text:
The Coyotes Heading North?
Hey folks, I have spent the better part of the night talking to various folks in and around the Coyotes-Balsillie issue. I have tried to put together some facts and some opinions and, of course, in typical TSM fashion, a good look at what else is being said on the WWW:
Arizona Republic's Craig Harris did a bang up job on his account of where things are and where they are going. Here are the goods:
"The Phoenix Coyotes filed for Chapter 11 reorganization today in a move that could allow the franchise to be sold and moved to southern Ontario, Canada."
Yes indeed they did. The Coyotes have put themselves under the protection of the courts from their creditors. The potential move to Canada stems from the only offer on the table right now for the assets, which is Jim Balsillie's very rich offer of US$212.5 million — an offer which carries with it a pre-condition that he be allowed to relocate the team to "southwestern Ontario."
"The move is not a certainty, because other investors will have an opportunity to outbid PSE's offer."
This is correct, 100 per cent correct. Anyone can now tender an offer for the purchase of the assets of the now bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes. Normally, any new offer would have to be higher than the original offer (Balsillie's in this case). However, these are not normal bankruptcy proceedings, and I will explain more below.
"Jerry Moyes, Coyotes' chief executive officer and managing member is the team's largest unsecured creditor at nearly $104 million, according to bankruptcy records. The city of Glendale, which receives lease payments from the team to play at Jobing.com Arena, is an unsecured creditor in the bankruptcy filing. The city would have to make a claim with the court to receive any payments, according to the team's bankruptcy lawyer."
For those of you a tad confused, let's review some basic terminology. A secured creditor is a party who has lent money to another and has taken a piece of collateral as security on that loan. For example, when one buys a house, goes to the bank and gets a mortgage, the bank has the house as collateral. You can't sell the house without the bank getting its money first. If you get into money trouble, the bank can take back the house. The bank is a secured creditor.
Now, when you buy that house and your parents or a friend lends you money to help pay for the house and you promise to pay that person back for their loan and you have nothing else between you and your friend or relative, if something happens to you, and you lose the house or stop paying for the house, your friend could lose all their money too. That person is an unsecured creditor. They have no security to get their money back.
Why is this important? Well, for one the top priority of the trustee in bankruptcy (like a judge) in these proceedings is to get the creditors the most money he or she can for the assets of the Coyotes. Secured creditors will get paid first. So, in this instance, when the team is sold, the secured creditors (see below) will get paid ahead of both Jerry Moyes and the city.
"Balsillie's price of $212.5 million provides funds to pay secured creditors in full. Approximately $80 million would go to SOF Investments LP and $35 million to the NHL, which had loaned the team money earlier this year."
Okay, so the amount of JB's offer is just enough to pay off only the secured creditors, SOF investments and the NHL. There is nothing left for any unsecured creditors.
"That would leave $97.5 million to unsecured creditors. Coyotes owners would receive nothing for their equity investment, including $206.5 million in preferred and common equity that will not be recovered by Moyes under the current offer."
Well, maybe. I don't know who SOF Investments is, but it appears to be getting some money. So I have to believe that Moyes will get something back, otherwise why else would he allow or encourage Balsillie to put in this offer at this time?
"'Likewise, the City of Glendale, which has been very cooperative with efforts to keep the team in Glendale, will be able to provide potential buyers assurances of the City's willingness to offer incentives to keep the team as a tenant in the Jobing.com arena, the lease for which is subject to rejection in bankruptcy,' Moyes said. 'The process assures that the identities of the new owner and the team's location will be known by June 30, 2009, thus enabling the NHL to include the team in its 2009-10 schedule.'"
Again, this may or may not be true. Yes there is now a window to try to figure this out. However, things in the legal process can be stretched out if needed. I do think there is no chance that this team plays anywhere other than in Phoenix next season.
"'At the end of the day, you have a team that was not making money. It has not made money since it has been here, and he (Moyes) received an offer,' said Thomas Salerno, the bankruptcy attorney for the Coyotes. 'We feel it (offer) maximizes the value of the team for the assets and in such a way that sets up a process where other people can bid.'"
I include this so you know that when I talked to a successful bankruptcy attorney this evening the first thing he asked me was if Salerno was the attorney hired by the Coyotes. Salerno is without question the top bankruptcy attorney in Arizona and a renowned expert in the field in the USA. While the team may not be good at making money in hockey, it certainly knows how to pick a bankruptcy attorney.
The fine folks at TSN have a similarly good account of the story:
"'The current team ownership asked that I table an offer to purchase the Coyotes and significant discussions resulted in an offer that is in the best interests of the franchise, the NHL, and the great hockey fans of Canada and Southern Ontario,' Balsillie said in the release. 'I am excited to move closer to bringing an NHL franchise to what I believe is one of the best un-served hockey markets in the world, Southern Ontario. A market with devoted hockey fans, a rich hockey history, a growing and diversified economy and a population of more than 7 million people,' he said."
And the PR campaign begins. Know this, sports fans: Jim Balsillie is not a fool. He doesn't play games, and he certainly doesn't play them to lose.
The release also states that Balsillie agreed to post debtor-in-possession financing of $17 million (US) at the request of the Coyotes franchise. The money will keep the franchise going before the sale is completed.
So Balsillie has now made US$17 million available to the Coyotes to continue operating should his offer be accepted, but before the transaction is completed. This is an important move and something that the trustee will look most favourably at. The Coyotes could use this money for operating expenses and Balsillie's purchase would be reduced by any amount that the franchise used before the deal closes.
"Sources tell TSN that the NHL is not happy with what is perceived by the league as a powerplay by Balsillie and will wrestle with this matter in court. Those proceedings are expected to begin on Thursday. After learning of the purchase on Tuesday, the NHL's deputy commissioner Bill Daly released the following statement: 'We have just become aware of today's Bankruptcy Court filing purportedly made on behalf of the Phoenix Coyotes. We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the petition, including the propriety of its filing. We have removed Jerry Moyes from all positions of authority to act for or on behalf of the Club. The League will appear and proceed before the Bankruptcy Court in the best interests of all of the Club's constituencies, including its fans in Arizona and the League's 29 other Member Clubs.'"
And now, my friends it gets really interesting. The league looks at this bankruptcy as being driven by Balsillie. Therefore, the league will likely petition the court to investigate the validity of the filing of bankruptcy as early as Thursday. So where the team denied that the league was running the show only days ago, it is now saying publicly that it is in fact running the team. The NHL has removed the owner!
Oh, the irony. Gary Bettman doesn't like to be pushed around and he is clearly viewing this as someone trying to push him around.
Now, Scott Burdow, a journalist for the East Valley Tribune, reports that the Balsillie purchase is all but a done deal and the team is gone:
"In case you hadn't heard, the Coyotes filed for bankruptcy Thursday [sic], and the filing included a proposed sale to Canadian billionaire Jim Basillie, who would pay $212.5 million for the team and move it to Ontario, Canada. Other offers will be entertained in an effort to keep the team in Glendale, but a buyer willing to outbid Basillie would require a miracle on the size of the Red Sea parting, and last I looked, Moses wasn't in the market for a hockey team. No, by the end of June the moving vans will back up to Jobing.com Arena and take the Coyotes away box by box, stick by stick."
Scott has jumped the gun just a tiny bit here. You see, this is not an ordinary bankruptcy proceeding. Let's assume for one second that the trustee rules that this is a valid filing. Ordinarily, the Trustee's only job is to get the most cash for the creditors. In this case there is a problem, at least in theory. The NHL has, I believe, a contractual legal condition precedent to any sale of the franchise.
You see, each NHL franchise has an agreement with the league that governs its ownership of their franchise. This agreement, I suspect, contains a provision that deals with any transfer (sale) of the franchise. I don't know this for sure, but I am sure there is some sort of provision that gives the league the ability to approve any transfer. More specifically, this provision probably gives the league the ability to kill any transfer.
Now, in most bankruptcies this type of agreement may not prevail. However, courts will enforce these types of provision under certain circumstances. The league will argue that the provision is required to ensure that the right type of person buys a franchise (it doesn't want mobsters, thieves, etc., – unless, of course, it approves them and only find out they are bad owners after the fact). The league won't have to argue that the provision needs to be enforced to keep Balsillie out specifically, rather that the league needs the provision in general.
It is extremely unlikely that the trustee will not enforce this provision of the franchise agreement. Therefore, all the league has to do is object to Balsillie as an owner (in whatever fashion it has to in accordance with the actual provision) and the Balsillie offer is dead.
"Fans will brave rush hour traffic to see a winner. But it's been seven years since the Coyotes were in the playoffs, and they never won a postseason series. By the end, only die-hard hockey fans were venturing to the arena, and there aren't enough of those in the Valley to support a team. For that, Wayne Gretzky has to take responsibility. He was supposed to bring a Stanley Cup to Phoenix, but he surrounded himself with cronies and yes men and turned out to be a mediocre coach. His reputation will survive — he's still the greatest player ever — but when the eulogy is given, he won't be spoken highly of."
One word for that — wow.
"Let this be said, even as we say goodbye: There isn't a better game to watch in person. Even a hockey neophyte like me appreciated the athleticism, the speed and the hits that rattled the bones and the plexiglass. I'll remember Jeremy Roenick playing with a broken jaw, Keith Tkachuk standing in front of the net, harder to move than a tree trunk, and the loyalty of Shane Doan. But the Coyotes were a longshot to begin with. Everything had to go right for them; instead, nearly everything went wrong and they never had a chance. We'll move on without them. Quickly, I imagine. Still, I can't help but think that sometime in the next few years, when a playoff series has gone to Game 7 and the hockey is intense and the beards long, we'll wonder what might have been. What a shame."
What a terrific eulogy to a team. It says here it is prematurem but it is the type of thing that Bettman Inc. was betting on when they moved the team to a market like Phoenix.
Over at Sportsnet, they fellas had some interesting tidbits to add:
"Balsillie has turned up the heat by going public in his bid. He's asking fans who want to see a seventh NHL franchise in Canada to make their voices heard, asking them to log on to www.makeitseven.ca to add their voices to his bid. Balsillie said that the website has already had 'thousands and thousands' of comments. 'I think it affirms there's an unserved market, there's a real opportunity here,' Balsillie said. 'I'm prepared to put this kind of funding…I believe this is a serious commitment.'"
The website, for the record, can't have "comments" — it asks people to register. According to the folks running the site, in a little over three hours since its launch it had over 10,000 registrations. So what is Balsillie's game? What is he trying to do? Are there not infinite ways this can end? The easiest way for it to end would be for another bidder to up the ante, offer more then Balsillie's $212.5 million. That isn't going to happen.
However, that isn't the end of the discussion. If the NHL can enforce its ability to approve any transfer of a franchise, then Balsillie's bid is dead. So what is left? Well, if no one else emerges, and the league kicks Balsillie's bid that will be the end of the franchise. The team will go from Chapter 11 protection to Chapter 7 and fold. However, if another bid emerges (remember my earlier post on Jerry Reinsdorf), well then it too can be approved by the court. If Jerry gets huge concessions from the city, gets a real sweetheart deal, and puts in a lower offer of say $100-150 million, there is nothing stopping the Trustee from accepting that offer if the league agrees. Those are really the only options.
Where it gets really interesting is in the NHL office and backrooms. The economy is shit. Any number of teams are struggling and those who are doing better are facing upward pressure to keep them alive. Toronto is an interesting example because it is spending more money in propping up teams than any other team, so you would think it would want to move those teams on life support faster than anyone else. Except in this case, the Leafs certainly don't want another team here in Toronto.
It's the classic NIMBY case. We want to help, but not in my backyard, thank you! The league is owed over $30 million. That's around a million bucks per team. Compare, if you will, what Larry Brooks claimed the league made from itss NBC deal last year: $100,000 per team! One million dollars is a lot of money to those teams in these times. Some say that the league can only veto a move if it has over one-third of the owners voting against the move.
