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A: To combat our natural Scottish modesty and raise the profile of the world leading energy research being undertaken across the UHI partnership.
A: The development of a web portal which showcases the excellent energy research being spearheaded by our partners and places it within the wider context of Scottish research.
A: A desire to be involved with a unique organisation at a time of unparalleled opportunities and interesting challenges and to play a part in securing a healthy energy future for Scotland.
A: ERG has time and resources to commit to supporting our partners in their pursuit of opportunities that they otherwise wouldn't be able to.
A: The cuts in research funding and the slowdown in business sponsored R&D will undoubtedly result in challenges and a refocusing of aspirations. That the best performers in times of economic uncertainty have used research and innovation as a springboard to future prosperity is becoming more widely accepted and may turn this challenge into an opportunity.
A: It has been fantastic visiting the various partners and learning about their research, and getting caught up in their obvious enthusiasm for their particular subject. My particular favourite, mainly because it was completely new to me, were the activities in Marine Archaeology relating to Environmental Impact Assessments being pursued at Orkney College.
A: At present, given the nature of the funding cycle, ERG is reacting to opportunities. ERG will have to move to pre-empt and eventually shape future opportunities which requires the further development of the relationship with key decision makers and industry representatives.
A: I see three key markers of success:
The explore programme provides news, case studies, supply chain industry database, and details about the growing energy industry in the Highlands and Islands...


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Welcoming the 2012 New Year in Las Vegas: Fireworks and PartiesEvents — By thmeeks on November 13, 2011 at 3:43 pm
On December 31, 2011, the Las Vegas Strip will overflow with about 300,000 people. New Year's Eve is the city's favorite celebration. The streets fill with revelers, parties are everywhere, and fireworks fill the air at midnight, all to make sure the new year gets off to a good start.
Are you thinking about celebrating New Year's Eve in Las Vegas? If so, make reservations now. Hotels still have rooms available, but be prepared to pay very high rates for December 31. Rooms that face the Strip have a great view of the midnight fireworks, but they come at a premium. However, getting to watch this once-a-year spectacular from your warm, comfortable hotel room is probably worth the extra cash, provided it fits in your budget.
After you've secured a room, the next step is to decide what you'd like for New Year's Eve in Las Vegas.
Visitors who don't mind the near-freezing temperatures may want to bundle up and join the gigantic block party on the Strip. Las Vegas Boulevard is closed to vehicles at about 6 p.m., and a crowd of happy revelers fill the street. You'll notice most of them are carrying really large drinks, which helps the happiness level (and occasionally fuels some rowdiness, thus the large police presence).
On the Strip, you'll get to see a parade of free entertainment: people in costumes, freshly married couples, news anchors struggling to file their reports, and a variety of music and other street-side acts—like the 2012 Big Air Jump, a 11:59 p.m. motorcycle jump over a 747 airplane.
At the New York-New York, the Bridge Bash is almost at street level, but it's still a private party. For $150 per person, you'll get an open bar, live music, and a terrific spot to see the fireworks.
All Las Vegas nightclubs are offering special New Year's Eve tickets. For the best view of the Strip's fireworks, as well as an exclusive club experience, the Foundation Room's NYE Gala at Mandalay Bay is $100 per ticket, and the club's balcony view of the Strip is considered one of the best places to see the fireworks.
Just off the Strip, the uber-hip Palms offers three clubs with killer views: Moon, Ghostbar, and the Playboy Club. New Year's Eve tickets start at $137, and go up depending on the club and package you want. A VIP ticket with access to all clubs (including Rain, on the casino level) is $400.00.
Downtown Las Vegas has its own party. The Fremont Street Experience will host Tribute Palooza, featuring cover bands like Fan Halen and Led Zepagain. Admission is $20-$30, with a discount for Las Vegas residents. Instead of a pyrotechnic display at midnight, Viva Vision bursts into a non-explosive LED fireworks show.
Along the Strip, the big event of the evening is the fireworks display set off from the hotels' rooftops at midnight. Just before midnight, people start pouring out of the hotels, into the street, to look up at the colorful, carefully synchronized explosions designed by Fireworks by Grucci of New York. Eight hotel casinos will set off fireworks this year: MGM Grand, Tropicana Las Vegas, Aria – City Center, Planet Hollywood, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island, Venetian, and the Stratosphere.
Photo courtesy of Michael Asuncion

subset: commoncrawl


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The Future of Soft Contact Lens Fitting Starts Here
A workshop at the recent NCC2014 meeting set out to reach consensus on how soft lenses are fitted today.
By Eef van der Worp, BOptom, PhD, FAAO, FIACLE, FBCLA; Helmer Schweizer, MBA, FAAO, FBCLA, FIACLE, FEAOO; Matthew Lampa, OD, FAAO; Marco van Beusekom, BOptom, FIACLE; & Mark P. André, FAAO
At the 2014 Netherlands Contact Lens Congress (NCC), a biannual meeting that took place in March in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, a workshop was held to discuss the current state of soft contact lens fitting. The theme of the NCC2014 meeting was "Decoding the Secret," and that was exactly what this workshop intended to do—to dissect and analyze the way in which we are fitting soft lenses today as well as to reach agreement on the proper procedure. In other words, the aim of the workshop was to find common ground, and common sense, in the way in which we are fitting soft contact lenses today.
It's Time for a Change
Soft contact lens fitting and evaluation have been relatively downplayed over the last two decades or so (as frequent replacement and daily disposable soft lens modalities have grown); this has become a routine process in which most of us do not realize why we do things the way in which we do them. In the meantime, we are still experiencing high dropout rates, despite all of the lens material and contact lens care developments in recent years.
It may, therefore, be time to see whether we can do things differently. Using new technology—such as corneal topography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and profilometry (e.g., the Eye Surface Profiler [ESP, Eaglet-Eye], Figure 1)—we've developed new insights into the shape of the anterior ocular surface. Additionally, we have ways to better measure and analyze the shape of soft contact lenses. These recent findings have brought us to a potential new beginning; some even say we're at a crossroads that may change our approach regarding how we fit and evaluate soft contact lenses in the future.
