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Total joint replacement (also known as total joint arthroplasty) is regarded among the most valued developments in the history of orthopaedics. The procedure provides the surgeon the ability to relieve pain and restore function to patients whose joints have been destroyed by trauma or disease.
An ongoing concern in joint replacement, however, focuses on the increased friction and wear of the joint when utilizing man-made implants. "It's important to recognize that the best bearing surface is human articular cartilage," notes Douglas E. Padgett, Chief of the Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement Service at Hospital for Special Surgery, "but when the damage is too great to work on isolated, smaller cartilage defects, you then look at [man-made] joint replacements."
Compared to healthy, organic cartilage surfaces, which have a surface friction of nearly zero, the friction between these man-made bearing surfaces are hundreds of times higher. This friction subjects the implant components to wear that can limit the longevity of the joint replacement and induce inflammatory responses in the tissues surrounding the joint itself.
Fundamental to replacing damaged joint surfaces with implants fabricated from man-made materials, then, is the requirement of producing a low friction bearing to minimize surface wear, inflammation in surrounding tissues and possible eventual loosening of the implant, resulting in the need for additional surgery.
In the 1960's and 1970's, a number of materials were tried as bearing surfaces in joint arthroplasty, including Teflon® and metallic alloys such as stainless steel and cobalt-chromium alloy. But through the 1980's and much of the 1990's, the preferred bearing combination was ultra high molecular weight polyethylene and cobalt-chromium.
Polyethylene results in a low amount of friction when bearing against a highly polished metallic surface. Today, metal-on-metal and ceramic-on-ceramic combinations are being considered as alternative bearing surfaces.
It is the ongoing problem of wear that has led to the reintroduction of a number of alternative bearing combinations.
Clinically speaking, friction and wear result in very small wear particles (typically less than 4/100,000 of an inch, or about 200 times smaller than a grain of sand) that are released to the surrounding joint cavity, initiating an aggressive inflammatory response.
The body mounts a cellular reaction to try to deal with the wear debris, a reaction that unfortunately often leads to unwanted destruction of bone (called osteolysis) around the implant. When osteolysis becomes severe, it can cause pain and loosening of the implant and the need for revision surgery to replace the components. One way to relieve the osteolysis problem and thus increase the longevity of joint replacements is to improve the wear resistance of the bearing materials.
Also facilitating this introduction of materials is the shift toward younger and more active patients seeking and receiving joint replacement. At HSS, the age at which patients undergo knee replacement surgery is rapidly decreasing (see Fig. 1). As a result, a 50-year old patient would benefit greatly from an improved implant with increased longevity. The prioritized impetus for improving implant materials is this change in the demographics of patients seeking knee replacement.
All the materials currently in use in joint replacement are considered safe from a medical standpoint. They are highly biocompatible, meaning that they cause little if any detrimental local or systemic problems due to an immune response or an allergic reaction.
Nonetheless, as total joint replacements remain in service for long periods of time, concern remains that adverse tissue responses could arise as a result of the continual release of worn particles of the prosthetic materials. This concern is often mentioned in conjunction with the reintroduction of metal-on-metal bearing surfaces.
Determining if new forms of bearing surfaces are effective in reducing wear over conventional polyethylene-on-metal bearings is not as easy as it may seem. We are limited in our ability to study wear in the laboratory by our inability to simulate the lubrication conditions, the loads, and the motions that occur over a broad range of daily activities.
Nevertheless, joint simulators are currently the best tools for studying wear. No acceptable animal models exist, and computer analyses of wear have only been proven to be effective for simple constructs such as the ball-in-socket geometry of the hip.
Wear mechanisms differ depending on the joint, so data collected on a hip simulator may have little relevance for wear in a knee, elbow, or disc replacement. Furthermore, the question is not just one of reducing the amount of wear, but also how the size, shape, and surface chemistry of released wear particles differ among bearing surface combinations, since these factors may ultimately influence the biologic reaction and subsequent tendency for osteolysis.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of these surfaces can only be proven on the basis of clinical results from prospective, randomized studies of total joint patients who have received either conventional or new bearing combinations. Some of these data have already started to emerge, so let's review the current laboratory and clinical data for each of the new bearing surfaces:
Metal-on-metal bearings were among the first to be used in total hip arthroplasty and found clinical success in the 1960s and 1970s. Metal-on-metal hip joints fell out of favor by most orthopaedic surgeons as the clinical results with polyethylene-on-metal joints proved superior.
However, failures during this earlier time period were due in part to poor metallurgy, poor manufacturing techniques, and implant design. The casting process used to make metallic implants suffered from poor quality control, sometimes leading to products that had inferior wear resistance and were prone to fracture in the body. And early metal-on-metal designs often had small head-to-neck ratios. For this reason, it was common to experience impingement between the neck of the artificial femoral component and the rim of the artificial acetabulum. This impingement creates additional wear and can knock the acetabular component loose from the surrounding bone.
Improved metallurgy and manufacturing techniques have led to resurgence in the use of metal-on-metal bearings for hip replacement. Cobalt-chromium alloys with well-controlled grain sizes and finely distributed carbides provide superior hardness and wear resistance compared to earlier versions of the alloy and to stainless steel and titanium alloy.
Clearance and conformity between the bearing surfaces and a smooth surface finish on the metallic bearings are now recognized as important factors that must be controlled as part of the design and manufacturing processes. Laboratory evidence from hip joint simulator studies has confirmed that these bearing surfaces can provide low wear joint implants. The strength of cobalt-chromium alloys in comparison to polyethylene and their increased toughness over ceramics provide additional benefits from the standpoint of hip implant design.
For example, the surface thickness of a one-piece metallic acetabular component can be smaller than modular components made from polyethylene and metal or from ceramic and metal, so larger femoral head sizes can be incorporated, providing an advantage in cases where joint stability is an issue. Similarly, the ability to manufacture large metallic shells allows for surface replacement of the hip joint, a bone-conserving operation geared toward young, active patients with good bone stock in the femoral head and neck.
As with most modern versions of alternative bearings, clinical results for new metal-on-metal hip replacements are available only for the short, intermediate term. Clinical results at four to seven years are similar to those of total hip replacements with a metal-on-polyethylene combination. But only extensive, longer-term experience will determine if reduced wear with metal-on-metal bearings will indeed lower the incidence of osteolysis.
Metal degradation concerns
Concerns continue to exist because the release of ionic debris in metal-on-metal combinations is considerably higher than with other bearing combinations. Metal ions are transported to distant locations in the body, and elevated levels of metals have been found in serum and urine from patients with metal-on-metal hip replacements.
Several factors can influence metal levels in such cases, including the diameter of the joint. For example, resurfacing of the hip is intended to be bone-conserving by employing a large metallic cap secured to the head of the femur and a matching large metallic shell in the acetabulum. But as the size of the head increases, so does the amount of wear; indeed, metal-on-metal resurfacing patients have a significantly greater increase in serum chromium and cobalt levels than patients with a conventional total hip with a much smaller diameter metal-on-metal bearing.
Systemic toxicity and cancer risk are considered possible disadvantages of metal-on-metal bearings, although no direct links to widespread medical problems have been reported with this bearing combination. Continued observation of patients will be necessary to evaluate the link between these elevated metal levels and any chronic adverse effects.
Metal-on-metal bearings are not recommended for patients with poorly functioning kidneys because metal ions excreted through the kidneys can build up in the blood. Also, while being a pregnant woman or a woman of child-bearing age is not necessarily a contraindication for metal-on-metal bearings, studies continue regarding metal ions crossing the placenta.
Clinical evidence is mounting that osteolysis and implant loosening in total hip patients with metal-on-metal bearings may be associated with hypersensitivity to metallic debris, but the direct scientific link between hypersensitivity and loosening remains to be found. Hypersensitivity has not been a significant problem for implants employing metal-on-plastic bearings, so the assumption is that the increased metal burden caused by both bearings being metallic may be responsible for these hypersensitivity reactions but not a direct cause of loosening.
Metal-on-metal bearings have not been applied to many joints other than the hip. Most other joints require different designs to provide adequate function, and therefore suffer from additional wear mechanisms for which metal-on-metal surfaces have few advantages.
"There is no universal agreement by surgeons on the precise indication for metal on metal bearings," says Steven B. Haas, MD, Chief of the Knee Service at HSS, "but most surgeons agree that younger patients are the best candidates."
Dr. Padgett notes that his use of metal-on-metal bearings is directed toward young, primarily male, patients with a long life expectancy, who understand the possible long-term concerns of metal degradation.
Surface replacement with metal on metal is a new technology that has gained a great deal of recent interest. Dr. Haas notes that patients receiving surface replacements must have contemporary metal on metal bearings, but that there is some controversy regarding the long-term potential for these surface replacement techniques.
Hip surface replacement preserves more bone in the patient than conventional hip replacement. This has the potential of being a first-line treatment of painful, disabling arthritis in younger, active patients. If revision surgery is needed, the preservation of bone is an advantage in converting to a full hip replacement device. However, long-term results using current technology are not yet available. Prospective outcome research on hip surface replacement is currently being performed at HSS, which will further define the role of surface replacement surgery.
One of the most commonly used bearing surface combinations for joint replacement is metal on polyethylene, a form of plastic that provides marked durability. Dr. Padgett explains that the two groups most traditionally considered for this material are older adults in their seventies or eighties who are relatively sedentary, and younger, active patients who may subject their joints to activities involving repetitive impact."From a clinical perspective, metal on polyethylene has the longest-term data available for hip replacement," says Dr. Padgett. "It's clearly subject to some degree of wear, which is measurable, but the effects of wear degradation related to metal on polyethylene, more often than not, are local phenomena that can readily be followed radiographically. In other words, you know what you're getting yourself into."
The goal of finding new means of reducing wear degradation in polyethylene has lead to some interesting developments in this material in the last two decades.
A substantial leap forward was made with the discovery in the late 1980s of the role of oxidation in the wear performance of polyethylene.
Polyethylene components, like most medical devices, are sterilized by exposure to gamma radiation. Unfortunately, the radiation, while penetrating through the component, has sufficient energy to break the chains that form the molecular backbone of the polymer. If the radiation exposure is performed while the component is exposed to air, the broken ends can react with oxygen, causing harmful changes, including a decrease in molecular weight, a dramatic loss of ductility, and a decrease in strength. The combined effect may make the polyethylene markedly more susceptible to wear.
One important form of alternative bearing surface has emerged simply by removing the chance that the polyethylene can oxidize during the sterilization process. Device manufacturers have accomplished this task in two ways:
Though these alterations in sterilization can eliminate degradation, they do not all have the same beneficial impact on wear. Techniques that eliminate irradiation altogether also eliminate the benefit of the additional cross-linking between the molecular chains in the polymer. Indeed, clinical results show increased rather than decreased wear in hip replacements employing polyethylene components sterilized by exposure to ethylene oxide rather than irradiation.
Perhaps the most significant alteration in polyethylene joint replacement components is the inclusion of elevated levels of radiation, beyond those required to simply sterilize the implant. The goal is to induce even higher levels of cross-linking than occur with the conventional sterilization dose. Significantly reduced wear is one of the advantages of elevated cross-linking. Highly cross-linked polyethylenes have been in clinical use since about the turn of the millennium, and early results show a dramatic decrease in wear of between 30 and 96 percent in total hip replacements over those seen with conventional polyethylene.
This increased wear resistance has also renewed interest in larger femoral heads as a means of reducing the risk of dislocation. With a larger head size, sliding distance between the bearing surfaces is increased and the resulting amount of wear is high, so conventional polyethylene-on-metal bearings are typically small in diameter (32 mm or less). Large head sizes are now available with matching large diameter, highly cross-linked polyethylene acetabular components. But these components are thin – less than five millimeters in some cases – making the strength and toughness of highly cross-linked polyethylenes important considerations.
In fact, changes in mechanical properties that accompany increased cross-linking may pose the biggest threat to the clinical effectiveness of these materials. Increased cross-linking, while decreasing wear, makes the material more brittle. The use of this material in knee replacement is limited. "There are little clinical data on the use of highly cross-linked polyethylenes in knee replacement, and some of the laboratory data raise concern," notes Dr. Haas. Indeed, the types of motion and wear that occur in knee replacement could lead to fracture or other failure of the highly cross-linked polyethylenes in knees.
Reduced toughness shown in laboratory studies suggests greater susceptibility to fracture under extreme conditions. Indeed, broken highly cross-linked total hip components have been reported, though the occurrence is rare. The clinical relevance of these studies is difficult to interpret, because the fracture conditions in implant components depend on geometry and loading conditions that differ noticeably from that used in the laboratory. Thus, close surveillance of the clinical experience will be needed to establish the prevalence of this problem.
Because of this concern, even newer forms of highly cross-linked polyethylenes are being introduced into the orthopaedic community to improve on this technology. These materials use alterations in the cross-linking and thermal treatment processes to impart both increased wear resistance and improved toughness. Clinical use is currently too limited to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of these newer materials in both hips and knees.
Fully dense ceramics, alumina and zirconia, are used in total joint replacements specifically for the purpose of providing more wear resistant bearing surfaces; they have few other mechanical advantages over metallic alloys. Because of their hardness, ceramics can be polished to a very smooth finish and remain relatively scratch resistant while in use as a bearing surface.
The most significant disadvantage of ceramics is their brittle nature, making them susceptible to fracture. As with the case of metal-on-metal bearings, where improvements in metallurgy have sparked renewed interest, improvements in ceramic quality have led to increased interest in ceramic bearings. Increased chemical purity and reduced grain size have lead to increased strength and a dramatic reduction in the number of fractures seen clinically. Nonetheless, strength and toughness remain issues, particularly in acetabular components of ceramic-on-ceramic hip replacements, where impingement of the femoral and acetabular components at extreme ranges of motion can lead to fracture.
With this in mind, most patients whose active lifestyles subject them to repetitive impact are not good candidates for ceramic bearings. Dr. Padgett finds that most patients in their fifties who are looking to remain actively engaged in less-rigorous sports such as golf are typically a good fit for this type of implant.
Three types of ceramic bearing materials are commercially available: alumina, zirconia, and an oxidized zirconium material. Alumina and zirconia components have been used for decades, mostly as femoral heads in total hip replacements. Ceramic-on-polyethylene bearings have been commercially available for some time as alternatives to metal-on-polyethylene. Recently, an oxidized zirconium material has been introduced into both hip and knee replacement components for use against polyethylene; early results are available with this material show excellent wear results.
Long term experience with alumina-on-polyethylene bearings for hip replacement shows reduced wear rates over those typically seen with metal-on-polyethylene bearings, with an associated decrease in osteolysis. Alumina-on-polyethylene bearings in knee replacements have found much more limited use, all of it outside the United States. Only mid term results are available. The absence of direct comparisons with conventional metal-on-polyethylene bearing surfaces of the same design and the lack of long term results make it difficult to assess the clinical benefits of alumina knee replacement components.
The use of zirconia as a bearing surface against polyethylene has not proven as successful clinically as alumina-on-polyethylene bearings. A direct comparison among alumina-, zirconia-, and metal-on-conventional polyethylene bearings in total hip patients revealed the highest wear rate in the zirconia group. The tendency of zirconia - which is as wear resistant as alumina - to change its crystalline structure to a form that is less tough and more prone to wear, is a disadvantage of this material. Examination of the bearing surfaces of failed zirconia implants showed this flaw.
Alumina-on-alumina total hip replacements have been used more extensively in Europe than in the United States.
In general, alumina-on-alumina joints have shown very low wear rates clinically, though the results are design dependent. Recent reports also show excellent wear resistance in young patients, with no measurable wear and no evidence of osteolysis even beyond a decade of follow-up. Furthermore, very few implant fractures have been observed, even in this high demand patient population, lending further credence to the improved mechanical properties of alumina.
One unusual issue affects a small number of patients who have alumina-on-alumina bearings: reports of an audible squeaking sound during normal ranges of motion after surgery. Studies have shown that 1-10% of these patients may experience this problem. While ceramic bearings have been used extensively in hips, the use of ceramic bearings in other joint replacements is much more limited. For joint designs such as knee replacements that require bearings with non-conforming surface shapes to provide the patient with adequate function, the advantages of ceramic-on-ceramic bearings are unclear.
Alumina-on-alumina bearings for knee replacement have been used primarily in Japan. Evidence for the effectiveness of these bearings is very limited, given the short length of follow-up, the lack of comparative data for other bearing surfaces in the same design, and patient selection (for example, one study was limited to only rheumatoid arthritis patients).
Oxidized zirconium, popularly known as Oxinium (which is a brand name applied by orthopedic device manufacturer Smith & Nephew), is a metal-ceramic hybrid technology. Zirconium alloy, a metal, is treated with high pressure and heat in the presence of oxygen; this process converts the metallic surface of the implant to a ceramic. This leads to an implant that has surface properties of ceramic, which is harder, smoother, and has less friction than the metal.
Oxinium is used for femoral heads in hip replacement and the femoral component in knee replacement. Although clinical experience has been promising, Dr. Haas indicates that further testing is necessary. "The two- and five-year clinical data on implant survival and wear in knee replacement have been positive, but longer term studies will be needed to prove that the improved bearing properties of oxidized zirconium lead to longer lasting implants."
The future of joint replacement may see the implementation of other intriguing surface materials. Surfaces made of diamond have been produced recently, and there is much discussion of the promise of hardened titanium, due to its smooth exterior.
"The final frontier [in man-made joint replacement] is the longevity of the implant, to prevent the problem of osteolysis," explains Edwin P. Su, MD. "The alternate bearings are an attempt to bring it to the next level and get a further increase in longevity by decreasing the wear degradation problems."
Is there one best bearing combination that fits all joints in all patients? Probably not. "My own philosophy is that I will use all types of surfaces, recognizing that there are advantages and disadvantages," explains Dr. Padgett. "At the end of the day, we have to customize what we do for patients on an individual basis." The age of the patient, the patient's expected activity levels, and the extent of the patient's joint problems are among a long list of factors that the surgeon must consider in choosing an implant. And despite the concern over wear and osteolysis, it must be remembered that joint replacement is a highly successful treatment with few complications.
Perhaps one set of bearing materials will eventually emerge as the best for each joint in the body. That will depend on clinical experience as well as continuing research and development to understand the biological consequences of wear and to adopt further improvements in materials as they become available. For now, the decrease in wear afforded by the new bearing surfaces represents an impressive milestone in the further improvement of total joint replacement.
Updated: 11/10/2009
Summary by Dr. Wright with contributions by Mike Elvin


