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It's her daddy's fist slamming the table that Diane Carlson Evans remembers whenever she thinks back to that morning in 1966 when she broke the news to her family that she was headed to Vietnam.
"I can still see his hand leaving that coffee cup,"Evans said. "That tight fist on the table, then he walked out the kitchen and went out to the dairy barn." He never said a word.
"Dad has a hard time saying what he feels," said Evans, now 67, speaking from her home in Montana that she shares with her husband Mike.
That fist slam said it all.
"My father was devastated," Evans said.
The crusty Minnesota dairy farmer never counted on sending his daughter to war. His sons, yes. Volunteering for military duty during times of war is expected of Minnesota farm boys. But his daughter? The pig-tailed sprite who'd rode her first tractor sitting on her daddy's lap.
He hadn't counted on that.
Her mother handled it better.
"Mom's a nurse. She's very calm," Evans said. "Many of her nursing friends had served during World War II."
Memories come easily now for this former Army Captain. There was a time – an entire decade – when Evans refused to speak of the war in which she served.
Although she had two older brothers in the military, she was the only family member who ended up in Vietnam. The eldest brother was disqualified after he injured a knee in a jump with the 101st Airborne. The other, drafted in 1966, the same year Evans volunteered, was sent to Germany.
"I went to Vietnam to care for the soldiers," Evans said. Her voice held steady as she recalled how unprepared she'd been for what was to follow. "You don't see those kinds of wounds in triage. Those blast injuries. The punji stick wounds. The severe injuries caused by water buffalo and snakes, tigers and monkey bites."
Not to mention the diseases borne in a tropical climate – the parasites and the malaria. How does one find training for that on the ward or in the ER of a Minnesota hospital?
"Soldiers were dying of things I never imagined I'd see, things like cerebral malaria. All those young guys, so young, so brave. And all they wanted was to get back to their units, to their buddies."
After she left her father fell into a depression that lasted the entire time his daughter was in Southeast Asia. He'd walk from the barn to the house in time for the Walter Cronkite broadcast every single night during 1967 and 1968. Infuriated by the protests, he could not abide the way those faithful soldiers, soldiers like his daughter, were being treated.
The 21-year-old Evans was struggling with her own sense of injustices: "So many young men were suffering and dying. If the American people weren't supporting it and the government wasn't giving us a clear mission, then why were we there?"
She came home from Vietnam and got on with the life she envisioned for herself. She got married, had kids and a part-time job. There were no missing pieces to her life – only a hidden one.
Once, years after the war, when her surgeon husband was in his residency program in Texas, he mentioned to several other residents that his wife had served in Vietnam.
"I got so furious with Mike," Evans recalled. They'd been at a party. She went off by herself, away from the others, glued to the television. "It was the day the POWs were coming off the plane," she said. "As I saw them reunited with their families, I broke into a cold sweat. I began shaking. When Mike told them I'd been in Vietnam, I turned around and walked out of that house."
She didn't want people to know that she'd served. She'd felt betrayed by her country.
It's an emotion common to Vietnam veterans. One people in this nation are tired of hearing about. "Get over it," they say. But it's like author Tim O'Brien, himself a Vietnam veteran, said in his book The Things They carried – "That's the thing about remembering, you can't forget."
Evans tried to forget the names and faces of the boys, dead and dying, hurt and wounded. When night terrors roused her from sleep, in fits of primal screams,Mike knew better than to ask his wife what the dream had been about. He knew the answer already. It was always about Vietnam.
In 1982, after Evans learned there was going to be a dedication of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., she told her husband that she had to go – alone – the same way she had gone to war, all those years ago.
It was a turning point for her, seeing all those names etched in that polished granite.Evans ran her fingers gingerly across the names of soldiers she knew and those she didn't know. She thought of their mommas and their sisters, the wives and girlfriends who grieved for them still, and all those daughters they never got the chance to father.
The memories returned, unrelenting, like a tide at full moon. She searched until she found the name of 2LT. Sharon Ann Lane. Lane, an Army nurse, was working at the 312th Evacuation Hospital at Chu Lai on June 8, 1969 when a rocket struck. The blast killed two – one of those was Lane.
Although the Vietnam War would take the lives of other women,Lane was the only American woman to die as a result of direct enemy fire. The Canton, Ohio native is one of eight women whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall. The news of Lane's death spread through the ranks faster than a stream of gasoline lit. Evans still remembers where she was when she first heard it."I knew it within an hour of her death. It was like when JFK was shot. I was calibrating an IV when someone told me an Army Nurse had just been killed in Chu Lai."
Everyone expected that America's sons would die. No one expected that daughters would, too. Evans thought of her own father and understood, finally, why his tight fist had come down so hard on that table.
