text:
Creating The Best Cheap Product Video For Jogging Stroller Training Biz
How To Create A Quick Product Video For YouTube
Last week I created a short video for one of my clients. The brief was to creative something professional looking but quick to keep costs down.
You might be aware that in recent times google have placed a great deal of emphasis on videos in their search results meaning anyone that wants their site to rank on the first page of google stands a much better chance of doing so if they have a video embedded on that page.
I was asked by Heidi Jacobs of www.runwithheidi.com if there was any way I could create a basic video in less than 1 hour as the available budget was small.
Not being one that likes to disappoint I created this video on the top ten best selling jogging strollers in less than 30 minutes and kept the price within budget.
With permission I have created this tutorial so that you can do the same.
Tools You Will Require
Camtasia Studio Software
Google Chrome Browser
Adobe Photo Shop
Mp3 Background Music – This time the client supplied an MP3that I used otherwise I would have selected something from JewelBeat for 99 cents.
Step 1 – Create A Title Screen
First Up I created this quick image in photoshop. It's self explanatory really so I won't go into detail….
It's a rounded rectable with a angled gradient. Simple text on top with a stroke to make it stand out.
This image is to form the intro screen for the video. It's purpose is to quickly explain what the video is about and to display the url of the clients website.
This image can be imported into Camtasia using the Import Media Function and form there can be simply dragged from the clip bin into the timeline.
I also apply fade transition effects to the video to make things a little smoother.
Total Time 8 minutes
Step 2 – Download Product Images From Amazon
This can be a little trickey as amazon displays the large product images using a javascript slideshow. This means that you cannot simply right-click and save the images but don't fear it's not so hard to find them using the Inspect Element feature on google chrome.
Go to the product that you want to display and right-click the image. Then go to Inspect Element.
Then click on the Resources Tab and go to Frames > Images.
Here you will see every image that is used to construct the webpage. You need to scroll through all the images to find the largest image available to make the HD video.
Repeat this process for all the top 10 items (in this case the top ten best jogging strollers).
Total Time 10 minutes
Step 3 – Download Product Images From Amazon
Now that you have the top ten images in large resolution jpegs the next step is to import them into Camtasia Studio.
Simply import the images into the clip bin and them drag them down onto the timeline. Arrange them in the order you require.
Camtasia has many great tools for adding written text overlays to your video so you can add these to provide useful product information to make the video more engaging.
The best way however is to record a simple voiceover describing the pros and cons of the product who image is currently displaying.
Total Time 10 minutes
These simple 3 steps can be carried out in under 30 minutes and the end result is an effective engaging video that can be placed on your website.
If you are interested in getting a quick product video down for your website and would like something similar to this video then please get in touch via the contact form.
Note: This client had a special need to create a budget video. This is not the type of video I would recommend for corportate clients. RunWithHeidi.com is a site for mums involved in running with their babies and the video requirements were not something that would be appropriate for a corporate client.


text:
Melodie from Wacoal offers style and sophistication with geometric embroidered flowers and architectural scalloped edging. The thong has an all embroidered bias cut front panel and lavish guipure side inserts with scallop detailing at side leg for a flattering fit.
Postage Rates are as follows:
Above rates are per order. Shipment is via Royal Mail. If you have chosen one of our standard services, we may still choose to send your order via a signed service at no extra cost to yourself.
Please see Order Shipment for additional information

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Five with Oklahoma ties on U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team
OKLAHOMA CITY — Five players with a tie to Oklahoma have made the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team for the Summer Games in London later this month.
Oklahoma City native and former Sooner Blake Griffin, along with three members of the Oklahoma City Thunder have made the team.
Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden all made the team, as did former Hornet Chris Paul, who played two years in Oklahoma City when the Hornets were displaced from New Orleans.
The 12-member team was announced on Saturday in Las Vegas, and will be a heavy favorite to win the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
All but Paul will be making their first Olympic appearance.
The 2012 Summer Olympics can be seen on Oklahoma's News Channel 4 HD, starting on July 27th.


text:
- Ft. Thomas Matters
Jennifer works with your specific goals in mind to get results. She is dedicated to her business which I find admirable. She caters the workouts to your body and your focus. I love the small, personalized atmosphere. Try it out!
I've been running for several years now, but realized I needed to focus more on strength and core training to improve my fitness. I love Jennifer's classes! She keeps things energetic and varied. Not only do you get a great workout, but she genuinely cares for her clients and makes an effort to get to know all of us. I love this little community!


text:
Alternative loans are available to degree-seeking students who need additional funds to meet the Cost of Attendance. They are only awarded after the student has received a Stafford Loan. Students applying for an alternative loan may borrow up to the total budget for the current academic year. These loans are in the student's name and approved based on the borrower's credit and work history. The interest rates on these loans are variable, and most go into repayment six months after the separation date.
The S.C. Teachers Loan is available to S.C. residents enrolled in a teacher education program. Additional eligibility requirements, loan details and application can be found at www.scstudentloan.org.
* As with all student loans, students are encouraged to only borrow what is absolutely needed.
Discover Health Professions Loan
Sallie Mae Graduate Health Professions Loan
Admissions & Financial Aid
800-947-7474 Toll Free
843-863-7070 Fax
Veterans Services
843-863-7070 Fax
Registrar's Office
843-863-8023 Fax
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (ET)
Hunter Center


text:
YOW! 2012: Dave, Martin and Todd - The Loadstone Foundation
Dave Thomas discusses the Loadstone Foundation with fellow foundation founders Martin Thompson and Todd Montgomery. The principles of this newly-formed foundation - which is specifically focused on the financial industry and banking sector - are:
- Contribution of quality code should be valued above all else
- No control or manipulation by membership donations
- Longer term return of value is more important than short term project needs
- Encourage federation of trust and community
- Inspire the community via leadership rather than management
- Engage in common beneficial efforts with other industries
Todd is a Middleware and Networking Expert, VP Architecture Messaging 29West / Informatica. He is Vice President of Architecture for the Messaging Business Unit of 29West, now part of Informatica. As the chief architect of Informatica's Messaging Business Unit, Todd is responsible for the design and implementation of the Ultra Messaging product family (formerly known as LBM) which has over 190 production deployments within the financial services sector.
Martin is a high-performance and low-latency computing specialist, with experience gained over two decades working with large scale transactional and big-data domains, including automotive, gaming, financial, mobile, and content management. He believes Mechanical Sympathy - applying an understanding of the hardware to the creation of software - is fundamental to delivering elegant, high-performance, solutions.
Download this episode
- Low Quality MP4 (63.2 MB)
- Mid Quality WMV (53.3 MB)
- High Quality MP4 (138.7 MB)
- Mid Quality MP4 (96.9 MB)
- High Quality WMV (222.7 MB)
Related episodes
YOW! 2012: Martin Thompson - Mechanical Sympathy and High Performance Coding
YOW! 2012: Dave Thomas and Michael Feathers - Breaking the Legacy of Legacy Code
YOW! 2012: Mike Lee - New Lemurs, Chemistry, Transdimensional Portal, Object-Oriented Audio
YOW! 2012: Jafar Husain - Rx and Netflix, A Match Made in Composable Asynchrony
YOW! 2012: Brian Beckman and Michael Ficarra - CoffeeScript
YOW! 2012: Kevlin Henney - Cool Code, Modern Programming, Big Problems in Computing
YOW! 2012: Aaron Bedra - Clojure, Groupon, and Application Security
YOW! 2012: Don Reinertsen - The Zen of Product Development
YOW! 2012: Michael Nygard - Architecture Without an End State, Modern IT, and More
The Discussion
I don't fully understand the premise of Lodestone they say open source do they mean free open source? What is the model of how people will contribute? In my mind if I can get $250k/yr making plumbing software for a round robin of banking customers why would I contribute to a FOSS repository?
If I'm thinking correctly banks would still have to pay to make the model work, they could either have their in house developers publish their code (with mutual sharing with others in the industry) or have it as part of the contract for the consultants that the code gets turned over with the required FOSS license. But I can't see why people capable of doing the high paid jobs would give the code away instead of doing the consulting gigs. Linux I can see because it is something the individual gets a kick out of and can actually use themselves, doing plumbing code for a bank is work and needs to pay me IMHO.


text:
Brenda will teach you all you need to know to create wonderful stained glass art. During three 2 - 3 hour sessions you will learn the copper foil method while making an 8'' sun catcher. Brenda will draw on over 25 years of experience to give you all the tips and tricks, that make stained […] more
Come join Brenda for 3 – 4 hours to learn the basic principles behind fusing glass in a kiln. Brenda will teach you all you need to know to make beautiful fused hangings or dishes. Starting with theory, then moving into the fun part of playing with the glass, you will make an 8" square […] more
During this fun two day class, Brenda will teach you how to make amazing, colourful glass and concrete stepping stones from scratch. You will walk away with knowledge and a 14'' round or 16'' hexagon stone. $175 everything included […] more
Brenda offers one on one classes and is happy to teach you whatever your heart desires [about glass that is]. Ask her about Intermediate Fusing Lead Came Method Stained Glass Lamp construction Mosaic Mirrors and more $75 per hour […] more
Brenda also offers PLAY DATES for adults and/or children. The topic is up to you. This can be booked on your schedule if you have a minimum of 4 participants […] more
There is space at the shop to work on your own projects if you do not have a suitable area at home. Please call ahead to book a time for $15 per hour […] more


text:
How long do I have to decide?
You may feel pressured to make a decision about your pregnancy right away, but don't let anyone rush you. You have time to think it through, gather information, and talk to someone who will listen to you. Agape PRC is a safe, confidential place where you take your time. We will listen to you, answer your questions and provide you with accurate information. You will be empowered to make the best decision possible…based on factual information, not just emotion. Since we do not charge for our services, we do not profit from your decision.
Is parenting right for me?
Parenting is a huge but rewarding responsibility. Most find parenting to be an even bigger blessing than they originally thought it would be, but they also find it to be more challenging than they imagined.
The thought of parenting may feel overwhelming right now. We want to be a safe place for you to ask your questions and express your thoughts and concerns. If you decide or have decided to parent, we are equipped to offer services until your baby's 2nd birthday. Our goal is to walk beside you for the entire journey so that you are never alone. Parenting is a huge responsibility but we believe that with the right resources and support it can be an amazing experience.
Contact us if you are interested in discussing your parenting options. To get more information about our parenting/childbirth classes, life-skills classes, community resources and more, please visit our Education page or call us directly at 512-248-8200.