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Anyone going to this? I think Keff said she had a booth there; and Pimpette tells me she may go as well. I'm still debating it.
Oh and for those who don't know Anime North is held in Ontario, near the end of May I do believe.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Last month, workers at hundreds of Walmart locations nationwide staged protests—many on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year—demanding the retail giant pay higher wages.
Walmart downplayed the rare show of rebellion, saying it involved only a fraction of its 1.6 million U.S. employees. But the protests, which garnered a slew of media attention, both shed light on a pressing issue and represented one of the most significant labor actions against the big-box store in its history.
The protests also inspired another group of low-wage workers to stage their own. Last week, about 200 fast-food workers in New York City walked out of their workplaces—chains affected included Burger King, Wendy's and McDonald's—to demand a "living wage" of $15 an hour and an end to the practice of keeping workers on part-time hours to avoid giving them benefits or overtime. The employees also want to form a union for the city's estimated 50,000 fast-food workers to negotiate pay and benefits.
One protester was fired but reinstated after community leaders, including New York City council members, persuaded the management at the Fulton Mall Wendy's in Brooklyn to take her back.
Jonathan Westin, organizing director of the nonprofit New York Communities for Change and one of the organizers of the latest protests, said the Black Friday strikes at Walmart inspired the fast-food protesters to put aside their fears of losing their jobs. "Workers saw that you could step out and be courageous and take on your bosses," Westin said. The group had been talking to fast-food workers since the summer about working conditions and unionizing, but last week was the first major demonstration.
Most fast-food employees, he noted, work part time and are paid minimum wage ($7.25 an hour), so they don't make enough money to support their families. "Many have to rely on public assistance," Westin said. "The taxpayers are fronting the bill for what these multibillion corporations are refusing to pay in wages and benefits."
The Walmart and fast-food protests are remarkable because low-wage employees are often the most vulnerable and easily replaced in the workforce, and so they rarely publicly complain about working conditions. Angela Cornell, director of the Labor Law Clinic at Cornell University Law School, said it's unusual to see such workers striking, especially when the unemployment rate is still high.
"These workers are under an enormous amount of financial strain right now," Cornell said. "Wages have been stagnant … while everything else is going up for them. It's been going on for so long now that ... they're willing to take the risk, because the situation is increasingly intolerable."
Their frustration might also be bubbling up from longer-term economic changes in the country. The U.S. workforce's average salary used to rise at almost exactly the same rate as its productivity, which meant the more we produced, the better we were paid. That link began to break in the 1980s, and now, though U.S. workers are more productive than ever, wages have been stagnant for years. A study from the National Employment Law Project notes that the minimum wage is worth 30 percent less than in 1968. Meanwhile, corporate profits are at record highs.
"They are long overdue for improvements in wages," Cornell said. The issue has become more pressing since the recession, as nearly 60 percent of all jobs created since 2008 have paid hourly wages of $13.83 or less.
The economic argument for these low wages is that people like cheap hamburgers, pizza and other fast food, and that higher wages would mean higher prices that could put franchises—most independently owned—out of business. And, because the jobs require minimal education, owners don't need to pay more to fill the jobs.
But at a crowded rally organized by unions and community groups in New York's busy Times Square on Thursday, mayoral hopefuls Bill de Blasio, New York City's public advocate, and Bill Thompson repudiated that line of thinking. They threw their support behind the effort for higher wages for fast-food workers and other low-income New Yorkers, saying such employees should unionize and demand a "living wage." De Blasio said New York has become "a tale of two cities," with the city's poor workers increasingly living far away from Manhattan's elite, unable to live in the city where they work in essential jobs.
"You can't raise a family on minimum wage," Pamela Flood, a Burger King worker with three children, said onstage at the rally. "With food and diapers, my paycheck is gone after two days. We need a change."
Many labor experts, however, see an uphill battle to forming a fast-food workers union. Not only are these employees regarded as replaceable, but also the franchises are operated by a patchwork of owners and employee turnover is high.
"It's very difficult to do," said Professor Gary Chaisen, a labor expert at Clark University. "They're extremely vulnerable. They're hesitant to join unions, because they're worried about losing their jobs."
That fear is rational, because U.S. law allows managers to fire employees if their work stoppages affect the company's bottom line. But it is also illegal for employers to discourage workers from seeking to unionize by threatening them with consequences.
Monica Bielski Boris, a labor expert and assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said perhaps fast-food workers would have better luck organizing into a nontraditional union, like the "hiring hall" model used in the construction industry. Businesses looking to hire must go to the hiring hall to find workers and negotiate certain wages and benefits in advance.
Felicito Tapia, a deli worker at a Hot & Crusty bakery on 14th Street who attended the rally, said he attempted to form a union at his store last spring, mainly to get paid sick days and a higher wage. "With $7.25, you can't do anything. That salary is nothing," Tapia said, while holding a sign demanding a $15 hourly wage for fast-food workers.
Tapia has worked at different Hot & Crusty locations for 10 years, but he has never been able to take off a holiday, including Christmas, which is something he would want to negotiate if he ever successfully unionizes.
Tapia's unionizing efforts failed, but workers at another Hot & Crusty location on the Upper East Side succeeded after temporarily shutting down their store in protest. The workers there signed a union contract at the end of October that guarantees them paid sick days and holidays—a benefit the vast majority of food workers in New York City do not have.


