text:
Intercostal retractions
Intercostal retractions is when the muscles between the ribs pull inward. The movement is usually a signthat the person has a breathing problem.
Intercostal retractions are a medical emergency.
Alternative Names
Retractions of the chest muscles
The wall of your chest is flexible. This helps you breathenormally. Stiff tissue called cartilage attaches your ribs to the breast bone (sternum).
The intercostal muscles are the muscles between the ribs. During breathing, these muscles normally tighten and pull the rib cage up. Your chest expands and the lungs fill with air.
Intercostal retractions are due to reduced air pressure inside your chest. This can happen if the upper airway (trachea) or small airways of the lungs (bronchioles) become partially blocked. As a result, the intercostal muscles are sucked inward, between the ribs, when you breathe. This is a sign of
Common Causes
Anaphylaxis Asthma Bronchiolitis Croup Epiglottitis
- Foreign body in the windpipe (See:
Foreign object aspiration or ingestion) Pneumonia Respiratory distress syndrome Retropharyngeal abscess
Home Care
Call your health care provider if
Seek immediate medical attention if intercostal retractions occur. This can be a sign of airway obstruction, which can quickly become life threatening.
Also seek medical care if the skin, lips, or nailbeds turn blue, or if the person becomes
What to expect at your health care provider's office
In emergency situations, the health care team will first take steps to help you breathe. You may receive oxygen, medicines to reduce swelling, and other treatments.
When you can breathe better, the doctor or nurse will examine you and ask questions about your medical history and symptoms, such as:
- When did the problem start?
- Is it getting better, worse, or staying the same?
- Does it occur all the time?
- Did you notice anything significant that might have caused an airway obstruction?
- What other symptoms are there, such asblue skin color, wheezing, high-pitched sound when breathing, coughing orsore throat?
- Has anything been breathedinto the airway?
Tests that may be done include:
- Arterial blood gases
Chest x-ray Complete blood count(CBC)
- Pulse oximetry to measure blood oxygen level


