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Well it's time for another Blog Battle, if you haven't come across Rachael Ritchey's Blog Battles here's your chance to join in this fun community of writers.
This link will take you to her blog battle page: http://rachaelritchey.com/blogbattle/
The rules are:
Week 21 Theme will be Eye
Date to Post: Tuesday, August 4th 2015
- 1000 words max
- fictional tale (or true if you really want)
- PG (no more than PG-13) Content – let's keep this family friendly!
- Your story must contain the word(s) from the theme and/or be centered around the theme in a way that shows it is clearly related
- Go for the entertainment value!
- Post your story by Tuesday 11:59 PM PST
- Use the hashtag #BlogBattle when tweeting your story, put a link back to your #BlogBattle Short Story in the comments section of this page, and/or include a link to this page in your own blog post (it creates a "ping-back" which will alert me and our friends to your #BlogBattle post)
- Have fun!
This is a new piece of writing, it is a continuation idea from my first manuscript which is open ended and could become a series of books. If I wrote a second novel I would like the male character to develop his wicked side so this is a short unedited snippet from an idea I have. I hope you like it! This is probably more a YA plus or New Adult type of idea rather than a children's book!
The Eye of the Shadow
Bethany always came to the same spot to read her book, the quietest corner of the park near her University campus. Today she saw that this favourite spot had been invaded by a strange person who she had never seen before. She considered moving elsewhere but Bethany couldn't bring herself to move away.
The sunlight drifted over the young man, a warm caress lingered on his upper body, savouring him. He was stripped to the waist, his back lay like a half completed painting, a terrible deed still to be done. She imagined finishing his painting. Each exquisite brush stroke could become a wicked promise, or a sweet memory Bethany couldn't begin to decide which of the two would be more likely.
At this moment Bethany spectacled eyes found no appeal in her chosen book, she did the unforgiveable, the unthinkable, this socially awkward book-worm pretended to read! She just couldn't keep her eyes from the young man. It was too easy to stare at such a beautiful someone who lay face down in the grass. She felt a delicious sense of wickedness staring at his muscular but lean body. A flood of hesitant shadows drifted spreading their eerie pictures on the sunny grass.
He turned around. She didn't have time to look away, his motion had been lightning quick, as if he hoped to catch her staring at him basking in the sun. He caught her guilt straight in the eye, and sent it back to her in an unexpected ricochet. He didn't look down or away, no attempt was made by him to play such a game, his eyes bore into her soul, and rested there imprisoned in her cluttered thoughts. His gaze was so arresting that she was certain that she had forgotten how to breathe. She gasped. A second or two passed by but she could swear that he still held her soul in his dark green eyes, resting like a tiny glimmer of crystal light, a blink and she was sure that it would be gone.
She had no idea what his face looked like, all she could see were his eyes, his beautiful eyes, cruel and gentle, dark and bright.
He stood up in one quick fluid movement, his agility reminiscent of a sleek panther, and then he smiled. Bethany saw the smile. The eyes told her to. She wasn't sure if his mouth was forming a nice smile but somehow it didn't matter. She wanted to capture that smile and plant it in her memory for later.
"Hello," he said, delivering each syllable like a warning.
Bethany swallowed. She tried to return his uncertain gift of a smile but the smile that she would give appeared to have been swallowed, along with her words. She coughed and said nothing. A dry sensation lodged in her throat.
He walked over and stood directly in front of her. Now his eyes implored her to see his jet black hair, shining like a panther's, willing her to touch it.
She trembled, the forgotten book slipped from her grasp, she reached out and stroked his hair. There was an expression of fear trapped in her eyes, but a desperate need in her shaking hands.
He picked up her book and glanced at it, turning the pages absent-mindedly as if he was searching for an answer to a question that he had posed. After a short while he grew restless and began clawing at the pages of her book until he threw it away in irritation. His temper lashed out, a cruel, forgotten wind that subsided before it began.
Bethany couldn't believe it. Now her precious book meant nothing to her, yet a moment ago it had been her heart. He sat next to her, this book mauler, this uninvited marauder who dared to touch a loose strand of her hair and place it behind her ear. She did nothing to stop him, instead she stared into his eyes and plunged into their delightful but horrifying depths.
She could feel a tumbling sensation, as if she was falling down a long corridor. The corridor was narrow, wide, long, short, straight, and bending. The next thing she knew the tumbling sensation slammed to a complete and endless halt. She stood up, but her legs didn't remember how to. She meant to run away but he kissed her, his lips hard and soft, apologetic and unrelenting. Her knees betrayed her giving way, buckling under, an independent component of her body.
The corner of his mouth twitched, an almost imperceptible motion but his eyes gave her a sensuous message before she had even imagined the possibility. She swore that she could hear a tiny purring sound, a throaty tender note that slipped into the heady air. He claimed her from the summer breeze as if she was a precious prize and laid her on the warm grass planting tiny kisses on her. The flood of hesitant shadows stretched their eerie long limbs reaching further into the untamed wilderness of grass.
"Who are you?" she breathed whimpering.
"I'm the Shadow you've been hiding from," he replied.
She looked up at the sky, the sun was still out yet shadows danced and played all around them. She felt a strange sensation invade her body, a coldness swept deep within her soul, plunging her into a strange but welcome melancholy.
"It's alright," he said, his voice sounding regretful, but certain, "You and I are bonded by our shadows. Don't be afraid. There's no need to fight, that moment is forever gone."
The richness of his voice inflamed her cold body, this purring black demon's tongue struck a chord in her pounding heart.
He kissed her one last time. A tender kiss. Then it was complete.
Now he smiled, and frowned. "Welcome."
© Marjorie Mallon 2015 – aka, Kyrosmagica. All Rights Reserved.
I hope you enjoyed my entry for #Blog Battle. Do leave a comment I'd love to hear your opinion on my latest piece of writing for the #Blog Battle.


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Door Prize Drawings
"Door Prize Drawing means a drawing held by a nonprofit organization at a meeting of the organization where both the sale of tickets and the drawing(s) occur during the meeting and the total value of the prize(s) does not exceed $600".
No special permission is required to conduct a "Door Prize Drawing" if it falls within the parameters of the above guidelines as defined by Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR).
"Raffle means a form of a lottery in which each participant buys a ticket for an article or money designated as a prize and where the winner is determined by a random drawing. A raffle includes the elements of consideration, chance and a prize. Consideration is presumed to be present unless it is clearly and conspicuously disclosed to prospective participants that tickets to the drawing may be acquired without contributing something of economic value. Tickets for a raffle are usually sold outside of the event."
All staff, faculty, and student organizations wishing to conduct a Raffle must get permission from the Administrative Services Office. Please contact us at 503-370-6112 for assistance prior to planning the event. No Raffles of any kind may be conducted without approval from the Administrative Services Office.
Willamette University owns a State of Oregon Class "A" Raffle License. The University permits raffles to be held on campus under the parameters of local and state laws. Raffles in Oregon are considered a form of gambling and are regulated by the Oregon Department of Justice.
After approval is received, you may proceed with other additional requirements needed in order to comply with Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR).
If there are no special raffle tickets printed, it is required that you have at all ticket sale locations a flyer/poster listing the required information as stated below:
- the date and time of the drawing;
- the location of the drawing; the name of the organization conducting the drawing;
- the price of the chance;
- a full and fair description of the prize or prizes to be awarded;
- the retail market value of each prize to be awarded,
- total number of tickets which may be sold.
All printed tickets must contain the above information.
For more information and to see other requirements of a raffle, go to Oregon Department of Justice website section pertaining to Raffles.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Share
Burma could have had 72h warning
News analysis Burmese authorities could have had as much as 72 hours notice of the devastating Cyclone Nargis, say Australian researchers.
But they say authorities were either unable or unwilling to communicate the danger to the public or advise them how to protect themselves.
The comments follow reports that many Burmese learned of the approaching cyclone from international media and the fact that Indian authorities warned Burma 48 hours before Nargis hit landfall.
Australian natural hazards expert Dr Dale Dominey-Howes, from the University of New South Wales, says the actions of the Burmese junta would have played a critical role in the impact of the huge storm surge that the cyclone triggered.
"[The junta has] either failed to act or have been unable to act appropriately," says Dominey-Howes, who has worked with the World Health Organization and the UN on tropical cyclone and tsunami disasters in India, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Thailand.
"There's been a catastrophic failure in the social, political, economic and response sectors," he says.
He adds that control on information dissemination by the junta in Burma would have played a major part in this failure.
Early warnings?
Another Australian expert agrees that communication of the risk to the Burmese public was a major contributor to the number of fatalities, which is now estimated to reach 100,000.
Alan Sharp, manager of tropical cyclone warning services at Australia's Bureau of Meteorology in Melbourne, says Burmese authorities would have had access to a number of publicly-accessible websites run by the US military and others that provide cyclone warnings.
"Generally the forecasts will go out to about 72 hours," says Sharp.
Sharp and Melbourne-based CSIRO storm surge expert Dr Katherine McInnes say available information could have been used to warn against the likelihood of a major storm surge.
Australia's Burmese Embassy did not respond to questions from the ABC about how and when warnings were given of the impending cyclone.
According to the BBC, reports on Burmese state television say warnings were issued on television and radio several days before the cyclone.
Yet people in Burma say the severity of the cyclone was unclear and no instructions were given as to what action they should take, adds the BBC.
And officials from the UN disaster reduction agency in Geneva say the size of the disaster suggests a lack of a proper early warning system.
Lack of experience
Dominey-Howes says Burma's lack of experience with cyclones would have also contributed to the death toll as it has had not had such a disastrous cyclone for several decades.
"As a consequence people have got no memory of a previous experience," he says.
He says other low-lying countries in the region such as Bangladesh - in which cyclones killed half a million people in 1970 and 140,000 in 1991 - have learned from such experience.
Bangladesh now has a well developed cyclone warning system and elevated evacuation shelters, says Dominey-Howes.
But he says it is still difficult to ensure people know what to do and where to go.
And even when people know where evacuate shelters are, sometimes they still don't go to them, says Dominey-Howes.
"Either they can't move, or they don't want to or they're too frightened or paralysed by the entire situation," he says.
Cultural reasons
In Bangladesh, he says this has been because people think the evacuation shelters are not safe or clean or they offend cultural or religious norms, such as forcing women and unfamiliar men together in the same space.
"I could imagine a situation in [Burma] where cultural practices will also influence how people will react," he says.
But even in the US, which has top-notch warning systems and disaster plans, things can still fall apart, as the hurricane Katrina experience showed, says Dominey-Howes.
Australia prepared?
Earlier this week, a report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute stated Australia was unprepared for a natural disaster on a similar scale.
Dominey-Howes agrees with the report's findings that Australia could better prioritise natural disaster funding.
"Since 2001 across the world the emphasis has been on preparedness for terrorism disasters at the expense of natural hazards," he says.
He says US emergency management authorities complained they lacked the capacity to respond properly to hurricane Katrina because they had spent five years focusing on terrorism.


