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Just to kick this off with a "…huh?" note, if you are me and you say the phrase "sketch and swatch" over and over in your head, as I was yesterday when jotting down notes for the blog, it starts to sound like some seriously weird Jane Fonda workout video where she's knitting in one of those leotard things, and about which I would like to know nothing more.
After that kind of opening, a discussion about swatching can't possibly seem that bad.
I'm sure you all know the standard procedure for swatching, even if you don't actually do it (no judging, that's why I try to knit sleeves first; they're my swatch-in-progress). But in case anyone actually isn't familiar with what a swatch is and why one "should" swatch, a brief rundown: a swatch is just a small piece of fabric, in this case a small piece of knitting that is done to check one's gauge. This ensures that your project "should" be the desired size once it's finished.
For this particular project, I was using a new-to-me yarn and trying to get a specific finished fabric, so swatching was incredibly important. I chose Quince & Co's Chickadee yarn because it seemed like an incredibly affordable option, and came in this delicious purple color.
Chickadee is listed as a sport weight yarn, but as I played around with the skeins, it felt a little heavier to me. So I first swatched on US size 5 needles and this is what I ended up with.
Forty stitches on size 5s gave me a good sized swatch, with a fabric that was a little loose. But given the nature of the plies and the plumpness of the yarn when no tension was added to (aka, as it was in the skein or just lying about), I thought it would puff up a bit once it was washed, and it sure did. (This is why it's important to wash swatches, too.) You can see the individual stitches, but when this fabric is held up to the light or stretched, it stays pretty solid (I wouldn't recommend wearing knitwear without some sort of camisole under a top, anyway, as the oils in your skin will break down the proteins in the fabric faster, but you don't want your camisole or tank to be peeking through, either).
All through the swatching process, I was taking notes. I noted the number of stitches I cast on, and then I measured the swatch in three different places once I had finished knitting it. I measured the overall swatch size in length, height, and my stitch and row counts. This may seem like overkill, but your knitting tension can vary within projects, even within twenty minutes of knitting, so again, I would recommend you go overboard with your measuring so you can find a fairly accurate average.
And then I washed the swatch and remeasured everything. As I expected the swatch did grow a little bit, but the stitch and row counts are where I saw the most difference—this is exactly what I wanted, as I wanted the fabric to be a bit more buff, but did not want the overall swatch to grow tremendously. I don't remember what my original gauge was, but my final gauge was in the neighborhood of 11.5 sts and 19 rows to 4″.
But what does this all mean, Basil? This means that now we can do some algebra in the next post! ::watches all of her subscribers disappear into the ether::


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Jo Lynn Crozier eBooks
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The Road Trip
Ginny Blevins & Jo Lynn Crozier
Emmanuel House Publishing, LLC, November 2011
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subset: commoncrawl


text: Hello everyone, I have a website , I am trying to build backlinks from high page rank websites where i can drop my links which are not spammy , and get them to stick. I know this can be acheived via blog commenting , forum submission profile creation...social bookmarking. What i need to ask you guys is , how do i find sites relevent to my niche? i was thinking using google dorks and seo quake to determe the page rank of the website on google search page and check manually if links could be build on that site. (1)Can any one suggest me some google dorks to find websites/forums/blogs where i can put a backlink. (2) Any method which could help with this.. (3) Any post published here on BHW relevent to this post please post here. I am not looking for pauls or angelas link or something similar , most blogger/wordpress high traffic pages needs admins verification before the content is published or are autoblogs and gets redirected to a blank page when you submit a comment.I want to do this manually , and not via any software get posts to stick for as long as possible. Forums are also a good way , i am not thinking about spamming posts or new threads with crappy content along with a profile backlink , but i do something like this i have to register for the website and them leave a comment. let me know if any one could help me. Thanks Nix


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Efetividade da doxiciclina na profilaxia contra letptospirose
Abstract (Summary)Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis of considerable medical and economical importance that affects humans in both urban and rural contexts, as well as domestic animals and wild fauna. Leptospira interrogans is the causative agent and is transmitted to humans by indirect contact with contaminated soil or water. The clinical syndromes include sub clinical infection, self-limited anicteric febrile illness, and severe and potentially fatal illness, known as Weil´s syndrome. In developed countries, leptospirosis is related to occupational or recreational activities while in developing countries, outbreaks occur during floods. In those regions, traditional strategies to prevent the transmission are difficulties to be implemented because of costs and lack of community acceptance. In addition, no efficient vaccine is available for human use. Several studies have suggested that chemoprophylaxis with doxycycline pre and post-exposure may be effective to prevent leptospirosis. Leptospirosis has been reported in rural areas of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil since 1985 in rice farmers who present the anicteric illness. The disease cause great social and economics impact. The study was conducted in São Miguel where an epidemic of leptospirosis in rice farmers was reported. The main objective was to determine the efficacy of doxycycline in preventing Leptospira exposure. A taxa de soroprevalência de leptospirose na população estudada antes e após a colheita foi de 14,2% (n=22) e de 16.6% (n=27) respectivamente. Anti-Leptospira serology was determined for 61 subjects in two instances, pre and post-exposure to potential contaminated water. There was an increased risk of 29.0 per cent in acquiring infection for individuals that did not use doxycycline. In addition, an increased risk of 30.0 % observed in farmers who did not use protection when exposed to Leptospira. The adhesion to preventive chemoprophylaxis was 55.7%. Therefore doxycycline, under specific circunstances appears to be an effective alternative to protect against leptosprirosis infection. A large sample composed of individuals to adhere to preventive therapy is needed to define time, dosage and length of use of doxycycline in this area
Bibliographical Information:
Advisor:Elizeu Antunes dos Santos; Selma Maria Bezerra Jerônimo; Luiz Bezerra de Carvalho Júnior
School:Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
School Location:Brazil
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Keywords:Effectiveness of the doxiciclina in Prophylaxis against letptospirose Epidemiology Doxycycline
Date of Publication:06/27/2003


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The Odin-32CW has become the smallest Thermal Imaging Monocular System today. It features extremely small size and low weight because of its advanced construction and characteristics using the latest technologies in high grade polymers to make a Mil. Spec, system that is identical in size, weight and shape to a AN/PVS-14.
The Odin-32CW is a multi-purpose system using the latest in miniature thermal sensor technology combined with the new OLED Display to provide a superior stable image in the smallest package available. The system also includes an array of features that help the user to enhance the sight to meet all of their requirements. The Odin-32CW is one of the most capable thermal monocular systems on the market and comes with a very affordable price point.
The Odin-32CW 2x system is designed for hand held, head mounts and weapon mounted operations.
Designed to use the same accessories as the AN/PVS-14 Night Vision Monocular System the Odin-32CW has many options available for head mounting. The easiest is the easy to use J-Arm bracket and a standard head strap.
The Odin-32CW has the ability to be rail mounted to a light caliber weapon such as a M16 or M4 using the accessory weapon rail interface adapter. An optional digital reticle aiming system is also available for the Odin-32CW.
With the ability to use most accessories for the AN/PVS-14 the Odin-31CW is user friendly and easy to learn to use. The system design has been proven effective and reliable as well as functional. The Odin-32CW is a perfect compliment to any user of night vision monocular systems.
– Ergonomic Design
– Compact and Lightweight
– PVS-14 Construction
– Mil. Spec Optics
– Head Mountable
– Weapon Interface
– Variable Geometry Display
– E-Zoom
– Digital Brightness Control
– Icon Based Menu System
– Color Modes
– Black/White Polarity/ Multiple Color Modes
– VOx Vanadium Oxide Detector
– 800 x 600 OLED Display
– Video Output
– Made in USA
– Sensor (microbolometer): 320 x 240
– Type: Uncooled
– Material: Vanadium oxide (VOx)
– Image Size (output resolution):800 x 600
– Frame rate: 30 Hz
– Video output: Analog RS-170
– Lens: 35 mm
– Display: Color OLED matrix, SVGA 800 x 600
– Thermal Sensitivity: 50mK
– Spectral Response: 7-14 m
– Field of View: 15×11
– Eye Relief: 27 mm
– Diopter Adjustment: -6 to +4
– Optical Magnification: 2X
– E-Zoom: 4X, 8X
– Human Detection: 750 m
– Human Recognition: 300 m
– Human Identification: 180 m
– Vehicle Detection: 1650 m
– Vehicle Recognition: 660 m
– Vehicle Identification: 400 m
– Reticle: Multiple Reticles to Choose From
– Polarity control: White hot / Black hot / Multiple Color Modes
– Start up time: 4 sec
– Waterproof: Waterproof / Dustproof
– Battery type: 1 x CR123A battery type
– Battery Life: 2+ hrs
– Weight: 0,77 lb /350 grams
– Dimensions:3.40″ x 2.20″ x 1.95″ / 87mm x 56mm x 50mm


