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Scientists have announced they now have a cure for the hepatitis C virus.
The pills not only wipe out the virus in nine of ten patients who suffer from the disease, they also restore liver function.
When attacked by the virus the liver gets scarred or even cancer as a result, making hepatitis C the leading cause of liver transplantation in the United States.
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In just 12 weeks, the new drug treatment can cure advanced cases of the disease and eliminate the need for a transplant.
The treatment involves a combination of two drugs — sofosbuvir and velpatasvir — in a single pill.
Over the course of 36 months, doctors at Utah's Intermountain Medical Center oversaw drug trials at 47 sites around the country, at which 260 hepatitis C patients took one to two pills a day for three months each.
The doctors announced Friday, 90% of the patients in advanced stages of the disease – on the verge of needing a transplant – were cured. Those in earlier stages of hepatitis saw a 99% rate of being cured — with no resurgence of the disease.
CHECK OUT: Science Just Saved A Baby, Beating Cancer With Untested, Last Try
"The virus will go away and not come back," lead researcher Dr. Michael Charlton told Deseret News. "You're cured of Hep C."
As recently as five years ago, only 25% of people who went through standard treatments were cured.
The pills studied in Utah are a completely new class of drugs that attack the disease differently — and more effectively — than existing treatments.
Gilead Sciences, makers of two expensive hepatitis drugs, funded the Utah research. Gilead's pills on the market can cost as much as $95,000 for a full course of treatment.
CHECK OUT: Discovery Promises New Treatments, Possible Prevention of Alzheimer's
It's not clear how much the new pills will cost, but they could be available as early as mid-2016 if the FDA approves it.
The researchers published their study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
(WATCH the video below from KxWIKINews) — Photo: stevepb, CC
Pass Along This Healthy Dose Of Good News, Share It…


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Have you ever seen the commercial about the guy that goes out to buy a new car and drives his new, red, 2-door, sports car into the driveway where his wife and three young children are waiting? That's what I mean…need versus want. It's the same with houses. You have to find a good balance and a good Realtor will help you find that. You LOVE the two story home with the huge backyard, but you are over retirement age. Stop and think. Are those stairs going to be a problem or a big headache for you in a few years? Is the large backyard a lot of work? Maybe your needs are more in line with a smaller home with no stairs and a yard that is maintained by someone else. But maybe you just don't like that. Well, it's time to find a balance or sacrifice one for the other. Maybe that doesn't make me the best "salesperson" who would push you into the largest, most expensive home of your dreams, but it's what makes me a good Realtor. A good realtor understands both your wants and your needs and can help you find that perfect match. And if you are lucky enough, you might just find exactly what you need AND exactly what you want in the same property.
How can you help your Realtor help you? Determine these things first and let your Realtor know.
What are your needs?
- How many people are in your family?
- How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need?
- How often do you have visitors?
- Do you need indoor space or more outdoor space, such as a patio?
- Do you have pets?
- How much care can you give to a yard or pool?
- Do you need easy access to town or a highway?
- Do you need to be able to get to the main city or hospitals?
What are your wants?
- Do you want a guest bedroom or house?
- Do you want a large yard or a small one? Are you willing to pay someone to keep up a larger yard?
- Do you want a pool? Are you willing to pay someone to clean it or are you willing to do it yourself?
- Do you want to live in a gated residential community or in a smaller local community?
- Do you want a new home or one that is a more established neighborhood?
- Do you want to live in a secluded rural area with no neighbors?
- Do you want to never drive on a dirt road?
How can you compromise the two or make a tradeoff?
- Do you want the guest house, but only have visitors for one week out of the year? Would it be worth to live close to a small hotel or short-term rental where you could have them sleep there instead?
- Would a pool that is available to the residential community work so that you don't have the personal maintenance?
- Could you buy a smaller house and build a separate guest home in the future?
- Would you want to get a secluded home but still close to the city?
- Would you be willing to drive on a good dirt road if it meant living in the home of your dreams?
- Do you love the beach but hate the heat? Could you then live 30 minutes away from the surf but up where the air is cooler?
- How do you get a home with a view over the whole valley without driving on a hill?
The more inline that your wants and needs are, the easier it will be, but sometimes compromises or tradeoffs can be made between the two. It can make it even more complicated when two people have very different ideas of what they need and want. For example, a wife who likes to be close to town in a home with very little maintenance and a husband who likes to be out in the country with no neighbors in shouting distance. So, then you have to try to line up two sets of needs vs. wants. The more you can know this about yourself before you start and let your agent know, the quicker you will find the perfect home.
Tina Newton who is part-owner of Tristan & Newton real estate is always glad to help you in the search for a home, to sell a home, or even to just answer any questions you have about living in Costa Rica. Check out the website, facebook page, or send a direct email to find the home of your dreams.

subset: commoncrawl


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Beth Campbell will us through a calming yet challenging class that she is so known to deliver. Get ready to tap into an inner strength while learning to soften in your postures. Beth will show us how our yoga practice on the mat will begin to transform in our lives off the mat as we let go and realize we are exactly where we are meant to be.
Get to know Beth...
"I graduated from Ohio State University in 2002 with a Bachelors degree in Exercise Science. I started personal training and teaching group fitness classes as I have always had a passion for fitness and health.
I first stepped onto my mat 14 years ago and became hooked. I learned to use my breath as a tool to "slow down" and to connect mind, body and spirit. Through the practice of learning to soften and let go in the posture it begins to transform into your own experiences off of the mat. You begin to let go and trust that exactly where you are in life is exactly where you are meant to be.
One of my favorite quotes is "Be kinder than necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. You never know what a smile, kind word or a hug can do to make someone's day" J.M. Barrie"
Here's a link to a GREAT blog that was written last July when Beth taught: https://jensdoyoga.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/we-dont-always-drink-beer-but-when-we-do-we-prefer-omb-yoga-on-tap/


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Cause I'm the Icecream Man
Happy New Year everyone! It's a bit late… so I could even say Happy Lunar New Year… yep that is indeed how late I am. @_@ It's been quite awhile since my last blog post, and I since I hate excuses, I won't write any on the blog. 2012 is a new year and I'm sure there will be many exciting topics for this blog.
Deciding on the first post of the year was challenging since there is already so much "good stuff" to share with everyone! But in the end, my love for the icecream man Kimi Raikkonen has won out. The news of Kimi's return to F1 is so 2011, but some things must still be said~ 😉
While everyone associates flatcaps with Kimi now… let's take a look at the not-so-distant past and the evolution of Kimi's flat cap style at Ferrari:
Kimi used to be just like all the other boys, with the extremely rounded/bent bill:
After awhile… it kinda got a lil flatter… All right, this is a bit of stretch I know since it's a podium cap 😛
And of course… the look we all know (and possibly hate depending on your satorial preferences):
I haven't spotted any photos of Kimi in a Lotus flatcap yet… but he appears to be sorely missing them:
Not having a flat cap is a grave matter … it merits a serious discussion with team members:
Aforementioned ugly sunglasses have been spotted. If you want to replicate Kimi's style, he is wearing the Oakley Dispatch II Aviator which retail for ~$120 USD:
Bonus helmet photo… anyone else think it should say ICECREAM? -____-;;;
Yes… for better or worse thepitwalk is back blogging. 😛


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Search Engine Optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a website on organic ("natural" or un-paid) search engine result pages (SERPs), by incorporating search engine friendly elements into a website. A successful search engine optimization campaign will have, as part of the improvements, carefully select, relevant, keywords which the on-page optimization will be designed to make prominent for search engine algorithms. Search engine optimization is broken down into two basic areas: on-page, and off-page optimization. On-page optimization refers to website elements which comprise a web page, such as HTML code, textual content, and images. Off-page optimization refers, predominantly, to backlinks (links pointing to the site which is being optimized, from other relevant websites).
Once a sitemap.xml or robots.txt file is created, you can use grunt-html-snapshots to snapshot the files.
This snapshotting technique also can apply towards content that is dynamic in nature, such as content that is rendered by a database. For best results, it is important to design the infrastructure in a way that enables the content that is displayed to depend upon the URL provided. This strategy operates best with RESTful content and is very compatible with web design patterns, such as Model-View View-Model (MV-VM) or Model-View-Controller (MVC).
Several years ago, a consultant from Webtrends suggested that I follow this pattern:
Ensure that you apply some variation in how you use your keywords. Otherwise, your site content may appear like spam to Google. For example, in your H1 tag, use the keywords in a sentence. Be sure to answer the question to the best of your ability.
Glossary pages attract a very specific type of user, so it is very important to consider how the person will be using your site. Glossary pages are best when you are trying to provide a resource for people that will frequently refer back to your site. These pages tend to obtain high bounce rates, but if done correctly, they also tend to cause individuals to repeatedly come back to your site. The goal here is not necessarily to obtain an instant conversion. Instead, your goal is to provide a valuable informational resource to people on a particular subject. As people land on your site, they quickly obtain the desired information and usually leave. However, with some strategy, you can still convert these visitors into people that explore your site in greater depth.
However, to effectively design glossary pages, it is critical to also offer provide internal links to additional articles for interested readers. This allows casual readers to get desired information and leave while also providing additional resources for more interested readers. This technique also allows us you to track conversions as people that click on that particular link. The best way to create glossary pages is to create one glossary page for each keyword or keyword phrase that you are targeting.