text:
Tiger's Eye Blue Hawk's Eye tumbled stone
Size: Medium — approximately 20-25mm (inches: 3/4" - 1") — $1.50 each
Size: Large — approximately 25-32mm (inches: 1" - 1 1/4") — $2.00 each
The crystals are hand picked just for you at the time of purchase. They are energetically cleansed and blessed with Reiki from a certified crystal healer and Reiki master.
★ Metaphysical Properties: Hawk's Eye is the blue form of Tiger Eye. It can appear as all blue, or blue with greenish highlights in golden Tiger Eye. Tiger Eye is great stone for perspective and focus, being open to new possibilities. Hawk's Eye adds to this by increasing perceptiveness to unparalleled highs, by allowing a birds eye view to get a wider view over all things. It allows for greater precision and skill in decision making, for once you can see the whole picture it is easy to choose! Hawk's Eye goes between the veils of this reality to retrieve with clarity the guidance you are seeking.
Blue Tiger's Eye is a part of the following crystal tips from CrystalGuidance.com:
Crohn's Disease — Metabolism, Phobias
Additional Information:
To keep crystal costs low and to save the environment, I do not individually package or label crystals. If you desire to have your crystals individually packaged and labeled, then please make sure to purchase this service. There is a $5.00 packaging fee for this service which covers the extra time and materials. You only need to purchase this service if your order consists of 6 or more crystals that you want to have individually packaged and labeled. — CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE
Each crystal is unique and one of a kind. There are naturally occurring variations in size, shape, coloring, and patterning to each crystal. Some crystals may be "semi-rough" (not 100% smooth). I try to do my best to represent the crystals, however there may be a slight variation from batch to batch.
We Also Recommend


text:
REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwired - April 17, 2014) - Department of Canadian Heritage
Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages Shelly Glover visited Regina today to meet with community and private-sector representatives of the Regina area for a roundtable discussion on how Canada should celebrate our 150th birthday in 2017. In addition, she invited all Canadians to complete the online questionnaire at Canada.ca/150.
Quick Facts
- Since December 2013, the Government of Canada has held 20 roundtables across the country on the celebrations in 2017. Numerous people who are active in their communities and represent a wide range of organizations or groups were able to make their voices heard.
- So far, nearly 12,000 Canadians have completed the online questionnaire on Canada's 150th anniversary.
- The data collected will provide insight into the types of activities and projects that resonate most with Canadians and will help us plan the celebrations for this important anniversary.
- Over the next three years, as we approach the anniversary, we will celebrate key historic milestones that have helped define our country.
"Over the past number of months, Canadians from a variety of backgrounds and communities have told us how they would like to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. I was pleased to meet today with community leaders from Regina and the surrounding area. The ideas they shared with me will be very helpful in making the celebrations a success and a source of pride for all Canadians."
-Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Associated Links
Have Your Say! Questionnaire
Stay Connected
Contact Information:


text: Legal news Roundup - May 1, 2012Compiled By Heather Gardiner CanadaOnt. court upholds ruling sparing G20 protester, The Globe and MailOttawa wins approval for Lansdowne redevelopment, Ottawa Citizen Toronto officers acquitted on several charges in conspiracy case, National PostUnited StatesOakland shooting suspect pleads not guilty, ReutersJudge approves Kodak's extra payments to workers, ReutersInternationalSport court overturns Britain's lifetime Olympic ban, ReutersChile court suspends permit for Goldcorp. $3.9B project, Reuters


text:
We have heard and seen that there are 2 sides of a coin. When Asura was released, it was seen as the other side of the coin of Ramayana. After hearing about Ajaya I confess spending restless days waiting for the book after hearing that this was going to be another counter story. Giving us Duryodhana, I mean Suyodhana's point of view sounded exciting. And I am not disappointed with this book at all.
Going back to the coin aspect, I wish to share a new perspective. While there are 2 sides of a coin, what happens when we toss the same coin? It undergoes a simultaneous shift in the vertical plane along with multiple 360 degree circular motions and finally comes down the same height. You can always act smart and argue that with more force the coin moves through greater height. Let us keep things simple for the moment. I believe each position in the journey of the toss gives 2 sides of the same coin. Each set of '2 sides' is distinct from some other position in the coin's upward or downward journey. Mathematical equations aside, this translates to infinite positions. With this as the base background, fact is that between truth and counter truth, there are infinite shades of truth. The infinite shades are nothing but infinite perspectives. If we take 100 people and make them watch Chennai Express, for example, each person will comment differently. Ask 100 people about Narendra Modi or Rahul Gandhi. The diversity in perspective will be enormous and each perspective or opinion is a position of the coin and from where the individual is looking at the coin. If this is clear, we can appreciate Ajaya and marvel at what Anand has done. He has managed to position himself in a co-ordinate where nobody has been to and told us a story with impressive conviction. When the story is the grandest story of them all, The Mahabharata, the enormity of his achievement gets significantly multiplied. Since childhood, I have believed that certain grey areas in Ramayana and especially, the Mahabharata will need to be explained better. And Anand has done justice to all the characters – the book surely needs to be read with an open mind because Krishna, for example is portrayed as a shrewd strategist and like in Asura, here too blasphemy has to be overlooked.
Go ahead and read the book. I found it very good but Asura had sketches that Ajaya doesn't. That was a big negative for me. The gyan sessions sometimes get a little too long but overall I will give it 4 / 5 stars. We definitely have an amazing author here and I am looking forward to a signed copy of Part II.
Didn't want to write a summary of the book and wondering what is next after Part II of Ajaya for Anand.


text:
After I had done all the research for my doctoral thesis, I started the not fun part of my thesis (the writing of the actual document). So I decided that I need a fun project on the side to relax. During that time I was in Germany where I had access to a workshop. To make use of the workshop and to accelerate a long time ongoing project I decided to built a 3D printer.
There are a huge amount of different designs available and the community does an amazing job to design and supply all necessary parts. The commercially available printer appeared me too flimsy for there money. Also the fact that with the open source/hardware community almost anybody can build relative easy there own printer I decided to start this project.
My choice was a delta type printer with a built volume of 40cm x 40cm x 40cm. Since I eventually wanted to be able to use the printer to mill moulds out of high density foam (for fabrication of lightweight composite parts), I designed the printer much stiffer. I also used some more expensive linear bearings. With this kinematics the rotational loads on the rails are minimal. So I was able to used uses just one linear slide per axis. This reduces the cost significantly even I had to used the more expensive linear bearings.
With a drill press, a metal hacksaw, a vice, some tabs and some drill bits I fabricated the few parts which are not off the shelf. I took those parts with me to Canada. Obviously my luggage got multiple times carefully screened by the border authorities and I had some really nice conversations.
In Canada I fabricated the rather large wood parts and started to assemble all the parts. After multiple modification and adjustments I was finally able to print parts with acceptable quality. Thanks to the open source community the motivations and adjustments where much faster than it would probably have been without those information.
After several smaller test parts I was finally able to print the large part, for which the printer was originally built. It is duct, much more I will not reveal for now. The quality of this part is acceptable, but can most likely and will be hopefully soon improved by a stronger (geared) extruder stepper motor, a heated chamber/bed and other features.
The printer in action (time lapse):
The printer in action (real time):


text:
JEM Entertainment is an Atlanta based full service Artist Management Agency with over 25 years of experience. We are a boutique agency offering Artist Management, Marketing, Public Relations, Voice Lessons, Special Events, Services and Products to help educate, promote and connect artists while cultivating relationships in the music community.
Jayne Madigan owns and operates JEM Entertainment bringing over 25 years of experience, knowledge and relationships to our service offerings. She has filled many roles throughout her diverse career ranging from Special Events Coordinator, Marketing Director, Booking Agent, Promoter, Publicist to Personal Manager. Madigan has worked with artists such as Amy Grant, Patti Labelle, Michelle Branch, Little Big Town, Donny Osmond and Nelly as well as former President Jimmy Carter, just to name a few. She has devoted the past 10 years to developing and educating rising artists in the ATL and manages international Pop artist Norwood. Madigan is also the co-founder of Total Vocal Experience, offering affordable professional vocal training to singers and public speakers via in-home lessons, Skype lessons, and online self-paced courses.
Mission statement
Our mission is to guide, develop and promote while advancing the careers of our clients through a strong relationship between the artist and management. JEM Entertainment looks for artists with talent, creativity, "it" factor and the willingness to work hard to advance their careers to the next level. This includes building a solid team around the artist that has the same goals.


text:
The Global Business Program: is a co-major option for incoming business freshman, who apply and are selected. The co-major is not available to continuing or transfer students. Students in the program simultaneously pursue a major in a functional area of Business and, in the co-major, region-specific global studies coursework.
The program is designed for students who have completed an International Baccalaureate diploma program or its equivalent. Candidates are invited to participate in the program in first semester, freshman year. The program provides the flexibility and depth that allow each student to pursue a curriculum that develops business knowledge, cultivates region-specific expertise, and enhances cross-cultural competencies.All students pursue a double major, selecting a functional business major to pursue alongside the region-specific global studies coursework. Explore regions through their economy, history, politics, language, and culture. Students will live and learn in some of the most complex and historically rich societies and fastest growing economies in the world.
Learn More
The Global Business Studies Program provides high performing students with foreign language skills the opportunity to extend their passion for global citizenship.
University scholarships and financial aid apply to the Global Business program.
The Global Business program experience builds global perspective among our students.
1) Introduction to the region (3 credit hours). 2) Demonstrated proficiency in the language of the region, or where this is not feasible, at least one language course at the 200 level or above (min. 3 credit hours). Students may demonstrate language proficiency by completing business coursework delivered in the language of the region selected. 3) Economics of the region (3 credit hours).4) Political and/or Regulatory Environment of the region (3 credit hours).5) History of the region (3 credit hours).6) Introduction to International Business (Standard course is MGT 349. Recommended alternatives: MGT "Doing Business in [the Region]" where available, or other approved business course in-country) (total of 3 credit hours).7) Seminar and Senior Thesis (6 credit hours).
8) Minimum of one semester "study abroad" in the studies region is required.