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In a fitting kickoff for the special four-part Jazz Roots concert series, Dr. Phillips is tipping a hat to the Genius himself, Ray Charles (who Billy Joel famously touted as being more important than Elvis Presley – say what?!). Celebrating said genius will be an all-star lineup of award-winning performers like 10-time Grammy-winning a cappella group Take 6, DownBeat Vocalist of the Year Nnenna Freelon and mind-melting saxophonist Javon Jackson. Equally as exciting as all these trophy-wavers, there will also be a 50-person Orlando-based choir. We hope that by opening their jazz series with an affordable ticket and a tribute to a famous civil rights champ like Mr. Ray Charles (he refused to play at segregated venues like Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Georgia) is a sign that the new arts center really is of and for the people.
JAZZ ROOTS: GEORGIA ON MY MIND, featuring Take 6, Clint Holmes, Nnenna Freelon, Javon Jackson, Dave Loeb, Frost School of Music Big Band | 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20 | Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave. | 407-839-0119 | drphillipscenter.org | $25.50
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text:
Here you can download ABN-AMRO Holding vector logo absolutely free.
To view and edit the logo use Adobe Photohop, Adobe Illustator or Corel Draw.
ABN-AMRO Holding
Category: a
Type: .eps (Encapsulated PostScript format)
Filesize: 27.29 KB
Date Added: 17.07.2011, 01:37
Views: 664
Downloads: 11
Below you can find logos, similar to the ABN-AMRO Holding.


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What are you doing looking at this old thing! How embarrassing! *dusts frantically*
Go check out our new home at:
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More life lessons
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Morning Walk
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First Signs of Fall
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(Not) Back to School
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|Message view
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|"Ivan Mitic (JIRA)" <j...@apache.org>
|[jira] [Created] (HADOOP-8907) Provide means to look for zlib1.dll next to haodop.dll on Windows
|Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:30:03 GMT
Ivan Mitic created HADOOP-8907: ---------------------------------- Summary: Provide means to look for zlib1.dll next to haodop.dll on Windows Key: HADOOP-8907 URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/HADOOP-8907 Project: Hadoop Common Issue Type: Bug Affects Versions: 1-win Reporter: Ivan Mitic Assignee: Ivan Mitic This change is dependent on HADOOP-8564. Instead of asking end users to install zlib1.dll to system32 on Windows, it would be more convenient to just copy the dll next to hadoop.dll. More context and patch coming after HADOOP-8564. -- This message is automatically generated by JIRA. If you think it was sent incorrectly, please contact your JIRA administrators For more information on JIRA, see: http://www.atlassian.com/software/jira
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Political reporters usually don't state their opinions bluntly, adopting instead a polite, semi-objective façade. They save their unvarnished views for late-night bitch sessions in local watering holes when they're among their own.
So, it was quite unusual for one of the nation's elite political reporters to say what he really thinks on national television in language that can only be described as crude. John Heilemann of New York magazine, co-author of "Game Change" and a fixture on MSNBC, really let it rip on HBO's irreverent "Real Time with Bill Maher."
Asked by Maher what was wrong with the current Republican presidential field, Heilemann replied:
Having spent the better part of the last year following these guys from state to state, observing them up close, I can give you a very careful, subtle, nuanced take on that, Bill: It's because they all suck. They're not good candidates and they're whacked in a variety of ways…
Harsh, maybe, but largely true, as I've laid out in this blog in somewhat less colorful language. A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll backs it up, too.
Four in ten adult Americans polled say the campaign "has given them a less favorable impression of the GOP"; only 10% say it's given them a more favorable impression.
Who are those 10%? Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum's extended families?
Most ominously, six in ten independents viewed the Republican campaign negatively, the poll showed.
And some "55% of respondents – including 35% of Republicans – believe the Democratic Party does a better job than the GOP in appealing to those who aren't hard-core supporters. Just 26% say the Republican Party does a better job on this front."
"The word you'd have to use at this stage is: 'corrosive,'" said Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted the survey along with Democrat Peter Hart.
Is it any surprise former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has a 28%-39% positive/negative rating, one of the biggest negative spreads we've seen at this point in the election cycle?
It's not just about the candidates; this goes back to last year's debt ceiling debacle when Tea Party congressmen appeared ready to go down with the ship to get their way.
And the emergence of contraception as an important issue in the Republican primaries has been just jaw-dropping to the rest of the country, which actually lives in the 21st century.
What's really 'corrosive' is the disconnect between the Republican faithful and the rest of America. It may prevent the GOP from making gains that a slightly more reasonable conservative party could take for granted in an economy like this one.


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Two in a Boat, painted during Robinson's 1891 summer at Giverny, shows two women reading while lounging in a skiff floating on the Seine or Epte River. The scene retains the spontaneous freshness and lively brushwork of the artist's pure landscapes, despite the carefully staged composition.
Although Robinson preferred to execute his landscapes on site, basing his figure compositions on preliminary studies—usually photographs of carefully staged compositions that he had begun to take in the early 1880s. Robinson viewed the photograph as a means to capture exactly the world around him; the convenience of being able to work in his studio (he suffered from severe asthma) and the financial benefit of reducing the number of hours spent with a model appealed to him as well. Even when Robinson adopted aspects of impressionism in the late 1880s, he continued to use photographs as preliminary studies for his figure compositions. Photographs provided compositional structure, allowing the artist use color more freely and to create shimmering atmosphere and light effects.
Robinson appears to have been pleased with Two in a Boat, because he included it in the Society of American Artists' 1895 annual exhibition and in a one-person exhibition later that year. It was also one of five Robinsons lent to the 1913 Armory Show, where he and Twachtman represented American impressionism, their paintings hanging in one of the large center rooms alongside works by Ryder and Whistler, who by this time were considered to be American "old masters." Duncan Phillips, in writing of these American painters in A Collection in the Making, stated that "Twachtman, Weir, and Robinson were the earliest American artists who painted light and air with a science blended with sentiment…."
Adapted from Eye, VSB


