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Help your heart with the good cholesterol plan7 min read . Updated: 22 Sep 2009, 08:42 AM IST
Help your heart with the good cholesterol plan
Help your heart with the good cholesterol plan
Do you know what my HDL (high-density lipoprotein, often called "good cholesterol") levels are? 64 mg/dL," says K.K. Jain, a Delhi-based family physician. Most Indians would count themselves lucky if their HDL levels stay above the prescribed minimum of 40mg/dL. Yet experts now hold that the ratio of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) to HDL is a better indicator of health and cardiac risk than total cholesterol. The more the HDL, the better it is.
High HDL = healthy heart
Madhukar Shahi, interventional cardiologist, Artemis Healthcare, Gurgaon, says: "We don't usually look at total cholesterol. We look at the ratio of HDL/LDL or ratio of total cholesterol/HDL, and also the level of non-LDL bad cholesterols. Third, we look at trigylcerides." For men, a good total cholesterol/HDL ratio is 4.5 or less; for women, it's 4 or less.
Your workplace can also be a health aid for your heart. To find out how, also read Taking heart care to work
Decoding your blood test report
Feed the (good) bacteria, please!
The third report of the US National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) in 2001 noted: "The ability of HDL to predict the development of coronary atherosclerosis has been estimated to be four times greater than LDL and eight times greater than TC (total cholesterol). Treatment is recommended for those with a HDL level below 40 mg/dL." Today, young people are increasingly falling prey to high triglycerides, high readings of "bad cholesterol", too low HDL.
The gender difference
This gender bender is why women should have HDL levels at least 10 units higher than men, that is, 50mg/dL or above, says nutritionist Ishi Khosla, who heads the Centre for Dietary Counselling, New Delhi.
Medicines, last recourse
"Medicines should be (a) last recourse," she says. Many of her patients, she adds, have managed to perfect their lipid profile by eating right
Dr Jain attributes his own readings to the handful of almonds, walnuts and watermelon seeds he has every morning, plus a diet high in soluble fibre.
Case studies
Delhi-based clinical and rehabilitation psychologist Divya Parashar, 32, is a case in point. Overweight and suffering from high cholesterol, she was put on statins in December 2005. Weighing 94kg, her cholesterol readings then were: LDL 127 mg/dL; HDL 35.7 mg/dL, triglycerides 199 mg/dL.
Despite regular exercise and a curtailed diet, nothing helped until June 2006, when Dr Parashar met Dr Khosla. A 90-minute cardiovascular exercise regimen, a diet rich in oatmeal, salad, fresh fruit, milk and curd, plus aloe vera, Omega-3 supplements and psyllium husk (isabgol) followed, and by August 2007, she was down to 64kg. Since then, Dr Parashar has maintained her weight, eliminated statins from her life and until June, when checked last, maintained the recommended lipid profile.
Dr Shahi says that if the patient is willing, cholesterol can be altered by diet and lifestyle corrections. "A fair trial of three-six months has to be given. Don't start medication right away," he says.
No easy way out
Delhi-based journalist S. Kannan, 45, diagnosed with high cholesterol (240 mg/dL) at 37 and prescribed statins, says: "Medicines are the easy way out. You continue living life the way you are and pop a pill every day." Kannan took the diet and lifestyle correction route. It's been a tough journey, he says, filled with experiments, but he got his total cholesterol down to 165 mg/dL. Nuts, fenugreek seeds soaked overnight and mixed with curd, a lot of salads, less alcohol and 8kg off did the trick. Averse to conventional medicine's long-term medication plan, he also tried alternative medicine (see below Know | Guggul tree for lipid disorder ).
But it takes very little for the slide to set in again, which may be why doctors often prescribe pills right away.
Maintenance a must
Communications and public relations professional Sanjiv Kataria, 54, another long-time sufferer of dyslipidaemia, sought naturopathy in December 2004 at Jindal's Naturecure Institute in Bangalore. After the 10-day detox, he had a "perfect" lipid profile, also 5kg (though this was not a stated goal or benefit) and lost his sinusitis problem. He continued a vegetarian diet till January 2005. However, as soon as he returned to his old lifestyle in Delhi, he regained weight, and triglycerides and the total cholesterol shot up, and he fell back on the medical management route.
Most dyslipidemia sufferers (people with an unhealthy lipid profile) don't give lifestyle changes a fair trial, either due to lack of awareness or will.
Shifting the focus
Dr Khosla is familiar with the drill. She feels most people are unable to meet the challenge because the list of "nos" seems long. If you focus on the "haves", highlighting all the good stuff allowed, and introduce lifestyle changes gradually, the results follow readily, she says.
1O ways to get your HDL level up
1. Take a walk: Any exercise—walking, jogging or bicycling—that raises your heart rate, done for a minimum of 45 minutes a day, is effective. Duration is more important than intensity.
2. Maintain a healthy weight: Reduce weight if overweight. Especially important is abdominal fat (waist line more than 80cm for women, 90cm for men).
3. Stop smoking: Giving up tobacco improves HDL levels.
4. Find better fats: Cut out trans fatty acids totally. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (commercially-produced biscuits and bakery products, peanut butter, fried street foods, processed food products) need to go. Replace with mono-unsaturated fats (found in canola oil, mustard oil, avocado oil, olive oil, nut oil, among others). Use a combination of oils (rotate your household cooking medium), with special focus on cold-pressed oils, which retain their essential fatty acid composition better than refined fats and those heated to high temperatures. Also, feed on fatty fish (just two-three servings of salmon, 'hilsa' and other fatty fish each week make a difference because of the Omega-3 fats). Nuts are nice too: Almonds, walnuts, pistachio and several types of seeds (pumpkin, watermelon, fenugreek, flax, sesame) are beneficial for their healthy fat proportions.
5.Add soluble fibre: Oats and oat bran or other whole grains, fruits such as apples, grapes and citrus fruits, most vegetables and legumes, fenugreek seeds and psyllium husk are good sources. For the best results, eat at least two servings a day.
6. Consider soy: Though still a matter of debate requiring further research, some studies have shown that 25g (about three servings) of soy protein a day can help increase HDL levels and lower LDL.
7. Reach for red wine: One glass (30-60ml) per day, drunk with a meal (not on an empty stomach) has protective benefits.
8. Defuse the dairy debate: Doctors usually advise Indians to give up dairy items, says Dr Khosla, "due to the high fat content of whole milk products. But new research shows that conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) found in the rumen of cows and other ruminants, and present in their milk, is helpful in reducing bad cholesterol and triglycerides." Skimmed milk and low-fat dairy foods are a good compromise.
9. Think about probiotics: Recent studies have shown that certain probiotic formulas (especially those that include prebiotic fructooligosaccharides) can help lower LDL levels, as well as reduce levels of triglycerides.
10. Don't stop: If you don't make these changes a habit, you will soon be back to square one.
Source: Ishi Khosla, nutritionist, New Delhi; Seema Gulati, chief nutritionist, Diabetes Foundation of India, New Delhi.
Know | Guggul tree for lipid disorder
Gugulipid, an extract from the guggul tree ('Commiphora wightii'), has long been used in Ayurveda and has received regulatory approval in India for lipid disorder. Yet it isn't widely endorsed by doctors. Peeyush Jain, head of department, preventive and rehabilitative cardiology, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, says that during controlled trials, guggul was not found effective, and the benefits perceived by patients are probably due to other diet or lifestyle changes. A May 2002 article in 'Science' magazine endorsed it, reporting that Texas-based scientists found that gugulipid extract blocks the Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR), which plays a key role in maintaining cholesterol levels. Meanwhile, the guggal tree is highly endangered (it's on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, or IUCN, red list) in India. Chitra Narayanan
Debate | Eggs and cholesterol
Eggs get bad press as cholesterol culprits. In 'Help your heart with the good cholesterol plan' (see above), two individuals claimed to have had opposite experiences. Even with high cholesterol levels, Divya Parashar was told it was fine to eat eggs. But Sanjiv Kataria attributed his backslide to whole eggs and has since sworn off the yolk. Delhi-based nutritionist Ishi Khosla says the recommendation for dietary cholesterol is "less than 300mg a day". A large egg has 200mg, all in the yolk. Eggs are fine for most people, but if in doubt, leave out the yolk. Another hypothesis to chew on: Saturated and trans fats are more harmful for blood cholesterol than dietary cholesterol in foods. Chitra Narayanan
Beware | Alcohol and cholesterol
In moderation, alcohol (especially red wine) can increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good cholesterol") and also offers anticoagulant benefits. However, it may also increase blood pressure, raise triglyceride levels and encourage weight gain. Doctors, therefore, advise teetotallers against taking up drinking. Those who do drink should stop at two small ones on alternate days, sipped along with a meal. "When taken with carbohydrates, the effect on trigycerides is minimal," says Madhukar Shahi, interventional cardiologist, Artemis Healthcare, Gurgaon. Chitra Narayanan
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One of the dishes I made for Thanksgiving was sweet potatoes mashed with butter and bourbon. The idea occurred to me this afternoon to make it into raviolis….
Pasta dough was made, rested, rolled out and my handy little potsticker gadget was brought out.
The remaining pasta was made into rustic fettucine
Some sage was gathered from the garden and roasted. While the raviolis were cooking, the sage was sauteed with garlic in olive oil.
A little lemon juice and pasta water was added and raviolis were tossed in the sauce..
Onto the plate and sprinkled with cheese. Voila!! Prego….

subset: commoncrawl


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A salt print over galgo's paper 21×21 cm.
Silvino González's Blog – El blog de Silvino González
A salt print over galgo's paper 21×21 cm.
She have some renacentist feeling around, artist, photograhper, crafter, model, muse…. Mrs. Kuhkay (a.k.a Alejandra Pardo)is amazing and always being better. She is my friend and my artist of the week, now some of her works.


