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Significant social events and increasing use of life-sustaining treatment: trend analysis using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as an example
BMC Medical Ethics volume 15, Article number: 21 (2014)
Most studies have examined the outcomes of patients supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a life-sustaining treatment. It is unclear whether significant social events are associated with the use of life-sustaining treatment. This study aimed to compare the trend of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use in Taiwan with that in the world, and to examine the influence of significant social events on the trend of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use in Taiwan.
Taiwan's extracorporeal membrane oxygenation uses from 2000 to 2009 were collected from National Health Insurance Research Dataset. The number of the worldwide extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cases was mainly estimated using Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary July 2012. The trend of Taiwan's crude annual incidence rate of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use was compared with that of the rest of the world. Each trend of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use was examined using joinpoint regression.
The measurement was the crude annual incidence rate of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use. Each of the Taiwan's crude annual incidence rates was much higher than the worldwide one in the same year. Both the trends of Taiwan's and worldwide crude annual incidence rates have significantly increased since 2000. Joinpoint regression selected the model of the Taiwan's trend with one joinpoint in 2006 as the best-fitted model, implying that the significant social events in 2006 were significantly associated with the trend change of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use following 2006. In addition, significantly social events highlighted by the media are more likely to be associated with the increase of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use than being fully covered by National Health Insurance.
Significant social events, such as a well-known person's successful extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use highlighted by the mass media, are associated with the use of life-sustaining treatment such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a critical life-sustaining treatment, works as a modified heart-lung machine, sustaining severely ill patients for several days or weeks while the patients await treatment for or undergo recovery from cardiac or respiratory failure. In 1972, Hill et al. reported the survival of a severely traumatized 24-year-old patient who presented acute respiratory distress syndrome and was supported using ECMO during the acute phase of the disease [1]. To date, ECMO has been used to sustain the lives of patients who exhibit respiratory or cardiac failure refractory to conventional intensive treatments [2–4].
As presented in the report "Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary July 2012," the annual number of ECMO patients gradually increased from 1,644 in 1990 to 3,346 in 2011. Since 1990, a total of 50,667 patients have received ECMO for cardiac or respiratory failures, or ECMO-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation [5].
In Taiwan, ECMO was first administered at the end of the 1990s, but such treatment was not fully covered by National Health Insurance (NHI) until December 1, 2002. ECMO was involved in two high-profile cases in Taiwan in 2006 and 2007; the spouse of a mayor who was a famous movie star [6, 7] and a TV celebrity [8]. These cases attracted substantial attention, demonstrating that administering ECMO can save severely ill and dying patients. In 2008, a press conference held by a university-affiliated medical center in Northern Taiwan further highlighted the use of ECMO to assist patients receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation [9, 10].
Previous studies have focused on the outcomes of ECMO use in North America and Europe [11–14] and Taiwan [15, 16]. Identifying ECMO use trends is crucial for examining how the use of life-sustaining treatments, such as ECMO, relates to significant social events headlined by the media. Therefore, in this study, secondary data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) were used to estimate trends in the crude annual incidence rate (CAIR) for ECMO use in Taiwan between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2009. The objectives of this study were the following: (1) to compare the trend of ECMO use in Taiwan with that worldwide; and (2) to examine the influence of significant social events on the trend of ECMO use in Taiwan.
Data collection
We used SAS 9.3 software (Statistical Analysis System 9.3 for Windows PC) to construct our analytical data file. We used secondary data from the Taiwan NHIRD, which was provided by the Bureau of NHI and managed by the National Health Research Institutes. This large database comprises all NHI claims and registration data and is freely available for research purposes. By using the Taiwan NHIRD, we extracted and organized the registration and hospital care data for all patients who were supported using ECMO between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2009. We also estimated the annual population of Taiwan on July 1 of each year from 2000 to 2009 by using the Taiwan NHIRD.
The annual number of worldwide ECMO cases during the study period was obtained from the annual number of ECMO cases reported in Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary July 2012, excluding the annual number of ECMO cases in Taiwan. We obtained the world population estimate for each year starting from 2000 from the "World Population Prospects: the 2010 Revision," published by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Population Division [17]. We considered the Least Developed Countries incapable of initiating ECMO use and omitted these countries from the denominator of the worldwide CAIR [18]. Thus, the world population estimates for each year was equal to the total world population minus the population of the Least Developed Countries and Taiwan.
We defined the CAIR as the number of ECMO cases per million people in a single year. We derived the CAIR for Taiwan and the world for each year, comparing the CAIR of ECMO use in Taiwan with that in the rest of the world.
Statistical analysis
We plotted two trends: (1) the CAIR of ECMO use in Taiwan; and (2) the CAIR of worldwide ECMO use. We conducted linear regression of the CAIR of ECMO use in Taiwan on Year (explanatory variable), and the CAIR of the worldwide ECMO use on Year (explanatory variable). We recognized the increasing trend of each model if the coefficient of explanatory variable in the model is a positive value with statistical significance. The goodness-of-fit of each regression model was examined using the value of the adjusted R square. To ascertain whether the CAIR of ECMO use in a given year was autocorrelated, we derived the Durbin-Watson statistic for each linear regression model. We used the Pearson correlation coefficient to examine the linear correlation between Taiwan's CAIR and the worldwide CAIR in a year.
To examine whether significant social events affected trends in the use of life-sustaining treatments, we performed joinpoint regression analysis for the trend of ECMO use in Taiwan and the trend of ECMO use in the rest of the world. Joinpoint linear regression is a statistical method used to determine the number of segments needed to adequately account for the linear relationship between two variables. The permutation test is used repeatedly in Joinpoint Regression Program to select the final joinpoint linear regression model. What the program does is to try to choose the smallest number of joinpoints such that if one more joinpoint is added, the change of the model is not statistically significant [19, 20]. We supplied the minimal and the maximal number of joinpoints as zero and two respectively, and the minimal number of data point between two joinpoints as two.
All statistical analyses in this study, except joinpoint regression, were carried out using the software package of STATA 11.0/MP for Windows PC. We performed joinpoint regression using Joinpoint Regression Program 3.5.2 for Windows PC which was developed by National Cancer Institute in the United States of America [21]. This study was approved by Research Ethics Committee in National Taiwan University Hospital (No.201212043W).
The annual number of ECMO cases in Taiwan nearly quadrupled during the last decade, from 257 cases in 2000, to 886 cases in 2009. By comparison, the annual number of worldwide ECMO cases has increased by 37.63%, from 1,600 cases in 2000 to 2,202 cases in 2009. The CAIR of ECMO use in Taiwan has dramatically increased, from 11.71 cases per million people in 2000 to 37.47 cases per million people in 2009. By comparison, the CAIR of worldwide ECMO use increased from 0.29 cases per million people in 2000 to 0.37 cases per million people in 2009. The CAIR of ECMO use in Taiwan was more than 40-times that the CAIR of worldwide ECMO use. Table 1 shows the disparities in ECMO cases and the CAIR of ECMO use in Taiwan and throughout the world.
From 2000 to 2003, the CAIR of ECMO use in Taiwan increased, and gradually decreased from 2003 to 2005. However, the CAIR of ECMO use in Taiwan has shown a dramatic upward trend since 2006. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the CAIR of ECMO use in Taiwan, indicating that the CAIR of ECMO use has significantly increased over time (β coefficient = 2.8058, 95% C.I. = 1.6925 ~ 3.9192, p < .01), attaining an adjusted R square value of 0.7846. By comparison, the worldwide CAIR of ECMO use slightly decreased beginning in 2000, reaching its lowest level in 2004, after which the worldwide CAIR gradually increased to its highest level in 2009. The upward trend of the worldwide CAIR of ECMO use was statistically significant (β coefficient = 0.0075, 95% C.I. = 0.0016 ~ 0.0135, p = .02), attaining an adjusted R square value of 0.4548. However, comparing the CAIR of ECMO use in Taiwan with the worldwide CAIR for each year showed no significant linear correlation (r2 = 0.6116, p = .06). Joinpoint regression for the trend of Taiwan's CAIRs finally selected the model with one joinpoint in 2006 as the best-fitted model. By comparison, the best-fitted model for the worldwide CAIR selected by joinpoint regression was the model with no joinpoint.
We used the Durbin-Watson test to examine whether any two consecutive CAIRs showed positive or negative autocorrelations in the two trends. For the model that had one regressor (k = 1) and 10 CAIRs (n = 10), the lower and upper limits of the 5% significance values were 0.879 (d L ) and 1.320 (d U ), respectively. Neither the Taiwanese nor worldwide CAIR of ECMO use showed positive or negative autocorrelations.
Main findings
Although the outcomes of ECMO have been extensively researched [14, 22–24], no study has investigated the trend of ECMO use or how significant social events influence such trends. We showed that ECMO use in Taiwan substantially increased over time with a joinpoint in 2006, implying a particularly high demand for ECMO thereafter. The trend of worldwide ECMO use also increased over time, but no joinpoint was present between 2000 and 2009, indicating that the trend did not change during this period. We did not identify any positive or negative autocorrelations in the trends of ECMO use, suggesting that significant social events in 2006 were associated with the dramatic change in the trend of ECMO use in Taiwan.
Dissimilarities between Taiwan and the world in ECMO use
Our results showed that Taiwan has a higher demand for ECMO as a life-sustaining treatment compared with the rest of the world as indicated by the follows: first, the CAIR of ECMO use in Taiwan was approximately 40-times higher compared with that rest of the world; second, the yearly increment of CAIR in Taiwan was 2.8058 cases per million people, which was substantially higher compared with the yearly increment of worldwide CAIR, 0.0075 cases per million people.