text:
Upcoming Events
The Blue Tulip
11th September 2017 Shamaeel Ansari's creations are an art one wishes to witness, almost like a fashion revelation, each exhibition put up by the designer revolves around a historic story. Shamaeel's design process depicts in depth research conducted in places she has personally visited. Her education and passion is visible in intricate details embroidered onRead More..
Fashion Pakistan Week 2017
11-14th September 2017 Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) is a fashion show which is put up by the Fashion Pakistan Council twice a year celebrating two seasons at a time. In its 10th year, Fashion Pakistan Week will be celebrating the festive Autumn/Winter through four days of fashion shows on the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14thRead More..


text:
Southwest Wake News
Wake school board votes to buy land for new elementary school in Holly Springs
The Wake County school board voted Tuesday to buy land in Holly Springs for a new elementary school.
The board voted to pay nearly $1.3 million for about 23 acres on the north side of Holly Springs New Hill Road east of the intersection with Green Oaks Parkway. The school is scheduled to open in 2016.
The district is pursuing this site instead of trying to acquire land on the South Wake Landfill in Holly Springs, according to Joe Desormeaux, the school district's assistant superintendent for facilities.
The school board also approved a deal that saves more than $330,000 for an elementary school site in southwest Cary.
The board amended the deal it had approved in November to pay nearly $2.8 million for 22 .acres located south of Morrisville Parkway and west of White Oak Church Road. The district will now pay $110,000 per acre – down from the original price of $125,000 per acre.
Betty Parker, the district's director of real estate services, said the land owner agreed to lower the price by $15,000 per acre for concessions such as a quicker closing on the site. The southwest Cary school is slated to open in 2016.
Both deals need approval by the Wake County Board of Commissioners.


text:
Explore by Type
Product Options
Get Inspired
Explore Our Brands
Thoughtfully designed.
Crafted with expertise.
Building beyond
the status quo.
Window & door replacement
made easy for you.
Professional Resources
Professional Events
More Opportunities
Contact Us
Architect: Ken Ungar
Firm: Ken Ungar Architect
When architect Ken Ungar, principal of his eponymous firm, took up the task of remodeling this traditional 1950s-era home in Pacific Palisades, California, it still bore many of the trademark architectural features of the period. The rooms were small, the layout was choppy and compartmentalized, and undersized windows and doors throughout made the interior feel disconnected from its beautiful Southern California environment.
Ungar's first goal of the remodel was to undo its 50s-era shortcomings by opening the floor plan to allow for a more contemporary style of living. Because Southern California affords its residents the luxury of spending ample time outdoors year round, Ungar really wanted the remodel to maximize the connection between inside and out.
"We wanted to open it up, make it feel bigger, more voluminous, filled with more light, more air and peripheral distance," Ungar said.
In Ungar's view, opening a space isn't just about knocking down non-load-bearing walls on the inside; it's about opening the home to the outside, too. This is what he means by "peripheral distance." By using large openings, huge expanses of glass and clean sightlines that allow the eyes to roam, Ungar is able to create an intimate connection to the surrounding environment. Even when you're inside the home, you feel as though you're outside.
"It is important that no matter where you are in the house that it offers views to the outdoors," Ungar explained. "This pulls your eyes and your attention through the space and into the great beyond."
Ungar's use of large windows and doors throughout the home is also a clever way of making the space feel bigger without actually adding additional square footage. By using a lot of glass to subtly blur the line between inside and out, Ungar believes it makes a home feel more comfortable, too.
The most striking example of Ungar's desire for indoor-outdoor connectivity is at the rear of the house where he installed two large Marvin Ultimate Multi-Slide doors. Where once there was a solid wall, now there's mostly glass, which opens the home fully to the backyard. When the doors are open, it's a completely immersive experience that awakens the senses. Even when you're inside you can feel the warm Southern California breezes, carrying with them the pleasant scents of the surrounding native flora.
"When the Multi-Slide is fully open, it feels like you are outside or inside in whichever space you happen to be in," Ungar said.
It's almost as if the home has been turned inside out, interior and exterior transformed into one continuous space. When the doors are closed, the effect is hardly any less stunning, with a full wall of glass pulling the eyes to the outside.
"I was very impressed with the way we were able to design the size of the opening of the Marvin Multi-Slide to whatever size we needed," Ungar said. "Marvin was adaptable to our needs."
Another reason Ungar specified the Marvin Multi-Slide was for its exterior aluminum cladding, an option many other manufacturers do not offer. The homeowners can rest easy knowing the door will look beautiful and perform flawlessly for years and years to come.
In a project driven by narrowly defined criteria with little room for compromise, finding the perfect multi-slide door for the space was certainly no easy task. Not only did the door have to meet Ungar's standards for aesthetics, adaptability to his design, craftsmanship, price and service, but it also had to satisfy his client's wish for low maintenance. In the end, only the Marvin Multi-Slide Scenic Door proved capable of meeting all these needs.
Marvin Ultimate Casement


text:
Opiates include illegal drugs such as heroin, and prescription medications such as opioid pain medicines. One of the most famous and addictive opiates is heroin. Other examples include morphine and methadone, which is sometimes used in treatment for heroin addiction.
Opioid painkillers include oxycodone and one of the strongest oxycodone painkillers is OxyContin. Opiates are generally highly addictive and it is easy to become addicted to both illegal opiate drugs or to opioid painkillers. Opiates are often also called narcotics. There are several signs of opiate addiction and they range from physical symptoms to psychological symptoms.
About Opiate Medications
Opiates are commonly prescribed for pain relief. One of the most commonly prescribed opioid pain killers is oxycodone, which is generally prescribed when the pain is severe or chronic. OxyContin contains a high concentration of oxycodone. Other oxycodone pain medications include Percodan, Percocet and Tylox. Some pain relief medications contain oxycodone together with other medicines.
Oxycontin is very addictive and it is one of the most widely abused prescription medicines. Opioid pain relief medications can quickly lead to opiate addiction even after a short course of pain medication, for example during a treatment in the hospital. Heroin is a widely abused illegal opiate and its use commonly leads to deaths from overdoses. However, opioid pain relief medications lead to more deaths than illegal opiates.
Symptoms of Opiate Abuse
There are several opiate abuse symptoms that act as warning signs. If you notice these symptoms in yourself or in a friend or a family member, you may have a reason to worry about opiate abuse. Some symptoms are common to all kinds of drug abuse. There are also symptoms that are typical to opiate abuse.
Warning Signs of Opiate Addiction
Opiate abuse means the use of illegal opiates (such as heroin) or the use of prescription opioids for reasons other than medication. Abusing opiates quickly leads to dependence and addiction. There are several symptoms that indicate addiction to opiates:
- Legal problems from the use of illegal drugs.
- A strong craving for the drug the addict prefers.
- The person starts to neglect his or her duties at home or at work.
- Financial problems when the person spends an increasing amount of money on the drugs.
- Taking an increasing amount of the drug to get the same effect as the original "hit".
- Self-destructive behavior – neglecting hobbies or activities that the person once enjoyed.
- If still in school or in college, the person may start to skip classes and neglect homework.
- The person spends a lot of time thinking about where to get the next hit or when to take the next dose.
- The person continues to take the drug even though it causes health problems or leads to relationship problems.
Opiate abuse can lead to many health problems. Infections and infectious diseases are a common problem among those who are abusing opiates. These include skin infections and abscesses. Abscesses can also occur in the lungs or in the brain. Continuing abuse of opiates can also lead to respiratory problems such as pneumonia or fluid in the lungs.
Narcotic abuse can also lead to liver problems, amenorrhea (loss of menstruation) in women, seizures or coma. If a pregnant woman has used opiates during the pregnancy, neonatal withdrawal in the baby is a common consequence and this can be lethal.
Opiate Abuse Withdrawal Symptoms
If the person stops taking the drug (whether illegal or prescription opioid) he or she can experience a range of withdrawal symptoms. It is often necessary to slowly reduce the dosage of opioids instead of suddenly stopping their use. Withdrawal symptoms from opiates are often so severe that it is necessary to stay in a medically supervised environment for the duration of the withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms include:
If you notice several of the common signs of opiate addiction in a friend or in yourself, it is important to get help. Because opiates are so addictive, it is best to seek medical help when trying to stop opiate use. A detox from the opiates is the first step in stopping their abuse.
It is usually best to do the detox in a hospital or a specialized clinic. After the detox it may be necessary for the person to spend time in a residential rehabilitation center that is drug-free and that will provide help for continuing an opiate-free life.


text:
I did a weekly recap of Vlogmas Week 1 last week (click here to see it) and I know that you guys liked that, so I thought I'd do it again! This week was boring. It was boring and stressful for me because I was preparing for finals, and it was boring for you because you had to see me stressed and preparing for finals. I did show you a little workout routine in day 7 and I did a Q and A video instead of day 9, so I guess it wasn't all boring! Here's what you missed:
I get back to Hawaii on Wednesday, so the vlogs will definitely get more interesting next week! Make sure that you're subscribed to my youtube channel (click here) so that you don't miss anything! I'll also be doing a giveaway on my channel next week, so you don't wanna miss that!


