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Media Coverage
The Dragon's Den of Giving
Tides Canada Website Monday November 16, 2009
It may sound scary but in truth The Funding Network is a cool experience for everyone involved. Their next event will be held on November 26th in Toronto.
Tides Canada fund The Funding Network brings together a bunch of people for just two reasons: to meet each other and to support worthwhile local programs.
How does it work?
Three local charities each "pitch" a program that needs support. You get to hear from them directly, you get to ask questions. You get to hear what other people think. Then, with the charities out of the room, we all get to decide what, if anything, we want to support.
This part is a blast! It's sort of like a trading floor with people throwing their hands up and offering to support a charity with whatever amount they want. No pressure, no minimums, lots of laughs and inspiring presentations from the charities. You will be amazed what people in your own backyard are doing to make the world a better place.
Featured Charities:
First Three Years
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (Canada)
Street Kids International
Where and When?
40 King St West, Scotia Plaza downtown Toronto
(44th floor, in the offices of Borden Ladner Gervais.)
Time: 6pm (cocktails and food!) Everyone is welcome and we encourage people to bring along colleagues, friends and family to share the experience.
Charity's anti-gala: Fundraising that's more auction house than high-roller event
Kelly Patrick National Post Saturday, November 11, 2006.
At first, The Funding Network's concept made David Schatzky a little uneasy. The psychotherapist and former CBC Radio host was used to supporting charities anonymously, by signing a cheque or by donating his time to pet causes. So, he was pleasantly surprised at the "satisfying rush" he felt while shouting out cash pledges to five small charities at The Funding Network's first auction-style event last fall. "In the opening seconds it was maybe a little bit intimidating," Schatzky says, "but everyone was so enthusiastic and the amounts people were giving were relatively modest. It was very easy to participate." More important, Schatzky says, The Funding Network (TFN) allowed him to meet the people whose organizations his dollars would help immediately before the pledging session began.
TFN is an unusual new fundraising mechanism that acts as a "marketplace," hooking up small charities with potential donors looking to give to deserving but little-known groups struggling for funds. "The attraction of our events is you actually get to speak to the people who do these things," says Sandra Shaul, a founding member of TFN's new Toronto chapter, the first in North America. "This is not about getting a brochure or a cold call. It's a connection you rarely have."
Here is how TFN events work. A five-person board selects five small or mid-size charities to deliver six-minute presentations to a room of potential donors. The donors ask questions of the charity presenters. They mingle during a brief break. The charity representatives then leave the room and TFN's volunteers lead a "pledging session" during which donors yell out contributions to the various charities or write down their gifts on a slip of paper. At the end of the night, the figures are tallied up and the totals relayed to the charities.
In many cases, donations have continued to roll in long after the event, Shaul says. TFN Toronto has held two events so far and plans to host a third the night of Nov. 15 at an insurance brokerage office at 595 Bay St. At its inaugural event in October, 2005, $86,500 was raised for five featured charities. Slightly more than $85,000 was raised at the group's second funding night last May.
Marlon Merraro was one of the presenters at TFN's first event. The 38-year-old manager of youth services at St. Stephen's Community House in Kensington Market was seeking funds for a program called REPLAY, which helps teenagers who have been expelled or suspended from school get back on track. Merraro was initially nervous about pitching his program to a group of strangers, but his jitters vanished when he saw how eager his audience was to help. "That was a key moment in my presentation because they were genuinely interested," he says. "You can't get that in a proposal form."
TFN members donated $16,168 to REPLAY, an amount Merraro says made a huge difference to the survival of a great project with a perpetual waiting list. "When they told us how much we got, I was jumping for joy. They could hear me screaming when I got the e-mail," Merraro said in an interview at St. Stephen's brightly painted youth arcade. "That amount felt like $12-million to us."
Shaul, the TFN board member, says REPLAY is a perfect example of the specific "social change" projects likely to be accepted by the TFN board. TFN does not accept unsolicited proposals. Instead, it asks members -- who pay a nominal fee to join the group -- to "sponsor" charities by bringing them to the board's attention and promising to make the first donation to the charity if it is accepted for a funding event.
Shaul says the first two events attracted about 60 people from all walks of life. "This is not just the high-rollers crowd," she says. "This is the anti-gala. You feel like you're pulling together. There's a real sense of collegiality."
For more information on The Funding Network, visit tfntoronto.com.
email@example.com © National Post 2006 Copyright © 2006 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
From Canada to Africa - a school rises in a dusty Tanzanian village
Jane Switzer
AZIMIO MSWISWI, TANZANIA— Special to Globe and Mail Update
Published Thursday, Apr. 05, 2012 2:36PM EDT
Last updated Friday, Apr. 06, 2012 8:12AM EDT
A classroom made of mud. Twalib Ahmed Mfumbulwa gazes out his office window as he explains the village of Azimio Mswiswi's predicament. Outside, schoolchildren scream and jostle under the glare of the April sun. As village executive officer, it's Mr. Mfumbulwa's job to oversee infrastructure development, and he knows that Azimio Mswiswi needs a school. But the village can't afford the cement needed to build a proper kindergarten classroom, and government support is erratic.
A vein of anxiety runs through his words as he describes the dilemma facing many villages in rural Tanzania: too many children, not enough classrooms.
"There is some funding set aside by the government, but it is just luck if it happens to come your way," Mr. Mfumbulwa says. He planned to start building with mud and wish for the best. "Our hope was to get the classroom up to a certain level and see if the government would come and help us, but there are so many schools in so many villages."
The road to Azimio Mswiswi is unmarked and rocky. On a glaringly hot day in April, Deborah McCracken-Nangereke grasps the handrail of her donated red Mazda truck - possibly the only Mazda in Tanzania, she believes - as her husband, Putiyei Kimala Nangereke, manoeuvres around potholes in the dirt road. Ms. McCracken-Nangereke, 31, is petite and fair skinned, with red curly hair. She's made the trip to this small outpost of subsistence farmers and cowherds dozens of times, and knows to hold on tight - she's seven months pregnant.
Ms. McCracken-Nangereke is the founder of The Olive Branch for Children, a Toronto-based NGO that works to bring early childhood education to remote communities.
As the sun begins to rise over the village, teacher Helena Sichali ushers her students into a bare, cement-floored room that serves as a makeshift kindergarten classroom in one of the village's communal buildings. Dressed in yellow and green uniforms, some barefoot, the children stake out spots on the floor and spread out their materials. The mix of well-used picture books, flashcards and puzzles are bathed in a thin layer of dust. A single wooden desk sits in the corner, stacked with papers and lesson plans for Ms. Sichali and her teaching assistant, Aneth Kayange. With two teachers and more than 40 children squeezed into the small space, there isn't room for much else.
Access to early childhood education is a growing problem in Tanzania, where a booming population is straining the country's agriculture-dominated economy. Nearly half of all Tanzanians are under 15, and there's an increasing need for skilled graduates. Children who receive a good kindergarten education are more likely to stay in school for the long-term, but the bureaucratic and financial obstacles to building schools in rural areas are overwhelming. The country's decision makers are nearly 700 kilometres away in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's bustling, traffic-choked commercial capital. In an overwhelmingly rural country of nearly 44 million people, it's easy for a village of 2,500 to be forgotten.
Yet halfway around the world in Toronto, a group of philanthropic strangers had Azimio Mswiswi in their sights. In the fall of 2010, The Olive Branch for Children made a pitch to The Funding Network (a Toronto-based philanthropic agency that describes itself as the Dragon's Den of giving). They asked for $10,000 to build and furnish a Montessori kindergarten. TFN holds two fundraising events a year where selected organizations present their cause, name a price, and field questions from potential benefactors. The audience calls out pledges auction-style, ranging anywhere from $25 to $500.
Ms. McCracken-Nangereke, meanwhile, waited anxiously for the news at her home in Mbeya. She first travelled to Tanzania in 2004 to spend a year volunteering at an orphanage. For her, that was it - "I never came back," she says with a laugh. She started The Olive Branch for Children in 2005, riding a rickety bicycle through the potholed dirt roads to reach remote villages. She met her husband when he volunteered to be her bodyguard during those early bicycle trips through the bush. The two married in January 2010 and settled into a chaotic routine as newlyweds running an NGO.
Their organization has established 22 village-run Montessori kindergartens in remote areas of southwest Tanzania. Like many villages in the Mbeya area of Southwest Tanzania, Azimio Mswiswi is a relic of Tanzania's faded education system. Julius Nyerere, the first president of the united Republic of Tanzania, introduced secular schools, universal primary education and decreed Swahili as the national language. But his socialist-communal dream collapsed under the reality of a booming population and mounting debt. Agricultural output plummeted. Starting in 1975, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank stepped in to stave off bankruptcy.
In the midst of slow economic reform, education took a backseat to farming. Those days are over. Today, nearly 85 per cent of Tanzania's 43.8 million-strong population farms the five per cent of arable land. As population continues to grow at a steady 2 per cent, inherited parcels of land shrink with each generation. In 1961, Tanzania's population was just six million people. The UN estimates that number will skyrocket to 138 million people by 2050, making Tanzania the 13th largest country in the world.
The nation's collective anxiety over the population boom has trickled down to the parents of Azimio Mswiswi.
Maiko Mwansinad, a farmer and father of three, made his son retake Standard 7 (the last year of primary school in Tanzania) after he failed the exams that would let him continue to secondary school. Mr. Mwansinad believes education gives children structure and life direction.
"It's important as a parent that I raise my children properly and they go to school, but not with a battle?that they go to school because they want to and because I've encouraged them to," he says.
Lifelong Azimio Mswiswi resident William Mwangloo, 79, learned to write his own name in his 40's at an adult learning centre established by President Nyerere, but is otherwise illiterate. Still wiry and spry, Mr. Mwangloo is a feisty presence at village meetings.
"I keep begging them to put education first," he says of his own two children, who have kids in primary school. "Now that I'm still around in my 70s and I can't do anything anymore, I see that I could be doing something productive now if only I had been educated. I could be helping myself."
Like most of his friends, Mr. Mwangloo spent his childhood herding cows. "I didn't get to study, not even once," he says. "I never walked into a classroom."
He isn't the only one. Official numbers peg Tanzania's primary school enrollment rate at close to 100 per cent, but that reflects only initial registration, not actual attendance. Education is compulsory until age 15, but the rural reality of Tanzania's interior means many children have to walk up to 10 km to get to school. The added stress of costly uniforms and supplies means some children simply drop out?and no one follows up.
Teachers Ms. Sichali and Ms. Kayange often play the role of student wranglers in Azimio Mswiswi, knocking on parents' doors if their children stop showing up at school. It's often the girls who play truant, a symptom of some parents' reluctance to invest in girls.
"A lot of parents get worried because girl children will get married and leave home," Ms. Kayange says. "Or they'll pass their exams, find out that they're pregnant and drop out."
Ms. Kayange, 23, became orphaned in secondary school and had to drop out when her relatives wouldn't pay for her to continue. She says when girls enter the school system at a young age, they're more likely to stay for the long-term.
Education is also fundamental to slowing Tanzania's birthrate. According to a Tanzania government report, women with no schooling have an average of 6.9 babies. Women with a primary school education have 5.6 babies on average and those with secondary and higher education have 3.2.
"Early education definitely gives the girls courage," Ms. Kayange says. "We can teach them from early on to pursue education and make better decisions with their lives."
Just hours after the TFN event wrapped in Toronto, Ms. McCracken-Nangereke received word from Canada that The Olive Branch for Children's pitch was successful. In less than an hour, TFN raised $11,800, enough to build a tin-roofed brick structure with two classrooms, an office and a small storage room.
Azimio Mswiswi was getting a new school.
Construction began in April, when the end of the rain season gives way to the dusty summer heat. Each family in the village was responsible for casting 180 bricks for the school's walls. Local tradesmen trekked up and down the village's mountain to gather rocks for the foundation, a steep climb fraught with jaunty tree roots. By the end of April, a new brick and mortar shell stood across the village square, just steps from the old, makeshift classroom.
The new school was completed in May, and was officially opened a month later by the district commissioner. Proper glass windows, a rarity in Tanzanian construction, protect school materials from the damaging dust and rain. The two white-walled classrooms are equipped with large chalkboards and child-sized furniture for 45 pupils.
A plaque nailed to the wall commemorates the contribution that made the school possible. The inscription is in Swahili, but two English names stand out clearly: The Olive Branch for Children, and The Funding Network - Toronto, a group of philanthropic strangers from a city nearly 12,500 km away.
The school will graduate its first set of kindergarteners this spring. Most of the children are only five years old but Mr. Mwangloo readily lists his ambitions for them:
"I'd be really happy to see the children of this community become teachers so they can come back and teach the future generations," he says. "And doctors. We want our children to become doctors so they can teach the kids and adults of this community."
© The Globe and Mail Inc. All rights reserved.