Several possibilities may account for the high demand for ECMO as a life-sustaining treatment in Taiwan: first, the higher incidence of cardiac or respiratory failure refractory to conventional treatments in Taiwan than that of the rest of the world; second, more relaxed indications for initiating ECMO in Taiwan than the indications for initiating ECMO in the rest of the world [2–4, 25]. The first possibility is not supported because no evidence shows that the incidence of cardiac or respiratory failure refractory to conventional treatments is higher in Taiwan compared with the rest of the world. The second possibility is also not supported because no study has examined whether the indications for initiating ECMO in Taiwan and the rest of the world are strictly followed. However, it may be likely that the indications for initiating ECMO in Taiwan are more relaxed than those in the rest of the world due to various reasons. This needs more studies to examine whether the indications are more relaxed, as well as the reasons associated with why the indications are more relaxed.
Health-related information demonstrated on the media may influence the general population's provision and health-related behaviors, such as patients/family members' consideration of requesting ECMO [26] and physicians' ethical consideration of initiating this life-sustaining treatment. As indicated by cases of another life-sustaining treatment, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the media often presents audiences with overtly optimistic information regarding the survival rates of patients who receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Such reports may cause the general population to mistakenly believe that cardiopulmonary resuscitation always saves patients; thus people may be inclined to request cardiopulmonary resuscitation when family members experience cardiac or respiratory arrest [27]. Therefore, patients and their family members in Taiwan may mistakenly believe that ECMO is always successful at saving critically ill patients, and becoming inclined to request ECMO as a life-sustaining treatment for the critically ill patients. This could explain why the demand for ECMO is considerably higher in Taiwan compared with the rest of the world.
We located no joinpoint for worldwide CAIR trend; however, the trend with a joinpoint in 2006 was the best-fitted model for the CAIR of Taiwan. The Durbin-Watson test showed no positive or negative autocorrelations between any two consecutive CAIRs for the ECMO use trend in Taiwan (Table 2), indicating that the abruptly increase in ECMO use after 2006 cannot be simply explained by the CAIRs before 2006. There may be some other issues associated with the trend change, such as famous personnel's successful ECMO use headlined by the media.
Significant social events and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use in Taiwan
ECMO use has been fully covered by NHI in Taiwan since December 1, 2002. As expected, ECMO use showed an upward trend following this policy change (Table 1, Figures 1 and 2). The number of ECMO cases in Taiwan increased from 311 in 2002 to 461 in 2003, and the CAIR of ECMO use increased from 13.81 in 2002 to 20.37 in 2003. Nevertheless, no joinpoint was identified in 2002 by employing joinpoint regression (Table 2). Notably, ECMO use in Taiwan slightly decreased from 2003 to 2005. Thus, the full coverage of ECMO by NHI was associated with the increasing initiation of ECMO use in Taiwan in 2003, but not between 2003 and 2005. In addition, we only examined the trend of ECMO use in Taiwan from 2000 to 2009. H1N1 pandemic in 2009, which may be associated with more ECMO use in the rest of the world, absolutely did not have any influence on the trend change during the study period in Taiwan [28, 29].
From the end of 2006 to the beginning of 2007, a TV celebrity and the spouse of a mayor recovered following the long-term use of ECMO to sustain their lives. The media highlighted their stories of being successfully rescued by ECMO. Health-related information presented by the media, particularly stories featuring celebrities and other notable people, may influence the general population's medical decision-making of requesting life-sustaining treatments such as ECMO [26].
Our study showed that the survival of the TV celebrity and the mayor's spouse after the long-term ECMO use may have led the general population to mistakenly believe that ECMO always saves patients from all life-threatening conditions. Therefore, the family members of severely ill patients in Taiwan may be more likely to request ECMO, and the attending physicians, usually in fear of law suits [30, 31], are more likely to perform ECMO without carefully deliberating its suitability. As a result, an abruptly upward trend of ECMO use occurred following 2006, immediately after the significant social events highlighted in newspapers and TV programs. In addition, our study also showed that the full coverage of ECMO use by NHI may not significantly influence physicians' judgment for initiating ECMO or the patients/family members' preferences for requesting ECMO. The medical information of celebrities or other notable persons had a greater influence on the trend of ECMO use in Taiwan than the policy to fully cover ECMO use by NHI.
Medical decision-making to request, withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment is a critical issue in bioethics. Physicians assist in medical decision-making by providing medical information and suggestions based on scientific and humanistic principles, and do so with respect for patient autonomy. By comparison, patients usually make their medical decisions based on not only the medical information and suggestions given by the physicians, but also their personal values, preferences, and past medical experiences [32]. Consequently, significant social events highlighted by the media may influence patients' and family members' values and preferences, thus influencing their medical decision-making to withhold, withdraw or request life-sustaining treatments such as ECMO.
One of the social events, the mayor's spouse who was a famous movie star, not only highlighted on newspapers and internet web pages, but also extensively reported by TV news programs [33]. Several years after the event, a local TV news program showed the lasting influence of the significant social event on using ECMO. A woman who stopped at a traffic light was struck by a falling object and severely injured. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was immediately performed, after which, the victim was transported to a nearby hospital in deep coma (Glasgow Coma Scale = 4). Her husband broke down while being interviewed by the TV reporter, and said "I hope the health care team tries as hard to resuscitate my wife as the health care team members did for the mayor's spouse" [34]. This case suggests that social events extensively reported by the media can influence patient and family member decisions to request life-sustaining treatments such as ECMO.
We do not consider our examples of the significant social events and the dramatic upward trend of ECMO use in Taiwan following 2006 to be causally related; a causal relationship must meet stringent requirements such as a temporal relationship, strength of association, a dose–response relationship, and so on [35]. However, our results satisfied the following two criteria for judging whether a relationship is causal: first, the trend of ECMO use in Taiwan immediately increased following the two significant social events, indicating a temporal relationship between the events and the increase in ECMO use; second, we measured the strength of the relationship by estimating relative risk levels and determined that the risk of ECMO use in 2007 was 1.6016-times more than the risk of ECMO use in 2006 (p < .01), indicating a strong association. Thus, the relationship between the aforementioned social events and the dramatic upswing in ECMO use in Taiwan following 2006 is more than a mere statistical relationship.
Strengths and limitations
The media strongly influences public understanding of medical science, social controversies, and ethical considerations. In addition to examining the trends of ECMO use in Taiwan and throughout the world, we investigated how specific and noteworthy social events influenced the demand for ECMO use. By using data from the Taiwan NHIRD, we showed that significant social events highlighted by the media, such as a celebrity being saved using ECMO, are associated with the increasing demand for ECMO as a life-sustaining treatment.
Our study has the following limitations. First, concerns may exist regarding the reliability of ECMO use in Taiwan and throughout the world. We collected data regarding ECMO cases in Taiwan from the NHIRD, which contains all NHI claims and registration data. Although NHI covers 99.91% of the population in Taiwan [36], health care professionals could have provided ECMO to a small number of uninsured patients. In addition, we obtained the worldwide ECMO use data from Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary July 2012, which was reported by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. The number of worldwide ECMO cases may be underestimated because not all medical centers report ECMO cases to the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization [37]. Furthermore, the denominator for calculating the worldwide CAIR was the population of the world minus the population in the Least Developed Countries. Therefore, the comparisons of CAIRs between Taiwan and the rest of the world may be of concerns. Nevertheless, the higher demand for ECMO in Taiwan compared with the rest of the world is convincing, and the significant social events are associated with the increasing ECMO use in Taiwan with statistical significance. Second, we did not ascertain whether the ECMO cases in Taiwan and in the rest of the world strictly followed the indications for initiating ECMO, namely, severe cardiac or respiratory failure refractory to conventional treatments.
ECMO use is increasing more rapidly in Taiwan compared with the rest of the world. In this study, we examined the current practice of ECMO by using the largest dataset in Taiwan. Our findings showed that full coverage of ECMO by NHI did not substantially encourage ECMO use. By contrast, significant social events highlighted by the media, such as the successful use of ECMO to treat celebrities, were strongly associated with the increasing use of ECMO. Our results suggest that additional studies are required to determine the characteristics of the significant social events to predict the occurrence of trend change, how the information presented by the media affects medical decision-making, the trends of ECMO use based on age and sex, and the social and ethical implications of the outcome and disparities of ECMO use in Taiwan.
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Pre-publication history
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6939/15/21/prepub
The authors assure that there are no conflicts of interest to disclose. The authors also want to thank Miss Wei-Chih Yang, for her helps with retrieving data from the National Health Insurance Research Database. This study was partly supported by research grants from Taiwan National Science Council (99-2511-S-002-003-MY2, 101-2511-S-002-009-MY3 and 101-2511-S-002-010-MY3), National Taiwan University Hospital (103-N2590) and by Taiwan's National Health Research Institutes, through grants PH-100-PP-19 and PH-101-PP-16. This study was based in part on data from the National Health Insurance Research Database provided by Bureau of National Health Insurance, Department of Health, and managed by National Health Research Institutes (Registered numbers: 100171 and 100227).
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Authors' contributions
YC carried out the literature review, study design, statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript. LC carried out the statistical analysis and edited the draft. TH helped with the literature review and statistical analysis. WK helped with study design and editing the draft. TC participated in the study design and coordination. YN helped with drafting the manuscript. SC participated in the study design. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Chen, YY., Chen, L., Huang, TS. et al. Significant social events and increasing use of life-sustaining treatment: trend analysis using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as an example. BMC Med Ethics 15, 21 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6939-15-21
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6939-15-21


