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New Years Eve. Love it or hate it, it's one of the biggest nights on the clubbing calendar - with clubs up and down the country pulling out every single stop to bring you the night of your life. Or at least, the night of your year. You may well be feeling all burnt out after the excess of Christmas, but pull yourself together and get back on the dancefloor for the last blow-out of the decade. You can recover next year.
Deciding what to do on New Year's Eve is never an easy choice. With the pressure on to make it count, it can so easily go all spectacularly wrong. But never fear, we've got loads of great events on our New Year's Events guide, with plenty of things going on in your city to cater for all tastes.
With many of these events already close to selling out through, we do advise you to get your tickets early!
Sorry, we do not currently have any events listed in Stafford.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Blue Jays reward Buehrle with ninth-inning rally
HOUSTON -- The Blue Jays' disappointing road trip through Tampa Bay, New York and Houston has mercifully come to an end, but they can at least take some solace in the fact that they finished on a winning note.
Toronto was in serious danger of having its losing streak extended to a season-high eight games, but an unorthodox ninth-inning rally helped salvage the final game.Full Game Coverage
HOUSTON -- The Blue Jays' disappointing road trip through Tampa Bay, New York and Houston has mercifully come to an end, but they can at least take some solace in the fact that they finished on a winning note.
Toronto was in serious danger of having its losing streak extended to a season-high eight games, but an unorthodox ninth-inning rally helped salvage the final game.Full Game Coverage
The Blue Jays took advantage of an erratic Chia-Jen Lo by scoring two runs in the ninth to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Astros with a 2-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at Minute Maid Park.
"They've been hard to come by," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said of the win. "Realistically, we were in so many games on this road trip, all of them except the last two here, but we came up short.
"So, that was eating at you. And then, of course, it's a losing streak, and to win the final one here, that always feels good. It doesn't make things any better where we're at right now, but it's something we needed."
Toronto's lengthy trip came to an end with a 2-8 record, and now the club travels home to face the Yankees in a three-game series. The three road series could have had a much different result with six of the games being decided by two runs or fewer, but with a struggling offense, the Blue Jays were unable to come away with much success.
For a long time on Sunday afternoon, it appeared as though Toronto was headed for a similar fate in Houston. The Blue Jays were held scoreless through eight innings and it wasn't until Lo lost all command of the strike zone that their fortunes started to change.
The rally started with a leadoff walk to Brett Lawrie, which was then followed by a single to center by Adam Lind. That turned out to be the only hit of the inning, but it didn't matter as Lo continued to struggle.
Toronto was even prepared to give up an out when Gibbons decided to send Munenori Kawasaki to the plate as a pinch-hitter with runners on first and second. Kawasaki's goal was simply to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but Lo was wild and walked the light-hitting shortstop on five pitches.
A lot of players in that situation would have tried to force the bunt, but Kawasaki remained patient. The at-bat proved to be the turning point of the inning as the Blue Jays loaded the bases with nobody out to set the table for a comeback.
"You're not going to find a better bunter around," Gibbons said. "Those guys from Japan, they're fundamentally sound, that's what they do, they don't mess things up. He has a great idea of the strike zone ... that guy throws strikes, but he couldn't [today] and that set that whole thing up."
Lo then proceeded to walk outfielder Moises Sierra, which tied the game at 1. Ryan Goins later followed with an RBI groundout as the Astros opted to keep the infield back and essentially gave the game to Toronto. It was Goins' first career RBI.
"We really did like our chances," Astros manager Bo Porter said. "Looking at the way it stacked up, we had the guys in there that we wanted. Lo just lost his command. He lost his command and it ended up really hurting us with his inability to throw strikes there in the ninth."
The fact that Houston giftwrapped the ninth inning meant Mark Buehrle finally secured his 10th win of the season with another solid outing. Buehrle has now reached the 10-win plateau in each of the past 13 seasons, which is a testament not only to his effectiveness on the mound, but also his durability. Buehrle tied CC Sabathia for the longest current stretch of 10-win seasons.
Buehrle was his typical self Sunday, working quickly and efficiently en route to another quality start. His only real difficulty came in the second inning when he loaded the bases on a walk and two singles before the only Astros run came around to score on a double play off the bat of Jake Elmore.
The 34-year-old Buehrle's remarkable turnaround since mid-May continues to improve with each start he makes. The native of St. Louis is 9-5 with a 3.16 ERA since May 11 and an ERA which once sat at 7.02 is now a respectable 4.08. Buehrle hasn't lost since July 20 in Tampa Bay.
"It's [satisfying], but at the same time, I'd rather forgo some of the personal stuff to be in a better position than we're at right now," said Buehrle, who pitched eight innings of one-run ball.
"Right now, I feel like I'm having a decent season, but I still have six or seven starts left, so I have to go out there and finish strong and try to get as many wins as I can."
Toronto almost coughed up the lead in the bottom of the ninth when Casey Janssen recorded two quick outs, but proceeded to load the bases and put the winning run in scoring position. The veteran right-hander survived by getting Cody Clark to ground out to second base and end the game.
It wasn't necessarily pretty, but the performance was enough to snap Toronto's prolonged losing streak. A lack of offense was the main reason behind the struggles as the Blue Jays averaged just 3.3 runs per game on the trip while scoring two runs or fewer four times.
That was the case again early on Sunday afternooon, as left-hander Dallas Keuchel surrendered just four singles while walking three batters and striking out two over seven strong innings.
The ninth-inning rally reversed the club's fortunes and made sure that the Blue Jays wouldn't set a new high this season with eight consecutive losses.
"It's good to get a win," said Janssen, who recorded his 23rd save of the season. "It was a pretty poor road trip out of us. Hopefully, it puts a smile on our face for a few minutes and we'll get back to work and get ready for the Yankees tomorrow."
Gregor Chisholm is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, North of the Border, and follow him on Twitter @gregorMLB.


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Will Kim Kardashian make her wedding gown her "something blue"? Or will she pick pink, like Reese Witherspoon? Maybe red or navy, to pay homage to fiancé Kris Humphries's New Jersey Nets? Whatever color she chooses, it seems like Kardashian may be going the nontraditional route with her wedding dress hue for Saturday night's nuptials.
The reality star's wedding invitation mandates a black-tie dress code, and guests were instructed to "please wear black or white." Perhaps not-so-coincidentally, her wedding invitation was black and white, and her shower stuck to that color scheme, too.
So what have Kardashian and Vera Wang created? Will the bride choose a white gown and keep up the color coordination? Will it complement the green bridesmaid dresses? We'll find out Saturday, but in the meantime, tell us what you think.//static.polldaddy.com/p/5432259.js Take Our Poll
–Kate Hogan


