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Burnt orange sunsets. Desolate salt pans melting into the horizon. Thousands of elephants wading through a vast riverine delta. Botswana is a land packed with natural drama and one that can lay claim to being one of Africa's last remaining true wildernesses.
Going on safari here is a luxury holiday in all senses, from the top-class camps and lodges pitched in its wild heart to the close-up encounters of one of the densest wildlife populations on Earth. The Okavango Delta is rightfully Botswana's head-turner, an extraordinary web of watery channels fed by the Angolan highlands that snake past papyrus reeds, forested islands and emerald floodplains. It's an otherworldly oasis in the arid Kalahari Desert and wildlife rules here; the roars of lions and leopard are a daily soundtrack, hippos yawn and birds soar as you glide past in a mokoro (traditional dug-out canoe) on a river safari and herds of elephants wander the lush plains between here and neighbouring Chobe National Park.
The Kalahari couldn't be more different. The salt pans of Makgadikgadi National Park look more like the surface of the moon, until the November rains set in and it becomes a sodden paradise for zebra, giraffe and lions – just one of a long list of wildlife-filled memories you'll capture on your trip to Botswana.
Home to the 'Big Five', Moremi Game Reserve is nestled in the heart of the Okavango Delta. It offers a rich array of experiences, with safari game drives slicing through mopane woodland and dry savannah where you can glimpse the 'Big Five', red lechwe, impala, cheetah and more within just an arm's length. Hop on a river safari aboard a traditional mokoro (dug-out canoe) for a relaxing wildlife experience; ford the delta's marshland and lagoons, parting reeds to reveal herds of elephants drinking from lush islands and the eyes of the odd crocodile glinting in the afternoon sun. However you choose to explore Moremi's landscapes, make sure you look up. Nearly 500 bird species flit the reserve, from a malachite kingfisher perched on a reed to a coppery-tailed coucal swooping overhead.
The Okavango Delta isn't just about Moremi, though. With wildlife free to roam through the whole delta, spotting opportunities are just as abundant closer to its fringes and arguably more exclusive. Places like the Gomoti Plains in the south-east offer walking safaris (not offered in Moremi), a raw experience in the riverine landscape where it's just you and your guide on foot tracking down hippos, lions and rhinos, among others. In the north-east, the Khwai River area offers self-driving opportunities for those staying in nearby camps, with it being one of the best places for spying leopards and also African wild dogs, thanks to a number of nearby dens.
The Kalahari is a land that's worlds away from the riverine Okavango Delta. The vast Makgadikgadi Pans seemingly go on forever, the barren milky plains melting into the horizon and only disturbed by the lonely baobab tree. On a first glance, it can be difficult to comprehend that anything can even survive here but small year-round watering holes draw wildlife. Springboks, oryxes and brown hyenas all come here to quench their thirst but the Kalahari lions are the stars of the show and bigger than their peers in the Okavango.
Located in the far north of the Okavango Delta, this pair of game reserves offer sprawling grassland once fed by a pair of dried-up river channels. While elephants and lions are in healthy numbers here, perhaps the greatest drawcard Savuti and Selinda game reserves hold is the unique way you can experience them: on horseback. Cantering through the African bush truly is exhilarating, even if you aren't a seasoned rider.
Yes, we know it's not in Botswana but this thundering cascade, which straddles the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, is well worth a visit as an epic add-on to any Botswana trip. What's more, there's a multitude of ways to experience this UNESCO-listed, mile-long curtain of water, from a once-in-a-lifetime helicopter ride through the spray to simply feeling the cooling mist on your face from a number of viewpoints.
This rustic yet luxurious tropical retreat is surrounded by nature and fronted by wide, gleaming-white sands on the unspoilt island of Con Dao, a short flight from Ho Chi Minh City – the perfect beach ending to a top-to-toe journey through Vietnam.


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Qatar Airways To Meet Increased Passenger Demand In Melbourne By Introducing Daily A380 Service From 30 June 2017
Qatar Airways has marked its seventh anniversary in Melbourne, Australia, by announcing plans to introduce its superjumbo A380 aircraft to Melburnians from 30 June 2017 in order to meet rising passenger demand.
The 517-seater A380 aircraft will increase Qatar Airways' current daily capacity by 44 per cent on this route to meet the growing travel and trade demand, connecting Melbourne-based passengers and freight to more than 150 destinations globally.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: "As we continue to grow apace in Australia, we have seen a clear need to inject additional capacity on the Melbourne service. We are delighted to introduce our A380 aircraft to Melbourne after seven years of operation to the world's most liveable city. Well-travelled Melburnians will find our seamless and quick connections via Doha's Hamad International Airport a great and easy travel option. And our expansive European network provides plenty of homecoming options for one of Australia's most culturally diverse cities, which is home to many families from European heritage including the United Kingdom, Italy and Greece."
Qatar Airways' A380 will fly to Melbourne from 30 June 2017.
The A380 aircraft features a luxurious and exclusive First Class Cabin with ultra-wide seats, which recline into a flat bed, two-passenger table extension dining, and designer sleeper suits, flight slippers and amenities. Passengers travelling in Qatar Airways' award-winning Business Class can also enjoy direct aisle access with the 1-2-1 seat configuration and a suite of entertainment options including on-board Wi-Fi, keeping them fully connected while up in the air.
In addition, passengers in First and Business Class can relax and socialise at the on-board lounge located on the upper deck of the superjumbo.
The 517-seat capacity is spread across twin decks in a tri-class configuration of eight seats in First Class, 48 seats in Business Class and 461 in Economy Class, featuring world class amenities and first rate services that set it apart from other aircraft. Passengers travelling from Melbourne to London and Paris can enjoy the Qatar Airways A380 experience throughout their journey to these two European destinations.
Economy Class passengers also benefit with the added spaciousness of the A380, with higher ceilings on the main deck, a wider seat configuration and design to offer more legroom plus contoured headrests.
When transiting through Qatar Airways' hub, Hamad International Airport in Doha, passengers travelling from Melbourne can enjoy a comfortable and efficient transit. The luxurious and modern airport has more than 40,000 square metres of retail space and restaurants including more than 70 retail and 30 food and beverage outlets, as well as a 25-metre swimming pool, gym, hotel and spa. Premium passengers can also enjoy resting in two award-winning lounges – the Al Safwa First Lounge and the Al Mourjan Business Lounge. The former is the first world's first airline lounge to be accorded the Seven Star First Lounge Award by the Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards, famed as the 'Oscars of Luxury'.
For travellers who would like to turn their transit into a stopover experience, they can also take advantage of the new 96-hour transit visa offered in partnership with the Qatar Tourism Authority. Transiting passengers can explore the various highlights Doha has to offer – from the world-renowned Museum of Islamic Art to the Katara Cultural Village or desert safaris to bustling and cosmopolitan city scape.
In addition to capacity increases in key cities, Qatar Airways continues to expand its global reach. In 2016 alone, Qatar Airways also launched services to Adelaide (Australia), Atlanta (USA), Birmingham (UK), Boston (USA), Helsinki, (Finland), Los Angeles (USA), Marrakech (Morocco), Pisa (Italy), Ras Al Khaimah (UAE), Mahé (Seychelles), Sydney (Australia), Windhoek (Namibia) and Yerevan (Armenia).
Melbourne – Doha Daily Flight Schedule:
Doha (DOH) – Melbourne (MEL) QR904 Departs: 20:50 Arrives: 17:20 (+1)
Melbourne (MEL) – Doha (DOH) QR905 Departs: 22:05 Arrives: 05:25 (+1)

subset: commoncrawl


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Alcohol will no longer be permitted on the lunchtime 12.45 Dublin Heuston to Westport train service on Fridays.
In a statement today Irish Rail says it has made the decision because of persistent complaints from customers about regular instances of anti-social behaviour, connected to excessive alcohol consumption onboard the train.
Customers boarding the service in possession of alcohol from this Friday will have it confiscated and no alcoholic beverages will be sold by catering staff onboard.
The decision to ban alcohol on the 12.45 service follows on from the same decision being taken at the end of last year about the 14.45 Friday afternoon service.
Gardai had to be called to an incident on the 12.45 service last Friday and Irish Rail are now implementing this ban from this weekend.
Barry Kenny from Irish Rail explained the decision to Midwest News today.


