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Wrong Place, Wrong Time … Right Response
On a warm August morning, Rashad Craft was leaving his mother's Suisun City home to pick up his two sons. As he headed down the driveway, he spotted a suspicious, slow-moving car coming down the street.
When the two occupants of the vehicle saw him and got out, the 37-year-old cable technician didn't flee. "I stood there and watched them come toward me," he recalled. "Why did I do that?"
While Rashad's gut instincts warned him something wasn't right, things started happening too fast for him to react. The pair of young men accosted him by waving a gun in his face and demanding he open the garage door and go inside with them. He refused. During the ensuing struggle Rashad remembers his only purpose was to prevent them from entering the house. "My mother was in there," he explained. "And it would be the end of me if I went inside with them."
Suddenly the gun went off and Rashad fell to the driveway, a bullet piercing his back. As the assailants escaped, he yelled for help, but no one responded. "I tried to get up and get inside the house as fast as possible," he said. The best he could do was crawl into the kitchen, where he lay hollering to his mother.
"My mom was pretty shaken up but calm. The pain felt like I had been hit by a baseball bat. I was feeling numb, gasping for air, scared and panicking. But, I didn't want to let go," he remembered.
Rashad may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the minute his mother dialed 9-1-1, a well-trained precision team stepped up to save his life.
Golden Hour Clock Starts Ticking
The NorthBay Medical Center Trauma Team includes highly trained surgeons, Emergency Department physicians and technicians, hospitalists, anesthesiologists, infection control experts, ICU nurses, and more. They have many years of trauma experience—battle-tested in many cases—enabling them to deal with everything from broken bones, dog bites, and industrial accidents to gunshot wounds like the one Rashad suffered.
Suddenly the gun went off and Rashad fell to the driveway, a bullet piercing his back…
His traumatic injury underscores the importance of having a trauma center close to home and the expertise of life-saving emergency response teams standing at the ready, says J. Peter Zopfi, D.O., NorthBay's trauma medical director, because "it all starts in the field. We call it 'The Golden Hour,' when a victim's chances of survival are greatest if he or she receives prompt emergency care within this time."
An ambulance crew was dispatched to Rashad's mother's home within minutes, and as the paramedics swiftly went into action, a full trauma team activation was sounded within NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield. That meant an array of specialists immediately assembled in the Emergency Department, awaiting Rashad's arrival.
The ER team prepared for an initial resuscitation. Then the trauma team, led by a specially trained trauma surgeon, was ready to take over. It was a well-choreographed response backed up by an anesthesiologist, a specially trained operating room crew and other ancillary services, from lab personnel to X-ray technicians.
Experienced Trauma Experts
Upon arrival, paramedics were met by emergency physicians Dr. Rizwan Tokhi and Dr. Rachel Hight, an Air Force trauma surgeon who works at NorthBay Medical Center as a result of a training affiliation agreement with David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base. The agreement ensures military medical personnel, physicians and nurses are ready for wartime deployment. In this mutually beneficial program, NorthBay can draw on their experience as battlefield surgeons.
"The Air Force's outreach to the county was intended to help our local community strengthen and develop its trauma programs," Dr. Hight explains. "We offer our training and experience in a knowledge-sharing relationship that we have with Dr. Zopfi and the NorthBay trauma team, and it has been a very good collaboration. We share tips, ideas, best practices, and Dr. Zopfi can apply or tweak them as they fit into the NorthBay system."
Fortunately, Dr. Hight was on duty the morning Rashad was shot, and her experience, garnered during a deployment to Afghanistan, proved invaluable. "The paramedics had notified us they were bringing in a 'penetrating thorax trauma,' and that immediately puts us on our highest alert," Dr. Hight says. "These kinds of traumas tend to need the earliest, most active interventions because they can affect the heart and lungs."
The team found Rashad awake, extremely anxious and toiling to breathe. "The most important thing was to secure his airway," explained Dr. Wayne Walker, trauma team anesthesiologist, and one of four anesthesiologists on duty 24/7 in NorthBay Medical Center.
"He had lost a lot of blood and was receiving a lot of transfusions. We needed to stabilize his fluids and blood pressure."
Dr. Hight quickly inserted a chest tube to drain blood from his chest cavity so that breathing was made easier. The team next needed to get Rashad, now somewhat stable under anesthesia, to a CT scanner that would show the severity and location of his wounds and then into the operating room. "Sometimes we don't have that luxury," Dr. Hight explains. "Sometimes we have to start surgery right in the ED."
Fortunately for Rashad, all of this was accomplished well within The Golden Hour.
As a trauma anesthesiologist, Dr. Walker knows a trauma surgeon cannot begin lifesaving work until the patient is safely asleep, with relatively stable breathing and blood pressure. His team is so practiced, he said, "We're like fire extinguishers: We're there, the system is in place and we can be used quickly in any emergency."
Off to Surgery
The CT scan revealed blood in Rashad's left chest, damage to his liver and possibly to his spleen. During surgery, it was discovered the bullet had just missed his heart, but nicked his diaphragm, damaged a lung, his liver and passed through his stomach. The combined injuries required more than three hours of surgery. Another skilled trauma surgeon, Dr. William Fulton, as well as Dr. Zopfi, assisted Dr. Hight that morning.
"We do want to get patients off the operating table as quickly as possible," Dr. Zopfi says, "and the fact that he was in surgery for just over three hours was a good sign."
Intensivist Care in the ICU
The teamwork didn't stop at the operating room. Rashad was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit and to Dr. Mohammed Qureshi, a critical care intensivist who specializes in internal medicine, critical care and pulmonology. Possessing the right skills to care for Rashad's injuries, Dr. Qureshi noted, is not unusual at NorthBay. Intensivists are physicians specially trained in critical care medicine and they provide in-hospital assistance for trauma patients around the clock.
"The next day we woke Rashad up, and we were able to get him off the ventilator right away," said Dr. Qureshi. "Getting someone off a ventilator within 24 hours represents a good success because it prevents the potential development of pneumonia and other complications."
During the next 72 hours, Dr. Qureshi kept an eagle eye on Rashad's pain levels and breathing. He served as a vital communication link between trauma surgeons, ICU staff and Rashad's family.
"We not only treat the patient, but the family," he explained. "They need to know what is going on, the staff needs to know what is going on, so there are no surprises."
ICU Nurses Dole Out Tough Love
One other team component, ICU nurses, are the unsung heroes, especially in cases such as Rashad's, said Dr. Zopfi. "They must have the tough love approach. They know how important it is for the patients to get up, get moving, and get breathing. It's not something people are so willing to do when they have surgical stitches or chest tubes, as Rashad did."
"Oh, no, he did not want to get out of bed," recalls Maureen Allain, R.N., "and his expression was kind of like, 'You really want me to do this? Don't you know I've been shot?'"
But, she explains, "We have to get them out of bed, expanding their lungs, breathing deep and coughing. We know it hurts and they will have pain, and we can control some of that." But, she stresses, it takes a whole team—physical therapists, social workers, nurses and family members—to push patients past that pain so they can become ambulatory and more self-sufficient. "Then they can be moved downstairs (to the regular unit) and on to home."
During the next 10 days, Rashad admits he reluctantly followed his nurses' steady urging to complete his breathing exercises. "They were tough on me; made me do a bunch of things that were really hard."
His only setback came 10 days after surgery when his white blood counts started to rise, as did his fever, suggesting an infection or other complication. Enter Dr. Gregory Warner, another member of the trauma team and an infection expert. Fever and inflammation are expected outcomes following gunshot wounds, he said, but not after 72 hours.
"This is when we start asking what else we might be missing," Dr. Warner says. "We also had to ask, 'Could he have an abscess in his abdomen, problems with his kidneys or other challenges?' It's a balancing act."
Another CT scan revealed blood clots and fluid in his lungs. On Day 10 of his recovery, Rashad underwent a second surgery—a video-assisted thoracoscopy—to remove the fluid and blood clots, Dr. Warner explained.
His recovery then moved quickly, his appetite improved, he could move easier, and was transferred to a regular medical unit. Sixteen days after the shooting, he was sent home.
Miracles Stack Up
Three months later, Rashad was back coaching football and basketball, driving and caring for his boys, ages 8 and 6.
"This completely changed my life," says Rashad, whose family has seen more than their share of gun violence. "My brother was murdered in 1999, and so were my grandparents."
As his mother's only surviving son, Rashad is extremely grateful to the NorthBay team that saved his life. He returned to NorthBay just before Thanksgiving to express his gratitude to many of those who oversaw his recovery.
"They were very positive and reassuring and it helped my spirits a lot. They really took good care of me. I am indebted to them, because they helped me to recover. I see everything differently now. I see how important it is for me to be here for my kids; they need me the most.
"I cherish my life. I get to wake up and see my boys. They were almost taken from me. My oldest son asks me all the time if I'm in pain, if I'm OK. I tell him, 'Don't you worry about me. You just stay in school, and I'll take care of the rest.'"