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Music: Nasty C – Black Lives Matter
Published by Swiftloaded
Nasty C addresses the way black race is treated on "Black Lives Matter", it talks about the current black killing going on social media.
Although they are a lot more about this song that we would really love to talk about, but due to the fact that we know how urgent a listen is important at this point, but we'll let you take a listen and do the talking yourself.
Stream and Download Nasty C – Black Lives Matter Mp3 Below:


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East Coast Services - Deerfield Beach HVAC Service
Deerfield Beach Commercial & Residential AC Repairs
Deerfield Beach Residential AC service from us, East Coast Services, will serve you exceptionally well. Confidently hire our esteemed AC services today! We've been proudly serving South Florida since 1981, providing clients with first-class AC service, durable workmanship and attentive client service. As soon as you request service, we will dispatch an expert technician to you.
Professional Heating & Air Conditioning
With us managing your AC issues, you can expect our AC technician to arrive at your private residence quicker than you can imagine! Our aim is to ensure that your maintenance and, or repair work can be completed before it becomes an even more serious issue for you. Every job we perform, receives the necessary professionalism and high-quality workmanship that clients, both commercial and residential, have come to expect from us. Call us today for FREE estimates on any model new unit that we offer for sale, here at East Coast Services. Leave Deerfield Beach Residential AC issues to us, the experts here at East Coast Services.
We will make sure that we repair and maintain your AC well, so that you and your family can stay cool in the comfort of home. We will also take the time to explain every detail of the intended work-process, throughout your service call. You will get prompt answers to all of your AC related questions. We even share AC tips! Have you heard about our 24 emergency service line? We installed it for you, our treasured client! Take advantage of it, as soon as you face an emergency situation requiring AC services. Did we mention that we guarantee our work? We do! Speak with one of our friendly AC technicians today, for Deerfield Beach residential AC service. Our other services include: AC maintenance, AC installation, AC sales, AC services associated with any type of residential or commercial tenant renovations, retrofit, new construction. We own extensive AC material and parts.
Services We Offer:
At East Coast Services, we offer AC Emergency Service, AC Seasonal Maintenance, AC Maintenance Agreements, AC Equipment Repair and AC Replacement, AC Leak Detection and Repair, Indoor Air Quality Assessment. For any type of new construction projects, tenant renovations, retro-fit, new installations, regardless of requirements and needs, our AC services will prove ideal for you! We make everything cost effective for our clients. Regular maintenance of your AC unit will save you substantially.
Deerfield Beach HVAC Services
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- Ask about our yearly maintenance program for your residential or commercial Air Conditioner.


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Shadowmare Rings Belt
Thick waist belt made of high-quality natural leather with nickel steel elements.
Closed with large ring on the front.Can be adjusted on the side.
Waterproof and resistant to abrasion.
Our belts are handmade using upcycled leather only.
It is 4cm wide.
Handmade in Poland.
Material: natural leather and waterproof nickeled alloy.
Europe | 3 - 10 working days | from €10 |
USA, Canada, Australia | 14 - 20 working days | from €12 |
Rest of the world | 10 - 30 working days | from €12 |
Our products are made in Poland and that's where we ship them from. The shipping fee changes depending on the country of destination and amount of products you're ordering. Your order will be shipped via either DPD, Global Express, FedEx or UPS. Read more
Once your order is dispatched, you will get notified with tracking URL and tracking number.
SKYDANCE makes exchanges and returns easy. You can always return your order by sending it back within 14 days since receiving items with returns formula enclosed. Learn more here.
production costs |
taxes and legal fees |
fixed costs |
margin |
SKYDANCE is a small family run business from Poland. We are a registered business, pay all taxes, and operate according to Polish law. We produce locally, using Polish suppliers and domestic manufacturers. Our prices actually reflect the quality & work we put into creating our items. The largest percentage of our prices covers production costs. Right after them - all kinds of legal fees and taxes. In third place are fixed costs (renting warehouse space, hiring employees, etc.). Then the margin - which allows us to make more one-of-a-kind clothes!


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Ford and Toyota will collaborate to develop advanced hybrid systems for light trucks and SUVs, the companies have announced.
The two auto-makers have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), with a formal agreement expected by next year, and say they will have a co-developed hybrid system ready for use in rear-wheel-drive light trucks arriving later this decade.
Ford and Toyota – the companies behind the Fusion and Prius hybrids (pictured) – say their hybrid powertrain will bring greater fuel efficiency to a new group of truck and SUV customers without compromising on other capabilities that consumers require in their vehicles. The companies say their collaboration will allow them to bring these hybrid technologies to customers sooner and more affordably than either company could have accomplished alone.
Both companies have been working independently on their own rear-wheel drive hybrid systems, but say their joint hybrid system will be based on an all-new architecture.
While the system will share significant common technology and components, Ford and Toyota will individually integrate the system into their own vehicles. Each company also will determine the calibration and performance dynamics characteristics of their respective light pickups and SUVs.
The carmakers also say they will collaborate on development of next-generation standards for in-car telematics and Internet-based services.


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Christmas in July: Your Phillies firesale buying guide
Here's what to expect in terms of value if the Phillies start shopping their assets.
A couple of weeks ago, we used this space to advocate the shopping of Ryan Howard to general managers searching for power. With Howard struggling and hurt, it would be surprising to see any team willing to part with any sort of talent even if the Phillies were to assume his entire salary. It doesn't hurt to ask. But here's a look at some more likely trade scenarios the Phillies could ponder if their season does not turn around over the next month.
1) Jonathan Papelbon - This would make the most sense because he is both valuable and expendable. The least of the Phillies worries for the future is at closer. If landing some legitimate position player prospects requires parting with one of their few dependable bullpen assets, the Phillies should not hesitate. Look no further than an hour or two down I-95 to see the potential reward. Two years ago the Orioles shipped Koji Uehara to the Rangers for Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter.
Davis was scuffling in 2010 but was only 24 years old and carried a career batting line of .248/.300/.459 along with 39 home runs in 806 at bats. This year, he has 13 home runs and a 1.087 OPS. Both of those numbers would lead the Phillies, obviously.
The good news about shopping a closer is most teams think they need bullpen help, and history says they are willing to part with good prospects to do so. The Twins gave up Wilson Ramos as part of a package for Matt Capps. For Octavio Dotel, the Dodgers gave up James McDonald and Andrew Lambo, both of whom had been Top 100 prospects the season before. George Sherrill landed the Orioles Josh Bell, who would be named the No. 37 prospect in the game the following season.
None of those guys has the track record of Papelbon. He'll have about $32 million left on his contract at the trade deadline, but the Phillies should be in a position to eat whatever is necessary to maximize their return. A player like Davis -- young, close to the major leagues with plenty of upside -- would be ideal. A second solid piece isn't out of the question, depending on market demands.
2) Kyle Kendrick, RHP: Who knows how the league values Kendrick right now, and the Phillies will want to wait to find out until they are definitely out of contention. But if the Phillies are going to have a fire sale, Kendrick should be involved, both because his value is likely as high as it will get, and because he stands to earn north of $8 million next season in his final year of arbitration. In other words, he will no longer be a bargain. The Phillies' system has more starting pitching prospects than position prospects, so the idea would be to market Kendrick to a playoff team in exchange for some talent that can help the offense within the next year or two. You have to think he'd be as attractive as Joe Blanton was the year the Phillies acquired him from Oakland.
3) Cliff Lee, LHP: If the Phillies are willing to eat a sizable chunk of money, Lee would likely get them even more than Papelbon. Certainly, more than Kendrick. I have him at No. 3 because the goal here is not to completely decimate the talent base. In other words, the goal is retooling instead of rebuilding, and keeping Lee paired with Hamels remains their best way to contend. That being said, if somebody gives them an offer they cannot refuse, well, they cannot refuse it. Lee still has as much value as ever. The pressure to trade him is lessened by the fact that, as long as he stays healthy, he should still have that same value in the offseason, or midway through next season.
4) Chase Utley, 2B: Utley's numbers have started to slide downward, and there is always a risk that his knee condition flares of and kills his value. But the Phillies cannot compete this season without him, and trading away one of their most popular players is not an endeavor that can or should be taken lightly. Yet if the Phillies are out of contention the week leading up to the trade deadline, they'd be foolish not to market him. And as long as he is healthy, he could land them an important piece for the future, much the same way Carlos Beltran landed the Mets a marquee pitching prospect in Zack Wheeler a couple of seasons ago. Of course, Beltran was hitting .289/.391/.513 with 15 home runs in 419 plate appearances for the Mets. So it'd help for Utley to get hot before the trade deadline.
The Phillies still have about six weeks to go before they need to get serious about their overall strategy for the trade deadline. But they would be foolish to turn their phones off, particularly with regards to Howard and Papelbon.


