volume of prolapsed tissue, thereby causing the tissue sample, when cut, to be only a partial sample. However, the wire 68 functions to hold the prolapsed tissue in an elevated position above the bottom of the bowl, thereby preventing blockage of the lumen. This permits the vacuum to be transmitted all the way to the tip 66 so that a full-volume sample is assured.
Once the prolapsed tissue sample has been received, and cut off by the inner cutter 22a, the corkscrew portion 69 functions to prevent the sample from being sucked or pulled out of the bowl 28a during withdrawal of the cutter. Then, after the needle is withdrawn from the patient's body and the cutter 22a is withdrawn from the bowl 28a, the tissue sample remains in the bowl and may be retrieved directly from the bowl by the physician or an assistant.
In one preferred embodiment, the inner diameter of the hollow outer piercing needle 20a was 0.074 inches, and the inner diameter of the inner cutter 22a was 0.063 inches. The diameter of the wire 68 was 0.014 inches, and the diameter or cross-sectional width of the corkscrew portion 69 was 0.060 inches. Of course, many other dimensions may be utilized as well. Additionally, while a corkscrew configuration is preferred, many other configurations may be employed, as long as they function to prevent proximal migration of the tissue sample, especially during withdrawal of the cutter. For example, a simple kink in the wire may be used, instead.
Now with particular reference to
The second feature of note is related to how the needle point is ground for sharpening. As illustrated in
Referring now to
The reason for the two different vacuum port configurations in
When relatively hard tissue is being sampled, in contrast the eight-port embodiment shown in
Yet another modified embodiment of the needle assembly embodiment illustrated in
As illustrated in
In the device 94, a needle assembly 96 comprises a hollow outer cutting cannula or needle 98 and an inner piercing needle 100. The needles 98 and 100 are pointed at their distal end, and the inner needle 100 is also provided with a tissue receiving notch 102 at its distal end for receiving the tissue sample. At their proximal ends, the needles 98 and 100 are provided with heads 104 and 106, respectively, for mounting within the housing 108 of the sampling device. A front slide 110 and a rear slide 112 are slidably provided along the axial direction of the housing 108. Each slide 110 and 112, respectively, is actuated by at least one spring 114 and 116, respectively, biasing the respective slide in a distal direction. The spring 114 acts between a stop 118 provided on the slide 110 and a fixed transverse wall (not shown) in the housing 108. The spring 116 acts between a stop on the slide 112 and the rear end wall 120 of the housing 108. In the housing 108, there are two parallel slide bars or guide rods 122, 124 on which the slides 110, 112 run.
The front slide 110 may be retained in a proximally withdrawn position by means of a hook provided on a tongue member 126 protruding from the slide, the tongue member engaging the bottom edge of the aforementioned transverse wall (not shown). The rear slide 112 may in a corresponding way be hooked and retained in a withdrawn position by means of a hook 128 protruding from the slide, which in turn engages a springy hook member 130 at the rear wall 120 of the housing.
The tissue sampling device 94 is loaded and released in the following manner. In the unloaded initial position, the slides 110, 112 are each biased distally (toward the left) by the springs 114, 116, respectively. To load the device, the needle assembly 96, in which the inner needle 100 is freely slidable in the hollow outer cannula 98, is moved proximally (to the right) and placed in the correct position in the housing 108, so that the needle heads are engaged into the slides 110, 112, which are configured to receive them, such that each needle head 104, 106 follows the movements of the slides 110, 112, respectively.
Thus, when the needle assembly 96 has been placed in the device, the device is energized in that the slides 110, 112 are moved simultaneously to their latched positions, whereby the springs 114, 116 are compressed and would act to return the slides 110, 112 to their initial position if released from the latching hooks 126, 128, and 130.
