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Free & Powerful Affiliate Agreement THIS AGREEMENT (the "Agreement") is made as of the moment of completion of signup for the Free And PowerfulProgram, by and between, Free And Powerful (the "Company"), and the person signing up for the program (the "Affiliate," and collectively, the "Parties"). WHEREAS Affiliate wishes to include certain materials promoting Company, and to include a link to Company's website within those materials on Affiliate's website; NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises, covenants, warranties, and other good and valuable consideration set forth herein, the Parties agree as follows: 1. Promotional Materials. Company shall make available to Affiliate certain banner advertisements, button links, text links, and/or other graphic or textual material for display and use on the Affiliate website (the "Promotional Materials"). Affiliate shall display the Promotional Materials on Affiliate's website prominently and as Affiliate sees fit, provided that the manner of display shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Affiliate shall also include a link from the Promotional Materials to Company's website, as specified by Company. 2. Use of Promotional Materials. The Affiliate's use and display of the Promotional Materials on the Affiliate's site shall conform to the following terms, conditions and specifications: 1. Affiliate may not use any graphic, textual or other materials to promote Company's website, products or services other than the Promotional Materials, unless Company agrees to such other materials in writing prior to their display. 2. Affiliate may only use the Promotional Materials for the purpose of promoting Company's website (and the products and services available thereon), and for linking to Company's website. 3. The Promotional Materials will be used to link only to Company's website, to the specific page and address as specified by Company. 4. Affiliate will not alter, add to, subtract from, or otherwise modify the Promotional Materials as they are prepared by Company. If Affiliate wishes to alter or otherwise modify the Promotional Materials, Affiliate must obtain prior written consent from Company for such alteration of modification. 3. License. Company hereby grants to Affiliate a nonexclusive, nontransferable license (the "License") to use the Promotional Materials as specified under the terms and conditions of this Agreement. The term of the License shall expire upon the expiration or termination of this Agreement. 4. Intellectual Property. Company retains all right, ownership, and interest in the Promotional Materials, and in any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property in the Promotional Materials. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to grant Affiliate any rights, ownership or interest in the Promotional Materials, or in the underlying intellectual property, other than the rights to use the Promotional Materials granted under the License, as set forth in Section 3. 5. Relationship of Parties. This Agreement shall not be construed to create any employment relationship, agency relationship, or partnership between Company and Affiliate. Affiliate shall provide services for Company as an independent contractor. Affiliate shall have no authority to bind Company into any agreement, nor shall Affiliate be considered to be an agent of Company in any respect. 6. Commissions. 1. In exchange for Affiliate's display of the Promotional Materials, and for Affiliate's compliance with and performance of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Company shall pay to Affiliate a commission (the "Commission") in the amount as stated by the company. The company has sole rights to change product pricing and commission percentage at anytime without notice to affiliates. 2. Company shall keep accurate and up-to-date records of the data used to determine the total amount of Commissions owed to Affiliate. Affiliate shall be given reasonable access to these records upon request. Any discrepancy between the amount of Commissions owed according to these records, and the actual amount of Commissions paid to Affiliate in any period or periods shall be rectified by Company within 45 days of discovering such discrepancy. 3. In the event that Affiliate materially breaches this Agreement and Company terminates this Agreement within 30 days of such breach, then any accrued and payable Commissions owing to Affiliate shall be forfeited, and Company shall not be obligated to pay such Commissions to Affiliate. 4. Affiliate's Representations and Warranties. Affiliate represents and warrants the following: A. Affiliate has the legal authority to enter into this Agreement and to be bound to the promises, covenants, and other duties set forth in this Agreement. B. Affiliate's website does not contain any materials that are: 1. Sexually explicit, obscene, or pornographic; 2. Offensive, profane, hateful, threatening, harmful, defamatory, libelous, harassing, or discriminatory (whether based on race, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, or otherwise); 3. Graphically violent, including any violent video game super-images; or 4. Solicitous of any unlawful behavior C. Affiliate has obtained any necessary clearances, licenses, or other permission for any intellectual property used on Affiliate's website. Nothing on Affiliate's website infringes upon the intellectual property rights of any person or entity. No person or entity has brought or threatened an action claiming such infringement, nor does Affiliate have any reason to believe that any person or entity will bring or threaten such a claim in the future. D. Affiliate will not use the Promotional Materials in any manner other than those set forth in Section 2 above. E. Affiliate will not make any claim to ownership of the Promotional Materials, or of the copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property therein. F. Affiliate will not publish or otherwise distribute any advertising materials for Affiliate's website that reference Company or Company's website unless Company gives prior written consent to the distribution of such materials. Affiliate will not use Company's name (or any name that is confusingly similar to Company's name) for any purpose on its website, in its promotional materials, or in any other context except to promote Company's website as specified in this Agreement. Affiliate will not register any domain name that incorporates Company's name, or that is confusingly similar to Company's name. G. Affiliate will not engage in the distribution of any unsolicited bulk emails (spam) in any way mentioning or referencing Company or Company's websites. H. Indemnification. Affiliate shall indemnify Company and hold harmless Company from any claim, damage, lawsuit, action, complaint, or other costs arising out of any breach of Affiliate's warranties set forth in Section 7 above. Affiliate shall also indemnify and hold harmless Company for any damage, loss or other cost arising out of the use or misuse by Affiliate of the Promotional Materials. I. Confidentiality. Any information that Affiliate is exposed to by virtue of its relationship with Company under this Agreement, which information is not available to the general public, shall be considered to be "Confidential Company Information." Affiliate may not disclose any Confidential Company Information to any person or entity, except where compelled by law, unless Affiliate obtains prior written consent for such disclosure from Company. 5. Term. 1. This Agreement shall take effect on date of signup and shall remain in full force and effect indefinitely, or until terminated pursuant to this Section 10. 2. Either Party shall have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time and for any cause and without notice. 6. Taxes. Company shall not be responsible for any taxes owed by Affiliate arising out of Affiliate's relationship with Company as set forth in this Agreement. Company shall not withhold any taxes from the Commissions paid to Affiliate. 7. Limitation of Liability. Company shall not be liable for any loss of profits or costs, or for any direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages, including costs associated with the procurement of substitute goods or services (whether Company was or should have been aware or advised of the possibility of such damage), arising out of or associated with any loss, suspension or interruption of service, termination of this Agreement, use or misuse of the Promotional Materials, or other performance of services under this Agreement. 8. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with, and governed in all respects by, the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflicts of law principles. 9. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and all of which, when taken together, shall constitute one agreement. 10. Severability. If any part or parts of this Agreement shall be held unenforceable for any reason, the remainder of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect. If any provision of this Agreement is deemed invalid or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, and if limiting such provision would make the provision valid, then such provision shall be deemed to be construed as so limited. 11. Notice. Any notice required or otherwise given pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and mailed certified return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or delivered by overnight delivery service, addressed as follows: Free And Powerful Mildred Dr. Box # 4942 Fremont, CA 94536 127. Headings. The headings for section herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the meaning of the provisions of this Agreement. 13. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between Company and Affiliate, and supersedes any prior understanding or representation of any kind preceding the date of this Agreement. There are no other promises, conditions, understandings or other agreements, whether oral or written, relating to the subject matter of this Agreement.