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AMMAN (AFP) - King Abdullah II vowed Jordan will take tough action after hanging two convicted militants Wednesday in response to the burning alive of one of its pilots by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group.
The gruesome murder of airman Maaz al-Kassasbeh triggered international condemnation and prompted Jordan to execute two Iraqis on death row – female would-be suicide bomber Sajida al-Rishawi and Al-Qaeda operative Ziad al-Karboli.
Abdullah cut short a visit to the United States and flew back to Amman, where he was greeted by large crowds at the airport before meeting with his security chiefs.
"The blood of martyr Maaz al-Kassasbeh will not be in vain and the response of Jordan and its army after what happened to our dear son will be severe," he said afterwards.
Information Minister Mohammad al-Momani said Jordan was "more determined than ever to fight the terrorist group" ISIS.
The statements came after Jordan said it hanged Rishawi and Karboli before dawn at a prison south of the capital.
Amman had promised to begin executing Islamic extremists in response to the murder of Kassasbeh, the 26-year-old who was captured by ISIS when his F-16 fighter plane went down in Syria in December.
ISIS had offered to spare Kassasbeh's life and free Japanese journalist Kenji Goto – who was later beheaded – in exchange for Rishawi's release.
In a highly choreographed 22-minute video released Tuesday, Kassasbeh is seen wearing an orange jumpsuit surrounded by armed and masked militants before he appears inside a metal cage apparently soaked in petrol.
One of the extremists lights a trail of fuel that runs into the cage, engulfing him in flames.
The video – the most brutal yet in a series of recorded ISIS hostage killings – prompted global revulsion and vows of unwavering efforts to combat the Sunni Muslim extremists.
The killing sparked outrage in Jordan and demonstrations in Amman and the city of Karak, the home of Kassasbeh's influential tribe.
Egypt's Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's most prestigious seat of learning, called for the "killing, crucifixion or chopping of the limbs" of ISIS militants, expressing outrage over their "cowardly act".
The hangings came just weeks after Jordan ended an eight-year moratorium on the death penalty.
Amnesty International criticised the move, saying executions should not be used "as a tool for revenge".
Rishawi, 44, was sentenced to death for her participation in triple hotel bombings in Amman in 2005 that killed 60 people.
She was closely linked to ISIS' predecessor organisation in Iraq and seen as an important symbol for the militants.
Karboli was sentenced to death in 2007 on terrorism charges, including the killing of a Jordanian in Iraq.
Jordan, a crucial ally of Washington, is one of several Arab countries that have joined a US-led coalition carrying out air strikes against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
One of them, the United Arab Emirates, withdrew from air strike missions after Kassasbeh's capture due to fears for the safety of its pilots, a US official said.
"I can confirm that UAE suspended air strikes shortly after the Jordanian pilot's plane went down," the official told AFP.
"But let me be clear that UAE continues to be an important and valuable partner that is contributing to the coalition," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The move was first reported in the New York Times on Wednesday.
US President Barack Obama, who had hosted Abdullah in a hastily organised meeting before his return to Jordan, led condemnation of the airman's killing, decrying the "cowardice and depravity" of ISIS.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the brutality of ISIS was "beyond comprehension".
"It has nothing to do with our religion."
Kassasbeh was captured on Dec 24 when his jet crashed over northern Syria on a mission that was part of the coalition air campaign against the extremists.
Jordanian state television suggested he was killed on Jan 3, before IS offered to spare his life and free Goto in return for Rishawi's release.
Saudi Arabia's new King Salman called the killing "inhuman and contrary to Islam".
His country, the spiritual home of Islam and another member of the coalition, condemned the "misguided ideology" behind Kassasbeh's murder and accused groups like ISIS of seeking "to distort the values of Islam".
The UAE said the actions of ISIS "represent epidemics that must be eradicated by civilised societies without delay".
ISIS had previously beheaded two US journalists, an American aid worker and two British aid workers in similar videos.
ISIS has seized swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq and last year declared a "caliphate" in areas under its control, imposing its brutal interpretation of Islam and committing widespread atrocities.
In the Syrian border town of Kobane, Kurdish fighters who recently drove out ISIS with help from coalition air strikes held a minute's silence for Kassasbeh.
"He is one of Kobane's martyrs," said activist Mustafa Ebdi.


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Flawless Within Minutes
Hi peeps :)
I'm pretty sure all you girls out there are no strangers to waxing.. yes? I've always been a loyal customer to my waxing parlour .. but the thing is .. it's such a long break in between treatments (as the hair has to be at least 6mm long) and I can't wear sleeveless tops ! Woes of being a lady , indeed. There are tons of hair removal options available to us , from D.I.Y. shaving, epilation to more professionally done waxing and IPL, each requiring a certain level of pain tolerance.
That being said, I was recently invited over to eternel to review their DPC (Dynamic Pulse Control) Permanent hair removal treatment . Eternel is currently the first clinic in KL to have this technology .
Just a little background on DPC (Dynamic Pulse Control) to see what makes it so special :
DPC is also a form of light therapy , which helps reduce up to 90% of hair on the treatment part. Unlike general laser treatments , DPC offers three pulse configurations in one system: Smooth Pulse, Long Pulse and High Pulse , offering customisable configurations according to one's skin, guaranteeing the best results which IPL(Intense pulsed light) technology cannot fully overcome. In a nutshell, DPC hair removal is a clean and relatively painless treatment.The benefits?
- Provides a semi-permanent hair reduction solution
- Lightens pigmentation such as the pesky dark patches on your underarms
- Helps to reduce the occurrence of ingrown hair substantially
- Can be used on almost any area of the body: legs, bikini line, back, underarms, arms, upper lips and etc
- Safe and painless (fast, too. )
Procedure :
- The therapist will first clean the area before removing (by shaving) any existing hair.
- The therapist will then set the "intensity" of the light (aka the pulse of the machine - which is FDA approved)
- The hand piece is then used to apply the treatment .
Here's a short video of the whole process :
"Flawless within Minutes" TreatmentWe are the first clinic in KL to have this technology, DPC (Dynamic Pulse Control), a unique technology that is able to maximise control of treatment parameters, thus providing a widerange of possibilities to obtain optimal results for all skin type & hairtype.The handpiece used for Permanent Hair Removal Treatment is contact cooling. No messy gel application, just a cooling sensation when in contact. Extremely fast & safe (FDA Approved) Absolutely hair-free within minutes. --> Safe & Fast (FDA Approved) --> No Downtime--> No Messy Gel application --> Painless
Posted by Eternel on Friday, August 7, 2015
Some goodies for my readers, as usual :
*promotion period : 24 Aug 2015 - 20 Sep 2015


text: 1. Don't Be All Things To All People This is a broad statement, but in my experience as director of an e-commerce site, there are two types of shoppers in this world: Those who are always looking for the deal and those who are more than willing to pay full price. The customer who is willing to pay full price does so for one or many reasons, such as quality, exclusivity, ease if site use and convenience and such. When you decide which customer you are marketing to, your marketing dollars will be more focused and therefore more effective. When you dilute your mix and are satisfied with whomever you reach no matter what they spend, you also cannot pinpoint the type of marketing campaigns that appeal the right customer. Full-price customers will not respond to intense promotional efforts and "deal finder" customers will not purchase at full price. If you spend your dollars wisely on the right customer, you will likely find that your clickthrough and conversion rates increase as a result. 2. Take Advantage of "Pause Points" There are many points in an online purchase process where the visitor "pauses" for a moment before continuing to shop, to checkout or to receive a confirmation of his or her purchase. While typical retail wisdom states that one should not distract the customer from the task at hand, in my experience as an e-commerce practitioner I have found that there are many places where an offer or additional incentive to purchase performs quite well. These points include at the bottom of the shopping cart page as people add items to their carts, and on the confirmation page that people see after they have made their purchase. We typically offer relatively low-cost items that might not be heavily promoted throughout our site, or the ability to purchase items where the proceeds go to a particular cause that is part of our marketing campaign at that time. And these offers do quite well; our analytics reflect that. 3. Update, Update, Update No matter what you are selling (or offering on a complimentary basis, for that matter), it is essential that you update at least your home page on a regular basis. In my duties as Managing Editor of Web Digest For Marketers, we can't tell you how often we take another look at websites we've covered before, only to discover almost the exact same presentation. Who on earth would explore your site further to see if you have something new to offer? This does not mean you need to redesign your home page or your website. You can keep to the same design and placement but reword, enlarge or highlight new things, or try a graphic in place of what's currently text, or vice versa. In my role as e-commerce director for a fashion site, we change key pages of our website every day. We then review the results and test new options, which is what every good. Internet marketer should do.


