text:
Congenital and Inherited Spinal Cord Disorders
Also see Diseases of the Spinal Column and Cord.
Large Animals
Spinal muscular atrophy is an inherited disorder of Brown Swiss calves. The first clinical sign of spinal muscular atrophy is weakness of the pelvic limbs at 2–6 wk of age; calves (most are female) have difficulty getting up and then become recumbent. The characteristic sign is severe muscle atrophy, especially of the pelvic limbs. Histopathologic examination reveals degeneration and loss of motor neurons in the ventral horns of the spinal cord. Neurogenic atrophy of muscles is a consistent lesion. A similar disorder is seen in red Danish calves of American Brown Swiss lines. It is possible that spinal muscular atrophy and bovine progressive degenerative myeloencephalopathy (BPDME) are in some way related because they can be seen in the same blood lines, but the onset of BDPME occurs after 5 mo of age, and it causes ataxia and dysmetria rather than weakness and muscle atrophy. A motor neuron disease with neurofilament accumulation is seen in horned Hereford cattle in Canada with signs appearing soon after birth that are characterized by general tremors, incoordination, difficulty standing, and hyperesthesia to tactile stimulation. A suspected hereditary lower motor neuron disease with accumulation of neurofilaments also is seen in Yorkshire pigs around 5 wk of age, characterized by pelvic limb paresis progressing to recumbency. There is degeneration and loss of motor neurons throughout the spinal cord and brain stem. A similar condition is seen in young Hampshire pigs.
Bovine progressive degenerative myeloencephalopathy (BPDME, weaver syndrome) is a neurodegenerative disorder of Brown Swiss cattle that is seen in the USA, Canada, and Europe. Four basic criteria are required to establish a clinical diagnosis: 1) onset of bilateral pelvic limb ataxia and dysmetria at 5–8 mo of age; 2) deficient proprioceptive responses, ataxia in all four limbs, and progressive paraparesis; 3) normal spinal reflexes and cranial nerve function and absence of dramatic muscle atrophy; and 4) a familial relationship. The disease was initially described as "weaver" because of the peculiar weaving gait. The histopathologic changes are primarily in the sensory nervous system, in contrast to those of spinal muscular atrophy (see above). Spinal dysmyelination causes congenital lateral recumbency and opisthotonos, but spinal reflexes and alertness are normal.
Simmental encephalomyelopathy, which is seen in association with behavioral change (eg, aggression or dullness), has an onset in Simmental and Simmental-cross calves at 5–12 mo of age. The gait abnormality progresses from pelvic limb ataxia to recumbency with opisthotonos, and death occurs within 6 mo. It has been reported in the USA, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Characteristic lesions consist of symmetric necrosis in the caudate nuclei and in other areas of the brain and spinal cord. Similar multifocal lesions are seen in 1- to 4-mo-old Limousin and Limousin-cross calves (with additional signs of blindness) in Australia and England and in Angus calves in Australia and the USA.
Progressive myelopathy of Murray Grey cattle in Australia is inherited (autosomal recessive), and calves usually show spastic paraparesis and ataxia at birth. Neuronal degeneration is widespread in the brain and spinal cord; primary demyelination also develops in the cord.
Progressive ataxia of Charolais cattle has been reported in the UK and North America. It causes clinical signs that are first noticed between 6 and 36 mo of age and progress throughout 1–2 yr from slight ataxia involving all four limbs to recumbency. Female cattle typically manifest a rhythmic pulsatile pattern of urination. Histologic lesions consist of eosinophilic plaques and myelin breakdown in the white matter of the cerebellum and spinal cord.
Neuraxonal dystrophy (NAD) appears to be inherited in sheep and causes an unsteady, stiff, and swaying gait that progresses to paraparesis and finally tetraparesis. Suffolk and New Zealand Coopworth sheep are affected as lambs 1–6 mo old; Romney sheep are affected at 6–18 mo of age. Merinos develop a very similar disease at 1–4 yr of age. NAD has also been seen in 4- to 7-mo-old Merino lambs. Axonal swellings (spheroids) are typically found in gray matter of brain stem and spinal cord, although in the older Merino sheep, axonal spheroids mainly develop in large white matter tracts of the CNS. NAD of Morgan horses affecting the lateral (accessory) cuneate nucleus usually develops at 6–12 mo of age and causes spastic paraparesis and pelvic limb ataxia. It is presumed to be inherited. NAD affecting several brain-stem nuclei and causing mild pelvic limb ataxia has also been reported in 4-mo-old Hafflinger horses in Germany.
Equine degenerative encephalomyelopathy has been mainly associated with vitamin E deficiency, but it may have a familial basis in Appaloosa horses and other breeds, based on occurrence of clusters of cases. Degeneration of the spinocerebellar tracts results in a slowly progressive, symmetric ataxia and paresis of all four limbs that starts as early as 7 mo of age. (Also see Degenerative Diseases of the Spinal Column and Cord.)
Progressive paresis in Angora goats has been reported in Australia and may have a heritable basis. Clinical signs of spastic paresis and ataxia appear from birth to 4 mo of age and progress to recumbency within a few weeks. Widespread (multisystem) neuronal degeneration is seen at necropsy.
Generalized glycogenosis in Shorthorn (type II) and Brahman (type IIb) cattle and in Corriedale sheep (resembling type II) is a lysosomal storage disease that causes ill thrift, respiratory signs, paraparesis, ataxia, and muscle weakness at 3–9 mo of age.
Cervical stenotic myelopathy (wobbler syndrome) is a compressive cervical spinal cord syndrome caused by vertebral canal stenosis, articular process osteophyte proliferation, and vertebral body tipping that occurs in young, rapidly growing horses. Thoroughbreds, Tennessee Walking Horses, and Warmbloods appear to be predisposed, with males being more commonly affected than females. Overnutrition is an important contributory factor, and the clinical signs often can be reversed in horses <9 mo old by reducing caloric intake and restricting exercise. Clinical signs typically become apparent from <6 mo up to 4 yr of age and include cervical myelopathy, with the pelvic limbs usually affected more severely. Imaging (eg, survey radiography, myelography, CT, MRI) can be used to identify stenotic or proliferative lesions, causing spinal cord compression in the midcervical spine. Treatment usually requires surgical decompression of the spinal cord and, in some cases, vertebral stabilization. Interbody fusion with titanium baskets ("Seattle Slew" implants) has shown more success; however, the prognosis remains guarded. In one study, 77% of horses showed neurologic improvement, with 46% regaining athletic function. Early treatment appears to be associated with improved surgical outcome.
Occipitoatlantoaxial malformation is an inherited disorder (autosomal recessive) in Arabian foals and may also be seen in Miniature horse foals, Holstein calves, and lambs. Clinical signs are progressive ataxia, tetraparesis, and an extended neck posture. Affected foals are usually tetraparetic at birth, although neurologic deficits may not develop for several years. Diagnosis is by radiography. Laminectomy has been reported to be successful in some cases.
Spina bifida is seen in most species and usually results in dysfunction of the tail and anus, incontinence, and sometimes pelvic limb weakness (see Small Animals).
Small Animals
Spinal muscular atrophy is an inherited lower motor neuron (LMN) disorder in Brittany Spaniels that can have an early (by 1 mo), intermediate (by 4–6 mo), or delayed (>1 yr old) onset. Rottweilers can also develop an early form of spinal muscular atrophy that is referred to as a motor neuron disease. Swedish Lapland puppies are affected at 5–7 wk of age, Stockard paralysis (seen in Great Danes crossed with Bloodhounds or Saint Bernards) has an onset at 11–14 wk, and English Pointers are affected when ~5 mo old. LMN disease also is seen in puppies of other breeds, including Doberman Pinschers and Briquet Griffon Vendéens; a focal form involving the thoracic limb(s) is seen in German Shepherds. Paraparesis or tetraparesis with neurogenic muscle atrophy are the main clinical features. The severe, generalized LMN disease in spinal muscular atrophy closely resembles the signs of a peripheral neuropathy. Loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord is the most striking feature on necropsy. There is no treatment.
Demyelination of Miniature Poodles is presumed to be an inherited disorder involving primarily the spinal cord. This rare condition causes paraparesis at 2–4 mo of age that rapidly progresses to tetraplegia. There is no treatment.
Ataxia of Parson Russell and Smooth-haired Fox Terriers can be confusing, because several forms of disease exist. In general, the diseases affecting these breeds are a spinocerebellar ataxia. The predominant clinical signs are cerebellar (cerebellar ataxia, intention tremor, hypermetria), but histopathologically at necropsy, spinal cord demyelination can be seen. Clinical signs begin to appear at ~2–6 mo of age. In one form of the disease, seizures and myokymia (in which the muscles appear to show verminous movement) can occur. The disease is progressive, although in some cases signs may stabilize but not regress, and some affected animals are able to live a relatively normal life, despite the abnormal movements.
Afghan Hound myelopathy is an inherited disorder that causes both demyelination and necrosis of the spinal cord. Paraparesis develops some time during the first year of life and progresses to paraplegia within 1 wk. The thoracic limbs become involved over the next 1–2 wk. A similar condition is seen in young Kooiker dogs (Dutch Decoy dogs) of either sex, with signs beginning at 3–12 mo of age. Prognosis is poor in both breeds.
Neuraxonal dystrophy is described in both cats and dogs but primarily in Rottweiler dogs (autosomal recessive inheritance). In Rottweilers, onset is between 3–24 mo of age, and the disorder progresses slowly over several years. Signs include cerebellar dysfunction and dysmetria in all four limbs, but with preservation of paw position sense, which should distinguish it from leukoencephalomyelopathy (see Small Animals) and from advanced motor neuron disease in the same breed. Collie dogs in Australia and New Zealand develop similar clinical signs at 2–4 mo of age. There is also early onset in Papillons and Chihuahuas and in cats (autosomal recessive in domestic tricolored cats). Axonal spheroids, often in specific regions of the brain and spinal cord, are the characteristic pathologic finding of these conditions.
Leukoencephalomyelopathy of Rottweilers has a later onset than neuraxonal dystrophy (see Small Animals), usually at ~2–3 yr of age. It is possible that the disorders have a similar basis, because animals occasionally may show histopathologic features of both conditions. In leukoencephalomyelopathy, there is no head tremor, and paw position sense is delayed. Bilaterally symmetric areas of spinal cord demyelination are the predominant findings on necropsy.
Calcium phosphate deposition in Great Danes causes mineralization of soft tissues and bone deformity, with dorsal displacement of C7. The resultant compressive myelopathy is seen in puppies 1–2 mo old. This condition is distinct from caudal cervical spondylomyelopathy (see below).
Degenerative myelopathy is a painless, slowly progressive myelopathy that occurs commonly in dogs. Clinical signs are typically consistent with a thoracolumbar spinal cord localization with pelvic limb paresis and ataxia, although progression may eventually involve the thoracic limbs. Histopathologic changes include a noninflammatory axonopathy and myelinopathy. German Shepherds, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Boxers, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are predisposed. There is no treatment. Physical therapy slows the progression of clinical signs. A mutation has been identified that is associated with increased risk of developing degenerative myelopathy, and a genetic test is available to identify those dogs at higher risk of developing the disease.
Progressive axonopathy of Boxer dogs is an autosomal recessive disorder that causes patellar hyporeflexia, severe dysmetria, loss of paw position sense, and spastic paresis at 1–7 mo of age. Axonal spheroids are widespread in both the central and peripheral nervous system on necropsy. Although this condition causes loss of the patellar reflex, in general, the signs are more suggestive of spinal cord disease than of a peripheral neuropathy. There is no treatment, but affected dogs can live relatively comfortably for a considerable time.
Breed-associated aseptic meningitis (steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis) has been reported in Beagles, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Boxers, German Short-haired Pointers, and sporadically in other breeds. The main signs are neck pain, pyrexia, and dramatic pleocytosis in the CSF in young dogs. Prognosis is guarded to favorable, especially in dogs with acute disease that are treated promptly using immunosuppressive doses of corticosteroids.
Congenital vertebral malformations include hemivertebrae (shortened or misshapen vertebrae), block (fused) vertebrae, and butterfly vertebrae (having a sagittal cleft). Hemivertebrae are most common in screw-tailed dog breeds and are inherited in German Shorthaired Pointers. Decompressive surgery can be very successful but sometimes needs to be combined with spinal stabilization. Multiple cartilaginous exostosis is a benign proliferation of cartilage or bone that can affect the ribs, long bones, or vertebrae and may have a familial basis. Transitional vertebrae are often clinically associated with lumbosacral stenosis. Myelography or specialized imaging techniques (eg, CT, MRI) are usually required to confirm spinal cord compression in these congenital conditions. Treatment consists of surgical removal.
Caudal cervical spondylomyelopathy (wobbler syndrome) may have a heritable basis in Borzois (5–8 yr) and Basset Hounds (<8 mo) and probably also Doberman Pinschers (≥2 yr) and Great Danes (<2 yr). Neurologic deficits range from mild ataxia of the pelvic limbs to tetraplegia. Affected dogs often keep their neck flexed ventrally, and there may be caudal cervical pain. Spinal radiographs may show malalignment or remodeling of the vertebrae, narrowing of one or more disk spaces, or spondylosis deformans. CT/myelography or MRI usually reveals a marked stenosis at the cranial orifice of the midcervical or caudal cervical vertebrae. Several surgical techniques can provide stabilization of the vertebrae or decompression of the spinal cord.
Atlantoaxial subluxation is most commonly seen as a congenital disorder in young toy or miniature breeds of dogs and occasionally as a congenital disorder in several large breeds, including Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers. Signs usually develop within the first few years of life and consist of an acute or slowly progressive onset of neck pain or gait dysfunction, ranging from ataxia to tetraplegia. Radiographic confirmation of diagnosis should be followed by stabilization using ventral fixation. The prognosis is guarded.
Arachnoid diverticuli (arachnoid cysts, arachnoid pseudocysts, meningeal cysts, leptomeningeal cysts, subarachnoid cysts) cause accumulations of CSF and a focal myelopathy in young dogs. The cause is unknown, but some cysts may have a congenital origin. Signs consist of progressive ataxia and weakness. Diagnosis is made by myelography and/or MRI. Prognosis may be favorable after surgical excision, although recurrence is possible.
Spinal dysraphism or myelodysplasia includes anomalies of the skin, vertebrae, and spinal cord that are secondary to faulty closure of the neural tube. Spinal dysraphism is inherited in Weimaraners. Neurologic deficits are evident by 4–6 wk of age and include paraparesis and a symmetric "bunny-hopping" gait in the pelvic limbs. There is a bilateral flexor reflex; pinching one paw elicits flexion of both pelvic limbs. There may be scoliosis or abnormal hair streams on the dorsal aspect of the neck. Diagnosis is based on clinical signs and imaging techniques such as myelography or MRI. There is no treatment, but neurologic deficits usually do not progress. Similar malformations have been seen in other breeds of dogs and in calves, foals, and lambs.
Syringomyelia is the development of one or more fluid-filled cavities within the spinal cord. Hydromyelia is accumulation of fluid within an enlarged central canal of the spinal cord. It is often difficult to differentiate between syringomyelia and hydromyelia, so the term syringohydromyelia is often used. Syringohydromyelia causes progressive ataxia and paresis; scoliosis and spinal pain is possible. Causes include trauma, neoplasia, inflammatory conditions, and developmental malformations. The most common cause in dogs is caudal occipital malformation syndrome (see Small Animals).
Spina bifida occulta is a failure of the neural arch to fuse; if the spinal cord is also involved, it is called spina bifida manifesta. The most likely clinical signs of spina bifida are LMN signs in the pelvic limbs and urinary or fecal incontinence. The prognosis for animals with substantial neurologic deficits is poor. Spina bifida can also accompany the sacrocaudal dysgenesis that is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait in Manx cats.
Pilonidal sinus (dermoid sinus, dermoid cyst) is another consequence of faulty neural tubulation that appears to be inherited (autosomal recessive) in Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs. The sinus is lined by skin and may communicate with the subarachnoid space, causing possible meningitis or myelitis. Treatment consists of antibiotics and surgical excision of the sinus.
Epidermoid cysts are rare lesions that arise from entrapment of epithelial cells during closure of the neural tube. Myelography or MRI will reveal an intramedullary lesion in a young dog with progressive neurologic deficits.