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Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, Dormition of the Theotokos Serbian Orthodox Church, Fair Oaks, California conducted by His Grace Bishop Maxim, and Bishop Jutin of Zica, Fr. Stimata (Iconographer) from Athens, Abbot Theodosios, Decani Monastery in Kosovo, Fr. William and Fr. Dane and Deacon Dragan, during the Feast of The Assumption of Theotokos, August 30, 2015.
- Copyright
- ©2015 Larry Angier/Image West Photography 209.223.2881/209.765.3104 www.angier-fox.photoshelter.com
- Image Size
- 4592x3448 / 4.8MB
- www.angier-fox.com
- Keywords
- Contained in galleries
- 1508-Slava of the Dormition of the Theotokos

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm looking for some references about water simulation, and how to model it's interaction with bodies (like boats, ships, submarines).
I've found a lot of references on the visual aspects of water (waves, reflection, etc), but very little about how to deal with the way it should interact with bodies. My experience with game development is very limited, and I'm really stuck here.
Bascally I would like to be able to make the position of a ship variates according to the waves. How can I do this?
I'm using Panda3D, but hope to hear about techniques and implementations used in any available technology.


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Researchers have come up with a way of protecting telecoms networks using quantum cryptography without the need for expensive dedicated optical fiber links.
The technique, developed by Toshiba's European research laboratory in Britain and Cambridge University engineers, is a step towards perfect security for everything from credit card transactions to private health records.
Quantum cryptography relies on the rules of quantum theory to generate uncrackable codes that encrypt data in a way that reveals if it has been eavesdropped or tampered with.
Governments and the military are thought to be using the technology already, based on systems available from firms like ID Quantique in Switzerland and U.S. rival MagiQ.
But until now, the quantum keys to encode and decode the information had to be sent on single photons, or particles of light, across a dedicated optical fiber separate from the line carrying the data itself.
"The requirement of separate fibers has greatly restricted the applications of quantum cryptography in the past, as unused fibers are not always available for sending the single photons, and even when they are, can be prohibitively expensive," said Andrew Shields from Toshiba Research in Cambridge.
"Now we have shown that the single photon and data signals can be sent using different wavelengths on the same fiber."
The Toshiba system, outlined in research published in the journal Physical Review X, still requires an advanced detector that picks up the encryption key in a time window of just 100 millionths of a micro-second, at the expected arrival time of the single photons.
But the detector, which is able to filter out the 'noise' in the fiber caused by the data itself, avoids the cost of laying down dedicated optical fiber lines.
Previous work has managed to use quantum cryptography on shared optical fibers but only over very short distances, with low capacity rates, or with data moving only in one direction.
The researchers say their system can do it over 50 km with data moving back and forth and an encryption capacity 50,000 times the record over the same distance.
Zhiliang Yuan, who worked on the research, told Reuters the team plan to carry out field tests on the system but he predicted it could be rolled out commercially within a few years.
Related articles
Cell C network problems explained


text:
Buy options for Advanced Excel Report for RAD Studio
How to purchase and register our products
To make it easier for you to purchase our products, we have contracted with Digital River GmbH (MyCommerce/Share-it!) registration service. The Digital River GmbH order process is protected via a secure connection and makes on-line ordering by credit/debit card quick and safe.
If you have ordered EMS software online and would like to review your order information, or if you have questions about ordering, payments, or shipping procedures, please visit Shopper Support Center, provided by Digital River GmbH
Electronic Software Delivery
Please note that all of our products are delivered via ESD (Electronic Software Delivery) only. After purchase, you will be able to immediately download the registration keys or passwords and download links for archives of full versions. Also, you will receive a copy of registration keys or passwords by e-mail.


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Choosing the payment method is the last stage of processing your order after you choose the bouquet.
We work for you and do everything we can to make you feel comfortable working with us. Therefore we give you the opportunity to choose the most suitable way for you to pay for your order:
1. Bank Wire Transfer
2. WebMoney
3. Yandex.Money
4. Payment by Credit Card through the Pay On–line
5. ComePay Payment Terminal
6. ElexNet Payment Terminal
Follow this link to get more detailed information about available payment methods.
If the offered payment methods are not acceptable to you for some reason, please, contact our manager and we will try to find some alternative payment method to fit your needs.
2. How long will it take to deliver my order?
Flower delivery to Russia is available within 3-4 hours after your payment is confirmed and in case the fresh flowers needed for your bouquet are available.
3. Is my personal information confidential?
All the personal information provided by you (your name, address, phone number, e-mail, credit card number) is kept confidential and will not be disclosed.
4. Does delivery prices include in bouquet price?
The prices displayed on the website include delivery. However, when choosing delivery to some small town, please contact our manager at the telephone numbers listed on our website and confirm the cost of delivery.
5. Will the bouquet you deliver correspond to the photo on the website?
Sure, in most cases the bouquet we deliver will look very similar to the one you see on the photo. Remember, that floristics is a form of art, and even though the florists will closely follow the bouquet pattern you see, they may implement it with their own artistic peculiarities – just like any real artist.
There's also a slight chance that certain kinds of flowers are just not available – depending on the current season and the supplies. If that's your case, you will be informed immediately. If we cannot contact you for objective reasons, the florists will do their best to make your composition as similar to the picture as possible – with similar form, size, and color range, equal or exceeding the initial bouquet in price. When making replacements, keeping the same kind of flowers is of higher priority than keeping the same color.
In any case, there's one thing you can be absolutely sure in: you bouquet will be made of fresh flowers, professionally and passionately.