Figure 1. Profilometry map.
Workshop Overview
Devoted soft contact lens-fitting eyecare professionals from the Netherlands, Belgium, and other countries attending the NCC were invited to participate in the workshop and to interact with a panel of representatives from the contact lens industry, contact lens educators, and researchers. A total of 44 participants attended the interactive session.
Helmer Schweizer, Euromcontact (the European Federation of National Associations and International Companies of Contact Lens [and Lens Care] Manufacturers) president as well as an optometrist and an educator, acted as the panel discussion moderator.
The first points that the audience and the panel discussed were the criteria for the evaluation of a "good" soft contact lens fit—centration, movement, and vision. The alignment of the posterior surface of the lens to the anterior ocular surface shape beyond the limbus drives centration and movement of a soft contact lens. New insights show us that practitioners shouldn't expect the limbal area (or cornea-sclera junction) to necessarily have the concave shape that would be expected based on theoretical considerations expressed in older and even in current textbook chapters.
An important point was made that centration becomes particularly critical and relevant in toric and multifocal contact lenses. The focus of the workshop was then narrowed down specifically to spherical lenses alone, to avoid making the discussion unnecessarily complex.
The group also discussed physiological signs (e.g., hyperemia and corneal staining) and what the presence of such signs means in relation to how soft lenses are performing on the eye.
Keratometry was agreed upon as a means for establishing a baseline and possibly for selecting an initial lens type. However, its ability to predict soft lens base curve or behavior on-eye was called into question.
Finally, the group discussed what those base curve values on contact lens packaging really mean, and what impact corneal sagittal height, lens sagittal height, lens diameter, and back surface design have on soft contact lens fitting.
Following are specific statements that the consensus group and the panel discussed during the course of the workshop.
Statement #1: Eye Shape Is Different from What Traditional Textbooks Indicate
It appears that, more often than not, the shape of the cornea-sclera junction is best described as having tangent angles (Figure 2) rather than concave or convex curves, although individual limbal and anterior scleral shape differences occur.
Figure 2. An example of the tangential nature of the cornea-sclera junction in a normal eye.
Recent studies (Hall et al, 2013; Hall et al, 2011; van der Worp et al, 2010) also indicate that, for an average eye, the ocular surface beyond the cornea is nonrotationally symmetrical in nature. In an average eye, the entire nasal portion is typically flatter compared to the other quadrants. As a consequence, the nasal region appears more elevated compared to the other meridians—with a potentially important clinical impact on soft contact lens centration. This may explain the commonly observed temporal decentration of soft contact lenses, which can impact the position of the lens optics and, therefore, visual performance of the lens (Figure 3).
Figure 3. An example of a good soft contact lens fit, demonstrating on-eye centration (left) and one that is decentered slightly temporally (right).
Statement #2: Lens Centration Is Important
In the past, many of us were taught that larger soft contact lenses lead to better lens centration. Current knowledge that the nasal portion of the eye is more elevated may urge us to revisit this, as larger lenses may actually result in more (temporal) decentration.
It is very important to note from the discussion that lens diameter is considered a relative measure, meaning it should be evaluated relative to individual corneal diameter. For instance, Asian eyes generally have a smaller corneal diameter (Matsuda et al, 1992; Lam and Loran, 1991); therefore, a lens made specifically for Asian eyes might actually make sense.
The diameter of a soft contact lens should be a specific amount (in millimeters) larger than the actual corneal diameter. All in all, contact lens diameter may be a better predictor than base curve is of lens behavior on eye.
Statement #3: 1mm of Lens Movement Is Not Optimal for Soft Lenses
In the past, and even in some textbooks today, 1mm of lens movement is sometimes advocated as optimal for soft lenses. However, with the average horizontal visible iris diameter (HVID) of 11.8mm (André et al, 2001) and average soft contact lens diameter in the 14mm range, 1mm of lens movement upon blinking would bring the lens edge almost into the limbal zone, which may result in discomfort.
In reality, today's soft contact lenses are often moving considerably less than 1mm with blinking. This is backed up by recent research indicating that 0.3mm of soft contact lens movement in a normal eye is more realistic (Wolffsohn et al, 2009). Troung et al (2014) recently showed that patients whose lenses move about 0.1mm to 0.4mm during blinking are most comfortable.
The group also discussed different lens movement assessment techniques; the push-up test, lens-lag (with eye movement and post-blinking), and even rotational movement of the lens were all considered. The consensus group agreed that measuring soft contact lens movement in increments of 0.1mm in clinical practice is not feasible.
Helmer Schweizer suggested a simple, but clinically useful, method of assessing soft lens movement that can be performed even if a slit lamp is not available. The average visible iris diameter vertically is approximately 11.5mm, so for a contact lens diameter of 14.0mm, there is 2.5mm difference. That would mean that there is 1.25mm between the edge of the contact lens and the limbus on each side. If we observe half of this distance in movement of the contact lens on the eye, this would mean roughly 0.6mm of movement.
Apart from comfort issues, excessive soft lens movement was linked to variation/fluctuation in vision and, in some cases, to the development of localized contact lens-induced papillary conjunctivitis (CLPC). It was stated that variable or suboptimal vision may also be a potential indicator of poor lens fit.
Statement #4: We Cannot Assume that Silicone Hydrogel Lenses Move More Compared to Conventional Hydrogels
The consensus group could not decide universally on whether conventional hydrogel lenses move more or less compared to silicone hydrogel lenses. Lens movement may depend on many other variables than material alone (such as lens edge shape and back surface geometry, among others). In general, we should not assume that silicone hydrogels move more compared to conventional hydrogels.