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Google apparently raised a few eyebrows with its bids for Nortel's patent portfolio this week, especially when the it bid US$3.14159 billion — or pi-billion — before ultimately losing out to an Apple and Microsoft led consortium and its $4.5 billion bid.
The Internet search giant offered up several other unique bids, according to the Guardian, such as $1,902,160,540 (Brun's constant) and $2,614,972,128 (Meissel-Mertens constant).
"They were bidding with the distance between the earth and the sun," an unnamed source said. "One was the sum of a famous mathematical constant, and then when it got to $3 billion, they bid pi - $3.14159 billion. Either they were supremely confident or they were bored."
Nortel put its patent portfolio on the auction block after declaring bankruptcy in 2009. The company said its portfolio included patents and patent applications covering "wireless, wireless 4G, data networking, optical, voice, internet, service provider, semiconductors and other patents. The extensive patent portfolio touches nearly every aspect of telecommunications and additional markets as well, including Internet search and social networking."
Presumably, had the bidding topped $10 billion, Google would have countered with eleventy-billion.

subset: commoncrawl


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Review Summary
- Creative themed villas, including one with a working water wheel
- In-room bread maker comes with a fresh loaf upon arrival
- Free snacks in the rooms and lobby
- Quiet, convenient location in West Sedona
- Top-notch food by chef Michael Merilli
- Flower-filled grounds with a small pool
- Spa services are available
- Breakfast delivered to the room for free
- Themed rooms can feel more quirky than luxurious
- Set time for breakfast not ideal for early risers
Bottom Line
This quirky, bed and breakfast-style hotel has 16 villas, all artistically designed around a certain theme, including the Wagon Wheel villa with a functioning water wheel on the entry door and covered wagon-style bed. Unique amenities include a bread maker with a fresh loaf upon arrival, filling the rooms with the scent of fresh-baked bread. New Orleans native Michael Merilli, prepares a five-course breakfast every morning and can also be called upon as a personal chef. Such services don't come cheap, and the themed rooms may not be every traveler's cup of tea, but you'd be hard pressed to find something quite so creative.


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Schools target for lower childhood diarrhoea
Zinc and oral rehydration salts (ORS) treatment is coming to the rescue of children under five years suffering from diarrhoea, which kills 3 lakh children each year.delhi Updated: Apr 25, 2012 23:48 IST
Zinc and oral rehydration salts (ORS) treatment is coming to the rescue of children under five years suffering from diarrhoea, which kills 3 lakh children each year.
Dehydration, low immunity and malnutrition associated with diarrhoea results in 25-30 per cent of global diarrhoeal deaths in children under the age of five in India alone.
Micronutrient Initiative, an international non-profit organisation working in the field of disease management and nutrition in developing countries, is distributing two sachets of
ORS and 14 zinc tablets to children in villages through Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), anganwadi workers and auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs).
"Giving ORS solution to children suffering from diarrhoea will only replenish water loss. To kill the infection, they need to complete a 14-day course of zinc tablets," said Venkatesh Mannar, president, Canada-based Micronutrient Initiative. He is in Delhi for a field visit.
The central health department along with Micronutrient Initiative, UNICEF and other global NGOs is coming up with national operational guidelines for treatment of childhood diarrhoea using zinc and ORS.
Inadequate to total lack of drinking water, toilets etc in Indian schools result in high drop-out rates and absenteeism, especially among girl students.
Through its Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) initiative in schools, UNICEF wants to improve the children's health and overall development.
"Children motivate and bring positive hygiene and sanitation habits to their homes and society," said Sanjay Singh, director, state water and sanitation mission, government of Bihar, during the four-day south Asia regional conference on water sanitation and hygiene in all schools in the Capital.
The programme includes providing clean water for drinking and washing, separate toilets for girls and boys, soap, waste-management facility in schools that would cut down serious infections such as diarrhoea etc.
First Published: Apr 25, 2012 23:47 IST


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We're more than capable of building application experiences that extend beyond the out-of-the-box solutions already conceived.
There are times when ideas and concepts call for web technologies that simply do not exist.
If you have a business problem that calls for a custom-built solution, that's something we have first-hand experience in. We thrive on those types of challenges, especially the ideation aspect of conceptualizing functions and coming up with the solutions for how to drive them.
One area of specialty that is now a web standard is bridging mashups between API's (application program interfaces) of other web applications.
Defining the meaning of Gov 2.0.
BOALT from the very beginning, has embraced the advent of the "Gov 2.0" way of visualizing data transparency in the interactive technology space. One example is an application we developed for the local government of Washington, D.C. called D.C. Historic Tours. By using historical government data and mashing up data feeds from Yelp, Google Maps, Flickr and Wikipedia, we built an experience that allowed users to explore downtown Washington D.C. on a map, plan a route, and view historical facts, points of interest, great places to eat and even user-uploaded photos along the way.
Our work on D.C. Historic Tours was recognized by the technology industry in Washington D.C. when we received First Place, Agency Winner in the Apps for Democracy Technology Innovation Contest partially organized by President Obama's CIO, Vivek Kundra and the Mayor of Washington D.C., Adrian Fenty. View Video ››
Social applications are socially acceptable.
We have a lot of experience integrating with API's from Twitter and developing custom applications that work within Facebook pages. One experiment we created was a sentiment-enabled scorecard for the CW television series Gossip Girl. We designed a simple algorithm that monitored public tweets based keywords or #hashtags of the show's main characters, producing a real-time feed of positive and negative terms people used to describe them along with a leaderboard. Even if it didn't happen, Blake Lively wins in our books all the time.
We can conceptualize, design and custom build any rich-media application your business goals call for. If you have an idea, let us show you the way.
that achieve your business goals ››


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Last July, Microsoft gave us a preview of what to expect with reputation on Xbox One. On Xbox One, there are currently categories of player reputation score – "Green = Good Player," being the large majority of our users, "Yellow = Needs Work" and "Red = Avoid Me." By default most gamers will be green or good player.
Beginning this month gamers will start to receive notifications if their reputation starts to diminish.
"Good Players" – The majority of gamers will fall into this level. As we've said before, we have plans to introduce rewards for good behavior and look forward to sharing more in the future!
Warnings for "Needs Work" – Beginning this month, some players will start receiving reputation warnings as their reputations drop due to feedback from the community. The purpose of these communications is to remind players about their effect on the community and encourage them to have more positive interactions. These warnings are based on community feedback collected since Xbox One launched.
Penalties for "Avoid Me" – If players do not heed warnings and continue to have a negative impact on other players and the Xbox Live community, they will begin to experience penalties. For example, people with an "Avoid Me" rating will have reduced matchmaking pairings and may be unable to use certain privileges such as Twitch broadcasting.
Microsoft has algorithms in place to prevent people from gaming the system and falsely reporting someone as a bad player.
Source: Xbox Wire


