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Redressing the Patent Imbalance in Genetic Testing
In one of the most highly anticipated decisions emanating from the apex Court in the US in recent times, the US Supreme Court in Association for Molecular Pathology v Myriad Genetics Inc was asked to consider, in the main, the patentability of a naturally occurring gene sequence which had been specifically isolated from the human genome. Although the patent was eventually denied, this seminal case will certainly not be the last word on what is clearly a very controversial subject, at least outside of the US.
Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie recently made headlines when she disclosed to the world that she had undergone a preventive double mastectomy. The decision was taken after genetic testing by Myriad Genetics Inc ("Myriad") revealed that she had a heightened risk of breast cancer. Ironically, it was Myriad's turn to be in the news shortly after when its patents for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes (collectively, the "BRCA genes") were challenged before the apex Court in the US on the basis of patent eligibility. The US Supreme Court handed down a unanimous decision in Association for Molecular Pathology v Myriad Genetics Inc (No 12-398) ("Myriad") on June 13, 20131.
Myriad, the respondent, had obtained a number of patents in the US for having discovered the precise location and sequence of two human genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2), mutations of which could substantially increase an individual's risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Prior to Myriad's medical breakthrough, scientists were in the dark as to which genes were associated with these cancers. However, knowing the exact location and nucleotide sequence of the BRCA genes allowed Myriad to develop medical tests for detecting mutations in these genes, leading to a better assessment of a patient's risk of contracting cancer.
Interestingly, after its isolation of the BRCA genes, Myriad discovered that it was not the only entity to conduct such tests. For example, the University of Pennsylvania's Genetic Diagnostic Laboratory ("GDL") also provided genetic testing services for women. Apparently, a former researcher at New York University School of Medicine, Dr Harry Ostrer, would routinely send his patients' deoxyribonucleic acid ("DNA") samples to GDL for testing, and this would necessarily involve the isolation of the BRCA genes. On the basis of its patents, Myriad believed that it had the exclusive right to isolate an individual's BRCA genes as well as to synthetically create complementary DNA ("cDNA").2 Therefore, it issued letters asserting patent infringement to these parties who, in response, agreed to cease all allegedly infringing activities. Myriad had also sued other third parties who performed BRCA testing but these lawsuits were all subsequently settled.
Some years later, the validity of Myriad's patents was challenged in Court by the Association for Molecular Pathology (the lead petitioner on behalf of its members who include clinical pathologists and laboratory scientists) pursuant to s 101 of the US Patent Act 1952 (35 USC §101)3. Insofar as the merits of the case are concerned, the US District Court held – in a summary judgment ruling – that Myriad's patent claims for the BRCA genes as well as cDNA were invalid because they covered "products of nature".4 On appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit,5 Justices Lourie and Moore (Justice Bryson dissenting) decided that isolated DNA constituted patentable subject-matter, although all three Justices were in agreement that cDNA was clearly eligible for patent protection. The dispute eventually reached the US Supreme Court.
The Decision of the US Supreme Court
The principal issue which the US Supreme Court (the "Court") had to consider was whether a naturally occurring segment of DNA – such as the BRCA genes in the present suit which Myriad had specifically isolated from the rest of the human genome – was patent eligible under s 101 of the US Patent Act 1952. Additionally, the Court also examined the patent eligibility of synthetically created exons-only strands of DNA nucleotides, known as cDNA.
In delivering the unanimous judgment of the Court, Justice Thomas – in a sort of prelude – forayed into the sophisticated field of molecular biology (upon which Justice Scalia expressed no opinion) as well as the fascinating study of genetics. In particular, it was explained that scientists today can isolate specific segments of DNA (such as a particular gene) by extracting DNA from cells using well known laboratory methods. Processes are also on hand for scientists to create synthetic DNA molecules – or cDNA – in the laboratory. Significantly, the Court noted that "… the study of genetics can lead to valuable medical breakthroughs".
In Part II-A of the judgment, Justice Thomas made two important observations of a policy nature. First, citing the Court's earlier decision in Mayo Collaborative Services v Prometheus Laboratories Inc,6 it was emphasised that s 101 of the US Patent Act 1952 had always been subject to the implicit qualification that "laws of nature, natural phenomena and abstract ideas" – being "the basic tools of scientific and technological work" – could never qualify for patent protection. This exception was necessary to ensure that future innovation premised upon such tools would not be inhibited, in keeping with the primary objective of patent law which is to incentivise creation. Second, in addressing the issues raised in the present dispute, the Court perceptively paid deference to the need to keep the infamous intellectual property ("IP") balance in check – ie between creating incentives which lead to further discovery and innovation on the one hand, and hampering the flow of information which might otherwise spur invention on the other.
Returning to the principal issue at hand, the Court placed considerable weight on the fact that in isolating the precise location and genetic sequence of the BRCA genes, Myriad had simply made a pure discovery – it had not created nor altered the genetic structure of DNA, or indeed any of the genetic information found encoded in the BRCA genes. As Justice Thomas rightly observed, "[t]he location and order of the nucleotides existed in nature before Myriad found them".
His Honour was also quick to distinguish Myriad's patent claims for the BRCA genes from the claim to a modified bacterium – found to be patentable – in the seminal decision of the US Supreme Court in Diamond v Chakrabarty ("Chakrabarty").7 Whereas the Chakrabarty claim was "not to a hitherto unknown natural phenomenon, but to a non-naturally occurring manufacture or composition of matter" (due to the scientists' addition of four plasmids to a bacterium which could then be used to break down various components of crude oil), Myriad's claims were not patent eligible because, by merely isolating the BRCA genes from the rest of the human genome, it had not created anything new or different from that found in nature. The Court reiterated that groundbreaking, innovative or even brilliant "discovery" – even if it entails extensive research effort – does not, ipso facto, amount to an act of "invention". As such, Myriad's discovery of the BRCA genes – which was somewhat reinforced by the language used in its patent drafting – fell squarely within the "laws of nature" exception, notwithstanding that Myriad had reached a significant milestone in the history of bioscience.
Justice Thomas also gave no weight to the fact that Myriad's isolation of the BRCA genes had the effect of severing the chemical bonds which bind DNA molecules together, thereby creating new, non-naturally occurring molecules with unique chemical compositions (evidence which Justice Lourie – but not Justice Bryson – in the Court below had found to be dispositive). The apex Court noted that Myriad's patent claims were not expressed in terms of chemical composition (or molecular structure), nor did they rely on the chemical changes resulting from the isolation of a particular segment of DNA. Instead, the claims focused on the genetic information encoded in the BRCA genes (ie the information contained in the genetic sequence) and were not at all concerned with the specific chemical composition of a particular DNA molecule.8
In a last-ditch attempt, Myriad tried to persuade the Court to pay heed to the US Patent and Trademark Office's ("PTO") long-standing practice of granting gene patents. Justice Thomas, however, refused to do so, on the basis that Congress had not hitherto enacted legislation to specifically endorse the views of the PTO insofar as gene patents were concerned. This appears to echo the views of Justice Bryson in the Court below (but contra Justice Moore's position to the contrary), who, in disregarding the PTO's practice, opined that "the PTO lack[ed] substantive rulemaking authority as to issues such as patentability".
Turning to the second issue concerning the patentability of cDNA, the Court had no problem in coming to the conclusion that cDNA was clearly patent eligible under s101 of the US Patent Act 1952 because the exons-only cDNA molecule was a non-naturally occurring, synthetic creation by man. In other words, even though the nucleotide sequence of cDNA may have been dictated by nature (insofar as its order of the exons is concerned), the lab technician nevertheless would have created a new product when cDNA was made because of the deliberate removal of introns from the DNA sequence. Unlike the naturally occurring, isolated BRCA genes, cDNA was, therefore, not a "product of nature".
Before concluding the Court's judgment, Justice Thomas made the following important observations as to the reach and impact of the Myriad decision: (i) that the case was not concerned with method claims; (ii) that the case did not involve patents concerning new applications of knowledge about the BRCA genes; and (iii) that the case was not concerned with the patentability of DNA in which the order of the naturally occurring nucleotides had been altered.
In deciding that a naturally occurring DNA segment – notwithstanding that it had been isolated from the surrounding genetic material – was a product of nature and not patent eligible, the US Supreme Court had categorically reaffirmed the important distinction in patent law between genuine inventions (which are patentable) and mere discoveries (which are not). Myriad's isolation of naturally occurring BRCA genes, without more, was viewed simply as an act of discovery – devoid of any "human ingenuity" and inventive attribute, even though the process may have involved "extensive research efforts" and may be hailed as a valuable "medical breakthrough".
The invention-discovery distinction (or, in the words of the Court, the "laws of nature, natural phenomena and abstract ideas" exception) is an important one. In some jurisdictions, this distinction is expressly codified in patent legislation. For example, s 1(2) of the UK Patents Act 1977 states, inter alia, that a discovery, scientific theory and mathematical method (as such) are not considered "inventions".9 However, for jurisdictions which do not have a similar statutory prohibition (such as the US and Singapore), this exclusionary rule is likely to be maintained and enforced, albeit judicially and on an implicit basis.
Ultimately, whether the subject-matter of a patent constitutes an invention or is held to be a mere discovery of a naturally occurring element depends very much on which side of the "delicate" IP balance a Court leans. In Myriad, public policy considerations and consumer interests (particularly those which relate to healthcare) had clearly trumped the economic interests of the patent owner. Supporters of Myriad (and similar companies in the bioscience industry) would argue that upholding the validity of such patents was necessary in order to encourage and sustain investment in biotechnology as well as promote innovation in genetic research and diagnostic testing, so that new – and especially life-saving – gene-based medicines and diagnostic tests can be introduced in the market for the public's benefit.
On the other hand, that the decision was largely dictated by considerations of policy and that the sympathies of all nine Justices of the Court lay with the consumer came through most clearly from Justice Thomas' judgment. It is well known that costs in the healthcare industry, as with almost everything else, have escalated significantly over the years. If its patents had not been invalidated in the US, Myriad would have had the legal right to stop all third parties from isolating BRCA genes and hence from conducting genetic testing (for breast and ovarian cancer) altogether. As such, in Justice Thomas' words, Myriad would have "solidified its position as the only entity providing BRCA testing", with the probable consequence of charging healthcare consumers monopolistic prices. Furthermore, second opinions of BRCA testing – eg to verify the accuracy of Myriad's test results – are now also possible. This decision can, therefore, be regarded as a major victory for the woman in the street and for proponents of free market competition in the healthcare, diagnostic testing industry.