Statement #5: Lens Movement Is Crucial for Tear Film Exchange and Debris Removal
Soft contact lenses that appear to have no or minimal movement may be very comfortable. Unfortunately, such lenses may exhibit very little tear exchange. A constant supply of fresh tears beneath the lens is considered crucial for good eye health, and tight lenses may eventually result in some of the problems that we see in today's contact lens practice. Inflammatory conditions, such as corneal infiltrates, may result from a reaction to the toxins released from the debris trapped in the tear film behind the lens.
The consensus group agreed that, in general, non-moving lenses would "make them nervous" and would not guarantee good eye health in long-term soft contact lens wear. Therefore, because a tight-fitting lens or a lens edge that digs into the conjunctiva may be more comfortable initially compared to a lens that exhibits adequate movement, the fit of a soft lens that provides very high initial comfort needs to be carefully verified. We also agreed that initial comfort is not a good indicator of successful long-term lens wear. If anything, it may be the opposite.
The group was uncertain about the correlation between lens movement and tear film exchange. Many of us have observed that flat-fitting soft contact lenses may move less compared to those that have a good lens-to-ocular-surface relationship due to decentration onto the conjunctiva. Steeper-fitting lenses sometimes move more on the eye because of a less-than-ideal lens-to-ocular-surface relationship, allowing the eyelids to have more "grip" on the lens. We could not agree whether more movement is equivalent to more tear film exchange. The group did agree, however, that lens movement is essential for healthy soft lens wear.
New imaging techniques may potentially help us to better understand post-soft lens tear film thickness, and thus may provide better insights into tear film exchange behind the lens. The consensus group concluded that there is a desire and need to define and develop a method to identify tear film exchange (or the lack thereof) in the near future.
Statement #6: Physiological Signs Are Important to Consider in Lens Performance
The group also agreed that beyond lens movement, physiological signs, such as hyperemia, impingement of conjunctival vessels, and corneal staining, may be important to consider with regard to lens performance on-eye because they could result from a poor lens fit. Marco van Beusekom introduced the term "physiological management" for this during the workshop.
Conjunctival impression rings were also brought up as a variable, but the general consensus was that not enough evidence currently exists to indicate that conjunctival impression and/or conjunctival staining are reliable indicators of soft lens success or potential predictors of lens failure. Scleral lens fitting has demonstrated that patients can be very comfortable and successful with some significant lens impression into the conjunctiva.
Statement #7: Central Keratometry Measurements Are Not Useful in Predicting Soft Lens Fitting Characteristics
The consensus group decided that determining central keratometry values is still valid; it is necessary to establish a baseline and, thus, to serve as a reference for follow up and in managing potential topographical changes. Keratometry values also can play a role in lens selection (GP versus soft, because of corneal versus refractive astigmatism).
The group also agreed that keratometry is not a very useful indicator of soft lens behavior on-eye or for selecting the initial base curve of a contact lens. This is backed up by work from Young (1992) and Gundel et al (1986) stating that there is a very weak correlation between the central and peripheral K-readings and soft contact lens fitting characteristics.
Using sagittal height data to improve soft lens fitting has been proposed in the past (André et al, 2001; Young, 1992). In addition, using sagittal height data to better understand soft contact lens behavior on-eye is part of the International Association of Contact Lens Educators' (IACLE) basic module on soft lens fitting (Fonn, 1997). Based on the sagittal height fitting method, registering the total sagittal height of a soft lens would, in theory, make more sense. One limitation of this is that lenses can have different back-surface geometries and/or diameters and still have the same sagittal height (Figure 4). Also, it is unclear what effect on-eye lens dehydration has on the total overall sagittal height of a soft contact lens.
Figure 4. The right half shows a spherical back surface lens design with radius 8.6mm across the total back surface. The left half (red) shows an aspheric back surface design with the same sagittal height and diameter as the right half. Thus, the calculated base curve equivalent of the left lens is the same as the actual base curve of the right one.
Lens diameter was discussed as a very useful clinical measurement and an alternative method for estimating the relative sagittal height of the cornea. Measuring corneal diameter is a discussion in itself, but the experts on the panel agreed that taking white-to-white measurements of the cornea on a diagonal using a corneal topographer could be the best, or most preferred, method.
Statement #8: The Base Curve Values on Soft Lens Packaging Are Symbolic Values
The indicated base curve on a soft lens package (usually expressed in numbers, with or without mm) is by many considered to be the actual back-surface radius of the packaged lens, or at least the back-surface radius of the optic zone (BOZR). However, it is more often than not questionable as to whether the lens actually has an 8.3mm or 8.6mm spherical radius on its back surface. In many cases, it is the calculated base curve equivalent, i.e., the radius of a sphere that would have the same sagittal height over the indicated diameter as the lens at hand. A lens' back-surface design and diameter drives its actual sagittal height. Therefore, in the case of non-spherical back surfaces, it may be more appropriate to indicate on the label "base curve equivalent" (BCE) rather than "base curve."
At any rate, for lens brands that come with a choice of base curves/BCEs, we should rather view it as more of a symbolic value. That single number on the lens box certainly does not define the lens fit. The total lens sagittal height and back surface design is of much more importance. However, from a legal standpoint, it was agreed that some kind of base curve or BCE value still needs to be on lens package labeling today.
Statement #9: More Diameter Variability and Sagittal Height/Lens Design Information Is Needed
We estimate that the stock lenses that we have available today will fit at least 80% of the corneas that we see. Our concern is for the other 20 percent. We feel that it would be in the best interest of those patients to develop additional lens diameters rather than base curves. This may result in better fitting and more comfortable lenses for not-so-standard eyes.
Another consideration that the consensus group wants to suggest to the industry is to provide sagittal height values of currently available soft contact lenses. Studies at the University of Maastricht show that marked differences exist in sagittal height among different commercially available frequent replacement silicone hydrogel lenses (van der Worp, 2014). Different lens brands with the same labeled base curve value also had marked differences in sagittal height, with potentially significant clinical on-eye performance in terms of lens behavior. Although, as stated previously, sagittal height information may not be a perfect measure, it would be a good start and possibly a good indicator for what we change when switching from one lens brand to another.