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Home >
Historical Costumes&Dresses >
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Civil War Southern Belle White Satin Ball Gown Period Dress Reenactment Clothing >
Civil War Southern Belle White Satin Ball Gown Period Dress Reenactment Clothingltem ID:[GVD8]Price: US$138.99Rated :comment:
U guys don't know how excited I am when receiving my gorgeous lolita dress. OHHHHHHHHHHHHH! SO DAMN GORGEOUS AND ELEGANT! I LOVE IT SO MUCH! GOSH! So damn love this Luxuriant Lace Gothic Victorian Dress!!! Stunning! since I chose the standard shipping, it arrives here on time, only 14 days. Thank you for so fast shipping and stunning craftsmanship! i even can't imagine i will get thIS so beautiful VICTORIAN dress since it's so cheap, WHAT'S MORE, u guys sent me the underskirt for free, That is deeply appreciated! Thank you again!
Date Added: 12/13/2011 by JANE


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Miracle Devil Claus Love and Magic
Other name: MIRACLE デビクロくんの恋と魔法 Miracle Debikuro kun no Koi to Mahou Miracle Debikuro's Love and Magic Miracle: Devil Claus' Love and Magic Miracle - Devil Claus' Love and Magic
Hikaru is a mildly incompetent bookstore employee who's just a bit too nice for his own good. He's also an aspiring manga artist, and distributes mysterious "Debikuro Communication" flyers at night. On Christmas night, a miracle is created by the love Hikaru and three other people in his life - his attentive childhood friend Anna, a world-famous lighting designer named So-yeon whom he meets by coincidence, and a former university classmate named Kitayama who's gone on to become a popular manga artist.
Based on the novel "Debikuro kun no Koi to Mahou" by Ko Nakamura.
Country: Japanese
Status: Completed
Released: 2014


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'Gold Rush' News: Where Is Ashley Youle, Parker Schnabel's Ex-Girlfriend?
Gold Rush fans who may feel something is missing from Season 9 besides Todd Hoffman. They may be wondering about Parker Schnabel's ex-girlfriend Ashley Youle. Thanks to Ashley's social media, TV Shows Ace has some insights into what she has been doing since her very public breakup with reality heartthrob gold miner, Parker Schnabel.
Ashley Youle And Parker Schnabel
Back in March, Parker Schnabel announced that he and Ashley Youle, his girlfriend of over two years, had split. This was at the end of Gold Rush Season 8. The Aussie veterinary nurse was a breath of sunshine on the gritty Discovery gold mining reality show. Parker even publicly admitted that she helped improve his normally surly mood with her positive personality.
Youle, along with Chris Doumitt, worked in the gold room. Parker and Ashley had only been dating a couple of months when she was invited to spend a summer gold mining in the Klondike. Parker admitted on Gold Rush that her working the gold room was a relationship risk that required his complete trust. She was handling millions of dollars of gold on a daily basis! As with most of Parker's risks, this really paid off. Besides, it was clear that Doumitt clearly enjoyed working with the upbeat and affable Australian beauty.
When Parker announced the two had broken up, he immediately took all the blame for the failure of their relationship. The 24-year-old gold mining millionaire admitted that he didn't prioritize Ashley. Instead, he pushed himself with work and his personal life fell apart. He sheepishly admitted that she could "do better."
Does Social Media Reveal Relationship Secrets?
As of now, Parker follows Ashley on Instagram, but the Aussie beauty does not follow Parker back. Although Parker has not unfollowed his ex-girlfriend, there are no longer photos of her or the two of them together on his site. Instead, Parker has recently filled up his site with photos from Papua New Guinea, where he recently filmed the third season of Gold Rush: Parker's Trail without his ex-foreman Rick Ness.
Ashley appears to have cut nearly all ties with Parker, as she has deleted all photos of him on her site. Does anything from their relationship remain? There remains an October 2016 photo of Schnabel's dog Dozer lying in the snow. This may not be of much surprise, as the animal-loving ex gave Dozer a big hug goodbye after the announced split. She still has some of her photos from Alaska and the Yukon posted on Instagram, many which have likes from Parker.
Does Ashley have what it takes to survive driving with #TeamParker? #GoldRush pic.twitter.com/AUgMXbPzD8
— Gold Rush (@Gold_Rush) October 22, 2016
Where Is Ashley Youle?
Since the shocking breakup with Parker, Ashley seems to have been reconnecting with herself and doing some work. She has been singing songs, creating art and even dancing. Back in February, before the Gold Rush breakup announcement, Ashley posted a thank you to Ducati. She represented the prestige motorcycle company at the 2018 Philip Island World Superbike, which was held just south of Melbourne, Australia.
Now it has been six months since her last Instagram post. This is highly unusual for someone who regularly posted on Instagram. The June 23 post was a selfie with the acknowledgment "Here's one for the milk carton #beenmia." Since then, Ashley has remained completely silent. She did update her profile photo on Facebook on July 15. There, she had a conversation with Michelle Ross-Stanton inquiring if she was working in the "dirty north." Ashley did state that she was good and that she missed Michelle. Since then, Ashley Youle has been totally silent on social media.
Where do you think Ashley Youle has been the past six months? Do you miss her this season of Gold Rush? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and don't miss watching the new episodes of Gold Rush Season 9 on Fridays on Discovery.
- 'The Final Interview: The Legend Of Dakota Fred' All The Details - February 21, 2024
- 'Gold Rush': Rick Ness Goes Ballistic On Morgan Lauren Online - February 20, 2024
- 'NCIS' David McCallum 'Ducky' Tribute Includes OG Star's Cameo - February 20, 2024


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Showering your partner with love and support is one of the most important aspects of maintaining a healthy relationship. You should be working hard to build your other half up, and you should always steer clear of tearing them down. Try to be a positive force in their life. You need to meet your loved one with an open mind, an open heart, and an uplifting outlook. Otherwise, they may begin to doubt the sincerity of your affection. If you are eager to assist your partner in achieving their goals, you should take on board the following five tips.
Build up their self-esteem
The first tip is to build up their self-esteem. Why not set yourself the challenge of giving your partner at least five compliments a day? If this seems a little much, then it is definitely time for you to change your outlook. You should never be too busy or too tired to lift your loved one's spirits. Just make sure that you opt for heartfelt compliments, as opposed to generic words that anyone could say.
Listen carefully to their problems
The next tip is to listen carefully to your partner's problems. Instead of immediately searching for a solution, you need to give your loved one time to work through their issues. Of course, you can help them out eventually, but you don't want to minimize their feelings. That is why you should try your best to listen, rather than jumping in at the first available moment.
Help them to find distractions
Although it is important that your partner is focused on their goals, now and then they are likely to want a distraction. If this is the case, you will need to indulge your loved one. You could take them out for a fancy meal, organize a movie night, or even splash out on a weekend away. This is an especially important move if your loved one is struggling under pressure. You need to be aware of the signs and willing to step in when the moment is right.
Surround them with constant sources of motivation
Another great tip is to surround your partner with constant sources of motivation. Why not use an online poster maker to create an uplifting visual? You could also pin up inspirational quotes around your home and leave sentimental notes for them to find throughout the day. It should only take you a short amount of time, but it could have a huge impact on your loved one. It will be so much easier for them to push forward with their plans if they know that they have your unwavering support.
Celebrate their important milestones
Finally, you should look out for ways to celebrate your partner's important milestones. When they finally reach their goal, you need to make your love and admiration clear. You could achieve this by throwing a party or organizing a surprise vacation. Alternatively, if you are short on funds, you could still rock their world with a homemade craft, a handwritten letter, or a personalized scrapbook.


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By Bob Koerner
Back in the early 1960s I was the very young resident engineer on a sand drain/surcharge project requiring the use of a large pile driving "rig" that was made even more massive than usual with leads hanging over the front and a compressor in the back for counterweight.
The first part of the project consisted of spreading a 3ft-thick (~ 1.0m) layer of sand called a "working blanket" over the 500ft (150m) x 200ft (60m) site. It was underlain by a 65ft (20m)-thick layer of saturated silty clay foundation soil. The purpose of all of this was to rapidly consolidate the soft foundation soil via expelled water from the sand drains for the construction of two large steel molasses storage tanks.
While the consolidation part made sense to me, the working blanket (which I thought was just to release the expelled water) was not obvious until the large crane crawled out from its assembly location to begin driving the sand drains. For each impact, everything around the rig vibrated. In particular, incremental turning movements of the crane shook the localized area like one was standing on a water bed!
The project itself was so formative for me that I wrote an article about it: (ref. Koerner, R. M., "A young engineer, molasses, and failed sand drains" Geosynthetics, Vol. 7, No. 5, 2009, pp. 24–31).
These thoughts came back to me when I was reading the short article in Foundation Drilling magazine (Nov./Dec., 2014) by James Finbow of Bauer Foundations Canada Inc.. His title "Working platforms? Of course I have one. By the way what is it?" reminded me of those days long ago. Jim shows us three awesome photos of inadequate/improper working platforms.
To geosynthetics oriented people, the solution for an adequate and proper working platform (working platform is a much better description of the function than working blanket) is obvious—geotextiles, geogrids, geocomposites, geomattresses, etc. All have key roles to fulfill in reinforcing such soft and unstable soil against the equipment-specific live loading system.
The above said, I see little in the way of geosynthetic design solutions specifically for working platforms in the technical literature (or even in promotional literature from geosynthetic manufacturers and design engineers) that suggest geosynthetics have the "key" toward safe and economical working platforms. Some special focus seems to be in order (and even desired) in this regard.
Bob Koerner, Ph.D., P.E., NAE, is director emeritus of the Geosynthetic Institute in Folsom, Pa., and is a member of Geosynthetics magazine's Editorial Advisory Committee. GSI: +1 610 522 8440


