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Sandhill Crane
Grus canadensis
By Tom Dickson
Revered in Asia for their elegance and beauty, cranes have a small but growing following in North America. Dignified and stately in flight, the sandhill crane also moves on land with grace and agility. Most spectacular is the bird's mating dance, in which two cranes bow, leap, hop, skip, and pirouette like avian ballet dancers. A nervous bird with spotting-scope eyesight, the crane prefers open areas where it can keep watch for coyotes, its primary predator.
The sandhill is in the same family as the whooping crane, today one of the world's rarest birds.
Sandhill cranes are big wading birds with long legs, a long neck, and a rapier-shaped bill. They stand four feet tall and can stretch their wings out six feet wide from tip to tip. These slender birds are mostly gray except for the forehead, which is bright red, and their black legs and bill. They weigh seven to eight pounds.
There's no mistaking the call of the sandhill crane. There's also no way to accurately describe it. Sandhills make a loud, rolling, musical rattle that can be heard from more than a mile away. One nature writer compares it to the sound of "fingernails drawn along the teeth of several combs," undulating up and down and amplified by the birds' exceptionally long windpipe.
Omnivores, cranes will eat anything from berries and grains to snakes and amphibians. Even mice, voles, and other small mammals are sometimes found in the stomachs of sandhill cranes.
The crane nest is usually a simple affair consisting of a shallow depression in soil lined with dry grass and feathers. The female lays two spotted, gray-brown eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs by trading places throughout the day. The eggs hatch in 30 days. Because the sandhill crane produces relatively few young and doesn't begin breeding until age eight, it takes a long time for populations to recover from a drop in numbers.
Generally, sandhill cranes seek out wet areas where they can find food and avoid predators. In Montana, sandhills nest in wet meadows and other wetlands and near streams and beaver ponds.
Status and management in Montana
Sandhills are counted each September in western Montana before the birds migrate south. This and similar surveys in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming indicate that the Rocky Mountain population contains roughly 20,000 cranes. The breeding range of the Rocky Mountain population had dropped to 150 to 200 breeding pairs in the 1940s due to unregulated hunting.
Now enough sandhill cranes nest in and migrate through Montana to allow a regulated hunting season on the birds each fall. Roughly 500 hunters receive permits each year. The cranes are hunted by placing decoys in feeding fields, similar to a technique used to hunt geese.
Where to see them
Sandhill cranes are a common sight in eastern Montana during the fall migration. Skeins of migrating birds pass overhead throughout the region in October, enjoyed by photographers, hunters, and wildlife watchers.
In western Montana, one of the top spots for viewing cranes up close is the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Beaverhead County, 50 miles west of Yellowstone National Park. In April, the birds arrive from their wintering grounds in southern New Mexico, and they stay until heading south in September. Look for cranes along creeks, wetlands, and open grassy areas. Get more information by calling (406) 276-3536 or on-line at www.gorp.com/gorp/resources/us_nwr/mt_redro.htj (Note: this is a commercial web site. The wildlife refuge's official site was inaccessible when this issue went to press.)


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Download the authoritative guide: Cloud Computing 2019: Using the Cloud for Competitive Advantage
As 2008 draws to a close, virtualization remains one of the few bright spots in a year mired in financial debacles, a deepening recession and credit crisis that doesn't seem to be going away any time soon. Virtualization has become a shelter of sorts in the rapidly brewing storm of economic uncertainty.
In 2008, virtualization seemed to have an unstoppable boom of its own. It has, for all intents and purposes, moved into "killer app" territory. This is unprecedented given that x86 virtualization is barely out of its infancy. In 2007, it went from being a technology vendors needed to explain to enterprises and sell them on, on to a technology everyone asked for. In 2008, however, virtualization became a technology whose capabilities were expected from the chip level on upward. It helped, of course, that Microsoft got behind virtualization with its release of Hyper-V in late June.
So what will 2009 bring? Will virtualization be able to maintain its location within the eye of the growing economic storm? Perhaps, but that doesn't mean the winds of change won't blow it around. That's already begun.
1. VMware Passes the Reins
However, as its message that "Virtually Anything Is Possible" was being broadcast through the Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino and beyond, another message was being heard. The sound of Lehman Brothers crumbling. And then AIG spinning, followed by Merrill Lynch being bought in a fire sale.
And it's not just market forces making life difficult for VMware. While the self-proclaimed monarch was busy planning its coronation, another self-proclaimed ruler was releasing the results of its vision, and that vision is free.
Hyper-V landed on the scene after a few months of delay. Hyper-V at this point is only a hypervisor, but it's an integral part of Windows Server 2008, and it's basically free.
And when Wall Street, Main Street and everything in between is melting down, free is good. Especially if the product is good-enough and it's got Microsoft behind it.
Financial institutions are typically the early adopters for emerging technologies. They are willing to pay big bucks for products that deliver a return on investment of bigger bucks. With budgets frozen or contracting, and a free product on hand, it will be VMware, not virtualization, that will be in question.
Thus, in 2009, VMware will likely have to work even harder to maintain its lead. At present it has about a 40 percent share, the largest by far of any vendor. With the market still largely untapped, it's sure to lose at least some ground to Microsoft.
Another sign of Microsoft's expanding presence is from the ISVs that are developing products for Hyper-V as well as VMware ESX. In the past, ESX was the baseline. Now ISVs are either releasing products compatible with both, akin to Windows and Linux editions, or prioritizing Hyper-V right behind ESX.
VMware will also face increased competition at the other end of the spectrum. CA, Oracle and Symantec have a multitude of products, many of which compete directly with VMware's offering. VMware's end-to-end plan, puts it directly in the these players' arena. There will be blood. There will be consolidation.
2. A Breach in the Levy
Doing anything on the basis of "as cheap as possible" always has ramifications, and virtualization is no exception.
For some time analysts have predicted a security breach would bring the public's attitude toward virtualization back down to earth. Surprisingly, that has not yet happened. As the number of virtual deployments increases, however, so does the likelihood. Especially given the current economic climate, where many enterprises are thinking in terms of short-term savings and virtualizing without proper process.
It may be a perennial prediction at this point, but with as companies virtualize as quickly as they can to save money on equipment, mistakes will be made. These mistakes will range from virtual machine sprawl to wrongly provisioned hardware (most likely resulting in downtime) to gaping security holes.
Expect to read about some horror stories. To avoid becoming a case study for one, plan properly and don't cut corners, especially when it comes to security.
3. Cloudy Skies
Love it or hate it, cloud computing doesn't seem to be going anywhere but up. For cash-strapped enterprises, cloud is a much more desirable solution than inappropriate hardware, as it offloads the heavy lifting.
Amazon's cloud is just the beginning. IBM has a cloud initiative in the works, and expect to see many more in 2009. For some enterprises, building an internal cloud will be the way to go.
Cloud computing isn't terribly new. The concept goes back several decades and has gone by a multitude of names, including utility computing and supercomputing. Its present incarnation has been gaining in popularity for about two years now.
Hosting providers, however, are well-situated to reposition themselves to offer clouds. Expect to see a lot of noise around that.
Not every application is suitable for the cloud, but not every app is suitable for virtualization. In general, mission-critical apps should not be put in a cloud, at least not initially -- unless you're willing to bet the business on them.
4. Wireless, the New Frontier
The excitement has long left the PC vs. Mac arena. In 2009, it will be all about Blackberry vs. iPhone. Successful data centers will take this into consideration, and when planning their virtual deployments, will look beyond traditional clients. Netbooks and smartphones will be increasingly sought after in the server room next year chiefly because of their price and flexibility.Consumer devices are finding their way in through the back door, and enterprises that figure out a way to leverage them securely will have the upper hand in terms of both virtualization and general infrastructure management.
Amy Newman is the managing editor of ServerWatch. She has been covering virtualization since 2001.
This article was first published on ServerWatch.com.
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subset: commoncrawl