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Chicago's iconic hotel, The Drake, is looking for an Executive Sous Chef to join the team!
Set in the prestigious Gold Coast neighborhood at the start of the Magnificent Mile, this property has 535 rooms, 33,000 square feet of banquet space, and 5 food and beverage outlets. This includes 2 restaurants, a lounge, coffee shop, and in-room dining.
In this role, you will assist the Executive Chef in overseeing the culinary operations of banquets, Palm Court, Coq d'Or, Cafe on Oak, Lavazza Espression, and In-Room DIning managing a team of 45+.
The ideal candidate will be a driven leader with excellent communication and follow up, a talent for developing others and driving innovation. At least 3-5 years of culinary management experience with a strong banquet background is required.
Coming up on the 100th anniversary next year, there is a lot to be excited for working at this historic property and the #2 World's Best Workplace!
For more information on the property, please visit:
What will I be doing?
As Executive Sous Chef, you would be responsible for assisting in the direction and administration of the planning, preparation, production and control of all culinary operations in the hotel's continuing effort to deliver outstanding guest service and financial profitability. Specifically, you would be responsible for performing the following tasks to the highest standards:
Assist the Executive Chef in the direction and oversight of all culinary operations, to include, but not limited to, preparation and production of all hotel meals, food quality and presentation, compliance with all safety and sanitation standards and regulation, team member productivity and performance, implementation of policies and procedures, cost controls and overall profitability
Assist the Executive Chef by interacting with guests and clients to monitor and assess satisfaction trends, evaluate and address issues and make improvements accordingly
Assist the Executive Chef in creating and implementing menu selections for special banquet themes and events based on current food trends and regional tastes in partnership with the Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage, as needed
Ensure compliance with federal, state, local and company health, safety, sanitation and alcohol awareness standards
Monitor and develop team member performance to include, but not limited to, providing supervision, conducting counseling and assisting with evaluations, training, scheduling and assigning work and delivering recognition and reward
Since being founded in 1919, Hilton has been a leader in the hospitality industry. Today, Hilton remains a beacon of innovation, quality, and success. This continued leadership is the result of our Team Members staying true to our Vision, Mission, and Values. Specifically, we look for demonstration of these Values:
In addition, we look for the demonstration of the following key attributes:
Hilton is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For nearly a century, Hilton has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. Hilton is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Our vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality unites us as a team to create remarkable hospitality experiences around the world every day. And, our amazing Team Members are at the heart of it all!
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Job ID: HOT064RY_10020_en
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With Farea al-Muslimi, Cofounder and Chairman, Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies
The Arab Spring uprisings in 2011 gave young people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) optimism that democratic change and greater economic opportunity was finally within their reach. These hopes were soon tempered, however, as the remnants of the previous regimes worked to derail political transitions and thwart reforms. Entrenched economic challenges defied short term solutions, and various groups and vested interests promoted social and sectarian divisions and correspondingly, greater levels of violence. Today many Arab countries are mired in a mixture of interstate and intrastate conflict. Economies are collapsing and unemployment is soaring. Unemployment and working poverty rates in the MENA region are amongst the highest in the world. These issues predate the current conflicts, but have been greatly exacerbated by them. Young people often face the choice between destitution for them and their families, emigration, or joining the payroll of one of the many state or non-state actors perpetuating the armed confrontations.
What are the options for youth in the MENA region five years after the Arab Spring? This talk will offer insight on the Arab World generally, as well as a specific focus on Yemen – where a brutal civil war rages that has resulted in one of the most catastrophic humanitarian crises of our time, despite the successful, and largely peaceful, removal of an authoritarian ruler five years on earlier. This talk will also explore the crucial role youth within any society can play in promoting meaningful and lasting peace and security for their country, and freedom and opportunity for their people and the world. Specifically, we will look at how university students can support freedom movements and peace globally.
Farea al-Muslimi is a human rights advocate and researcher from Yemen. He is co-founder and chairman of Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies. He is also a non-resident fellow at Carnegie Middle East Center, Middle East Institute in Washington DC, and board adviser of the Arab Gulf and Yemen at Chatham House in London. In 2013, Foreign Policy Magazine named Farea in its list of 100 leading global thinkers. In 2014, he was named as one of The Guardian's top 30 young leaders under 30 in digital media. In 2016, the UN General-Secretary appointed Farea to his advisory board for the Security Council-mandated progress study on Resolution 2250 on youth, peace and security.
Hosted by the Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute, the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies, and the Middle East Institute at Columbia University.
A non-pizza lunch will be provided.
For more information on this event and to RSVP, please click here.


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Fitness classes
Water fitness Class is Monday through Thursday at The Winds Beach Resort, Ocean Isle Beach. Class will run through Sept 27. Fee varies depending on the number of classes you attend. Call Ruthie McHugh at 253-2583 for more information.
Zumba fitness class is Tuesday and Thursday at Body Dimension in Shallotte.
Class is 8-9 a.m. through Sept 27. Fee is $35 per month or $10 per drop-in. Call Ruthie McHugh at 253-2583 for more information.
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Recent lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson for failing to warn consumers of a link between its talc-based products and the development of several cancers— most specifically ovarian cancer— have brought a new awareness to product safety and the failure of mega corporations to warn people of the risks associated with certain products.
The Chicago talcum powder attorneys of Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC are inviting all women who have used talcum based products and developed cancer to come forward to determine whether they may be entitled to compensation. The following history about these products will help you understand how and why your rights have been violated and what you can do to find justice.
The Little Known Secret About Talc
What many women have not known for decades is that talcum powder products such as baby powder and Shower to Shower are produced using a mineral that bears many similarities to asbestos. Talc is a soft mineral that is often mined in areas where asbestos may also be present and some of these products have even been contaminated with asbestos over history. Regardless of its purity, however, talc can have the same long term impact on the human body that asbestos does. This is why there has been established links between talcum powders and lung and ovarian cancers.
The first evidence of this link surfaced in 1982 when a Harvard doctor performed a study that revealed a concerning link between all talc based products and the development of certain cancers. Dr. Cramer saw such a clear link between the two that he published the study and strongly advised Johnson & Johnson to remove all of their talc-based products from the shelves. Despite this warning, talc has been used in beauty and hygienic products ranging from baby powder and deodorants to makeup products and skin creams.
Talcum powder works extremely well as an anti-caking agent and to absorb moisture, which would explain why it is used in so many products marketed to handle perspiration and moisture control. However, just as inhalation of asbestos fibers over many years can lead to the development of disorders such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, so can the application of talc-based products to the genital area lead to ovarian cancer.
Despite Claims, Johnson & Johnson Knew of the Risks
Following a recent verdict against Johnson & Johnson for $72 million in damages, the company doubled down on its assertion that its products are safe. Its claim that the verdict goes "against decades of sound science" could not be more erroneous, however, and only serves to prove that large corporations are perfectly willing to bend and distort the truth in order to continue pulling profits. There had been over 20 new studies since Cramer's which had supported his claim that talcum powder products significantly increased the risk of cancer.
Following one of these studies, the Cancer Prevention Coalition wrote a letter to Johnson & Johnson in 1994, suggesting as Cramer had that the products should be taken off of shelves. Evidence even surfaced that an internal memo written by a Johnson & Johnson medical consultant say explicitly, "anybody who denies the risk between using hygienic talc and ovarian cancer is denying the obvious in the face of all evidence to the contrary." This memo was written in 1997— nearly twenty years ago.
Despite all evidence linking talc to the development of cancer, Johnson & Johnson continued to market these products while continuing to assure the public that they were safe. The company knew full well that placing a warning on the products may reduce sales and chose instead to conceal the danger from millions of women every year.
Dozens of Women Have Come Forward
Two recent lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson have given women everywhere the confidence they need to defend their rights. The judgments previously mentioned were in the favor of a woman whose ovarian cancer occurred after decades of using Johnson & Johnson talc-based products and the family of a woman who died from the disease after being a Johnson & Johnson customer for nearly 50 years. Dozens of additional lawsuits are currently in progress and more women are coming forward with claims.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC is one of the leading award-winning personal injury law firms in Chicago. We have a legal team dedicated to investigating claims by women who have suffered injuries after using Johnson & Johnson's baby powder and Shower to Shower products. If you developed ovarian cancer after using these products, we would like the opportunity to represent your legal rights and interests.
Contact us today to arrange a risk free consultation with one of our highly qualified Chicago talcum powder injury lawyers. We will gather all of the information we need to investigate your claim and answer all of your questions concerning your legal rights and options. Since we work only on a contingency fee basis, you are assured that if we are unable to secure compensation on your behalf, our services will be free of charge.
For information on the latest developments in talcum powder litigation review our FAQ page here.


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DailyMail: Getting married can be a daunting prospect, but this bride has a good reason to look terrified.. she is being chased by a menacing T-Rex. The amusing photo is the creation of Quinn Miller, 22, who digitally added the giant dinosaur chasing the entire wedding party out of the ceremony. Mr Miller took the shot at the wedding of Katie Young, 23, and James Lowder, 21, from Louisiana at The Myrtles Plantation on Sunday.
I'm just going to ignore the fact that some 21 year old idiot got married. Because this couple just won wedding party pictures. I'd share some insight as to what I did for photos when I was in wedding parties but I was so blackout wasted I can't recall. I just hope these losers from yesterday take notes, get divorced, and then get remarried so that they can do it right. Total opposite ends of the spectrum this week in weddings. Weddings, fucking love 'em.