text:
Three The Hard Way
One of the goofiest flicks of the Back Exploitation era, for gratuitous comic book quality, Three The Hard Way features the superstar teaming of Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, and Jim Kelly, who manage to shoot and karate chop dozens of people in the process of trying to stop a neo-Nazi millionaire's plot to poison the water supply with a serum that kills blacks (whites are immune to it). As imagined, everything about this film is over the top; it's Shaft times three, but director Gordon Parks Jr. is not his father, so it's actually an entertainingly epic, low-rent affair (Parks Sr. directed Shaft and was a majorly acclaimed photographer). Don't question the plot too closely or look under the rug, just sit back and enjoy the inane violent fun.
Monroe Feather (Jay Robinson, better remembered as Dr. Shrinker from the Saturday morning Krofft Supershow) wants to be known as more than just an evil fascist industrialist, so with the aid of Dr. Fortrero (Richard Angarola) and their seemingly giant army of gunmen, they put their poison water plan into effect, going after the water supply of Los Angeles, Detroit, and DC. Luckily music mogul Jimmy Lait (Brown) gets wind of it and tracks down the two baddest dudes he knows, a player with a big gun, Jagger Daniels (Williamson), and a kung fu master, Mister Keyes (Kelly). Somehow Feather hears about our heroes and sends his goons after the badass trio and seems to be aided by the corrupt honky police force, as well. Out of nowhere a massive shoot out takes place in a car wash, the super friends take a goon prisoner and with the help of three motorcycle riding, topless dominatrixes (a black, white and Asian woman) get the full lowdown on the which water supplies they need to protect. In a couple of cool action scenes, each guy fights off a Nazi army in each of the three cities (three the hard way!). Finally leading to a showdown with Feather himself.Continue Reading

subset: commoncrawl


text:
An instrument of rare perfection, handcrafted from the very finest materials.
Individually assembled in the Yamaha concert grand workshop, Yamaha´s S6BB grand piano is conceived and crafted to gratify the most discerning professionals. Recently redesigned to incorporate the latest Yamaha advances, it proudly reflects the pinnacle of piano-making expertise, and the apex of artistry by those who play it.
S Series Grands
Yamaha S Series grand pianos are instruments of rare perfection, handcrafted from the very finest materials to the highest professional standards in the Yamaha concert grand workshop. Incorporating a host of recent advances, today's redesigned S series grands are more impressive than ever, offering concert-quality features and performance for the most demanding pianists.
- Refinements in the specifications of copper-wound strings generate purer, more perfectly pitched and harmonious bass tones.
- Select bridge materials deliver warm, rich tones and extended resonance.
- Heavy-duty double casters offer improved mobility.
- Aesthetic refinements to legs, music desk and lyre, and beautiful plate and inner rim surface finishes, provide a distinctively elegant appearance.
- A lit prop safety stop guards against insecure prop positioning.
Celebrating a distinguished century of grand piano making
Unparalleled in their beauty and musical range, grand pianos are the ultimate expression of the piano maker's art. The year 2002 representing our grand piano centennial year, Yamaha is proud to present a comprehensive line of incomparable grands, reflecting the very latest in Yamaha acoustic and technological advances. Embodying over 100 years of accumulated expertise, these instruments epitomize the quality, performance and value for which Yamaha has long been renowned, as we enter the second century of Yamaha grand pianos.
Crafted with uncommon care and integrity
Yamaha grand pianos have earned a global reputation as instruments of outstanding quality and value. Renowned for their eloquent expressive range, and for their reliable performance over time, they play an important role in the performing arts and music education. They are consistently among the pianos most highly recommended by piano tuner/technicians and a leading choice of pianists at all levels, all over the world.
The Yamaha reputation rests on a century-long tradition of uncompromising care and craftsmanship, supported by an unmatched range of integrated expertise, top-of-the-line production facilities, and an exceptionally skilled, knowledgeable and dedicated workforce. Our strength in the full range of relevant technologies allows us to produce virtually every part of every piano ourselves – an approach that has helped us initiate significant advances and set what has long been recognized as the industry standard in quality control.
An open dialogue with professional musicians generates invaluable input that, in conjunction with sophisticated research facilities, has led to continual advances in each new generation of Yamaha pianos. Our global network offers Yamaha customers additional advantages, from cost-efficient regional manufacturing to the ready availability of sales and support throughout most of the world.
Balancing cutting-edge technology and innovation with the timeless skills of expert artisans, Yamaha pianos have come to represent an unsurpassed standard of affordable excellence. It is a standard that continues to generate ever-higher acclaim and make Yamaha grand pianos the first choice of many of the world's most discriminating pianists.
- Width: 154cm
- Height: 102cm
- Depth: 212cm
- Weight: 383kg
Duplex Scaling: Yes
Tone Collector: Yes
Key Surfaces: White: Ivorite™; Black: Wood composite
Music Desk Positions: 5
Lid Prop Positions: 3
Lid Prop Safety Stop: Yes
Lid Edge: Sculptured
Soft-Close Fallboard: Yes
Lid/Fallboard Locks: Yes
Centre Pedal: Sostenuto
Cabinet Finishes: Polished Ebony
**Please note that not all piano finishes are kept in stock and some will need to be ordered.