Bettman will try to sway as many votes as he can; he was successful in the lockout in keeping his ducks in a row. How successful will he be now and with this fight? You can bet on two teams for sure voting with Bettman — Toronto and Buffalo. I would include Ottawa as a strong alley too. After that all bets are off. Owners are going to vote with their pocketbooks not allegiances. If the league gets its $32 million back and instead of a deadbeat team gains a profitable one, how much better is that for all the partners?
Over at the Globe and Mail, David Shoalts and Sean Gorden have this to offer:
"According to a source close to the deal, Balsillie plans to lean on his sterling business reputation and play the public opinion card strongly; the first burblings of the strategy showed up in the form of a new website in support of a seventh Canadian NHL team."
As I have stated already, I agree he will try to win the PR war, the question is, who is he fighting with and to what end?
"At the same time, the source indicated there was no prior agreement or consultation between Balsillie and league commissioner Gary Bettman — who was said to be incensed at news of the proposed deal — although there are suggestions other owners and the players' union could support moving the team. And Balsillie is reportedly determined not to play by Bettman's rules, so just to be on the safe side, he has also pulled what appear to be some canny legal manoeuvres."
Bettman is a control freak and an egomaniac. Of course this will incense him. The other owners are key; as the for the PA, Kelley and Healey can make as much noise as they want, but they are powerless unless they are prepared to strike over this issue.
"A former NHL owner was more forthcoming, calling it 'a game of chicken' whose winner will be chosen by an Arizona bankruptcy judge. Sources say Balsillie quietly contacted municipal officials in Hamilton, Ont., about 10 days ago to sound them out over whether they would be interested in reviving a 2004 deal for lease rights to the Copps Coliseum and Hamilton Place. City officials indicated they would leap at the chance, the source added."
This really won't be surprised by the courts. Assuming the NHL has the clause that I am told it does, there is not much to decide. Hamilton may have to suffice as a temporary home to a team. The problem for Balsillie is that he would have to deal with two teams — Toronto and Buffalo — not just one if he moved it closer to the GTA. Is anyone surprised at the Hamilton reaction?
"News of the bankruptcy and the shock offer to buy the team stunned several owners — 'Holy shit!' was the response offered by two of those contacted by The Globe — including one of the teams that could oppose a relocation to the Hamilton region. 'This is a complete surprise, you still need league approval for all this stuff, so I don't know what to say,' said Buffalo Sabres minority owner Larry Quinn."
To his credit, Balsillie and the owners of the Coyotes kept this very, very quiet. That is impressive. The owners' response, by the way, is classic!
"Either way, Bettman's sway over the owners, many of whom have been quietly courted by Balsillie, will be tested in what is shaping up to be a contest of wills. An NHL governor who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed some of the animus some owners feel toward Balsillie, whose ham-fisted attempts to move the Penguins and the Predators to the Toronto region earned him no friends among Bettman and his coterie of allies. The governor pointed out that franchises are granted by the league, which could just as easily revoke them — although that would surely form the basis of a nasty and lengthy lawsuit."
There is no revoking to make so I am not sure the basis of that point. What the other governors think of Balsillie is paramount in this decision, however, and one thing worth digging into.
"'Balsillie tends to do things like this. The game last night [on Monday between the Penguins and Washington Capitals] was amazing, it's too bad this has to follow on the heels of that,' the governor said."
That is what must be killing Bettman. This is not what he wants idiots like me writing about tonight. Instead of watching one second of a game tonight I talked to people about this! That is not what the league wants its fans to do.
"More evocative, then, is a subsequent passage of the release: 'overbids must exceed the PSE proposal by $5-million and must be fully funded at closing without a financing contingency.'"
Not so fast on that one. A lesser bid without the condition may have to be considered. At least that is what my legal gurus are telling me tonight.
Still at The Globe, Stephen Brunt has an excellent commentary:
"So here we are — with an owner who has no other options, in a league fighting multiple fires, with a process that is now in the hands of the courts. A more-than-fair offer is on the table, one that will help prop up franchise values, will solve a huge problem, will save millions in bailout money and will instantly transform a have-not franchise into a have. Think maybe Jim Balsillie has talked to some of those other owners over the past few months? Think maybe they've come to understand he's not the bogeyman, that he might be the best and only alternative right now?"
That is exactly where we are at. This is all going to be handled behind closed mahogany doors. Bettman has been able to stay away from the likes of Balsillie before through magic and luck. Will that hold true this time?
"And when the commissioner calls them to the barricades for what would be a protracted, expensive legal battle to keep Balsillie out of the league and to keep him from moving the club (he certainly meets all of the criteria they've laid out in their bylaws), think they're ready to follow him blindly into battle one more time? He won the lockout — and look at what that fine, fail-safe labour agreement delivered. He beat back Balsillie twice, and how did that fix anything? He said not so long ago that Phoenix would be just fine. How did that work out? By all accounts, the commissioner was apoplectic last night. It seems he may have good reason. In chess, it's called being put in 'check.' Bettman has already proved himself a grandmaster of the game. But even the best of them eventually meet their match."
Balsillie threatens everything that Bettman is to the league. If he is a rogue prospective owner, how will he act when he is an owner, one of Bettman's bosses? This is war, and it is very, very personal.
Kevin McGran leads his column in The Star with this:
"The NHL took control of the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday evening, removing owner Jerry Moyes from all positions of authority and seems set to challenge the very notion that the troubled NHL franchise is bankrupt."
Do you think that is what Bettman wants to be dealing with during the playoffs?
Hanky has one of the most bizarre posts in the history of his site, as he goes Oliver Stone:
"I think someone is trying to get the NHL to budge on their anti Balsillie stance. And listen. I know Balsillie and I like Balsillie. I WANT AND BELIEVE THE BEST THING FOR THE NHL WOULD BE TO GIVE JIM A TEAM! If Balsillie is the one behind this act I would be somewhat surprised. UNLESS Jim is just continuing on his path to make a legal case that would force the NHL to give him a team in some sort of settlement. Those are high risk stakes for a guy that would in all likelihood have a team if he just respected the systems in place…But seriously, I don't know what is happening at this point. One thing is for sure…it's a crazy night…stay tuned."
I am going to let his post stand for itself…believe what you want, call me a sucker, but I don't think this is a "sham."
"He called it 'a very clear and serious offer. I'm excited and delighted to make this offer and try to bring a seventh team to Canada for hockey fans in an unserved market of Southern Ontario.'"
That was the National Post quoting Balsillie himself. Doesn't sound like a sham to me at all. Does it to you?
Several sources are telling TSM this morning that the reason the league is so upset is that Moyes, the Coyotes' chief executive officer and managing member, had actually resigned his right to make any decisions as they pertain to the Coyotes as far back as two weeks ago (as sources in the Arizona media reported and the team refuted). So far no one from the league will confirm this.
Steve Simmon's column in today's Toronto Sun perfectly captures where things stand right now, in my opinion:
"Jim Balsillie is well on his way to becoming the dumbest, most stubborn, successful entrepreneur around. How else to explain his latest hockey outburst — his clumsy, all-too-public attempt to bully the National Hockey League into allowing him to purchase the now-bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes franchise and move it to southern Ontario. If all he is attempting here is to find his name in the headlines, he is certainly accomplishing that. But if he honestly believes he can pull an end-run on commissioner Gary Bettman, secure an NHL franchise, move it, and use a public website to drum up support for a seventh Canadian franchise, then he is either getting terrible advice or he is simply fond of banging his head against the wall. Because that's all he can accomplish here. This is a war he may not be able to win. Even if he's willing to overpay for the moribund Coyotes, which he is."
I totally agree. This is a very strange way to get the leagues blessing to become a member of the club especially when the league has shown that this is perhaps more important than one's background or financial wherewithal. I am not sure who is advising Balsillie on this matter, but I think perhaps he is getting bad advice.
"The league will say it has control over the franchise and any possible movement. They will say that, knowing also there is a long-term lease in Phoenix. But what Moyes and Balsillie are banking on here is direction from the bankruptcy court: Once the court orders the Coyotes to accept the Balsillie offer, which is entirely possible considering there is unlikely to be another offer anywhere close, then Balsillie will pick up the franchise and attempt to move it, likely to Hamilton, with the NHL fighting it all the way. This, almost certainly, will go to court, the way Al Davis had to go to court when he moved the Oakland Raiders to Los Angeles in the National Football League many years ago. Davis won his lawsuit against the NFL. Balsillie is gambling he can win here. Does a second NHL team in southern Ontario make sense? Yes. Does Balsillie have the wherewithal to operate this team? Yes. Is it in the NHL's best interest to have another team around Toronto? Yes. But the reality is, the number of owners who have attempted to ambush the NHL and succeeded is zero."
I think that the assumptions Balsillie is making, if Simmons is correct, are wrong. I can't see Balsillie suing the NHL to get into the club and I can't see a trustee in bankruptcy voiding the league franchise agreement.
Bob McKenzie has a great article up on TSN.ca, too:
"The first thing you need to know is that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was in Phoenix today, ostensibly to put the finishing touches on an intent to purchase agreement from Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, whose intention was to apparently keep the financially-troubled Coyotes in their current home of Glendale, which is also home to Reinsdorf's spring-training baseball facility (a mile away from the Coyotes' Jobing.com Arena). That offer was expected to materialize within the next few days."
Everything I am hearing (and reported earlier yesterday morning) confirms this. Don't think that the Balsillie bid is going to stop Reinsdorf, per se. The bankruptcy proceedings may not the US$212.5 million offer.
"Balsillie's bid of $212.5 million is what is known as a "stalking horse bid." All that effectively means is that Balsillie's bid officially kicks off an official auction process. If anyone chooses to outbid Balsillie, they must do so by at least $5 million. The bankruptcy court is obliged to accept the highest offer that provides the best financial relief to the secured creditors, which ironically includes the NHL as the second largest ($35 million). It is unfathomable to think anyone would make the $217.5 million offer to keep the team in Phoenix. But where this starts to get confusing is the conditional aspect of the offer. Balsillie is only prepared to pay $212.5 million as long as the franchise is moved to southern Ontario."
Bingo! The condition precedent is a problem for both the Coyotes and Balsillie.
"The question then becomes, can a bankruptcy court in Arizona mandate the NHL to relocate or transfer a franchise in order to satisfy the needs of the Coyotes' secured creditors? It's an interesting legal question and without putting words in anyone's mouth — no one is commenting anyway — the safe bet is that Balsillie's group believes that's a possibility while the NHL doesn't believe a bankruptcy court can tell it how to conduct its affairs."
That is right. The 212.5 million dollar question is — what does the franchise agreement say with respect to transfers and is that language legally binding? If it says the league can kill the transfer and a court will back that clause, Balsillie is out of luck. If it says the league can kill the transfer and Balsillie and the Coyotes are willing to fight in court and the court agrees that the provision is illegal then they have a good shot. If the provision says the league can kill a transfer with one-third of the owners agreeing to kill it, well then it gets really, really interesting.
"The NHL, meanwhile, is likely to battle Balsillie on the issue of "control.' While the league will get destroyed in the court of public opinion in Canada, it is quite likely to exert what it perceives to be its legal rights on how it does business. That is, the league believes it ultimately controls who owns NHL franchises and where they are located. To do that, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will ultimately require the backing of the board of governors, but he has had it in the past. It remains to be seen whether he has it this time, but this has all the makings of a battle royale. The battle lines are clearly drawn. While Bettman and the NHL will take a beating in that court of public opinion in Canada, one suspects this situation will ultimately be decided in a legal court."
That is correct. This, perhaps more than the lockout, will challenge Bettman's authority and control over his group of owners. Will he survive this is the right question. The US$212.5 million sounds pretty good to the owners of the Thrashers, Panthers and the estate of Bill Davidson to name but a few.
If you are looking for another perspective on the matter, Damien Cox's is here. The gist is that the only way the team ends up in southwestern Ontario is if Balsillie and Bettman kiss and make up, which Cox suggests isn't very likely.
Simmons is here.
McKenzie is here.
Read Craig Harris here.
Read TSN here.
Read Scott Burdow here.
Read Sportsnet here.
Shoalts and Gordon are here.
Brunt is here.
McGran is here.
Hanky is here.
The National Post is here.