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Please forgive me my unparliamentary language, but this kiddo is ****ing amazing!
Nice with the dunks...Marshon Brooks was my guy in this draft coming in but I now KNOW we made the right decision with Shump. I realize that now 100%..Check out this video of Iman:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Taking his training super serious...Very impressive. This kid's got all the making of becoming a real good one..Crazy good work ethic..Looks like a steal at 17..I can't wait to see him play! NO DAYS OFF!!! SHUMP SHUMP'S GETTIN' READY, MAN!!!!!
Keneth Faried was my 6th man to backup Amare & Melo.....but we
been needing a SG since Allan Houston.
Shumpert got hops....but we need Shumpert to have the same talents as
Terrence Williams....high team IQ, creative passing skills off the dribble,
while creating stops on the defensive end of the court as a combo-guard.
So far I have to go with Billups in noticing star potential in Shumpert.
ummmm.....where was this?
who hosted it?
and How did Shump get a full NBA Jersey during the lockout?
All my questions aside, my Boy is sick nice!!!!
He flirted with a quad. double in college and that takes knowing all aspects of the game
Plus the thing I like love about this kid is that he can tell you why he struggled at times in college, in his own words he said he tried to "do too much" and played out of his skill set, again in his words he said playing with Stat,Melo and Chauncy he will be able to just play within himself. Yet again in his own words "he wants to impact the game in other ways other than than scoring the ball"....very mature attitude for a rookie!
Now will we see rookie mistakes? for sure, we saw them from Feilds last year and every other rookie yet he has the IQ. and athleticism to be a nice player for years to come
Did we hit the jack pot and land the best player in the whole draft...not likely, but we landed a very solid player and probably goes down with Wilson Chandler and David Lee as one of our best draft picks in recent years.
Imagine if we landed Larry Hughes in his prime and this is what I think we got w/ Shump and unlike Hughes I think Shump is a lot more coachable and Hughes never had the athleticism Shump possesses.
Truthfully this video shows me nothing we have not seen before from Shump....what is telling is his interviews and that of his peers about him!
Crunch time...
Good call New New... I was hoping for something a little more up to date to see what he has worked on since but this will do for now.
Last edited by MSGhobo247; Nov 02, 2011 at 00:12.
It took me a while to realize 5 was the best you can get. I was thinking man this crowd is harsh thinking 10 was the best you can get.
I really like Shumpert. I think that there is a chance that he will be very special. I have seen videos of several of his interviews and he is extremely intelligent. He will soak up whatever Billups can teach him. This is surely premature, but perhaps we already have the makings of a big three.
Bump my Iman Shumpert Steal of the draft thread please
I called this guy the moment he was drafted and people thought i was a fool
as A tarheels fan I watched alot of his ACC games and followed him, and his game fits the NBA more than college; he is athletically gifted, but needs to use those tools to be successful, which in the NBA will help him flourish, while in college it was as if Tech's roster was unable to match his speed, and he found himself in no mans land quite often, similar to Melo with the knicks after amare and billups were injured against the celtics during the playoffs, he could only do so much, but couldnt win it alone.
seem afraid
I love the clip MSGhobo247 gave us btw...Thanks for sharing that one bro..Out of all the training & college highlight clips out there, this might be the most impressive, just in more subtle, team-oriented ways...Right from the opening 2 mins or so of that clip, the one thing that stood out to me was Iman's floor general/lead guard capability..You see Shump bringing the ball up, showing an excellent handle & orchestrating the offense confidently, directing traffic and being vocal----I love the one play where he had the ball up top at the end of the shotclock with the crowd screaming the countdown--5, 4, 3, 2--and instead of forcing it, he showed optimum patience and with his court vision/awareness, he hit Derrick Favors with a PERFECT pass when he sprang free & rolled to the basket down the middle (I think Favors blew the finish at the rim but the execution on the pass, esp. at that time in the shotclock, was AWESOME---the play was all Shumpert---he showed the necessary patience, waiting for that play to finally develop and never gave up on it); earlier he had at least two other great bullet, on-the-money passes to teammates underneath that were pure perfection.. Yeah, there were a couple of mistakes in there (he had one pull-up J blocked from behind and he lost the ball in the backcourt that lead to a Blue Devil dunk--if you watched carefully, this wasn't even his fault actually--Mufon Udofia had the ball & backtracked instead of forging ahead and handed Shump the ball in an impossible situation 5-8 feet from his own basket--Shump immediately got trapped and coughed it up) but there were many, many more good signs than bad to get excited about. Maybe it's me, but the stuff he showed in this clip gets me excited FAR MORE than any of his dunk highlights, impressive as those may be...I mean there were MAJOR budding PG abilities on full display in the last 6 mins of this game. And how 'bout that ever-present athletic ability, esp. on the backboard?? Keeping balls alive, tipping balls out of Duke players' hands and into his own teammates if he couldn't corral it himself, etc..Very impressive video, esp. considering the competition he was going up against. Young fella had a ton to do with that huge Yellow Jacket victory. A TON.
Last edited by finestrg; Nov 04, 2011 at 05:55.
The idea of this kid becoming the next Wade just made me jizz in my pants.
Frankly I'd be OK with him becoming the next Tony Allen, let alone Dwyane Wade. I think he's a good addition to have on his team. AT WORST the kid is an amazing lockdown defender who can harass the hell out of that bitch Rondo. AT BEST he might become a huge superstar. We'll have to see - you never know with these guys.
Nobody thought Darren Collison or Omri Casspi would be good players while Jonny Flynn and Jordan Hill would bust, it just kinda goes like that. The good thing about Shumpert is that he has the athleticism to succeed. IMO athleticism is the biggest factor in determining whether or not a player can succeed in the NBA - it takes ATHLETES, not simply SHOOTERS or PASSERS, to succeed in the NBA, and I think Shumpert's got the athleticism down.
The best thing about this kid is that he's smart, humble, a hard worker, and willing to learn. He's the exact opposite of Nate Robinson in that regard. Nate was too full of himself, arrogant, and never seemed to work on his PG skills because he was too damn excited about winning slam dunk contests.
Speaking of Dunk contests, Shumpert could make his name known in one or two. Same with Bill Walker if we keep him. I think it's pretty much safe to say at this point that the scouts have underrated Shumpert's athleticism BIG TIME.


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The Most Important Names in Android (Part 2)
December 22, 2009 | by Andrew Kameka
Google Android
This article is the second in a series of two parts. Be sure to read the first half of the list to see the 10 Most Important Names in Android.
In light of Android's explosion, Androinica.com decided to compile a list of the 10 Most Important Names in Android. We anticipate disagreement, but it's difficult to deny that the people and companies profiled below are noteworthy names. They may not be the most famous, but you can bet that they rank among the most influential and interesting characters in this play called Android.
5. T-Mobile
T-Mobile gambled on Android. Sure, being the first carrier to release a product tied to one of the biggest brands in the world is arguably a safe bet, but someone had to do it. And while several carriers are now interested in delivering Android phones, there was a several-month-long period in which many lacked the courage to do what T-Mobile did. AT&T dismissed the OS, Sprint diminished its value, and Verizon remained silent for months. In the U.S., Germany, and UK, T-Mobile spoke loud and clear in favor of Android.
T-Mobile is still a leading name in Android and offers more phones running the OS than any other carrier (five – Behold II, Cliq, G1, myTouch, and Hero in UK). In the coming months, T-Mobile will enhance the Android experience by performing major upgrades to its network, expanding its reach in the United States. Even if you're a subscriber of Sprint, Verizon, Vodafone, or Orange, you have to admit that T-Mobile led the charge in Android adoption.
4. Drew Bamford (HTC)
Awkward and un-pretty, the HTC Dream was universally panned for its aesthetics. Under the leadership of Drew Bamford, director of user experience, HTC has since beautified the physical nature of its phones and the show-stealing "Sense" software that powers them. Bamford coordinates with several types of designers to make an HTC phone everything users will want. Though the months-long wait for updates is disappointing, Sense users have to admit that the look and "feel" of the UI is considerably more desirable than stock Android. Bamford is tasked with delivering a product compelling enough to warrant such patience and loyalty to the HTC brand.
HTC already accounts for 65 percent of Android device web traffic, largely because of its early commitment and innovation. As a leader at the premiere company in Android device-making, Drew Bamford's fingerprints will definitely be present on the Android experience in 2010.
3. Andy Rubin (Google)
Long before most people had any clue about Android, there was Andy Rubin. During a meeting held in 2005, Rubin asked Google co-founder Larry Page to endorse his upcoming open-source phone system. Google instead acquired Android and brought Rubin on to oversee its development. Rubin has been described as an imaginative person who does things "for the sake of doing it and because it's cool, and as a result there's a childlike innocence about it." Android is in need of such a person to spearhead the continued enhancement of the platform. Innovations from developers of other operating systems – and within the OHA – require that the stock version of Android be just as attractive and convenient as the competition. Andy Rubin's vision will play an important role in Android's evolution, making him an important cog in the machine.
2. Andy (Bloggers, Devs, and Consumers)
I'm not vein enough to say that I'm the most important person in Android, but I am the most important person in Android. Confused? You shouldn't be, because you're also the most important person. We all are.
Android blogs break the news, highlight the apps, and do our best to keep you aware. Not to mention that we're often called upon by developers to give pre-launch feedback. And if you're a dev, you're an Andy. Without your apps, there'd be no reason to keep an Android phone. Meanwhile, the people who purchase phones and apps determine who is successful and who flops.
We're all Andy because our interaction is what keeps Android going. Consumers are just as important as the people who write articles and the developers who inspire them. Bloggers, devs, and users power an ecosystem that determines how successful Android can be. It doesn't get much important than that; unless of course you are…
1. Google
Google is the most obvious selection, the most authoritative voice, and the most influential player in Android. Yes, the Open Handset Alliance has many members, but none wields as much sway as Google. They design the firmware that powers it, they produce most of the "wow" factor apps, and any move they make is simultaneously scrutinized, decried, and praised. Is anyone surprised to see them at this position? Look at the hysteria caused by the "Google Phone" rumors and tell me a sneeze at the Googleplex won't make the world reach for a tissue. As Google goes, so goes Android. The men and women of Mountain View are poised to shake-up the Android atmosphere in some fashion; I can't wait to see how they do it.