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Nothing like a tuna-infused sandpaper bath.
Nothing like a tuna-infused sandpaper bath.
To be fair, it's the status quo of a kitty home filled with love :DReplyDelete
Hahahha i love cats but I'm not a fan of getting licked.ReplyDelete
I love their little sandpaper tongues.ReplyDelete
feel dirtier when licked lol... interesting that they themselves don't smell like walking tuna heheReplyDelete
Cats are notoriously bad about their dental hygiene.ReplyDelete
bahaha this is so true it's too funny!!! Haddie is the one who LOVES fish in our house and she's the only face licker too - figures!ReplyDelete
What is wrong with smelling like tuna? I think it is an awesome scent!ReplyDelete
The amusing/insulting one is when after the cat gets done licking your face they sit on the floor and lick their arse, almost as if to say "yeah, my butt tastes better than you.." >.<ReplyDelete
It looks like you save a lot on exfoliating your face :DReplyDelete
Hahha oooh I always love it when my cat grooms me... then the smell comes..ReplyDelete
Haha My kitty likes the beef flavored wet food which I find leaves his breathe more rank than tuna... He tries to 'wash' everyone's hair. Runs along the back of the couch bathing anyone who's not paying attention!ReplyDelete
When my cat grooms me makes me laught a lot. So much that I have to ask them to stop doing it jajaja!!ReplyDelete
Sandpaper kisses >^.^< >^*^<ReplyDelete
Exactly. My cat does that all the time, so I can completely understand! My mom finds it gross, but I find it endearing!ReplyDelete
Our youngest licks me sometimes -- sharp! :)ReplyDelete
Yeah....how come their fur doesnt smell like cat breath after they lick themselves?!ReplyDelete


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Lifestyle Extra – Page 1
Lifestyle Extra – Page 2
Lifestyle Extra – Page 3
Any changes to your child's diet and lifestyle are much more likely to be accepted if they involve the whole family.
Use these 10 tips to help the whole family embrace a healthier lifestyle:
1. Eat at the table together – studies show families who have regular meals at the table with no distractions (such as television) are more likely to be a healthy weight.
2. Include children in family activities – such as walking the dog, washing the car, mowing the lawn, or a family bike ride. They won't see it as exercise, just fun. Get more ideas for free family activities.
3. Ban "sweetened" drinks from the home – persuade your children to drink water instead. Fizzy drinks, fruit drinks, sports drinks, milky drinks with added sugar, and even 100% fruit juice are high in calories. Children tend to drink fewer sweet drinks when they're not freely available in the home. Find out more about healthy drinks for children.
4. Make sure the whole family eats breakfast every day – children who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day. If time is an issue, choose speedy yet healthy items such as peanut butter on wholemeal toast, or porridge and fruit. For inspiration, here are five healthy breakfasts.
5. Decrease screen time – and put physical activity in its place. Drag the kids away from the TV, computer and games console, and instead get active as a family by walking, cycling, going to the park or playground, or swimming together. Here are 10 ways to get active with your children.
6. Get active on holiday – it's the perfect opportunity to get fit and have fun. You could try a specific activity-focused break, such as cycling or hiking, or choose a destination where you can do a variety of activities.
Children generally love camping holidays. There's lots of scope for activity for children of all ages, from putting up the tent to nature hikes. Use the Change4Life activity planner to get children active during school holidays at home.
7. Prepare more meals at home – it takes a little longer, but this way you can control what you put in food. You can read food labels, use healthier ingredients, and control how much sugar and salt you use. Here are some tasty, quick and healthy recipes ideal for midweek evening meals.
8. Have healthier takeaways – you don't have to give up takeaways completely, just make smarter choices. For instance, have mushy peas with your fish and chips and don't eat all the batter around the fish. Order lower-fat pizza toppings like vegetables, ham and prawns instead of salami and four-cheese. And with Indian takeaways, go for tomato-based sauces such as madras instead of cream-based kormas and masalas. Read more about healthier takeaways.
9. Avoid over-sized portions – portion sizes have increased over the years and it's one of the reasons children become overweight. Start meals with small servings and let your child ask for more if they're still hungry. Avoid giving adult-sized plates to younger children – it can encourage them to eat too much.
10. Walk for charity – doing regular charity walks is a great way for the whole family to get fit. Events are held across the country and are aimed at all ages, levels and abilities. Google "charity walks" to find local events.


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USF eyes opportunity to surprise No. 15 Miami
Miami is off to its best start in nine years, and South Florida coach Willie Taggart believes the 15th-ranked Hurricanes are on the verge of reclaiming a spot among the nation's elite.
Taggart grew up in nearby Bradenton, rooting for Florida State during a time when Miami (3-0) was one of college football's most dominant programs.
The `Canes are looking to begin a season with four straight victories for the first time since 2004 when they face winless USF (0-3), which is still chasing its first win under Taggart.
Taggart concedes it will be difficult to get it Saturday because Miami, in his eyes, is a team that doesn't have a real weakness.
''They're back. ... but we'll be ready,'' the first-year USF coach said. ''We're not going to bow down to them, that's for sure.''
Miami's promising start includes a 21-16 victory over No. 20 Florida. The Hurricanes are coming off a 77-7 blowout of overmatched Savannah State.
Taggart left Western Kentucky last December to take over a team that dropped nine of its final 10 games under former coach Skip Holtz. The Bulls (0-3) opened with a lopsided loss to Football Championship Subdivision foe McNeese State, and continued to sputter offensively in losses to Michigan State and Florida Atlantic.
Still, Taggart is optimistic about turning his struggling program around. USF has yielded five defensive touchdowns on turnovers, one more TD than the Bulls have scored on offense.
Penn State transfer Steven Bench becomes USF's third starting quarterback in four games. Miami boasts a defense that has allowed three TDs in three games.
''You really haven't seen our offense yet,'' Taggart said. ''We're not a team built to come from behind yet. ... If we go out and play like we're capable, I think we have a shot.''
Miami running back Duke Johnson is expecting a tough test.
''Their record doesn't say anything about their team, at all, especially on the defensive side,'' Johnson said ''Their front four is their strength, but their linebackers are no joke, also. Their front seven, they take pride in it and they have good reason to.''
Five things to look at while Miami looks to build on its best start since the `Canes won six straight to begin the season in 2004:
OFF THE BENCH: Matt Floyd lost USF's starting quarterback job during the season opener, and Bobby Eveld was less than a quarter into his second start, when Taggart turned to Bench, who had limited success against FAU, yet impressed the coaching staff enough to earn Saturday's start. ''He's still not there where he knows our offense completely, so we've got to be smart with what ask him to do,'' Taggart said. ''We don't need him to be Tom Brady. We want him to be Steven Bench.''
GUESSING GAME: Miami already had two practices completed this week, including one of its major game plan-installation sessions, before getting word that USF was starting Bench. The bad news for Miami is that there simply isn't much film on the sophomore. But the good news is that what film there is, it's primarily against Florida Atlantic - a team the Hurricanes are familiar with, given that they beat the Owls in Week 1.
MORRIS' ANKLE: Miami QB Stephen Morris got quite the initial scare last weekend when his right ankle got hit, and when the Hurricanes started practice this week he wasn't able to fully participate. But Miami expected all along that its quarterback would be ready to go against USF, a team he threw for 413 yards against last season. (That's nine more than he has this season, total.) The Hurricanes obviously wouldn't complain if he got rolling before the Atlantic Coast Conference opener against Georgia Tech next weekend.
EMERGING STAR: Running back Marcus Shaw has been USF's most consistent - and productive - player on offense, rushing for 398 yards and one touchdown, while averaging 7 yards per carry.
FIRST ROAD TEST?: Miami hasn't trailed in 2013, and actually hasn't trailed for a single second in any of its last five games going back to last season. In fact, Miami's offense hasn't faced a deficit in any of its last 345 snaps. But this is also the first road trip of the season for the Hurricanes, and coaches have been prepping players all week for a different sort of challenge. If USF strikes early in its upset bid, it'll be interesting to see how Miami responds.