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The Fedora Packaging Committee determines the packaging guidelines for Fedora projects. It also approves exemptions the various guidelines where required, as well as exemptions to the package review process.
The FPC is an independent subcommittee of the Fedora Steering Committee (FESCo).
Meetings and Discussions
The Fedora Packaging Committee currently meets every Thursday at 17:00 UTC (16:00 UTC during US daylight saving time), on Matrix in #meeting-1:fedoraproject.org(other clients|?). You can also find the meeting in the Fedora Calendar.
For the meeting chair: process to run the meeting: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging_Committee_Meeting_Process
Meeting minutes are kept in Meetbot (pre 2010-06: Packaging:Minutes).
Discussion and decisions can also take place in the packaging mailing list. The mailing list is open to the public.
- James Antill (geppetto)
- Gwyn Ciesla (limburgher)
- Xavier Lamien (laxathom/SmootherFr0gZ)
- Jason Tibbitts (tibbs)
- Igor Gnatenko (ignatenkobrain)
- Fabio Valentini (decathorpe)
- Miro Hrončok (churchyard/mhroncok)
- Carl George (carlwgeorge)
- Neal Gompa (Conan_Kudo, Pharaoh_Atem, Son_Goku... see the link)
The issues the committee is set to discuss are available in pagure. An agenda is generally mailed to the devel mailing list a day before the meeting.
Bringing Issues to the Committee
While you may be able to catch one of the committee members on Matrix (generally in #meeting-1:fedoraproject.org(other clients|?)) or perhaps on IRC (generally in #fedora-devel[?]) or via discussion on the packaging mailing list, it is generally better for you to file a ticket. You can do so in our pagure instance.
When filing tickets for any reason, please be as explicit as possible. Provide more information than you think you might need. If asking about a specific piece of software, provide the URL instead of making the committee search. Instead of just linking to a mailing list thread, provide a brief summary. Everyone is busy, and complete and reasoned questions or submissions will always fare better.
Guideline Change Procedure
How a Packaging Draft becomes a Fedora Packaging Guideline, in six easy steps!
Step One: Draft Guidelines
All Fedora Packaging Guidelines changes start out as Draft documents. Any Fedora contributor may propose new or amended Packaging Guidelines. To create a new Draft, simply fork the packaging-committee git repository and make your proposed changes. Once you're happy with your draft, simply open a pull request (again to packaging-committee and open an issue for the committee to use to discuss your draft.
Draft authors are also encouraged to announce the draft on the packaging mailing list.
Step Two: Packaging Committee Review
The Packaging Committee will consider items on the fpc pagure instance in its weekly meetings and on the mailing list. The meetings and mailing list are open to the public, and Fedora contributors are invited and encouraged to participate (especially if you are a Draft author).
Step Three: Packaging Committee Vote
The Packaging Committee votes on Drafts. A majority quorum is required for a Draft to be ratified by the FPC. Currently, five yes votes are required for Draft approval.
Step Four: FESCo Ratification (optional)
FPC approved drafts normally go into effect immediately after a positive vote. However, provision is made for any FPC member to request explicit FESCo review of the changes after the vote is taken. This allows things that are controversial to be explicitly reviewed by a second set of people before being pushed live. In this case, FESCo needs to review the decision and can either approve it or request changes be made before the draft goes live.
Step Five: Writeup
Once a Draft is approved, the PR is merged. The pagure ticket is closed with information about where the new Guideline lives.
Step Six: Announcement
As the final step, the new Packaging Guidelines (or changes to the existing Guidelines) are announced on the fedora-maintainers and devel mailing lists.
Ticket updates
In the interests of keeping the process moving for all contributors, please supply information requested by FPC members in your pagure ticket in a timely manner. If outstanding information requested in a pagure ticket is not provided within two weeks, the ticket may be closed due to inactivity.
Bootstrapping Exception Procedure
If you need an exception to the "No pre-built binaries" guideline as indicated here then please file a ticket in the FPC pagure. Use "Bootstrap Exception" as the component and explain the nature of the software and its build process. If you expect that you will need to bootstrap your package periodically, please indicate that. FPC will generally grant a blanket exception for software which warrants it.
Review Process Exemption Procedure
The FPC can grant exceptions to the normal package review process. This may happen, for instance, if a large number of similar packages are being submitted at once or if a package is being updated to a new major version while the old version is being kept in the distribution with a different name.
Just file a ticket here, set the component to "Review Process Exception" and explain (with detail) why you're requesting the exemption and the committee will consider it in the next meeting.


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The forms are in Portable Document Format (PDF).
Only the Change of Address form can be mailed or faxed. All other forms must be mailed, not faxed, to the address listed on the form in question. For questions regarding the forms, please call 410-630-8140.
For Lawyers:
For Clients:
- Claim form [mail only]


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Taking brave steps on a new path
TRUMPF wants to launch its new technology onto the market quickly. As a software developer, he is responsible for many topics: which partners do we work together with? Which systems do we integrate? It is not uncommon for things to be overturned during the project; due to the collaboration with partners, the framework conditions can constantly change. In such cases, it is not always easy to stand firm.