In 1982, while standing in front of that black granite mirror,Evans shed her first tears over Vietnam. They would not be her last. Two years after her first trip to the Wall, the veteran nurse read that a new statue was being placed at the site. A statue of three American male soldiers.
'What about my sisters?' Evans wondered. 'Why aren't the women who served being recognized?'
From her Montana home,Evans set on a mission. She would find a way to memorialize the women who served in Vietnam. All of them. The nurses and the support personnel. Military and civilian.
If they served, they mattered.
"In the beginning we named our project the Vietnam Nurses Memorial project because I didn't even know that Special Services existed," Evans said.
"The only women I knew in Vietnam were all nurses. I didn't know then that there were women who served in Vietnam in different capacity. I knew the Red Cross was there but I didn't know there were others there who were just as dedicated to serving our men and women in the armed forces."
Once she learned of them, however,Evans broadened her vision for a women's memorial.
"We would honor all 265,000 women who served throughout the world during the Vietnam war," Evans said. "We would not forget any woman who served in support of our Armed Forces. They answered the call too. They count."
It's been 20 years since Diane Carlson Evans stood alongside fellow veterans – both sisters and brothers – to dedicate the memorial statue conceived by sculptress Glenna Goodacre.
It took 10 years of laborious efforts on the behalf of a lot of people, spearheaded by Evans, to get the memorial built. That effort included two separate pieces of Congressional legislation and the approval of three federal commissions. Evans never shied away from facing those who opposed her. Her time in the field had taught her to not back down from a fight.
She did it because Evans wanted the world to know that women served too. And that whether they served on the front lines or back behind the razor wire, their service mattered.
Military correspondent and author Joe Galloway remembers November 11, 1993, the day the Vietnam Women's Memorial was dedicated.
"There was a grand parade down Independence Avenue past the White House to the Vietnam Women's Memorial. We gathered up all the 1st Calvary Division veterans to march together behind our color guard. Just before the march kicked off, suddenly there appeared between Gen.Hal Moore and myself a short red-haired former Army nurse.
"She introduced herself and said she and her buddies from the 85th Evac Hospital — who had treated our wounded from the Ia Drang Valley battle that November of 1965 — wanted to march with us.
"We felt truly honored to have them join us and more than a few eyes had tears in them. That nurse held the general's hand and mine all the way down that parade rout.
"The courage and compassion of the women in Vietnam earned them the respect of everyone who served there. At any of the gathering of veterans when a woman tells me she served in Vietnam, I get up and give them a big hug and heartfelt thank you. God bless them all."
Recently, Mark Mitchell of Benton, Louisiana penned a note the advisory board of the Vietnam Women's Memorial. "I was choppered into the 67th Evacuation Hospital at Qui Nhon in July '69," he wrote. "The nightmares of the triage room have abated only because of the medications the VA gives me. Now I can sleep restfully but that does not erase the visuals, sounds, nor smells in my mind."
Mitchell was placed into a C 130 and sent to a hospital at Cam Rahn Bay. Then he spent 14 months recovering from his wounds at Fitzsimmons Army Hosptial in Denver.
"There is no way I can say thank you enough," he said. "When I think of you and my sisters, my eyes get misty and my stomach tightens." Mitchell keeps a photo of the Vietnam Women's Memorial on his desk as a reminder of the sisters who served alongside him. "I look at it with great love and respect every day of my life."
Sentiments like Mitchell's are often expressed at the site of the Vietnam Women's Memorial in Washington, D.C. And whenever Diane Carlson Evans hears stories like Mitchell's she's reminded of the protracted fight she and others waged to get the memorial built.
"I wouldn't give up on the site,"Evans said. "I fought really hard for my sister veterans the way I'd fought for my brothers in Vietnam. And when I see what our memorial has done for the families of these soldiers and the families of those who lost loved ones and the powerful and profound way in which it touches them, I know the fight was worth it."
Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 90,000 women have served in the global war on terror. This Veterans Day, be sure and thank a veteran – a female veteran. Whether she is wrapping wounds at Womack, or working as a grunt in Kabul, or running a bookmobile in Baghdad, her service matters. It matters most especially to those men she serves alongside.
Karen Spears Zacharias serves on the advisory board for the Vietnam Women's Memorial Foundation and for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Educational Board. She is the daughter of Stf. Sgt.David Spears, KIA, 1966.


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This course combines professional training with an experiential journey that helps all participants to gain a deeper understanding of the miracle of conceiving a baby. The course is packed with practices that promote seamless continuity from preparation for conception to practical support during the delicate period around implantation up to viable placenta functioning during the first trimester of pregnancy.