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ARCHIBALD FOX RANCH 403 Quaker Road Warren, Pennsylvania 16365
Oldest Established Fox Ranch in the United States
9 May 1975
Springfield College
Springfield, Mass.
Received Apr 14 1975
President's Office
Dear Sir:
It was disbelief and horror that we opened the April issue of Sports, with Rick Barry is Superman on the cover, to find on page 33 an advertisement for OLD CROW topped by a picture of the "original basket-ball team", with an inset of "Dr. Naismith, Springfield College professor"
Certainly these young men began their Basketball games without benefit of OLD CROW. Whether or not they did in later years is not relevant. One I know (L. W. Archibald to his dying day in his 80th year) needed nothing stronger than a good cup of tea or lemonade. And I expect there were others of the original team who can be "turning over in their graves", at this offense against them, their professor, their school and the game that meant so much to them thruout their lives.
Granted, athletes, along with many other people currently endorse nearly anything for the financial benefits derived therefrom. But even this original team wouldn't have endorsed Geritol ! I know that certain things enter the "public domain" after a given period of time. But, even so, I strongly feel that Springfield College and the Basketball Hall of Fame should strongly protest this incident to OLD CROW. The use of this picture in advertising can do nothing but harm to your image… not only with the youth of the country, but with all of us who enjoy the sport and in our case revere our father who was one of the original team.
Sincerely, Betty Archibald
Mrs. Gerry Archibald
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Regrets, nearly everyone has them, lots of them. People spend so much time dwelling on what if's and what could have been, if only they had made a different choice. Regretting choices, mistakes and even things that happen that were outside of your control.
I've never really understood this, as the title to this post states, regrets I only have one and that one regret is something that realistically I shouldn't regret either, because I was too young to understand the consequences of the decision I made at that time… Continue reading


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Puzzle Levels
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Knopflochstab - (Wood)
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Product Information
|Take off puzzle from buttonhole shirt.
|Level 7 - Challenging
|Jean Claude Constantin
|European Wood Puzzles, Jean Claude Constantin
|4.5 in x 0.3 in x 0.3 in / 11.5 cm x 0.7 cm x 0.7 cm
Product Description
This puzzle is designed as a bit of a prank. The wooden peg is threaded through an unsuspecting friend's buttonhole. The person must then remove the puzzle from their shirt. If they can't remove it, then they must walk around all day with a wooden peg hanging from their shirt. Solving it is more difficult than you would think!
Made in wood and string by Jean-Claude Constantin. Jean-Claude Constantin lives in Germany, where he designs and manufactures many different types of wood and metal puzzles, as well as magic tricks.
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July 17, 2012
In Fall/Winter 2012, the Basket Profi from the 70's is brought back in a one-to-one reissue as the Basket Profi OG. The adidas Originals Basket Profi OG pack consists of three colorways, university red, craft gold, and dark royal. The shoes feature a soft suede upper with textile three-stripes, and vintage gum rubber outsoles for a gently worn look. The pack will be available at select adidas Originals stores and retailers on August 1, 2012. Be sure to stay up on these classics! These are straight FIRE!


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In Not Fade Away, we take a look at the legacy of some of the greatest albums of the past few decades – some iconic, some lesser known – as they celebrate significant anniversaries. Here, we focus on Black Sabbaths 1983 post-Dio-era curio, Born Again.
Black Sabbath is currently touring in support of their first ever #1 album, 13. Fans worldwide have rejoiced that the band's original (and most popular) frontman, Ozzy Osbourne, is back in the fold for his first album with the Sabbath since 1979's Never Say Die!.
Ask most fans, and they'll tell you: the original Sabbath – Ozzy, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward (who isn't participating in the current reunion) — is the classic version of the band. Those are the only members who were included in Black Sabbath's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
After Ozzy left the band – to a phenomenally successful solo career – he was replaced by the late Ronnie James Dio (formerly of Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow). Ward soon left and was replaced by Vinnie Appice. That version of the band put out two classic albums, Heaven And Hell and Mob Rules (and many fans felt that Dio and Appice deserved to be a part of the Rock Hall induction because of those records). After that, RJD left the band, and took Appice with him, to form a new group, Dio. Would Iommi and Butler be able to relaunch the band a second time? Who could fill the shoes of not just Ronnie James Dio, but Ozzy Osbourne – and sing the songs from both eras of the band, while also being able to add to the group's formidable legacy?
Enter former Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan: he certainly had the chops. One of the great vocalists of the 1970's hard rock era, he could certainly perform the band's older songs. But could he help them add to the legacy? With founding drummer Bill Ward back in the fold, they hit the studio to find out.
The resulting album, Born Again, may not quite match Sabbath's first ten albums (although parts of it are as good as, or better than, say, Technical Ecstasy), but it still warrants consideration from Sabbath, hard rock and metal fans. If it isn't a classic, at least "Trashed" and "Zero The Hero" are among the best heavy rock songs of the mid-'80s.
The band toured, with Gillian singing songs from the album, as well as the Ozzy and Dio eras. That version of Sabbath showed potential to be sure… but eventually a reunion of the classic Deep Purple lineup beckoned and Gillan left. Still, as he told Radio.com in an interview last year (promoting Whocares, a compilation of rare tracks from his and Iommi's career), he never liked the album's mix.
"I feel now as I did then. I loved every minute of the whole recording/touring year. It was the longest party I've ever been to. [But] the final version of Born Again bears no comparison to the bright monitor mixes I have on a cassette. I love the material but have to admit I was disappointed with the muffled bass-end dominance when I first heard it. The radio stations seemed to agree with me as they deemed it 'unplayable'. You may have heard that line in This is Spinal Tap…Wonder where that may have come from?" Gillan and Iommi have remained friends and have worked together to raise funds for a music school in Armenia, an effort that has lasted over a decade (and was the recipient of the funds raised by the aforementioned Gillan/Iommi collection).
Gillan's departure put Sabbath into a bit of a tailspin. Iommi attempted a solo album (featuring another Purple alumni, Glenn Hughes, on vocals), which his record label forced him to release as a Sabbath album. Hughes, who never intended to join Black Sabbath, soon was relieved of his gig, leading to a revolving door of frontmen for a few years.
Over the past decade and a half, Iommi and Butler have reunited for a number of tours with Ozzy, as well as with Dio (under the name Heaven & Hell) before the latter's untimely passing. And a Gillan-era reunion seems rather unlikely; Deep Purple is still going strong.
The physical copy of Born Again may be hard to find these days, but you can download it at iTunes. It's worth checking out for a glimpse of what may have been Black Sabbath's third great lineup, had Deep Purple never reunited.
— Brian Ives, Radio.com


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Happy September everyone! Could you believe this month is already here? Most people hate the dreaded back to school month but it's my birthday this month so I love September. 🙂 Being a Virgo my birthstone is Sapphire…and what a beautiful birthstone it is. Kate Middleton might have introduced a new generation of jewelry-wearers to the blue gemstone but it's been one of the most popular stones for centuries. Ice took the classic Sapphire look to a new level with this new Taffeta Collection.
For many of you who have worn gowns made of taffeta you must be familiar with the shimmery fabric that looks like it is made up of different colors. Ice replicated that look with this line of blue and pink Sapphire pieces. Each blue and pink piece has different shades of each color along with white Sapphires.
Do you like Sapphires? You might not know but Sapphires actually come in many colors other than blue such as pink, green, yellow, black and many more. View all our Sapphire jewelry here.


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2008 New Mexico Earth Science Awards winners announced, Jan. 7, 2008
by L. Greer Price, NMBGMR
SOCORRO, N.M., Jan. 7, 2007 -- The 2008 New Mexico Earth Science Achievement Awards will be presented to Maxine Goad, for outstanding contributions advancing the role of Earth science in areas of public service and public policy in New Mexico, and to Dr. Robert S. Bowman, for outstanding contributions advancing the role of Earth science in areas of applied science and education in New Mexico.
These annual awards, co-sponsored by the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, a division of New Mexico Tech in Socorro, and the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) in Santa Fe, were initiated in 2003 to honor those often unrecognized champions of Earth science issues vital to the future of New Mexico. Selections were made following a statewide nomination process.
The presentation will occur at noon in the rotunda of the state capitol building on Friday, January 25, during the legislative session, in conjunction with Earth Science Day. Several agencies will be staffing tables in the west wing of the Roundhouse from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on that day. The presentations will be made by Joanna Prukop, cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, and Dr. Paul Bauer, associate director of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. The public is invited to visit the Roundhouse throughout the day and to attend the ceremony.
Maxine Goad was instrumental in the development of the state's ground water protection program in the 1970s, working first as a citizen advocate and then as a state employee to devise the rules that we use today. She was heavily involved in the oversight of uranium mining in the 1980s, where she oversaw studies that advanced the state's understanding of the potential and actual water quality impacts. In the early 1990s, Goad was very involved in the development and negotiation of a mine reclamation act for New Mexico. Goad is currently an "at large" member of the state's Water Quality Control Commission.
Rob Bowman is currently chair of the Department of Earth & Environmental Science at New Mexico Tech, where for the past 20 years he has taught hydrology and mentored over 40 graduate students who are now working in industry, consulting, government, and academia. His primary research interests relate to the origin of dissolved materials in surface and ground water. This important work includes studies on the transport of solvents and fuels from spill sites, and the movement of nutrients and pesticides below irrigated fields in shallow aquifers. His research has also focused on the development of practical and affordable methods for the removal of pollutants from ground water. Bowman was pivotal in a statewide effort to improve estimates of evapotranspiration in the Rio Grande riparian corridor, the results of which has helped the state to better balance the varied water demands on the Rio Grande. Bowman has served on the board of the Socorro Soil & Water Conservation District, and overseen the development of the Socorro-Sierra Regional Water Plan. He was the 2006 recipient of New Mexico Tech's Distinguished Research Award.
The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources is a non-regulatory research and service division of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro. For 78 years, the Bureau has served as the geological survey for the State of New Mexico. EMNRD provides resource protection, recreation, and resource development services to the public and other state agencies. Nominations for next year's awards are welcome from the general public and may be made directly to Peter Scholle, state geologist and director of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources.
For More Information, Contact:
Peter Scholle
New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources
New Mexico Tech
801 Leroy Place
Socorro, NM 87801
(575) 835-5302