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At about noon on 14 January 1840, a heavy fog lifted from around the USS Vincennes and Passed Midshipman George "Colvos" Colvocoresses viewed an awe-inspiring spectacle: some 60 icebergs strewn across the ocean. "Every fantastic form and variety of tint was there," he recalled. "Masses, assuming the shape of a Gothic church, with arched windows and doors . . . composed, apparently, of crystal, showing all the shades of opal, or of emerald green; pillars and inverted cones, pyramids and mounds of every shape . . . and cities and palaces as white as the purest alabaster."
The icebergs were just some of the many fabulous sights he wrote about in his journal during the historic 1838-42 United States Exploring Expedition. While the expedition's commander, Navy Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, left the best known and most extensive first-hand account of the "Ex.
Ex.," Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, Colvocoresses also wrote a memoir of the voyage, Four Years in a Government Exploring Expedition, which was based on his journal. The expedition was a great adventure as well as a difficult and dangerous ordeal. When he set out on it, however, Colvocoresses was already well along in his own life's eventful odyssey—a 56-year journey that would end in tragedy.
George Musalas Colvocoresses was born in 1816 on the Aegean island of Chinos. His family suffered great personal and financial loss during the Greek War of Independence when in 1822 Turkish soldiers massacred some 30,000 inhabitants of the island. Colvocoresses later wrote that he was taken captive by a "fiend who called himself my master." After ransoming the boy, George's father sent his only surviving son to America.
In late 1823, George arrived in Baltimore on board the Margareta. During the passage, the brig's first mate had befriended him, and once ashore, the boy stayed with the sailor's mother. George's plight soon came to the attention of Baltimore's active Greek Relief Committee. Its chairman, Robert Goodloe Harper, and a local publisher, Edward J. Coale, took a special interest in the lad.
George's story became known beyond Maryland, and in 1824 Captain Alden Partridge's offer to take full responsibility for his education and welfare was accepted. A former acting superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, Partridge had left the Army and founded the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy (present-day Norwich University), located in Vermont. Since Captain Partridge was a bachelor at the time, George lived with the captain's brother Aaron and his family.
The boy became ever more proficient in English as he received the same education as the other cadets at the academy. It was not always easy, but he adapted well and graduated in 1831. Although Captain Partridge was often absent, he was a caring parent; his foster son would write that "he was to me as a father [and] he spared no expense that could conduce to my comfort or promote my future welfare."
In 1832, Partridge helped secure a U.S. Navy midshipman's warrant for George, who was later assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron. While in the Mediterranean, he served on board the frigate USS United States and in his spare time visited relatives, including his parents, who had returned to Chinos. Shortly after completing his Norfolk Naval School studies and earning his passed midshipman's warrant in 1837, Colvocoresses was assigned to the U.S. Exploring Expedition.
Since the 1820s various Americans had promoted the idea of an expedition to explore and chart the Pacific Ocean and South Seas to advance U.S. commercial interests and scientific knowledge. Newspaperman, orator, and adventurer Jeremiah N. Reynolds was the most persistent and persuasive. In 1836 he delivered a long address on the subject to Congress. Representative John Quincy Adams, who as president in 1828 had backed plans for an exploring expedition, lent his considerable prestige to the project, and Congress approved $150,000 in funding.
A combination of politics, personalities, and bureaucracy, however, delayed the Exploring Expedition's launch for two years. The ships eventually assembled for the voyage were led by the 127-foot sloop-of-war Vincennes, Lieutenant Wilkes' flagship and the first U.S. Navy ship to circumnavigate the globe. The other vessels were the sloop-of-war Peacock, the 88-foot brigantine Porpoise, the 109-foot storeship Relief, and the schooners Sea Gull and Flying Fish. The expedition's 12-man scientific corps included ethnologist Charles Pickering, ornithologist-artist Titian Peale, and botanist William Brackenridge. Finally, on the afternoon of 18 August 1838, the squadron set out from Hampton Roads.
From his vantage point on board the Porpoise, Midshipman Colvocoresses described the departure: "At 3 o'clock . . . the Vincennes made the signal . . . and we weighed anchor in company with the rest of the squadron. . . . At 4.15 P.M., on the 19th, we discharged the pilot and took our departure. The day was beautiful, the sea smooth, the breeze favoring and the vessels sailed finely."
After stops in the Madeira and Cape Verde islands, the squadron set sail for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On mid-November nights during the westward Atlantic crossing, Colvocoresses noted that he and his comrades "kept watch for the periodical showers of stars. Forty were seen in the midwatch of the 13th, proceeding from the Pleiades, and shooting in a northerly direction. The weather was now delightful, and the southeast trades were wafting us along at nine or ten knots."
On the 21st, the Peacock arrived in Rio's harbor, where over the next several days she was joined by the expedition's other ships. The vessels were repainted, repaired, and provisioned before setting out again in January 1839 and conducting a survey of Argentina's Negros River. The squadron then proceeding around Cape Horn and into Tierra del Fuego's Orange Harbor. From there, some of the vessels set out for Antarctica. Colvocoresses, meanwhile, was transferred to the Relief, whose assignment was to conduct surveys in the Strait of Magellan.
Before reaching the passage, however, on 18 March a furious gale hit during which the ship began drifting toward the coast. The next morning the weather moderated before worsening in the afternoon. At daylight the next day, "the bower-chain parted, the larboard sheet became unshackled at forty-five fathoms," Colvocoresses recalled. "After the sun went down the storm raged with greater intensity than at any previous time. A little after 8 o'clock the ship commenced dragging, and a tremendous wave came over the bows, which dashed some crew members against the masts and guns, and completely inundated the berth-deck." Fortunately, the wind soon changed and the Relief "tailed clear" of the Penquin Point reefs. Around midnight the weather lightened, and the ship was able to sail from shoal water.
Abandoning an attempt to enter the strait, the Relief made for Valparaiso, Chile, the expedition's rendezvous point. The Sea Gull was the only one of the ships not to arrive there. She evidently went down during the torrential weather, along with her 18 crew members.
For the next stage of the expedition, Lieutenant Wilkes dispatched the slow Relief for home after reassigning most of her officers. The remaining four ships, with Colvocoresses back in the Peacock, explored and surveyed South Pacific islands—the Disappointments, Tahiti, and the Navigator Group (present-day American Samoa)—before heading southwest to Australia. From there, with Midshipman Colvocoresses on board the Vincennes, the expedition again sailed for Antarctica; its goal was to make the first official sighting of the mysterious frozen continent.
On 3 February 1840, amid the icebergs, the ships again encountered severe weather. On the 7th, however, the weather cleared. According to Colvocoresses, "The Antarctic Continent was several times in sight in the course of the day, and a point of it . . . was named Cape Carr after the first-lieutenant of this ship." Seven days later, the ships were threading their way between masses of ice: "We were compelled to put the helm up and wear ship, picking our way through passages not more than 30 feet wide . . . at 1 p.m. we effected a landing on an iceberg and found embedded in it sand, gravel and rocks, pieces of a new continent."
After mapping hundreds of miles of the continent's coast, the expedition later arrived in the "Fejee" Islands, where Lieutenant Joseph A. Underwood and Midshipman Wilkes Henry, both from the Porpoise, were murdered by natives on Malolo. The Porpoise's commander, Captain Cadwallader Ringgold, was put in charge of a punitive force, which killed some 80 Fijians.
By October 1840, the expedition had reached the Sandwich (present-day Hawaiian) Islands, and on the 27th Colvocoresses took to horseback for a chance to view Oahu's fabulous Nuuanu Pali cliff and mountain pass. According to his description:
After a ride of about four miles . . . you enter a grove of hibiscus and other tropical trees. In a few minutes you come again into open space, and . . . the Pali suddenly bursts upon your view, filling you with wonder and astonishment. On either hand immense masses of volcanic rock rise to the perpendicular height of between six and seven hundred feet; while looking down beneath the fearful precipice, you behold in one view plantations, trees, villages, meadows filled with cattle grazing, the town of Honolulu, with its harbor and shipping, and the blue bosom of the Pacific.
After leaving the Sandwiches, by late April 1841 the Vincennes, with Colvocoresses on board, and the Porpoise were approaching the North American continent. On the 28th, the ships reached the mouth of the Columbia River, "but, as the weather was boisterous and the sea broke with great violence on the bar, we did not deem it prudent to enter the river." The wind picked up early the next morning, and the ships headed northward, for Puget Sound.
During the voyage, as Colvocoresses recalled, they very nearly escaped disaster:
About 10 A.M. on the 30th, the "look-outs" reported "breakers a-head"; immediately all hands were called, and the ship was brought by the wind. After standing a few minutes on this course the weather cleared, and we discovered Destruction Rocks [Point Grenville Rocks] not more than a half mile off. . . . It was in fact a very narrow escape from shipwreck, and certain destruction.
From July to August 1841, Colvocoresses acted as assistant to Lieutenant Henry Eld during an expedition that explored the country between the Nisqually River, in west-central Washington, and Grays Harbor, just north of the mouth of the Columbia River. It then surveyed the harbor in boats. During the journey, a "Chief Squaw" of the Sachal Indian tribe made a deep impression on the young officer. He described her as "a woman of great energy of character [who] exercises greater authority over those around her than any man chief I have met since I have been in the country."
Not long after completing the trip, Colvocoresses joined a second Ex. Ex. overland expedition. Led by Lieutenant George Emmons, its members included Titian Peale, artist Alfred Agate, cartographer Henry Eld, geologist Dwight Dana, and botanist William Rich. On 7 September the party set out southward, and over the next weeks fought off insects and illness while occasionally spotting grizzlies and Indians.
On the 29th the group reached a mountain range that separated Oregon Territory from Mexico's Alta California. According to Colvocoresses: "The ascent was steep and tedious and every moment we expected to be attacked by hostile Indians. . . . On arriving at the summit of the range, we obtained a view which more than repaid us for our trouble. The Shaste [Shasta] Mountains with their snowy peaks, could be seen some fifty miles to the southward, swelling and soaring to the skies."
The party forded the Sacramento River on 12 October and five days later arrived at New Helvatia, home of Captain John Sutter, on whose property gold would be discovered in January 1848. "We were most hospitably and kindly received by him," Colvocoresses wrote. He had "an easy, polite demeanor . . . that made us feel perfectly at home." From there, the midshipman and four other members of the party set out by boat for San Francisco Bay, arriving on the 19th. Continuing overland, the others arrived five days later.
On 25 October Colvocoresses was assigned to the Oregon, a brig Wilkes had purchased to replace the Peacock after she grounded on a Columbia River bar and was lost. The expedition then set out for home by sailing westward, to Hawaii and then Singapore, across the Indian Ocean, and around the Cape of Good Hope. After a stop at St. Helena, the ships crossed the Atlantic. George Colvocoresses ended his book with the words, "Leaving Rio Janeiro, we shaped our course for New York, where we arrived on the 3d of July, 1842, after having been absent from home and friends three years and eleven months."
The United States Exploring Expedition had logged more than 87,000 miles, surveyed 280 islands, and generated 180 charts. Four hundred zoological specimens were collected and 200 new species discovered. Several parts of the globe now had new names, among them: Colvocoresses Island in the Fijis; Colvocoresses Passage, Vashon Island, Puget Sound; and Colvocoresses Bay, Antarctica.
The voyager next enjoyed a much-deserved leave. Promoted to lieutenant in 1845, Colvocoresses married Eliza Halsey in May 1846. The couple would have four children, one of whom, George Partridge Colvocoresses, would retire from the Navy as a rear admiral. After cruises to the Mediterranean, the South Atlantic, and Africa, the lieutenant was assigned to the USS Levant in 1855. He returned to the Pacific in the sloop and battled Chinese along the Pearl River after they fired on the ship.
In 1861, the year the Civil War erupted, Colvocoresses was promoted to commander and given command of the converted storeship USS Supply, which was part of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Although outfitted with only four cannon, the ship nevertheless was able to capture a Confederate blockade runner, the Stephen Harte, off the Florida coast in January 1862. The captain's share of the disbursement of her appraised value was the healthy sum of $19,000.
The next year, while in command of the sloop-of-war Saratoga, Colvocoresses led a shore raid that snared a group of Georgians who had gathered to organize themselves into a Confederate military unit. In his report to Rear Admiral John A. B. Dahlgren, the commander wrote: "We took 26 prisoners, 22 horses and buggies, destroyed 2 bridges and burned a large encampment . . . all in broad daylight, 15 miles from our boats, without losing a single life."
On the strength of these and other activities, the commander had a justifiable expectation of a more important command, but it was not to be. Detached from the Saratoga, Colvocoresses was placed in command of the St. Mary's, an old third-rate vessel, in which he cruised off the coasts of Chile and Peru through November 1865. Worse was to come.
In 1867 he was made captain and summarily retired. His son, later-Admiral Colvocoresses, would write that he believed the shoddy treatment stemmed from three factors: His father never engaged in self-promotion, was too open in stating his strongly held political beliefs, and was not born in America. "My father had always been a democrat," the admiral was quoted as stating, "and although perfectly loyal to the government, he did not hesitate to freely express his opinion about persons and parties."
George M. Colvocoresses lived the rest of his life quietly with his family in Litchfield, Connecticut. His first wife had died in 1862, and the next year he married Adeline Swasey, the younger sister of Captain Alden Partridge's wife. But less than ten years later, tragedy struck.
At 2300 on 3 June 1872, a policeman responding to the sound of a gunshot found Colvocoresses dead near the Bridgeport, Connecticut, docks. The captain had planned to catch a boat from there to New York that night. The sheath of the sword cane he always carried lay shattered next to his body, the sword itself bent in half, and the satchel he had been carrying was missing. It was found the following day ripped open, its contents, $80,000 in bearer bonds, missing. A coroner's jury rendered a verdict of "death by pistol or gunshot wound in the lower left chest by some person or persons unknown."
And so George Musalas Colvocoresses' odyssey ended in tragic irony. After surviving a massacre, perilous seas, and battle, he met his death near home at the hands of an unknown killer. His murder remains one of history's unsolved mysteries.
Colvocoresses family histories: George M. Colvocoresses, "The Massacre of Chios—1822: A Personal narrative written for my family," no date; George Partridge Colvocoresses, "A Sketch of the Colvocoresses Family," 1902; Eva Topping, "George M. Colvocoresses USN: From Sea to Shining Sea," no date. Provided by Harold Colvocoresses.
George M. Colvocoresses, Four Years In A Government Exploring Expedition (New York: Cornish, Lamport & Co., 1852).
Navy Register of the United States, 1842-62 (Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1842-62).
William Ragan Stanton, The Great United States Exploring Expedition (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1975).
The Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies during the War of the Rebellion (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1902).