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please donate any amount £1 £2 £3 £4 £5 every little makes a big difference WWW http://www.lennonwylie.co.uk
STREET DIRECTORIES TRANSCRIBED 1805 - 1806 - 1807 - 1808 - 1819 - 1843 - 1852 - 1861 - 1868 - 1877 - 1880 - 1890 1901 - 1907 - 1908 - 1910 - 1912 - 1918 - 1924 - 1932 - 1939 - 1943 - 1951 - 1960 1913 Tel. directory 1824 Pigots (Belfast) & (Bangor) 1894 Waterford Directory 1898 Newry Directory Bangor Spectator Directory 1970
24th December 1918 to Col. Pallin, D.D.V.S., 3rd Army, B.E.F. from J. L. C. Jones Field Post Office D.N. 17th August 1921 to Mrs. Pallin, Flat 11, 35 Buckingham Gate, London S.W.1 from (niece) Dorothy in Bournemouth Damas - Fouilles de Hananiyeh kindly translated by Diane - thank you :)
Beirut - 8th May 1926 Dear Uncle and Aunt, I am surprised not to have heard from you for more than a month since I wrote to you. Don't you know my address? I hope that you are still well. Here I am fine, except that it is warmer than at home. The heat is torrid. I think that you'll return to France soon, at the beginning of the winter I believe, except for myself, it will be at the beginning of March, another 295 days to go in this country of Bedouins. It'll happen one day. Send me your news, support (?), Because I have the blues there are only letters to console me a little. Everyone in France are well, I often get letters. I am enclosing a picture of families from Damascus, it is a very pretty country to visit, and there are a lot of English people on car trips. I'll finish because I do not have much space, and in the hope of receiving your news soon, I send you my best wishes (kisses). Raymond 39th Regiment de Aviation, Camp du Maréchal des Togis Gey, Levant S.P. 600 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These Flowers came from Bethlehem, May the 1920th Anniversary of the First Christmas here bring you both its full meaning of happiness. from Ralph Woodcock. Holy Land Xmas 1920 No. 701, December 2, 1914 The Tatler Our Gallant Guards These photographs were taken just before the Guards went to the front, since when there have been, alas! many gaps in the ranks of the brave fellow whose pictures are shown below, gaps as great as the honour this crack corps has gained on the field. The Officers of the Royal Horse Guards from left to right are: Back Row - Major Pares, Mr. Harford, Hon. F. Lambton, Mr. Mackintosh, Captain H. Wilson, Captain Harper?, Hon. A. Coke, Marquis of Anglesey, Captain Harrison, Duke of Roxburghe, Major Pallin; middle row - Lord Northampton, ? Gerard, Captain Molyneux, Captain FitzGerald, Captain H. Brassey, Colonel G. Wilson, Lord Tweedmouth, Lord A. Innes-Ker, Captain E. P. Brassey, Captain Foster, Captain Meyrick; front row - Lord Worsley, Lord V. Paget, Lord Sutherland- Leveson Gower, Lord A. Compton, Mr. Portal, Mr. Wilson A Group of Five Sets of brothers in the Royal Horse Guards from left to right are: Back row - Lord Compton, Captain E. Brassey, Captain H. Wilson, Duke of Roxburghe, Lord Victor Paget; front row - Lord Northampton, Captain H. Brassey, Captain G. Wilson, Lord A. Innis-Ker, Marquis of Anglesey Officers of the 1st Life Guards from left to right are: back row - Captain Tagg, Captain St. George Clowes, Lieutenant C. D. Leyland, Lieutenant Sir Philip Brocklehurst, Captain the Hon. A. Stanley, Lieutenant the Marquis of Tweeddale, Lieutenant Sir Richard Sutton, Lieutenant A. St. George, Lieutenant the Hon. H. Denison, Captain W. L. Wyndham, Captain and Quartermaster Garton, Captain Viscount Newry; middle row - Captain the Hon. C. C. Felllowes, Major Sir F. Carden, Captain L. H. Hardy, Captain Lord H. Grosvenor, Major E. H. Brassey, Colonel H. H. the Duke of Teck, Lieutenant Close Brooks, Captain the Hon. E. H. Wyndham, Lieutenant Hon. G. Ward, Lieutenant R. C. Bingham; front row - Captain D. Kelly, Lieutenant Lord Althorp, Lieutenant Sir R. Levinge, Lieutenant Lord Somers, Surgeon-Lieutenant Anderson #1 Mess Annexe with Eric Scott, Capt. Waldron Scott, Lieut. Jones, Mons. Jacquet #2 Veterinary officers quarters 49 M.V.S. Montieres Mens bathing hole made with a 20 ft. sq. tarpaulin, duck boards & left & force pump on the banks of the Somme at the Gravel Pit 49 M.V.S. Montieres #1 - Mt. St. Eloi from Crossroads 15.5.20 #2 - On Vimy Ridge 6.4.20 #3 - Canadian Memorial Vimy Ridge 6.4.20 #1 Birds eye view of 49 M.V.P. camp, Montieres #2 Vimy Village from the Ridge 6.4.20 #1 Hulluch 19.3.20 #2 British Cemetery Laurencourt, Somme, 20.3.20 24th December 1909 - from S. F. G. P. Barky in Daventry to Le Capitaine W. A. Pallin, A.V.C., Bennett House, Kildare, Ireland (Royal Horse Guards) 4th August 1919 from France 4th Queen's Own Light Dragoons - from Freda & Thomas Pragnell Presentation of New Standards by His Majesty the King (Colonel in Chief) to the Regiments of Household Cavalry 24th June 1927 1 2 3 4 (1) The Royal Procession - Captain R. A. F. Thorp, The Life Guards (1st and 2nd) Four Troopers, The Life Guards (1st and 2nd) His Majesty the King; H.R.H. The Prince of Wales; H.R.H. The Prince Henry Field-Marshal H.R.H. The Duke of Connaught; H.R.H. Prince Arthur of Connaught Field-Marshal The Viscount Allenby (Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel, 1st Life Guards) Major-General Hon. Sir Cecil E. Bingham (Colonel, 2nd Life Guards) Firld-Marshal The Earl Haig (Colonel, Royal Horse Guards) Master of the Horse: The Earl of Granard Equerries in Waiting to His Majesty: Colonel Clive Wigram - Major R. H. Seymour Military Members of the Army Council: General Sir G. F. Milne (Chief of the Imperial General Staff) General Sir W. P. Braithwaite (Adjutant-General to the Forces; Lieut.-General Sir W. H. Anderson (Quartermaster-General to the Forces); General Sir J. F. N. Birch (Master-General of the Ordnance) (2) A.D.C. General to His Majesty: General Sir A. J. Godley General Officer Commanding London District: Major-General The Lord Ruthven Crown Equerry: Colonel A. E. Erskine; Silver Stick in Waiting: Lieut.-Colonel H. C. S. Combe, Royal Horse Guards Field Officer on Brigade Waiting: Lieut.-Colonel M. E. Makgill-Crichton-Maitland, 3rd Bn. Grenadier Guards As.D.C. to His Majesty: Coloenl A. E. W. Harman, Colonel B. B. Fisher Equerry to H.R.H. The Prince of Wales: Major Hon. P. W. Legh Equerry to Field Marshal H.R.H. The Duke of Connaught: Lieut.-Colonel Sir Malcolm Murray Staff of the G.O.C. London District: Major A. F. Smith (General Staff) - Major F. H. Witts (D.A.A. & Q.M.G.) - Captain C. H. L. F. M. T. Chamberlayne (A.D.C.) Indian Orderly Officers: Major C. A. L. Howard, 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Bombay Lancers (Officer in Charge) Risaldar-Major Udham Singh, 7th Light Cavalry Silver Stick Adjutant: Lieut. H. A. Smith, Royal Horse Guards Adjutant in Brigade Waiting: Lieut. and Adjutant R. B. R. Colvin, 3rd Bn. Grenadier Guards Four Troopers, Royal Horse Guards (3) Troops on Parade - In Command of the Parade: Lieut.-Colonel Hon. G. V. A. Monckton-Arundell, D.S.O., O.B.E., Commanding The Life Guards (1st and 2nd) Regiments:- The Life Guards (1st and 2nd); Royal Horse Guards; King's Life Guard, furnished by The Life Guards (1st and 2nd); Band of The Life Guards (1st and 2nd); Band of the Royal Horse Guards; Brigade of Guards Royal Army Chaplains Department: The Rev. A. C. E. Jarvis, Chaplain-General to the Forces and Chaplain to the King; The Rev. O. S. Watkins, Deputy Chaplain-General to the Forces; The Rev. H. Tower, Officiating Chaplain for the Church of England Troops of the Windsor Garrison; The Very Rev. Canon S. Longinotto, Officiating Chaplain for Roman Catholic Troops of the Windsor Garrison (4) The Life Guards (2st & 2nd) Colonel-in-Chief: The King Colonels: Major-General Hon. Sir Cecil E. Bingham, K.C.M.G., C.B., C.V.O.; Field-Marshal The Viscount Allenby, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., LL.D. Lieutenant-Colonel: Lieut.-Colonel Hon. G. V. A. Monckton-Arundell, D.S.O., O.B.E. Majors: Majors (Brevet Lieut.-Colonel) L. H. Hardy, M.C.; Hon. E. H. Wyndham, M.C.; W. W. S. Cuninghame, D.S.O.; S. G. Menzies, D.S.O., M.C. Captains: Capts. E. J. L. Speed, M.C.; R. C. G. Vivian; Hon. A. M. A. Baillie; R. C. H. Jenkinson; R. L. Loyd, O.B.E., M.C.; J. A. G. Emmet; R. A. F. Thorp (Adjutant); E. O. Crosfield Lieutenants: Lieuts. Hon. B. A. A. Ogilvy, M.V.O., M.C.; R. J. Hardy; G. Greenall; T. A. Fairhurst; A. H. Ferguson; R. E. S. Gooch, J. P. Whiteley Second-Lieutenants: 2/Lieuts. P. G. Yorke; F. E. B. Wignall; F. F. B. St. George; The Lord Dormer; H. J. Duggan; Sir J. G. F. Fuller, Bt. Quartermaster: Captain W. N. Dearnley, O.B.E. Medical Officer: Surgeon Lieut.-Colonel E. J. H. Luxmoore, M.C. Veterinary Officer: Vet.-Major B. R. Body Director of Music: Lieut. W. J. Gibson New Standards of The Life Guards (1st & 2nd) New Standards of Royal Horse Guards (The Blues) 1 2 3 4 5 (1) Royal Horse Guards (The Blues) Colonel-in-Chief: The King Colonel: Field-Marshal The Earl Haig, K.T., G.C.B., O.M., G.C.V.O., K.C.I.E., D.C.L., LL.D. Lieutenant-Colonel: Lieut.-Colonel Lord A. R. Innes-Ker, D.S.O. Majors: (Brevet Lieut.-Colonel) H. C. S. Combe, D.S.O.; A. C. Turnor, M.C.; R. Evans, M.C. Captains: F. B. de Klee; J. A. Hernert; The Viscount Moylneux; K. G. W. Shennan; S. A. Gollan; Hon. C. G. W. Weld-Forester; H. R. Broughton Lieutenants: R. G. Shaw; H. A. Smith (Adjutant); W. M. Sale; Sir Peter Grant-Lawson, Bt.; F. G. W. Jackson; The Marquis of Waterford; E. J. H. Merry Second-Lieutenants: F. Francis; R. C. G. Cotterell; The Lord Stavordale; R. E. Laycock; B. T. Brassey Quartermaster: Captain S. P. Keyworth; Medical Officer: Surgeon-Major E. D. Anderson, M.B.; Veterinary Officer: Vet.-Major G. B. C. Rees-Mogg, O.B.E.; Director of Music: Lieut. J. M. Bilton (2) Order of Ceremony (3 & 4) Form of Service for the Consecration of the Standards (5) Programme of Music Royal Horse Guards (Blues) Comrades' Association 1920 1 2 3 4 (1) Menu (2) Toasts (3) Entertainment - Impersonations, Mr. Tom Stuart; Songs at Piano, Miss Edith Eatherley; Soprano, Miss Dorothy Waring; Irish Entertainer, Mr. Jerome Murphy; Comedienne, Miss Haidee De Rance; Vocalist, Mr. W. A. Peterkin; Songs at Piano, Mr. Melville Gideon; Entertainer, Mr. Warwick Pryce; Comedian, Mr. Walter Walters; Ventriloquist, Mr. Charles Conyers; Ragging on Violin, Miss Eva Evalda & Violet Barton; Comedienne, Miss Dorothy McVane; Pianist, Mr. Leo. Conrish. - The String Band will play selections during Dinner, under the direction of Lieut. Manuel Bilton, Director of Music (4) President, Lieut.-Colonel Lord Tweedmouth, C.M.G., M.V.O., D.S.O. Vice President and Hon. Treasurer, Major Sir Samuel Scott, Bart., M.P. Hon. Secretary, Major C. E. Harford, M.C., D.C.M. Asst. Hon. Secretary, Regtl.-Qr.-Mr.-Corpl.-Major F. Price Committee: Captain and Adjutant J. Herbert; Regtl.-Corpl.-Major W. Barber; Regtl.-Corpl.-Major W. Glading; Corporal F. Watmough; Squad.-Qr.-Mr.-Corpl. E. Veasey; Trooper R. Dixon; Squad.-Qr.-Mr.Corpl. A. Taylor; Trooper J. Dickenson; Corporal-of-Horse W. Weaver; Trooper A. Myles; Mr. W. Lord; Mr. D. Eastaugh (4)