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March 25, 2013 07:59 ET
CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - March 25, 2013) - AltaGas Ltd. ("AltaGas") (TSX:ALA)(TSX:ALA.PR.A)(TSX:ALA.PR.U) announced today that its indirect wholly owned subsidiary AltaGas Power Holdings (U.S.) Inc. has entered into a purchase and sale agreement with affiliates of LS Power Equity Advisors, LLC to acquire Blythe Energy, LLC ("Blythe"), which owns a 507 MW natural gas-fired combined cycle plant (the "Blythe Energy Center"), associated major spare parts, and a related 230 kV 67-mile electric transmission line in Southern California, for US$515 million (the "Acquisition").
"The Acquisition of Blythe is an important addition to our power business. The power purchase agreement provides stable earnings and cash flow and with the infrastructure in place today, the facility is well positioned to access two premium power markets in California and Arizona in the future," said David Cornhill, Chairman and CEO of AltaGas. "The addition of natural gas-fired power generation to our energy infrastructure portfolio in the US provides another platform for growth to meet the increasing demand for clean sources of energy."
The Acquisition is expected to be accretive to earnings and cash flow per share in 2014, the first full year of ownership, and is expected to add approximately $50 million in incremental contracted EBITDA per year.
The Blythe Energy Center is contracted under a Power Purchase Agreement ("PPA") through to July 2020 with Southern California Edison ("SCE"). Contract provisions match PPA revenues to all major plant costs.
The Blythe Energy Center is well positioned upon expiry of the PPA in 2020 to contract with other market participants due to its location and ability to serve both the California Independent System Operator ("CAISO") and Desert Southwest markets. The demand for cleaner energy sources, including natural gas, continues to be strong across North America and is a key driver for potential future growth of the Blythe Energy Center. Blythe is located on an owned 76-acre site which provides a significant geographic footprint for potential future expansion.
Investment Highlights
Strategic Fit
Stable Cash Flows
Description of the Asset
The Blythe Energy Center is a natural gas-fired combined cycle power plant located in Blythe, California. The facility employs proven Siemens technology and has a low base load heat rate in the range of 7,000 to 7,500 Btu/kWh, low emissions, responsive start times and flexible ramp rates. The facility is one of the most economic natural gas generating facilities on the CAISO dispatch curve.
The facility is directly connected to Southern California Gas and interconnects with SCE and the CAISO via a 67-mile transmission line. The transmission line is capable of transmitting 1,100 MW and has excess capacity to meet future load growth.
The facility is also interconnected with the El Paso Natural Gas system and is situated to re-connect to the Western Area Power Administration ("WAPA"), providing market access optionality upon expiry of the PPA in 2020.
The Blythe Energy Center is operated pursuant to an Operating and Maintenance agreement with NextEra Energy Operating Services Inc. ("NextEra"). The initial term of this agreement expires in November 2016. NextEra Energy Resources developed, constructed and placed into service the Blythe Energy Center in 2003.
Acquisition Funding
The Acquisition will be financed consistent with AltaGas' current capital structure. AltaGas will continue to maintain its strong balance sheet and financial discipline and is committed to maintaining its investment grade credit rating.
Transaction Closing
The transaction is subject to customary approvals including regulatory approvals from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission of the United States government, and filings and approvals including the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2013.
About AltaGas Ltd.
AltaGas is an energy infrastructure business with a focus on natural gas, power and regulated utilities. AltaGas creates value by acquiring, growing and optimizing its energy infrastructure, including a focus on renewable energy sources. For more information visit: www.altagas.ca.
This news release contains forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, the words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "seek", "propose", "estimate", "expect", and similar expressions, as they relate to AltaGas or an affiliate of AltaGas, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements with respect to, among other things, the anticipated benefits of the Acquisition, the closing of the Acquisition, the maintenance of its investment grade rating, business objectives, expected growth, results of operations, business projects and opportunities and financial results. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect AltaGas' current views with respect to future events based on certain material factors and assumptions and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, changes in market, competition, governmental or regulatory developments, general economic conditions and other factors set out in AltaGas' public disclosure documents. Many factors could cause AltaGas' actual results, performance or achievements to vary from those described in this news release, including without limitation those listed above. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this news release as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, sought, proposed, estimated or expected, and such forward-looking statements included in, or incorporated by reference in this news release, should not be unduly relied upon. Financial outlook information contained in this press release about prospective cash flows and EBITDA is based on assumptions about future events, including economic conditions and proposed courses of action, based on management's assessment of the relevant information currently available. Readers are cautioned that any such financial outlook information contained herein should not be used for purposes other than for which it is disclosed herein. Such statements speak only as of the date of this news release. AltaGas does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
AltaGas Ltd.Investment firstname.lastname@example.com Ltd.Media(403) email@example.com
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We take you away from your regular scheduled programming for a quick report.
Percy Harvin has tweeted. Twice. Tonight. Apparently, he's putting his "issues" to the court of public opinion.
Here's what the Vikings receiver threw out on Twitter (he's @percy_harvin)
"Fans I said I have issues to be worked out money not at all being the problem...I've dne everything asked and more..."
then ...
"Me and cch have been speaking and are on same page...theres nothin I can do"
We're going to guess that "cch" refers to Vikings coach Leslie Frazier.
Otherwise, it's still a little confusing.
See the previous Access Vikings blog for a wrapup on today's "issues" report.
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Comments will be reviewed before being published.