text:
Reference Question of the Week – 7/27/14
August 2nd, 2014This is a question from when my website is down - I only mention that because of the postscript at the end.
I haven't gotten this type of question in awhile, and finding the answer has never come this easily.
A young girl came up to me at the desk asked for "a blue book with fish bowl on cover." She couldn't remember the title except thought it was something like "one at a time." I asked her if she knew the author, and she said it was a blue book with fish bowl on cover. I asked her what the book was about, and she didn't know - she said her teacher was reading it to the class and she liked it.
So, I did a web search for blue book with fish bowl on cover, and the very first image in the results was exactly what she was looking for. Incredible.
I searched our catalog for Out of My Mind, only to find our copy was checked out. I offered to request it for her, but she declined. I hate that.
So the postscript is that this question is from May, apparently when this book (or at least, searches for this book) was more popular. It really was the first search result, and that's what shocked me and made me think it was a post-worthy reference question. I mean, how often does that happen?
While typing up this post though, I had to really look for the cover image in the results, as it had been bumped way down. Maybe I just got lucky, or that library serendipity was strong with me that day. Or maybe Google's search algorithms really are effective in making zeitgeisty things more prominent.
In any case, I could just have easily been asked this question this week, and the process of finding the answer would have been different - which I find interesting.
Update 8/27/14: A reader sent in this tip, which had not occurred to me: instead of including the word "blue" as a search term, try leaving it out and using Google color search tool. Much better results - thanks, Jessica!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Believe in Pink
Pink, White and Clear Patterned Nail Wraps
Suitable for natural, acrylic, shellac and gel nails
Included in Pack:
- 16 double ended nail polish wraps in 8 sizes
- 1 mini nail file and cuticle stick
- Step by step instructions on back of pack
*Please note that actual colours may vary slightly. This is due to computer monitors displaying colours differently and everyone seeing colours differently.
Polyacrylic Acid, Polyurethane-11,
Cellulose acetate butyrate, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol/Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer, Triethyl Citrate, Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Pigment
How to use
How to use
How to:
1. Ensure nails are clean and dry
2. Select a nail wrap slightly smaller than your nail
3. Ensure you remove plastic cover
4. Peel polish strip from the silver end *
5. Centre nail wrap at base of nail and press firmly to smooth over the nail surface
6. With the included nail file, file downwards to remove excess
7. Apply a clear coat of nail polish for a lasting finish
* If your nails are short, cut the nail wrap in half and use one strip for two nails
Choose from the following Shipping options:
Free Standard Untracked Shipping on all orders within Australia & NZ
Free Express Post on orders over $60 (Aus Only)
Standard Tracked Shipping $5.00 (Aus)
Standard Tracking Shipping $18 (NZ)
Express Post Shipping $7.50 (Aus)
Express Post Shipping $30 (NZ)
Return policy
Return policy
We have a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after receiving your item to request a return.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it, unused and in its original packaging. You'll also need the proof of purchase.
To start a return, you can contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com. If your return is accepted, we'll send you a return shipping label, as well as instructions on how and where to send your package. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted.
You can contact us for any return question at email@example.com.
Damages and issues
Please inspect your order upon receiving and contact us immediately if the item is defective, damaged or if you receive the wrong item, so that we can evaluate the issue and make it right.
The fastest way to ensure you get what you want is to return the item you have, and once the return is accepted, make a separate purchase for the new item.
We will notify you once we've received and inspected your return, and let you know if the refund was approved or not. If approved, you'll be automatically refunded on your original payment method. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.