text:
Kramer vs. Kramer
The amazing early part of Dustin Hoffman's career was filled with so many showy roles - Midnight Cowboy, Lenny, Strawdogs, and Little Big Man - but he ended the 1970s with perhaps the best performance of his career in Kramer vs. Kramer. This little film actually beat Apocalypse Now for the Best Picture Oscar. Which film you prefer may be debatable, but what isn't is that Kramer vs. Kramer is more than a little film. Robert Benton (co-writer of Bonnie and Clyde) took a simple little story of a career man learning about domestic responsibility and gave it a wallop of emotion that has helped it last the test of time.
Hoffman plays Ted Kramer, a New York ad-man married to Joanna (Meryl Streep) with a little boy, Billy (Justin Henry). One night after securing an important new account he comes home to find Joanna all packed and heading out the door. She leaves him...and Billy. Father and son have to learn to coexist - the usually selfish Ted has to learn to become a caretaker to his son and Billy has to get used to living without a mum. At first Ted doesn't even know what grade his son is in and is forced to do what were then considered feminine chores like picking his son up at birthday parties and grocery shopping. But he learns to be a father and he and Billy build a special bond. Hoffman's Ted obviously has a strong character arc and with the help of his single mother neighbor, Margaret (Jane Alexander), he develops a nurturing side to his tightly wound personality. This, of course, leads to his losing his job and, worse, after finding herself out in California, the icy Joanna eventually returns and fights to regain custody of Billy (hence the "vs." in the title).Continue Reading


text:
Long stem suction dash mount and universal car phone holder - German made by Herbert Richter
- German made
- Universal holder suitable for device up to 85mm
- Herbert Richter long neck windscreen suction mount
- Can be used as a dash mount
- Ideal for using your device in a case
- Full 360 degree swivel for perfect positioning
- 140mm x 88mm x 78mm
No longer available
- £19.99 including VAT
Shipping info
UK delivery is FREE.
Delivery to EU is only £5.99, to the rest of the World, it's £6.99.
Payment methods
We accept payment by Visa, MastCard, Debit Cards or PayPal.
Return Policy
30 days money back guarantee.
Herbert Richter swivel neck windscreen suction mount and Herbert Richter universal in car holder.
Herbert Richter swivel neck windscreen suction mount bundled with Herbert Richter's universal in car holder for convenience for that perfect in car holder. Backing Herbert Richter windscreen suction mount has a full 360 degree swivel and is perfect for everyday use.
Herbert Richter Swivel neck windscreen suction mount 3
Herbert Richter swivel neck suction mount is perfect for everyday usage. The backing mount is near vibration free, and ratcheting plate rotates 360 degrees for perfect viewing angel. Swivel neck is tightened using ring at the back. Suction cup is made of plastic material free of DEHP.
Herbert Richter adjustable device cradle
Herbert Richter's classic adjustable holder adapts to almost every size and form of smartphone and Mobile phone devices. Just insert the device and squeeze padded sides to secure device. Perfect to hold a device without taking it out of it's case. The side and core of the holder are provided with a soft, non-spill sponge rubber layer which protects the device from scratches, noise and vibrations while on the move. To release the device, simply press the button on side and the side wings open releasing the device. Suitable for device width between 59mm upto 89mm.
- Universal holder suitable for any device width 59mm – 89mm.
- Full 360 degrees swivel.
- Horizontally and vertically adjusted by 60 degrees.
- Vibration free mounting system
- Perfect as a dash mount.
- Superb large suction cups made of plastic material free of DEHP.
- 140mm x 88mm x 78mm.
- German made.
Can I used this as a dash mount?
Herbert Richter swivel neck windscreen suction mount 7 with extendible base, and extendible arm is perfect to use as a dash mount onto a smooth surface, or in commercial vehicle.
Please note, you may require a self-adhesive adapter disk, sold separately.
We also have a dash mount bundle that is ideal to fix install onto in car dash using screws, this is also suitable for Brodit ProClip mounting platform.
Can I use this at home or at my office as a desk top mount?
Yes, we have Herbert Richter suction cup adapter if you also plan to use this at home, or at office as a handsfree desk top mount. This is sold separately. For illustration, click here.
I use a bumper case or cover on my device.
Adjustable holders are perfect for use with device that has a bumper case or cover on it. Or if you have more than one device you use.
Do you also have bike mounts?
We also sell fantastic range of German made bike mounts that are also suitable to mount onto boat rails, or even golf carts.
Who is Herbert Richter?
Herbert Richter is a leading German manufacturer and a renowned innovator of universal car accessories and mounting solutions for over fifty years. They are well known for their superb design and highest quality. Today they are one of the leading manufacturers of mobile mounting solutions, inventor of Flexible Gooseneck and it's property rights holder with manufacturing numbers of over one hundred millions units to date.
Why settle for cheap imports from far east? As industry leader, before launching a new product, each product is subject to stringent tests by external laboratories to ensure that products meets most requirements of consumer needs. All materials used in manufacturing process comply with RoHS and WEEE environmental standards.
Delivery to UK destination is FREE.
Most orders are dispatched within one working day. We will contact you if there is a delay.
Shipping to EU destination is only £5.99, excluding VAT.
We ship Worldwide, shipping charges to rest of the World is only £6.99, excluding VAT.
We use Royal Mail 48 service for our UK delivery option, and use Royal Mail International service for outside of the UK.
We accept payment by Visa, MastCard, Debit Cards or PayPal. We use SagePay for secure payment processing.
30 days money back guarantee.
We aim to exceed your expectation. However, we understand that from time to time you may wish to return item(s) bought for a full refund. If for any reason, or no reason you are not completely satisfied with item(s) bought from us, we will provide a full refund when product(s) is returned within 30 days of receipt. All we ask is that you keep all original packaging and that product(s) is in saleable condition.
Buyer is responsible for cost of return shipping. Goods remain buyer's responsibility until received by us.


text:
Event Type:
Special Session
Date / Time:
Thursday, June 20, 2019 - 8:15am to 9:15am
Ambassador Ballroom
Pre-Registration Required:
Association Communities are focused groups providing a variety of networking and information sharing opportunities for Association members. These opportunities to interact include Professional Development Symposia, contributing articles to Public Garden (flagship publication), and collaborating throughout the year via online discussion forums. Community members use these meetings to come together in person to discuss topical issues or plan upcoming projects for the year. Anyone interested in learning more is welcome to attend!
Sponsored by:


text:
IMS Research (recently acquired by IHS Inc. (NYSE:IHS)) forecasts Americas revenues for fixed radiation and nuclear detection equipment to spike in 2012 and 2013 on the back of installations of advanced spectroscopic portals (ASPs), used primarily as secondary screening devices. ASPs form part of a larger Identifiers market which is estimated to reach $142.7 million globally in 2012.
Report author and Analyst at IMS Research Justin Siller comments, "As a pre-cursor to making sure radiological & nuclear materials do not fall into the wrong hands, monitoring the storage and transportation of atomic weapons has become a necessity. This is done through using large gantry portals and hand-held devices to inspect cars, trucks, ships and people in places such as border checkpoints, seaports, at sea, around critical infrastructure and at military bases."
As a replacement for traditional detection portals, ASPs were originally developed for deployment as primary screening devices to detect and identify materials simultaneously. However, the program was terminated by the Obama administration in 2011 due to technical glitches and high false alarm rates. Despite the programs termination, ASPs are currently being used in combination with hand-held identifiers as secondary screening devices to alert operatives of when harmful materials are being transported.
Siller continues, "The U.S. requested $57 million for the procurement and deployment of Radiation Portal Monitors and Human Portable Radiation Detection Systems (HPRDS) for use by custom and border patrol and U.S. Coast Guard. The RPM program is expected to deploy 44 ASP systems and the HPRDS to fund the procurement of 340 next-generation radiation isotope identification devices (RIIDS)."
In its latest publication, The World Market for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) Detection Equipment, IMS Research reviews the roles various equipment types are playing in the CBRNE market.