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Playing the Wooden FluteFingering ChartCombination Simple-System Fingering ChartThis chart shows fingerings for simple system, 4-key, 6-key, and 8-key wooden flutes. This chart is based on a fingering chart by Terry McGee, an Australian flute maker. The top six lines on the fingering chart represent the six holes on a simple system flute and correspond to the left index finger, left middle finger, left ring finger, right index finger, right middle finger, and right ring finger respectively. The next four lines represent the keys of a 4-key flute and correspond to the Bb, G#, short F, and Eb keys respectively. The next two lines represent the additional 2 keys of a 6-key flute, corresponding to the high C and long F keys respectively. The bottom two lines represent the additional 2 keys of an 8-key flute, corresponding to the low C# and low C keys respectively.Please note that it may not be possible to obtain all chromatic pitches from every variety of instrument. Fingerings which use only blue dots can be played on a simple system flute. Fingerings showing red dots can only be played on a flute with 4 or more keys. Fingerings showing green dots can only be played on a flute with 6 or more keys. Fingerings showing purple dots can only be played on flutes with 8 keys. Baroque 1-Key Fingering ChartThis was contributed by Clive Catterall to the woodenflute email list. Paul Mulvaney's Flute Tutorial EssayThis is the essay form of a lecture/lesson plan delivered by Paul Mulvaney at the New England Folk Festival in Natick, Massachusetts, USA. Notes for Böhm FlutistsLark in the Morning's Mickie Zeckley pointed out to me that many beginning Irish flute players (myself included) who are accustomed to metal Böhm flutes have difficulty with their wooden instruments when they first start playing. Typically, the first attempts to produce a sound will result in an airy tone and sharp pitches, perhaps as much as 1/2 step sharp. You should be aware of two things which will help correct this:
The following two sound samples are the same instrument, performer, and fingering. Note that the sample blown across the embouchure hole is airy and the pitch is sharp. Irish Melody Basic StylesMost traditional Irish tunes can be divided into two sections, typically referred to as the A and B sections. The songs can be further categorized based on the time signature and style of the piece. ReelReels are usually notated in 4/4 time. They are usually played with a primary accent on beat 1 and a secondary accent on beat 3. JigJigs are usually notated in 6/8 time. They are usually played with a primary accent on beat 1 and a secondary accent on beat 4. This gives the jig a feel of 2 beats of triplets per measure. Slip JigSlip jigs are usually notated in 9/8 time. They are usually played with a primary accent on beat 1 and secondary accents on beats 4 and 7. This gives the slip jig a feels of 3 beats of triplets per measure. HornpipeHornpipes are usually notated in 4/4 time. They are usually played with a "swing" feel placing an accent on each beat followed by an unaccented eighth note. AirAirs are slow, haunting melodies open to much interpretation. They are usually heavily ornamented and wander away from strict rythms. Irish OrnamentsDescribing Irish flute ornaments will be made much easier by establishing a convention for representing fingerings at this point. The fingering chart system that I am about to describe is frequently used by flutists, with some extentions to cover keyed instruments. Each of the six finger holes on the flute is represented by a number when closed or a hyphen when open. The left index finger is 1, left middle finger is 2, etc. Look at the following examples:
CutsA cut is an articulating ornament used either to onament the beginning of a note or to separate repetitions of the same note. It is frequently notated as a grace note a scale degree above the cut pitch. There appear to be two schools of thought on how to accomplish a cut. The bottom line is that a cut is accomplished by starting with a forked fingering then quickly lowering the missing finger to produce a quick articulating pop at the beginning of a note. The difference between the two methods of accomplishing this is simply a question of which finger is lifted. Cuts-Method 1The first method suggests lifting the finger above the lowest (highest numbered) finger used to play the desired pitch. For example to produce a cut on D, one would raise the finger above the lowest finger used to play low D (1234-6), then drop it to play D (123456). A cut on F# would be 12-4--, 1234--. A cut on A would be -2----, 12----. Cuts-Method 2The second method suggests using the middle finger of the left hand to produce the cut for all pitches except B and C#. Examples:
Cuts on B and C#Either method requires special cases for B and C#. In the case of B, the left index finger is used, leaving us with ------, 1----- for a cut on B. To the best of my understanding, cuts notated on C# are ignored by flutists. TapsA tap is an articulating ornament used either to onament the beginning of a note or to separate repetitions of the same note. It is frequently notated as a grace note a scale degree below the tapped pitch. A tap is accomplished by lowering one or more fingers below the pitch being played, and then raising them to produce a scooping or snapping sound at the beginning of a note. For example, a tap on F# might use the fingerings: 1234--, 12345-, 1234--. An alternative would be: 1234--, 123456, 1234--. RollsThere are two types of rolls, categorized as fast and slow. Both types are performed as a cut followed by a tap. For a fast roll, the cut and tap happen in quick succession to produce a single complex ornament which articulates a pitch. Slow rolls are usually used to produce 2 articulations to break a pitch that is repeated a total of three times. Finger VibratoFinger vibrato is generally accomplished by covering and uncovering the hole two holes below the note being played. That is, when playing a G you would use the middle finger right hand to play the vibratro. (Many thanks to Andrew Pickering for contributing this definition). Finger vibrato is similar to classical breath vibrato used when playing modern flute, but affords the flutist more control of the rate and depth of the vibrato. Online Sheet Music Collections
BreathingPhysiology of BreathingMany thanks to Gregory Davis, who contributed this section (some edits made) via an email to the woodenflute list: Inspiration (inhaling, not the stimulating variety) and expiration (exhaling, not the dying kind) are a function of different pressures existing within the lungs and the atmosphere at any given moment in time. These differences in pressure are called "pressure gradients." Gases (air) move from an area of higher pressure to an area of lower pressure, "down a pressure gradient." The atmosphere is basically going to have a constant pressure (760 mmHg at sea level, rising slightly with elevation), so the pressure of the air in our lungs must change in order for us to breathe. The pressure of the air in our lungs changes as we change the volume (size) of our thoracic (chest) cavity. As the volume of our thorax increases, the pressure of the air within our lungs decreases to around 758 mmHg and air moves from the atmosphere (760 mmHg) into our lungs. As the volume of our thorax decreases, the pressure of the air within our lungs increases to around 762 mmHg and air moves from our lungs to the atmosphere. The "respiratory muscles" are responsible for the change in volume of the chest cavity. Muscles of RespirationMuscles of InspirationThese are the external intercostals (between the ribs) and the diaphragm. The intercostals pull the ribs upward and outward to increase the volume of the chest cavity. The diaphragm moves downward, towards the stomach, to increase chest volume. The overall effect is an expansion of the chest cavity and lungs with an associated increase in lung volume and a drop in lung air pressure. We inhale! The abdominal muscles play no role in the actual movement of air into the lungs but they do help. When the belly is "pushed out" it actually drops the stomach a tad allowing the diaphragm more room to contract in it's downward motion. This allows us to "pull" more air into the lungs. The intercostals' role is also important here in allowing us to inhale more air. They increase the chest size in it girth and increases our air intake. So, both the diaphragm and intercostals are the muscles of respiration and, I think, "should" be important to any wind instrument player. Muscles of ExpirationWell, during normal, passive, quiet breathing there are no muscles of expiration. The chest cavity and lungs are very elastic and naturally recoil when the inspiratory muscles are turned off. This reduces the volume and increases the pressure in the lungs and we exhale. Now, for playing a wind instrument, whistling, talking, singing, etc. we can enhance the natural recoil of the chest and voluntarily contract the muscles of "forced" expiration. This is where the abdominals play a major role, as well as a few other, not-to-be-mentioned-unless-you-really-want-to-know, muscles. The abdominals, et al, contract and exert pressure upwards onto the diaphragm to reduce the volume in the chest and accelerate exhaling or slow it down depending on the need. Suffice it so say that expanding the chest wall is every bit as important as pushing that belly out to let the diaphragm do it's thing. I haven't been playing the flute and whistle long enough to discover all of the subtle nuances involved here. I'm sure that there is a bit more practicality associated with playing the flute and breathing than what is written in texts. However, this thread has interested me and I thought that I would help shed a little more light, dim as it may be, on the subject. Now, everyone: stand erect, expand that chest, and drop that diaphragm. Inhale! Ahhhhh, it's good to have the oxygen level in the brain rise once more to it's optimal level. Now, what was this thread all about in the first place? |
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©Copyright 1998-2007 by Larry Owens. All rights reserved. |


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Belleville Garden Excavation
We're always being told to be prepared for one thing or another, but when it comes to garden landscaping, it is especially important to prepare with the highest quality landscape excavation.
But excavation is just digging, isn't it? In fact, it's not. Garden excavation can apply to ground leveling, hedge and tree removal, earthmoving, and other property clearance and clean-up tasks.
When you're looking for full-service excavation companies that have the experience and equipment to overhaul any Belleville garden, look no further than RB's Excavating. Embedded in the local industry, we're up to any task no matter how small or large. Just give us a call!
A Variety of Services
Some gardens are born ready for landscaping, while others have to be created. At RB's Excavating, every member of our team is dedicated to creating beautiful gardens.
We can do this by offering our Belleville clients a variety of services, with options being added and expanded every day. In every field maintaining education is important. But we go one step further, and regularly research the industry to stay on top of all new tools, tips, and techniques.
- Ground leveling
- Tree stump removal
- Hedge removal
- Earthmoving and cleanup
No matter what your yard needs, our skilled workers and up to date machinery can do it for you.
Earthmoving Contractors
When it comes to heavy lifting, teamwork is king. The excavating contractors at RB's Excavating know how to work skillfully together to accomplish the swift clearance of any dirt and debris that you want out of your yard.
Whether it was there before we got there, or was dug up in the process of our work, we can easily gather it all up and get rid of it, in the eco-friendliest way possible.
When you're looking for landscaping and excavating contractors in Belleville, always make sure they include earthmoving services as well so that you don't have to look around for another contractor to do the work, or waste time doing it yourself!
Landscape Excavation Costs
So, how much is it going to cost you to get your garden ready for landscaping?
Ground Leveling
A typical grading job starts on average at $500 and can work its way up to a couple thousand depending on the size and scope of the project.
Tree Stump Removal
A fast job for seasoned professionals, you can expect to spend $60-350.
Hedge Removal
Similar to tree stump removal, hedges can be removed fairly quickly but may take more than one day. Expect to spend on average $96.
At RB's Excavating, we offer competitive rates, because who wants to spend their entire landscaping budget on the prep work?
Quality Excavation Landscaping
For high-quality work at unbeatable prices, you can rely on our experienced and knowledgeable team for any garden excavation in Belleville.
When you're ready to get talking or simply have a question, just give us a call or send us an e-mail. We'll be happy to set up a free assessment of services for you within the week!