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Top Items:
First on CNN: Liz Cheney to abandon Senate bid — New York (CNN) — Liz Cheney, whose upstart bid to unseat Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi sparked a round of warfare in the Republican Party and even within her own family, is dropping out of the Senate primary, sources told CNN late Sunday.
Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice: Liz Cheney quits Senate campaing to oust Mike Enzi: cites "serious health issues" in family
DSWright / Firedoglake: Liz Cheney Dropping Out Of Senate Race
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Tony Ortega / The Raw Story: Liz Cheney dropping Wyoming senate bid: CNN
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I'm Suing Over ObamaCare Exemptions for Congress — If the president wants to change the health-care law, he must ask Congress to do it. — On Monday, Jan. 6, I am filing suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin to make Congress live by the letter of the health-care law it imposed on the rest of America.
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ObamaCare's four biggest lies
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Hillary Clinton Campaign Rents Email List to Pro-Hillary Super PAC
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Russell Berman / The Hill: House Republicans must choose ambition or caution in 2014
Reid J. Epstein / Politico:
W.H. pushes unemployment benefits
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Bernie Becker / The Hill: Paul open to offset jobless insurance
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Rick Moran / The PJ Tatler: Boehner Mulls Unemployment Benefits Extension
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ZIP / Weasel Zippers: Former MSNBC Employee: Rachel Maddow "Actually Not That Interested In Reality, Most Ideological Person I Have Met"...
Matea Gold / Washington Post:
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Steven D / Booman Tribune: $400 Million Raised by Kochs in 2012
Ashley Killough / CNN:
RNC winter meeting to make time for anti-abortion rights rally — Washington (CNN) - The Republican National Committee will free up a couple of hours during its winter meeting this January so members can attend the annual March for Life in Washington, CNN confirmed Monday.
Discussion: The Raw Story
Linda Greenhouse / New York Times:
Crack Cocaine Limbo — President Obama earned a rare moment of bipartisan acclaim last month when he commuted the sentences of eight long-serving federal prisoners. Their crack cocaine offenses had resulted in the harsh penalties mandated by a sentencing formula that Congress repudiated when it passed the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010.
Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:
Woman Accidentally Shoots Husband In Arizona — A San Tan Valley, Ariz. woman, Melisah Havens, on Friday accidentally shot her husband outside their residence because she thought he was an intruder trying to burglarize her vehicle, police told KTVK Phoenix.
Discussion: Liberaland
Jennifer Thomas / KASW-TV:
PCSO: San Tan Valley woman arrested after shooting husband with shotgun
PCSO: San Tan Valley woman arrested after shooting husband with shotgun
Discussion: Global Grind


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George Howard, DrPH
Dr. George Howard received his training in biostatistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has had extensive experience in biostatistics, data management, and the direction of coordinating centers of multicenter studies. He is currently the PI of the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study, a longitudinal cohort study of 30,239 African American and white participants in 48 states. He is the co-PI of statistical analysis center for the Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy Stenting Trial (CREST), and the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. He has previously been the PI of the coordinating centers for the Insulin Resistance Athersclerosis Study (IRAS) and the Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Stroke (SPS3) studies, He has been a co-investigator in numerous epidemiological studies and clinical trials including Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC), the Community Hospital-Based Stroke Program, the Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Interventions (PEPI) study, and the Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study (ACAS). In addition to multicenter trials experience, he has also participated in multicenter ultrasound efforts and analyses including ARIC and ACAS. He has published extensively in the analysis of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors, and has an interest in the development and application of statistical techniques in large multicenter clinical trials and epidemiological studies.