text:
You ever notice how one recipe can beget another?
Last summer when I was making my shaved asparagus pizza, I found myself snacking on the strands of asparagus that had been tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper. (I'm completely unable to resist "testing" ingredients as I go along.)
It made me wonder why so few recipes I have stumbled across call for raw asparagus, which, when lightly dressed, is lovely.
Now that the stalks are appearing again on grocery shelves, it got me thinking. And then I stumbled across a salad recipe, which combined asparagus shavings with some other great loves of mine: Parmesan, prosciutto, mint and lemon.
This salad is kind of like six degrees of separation.
Mint goes well with peas, which are lovely with asparagus, a natural match to prosciutto.
Well, really, what doesn't prosciutto go well with?
And a lemon-based dressing adds some refreshing tartness, while a little bit of honey brings out the natural sweetness of the peas.
Now, I am the first one to up the amounts of salad goodies — more Parmesan, more prosciutto, please and thank you.
But in this case, I'm going to, unexpectedly, advise restraint. Messing with the fine balance between salt and sweet, meat and cheese, mint and vegetables can upset the equilibrium.
Too much cheese and the salt overpowers the delicate flavours of asparagus and mint.
Too much prosciutto overwhelms the texture of the salad.
When the proportions are right, this salad is perfection.
Right after finishing the photo shoot, I inhaled a bowlful.
I loved the spring green flavour of the thinly shaved asparagus, the sweet peas and bright mint with the slight tang of the mustard and lemon dressing.
The prosciutto didn't hurt either.
All the greens contrasted with the pink of cured ham and cream of Parmesan is quite pretty and makes this a great dish for entertaining.
Serve it out on the deck with some crusty bread and a nice bottle of wine.
Asparagus and Pea Salad with Mint
This salad is from Epicurious by way of Serious Eats.
If fresh peas are in season, feel free to use them instead of frozen peas. Frozen peas are perfectly tasty, though. Just defrost in a sieve with some hot water. To get nice Parmesan shavings, let the cheese sit out on the counter for 10 or 15 minutes and then use a vegetable peeler.
- 1½ cups (375 mL) peas
- 1 lb (500 g) asparagus
- 6 cups (1.5 L) salad greens
- 2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped mint
- 1/4 cup (50 mL) shaved Parmesan
- 8 slices prosciutto, cut in strips
- 2 tbsp (25 mL) lemon juice
- 2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp (5 mL) honey
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) olive oil
Whisk together lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey and salt and pepper.
Drizzle in the oil slowly while still whisking to emulsify the dressing.
Test the dressing and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Place salad greens in a large bowl, add chopped mint and peas.
Using the woody end as a handle, hold the asparagus against a cutting board and use a vegetable peeler to make long strips. (These will vary in thickness, which is fine.)
After shaving, you will be left holding the rough end, which can be discarded.
Repeat with all the asparagus and then add the shavings to the salad.
Add sliced prosciutto. Toss with dressing (start with only a portion of the dressing and add more as necessary; the salad may not need all of it).
Top with shaved Parmesan.
Serves 4.
This first appeared in the Calgary Herald. For more recipes and instructional videos, check out the Herald's Food page.


text:
Never struggled for anything in my life: Madhuri Dixit
Artists often talk about the hardships they have had to face in finding their first big break in filmdom, but 1990s diva Madhuri Dixit says she never had to struggle and the offer came to her door step.
Artists often talk about the hardships they have had to face in finding their first big break in filmdom, but 1990s diva Madhuri Dixit says she never had to struggle and the offer came to her door step.
She entered filmdom with the 1984 film "Abodh", which was made under the banner of Rajshri Productions.
"I have never struggled for anything in my life because I never thought I will be an actress. Film just walked up to my house with 'Abodh'. We met them (the makers), then my family decided that I will do just one film," Madhuri told IANS and added that her family used to run away from movies.
But destiny had stardom in store for Madhuri -- she didn't stop at one film and continued to work in movies like "Awara Baap" and "Uttar Dakshin", which didn't do much to her career. It was the 1998 release "Tezaab" that catapulted her into big league and there was no looking back for her afterwards.
"Struggle was to prove myself, to do my best... so those things were the struggle for me. I am thankful to whatever I have got in my life, but one thing which is always at the back of my mind, is my dance academy. I would love to see my dance academy growing," said the actress of super hits like "Ram Lakhan", "Dil", "Saajan", "Hum Aapke Hain Kaun" and "Dil To Pagal Hai".
Recently she made an impressive come-back with "Dedh Ishqiya". In terms of numbers, the film didn't set the cash registers ringing, but the 46-year-old won plaudits for her performance.
Currently, she is busy promoting her next release "Gulaab Gang", coming out March 7, and says she took reference from various women to prepare for the role.
Directed by Soumik Sen, "Gulaab Gang", which also features Juhi Chawla in a prominent role, draws its inspiration from the real life vigilante group 'Gulabi Gang', which operates in the Bundelkhand area of Uttar Pradesh under the tutelage of Sampat Pal.
"I took references from all the women in the world. Rajjo is representative of all the women. She is fantastically portrayed on screen. There are women who are larger than life and it's a salute to them," said Madhuri.


text:
Edinburgh Business School will use the information you have provided to contact you with information on our products and services. For more information see our terms and conditions.
Self-paced distance learning offers you the freedom to study when you like, where you like.
Choose any programme; from MBA to DBA. Our online distance learning programmes have a flexible structure that lets you choose when to start and when to take your exams.
Study your MBA on a Heriot-Watt University campus.
In the UK, choose from full-time, MBA (focused on entrepreneurship) or part-time MBA.
On-campus in Dubai choose from full- and part-time MBA.
On-campus in Malaysia we offer a part-time MBA.
We also have a network of learning partners who offer local classroom-based learning.
We have an international faculty, thousands of like-minded students and alumni across the globe.
Graduate with us and you're ready to take your career to a whole new level.
Study full- or part-time in Dubai taught by local and visiting faculty.
7 core
2 electives
Our flagship online programme is an in-depth study of business management principles.
7 core and 2 electives
Study part-time in Edinburgh, learn key business disciplines.
Study part-time, mostly at weekends, on our inspirational HWU campus in Putrajaya.
Choose from MScs in Financial Management and Marketing.
5 core courses
4 elective courses
Choose from; Strategic Planning, Marketing, Finance, Human Resource Management and Oil and Gas Management
7 core courses
4 specialist elective courses
Take your career to the next level with this our research-based doctorate and PhD.
3 research methods courses and your thesis
You may be entitled to exemptions from core and elective courses on our masters programmes.
From faculty message boards, past papers and online self tests to peer-to-peer networks and dedicated adivsors.
Access Faculty message boards, view past exams papers and more. You can also organise your studies, order your next course and book your exams.
The username and password are: demo
Our students have lots to say about studying, the Edinburgh Business School experience and life in general.
Drop-in to see what they're saying...
We offer local examinations to all our students. Each course is assessed by a one three-hour examination. You can sit your exams in March, June, August and December.
You can study course-by-course and pay as you learn, or sign up for two or three courses at once. Our fees are flexible.
This site uses cookes to improve your browsing experience, by continuting to use this site you consent to this. For more information please see our Cookie Policy.


text:
The U.S. Department of State today released its July-December, 2010 International Religious Freedom Report.
The Executive Summary of the report states, among other things:
This International Religious Freedom Report documents major developments with respect to religious freedom in 198 countries and territories from July-December 2010. The report reflects a broad understanding of universal religious freedom, one that includes the rights to hold private beliefs, including agnosticism or atheism, as well as the right to communal religious expression and education.
The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRF Act) defines five types of violations of religious freedom: arbitrary prohibitions on, restrictions of, or punishment for (i) assembling for peaceful religious activities, such as worship, preaching, and prayer, including arbitrary registration requirements; (ii) speaking freely about one's religious beliefs; (iii) changing one's religious beliefs and affiliation; (iv) possession and distribution of religious literature, including Bibles and other sacred texts; and (v) raising one's children in the religious teachings and practices of one's choice.
This report documents numerous ways in which governments and societies violate religious freedom, including:
- Active State Repression and Impunity
- Violent Extremist Attacks
- Apostasy and Blasphemy Laws
- Repression of Religious Minorities
- Anti-Semitism
- Restrictions on Muslim Attire and Expression
- Restrictions Derived from Security and Related Concerns


text:
During World War II, Dutch Resistance fighters exposed infiltrators by asking them to pronounce Scheveningen; with its two subtly different gutturals, it was a trick only native speakers could pull off. The stakes of course aren't so high when you're on holiday in a new place, but there is some satisfaction in not immediately revealing yourself as a tourist when you ask for directions. From the obscure English pronunciation rules to odd Irish spelling, learn these common tricks, and you'll stay under the radar.
Pity the poor visitor. One little island has so many tripwires! Place names can look unwieldy, but they can usually stand to lose a syllable: Leicester is LES-ter, and Gloucester is GLOS-ter. Consonants can get squished: Chiswick is CHIZ-zick. And don't take vowels at face value: anything ending in –shire is said "sher" or "sheer", and when asking directions in central London, say "BARK-lee Square" for Berkeley Square.
Much worse than Britain, on the surface, but you just need to learn some quirky spelling: "bh" makes a "v" sound, as in the town of Cobh ("Cove"), and a "gh" is just "h", as in Armagh (are-MA). Then again, somehow Dún Laoghaire becomes Dun Leery, so maybe all bets are off in Ireland.
Cultured travellers, forget what you know about Romance languages: it's Dez Planes (Des Plaines) in Illinois, To-LEE-do (Toledo) in Ohio, and Ama-RILL-o (Amarillo) in Texas. There's even a little town in New Mexico called MAD-rid, and Milan, Michigan, is pronounced my-LEN. Things get weirder the farther south you go; locals pronounce New Orleans NOR-lenz and then there's NAK-e-tesh (Natchitoches). Plus there's HEW-sten, or Houston, in Texas). (Note: Does not apply in New York, where Houston is HOW-ston, and New Yorkers will make sure you know it.)
That fantastic ancient city at the top of the mountain? Say it "MA-choo PEEK-chew." There's a reason for that extra "c" in Machu Picchu.
Perhaps the world's most easygoing people when it comes to pronunciation, Canadians can handle the same word with a French or an English spin. But to get to the inner circle, say sas-kat-che-WAN (Saskatchewan) and Newfound-LAND. And don't bother making any jokes about Moosejaw – they've heard them all.
The Pacific
You may never make it to the island nation of Kiribati, but its pronunciation makes a great party game: who would ever guess KEE-re-bus? New Zealand is a more likely destination, but visitors need to know Maori (MOW-ree, by the way) words are pronounced quite differently from their spelling. Whakatane turns to fa-ka-TA-ne, and Whangarei is fa-nga-RAY, with a rolled r. We'll leave it to you to figure out Whakapapa.
Maybe it's hopeless in China, with all the tones, but at least start out knowing the "j" in Beijing is a real "j" sound, not a soft "zh": bay-JING. Extra credit: put a high tone on the second syllable.
Try out the range of Rough Guide Phrasebooks, books hostels for your trip and don't forget to purchase travel insurance before you go.