PRIVACY POLICY This Privacy Policy describes how we handle your personal information for our services on our www.freeandpowerful.com Web site (this "Site"). Our company, Free And Powerful, collects information from all end users of our services (the "Products" and/or "Services"), those who access some of our Services but do not have accounts ("Visitors"), as well as those who may purchase Products and/or Services ("Members"). We request that you read this Privacy Policy carefully. Personal Information Our Company Collects and How It Is Used Introduction: Our company collects information in different ways from Visitors and Members who access the various parts of our Services and the network of Web sites accessible through our Services. Registration: Members may be asked to provide certain personal information when they sign up for our Products or Services, including name, address, telephone number, billing information (such as a credit card number), and the type of personal computer being used to access the Services. The personal information collected from Members during the registration process is used to manage each Member's account (such as for billing purposes). This information may be shared with third parties, as stated herein, or in special circumstances. However, in instances where our company and a partner jointly promote our Services, we may provide the partner certain personal information, such as the name, address, and user name of persons who subscribe to the Services as a result of the joint promotion, for the purpose of offering you other products and services. In this instance, personal information may not be used by the partner for any other purpose. We may also generate non-identifying and aggregate profiles from personal information Members provide during registration (such as the total number, but not the names, of Members). As explained in more detail below, we may use this aggregated and non-identifying information to sell advertisements that appear on the Services. Also, with purchases, we supply our Member's contact information to our business partners, who then may contact the Member by telephone after the Member�s purchase. Sales proceeds are collected by the business partner�s company. We also may supply other companies with contact information, for mail offers we believe would be of interest to our Members, with or without compensation from those companies. At times, we may send an advertisement for a third-party product, where we collect the sales proceeds, and forward the purchaser's information to that third party. Consent to Automated Phone Calls WHEN JOINING THE FREE AND POWERFUL PROGRAM YOU ACCEPT THIS PRIVACY POLICY, YOU HEREBY CONSENT THAT WE MAY PLACE AUTOMATED AND LIVE PHONE CALLS TO THE NUMBER YOU PROVIDE. Our Company Partners and Sponsors: Some products and services may be offered to Visitors and Members in conjunction with an affiliate, independent contractor, seller, or non-affiliated partner. To provide Visitors and Members some of these products and services, the partner may need to collect and maintain personal information. Online Shopping: At some Web sites, you can purchase products and services or register to receive materials, such as a newsletter, catalog, or new product and service updates. In many cases, you may be asked to provide contact information, such as your name, address, e-mail address, phone number, and credit/debit card information. If you complete an order for someone else, such as an online gift order sent directly to a recipient, you may be asked to provide information about the recipient, such as the recipient's name, address, and phone number. Our company has no control over the third party�s use of any personal information you provide when placing such an order. Please exercise care when doing so. If you order Services or Products directly from our company, we use the personal information you provide to process that order. We do share this information with outside parties that we do business with. Online Advertisements: Our company may display our online advertisements. In those cases, we share information about our Visitors and Members collected through the registration process as well as through online surveys and promotions with these advertisers. Additionally, in some instances, we use this information to deliver tailored advertisements or joint ventures. For instance, an advertiser or joint venture company tells us the audience it wants to reach and provides us an advertisement tailored to the audience. Based upon the information we have collected, we may then display or send the advertisement to the intended audience. Our company does share personal information about its Visitors or Members with these advertisers or joint venture companies. Responses to E-mail Inquiries: When Visitors or Members send e-mail inquiries to our company, the return e-mail address is used to answer the e-mail inquiry we receive. Voluntary Customer Surveys: We may periodically conduct both business and individual customer surveys. We encourage our customers to participate in these surveys because they provide us with important information that helps us to improve the types of Products and Services we offer and how we provide them to you. We may take the information we receive from individuals responding to our customer surveys and combine (or aggregate) it with the responses of other customers we may have to create broader, generic responses to the survey questions (such as gender, age, residence, hobbies, education, employment, industry sector, or other demographic information). We then use the aggregated information to improve the quality of our Services to you, and to develop new services and products. This aggregated, non-personally identifying information may be shared with third parties. Promotions: Our company may offer polls, contests, sweepstakes, drawings, games, content, or other promotions that are sponsored by or co-branded with third parties. You may be entered in a sweepstakes, contest, or other promotion simply by making a purchase from us or by providing us with personally identifiable information for some other reason or purpose. Due to these third-party relationships, the third parties may obtain personally identifiable information that Visitors voluntarily submit to our company. Our company has no control over third parties' use of this information. Additionally, personally identifiable information may be collected when you order Products, enter contests, vote in polls or otherwise express an opinion, subscribe to one of our Services such as our online newsletters, or participate in one of our online forums or communities. The types of personally identifiable information that may be collected at these pages include, but may not be limited to, name, address, e-mail address, telephone number, fax number, credit card information, and information about your interests in and use of various Products, programs, and Services. Our sponsors or third parties may send you material that relates to our company's Services, Products, or activities. Special Cases: It is our company's policy to use or share the personal information about Visitors or Members in ways described herein without additional notice or means to opt out or otherwise prohibit such unrelated uses. Also, we may disclose personal information about Visitors or Members, or information regarding your use of the Services or Web sites accessible through our Services, for any reason if, in our sole discretion, we believe that it is reasonable to do so, including credit agencies, collection agencies, merchant database agencies, law enforcement, or to satisfy laws such as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Child Online Privacy Act, regulations, or governmental or legal requests for such information; to disclose information that is necessary to identify, contact, or bring legal action against someone who may be violating our Acceptable Use Policy or Terms Of Service, or other user policies; to operate the Services properly; or to protect our company and our Members. Notice of Compliance to California Residents. This Privacy Policy identifies the categories of personally identifiable information that our company collects through our Web site or online service about individual consumers who use or visit our company's commercial Web site or online service and the categories of third-party persons or entities with whom our company may share that personally identifiable information. Our company does not maintain a process for an individual consumer who uses or visits our commercial Web site or online service to review and request changes to any of his or her personally identifiable information that is collected through our Web site or online service. See the section below entitled "Revisions To This Policy" for a description of the process by which our company notifies consumers who use or visit our commercial Web site or online service of material changes to our company's Privacy Policy for this Web site or online service. The effective date of this Privacy Policy is listed at the end of this Privacy Policy under the heading "Last updated." For the purposes of this policy and California compliance, the following definitions apply: Depending on the Visitor's activity in our commercial Web site or online service, the following "personally identifiable information" may be collected in addition to information set forth in other sections of this document. The term "personally identifiable information" means individually identifiable information about an individual consumer collected online by our company from an individual and maintained by our company in an accessible form, and may include any of the following: (1) A first and last name. (2) A home or other physical address, including street name and name of a city or town. (3) An e-mail address. (4) A telephone number. (5) A Social Security number or EIN number (only shared with governmental agencies that require disclosure of this information. (6) Any other identifier that permits