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As wonderful as the iPhone is, it leaves out anyone visually impaired. This Silicon Touch iPhone case works in tandem with an app to allow special accessibility functions like text to speech and moon type tactile feedback. The case is engraved with modified bas-relief buttons each corresponding to a modified home screen on the iPhone. None of the phone's functions are compromised. Multi-touch and finger flick scrolling are all intact. BRILLIANT!
Designer: Bruno Fosi


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Liechtenstein, USA, Italy, Finland, Austria and Slovakia. What is the sense of 6 international locations and a network of 100 sales and service partners all around the world? Customer service and regional maintenance.
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Dear Justice Kennedy,
June is nigh, and with it will come your ruling on the most contentious political issue of our time: marriage.
I write because I am one of many children with gay parents who believe we should protect marriage. I believe you were right when, during the Proposition 8 deliberations, you said "the voice of those children [of same-sex parents] is important." I'd like to explain why I think redefining marriage would actually serve to strip these children of their most fundamental rights.
It's very difficult to speak about this subject, because I love my mom. Most of us children with gay parents do. We also love their partner(s). You don't hear much from us because, as far as the media are concerned, it's impossible that we could both love our gay parent(s) and oppose gay marriage. Many are of the opinion I should not exist. But I do, and I'm not the only one.
Start your day with Public Discourse
Sign up and get our daily essays sent straight to your inbox.This debate, at its core, is about one thing.
It's about children.
The definition of marriage should have nothing to do with lessening emotional suffering within the homosexual community. If the Supreme Court were able to make rulings to affect feelings, racism would have ended fifty years ago. Nor is this issue primarily about the florist, the baker, or the candlestick-maker, though the very real impact on those private citizens is well-publicized. The Supreme Court has no business involving itself in romance or interpersonal relationships. I hope very much that your ruling in June will be devoid of any such consideration.
Government Should Promote the Well-being of Children
Children are the reason government has any stake in this discussion at all. Congress was spot on in 1996 when it passed the Defense of Marriage Act, stating:
At bottom, civil society has an interest in maintaining and protecting the institution of heterosexual marriage because it has a deep and abiding interest in encouraging responsible procreation and child-rearing. Simply put, government has an interest in marriage because it has an interest in children.
There is no difference between the value and worth of heterosexual and homosexual persons. We all deserve equal protection and opportunity in academe, housing, employment, and medical care, because we are all humans created in the image of God.
However, when it comes to procreation and child-rearing, same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples are wholly unequal and should be treated differently for the sake of the children.
When two adults who cannot procreate want to raise children together, where do those babies come from? Each child is conceived by a mother and a father to whom that child has a natural right. When a child is placed in a same-sex-headed household, she will miss out on at least one critical parental relationship and a vital dual-gender influence. The nature of the adults' union guarantees this. Whether by adoption, divorce, or third-party reproduction, the adults in this scenario satisfy their heart's desires, while the child bears the most significant cost: missing out on one or more of her biological parents.
Making policy that intentionally deprives children of their fundamental rights is something that we should not endorse, incentivize, or promote.
The Voices of the Children
When you emphasized how important the voices of children with gay parents are, you probably anticipated a different response. You might have expected that the children of same-sex unions would have nothing but glowing things to say about how their family is "just like everyone else's." Perhaps you expected them to tell you that the only scar on their otherwise idyllic life is that their two moms or two dads could not be legally married. If the children of these unions were all happy and well-adjusted, it would make it easier for you to deliver the feel-good ruling that would be so popular.
I identify with the instinct of those children to be protective of their gay parent. In fact, I've done it myself. I remember how many times I repeated my speech: "I'm so happy that my parents got divorced so that I could know all of you wonderful women." I quaffed the praise and savored the accolades. The women in my mother's circle swooned at my maturity, my worldliness. I said it over and over, and with every refrain my performance improved. It was what all the adults in my life wanted to hear. I could have been the public service announcement for gay parenting.
I cringe when I think of it now, because it was a lie. My parents' divorce has been the most traumatic event in my thirty-eight years of life. While I did love my mother's partner and friends, I would have traded every one of them to have my mom and my dad loving me under the same roof. This should come as no surprise to anyone who is willing to remove the politically correct lens that we all seem to have over our eyes.
Kids want their mother and father to love them, and to love each other. I have no bitterness toward either of my parents. On the contrary, I am grateful for a close relationship with them both and for the role they play in my children's lives. But loving my parents and looking critically at the impact of family breakdown are not mutually exclusive.
Now that I am a parent, I see clearly the beautiful differences my husband and I bring to our family. I see the wholeness and health that my children receive because they have both of their parents living with and loving them. I see how important the role of their father is and how irreplaceable I am as their mother. We play complementary roles in their lives, and neither of us is disposable. In fact, we are both critical. It's almost as if Mother Nature got this whole reproduction thing exactly right.
The Missing Parent
I am not saying that being same-sex attracted makes one incapable of parenting. My mother was an exceptional parent, and much of what I do well as a mother is a reflection of how she loved and nurtured me. This is about the missing parent.
Talk to any child with gay parents, especially those old enough to reflect on their experiences. If you ask a child raised by a lesbian couple if they love their two moms, you'll probably get a resounding "yes!" Ask about their father, and you are in for either painful silence, a confession of gut-wrenching longing, or the recognition that they have a father that they wish they could see more often. The one thing that you will not hear is indifference.
What is your experience with children who have divorced parents, or are the offspring of third-party reproduction, or the victims of abandonment? Do they not care about their missing parent? Do those children claim to have never had a sleepless night wondering why their parents left, what they look like, or if they love their child? Of course not. We are made to know, and be known by, both of our parents. When one is absent, that absence leaves a lifelong gaping wound.
The opposition will clamor on about studies where the researchers concluded that children in same-sex households allegedly fared "even better!" than those from intact biological homes. Leave aside the methodological problems with such studies and just think for a moment.
If it is undisputed social science that children suffer greatly when they are abandoned by their biological parents, when their parents divorce, when one parent dies, or when they are donor-conceived, then how can it be possible that they are miraculously turning out "even better!" when raised in same-sex-headed households? Every child raised by "two moms" or "two dads" came to that household via one of those four traumatic methods. Does being raised under the rainbow miraculously wipe away all the negative effects and pain surrounding the loss and daily deprivation of one or both parents? The more likely explanation is that researchers are feeling the same pressure as the rest of us feel to prove that they love their gay friends.
Children Have the Right to Be Loved by Their Mother and Father
Like most Americans, I am for adults having the freedom to live as they please. I unequivocally oppose criminalizing gay relationships. But defining marriage correctly criminalizes nothing. And the government's interest in marriage is about the children that only male-female relationships can produce. Redefining marriage redefines parenthood. It moves us well beyond our "live and let live" philosophy into the land where our society promotes a family structure where children will always suffer loss. It will be our policy, stamped and sealed by the most powerful of governmental institutions, that these children will have their right to be known and loved by their mother and/or father stripped from them in every instance. In same-sex-headed households, the desires of the adults trump the rights of the child.
Have we really arrived at a time when we are considering institutionalizing the stripping of a child's natural right to a mother and a father in order to validate the emotions of adults?
Justice Kennedy, I have long admired your consistency when ruling on the well-being of children, and I implore you to stay the course. I truly believe you are invested in the equal protection of all citizens, and it is your sworn duty to uphold that protection for the most vulnerable among us. The bonds with one's natural parents deserve to be protected. Do not fall prey to the false narrative that adult feelings should trump children's rights. The onus must be on adults to conform to the needs of children, not the other way around.
This is not about being against anyone. This is about what I am for. I am for children! I want all children to have the love of their mother and their father. Being for children also makes me for LGBT youth. They deserve all the physical, social, and emotional benefits of being raised by their mother and father as well. But I fear that, in the case before you, we are at the mercy of loud, organized, well-funded adults who have nearly everyone in this country running scared.
Six adult children of gay parents are willing to stand against the bluster of the gay lobby and submit amicus briefs for your consideration in this case. I ask that you please read them. We are just the tip of the iceberg of children currently being raised in gay households. When they come of age, many will wonder why the separation from one parent who desperately mattered to them was celebrated as a "triumph of civil rights," and they will turn to this generation for an answer.
What should we tell them?