subset: commoncrawl


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finger(redirected from get fingers burned)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
one of the five digits of the hand.
baseball finger mallet finger.
clubbed finger one affected by clubbing.
hammer finger mallet f.
index finger forefinger.
mallet finger partial permanent flexion of the terminal phalanx of a finger caused by a ball or other object striking the end or back of the finger, resulting in rupture of the attachment of the extensor tendon. Called also baseball or hammer finger.
webbed f's syndactyly of the fingers.
fin·ger(fing'gĕr), [TA]
One of the digits of the hand.
Synonym(s): digitus manus [TA]
finger/fin·ger/ (fing´ger) one of the five digits of the hand.
baseball finger mallet f.
clubbed finger a finger with clubbing.
index finger forefinger.
mallet finger partial permanent flexion of the terminal phalanx of a finger caused by an object striking the end or back of the finger, owing to rupture of the attachment of the extensor tendon.
ring finger the fourth digit of the hand.
webbed fingers syndactyly of the fingers.
One of the five digits of the hand, especially one other than the thumb.
Etymology: AS, fingar
any of the digits of the hand. The fingers are composed of three bony phalanges. Some anatomists regard the thumb as a finger, since its metacarpal bone ossifies in the same way as a phalanx. Other anatomists regard the thumb as being composed of a metacarpal bone and two phalanges. The digits of the hand are anatomically numbered 1 to 5, starting with the thumb. See also nail, def. 1.
fingerverb (slang) To stimulate the vagina with one or more fingers.
fin·ger(fing'gĕr) [TA]
One of the digits of the hand.
Synonym(s): digitus manus.
Synonym(s): digitus manus.
fin·ger(fing'gĕr) [TA]
One of the digits of the hand.
n any one of the five digits of the hand.
finger, clubbed,
n a condition seen in hypertrophic osteoarthropathy where the base angle between the base of the fingernail and adjacent dorsal surface of the terminal phalanx is obliterated and becomes 180 degrees or greater. The base of the nail projects downward, and the area of nail is increased.
finger positions,
n.pl the positions of the fingers when operating; refers not only to the fingers grasping the instrument but also to the fingers used for rests, support, and holding the tissues out of the way.
finger rest,
n an integral part of instrumentation, in which the fingers of the working hand rest on the teeth, adjacent tissues, and fingers of the opposing hand to improve control of the working stroke of an instrument by providing a fulcrum for movement of the working fingers and instruments.
finger rest, reinforced,
n the position of the fingers that provides additional force to the instrument by allowing the thumb of the nondominant hand to be placed on the handle or shank of the instrument while the index (first) finger of the nondominant hand is placed on the adjacent tooth.
finger rest, substitute,
n the position of the fingers used when the customary resting point on an adjacent tooth is inhibited by a missing or inadequately supported tooth. The substitute finger rest may be the dental arch or a gauze sponge or cotton roll packed into the appropriate area.
finger rest, supplementary,
n the position of the fingers that provides additional support by allowing the index (first) finger of the dominant or instrument hand to rest on the index finger of the nondominant hand when it is placed on the occlusal surface of the adjacent teeth.
finger strut,
n a bar or similar component of the infrastructure of a subperiosteal or endosteal implant that projects from it, being attached at only one side.
finger sucking,
n the habit of sucking the finger (or thumb) for oral gratification. It is normal in infants and young children as a comforting device, especially when tired or hungry. If the habit persists beyond the eruption of the permanent teeth, it may cause a malocclusion of the anterior teeth.
finger sweep,
n a method whereby one uses fingers to remove a foreign object from the oral cavity of an unconscious individual. Finger sweeps should not be performed on small children unless one can clearly see the object.
Patient discussion about finger
Q. What does thumb or finger sucking mean in ADULTS? People watch the unusual behavior of a person and decide their disorder. I strongly agree, but here is a critical question for you all. What does thumb or finger sucking mean in ADULTS?
A. It's not a show to enjoy and laugh! It means that whomever you are talking about needs to see a psychologist. I am not joking. Things we are supposed to out-grow but don't, i.e. thumb sucking, imaginary friends or bed wetting, can represent serious problems or mental blocks.
Q. I broke my pinkie finger a year ago. It is locked in a curved position. How can I straiten it out?
A. i would let a certified orthopedic look at the finger. treatment is according to the severity of the case. i think Terrany method is about finger physiotherapy. i'm not sure this method is to reshape uneven bone healing. this is a bit different situation, bone can be reshaped, this is how an orthodontic can move teeth- by changing the bone. but it takes a few years. i would go to an orthopedic, i advise you to do the same.
Q. Anyone know why it hurts so much when you smash one of your finger nails?
A. two years ago i closed by accident the door of my car. my thumb was then blocked several seconds before i could liberate myself. it did hurt a lot that i could not sleep anymore. case of emergency. so at the hospital, they took a needle above a flame and then they pierced two holes in the middle of my right thumb nail to let out the pressure of the blood and cell-water who was stuck and which gives the pain. nerves plus body-liquid hurt then a lot. i had to return several times again to the emergency because the holes were closed again, i received heavy drugs to have no pain and lost at least my nail. today you see absolutelly nothing anymore!More discussions about finger


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- Good Friday Reminder: Fasting, Abstaining, and You
- LENTCAzT 2019 45 – Good Friday: The ultimate pulpit
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- A good article in Crisis about France. Fr. Z adds a short rant.
- LENTCAzT 2019 44 – Holy Thursday: Sin is in the blood
- So a guy with gas cans walks into @StPatsNYC in Midtown Manhattan…
- ARRIVED: Tenebrae Hearse! And a successful bout with Zuhlsdorf's Law
- PRAYERCAzT: What does the Latin Exorcism really sound like? FOR PRIESTS ONLY – UPDATED
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- VIDEO: Interview with Fr. Jean-Marc Fournier
- WDTPRS – Spy Wednesday, the last Collect of Lent
- VIDEO: Interior of #NotreDame after the fire. WHEW!
- LENTCAzT 2019 43 – Wednesday of Holy Week: In a cataclysm, something must be salvaged.
- VIDEO – The last rite in #NotreDame was… this?
- About #NotreDame and the fire and the altar. Just sayin'…
- Fr. Z rants about #NotreDame fire and the Faith in the Church's "eldest daughter"
- Inside burning #NotreDame a human chain saved relics, Blessed Sacrament. Fr. Jean-Marc Fournier – OORAH!
- Happy Birthday, Benedict XVI! Ad multos vivas faustissimos annos
- LENTCAzT 2019 42 – Tuesday of Holy Week: It wasn't a suggestion
- An early ALLELUIA for the vaulting of #NotreDame – It held!
- Fire – roof of Notre Dame of Paris – Will this shock awaken the Faith?
- LENTCAzT 2019 41 – Monday of Holy Week: Cleansing costs
- POLL: @GameOfThrones – Final Season #GoTS8
- Your Palm Sunday Sermon Notes
- LENTCAzT 2019 40 – Palm Sunday: Something borrowed
- ASK FATHER: The priest is a jerk and has hang-ups
- ASK FATHER: My unbaptized wife insists on contraception
- A detail in a detail in a header on this blog and some details about a liturgical detail.
Let us pray…
Grant unto thy Church, we beseech Thee, O merciful God, that She, being gathered together by the Holy Ghost, may be in no wise troubled by attack from her foes. O God, who by sin art offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy people making supplication unto Thee,and turn away the scourges of Thine anger which we deserve for our sins. Almighty and Everlasting God, in whose Hand are the power and the government of every realm: look down upon and help the Christian people that the heathen nations who trust in the fierceness of their own might may be crushed by the power of thine Arm. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.
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Daily Archives: 14 September 2018
Bits and pieces
At The Weekly Standard there is a superb summary article about The Present Crisis in the Church. It is rather devastating for papalotrous and blinkered Team Francis. The Catholic Church Is Breaking Apart. Here's Why. by Jonathan V. Last At the bottom, … Continue reading
WDTPRS – 24th Ordinary Sunday: Does it make any difference to offer prayers to God?
Given The Present Crisis and the call, often taken up now, for prayer and more prayer, we might consider whether it makes any real difference to offer prayers to God. The Collect for the 24th Ordinary Sunday was not in … Continue reading
Videos and hi-res photos of the Consecration of the Abbey and Abbess of Gower
I've written a few posts about the recent Consecration of the Abbey, and the Abbess, of Gower. HERE and HERE It was a terrific occasion, in the deepest sense of "terrific". There are now available hi-res photos of the events. … Continue reading
UPDATED Mary, Queen of the Clergy holy cards with Daily Prayer for Priests – AVAILABLE!
A few days ago I posted about receiving holy cards of Our Lady, Queen of the Clergy. HERE Since them, I have been in close contact with the nice lady who made them and we have improved the cards. The … Continue reading
Of Friday and festive penitential Pesto fit for a King
It may be the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, but it is also a Friday. Festive penance is in order. Or, if you prefer, penitential festivity. A fine meal for a Friday with a feast such as the … Continue reading
BOOKS RECEIVED: A hard look at Francis in Spanish by Argentinian author
Books arrive from publishers and from readers. For those of you who read Spanish, you might check out a volume which came to me in Kindle form. "No lo conozco": Del Iscariotismo a la Apostasía (Spanish Edition) by Antonio Caponnetto … Continue reading
14 Sept: 11th Anniversary of Summorum Pontificum – Thank you, Benedict XVI!
Spars are carried away and sails shred. Lines lash in the winds and crack like whips in the tempest. It's nevertheless all hands on deck as the Barque of Peter takes on water and flies before the storm. As The … Continue reading