Another item revealed to be high on the discussion group's wish list is for manufacturers to disclose more information about lenses' back surface designs—whether they have a monocurve, bicurve, tricurve, or an aspherical design.
The Future
In summary, the traditional approach to soft lens fitting may not be sufficient to optimally serve the full range of eyes in our practices. We may be at a crossroads; the discussion group agreed that base curve and keratometry values—as well as traditional soft lens fitting rules—may be obsolete.
Soft contact lens movement on-eye was agreed to be essential for good eye health in the long run. But we need to reconsider the "1mm optimal movement" guideline: current knowledge shows that movement of up to 0.5mm is more realistic and desirable.
Finally, as a request to the industry, more lens diameter options and more knowledge about lens sagittal height and the actual back surface design would help eyecare practitioners to better serve their patients. Making this information available on blister packs or listed in overviews such as Tyler's Quarterly, Contact Lenses & Solutions Summary, or product catalogues would be highly desirable.
If all of us—industry, educators, researchers, and eyecare practitioners in clinical practice—work together, we can help elevate soft contact lens fitting to the next level. In addition, new technologies such as OCT and profilometry may enable us to measure ocular sagittal height and to improve our understanding of soft contact lens fitting in the future. CLS
The views and statements expressed in this article are those of the workshop and its participants and are not necessarily those of Contact Lens Spectrum.
The authors thank the members of the "Future of Soft Lens Fitting" NCC2014 Consensus Group: Carsten Avermann, Eelko Bakker, Ronald Basseleur, Marjan Beumer, Sabrina Bockhoven-Grine, Christine Boer, G.H. Boer, Wim Borst, Christophe Collette, Ilse Joyce Dijksterhuis, Diana Doorduin, Sieuwke Douna, Edward Geeve, Petra Groen, Roland Hemmer, Hanka Jongman, Jack Kostelijk, Jeanine Lammers, D. Last, Frans Littooij, Astrid Lourens-van Os, Jeroen Mulder, Niels Mulder, Herman Obbink, Dirkje Oostenveld, John Phielix, D. Schaper, John Schilder, Lex Klein Schiphorst, Roel Schwedler, Sarah Smit, Gudrun Sturing-Kempin, Elga van Braam, Henri Van Eek, Jennifer van Hassel, Augusta van Lingen, Hendri van Veen, Jeroen van der Heijden, William van der Zalm, Karel Vandeputte, Andre Verhoeve, Lindsey Verhoeve, Ton Weijsenfeld, and Gea Wiggers.
For references, please visit www.clspectrum.com/references and click on document #223.
Eef van der Worp is affiliated with the University of Maastricht as an associate researcher, an adjunct professor at the University of Montreal College of Optometry (Canada), and an adjunct assistant professor at Pacific University College of Optometry. He has received a research grant from Eaglet-Eye and educational grants from Bausch + Lomb (B+L) Boston and Contamac.
Helmer Schweizer is a trained optometrist (Germany), specialized in contact lenses. He is Head Professional Affairs Distributor Franchise, Alcon Vision Care EURMEA/AMSA. He is president of Euromcontact and chairman of the European Contact Lens Forum (ECLF).
Dr. Lampa is an associate professor at Pacific University College of Optometry and is in private practice in Silverton, Ore. He has been a consultant to SpecialEyes, Alcon, Vistakon, and B+L.
Dr. van Beusekom is the professional affairs manager, Benelux, for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. He is a special member of the Dutch Ophthalmology association (NOG) and chairman of the scientific section of the Dutch Contact Lens Association (ANVC). He is the scientific director of the Dutch Contact Lens conference (NCC), and an honorary member of the ANVC.
Mark André is an associate professor of optometry at Pacific University. He also is a consultant for CooperVision.


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Watch: "Though many find a degree of freedom and acceptance in China's big, booming cities, some struggle to discuss their gender and sexual identities with their parents — a fact that prompted the Chinese branch of PFLAG to make a short film about the issue.
The message to parents: 'Accept your children, welcome them home.' And for children: 'Don't give up. Your parents might not understand today, but maybe they will tomorrow.'"


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Where do I buy my Punk Fashion? I get asked that all the time. The truth is that I do most of my shopping online. I find when online punk fashion brands send out email blasts with coupon codes, I can get some great deals. As someone who has worked in the e-commerce web industry, I have no problem supporting the online market. I live in Toronto and the price of everything here seems to skyrocket. Sometimes, I might go shopping in Kensington Market in the Summer. I have found some unique, well priced items there. But other than Kensington Market, and maybe some independent "pop-ups" (Like the Bazaar of the Bizarre) the only place I shop for clothes in person (real life lol) is at my favourite punk retail store London Rock, located at 202 Dundas St. In Downtown London, Ontario.
They also have an online store too, located at http://rocklondon.ca/. Though I would recommend paying them a visit if you are ever in the area to view all of their inventory. At London Rock you never know what you will find. Whether you are looking for punk fashion, punkabilly clothing, or psycobilly fashion, this store has some great finds for you. I have seen everything from Batmobile t-shirts to this cool Social Distortion sweatshirt.
Heck, even if you are not in area, even if you spent $50 on gas getting there, you would still save yourself money with the well-priced merchandise they have AND find very unique items.
Here is their discount $5 rack. D.Y.I ALERT: If you're in a band. This is a great rack to get some unique items that you can put your band logo on and resell at shows!
Forget HotTopic – which is basically the "Walmart" of the punk fashion world. London Rock has been independently owned and operated since the early 90's (yes, over 20 years!). You can get bargains and not support large corporations. 🙂
(Though, I'm not going to lie, I have totally shopped at HotTopic in the Eaton Centre before, mostly because I'm weak.)


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I intended to write a message about birthday rituals and practices, to share here in this space, on the life-changing day I am choosing to celebrate my calendar birthday, but I wrote The Gap of Grace instead.