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Customer lifetime value (CLV) for Subscription ecommerce, Edward Upton, Littledata (23:40)
How is Subscription different from 'normal' eCommerce - Jon Butt, Blue Coffee Box (30:01)
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Scaling a subscription box company with contests + Facebook ads, Jack Paxton, Vyper (28:06)
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What's in the box? And why Content and Brand are essential to get right, Rebecca Martin ex Pink Parcel (32:47)
Customer Retention 101, Chloe Thomas, eCommerce MasterPlan (12:46)
Omnichannel marketing automation opportunities for customer retention in subscription ecommerce, Rytis Lauris, Omnisend
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text: When I woke up this morning, I was pretty sure that I had dreamed the whole part of last night where I went to a remarkably friendly and not-too-crowded fashion party at the Standard hotel and drank vodka from a beaker that was served to me by a bartender in a white lab coat and danced to the Spice Girls and "Mmmbop" and watched an eight-minute animated film voiced by Kathy Bates and Christopher Lloyd and listened to Tavi Gevinson sing a rendition of Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" that left the room basically speechless. But it seems video documentation has emerged. So I must accept that these things did happen sometime last night around 11 p.m. The crowd was Internet-heavy — Gevinson and her blogger friends share a collegiality that gave the event a rare warmth, unless that was just the martinis I drank and the cupcakes I ate — so I guess it was appropriate that I went with two friends I "met" on Twitter. Internet friends are the best friends, aren't they? The film is called Cadaver and it packs a punch. Also, the Winklevii were there. But I didn't see either of them. I was too busy twirling around on the dance floor.


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Jihad vs. McWorld:
How the World Is Both Falling Apart and Coming Together"
And What This Means for Democracy
By Benjamin R. Barber
Times Books, 416 pages, $25
Benjamin Barber, the director of the Walt Whitman Center for the Culture and Politics of Democracy at Rutgers University, is todays leading advocate of participatory democracy. Not content with mere representation, he aims to make every citizen a legislator, to bring about, as he puts it, unmediated self-government. To this ambitious end, he speaks with remarkable single-mindedness on the academic conference circuit, celebrating the civic potential of the people and sounding, very often, less like a professor than a politician on the stump.
Barbers writings over the years have been dedicated both to promoting this ideal regime and, still more, to combating the currents of thought that are opposed to it. In his best-known work, Strong Democracy (1984), he criticized those modern philosophers"Hobbes, Locke, and Mill, among others"who define political liberty negatively (being left alone) rather than in positive terms (civic action). In The Conquest of Politics (1988), he denounced such contemporary political theorists as John Rawls, Robert Nozick, and Alasdair MacIntyre for their abstractionism, saying that they ignored the practical concerns of the engaged citizen. And in An Aristocracy of Everyone (1992), he found enemies of democratic education at both ends of the political spectrum, in the fashionable relativism of the left and in the tradition-minded elitism of the right.
In his latest book, Jihad vs. McWorld , based on a 1992 article in the Atlantic Monthly , Barber turns from the intellectual threats to his vision of democracy to the socioeconomic ones. His title refers to what he sees as the two premier global trends of our day, movements that are, respectively, reducing the world to intractable fragments and giving it an unprecedented unity.
The books first part concerns McWorld, the ever-expanding service sector of the international economy, especially as it manifests itself in what Barber calls the infotainment telesector, American in substance if not always in ownership. He sums it up in a litany of brand names and pop icons: Disney and Paramount, Nike and Reebok, Madonna and MTV, Coke and Pepsi, Homer Simpson and Batman, Kentucky Fried Chicken and, needless to say, McDonalds. Relentlessly promoting its ideology of fun at the expense of local institutions and folkways, this virtual economy of images and lifestyles promises to become nothing less than a world monoculture. For civic life, this is especially bad news, Barber contends. Manipulated by promotion, spin, packaging, and advertising, citizens lose all interest in public matters, falling prey to passive consumption and devoting themselves exclusively to the satisfaction of their multiplying wants.
In the second part of the book, Barber takes up Jihad. Moving beyond its strictly Islamic meaning, he understands it as any effort by a parochial community to protect itself from the cosmopolitan, universal standards of the West. It is a metaphor for opposition to modernity. Accordingly, Jihad encompasses not only religious extremists like Hamas and Hezbollah but also a range of this-worldly chauvinisms, from Russias Zhirinovsky and the Bosnian Serbs to the promoters of language rights and separatism in places like Quebec, Catalonia, and Occitan France. In its more virulent forms, this too is no boon for democracy. Inward-looking and narrow, the rivals of McWorld tend to favor violence, to disdain basic civil liberties, and to have serious reservations about political equality.
In the books third and final section, Barber suggests how we might yet salvage a democratic future from the tribalism of Jihad and the consumerism of McWorld, invoking the much-discussed concept of civil society. In seeming agreement with many other observers, he argues that community groups and voluntary associations provide the attitudinal resources that make democratic citizenship possible and let democratic institutions function effectively. It is this fragile social infrastructure that must be bolstered, he insists, but his proposal for doing so"the creation of a global civil society whose precise character he leaves to the readers imagination"is a disappointing afterthought to the rest of the book.
True to his cause, Barber writes here in the language and style of everyday politics. Though telltale bits of academic jargon creep into his prose at points, the book is essentially a journalistic polemic, a running commentary on todays headlines. Unfortunately, Barber has failed to notice that most editorials last a mere half-dozen paragraphs. His drags on for several hundred pages, sustained by exaggeration (media corporations control the defining symbolic essentials of civilization), repetition (he appeals for full employment no fewer than ten times), and an almost encyclopedic recitation of facts (we learn entirely too much about such things as world oil and mineral production and the viewing habits of Belgians and Pakistanis).
More importantly, Barber is positively evasive in Jihad vs. McWorld about his own notion of democracy, though he uses it as a benchmark throughout. At best, he leaves us with a bundle of adjectives and phrases: authentic self-government is participatory, deliberative, supportive of a common culture, based on the common will of autonomous citizens. As his account suggests, however, these slogans are far from benign. Ever the disciple of Rousseau, whom he trots out from time to time in order to show the pedigree of his own views, Barber is committed to a democratic project that is both collectivist in its aims and profoundly illiberal in its implications.
Ones suspicions are immediately raised by his refusal to acknowledge the contribution that McWorld"which is to say, international capitalism" has made to political liberalization in recent years in countries like Chile, South Korea, and Hungary. He dismisses the by now well-documented relationship between a prosperous private sector, an independent civil society, and the push for free elections and the rule of law. As he sees it, such change is too slow and indefinite to be credited.
More fundamentally, Barber is unwilling to grant that genuine freedom exists under democratic capitalism:
In [East Berlins] Marx-Engels-platz, the stolid, overbearing statues of Marx and Engels face east, as if seeking distant solace from Moscow: but now, circling them along the streets that surround the park that is their prison are chain eateries like T.G.I. Fridays, international hotels like the Radisson, and a circle of neon billboards mocking them with brand names like Panasonic, Coke, and GoldStar. New gods, but more liberty?
As Barber sees it, the availability of such consumer goods, in the old Communist bloc or elsewhere, is a direct challenge to nascent democracy. Such signs of commercial life represent not an expansion of economic opportunity but rather the onslaught of McWorld, which he repeatedly characterizes, without irony, as a new and insidious form of totalitarianism. With its ability to modify public attitudes and to precipitate private behaviors, McWorld predetermines our every choice, political or otherwise. Predictably enough, his chief evidence for such indoctrination is the electoral success of those with whom he disagrees, especially in those precincts where McWorld is most firmly established. As he angrily declares, few Western governments today"he singles out the U.S. and Britain"display a proper zeal for regulation or control in the name of the public weal.
By contrast, Barber has difficulty disguising his sympathy for Jihad. It is not that he considers himself an antimodern. Rather, it is that Jihad, on closer inspection, is resistance not to modernity as such but only to a particular strain of it"to the materialism, solipsism, and radical individualism of the free market. Against these more hollow values of the Enlightenment, Barber arrays not only the outraged protests of reactionaries and fundamentalists but also the Wests nobler aspirations. Thus we discover that the gerontocrats in Beijing and the revamped East German Communist Party also share the jihadic impulse, struggling to maintain their distinctive cultures in the face of an aggressive world economy. In this holy war, ayatollahs and commissars see eye to eye.
Whats more, though Barber objects to some of Jihads nastier political features, he also discovers democratic potentialities in it that are lacking in McWorld. With its toxic exclusivity, Jihad lends itself to a civic life of we thinking and we action, one in which democratic command structures might be more fully involved in the public choosing of fundamental social values. Barber specializes in such euphemisms for democratic tyranny. Like many other academic advocates of communitarian identity politics, he assumes that there is some easy fit between individual rights and a public sphere that aspires to shape souls in a fundamental way, though history tells us otherwise. It is hard to know whether it is naivete or just reckless indifference that leads him to cite ancient Athens, Puritan Massachusetts, and Jacobin France as democratic models. We would do well to recall the fates of Socrates, the witches of Salem, and many a hapless French aristocrat.
Barbers commitment to so all-encompassing a notion of democratic politics explains his perfunctory treatment of civil society in Jihad vs. McWorld . With its roots in the private domains of family, neighborhood, and religion (and in the material well-being made possible by the free market), civil society can only serve for him as a transitional stage in which to re-create citizens who will demand democracy. As he conceded in his earlier and far more candid book, Strong Democracy , the sort of parochial and particularistic attachment that is typical of civil society subverts the wider ties required by his grand design.
It is this willful indifference to the varied satisfactions available under liberal democracy that makes Barbers thought so exasperating. For him there is no middle ground, no way of life that can accommodate our many different needs. Every consumer of a Big Mac is a minion of McWorld; every religious believer is an antimodern fanatic; and neither, alas, is a proper citizen. In this hysterical and sloppily composed book, one searches in vain for that spirit of moderation that has made the American system so attractive to the rest of the world in this era of democratic renewal.
Gary Rosen, a new contributor, is a Ph.D. candidate in political philosophy at Harvard University.


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The authentication type to use to authenticate to the ProxyServer proxy.
Possible ValuesBASIC, DIGEST, NONE, NEGOTIATE, NTLM, PROPRIETARY
Data Type
Default Value
This value specifies the authentication type to use to authenticate to the HTTP proxy specified by ProxyServer and ProxyPort.
Note that the adapter will use the system proxy settings by default, without further configuration needed; if you want to connect to another proxy, you will need to set ProxyAutoDetect to false, in addition to ProxyServer and ProxyPort. To authenticate, set ProxyAuthScheme and set ProxyUser and ProxyPassword, if needed.
The authentication type can be one of the following:
- BASIC: The adapter performs HTTP BASIC authentication.
- DIGEST: The adapter performs HTTP DIGEST authentication.
- NEGOTIATE: The adapter retrieves an NTLM or Kerberos token based on the applicable protocol for authentication.
- PROPRIETARY: The adapter does not generate an NTLM or Kerberos token. You must supply this token in the Authorization header of the HTTP request.
If you need to use another authentication type, such as SOCKS 5 authentication, see FirewallType.