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One of the joys of returning to Tanzania, beyond time with the parentals, was reconnecting with friends made last year. Not least of these is a young friend who, with her mom and sister, took an 8 hour bus trip from up-country to visit for a few days. BR is my birthday buddy – we share a birthday 22 years apart. A random highlight of this visit: teaching BR the American pronunciation of a few words. While it is funny to take away the posh, Birtish sing-songy pleasant pronunciation of such words as water, bath, and beer, it is "No" that seems most appropriate when said in a harsh American accent. This was just one of the causes for many smiles and much laughter last weekend.
a tanzania update
I made it to Tanzania last Friday after stops at two airports – Nairobi and Zanzibar. The night I arrived I came down with some sort of tummy bug which, when combined with my sinuses flushing out the remaining pollution from Addis, made for a not wonderfully pleasant 24 hrs. But did you notice that I said 24 hrs? Yes, that's right… while this bug made me miss two dives on Saturday, I was just about good as new come Sunday morning.Â
I just realized that I wrote the above paragraph without saying diarrhea in an effort to make comfortable everyone living where plumbing and anti-bacterial soap are the norm. But, diarrhea is reality here. Matter of fact, somewhere in the back of your head you might be thinking, "Really? Can a 24 hr bug really be bad enough prevent her from going diving when she has wanted to go diving for months? Pam just isn't that tough.†Just in case that is what you are thinking, envision this: diarrhea while wearing a wetsuit. Yeah – that was enough for me to call off the diving too.Â
Besides tummy bugs and not diving, I have seen friends made last year, been swimming in the ocean, and just returned from a night in Zanzibar. Life is good and full in this hot and humid land. There will be a few more thoughts on Ethiopia in the future as well as photos, so I apologize in advance for the jumbled posting. I hope you are well.
almost done
My time here in Dar es Salaam is almost done. Tomorrow I leave for Kenya with the parentals. I return on Monday and then begin my trip back to the States by way of Germany on Tuesday. It has been a good time, and I will enjoy it to its last. As I sit writing this I am at the yacht club where the sun is shinning, the sky blue, and the ocean calm.
This evening I went out for a swim. I think I was about 10 minutes out when my arm was stung by something. When my legs were stung I realized it was not the little stings that just go away and turned towards shore. When I got out of the water, I already had welts. Three nice strips across my right quad and a few random other spots on both legs and my left arm. Some treatment (salt water and fresh water rinse, vinegar rinse, and shaving the stung areas) and a couple of hours later the welts are mostly gone and it is more of a tingle than pain. Now I can add jellyfish to the list of creatures that I have not only seen, but also encountered.
Sometimes that is all you can say about a day. I set up a meeting last week. I called this morning to confirm the meeting. It is a hot day. When I stepped out of the taxi to go to the meeting, my glasses steamed over thanks to the cold, blasting ac in the car. The guards at the building told me that the person I was to meet was gone to a meeting. I phoned her cell. No response. I texted her cell to let her know I was there and waiting. No response. I talk to her secretary who says to be patient and wait; she is sure her boss will return.
I am given a UNICEF visitor's badge and am shuttled to the cold waiting room. Here I sit on a hard wood bench. This afternoon, I ran out of the house without reading material, so, as I freeze, I read promotional material sitting on the coffee table, make a few phone calls, and make lists of things to do. I decide to leave after two hours.
Next time I will be sure to have reading material and a scarf or jacket to keep warm. But, today, Africa won again.
an afternoon at the beach
Yesterday afternoon we went to an island just off of the coast of Dar. It has a lovely beach and good snorkeling, so is a delightful way to spend time. The water near the beach was quite nice, but a little ways out, where one would snorkel, there was a strong current and all sorts of things in the water that were more than happy to sting any exposed skin. Not sure what little creature was stinging us, but it was enough to drive us towards the shore. On the upside, much fun was had while floating in the warm water and relaxing in the sun (or really the shade). It was all topped off with fresh fish and chips.
Yesterday I also found out that Bethany (she and her parents are with us for a week) and I share our birthday, though separated by more than a few years. Needless to say, we have become fast friends. However, I have to admit that she wins in the speaking department as her posh English accent is far more fun to listen to than my boring American one.
fabulous flowers
a fly in my coffee
I have a short consulting job, so have set up shop on our dining room table. It is really a good situation: big table, wireless (which is slooooooow), windows that look out to our gardens, and air conditioners and ceiling fans.
Every now and then we get a fly in the house, which mom chases, with much fervor, until she is triumphant in killing it. I always laugh and carefully watch the food as I am worried that her fly swatter might just land itself on my plate or in my face in the mad chase.
Yesterday afternoon I was home alone so was saved from that humorous chase when a solitary fly invaded my work space. Before long I went to take a last sip of my coffee to find him slowly doing the backstroke in my coffee. I guess this is a lazy man's way of killing flies.
a beautiful morning
This morning mom and I went to the yacht club to 'do laps' in the ocean. Earlier this week the water was so murky that visibility was one or two meters tops. This morning the ocean was calm and the visibility was fantastic. The best gift of it all was the three eels, one of which swam in the open for quite some time. It was a beautiful morning.
My parentals, friends of the parentals with two little kids, an old friend (pww), and I met on the fabled spice island of Zanzibar for a fun weekend in the sun.
The weekend began with espresso.
We had our own house on the hill above the beach, but it is the streets of Stone Town that we wandered. Narrow streets. Old stone buildings. Carved doors. Hanging lanterns.
Cane juice. Add a little lime and fresh ginger and you have a drink that is so good it is addictive.
Kikois that are still made by hand. We were told that a good weaver could weave up to 20 yards of fabric a day.
Good food. What else is there to say?
Photos that I don't have: SCUBA diving on the northeast coast. Swimming in the ocean. Hammock between two trees. Playing Candyland with the kids.
tide pools
an unexpected diving adventure
Diving is always an adventure, but it is generally an expected adventure. If you live near mountains, you might go hiking on or off trails. But the area is known, the equipment is familiar, and the hiking itself second nature. For me, this is diving. I have been diving for nearly 15 years and before I was able to dive, I was watching our boat as dad dove with his friends. Over time my equipment has faded from its original neon yellows and pinks, but remains well loved.
Dad and I thought we knew what we were getting into last weekend when we went on a French live-aboard dive boat. Three dives a day for three days; two of these days were to be around Mafia, where the diving was fantastic just a few weeks prior. Good food, good diving. What we got instead was an unexpected adventure including a reminder to respect the ocean.
Friday evening we boarded the Kairos when it was already dark. As we motored through the night to Mafia Island sleep was evasive as we often felt as if we were going to be tossed from the our bunks thanks to the fantastic waves. The morning brought a rather rocky breakfast and our first dive. I've never been sea-sick before, but attempting to quickly down a glass of water before dive one was a mistake. Thankfully I felt great post losing breakfast and was free of such issues the rest of the trip.
Dives one and two were rather murky, but not bad. Highlights include a huge ray swimming, a large turtle swimming fast, and a moray eel swimming between rocks. Returning from dive two was a wild ride as the waves continued to grow all afternoon. With all divers on board we did not even attempt the third dive and instead motored to the back side of the island to drop anchor for the night. The evening brought NITROX training, an alternative to compressed air that allows you to stay deeper for longer. Sleep came fast and the rocking of the boat this night was pleasant.
Sunday brought three dives. The first we fought the current and upon nearly reaching the wall found it to be a sandstorm. The second brought a beautiful school of large fish at 120 feet, and then sand. Then deep diving training after lunch. The third dive included a 2.5 meter shark (either a bull or tiger), a 2+ meter, 150kg+ grouper, several large schools of large fish, including barracudas, and brought my new max diving depth of 145 feet.
After the third dive one of the 12 divers was not doing well, her symptoms aligning perfectly with decompression illness. As there was a recompression chamber on board, one of the few in east Africa, she got in the chamber and I saw both my first recompression chamber and my first recompression chamber in use. She felt better in the chamber, and so we began to motor to our next diver site, just slightly off course for Dar, as she spent seven hours in the chamber. Unfortunately, a hour after getting out of the chamber, she was feeling horrible again, so our destination was changed at 3am to Dar. We arrived at 12:30 on Monday.
One of the 12 divers on board was a doctor. She had to stitch a crew's finger up after it port door slammed on it during the high waves on Saturday. In the end, it is likely that other diver did not suffer from decompression illness, but some illness that surfaced with the same symptoms. But it could have been. Diving, particularly diving deep (technically that means past 60 feet), is pushing the balance between safety and potential illnesses including decompression illness, nitrogen narcosis, and oxygen toxicity. At depth these illness are frightening. Nitrogen narcosis—imagine being drunk with over 100 feet of water above you. Oxygen toxicity—think seizures at its worst. Much safer to be drunk or to have seizures on land. On the surface wild waves not only rock a boat but can hide divers from their ride, and currents can pull you towards reefs or out to the open ocean.
Over the weekend I was certified as a deep diver and to use NTIROX. I came to appreciate deep diving for what it is, though my preference remains shallow diving. This weekend was a reminder of the deep respect one must have for the ocean. So this weekend of diving was an unexpected adventure.
This past week I found myself in Arusha, a town near Mount Kilimanjaro to attend a conference. The conference itself was interesting, but beyond that also I got to go on a site visit to a school and a Massai women's group, and visited the Rwanda War Tribes Tribunal. The most interesting thing at the school was the biofuel that was being used to in the kitchen (the school was boarding school). The biofuel was made of compacted sawdust. It is less expensive than the alternatives (wood, charcoal, or kerosene), burns extremely hot and for long periods of time, and produces no smoke. Absolutely fantastic!
The Massai women sung and danced for us. They make bracelets and necklaces to sell to tourists…seeing as all the money goes directly to the women, I couldn't help but buy a few things. The women watched as I tried on different bracelets and admired the necklaces. Then when a woman pulled a necklace off her neck similar to the ones I was admiring, it was impossible to not buy it.
The Rwanda War Crimes Tribunal has been going since the end of the Rwanda genocide. As it is in Arusha and open to the public, it seemed that I should attend. Most of the people wore black robes, and one even had a wig. I sat listening with my headphones to the translators as the lawyers, judges, and witness went between French and English. Nothing earth shattering, but it was good to simply sit in a trial and see how they are done.