text:
Well I was sitting in my home office looking at my servers. I've done that a lot in the last couple of years. Wondering why I was having such difficulty installing Oracle Linux and getting the darn things to be more than room heaters. Admittedly it hasn't been a full time pursuit. Anyway I have decided to install Ubuntu since I could get installation dvds and didn't have to jump through download this, make boot disk that. I have also ordered 32 gig upgrades for both servers. Hopefully I will be able to install Oracle12c RAC and get my cluster up and running. I may also download meshlab and a slicer so I can create files for my 3D printer. Currently times to conver the vertices into faces is extreme on my laptop.
Anyway, will be posting my progress. The
Mike Ault's thoughts on various topics, Oracle related and not. Note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are not contributing to the overall theme of the BLOG or are insulting or demeaning to anyone. The posts on this blog are provided "as is" with no warranties and confer no rights. The opinions expressed on this site are mine and mine alone, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Kennie Pan Photography
Kennie Pan is a Singapore based Photographer especially passionate in Wildlife Photography.
He is also an Ambassador of Minox Optics Singapore, a company focusing mainly on high end binoculars, precise rifle and spotting scopes.
Kennie is a Multi-Award Winning Wildlife Photographer and his unique sequential photograph of the White Bellied Sea Eagle has earned him a double page spread publication in NUS's Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research Book titled "Private Lives; An Expose of Singapore's Mangroves".
Open for nature conservation projects.


text:
Premier technology investment conference to showcase
the Southeast's most promising technology companies
ATLANTA – September 15, 2017 – Patientory announced today that it has been selected to present at Venture Atlanta 2017, the Southeast's premier event for connecting technology innovation and investment capital. The 10th annual Venture Atlanta will be held October 11-12 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta and will feature close to 150 funds from across the country. With more than 900 investors, tech entrepreneurs and executives anticipated to be in attendance, this year's Venture Atlanta is once again lining up to be a sold-out event.
Adding to the Venture Atlanta excitement are Mark Cuban, chairman and CEO of AXS TV and one of the "sharks" on ABC's hit show, Shark Tank, and Ernie Garcia, CEO of Carvana, who will deliver keynote presentations.
Patientory was chosen as one of 35 companies from a large pool of applicants that represent the region's most innovative tech businesses. Patientory is a global population health management software that regulates and secures patient data.
"Through the years, Venture Atlanta has earned a reputation for consistently identifying tomorrow's cutting-edge technologies while helping to launch over 380 companies and secure over $2 billion in funding," said Allyson Eman, executive director of Venture Atlanta. "This year's event marks our 10th anniversary and includes the strongest and largest roster yet of both early and venture-stage companies—showcasing the depth, breadth and opportunity within the region's technology community."
During the two-day event, presenting companies and conference attendees will engage with regional as well as national venture capitalists, investors and other key players in the current technology ecosystem. The conference results in funding, national investor exposure, invaluable relationship building and mentoring by successful technology executives. The conference will also, for the first time, include 16 Startup Showcase companies that will share their plans and vision for the future as "companies to watch."
To learn more about Patientory visit www.patientory.com. For additional information about Venture Atlanta, to register for the event or to view the conference schedule, please visit www.ventureatlanta.org.
About Venture Atlanta
Venture Atlanta, Georgia's technology innovation event, is where the region's most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. As the South's largest investor showcase helping launch more than 380 companies and raise over $2 billion in funding to date, Venture Atlanta connects local entrepreneurs with local and national venture capitalists, bankers, angel investors and others in the technology ecosystem who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of three leading Georgia business organizations: Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org. For updates, join us on LinkedIn, follow us on Twitter, and visit our blog.
About Patientory
Patientory is empowering people to take charge of their own health. Patientory connects doctors, care providers, and consumers all within a single, secure platform – creating a care team that works together to provide the best care. We're revolutionizing the way doctors and patients interact and gain access to information, cutting out all layers and processes that currently are stumbling blocks in care coordination.
# # #


text:
The Church's mission is advocacy for full and just access to health and human service for all. Bringing forth God's shalom is justice work that always involves exposing and opposing inequalities and injustices.
Jesus taught that God stands with the poor and the devalued by ministering among, and standing with, "the least of these." Thus, an essential part of the Church's commitment to health and human service ministry is advocacy on behalf of those who are oppressed or disadvantaged.
We need a Surgeon General
The United States has been without a Surgeon General for over a year. With broad bipartisan support and support from the health community, Dr. Vivek Murthy, a highly qualified physician, is one vote away from becoming America's Surgeon General. Unfortunately, like everything else in Washington, his nomination was ground to a halt by obstructions in the Senate. Americans need their top doctor right now especially during the Ebola public health crisis to educate the public, calm fears, and mobilize health care providers. Learn more.
What's next for Health Care?
Despite the success the Affordable Care ACT (ACA) has shown, many are wondering and concerned about what will happen to "ObamaCare" now that the 2014 elections are over. Our Minister for Health Care Justice, Barbara Baylor, has some insights. Check out her presentation and learn about 5 issues to watch: PDF | PowerPoint
Health Equity and the Supreme Court Decision on Contraception
The Supreme Court decision giving some corporations the right to deny coverage of certain types of contraception to their employees based on religious freedom will have a great impact on women of color. Although, the ruling does not single out women of color, our political and economic realities tell us that women of color often bear the brunt of the negative impacts of restrictions on women's health. Learn more.
Gun Violence is a Public Health Threat
The United Church of Christ is part of a coalition of 50 religious denominations and faith-based organizations around the country who support gun violence reform. We need a surgeon general who will address death and injuries caused by guns. Learn more about gun violence as a public health issue
HIV is Not a Crime!
Call on Congress to pass the REPEAL Act, a Bill which addresses the serious problem of discrimination in the use of criminal and civil commitment laws against those who test positive for HIV. Take action now!
Recommended Reading: Understanding the Medicare Coverage "Cliff"
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes numerous provisions to improve the health security of older adults. For example, the ACA eliminates the coverage gap in Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage (sometimes referred to as "the doughnut hole") and expands access to free preventive and wellness visits for seniors. However, the ACA's improvement of coverage for people under age 65 makes some of the long-standing limitations of current Medicare coverage more obvious. Learn more about the Medicare coverage "Cliff" via the National Health Law Program.
Understanding Medicaid Expansion
The obligation to care for the health of the poor, universally recognized by religious organizations, is among this country's fundamental values and is furthered by the Affordable Care Act's expansion of Medicaid. Many states, however, have opted-out and chosen not to expand Medicaid access. Learn more about this important issie and why it is of concern for people of faith.
The Affordable Care Act - Enrollment
The United Church of Christ believes that the Affordable Care Act is a huge step in the right direction to providing much needed health care for millions who continue to live their lives without it and in fear that one catastrophic illness would plunge them into deep financial ruin. We participated in the prayerful witness because we believe that the law itself and the expansion of Medicaid included in the Affordable Care Act both speak to the moral and justice imperatives of equal access for all. Learn more about ACA implementation and how to get covered.
Ms. Barbara T. BaylorPolicy Advocate for Health and Wholeness Issues100 Maryland Avenue, NESuite 300Washington, District of Columbia email@example.com
Rev. Michael SchuenemeyerExecutive for Health and Wholeness Advocacy700 Prospect Ave.Cleveland, Ohio firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Here is our interview with Big Ears Festival. Mamiffer performs the festival on March 31st 2016
Timothy Garrett: How important is the concept behind any of the musical work that you do? Does a specific record have to have some sort of concept from the beginning, or are there times when the music itself starts as pure music and ties in some concepts later on?
Mamiffer/Faith: Hi Timothy. Concept is very important, although the most important part for us is process. The concept can always be there, and usually reveals itself through our process, and can culminate in a final idea tied together with the artwork and presentation. Concept informs the process for us, and is part of the larger whole.
Ben T O Smith: Hi Faith and Aaron! Excited to have y'all in Knoxville!
What has been the most difficult part of running and operating a label? Is there a balance that you've found between running the label and creating your art?
What artists have caught your attention lately? Any you've been wanting to share with Big Ears fans? :^)
Mamiffer/Aaron: the hardest part of running SIGE is figuring out how to contain it. Running a label out of our home means that the work is always near, there's always more to do, and there's always something that needs to be addressed. We didn't intend for it to become as sprawling as it has, and though it's still a "bedroom label", it's become quite involved. I love many aspects of the work, especially being connected with other artists we share a deep affinity with, yet I sometimes find the administrative side of things very tedious. The creative part is what attracts me to running a label - dealing with concerns over distribution, social media, manufacturing, etc... this is the stuff that ends up taking far more time than I anticipate and takes away from actually being creative. My own work has often been neglected for long periods of time because of this kind of work, which is sometimes frustrating.
As far as what artists have caught our attention lately - well, some of the artists we've released recently, or are about to release are good indicators: ENDON, Jon Mueller, William Fowler Collins, Black Spirituals, Daniel Menche, etc. Beyond that I'm constantly seeking out new music, or relees from artists I already enjoy, so the list is fairly endless. Some of the last few records we've spun and mutually enjoyed are: Luigi Archetti, Mirror, Janne Westerlund, Klaus Lang, Aluk Todolo, Chaos Echoes, Abul Mogard, etc.
Ernesto Phlbatin: Hello Aaron and Faith! I am always in awe of the song titles you give to your music. Can you share with us any literary references/influences you have? Your work is always shrouded in mystery and I like it very much. Thank you!
Mamiffer/Faith: Thank you! Many influences for song titles and lyrics come from dreams and what we have been reading and discussing. Some examples: Hélène Cixous, Margaret Atwood, Marija Gimbutas, Audre Lorde, Philip K Dick, Bell Hooks, Riane Eisler, Barbara Walker, Gloria Anzaldúa and so many more.
Ernesto Phlbatin: One more question for Faith:
Mara could very well be Mamiffer music, what drove you to treat it as a separate work? Surfacing is an elegantly beautiful piece of music and I hope you release more under this name. Thank you!
Mamiffer/Faith: Thank you! Many influences for song titles and lyrics come from dreams and what we have been reading and discussing. Some examples: Hélène Cixous, Margaret Atwood, Marija Gimbutas, Audre Lorde, Philip K Dick, Bell Hooks, Riane Eisler, Barbara Walker, Gloria Anzaldúa and so many more.
Ernesto Phlbatin: One more question for Faith:
Mara could very well be Mamiffer music, what drove you to treat it as a separate work? Surfacing is an elegantly beautiful piece of music and I hope you release more under this name. Thank you!
Mamiffer/Faith: F: Thank you. Mára started out around 2010 when I started to practice learning how to sing and recording that onto a 4 track or hand held cassette recorder. I also recorded very fleeting simple piano melodies. These were all done while Aaron was on tour, so I could sing in the house alone! The simple songs never seemed to need accompanying instrumentation. With Mamiffer songs, part of the process is writing with Aaron and collaborating with others. Mára was something I could do all on my own, from recording to mixing etc.
P.S. Yes there will be another Mára record coming out this year, thanks
Ernesto Phlbatin: Thank you, it's a pleasure interacting with you Faith! Hopefully soon I can actually watch Mamiffer perform (I live outside the US) and thank you for your art!
Corey McDaniels: What acts are the two of you looking forward to at Big Ears?
Mamiffer/Aaron: Hey Corey McDaniels - we may miss some of the artists we really want to see as we'll be on tour at that point and will only be able to see sets from others on the same day we perform. Were we there for the whole event we'd likely try to catch some or all of the following: Anthony Braxton, Ikue Mori, Beyond The Dream Syndicate, Andy Stott, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Circuit Des Yeux, Sunno))), Faust, Sun Ra Arkestra.... and probably some of the artists who're playing that we're not yet familiar with.
Marc Anthony Solangon: Hi Aaron and Faith,
In regards to forthcoming album "The World Unseen", you've said, "The record is imperfect. It has within its heart an incompleteness, a stillness containing the presence of absence and loss." This had me thinking of a quote that Steven Wilson once said in regards to his body of work, "What you imagine in your mind can never truly be created in the real world. The creative process then becomes to get as close to that as possible, but you never really reach it." As artists who have released a huge body of work over the years yourselves, would you agree with what Steven Wilson says, and if not, can you understand where he's coming from?
PS: I also want to say that I've been following your work (including your ventures outside of Mamiffer) since I saw you open for Anathema and Alcest almost 3 years ago in NYC. I came for Anathema and Alcest, but you ended up being my favorite band that night. Hope to see you back in NYC again soon. Thanks again for the music and I'm really looking forward to the new album!
Mamiffer/Faith: Thanks! Thats great! That tour was very fun for us, and we learned a lot.
Mamiffer/Faith: To answer your question about "The World Unseen": With this record the quote holds pretty true. The record was remixed twice, and we spent a long time with the songs and arrangements. It was a hard record to make since we were dealing with subject matter that was also "incomplete", the record kept reflecting this back to us, which at first made us uncomfortable. Eventually I understood, (and with the help of our good friend Randall Dunn: Record Producer !) that the record contained absence, which is really hard to grasp. With previous records the end result seemed complete and tangible! Our record was about the "uncreated and unformed" and so it reflects this. The Steven Wilson quote is beautiful!
Mamiffer/Aaron: Albums are meant to be definitive statements of an artists vision. This album in many ways was about wandering in the dark, the lack of clear sight and was thus a very uncomfortable process. To present something which even we as the creators didn't fully grasp, which was about things we couldn't render fully conscious was a big leap of faith for us - one that's still creating unexpected ripples as the work is now reaching others.
Anton Ch: Do your pets participate in the process of recording of your albums? Thanks!
Mamiffer/Aaron: Hey Anton Ch - yes, or pets have participated in our recordings. Our cat Pizza loves to be in the studio with us when we're tracking and mixing - and her benevolent presence has been a benefit to the working process. Just knowing she's in the room with us, or me alone feels like encouragement - and a very different kind of life force in close proximity. She has occasionally interrupted the process - past a certain volume level she gets frustrated, and not surprisingly, very high frequencies really bother her. Animals are a very grounding force in our lives - they are often great reminders of how trivial some of our human concerns are and how the most basic primal needs are fundamental to our existence. Additionally, I processed some of our dogs fighting/growling noises as a textural element in a track on the first Jodis album.
Mamiffer Thanks for the interview Big Ears Festival!
Big Ears Festival Thanks for joining us, Faith and Aaron! See you very soon!