text:
30 Cool Candle Designs.
Cactus Candles: These look incredibly lifelike and comes in boxes of 4 Cacti.
DoubleWick Candles: These elegant candles contain two wicks and feature a range of beautifully colored embedded wax decoration. It measures 30cm high, 7cm wide and is only 1cm thick.
Coral Candle: This Coral Candle range comes in Jasmine, Lavender and Lemongrass.
5 Minute Candles: Apt for spontaneous celebrations. "Designed to look like an ordinary book of matches but inside are 10 small candles."
Stone Candles:
Castle Candles:
Lonny-Design's Candle: If you are among those who are ready for anything then this is something which is sure to impress you!
Jeremy Walton's Design:
Notmy Candles: Interesting shaped candles comes from Russia.
Coffee Beans Candles: These candles come in different colors, patterns, and sizes.
Chalkboard Candle: These cute Chalkboard Candles come gift boxed with a chalk pack.
Flower and Fruits candles:
80 Hour Beeswax Coil Candle: It allows you to set the amount of time before it automatically extinguishes itself.
Bottle Candle: Best suited for parties and celebrations.
Coffee Cup Candle: Designed by Denis Belenko, it looks like a cup of coffee.
Cowboy Boot Candle:
Electronic Candle: Aram Bartholl's candle uses a combination of resistance wire, copper wire, switch, and 12V power transformer to light a candle.
Fresh-Baked Cookies Candle Set:
Light Bulb Candle: A candle design that looks like the light bulb, made from Bee's Wax.
Multiple Candles: Design inspired from modular structures, gives you a choice to choose how many candles you need to light and its unlike the conventional ones.
Candlestrip: These candles appear to get the energy from the base that they plug into.
Rocklite Candle: This unique one-of-a-kind hand crafted out of select rock and stone, can be used indoors or even outdoors using Citronella Oil.
Building Brick Candles: These eight-wick soy-blend, non-scented candles are sure to bring back the memories of childhood.
Cappuccino Coffee Candle: This scented candle fills your room with the delightful fragrance of cappuccino.
Friedegg Candle: An interesting design by Jaehyung Hong.
Spye Design studio's Candle: This cool candle is 32 ounces Brazilian white beeswax with 3 cotton wicks, measures 7 inches width and 3.5 inches height and 3 inches in dimension.
Sushi Candle Set: Each of this Sushi candle comes per-arranged in its own Japanese "take out" box.
Swiss Cheese Candle: Looks delicious in shape of the cheese.
Pillar Candles: These look like ordinary white candles, once you light it red wax flows out.
Scented Candle: Who wouldn't want this one!
Other Posts:
Village Underground.
20 Cool Looking Paper Weights.
Unusual Clay Figurines Photography.
30 Creative and Unusual Necklaces.
All In A Days Work Of A Photographer.


text:
Depending on who you ask and how you define the product, there are by some counts only two manufacturers of long-term implantable silicones for the medical device industry. One of those, Applied Silicone Corp. of Santa Paula, Calif., announced a series of investments to its facilities, including an addition of space and equipment that will increase its silicone elastomer base production by 50%.
Featured Content
Long-term implantable silicones are a class of materials that can be in the body for 30 days or more, and when Dow Corning exited the market in 1993 after becoming ensnared in litigation over breast implants (it settled in 1998 after forking over $3.2 billion in damages), Applied Silicone and NuSil (Carpinteria, Calif.) stepped into the supply vacuum.
An Applied Silicone spokesperson told Plastics Technology that membership in that rarefied supply club has helped the company enjoy double-digit annual growth in each of its 26 years.
"Today, Applied is running at 80%-plus capacity," the spokesperson said, "and we know that is inadequate for future demands." To meet that demand, the company has broken ground on 31,000 sq ft of additional warehousing, manufacturing, research, and laboratory space at its 90-acre campus, and that's just for openers:
Applied will also bring on line a new 12,000-sq-ft facility specifically designed for medical grade silicone polymer synthesis and a 4000-sq-ft office laboratory facility in the first quarter of 2014.
The spokesperson said that construction is also in progress for an additional 15,000-sq-ft of production and R&D facilities. "Applied's growth is not just about buildings though," the spokesperson added. "Capital equipment costs for this expansion for the next two years will exceed $5 million."
So how does the company continue to excel in such a demanding space where other medical material suppliers fear to tread: "The integrity of our quality systems," is their answer. These include a large and growing database of preclinical biological and chemical testing and 26 years of clinical performance history so it can, in the words of the spokesperson, "meet ever increasing demands from customers and regulatory agencies."


text:
Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel isn't the first college football player to sign with a Major League Baseball organization, but he is the latest.
Alex Speier of WEEI first reported Wednesday evening that Driskel has signed with the Boston Red Sox, who drafted him in the 29th round last month. Signing the junior was a bit of a surprising move as Driskel hasn't played competitive baseball since high school, but the organization did secure his rights should there come a point if Driskel chooses baseball over football.
But it doesn't look like Driskel will. In a statement Thursday, the Gators quarterback insisted he would sick with football.
"I plan on focusing on football and finishing my college career with the Gators," Driskel said. "After my college football career is over I want to pursue a professional career in the NFL. If I ever decide I want to play baseball, I want to play with the Boston Red Sox who drafted me in the recent draft."
NCAA rules allow athletes to sign MLB contracts while remaining eligible in football so long as the athlete doesn't sign an endorsement deal. Theoretically, Driskel could play for the Red Sox and return to the football field for Florida this fall. It just doesn't sound like that's going to be the case.


text:
Hagel's Common Sense on Cuba
Foes of Chuck Hagel have found another reason to oppose his nomination for secretary of defense: he supported ending the 50‐year old embargo on Cuba. Hagel also called the idea that the government in Havana constitutes a terrorist threat to the United States "goofy", referring to Fidel Castro as a "toothless old dinosaur." Supposedly, this proves he's weak and won't stand up to world dictators when vital U.S. interests are at stake.
In reality, Hagel belongs to a growing group of conservatives who have come to realize the failure of U.S. policy towards Cuba. This group includes former senator Richard Lugar, who until recently was the highest ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Jeff Flake, a freshman Republican from Arizona. Even Paul Ryan (R-WI), the GOP's former VP candidate, voted against the embargo the last time it came to a vote in the House in 2005.
You don't need to think hard to understand why the embargo and travel ban on Cuba have failed: the Castro brothers are still in power in Havana. Five decades of economic sanctions—the most stringent Washington has imposed on any country—have failed to bring about a democratic transformation of Cuba. Moreover, the embargo has served as a scapegoat to the regime.
Elizardo Sánchez Santa Cruz, a leading dissident in Cuba, has aptly summed up that strategy: "[Castro] wants to continue exaggerating the image of the external enemy which has been vital for the Cuban Government during decades, an external enemy which can be blamed for the failure of the totalitarian model implanted here." Cuban dissident blogger Yoani Sánchez has called the embargo "the regime's excuse for all its failures" and pointed out that its existence has undermined the work of dissidents on the island.
Proponents of the embargo (who are now opposing Hagel's nomination) inadvertently accept this reality. Our friend Frank Calzón, at the Center for a Free Cuba, mentions in the Washington Post several instances when Havana rebutted Washington's outreach efforts: "Each solicitation has been met with aggressive action." Why? Perhaps because the Castro regime fears that an end to the embargo and travel ban could weaken its grip on power?
Ironically, those who argue that national security concerns are reasons to oppose changing U.S. policy towards Cuba ignore that the embargo has also become somewhat of a U.S. security liability itself. A 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office points out that enforcing the embargo and travel ban diverts limited resources from homeland security that could be used to keep terrorists and criminals out of the United States. The GAO report warned that arrival inspections from Cuba intended to enforce the embargo are "straining Customs and Border Patrol's capacity to inspect other travelers according to its mission of keeping terrorists, criminals, and inadmissible aliens out of the country."
It would be naïve to think that ending the embargo will somehow transform Cuba into a democratic society. As long as the Castros are in change, that won't happen. But it's equally naïve to believe that there are great benefits and no significant downsides to the current policy. Chuck Hagel doesn't have a Cuba problem. Just the opposite. He has shown common sense in ending one of Washington's most anachronistic foreign policies.


text:
Vanguard says that it has completed the six-month transition to FTSE and CRSP benchmarks for 22 index funds with some $650 billion in assets, including the $70 billion Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund (VEIEX) and ETF (VWO), which previously tracked the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.
The fund giant "expects the transitions will result in lower expense ratios over time, providing significant value to index fund and ETF shareholders," it explained in a statement. "In an environment in which index-licensing fees, in general, have represented a growing portion of the expenses that investors pay to own index funds and ETFs, Vanguard entered into long-term agreements with FTSE and CRSP that will provide cost certainty going forward."
The new tracking indexes were developed by FTSE and the University of Chicago's Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP). According to Vanguard Chief Investment Officer Tim Buckley, the new benchmarks were picked last year because of their "cost, cost certainty, construction and coverage."
"From a construction standpoint, the indexes from FTSE and CRSP meet Vanguard's 'best practice' standards for market benchmarks," he explained on Vanguard's website. "These indexes incorporate full-float adjustment to reflect only those shares that are available and freely traded on the open market, providing a more accurate reflection of market movements. They buffer stock movement between market-capitalization segments, helping to reduce index turnover. They also incorporate multiple criteria to identify growth versus value. And they engage in gradual, orderly rebalancing to reflect market changes."
The Vanguard CIO said that before the index switch, the fund giant used FTSE benchmarks for more than 20 index products with roughly $26 billion in assets. (FTSE has more than $3 trillion of assets benchmarked to its indexes worldwide.)
"With regard to CRSP, we're impressed by the quality and depth of its staff, as well as their experience," added Buckley. "The research organization pioneered the development of U.S. stock market data in 1960 that are widely used in academic and investment research."
In other news, Vanguard said it has reassigned portfolio management responsibilities for five tax-exempt funds, four of which were managed by Michael Kobs, who has left the firm.
The portfolio manager for the $38.6 billion Vanguard Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund and the municipal bond portion of Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund is James D'Arcy.
Mathew M. Kiselak and Adam M. Ferguson are now co-managers of the $3.4 billion Vanguard New York Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund, with Kiselak also taking responsibility for the $2.1 billion Vanguard New Jersey Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund. In addition, Ferguson is a new co-manager of the $7.2 billion Vanguard California Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund, along with D'Arcy, who had been the fund's sole manager.