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2012 ACM Awards Performance Pictures
Carrie Underwood was first, Blake Shelton and Lionel Richie were last and very few dips were found in between. It was three straight hours of back-to-back performances that barely left time for a bathroom break on Sunday night. The 2012 ACM Awards felt more like an all-star jam than an awards ceremony, not that anyone is complaining.
Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw might have been the highest profile pairing of the night, singing Chesney's next single 'Feel Like a Rock Star.' However, Richie and Shelton and Brad Paisley with the Zac Brown Band were two other collaborations that fans will be tingling from on Monday morning. Scroll through this photo gallery to see clips of all the best performances from the 2012 ACM Awards.


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Industries › Small Business
Small-business advocate
New group in Northern Virginia has sights on Richmond
- February 28, 2011
- |
Just when you thought there were plenty of business groups to go around, another one comes along. That might be the typical reaction to the Fairfax County-based Virginia Small Business Partnership, which formed last year.
Its founders say they are trying to provide a voice for small-business owners at the state Capitol. A number of other organizations, such as chambers of commerce, already appear to be doing that, but the partnership maintains it is strictly an advocacy group that looks to its members for issues.
"The chambers do training and education," says Paul Miller, the partnership's chairman. "We're not doing that. We tell Richmond what we want."
The nascent organization already has a list of 120 members who pay $35 per year to join.
Four people with substantial Capitol Hill and statehouse experience run the partnership:
Miller is the founder and president of a government affairs firm Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies LLC in Fairfax and recently was named chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia's Small Business Coalition.
David Skiles, a former legislative aide to a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, is president of the partnership. He works state government relations for Miller/Wenhold where he oversees the firm's state government relations.
Loretta Herrington, a former federal official with experience in mining safety, international emergency response and human rights, is a vice president of the partnership. She operates her own business as a public policy consultant.
Mark Johnson is also a vice president. He has managed congressional offices on Capitol Hill and lobbied for a major construction and engineering firm. He now is a lobbyist for Toyota Motor North America.
Although Miller and Skiles are involved with Republican politics, Miller stressed the partnership isn't connected to any party. "Anyone who knows me knows my political beliefs don't get in the way with what I do," he says.
The partnership's goals during the recent General Assembly session included streamlining procedures for small businesses to get state contracts. "It's too complicated," says Skiles, referring to the state's electronic bidding process for vendors and other programs. For example, small businesses also can qualify for programs targeting companies owned by women and minorities, but guidelines aren't clear, he says.
The partnership likewise wants the state to adopt the federal 23 percent threshold (where 23 percent of state contracts must be placed with small businesses) and establish a Virginia small business office.
The partnership's agenda also includes reducing taxes and business regulations.
The organization grew out of a Fairfax business roundtable hosted by Miller/Wenhold that drew dozens of participants. The result of that gathering was a number of recommendations to improve the state's small-business climate, such as legislation to offer tax credits to businesses that give their employees telework opportunities. Those proposals formed a report that was forwarded to Gov. Bob McDonnell and the legislature. Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe will speak at the group's next summit in September.
One partnership member is Tim Ciampaglio, who runs the Pharos Group in Stafford, a nonprofit organization that finds shelter for homeless veterans. He joined the business group to network but appreciates the "unique opportunity to give direct feedback to the state, to the governor," he says.
Another member, Spike Williams, the owner of Williams Realty Group in Herndon, joined the partnership to keep abreast of business issues. He wants to use those connections to negotiate health insurance for business owners at group rates.
Like Ciampaglio and Williams, most of the group's current members are in Northern Virginia, where transportation and alternative energy sources are big issues, Skiles notes. Other parts of the state have different economic interests, creating opportunities for regional chapters, he says. "We cast a wide net, reaching folks from Roanoke to Charlottesville to Virginia Beach."
So far the partnership has kept a fairly low profile. Rob Clapper, president and chief executive officer of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce, was surprised to learn about a new business group in his neighborhood. "I haven't heard of them, but I would be interested in knowing more," he says. "Small business is the backbone of the economy, so we're always looking for strategic alliances."


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The building blocks for a world that runs on digital technologies are—not surprisingly—digital. Yet, in a $10 trillion industry being upended by digital entrants, many construction companies have not transitioned to digital as the mainstay of their business.
Moving to a digital model is essential for future survival as connected homes, smart factories and offices, and consumers who demand sustainable construction at the right price point become more prevalent.READ THE REPORT [PDF]


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Sheryl Underwoods Roasts Tommy Davidson, Earthquake & Kym Whitley! "Tommy. You Drug Addicted Crack Infested Muthaf*cka. Whens The Last Time Your a$$ Had A Career"
EXPLICIT version of comedienne Sheryl Underwood roasting EVERYONE--- including Earthquake, Tommy Davidson and especially Kym Whitley. From the "The Roast and Toast of John Witherspoon" May 25 at 9pm ET on TV One
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text: Static linkage should run faster. There is one less jump through the symbol table. Ivan Silvestre Paganini Marin wrote: > Hello everybody at beowulf list. I am compiling my application using PGI > compilers for fortran 95, and some libraries, like fftw, lapack and > scalapack (from PGI or not, like ACML). I am curious to see if a static > compilated program is fastest than a dynamic one. Static has it's > advantages (I will be running this application on several nodes, so if > it is dynamic I will have to install the libraries on each node, etc), > but still don't know if it is fastest. > Does anybody has a clue? > > Thank you. > > Ivan Marin > Laboratório de Física Computacional > Instituto de Física de São Carlos > Universidade de São Paulo - Brasil > > _______________________________________________ > Beowulf mailing list, Beowulf at beowulf.org > To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf > >


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Former stars of Degrassi: Where Are Ü Now?
Degrassi is back, y'all! That's right, today marks the launch of the teen drama's brand new series, Degrassi: Next Class, which is available to watch in its entirety on Netflix… read more
Former stars of Degrassi: Where Are Ü Now?
Degrassi is back, y'all! That's right, today marks the launch of the teen drama's brand new series, Degrassi: Next Class, which is available to watch in its entirety on Netflix right now. Finally, we of the '80s and '90s generations can finally return to the hallowed halls of our beloved Degrassi High.
As indicated by episode titles such as '#ThisCouldBeUsButYouPlayin' and '#NoFilter', and episode synopses like "Miles turns to anti-anxiety meds when forced to spend time with his dad and Lola discovers that her friends masturbate and decides to test it out herself", the new series promises to represent the kids of 'Generation Z', and the modern (but not entirely new) set of complications they face in high school. Obviously, we're pretty excited about it. But while we're looking forward to the new series, let's take a moment to look back on what came before this 'Next Class', and where the former stars of this much loved Canadian teen melodrama are now.
Miriam McDonald – Emma Nelson (Seasons 1-9)
The definition of a Degrassi staple, Miriam McDonald's Emma Nelson saw it all in her high school years, from anorexia to bulimia, and even an STD. Since leaving the show, McDonald has acted sporadically, with occasional roles on popular Canadian TV shows Lost Girl and Orphan Black, and in the 2014 feature film Wolves. Most importantly though, McDonald is now a professional yoga instructor with a series of instructional videos on YouTube. Check out her Instagram!
Cassie Steele – Manny Santos (Seasons 1-9)
Cassie Steele played Emma's BFF Manny, who went from being an innocent youngster to becoming pregnant with Craig's baby and ultimately opting for an abortion. Following her departure from the show in 2010, Steele has been focused on her 'music career', releasing two albums and going on tour. She also briefly starred as Abby Vargas on the short-lived seriesThe L.A. Complex, which only lasted for two seasons. In April of 2014, her single "Mad" was released on iTunes, and that same year she also starred in two reputable-sounding TV movies: Sorority Surrogate and The Dorm.
Aubrey "Drake" Graham – Jimmy Brooks (Seasons 1-8)
This guy's certainly bounced back after his character was infamously shot and paralysed, dashing his dreams of being a basketball star, but opening the door to his budding music career. As we all know, that music career would go from fiction to reality, as Aubrey A.K.A Drake is now one of the biggest recording artists in the world right now (apologies to Cassie Steele). We're still going to keep calling him Jimmy Brooks, though. Drake certainly hasn't forgotten his Degrassi roots in the face of enormous fame, though, as evidenced by this video of him debuting his new dance "The Wheelchair Jimmy" while performing live in California.
Nina Dobrev – Mia Jones (Seasons 6-9)
Gorgeous then and gorgeous now, The Vampire Diaries leading lady Nina Dobrev got her big break playing Mia Jones, a young teen mom who transfers to Degrassi from rival school Lakehurst. Much of Mia's plotlines surrounded the difficulties of being a young mom and her struggle to balance her modelling career with school, which are like, typical problems! Nina has also appeared in films The Roommate, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Let's Be Cops, and has arguably had the most successful acting career of the Degrassi bunch. She also boasts no fewer than 7.3 million followers on Instagram.
Melissa McIntyre – Ashley Kerwin (Seasons 1-7)
While her character Ashley was once in a band with Drake's Jimmy, Melissa McIntyre has proceeded to pursue a music career on a somewhat smaller scale than her co-star Aubrey, resurfacing in 2012 as one of three harmony singers in the band Fortune. The band had its debut concert performance at the Stone Pony club in New Jersey. These days McIntyre is looking totally badass, and you can keep up with her on Twitter.
Jake Epstein – Craig Manning (Seasons 2-8)
Like half the girls on the show, we fell in love with Jake Epstein, A.K.A Craig Manning, when he first graced our screens in season two. Throughout the show he dated Ashley, Manny and Ellie, and suffered through bipolar disorder, a cocaine addiction and an abusive father. We're pleased to confirm that Epstein is still totally cute, and has been rocking a career in music theatre in such productions as Cinderella, Spring Awakening, Billy Elliot: The Musical, American Idiot, and as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. He most recently played Gerry Goffin in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical from 2013-2014.
Christina Schmidt – Terri MacGregor (Seasons 1-3)
People weren't all that nice to Christina Schmidt's poor character Terri, who was already insecure about her weight and appearance before Rick went and pushed her head into a cinder block, sending her into a coma. The real life Chrissy's had the last laugh though, as she has been enjoying a successful career in modelling since leaving the show. Represented by B&M Models in Toronto, she appeared in a 2007 ad campaign for MXM, and has modelled for Torrid and Nygard. She was also on the Canadian version of How to Look Good Naked, and is now a TV host for Love This City TV. Here she is on Instagram!
Sarah Barrable-Tishauer – Liberty Van Zandt (Seasons 1-9)
Asides from having the coolest name we've ever heard, Sarah Barrble-Tishauer's Liberty Van Zandt was oh so lovable as the geeky over-achiever in love with J.T. We were overjoyed when she finally landed her man, but then she got pregnant and we remembered how crazy this show was. Sarah has since ditched the 'dorbz glasses and is now the Digital Marketing Coordinator for Urban Adventures. She's pretty active on Instagram.
All 10 episodes of Degrassi: Next Class are available to watch on Netflix now.
Check out the trailer below:


text: CR-5000 - PCB Design SoftwareScalable single board designCR-8000 Compatible CR-5000 offers highly sophisticated functionality for the layout of multi-layer high-speed PCBs and IC packages, addressing design challenges such as signal integrity, power integrity and EMC, while ensuring high-yield manufacturability. The seamlessly integrated tools within CR-5000 enable the interactive workflow required for a straightforward design process and provide all the technologies required for an efficient and complete electronics development process. This includes: System design and analysis Constraint management Concurrent FPGA and PCB design PCB layout and verification High-speed and EMC analysis Manufacturing output All of this is complemented by a parts library manager, powerful documentation system, and an extensive internet-accessible components library. CR-5000 further supports co-design and co-verification with widely used mechanical, electrical, and thermal design systems.


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Draft Profile: Valeri Nichushkinby Michael Smith / Carolina Hurricanes
It's not too often a player of Valeri Nichushkin's caliber would be available with the fifth overall pick.
|Michael Smith
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But with the depth of high-end talent in this year's draft class, that's exactly what could happen.
The Chelyabinsk, Russia, native possesses the size, strength, speed and skill to become an elite power forward in the National Hockey League, and many are saying he's the best Russian talent available in the draft since Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin were the first two respective selections in 2004.
"Everyone recognizes what a tremendous talent he is," said Tony MacDonald, the lead amateur scout for the Hurricanes. "He's a very skilled guy – he's got size, he's got speed and he's got skill. He has that ability to dominate."
The 6-foot-3, 196-pound winger uses his speed and hefty frame to shield the puck and plow to the front of the net, but he doesn't shy away from making the crisp tape-to-tape pass, either.
"He's a big, strong man," MacDonald said. "When he turns it up a notch, he's a very tough guy for defenders to handle with his skill and his shot."
In the 2012-13 season, Nichushkin played in Chelyabinsk at three different levels. In 18 games with Traktor of the Kontinental Hockey League, the 18-year-old posted four goals and two assists (6 points) and was a plus-6. Traktor finished third in the Eastern Conference with 98 points. In 25 subsequent playoff matches, Nichushkin recorded six goals and three assists (9 points) and was a plus-9, helping Traktor advance to the Final, where they lost to Dynamo Moscow in six games.
Representing his country on his home soil in the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship, Nichushkin potted the bronze medal-winning goal 95 seconds into overtime against Team Canada. He finished the tournament with two points and a plus-5 rating in six games. In the 2013 Under-18 World Championship in Sochi, Russia, Nichushkin notched seven points (4g, 3a) in six games.
At the beginning of May, Nichushkin was traded from Traktor to Dynamo. His KHL contract raised some questions about his future intentions of playing in the NHL.
"Certainly, he still would have been given high consideration regardless, but it would be somewhat tempered by the fact that you're going to be drafting a player that may not come to your team for two or three years and is under contract in another league," MacDonald said.
Those concerns were eased at the combine, where Nichushkin declared his contract with Dynamo had been terminated, allowing him to play in the NHL in the 2013-14 season.
"Now that his so-called obstacles have been removed, he's here in North America," MacDonald said.
Furthering his intentions to play in the NHL, the Central Scouting Service's second-ranked European forward is training at Power Train Sports Institute in Manheim, Pa., over the summer.
The Hurricanes are somewhat familiar with Nichushkin in that he shares an agent, Mark Gandler, with Alexander Semin, who re-upped with Carolina for five years in March.
"If you have a relationship with an agent, and the relationship is a reasonably good, working one, [the familiarity] doesn't hurt," MacDonald said.
Nichushkin's draft stock has risen now that scouts and front office personnel are armed with fresh knowledge of his contract situation, so much so that he could perforate the first four selections on Sunday based on his natural talent and high-end ceiling alone.
"He's made it very clear that he wants to play in the NHL," MacDonald said. "Now, I think everyone is sort of reassessing their position on Nichushkin."