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€11.78 20% VAT incl.
The bulb AR111 LMS Sharp Chip 15 Watt 230 Volt Cool White 40° belongs to a new generation bulbs LED (Lighting Emitting Diode).
The product is economic, environmentally friendly and it has a lot of applications. You can place the bulb in hotels, restaurants, homes, offices, shops, public buildings.
It replaces completely the old halogen lamps.
The bulb is easy to be installed and by pressing the switch it ignites immediately. The bulb has long life time and its energy saving is 90%.
Base: AR111 LMS Sharp Chip 15 Watt 230 Volt Cool White
Color Temperature: 6000K
Light Color: Cool White
Power: 15 Watt
Input Voltage: 110/230 V AC
Operating Frequency:50-60Hz
Led brand Chip: Sharp
Lumens: 1350
CRI (Ra>): 80
Beam Angle: 40°
IP rating: 20
Working Temperature: -20℃~45℃
Energy Class: A+
Life span: 25000 hours
Materials used: Aluminum and Plastic
Dimming function: NO
Dimension: 50mm 111mm
Weight:0.250 kgr
No UV and IR radiation
Certificates: CE & RoHS
Warranty:2 Years
Copyright © 2019 Ledmegastore LMSAdaptor GU10 to E27, Ledmegastore LMS
Developed by responsive-oscommerce.com


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"Reunion" Boardroom & Meeting Tables
Reunion offers possibly the widest range of meeting and conference tables available on the internet. Proven to provide affordable and stylish meeting room solutions Reunion offers a selection of leg frame options and top finishes.
Stylish glass shelves
Complimentary side tables
Compatible storage and accessories
Walnut, Cherry, Maple, Ash, Beech, Apple, Oak, Silver, Grey, White, Black, Anthracite.
Made in the UK.
Image Shows Tulip Base 2750mm Rectangular in Santiago Cherry.
Example Prices Below.


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The government is constantly making changes to important deadlines and programs regarding healthcare, Meaningful Use, and ICD-10. It can be hard to keep track of. We want to help you understand and remember all of the important information and dates that could effect your practice and your EHR software.
The Scoop on 2 Important Meaningful Use and EHR Software Facts Your Practice Needs to Know
Fact #1: If you don't start Meaningful Use in 2015, you will be hit with payment adjustments.
Payment adjustments begin at the start of 2015, and in order to avoid them at your practice you will need to complete Stage 1 of Meaningful Use attestation this year! So it's time to get started, because 2015 will be here before you know it! If you beging with Meaningful Use this year you're still able to receive $24,000 when you complete all of the stages of the program. If you don't participate, then starting in 2015 your practice will be penalized through lower reimbursements for care provided to Medicare patients. Your practice will be subjected to payment adjustments to your Medicare reimbursements that start at 1% per year, up to a maximum 5% annual adjustment. And, you have to attest for Stage 1 by October 1, 2014 in order to get your full 90 days in this year.
Once you get in your 90 day reporting period for Stage 1 completed this year, you must continue to demonstrate Meaningful Use every year to avoid adjustments in subsequent years. But we recommend getting started as soon as possible, because attestation may not be successful the first time, and you might need extra time to resubmit your attestation.
Fact #2: The Stage 3 delay to 2017 will not affect payment adjustments starting in 2015.
While the new timeline for Stage 3 of Meaningful Use will bring about a few changes, a delay in payment adjustments is not one of them. You will still be held accountable in 2015 if you aren't participating in the program. Stage 3 has been delayed to being in 2017, instead of 2016. The delay will only affect early adopters of the program who started in 2011 or 2012. Early adopters will stay in Stage 2 for another year in 2016.
However, payment adjustments will still begin on January 1, 2015. There are a few exceptions to payment adjustments in 2015 for eligible professionals experiencing what the regulating bodies refer to as hardships. Here are a few of the circumstances that allow you apply for hardship exemptions:
- Newly practicing eligible professionals who would not have had time to participate in the Meaningful Use Program. If you begin practicing in 2015 you may receive an exception to the payment adjustments in 2015 and 2016, but would have to begin demonstrating Meaningful Use in 2016 to avoid payment adjustments in 2017.
- 2014 EHR vendor issues. If you started the program before 2014 and would like to continue using the system for Stage 2, you may apply for the exemption if your EHR vendor was unable to obtain 2014 certification.
- Infrastructure issues. You must be able to show that you are in an area without sufficient Internet access.
- Unpredicatble circumstances, such as natural disasters. These will be evaluated by the CMS on a case-by-case basis.
If you haven't yet, check out our eBook of facts that your practice should know when it comes to Meaningful Use. Check them out!


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I am the mystic wise woman.
I am slower but not necessarily softer.
I am your head, heart, and solar plexus. I can help you speak.
What would I say?
Whatever is in your heart at any moment.
I am an expanded You; feeling and being aware of all that is, on lots of levels. Wise enough to know what matters and what doesn't. Wise enough to regulate the flow, as well be carried by it.
I honor the love/s in your life. The hugeness of the feeling of love. The length and depths.
Do you have a gift for me?
I give you the gift of tears….of visible, shareable tears. The soft smile of vulnerability. The joy of being vulnerable without being broken.
Do you have anything else for me?
Stillness and sexual stirring.
Show me how to be wise with my sexuality.
You already are. Respect for yourself has arrived.
(Then the dragonflies kissed…..)
I can feel Her, the mystic wise woman. She is deep in my heart. She warms my chest and I wear her cloak.


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Maia was just finishing up washing her hair. The busty red-haired amazon figured she still had about twenty minutes before Olga came back from her patrol; plenty of time to dry off and get into her clothes for the evening. She closed her eyes as the hot, crisp water ran down her face and hard muscular body. The woman known to Angel Falls and the world as Walkiria let out a gasp in the steam filled air as she rinsed the conditioner out. She chuckled at the idea that something as mundane as showering could feel so good. It reminded her of that commercial; the ones where the women were almost orgasmic as they washed their tresses. Maia couldn't remember what brand it was they were shilling, just that the ads were funny and at times highly accurate. It felt good to wash the worries of the day away in the confines of a steamy-hot shower. A noise from outside the door drew her attention. Her eyes flicked open and she vaguely saw the outline of her Russian lover through the haze. Olga must have come back early. She closed her eyes and washed the remaining conditioner out, letting the sudsy white foam slide between her toes and down the drain at the bottom of the shower.
The door clicked open after a moment, letting in a blast of the cool air-conditioning from their penthouse apartment. Olga slid into the shower with her, her super-toned body glistening as the first spray of water hit her, dewing up across her massive breasts. She was carrying a bottle of her infamous imported vodka and two fluted glasses. On her lips danced a mischievous smile.
"Well don't you look like the cat that swallowed the canary." Maia chuckled playfully, "Take down Savant while you were out? I thought you were going to go easier on that stuff in all seriousness."
Olga nodded . "I am my Возлюбленная, I promise this…but tonight we celebrate!"
Maia arched an eyebrow as her Soviet spouse pressed her body up close to hers. Olga's nipples were rock-hard as her breasts pressed heavily against her own. The hot water ran down and in between their massive tracts of cleavage. "What exactly are we celebrating hmmm?"
Olga held the bottle up, cutting her eyes towards it like it was a trophy of some kind. "Tonight my beautiful American lover, this is last bottle of my beloved Moskovskaya vodka I will be drinking unless it is for other celebrations."
The red-haired woman smiled and cupped her hands around her lover's tight, muscular buttocks. "We aren't going to be making up holidays and un-birthdays are we?"
"Nyet. I have come to a realization about myself. Talking with you about things I had never spoke of to another living soul…Sajmište, my family…my times during the War…it has been a sort of catharsis for me. I have had a chance to see myself from the outside looking in."
"And what did you see?"
Olga looked away for a moment. "What I saw was a person I did not recognize. A person who was so swallowed up by her own doubts and fears that she forgot who she was and why she was given these amazing abilities. Someone who buried herself in alcohol to make the pain go away."
Walkiria looked deep into her sapphire eyes.
"But now, I have found myself again, thanks to you my Возлюбленная and people like Claire and my friend Osipenko. I simply had to remember and in a way, the Voyevoda did that. He confronted me with my inner demons and hoped they would shatter me. Instead I have faced them down. No more will I let them dictate how I act and who I am."
Maia pulled her arms up and wrapped them around her powerful shoulders. "God Olga, you have no idea how wonderful it is to hear you say that. I…I was so worried about you. Who's Osipenko?"
"I will tell you all about him later."
The Slavic juggernaut hugged her back tightly before pressing her lips against hers and enjoying a long, wet kiss there in that steam-drenched shower. After what seemed like an eternity she pulled back ever so slowly and poured the two glasses with the clear alcoholic liquid. She handed one of them to Maia and held her own aloft.
"A toast my love, to us and to our long future together."
Maia smiled and the two married women clinked glasses and tossed back the expensive Russian vodka. The same expensive Russian vodka that Olga then up-ended and poured out into the drain, the cold alcohol splashing against their ankles and feet.
"Olga! You didn't have to do that!"
"Shhhh!" Olga smiled and winked, "Is symbolic. Do not make me think about it more than that or I may cry a bit."
"Still you didn't have to that. I know you can do anything you put your mind to hon." Maia replied as she moved back to press her hard body up against her wife's.
The dark-haired Russian slide a hand down her thigh and ran it along her lover's now infamous tattoo. Maia purred her obvious pleasure and the Soviet Superwoman continued downward to dance her fingers downwards until they rested on her slippery, wet sex. Both women kissed for a second time. Walkiria reached back and cut off the water as Olga knelt down and placed the now empty bottle on the floor of the shower. The muscular woman turned and opened the door to the shower, letting in a blast of cooler air and letting a cloud of steam escape. The mirrors immediately began to sweat in the sauna like conditions.
"I am thinking we should move this to the bedroom my Возлюбленная and then we should go out and get something to eat. Someplace where I can perhaps enjoy a giant rare American burger or two with a beer."
Maia stood behind her and draped her arms down over her six-pack abs. Olga exhaled and ran her fingers over the sides of her arms as they rubbed across her washboard stomach.
"Next thing you'll be telling me you want to become a citizen of this fine country and get fat and comfortable." Maia smirked.
"Nyet," Olga laughed over her shoulder, "If anything I want to get into better shape. I want to get bigger and stronger. I want to push my abilities to their limits."
"Well my only interest right now involves you pushing something Olga and it isn't that." Maia said as she leaned over and gently brushed the tip of her tongue against her wife's earlobe. "Let's make the walls shake baby."
Olga couldn't refuse her. THE ENDSoviet Superwoman - Spectres of the Past,