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FORT BEND COUNTY - The man police said shot his estranged wife on the campus of Katy ISD's Obra D. Tompkins High School was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside his Brookshire home.
The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office said the initial shooting occurred happened around 6 a.m. Friday in the parking lot at Obra D. Tompkins High School.
Police said the shooter gunned down his estranged wife, 46-year-old Valerie Robinson.
Robinson, who worked in the school's cafeteria, was found with gunshot wounds behind the school near the practice fields.
Officials said two coaches performed CPR on her until emergency crews arrived.
A spokesperson with Katy ISD said Robinson was transported to Katy Memorial Hermann Hospital, but later died.
Witnesses told police they saw a man with a shotgun get into a truck and drive off.
Police said the suspect barricaded himself in his Brookshire home. Authorities surrounded the home for nearly three hours and after attempts at negotiating failed, a search warrant was obtained.
SWAT officers moved in at around 10:30 a.m. found the suspect, 55-year-old Gregory Robinson, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the home.
Family and friends said they are overwhelmed with shock and grief.
"She was a very beautiful person she didn't deserve what happened to her today," said Janice Floyd.
Valerie Robinson was affectionately known as 'Peaches' and adored by everyone who knew her, friends said.
"She would help anybody and anytime," said her sister, Veranda House. "She was always there when people needed her. To us she was the life of the party. You couldn't ask for a better person."
The family said the estranged couple had been married for 28 years. They had one daughter together and Gregory Robinson had two sons.
Katy ISD officials said Tompkins High, the district's newest high school in only its third week, is open and secure.
"What we want parents to know is that the students are safe, we are in session," said Katy ISD PIO Steve Stanford. "This is a domestic violence issue. There was no threat towards anybody else besides this cafeteria worker."
Since the incident happened before school started, the school was never put on lockdown. Students arrived for class as scheduled and school officials said there was never a security breech.
"We understand that parents are concerned about safety," said Stanford. "We are a safe campus right now, but we also want the parents to know that if they want to pick up their child, they can certainly do so and take them home if they feel they need to do that."
The district said about 120 students were pulled out of class for the day.
Katy ISD released the following statement:
"The estranged husband of a cafeteria worker shot his wife in the back parking lot of Obra D. Tompkins High School before 6:11 a.m. this morning. Unfortunately, we have just learned that the shooting was fatal. School has started as usual this morning and the campus is not on lockdown. Parents are allowed to pick up their student if they feel they need to. Currently, Katy ISD Police Department is working with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Department and the suspect is barricaded at his home in Brookshire."
"It worries me a little bit because you always hope your children are going to be safe at school, you never expect anything to happen at school," said parent Angela Schmidt.
"I have confidence in the staff that they're doing everything they can to keep the students safe. It's just too close to home," said parent Melissa Choate.
She pulled her child out of school after hearing about the shooting.
Local 2's Gianna Caserta spoke with a mother who said her daughter is on the cross country team and was coming back from her run when they heard a gunshot. The students hid inside the locker room for several minutes. The student texted her parents and told them that there was a shooting on campus. The student athletes stayed in that locker room until it was safe to come out.
Parents dropping their children off couldn't believe something like this could happen at their children's school.
"At least I was relieved to know the guy left and isn't on campus, a little bit of relief, but still sadness and disappointment of why these things happen," said parent Tory Roberts.
A Katy ISD spokesperson acknowledged that an alert to parents wasn't released as quickly as the district intended. Steve Stanford said the district intended to send an alert to parents before school began but a default setting on the notification system prevented the message from being sent in a timely manner.
"We apologize to the parents that they did not receive that first message. We understand the importance and the urgency of getting these types of notifications," said Stanford.
Stanford said the district will be changing those default settings to make sure another delay doesn't happen in the future.
Katy ISD said they brought in additional help from around the district to serve lunch at the school. The district said one cafeteria worker met with a counselor and then left for the day. The other stayed but worked on food preparation.
Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The Mystery of Camp Eagle Feather
Jacob Jones is just a normal, shy nine-year-old schoolboy. But that all changes the day he befriends a giant hairy Bigfoot while at summer camp!
Something strange is going on at Camp Eagle Feather, so it's up to Jacob and Biggie to get to the bottom of it all. Explore a 3D world full of twists, turns and ingenious puzzles as you meet a cast of weird and wonderful characters in a truly original and unforgettable tale.


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The Lady Cyclones (26-6) haven't been in this position, because the spot is usually filled by traditional 6A powers Benton and Searcy.
Russellville took care of No. 1 seed Benton 2-1 on Monday, while the Lake Hamilton Lady Wolves (16-12) edged Searcy with a seventh-inning rally.
"Our feet are just now getting back on the ground after beating Benton," head coach Harley Sisson said. "That was such a huge win for our program. The girls just played well. We're trying to stay focused and not overthink things — keep things as routine as possible.
"We can't let them [Lady Wolves] get hot like they did against Searcy. Searcy pretty much shut them down for most of the game, but they [Lake Hamilton] rallied in the seventh inning to pick up the win. They had five hits back-to-back that Searcy couldn't make a play on and made some bad decisions with. They're streaky."
Despite the disparity in the two teams' records and their seeds in the state tournament, Sisson said the Lady Cyclones will prepare for Lake Hamilton the same way they did for Benton.
"We're not overlooking anybody," the coach said. "You can throw the records out the window when you're playing in the state championship game. It'll come down to who wants it the most. Who's going to be more focused and who'll lay it all out on the line to win the game? They're in the 6A state finals and they had to beat somebody to get there, so they can beat you if you don't play a good game."
Russellville has improved every year under Sisson and this year's team has turned into something special. The coach said the formula for success is actually pretty simple.
"If there's one thing about this team, they do everything together — whether it's on the bus, while they're eating or on the weekend staying together," he said. "That's something we had to have this year. [Freshman pitcher] Andrea [Kindrick] struck out three against Benton which means we needed to make 18 outs in the game. We only had three outfield putouts, which means we had 15 infield putouts against Benton. We are playing great defense right now behind some good pitching. When you have good defense behind good pitching, it makes for a winning combination. They're not a typical young team, as far as experience, because they've played so much."
Defense, defense, defense. That's what will win it for the Lady Cyclones, Sisson said. Lake Hamilton isn't a small-ball team that likes to use the bunt and really run the bases. The Lady Wolves can play small ball, but they have some power in their lineup.
"We had the opportunity to scout them on Monday," Sisson said. "They've got a pretty strong pitcher, and she's also one of their big ball hitters. She'a a long-ball hitter in the four spot. They have their 1 and 2 batters are both lefties and get on base a lot. They like to short game it a lot, so we're going to have to be prepared to play it — which we've been pretty good at doing all year. Their first baseman is a big-ball hitter. You don't want to let them score with one swing of the bat. You want to make them string together some hits to put points on the board, and we feel like if we do that we have a good chance to win.
"On paper, it looks like we have the upper hand. That said, everybody in the state expected Benton to beat us and we proved the state wrong. Hopefully, we can prove the state — who is saying Russellville will win the game — right this year."
The Lady Cyclones will have a send-off at 10:15 a.m. Saturday at the Russellville Athletic Department — the old Gardner Gymnasium. All Russellville softball fans are encouraged to be there to show support to the team as they head to Fayetteville.
Class 6A softball
At Jacksonville High School
May 10
Game 1 — S1 Benton 16, E8 LR Parkview 0
Game 2 — E4 Mountain Home 7, S5 El Dorado 3
Game 3 — S4 Lake Hamilton 10, E5 Jonesboro 1
Game 4 — E2 Russellville 15, S7 LR McClellan 0
Game 5 — S2 Sheridan 6, E7 Van Buren 2
Game 6 — S3 Texarkana 11, E6 Jacksonville 1
Game 7 — E3 Searcy 18, S6 Pine Bluff 0
May 11
Game 8 — S1 Benton 10, E4 Mountain Home 0
Game 9 — S4 Lake Hamilton 5, E1 Marion 0
Game 10 — E2 Russellville 1, S3 Texarkana 0
Game 11 — E3 Searcy 5, S2 Sheridan 4
Game 12 — E2 Russellville 2, S1 Benton 1
Game 13 — S4 Lake Hamilton 4, E3 Searcy 2
Finals at Bogle Field, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Game 14 — E2 Russellville vs. S4 Lake Hamilton, 5:30 p.m.