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The Seagull
From the Case Western Reserve University / Cleveland Play House : It's The Seagull as you have never seen it before as Anton Chekhov's masterpiece gets a fresh, contemporary take in this youthful and energetic production. Each on their own quest for artistic and romantic fulfillment, guests at a country estate find themselves entangled in romantic triangles, leading to resentment, jealousy, and misplaced affection along with love, music, and laughter through tears.
The Seagull
Case Western Reserve University / Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program
The Helen Theater, Cleveland Play House
October 10 - 20, 2018
By Anton Chekhov, Translated by Paul Schmidt
Directed by Sarah Elizabeth Wansley
Scenic Design by Jill Davis
Costume Design by Inda Blatch-Geib
Lighting Design by Annie Garrett-Larsen
Sound Design by Nick Drashner
Music Direction & Arrangements by Tommy Crawford
Stage Management by Kyra Button
Photos by Kristin Netzband


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A Remedy For Difficult Times
In September, I had the pleasure of being one of the cast-of-many who ushered in Shay Black's sharing the 1000th song of his Freight teaching career at the Freight & Salvage, where he teaches Folk Song Repertoire. Above is a photo of that event, but it's representative of what you'll encounter at the free (yes! FREE!) Celtic Song Sing-along that he and I are co-hosting on Sunday, October 14 at 1-2:00pm (doors open at noon). If I were you, I'd go out for Sunday Brunch, and then join us for an hour. You'll still have time to go home and deal with your laundry.
We will be singing songs from both Scotland and Ireland, and the lyrics to such songs as Connemara Cradle Song, When the Yellow's on the Broom, Song for Ireland and Will Ye Go, Laddie, Go? will be on a screen for your convenience. No instruments, please--it's all about da voices.
Why come? Because singing is medicine for the soul! I really believe that because of how I feel when I sing--either alone in the shower, or with any number of other people. But if you don't believe me, watch this very short video of Professor Sarah Wilson from the University of Melbourne discussing what singing does to your brain, or this longer TED talk by Tania de Jong. Even if you don't take time to watch that second video (it's about 25 minutes long), it's fascinating. She asks folks to hold up their hands if they've ever been told not to sing. It's the majority of the audience. What if all babies were encouraged to sing as well as talk (and in my book, dance as well as walk?) This is one of those skills we have great capacity for, if only we never heard there was something wrong with a deeply personal part of us--our voice. So I encourage you to come and join us on October 14--it will really feel good to all of us!
Kent and I hope you'll come to our place in North Berkeley to hear the Quixotics, a Sonoma-based trio singing tight harmonies in an eclectic mix of genres that range from Lyle Lovett to the McGuire sisters; from French pop to Hollywood cowboy classics. The widely varied musical backgrounds of Kim Hughes, Cynthia Tarr, and Jennie Nourse, bring spice to their vocal arrangements. Together their voices create a unique and surprising blend that you'll love!
We suggest a donation of $20 per person - all proceeds go to the musicians. Plenty of seats, but please reserve in advance (it helps us know how many chairs to put out), and if you need further information, email me! Free wine and snacks following the concert!
Valley of the Moon Fiddle Camp
I know I mentioned it in the last newsletter, but I just want to say once more, how much I loved being at VOM Fiddle Camp a month ago. I met many wonderful folks, and caught up with a few I haven't had a chance to see for awhile. There were prickly Scottish thistles (how apropos!) near my tent, and I had a lot of fun teaching and dancing folk-style bourée, prompted by Laura Cortese in her fiddle class. The skill level of all the teachers AND students was truly remarkable!


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Oasis Wellness Empowerment Series #1: How the Internet can Empower Patients and Providers
Jennifer Schmid
Welcome to the first segment of our 3-part Empowerment series, where we'll take a look at how patients can become more empowered health care consumers, while health care providers can empower their patients to heal faster. Be sure to catch part 2 of the series, Disempowering Patients through Fear, Coercion, and Force, as well as the third segment, On the Journey towards Patient and Provider Empowerment.
For all of its quirks, gifts, and challenges, the availability of the Internet has created a new opportunity in healing that previously did not exist. If information is power, then the Internet – long crowned the "information superhighway" – provides both patients and health care providers a compelling platform for empowerment. Whether we choose to access this information, and what we do with it, however, could be the difference between an optimistic patient who gets better, and a despondent one who gives up.
Just as to empower means to enable or give ability to, taking away someone's power means to disable them, to take away their ability to do something. Think of the ramifications of ability versus inability when it comes to health care and healing. It could be a matter of life and death.
Patients versus...
There are usually two different ways that patients use the Internet.
Occasionally a patient will research their symptoms online before heading to see their provider. They might then say, "I think I have skin cancer," or, "I've been really thirsty lately. Do you think I could have diabetes?"
More often, however, patients turn to the Internet when they've been diagnosed with a disease, especially a more serious condition such as cancer or an autoimmune disease. The diagnosis – and lack of information from the provider – has scared them, and they want to know what they are dealing with. Then they either can take that information back to their provider, seek a second opinion, or begin to take steps on their own to start the healing process.
Unfortunately, many health care practitioners pooh-pooh a patient who has done research online. They'll tell their patient, "You don't have that disease" (without looking into it or explaining why), or, "Don't believe what you read on the Internet," when what they really mean is "Don't believe what you read on the Internet if it disagrees with my own belief system, knowledge, and abilities." While some patients might not be deterred, others will give up. They'll relinquish their power right back into the hands of the provider, and all of a sudden, their outcome becomes more bleak.
Here's the deal. Patients want to know about their choices and treatment options... ALL of their options, not just what was taught in medical school ten, twenty, thirty years ago. They want to know about conventional treatments, alternative treatments, and complementary treatments – those that serve to lessen the negative side effects and stress of the disease and/or its treatments. They want to know what works, what doesn't, and what's prescribed simply because that's been the standard of practice for decades even though we really don't know if it's effective (i.e., radiation therapy).
How I use the Internet to empower my clients and myself
As a health care practitioner, my favorite part of the Internet is that when I have a question about a condition with which I am not very familiar or simply want to research something, within 15 minutes, I can
- have a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease/issue (how it affects the body);
- read 4 or 5 different abstracts of studies on that condition (and decide which ones I want to read in full);
- learn about current treatments and controversies surrounding those treatments;
- and get a clearer picture of the root cause of that condition – why it appeared in the first place.
I then feel empowered as a practitioner and educator, and my clients become empowered because they know I've done my homework, they have a better understanding of their condition, and they know what steps they need to take to get better.
For instance, I recently had a client who came to me frustrated because her doctors would only tell her to keep taking prednisone, a medication to suppress her immune system, for fear that weaning down would cause an exacerbation of her condition. They gave her no other treatment alternatives. I spent 15 minutes researching the pathophysiology, how prednisone is used for that condition, other treatment options, and why the condition likely developed. In the process I learned that the prednisone was a controversial treatment for that condition, did not have a beneficial effect on long-term outcomes, and worst of all, was likely causing some of the same symptoms it was supposed to prevent. I also gained a greater understanding of why she developed the condition (probably because of a recent flu vaccination, but that's a story for another blog).
When patients are entrusted with knowledge presented in an empowering way, they simply heal faster, because they are more willing to take the necessary steps, such as diet modifications, that can put them on the path to wellness instead of long-term chronic disease. I love it when my clients have done their own version of health care homework and come to me full of ideas.
Not only do health care providers owe it to their patients to stay up-to-date on the strengths and weaknesses of current practices, which is greatly simplified by the Internet, but they need to give patients the respect they deserve both when they ask for options and when they seek them out on their own. Patients and providers who use the Internet to empower themselves with information can determine the difference between health care and disease management.
And seeing that good health is the gateway to everything else life has to offer, I'd say that's a pretty important distinction.


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Title: Lost River
Description: Original Japan B2 Poster
Starred: Iain De Caestecker / Saoirse Ronan
Year: 2014
Condition: Rolled NM C10
Size: 20' by 29' inches
1 Item Items
Warning: Last items in stock!
Availability date:
Ryan Gosling Directorial Debut. An art film about a vanishing city the counterbalance between good and evil. The posters are very rare and collectable making then true investments pieces.


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Did you know that AccuVein now offers customized Protective Covers to make it easier to keep the device and stand clean between patients? These polypropylene barriers can be used with every patient to supplement your cleaning procedures and as standard of care in isolation settings. This added layer of protection covers both the device and hands-free stand without compromising the device's crisp vein image. Learn more about AccuVein's Protective Cover here.
These cleaning instructions apply to the AccuVein handheld vein illumination devices, charging cradles and hands-free accessories. There are additional cleaning materials that are approved for the AV500 that are noted below.
AccuVein recommends that devices be cleaned when required and as necessary to follow institutional cleaning protocols.
Please note that when cleaning the AccuVein device or any AccuVein accessories, the wipe used, (see approved wipes below), should be firmly squeezed to remove excess cleaning fluid. This helps to prevent the pooling of liquid in crevices and depressions, which can damage the plastic.
Hard Surfaces
Approved Cleaning Agents
|Use an approved cleaning agent on the plastic body of the AccuVein and on the other AccuVein accessory hard surfaces. The cleaning wipe or cloth should be damp but never wet enough to drip.Caution: Do not submerge any part of AccuVein Products in liquid.
Harmful Cleaning Agents Include the Following – DO NOT USE
|These products have been tested and will damage the plastic parts on the equipment.
Optical Surfaces
Approved Cleaning Agents
|The optical surfaces of the AccuVein are located on the bottom housing and include the laser exit window and the 2 photodiode lenses.
Electrical Contacts
Approved Cleaning Agents
|Electrical contact cleaner
|There are electrical contacts at the bottom of the AccuVein, in the charging cradle, and in the charging cup on the Powered Wheeled Stand. When necessary, use electrical contact cleaner on the electrical contacts.