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Call our expert advisers on 01442 275789
Home › Information Centre › Tax › Tax rates and allowances
Tax rates and allowances
With changes in the tax system now an ever-present feature, our up-to-date experience is available to ensure clients'' tax liabilities are planned to be at a minimum.
The main changes announced for 2018/19 are:
- personal allowance increases to £11,850
- car fuel benefit multiplier increases to £23,400
- capital gains tax annual allowance increases to £11,700
- national living wage increases from £7.50 per hour to £7.83
- junior ISA allowance increases to £4,260
- lifetime pension allowance increases from £1 million to £1.03 million
- no stamp duty land tax for first-time buyers up to £300,000. A 5% rate applies for purchases between £300,000 and £500,000
- diesel supplement increases to 4%
- dividend allowance is reduced from £5,000 to £2,000
- higher limits for EIS investment relief for knowledge intensive companies increases from £1 million to £2 million
- no property tax in Scotland (LBTT) on residential properties costing up to £145,000
- no property tax in Wales (LTT) on residential properties costing up to £180,000.
As a consequence of devolution, several rates may differ between the 4 countries that make up the UK and Northern Ireland. Where applicable these rates are shown in each section of these tax rates and allowances.


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Columbia MO, May 4, 2006 -- SEMCO, a global provider of indoor air quality solutions, serving the commercial, industrial, and institutional markets, today announced that it has joined the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the nation's foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.
As the leading organization representing the entire industry on environmental building matters, the USGBC's unique perspective and collective power provides members with tremendous opportunities to change the way buildings are designed, built and maintained.
"We've been the leader in energy recovery technology for 20 years and the benefits of this technology mirror the goals that drive the USGBC and LEED."
Doug Haas, National Sales Director for the Desiccant Wheel Products Division, said that joining the USGBC was a very easy decision. "We've been the leader in energy recovery technology for 20 years and the benefits of this technology mirror the goals that drive the USGBC and LEED," Haas said. "As a steadfast advocate of 'green' design, we want to continue to be involved in and support energy efficiency and environmentally sound projects wherever we can."
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED provides a complete framework for assessing building performance and meeting sustainability goals. Based on well-founded scientific standards, LEED emphasizes state of the art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. LEED recognizes achievements and promotes expertise in green building through a comprehensive system offering project certification, professional accreditation, training and practical resources.
USGBC members like SEMCO forge strategic alliances with key industry and research organizations and federal, state and local government agencies to create more opportunities to build green. This in turn creates a positive impact on the natural environment, economy, health and productivity.
Building green takes on great importance when you consider the following statistics:
In the U.S., buildings account for:
36% of total energy use and 65% of electricity consumption.
30% of greenhouse gas emissions.30% of raw materials use.
30% of waste output/136 million tons annually.
12% of potable water consumption.
Designers, builders and owners who want to build green and maximize environmental and economic performance can leverage important breakthroughs in building science, technology and operations.
Environmental benefits:
Enhancing and protecting ecosystems and biodiversity.
Improving air and water quality.
Reducing solid waste.
Conserving natural resources.
Health and community benefits:
Improving air, thermal and acoustic environments.
Enhancing occupant comfort and health.
Minimizing strain on local infrastructure.
Contributing to overall quality of life.
For more information visit the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Web Site at: www.usgbc.org
About SEMCO
SEMCO is a privately held corporation founded in 1963 dedicated to developing and producing technically advanced, cost-effective products and services that improve indoor environments. The company's major product lines include: desiccant based total energy recovery wheels and systems, packaged ventilation and humidity control equipment, dedicated outdoor air systems, acoustic panels, sound attenuators, and noise barriers; and spiral, round, and oval duct.
SEMCO has its headquarters and research facility in Columbia, Missouri, and operates six manufacturing facilities at the following locations: Arlington, Texas; Crossville, Tennessee; Roanoke, Virginia; Salisbury, Missouri; Morrilton and Petit Jean, Arkansas.
1800 East Pointe Drive
Columbia, Missouri 65201-3508
Phone: 1-888-4-SEMCOINC
Fax: 573-886-5408
Web Site: www.semcoinc.com
Request a Quote here.
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Publication Abstract
Authors: Wang CY, Baldwin LM, Saver BG, Dobie SA, Green PK, Cai Y, Klabunde CN
Title: The contribution of longitudinal comorbidity measurements to survival analysis.
Journal: Med Care 47(7):813-21
Date: 2009 Jul
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Many clinical and health services research studies are longitudinal, raising questions about how best to use an individual's comorbidity measurements over time to predict survival. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of different approaches to longitudinal comorbidity measurement in predicting survival, and to examine strategies for addressing the inevitable issue of missing data. RESEARCH DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study using Cox regression analysis to examine the association between various Romano-Charlson comorbidity measures and survival. SUBJECTS: Fifty thousand cancer-free individuals aged 66 or older enrolled in Medicare between 1991 and 1999 for at least 1 year. RESULTS: The best fitting model combined both time independent baseline comorbidity and the time dependent prior year comorbidity measure. The worst fitting model included baseline comorbidity only. Overall, the models fit best when using the "rolling" comorbidity measures that assumed chronic conditions persisted rather than measures using only prior year's recorded diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal comorbidity is an important predictor of survival, and investigators should make use of individuals' longitudinal comorbidity data in their regression modeling.
Last Updated: 14 Sep 2018