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You want only what's best for your world-class Cadillac. So do we, which is why we offer premium care and topnotch service for all your vehicle's maintenance needs, including routine oil changes.
Regularly schedule oil changes at periodic intervals are the key to your engine's health, and they can help your Cadillac model run great for a long time. Depending on the year and model type of your elite Cadillac, your oil should be getting switched out every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. With these routine appointments, old oil that's picked up dirt and grime from the roads is emptied out and replaced with clean, fresh oil, keeping your engine performing at its best.


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English | ISBN: 0762792930 | 2014 | EPUB | 256 Pages | 6,5 MB
Why is the Half Iron-Distance the most popular triathlon distance? Because it is the perfect length for busy athletes with demanding career and family responsibilities. Full Iron-Distance races require such painstaking planning and sacrifice that it's difficult to keep life in balance. The Half Iron-Distance is accessible, while remaining challenging.
Also known as the "70.3" for the sum of its 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13.1 mile run, the half-iron triathlon is not simply a race for which an athlete can use a full-iron training regimen chopped in half. Doing so would in no way approach maximizing an athlete's performance. The races are performed at completely different intensity levels, with completely different approaches. As a result, the training is completely different. IronFit Secrets to Half Iron-Distance Triathlon Success does for the half-iron what Be IronFit has done for the full-iron. It provides three sixteen-week training programs-Competitive, Intermediate, and "Just Finish"-and details everything an athlete needs to know to successfully prepare for and maximize performance at this racing distance. In as little as four months, any athlete can be physically and mentally ready for the world's most popular triathlon challenge.


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Filter by type
Schedule Change UpcomingThe new Fall/Winter Commuter Rail schedules go into effect on Monday, October 2nd with extended late-night service and added peak service on select lines. Visit MBTA.com for more information.The Fall/Winter schedule maintains the same frequent weekday service introduced in Spring 2021, with a few changes to train times in order to factor in track work and seasonal events.
-On the Newburyport/Rockport Line, additional weekend trains have been added for service to and from Salem station through October 29th as part of the Haunted Happenings events.
-The Bus diversion between Reading and North Station will continue through November 5th on the Haverhill Line but the diversion schedule will be adjusted as well (the adjusted diversion schedule will be available soon). The regular Fall/Winter schedule will go into effect on November 6th and is already available online.
-The ski train is back on the Fitchburg Line. Wachusett Mountain ski area operates a shuttle between the ski area and Wachusett station during Winter months to connect to these trains which feature a specifically modified coach equipped with racks for ski and snowboard equipment. The ski train will operate on weekends starting December 9th and on Wednesdays starting January 3rd.
-Regular Commuter Rail service to Foxboro, re-introduced as a pilot on September 12, 2022, will continue.
Holiday service:
On Thursday, November 23th, 2023 (Thanksgiving Day), Friday, November 24th, 2023 (day after Thanksgiving), Monday, December 25th, 2023 (Christmas Day), Monday, January 1st, 2024 (New Year's Day), and Monday, February 19th, 2024 (President's Day) all lines will operate on a weekend schedule.
On Monday, October 9th, 2023 (Columbus Day), Monday, January 15th, 2024 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), and Monday, April 15th, 2024 (Patriot's Day), all lines will operate on a regular weekday schedule
Affected lines:
Newburyport/Rockport Line
Lowell Line
Fitchburg Line
Framingham/Worcester Line
Needham Line
Franklin/Foxboro Line
Fairmount Line
Providence/Stoughton Line
Middleborough/Lakeville Line
Kingston Line
Greenbush LineUpdated: 10/1/2023 12:00 AM
Service ChangeOn the weekends of September 30-October 1 and October 7-8, buses will replace regular train service between Braintree and South Station to allow for tie replacement work on the Red Line and bridge maintenance work.


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Thief of Thieves #1
Publisher Description
Conrad Paulson lives a secret double life as master thief Redmond. There is nothing he can't steal, nothing he can't have... except for the life he left behind. Now, with a grown son he hardly knows, and an ex-wife he never stopped loving, Conrad must try to piece together what's left of his life, before the FBI finally catch up to him... but it appears they are the least of his worries.


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Starting in Trequanda you continue to Montisi and then on to San Giovanni d'Asso where you can visit the Castello, (castle) and Museo del Tartufo (truffle museum) and continue to the small Romanesque church of San Pietro in Villore (Saint Peter at Villore). From San Govanni d'Asso continue towards Torrenieri and Montalcino.Small detours along the valley floor road will lengthen the route but are worth it, in order to see Monterongriffoli, and the churches of Pieve a Salti and Pieve di Pava, (which was first mentioned in 714), Vergelle, and Castel Verdelli.
At Torrenieri there is the junction with the ancient Via Cassia, which was once on the route of the renowned Millemiglia car race. Drive for a short stretch on the new Cassia as far as Montalcino, a hill top town rich in history. Here you will find La Fortezza (the fortress), the Palazzo Comunale (town hall), the Museo Civico e Diocesano di Arte Sacra (museum of the town and of religious art), and the Gothic churches of Sant'Agostino (Saint Augustine) and of Sant'Egidio (Saint Egidio).
Next to the fortress, at the junction of five roads, follow the route of the Via Francigena (the ancient pilgrim road from Canterbury to Rome) to Sant'Antimo (Saint Antimo), a Benedictine Abbey that dates as far back as the IX century, rebuilt in 1117.The abbey is one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Tuscany.
Visit the nearby village of Castelnuovo dell'Abate and then turn back, or immerse yourself in the countryside of woods, vineyards and olive groves driving, slowly, for a few kilometres. A gravelled road will lead you to Sant'Angelo in Colle from where there is a magnificent view over the lands of the Brunello.The vineyards will accompany your descent to Sant'Angelo Scalo and, if you haven't planned a wine tasting in the wineries of Argiano or of the Tenuta Col d'Orcia, take the road which leads you to Castello di Poggio alle Mura, Camigliano, and Castel Giocondo, all home to some of the most renowned and historical wineries of Tuscan oenology.
Travelling back along on the main road (SP 14), close to the Passo del Lume Spento you will reach Montalcino where there are signs for Sinalunga.
Distances and travelling times by car
- l'Amorosa - San Giovanni d'Asso: km. 20 - minutes 22
- San Giovanni d'Asso - Montalcino: km. 18 - minutes 20
- Montalcino - Sant'Antimo: km. 10,5 - minutes 12
- Sant'Antimo - Sant'Angelo in Colle: km. 9,7 - minutes 20
- Sant'Angelo in Colle - Montalcino: km. 23,2 - minutes 33
- Montalcino - l'Amorosa: km. 38,6 - minutes 43
- Total itinerary km. 120 - driving time 1:50'