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Jolly Boat
$25.00 – $299.00
Design No. 0993
Built for: Various owners
Builder: Various
Date designed: 1983
Class – Hull Number Jolly Boat No. 1
Principal Design Data
L.O.A: 14' 10" ( 4.42 m)
Datum: 12' 4" ( 3.75 m)
Beam Max: 6' 2″ ( 1.87 m)
Draft: 1′ 3" ( 0.38 m)
Displacement tons: 0.44
T.M.: 1.76 tons
Ballast ratio:
Sail Area: 150 sq. ft
Rig: Gaff yawl (Gaff sloop)
There are currently listed one hundred and thirty eight plywood Jolly Boats afloat, there are a couple of dozen made with fiberglass hulls. She is a stable, safe boat for single-handed or family sailing and was designed to be home built without too much effort or cost.
The story starts in 1983 when the designers were planning a project which would fill their own personal requirements for a small, inexpensive and above all a safe little boat which would be often used, easily trailed and a pleasure to own and sail.
It was by sheer good fortune that the now famous Jolly Boat went on to become the successful home-build project that it is today. The construction plans include full size hull frame and stem templates, provides detailed scantlings and dimensions for the complete hull construction. The hull planking (or lap-strakes) are described in the offset table and can be simply constructed full size using simple geometric triangulation. The full plan package comes complete with eight drawings including the sail plan of both the gaff yawl and gaff sloop, and the spars and rigging arrangements for both as well as a comprehensive set of construction notes which are easy to follow.
Additional Information
Individual Drawing Copies
Please download and print the drawings list for the Jolly Boat, Individual plan copies cost $85.00 which includes standard airmail. Please contact us using the link for information on how to order.Download Drawing List
Study Notes
11 page A4 format colour booklet containing many small scale drawings and photographs as well as information on the construction method and technical data including an abridged specification of the Jolly Boat
Model Plans
Full set of Stock Building Plans
A plywood Jolly Boat can be constructed from the standard plan set for the lap-strake hull construction. The set comprises four sheets of hull templates as well as sheets showing the rudder & centerboard construction, the sail plan of both the gaff yawl and gaff sloop, spars and rigging arrangements for both and of course the shell expansion of the strakes along with the hull offsets and general construction and fittings arrangements.


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This week in bigger pics
Monday 21st September 2013 week 118 France
Education, it's a wonderful thing.
If you'd asked me a couple of years ago what the Capitol of Estonia was, I wouldn't have had a clue. Now, thanks to our odyssey, that's all changed. Now I not only know, but I've got photos of me standing in it.
I'll admit that geography was my worse subject at school. Followed closely by, probably, history. And, if I'm being totally honest, I wasn't so hot at maths either. Nor, when I come to think of it, English. I was, however, a whiz at woodwork. I had a selection of ping pong bats any school boy could be proud of and my mother had enough tea trays to give them away as Christmas gifts. The best school report I can remember taking home was one that said: Phillip, has a good amount of common sense. - unfortunately the teacher then spoilt that rather promising start with - just a pity he doesn't put it to better use. Now I'm admitting to my scholastic shortcomings because, until I chose it, I'd never heard of the of French city of Dole. I elected to stop here simply because it was on route, offered free wifi and Lidls was in walking distance.
It turns out that Dole was once the Capital of Franche-Comte. Yep, I've never heard of it either, it's a region, apparently. It was once under Burgundian rule. It was also owned and administered by the Spanish for a while. And that's as much as I'm gong to quote from the city's guide book. But it's colourful past does explain why this small cosy city is a real gem.
Dole hasn't changed. Much of the town was built around the 16th and 17th centuries and remains the same today as it did then. The Hospital, built in 1700, is now a boarding house for pupils of the school opposite which, itself, was once a convent. The French are generally loath to knock anything down - preferring to recycle a building, or failing that, leave it empty until it falls down of it's own accord. I'm told, by my illustrious editor no less, inheritance laws in France are very complex. This may account for why so many properties stand empty. How, or why, she knows stuff like that she doesn't say and I've long since stopped questioning her encyclopedic knowledge.
One ingenious feature which sets Dole apart from other 'tourist' cities is how one gets to see the sights. The authorities have set small directional plaques into the pavements every twenty five yards throughout the town. You simply follow them. The tourist office can furnish you with a guide, in English, listing all the points of interest around the route. Why can't other towns be like this?. The city isn't famous for very much. However you may owe your life to it's most famous son, Louis Pasteur. A man to whom I thought I had little in common, until I checked up and discovered he was born on the 27th December, three days after me, albeit 123 years before. I'm also delighted to report that as a schoolboy he was said to be, and I quote: an average student, skilled only at drawing and painting. No mention of woodworking skills you'll notice.
I should also quickly add you may also recognise Dole from the 1995 film: 'Happiness is in the Field' as it was used as the films location. It was about a sixty year old toilet seat manufacturer -a theme only a French film could have- who became disenchanted with life. Sounds riveting. However being in French it's unlikely you've seen it, unless of course you're a film buff or you frequent fringe cinema or you are actually French..... In which case the comment about it possibly being riveting was meant to be pithy........
Tuesday 22nd September 2013 Week 118 France
Rules, rules, and more buggering rules.
I'd be the first to admit I can be a fickle chap at the best of times. For example it's well documented, by myself, that I admire the way Germans abide by the rules. It means you know where you are with them and they behave themselves. And yet, in the same breath, I totally respect the French who show almost a total disregard for any rules. I doubt they beheaded the French aristocracy, became a republic and then sat back as bureaucrats wrote a whole new bunch of rules for them to follow. No, it's a Frenchman's birthright to stick two fingers up to authority. The word Liberty may well be inscribed into their constitution and on every government building but it's also written into their make-up. If you want an example here's a good one. On route from Dole to Macon the other day someone had chalked, onto the road, in large red letters, 'speed trap ahead'. Faced with having to try and erase it the police went elsewhere.
I of course vigorously support the need for rules. It would be a mad-cap world if we didn't have any. However being British, and in particular male, I firmly believe that rules were made for others to follow and certainly don't apply to me. I'm happy to bend them but get a tad miffed when others do the same. I'm not alone in this, it's a somewhat charming British character trait.
Take parking. In the UK there's nowhere you can park without encountering a raft of parking rules and restrictions. And, if you're anything like me, you'll find yourself constantly fighting the urge to blow up the council offices because you've been bullied into buying a three hour parking ticket when all you needed was ten minutes to pick up your dry cleaning. And, to add insult to injury, you're committing an offence if you give your unused parking time, which you've paid for, to another motorist! Why? The French would never stand for that. Here many towns have a small number of free ten or twenty minute parking slots so you can pick up your dry cleaning. Just how reasonable is that? They work with the motorist, not against him. Parking in the Uk is a money spinner. Councils make squillions from it. Last year the beleaguered British motorist coughed up a staggering £270 million in parking fines. That's 270 million he's not spent in shops greasing the wheels of industry.
Last year, while here in France, we were waiting at a crossing when a van pulled up and parked on top of it. The driver got out and walked away. We were left standing staring at the side of his van, on the kerb!. I appreciate he was 'white van man' (They have them here too. Ed) and generally they believe the highway code was written for lesser mortals but two policemen stood chatting close by and ignored him and he they. In France, almost any attempt to stifle a Frenchman's liberty is seen as, well, a liberty. Here while clearly some cities have parking restrictions and meters outside, in towns and villages, there are always a number of free car parks, often with toilets. Many towns even make provision for motor-homes, overnight if you want. If they tried to introduce parking restrictions and charges here, in the same draconian manner UK councils do, the resultant protest and strikes would bring France to a halt... and lets face it they never need much provocation to do that!
Viva la difference! I say..
Wednesday 25th September 2013, week 118 France
Another attempt on my life!
We said au revoir to Dole and the diminutive camp-site owner, a small round faced French lady who continually chuckled to herself. Not, I hasten to add, in a, quick-hide-all-the knives-and-scissors type way, but the same way people, who don't sweat the small stuff, do. She would chuckle when she mistyped something while at her keyboard. Chuckle because she didn't know the correct English word to use. Chuckle when a camper walked out forgetting to take their bread with them and only really stopped chuckling, trust me to wipe the grin from her face, when I inadvertently let her dog out and she had to scurry after it. She didn't hold it against me though, because on leaving she thanked us for staying and hoped we'd enjoyed ourselves. In returned I heaped praise on her camp-site which, if I'm honest, was merely OK but heaped even more on her home town which she was clearly proud of.
We headed for Macon, north of Lyon, once again keeping off the motorway. At times the N6, which we were on, ran alongside the toll infested E15. At one point I pointed out to Hazel we were actually moving faster than a truck who was on the motorway and paying a hefty whack for the privilege. For some inexplicable reason this failed to excite her as much as it did me. Women? I love em, but I can't eat a whole one.
Macon camp-site, on the edge of town, is Municipal. This means it's run and owned by the 'council'. Now don't run off with the idea that this means it's full of abandoned fridges and yapping dogs, far from it. It's well maintained, exceptionally well laid out, has a bar, restaurant, shop, plush new shower blocks and free wifi. On checking in I enquired about the wifi. I was assured, with a wave of the receptionists hand, that it could be picked up from anywhere on the site. Wrong! The only time I could get a decent signal was when I huddled up against one of the transmitting aerial,s But you can hardly complain when it's free, right? Fortunately there was a McDonald's, practically across from the site, whose food I rarely eat but whose free wifi signal I frequently enjoy and very nice it is too.
Macon is as unremarkable as Dole was remarkable. Not that its unattractive, it's not, it's simple not memorable. The older buildings are ones you'd neither rush to photograph nor move into. The town is split between Burgundy and the Rhone Alps regions. The La Saone river which runs through Macon marks the boarder. (Yesterdays photo was taken looking across the river, Ed). The old town consists of a maze of ageing narrow streets seemingly laid out in a panic. These are lined with more shops, mostly cafés and boutiques, than you could wave a credit card at. This, in France, is a little unusual but handy as I was in urgent need of an apothecary and had a choice.
The local flea pit! wonderful
In the past I've recounted and documented, should evidence ever be needed, the several attempts Hazel has made on my life. I'll not list them all again. But we can all recall the exploding egg, right? The time she tried to set fire to the van with me in it by wrongly fitting the exterior power socket. The time she encouraged me to go snorkelling when she knew damn well sharks had been spotted in the Med. (Give us a break, they were 300 miles away. Ed). What! and fish don't swim? Well her latest attempt was to suggest I had more pills than I actually had. I take a pill each day, if I didn't I would explode, least I think that's what the doctor said.. (Ignore him, it's for his cholesterol. Ed). That's right, explode with a build up of cholesterol. It turns out I didn't have three weeks supply, just four days! Hazel puts this down to a verbal mix up. Yeah right. Anyway we found a chemist yesterday. I nervously showed him the packet and he simply sold me a pack over the counter. He never asked for a prescription nor enquired what I wanted them for. I could have been feeding them to my dog for all he knew. They cost me £10 which is about as much as a prescription these days. I know you can buy them cheaper over the internet from India, but they're curry flavoured.
Noooooo, That's a joke, sorry India.
Thursday26th September 2013 week 118, France
I've already mentioned our Fiat Ducato turbo diesel isn't the quietest vehicle on the road, not by a long measure. But I guess it's an Italian workhorse of an engine, so I shouldn't expect too much in the way of refinement from it. I have discovered playing Def Leopard at number 50 - that's the highest my radio knob will go to - will drown out the engine noise, and conversation unless you shout at each other much like you would while standing in a wind tunnel.
Lot to be said for having a mate you can rely on.
Yesterday, in order to get over a 1000 metre high mountain which, when I approached looked near vertical, I had to give the old girl some serious welly. I floored the gas pedal, dropped from fifth into third and she started to hauled herself up. We got about half way when, seemingly, all hell broke loose. The exhaust gave up the ghost. Now we've all had exhaust pipes blow on us and know just how loud it can make your car sound. Suddenly you're whispering Vauxhall Corsa sounds like a dragster being fed nitrous oxide on Santa pod raceway. My break happened at the manifold, so it was akin to driving without an exhaust. It didn't just crack or split, it rotted clean in half. The resultant noise was..... well horrendous. When Armageddon comes, that's what it will sound like. I instantly realised that A, the exhaust had serious failed or had been stolen (Unlikely) and B, if I didn't soon get to the top my ears would start to bleed. There was little I could do but keep my foot hard on the gas and shrink back in my seat.
For some quite inexplicable reason, to my mind, the passing drivers all looked at us. Now why do people do that? and they do. To see if they know us? I doubt it. To make sure I was awake?, I doubt that too. No one could sleep with that racket going on. To reassure themselves, perhaps, I too had noticed the noise?. Don't think so. No, they actually glared at me to register their disapproval of me driving such a noisy vehicle. Because clearly driving a four ton, 2.8 litre turbo diesel truck with only a three inch exhaust pipe was something I did all the time. Get a human behind the wheel of a vehicle and common sense is left by the kerb. I'll prove it another time when I don't have more pressing needs.
Safe to say all chances of slipping into Le Puy-en-Velay town centre unnoticed were well and truly scuppered. And the camp site was bang in town. I tried to drive quietly, not an easy thing to do, try it. I tried to coast everywhere. Even opting to use the camber of the road for extra inertia, anything but put my foot on the throttle. And when I had to, the sound echoed off the buildings, rattled window panes, sent dogs in fits of barking and brought even more looks of disapproval. Oh dear.
The view from the garage
At the camp-site reception I was pointed in the direction of a Fiat dealer. "Only five to six kilometres away" I was told. I parked up, grabbed my cycle off the back and followed his instructions. What he failed to tell me was the fiat dealer was on top of a mountain. And here I'm not talking about a steep hill, I'm talking about an actual mountain which I wouldn't walk up without a Sherpa guild and a bag of crampons.. After an hour I gave up. It was too hot and I was too knackered. Little did I know I was almost within spitting distance of it. I returned this morning on the scooter. One young mechanic spoke good English and I'm having the exhaust replaced tomorrow morning.
Friday 27th September 2103 week 118 France.
Living on a knife edge.
I wrote, somewhat enviously someone suggested, that Germany has 22,000 wind turbines and wanted more. It appears, however, that not everyone is a fan of them.
If you were alive on the 22nd January 1961, you climbed into bed that night blissfully unaware that a ten dollar switch was about to save the world as you knew it. This because, the following day a USAF B52 bomber, on a routine flight, began to break up over Goldsboro North Carolina. This caused the two thermonuclear war heads it was carrying, to drop from the crippled plane. One fell to the ground with a loud thud while the second, assuming it was being deliberately released over an enemy target, went through all it's arming procedures except one, a single low-voltage switch didn't trip and that prevented the deaths of well, perhaps millions. The bomb was 250 times more powerful than that dropped on Hiroshima and carried the equivalent of 4,000.000.000 tons of TNT. Fair to say then, we would have noticed it going off. The US government, in typical fashion, covered it up. We will never know, had it detonated, how it would have changed the course of human history but change the course of human history it surely would have.
Your average anti wind farm protesters, they dont all wear daft hats by the way.
On 28th March 1979 The three Mile Island nuclear power plant, in the USA, went into a partial meltdown. It was caused when a valve stuck open allowing coolant to escape. Despite the valve being stuck open a light on the control panel indicated that it was in fact closed, so no one bothered to check it. It turned out later, it had been simply wired up wrong. Thirty minutes into the catastrophe station manager Gary Miller announced the reactor was out of control and posed a serious radiological threat.. No deaths or injuries were ever attributed to the accident. However, almost $25 million was paid out in insurance settlements to people who were then not allowed to publicly discuss their injuries.
On 26 April 1986 the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukraine suffered an explosion, caused by a sudden and unexpected power surge which itself was caused by human error. The resulting fire released tons of radioactive particles into the atmosphere which spread over the western USSR and Europe. The following battle to avert an even greater catastrophe involved over 500,000 workers. In 2015 the existing sarcophagus built to retain 740,000 sq meters of heavily contaminated debris will need to be replaced.
On 11 March 2011 the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant was hit by a tsunami. This caused numerous equipment failures which in-turn caused a loss of coolant and started a nuclear meltdown. The following day radioactive materials escaped. Today, two years after that event, they still are struggling to get the Fukushima Nuclear Power plant under control. They are pumping 400 tons of water over the reactor every day! to stop it going into full meltdown. This contaminated water is then being stored in some of the 1000 huge storage tanks which have been specially built. Some of those tanks have since sprung leaks. It's now feared contaminated water is seeping into the ground. In order to save face the Japanese are refusing help.
That's just three of the thirty seven serious incidents in nuclear power stations since 1956. The next 'accident'? Who knows? The French owned (EDF) manages the country's 59 nuclear power plants and produces more electricity than England, Germany and Russian put together, so perhaps it is a likely candidate.
Critics of wind turbines suggest they are ugly and spoil the landscape. Well when a nuclear plant goes wrong it does a tad more than just spoil the view. Sometimes you don't have a choice.
Copywrite protected