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Welcome to the 224th Tablescape Thursday!
Three or four weeks ago I posted this tablescape below for a Tablescape Thursday. Sunday I had a little dinner party and at first I set the table with my Lenox, Winter Greetings pattern. At the last minute, I decided the table was feeling a bit more formal than I wanted for this gathering. I wanted our party to feel more cozy and casual. So I decided to recreate the table below for the party.
Here's a view of the previous "woodland" tablescape from a few weeks ago. For our dinner party, I made a few small changes.
Since we weren't having soup I didn't use the acorn soup tureens this time.
The only change I made with the centerpiece, besides gathering fresh magnolia, was adding glittery pine cones here and there throughout. Do you see them?
Here's a little close-up showing one.
The other changes were:
- 1. Shimmering napkin sheaths: Previously, I used the plaid napkins alone
- 2. Mercury-glass napkin rings: Previously I used a rustic acorn tied with red ribbon
- 3. Little fur-topped stocking ornaments for my guests filled with goodies
- 4. Flatware: I only have 6 sets of the antler flatware (which was what I used previously) but had 8 guests coming for dinner. I decided to go with my Gourmet Settings Treble Clef flatware available HERE. I love its casual look and love the dark color with the plaid dinner plates. Also, the curled handle on the tip of the flatware mimics the curled antlers on the glittery deer ornament down inside the little red stockings. The red stocking also held an old fashioned candy cane.
A little napkin ring story: I saw these napkin rings on the Pottery Barn site last year and also in their stores. They were reasonably priced and I almost bought them. Not sure why but I never did. Last year after Christmas, I was looking for mercury-glass napkin rings on eBay and came across them again. They were a little bit higher than they had been in the stores, but not much. I remembered PB sold them with both a silver and a gold-ish finish. I didn't want the gold looking finish…really wanted the silver looking finish.
It was hard to tell which finish they were in the seller's picture on eBay, so I e-mailed the seller (before buying) to verify the finish since her ad implied the standard silver finish. She e-mailed back saying they were the silver finish, not the gold. They arrived and surprise, they were the gold finish. Even said so on the box.
I would normally send something back when it's not as advertised but I decided to just keep them. I'm glad I did now because silver would not have worked in this setting near as well as the gold mercury-glass finish. They were perfect with the shimmery gold look of the napkin sheaths and the gold, glittered finish of the ornament. Funny how things sometimes work out, huh?
I made two more of my DIY placecards and using a gold sharpie, I filled in the names for each of my dinner guests. (Tutorial for place cards can be found under the category heading, Tablescapes/Tabletop Idea and Tips/Creative Napkin Rings and Place Cards at the top of the blog or click here: Never Buy Place Cards for Your Tablescape Again
Here's how they looked in place on the table, resting on antler ornaments (from Walmart last year) turned into place card holders.
Several folks brought yummy desserts. Wish I had thought to take a picture of the desserts during the party. Here's a "before" the party picture showing the Cranberry trifle I made. I made more of the "candied orange zest" for the top than the recipe calls for because it's really yummy. You'll find a printable copy of the Cranberry Trifle recipe under the category heading Good Eats/Recipes at the top of BNOTP or at this link: Cranberry Trifle, Great for a Holiday Gathering
For the party I placed a candlelit centerpiece on the porch table, in case someone ventured on to the porch. The kitchen got pretty warm with both ovens going so we had the door to the porch open a fair amount during the party, especially since it wasn't that cold out.
A wooly throw and a furry friend waited on the swing in case someone wanted to curl up on the porch for a bit.
I have to share this miracle candle. After the party I went around and blew out all the candles I had burning in various rooms and on the porch. I double-checked one last time before going to bed. I totally forgot the candle in the lantern on the front porch.
So the candle inside this lantern burned from around 5:30 in the evening on Sunday until around 12 noon the following day when I happened to look out the sidelight window and noticed a "glow."
After burning for over 18 hours, this is as far as the candle had gotten! Can you believe that? Talk about a long lasting candle! It wouldn't have hurt anything if it had burned down since it was inside a metal and glass lantern atop a brick porch, but WOW, had no idea any candle would last so long! I just checked on the bottom and it's a Colonial Candle candle. Figures, they make awesome candles.
One more funny story from the party. When I was getting ready for the party, I came across these he/she deer antlers in Dollar Tree. They were only $1 for a pack of two. The "girl" deer antlers are the cream-colored ones with the touch of fur around the headband. I placed one on the chair at each place setting, depending on who would be sitting there. I had 5 women and 3 men attending this party so I bought 5 sets to get the colors I needed.
I forgot about the antlers and as everyone went into the dining room, I dashed into the kitchen to get something. When I came into the dining room, all my crazy friends dinner guests were wearing their antlers. I totally cracked up. I took this picture later in the evening when I realized not a single person had ever removed them. I figured they would be good sports and try them on…never guessed they would keep them on. We laughed all night about these antlers and no one ever took them off. I wonder if any neighbors drove or walked by and looked in through the windows. lol
My friend, Ann loved the muff/hat I had displayed on the sled out front and asked to see it. She remembered having one as a little girl.
I brought it in and she had great fun pretending to be a kid again in her hat and muff, striking some fun poses for the camera. We were laughing and having the best time.
Of course, the guys had to try it on, too. Someone pointed out that Dave's shirt coordinated with my checked draperies. We were in rare form that night. 🙂
Great party with fun friends! Why don't we do this more often? Do you ask yourself that after every gathering of friends? 🙂
Looking forward to all the tablescapes for this TT!
Please Read:
If you are participating in Tablescape Thursday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then copy and paste the address that shows in the address bar, into the "url" box when you link up.
You'll need to include a link in your post back to the party in order to link up and participate. That's so visitors to your blog will be able to find the party and the other Tablescape Thursday participants.
If you would like to use the Tablescape Thursday logo button in your post, just copy and paste it to your computer and upload it to your post as you would any photo.
Please, don't add your post name/blog name ALL IN CAPS…it tends to create big spaces between the rows of links. Thanks!


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I met Pete Dexter last fall when he was in New York promoting his seventh novel, Spooner. Dexter was a wonderful newspaper columnist and is now one of our greatest novelists. First thing I noticed about him was that he was wearing a pink Yankees cap. So when I had a chance to interview him the Yankees were the first thing we talked about.
Here is our chat, which covers a lot more than the Bombers.
Bronx Banter: I had no idea you were a Yankees fan.
Pete Dexter: No, it's true. I'm a big Yankee fan. It started out as a way to irritate Mrs. Dexter who is a Yankee fan from way back. And so when they'd win I'd get into it just because it irritated her so damn bad, but then I started to look at them and–
BB: When was this, during the '90s?
PD: Yeah. So when I found out that it irritated Mrs. Dexter I did it more and more. There have been a lot of teams in my life that I've rooted against, but I have never rooted for a team in my life before I rooted for the Yankees, including teams I played on.
BB: And the Yankees of all teams.
PD: Yeah, strangely enough. I didn't even like baseball until the mid-'90s. And I enjoy it more every year. We get all the games on the cable. It's the only thing that's worth all the money I spend on cable.
BB: So can you deal with Michael Kay?
PD: Is he the "See Ya" guy?
BB: Yup.
PD: He's okay, it's the other two guys from ESPN that drive me crazy.
BB: Joe Morgan and Jon Miller.
PD: Jesus, the go on for hours and hours. Morgan was one of the most exciting players I ever saw and just absolutely the most boring human being on the face of the earth.
BB: Just goes to show there's no correlation.
PD: Yeah, none at all.
BB: So, did you want to be a writer when you were growing up?
PD: No, never. I took two writing classes at the University of South Dakota but it was just because I found out that I didn't want to be a mathematician. I started looking through the student book there and saw Creative Writing and figured if I can't bullshit my way through that then I don't deserve to graduate, even from the University of South Dakota. But I never took it even semi-seriously. I mean I didn't read anything until…it's a true story than when I wrote Deadwood [Dexter's second novel], my brother Tom called me up and said, "You've now written a book longer than any book you've ever read." And that was absolutely true. I stumbled into a newspaper office in Fort Lauderdale. I was 26 or 27 years old and in those days you could actually stumble into a newspaper office and get hired as a reporter. But I don't have to tell you what it's like now.
BB: Did you take to reporting pretty quickly or was it just another job?
PD: I hated it. They had me doing–I thought it was a joke actually at first–they came over the first day and gave me a list of seven or eight things and said, "These are your beats." And I thought it was some kind of initiation rite. You know, juvenile court, the hospital district, poverty programs and tomatoes. There was agricultural products—tomatoes was a separate category. But there were literally seven or eight of them, none of which interested me even remotely. Hell, they gave me a county health thing and there was a doctor who ran the county health department. He was a nice guy and I'd call him up every Sunday night when I came in and ask him if he could stretch something into an epidemic. And he'd say, "Well, we've got four cases of measles…you could call that an epidemic." So every Monday I'd have a story in the paper about a new epidemic. The bigger paper down there was the Fort Lauderdale News. It got the big guy there fired because I kept coming up with new epidemics and he couldn't come up with any.


