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Latest Neurology News
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Aug. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Robin Williams was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease before he committed suicide this week, and he was sober at the time of his death, his wife announced Thursday afternoon.
In a prepared statement, Susan Schneider said her husband continued his decades-long battle against depression and anxiety, and he was in the early stages of Parkinson's when he was found dead at his suburban San Francisco home on Monday.
Schneider said her husband, the celebrated Oscar-winning actor and comedian, wasn't prepared to publicly share his Parkinson's diagnosis.
"Robin's sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression [and] anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson's disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly," Schneider said.
"It is our hope in the wake of Robin's tragic passing that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid," she said.
Besides depression and anxiety, Williams had struggled on and off with substance abuse over the years. And he underwent open heart surgery in 2009.
Dr. Scott Krakower, assistant unit chief of psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y., said some research has suggested an association between a Parkinson's disease diagnosis and depression but the exact connection isn't clear.
"There are some studies that show that 30 to 40 percent of patients with Parkinson's disease may have significant depression," he said. Since both conditions affect the brain, it's hard to distinguish what is Parkinson's and what is truly depression, he added.
As far as Williams is concerned, Krakower said one can't blame his suicide on the Parkinson's diagnosis. "Usually suicidal thoughts go down in people with Parkinson's disease," he said.
"There were a lot of factors impacting Williams," Krakower added. "He had the drug addiction, depression and heart problems. Throwing on the Parkinson's is just one more factor."
According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder that occurs when nerve cells in the brain don't produce enough of the brain chemical dopamine. Symptoms begin gradually and then progress. They include trembling of the hands, arms, legs, jaw and face; stiffness of the arms, legs and trunk; slowed movement; and poor balance and coordination.
As symptoms worsen, people may have trouble walking and talking, and can experience problems such as depression and sleep difficulties.
There's no cure for Parkinson's disease, but there are medicines and therapies that can help improve symptoms, according to the NIH.
Williams' suicide Monday refocused public attention on depression, its sometimes link to substance abuse and, in tragic cases, suicide.
He was last seen alive at his suburban San Francisco home about 10 p.m. Sunday, according to the Marin County coroner's office. Shortly before noon on Monday, the Sheriff's Department received an emergency call from the home, where he was soon pronounced dead. Sheriff's officials said Tuesday that Williams committed suicide by hanging himself.
Williams, who was 63, had struggled for decades with substance abuse and depression, and routinely made references to those personal battles in his comedy routines.
"Cocaine is God's way of telling you you are making too much money," he would quip.
Williams had been dealing with severe depression recently, said his publicist. Early last month, he had checked himself into a rehab facility for substance abuse, according to published reports. His publicist told People magazine at the time that "after working back-to-back projects, Robin is simply taking the opportunity to fine-tune and focus on his continued commitment [to sobriety], of which he remains extremely proud."
In 2006, he had sought treatment for alcohol addiction at the Hazelden center in Springbrook, Ore., according to published reports.
SLIDESHOWSee Slideshow
Despite Williams' well-documented personal battles, mental health experts point to major strides in recent decades in the treatment of people who struggle with depression and substance abuse, which are often twin afflictions.
The most effective treatments are medication and talk therapy, said Dr. Jeff Borenstein, president and CEO of the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation in New York City. This dual approach works for most people who are dealing with depression, he said.
"It's extremely difficult to live with depression. The pain is described by people as the worst pain possible. But the majority of people treated for depression get better," he said.
Surprisingly, Borenstein added, there's still a stigma that's often attached by some to depression. But, it's just as much a disease -- not a sign of a personal shortcoming -- as a physical ailment like cancer or heart disease, he said.
"Unfortunately, in our society that [stigma] is still tolerated by some people," Borenstein said. "We no longer accept prejudice against race or religion or sexual orientation, but there are still people who have this prejudice when it's a psychiatric condition," he said.
What's also troubling, Borenstein added, is that too many people with depression don't seek treatment. "That is a major problem in our country," he said. "It's important that people be aware of depression so that they can encourage a loved one to seek treatment."
For many of Williams' fans, his signature talent was his manic, brilliant brand of comedy. But he also tackled many dramatic film roles, including ones in "Awakenings," "Dead Poets Society" and "What Dreams May Come." He won an Academy Award for his performance as a therapist in the film "Good Will Hunting," and captured three Golden Globes, for "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "The Fisher King."
Copyright © 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


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Feds looking for swimmers who rode dead whale
City refusing scientists to preform necropsy
Federal officials are looking for the two swimmers who were seen riding a dying whale in South Florida.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration asks anyone with more information to call their hotline at 800-856-1964.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports a Pompano Beach resident snapped a picture of one man riding the dying whale Sunday morning. The swimmers could face a misdemeanor conviction of harassing a marine mammal, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a fine of up to $100,000.
City officials had the 40-foot sperm whale carcass towed out to sea rather than allow scientists to perform a necropsy. Federal officials argued that learning the animal's cause of death would provide invaluable information for conservation.

subset: commoncrawl


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University Center, Mich. - The Ferris State Bulldogs took nationally 16th-ranked Saginaw Valley State to overtime, but came out on the short end of a 31-24 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) gridiron decision at Wickes Memorial Stadium on Saturday (Sept. 29) night before a crowd of more than 8,000 fans.
The Bulldogs held a 24-17 lead late in the fourth quarter, but a costly fumble allowed SVSU to drive 28 yards in five plays to knot the score on a 13-yard scoring toss from Jonathan Jennings to Tim Hogue wioth 1:25 remaining in regulation.
FSU was able to drive into Cardinal territory in the final minute of regulation before the drive stalled, which gave SVSU new life. The Cardinals had a potential game-winning field goal try as time expired, but could not convert as the two teams went to the extra session.
In overtime, Saginaw Valley State received the football first and was able to score on a one-yard TD pass from Jennings to Nathan Hoyle. They they forced the Bulldogs into a fourth and 20 situation on the ensuing possession and Ferris State redshirt freshman quarterback Jason Vander Laan was sacked on the game's final play as SVSU preserved its homecoming win.
After a 25-yard field goal from FSU's Austin Kantola allowed the Bulldogs to take a 3-0 lead after one period, the Cardinals appeared to have the game in their hands as they scored twice quickly early in the second quarter on a pair of Hogue TD's to build a 14-3 advantage.
However, FSU bounced back and cut the margin to 14-10 at halftime on a 17-yard scoring pass from Vander Laan to Jake Lampman with 5:59 to go in the second, which finished a 60-yard Bulldog drive in five plays.
FSU took a 17-14 advantage late in the third quarter when Vander Laan moved the Bulldogs 45 yards in four plays and scored on a keeper from 20-yards out. SVSU responded by kicking a 41-yard field goal with 1:46 to play in the third after a Bulldog miscue.
In the fourth quarter, Ferris State drove 75 yards in 11 plays to build its 24-17 lead with 11:04 remaining and the score stood for most of the frame. FSU had an opportunity to seal the victory after a big defensive stop late in the game, but fumbled in its own end trying to pick up a first down to keep the clock moving which led to Hogue's game-tying touchdown.
Ferris State turned the ball over four times in the game to only once for SVSU, which helped offset 514 total yards of offense for FSU. The Bulldogs allowed 393 yards to the Cardinals, but only 138 on the ground. Both teams had 25 first downs.
FSU received 439 yards on the ground, including a game and personal career-high 254 yards and two scores from Vander Laan. He completed eight-of-19 passes for 75 yards with Lampman making two grabs for 23 yards.
On the SVSU side, Hogue, who spent two seasons at Ferris State before transferring to SVSU, ran for 86 yards on 18 carries while Jennings completed 27-of-52 passes for 255 yards and three TD's. Michael Albrecht caught eight passes for 71 yards while Hogue had seven grabs for 75 yards.
Defensively, Bulldog senior Jaime Barrera had 10 tackles for FSU while Jeff Heath paced SVSU with a game-high 18 stops.
Ferris State fell to 3-2 overall and 2-2 in the GLIAC with the setback while SVSU improved to 4-1 overall and 3-1 in the GLIAC.
The Bulldogs head to Allendale to face rival and unbeaten Grand Valley State in the Anchor-Bone Classic next Saturday (Oct. 6) evening at Lubbers Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (ET).
Bulldog Bites: The contest represented the 38th consecutive meeting between the two teams dating back to the mid-1970's ....... It marked the second-straight year in which an announced crowd of more than 8,000 fans turned out to watch the two teams at Wickes Memorial Stadium ...... Vander Laan's 254 yards rushing were the most by a Bulldog player since former back Andrew Terry ran for a school and NCAA Division II single-game record 410 yards against Findlay in 2004 (10/2). It was also the first time a Bulldog topped the 200-yard mark since Shawn Grigg ran for 201 yards at Northern Michigan in 2006 (9/30) ....... The Bulldog coaching staff helped support "Coaches To Cure MD" by wearing arm patches during the contest ....... The game was the first of seven consecutive GLIAC North Division matchups for the Bulldogs ........ FSU was nine-of-16 on third down conversions while SVSU finished only four-of-17 on the night.
Bulldogs Suffer Heart-Breaking Overtime Loss At #16 SVSU
|Ferris State (3-2)
|Saginaw Valley State (4-1)
University Center, Mich. - The Ferris State Bulldogs took nationally 16th-ranked Saginaw Valley State to overtime, but came out on the short end of a 31-24 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) gridiron decision at Wickes Memorial Stadium on Saturday (Sept. 29) night before a crowd of more than 8,000 fans.