text:
Beauty Therapist / Advanced Skincare Specialist
- Recruiter
- Spa Elite
- Location
- Essex
- Salary
- Competitive salary
- Posted
- 10 Oct 2018
- Closes
- 14 Oct 2018
- Category
- Media and Creative
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
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Skills & Abilities:
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* Confident in all Beauty Treatments would be an advantage
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* Great professional manner and appearance
* Good communication skills
Overview of Role:
* You will be responsible for performing high quality treatments
* Maintain an excellent standard of customer care at all times, monitoring the client's journey from start to finish and ensure full client satisfaction by offering expert advice on skincare and post treatment care.
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text:
There are a few times of the year where the urge to re-motivate yourself takes over. There's the 'New Year, New You' phenomenon which lasts four days on average, and of course the September 'Back to School' eagerness for new notebooks and pencils. But Spring really is the best time for renewal, dusting down those old manuscripts and giving them a good 'spring clean' edit. Here are twelve quotations to inspire and reinvigorate you this Spring.
1. "Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come." ― Robert H. Schuller
2. "No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." ― Hal Borland
3. "Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems. ― Rainer Maria Rilke
4. "Italy, and the spring and first love all together should suffice to make the gloomiest person happy." ― Bertrand Russell
5. "Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing."― Kenneth Grahame
6. "Spring, when the earth tilts closer to the sun, runs a strict timetable of flowers." ― Alice Oswald
7. "I want to do to you what spring does with the cherry trees." ― Pablo Neruda
8. "Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses, a box where sweets compacted lie." ― George Herbert
9. "In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours." ― Mark Twain
10. "Every spring is the only spring, a perpetual astonishment." ― Ellis Peters
11. "Nothing is so beautiful as spring – when weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush; Thrush's eggs look little low heavens, and thrush through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring the ear, it strikes like lightning to hear him sing." ― Gerard Manly Hopkins
12. "I trust in nature for the stable laws of beauty and utility. Spring shall plant and autumn garner to the end of time." ―Robert Browning
Further reading:


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Alexandra Grinevski, illustration for Machiavelli's L'Archidiable Belphegor, from the collection of Richard Sica
This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 18th, 2010 at 11:33 pm and is filed under Art, Books. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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Yad Yehuda of Greater Washington responds, year-round, to an increasing number of requests from people in need, working with local Rabbonim to help community members from all across the Greater Washington area including: Kemp Mill, White Oak, Woodside, Potomac, Rockville, Olney, Aspen Hill and other places in between. Through an extensive array of programs including food scripts for Tomchei Shabbos, the Capital Kosher Pantry, emergency financial assistance and other assistance programs, Yad Yehuda is B"H able to ease some of the financial strain on these families and individuals. Please consider making a donation of any size.
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As Jewish communities in the Greater Washington area continue to grow, so have the number of families and individuals needing assistance. As a volunteer staffed organization, every dollar donated translates into direct assistance. Please consider making a donation of any amount.