text:
Hans Talhoffer's illustrated Manual of Swordfighting and close-quarter combat from 1467. Edited and introduced by Dierk Hagedorn. Foreword by Mark Rector.
Hans Talhoffer's professional fencing manual of 1467 illustrates the intricacies of the medieval art of fighting, covering both the 'judicial duel' (an officially sanctioned fight to resolve a legal dispute) and personal combat.
Combatants in the Middle Ages used footwork, avoidance, and the ability to judge and manipulate timing and distance to exploit and enhance the sword's inherent cutting and thrusting capabilities. These skills were supplemented with techniques for grappling, wrestling, kicking and throwing the opponent, as well as disarming him by seizing his weapon. Every attack contained a defence and every defence a counter-attack. Talhoffer reveals the techniques for wrestling, unarmoured fighting with the long sword, pole-axe, dagger, sword and buckler, and mounted combat.
This unparalleled guide to medieval combat, illustrated with 268 contemporary images, provides a glimpse of real people fighting with skill, sophistication and ruthlessness. This is one of the most popular and influential manuals of its kind.
Broschiert, Querformat, 312 S., zahlr. Abb. Text auf Englisch!


text:
The LOFT's LGBT People of Color Peer Support Group is an open discussion group for LGBT People of Color including any/all peoples of African, Latino/Hispanic, Native American, Asian or Pacific Island descent.
The LOFT: LGBT Community Services Center
252 Bryant Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605
The LGBT People of Color Peer Support group meets on the 2nd & 4th Mondays of every month from 7:30pm to 9:00pm.
Next Meetings:
Monday, March 13th & Monday, March 27th
Monday, April 10th & Monday, April 24th
LOFT Peer Support Groups are open topic drop-in groups. There is no need to preregister and no fee to attend. Donations are welcome. They are lead by facilitators who identify as peers with those in attendance.
There is no fee to attend discussion groups but a $5 donation is suggested, more if you can, less if you can't. Fees related to activities are to the responsibility of participants.
252 Bryant Ave
White Plains, NY 10605
United States
Google map and directions


text:
Changing your profile picture on BiP Messenger is very easy.
Step 1. Open BiP Messenger
Step 2. Select 'More'.
Step 3. Select your profile name.
Step 4. Select the camera icon on your screen.
Step 5. You can choose to take a photo or upload one from your gallery.
Step 6. Once you've selected a photo, select 'Okay'
Step 7. Select 'Done' to complete the process.
Your profile photo has been updated.


text:
An old Wall Street adage says bond markets are smarter than equity markets, so when stocks encounter volatility, investors often look to the bond market for clues about the potential severity of equity market weakness.
The option-adjusted spread (OAS), a key data point, adjusts a bond's yield for any unique features of the bond in an effort to make various bonds more comparable to each other. Since US Treasury bonds are generally considered safe-haven assets, the OAS of corporate bonds as a group is often based on a comparison to Treasury yields to determine bond investors' perception of credit risk. The OAS reflects the additional yield investors may require to compensate for the specific risks in corporate bonds.
However, not all drawdowns in equity markets are the same, and bond investors oftentimes sniff this out, which can keep bond spreads from widening as much as they often do during periods of economic turmoil. As shown in the LPL Chart of the Day, equity drawdowns that are followed by a recession have encountered the largest increases in spreads:
Unfortunately due to the limited availability of daily OAS index data, we weren't able to include the dot-com bubble in our study. However, we were able to capture two serious credit crises in history: the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2008 financial crisis.
Since the S&P 500 peaked on September 9th, IG and HY credit spreads have widened by 14 and 66 basis points, respectively, although we have not yet encountered a 10% drawdown as of September 25th. "We haven't seen a major reaction from credit markets to the September volatility thus far," noted LPL Chief Market Strategist Ryan Detrick. "While there may be more volatility in our future with the upcoming election, we'll continue to monitor corporate spreads for any major warning signs for corporate credit and protracted weakness in stock prices."
Spread widening can also have dramatic effects on a company's ability to issue new debt to manage its cash needs. Since a company is able to issue debt only at the prevailing yield of its outstanding bonds in the market, wide credit spreads can cause a serious cash crunch for corporations, and even create liquidity-driven bankruptcies—an added motivation for the Federal Reserve to provide relief to boost the economy through monetary policy.
While we believe Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) have so far been able to effectively manage the liquidity crisis that affected credit markets in the early stages of the pandemic, members of the FOMC continue to emphasize the need for additional fiscal stimulus to manage the risks to the economy. Despite the inability of Congress to come to an agreement on a new stimulus bill thus far, we're encouraged by the recent calls to resume negotiations in Washington. In our view, additional fiscal stimulus could support sustainable recoveries in US economic growth and corporate profits.
Do you have a written financial plan to grow your net worth and protect your retirement? Set up a consult to get a financial plan and advice you can understand.
This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. There is no assurance that the views or strategies discussed are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes. Investing involves risks including possible loss of principal. Any economic forecasts set forth may not develop as predicted and are subject to change.
References to markets, asset classes, and sectors are generally regarding the corresponding market index. Indexes are unmanaged statistical composites and cannot be invested into directly. Index performance is not indicative of the performance of any investment and do not reflect fees, expenses, or sales charges. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results.
Any company names noted herein are for educational purposes only and not an indication of trading intent or a solicitation of their products or services. LPL Financial doesn't provide research on individual equities. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, LPL Financial makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy.
This Research material was prepared by LPL Financial, LLC.
Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC).
Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. To the extent you are receiving investment advice from a separately registered independent investment advisor that is not an LPL affiliate, please note LPL makes no representation with respect to such entity.
If your representative is located at a bank or credit union, please note that the bank/credit union is not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL may also be employees of the bank/credit union.
These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, the bank/credit union. Securities and insurance offered through LPL or its affiliates are:
- Not Insured by FDIC/NCUA or Any Other Government Agency
- Not Bank/Credit Union Guaranteed
- Not Bank/Credit Union Deposits or Obligations
- May Lose Value
For Public Use | Tracking # 1-05060884


text:
Season's Greetings!
Since January 2001, The Women's Mosaic(R) has offered over 100 successful opportunities for women to connect to themselves, each other and the world around them. You can read about our work in detail through the PDF online editions of our past INSPIRER Newsletters: One, Two, Three and check out some Top Ten Fun Facts and Highlights here.
This year has been one of transition, as we have been providing the education, inspiration and motivation for our community mostly online through our blog CHICKS ROCK!, our Facebook page, and Twitter, which now has over 4000 followers! We also ran three of our popular Visioning Workshops and added more content to our YouTube page, including after the Sikh temple bombing earlier this year.
We are not quite sure what 2013 will look like in terms of live events, and continue to explore other ways to do our work in this ever-changing landscape. We will keep you abreast of any changes in direction and new programming; in the meantime we hope that we can count on your support and remind you to make your 2012 tax-deductible contribution before December 31st.
Simply use the DONATE button on our website, below on the right sidebar of this page.
Looking back over the past decade, it has been most rewarding to see how numerous individuals who have been involved with our organization have benefited from their experience with us. We are extremely proud of our many members, volunteers, panelists and interns who have gone on to make major decisions and successful life changes as a result of the platform we provide, knowing that TWM has been a significant stop and foundation for them on their journey – thank YOU for helping to make that all possible!
We very much appreciate your support and send all the best wishes for a Peaceful, Prosperous and Healthy New Year!
P.S. If you are a past member, or would like to change your status to Member and take advantage of a variety of discounts as part of our group simply go to our MEMBERSHIP Page and use the buttons there or on the sidebar of this page. Recent discounts include Broadway shows, gym memberships and jewelry discounts. Contact us for more details….
P.P.S. If you donate $250 or more you can get a significantly discounted all-inclusive luxury Caribbean vacation courtesy of Elite Island Resorts. Contact us for more details :)


text:
John 6
1. After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is [the sea] of Tiberias.
And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
When Jesus then lifted up [his] eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
Therefore they gathered [them] together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
And when even was [now] come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
. The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but [that] his disciples were gone away alone;
(Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)
When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
I am that bread of life.
Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard [this], said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
[What] and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.
But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
He spake of Judas Iscariot [the son] of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
Go to
John 7
Go to
The Book
opening page.


text:
Vinyl Sticker / Dripping Flames / Chameleon Lime
$4.99 $5.75
Pay in 4 interest-free installments for orders over $50 with
Product Detail
Versatile vinyl film stickers that are cut with precision using high quality vinyl. They are available in a wide variety of colors such as holographic, metallic, iridescent aurora and color shifting chameleon. Daily Charme created these vinyl stickers in collaboration with Whats Up Nails.
Chameleon Lime
2 Sheets
Each sheet measures 7.5 x 12.5 cm
- Made from high quality vinyl
- Variety of sizes designed to fit your nails
- Easy to use with polish, gel or acrylics
Chameleon Lime
2 Sheets
Each sheet measures 7.5 x 12.5 cm
Application Instructions:
- Remove sticker by slowly peeling it from backing sheet using tweezers. If sticker has inner cuts, remove them using tweezers.
- If sticker is larger than your nail, trim off excess and make sure sticker does not extend past the free edge of the nail.
- Place sticker on dry, oil-free nail surface and apply pressure so it adheres evenly to the nail. If applying over cured gel polish, make sure to remove tacky layer prior to sticker application.
- Apply a thick layer of gel or nail polish top coat, make sure to cap the free edge of the nail.
Tip: If you use gel polish, you can encapsulate sticker with a layer of Daily Charme 5-in-1 Strengthening Gel before applying top coat for longer wear.
Nail Art Credit: @reireishnailart
Due to monitor differences, the color might be slightly different from the actual item.