the physical or online contacting of a specific individual. (7) Information concerning a user that the Web site or online service collects online from the user and maintains in personally identifiable form in combination with an identifier described within this Privacy Policy. "Cookies" and How Our Company Uses Them. A "cookie" is a small data file that can be placed on your hard drive when you visit certain Web sites. Our company may use cookies to collect, store, and sometimes track information for purposes stated herein as well as for statistical purposes to improve the Products and Services we provide and to manage our telecommunications networks. Advertisers and partners may also use their own cookies. We do not control use of these cookies and expressly disclaim responsibility for information collected through them. Our Company Commitment to Children's Privacy: Protecting children's privacy is especially important to us. It is our policy to comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 and all other applicable laws. Therefore, we restrict our Web site to persons eighteen years or older. YOU MUST BE EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OR OLDER TO ACCESS THIS WEB SITE. IF YOU ARE UNDER EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OF AGE, YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO ACCESS THIS WEB SITE FOR ANY REASON. DUE TO THE AGE RESTRICTIONS FOR USE OF THIS WEB SITE, NO INFORMATION OBTAINED BY THIS WEB SITE FALLS WITHIN THE CHILDREN'S ONLINE PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT ("COPPA") AND IS NOT MONITORED AS DOING SO. Public Forums: Please remember that any information you may disclose in any Member Directory, or other public areas of our Web sites or the Internet, becomes public information. You should exercise caution when deciding to disclose personal information in these public areas. Our Company's Commitment to Data Security: Services and Web sites we sponsor have security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information under our control. While we make every effort to ensure the integrity and security of our network and systems, we cannot guarantee that our security measures will prevent third-party "hackers" from illegally obtaining this information. Where to Direct Questions About Our Privacy Policy: If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or the practices described herein, you may contact us through the contact information provided on this Web site. Revisions to this Policy: Our company reserves the right to revise, amend, or modify this policy, our Terms Of Service agreement, and our other policies and agreements at any time and in any manner by updating this posting. Your use of this Site after such changes are implemented constitutes your acknowledgement and acceptance of these changes. Please consult this privacy statement prior to every use for any changes. Last modified: February 20, 2010
EARNINGS AND INCOME DISCLAIMERS ANY EARNINGS OR INCOME STATEMENTS, OR EARNINGS OR INCOME EXAMPLES, ARE ONLY EXAMPLES OF WHAT OTHERS HAVE EARNED. WE DO NOT GUARANTEE ANY LEVEL OF SUCCESS. WITH EVERY BUSINESS, THERE IS INHERENT RISK OF FAILURE. WHERE SPECIFIC INCOME FIGURES ARE USED, AND ATTRIBUTED TO AN INDIVIDUAL OR BUSINESS, THOSE PERSONS OR BUSINESSES HAVE EARNED THAT AMOUNT. THERE IS NO ASSURANCE AS TO YOUR LEVEL OF SUCCESS OR FAILURE. ANY AND ALL CLAIMS OR REPRESENTATIONS, AS TO INCOME EARNINGS ON THIS WEB SITE, ARE NOT TO BE CONSIDERED AS AVERAGE EARNINGS. TESTIMONIALS ARE NOT REPRESENTATIVE. THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THAT ANY PRIOR SUCCESSES OR PAST RESULTS AS TO INCOME EARNINGS CAN BE USED AS AN INDICATION OF YOUR FUTURE SUCCESS OR RESULTS. MONETARY AND INCOME RESULTS ARE BASED ON MANY FACTORS. WE HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING HOW WELL YOU WILL DO, AS WE DO NOT KNOW MANY IMPORTANT FACTORS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO KNOWLEDGE SURROUNDING YOU, YOUR WORK ETHIC, OR YOUR BUSINESS SKILLS OR PRACTICES. THEREFORE, WE DO NOT GUARANTEE OR IMPLY THAT YOU WILL WIN ANY INCENTIVES OR PRIZES THAT MAY BE OFFERED, GET RICH, THAT YOU WILL DO AS WELL, OR MAKE ANY MONEY AT ALL. THERE IS NO ASSURANCE YOU WILL DO AS WELL. INTERNET BUSINESSES AND EARNINGS DERIVED THEREFROM HAVE UNKNOWN RISKS INVOLVED AND ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE. MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON ANY INFORMATION PRESENTED IN OUR PRODUCTS, SERVICES, OR WEB SITE SHOULD BE DONE ONLY WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU COULD EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT LOSSES OR MAKE NO MONEY AT ALL. ONLY RISK CAPITAL SHOULD BE USED. ALL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES BY OUR COMPANY ARE FOR EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. USE CAUTION AND SEEK THE ADVICE OF QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS. CHECK WITH YOUR ACCOUNTANT, LAWYER, OR PROFESSIONAL ADVISOR BEFORE ACTING ON THIS OR ANY INFORMATION. USERS OF OUR PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND WEB SITE ARE ADVISED TO DO THEIR OWN DUE DILIGENCE WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING BUSINESS DECISIONS AND ALL INFORMATION, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED SHOULD BE INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS. OUR INFORMATION, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES ON THIS WEB SITE SHOULD BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED AND EVALUATED BEFORE REACHING A BUSINESS DECISION ON WHETHER TO RELY ON THEM. ALL DISCLOSURES AND DISCLAIMERS MADE HEREIN OR ON OUR SITE APPLY EQUALLY TO ANY OFFERS, PRIZES, OR INCENTIVES THAT MAY BE MADE BY OUR COMPANY. WHEN JOINING THE FREE AND POWERFUL PROGRAM YOU ACCEPT ACCEPT TO THIS EARNINGS AND INCOME DISCLAIMER, YOU AGREE THAT OUR COMPANY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF YOUR BUSINESS DECISIONS RELATING TO ANY INFORMATION PRESENTED BY OUR COMPANY OR OUR COMPANY PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. TESTIMONIALS AND PRODUCT REVIEWS TESTIMONIALS EXAMPLES AND RESULTS ARE EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS AND DON�T APPLY TO THE AVERAGE PURCHASER. THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO REPRESENT OR GUARANTEE THAT ANYONE WILL ACHIEVE THE SAME OR SIMILAR RESULTS. Last Updated: February 20th, 2010
Terms and Conditions of Use and Service THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE AND SERVICE (�TERMS�) GOVERN YOUR USE OF THIS WEB SITE WWW.FREEANDPOWERFUL.COM AND OTHER WEB SITES (COLLECTIVELY, �SITE�) OWNED OR OPERATED BY FREE AND POWERFUL (�FREE AND POWERFUL� OR �WE�). THESE TERMS BECOME EFFECTIVE BETWEEN YOU AND Free And Powerful UPON INITIALLY CLICKING THE ACCEPT BUTTON WHEN YOU FIRST BECOME A CUSTOMER OR A MEMBER. YOU AGREE THAT ANY FUTURE ACCESS TO THIS SITE INDICATES YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS. THESE TERMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BY FREE AND POWERFUL AT ANY TIME IN ITS DISCRETION. YOUR USE OF THIS SITE AFTER SUCH CHANGES ARE IMPLEMENTED CONSTITUTES YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE CHANGES. PLEASE CONSULT THESE TERMS OF USE PRIOR TO EVERY USE FOR ANY CHANGES. Access To This Site YOU MUST BE EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OR OLDER TO ACCESS THIS WEB SITE. IF YOU ARE UNDER EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OF AGE, YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO ACCESS THIS WEB SITE FOR ANY REASON. DUE TO THE AGE RESTRICTIONS FOR USE OF THIS WEB SITE, NO INFORMATION OBTAINED BY THIS WEB SITE FALLS WITHIN THE CHILDREN'S ONLINE PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT (�COPPA�) AND IS NOT MONITORED AS DOING SO. To access this Site or some of the resources it has to offer, you may be asked to provide certain registration details or other information. It is a condition of your use of this Site that all the information you provide on this Site will be correct, current, and complete. If Free And Powerful believes the information you provide is not correct, current, or complete, or that you have breached these Terms, we have the right to refuse you access to this Site or any of its resources, and to terminate or suspend your access at any time, without notice. Restrictions On Use You may use this Site for purposes expressly permitted by this Site. You may not use this Site for any other purpose, including any commercial purpose, without Free And Powerful�s express prior written consent. For example, you may not (and may not authorize any other party to) (i) co-brand this Site, (ii) frame this Site, or (iii) hyper-link to this Site without the express prior written permission of an authorized representative of Free And Powerful. For purposes of these Terms of Use, "co-branding" means to display a name, logo, trademark, or other means of attribution or identification of any party in such a manner as is reasonably likely to give a user the impression that such other party has the right to display, publish, or distribute this Site or content accessible within this Site. You agree to cooperate with Free And Powerful in causing any unauthorized co-branding, framing, or hyper-linking immediately to cease. Proprietary Information The material and content (hereinafter referred to as the �Content�) accessible from this Site, and any other World Wide Web Site owned, operated, licensed, or controlled by Free And Powerful, are the proprietary information of Free And Powerful or the party that provided the Content to Free And Powerful, and Free And Powerful or the party that provided the Content to Free And Powerful retains all right, title, and interest in the Content. Accordingly, the Content may not be copied, distributed, republished, uploaded, posted, or transmitted in any way without the prior written consent of Free And Powerful, or, unless authorized in writing elsewhere on our Site, except that you may print out a copy of the Content solely for your personal use. In doing