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More than just shingles. When you have new roofing installed, the job can also include new flashing around the chimney or vent pipes.
The need for new roofing is more obvious in some cases than others, but the decision is always important. Roof installation or replacement is a significant investment that has a big impact on the appearance, value, and function of your home.
Bone Dry Roofing specializes in both roof replacement and new roof installation in Tennessee. There are many reasons to install a new roof, which is why our expert roofers will inspect your home's roof and help you decide if roof replacement is necessary and worth the investment.
If you rent out a home, are planning on selling your home, or if your roof is more than 20 years old, Bone Dry Roofing suggests having your roof inspected to assess any damage and determine if the roof can be repaired or if it's time for a new roof. Contact us today to schedule an estimate for roof installation or replacement in Greater Nashville, including Murfreesboro, Nashville, Franklin and nearby.
It's important to replace your roof at the right time. Waiting too long to replace your roof or installing a new roof before it's necessary could end up costing you. Our roof inspection can help determine whether your home is in need of a new roof or if roofing repairs and maintenance are enough.
Unless there are obvious signs that you might need a new roof, like water coming into your home, you may be unsure whether roof replacement is the answer. Besides having a leaky roof, there are other reasons why it might be smart to consider roof replacement.
Here are four reasons to have new roofing installed in your house:
You can expect your roof to last somewhere around 20 years, but over time, your roof takes a significant beating. We understand that replacing your roof is a big investment, which is why our experienced roofing professionals will provide you with a high-quality roofing system that will give you peace of mind. From the inspection to the roofing installation, to the cleanup, you've come to the right place for roofing services that you can trust.
Give us a call at 1-844-705-0368 or fill out our online form for a roof replacement quote today! We proudly serve Nashville, Murfreesboro, Franklin, Lebanon, Hendersonville, Antioch, Brentwood, Mount Juliet, Gallatin, Smyrna, and nearby areas in Tennessee.
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"The utter confusion in the Republican presidential nominating process results from two discernible facts. One: they hate. That's the simplest explanation of the disastrous course of this selection process. They hate so much they are not in the mood to fall in love with a candidate or even fall in behind someone. Their brains, racked as they are by hatred, they lack the 'like' mode. They are in no mood to go around looking around for a politician they like. The hating is so much more satisfying."— MSNBC's Chris Matthews on Hardball, November 15.
Sad thing for this confused man is that he actually believes what he says.
HBO's Bill Maher: "You've got to feel very bad for Mitt Romney. I mean, he's been led, so far, by Trump, then Bachmann. Then Perry. Then Cain."
Host George Stephanopoulos: "But, he kinda hangs in there. He's everyone's second choice."
Maher: "I'm rooting for him. You know? Because, look, in a country with only two political parties, the Republican can always win. I mean, at least he eats with a knife and fork. I mean, he is all that stands between us and the rise of the apes."
— ABC's Good Morning America, November 14.
So who's filled with hate? The sad part about this is that Bill Maher is a joke, yet gets to say this kind of stuff on network TV.
---"When I point out that Sarah Palin is a vainglorious braggart, a liar, a whiner, a bully who sells patriotism like a pimp, and the leader of a family of inbred weirdos straight out of The Hills Have Eyes, that's not sexist. I'm saying it because it's true."
— Bill Maher, as quoted in a November 21 Newsweek profile of the HBO Real Time host.
I rest my case.


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Tens of thousands of San Diegans were hit this week with a 20 percent pay cut that will last through September and potentially beyond.
Now, the region's economy must brace itself for reduced consumer spending and other lifestyle changes as more than 25,000 civilian
The employees are being furloughed one day per week for the remainder of the fiscal year because of across-the-board federal spending cuts called
"We're going to be hearing some horror stories down the road here if this continues for any length of time," said George McCubbin, who heads the American Federation of Government Employees office in Escondido. The union represents 15,000 to 20,000 employees in the country from the Border Patrol, the Defense Department, and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
A 2012 report by the San Diego Military Advisory Council found that the military and defense cluster is responsible for about a quarter of the region's jobs, or 311,000. It accounted for $20.6 billion of direct spending in the county last year. The county has already seen slowing job growth, partially because other sequestration cuts to defense and research spending are already taking place, economists say.
In May, Defense Secretary
Defense Department employees were notified of the furloughs two months ago, and some planned ahead.
Alfonso Porras, 28, canceled his gym membership, dropped out of two soccer leagues and postponed his move downtown.
Porras, a contract negotiator for Naval Supply Systems Command at the San Diego Naval Base at 32nd Street, rents an apartment with a friend in Clairemont. He said he was ahead on his car payments, so he's going stop paying for the next few months and let the interest accrue. He also said he was eliminating monthly trips home to El Paso, Texas, where he visits his family.
"My spending habits have changed," he said. "I just plan to cut out a lot of my extracurricular activities, whether that's going out to Taco Tuesday or not going to the ballpark."
The move also means that military services will be cut. The Navy will see reduced airfield operating hours, the Marines will close the military commissary and various other offices such as human resources and business management on Mondays,
Cmdr. Brad Fagan, public affairs director for Navy Region Southwest, said the loss of civilian workers would be widely felt.
"Department of the Navy civilians play a critical role in keeping the Navy and Marine Corps team operating forward to protect American interests around the world," he said in a statement. "All services or facilities which employ civilian personnel will be affected to some degree, to include reduced services, longer wait times, and fewer personnel available to provide necessary services. Furloughs, like other spending cuts, will adversely affect economies in the communities where our civilians live and work."
Most federal employees are paid on a grade and step system. Grade level corresponds with job type and each step is an increase in pay. The salaries range from $22,110 to $155,500. A midlevel wage in San Diego County, adjusted for locality, is $52,963. The salary system has been frozen since 2010.
Some reduced services
More than 25,000 civilian employees furloughed.
Reduced airfield operating hours.
Deferral of dredging projects at Naval Base San Diego and Naval Base Coronado.
Reduced servicing of prestige areas (such as grounds keeping) and fitness center hours.
No overtime is authorized for D.O.D employees.
Marine Corps:
1,544 employees furloughed, while 249 got an exemption.
There will be a 20 percent reduction related to range maintenance.
Training at the Infantry Immersion Trainer will be reduced.
Distribution Management Office could see a 50 percent reduction in household goods appointments,
Consolidated Materials Service Center (ServMart) wait times could increase.
An additional day to process orders, including Defense Travel Systems, awards, security clearance investigations, and in-and-out processing of military and civilian personnel.
Amy Stingley, 35, manages about 200 employees in nonguard services for the navy. Many of the workers in San Diego start at a grade 4, which ranges from $30,449 to $39,581 per year. She said some of the workers are now looking for other part-time jobs.
"When you're a single parent and a junior employee, this is going to affect you on a larger scale than it's going to affect a manager," Stingley said. "A junior employee is concerned with paying their bills. I'm constantly hearing about people asking for car payments to be deferred for the next three months."
Some nondefense federal employees already began their furloughs. San Diego County
Lynn Reaser, chief economist at Point Loma Nazarene University, said while the 20 percent pay cut through September amounts to a 4.25 percent annual salary decrease, its impact will be magnified because it is so sudden.
"Restaurants, entertainment facilities, and retailers located in areas near the bases and other facilities where civilian D.O.D employees live will be impacted," said Reaser, who authored the report by the military advisory council. "Employees may not see these cutbacks as only temporary but fear that further spending caps in fiscal 2014 will impact their jobs and incomes. As a result, they may continue to adjust their spending lower."
But not all furloughed employees are curtailing their spending habits dramatically.
Mark Burns, 53, of San Marcos, is an engineer at Edwards Air Force Base northeast of Lancaster. He estimates his take home pay would go down $400 to $500 every two weeks. But he said he's reduced his retirement contributions and added some deductions to increase his paycheck. And he golfs less.
Burns said his position pays between $65,000 and $100,000, and that he believes it will hurt younger engineers more, who are still paying off student loans.
"There's a lot of people in this country that have been going through a lot of pain for four to five years or longer, and if anybody has been insulated from that it's federal workers," he said. "We have a pay freeze but we still have very secure jobs. We get paid very well and it's a pretty pleasant work environment too."
But Linda Vista resident Jeremy Frazier, 34, a Navy facilities engineer who said he took a pay cut, said the furloughs have hurt the workplace.
"My attitude along with the attitudes of other educated professionals in the office have been soured and tainted, as we are faced with difficult financial decisions affecting our families, homes, and children," he said in an e-mail. "The discussions in the office have turned from friendly and family oriented to worried and financially scared."
And the furloughs may continue despite the end of the fiscal year, said Scott Sutherland, deputy Public Affairs Officer for the Navy Region Southwest.
"Sequestration does not go away Sept. 30," said Sutherland, also furloughed this week. "Only time will tell but we are not expecting things on Oct. 1 to improve."
The Associated Press contributed to this report


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How to Use the Images
Questions for Photos 2 & 3
1. Examine Photo 2 and review the terrain of the area by looking at Map 1. Would the Morton House have been a good shelter during the battle? Why or why not?
2. Examine Photo 3. Would the cellar have been good shelter during the battle? Why or why not?
3. How do you think the Morton family and the neighbors felt during the battle?
4. What would you have taken with you if you had been forced to hide in a cellar during a Civil War battle?
5. Did the Morton's place end up being a safe haven during the battle? How and when did harm reach the family? Why does this seem ironic?
* The photos on this screen have a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a high quality version of Photo 2 and Photo 3, but be aware that each file will take as much as 32 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.