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|Product Type
|Dual Fuel
|Cast iron with multiple coats of vitreous enamel
|Overall Dimensions
|33 1/2"h x 82"w x 27 1/2"d
|Oven Dimensions
|Roasting - 10"h x 13.75"w x 19.5"d
Simmering - 10"h x 13.75"w x 20.75"d
Baking - 10"h x 13.75"w x 19.5"d
Warming - 10"h x 13.75"w x 20.75"d
Module Top - 8 1/2"h x 13 3/4"w x 19"d
Module Bottom - 10"h x 13 3/4"w x 17"d
|Oven Capacity
|Roasting - 1.5 cu ft
Baking - 1.5 cu ft
Warming - 1.5 cu ft
Module Top - 1.5 cu ft
Module Bottom - 1.5 cu ft
|Total Capacity
|9.0 cu ft
|1600 lbs.
|Natural or Liquid Propane Gas (burners) / Electric Ovens
|Vent Options
|The most effective of the three available venting system options for your home - standard, direct or power - will be determined by a pre-installation site survey performed by a certified AGA fitter.
|Annual maintenance is recommended, as well as a 10-year service.
|5 year limited parts and labor. 1 year on gas power vent, gas train - including thermocouple, gas valve, pilot assembly and controls thermostat.


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One of the best Fantasy Swords ever manufactured is now easily available on the site of fantasy swords. The famous and legendary Sword of Odin right from the Asgard has finally arrived and introduced to the customers. It has come to present you with all of its fame. It looks appropriate as the imagined sword handled by the Norse God himself. Odin was a leading God in the Norse tradition, (a subset of Germanic tradition and assumptions) and the king of Asgard (Where all the Gods lived). He is demonstrated in the books and comics as controlling this sword. The sword of odin came into view in many comic books and cartoon presented by Marvel. In a Comic Odin Sword, the sword is presented having a extension of thousands of miles. The evil dragon Surtur embezzled it from the authority of Norse God. The sinful forces stole this sword for the demolition and devastation of the world. There was a prediction that if the sword is pulled out of the sheath, it will wipe out the whole world. So the unified forces of super heroes along with Thor (the offspring of Odin) try to over throw the Surtur and rescue the world in time.
This sword, The sword of Odin was manufactured with exact and accurate detailing and with the best level of excellence. It looks close enough to the genuine one. The most noteworthy thing in whole sword is that it is linked with cross guard and the grip. The heavy metal handle has traditional patterns on it, which augments the terror of this clone sword. The cross guard contains two horns like curvaceous projections that stand with dignity. The guard evolves into a sharp tip end in the middle. The pommel of Odin Sword possesses a creature like icon on it. The pointed steel blade is made of quality stainless steel. The blade has certain spiked like projections on both two sides. However, these are not pointed. The length of the blade is 31.5 inch with an overall length of 40.5 inch. The length of the handle is 9 inch. This sword weighs 1.38 kg. Get hold of this fictional sword and entertain yourself by it. A flawless ornamental and ancient Odin Sword for sincere customers. This fantasy Sword, The sword of Odin is easily available from our legitimate Online Swords Store. This store gives good discount deals which are difficult to say no, on all products.
There are various stories which show the appearance of the Odin sword. The sword first came into view in the story of Asgard (a back-up feature circulated in the title Journey into Mystery) story called "The Sword in the Sheath". The weapon is first possessed by the fire demon Surtur, and is taken from the entity by Norse god Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve. This sword is then placed in the territory of Asgard under constant guard, as it is predicted that drawing the blade from its sheath will cause the end of the world, which is familiar to the Norse gods as Ragnarok.
The sword of Odin appears concisely at the apex of a story featuring the Thunder God Thor – the offspring of Odin – and the evil Seidring; an Asgardian who has broken Odin's trust and now obtains the Odin force. When Thor warns to draw the sword of Odin from its sheath unless the power is returned to Odin, Seidring panics and accepts defeat. When the creature Mangog is unexpectedly provoked by the Rock Troll Ulik, it pursues vengeance against Odin as it is made from a race that was ruined by Odin for their sinful acts, and attempts to attack Asgard and take the Odin sword. Although Thor and the Asgardians are unsuccessful in stopping the creature, it is eliminated at the last moment by Odin, who has just arisen from the Odin sleep.
The Asgardian Warriors Three tries to take the Odin sword when under the mental control of endlessness, but is interrupted by Thor and stopped, who helps Odin in conquering Infinity. Mangog returns – masked as a currently missing Odin – and after expelling Thor from Asgard again the Mangog tries to take the Odin sword, but is conquered when the betrayal is seen and is terminated
The sword of Odin origin was discovered during the Celestial Saga, a plot written by Roy Thomas; Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio under the heading Thor. This idea came up from the cursed Ring of Power, the sword is destined for future use against the Celestials, powerful aliens who come to Earth and meek the Sky father figures of Earth.
This sword also appeared in the World-eaters story line, when this giant sword was used to cut the space through the world.
This sword is popular and indeed an entertainment and gives the worth of your money.
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For more info: 850.265.3055
Due to extensive damage from Hurricane Michael, the Panama City Country Club's Golf Course and Club House are currently closed. The Golf Course is presently under redesign and will reopen as soon as it is ready for play. We appreciate everyone's patience as we work hard to get your favorite Golf Course back up and running.
Our golf shop is well appointed with clothing lines and accessories from all of the major companies including Greg Norman, Adidas, Nike, San Soleil, Cutter Buck, Brooks Brothers, and more.
The club is available for banquets, weddings, and receptions throughout the year depending on availability. We have a full catering staff and facilities to hold anywhere from 75-250 with various menu options and packages.
Our grill room offers breakfast and lunch for our members and has incredible views of the Bay. Whether you are coming for a day of golf or are just stopping by for a meal, come join us at the country club.
Enjoy the benefits of membership with the Panama Country Club. Join us today for great golf rates, access to club functions, and much more.
Convieniently located in Lynn Haven, the Panama Country Club is well known in Panama City for offering a great golf experience with a equally impressive facility and event offerings for our members.
To find out more about our membership, please click below to read more.
100 Country Club Drive
Lynn Haven, Florida 32444
850.265.3055 phone
Panama Country Club © Login


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Nick Lamberti: 'Whatever I have to do to help the team win, I'll do'
Philip Zoppi – Sports Writer
Nick Lamberti's confidence and swagger on the baseball diamond are part of what makes him one of the Owls' best players.
Confidence is something that Lamberti has always had when playing in any sport.
"I was always brought up to be a confident player," said the redshirt freshman, Lamberti. "I just wake up everyday and know who I am. I'm a loud kid, but I'm a team player. Whatever I have to do to help the team win I'll do."
It's clear to see why Lamberti has this confidence, as he leads the team in hits with 25, and sports the second best average on the team with a .313 average.
While Lamberti is finding a lot of success under his first year batting for the Owls, that wasn't the case his previous year.
Last year, Lamberti attended UConn. He redshirted his freshman season at UConn, and decided that transferring to Southern Connecticut gave him the best opportunity to continue his baseball career the way he wanted to.
Southern's head baseball coach, Tim Shea, knew that Lamberti was going to fit into the Owls' baseball program right when he met him.
"It was an instant match," said Shea. "He's got a great personality, he's a great kid, and works extremely hard. I felt extremely fortunate to get him into our program."
One of Lamberti's biggest reasons for transferring to Southern was the fact that Shea was the coach. Lamberti visited Southern's campus last year, to see if he would fit in with the Owls after his redshirt season at UConn. After that, he left that day fully convinced that he would join the Owls the following year.
"My relationship with Coach Shea is unbelievable. When I first got here on campus I looked at him and knew right off the bat that I was going to fit with him. He told me I want you to be my starting left fielder next year," said Lamberti.
Batting third and playing left field is where Lamberti started the season, but he has moved around depending on what the team needs.
Additionally, Shea likes how versatile a player Lamberti is and thinks his versatility greatly benefits the team.
"Nick started the year as our three hitter and is now leading off for us due to some injuries," said Shea. "I've also moved him around defensively. He started the year as our left fielder and has played a handful of games at second base for us. He just always does what I ask him to do."
Lamberti may have an aggressive personality, but he's able to be patient at the plate. With 80 at bats on the season, Lamberti has only struck out in 11 of those and has managed to draw nine walks.
"When I step up to the plate I look at the pitcher and I know I'm better than him, so I want to be a tough out no matter what I do," said Lamberti. "I don't mind getting walked. A walk is just like a base hit. Whatever I have to do to get on base, so I can score for my three four or five hitters is what I'm going to do."
Since Lamberti redshirted his rookie year at UConn he comes to Southern Connecticut with four years of eligibility. Someone with an intense competitive attitude like Lamberti, is the exact kind of player Shea wants leading his team going into the future.
"Nick [Lamberti] brings it every single day and there's no challenge or match that he thinks is over his head or too high for him. He's got a ton of confidence in his abilities, and those are the kind of players I love to have," said Shea.
The next time to catch No. 3 on the field will be today, Wednesday, April 13 against cross-city rivals University of New Haven.
Photo Credit: SCSU Athletic Communications