text:
I have pretty much been minding my pennies, but when I saw these at the grocery store, and the price was right, I bought them. I can't remember ever seeing growing tulips for so low a price and they have brought me such joy in the past week.
I'm thinking they will bloom and be gone before I can get the bulbs in the ground, but they should come back next year. I will try to get pictures of them fully opened. Which do you like better? The tag on the red ones indicated that they would be PINK with the white variegation. Alternate fact, I guess.


text:
Almost every UK media and even the Financial Conduct Authority and Financial Ombudsman are saying you can make an easy PPI claim and get your complete refund without the need for a claims management company (CMC).
However, easy is not the same as simple in this context. In fact, simple only comes when you've had enough experience doing the process and know the ins and outs of the entire procedure.
So, why use a claims management company for your PPI claim?
PPI claims management representatives understand which types of questions and answers usually confuse your claim leading to rejection. The media may say CMCs are just filling out forms on your behalf but it is the proper answer to a specific question – especially those entailing details how you were mis-sold – that spell the difference between a successful and failed claim.
Forgotten Account Numbers
Nobody can blame you; it's been two decades until the City watchdog and the government did something about payment protection insurance policies. Now, it rests on your shoulders.
But the number one source of information for you – your bank – does not wish to provide support. That's where claims management representatives come in.
A handful of PPI claims companies including Have I Got PPI have special arrangements with banks that allow them to claim on policies where they couldn't claim before.
Nothing To Lose
With a no win no fee policy, you have nothing to lose. All you need to do is sign up to work with a CMC and you'll be on your way to succeed. If the claim is unsuccessful, you will have saved yourself time and money in the process. And if your claim does land on the appeals side where the bank did not refund a proper amount, a CMC can do the appeals for you free of charge!


text:
Review of The Trap by Andrew Fukuda
Series: The Hunt #3
Format: eBook
Genres: Vampires, Paranormal, Fantasy
Pages: 352
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: 24/10/2013
Find The Author: Website ¦ Twitter
Abe Books ¦ Book Depository ¦ Goodreads
After barely escaping the Mission alive, Gene and Sissy face an impossible task: staying alive long enough to stop an entire world bent on their destruction. Bound on a train heading into the unknown with the surviving Mission girls, Gene, Sissy, David, and Epap must stick together and use everything they have to protect each other and their only hope: the cure that will turn the blood-thirsty creatures around them into humans again. Now that they know how to reverse the virus, Gene and Sissy have one final chance to save those they love and create a better life for...
The third and final? book in the Hunt series, this continues where we left off, in a train bound to some unknown destination. Gene and Sissy later find themselves back where they started, in a city filled with millions of Vampires. This final book often some pretty amazing plot twists that I really enjoyed and some amazing word play. Some loose ends were not tied up sadly and I was left wanting more. Still, it was an incredible ride!
When we're throw back into the story, we find ourselves hurtling across The Vast (giant barren landscape thing), heading to destination unknown. There is hope that they're heading to a city of humans, a legend told by members of the crazy cult they'd just left, but it quickly becomes apparently that in reality they're literally just meals on wheels - and heading straight towards a Vampire stronghold.
Andrew is just full of wacky ideas, and doesn't disappoint with this story. After they arrive they have to cram themselves in a lift, with anyone left being quickly devoured. From there, they enter a maze of caves. This next part is a little difficult to explain. The caves are filled with kids that are all awaiting their fate. When an alarm sounds they have to dive into one of many holes in the walls (see Saw 5 and the nail bomb) and then pray they don't get selected as dinner.
Gene finds himself meeting the King of the Vampires, who wants him to travel back to the city with Sissy - or else he'll eat the youngest kid. So, instead of continuing our journey as I hoped, we head back to the city and do a whole lot of wandering around, trying not to get caught while trying to find April June and kill her. It's all very strange.
I honestly wish going back hadn't of happened. I saw no real point to it and some loose ends that could have been tied up, weren't. There were characters where we never found out what happened to them and despite the intense amount of action and some amazing wordplay, I was left wanting another book. It was a great conclusion though, I have to say.


text:
|Gazprombank (Schweiz) AG
Zollikerstrasse 183
Postfach 1721
8032 Zürich
|Tel: (+41 44) 386 86 86
Fax: (+41 44 386 86 87
Swiss Clearing Number: 8660
PostFinance Account: 80-944-8
|Email: info AT gazprombank.ch
Web site: www.gazprombank.ch
|Data last reviewed: 2013-11-08
|Return to bank list
Disclaimer: The information shown has been carefully compiled from reliable sources. But SW Consulting SA cannot warrant its accuracy; all responsibility for use of the information rests with the user. Note in particular that the succession of a bank does not imply inclusion of all its assets in a final transfer; groups of assets (e.g., categories of client accounts) may be transferred separately to one or more purchasers prior to the final transfer, sale or closure of the bank's corporate entity.