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Building a Business starts with an idea, which is then converted into action.
Simple and straightforward, but not always enough to be successful. Libraries can be filled with books about how this conversion is done, and usually the terms Strategy and Management are introduced on the first page. It is not always clear what is meant by the terms, and the explaining usually involves many more terms, like mission, vision, leadership. Once you are sufficiently confused you are lucky if you can understand where the author is taking you. Bullshit Bingo is never far away.
What is a Strategy really: is it a statement, or a plan, or just a hypothesis about value creation?
And what about Management? Sometimes you are introduced to the world of let it all run it's course, your people will know what to do, the collective will manage itself (as Ricardo Semmler does), and sometimes to give every single employee a specific responsibility and task, and constantly measure how the task is performed, with Key Performance Indicators (Robert Kaplan).
Unless you want to turn into a one-man show, it is important is to be able to share your idea with others: Why do you want to do it, what do you want to do and for whom. And how will you be successful: Can you identify what the success-factors are, decide which of the underlying activities are vital and are you able to measure if they are performed up to the standard you have set for yourself and your business?
There is no single truth of course: are we talking about a bar in Berlin, a multi-national enterprise run from the United States, or a Production Plant in China? Hardly the same thing. Where you do it matters a lot: Context is crucial.
Equally important is who you have around you. Can you inspire them and share your vision and some of your responsibilities with them, delegate some of the vital activities to them? Time to get organized.
This requires planning and probably money. Decisions are needed on what initiatives have priority are and how they are funded.
Once you are in business the execution of your idea needs constant evaluation and adjustment, just like a hypothesis needs testing and change.
We believe these are five steps that not only reflect common sense but are also universally crucial to bring a business idea to fruition. We have called this approach SCOPE. An acronym where each letter represents a stage in the process of Strategy Execution:
Strategy – Context – Organisation – Planning – Execution
For Qhuba and its clients we have taken the "buffet approach". You will pass all the five stations, but what you use from the process and the templates depends on your needs and appetite. The full cycle looks like this:
In the middle the basic templates for communication:
- The Business Blueprint, which describes the building blocks behind the idea: the values, and the vision, the words you want to own and the x-factor you think you have. In short: the success-factors
- The Strategy Map, which describes the value creating activities through series of cause and effect linkages, clustered per success-factor
- The Scorecard, which describe the objectives per activity per success-factor.
Nothing is new here, nothing is revolutionary. The Plane, the Crew with the Flight Plan and the Cockpit, if you like analogies.
The only aim is to make a clearly defined approach with unequivocal terms and definitions and some practical tools available for all.
In five short articles we will describe the five steps, as well as the three tools, and then we will go through the whole sequence for our own company.
If you like the approach you might want to do the same for yours.


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Deezer and Spotify give access to your music library through their api. The first step is to give access to Spotizr to your Deezer and Spotify account. After that, you can choose what you want to import into your Deezer account. Click sync and Spotizr will import your library.
You can import : Playlists, Favorites Albums, Saved/Starred Tracks, Follow artists
Feel free to email us to provide some feedback, give us suggestions for new features or report a bug.


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Dear Rochester Historical Society members and friends,
It is with deep sadness and a profound sense of loss, that I pass along word of the passing of Marcus Blair. Marcus passed away at his home in Randolph on March 8th.
Altho he wasn't in the best of shape, his death was sudden, and a shock to many of us. I had talked to him a few days earlier, and he said, and it sounded like, he had a bad cold. But apparently there was more going on.
Marcus and I had talked about getting older and end of life issues. He wasn't interested in living "forever" and if faced with a serious illness, he didn't want his life extended or death postponed. There is nothing "good" about his passing, but I can take a small degree of comfort in knowing his wish was fulfilled.
As the unofficial "Town Historian", Marcus was a wealth of information about the history of Rochester and the surrounding area. I often called on him, as did others, to provide information about a family or an area of town. In fact, a short while ago I had asked him about one of the families that lived in the Bingo area of town. His passing will leave a huge hole in our knowledge, but he did have the foresight to collect volumes of information which will help us fill the void.
I didn't know Marcus very well until I retired from the Forest Service 14 years ago. Then, with our love for history in general, and especially West Hill, we "bonded". I spent many hours in person or on the phone discussing many places and people. We all can honor his memory, by being active in keeping history "alive".
Please keep his family and his many friends in your thoughts and prayers.
Bruce K. Flewelling, President
Rochester Historical Society
The Heart of the Green Mountains
The pastoral beauty and serenity of the surrounding hills and valley remain the same that drew our forefathers to the Rochester area.
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"The combination of high altitude, wooded hills, pure water, good drainage, together with an enlightened public spirit which maintains thoroughly hygienic conditions in town and home, renders Rochester one of the healthiest as it is one of the cleanest towns in the United States…
…Ideal climate, no sharp changes, low humidity. Winter climate rivals Swiss resorts with high sunshine percentage and little wind. Something to do all the time."
– The Vermonter, January, 1910
The Rochester Historical Society is a non-profit organization, the purpose of which is to seek out, collect, preserve, and restore those materials, records, and artifacts which relate to the history of Rochester.
We welcome gifts of items and collections of historic value to Rochester in hopes of fostering a sense of community through knowledge of our past, while connecting people to the land and our community through history, providing a legacy of Rochester's past and present for future generations.
Your participation is sought, through volunteer work, becoming a member, or just visiting our Museum.