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When I was ten, I mastered the art of climbing my tree. It was a huge Norway Maple outside of my house, and although I understood that Norway Maples are an invasive species and can take root in the most undesirable of places and empeche (I know I can't remember the word in English) the growth of the native species, I loved that tree and sobbed three years later when it had to be cut down.(As my mom always points out, the tree was very old and had become quite sick). I spent a lot of time up the tree that summer. I even tied an old piece of parachute rope my dad had from the Navy to an equally old dish drainer and carried the rope up one of the strongest boughs of the tree to make a pulley system. I would find little seats and foot holds and figure out the best way to sit so I would rest effortlessly. I brought up books, watched birds nests waiting for the mother bird to return, ate my lunch, generally contemplated the world. I greeted my neighbours as they returned to their homes. I surprised Mrs. Bell who lives across the street to this day, saying hello to her.
"Child, where are you?"
"I'm up here!"
Gasp, "does your mother know you're up there?"
"I don't know, she's at work."
"Well you be careful, now."
"I will!"
Half way around the world, I am swinging in a cocoon, back and forth. Eyes shut,
breath is soft. Slowly, the sway swoons and becomes gently serpentine. As cliché as it sounds, I am back in my beloved tree. The same tree that appears in my dreams day and night. I have found a new love. Aerial Yoga.
Or more specifically, AIR Yogalates. This week has been so inspiring. Marie-Michelle Faber and Genevieve Berube, of Cirque du Soleil, have travelled to Morocco to do a teacher training in Air Yogalates. This is a form of Aerial Yoga combines aspects of circus, yoga, pilates, dance, and acrobatics. Hammocks are suspended at knee or hip height. The practitioner works with the forces of gravity, uses the opposition of the body in conjunction with the hammock and moves in and out of poses that provide inversion, extension and flexion of the spine, traction, torsion, strengthening and elongation of the body. The hammock also is placed at specific places on the body to align, support, and activate the meridians on the body. The end of the practice may feel like the end of a deep massage. It can be fun, therapeutic, challenging and restorative all at once.
I have never worked with silks or hammocks before. (OK, I tried one brief Aerial class last winter, but that was it.) I wasn't sure how much I would like it, but somewhere between the mat and the sky I hang and twist and stretch in ways that are so exciting. I am on the swing set, playing on a jungle gym and in my tree again all at once. Everyone in the training has had very personal and deep responses to the work. I believe I speak for all of us when I say I can't wait to provide this to our clients at Om Yoga in Casablanca.
If you get a chance please try Aerial Yoga, even better, AIR Yogalates. It is transformational.
Photos by Kenza Laraki, Marie-Michelle Faber and Genevieve Berube, edited by Sahajasoma.


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Clinical features of Pregnancy
- Amenorrhea (Missed period more than 4 weeks)
- A positive urine pregnancy test.
- Visualization of a gestational sac on pelvic ultrasound.
Quick calculation of your expected due date (EDD)
- Write down the first day of your last menstrual date (LMP).
- Add 7 to the 'day'
- Minus 3 from the month.
- Add 1 to the year.
If your LMP is on the 10th of July 2009,
your expected due date (EDD) is 17 (10+7) of April (7-3), 2010 (2009+1)
EDD 17th April 2010.
Role of pelvic ultrasound scan in early pregnancy
It is important to have a pelvic ultrasound in the first trimester pregnancy for the following reason:
- To confirm the pregnancy by visualisation of gestational sac.
- To ascertain the location of the pregnancy whether intrauterine or otherwise.
- To determine the number of gestation sac and exclude multiple pregnancy.
- To assess viability by the presence of fetal heart beat.


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UGPN Research Collaboration Fund Awards 2015
Wednesday 1 July 2015
We are pleased to announce the awards for the fourth call of the UGPN Research Collaboration Fund.
The Research Collaboration Fund has been an integral part of the UGPN since its inception 2011. Designed to support collaboration between the UGPN partners, the annual fund of US $180,000 has supported 25 international research projects to date. In the most recent call, six projects received funding covering a range of topics, from aerosol emissions to molecular modelling for disease prevention:
1.'Towards the treatment of aerosol emissions from biomass burning in chemical transport models' Fatima Andrade, M., (USP), Zhang, Y., (NC State), Kumar, P., (Surrey)
2. 'Understanding CaPP Deposition Disease (Pseudogout) molecular modelling and simulation' Santiso, E., (NC State), Barroso da Silva, F., (USP), Sear, R., (Surrey)
3. 'White brown fat plasticity and metabolic inflammation in obesity and diabetes' Komarnytsky, S., (NC State), Festuccia, W., (USP)
4. 'Green composites from tururi fiber and soy based resin' Seyam, A., (NC State), Baruque Ramos, J., (USP)
5.'Green infrastructure research development for stormwater and air quality' Chenoweth, J., (Surrey), Hunt, W., (NC State)
6. 'Characterisation of organic scintillator response to fast neurons for detection and identification of special nuclear material' Mattingly, J., (NC State), Sellin, P., (Surrey)


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james palm.
james palm.
My New Year's resolution back in 2013 was to start working for a company that I haven't actually founded. At the time I had been a serial entrepreneur for thirteen years with various success, and had just stopped commuting to Stockholm and elsewhere to start up a new digital agency in Malmö. The environmental change did me good and made me realize it was time for me to change path. At that time, after doing some research, there was really only one company in the Øresund region that I would consider working together with; Jayway.
One of the reasons why I'm particularly interested in Jayway is that it's employee-owned. I know from experience how important it is to be able to set your own agenda from the ground up and not the other way around. There are very few companies where you get so many opportunities to create a niche for yourself. I get an outlet for my creativity with Jayway's focus on Design Thinking, which gives me great opportunities to further develop my skills and work with what I truly love, in a field where I can contribute the most.
I've always had a drive for sharing knowledge, which Jayway and Øredev is quite known for. When I was younger I had plans to become a teacher and it sooner led me into the digital world of education where I held lectures in programming and built e-learning platforms to various clients.
I'd say I'm a doer. I've renovated our house mainly by myself and that's the kind of process I like: first collect the facts and then do all the handyman tasks myself, make mistakes, adjust and adapt. Test and learn.
I met my wife about twenty years ago, and we used to love to go backpacking for months. After our son was born we switched to a bit more quiet family life. Instead of skydiving, and scuba diving in some faraway ocean I'm now more into pool diving at child-friendly hotels. Well, everything isn't that quiet actually as my latest New Year's resolution was to take up on my lead singing again and finally tame my Les Paul.
Favorite Book: The Door into Summer by Robert A. Heinlein
Favorite Film/TV: The Pusher trilogy by Nicholas Winding Refn
Favorite Music: Rival Sons
Favorite Podcast: Filip och Fredriks