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Excerpted from A Savage Business. Republished by permission of the author; his postscript follows.
At this time of year, at this time of morning, it was still dark. A small crescent moon hung in the Indiana sky and, beneath it, four helicopters balanced, as if some fantastic throbbing mobile had been constructed for the occasion. The citizens stood in a field of corn stubble across the road, and, closer to the prison itself, reporters and photographers crunched back and forth across gravel. A garden of satellite dishes bloomed in the parking lot. And inside the yellow police tape, much closer to the prison, mysterious-looking men in black fedoras and big overcoats clustered, their garb and secrecy setting them apart from any other crowd. Black limousines slid back and forth across the entrance.
Mike Tyson was still in the Indiana Youth Center, a medium-security prison outside Indianapolis. He'd been there for three years, doing famous time for raping Desiree Washington, an eighteen-year-old contestant in the 1991 Miss Black America pageant. Many predictions of his self-destruction had been fulfilled with that act—George Foreman had long ago warned, "He needs to be sheltered like you would shelter a lion or a tiger. You lock him up, except when you want him to come out and jump through a few hoops"—and for three years a nation had been smug in its revulsion.
But now, the only athlete ever to have been imprisoned in the heat of his career was about to step from behind those walls to reclaim lost time, and that same nation—the world, even—had come to see how he'd do it. Fascination replaced disgust, many times over.
Even before his crime, he'd been a strange melding of melodrama and malevolence, more a presence than an athlete. His appetite for subjugation, which had been illegally satisfied behind closed hotel doors, was also the basis of his $70 million career. In his last full year of boxing, people paid $16 million to watch him consume the weak. What he'd done to Desiree Washington was horrible, of course, but it could also be seen as a failure to discriminate, a momentary inability to distinguish between teenage girls and heavyweight contenders. On his release, whether or not he'd been forgiven, he had perhaps become more interesting than ever.
Three years in prison, while he stewed in bitterness, might even have made him dangerous in ways beyond his previous flamboyance. Three years ripped right out of him, when it is time that is always the principal factor of wealth and achievement in an athlete's young life. That lost time denied him earning power, and maybe his place in boxing history. He had been stubbornly unrepentant in prison, so it didn't seem likely he'd forgive the debt. All the powers of the media were trained upon him this cold morning: What was he like? What would he do? How did he plan to make us pay?
One open question was, what was he worth? It was a tough calculation. He was already 28 years old on the day he was freed, and nobody knew if he could still fight. By most reviews, he had already been fading by the time he went to jail. His aura of invincibility, so impressive and effortless in his youth, had become a clunking and largely artificial apparatus. He'd been beaten by James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo in 1990, and had fought two difficult fights with the otherwise unimpressive Razor Ruddock in 1991, leaving all those one-round knockouts of his early career, all those titles, to be reconsidered. Still, even behind bars, he was the most exciting heavyweight in the world. And all this attention at his release demonstrated some kind of demand for his services, or maybe just for his personality.
There were, naturally, some people under that Indiana moon who wondered if he had any value as an athlete at all, whether time had changed or diminished him to the point where he no longer had a promotional utility. The sporadic reports that had come out of the prison in the three years past had Tyson reading cartons of Communist literature and taking instruction in the Muslim religion, which was probably not good news for the game. One interview he did put him at such odds with his former boxing persona that you might well have guessed he was planning to enter a far less secular line of work. He said he had been "wrong and disrespectful" to dehumanize his opponents, and he was sorry he had ever said he would make Tyrell Biggs cry like a girl or that he would make Razor Ruddock his girlfriend. "I will appreciate their forgiveness," he said. Also, he wanted "to see the great libraries" once he got out.
It was an interesting idea, that Tyson had devoted himself to some kind of intellectual and moral development, though it was clear he would only do so on his own terms. He surprised Maya Angelou on a visit when he recited her poetry back at her. Yet he could not pass the GED exam that might have shortened his sentence. He told interviewers he was reading Malcolm X, but he got into a jail-yard beef with a corrections officer. He had another con put broad likenesses of Arthur Ashe and Mao Zedong on his arms, but he refused to apologize for the rape, an act of contrition that also would have sprung him early.
If he remained a little enigmatic, or at least contradictory, in this exile, there wasn't that much concern about his future, not really. His self-styled rehabilitation was not going to lead him to a life of good works. As a property who could generate millions of dollars for each appearance, the quality of the appearances notwithstanding, he was not going to be allowed to do anything beyond boxing. The economic imperative that such earning power represents overrides personal considerations (if, indeed, he had any) every time. There can be no resisting such opportunity.
Still, opportunities take many shapes; Tyson's was in the form of that most American of ideas, the second act. Such rebirths are consistently doomed, but nevertheless popular. Who isn't intrigued by a fresh start? Themes of redemption and recovery are very popular in a 12-step society such as ours, and though we like our heroes fallen, we also enjoy their comebacks. Even if it had been more or less predetermined that Tyson would reenter the fray, it was still going to be interesting to watch him do it.
Outside the prison on March 25, 1995, dawn began to break. There was a glint of sunshine on the coiled razor wire. You imagined some bustle inside as the most prominent member of the prison population gathered his belongings (all those books!) and made his farewells. But you couldn't really know what was happening behind those walls. More black limousines slid back and forth across the prison entrance, disgorging more mysterious people. Everybody crunched back and forth on the gravel. It seemed you could actually watch time pass, the water towers beginning to leave their marks on the flat farmland. Standing at a window, Tyson may have enjoyed that same tracery of shadow, 1,095 times.
How would he make us pay for this, this interruption of life? This subtraction of it? Or, more cynically: Who would collect the tolls? The greatest intrigue on this cold morning was not whether he would fight or not, but whom he'd end up back in the ring with. His old promoter, Don King? The kid co-managers, John Horne and Rory Holloway? Would he return to his roots, reach back to the Catskills days and hire his former trainer Kevin Rooney to train him? Or would some wild-card promoter—and they all came to Plainfield, Indiana, to make their pitch, from convicted embezzler Harold Smith to former car salesman Butch Lewis—romance him away from all of that?
The media had gathered to watch, as if for white smoke from the Vatican, for clues as to the direction of Tyson's future, investing this pseudodrama with significance of their own creation. The rumors in the weeks before his release were of such a conflicting variety that you almost had to lay them to some mischief on Tyson's part. Butch Lewis said, "At least half a dozen people, maybe more, think they have a chance to manage or promote Mike once he gets out." Bill Cayton, who had once managed him along with the late Jimmy Jacobs—Cayton was the remaining link to Tyson's greatness—thought Tyson might want to go back to the Cus D'Amato era and retain Rooney, the Cus disciple who had trained him until 1988, when King got ahold of him and ousted the entire Catskills crew. Cayton believed that Tyson, from his jail cell, had made overtures to that effect, even though Rooney was then suing the fighter for $10 million for breach of contract.
Opinions elsewhere stressed the importance of Tyson's getting a fresh start, the kind America likes, with fresh management. These opinions had been especially popular among alternate managers. If King hadn't been the architect of Tyson's ruin, the thinking went, he had at least been its landlord. What Tyson really needed was... Harold Smith, or Rock Newman, or Butch Lewis, or Bill Cayton. You could just ask them.
Tyson had entertained most all of them at prison, inspiring rumors of all manner of scenarios for his release. The King crowd had been similarly relentless in its courting of Tyson and would be presumed to have the inside track; still, there was a sense that Tyson was playing all sides from within those walls. It gave rise to much intrigue and not a little harrumphing from the King bunch.
Horne, a Tyson buddy who'd been installed as a sort of translator for the much older King, addressed the issue: "Every time somebody goes to Indiana to see Mike in prison, they come out swearing to God and to everybody else that they got him. When you're behind bars, you'll come out of your cell to see a jackrabbit if it came to see you."
An insider who'd noted the strange stream of visitors to this prison more or less confirmed that. "Mike likes company," he said. "It helps pass the time."
Anyway, he said, it wasn't like King didn't understand his man. "No one is better in the world at getting into a fighter's psyche." It probably didn't hurt that King was covering all bases, dropping by a Los Angeles auto dealer to pick up a $300,000 turbocharged Bentley as a gift for Tyson.
Religion was a wild card, though; King had overseen Tyson's conversion from Catholicism to his own Baptist religion in a Cleveland church, and news that Tyson had converted again, to Islam, was not exactly a confirmation of the status quo. This spreading of religious wings was a small show of independence that, grown any larger, endangered their relationship. What was Tyson doing with a religious advisor, Muhammad Sideeq? Hadn't there been a great heavyweight champion before whose religious awakening had heralded his passing into the control of Muslim management?
King, all the time insisting that Tyson would return to the fold and it would be business as usual, seemed more nervous about Tyson's religious conversion than the possibility of a managerial change. His office debunked reports that the first thing Tyson intended to do out of prison was visit a mosque. For some reason, this became a persistent issue, as if any evidence of worship established a chink in their relationship. All these guys in their fedoras and bowties, they were worrisome to King. "Muslims," he told everybody who asked, "make good visitors, too."
At 6 A.M., among the odd comings and goings in the dimness of a Saturday morning, King himself produced a small excitement by climbing out of one of the black limousines and, with his minions Horne and Holloway, disappearing into the prison's visitors' center. It couldn't have been unexpected, but there nevertheless was a thrill among the crowd as it hit home: The battle for Tyson's life, maybe even his soul, had been no contest, a laydown.
Then, at 6:20 A.M., in the loneliness of a Hoosier countryside on a day that was turning gorgeous, a tall man holding his black leather overcoat open like a drape exploded from the door, and the same entourage that had entered before, but grown by one, rumbled through and into the waiting limousine. And that was that. Tyson, whose white skullcap reflected all the available light, was in the middle of the moving huddle, and it was impossible not to realize—a quickly arriving idea—that he was leaving jail with the same men who had delivered him there.
It's hard to imagine now, but even as recently as the '90s, heavyweight boxing was an important sport in this country. Its popularity was certainly fitful once Muhammad Ali finally departed the scene, but whoever was champion at the time still commanded a good deal of attention. And none more than Tyson, who exploded onto the sport as as this precocious predator, just blowing everybody up in a youthful and mindless aggression. Even after he got beat by Buster Douglas and was exposed as a one-trick bully, and especially after he raped a young woman and did prison time, he remained fascinating to the public. Maybe he wasn't going to pan out as a heavyweight legend, but he was going to be fun to watch, self-destruction just around the corner. So it seemed obvious to me that his comeback, which probably wasn't going to be important on its athletic merits, would at least be interesting. Don King, a tremendous horde of of sycophants, a mewling cable company and complicit casinos—there wouldn't be this much greed in action until the banking industry discovered the principles of the boxing business. There just had to be a story that would arise out of this cynical and largely demeaning exercise (I mean, Peter McNeeley?). Now, I didn't know when I began the book that it would end in such a decisive moment of shame and humiliation. That was just a bonus.
Since each fight in this comeback was essentially a magazine piece, it didn't take a lot of art to string them together in book form. But it wasn't just an anthology either. The players provided all the narrative arc I needed, but still, there was definitely a narrative arc. I could see the larger story taking shape, fight by fight, tragedy looming all the while. Again, I could never have imagined it would arrive so abruptly. But I knew, I just knew, this wasn't going to end well.
I never thought Tyson was a horrible person, even when he was doing horrible things. I thought he was more of a con man than boxer (although he was exciting enough there for a while). And I thought if he could somehow survive these violent and destructive impulses, which were obviously pathological but also heightened by youth and immaturity, he might one day become, well, even less horrible. And I think that's what we're seeing today. Maybe he's wiser, I don't know, but he's certainly older and all those wild and unpredictable urges have been scaled down. I guess it's interesting to see him trotted out for his one-man shows—here's this guy that seemed to make our world quite a bit less safe, now talking about family picnics. And I'm glad he's survived. But, man, for a while there, it was quite exciting, if a little unnerving, having him around.
Richard Hoffer is an award wining sportswriter and author of three books, most recently Something in the Air. His work has appeared, among other places, in Sports Illustrated, the LA Times, Via, Deadspin, and, many years ago, The Alliance Review.
The Stacks is Deadspin's living archive of great journalism, curated by Bronx Banter's Alex Belth. Check out some of our favorites so far. Follow us on Twitter, @DeadspinStacks, or email us at email@example.com.
Photo credit: Todd Rosenberg/ALLSPORT