Whilst the Myriad decision will likely be welcomed and celebrated in many quarters, there now appears to be a sharp divide – as regards the patentability of isolated genes and their nucleotide sequences – between American jurisprudence on the one hand and that of Europe/UK on the other. Take, for instance, the fairly recent decision of the UK Supreme Court in Human Genome Sciences Inc v Eli Lilly & Co ("HGS"),10 which concerned the validity of an isolated gene sequence patent for a novel human protein (namely, Neutrokine-α).
Although the primary issue before the UK Supreme Court – namely, the extent to which a patent for biological material must disclose and hence satisfy the requirement of industrial applicability in arts 52 and 57 of the European Patent Convention 200011 – was not identical to that in the Myriad decision, the apex Court in England, after overruling the Court of Appeal which had upheld the trial Judge's decision, nevertheless handed down a unanimous judgment which affirmed the validity of the patent in suit (as did the Technical Board of Appeal in parallel, opposition proceedings brought before the European Patent Office). Interestingly, the highest Courts on both sides of the Atlantic arrived at diametrically opposed conclusions despite the following discernible features: (i) that the respective patent claims in HGS and Myriad were, inter alia, for naturally occurring nucleotide sequences of encoding genes; and (ii) the patent specification in HGS contained "contentions"/"predictions" (or "wide-ranging and generalised suggestions") as to the biological properties and therapeutic activities of Neutrokine-α,12 whereas the patent descriptions in Myriad disclosed the location and nucleotide sequence of the BRCA genes which then enabled the patentee to develop diagnostic tests for the specific purpose of assessing an individual's risk of contracting breast and ovarian cancer.13 One way of rationalising the Myriad decision – in light of HGS – is to argue that underlying the US Supreme Court's judgment against patentability were far deeper ethical and policy concerns, particularly in relation to the patenting of genes used in diagnostic testing.
Be that as it may, in preferring not to set too high a standard for industrial applicability in the context of biological patents (which the Court below appeared to have done), Lord Neuberger and Lord Hope (who delivered the main, but separate, judgments in HGS) were particularly swayed by a number of factors, including the astronomical costs associated with research and development ("R&D") which bioscience companies must invest in, as well as the fact that funding for such R&D is very much dependent on the patent portfolios of these companies. As Lord Neuberger cautioned, setting the bar for patentability too high "would cause UK bioscience companies great difficulty in attracting investment at an early stage in the research and development process". 14 Or, as Lord Walker put it, a strong policy argument for allowing the appeal would be "to reduce the risk of a chilling effect on investment in bioscience", although his Lordship did acknowledge that the arguments in this regard "were certainly not all one way".15
Indeed, the decision in HGS – described by Lord Hope as a "difficult and troublesome case"16 but a decision that is clearly pro-patentee nonetheless – should not come as a surprise because the spirit of it is actually in keeping with current legislative thinking in Europe/UK. Pertinently, art 5 of the EU Biotechnology Directive (98/44/EC) confirms that a naturally occurring gene sequence which has been isolated from the human body – and hence, arguably, no longer a mere "discovery" – may constitute a patentable invention, with the qualification that its industrial application must be disclosed in the patent application.17
Finally, before concluding, how would our Courts in Singapore respond to similar attacks on patent validity, assuming that the Myriad dispute were to be litigated here? In this author's view, this will largely depend on which side of the policy divide our Courts lean. In order for Singapore to maintain its edge as a regional hub for research and development in the life sciences, it is likely that we will arrive at an outcome which is similar to that in Australia (ie pro-patentee).18 Additionally, our Courts may well adopt the European/UK position (cf. HGS), where a naturally occurring gene sequence which has been isolated from the rest of the human genome is patentable so long as its industrial application has been adequately disclosed in the patent application (which is a non-issue insofar as Myriad's patents are concerned).19
On the other hand, despite the repeal of the as such proviso (in the guise of the former s 13(2) of the Singapore Patents Act 1994) which detailed a list of items which did not count as "inventions", the invention-discovery distinction – our version of the "laws of nature" exception – is still very much alive and well in Singapore's patent law landscape.20 It may also be possible to raise objections against the patentability of genomic DNA pursuant to (the current) s 13(2) of the Patents Act 1994, which contains the ordre public/morality exception.21
Be that as it may, and for the reasons given by the US Supreme Court (see above), the patentability of cDNA is likely to pass muster in Singapore. Even as regards the more controversial BRCA genes, the difficulties encountered along the path to patentability are not entirely insurmountable. As the US Supreme Court had already hinted, one possible answer to Myriad's defeat in the US is for the relevant claims in the specification to be drafted with reference to the chemical composition/structure of the isolated DNA molecules.
The decision of the US Supreme Court in Myriad as well as the earlier decision of the UK Supreme Court in HGS clearly demonstrate that we are presently dealing with highly sophisticated and controversial issues of policy in IP law. As Lord Neuberger aptly observed, "[q]uite where the line should be drawn in the light of commercial reality and the public interest can no doubt be a matter of different opinions and debate".22 Insofar as the jurisprudential divide highlighted above is concerned, whether or not the famous expression "East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet" continues to hold true for the foreseeable future remains to be seen. For now though, both Angelina Jolie and the US Supreme Court must be congratulated for having raised the public's awareness of and accessibility to the testing of BRCA genes, respectively.
|Contributed by:
Saw Cheng Lim
Associate Professor
School of Law
Singapore Management University
1 Association for Molecular Pathology v Myriad Genetics Inc 133 S Ct 2107 (2013).asdf
2 cDNA only contains "exons" (nucleotides which contain protein-coding information) and omits portions in the DNA segment that do not code for proteins (known as "introns").
3 Section 101 of the US Patent Act 1952 (35 USC §101) provides that: "Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful … composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title".
4 Association for Molecular Pathology v United States Patent and Trademark Office 702 F Supp 2d 181 (SDNY 2010).
5 Association for Molecular Pathology v United States Patent and Trademark Office 689 F 3d 1303 (Fed Cir 2012).
6132 S Ct 1289 (2012). See also Bilski v Kappos 130 S Ct 3218 (2010).
8 It is arguable whether the US Supreme Court was actually suggesting that Myriad's claims to isolated DNA might have been upheld if they had been expressed in terms of chemical structure, rather than in terms of genetic sequence. If so, this may well pave the way as to how gene patents in the US ought to be drafted in the future.
9 English case law has affirmatively endorsed the invention-discovery dichotomy – see eg Kirin-Amgen Inc v Hoechst Marion Roussel Ltd [2005] RPC 9 at [76]; Genentech Inc's Patent [1989] RPC 147, pp 204 and 237.
10 Human Genome Sciences Inc v Eli Lilly & Co [2012] RPC 6. See also, for further comparison, the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union ("ECJ") in Monsanto Technology LLC v Cefetra BV [2011] FSR 6 (especially at [43]-[46]). In other areas of biomedical research, there have been significant developments concerning the patentability of inventions in the field of human stem cell research, particularly where the research involves the use and destruction of human embryos – see eg the decision of the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office in Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation /Stem cells [2009] EPOR 15 ("WARF"), as well as the decision of the ECJ in Oliver Brüstle v Greenpeace eV (C-34/10) [2012] 1 CMLR 41. In this respect, the European position(which generally denies patent protection for inventions that involve human embryonic stem cells in line with art 6(2)(c) of the EU Biotechnology Directive (98/44/EC)) is likely to soon converge with the position in the US, which has generally awarded patents that cover human embryonic stem cells. Indeed, in light of the US Supreme Court's decision in Myriad, a US patent on human embryonic stem cells held by the WARF (Patent No 7,029,913) is now being challenged by the Public Patent Foundation (on behalf of Consumer Watchdog, a public advocacy group) before the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Consumer Watchdog v Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, No 13-1377 (Fed Cir 2013)) – on the basis that this patent claims a "product of nature", which, according to Myriad, is not patent eligible. The WARF case is, notably, the first test case before a US tribunal to delineate the reach and import of the Myriaddecision beyond the patentability of gene sequences.
11 Implemented, domestically, in ss 1(1)(c) and 4 of the UK Patents Act 1977.
12 HGS [2012] RPC 6 at [3], [9] and [103].
13 Apparently, "[t]he range of diseases and conditions which Neutrokine-α and antibodies to Neutrokine-α might beused to diagnose and treat were astonishing and there was no data of any kind to support the claims made" (HGS [2012] RPC 6 at [159]).
14 HGS [2012] RPC 6 at [100].
15 HGS [2012] RPC 6 at [171].
16 HGS [2012] RPC 6 at [141].
17 Article 5 of the EU Biotechnology Directive (98/44/EC) provides thus: "The human body, at the various stages of its formation and development, and the simple discovery of one of its elements, including the sequence or partial sequence of a gene, cannot constitute patentable inventions". [Article 5(1); emphasis added] "An element isolated from the human body or otherwise produced by means of a technical process, including the sequence or partial sequence of a gene, may constitute a patentable invention, even if the structure of that element is identical to that of a natural element". [Article 5(2); emphasis added]; "The industrial application of a sequence or a partial sequence of a gene must be disclosed in the patent application". [Article 5(3); emphasis added]. See also the domestic implementation of these provisions in paras 3(a), 5 and 6 of Schedule A2 of the UK Patents Act 1977, as well as r 29 of the European Patent Convention 2000 (Implementing Regulations).
18 See Cancer Voices Australia v Myriad Genetics Inc [2013] FCA 65 (Federal Court of Australia).
19 This approach is arguably in line with the submission that "… the assessment of whether the subject-matter of the patent is or is not an invention is subsumed within the inquiry for novelty, inventive step and industrial application". (see Ng-Loy Wee Loon, Law of Intellectual Property of Singapore (Thomson Sweet & Maxwell Asia, Revised Edition, 2009) at [30.1.20])
20 See the Court of Appeal's decision in Merck & Co Inc v Pharmaforte Singapore Pte Ltd [2000] 2 SLR(R) 708 at [63]: "In this regard, we must also point out that the fact that a discovery is made does not mean there is an invention. The latter does not necessarily follow from the former". (emphasis added) And at [65]: "In our opinion, what the appellants have achieved in the alleged patent is a discovery. It does not amount to an invention" (emphasis added)
21 But see Howard Florey/Relaxin Patent Application [1995] EPOR 541 and IPOS' "Guide on Patentability Issues arising during Search & Examination" (September 2010) at [6.19]-[6.22].
22 HGS [2012] RPC 6 at [131]. Indeed, the validity of Myriad's patents for the BRCA genes was recently challenged – yet again – in Australia, with an outcome that is antithetical to that reached by the US Supreme Court. See, in this regard, Justice Nicholas' decision in Cancer Voices Australia v Myriad Genetics Inc [2013] FCA