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It's 7.45 am, misty and fresh. On the rocky, inclining path towards the train station, a procession of gaunt commuters and schoolkids plod in sequence, tiredly brushing off the spider webs clinging to their faces from the bordering hedgerow. Emerging ...
Month: November 2017
The Quod / Agnes
Semi Final and 2.4 km drawing.Token and 1.0 km drawing.
Perambuling in Frome
Last Saturday I joined a group of people in Frome to participate in an RSA Frome: Street Wisdom event...Given tasks to walk the streets of Frome alone for 10 minutes at a time and think in specific ways before regrouping to be set our next assign...
Meadows / Mi'k(i)atowa's (Medicine Stone)
Refresh and 2.4 km drawing.Bone and 2.9 km drawing.
What Makes People Love History
What makes People love history? So that it becomes a passion, Not a subject, nor hobby, nor interest, Not a diversion, nor a pastime, But a consuming passion instead. I started to read the virtual edition Of the History Workshop Journal, A compe...
Embedded in the Landscape: Psychogeography, Folk Horror and the Everyday
I've had a few requests to share the talk I gave at The Unseelie Court event organised by Folk Horror Revival in October. So here it is: We'll come back to that guy on the slide later. I'm guessing … Continue reading →
At around 4.00pm, 25.11.17
Not any special tree. Just a tree and tidal sky, ebbing to gelid darkness. The last wave breaking of a November day. One final incandescent breath. A path lit – for the moment. To retreat or proceed? Always the same … Continue reading →
Self-Boss Networking Walk – Motivation
It's a surprisingly warm November day. A group of strangers with diverse business backgrounds become a lively, supportive, adventurous gathering of self-bosses, through a walk in the Olympic Park. This is a different kind of networking experience, a Self-Boss Networking Walk lead by Anise and designed to be uplifting, energising and positive. "The walk was inspiring, relaxing and […]
Another Green World
Another Green World Concrete dreams of Catterline (Found Art – after Eardley) . After the fall Small increments in green ≈≈≈ Now playing: Eno – 'In Dark Trees' from Another Gree...
Itaohkanao'pi (Meeting place) / Agnes / Itaohkanao'pi (Meeting place)
Instruction and 2.3 km drawing.What remains and 1.8 km drawing.Egress and 3.1 km drawing.
The Pilgrim's True Path
It started with a glance out of the bus, A blood red disc of a sandstorm sun, It was ten past ten. The light numinous rather than luminous, As we opened the door to leave Bisley church, Emigrant-ghosts waiting for the Bristol cart, And a six week...
Research Centre
November and 4.9 km drawing.
Walkman Erasing. Remixing Dirty Electronics with a broken…
Walkman Erasing. Remixing Dirty Electronics with a broken Walkman for Czech Radio Vltava https://soundcloud.com/ludomatic-1/cassetteerase http://www.rozhlas.cz/radiocustica/annonce/_zprava/–1769682Photo: Max Wainwright
SpatterCan ErasedWalkman erasing with Dirty Electronics for…
SpatterCan ErasedWalkman erasing with Dirty Electronics for Czech Radio Vltava's program, 6 December, 2017.Photos: Max Wainwright
What Does Walking Mean To Me?
Maggie Peake describes her relationship with walking as ambiguous. One wet September morning, walking the South Downs, Maggie decided to ponder on the reasons for this,… Read more "What Does Walking Mean To Me?"
Iniskim (Sacred Buffalo Stone)
Stereo and 3.7 km drawing.
Temporary and 1.7 km drawing.
International Drawing Dialogue Phase 2 – 2017
Following the previous drawing dialogue project that culminated in an exhibition and conference in Craiova, Romania (See here), some of the participants favoured a second phase. Last time two artists were partnered and initiated drawings that were...
Fresh additions
It's not been hours since going live, and here are the latest additions to I am the Walker . com. … More
Iniskim (Sacred Buffalo Stone) / Scenic
Careful and 2.6 km drawing.Rising and 1.9 km drawing.


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Copyright © 2018 Shandong Zhaoxin Oil Tools Co., Ltd All rights reserved. Powered by www.300.CN 鲁ICP备09047547号
No. 37, Qilianshan Road, Shengli Industrial Park,
Dongying, Shandong, China
Quality of survival, innovation for development
Shandong Zhao Xin Oil Tools Co., Ltd. is located in the beautiful hinterland of the Yellow River Delta, known as "oil city" in Dongying, is a research, development, production, sales and after-sales service as one of the oilfield tool manufacturing and processing enterprises.
Our factory is located in Dongying City Industrial Park, established in 1999, with production workshop 3,000 square meters, with the main products for the oil field fracturing packer series, blasting devices, hydraulic fracturing and other downhole tools and anchor accessories, products widely sold in major oil market and into foreign markets.
Company adhere to the institutionalization phase with a very user-friendly management model, developed a comprehensive management system, incentive system, passed the ISO9000 international quality system certification, and has a market in the petrochemical network qualification. Practical operation of the company has a group of professional experience, strong R & D team, its research and development of products has won more than 40 countries, the International Intellectual Property Office issued the patent, to expand the Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Liaohe River and other places in the market and establish a good reputation.
Over the years, the company has to comply with the "quality of survival, innovation for development" management idea, insisted "quality first, reputation first" principle of service to respond to competitive new products, by seeking to develop new ideas, new technology development with the market. In the increasingly fierce market competition, the future, trillion Xin's new attitude will be to better quality products and services more genuine, and domestic and foreign customers to build win-win situation, create brilliant.


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I sit here in this unseasonably warm day, enjoying the breeze and all the colors rattling in the air and floating down in the breeze and I am grateful:
- The constantly shifting beauty of this world that is always present, always patient, and always forgiving.
- True connections - the kind where two people stand, and share, and make eye contact without thinking of what they are going to say next or where they have to be.
- The tears that fall when I see unjustified acts of violence perpetrated against innocent humans going about their business or standing up for their truth. It hurts me deep to my soul and it is through that hurt that I know that I am alive and capable of love.


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Australia's most archaic abortion laws desperately overdue for change/
The Queensland Parliament should demonstrate its commitment to women's health and equality by passing a bill to modernise the state's woefully outdated abortion laws the Human Right Law Centre said in a submission to a parliamentary committee today.
The Termination of Pregnancy Bill 2018 would decriminalise abortion, respect a woman's right to choose up to 22 weeks of pregnancy and create safe access zones around abortion clinics. The Bill has been referred to a parliamentary committee.
Adrianne Walters, senior lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre said that it was essential that Queensland's laws be brought into line with modern community values and medical practice.
"The values of 1899 should not limit a woman's right to access the healthcare they need in 2018. Now is the time for MPs to demonstrate the value they place on women's health and lives and ensure that every Queenslander has the freedom to decide what is right for their body," said Walters.
Abortion currently sits in Queensland's 1899 criminal code, making the state's abortion laws the most archaic in Australia, closely followed by NSW.
"It's absolutely shameful that women in Queensland in 2018 still fear being imprisoned for a safe medical procedure. The law should support all people to make the best possible decision for their own health," said Walters.
Multiple polls in Queensland have shown high levels of support for decriminalising abortion and giving women the right to decide to terminate a pregnancy in consultation with their doctor. Polling released two weeks ago indicates that 71.9% of Queensland voters would support changing the law so that abortion is no longer a crime.
"It is now time for Queensland MPs to do their jobs, listen to their communities and respect women as capable decision makers," said Walters.
The Human Rights Law Centre submission to the committee is available here.
For interview:
Michelle Bennett, Director of Communications: 0419 100 519
Photo: Shari Birse


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I feel really good inside. I feel so happy, it's just a good heart-warming feeling.
I feel like I can forgive Richard Melchin. I don't forget some of the things that happened, but I don't feel bad about it either. This doesn't mean I'll go back to church and try to be his friend, but I feel so good inside that you could not say that I am angry or hateful right now.
I still don't approve of some of the things that were said or happened, but I don't feel any hatred or anger either. The holy spirit is pleasuring me.
Yesterday I had so many thoughts and feelings about how much the church was something I really didn't like, and when Dave Perez became completely unreasonable with me, I just let loose an explosion of how much I do not approve of his way. And I've felt a lot better ever since, I am so happy.
If these happy feelings last, it would be like, I'd never feel angry ever again.
But in all seriousness --- in my own discussions with my family, my dad says Richard Melchin's letter is Richard Melchin's problem. Yesterday Dave Perez said it was my problem. So the stake president was sending me problems huh? I'm just a little confused about why we can't straighten out whose problem it is: he said something to me that was untrue/unreliable, and Dave says it's my problem while my Dad says it's Melchin's problem. Why is there such a disagreement?? Why can't we come to an agreement about whose problem it actually is???
Anyway, happy feelings, peace, love, etc -- just good stuff in my heart.


