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Wherever I travel in the world I search them out like a ferret. It doesn't matter how difficult they are to reach and all the complications of figuring out how to get there in a foreign language. These little journeys always become memorable adventures and as always the farmers are dedicated and passionate, generous with their time and patient with us when we don't speak the same language which more often than not, we don't.
During our annual visit to Hong Kong last week, off hubby and I went on a Sunday, fearlessly in search of the Tai Po Farmers' Market, armed with just a map and an Octopus Card. After a subway ride, a short train ride, and an interesting 10 minute walk, we arrived at the charming Tai Po Organic Farmer's Market, founded in 2005.
Compared to North America, Organic Farmers' Markets in Hong Kong are small and not well known. The FVMCS or Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department provides resources for those wishing to convert their current farms to organic ones but according to the FVMCS, there are only 184 farms engaged in organic farming practices. Remarkably few for a region the size of Hong Kong.
Most of the organic produce you'll see in Hong Kong is in speciality sections of larger food shops, the biggest of which I found at ThreeSixty in the stunning Landmark Mall.
|Fanny-Min Becker and Steven Ma
|Katherine Ho and her entertaining neighbour
But for me, the best thing about a farmers' market is getting to speak directly with the producers and soaking in their passion. Of course, finding some interesting products is a plus.
The Tai Po market had about 20 booths with products ranging from wine, breads, dry goods, cosmetics, fruits and vegetables.
After wandering around a bit, we met a charming woman, Fanny-Min Becker and spoke with her about her company, FM International Resources, and her personal journey that brought her to where she was now, all in flawless English.
That day she was showcasing Fair Trade products from Kablon Farms of the Philippines. We bought some of her interesting, Pure Tablea organic chocolate made from fermented cocoa beans and some Pure Coconut Nectar both of which I'll be playing with in the kitchen.
We next met Katherine Ho of Cheer Land Company, importer of organic French wine Puig-Parahÿ from near the Spanish border. She spoke English well which of course we really appreciated.
Her neighbour was both effusive and entertaining and he told us in his few limited words of English about a cousin of his who visited Banff. He also had some excellent strawberries and sweet carrots which I bought and ate on the spot, crunching away while we looked at the other booths.
Not far from Katherine, we met Apple Tsang who had some beautiful vegetables and beets which I would have bought had I had a kitchen.
The highlight of the visit for us was speaking to Katherine, Apple, and Fanny who made the trip worthwhile and memorable.
Next time we visit Hong Kong, I think I'll bring them a few organic gifts from our part of the world...
Tai Po Farmers' Market
Tai Wo Road
Tai Po, Hong Kong
9-5PM, Sundays
|Koi soap
|Little mandarin oranges

subset: commoncrawl


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How to Cheat Death: Genes Involved in Reverse Development
The regeneration or rejuvenation of animal cells has always been an interesting topic and represent an actual field of challenge and debate due to the many potential applications in the medical field. Regeneration can possibly arise by transdifferentiation of existing cells or by stem cells (totipotent cells that can generate any differentiated cell). In both cases, the response occurs according to chemical, genetic, and physiological signals. These mechanisms can be activated to give rise to a whole array of new cell types (Brockes, 1998; Slack, 2003). A deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying rejuvenation would provide a first step towards interpreting the biology of senescence and bringing new insight for future application on regenerative medicine.
Cnidarians are incredibly diverse animals exclusively found in aquatic and mostly marine environments. Jellyfish, corals, sea anemones, and hydras are among the most prominent representatives of this taxon. One of their typical features is the presence of cnidocytes, specialized cells that are used for prey capture and defense. Cnidarians have long been considered simple animals but they present a variety of complex life cycles and developmental patterns. In addition, they are the only known group of organisms with the potential to undergo reverse development (RD) (Schmich et al., 2007). Reverse development was first discovered in scyphozoans more than a century ago (Hadzi, 1909) and represents an unparalleled feature of cnidarians within the animal kingdom (Piraino et al., 2004). Since the discovery of this mechanism, several hydrozoan species have shown the potential to reverse their ontogenetic programs (Piraino et al., 2004).
Under normal conditions, the hydrozoan general life cycle is characterized by the alternation of a post-larval benthic polyp and an adult pelagic medusa (Figure 1). The sexually mature adult medusa releases gametes, which, upon fertilization, form short-lived lecithotrophic (non-feeding) planulae. The planulae settle on to a substrate and form larval hydroids. The hydroids grow asexually, usually forming colonies. Through a complex process that involves the entocodon (medusary nodule), hydroids produce and release medusae, completing the cycle (Boero & Bouillon, 1987; Boero et al., 1998; Boero et al., 2002).Interestingly, some hydrozoan species are also able to revert their life cycle. In these cases, the adult medusa goes back to the juvenile stage of polyp as an adaptive strategy to deal with environmental stress (Carlà et al., 2003; Piraino et al., 2004; Schmich et al., 2007).
To date, different cnidarian species have been identified as performing RD, such as Turritopsis nutricula, T. dohrnii (Oceanidae), Laodicea undulate (Laodiceidae), and Hydractinia carnea (Hidractiniidae; synonymous of Podocoryne carnea, [Schuchert, 2011]) (Piraino et al., 2004; De Vito et al., 2006; Schmich et al., 2007). Furthermore, species belonging to the Turritopsis genus are among the few known species with the ability to perform RD from a free-living medusa to a polyp state after becoming sexually mature (Bavestrello et al., 1992; Piraino et al., 1996). Through stereoscopy observation, Carlà and colleagues (2003) identified four stages during the life cycle of T. nutricula and categorized them as healthy medusa, unhealthy medusa, four-leaf clover and cyst. According to these authors, the healthy medusa has a bell-shaped umbrella with long tentacles and swims actively. The unhealthy medusa is not able to swim and maintains its tentacles in a retracted position, and the typical transparency of the normal healthy medusa is lost. The four-leafed stage is characterized by the absence of tentacles and the reduction of the sub-umbrella cavity, which shows a number of lobes and many degenerative processes. During the cyst stage the organism is spherically shaped, with a smooth surface; this cyst is able to attach to the substrate and rapidly give rise to a polyp stage. Although RD was identified in several species, most of them undergo some restrictions in expressing transdifferentiation at the adult stage. For instance, in Hydractinia carnea, the potential for RD is lost in older medusa stages (Schmich et al., 2007).