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If there is pressure on the lower brainstem, its first symptom may be death. Otherwise symptoms vary depending on whether the spinal cord, brain stem, nerves or their blood supply is affected by the pressure.
Symptoms become apparent when the neck is bent. They include:
- Periods of confusion or conscious awareness that doesn't seem normal
- Difficulty swallowing or saying words due to loss of muscle control after damage to the nervous system (dysarthria)
- Dizziness
- Loss of sensation
- Pain in the back of the head
- Loss of the ability to know how joints are positioned
- Tingling or numbness in the fourth and fifth fingers
- Tingling or numbness in the middle part of the forearm
- Tingling when the neck bends forward or backward
- Weakness or stiff,awkward movements of the of the arms and legs
Patients will go into a pool and notice that below the belly button the water is not as cold as it is above.
Complications from this can include hydrocephalus or syringomyelia because it blocks the flow of fluid around the brain and spinal cord.
Causes and Risk Factors
Basilar invagination can be present at birth. If the condition develops after birth, it is usually the result of injury or diseases. If due to injury, about half the time it is caused by vehicle or bicycle accidents; 25% of the time by falls and 10% of the time by recreational activities such as diving accidents.
It also occurs in patients with bone diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, tumors or Paget's disease.


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Highly acclaimed author Dr Azim P H Somani's Special Edition Shattered Lives: Sitting on Fire to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Ugandan Asians in the UK.
As Featured on TV
'An impressive and life-affirming story'
'Azim Somani's chronicle of the expulsion of Asians from Uganda makes it possible to truly understand the magnitude of the compulsory exodus'
'For anyone who wonders if it's worth remembering and reflecting on the past, this story is it'
'I think they will be sitting like they are sitting on the fire, I will tell you this, you just wait after three months'
General Idi Amin Dada
When General Idi Amin announced on the 5th August 1972 that all Ugandan Asians had 90 days to leave Uganda, lives were shattered in moments. From a beautiful, tranquil country known as the Pearl of Africa, severe brutality, destruction, murder and turmoil reigned over a country brought to its knees by a warped man and his ideals.
Caught up in the devastation, one man tells his story of how lives were abandoned and thousands of people had no option but to flee...


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Recently, a popular property consultant firm conducted a research on mid-sized corporate real estate occupiers during the period June – July 2015, and gathered the responses of leading corporate firms headquartered in India and overseas. The research report says that, corporate real estate occupiers seem to be very aggressive in occupying office spaces across India.
Basically, the survey pointed to the choice of work space being progressively driven by the three main objectives; they are Talent (availability and cost), Infrastructure (social and physical) and Real Estate options. It has to be noted that the survey respondents included the corporates based across different industries and the representatives of typical Indian office space occupiers.
Below mentioned are a few key findings of the research:
- The corporate occupiers in India are more likely to adopt the workplace strategies. The survey also revealed that the occupiers are being very efficient and are more inclined to adopt the efficient strategies, with most of the corporates mainly preferring to adopt open space workstation formats.
- The leading corporate space occupiers continued to occupy the core locations and central business districts of major cities. The study also explored the preferences of the respondents across various occupation options, and the result indicated that, almost about 75% of the respondents preferred to lease, pre-lease or purchase the space within the prime locations of the cities.
- IT/ITeS companies are planning to expand their operations across major cities in the southern part. The respondents of other key sectors like ecommerce firms, health care and others preferred Mumbai and Delhi NCR for their future expansions.
- Office space occupiers across the leading industry segments were asked to chart out the direction in which they want to expand their office over the next two years. The results indicated that, most of the IT/ITeS firms (almost about 70%) of the respondents are more likely to expand their operations in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai, while the ecommerce and media firms chose to expand in Mumbai and Delhi NCR in the next two years.


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From just 10MW of installed wind capacity at present, by the end of the year South Africa should have over 600MW turning as the first round of projects awarded under the renewable energy independent power producer procurement programme (REIPPP) come online. A further 563MW awarded in the second round are under construction, with another 787MW in the pipeline from the third bidding round. The robust bidding process has been widely hailed as a success, driving down prices and kickstarting a local industry through an increasingly stringent local content requirement (see chart, below). As the local content target increases, however, the industry is facing some difficult decisions.
To stimulate local production, job creation and socio-economic benefits, the government included thresholds and targets in the REIPPP bidding process. For wind, the minimum local content requirement (LCR) was 25% in the first two bidding rounds, covering construction but not project development, finance and operations and maintenance. The rates then rose sharply to a threshold of 40% and a target of 65% in round three, and the government has indicated that they will continue to increase in future rounds, although it has yet to give figures for the fourth round, due this summer.
Success in local strategy
The strategy has been an undoubted success. Local content promised by bidders increased from an average of 21.7% in round one to 46.9% in round three, and job creation from 4,200 to more than 11,000, according to the Department of Energy. The developers are also engaged in various black-empowerment initiatives and socio-economic development programmes to ensure local communities benefit.
The REIPPP appears to be very well thought through, reaching out further than many other LCR schemes, says Jan-Christoph Kuntze, energy policy adviser at GIZ, an international development aid agency owned by the German government. The use of a tender process means the South African government can see how firms are responding to the requirements and adjust them, which is more difficult with a feed-in tariff, he adds.
The first projects have found it relatively easy to reach the 25%, and some the 40% threshold, mainly by locally sourcing the balance of plant - all the elements of a wind farm apart from the turbines. MetroWind's 27MW round-one Van Stadens project, for example, has already achieved a local content of 46%, says Ian Curry, managing director of developer Basil Read Energy, which co-owns the project. Its sister company Basil Read Matomo was awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for Van Stadens. Other local companies entering the sector include Group Five, Murray & Roberts, Conco and Actom Power Systems, variously offering civil and electrical work or complete EPC services, while local affiliates of global players such as ALE and Sarens provide transport and crane facilities.
"The REIPPP has certainly increased the scope in such complementary industries," notes Oscar van Rooy, general manager at local service provider Wind Prospect Africa. And in areas where companies lack local expertise, such as transporting blades, they are working with global enterprises, upgrading their skills and equipment.
Creative sourcing
The challenge really comes as the LCR threshold rises over 40% and the target hits 65%, requiring increasingly innovative sourcing strategies and at least some elements of the turbines to be made locally, the industry warns. In response, South African manufacturing and engineering company DCD group will start producing steel towers under licence at its new factory in Port Elizabeth in February, destined for round two projects.
Concrete towers could also be made locally, potentially cutting costs and creating more jobs, notes Santie Gouws, managing director of consultancy Concrete Growth. As a first step, Acciona plans to make the towers for its round-two 138MW Gouda project onsite using imported moulds. A number of construction companies are also investigating manufacturing their own, locally designed towers, although these would have to be certified by an independent body such as DNV GL or TUV to meet the Department of Energy's qualification criteria, a process that could take up to two years.
Although more technically advanced, blades are the next obvious target for local manufacture. DCD, which could expand its operations to include blades, says it is in negotiations with turbine manufacturers from round-three projects, while blade maker LM Wind Power is exploring the possibility of setting up a factory. Others fear that the market is simply not big enough. "Current market figures indicate that market size cannot carry local manufacturing of core components such as blades and nacelles," says Van Rooy.
Before taking such major investment decisions the industry needs clarity on the local content requirement in future bidding rounds and the size of the market. In the latest update of its integrated resource plan, currently under public consultation, the government proposes cutting its 2030 wind target from 9.2GW to 4.36GW in response to the economic downturn. But it has said that it will continue the procurement programme, with additional rounds of 1GW of wind annually up to the target. While some observers are confident the update is provisional and the target will not be cut, uncertainty does not help. Even at 9.2GW, the market may not be sufficient to attract European turbine makers to set up shop, although China's Guodian is said to be considering local assembly, eyeing on the broader African market.
Meanwhile, if the local content need increases too fast, before the industry has time to establish, there is a danger that quality and cost could be compromised. South Africa needs to build local know-how that matches the capacities and not force development if the local industry is not capable of sustaining it, Van Rooy says.
Otherwise the industry could be caught between sourcing more goods and services locally, which might be more expensive, and trying to keep bids low in what is a very competitive market. Some already believe that prices bid in round three - which averaged ZAR 737/MWh (EUR 51), compared with ZAR 1,143 (EUR 79) in the first round - are not sustainable, particularly given the continued slide in the value of the rand.
On the other hand, the government will want to maintain the momentum as it also faces a hard balancing act, struggling against 25% unemployment and trying to ensure disadvantaged communities share in the economic development.
Awarded... Contracts from South Africa's first three bidding rounds
Almost 90% of South Africa's electricity is generated from coal, with nuclear and hydro providing 5% each and renewables just 1%. To solve its power deficit, the government has an ambitious investment programme. This includes two coal-fired power stations of 4.8GW each, currently under construction, alongside a higher share of renewables.
By 2030, wind energy should provide 9% of the country's electricity, although this figure may change if the updated integrated resource plan is adopted (see main feature).
South Africa has excellent wind resources, mainly concentrated along the coastal regions, which have good access and reasonable grid connections. Twelve of the 22 projects awarded to date are in Eastern Cape province, followed by six in Northern and four in Western Cape provinces.
Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape, is becoming a wind-industry hub, with a deep-water port at Ngqura and the Coega industrial zone, site of DCD's tower factory. The only other port large enough to handle imported turbines, blades and towers is Saldanha, which serves projects in Western and Northern Cape provinces.