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Tonic - Wild One [Unsigned Hype]
Filipino artist Tonic from the DMV area with his latest release "Wild One". Beat produced by Clowd and Gunz. Music video directed by Daniel Tesfaye. Executive producer Arun Kapoor (arunkapoor.com)
--Follow on twitter @therealtonic
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text: I was wondering if it is possible to make the nodes' HDs bootable and make then start the Linux Network Install just after they boot. I am trying to find a way to make possible using a unique removable CD/floppy unit for a few minutes in each node. Excuse my rough example, but using a pseudo DOS, it would work like this: - Install the CD/floppy unit - Boot from floppy - A:\ sys c: --> Make HD bootable - A:\ copy install.net.exe c: --> Copy the Install program to HD - Shutdown After the node boot, it would run install.net.exe. That program would install the entire OS via network. Of course, it would ask for IP address, Gateway, etc. Does someone know if exists something like this ? Roberto ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sean Dilda" <agrajag at scyld.com> To: "Roberto F. Brandão" <roberto at tdibrasil.com.br> Cc: <beowulf at beowulf.org> Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 1:38 PM Subject: Re: Copying RedHat Install Wizard On Tue, 2003-02-18 at 10:08, Roberto F. Brandão wrote: > Hi, > > Thanks for all messages. They've helped a lot. > There is another question: is it possible to copy > the RedHat boot disk (floppy) into a HD ? You can mount a RH boot disk (its a fat filesystem), and copy off the initrd and kernel for it. You should then modify your bootloader on the hd to also point to the initrd and kernel (you shouldn't specify a root partition). You should also look at the syslinux.cfg on the boot floppy and add the appropriate kernel command line options in the bootloader on your harddrive.


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Best product is the NanoAtomChanger.Known As Cheat codes to life. Find me a better product ?
How about one nanobot that could make a team of nanobots to change any atom into any other atom and create atoms of any type…
NanoAtomChanger Applications
-Disease fighting -Construction of anything.
I'd like to build it , but maybe someone has beat me to it , maybe nanoelectronics can help … i just want some professional advice on where i should really begin because i could set my self very far back if i start using technology thats way too far behind.
I'd like some expert advice on this.
Maybe you read this post and someone has something close to what i want can you please post a link to it ?


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2 On 2: Mini Brawl Goes Down In San Diego, CA In Front Of Stingaree Nightclub! (Little Guy Tries To Break It Up)
Submitted by ukeim
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Large-Bellied Man Does Entertaining Seal Impression [VIDEO]
The rotund fellow in this video has the perfect physique for imitating a seal. He also has the sea mammal's bark and slithery gait down. But what really caps off this 13-second virtuoso performance — and makes him the Sir Laurence Olivier of seal impersonators — is his perfect sea mammal dive.
Check it out below.
[via BuzzFeed]


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demolitionic wrote:Has anyone heard of/know anything about/worked with Bark Busters?
They are trainers that come out to your house to help you address problems with your dogs.
They apparently have worked through my clinic before and came in today to drop off some more brochures and whatnot.
I got to talking to the trainer about Bunny's leash issues and fear aggression.
He said he would be happy to work with me on that stuff this weekend some time, and would only charge me for the materials (the collar, (he called it a training collar, and said part of it is a chain), leash, and 30 ft. lunge line, which all come out to be about $60.). He said that they correct this issues by teaching you how to be "dominant over the dog".
Are they all nutsy cuckoo? Anybody know?
katiek0417 wrote:I wouldn't use Bark Busters for a fear aggressive dog...they are pretty big on dominance, and their methods are questionnable...
Where are they located?
TheRedQueen wrote:katiek0417 wrote:I wouldn't use Bark Busters for a fear aggressive dog...they are pretty big on dominance, and their methods are questionnable...
Where are they located?
Not sure...waiting to hear back. They used to come to Laurel for training...but not sure from what direction!
They send trainers to you. It is $595 for 2-10 sessions, depending on what you need.
They guarantee it for life.
They come to your home. Is it best to have a trainer come to your home to help you with your situation, rather than just take your dog to classes?
Is trying to be the "alpha dog" the solution to many problems?
Please let me know your own personal situation and experience.
Being 'Alpha Dog' or being a good Leader is most important because the dog understands pack law. Your dog needs to see you as Leader in order to trust you, respect you, and learn from you. Bark Busters teaches you a ton about the principles of dog behavior...how to show leadership in a dog way - it's kind of like a Harvard Education in dog psychology!
An International Dog-Training Miracle
We were at our wits end with our American Staffordshire Terrier. She did not listen when called, she would obey our commands for all of five seconds, and she constantly insisted on eating our things, her favorite being
our daughter's pacifiers. My husband had been underway with the military twice in the time we had her, and both times I came close to getting rid of her by the time he got back. We were facing a seven month separation, and I knew that I would not be able to handle the stress that dog, Mocca, gave me on a day-to-day basis. We talked about bringing her to a pet store trainer, but did not have the money to pay for it, and frankly did not think it would be effective. Finally, after the umpteenth time I complained about the dog to my mom, she did a search on the internet and found Bark Busters Home Dog Training. She gave us a session with them as a Christmas present.
Bark Busters has a different approach to dog training. They believe it is better and more effective to train the dog in her own environment, her "den". After all, that is where the problems occur, and where her humans will be working with her. Their techniques are gentle and hands-off, taking advantage of how the dog communicates-body language and voice control-utilizing unique approaches such as "growling" at the dog with a deep BAH, and using a training aid that is a sack with some metal pieces in it. Thrown near (not at) the dog, it mimics a dog's snap, which in dog language is the final warning before a real fight ensues.
The Bark Busters' "Therapists" spend quality time in the clients' house, first with a sit-down presentation covering everything from what is mentioned above, to how nutrition can affect the dog, and what the best foods are. Then they do hands-on training with the dog, and also with the owners. At our session, we worked on her response to people at the front door, we learned how to be "leaders of the pack" by teaching her that we always lead through doors, and worked on leash control ("heel"). We were then assigned "homework" with a chart for five weeks of working with Mocca on the problems he perceived. He also gave us plenty of handouts detailing training methods.
Overall, our experience with Bark Busters has left us with the confidence that we can make Mocca better behaved. We have noticed drastic differences in the first couple days, including the fact that we can finally sleep with the dog outside of our room, and the door shut, something we have not been able to do since she arrived four months ago. There are still some problems, but now we have the tools we need to work on them. We also have the confidence of having our Therapist to rely on. We know he is coming back in a few weeks, and if there is any problem in between, we can call or email him. Bark Busters is very involved, very family-friendly, and very supportive.
This review is specifically of the Bark Busters Therapist in the Tidewater area of Virginia. There are Bark Busters representatives all around the United States, as well as Australia (where Bark Busters began), New Zealand, the UK, China, Canada, Israel, and Taiwan, and they are always expanding. You can view their American website at http://www.barkbusters.com, and there are links to the other nations' sites there. Though they are around the world, their training methods are the same, and effective. The hardest part of training our dog has been keeping constant with it every day. It does take commitment on the part of the owners, but if you are looking for a trainer who will be there to support you in that commitment, Bark Busters is an excellent choice.
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Skiing holidays at BERGHOF STURMGUT: Open the front door, get on your skis and hit the slopes! Located next to the ski run, our house offers easy access to the Hinterstoder ski lifts. Enjoy skiing from the very moment you leave the house - there is no need to take the car or the ski bus to get to the ski area!
Having spent the day out skiing, there is nothing to beat a few moments of relaxation at our small in-house spa with sauna (with wood-burner), steam room, freshwater Jacuzzis, infrared cabin and workout facilities.
Berghof Sturmgut is in a lovely hillside location some 200 meters from the town center. It is accessible by car even in winter (please note that snow chains are obligatory!).
Why hesitate? Book now!
The Kletzmairs look forward to meeting you!


text: Full size Natasha Marley, she of the British accent, tiny waist and hypnotically swaying natural tits, is the central focus of the Bluebird Films release "For Your Eyes Only," and she reiterates the title like it's a personal mantra. But, uh, we're all seeing this, so it's not really exclusive to the faceless men she's fucking. It doesn't matter, though. Natasha is cheeky, energetic, and fucks both girls and boys (sometimes at the same time) with equal enthusiasm. [Fleshbot NSFW]