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All quotes tagged Face
(2767 quotes found)
"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations."
"Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity."
"No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change."
"The expression a woman wears on her face is far more important than the clothes she wears on her back"


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This item is currently not available.
This generously sized planter has an equally big, 8-gallon water reservoir! Ideal for hot, dry climates and
vacation homes; large enough for ornamental shrubs and dwarf trees. Depending on climate and plants, the reservoir may need filling only every four to six weeks!
(based on 5 reviews)
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Reviewed by 5 customers
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(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Cords broke - now what?
By Christy
from Boston, MA
When I raised the cords up, I pulled way too hard and they snapped; then my toddler pulled them all the way out. Now I have two pieces of rope instead of loops! Could I feed the ends back down through the holes? The soil will hold them in place, I assume. How critical is it, for wicking purposes, that the cords be attached inside the water reservoir? See photo. Thanks!!
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Best of the West
By archy 17
from Central Texas
Best Uses
Am using for container fig trees that need to be moved indoors for winter. Wish there was a little less water storage space and a little more plant root room. Plenty of room to cope with our dry Texas conditions.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
(6 of 8 customers found this review helpful)
Self-watering starts after 3 months
By Sue
from Massachusetts
I bought these to use outdoors in New England, where 3 months is about the whole season, so I will not get much out of the self-watering feature (which I was after). They do look nice for synthetic pots, but because they hold water, I cannot leave them out in the winter, like I can with my weather-proof synthetic pots that are not self-watering.
Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend
(7 of 11 customers found this review helpful)
One big water reservoir
By Container Gardener
from Beaumont, TX
I haven't actually had time to judge the performance of this product, but if it is like other planters from Gardener's Supply, it will last forever. I have two dwarf lemon trees that I want to transfer to these planters. I just can't keep them watered in this heat, and the huge water reservoir should help with that problem.
(16 of 16 customers found this review helpful)
Information not given
By yellow jacket
from Ashland OR
I wanted a large planter and the fact that this one was self-watering seemed to be a plus. However, after I received the planter, I read the instructions for use and found that the planter could not be left outside in freezing weather. This is a real disadvantage and had I known this ahead of time, I would not have bought this product. Since I had already recycled the boxes used for packing, I could not return the planter. Temperature restrictions on a product should be listed in the product description.
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text: I thought it was okay. Definitely not a smasher like First Contact, but not as bad as TMP (which was still kind of okay IMO). Good thing I've built a bomb shelter for whenever I get the urge to post opinions that demonstrate my abilities of reasoning and original thought... I've had to reinforce it since I joined Youtube though


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Full of movement and humor, Don't Be Scared! tells the story of Jesus' birthbeginning with Old Testament prophecy, and ending in Bethlehem at the manger.
Perfect for the limited vocal range and attention span of our "littlest performers," this 15 minute program consists of five simple songs. "He'll Come Down" and "All the Way to Bethlehem" are both piggybacked onto familiar nursery tunes while the kids will love singing boldly to the characters throughout the story "Fear Not" to the tune of the William Tell Overture.
Don't Be Scared! is so much more than just another "cute kiddie program". Through songs, narration, movement, and role-playing (they get to be angels, shepherds and even animals in a stable!), preschoolers learn that God's children are never really "alone." God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to live with us, and in us, to take away our fear.