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Given that it is usually punishable by death, "treason" is a dangerous word to bandy about. When it is applied to journalists, it is even more worrisome. We've seen that in Sri Lanka, which is in the throes of a backlash against a U.N. resolution on past human rights abuses. (See "Amid Sri Lankan denial, threats rise for journalists.") Photographs of journalists who have been critical of Colombo, their faces barely obscured, have been shown on television; one broadcast even repeatedly used the picture of a journalist's daughter, according to the Network for Rights media support group.
Now, in Pakistan, Zaid Hamid has filed a petition in the Supreme Court, calling on it to try several journalists, a leading human rights activist, the South Asian Free Media Association, and several of its members (many of whom are journalists as well), as well as several government ministries and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, for treason. That is a strange group of bedfellows indeed.
In the petition, Hamid describes himself as "Founding President of an Internationally Recognized Threat Analysis Consultancy and Defense Think Tank, Brass Tacks." That website--basically a homepage and some YouTube links--describes Hamid as "the most eminent and profound security professional in Pakistan having extensive practical experience and exposure in the fields of Information Warfare and Psy-Ops, National as well as Corporate Security Management, Strategic and Tactical planning, Threat Analysis, Irregular Warfare, Electronic Security Solutions and training of security personnel. His expertise is largely through exposure and is most unique and diversified. He is a veteran of Soviet-Afghan war and has a rich experience of the finest guerilla operations in modern times." He is a regular on many of Pakistani TV's political talk shows, and has hosted his own.
Why do this? Hamid explains on his blog:
In these times of war, when journalism become subversion on behalf of hostile powers, then it is called High Treason! Information war and ideological subversion are integral part of the 4th generation war being waged against Pakistan. The terrorists on ground get support from the subversive elements within the media and they all create crisis for the armed forces, ISI and the nation instead of supporting them against the insurgents and terrorists.
While some of the people named on the petition dismissed the move as that of a "nutcase" or worse, others feel genuinely threatened by it. Bringing the case and the publicity it could engender puts people at risk, regardless of its legal validity. Treason is a hot-button issue like blasphemy, and cases of treason could incite extrajudicial reprisals, just as we've seen in some blasphemy cases.
The language of the petition is inflammatory and aimed at inciting a public response. As a Washington-based analyst, Sadanand Dhume, tweeted: "If calling journalists snakes and publicly demanding their execution for treason isn't incitement to violence, then what is?"
The Court hasn't accepted the petition yet, but it is under no obligation to reject it. As one journalist told me, it can just hang there indefinitely, as a "sword of Damocles" dropping into use if it becomes politically expedient to silence journalists or any critic of the government. The case, as bizarre as it is, is really just another way to intimidate journalists -- as if there wasn't a dark cloud of threats hanging over the profession in Pakistan already.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The text of this post has been updated to reflect the correct spelling of Zaid Hamid's name.


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Join the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and receive a subscription to JCSM with your membership
This case report including polysomnography shows reversal of central sleep apnea after opioid withdrawal. A patient using opioids for pain was diagnosed with central sleep apnea (CSA), but was not compliant with therapy. Five years later he underwent detoxification. Subsequent polysomnography showed no sleep disordered breathing. This is the first report of correction of CSA following opioid withdrawal confirmed by polysomnogram.
Davis MJ; Livingston M; Scharf SM. Reversal of central sleep apnea following discontinuation of opioids. J Clin Sleep Med 2012;8(5):579-580.
Central sleep apnea (CSA) is associated with a number of clinical conditions, including congestive heart failure, brain stem lesions, as well as with opioid use in the absence of other risk factors. A significant association with opioid use was first described by Teichtahl et al. in 2001,1 then further demonstrated in individuals on long-term methadone maintenance by Wang and Teichtahl.2 Recently, Alattar and Scharf described a case series of CSA in patients using opioids for chronic pain.3 Treatment has focused on positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy and ventilatory-assist devices, with varying degrees of success.4
A 35-year-old male presented with complaints of excessive daytime sleepiness. His medical history included major depression, necessitating electroconvulsive therapy and psychiatric hospitalization, hypertension, and severe headaches since childhood. He had failed numerous headache prophylactic medications and ultimately was prescribed opioids. At initial presentation to the sleep clinic, his medications included fentanyl lollipops, fentanyl transdermal patch, hydrocodone, triamterene, fluoxetine, and venlafaxine. He was also using dextroamphetamine/amphetamine and methylphenidate for sleepiness and ramelteon and temazepam to aid sleep initiation. His sleep schedule was suboptimal: bedtime was 02:00; perceived sleep latency was 30 min, with awakenings up to 4 times during the sleep period for various reasons; rise-time was 07:00; and sleep was described as non-refreshing.
The patient complained of excessive sleepiness (Epworth score of 16), mild snoring, and witnessed apneas. Physical exam showed pulse 84, blood pressure 119/79, oxygen saturation 97%, body mass index (BMI) 31.5, and a Mallampati class 2 airway.
Polysomnography was performed (Table 1). Respiratory events and sleep architecture were scored according to the 2007 AASM scoring manual.5 The study was consistent with CSA. After several PAP titrations, the patient was prescribed bilevel PAP at 12 IPAP/8 EPAP with a back-up rate of 12 and 3 liters per minute of oxygen through the machine. The patient said that this allowed him to sleep more continuously but did not improve his daytime sleepiness. Despite these modest improvements in his symptoms, repeated titration studies showed persistent central apneas. It was repeatedly recommended that he discontinue or reduce use of opiates and temazepam as well as the stimulants since these were certainly affecting his sleep pattern. However, the patient stopped using bilevel treatment and was lost to follow-up in the sleep clinic.
Polysomnography results
(more ...)
The patient continued seeing a neurologist for his headaches and he ultimately agreed to 30-day inpatient narcotic detoxification. This succeeded in eliminating opiates from his regimen, which was confirmed by urine toxicology testing. Approximately 5 years after the initial evaluation, the patient was further evaluated by his neurologist for ongoing headaches. He still complained of some daytime fatigue and depression. Medications included venlafaxine, duloxetine, olanzapine, verapamil, and simvastatin. Epworth score was 10 and BMI was 36.7. Polysomnography was ordered by his neurologist. As seen in Table 1, the frequency of disordered breathing events was normal.
This patient experienced reversal of severe CSA after discontinuation of opiates. Once withdrawn from opiates, he continued to complain of mild daytime fatigue, though this was modestly improved as indicated by his Epworth score. Clearly, however, this patient had multiple factors influencing his excessive sleepiness, including depression and sedating effects of his medications. Interestingly, this patient's weight actually increased during the period of follow-up—thereby removing a potential confounding factor in the reversal of his disease.
To our knowledge, there has been only one other published case report demonstrating reversal of CSA after withdrawal of opioids. In that case, however, no confirmatory polysomnography was performed.6 Our case demonstrates the importance of recognizing the role of opioids in the development of sleep disordered breathing, specifically CSA. Previous studies have demonstrated a dose dependent relationship between opioid use and severity of CSA.7 Possibly, in our patient, the use of high-dose multiple opioid preparations was associated with the observed severe degree of CSA. In this individual, and other selected patients, withdrawal of opioid therapy may be a successful mode of therapy.
This was not an industry supported study. The authors have indicated no financial conflicts of interest.
Teichtahl H, Prodromidis A, Miller B, Cherry G, Kronborg I, authors. Sleep-disordered breathing in stable methadone programme patients: a pilot study. Addiction. 2001;96:395–403. [PubMed]
Wang D, Teichtahl H, Drummer O, authors. Central sleep apnea in stable methadone maintenance treatment patients. Chest. 2005;128:1348–56. [PubMed]
Alattar MA, Scharf SM, authors. Opioid-associated central sleep apnea: a case series. Sleep Breath. 2009;13:201–6. [PubMed]
Farney RJ, Walker JM, Boyle KM, Cloward TV, Shilling KC, authors. Adaptive servoventilation (ASV) in patients with sleep disordered breathing associated with chronic opioid medications for non-malignant pain. J Clin Sleep Med. 2008;4:311–9. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Iber C, Ancoli-Israel S, Chesson AL Jr, Quan S, authors. AASM manual for the scoring of sleep and associated events: rules, terminology and technical specifications. 2007. Westchester, IL: American Academy of Sleep Medicine;
Ramar K, author. Reversal of sleep-disordered breathing with opioid withdrawal. Pain Pract. 2009;5:394–8
Walker JM, Farney RJ, Rhondeau SM, et al., authors. Chronic opioid use is a risk factor for the development of central sleep apnea and ataxic breathing. J Clin Sleep Med. 2007;3:455–61. [PubMed Central][PubMed]