Reverse development (or cell transdifferentiation) is a process through which a mature somatic cell transforms into another mature somatic cell without undergoing an intermediate pluripotent state or progenitor cell type (Graf & Enver, 2009). Transdifferentiation also involves a change in commitment and gene expression of well- differentiated, non-cycling somatic cells to other cell types (Okada, 1991). In some medusa species, this process occurs in all cells, e.g. those of the manubrium, tentacular bulbs, radial canals, exumbrellar rim, marginal canal, subumbrellar rim, or even gonads (Piraino et al., 2004). Degenerative and apoptotic cellular morphological modifications are involved during the RD of T. nutricula. It has been shown that the gonads are retained throughout all stages, thus showing evidence that both young and mature medusa can undergo reversion (Carlà et al., 2003).
The advent of molecular and genomic technologies has provided an available toolkit for experimental studies on cnidarians development. It is now possible to manipulate and analyze tissues and embryos according to several approaches, such as mRNA injection, RNAi, and transgenesis (Technau & Steele, 2011). Transdifferentiation is a very interesting mechanism that can provide many insights for the development of tolls and products for regenerative medicine, such as treatments for heart diseases. Postnatal cardiomyocytes have little or non-regenerative capacity; although, endogenous cardiac fibroblasts are able to differentiate in beating cardiac cells replacing damaged cardiomyocytes. In a study performed by Ieda (2010), a specific combination of three transcription factors was identified as being able to generate functional beating cardiomyocytes directly from mouse postnatal cardiac fibroblast. In addition, the induced cardiomyocytes were globally reprogrammed to a cardiomyocytes-like gene expression profile.
The main goal of this proposal is to investigate which signaling networks are involved in stage differentiation during hydrozoans life cycle, in order to identify and understand the mechanisms underlying reverse development. We will thus focus on three marine hydrozoans, Turritopsis dohrnii, Hydractinia echinata, and Hydractinia carnea as model organisms for reverse ontogeny and dedifferentiation of somatic cells to multipotency. Turritopsis dohrnii and Hydractinia carnea were previously compared under different chemical and physical conditions and showed a different potential for RD (Schmich et al., 2007). To date, there are no evidences of RD in Hydractinia echinata. However, its transcriptome was completely sequenced and the data is available at http://www.mchips.org/hydractinia_echinata.html. Since H. echinata is a sister group of H. carnea, which has the ability to perform transdifferentiation, we will also compare both transcriptomes in an attempt to identify differentially expressed genes.
We strongly believe that our results will pave the way for future studies aiming to clarify the mechanisms of senescence and rejuvenation.
Figure 1. Models of some hydrozoan life cycles (removed from Piraino et al., 2004). (A) Hydra spp. has no medusa stage and no planula larva. Asexual budding of new polyps is the most frequent mode of reproduction. (B) Hydractinia echinata has a highly reduced medusa stage that remains attached to the polyp in the form of fixed gonophores. Fertilization leads to the formation of a planula larva, which will undergo metamorphosis to develop into a polyp colony. (C) The life cycle of Hydractinia (Podocoryna) carnea includes a swimming medusa stage and a planula larva. Artificial detachment of late medusa buds leads to the development of medusae that are complete but reduced in size. In contrast, artificially detached early medusa buds are capable of transformation back into polyps. Such reverse transformation is not usually achieved by late medusa buds or liberated medusae. (D) Turritopsis nutricula has a typical three-stage life cycle: planula, polyp, and medusa. However, medusae at all stages of development retain the potential for life-cycle reversal; even spent medusae do not die, but transform back spontaneously into new polyp colonies (Piraino et al., 2004).
Sampling, Culture and Stage selection for RNA extraction
Samples of T. dohrnii and H. carnea will be collected from the Mediterranean Sea and Naples, respectively. The specimens, separated by species and sampling site, will be maintained in two different aquariums, one with filtered sea water and sediment from the sampling location and the other with artificial sea water and autoclaved sediment, both on 22°C; all the aquariums will be equipped with aeration system and a moderate continuous water flux. The cnidarians will be fed with Artemia naupli and will be monitored to check the developmental stage until the first life cycle is complete.
RNA will be extracted from T. dohrnii and H. carnea at different developmental stages: medusa buds, older medusa stage, planula, ball-like stage, stolon, polyp formation, and adult polyp (Figure 2). Life stages will be selected under binocular microscope (Schmich et al. 2007) and pictures will be taken through a camera coupled to the microscope.
To induce RD, two pilot experiments will be performed using heat shock and CsCl incubation. The more effective protocol will be select to induce RD of medusa in both species. During the RD, eight life stages will be select for RNA extraction (Figure 2). Subsequently, the extracted RNA samples will be used for library construction. All bioassays will be done in duplicates to confirm the obtained results.
Figure 2. Selected life stages during reverse development for RNA extraction. The description of each state is provided.
Transcriptomic analyses
The transcriptomes of Turritopsis dohrnii and Hydractinia carnea will be analyzed through a comparative approach in order to identify genes and signaling pathways that are related to reverse development. Genes differentially expressed during RD will be selected for experimental validation using RNAi (see below for details). Subsequently, a Blast search will be performed to retrieve potential homologs in the Hydractinia echinata transcriptome data. Since this species has medusa stages morphologically reduced and remaining attached to the polyp, it is not known if genes involved RD are present and activated in H. echinata (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Hydractinia echinata and Podocoryne carnea (Syn. Hydractinia carnea): life cycle. Taken from Plickert et al., 2012.
mRNA-Seq library preparation
A pool of 10 individuals from each developmental stage (Figure 2) from T. dohrnii and H. carnea will be isolated for RNA extraction with Trizol. Total RNA (5 μg) will be used to prepare the transcriptome library using the mRNA-Seq preparation kit (Illumina) following the manufacturers instructions. The mRNA will be purified using magnetic oligo-dT beads and fragmented. First strand synthesis of cDNA will be done using SuperscriptII reverse transcriptase followed by RNase H treatment. Second strand cDNA synthesis will be performed using DNAPol1. Paired end adaptors (Illumina) will be ligated to 5′ and 3′ ends of DNA fragments followed by PCR amplification using adaptor specific primers. PCR amplified products will be gel purified, quantitated by Nanodrop and Bioanalyzer and sequenced on an Illumina GAIIx or HiSeq2000 platform. We will use Illumina's version 4 or TruSeq sequencing chemistry. Each library will be loaded in one lane of a Single Read v4 or HiSeq flow cell (Illumina) at a concentration of 6 pM. All libraries will be sequenced to 50– 51 cycles in one direction.