text:
Special english issue Number 2, Autumn 2017, Volume 5
Evaluation culture and evaluation capacities in Central and Eastern Europe: An introduction
Oto Potluka, Jiri Remr
This issue presents studies on evaluation culture and evaluation capacities in Central and Eastern Europe; these represent experience from the Czech Republic (Pělucha, Květoň, 2017), Slovakia (Švihlová, Shipley, 2017) and Poland (Olejniczak, Kupiec, & Newcomer, 2017). Their perspectives vary in terms of objects of evaluation (programs and projects) and perspectives they reflect such as policies or programs (e.g. EU cohesion policy and other national policies). The EU cohesion policy is among the most evaluated policies in Europe (Ferry, 2009). Thus, it also helps to develop the evaluation capacity in other policies. This policy includes evaluation requirements that create positive pressure on both the evaluation demand and supply. This increasing demand has enabled countries in Central and Eastern Europe to improve their evaluation capacities and experiences during the last few years.
This special issue is focused on evaluation culture and evaluation capacities; it does so by involving two articles focused on the EU cohesion policy of two major recipients of the funding from this policy in the period 2007 – 2013: the Czech Republic (the highest per capita allocation) and Poland (the highest absolute allocation).
Evaluation culture within institutional and methodological context: the case of EU Structural Funds in the Czech Republic
Martin Pělucha, Viktor Květoň
Evaluation culture began its development in the early 2000s in Central and Eastern European countries and in connection with the spending of EU Preaccession and later Structural Funds. The environment of evaluations significantly influences institutional and methodological aspects. One of the prerequisites of evaluation culture is the ability of Managing Authorities to apply evaluation recommendations.
The main goal of this paper is to provide an assessment of evaluation culture from institutional and methodological perspectives with a focus on EU funds in the Czech Republic. The paper presents a literature review of key terms with a combination of descriptive analyses of current developments in terms of evaluation practice. The main findings, conclusions and policy implications highlight the need to ensure institutional memory in public administration, human capital development in evaluations, sharing data in public administration, and methodological weaknesses in the evaluation culture of the Czech Republic.
PĚLUCHA, M., KVĚTOŇ, V. (2017) "Evaluation culture within institutional and methodological context: the case of EU Structural Funds in the Czech Republic". Evaluation Theory and Practice 5(2): 1–26.
Program Evaluation in the Municipal Sector – Case Study Slovakia and Canada
Dana Švihlová, Robert Shipley
In most developed countries, planning initiatives intended to improve people's lives are implemented through programs planned and delivered locally. Those responsible for such programs ought to be concerned about whether or not a program is having the desired outcome. In some sectors such as public health and education it appears that program results are carefully evaluated. But what about the programs initiated and managed by regional and local authorities? To address this question, programs in Slovakia and Canada were studied. Examples of housing and waste management programs in eight municipal authorities in each country were surveyed regarding their practices. The study therefore comprised a total of thirty-two cases. It was discovered that while the performance of most programs was being monitored, not all programs were being evaluated and that most often the evaluation focused on performance rather than outcomes. Some conclusions are drawn and recommendations offered.
ŠVIHLOVÁ, D., SHIPLEY, R. (2017) "Program Evaluation in the Municipal Sector – Case Study Slovakia and Canada". Evaluation Theory and Practice 5(2): 27–48.
Learning from evaluation – the knowledge users' perspective
Karol Olejniczak, Tomasz Kupiec, Kathryn Newcomer
Public managers require different types of knowledge to run programs successfully. This includes knowledge about the context, operational know-how, knowledge about the effects, and causal mechanisms. This knowledge comes from different sources, and evaluation studies are just one of them.
This article takes the perspective of knowledge users. It explores to what extent evaluation is a useful source of knowledge for public managers of cohesion policy. Findings are based on an extensive study of 116 Polish institutions: surveys with 945 program managers, followed by 78 interviews with key policy actors. The article concludes that: (a) utility of evaluation studies, in comparison to other sources of knowledge, is limited, (b) evaluation reports are used to some extent as a source of knowledge on effects and mechanisms, however, (c) "effects" are shallowly interpreted as smooth money spending, not socio-economic change.
In conclusion, this article offers practical ideas on what evaluation practitioners could do to make evaluation more useful for knowledge users in policy implementation.
OLEJNICZAK, K., KUPIEC, T., NEWCOMER, K. (2017) "Learning from evaluation – the knowledge users' perspective". Evaluation Theory and Practice 5(2): 49–74.


text:
Gov. Ed Rendell passed through Pittsburgh last week trying to sell his plan to legalize video poker in bars and restaurants -- an initiative Rendell says would raise $550 million a year to help Pennsylvanians pay for college tuition.
But if Rendell's plan goes through, it could end up costing taxpayers $550 million -- money that could be a jackpot for the state's casino operators.
Rendell's plan involves allowing 18,000 bars, restaurants and social/fraternal clubs across the state to operate up to five video-poker machines each. During a Feb. 18 stop at the Community College of Allegheny County, he said the state has been practicing the "ostrich theory" of government -- sticking its head in the sand and ignoring the illegal machines for too long.
Rendell said the state estimates there are at least 17,000, "and likely more," illegal machines currently operating in Pennsylvania. When asked by a reporter how many more he'd expect if the machines become legal, Rendell said about 10,000. However, there are roughly 18,000 establishments that would be eligible to have video poker. Opponents have mused that that means there is the potential for as many 90,000 video-poker machines.
"We're not expanding gambling," Rendell says. "It already exists but we're not getting a dime from it."
But in the short term, the wager could cost the state plenty.
In 2004, when Act 71 legalized slot machines at up to 14 casinos and race tracks (11 licenses have since been awarded), each casino had to pay a $50 million "slot-license fee." But under certain conditions, casino operators can get some or all their money back: One of those conditions, the law spells out, would be the state "increas[ing] the statutory maximum number of permissible licensed facilities" engaged in gambling.
That provision "is something we're looking at right now," says state Rep. Curt Schroder (R-Downington), an opponent of the governor's plan and the chairman of the House Gaming Oversight Committee. "I'm sure, based on conversations I've had, that the casino operators are also looking very hard at this. If this proposal passes and is enacted into law, I absolutely expect the licensees to petition the state or take us to court to get the $50 million licensing fee back.
"I personally don't like the fee-return provision," Schroder adds. "There's no reason for it to be there. But I fully expect the casinos are going to use it to protect their interests."
Under Act 71, the amount casino owners can claw back depends on when gambling is expanded. If the number of gambling locations increases within the first five years after the license is issued, a licensee can get back the full $50 million paid. After that time, licensees could get back a portion of the fee, based on a sliding scale that ranges from $41.6 million for a state expansion after six years to $8.3 million for after 10 years.
Not to worry, says the Rendell administration. If video poker is allowed in bars and other locations, maintains the governor's spokesman Chuck Ardo, "We believe the legislation can be written in a way to differentiate video-poker machines from the slot machines found in casinos." That will prevent the expansion from triggering Act 71's protections.
Ardo says the state revenue secretary has indicated that video-poker machines are more like lottery terminals than slot machines. "The new law will be clear," he adds.
But Schroder, who chairs the house's gaming oversight committee, says there's another possible outcome. "I've heard from people who are close to the casino lobby that the casinos expect [Rendell's video-poker plan] to pass, and then they expect the state to offer up table games as a way to settle the matter of the licensing fees."
It's unclear how local casino operators would respond, however. Calls to The Rivers, which is building a slots parlor on Pittsburgh's North Side, and The Meadows race track were not returned. A spokesperson for MTR Gaming -- the West Virginia company that owns Presque Isle Downs in Erie -- seemed surprised to hear about the license-refund provision, and said MTR would have no comment.


text:
Dear visitor, welcome to SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers. If this is your first visit here, please read the Help. It explains how this page works. You must be registered before you can use all the page's features. Please use the registration form, to register here or read more information about the registration process. If you are already registered, please login here.
Wednesday, March 21st 2018, 4:05pm
Wednesday, March 21st 2018, 7:47pm
Thursday, March 22nd 2018, 10:59am
Well a month or two ago I did have some irrigation techs come over to price me to lay a new cable down from my controller to the PSR. As the PSR was not receiving signal (24v) from controller to turn on, I fixed that issue myself.Disconnect the number 8 wire from the controller and turn on 4. Are the both still running? If not there's a problem with the controller. But I'm assuming there are bare wires touching each other. Look at the valves or where any wires are exposed. Do any digging lately?
Sometimes the gardeners will hit the wiring with a weed eater and hook them up wrong.
Thursday, March 22nd 2018, 11:42am
Thursday, March 22nd 2018, 1:07pm
Thursday, March 22nd 2018, 6:19pm
Thanks for your kind input. Yes, there is a spare wire in the controller box. I will try that tomorrow.Nope, not confusing. You've narrowed down the problem. It's in the wiring. Is there a spare wire you can use for number 8?
You could disconnect the existing wire from the 8 or 4 valve and hook up the spare wire to see if that fixes it.
The wires are crossed somewhere.
Joining the wrong colors would have only switched the zones. 8 comes in instead of 4. It sounds like the two wires are hooked together.
This post has been edited 1 times, last edit by "frederickdawg" (Mar 22nd 2018, 6:29pm)
Wednesday, May 2nd 2018, 1:26am
Wednesday, May 2nd 2018, 2:22am
Wednesday, May 2nd 2018, 11:41am
No, it was a spare one in the controller just unconnected . Connected the original wire back to valve 8 now.Did you determine where that wire goes before hooking it up? Did you find it at the valves?