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Archdiocese of NY CYO Negotiates Discount with Sports Illustrated Play for Parish CYO Websites
Have you been considering automating your player registration process or improving communications with your CYO coaches and families? Archdiocese of NY CYO Parishes are now eligible to receive discounted rates on a League Athletics sports management website. League Athletics, recently bought by Sports Illustrated Play, is the same platform NY CYO is using to provide League Management in each of its Counties.
There are several advantages to implementing a Parish CYO website on League Athletics, including:
It's not too late to get started this season. You can follow your current registration process and then upload your Teams and Rosters to the system, giving your coaches and parents secure online access to CYO Team and Schedule information.
If you are interested in learning more, please feel free to contact Rita McCabe at
New Privacy Policy


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January's Challenge is HERE
Hello it's Julie here!
I find creating and making soothes my soul.
Let me tell you about this make which began when I visited my Super Star in his shed.
I was there to tell him that one of our beloved dogs was seriously ill in hospital - not expected to recover!
Anyways in the talking and the not crying I spied this very old and battered framed picture.
I knew that I would not be able to concentrate so playing with paint, ink and paper was a good plan.
Super Star helped me to remove the glass and the nails which were very rusty.
I work with manila folders as table protectors. When they are messy and interesting, they then become the perfect background for experimentation for all sorts of projects.
This one has a gessoed stencil background and then it was painted with diluted Viva Decor Modeling Creme
This is a muslin fabric paper piece which was stencilled with the Modeling Creme and then pounced and pounded with alcohol inks - excellent tension release!
The third piece took a bit more. It has been painted with Viva Decor Chalky Paint.
Then I drizzled white glue over the paper and left it overnight to dry.
I then used Rubbing Alcohol to vigorousy rub away some of the top layers.
To enhance the texture I rubbed Viva Decor Inka Gold over the raised areas and polished.
Inspired by the blue scrap of marbled paper I saw the piece develop as "Flow."
I got out some of my Time To Create Treasure pieces and snipped and rehearsed and glued for quite some time. Normally I create in snips and snatches between the many tasks that are needed each day but this was "Anxiety Creating".
When I was happy with where everything went I glued it all down.
Then I began the detailing process. When I work on a piece of this size I often step away and view it from a distance.
The entire piece was put onto a piece of textured vinyl which I rubbed and coloured with Distress Inks.
To make the background come together I created dimension with Viva Decor Pearl Pens - concentrating when using these is advised!
The frame then received attention. It was lightly rubbed down and then Viva Decor Ferro which has an interesting gritty texture was smeared on in a random way that pleased me.
It was now time to step away. As I had been creating "Flow" I knew exactly where I wanted it to go.
Here it is with some recently completed pieces. This is above our TV so when I get to sit and relax there sometimes, I enjoy that all the art you see has been altered and upcycled by me for our newly renovated home.
In case you are wondering our lovely Bella came home eleven days later. She is still convalescing and has no idea that she inspired a make that I enjoyed creating.


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Excel Pro Services is Mooresville's commercial and residental pressure washing company, providing the following services:
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Cleaning your gutters on a regular basis is one of the most important projects to avoid some serious problems such as a cracked foundation, slippery sidewalks, washed out landscaping, and rotten wood to name a few. We remove and bag all debris to ensure proper flow through downspouts. We also install gutters, gutter guards and provide gutter restoration – making the face of the gutters look like new.
Mooresville Pressure Washing
It is amazing the difference a good pressure washing makes on the face value of a home. Additionally, the mold and fungi that grow on our homes are living organisms and, by definition, living things must eat. If not removed, then those living things are going to deteriorate the walls. This service can be done for any one part of the exterior home, or the entire home. We can provide this service for any material type (ie- brick, stucco, siding, etc). A complete house wash is recommended to be done at least once a year.
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Sidewalks, driveways, walkways pressure washed to remove all mildew and dirt that has accumulated on concrete. Wonderful home improvement project that erases years of wear and tear. This service is also recommended to be done at least once per year, if not twice.
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This service can be provided for interior or exterior windows of your home, or both. We take our time and clean all window sills, and screens to be sure that your windows will be left sparkling. Clean windows can help to reduce energy costs in the winter by allowing more sunlight in. Windows can accumulate hard water and mineral spots, which permanently damage glass if not cleaned timely and properly. We also restore windows to remove these spots, if needed.
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Black streaks that you may notice have built up on your roof, are actually made up of algae that feeds on the crushed limestone used in asphalt shingles. Rain spreads the algae down the roof, causing the black streaks. It is estimated that 50% of roofs are replaced simply because they look old or unsightly. Some estimates also suggest that as many as 50% of roof replacements were not even needed, and could have been cleaned instead. Algae will cause your roof to rapidly deteriorate and fail long before it should. In addition, moss absorbs and holds water and lifts shingles over time. We clean the roof by using a low pressure rinsing method, combined with specialized eco friendly cleaning detergents.
Mooresville Wood Rot Replacement
If you suspect you have rotten wood in your home, contact us for an inspection of the damage and repair solution. We have the tools & expertise to help you.
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Have exterior bulbs or lamps that you need help replacing? No worries, we can help with that! No job is too small. Call EPS Today!
Mooresville Chandelier Cleaning
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Shooting "Paradise Now" amid Israeli Rockets
Two young Palestinian men, Khaled und Said, who have been friends since childhood, have been chosen for a mission as suicide bombers in Tel Aviv. They are permitted to spend what is probably the last night of their lives with their families in Nablus.
Naturally, they don't tell anyone of their plans and therefore don't really take their final leave of their relatives. The next morning, they are brought to the Israeli border. They carry the bombs concealed on their bodies.
But the operation does not go off as planned: the two friends lose sight of each other. Separated and forced to act independently, the "living bombs" must face their fate alone and hold onto the courage of their convictions.
What made you decide to make a film about suicide bombers, especially at a time in early 2000 when no suicide attacks were taking place?
Hany Abu-Assad: Like every filmmaker, I am always looking for a story. Back then, I viewed the phenomenon as a story. This distance was supposed to prevent me from being swayed by the topicality of the situation and the fears and emotions associated with it, which might have resulted in a predictable film.
And then the second Intifada broke out in October 2000 and the Palestinian suicide attacks resumed. How did you react to this development?
Abu-Assad: This turn of events was especially bad for the people there. I viewed this reality, however, as a drama in which the characters develop. I recounted this drama in the language of film. This distance was necessary to be able to comprehend the phenomenon of killing and dying at the same moment in which it was happening.
Why did you insist on shooting the film in Nablus, despite the daily violence there and the siege on the city?
Abu-Assad: Because I wanted to shoot the film as a fictional story, but at the same time stay close to reality. That meant shooting the story on location where it is based – while the events recounted were happening. Our first option was Gaza, but we quickly gave up because the city is now a big prison where entering and exiting are nearly impossible. At that time Israel was firing rockets at Gaza on a daily basis, but hadn't fired any at the West Bank for six months. Since the Israeli army was invading Nablus daily, we didn't think we had to worry about any especially dangerous rockets striking there. You don't see a rocket approaching. But you do see the Israeli tanks, and we would have had enough time to take cover.
But your assessment of the situation proved wrong!
Abu-Assad: Yes, because suddenly on the 20th day of shooting an Israeli rocket struck close by. My first reaction was cynical. I felt like the captain of a sinking ship. I'm too far away from port to turn back, so I have to keep going. Six German technicians left the set. I can't blame them. Life is more important than film. So we all left and shot instead in Nazareth.
Where did the film crew live? After all, 70 people were involved in shooting the film.
Abu-Assad: We had a really nice hotel. I found it incredible how the Palestinians in Nablus were holding up under Israeli pressure. The children continued to go to school every day – only staying home on days when curfews or strikes were in effect. The stores were open, there were still weddings, people told jokes and laughed. At the same time, you could see signs of social decline. There was no police force, and militant groups robbed a bank. The West Bank was like the Wild West.
And your film became the bone of contention between two armed gangs.
Abu-Assad: One faction wanted to stop the film from being shot. They considered it anti-Palestinian because it doesn't show the violence of the Israelis and the occupation. The other group agreed, but pleaded nonetheless for freedom of speech and backed us up, with weapons of course, which were fortunately never used.
Had they read the screenplay, or how did they know so much about the film?
Abu-Assad: All of the people in Nablus knew the screenplay from hearsay, and everyone had an opinion on it. It became the major topic of conversation. I even had to talk about my screenplay when I went to buy groceries. At the same time, we had to negotiate with the soldiers for every little thing, for example, to let an actor enter or leave the city.
Almost all of the actors are Palestinians who live in Israel or – like you - in Europe. The leading role is played by Lubna Azabal, who was born in Belgium. What was the relationship like between those involved in the film and the Palestinians in Nablus, who, unlike the crew, were not able to leave?
Abu-Assad: They treated us very well, and we were welcomed everywhere we went. The appreciated the fact that we wanted to get firsthand experience of the dangers they faced in their everyday lives. Once I went to buy a pair of shoes, and when the saleswoman found out who I was, she wanted to give me the shoes as a gift.
You have been living in the Netherlands since 1981, with a few interruptions. But you are also actively following the situation in the Middle East. What do you think a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians could look like?
Abu-Assad: The only solution is the principle of equality between Palestinians and Israelis, as nations and as individuals. On this basis it would be possible to negotiate the details fairly quickly. Up until now, official representatives of Israel have not yet recognized a State of Palestine on an equal footing with Israel – since that necessarily means a division of the territory and its resources. They reject that idea as a surrender of the Jewish state and instead offer the Palestinians only human rights.
As long as the suicide attacks continue, Israel will not concede to any compromises, and the Palestinians will not get their own state. Do you agree with this view?
Abu-Assad: The suicide attacks are a consequence of oppression, which first has to stop. The Israelis forget that the occupation continued during the Oslo peace process.
Do you condemn the suicide attacks?
Abu-Assad: Why? I am against killing people, and I want that to stop. But I do not condemn the suicide attackers. For me, it is a very human reaction to an extreme situation.
Your film ends with a suicide bombing on an Israeli bus. Why did you choose not to show the blood and mangled bodies of the innocent Israelis?
Abu-Assad: The ending I chose is much more powerful, because we already know from the media what the images after the attack look like, but not the images before the attack.
The Israel Film Fund plans to underwrite the distribution of your film in Israel. Are you pleased about that?
Abu-Assad: I would be delighted to show Israelis the film, because for them the Palestinians are either invisible or terrorists. I am going to try to organize some screenings in the West Bank, in order to get a discussion going.
Interview: Igal Avidan
© Qantara.de 2005
Translated from the German by Jennifer Taylor-Gaidar
At the Berlinale Hany Abu-Assad received for his film "Paradise Now" the Blue Angel for best European film, a cash prize of 25,000 EUR sponsored by AGICOA.