text:
Food & Nutrition
Warning: Use of undefined constant - assumed ' ' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /homepages/40/d486601803/htdocs/wp-content/themes/aspire-you/archive.php on line 27
The benefits of organic eating to our health and well-being
Nutritional and sugar, how it affects our physical and emotional well-being
Nutrition and how it impacts on our physical and mental well-being
mental health, nutrition, divorce, women
magnesium vital to our mental health well being bodies
"The average Brit believes they only consume 3,000 calories on Christmas Day, but really they eat 7,000."
Two years ago I made the jump ….. I did a sky dive and jumped 15,000 feet from a plane in New Zealand. I knew if I could do that I could do anything.
I then returned home with my family and left a 28-year marriage, three businesses a beautiful home and a lifestyle!!!!
The marriage in it's final stages had become very much an abusive one.
However in the early years it was a happy marriage, driven by young love.
I married at 24, coming from a strict family upbringing.
I was not allowed to move into the house I had bought with my fiancée until I was married.
After being married for three years, aged 27, Hannah was born and at 30 I then had a son.
My son we later identified having ADHD and dyslexia.
My husband committed adultery when our son was just one.
I had a very hyperactive child who liked to wake at 5am.
Business took my husband away from home a lot and finally it became apparent there was someone else in the relationship.
These were the first cracks in the marriage.
However I chose to forgive him, as I still very much loved him and he in turn said he had made a huge mistake and he loved me dearly.
In hindsight …. which is a wonderful thing, I should have ended the marriage then.
Why didn't I? I had two young children who I felt needed a father in their lives and I did not want to share my children of a weekend. Also who would want me with two children. In turn, one being both beautiful and hyperactive, all at the same time.
I chose to stay with a very low self-worth.
From the outset it was always a happy marriage, with dark episodes every 6-12 months. The dark episodes left me feeling very disempowered and wanting to leave the marriage. However some family event would be happening.
It was my sons birthday my daughter was graduating, my father was ill the dog was poorly…. Does this resonate!!!!
It was never the right time to leave.
We would then have a family holiday, this left me feeling, this is not as bad as I think it will be ok I just need to try harder.
I was a dedicated wife and mother, however I always worked and enjoyed it immensely. I chose to sacrifice a career, for my family, as they were my priority.
My husbands business was always his priority and I supported him in every way to enable that to become a success.
When the children were still at school I realised I was not utilising my academic skills and needed more mental stimulation.
I decided to retrain as a psychotherapist and Life Coach. This was incredibly empowering and rewarding, I felt alive again.
Having retrained I then became a senior BACP Accredited therapist.
I initially worked with children who had been sexually abused within Barnardos. I then moved on to work within Higher Education.
I eventually set up my own business with a private practise as a Counsellor, Life Coach and Trainer, winning a contract to work with doctors and nurses within the NHS.
In turn I also delivered Stress Management and Group Work to corporate clients, Jaguar Land Rover being one of those clients.
My work still always revolved around my role within my husbands business and the children.
Yes you may ask when did I sleep? ….. I did, but had very little life other than work and my family.
Something had to give, so more of me disappeared ……
Whilst everything else on the surface looked like the perfect life.
I developed M.E.
When I was diagnosed my husband said go away for the week and have some rest… Not I will take you away for the week and look after you.
I would shower in a morning and have to lie down afterwards for 15 minutes to recover, the illness is so debilitating.
I could not even remember the way home from work. I can remember driving on the motorway thinking where am I going. I was on the M42, a journey I had done hundreds of times. I had to pull over and stop for a while until it came back to me where I was.
But I still continued to try to be the prefect wife and mother.
I overcame the M.E, again with the help of Hannah who took a week off work and took me away to a hotel to just relax and do nothing except sleep. Something I would not have been able to do at home, as my husband still if I was there expected me to do the ironing or pay the wages or whatever else needed doing. I was also privileged to be in the industry of self care and I knew from my knowledge of the illness and my understanding from a therapeutic perspective of how to take care of myself.
I had done a really good job of becoming burnt out!!!!
I was the epitome of a graceful swan on the outside, desperately paddling underneath the surface in order to keep afloat. A neighbour knocked the door one day as our new home did not have a door bell and said "What do you buy the lady who has everything"
I wanted to scream "If only you knew how unhappy I am".
Breaking away from the marriage was the hardest yet most empowering thing I have ever done.
Yet then the next challenge came along ……. getting back into the world as a single woman!!
People underestimate the understanding children have of circumstances around them, from such a young age. But children are very inquisitive, they know what is happening.
People talk about a mother's maternal instinct, I believe as a child you have that instinct within you for your parents well being and in my case very much for my mother.
I can remember many things throughout my childhood and teenage years. I can remember being sat on the corner of the spiral staircase, hidden whilst my parents argued. Throughout all of the arguments I did not need to hear the words that were being said, but just to know that everything was ok.
I can still remember distinctly I was around five and I heard my mom crying in the hall, there had been raised voices. I did not know if he chose to or, she had told him to leave. But at age five I just remember wanting to be there for her so I could stop her pain. It was later on I understood it was because he had had an affair.
You will hear people say the impact it has on a child when parents separate and you yourself will have your own opinion, of what is right and what is wrong.
Well I was a child of a 'failed' marriage whose parents did not separate until later on in life. A Large part of me wishes my mother had left when I was younger, because I witnessed every part of the love that was in their relationship disappear and turn to hatred.
But it did not effect my education – it was instilled in me that school and education were essential; it led to opportunities in life and gave you choices. I had left school, got though colleague, and because of my parents I went on to do a degree at Westminster University in business and fashion buying which I loved. Realizing for the first time, I am intelligent, I can achieve top grades despite my dyslexia, I just have to try a lot harder and put in more hours than others to attain it. I was able to use my passion and drive to push my capabilities, and achieve a first class honors degree.
But I know it could have been a very different story if my parents had separated as a child and it had happened during my school years.
A key part of my story is the relationship we share as mother and daughter. We have always been so close. We shared some dark times together, however we supported each other.
It helped having a mother as a therapist and counselor, although rather annoying at times for a teenage girl, I was very much aware of her understanding of human behavior, she did not miss a trick but it bought us closer.
Over the years, the bond we shared compelled me to support my mother even more. I recognise I compensated for my father.
Not being there for her when my grandfather passed away.
The emotion and pressure I felt to support her when she explained she had M.E. Begging him to be more understanding to take it seriously, to take some pressure off me because I could not always be there.
It is safe to say he always worked, he loved success but stress affected him. Work was the priority it came first before his family. I felt he did not really know me because of his absence. There are always secrets behind closed doors but to me it was clear day-to-day that there was a lot of unhappiness in my mother's life. Although he tried to compensate with a beautiful home, nice cars, expensive gifts. It was not real, it does not build a relationship and it does not make you happy. It was just his way of showing love and saying sorry.
I knew when my mother left I would have to be very strong. I had wanted the marriage to end many years before, I question maybe if I had been strong enough to support her like I have now we might have left sooner.
When she had finally had enough. I knew it would not be easy, I knew my mother would need to be very strong to do it because my father would make it very difficult. He did not want his wife to leave that cooked, cleaned, the mother of his children, his personal assistant and joint director in the businesses. I knew how strong she would have to be, and I knew in turn how strong I would have to be.
I was right because it has been two years and there have been and still are so many hurdles. I reduced my social life felt guilty anytime I spent away from my mother, even when I was at work. I felt responsible and I knew mom had no one else that understood the pain like I did. You can talk to friends but you know they do not understand because they are not living it as you are and it is hard to imagine the raw emotion until you are. There are only so many times you can cry to your friends about the same issue.
But who supported me, I needed support in supporting my mother, as a child you want to help and being older, I did support her but I felt a big weight on my shoulders. I always picked myself up but there were dark days, times when I just wished someone understood the pain. We supported each other, as she likewise was the only person who I felt understood my pain. In the end I decided to see a counselor to help me manage my emotions, to have an outsider to talk to.
There are hurdles before you leave and there are the ones we face now. Divorce impacts your life for many years.
I am proud of what I have done; I am proud to say that I supported my mom and I would not have changed a thing. I also would not wish it on anybody; it is heart breaking, emotionally exhausting why should it have to be that hard?
The question everyone asks me is do you still have a relationship with your father. To that the simple answer is no. The pain he put me through, at this time I have no forgiveness left for him. You can only forgive someone so many times when they continue to make the same mistake for years, I did and I now have to think of myself.
A man that I am meant to feel the most love and safety from look up to and go to for advice is someone that has hurt me the most in the world. He was someone I most feared before we left.
He continues to hurt my mother and our freedom will come when the divorce comes through. We left two years ago and he still impacts our lives.
We have already overcome so much and from our situation AspireYou, has been born, in order for us to be able to help other women to make the change, to support them and to make a difference in their lives
A quote my mother showed me resonated, you have to climb a mountain before you can see the view.
We are so close now I can nearly see the view.
We use cookies to give you the best online experience. By agreeing you accept the use of cookies in accordance with our cookie policy.


text:
NOPD Superintendent Ronal Serpas and a panel of Loyola University criminologists will participate in a crime symposium Friday (Oct. 26, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) addressing New Orleans' murder rate.
For details see the following press release from Loyola University:
The Office of the President and the Department of Criminal Justice at Loyola University New Orleans present a daylong symposium aimed at ending the cycle of violence in New Orleans and restoring community peace. "Preventing Lethal Violence in New Orleans: A Public Symposium on Effective Community Based Solutions," takes place Friday, Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. in Louis J. Roussel Performance Hall, located on the second floor of the Communications/Music Complex. It is free and open to the public.
The day will begin with opening remarks by New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Ronal Serpas, Ph.D., and Marc Manganaro, Ph.D., provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Loyola. Loyola's William E. Thornton, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and professor of sociology, and Dee Wood Harper, Ph.D., emeritus professor of sociology, will serve as moderators.
According to Thornton, Louisiana imprisons more of its people than any other state with an incarceration rate of 867 per 100,000. New Orleans currently has the highest per capita murder rate in the United States.
"In New Orleans, 'doing time' in prison has become a way of life in many neighborhoods and literally destroys families and entire communities. Louisiana has some of the harshest sentencing laws in the country, which fuels a high incarceration rate," Thornton said.
For Loyola University President Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., Ph.D., this forum comes at a critical juncture for New Orleans and the university.
"Our hope with this symposium is to offer some alternative perspectives to the prevention of violence in the city and to engage national and local leaders, practitioners, researchers and concerned citizens. For the last century, Loyola has always strived to be part of the 'conversation,' in this city. With this symposium, Loyola is in the position of producing positive and effective results that will be felt for years to come," Wildes said.
The morning session, "Community Perspectives," will feature panelists Robert Sampson, Ph.D., Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University and Karen DeSalvo, M.D., New Orleans health commissioner and professor of medicine for Tulane School of Medicine. The afternoon session features David Kennedy, director of the Center for Crime Prevention and Control and professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, and Nikki Jones, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
"We are very excited to have such prominent and nationally recognized experts here with us to share their success stories and to engage us in a broader consideration of plausible solutions to the problem of violence in our city," Harper said.
Sampson, acclaimed researcher and author of "Great American City: Chicago and the Enduring Neighborhood Effect," will focus on the significant impact of the history and culture of a place in decreasing rates of crime and violence. Sampson's work suggests that only through strengthening collective efficacy, which promotes informal social controls, and building community capacity and reinforcing trust, can the gripping effect of violence be lifted.
DeSalvo, who will present the session "NOLA for Life: A Public Health Approach to Murder Reduction," believes it is critical to address mental health and substance abuse when looking at the overall health of a community. She notes, "Fundamentally, the safety net for these services has a key role in protecting the public's health and safety and its strength in our fight against violent crime."
In the afternoon session, Kennedy—who is involved with "Operation Ceasefire" in many cities including New Orleans—will focus on his noted model and successful group violence reduction strategy, which is highlighted in his recent book, "Don't Shoot: One Man, A Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner-City America."
Jones will offer insights based on her studies of African American adolescent boys and men with criminal histories reintegrating back into the community. Her recent work, "The Hustle" depicts the problems these young males experience, including the long-standing political, social and moral divides and struggles within the black community. It supports the view that people must address the social challenges of particular communities in order to help these troubled youth change their lives.
"Presenting overwhelming evidence of positive long-term and enduring effects of broad-based community development and neighborhood interventions not only offers important solutions to violence, but also renews hope," Thornton said.