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Title: Maestia
Status: Released Graphics: 3D
Genre: MMORPG
Developer: Gravity Interactive
Publisher: Alaplaya
Explosive Features:
- Equipment can be infinitely upgraded via enchantments
- Dozens of skills for each class
- Thousands of quests that can be accepted on the go
Maestia is a free to play 3D fantasy MMORPG where players can customize their characters with nearly 100 skills for each of the 4 classes available. Maestia offers players the opportunity to collect 'Maestones' which are wearable skill items that give players different skill to use.
Players can collect Maestones by completing quests, doing dungeons, using the extensive crafting system, and purchasing them from various vendors. Maestones can be swapped out in order to tailor your character to the situation at hand. Whether that be PvE or PvP battles.
Maestia offers various PvP event types including 100 vs 100 battles, guild battles, open PK, and small instanced PvP battlegrounds.
Featured Video
[tubepress mode="playlist" playlistValue="PL85111F1D0A302C58″ theme="youtube" playerLocation="normal" resultCountCap="4″]
System requirements
OS: Windows XP, Vista, 7, or 8
Processor: Dual Core 2.0Ghz or above
Memory Ram: 2GB
Hard Disk Space: At least 10GB of free Space
Video Card: Nvidia 6800GT or above
Each game profile contains useful information about the game, gameplay videos, user reviews, gameplay screenshots, system requirements and more!
More MMORPGs Like This
17 User ReviewsLeave Your Review
Might be a nice game to play, if you're one of the small percentage of people actually able to log in. For the rest of us, it's off to "an unexpected error occurred, try again later" land.
Login errors have been ongoing and unresolved since 2012.
I LOVE this game, hopefully it will keep on going and going…..
This game is pretty good, but the low population really kills it. I'll go hours of questing or grinding and never see another soul until I make it back in town — even then, it's pretty barren. I think there are more people AFK-praying (gives you a little bit of currency for some items/mercs) than actual people playing the game. It's a shame, because there's some neat aspects to this game.
– Cash shop is completely balanced, and you can even do the luxury spins with in-game coins to win cash shop items.
– Mercenary system is pretty cool for soloing. You can even recruit your other characters as your own mercenary, or hire yourself out when you're offline.
– Character customization is decent. While you don't get too many options for face or tattoos, you can control your height, width, and the color of your hair/skin to any color.
– Upgrade items and potions are incredibly cheap, so there's no burden of buying overpriced goods off other players, or dealing with hoarders.
– I actually like the skill system quite a bit. Each skill only costs 1 skill point, aside from prerequisites, and you invest into passives of that skill if you want to increase it's effectiveness. I like this because you can try a skill out without devoting many skill points into it.
– Low population. Sooner or later, the question of "why am I grinding to get ahead in a game that nearly nobody plays?" will pop into your head. Due to the low population, parties seem scarce, and the auction house is pretty pathetic.
– RvR is even more pathetic than the auction house. It's a shame, cause it isn't too bad if people actually play, but most of the time one side is outnumbered (and by outnumbered, I mean 6v3 in a potentially 30v30 RvR), so it ends up with either one side afking until the battle is won to collect free rewards, or one side doing nothing but heal spamming the golem (depends on the RvR mode). Either way, it's anything but exciting.
– I really don't like the stat distribution in this game, or the effects rather. First off, investing in the usual str/melee, int/mage, agi/ranger doesn't increase the damage in a flat way like in other MMOs. Instead, it amplifies your weapon damage. This really sucks early and mid game, as having a 2% damage increase (result of 5 stat points invested in damage stats each level) on a 20 damage weapon doesn't make a difference. This gives the feeling of a very slow progression as your character levels. Second, they use a crit/dodge rating, and not a percentage. This can get confusing, as you really don't know how often those will proc, especially when the values are in the thousands.
– It feels like some of the animations are a little clunky, such as jumping and riding a mount. This is definitely not a game for compulsive jumpers.
– The dialogue is pretty awful for anyone who actually cares to read it. The storyline is okay, but your character is a complete tool.
Overall, I gave rated it a 4/5, judging it by the game itself. It would definitely lose a point, or maybe even two, if I were to include the population issue. It just isn't fun playing a vacant game with no competitive gameplay.
For me it is the best game I have played. I played WoW for more than 5 years.
The trick to Maestia is to master the maestones. They really are important and the ones you equip does matter. 2nd trick is find and join a good guild ore create your own. My guild is active, we use raidcall and we are very social. We kill bosses too. But I am never alone unless i just want to be. Both TK and SG have good people so it is not THAT important which side you join as long it is TK. 😀 I know I should be ashamed for saying that, and I will be if I really focus.
-Mercenary system. I love this so much words would not do it justice.
-Dungeons come in 2 modes and you can easily get purple gear
-It is not hard to get legendary gear.
-Has a decent player base. I always find lots of people to interact with
-Also can be played by a lone wolf. Anti social? No problem hire a mercenary and go it alone. I love this because sometimes I just want to be alone. I can still do everything I would need a group for in other games.
-Character creator is awesome. I wont play a game if I cannot create a unique character. Humans come an many colors races and so on and I want my game to reflect the diversity of human kind. If you can only make humans one color then I wont play. In Maestia you can be any color you want.
-Dungeon gear. Yeah every game has it. But here you can actually get the full set with enough runs.
-Cash shop. Has interesting items but you don't NEED them to play. '
Champions battleground allows players to just hide in base and collect Divinity points and XP and never engage the enemy. The game will be a draw and both sides gets a few points.Most battles end this way because no one want to go and fight. They all afk in base leaving 1 or 2 of us standing in the middle of the arena trying to stay awake.
To transfer gear between characters on your account you need to purchase wrapping paper. Ok yes it allows you to transfer soulbound gear to anyone but it just annoys me. So it is a pro and a con at the same time.
To plus an item you need a protection scroll or you will likely lose the item. You can buy these or win them. Feel a little like pay to win. BUT the developers have families to feed and I can't begrudge them a means to make money.
So honestly I can find a lot good to say and the only real thing i find bad is the battle ground where everyone goes AFK to collect points.
One last thing. I think the PVP/PVE balance is the best in this game. You have to enter an arena or a pvp map to be killed. This keeps high level jerks from griefing and harassing lowbies like they do on open world PvP games. Don't like pvp? Easy don't go to a PvP zone. Love PvP then go to PvP zone. Want to harass lowbies because you are an idiot? Play another game cause you can't do it here lol.
Everyone keep saying it is like all the other games. But not the way I see it. The mercenary system, pvp Maps, and arenas, and dungeons make it different and better for me. The only way to know if it is better for you is to try it and see. But go to level 40 because every game sucks for lowbies.
more of the same…
Is there a PVE server? I don't want open world PK.
there is a new update for this game
yeah but I wonder if there is still an active server of it? o.O
Whoa 5 stars!? im gonna try it 😀
Never mind, its 4 stars in a half >.>
I agree, besides it is free to play.. what else can you ask for? 🙂
May I asked if the game is heavily Pay2Win or does the cash shop gives little advantages only such as faster leveling etc..
I actually like this game a lot but it needs more servers in the us, the only one available is too far from me to keep a stable connection on dsl. The lag is very graphical so it keeps me from playing this one unfortunately but if you live close to the server i recommend trying it out as it seems like a solid contender in the free to play market with the content it offers even in this early stage of its life.
Your GRAPHIC lag has NOTHING to do with the server and all to do with your crap PC.
Maestia is… an interesting game to describe. It's nothing groundbreaking and I can't point out anything that makes it stand out greatly from any other fantasy game, but I'm drawn to it. Right now as I type this, I want to play more Maestia for no apparent reason. Anyway, it's extremely straight-forward, easy to learn, and there's lots of direction so you'll never get lost. It's very solo-friendly (I play a cleric and devastate mobs by myself) and provides a lot of incentive to keep playing once you start, such as a package that rewards with different items as you level.
There are two factions with the generic "light versus dark" theme, but it's auto-balanced per server so for the time being only the "light" faction is available for character creation. I haven't actually seen anything in relation to the factions during gameplay and I have no idea what the real significance of them are, besides the rare PVP arena events. There isn't much conflict going on that will make you loyal to one faction and against the other like in Aion or WoW. Time will tell if anything happens there.
My only real complaint lies with the community. The game has only recently been opened to the public, and there are players who have hit the level cap and are insistent on announcing how bored they are of Maestia and that they want to change games, rather than simply leaving or waiting for an update. Chat is a ghost-town and there's never any actual conversation going on, only the occasional guild recruitment. During a summer event, there was NONSTOP complaining about said event that made my attempt to enjoy it much more difficult. I would like more people to play this game who have a greater interest in being involved and growing with it, rather than simply being entertained.
You described it in a nutshell. The game doesn't feature anything of truly superior quality but it takes the good features of other mmos and implements them well enough to keep the game going while not overwhelming the players. I think the part that draws me in is the game tries to create a very relaxed atmosphere while still carrying some vibrance and being lively enough to not lose my interest. What I would expect with the gravity logo tied to it more or less. The issue with there only being one server will be remedied i hope.
It's not revolutionary or spectacular, but Maestia is a pretty nice game to play.


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|Besan Burfi with Condensed Milk
Besan/ Kadalai Maavu - 2 cups
Condensed Milk - 400 gms
Ghee - 8 tbsp
Cardamom powder - less than 1/4 tsp
|Easy Besan Burfi
1. Roast besan flour with ghee in a pan for 15 mins on low heat until raw smell leaves.
2. When besan flour is well roasted add cardamom powder and condensed milk to the pan.
3. Keep stirring until mixture thickens and forms to big mass leaving sides of pan.
4. Transfer mixture to greased plate and cut into desired shapes.
5. Allow completely to cool and enjoy.
|Besan Burfi