text:
Lucas Books' senior editor discusses what makes Leia such an enduring, classic character.
For my next blog post, blog editor Matt Martin suggested I write about why Princess Leia is an inspirational character. Some of you already know that this was not much of a favor to ask -- I could talk about Leia every week. I'm not going to, I promise. But I am today!
Princess Leia is rightly regarded as a female role model, yet I still feel like there are certain displays of heroism in the original Star Wars trilogy for which she doesn't get enough credit. When talking about Leia in general circles, it seems like two things come up over and over again: her sassy comebacks and the metal bikini. I enjoy both of those things as well, but she's so much more than that, and there are certain excellent, perhaps underappreciated moments in the films that really make Leia stand out as a hero. There's a reason that she became a symbol of inspiration and accomplishment to young girls of my generation, and it wasn't for her clothing. (Although, let's face it, it was partially for her hair.)
So rather than write generally about why Leia is an inspirational character, I thought I would focus in on a few specific incidents, and how they showcase some of her more admirable qualities.
Her strength is apparent in A New Hope, when she is tortured by a Sith Lord to find out the location of the secret Rebel base -- and tells him nothing. Vader even acknowledges the surprising depth of her resistance. Then, when she's brought before Grand Moff Tarkin and threatened with the destruction of her entire planet if she doesn't give up the location of the secret base once and for all, she stands there, with this merciless man before her and the man who tortured her gripping her shoulder behind her, and lies. She lies. It's an incredible moment of steel will on her part. Did I mention that she's only 19 at the time? Take a moment to think about what you accomplished at age 19. For me it was mostly drinking my weight in coffee at college.
Her empathy is on display after our heroes have escaped the Death Star, when Leia takes the time to console Luke -- who she just met a few hours ago, remember -- about the death of Obi-Wan. That's right, she takes the time to console a guy she's just met on the death of a man who that guy just met, when her entire planet has just been disintegrated (and she was recently tortured and about to be put to death. I'm just saying.). She may have a sassy mouth on her, but she also has a big heart.
Her loyalty is shown in The Empire Strikes Back, during the battle of Hoth, when even though Echo Base is falling down around them and Imperial forces are knocking at the door, Leia is still at the command center, coordinating combat efforts while she ducks falling chunks of ice. She's on the front lines just like everybody else. And even when Han finally manages to drag her off (and I love that he knows that's where she'll be), she stops to tell the person working with her to get to the transport, too. She'll never ask anyone to do something she wouldn't do herself.
Her bravery is crystal clear in Return of the Jedi, in a scene where we never even see her face -- which makes it easy to gloss over just how stone cold fierce she is here. Petite Princess Leia, maybe 100 pounds soaking wet, strolls into Jabba's palace with Chewie's chains in one hand and a thermal detonator in the other. And she stands there, surrounded by some of the galaxy's worst examples of scum and villainy, and threatens to blow up the whole place. Is she sweating under that Boushh helmet? We'll never know. But she projects a demeanor so cool and collected that even Boba Fett is grudgingly impressed.
And her cunning is shown in a small scene in Jedi that I love: when the Ewoks launch their attack on the Endor moon, and in the ensuing chaos Leia is the one who thinks to take out the guy on top of the AT-ST so it can't be used against them. And does it in one shot, no less. She is all about taking care of business, you guys. (This quality is of course also shown when she blasts the Stormtroopers who have cornered her and Han outside the bunker, but I have a real appreciation for the lesser-discussed moment.)
There are of course multiple other examples of Leia's general awesomeness, but these are a few of my favorite instances that maybe are not fully appreciated as much as they should be. Please share your own favorite Leia moments in the comments!
Jennifer Heddle is senior editor for Lucas Books.


text:
Portsmouth Locksmith – At Your Service!
We at Portsmouth Locksmiths provide a 24 hour, 7 days a week emergency service with no call out fee covering the whole of Portsmouth Island and surrounding area. We always stick to our quotation, which we hope, gives our customers peace of mind and reassurance. We make every effort to give the best quality of service to our customers at a competitive price. See our Testimonials to read what our customers say about us.
We offer a wide range of services in the area of Residential Locksmithing. We open up locked doors and repair broken locks on the premises. You can depend on us to be there for your residential locksmithing needs in Portsmouth, Southsea, Gosport, Waterlooville, Havant, Portchester, Cosham and other outlying areas. Our technicians are available and on call at all times, all year round to assist with your needs.
Whether your business operates from one location (eg Portsmouth) or has a number of satellite offices in outlying areas (such as Southsea, Gosport, Waterlooville, Havant, Portchester etc) Portsmouth Locksmiths can tailor a program to meet all your needs. Repairing an old lock or installing a high security system, no job is too big or too small. We are highly-trained professionals with mamy years of experience and carry. on board, a variety of products.
Portsmouth Locksmith are a local family run locksmith company, providing you with emergency and standard locksmith services across a wide area.
We have built our great reputation upon ensuring first class security solutions to our customers, who can always rely on a prompt and professional response. We ensure our mobile vehicles are always fully stocked so you can be reassured that your premises shall have the best security available.
Portsmouth & Southsea Locksmiths
Portsmouth, Southsea, Gosport, Waterlooville, Havant, Portchester, Cosham and the outlying areas.


text:
There are a lot of great creative projects on Patreon worth supporting, but since I've just joined (support me here), I thought I'd highlight the ones that I've supported because of their awesomeness.
1. Crash Course — Education
Crash Course is one of my favorite things in the universe. Before they were on Patreon, I supported them on Subbable, and before they were on Subbable I supported them by watching everything they produced on YouTube and evangelizing to my friends. It is run by John and Hank Green, the Vlogbrothers, and my personal heroes. I highly, highly recommend their history courses.
We create free, high-quality educational videos used by teachers and learners of all kinds. That's all we want to do. After 200,000,000 views, it turns out people like this. And our videos aren't just for schools; the majority of our viewers, around 60% – 70%, watch Crash Course without being currently enrolled in an associated class.
So far, we've taught Chemistry, World History, Biology, Ecology, US History, Psychology, Big History, Literature, and we're in the middle of Anatomy and Physiology, Astronomy, US Government, and World History (again.)
Continue reading "My Top 5 on Patreon: Atheism, Art, and Education"


text:
Blog Posts
Blog posts can be attractive and engaging in the same way a page can be, so go ahead and add images, YouTube clips (preferably of cats), and tables to your post to really grab your audience.
To create a blog post, you need the 'Add Blog' permission. See Space Permissions.
Move a blog post
If you create a blog post in the wrong space, or want to reorganize your spaces, you can move an individual blog post to another space.
To move a blog post, go to the post and choose More options
You'll need the 'Delete blog' permission in the current space, and 'Add blog' permission in the new (destination) space to do this.
Restrict a blog post
You can restrict a blog post so that it is only available to specific users or groups. Blog post restrictions work in the same way as page restrictions.
To restrict a blog post prior to publishing it, choose the Unrestricted button in the footer and apply your restrictions. To restrict a blog post after publishing, choose
- Notifications are sent at the point a blog post is created - removing restrictions does not trigger a new notification.
- As a blog post has no parent, restrictions aren't inherited.
Delete a blog post
To delete a blog post, choose
Export a blog post
You can export individual blog posts to PDF. This is useful, for example, if you want to email an internal blog post to people outside your organization.
See Export Content to Word, PDF, HTML and XML for more information on exporting blog pages to PDF.