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On my recent trip to Liverpool last week, I visited the Tate. I am a keen visitor to the Tate Modern in London, but had never actually visited the one in Liverpool, so it was nice to visit the gallery in different surroundings. We were visiting to mainly see Glam! The performance of style which ended on the 12th of May, but we did look around the rest of the Gallery exhibitions and I was impressed with the vast collection of works.
Glam! The performance of style is the first exhibition to explore glam style and sensibility in depth. The exhibition investigated the extravagant pop style which exploded across Britain during the years 1971-5. The exhibition looks at artistic developments in Britain, Europe and North America through the prism of glam, examining painting, sculpture, installation art, film, photography and performance. Themes of glamour, camp, exaggerated identity, androgyny, eroticism and dandyism is explored in the works of David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Allen Jones, Richard Hamilton and many more. I really enjoyed the exhibition, maybe if I had lived through the era I would understand the randomness of some of the works a lot more. But I was really interested in Richard Hamilton's work and seeing certain trends of beauty and fashion that have come back into fashion today.


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Riley Shy kneels before her handsome lover and sucks his throbbing piece of hard wood
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What You'll Get
The Deal
- One G-Pass to see Poison with Cheap Trick, starting from $15
- General admission lawn
- Click to view the seating chart
How G-Pass Works: Within an hour of purchase, your G-Pass will be in your account. You may redeem your G-Pass via the mobile app when you enter the venue. You may also print it out in advance. Discount reflects the merchant's current ticket prices - price may differ on day of event.
- Their Legacy: Poison has forever etched itself into the annals of glam metal history with multiple platinum-selling albums and 12 Top-40 singles, including "Unskinny Bop" and "Talk Dirty to Me."
- Their Magnum Opus: 1988's Open Up and Say…Ahh!, which was certified platinum five times and spawned the mega-hits "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" and "Nothin' But a Good Time"
- Their Return: In the 2000s, the original Poison crew—Bret Michaels, CC DeVille, Bobby Dall, and Rikki Rockett—reunited and found itself back on the Billboard Top 20 charts with the release of The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock".
- What to Expect: Michaels says, "It's going to be a mega concert and party combined. We will be playing all the hits and bringing high energy rock and roll good times."
- Cheap Trick: These Rock and Roll Hall of Famers ruled the charts in the '70s, thanks in large part to their smash live album, Cheap Trick at Budokan, and continue to share four decades' worth of favorites such as "Surrender" and "I Want You to Want Me." They've also released three albums in the last three years—Band Zoom Crazy…Hello, We're All Alright, and Christmas Christmas.
The Fine Print
Limit 8/person. Valid only for option purchased. All sales final, subject to Extraordinary Event Policy. Must purchase together to sit together. Merchant reserves right to sub closer seat. ADA seating cannot be guaranteed; contact box office prior to purchase for availability. Holder assumes all risk in connection w/ the event & releases Groupon & its affiliates, Ticketmaster, venue & their affiliates from any related claims. Ticket value includes all fees. Live Nation is issuer of tickets - discount reflects current ticket prices, which may change. Upon purchase, we will provide your email to Ticketmaster to be used in accordance with Ticketmaster's Privacy Policy. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.


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PETA Uses Michelle Obama In "Fur-Free And Fabulous" Campaign Without The First Lady's Consent
Posted on Wed Jan 6th, 2010 7:46am PDT By X17 Staff
PETA's new "Fur-Free And Fabulous" campaign features images of the first lady alongside Oprah Winfrey, Tyra Banks and Carrie Underwood in the ad that's running in Washington D.C.
Although Michelle Obama previously stated that she doesn't wear fur, she didn't consent to appear in this ad!
"We did not consent to this," said a spokesperson for the First Lady's office.
"The fact is that Michelle Obama has issued a statement indicating that she doesn't wear fur, and the world should know that in PETA's eyes, that makes her pretty fabulous," says PETA president Ingrid Newkirk in a statement.
So is this ad fabulous or not?
Stories from around the Web


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I'm one of those people who likes to look back at the memories from over time. Each year on New Year's Eve I try to think back over the past year and figure out how I can make the next year even better. Although I didn't have THE Best year, I did have a pretty good one. I wanted to share 13 of the better moments of this year!
13. Fishing with John's brother and cousin - May 12. I don't know what it was about being out at the lake at sunset but it was beautiful and peaceful and just a very memorable moment in 2013.
12. Learning how to make stained glass - February 28. My great friend Lisa taught me how to make stained glass this year. So far I've completed two stained glass pieces and have to solder the third piece together.
11. Seeing Mama S get her GED diploma - June 13. I was so proud of her for completing her GED and actually going to the graduation.
10. Night out with AXE brothers - December 21. I know I just talked about this last week but I enjoy being around them so much.
9. Reaching my 100th and 200th post - February 27 and I feel like my blog grew a lot between the beginning and my 100th post. I know I didn't really blog continuously throughout the year but somehow I made it to my 200th post! I'm so thankful for all my readers who follow me on my journey and give me encouragement.
8. Seeing Brantley Gilbert and Kip Moore in concert - April 19. I had such a blast at this concert. It was just what I needed at the time.
Kip Moore
7. Being a bridesmaid to Becca - November 16. Although Becca's wedding isn't until 2014, I got to take part as a bridesmaid and go with her to pick up her dress. I love being her best friend and loved getting to spend this special day with her.
6. Job interviews - several. Even though I went on these interviews and didn't get accepted in the position, I'm glad that I got the experience of being in an interview. I'm sure the right job will come along.
5. Finding the perfect wedding venue - June 9. There was just something magical about having found the perfect place for our wedding.
4. Finishing Insanity - October 5. It felt so good to get active and healthy again.
3. Thanksgiving weekend - November 28. Being able to spend this time with John was one of the better weekend of the whole year. It felt so right to be with him on the Thanksgiving.
2. Air Force Ball - September 28. It felt so good to get all dressed up and attend the ball this year.
1. The Proposal - March 26. I don't think there is much more I can say about this except it was one of the happiest and most emotional times of my life. All the details are here and here!
I hope 2014 will be even better than 2013 has been!


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This summer, Summerville journal scene reporter Erin Shaw took a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at Drayton Hall, and the intricacies of running a historic house museum. If you're in the preservation field, then hopefully you'll relate. If you're not, then perhaps you'll be surprised what it really takes to keep Drayton Hall running smoothly!
Click here to be directed to the article on The Summerville Journal Scene's website.