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Thursday, January 31, 2013
The Weird Mr Milliband
Isn't he? Only weird people go into politics lets face it.Those in absence of a life.Those who wish to run other people's lives in lieu of having a life of their own.Parasites,social and metaphysical,inferior beings from the dark side.Just look at Mr Milliband,the weirdness of the man.His father taught Marxism in a State university for goodness sake.No bar to holding office apparently.Only teaching and preaching Fascism is a bar.BNP members are not even allowed in the police force and other public offices let us not forget.But if your father taught Marxism which has killed millions in the past century you get a free pass.Still,isn't he weird Mr Milliband?No one is paying attention because no one cares about politics like I said a few posts back.And they are not wrong.But while we ignore them they take our freedom away.They must be stopped!
Posted by niconoclast at 11:04 AM No comments:
Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Cameron?
The dust has settled.Cameron's cynical ploy to neuter UKIP lies exposed.No one is buying it.No one believes in Mr Cameron's jam tomorrow hollow promises.UKIP will go from strength to strength.It is entirely likely that the Conservatives will never see power again with an outright electoral victory.The smell of death hangs around them like a malodorous stench that cannot be expunged,certainly not with vain promises delivered by a popinjay with insincerity and equivocation seemingly running through his dna.
Posted by niconoclast at 9:58 AM No comments:
Way To Go Israel!
Now you have hit Syria,go for the Big One.Nuke Iran.Now!The world is waiting for you to save it from tyranny and a descent into barabarous dark ages pt 2.End the mullah madness and de nuke the rabid muslim peril that is Iran.
Posted by niconoclast at 9:51 AM 1 comment:
The Way Forward
Freedom or slavery?We are at a crossroads.We have a marvellous opportunity thanks to the internet to wake people from their collective hypnosis and alert them to the danger they are in.Get the word out folks.A global insurrection against democracy is feasible and possible.A global tax revolt is practicable.The risk and threat of one world government via the EU and UN must be met head on,exposed,challenged and defeated!The totaltarian threat has never been greater but the means to defeat it has never been more to hand.Only the will and organization is lacking.Citizens of the world unite,you have nothing to lose but your communist change agents.
Posted by niconoclast at 9:48 AM No comments:
Democracy and its Malcontents
Poor little Ian Dale was crying girly tears for the death of politics on his weeny LBC radio programme the other night.I sent him a text but he didn't read out any texts so he owes me 50p and half an hour of my life wasted waiting for him to read out people's texts and hopefuly,mine.What I was trying to tell him in said text was that people have seen through the lie of poltics and want none of it.The 21st century will be the age of the individual.The internet amd mass communication means that people will simply not tolerate the lumbering sclerotic old crone called Democracy with its 'you can have any colour you like as long as it is black' arrogance,pettifofgging totalitarian over reach and its dead hand moribund pretetensions of omnipotence and competence.Why should we have to put our individual choices re health,education,transport etc to some collective vote as if we were children and cannot arrange our own affairs in those matters and all the others that the creeping ever meddling mendacious State has encroached upon over the decades?Screw you Dale and the political classes with your delusions of proprietorship over our lives,we have seen through your corruption and criminality and will opt for freedom and liberty instead thank you very much.
Posted by niconoclast at 9:20 AM No comments:
Monday, January 21, 2013
Algeria: Lessons For The World
If there were no Arabs on planet earth there would be world peace.They are the cause of all the problems and instability in the world.They are so evil and stupid and sub human that finding and extracting oil was way beyond their primitive tribalist sub human minds.The West came along and did the whole job.Then like the savages they are the Arabs plundered,stole,appropriated and run amok across the whole of the Middle East.The only solution is to nuke the whole of the Middle East leaving aside Israel and thus rid the planet of their cancerous pestilential presence.They have p[roven themselves to be uncivilised and beyond the pale.Enough already.
Posted by niconoclast at 9:33 AM No comments:
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Religion,The Cross and Employee Rights
No,the woman who was told she could not wear a cross whilst working on an aeroplane should not have been vindicated by the EU court. Employers alone should set the terms of employment and if they chose not to allow employees to wear religious ornaments that is their right and it should not be over ridden by the courts especially illegitimate ones in Srassbourg applying Napoleonic non objective laws.People can wear what they want but outside the workplace.When they hire themselves out they should abide the dress code of their employers or become self employed.This law should be consistently applied but of course Christians have a point when they say that they are being singled out whilst other religions notably Izlam and Hinduism get special dispensation and preference as illustrated in the recent case of the Seikh at Buckingham Palace who was allowed to wear his turban rather than the traditional Bearskin hat .Likewise in the police where the police helmet is substituted for the turban.This inconsistency is wrong but the conclusionshould not be that all religions should be allowed to set their own dress code in the workplace but that none of them should and that the principle be evenly and consistenly applied.
Posted by niconoclast at 10:39 AM No comments:
EU - Through The Looking Glass
In true Carollian fashion the chattering classes descant on the virtues of UK EU membership and warn of the terrible consequences of an exit from said institution totally ignoring the fact that the main driver for this imminent catastrophe is of course the EU itself - with ample assistance from the respective welfare systems of each component part of the EU.Fiddling while Europe burns indeed.
Posted by niconoclast at 8:34 AM No comments:
Entrepreneurs.Two Types
There are second generation entrepreneurs like Murdoch and Trump who build on pre existent structures inherited geneologically ie in Murdoch's case his father was in the print business owning magazines and periodicals which he then expanded into his vast empire we know today.Likewise Trump took over his father's real estate holdings as far as I know and from there expanded into his building empire as well.Then we have first generation entrepreneurs like Branson who build from the ground up,starting with nothing other than a good environment of parental encouragement,one example of which being when the young Branson was coming home from a family trip in the car and his parents dropped him off miles from home and told him to find his own way back.He recounts the story in his autobiography of wading through streams and climbing over mountains and eventually reaching home,muddied but triumphant.His parents obviously viewed this as character building although in today's climate it would probably be counted as child abuse.Obviously the ground up entrepreneurs are to be most admired rather than the second handers to give another example of which would be Deborah Meadon of Dragon's Den provenance who took over her parent's holiday resort business and then went places with it.Speaking of the TV series a firsthander from the same series would be the woman with the name that escapes me! who built her haulage empire from scratch and whose name I will retrieve in due course.
Posted by niconoclast at 7:11 AM No comments:
Monday, January 14, 2013
Why the Left Fetishises the EU
Because it is protectionist,bureaucratic,centralist,top down,Socialist,regulatory and edict driven,undemocratic,tyranical,arbitrary, petifogging,despotic,interfering,tax mad,mendacious,redistributive,egalitarianist,communist,lying,criminal,totalitarian.
Posted by niconoclast at 1:57 AM No comments:
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Sunday Essay.Why Welfare Is Designed To Kill
First enslave the masses with welfare.Make them dependent on agents of the State who administer the welfare dependency poison.Junkies of the state care for only one thing: their next fix.The politicians who promise more ill gotten welfare take the electoral prize.This we call Democracy.People vote for their own enslavement like Jews paying for the privilege of travelling on the trains to Auschwitz.We finance our own destruction.How we crave more of the same poison and demand yet more government succor as our sense of freedom and liberty is eroded by our dependency.We call this civilized caring society.It is a parasite's paradise where everyone preys on everyone else.This is now a global Ponzi scheme as countries around the world have adopted it and enslaved themselves to State created dependency.None dare call this conspiracy and madness.Only a minority see the insanity because they are the ones paying for it.The small productive independent business people,entrepreneurs the so called 1% who are forced to finance their own servility and captivity via the tax grab of the fruits of their labour.They are a helpless minority served up as a tasty milch cow for the idle and parasitic non working welfare classes.
Posted by niconoclast at 11:05 AM No comments:
Yes the Loyalists have been provoked unconscionably by the unholy cabal of rabid, corrupt,criminal,gangsteresque Republican/IRA/ Liberal- cohabiting sympathisers and they are disenfranchised working class disaffecteds but what are they effectively disenfranchised from? They are merely the neglected rump who cannot get their snouts in the government trough which is now fully occupied by former terrorists and their followers in the Republican ranks.Ireland is Socialist and the warring factions are fighting over government spoils and handouts.The flag issue is merely the trigger,post hypnotic signifier that sparks and ignites the flame of discontent.The sectional strife has no more profundity than the same of any rival football gang out for a riot.The boot is on the other foot now,that is all.The reublicans are now the pigs who are more equal than the loyalist pigs.Religion is merely the figleaf.The only solution is Capitalism and freedom of the markets with a small delimited State.But now under Republican control that is the only solution the devolved government of ireland will never contenance.
Posted by niconoclast at 9:23 AM No comments:
UKIP Mission: Destroy Conservative Party
There is nothing for it: UKIP must destroy the Conservatives.Farage said he would require any Tory pledge re EU to be written in blood.Not enough.Tories can never ever be trusted on Europe.They are like paedophiles -beyond reform hope or redemption.They must be anhilliated.The only reason they are making anti EU statements now is because they have been driven to the precipice by UKIP.It is now time to push them over it.Tories are only interested in power and if that power is threatened they would sell their granny, or even their soul (if they had one) to cling on to that power.They have past form.They got us into this godawful mess with their Heathite machinations.The frog trusted the scorpion in the old fable and of course it stung poor froggy to death.Farage may look frog like but I trust he is savvy enough not to befriend the Tory scorpion on the EU.As if to confirm this fact the Mail on Sunday screaming headlines today: Cameron: UK would be mad to leave the EU.From the whores mouth.
Posted by niconoclast at 2:23 AM 1 comment:
Thursday, January 10, 2013
UK 51st State?
Why not? If the US is so concerned with the UK being sidelined by the EU if it goes it alone we could join the Union as we have far more in common with they across the Atlantic than we do our strange alien neighbours of Europe who seem intent on socializing themselves to death and taking us with them in their death spiral. As the great liberal European death wish plays itself out we should be looking towards the US despite the Obama blip aberration.Suddenly at such a prospect the Left would start intoning about the need for independence and not being shackled to a super power.Never underestimate Left hypocrisy and illogic.But yes, I think it would be a very good idea.
Posted by niconoclast at 2:30 AM 1 comment:
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
Iliberalism Is The Spirit Of The Age
Or is it? Perhaps people have been denied an alternative viewpoint.They the illiberals dictate the agenda but this not need always be so.The emperor's new clothes syndrome could be broken when the first person stands up and points out the attire-challenged emperor.A vain dream? Perchance to dream on.
Posted by niconoclast at 12:17 PM No comments:
Political Flat Earthers
The political Statist quo has the public in a mind grip and the mainstream media outlets reinforce the condition on a daily basis.The blogosphere is too disparate,siloed and fragmented to offer any coherent alternative.Libertarians are confused and contradictory and totally incoherent and the objectivists are as far as I can see talking amongst themselves.If the latter group were to exit their ivory towers and form a political party -but they appear not to be so minded.It is left to a few individuals to plough the lonely field of pro freedom,small State, liberty defence but the small quiet voice of reason is drowned out by the raucous illiberal spirit of the age.
Posted by niconoclast at 11:20 AM No comments:
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
The End Of Politics
Not in our lifetime of course.The delusions of crowds is potent and has some way to run before it reaches the end of the road.People love the irrational and they embrace it in politics,conspiracy theories and religion.It is lonely in logic and reason and the comfort of delusions albeit a false comfort is strong.We few are doomed to live out our lives in an artificially created irrational universe called civilization.Fast forward a few centuries and if mankind has not imploded it may well have dispensed with the doomed experiment with politics ie Democracy and shed its Socialist Welfare delusions.It will take future generations to see clearly the folly of Statism and look back on our collective insanity in believing that it was a fair or just system.Small comfort for those of us who clearly see it now! Should we then give up and submit to the irrational?No but we do have to be realistic about what can be achieved.Just as you cannot debate with the religious you cannot really debate with liberals either as they have as scant regard for logic and reason as the faith driven.They unfortunately seem to outnumber the logic driven folk.Conservatism with its militant anti philosophy and ideology never was a match for Leftism which is why the latter has so comprehensively triumphed.Just look across the Atlantic for further proof of that.
Posted by niconoclast at 12:41 PM No comments:
Amerika Lurches Greekwards
So much for the Tea Party effect.Republicans are betrayers ,just like our Con.servatives.They talk the talk but when it comes down to the wire they cave.Big government Democrats or slightly less big government Republicans.You can have any colour you want as long as its grey.The con of democracy laid bare.Will Americans take this lying down? Probably,they usually do.It is futile to look to American any more as an example of the way to go.They have become Europeans in all but name.Short of a monumental collective change of heart(or Lee Harvey Oswald's great grandson putting in an appearance) America is headed for a great big Socailizt/Communist black hole from which it will probably never emerge.
Posted by niconoclast at 7:12 AM No comments:
Why Democracy Sucks(.com)
Democracy sucks because: I don't want my next door neighbour or anyone else determining what sort of education and school I send my children to (if I had any) or what sort of health care I choose to have.Simples.Any more than I would want my neighbours determining what shopping I purchase or house I buy -I don't want those things put to a collective vote thank you very much.To my neighbours I would simply say if you think you are too cretinous or infantile to make such choices on your own using your hopwfully informed independent judgement go hand your life over to a committee or bunch of failure loser bureaucrats and let them run it for you.Good luck with that one but don't ask me to do the same because unlike you I am quite happy and competent enough to make such decisions myself.That's why democracy sucks.It is enforced infantilsm of the poopulace by a parasitic self selecting liberal elite whose only sense of life is the life it can extract from the masses by enslaving them through dependency and learned helplessness.Welfare is the ultimate tyranny.Hereth endeth lesson for the day.
Posted by niconoclast at 2:41 AM 1 comment:
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WASHINGTON, January 27, 2016 – After a nasty smash downward this morning, led by a decline (of course) in oil prices, markets suddenly swung to the upside at the noon hour of Wednesday, moving sharply up again. As of 1 p.m. EST, however, the averages seem to be changing their minds once again, with the Dow and NASDAQ slightly to moderately off and with the broader-based S&P 500 trending up slightly.
The culprits and/or heroes of today's non-moves thus far are Apple (symbol: AAPL) and oil prices (often tracked through the oil ETF, USO). The former reported nifty profits, as we expected here, but on somewhat lower sales, due largely to slowdowns in China and other countries affected by the appreciating dollar plus slowing sales of the iPhone 6 models.
As you'd expect when the bears are in power on Wall Street, traders chose to ignore Apple's splendid profits and focus on the (likely temporary) declining sales figures, and focus instead on those declining sales, ignoring the currency influence and the fact that the upcoming new iPhone 7 models—a major rev as opposed to the minor iPhone 6 rev—are likely cannibalizing current sales of the iPhone 6.
According to CNBC.
"Apple said its overall profit for the first quarter of its 2016 fiscal year rose 1.9 percent, to $18.4 billion, or $3.28 per share, from $18 billion and $3.06 a share last year. (The 7.2 percent gain in per-share earnings reflects stock buybacks that reduced Apple's share count.)
"Sales rose 1.7 percent, to $75.9 billion, but would have been up 8 percent if the value of the world's different currencies had stayed the same as last year, Apple said. 'The difference is about the size of an average Fortune 500 company,' [Apple CEO Tim] Cook said."
Predictably, since it moved to the Dow Jones Industrials, traders have now decided that Apple is no longer a growth company but just another boring, dividend-paying IBM. It's tedious, it's not true, but it's their story and they're sticking to it. We'll likely see how foolish this is over the next two years or so. But meanwhile, AAPL is being shellacked in Wednesday trading for its above average profitability, currently down $4.45 per share, off about 4.4 percent at $95.60 per share.
With regard to oil… After yesterday's nice rally, which also kicked off a general market rally, oil plunged this morning again, before… un-plunging. It dropped to a low of $30.14 bbl. for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) before shooting back up to a high of $32.84. As we write this around 1 p.m., WTI is backing off once again, perched at $31.99 bbl. and still moving around. It makes no sense, but wealthy traders are sure having some fun today.
Bottom line, however is this: the Federal Reserve will be officially issuing its January 2016 prognostications/deliberations/statement at 2 p.m., and many of today's market gyrations may very well be due to various sides taking bets on what these retro-Keynesians may be saying next. Clearly, December's tiny rate hike was at least a philosophical or timing mistake, given its disastrous effects on stocks since that time—although violent oil price declines haven't helped.
That said, someone somewhere needs to start getting interest rates back to normal, albeit by tiny baby steps, in order for the world economies to begin to "normalize." It's a conundrum, for sure, caused at least in part by the Fed's previous reluctance to begin those rate hikes sooner.
What the press never reports, of course, is that both Congressional and White House muckety mucks haven't done a damned thing for the economy since January of 2008, leaving the Fed as the sole adult representatives of fiscal reason in the nation's capital. In that power vacuum, they've done the best they could, but it's unraveling now because they're getting no help from politicians who've so rigged the system that they no longer have to take responsibility for anything that happens.
What it boils down to is we're all on our own, just like the now-floundering Fed. Likelihood is that today's announcement will soft peddle the timing and frequency of further interest rate hikes. But if the Fed holds on to it's 4 rate hike promise for 2016, markets won't be able to put on short positions fast enough and blood will be running on Wall Street by the closing bell.
(UPDATING: It's 2 p.m. and markets are waffling around the unchanged point. Reason why is that the just released Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) statement seems to be saying nothing at all about its next interest rate hike. Obviously, the rate won't be hiked now. But no guidance whatsoever–at least upon first reading–is offered as to what to expect next, save for antiseptic text that hedges bets on current market conditions. It remains to be seen what traders will do with this "nothing sandwich" during the rest of Wednesday afternoon's trading action.)
UPDATE 2: As of 3 p.m., an hour before the market's closing bell, stocks have decided to take a dive and are currently at their lows for the day, with the Dow off nearly 200 points.
That odious, supercilious perma-bear Marc Faber—beloved of CNBC talking heads due to his perpetually acidic comments on world economies, most particularly that of the U.S.— put today's markets in a reasonable perspective earlier today in another of his routine, puffer pigeon-preening offhand comments:
"The publisher of the 'Gloom, Boom & Doom Report' told attendees at the annual 'Inside ETFs' conference that the medium-term economic outlook has become 'so depressing' that he may as well fill a newly installed pool with beer instead of water.
Drinking up seems to be Dr. Doom's only answer for investors to get through this market."
Sounds like a good idea to us as well, though we prefer single malt Scotch. But we shall see. We'll issue a brief update to this report when the smoke clears, sometime after 2 p.m. Hopefully, it won't be all gloom, boom and doom. But in January 2016, one never knows.