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No.1 WebM Converter - WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe
(Lifetime license for 1 PC: $49.95)
This is the best WebM video converter for Windows 10 and lower. By the way, it also has a Mac version supporting Mac OS X Snow Leopard to macOS Mojave (10.14). This converter allows users to input SD/HD WebM videos and convert them to MP4, H.264, AVI, WMV, MOV, H.265/HEVC, MKV, MPEG1, MPEG2, 3GP, FLV and so on for playing back on portable devices like iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, media players like QuickTime, using on other software like iTunes, iMovie, iDVD, Final Cut Pro and so on. Besides, it can help extracting audio from WebM as MP3, AAC, iPhone ringtone and more. In total, 420+ output profiles are well-organized under dozens of categories.
Furthermore, it works perfectly in the opposite way. That is to say, you can convert other video formats like MP4 to WebM to meet your special needs. By supporting the world's most advanced Intel QSV, MMX-SSE, Nvidia CUDA/NVENC, Hyper-threading and AMD 3DNow! Tech, it becomes one of the fastest video converters, thus will finish WebM conversion in a flash.
No.2 WebM Converter - Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate
(Lifetime license for 1 PC: $69.95)
Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate is another top-notch multimedia software that supports WebM conversion on Windows (10/8/7/XP/Vista) and Mac (OS X 10.7 or above). It is clean and easy-to-use. As powerful as the first recommended WebM video file converter, this tool can convert WebM video files to virtually all formats and vice versa. Meanwhile, its conversion speed is faster than many converter programs in the market due to GPU acceleration transcoding, although still lagging behind the previous one.
No.3 WebM Converter - Aimersoft Video Converter Ultimate
(Lifetime license for 1 PC: $69.95)
Aimersoft Video Converter Ultimate, available for Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10 and Mac OS X 10.7 to 10.11 El Capitan, supports 250+ formats including WebM. It can work as a WebM converter to convert WebM video to other regular formats like MPEG and MP4 with high output video quality, and convert video to WebM for using on the web. Optimized for NVIDIA® CUDA™, AMD®, etc. technologies, it ensures accelerated WebM video decoding/encoding on a CUDA-enabled graphics card. Just like abovementioned programs, it has a built-in video editor, letting you customize your output by trimming, cropping, etc.
Here, we pick out the No.1 WebM converter - WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe, and show you how to convert WebM to other format like MP4. After mastering this tutorial, you will be able to convert video to/from WebM with other WebM converting software, because these tools function in a similar way.
To begin with, we should download this WebM converter onto our computer, and install it. Then, follow the procedures.
Step 1. Load target WebM video(s).
Launch the WebM converter, and then you will be directed to the main interface. Next, go to the top left corner and hit + Video button to browse and open the WebM video(s) you need to convert to a new format.
Step 2. Select output.
Once finishing video loading, the output profile dialogue box will show up. Now, you just need to select your desired output profile and hit OK to move on.
Optional operations:
* Click Edit button to crop/expand/trim videos, adjust audio volume and subtitle;
* Click gear icon to set video audio parameters, say, bit rate, frame rate, resolution;
* Under preview window, enable/disable Hardware Encoder, High Quality Engine, Deinterlacing;
* Merge multiple video clips into one;
* Set destination folder to store the output file(s).
Step 3. Begin converting WebM to other format.
If you've nothing to modify, just tap the blue RUN button at the bottom right to command this WebM converter to begin the conversion process.
Still have question on WinX WebM video converter? Just Email Us >>
If you need to fast convert among various video formats such as WebM, MP4, MKV, MOV, MTS, AVCHD, H.265, H.264, etc, just turn to WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe. Besides, It is able to compress WebM videos, free download WebM, FLV, 3GP, MP4 videos, MP3 from 1000+ sites, edit WebM videos by trimming, cropping, etc.
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If you are having home improvement work done, check with your insurance company what you are covered for before you start, writes Kya deLongchamps
Having home improvements carried out, or even undertaking smaller works oneself, can blind us to the dull protections of forward planning.
Insurance, that steady annual bleed we all complain about, is something you just cannot ignore as your greatest single investment is peeled apart for days or potentially months.
It's not enough to presume the lads on site, or a single genius bounding from a van that 'everyone' uses in your area — is covered.
It's awkward — lesser men will make you feel like a Nazi storm trooper for even bringing it up, but do the right thing, stiffen your spine and ask for reassuring, up to date paperwork to be produced before a spade hits the ground or a board is lifted.
If you are undertaking ambitious DIY projects or having significant home improvements carried out, inform your insurance company and check what you are covered for, before you start.
Are there any works that might void a home guarantee attached to the house (Homebond)?
If you create more rooms, for example, splitting areas or adding an extension even one that flies under the radar of the 40m for planning permission requirement, you should nonetheless, tell your insurer of this addition to the floor-plan and be prepared to provide certification of the build quality and fire-safety.
If you have to move out for a period while work is undertaken, again tell your insurer the house is likely to be uninhabited and supply the dates if possible.
If you are basing your home insurance on the re-build cost (re-instatement) rather than market value (and this is the solid advice of the industry), the rebuild cost changes if your house grows bigger.
Beyond the meat of the policy, buildings and contents, is your accidental and damage cover adequate to cover potential disasters, whoever is at fault?
Basic accidental damage tends to cover electrical faults in electrical items, not putting a foot through the attic floor while insulating. Ask about what's in your building insurance pertaining to the fabric of the house — the laminate floor or the windows for example.
Check your policy for exclusions and explore what is termed 'extended coverage'.
Personal accident cover, again an optional extra, will offer a limited amount if you ding yourself during a DIY stunt.
Most electrical work, all works on gas supplies and appliances, high ladder and roof work, and any serious structural alterations should be off the table for just about all of us.
Yes, it's awkward to push off willing friends and family — but you may be saving their pride and person with that respectful, 'thanks but no thanks' in the longer term.
Ask anyone working on repairs or improvements for proof of their business insurance and what it incorporates — expect to see employer's liability and public liability.
Some firms will have the added cover of contractors all-risk cover, which may protect new work on your home like an extension if something happens before completion and your extra insurance is not yet in place.
Employers' liability insurance (in case anyone working for the tradesman in your home is injured), and public liability insurance (in case any damage is caused), are standard.
In the case of serious, structural work, your insurance company may ask you to take out additional insurance in your name and that of your contractor.
Ask for a copy of builders' or tradesman's insurance for your records.
Remember, just as public liability protects your contractor, your insurance protects you against claims.
John Byrne of Insurance Ireland explains: "Make sure that the contractor carrying out the work is fully covered by employer's liability (EL) and public liability (PL) insurance. No matter what precautions are taken, accidents can happen and an accident may give rise to a legal claim.
"This is one of the legal liabilities against which EL and PL policies provide protection. Do not assume that the contractor you engage has adequate EL and PL insurance. Make sure that they have it.
"You should always contact your insurer prior to the commencement of any works as the insured has a continuing obligation to disclose material facts during the term of the policy, otherwise it could invalidate the insurance cover."
In terms of qualification, trades who have worked their way through a lengthy apprenticeship, FAS/Solas apprenticeship scheme, will be proud to show you their relevant cards and credentials and will provide a real address.
Even using a reputable online trade finder like onlinetradesmen.ie, verify for yourself and establish a written contract, signed by both parties. Only tax compliant, VAT registered individuals are accepted for the Home Renovation Incentive Scheme operated by revenue.ie.
The Safe-T-Cert, developed by CFI, shows an adherence to best practice in keeping employees safe on site.
Grumbling homeowners, bruised by one bad apple, can get themselves into deep water with bodged amateur projects attempted by themselves or a grinning cowboy offering cut-price uninsured work off contract.
Let's take plumbing.
The complexity of what seems like a small job — laying out with the help of CAD, sourcing, fitting, wiring and plumbing and tiling a bathroom or en-suite, is a perfect example.
The wonders of push-fit, can persuade a home-owner with very good design and tiling talents to reach that bit further to save a little money.
A discreet leak behind what should be a fully tanked shower, can wreak havoc, distributing damp and mould throughout other areas of the house.
The €750 awarded for finding a leak in a basic house insurance policy is kitten feed for extensive repairs.
Most suppliers exclude leaks 'caused by gradual leaking or seepage of water from any bath, shower, wash-hand basin and/or other sanitary fittings'.
So be warned.
© Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved


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Mopar provides quick, convenient, quality service for your Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, RAM, FIAT or SRT vehicle. Get your oil changed, your battery replaced or your brakes inspected and have it done in no time.Schedule ServiceOrder Parts
We at Gulfgate Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram treat the needs of each individual customer with paramount concern. We know that you have high expectations, and as a premier Houston car dealership we enjoy the challenge of meeting and exceeding those standards each and every time. Allow us to demonstrate our commitment to excellence- let us show you what it means when we say "It's Gulfgate Time"!
Our award-winning team of automotive experts offers a broad array of services including specialized vehicle parts, finance options for people of all financial situations, state of the art inventory, and certified technicians that will make owning a vehicle something to get excited about.
Our experienced sales staff is eager to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with you. We encourage you to browse our online inventory, schedule a test drive and investigate financing options.
Call us at 855-562-2350 or stop by and see us at 7250 Gulf Freeway. We're the only Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram Houston dealership open on Sunday! Sunday's are Gulfgate Time with free hot dogs and a bouncy house for the kids… so bring 'em along!
Our new vehicle line-up includes: Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Journey, Dodge Durango, Chrysler 300, Chrysler Pacifica, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Patriot, Jeep Renegade, Jeep Compass, Ram 1500, Ram 2500, Ram 3500, and Ram ProMaster Cargo Van.
We buy and sell quality used cars and have a great selection of pre-owned vehicles. Our finance department can help you with car loans, auto financing, leases and challenged credit financing.
If you don't see a particular vehicle, click on our Vehicle Finder Service, and complete the form. We will gladly inform you when a matching car arrives. If you'd like to see a vehicle in person, click on Contact Us for step-by-step driving instructions to our site, or give us a call. We look forward to serving you!
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(281) 477-6767Call Now
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Open Today! Sales: 9am-9pm
Open Today! Service: 7am-6pm
Phone: (281) 477-6767http://maps.google.com/?q=7250%20Gulf%20Freeway%2C%20Houston%2C%20TX%2077017


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A report recently released by the department of research at Morgan Stanley shows institutions have started to get more involved with Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. The report titled 'Bitcoin Decrypted: A Brief Teach-in and Implications,' also notes interest in BTC from retail traders has lately been declining.
A Revolution To The Current Financial System
Morgan Stanley, a leading investment bank in the United States, in its research, analyzed the cryptocurrency market over the past six months.
The analysis unearthed some exciting facts. For example, it states that there is an increase in institutional investors who are believing in virtual currencies. These investors' belief digital assets will bring a revolution to the current traditional financial structure.
In support of its research, the report notes that cryptocurrency assets under management have gradually increased from early 2016 to currently stand at 7.11 billion U.S dollars spread across VC firms, hedge funds, and private equity firms.
Throughout the report, bitcoin is cited as the primary point of reference with the researchers arguing that it 'improves and solves its problems.' Since its birth in 2009, Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous creator of bitcoin, considered it as 'electronic cash.'
Before gaining the following, it has now, bitcoin hit the headlines in its early days as it was used to transact in the darknet. It growing market capitalization caught the attention of entrepreneurs, journalist, and tech-savvy individuals who joined the space in large masses.
While bitcoin is still regarded as a speculative investment, people are already using it as a store of value. Dr. Zeynep Gurguc of Imperial College London has termed it a potential mode of payment in the next decade.
However, he notes that there are issues that need to be addressed before its incorporated into payment systems. These include; scalability, regulation, usability, volatility, and privacy.
Additionally, the researchers assessed the gradual rise of stablecoins which began towards the end of 2017 and has gathered pace this year. They note that the decline in crypto prices has led to an increase in the share of bitcoin trade volume taken by USDT.
However, they don't see all stablecoins surviving in the long term. According to them, those that will survive will most likely have lower transaction costs, high liquidity, and a clear regulatory structure.
Basil has three years of freelance experience writing on disruptive technologies. He focuses on breaking news and education pieces; helping to spread the gospel of Blockchain. He hopes to have his own blockchain company one day; helping the world through its innovative ledger technology.