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'Sully' movie review: 'Taut, straightforward' drama features Clint Eastwood's latest all-American hero
When considering Sully, Clint Eastwood's taut, straightforward account of heroism on trial, it helps to remember that the title character's name works as both noun and verb. And one can see how Eastwood was drawn to both meanings. The noun, of course, is the nickname of airline pilot Chesley Sullenberger, who saved the lives of 155 passengers and crew on January 15, 2009, by pulling off a daring water landing after a flock of birds took out both engines of his US Airways flight minutes after it took off from New York's LaGuardia airport.
The Sully depicted here is, like many Eastwood heroes, made of uniquely American clay; a sturdy, rigorous material that the director, who recently called today's youngins, "the pussy generation," is finding in short supply. He goes resolutely, yet humanely, about his business, in this case, the business of determining, and then proving afterwards, that the only way to save all passengers and crew on Flight 1549 was to forgo various local runway options and ditch the plane in the Hudson River.
His largest bouts of self-doubt come when confronted with newfangled, computer-simulated evidence that he could have returned safely to either LaGuardia or New Jersey's Teterboro airport. Of course, no computer is going to tell Sully he was wrong because no computer can simulate American can-do, know-how, and gumption. (Did I leave out any of your grandfather's favorite clichés?)
The 'noble American'
Yet it's sully the verb that provides the film's dramatic engine and, one can guess, was Eastwood's emotional entry into the story. Most of Sully is concerned with the post-crash investigation, where a gallery of humorless, almost vengeful National Transportation Safety Board functionaries (led by a smarmy Mike O'Malley) execute their sole charge of discrediting Sully's life-saving efforts.
For Eastwood, the story of a noble and decent American threatened with dishonor by a heartless government speaks to his famously conservative political leanings. Indeed, the 86-year old director seems invested and energized by this material (based on Sullenberger's memoir), maybe even more so than 2014's American Sniper. And he's given us a purposeful argument in favor of a dying breed: the durable, honorable American male.
'Half the film' without Tom Hanks
Analogous to his traditional "get in, get out" shooting style, the movie has almost no fat and is cut with an eye for tension and unease by Blu Murray, replacing Eastwood's longtime editor, Joel Cox. (It also features a very effective sound mix; aggressive, evocative and disturbing.) Sully is, in fact, Eastwood's shortest film as director, as blunt an instrument as he's ever created.
Though effectively suffused with palpable physicality and simmering doubt, Sully would be half the film without Tom Hanks in the title role. In the superhero era, Hanks really is the last major movie star whose persona, on and off screen, is one of genuine, unforced decency.
Hollywood used to crank out these types (James Stewart, Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper). Now we have Hanks, who's too upstanding a screen presence for us to imagine Sully at fault, even if Eastwood and longtime DP Tom Stern (shooting partially in clean, gorgeous IMAX) don't spare the close-ups of Sully's worried brow. He is, we're convinced at the start, the blameless hero acknowledged by history.
However, we do question whether the pressures of a simple man being hailed a hero will overwhelm him and what long-term emotional consequences the Miracle on the Hudson, as it came to be known, may have. The arresting opening scene, repeated later, where Sully envisions a more tragic end to US Airways Flight 1549 speaks to Sully's post-traumatic distress.
One-dimensional supporting cast
Todd Komarnicki's script is lean to a fault, but is given to passages of overly constructed and thematically unsubtle dialogue. He also gives Sully two characters whose only purpose is to give him someone to whom he can articulate his fears. Sully's co-pilot during the fateful flight is the unwaveringly allegiant Jeff Skiles (Aaron Eckhart), whose dark brown mustache is a cross-generational match to Sully's silver cookie duster, suggesting in both men a '70s-era sense of machismo.
Sully's wife, Lorraine (Laura Linney), fares worse. She and her husband never share the screen together as Lorraine is reduced to phoning Sully and allowing him to remind us he's worried and he loves his family.
'Modest and effective' filmmaking
Seeing Tom Hanks, the quintessential middle-aged American Everyman star in a film directed by the quintessential American cowboy, one wishes they'd have collaborated earlier. But what we get is more than satisfactory, as Eastwood's simplicity and Hanks's authenticity deliver diamond-hard notes of quiet emotional clarity, as when Sully is told that all 154 other passengers and crew are confirmed to have survived.
Shots of anonymous skyscraper-dwellers rising slowly and slack-jawed from their office chairs as Flight 1549 makes its final descent traffics in visions of 9/11. But here they feel not only earned but accurate. Later, one character even notes, "it's been a while since New York had news this good. Especially with an airplane in it."
Sully is modest and effective, which might strike some as not big enough, as if we're so inundated with summertime extravaganzas that the story of a real life hero needs to be inflated with volumes of special effects, snarky modern dialogue, and outsized drama. It is also, in a sense, the flipside of Robert Zemeckis' 2012 drama Flight, a fine effort that is nonetheless mainstream and melodramatic, something Sully takes great pains to avoid.
And thank goodness Eastwood, like the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549, chose to go in a surprising direction. Consider this film Eastwood's defense of Chesley Sullenberger against charges that he acted improperly; one that also argues that America could stand to increase its stock of men of modest virtue.
Sully (2016)
Dir.: Clint Eastwood.
Scr.: Todd Komarnicki.
From Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow's book Highest Duty.
Cast: Tom Hanks. Laura Linney. Aaron Eckhart. Mike O'Malley. Jamey Sheridan. Anna Gunn. Blake Jones. Molly Bernard. Chris Bauer. Sam Huntington.
Christopher Curry. Valerie Mahaffey. Molly Hagan. Autumn Reeser. Michael Rapaport. Jerry Ferrara. Jeremy Luke. Bernardo Badillo. Grant Roberts. Cooper Thornton. Patch Darragh.
Cameo: Katie Couric.
Sully movie cast info via the IMDb.
Image of Tom Hanks as pilot Chesley Sullenberger in Clint Eastwood's Sully movie: Warner Bros.


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Educational Programs & Resources
The Ocean County Soil Conservation District offers a variety of educational programs, workshops, and events for community members, as well as students, educators and professionals throughout Ocean County. Click-on any topic below to learn more about it! Or, contact Becky Laboy, Education Outreach Specialist, 609-971-7002 ext. 114, firstname.lastname@example.com.
Educational Programs and Workshops
The Ocean County Soil Conservation District offers a wide variety of educational programs and workshops to educate the community about the importance of soil health, build strong connections to our native landscapes, and inspire stewardship of our watershed. Learn more about the many educational opportunities in Ocean County provided by the Ocean County Soil Conservation District.
2016 Monthly Educational Program Series: "From Lawn to Garden – Going Green, Saving Green"
The Ocean County Soil Conservation District is excited to announce our 2016 monthly series of educational programs, From Lawn to Garden – Going Green, Saving Green. Programs are designed to promote low maintenance landscaping, highlight the ecologic and economic benefits of best landscape management practices, and inspire stewardship of natural resources. Program goals and objectives are supported by the Landscape for Life curriculum, which is based on the principles of the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) program. Each month features a new topic; all programs are FREE to the public. The From Lawn to Garden – Going Green, Saving Green monthly educational programs series is provided in collaboration with OceanFirst Bank, and is made possible in part through funding from the Barnegat Bay Partnership.
Educational Outreach Programs & Workshops for Adults and Children
Programs are available to community members, scouts, teachers, students, garden clubs, environmental committees, non-profit organizations, and groups interested in learning about the importance of healthy soil. Check-out our schedule of monthly educational programs offered free to the public, or book a free program that supports your groups interests.
International Year of Soils Programs
The United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization has declared 2015 the "International Year of Soils" . Healthy soil is at the root of all life. It provides us with the food we eat, the fibers that make our clothing, and the fuel that runs our economy. It cleans our water and sequesters carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere. The Ocean County Soil Conservation District is dedicated to promoting awareness of this finite resource. Join us for an educational and fun hands-on program as we explore the many roles of healthy soil in our lives. A new topic will be explored each month. Programs are located at Jakes Branch County Park. Pre-registration requested. Contact Becky Laboy at email@example.com or 609-971-7002 ext. 114 for more details.
NJ Conservation Poster Contest
The New Jersey Conservation Poster Contest is an annual contest sponsored by the NJ Department of Agriculture, the NJ Association of Conservation Districts and the Ocean County Soil Conservation District, which aims to promote a better understanding of the connection between natural resources and humans, in a fun and creative way that engages students throughout the county, state and nation. The 2017 Poster Contest theme is: Healthy Soils Are Full of Life! The contest is open to all students in grades K-12. Cash prizes are awarded! Find out how you can participate in this exciting contest.
Ocean County Soil Conservation District, in partnership with the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife and Trout Unlimited, provide a unique learning experience for students through the program Trout in the Classroom. Students raise trout from fry in their classroom then release the fish into a healthy New Jersey stream in the spring. Learn more about this exciting program!
Discovering Barnegat Bay Teacher's Curriculum Guide
Discovering Barnegat Bay is an interdisciplinary educational program created by members of the Barnegat Bay Environmental Educators Steering Committee in 2003 to address locally significant topics and resources. The discovering Barnegat Bay guidebook includes meaningful lesson plans, activities and resources for teachers and educators designed to support Language Arts, Science, Social Studies and Mathematics through the exploration of historical, cultural and natural resources of the Barnegat Bay watershed. The guidebook is accompanied by a discovering Barnegat Bay "Treasure Chest" containing a selection of resource materials. Teacher training for the discovering Barnegat Bay program takes place through meaningful workshops that can be scheduled to fit the needs of schools and staff. Please contact the Ocean County Soil Conservation District Education & Outreach Specialist to schedule an in-service at your school: (609) 971-7002 ext. 114 or email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Educational Events
The Ocean County Soil Conservation District is an active leader in the community. The District exhibits their educational table display at local festivals and events, and disseminates complimentary literature to residents looking to build healthier home landscapes, gardens and community ecosystems.
Environmental Educators Roundtable
Each year, the Ocean County Soil Conservation teams up with the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education to host the Barnegat Bay Environmental Educators Roundtable. This event is designed for educators throughout the watershed to come and participate in various workshops, enhancing their knowledge and resources for teaching the environment in the classroom. This event has become extremely popular since its inception in 1997, and helped to promote environmental stewardship to not only educators but the students they teach each year.
The Ocean County Soil Conservation District is a proud sponsor of the New Jersey State Envirothon. This annual competition culminates in one intense day where high school students test their knowledge of environmental topics through hands-on and interactive problem solving at five different stations. Winning teams move on to represent New Jersey in the North American Envirothon competition which is the largest high school environmental education competition in North America.
County-wide Projects
The Ocean County Soil Conservation District partners with many other organizations throughout the county and watershed to create a healthier community. Learn more about the many projects implemented by the District.
SHIP: Soil Health Improvement Project
The Soil Health Improvement Project consists of 5 native plant demonstration gardens, hosted by Jakes Branch County Park, that offer homeowners an opportunity to see and learn about the many native plants available for sunny, shady, dry and wet landscapes in Ocean County. Learn more about this project and start creating your own native plant garden or landscape in your yard!
The Soil District, along with various partners, has successfully designed, planted, and implemented over twenty-five different Outdoor Classrooms at schools throughout the Barnegat Bay Watershed. These rain gardens give students and teachers the opportunity to have a change from the norm and get outside to learn about the environment in hands-on, exciting new ways.
The Ocean County Soil Conservation District, in partnership with NJDEP and Barnegat Bay Partnership, implemented 6 native plant demonstration gardens along the Metedeconk River in Brick and Point Pleasant. The gardens were planted with natives selected using the Jersey-Friendly Yards website, which was launched in the summer, 2015. Anyone can create a Jersey-Friendly Yard. Learn how to create a beautiful landscape that doesn't harm the environment.
Educational Resources
This comprehensive booklet was created originally by the Ocean County Soil Conservation District as a one-stop guide for all educational resources related to Barnegat Bay watershed education. What began as a simple directory has grown into a compendium of resources and organizations offering numerous programs, publications, field trips, and watershed information that educators can incorporate into their lessons and activities.
S.O.S. Sustainable Opportunities through Soil
In 2012 the Ocean County Soil Conservation District partnered with the New Jersey Association of Conservation Districts and the Barnegat Bay Partnership to organize the Soil Health Conference: "Sustainable Opportunities through Soil" hosted at Ocean County College in Toms River, NJ. The main goals of this conference were to raise awareness of the importance of healthy soil in infrastructure as well as ignite conversation between a wide variety of professionals, ranging from lawn care specialists, to professors, to life-long soil scientists. The conference was an enormous success. Please find more information about the 2012 Soil Health Conference here.
Educational Resources:
Check out our Educational Resources Page for links to websites that are both fun and educational.