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In the Southern Lin Dynasty, East Palace.
Early in the morning, a plump little fox, jogs unhurriedly in the morning with its claws.
Behind little fox, an extremely enchanting woman was following it. Her appearance could even be comparable to the newly selected first beauty of the Southern Lin Dynasty. Her appearance had stolen many young guards' heart.
The little fox ran around the East Palace two times before stopping. It was lying on the ground and panting like a dog.
If you ask why the little on was trying so hard to lose weight, the little one was afraid that she would be so fat that even Feng Lingran couldn't recognize her when she transformed into human.
After the same two laps, Nu Er was calm and relaxed. A pair of beautiful hands held the little one who was gasping with its tongue out. He held his sleeves to gently wipe the little one's dirty paws.
"Miss, you are also beautiful now, why do you have to work so hard to exercise every morning?"
Nu Er said in distressed.
Little Fox raised its head and glanced at Nu Er, then it retracted its pink tongue.
*Squeak* Nu Er, what kind of medicated diet do you give me? Nevermind I'm so fat now, why can't I lose weight even if I exercise?
Nu Er didn't understand fox language, but he spent a lot of time with Xiao Xi. Sometimes he could still guess the meaning in Xiao Xi's eyes.
Nu Er's peach blossom eyes flickered. About this… I also wanted Miss to get better as soon as possible… so… I used some medicines that are used to replenish the blood of the puerpera…
"Miss, your good health is the most important thing. A plump body can not only bring a good body figure to Miss, but also more beautiful than a thin woman."
*Squeak* If being fat is so good, why don't you gain weight?
Nu Er, you spoke such a lie, you really seem like you want to go to heaven?
Nu Er carried the little fox into the room. He personally fetched a bucket of warm water to bath the little fox.
The little fox stretched out its four claws and floated on the water, enjoying Nu Er's service with peace of mind.
After getting along for a long time, it became more and more fond of this gentle woman who treated it wholeheartedly.
After taking a shower, Nu Er wiped the little fox's hair dry with a dry cloth. Seeing the little fox's paws pointed outside, Nu Er smiled and took the little fox out… to bask in the sun.
The little fox lay on the rattan lounger. Its fluffy fur stretched out. Its dark eyes looked at Nu Er's flat chest, feeling a little regretful.
Today, it touched Nu Er's chest with a paw. It was really an airport; it didn't even have the size of Xiao Long Bao.
When it becomes a human being, it has to help Nu Er to let her stand with her chest up.
When Nu Er was feeding the little fox with tea, he was uncomfortable with the little fox looking at him. What is Miss thinking?
There was a sound of the door opening. It was from Nan Gongyin's room. Qiu Lan walked out with joy that couldn't hide her face.
"Hurry up and find His Highness. Ask him to go back to East Palace immediately, and tell him that I have something important to report."
What is Qiu Lan doing in Nan Gongyin's room? Nu Er and Xiao Xi should know about it. From Qiu Lan's expression, it could be seen that the former empress woke up.
Nu Er's expression moved. His peach blossom eyes flashed a hint of joy. He reached out and took the little fox into his arms, and he said in a low voice, "Miss, maybe we can leave this damn place today."
The little fox's heart trembled. The blood of the former empress was the antidote for Green Juice Voodoo. From then on, it would never be tortured by the Green Juice Voodoo again.
Nu Er hugged the little fox and walked toward Nan Gongyin's room. Qiu Lan stood at the door of the room and reached out to stop Nu Er. She saw the little fox in Nu Er's arms, although her face did not change much, there was dislike in her gaze. If one looks carefully, he could notice the disgust in Qiu Lan's eyes.
"His Royal Highness has ordered that no one but me can enter his room."
Qiu Lan did not call herself as "maid", but she used "I". She deliberately raised her identity and status in front of Nu Er and the little fox.
If it were not for Miss, Nu Er would not want to enter Nan Gongyin's room. The smell here made him feel sick.
"You're just a dog next to Nan Gongyin, who do you think you are?"
Nu Er didn't have any contact with Qiu Lan before, but he just hated this woman for no reason. Especially the way she looked at Xiao Xi, making him have the impulse to dig out her eyes.
"What a bold and presumptuous maid." Qiu Lan had never been scolded so badly in her life. Her face turned blue and purple. She raised her hand and slapped at Nu Er's enchanting face quickly.
Nu Er raised the corners of his mouth disdainfully. Pa Pa, it wasn't Nu Er who get slapped but Qiu Lan.
"Your martial arts are too shallow, you want to slap me? Go back and practice for a few more decades!"
Nu Er finished mocking Qiu Lan and walked into the room with the little fox in his arms.
"Taoist Zhu Xu, please subdue this monster."
Suddenly, a gray figure flashed out. He waved the hossu, and it wrapped around Nu Er's neck like a snake. He pulled Nu Er out of the room hard, and Nu Er felt pain in his neck.
Qiu Lan wiped off the blood from the corners of her mouth, and looked at Nu Er whose neck was being bound. Taoist Zhu Xu is an expert that His Royal Highness invited to deal with the monster, Nu Er. His Highness did not intend to make a move so early on Nu Er, but this monster is too much. Not only she humiliated me, she even slapped me, trying to break into the former empress room to get her blood.
Nu Er's nails grew wildly. He grabbed the hossu and tried to tear it apart, but his nails couldn't even break a single white fur on the hossu.
When little fox saw it, it was anxious. It climbed onto Nu Er's shoulders, opened its mouth, and bit the hossu forcefully. It was strange that Nu Er's nails couldn't break the hossu, but it was bitten off by the little fox.
The hossu flew back from his neck.
A gray-robed Taoist stood not far away, a very young gray-robed Taoist, handsome in appearance, nonchalant smile, those eyes that did not touch the mortal world, like a Taoist person who was about to feather Immortal Ascension.
This taoist was not as handsome as Feng Lingran, nor was he as picturesque as Nan Gongyin, but he had cultivated a unique temperament that made people who saw him far away afraid to offend.
Taoist Zhu Xu recalled the hossu and stroked the white fur. His fingers stopped at the broken part. He seemed unwilling to lose a chunk of it.
"Little Taoist, you'd better not go against me, lest you ruin your cultivation for so many years."
There was a red mark on Nu Er's neck, and his sharp nails shocked the guards who saw it. Even Qiu Lan, who learned that Nu Er came out of Kyushu City's forbidden underground palace, was shocked looking at the long, red and sharp nails.
Taoist Zhu Xu turned his attention to Nu Er's enchanting face. No normal man could be as calm as water like him after seeing such a stunning beauty.
"Monster, since you are dead for so many years, you should stay in the underground instead of coming out to harm people."
*Squeak* The little fox pointed its front paw at Taoist Zhu Xu and cursed angrily.
You damn taoist should just stay in the damn temple instead of minding others' business.
Taoist Zhu Xu saw the little fox cursing at him in Nu Er's arms, and a weird look appeared in his eyes. He suddenly stepped forward and appeared instantly in front of Nu Er. He caught the little fox in Nu Er's arm while waving the hossu in the other hand to push back Nu Er for several steps.
"Damn taoist, you dare to touch my Miss for a single hair, I will kill all the people in your temple."
Nu Er's fingers trembled. The hossu in Taoist Zhu Xu has the Budda's light which was the strongest weapon to restrain such evil creatures like him.
Nu Er's enchanting face turned blue. This Nan Gongyin is so great! He is so despicable to such extent. He can't beat me, so he invited the damn taoist to deal with me.
Taoist Zhu Xu naturally didn't pay attention to Nu Er's threat. If he wanted to kill this demon, it would be a breeze.
Suddenly, there was a pain in the hand of Taoist Zhu Xu. He was bitten by the little fox, and the blood quickly stained the back of his hand. The little fox still refused to let go as if it wanted to bite off a piece of meat from his hand.
"You don't belong here."
Taoist Zhu Xu frowned. His fingers flicked on the little fox's nose, and it let go of its mouth. Its nose was so sore that its tears almost came out.
Xiao Xi was shocked. This damn taoist is quite capable. He can see that I don't belong here?
This damn taoist won't just treat me as monster and kill me right?
The little fox trembled, thinking that it was a seven-tailed spirit fox. Now Nan Gongyin is quite fond of me. If this damn taoist kills me, Nan Gongyin will not let the damn taoist go.
Also, if Feng Lingran knew that I'm dead, he would not let this damn taoist go either.
Feng Lingran has cold blaise in his body, and he needs my blood.
Wan Qiyu cared about Feng Lingran so much, so he won't let this damn taoist go as well.
Thinking of this, Xiao Xi's mind slowly calmed down. The price of killing her was too great, and this damn taoist wasn't so stupid to do that.
"I can send you back to where you were."
What? The little fox blinked. Really? This damn taoist wants to send me back to modern times?
"Your life is not over."
When the little fox heard this, it almost laughed out loud.
Nonsense, I'm still alive now, of course my life is not over.
Nu Er stared at Taoist Zhu Xu, seeming to wait for the opportunity to snatch the little fox from Taoist Zhu Xu.
Qiu Lan was shocked when she heard the words of Taoist Zhu Xu. Could this little fox also be a monster?
No wonder it can transform into a human form. It seems that this monster fox has confused His Highness and made His Highness think it is a spirit fox. In fact, it is not a spirit fox at all.
When Qiu Lan thought that the monster fox would suck the spirit and soul of a man, she was shocked. She asked, "Taoist Zhu Xu, is this little fox a demon fox? It stays for so long with His Highness, could it be possible that it has harmed His Highness already?"
Nan Gongyin not far away heard Qiu Lan's words, and his face changed slightly.
"Shut up, Qiu Lan, it's a spirit fox."
Dao Zhu Xu saw Nan Gongyin coming over, then he saluted and said, "Miss Qiu Lan is right. It is not a spirit fox, it is a demon fox, but it is still a young fox. If it grows big enough, I'm afraid it will greatly damage yang qi (male essence) of His Highness."
"Damn taoist, don't try to exaggerate to scare people here. Return Miss to me, I will bring her out of here now, and I will never harm any of you."
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"In this bit of the Netherlands, nature comes before humans."
The Rottums are the least known of the Wadden islands. Those who love the Wadden would be thrilled to explore these islands, but they are closed to visitors. In this bit of the Netherlands, nature comes before humans. Last summer, bird rangers Aaldrik Pot and Nicolette Branderhorst stayed on Rottumerplaat for four months. Read their story here.
They are real outdoor people. They were thinking about a way to immerse themselves in nature for a longer period of time when the bird rangers' request came from Aaldrik's employer Staatsbosbeheer, the Dutch Forestry and Nature Commission. They were keen and both managed to make the necessary arrangements at work. At the end of March, the Harder, the inspection vessel of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, dropped off Aaldrik and Nicolette and supplies for two weeks on the loose sand of Rottumerplaat. It was going to be four months of hard work.
Their task? Report disruptions by planes, clean up rubbish, inform and send away unwanted visitors, but above all count and monitor birds and plants right to the furthest reaches of the salt marshes or the beach. Ideally at low tide, during the hours those places are accessible and most birds are foraging on the mud flats.
Aaldrik is using words like 'unbelievable' and 'magical' to express how the enormous numbers of birds affected them. "Around the middle of July, the first dunlins were back from their breeding grounds, about a dozen of them. The next day it was a hundred, and thousands the day after that. On the look-out they were flying right before our eyes, like a swarm of starlings. When the light fell on their breasts and bellies, they looked like diamonds, other times their red-brown wings glistened like copper in the sun."
Nicolette said "It was so beautiful. At those moments, and there were many, we were just mesmerised and needed to pinch each other. 'Come on, we need to count!'."
This massive presence of migrating and breeding birds is down to the undisturbed peace, said Aaldrik. "There are no land predators that move birds from the nests and human interference is limited. Apart from us then?" He says it with a smile, but both bird rangers experienced this as a daily dilemma. "Simply being there makes you a disturbance, yet it is really important. Monitoring how the birds are doing and protecting the island. If more people started to arrive, that would spell the end of the peace those birds need."
Nicolette emphasised that they had one more role in writing their weekly blog. "We were also on the 'Plaat' to show people who cannot access the island how special this vulnerable area is and how important it is that it stays out of bounds. Remember, this is one of the very few places in the Netherlands were nature comes before humans."
In their blogs they shared their euphoria about nature, but also their concerns. About that mass of plastic that comes onto the beach with every high tide - "there literally is no end to it." About the future of the birds. Aaldrik said "Will the mud flats where they feed still fall dry with rising sea levels? Are summer storms increasing to such an extent that all the hatchlings in the salt marshes wash away? I really worry about that. Not about the future of the islands. Over those four months we could see that Rottumerplaat is losing ground on the west side, but it is growing just as fast on the east side. The Rottums will remain."
Read the blog
If you would like to know more about these unusual Wadden islands, you can read more about their creation, nature, history and the people who make sure that nature can simply be nature. You can read Aaldrik and Nicolette's blog here.
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Adding antique furniture and vintage pieces is an excellent way to breathe new life into a house. However, you need to tread carefully when shopping for such pieces. As it is proving to be a big hit among homeowners, many people are keen to spruce up their living spaces with timeless pieces that ooze class and style. Vintage decorative pieces and furniture lets your home stand out in a warm and welcoming way that will speak volumes of your taste and style.
Before you start shopping for antique home furniture in Albuquerque, NM, however, you need a master plan. Decorating with antique furniture isn't the same as just filling your living room with old furniture.
Have fun with the design
Vintage pieces add an extra layer of character and personality. Therefore, you need to create a room that reflects today instead of trying to recreate the past. It's perfectly okay to mix both contemporary and vintage furniture in your home.
Mixing these often-divergent styles not only breathes a new life into the antique piece, but also lets you present it in a new perspective. Simply because certain pieces are from different eras doesn't mean they can't work together. In most cases, vintage pieces jump to life when paired with modern artwork.
Having a little fun with the design process ensures that you're not locked in a time capsule. If you're fixated with a specific era, you might end up turning your home into a museum. That might suck the joy right out of decorating a home with vintage pieces.
Pick your vendors carefully
Credible antique dealers aren't all about pushing you to buy every item that lands in their store — well, you shouldn't anyway. You must be picky with the items you bring home if you want it to stand out. That might involve a little extra effort from you, but it will be worth it.
You need to hone your grasp of the various eras, periods, and styles when vintage pieces were in use. That's in addition to a deep appreciation of the role colors, shapes, and forms play in decorating a room. Working with a reliable vendor can help you in both areas.
Antique vendors tend to be highly knowledgeable in such matters, and cozying up to one can help you master the delicate art. A master vendor can help you pick extraordinary pieces to give your home that unique shine. They can also offer insights into various periods to help layer your pieces accordingly.
Treasure the imperfections
One thing about antique furniture and art pieces is that they were previously in use. A such, they can sometimes sustain damage when landing at your doorstep. Watermarks, dents, and dings are a common occurrence in wooden furniture. Old oil painting may have a few cracks or a vase may have a chipped base.
The adage "scars add character" comes full circle when dealing with vintage furniture. As such, you must reconcile that each piece you come across might not be perfect. Unless an item is defective, it's better to overlook imperfections. In the case of faulty items, you can get an expert to repair it or get the job done yourself.