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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Boston Red Sox right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka, who recorded just three outs in Monday's loss to the
Oakland Athletics, said he experienced tightness in his neck leading up to the start, and he might wind up on the disabled list.
Matsuzaka yielded two home runs and faced only nine opposing batters before getting the hook in a 6-1 loss to the A's.
"Daisuke obviously didn't have his good stuff tonight," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said. "He went out with a crink in his neck, and we were hoping he was going to work through it."
Matsuzaka said the tightness is in the same location that caused issues during spring training and flared up again in May while he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
"Leading up to this start, my neck tightened up a little bit and I ended up not being able to throw a bullpen," Matsuzaka said through a translator. "I focused on getting myself in condition to be able to pitch tonight and I went out there, but I ended up not being able to get my arm through."
Valentine said the timing with next week's All-Star break could result in a trip to the disabled list for Matsuzaka.
"I just spoke to Bobby about what needs to be done and I think a decision will be made sooner than later," Matsuzaka said.
Valentine said the Red Sox have known about the issue for several days but thought it was under control enough for Matsuzaka to pitch. The team didn't have a plan in place to scratch the right-hander.
"A couple of days ago, it was stiff but it seemed like he worked through it," Valentine said. "He said he was going to be all right to pitch. We asked him pretty consistently."
Matsuzaka (0-3) was tagged for five earned runs on four hits and two walks in one-plus inning, matching the shortest start of his career. It was the third time he lasted just one inning, the most recent also coming in Oakland in April 2009.
The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, and Matsuzaka retired the first two batters in the bottom of the frame. But former Red Sox outfielder
Josh Reddick blasted the first pitch he saw into the right-field stands for a game-tying home run.
"My body wasn't in the condition it probably should have been," Matsuzaka said. "Despite the home run in the first inning, I got out of that inning and I thought I'd be able to fight through a few more innings."
The second inning went downhill quickly. Seth Smith led off with a double, and rookie catcher Derek Norriswalked. Another former teammate of Matsuzaka's,
Brandon Moss, crushed a first-pitch fastball for a home run.
"They got the three-run homer, and that's all they needed," Valentine said.
Matsuzaka allowed a single to Brandon Inge, bringing Valentine to the mound for a chat. When Cliff Pennington walked on four pitches, Valentine returned to the mound to make the pitching change.
"I went out there and asked (Matsuzaka) if he could get through it, and he said, 'Yeah,'" Valentine said. "Obviously it didn't look good."
The Red Sox currently have 10 players on the DL, and 19 of their players have totaled 21 DL stints overall this season.


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Morgan Emery
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Opening Reception: A Shared Elegy
Friday, October 13, 2017
Grunwald Gallery
Fine Arts Building, room 123
1201 E. Seventh Street
Opening Reception for A Shared Elegy a new exhibition featuring the work of two pairs of photographers connected by family ties. Osamu James Nakagawa and his uncle, Takayuki Ogawa, and Elijah Gowin and his father, Emmet Gowin, present unique but overlapping visions recording family histories. Nakagawa, like his uncle, Ogawa, grew up A Shared Elegy exhibition catalog available from IU Press. in Japan and draws upon his country's traditions and the practice of honoring elders. Family heritage and home in Virginia have inspired the Gowins to make photographs that depict the intimate and hallowed nature of the world. These photographs compel us to reflect and consider our place in the cycle of life. Learn more about A Shared Elegy here.
The exhibition and the opening reception are free and open to the public.


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An infographic could prove really helpful to those of you who are just embarking on your voyage of discovery into the world of social media.
Actually, social media is hardly new but it's only now being widely accepted, by a wider range of businesses than ever before, as the future for effective customer engagement.
Added to that, Google's changes in their algorithms, the way they rank pages in Search, is going to be increasingly influenced by social interactions, known as Social Signals. For more information on this have a read of 'Will your content improve or penalise your ranking on Google'
follow this link for the Social Media Cheat Sheet at a size that is readable!
If you'd like tips and articles about blogging and using social media channels, together with details of upcoming workshops as they're published on this site, pop your email in the box in the sidebar. New posts will then be delivered to your inbox as they're published. If you have an rss reader you can subscribe via the rss button in the group of social sharing icons top right.
I will be producing this information in an accessible format for those who use screen readers, so apologies in advance if you have trouble accessing the information contained in what is an image. To make it fully 'accessible' I'll have to set out the information in a table format, which could take me a while!
image courtesy of flowtown.com
Other posts you may find of interest
Marketing with social media, is it just fairy dust?
Is social media relevant to your business?


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My wife suffered from a long-term illness, Cystic Fibrosis. When I say "long-term", what I actually mean is "life-long". There wasn't a day that I knew her where she didn't have some sort of symptom or complication directly due to her condition. Even after her transplant, every day was filled with special medications, dietary and activity concerns, and the constant knowledge that the bottom could drop out at any time.
As blunt and morbid as it may seem, her death brought closure. It brought a bit of simplicity to everyday life. Make no mistake, I would much rather have her here, complexities or not, but that is a separate issue in my mind.
Pre-transplant, Megan would start her day with a cough. Not a dry it's-winter-so-the-house-is-dry cough, but a deep cough from her chest. I was almost always awake and moving before her, so this cough, heard from downstairs, would subconsciously signal to me that I needed to make sure the bathroom was unoccupied and a drink was at hand.
She would slowly shuffle down the stairs, still clearing her throat, and enter our tiny bathroom. She would assume her crouched position in front of our toilet, and begin her coughing regimen. This would last upwards of 30 minutes, usually culminating in her getting sick to her stomach. I would check on her every few minutes, and begin getting her aerosol treatments ready for her in the living room.
She would shuffle out of the bathroom, eyes watering and breathing heavily, and take her seat on the couch. Another 30 minutes or so were spent breathing in a mixture of chemicals designed to first open her airways, and then deliver antifungal and antibacterial medicines to her lungs. There would be some more coughing during this procedure, perhaps with another trip to the bathroom, while I continued to get ready for work.
To her credit, on most days, she would also make sure Shelby got to school on time. She would wake up early to start her regimen, because we didn't have much of a choice. She'd often drive to the school in her pajamas just to get her there, come back home, and lie back down for a nap. Within two hours of waking up, she was so exhausted that she had to sleep. She pushed herself to her physical limits to make sure Shelby was raised as "normal" as possible.
I'd check on her periodically throughout the day via text. More often than not, I wouldn't get a response for an hour or so, after a nap, usually stating that she was doing OK. In this sense, "OK" meant that she hadn't coughed up blood or created another hernia. "OK" meant that she had successfully picked up Shelby from school, and didn't have to take another nap until I got home that night. It meant that she was able to eat more than a few nuggets of food without struggling to breathe.
"OK" meant that she may be able to go another week without being admitted to the hospital for 30 days.
I'd arrive home in the evening, and depending on how her day went, she or I would make dinner. We'd retire to the couch for awhile or play with Shelby, until it was her bedtime. On good days, Megan would walk upstairs to tuck her in. About half the time, I would take her up after Megan told her goodnight from the couch and begin another round of her aerosol treatments.
This was our normal when Megan was NOT admitted to the hospital.. Her inpatient stays brought an entirely new level of complexities, because not only was I a single father during those times (albeit with grandparents' help), but I also had to balance visiting Megan and hour away. After a decade of this, it wasn't complex anymore. It was going through the motions, without question or analytical thought. I never once stood back and thought "Wow, I really do a lot for this woman" or "She owes me".
I still don't feel that way. Megan owed me nothing. I loved her, and all I asked in return was the same.
In my new chapter, with Sarah and a quickly maturing Shelby I now have a comparison to those days. Sarah isn't sick. Shelby isn't an infant. I don't worry about making enough to pay bills and start a fledgling family. There isn't a need to figure out how I'm going to get to work AND drive 45 minutes to Cleveland to visit my wife, all while making sure Shelby is home before bedtime. I'm not a kid anymore...I'm well established in my career, and I don't need for anything.
Life has become excruciatingly simple. I had become so institutionalized by a decade of illness that I struggle to know what to do with myself given seven days without some sort of issue arising. I almost feel useless if nobody gets sick or needs a hand with something. We talk so much of missing just sitting on the couch with those we've lost...but what if one's normal WAS missing sitting on the couch with them? What if normal WAS carrying them up the stairs at night or driving them to the hospital every 30 days? I became an almost-widower twice a year in the beginning of our relationship, and near the end, it was every other month.
Becoming an actual widower has only served to simplify things. To be brutally honest, the everyday life part is easier without Megan's illness.
And I'm terrified of recognizing that fact.
Showing 2 reactions
Don Yacona commented 2016-03-08 15:34:18 -0800Mike,
My long term girlfriend (32 years) was a type 2 diabetic who, long story short, over several years and especially the last 2 1/2 suffered 5 heart attacks, both legs amputated, a stroke, had both kidneys fail and had to be a dialysis patient for her last 30 months. In that time we had to abandon our house due to delayed issues from Superstorm Sandy, became essentially homeless for three weeks and oh yeah, for a year after her illness got real, I was unemployed.
I was preparing to become at least a partial caregiver to a double amputee diabetic dialysis patient who was a heart and stroke risk. She couldnt re-enter our house because she couldn't climb the stairs to get in and I was in the process of getting us a ramp donated so she could come home, something she hadn't done for her last 23 months.
Would I do it again? YES! Without question.
Lisa Richardson commented 2016-03-07 23:41:30 -0800Mike thank you for sharing this. I have struggled with similar thoughts. Without going into a lot of detail, my husband suffered from a terrible disease that made everyday life chaotic and at times a downright nightmare. Don't get me wrong, I would do it all again in an instant if it meant even one more day with him. It helps to remind myself that somewhere he is now free. Free from his disease, free to just enjoy whatever adventure he's on. It's not that I'm happier or better off – just living differently now, and it doesn't change a thing about our story or our love.