so, you may not remove or alter, or cause to be removed or altered, any copyright, trademark, trade name, service mark, or any other proprietary notice or legend appearing on any of the Content. Modification or use of the Content except as expressly provided in these Terms of Use violates Free And Powerful�s intellectual property rights. Neither title nor intellectual property rights are transferred to you by access to this Site. Hyper-Links This Site may be hyper-linked to other Sites that are not maintained by, or related to, Free And Powerful. Hyper-links to such Sites are provided as a service to users and are not sponsored by or affiliated with this Site or Free And Powerful. Free And Powerful has not reviewed any or all of such Sites and is not responsible for the content of those Sites. Hyper-links are to be accessed at the user's own risk, and Free And Powerful makes no representations or warranties about the content, completeness, or accuracy of these hyper-links or the sites hyper-linked to this Site. Further, the inclusion of any hyper-link to a third-party Site does not necessarily imply endorsement by Free And Powerful of that Site. Submissions You hereby grant to Free And Powerful the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, non-exclusive right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, and display all content, remarks, suggestions, ideas, graphics, or other information communicated to Free And Powerful through this Site (together, hereinafter known as the �Submission�), and to incorporate any Submission in other works in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed. Free And Powerful will not be required to treat any Submission as confidential, and may use any Submission in its business (including, without limitation, for products or advertising) without incurring any liability for royalties or any other consideration of any kind, and will not incur any liability as a result of any similarities that may appear in future Free And Powerful operations. Free And Powerful will treat any personal information that you submit through this Site in accordance with its Privacy Policy as set forth on this Site. BY CLICKING ACCEPT TO THESE TERMS, YOU AGREE TO THE THEN CURRENT COMPANY PRIVACY POLICY AND THE EARNINGS DISCLAIMER AS INTEGRATED HEREIN AND INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE TO THESE TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, THE PRIVACY POLICY, OR THE EARNINGS DISCLAIMER, PLEASE DO NOT CLICK THE �ACCEPT� BUTTON AND CEASE USE OF THIS SITE AND OUR SERVICES. NOTE THAT EACH OF THESE POLICIES MAY BE CHANGED FROM TIME TO TIME AT OUR COMPANY�S DISCRETION AND WITHOUT NOTICE, EXCEPT WITH A NEW LAST UPDATED DATE. Consent to Automated Phone Calls WHEN JOINING THE FREE AND POWERFUL PROGRAM YOU ACCEPT ACCEPT BUTTON TO THESE TERMS, YOU HEREBY CONSENT THAT FREE AND POWERFUL MAY PLACE AUTOMATED AND LIVE PHONE CALLS TO THE NUMBER YOU PROVIDE. Disclaimer You understand that Free And Powerful cannot and does not guarantee or warrant that files available for downloading from the Internet will be free of viruses, worms, Trojan horses, or other code that may manifest contaminating or destructive properties. You are responsible for implementing sufficient procedures and checkpoints to satisfy your particular requirements for accuracy of data input and output, and for maintaining a means external to this Site for the reconstruction of any lost data. Free And Powerful does not assume any responsibility or risk for your use of the Internet. The Content is not necessarily complete and up to date and should not be used to replace any written reports, statements, or notices provided by Free And Powerful. Investors, borrowers, and other persons should use the Content in the same manner as any other educational medium and should not rely on the Content to the exclusion of their own professional judgment. Information obtained by using this Site is not exhaustive and does not cover all issues, topics, or facts that may be relevant to your goals. YOUR USE OF THIS SITE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE CONTENT IS PROVIDED �AS IS� AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. FREE AND POWERFUL DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. Free And Powerful DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE FUNCTIONS OR CONTENT CONTAINED IN THIS SITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE, THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED, OR THAT THIS SITE OR THE SERVER THAT MAKES IT AVAILABLE ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. FREE AND POWERFUL DOES NOT WARRANT OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION REGARDING USE, OR THE RESULT OF USE, OF THE CONTENT IN TERMS OF ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. 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A confession: I have never really understood the basic model of fiat money and central banking, by which a central bank controls the money supply. By the standards of someone trained in mathematics, all of the explanations that I have ever seen are either too short or too long. My impression is that the way that a central bank controls the money supply in a modern economy can be taken on faith (if you want a short explanation), or is hard to understand (if you want a long one), but I have am suspicious of both of these extremes. I have also seen explanations that describe what happens "in effect" without clearly explaining the underlying rules. I would be interested in a concise mathematical summary of how a currency such as the US dollar is controlled. (I hope that it can be taken as an MO-appropriate question in mathematical economics.)
Here is a model that I understand, but that isn't true: A game such as Monopoly has a central bank that simply grants fiat money from time to time to private parties. I'm sure that this is the wrong way to run a real economy, but at the serious level I don't know why. In any case this is not how the Fed works, because it mostly lends money rather than simply granting it.
Here is a failed improvement of the model: Suppose that the bank in Monopoly only lent money to the players instead of granting it. Then the players would have no way to pay back the loans with interest! Maybe it could work if the players were allowed to accumulate debt --- but what would prevent unlimited borrowing?
I can believe in multiplier effects (although actually I don't know a rigorous definition). If transactions occur more and more quickly, or if assets get more and more leveraged, that could be equivalent to an increase in money. I have trouble believing that the central bank does not need to create money and that we see inflation (except in depression circumstances) solely because money keeps travelling faster and faster and because the economy gets more and more leveraged.
An abstracted economy has the following actors, each operating according to certain financial rules: A central bank, a government budget, regulated private banks, and the rest of the private sector. (And foreign actors, who I suppose are an extension of the private sector.) I think that I know the basic financial rules for the last one, but not for the others. To rephrase the question, I am hoping that there is a concise mathematical model that makes clear when money is created, and that looks dynamically stable with some controllable rate of inflation. A reference could be okay, but only if it has a good, specific explanation.

subset: commoncrawl


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VLAB Event - Lifestreaming: The Real-time Web
By marina on Sep 17, 2008
While I've been busy attending local events and working with startups, I finally got a minute to blog about some of the events that stood out. Last night's VLAB EVENT - Lifestreaming: The Real-time Web event had quite interesting and colorful set of panelist. Panelists included Bret Taylor, Co-founder of FriendFeed, Loic Le Meur, Founder of Seesmic, Jeff Clavier, Founder of Softtech VC, Leah Culver, Co-founder of Pownce. Kara Swisher, Wall Street Journal editor, did a great job moderating the event. She was entertaining and quite provocative. Here is her capture of the event if you're interested in watching the entire panel discussion.
Some of the questions and topics were popular and you hear them all the time, such as what's the success criteria for a startup and how do you define your business model. There was a hot debate over whether we continue to see proliferation of the chat sites, video streaming sites, and other similar sites, or whether there will be consolidation of similar ones and major industry players will win over the smaller ones, and there will be just a handful of sites, same as we see with search engines today. Kara was of the opinion, and I tend to agree, that the latter paradigm wins. But Leah brought up the point that every site has its own flavor and depending on user preferences and interests, many of them can co-exist.
Last thing I want to mention is an interesting thought Bret shared with the audience around how to turn your application into a killer app, or what should people consider when building open a social application. The key success factor, highlighted by Bret, lays in ability to measure a product feature in a quantitative or other way, e.g. Google AdWords. I think this is a fundamental criteria that doesn't implicitly come to mind when rolling out an open social app - being able to implement an application feature in such a way that you can go back at any given time obtain a quantitative statistics on it, a very interesting concept, and sure makes a lot of sense.


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A warehouse has 10 unlabelled rows of pallets. Each row of pallets contains thousands of cell phones destined for different countries. Each 100 gram cell phone is exactly the same except for those in the row destined for Japan, which have a "special" 2 gram chip encased within each phone to make sure it works on the Japanese networks.