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I have closed my Blog Candy.. and done a random number generator :0) So we have a winner!
Random GeneratorHere is your number:
Timestamp: 2010-05-31 02:50:23 UTC
- Thanks for a chance to win this fantastic candy! I added the link in my sidebar and I'm also a follower. Hugs, Vanja" Vanja... if you will please email me (email@example.com) with your address I will ship out your candy ASAP! If you know Vanja... give her a shout out and let her know to email me :0) I will wait until June 5th to hear from you.. then will draw again -
Now to a challenge! Today is the Stampavie Challenge and the challenge this week is to make a gift tag. Now that leave lots of room for what ever you see as a tag. Me.. I went more with a gift card. Sorry no real MoJo this week -
I started with my "tag" part... I knew I wanted to make a card like tag and so I used one of the new Nesties I think this is Label 11 or maybe 12? I put it through my big shot folded and placed the left side just inside the die to allow it to not cut at the fold. Does that make sense? I used Bazzil Dotted Swiss card stock, love those dots.
For my image I chose Stampavie's Helz Cuppleditch's Ruffle Spring Plaque - I think it is a really cute image, and was the perfect size for my little card. I cut it out with the same Nestie and then doodled around the edge. Ruffles is colored with my Copics and then I added some rhinestone bling for some sparkle.
Then the inside:
Now you need to see the other Stampavie DT gift tags and then we would love you to play along with us! Great surprise gift again this time.. wink wink... you really want to win one of these :0)
Well.. gotta get going, we are spending the holiday, as we do each year... mowing and cleaning each of the donkey and goat pens. Fun huh? Later today we will BBQ - and have some friends come and help us eat - Hope you have a wonderful day planned!
HUGS and-


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Heck ya! My principal and department chair came up with the funds to send me to ISTE 2010 in Denver. This will be first trip out West. I'm very excited to see some of the great presentations and I hope to meet up with some of my PLN. Below you will find the events I scheduled for the conference. If you are going or plan on going, please drop me a line. I'm flying solo on this trip, so I'll need some buddies to hang with and explore the streets of Denver. I'll release my flight and lodging details as soon a they are made.
12:30 - 3:30 Workshop
Sup223B Web 2.0 Tools
8:30 - 11:30
MA307L SMART Lessons
I'll be leaving early to get to my next session.
11:00 - 12:00
BM107 Digital PLN's
11:00 - 12:00
BT202 Cell Phones On
8:30 - 9:30
BW301 Wikis
If you plan on going to the conference, please drop me a line and we can organize a Tweet-up and plan world domination. I mean, share sound educational practices.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
ISTE 2010 Here I Come!
Posted by Nick Provenzano at 7:51 PM
Labels: ISTE2010
3 comments:
Wow! I'm jealous. My system said I may not know whether they'll send me until late April. Got my fingers crossed til then!ReplyDelete
Doing my happy dance and purchasing my ticket! Can't wait to meet you in person.ReplyDelete
Good to hear you found the dough. We should hold an edublogger's alliance meet-up on one of those days.ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Surprised DizzyDoo's videos aren't posted here.
Anyways, this tutorial is a basic chatroom tutorial, including private/normal messaging, connecting and disconnecting.
http://dark-wire.com/tutorials/Tutorial1.zip << ZIP containing EXE
I shall update the MFA and EXE and post links to those soon
Currently they're using an old version iirc, so the EXE won't connect, and the MFA needs a new Connect action (#19 -> #20 Connect action went from 2 parameters to 1) before it'll work.
It was written for OINC originally (that's how old it is!) but I've updated to #19-ish. Enjoy.


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Hitachi Solutions - Professional Services for AEC
Hitachi Solutions delivers a solution to provide in-depth opportunity management to provide professional services industry clients with in-depth sales pipeline management and help the future of the business thrive.Contact partner Watch video
- Gold Application Development
- Gold Cloud Customer Relationship Management
- Silver Cloud Platform
- Gold Cloud Productivity
- Silver Collaboration and Content
Professional Services
Management of a professional services company requires keeping a close eye on the sales pipeline. With revenue dependent largely on project work, the importance of carefully tending opportunities in order to cultivate sustained revenue cannot be overstated.
Hitachi Solutions has developed a solution that connects directly to cloud CRM data sources to provide current, in-depth analysis of the details critical to pipeline health. Whether we are assessing where our opportunities are coming from, the profile of the contracts we win or lose or tending to the ebb and flow of revenue throughout our fiscal year, thorough analysis of the sales cycle provides us with the insights we need effectively manage our business over the long term.
Key highlights of the solution include:
- An in-depth profile of the opportunities that are currently being pursued provides immediately relevant information for improving the decisions we make regarding which opportunities important and which are not. Understanding the most current landscape of our opportunities allows leadership to make the right strategic decisions to grow the business accordingly.
- Opportunity management requires further, careful evaluation of the deals being won and the deals being lost, how our sales team is performing and who our top competitors are. Furthermore, effective management requires a detailed understanding of the characteristics of all opportunities pursued; whether they are opportunities that have been won, lost or are currently active.
- This solution features a live connection against CRM online data, allowing these dashboards to continually update, automatically. This ensures that the information displayed on these dashboards always provide the most current view of the business and how it responds to the strategic decisions of the company's leadership.
Hitachi Solutions' Professional Services Opportunity Management Dashboards enables the business to thoroughly examine and understand the health of their future business. Careful and strategic cultivation of a sales pipe is paramount for any business that seeks sustained growth. Arguably, having a comprehensive picture of this aspect of a business can mark the difference between longevity and imminent collapse.
Want to become a Power BI Partner?
Certified partners are an important part of the team! Find new business opportunities, make connections, and share your company's talents and experience with Power BI users around the world.Sign up
Learn why you should become a partner


text:
MANILA, Philippines — US author Mitch Albom has launched a drive to rebuild 10 libraries in Tacloban, a city ravaged by Super Typhoon "Yolanda" in November.
National Book Store Foundation, his Philippine partner in the project, said Tuesday that Albom has pledged to raise $160,000, starting with his own contribution of $10,000 for the libraries.
He has enlisted famous writers to contribute their books to the Donated Reading for Youth of the Philippines project, including Stephen King, Amy Tan and JK Rowling.
The author of the best-selling memoir "Tuesdays with Morrie" visited Tacloban on Monday and also donated 40 boats to help fishermen in the region.
He said during a visit to a damaged school in Tacloban that he was blessed to have many Filipino readers, and that he wanted to do something to help.
"I've seen my own books pulled from the flood-damaged homes, moldy, discolored, yet brought to me to sign," Albom said. "It's incredible and heartwarming."
Many areas of Tacloban were flattened by the powerful typhoon and the tsunami-like storm surge it unleashed.
National Book Store Foundation has said it will match funds raised by Albom on a dollar for dollar basis until the goal is met.
Albom is on a promotional tour in Manila for his latest book, "The First Phone Call from Heaven."
Mondays with Mitch Albom–in Tacloban