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Photoshop CC Online Course
Photoshop CC Online Course in Uganda
Uganda's online Photoshop CC Essentials course is perfect for
students learning how to use Photoshop CC. 2KO International delivers consulting services, in the IT and Business space, as well as being a training provider for IT certification and user level courses. Training can be any blend of bespoke, classroom and online learning.
Photoshop CC has hundreds of tools and thousands of settings. Most users will never use the majority of them. This course explores the most commonly used tools and helps you apply them to real world situations.
In this course you will work on a project at the end of each section. You will work on a real life project that uses the skills you just learned in each section. Projects can be used for practice or to build a portfolio of work.
After taking this course you will be able to use Photoshop in these fields:
Graphic Design
Web Design
Game Animation
Logo Design
Who Should Take This Course
This course is designed for Photoshop CC beginners so you can learn Photoshop no matter your skill level. However, even intermediate users will learn Photoshop CC skills and applications important to success.
There are no skill prerequisites for this course. You are expected to have access to a copy of Photoshop CC, though Photoshop CS6 will work fine as well.
Who is the target audience?
Graphic designers
Logo designers
Web designers
Game artists
Learn Essential Photoshop CC Skills
Breaking Down the Interface
Creating, Modifying and Deleting Workspaces
Creating and Saving New Documents
Zooming and Document Navigation
Undoing Mistakes with the History Panel
Review and Exercise
Learn Basic Image Manipulation
Resizing Images
Understanding the Crop Tool
Working with Canvas Size
Manipulation with Free Transform
Review and Exercise
Learn Photoshop Selections
Using Selections
Selections with the Rectangular and Elliptical Marquee Tool
Adding and Subtracting Selections
Transforming Selections
Floating and Duplicating Selections
Creating Selections Using The Quick Selection Tool
Free Transforming Selections
Advanced Selection Tools
Review and Exercise
Learn Photoshop Layers
Introduction to Layers
Removing Image Backgrounds
Combining Images
Rearranging, Resizing and Renaming Layers
Working with Multiple Layers
Blending Modes, Opacity and Fill Layers
Getting Organized with Layer Groups
Basic Text Manipulation
Advanced Text Manipulation
Filtering Layers By Type
Introduction to Clipping and Layer Masks


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300 Gold Metal Business Cards
Size: Within 85mm x 54mm
Finish: Mirror
Shape: Customisable (subject to approval)
Thickness: 0.3mm or 0.5mm
Design: Hire Us or BYO
Order Qty: 300
Turnaround time: Minimum 3 weeks*
Note: Metal Cards design service does not include logo design
* All average production and dispatch times should serve as approximate guides only.
Please note: Due to the complex production process, the mirror finish surface can be subject to small imperfections. If this is a concern, we recommend selecting a different metal card option.


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Tooling Update
Quick-Change Cylinder Locks
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Monday, March 1, 2010
Tooling Technology, Fort Loramie, OH, introduces the PD500 Mega Cylinder,
the largest version yet to its time-saving line of Segen pneumatic quick-change cylinder locks. The cylinder will help facilitate faster changeover times of large tools, fixtures, molds and dies. Weighing in at 11 lb., each new Mega Cylinder will instantly locate and lock its mating 2-lb. knob in an accurate and repeatable home position with 25,000 lb. of static holding force. Like its smaller siblings, the cylinder is engineered for long life with a corrosion-resistant finish and an operational temperature range of -65 to 450 F. The high-strength-steel knobs will withstand high sheer loads, accelerating the changeovers of large and/or inverted and vertically positioned dies.
Tooling Technology: 937/295-3672; www.segen-online.com
See also: Edward D Segen Co
Related Enterprise Zones: Tool & Die


text: Benton 0 Posted August 14, 2013 (edited) A boss was telling an applicant the two main rules of the company.. He said, "Our 2nd main rule is cleanliness. Did you wipe your feet on the mat before coming in?" The applicant replied, "Yes sir! I did." Then the boss said," Our 1st main rule is trustworthiness. . There was no mat!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Impact of Job Change: A taxi passenger touched d driver on shouldr 2 ask smthng Driver screamed, lost control of the car, went up on the footpath & Stopped few centimeters frm a shop The driver said: "Don't ever do that again, u scared me" Pasengr apologized n said: "I didn't realize a litle touch wud scare u so much" Driver replied: "Sory, it's nt ur fault its my 1st day as a Cab driver, I've been driving a van carying dead bodies for last 25 yrs;-) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great writer. When asked to define "great" he said, "I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!" He now works for Microsoft, writing error messages. Edited August 14, 2013 by Benton Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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High precision, quick and simplified mounting
The SKF OKCK hydraulic coupling provides quick and easy mounting, using oil power only. There is no need for loud and vibrating pneumatic wrenches.
Mounting and dismounting is four times faster compared to mechanical couplings. Factory mounting and dismounting times are each less than half an hour. The same is true for on-site mounting.
In addition, the accuracy is higher than mechanical couplings and the coupling is designed to create controlled high pressure against the shafts without leaving any tooling permanently in place.
Supergrip bolts
SKF's Supergrip bolts represent a "quantum leap" in improving the technology of connecting rotating flange couplings.
They are much faster and easier to install and remove compared to traditional bolt systems, therefore reducing maintenance cost and downtime.
When you connect your couplings with Supergrip bolts, there is no uncertainty about the length of downtime for removing the bolts. No worry about whether the bolts have jammed or seized in the holes. You know that once the tension and expansion pressure have been released, each bolt will slide out as easily as it went in.


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The Office of Archives and Records serves as the official repository for the records of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, supporting the larger mission of the Archdiocese.
The present Archdiocese of New Orleans includes the eight civil parishes in the greater New Orleans area: Jefferson; Orleans; Plaquemines; St. Bernard; St. Charles; St. John, St. Tammany; and Washington. In addition to housing materials for these civil parishes, the archives also holds Louisiana-wide material from earlier periods when the archdiocesan boundaries included all or most of the state.
Mission of the Archives
The mission of the archives is to document and care for the historical records, publications, manuscript collections, and related records documenting the Catholic experience in Louisiana.


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The Fort Carson Sky Door is an easter egg in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It consists of two ENEX markers floating high above the height limit. They are accessible through the use of trainers.
The Sky Door consists of two floating ENEX markers that hover high in the sky. ENEX markers are bouncing yellow arrows normally used to transport the player to hidden interiors when they walk into one. For instance the marker outside a gym "teleports" CJ into the gym's interior.
When entered, both sky doors transport the player to interiors named "Houses". The "Houses" are similar to those in the burglary side-mission, because there are items CJ can pick up including televisions and microwaves. There is a man in one "House" who is automatically hostile to the player, and when killed, his body doesn't produce blood.
As the name would suggest, the sky doors are located in Fort Carson. They are in a small corner of a fenced field across the road from the Cluckin' Bell restaurant, but high in the sky above the height limit.
It is possible to pass by the sky doors in the mission Stowaway, while Carl Johnson is parachuting from the Andromada. However, he cannot access them in this mission without cheats or mods. This is the only instance in which the player can actually see the sky door on an unmodded game, since it is normally above the game's height limit.
Entering the Sky Door
It is impossible to access the ENEX markers in normal gameplay because of two reasons:
- The sky doors don't have solid platforms under them. In order for CJ to enter a marker, he must be standing on a solid surface.
- The doors float above the height limit in the game. If the player attempts to fly an aircraft or jetpack past the limit they will simply not gain any height.
- 9mm Pistol (Interior #1)
- Knife (Interior #2)
- Skateboard (Interior #2, only available with mods, replaces knife pickup)
- Baseball bat (Interior #1)


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Leskovac was once known as "Little Manchester" because of its 19th century textile industry. The city continued to be a major textile centre until the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. However, Leskovac's own industry collapsed due to the economic isolation of Serbia during the wars of the 1990s, its remote location, and the failure to privatise the socially-owned textile mills, leaving the local economy in deep depression.
- Literary walk: Tornado of Dust - 1944
- Serbian Manchester
- Vesna's Fears
- Mr. Li goes to Leskovac
- ESI report: The cost of Non-Europe. Textile towns and the future of Serbia (January 2007)
February 2007