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About RIAO
The International Center for Limb Lengthening
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If you are interested in a consultation at the International Center for Limb Lengthening, you need to call and schedule an appointment with one of the Center's orthopedic surgeons. If you are uncertain whether your medical problem can be treated at the International Center for Limb Lengthening, you can e-mail questions and x-ray images to our Consultation address firstname.lastname@example.com. If you have made an appointment to be seen at the International Center for Limb Lengthening, please adjust your schedule to leave ample time for your visit. Because of our customized approach to each problem and the complexity of the problems we treat, the waiting period may be unpredictable despite our best efforts to respect your time. Most patients require special x-rays be taken at the time of consultation. You are encouraged to bring what previous diagnostic studies and reports you have. During the consultation, you will first be evaluated by our nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or clinical fellow who will obtain your history and send you for any necessary x-rays. You will then be seen by the orthopaedic surgeon with whom you have made an appointment. After a detailed physical examination and study of the x-rays, a discussion will ensue regarding our recommended best course of treatment. If surgical treatment is considered to be appropriate, our staff members, including a surgeon, will discuss all aspects of the procedure with you. After the consultation, a medical report will be prepared and can be mailed to you and any other health care personnel you choose at your request. You are also encouraged to discuss the options with your referring physician, family, and friends before making any decisions. Large limb length discrepancies or multi-segment lengthenings for stature may require more than one lengthening procedure. Some patients require additional surgery before or after the lengthening to address associated problems, such as joint contractures, instability, and deformities. In such cases, the strategy for reconstruction and lengthening surgery is outlined and organized in a way in which patients and their families can plan in advance to minimize the inconvenience of these operations.
Once you have decided to proceed with surgery, you should call your insurance carrier to check your benefits for surgery and physical therapy. For a surgical appointment, please call our office to arrange a surgery date. Our staff will assist you with insurance pre-approval. Physical therapy is an important part of our postoperative treatment, and it is important that you find out about the physical therapy benefits provided by your insurance plan. On-site physical therapy is available for children and adults through Rubin Institute Physical Therapy.
Before your surgery date, you will receive written instructions regarding when to come in for your final preoperative workup. It is required that a current medical history be obtained and physical examination be performed for each patient before surgery. These can be completed by your own primary care physician or at the International Center for Limb Lengthening. Depending on your age and health status, other tests such as blood tests, electrocardiography (EKG), and radiography of the chest (chest x-ray) may be required during the workup. For certain types of surgery, blood transfusions may be necessary. Patients may elect autologous blood donation (donating their own blood) or directed donation (having blood donated on their behalf). Our nursing staff can help you to organize this and can provide additional advice. There is a blood storage fee associated with these options, and insurance companies may not cover these costs. As part of the preoperative visit, informed consent will be obtained and questions regarding the surgery will be answered. You will also have an opportunity to meet with an anesthesiologist before undergoing your surgery. Additional x-rays and/or tests may be required at this visit.
For lengthening and deformity correction, the bone is usually cut through a very small incision to minimize injury to tissue. After surgery, most patients remain in the hospital for 1 to 3 days. A more complex procedure may require a longer inpatient hospital stay. Our physical therapists initiate rehabilitation sessions the day after surgery. Occupational therapists prepare special splints to support the hand or foot during treatment. Before discharge, all patients are taught to transfer from bed to chair to toilet and to walk using crutches or a walker, if allowed. During your inpatient stay, our nursing staff will teach you how to adjust your device to accomplish the necessary corrections of deformity or length. You will also be taught how to care for pin sites in cases of external fixation.
Lengthening usually begins a few days or a week after surgery. With external fixation, this is done either manually or by means of motors. The manual turns are performed by you. The motors run automatically but can be turned on or shut down manually. With implantable lengthening devices, the lengthening is performed either by small twists or pressure on the leg or by means of radiofrequency control. Because bone is a living substance, when the bone ends are gradually distracted (pulled apart), new bone grows between the bone ends. The lengthening rate is usually 1 mm per day but may be slower or faster depending on the tolerance of the bone and soft tissues to the distraction process. Most patients experience little pain during the day. Aching or difficulty sleeping at night is not unusual but is well controlled with medications as needed. This varies from patient to patient according to individual pain tolerance and the type of treatment being performed. Physical therapy is required on an outpatient basis in all cases during the distraction phase. These sessions are designed to stretch muscles to help them to grow and to maintain joint flexibility. In most cases, we allow partial or complete weight bearing as tolerated. Weight bearing actually stimulates the bone to grow, much in the same way stretching stimulates muscles and other soft tissues to grow. Most patients are allowed to shower and even to swim during the lengthening process, even with an external fixator in place. During the distraction phase, you need to be examined at our Center and x-rays need to be obtained every 2 to 3 weeks to evaluate bone growth, nerve and muscle function, and pin sites and to monitor for and avoid complications that can develop. The lengthening rate may be adjusted at these visits, and prescriptions can be refilled. Our staff is available by telephone and/or e-mail to answer questions; they are available 7 days, during on or off hours, for emergencies.
After the desired lengthening or deformity correction has been achieved, all adjustments to the lengthening device cease. Newly regenerated bone is weak at that point in time and would be unable to resist shortening or breakage without the continued support of the external or internal fixation device. When lengthening is performed with external fixation alone, the external device remains in place until the end of the consolidation phase. The average total external fixation treatment time for children is 1 month per centimeter and for adults can be as long as 2 months per centimeter. The longer treatment time for adults is the reason we prefer to use the lengthening over nails (LON) or fully implantable method in adults whenever possible. In the case of LON, the external fixator is removed at the end of the distraction phase by performing minor outpatient surgery in which the internal rod is connected to the bone at its sliding end. The external fixator can be removed because the bone is supported from the inside by the rod. Therefore, the external fixator is in place only for the distraction phase. The consolidation occurs with the rod alone. In the case of internal lengthening, the device stops automatically at the desired length and the rod or prosthesis supports the bone until it is fully hardened. Bone healing is judged based on the x-rays. X-rays show us how much calcium is in the bone. (Calcium appears white on radiographs; the whiter the bone is, the more calcium is present.) When there is sufficient calcium throughout the region where the bone was separated (regeneration zone), the bone is judged to be healed. The x-rays must be obtained approximately once per month to evaluate bone healing. For out-of-state patients, it may be possible to obtain x-rays locally and courier them overnight, eliminating the need to travel to Baltimore. Your surgeon will evaluate these x-rays and advise you by phone or e-mail regarding how much longer the external device needs to remain in place and whether there is any change in the amount of weight bearing that you are permitted or the amount of physical therapy that you require. For patients undergoing LON and for those with fully implantable self-lengthening devices, the amount of permitted weight bearing increases over time as the bone consolidates (hardens). For patients undergoing external fixation, the apparatus can be removed once sufficient bone healing is confirmed by radiography.
For patients who undergo treatment with external fixation alone, the apparatus can be removed with the patient awake or under anesthesia. Most patients prefer a general anesthetic. Removal of an external fixator is an outpatient procedure. After removal, many patients require a cast for a month of additional protection. Patients with internal fixation in place usually do not require a cast because the internal hardware protects the bone until it is fully hardened.
Rubin Institute
2401 W. Belvedere Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21215
Contact Us: 410-601-8500
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» Clean Energy
» Affordable Energy
» Clean, Affordable Transportation
» Dirty Coal
» Nuclear Relapse
The nuclear industry is aggressively seeking to license and build the first new nuclear reactors in a generation. Toward this end, nuclear companies have sought public approval by disingenuously presenting this energy source as clean, renewable and necessary to deal with global warming, environmental degradation and dwindling petroleum resources. In fact, nuclear energy is neither clean nor a solution to our energy problems. It is prohibitively expensive (the nuclear industry has said that it can't build these reactors without massive tax subsidies) and no one has figured out what to do with the deadly radioactive waste that is piling up around the country.
Click on the map to learn if your state is considering expanding nuclear power:
Still, energy companies already are pursuing permits to build and operate 34 new reactors throughout the country. Despite the prohibitive cost and fatal flaws of nuclear power, 17 applications to build new nuclear reactors have been submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Public Citizen, through its Energy Program, is actively debunking nuclear industry propaganda while vigorously working to promote viable energy solutions. Get involved in stopping the nuclear relapse by contacting Public Citizen's Energy Program.
Copyright © 2017 Public Citizen. Some rights reserved. Non-commercial use of text and images in which Public Citizen holds the copyright is permitted, with attribution, under the terms and conditions of a Creative Commons License. This Web site is shared by Public Citizen Inc. and Public Citizen Foundation. Learn More about the distinction between these two components of Public Citizen.
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text:
Valerie Pena of Voorhees said, "5 o'clock in the morning, my house shook and that's what woke me up."
Valerie Pena lives next door to Building 18 of Victoriana Condos on Roberts Way in Voorhees Township, where a fire broke out around 4:45 this morning. She saw heavy smoke and flames and worried the fire would spread.
"I saw the flames, so I ran out, they told us to get out and I grabbed my baby, I have an 11 month old, and we got out," said Pena.
Voorhees Fire along with other area departments responded. Firefighters were met with heavy flames on the second floor.
Police banged on doors to evacuate this building and two surrounding ones. All eight families were displaced from the 8 units in the building. Authorities say two are uninhabitable.
Another neighbor, Tomika Jester said, "It looks like they have nothing, when you look over there, everything's scorched...that's horrible to come home to nothing, that's horrible."
Authorities say most are staying with loved ones, but one mother and son have been put up in a nearby hotel.
When utility crews staying at the same hotel heard what happened, they pitched in.
Voorhees police chief Louis Bordi said, "While at the hotel, AC Electric...I think.about 50-75 crews recognized that family in need, passed the hat and collected some money for them."
The fire marshal has confirmed that careless smoking was the cause of the blaze.


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Budget 2012
Attacks The Poor - Healy
"Despite all attempts at camouflage, the Government has announced a series of attacks on the poor and on public services on which the poor are most dependent. The Labour Party should hang its head in shame for reneging on its promise to protect the poor", Deputy Seamus Healy has stated.
Reacting to Monday's Budget, Mr. Healy said: "The six week cut to the fuel allowance on top of the reduction in free electricity and gas units applied in September is a savage attack on the elderly.
"Research on fuel poverty and older people by the Dublin Institute of Technology and the Institute of Public Health shows that during the winter of 2006/7 there were 1,281 excess winter deaths. Of these, the vast majority were older people (1,216 were aged over-65)".
"There is real concern about older people who live alone on low incomes in older and poorly insulated homes and who often have poor health or a physical disability. This contrasts sharply with the approval by the Taoiseach of a 35,000 rise for a government adviser".
"The cut in Disability Allowance for young people aged 18 to 21 from €188 a week to €100 defies description. The same allowance for those aged 22 to 24 years of age is cut from €188 to €140. The cut in child benefit for the third and subsequent children attacks families most at risk of poverty. Those whose incomes have already fallen due to short-time working will suffer a further reduction".
"Eligibility for the widows pension is to be further restricted through a large increase in necessary contributions and working widows will also be deprived of sickness and unemployment benefit. In the health service the moratorium will continue to reduce the number of nurses and healthcare assistants in our hospitals reducing care to patients. Minister Reilly has said that the effective cut in Health Provision is really 830 million per annum and this puts closure of community and elderly hospitals at risk of closure. Cluain Árainn, St Patrick's Hospital Cashel and hospitals in Carrick-on –Suir , Clogheen and Thurles are in serious danger".
Mr. Healy said the effective pupil/ teacher ratio in second level schools was being raised by bringing career guidance teachers within quota.


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Christina & Blake have been best friends since they were in diapers. They're always there for each other and they have a very special bond. But, what happens when one falls for the other?
- bestfriends
- blake
- blakegriffin
- blakegriffinfanfiction
- clippers
- drama
- griffin
- laclippers
- love
- nba
- romance
CreativeVal Apr 08
This dude must be a comedian. Gonna tell her she can't hang out with HER best friend.
CrysPowers May 17, 2016
this is my songgggg, it's so calming to me plus Donald is my future baby daddy lmao 😍😩
middleblocker3 Apr 21, 2015
The backpack in the picture where is it from? it's so cute I want one
- Nov 15, 2014
Whoop whoop! Hit me with a new one! Cover on FLEEK as usual and this jealous Blake has already got me more than addicted :3 Amazing first chapter!❤
thewinteerrsoldier Sep 03
Girl that was me. I hooked my cousin up with my friend and she was acting the same way as Lauren. Omggg!!!!


text: Truffles Have Ridges By Ad Published on February 01, 2003. The fingerprint-like image seen here is "Tuber Melanosporum #1" - a detail of a pastel and ink drawing by fine-artist Mindy Dubin, who also happens to be a Flame artist at Quiet Man in New York. The piece was displayed alongside the works of assorted artworld notables at a benefit for The Trisha Brown Dance Company at New York's Pace Gallery last month. Viewable in its entirety at Trishabrowndancecompany.org, the drawing is inspired by the texture of black truffles, hence the title. Dubin, who took up the Flame just a few years ago, says the transition from art to commerce has been painless. "I do a lot of semi-abstract art that's been labeled obsessive, because it's very detailed. I like to detail with patterning and repetitive gesture, which is why I think the computer works so well for me." Most Popular In this article: 4A's Conference