text:
After the success of GAY SEX WEEK on my blog in October 2011, I decided to produce FAT SEX WEEK to celebrate sex for all bodies. This is especially inspired to counteract all of the media about sex around Valentine's Day that's all heteronormative/couplehood-oriented/body hegemonic. It's a week of body liberation and sex and it's going to be really fun! Check out all of the FAT SEX WEEK magic!
(All the photos in this post are Safe For Work but the photos depict people in suggestive positions.)
When I told a friend of mine who shall remain nameless that I was planning a FAT SEX WEEK she immediately asked if I would review the Liberator Wedge for my website. Liberator sells a Plus Size Wedge and it seemed like the perfect addition to FAT SEX WEEK. I've been familiar with the Liberator furniture for years, they did a lounge at the Femme Mafia Masquerade in 2008.* The whole Liberator collection is incredible and luxurious.
Since the Liberator folks haven't upgraded the Wedge photos to include plus size participants in the Wedge lifestyle, I needed to include at least one photo of plus size babes. Photo by Kelsey Dickey for Rebel Cupcake.
Making the decision to invest in a piece of furniture for sex is a giant commitment not just in cost but also in space. Brooklyn is not a place to take storage lightly, so I didn't really ever consider a Liberator an option in my life.
I put the call out to pals to see if someone wanted to loan me one before I made the commitment of asking for a review Wedge from the kind folks at Liberator. I got enough positives from friends, including a suggestion to use it as a "reading ramp" to prop your pillows on for reading in bed. Genius storage idea won out and I asked for my own Wedge.
The Wedge, just casually laying about.
I had a few misgivings ahead of time. Number one is, why wouldn't you just use a pillow to do what the Liberator does? I learned immediately upon receiving the Wedge that it's not that simple, since the Liberator is made of this heavy duty foam material that's way sturdier than a pillow but just pliant enough to be comfortable. Welcome to sex in the 21st Century! None of my fluffy pillows could possibly compete with this firm foam.
The Plus Size Wedge differs from the original Wedge in the dimensions. The original measures 24 x 14 x 7 whereas the plus measures 30 x 14 x 7. I was on it and I was glad for the extra space. I could feel firmly planted in the center of the Wedge and didn't feel like I was falling off either side. If it was six inches smaller I would probably feel sort of insecure on it, like I might roll off. Insecurity is a total buzz kill for fat sex!
The Wedge is often marketed for its great leverage for amazing g-spot (and p-spot) stimulation. That was my favorite part. A toy that was sort of okay at g-spotting was phenomenal while on the Wedge (position: legs in the air and back on the wedge angle). The $105 investment in the Wedge is a great one when you think that how many of your sorta "Meh" toys sitting in your sex toy box will get a new life out of the new positions you can support on the Wedge.
Like many things involved in having fun sex, the Liberator Wedge requires an openness to being silly and a little planning. There is nothing "smooth" about getting onto this thing. I've tried it both in prepared "We're going to try the Wedge tonight" and "Oh, we should get the Wedge!" moments. I'll tell you, the "We should get the Wedge!" moment requires getting up and resetting the stage, which might not be the ideal for your sexual situations if you're one of those heat of the moment hard to get revved up again people.
Also, getting onto the Wedge is sort of hilarious. I don't have a photograph of this, but I sat on it once and almost entirely rolled into a backward somersault in a red babydoll chemise which was hilarious for my fellow wedge tester to witness and something we laughed about for a long time. But I don't know if I could have recovered from the foolishness with a brand new partner. So be warned to settle in slowly.
This girl looks like a pin-up on the Wedge. I bet she looked really foolish settling in for this photo shoot!
My fellow wedge tester reported that her arms were significantly less tired than usual. "More bang for your buck," she said. I laughed heartily.
The foam really holds up, it's firm and I can easily stay in position. I think the Liberator Plus Size Wedge is totally worth the investment of money and storage space. The Plus Size Wedge comes in a ton of colors and prints, including leopard, and the microfiber cover is easily removable and machine washable. I'm seriously considering the Plus Size Ramp for my next trick.
Thanks Liberator!
*A big room full of sex furniture at a party is a pretty amazing feat, Rachael throws incredible events.


text:
Displaying 1 - 1 of total 1 results:
Interview with Zane Arp, director for Biomedical Physics at the FDA. Arp provides an organizational overview of where his office sits within the FDA and its key institutional partners throughout and beyond the federal government. He recounts his childhood in Texas and his undergraduate experience at Angelo State where he majored in chemistry. Arp explains his decision to pursue a PhD in physical chemistry at Texas A&M with a focus on quantum chemistry through spectroscopy, and he describes his postgraduate work at Los Alamos on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. He discusses his subsequent work at Wye Laboratories and Johnson Space Controls in support of the International Space Station. Arp describes his next job at GlaxoSmithKline to work on pharmaceutical development and where he grew into management leadership roles. He describes the opportunities that led to him joining the FDA and he describes his game plan for improving the biomedical device research and regulatory process. Arp explains why this is a long-term proposition and he describes how COVID has, and has not changed FDA's regulatory environment. At the end of the interview, he reflects on what shifts he been able to put in place so far at the FDA and why his office truly benefits from having a mission statement.


text:
Venues plan for 2022 Commonwealth Games confirms sporting showcase for Birmingham and the West Midlands
The Sport and Venue Programme for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was confirmed and celebrated on Friday 19 October, as five Team England medallists joined Birmingham 2022 Chairman John Crabtree and pupils from Mapledene Primary School for a sporting showcase at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre - one of the key venue clusters for the Games, which take place from 27 July to 7 August 2022.
17 thrilling sports will take place over 11 days of action-packed competition, at venues across the host city and throughout the West Midlands and beyond. Over one million tickets will be available– and go on sale closer to the event. All of the venues are already open - with the exception of the new Aquatics Centre planned to be built in Sandwell - and well-established and experienced hosts of world-class sport. This was a key benefit of the original bid, supporting the Games Partners and Commonwealth Sports Movement's ambitions to increase the efficiency and affordability of hosting the Games.
John Crabtree, Chairman of the Birmingham Organising Committee of the 2022 Commonwealth Games said: "We were thrilled to welcome local schoolchildren and Team England stars to help celebrate the confirmed sport and venue programme for 2022, bringing a tiny flavour of the Games' sporting spirit to the NEC, one of our main venue clusters. It's anotherimportant milestone as progress continues towards Birmingham's largest-ever global sporting and cultural event in less than four years' time.
"With the revamp of Alexander Stadium, plans for a brand-new facility at Sandwell and a tried and tested team of sporting venues across the West Midlands - all our collaborative efforts are focused on ensuring the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be a spectacular sporting showcase of the city and region."
Tracey Crouch, Minister for Sport and Civil Society, said: "The Commonwealth Games will showcase the very best of Birmingham, the West Midlands and the UK to the rest of theworld. This is an exciting sport programme that will be held at some of the region's mosticonic sites and venues. I am particularly pleased that it features an inclusive para-sport programme and equal medal opportunities for men and women."
12 of the 17 sports take place in existing venues across the host city: Athletics and Para-Athletics will take place at a significantly-upgraded Alexander Stadium, located close to the Commonwealth Games Village; Arena Birmingham will host Gymnastics; whilst the NEC campus will host six sports - Badminton, Boxing, Judo, Table Tennis, Weightlifting (and Para Powerlifting) and Wrestling.
Birmingham University's facilities will be home to Hockey and Squash; and Aston Villa's footballground Villa Park will be the stadium for the Rugby Sevens action. A city-centre location for the 3x3 Basketball and Wheelchair Basketball events is still being finalised.
Cllr Ian Ward, Birmingham City Council Leader said: "Birmingham has a global reputation as a sporting city and this line-up of venues underlines just why we were selected to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games. This city has a very strong track record of successfully staging major championships and athletes love competing in front of enthusiastic and knowledgeable Birmingham audiences. In 2022, the world's top stars are guaranteed a warm welcome over what we can be sure will be 11 unforgettable days of sporting action in top-class facilities."
Venues across the West Midlands will also help maximise and spread the involvement and benefits to regional communities close to Birmingham, with Swimming and Diving at a brand-new Aquatics Facility in Sandwell (6 miles from Birmingham City Centre); Triathlon taking place at Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield (6 miles); Mountain Biking at Cannock Chase (16 miles); Netball at the Coventry Arena (17 miles) and Lawn Bowls in Royal Leamington Spa (21 miles). Finally, the velodrome at Lee Valley VeloPark will host Track Cycling on the tenth anniversary of the London 2012 Olympic Games (102 miles).
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: "This was always a regional bid, with many of the regional partners supporting financially. It's therefore particularly pleasing that some of the events and competition will take place around the region, giving us the opportunity to showcase places like Cannock Chase and Leamington Spa to the world and ensure the benefits of what I am confident will be afantastic event are shared out."
The sport programme for Birmingham 2022 includes all mandatory sports and disciplines as per Commonwealth Games Federation rules, as well as an approved selection of optional sports chosen by the local bid committee: Diving, 3x3 Basketball and Wheelchair Basketball, Mountain Biking, Track Cycling and Track Para-Cycling, Rhythmic Gymnastics, and Para-Triathlon. Wheelchair Basketball makes its appearance at the Commonwealth Games for the first time ever in 2022, and organisers have committed to ensuring that the 2022 edition builds on the Commonwealth Games' track record of inclusive para-sport and gender equal medal opportunities.
Commonwealth Games England Chairman Ian Metcalfe said: "On behalf of Commonwealth Games England, I'm so pleased with the announcement of the sport programme and venues.The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be an incredible opportunity for Team England to build on the English sporting pride that we saw on the Gold Coast. Our athletes will benefit from the power and support of a home crowd while competing in world class venues in Birmingham, the West Midlands and England.
"The diverse selection of sports reinforces the Commonwealth Games' track record forinclusive para sport and gender equality; values that are extremely important to TeamEngland."
There remains interest from a number of additional sports and disciplines over and above the programme announced today. The Organising Committee is therefore currently conducting an Additional Sports Review and Costing to look at the possibility of including additional sports to the Games.
Gold Coast 2018 Boxing gold medallist Galal Yafai said: "It's going to be amazing to see the boxing take place here at the NEC in four years' time. The Birmingham fans love theirsport and I know there'll be such a buzz across the city during the Games."