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News \
Man Replaces Britney Spears With Himself in Remake of 'Work Bitch' Video
Gal Volinez's version is almost like the real thing
The most painstakingly detailed and hilarious fan-made music video remake since Ton Do-Nguyen recreated Beyoncé's "Countdown" has arrived. "Hi Brit" is a revamped version of Britney Spears' "Work Bitch" clip that stars Volinez Spears, also known as Gal Volinez, and it definitely tops Azaelia Banks' remix of the tune from last year. Volinez's rework only varies from the original video in one key detail: he learned all the choreography and then inserted himself into each frame. The Israeli artist, who has a collection of seriously weird videos on his website, has racked up over 1 million views on this masterpiece in the week since he posted it, and he's changed his Facebook profile picture to a screenshot of his belly to celebrate his success. Perhaps this one isn't too scandalous for French television?


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When differential genre albums are placed that close together in a Top40 list, the specific rankings don't say much about the difference in quality. In our list which is compiled by Top 40 Charts for 2009 we tend to look at it more listening albums, but we realize that kind of defeats the purpose of this list.
Quite frankly, at the end of the day, even though it's what we enjoy spending all our time doing on this magazine, music wasn't meant to be ranked. A wise man once told us that "if something moves you, it has value." You can't quantify that kind of personal value!
Our "year in review" sets as a goal to bring you most closely in today's music, close to all of them which are going to change the music future tomorrow! The best of the best for 2009 without music frontiers:
1-10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-40
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Wong Jack Man
|Wong Jack Man
Hong Kong
|Other names
|T'ai chi ch'uan,
Northern Shaolin
|Years active
|Martial arts teacher
|Wong Jack Man
Wong Jack Man (born c. 1941[1]) is a Chinese martial artist and teacher. Wong taught classes in T'ai chi ch'uan, Xingyiquan and Northern Shaolin at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. Grandmaster Wong Jack Man retired in 2005. The school is still in existence and is run by his former student, Rick Wing.[2] He was born in Hong Kong.[3]
Fight with Bruce Lee[edit]
Accounts of Wong's fight with Lee are controversial, as it was unrecorded and held in private.[4]
According to Linda Lee Cadwell, Bruce Lee's wife, Lee's teaching of Chinese martial arts to white people made him unpopular with Chinese martial artists in San Francisco. Wong contested the notion that Lee was fighting for the right to teach whites[5] as not all of his students were Chinese.[6] Wong stated that he requested a public fight with Lee after Lee had issued an open challenge during a demonstration at a Chinatown theater in which he claimed to be able to defeat any martial artist in San Francisco.[7] Wong stated it was after a mutual acquaintance delivered a note from Lee inviting him to fight that he showed up at Lee's school to challenge him.[8] Martial artist David Chin reportedly wrote the original challenge, while Wong asked Chin to let him sign it.[9][10]
According to author Norman Borine, Wong tried to delay the match and asked for restrictions on techniques such as hitting the face, kicking the groin, and eye jabs, and that the two fought no holds barred after Lee turned down the request.[11]
The details of the fight vary depending on the account. Individuals known to have witnessed the match included Cadwell, James Lee (an associate of Bruce Lee, no relation) and William Chen, a teacher of T'ai chi ch'uan. According to Linda, the fight lasted three minutes with a decisive victory for Bruce.[citation needed]
Lee gave a description, without naming Wong explicitly, in an interview with Black Belt.
- "I'd gotten into a fight in San Francisco with a Kung-Fu cat, and after a brief encounter the son-of-a-bitch started to run. I chased him and, like a fool, kept punching him behind his head and back. Soon my fists began to swell from hitting his hard head. Right then I realized Wing Chun was not too practical and began to alter my way of fighting."[3]
Cadwell recounted the scene in her book Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew:
- "The two came out, bowed formally and then began to fight. Wong adopted a classic stance whereas Bruce, who at the time was still using his Wing Chun style, produced a series of straight punches. Within a minute, Wong's men were trying to stop the fight as Bruce began to warm to his task. James Lee warned them to let the fight continue. A minute later, with Bruce continuing the attack in earnest, Wong began to backpedal as fast as he could. For an instant, indeed, the scrap threatened to degenerate into a farce as Wong actually turned and ran. But Bruce pounced on him like a springing leopard and brought him to the floor where he began pounding him into a state of demoralization. "Is that enough?" shouted Bruce, "That's enough!" pleaded his adversary. Bruce demanded a second reply to his question to make sure that he understood this was the end of the fight."[12]
This is in contrast to Wong and William Chen's account of the fight as they state the fight lasted an unusually long 20–25 minutes. Allegedly, Wong was unsatisfied with Lee's account of the match and published his own version in the Chinese Pacific Weekly, a Chinese language newspaper in San Francisco.[13] The article, which was featured on the front page, included a detailed description of the fight from Wong's perspective and concluded with an invitation to Bruce Lee for a public match if Lee found his version to be unacceptable. Lee never made a public response to the article. Wong later expressed regret over fighting Lee, attributing it to arrogance, both on the part of Lee and himself.[14]
- ^ "The time was late winter, 1964... this fighter was also 24 and also of Chinese descent." (Dorgan)
- ^ San Francisco Jing Mo Athletic Association. Grandmaster Wong Jack Man.
- ^ a b Dorgan, Michael. Bruce Lee's Toughest Fight, 1980 July. Official Karate
- ^ GM Al Dacascos, Kajukenbo Today. September 19, 2007.
- ^ "..the right to teach Caucasians the ancient Chinese fighting secrets. It is a notion that Wong finds ridiculous." (Dorgan)
- ^ "most—but not all—of his students during his first years were teaching were Chinese" (Dorgan)
- ^ "Lee had boasted during a demonstration at a Chinatown theater that he could beat any martial artist in San Francisco and had issued an open challenge.." (Dorgan)
- ^ "a mutual acquaintance had hand-delivered a note from Lee inviting him to fight." (Dorgan)
- ^ Marilyn Cooper. "Pushing for Peace". Archived from the original on January 6, 2010. Retrieved 2018-01-17. . Kungfumagazine.com.
- ^ Gene Ching. Keeping Secrets. Kungfumagazine.com.
- ^ Borine, Norman (December 16, 2002). King Dragon. 1st Books Library. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-7596-1387-4.
- ^ Lee, Linda. (1978). Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew. Warner Books Inc. ISBN 0-446-78774-4.
- ^ "Wong's version of the fight, along with the challenge, was run as the top story on the front page..." (Dorgan)
- ^ "Wong attributes both Lee's initial challenge and his response to the same emotion, to arrogance. "If I had it to do over," he says, " I wouldn't."" (Dorgan)
- Dorgan, Michael (July 1980), "Bruce Lee's Toughest Fight", Official Karate