text:
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Has the Christmas music bug gotten ahold of you yet? Well, if you have stopped by a Cracker Barrel, you may have seen the new release from Lonestar. It's a Christmas album featuring the new lead singer, Cody Collins.
The album has 9 classic songs and 2 new Christmas songs. They seems to be the trend of Christmas album these days; drop in a few new ones rather than trying to record a totally new song project. I guess a few new ones isn't as bad as all classic recordings. The classics are recorded with a little more pop sound than country, to me, but again, that's the current trend in country, unfortunately
"That's What Christmas Is For" and "My Christmas List" are the new tracks featured. Both having pretty much a common theme to them, wouldn't say instant classics, but pretty decent tracks. "Christmas List" deals with how we become older in life our list for Christmas changes from the younger Matchbox cars to the older wanting peace on Earth, troops safety and health of family. This song did make me stop a moment and think to myself that I indeed agree. The other song talks about the more family tradition and true meaning of Christmas.
The big headline though for this album is that its the first time we get to hear the new lead singer of Lonestar is heard. Vocals are crisp and clean, quiet radio friendly, I must say. However, Lonestar fans from their first album aren't going to adjust very easily I don't believe. Its a new group in my opinion when the lead singer leaves.
Remember, this album is available only at Cracker Barrel... that's another blog for another time.


text:
ProcessKO 4.66 (x86/x64) Portable – завершит/перезагрузит повисший процесс
ProcessKO – полезная системная утилита, с помощью которой можно легко и быстро завершить / перезагрузить любой повисший процесс или приложение.
ProcessKO is for professionals and experienced users, with very good PC know-how (knowledge)! ProcessKO is a small useful tool to quickly kill a running or hanging process / program. It is not uncommon among developers or program-testers that the programs do not function properly or that you can not even close the programs (using the Task Manager) usually its always the same candidates.
Creating "Dearest-KO?s" for fast killing processes or programs!
One knows this problem, especially as developers / beta tester: When a program freezes,than you call the task manager CTRL+ALT+DEL and find that frozen program then you have to find and select the option "End Process", and finally you have to confirm the message, "Are you sure you want to terminate the process" with "yes". One can save many hand moves and also time!
Now it?s easier then ever!… With ProcessKO it goes faster and the program can also be restarts from there. ProcessKO does not have to be installed and can be executed easily from the desktop. It?s one small / portable utility for Windows PC-s and is a small usb-stick friend.
ОС: Windows All (32/64-bit)
Язык: Многоязычный + Русский
Licence: Freeware
Size: 1.0/1.0 Mb


text:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Time Out says
A mesmerizing study in excess, Peter Jackson and company's long-awaited prequel to the Lord of the Rings saga is bursting with surplus characters, wall-to-wall special effects, unapologetically drawn-out story tangents and double the frame rate (48 over 24) of the average movie. It is, in other words, a P.J. & Co. superproduction through and through. The portentously overstuffed prologue alone reintroduces Ian Holm's elder hobbit, Bilbo Baggins; sets up the villainous, fire-breathing dragon Smaug (here a mostly offscreen presence); includes a cheery cameo from Frodo (Elijah Wood); and finally settles down, 60 years pre-Fellowship, when Gandalf the Grey (the great Ian McKellen) asks younger Bilbo (Martin Freeman, a terrific addition to the Middle Earth players) to accompany him on a life-altering "adventure." Phew!
This is far removed from the slender J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy novel from which An Unexpected Journey, the first of three features, is sourced. Whereas the book's pace is breezy, the movie's rhythms are more measured and deliberate; the first hour is essentially a leisurely character comedy in which Bilbo flounders around his Hobbiton home as it is overrun by Gandalf and his company of 13 dwarves. Then it's off to the races for our heroes: Mountainous landscapes are clambered over. Growling bands of orcs, trolls and goblins are fought. And a bunch of familiar faces reappear, from the Elvish leaders of Rivendell to that covetous creature who can't stop muttering about his "pre-shhh-us!"
Even though this installment is mostly a prelude, Jackson's eccentric mixture of low humor, earnest foreboding and digitally processed pageantry is consistently engaging and immersive. Plus, the higher-than-hi-def visuals (sure to be divisive) are fascinating for how they blur the line between spectator and spectacle; it's an idiosyncratic move that gives this bulky blockbuster a defiantly personal edge.
Follow Keith Uhlich on Twitter: @keithuhlich