text:
A Survivor Philippines blog from RobHasAwesbite.com Contributor, Glenn Holford – @GlennHolford
I want to do something a little bit different this week, loyal readers. Nobody wants to hear me gush week after week about how well-crafted Survivor is as a game, or about how elegantly it has been designed. You know why you love the show; you don't need me to keep reminding you. I'm going to put my doctoral thesis on why Survivor reflects our culture and our lives on hold this week, in order to do something that I think is a little bit more helpful to the viewers.
Every season, when the show gets down to around 10 players, I like to take a step back and look at where we are. With eliminations coming every week, and the number of castaways dwindling all the time, it can become easy to forget that Survivor is a changing game. Alliances that made sense with 14 people left may not still make sense now. Players who once seemed doomed for an early boot may find themselves sailing deep into the game.
And when we have an episode as confusing as this one, it's become apparent that no one really understands where this game is headed, least of all the players themselves. Let's do this. Let's make a Survivor: Philippines Episode Eight snapshot power ranking.
So! In descending order, I've chosen to rank the remaining castaways by the strength of their positions in the game at this moment. Starting at the bottom:
#9: Carter Williams
Oh, Carter. It's a shame to see someone of such obvious intellectual vigor wind up at the bottom of the power rankings. Carter is clearly a genius of the highest order; I think we can all agree on that. But with the departure of Jeff Kent, it's hard to see where he has much room left to make a move. Carter was attached to Kent, like the symbiote suit to Venom, and without Kent it's hard to see how he will survive.
Carter has two strikes against him now in Survivor: Philippines. Strike one: he's lost his closest (and in this case, his only) ally. Going forward, any player in his position could only hope to be able to position himself as a swing vote, while flying under the radar and avoiding scrutiny. It would take a keen strategic eye and an elegant mastery of Survivor's subtle social game to advance alone in a sea of allied competitors. Unfortunately, for Carter, this isn't going to be an option. Carter's already behind in the count, because he has a second strike against him. And this one may be insurmountable:
Carter is an idiot.
With his vapid, vacant expression, dull deadened eyes, and caveman vocabulary, Carter has proven over and over again that he's dim-witted, silly, and slow. Some of my favorite moments this season have been when other castaways have asked Carter to express an opinion about the game. These interactions invariably unfold like this:
Kent/Penner: Carter, what do you think we should do next?
Carter: Uhhhhhhhhhhh. What?
Like a big, dumb, shaggy dog, Carter has endeared himself to me. I really do love to see a good old fashioned oaf at work. But it's true that playing dumb can also work to your advantage in Survivor. Fabio won without having a clue how to play the game. Kat Edorsson played dumb brilliantly last season, and went far deeper into the game than she had any right to. Nobody's going to be viewing Carter as a strategic or a social threat. Isn't it possible that he squeaks past a few votes?
Well, yes, that certainly is possible. There are much bigger strategic threats left in the game, and some truly massive social threats as well. On first glance, it seems silly that anyone would target Carter now. But there's a high-inside fastball screaming toward Carter as we speak, and I think it will strike him out looking:
Carter can't fly under the radar. He's not Sandra. He's arguably the second or third best physical player in the game. He's a huge Immunity threat. And when it comes down to picking someone to vote off, when you've got an isolated sheep away from the herd, like Carter, it's an easy vote. No one will be upset to see Carter go. Nobody needs to rock the boat with their alliances. He's an easy burn. Strike one.
And he won't see it coming. He won't be prepared for it. He won't be scrambling. And even if he does, he still won't be able to orchestrate a defense against it. He lacks the strategic acumen. Strike two.
Worst of all, he's not just a weak little lamb in the wolf's den. He's a legitimately threatening player based on his youth, his size, and his athletic physique. It's not even a bad move to pick him off. It makes sense for almost everyone else's game to do so. Sorry, Carter. That's strike three. You're out.
#8: Jonathan Penner
Penner has proven that he has nine lives in this game. He's been on the chopping block since the day he hit the beach, and he's been enduring some heavy-duty heat since Merge Day. But, two Tribal Councils into the merge, Penner is still here. Seems like stock on Penner is rising. Is it wise to bet against him?
I'll admit, putting Penner so far down in my power rankings gives me pause. Penner is a wild card in a way that no other player is, because he is capable of so many different kinds of moves. It seems that Penner may have forged an alliance with Skupin, and it seems likely that he will tuck Carter under his wing. With three votes possibly under his control, shouldn't that be enough to at least propel him easily into the Final 7 this season?
Maybe. I certainly hope so. I love Penner. But there are some troubling factors working against Penner at the moment, and it's unclear yet whether or not he will be able to overcome them.
The major strike against Penner is that Jeff Kent was allowed to spend 6 days plotting against him in the new merged tribe. True, Kent was the ringleader of the Boot-The-Veterans cause, and he's now been vanquished, but we can see clearly from last week that people were listening. It seems possible that the damage has already been done.
If Jeff Kent was able to convince the rest of the Dangrayne tribe to target Penner for being a returning player, there's really nothing he can do to overcome that stigma. A player catching heat for being too physical can make a big show of screwing up in a challenge. A player catching heat for being too likeable can spout off at the mouth, piss someone unimportant off, and diffuse the tension. But Penner isn't being targeted for anything that he's done, or even for anything that he might do. He's being targeted for what he is. He can't stop being a returning player.
So now we're speculating on how effective Jeff Kent was at planting seeds in the minds of the rest of the tribe. That's a hard question. If I were on Survivor with two returning players, I'd gladly take them with me to the end every single time. I'd love to sit next to Penner and Skupin. But I know that I could beat them, and it seems apparent that most castaways don't feel the same way.
So, Penner's working against a prejudice. Prejudices are difficult to unseat, because they're inherently irrational. People fear Penner. They have been taught by the last few seasons of Survivor that the returning players are the hardest players to beat, because they have watched people fail to beat them. Beating a returning player is actually entirely possible, it just takes a certain strategy. But, unfortunately for Penner, no player other than Sophie has beaten a returning player, and she wasn't using that strategy. She was just facing Coach.
I'm betting that Penner will fail to overcome this stigma, now that Jeff Kent has had time to plant it. But, I will say this: if there's any player in this game that could, it would be Penner.
#7: Pete Yurkowski
Pete is a douchebag. And he can't help it. It's not really his fault. I don't think Pete set foot on the island seeking to be a douchebag. He just is one. And he probably always has been.
But that's not to say that a douchebag can't play the game well, and win. Brian Heidk did it. Boston Rob did it. Russell Hantz… oh wait.
But Pete's already catching heat. People have realized that he's the brains behind Abi's idol's brawn, and they want to take him out. In theory, Abi could give Pete her idol at any time, and diffuse this threat, but she won't. If she was going to do that, she would have done it tonight.
So, Pete is vulnerable. It's unlikely that he'll ever have a Hidden Immunity Idol played to protect him. He's also a legitimate strategic player. Unfortunately for him, everybody else has figured that out. And he's aligned with the hugely unpopular Abi-Maria. When you tack on the fact that Pete is probably #1 or #2 on the list of physical threats, and his apparent lack of an effective social game, the guy has a ton of targets on his back.
And Pete has no hope of being dragged to the end as a goat. Artis and Abi are goats. Pete is a strong physical player with a demonstrable strategic acumen. Nobody is thinking he's worth dragging to the end. People just want him gone. These players have already proven they aren't afraid to vote for Pete. He almost went home this week. I'm betting he won't be so lucky next time.
#6: Michael Skupin
Ooooh, Skupin. You really are just a hapless human being.
I don't know how you guys feel, but I love Mike. He's like a bumbling old fart from a bygone era. He just doesn't understand how the game has changed. And he's deeply motivated by his faith; he's a powerfully ethical player. He was ideally suited for the innocent old days of Survivor yore. Survivor: Australia was a particularly benevolent season. But he's not equipped to survive in the cutthroat new generation of this game.
If Skupin can last the rest of the game without killing himself, I would be surprised. But there's next to no chance he makes it to the end. Unlike Pete, who will be voted out because of his vices, Skupin will be eliminated because he really is just a decent guy. Nobody wants to sit next to the grizzled old Survivor veteran with a heart of gold. Nobody wants to try to beat Skupin the charitable, Skupin the kind-hearted, Skupin the faithful. I would. But none of these players will.
I've already discussed how Jeff Kent may have had time to poison the rest of these castaways against the veteran players. But, in the case of Mike, Tandang may still be looking at him as "our" veteran. I think Skupin stands a good chance of outlasting Penner, especially if he stays loyal to Lisa. But, at the end of the day, I think his days on this island are numbered.
#5 Abi-Maria Gomes
Abi is a little bit of an enigma. She seems ideal goat fodder to drag to the end, but at the same time, she's so volatile that no serious alliance would take her on. She's a liability. She has a Hidden Immunity Idol, but likely lacks the ability to use it effectively. She's paranoid and mistrustful, but seems entirely likely to fall for a blindside.
Abi is my least favorite player of this season. She has no respect for the game, or for the players. She's rude, she's crazy, and she's worthless in challenges. She is that rare player that lacks strategic, social, and physical game.
That said, I would probably take her to the Final Five with me, and make my decision about whether or not to bring her to the end from there. She's obviously hugely unpopular. Even Pete, her closest ally, was yelling at her this week about how annoying she is. At the end of the day, though, I don't see her being brought to the end as a goat. She can't be trusted to act even in her own best interests. When you tack on her apparent total inability to keep any kind of secret, there's no way I would bring her aboard my alliance. Can't trust her with information, can't trust her not to piss off the wrong people, and can't trust her to ever win immunity when you might need it. She's got to go.
#4: Malcolm Freberg
Diametrically opposed to Abi, Malcolm is my favorite player this season. He's a true three-tooled player: he has a strong intuitive grasp of strategy, an almost criminally likeable social game, and is probably the strongest physical player in the game. Not only that, but he holds the Hidden Immunity Idol and has an airtight alliance with Denise. It'd be hard to bet against Malcolm. He has so many weapons.
If Lisa never revealed that Malcolm holds the idol, I think he wins this game. But she did. And no one is ever going to fully trust him again. His harmless, loveable, shaggy-dog persona has been blown out of the water. And once people start regarding Malcolm with suspicion, they're going to begin to notice how terrifyingly threatening he is as a player.
That said, Malcolm demonstrated tonight that he knows how to use the Hidden Immunity Idol as a deterrent. By threatening to play it, but not playing it, he was able to throw the vote off of himself and walk away with a net positive result. Unfortunately for him, he was forced to make this move much earlier than he had planned. There's still a lot of game left, and Malcolm has run out of secrets. He has to rely on his social and his physical game from here on out.
Fortunately for Malcolm, he has both in spades. People love Malcolm. He's incredibly charming. Unfortunately for Malcolm, he's also hands down the biggest threat in every category still left in this game. If he makes it to the end, he wins. But everybody else knows that, now. So he won't.
#3: Artis Silvester
Artis is our goat. Despite how much he claimed to hate Phillip Sheppard before this season began, he is the Phillip Sheppard of Survivor: Philippines. I would absolutely bring Artis to the end. He's surly, he's sour, and he's temperamental. He makes no effort to reach out to anyone not in his core alliance. He's associated himself with the Douchebag Alliance indelibly in the minds of every other castaway out there. And he lacks strategic foresight. And he's a mediocre-to-poor physical player. I don't think there's a castaway out there that doesn't see dollar signs when they look at him.
No one will vote Artis out. Everyone wants him in their Final Three. He's like a Hoover vacuum. He sucks so good.
#2: Lisa Whelchel
Lisa really should be the breakout star of this season. She's so thoughtful about the game. She understands people. She's disarmingly kind. She's matronly and loveable. And, above all of that, she's been doing something that almost no one besides Sandra has ever been able to do: win while being honest.
We saw it tonight at Tribal Council. Malcolm accused Lisa of throwing him under the bus, and Lisa shrugged. It was true. She admitted it. And, in so doing, she also completely removed the target from her back. What?
There's almost no chance that anyone sent to the jury will have hard feelings toward Lisa. Everybody loves her. She's like Cirie, Sandra, and Natalie White all wrapped into one, except she also has an adorable sob story about having gotten recently divorced and going broke. Whoa. Lisa is a serious, SERIOUS threat to win this game.
Unfortunately, Malcolm and Denise know she's a serious threat to win this game. If they have anything to do with it, they won't let her anywhere near Final Tribal Council. That's going to be the real story of this season: can anyone stop Lisa from making it to the end? I think so. I think the clear favorite to win this season is going to be:
#1: Denise Stapley
Oh, Denise. You little minx. You really are a fantastic Survivor player. I think you're better than Kim Spradlin, and I don't care how much hate mail I get for saying so.
Here's why Denise is better than Kim, in my book: Kim is threatening post-merge. Denise is not. Denise is that rare player that will dominate socially, strategically, and in challenges—and yet still fly under the radar. Kim had to work extra hard to maintain her relationships, while trust seems to flow naturally in Denise's direction.
We saw it today, after the reward challenge. Denise was obviously thrilled to be able to go on the riverboat cruise, and couldn't contain her joy. But the first words out of her mouth? "I feel so badly for everybody stuck back at camp, but…"
Denise is humble. She's fantastically likeable. And she's built like an Olympian. Did anybody else notice her muscles rippling in this week's Immunity challenge? Whoa, Denise. You're a tank. She's probably the biggest individual immunity threat in the game, now that we've reached the merge. Pre-merge challenges tend to favor the large and powerful alpha-males. Post-merge challenges emphasize balance, endurance, memory, intellect, and coordination.
And nobody besides Malcolm seems to realize yet how powerful Denise is in this game. Nobody's targeting her. Nobody realizes how strong her social game is, or her strategic game, or her physical game. Everybody is underestimating her. Denise is just busying herself being likeable and humble. She's primed to explode onto the scene around Final Five, and when she does, I think she'll be unstoppable.
So, can Malcolm get her out of this game? He'll have to. He stands no chance otherwise. But how can he? To the casual observer, he's a much bigger threat than she is. It'd be hard for him to argue with any credibility to vote her out because of how threatening she is. She's not a super-fit young guy. She's not visibly charming. She doesn't have an idol. She's just little old loveable Denise. And Malcolm, she's gonna beat your ass.
So, there you have it, loyal readers. I know this post is clocking in at about three times my usual goal of 1,000 words, so I appreciate you bearing with me. If you agree with my rankings, disagree, or have other thoughts entirely, I'd love to hear them. Leave me a comment, and we'll keep the conversation going!