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Hi Friends,
I'm so incredibly humbled and honored to let y'all know that I was nominated for the 2013 Women's Media Center Social Media Award, along with eight other amazing women doing work in social justice, feminism, media, and more. Looking at the list, I'm so excited to be considered in the same league as these folks!
When I got the email that I was nominated, I was sitting in my room, stressing about my dissertation…and then went like this:
I've alluded to it a bunch of times in posts and such, but I get kinda uncomfortable with the whole "fame" aspect of the blog–it's still super weird to me that anyone wants to read what I have to say, and (to me) my ideas aren't super novel, I'm just re-packaging what hundreds of Native activists and allies have said before me, building on a long history of fighting to be represented in true and respectful ways. But I love being able to harness the power of social media to create change, and have loved the amazing community that has developed out of this work. I couldn't do it without all of you!
So if you wanna vote for me or any of the other incredible women nominated:
Wado (thanks), as always,

subset: commoncrawl


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I've been trying to renew my domain for months and the site doesn't grant me access. the domain in question is gwendalyngilliam.com
Today it is going to auction and I will have lost my own name for what?
Please help me asap.
555 *** ****
The blog I need help with is winwingwen.wordpress.com.


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Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'Tennessee Titans and NFL Talk' started by MrBean, Oct 7, 2012.
He was rusty, first game back.. I give it a pass.
a MLB has too make tackles otherwise why be on the field at all
My only problem with this list... you gave Quinn Johnson and Craig Stevens the same rating as Chris Johnson, which is really wrong. If you really want to give QJ/CS a C+, then CJ gets a D. Hell, Cj should just be a D anyways, since he seems to play for the other teams defense as much as he plays for our offense.
You see that rg3 got a concussion but has already vowed to play next week. One can only hope that one day Locker shows that kind of toughness!
Why do any of our O-Lineman get anything better than a D-? Because they used to be good/decent? They're incredibly horrible now!
Did you miss him playing with a shoulder that was ready to pop out on any given play? lol
Wow, you gave out some generous grades there! Let me fix it for you...
DE - Kam Wimbley... C-
DT - SenDerrick Marks... D
DT - Jurrell Casey ...B+
DE - Derrick Morgan...D
LB - Akeem Ayers... B+
LB - Colin McCarthy ... B+
LB - Will Witherspoon...B-
CB - Altteraun Verner ...B
CB - Jason McCourty ...C
SS - Jordan Babinaux ... C-
FS - Michael Griffin ...F
K - Rob Bironas ... B
P - Brett Kern ...A
KR - Darius Reynaud ... B+
QB - Jake Locker ... B
RB - Chris Johnson ...F
FB - Quinn Johnson/Craig Stevens... B
WR - Nate Washington ... B
WR - Kendall Wright ...B-
TE - Jared Cook ...B-
LT - Michael Roos ...B
LG - Steve Hutchinson ...D
C - Fernando Velasco ...C
RG - LeRoy Harris ...F
RT - Dave Stewart ....B-
Once a shoulder is already popped back into place all you have to deal with is a little pain for about a week. Thats it. Separated/dislocated shoulders injuries is all about how much pain you can tolerate once its back in place!
The ligaments have microtears and the shoulder isn't stable. It is more likely to be displaced with an even lesser hit. And it hurts like hell when it happens, when it is reduced (put back in place) and for weeks after.
Considering that is often the shoulder you go down on when hit hard, I'd be reticent to play behind that spaghetti strainer O-line.
Personally I think it's the coaching staff holding him back. They seem to handle every injury with kid gloves. I bet Jake wanted to play in the Houston game, the dude is tough as nails.


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RUFC- Ronnie Post Stanley
Speaking to MillersPlayer after the game Moore said, the way we came out of the blocks first half was unacceptable, everything was the same we've not changed a thing and we where very lucky to come in only one nil down at half time.
To be fair second half we got about them, raised our game and tempo and after the equalizer we had the best chances to go two one up.
But we can't defend like we did, tonight was a massive game for us to go third and it's down to individual mistakes and maybe a mental weakness and it makes you wonder what turns them on for me.


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This nation was founded on the God-given right of liberty. All things must be weighed against that right. Tyranny, oppression and suppression are evil and must be opposed.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
God's Mercenaries
I have been deeply involved in one way or another in the fight for liberty the past decade and generally involved in the struggle since the late 1980's. I wrote a booklet called the Constitutionalist and while that helped some to understand the fight, it did not do enough. I have organized events in Washington DC, to no avail. I have written extensively about the legal case for the Constitution and against the tyrants in government and the tyranny has only picked up momentum.
All the while I have known deep down that it went further than some document scratched out by the founders in the heat of a Philadelphia summer.
Whether one believes in God, or not; believes in Jesus Christ, or not, America was created by those who did; who fled England in a quest for religious freedom. Yes, those arriving in Virginia a few decades before the Pilgrims sought commerce, but liberty and Christianity were entwined even with that endeavor.
We are a complicated nation, infused with the desire for liberty and wealth, relying on the grace of God to achieve it and to give us strength during the pursuit. Whether we acknowledge it or not; ask for it, or not, it is there.
Rightfully, we are all God's Mercenaries, sent into the world to tame all lands, to conquer His enemies, to defeat the tyrants of the world and to secure it for the meek. In any system, other than a capitalist republic, the meek are ground into meal for the pleasure of the tyrant. They are slaves and servants to the ruling class. Only in a capitalist republic are the meek allowed to rise to the top tier of society by means of hard work and innovation. Capitalism provides the means and God provides the path.
It has become clear to me over the past several months that resistance without the support of God is futile. The fight for religious freedom is as important as the fight for individual freedom. The true fight is against the tyrants and the misery that accompanies them.
America must reclaim its liberty to do the work of the Lord.
25 comments:
So very glad to know that you are OK and happy to see words from you at long last. Welcome back brother. -55sixReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you. Happy to see you found the new place, I am not publicizing it much, but I knew Brock felt the same as I do. I had to find a way to act and write and to distance myself from those who might have been hurt by my actions.Delete
TL, we all are simply finding our way in this current point in time. We all have things we do for a season and TL In Exile had said everything that could be said. Here is hoping Christian Mercenary says all that needs to be said as well.Delete
Good to see you live and kickin', TL.Delete
You have been missed.
And although I am a HIGHLY flawed Christian, I agree with what you say above.
Welcome back TL. Have been hard at work in my little corner. Your encouragement and insight are welcome and neededDelete
Thank you for the welcome.Delete
Mr. Zoomie, we are all flawed, some highly, including myself. Perfection is not an option in this life. I have accepted that being flawed is no reason to deny my faith, but rather a reason to proclaim it. And when my flaws are pointed out by those who have heard my profession, I am forced to confront them again and again.
Good to hear from you my friend. Welcome home.ReplyDelete
Well, well, well. Good to see ya back.ReplyDelete
Nice piece. I've always understood it. But more than a few don't through ignorance or rejection. I'm sure you'll be hearing from them soon enough.Replies
I'm good with that. Good to see you Alan.Delete
Welcome back, brother, and God bless you!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you, Wraith. Good to see you as well.Delete
Amen, brother! Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito.ReplyDelete
Glad to see you back!ReplyDelete
We all need to remember that without God, our endeavors are for not.
With Christ all things are possible! Glad tidings indeed!ReplyDelete
Thought they had you for good. Glad to see you back in the game. By the way, how is Danny boy these days?ReplyDeleteReplies
Not yet. Danny has been playing with things he should not.Delete
Looking forward to more thought provoking commentary, T.L. Like Zoomie, I am a flawed work in progress and a man with certain unalienable rights to keep. Welcome back, sir.ReplyDelete
Welcome back, T.L. I missed you, and I think obviously we missed you. Now let's get to work.ReplyDelete
Ditto, all the welcome backs above. Nearly every day I've checked back at your sign off on April 20th at Exile...
And finally I was rewarded with your return, I've been praying for you.
Thank you for your dedication, Victor. I am happy to see so many stop by. It is humbling.Delete
Can't keep a good man down. Welcome back. Your writings and insight have been missed. Looking forward to reading more in the near future. Whatever happens, we know the ending. God wins.ReplyDelete
About Me
- T.L. Davis
- I am a published and produced writer, a novelist, a freelance writer, a playwright and blogger.