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Objective: To assess the flash and fire point of bitumen
Special container with thermometer
Bituminous material trails out volatiles at high temperatures relying on their review. These unstable vapors discover fire creating a blaze. The flash point is the most reduced temperature at which streak happens because of start of unstable vapors when a little fire is acquired contact with the vapors of a bituminous item, slowly warmed under institutionalized condition. At the point when bituminous material is further warmed to a higher temperature, the material itself gets and keeps on smoldering; the most reduced temperature creating this is the fire point. Fire point is constantly higher than blaze point.
The flash point of a material is the most reduced temperature at which vapor of a substance immediately take fire as glimmer.
The fire point is the most minimal temperature at which the material gets touched off and blazes under particular states of test.
All parts of container are cleaned and dried completely. Material is filled into glass upto filling mark. Cover is set to close the container in a shut framework. All adornments including thermometer of determined range are appropriately settled. Bitumen test is then warmed. Blending is done at standard interims. The test fire is lit and connected at interims relying on expected blaze and fire point. To start with application is made at around 17°C beneath genuine glimmer point and after that at each 1°C. Blending is ended amid the use of the test flame.
Flash point of bitumen =
Fire point of bitumen =
Recommended value
The minimum value of flash point by Pensky Martens closed type apparatus is 175°C for all types of bitumen.