How can the warehouse manager make sure the right phones go to Japan in the quickest time possible? All the warehouse manager has at his disposal is a digital balance.


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By ROBERT A. DEFRANK
Times Leader Staff Writer
MARTINS FERRY The fire department will hold its annual memorial service May 5 at the Memorial Monument. The public is invited to support the city's oldest and finest volunteer organization. After a breakfast for fire department members and city administrators at the Ladder Station, the department will participate in St. Mary's Church service. Fire Chief Jack Regis noted that the departments rotate to a different church every year.
Article Photos
T-L Photo/ MIKE HUGHES
Martins Ferry Chief Jack Regis, left, and Assistant Fire Chief Mike Reese stand by the department's memorial monument inside the city park. The department's annual memorial service is slated for Sunday.
After the service, firefighters will assemble at the monument in the park to commemorate all deceased volunteers. Special recognition this year will go to Roger Gildow and Gino Reynolds, who passed away last May. Their names will be added to the monument's engravings. Regis noted the memorial service has become significant to the department and community, honoring the bravery and sacrifice of the organization's members.
Among the department's projects is a mission to raise $25-$30,000 for added enhancements to the existing monument. Plans include a memorial walk, a wall and a separate monument topped with a bronze firefighter's helmet and engraved with the names of all past fire chiefs. Cost of the helmet would be about $9,000.
So far, they have received a grant for $500 from Wal-Mart and some small private donations.
"We have quite a ways to go," Regis said. "With all the other improvements at the city park, this will only improve the park. It will give our monument the same distinction as all the war monuments."
Anyone is welcome to make a contribution. Corporate or private donations are accepted and can be sent to the fire department at PO box 68.
DeFrank can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Source: Autoblog
quote: But yeah, people don't tend to realize that maintenance on a diesel tends to be more often and the parts can be quite a bit pricier. The other big issue is that a rated diesel mechanic can be double the hourly rate of your normal gas engine one.
quote: when you consider that gasoline engines will want roughly 3 times as many oil changes


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Anti Surveillance Fashion Show
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* any special requirements for care or use of the item
* any special requirements for care or use of the item
'''May 7th, 2010''': Last date to submit work for inclusion.
'''May 7th, 2010''': Last date to submit work for inclusion.
Revision as of 17:43, 11 April 2010
Noisebridge is proud to present Anti/Surveillance Fashion Show at the upcoming Maker Faire in San Mateo. Anti/Surveillance is a runway show exploring the uses of wearables for surveillance, and for hiding from surveillance. We are currently accepting submissions for participation in the show.
Constantly under the lens of the camera, fashion is a natural form in which to explore the relationship between surveillance and culture. How are we watched? How do we watch? How do we present ourselves to the eyes of the world? At Maker Faire 2010, May 22-23, we will be presenting Anti/Surveillance, a runway show that explores the role of and our relationship with surveillance in our society.
We are looking for submissions covering the range from playful to practical. Do you make accessories that blind CCTV cameras with IR LEDs? Have you imagined makeup that will thwart face detection? Ever built an invisibility coat? Or maybe you just like to put QR codes on all your clothing to make it easier for people to track you.
If you are interested in showing wearable work that explores the boundaries of surveillance please submit your work to be included in Anti/Surveillance Fashion Show.
To submit your project, please send the following information to email@example.com as soon as possible:
- a photo or short video of your project, or a link to a URL with photo(s) or video(s)
- a few sentences describing your project and how it relates to surveillance
- how the item is worn on the body, and any physical restrictions on the model wearing it
- any special requirements for care or use of the item
May 7th, 2010: Last date to submit work for inclusion.
May 9th, 2010: Notice of acceptance will be sent out no later than end of day.
May 14th, 2010: Items must be received by this date. Your acceptance letter will have a shipping address, or if you are local to the San Francisco Bay Area other transportation arrangements can be made.
May 22nd/23rd, 2010: Show will be presented at Faire in San Mateo. Further details will be posted as they become available.
June 4th, 2010: All projects will be returned to their owners as soon after the show as possible, and no later than June 4.
The show is being produced by Jonathan Moore and Rachel McConnell. Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.


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Bruins winger Daniel Paille took part in an optional practice at Joe Louis Arena on Wednesday, the off-day between Games 3 and 4 of Boston's first-round series with the Red Wings.
Paille wore a green no-contact practice. He hasn't played since April 12 when he suffered an apparent head injury in the penultimate game of the season. He began skating April 19, but hasn't taken contact.
"He hasn't been cleared, to my knowledge," Bruins coach Claude Julien told reporters. "He can skate right now and he's following protocol."
With Paille unavailable, Jordan Caron has slid onto the Bruins' fourth line. Caron scored his first career playoff goal Tuesday in the Bruins' 3-0 Game 3 victory over Detroit.


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There's a song I've been dying to play, relatively simple, but I'm not good enough to figure out how to tab it. How can I get a song tabbed if I can't do it myself?
What you're talking about is a transcription service. However, these can be expensive, and the ones I found on a quick Google are geared towards musicians who want to put music or tabs on their own websites. Paying someone to make what's essentially sheet music of a song you don't own (I assume this is not music you own the rights to) brings up all sorts of copyright problems. You have a few options. My answer assumes you can't find tab for this song online:


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Published on Sat, Jul 13, 2013
In a Huffington Post Op-Ed by James Zogby, the President of the Arab American Institute, cited an IPC report on America's immigrant heritage. He writes:
"Immigrants have always been derided as "lazy," "different and unable to fit in," and a "drain on the economy." This was said of the Irish, the Italians and the Eastern and Central Europeans. In a marvelous study [1] compiled for the Immigration Policy Center, researcher Jeffrey Kaye compares the recent bigoted statements made by politicians in Hazleton, Pennsylvania (who are themselves descendants of immigrants) with the statements made about their ancestors when they first arrived in America, a century ago. They too were defamed as "lawbreakers," " a drain on public funds" and "not able to assimilate.""
Published in the Huffington Post


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Empire West Wingtip
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The classic men's chukka boot meets modern technology in the versatile Empire West Chukka. These casual office or weekend staples utilize ADIPRENE® by adidas sport technology that keeps you comfortable all day, while the breathable mesh lining wicks away moisture and helps keep feet dry. Rockport technology makes these men's chukka boots extremely comfortable, while Rockport style keeps you looking good in this dress casual style. Built with supple uppers of either leather or suede, choose this chukka and dress to impress at your next event.
- ADIPRENE® by adidas sport technology for all day comfort with shock absorption in the heel
- Full grain leather is easy to clean, maintain, and extends product life; suede uppers provide a casual look and great comfort
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- Dual density EVA outsole offers lightweight shock absorption to help reduce foot and leg fatigue
- Airport Friendly
Highly shock-absorbent cushioning protects the heel at impact


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Notice of Privacy Practices
Web Privacy Policy and Usage Agreement
At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC), we respect the privacy of everyone who visits our Web site and are dedicated to protecting consumer privacy on the Internet. The information below is an overview of how BCBSNC handles the personal information you provide us online at bcbsnc.com.Privacy policy Usage agreement
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This notice describes how medical information about our members may be used and disclosed and how members can get access to this information. Please review it carefully. The privacy of your medical information is important to us.Member privacy policy
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We are committed to helping our customers keep their personal information secure. Learn more about the steps you can take to avoid being caught in a scam.


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The first stage of labor is when you are actively having contractions and officially diagnosed as being in labor. This can last a few hours or from to 8-14 hours. The first stage of labor is divided into two phases. The latent phase is the first portion of the first stage. This is the slow, drawn out portion that everybody hates (and they're told, "no, you're not in labor, go home.") Active phase is the second portion of the first stage of labor, and this is when the delivery process occurs at a faster rate. Because labor is more predictable at this point and the progress is steady, patients are typically admitted to the hospital once they reach this point.