When the needle assembly 96 has been positioned at the desired tissue location, the sampling is carried out by pressing a release button 132, whereby the engagement between the hooks 128 and 130 is interrupted. Because of the biased spring 116, the slide 112 together with the inner needle 100 is thus pushed distally toward the left to its initial position. For a short period of time, the slide 110, together with the outer cannula 98, is still retained in its energized position. Thus, the inner piercing needle 100 protrudes from the outer cannula 98, thereby exposing the notch 102. Immediately after having reached its initial position, however, the slide 112 impacts and abuts the hook spring (tongue member) 126, and interrupts the engagement of the hook with the transverse wall (not shown), whereby the spring 114 also pushes back the slide 110 distally to its initial position. Consequently, the outer cannula 98 again is pushed over the side facing notch 102 in the inner needle 100, thereby severing the tissue sample that has prolapsed into the notch. Thereafter the needle assembly 96 is withdrawn from the tissue and removed from the sampling device, following which the sample is analyzed.
While such a device works fairly well for its intended purposes, as discussed in the Background of the Invention, there are a number of problems inherent in their operation. Most significantly, there is no positive means for engaging the tissue sample within the notch 102, particularly since no source of vacuum is available, as in the embodiments of
Referring now to
It should be noted that this embodiment, while useful as a modification to the
This embodiment, as well, may be adapted for use with the device illustrated in
While this invention has been described with respect to various specific examples and embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that it can be variously practiced within the scope of the following claims.
1.-20. (canceled)
21. A biopsy system comprising:
- (a) a housing;
- (b) a cannula extending distally from the housing, wherein the cannula comprises a tissue receiving port and a plurality of vacuum ports, wherein at least one of the plurality of vacuum ports is oriented distally relative to the tissue receiving port;
- (c) a hollow cutter, wherein the cutter is movable with respect to the cannula for severing tissue received by the cannula; and
- (d) a tissue sample holder;
- wherein the biopsy system is operable to transport severed tissue samples to the tissue sample holder.
22. The biopsy system of claim 21, wherein the cannula further comprises a vacuum lumen.
23. The biopsy system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of vacuum ports are operable to communicate vacuum from the vacuum lumen to the tissue receiving port.
24. The biopsy system of claim 21, wherein the cannula further comprises a cutter lumen.
25. The biopsy system of claim 24, wherein the cutter is movable within the cutter lumen of the cannula.
26. The biopsy system of claim 21, wherein the tissue sample holder comprises a plurality of discrete tissue sample compartments.
27. The biopsy system of claim 26, wherein the tissue sample holder is in communication with the cutter.
28. The biopsy system of claim 27, wherein the tissue sample holder is movable relative to the cutter to index a single tissue sample compartment of the plurality of tissue sample compartments with the cutter.
29. The biopsy system of claim 21, wherein the cannula further comprises a sharp distal tip extending from a distal end of the cannula.
30. The biopsy system of claim 29, wherein the tissue receiving port is proximal of the distal tip.
31. The biopsy system of claim 29, wherein the plurality of vacuum ports are oriented proximally of the distal tip.
32. The biopsy system of claim 29, wherein the distal tip includes a plurality of faceted surfaces converging to form a point.
33. The biopsy system of claim 31, further comprising a vacuum source.
34. The biopsy system of claim 33, wherein the vacuum source is in communication with the vacuum lumen of the cannula through the tissue sample holder via a vacuum connection.
35. The biopsy system of claim 33, wherein the vacuum source is external to the housing.
36. A biopsy system comprising:
- (a) a cannula comprising a sharp distal tip and a lateral tissue receiving port, wherein the distal tip comprises a plurality of facets;
- (b) a cutter movable relative to the cannula, wherein the cutter is operable to sever tissue received in the tissue receiving port; and
- (c) a tissue sample holder comprising a plurality of discrete tissue sample compartments;
- wherein the biopsy system is operable to transport tissue samples to the tissue sample holder.
37. The biopsy system of claim 36, wherein the plurality of facets define a substantially flat surface on a side of the distal tip that is aligned with the tissue receiving port.