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Interest Groups will take place at the FGC Gathering on Tuesday evening, June 30, 2020. These small-group sessions often spark new leadings and insights. If you are interested in leading an Interest Group at the 2020 Gathering, complete the Interest Group Proposal Form by May 7, 2020. We encourage you to consider an Interest Group in keeping with the theme "Way Will Open". We also welcome proposals that do not directly address the theme.
The Interest Group Proposal form will be open in late winter, 2020. If you want a reminder email when the form is open, you can fill out this Interest Group reminder form.
We will consider each proposal with care. If we are not able to schedule your interest group, you will be notified by May 31st.
There is a limit to the number of interest groups that can be offered. Judging from the number of requests for interest groups in past years, we may not be able to schedule all requests. Please bear in mind our definition of Interest Groups.
- Interest Groups have a specific focus.
- They are not "mini workshops" - ambitious agendas and elaborate presentations are not realistic.
- Interest Groups do not duplicate other exhibit or performance opportunities such as the Art Gallery, or local trips.
- We expect them to have an obvious connection to concerns of Friends generally and Gathering attenders specifically.
- The intended audience is Gathering attenders as a public group. Interest Groups also help attenders discover shared interests.
This proposal process is for interest groups scheduled for Tuesday evening June 30, from 7 pm to 8:45 pm. If you would like to offer your interest group at another time, you may schedule a room and time at the Information Desk after you arrive at the Gathering, and then publicize your event in the Daily Bulletin. Read more about organizing events at the Gathering
Do Interest Group Leaders Have to Register?
Interest Group leaders do not have to be registered for the Gathering. If we receive more proposals than we are able to accept, we often give priority to proposals from registered Friends.
If your Interest Group is selected and you are not registered, you may choose to come to campus for that evening without paying a registration fee. If you wish to participate in other activities on campus that day, you will need to register as a part-time Gathering participant.
Photocopies (no) and AV Equipment (yes)
In keeping with a concern to reduce the complexity of the Gathering, and also to control costs, we will not be able to reproduce printed materials. However, we might be able to provide digital projectors. If so, you would need to attend a training session to learn how to use the college's projectors. We are not able to provide other AV equipment (you may bring your own).


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This episode is chock full of laughs, heartbreak, and some really useful tips to keep your collection safe!
Toy News Roundup:
Masterpiece Rodimus US Release
SDCC Exclusives on HasbroToyShop.com
Transformers Prime Starscream
Feature Roundtable:
The devastation of Ryan's MIB and MISB collection from a flash flood on July 23rd. You can check out Ryan's gallery of this destruction here on Seibertron.com's Facebook page.
We then get into the nitty gritty of protecting your collection. Topics include:
- Insurance
- Storage Units
- Storing Parts
- Storage Totes
Look for more in depth coverage of these topics coming soon on Seibertron.com!
Finally, we are once again featuring a Seibertron.com "Listen To Win" Contest! When you hear us announce the keyword, head over to our Contest page for your chance to win an RPM Devastator Showdown set! This time, we'll be randomly selecting a winner from the pool of entries submitted before Sunday, August 14th, 2011 at 11:59 EST. Click here to enter this contest.
Contest is only open to registered Seibertron.com members in the US who have not won a Seibertron.com contest within the past 90 days. Staff members are ineligible.


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For centuries, Christian missionaries have identified with Taiwan and dedicated their lives to this land. They became closely involved with the people and although there were not many of them, the influence of their actions on Taiwanese society has been far-reaching, even extending to our dietary habits.
At the start of the 20th century, my grandfather worked in a kitchen for Christian missionaries, where he saw them drink a glass of fruit juice before breakfast every morning. This confused him at first, but after a while he picked up the habit, making him possibly the first Taiwanese to do so. When my mother was a young girl, she lived at an elementary school run by female missionaries. When the girls living there first tried tomatoes, they thought they smelt and tasted strange, but later on they took a liking to them, making them the probably the first group of young Taiwanese females to develop a taste for tomatoes.
There are many great stories about missionaries in Taiwan that are both moving and admirable. Some took great risks to help Taiwan democratize, but their contributions have been largely forgotten.
During the White Terror era, the families of political prisoners felt a sense of shame and inferiority, and many of the political prisoners were rejected and kept at arms length by friends and relatives. They were humiliated and isolated without any help and had a hard time surviving.
This was a miserable state of affairs that nobody wanted to acknowledge and it was only a handful of missionaries that expressed true sympathy and compassion for their plight. Those missionaries raised money from around the world and privately helped the political prisoners. My mother participated in this work at a time when such behavior was a serious crime with terrible consequences if discovered.
Missionaries also faced other problems. First, their own governments were generally opposed to their citizens getting involved in other countries' politics, especially on the side of dissidents or political prisoners. Second, the church headquarters in the missionaries' home countries tended to side with the stance of their government. Finally, there has always been debate within Christianity about how to deal with violence. Pacifists believe violence should not be used in any circumstance, while others believe that violence is sometimes justified.
Taiwanese dissidents viewed the Martial Law era as an organized and systematic form of violence and when the missionaries saw how dissidents were arrested, tortured, interrogated and put to death, many of them agreed that violence was necessary to combat the government.
While helping the dissidents, missionaries essentially gave tacit permission for the use violence. In doing so, they not only went against the policies of their home countries, they also went against their respective church headquarters and make a very tough theological decision. There is no doubt that they came to this decision only after thorough deliberation.
Even more moving is the fact that these missionaries were subjected to unreasonable condemnation from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the governments of their own countries, as well as unfair treatment. However, they never complained.
After Taiwan's democratization, they remained humble about their contributions. Some of these individuals have passed away, while others are unwilling to discuss their role. Others believe that Asians are more concerned with spiritual matters, while Westerners are more interested in material life. However, the way I see it, Westerners have a much higher level of spiritual cultivation than many Asians.


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Hello!! I'm new here!! My name is Carrie and I have been a PitBull owner for 3 years and I have been through a lot in my 3 years and have learned even more. I want to help donate some of my time to what I deem a VERY worthy cause by getting involved with shelters/rescues, so I 'm open and willing to any suggestions on which ones in WNY I should look out for and which I should avoid.
I have 2 dogs: Ernie my 1 year old golden-poodle mix and Roxy my 2 year old American Pitbull Terrier that we rescued form our local SPCA.
I also have 2 cats: Tibby and Slate who continously keep me on my toys through their very opposite eating disorders (obesity and anorexia) even though they are only 3 years old...but they are more dog like than cat like in their behaviors.
I spend most of my free time hanging with my pups and re-modeling my house with my hubby.
I'm excited to join