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A Walk Through Ashlawn Cutting
Posted in Ashlawn Cutting on Mar 6th, 2019 Comments Off on A Walk Through Ashlawn Cutting
This video takes you through the entire length of the Ashlawn Cutting Reserve. You will see examples of the natural delights to be found and some of the volunteers who actively maintain and enhance the site. Credit goes to Ken Monk, one of our dedicated volunteers, for producing this presentation.


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We are pleased to announce the 2018 NAIC Wales Findings Conference, which will provide our members with an opportunity to hear the Wales findings from the 2018 audit.
Our Support Team will be delivering the Organisational level audit as well as the Service user audit for Wales, and we will be welcoming Good Practice case studies from our membership.
The programme will be shared soon, but you can register your place now. There are a maximum of ten spaces per University Health Board.
Please note, this is a Wales only event.


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Russian & Italian FMs signed a programme of the Russian-Italian cooperation in culture & education for 2016-2018
- Written by: Actualité à la Une
Category: Diplotimes
Rome - Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was on a working visit in Italy where he held intense talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Paolo Gentiloni and met with President Sergio Mattarella. This visit was made to carry on a bilateral dialogue on current international issues. It focused on the fight against international terrorism and the situation in Syria and Libya.
The sides also discussed solutions to the internal Ukrainian crisis and the need for strict compliance with the Minsk Agreements of February 12, 2015. Both sides have reaffirmed a willingness to continue their constructive cooperation in all spheres. They also discussed initiatives for strengthening bilateral trade, economic and investment cooperation, cultural ties, tourism and relations between the Russian and Italian peoples. The foreign ministers signed a programme of Russian-Italian cooperation in culture and education for 2016-2018. On December 11, Sergey Lavrov addressed the Rome Mediterranean Dialogues (MED 2015) international conference organised by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI). (via MFA Russia)


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Accession Number : ADA187405
Title : UNIVERS Product. Phase 1.
Descriptive Note : Final rept.,
Corporate Author : ONTOLOGIC INC BILLERICA MA
Personal Author(s) : Vilot, Michael J ; Strong, Robert M
Full Text : https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a187405.pdf
Report Date : 27 Apr 1987
Pagination or Media Count : 112
Abstract : This project investigated extensible databases for design applications. These applications have complex data modeling needs not adequately met by existing database systems. Our goal is to combine the abstraction and modularity of modern programming languages and the persistent storage management of databases with the inheritance/refinement mechanism of object-oriented systems to provide an extensible database product. The first phase objectives are to investigate data modeling and representation requirements for extensibility. Our primary focus is on programming language access to the extensibility mechanisms of an object-oriented database. Phase I produced a definition of requirements for the product we call UNIVERS -- the UNIfication of programming language and database technology, with the VERSatility of object-oriented systems. It also establishes a high-level (architectural) design for UNIVERS, including a description of the programming language/database interface. The resulting product is an Ada language interface providing access to the contractor's existing database product, Vbase. Vbase is an object-oriented database development platform targeted at the needs of the engineering design application builder, designed to serve as a foundation for MCAD, ECAD, and CIM applications.
Descriptors : *DATA BASES , *SYSTEMS ENGINEERING , CONTRACTORS , DATA MANAGEMENT , MODELS , INTERFACES , PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES , PLATFORMS , SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT , DATA STORAGE SYSTEMS
Subject Categories : Computer Systems
Distribution Statement : APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE


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Take 10 To Get Lost in Academy of Art's Fashion Show Dreaminess
It's not easy to make it in the fashion world. Thousands of aspiring designers graduate from design programs every year, and most of them will never become household names like Stella McCartney or Marc Jacobs. That's one of the reasons why graduation fashion shows are worthwhile. They're a raw escape. For a fleeting moment, you get to imagine what the fashion world could be if practicality and commercial viability weren't concerns.
Below, we're sharing all the outfits that walked the runway at Academy of Art University's spring graduation fashion show. The complete looks include textile design, apparel design, and styling, all from San Francisco students. There's everything from bold, wearable knits (Julie Eunju Kim) to Richard Serra-inspired architectural pieces (Zhouyi Li).
If you see a look that you're dying to purchase, ping us, and we'll connect you with the right people. Who knows? Maybe one of these young designers will be the next Alexander Wang or Phoebe Philo or Iris Van Herpen, and you can say you knew them when.
Digital Print and Design Collaborative Collection
A collaborative collection created by students who used digitally-printed fabrics designed by BFA Textile Design student Mario Chinchilla. The combination of a feeling of 'being incognito' and the challenge to 'be true to ourselves' represent the dualism between emptiness and fulfillment, distortion and clarity. Chinchilla's cinematographic digital prints were transformed into a womenswear collection by MFA Fashion Design students Diane Dickey, Danni Huang, Shamonica Jones, Qiaochu Li, Xiaomo Liu, Muhamad Ahsan Nazir, Chenqi Xie and Meijun Lu.
Julie Eunju Kim
Kim's collection is inspired by her favorite abstraction artist, Paul Klee, and his play with shapes and colors. The entire collection was created using fine Italian yarns to which Kim applied her own experimentation, as well as weaving methods and traditional knitting, to create
distinctive silhouettes.
Brianna Toomer
Inspired by the strength of women during WWII, Toomer created "Nobody's Housewife" to be the balance between masculinity and femininity through soft, sporty tailoring. It juxtaposes the silhouettes of women and men from that era and introduces an athletic twist with zippers replacing seam lines and exposed side seams with multi-layer bias binding.
Susan Zienty
Zienty's inspiration for "Anti-dress" was a clash between the etiquette of the past and the standards of the future as well as dressing for oneself.
Fashion Design and Textile Design Collaboration
Designer Sam Shan's childrenswear collection was inspired by the playful colors and whimsical shapes found in the work of artist Paul Klee. Marisa Chentakul's aim was to challenge the textile side of childrenswear for this collection. She designed refined and unique repeats, and engineered prints with children's ink stamping, playful images, and collages of daring colors and textures.
Stefanie Jessica
Jessica's collection derives inspiration from anxiety, tailoring and asymmetrical shapes. To underscore the concept of tailoring, she used wool as the main material, cotton, organza, and surprisingly adds bubble wrap to provide contrast.
Fashion Design and Knitwear Design Collab
Zixuan (Stella) Quan's inspiration is drawn from the historical importance of her home city, Xi'an, as the starting point of the Silk Road, and home of the ancient Terracotta Warriors. Quan aimed to create a collection that combines classic, historical armor with modern fashion. Lulu Hui-Ju Tsai said her inspiration for her knitwear collection is the 'concrete jungle' of the financial district in New York City.
Luis Guillen G.
Luis Guillen G. wanted to create a collection to empower men and their feminine side. He was inspired by the gay subculture of pups—cub is to bear as pup is to wolf—and the 18th century romantic period which created a shift in the style of men's clothing. Embroideries for this collection were created by Anastasia Smith and Christina Cundari.
Fashion Design and Textile Design Collaboration
Uchechi Anigbogu's collection was inspired by the past, through personal and impersonal experiences; and, in a colorful way, such as her grandmother's style, the designer's African roots, and American style in the 1950s. The collection utilizes vibrant Ankara print fabrics that her grandmother had, as well as fabrics that were purchased on a recent trip back to Nigeria.
Jie Ren textile design draws inspiration from an 'East meets West' cultural fusion and focuses on provocative shapes. Ren manipulated the original Ankara print fabrics by changing some of the original colors and by applying his own prints over the original ones to create new prints.
Minghan "Rosemary" Xue
Xue describes the inspiration of her collection as "...a story, a transition, where the globally recognized 'Made in China' label becomes the 'Designed in China' label." Xue experimented with different kinds of fabrics, repositioning garments and repurposing material to create new textures and patterns. (Knots and embroideries for the collection were created by Mojtaba Katiraei.)
Fashion Design and Textile Design Collaboration
Apparel designer Denise Ramos drew inspiration from trips to Savile Row and to Girona, Spain. For this collaborative collection, Ramos included traditional men's tailoring techniques and created a strong silhouette based on the powerful female characters portrayed on Game of Thrones. Jorge Iglesias's textiles were designed to represent "the armor that a woman wears day-to-day while growing older beautifully and gracefully knowing that she does not need to look like a man in order to feel confident." He used gold leaf foil to apply pulled threads on repurposed denim for his textile designs.
Justin Ho
Ho's menswear collection was inspired by the crackled paint from artworks of Gerhard Richter, along with the images and texture of wasted wires. As a designer, Ho translates classic
menswear into minimalist contemporary design by combining tailored garments with oversized, draping silhouettes.
Jeannifer Tirtamarta
For her collection, Tirtamarta was inspired by the gritty construction areas and the streets of San Francisco. Continuous seam lines and the geometric shapes of her silhouettes reference the on-going building of structures around her. In addition to cotton canvas and denim, Tirtamarta
used recycled billboard tarp as the main material for her garments.
Fashion Design and Textile Design Collaboration
Apparel designer Hanh Nguyen drew inspiration from the work of two abstract artists thus combining two seemingly opposite aesthetics, minimalism and maximalism. Nguyen used organic cotton in canvas, twill, and organdy for her womenswear designs, and referenced Paul Kremer's minimalist Color Field paintings for the silhouette. For her jewelry, she used heat to soften and shape straight acrylic rods into curvy designs, inspired by the bursting colors and large shapes of maximalism artist Trudy Benson.
Textile designer Emily McCarty drew inspiration for her print collection while listening to King Krule's album The Ooz. She wanted to "construct a visual ode to modern art, with a hint of satire." The collection became a physical representation of how McCarty sees a theme of balance between harmony and chaos in the modern art world.
Jerry Lee
Lee's collection reflects his nostalgia for his home country of South Korea and memories of his family. Lee used stiff fabrics to create volume which represents an element of traditional Korean clothing and the clean lines of Korean architecture. He also referenced old family photographs for inspiration and mimicked some of the silhouettes and draping of the clothing worn by his
McKaela Christenson
Christenson, a knitwear design, was inspired by gestures, body movement, and the fluidity of the human form, as well as the organic shapes of hand-formed pottery by dancer and artist Paulus Berensohn. She used 3D knits to create volume and shape, and implemented a zero-waste process in creating her collection.
Felix Ryan
Ryan's collection is inspired by his personal sleeping patterns—nightmares, sleep paralysis, and hallucinations. The digital prints he created reflect the unconscious and organic body movements while a person sleeps and dreams, while his silhouettes are based on hallucinations during sleep paralysis. His collection highlights both masculine and feminine design elements, as well as the eeriness of nightmares.
Zhouyi Li
For her collection, Li drew inspiration from Richard Serra's sculptures, building simple and clean 3D shapes that appear to be slicing through the body. The enhanced colors are digitally printed on to the wool fabric.