text:
May 31, 2014
Book Review - Watching You by Michael Robotham
An engrossing tale of Marnie, who is going through a really bad time and deserves our sympathy ….or does she. No sooner than a hypothesis is developed than it is shattered by another possible explanation. Who is Marnie? Why does she feel she is being watched? Why do accidents happen to people who threaten her? How can Robotham's detectives, retired cop, Vincent Ruiz, and therapist Joe O'Loughlin, untangle the troubled history of this complex woman. Nothing is simple in this compelling mystery. Wendy
May 30, 2014
Book Review - The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling, who has made a confident and clever entry into mystery writing, creating one of the most intriguing private detectives I've read in a long time. Cormoran Strike is in financial trouble but agrees to take on an investigation into the death of a famous model's apparent suicide. The family is complicated and secretive, the investigative team is quirky, flawed and intelligent. The plot twists are elegantly constructed and the denouement unexpected. Her writing for grown-ups is very grown-up, indeed! Wendy
May 29, 2014
Book Review - Mallee Sky by Kerry McGinnis
Kerry McGinnis was one of three current female Australian writers profiled on ABC's Landline program in late 2013 and this story shows her love of the great dry landscape, the wide blue sky and her understanding of the rewards, dangers and heartbreak of Aussie farming. Kate is returning to the mallee after her marriage falls apart. A marriage she made just after her father's death. "Her eyes caressed the passing scenery, taking in the shifting shades of the mallee and the rusty gold of the wheat and barley. Here and there between the crops sheep grazed, their new wool already darkening, and over all stretched the endless reach of the sky." Gradually we learn why she left and married in haste as family secrets are revealed and Kate's future is threatened. Good entertainment. Wendy
May 28, 2014
Book Review - Predator by Faye Kellerman
One of the most bizarre set-ups for a suspicious death, an old man is found dead in the apartment he shares with a fully grown tiger. A recluse and rather strange animal enthusiast, Hobart Penney is not mourned y his family, but his wealth does generate a surplus of motives for his killing. Police procedural stalwart, Pete Decker is in his usual form as The veteran Kellerman ticks all the boxes once more. Wendy
May 27, 2014
Book Review - The Lost Boy by Camilla Lackberg
Several storylines eventually collide with unexpected results. Follow the clues as potential embezzlement flies under the radar, a man is assaulted which may or may not have to do with his connection with a women's refuge, drug deals, his childhood sweetheart or a subsequent murder. The detective's wife investigates an island ghost story and her family deal with the aftermath of the shocking death of a child. This team of detectives is brilliantly realized and you can just imagine yourself at those excruciating team meetings with their ineffective boss, the competent second in command and the tangle of private and public lives. A master story-teller does it again. More, please! Wendy
Labels: Fiction, Mystery, Scandinavian
May 25, 2014
Book Review - Silken Prey by John Sandford
Lucas Davenport is back with a new mystery to solve and a tight deadline as political smear plumbs new depths. With the election imminent, has the candidate really been looking at child porn or is it a clever scheme by his opponent, a rich and driven young woman. Unfortunately, we have to drag in the obligatory private computer wiz to hasten the plot along. Still, it is an entertaining ride. Of course, American voters would never elect a murderous psychopath, would they? Wendy
May 24, 2014
Book Review - Never Go Back by Lee Child
Once you are hooked by Jack Reacher, you are committed to needing the latest one as soon as possible. Reacher is intelligent and extremely competent at whatever he does, including beating up bad guys! He has Holmesian ability to immediately deduce background, intent and ability at one look . His planning of how to win a fight against greater numbers of men (its generally but not always exclusively men) has geometric precision. His ability to win is greatly enhanced by his understanding of human and particularly military behaviour. He mostly always gives the bad guys an opportunity to go away before he unleashes mayhem. Too bad most of them are too stupid or cocky to take it. An innate sense of justice and compassion for the vulnerable direct his actions. As an ex Military Policeman, Reacher is a loner who conveniently keeps finding battles to engage in – this time it involves losses from military supplies, or does it? They recently made a film from a Jack Reacher novel and cast Tom Cruise in it. I hope Lee Child got lots of money so he could look away. One of the things that makes the battle-scarred Reacher intimidating is his size . 'Both men looked more than six feet and two hundred pounds. Smaller than Reacher, but not by much.' I don't intend to see the movie. For me, Tom standing on a box just wouldn't cut it - although the library holds it in the DVD collection if you are interested - it's called Jack Reacher. Wendy
Labels: Action Adventure, Fiction, Mystery, USA
May 22, 2014
Book Review - Unseen by Karin Slaughter
I have previously enjoyed Slaughter's crime novels very much and I was puzzled at how long this one took to get going. I'm not sure if it was about a 1/3 or ½ way in when it started to actually come together and I think she has seriously miscalculated the plotting to let the opening go on so long. If you persevere (and I only did because I am a fan), you get to an intricate collection of deceptions that eventually turn into as satisfying a plot as a story that involves drugs, prostitution and pedophilia can be. Agent Will Trent's burgeoning relationship with Dr Sara Linton hits a few bumps in the road and hangs in the balance but the process of being with her has changed him forever. Sara's rocky relationship with Detective Lena Adams continues and they are all caught up in the maelstrom of violence as various investigations crash together at the end. Wendy
May 21, 2014
Book Review - Flesh Wounds by Chris Brookmyre
The hard men of Glasgow are not so different from the samurai of ancient Japan, trapped by their culture and position in society into a brutal dog-eat-dog world, albeit a world with its own version of honour and 'face', where people can only make life choices on the basis of what they know and what is available to them. This story also concerns a young person trying to find the truth of her parenthood. Intelligence, opportunity, leadership and payback all fit within a corrupt and frightening milieu, where the upper crust in search of drugs and other illicit thrills rub shoulders with the hard men and women of the criminal classes. Brookmyre effortlessly transports us to the Glasgow underworld and the 'polis' who try to control it. Flavoured with Scottish dialect, this is a torturous tale of political maneuvering, violent death and ongoing sorrow and loss. Perhaps the longer you live, the more your choices are compromised but some in this story try to act rightly despite or perhaps because of their past acts; and I found myself caring that they did. Wendy
May 19, 2014
Book Review - Child of Vengeance by David Kirk
Set in pre-Shogunate Japan, where the samurai live with death and with honour in a brutal feudal society. A boy is abandoned by his samurai father and raised by his uncle, a monk. When his father returns, Bennosuke must either accept the way of the samurai or deny his birthright. Life is not really that simple however, as he learns. Musashi Benkei was a warrior of ancient legend, a huge man who wielded a staff like no other. The tale went that he held a bridge single-handedly in order for his Lord and his family to perform dignified seppuku [ritual suicide], slaying dozens of the enemy as they came at him. He died on his feet with his staff still in his hands, run through a score of times and riddled with arrows. Not one man had passed him, and both his, and his Lord's honour were assured. It was held as a paragon of a good death. Bennosuke wondered whether Musashi had ever hit a man until his skull burst open. But then, the slaughter was always so very clean in the old tales; evil men came to the hero, and then they were dead. …. Bennosuke looked upon the blood spattered on his kimono, and saw it had dried a dirty, muddy brown. From Shogun by James Clavell to The Tales of the Otori series by Lian Hearn, I have been drawn to tales of this period in Japanese history. The juxtaposition of profound thought, appreciation of beauty, physical and mental discipline, family loyalty & love, political chicanery and brutal violence can be very powerful. David Kirk adds lustre to the genre, although action predominates over philosophy. Wendy
Labels: Action Adventure, Fiction, Historical, Japan
May 15, 2014
Book Review - Joyland by Stephen King
Devin Jones spent a summer at working at Joyland, earning money for college and growing up. 'This is a badly broken world, full of wars and cruelty and senseless tragedy….you have been given a priceless gift this summer, you are here to sell fun. In exchange for the hard-earned dollars of the customers, you will parcel out happiness. Children will go home and dream of what they saw here and what they did here. I hope you will remember that when the work is hard… or when the people are rude, as they often will be.' His reminiscence is bitter sweet as he recalls a colourful cast of characters of all ages and conditions, where friendship, loss and love are all part of the ride. Some people lasted his lifetime, some were just for the summer, but what he learnt over the summer, stayed with him forever. Charming. Wendy
May 12, 2014
Book Review - No Man's Nightingale by Ruth Rendell
Both the author and her fictional detective, retired Inspector Wexford are not getting any younger but when Wexford's local vicar is murdered, his experience and local knowledge are called upon by those still in the police force. Wexford's need to keep worrying at a problem, until he understands it, is fully utilized here. Where would this English villages be without the ubiquitous garrulous cleaner, sharing secrets and stories across all her clients? Wexford's compassion is to the fore when dealing with the daughter of the murder victim. Settle down for another good outing with Inspector Wexford. Wendy
May 11, 2014
Book Review - Wrongful Death by Lynda LaPlante
Another in a series. DCI Anna Travis is once more battling to find personal and professional distance from DCS James Langton. Add in an abrasive FBI profiler on a research assignment in London and the sparks fly as a previously closed case is re-opened when a young criminal discloses new information. LaPlante is fimly in control and is deservedly a best seller. Wendy
May 09, 2014
Book Review - Waiting for Wednesday by Nicci French
This series just gets better and better although you can start with this story, as the back story is sufficiently explained, it is helpful to have experienced the layers of the developing relationships. Frieda Klein, a psychotherapist, must be one of the most melancholy of crime heroines and her habit of taking long walks and her introspectivity frequently infuriate her friends and colleagues. Here is a marvelously twisty tale about a woman who is inexplicably killed in her front room. She is a nondescript wife and mother. She is a nice person. She apparently has no secrets. She is universally loved and admired. So why was she killed? The answers will rip this loving family and other people in their orbit to shattered pieces until even case hardened police are sickened by what they uncover. A parallel investigation by an ageing journalist combines to a shocking climax. Engrossing! Wendy
May 08, 2014
Book Review - Stranded by Alex Kava
This might have over 300 pages but the type is large and the story not terribly complicated. It is however, a competent outing for FBI agent Maggie O'Dell and her partner Tully as they track down a serial killer who is targeting people who stop at highway rest areas. The inclusion of handsome Ryder Creed, a cadaver dog handler, and a couple of his gorgeous dogs adds interest, colour and movement. 'He was tall, broad –shouldered, and wore a white t-shirt that stretched over a lean and muscular torso with arms to match. His Levis telegraphed more of the same..[Grace, the Jack Russell terrier, also wasn't what Maggie was expecting]… She seemed so spirited, so playful, so ordinary. …it was hard to imagine this energetic dog spent a good deal of her time looking for dead people.' Creed, Grace, Maggie and Tully all face danger in tracking down and capturing the killer. Wendy
May 07, 2014
Book Review - Knit Kimono Too by Vicki Square
From elegant linen sleeveless tops to big thick warm coats, this book contains garments that have had their design genesis in the timeless lines of Japanese kimonos. Featuring some new textured stitches, lace coveralls, warm cables, interesting surface embroidery as well as some quite simple garter stitch patterns, there is something here for all ages and interests. One design harks back to the Heian period, (794-1192) when the colour palette of your fashionable 12 layer kimono was determined by your rank in society as well as by the season, eg soft pale greens in spring, deep purples and grays in winter etc. a lovely book to read through and maybe to knit something from! Wendy
Labels: Craft, knitting, Non-Fiction
May 06, 2014
Book Review - It Happens in the Dark by Carol O'Connell
I have been a fan of the Kathy Mallory detective stories from the beginning. In this novel, the author weaves a complicated plot about a play where an unseen ghostwriter is rewriting the script and many formerly well-known participants are desperate for their next time in the limelight of celebrity and success. But which of them will benefit from a dead body being found at each of the first three nights of production and why is the ghostwriter now targeting Detective Mallory? Layers and layers of trickery and sleight of hand unfold as the police investigate the many unlovely characters who appear to have motive and opportunity to commit the murders. I was exhausted by the end and not sure I would ever go to the theatre again. A very different plot well executed.
Book Review - It's Raining Men by Milly Johnson
Three friends have booked a luxury spa retreat but the booking is mixed up and they end up in a strangely isolated, unfriendly village where they are astonished that the natural beauty and luscious local produce aren't more widely appreciated. Each of the women has their own romantic problems and there are coincidentally three brothers who own key properties including the cottage where they are staying. More depth than your usual Chicklit, with some unlovely characters causing mayhem and some lovely romantic moments blended with just a touch of magic which keep this seaside holiday story humming along. Understanding the village story helps each of the friends to find their happy ending. Wendy
May 04, 2014
Book Review - Sex, Drugs and Meditation: a Memoir by Mary-Lou Stephens
A ten day meditation retreat in almost absolute silence sounds positive but during this testing time, the an Australian musician reflects on her life and the many mis-steps and foolish choices she has made. Drugs, sex, stealing and lying have all played a part in her life thus far. Having pulled out of the downward spiral enough to land a radio job she is finding fulfilling, along comes an unfair and talentless boss, the catalyst that sends her to the retreat and also makes her stay once it gets difficult. I'm not sure that her recounting of the process would encourage me to do a similar retreat, but it was interesting to see how mentally stripping back to just your own self crystallises your choices and sets up a platform for future life decisions. Wendy
Labels: biography, Non-Fiction
May 03, 2014
Book Review - The Raven's Eye by Barry Maitland
We can claim this English born author as an Aussie now as he moved here in 1984. His series with Brock and Kolla have a justified reputation as tautly plotted character driven thrillers. Gritty police procedurals meet psychological drama and the best battles are sometimes inside the police force as old fashioned coppers come to terms with modern technological policing. In the Raven's Eye, a tight-knit narrow boat community refuses to give up its secrets after one of them dies in an apparent suicide. Secrets that will lead to more deaths, expose corruption and place DI Kathy Kolla at considerable personal danger. I have read all his novels and they are all terrific. Although Brock and Kolla's story has evolved through them all, you can read this as a stand-alone if you are new to this writer. Wendy
May 01, 2014
Book Review - Happily Ever After by Harriet Evans
A deeply satisfying but easy read chronicling Elle's development from gawky social misfit to sophisticated New York editor. Finding her feet in the publishing profession, surviving a doomed love affair and coming to terms with her family history, Elle acquires a veneer of sophistication but secretly dreads revealing her real self. Full of insights into the publishing industry and including a marvelous publisher who insists she reads Georgette Heyer, one of my all time favourite authors. The tension between 'good' literature versus commercial sellers is realistically portrayed. Mistakes don't necessarily mean you miss out on the happy ending!
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)