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This article or section needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of article quality.
|"Nauglamir Thingol" by Kimberly
|Biographical Information
|Other names
|Elwë (Q), Elu (S);
Singollo (Q),
"King Greymantle";
"The Hidden King"
|King of Doriath,
"Lord of Beleriand"
|Doriathrin (Sindarin dialect)
|between Y.T. 1050 and 1102
|Y.T. 1152 - F.A. 502 (3,836 years)
|F.A. 502[note 1] (aged between 4,813 and 4,315 years)
|Olwë, possibly Elmo[1]
|Lúthien; fostered Túrin
|Physical Description
|Tallest of the Children of Ilúvatar[2]
|Hair color
|Images of Thingol
Thingol ([ˈθiŋɡol]), also known as Elu (S, pron. [ˈelu]), was the King of Doriath and a High King of the Sindar. Known as Elwë during the first years of the Eldar, he was the older brother of Olwë and Elmo.[note 2] He was also a good friend of Finwë, King of the Noldor. His hair was silver and he was the tallest of all Elves and Men.[2] As the de facto "Lord of Beleriand", Thingol would become a central figure of the First Age, instigating the Quest for the Silmaril, the greatest victory of the Age, but ultimately the cause of his own doom.
Ambassador of the Valar
Thingol was born at Cuiviénen[note 3] in the days before the Sun and the Moon, when Middle-earth was lit only by starlight.
After the Chaining of Melkor, the Vala Oromë took three Elves, Ingwë, Finwë, and Elwë, to Valinor to convince the Elves to join the Valar in the Blessed Realm. Upon their return, the Elven ambassadors convinced many to join them on the Great Journey to the West. During the thousand mile journey, the Elven host separated into three groups, the Vanyar, the Noldor, and the Teleri.[3]
The Teleri, led by Elwë and his brother Olwë, were the largest and the slowest group, and were the last to reach the western shores of Middle-earth. The Noldorin Elves had already left for Valinor, and the Teleri were forced to wait for a time in Middle-earth.
During this time Elwë wandered into the Forest of Nan Elmoth, where he met and fell in love with Melian the Maia. Caught in an enchantment of their own making, Elwë and Melian could not be found by the searching Teleri. When the Valar returned to take the remaining Elves to Valinor, only some of them followed Olwë across the Great Sea. The rest had come to love the lands of Beleriand and refused to leave without their missing lord.[4]
King of DoriathDoriath. His subjects would become the Sindar, or the "Grey Elves", and their language was Sindarin. From then on Elwë was known as King Elu Thingol, and he claimed lordship over all the lands in Beleriand. While Thingol was King of the Grey Elves, who never saw the light of the Two Trees, as an Ambassador of the Valar he was counted as a High Elf, and equal to any lord of the Eldar.[5][2]
On Melian's advice, Thingol became an ally of the Dwarves of Belegost, who carved the caverns of Menegroth for him. In payment he gave them, along with many other things, the great pearl Nimphelos.[5]
A thousand years before the first rising of the Sun and the Moon the Green-elves entered Beleriand under Denethor. Thingol welcomed them and gave them the lands of Ossiriand, which they named Lindon. The Green Elves told of the spread of the Orcs and other foul creatures in the north and east of Middle-earth. The Grey Elves began arming themselves.[5]
Centuries later Melkor returned to Middle-earth. Now named Morgoth, he had destroyed the Two Trees, killed Finwë, the King of the Noldor, and stolen the fabled Silmarils. Seeking to claim dominion quickly, he launched a sudden assault on the lands of the Sindar. The First Battle of Beleriand went well for Thingol, who prevented any Orcs from invading Doriath, but the Green Elves took horrific losses and the Falathrim were besieged.[5]
The Falathrim were finally saved by the unexpected arrival of the Noldor, who launched the Dagor-nuin-Giliath ("Battle Under the Stars") in which Morgoth's forces were all but annihilated.[6]
Thingol and the Noldor
After the First Battle of Beleriand, Doriath was encircled by the Girdle of Melian, an impenetrable fence of enchantment that guarded the kingdom.[5] While his own kingdom was protected, Thingol was still loath to surrender any other lands in Beleriand to the Noldor as he was suspicious of the aggressive new lords in Middle-earth.[6]
- "In Hithlum the Noldor have leave to dwell, and in the highlands of Dorthonion, and in the lands east of Doriath that are empty and wild... for I am the Lord of Beleriand, and all who seek to dwell there shall hear my word."
- ― The Silmarillion, "Of the Return of the Noldor"
King Thingol's relations with the Noldor were strained, and grew worse decades later when he learned the truth of the Kinslaying at Alqualondë. Thingol banned the use of Quenya in his lands, which led to Sindarin being the common Elven tongue in Middle-earth. The King of Doriath refused to aid the Noldor in the war against Morgoth, and took little part in the ongoing struggle.[7]
The Quest for the Silmaril
Thingol and Melian had one child, a daughter named Lúthien, said to be the fairest woman ever to live. Lúthien fell in love with a Man named Beren. Thingol did not wish for the two to wed, as he valued his daughter very highly and disliked Men. As a bride-price he asked for a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth, thinking there was no way that Beren could fulfill this demand.[8]
However, when Beren and Lúthien came back from Angband, and when Beren showed him his missing hand which still held the Silmaril in the belly of Carcharoth, he softened his heart towards him. Soon, though, Carcharoth in his anguish and rage from the Silmaril that burned his insides, broke through the Girdle of Melian and entered Doriath. In that hour, Thingol, along with Beren, Mablung, Beleg and Huan the Hound of Valinor, began the hunt of the Wolf. Carcharoth was finally slain by Huan, but both Huan and Beren died in the process. After that, Lúthien died also, and coming to the Halls of Mandos she begged Mandos that Beren be returned to life. However, it was beyond the power of Mandos to withhold the souls of Men from going beyond the Circles of the World.[8]
Therefore, Ilúvatar, through Manwë, offered her and Beren to live again, but with Lúthien sharing the Gift of Men. She agreed, and they both came back to life, and lived the remainder of their lives at Tol Galen, far from the sight of any other mortals.[8]
Fostering of Túrin
Thingol adopted as a son a young Man named Túrin, son of Húrin and akin to Beren himself, who was sent to Doriath when he was seven years old.[9] When he grew up, he was permitted to join Beleg Cúthalion on the marches of Doriath, fighting the Orcs of Morgoth.[10][11]
Túrin accidentally caused the death of Saeros, one of Thingol's counselors who had provoked and attacked him. Before he could be either punished or forgiven he fled. Thingol however gave Beleg a leave to seek out his friend, who in the meantime had joined a band of outlaws.[12] Telling to Thingol that Túrin did not wish to return, Thingol allowed Beleg to go and join his friend and gave him the black sword Anglachel that Eöl had forged and given to Thingol[13] in tribute.[10]
The Nauglamír and Thingol's Doom
Some time after Túrin's tragic death, Húrin, Túrin's father and now an old man, was allowed to enter Menegroth with a band of outlaws, where in anger he threw the Nauglamír, the treasure of Nargothrond before King Thingol and 'thanked' him for aiding his son. This infuriated the outlaws, who tried to take the gold back but were killed by Thingol's guards.[14] Melian finally pierced through Húrin's madness and grief; shamed by his actions, he left Menegroth a broken man.[15]
At that time a desire came into Thingol's heart to take the Nauglamír and place the Silmaril in it, thus melding together two of the greatest creations made by the Elves and the Dwarves. He hired some Dwarven craftsmen to do it for him. But by the time the Dwarves were finished they had become obsessed with the Nauglamír and asked for it as a payment for their labor. This infuriated Thingol, who had also grown obsessed with the jewelry and refused to give it as a payment, realizing they were coveting the Silmaril. The Dwarves were angered by his harsh words, and killed him. This led to the sacking of Menegroth and the eventual destruction of Doriath, which scattered its people.[15]
His epessë (honorary name) was Thingol (thind "grey" and coll "mantle") which means "Greycloak".[16]Quenya tradition names him Elwë and Singollo, for the Noldor pronounced his epessë as Singollo (pron. [siŋˈɡolːo]).
His first name, Elwë, means "star-man" and contains el and -we.
Elwë Þindicollo (Q, pron. [ˈelwe ˌθindiˈkolːo]) or Sindicollo (pron. [ˌsindiˈkolːo]) was the ancient name of King Thingol; when he settled in Doriath with Melian, he took the Sindarin form of his name, Elu Thingol.
|House of Bëor
See Also
- ↑ His death is placed under the year 502 in The Grey Annals, but according to the story introduced into The Silmarillion by Christopher Tolkien it should have rather occurred immediately after the reforging of Nauglamír, while the Sack of Doriath remained in the following year.
- ↑ Elmo is a later addition by Tolkien and is not in the published The Silmarillion.
- ↑ This information is from the Cuivienyarna, part of Quendi and Eldar, a late revision of the legendarium by Tolkien. The Silmarillion does not clarify whether Elu Thingol awoke at Cuiviénen or was born there. See Awakening of the Elves.
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Thingol and Melian"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Sindar"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Return of the Noldor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Noldor in Beleriand"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beren and Lúthien"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "The Departure of Túrin"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Túrin Turambar"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "Túrin in Doriath"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "Túrin among the Outlaws"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Maeglin"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "The Nauglafring"
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Ruin of Doriath"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Thingol and Melian"
House of Thingol
Position established
|1st King of Doriath
|Followed by:


text:
Christmas advertising started early in 1912. Here's an ad from December 1 for toys at The Daniels & Fisher Stores.
The ad lists dolls, wagons, trains and teddy bears — as well as an appearance by Santa Claus.
Trains and teddy bears were popular toys at the time. But what was popular later?
In 2005, Forbes Magazine compiled a list of the most popular toys in the last 100 years. Here they are for the 1950s and 60s. (The dates indicate when the toys were introduced.)
Silly Putty (1950)
Mr. Potato Head (1952)
LEGO Building Sets (1953)
Matchbox Cars (1954)
Play-Doh (1956)
Frisbee (1957)
Hula Hoop (1958)
Barbie (1959)
G.I. Joe (1964)
Etch-a-Sketch (1960)
Game Of Life (1960)
Easy Bake Oven (1963)
Operation (1965)
Twister (1966)
Battleship (1967)
Hot Wheels (1968)


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Heey peeps! I had quite a few people asking me to do a tut on these cute little chibis from Assassin's Creed, since some people loved the drawing i did on this. So here it is! Sorry if the steps wasn't really clear.. it was pretty hard for me to do those steps cause' this was drawn a 3DS. Gah! Connor isnt in there! I have to draw him, hes my love!! ( sowieh.. i really do love him here! ) I will draw a chibi Connor!! So you gotta wait till then XD.. but anyway, i hope you'll enjoy this tut, so happy drawing!
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text: London - England captain Alastair Cook says his side accepts their role as favourites as they chase a fourth consecutive Ashes series victory over Australia for the first time in over 100 years.England depart for Australia on Wednesday, two months after claiming a 3-0 win over their great rivals at home, and open the tour with warm-up match against a Western Australia XI in Perth beginning on October 31.They have not won four consecutive series since 1890, but Cook said expectations of doing so did not weigh heavily on the 17-man squad who will be mounting the defence."When you have won the last three series, and the last series was just two months ago, I think that is a fair description," he told a news conference on Wednesday."I don't think it makes that much difference who is favourite, that last summer it was the first time we've gone into an Ashes series as favourites, I thought we coped with that pretty well, and the outcome certainly suggested we did."Winning in Australia is no mean feat, that's the challenge we've got ahead of ourselves."We know what we need to do if we want to win, it consists pretty simply of scoring big first innings runs and applying a lot of pressure with the ball and restricting scoring rates."They play three warm-up matches in Perth, Hobart and Sydney, which Cook said would be important in acclimatising the side to the Kookaburra ball and faster pitches.Despite England's success at home their top order struggled, with Cook a major culprit with only three half-centuries in 10 innings, but was hopeful of reclaiming the form which saw him hit over 700 runs in Australia in the last tour in 2010-11."I enjoy batting in those conditions, when the ball is flying past your ears a lot. As an opening batsman it's a great place to test your skills, but then in the afternoon sessions it can be fantastic to bat once you get through the new ball."Australia bowled well this summer and I didn't execute as well as I could have done. It happens in cricket. You'd love to score runs all the time. I could have done better, I want to lead from the front and set the example and get the big runs."Most of the squad flew out of London on Wednesday evening, with Kevin Pietersen not joining his team mates until Sunday after being given compassionate leave.The first Test begins in Brisbane on November 21.