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Crashes took 37,133 lives in the U.S. in 2017.
By far the largest number of motor vehicle crash deaths are occupants of passenger vehicles including cars, minivans, pickups, SUVs, and cargo/large passenger vans. The likelihood of crash death varies markedly among these vehicle types according to size. Small/light vehicles have less structure and size to absorb crash energy, so more injurious forces can reach their occupants in crashes. People in lighter vehicles are at a disadvantage in collisions with heavier vehicles. Kahane, C.J. 2003. Vehicle weight, fatality risk, and crash compatibility of model year 1991-99 passenger cars and light trucks. Report no. DOT HS-809-662. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation. Pickups and SUVs are proportionally more likely than cars to be in fatal single-vehicle crashes, especially rollovers. However, pickups and SUVs generally are heavier than cars, so occupant deaths in SUVs and pickups are less likely to occur in multiple-vehicle crashes.
The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and The Polk Company's National Vehicle Population Profile.
A total of 31,322 passenger vehicle occupants died in 2005, only 2 percent more than in 1975. However, the distribution of vehicle types among these crashes has changed. Car occupant deaths have declined 23 percent since 1975, while pickup occupant deaths have risen 65 percent and SUV occupant deaths are more than 10 times as high.
Passenger vehicle occupant deaths by vehicle type, 1975-2005
A total of 21,880 passenger vehicle drivers died in 2005, nearly the same as in 2004 but 13 percent more than in 1975. Sixty-three percent of passenger vehicle driver deaths in 2005 were car drivers. However, the proportion of deaths involving pickup and SUV drivers is growing as the popularity of these vehicles increases.
Passenger vehicle occupant deaths represented 72 percent of the 43,443 motor vehicle crash deaths in 2005.
Frontal impacts accounted for 49 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths in 2005. Side impacts accounted for another 29 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths.
Forty-two percent of car occupant deaths in 2005 occurred in single-vehicle crashes and 58 percent occurred in multiple-vehicle crashes. In contrast, single-vehicle crashes accounted for 63 percent of SUV occupant deaths and 60 percent of pickup occupant deaths.
Thirty-two percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2005 were younger than 25.
Seventy percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2005 were drivers; 71 percent of these drivers were males.
Computing driver death rates per million registered passenger vehicles allows for comparisons of fatal crash risk across vehicle groups. The computed rates reflect the influence of vehicle designs plus their patterns of use and the demographics of their drivers. Driver death rates are based on 1-3-year-old vehicles only so as to minimize the effects of vehicle aging. Rates based on fewer than 120,000 vehicle registrations are considered unreliable and are not included.
Since 1978 the overall rates of driver and occupant deaths per million registered vehicles have declined across all passenger vehicle types. Declines in death rates have been largest for SUV occupants.
For each vehicle type (car, pickup, SUV), the rates of driver deaths per million registered vehicles in 2005 were highest for the smallest and lightest vehicles.
Driver deaths per million registered passenger vehicles 1-3 years old, 2005
Multiple-vehicle crashes accounted for 38 driver deaths per million registered passenger vehicles in 2005, while there were 40 deaths per million in single-vehicle crashes. In single-vehicle crashes, pickups had the highest number of deaths per registered vehicle (69 per million) in 2005. In multiple-vehicle crashes, cars had the highest number of deaths per registered vehicle (46 per million), and SUVs had the lowest number of deaths per registered vehicle (21 per million).
Frontal impacts accounted for 20 driver deaths per million registered passenger vehicles in multiple-vehicle crashes in 2005, compared with 14 deaths per million in side impacts and 2 deaths per million in rear impacts.
Frontal impacts accounted for 19 driver deaths per million registered passenger vehicles in single-vehicle crashes in 2005, compared with 8 deaths per million in side impacts and 1 death per million in rear impacts.
A vehicle is classified as rolling over if it tips onto its side or roof at any time during the crash. The rollover may occur subsequent to a frontal or side impact with another vehicle or a fixed object. Many rollovers occur after a vehicle leaves the roadway and may lead to occupants being ejected from the vehicle, increasing the likelihood of fatality.
A total of 10,770 passenger vehicle occupants died in rollover crashes in 2005. Twenty-three percent of these did not involve any other impact.
Crashes in which a vehicle rolled over accounted for 34 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths in 2005 (56 percent of single-vehicle occupant crash deaths and 13 percent of multiple-vehicle occupant crash deaths).
Since 1978 pickups and SUVs have a consistently higher percentage of rollover deaths than cars.
More than three-fourths of fatal rollovers are single-vehicle crashes. Deutermann, W. 2002. Characteristics of fatal rollover crashes. Report no. DOT HS-809-438. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation. The remaining facts will concentrate on single-vehicle rollovers.
A total of 8,691 passenger vehicle occupants died in single-vehicle rollover crashes in 2005, 2 percent more than in 2004 and 11 percent more than in 1978.
Single-vehicle rollover crashes accounted for 48 percent of occupant deaths in SUVs in 2005, compared with 37 percent of occupant deaths in pickups and 20 percent in cars.
Since 1978 driver death rates for single-vehicle rollover crashes have declined across all passenger vehicle types, particularly for SUVs. Single-vehicle crashes involving rollover accounted for 23 driver deaths per million registered passenger vehicles in 2005.
©1996-2018, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute | www.iihs.org
IIHS-HLDI in the Classroom
An educational resource for students and teachers


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How to Calculate Your GPA
As you may all know, Grade Point Average (GPA) measures your academic performance in college. Some employers may use GPA as a key factor when hiring college graduates. Therefore, it is extremely important for you to maintain a good GPA throughout your college career. There are two types of GPA you should be aware of. One is Term GPA, which computes GPA of the courses you take each semester. Overall, GPA, on the other hand, is the GPA you have accumulated for all the semesters you have attended UTEP. Both Term GPA and Overall GPA are shown on your grade report at the end of each semester.
What is a good GPA?
Even though we have told you that a GPA of 2.0 or above will keep you off probation and suspension, it is best you maintain a GPA as high as possible. The higher your GPA the better. This will open more doors of opportunity when you apply for co-ops, internships or postgraduation jobs.
How do you calculate GPA?
In order to calculate your GPA, you need to know what grade points are and how they are used in GPA calculation. Every letter grade is assigned a fixed numerical value. This numerical value is what we refer to as grade points. The following table shows the grade points for all possible letter grades.
Dean's List
Making the Dean's List is definitely a good thing. To make the Dean's List you have to earn a 3.5 GPA at the end of the semester and have taken at least 12 credit hours.
Probation & Suspension
What is Probation?
Academic probation is a term used to describe a student's standing when the GPA goes below the minimum GPA of 2.0.What happens now? Probation is the term used when a student' s GPA falls below a 2.0. The student will need to get permission from the dean of his/her college to re-enroll.
How does a student get off of Probation?
A student can get off probation by bringing up the GPA to a 2.0 or above. At this point, the student will be eligible to re-enroll for the upcoming semester without prior permission from the dean.
What is Suspension?
Suspension is the academic term used to describe a student who is on academic probation and whose term GPA is below a 2.0. When this happens, a student will be suspended for one semester and will not be able to re-enroll until after the one semester is up. Then the student can petition their department for reinstatement. This means that a student will need permission from the dean of his/her College to re-enroll.
What happens if a student remains on suspension? One of two things could happen:
Academic Suspension for One Year
If a student has been suspended for one semester, returns to UTEP for one semester and still has less than 2.0 GPA, then the student will be suspended for one year, which means that the student will not be allowed to register for any classes at UTEP for one full year. After the one year is over, the student can choose to petition his/her department for reinstatement. If approved, the student will be allowed to re-enroll for one semester on academic probation. The dean of the student's college may also impose certain restrictions such as the amount of hours the student can register for or set a certain GPA standard the student must achieve for the semester.
Academic Suspension for Two Years
If a student still does not do well in the semester following the one-year suspension, then the student will be suspended for two years. After the two full years, the student can choose to petition the department for reinstatement. If approved, the student will be allowed to register for classes probably with some restrictions and expectations as mentioned above.
How does a student get out of suspension?
1. Meet with the academic dean after the suspension period.
2. Maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 or above.
From the UTEP Circles Survival Guide, pps. 10-13. http://academics.utep.edu/Portals/386/CirclesSurvivalGuide.pdf
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For educational purposes only.
|Owen M. Williamson - Education Bldg 211E - phone: (915) 747 7625 - fax: (915) 747 5655
|The University of Texas at El Paso - 500 W. University Ave. - El Paso, TX 79968
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Open Courseware | OCW |This work is dedicated to the Public Domain..


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Last month, the Packers lost tight end Tom Crabtree to the Buccaneers. The Packers have now replaced him on the offseason roster, signing veteran Matthew Mulligan.
Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports that the Packers signed Mulligan, a four-year veteran, to a one-year deal.
Mulligan has appeared in 50 career games. Not tendered as a restricted free agent in 2012 with the Jets, Mulligan signed a two-year deal with the Rams. St. Louis cut him last month.
In the two seasons, Mulligan has appeared in all 32 games, starting 18.
The Maine product has worked as both a run-blocker and a pass-catcher. He also provides depth at the overlooked-until-the-starter-gets-hurt position of long snapper.
Mulligan reportedly picked the Packers over the 49ers, who are trying to replace the versatile Delanie Walker.