text:
" Our 6th visit to the Island, and we found Pebbles the perfect hideaway " May 2011
" Pebbles has everything required to just sit and relax. Lovely base for going and seeing the island." June 2011
"Peaceful stay in a very comfortable chalet" June 2011
" Over the years we,ve stayed in everthing from tents to Guest Houses. Pebbles is the most comfortable. Tastefully decorated and thoughtfully equipped. " July 2011
" Nice simple accommodation in an ideal location. " July 2011
" Pebbles is quiet, comfortable, tasteful and a great place from which to walk out and explore the south island"
August 2011


text:
January has come to an end, and lets be honest, January always leaves us lacking inspiration. The freezing temperatures have been causing havoc with our skin and causing chaos in our wardrobe… Can we ever make layers look super chic?!
To help start February with a bang, we have listed some of our favourite bloggers who will inspire you to make 2015 the best year for not only your wardrobe, but also your beauty routine.
Here come the girls….
If you do not already know Ella then you should! This fashion journalism graduate lives in London and basically, her blog chatting about all things fashion is just dreamy! With 30K followers on twitter, we are definitely not the only ones who think so…
Is there a cooler mum out there than Natalie?! Former midwife, now full-time Mum, she sure does have her hands full but this does not stop her sharing her lifestyle with you all. What can you expect? Think stripes, leopard print and all things lush…
Sarah Ashcroft is super stylish, super cool and with 203K followers on Instagram alone, we are not the only ones who style stalk this beauty. (Plus, she definitely knows how to work an M&Co jumper…)
Our favourite Italian living in London – This Mama knows a thing or two about how to make your wardrobe work when your pushing the buggy, to when a night out is calling. Trust us, Laura will show you how to be one glam Mama!
A regular blogger here at M&Co, Helen's style is bang on trend yet, extremely practical for all you busy Mums out there. She shares all her tips and tricks to achieving the perfect outfits to see you through all your Mummy duties. Trust us, being a Mum definitely does not mean ditching the heels!
This blog should come with a warning because trust us when we say you will want EVERYTHING Josie recommends. This blonde beauty knows everything there is to know about beauty and fashion and we would like to take a moment to thank her for sharing her wisdom…
This fashion stylist living in London is surrounded by all things fashion. Alex does not set her sights low and wants the luxuries in life so, follow her journey and learn a thing or two on all things fashion!
From styling to baking, is there anything this girl can't do?! Cute, girly and beautifully shot photography, this is one award winning blog that you can get lost in for hours.
Scottish favourite and the most stylish woman in the city of Dundee, Christina knows how to work sophisticated glamour and we just cant get enough. Plus, her blog has one serious cute factor, her adorable dog, Jake.
10. EJ Style
Chic, chic, chic… If you are after a chic look in 2015, Emma is your girl. Mixing high-street and high-end, she believes looking good and working the seasons' trends shouldn't cost the earth – we hear you Emma!
What blogs will you be bookmarking this year?


text:
Between the Gorillaz's studio albums Demon Days and Plastic Beach, Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn created Monkey: Journey to the West with Chinese opera director Chen Shi-zheng, which premiered in 2007. Their collaboration was somewhat written in the stars: Chen had been trying to get a version in production for a few years; the Gorillaz had been engaged to create something for the first Manchester International Festival; and Albarn and Hewlett had a certain nostalgia for Wu Cheng'en's Ming dynasty-era epic due to their childhood exposure to the camp classic TV version we were exposed to in the U.K. by the BBC.
The opera has had a few productions around the world now, always well-reviewed, and is now returning stateside, running July 6–28 at the David H. Koch Theater of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. Hewlett has returned to the world of Monkey for this production, adding several new character designs. A couple of these designs have now arrived online: Vulture debuted the River Demon, while MTV Buzzworthy was the first to see Pig Monster.
I've never managed to catch a production of this myself, but have been sorely wanting to since seeing the documentary Damon and Jamie's Excellent Adventure around the time of the original premiere. It seemed pretty much like being dropped into a universe designed by Hewlett for a couple of hours, and what could be more blissful than that?


text:
- About Us
- Programs
- Registration
- Student Info
- Contact
Home › Programs › Grades 11-12 & Adult › Program Overview
Secondary Program Overview
Secondary Program Overview
The FVDES Secondary program offers a high level of flexibility while providing a British Columbia Ministry of Education approved curriculum in over fifty courses.
The high degree of choice provided by our course selection enables students to:
- Enroll as full time students with FVDES
- Enroll as a part-time student
- Take individual courses
- Complete courses at their personal pace (one year maximum duration).
FVDES is able to meet the diverse needs of our students!
Adult Learners Graduated and Non-Graduated
Looking to graduate, interested in upgrading?
Our supportive staff will help you work towards achieving the grades you want with our personalized learning environment and flexible deliver approach.
Non-graduated Adult Students
You can take select Grade 10-12 courses for FREE with FVDES in order to complete your graduation requirements. Our supportive staff will help you work towards adult graduation with our personalized learning environment and flexible delivery approach.
Graduated Adult Students Free Courses!
Adult Students (over the age of 19) wishing to upgrade are encouraged to register for a variety of FREE and TUITION-BASED online courses offered by FVDES. Tuition-free courses include (effective Sept 1, 2017):
- Communications 11/12
- English 11/12
- English 11/12
- First Peoples English 12
- Biology 11/12
- Chemistry 11/12
- Physics 11/12
- Apprenticeship and Workplace Math 11
- Foundations of Math 11
- Pre-Calculus 11/12
- Calculus 12
- Biology 11/12
- Chemistry 11/12
- Physics 11/12
- Apprenticeship and Workplace Math 11
- Foundations of Math 11
- Pre-Calculus 11/12
- Calculus 12
Ready to register?
If you have all of your information ready, and want to skip directly to registration, click below to begin.
Register Now
We provide flexibility and choice in education to meet a wide variety of learning needs for students:
- Who are British Columbia residents
- Wishing to complete their education at home
- Unable to attend school
- Traveling
- With challenging schedules (athletes, performers, etc.)
- Who wish to add to their existing educational programs
- Have graduated and want to upgrade
- Wish to develop other interests/skills
Students enrolled in courses at FVDES:
- Receive resource materials (refundable deposit may be required)
- Subject-specialist teachers in all courses
- Access to a broad range of resources
- Facilitates interactivity between students, parents, and teachers
- Online learning environment (online courses only)
- Virtual online classroom to provide:
- Large group instruction
- One-on-one tutorials
- Use of an integrated program of email, discussion groups, online testing, and online grades is available to students at all times
- Virtual online classroom to provide:
Students at FVDES may also receive:
- Software
- Online technical support


text: Life and Environmental Sciences Research Back to 'Life and Environmental Sciences' Across the breadth of life and environmental sciences we discover, apply and translate science, forging major advances in human and environmental health. Our extensive engagement with partners across academia, industry and communities deliver growing impact on the local, national and global stage. We combine our discipline expertise with those across the wider University to address the most significant human and environmental questions of the present, past and future World-leading research A defining trait of the College is the way in which experts from across a breadth of disciplines from the biomedical to the social sciences engage to address shared research challenges and to deliver research-led teaching to our students. Our world-leading collaborative research areas include: Environmental Sciences Microbiology and Infection Centre of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain Centre for Human Brain Health Birmingham Institute for Mental Health Water Sciences Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) These areas are underpinned by our Enabling Technologies Global challenges Given the challenges that societies from across the globe are facing, there has never been a more important time to understand the mechanisms that underpin these interactions. We are currently leading international collaborative projects that are specifically addressing areas such as: Healthy Environments Food and Sustainable Agriculture Water Security Clean Energy Conflict and Humanitarian Action Foundations for Economic Development (including infrastructure) Resilient Systems Mass Migration Antibiotic Resistance Sustainable Cities Research in our four schools There are a very wide range of academic interests within and between each of the Schools. Find out more about the research themes in our four schools: Biosciences Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Psychology Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Research Centres of Excellence A selection of our interdisciplinary research centres and institutes: Birmingham Institute of Forest Research Birmingham University Imaging Centre (BUIC) Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Robotics (CNCR) Centre for Human Brain Health Institute of Microbiology and Infection Birmingham Metabolomics Training Centre Phenome Centre Birmingham Birmingham University Imaging Centre Birmingham Institute of Forest Research Life Sciences at Birmingham Birmingham is one of the most important sites for Life Sciences within the UK and is characterised by strong partnerships that link academic excellence across the University with innovation in addressing the health care requirements of a diverse regional population of five million people. Our vision is to deliver the full circle of translational medicine and to be recognised globally as a leading UK institution for Life Sciences research. Visit the Life Sciences at Birmingham website Birmingham Fellows Research in the College has been supported by significant investments from the University and we have recruited three cohorts of Birmingham Fellows. The Birmingham Fellows receive a five-year research fellowship, unparalleled training and mentoring and a permanent faculty position at the end of their fellowship. The College will continue to invest in the Fellows in the coming years. Our Birmingham Fellows include: Within the School of Biosciences: Dr Manuel BanzhafDr Yun FanDr Daniel GibbsDr Damon HuberDr Iain G. JohnstonDr Lindsey Jane Leach Within the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences: Dr Tom Dunkley JonesDr Sara FregoneseDr Tom MatthewsProfessor Francis Pope Within the School of Psychology: Dr Magda ChechlaczDr Jennifer CookDr Stephen MayhewDr Maria MichailDr Hyojin ParkDr Bernhard StaresinaDr Robin Thompson Research facilities Life and Environmental Sciences has – Excellent research facilities College Scientific Facilities Key people in the College of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University Executive Board (UEB)Week in Westminster


text:
They have an in-house brewery and make interesting handcrafted beer that are mostly seasonal. The happy hour appetizers are $5 each and the Pizzas are $7 each. We usually go for the brewery nachos or the pizza. We have also tried the Spicy Spinach Dip. All very tasty!
The rustic pizza- Old world Italian pies, hand-stretched with their signature sauces and custom cheese blend. We got the Margherita - Fresh Mozzarella, basil pesto, Roma tomatoes, roasted garlic and spinach.
The pizza was excellent. The hand tossed crust was like Naan. The service is usually good; rarely some waitresses put on a big attitude. Join their mug club and you can get really huge mugs of beer for $2 or so during the HH. A nice place to hang out in the evenings.


text:
I restarted my MBP for the first time in a week. It's amazing how much faster things run when my usual set of (roughly) 12 apps aren't open. I'm maxed out on RAM though, just 2GB in this first-generation MacBook Pro.
The current model supports 4GB, but I'm hoping the next generation supports 8GB. If so, I'm all over it, with a 17″ high-res matte screen.
I was happy to see that ScreenFlow, which I mentioned in an earlier blog, won an Apple Design Award at WWDC. Well deserved.