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Public Money, Public Code: Munich one step back - others two steps forward.
15 May 2019
تحذير: لم تُتَرجَم هذه الصفحة بعد. ما تراه أدناه هو النسخة الأصلية للصفحة. من فضلك راجع هذه الصفحة لتعرف كيف تساهم في الترجمة والمهام الأخرى.
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Please see our list of members, severals ways how to contact us, and the latest news and upcoming events related to Free Software in Germany.
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text:
Releases > Producer Price Index > Release Tables > Table 11. Producer price indexes for the net output of selected industries and their products, not seasonally adjusted > Services industries
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text:
@paplaukes: The thing that really toned down Dragon Isles might be applicable here - getting rid of Animated Armors. Otherwise good job
On a simmilar note:
Burning Slime Pits note - A wizard just did it without B2P a quite easily. Prepped Mysterea and Crystall Ball, dipped into TT for popcorn cleaning Tiki's Edge, a bit of poison (turnedout useless, needs dedication) and gold, killed the blob first, went back to mysterea, took more mana and flames (had refreshment from before) and whoopaz + burnspiked the SMM to death. It's deffintely manageable if you're not doing trickshots, and a "get fammiliar with it quest" would work out dandy.
Namtar's Lair Win no. II - Gnome Bloodmage - I won, but I'm still really sour about it. Monk attempt crashed and burned (might've been my fault), and Bloodmage won, allthough I did get Zombie gold and the money subdungeon and a trisword. Preps were standard CB caster setup, and I'm very, very annoyed at this dungeon. I don't mind running Binlor in the Labyrinth, as it is doable without him, here it just feels tedious and I feel forced to do it. Not to mention that Bloodmages are stupid good with the built in sanguine (went through Zombie gold while worshiping Drac. The undead! They do nothing!), and guaranteed B2P which further reduces the supposed challenge of having a really cramped map. So yeah, if you take über nerf bait in, find the "win anywhere" subdungeon, and completely eliminate the supposed challenge with preps, it's easily done - but then I'm just playing Grimms Grotto with the stats turned up to eleven... I'd have more fun endlesly trying to beat VICIOUS Gaan'Telet with a Transmuter in a crashstorm...
The actual strat - Err, use Binlor to get PISSORF and open up the map as much as I can while still leaving some blackspace (used subdungeons for B2P later, which is why Zombie gold here changes things immensly). Swapped from Binlor to Drac. Leveled up with CP B2P manapotion spikes on softer targets (and with a rather explored map the blinkers weren't a problem, which is why Binlor prep is mandatory for this map). PISSORFF spam on the first form, BURNDAYRAZ on the second form, cleared all I could, swapped back to Binlor (3rd guy was GG), went down and being a gnome with BURNDAYRAZ and PISSORFF (and all my health potions) it was rather easy. Abused midfight DINGS! during the first 2 forms.
Namtars Lair Win no. III - Tinker Well, I'm good w tinkers I guess. Spellcaster setup with translocation + elites, Binlor into GG into EM. Picked up Enlightment with one row of beads, went EM for many refreshments. Found 2 kegs and it almost wasn't enough, the 4th form needed some fancy footwork and PISSORFF bussiness. Was fun just because I always find tinkers fun, but I'm not gonna let that mellow me out - Namtar's lair needs adjustments.
East Suggestion - Upp the difficulty of HARD Halls of Steel, because it's one of the easier HARD dungeons, remove the vicious HoS because it's an eyesore and ununiform with the rest of the game, move the vampire unlock quest here, and tone the damned place down - less walls for a start. If Binlor wasn't mandatory autoprep I'd consider going back in to try stuff out, this way it'll be a long time untill I do.
I found that in the north, it's a Elite edition reward. The Titan Guitar is a one use item which makes all same screen enemies slowed and cowardly.
Demonic Library Win A wizard breezed through it with no B2P. I worshiped Drac throughout even though I had EM and prepped Binlor, I chugged all my health potions to add corrosion to the Avatar, killed all the zombies wantonly - The piety hits! They do nothing! And ended up completely avoiding the subdungeon challenge by simply WHEYTWUTTING the avatar close to the entrance and then WHEYTWUTTING the guy who had spawned on the stairs to where Avatar was... After all the Namtar hassle this looked like a joke, and I'm all the more convinced Namtar ought to be throughly toned down.
Writeup time! I'm not doing any more DL runs before I unlock another locker slot and/or the Mage Fist / Naga Cauldron bussiness gets resolved. Seeing how all you really need to beat him is WHEYTWUT, and how I beat him on a non-serious scouting run with great number of careless missplays, I think there is no point testing wise. So, the late game and challenge writeups are coming up, and I'll be doing a "post late game" playthrough notes while grinding gold to test out the monster classes, recently added/changed mechanics, and all that.


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You're gonna want to check out the comments policy before you try to join the conversation. Short version: I don't publish comments from people who are promoting weight loss, insulting me, or insulting fat people in general. Don't waste your time.
If you're interested in more of my thoughts on United's policy, you can go here for the expletive-laden version and here for the relatively clean one. (Note that "clean" relative to how I usually write around here is, uh, still not that clean.)
Regular readers who missed the segment, we should have video of it sometime in the next day or two. Meanwhile, here's a pic my friend Jo took of her TV:
That was the purple dress, despite how blue it looks! And I'm really not digging how it coordinates with the cami in this lighting, but whatever. I had 110 lbs. of make-up and hairspray on, so hopefully, people were distracted by that.
Also, I would be psyched that Jo caught me with a total "bish, plz" face on, except I'm slightly afraid I was making it the whole time. I'm waiting to see the video as much as everyone else. Eep!
Oh, last thing… About 5 minutes after I finished, I got this:
Your arguments were ridiculous and you just made a fool of yourself.
Hey, thanks for writing, Mike! It's so great to know that there are strangers who care enough to let me know they think I'm a fool. Because there is totally nothing foolish about taking the time to send a drive-by insult to a stranger from the teevee. That is the behavior of a reasonable, intelligent, all-around awesome person, right there. I have so much to learn from you!


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ACPI_AIBOOST(4) BSD Kernel Interfaces Manual ACPI_AIBOOST(4)
acpi_aiboost — ASUS AI Booster hardware monitor
To compile this driver into the kernel, place the following line in your kernel configuration file:
device acpi_aiboost
Alternatively, to load the driver as a module at boot time, place the following line in loader.conf(5):
The acpi_aiboost driver provides support for monitoring the hardware sensors in recent ASUS motherboards. The driver uses ACPI as the backend to fetch sensor values and descriptions and provides its data via the sysctl(8) interface, under dev.acpi_aiboost.0 namespace. Descriptions for these values are available with sysctl -d.
The acpi_aiboost driver typically has 7 sensors, depending on the motherboard and chipset:
Sensor Units Typical Use
CPU uK CPU Temperature
MB uK MB Temperature
VCC uV DC Core Voltage
+3.3V uV DC +3.3 Voltage
+5V uV DC +5 Voltage
+12V uV DC +12 Voltage
CPU RPM CPU Fan
acpi(4), sysctl.conf(5) sysctl(8)
The acpi_aiboost driver first appeared in FreeBSD 7.0.
The acpi_aiboost driver was written by Takanori Watanabe. This manual page was written by Juan Romero Pardines, who adapted the code for NetBSD, and adopted back to FreeBSD by Takanori Watanabe.
It's possible to modify voltages via the ACPI methods in the DSDT, but for now the driver only reports the sensors' values. CPU Q-Fan is another thing that is typically specified in the ACPI namespace, and in the future we should handle this feature (to enable or disable automatic/manual fan mode).
BSD March 14, 2007 BSD