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This is the second kindly gifted sample from Pu-erh.sk's 2013 production is from Mansa...
The first infusion brings forth very pure sweet, cherry tastes with hints of spice and persimmon-apple. The tastes are very clear and crisp. They have a noticeable cool energy and offer a thin coating to the mouth and mainly noticed in the mid throat. There is a cool peppermint taste left in the throat.
The second infusion is a smooth creamy clean blend of fruity tastes such as banana and pineapples and has an interesting subtle spiciness underneath. The tastes are very clean. The mouthfeel is thin and mainly noticeable in the throat where a cool, tropical-fruity-menthol lingers.
The third infusion has a creamier edge now with a slight touch of caramel tones initially. Soft bananas and creamy tropical tastes emerge later. The taste remains light and cheerful.
The fourth is more watery with some empty space left between the light fruity tastes. The lack of any deeper base tastes to support the pure high fruity tastes becomes more obvious now. There is still a nice cool-fruity finish in the mouth. The banana taste stays minutes later.
The fifth carries a more simple slightly malty-caramel-tropical fruit taste. The mouthfeel remains thin but now slightly sandy on the tongue. The aftertaste is less cooling now. Still fruity aftertastes remain.
The sixth is much the same- even fainter spirit in this tea now.
Jakub's (T) Tasting Notes
Cajovy Kamen's Tasting Notes
Hobbes' (The Half-Dipper) Tasting Notes


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It's almost St Patricks Day! Here's a bit of history for your students and children:
- St. Patrick's Day is an Irish holiday celebrated all around the globe to honor the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick. Read on to learn more about the origin of the holiday and about the man who inspired it or visit our "Fun Facts about St. Patrick's Day" story.
- St Patricks Day is observed on March 17 because that is the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed that he died on March 17 in the year 461 AD. It is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history. St Patricks Day is a national holiday in Ireland, and a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
- In Ireland on St. Patricks Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair.
- Many cities have a St. Patrick's Day parade. Dublin, the capital of Ireland, has a huge St. Patrick's Day festival from March 15-19, that features a parade, family carnivals, treasure hunt, dance, theatre and more. In North American, parades are often held on the Sunday before March 17. Some paint the yellow street lines green for the day! In Chicago, the Chicago River is dyed green with a special dye that only lasts a few hours. There has been a St. Patrick's Day parade in Boston, Massachusetts since 1737. Montreal is home to Canada's longest running St. Patrick's Day parade, which began in 1824.
To help you celebrate, here are some fabulous St. Patrick's Day resources!
Lesson Plans
Leprechaun Message – students examine the punctuation of a message left by a leprechaun (Language Arts)
Visit from the Leprechauns – (Language Arts)
If I had a pot of gold… – (Language Arts)
A Day in the Life of a Leprechaun – (Language Arts)
Students graph clover shamrocks that they find in the schoolyard in this lesson – (Math)
Here's another magically delicious graphing activity with Lucky Charms (Math)
In this science idea, a carnation is magically turned green (Science)
History of St. Patrick's Day (Social Studies)
St. Patrick's Day Hidden Picture Puzzles, Worksheets, Lessons, and Printables
Lots of Printables from Disney Family Fun
Tons of Printables from Kaboose
Enormous Collection of Printables, Activities and More from WooJr
Huge list of Videos from Hot Chalk
Arts & Crafts
Huge collection of projects and more from Crayola
St. Patrick's Day Arts and Crafts for Kids
Tons of Crafts from Enchanted Learning
Craft Ideas from Disney Family Fun
Lots of Great Craft Ideas from Kaboose
Recipes/Food Crafts
Tons of Recipe/Food Ideas from Amazing Moms
Lots of Great Ideas for Treats from Disney Family Fun
St. Patrick's Day Recipes for Everyone in the Family
Great Collection from Family Corner


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Unlocking the potential of real-time provenance.
Aglive has developed the world's first evidence-based tracking & authentication-enabled technology, allowing food to be tracked from 'paddock to plate' through the food production value chain.
Historical food traceability solutions have been low tech and inefficient compared to emerging technology that enhances transparency across the entire value chain.
Real-time NVD solutions that provide complete traceability of livestock through farm to saleyards, processors and beyond.
Proving the history and traceability of livestock has never been more important.
That's why Aglive now offers the first complete 'real-time' range of LPA NVD apps approved for production trials by the MLA for all cattle, sheep and goat movements.
Whether livestock is being transferred from one property to another, between producers or through saleyards, feedlots, exporters or processors, Aglive's IntegriPro software makes managing LPA accreditation requirements quick, easy and precise.
NVDs are completely paperless
Aglive IntegriPro gives instant access to up-to-date NVD forms and can automatically share data with processors, transporters, the NLIS database and more, improving the speed, accuracy and ease of record keeping.
Insights for greater farm productivity
With more accurate data you have the power to make your farm more productive.
Access a world of growth
Proof of your compliance to LPA standards opens the door to a world of potential including better sale prices, and with the addition of future export modules, expanded access to overseas markets.
Protect your reputation
Demonstrated compliance with LPA standards in conjunction with instantly stored evidence-based livestock movements, means greater protection in the event of a crisis.
Improve livestock productivity with a farm management program plus unlimited eNVDs.
In addition to unlimited eNVDs, IntegriPro provides seamless mob and individual EID movements between PICs & fully customisable livestock farm inventory management system, perfect for larger farms looking for more from their software. Available for smartphone, tablet and PC.
Eliminate the paperwork
- Use your tablet or smartphone to complete your LPA NVD wherever you are.
- Replaces the Paper-based LPA NVD Book.
- Create an NVD in just one minute and make last minute changes as stock are getting loaded.
- Notify consignees instantly, before the truck even leaves your property.
- Digital signatures make the process as seamless as possible.
- Manage mob & individual movements via the Aglive Pro full farm management program.
- App downloads are compatible with iPhone & Android devices.
- Electronic National Vendor Declaration Approved Product
Aglive IntegriPro can produce every type of industry and commercial accreditation. Click the examples below:
IntegriData® digital geo-string enabled
Underpinning the system, Aglive has developed IntegriData®a method for tracking and tracing livestock from paddock-to-plate which incorporates geospatial and other evidence-based production data.
Key features of Aglive IntegriData® include capturing, transferring and receiving electronic data from the eNVD. The 'digital geo-string' is secured in the Aglive data cloud, providing a unique digital certificate for 'proof of origin & produce life cycle events' commencing with the production on farm and extending along the entire value chain.
Aglive keeps the history of transactions for 7 years electronically and shares its data with MLA in the event of an international audit.
Australian Technologies Competition (ATC) - Food & Agribusiness Award Winner 2016
Winner Australian Technologies Competition 2016 Food & Agribusiness Category http://www.austechcomp.com/winners
Award winning software
Aglive has been awarded the 2015 CBA Agriculture Innovation Award, the 2014 Telstra Advanced Technology Award, the 2014 ICT Industry RFID Invention Award and the 2014 NAB Agribusiness Innovation Award.