Assembly and annotation
To eliminate low quality nucleotides, raw Illumina reads will be trimmed using a custom Perl script with windowed adaptive trimming (Phred quality threshold of 20 and minimum read length of 20 nt). The trimmed reads will be separately fed into Rnnotator, automated de novo RNAseq assembly pipeline (Martin et al., 2010), to remove duplicates and erroneous sequences. Multiple rounds on velvet assemblies will then be performed using different hash values to account for the different sequencing depth for different transcripts (Martin et al., 2010). Resulting contigs will be merged using Minumus2 from the AMOS package (Martin et al., 2010; Sommer et al., 2007). The resulting contigs and remaining singletons will be aligned with BLASTX to the complete UniProt database (www.uniprot.org/downloads). Acceptable hits will be determined by a bitscore of >45 and a corresponding e-value of <1−5. To maximize the information content, obtained results will be improved with lower ranking (but more informative) annotations using a PERL script and a list of keywords to avoid (i.e. 'uncharacterized protein' and 'predicted protein'). Contig and singleton sequences will be also submitted to the KEGG automated annotation server (www.genome.ad.jp/tools/kaas/) for further functional annotation. Pfam and Smart domains will be mapped to assembled transcripts using RPS-BLAST with an e-value threshold of 1e−5. Gene Ontology (GO) annotations will be used to assign biological functions to genes included in this study (Ashburner et al., 2000). GO annotations will be transferred from Pfam and Smart annotations mapped to our transcripts.
Experimental Validation of Predicted Transcripts
First strand cDNA will be synthesized from 1 μg of total RNA using SuperScriptII (Invitrogen). PCR amplification with specific primers will be performed for 20, 25 and 30 cycles and the samples resolved on 1.2% agarose stained with ethidium bromide. Experimental validation of transcript models and predicted patterns of expression will be performed using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. We will select a total of 20-30 transcripts as candidates for RT-PCR and construct PCR primers against their sequences. Transcripts predicted as being differentially expressed during RD or alternatively spliced will be selected chosen as candidates for validation, and when appropriate, we will choose candidates highly expressed or biologically interesting. Validation studies will be designed to test the expression of (1) transcript assemblies, (2) differential expression, and (3) alternative splicing.
We will assess the significance of differential gene expression with edgeR (Ewen- Campen et al., 2011), version 2.0.5 according to standard protocols outlined in the package manual. These analyses will be run in R version 2.12.2
Functional analysis of candidate genes by knockdown using RNAi technique
Preparations of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) will be performed as described before (Lynch & Desplan, 2006) with minor modifications. Fertilized medusas will be placed in individual wells in a 24-well plate and the incubated with dsRNA (100μl of sterile seawater with dsRNA 8ng/μl) (Wittig et al., 2011). As control, a group of medusas will be treated with a non-related dsRNA for 72 hours, then, metamorphosis will be induced by adding 580mM CsCl (1:5 seawater) for 3 hours. To finish the dsRNA treatment, the sample must be washed 3 times with seawater. At last, animals will be fixed in paraformaldehyde 4%.The effects of dsRNA treatment will be observed through microscope and registered though a camera coupled to the microscope.
The present proposal expects to obtain the transcriptome of two different species, in many developmental stages. Taking advantage of a comparative approach within and between species, will allow us to identify the gene networks involved in the transdifferentiation process. Finally, we expect to experimentally confirm the function performed by these genes involved in reverse development as well provide guidelines for future contributions to medical research.
Different species of marine hydrozoans display a unique potential to reverse their life cycle (Piraino et al., 2004; De Vito et al., 2006; Schmich et al., 2007). It is believed that this backward ontogeny is coordinated through activation of specific genetic switches leading to transdifferentiation and body plan reorganization (De Vito et al., 2006). However, the genetic mechanisms underlying this process are still unknown. Our proposal aims to improve the understanding in this field, providing a solid basis towards reverse development process and the genes involved on it.
Preliminary attempts to trace the evolutionary relationships between cnidarian and vertebrate stem cells centered on searching sequenced cnidarian genomes and EST datasets for homologs of the four pluripotent genes known to be expressed in vertebrate stem cells (Klf4, Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog). However, homologs of these genes have not been unambiguously identified in the Nematostella or Hydra genome (Chapman et al., 2010), suggesting that either the role of these key genes is carried out by other related genes or instead that stem cells machinery evolved independently in cnidarians and vertebrates (Technau & Steele, 2011).
Several genes and signaling pathways associated with patterning and developmental processes in bilaterians, including those related with human diseases, are also present in cnidarians (Sullivan & Finnerty, 2007; Sullivan et al., 2008; Soza-Ried et al., 2009).The combination of the unique characteristics of these organisms coupled with their phylogenetic position, make them ideal models to investigate the evolution of many key aspects of animal development, such as the formation of the third germ layer, the nervous system, the generation of bilaterality, the ability to undergo rejuvenation, aging, and even cancer. Understanding the functional evolution of the hydrozoan genes related to reverse development, will provide new insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms that may potentially be applied to future medical research.
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Hector Aguilar (The Dictator)
Victor Borda
Maria Breitman
Kuhan Chandru
Juliana David
Vitoria Santos
Francesca Scolari
Larissa Silva


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The US Supreme Court has closed a large loophole that had opened up in the definition of insider trading.
I agree this type of business would do much better in specific markets than other folks. There is one particular grocery shop in my location that delivers, but I do not know of any that do curbside pickup. Thanks for your comment! The business was developing so speedily it was obtaining new buyers faster than it could keep up with the orders coming in. You do not need to have to master persuasion, but you want to turn into powerful at it. It is the most crucial talent that any particular person could have. Even Warren Buffet, who many never consider of as getting a master salesman, has admitted publicly that persuasion is the single most important ability he has.
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Right after asking the owner's permission, make a modest scratch by means of the outer layer with your metal file. Then start with your 10k acid from the set above. I was blogging about fan pages and why you ought to have them. Was a lot briefer than this, but have linked here as you seem to have done a great job covering it all! Nicely carried out!
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It is a rare garden that happily invites dogs and their owners into the garden together to share the space and an afternoon. I know this because I have a dog too. Vigo. Here he is above with our nephew ,Alastair.