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There are 3 registered physiotherapists within the local St. Albans area. Clinic details below:
Location : 118, Victoria Street, AL1 3TG
Description : Chartered physiotherapist specialising in the treatment of muscle and joint disorders. Distinct Physiotherapy St Albans is located in the modern Verulam clinic on Victoria Street, St Albans located just a 4 minute walk from St Albans City station, this clinic is easily accessible to all.
Specialities : Combining manual therapy, exercise therapy and correction of posture and movement. Treatment could help you with: back and neck pain, sciatica, knee pain, shoulder pain, headaches, tennis elbow, ankle sprains, hip pain, sport injuries, RSI and work related disorders
Location: Fountain Court, 2 Victoria Square Victoria Str, AL1 3TF
Description: Optimum are a multidisciplinary team of sports medicine specialist including physiotherapists, correctional exercise specialist, sport psychologists, sport scientists and sport masseurs dedicated to optimising your training and performance whether this is at an amateur or professional level. We pride ourselves in using only the latest research and evidence based practice with regards training and rehabilitation techniques to maximise our clients performance and/or recovery. We believe that everyone deserves the same level of support whether you are just trying to get into shape or an established athlete that needs that extra advantage in their sport. Dean is the founder and Managing Director of Optimum Performance Centre, and also our Chartered Physiotherapist and Sport Science consultant. He has been working within the private sector for over 15 years and has had experience in many areas of professional sport including positions within premier league football and national league rugby union clubs.
Specialities: Post Operative rehabilitation, sports Injuries, Chronic back pain.
Location: 21 High Street, Redbourn, AL3 7LE
Description: Redbourn physiotherapy clinic has six chartered physiotherapists who have all undertaken further recognized post-graduate training to a specialist level in their chosen areas of interest.We are situated on the high street of Redbourn with plenty of free parking.
Specialities: We specialize in back and neck problems sports injuries, neuro and gynae.
Location: 24, Hallplace Gardens, AL1 3SF
Description: The Elms Physiotherapy clinic is a friendly busy practice with access to 3 orthopaedic consultants x-ray facilities and mri.
Specialities: musculo-skeletal outpatients , neck ,back,shoulder,knee and sports injuries plus psychology honours degree
In addition to physiotherapists, you will also find 3 osteopaths in St. albans and 2 chiropractors in St. albans.
Alternatively, if you need any vocational physiotherapy rehabilitation you may wish to visit the Overland Health website.
Search for a local Physiotherapist
Tick a box below to focusyour local search results on:
Neuro Physiotherapy
Home Visits
Female Physiotherapists
Physiotherapy in St. Albans
St. Albans physiotherapists treat a variety of issues including ruptured disc and also whiplash pain among many others.
Finding a physiotherapist in St. Albans is easy with the Physiotherapy Site. The Physiotherapy Site confirms the Health Professions Council registration details of all physiotherapists listed on the site. The practitioners are, in almost all cases, also members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy which is a professional member organization with its own high standards. The physiotherapists have a minimum of 5 years experience, although most have in excess of 10 years post-qualification experience. Our helpful team will advise clinic opening hours and arrange an appointment with you at a convenient time with a local clinic.
Physiotherapists in St. Albans treat many different issues including the condition profiled below.
Total Knee Replacement
Joint replacement is one of the most successful medical technical interventions with the highest quality of life improvements of any treatments. The most common reason for having a knee replacement is the occurrence of osteoarthritis, the typical age related joint change which occurs in many millions of people around the world. Osteoarthritis causes joint pain, stiffness, gradually increasing loss of range of movement and difficulties with walking, climbing stairs and rising from sitting. If conservative treatments are not successful and there is significant disability associated with continual pain and difficult sleeping then joint replacement may be considered.
In knee replacement the joint surfaces are replaced by stainless steels components and a plastic liner is inserted between them and on the back of the patella. The operation takes up to two hours and the person is typically seen and mobilised up into standing or walking the next day by the physiotherapist and an assistant. Rehabilitation with the physios is now very important, with exercise practice, gait supervision and functional activities. Length of stay in hospital varies between three and seven days with routine referral to physiotherapy on discharge to work on range of movement and strength.
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Four PlaybyAlessia Brio©
If you don't have a good partner,
you'd better have a good hand.
~ Mae West
Card games! We all love 'em: the competition, the camaraderie, the companionship. And, if a game leaves us feeling ready for a dive under the table – well, that's even better!
Euchre's my game. I grew up with it. My parents and three other couples used to get together every so often for an evening of euchre. I just adored those card parties. My brother and I would get sent to bed just as the guests were arriving, but I'd invariably creep back down the stairs to listen to their banter and, on occasion, sneak a peek into the room. They were younger then than I am now, but at the time they seemed so ancient. I learned a lot about life by eavesdropping on their games. Above all, I began to recognize the sexiness in people of all ages.
I remember how shocked I was the first time I overheard them all flirting with one another as they played. I was probably ten years old and had just learned the meaning of the word horny. I knew the word applied to me because I couldn't keep my hands out of my pants, but it certainly wasn't a word that applied to "old" people – especially my parents!
They would set up two card tables in the living room and a smorgasbord of finger food on the coffee table. Spouses never played as partners which, although I wasn't cognizant of it at the time, was undoubtedly part of the reason I typically woke in the wee hours to the sounds of my parents fucking. Those weren't the only times I overheard them having sex, but euchre nights were always the loudest.
But, I digress – and as entertaining as such digressions may be, I'm here to teach you how to play euchre. If you already know the game, then perhaps reading this will give you an entirely new perspective. (Insert wicked grin here.)
Euchre (pronounced YUKE-er) is game for four players. (Foreplayers!) The person sitting directly across the table from you is your partner. The word has such lovely connotations, doesn't it? The two seated on your left and right are your opponents. Playing with a variety of partners will hone your skills, but there's nothing quite like the rapport shared with a regular partner who knows your... um, kinks. The finesse involved in thoroughly screwing your opponents is quite exhilarating.
The game is played with only 24 cards: 9, 10, J, Q, K, A of each suit. Each player is dealt five cards and the remaining four cards form the pussy – I mean, kitty. The dealer places the kitty face down in the center of the table (Mmm!) and exposes the top card.
Moving clockwise around the table, beginning to the dealer's left (the eldest hand), each player has the option of ordering the dealer to pick up the exposed card. In so doing, that suit becomes trump for the trick. If ordered up, the dealer takes the exposed card from the kitty and discards one from her hand, placing it face down in the kitty.
I absolutely love being ordered up as dealer. If by an opponent, I get an "Oh, you think you can score on us? We'll just see about that!" rush. If by my partner, even better. I'm being told: "Take this, babe. Use it well, and we'll both get off." Being ordered up by my partner is almost always accompanied by a little shiver of sensual anticipation, but that's just how I'm wired. Your mileage may vary.
There's also something devilish about ordering an opposing dealer: "I am so sure of myself and my partner that I'm giving you a trump card. We're STILL going to get off, and there's not a damned thing you can do to stop us. So there!"
If all players pass on the exposed card, the dealer turns it down. The table is again circled and players, in turn, have the chance to declare any other suit trump. If no one does so, the dealer is fucked... I mean, stuck... and must choose the trump suit from the remaining three.
Once trump is declared, the team that called it (the makers) must take at least three of the five tricks in order to score one point. Taking all five tricks (a sweep) scores two points. If they fail, the defenders are said to set (or euchre) the makers which scores two points for the defenders. There's a delicious wickedness in pulling a switch and spanking... I mean, setting... the makers. And, seamlessly passing the lead back and forth with your partner to sweep a hand is an incredible rush, much like the give-and-take of an intensely enjoyable 69.
In addition to the six trump in the named suit, there is a seventh – deviant – trump card. It is the jack of the same color (sister) suit. The hierarchy of trump is as follows, from highest to lowest: jack (called the right bower), sister jack (left bower), ace, king, queen, ten, nine. Thus, if clubs named, the jack of spades becomes the second-highest ranking trump card. A trump card, of course, tops all cards in the other suits and can only be taken by a higher-ranking trump card.
Let's talk tricks. There are, of course, five tricks in each hand. The eldest hand initially leads. Players must follow suit. In other words, if a diamond is led then you must play a diamond if there is one in your hand. Failure to follow suit is called reneging (pronounced ree-NEGging) and is cheating. Online and electronic euchre games will not allow players to renege, but in face-to-face games it's obviously possible. If no trump cards are played, the highest card in the suit led takes the trick. The player turning... I mean, taking... the trick then leads.
Most hands result in either one or two points for the makers or two points for the defenders. The exception being a loner, which is worth four points to the makers. This is when your hand is so fucking amazing that you announce you're going to do it all – take all five tricks – without your partner's help. Going alone is much like exhibitionistic masturbation while simultaneously spanking the sass out of your opponents. (Don't be surprised to see your partner's hands slip under the table in symbiotic ecstasy.) Defending against a loner is almost, but not quite, as enjoyable. And setting a loner is, in my opinion, a mind-blowing orgasm of defensive play – but it still only results in the defenders scoring two points (unfortunately).
The deal travels clockwise around the table and play continues until one team reaches or exceeds ten points. Thus, a game could consist of as few as three hands or as many as nineteen. (When's the last time nineteen hands were involved in your foreplay?)
There you have the basics. It gets sexier still when the intricacies of strategy are added. Table talk (i.e., revealing information about your hand) is prohibited, so communication with your partner must take place via the cards you throw – keeping in mind, of course, that your opponents are voyeurs to this nonverbal communication.
Now, are you ready for some four play?
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Tension is brewing once again between the government and internet and social media companies over the telecom and IT ministry's demands to screen user content and remove offensive material before it is uploaded.
Sources said over the last three months the government has been in talks with these firms to put in place a monitoring mechanism. On Monday, telecom & IT minister Kapil Sibal met executives from the Indian units of Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Facebook to discuss the issue, but no solution was in sight.
"The Indian government doesn't believe in censorship," Sibal said in response to a query from TOI and ruled out any coercion. "It believes in self-regulation," he added. Officials, however, said the issue was proving difficult to be sorted out. The executives were shown content which could hurt religious sensibilities and obscene images of Indian political leaders.
The executives told the government that the material was in line with US laws and community standards, a senior official said. "So far, they have refused to cooperate with us. We have not decided what action we can take although the law empowers us," the source added.
Government sources, however, insisted that the interaction was in no way similar to steps that were taken in other countries such as China. "We are engaging with them to evolve a mechanism so that no one is offended and we do not have to resort to censorship," another source said.
The New York Times reported that about six weeks ago Sibal called legal representatives from the top internet service providers and Facebook into his office and showed them a Facebook page that maligned Congress president Sonia Gandhi. "This is unacceptable," he said, reported an executive. The minister asked them to find a way to monitor what is posted on their sites.
In the second meeting with the same executives in late November, Sibal told them that he expected them to use human beings to screen content, not technology, the executive said. Three executives said Sibal has told these companies that he expects them to set up a proactive prescreening system, with staffers looking for objectionable content and deleting it before it is posted.
On Monday, the executives met the minister where they were expected to tell him that his demand was impossible to be met, given the huge volume of user-generated content coming from India, and that they cannot be responsible for determining what is or isn't defamatory or disparaging.
"If there's a law and there's a court order, we can follow up on it," said an executive from one of the companies. But these companies can't be in the business of deciding what is and isn't legal to post, he said.
There is no doubt there's a lot on the internet and on social networking sites that's offensive, even defamatory. But to suggest that all content, therefore, must be pre-screened by human beings before being uploaded is to ask for the impossible. With millions of users even in a country with relatively low internet penetration like India, that amounts to asking all social networking media to shut down. Anybody offended by content on these sites is free to complain. The laws stipulating what the site's administrators have to do in such cases need to balance an individual or institution's right to protection against defamation with the right to freedom of expression, but pre-censorship by anybody of social networking sites is not a workable proposition.