(I have learned to follow my heart whispers, so I no longer question, I simply live the nudges.)
It is a life-changing day because for years I did not celebrate my calendar birthday.
I would tell you that I was raised in a space where presents where often conditional and also typically followed by huge drama. Eventually, the joy of receiving presents was shadowed by the drama; I decided I would rather celebrate each day fully and share energetically than receive into my life the chaos that came with tangible gifts.
This childhood conditioning followed me well into adulthood.
The Surprise Party
I remember that one year, the children's dad planned a surprise party for me. He kept telling me we were going out for my birthday and I kept asking if we might stay home and order takeout food instead, so I could celebrate with the children and have a refreshing sleep.
I spent the entire week telling all of my friends I wish I wasn't going out on my birthday (the very friends who would be at this party I didn't know was happening).
On the day of my birthday, he had to work over-time, which meant I was feeling a bit harried and I definitely knew I didn't want to go anywhere. But he was insistent. I literally spent the kid's afternoon nap crying on the phone to my friends.
Imagine my surprise when he came home, picked me up, and we walked into a room full of the people whom I had been crying to. Yep, Happy Birthday.
(And, yes, this is the same man bringing us to mediation on Friday then court on Monday to contest the custody schedule we have had for seven years; against the children's wishes and will.)
Releasing Conditioning
Here is the thing.
I share that story with you as perspective. I continued to draw to me the energy that was familiar from my childhood–until the moment I chose to practice in ways that shifted my internal energy. External wasn't feeling very good; instead of attempting to manipulate it, I chose to learn and center into practices of presence and energy movement – naturally removing barriers as I fully embraced the joy of life.
So, when I hear myself say something such as "I don't celebrate my calendar birthday" and my reason is because presents had come with conditions and drama; I clearly see that thought no longer fits my reality.
And I clearly see the deeper reason is that I was so mad at/disappointed in/less than delighted with myself that I chose to be born into the experiences I was born into that I would celebrate every other day but my birth day (I bet now you see it clearly, too).
This is not a judgment, simply an observation to understand so I may swoop in and apply love and gratitude to it all.
I have the choice to release that thought just *like this* – creating an affirmation such as "I am open to receiving abundance in ways that delight my entire being, enhance my connections, and enrich my life", then choosing to live this new experience.
And, I know this ability has something to do with the energy of grace – the desire to keep heart-space open to connect and create with Love, regardless of external.
And I know living grace moved me into this new space, where magic is once again *real* and each day is overflowing with synchronicity and abundance and joy.
So, yes, today I am choosing to celebrate my birthday.
And, I am hosting a birthday special on personal *manifesting and moving* sessions – 50 % off through July 21, 2013 9p (PDT), because I enjoy sharing my gifts.
What I would love to know is when you find yourself thinking "it has always been this way" do you have a practice to examine that thought, and perhaps shift it? Or do you simply allow it to stand and keep creating and connecting the same way?
Tanya Levy shares some wonderful insights and tips in this article I Allow Grace – An Affirmation for our Today Self. Tanya is a friend and Facets community member; I love her energy, photos, message and style and the wondrous synchronicity that she chose to explore grace in the same moments I am exploring grace delights me! It is an honor to share her work here.
Much peace and abundant love,
PS. You can make a birthday wish, too. Each day truly is a *birth* day…so please remember to make your wishes and allow them to return your reality. No wish is too small, no wish is too big…and each wish is absolutely possible, when you allow it to be. Would you like to share?


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Oct. 28, 1997
BATON ROUGE, LA — The Florida State men's golf team finished the Country Club of Louisiana in eighth place after the final round in Baton Rouge, LA.
The Seminole team score of 889 was four strokes behind host Louisiana State.
The Seminoles were led by George McNeill. McNeill finished the day with a three-round total of 219, placing tied for 12th with four other golfers. Jason Pool used a final-round 73 to finish tied for 20th.
Barry Dyche posted a three-day total of 225 to place him tied for 34th. Craig Cochran and Mark Monroe rounded out the scoring for the Seminoles, finishing tied for 47th and 49th, respectively.
This tournament marked the end of the fall season for the Seminoles. The Tribe will return to play in late February.


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The Back to School Edition!
We're right smack dab in the middle of our third week of homeschool. The kids don't mind going back to school in the middle of July since it's 135 degrees outside.
And they know that they are going to get the entire month of December off!
I wanted to talk about something I brought up last month during the Curriculum Roundup. I was just getting my Workbox System all set up, and hadn't actually put it to use yet.
I'm back to tell you that I DON'T KNOW HOW I FUNCTIONED WITHOUT IT! The Workbox system was developed by a gal named Sue Patrick. (I understand that she's speaking at the Heart of the Matter Online Home Education Conference.) You can customize it to fit any type curriculum, and can use bins, drawers, or envelopes.
I found these 7 drawer (12×12) carts on wheels and got one for each of my girls. I use each of the drawers for their 6 school subjects plus one for Bible Study. I include in each drawer everything that they will need for that subject. So no more running around the house searching for a ruler, a dictionary, or the duct tape to keep one small younger brother in one place.
Oh, I kid about the duct tape. Sort of.
I also got the girls light weight 4′ adjustable folding tables (from Sam's Club for about $30), so they can set up their work area in different areas of the house. And that frees up the kitchen table FOR ME! (Insert maniacal laughter.) Emme has taken to doing her work underneath her table.
They are moving through each "workbox" at their own pace, and are enjoying a good deal more independence. I've noticed Cailey's work ethic has improved HUGELY with this new system. She now sees what work she has accomplished, and what she has left to do. And she keeps her workspace VERY TIDY.
Color me surprised.
I think we're off to a wonderful start. And I still have LOTS of Extra Strength Excedrin left in the bottle.
For more Works For Me Wednesday Back to School Edition tips, head over here!


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In the fight against diabetes, yogurt may be on your side.