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share:Remind Me
TCMDb Archive MaterialsView all archives (1)
DVDs from TCM Shop
Frankenstein A crazed scientist creates a... MORE > $10.47 Regularly $14.98 Buy Now blu-ray
- In one scene, the Monster (Boris Karloff) walks through a forest and comes upon a little girl, Maria, who is throwing flowers into a pond. The monster joins her in the activity but soon runs out of flowers. At a loss for something to throw into the water, he looks at Maria and moves toward her. In all American prints of the movie, the scene ends here. But as originally filmed, the action continues to show the monster grabbing Maria, hurling her into the lake, then departing in confusion when Maria fails to float as the flowers did. This bit was deleted because Karloff - objecting to the director's interpretation of the scene - felt that the monster should have gently put Maria into the lake. This scene is restored in the videocassette reissue.
- Bela Lugosi was offered the role of the monster, but refused on the grounds that his character would not speak (though he eventually played the role in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)). Lugosi also insisted on creating his own makeup for the Monster, but his design was rejected.
- John Carradine turned down the part of the Monster because he considered himself too highly trained to be reduced to playing monsters.
- After bringing the monster to life, Dr. Frankenstein uttered the famous line "Now I know what it's like to BE God!" The movie was originally released with this line of dialogue, but when it was re-released in the late '30s, censors demanded it be removed on the grounds that it was blasphemy. A loud clap of thunder was substituted on the soundtrack. The dialogue was partially restored on the video release, but since no decent recording of the dialogue could be found, it still appears garbled and indistinct. The censored dialog was partially returned to the soundtrack in the initial "restored version" releases. Further restoration has now completely brought back this line of missing dialog.
- According to the TLC network program "Hunt for Amazing Treasures", a unique six-sheet poster for the original 1931 release, showing Karloff as The Monster menacing Mae Clarke, is worth at least $600,000 US and is possibly the most valuable movie poster in the world. The only known (original) copy is owned by a private collector.
Please support TCMDB by adding to this information.Click here to contribute


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- Fee assured
- Verified this account
Specialises in
- Adult
- Head & neck oncology
- Paediatric
About me
Appointed as a substantive consultant in January 2000 to St.Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust.
I was trained in all aspects of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery in the Merseyside training rotation.
Did my Skull base Fellowship in Zurich, Switzerland and Neuro-otology fellowship in Copenhagan, Denmark
I am the Surgical Tutor in the Royal College of Surgeons
Honorary lecturer to university of Liverpool
I am also member of the Merseyside Specialist Training and Education Committee.
I have number of peer reviewed publications in International Journals.
Regularly give presentations in local, international meetings.
Lead clinician for Head and Neck lump services
Clinical Director ENT and Head and Neck services
Areas of interest
Ear discharge; hearing reconstruction; dizziness; Cholesteatoma; Voice disorders; Head and neck surgery ; Neck Lumps; Laryngology; Chronic sinusitis; Sinus procedures incl. endoscopic sinus surgery; Nasal Polyps; Allergic rhinitis; Neurotology; Thyroid disorders / surgery; Paediatric ENT disorders; Cosmetic nasal and ear surgery; Lump in the throat; Watering of eyes; Snoring; Sleep apnoea.
Medical secretaries
- Christine Moore
- The Spire Cheshire Hospital Fir Tree Close Stretton WARRINGTON WA4 4LU
- 01925 215040
- 07713 166515
Anaesthetists worked with
- Dr Suganthi D Singaravelu Fee Assured
- Dr Archana Senathirajah Fee Assured
- Dr Sumit Mitra Fee Assured
- Dr Scott Miller Fee Assured
- Dr Robin N Foster Not Fee Assured
- Dr Andrew Wong Not Fee Assured
External resources
- Head and Neck Lumps
- Velautha Nandapalan
- Mr.Velautha Nandapalan
- Mr.Velautha Nandapalan
- Ear Nose and Throat specialists
Current NHS consultant posts held
St.Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust
Research interests
Watering of eyes- Dacrocystorhinostomy
Chronic ear pathology
Personal interests
GYM. Chess, Bridge
Awards received
Surgical care award
Janet-Nash Fellowship
JLO Fellowsip
(Additional) Languages spoken
- Tamil - Fluent
International Journal of Otology
Journal of Head and Neck Surgery
Clinical Otolaryngology
International Journal of Paediatric Otolryngology
Journal of Laryngology and Otology
Courses offered to GPs
Teaching sessions in the private hospitals and GP practices
- MBBS University of Colombo, Sri Lanka 1984
- LRCP/ MRCS Royal College of Surgeons, England 1986
- FRCS Royal College of Surgeons 1992
- FRCS (ORL & H&N SURG) Royal College of Surgeons- Inter Collegiate Board, UK 1997
Additional training
- Skull Base Fellowship University Hospital Zurich 1999
- Neuro-otology Gentoff Hospital, Copenhagan, Denmark 1998
- House Ear Institute St.Vincent Medical Centre, Los angels, USA 1999
GMC registration
Reference number 3182121
Professional bodies (positions held - last 3 yrs)
- member ENT-UK 1996
- Member British Medical Association 1988
- Member medical Defence Union 2000
- Surgical Tutor Royal College of Surgeons 2010
Details of entry to specialist register
Affiliations / memberships
Royal Society of Medicine
Memer of STEC
Hon.Lecturer University of Liverpool
Practice hours
Appt Bookings
- Fairfield Independent Hospital, WA11 7RS
- Monday
- 17:00 - 19:30
- 01744 739311
- Fairfield Independent Hospital, WA11 7RS
- Wednesday
- 16:00 - 19:30
- 01744 739311
- Fairfield Independent Hospital, WA11 7RS
- Friday
- 12:30 - 14:30
- 01744 739311
- Spire Cheshire Hospital, WA4 4LU
- Wednesday
- 08:00 - 12:00
- 0845 602 2500
- Spire Cheshire Hospital, WA4 4LU
- Thursday
- 18:00 - 20:30
- 0845 602 2500
- Spire Cheshire Hospital, WA4 4LU
- Saturday
- 08:00 - 10:30
- 0845 602 2500
Post treatment communication
Following treatment of a Bupa member, I will communicate with GPs in line with Department of Health, GMC and appropriate professional bodies guidelines.
In the event of an urgent query following treatment, Bupa members should use the following contact details
Resident Medical Officer- 01744 739311
Resident Medical Officer- 01925 215012
Chris Moore- 01925 215040


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Looking for a change of place
It seems that in Ireland over the last decade, anybody with a bit of spare loot is buying a bolthole in the south of France, or Portugal, or south of Spain.
I don't have spare loot. But I've spent time in both France and Spain over the years. I've done many flying visits in both countries, and also in Portugal. I like them all.
Still, if I wanted to live somewhere else for a while (retirement isn't on the horizon, and I never expect to be able to afford it anyway), it would probably be Italy, and either Tuscany or up further around Alba.
There's something special about Tuscany. Though I've only been there four or five times, mostly short overnights on business, once over a few days on a trip from Milan to Rome. The long way. One of my few longish holidays in recent years.
In general I like Italian food, but I don't eat either pasta or risotto. When I'm at a big-shot formal restaurant in Milan or Turin or Siena or wherever and the pasta plate comes along, I ask instead for a dish of chopped tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Absolutely scrumptious ...
Other than the pasta or risotto I like pretty well everything else about how the Italians eat. Especially when I'm in a very ordinary place, where ordinary Italians go to eat on a nightly (and daytime too) basis. The food is simple, recognisable. Edible in toto.
The wine is invariably super, whether just the house's table stuff or something special from my favourite areas of Alba or Chianti. There's a thing about Italy's winemakers that I found some time ago — they don't export their best, they keep it for drinking at home. Another reason to consider spending some of the rest of my life in a part of the world where you drive into a piece of history every time you turn a corner. Or happen on a family winery.
I can't just up and go. I have commitments here, business and personal. I have work I still like to do. And I need to be in Ireland to do at least part of it.
Now here's a thought. If I was to decide to move to Tuscany for a year, what's to stop me commuting home for half of every week? Or every second week? I could line up my review cars for the times I'd be back in Ireland, and through the modern miracle of the internet (and a suitable broadband connection) I could manage the writing and design part of my work from wherever I might be renting in the Italian countryside.
At least every other week I'd be scheduled to fly somewhere else in Europe anyhow, and it would be as easy to arrange flights from Italy to the launch events as from Ireland. Easier, in fact. I could even drive to some of them.
One of the miracles of modern transport is an Irish-based airline that flies people all over Europe at very low fares. Ryanair is the quintessential European model of the low-cost carrier. One of the most successful airlines in the world, in fact. Ryanair flies to Pisa. That's a handy connection to where I'd like to be. To anywhere else I'd have to be.
I'm not looking for the 'Year in Tuscany' thing, trying to make a new life in the hardship worlds of farming or tourism. I don't want any new hardship at this time of my life. So I'd be aiming to do a location shift while maintaining my current work.
This is a muse piece. Nothing decided, just developing an idea.
So stay tuned to see if I get it moved on.


