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12/21/10 –
Mesquite 60 degrees.
Wake up at 4:53, 7 minutes before my alarm goes off.
DEXTER THEME plays because it's my alarm, every morning.
I get up at 5:16, shower and grab a left over Diet Coke in the fridge for the morning medication. I pour a left over Diet Dr. Pepper in the Arby's cup and mix the 2 drinks.
In my 2002 Jeep, I bought a few months ago, and the first song of the day is The Cure on "80s on 8".
The Cure – Friday I'm In Love
Uploaded by manon42. – Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.
At work, 6:12.
38 personal emails. 11 work emails.
The first call I take is for a password reset to our financial system. User have had the capability to do this themselves for about 2 years. They still call. They still think they type it in correctly. They are always wrong. I waste most of my day taking this very call. I describe where to go to do it themselves. I will always get called back when they have to do it again.
I clean out work email which is an avalanche of passed work. One employee quit recently and I inherited his work. A new employee finally got his vacation this week and is using it so I get all his dumped work.
I play Howard Stern in my left ear while I work.
User calls back because he can't reset his won password. 75% of these calls are Sales people. 25% are just dumb people that don't know how password resets work. They are usually older and don't use the Internet. This guy is a Sales guy. I hate Sales guys.
Breakfast continues from the desk. Low sugar Pop Tarts that sit in a drawer.
I attack the new employee's work that has been passed to me.
Install a new hard drive for a user. Windows 7 image. Never worked. Stuck between repairing and booting normally and neither worked. This now becomes working with my manager on another fix for this user. My manager is pretty easy going and that's what I love most about my job.
First tweet of the day, "@sarahEmagee @kyle1point0 @mcgaritydotme Bubbles? Michael Jackson's monkey?" I was replying to
"@kyle1point0 @mcgaritydotme @clay_harrison Y'all. Srsly. Me = bubbles." from @sarahEmagee
First call out of the day is to an Office Manager. She's an over-laugher. I have to turn the volume down. She's one of the older users. She needs me to copy documents from a DVD to her hard drive. I know a lot of my job is hand holding and walking users through the easy stuff. The easy stuff is unknown to them and really anything you don't know now a days is something you fear.
Most of my morning is booked with calls and tickets to resolve. I get one calls that takes a long time and allows me to browse through my Tumblr account. Tumblr appears to be where all the kids are. It's neat and the haters are few. It's full of optimistic views. By kids, I mean 20 somethings. I find a lot of humor there as well as movie references. I love the comic art that is posted. I have very little to say there but enjoy the peace and quite. I am just an observer.
Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper. Need more than a Pop Tart now but talking to too many people and it seems rude to eat and talk on the phone. I do however deal with this on occasion and people will eat while talking to me. I hate it.
Off the phone and eating a banana. I got a second to post my first Tumblr post.
I love Gremlins. It's also required viewing for the Holidays.
I also find time to share this on Facebook. I also see it's a friend's (from high school) birthday. I click on his name, copy/paste "Happy Birthday!" from someone else's post. (Just because it's quick and I fear misspelling it.)
Normally, it'd be more involved but this is someone I haven't seen since the day of graduation. Doubtful I will again. I just kinda maintain that online friendship and go on.
At this point of the day I try to cut back the tabs open in Chrome. I have a bad habit of opening things I want to read or do when I get on long calls. Current tab count, 5. Threadsy, this post, Google Calendar, Tumblr reply and an article on Randy Quaid. Lots of time waster's there? Yea, I know.
Calls slow down and I'm able to actually work. I do a scan on a hard drive. I pop over to a website to vote for friend's charity. "Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance" She too is a high school friend but was at the reunion. I don't really talk to her now but did at the reunion and read about her daughter's illness. It sounds awful.
Slow day on Twitter. Mainly reading. I think because I'm focusing on this, I don't have much to say there.
Day filled with lots of random work. Tuned into the Marvel Press Conference about Fear Itself. Great promotion and looking forward to it. Might be my first monthly digital book. I can't go back to buying then in stores.
I end up pausing the Marvel conference a couple of times to get deliveries. For some reason the back door phone doesn't ring to me anymore. So after delivering mail, yes I went to college for this, I have to get my phone fixed. For lunch, I choke down left over ribs Lori made and back to work.
Made time to do an email to cover X-Mas activities. It had to be done. UGH! Family shouldn't be work.
So now I spend time in the back receiving old hardware and doing inventory. I notice now that I'm writing all this down how much I eat and drank at my desk. Some tea and another Pop Tart disappear. All the work in the back kicks my ass. People sending in the wrong things. Boxes with no paperwork appear. Most of this is a guessing game.
Remember the laptop I worked on this morning? Well now I get another one that has been imaged and is a complete replacement for the user. I go to swap them out. I hate this part. Small talk while the wheels of Microsoft crank. Slow and tedious as I move docs/shut down/swap laptops and boot back up. So his office neighbor stops by to chat. He loves to fucking talk. BLAH BLAH BLAH. I slowly start to push a bullet into my head hoping he gets the message but nope. While talking we discuss the programs he runs. One program I know for sure doesn't run on Windows 7. Talky office neighbor insist that it does. He should know. He is busy standing in the doorway talking. He works in Finance. He should know shit about IT. So after all the slow sluggish computer shit I head back to check on this program. I walk into a discussion about how people that use this program are NOT to get Windows 7. Feeble attempts are made for a work around but in the end I take his new laptop and replace it with his old laptop. Time in the morning and afternoon were wasted because no one just asked the user what programs he uses. Fuck all to hell.
Back to desk to work security tickets. Short and boring but this is the heart of what I do. I like this stuff better. I turn more Stern on and clean out the tickets I can do.
It's currently 82 degrees in Dallas when I leave work. Fuck.


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NBC Cancels Animal Practice, Calls Up WhitneyMatt Richenthal at . Comments
Animal Practice has been put down.
The sitcom, whose monkey got more press than any new star on NBC over the summer, garnered only 3.8 million total viewers this week. It will air its final episode on Wednesday, November 7 and be replaced a week later by Whitney.
Why not Community, fans of Greendale are likely wondering? There's no way of knowing, of course, but it's safe to assume NBC is waiting to air that beloved series on Thursday nights again, likely after 30 Rock has completed its final season.
Animal Practice is the second new show of the fall to get the axe, following CBS' Made in Jersey.
Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.


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If you are looking for a church w/ a strong sense of community this is the place to go. With many ministries including a group for new moms...
St Peter the Apostle Church can be found at 5th Ave 431. The following is offered: Churches. The entry is present with us since Sep 10, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In River Edge there are 6 other Churches. An overview can be found here.
Construction on St. Peter the Apostle Church began in July 1950 for the church, school, rectory and former convent. Two years later, the buildings were completed and in 1997, the interior was renovated to mark the church's 50th anniversary.