And it is tricky to find attractions taking dogs and happy to do so. These gardens are rare because there are those that are creating wars and those that have to fight them. I am talking about Poo Wars and the victims are revolting.
There are a few issues involved in having a garden that welcomes dogs and does all it can to make this a good experience for one and all .And when we thought about doing this, I thought -hold on- let's provide dog waste bins for owners to dispose of the poop and for once, lets also provide the bags in which the aforementioned waste can be collected.Simples ! which is exactly what we did.
It wasn't difficult to do and now we have five bins spaced around the garden at suitable points allowing at any point in time for (a) a big dollop of poo to be picked up in a bag (supplied by us ) and (b) the squidgy package of poo to be deposited in the bin (c) jobby sorted. And you can simply walk away – with your dog !
So one would think that all our responsible dog owners would be able to cope with this . Sadly this seems not to be the case. Now … lets look at the facts ..
1. We ask for dogs to be kept on a short lead. You surely cannot miss your dog having a smelly moment near you -unless you are in a world apart, enjoying the view , talking about particle physics ,very short sighted or an idiot ,so what is so difficult about picking the shit up ?
2. it got me thinking .. why is it difficult to do this ? well it's not the happiest of tasks of course .. picking up someone else's shit is not the best thing in the world , smelly – yes,disgusting – could be – depends on the consistency of course.But it is YOUR dog and by implication YOUR shit
3.. if you were in your own garden would you leave all the shit around for someone to stand in ? yes ? love the odour of fresh dog poo on the parquet ? crisp dog poo on the doormat ? killer shit on the kelim ? so why do it here ?
Come on folks ! shit happens so please deal with it !


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All families experience certain shared dynamics, but blended, or step-families, face a unique range of issues that many people may not be aware of. Consciously or subconsciously, people often expect blended families to function like first-time families. When conflicts and difficulties arise, blended families may even attempt to resolve problems in the same manner as if they were first-time family issues, which does not turn out to be an effective approach and can lead to greater conflict and more upset.
When step-couples, step-parents, or step-children's efforts to resolve the conflict fail, it can seem disheartening; and as their stress and frustration mounts, family members blame may each other or themselves for their problems. This can lead to divisions in the family, which can result in couples questioning their decision to have 'blended' in the first place. In such circumstances, it can be beneficial for step-parents, couples, children, or the entire family to work with a marriage and family therapist that specializes in the specific issues affecting blended families.
Susan Kim, founder of Kim Marriage and Family Therapy, has over twenty years of experience in guiding families through the challenges they face. She helps family members – individuals, couples, and children, move through conflict and difficult situations to restore harmony in the home so that they can function better as a family unit. Susan supports family members in communicating and relating to each other in a way that leaves every person feeling respected, cared about, and getting their needs met. Second marriages have a higher divorce rate than first marriages, which can be excruciatingly painful and costly for everyone involved. Susan's mission is to give step-families a better chance of staying together, and create the strong, happy, and harmonious home they desire.


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I played journalist this morning and did a quick phone interview with Chris Davenport:
|Davenport makes a hop turn off the summit of 14,042 foot Ellingwood Peak, looking at Blanca Peak.
"Okay Chris, how is the fourteener book coming?"
"It's at the printer, and they just sent us a dummy made with our chosen paper and number of pages. Holding a real bound book the size of the final one was impressive and exciting. Writing a book is something that's been on my life-list for years and to see that become real is something. And yes, we're still planning on having printed books around Christmas."
"Excellent, now let me pose a question. Let's say a person is on a steep ski descent with challenging terrain. They find them self perched above a monster cliff that they can't air, and the rock walls are so close on either side they're needing a hop turn to change direction and thread an exit. Problem is, a tinge of fear is gripping their gut, and they're used to making big turns."
"That brings up a good point. In most cases it's not that steepness of a descent that makes it hard, but rather dealing with constrictions and snow conditions. I've been in that situation many times — here are some ideas for making it work.
Much of what you do in those situations in no doubt psychological. Thinking through the whole process from start to finish will make it flow better and helps with the fear. Plan the turn. Could your ski tips hit the rock walls? How much room do you really have? Where exactly will you stop?
For the actual turn: First, you want to be stopped and completely finished with the last turn, and prepare by getting into a position with good balance so you have a solid platform. Think about how you'll be keeping your body position out of the "back seat" by keeping your hands forward and feeling the front of your boots as you start and land the turn. Almost everyone has a tendency to sit back in those situations — and that's the cardinal sin. During my fourteeners in a year project, Christian Pondella took a serious fall because of this. Having his boots in walk mode didn't help. Anyone can make a mistake like that, so watch for those sorts of things.
As you prepare, you want to have your downhill pole set as that's what you'll pivot around. How you do the actual hop is super important. What works great is to actually hop off the uphill ski, this gives you more vertical to work with and helps in other ways as well. Try to land with as little speed as possible, and come to a complete stop before your next turn if you're still in the constriction. Also, if things don't feel right use sideslipping as an option.
"And take your skis off as a last resort?"
(*just kidding)
The list:
10. Jump start a car without blinding yourself.
9. First-aid a serious laceration.
8. Rip skins in the wind without giving your scalp a bikini wax.
7. Fix a broken ski pole with duct tape and pocket knife.
6. Do a jump turn in the face of danger.
5. Start a fire in the snow — while you're shivering.
3. Quickly dig a person out of an avalanche.
1. Practice a humble mindset so caution rules the day.


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If you are reading this I would guess you've at least thought about getting fit. That thought itself may be enough to break you out in a sweat. You haven't exercised in years. If at all. And you're worried about the amount of effort it's going to take to get you where you want to be. Fear not. Here's a guide to getting fit by doing the least amount of exercise possible.
To tell you a bit about me first. There's 2 things I used to know very well. Laziness and how to smoke tons of weed. I have written another post where I talk about the personal development books that helped me change my life. Books that helped me kick a 20 plus year marijuana habit, stop being lazy, and finally start living the life I want to. Books that helped me change my thinking and outlook on life. https://potheadtoprovidence.com/2019/04/24/the-top-3-personal-development-books-that-drastically-changed-my-life/
But I couldn't improve my mind without also improving my body. The two go hand in hand.
The reason why I am writing this guide is because I heard something today that made me angry. I know someone who has decided to get fit. I don't know how much they have ever exercised. If at all. They've joined a gym and got a personal trainer. A personal trainer that has them scheduled in for 5 consecutive days training at 40 minutes per session.