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It is a fact taken from the actual records that about one-third of the enlisted men, fighting in the Revolutionary Army under the leadership of General Washington, were of Irish birth or extraction. Likewise, a great number of Irish-Americans fought with the Northern Army and Navy during the Civil War, or War Between the States, from 1861 to 1865. Following the Civil War, organizations began to form in the United States that were constituted "to put the Catholic Church out of business. Organized mobs, particularly in New York City and Philadelphia, burned Catholic Churches and schools, and killed and injured members of the Catholic clergy. At the same time anti-Catholics organized the "Know Nothing" society, better known to our forefathers as the "A.P.A.", whose object was to defeat Catholics for public offices, and pass legislation disenabling Catholics from enjoying their rights under the United States Constitution.
Since most Catholics at that time were of Irish extraction, the Irish Americans were made the special target of these anti-Catholic organizations, and signs were posted at places of commercial and industrial employment reading, "No Catholics or Irish need apply". Irish-Americans were discriminated against in business, and generally ostracized socially.
The situation became so unbearable and desperate for these early Irish Americans that a group of sixteen met in a hall in Cleveland, Ohio in 1895, and there drew up a tentative constitution and by-laws for incorporation of an organization known as "The Knights of Equity". This group was organized to advance its members spiritually, materially and socially, to teach Irish history and culture, and to help the cause of liberty and freedom for the people of Ireland. Qualifications for membership were that the candidate must be an American of Irish birth or extraction and a practicing Roman Catholic. A charter was granted by the State of Ohio for the "Supreme Council of the Knights of Equity".
Three Courts were formed in Cleveland, one of which at one time had 5,000 members. Other states and cities were granted charters and at one time there were 65 courts in an area from the Canadian border to the mid-south, and from Boston, Massachusetts to Sioux City, Iowa. The Knights of Equity in cooperation with other Catholic societies put the A.P.A. and other anti-Catholic organizations out of business. Their efforts allowed Catholics in most places to enjoy their full civic rights and to be respected in business, the professions, and public office.
However, after the passage of some years such anti-Catholic Societies as the Pathfinders, Guardians of Liberty, The Units, and the Klu Klux Klan once more became active and began discrimination against Catholics. They had for their aim the passage of legislation in the United States Congress to cut off immigration from the Catholic countries of the world, especially from Ireland.
Once more the Knights of Equity, along with other Catholic organizations, rose to the occasion and largely neutralized the bigoted and un-American activities of these misguided societies. After these anti-Catholic and anti-Irish organizations disappeared, the Knights of Equity became a large and energetic society. The society directed its efforts towards mutual assistance for society members, to help for the church in any emergency, and to work for the cause of liberty for Ireland. Today the Knights of Equity and their families have their corporate Holy Communion and breakfasts. They assist in sponsoring the large turn-outs in the St. Patrick's day parades; they organize Gaelic services to observe the spiritual significance of the Feast. All courts of the Knights of Equity are cooperating with the diocesan activities of the church in "Catholic Action". They are sponsoring scholarships in Catholic high schools and colleges. They have raised funds to purchase trophies for Catholic school athletic activities. They are assisting orphan homes, homes for the aged, and young men interested in priesthood. They also continue to promote the knowledge of the history and culture of Ireland. While the discrimination against Catholics has disappeared in the larger cities and communities of this country, you do not go far afield to find examples of anti-Catholic bigotry. This is especially evident in communities where the population's religious persuasion is other than Catholic. In some of these localities you will find not a single public office-holder of Catholic belief. This condition exists not only in the deeply bigoted and anti-Catholic south, but in suburban towns, just a few miles from our largest cities. Secret anti-Catholic fraternities in these communities see that their own members are given preferential treatment in public jobs, in business and in the professions. In many of our large communities, national groups have their own organizations to promote their individual members and, in many cases, they are monopolizing public patronage and business to the detriment of our unorganized people. We are all Americans first and denounce discrimination against anyone. The Knights of Equity will be ready now as it has been for many years to defend its church and members.
If you are an American of Irish birth or extraction, a practicing Catholic, and are interested in the aims and objects of the Knights of Equity, please come to our MEMBERSHIP page where you can learn to become a member. If you do not have a court within proximity to your home you can also become an associate member.
The Knights of Equity currently have three active Courts in Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Detroit
We love our visitors to the website and welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please use our CONTACT US page to tell us what we're doing right or what we can improve on.


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social travel
Polarsteps automates your travel blogging
Travel is fun and glamorous and all, but we all know what packing your backpack and heading for the amazon is really about: Making your friends and family a deep shade of jealous green. Amsterdam-based Polarsteps just raised a seed round to help making that easier. The company raised a modest €500,000 ($563k) in seed funding from Silver Point Ventures and TMG last week. Read More
Seeing 15M Travelers In 2013, Gogobot Goes After Kayak With New Hotel Metasearch Utility To Help You Find The Best Deals
Gogobot launched in 2010 in the early stage of a wave of new interest in the social travel space, as a glut of new startups promised to as a new generation of companies promised to transform stodgy old travel with the magic of the social graph. Some of those players built products on top of Facebook, growing quickly thanks to the instant-scale of Facebook's platform. However, it was… Read More
Social Trip Planning App Tripshare Converts Travel Inspiration To Bookings
Tripshare, an iPad application for travel planning, is joining a crowded space. But its CEO knows a little something about the industry – Bob Dana was the former employee No. 1 and first CFO of Virgin America. He once wrote the business plan and feasibility study for Sir Richard Branson in 2003. And now he's doing a travel startup. Dana tells us the inspiration for Tripshare was… Read More
Pintrips Launches A Collaborative Trip Planning Dashboard For Tracking Flights & Prices Across Destinations In Real-Time
Pintrips, a new personal travel planning startup, is today publicly entering the competitive, crowded travel space with the public debut of its online pinboard for tracking flights and prices. The service operates differently from the typical price comparison engines and aggregators, as its focus isn't only on finding the best prices and schedules – it's about being able… Read More
Roam7 Digs Through Friends' Facebook Photo Albums To Help You Plan Your Travels
Have you ever planned a vacation and remembered that you once saw a photo of a great dish on Facebook? If only you could remember who posted it and when. A new service, Roam7, has launched that promises to reach deep into your social networks to pull that information for you. The service combs your friends' Facebook albums and assembles relevant photos into a page to help you figure… Read More
With 40% Of Its 2.5M Users Now Logging In Via Mobile, Gogobot Finally Brings Its Social Travel Experience To Android
Since launching in 2010, social travel startup Gogobot has been trying to play a role in legitimizing online travel discovery, fighting the shoddy design and link farm leanings that reined in the space. Focusing on collecting and curating quality, user-generated photos and reviews for travel destinations all over the world, Gogobot set out to create the new, digital Lonely Planet — a… Read More
Facebook + Kayak: Flights With Friends Launches To Take The Pain Out Of Group Travel Planning
Over the last few years, the travel industry has begun to undergo significant change, as startups and incumbents have fought to bring the disparate parts of a highly regulated industry online. Much of the attention from consumer web businesses has focused on making travel more "social," improving discovery and helping travelers figure out what to do at destinations of choice. Read More
Gogobot Teams Up With Travel + Leisure To Bring Expert Reviews, Curated Travel Guides To Social Trip Planning
Since launching in November 2010, social travel startup Gogobot has been on a mission to remove the shoddy design and link farm tendencies from the old world of online travel discovery. Because travel research should be a visual experience, from the get-go Gogobot focused on collecting and curating quality photos from the world's many travel destinations. Read More
Social Travel Site Gogobot Adds Realtime Hotel Pricing, OpenTable Integration & 360-Degree Looks Via Street View
While the online (and social) travel space has been contracting a bit after last year's barrage of new entrants, one of the few young companies that has been able to maintain not only a strong foothold but continuing growth has been social trip planner, Gogobot. Jumping from one million registered users in May to its current 2.5 million+ (and seeing 800 percent growth in its user base… Read More
Tripbirds Pivots From Social Travel Omnibus To Social Hotel Booking Site
When I interviewed Tripbirds co-founder Ted Valentin before the social travel recommendation site's launch in March, he told me that hotel bookings formed the core of Tripbirds' revenue-generation model. "If we can nail hotel recommendations, you don't have to do more to have a valuable business," he said. Now, Tripbirds is taking this idea to heart: the… Read More
Gogobot Launches Its Redesigned iPhone Travel App, Hits 2M Registered Users
Social travel site Gogobot has been on a roll lately. Just two months ago, the company announced that it had passed 1 million registered users. Today, Gogobot announced that it now has more than 2 million users, up 100% in the past 60 days. Currently a new users signs up for the service every 15 seconds. To celebrate this milestone, the company also today announced its completely redesigned… Read More
Jetpac's Social Travel iPad App Grabs $2.4 Million From Khosla Ventures, Jerry Yang And Others
Jetpac, a gorgeous social travel application for iPad, has just scored $2.4 million in Series A funding from Khosla Ventures, Morado Venture Partners, Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang and [redacted], a top Facebook exec. (Sorry, they won't let us say). The company first debuted its iPad app in April of this year, which lets you browse and favorite travel photos taken by your friends on Facebook. Read More
LoungeUp Scores Seed Round To Help Hotels Keep Guests App Happy
Anything that helps hotels improve their customer service levels is welcome in my book. Tools to help them upsell, not quite so much. To that end, LoungeUp, a startup that provides a platform to enable hotels to jump on the mobile app bandwagon, has announced that it's raised a seed round of "several hundred thousand euros" from Pôle Capital and several Angels, including… Read More
Social Travel Site Gogobot Redesigns: Less Text, More Photos
Gogobot, the social travel site that recently passed the 1 million registered user mark, just launched an interesting redesign this week that turn the site's homepage into more of an interactive magazine experience with a focus on photos instead of the site's previous text-heavy design. As Gogobot's founder Travis Katz told me earlier this week, the Gogobot team noticed that… Read More
Trippy Brings Its Social Travel Planner To iPad
Trippy a social travel planner for web and mobile (and former TechCrunch Disrupt participant) is launching its first iPad application today to complement its current iPhone-only offering. The app, like many focused on content discovery, looks much more amazing on the iPad, where you can browse big, beautiful photos of places you want to go. You can see the photos laid out in the… Read More
Social Travel Service Gogobot Passes 1 Million Registered Users
We've been covering Gogobot since it first launched in early 2010. It took the social travel discovery and advice site a little while to find its niche, but since about the middle of 2011, it's been adding new members rapidly. Today, Gogobot is announcing that it has now surpassed the 1 million registered user mark. According to the company's own data, a new member is signing… Read More
Gogobot Opens For Business In Europe (Smart Move: 44% Of Its Customers Are Here Already, Says CEO Travis Katz)
Social travel site Gogobot is doing a little traveling of its own. Today, it's announcing the opening of its first European headquarters, in London. The move, says Travis Katz, the CEO and founder of the company, is being done to capitalize on the fact that the site already has nearly as many users in Europe as it does in the rest of the world: some 44 percent of people who have linked… Read More
Social Travel In Realtime: HipGeo Offers A Glimpse Into The Future Of Location-Aware Apps
As Semil showed back in November, social travel sites are all the rage these days among the entrepreneurs, offering plenty of interesting approaches to offering recommendations on where and how to travel. You may not have heard of HipGeo, but if you're a traveler, this is something that will likely pique your curiosity. HipGeo has developed a location-aware platform that records and… Read More