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WASHINGTON, DC On October 20, 2011, President Obama will welcome to the White House the 13 recipients of the 2011 Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation's second-highest civilian honor. "This year's recipients of the Citizens Medal come from different backgrounds, but they share a commitment to a cause greater than themselves," said President Obama. "They exemplify the best of what it means to be an American, and I am honored to be able to offer them a small token of our appreciation."
The Citizens Medal was established in 1969 to recognize American citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. Like last year, President Obama is recognizing Americans this year whose work has had a significant impact on their communities but may not have garnered national attention. In May, the President called on members of the public to nominate people in their lives who have performed exemplary deeds of service outside of their regular jobs, including individuals:
Who have a demonstrated commitment to service in their own community or in communities farther from home. Someone who has engaged in activities that have had an impact in their local community, on a community or communities elsewhere in the United States, or on fellow citizens living or stationed around the world.
Who have helped their country or their fellow citizens through one or more extraordinary acts. Individuals who have demonstrated notable skill and grace, selflessly placed themselves in harm's way, taken unusual risks or steps to protect others, made extraordinary efforts to further a national goal, or otherwise conducted themselves admirably when faced with unusually challenging circumstances.
Whose service relates to a long-term or persistent problem. Individuals who have made efforts to combat stubbornly persistent problems that impact entire communities; for example, those who have taken innovative steps to address hunger, homelessness, the dropout crisis, lack of access to health care, and other issues that plague too many Americans.
Whose service has had a sustained impact on others' lives and provided inspiration for others to serve. The ideal nominee for a Citizens Medal is a person whose work has had a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of others.
Nearly 6,000 public nominations were submitted, and the President has selected the following awardees:
Steve and Liz Alderman, Armonk, NY
After Liz and Steve Alderman lost their son, Peter, in the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001, they founded the Peter C. Alderman Foundation. The Foundation works to heal the emotional wounds felt by victims of terrorism and mass violence by training health care professionals and establishing clinics in post-conflict countries including Cambodia, Uganda, Rwanda, and Haiti. Their clinics treat thousands in need and contribute to shaping a positive image of America in the world. The Aldermans receive the Citizens Medal for aiding the victims of conflict who might otherwise go unaided.
Clarence Lee Alexander, Fort Yukon, AK
Sometimes called the "grandfather of tribal government" in Alaska for his long-held role as Chief of Fort Yukon, Clarence Alexander has done extensive work cleaning up the Yukon River, resulting in closure of numerous open-burning dumps and the removal or recycling of millions pounds of waste. Alexander is former Grand Chief of the Gwich'in people of Alaska. Alexander receives the Citizens Medal for demonstrating how much good a dedicated leader can accomplish.
Camilla Bloomquist, Penn Yan, NY
For over 30 years, Milly Bloomquist has created and operated numerous programs to help the poor and underserved in Penn Yan, New York, making her a living legend. She founded Food for the Needy and Christmas for the Needy. Recently, she implemented the Weekend Backpack Program in Yates County, where children receive free meals at their schools. Bloomquist receives the Citizens Medal for her lifelong commitment to serving those in need.
Judith Broder, Studio City, CA
In 2004, Judith Broder created The Soldiers Project, which has worked to meet the mental health needs of servicemembers, their families, and returning veterans. Through The Soldiers Project, over 600 therapists have provided over 7,400 hours of pro bono, confidential psychological services to veterans. The Soldiers Project seeks to decrease the disruptive effects of repeated deployments, enhance post-deployment transition and re-integration, and mitigate suffering related to PTSD, TBI, substance abuse, domestic violence, and depression. Broder receives the Citizens Medal for her dedication to those who serve this country.
Vijaya Emani, Strongsville, OH
Vijaya Emani became a role model for victims of domestic abuse because of her strength and determination in overcoming domestic abuse in her own life, and by speaking out about the issue publicly, she broke a long held taboo in the Indian American community. Emani lived and breathed many causes including projects to aid the homeless and promoting diversity. Although she was killed in a tragic vehicle accident, her example and message live on. Emani posthumously receives the Citizens Medal for her courage in overcoming and speaking out against abuse.
John Keaveney, Los Angeles, CA
In 1992, John Keaveney, a Vietnam combat veteran, founded New Directions, a home for homeless and disabled veterans with addiction and mental health problems. Keaveney overcame personal struggles and turned his life around in the 1980s. He began working on veterans issues, deciding that no veteran who asked for help should suffer what he did. When he began his program, he made a promise that no veteran would leave it unless he had a suit, a place to stay, and an income. Keaveney receives the Citizens Medal for ensuring that America keeps its promises to veterans.
Roger Kemp, Leawood, KS
Roger Kemp faced the ultimate parent's nightmare. In a random act of violence, Roger's daughter Ali, 19, was killed by a predator in the summer of 2002. In response Kemp created The Ali Kemp Defense Education ( TAKE ) Foundation. Inspired by his belief that his daughter could have survived if she had an edge on her attackers, TAKE has trained more than 46,000 women in self-defense. Kemp has also advocated for "wanted" billboards as a means to locate and arrest criminals. Kemp receives the Citizens Medal for working to empower young women to prevent themselves from becoming victims.
Janice Langbehn, Lacey, WA
While on vacation with her family in February 2007, Janice Langbehn's partner, Lisa Pond, suddenly fell ill and was rushed to the hospital. Langbehn was refused access to her partner, who had experienced a brain aneurysm and later died alone. With the help of Lambda Legal and GLAAD, she filed a federal lawsuit and worked to get her story out to the nation. Janice's story received attention from President Obama, who personally apologized to her for the way she and her family was treated. He went on to revise hospital visitation rights for gay and lesbian couples, which went into effect this past January for any hospitals receiving federal Medicare or Medicaid funds. Langbehn receives the Citizens Medal for her efforts to ensure all Americans are treated equally.
Ida Martin, Bluffton, SC
Ida Martin created Bluffton Self Help to assist working families, disabled residents, and senior citizens in the Bluffton, South Carolina area when they suffered a financial crisis. In 2010 alone, Bluffton Self Help provided 62,000 items of food to 11,600 people and provided clothing to almost 9,000 people. Additionally, Bluffton Self Help provided families with short-term emergency financial assistance toward housing/utility assistance, medical assistance, or children's program assistance. Mrs. Martin's philosophy is to help those who have the desire to help themselves. Martin receives the Citizens Medal for providing relief to many in moments of despair.
Margaret Martin, Los Angeles, CA
After observing LA gang members stop at a Hollywood market to listen to a kid playing Brahms on a small violin, Margaret Martin realized those gang members would rather be doing what the kid was doing, but would never have the chance. She decided to dedicate her life to making quality arts education available to those in the most underserved, gang reduction zones of Los Angeles, and founded the Harmony Project in 2001. The organization has provided instruments and tuition-free group and private music lessons to thousands of children in Los Angeles who would otherwise have no access to classical music. Martin receives the Citizens Medal for replacing violence in children's lives with music.
Michelle McIntyre-Brewer, Jefferson, MD
Michelle McIntyre-Brewer is a military spouse, mother, and founder of Soldier's List. She founded Soldier's List in 2003 to support high risk Service Members and their families. Soldier's List has sent tens of thousands of care packages around the world providing critical medical relief. Michelle works diligently with the military community to educate families about their rights and responsibilities within Tricare and other services offered. McIntyre-Brewer receives the Citizens Medal for going above and beyond on behalf of our troops and their families.
Roberto Perez, Miami, FL
As President of Alfalit, a non-profit organization combating illiteracy, Robert Perez has led the charge for fighting illiteracy from Africa to South America, and as a result 7 million people have learned to read in 22 countries in the Americas, Africa, and Europe. Perez previously worked as a Miami-Dade County social worker and as an ordained Methodist Pastor counseling prison inmates and recovering alcoholics. Perez receives the Citizens Medal for his passion and work on behalf of the less fortunate around the globe.
Former Lambda Legal Client Janice Langbehn to Receive Presidential Citizens Medal
"Now that the country has rules in place to make sure that no family ever has to experience the nightmare that my family has gone through, this award is the first step in making sure that LGBT families are not treated as second-class citizens."
( Washington D.C., October 12, 2011 ) Today, The White House announced that former Lambda Legal client Janice Langbehn will be one of 13 recipients of the 2011 Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation's second-highest civilian honor.
"We're proud that Janice will receive the Presidential Citizens Medal from the White House in recognition of her tireless advocacy beginning in a Florida hospital more than three years ago," said Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director for Lambda Legal. "Because Janice boldly told her story, President Obama heard about her and issued the directive last year that led to the new federal rules that will protect same-sex couples and their families across the country."
In June 2008, Lambda Legal filed suit against Jackson Memorial Hospital on behalf of Janice Langbehn. Langbehn and her partner of 18 years, Lisa Pond, were about to depart from Miami on a family cruise with their three children when Pond suddenly collapsed. Langbehn and her children were kept apart from Pond by hospital staff for eight hours as Pond slipped into a coma and later died. Although a federal district court rejected Lambda Legal's lawsuit, ruling that no law required the hospital to allow her and their three children to see her partner, Lambda Legal and Langbehn continued to work with other LGBT organizations and officials at Jackson Memorial Hospital to change hospital policies on visitation and respecting the wishes of same-sex couples and their families. In April 2010, President Obama issued a presidential memo directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to take steps to address hospital visitation and other health care issues affecting LGBT families. President Obama then called Janice from Air Force One to tell her about the memo and express his sympathy for how she and her family were treated by the hospital.
Langbehn will receive the award, along with twelve other recipients, on October 20.
"It is such an amazing honor to receive the Presidential Citizens Medal and it is serendipitous that I got the news today, what would have been the 20th anniversary of my holy union with Lisa," said Janice Langbehn. "Now that the country has rules in place to make sure that no family ever has to experience the nightmare that my family has gone through, this award is the first step in making sure that LGBT families are not treated as second-class citizens."
For background on Langbehn v. Jackson Memorial, go to http://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/langbehn-v-jackson-memorial.html


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|An Extraordinary Day
|My 1929 Charmer
Next up were some amazing transformations!
|Our Prairie Home
|Stone Gable
Then there was this treasure.
|Fern Ave Blog
|This past week just flew by! So many wonderful links last week. I was able to stop by and visit everybody but not able to leave a comment because I was working off of our ancient iPad and well it was not happy. Every time I would try and type it would cut off. Thank you to each of you for coming by to party each and every week! You all are are what makes this party fun!:)
|An Extraordinary Day
|My 1929 Charmer
Next up were some amazing transformations!
|Our Prairie Home
|Stone Gable
Then there was this treasure.
|Fern Ave Blog
|If you have been featured please feel free to grab the "I have been featured" button to proudly display on your sidebar!:)
Now on to this weeks party!
What would be a HUGE help and encourage more comments not just from me but others as well would be for everybody to take off their required verification codes for leaving a comment. This seems to take just a few seconds of time but when you have to do it on 30 or more blogs it takes up a TON of time. Last week most everybody had turned off their Word Verification which made it so much easier for me to stop by everybody's links! Thank you!
Now on to this weeks party! As with all parties there are the normal rules. You must link back to From My Front Porch To Yours in your THT POST. Just common courtesy. If ya don't link back ya don't get to party. Only link up to your Treasure Hunt Thursday post and NOT your blog homepage. Please No advertising and PLEASE NO MORE than 3 links from the SAME party goer. Also NO MORE linking up to your own link parties. I am seeing more and more link ups of just people promoting their own linky parties. I know it takes time to go back and make a separate post to join the party but it is just the polite thing to do. If you find your post deleted it is not because I am a meany, I just have to make sure the rules are being followed. You can save some of your posts for the following weeks party!Please only link up new posts and not posts that you linked up the week before.Also be sure to visit at least the link before you and after you to just say Hi! It makes partying all the more fun and remember if your link has had the most visits you will get featured on Tuesdays! If you are new around here I would love it if ya become a follower!:)
Beautiful features, Pamela! Thanks so much for hosting.
Hi Pamela,
Hope you're having a great week! Such great links you're showcasing this week. I have to go check out those embroidery hoops. They look adorable!
Thank you very much for hosting this party! Come back later to enjoy what other participants have created! Have a nice day!ReplyDelete
Hi Pamela! Love the features and I'm so excited to join your party today.
Be a sweetie,
shelia ;)
Pamela, you are sooo sweet to feature my little Valentine corner. :D What a blessing! Thank you!!
BTW...I've been seeing your laundry room staring around blogdom. It is simply fabulous and I'm so excited that others are loving it too!
Now for the BIG question...does it make laundry easier? teehee
~Diane - one of your hot cocoa sippers. :D
Thanks so much for hostin Pamela! Have a great week!
Hi Pamela! Thanks so much for hosting! Can't wait to check out the great features!ReplyDelete
Pamela, Thanks so much for hosting! I have been out of the blogging world for a while. . . it is good to be back! Life to the full! Melissa @ DaisyMaeBelleReplyDelete
Thanks so very much for hosting!!
Awwww! Thanks for the feature, Pamela! :D Those Valentine's crafts are too cute!!! Love ya, girlie!ReplyDelete
Thank you so much for taking the time to be such a gracious host!
Thank you Pam for featuring my treasure. It's been a hit from all over :)ReplyDelete
Great features. Word verification- GOOD REMINDER - I think sometimes people are not even aware they have it on-or don't know how to turn it off. I try to let everyone know that it is on when I visit. There are few that I will bother to leave comments on when they have it on-xo DianaReplyDelete
Thanks so much for hosting! Hope you are having a GREAT week!
Thanks so much for hosting. Hope you are having a GREAT week Pam!
You picked some wonderful features! Thanks for the awesome party!ReplyDelete
Hi Pamela, I love the features this week :) Thanks for hosting and have a great evening.
Audrey @ neverendingdecorating.blogspot.com
Gorgeous features! Thanks so much for hosting. We love partying here!
You are keeping us in treasures to find and emulate. I appreciate you bring everyone together for the party!
Hi Pamela, thank you for hosting, happy I could join in today. What a lovely group of bloggers. Great features as always.
Thanks so much for hosting! Hope you have a great week!ReplyDelete
Thank you so much for hosting! Fabulous features! I love them all. Have a wonderful week. :)
Thanks for hosting, Pamela. Enjoyed the valentine features.ReplyDelete
Hey, Pamela! Great features. I hadn't seen Yvonne's piece. I need to take a closer look at that one! So glad to be joining you this week. Thank you!ReplyDelete
Thanks for hosting ;)ReplyDelete
Thanks for hosting! Have a great week ;)ReplyDelete
Thanks so much for this wonderful party this week, glad to be here. Happy Thursday!{Hugs}
Wow, those are some wonderful features, Pamela! Thanks so much for hosting!ReplyDelete
Hi Pamela, so many great ideas here! Just wish I had time to do them all, LOL. Thanks for hosting and have a great weekend!
xo, Andrea
What great features and I'm so happy to be a part of them! Thanks for always hosting a great party!ReplyDelete
Pamela, Thanks so much for hosting! So much inspiration!ReplyDelete
I love that valentines tree so sweet! Thanks for hosting again this week, LauraReplyDelete
Pamela, Wonderful features! Thanks for hosting a great party!
thanks for hosting Pamela...happy that I had something to share this week.
I am linking and running, but I am coming back to see that dresser from Stone Gable. That stopped me in my tracks. Happy Thursday Pamela!ReplyDelete
I love when ya stop by so leave me a comment if ya have some time! I always try and respond but sadly enough sometimes I am unable to return the love due to noreply blogger status.