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There is only so much SD-WAN vendors can do when it comes to VoIP and specifically WebRTC optimization. When a vendor claims for specific VoIP optimization that is based on quality of experience or similar considerations, I suggest to check the details of how this optimization is implemented and which applications it covers.
Why SD-WAN is Important for WebRTC
Delivery of WebRTC based communications services to the enterprise can be (and is today) done over best effort open internet but for higher adoption rates among enterprises it is required to enable the delivery of such services over managed networks.
The growing adoption of SD-WAN allows for agile and dynamic delivery of WebRTC services to enterprises
VMware Just Got a Networking Boost
Having an SD-WAN solution integrated into VMware's solution portfolio that takes VMware's network virtualization from within the cloud to connecting enterprises with public and private clouds is important for VMware's digital transformation and cloud strategy.
VeloCloud seems like a perfect solution for filling this gap. A field proven solution with 100% focus on SD-WAN.
Cisco Adds Another Piece to its Enterprise IT Puzzle
Although Cisco has a very strong position in the UC market, its strengths are mainly in UC of the past (on-premises deployments and telephony focused).
The acquisition of Broadsoft will help Cisco to better compete in the next generation cloud UC and team collaboration.
Overall a strong move of Cisco to help it compete with its rivals such as Microsoft and Slack.
3 Strategies for SD-WAN
MPLS is still pretty commonly used by enterprises, some use it for specific applications while others take it to the extreme and route all traffic of their branches to s central location. Service providers hit a jackpot with MPLS but this is now changing. 2 major forces are making MPLS less lucrative and eventually will kill it: MPLS price is going down; Enterprise requirements have changed
The On premise vs. Managed Decision for Your WebRTC Service is Not Just About Cost
There is no one good answer for the debate between on premise vs. managed and each of these options have sub-options to consider and decide on. The devil is in the details and in many cases a hybrid solution is required, using some functions (such as NAT traversal) from 3rd party hosted services while licensing (open source or commercial) other components of the solution.
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In 1970 I was nominated by the President Nixon and confirmed by the Senate as Assistant Secretary of Transportation. I was thereafter written to and addressed as "the Honorable".
In 1984 I was nominated by President Reagan and confirmed by the Senate as Under Secretary of Health and Human Services. Same "the Honorable" form of address.
In between the two and after the second — in my civilian life — I used my business title, Chairman, President etc. with but two exceptions. My London office insisted upon using "the Hon.", which seemed to please the British, and our Frankfort office, in typical German fashion, used all the titles they could think of.
My question; is it permissible and a matter of my personal choice when to use "the Hon." title somewhat similar to a "General" using his military tittle after retirement?
I doubt that there would be many times when I would choose to do so, but upon occasion it might be useful (or amusing).
– The Honorable in DC
Dear The Honorable in DC:
The rule is: once an "Honorable" always as "Honorable". So it is at the preference of the bearer (you), and the option of those who address you to use it.
In the US we (by tradition) give a person one "courtesy title / honorific" before their name … usually the one appropriate for the topic you are addressing the individual. So a senator who is a doctor would be (in US tradition) Senator (last name) when you are his constituent, and a Dr. (last name) when he is examining your foot.
As you note the British and the Germans use they all they are entitled to, so they would use Senator Dr. (name), and maybe even The Honorable Senator Dr. (full name), PhD, JD, Esq.
That bring ups the Senator — Dr. Bill Frist, who asked to be called Dr. Frist. He didn't follow the "rule" — but how one is addressed is always at the preference of the bearer.
— Robert Hickey www.formsofaddress.info
Who Decides If I Am "The Honorable"?
May 17, 2009 by Robert Hickey
In 1970 I was nominated by the President Nixon and confirmed by the Senate as Assistant Secretary of Transportation. I was thereafter written to and addressed as "the Honorable".