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Online ad retargeting is a very powerful concept that, in the wrong hands, can not only infuriate your prospective customers but also threatens the entire cookie-fueled display advertising market.
We've all been the victim of this: you look at a pair of pink, fluffy handcuffs on BondageMaster.com and for the next three months, the very same handcuffs appear on almost every other site you visit. Spooky.
I'm the victim of exactly this kind of cyber-stalking right now, at the hands of Fuze Meeting, the nothing-if-not-tireless web meeting service. Here's what's happening and how you can avoid it:
We were looking for a new web conferencing service for Velocity and came across Fuze. Looked interesting so we checked it out. In fact, we signed up for a year. Big mistake.
Even though we've bought the damn service, we're now all being followed all over the web with Fuze Meeting banners and boxes and MPUs. Not just on a few sites: everywhere. It's banner bullying.
And not just for a few weeks. Seemingly forever.
Worse than this: the clients we invite to our Fuze-hosted meetings are also subjected to the Stasi treatment. So essentially we've become a recuriting arm for this Hydra-headed marketing beast.
That's more than embarrassing, it's unethical, who gave Fuze permission to look in on our meetings and drop a cookie on our guests?
I've actually complained to Fuze, via customer support and direct to the marketing department. No reply. Just hundreds more ad impressions. (Yes, I can opt out of the Google targeting service -- but I actually don't want to. I LIKE relevant, targeted ads. I just don't like Hannibal bloody Lecter following me everywhere I click).
It's more than annoying, it's stupid. Not only is Fuze wasting money throwing impressions at someone who has already bought, it's also serving far, far too many impressions to a single prospect.
The concept that the Fuze team (and any other marketer considering retargeting) needs to discover is: Frequency Capping, simply putting a ceiling on the number of impressions you serve to any one prospect in a given time. Makes sense. And, according to Robin Davies of Mediaplex, implementing this simple rule in your ad server can dramatically increase the ROI of your display ad campaign.
The entire display ad market depends on the consumer's willingness to accept our cookies. If marketers abuse the privilege, the industry risks breaking this pact. Retargeting is already a bit off-putting to many online shoppers. It feels intrusive. But pushed to its limits, retargeting could easily trigger an anti-cookie law that would set online marketing back to the dial-up days. And we'd deserve it.
Lesson for the day: Don't retarget people who have already bought. If you're a hosted app, don't cookie people your customers invited in to your domain. And if you're a high-volume advertiser, put a frequency cap on it.
Comments (22)
Very good post Doug - so many people have similar stories of being stalking around the internet by pairs of trousers & frying pans. I'm currently being stalked by a Customer Retention software provider (hah!).
As you say, it's even worse when you're already bought the product - why marketers haven't mapped out the process enough to expand the campaign into this scenario is beyond me.
Also - BondageMaster.com (like any adult site), probably wouldn't be allowed onto the retargetting networks. If we were, we'd do it properly :-)
I was recently looking for software to manage academic references and found myself stalked by several providers. It is incredibly annoying when it reaches stalking proportions and ends up having the opposite effect than the advertiser actually wants.
Careful re-targeting is good as that often reminds me of something I was looking at but had forgotten where to find it but it doesn't take much to slip over into hassling.
Re-targeting is certainly getting bad press these days. A number of brands have refused to get involved as the damage to the brand is deemed greater than the sales they generate.
Having said that, if the timing is right and the message is relevant, then people are more than happy to consider the offer. The problem with tagging is that it doesn't actually tell you either of these things.
At Global Digital Markets we have a retargeting offering, and we always make the point when discussing retargeting that there are frequencies in which it becomes 'brand damaging'.
From a Retargeting companies position - retargeting volumes are small, there aren't a whole host of users you can go after with the specific cookies, and if you're the retargeting comapany you make more money the more you spend!
At GDM we have an excellent White Paper on users behaviour in retargeting - http://www.globaldigitalmarkets.com/blog/user-behaviour-in-retargeting/ . Would love to hear other peoples thoughts, as retargeting is SUCH a big piece of the online display pie now - it just needs to be managed better.
Frequency capping is important and they need to stop targetting people who have already purchased the item. It seems that re-targetting just happens to spew back to you what you have been looking at especially in the retailing sector who do it frequently using technoligies like criteo.
With privacy compliance and new rule over permmission based cookie acceptance, the long term future of retargeting in it's current format is in doubt.
Like you say, these guys are throwing their money down the drain, remarketing is meant for visitors that Didn't convert.
Unfortunately misusing remarketing seems to be a recurring problem, my boss was stalked by James Caan http://www.hallam.biz/blog/2011/01/james-caan-is-stalking-me-remarketing-gone-scary.html
As was Dave Naylor http://www.davidnaylor.co.uk/james-caans-total-business-mastery.html
And several others also came out of the wood work to complain about being stalked by the dragon.
Maybe Google needs its own internal frequency capping to prevent spamming the system?
Can't say I've personally been in the position of being stalked by a pair of pink anything I've looked at online; however the far worse consequence is where a computer is also used by minors
Regardless of what floats your boat when shopping online, your kids shouldn't find out and it is this example which underlines the EU Privacy Directive on tracking cookies... if BondageMaster.com had prompted you with a cookie and stated it may target you when you leave the site you no doubt will have rejected it...
Ensuring customers who purchased do not see the same products they just bought is vital for brand experience. At Criteo, we enable clients to segment customers who have already made a purchase, and if they choose, show them complementary products. This allows advertisers to continue to reward loyal customers with additional value whether that be through offers/discounts or additional products. For example, a customer who bought a flight to New York can be shown hotel offers or discount tickets for Broadway.
When it comes to the issue of frequency capping, the placement, creative and products displayed are optimised by Criteo to achieve the highest click-through rate and conversion-to-sale which means the user only gets shown ads and at the frequency which they are likely to interact with. This is a crucial factor to ensure users continue to have a positive brand experience across the web. If Criteo determines the user is unlikely to interact with the advertising or purchase, it does not show an ad. Positive brand experience means greater response rates. Because of this, Criteo continues to invest substantially in our creative. Our recently launched Generation 2 banners have proven this with up to 30% increases in CTRs.
We're working in an industry where intelligent technology continues to enable consumers to experience a more relevant and real-time web. Undoubtedly, this expectation is now being applied to advertising. The ability to offer consumers advertising that matches their content and browsing experiences is therefore vital if advertisers want to maximise ROI.
Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like further information about our services.
Mihiri Bonney
UK Marketing Manager, Criteo
What still baffles me is why brands still chase people after the purchase has been made. Surely, this is a redundant operation, as you've already made your decision and, if the service is good (unlike Doug's experience), you would come back of your own volition. Although retargeting has its value, surely we need to be targeting consumers before the purchase has been made, if possible.
It's the reason why we have developed a ShareGraph, which, without storing any personal data, tracks connections, not visits to websites. Based on the recommendations that consumers within their own personal networks and those of their friends, a profile can be built for them. As a result, a user can be reached before they have made a purchase, not after.
The whole internet is a social network now. It's not just the domain of the walled gardens of Facebook et al. The ability to track connections across the web is what is going to make the process a whole lot slicker, and should hopefully help to ease Doug's current frustrations!
Rupert Staines, RadiumOne
As ever it was thus, it only takes one bad apple..... But the re-targeting proposition is a sound one, in principle - good to see Criteo's response, and it would also be great to hear from Google, Struq and the like on this topic. We also have to be smart here, and appreciate that there is heightened sensitivity around this methodology at present - probably better to rein in now, and let consumer and client understanding mature catch up with reality.
it getting to be a little creepy and ridiculous with all the retargeting. i have ads following me for weeks which are annoying and certainly cant be optimal use of the inventory..
The banner retargeting was quite a phenomenon out of the gate. I had vendors calling me complimenting me on our company's outreach - they were initially impressed and shared stories of "you know, I was on site XYZ and all of a sudden there it was, a banner from your site!". By now, most of the folks have caught on. Exposing adult site visitation or not, the retargeting has the ability to expose more innocent surprise gifting efforts. One's spouse might gather upon glancing at your screen that you are going to buy her that dress from her favorite store for her birthday next week after all!
At Struq we build the Ad Pad, to give users the ability to control their online ad experiences.
Within the ad, users can "like" or "remove" products, remove brands they don't want to see ads from, and opt out of personalised ads all within the ad itself.
You can try it out here: www.struq.com/demo/adpad.html
Great thread, there is most definitely such a thing as too much segmentation.
Businesses who have long-term sustainable ad revenues put themselves in a customers shoes.
@Mihiri and the team at Criteo have done some great work with some of our clients on banner ad's and retargeting.
No segmentation is worse than some segmentation but cyber stalking damages a brand and the efficacy of the website hosting the banner, it's not just the responsibility of the network and the brand but also the partner websites hosting the banner themselves.
More visibility into unique impressions and what's being offered up to a customer means we're all singing from the same hymn sheets.
Conversions are great but a sustainable marketing programme needs to look at the pro's and con's through some frequency modelling.
Technology is all very well, but this issue can only really be addressed by planners/buyers/advertisers better understanding the nuances of re-targeting and working closer with the vendors to ensure campaigns are set up and run properly. Frequency Capping will help but is only part of the story - exclusion pixels should be implemented to 'de-tag' people if they purchase. In our experience, vendors/campaigns do need to be policed to ensure that campaigns are implemented properly because at the end of the day the vendors are out to maximise their revenue and won't always necessarily be forthcoming with options that could see an Insertion Order not being as big as they'd like.
At MyThings we firmly believe in respecting Advertiser brands, user experience and enforcing proper capping as standard. This is what we call our recency, decency and frequency guarantee, a commitment we make to all of our clients.
When we speak to new clients we are constantly hearing about poor past experiences and worry that users will get spammed and the resulting brand damage.
Whilst our platform offers a flexible business model (CPA, CPC, CPMa) the majority of our clients opt for CPA which dictates that we must be very careful with capping and always stop retargeting users once a purchase is complete.
But since our optimisation engine was originally built for CPA personalised retargeting, and driving sales not clicks, even the CPC campaigns adhere to the strictest capping rules.
We do offer the option for advertisers to retarget users who have already purchased to up-sell products but this is not turned on by default and we give full control to each advertiser as to whether or not they want to do this.
All of our banners also have opt out to make sure that user control is maintained at all times.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch for further information.
Laurent Gibb
VP Sales and Business Development
Do you hold your site sponsors to the same high standards you've outlined here? If so, perhaps you can let us know how that process works.
Six months after posting this and Fuze Meeting is STILL stalking me, my colleagues and our clients all over the web.
The only way out is to opt out of Google's retargeting service (I don't want to do that -- most marketers use it wisely and I actually LIKE relevant ads).
I like the way Struq allows you to opt out of any specific advertiser instead of the whole service.
And I like the idea of exclusion pixel, John.
At first when I heard about it, I thought re-targeting is a cool concept. Today, I start get irritated by the same advertisement displayed everywhere I go. Worse is the entire page is only showing the same advertisement. Example, one of website I visit have total of four location for adverts. Two of it showing the same advertisement. The same advertisement is everywhere I go. The truth is I love advertisement. I do find some interesting products and sites through advertisement. I prefer varieties from different advertiser. Not the same guy everywhere I go.
I was recently looking for software to manage academic references and found myself stalked by several providers. It is incredibly annoying when it reaches stalking proportions and ends up having the opposite effect than the advertiser actually wants.
Careful re-targeting is good as that often reminds me of something I was looking at but had forgotten where to find it but it doesn't take much to slip over into hassling.
Exactly how I feel, Arrivu and SteroidS (love the name -- performance enhancing marketing?)
Retargeting is a great idea but when it's so clumcily excuted it just annoys.
If you looked for an academic reference management tool and got eth same ad over and over, it's a waste. It's just lazy.
Why not offer a piece of content, then a different piece of content, then an offer or webinar invitation... The advertiser should grope around to find a hook that will get you to re-engage. Not just spam the hell out of you.
BTW - FUZE finally stopped stalking me. They must have spent a hell of a lot on me -- and I'm already a customer! (The ads weren't upselling, they just didn't know I'm already on board).
I know exactly how you feel! I just sent off a "Cease and Desist" letter to an online store, that's following me so closely, I wonder if they haven't taken up residence in my home as well. I didn't sign up for anything, they are doing this totally by cataloging my I.P. address.
It's maddening, and seems like it should be illegal. I feel like they're Peeping Toms, and I "know" that's a criminal act. Gah!