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The following navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Left and right arrows move through main tier links and expand / close menus in sub tiers. Up and Down arrows will open main tier menus and toggle through sub tier links. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items.
When it comes to choosing a college, students and parents may think it's worth the hefty price tag to attend a more prestigious school. Who doesn't dream of an Ivy League diploma on their office wall? But a recent article in The Wall Street Journal shows that attending an elite level college may not actually pay off in the end. While highly selective schools can offer an edge for students majoring in liberal arts, the same does not hold true for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) majors.
Researchers looked at about 7,300 college graduates ten years after graduation. Here's what they found:
What's the difference? According to the article, the skills students learn in STEM fields appear to trump prestige—possibly because curriculums are relatively standardized and there's a commonly accepted body of knowledge students must absorb. So, a student may not need to attend the best possible school to ensure a good salary after graduation.
Read the Article
There are never any guarantees, but one place to start is to gather data from potential school choices about their graduation rates and job placement rates within the field you plan to pursue. Does it take five years instead of four for most students to complete their degrees? (Longer college career = more potential debt and missed earning potential.) How many graduates receive job offers right out of college? What are their average salaries?
In the end, only you can decide which college is right for you. Make sure to do some research into each school you're considering, and remember that a diploma from an elite university isn't an automatic ticket to a better job.
Find Credit Union and Apply
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NORTHPORT | The plan for a Hampton Inn & Suites that was to be built along Northport's riverfront has been scrapped. The project, as developer Todd Palmer put, is "dead in the water." Palmer's franchise agreement with Hilton Hotels to build a Hampton Inn on the site ended officially on Jan. 3.
According to Palmer, the city of Northport is to blame.
NORTHPORT | The plan for a Hampton Inn & Suites that was to be built along Northport's riverfront has been scrapped.
The project, as developer Todd Palmer put, is "dead in the water." Palmer's franchise agreement with Hilton Hotels to build a Hampton Inn on the site ended officially on Jan. 3.
According to Palmer, the city of Northport is to blame.
"We had a terrible time working with (city planner) Katherine Ennis and (city engineer) Charles Swann," Palmer said.
Palmer said that Swann was against the project from the beginning and that there were unfair requests made as far as zoning when Palmer requested an approved site plan for the project. The city wanted to reduce the footprint of the building, asked why the parking was in front of the hotel instead of behind and would not approve moving the hotel's entrance on one side, Palmer said.
"They were nothing but delays," Palmer said. "They were making demands not made on anyone else. It became very, very frustrating."
The 111-room hotel was originally planned to have rates between $115 to $199 a night, and about 40 percent of the rooms were to be suites. Originally planned was a 3,000-square-foot meeting space attached to the hotel, a board room and a conference room for smaller meetings, which is unusual for Hampton hotels.
Palmer told the council in April 2011 that Memphis, Tenn.-based McMurry Construction Co., had been chosen for the project. Palmer said then that construction would begin by July 2011 and that the hotel would take about a year to complete.
But the project never broke ground.
In 2012, Palmer tried to reduce the size of the proposed hotel, bringing the meeting space inside the footprint of the hotel building, and reducing its size by 40 percent, and bringing the number of hotel rooms down to 90.
"We had multiple meetings (with the city), and each meeting a new issue would come up," Palmer said.
Palmer had several extensions on his franchise agreement with Hilton, which owns the Hampton Inn brand.
Finally, about two months ago, Hilton asked if another extension was needed, at the cost of about $10,000. Palmer said he decided to cancel the project because he felt the city would never allow it to come to fruition.
But Northport City Administrator Scott Collins said the city did everything it could to make the hotel happen.
"It's not uncommon for developers, city planners and city engineers to have differing concerns for any project," Collins said. "Knowing that, we will continue to work and exhaust every effort in insuring that any developer who wants to move forward in the city of Northport is afforded only professional service and professional partnerships with city staff."
If built, the hotel would have been at the end of Main Avenue in downtown Northport on what used to be a riverfront gin site.
The old gin site was originally city-owned land that Northport obtained when it built a levee in the 1990s. The 2004-2008 city council sold the property to Stonegate Properties in 2007 for $239,000, along with a contract that gave Stonegate first dibs on purchasing 16.9 acres of adjacent city property just west of the train trestle.
Stonegate planned to develop the site for a mix of restaurants and condos, as well as a hotel, but the project never came to fruition.
In 2008, Stonegate sold the riverfront site, along with the agreement, to local developers Todd Palmer and Danny Butler, who were going to build the Hampton Inn.
The hotel project was not without controversy, however, with residents and some downtown merchants complaining about its design and height when it was first presented in 2010. They argued that the architecture of the hotel did not fit with the historic, small-town look of downtown Northport.
But, the city did everything it could to help the development, said William Tunnell, former Northport City Council President, who had requested that Palmer meet with the council in January 2012 to give an update and presentation on the project. The meeting never happened, Tunnell said.
"Nothing could be more ludicrous," Tunnell said, referring to Palmer's claims. "As far as I am concerned, if there was something unknown to the council, Mr. Palmer never brought it to the council. If they don't bring it to the council's attention, then the developer is just as much at fault. The city of Northport did everything that they asked us to do."
Tunnell noted that in 2011, the Northport Zoning Board of Adjustments approved several variances to the city's building code that Palmer had requested, including a variance for the height of the hotel building.
In January 2012, Collins said Northport had done everything it was supposed to do.
The building had been approved by the city, Collins said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved the project near the river's levees. All that's left before work could begin was the building permit, which Collins said was never applied for.
Tunnell, who served on the council from 2004-2012, said he was disappointed that the hotel is yet another failed project for the riverfront site.
"I'm disappointed, but I think most logical people would understand that in these economic times, when many businesses are downsizing, it would be a very difficult task to grow during this economy," Tunnell said. "I don't see the need to blame the city of Northport."
Northport Mayor Bobby Herndon said he was disappointed that the hotel was not going to be built.
"If (Palmer) is going to blame the city of Northport, and if it was the city's fault, then we are looking to fix whatever we have to fix," Herndon said. "We do have rules and regulations we have to follow, but if that is what killed the deal, then we need to look into those."
Northport will continue to focus on the future development of its riverfront, Collins added.
"The city of Northport sees our riverfront development area as an outstanding opportunity for community growth and development, and we will continue in every way possible to enhance the growth and success of our business partners in that area."
Palmer, who owns the site, said he would still like to develop the property but has no plans to do anything for a while.
Calls made to Ennis and Swann were not returned Wednesday.
Reach Lydia Seabol Avant at 205-722-0222 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Keith Farmer hopes to return to the MCE British Superbike Championship in 2018 and has already attracted interest from some of the biggest teams in the paddock.
The Clogher man, who only needs eight more points in the Dickies British Supersport Sprint race at Brands Hatch on Saturday to clinch his third British crown, has had talks with Tyco BMW team principal Philip Neill, while Honda has also expressed an interest in the Ulster rider.
Farmer didn't have a deal at the beginning of 2017 but he was thrown a lifeline when he was offered the chance to fill in for the injured Luke Jones in the Appleyard Macadam Yamaha team.
Initially, the 30-year-old was due to contest three rounds of the championship, but Farmer made such an impact that he secured a full-time ride.
And how he has made the most of the opportunity, winning nine races on the YZF-R6 to take the championship by storm.
It is little wonder that he has entered the equation for 2018 as BSB team bosses consider their options.
"I had some talks with Philip Neill at Tyco BMW and Havier [Beltran] at Honda. It's a tough one because it doesn't always come down to how good a season you've had and sometimes money and politics is involved," Farmer told the News Letter.
"It's looking fairly promising that I'll get a Superbike for next year but fingers crossed, if all else fails, then we will try and go back to Superstock 1000 and win it and then jump to Superbike.
"There was interest from TAS in the past and over this past while I have spoken to Philip quite a bit and he's under a lot of pressure this year because, as he said himself, he hasn't really produced the results this year.
"They haven't decided yet as far as I know but there were four riders on his list and I was one of them," Farmer added.
"It's hard to say and the other three riders are probably riders who have had podiums or wins in BSB and it's hard when you are up against that.
"But sometimes, as Philip said to me himself, he likes to take chances rather than going with the old faithful riders who are always there or thereabouts."
Farmer has been within touching distance of securing the British Supersport title since race two at Oulton Park, but a crash in the wet thwarted his chances.
The former Irish Supermoto champion fared little better at Assen in the latest round, again sliding out in the wet Sprint race before failing to score any points in race two. He actually crossed the line in second place but was later hit with a 60-second time penalty after colliding with race leader Ben Currie on the final lap, dropping to 19th place.
His closest rival, Gearlink Kawasaki's Andrew Irwin, clawed back 40 points at Assen but a solid finish will be enough to give Farmer the title at Brands, which hosts the final triple-header round of the Showdown.
"We only need another eight points at Brands Hatch to guarantee the title," said Farmer.
"I've won nine races this year and at Brands it's about winning the championship first, but anything can happen in racing – you only have to look at what happened at Assen.
"We're going into the weekend with our eyes open and with the approach of settling for a position to get the title."