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Smidt Heart Institute Patient Resources
Facing heart conditions is a difficult and sometimes frightening process. Cedars-Sinai's doctors and nurses work to provide patients with compassionate care that makes the patient a partner in the healthcare process.
This section will provide you with a variety of information to support you and help you prepare for procedures.
For patients in the hospital and their families, the Smidt Institute offers the Cardiac Channel on the medical center's closed circuit television system.
Additionally, information is available in this section to help patients prepare for cardiovascular procedures and diagnostic studies.
To help patients better understand heart treatments and procedures, Smidt Heart Institute provides the Cardiac Patient and Family Education Handbook.
Cedars-Sinai offers the Emmi interactive patient education program for cardiovascular and cardiothoracic procedures. The programs offer information about your upcoming procedure.


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Author | Lecturer | Historian
Originally from Somerset in England, Dr Dean Allen is a Senior Academic at Bournemouth University in the UK and a Research Associate of Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Having lectured at universities in South Africa, the UK, Ireland and Australia, he has published widely on the history and politics of sport and society throughout the British Empire, most notably South Africa. Dean is a popular guest lecturer and speaker and has presented motivational talks and keynote papers around the world.
To sign up for my weekly newsletter 'This Week in History' click here:
Learn more about Dean and get a sense of what he does. Author, Lecturer, Historian – 'The man who brings history to life'.
— Empire, War & Cricket in South Africa, by Dean Allen —
Shortlisted for the Non-Fiction Book of the Year Award, Dean's first book, Empire, War & Cricket in South Africa, is a historical account of the significance of Matjiesfontein and its founder James Douglas Logan focusing on cricket, politics and commerce during the years 1888 – 1910. This true story of the involvement of Logan and Matjiesfontein in the Anglo-Boer War also features prominently in the book. Unique photographs and documents from the Logan family archives, many of which have never been published before, form an integral part of the book.
[Read more]
— Dr Dean Allen Matjiesfontein Experience Special Offer —
Dean Allen has teamed up with Matjiesfontein Village to offer a unique historical experience when you next visit this 'Jewel of the Karoo' – one of South Africa's most treasured National Heritage sites. How it works: Quote the code 'DA EMPIRE' when booking your stay to receive a complimentary room upgrade, a welcome drink as well as free entrance to all the attractions and much more!
[Click here for details]
— Forthcoming Events —
Learn more
— Motivational Speaking —
A specialist in South African affairs, Dean is a popular motivational speaker and MC, known for his educational and entertaining style.
The business of sport
Have we sold our souls? A look back to when sport was a passion, not a pay cheque


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The Anglican Studies Program was established by the Faculty of Theology at Saint Paul University and the (Anglican) Diocese of Ottawa in 1981 in order to prepare candidates for both lay and ordained ministries in the Anglican Church through university-level theological formation. While the formation of postulants for ordination remains integral to the Anglican Studies Program, many other Anglicans from the Diocese of Ottawa and beyond find themselves at the University.
The Anglican Studies Program belongs to the network of Anglican colleges and universities of Canada, and is a member of the Ontario Provincial Commission on Theological Education (Anglican Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario).
A Unique Program of Anglican Theological Education in Canada at Saint Paul University
Saint Paul University, federated with the University of Ottawa and rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition with a pontifical charter, has been involved in theological education for over a century. With its unique location in the national capital between the Rideau River and the Rideau Canal, and close to a long network of bicycle paths, it provides a setting conducive to study, recreation and reflection. Faculty, staff, and students come from all parts of the world and represent a variety of Christian traditions. Saint Paul University is a bilingual teaching and research centre, offering courses in both English and French. The University's Faculty of Theology includes the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies as well as the Anglican Studies Program. Common study, worship, and social activities allow for a distinctive Canadian ecumenical and cross-cultural experience, ensuring an eclectic context for a rich understanding and appreciation of Anglican identity.
Academic Formation
Academic formation features a thorough grounding in the major theological disciplines, including courses in Anglican tradition, liturgy, and theology.
Academic formation is pursued through the undergraduate civil Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) and the Master in Pastoral Theology (M.P.Th.) programs of the Faculty of Theology. Preparation for ordination to the priesthood includes the M.P.Th. degree. The Faculty also offers an eight-course certificate in Anglican studies.
Saint Paul University houses the Jean-Léon Allie Library, which, with its more than 400,000 volumes and approximately 1,200 current periodicals, is widely recognised as one of the leading theological research facilities in North America. It has especially strong collections in theology, liturgy, ecumenism, and mediæval studies. The library holding for Anglican studies alone tallies some 4,500 volumes.
Pastoral Formation
Field placements and pastoral experience constitute key elements of the Anglican Studies Program and are scheduled over the last three years of study. Postulants for ordination will normally fulfill these requirements in parishes of the Diocese of Ottawa. Through these activities, students gain awareness of different expressions of parish life and leadership roles. Supervised opportunities for learning allow students to develop their own pastoral, liturgical and leadership skills. Pastoral formation culminates in the final year with the Master in Pastoral Theology, which prepares the "general practitioner" for ministry through the integration of theology and pastoral practice.
Liturgy and Community Life
Theological and pastoral formation in the Anglican Studies Program takes place within the context of a worshipping community. During the term, Morning Prayer is celebrated daily and the Eucharist weekly. These formative and sustaining activities of the Anglican community, set within the rich ecumenical context of Saint Paul University, are a way of living out the ancient dictum: lex orandi, lex credendi. All Anglicans are invited (and postulants for ordination are required) to participate in the regular liturgical life of the Anglican community at Saint Paul University, as well as in such extracurricular activities as retreats, quiet days, and workshops.


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Pacers Re-Sign Sam Young
Pacers Re-Sign Sam Young
Official Release
January 28, 2013
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers announced Monday they have re-signed free agent Sam Young. Per club policy, terms of the contracts are not released.
The Pacers originally signed Young on Sept. 12, 2012 and waived him on Jan. 6, 2013. He played 28 games with the Pacers, averaging 3.6 points and 2.9 rebounds.
Young is a 6-6 small forward/shooting guard who played three NBA seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers. He has career averages of 6.3 points per game and 2.4 rebounds per game. He was a second-round pick (36th overall) of the Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA Draft.