38. The biopsy system of claim 36, wherein the plurality of facets intersect with each other, wherein the intersection between each facet is oriented away from the tissue receiving port.
39. A biopsy system comprising:
- (a) a housing;
- (b) a cannula extending distally from the housing, wherein the cannula comprises a lateral tissue receiving port and a vacuum lumen, wherein the vacuum lumen is configured to communicate vacuum through the tissue receiving port;
- (c) a hollow cutter, wherein the cutter is movable with respect to the cannula for severing tissue received by the cannula;
- (d) a tissue sample holder, wherein the tissue sample holder comprises a vacuum connection; and
- (f) a vacuum source, wherein the vacuum source is in communication with the vacuum lumen through the tissue sample holder via the vacuum port;
- wherein the biopsy system is operable to transport severed tissue samples to the tissue sample holder.
40. The biopsy system of claim 39, wherein the vacuum connection of the tissue sample holder is in communication with the vacuum source via a vacuum tube, wherein the vacuum connection is operable to communicate vacuum to the vacuum lumen of the cannula via the tissue sample holder.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 16, 2014
Publication Date: Nov 6, 2014
Inventors: Mark A. Ritchart (Murrietta, CA), J. Michael Stuart (Lake Forest, CA), Fred H. Burbank (Laguna Niguel, CA), Kenneth M. Galt (Seal Beach, CA)
Application Number: 14/332,891
International Classification: A61B 10/02 (20060101);


text:
Black Box announced a new technical service targeted at the home networking market: Black Box Home Networking Technical Support.
Initially, this new service will be test marketed in the greater Pittsburgh, PA area. Based upon the results of this pilot program, Black Box will roll out home networking technical services throughout the United States.
A Black Box Home Network will enhance homeowners' high-speed Internet service by allowing shared, simultaneous access in multiple locations within their home without the need for costly multiple service lines. Families will now be able to experience the same speed, accessibility, and reliability of a commercial or school network -- all in the comfort of their own home.
Blaine Kriebel, Marketing Manager for Black Box Home Networking said, "Currently, the home networking market is a growing multi-billion-dollar industry that is serviced by a very fragmented group of local service providers. What Black Box brings to the home market is our unique One Source concept that we currently market to our commercial clients. As One Source, Black Box provides all the products and technical services needed to design, install, and maintain a home network."
Kriebel said his company's mission is to demystify home networking.
"Today, the market is very confused because of the lack of standards and a proven national technical service leader. Black Box will now provide the homeowner with the required technical services to help design, install, and maintain a cost-effective home network including desktop computer network support."
Black Box's desktop computer network support provides homeowners' with quick and easy access to home networking experts who can answer their questions. Whether the networking issue is hardware or software related -- clients only make one phone call.
Black Box Home Networking Services will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Homeowners can simply call 724-746-5500 to solve their problems over the phone or, if required, to schedule in-home design consultation.


text:
YEGRB's mission is to grow the Ruby community in Edmonton, Canada.
At each meetup there is a Ruby Beginner's Track that starts at 5:30pm that is run by Nathan Feaver. Here we go over topics that are specifically for beginners.
The regular meetup then begins at 6:30pm which includes food and one or two talks.
See you there!


text:
I Dare You: 30 Sealed Seductions
I Dare You: 30 Sealed Seductions
Sign In or Create Account to rate.
Sweet, sexy and oh so seductive, here's a playful way to add a little more dare to date night.
Sweet, sexy and oh so seductive, here's a playful way to add a little more dare to date night. The I Dare You: 30 Sealed Seductions card game, by well-known author Susie Bright, offers up 30 Secret Seductive prompts and dares for couples to inspire passionate and lustful encounters. Just tear open an envelope to find out what sizzling surprise awaits you and your partner. The sensual suggestions makes Dare You: 30 Sealed Seductions ideal for couples of any orientation, and the beautiful decorative box makes it a great gift that's both sweet and sexy.