Eating yogurt can reduce the risk of getting Type 2 diabetes by 28 percent, compared with consuming none, according to a study published today by Diabetologia. Higher consumption of low-fat fermented dairy products, such as yogurt and some cheeses, also lowered the relative risk of diabetes by 24 percent overall, the study showed.
Dairy products are an important source of proteins, vitamins and minerals such as calcium. They also contain saturated fat, which shouldn't be consumed in high quantities, according to current dietary guidelines. Previous studies analyzing possible links between their consumption and diabetes had inconclusive findings, the researchers said.
"Specific foods may have an important role in the prevention of Type 2 diabetes, and are relevant for public health messages," lead scientist Nita Forouhi, from the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, said in a statement. Diabetologia is the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
The market for dairy products is big money for companies including Danone, the world's biggest yogurt maker, and Nestle, the producer of Carnation milk products. Changing perceptions about nutritional value may help boost sales.
Dairy product revenue, estimated at $463.7 billion in 2013, is expected to grow by more than 46 percent through 2018, with the greatest gain, in percentage terms, in the Middle East and Africa, according to Euromonitor estimates.
Danone stock gained 2.1 percent to 49.83 euros at the close of Paris trading. The company, based in the French capital, gets more than half its revenue from dairy. Nestle shares added 2.4 percent to 66.50 Swiss francs in Zurich.
Diabetes kills one person every six seconds and afflicts 382 million people worldwide, according to the International Diabetes Federation. Some diabetics, suffering from Type 1 diabetes, have a lifelong inability to produce insulin. The Type 2 variant tends to strike later in life, brought on by obesity and sedentary lifestyles, as people become resistant to the insulin their own body produces.
The latest research was based on the EPIC-Norfolk study, which includes more than 25,000 men and women living in Norfolk, England. It compared daily records of food and drink consumption among 753 people who developed Type 2 diabetes over 11 years of follow-up with 3,502 randomly selected study participants, according to the statement. Researchers analyzed the risk of diabetes in relation to consumption of total and individual dairy products.
"There have been several meta analyses putting together all the studies on dairy and Type 2 diabetes recently and the data is mixed, but overall they show protection from various forms of dairy including yogurt," Peter Clifton, head of the Nutritional Interventions Laboratory at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, said in a separate statement. '
'There is no doubt people who eat yogurt in Europe get less diabetes,'' Clifton said. "Why is not at all clear."
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What you are proposing is an alternative mechanism not a renamed PSVI. The PSVI is an intrinsic aspect of the W3C XML Schema recommendation. A TAI as has been discussed on this thread could be thought of as a generic typed XML data model similar to that of the XQuery/XPath 2.0 data model. -- PITHY WORDS OF WISDOM Any philosophy that can be put into a nutshell belongs there. This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. > -----Original Message----- > From: Rick Jelliffe [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com] > Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2002 2:03 AM > To: firstname.lastname@example.com > Subject: RE: Potential new issue: PSVI considered harmful > > > > I agree with Tim Bray (and perhaps Noah Mendelson, in part) > that the PSVI should be renamed. > > * First because it may not be PSV, as he says. > > * Second because it does not have a relationship-preserving > re-serialization to XML (except of course by stripping out > the augmentations and requiring validation again) and therefore > is non-XML. PSVI does not draw out this discontinuity enough. > > * Third because "Schema" is a codeword for W3C XML Schemas, but other > schema languages could be used. > > I think "Type-augmented Infoset" could be improved, though, > because it is not just that there is additional information > added to some notional XML information set, > it is that there are non-XML information items added. The > XML Information Set > spec generally uses "Information Item" to mean an instance > rather than a type, so "augmented" is not very satisfactory. > I suggest just "Typed InfoSet." > > > Cheers > Rick Jelliffe > > > > >Received on Tuesday, 18 June 2002 08:07:26 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Wednesday, 7 January 2015 15:32:32 UTC


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If you've been reading here a while or a short time, it won't come as much of a shock that I'm choosing to share ten Civil War novels that are must-reads if you enjoy poignant tales of days gone by and learning more about the War Between the States.
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
I own three copies. #unashamed This, my all-time favorite novel/classic forever may seem to some like it's light on the history, but what I love about this story set during the war is that it sheds a light on the women on the Northern home front. Their strength, fortitude and sacrifice when their father was away at war.
- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
This thick epic is, again, light on the history but nonetheless a must-read and a great introduction to Civil War fiction just like Little Women. This novel is filled with romance, passion, jealousy, revenge and two of the most iconic characters in the historical fiction world--Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. The depiction and rich backdrop of "The Old South" may seem cliched and even stereotypical but the vivid portrayal of Tara and Atlanta are memorable and sweeping in their beauty that instantly draws the reader into the tumultuous South during the war.
- Consecrated Dust by Mary Frailey Calland
This is a rare gem, published by a local author who spent years of researching Pittsburgh, the Arsenal of the Union, before penning this novel. I learned so much of my own hometown's history by reading this powerful novel that's high point was the Allegheny Arsenal explosion in September 1862. Killing over 70 women and girls. The same day as Antietam--hence why this is an event not widely known. The characters are vivid, the romance surprising and sweet but my favorite part of this novel is that it sheds an honoring light and tribute to the sacrifice of the women and girls who worked in the arsenals up North during the war.
- The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Yes, another classic. This novel is what the critically acclaimed film Gettysburg was based upon and, if you read any of the Shaara historicals, this is the one not to be missed. The author expertly weaves in personalities and dialogue in and amongst the history and real-life generals and their troops as they marched to the turning point of the Civil War--Gettysburg.
- Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin
Also known as the novel that got Meghan started in Civil War (inspirational) fiction that she owns two copies of. The story of Caroline Fletcher, only daughter to wealthy Richmond parents who tackles slavery, racism, defending her home and those she loves in spite of unpopular opinion. This is a character who grows infinitely in the span of the pages and who is far from your typical Southern Belle as it turns out, fighting bravely for what is right.