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Kieran Quinn's Blog
Councillor Kieran Quinn
Archive for April 2017
Banks and our high street
Friday, 21 April 2017
As election fever begins to grip the country it is even more important that bread-and-butter issues keep receiving the attention they deserve. One way or another, when the dust settles after the 8
June we still need to keep looking for ways to grow, improve and invest in Tameside, its towns and its residents.
One of the key things we need to do to achieve this is keep a close eye on the vibrancy of our high streets. For the first time ever it looks like this is going to be a major election issue as well. The reason for that is simple; our high streets have changed, and continue to change, radically since the days when they were home to the 'butcher, the baker and the candlestick-maker' immortalised in nursery rhyme 'Rub-a-Dub-Dub'.
Today most are still home to a sandwich shop and newsagents', though the proliferation of the car and home freezers has meant that, rather than visiting a number of independent shops for their groceries, people choose a more convenient weekly trip to the supermarket. However, in addition to the paper shop and butty bar, another business that has survived in most towns is the local branch of a high street bank.
Banking is an essential service which is accessed almost universally. Whilst technology has meant that a majority of transactions are now conducted electronically and we are constantly told of the impending arrival of a 'cashless society' there is still demand for the ability to bank in person. The
abandonment of plans to phase out cheques by 2018
is one illustration of how customers still want access to more traditional banking methods.
This is why I'm fiercely opposing the recently announced plans for the closure of the branches of Lloyds and NatWest in Droylsden and the closure of NatWest in Denton in autumn of this year. These proposals follow the loss of HSBC in Hyde. Whilst the caricature is that in branch banking is a service that is now only accessed by the elderly why is it that online only banks such as First Direct and Smile feel the need to have an agreement with other institutions so that their customers can access branch based services? For many a branch is also the only place to withdraw an amount of money above the £200 limit some banks impose on transactions at a cash machine.
We must not forget either that the argument against closures is not about the loss of services alone. The presence of banks supports the continued vibrancy of local high streets and district centres. They are used by local businesses but also act as a draw bringing people in to the town that, once they have conducted their banking, often go on to spend their money in other local shops. I've witnessed this, and even do this myself in Droylsden. Arguably, as banks are businesses that make significant amounts of money, they can spare some cash to retain branches and support local communities?
Over the coming weeks and months I'll be working hard to build opposition against these closures and campaigning hard to see the plans abandoned. I'll also be setting up meetings with both Lloyds and Natwest to see what more can be done in both sides to avert or mitigate these closures. Contact with both companies has been made and I will keep you updated on any further progress in the weeks and months ahead.
I know can count on your support as we work to protect Tameside's local communities.
Posted by: Kieran Quinn
A New Deal for State Schools
Wednesday, 19 April 2017
Education is a topic that appears frequently on this blog, a fact that I make no apologies for. Caught between the rock of eye-watering funding cuts (£11.5 million by 2019 in Tameside alone) and the hard place of government ideologues out to dismantle our comprehensives, the English education system is under threat as never before. How refreshing it is to see Ashton's own MP, Angela Rayner, defending the ideal that education should provide everybody, regardless of birth or circumstances, with the best possible start in life.
The policy, announced at the end of last week, is simple. It's not a widely known fact that private school fees are exempt from VAT. It's estimated that ending this tax loophole will unlock up to £1.5 billion at extra funding for schools, at least part of which is set to be reinvested to provide free school meals to all primary school children, regardless of their families' income.
I've taken some time to reflect on the content of the policy, and let me be clear. I am totally in favour. So is Michael Gove, a man who up until now I agreed with on very little when it came to education. I can think of no circumstances that can justify wealthy parents (and if you can afford to send your child to a private school, without a scholarship or suchlike, then you are a wealthy parent) buying a further advantage for their children at a 20% discount. A discount, by the way, that is paid for by the taxpayer, many of whom could not even dream of sending their children to a private school. What's more, here's a list of some other things that are exempt from VAT; food, water, prescription medicines and clothes. Can anybody seriously argue that access to a private education is as important as those vital necessities?
I'm not suggesting that ending the VAT giveaway for private schools will redress this imbalance overnight, but it's definitely a start. Extending free school meals to all primary school children as part of the proceeds will also have a powerful effect, both symbolically and practically. Studies conducted over the years in Britain and abroad have shown that providing children with free, high-quality school meals is an investment in their health, well-being and learning. Their results improve, their diets improve and their families' financial situation improves. While everybody benefits, it is children from less well-off backgrounds that see the most dramatic improvements. Giving every child a free school meal will also remove the stigma that a minority of children unfortunately say that they sometimes feel from receiving one as a result of the current policy.
Beyond the provision of free school meals, a wider question has to be asked. Every day we seem to hear another piece of news about the crisis in school funding, from head teachers writing to parents asking them for contributions to pay for basic necessities to warnings from the National Audit Office that state schools will need to find an extra £3 billion in savings by 2020 just to break even. Why is it that the private sector continues to receive such generous tax breaks even though it forms a tiny minority (around 7%) of the total education sector? Obviously parents sending their children to state schools don't have to pay fees, but couldn't we use the tax system to increase general school budgets, or (if you want more targeted spending) fund subsidies for school trips or after-school clubs in the state sector? Let's find ways to help the vast majority of the population, instead of continuing to throw money at divisive, ideologically-driven grammar schools or private schools for the privileged few.
We face in this country both a crisis in school funding and a crisis in social mobility. Ending the private school VAT giveaway, unpalatable as it may be for some, addresses both. Anybody against it needs to explain how they would choose to address those same two crises. As the country prepares to go to the polls in June, I will continue to support ideas like this, bold and effective ones that offer people something different. Let's have more of the same.
Posted by: Kieran Quinn
Don't Miss Out On Tameside's Easter Celebrations
Wednesday, 12 April 2017
I want to use this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Easter.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who's wondering where the time has gone. It feels like only yesterday when we were putting up the Christmas decorations. At the same time, we've squeezed a lot into those four and a half months. From the opening of Total Adrenaline and iTrain to our progress on health and social care integration, also known as
Care Together
, we've put the building blocks in place for a big 2017 in Tameside.
The Easter break is also a time to think about the importance of family and community. There are many people who will celebrate Easter in the traditional sense; commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are others who choose not to celebrate Easter as a religious event but see the long weekend as a chance to spend time with their loved ones. However people choose to mark the date, it is unlikely that they will be doing it alone. It is that coming together, the shared experience of people despite their different beliefs and backgrounds, which gives Easter both its religious and its secular importance.
As always when I mark significant dates on this blog, I'd like to ask you to spare a thought for those who are vulnerable during Easter. Consideration for others is the glue that helps to hold our communities together. Donating the money you might have spent on another Easter egg, or taking a few hours out of your bank holiday could make a massive difference for those who are alone, homeless or in need of a helping hand. Please also think about giving a "Thank you" to those for whom the Easter weekend is just another couple of working days. From shop workers to the men and women in the NHS, police and armed forces; all of them have given up their holidays so that we may have ours in convenience and safety.
For those who want to celebrate Easter in a religious manner (even if you don't count yourself as a regular churchgoer) every church in Tameside is putting on a full Easter programme of services, vigils and community events. If you want your Easter Egg Hunts and other things to do, we've got that covered as well. Tameside Council and its partners will be putting on a series of events for children and families over the Easter weekend. In Villemomble Square on Good Friday and Easter Saturday the famous Droylsden Easter Market will host a wide variety of attractions, such as craft stalls, raffles and tombolas for children and a beer tent for the adults. We're also holding an egg hunt at Lower Higham Visitor Centre from
1pm-3pm on Easter Sunday, including competitions for the best dressed Easter eggs and bonnet. You can find a complete list of the events taking place in Tameside, during Easter and beyond, on the council's website
Of course, after the Easter celebrations have passed we've still got the rest of the year to look forward to. On 4