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'Umbrella' Watch 2008: Is Usher's 'Love in This Club' the Song of the Summer?
Sure, this song is stupid — but don't count it out.
From now until something displaces last year's "Umbrella" from the top of our iTunes most-played list, Vulture will be judging the contenders for this year's Song of the Summer.
Usher feat. Young Jeezy, "Love in This Club"
Yes, the first single from Usher's Here I Stand — a soulful request to Ush's ladyfriend to copulate in the middle of a crowded dance floor — is totally idiotic. It's also purportedly constructed exclusively from samples that come included with Apple's GarageBand. Even so, it's probably best not to count it out. 2004's "Yeah!" wasn't exactly "God Only Knows," and that did okay. Plus, there are enough remixes of this track to give it a second chart life once the original's run its course (you've already heard the Lil Wayne-Beyoncé version, and there's allegedly one with Jay-Z on the way too). Also, the hook is sort of growing on is, unsanitary though it may be. Worst-case scenario: This will be a massive club hit (at least until people actually start befouling dance floors).


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- How can I be a student program leader?
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Prospective Faculty
1. How do I apply to participate on an Alternative Break program?
After attending information sessions and/or meeting with the leaders and reading about the current programs on the website, you may apply online via EngageNet by first creating an interest profile. Once the interest profile is completed, you may apply for any of the CCES programs, including Alternative Break programs.
2. Who is eligible to participate on an Alternative Breaks program?
Currently enrolled American University students, both undergraduate and graduate part-time and full time degree seeking students (including Washington School of Law).
3. Can I get credit for Alternative Break and how?
Yes, you can register for SIS 386: Topics in Global Social Justice. Also, you can work with your program leaders and/or professors for an independent study credit. Students who are above the 17 credit maximum will be responsible for paying for the additional credit hour.
4. Will I miss days of class?
No. You are not allowed to miss class for an alternative break program.
5. How much does it cost?
Cost depends on the distance and length of time of the direct engagement component of the program. Domestic programs usually cost around $350 - $950, Latin America $1400 - $2200, Asia and Africa $3000 - $4,000. Program prices include group airfare, food, lodging, and all activities. Not included are visa and immunization costs. Program leaders' costs are either partially or fully subsidized.
As mentioned in question 3, academic credits above the maximum 17 are not included and would entail an additional cost.
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Students select staff or faculty of their choice with experience relevant to the trip social justice theme and destination. You must be full-time "exempt" faculty or staff at American University. If you are interested in accompanying a program, you can connect with a student who needs a staff/faculty leader by contacting the Center for Community Engagement & Service. Faculty/staff advisers are responsible for supporting the student leaders through the program process, from orientation, direct engagement, and reorientation/activism.
10. Is there financial aid or scholarships?
Yes, some funds are available through a Travel Grant through our department. Check with the Center for Community Engagement and Service for current funds. Additionally, all groups are encouraged to fundraise to offset the cost of the programs.
If you choose to do the credit option for the program, you may be able to apply your financial aid award to pay for the trip. Check with Student Accounts and Financial Aid offices to discuss this possibility.
11. Who will be leading the program?
Two student leaders and a staff/faculty advisor.
12. What immunizations do I need?
You are responsible for talking with your physician and looking on the Center for Disease Control website to make informed choices of which immunizations you will need. Search for your destination country on the travel health page.
Travel Clinic near American University:
Foxhall Internists
3301 New Mexico Ave., NWSuite 348Washington, D.C. 20016
Phone: 202.362.4467
Fax: 202.362.2303
13. Are the programs' destinations safe?
Student leaders work with the Center for Community Engagement and Service to create a safe, educational and service-oriented itinerary and curriculum for the direct engagement component of the program. All travel, domestic and international, comes with a level of risk that students should be aware of. Students should research their destination and take all safety precautions necessary. See safety and health for resources.
14. As an international student can I go on an Alternative Break Trip?
International students are very welcome to join an Alternative Break program! Talk to International Student and Scholar Services about travel requirements such as visa regulations.
15. As a queer student what should I expect?
Alternative Breaks are queer friendly and often work together with the GLBTA office to plan queer social justice themes for programs, such as queer youth homelessness in San Franscisco. Please read the articles from GLBT Peace Corps Alumni for discussions of issues to be aware of in international travel. Also please visit AU's GLBTA Resource Center here.
16. When do the programs take place?
Alternative Breaks programs require a full year commitment from their participants.
Orientation activities take place in the semester prior to direct engagement and involve weekly trainings on the social justice issue, service-learning, and cross-cultural communication.
The direct engagement component of Alternative Breaks take place over winter, spring, or summer break for two weeks, one week, and three weeks respectively.
Finally, participants spend the semester after direct engagement working on activism projects and reorientation activities.
17. Can I participate on or lead a program after I graduate from AU?
18. I am an AU alum. Can I participate after I graduate from AU?
19. Can non-AU students participate?
No. You must be an enrolled AU student to participate.
22. Can students with disabilities go on Alternative Breaks?
The Alternative Break program makes every effort to ensure that students with disabilities can participate successfully in Alternative Break programs. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee that facilities or support services will be available at each location abroad in the same range and quality as on the AU campus.
We encourage students with disabilities to meet with staff in the Academic Support Center (ASC) or Disability Support Services (DSS) to discuss accommodation needs and identify appropriate sites overseas. Please contact Disability Support Services at 202-885-3315 or the Academic Support Center at 202-885-3360. They're more than happy to work with you on the subject.
22. Can we do fundraising for our program?
Yes, participants can solicit funds from individuals or businesses.
To make a tax deductible donation online,
click here.
Click on the button that says "Designations", then select "Alternative Breaks" under "The Student Experience". Finally, if you'd like it to go to a specific program, write in the name of the trip in the Special Instructions box.
To make a tax deductible donation with a check, checks can be made out to "American University" and mailed to the American University Development Office.
Mail checks to:
Office of Annual Giving
American University
4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20077-4916
Attn: Alternative Breaks {trip name}
Donations are only tax deductible if they are done through the AU Development Office and cannot benefit an individual student. Donations are distributed equally among all participants for that specific program. All remaining funds are added to the Alternative Break Travel Grant Fund for students with financial need.
To donate to an individual student, please mail a check to the student directly (not tax deductible, but will help that student greatly!).
23. Why are Alternative Breaks alcohol free?
Alternative Breaks were founded as an alternative to the typical spring break experience. Alcohol affects group dynamics, participant safety, the local community, the university, and the national alternative break student movement. As members of the alternative breaks organization, Break Away, we adhere to the 8 Quality Components, including alcohol free breaks.