The second stage of labor occurs when the cervix is maximally dilated (10 centimeters). This is usually when the mother is told she can push. For a first-time mother if she doesn't have an epidural, this second stage of labor can last one to two hours; with an epidural two to three hours (an epidural can slow labor down).
The third stage of labor begins after the baby is delivered until the placenta comes out. This stage can last up to 30 minutes. We'll break down these stages more completely in the sections that follow.
When You're First Admitted to the Hospital: The Preliminary Exam
After you are evaluated in the labor and delivery area and a determination is made that you are indeed in labor, you will be admitted to the hospital. Forms will need to be signed and papers filled out, but the hospital staff is conscious of the fact that you may be otherwise preoccupied (insert primal scream: I'M IN LABOR LEAVE ME ALONE!). Your partner can help with this part of the administrative process. In fact, he or she is expected to do so, except for any signatures that you may need to provide.
From the time that you are admitted, doctors and nurses will be discussing your examination findings, based on the fetal heart rate tracings and contraction patterns. But first things first you'll be given a preliminary exam, either by a doctor or a nurse.
Your first exam at the hospital will include a cervical exam, where three areas are measured: your dilation, effacement, and the station.
Dilation of the Cervix
The dilation of the cervix is measured in centimeters. During the exam, the doctor basically is trying to decide how dilated (or open) the cervix is. The doctor will place his hand gently (we hope) inside your vagina all the way up to the cervix to feel the presentation of the baby's body part. He should feel the head if all is well. Occasionally, the baby will be breech that is, the doctor will feel the baby's butt or feet. If this condition is diagnosed, the patient will probably be advised to have a c-section, or the doctor may try to turn the baby to the head-down position.
Dilation can be measured anywhere from 1-10 centimeters, one being the beginning of the dilation process and 10 being fully dilated (i.e., the baby is almost out). If the cervical dilation is approximately 3-4 centimeters or greater and the mother is contracting regularly, then she will usually be diagnosed as being in active labor and will be admitted to labor and delivery (in first stage labor).
Effacement of the Cervix
In most cases, the baby's head is down, so the doctor continues with his exam and measures the effacement of the cervix (or the thinness of the cervix). Effacement is measured in percentages. In a normal, nonlaboring woman the cervix is 3-4 centimeters long, which is 0% effacement. If a woman is in labor, then the cervix thins. As it thins, it starts to stretch and becomes incorporated into the lower part of the uterus. For example, if the doctor determines the cervix is about 2 cm. thick, then the effacement is approximately 50%.
Station of the Cervix
The station of the baby is based on the relative distance of the baby's presenting body part (the head) to the level of the patient's ischial spines. These ischial spines are part of the bony portions of the mother's pelvis that the doctor or nurse can feel during the exam. A station is described as being anywhere on a scale from -5 to +5 with 0 being at the level of the ischial spine. If the baby is at 0 station, then the top of his head is at the level of the ischial spine. If the baby's station is a positive number, that means that the baby has moved farther down the birth canal past the ischial spine (ergo, closer to delivery).
Putting It All Together
Typical doctor lingo for a woman in labor might be something like this: 4 cm. dilated/50% effaced/-1 station. Translation: The cervix is 4 centimeters open. An effacement of 50% means that half of the cervix is thinned out (or the thickness has decreased by half). And -1 refers to the baby's presenting part or head being -1 cm. above the ischial spines.
If you are having regular contractions with the above diagnosis, then you have passed from the latent phase of labor (or the slow portion of the first stage) into the active phase of labor (or the faster portion of the first stage). For a first-time mother, once she has entered the active phase of labor, then the baby usually will be delivered within 8-12 hours, if not sooner. Patients at the active phase of labor are admitted to the hospital because the chance that the baby will deliver within several hours is fairly high, and the doctors and nurses will want to monitor the patient very closely during this time. This is the phase where the mother and baby are at higher risk for potential complications.
Once you are officially admitted and taken to a labor and delivery room, the nursing staff will go over certain items with you. They will ask you questions, some of which you may have answered already at your doctor's visits. For example, they will review your medication history and potential allergies. Your doctor (or a nurse) will explain what happens during labor and delivery, if he has not already done so, and go over potential procedures that may or may not need to be performed. Once you have an understanding of what will happen, you will sign a patient consent form, which implies that you understand what will occur in labor and delivery. This time is also your opportunity to ask questions.
The question and answer period serves as a protective mechanism for both the hospital and the patient. Some topics that might be discussed with you are the possibility of using forceps, having an episiotomy, what conditions might warrant a c-section, and so on. The patient is protected by virtue of the fact that she knows what is going to happen before it happens (in the best of all possible cases). The hospital and medical staff are protected because they have proof that they told the patient what they were going to do in order to take care of her.
A Chance For Partners to Earn Their Keep
During this process of admission, you are going to be distracted by contractions and not at your best or sharpest mentally. Your entire focus is on your body and the impending birth of your baby. It's important that your husband, partner, significant other, or coach be alert and attuned to what the nursing staff is explaining. If you don't fully understand what is going on or what the staff is saying, that's OK. Perhaps your partner can explain it to you later. Rely on your partner to go back to the doctor or nurse and get a more satisfactory or fuller explanation, if necessary.
Another tip: You might want to have your partner take a notebook so that he or she can jot down your questions. Or you could prepare some questions in advance. The important thing to remember is that your partner is your advocate. Make sure that person realizes his or her role in your delivery process and just how valuable that role is. (On the other hand, don't let them be too obnoxious, constantly pestering the medical staff and diverting attention from you it does happen occasionally.)
Labor Is Truly Labor-Intensive
Once all the paperwork is done, you'll be admitted to a labor and delivery room, which is usually a private room in most hospitals (although there are exceptions).
An IV (intravenous) line will be placed in one of your arms. This IV line serves multiple purposes:
During this time, the doctors and nursing staff will be monitoring the progression or lack of progression of the labor. The doctor will probably check your cervix every two hours, as needed, to determine whether or not you are making progress with cervical dilation, effacement, and station.
The Nurse's Role during Labor
The nurse who is handling your case quickly becomes your best friend in crime, so to speak, because he/she is probably going to be the person whom you see the majority of the time. Usually, the nurse has one-on-one care of a patient, or at most, she might be taking care of two patients at the same time.
The nurse will be your most visible health care provider during the laboring stage. She (or he) attends to your every need, monitors your condition constantly, answers questions, takes care of unwanted visitors, coordinates with the doctor, administers medicines as necessary, listens to your fears, and generally serves as your point man/woman for any problems during your labor. She will check your vital signs, help you go to the bathroom, maintain close observation of the baby's heart rate, and do the necessary charting. She will maintain your IVs. The nurse is there to look out for your best interests. She's also making sure that your spouse and other family members are comfortable as well; but her primary care rests with you, her patient.
Treat this person like gold they are certifiable saints.
The Doctor's Role during Labor
If you have an outside doctor (meaning he doesn't work at the hospital), he will be notified the moment you arrive and he may ask a nurse to do the initial evaluation. He will immediately make plans to be there for the delivery, but he might not be there for the duration of the labor. Instead, he may ask the nurse to do the cervical check if you're not close to delivery, and then he might ask the nurse to give him a call once the patient reaches 8-10 centimeters. That way, he can complete his schedule with his patients in his office or finish surgery if he's in the middle of surgery. However, if there is a problem, he will drop everything to get there immediately. If the doctor's schedule is free, he will probably go into the hospital to monitor your progress once you're admitted.