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Julie Vos black earrings from Knock Knock seen with Lorenza Izzo (Genesis)
As Seen on Genesis (Lorenza Izzo) in Knock Knock
COED CUTIE: It might look like the picture of wholesomeness in the suburbs, but Evan Webber (Keanu Reeves) gets the shock of his life when he opens his doors to two strange women. In the horror fantasy Knock Knock, get ready for a wild ride as Chilean princess Genesis (Lorenzo Izzo) shows her dark side. With the help of coed cutie Bel (Ana de Armas), she makes sure Evan pays the ultimate price for his cheating ways.
Scroll down to see more clothes, outfits and products identified from Knock Knock.
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A Closer Look At Combination Therapy For Chronic Wounds
The advent of advanced treatments has made it possible for chronic wounds to benefit from a wide range of combined modalities. With a closer look at the research and an illuminating case study, these authors examine the efficacy of wound dressings, skin substitutes, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and other therapies.
When it comes to diabetic foot wounds, clinicians may use biologic dressings either independently or in combination with other modalities to facilitate swift resolution of the ulceration. While physicians typically choose treatments based upon patient selection, experience and regional preferences, a wide host of therapeutic modalities are available today. These modalities include silver impregnated dressings, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), bioengineered skin substitutes and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).
All wounds begin as acute wounds that ideally progress through the four typical phases of healing: hemostasis, inflammatory, proliferative and healing. Acute wounds heal in an expected timeframe without any disruption to these processes. Wounds become chronic and fail to heal due to a poor molecular environment that is rife with inflammatory cytokines, proteases and low levels of growth factors. Biologic therapies aim to alter the environment in some way in order to restart the normal healing pathway.
Chronic wounds affect approximately 6 million people in the United States with lower extremity ulcerations being the most common. Due to an increase in adult obesity, the incidence of diabetic foot ulcers is increasing at a rate of 14 percent per year with 84 percent of that subgroup ultimately undergoing amputation.1 Neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease and pressure are the most common factors causing chronic lower extremity ulcers. Signs of chronic wounds include but are not limited to: increasing wound size, necrosis or nonviable tissue, recurrent breakdown and lack of granulation tissue.2
Inflammatory phase markers, such as macrophages and polymorphonuclear neutrophils, aid in preparing the wound bed for the proliferative phase. However, their extended presence can cause tissue damage. Bacterial biofilms also act as a deterrent to wound healing. Biofilms are cells that attach to surfaces and are embedded in self-produced extracellular matrix.3 This film shows resistance to antibiotics due to inactivation of antimicrobial agents by extracellular polymeric substances, differentiation of cells into resistant dormant cells and a decreased oxygen gradient.
Investigating The Efficacy Of Silver Dressings
Silver containing dressings have been in use for many years to help manage local infection. Silver has a broad spectrum antibacterial range that includes gram-negative, gram-positive (including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)), aerobic, anaerobic yeast and fungi.4 Silver's antimicrobial effect is due to its inhibition of DNA replication, interference of the respiratory chain in microbial cytochromes and interference of microbial electron transport system components.
A study utilizing Aquacel Ag (ConvaTec) showed that the silver impregnated dressings were able to decrease bacterial bioburden without any serious adverse events while continuing to promote wound moisture and exudate management.4 Research also shows that silver dressings can potentiate antibiotic therapy by increasing the susceptibility of bacterial walls within biofilms to antibiotics.3 In addition to its antimicrobial properties, silver also has antiseptic as well as anti-inflammatory properties.
Peripheral edema often accompanies chronic wounds. This occurs via excessive interstitial hydrostatic pressure, which can compromise skin perfusion. Silver impregnated dressings can decrease edema, thereby improving skin perfusion as well as reducing the pain that patients may experience.
Silver dressings are relatively inexpensive with multiple varieties. There are few adverse side effects but those include burning at initial application and hardening of dressings over joints.4 This therapy is useful in the clinical setting due to its cost effectiveness, safety and ease of application.
A Closer Look At The Potential Of Medical Honey
Clinicians have historically utilized medical honey for a myriad of ailments but investigators have only recently begun to look at the modality for chronic wounds. Medical honey contains leptospermum honey, which has demonstrated in vitro activity against MRSA.5
The effectiveness of medical honey is due to its hygroscopic property as well as its low pH. Hygroscopic properties draw moisture out of an environment, thereby dehydrating bacteria whereas other products inhibit or attack the bacterial cell wall or inhibit metabolic pathways. Chronic wounds typically have a pH value >7.3 when colonized by bacteria.5 Honey's low pH allows acidification of the wound, which inhibits bacteria and speeds wound healing.
Protease activity is also suppressed as a neutral pH is optimal for proteases to destroy growth factors, protein fibers and fibronectin in the wound matrix. Medical honey also acts as an anti-inflammatory, which decreases wound exudate as well as edema. Nerve endings are sensitized by prostaglandins during the inflammatory phase, which are also decreased due to honey's anti-inflammatory property.
Another beneficial effect not often mentioned is malodor, which is commonly present in chronic wounds. Topical medical honey can reduce this unpleasant characteristic. It can be a cost effective treatment method that one can easily use in the clinical setting.
What You Should Know About Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been in use for more than 40 years as a wound healing adjunct. With HBOT, a patient goes into a compression chamber under atmospheric pressure greater than one atmosphere absolute of 100 percent oxygen.6 This increased pressure theoretically increases the oxygen level dissolved in the blood, which in turn affects vascular tone and promotes wound healing.
One would not use HBOT alone but in combination with serial debridements, antibacterials and local dressings. While few well-controlled randomized trials exist documenting the efficacy of HBOT, there is growing evidence that supports HBOT as a successful adjunct in the treatment of chronic diabetic foot ulcers.7 Complications are few but can include oxygen poisoning, claustrophobia or ear/sinus/lung damage.
Emerging Insights On Combining NPWT with Conservative Care
Negative pressure wound therapy is another treatment that one usually uses in combination with antibacterials. The environment created with the apparatus decreases edema by lowering exudate collection. This in turn increases blood flow to the wound bed, allowing the phases of wound healing to continue.
Dressings are confined to the vacuum-assisted closure (VAC therapy, KCI) dressing. Concomitant antimicrobial dressings are rarely used with VAC therapy. A recent systematic review showed increased healing of diabetic foot ulcers when combining conservative treatments with VAC therapy.8
What The Literature Reveals About PRP
Continued research is occurring on PRP, which promotes platelet-derived growth factors, vascular endothelial growth factors and cytokines in the hopes that this will stimulate wound healing. The procedure requires a sample of the patient's blood that spins down in a centrifuge that separates blood into the red blood cell layer, the "buffy coat" (which is the PRP layer) and the plasma-poor layer. One subsequently injects the isolated PRP layer into the area of concern.
The theory is that tissue healing and microcirculation improve because of the variety of growth factors contained in PRP. Studies show that PRP can restart the healing process in otherwise recalcitrant chronic wounds. In one study, 96.5 percent of wounds had a positive response with area and volume reduction in only two weeks after three treatments.9 Another study showed that in the most common wounds (including pressure ulcers, venous ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers), the use of PRP reduced wound volume, area, undermining and sinus tract/tunneling after 2.8 weeks with 3.2 applications.10
Adverse effects are few. Since PRP is an autologous substance, allergic reactions are rare and transmissible infections are fewer. Unfortunately, research is limited and most insurance companies do not reimburse for the procedure. Patients are therefore required to pay for this treatment on their own.
How Effective Are Bioengineered Skin Substitutes?
Skin substitutes were initially developed for the treatment of patients with burns and physicians now frequently use them in the treatment of chronic foot wounds. Some of these substitutes derive from allogeneic sources while others are bioengineered in the lab. They accelerate wound healing by providing a moist wound environment, act as a structural support and provide a network of cytokines and growth factors.
Skin substitutes consist of an epidermal layer and/or a dermal layer embedded into an acellular matrix, which acts as a support structure.11 This combination of angiogenesis, growth factors and cell adhesion properties allows for a shorter wound healing time when clinicians use skin substitutes in conjunction with other conservative treatments. The three-dimensional skin substitute provides a metabolically active, living scaffold that allows for proliferation of the dermal bed.
Trials have shown that the use of skin substitutes such as Dermagraft (Advanced BioHealing) or Apligraf (Organogenesis) result in a higher incidence of complete wound closure and shorter time to complete wound healing.12 The most promising results of trials involving skin substitutes indicated that the concomitant use of skin substitutes and other modalities of wound treatment, namely debridement, yielded shorter healing time.13
Skin substitutes are contraindicated in actively infected ulcers or those patients with bovine allergies. Infections are low and systemic toxicity is rare. Patients can receive this treatment in the office setting. It is a simple, non-painful procedure.
Case Study: Combining Skin Substitutes With Weekly Debridement Of A Chronic Wound
A 70-year-old male presented with a diabetic ulceration on the medial aspect of his left heel. The ulceration has been present for nearly two years without evidence of healing. The patient previously received oral antibiotics and local dressing changes consisting of antibiotic ointment. The patient has had diabetes for 18 years and has experienced complications such as peripheral neuropathy as well as peripheral vascular disease. He also suffers from hypertension and coronary artery disease.
His physical examination showed normal skin color, turgor and temperature. His dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial artery pulses were non-palpable. There was an ulceration on the medial aspect of his left heel that measured approximately 1.0 cm in diameter and 8 mm deep. The ulceration did not undermine nor probe to bone. The base of the ulceration contained yellow, fibrotic tissue.
Initial treatment consisted of local debridement of the ulcer, an offloading pad and topical dressings using normal saline. We obtained a formal vascular consultation.
Noninvasive pulse volume recordings showed monophasic waveforms at the level of the dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial arteries. The patient subsequently had angiographic evaluation to help determine whether stent replacement was necessary. The angiogram revealed a totally occluded anterior tibial artery at the trifurcation and a severely diseased and diminutive peroneal artery down to the foot. His posterior tibial artery was widely patent down to the foot with inline flow from the femoral artery. Since the posterior tibial artery was widely patent to the foot and this was a medial heel ulceration, the vascular surgeon determined that stenting of the artery would provide no added benefit.
We continued to provide local wound care along with an offloading pad. However, after four weeks, no progress had occurred. We subsequently initiated a series of Dermagraft treatments. Weekly visits consisted of debridement of the ulceration down to healthy bleeding tissue. This involved removal of all fibrotic tissue as well as macerated hyperkeratotic tissue around the margins of the ulceration. We applied a 1 cm2 double layer of Dermagraft weekly for five weeks. Dressings remained intact until the next visit and treatment. By week five, the ulceration had reduced to a diameter of 5 to 6 mm and 2 to 3 mm in depth. We applied a sixth application of double layer Dermagraft. At that point, the patient was ready for application of Apligraf in an effort to achieve 100 percent epithelialization.
In Summary
With this myriad of treatment choices, podiatric clinicians have the tools to combat chronic lower extremity ulcers. Depending on patient selection and wound type, one can use biologic therapies independently or in combination with other modalities to optimize the chances of wound closure. The increasing number of chronic foot wounds with poor prognosis demand attention and further research in an attempt to improve outcomes.
Dr. Kim is the Chief Resident at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. She is a Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Dr. Giurini is the Chief of the Division of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is an Associate Clinical Professor in Surgery at Harvard Medical School.
1. Available at http://www.plasticsurgery.org/Documents/medical-professionals/health-pol... . Published May 2007. Accessed June 11, 2012.
2. Fong J, Wood F. Nanocrystalline silver dressings in wound management: a review. Int J Nanomed. 2006; 1(4):441-9.
3. Kostenko V, Lyczak J, Turner K, Martinuzzi RJ. Impact of silver-containing wound dressings on bacterial biofilm viability and susceptibility to antibiotics during prolonged treatment. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2010; 54(12):5120-31.
4. Barnea Y, Weiss J, Gur E. A review of the applications of the hydrofiber dressings with silver (Aquacel Ag®) in wound care. Ther Clin Risk Manage. 2010; 6:21-7.
5. Simon A, Traynor K, Santos K, et al. Medical honey for wound care – still the 'latest resort'? Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009; 6(2):165-73.
6. O'Reilly D, Linden R, Fedorko L, et al. A prospective, double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial comparing standard wound care with adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to standard wound care only for the treatment of chronic, non-healing ulcers of the lower limb in patients with diabetes mellitus: a study protocol. Available at http://www.trialsjournal.com/content/12/1/69 . Published March 2011. Accessed June 11, 2012.
7. Kranke P, Bennett MH, Martyn-St James M, Schnabel A, Debus SE. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for chronic wounds. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012; 4:CD004123.
8. Xie X, McGregor M, Dendukuri N. The clinical effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy: a systematic review. J Wound Care. 2010; 19(11):490-495.
9. De Leon JM, Driver VR, Fylling CP, et al. The clinical relevance of treating chronic wounds with an enhanced near-physiological concentration of platelet-rich plasma gel. Adv Skin Wound Care. 2011; 24(8):357-368.
10. Frykberg RG, Driver VR, Carman D, et al. Chronic wounds treated with a physiologically relevant concentration of platelet-rich plasma gel: a prospective case series. Ostomy Wound Management. 2010; 56(6):36-44.
11. Available at http://dermnetnz.org/procedures/bioengineered-skin.html . Accessed June 11, 2012.
12. Buchberger B, Follmann M, Freyer D, et al. The evidence for the use of growth factors and active skin substitutes for the treatment of non-infected diabetic foot ulcers (DFU): a health technology assessment (HTA). Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2011; 119(8):472-479.
13. Papanas N, Eleftheriadou I, Tentolouris N, Maltezos E. Advances in the topical treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2012; epub ahead of print.