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This probably sounds dramatic and a bit over the top, but with Tracy's help I feel I now have an opportunity to change my life and potentially live longer, enjoying life. I can't emphasise enough the sense of shock when Tracy measured my weight and body fat on my first day – I was obese and I thought I was just a bit overweight. Hearing the word obese was enough to motivate me to take on board very seriously all of the advice Tracy gave me. She has provided me with the tools to improve my health, lose weight, strengthen my body and most importantly begin to understand the significance of what and when you put fuel into your body. I was a chocoholic and one of the positive things for me was knowing that I didn't have to give it up all together. I was a bar of chocolate a day man and now i'm maybe eating a piece of chocolate a day, but better quality! But I'm eating more fruit and veg and loving it – Tracy's book is fantastic too – all sorts of tips and recipes.
I'm exercising regularly and it's fun, particularly when you realise how much better you feel. And the good part, in six weeks I've lost three inches off my waist, lost half a stone in weight, improved my blood pressure level, reduced my body fat to the point where with a little more effort I will be in the acceptable range! My stamina for running has improved and I feel stronger, oh yes and looking in the mirror isn't as frightening as it used to be!
It's great working with Tracy and her knowledge of her fitness and nutrition is absolutely amazing! If you have been hesitating on engaging the services of a personal trainer, look no further. Don't think of it in monetary terms, this is an investment in your life!
John McL, August 2013


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What is better than the aroma of a roasted turkey and all the sides filling the house as families come together to celebrate the wonderful day of Thanksgiving. What is even better about this special celebration is that many of the foods prepared for the meal are naturally gluten-free. So, set your oven and grab a few cooking utensils as we help you get prepared in putting together the perfect Thanksgiving feast. Featuring the main dish and favorite sides from Sprouts, as well as classic desserts from Bob's Red Mill…this Thanksgiving is sure to be gluten-free, fabulous, and a fantastic family dinner.
Gluten-Free Roasted Turkey (shown above)
Recipe compliments of Sprouts
14 lb turkey
2 garlic cloves
2 cups dried cherries
5 Bosc or d'Anjou pears
5 red onions
Fresh sage
Salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
2. With a clean cloth or paper towel, pat the turkey dry both inside and out. Tie the legs together and tuck the wings under.
3. In a small bowl, combine garlic, sage, salt, and pepper.
4. Brush the turkey with butter and rub or sprinkle garlic and sage mixture over the turkey.
5. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F and tent the turkey with foil. Roast for 1 hour.
6. Prepare onions and pears: halve onions, remove skins, and cut large slices; halve pears, remove core and cube.
7. Remove turkey from oven, uncover, and baste turkey with juices from the roasting pan.
8. Place prepared onions and pears around uncovered turkey and continue to roast until your meat thermometer reads 180-185 degrees F deep in the thigh or 170-175 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast. Juices should be clear with no traces of pink.
9. Remove turkey from oven and allow to stand 20-30 minutes before carving. Be sure to keep pears and onions warm to serve alongside the carved turkey.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pears
Recipe compliments of Sprouts
2 lb sweet potatoes
2 Bosc or d'Anjou pears
Olive oil
Fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, combine oil, cinnamon, sage, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
3. On a large baking sheet or roasting pan lined with parchment paper, toss sweet potatoes with half of the spice mixture. Reserve the remainder of the mixture for your pears.
4. Bake sweet potatoes for 30 minutes.
5. While potatoes are baking, toss pears with the reserved spice mixture until they are evenly coated.
6. Add pears to baking sheet and continue to bake for 20-25 minutes or until pears are golden and potatoes are fork-tender.
Green Beans with Cranberries and Bacon
Recipe compliments of Sprouts
1 1/2 lb. green beans
1/4 lb. bacon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Juice of 1 lemon
Fresh sage
Olive oil
1 cup water
Salt and pepper
1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp.
2. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with a paper-towel or parchment.
3. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for about 3 minutes or until tender.
4. Drain green beans and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Toss with oil, lemon, salt and pepper, and transfer to a serving platter.
5. Sprinkle green beans with bacon, cranberries, Parmesan, and slivered almonds.
Lemon Brussels Sprouts
Recipe compliments of Sprouts
4 cups Brussels sprouts
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Divide washed, dried and halved Brussels sprouts between two rimmed baking sheets.
3. Toss each pan with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Roast Brussels sprouts 20 minutes or until brown and tender. Be sure to stir and toss occasionally.
5. Pour Brussels sprouts into a serving dish and top with lemon juice. Add zest if desired.
Cranberry and Cherry Sauce
Recipe compliments of Sprouts
12 oz. Frozen Cranberries
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup sugar or 2/3 cups agave
1 cup water
1. In a large saucepan, combine cranberries, cherries, agave, and water.
2. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer 20-25 minutes or until cranberries burst and mixture become syrupy.
3. Pour sauce into serving bowl, cover tightly and refrigerate.
Pumpkin Pie
Makes 8 servings
Contributed by Sarah House for
Bob's Red Mill Test Kitchen
1/2 package Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pie Crust Mix, prepared and chilled
15-ounce can pumpkin puree
12-ounce can evaporated milk
2 eggs
2 ounce butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1. Remove dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature until malleable. Roll chilled dough into a 12-inch circle between two pieces of heavy-duty plastic wrap. Remove top layer of plastic; invert and center dough over a 9-inch nonstick pie pan. Press crust into place, then remove remaining plastic wrap. Trim edges and flute. Freeze for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare the filling.
2. Combine pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, sugar, and spice. Whisk well until fully incorporated.
3. Remove pie shell from freezer and fill with prepared pie filling.
4. Bake at 350°F until set in the center with barely any wobble when gently shook, about 50 – 60 minutes.
5. Let cool fully before serving.
Pecan Pie
Makes 8 – 16 servings
Contributed by Sarah House for
Bob's Red Mill Test Kitchen
1/2 package Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pie Crust Mix, prepared and chilled
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup corn syrup
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
3 eggs
1. Remove dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature until malleable. Roll chilled dough into a 12-inch circle between two pieces of heavy-duty plastic wrap. Remove top layer of plastic; invert and center dough over a 9-inch nonstick pie pan. Press crust into place, then remove remaining plastic wrap. Trim edges and flute. Freeze for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Combine the sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Add the corn syrup, melted butter, bourbon, and vanilla and mix well then add the eggs. Mix until thoroughly combined.
3. Remove the pie crust from the freezer and fill evenly with chopped pecans. Pour batter over the pecans and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and continue to bake until center is set, about 35 – 45 minutes.
4. Let cool at least 2 hours before serving.


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It's easy to go over what you need to do as an interviewer. You need to answer questions a certain way. You need to present yourself a certain way. You need to not be an idiot. Pretty simple stuff. Yet part of preparing for a job interview has to do with understanding the hiring manager, especially how the hiring manager prepares for the job interview. Below is some helpful information on how interviewers prepare for your job interview so that you know what to expect.
How Interviewers Prepare
1. Research the Candidate
The more time the interviewer has to spend asking you questions about your work history that were already answered in your resume and cover letter, the less time they have to spend asking you interesting questions. They will thoroughly examine your resume and may even Google search you and your previous companies, so be sure and check your own Internet presence and make sure you are putting your best face forward.
2. Plan Selected Questions
Most employers will have a list of selected questions to ask. Note that many interviewers do like to "free flow" their questions, allowing them opportunity to follow up based on the way you have answered previous questions, but most will have a list of questions already prepared. Some will be stock questions, others will be unusual wild card questions, and still others will be questions about your resume.
3. Schedule Their Day
Interviewers will also clear their schedule so that the interviewer is not interrupted. Because they take time out of their day to ensure the interview goes along smoothly, they are going to be strongly discouraged if your own cell phone rings or you need to be somewhere, so be sure and provide them with the same courtesy.
How the Interviewer Views the Interview
Additionally, it is good to see how interviewers view each interview. Here's a good article on how interviewers conduct interviews. There you will find tips for interviewers, including the "don't judge them within 3 minutes" rule that some interviewers still subject candidates to.
Take Away Interview Tips
- Prepare your Internet presence.
- Clear your schedule.
- Be ready for many common and behavioral interview questions.


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Low-Carbon Societies, Sustainable Consumption & Production, Sustainable Lifestyles & Education, Sustainability TransitionsRegion/Country: Language:
Envisioning Lifestyles
This project, Envisioning Future Low-Carbon Lifestyles and Transitioning Instruments, is a part of the Sustainable Lifestyles and Education Programme of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns. The project examines how the way we live our daily lives – our choices, habits and the context within which we live – have can have a positive effect on our planet, our communities and our wellbeing both now and in the future.
Related Website:


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Lady military pilot commands C-130 transpacific flight
A first in PH military history
The latest acquisition of the Philippine Air Force – a C-130T cargo plane made its transpacific flight from Tucson, Arizona under the command of a female military pilot, a first in the history of the Philippine military.
"Actually I'm not the first (female) pilot to fly a C-130 plane but I'm the first to be certified as pilot in command. Of course it's flattering that the command allowed it. There is no restriction for females for as long as you are qualified," Air Force Maj. Marjorie D. Mukay.
She thanked the Philippine Air Force (PAF) leadership for making her a part of the team which brought the aircraft to Manila.
The PAF flight crew was headed by Lt. Col. Jason Rom J. Lacida. Assisting him in operating the aircraft were Major Anthony Amora, Test Pilot; Major Meritto Jay Quijano, Pilot-in-Command; Major Ronel L. Salas, PIC; TSg. Jonathan J. Tuban, Flight Engineer; SSg. Ryan T. Magpantay, Propulsion; SSg Edgar M. Hermina, REI Specialist; TSg Manuel G. Saavedra, Hydraulics Specialist; Ssg Donald T. Badoy, Crew Chief; Miguel V. Denito, Load Master;. TSg Ferdinand M. Orias, Load Master; and SSg Robert Ceasar M. Madanguit Inventory/Record Custodian.
Mukay, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 2005 (Sanlingan) said the C-130 T plane will boost their capability during disaster operation. "The plane can be use for disaster relief and transport military troops anywhere in the country. It can also be used to fly in the West Philippine Sea to transport supply and troops there," she said.
Full mission capable
She also allayed the fears of some quarters that the plane acquired from the US is already old and no longer serviceable.
"Kapagsinabing refurbished aircraft functional siya. Full mission capable siya.Nagkataon lang na nagamit na siya but all systems are working," Mukay said.
"It previously came from US Coast Guard and used to be a tanker. Purely transport siya," she said.
The newly refurbished aircraft is the second and last C-130 T aircraft acquired from the United States through its Excess Defense Articles (EDA) Program. The first cargo plane arrived in April.
The PAF has now a total of five C-130 aircrafts — two C-130T, two C-130H and a C-130B.
The C-130T aircraft was formally turned-over to the 220th Air Lift Wing at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City Monday.
Outgoing US Ambassador to Philippines Philip Goldberg, Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Ricardo R. Visaya, Air Force Chief Lt. Gen. Edgar T. Fallorina, Air Logistics Command chief Maj. Gen.Arnold A. Mancita and 220th Airlift Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Nicolas C. Parilla welcomed the arrival of the cargo plane and attended the blessing that followed.