I have no experience of this other than what I have read and what I have learned that works through practical application. But I do know this. That person is doomed to fail unless they have a very strong motivating purpose and a will of Iron. Which, if they are only starting to exercise now after years of inactivity, is highly doubtful.
Thing is. It's not their fault. It's their trainer's fault. A trainer who, not only is getting paid for his terrible service and advice, runs the risk of ruining this opportunity the person has to get fit by putting them off before they have properly begun.
Today was their 3rd day. They didn't go. They were too sore from the previous days training. The future does not look bright.
So here it is. The simple secrets that took me from someone who hadn't exercised since my teenage years. Someone who hated exercise (and still does by the way). To someone who now works out almost daily, at least every 2nd day, for 45 minutes to an hour. I'm not going to be running any marathons soon. Not going to be entering any CrossFit competitions. But I'm fitter and stronger than I ever was and will only get better.
It's not a quick remedy. Not an instant cure to your laziness. But it's the easiest way to get yourself to the level of fitness you want. You don't even have to join a gym or get a personal trainer.
Step 1 Change Your Clothes
This seems stupid, right? What does changing your clothes matter? Well, it matters a lot. My advice to anyone who casually wears trainers on a day-to-day basis. Stop. You've made them a source of comfort. You've associated them with doing what you do on a daily basis. Which I'm guessing if you've read this far doesn't involve any exercise. I'll explain more about this later.
Step 2 Make your training area as easy as possible to get to
Look, you don't have to go to the gym. I'm sure there's somewhere in your house that would have enough space. Maybe you have a little shed. Maybe you have good enough weather that you can even do what you need outside. The point is, the quicker you can get to where you are going to exercise the more likely you are to get there. You're not going to be put off by the amount of time and effort it's going to take before you can begin doing what you really want to do.
Step 3 Set a schedule
Ok, you need some sort of schedule. Find what days and what time of day suits you best. You only need to set aside a maximum of 5 minutes of your day. If that's too much do even less. You can start with as many days of the week you want to although from my experience you don't want to do anymore than 3. That's a maximum of 15 minutes in one week. I'm sure you can manage that quite easily.
Step 4 Do as little as possible and don't break a sweat!
So, you're all geared up, ready to begin. What exercise should you do? Frankly, do what you want! If you fancy a bit of running on the spot, some push-ups, sit-ups. If you have weights you can use those. There's a host of exercises to choose from. Pick the exercise that you find, if not enjoyable, then the least taxing. You'll know what you are capable off to begin with. Just make sure to go easy on yourself.
For example: If you're in a bad way fitness wise and it's a struggle to get up from your seat. Then do that. Put a chair where you want to exercise and keep sitting and getting up again. The important thing is to go as easy as possible. If you even feel a bead of sweat gathering on your forehead, or anywhere else for that matter, just stop. That's it. You're done. Session over.
Step 5 Repeat Steps 1 to 4 for months
That's right. That's all you have to do. That's as easy as it gets. Just keep sticking to your schedule for as many months as it takes for it to become really comfortable. Until it becomes a solid, regular thing in your life. Something you don't really think about when you go to do it.
It is after these few months that the real magic begins to happen.
You see all this time you haven't really been exercising that much. You might not have seen any real improvement in your level of fitness. Maybe a little tiny bit but not what you imagined when you first thought about getting fit. It might not seem that you have done or achieved very much. But you have. You've done the most important thing of all. You've created the habit of exercising.
"Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, when repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex." Norman Vincent Peale
The reason I talked about changing your clothes and not wearing trainers on a daily basis is because now when you do that you will have programmed your mind that you are going to do some exercise. The second those clothes and trainers are put on your mind automatically assumes you are now going to exercise. The innate drive to then get exercising will compel you onwards. I can't put my trainers on now without having to exercise. The impulse is too great. It will eat away at my mind until I do so. That is the power of habit and association.
"When it comes to health and well-being, regular exercise is about as close to a magic potion as you can get." – Thich Nhat Hanh (Buddhist monk)
Once that habit has been established you can judge for yourself how far you want to push yourself on with your training sessions. Just keep gradually increasing the difficulty and you'll find your fitness increasing with it. Now you are free to sweat as much as you want.
For me it was simply about adding a few repetitions with my weights. Then, over time, a few more. Then I added another exercise to my routine. Gradually, over the course of a year, my session has went from not even a few minutes to almost an hour. If I had started trying to push myself as hard as I do now at the beginning I would have quit on that exercise a long time ago. Now I know I will never stop.
So there you have it. The laziest guide to fitness. It doesn't take much other than time. It's not an instant fix but it will set you up for life so what's the hurry. There's not much to it. So what are you waiting for. Go get that level of fitness you deserve.


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Reviews, scores, and pictures galore from Man Up's second trip to Lockhart. Easily one of our most enjoyable outings thus far; and we set a record, with 11 people (including 4 first timers). We made our first trip to Black's Barbecue and our second trip to Smitty's Market. Stay tuned.
*Read the reviews from our first trip to Lockhart, Man-Up's first outing.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Coming up...
Posted by Drew Thornley at 1:49 PM
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Irish consumer sentiment improves to eighteen month high
Consumer Sentiment Index Irish Economy
- Modest monthly increase sufficient to boost confidence to best level since February 2016
- Encouraging signs in September reading but no evidence of widespread 'feel-good' factor
- Improved outlook on household finances the key driver of monthly gain
- Repayment of water charges and increased purchasing power because of stronger Euro likely contributors to increased optimism
- Expectations for Irish economy pared back, perhaps reflecting the exchange rate but still positive
- Little sense that 'giveaway' budget is expected but will next week's measures support sentiment?
Irish consumer sentiment recovered in September after August's modest decline, signalling that confidence among Irish households remains on a positive if somewhat uneven path. While the monthly increase in the sentiment index of 2.9 points was not particularly large, it was sufficient to push the September sentiment survey to its strongest level since February 2016.
We would emphasise the positive nature of the September sentiment reading but would interpret this as pointing towards some easing in fears and emerging optimism rather than the arrival of euphoria. The September survey suggests that Irish consumers now see the economic glass as half full. It does not imply they see themselves at a party where the punchbowl is overflowing.