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Laser Leather Zipper Boot + Side Buckle // Brown
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This collection of fancy footwear from Pelle Line is here to help you step up your shoe game. In classic silhouettes and sophisticated finishes, each pair is top-notch style that will keep you putting your best foot forward no matter where you go.
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- ColorsBrown
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- Care InstructionsHand Wash
- OriginTurkey
— Men's Boot
— Combination Leather Sole
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A horny party, hooligan and very fun on the boat of Beautiful People Ibiza. Also this summer 2018 they turn 10 years old giving everything on the water and they have some very interesting surprises;)
"We stuck an awesome festival, drank everything we wanted, good vibes with everyone, excellent waitresses and entertainment and apart from everything we got bracelets and guest list for Privilege and some more that I do not remember hahaha ... We repeat fixed !David R TripAdvisor
The day of the BPI boat party begins with your pre party at Playa d'en Bossa. Café Globo, of the famous and international Italian radio Radio Globo, is the place chosen to start warming up. A great idea for breaking the ice with what will be your 200 party companions during the next few hours. After this pre party it is time to go to Platja d'en Bossa pier to board the party boat.
BPI has a clear objective: to have fun. That is why they have a wide range of activities that will be orchestrated by their resident DJs Andrea Dellacasa and Javi Gómez, their guest DJs, the singer Raquel Lillo giving the party a voice and its entertainment cast.
One of the advantages of this party is its drinks offer, all top brands, to avoid seasickness 😉 Also, included in your ticket, you can enjoy sweet and salty snacks, sweets and donuts to regain your strength.
The adrenaline moment is provided by water bikes. On which you can ride the waves with the rhythm of the DJs in the background. But wait, the surprises do not end here. One of the novelties of this 2018 are the CO2 ice cannons to cool you while you dance in the sun and the foam cannon, which will undoubtedly be a high point of the party.
Another new feature for this new season is its offer of tickets, so you can choose the one that best suits you:
- Standard ticket which includes the boat party with two drinks on board (plus the shots you want) plus tickets to three different clubs with a Free Bar option for only € 10 more.
- Boat party + hangover package in Formentera It includes all the above (unlimited drinks included) and also a round trip ticket to Formentera to enjoy when you want. They propose you do it the day after the boat party, to spend your hangover in Formentera. In addition one of the surprises will be the anti-hangover kit that is provided with this ticket;)
- Open Ticket: Book today and choose the date you want to enjoy Beautiful People Ibiza Boat Party up to 2 weeks before the day that suits you best. A fantastic option to save money taking advantage of the winter offers even if you do not know the exact date on which you can enjoy the party.
Standard ticket – From € 49 + gift BPI shirt.
Pack BPI + Hangover Formentera – From € 64
* Special prices for groups.
Days: Thursday and Saturday. From May to September.
Meeting Point: Check in at 1pm at Café Globo in Playa d'en Bossa. Boat departure at 2:30 p.m. and return at 6:30 p.m.


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Ever since the fifth and thankfully last installment in the epic Twilight Saga graced our theater screens, Hollywood has been in a desperate search to find that next big terrible franchise inspired by some high concept young adult literary series. So far, the results have been a bit mixed, though with the exception of The Hunger Games, still generally disappointing. The Host presented us with an interesting setting and a potentially complex villain in its benign invaders, but was too poorly executed to take advantage of them. On the other hand, Beautiful Creatures, for all its complete lack of subtlety, had a certain campy Southern-fried charm. This of course brings us to The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones, the first in what I read could be as many as six films not counting various spin-offs, that despite a few bright spots and some obvious style and potential, makes me dread the coming years should this new "saga" come to fruition.
The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones follows a young girl named...oh let's just say Bella, because who cares? She's lost and moody, struggling to articulate her oh so white and pretty specialness in a world just waiting to reveal the secret of why she's the chosen one, when sure enough she comes upon a secret society of monster killers called Shadowhunters that only she can see, who induct her into their world of intrigue and uninspired action set pieces. The movie actually begins with more than a little promise, with mysterious symbols, subconscious memories, invisible murderers, and an action sequence involving a tentacle limbed devil dog that's pretty well done. It is at this point that I began to notice the pedigree of the cast, starting with Game of Thrones' Lena Headey, LOST's Kevin Durand, and Warehouse 13's CCH Pounder, as well as the brilliant Robert Sheehan from Misfits. Since I know Jared Harris and Jonathan Rhys Meyers are also both due to show up in major roles at some point, I feel I should be forgiven for thinking this one might actually pan out into something.
The waste of so much talent is perhaps the greatest sin this movie commits, but its only the first of many. Up to this point, Twilight and its many clones, at least based on the film adaptations I've seen, have all settled on one basic concept, be it Vampires vs. Werewolves, alien invasion, ripping off Battle Royale, or witches. Go ahead and throw all of that and more into a blender and poor the unrecognizable and unappetizing mess onto a plate, and the resulting dish of gruel called The Mortal Instruments is somehow both bland and offensively distasteful. Its the kitchen sink of supernatural worlds by way of Buffy and The World Of Darkness with none of the wit or fun or either one, replaced with the tired emo love triangle bullshit that all these movies arbitrarily wedge into the plot to act as teenage girl wish fulfillment, with cookie cutter handsome bad boys vying for the affections of a girl so blank in personality that any girl in the audience can substitute themselves for her. It's to be expected, but that doesn't make it any less unbearable to sit through.
You know that thing movies do sometimes called basic foreshadowing? Really, you're aware of it? Well then congratulations, you aren't any of the people who made this movie. Everything that is important to the plot in The Mortal Instruments is only revealed as important seconds before it becomes important, with barely enough time for its many narrative cheats to even qualify as red herrings or macguffins. That a story ultimately revolving around the search for what might as well be the Holy Grail can be so otherwise pointlessly convoluted is the kind of shitty storytelling you actually have to try hard to do. Characters and character relationships are introduced or dramatically revealed suddenly without any concern for their relative impact on the story, and often forgotten about just as quickly, and if I could bring myself to care about any of it, any particular element I might have some attachment to is either ignored as soon as it comes up, or completely invalidated a few scenes later. You see this often in movies built on an escalating series of twists, but here I wouldn't even call them twists as much as a series of bad ideas that prove to be mutually exclusive and thus require you to forget about the previous bad idea.
There have been many attempts to create a world secretly filled with monsters and legendary creatures, some more successful than others. The idea of demons, vampires, werewolves, and so on all sharing the same space just under our noses, our lives constantly under supernatural threat and only protected by a small band of expert badasses is a cliche for a reason, and can still be done well if given a unique spin on the same old monsters. Unfortunately, The Mortal Instruments is an utter failure both as a horror fantasy and just as an attempt at entertainment in general. As is all too often the case, the need to add to the already glutted marketplace of overwrought teen romance bogs the story down so that anything it appears to have going for it is given short shrift in favor of doe-eyed soulful looks and passionate PG-13 porn for the Taylor Swift set, in between scenes with actors you know can and should be doing much better movies. Robert Sheehan left Misfits to pursue a film career, and this is the first thing I've seen him in since. I have to believe he's done better, because I don't want to think he ruined a perfectly good TV show just to make a movie as bad as this one.