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Link Building Services
LinkBuilding.org is an SEO Company helping clients climb the search engine rankings using organic SEO methods. We utilize successful SEO tools, including article distribution, natural link building, directory submissions, contextual link building, article submission and syndication, RSS feeds syndication, press release distribution, social bookmarking, link baiting and many more, to ensure our clients achieve the search engine ranking position they deserve.
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There are many different types of links and link sources. Here are just a few types of quality links we create for your site:
See Plans and Pricing >>>


text: Promoting Employee Health Begins with Consistency Apr 20, 2012 2:04:00 PM There's a lot of chatter about the benefits of workplace wellness. In fact, it has become a major area of focus for many organizations. And it's no surprise – many big companies and small businesses have benefited from wellness programs. Download Weekly Wellness Back To Top


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Saturday, July 12, 2008
Interview: Pete
Pete: In a way, CBMMN is what started it all. Ever since I was a small child, all I ever wanted to do was make a living by being beautiful, and no matter what I did or where I went that dream lingered in the back of my thoughts. CBMMN gave me the confidence to make that dream a reality and make the world a more beautiful place.
Me: Truly inspirational. Any wisdom or advice to the other Cute Boys on how to manage their newfound internet babe status and also become famous male models like you?
Pete: Well I mean it's hard not having a personal life, sometimes I wish I could just walk around like a "normal" person. Like today, I just wanted to buy a coffee, and the barrista was like "oh, you're that super beautiful babe from the internet and magazines, have your coffee for free!" it's tough. I just dont let it go to my head. I'm still the same person I always was, just with more threesomes. As for becoming famous? Well, I just always knew it would happen. and it did, so just believe.
Me: Wow! Maybe I could even be a model?!?!?
Pete: No. You no.
7 comments:
- Cellar door said...
hey LOVE the blog!
just thought i would let you know, though, that i got 404'd when i clicked on the "famous male model" link on this post!
so yeah.
but thanks for all the cuteness!
it really makes me wish i lived in paris but also makes me sad because all the cutest ones like boys. :(
- July 12, 2008 at 10:48 PM
your posts are fucking golden, lady.
- July 13, 2008 at 2:34 AM
- cuteboysmakemenervous said...
thanks!! and the link should be fixed now.
- July 13, 2008 at 5:01 AM
- Anna said...
He's hot... can we get like a ranking system or something? It's a nice way to show appreciation, go shopping for our favs, etc.
- July 13, 2008 at 8:11 PM
- Froufrou said...
this is so funny :) love it
- July 14, 2008 at 6:25 AM
hey there, oh i can post without having to sign up, wicked!
who is this pete boy?
i want real interviews!
parisian boys are cuter in person, i believe (it's the accent)
talk to you soon!
- July 16, 2008 at 9:13 PM
- Rug Cleaning Los Angeles said...
HAhA, a Super cute boy who's funny? TROUBLE for me!
- November 28, 2011 at 6:13 PM


text: FoodMaking food go further Food is a popular way many of us socialise and we spend a good amount of time and money on it. Yet 15 million tonnes of food and drink is thrown away every year. That's the same weight as 2 million double decker buses. Half of this is from our homes alone, costing £470 per household per year. You can help stop edible food from ending up in the bin. Tuck into the feast of events, blogs and recipes here and see how easy it is to make the most of your food, and save some money. 3 things you can do today Plan ahead. Take a moment to think about the week ahead - when will you be eating at home? Try and plan a couple of meals ahead, make a list of what you need to buy and only buy what you need. Freeze it. If you cook too much or forget to eat something near its use by date, chances are you can freeze it and eat it later. Eat your leftovers. If you cook too much or can't finish a meal, pack it for lunch. Even if you're eating out, ask for a doggy bag. Go a bit further - run your own campaign. Home Do something Top tips Recipes Blog Ideas bank Collaborate Food White bean and rosemary soup This hearty soup from SORTEDfood really delivers. It packs a punch of flavour with a little hit of spice and it's silky smooth. All the good stuff. Ingredients (Serves 6-8 as a starter) Soup 500 g white beans 2 shallots 2 cloves garlic 1 carrot 1 stick celery 2 tbsp olive oil 2 sprigs rosemary 1/2 tsp chilli flakes 250 ml white wine 2 l vegetable stock Pistou 1 big bunch basil 10 g parmesan 1 clove garlic 50 ml olive oil the serve To serve 1 handful bread croutons Method Tip the beans into a bowl, cover with water (enough to cover the beans by at least 5cm). Clingfilm the bowl and soak overnight. Peel and dice the shallots, garlic, carrot and celery. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the veg. Saute for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the drained, soaked beans, the rosemary and the chilli flakes. Continue to saute for a few minutes, getting the pan nice and hot. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble away until it's reduced by half. Add the vegetable stock and bring everything to a simmer. Cook for 4 hours (until the beans are soft), topping up the water to keep it a few cm above the beans if necessary. Transfer the soup to a heatproof blender (make sure it's heatproof!) In batches, blitz up the soup, pour in the double cream and adding the cold butter as it blends (this makes it go super silky). Keep the soup warm and make the pistou Place the basil, parmesan, garlic and olive oil in a mini blender or mortar and pestle. Blitz or bash up the mixture to a rough but pourable paste. Pour the soup into bowls and pour the pistou in swirls. Finish with a few croutons and serve while it's hot! Recipe and picture courtesy of SORTEDfood for the #vegcurious campaign.


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September 05, 2014 09:01 ET
LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Sept. 5, 2014) - Robix Alternative Fuels Inc. ("Robix" or the "Corporation") (CSE:RZX) announced today that David Edwards has resigned from the Board of Directors and the Company has appointed Kevin Aylward as Director. Mr. Aylward is the former Minister of the Environment with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador under Premier Brian Tobin and is currently a strategic advisor to Robix. His decision to join the Robix Board of Directors further solidifies his involvement with the Company.
"I would like to thank Dave for his valuable contributions to the Robix Board and I wish him much continued success," commented Nathan Hansen, President and CEO. "We are delighted to welcome Kevin Aylward onto the Board. I believe Kevin's guidance and experience will be complementary to the existing skill set of our Board of Directors."
In addition the Company announced that it is cancelling the proposed private placement originally announced on August 7th, 2014. Following discussions with its Board of Directors, management is pursuing other financing opportunities/structures.
About Robix:
The Corporation is an "industrial products/technology" company, offering to investors a unique opportunity to participate in a leading company in the business of ownership of patents, and their development from commercialization to worldwide expansion through various business arrangements. Robix owns a Clean Ocean Vessel ("COV") patent, which is an oil spill recovery vessel design with the capability to recover oil in rough and debris laden sea conditions. Robix has recognized a worldwide market opportunity for effective containment, recovery and disposal equipment, particularly in the oil spill protection industry, and it proposes to develop a business model as a service provider, and/or equipment provider under licensing agreements with other industry participants, wherein Robix will use its COV patented design solution.
No stock exchange or any securities regulatory body has reviewed the contents of this news release.
This news release may contain certain forward-looking information. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and such information involves various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. A description of assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information and a description of risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in the company's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. The Corporation does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Robix Alternative Fuels Inc.Website: www.robixfuels.comNathan HansenPresident & CEOTel: 250-683-8957Email: firstname.lastname@example.com RayChief Financial OfficerTel: 403-327-3094Email: email@example.com
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Re: Abbs of Norfolk, England
In reply to:
Re: Abbs of Norfolk, England
Lesley Rogers 9/13/01
Hi Lesley, this is really interesting to me. My great grandparents were:
Emma Becham(?) & Jacob Abbs (who apparently owned or managed nursuries around the city) who had 5(?) children -
Ellen May Abbs, born Norwich on May 4, 1881 (my grandmother)
Alice Kate Abbs (known as Kate)(physically handicapped)
Harry Abbs
Frank Abbs
Minnie Abbs (the only one to stay in England - the rest went to Saskatchewan, Canada in 1912)
Ellen May Abbs (Wilson) met (in Victoria, BC in the 1930's)with her uncle William Abbs who was married to a widow with a son from California. Apparently he was a black sheep of the family & said he wanted his money to go to family (never materialized of course).
I wonder if this could be the son William Abbs in the census?
Thanks very much,
Shirley Martin (nee Gosling)
More Replies:
Re: Abbs of Norfolk, England
Re: Abbs of Norfolk, England
- Re: Abbs of Norfolk, England


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Could Mickey Rourke Win an Oscar for 'The Wrestler'?
Mickey Rourke is getting some of the best reviews of his life for Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler, in which he stars as a WWE-type gladiator twenty years past his prime. Reviews arriving from the Toronto Film Festival praise the movie itself but can't stop talking about Rourke: The Hollywood Reporter's Stephen Farber calls it "a career-best performance" and "a winning tour de force"; Variety's Todd McCarthy does him one better, gushing "Rourke creates a galvanizing, humorous, deeply moving portrait that instantly takes its place among the great, iconic screen performances." Wow! The film — in which Rourke's character, Randy "the Ram" Robinson, sets out to connect with daughter Evan Rachel Wood and stripper friend Marisa Tomei while mounting a return to the ring — is sparking buzz of a possible Oscar.
It's all fairly ironic considering the trajectory of Rourke's career, from early promise to mid-nineties flameout. He may feel like the type of guy who's had a bunch of those media-assisted comeback moments, but a look back doesn't reveal too many plum roles between his eighties peak and 2005's Sin City. Those familiar with Rourke-career marginalia, however, know that Quentin Tarantino originally wanted Rourke to play Butch Coolidge in Pulp Fiction, but he turned it down and Bruce Willis eventually stepped in. Fittingly, Rourke's would-be validation role in The Wrestler only became available after Nicolas Cage — an actor who could really use some critical acclaim right about now — left the project. But hey, Nic, National Treasure 3! Nice!
Related: Ten Things You Need to Know About 'The Wrestler'
Confirmed: Mickey Rourke Still Crazy
Is 'The Wrestler' This Year's 'Little Miss Sunshine'?
'The Wrestler' Takes Top Honors at Venice; Mickey Rourke's Comeback Pretty Much Unavoidable Now
Shades of Brando [NYM]


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FORT HOOD, Texas – Investigators say unstable mental health may be the underlying cause of a soldier's fatal shooting rampage at Fort Hood this week. But they also believe an argument with another service member likely preceded the attack.
Spc. Ivan Lopez turned his gun on himself after killing three people and wounding 16 others Wednesday at the nation's largest Army post. It's the same Texas military base where more than a dozen people were fatally shot by a soldier in 2009.
Lt. Gen. Mark Milley is Fort Hood's senior officer. He says Lopez's psychological issues may be the "fundamental, underlying cause" of the attack.
Lopez had been undergoing treatment for depression and anxiety while being evaluated for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Milley also says Lopez was likely involved in an argument before the shooting.