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You've heard of Family Tech Support Guy, and you've probably got a lot in common with Socially Awkward Penguin, but are you sophisticated enough for Rich Raven?
We think not.
Only the wealthiest one percent of the population can truly understand his charms, and that's not you, now is it? But we'll deign to give you peasants the pleasure of a quick peek behind the gilded curtain, so long as you promise not to touch anything.
And now isn't it time you went back to carousing with your own ilk?
- Family Tech Support Guy Feels Your Pain — CTRL F? Like a boss!
- The Best of Socially Awkward Penguin — Happy Birthday? You too!
- Yeaahh, Business Cat Needs You to Come In On Caturday — No LOL here.
- Annoying Childhood Friend Just Broke Your G.I. Joes — Why'd you hang out with this kid?


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Address: 15-8-238 Feelkhana Begum Bazaar, Hyderabad - 500012
Locality: Begum Bazar (Find more Begum Bazar schools)
Phone: 040-24732781 9490422812
English Medium
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13 of 34
Vegetarian Pelau–Stuffed Peppers
The Trinidadian-style filling for these peppers is made with coconut milk, black-eyed peas, squash, and rice for a hearty vegetarian main dish.
Pelau is like a Trinidadian coconut milk–based pilaf. It's usually made with chicken, but here we go meatless. It's perfect for stuffing into peppers to throw on the grill, but you can also serve it as a side dish on its own.... Read More
View Recipe


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Former Gov. George Pataki, who served as Peekskill mayor before winning office in Albany, endorsed Republican Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino for reelection Friday.
The campaign used the event to highlight Astorino's environmental record, including advocating for mass transit to play a bigger role in the new Tappan Zee bridge.
"From preserving open space to protecting the watershed and our rivers, Rob Astorino has amassed an environmental record of accomplishment and distinction during his four years in office," Pataki said, according to a statement from the campaign. "When you combine his record with his vision for Westchester County as a regional center for mass-transit and sustainable economic growth, I am confident that Rob Astorino is the right leader with the right ideas, and I'm proud to endorse him for reelection."
The campaign of Astorino's Democratic opponent, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson, jumped on the characterization of Astorino's record. Barry Caro, the Bramson campaign spokesman, said Pataki praised Astorino for efforts to clean up Long Island Sound by improving wastewater treatment but the Astorino campaign has criticized the program as the result of the actions of his predecessor and resulting in a large sewer tax increase.
"Rob can't have it both ways," Caro said. "He can't accept credit for a project he didn't support and actively criticized. Trying to do so only highlights just how thin his environmental record actually is. Westchester does need real environmental leadership on safe drinking water, on climate change, and on transit planning, and Rob Astorino hasn't provided that leadership."
Here's the list of environmental accomplishments provided by the Astorino campaign:
• $25 million dollars in capital improvements for Parks Department in last two budget years to fund trail and park infrastructure projects, and site and historic building restoration.
• Playland Park transformation into a sustainable, open public space.
• New public / private partnership with Jay Heritage Center (Rye).
• Launched "River Rescue" – public-private partnership to clean-up and maintain the Bronx River.
• $1 million restoration of the Bronx River Wetlands to revitalize the oldest section of wetlands in lower Westchester.
• Hudson River-Walk – $8.5 million for City of Yonkers, and partnership with New York State to ensure the new Tappan Zee Bridge shared-use path connects with the River-Walk along Hudson.
• New program for marinas to recycle plastic, including shrink wrapping used for boat weatherization.
• $15 million in new capital spending for flood and storm water management.
• $9 million to address chronic flooding along the Bronx River and Sound Shore.
• New Storm Water Management Program and Storm Water Advisory Board to work on long-term solutions to flooding.
• Teatown Reservation (Yorktown) – preserve 59 acres of pristine woodlands known as "The Croft" to unite 2,000 acres of open space within Croton Watershed.
• Signed bi-partisan legislation to prohibit hyrdofracking waste water from entering Westchester County.
• Affordable Energy-Efficient Homes – programs for low-income seniors to make their homes energy efficient
• Solar energy tax exemptions for homeowners who retrofit homes with solar panels.
• Initiative to determine viable locations to implement geothermal and solar power at county facilities.
• Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds (QECB) that provide private sector access to $7 million in tax-free financing for environmental retrofitting of buildings.
• The Westchester Green Business Challenge encourages Westchester businesses to improve the "greenness" of their operations by employing cost-effective, sustainable practices that will allow them to flourish. County environmental expertise is made available to businesses taking the challenge.
• Series of vulnerability studies aimed at identifying risks posed by climate change, especially rising sea levels here along the Hudson and on the Long Island Sound.
• Astorino's most significant environmental accomplishment is the inclusion of significant mass transit in the new Tappan-Zee Bridge.
• Plans were rapidly moving forward for a new bridge without a mass transit component until Rob Astorino stepped-in to demand a Bus Rapid Transit System be included in any plans for a new bridge.
• Westchester's first Food Rescue Program that takes unused, surplus food from restaurants and food stores and gives it to the homeless and hungry.
The post Former Gov. Pataki endorses Astorino for reelection as Westchester executive appeared first on Politics on the Hudson.


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Usually I start these posts off with some sort of anecdote, but instead, I thought I would simply show a clip.
This is an example a "good" feeding experience when my daughter was almost one year old:
I know I have a history of tormenting my daughter with yummy adult food she can't have. But here's my side of the story. ?
As I said, that was a "good" experience. You can see from the clip she ate all her oatmeal, and most of the food stayed where it should be and not on the floor, or in my face.
With that said there have been worse situations – one in particular involving blueberries that I do not wish to think about.
Suffice to say, the entire eating and feeding experience has be a trying experience, and like many new parents going through this process, it can be defeating and discouraging.
Sometimes, I would think to myself:
"Man, I can't wait until she learns how to properly feed herself. I'm looking forward to the day where she'll just eat without me having to worry about it!"
Things also go beyond just feeding. In the early stages of teaching my daughter to eat solids, I still remember the science lab-like setup in our kitchen.
We would steam, blend, bake, boil, pre-chew (okay that last one was a joke), every organic vegetable known to man, hoping to find the perfect combination. Often times she would devour what we feed her the first bite, only shut her lips and treat it like poison the next.
I remember during this stage my wife and I felt pretty defeated.
Up until this point our daughter had steadily gained weight. But at 13 months, when she began to become a pickier eater, that's when her weight started dropping. And the truth is, we've always been spoiled by the fact that she was always a good eater, so the loss of weight hit us pretty hard.
We felt that we had failed as parents, despite feeling that we had tried everything, but she still wasn't eating. The more she didn't eat, the more the pressure mounted. It began to feel like how it was when we first brought her home, with the constant tracking of how much she ate, and measuring dirty diapers, and doctor check ups.
I was warned how difficult things were going to be with a newborn, with the constant crying, and sleep deprivation. But I had no idea that feeding my daughter would put my patience and sanity to the test once again.
Before kids, I had no idea that feeding my daughter, or taking her out to a restaurant would require so much effort.
But now I know.
I now know, the pressure of getting your kid to eat.
I now know, the struggles of meal planning and preparation.
I now know, how it feels to not get to eat your food when it comes nice and hot.
I now know, the tag-team technique of alternating between shoving down your own meal while the other parent feeds.
I now know, how it feels to lose the battle of wits between a tiny human and a full grown human.
I now know.
And when our friends who don't have children watch us at restaurants, we feel their beam of pity and concern.
I can see it in on their faces as they are thinking: "How are they this patient?" or "Is it always like this?" or "Should we stare, or not stare?"
Rest assured, we are fine. And please don't pity us. We've come to realize that this is just the process of getting food in our kids.
Believe me, the first time we were at a restaurant, we did care and we were super self-conscious of what people would think if our daughter had a meltdown.
In fact, I remember us only going to noisy and spacious dim sum restaurants so that if she cried or screamed, no one would notice.
It just runs in the family. Who can ever resist steamed BBQ pork buns?
A post shared by Ingus (@snappingus) on
But eventually, we just stopped caring. We starting going to the places that we used to go to, and we started to worry less about what people thought, and more about what needs to be done.
As long as this kid eats, we didn't care if she screams a little or makes a big mess.
"As long as she eats."
Don't get me wrong, it's not always a terrible experience, every once in a while we're treated to those little moments that make everything okay.
Moments like this one:
Feeding time is extra cool when she busts out these moves. ?
How do you even get mad or frustrated when you're treated to things like that?
And that's the thing – like everything so far with this parenting gig, things do become rewarding.
This kid knowa how to push my limits, but she also knows how not to break me. She just knows when to throw me a bone once in a while.
I could be sitting there feeding her for 45 minutes with no luck, but somehow by the grace of her mercy she decides to take in four consecutive pieces of chicken in a 30 second span.
My inner voice goes from, "F this bull crap!" to, "I'm the GREATEST!" in a matter of seconds.
These are the rewarding moments.
These are the moments where you realize it's all worth it.
Such is the theme of this parenting thing, isn't it?
We emotionally beat ourselves up, and bend over backwards for our kids, but we still endure it.
We endure not because we are sadistic or stubborn, but only because we are parents and that's how we are wired.
That's all.
And you know what? It's not all doom and gloom.
The eating and feeding process is slowly getting better and better.
My daughter is slowly learning to feed herself, and little by little those tiny wins are slowly becoming large victories.
So if you're a parent who is struggling feeding your kid right now, I promise it does get easier. I know every child is different, but I can confidently say that every good parent is the same, and your efforts and intentions eventually get rewarded.
And with this, I leave you with the most recent and unremarkable video of me feeding my daughter.
This is not to brag or anything. But rather this is to show that eventually they get it.
Comparing it to the first video in this post, this is proof that the feeding experience does get easier.
And for me personally, if I didn't write this post, I would not have the opportunity to see the improvement.
So please, no matter what stage you are at, enjoy these moments.
Cause eventually our restaurant frustrations will no longer be us trying to get our little humans to pick up a spoon and feed themselves, but rather it will be us telling our big humans to put down their devices and interact with us like how they used to.
If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to leave a comment below, or send me an Instagram message, or a tweet!
If you have questions or comments on your own toddler feeding experience, I would love to hear from you!