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The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, creed, age, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, marital status or parental status, sexual orientation, or ability and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups.
Wis. Stat. 118.13 Pupil discrimination prohibited
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Blood pressure medication recalled for 75th time in 8 months
Media Contacts
Critical medication repeatedly tainted by probable carcinogens that have been used in rocket fuel
U.S. PIRG Education Fund
PHILADELPHIA — The presence of chemicals that likely cause cancer has prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to announce another recall of the blood pressure medication Valsartan. And while the FDA recommends patients continue taking their medication until they develop an alternative treatment plan with their doctor, the FDA estimates this contamination may cause cancer in up to 1 out of 8,000 patients, depending on the dosage.
In response, U.S. PIRG Consumer Watchdog Adam Garber released the following statement:
"We applaud the FDA for its ongoing efforts to identify contaminated medication and remove it from shelves, but after 74 recalls it is clear more aggressive action is needed. Americans expect their blood pressure medication to treat their conditions, not cause cancer.
"The FDA needs to finish its investigation and develop a plan to prevent further contamination. Until then, every batch of these medications should be scrutinized closely, before it reaches patients, to determine if probable carcinogens are present."


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DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — The World Economic Forum is back with its first winter meetup since 2020 in the Swiss Alpine town of Davos, where leaders are seeking to bridge political divisions in a polarized world, buttress a hobbling economy and address concerns about a climate change — among many other things.
Sessions will take up issues as diverse as the future of fertilizers, the role of sports in society, the state of the COVID-19 pandemic and much more. Nearly 600 CEOs and more than 50 heads of state or government are expected, but it's never clear how much concrete action emerges from the elite event.
Here's what to watch as the four-day talkfest and related deal-making get underway in earnest Tuesday:
Back in the snows for the first time since the pandemic and just eight months after a springtime 2022 session, the event will host notables like European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, and the new presidents of South Korea, Colombia and the Philippines.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He addresses the gathering Tuesday, a day before his first meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, in Zurich. Yellen will skip Davos.
Who else is missing? U.S. President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, of course: Envoys from his country has been shunned because of his war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska was on her way to Davos and will speak Tuesday, forum representatives said, while other officials from Ukraine are speaking on panels.
Outside the main convention center, a themed venue known as Ukraine House is hosting a concert, photo exhibits, seminars, cocktail events and other meetings this week to drum up support for Ukraine's efforts to drive out Russian forces.
The slowdown in the global economy will be a major theme at Davos, with officials ranging from International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde speaking in sessions.
Inflation soared as the world reopened from the pandemic and Russia invaded Ukraine, driving up food and energy prices, and though it has started to slow in major economies like the U.S. and those in Europe, inflation is still painfully high.
Georgieva said in an IMF blog post Monday that divides between nations — the theme at Davos this year is "Cooperation in a Fragmented World" — are putting the global economy at risk by leaving "everyone poorer and less secure."
Georgieva urged strengthening trade, helping vulnerable countries deal with debt and ramping up climate action.
A major climate theme emerging from the forum's panel sessions is the energy transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore will be talking about decarbonization, efforts to build clean energy infrastructure and ensure an equitable transition.
It follows a strong year for the energy transition: Many countries passed incentives for renewable energy in 2022.
One hot topic on the agenda — harnessing nuclear fusion — focuses on science that offers immense potential but is many decades away from a commercial rollout that could feed the world's skyrocketing thirst for energy.
Sessions on issues like adaptation to climate change and panels on deforestation, biodiversity and the future of environmental protection will give a greener hue to the gathering.
The elite gathering is regularly skewered by critics who argue that attendees are too out-of-touch or profit- or power-minded to address the needs of common people and the planet.
Throughout the week, critics and activists will be waiting outside the Davos conference center to try to hold decision-makers and business leaders to account.
It started Sunday, when dozens of climate activists — some with clown makeup — braved snowfall to wave banners and chant slogans at the end of the Davos Promenade, a thoroughfare now lined with storefront logos of corporate titans like Accenture, Microsoft, Salesforce, Meta, as well as country "houses" that promote national interests.
Greenpeace International also blasted use of corporate jets that ferry in bigwigs, saying such carbon-spewing transportation smacks of hypocrisy for an event touting its push for a greener world. It said over 1,000 private-jet flights arrived and departed airports serving Davos in May.
Forum President Borge Brende acknowledged Sunday that some government leaders and CEOs fly in that way.
"I think what is more important than that is to make sure we have agreements on how we, overall, move and push the envelope when it comes to the green agenda," he said.
Associated Press writers Courtney Bonnell and Dana Beltaji contributed to this report from London.
Follow AP's coverage of the World Economic Forum meeting at https://apnews.com/hub/world-economic-forum