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Sensory Couple: Wicked smart or crazy stupid?
Welcome back Sensors! We're now halfway through our series and things are really starting to get intense. The adorable meter went off the charts, and some questions were answered while some were not. So join Cici, Marakeshsparrow ,and me as we go over all the moments our characters were wicked smart and all the moments they were crazy stupid in our fourth week of Sensory Couple.
Watch episode 7:
Firnlambe: Ok so pretty sure i'm really glad they cleared up exactly WHY Murder Chef didn't know he killed the wrong Eun Seol. Plus it's a totally legit reason too.
Cici: I'm thinking that it may be related to a lot more than his mistake murdering the wrong girl. People with that disability--prosopagnosia--also typically have a difficult time forming close attachments to others. I'm not saying it's a justification for becoming a murdering psychopath, but it may have been a contributing factor.
Marakeshsparrow: I still want to know how he chooses his victims and what their connections are. I'm thinking something traumatic probably happened in his past that caused his disability and led him to become our favorite resident Murder Chef. I have to say, despite the fact that he's killing people (I guess that has to be a big despite), I was super impressed how clever the fake alibi he created was and how he went about moving the cars that had Joo Mari and Dr. Chun. He's like an evil genius!
Firnlambe: Agreed. I have to admit though, when the detective with the Russian girlfriend came storming in I was super proud that he was able to show us something where he actually contributed to the cause lol I mean he couldn't have been a total ditz the entire show.
Cici: I was really impressed with the Lieutenant. She and Moo Gak came up with a pretty clever plan to try to catch the murderer, and that whole coma thing totally had me fooled. Once Chef figured out that they were trying to trap him, his response was also very clever. But what impressed me most was the way that Lieutenant figured out how much he knew, and what his responses told about him. This really is becoming a battle of wits.
Firnlambe: Ok I'm sorry . . . did anyone--anyone else want to throttle the rest of the team during that scene? Here they are, waiting for Murder Chef to show up so they can spring their trap . . and what are they doing? sitting in an OPEN room playing with their guns! GAH!!!! Totally unprofessional and STUPID!!! //fumes silently//
Marakeshsparrow: That part almost killed me! I was dying of laughter--who are these guys, real cops or kids playing dress up? Aside from that, the plan was pretty ingenious. Moo Gak definitely had me fooled until the moment when he pulled a gun out from under his blanket. On a side note, I loved how he teased Cho Rim about how upset she was when she thought he was in a coma. And then there was that epic YooChun speeding down a hill in a wheelchair scene. Pure gold.
Cici: It's lucky she is so cute, or I might seriously hate her for how stupid she is sometimes. My big question is, why doesn't she ask to "see" Moo Gak's clothes after he is brought in to the hospital? She could have identified the attacker with one sniff. AND then she keeps talking to Murder Chef like he is some kind of sympathetic friend, all the while giving him important information that could endanger Moo Gak. Can't she use her super sense to tell when he's lying?
Firnlambe: In regards to Moo Gak being in a coma, I have to admit I was skeptical as soon as Cho Rim started making a fuss in the room. I totally expected him to open his eyes and look at her leaving. And in regards to Cho Rim being ridiculous I think it's totally within her character at this point, so it doesn't bother me. Since we are on the topic of Moo Gak and Cho Rim . . . . ADORABLE COUPLE IS ADORABLE!!! seriously!! I don't think I have ever been so happy while watching a fictional relationship as I have been with these two. I can't wait for them to become an official couple in this show, particularly now that they've kissed.
Marakeshsparrow: They are definitely adorable. There's some great chemistry between them. BUT I would like to address another stupid Cho Rim moment that had my head spinning a bit. And I will do so in the form of a haiku. //ehem//
Kissing Park Yoo Chun
Then Cho Rim runs away--What?
This girl be crazy
That is all.
Cici: ROFL. That pretty well sums up my reaction as well. Although her expression as she was leaving did make her even more adorable.
Firnlambe: I personally found her reaction to be very believable . . . stupid . . . but believable. If only because of their cultural tendencies. I'm not saying that's what I would have done had someone as adorable as Moo Gak kissed me but I'm not going to hold it against the poor girl lol. This was more than likely her first kiss anyway, so I'm willing to cut her a little slack.
Marakeshsparrow: I guess I was just a little surprised by her pulling back a bit. Not just with the kiss. She clearly likes him at this point and has been trying to get his attention a bit more and after he engages she backs down. She ran off, then she seemed hesitant to let him in to her place to have a bowl of seaweed and sea urchin soup, like she was nervous to have him around. I mean, she probably would be nervous, it just seems like she should be more excited knowing he might like her too now. But maybe I'm just frustrated because of my own love for Yoo Chun, hahaha.
Cici: She's like the kid who asks for a pony, then has no idea what to do with it once she gets it, lol. I think the fact that her dad is out of town might have had something to do with her reluctance as well. But I loved her reaction to tasting the soup. She had just complained about not having any remembrance of her life before the accident, not even any feelings when she looked at pictures of her "parents". Of course, she doesn't know at this point that they aren't her real parents. But when she tastes the soup, her heart remembers.
Firnlambe: I'm glad she's started to remember her past, I am . . . this means more adorable scenes between her and Moo Gak. BUT!! I am very displease that Dr. Stupid told Murder Chef he accidentally left Eun Seol alive . . . after he swore to protect the sole remaining witness he goes off and TELLS the murderer "oh by the way you failed to kill the only person who saw your face and lived to tell about it." GAH! I was, and still am, extremely upset at that plot development.
Marakeshsparrow: Right? What was that all about? I'm wondering if that was meant to shake Murder Chef up, let him know that he's not as safe as he thinks? Whatever Doc's intentions were, I'm still going to agree that it was totally stupid. I still don't really understand how he cracked the code . . . and what did the "Golden Fish" and "The Hermit" have to do with anything? Did he even use those books to crack the code? That had me scratching my head a bit.
Cici: I'm confused about that, too, and I'm wondering if something got lost in translation, so to speak. I'm also wondering why Eun Sol's mother was writing in a book about her daughter and what she liked. At first I thought the murders might be sort of random, but it is now apparent that Murder Chef knew every person he killed fairly intimately. I wonder what their connections are, and why they all wrote their stories.
Firnlambe: The stories are written for his barcode book collection. As far as I can tell, he has each victim write in a book. I'm sure he doesn't really care exactly what they write in the book but because of his compulsion and pattern he needs them to write something so his barcodes mean something . . . . at least that's what I take away from it. It makes me wonder who wrote the suuuuper huge book he has in the collection.
Cici: Did you notice that some of the books on his shelf have barcodes that don't conform to the pattern? I'm confused about the significance of that as well. But there's something else about Chef that has me wondering. Prosopagnosia is often caused by a traumatic injury to the brain. I wonder if Dr. Chun was treating him for pain associated with an injury, and that's how they got to know each other.
Marakeshsparrow: Hmmm, and I thought it was just because Doc worked above Murder Chef's restaurant . . . Haha. No, you bring up a good point though--I think there's definitely more to the devious chef than meets the eye. I didn't expect him to have a disorder like that, but it did explain his odd, cold behaviour. I think it's going to be like peeling back an onion with him, there are many factors that have led him to kill the way he does.
Firnlambe: So what you're saying is . . . Murder Chef is an Ogre and he has many layers?
Marakeshsparrow: Murder Chef is actually Shrek, yes. lol
Cici: Shrek before he was turned into an ugly ogre by a mean witch? Cause he certainly doesn't look like an ogre.
Marakeshsparrow: Plastic surgery is a marvelous thing.
Firnlambe: This leaves a very important question then . . . . who would be Donkey to Murder Chef's Shrek? . . omo! It's gotta be Cho Rim!! She certainly fits the profile with her seemingly transparent smarts. HAHAHAHA OMG and Moo Gak can be her Dragon!!!
Marakeshsparrow: Hahahahahaha! OMG. I don't even know what to say now. I'm just imagining this epic Sensory Couple/Shrek crossover. In this version, Shrek murders his Princess Fiona though.
Cici: Excuse me? Can we please get back to the actual drama? I want to know what you thought of Moo Gak's sudden ability to feel pain. Is he getting back his senses at the same time that Cho Rim is getting back her memories? He even almost tastes the food she cooks for him, if only to recognize that it tastes like his mom's cooking. (I thought it was hilarious that he insisted that she use a lot of MSG in the recipe, by the way.) I think they may be healing each other.
Firnlambe: Yes moooom. //grins// I noticed that too actually. I think that because they're meant to be together, they even had the pass by of destiny on their gurneys, that must prove that somehow they're eternally linked. HOW exactly is beyond me but it's way too coincidental that he begins to have some sort of feeling when she starts to regain memories.
Marakeshsparrow: They're definitely connected by fate! But I'm really excited that Moo Gak is starting to feel again (because of a kiss! //swoons//). NOT as excited for Cho Rim to get her memories back, honestly. I know once they figure out who she really is there's going to be some mega angst. Moo Gak will probably have a hard time getting past the fact that she's indirectly the reason his sister was killed, and she'll probably be wracked with guilt, blah, blah, blah. Can't we just skip to them being happy? //sighs//
Firnlambe: Yeah I'm not looking forward to the mega angst that will probably happen--oooooh I'm guessing end of episode 10 or 11--but it's inevitable so I hope they just get it over quickly and as painlessly as possible.
Cici: Ooooo, let's lay bets on which episode contains the angst-ridden, noble-idiocy-producing reveal. I'm thinking more like episode 13. Marakeshsparrow? Care to make a wager? The loser pays for a Drama Club get-together road trip---no pressure!
Marakeshsparrow: Ha! Well I like the sound of a DC road trip! Funding it however . . . //prays to gambling gods// I'm going to go right down the middle here and say the S hits the fan in episode 12!
So, which way do you think the scales tipped this week? These next episodes can't come soon enough. Do you feel that Murder Chef having a serious case of prosopagnosia makes sense? Do you have any new theories now that more and more information has been revealed? Will you be able to provide us with a better fan name for Sensory Couple fans everywhere besides Sensors? Be sure to let us know in the comment section below and don't forget to vote on if the characters were wicked smart or crazy stupid.
For More from Sensory Couple Drama Club check out:
Cici: @cicikdrama | Triangle | Discovery of Romance | Tomorrow's Cantabile | The Technicians | Kill Me, Heal Me |
Firnlambe: Soju-Like-Kdramas | @firnlambe | Google + | Blood | Past Drama Clubs
Marakeshsparrow: @marakeshsparrow | Jessa Leigh (Marakeshsparrow)
Catch the recaps from previous weeks here:


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ENROLLMENT IS NOW CLOSED. SIGN UP TO RECEIVE UPDATES ON OUR Fall COURSE!
Rethinking Crisis: An Introduction to Transformative Mental Health Care
IDHA is excited to announce our upcoming training which offers an overview of non-traditional approaches to understanding mental health crises. We expose students to a variety of models for supporting those in crisis such as: Trauma-Informed care, Peer support, Need-Adapted treatment, and Crisis Respites. Community-based, recovery-oriented and peer-driven alternatives are taking an increasingly prominent role in the new formal and informal care network. We are here to pave the way for new and innovative approaches by increasing the number of mental health workers, family members, and survivors who are trained in these methods and can build communities of transformative practice.
What's unique about our approach to learning?
Because we value lived experience as highly as professional training, each course will be led by both a mental health clinician as well as a someone who identifies as a survivor, has used mental health services, and/or has experienced a mental health crisis. This means you receive holistic and nuanced perspectives from experts by trade and experts by experience.
Are you a mental health provider, worker, or student?
We offer Continuing Education (CE) credits to individuals looking to expand their knowledge of mental health services and practice new skills.
Are you a family member, friend, co-worker, peer, a support for someone in crisis, or a survivor yourself?
Great! We would love for you to join us and learn more about the kinds of transformative practices and support systems that exist for those in need!
Course Structure
Our training covers 4 main questions: (1) How do we understand crisis? (2) What factors contribute to crisis? (3) How do we work with individuals who are in crisis? and (4) Which systems support those in crisis? To address these questions we will explore ground-breaking research, theory and practices, first-person perspectives, and cross-cultural evidence supporting the need for innovative models of care.
This training is 8 weeks in total, the first class being held September 12th, 2017. One class is held per week on Tuesday nights 6:30-8:30pm. You can sign up for the full training or pay per class. All classes are held at East Village Access: 242 East 2nd st. New York, NY 10009
Class Schedule:
September 12th: Being With Those in Crisis
September 19th: (De)Institutionalization and Self-Determination
September 26th: Trauma
October 3rd: Models of Mental Difference
October 10th: Human Rights and Systems of Power
October 17th: Media, Marketing, and Meds
October 24th:Holistic Health and Psychopharmacology
November 7th: Examples of Alternative Practices


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General Requirements
Minimum OS version: Android 2.1
Processor: Recommended 1Ghz. Minimum 550Mhz (Droid 1).
Memory: Must support VM Heap Size of 24M or greater. (Some older phones are only 16M and fail during map load, returning an OutOfMemoryError!)
Screen Size: The game runs natively on WVGA (800x480) or FWVGA (854x480) screens. Other screen sizes are handled via scaling (see below).
QVGA (240x320): Scaling
WQVGA400 (240x400): Scaling
WQVGA432 (240x432): Scaling
HVGA (320x480): Scaling
WVGA800 (480x800): Native
WVGA854 (480x854): Native
Tested/Reported working phones:
Motorola Droid
Motorola Droid X
Motorola Droid 2
Samsung Galaxy S / Captivate / Fascinate / Vibrant / Epic 4G
HTC Desire
Nexus One
LG Ally
Untested phones that probably work:
(These phones need verification. If you have one of these, please reply to this thread and tell us how it works!)
Droid Incredible by HTC
MyTouch 4G
Untested phones that may work using resolution scaling:
(These phones need verification. If you have one of these, please reply to this thread and tell us how it works!)
(Also, some of these phones have slower processors which may not run the game at good framerates.)
HTC Magic / myTouch 3G (HVGA)
HTC Tattoo (QVGA)
Motorola Cliq (HVGA)
Samsung Moment / Samsung Intercept (WQVGA)
HTC Wildfire (QVGA)
Other QVGA, WQVGA, and HVGA phones.
Phones that definitely will not run the game:
Vodafone 845
HTC Hero / Droid Eris - reportedly works rooted though
Old phones running android 2.0 or below
Keep in mind that while the "working" phones listed above may run the game, they may not necessarily run it at playable framerates if they do not meet the CPU requirements.


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The addition of the unique functionality required by Canadian healthcare providers into our solutions allows our products to be used in many types of facilities across Canada.
Garden City, NY (PRWEB) January 09, 2013
Meta® Healthcare IT Solutions, a leading clinical software provider, is pleased to announce that it is expanding its offerings to include solutions designed for Canadian Healthcare Providers.
Meta has tailored its MetaCare Enterprise™ EHR suite of solutions, which includes solutions for clinical documentation, computerized physician order entry, pharmacy management and bar coded bedside medication administration, to meet the specific requirements of the Canadian market including addressing governmental regulations and guidelines. MetaCare Enterprise EHR is a complete enterprise-wide electronic health record that enables the automation and streamlining of clinical workflows with a focus on enhancing patient safety.
"Through the offering of our products in Canada, we hope to bring our affordable and comprehensive solutions to more facilities to help clinicians improve patient outcomes, reduce medication errors, streamline operations and contain costs," explained Sal Barcia, CEO of Meta. "The addition of the unique functionality required by Canadian healthcare providers into our solutions allows our products to be used in many types of facilities across Canada, ranging from hospitals and addiction treatment centers to behavioral health and long-term care facilities."
About Meta Healthcare IT Solutions
For more than 20 years, Meta Healthcare IT Solutions has been developing software solutions that exceed the expectations of the healthcare industry by providing innovative and comprehensive clinical information solutions to hospitals and healthcare facilities. Our MetaCare Enterprise EHR™ suite provides health systems with a comprehensive and integrated solution to reduce medication errors, enhance clinical documentation and improve patient outcomes at the point of clinical care. Organizations seeking excellent products backed by highly motivated and committed support have chosen Meta for the best solutions at reasonable costs. For more information, contact Meta at (800) 768-1920 or sales(at)metacaresolutions(dot)com.