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Davis came to faith at age 28, while living in Germany and running an international business advisory group. He started writing two weeks later. Since that moment, writing has remained both a passion and a calling.
Davis wrote for nine years and completed seven books before his first was accepted for publication. During that time, he continued to work full-time in his business career, travelling to two and sometimes three countries every week. His first published book, The Presence, was released in 1990 and became a national bestseller.
Honored with three Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, his bestsellers include The Great Divide, Winner Take All, The Meeting Place, The Warning, The Book of Hours, and The Quilt.
A sought-after speaker in the art of writing, Davis serves as Writer In Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University.
Dispatched to audit a relief organization, Royce is thrust into the squalor and chaos of Kenyan refugee camps. But his true mission focuses on the area's reserves of once-obscure minerals now indispensable to high-tech industries. These strategic elements--called rare earth--have inflamed tensions on the world's stage and stoked tribal rivalries. As Royce prepares to report back to Washington, he seizes on a bold and risky venture for restoring justice to this troubled land.
But this time, Royce may have gone too far.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Rare Earth, go HERE.


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TechRadar Verdict
A fantastic design and great software make this a very appealing sat-nav for the entry user. It's just a shame the extra features are subscription based
- +
Good route mapping
- +
Nice interface
- +
Solid build
- +
Nice caddy
- -
No lane guidance
- -
Speed cameras subscription only
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
TomTom's One v4 is the company's entry-level sat nav device, shunning such features as Bluetooth or real-time traffic updates in order to keep the price down.
That said, it's still one of the most expensive entry-level units we've seen. Unlike some of its budget rivals, however, corners haven't been cut on quality. The plastics are tough and the device is compact, making it feel every bit as strong as units costing twice as much.
The square 3.5-inch touchscreen display is a lot smaller than you'll find on most of the latest sat-navs, but we didn't find this to be an issue. The Tele Atlas mapping is the same as you'll find on more expensive models, with a colourful and clear, if slightly simple-looking, design.
The intuitive, finger-friendly menus we've come to expect from TomTom are all present and correct, and offer excellent usability. It's easy to choose destinations from addresses, postcodes, towns and points of interest (POI), and you can also select from previous destinations.
Although previous TomTom products featured the latest SiRFStar III chipset for the most accurate navigation, TomTom refused to confirm exactly which GPS chip this model uses.
Once locked on, however, the GPS chip had no trouble holding a signal throughout our test routes, and we found that our review unit was also quick to switch on for subsequent trips.
Routes proved accurate throughout and directions were easy to follow. That said, we did miss the company's latest lane-guidance software – a feature only available on more costly models.
The large speaker on the rear is more than loud enough, and automatically gets louder the faster you drive. Features include speed camera locations, although these won't be updated unless you opt for an annual subscription (£20 inc. VAT).
Clip-on cradle
One of the most impressive features, which also distinguishes it from more expensive models, is the incredibly compact clip-on cradle to attach it to your car's window.
Smaller than any other such cradle we've seen to date, it offers faultless usability, holding the One firmly in place as you drive. Folding flush against the rear of the device, it's also easy to take with you when you leave the car.
You'll also find an in-car charger that plugs into the bottom of the One via a mini-USB port. Battery life, at just over two hours, is enough for shorter journeys.
Overall, it's refreshing to find a simple and easy-to-use device not laden down with features you'll never use. The compact size is ideal, and while this isn't the cheapest entry-level unit on the market, it's one of the best.
Buy from our affiliates: Amazon UK | Play.com | Argos.co.uk


text:
DaTscan Procedure Information
Your doctor has recommended a DaTscan for you. This noninvasive test will evaluate whether you have a Parkinsonian syndrome. Our team of subspecialized doctors, nurses and technologists who perform this scan is led by, Alessandro D'Angnolo, MD, and Louise E.J. Thomson, MBChB, co-chiefs of Nuclear Medicine.
Why choose the S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center for a DaTscan?
DaTscan is a drug that is injected into the bloodstream to assess dopamine containing neurons, which are involved in controlling movement. One of our subspecialized imaging physicians will then use a gamma camera to take pictures of your brain. By analyzing the images, our physician, in consultation with your physician, can help determine whether the symptoms you or your loved one are experiencing are the result of Parkinsonian syndrome. Parkinsonian syndromes occur when certain neurons of the brain undergo degeneration. The DaTscan study is primarily designed to differentiate Parkinsonian syndrome from a relatively benign condition called essential tremor. Essential tremor results in a noticeable tremor which may mimic the Parkinsonian Syndrome. DaTscan is FDA approved to differentiate between essential tremor and Parkinsonian syndrome.
Parkinson's disease is the most common form of Parkinsonian syndrome, but there are other forms, including multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy. Although DaTscan cannot determine which form of Parkinsonian syndrome you or your loved one has, it can, with other scans and clinical evaluations, help your physician determine whether your are suffering from a Parkinsonian syndrome.
For patients with dementia, the DaTscan has been successfully used in Europe to separate Alzheimer's disease from a dementia called Lewy Body disease. This has important implications in determining which medications can be safely used to treat the dementia.
Before the Exam
- If you can print and fill out the DaTscan Registration Questionnaire, available here, before you come to the imaging center, it will speed the registration process.
- Please tell the nurse, nuclear imaging technician or nuclear medicine physician if you are pregnant, nursing or have reduced liver function.
- Please also inform us if you have an allergy or sensitivity to iodine.
- If you are taking drugs for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or attention deficit disorder, antipsychotics, antidepressants, cocaine, weight-loss medications or smoking-cessation medications, please inform our nurse or physician.
- If your doctor gave you an order, please bring it with you.
On the Day of the Exam
- Drink plenty of fluids and go to the bathroom frequently (and for two days after your exam)
- Wear loose comfortable clothing, since you will need to lie still for a period of time.
- Please bring a list of all medications that you are taking; name and dosage.
- We want to make your waiting time as pleasant as possible. Consider bringing your favorite magazine, book or music player to help you pass the time.
- Please leave your jewelry and valuables at home.
During the Exam
- The DaTscan once started takes approximately 30-45 minutes. However, following injection of the DaT agent approximately 3-6 hours are required before the agent has achieved appropriate concentration in the brain.
- One hour before the exam, you will receive a drug to allow you to safely take the iodine required for the scan.
- Before the scan, DaTscan will be injected through an intravenous (IV) line into your arm. To allow the DaTscan to distribute throughout your body, you will need to wait three to six hours before the imaging test can begin.
- For the imaging test, you will be asked to lie on a table and an imaging technologist will position your head in a headrest. A strip of tape or a flexible restraint may be placed around your head to help you to not move your head during the scan.
- A camera will be positioned above you and you must remain very still for about 30 minute while images are taken. The scanner will be very close to your head, but will not touch your head.
After the Exam
- Please drink plenty of fluids after the exam for two days.
- Your study will be reviewed by an imaging physician specialist and the results sent to your physician. Your physician will discuss these results with you and explain what they mean in relation to your health.
The S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center provides a full range of advanced imaging, both radiology and cardiology, as well as interventional radiology and interventional tumor (oncology) treatments to the greater Los Angeles area, including Beverly Hills, Encino, Mid-Cities, Sherman Oaks, Silver Lake, Studio City, Toluca Lake and West Hollywood.