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Pontiac Torrent Prices Paid and Buying Experience
A local dealer here says they have a brand new 06'Pontiac Torrent on sale. Standard equipment plus sun roof and 6 disc CD player, cruise control. The tag price is $20,999, there might be $200~300 discount.
I checked Edmunds, invoice price for this car is around $21,000. But the dealer showed me their invoice, which is about $23,000. He said even if we pay $20,999 for it, they're still "losing money". Is it possible?
Is this price reasonable?
Thank you.
I checked Edmunds, invoice price for this car is around $21,000. But the dealer showed me their invoice, which is about $23,000. He said even if we pay $20,999 for it, they're still "losing money". Is it possible?
Is this price reasonable?
Thank you.
baizej Posts: 1We just got a 2007 White Torrent with the Preferred Package and 9k miles. Leather, remote start, auto dim mirror, etc. We paid just under $19,000 for it. I would say he's lying. Depending on mileage, $19,000 would be a good starting point since you have some of the extras, the sunroof and stereo. I went at the end of the month and they seemed desperate, although no one but the dealer knows how much they've made. They wouldn't sell it if they were truly losing money.
dannyd3 Posts: 56I dont know if it too late but I have and 06 FWD sport with sun and sound pkg 17" aluminums, $32000 CDN on the road with some free oil changes
royal_with_a_t Posts: 3they showed u their invoices- they make ones with their fees hidden in it- u can request the true invoice the it comes with- we get gm dicount and i got my awd 07 torrent (leather, preffered, sun and sound, 6 disc, nav, pretty much everything offered) for 25k and my first 6 or so oil changes are included- which isnt much for me really - put alot of milage on a vehicle
thanks a lot!
txtorrent Posts: 1Hello, just bought a '06 Torrent with Preferred Pkg, Sun & Sound, Premium Pkg, XM radio, and 17" wheels for $22,600 + TTL. Sticker was $26,290. I think I got a pretty good price but I love to negotiate.
mrock Posts: 5This was back in April, purchased in CT. Tried 2 dealers (1 NY and 1 in CT). Probably would have tried even another dealer but worn down since I was also negotiating for the RAV4 and a Mistubishi with less than stellar results. Must be the area I live in, too many people.
Taking days to negotiate but this was the best I could do.
-$1000 off
-$2000 rebate
+$185 Conveyance fee BS (after deal was done this got thrown in at signing, bastards.)
Final $23445
kenyon Posts: 11I bought a GXP Torrent from Faulkner Pontiac in Harrisburg PA. List about 32,500.
$3000 in rebates. Negotiated another 3000 off. Had about $2000 in GM dollars. Total price 24,500 give or take a dollar or two. No hassles with finance department. I was going to pay cash after making the deal. they offered 4.7% for 66 months which I took though I may pay off early after thinking about it.
Process took 90 minutes, the Faulkner people were all very pleasant.
indrgb Posts: 115Picked up new Torrent on 1-19-08
AWD, Preferred Pkg, sun and sound, side airbags, 17" wheels, heated seats, XM
Sticker $29285
Neg. down to $28000
$2000 Torrent rebate
$2000 GM card bonus
$1000 GM loyalty rebate
Approximate cost was 23k + sales tax and doc fee
I think it was a pretty good deal. Salesman is good. Second car from same dealer/salesman.
So far so good on the Torrent. Electronic gadgets are amazing. A geek squad fantasy.
unhappybuyer1 Posts: 1I recently went looking for a new vehicle and took my 2007 Pontica Torrent in for trade-in and was totally shocked to find out the car is worth half of its value. The car does not have alot of miles on it and is in great shape. I wanted to purchase a larger vehicle and was informed by the salesman that they would give me $14,000.00 for my torrent. I in addition went of line to check the value and confirmed the car drops in value by half. This sucks.
p3001 Posts: 5hello all, former GM employee here. my dad is trying to buy a torrent for my mom, and i decided to come online and see if anyone on the boards could provide me with a GM "Friends & Family" coupon code for this purchase. I would greatly appreciate it and he would be buying "American" because I'm almost positive he's gonna go foreign otherwise and I would hate to see that. Well hope someone on the boards can help me out, reply or send me a private message/email (email@example.com) if you can help, thanks.
This discussion has been closed.


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- Coca-Cola Crate Man in Cape TownWe are always a little suspicious of major corporations that preach the three Rs, but we were pretty impressed to stand at the feet of this towering crate man constructed out of thousands of empty Coca-Cola crates. Named Elliot, the giant lives at Cape Town's V&A Waterfront and has almost as much presence as the majestic Table Mountain behind "him." Back in 2010, the first Coca-Cola man was constructed in Johannesburg in order to increase the firm's visibility during the FIFA World Cup, but Cape Town's larger, taller, and sitting crate man was designed by Porky Hefer to draw attention to the ever-increasing importance of recycling both cans and plastic bottles.1
- Coca-Cola Crate Man in Cape TownElliot is a giant man made out of thousands of recycled Coke crates.2
- Coca-Cola Crate Man in Cape TownElliot preaches about the 3Rs.3
- Coca-Cola Crate Man in Cape TownThe recycled structure is nearly 60 feet tall and weighs 27 tons.4
- Coca-Cola Crate Man in Cape TownElliot is made of 4,200 plastic crates.5
- Coca-Cola Crate Man in Cape TownPassersby can learn about recycling if they step up for a closer look.6
- Coca-Cola Crate Man in Cape TownThe incredible structure is nearly as tall as the majestic, iconic Table Mountain in South Africa's mother city, Cape Town.7


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Posts Tagged 'nadra'
Nadra Birth Certificate from Union Council Pakistan
Nadra Birth Certificate is being issued in Pakistan, and these Nadra Birth Certificates are always issued from a Union Council. Nadra Birth Certificate issuing authority is only Union Council and Nadra did not issue the Birth Certificate directly in Pakistan.
Nadra provided the database lines to all Union Councils in Pakistan and also providing Nadra Birth Certificate special printing papers with embossed Nadra Logos and some other secret logos to ensure the genuine and authenticity of the document. Nadra original birth certificate also stripped with a silver Nadra seal across the paper at bottom of birth certificate.
Union Council is only issuing authority of Birth Certificate in Pakistan, and never issued by any outlet of Nadra in Pakistan. And further verification of Nadra Birth Certificates are also done by the Union Councils not from Nadra.
If someone says that its, Nadra Issued Birth Certificate, that's wrong, even we can say that, Nadra Birth Certificate issued by a Union Council.
But it must be ensure that Union Council is providing you a recorded Nadra Birth Certificate, and your issued Birth Certificate is properly attached to your database in Nadra. And Secretary of that Union Council must put signature and stamped the issued Birth Certificate.
And only These Nadra Union Council issued Birth Certificates are accepted for Immigration, visa, sponsorship, Green Card, Admissions, Traveling, Passport renewal, New ID processing, Marriage purpose, Divorce purpose and many other legal matters across the world.
You can review the Nadra Birth Certificate issued by a union council in Pakistan. VIEW SAMPLE
Required Documents for applying Nadra Birth Certificate from Union Council. VIEW LIST
If you want to get your Birth Certificate issued by Union Council in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, please contact us and we will provide you authentic, genuine and original Nadra Birth Certificate issued by Union Council. Call us today +923332418517.
Or email us at following link.