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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A man is recovering after he was stabbed during a fight outside a club in Station Square.
Police were called to Whim nightclub just before 2:30 a.m. Friday where they found a group of people fighting in the parking lot and one man covered in blood.
Things could've been a lot worse for the victim had it not been for a young woman who happened to be there. Clarice Burse knew just what to do.
And following the incident, she has a message for the victim's family.
"I just wanted to let them know I tried my best and I'm glad that he survived," said Burse. "He's in my prayers and he was a strong young man."
Burse was at Whim nightclub when the incident happened. She saw the stabbing victim, identified as William Murphy, covered in blood.
"He ran over with his hand across his chest, like, 'He stab me he stab me,'" Burse said.
Burse is studying to be a first responder at CCAC North Side. Her EMS training kicked in right away.
"I applied pressure and kept talking to him to keep him alert, and kept him on his side so the blood could run out of his mouth so it wouldn't fill up in his throat and he couldn't breathe. It was a lot, a lot of blood," said Burse. "I was scared. I was up all night. I didn't know if he was going to make it or not, but I tried my best to keep him alive while I was on the scene until the paramedics got there."
Murphy was later taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital in critical condition.
He is expected to survive.
Man In Critical Condition After Station Square Stabbing (10/4/13)
More Station Square News


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By Kim Palmer
CLEVELAND (Reuters) - The family of an Ohio man shot and killed by police while holding a BB gun in a Walmart store filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit on Tuesday against the police and the national retail chain.
John Crawford, 22, was shot after a 911 caller reported a man with a gun at the Beavercreek Walmart in a suburb of the southern Ohio city of Dayton.
In a surveillance video released by authorities, Crawford, who is black, can be seen picking up an unpackaged BB gun off a shelf and walking through the store while talking on a cell phone until a white police officer shot him.
Crawford's death came a few days before the Aug. 9 fatal shooting by police in Ferguson, Missouri, of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, which is being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department and has focused national attention on the use of deadly force by police.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, names the city of Beavercreek; Sean Williams, the Beavercreek police officer who fatally shot Crawford; Sergeant David Darkow, who accompanied Williams; Police Chief Dennis Evers; and the Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
The suit said Williams shot Crawford about one second after making contact with him.
In September, a nine-member grand jury opted not to indict the two officers involved in the shooting on murder, reckless homicide and negligent homicide charges.
Wal-Mart officials were not immediately available for comment.
(Reporting by Kim Palmer; Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Bill Trott)


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For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square metal baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang for easy removal. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Stir in melted butter until combined. Set 1 1/4 cups oatmeal mixture aside. Press remaining oatmeal mixture firmly into prepared pan. Bake until light golden brown, about 8 minutes. Cool completely. Stir cashews into the reserved oatmeal mixture.
For the filling: Whisk the flour, brown sugar, instant espresso powder, cinnamon, chili powder and salt in a medium bowl. Put the chocolate and butter in large microwavable bowl; microwave on medium power until chocolate is softened, stopping every 30 seconds to stir. Stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Whisk in eggs, then stir in flour mixture. Pour filling over cooled crust and sprinkle with reserved oatmeal mixture.
Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Remove using foil overhang and cut into squares.
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b. Dallas, Texas
Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis on oil painting,
Pepperdine University, 2008
Solo Exhibitions
WAAS Gallery for Factory Girl, "Paper Doll"
Canton Street, Dallas, TX
April 24–July 1, 2014
Gallerie Noir: "Caroline Oliver"
Dragon Street, Dallas, TX
Feb. 23–March 10, 2013
Mokah Art Gallery: "Sugary Paint: New Works by Caroline Oliver"
Taylor Street, Dallas, TX
August 8–September 24, 2011
Group Exhibitions
Pepperdine Alumnae- Juried Showcase
Los Angeles, CA
October–November 2014
Art Conspiracy: "Wrecked"
Dallas, TX
June 7, 2014
WAAS Gallery Pop Up
Dallas, TX
April 12, 2014
Cohn Drennan Contemporary for The Ashton: Margaret Evangeline and Caroline Oliver
Dallas, TX
November 2013–March 2014
"I aspire to be an artist that is as adept as she is passionate. To keep growing, it 's imperative to constantly humble yourself and be flexible to change. To me, painting is like life. You have to joyfully embrace times of celebration. Equally, you must progress through what 's hard and confusing: stepping back to think before you act, keep alert to your intuition and wait for the right opportunities—not touching what already has substance and extracting anything that does not contribute. In all, my goal is to make work that occurs organically but has palpable intention and force.
My paintings blend femininity with eeriness and of ten give allusion to hanging canopies— lines and drips pulled taught with soft blurs of color. I choose to paint abstractly because I want the viewer to solely consider movement and color relationships. Additionally, I use oil paint because its smooth and malleable nature is conducive to expressing color's own richness."


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Wearable Graphics produces band merch for world-renown bands and custom screen printed apparel for local businesses and national organizations. With 25 years in business, our solid reputation is built upon a firm commitment to providing exceptional customer service, the highest quality standards, and a wide assortment of apparel and promotional products. We have the knowledge and expertise to handle projects of all sizes and complexities, paying attention to every detail – working within your budgets and your timelines.
© 2014 Wearable Graphics Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed the USA. Website: Bonfilio Design Photography: Michael Cobb


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(Third in a series of posts inspired by Kelly Minter's Bible Study No Other Gods.)
Turning up the volume on the radio, I wasn't sure I'd heard the announcer correctly. She was sharing her thoughts on the Oxford English Dictionary's word of the year for 2016. It is an annual event for the dictionary staff to narrow down a list of words that highlight the ways the English language is changing in response to current events. In case you haven't heard yet, this year's word is "post-truth." The official definition is: "Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief." So, basically, post-truth means defining what is true based on feelings and personal beliefs rather than actual facts.
For followers of Jesus, navigating life in the era of "post-truth" means we must swim against the current of our culture. While people around us are deciding what they want to be true based on their feelings, we must hold firmly to the truth of God's Word. I see a clear connection here to what I'm learning about lies in No Other Gods. Author Kelly Minter says, "I don't see God's heart in Scripture telling us to separate ourselves with a self-righteous finger that points at all the 'sinners' in pop culture. Instead God clearly teaches us to love all people. But loving is very different from putting ourselves in the way of messages that oppose His truth. It's different than leaving open doors for the lies of culture to waltz into our hearts." (No Other Gods, p. 67)
The lies of our culture permeate our lives, subtly and continually influencing us to revise our stance on what is actually truth. Reading through 2 Timothy 3, it's easy to see connections to our world today: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." (2 Timothy 3:1-4, NIV)
So many examples from current culture come to mind as I read this that it's hard to know where to start. With the onslaught of technology and the rise of social media, it's become commonplace to embrace and celebrate every one of those things. It's not hard to see pleasure and comfort are valued more than almost anything else. Many movies, shows, theater productions, magazines, popular songs and famous people model and promote living in a way that lacks self-control and values self-absorption (and pretty much everything else listed).
As followers of Jesus, however, we are called to a different standard. We cannot afford to be "always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." (2 Tim 3:7, NIV) God's Word is our standard of truth, but it's up to us to absorb what we learn and then to live like we believe it. In a world that no longer cares about actual truth, this is especially challenging. The more we make choices that honor God, the more unusual we will appear to others in our culture.
Now that you've seen what NOT to embrace, maybe you'd like some specifics to help you understand how to honor God and stay aligned with truth. Here is a great start: "Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love." The final statement of this passage explains what we gain as a result: "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:5-8, NIV)
I don't know about you, but if I'm going to follow Jesus, I don't want my endeavors to be ineffective or unproductive. I don't want to ride the fence and dabble in my faith while simultaneously letting the world shape my values and opinions.
I also don't want to be someone who knows the truth of God's Word but chooses to embrace the lies of the world or let my emotions lead me. People like this are in the worst position of all: "If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them." (2 Peter 2:20-21, NIV)
Living according to God's Word is the path to freedom, hope, wisdom joy, and salvation. Our culture continually feeds us lies to distract us from this truth. God's ways and plans are best, but the Enemy will stop at nothing to make us forget this. He loves to lure people into compromising what they know is right so that they can find fleeting acceptance, false hope or temporary comfort. But we know better, don't we? Hold tightly to God's Word and continue to study it diligently. Although you can't entirely remove yourself from the lies that permeate our culture, you can learn to identify them and reject them when you know the truth.
In Session 3 of No Other Gods, Kelly Minter includes lyrics to a song about lies written and performed by one of the "NOGS." To hear "Liar's Dream" by Alli Rogers, click on the link. If you have your book handy, you can follow along by reading the lyrics on pages 71-2.


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Palm Oil Free Soap
I started making soap as a fun thing to try, and quickly became frustrated with every recipe requiring palm oil. I dislike the use of palm oil for many reasons, and I don't wish to enter into a debate there – but I wanted to move away from the use and find a recipe that avoided palm oil.
After some experimentation I had a recipe based on Olive oil, Coconut oil, Mango butter and Shea butter, which produced a lovely hard soap bar with excellent, lasting lather, and which seemed to hold scent well too.
This will be my basic Palm Oil Free soap – with a plain variety for those of you who like it pure and simple, and other varieties as well.