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United States Mozart, Elgar, Jalbert, and Britten: East Coast Chamber Orchestra, Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, 13.5.2016. (BJ)
Mozart: Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K. 546
Elgar: Serenade in E minor for String Orchestra, Op. 20
Jalbert: String Theory (commissioned by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society through support from the William Penn Foundation–world premiere)
Britten: String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 36 (arr. ECCO)
United States Beethoven, Krzywicki, and Brahms: Clarosa Quartet, Benjamin Franklin Hall, American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, 15.5.2016 (BJ)
Beethoven: String Trio in C minor, Op. 9 No. 3
Krzywicki: Quartet for Piano and Strings (commissioned by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society–world premiere)
Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 26
Scheduling conflicts have prevented me from hearing all the new works Philadelphia Chamber Music Society had commissioned to celebrate its 30th-anniversary season, now nearing its close, but I caught up with the last two of them, in programs that typified the Society's penchant for stimulating combinations of new music with old.
Now 48, New-Hampshire native Pierre Jalbert has written for the conductor-less East Coast Chamber Orchestra a work that demonstrates his thorough professionalism. His program note explains that his three-movement String Theory "was inspired by the idea of dynamic vibrating strings, referring to both the musical instruments and the theory of quantum gravity," but—as is not always the case—its lively rhythms and clean textures can be enjoyed without reference to any such theoretical basis.
If String Theory comes across as essentially a skillful and agreeable response to a commission, the roughly 23-minute Quartet for Piano and Strings by 68-year-old Philadelphia native Jan Krzywicki creates a stronger sense of being music that its composer just had to write. Of its four movements, the opening Scherzo takes a while to establish a clear expressive character, but the music grows in stature as its progresses. I found the slow second movement quite ravishingly beautiful, and, after the very effective Toccata third movement, the predominantly slow final Fantasia brings the work to a no less gripping and eloquent conclusion.
The performance, by the two wives and two husbands that constitute the Clarosa Quartet, was superb. The Philadelphia Orchestra's First Associate Concertmaster, Juliette Kang, played with wonderfully well-focused tone, and her quality was matched by violist Che-Hung Chen (also a Philadelphia Orchestra member), cellist Thomas Kraines, and pianist Natalie Zhu. There are a few places in the score where Krzywicki asks the pianist "to produce various sounds in side the instrument: 'stopped' notes (a note muted with a finger that produces a blocked or pizzicato-like sound), plucked notes (with finger or plectrum), and notes strummed in a glissando-like manner." Such devices can sometimes seem like mannerisms to compensate for the absence of musical inspiration, but in this case they played a modest but sufficiently effective part in the overall atmosphere of the work, and Ms. Zhu took them in her stride.
The group's three string players were equally impressive in the too rarely heard Beethoven trio that opened the program, and Brahms's irresistibly inventive A-major Piano Quartet, featuring one of the composer's most gorgeous tunes in its slow movement, provided the program with a no less rewarding close (though the omission of the first-movement exposition repeat provoked, in my book, the afternoon's sole complaint).
ECCO, a polished and vividly expressive chamber orchestra, had similarly done justice to Jalbert's piece two days earlier, and its performance of Elgar's charming little Serenade was pleasant too. I found the Mozart and Britten works on the orchestra's program somewhat less convincingly realized. The dotted rhythms of Mozart's Adagio—which the composer obviously stole from the opening of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony—were trenchantly delivered, but in the Fugue bows did not dig into strings as forcefully as they might have done, and the somewhat bodiless tone that resulted seemed to diminish the stature of this powerfully concentrated music.
The problem with Britten's masterly C-major Quartet did not lie with the playing, which was both strong and sensitive: it was the inevitable consequence of performing the work in an arrangement (by the group). The impact and formal cohesion of the first movement depends on the clarity with which the ardent rising-10th interval of the main theme is realized, and massed strings cannot achieve that result nearly as well as the single instruments of a string quartet can. Nevertheless, the spacious and deeply meditative final Chacony did not suffer from the same disadvantage, and in these dedicated players' hands its effect was compellingly grand and climactic.
Bernard Jacobson