As the red line in diagram 1 below illustrates, monthly readings on Irish consumer sentiment have been fairly 'choppy' in recent years reflecting the uneven nature of the Irish economic upswing and the degree of uncertainty that surrounds developments such as Brexit.
Diagram 1 also suggests that this year has seen a gradual unwinding of the nervousness that followed the UK's decision to leave the EU as a feared sharp, speedy and broadly based deterioration in Irish economic conditions failed to materialise. Instead, the evidence to this point suggests that the Irish economy has remained on a solid growth trajectory thus far in 2017.
Significant risks still cloud the global environment and, for the average Irish household, income gains have been limited. Indeed, a notable feature of the upswing is that jobs growth continues to outpace wage growth even though the unemployment rate has fallen considerably. So, the labour market improvement has been jobs intense but not felt extensively in the shape of notably faster wage growth to this point.
As a result, the improvement in consumer sentiment has been modest and somewhat erratic in terms of its monthly path. In that respect, the sentiment survey suggests that from the perspective of the average consumer, the Irish economy is clearly improving but it still feels undercooked rather than overheating.
A number of factors may explain the monthly rise in Irish consumer sentiment in September which was concentrated in those parts of the survey focussed on household finances. One influence could be the early September confirmation that the repayment of water charges would be largely completed before end-year. In circumstances where cash flow is still constrained for many households, this development might be expected to prompt a more positive assessment of personal financial circumstances.
We also think that a sharp increase in the exchange rate of the Euro against both Sterling and the US Dollar through August may have increased perceptions of household purchasing power. Such currency considerations could also be consistent with a slightly less positive assessment of the broader outlook for the Irish economy last month.
A divergence in thinking as to the 'macro' and personal implications of an economic development is unusual but we think the better than feared experience of the past year may have made Irish consumers less inclined to mechanically downgrade the outlook for their household finances in response to a stronger Euro exchange rate (Interestingly, the September UK consumer confidence reading showed consumers there less optimistic about their household finances but slightly less negative about the economic outlook, a set of outcomes that could be consistent with the contrasting impact of a weaker Sterling on UK spending power and competitiveness) .
The details of the September survey show four of the five main components recording stronger readings than in August. However, there was a modest decline in expectations for the general Irish economic outlook although it should be added that the September reading is still very positive. Our sense is that this likely owed something to concerns about the impact of a stronger exchange rate as the limited number of economic releases and forecasts through the survey period were broadly positive. This result may also have partly reflected a correction following a particularly strong reading in this element of the survey in August.
A continuing fall in unemployment and a pick-up in annual earnings growth in official data, coupled with ongoing new job announcements, likely supported a slight improvement in consumers' thinking in regard to the outlook for the labour market in September in spite of the slightly weaker assessment of broader economic prospects.
The September sentiment survey was notable for stronger readings in all three components related to household finances including the assessment of the current buying climate. After a weakening in these areas in August, some rebound is not entirely surprising but the September reading marks the most positive assessment of personal financial circumstances in nineteen months.
We don't think that Irish consumers have suddenly woken up to a marked improvement in their household finances. However, some specific developments through the survey period may have prompted a little more optimism in this regard. As noted above, we think the anticipation of the looming repayment of water charges and the prospect of cheaper imported goods and foreign travel likely contributed to this result. Continuing gains in house prices might also supported sentiment as, in aggregate, the positive wealth effects perceived to accrue to the stock of property owners likely exceeded the greater financial struggle faced by would-be buyers.
Our sense is that the strong sentiment result for September was not fuelled by expectations of a 'giveaway' budget on October 10th. Most media coverage of the upcoming budget through the survey period emphasised the limited scope for any material concessions in terms of tax, welfare payments or other aspects likely to directly affect household finances. If expectations of Budget giveaways were driving the September survey result, we would also expect that fiscal largesse to boost consumers ' assessments of Irish economic prospects. So, there is little suggestion in the survey of any great anticipation that Minister Donohoe will deliver a broadly felt uplift in consumers' fortunes next week.
The broad picture emerging from the September sentiment survey is still one of limited gains in consumers' incomes but there is also a sense that consumers are now more attuned to the possibility of positive surprises. The key question is whether the upcoming budget and, more generally, the uncertain economic environment that defines the 'new normal' will allow Irish consumers to continue to travel hopefully and help to underpin a virtuous circle in consumer sentiment and spending.
Commenting on the results Conor O'Toole, ESRI, said:
"Overall consumer sentiment has improved since August and households are beginning to report an improvement in their personal economic circumstances. Coupled with an increased positivity towards making large purchases, the trend generally points to a sustained improvement in the consumer environment."
In addition, Austin Hughes, KBC Bank Ireland, noted:
"The pick-up in consumer sentiment in September to an 18 month high is very positive but it doesn't reflect any dramatic improvement in the circumstances of the typical Irish consumer last month. The reality is that confidence has been trending higher, albeit erratically, through 2017 as Brexit related fears eased because of the notably better than expected performance of the Irish economy. The September survey suggests Irish consumers may now see the economic glass as half-full but a still uncertain environment and limited gains in incomes mean it is far from overflowing."
"The most notable feature of the September survey is the improvement in perceptions of household finances. Our sense is that this was prompted by some specific developments, notably the confirmation of the looming repayment of water charges and the prospective boost to spending power caused by the strengthening of the Euro against Sterling and the US Dollar through August."
Reported by The Economic and Social Research Institute


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Cresselia is a legendary Pokémon from the Pokémon universe.
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
As a stage element
Cresselia rarely makes an appearance on the Spear Pillar stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, instead of the normal Dialga or Palkia. The bluish hue often associated with Dialga can also mean Cresselia. As Cresselia remains on the stage, she will occasionally do one of two actions: unleash a single, spinning energy blade (most likely Psycho Cut) that erratically moves around the stage, or release a series of Psycho Cut blades from a central point.
As a trophy
Cresslia also appears as a trophy.
- Cresselia
- A Lunar Pokémon. Cresselia appears on Fullmoon Island and, once discovered, flies around different areas of Sinnoh. Its signature move, Lunar Dance, causes Cresselia to faint but recovers all the HP and cures the status conditions of the next Pokémon its Trainer sends out. Cresselia excels at recovery techniques and is unusual in that it appears only in female form.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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My good friend Mrs. Klaus is doing a wonderful job coordinating my introduction to Japanese culture and customs. These little gems of Japan are pieces of culture and Japanese life that most tourists just don't see because they don't have the time or information to do so. Our latest excursion was to Continue reading
Gallery Gifts
19 Sunday Jan 2014
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Hi Friends,
Lately I've been thinking a lot about what's in my heart. It's been awhile since I did a post on what's in your heart and I think with the New Year underway it's time. I have been pondering how we put so much emphasis on the New Year and not only do we feel it's a fresh start but we feel that just because we have changed the calendar that it will actually change our lives.