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Energy efficiency seen easy way to aid climate: U.N.
VIENNA (Reuters) - Energy efficiency for power plants, buildings and cars is the easiest way to slow global warming in an investment shift set to cost hundreds of billions of dollars, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
A U.N. report about climate investments, outlined to a meeting in Vienna of 1,000 delegates from 158 nations, also said emissions of greenhouse gases could be curbed more cheaply in developing nations than in rich states.
The cash needed to return rising emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, to current levels by 2030 would amount to 0.3 to 0.5 percent of projected gross domestic product (GDP), or 1.1 to 1.7 percent of global investment flows in 2030, it said.
"Energy efficiency is the most promising means to reduce greenhouse gases in the short term," said Yvo de Boer, the head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat, presenting the report to the August 27-31 meeting.
The 216-page report was published online last week.
He said the study could help guide governments, meeting in Austria to try to work out a longer-term fight against global warming beyond the U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol. The protocol binds 35 rich nations to cap emissions of greenhouse gases by 2008-12.
The report estimates that "global additional investment and financial flows of $200 billion-$210 billion will be necessary in 2030 to return greenhouse gas emissions to current levels," including measures for energy supply, forestry and transport.
Energy efficiency in power plants would help, along with measures such as greater fuel efficiency for cars or better insulation in buildings. The study foresees a shift to renewable energies such as solar and hydropower, and some nuclear power.
The report also estimates that investments in helping nations adapt to the impact of climate change would run to tens of billions of dollars in 2030, such as treating more cases of disease such as malaria or building dykes to protect beaches from rising seas.
It said carbon markets would have to be "significantly expanded to address needs for additional investments and financial flows." Companies are now responsible for about 60 percent of global investments.
Experts said the report was the first to try to give a snapshot of the needed investments in one year -- in this case 2030.
The report fills in some gaps in a wider picture given by previous reports such as one by former World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern saying it would be cheaper to confront climate change now than wait to combat the consequences.
U.N. reports this year have also projected that warming will bring more heat waves, droughts, disease, disrupt farming, and raise global sea levels.
De Boer said investments to developing nations should rise.
"The bulk of cost effective opportunities are in developing countries," he said, adding that did not mean that rich nations should seek only to make investments abroad rather than at home.
"More than half the energy investment needed is in developing countries," he said. China opens new coal-fired power plants at a rate of two per week to feed its growing economy. Investments in cleaner technology, such as filtering out carbon emissions and burying them, would help, he said.


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CastMeNotAway wrote:So I really love my job and am really hoping the company will give a, erm... promotion. But I feel like if I do something wrong they'll kill me for it. How would you suggest impressing the 'higher-ups'?
Well, just do your job as well as you can. And try to smell less...appealing.
And, maybe, we will have room for you, after all.
So...I, uh, kind of almost ran over Bella Swan with my van...
How can I make it up to her? I should probably ask her to prom...
P.S. Rose, where are those pictures..?!


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World Food Travel Summit
(Portland, Oregon, USA and Gothenburg, Sweden, October 8, 2012) – The success of Sweden as the new culinary nation continues with the naming of Gothenburg as host city for the World Food Travel Summit in September 2013.
VisitSweden, Göteborg & Co and the West Swedish Tourist Board, together with the World Food Travel Organization, will organize next year's World Food Travel Summit. The event will take place at Gothenburg's Radisson Blue Hotel between 21-24 September 2013. "This is a big step for Culinary Sweden," says Ami Hovstadius, Director of the "Sweden – The New Culinary Nation" program at VisitSweden. "Swedish food is hot right now and our food culture is spreading world-wide thanks to the media. The fact that Sweden will host an international congress on food tourism is a great honor and shows that Sweden has taken its rightful place on the world map of culinary destinations. This is an opportunity for us to showcase our unique culinary experiences and an impetus for us to develop more programs of interest to hungry travelers," says Hovstadius.
The theme of next year's Summit in Gothenburg is "The New Wave in Food Tourism." Consumers are more interested than ever in food and increasingly conscious about what they eat. The impact of food on the environment has also become an important topic. Camilla Nyman, Acting CEO of Göteborg & Co., the city's tourism marketing office, says "Locally produced commodities such as fish and shellfish are the basic tenet that has underlied the work of Gothenburg and West Sweden for the past several years. Our recognition as the 2012 Food Capital of Sweden has acted as a rally cry to our city and region, and we have increased our focus on our culinary experiences. That Gothenburg has been selected to host the Summit means a lot to us."
Erik Wolf, Executive Director of the World Food Travel Association, and the founder of the world's food tourism industry, sees Gothenburg and Sweden as perfect partners to host the World Summit. "Sweden is an exciting new destination for foodie travelers, yet relatively unknown in the world, despite the quality and tastiness of its cuisine. I'm so glad we chose Gothenburg to host our next World Summit. It's a great city, with history, architecture, proximity to the sea and beautiful landscape, warm and friendly people and the world's most delicious shrimp sandwich. What more could we ask for?" says Wolf.
The goal of the biennial Summit is to create a forum for dialogue and exchange of knowledge and learn about emerging trends in food tourism. "We want to help our industry to innovate their business models and processes and connect with others with whom they can do business", says Wolf. The conference is targeted to professionals in the food, beverage, travel and hospitality industries world-wide.Five hundred delegates are expected.The last Summit was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 2010.
For more information, visit http://www.worldfoodtravelsummit.com/
• World Food Travel Association (formerly the International Culinary Tourism Association) Erik Wolf, Executive Director, email@example.com (+1) 503-213 3700
• VisitSweden, Anne-Marie Hovstadius, Project Leader, "Sweden The New Culinary Nation", firstname.lastname@example.com, (+46) 709 99 45 00
• Göteborg & Co, Anders Johansson, email@example.com, Press Office, (+46) 76 011663
• West Sweden Tourism Board, Jill Axelsson, email@example.com, Manager, Food Tourism, (+46) 708 25 39 55
The World Food Travel Association (WFTA) is the world's largest trade association on food tourism and the leading authority about the industry. Founded in 2003 as the International Culinary Tourism Association, today the WFTA's programs in education and development help to preserve and promote the world's food cultures through travel.
VisitSweden is a communications company that works to promote the brand of Sweden and the Swedish destinations and experiences internationally. Sweden – the new culinary nation is a vision formulated by the Swedish government to promote Swedish cuisine and agriculture. Long, bright spring and summer evenings, diverse produce and creative manufacturing methods, a unique natural environment and world class chefs make Sweden a culinary nation well worth discovering. Visit www.visitsweden.com/food or


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Video of George Zimmerman being brought into the Sanford police station after shooting on 26 Feb 2012
I've held off on writing about the tragic shooting death of Trayvon Martin last month in Florida. There just wasn't enough info at first and it was being blogged coast to coast elsewhere. But it's started to fill in a bit and maybe some speculation on what could have happened is in order. First the eyewitness:
(CNN) — The witness recounted seeing two men on the grass, one on top of the other. "And at that point, not looking out the window, I heard the yell for help, one yell for help, and then I heard another … excruciating type of yell. It didn't almost sound like 'help.' It just sounded so painful. But I wasn't watching out the window during that. And then the next time I looked out the window, there's the same thing: two men on the grass, one on top of each other.
We may never know what happened here. But we can guess, construct scenarios and judge them. My guess would be each of these guys inadvertently reinforced the worst fears of the other, fears stoked by popular media portraying urban myth and real world events in a confusing mix.
Zimmerman is worried about burglars, the neighborhood had apparently been hit several times. He sees a young man black man wandering around. Thanks to Zimmerman's preconceptions, in large part fueled by media accounts, Martin is the right race, the right age, and behaving the right way to fire up his worst fears.
Martin is walking around talking to his girlfriend, probably bored like kids are at that age, and he sees an unknown grown-up paying very close attention to him. Zimmerman is the right sex, the right age, and behaving exactly the right way to fire up Martin's worst fears, thanks to endless warnings about strangers and shows about child predators, that he's being stalked by a perv.
Critical move; Zimmerman approaches Martin and makes social contact. Words are exchanged, neither party feels obligated to explain themselves to the other, far from it, each reinforces the false assumptions of the other, each becomes quickly convinced the other is up to no good. Someone pushes the other, a scuffle ensues. Zimmerman perhaps fearing for his life, pulls his gun. Martin, now fearing for his, grabs for it. Bang.
That's one possibility, I have no way to know if that happened or not. But it makes sense. It's plausible and it's consistent with what has been reported. Decide for yourself if you think a scenario like that holds water, or if it would be a crime if something like that did happen. On the latter, I honestly don't know.


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KEXP Reviews
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Air 2 A Bird is the positive result of a negative situation. South Seattle lyricist Gabriel Teodros was due overseas for a European tour when his journey came to an abrupt halt upon being denied entrance to London's Heathrow Airport. Stuck in NYC for two weeks, he set-up shop in a friend's studio along with Seattle producer Amos Miller (who produced Teodros' solo debut Lovework) with only GarageBand, a microphone, and live recordings of actual birds at their disposal. The end product was later fleshed out at home with some help from friends, and it's an impressive, refreshing set of jazzy, soulful hip-hop with Miller's warm production and Teodros' smooth flow and conscious lyrics (as well as plenty of chirping birds) peacefully sharing the spotlight. 8/12/2010 - Alex