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Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee has managed to tell his estranged family to go forth and multiply in a family feud worthy of Dynasty.
Kun-hee has been having a long running legal battle with his estranged family members who want him to hand over billions of dollars of shares in Samsung companies.
The lawsuits accused Lee of hiding billions of dollars in shareholdings inherited from his dad, Lee said that he was his father's chosen successor, so he had free rein to transfer group company shares.
Lee, 71, and Samsung Everland, a de facto holding company for the country's largest conglomerate, were defending three lawsuits by Lee's relatives seeking nearly $4 billion in assets in Samsung Life Insurance. According to Reuters, the insurance company sits at the heart of the web of Samsung group while apparently Samsung sits on the crown. We're not sure which part of Samsung Kun-hee sits upon.
While the lawsuit was unlikely to have deprived Lee of his control over Samsung Electronics a ruling against him would have diluted his holdings and could have forced a reshuffle.
It also was happening at a time when Lee's son Jay Lee, 44, was promoted to vice chairman in a move that can be seen as replacement grooming.
Now, a judge at the Seoul Central District Court ruled that Lee could retain more than $1 billion in Samsung Electronics shares and another $1 billion in shares of Samsung Life.
Samsung Everland, a small zoo operator, was also allowed to keep its $1 billion stake in Samsung Life. Lee will remain Samsung Life's biggest shareholder with a 20.76 percent stake.


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Senator John Mc Cain On The Record
Conservative Republican John McCain of Arizona has been a maverick throughout his two terms in the Senate. But never more so than this fall, when he defied his party's leaders in an uphill quest for campaign-finance reform. The former Navy pilot, who spent more than five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, also went it alone as the only Senate Republican to oppose the Telecommunications Reform Act of 1996. Now chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, McCain, 61, has strong influence over issues ranging from telecommunications to tobacco. In an Oct. 6 interview with BUSINESS WEEK Correspondent Amy Borrus in his Senate hideaway--and in a follow-up chat on Oct. 8--Senator McCain talked about his legislative goals and his Presidential aspirations for 2000.
Q: Campaign-finance reform appears all but dead. Is it?A: No. The American people want change. There will be more and more scandals and revelations, so it's inevitable that sooner or later, the Congress will have to respond.
Q: Won't the public blame the GOP for torpedoing reform?A: I regret to say that this could harm Republicans in the long run if we don't act.
Q: Has the Telecommunications Act of 1996 fulfilled its promise?A: The act is fundamentally flawed because it is not deregulatory. It is protective of all the interests that are involved in the telecommunications business with the exception of the consumer. That's why we are seeing increasing phone rates, increasing cable rates, consolidations and mergers, and little if any increase in competition. You've got to...decrease the enormous power that has been given to the Federal Communications Commission. I would like to see most of the focus on antitrust and antimonopolistic practices. That means taking away most of the FCC's authority and letting the Justice Dept. intervene where necessary. Otherwise, let 'em [telecommunications companies] compete.
Q: Will we see a new telecommunications bill in '98?A: It depends on public dissatisfaction. It wouldn't surprise me if there were a manifestation of that next year.
Q: Would you oppose WorldCom's takeover of MCI?A: I haven't had a chance to examine it. But whenever you see major consolidation, it is a matter of concern. The deal is another example of the failure of the telecom bill. We made it easier for companies to merge rather than compete with each other.
Q: What should the new commissioners at the FCC tackle first?A: I'd like them to take a whole new look at the Telecommunications Act. I also want them to review the licenses of affiliates of NBC for failure to implement the new rating system [for television programming], see whether they're acting in the public interest. I would like to see continuance of spectrum auctions and a review of the process of transition to HDTV.
Q: Do you approve of the megasettlement with the tobacco industry?A: Congress needs to play a role. The question is, does Congress focus on the most compelling aspect of tobacco--kids smoking--or do we try to deal with a comprehensive settlement? Congress doesn't handle [multifaceted issues] very well. But I am of the inclination to see if we can't come up with an overall solution, and if not, at least address teenage smoking. I don't want the perfect to be the enemy of the good.
Q: What would a limited bill include?A: Enhancing the Food & Drug Administration's authority, [curbing] advertising, [earmarking] money for an antismoking crusade, determining the amount of tax on cigarettes that would serve as a deterrent to kids smoking. Things like product liability and immunity...that could be done later, if necessary.
Q: There's great strife among Republicans at a time when President Clinton is embracing much of the GOP agenda. Why can't you take "yes" for an answer?A: It has to do to some degree with the fact that House Republicans were wandering in the wilderness of minority status for 42 years. It is difficult to rule. I understand the disappointment of people who were in the minority for a long time [who want] everything to work out exactly. The cold war was a unifying factor for us, and now, that is gone. But I'm very optimistic about the future of the Republican Party. Look, at least we're fighting over ideas. The Democrats have no position on anything.
Q: One of those big ideas now is an overhaul of the tax code. Where do you come out on that?A: Ideally, I would like to see two tax brackets with two deductions--for charitable donations and interest on home mortgages. But I would be satisfied with any tax system that lets me fill out my tax return on a postcard.
Q: Will we soon resolve the stalemate over curbs on software encryption?A: I don't think we're at a resolution, but I believe early next year we can reach one. It's too important not to.
Q: Are we going to see a compromise on product-liability reform this year?A: I'm urging the majority leader to take up the issue early next year, whether we have an agreement or not. What the White House is proposing now is simply too weak.
Q: What would you have to offer as a Presidential candidate in 2000?A: A record of advocacy for reform, a record of advocacy for a strong defense and free trade, rejection of isolationism and protectionism, and [a person] who makes decisions on the basis of the merits as I see them as opposed to the influence of party politics.
Q: Being a senator hasn't been a great launching pad for the Presidency. Is that a factor as you weigh whether to seek the GOP nomination?A: People who shape their actions and policies around aspirations for higher office usually end up destroying themselves. Two things would have to happen if I would have any chance: One, I continue to compile a record of legislative achievements. The second is that the American people--and the Republican Party first--would have to want someone who is rather different from the average politician, more independent and more reform-minded. I have no indication that would be the case.
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EDMONTON, Alberta -- Fifteen games and nearly six months since his last goal, Jarome Iginla snapped out of his scoring drought in dramatic fashion Saturday night.
Iginla's power-play goal at 7:49 of the third period was the winner as the Flames scored three times in the third to rally past the Edmonton Oilers, 5-3.
After being stopped twice in a row by Nikolai Khabibulin on hard one-timers from the top of the faceoff circle, Calgary kept pressing on the 4 on 3 and eventually Alex Tanguay's clever pass set up Iginla at the side of the net for an easy tap-in.
"I think Tangs got sick of me missing those one-timers, so he decided to give me a 1-footer and I'll take it," Iginla said. "As it came right across the crease, my eyes got pretty big. I was pretty excited to see that one go in. Obviously, it's been a tough start as a team and definitely for me personally."
Dating to last season, Iginla had no goals and four assists in his past 14 games before the two-point effort.
Tanguay scored twice for Calgary (2-2), which entered the night with just three goals for its first three games, having been shutout twice, including 4-0 in the opener in Edmonton.
The Flames' top line of Iginla, Tanguay and Olli Jokinen had been the subject of much scrutiny lately with all of them pointless through the first three games.
On Saturday, Flames coach Brent Sutter made a change moving Matt Stajan to center on the top line with Iginla and Tanguay and dropping Jokinen to the second line with Brendan Morrison and Nicklas Hagman.
The moves paid off with the top trio combining for eight points, while Hagman and Morrison also scored.
"Each line, in this game, took turns contributing at big times," Iginla said. "We had huge PKs ... that game definitely feels like our most complete game of the year and something we can learn from and build on."
Ales Hemsky, Dustin Penner and Magnus Paajarvi scored for Edmonton (2-2-0). The Oilers have lost both of their road games this season and are 2-22-2 in their last 26 away from home dating to December.
"We just have to get pucks to the net and there's a price to pay beyond that," Oilers coach Tom Renney said. "We have to learn that and embrace it real quick if we're going to stay with the group."
Penner said the Oilers didn't work hard enough on the power play or the penalty kill.
"We can't kill ourselves by going to the box, expelling energy on the PK," Penner said. "We have to make their PK guys work. Too often, it was one shot and out and that's not good enough."
- After being a healthy scratch the first three games, Calgary D Cory Sarich played as rookie T.J. Brodie sat out. It was game No. 750 in Sarich's NHL career.
- iIt was the 1,500th game for linesman Mike Cvik, who was honored before the game. The 6-foot-9 Calgary native began his NHL officiating career in 1987.