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City of Lincoln
Mayor's Office
2004 Media Releases
A new information management system is being implemented at Lincoln agencies serving homeless persons that will allow agencies to share information.
The Lincoln and Lancaster County Community Service Management Information System (CS-MIS) is a comprehensive, client-based, case management information and referral system. CS-MIS is now serving the Lincoln Action Program, Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach, CEDARS, Fresh Start Home, Houses of Hope, St. Monica=s, and CenterPointe Inc. The system is administered through the UNL Center on Children, Families and the Law (UNL-CCFL).
With CS-MIS in operation, clients will provide basic information once which will be used by every program from which they are receiving services. The system will also allow the agencies to have accurate service histories for their clients, helping them to better serve those in need.
The local Continuum of Care Committee (CoC), a group of agencies providing services to the homeless was required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to have such a system in place and has been discussing the implementation for several years. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Human Services Plan Initiative was also seeking a mechanism to better track services provided as well as improve results. The two efforts came together with funding from the Nebraska Homeless Assistance Program, the Lincoln and Lancaster County United Way and the City Urban Development Department with support from the Woods Foundation through the Community Services Initiative.
"Our focus initially is on those agencies in the community serving homeless and near homeless populations because of the extreme need many homeless persons face and because of the HUD deadline that is linked to continued federal homeless services funding," said Jeff Chambers, Research Manager at UNL-CCFL and the CS-MIS Program Manager. "Our hope is to add at least 10 additional agencies onto the system each year over the next three years."
Other local agency administrators echoed Chambers' enthusiasm for the new system.
"The case coordination available through the CS-MIS will permit staff at Fresh Start Home to share relevant information to assist the women throughout their residency," said Tiffany Mullison, Executive Director at Fresh Start Home an current Lincoln Continuum of Care Co-Chair. "Our staff team believes the CS-MIS will save time, allow for more expeditious retrieval of information and enhance case coordination."
"In addition to allowing us to collect and track data more efficiently, the CS-MIS system will also make it easier for case managers to create service plans and monitor goal plans," said Nicole McCoy, Director of Community Services at Lincoln Action Program. "The system will benefit program participants by reducing their time completing intakes by eliminating the need to provide information already given to another participating agency. It also will enhance service delivery by providing a clearer picture of service needs, resources, and gaps in service while making referrals simpler."
"A management information system such as CS-MIS will allow CenterPointe to expand and improve our client outcome data in such a way that has not been feasible in the past," said Dennis Hoffman, Director of Case Management Services at CenterPointe and Immediate Past Chair of the Lincoln Continuum of Care. "This will help us provide better and more meaningful care to individuals who are struggling with addiction and mental health problems."
Chambers said that the City of Lincoln in general is the big beneficiary of the new information management system.
"This system is very beneficial to the clients and the agencies, but it also can provide the community in general a tremendous benefit," Chambers said. "Once implemented CS-MIS can provide community planners, community services funding agencies and the public in general with an ongoing and accurate picture of the emerging service need, the current unmet needs and the community's ongoing ability to meet known service needs."


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Monday December 9, 2019; 09:07 pm EST
Sometimes you need to sit in a dark room with a bunch of strangers and cry
Hazel Lancaster (Shailene Woodley: Divergent) should be dead by now. A 17-year-old with terminal cancer, she has outlived her life expectancy. Because of a delicate condition that affects her lungs and requires her to wear oxygen, she stays home from school.
Fearing depression, Hazel's mother forces her into a youth cancer support group. The sad stories and over-eager leader drive Hazel to distraction until she meets newcomer Gus (Ansel Elgort: Divergent). Charismatic, handsome and in remission, Gus is smitten with Hazel. He courts her, challenging her to break her routine and make connections.
Hazel is charmed but fearful of romantic entanglement. Distance is her way of protecting people from being hurt by her inevitable death. Her biggest fear is that her demise will ruin her parents' lives.
Can Hazel find grand romance in her short stay on Earth?
Sure to join Love Story, Terms of Endearment, Beaches and The Notebook in the pantheon of ugly-cry movies, The Fault in Our Stars is not a movie to see when you're out of tissues. Sobs from the audience, however, do not guarantee quality. A sad story, a beautiful, sad actress and swelling music can generate emotion aplenty. The real question is whether director Josh Boone (Stuck in Love) has made a tearjerker that keeps tugging on your heartstrings after the credits roll.
Boone is half successful. His meticulous set design gives the impression that Hazel's world is an Anthropologie catalog, a shabby-chic aesthetic that becomes ridiculous when it permeates every space in the film, even sculptures in parks. Hazel's parents are permissive, supportive and implausibly perfect. Boone wanted to focus on the love story, and who could blame him? But developing the Lancaster family would have helped the audience understand Hazel.
The film finds its footing, and its tragedy, in stunning performances from Woodley and Elgort. Woodley is spectacular at making teen characters realistic yet likeable. She enthralled in the realistic teen drama The Spectacular Now and is a fantastic tragic heroine. Her terrified Hazel tries to cover her fear with humor and pathos. As her condition worsens, cracks show in her veneer. Woodley's expressive eyes are a wonder as she speeds through a range of complex emotions.
As the romantic Gus, Elgort is a teen dream. His easy smile and open face make his persistent pursuit charming instead of creepy. He's the anti-Edward Cullen, able to let Hazel navigate the relationship without pressure, assuring her of his support and love.
The Fault in Our Stars is a beautiful, imperfect love story that whirls past plot holes and implausibilities due to two exceptional lead performances. But be warned: My seatmate joined several other audience members in crying nonstop, starting 10 minutes in.


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The Grinder was instituted as a capital punishment for the worst murderers and criminals.
The Kayeed empire is known for it's almost psychotic pursuit of justice and vengeance. This room was commissioned to deal with an rogue chieftain who had committed a long streak of atrocities against imperial citizens.
It is simply a room whose rough stone floor is continually moving - it is a huge stone roller driven by a paddlewheel. The stream powering the paddlewheel runs directly underneath the cell and keeps the cylinder 'clean'. The joint between the moving floor and walls is knife thin, to prevent things from 'jamming'. In any event, the massive roller that makes up the floor weighs many tons and supernatural force would be required to slow the roller.
Prisoners condemned to this room must walk. If they stop, they will be slowly, gradually be abraded by the moving floor. Death does not come quickly. Since the Grinder is self-cleaning, prisoners are generally never removed even after death. It is far simpler to leave them until their remains are totally ground to nothing, and a bit easier on the guards.
The other advantage of this means of execution, is that for worlds where magic is available to bring back the dead, death by the Grinder is very difficult to counteract. No intact corpse is available, and the sand-sized particles of flesh are washed downstream and scattered.
Plot Hooks
The most obvious one is to rescue someone important who has been condemned to death in this chamber. It will of course be heavily guarded, and the PCs may learn that there is a mechanism to drastically speed up the floors rotation…..
Although Ragaar the bloody met an end suitable to his name, even being ground to dust did erase him. Now his tortured soul, furious beyond the comprehension of the sane, wanders the dungeons around the chamber, bringing hideous death to those he finds. The PC's are commissioned to stop his depredations, only to learn that maybe some tragic circles cannot be broken…


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Steam Unlimited - Volume I
Steam continues to break new ground with each succeeding year and 1991 proved no exception. The main line fleet has been strengthened by the restoration to working order of several noteworthy locomotives.
Steam has returned to the Cambrian line for the first time in 26 years, as it has also to the Cambridge - Kings Lynn route for (probably) the last time in view of impending electrification. Even the Welsh Valleys have seen main line steam to no less than six destinations!! This remarkable expansion of activities, which have included several important depot open days, have made 1991 a memorable year for the steam enthusiast.
This programme is the first in a series featuring both main line and preserved steam. High quality action and in-depth sequences covering events from May to November 1991 provide the content, augmented by a non-intrusive, but informative commentary by Bill Trite, founder and promoter of the 35027 'Port Line' and 34072 '257 Squadron' restorations.