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Challenging young people to find their purpose, passion and place in the world
More than 1.3 million young people are currently taking part in The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, which operates in more than 130 countries and territories across the globeDiscover more here ▶
Every day, more than 1,800 young people start their Award journey
The Award in action
In the past sixty years, millions of young people have participated and received Awards, with millions more benefiting from its impact in communities around the world.Read what Award holders have to say about the Award
Tools and resources for volunteers delivering the Award
Access to useful tools and resources to help you better deliver the Award where you are.
Brand Centre
Operational and promotional materials for licensed operators.
Online Learning Hub
Complete modules developed by the Foundation that will help you successfully deliver the Award
- 📓
Online Record Book
The Online Record Book is the online system to help participants, Award Leaders and Assessors doing, delivering and assessing the Award.
Download training, communications and operational and promotional resources.
Find out why our Global Benefactor supports The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation▶
"I am in no doubt that the Award helped me to get my first job with the Malaysian Government – the Award has had a major impact in my life."
Gold Award holder, Ravi, MalaysiaRead Ravi's story


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Home of Rhett & Link fans - the Mythical Beasts!
166 members43 Comments 46 Likes
13 members10 Comments 4 Likes
64 members23 Comments 4 Likes
Nick McFadden (Myopic Byclops) has not received any gifts yet
GMM fellow Mythical Beast. I hereby acknowledge your mythical mustache (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUtSiUZj9Oo) and recite the kommunity mythical anthem "My Hair Song" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46H_lm3OLBE), #Does your hair go up? Does your hair go down?# and don't forget about "Nilla Wafer Top Hat Time" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpfp0vV8VEc) and remember to "Rub Some Bacon On It" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSReSGe200A) :)
© 2018 Created by Link. Powered by


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Eidos: Kane and Lynch 2 On Track for September Release
When speaking to Digital Spy, Eidos Creative Director Ian Livingstone has revealed that Kane and Lynch 2 is hoping to release this September. No more details were revealed about the sequel to the abysmal original, but with E3 right around the corner we are expecting an official unveiling at the event.
Stay tuned to PlayStation LifeStyle for all your E3 coverage.


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NYPD is investigating the brutal assault of a college professor as he walked to his campus on Staten Island.
Police say the 49-year-old man was on his way to CUNY's College of Staten Island St. George campus when he was attacked by a group of teenagers around noon Wednesday.
The professor told cops — he was in Lieutenant Nicholas Lia Memorial Playground — when he saw several teens setting papers on fire.
When he confronted them, cops says one of them punched him, then the rest of the group also started attacking him.
"That's pretty messed up, you shouldn't do that to somebody," said one man on the street.
"It's a little pause, but that stuff happens everywhere though," said another. "You kind of have to realize we live in a world with danger people."
"It is known kids usually skip classes, they'll go to the park," said a third. "They have a little surveillance but not as much as it should be. It's sad. It's just like amazing what the world has come to."
Police say the victim was taken to the hospital with swelling and bruising.
The College of Staten Island says its providing full support to the professor while he recovers.
Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-8477, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.


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If your query relates to your vehicle, please have your vehicle's VIN or chassis number, registration number and mileage ready. The VIN and chassis number can be found on your license disk or at the bottom passenger side of the vehicle windscreen.
Should you have any queries or items of concern, explain your concern to your Dealer Service Manager or Dealer Principal. In the event your concern is not resolved by the Dealership, please speak to our Customer Care Consultants.
Images may show optional equipment.
*Fuel economy values are determined through CO2 measurement in accordance with the latest ECE R101/SANS 20101 standards, as prescribed by South African government, conducted in a controlled environment and were correct at the time this disclaimer was published, which is subject to change. The specifications are for comparison purposes between the different vehicle models available in the S.A market which are all tested in the same manner, specific driving cycles and controlled environment. Actual achieved fuel consumption during on-road driving will vary due to factors including driving style, vehicle load and tyre size, as well as road, traffic and ambient conditions.
Actual products may differ from photos pictured on the Opel.co.za website. Unitrans Opel Distributor has the right to change automobile details without prior notification.
* Opel Finance – A product of WesBank – A division of FirstRand Bank Ltd. An Authorised Financial Services & Credit Provider. NCRCP20. *On-the-road and registration fees excluded.
Terms and conditions apply. Model/s shown may differ. Errors and omissions excepted. All offers subject to finance approval. Images, details and the content on this webpage may change at any time without notice. For the most recent and accurate information, please consult your local dealer.


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Jewelry & Watch Repair
Jewelry Repair
With proper care and maintenance, your fine jewelry will reward you with a lifetime of enjoyment and luxury. E.J. Sain offers a full range of professional jewelry repair, refinishing and refurbishment services that make it easy for you to recapture the pleasure your jewelry was meant to bring.
Our full suite of jewelry repair services includes ring sizing, mountings, stone replacement, retipping prongs, jewelry cleaning & polishing, necklace repair, bracelet repair, clasp replacement, refurbishment & custom jewelry designs.
Watch Repair
The professional craftsmen at E.J. Sain can repair and refurbish most brands of wrist watches and pocket watches. We offer a full range of watch repair services to get your favorite timepiece up and running.


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So, after asking just what the hell GotY actually means, we've gone and recorded a GotY episode. Do note that this is all personal picks, but personal picks made by a very cool crew.
That crew is led by Tim, but fear not because it includes Ken, Hewso, Jimmy P and site regular but 'cast first timer, Alayna Cole. They talk about some good games and some bad games, take a break, and then return to talk about some very, very good games. And say merry Christmas. This is the last show of 2017, so have a fantastic holiday, all.
Please note that Hyper's podcast comes with an explicit language warning. Those who are easily offended may wish to avoid listening.
You can download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they're live on the site. Alternatively, hit up the RSS feed.
Right click, save as
Games: Monster Hunter Worlds, Sonic Forces, Horizon: The Frozen Wilds
Music: Tomorrow Should Have Been Last Night (by DragonAvenger, OceansAndrew)
Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Dma-Sc)
We'll try to be nicer to James next year
Copyright © Hyper Magazine. All rights reserved.


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The owner
(2 reviews)
Advertised since 15. Sep 2015
Speaks Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish
Villa Sildavia is situated on the Paraíso Hill overlooking the golf course, 15 minutes from Mar-bella and 10 from Puerto Banus. It enjoys stunning views of the Atlas Rif Mountains in Moroc-co, as well as the iconic Rock of Gibraltar, and the mountains above Estepona.
The living areas all face south to west so that you enjoy the sun all day long until it sets.
Only a few minutes down the Paraíso hill brings you to the local shops and restaurants and across the bridge (over the N340 road) to the beaches.
• Exclusive private gated residence.
• Elevated location with amazing views.
• Imposing entrance hall with Minstrel-style gallery.
• Penthouse-style master bedroom suite.
• 5 en-suite guest bedrooms.
• Infinity swimming pool with beautiful views (heated pool from 15/10 till 30/04).
• Elevator.
• An atmospheric Bodega.
• An enormous game/movie room.
• A retreat off the main terrace to enjoy the sun or sunsets.
• An enormous terrace with lounge area, dining table, and built-in Asador.
• Underfloor heating.
• Underground garage for 3 vehicles.
• Immaculately manicured gardens, and olive trees along the driveway.
When you enter the Villa, you are immediately captivated by the beautiful Hall, with its Minstrel-style gallery, giving you a sense of space that Villa Sildavia offers.
Through wrought-iron double doors, you enter the open-plan reception room on the second floor (main floor). One end is for dining, and the other is a living area with a large stone fireplace. Two double French Windows open onto the enormous terrace with views to Morocco, Gibraltar and the Estepona mountains. On the main floor, you will also find a TV room leading off the living area, three double bedrooms (all have ensuite bathrooms, and one includes a private terrace), and a large family kitchen leading off the dining area that also opens onto the terrace with the inbuilt asador (BBQ).
In the main hall, there is an elevator leading to both the garage that houses up to three vehicles and the first floor. The first floor includes two bedrooms that share a private terrace. One room has an ensuite bathroom, and the other has a separate bathroom. On this floor, you will also find an exquisite bodega where one can sit around the long table and enjoy wine or aperitif while tak-ing in the charming atmosphere. Next to the bodega, you will find a game room with billiards, table tennis, foosball, a projection screen, and a treadmill.
The penthouse-style master suite occupies the entire first floor. The suite contains a large bath-room, a separate built-in shower, a spacious walk-in dressing room, and along the corridor, there is a large office. Adjacent to the grand master suite is a private terrace, with magnificent, elevat-ed views.
We speak Dutch, English, French, German, and Spanish
Beach towels, linen, and towels.
Private pool, balcony, patio, roof terrace, garden, terrace, terrace furniture, lounge chairs, barbe-cue, parking, private parking, garage, and lift.
Wi-Fi, satellite, air-conditioning, heating, cd player, dvd player, video, radio, washing machine, tv, tumble dryer, intercom, iron, ironing board, and safe.
Dishwasher, freezer, fridge, coffee machine, grill, hob, microwave, oven, blender, kettle, and toaster.
Jacuzzi, shower, bathtub, hairdryer, underfloor heating.
6 double beds.
Sea views, mountain views, golf views, and pool views.
Suitable for the elderly
No Pets
No smoking inside
Vehicle recommended
Tourist licence
|Airport (Málaga):
|65 kilometers
|2 kilometers
|500 meters
|900 meters
|1 week
|Min. stay
|06 Oct 2018
|22 Dec 2018
|€ 5,000£ 4,382$ 5,787
|4 Nights
|22 Dec 2018
|05 Jan 2019
|€ 6,600£ 5,784$ 7,639
|1 Week
|05 Jan 2019
|06 Apr 2019
|€ 5,000£ 4,382$ 5,787
|4 Nights
|06 Apr 2019
|25 May 2019
|€ 6,600£ 5,784$ 7,639
|4 Nights
|25 May 2019
|29 Jun 2019
|€ 7,600£ 6,661$ 8,796
|1 Week
|29 Jun 2019
|31 Aug 2019
|€ 9,900£ 8,676$ 11,458
|1 Week
|31 Aug 2019
|05 Oct 2019
|€ 7,600£ 6,661$ 8,796
|4 Nights
|05 Oct 2019
|21 Dec 2019
|€ 5,000£ 4,382$ 5,787
|4 Nights
|21 Dec 2019
|04 Jan 2020
|€ 6,600£ 5,784$ 7,639
|1 Week