When the doctor arrives at the hospital, he will be meeting with you to evaluate your progress and answer any questions. He'll continue to be in touch with your nurse and give orders to the nurse about procedures that need to be given. Even though your doctor may not be in the room as much as your nurse (he may have other patients in the hospital that he's responsible for), he will be accessible and usually waits in the boardroom, which is a place where electronic monitors are centralized. He will be monitoring your heart rate, your contractions, and your baby's heart rate from that remote location within the hospital. If everything is going smoothly with your labor, you will see the doctor every two hours until you are about to deliver. However, if there are any concerns or any problems arise, then the doctor will be coming in more frequently.
Pain Medications during Labor
Labor hurts no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Once you are in active labor, the pain can be quite significant. But not all women experience the same reaction or level of discomfort with their contractions. If you request pain relief (and don't hesitate to do so if you need it), your doctor will review several options for you, including IV pain medications or regional anesthesia, which can include an epidural or an intrathecal (slightly different location than an epidural). The doctor will determine which one of these regional anesthetics will work best for you. This is not a choice made by the patient. Usually, the doctor will make the choice in consultation with an anesthesiologist.
The IV pain meds are given by the attending physician or nurse. An anesthesiologist usually administers epidurals or regional anesthesia, although your obstetrician may also administer anesthesia, depending on the hospital.
If Your Labor Slows Down, or The Three P's
Occasionally, the mother's labor pattern may slow down or stall altogether. This could be due to several reasons. First, the contraction pattern may have stopped for an unknown reason also known as a dysfunctional labor pattern. Second, the mother may have an infection of the uterus. Third, the mother may not have a pelvis that is the optimal size for a vaginal delivery. In this case, even if the baby is a normal size, it might get hung up on the bony structures within the birth canal. Doctors will check you carefully if your labor slows or stops to try to determine what is going on (or not).
Typically, doctors check for the three "P's" when trying to determine why labor has slowed or stopped. The first P refers to power that is, the frequency, strength, and duration of the contractions. The next P refers to the pelvis. Doctors check to see if the pelvis is large enough for the baby to traverse through it or if there are any obstructions preventing the baby from going through. The third P refers to the passenger (or the baby). Is the baby's size or the way the baby is orienting itself in the pelvis the problem? For example, the head could be down, but turned in an improper way.
In truth, it's usually varying combinations of the three P's that contribute to protracted or slow labor. The doctor will make the determination as to why the labor has slowed and how best to correct the situation.
Internal Monitors on the Baby
For most patients, external monitors are adequate; however, if the baby's heart rate becomes worrisome or if it's difficult to tell how well a patient is contracting, internal monitors may be recommended. A fetal scalp electrode is placed on the baby's head to measure the baby's heart rate and any abnormalities. There might also be an IUPC (intrauterine pressure catheter) inserted that is not attached to the baby, but is a flexible probe inserted between the baby and the uterine wall through the vagina. This device detects the strength of the contractions and offers a more accurate interpretation of labor. The IUPC also serves as a means to increase the amount of fluid surrounding the baby, called an amnio infusion. This occurs when saline or water is transfused into the space around the baby and provides additional cushioning for the umbilical cord in times of stress. When the patient gets internal monitors, the external monitors are removed. There is a slightly increased chance of infection, which is why these monitors aren't routinely placed on all patients.
Using Pitocin to Speed Up Labor
If your labor has slowed or stopped and the doctor has made the assessment of the three P's and it is still possible to deliver vaginally, then the doctor might administer pitocin through an IV. Pitocin is a medicine that stimulates the uterus to contract. It mimics the body's own natural hormone called oxytocin, which is supposed to do the same thing that is, speed up labor. Pitocin is generally a safe medicine; however, there are some precautions that need to be taken for example, its dosage needs to be carefully regulated.
In rare circumstances, the uterus may become overstimulated, in which case the uterus contracts so frequently that the baby receives less oxygen. This may lead to a decrease in the baby's heart rate as the uterus doesn't have any downtime from the contractions. When the uterus is contracting, oxygen is at its worst for the baby. During the relaxation phase between contractions, the baby's optimal oxygen status is usually restored.
If, by some chance, the contractions become too frequent, the doctors will recommend turning down or turning off the pitocin temporarily in order to give the baby a break and a chance to recover sufficiently. In extreme circumstances, when this does not work, the doctor may recommend that the patient receive a different medication to relax the uterus and counteract the effects of pitocin temporarily.
One other potential complication from pitocin is that the uterus could rupture, due to hyperstimulation (overstimulation) or extreme contraction strength generated by the drug. For these reasons, the drug is carefully monitored at all times.
Repositioning the Baby
If the doctor determines that your lack of progress is due to the baby's position or malpresentation, then the doctor may attempt to reposition the baby's head during a vaginal exam, if at all possible. To do this, the doctor will gently feel the landmarks on the baby's skull to imagine which way the baby's head is pointed. Then he will attempt to turn the baby and correct any malpresentation that exists.
Many times, labor will resume in a normal fashion after repositioning without any further intervention, and the mother will eventually reach maximal dilation of 10 centimeters. When the mother is maximally dilated and effacement is 100%, then she is ready to push.
Pushing and Delivery
Usually, the patient's nurse or doctor will have coached her ahead of time so that she knows what to expect when they ask her to push. Pushing is timed to coincide with each contraction for maximum effect. When the uterus is contracting, this is the best time for the mother to exert her pushing efforts in order to deliver the baby. A contraction lasts approximately one minute. She will be asked to push three times during each contraction, with each effort lasting approximately 10 seconds.
In-between contractions, the patient is asked to rest and not push, but to take slow deep breaths of oxygen in order to give the baby as much oxygen as possible. Remember, this is one of the most stressful times for the baby. Not only is the uterus contracting, but most of the amniotic fluid has leaked out so there is less cushioning to counteract the pressure that is being generated by the contracting uterus. Also, the space is tighter for the baby as it works its way down the birth canal.
In the early stages of pushing, the doctor or nurse may be examining you simultaneously with your pushing. For the doctor, this is a good opportunity to see how effective the patient is able to push.
From the Doctor's Perspective...
I always ask my patient to pay close attention to my assessment of how well she is pushing while I'm examining her. I want her to focus on those pushing efforts that I've found to be effective and that are allowing her to progress, and for her to continue focusing on that particular pushing effort that she has made with each successive contraction. I'm providing her with feedback as to how well she is doing so that she can minimize any wasted effort and deliver the baby successfully.
There is the potential for the mother to tire out very quickly, so I don't want her to push in an ineffective way if at all possible. In between contractions, I advise patients to remember what they did right so they won't start the next contraction without knowing how to push effectively. I'm examining the baby's head while the mother is pushing so that I can tell if the baby is rotating or coming down the birth canal properly. Unfortunately, there is the potential for the mother to become distracted by her family with oohs and aahs of excitement. I want her to stay on track and not lose focus.
From the Mother's Perspective...
Hey, I delivered five times, and each time I was clueless about what an effective push was and what wasn't. They all felt the same. First of all, it's difficult to tell if you're pushing or not, since what constitutes "pushing" doesn't make a lot of sense. Second, when you're at that phase, it's all a blur. Your only thought is "GET THIS BABY OUT OF ME!" and do whatever it takes. Sorry, Dr. John. Maybe if you'd been my doctor I would have known what an effective push was.
What Everyone Else Is Doing While You're Pushing (aside from Taking Bets)
The doctor will usually have the spouse of the patient get involved in the labor and delivery process. The spouse will stand on the opposite side of where the nurse is, supporting the patient both emotionally and physically while she's pushing (her chin will be pressed against her chest). The patient is asked to open her legs as wide as possible, so the spouse can support her neck and legs on one side, while the nurse supports the other side (picture Twister on a Saturday night). In between contractions the spouse will encourage the patient with words, wipe her forehead with a cool towel, and feed her ice chips if necessary, providing basic support to help the mother deliver the baby.