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Versa stands for versatility, a value reflected in our team members and core values. We come from many backgrounds and interests.
Our Culture
We are: artists, geeks, teachers, storytellers, chefs, internet wizards, rebels, movie buffs, musicians, writers, and more.
Our diversity is our strength, letting us approach each project from multiple perspectives while forging relationships with companies large and small.


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XPOSUREPHOTOS.COM; Twitter
XPOSUREPHOTOS.COM; Twitter
The Germans sure love Justin Bieber.
Things were a little chaotic yesterday leading up to the young pop singer's concert in Munich at Olympiahalle tonight, when hundreds of young women rushed to one of the town's hotels thinking that Biebs was staying there.
But they were wrong.
According to a local news article, over 400 fans with signs and tears in their eyes stormed The Mandarin Oriental Hotel yesterday around 4 p.m. convinced that was where Bieber would be staying during his time in Munich for the concert.
Once things got a little too crazy and the crowd began interfering with traffic, police stepped in and created a barrier. It took them nearly two and a half hours to clear everyone out, and the young ladies learned their "hysteria was in vain" because the singer wasn't staying there.
Regardless, Bieber made it to the stage in one piece and on time to give his (very) devoted fans a good show. But he'll have to be careful when he hits up Dortmund on April 5, because the same thing might happen again, and this time, fans could find the right hotel.
"#GermanBeliebers aus #Dortmund? WIR MÜSSEN WISSEN WO JUSTIN BIEBER ÜBERNACHTEN WIRD UM SEIN HOTEL ZU ATTACKIEREN! :)," one fan tweeted about his upcoming show, which translated means, "We must find out where Justin Bieber will be staying overnight so we can attack his hotel!"
Harvey Weinstein Cites Comments From Jennifer Lawrence and Meryl Streep in Effort to Dismiss Class Action Lawsuit


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The specially designed Cognac Cuvée 1888 is an aromatically cognac blend with hints of fruit, nuts, balamic and roasted cocoa and coffee beans. The spicy and soft elixir is housed in a bottle with a 24-karat gold stopper in this twisty crystal decanter and is meant to recall a spinning top.
Cognac Cuvée 1888 was made by the Frapin Rabelais family who have been producing wine and brandy for 20 generations. This limited edition cognac is priced at $7400.
Spiral Booze Tributes
More Stats +/-
$2 Million Cognac
$200,000 Hennessy Cognac Treasure Chest
Baroque Liquor Bottles
Golden Oldie Cognac
Tilted Liquor Glasses
The Pierre Frapin-Inspired Cognac Cuvee 1888
- By: Marissa LiuFeb 6, 2010
References: webluxe.net & bornrich.org
References: webluxe.net & bornrich.org


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I'd be the first to admit that I've become a little obsessed with fall root vegetables this season. Easy access to various types of late summer radishes has been so much fun. This week felt like a soup and salad kind of week, so I decided to do a fall root vegetable salad to enjoy radishes and beets. I threw in some lettuce as the base. If I ever get an avocado to ripen up, I might also toss one into this salad later this week.
Root vegetables can be very tasty raw, especially when sliced paper-thin. I don't have a mandolin, so just slice very, very carefully. Radishes lend themselves to a dressing with rice-wine vinegar, so I combined this with sesame oil and soy sauce. I found myself checking the time every hour on Monday to see if we were any where close to lunch time.
This roasted root vegetable salad complements the roasted cauliflower soup from Monday. This would also pair well with a simple vegetarian sandwich or wrap.
Fall Root Vegetable Salad
Serves 4
Sesame Oil Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a jar and cover securely. Shake to combine
Fall Root Vegetable Salad
1 watermelon radish
2 black radishes
3 small beets
1 head lettuce
Sesame Oil Dressing
Fresh black pepper to taste
Slice each of the root vegetables into paper-thin slices. Tear the lettuce into bite size pieces. Toss root vegetables slices and lettuce to combine. Dress with Sesame Oil Dressing and grind a little fresh pepper over the top. Enjoy!


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Decision on league bids in four months
Page Tools
The Australian Soccer Association is aiming to make its decision on which of the competing consortiums will win spots in the all-new Australian Premier League within the next four months.
Having killed off the national league - and with most of the traditional clubs having gone bust or dropped down a grade to compete at state league level - the ASA yesterday outlined details of the multi-million dollar bidding process for clubs to gain entry to the eight-team league.
It has yet, however, to clinch an agreement with a television network, although it said in a statement that it was holding negotiations with sponsors, commercial partners and broadcasters for television deals - expected to be a mix of free-to-air and pay - for the new league, which is scheduled to begin with a pre-season tournament next February and a launch proper next July.
Advertisements will be placed in national media throughout Australia and New Zealand in the week beginning May 3 for expressions of interest to be tabled by any interested parties, with a deadline set for May 14.
Applicants will then receive an information memorandum detailing the application process and have up to six weeks - until the start of July - to lodge a formal application for a place in the new competition.
The ASA has engaged MI Associates to work with it on drawing up the information memorandum.
Talks with all applicants will then take place, and ASA executives yesterday said they were hopeful a final decision could be made by the end of August, a time frame that would give clubs six months to hire players and coaching staff and set up their infrastructure before the so-called "soft season" launch in February.
"The enormity of the task before us in establishing a viable, sustainable and attractive national competition should not be underestimated, thus it is vital that we get the process right," ASA boss John O'Neill said yesterday.
"If this necessitates the timetable's extension beyond what was originally envisaged, then it is to everyone's benefit - a more thorough process enhances the chance of a good outcome.
"The amended timetable also provides us with opportunities to further advance our negotiations with potential television and commercial partners so that we are in a better position to provide more definitive information to applicants.
"Prospective applicants should be encouraged by the extent to which ASA is addressing this critical topic, notwithstanding the amended timetable."
Meanwhile, the last national league championship winning team, Perth Glory - which hopes to become the WA club in the new league - will have to do without its record goalscorer Damian Mori in the future.
Mori, who holds the record for the most number of goals in a national league season (31) and has made 411 league appearances, for a record total of 225 goals, has quit the WA club and is set to move back to Adelaide.
Glory boss Nick Tana paid tribute to the Melbourne-born striker. "Damian has been fantastic for this club. In each of his four seasons he has been the leading scorer for the team, that says it all," Tana said.
"Damian has had an offer to move back to Adelaide and Perth Glory would not stand in his way. I understand the move will offer him opportunities both on and off the field. Perth Glory is now pursuing a number of players with an eye to the future."


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The actor doing the voice over in the Hillshire Farm commercials is:
Kevin Bacon
IMDB: Kevin Bacon IMDB
Kevin Bacon is a very well-known actor. Acting for many years Kevin has starred in many movies such as Apollo 13, Footloose, and A Few Good Men. In addition to starring in movies Bacon has also had success in television, starring in the hit television show The Following while having guest roles in shows such as Guiding Light and Frasier. Kevin has been doing the voice over in the Hillshire Farm commercials for several years.


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Saturday, April 11, 2015
Airport musings
And then I'm headed to my gate, C1.
In the old terminal.
[blink] [blink]
Clearly we have Top Men working on this. Top. Men. I'm thinking that it's after 5:00 somewhere. Kazakhstan, probably ...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
4 comments:
- libertyman said...
Hey, where are you going? Bahamas? Caymans? Jamaica ?
Oh boy!
- April 11, 2015 at 8:52 AM
- WoFat said...
Oh No! Their secret is out.
- April 11, 2015 at 9:34 AM
- Rev. Paul said...
But at least it's the Top Men, right? Right?
- April 11, 2015 at 1:06 PM
- Tony Tsquared said...
You found out one of my secrets for navigation the Hartsfield Airport. No matter where your gate is, check in at the international terminal. There are almost no lines, the "better" TSA workers are assigned there and most of them have at least half a brain. The traffic pattern around the terminal is easier at the international if you shave somebody dropping you off or picking you up if you have no checked luggage. It takes just as long after the TSA molesting to get to the B Terminal from either the domestic or international drop off points. The only time I use the domestic terminal is if I have a T or A gate.
- April 12, 2015 at 2:28 PM


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Enid has two splash pads for free summer fun! Complete with bucket dumps, cannon sprayers, and restrooms. One splash pad is known as Champion Splash Pad and is located at Champion Park. Champion Park is located at the corners of 10th and Chestnut. Enid's second splash pad, known as the Hoover Splash Pad is located on West Oklahoma Street just off of South Hoover.
Location (Hoover Splash Pad):
View Larger Map
Location (Champion Splash Pad):


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"A Scots youngster is appealing to Iron Man for help in beating a deadly disease.
Aaron Hunter has taken to Twitter to ask the Avenger to take part in a challenge aimed at raising money and awareness of ROHHAD, a rare syndrome that affects appetite and the respiratory system.
And the appeal from the Alexandria youth – who blogs as his heroic alter ego Captain Braveheart – has gone viral, with thousands of people retweeting and and asking Iron Man actor Robert Downie Junior to take part.
In the touching video, Aaron says: "Hello my name is Aaron hunter and i need to speak to Iron Man.
"Iron Man if you see this I really, really need your help
"I have a very bad disease called ROHHAD and it is very hard sometimes
"There isn't a cure yet, some of my friends with ROHHAD have died.
"I don't want any more of my friends to die. We need your help Iron Man"
Brave Aaron, who uses a wheelchair with an oxygen tank, then explains his #GOMADJumpForROHHAD challenge.
Please RT and help Aaron reach IronMan #AaronNeedsIronman he has terminal ROHHAD Disease & has special message 4 fav hero @RobertDowneyJr pic.twitter.com/9fppkTpKvB
— ROHHAD Association (@ROHHAD_GLOBAL) January 28, 2017
He's calling on celebrities and supporters to film themselves leaping in puddles, then make a donation to the Rohhad Association.
So far it's been backed by the likes of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Superhero daft Aaron, who is pictured on his blog in a range of heroic costumes, goes on to say: "ROHHAD is evil and i need your help to defeat it.
"I really want to save my friends.
"Can you help me and do my jump for ROHHAD challenge? Loads of other people have done the challenge and I have loved watching their videos
"But it is still not enough money.
"My mum says you may be coming to Scotland soon, can you please come and see me so i can talk to you about it?
"Please help me Iron Man I love you and I want to become a superhero like you."
Iron Man actor Downey, along with Samuel L Jackson and Scarlett Johansson are expected in Scotland to film the new £400million Avengers blockbuster, Infinity War.
The movie will be filmed in a range of locations across Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Highlands, which will boost the economy by around £10million.
ROHHAD stands for Rapid Onset Obesity with Hypothalamic dysfunction, Hyperventiliation and Autonomic nervous system Dysregulation.
Sufferers always feel hungry, and in some cases bowels and bladder do not function properly.
Source: EveningTimes.co.uk
Instant Access to Stark Industries Updates