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Our company is specialized in producing fire extinguisher,accessories like dry powder valve,co2 valve,cylinder,neck rings,handles etc.In addition,we also produce accessories for fire fight equipment,such as fire hose,pressure gauge,nozzle,landing valve,jet apray branch pipe,hose coupling,fire cabinet and other spare parts for safety equpment.
Inlet thread: M30X1.5
Out thread: G1/4
Gauge connection thread: M10X1-12.5
Dip tube thread: M16X1.5
Check valve: YES
Pressure Mpa: 2.2-2.8
Wall hanging loop: YES
Dry powder valve
Copyright © 2010 Wholesale lots. All rights reserved. Contact Us:firstname.lastname@example.com
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Florida homeowners, renters or business owners who sustained property damage or loss caused by Hurricane Irma have until Friday to register and apply for federal disaster assistance from FEMA and low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Survivors should register even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but eligible homeowners and renters may be able to receive money from FEMA for losses not covered by insurance to help pay for basic home repairs, temporary rental assistance and other needs such as replacing personal property. FEMA Individual Assistance is grant money that does not have to be repaid.
+ Online at DisasterAssistance.gov
+ Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 for voice, 711 and Video Relay Service. If deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585. Help is available in many languages. Helpline numbers are open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.
+ Information is available in ASL at: fema.gov/medialibrary/assets/videos/111546.
+ Download the FEMA Mobile App and apply.
+ Visit a Disaster Recovery Center. A list of is available on the mobile app, online at fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or by calling the Helpline.
FEMA specialists are in the centers to answer questions about how to register for federal disaster assistance, explain what is happening with an application and give tips on how to get help for damage insurance does not cover.
After registering with FEMA, people may apply for an SBA low-interest disaster loan. Go online using the Electronic Loan Application via SBA's secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. SBA representatives also are available at disaster recovery centers.
For more recovery information, visit www.FEMA.gov/IrmaFL, or follow us @FEMARegion4 on Twitter and on FEMA's Facebook page.


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Main Menu
Acute Leukemia Menu
The leukemia team at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio, focuses on helping patients get better through expert clinical care and new and improved treatments. From diagnosis through treatment – including stem cell transplant if necessary – one clinical team directs and follows each patient's care, while in the hospital or at home. Most importantly, we take a very personalized approach to each patient's treatment plan. For patients of all ages, both newly diagnosed or in cases of relapse, we treat all types of acute leukemia, including:
At UH Seidman Cancer Center, our team of leukemia specialists offers a coordinated and personalized plan to treat acute leukemia. All board-certified and national experts in cancers of the blood, our leukemia team works together as part of the hematologic malignancy tumor board to discuss each patient's treatment plan. Using state-of-the-art technology, improved protocols and the most targeted therapies, the entire team works collaboratively to determine each phase of the plan for the strongest outcomes. Leukemia treatment plans and cancer services may include:
Access to innovative treatments, including leukemia-specific clinical trials with targeted agents, means patients have treatment options that may not otherwise be available. We offer new therapies that are safer, more tolerable, targeted to help differentiate leukemia cells, and that minimize side effects. Our physicians are the principle investigators on many of these cancer clinical trials, offering hope to both newly diagnosed leukemia patients or those who have relapsed.
Our team takes a very proactive approach to treatment, especially for relapsed patients. By providing targeted clinical trials, our patients have the opportunity to improve their potential for cure, but also strengthen hope for the future of cancer care. These include cell therapy studies.
When you or a loved one receives a cancer diagnosis, we know your concerns and apprehension about the future. While our medical team offers the strength of clinical expertise to help patients understand options for cancer treatment, their journey is also supported by other team members at UH Seidman Cancer Center, including:
We offer nutritional counseling and support groups for patients and caregivers. Our whole team treats patients with kindness as we focus on getting them better; this positive attitude gives our patients the confidence they need to stay strong and fight.
Schedule your appointment with a specialist at University Hospitals.
More Scheduling Options
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For appointments/referrals:
For general information:
216-844-8447 or 888-844-8447
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'They Hold Our Prayers:' Priceless Yurok Baskets and Ceremonial Caps Stolen
UPDATE 5/22: A reward has been offered for the return of the baskets. See new story here.
Original story: Someone broke into the Potawot Health Village in Arcata early yesterday morning and stole nine Yurok baskets and caps. "It was a major break in," explained Sherri Provolt CEO of United Indian Services. "They are priceless to us. They hold food; they hold water; they hold our prayers."
Besides having deep cultural significance to the Yurok people, the items are worth thousands of dollars which is why Provolt believes someone took them to sell. "We're asking everyone to keep an eye out–eBay, Craigslist. They were stolen to be sold….We have contacted pawnshops and Native community organizations," she said.
The items, Provolt said, were on "permanent loan to us so we can honor them and recognize their beauty…They are very, very old unique baskets."
Provolt said that it is important to get the items returned. "We're more motivated in getting the baskets back; we're considering offering a reward."
Provolt asks that everyone please share this information so that the items can be returned quickly. Call (707) 825-5000 if you can help.