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flexifoil strike 15 m2 and 11m2, great condition, not really used. two kites, with kitebags, one pump an une carbon bar complete, with 5th line.never repaired. I send pictures.
you also can see them in this link
price of the cack, 700 eur.
http://www.segundamano.es/fichaI.cfm?id ... %2011%20m2
kites flexifoil strike 15 y 11 m2


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Today's customers want—and expect—a seamless and convenient transaction experience when applying for a loan or opening a new account.
Denver, CO (PRWEB) May 14, 2014
Avoka, a leading customer experience management company specializing in SmartForm & Transaction Management (SFTM), will showcase Avoka TransactWeb, a software platform revolutionizing the business forms industry by transforming paper, PDF and web forms into a seamless omni-channel customer transaction experience, at BFMA International 2014, the annual conference for forms and business process professionals, held May 13 - 15, 2014, in Greenwich, CT.
Today's customers want—and expect—a seamless and convenient transaction experience when applying for a loan or opening a new account. Avoka TransactWeb's innovative technology lets customers start, stop and finish a single transaction across all channels—branch, call center, web, mobile—without interruption.
"Avoka TransactWeb delivers what organizations need," said Philip Copeland, CEO for Avoka. "Our patented technology simplifies processes and improves convenience giving organizations the power to rapidly create, deploy and manage multi-channel SmartForms without programming."
Avoka TransactWeb:
- Perfect for banking, wealth management, insurance, education, utilities and government organizations.
- Requires no programming.
- Transforms enterprise-level form-based transactions from account opening, loan applications and claims into cross-channel SmartForm transactions available on smartphones, tablets and desktop computers.
- Supports customers with both self-service and assisted channels such as in-branch, call centers and mobile sales staff.
- Gives customers the tools and convenience of moving seamlessly between devices and channels when completing a single transaction.
Don't miss Avoka TransactWeb at this BFMA Educational Sessions:
From Paper Claim Form to Mobile Claim Lodgement in Days (Really!)
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
11:00am – 11:50am
About BFMA
BFMA works to address the unique educational and networking needs of forms and business process professionals. Visit http://www.bfma.org.
About Avoka
Avoka is one of the world's leading customer experience management companies specializing in SmartForm & Transaction Management (SFTM). Avoka powers more than 16,000 Digital SmartForms for banking, insurance, healthcare, construction, energy, mining and education companies, and government organizations worldwide, capturing and delivering over 100 million business-critical customer transactions each year into back-office ERP, BPM, ECM and CRM systems. Avoka has operations in the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Visit http://www.avoka.com.


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Hyperparathyroidism Blog
from the Experts at the Norman Parathyroid Center.
Interesting stories of hyperparathyroidism we see every day.
Interesting stories of hyperparathyroidism we see every day.
Is taking calcium every day dangerous? For most people, taking calcium pills every day for bone health is safe. But there are certain circumstances that may make daily calcium supplements inappropriate or even increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. Over the last few years, you may have seen reports warning of the risks associated with taking daily calcium supplements. While it's true that there are risks, there are also benefits, just like for any supplement or medication. In this article, we'll assess the risks of taking calcium daily for many years, and give a practical approach to calcium supplementation.
Women have been told for generations that they should take calcium pills daily for their bones. It has been known for many years that post-menopausal women are prone to developing osteoporosis and therefore, taking calcium every day was presumed to help prevent this bone thinning. But as it turns out, it is considerably more complex than just taking a few calcium pills every day, and for most people, those calcium pills will not help. For instance, we know that exercise is extremely important to bone health in post-menopausal women. We also know that other elements such as magnesium play a considerable role in bone health. Parathyroid function may be the biggest factor that is overlooked. Parathyroid glands control the amount of calcium in the blood and in the bones, and as many as 2% of women will have problems with their parathyroid glands, and therefore, problems with the amount of calcium in the blood or bones.
Parathyroid problems are common in adults, and are three times more common in women. In fact the highest incidence of parathyroid problems and hyperparathyroidism occurs in post-menopausal women. All women who are considering taking calcium for their bones must know their blood calcium level as well as their parathyroid hormone (PTH) level. If a person (man or woman) has blood calcium that is elevated even a little bit, then they can be presumed to have a problem with one of their parathyroid glands. As it turns out, the extra calcium in the blood is actually coming from the bones! If this is the problem, then taking calcium will not help, and can even make things worse. Treating the parathyroid disease by removing the parathyroid tumor is the only way to help the bones in this scenario. Read more about hyperparathyroidism.
After parathyroid surgery, we start everyone on daily calcium and Vitamin D supplements. The reason is straightforward: when you have a parathyroid tumor, it makes a hormone (PTH) that leaches calcium from the bones and puts it into the blood. Once that tumor is out, your bones start pulling calcium in again and the calcium in your blood will drop as the calcium enters the bone. Since your body relies on a steady calcium level in the blood, you need to replace that calcium. More about this here.
Every supplement, including calcium, has potential risks. Some people are wary of taking calcium supplements, as several studies over the last few years show potential harm in them if taken without guidance. Specifically, there is concern that calcium supplements cause cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes. Researchers have performed long-term studies comparing adults who take calcium supplements to those who do not. These studies have found mixed, and sometimes contradictory, results. Some studies show that calcium supplementation has no effect on the incidence of heart attack, stroke, or death. Others show that heart attacks and strokes occur more often in those on calcium supplements. Some show a harm for men but not women.
Is Taking Daily Calcium Safe? When evaluated overall, it can be difficult to pin down exactly how harmful calcium supplements are. In general, though, it does appear that there is a small risk in taking long-term calcium supplements.[i] Most people who take calcium supplements will likely have no harmful effects from it, but a few people will put themselves at higher risk of a heart attack or stroke. Of note, this does not apply to dietary calcium – the calcium you get from food like dairy products and leafy green vegetables. The risks are only associated with supplemental calcium. As stated above, you should always know your blood calcium levels and if they are even a little bit high you should be tested for hyperparathyroidism and should avoid calcium.
If there are risks to daily calcium, why put your parathyroid patients on calcium? The best way to think about this is to treat any vitamin or supplement as a medication. Every medication has side effects, but if the benefits outweigh the risks, we take the medication. Calcium supplements are an absolute necessary medication after parathyroid surgery, because your body is adjusting to new parathyroid hormone and calcium levels, and your bones need the calcium. People who undergo parathyroid surgery have had a parathyroid tumor (or two) taking calcium out of their bones for many years. There is a very clear benefit to calcium supplements to these patients- which far outweighs the small risk. Long-term, supplements may help with osteoporosis – but again, this is treating them like a medication for osteoporosis. Vitamin D and magnesium should also be thought of as medications for osteoporosis.
Important note: While calcium supplements can be used as a treatment for bone loss, they are not effective in preventing bone loss, except in those with very low dietary calcium intake. Adults with normal bone density and normal blood calcium levels gain little from taking calcium supplements. Since there is a small risk of taking the supplements, the risks outweigh the (near zero) benefit, and thus calcium supplements are not indicated.
Most adults do not need to take calcium supplements. Everyone should strive for a balanced diet that includes calcium-rich foods, including leafy green vegetables and dairy products. With this alone, most people will maintain the correct calcium levels.
Who should take daily calcium? Some people need to be on calcium supplements. If you are in one of the categories below, then you should take calcium supplements, as their benefit outweighs the risks.
Everyone needs some calcium every day. Multiple organ systems in your body depend on a steady supply of this essential mineral. For most adults, adequate amounts can be obtained from diet.[ii] The World Health Organization recommends getting 500 mg daily.[iii] More is required for those with osteoporosis or intestinal malabsorption as noted above.
Calcium supplements are necessary right after parathyroid surgery, and can be tapered down over several weeks. We start almost everyone on Citracal Maximum, a combination of calcium citrate and Vitamin D. Our standard regimen is as follows:
We increase this amount sometimes to 6 or even 8 pills per day for the very first day for people who have very large parathyroid tumors for many years and who have very bad osteoporosis.
After their first month of high calcium listed above, we recommend continuing calcium and Vitamin D for six months for adults with normal bone density and a regular diet. These people can stop taking calcium at that time. For those with osteoporosis or malabsorption issues, we recommend staying on the supplements long-term. For those with a permanent malabsorption of calcium, as occurs after a gastric bypass, lifelong calcium supplementation will be necessary.
For postoperative patients with osteoporosis, we advise supplementing with calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin D. Ideally, much of the calcium will be obtained through a calcium-rich diet (dairy products, but also leafy green vegetables), but we also recommend taking around 600 mg of calcium supplements. We also start patients on 400 mg daily of magnesium, another essential mineral for bones. Since Vitamin D aids in calcium absorption, we recommend taking around 2000 units of Vitamin D daily. As always, this is something you should be discussing with the doctor that is following the osteoporosis for you.
For those with osteopenia, we recommend getting a calcium-rich diet and taking Vitamin D supplements (1000 to 2000 units daily). Calcium supplements will need to be taken postoperatively, as with all parathyroid patients, but these can be stopped after 6 months unless your doctor advises differently.
There are risks to taking calcium supplements – just like there are risks with every medication and supplement. We need calcium, but most or all of it can be obtained from a healthy diet. For those with osteoporosis or an intestinal problem with absorbing calcium, long-term calcium supplements are recommended, as the benefit outweighs the risk. Finally, after a parathyroid operation, everyone needs to take calcium for at least 6 months.
[i] For a very good summary on the latest research on calcium supplements and cardiovascular risk, read this article published in 2017 in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jch.13010/full
[ii] Just to make things more confusing, the definition of adequate varies by country. In the United States, the Institute of Medicine recommends 1000 mg a day for most adults, and 1200 mg daily for women over age 50. Other countries have lower requirements: the U.K. recommends 700 mg daily, and the World Health Organization recommends getting 500 mg daily. The current U.S. recommendations may be too high, especially given the growing evidence that excess calcium supplementation can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
[iii] Read the WHO recommendations for preventing osteoporosis