text:
Write a Note
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Upload a photo
- Use the Trash icon to delete
- Use the Pencil icon to edit or crop your image
- Allowed extensions: JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF
Candles Lit
Patricia Allington In Memory Of Your Birthday
Patricia Allington In Celebration Of Your Life
Patricia Allington In Memory Of Your Birthday
Patricia Allington In Celebration Of Your Life
Patricia Allington In Memory Of Your Birthday
Patricia Allington
Patricia Allington
Place of birth: Macomb, Michigan
Religious affiliation: Christian
Patricia Allington was born on June 20, 1952 in Macomb, Michigan. As a child, she was an active and brilliant student in school and adamantly played volleyball throughout her entire high school career. She graduated from Southington High School on June 2nd, 1971. She went on to take university courses while raising three children, Steven, Timothy and Cheri Allington. She took great passion in her career and children. Patricia met her late husband in 1968, Richard Allington passed in 2006, while attending his high school football game that was her schools rival. Their love grew and they married in 1969 at a local church in Fraser, Michigan. During their thirty-seven years of marriage, Richard and Patricia were always seen as the perfect couple and commonly referred to as "two peas in a pod" due to the inseparable nature of their relationship. Patricia Allington died in her sleep at her Sterling Heights home on November, 20th, 2016 of natural causes. Her request of no funeral and cremation is being honored and a wake in her honor is planned for November 24th to the 25th of 2016 from noon to five at her home in Sterling Heights. She was a proud woman and we all hope to see you during our time of bereavement.


text:
Friday, September 28, 2007
I just got a call from the pediatrician's office and the kidney x-rays and ultrasounds both look totally normal!!! Yay, another bullet dodged! They said they each had a likelyhood of 50% of having issues so it's really great that neither of them does! We can now check kidneys off the list and eliminate that potential surgery. I've had a lifetime of issues due to this, including spending the last night of my honeymoon in Maui Memorial Hospital with a severe kidney infection. I'm hoping this means they won't ever have to deal with anything like I've had to over the years with regards to this, I can't tell you how happy that would make me.
Monday we have two appointments, another helmet adjustment followed by our 6 month eye follow up exam. I'm not anticipating to have any trouble with their eyes, neither baby shows any sign of tracking issues, crossed eyes, lazy eyes, or eyes turning in. These are all common preemie issues that we seem to be avoiding so far.
In milestone news I forgot to mention that both babies have finally found their feet this month. Andrew found his first followed by Adam a week or so later. I think Adam had a hard time reaching his because his big belly was in the way ;-).
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Twins & Triplets, Oh My!!
Well we finally got the opportunity to meet in the "real" world and what fun we had! Her little miracles are doing fantastic, you'd never know they came early. It's so encouraging to see a NICU success story and also to see how much fun we have to look forward to as ours grow up and do new things. What great kids they are! I was so impressed with their brave mommy who brought them all by herself without any extra help so of course I had all kinds of questions for her on how she does it all. I can't wait to get together with them again!!
Developmental Appt
- excellent fine motor skills (great use of hands)
- mixed gross motor skills (great at sitting but not rolling yet)
- mild speech delayed (not making enough consenant sounds or imitations)
- mildly increased tone in left leg ("toe" standing/not flexing ankle)
- excellent social skills, eye contact, interaction
- delayed fine motor skills (favors right hand, uses immature grasping techniques)
- excellent speech (lots of preverbal babbling & sounds but hoping he'll imitate more)
- mixed gross motor skills (good rolling but not sitting)
- all muscle tone actually looks good and his delays are more "functional" rather than musculature (his brain is not yet telling his muscles how to react but the muscles are normal)
- excellent social skills, eye contact, interaction
Interestingly, their weakness and strengths are opposite from each other, where one is lacking the other makes up for it. He feels the delays are very mild at this point and mainly immaturity and "ought" to be outgrown. He advises to continue physical therapy 2x's a month and occupational therapy 2 x's a month. He will see them again in 6 months unless we notice anything "troublesome".
We are pleased with the appointment too, things look about as good as we could hope for at this point, as in that nothing severe is manifesting itself thus far.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Splish Splash, I was takin' a bath . . . .
"I can sit ALL by myself"
Wrestle Mania 2007
Somebody thinks I'm nice =-)!!
"This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you've been awarded please pass it on to others who you feel are deserving of this award."
I also think Heidi is not only nice but also very inspirational. Check out her blog as she chronicles her personal journey of faith as they've recently gone from a family of 6 to a family of 11!!
I can't choose only a few to pass the award along to because there are just too many awesome bloggers to choose from as you can see by my sidebar links. So I just want to say a general "Thank You" to all the other bloggers out there that share their unique story and offer encouragement and support to friends in both the "real" world and the online community.
Friday, September 21, 2007
This & That
The very good news is that she feels confident that both of them will be able to walk =-) and likely within a year's time. Andrew has some balance/control issues and trunk weakness that will likely put him walking after Adam but just knowing that in time he will most likely walk is awesome after being initially told in NICU that he might never walk. Praise God. The pt said multiple times that she has seen many babies with similiar histories and that we are very lucky that ours are doing so well, especially Andrew. I told her that many many people had prayed for them and how blessed we are. Thank you for praying!
Next week will be even busier. On Monday we go back for another helmet adjustment. We can see improvement in Adam's head already!! Tuesday we have our major followup appointment with the pediatric developmental specialist at The Children's Learning Institute. I completed the developmental inventory and sent it off to the specialist yesterday. Of course I'm very anxious about what they'll tell us. Both boys seem to have strengths and weaknesses in all different areas. Andrew is very verbal and rolling all around, Adam is sitting very well and great with his hands. It's neat to see how very different they are from each other. Kenny is taking off work to attend the developmental appt with me. I hope the dr echoes the what the pt said and that their delays are immaturity rather than impairment. But either way, we Praise God for these precious little lives we've been chosen to care for.
Then Wednesday we have to be at the hospital at 7:30am for our kidney ultrasounds and xray/dye procedure. Also coming up is our follow up with opthomalogy on Oct 1st to check up on how their eyes are doing.
I hope I can keep track of getting us to the right places on the right days at the right time!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Time for a Change . . .
The quotes say:
"All Boy"
"My brother is my best friend"
"Best buds"
"I'm not a mamma's boy, but Boy do I love my mom!"
"Just like Dad"
"Blessing from above"
"With boys you always know right where you stand. Right in the path of a hurricane."
"Make a joyful noise"
"Delight yourself in the Lord . . ."
"Thank Heavens for little Boys"
The definitions of "Miracle" and "Explore"
Monday, September 17, 2007
Happy Happy Birthday!!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Gig'em Aggies!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Out & About
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
9 Month Check Up
(Twice his birth length!!)
18 lbs 15 oz & 26 3/4" long
(On the chart in length & weight!!)
We have to go back in the beginning of October to get their flu shot and we are also getting Synagis again this year which helps them fight RSV. It's hard to qualify for Synagis because it has a tightly controlled supply and very expensive so I'm glad that it looks like we will be able to get the extra protection again this year. He also agreed that physical therapy will be a good idea but he's not majorly concerned with their progress at this point. Next up will be kidney ultrasounds and a catheter/dye x-ray procedure to check for vesicoureteral reflux. They can blame me for this one though ;-) and not their early birth, I had to have surgery at age 3 for this condition which is often hereditary.
Praise God for Growing Boys!!
Flu & RSV Seasons Are Approaching Already
After discussing scheduling our Flu & RSV shots with the pediatrician today it got me thinking about what our plans are for this upcoming Flu/RSV season. We are supposed to start the shots in October already!! Last season we never left the house except for doctor appts but the boys were still so medically fragile and on oxygen and diuretics. Ever since we started leaving the house over the summer life got so much better for Kenny & I. All those months of hibernating really got to me and the walls were closing in. Though I'm sure we will limit our activities some I don't want to completely hole up like that again.
Lately we've had a lot of encounters with strangers touching the babies before we get a chance to say something. Well today I heard another preemie mom mention this little sign as the best $10 she ever spent and so I've decided to order it and give it a try. Perhaps to some it will be "overzealous" but we were told the boys' lungs won't be caught up until at least age 2 and RSV or Flu could easily land them back in the hospital. So I don't mind at all doing what I can to keep them safer and still have somewhat of a normal life outside these walls, even if that means funny looks from strangers. Oh wait, in our helmets, we get those funny looks anyway ;-)!!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Lil' Stinkers
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Prematurity in the News
It's not very often that you see prematurity covered in the media from this perspective including the effects on mental health, marriages, and the reality of caring for a preemie post-NICU. I think it's important to educate people on the reality of prematurity out of respect for Adam & Andrew and what they've been through along with all the other preemies out there. We preemie moms often hear things like "How fun you had a preemie, they are so tiny and cute with their little clothes", "You are so lucky that you didn't have to experience the 3rd trimester", "How great that you got all that extra time to know your baby", "Don't worry, my friend's baby was 4 weeks early and she's perfectly fine", "You can always just have another baby". I think the majority of the general public (though probably not the readers of this blog) just doesn't "get" it.
(when you open part two it may ask for you to sign up for free, if you don't want to do that you can close the browser and come back here and re-open part 2 and then it will work)
Saturday, September 08, 2007
He Did It!!
He'd been getting pretty close the last couple of days and then all morning today he'd roll over as soon as I laid him on his back. Way to go Andrew!! Our occupational therapist will be so proud since we've been working on this one for a while. Hopefully Adam will decide soon that he can do it too, although he hates being on his tummy so he doesn't have much incentive to learn this trick. I'm so proud of you Andrew! Every accomplishment is another opportunity to Praise God!
Also a shout out to Adam for saying "Da Da" several times for the first time today, too bad Da Da wasn't around to hear it himself! Way to go Adam!