The nurse is continually monitoring the baby's heart rate and checking the mother's blood pressure. She is also ensuring that IV fluids are running and not stopped for any reason and that drugs or medicines are being administered. The nurse has a huge responsibility during this time, as she is also charting everything that occurs and assisting the doctor as necessary. If requested by the patient, the nurse will bring in a mirror to position between the mother's legs so that she can watch her baby's head as it appears. Some mothers close their eyes through the whole pushing effort, while others may choose to see everything. According to Dr. John, to doctors it is a beautiful experience, but the mother may or may not share that sentiment.
The Delivery
When it's time for the baby's head to deliver, the doctor will do his best to protect the delivery of the head and the mother's perineum to reduce or minimize any tears that might occur. Once the baby's head is delivered, the doctor will ask the mother to stop pushing temporarily. He will suction the mouth and nose of the baby, removing mucous secretion and amniotic fluid that may be present. He will check around the baby's neck to make sure the umbilical cord isn't wrapped around it. If it is, depending on how loose it is, he may unwrap the cord around the baby's neck. Sometimes, the cord may be tightly wrapped around the baby's neck; in that event, the doctor will clamp the cord in two places, cut the cord in-between the two clamps, unwrap the cord manually, and deliver the rest of the baby.
It's a wonderful time for the mother to watch as her entire baby is delivered. Many times a large amount of amniotic fluid that was behind the baby will now flow out. The doctor will also maintain support of the perineum so that there is a minimal chance of tearing. After the baby is delivered, the umbilical cord will be clamped and cut. If the father is interested, he can be given the opportunity to cut the cord. Again, this is a great way of making the extra person feel included in the process.
The baby will be gently stimulated by the delivering doctor and may be placed on the mother's chest or belly and covered with a blanket to provide warmth. The mother is asked to gently stimulate the baby during this time by rubbing the baby's back. Alternatively, the baby may be transferred to the baby warmer station where the medical staff will clean him, warm him, and check his heart rate. If the baby is not doing well, then there may not be time for him to go to his mother. Out of medical necessity, in this case, the baby will go immediately to the warmer or the nursery.
After the baby is born, the doctor and nurse return their attention to their primary patient, the mother. The doctor will reassess the mother's physical status, vital signs will be checked, and the amount of bleeding from the vagina will be determined. The doctor will assess his patient for tears or lacerations that might have occurred in the perineum or vagina or vulva. If any repairs are necessary, the doctor may proceed to do the repairs or opt to do them after the placenta is delivered. The doctor will also see if the cervix has any tears or lacerations, as well as examining the rectum for tears.
If there are any tears from a natural occurrence or from an episiotomy, the doctor will stitch the tears with absorbable sutures, meaning that the suture material will degrade on its own based on the body's ability to break down the suture.
The placenta will be delivered within half an hour after the baby's birth. After the delivery, there is a tendency for the uterus to squeeze down upon itself and return to a contracted state. The placenta will begin to sheer off with the contractions. As it sheers off, there is usually a visible sign of this by a large amount of blood coming out of the vagina and the umbilical cord will lengthen and advance out.
The doctor may aid this process by gentle traction (pulling), but he must be careful not to exert any unnecessary traction, as it could tear the cord off. After the placenta is delivered, the doctor will check to make sure that all of it is intact and no pieces remain in the uterus (which could cause bleeding and infection). The doctor will advise the nurse that the placenta has been delivered, so that she can note the time.
He will ask for pitocin to be administered intravenously, which aids in the contraction of the uterus and stops bleeding. To aid this process, the doctor will massage the uterus and stimulate it physically. The doctor will then check for any remaining clots before the placenta was delivered and evacuate those as necessary. Once the bleeding is under control and all lacerations have been repaired, the patient can be cleaned and her bed will be put back together. She can begin to rest. This is still a potentially dangerous time for the mother as bleeding may resume, so the nurse will continue to check her vital signs (including blood pressure) for the next several hours. The nurse will also check the uterus by pushing down on the abdomen, to make sure that the uterus is contracted and firm to touch. A soft, boggy or enlarged uterus could indicate that bleeding has occurred and the uterus is expanding with blood. That condition may necessitate additional measures, such as checking for clots remaining inside the vagina and uterus, recommendation for additional medications, and a possible blood transfusion. And if bleeding is extreme, surgical measures may be recommended, such as a D & C or a full hysterectomy.
Often the baby may not be delivered because the vaginal opening is too small or constricted. At other times, the vaginal opening may be appropriate in size, but it has not had enough time to stretch for the baby. Or the baby's heart rate may be of concern to the doctor, so an attempt to expedite delivery may occur. These are all good examples of why an episiotomy might need to be performed.
An episiotomy is a process by which a doctor will make an incision or cut in the space between the vagina and rectum in order to expand the opening for the baby's head. Most doctors do not do this routinely, but rather only when a medical indication arises. When the doctor makes the cut, the vaginal space is enlarged. Of course, after the baby is delivered, the incision or episiotomy must be repaired to restore it to its original anatomy. Occasionally, the episiotomy may be so extensive that it extends to the rectal area. Obviously, this will necessitate more extensive repair afterwards.
Forceps or a Vacuum
In rare circumstances, your baby may need to be delivered with the aid of forceps or a vacuum device. The concept of doing an instrumented vaginal delivery is not new. Forceps have been utilized over the centuries, and they can provide a means to assist in the delivery of a baby when certain conditions arise. For example, if a mother is too tired to push or if the fetal heart rate becomes worrisome, then conditions may warrant the use of forceps or a vacuum. Very strict criteria need to be met before the use of these instruments can be offered to the patient.
If the doctor thinks the conditions are ideal for an instrumented vaginal delivery, then he should discuss his thoughts with the patient so the patient understands the indications, risks, and benefits. Unfortunately, sometimes there isn't time to have a lengthy discussion when the baby's life is at stake, so it's good to go over these procedures with your doctor in advance of the delivery.
The benefit to these two procedures is obvious: They may assist in getting the baby out quickly when there is a fetal heartrate problem.
The risks of using either vacuum or forceps are also obvious. They include the potential to injure the baby and create vaginal tears in the mother. You may see slight bruising of the side of the head on a baby where forceps were used. This bruising usually goes away in a few days.
The choice between using a vacuum or forceps is up to the doctor, depending on the patient's condition. The clinical situation will dictate which instrument is chosen. Safety for both the patient and the baby is of utmost importance.
The Absolute Minimum
A normal delivery is never really normal, simply because it's yours, and that makes it special. However, many of the procedures that you will encounter are easily decipherable and predictable if you simply do your homework in advance.
Reproduced from Absolute Beginner's Guide to Pregnancy, by John Adams and Marta Justak, by permission of Pearson Education. Copyright © 2005 by Que Publishing. Please visit Amazon to order your own copy.
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text:
struct {
char a;
int b;
} x;
Why would one define a struct like that instead of just declaring it as:
struct x {
char a;
int b;
We started with Q&A. Technical documentation is next, and we need your help.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, you can contribute.
In the first case, only variable
In the second case, you do not define a variable - you just define a type
Usually, you'd use a more informative tag name and type name. It is perfectly legal and safe to use the same name for the structure tag (the first 'x') and the typedef name (the second 'x').
To a first approximation, C++ automatically 'creates a typedef' for you when you use the plain 'struct x { ... };' notation (whether or not you define variables at the same time). For fairly complete details on the caveats associated with the term 'first approximation', see the extensive comments below. Thanks to all the commentators who helped clarify this to me.
In the first case you are declaring a variable. In the second, a type. I think a better approach would be:
The first defines an variable named 'x' whose type is an unnamed structure.
The second defines a structure named x, but doesn't define anything that uses it.
The first is equivalent to
only that the struct type has no name.
The two do different things:
Declares a variable
Declares a type
The second one is more common, because it can make declarations shorter, especially if you have to change your struct. The first is used if you're never going to need the structure again and don't want to pollute your namespace. So basically never.