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Feminism and Culture
Latest BUWA! is out
"I am not a feminist because I cannot divorce myself from my cultural context and also because feminism is not practical in my culture, and is for the elite." This was the response given by one young woman at the start of OSISA's annual regional feminism training course in Zimbabwe.
And it is definitely not an isolated perception of the much talked about relationship between feminism and culture – part of the reason why the two-week feminism course hosted by OSISA and the Institute for Peace, Leadership and Governance at Africa University is so important! It got me thinking about how the nexus between feminism and culture has often been understood – or misunderstood – and how this has shaped people's understanding of their realities. One thing was very clear here – at least for me – that feminism was regarded as some appendage to one's life, which somehow had to be 'fitted' and 'married' to one's cultural context. And it also got me thinking about how culture has often been viewed as some kind of container into which behaviours, practices and actions have to 'fit'.
All of this reminded me of the tendency of many people to plead 'culture' when they want to dismiss arguments and behaviours that challenge the status quo. This issue of BUWA! provides space to critically engage with the positive and negative aspects of cultures, which influence the lives of women, and to explore women's and feminists' experiences and understanding of these as well as to look at some of the perceptions and misconceptions about the interface between culture and feminism – both of which are broad and multi-faceted phenomena.
This issue offers some definitional considerations from an anthropological perspective, as well as exploring the interplay, and manifestations, of culture in the web of human existence, including in the realms of spirituality and faith, tradition and custom, body politics and associated relationships, among many others. And it covers a range of topics – from exploring the interface of states and cultures to establishing how state policies and administrative structures have colluded with cultural practices to deny and/or jeopardise women rights, as in the pieces by Shamillah Wilson and Onai Hara.
A cluster of articles draws attention to the dynamics of how men have related with culture in defining certain kinds of masculinities. Many men invoke culture to justify unhealthy masculinities that take away the freedoms of women and girls. Kopano Ratele and Mbuyiselo Botha discuss the broader theoretical understandings of masculinities, while Julio Langa brings it closer to home by providing an African perspective. Stephanie Leitch demonstrates how, further afield, some men have gone to the extent of invoking the law and legal frameworks to reclaim men's rights, as evidenced by how men are organising in the Caribbean. This is also a phenomenon that our region has been increasingly experiencing, although the trend has been more in relation to men organising to promote gender equality rather than to reclaim men's rights. Initiatives such as the Fatherhood Initiative have pushed the envelope to focus more on redefining masculinities through encouraging progressive fatherhood practices. It is important to note that in all these initiatives – as well as in most of the articles in this issue – culture is often at the centre of such discourses and debates.
One of the most visible – and sometimes also most invisible – sites on which culture has impacted on women's rights and freedoms is their bodily integrity. There is a lot of politics that plays out in relation to women's bodies in the name of culture – from women elongating their labia for men's sexual pleasure as Chanda Katongo decries, to myths and mysteries around masturbation and menstruation as explained by Glenda Muzenda, to cultural barriers to women's access to strategic economic resources, such as mineral wealth, as Wadzanayi Chimhepo illustrates by using the experience of women in the gold mining fields of Zimbabwe's Penhalonga district.
Part of this politics stems from the debate about women's fashion and notions of female beauty, with culture again being used as the key determinant of what is beautiful, what is fashionable and what is acceptable. Varyanne Sika argues that fashion has shaped women's identities and makes a case for using fashion to achieve feminist objectives, while pushing for a feminist body of knowledge around the subject to allow this to happen. Similarly, Portia Loeto tracks the historical transformation of what is defined as an 'attractive' woman's body, from tubular to slender and many other shapes in between, and tries to address the central question – what is beautiful? She concludes that these 'attractiveness' trends have damaged women's self-esteem, self-confidence and self-worth.
Nowhere are body politics as pronounced as in the institution of marriage – an institution that is often regarded as a sacred cow in cultural debates. Marriage for most women, especially in Africa, equates to signing away control of their bodies. A telling illustration is the skewed way in which women – especially those in heterosexual marital relationships – have been infected and affected by HIV and AIDS compared to their male counterparts. There are mixed views among feminists regarding the institution of marriage and how it has positioned women. While some feminists have argued that many of our continent's cultures have set heterosexual marriage relationships and feminist principles on an inevitable collision course, others view the apparent clash between the two as not all that dramatic. Mike Zulu describes how the nature of his 26-year marriage to Doo Aphane has allayed some of these fears among their friends and relatives.
It is worth noting that discourses and debates about marriage, culture and the positioning of women often pit heterosexual marriage relationships against same sex marriage alternatives or, in some cases, relationships outside of marital relationships. In this issue, Hleziphi Nyanungo sheds light on some lesser-known models of same sex and non-sexual marriages among women in Africa, which still, she argues, tend to follow patriarchal dynamics of power and control.
Another institution that has also been regarded as a sacred cow is religion, and feminists have long focused on how patriarchy employs religion as a tool – often in partnership with culture – to oppress and suppress women. A lot has been written over the years on some of the key religions that are prevalent in southern Africa, including Christianity and some African traditional religions. Less has been shared about the realities of women practising the Islamic faith in the context of southern Africa. Ruthelle Kunje shares the peculiarities of a woman growing up as a Muslim in Zimbabwe. She observes that Islamic religious practices and traditional Shona practices are not very different – both suppress women, especially with regard to women not being able to make important decisions about their lives.
Closely linked to culture and religion are the arts and people's performances, which, to a significant extent, reflect and mirror a community's beliefs and practices, and in turn influence and shape those practices. Some artistic forms of expression that have embodied this are songs, music and dance. While feminist research has looked into how some song lyrics denigrate women and perpetuate patriarchy, dance forms have drawn less attention. Gibson Ncube and Margaret Chipara provide a feminist analysis of erotic dance styles, and argue that while some feminists find such dance styles demeaning and denigrating of women, their bodies and sexuality, erotic dancing can also be considered as a means of empowering women given that it allows them to subvert patriarchal ontologies that regard women as objects that are to be deployed by men for their own pleasure. Ncube and Chipara challenge feminist readers and writers to explore this debate further so as to discover how useful erotic dance is in the struggle for women's emancipation and empowerment.
But what about pop music? There are often heated debates about whether such music could possibly incorporate any progressive and/or affirming messages about women. Emmah Machokoto looks at contemporary pop artists, such as Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and others, and highlights the tensions that exist between their song lyrics and the video images that often accompany them.
This issue paints a picture of cultures that are constantly evolving but that do not necessarily change the underlying way that women are perceived and treated. This is aptly captured by Monica Cheru in her analysis of how practices of welcoming new brides into a family have transformed in shape, but have remained essentially the same in terms of value and the message that they put across about women. One would have expected that with information technologies changing the way that people in the world relate to one another and how cultures evolve, there would be have been some fundamental shifts in how women are structurally positioned. However, Fungai Machirori confirms that this has not been the case, arguing that feminists have not effectively appropriated the social media and ICT tools that have revolutionised social, commercial and other relations across the globe.
The issue concludes with a piece by Hleziphi Nyanungo, who argues that feminists are not talking to each other enough across generations and that this has to change if harmful cultural and other practices are ever going to be replaced by real respect for women's rightful citizenship and freedoms. There is, she believes, an urgent need for greater intergenerational dialogue to foster real change.
About the author(s)
Alice Kanengoni manages the Gender and Women's Rights programme at OSISA. She joined OSISA from the Johannesburg-based Gender Links, a regional organisation focusing on gender and women's rights, where she worked as a Senior Researcher. Prior to that, she had worked as a Senior Researcher and deputy head of the gender programme at the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC) in Harare. Alice holds a Masters Degree in Media and Communications, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature.


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Gerard Butler Net Worth, Salary, Endorsements, House, Cars, and Many MorePosted By: John Wick | September 10, 2018
Gerard Butler Introduction
Gerard Butler is a famous Scottish actor. He has appeared in a number of Hollywood movies. In addition, he has also made television appearances and has given stage performances as well. Gerard Butler's full name is Gerard James Butler. He was born on 13th November 1969. Initially Gerard Butler studied law, however, he decided not to pursue law as a profession and turned toward acting.
Gerard Butler has appeared in many high profile movies including 300, Olympus has Fallen, Law Abiding Citizen, The Bounty Hunter, and the Ugly Truth. In Addition, he has also done voice-over acting in the famously animated comedy flick, How to Train Your Dragon. Gerard Butler through his successful acting career has been gathering a decent amount of wealth. Here are the details of Gerard Butler net worth, salary, houses, and cars.
Gerard Butler Net Worth
The total net worth of Gerard Butler is $30 million. He studied law and before turning to acting, he was a trainee lawyer. However, thankfully for him, he got fired from his role as a trainee lawyer and became a successful actor.
Gerard Butler started his acting career with the dram of becoming famous. In the start, he did different odd jobs. His lucky break came when he was given a role in a stage production of Coriolanus by the director Steven Berkoff. Gerard Butler made his film debut in 1997 when he appeared in the movie Mrs. Brown.
Gerard Butler Movies
You might remember Gerard Butler from his role in the movie '300'. However, the actor has some other pretty huge movies as well. Here are some of the most successful movies of Gerard Butler's career:
- How to Train Your Dragon – This animated movie came out in the year 2010 and dazzled the audiences with charming characters and interesting story-line. Gerard Butler did voice-over acting for the character of Stoick in this movie. The movie turned out to be the biggest hit of Gerard Butler's movie career. It earned a huge $217,581,231 during its time at the box office.
- 300 – This fantasy action, adventure film was one of the biggest hits of the year 2007. It was very well received by the audiences and the total earnings from the movie were $210,614,939.
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 – The second installment of the animated film 'How to train your dragon' came out in the year 2014. It was also a huge hit with total lifetime earnings of $177,002,924.
- Olympus Has Fallen – The movie was released in the year 2013. It is the 4th highest grossing movie of Gerard Butler's career. The movie earned a pretty good $ $98,925,640.
- The Ugly Truth – This movie was released in the year 2009 and it grossed $88,915,214 during its time at the box office.
- Law Abiding Citizen – This drama thriller was released in the year 2009. It did quite well on the box office. And it had total earnings of $73,357,727.
- The Bounty Hunter – The movie was released in the year 2010. It was hugely successful. The total earnings from the movie were $65,061,228.
- Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life – Gerard Butler appeared in this video game inspired the movie. His role was appreciated by the audiences. The movie came out in the year 2003 and did well on the box office with total earnings of $65,660,196.
- London Has Fallen – The movie was released in the year 2016. It was received well by the audiences and it grossed $62,524,260 during its time at the box office.
- P.S. I Love You – This movie was released in the year 2007. the total lifetime earnings from the movie were $53,695,808.
Other popular movies of Gerard Butler's movie career include 'The Phantom of the Opera', Nim's Island, Reign of Fire, Gods of Egypt, Timeline, Gamer, Mrs. Brown, Playing for Keeps, and Chasing Mavericks.
Gerard Butler Salary
Gerardy Butler has received huge for his roles in different movies. Here are the details of estimated Gerard Butler earnings from different movies:
- Gods of Egypt – According to reports Gerard Butler earned more around $2 million from his role in this 2016 movie.
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 – The sequel to the animated movie, How to Train Your Dragon was a huge hit. It came out in the year 2014 and Gerard Butler's estimated earnings from the movie were $2 million.
- Olympus Has Fallen – This action thriller came out in the year 2013 and Gerard Butler earnings from the movie were approximately $1.6 million.
- Movie 43 – This comedy flick was released in the year 2012 and according to reports Gerard Butler made $1.2 million from the movie.
- London Has Fallen – This 2016 action thriller made Gerard Butler more than $1.7 million in earnings.
Gerard Butler Endorsement Deals
Just like other popular movie stars, Gerard Butler has also endorsed different top brands in the world. In 2014 he struck a deal with the renowned fashion brand Hugo Boss. He later appeared in advertisements of Boss. Bottled, a perfume brand of Hugo Boss. Gerard Butler has endorsed L'Oreal, Ford, Guinness, Polaroid, and SuperMax.
Gerard Butler House
Gerard Butler has a beautiful loft in the New York City. The residence has been beautifully designed and presents a picture of a well decorated ancient art gallery. From the 12 foot tall rustic doors to the gold leaf chandeliers, everything depicts the qualities and taste of Gerard Butler. The loft has been designed by Elvis Restaino, a renowned production designer. It is the first residential project of Elvis Restaino and he has tried to bring the fantasy of Gerard Butler to life in this wonderfully designed loft.
Gerard Butler Cars
Gerard Butler net worth has allowed him to buy some pretty cool cars. Gerard Butler cars list includes a Range Rover Sports SUV in black color and a Mercedes-Benz SL550 in white colors.
Gerard Butler Net Worth Compared to Other Hollywood Actors
Gerard Butler has had a lot of success in the Hollywood and is continuing to rake up super hit movies. The actor enjoys a decent amount of wealth. When we compare the Gerard Butler net worth with that of other Hollywood actors, we find that Gerard Butler net worth is almost the same as that of Tom Hardy. The actors who have a higher net worth than Gerard Butler include Antonio Banderas, Orlando Bloom, Hugh Jackman, Edward Norton, Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, Bruce Willis, and Kevin Spacey. The actors who are behind Gerard Butler in terms of net worth include Zac Efron and Nicolas Cage.
The actor has a number of big-budget projects lined up for the years 2017 and 2018, so we can expect Gerard Butler net worth to increase considerably in coming years.
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text: This addition to the Italy Q&A posts is an interesting one. In it, James wrote: I am a high school teacher in Canada. I have been taking students to Italy every second year since 1997. I have developed a course titled "Cultural Tourism". Students study the art, the architecture, the […] Italy Q&A: Battlefields of the Liri Valley in Planning a Trip tagged lazio / liri valley / Planning a Trip / world war ii