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Can' wait to be dropping in again! In the mean time we wanted to give everyone a Fly Shack Update; We are currently closed and are hoping to be open again soon but in the mean time the Fly Shack Crew and Guides are keeping positive even though we have no work right now. In an attempt to keep everyone going we have come up with some great raffles and have updated our online store to show our newest products. Raffles and online inventory will be updated regularly. We will also have some free giveaways that we will make sure to advertise as they come. Web site link will be posted below and our first raffle will be a JACKSON KAYAK!!! There are only 17 raffle available so if its sold out stay tuned for the next raffle!
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We just touched down for a little Winter Getaway with the fam but wanted to share this week's 10 Under $100 before we hit the ground running. I'm starting to shop allll the Spring Things (shared more spring picks here) while still wanting to share some everyday items for that casual style life too. Lots of good picks this week, hope you girls love!
*Click the set for details
Eyeing dresses for some weddings and events coming up and this yellow off-the-shoulder dress caught my eye so pretty!(comes in black too) for only $68! Also love this LBD that you could seriously wear a million ways and it fits like a glove.
That perfect oversized and cozy sweater because let's be real, we still have a while until it's hot out and great deal on this leather jacket that's super cute.
Anine Bing graphic tee under $100 yes please! You can also checkout out more of my graphic tee favorites on my full post right here.


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Over five years ago we titled "Are missiles returning to Comiso? (Sicily)." [1] This hypothesis was ignored by the entire political spectrum and dismissed by some self-styled expert as "alarmist." The alarm, unfortunately, was well founded.
A few days ago, on November 6, Lockheed Martin (the same company that produces the F-35s) signed a first $ 340 million contract with the US Army for the production of medium-range missiles, including those armed with nuclear warheads, designed to be installed in Europe. Missiles of this category (with a ground base and range between 500 and 5500 km) were prohibited by the INF Treaty, signed in 1987 by Presidents Gorbachev and Reagan: it had eliminated the nuclear ballistic missiles Pershing 2, deployed by the United States in Western Germany, and the nuclear cruise Tomahawk missiles, deployed by the United States in Italy (Comiso, Sicily), Great Britain, West Germany, Belgium, and Holland, and at the same time the SS-20 ballistic missiles deployed by the Soviet Union on its territory.
In 2014, without any evicence, the Obama administration accused Russia of having tested a cruise missile (acronym 9M729) in the category prohibited by the Treaty, and, in 2015, announced that "faced with the violation of the INF Treaty by Russia, the United States is considering the deployment of ground-based missiles in Europe."
The baton then passed to the Trump administration, which in 2019 decided on the withdrawal of the United States from the INF Treaty, accusing Russia of having "deliberately violated" it.
After some missile tests, Lockheed Martin was commissioned to build a cruise missile deriving from the Tomahawk and a ballistic missile deriving from Raytheon's SM-6. According to the contract, the two missiles will be operational in 2023: therefore, ready to be installed in Europe in two years.
The geographic factor should be kept in mind: while a medium-range US nuclear ballistic missile launched from Europe can hit Moscow in a few minutes, a similar missile launched by Russia can hit European capitals, but not Washington. Reversing the scenario, it is as if Russia were to deploy medium-range nuclear missiles in Mexico.
It should also be noted that the SM-6 performs the function of "three missiles in one," as Raytheon specified: anti-aircraft, anti-missile and attack missile. The nuclear missile deriving from the SM-6 will therefore be able to be used by the US "shield" ships and land installations in Europe: their launch tubes, as Lockheed Martin specified, can launch "missiles for all missions."
In his October 26, 2020 statement, President Putin reaffirmed the INF Treaty validity, calling the US withdrawal a "grave mistake," and Russia's commitment not to deploy similar missiles, until the US deploys its own missiles close to Russian territory. He, therefore, proposed a "mutual moratorium" to NATO countries and "mutual verification measures," that is inspections in the reciprocal missile installations.
The Russian proposal was ignored by NATO. Its secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg reiterated on 10 November that "in such an uncertain world, nuclear weapons continue to play a vital role in preserving peace."
No voices were raised from European governments and parliaments, even though Europe risks being at a nuclear confrontation forefront similar or more dangerous than that of the Cold War. But this is not the threat of Covid 19, and therefore nobody talks of it.
The European Union, (21 over 27 members are part of NATO), has already made its voice heard when in 2018 it rejected the resolution presented by Russia on the "Preservation and observance of the INF Treaty" at the United Nations, giving the green light to the installation of new US nuclear missiles in Europe.
Will anything change once Joe Biden takes office in the White House? Or, will Democrat Biden (formerly Obama's vice president) sign the installation of the new US nuclear missiles in Europe, after Democratic Obama opened the new nuclear confrontation with Russia and Republican Trump aggravated it by tearing up the INF Treaty?
[1] « Les missiles reviennent à Comiso ? », par Manlio Dinucci, Traduction Marie-Ange Patrizio, Il Manifesto (Italie) , Réseau Voltaire, 10 juin 2015.