I Dare You: 30 Sealed Seductions
5 5/16" x 3 3/4" x 3 1/8"
Hinged box & ribbon.
Brand: Good Vibrations Toys
Related Products
Reviews & RatingsRate and Review It
Customer Reviews
If you're having a hard time talking about sex and intimate details with your partner (either a new partner, or, say, rekindling with a partner), this may be a really excellent tool! After reading the reviews stating that even folks who know their partners well really enjoyed this, I purchased it as a gift for my partner -- thinking it might be a silly, fun activity. When we opened the envelopes up, they were quite disappointing. Some of the sexual "dares"/activities might be fun, but I think they're more for folks who are having a hard time being creative in their sex lives. I would not recommend if you are openly communicative with your partner about sex, relationships and fantasies, as it feels incredibly silly and rather redundant to discuss these. I didn't feel like it was worth the money I spent on it.
For the record, the box is very pretty, ornate, and a little over the top in a rather lovely way.
This product is really good; I bought it to try and bring a flame back into my relationship, but some of the "tell me's" are kinda wierd, and a few of the "I dare you's" are impossible with five room mates....
But it's still a good idea, and would be a perfect engagement gift!
I am positively certain that Susie Bright did not have a long distance relationship in mind when she developed this gem of an adult game. However, this little game has provided hours of thought-provoking conversation and real intimacy for us, by cell phone, 900 miles apart.
We save the Dare cards for those times that we are together, and open the Tell Me cards while we're on the phone. I don't want to quote any of the questions because that would give away all the fun but they range from describing fantasies to telling personal anecdotes about past experiences. Some of these questions have brought up a lot of controversial discussions for us. They've opened our eyes to things we may not have revealed to each other, let alone ourselves. They provide titillating foreplay to some really hot phone sex. And, sadly, I think we've gone through them all.
--from our reviewer, Scintellectually Yours
I heard someone mention this set a while ago and they said it was kind of "naughty" but nice and a whole lot of fun. So of course I had to give them a try. There are 30 sealed fancy little envelopes that sit inside a beautiful black velvet lined, red and black box that is tied closed with a black satin ribbon.
The box makes a beautiful display all on it's own and will be a wonderful keepsake after the cards have been used.
You never know what's going to be inside – each card contains a suggestion or prompt to enhance your sexual play. It could be acting out your secret fantasy, or just trying something new that you might otherwise have been too shy or nervous to suggest. The cards are a great way to learn, explore and just get to know each other on another level, a way to "break the ice" so to speak. We found nothing exploitative or demeaning in the cards that would make you really uncomfortable. It's a fun "couples" thing that can be the beginning to a wonderful evening in. These would make a wonderful gift for that someone special in your life – the presentation alone is worth the price!
--from our reviewer Candid, Clever & Cost-Effective
My husband and I have enjoyed the communication that this little set has brought to us and we have gotten to know each other even better. The main reason for this? The ones we have opened so far are not necessarily questions that we would have come up with to ask each other so we are learning things that haven't been spoken before. This fun little set is quite inexpensive- much less so than several books along the same lines- and we both feel that it is definitely worth the price.
--from our reviewer Dirty Sexy Thoughts
I would say this game would be much more appropriate for a "new" couple, meaning a couple that has just started dating and is still learning about each other. It's not overly sexual, but it is romantic and can definitely get your imagination going. This would be a fun thing to bring along on a romantic getaway weekend with your partner.
--from our reviewer Mass Hole Mommy
My partner and I have been together for so long that most of the "Tell Me" cards were about things we already knew about each other, and now that we've used the other Tell cards I don't imagine we'd use them again. It would just be repetitive. However, the Dare cards were quite a bit of fun and will definitely be used again. A single card can be drawn at anytime to start off a little play session, and with a little imagination we came up with many variations on ways to use them.
Sign In or Create Account to save favorites.
You have reached the favorite limit. You will need to delete some to save favorites.