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Before the season started, Carlos Boozer told me that Deron Williams was the best point guard in the league. The opinion was understandable, considering those two spent five years together in Utah.
Boozer then went on to predict that we'd soon be calling his new quarterback the best around. No offense to D-Will, but Boozer believed that he was still teaming up with the best despite moving to Chicago.
"By the end of the year you'll be writing Derrick Rose is the best point guard in the league," Boozer said boldly.
Maybe Boozer can give us his Super Bowl prediction while he's at it.
TNT's Charles Barkley made the same Williams-to-Rose conclusion Monday night on Inside the NBA. Rose had his first career triple-double in the Bulls's win over Memphis earlier in the day.
"People keep talking about the elite teams, but they keep forgetting the Chicago Bulls," Barkley said. "I love Deron Williams, he's been the best point guard in the NBA, but you have to move him down to No. 2. Derrick Rose is the new best point guard in the NBA."
Chicago's 22-year-old playmaker and scorer extraordinaire is third in the latest NBA.com Race to the MVP standings and Rose is easily the highest point guard on Steve Aschburner's list.
"You look at what Derrick's been doing," Chicago center Joakim Noah told Bulls.com. "He's a legit MVP candidate. There's no question about that. He's really stepped his game up. You see the progress he's made since his rookie year. Just very proud of the way he's playing. I'm very proud to be his teammate.
"You see him at the end of the game guarding Dwyane Wade. Just the progress he's made, not just on the offensive end, but defensively. I give him a lot of credit and I think we have a great team."
But the point guard debate shouldn't just be limited to Boozer teammates. There was a time when the best-in-the-league title belonged to Chris Paul. Have you seen Russell Westbrook? Rajon Rondo anyone? What about former two-time MVP Steve Nash?
Let us know who you think the NBA's best point guard is…


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Joey Beachum (Student)
Recent Mississippi State political science graduate Joey Beachum catapulted himself and his alma mater to the national stage when he realized his lifelong dream of competing on his favorite game show—and walked away with the $100,000 top prize.
The Saltillo native beat out contestants from 14 other colleges and universities to win the College Championship series of the long-running television game show, "Jeopardy!"
"The experience was nothing short of an amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Beachum. His fondest memory was having his fiance, Nicole Dilg, in the audience for his victorious moment.
"Right before the final scores were revealed, I looked out into the crowd and saw Nicole watching me live my dream— I will never forget that," he said.
When asked what he'll do with his winnings, Beachum said, "We have a wedding coming up in a couple of years, so I definitely need to save for that."
An ROTC student while at MSU, he now is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.


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Jazz and pop singer Keely Smith dies of heart failure at 89
Keely Smith, a pop and jazz singer known for her solo recordings of jazz standards as well as her musical partnership with Louis Prima, has died of apparent heart failure in Palm Springs. She was 89.
According to a news release from her publicist Bob Merlis, Smith was under a physician's care when she died Saturday.
Smith was born Dorothy Jacqueline Keely in Norfolk, Virginia on March 9, 1928, and was still a teenager when she began singing with Louis Prima's band. She and Prima married in 1953, and together they won a Grammy for their hit, "That Old Black Magic" in 1959. In 2001 — 42 years later — Smith was nominated for a Grammy for her album "Keely Sings Sinatra."
During her seven-decade career Smith was lauded by critics for her bold voice and ability to make the music swing, and she received several awards including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


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The pagan and neo-pagan (like Wicca) belief systems have all the qualifications of religion- a common belief structure regarding a god or gods. For a couple thousand years the Abrahamic faiths have been labeling every other religious belief as a "cult" or "witchcraft" in an attempt to demonize them and get converts.
Religion seems to mostly be defined as a belief system where a group of people have one thing they worship. I do not know a lot about witchcraft, but it is my understanding that they have certain beliefs, and things they worship and prey to in essence. Overall I think it can be considered a religion.
I most definitely consider witchcraft a religion! It is true that it is decentralized and lacks a singular text or god, but the spiritual orientation is definitely a religion. We are originals, animists, individuals, freethinkers. That is our religion in a close-minded world. The religion of freedom, love, enlightenment, and individualism
It astounds me to see the misconceptions about witchcraft ... If you don't harm yourself or others then who cares what religion you support. Each witch group I know. Pray, garden, and enjoy hanging out in nature. If gardening is a mortal sin than count me in....
But on a serious note,
Many witches or pagans I know are mostly Roman Catholic. They still have Easter and Christmas with family - but be mindful that each holiday that a witch has is usually on the same day or within a day or so of Catholic religions and major state/federal holidays.
So while you celebrate your Easter - we celebrate Ostra (welcome spring! )
When you celebrate all saints day we have our day of memory for ones past....
When you celebrate Christmas we celebrate winter Equinox (hello winter!)
So have faith that the true pagans - live and let live. Whether it's a tree, mouse, bug i.e. people.... Most witches are legit new age hippies 💓☺
Regardless of its debated origins both Witchcraft and Wicca are accepted by several world governments as recognized religions. So regardless of the misguided idea that Wicca is not Witchcraft it is. And even if Wicca is the only Religious witchcraft now being practiced (which it is not) it would still make Witchcraft a religion.
There are many different types of witchcraft out there to fit almost any cultural heritage, with many different sub groups. If you want to say it this way even Christianity is a different type of magic, you could say God is magic. So yes I agree it is a type of religion.
Witchcraft encompasses the belief of a stronger spiritual force, just like Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. They are a group who identify themselves as such, and have a faith in a higher power. They believe rituals and other such traditions truly do impact the physical world. This is no different than a Catholic stating prayers are answered by a god. The only reason people refuse to see Witchcraft as a religion is because they cannot accept that these so called 'dark' religions contain many eerily similar traditions to their religion.
Witchcraft is a cult, not a religion. However,
Wicca is considered a religion and some of that has forms of witchcraft. Since this is just an opinion, I would say there are different forms of art. Black art and good art. Some witchcraft could be considered good, but I don't think they themselves consider their art religion.
Witchcraft is a skill. Religions like Wicca, are religions. Witchcraft users don't have to believe in any deities. Wiccans do. I have 27 words left so I will just fill it in. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Mkay bye!
Ultimately, witchcraft may use and be used by religion but in itself doesn't seem to inherently imply it. It's religion about as much as one can say folk magic/folk remedy is a religion. Any atheist could subscribe to the idea of using natural remedies that have been tried and tested to be effective by historical empiricism. This doesn't mean they disavow the discovered science supporting herbalism in favor of fantastic explanation.
Witchcraft is a craft, hence the name WitchCRAFT. It is often confused with the religion of Wicca. Though the two are similar, witchcraft lacks a deity/god and a certain set of beliefs. Wicca has these things. Also, i feel Witchcraft is more personal, offering more different paths to choose from. But, that part is just my opinion.
As someone who practices witchcraft I can say that it is not a religion. It is a practice. The difference is that religion worships a god/godess or other diety. A lot of times people confuse witchcraft with Wicca. Wicca is a religion similar to witchcraft because of other aspects within it, but wicca has a god and godess and witchcraft doesnt unless you want it to.
You see, if you look up a few places online and look into it quite a bit, you'd notice that they all quite clearly state that while wicca is considered a modern religion, Witchcraft isn't even considered a religion, While it may answer the definition it must have a lot of people believing it to make it a modern religion.
Witchcraft is the craft of the wise (witches). A person can be an atheist and can still practice witchcraft. Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Wicca ARE religions. Any follower of these religions can practice the craft of the witches. Witchcraft has no dogmas, no rules no deities. Do what thou wilt.
I myself, does not belong to any kind of man-made religious organization. But, I am a practitioner of The Craft. I am a gray witch, who works with Hecate. I also have a great respect for all the gods and goddess. I just don't participate in no kind of religion.


text: Ever since major search engine, Google, went on a warpath with multiple updates to its ranking algorithm, focusing on the perceived value of a website based on its content, the phrase "content is king" has never been more accurate. Quality content has become a major key to obtaining awesome positions in search engines for competitive phrases. Quality Trumps Quantity While having a lot of decent content on your website is good and will pave the way to ranking well for some low to medium competition terms, quality wins nearly every time. Why? Well, 5 well-written, organized posts tend to perform a ...Read More »


text: So I have this generic fanpage on facebook which more than doubles the last three days. from 1k+ to 2k+ now already 4k+ Its unique as for my research but I dont have 'access' to the US or UK-market 99% of Fans are from Australia actually. So I would like to buy or trade some shoutouts with big fanpages with US/UK-Fans. Its a "cute" fanpage, so best would do some love-page with mostly female users (actual it has ~80% Female Fans). You should have a good rep - I dont want it to be copied


text: These policies are designed for still photography/video crews. Additional policies apply for film bookings. Specific homeowners may have their own rules or particulars regarding shooting locations within their homes and/or the subject matter being photographed. Providing as many details of the project as possible to the locations agent during the booking process will help eliminate any complications.