- Fire by Night by Lynn Austin I also own two copies of this. *cough*
The sequel to the book above follows a Northern belle, Julia, Caroline's cousin, through a portion of the war. As opposed to her quite unconventional cousin, Julia is quite a belle when the book opens--focused on her goal of marriage to a certain (somewhat clueless) reverend and will stop at nothing to get him. Including leaving her plush, privileged life in Philadelphia to travel to the Capitol to be a nurse. A cast of supporting characters and a secondary storyline of a young woman named Phoebe who disguises herself as a man to fight to defend the Union. After watching PBS's Mercy Street (a must-watch show for Civil War buffs), this novel is on my To Be Read Again list for sure.
- Widow of Gettysburg by Jocelyn Green
This may be the second book in her Heroines Behind the Lines series, but it was the first book I read of hers and promptly fell in love with. And questioned why I even bothered to write Civil War novels but that self-doubt went away eventually. *smile* Almost all of the books in this list of mine you can just tell were deeply researched, and this one is no exception and perhaps deserves a higher place on my list as it takes place solely in my favorite city on earth--Gettysburg. Jocelyn highlights the extreme sacrifice and hardship the battle wrought on both the farmland of the city and its residents--especially its women--with grace and poignant truth in the spiritual themes woven through the pages. One rare book wherein I cried during the reading.
- Wedded to War by Jocelyn Green
This first book in her Civil War series probably has the most action and mystery--every book is a page turner but this one you really got almost scared and had to keep reading to see what happened due to a dastardly villain dressed up in sheep's clothing. Set in New York City at the start of the Civil War, Wedded to War highlights the betterment of the Medical Department thanks to stubborn, hard-working women who gave up so much only to face harassment, judgment, and opposition at every turn caring for the wounded and dying, improving the quality and sanitation of care in the process. Privileged Charlotte Waverly leaves all she has ever known to become one of the first nurses in the Union Army, to the opposition of her fiance who gives her an ultimatum--to choose love and marriage, or a cause dear to her heart that only seems to be losing.
From Amazon: Wedded to War is a work of fiction, but the story is inspired by the true life of Civil War nurse Georgeanna Woolsey. Woolsey's letters and journals, written over 150 years ago, offer a thorough look of what pioneering nurses endured.
- Yankee in Atlanta by Jocelyn Green
What's so wonderful about this series is that, while each book can be read alone, when they are read together in the order you get the entirety of the Civil War, more appearances by secondary characters from earlier books, and a new "angle" of the war not often explored in fiction. This book reminded me most of Gone with the Wind due to its primary setting of Atlanta and the struggle to survive the Southerners faced during the second half of the war. AND of course, there's Sherman marching ever-nearer, too. The intriguing romance between Caitlin and Noah was a tender one, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you reading way past midnight. And possibly cry like I did. Fair warning.
- Spy of Richmond by Jocelyn Green
Okay so this is the one and only Jocelyn Green book I haven't read yet but I'm including it because it's bound to be amazing, the conclusion of her Heroines Behind the Lines series and I will be reading it soon. And, it's set in Richmond--the capitol of the Confederacy. And I'm also rather Type A and wanted 10 even on my list.


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What happens if we are late or fail to show up for our scheduled balloon ride?
The requestor of a hot air balloon ride with Air Display receive a flight confirmation email once they have provided the required passenger and credit card information. This confirmation email provides all the necessary information including what to wear, meeting location, times and the phone number Air Display will be using for your advance flight notification phone call regarding the status of your scheduled balloon ride. Air Display meets ONLY if the weather forecast for your flight is promising. If you are late or fail to show when the flight has been called on, the credit card you provided to hold the reservation will be charged the full fare.
We have changed our mind and want to cancel our balloon
ride. How do we do this without a penalty?
The Air Display "TERMS and CONDITIONS" page provides information about client requested balloon ride cancellations. Client requested balloon ride cancelations for their party or members of their party without sufficient notice given to Air Display, will incur an escalating penalty up to the full fare.
I'm surprising a friend or family member with a balloon ride to celebrate a special occassion. What happens if they do not want to go or cannot go last minute?
Because weather rescheduling is not uncommon with hot air balloon flight, Ride Certificates and Vouchers do not expire as long as the Certificate or Voucher remain validated. See the next question.


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Having just completed my (*counts quickly on fingers*) seventh week of sliding, ( my fourth week this side of the New Year), my body is beginning to show signs of strain. This is to be expected when one sprints as fast as one can before jumping on a small metal sled and careening down a ice-covered, mile-long, 20-curve track at 70+ miles an hour. Add on top of that two times-a-week weight lifting, two times-a-week push start training and sprint training, and finally two days-a-week, 6-hour long stints of being on my feet at the restaurant, and you have my typical week. Even an elite athlete gets tired!
While my legs were protesting at work, my body is feeling stronger than it has in quite some time. I think I'll attribute 60% of this to my own training, and the other 50% to new methods of recovery that I am constantly discovering (That's 110%! Get it? Like they always say… "an athlete needs to give 110%" etc etc. Yuk yuk!). I'll explain these in another post later in the week (so I can get pictures!) but take my word for it: they're working wonders on my legs!
The last week and a half have been frustrating on the ice for me. I've been hitting slower times than what I would do otherwise, and I wasn't feeling comfortable on the sled, nor confident on the track. Needless to say, if you're a little uneasy in this sport, things can go wrong. I was getting so preoccupied with my poor performance that my sliding was suffering for it.
I take a start early in the week
Not only was I worried about my own performance, but I was comparing myself to my fellow sliders. "Well, this is sports, isn't it," You might ask. "The goal is to beat the other person." Yes and no. At this point in my very young career, I need to be focused more on learning to drive the sled and learning to improve my own performance. Times aren't as important now as they will be in four years, or eight years. They are a great way to see where one is messing up on the track, and where one is succeeding.