Well yes in fact our lives are constantly changing – as a matter of fact your life will have changed from the time you started reading this post to the end, but that is inevitable – The Change that just naturally takes place. But what about change that takes place because we take action??? Now that's something to ponder.
What if this year instead of just hoping that the change of the calendar will make things better or more the way that we want – what if we were do put things into action that will cause change – change that we want for your life.
That's exactly what I have been doing. At the end of last year I thought back about the year and all of the things that I "did". And I did A LOT. But is that what life is really about? All the doing? Is all the doing really living? These are questions only you can answer for yourself and what you feel in your heart.
For me, all the doing was fine, but it was more of a coping mechanism that I used to channel the energy that I had from hurt and pain into something productive. Not because I had to but because I needed to. It was a means to and end and for the time being it worked and it got me through. But if I'm being honest with myself I really don't care to live that way. I much prefer to select projects that have heartfelt meaning to me pour more of myself into them and simply do more of less. I know I talked about this earlier on but I have been – taking action on these things. So the first thing I decided to do for me was take an online class called Pull Pen Paint. I saw this class advertised last year and because I already had so much "doing" going on I couldn't spare the time to take it. This year I vowed to make the time for myself to take some classes that Inspire me and allow me to grow as a person and an artist. This class is based around Oracle and Tarot cards and is very intuitive. It's not about learning art techniques or even how to paint, draw or do art in a specific form it's more about growing your inner self and intuition as well as using art and journaling along the way to express yourself using the Oracle and Tarot Cards. I already have learned so much about myself and I know I will continue to learn more – and I am proud of putting my needs out there and jumping in feet first into something I needed.
Below are a couple photos of some art journal pages that I created during my working with the tarot and oracle cards in this class.
This art journal page came about when studying my shadow card which is the Tower. You can read the quote that I have written on this page on my instagram post here
This spread is about the Star card which is my card for the year. You can read more on this here
I have been also working on a special project that is near and dear to my heart and hope to be able to share in the next couple of weeks. I am hoping to have it ready for release in the next week or so – I thought I would have it sooner but I continue to add little bits and tweak it. I want it to be just right I know that you will all love it.
So now I bring the question to all of you my friends – what's in your heart for the New Year? What do you feel you need more of? What do you feel you need less of? And what actions will take to create the change you are looking for?
Thank you my friends for sharing your time with me today! I am a bit late in getting out January's newsletter it will be going out later this week with your free monthly download.
Don't forget there is still time to sign up for the BadAss Art Journal Workshop we start on February 5th so be sure to check out all the details and get signed up here .
Have an amazing evening my friends !!
A little Luna Puppy love for all of you!!! xxoo – Sherry


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By Yuri Soares
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Photo: Entrepreneurial Finance Lab
At the annual summit last week of the Global Banking Alliance for Women (GBA), it is was evident that we've learned much over the past few years on how to fashion effective approaches to help women entrepreneurs. GBA is a group of financial institutions, including some of the world's main banks, dedicated to expanding access to financial services for women, with an emphasis on targeting women-led enterprises. Its member banks are experimenting with innovative—and profitable—approaches.
But the discussions at the summit, held in São Paulo, Brazil, also revealed a disconnect between our understanding of the causes of gaps between men and women entrepreneurs, and the innovative development models being fielded to address these gaps. We seem to have advanced our understanding that targeting women with financial services is not about products, but about the way financial institutions market and provide services to women, and how this differs from the approach for men. However, we appear to have a more limited understanding of how men and women entrepreneurs differ in their motivations, tolerance of risk, aspirations, and capabilities.
There is little agreement in the specialized economic literature regarding the causes of gaps between men and women entrepreneurs. What are the main differences between businesses led by men and by women, and which of these differences matter for business success? Are differences in skills, capabilities, or risk tolerance important? What are the roles of family considerations and social norms? Some patterns appear across studies in different countries. For example, many of the observed differences in business performance between men and women are driven by the fact that women start businesses in slower-growing sectors and industries. But as is clear in a recent review of the existing literature by Luisa De Vita, Michela Mari, and Sara Pogessi, our understanding is still very limited.
Two recent papers commissioned by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and summarized in a new Brief, provide insights on the differences between male and female entrepreneurs that actually matter for business performance, using data from Banco ProCredit in Ecuador and the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab (EFL). The EFL data, in particular, takes advantage of a combination of demographic, financial, economic, and psychological data on more than 18,000 entrepreneurs who were applying for business loans at eight financial institutions across the globe. By looking in detail at these data, the studies find that although men and women differ in several aspects, both achieve success, but by taking somewhat different paths:Men and women entrepreneurs are both successful, but you have to look a little deeper. Male entrepreneurs are running businesses that are significantly (29%) larger—they have larger business assets, revenues, and profits. Yet, when other variables are taken into account, women-led firms grow just as fast, and stay in business just as long. Nevertheless, women are starting types of businesses that are inherently smaller. Women-led businesses are 17% more likely to operate in the retail sector. In contrast, men are significantly more likely to operate in sectors with higher revenues and profit margins, such as business selling to other businesses. This turns out to be one of the most important explanations of the gender differences in entrepreneurial success. Differences in business type are further compounded by women requesting smaller loans. In EFL's sample, women-led businesses are requesting loans that are 51 percent smaller than loans requested by their male counterparts. EFL saw this difference in financing requests even when comparing women and men with similar psychological, demographic, and socioeconomic traits, and women and men with similar types and sizes of business. Differences in psychological profiles are not in play. Yes, men and women have different psychological traits, as measured by psychometric tests, but these do not seem to be important for business performance. The EFL data includes variables related to entrepreneurial creativity, opportunism, proactivity, and vision, as well as IQ and a number of other psychological traits among the entrepreneurs. The differences between men's and women's entrepreneurial success therefore come down not to having different potential—which in fact appears to be the same—but to men and women making different choices about the type of business to start, and requesting different levels of financing. So where do we go from here?This takes us back to public and private organizations—like GBA—that are discussing these issues, and insisting on the importance of collecting and properly analyzing data to expand access to financial services to women-led entrepreneurs. Evidence such as that uncovered by the EFL and ProCredit studies is critical to dispel myths regarding gender differences. Differences in aptitude, potential, and even risk tolerance are often used to justify strategic business and policy choices, but they turn out to be relatively unimportant. On the other hand, there are significant gender differences that suggest that women entrepreneurs achieve success in somewhat different ways than men, and that they face hurdles that men do not—such as low participation in capital-intensive sectors, and smaller requests for credit. These findings tell us that successful approaches to the women-led market should focus on these first-order differences and hurdles.