text:
Cash Back1 Select AOPA Purchases2-5
Cash Back1 Select AOPA Partners3-5
Cash Back1 FBO's & Flight Schools; Aviation & Auto Fuel4-5
Cash Back1 All Other Purchases
3% Cash Back1 at Select AOPA partners3, including:
A Cash Back1 redemption is applied as a statement credit. Quarterly bonus point cap of 2,500 points5
The AOPA Credit Card provides:
How you earn | What you spend | How it adds up! |
4% AOPA | $100 | 400 points |
3% Select AOPA Partner | $500 | 1,500 points |
2% F.B.O.s4 | $250 | 500 points |
2% Flight Schools4 | $275 | 550 points |
2% Gas Station4 | $25 | 50 points |
1% Everywhere Else | $2,000 | 2,000 points |
Monthly Total | $3,150 | 5000 points = $50 Cash Back!1 |
A Cash Back1 redemption is applied as a statement credit. Quarterly bonus cap of 2,500 points5
I have a simple request for all AOPA members, please check your wallet.
Does the card inside support your flying, support our shared freedom to fly, and save you money at the same time?
If the answer is no, then you are missing out on the best credit card for pilots, the all new AOPA World Mastercard.
Here is why you as a pilot need it:
About a year ago, AOPA made the hard, but necessary decision to build a true aviation credit card and end our relationship with Bank of America. We needed a better card, one that truly works for pilots and one built from the ground up by pilots. Over the course of its development, we took great care to ensure that every benefit would provide maximum savings on all thing's aviation and much more beyond that.
This impressive new program replaces our previous one with Bank of America, who no longer carries the pilot's credit card. (If you had the old Bank of America credit card, it's time to switch.)
There is now ONLY ONE credit card that bears the name AOPA and represents the best credit card for pilots. There is ONLY ONE card that gives pilots unique benefits to save money, keep flying, support aviation and supports AOPA.
That card is the new AOPA World Mastercard® issued by Commerce Bank and is available in your choice of the two unique aviation designs.
Now that you have some background on this important AOPA program, I hope that you will take the next step and apply. If you do, please make sure that if you see me at an aviation event or one our fly-ins, to stop over and share the great news.
Make sure you become one of the thousands of pilots already putting money back in their pockets with the new AOPA World Mastercard.
Blue Skies,
Mark Baker
Select AOPA purchases include: AOPA Membership, Pilot Protection Services, AOPA Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics (in-person and online), AOPA Event Registration, AOPA Pilot Gear store purchases (online only).


text:
(browse the entire issue #17 on Youtube)
Santa Fe-ing of the World by Joel Garreau; Emerging Geographies: From Environment to Terrorism – Interview with Saskia Sassen by Bernd Upmeyer; The Urbanism of Demographics: Next Eleven, BRIC 2.0? by Hajir Alttahir; Investment as Planning by Kai van Hasselt; The Data Based Infographics of Urban Expansion by Martin Abbott; Compact Thinking by Mathieu Mercuriali; Banglatown by Federica Vazzana and Domenico Paparelli (Studio Lunik) with Paola Favoino; New Cairo by Manuel Alvarez Diestro; Jakarta: Design Research and the Futures of Hypercomplexity by Adam Bobbette, Meredith Miller, and Etienne Turpin; Tehran: Planning the Unpredictable by Ali Fard and Ghazal Jafari; Anáhuac: Region at the Edge of the Water by Kathrin Golda-Pongratz; P.L.A.T.F.O.R.M. by Brian Lee; The Ghosts of Next Urbanism by Nida Rehman; Mas Bagong Bayani – the Newer Heroes of a Fragmented Nation by Kathleen Cayetano; Towards a Neo-Liberalized Istanbul by Onur Ekmekci; The Next Urban Poor by Hyeri Park; Three Utopias, Self and Urban Imagery in Vietnam by Paolo Patelli; Lagos: World's Next Model City – Interview with Kunlé Adeyemi by Bernd Upmeyer; Seoul's Parallel Life by Aram Tanis
This new issue of MONU is dedicated entirely to the topic of "Next Urbanism" – meaning the urbanism of the cities of the so-called "Next Eleven" or "N-11", which include eleven countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Turkey, South Korea, and Vietnam. These countries have been identified as growing into, along with the BRICs – Brazil, Russia, India, and China – the world's largest economies in the 21st century. Next to interviews with Saskia Sassen and with the Nigerian-born architect Kunlé Adeyemi, and a series of contributions that discuss Next Urbanism in general, we feature eleven articles that focus specifically on the cities of each of the Next Eleven countries. The issue opens with an article entitled "Santa Fe-ing the World" by Joel Garreau, who envisions the future of the Next Urbanism as being organized in dramatically different settlement patterns that feature widely dispersed new aggregations, made possible by new information technology, particularly the internet and cell phones. Although these are far-fetched futuristic scenarios, being connected appears as the key factor and an important asset that will determine the identity, character and future of the Next Eleven cities. Saskia Sassen describes something similar in our interview with her entitled "Emerging Geographies – From Environment to Terrorism". Rather than thinking in terms of "Next Eleven", a category that is -according to her – based on lazy measures and an ignorance of the actual economies and societies and geographies of those countries, she defines Next Urbanism as emerging geographies and networks of cities that connect prosperous areas of countries across the world that are better disposed to face our major global challenges than national governments. Hajir Alttahir, in her contribution "The Urbanism of Demographics: Next Eleven, BRIC 2.0?", unmasks qualifications such as BRIC or Next Eleven as mere marketing ploys, used by banks and targeted at potential investors. However, from an investor's point of view, the concept of the Next Eleven group of countries makes perfect sense as Kai van Hasselt points out in his piece "Investment as Planning" in which he tries to discover how cities and its citizens can profit from the concept and how the act of investing can be seen as a process parallel to planning or even as a form of planning itself. How important the need for investments is, for example, in urban infrastructure and in particular in communication infrastructure in the cities of the countries of the Next Eleven, is explained by Federica Vazzana and Domenico Paparelli (Studio Lunik), together with Paola Favoino, in "Banglatown", which marks the first of the eleven articles focusing specifically on the distinct qualities, identities, geographies, and vulnerabilities of the cities of one of the Next Eleven countries – in this case Bangladesh. To what extent, for example, are the areas of the city of Jakarta, despite being the rising star of Indonesia, subject to unequal exposure to environmental risks, disaster planning, and financial reorganization and management that may eventually eclipse many forms of life that constitute the very 'cityness' of Jakarta? This question is addressed by Adam Bobbette, Meredith Miller, and Etienne Turpin in their piece "Jakarta: Design Research and the Futures of Hypercomplexity". The fact that the cities of the Next Eleven countries do not always function as the engines of economic growth is shown by Nida Rehman in her contribution "The Ghosts of Next Urbanism", in which she explains how the ghosts of unfinished urban projects in Pakistan's city Lahore continue to haunt the city. Obviously, there is a need still for a better understanding of the dynamics of the Next Eleven cities to assure their successful future as Onur Ekmekci clarifies in his article "Towards a Neo-Liberalized Istanbul" in which he describes the cities of the Next Eleven, and particularly the city of Istanbul, as "worlding cities": inherently unstable, inevitably subject to intense competition, always incomplete. In the words of the urban theorist Ananya Roy: 'the art of being global'. Altogether the eleven articles that focus specifically on the cities of the different Next Eleven countries provide a broad overview of what Next Urbanism looks like today and will look like in the future. And despite their problems, it appears that if each of their economies is able to address the specific conditions needed to maintain growth, as Hajir Alttahir explains, the emerging architecture and urbanism of the Next Eleven, although more muted than BRIC in terms of development, may end up surprising us all with their innovative strength, and will act as a paradigm for a new networked, high-density, and resilient urbanism. According to Kunlé Adeyemi the cities of the Global South are already the cities of the moment: he perceives the Nigerian city of Lagos to be the global model city, as he explains in our interview with him entitled "Lagos: The World's Next Model City".
(Bernd Upmeyer, Editor-in-Chief, October 2012)
Find out more about this issue on MONU's website.