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Indie vs. Traditional Publishing: The Pre-Release
As many of you may remember, in late 2013 I signed with REUTS Publishing for my first non-indie book: The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, The Vampire Accountant. That book is actually due to come out in July 2014, having been in development for the last several months. This blog series, however, has nothing to do with the content of the book itself. Instead, I wanted to shine a little light on what it's like being on different sides of the publishing window: Indie vs. Traditional.
If you're expecting me to trash either, now is a good time to brace for disappointment. I already wrote about why both methods are entirely valid, depending on what you want to get out of them. This is merely a compare and contrast between the two systems, my meager attempts to take some of the long-imposed mystery out of the book making process. I love being Indie and I also love working with REUTS. There is no wrong, only not right for certain projects.
I plan to write more of these as I move further into the process, but today's will focus predominantly on all the aspects of getting the book ready for release, what I'm collectively calling The Pre-Release.
The Timeframe
For me, this was probably the biggest aspect that I had to adjust to. In the Indie world, staying relevant and on people's minds is one of the most important challenges to tackle. That usually means that as soon as a project is ready, it needs to be promoted and set-up for release, because there's another idea or manuscript that requires development. Part of this is building up your library of works to increase the chance of a reader enjoying your work, but part of it is keeping new material going out in hopes of catching the eyes of new readers.
With publishers, it's obviously different. They have a schedule of books lined up for release, with certain criteria to be met along each step of the way. If a book moves faster than necessary, it probably won't change the schedule much because they are still going to give each release the time in the spotlight it deserves. This all translates to them taking their time with each part of the process, so long as things are on track. While it can be a bit restraining to someone who is always going a hundred miles an hour on projects, such as myself, it also yields some definite benefits in allowing more time for things to be carefully considered and mulled over.
Once you get accustomed to the idea of more gradually paced timetable, it's actually a bit relaxing. It allows you to manage your workload carefully, allowing in space for things like "fun" and a "not sitting at the computer." Or, if you're like me, "knocking out a different book and some side projects."
The Editing
When I go Indie, I pay for proof editing, meaning my editor(s) evaluate grammar, sentence structure, and look for missing words; or as you lot probably know it: The Drew Hayes Specials. My usual editor is an old friend familiar with my works, so she's not shy about calling me out on flawed logic or continuity. Still, for the most part, the content is my own and my editors are there to do the downright saintly job of making sure it's all written out correctly.
In Traditional Publishing, I was set-up to work with a Line Editor. Line Editors evaluate not just the grammar of a work, but the content it presents as well. They study the manuscript well, getting a sense of each character and the flow of the plot, then go through and make sure things are consistent. It could be anything as simple as established speech patterns dropping, to intricate problems like dialogue or actions that are clearly out of character. Your Line Editor is probably the person most familiar with the work outside the author, because they have to be to do their job well.
Working with a Line Editor was a new experience, and while I'll admit to feeling occasionally frustrated by the amount of issues brought up (Hey, I'm not perfect), after stepping back and looking at them, each one raised a valid point. It was a longer process than just proofing, obviously, but again thanks to the time cushion you get with Traditional that was never a thing that caused me concern.
For this project, I'm very glad I got to work with such a skilled Line Editor. The piece is very character driven, and her keen eye for discrepancies definitely tightened up many of the weaker portions. I don't know that I'll always employ one for every project (even Indie authors can outsource that) but I'm genuinely thankful I got such a good example of what they bring to the table.
Cover Design
This should barely be an entry; it's such a slam-dunk difference. Cover-design, if you're like me and have no artistic skill, is a pain in the ass. I've gotten to work with some great talents on my covers, and that part was fine. The toughest issue is finding the artists in the first place. Assuming you have a design style in your head, maybe even a concept for the cover, you have to hunt down someone who can: deliver that style, do it on your budget, do it in your timeframe, provide the elements you need, and of course actually wants to do it.
With Traditional Publishing, you just have the conversation about what style and concept you're looking for, and the publisher takes it from there. I love the cover for Fred, which will be revealed all in due time, and it was such a low-stress affair that I legitimately kept forgetting it was already done. Since my memory banks did recall any frantic efforts to get it made, my mind didn't want to check it off the "done" list.
Overall Impressions
I think the biggest difference in this part of the process was, to me, the amount of control and responsibility I gave up in going through the Traditional route. When you're Indie, everything, and I mean everything, is on you. Final cut of the manuscript, final look of the cover, release date, marketing, blah blah blah you get the point. I'm not saying you hand away your work and it's suddenly guarded by a dragon in an immense keep. A good publisher will keep you engaged through the whole process and make sure your input is utilized at every appropriate opportunity. Even the editing, which I mentioned before, is a collaborative effort with lots of discussion. You're still very much involved in bringing the book up to standards of publication, just not in total control.
And honestly, sometimes that is a very good thing. As an author it's sometimes too easy to get so deep in the text that we lose sight of the story. Bringing in those other perspectives can make a big difference, not to mention the benefits of having others share in the production responsibilities. I doubt I'll ever get to a point where I go Traditional on every project, but for this one I'm really happy I did.
Since that was all serious and analytical, this week's Youtube break is pure, unadulterated, comedy.


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Just played: rain
Available on the Playstation Network, rain is a simple adventure game where you play as a boy who was supposed to go to the circus but because he had a fever, he had to stay inside. While in there, he noticed a girl silhouette out in the rain and he chased after her. As he chased her, he went through the door of light that leads to darkness.
That's the intro of the game. The premise is so simple and the gameplay is also as simple. But the main charm of the game is the fact that it is so simple yet the environment is just so breathtaking.
This game is, for lack of better way to describe it, is pretty much like ICO. In fact, it is partly made by the same people who make ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian. However, unlike ICO, the girl is way more helpful than Yorda ever was.
The town where they are in is also very beautifully done. It's obvious that it's supposed to be somewhere in Italy due to the obvious Italian Graffiti and architectures. The feeling I had when roaming the town was simply indescribable other than it was a beautiful feeling.
Of course, while most of the game is spent in the streets, there are also other levels in the game that are almost equally beautiful. The Factory was just gigantic, the church was rather downtrodden, and the last level of the game was very eerie. Not only that but the graffiti (which are mostly in Italian which I do not speak) are quite interesting and could be a nice bilingual bonus to those who speaks Italian.
All in all, if you're sick of waiting for The Last Guardian, then play this game! It's definitely not in the scale of ICO but it's definitely worth the 3-4 hours and the $15. This is definitely the game to play on a lazy afternoon.www.youtube.com/watch?v=iur2J1oroGA


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What's Adventure Travel Anyway?
by Judith Fein.
Photography by Paul Ross
Not too long ago, I was sitting in the waiting area of a hair salon, indulging in a guilty pleasure—reading trashy magazines. I skipped over the plunging necklines of movie stars I've never heard of, bounced over an article or two about how to hook your man like a flounder, and my eyes settled on a pop quiz: how is your fitness level?
Treadmill? Yes, ma'am.
Do you go to the gym twice or more a week? Check.
Is walking part of your daily routine? You bet. I walk at least 75 minutes a day in the hills and arroyos (river beds) around my home.
Swim? Uh huh.
Hula hoop? Love it.
Tai chi? I'm there.
Yoga? Kundalini style.
Biking? Nope. Hurts my butt.
Hiking? Well, if I can go really slowly on ascent.
Mountain climbing? Next life.
White water rafting? Sure, if it's class 2 or under.
Paragliding? I like to watch it. Does that count?
I stopped the quiz and scrolled down to the results, which informed me that I am probably fit, but not an adventurer.
So, I wondered, does that mean I'm unqualified for adventure travel? And then my always-active mind skipped to: what is adventure travel anyway?
Last week, I was in St. George, in Southern Utah, at Red Mountain Resort. As you've probably guessed from the name of the resort, it's nestled in the crimson hills that make people gasp from beauty overload. It's also friendly, low-key, has the sort of western feel that attracts folks who long to escape from city life, and it's affordable. All good, right?
Now we get to the adventure travel part. In the dining room, to my left and right were jocks. One of them bounded up hills like a gazelle on steroids. Another had played competition tennis. A third was a committed hiker. A fourth was Mr. Canoe and mountain bike.
I decided to go on a hike with them. They were standing on top of a dramatic cliff, posing for photos, while I was strolling along, with a touch of asthma, fifteen minutes behind them. Luckily, they were affable and patient.
The next day, I decided to pursue my own kind of adventure. I signed up for a petroglyph hike. Boma, the leader, took us into the hills, stopping, mercifully, to talk about the geology and history of the area. And then, when we got to the mystifying petroglyphs and he talked about them in the most accessible mythopoetic language I had ever heard, we actually stood still. For decades, Boma worked with Native tribes, and slowly, slowly, they told him about their cosmology that was chiseled into rock. Slowly, slowly, we walked around the rocks, mesmerized by the images, and by Boma.
Then I went to a MELT class. The instructor gave us a set of small balls, and taught us how to lubricate, stretch, heal, relieve, and rehydrate constrictions and pain in our hands and feet. I didn't have any pain until I stood on those little golf-ball-sized thingies, and then I was moaning "ouch" with the rest of the participants. At the end of the class, I felt as though my balance had changed. I did a little floaty number as I walked to the dining room for a meal.
The following day, I took a pottery class with instructor Joyce Whelan. She talked to us about pottery techniques of the ancient Puebloan people, and how clay was respected because it came from Mother Earth. We walked behind one of the buildings and picked yucca fibers, which we made into paintbrushes. Joyce gave us local clay and asked us to communicate with it—to feel it with our eyes closed, to hold it against our cheeks, to feel how cool it was. "Communicate with the clay to find the right shape," Joyce told us. We rolled pieces of clay to create coils, which were the basis of our pots. And we used broken pieces of gourds to help us smooth and shape the clay into aesthetically-pleasing vessels.
That night, in the dining room, I was talking with the jocks, who waxed enthusiastic about jumping into natural pools, hiking, biking, and exploring the hills. I listened, looked at their photos, and thoroughly enjoyed being a vicarious adventurous traveler.
"And what have you been doing?" one of them asked. I told them about the petroglyph hike, Melt class, pottery workshop. "You're having a great adventure here," another one commented.
Adventure. Was I really having an adventure? When I travel to exotic climes and have breathtaking adventures with native people, that certainly qualifies as adventure. When I explore little known places and meet wild, unusual people, yes, that's also an adventure. When I encounter wildlife, that is definitely adventure. And yes, my experiences at Red Mountain Resort were adventures because they were fresh, new, invigorating, and they totally engaged me.
I decided that I am an adventure traveler, even if I don't jump out of planes and paddle canoes down vertical waterfalls. Travel is an adventure to me. It lifts me from the known and deposits me in the unknown. It is full of surprises and challenges. It keeps me alive, alert, learning, always learning.
Are you, perhaps, an adventure traveler as well?
Judith Fein is an award-winning travel journalist and author of the acclaimed book LIFE IS A TRIP: The Transformative Magic of Travel. She is the executive editor and co-founder of YourLifeisaTrip.com. Judith is currently finishing a book about the power of ancestral connections and taking a roots trip. All photos by Paul Ross. The duo's website is www.GlobalAdventure.us