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ATLANTIC CITY (Jan. 12)
The tenth annual national conference of the United Jewish Appeal opened here today to discuss the greatest reconstruction and immigration program in the history of the Jewish people, involving the expenditure of about $373,000,000 in 1949.
The 1,200 delegates attending the conference will vote on a quota for the U.J.A. campaign after the representatives of communities throughout the United States have thoroughly discussed the needs of the Jews of Israel, Europe and the United States and the prospect for large-scale fund-raising in this country.
A blueprint of action was outlined in today's session by leaders of the Joint Distribution Committee, the United Palestine Appeal, and the United Service for New Americans–constituent agencies of the United Jewish Appeal, The liquidation of the problem of displaced Jews before the end of the year and the immigration to Israel of the largest possible number of Jewish refugees from Europe are among the major objectives which were discussed at today's session, as was the adjustment of large numbers . of refugees expected to reach the U.S. in 1949.
The J.D.C. estimated that it would need $70,086,400 in 1949. At the same time, the relief and rehabilitation agency pointed out that should the rate of immigration to Israel continue at higher than 10,000 persons per month, the J.D.C. may require $81,915,400.
The U.P.A. estimated that expenditures for its overall program of receiving, rehabilitating and resettling new immigrants in 1949 in Israel will total $291,246,000. It pointed out that a minimum of 180,000 Jews will migrate to Israel during 1949. The budget figures presented by the U.P.A. include the sum of $150,450,000 for immigration and housing in Israel.
The United Service for New Americans presented a budget calling for $11,644,505 for its 1949 activities in resettling Jewish immigrants in the United States. It estimated that Jewish immigration to this country will approximate 24,500 during 1949 as compared with 15,500 in 1948. The U.S.N.A. budget includes no allowance for additional Jewish immigrants who may be expected to come to the U.S. if the discriminatory sections of the Displaced Persons Act of I948 are eliminated by Congress.
William Rosenwald, national chairman of the U.J.A. who presided at the opening session today, in a keynote address, declared that the vast accomplishments during the 10 years since the inception of the U.J.A. "have brought us to the crossing of a threshold into a new era for Jews overseas and for Jews in Israel."
Emphasizing that the U.J.A. raised more than $500,000,000 during the 10 years of its existence, Rosenwald said that the historic developments of the last year–including the establishment of the state of Israel and the beginning of mass immigration into the Jewish state–as well as the "wider opportunities" in 1949 came about as a result of the achievements of the American Jewish communities during the past 10 years. He paid tribute to Henry Morgenthau, Jr., who headed the IT.J.A. during the last two years, and pointed out that 1949 is "a year of opportunity" during which the final please of many critical problems facing Jews overseas and in Israel can be solved.
Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, chairman of the European Executive Council of the J.D.C., reported that the emergency phase of relief work for Europe's Jews is practically completed and that during this year major stress will be laid on emptying the Jewish DP camps, speeding nearly 200,000 emigrants to Israel and expanding the aid program in North Africa.
Dr. Schwartz described the projected emptying of Jewish DP camps as "one of our great goals in 1949." He disclosed that about 80,000 Jews left the DP camps during last year. "Today," he said, "Jews are leaving the camps at a rate of 7,000 per month. If we maintain this rate we can empty the camps, for all practical purposes, within a year or less."
The J.D.C. leader stressed that liberalization of the present U.S. DP law, which in its present form bars the great majority of displaced Jews from entry, would make it possible to empty the camps at a much faster pace. "The emptying of the Jewish DP camps depends on the Jewish communities of the United States," he added. "They have it in their power to assure a visa for every Jew in a DP camp who wants to go to Israel." Describing the deplorable conditions of Jews in North Africa, Dr. Schwartz emphasized that the J.D.C. will concentrate on ameliorating them. He declared that J.D.C. reconstruction work among the hundreds of-thousands of Jews who will remain in Europe will be centered in the countries of Eastern Europe, "where economic revolution is taking place," making it necessary for thousands of men and women to adapt and retrain themselves or emigrate.
Herman L. Weisman, acting national chairman of the U.P.A., told the conference that the most important aspect in the present Israeli diplomatic and military situation is that "the armies of Israel have demonstrated their ability to defend the borders of their land." With Israel's borders secured and its nationhood recognized the next step must be to make possible the absorption of large numbers of immigrants and the strengthening of the country's economy, he said. "The Jews of the United States must provide the funds," he emphasized.
Weisman stressed the special situation of the Jews in Eastern Europe. Many of them, he said, wish to come to Israel and thus far they have had little difficulty in securing exit permits from their governments.
Edwin Rosenberg, president of USNA, predicted that the end of Jewish homelessness in Europe "will finally be achieved." in 1949. He credited the mass migration to Israel, the U.S. and other lands "to a combination of years of resolute effort and unceasing activity carried on by the Jews of America through the U.J.A." Rosenberg paid tribute to the Jewish communities of America for their "prompt action" in providing Jobs and housing assurances for Jewish displaced persons in accordance with the provisions of the DP Act
Harry N. Rosenfield, member of the U.S. Displaced Persons Commission, reported that President Truman is personally optimistic that a new DP act will be passed this year to enable at least 400,000 refugees from Europe to enter the U.S. within the next two years. He said that the President would actively support major amendments to the DP Act of 1948, as proposed by Senators Howard J. McGrath and Matthew M. Neely.


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ICU - Intensive Care Unit
Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Coronary Care Unit (CCU)
Intensive Care or Critical Care refers to the special treatment given to patients who suffer from a serious medical problem. This unit is a nationally accredited Level 1 unit incorporating 2 ICU beds that look after adult and paediatric patients. Patients with a variety of medical illnesses are cared for by highly trained intensivists, medical officers and critical care registered nurses who provide around the clock care. Patients receive high-quality care supported by state of the art equipment.
Who is cared for in the ICU?
Many different types of patients are admitted to the ICU. Some come from the Emergency Department, some from other wards within the hospital because of complications from their illness. While there are many different types of patients in the ICU they all need the same thing - constant observation and specialised care.
Why all the machines? And why are they so noisy?
When you first come into the ICU one of the things that may concern you is the amount of equipment and machines attached to your family member or friend.
The first thing you may notice is the breathing machine that is called a ventilator, which is used when patients are too weak or ill to breathe for themselves. When your family member or friend has a ventilator working for them, they are unable to speak to you. So when you speak to him or her, ask simple questions that can be answered with a shake or nod of the head. The patient will often be heavily sedated to keep him or her comfortable, so may appear and feel very sleepy and may not always respond to you.
Another machine you will see is a heart monitor. It looks like a television with many coloured lines moving across the screen. The lines (traces) measure the activity of the patient's heart. The heart monitor is connected to the patient by means of sticky pads on the skin.
The beeps and other electronic noises you hear constantly are the alerts from the machines to let the nurse know when something needs attention.
In addition you will probably see several tubes called catheters either putting fluid and nutrients into the patient or taking other fluids out. Working together, these machines and monitors help make intensive care as safe and effective as possible.
Who are all these people working in the ICU?
There are highly trained doctors, nurses and other health care professionals working in ICU. Among the many people you will see is the intensivist (a specialist doctor in ICU). A critical care nurse is usually assigned to care for one or two patients at a time and has constant access to information about the patient.
Physiotherapists provide respiratory care and help the patient recover smoothly. Social workers can help with care for family members, discuss financial resources and assist in making plans for the future care of your family member or friend after leaving the ICU. The chaplain can offer daily emotional and spiritual support for patients and families. Please speak to your nurse if you would like to speak to either the social worker or chaplain.
Dietitians ensure the patient is getting all their nutritional requirements. Pharmacists provide medicines and provide the ICU team with detailed information and instructions on the medicines.
Who can find out how the patient is?
Privacy is always maintained concerning the care of the patient. Information is given only to the immediate family members and other enquiries are directed to the family.
Who and when can we visit our friend/family member?
Visiting is restricted to immediate family members only, however if the family wishes other people to visit the patient, please speak to the nurse first. Visiting hours for the ICU are the same as the hospital visiting hours, however ICU patients may have immediate family visit at anytime. Please do not bring children without speaking to the nurse first.
Can I bring flowers or gifts?
Flowers are not allowed in the unit, but greeting cards and photos of friends/ family or a familiar item for the patient to look at are very welcome.
The best thing you can do for people you love when they are in ICU is to be there for them. You can touch them, hold their hand, talk to them and let them know you love them. Let the doctor know what kind of care the patient would want.
What can I do for my family member/friend?
When someone you love is in the ICU take the time to care for yourself. Take walks, eat regular meals, get some fresh air, read or be with friends and make sure that you do whatever you usually do to help you cope. It is important that you are in a good state of mind and feeling well to be able to help and emotionally support your family member/friend while they are in ICU.
Remember, he or she is a patient in ICU because of a very serious illness or injury. You can help by letting him or her know you are there. While this is a difficult time for both the patient and the family, your loved one is in the best place her or she can be, with a team of medical experts working to make sure the or she receives the best possible care.
If you have any questions or concerns please come and talk to the medical or nursing staff who will help you.