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|Denon DVD-2900 Universal Disc Player
|Monday, 01 March 2004
Page 1 of 3Introduction
Audio enthusiasts struggle to understand why every DVD player can't always play every kind of disc. The answer is complicated and often has to do with nothing more than the raw cost of the universal drives. It is expensive, especially for a high-end audio/video company, to buy a transport from an OEM manufacturer and make it into a player that can play all of the new formats. Some of the early players that can play both DVD-Audio and SACD skimp on bass management for SACD and/or convert DSD (the technology that makes SACD sound its best) into PCM, which is the technology that is most associated with DVD and even CD. For an audio enthusiast, these compromises are wholly unacceptable, which presents a difficult challenge. In order to do DVD-Audio and SACD correctly, audiophiles needed separate players, as well as a receiver or a preamp with two sets of six-channel analog inputs. Up until recently, that was a whole other costly problem.
Enter the Denon DVD 2900. Powered by the vast engineering team at Denon, this $999 player successfully plays both of the new audio formats with their own dedicated audio sections. The 2900 also includes a Silicon Image video processor for 480p "progressive" output and Burr Brown 24-bit audio DACs. This kind of laundry list of internal parts is what you might expect to hear from an ultra-high-end player, so at $999, this player becomes an even more interesting option, even for music and movie enthusiasts who have other, much more expensive components.
Other features on the DVD 2900 include full digital bass management for DVD-Audio, featuring Analog Devices' Melody 32-bit processor and 80Hz crossover with 12dB high and 24dB low pass slopes, as well as full digital bass management for SACD, and 80Hz crossover with 6/12dB slopes on all channels. The DVD 2900 plays every disc format I can think of, including audio/video CDs; DVD-Audio/Video, Super Audio CD, DVD+/-R/RW(conditional), Audio CD-R, Audio CD-RW and MP3 CD-R/RW (128 or higher kbps work best). The pure direct modes defeat "unneeded" portions of the player for the ultimate in audio performance. RS-232C and remote in/out ports are included, so you can control the DVD 2900 by a sophisticated remote control system. There is also a Glo-Key remote control, which is useful for darkened rooms and nighttime use.
The Denon 2900, unlike its digitally connected big brother, the DVD 5900, still connects via an analog six-channel connection, so you need three pairs of good interconnects, a good digital audio cable as well as a component video cable. While the player cost about a grand, you should expect to invest at least another $200 to $300 for cables in order to get the most from the player. If you are going for the ultimate in performance from all of the new formats, you need to use exactly the same interconnect for all six of the analog connections. One connection that is often and mistakenly overlooked is the video connection. The video processor in the DVD 2900 is excellent and, by using a poor video cable, you are giving away a healthy percentage of your video performance right between your DVD player and video monitor or receiver. I recommend considering using a very high-quality component cable despite the investment cost. I used Transparent's entry-level component cable, which costs about $350. I used Ultralink interconnects for the analog and digital audio connections which sell for less than the video cable.
You might want to use the menus of the DVD 2900 to assign the size of speakers you have. I am used to setting everything to full-range in my reference theater system. In the case of the 2900, which was primarily in my bedroom, I needed to make sure that it was set up for small speakers across the front as well as in the rear. I did the same in my matching Denon AVR 3803 AV receiver, which also has bass management. These set-up tweaks keep my system from getting blasted with low-frequency information in speakers that might not be able to handle it. My grapefruit-sized Gallo A'Divas fit wonderfully in my bedroom theater, but they can't rock 20 Hz at full volume like you might expect to hear on a dynamic DVD-Audio or SACD disc. Within seconds, I was able to make the DVD 2900 aware of my situation and the bass was diverted to the Gallo sub. The difference in sophistication with the bass management of this player vs. my older Sony SCD-ES555 SACD changer was impressive. Granted, the Sony is now a year or two older than the newer Denon, but the way you can set up the bass management on the Denon was greatly improved.


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Splashdance! Flamingos do more than wade in
There's a small treasure hidden at Crow Pool behind Walker Upper Elementary School– a cherished event that happens only once a year. On May 8 and 9, Charlottesville's Synchronized Swimming Club (a.k.a. the Flamingos) held its annual performance in the balmy public pool.
The Flamingos practice once or twice a week, year round, just for this performance. It shows.
From beginners to advanced performers all the swimmers executed the 11 choreographed numbers gracefully under pool floodlights and stage spotlights. Synchronized swimming is notoriously difficult, and the skills the young girls demonstrated were greeted by roaring applause from friends and families.
There's great camaraderie among the swimmers. The support each other well with encouragement and cheers of their own.
The mothers in the audience had an extra proud reason to celebrate Mother's Day.
Friends and families take their seats. The Black Knight approves.
A young Flamingo catches up on her reading.
Kicking high in the pool
Taking the plunge
Flamingos on deck
Flamingos Kitty Buchanan, Rubina Catalano, Suzzane Galbraith, and Emily Pribus


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- Cite
- camps
- occupied Poland
- Majdanek
- English
The total number of prisoners to go through the Majdanek main camp has not yet been recalculated consistent with the latest research. The number of deaths is now estimated at between 80,000 and 110,000 for the main camp alone. Most succumbed to starvation, disease, exposure, and the effects of physical torture or back-breaking labor performed under threat of violence. The SS murdered some prisoners in the gas chambers, some upon arrival, and more after deeming them too weak to work. The total number of those who died in Majdanek's gas chambers is unknown.
In addition to deaths in the main camp, the SS and police shot between 15,000 and 20,000 Jews in Trawniki and Poniatowa during Operation "Harvest Festival" on November 3 (Trawniki) and November 3-4 (Poniatowa), 1943. The number of Jewish prisoners who died in Majdanek's subcamps between October 1943 and January 1945 is not known. Hence, at a minimum, between 95,000 and 130,000 prisoners died in the Majdanek system between November 1941 and January 1945. Between 89,000 and 110,000 were Jews. At least 20,000 prisoners who were not Jews died at the Majdanek main camp.
Glossary Terms
Series: Lublin/Majdanek
Further Reading
Barbara Schwindt, Das Konzentrations- und Vernichtungslager Majdanek: Funktionswandel im Kontext der "Endloesung" (Wuerzburg: Koenighausen & Neumann, 2005).
Tomasz Kranz, "Eksterminacja Zydow na Majdanku i rola obozu w realizacji 'Akcji
Reinhardt,'" in Zeszyty Majdanka, Vol. XXII (2003), pp. 7-55.
Tomasz Kranz, "Ewidencja zgonow i smiertelnosc wiezniow KL Lublin" in Zeszyty
Majdanka, Vol. XXIII (2005), pp. 7-51.
Zofia Leszczynska, "Transporty i stany liczbowe obozu," in Majdanek, 1941-1944,
Tadeusz Mencel ed., (Lublin: Wydawn. Lubelskie, 1991).
Czeslaw Rajca, "Problem liczby ofiar w obozie na Madanku," in Zeszyty Madanka, XIV
(1992), pp. 127-131.


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Choose Your Cruise
There's a short cruise geared to every age and taste.
In 2008, the number of people taking short cruises (five days or fewer) increased by 36 percent, thanks in part to easy planning and all-inclusive pricing. While short cruises trend young (especially given the average cruiser's age of 46), there's no doubt something for everyone.
For families
On Disney Cruise Line's sailings, you can relax, knowing your kids will be entertained by Mickey—and supervised by the ship's counselors. 800/951-3532, disneycruise.disney.go.com, three-night Bahamas trips on Disney Wonder from $625.
For foodies
Holland America Line's ships each have a Culinary Arts Center with cooking demonstrations and classes. 877/724-5425, hollandamerica.com, four-day Pacific coast cruises on Ryndam, Statendam, or Zaandam from $349.
For non-joiners
On Norwegian Cruise Lines, Freestyle Cruising translates to no dress codes or dining-room mandates. 866/234-7350, ncl.com, five-day western Caribbean trips on Norwegian Dawn from $349.
For the stressed
All Celebrity cruise ships have an AquaSpa, where you can get aromatherapy massages and seaweed wraps. 800/647-2251, celebritycruises.com, four-night sailings to Cozumel, Mexico, and Key West, Fla., on Celebrity Century from $349.
For adventurers
Royal Caribbean's ships have rock-climbing walls, ice-skating rinks, and mini-golf courses onboard, and scuba diving and caving excursions offshore. 866/562-7625, royalcaribbean.com, five-night Bermuda cruises on Explorer of the Seas from $599.


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In an on-set video promoting Omaze's Star Wars: Force for Change campaign to raise money for UNICEF innovation labs and programs, "Star Wars: Episode VII" director J.J. Abrams reveals the brand new X-Wing starfighter ship that will appear in the upcoming film.
In the clip, Abrams stands in front of the war-torn ship while talking about their fundraising efforts. "We cannot tell you how grateful we are for your support," he says. "People from over 119 countries have already participated and that's incredible and we're so grateful. But we're still going, we have one week left. So for this final week, we're offering you and a friend the chance to visit the set of 'Star Wars: Episode VII' and be in the movie."
The X-Wing reveal comes amid an alleged plot leak that spoilers some story lines for the upcoming "Star Wars" flick (alleged spoilers ahead!).
According to Badass Digest, the new movie will begin with Daisy Ridley and John Boyega's characters discovering Luke Skywalker's severed hand 30 years after "Return of the Jedi" ends. The duo then team up with Han Solo and Chewbacca to track down the vanquished Jedi master.
Sound like a good storyline to you?


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A leading source of canadian energy
The oil sands are a vital energy source for Canada and the world
The world relies on an energy mix that includes oil, natural gas, coal, hydro, nuclear and renewables. All forms of energy production must increase to meet growing global demand. Canada is uniquely positioned to provide an abundance of safe, secure energy. As long as we are using oil to power our lives and improve our quality of life, we must develop it in a way that benefits us economically and is environmentally responsible.


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Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
Workshop 6: Responding to Writing: Teacher to Student
Because of the personal nature of writing, one of the best ways to teach the craft is to interact directly with individual students. To make these vital student-teacher conferences as effective as possible, teachers need to be intentional in their planning and practice. At the same time, they must balance the benefits of conferencing with the challenges of fitting it into their busy classroom schedules.
"Responding to Writing: Teacher to Student" demonstrates how five teachers—Jenny Beasley, Vivian Johnson, Mary Cathryn Ricker, Laurie Swistak, and Jack Wilde—use student-teacher conferences to help their students improve as writers. The workshop provides classroom illustrations of several different approaches to conferring with students including formal one-on-one conferences, informal one-on-one interactions, and formal and informal conferences with student response groups.
Through interviews and discussion, the teachers reflect on their practices: planning effective one-on-one and group conferences, achieving a balance between providing direction and taking over students' papers, using conferences to assess student learning and communicate expectations, and dealing with classroom management issues related to conferencing.
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