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How Can Gameplay Allow Players to Get Creative?
November 20, 2012 Page 1 of 6
How can creativity be brought into games -- is it even possible? Designer Eddy Léja-Six examines the nature of both creativity and games to get to the bottom of the question: which games allow for creativity, and how do they encourage it?
Creativity and games are among the most important human activities. Children spend a lot of time playing and inventing, often at the same time: "Now you'll be the bank robber, and I'll chase you with this invisible dinosaur!"
Many adults will tell you they do not play games because WinMine (a.k.a. Minesweeper) "isn't really a game." Others will assure you they are not creative, as "they can't draw properly."
In fact, these two activities are part of everyone's life, and turn out to be as natural and spontaneous as breathing; almost as useful too.
As video game developers, we know how to entertain players and offer them meaningful and emotional experiences. But do we have the necessary tools to allow players to use their creative mind while they play? How did the games that attempted it fare? Should we even try to mix gameplay and creativity?
First and foremost, what is creativity? Here is the definition I could craft that gained the most consensus.
Creativity is the mental process allowing us to find and apply new ideas.
We'll add chunks to this rather short definition as the article goes on.
Calvinball, a perfect example of (excessively) creative gameplay
Calvin & Hobbes, © Bill Waterson
So What's the Plan, Then?
My objective in this feature is to identify if and how gameplay and creativity may work together in video game design. I shall try and cite as many relevant games as possible along the way. Here is a list of the missions I shall have to complete before I reach the end of my quest:
- Define creativity further
- Define gameplay
- Identify how these two have already been used together in existing games
- Analyze why those games succeed or fail in their attempt to give the players creative powers
The most obvious case of creativity in a video game comes from user generated content. While level editors and character customization have been around for a long time now, recent titles such as Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet have given the players tremendous creative opportunities.
Let us look at user generated content and the way it can be considered as creative gameplay.
Playtesting Faceez
At Neko Entertainment, we developed a DSiWare app called Faceez, in which users may mix, accessorize and animate faces from photographs. It is the only "non-game" I have ever worked on, but it requires a lot more creativity from the user than all the games I have designed. In fact, the whole app is a character customization menu.
Of course, the difference between an app and a game is gameplay. So Faceez is never going to be a good example of how gameplay and creativity may or may not mix. But it gave me a lot of clues about user creativity in software.
If someone asks to use your face to promote the app you've designed, believe me, you should say no.
Playtesting Faceez was particularly interesting, as two distinct behavior patterns emerged: Users combining game assets (accessories and animations) began by empirically browsing the available options, and then used the random button for a while before they felt really comfortable enough to be creative. Conversely, when mixing faces from their own photos, people had creative ideas right away. Why is that?
The faces that users mix come from pictures of the people close to them. The difference with other assets is that users already know them. Once they grasp how the system works, they immediately come up with ideas using the photos they have taken and the ones they could take:
- "My sister with my big eyebrows..."
- "Me with my boss' hair!"
- "Oh, and I could take a picture of Brad Pitt and mix him with me!"
- "Wait, what about a mixture of me, Brad, and my next door neighbor all inside the face of a chimp?"
- And so on...
Applying those ideas may require testing, validation, mind changing, and chance findings... But at some point in the process, there are ideas -- creative ideas.
In the opposite, before a user may have the creative idea, for example, to make a Faceez use a tuna fish for swashbuckling, she either:
- Must know, from experience, that the app contains a tuna accessory and a sword-fighting animation.
- Or guess those two options must be available -- I mean, only crappy games don't feature tuna! -- and then actively search for them. Software users rarely think like that, because it is often disappointing. Of course, when guessing works, that is an awesome experience (we shall get back to that later on).
To be creative, a player must know the available options well.
The downside is that the more options the players have, the longer it takes to learn and master them. Or does it?
What is Your Name? What is Your Quest? What is Your Favorite Color?
Imagine how Rare's avatar editor for the Xbox 360 would feel with only four haircuts, three nose shapes, two shirts... Could anyone get creative in that context? Could a player try and mix those elements to meet the result she imagined? Or would any user just go for the least inappropriate result?
Creativity may only happen if there is a large number of choices.
Already, there seems to be a conflict: to allow for creativity, the users must easily understand the tools we give them. So to keep it simple, we might want to reduce the number of options to learn. But that would reduce the amount of available choices, thus reducing creative potential.
Character customization in Adult Swim's Five Minutes to Kill Yourself is brilliantly designed so that creativity is totally impossible; this is achieved by drastically reducing the number of meaningful outcomes, and it suits the depressing atmosphere of the game world perfectly.
In the indispensable The Art of Game Design, Jesse Schell shares a very interesting personal experience about indirect control:
In my amusement park days, I sometimes worked in the candy store, in front of a big display of 60 flavors of old-fashioned stick candy. A hundred times a day, people would come in and ask, "What flavors do you have back there?"
At first, I thought I would be a smart aleck, and recite all 60 flavors -- as I did this, the customer's eyes would get wide with fear, and right around the 32nd flavor they would say, "Stop! Stop! That's enough!" They were completely overwhelmed by so many choices. After a while, I thought of a new approach. When they asked about the flavors, I would say, "We have every flavor you can imagine. Go on, name the flavors you would like -- I'm sure we have them."
At first they would be impressed with this powerful freedom. But then they would furrow up their brows, think hard, and say, "Uh... cherry? No, wait... I don't want that... Hmm... Peppermint? No... Oh, just forget it," and they would walk away in frustration.
Finally I figured out a strategy that sold a lot of candy sticks. When someone would ask about the flavors, I would say "We have just about every flavor you can imagine, but our most popular flavors are Cherry, Blueberry, Lemon, Root Beer, Wintergreen, and Licorice." They were delighted at having the feeling of freedom, but also glad to have a small number of attractive choices; in fact, most customers would choose from the "popular six," a list I made up, and a list I would change frequently to help ensure the other flavors didn't get too old on the shelf.
Indirect control may be used to help players overcome the overwhelming sensation of creative freedom. In fact, default settings and "randomize" buttons do just that. They tell the player: "You could design any character you want, or you might also just use that one."
Why Choose Between Lipstick and a Moustache?
Another classic solution to that problem is to reduce the number of options, but allow players to combine them so that there still is a large number of possible meaningful outcomes. For example, Warcraft III (Blizzard) allows players to pick a color among 12; there are just 12 possible results. Players of Titan Quest (Iron Lore) may choose their clothes color among five choices per gender.
We may evaluate the combinatorial depth of a system by calculating a ratio of outcomes per option: in Warcraft III, the player has 12 options and there are 12 possible results. 12/12=1, so its ratio is just 1. There is no combinatorial depth at all. Titan Quest has seven options in total (male, female, white, brown, blue, gray and red) and 10 possible outcomes. This means Titan Quest's ratio is 10/7=1.42.
The ability to combine options may create a great difference between the number of options to master and the number of meaningful outcomes [1]. It's interesting to see that it suits those games' ambitions: Just picking a color hardly qualifies as customization: Blizzard's designers needed different colors to make each player different, and Warcraft III allows up to 12 players. Adding the choice between male and female, as in Titan Quest, is the beginning of combinatorial customization. (Later in the game, the appearance of characters mainly varies due of their equipment and active buffs.)
LittleBigPlanet may be the deepest game ever when it comes to customization and creation.
This way of combining options illustrates how game users can only be creative by combining things that already exist. Put that way, it seems very limited. But cannot the same thing be said of any creative process? As Robert I. Sutton of Stanford University points out, creativity is making new things out of old ones.
Creativity is making new things out of old ones.
Do ideas need to be new in order for them to qualify as creative? Well, creativity is a mental process, above anything else. If the players think they invented something the world has never seen ("Ooh, how about a Barack Obama Mii!"), then it just feels that way. So yes, creative ideas need to be new for the creator -- not for the world.
But as I said, Faceez did not have gameplay. Other very creative titles, such as Elektroplankton (Indies Zero) or Art Academy (Headstrong), will not help either. In order to find if and how user generated content is a part of gameplay, we must first define the word.
[1] I keep mentioning "meaningful" outcomes because moving the character's jawbone one millimeter down will not result in a perceptible difference.
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