Also published on The Huffington Post and EconMonitor.


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Lenovo has become the first netbook maker to adopt DeviceVM's innovative 'instant-on' Linux boot system, which enables a PC to boot key applications in a matter of seconds from a cold start.
The companies have confirmed that the recently-announced IdeaPad S9e and S10 netbooks will feature the Splashtop software under the PC maker's 'Quickstart' branding. Announced in August, the family is based on the now-common 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 chip, running either Windows XP or Linux.
The software lets users choose to bypass a conventional OS boot in favour of loading a cut-down Linux kernel from BIOS. This gives access to a basic palette of applications such as Mozilla's Firefox, Skype VoIP, an IM client, and a photo browser, in a claimed 10 seconds or less.
DeviceVM's Splashtop Linux already appears on Asus PCs and laptops under the latter's 'ExpressGate, moniker, though the announcement is the first time it has featured on a netbook. Given that Asus pioneered its use implies that future versions of its Eee PC - the machine that first carved out the netbook market - will also feature the capability at some point in the future.
Dell this week hinted that it will use a similar quickboot technology in future Latitude laptops, though DeviceVM was able to confirm that it was not involved in its development.
Lenovo has yet to fully confirm final pricing for the IdeaPad S10, but the original release stated this as being £319 (inc VAT) for the S10, or £279 for the S9, roughly in line with the competition.
This story, "Lenovo adds 'instant-on' Linux to netbook" was originally published by Techworld.com.


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You have to look carefully for signs that there was an international protest movement living in a sizeable encampment outside St Paul's Cathedral, but they are there.
The odd poster stuck to a wall, a discarded leaflet being thrown about by gusts in the church foreground, whispers from passers-by about how different the place looks now.
But while the cathedral may have successfully purged itself of the tents and their dwellers, some of them the most vulnerable people in society, the Occupy London activists who were forced to move on by the courts insist that their eviction is merely the end of the beginning.
There are whispers of big plans by the protesters for the London 2012 Olympic Games, when the world's media will home in on Britain's capital city.
Nafeesa Shamsuddin, one of the activists who lived at the St Paul's camp, told the London Evening Standard it was a "great opportunity" for the Occupy movement to take action.
Another, Josh Virasami, warned that the group was going to do "some iconic things this summer".
A statement from the Occupy London press team has added to the speculation.
"Be assured that plans are already afoot: plans of some ambition, employing a diversity of tactics and delivered with the aplomb you would expect from us," it said.
There would be no disruptive action, Ronan McNern, spokesman for Occupy London, told International Business Times UK, but London was definitely a "topic of interest".
"Theresa May and Boris Johnson would love for Occupy London to say it was about to obstruct the Olympics," he said.
"If Occupy London was to engage it would have to be in a smart, inviting manner. It would not be obstructive. It would be provocative and challenging, but it would be engaging."
Occupy London has outlined its next set of occupations with an emphasis on abandoned public buildings.
"Public buildings are now going to be repossessed by Occupy," said Peter Phoenix, an Occupy London activist who was recently evicted from an abandoned primary school in Islington that the group had taken over.
"Schools, community centres, hospitals, youth spaces, old age people's homes - anything that has been a public community space that has been closed down during the cuts is going to get occupied and opened up for the community."
McNern said there would be "pop-up occupations" lasting a few days but the priority would be on campaigning for the time being.
Occupy London is also working on several community-focused projects. There is the Occupy Citizenship programme, which sees some of the activists go into schools, under the citizenship umbrella on the national curriculum, to get children to "think critically".
McNern said they had been inundated with requests from schools asking them to visit.


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SUP with your PUP!
'Ring Ring!' A call from your furry one! Your pooch requests an adventure!
We love furry friends and what better way to connect! Discover your love and appreciate for one another by sharing the experience of Stand Up Paddleboarding! Although your pooch does not get a paddle, we fully equip you and your pooch with safety and yummy treats!
Included in this experience:
Your SUP and all safety gear (including pooch PFD), your pooch loving SUP Instructor/Guide, intro skills and connect with your pooch and your paddleboard, yummy treats for your pooch (and you as well!), fun tour around protected waters.
What to bring:
your pooch with leash, water, fun spirits, perhaps a change of clothes ;)
Get out and play with your pooch!
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Most in Providence hope that when they present to a local hospital or clinic, they'll receive top-flight care delivered by highly-qualified and competent clinicians. In many cases, those expectations are met. Yet if a medical or surgical error were to occur, people also hope that it would be isolated to only one aspect of their care, and that it wouldn't be life-threatening. However, sometimes one medical mistake can lead to another, and pretty soon those mistakes start getting compounded to the point of producing a tragic result.
Such is the claim being made by a Pennsylvania couple that is currently suing the providers whose ante- and postpartum negligence led to their baby son's death. Named in the suit are the initial emergency room doctor who treated her, the two hospitals where she and the baby were treated, and the infusion center that inadvertently administered a tainted blood infusion to the newborn. The family's alleged ordeal began with the wife was seen in her local emergency room, where it was revealed that her blood pressure was alarmingly high. Yet despite this fact, the ER doctor failed to treat her symptoms, and it took an order from her obstetrician to have her admitted. She was later rushed to the second hospital, where the baby was delivered prematurely via emergency C-section. It was then during his time in that hospital's NICU that he received the tainted blood infusion, which his parents claim led to his death.
In situations such as this where patients believe that several of their providers showed negligence, it's not uncommon to see multiple providers and facilities named in a lawsuit. Successfully proving that negligence, however, may prove to be challenging. Thus, those pursuing such action may wish to seek the added assistance of an attorney.
Source: Tribune-Review "Fayette parents sue hospitals, blood bank, doctor over infant son's death" Bob Stiles, July 12, 2014