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HANOI — Vietnam's fledgling airline industry is poised for a boom as local competition heats up with fleet expansions, new routes and planned share offerings that are set to make it one of the world's fastest-growing markets.
Even as the local economy chugs along at about 5 percent growth, its slowest pace in 13 years, demand for domestic air travel is growing by double digits. That is translating into a surprisingly robust new source of business for Boeing Airbus and regional aircraft makers like Mitsubishi Aircraft, Bombardier and Embraer.
The International Air Transport Association expects Vietnam to become among the world's fastest-growing markets next year for international and domestic passengers and freight. The country's Aviation Department expects 15 percent growth in domestic passengers this year, more than double last year's rise of 7 percent.
Though starting from a low base, Vietnam's carriers will bolster their fleets in the next few years, doubling or tripling them to serve a domestic market of 90 million people and tourist arrivals growing on average 20 percent annually.
VietJet Aviation Joint Stock, Vietnam's first private airline, agreed last month to a provisional order for as many as 92 Airbus jets worth $9 billion at list prices.
The low-cost carrier is aiming for a stock market listing in either Hong Kong or Singapore in 2015 to fund the expansion, which would start with flights to Tokyo, Beijing, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and South Korea and eventually include other destinations in China and in Russia, Australia and beyond, said its managing director, Luu Duc Khanh.
"Further it could be the United States, where four million people of Vietnamese origin live. They're waiting for VietJet anxiously," Mr. Khanh said.
VietJet plans to double its fleet by 2015 to 20 jets, and is speeding up work to get three joint ventures in the air, including one with an undisclosed carrier in Myanmar and another already agreed to with KanAir of Thailand, to operate in early 2014.
The bold expansion of VietJet after less than two years in business could raise the stakes not only at home but also in Southeast Asia's fast-growing low-cost market, which is dominated by AirAsia of Malaysia and Lion Air of Indonesia.
Those ambitious plans may have shaken the state-run flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines, or VNA, into expediting its long-awaited initial public offering and fleet expansion.
VNA dominates the local market and will increase its fleet by 28 percent to 101 aircraft by 2015. It has been preparing for an initial public offering in the second quarter of 2014.
"The project is right on schedule," said its spokesman, Le Truong Giang.
VNA's fleet includes both Airbus and Boeing jets, and the airline has ordered the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350. According to Boeing, VNA has orders for eight 787s and 11 more through leasing companies.
The airline also has its hand in the low-cost market through a stake in JetStar Pacific, a joint venture with Qantas Airways of Australia. JetStar plans to more than triple its fleet of five Airbus A320s to 16 in the next few years, a spokesman said.
The airlines and industry experts say the growth potential comes mainly from Vietnam's topography and what Mr. Khanh of VietJet called a "fortune location."
Vietnam is 1,650 kilometers, or 1,025 miles, long; its biggest cities and tourist resorts are far apart; and it has poor road and rail infrastructure.
It is also within a few hours of Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and China, and tourist arrivals are increasing, with 5.5 million in the first nine months of the year, a 10 percent rise from the same period in 2012.
Mr. Khanh said expansion would be gradual, with the carrier taking delivery of between 5 and 10 Airbus jets each year until 2022.
"It's insufficient," Mr. Khanh said.
VietJet's joint-venture plans were therefore a smart move, said Timothy Ross, an air transport analyst at Credit Suisse in Singapore.
"I can't imagine they have much on their balance sheet," he said. "So in terms of building a new business, it's far better to give away some of the potential upside and invest less."
JetStar has not been profitable and is likely to struggle as competition increases, Mr. Ross said, while VNA has not done itself any favors by delaying privatization.
"We should have seen the Vietnam Airlines I.P.O. 3 to 5 years ago, but it sat on its hands," he said. "Competition in the airline industry is inevitable."


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Juan Gallo, Jorge Mancini, Gustavo Ortiz, Juan Croxatto, Nanomedicine & Vision Group; Decreased Protein Expression of P2X2 in the Retina of Type 1 Diabetic Rats Treated with Suramin and PPADS. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2013;54(15):6323.
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We have previously shown that inflammatory markers and P2X2 were up-regulated in the retina of diabetic rats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protein expression of P2X2 in the retina of diabetic animals treated by purinergic antagonists
Sixteen male Wistar rats of 250gr were treated with an intraperitoneal injection of 45mg/kg of streptozotocin. Only animals with glycemia levels above 200mg/dl were included in the study. The treated animals were divided into three groups of 4 rats. These were intraperitoneally injected with: 1) Suramin, 2) PPADS, 3) Suramin + PPADS at 9 and 26 weeks of diabetes in each group. Four remaining diabetic animals received no treatment. Twelve non-diabetic rats with the same age of diabetics were used as a control group. Animals were sacrificed after 38 weeks of diabetes. Retinas were analyzed by Western Blot using a primary antibody against P2X2.
Protein expression of P2X2 was much higher in diabetics without treatment than in controls. Diabetic rats treated with Suramin, PPADS and the combined compound had a significantly lower expression of P2X2 than that found in diabetic animals without treatment.
P2X2 receptor seems to play a role in diabetic retinopathy development. This purinergic receptor could be a target for the treatment of this disease.
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When patients meet with the vision care specialists of GW Eye Associates, they know that they are meeting with some of the finest eye doctors in San Diego. Our team offers all patients ample information when it comes to corrective lenses as well as advanced laser eye surgery for refravtive errors.
The term "iLASIK" has come up a lot in recent years. No, this isn't Apple's foray into laser vision correction, but it is something in eye surgery that's as forward-thinking as many Apple innovations. Let's look at iLASIK right now and why it's a great option to consider.
iLASIK is just another way of referring to the most technologically advanced form of LASIK surgery that is available today. iLASIK means custom LASIK surgery that is done entirely with lasers. There is no need for a blade to make the surgery a reality, which has many crucial benefits to consider.
In the past, a small physical tool known as a microkeratome was required in order to create a flap in the topmost layer of the cornea. It was through this flap that the corneal reshaping and revision would occur.
While the tool was safe, there was the slight chance of human error or infection due to physical contact.
With all-laser, blade-free LASIK, the chance of infection is eliminated. The safe surgical laser that creates the cornea flap will precisely create the incision, allowing the surgery to be carried forward with reduced risk.
In addition to blade-free LASIK, iLASIK means the use of state-of-the-art wavefront scanning technology. The wavefront scanner creates a three-dimensional map of the cornea. This allows minute imperfections on the corneal surface to be identified and addressed.
The wavefront map allows lower order aberrations and higher order aberrations to be addressed. The lower order aberrations are the refractive errors with which most people are familiar (myopia/nearsightedness, hyperopia/farsightedness, and astigmatism). The higher order aberrations are very small corneal imperfections that lead to issues with glare, halos, and other minute matters involving light and contrast.
Further reducing human error and potential mistakes, iLASIK is computer-guided. The wavefront map that is taken of the patient's eyes is uploaded into a computer that positions and moves the LASIK laser. This level of precision means that those minute corneal flaws will be addressed and the possibility of error significantly lowered.
Let's consider the results of iLASIK when compared to traditional LASIK. Ultimately, the advantages of iLASIK are obvious.
For more information about iLASIK and how it can help you see clearly and without the aid of contact lenses or glasses, it's of the utmost importance that you contact our advanced eye care and vision correction center today. The entire team here at GW Eye Associates looks forward to your visit and helping you achieve excellent eyesight.


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ROBERTO MARTINEZ has urged Swansea City to hand Brian Flynn and his No 2 Kevin Reeves new deals.
The Swans midfielder revealed he wants to remain at the Vetch after playing a leading part in the club's escape from relegation into the Conference.
But Martinez insists it is imperative the club first ties down Flynn and Reeves to new contracts.
The Swans are refusing to commit to the former Wrexham boss until they hold talks with him this week.
But Martinez said, "There is no question that Brian must remain in charge at Swansea City.
"He has done a fantastic job to keep the club in the League and there should be no doubt about him carrying on.
"Swansea City should never have been fighting at the bottom of Division Three because I believe they should be in the First Division.
"And the club needs to hang on to Brian before someone else gets him, because he can lead Swansea into Division One."
Martinez went on, "If there is one man who can handle the pressure and guide the players in the right direction, it is Brian.
"I remember when we lost 4-0 earlier in the season. Pointing the finger and losing the plot would have been the easiest thing for Brian to do.
"But he didn't - he has never done that. He has always had belief in us and given us confidence. It is very easy to follow a manager like him.
"It is easy to be the manager of Real Madrid - you only have to tell Raul or Zinedine Zidane what time they are playing.
"But it is different in Division Three of the Football League. You have to deal with players in a different way - motivate them, get the best out of them. Managing Swansea is not an easy job."
Defender Alan Tate also urged the board to hold on to Flynn. "If this club is going to go places, they need to keep Brian, Kevin and Alan Curtis in charge," he said.
"Since I joined on loan from Manchester United, the three of them have been magnificent.
"They have encouraged me not just to lump the ball up to the forwards, but to get it down and play it.
"Coming to Swansea has done me the world of good. So much so that it will seem like an anti-climax to go back to Old Trafford to play in the reserves."