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Serving: Boise, Caldwell, Eagle, Emmett, Fruitland, Garden City, Homedale, Kuna, Marsing, Meridian, Melba, Middleton, Nampa, New Plymouth, Notus, Star, Sweet, Parma, Payette, Weiser, Wilder, Adrian, Harper, Nyssa, Ontario, Vale, Westfall, and the surrounding areas.
Welcome to Wilderness Falls Building LLC
Custom New Construction, Log Homes, Remodels, Additions, Repairs, Shops, Barns, and Home Upgrading.
Wilderness Falls Building LLC is a locally owned construction company serving Idaho and Oregon since 2001. We build your projects the way you want them.
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Send an email to email@example.com for more information or to get a free quote for new construction, log homes, additions, remodels, roofs, shops, or barns.


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It's a New Day in Public Health.
The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, & community efforts.
Florida Department of Health in Lee County Celebrates American Heart Month
February 16, 2017
Florida Department of Health in Lee County
Fort Myers, Fla. – February marks the beginning of American Heart Month and it is a great time to commit to a healthy lifestyle and make small changes that can lead to a lifetime of heart health and help fight heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in Florida and the nation.
Each year, heart disease causes one in four deaths in the United States. There were 42,835 heart attack hospitalizations in Florida in 2014 or an average of 117 heart attack hospitalizations each day. About half of all Americans have at least one of the three risk factors for heart disease which include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking. While all Americans are at risk for heart disease, the non-Hispanic black community is at the greatest risk.
Many of the risk factors for heart disease can be eliminated with diet, exercise and taking steps to quit smoking. During American Heart Month, follow these simple tips to keep your heart healthy and fight heart disease.
- Add exercise to your daily routine, even if it's just taking regular walks with family and friends;
- Schedule a visit with your doctor to talk about your heart health;
- Increase healthy eating by cooking heart healthy meals; and
- Take steps to quit smoking by utilizing the Tobacco Free Florida's Quit Your Way Program.
The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts. Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.
For Media Inquiries
Media Resources


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Unemployment Drops to 7.7% for November
The unemployment rate fell to 7.7% for November, according to a Department of Labor report [link opens in PDF] released today. This follows October's 0.1-percentage-point rise to 7.9%.
Despite a 146,000 increase in nonfarm payroll employment, the total number of unemployed persons remained relatively unchanged at 12 million. The 7.7% is a full percentage point under November 2011's rate.
Source: bls.gov
The report takes special note of Superstorm Sandy, saying the storm "did not substantively impact the national employment and unemployment estimates for November."
Among sectors with the largest employment gains were retail trade (+53,000), professional and business services (+43,000), and health care (+20,000).
The article Unemployment Drops to 7.7% for November originally appeared on Fool.com.You can follow Justin Loiseau on Twitter, @TMFJLo, and on Motley Fool CAPS, @TMFJLo.Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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Guest Books
Our unique guest books turn any event or small moment into a precious memory. These pages await names, contact information or even short stories from a friend's visit, a family reunion, a wedding day, or even a corporate event. European-made from eco friendly materials, these eco guest books will astound you in their elegance and versatility. Our selection of unique guest books complete any occasion or setting, from the office retreat to the table in a treasured getaway cabin. The different cover styles allow our unique guest books to complement weddings of all sizes and decors, family reunions, bed and breakfasts, company outings, graduations and so many other memorable days and venues. The eco friendly nature and intricate designs will warmly invite your guests to join in the creation of memories and share their individual experiences, making these unique guest books the perfect way to remember that special moment. These sign in guest books can serve as a thoughtful gift, that last piece to the event planning puzzle, or as a treat for yourself.


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Kippot/Yarmulkas » Raw Silk - 6 Panel » Red Raw Silk Kippah
Red Raw Silk Kippah
Red Raw Silk Kippah
Style ID: RS21
Price: $2.00
Red Raw Silk Kippah. Our Raw Silk kippot are lined with a white lining and are made with six panels. They have an eyelet in the lining for a clip to keep your kippah in place. Buttons and Special Trims are available. Personalization is included with a minimum order.