May Tameside, along with the other Greater Manchester councils, will be holding the first elections for the position of Mayor of Greater Manchester. We'll also keep working to maintain our vital services, put on great events for children and families and deliver on our pledges to our residents.
So enjoy this Easter, however you choose to celebrate it, and then let's welcome the rest of 2017 in the spirit of optimism and community.
Posted by: Kieran Quinn
Another Blow for Hard-Working Families
Wednesday, 05 April 2017
Have you ever wondered how you could end up being £2,700 a year poorer without doing anything? After tomorrow, all it will take is being born into a fairly normal British family.
I wrote around the time of the Budget last month that while the man himself may have left the Treasury, Osbornomics is still alive and kicking. Tomorrow that statement will be true in the most literal sense, as a raft of benefit and tax changes announced by Osborne when he was still Chancellor will come into effect. Among those changes include the limiting of child tax credits or Universal Credit payments to the first two children in every family.
It's hard to know where to begin with this, but I'll start with the obvious. It's painfully clear that the government wants us to think that this cut is targeted at one of the most infamous tabloid hate figures, the family who stay at home and see children as a way of getting their hands on more benefit money. One slight problem; the people that will be affected the most by this cut are as far away from that imaginary caricature as you can get. The Resolution Foundation estimates that Thursday's cuts will cost a middle-income with three children and both parents working £2,700 a year. That's a heck of a lot for most people to lose.
The cut is bad enough in sheer monetary terms, but it becomes nothing short of actively cruel when you think about the knock-on effects. The government claim that they want to tackle the root causes of disadvantage, but forcing up to 200,000 children nationwide into poverty is a funny way of going about it. The cut also does nothing to take into account the fact that many people's financial circumstances will change over time, often drastically and often not for the better. A family may be able to afford to raise more than two children now, but they could be one redundancy or one injury away from struggling for money in the future through no fault of their own.
That's not even the worst of it. In some extreme cases, these cuts bring government intrusion into the most personal and traumatic parts of a person's life back in a way that I hoped we'd left behind generations ago. What happens to the women who will have to prove to the government that their child was conceived from rape if they want to keep receiving the money they're entitled to? It's a policy so grotesque that I honestly refused to believe it when I first heard about it, and assurances received from senior figures in the government about how it will work out in practice have done little to change my view. I'm not saying any of this to shock or offend. I'm saying it because this is what happens in the real world when you start seeing women, children and families not as people, but as liabilities on a government balance sheet.
What makes me truly angry is that it never had to be this way. The people that made and passed these cuts, Cameron, Osborne, Duncan-Smith, are no longer in charge. It would have cost Theresa May nothing to reverse them like she's reversed so many other policies of the previous government. How powerful a message would it have sent to the hard-working but "just about managing" families she claims to support if she had scrapped cuts that singled them out for cruel, mean-spirited and unfair treatment?
Her failure to do so sends out a very different message. The more things change, the more they stay the same. And once again, it will be those who can ill-afford it who will end up paying the price.
Posted by: Kieran Quinn
Tackling Physical Inactivity
Monday, 03 April 2017
The British Heart Foundation this week published a report, the findings of which were that more than 20 million people in the UK are physically inactive. There were large regional variations and unfortunately our region, North West England, topped the table with 47% of the adult population considered physically inactive.
The 47% figure is all the more shocking when you consider the definition of 'physically active'. The study didn't require people to be marathon runners, or elite cyclists. To meet the criteria you wouldn't even have to step in to a gym or a swimming pool either. The level activity you are required to undertake to be considered 'active' can be achieved by things that can be incorporated in to most people's daily routine.
An active person is somebody who takes part in at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. That's half an hour of walking, cycling or even just mowing the lawn for 5 out of 7 days. Put simply, walk to and from the shops in your lunch hour every day and you're 'active'.
We all know that people have busy lives and often other things like family or work often take over, but it's important that we make time for our health too. Inactivity contributes to an increased risk of a range of illnesses including heart disease, diabetes and strokes. It needlessly costs the NHS £11.2 billion every year, money that could be spent on a host of other things.
Whilst I had said that it's not necessary to go to the gym or for a swim that's not encouragement not to do so if you want to! Of course, I couldn't write about health and exercise without taking the opportunity to promote the £20 million investment in our leisure facilities. We've recently seen the opening of
in Dukinfield, a new 24/7 gym and fitness suite, and
Total Adrenaline
on the site of the former Active Longdendale. These will be followed by the opening of the new 'Wellness Centre' in Denton.
In addition to new leisure facilities there are also dozens of events and activities taking place across Tameside that you could also get involved in to get active. Tameside has a huge range of
walks and trails
you could try out one the weekend or on a day off. Our
3-2-1 running courses
in Hyde and Dukinfield Parks are free to use whenever the park is open. Volunteer led park runs take place every Saturday in
Stamford Park
Hyde Park
and this June will see the
Tour of Tameside
return to the Borough's streets.
It's clear that there's plenty we can do to get more active for little or no cost. Together we can reduce the pressures on our health services by making Tameside a healthier, happier Borough.
Posted by: Kieran Quinn
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Thursday, 7 October 2010
Guessing Game!
Open invitation to GUESS WHAT THE HECK THIS IS!!!! Well, if you already know what it is, please guess what happened....
There will be a prize for the person who guesses closest and also for the person who has the most creative guess.
Good luck!
14 comments:
Well, I'd have to say it is a soap volcano. :) I think while you were not looking the soap gnomey's snuck into your room and tossed some marshmallows into your soap pot.
- 7 October 2010 at 08:46
Rising bread dough gone wild?!
- 7 October 2010 at 08:48
- Ann Stoermer said...
I have to agree with Courtney. Soap volcano for sure! It does kind of looks like bread though. I always thought it would look more liquid-like... I just hope you weren't too close when it happened!
- 7 October 2010 at 09:48
- Ольга Александровна said...
Soap escaped from a very rapid gel :-)
- 7 October 2010 at 10:59
- Splurge Sisters said...
Well my first thought was it looked like dough rising. Now I'm thinking it's a soap that exploaded on you with perhaps honey in it. Or it's a shampoo maybe?
- 7 October 2010 at 11:23
- Anne-Marie said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- 7 October 2010 at 12:47
- Anne-Marie said...
I'm going to guess overheating that caused a soap volcano. Can't wait to find out what happened!
- 7 October 2010 at 12:48
- TheSoapSister said...
Boy, it does look like dough...but isn't that a wooden mold on the lower left? My first thought was some sort of big ol' wasps nest!
Pretty cool lookin', whatever it is! :)
- 7 October 2010 at 13:34
- Cocobong Soaps said...
Most likely volcán-oed jabón due to calentarse excesivamente? But..it could also be a) traditional spanish el pan, b) an artfully folded towel serving as a prop for the next photo session of your magnificent soaps, and you chose a white towel to show us the INCREDIBLE orange shade you achieved by using coral dust that blew past your casa, settling on your desk as you were brooding over the next soapy recipe, or c) hubby's homebrew?
- 8 October 2010 at 00:48
- Shannon said...
It looks like a soap that just couldn't contain its own excitment to be seen! Poor soapy was so excited it had to explode to get attention. :D It looks very cool!
- 8 October 2010 at 09:31
- Sincerely Natural said...
hmmm, it does look like yummy bread dough. But I'm going to have to go with soap volcano, since it looks like a little corner of freezer paper peaking out of a wooden mold.
- 8 October 2010 at 11:15
- AromaBeauty Natural Soaps said...
That sure looks interesting Jen, must admit I have no idea, but can't wait to hear about it. Go Cocobong, no wonder your soaps are so fantastic with that imagination, one of those answers have just got to be right:)
- 8 October 2010 at 18:28
- FuturePrimitive said...
hmmm, i reckon you may have tried CPOP?
Looks a little foamy...like mine did when I tried it and didn't realise that I should've been working in Farenheit...lol!
- 9 October 2010 at 01:56
It's a baby chick, newly hatched, poking it's way out of the cotton wool insualation!
- 9 October 2010 at 02:20


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Manon Labrèche, PT, CEAS II, has been the Injury Prevention Coordinator at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) for 14 years. She is responsible for the development of the Lift Team and Injury Prevention Program at TGH. Since inception of this program, TGH has seen a 61% reduction in patient handling injuries and an 80-90% reduction in cost for patient handling injuries.
In April 2009, TGH received the Best Practice Award for their injury prevention and lift team program at the annual safe patient handling conference in Orlando. She has served on many National Task forces with the Tampa Patient Safety Center, the AORN and the ANA. She is currently on the Board of Director for the American Association of Safe Patient Handling and Movement.


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