I am extreamely unfortunate in that I've always had a shaky confidence in athletics and out. I have a weakness of comparing myself to others and not focusing on the positive. Ask my siblings. Ask my parents.
HOWEVER. I am extreamely FORTUNATE in that I have a twin brother who is not only a gifted athlete, but who also has quite the head on his shoulders. Kendall has been my mentality coach, my sports psychologist, if you will. He calls me to offer support, encouragement and advice. I call him to complain about my runs, only to have him turn the conversation 180 degrees and start listing the things I'm doing right. He has the uncanny ability to make me see things that I just can't see because of my moping around. He'll patiently (well, until I get complain-y again…then it's a qiuck redirection!) steer the conversation away until I am telling him what I need to do next time. Brilliant!
This week especially, Kendall has been incredibly helpful. I was running 59+ and even some 1:00+ times throughout the entire week, when I finally broke down on Thursday, griping that I couldn't get my head around what I had to do because all I was thinking about was how I didn't want the other girls to beat me. As easily as if he had been coaching athletes all his life, he talked with me until he calmed me down, and began explaining what he wanted me to focus on for the race on Friday. What it came down to was Mom's old catch-phrase: "Focus on the positive, eliminate the negative." In other words, don't focus on the other girls. Don't focus on the time. The bad stuff always outweighs the good stuff in sports like this. So, pick a couple curves to focus on, do them right, then chill the rest of the way. I'm here to learn, so learn gosh darn it!
On Friday, I did just that. I wrote goals in my journal. I chose my curves to focus on (1-5…those little buggers have given me some rough rides over the past couple of weeks), and I reminded myself to hold my form and relax. After the first five curves, all I wanted to do was look into the corners, turning my head slightly to do so. This tactic was going back to my very first day of sliding, but I was fine with that.
I did my best not to listen to the announcer commenting on the slider's time as I warmed up and got ready, though the speakers are quite loud around the track, so it was almost impossible. I don't like listening to music during my warm-up so I can't really drown it out. As my turn down the track approached, I felt butterflies, so I used a breathing technique taught to us by some martial artists in December to calm myself down.
I was surprised that my first run was so smooth. I used minimal movements, and after successfully sliding the first five curves without skidding, I relaxed and was able to focus on the rest of the track without much problem. I checked the clock as I slowed down on the out-ramp at the end, checking my time. 58 something flashed in my head, but the number 3 followed the time, indicating the place I was currently ranked. Well, that's odd, I thought, remembering most of the girls had run 57s, and even a couple 56s. I was happy to hear that I had set a start PR, running a 5.60 second start.
I tried to focus on the van ride back to the top of the track, visualizing the track twice in my head, remembering what I had to do the next round. I wasn't thinking about the others for the first time in a while. Before I began my warmup for my second race, I checked with Mrs. Sweeney, whose children are also sliders and who was keeping the times recorded for Don. My time she had written down read 57.20. I told her that couldn't be right, and that I swore I saw 58. Well, don't argue, right?
My second run was also smooth. I hit my start at 5.60 again (talk about consistant!) and made it down with another 57, and another 3 flashing after my time. It was the first time in about two weeks that I had felt I had a good sliding day, and it showed in my performance. I wanted nothing more than Kendall to be there so I could jump on him and hug him!
The third-place finish earned me a bronze medal, meaning that I now have a complete set. Since the first race back in January, I have finished, in this order, 2nd, 4th, 1st, and 3rd. While I don't physically have my silver medal yet, I have my gold and now the bronze. But I have to say, the bronze that I just won is sweeter than any of the others and I appreciate it more. With my brother's help, I fought back from mental poop-hood to medal among a skilled group of athletes. The fact that I had been able to overcome my own naysaying helped me believe that I can actually do this.
Laurie (silver) and I watch as Kristina is awarded her gold!
To cap off a good day at the track, the girls went to the bowling alley to celebrate Sherri's 21st birthday. It was a lot of fun, with lots of laughter, smiles, neat bowling tricks, and well deserved relaxation.
It was a great finish to the week, and makes me even more exited to spend time with these newfound teammates/friends/fellow athletes of mine! Before I leave, here is a video I made at the bowling ally of one of Kristina's most glorious moments of the night.


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In 1825, when Sir Ralph Darling was appointed Governor of New South Wales, his commission was supposed to extend over all that part of Australia which lies between the 139th meridan and the eastern coast. Not that the whole country , or even the twentieth part of it, was occupied by settlers, the region was merely claimed as British territory. But the remainder of Australia, comprising about two thirds of the continent, had not, as yet, been annexed by any European nation ; and when , in 1826, a rumour prevailed that the French were about to occupy the region, the Sydney people were alarmed that so great a territory should be lost forever to the British Empire. They, therefore, sent a detachment of soldiers in 1826, to take formal possession of the country and to found a settlement at King George's Sound. From this effort, however, no pratical result ensued; and during the few years of its existence, the place continued to be nothing more than a small military station.
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Regular price
Manufactured as a non-GRP construction, this single fire extinguisher is suitable for use in food preparation areas. It also features a skirting board cut out to allow this to be put right up to the wall (removing the chance of dirt collection behind the stand). The stand can take any size of portable extinguisher.


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and look what I found.
These cute little 9" x 11" totes are made from the same fabric as the reusable grocery bags.
Because they are fabric, I think they will make great gift bags to embroider on.
They are a perfect size - not too big - not too small.
I found these reusable totes in the wrapping paper section for a mere $.97 each.
There were others with cute designs like cupcakes and hearts, but I like to stick to the "generic" so I can use them
for any occasion.
As you can see in the picture below, the bottom of these bags are squared; making them able to sit on their own.
I'm thinking I may embroider the recipients names in pink on the black and white totes and black on the blue one. I am also seeing a sweet little pink flamingo on the black and white polka dot.
Whatcha think?
Wouldn't these be perfect wrapping for a co-workers birthday gift?
The tote (with their name on it) could recycle into a lunch bag afterwards.
Two gifts in one!