text:
I had my yearly performance management review earlier this week and at the end I was asked about my pay. I couldn't even tell him how much I earn. I have no problem my line manager knowing how much I get paid. In fact, I was a little surprised that he didn't already know.
I did tell him a round figure of what I thought I was paid, but found out later that I was paid a little bit more. This probably explains why I have saved a little bit more money recently, and I thought that I was being a bit more fugal for once.
As long as I get paid enough to pay the bills, and it allows me to keep my Jaffa Cake habit going. I'm happy. Maybe I really should take these things a bit more seriously.
Now, I'm not saying that I wouldn't accept a pay rise, I'm not that much of an eejit. However, money been a motivation of mine.
I've done the whole work in a pressurised environment, and get as much money as you can possibly get. I've tried to equate happiness to pay, but I've realised that other things are just as important.
I know that if I worked in the city I would be paid significantly more than I am at the moment. But, I like how I can get to and from work by bus in about twenty minutes, and that I don't have to sit on a packed train twice every day.
The things that I currently do is sufficiently varied to keep me interested, and there is enough flexibility to allow me to do the things I need to outside of work. Don't tell the students this, but generally they are quite delightful. I think I'm fortunate to be where I am.
On the other hand, being happy in your work doesn't mean that your employer can take advantage. It's a difficult balance to find. In these more difficult times, you get the impression that your bonus is that you still have a job so you are compelled to do everything they ask.
So, what am I ranting about today? It is very difficult for you to be content unless you know what you want to get from work. How do you want to be valued? We're all different, and we need to find out what makes us content and that you shouldn't concentrate on one thing, as it is all about balance.
If all you care about is how much you get paid, then it is easy for you to get worked up. What happens when you find out that the slacker in the office gets paid more than you? You end up spending all your time comparing yourself to your colleagues rather than looking at what you do. In one job, I was acting team leader for a group where I was paid the least. Even I thought that it wasn't quite right.
I've always had a rule of thumb that if you want a pay rise it is always better to go and find yourself a different job. If you think that you aren't being paid the market rate, then go out and look at the market. I once worked with someone who spent most of his day complaining about how he should be paid more. Ten years later, he still works at the same place.
In my experience, I've found that when you complain about pay, it is nothing more than a convenient excuse. Generally, there is something else going on which is making you feel undervalued. It's easy to keep score by looking at your monthly pay slip.
There are, of course, people who are generally underpaid for what they do. However, I'm mainly talking about those who are paid a fair amount.
This is why I'm talking about finding a balance. I'm not going to advocate living to work, but outside of sleeping, you spend more time at work than anywhere else. So, it would be a good idea for you to be at least content there.
I've always thought that a large amount of work, is the people that you deal with. Your colleagues, and if you are like me, your customers. You don't have to be friends with them, but you have to be able to at least get on. Those interactions set the tone for work. If you regularly come across someone who regularly annoys you, it is easy be apprehensive about dealing with them. I've done mindless work in the past, but it was bearable thanks to those I worked with.
That brings me to my next point. I've always been fortunate enough to do work which I enjoy. Failing that, you need to be doing something that you are suited to be doing. Not everyone can do their dream job, I know I haven't. I always wanted to be a Y-wing pilot.
My second rule of thumb, if you find yourself having problems getting out of bed because you are so sick of work, it's time to move on.
I've seen it countless times where someone is so negative about work that it is bad for both them and their employer to be there. Such negativity is bad for their mental health, and demotivates those around them. Funnily enough, when they do move on somewhere else they always say that it was the best thing that they did.
Geesh, couldn't they have done it six months ago, without the constant complaining in my ears?
But going back to the original thing, I feel sorry for those people who equate things to money. I understand that so many people are struggling at the moment. I myself have lived through worse, and I still don't understand how I survived through it. However, you cannot buy happiness.
I personally don't have thousands in my bank account, as if I did I wouldn't be working. But there are so many other things which I can worry about instead. As long as you can find something that pays the bills. There are other reasons to enjoy work, and not worry about the scoreboard.


text:
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After 2 weeks your items will automatically renewed for another 60 days and $0.23 per item will be added to your billing ledger.
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text:
Opening and Closing
Morphological openings yB and closings $B are the consecutive application of erosion and dilation:
with B = {—b} the transposed structuring element.
In order to understand the behavior of gray scale openings and closings, it is useful to consider the image f as a topographic surface: Pixels with low gray-levels correspond to valleys, pixels with high gray-levels correspond to mountains. A morphological opening removes all bright features that cannot contain the structuring element; "it razes the elevations." A morphological closing removes all dark features that cannot contain the structuring element; "it fills the depressions in the surface." The opening and closing of a retinal image are shown in Fig. 7.6: The opening removes the bright patterns (exudates) without enlarging the dark ones (Fig. 7.6(b)). The closing removes the dark patterns
Figure 7.6: Opening and closing of a retinal image (detail) with a circular SE.
Figure 7.6: Opening and closing of a retinal image (detail) with a circular SE.
(hemorrhages, vessels, microaneurysms) without enlarging the bright ones; but the shape of the bright patterns are altered, the spaces between the exudates are also filled (Fig. 7.6(c)).
Furthermore, any increasing, idempotent, and antiextensive transformation is called algebraic opening. Any increasing, idempotent, and extensive transformation is called algebraic closing.


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If a photo can speak a thousand words … Then this one needs no explanation…
Exactly how I feel right about now.
I have managed to keep myself above water, with regards to my daily/nightly schedule these past few days, while fighting a bad case of the flu. Early last week, I could actually feel it coming on, as a frontal assault on my system. It took a couple of days, but by Friday night I was down for the count.
The Friday meeting was a success. When I got home and retired, I was finished for the week. Saturday was a total write off. Besides having to eat, which we did, I slept that balance of Saturday right up until I had to get ready to go this evening.
The Mall is going through another transformation. The other day, I noticed that the vacant space on the ground floor, which has yet to be rented, is slated for an Omer de Seres art store, opening in July. They once had a store right up the block from home for a long time. That vacated building has been torn down recently, and a condo tower is going up in its place.
We had wondered if they would move back into the neighborhood, we can say yes to that question now.
It is T-Minus 5 days and counting for the Target final closing sale. I'm sure what ever is left on store shelves is going for rock bottom pricing. The store was empty the last time I was in there so I am not sure just what they are selling off now?
We don't know yet, if anyone, will be taking over that lease space. There are rumors coming from several sources that tell us that certain sellers are lining up to buy the Target leases when they finally depart their spaces. I am sure that it will take a few months to tear down, restyle and reopen a new space.
I would not be surprised if I tell you that Target Red might become Walmart Blue in the coming months. But that would be an educated guess based on rumors to their purchase ability in Montreal.
We could use another Walmart on this end of the city. We could use any of the Big Box stores in the downtown core. With the building of several condos ongoing right now, this end of downtown is prime real estate for good anchor stores.
We could speculate for a long time, as to who is up next …
Over the last three days, temps fell more than twenty degrees from where they were to where they are tonight. It was a cold and windy day for the parade this morning. We are sitting at (-10c/-18c w.c.) at this hour.
There were two competing events this morning. One that was sanctioned by the city, the Patty's Day Parade. The other was an Anti-Police brutality demonstration, that, in the recent past, devolved into violence and arrests. With that threat looming over the parade, several schools pulled their marchers, bands, and so did the Boys Scouts. Better to be safe than sorry was the thought.
The police did their job. The parade was a success. And there was no violence. So far as my research proved tonight. It might have been the cold, but by the time I departed for the meeting, the streets were clean. No garbage anywhere, and no vomit on the sidewalks.
We sat a good group. Our chair did not show. So I was voted in again. Our return rate of young people coming back in, rose again tonight. Over all the losses we suffered through the winter has been proving itself resilient. We spoke about the relapse rate the other night, as being high, but the return rate is high as well.
The Step Twelve read is over twenty pages long. And I did not account for that this evening. We read all the way around and then some, and almost made it around for shares. The read tells us about all those things that will come, if we practice these principles in all of our affairs …
The list is exhaustive and goes over many details that can come, if we stick to the steps and we work them diligently. The theme in the second portion of the read is "relationships."
A long long time ago, I watched my best friend meet, connect and stay with the man he is still with today. That was over twenty years ago. I wanted that for myself. But I wasn't really prepared for it, nor did that come to pass for me either.
God needed to strip the tree bare.
I decided that I wanted to grow up, and I did that slowly.
Eleven months in, the miracle happened. It was a do or die situation. I acted.
The rest they say, is history.
There are several scenarios for sober people. They get together, and they (1) grow together and thrive or (2) they get together and grow apart and crumble. It takes a special breed of sober people to make it work and for them to thrive. Individual programs are important. We can't get sober, or maintain someone else's sobriety. It just does not work that way.
One either finds the tremulous balance or they don't.
My marriage is a direct product of more than a decade of sobriety and work.
There is a difference between people who are in it to win it, and those who are not.
Everybody is sober tonight. There is HOPE in the air.
And Hope is what is going to keep them in the nest we hope.
More to come, stay tuned …