text:
Channelled Via John Smallman On 10-30-16
Humanity's awakening process is further intensifying, as you may well have noticed. The need to awaken is emerging into the collective human awareness as the pain and suffering of the illusion, the dream or nightmare in which it seems you presently have your existence, becomes increasingly unacceptable.
Violent and frequent conflicts and disagreements at every level of society in every nation and culture are leading to exhaustion and a deep seated desire for peace. Those who have been in control for so long are in disarray as the power they thought they had and owned dissolves leaving them confused and terrified.
The nightmare that so many on Earth have been experiencing is drawing to a close as an era of peace, harmony, and creative cooperation flows in to replace it. It will be a new and gentle era, very different from the one to which you have for so long been accustomed, as people come together to join in love and completely change the way society has been interacting for eons.
Housing the homeless and feeding the hungry is the first priority, then, all across the planet, work will commence to repair the damage that large international corporations have done by mining, drilling, logging, dumping toxic wastes, and by industrial scale farming using utterly inappropriate pesticides and fertilizers.
Humanity is ready for change! And massive changes are occurring that will completely alter the way humans interact with one another and with the planet, your earthly home. Your true nature is Love, you know that, but you chose collectively to hide your true nature from yourselves in order to play the game of separation in the illusion, but the many games you could choose from were only possible if you actively and very effectively forgot who you were. You made that choice, and then renewed it each time you chose to incarnate as a human on your beautiful planet.
Having forgotten who you were, you became alarmed – many of you today have memory problems as humans and find this at the least unsettling and, sometimes, even terrifying – and feared for your very survival. You developed an ego to advise and protect you from the dangers you imagined surrounded you and programed it to be fearful and mistrustful of others and of the world in general.
And this general lack of trust led to secrecy, betrayal and conflict, conditions that are now endemic throughout the human collective, and to most the states of constant caution that have arisen as a direct result seem wise and sensible when you live in such an apparently dangerous environment.
However, the dangers of your environment are but scenarios that you invented to make your games interesting, and you can remove them at any time you choose to do so. You are all beings of enormous power, in fact in the terms of your limited human environment, your powers, were you aware of them, would seem infinite. You change the environment in which you experience life and you change the experiences presented to you by the intent that you hold.
Your intent is what you generally think about or dwell upon, but frequently it is at a level below your conscious human awareness because it is so constant and unchanging, mostly guided by an underlying sense of fear. It is a little like the electricity that flows in your homes and powers the appliances, you are generally unaware of it – although you use it almost constantly – until it fails.
You have forgotten how powerful you are! That amnesia is an aspect of the illusion that is essential to its seeming reality. If you remembered who you are and how powerful you are the illusion would just dissolve into the nothingness from which you imagined it into being. Humanity's awakening process is a process of remembering who you are, and signs of that awakening surround you even though many still choose not to see them.
The illusion has become very familiar, it appears to be your natural home. The air you breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat are all essential aspects of it that enable you to live embodied as form within it, as a human being. But you are so very much more than the human form with which you have temporarily identified. In human terms, unimaginably more!
You have become thoroughly accustomed to smallness. You see yourselves as practically insignificant in the larger scheme of things, i.e. in relation to the universe in which you are presently experiencing life, and that too causes you to be fearful. But that is an unreal environment which you chose to construct and inhabit!
Finding yourselves so small and limited you imagined an ego, also with very limited intelligence, to be your competent protector, and gave it power over you at the intention center of your mind so that it could respond instantly to threats and dangers, thus keeping you safe. Because its abilities are extremely limited it frequently flees into fear and then reacts inappropriately to what are truly quite unreal threats, and conflicts result.
You are not your ego! Your ego is like an automatic guidance system that maintains direction as you follow your human life path and prevents you from colliding with objects in your path, thus freeing you for creative thought and allowing you to open your heart to engage with the Love field in which you have your eternal existence. However, your ego keeps on distracting you from the peace within by calling to mind anything that will disturb that sense of peace.
When you are at peace your ego feels abandoned, and it will do absolutely anything to get your attention. Whenever you feel fear, anger, judgment, or anxiety it is your ego that is controlling your mind and demanding your undivided attention.
Whenever you become aware of this, take a very deep breath and remind yourself that you are a beloved child of God, forever safe in His divine embrace, and make the intent to open your heart and invite God's Love to fill it. Doing just this allows the abundance of divine Love to pour into your heart and bring you peace.
Until doing that becomes automatic you will have to keep remaking that intent in moments of stress as your ego attempts to keep you fearful by drawing you out of the peace that dwells always within you. And as you remake that intent remind yourselves that you are divine beings of enormous power who need fear nothing!
Your loving brother, Jesus.
"Jesus: Humanity is Ready For Change," Channeled by John Smallman, October 30, 2016, at https://johnsmallman2.wordpress.com/2016/10/30/humanity-is-ready-for-change/


text:
Are you a policy geek? FDA has a white paper out on drug development and it has some background on diabetes (T1 and T2) and how they go about drug approval.
It isn't page turner like Game of Thrones (GoT) but hey let be honest GoT books 4 and 5 dragged on.
Here is the preface of what they say about diabetes and a link to the section of the white paper on diabetes:
Have fun reading geeks.
The reader digest version is summed up in these quotes:
It isn't page turner like Game of Thrones (GoT) but hey let be honest GoT books 4 and 5 dragged on.
Here is the preface of what they say about diabetes and a link to the section of the white paper on diabetes:
..our understanding of disease causation and progression is sufficient to permit our use of certain tools such as surrogate endpoints. But it is insufficient to develop others such as biomarkers to help target specific subset of patients who are less likely to suffer side effects from specific drugs. Even where scientific research has not yet identified the molecular and genetic bases for a disease and its treatment, FDA is using tools other than targeting and biomarkers to reduce the length and cost of clinical trials, including flexible trial designs, expedited development pathways, public-private research collaborations, and intensive engagement with drug sponsors. In addition, these tools can support the development of one of the most promising avenues for accelerating drug development: targeted, or precision, medicine—the ability to target the right drug to the right patient based on understanding of the genetic and biochemical basis of a disease in patient subgroups.Diabetes : http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/ReportsManualsForms/Reports/ucm454955.htm#Diabetes
Have fun reading geeks.
The reader digest version is summed up in these quotes:
Yeah there is more in there. If you like wanting around in Westeros, enjoy the read.
- FDA has long allowed manufacturers to show that a diabetes drug works by using a simple surrogate endpoint—lowering blood sugar.
- There have been longstanding concerns that some drugs for type 2 diabetes that successfully lower blood sugar may nevertheless increase rather than decrease the risk of heart attack.
- To minimize the impact on innovation while ensuring acceptable cardiovascular safety, FDA asks for preliminary CV safety data before approval and for detailed additional data to characterize CV effects after the product is on the market.
- FDA has approved seven new diabetes drugs in the last two years. This includes three drugs that represent entirely new drug classes—a measure of how innovative these drugs are. In June 2014, FDA approved the only inhaled insulin product. The diabetes drug pipeline is among the strongest for any disease category and includes potentially transformative advances for type 1 diabetes.


text:
Our photo scanning service is based in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, but is available nationwide, including Ascot. Just send your photographs to us, we will professionally scan them by hand, checking each image individually on our high end scanners, and then return your photos along with the digital scans on a disk.
We scan photos in either 300 DPI or 600 DPI or 1200 DPI (Dots per Inch).
When placing your order, we will quote you a price and an estimated completion date, and we only ever return your images via recorded delivery, normally through Royal Mail, however we are happy to use any courier you specify, and we will only ever charge you delivery fees at cost.
We only use flatbed scanners to protect your precious photographs. Some services cut costs by putting your photographs into an automated sheet feeder so they can scan dozens, or hundreds of photos at a time, which increases the risk of the feeder damaging your photo. Our staff load each photo onto a flatbed by hand therefore reducing this risk.
If you have spent the time to organise your photographs into batches, we will scan the photos and return them in the same sequence, with a folder on disc for each batch which is named appropriately, e.g. "Wedding 1984" etc.
JPG JPEG files are the most commonly used method of storing photographs on computers and digital cameras. Photo's scanned to JPEG files do produce excellent results whilst taking up a minimum of space, and achieves this by compressing your images, which results in a loss of quality. However, the JPEG standard allows for different levels of compression, with higher quality scans resulting the less you compress the image. By default, Pixave scan your photographs in JPEG format with the least level of compression, resulting in high quality images that are reasonably large in size. The quality will outstanding and will look fantastic for everyday use such as reprinting your family photographs etc. There are some applications that require a higher quality, e.g. images to be printed in magazines, where professionals require the highest quality possible, in which case, we are happy to scan your photographs in TIFF format which are lossless (i.e. have no compression) but take up HUGE amounts of disk space.
DPIDots per inch is the term used to measure the density of an image, namely the number of dots that can be placed in a line within 1 inch (2.54cm). The higher the DPI used to scan an image, the larger the resulting file will be. Most photographs are printed at 300 DPI, and so scanning at a higher resolution wont improve the quality of the image, however if you intend to print enlargements using a photo printing website it will be better to scan your photo's at a higher resolution and send them the high resolution file. Some web sites will enlarge the print using low quality software, so the more you can do to minimize the changes your printers need to do the better.
TIFTagged Image File Format (TIFF) files are commonly used to store images within the publishing industry, graphic artists and professional photographers. TIFF files produce a better quality image when compared to JPEG files, because the images are not compressed, however they take significantly more space on your hard drive, e.g. a 1200 DPI scan of a transparency that creates an image sized 5267 * 6899 pixels is 18.2MB in JPEG format but 105.2MB in TIFF format. As you can see from these figures, the JPEG format has removed 80MB of the same image, and therefore it is logical to assume that the TIFF file is of higher quality, however this is a very subjective area as a lot of people cannot tell the difference, and the cost of storing TIFF files compared to JPEG on your systems can be a lot higher simply due amount of disk space required.
Pixave are happy to scan your photos in your choice of resolution file format (JPEG / TIFF) at no extra cost. By default your photographs will be scanned at 600 DPI into JPEG format, if you have different requirements please let us know in the special instructions of our order page or when you speak to us on the phone.
Remember that we provide a full UK nationwide service and will only charge postage / courier fees back to Ascot
Prices start from £0.09 for photographs scanned at 300 dots per inch (DPI).
»» Photo scanning pricesYou can of course contact us or use our online system to get a quote and place an order, then just send your photo's to us. We will take great care of your photos.
»» How photo scanning worksWant to share your scans with your children ? Or are you having a wedding, perhaps a big birthday coming up and want to embarrass the lucky person ?
»» Why scan your photos?