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"I'm long-term bullish and short term I have no idea."
That's how Fred Wilson, a partner at Union Square Ventures and one of the most widely respected VCs working today, answered a question about the crypto market in general and specifically his outlook for Kin, the soon-to-be launched token created by the messaging app, Kik.
Wilson made the comment in a small event space on Prince Street in Manhattan, sitting in front of 28 people that Kik had flown in from 13 countries (including Japan, India and Australia), and all of whom seemed to be holders of Kik's ethereum and stellar token.
Kik had brought them together to serve as the first wave of ambassadors for the new token, serving on Reddit, Telegram, Kik groups and anywhere people might want to talk about it.
So, when Wilson expressed that mix of confidence and uncertainty, he wasn't just giving the latest market's hot take; he aligned himself with a prevailing sentiment in the room, hope mixed with some confusion. A part of his role there seemed to be to induct Kik's guests into an ever-widening circle of the true believers backing the new model for monetizing digital experiences enabled by kin.
"I wouldn't say it was my idea, but I would way I was one of a group of people who collaborated on coming up with it," Wilson told the room. "Obviously, I think it's a great idea."
Wilson spoke during the last fireside chat of the day, in conversation with CoinFund CEO Jake Brukhman.
CoinDesk had been invited to the event to interview Kik CEO Ted Livingston as the the two day event opened. During that conversation, Livingston described himself as a wreck two years ago, as the company lost marketshare to Facebook-owned products.
In Wilson's telling, he helped bring his fellow investors in the company around to a crypto-led strategy, so that now Livingston could say:
"Our investors are very supportive, but it took us a while to get there."
Faced with what he saw as the impossibility of monetizing a messaging app with ads amidst the Facebook-Google advertising duopoly, Livingston elaborated, "Our new plan was to develop a new economy around a new currency."
An economy is, of course, one form a community takes, which helps to explain why Kik has invested in forging bonds between its early advocates, expanding the cadre from that early circle that sold the Kik board to a larger one that can sell lots of people using services online.
Here's the funny thing about it's early advocates, though: by and large, they don't use Kik. During our interview with Livingston, we asked the crowd whether or not they were big Kik users before Kin came along. Only five or six raised their hand.
It's remarkable because when Kik first unveiled this idea, many people viewed its existing audience as its unfair advantage over potential social crypto competitors.
Livingston volunteered, "Our users of Kik are largely unaware."
Crypto Summer Camp
Arriving at the gathering on Prince Street felt a little like coming back to summer camp, with lots of people chatting with that peculiar spirit of reunion. Only it wasn't a reunion – these people hadn't met face-to-face before, they had spent a lot of time talking online.
And it was clear that certain levels of rapport had been established. This particular hit home during the (not really necessary) ice-breaking round when one community member in particular introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Dillon," Baltimore's Dillon King said. Everyone broke into applause. "And I don't actually look like Yoda."
Later we would learn that King is one of the most active voices on kin's Telegram and Reddit channels. "I kind of play the role of the educator," he told CoinDesk.
King was dressed like a lot of the guys at the gathering (it was very nearly all men), in a purple t-shirt and a black-zippered hoodie, apparently in tribute to Livingston, who wears those two things nearly every day. He said was glad to finally get to meet people from the Kik staff in a setting where they didn't have to constantly speak as if cameras were rolling he said.
"In general I just wanted to meet everybody," he explained.
We have known for a long time that people can build real bonds and relationships online as well as offline, but there's other ways in which online life is not as much like the real world as it could be. And that's the impetus behind kin: deepening digital reality.
"We want mainstream consumers to use cryptocurrency and we think the hardest problem with that is setting up a system, setting up an economy, in a place where they would actually use it," Livingston told the room. That place is the internet, buying and selling for purely digital goods and services.
Livingston said they had focused on picking ambassadors who understood that there was a real opportunity in creating entirely digital markets. In fact, he took it so far that he said he hopes to see such robust digital markets that people quit thinking in kin-dollar or kin-yen terms, and instead thinking fiat terms in real life and kin terms online.
Just like people don't think about exchange rates when they buy lunch from the corner burrito place.
As we spoke to ambassadors on the floor, it was clear that they still had questions about how a stable economy could rest on unstable crypto. "There's things I don't understand," Australia's Will Gikandi told CoinDesk.
Gikandi took advantage of every Q&A to pepper each speaker with questions. It was clear that he wants to believe it could all work, but he still doesn't quite see how.
The money
Probably the biggest applause line of the whole day came when Livingston said:
"I'm not in this for a money, though I do think kin is going to be very valuable."
It helps here to step back and revisit what Livingston believes is so big about the kin idea. He saw himself surrounded by peer companies that had successfully built communities but couldn't make money. The idea of kin is to create a way for all those companies to monetize without ads or user fees.
Livingston describes that economy as having two pieces: a cryptocurrency and a software platform that can reward developers for creating active markets for that cryptocurrency.
The strangest part of this whole kin idea is that second part, called the Kin Rewards Engine (KRE), controlled by the non-profit Kin Foundation. The idea is that developers will try to build apps that encourage users to exchange kin with each other.
"We don't want developers to charge consumers," Livingston said. "We want to set up is what we call a consumer-to-consumer economy."
So, someone might build an app where users send artists photos and pay them in kin to make drawings of them. The artist would keep all her earnings, but the KRE (which holds 60 percent of the kin that will ever be created) would pay the app's developer every day relative to the amount of economic activity it created within the whole kin economy.
Wilson said that there's lots of companies in his portfolio who would probably benefit from jumping on the KRE once its built, but he thinks there's more opportunity with developers just having their first glimmer of an app idea now.
That said, USV is so convinced that in the future tech companies will earn so much in tokens that its begun negotiating what it calls "token exchange agreements" with the companies it backs. In these agreements, it would have the option to exchange its equity for tokens a company has earned from doing business (not what they generated by issuing them in an ICO).
One member of the audience wanted to know when developers could begin building business models around the KRE?
Livingston wouldn't commit, but he did give his interlocutor a standard by which to hold him accountable. There's three ways Kik has to lead, he argued. It has to have a blockchain that can support a million users, it has to have lots of regular consumers actually earning and spending in crypto and it has to have a functional incentives system (like the KRE).
If any other company starts to show traction in any of those three areas, that's when kin backers should start getting angry.
"Who's in first place. We have no idea. Nobody knows," Livingston said, concluding:
"The race hasn't even started yet."
Photo of Ted Livingston welcoming kin supporters courtesy of Kik.
The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.
Source: CoinDesk.com


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A 3 dB tolerance is a common figure in frequency response specifications. Some professional systems go beyond by one or two decibels. In some eccentric cases, fractions of a decibel are quoted. This test helps you determine the smallest difference in levels you can detect.
0.5 dB Up | 0.5 dB Down | Flat |
The first one plays back a 440 Hz sine tone characterized by a sudden increase in level occurring after 1 second (0.5 dB in this case). The second file introduces a decrease in level by the same amount. The third one is flat.
0.5 dB Up 0.5 dB Down Flat | |
Listen to [?] then vote — multiple guesses not allowed (your vote triggers a new draw) |
To pass a blind test, you will need to perform 10 trials at least, obtain a high score and reach a high confidence level: 95% is standard to rate statistical significance. It means that your score outperforms random guesses by 95%. There is still a probability that you just got lucky though, 5%. To reduce such probability to 1%, keep testing until you reached a confidence level of 99%.
If you didn't pass this test, try with a higher level difference. Change the target on the top of this column.
Is AudioCheck free? Not for me. Your support keeps this site running. Any donation will be rewarded with • uncompressed .wav file download for every test (a download arrow will appear next to each sound icon) • increased durations and sample rates up to 192 kHz in the Tone Gen section • and, best of all, the removal of these pesky payment buttons below 😜
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Would you trust your car mechanic to cut your hair? Would you ask your grocer for legal advice? Would you pay your travel agent to perform your next root canal? Then, why, I ask you, why on earth would anyone in their right mind seriously mull over anything a celebrity would say that didn't have to do with pixie dust and make-believe?
It really gets annoying to be lectured by rock stars and celebrities about social issues 24/7, and warning Will Robinson: Chances are pretty great that when you see one hawking his or her pet cause, they're probably trying to revitalize their stalled careers (and bank accounts) as well.
I've come to the realization that most celebrities are annoying when they're not behaving like celebrities. I like it when they act all flashy and glittery and, jeez, how cool would it be to trade places with them for a single day? Personally, I prefer that celebs do what they do best—you know, star in mostly uninspiring shows and movies, give concerts, walk the red carpets in designer clothes and uncomfortable shoes, accept shiny awards, and press their hands in wet cement. But when they dip a peep-toe in uncelebrity-like waters, that's when I know their careers are dangerously close to becoming B-list, if they haven't already free-falled into partial oblivion and the world of Saturday night SyFy channel movies.
Most celebrities who feel compelled to share their social views with the world can answer yes unequivocally to one or more of the following questions:
1) They've recently starred in a movie with one of the following words in the title: Bug, Friday, Jason, or Sequel.
2) They've recently published an autobiography (that didn't sell well) or a self-help book (which sold even worse).
3) They've volunteered to become a UN Ambassador to a third-world country.
4) Somehow their life partner of two weeks inadvertently recorded their love-making on video and now the tape has mysteriously wound up in the hands of TMZ or Entertainment Tonight. Or both.
5) Their sit-com has been cancelled. Again.
6) They think it's okay to limit your free speech, but not theirs.
7) They're regulars on day-time talk shows.
Let's take the words of celebrities with a grain of salt—or a grain of something. Or turn the channel, play with your kid (remember, we've been lectured that they're not getting enough exercise), or, better yet, read a book.
::Writer X also writes at The 100 Most Annoying Things::