This course is open to:
Therapists from backgrounds that do not include yoga should have a personal experience of yoga and an interest in using yoga-based practices to deepen their skills base and practical knowledge.
The course can count as CPD.
This short course imparts knowledge of the effects of stress and various reproductive disorders on women's physiology as these are frequently responsible for delays and difficulties that women experience when they wish to conceive. The course offers an integrated set of simple yoga practices, both restorative and energetic, that can enhance conception. The course also includes yoga practices specially beneficial for the first trimester after conception.
Participants will be prepared to teach Fertility Yoga classes for women and Fertility Yoga workshops for women on their own or women with their partners. From a holistic view we cover preparation for conception with poses, gentle movement and micro-movements integrating the use of the breath. A comprehensive range of effective practices yoga-based relaxation techniques, visualization, affirmations, mudras and mantras are imparted on the course to reduce anxiety and to help release psychosomatic obstacles to conception.
The course also includes practical resources for helping women to embrace the principles of yoga and promote day to day happiness and wellbeing while trying to conceive, particularly if they have had difficulties over a long time. Partners can be involved in Fertility Yoga workshops for their own benefit as well as for supporting women with confidence and understanding.
Yoga-based resources are also provided to offer women and couples greater resilience and comfort in the advent of disappointing early miscarriages or failed IVF treatments.
Visual aids, worksheets and role-play are used to facilitate learning. Students receive a training manual and handouts.
The Fertility Yoga short course is tutor assessed by means of a simple practical in which students teach a specific subject or practice learnt during the course to the group.
On successful completion, participants obtain a Certificate of Training in Fertility Yoga that qualifies them to offer professional Fertility Yoga classes and workshops to pregnant women and couples. Birthlight is registered with FEDANT (Federation of Antenatal Teachers).
This course contributes to CPD for birthlight trained teachers and may count as CPD for other health professionals and therapists.
Prices may vary depending on the country and venues.
Fertility Yoga
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There are a lot of "board" games out there that now have free versions to play online. We use several of these games in conjunction with our therapy program and wanted to make them accessible to you at home. Some…
Tag Archive for vision therapy
Vision Therapy
Vision Therapy Success Stories
Vision Therapy patients and their parents share their success stories in this video montage. They talk about frustrations with school, reading, migraines, double vision and more. After discovering that the root issue holding them back was visual they did a vision therapy program and their lives have been changed for the better.
Vision Therapy, Visual Development
Back to School! Are You Ready?
School is just around the corner and many families are headed to the store in search of school supplies. But do you know the one "supply" that your child may be missing? An efficient visual system! Did you know…
Vision Therapy
Vision Therapy Success Story from a Mother's Perspective
Gabby just completed her vision therapy program in the past week. She has more confidence now heading into the fifth grade at her school. Here's what her mom had to say about Gabby's significant improvements: "Gabby has gained so many…
Vision Therapy
"I'm Bored" Solutions that Benefit Vision!
The summer is winding down quickly and maybe your kids or even you are getting bored. We have come up with a list of ideas to keep you active. Our eyes have the most opportunity for teaming when we are outside.…
Success Stories, Vision Therapy
Celebrate Freedom from Frustration
July celebrations start with Independence Day—"the 4th of July". It is a day to celebrate freedom, the birth of American independence, with festivities including parades, picnics and fireworks. Freedom can be defined in many ways but a common statement…
Vision Therapy, Visual Development
Is the "Handwriting" on the Wall? The Importance of Cursive
Is the future of cursive writing doomed? In this modern age of using keyboards and moving our thumbs on smart phones to write cryptic notes in our attempts to communicate, are we losing something important? Students no longer have teachers…
Success Stories, Videos, Vision Therapy
Meet Jo: A Vision Therapy Success Story
Jo has been such a fun, energetic and delightful patient to work with. She came into her 1st Vision Therapy appointment frustrated with school, reading, migraines, eye strain, blurriness and overall poor visual system. A few months into her program she suffered a concussion. Now, at her halfway point of her program she shares with us multiple improvements that she has seen. Check out the video below as she talks about relief from migraines and her improvements in school. Congratulations Jo on your success! We are excited for you and can't wait to see continued improvement through the rest of your program.
Success Stories, Vision Therapy
Lazy Eye and Vision Therapy Success!
Mia recently completed her Vision Therapy program. She is a 13 yr old who was diagnosed with Lazy Eye (Amblyopia). We are proud to share her success story! Mia said Vision Therapy has helped her in numerous ways including her…
Success Stories, Videos, Vision Therapy
Learning to Love Reading
Tyler completed his Vision Therapy program a few weeks ago. He is such a fun, energetic and overall great kid to work with. Tyler came in with little desire to read and was spending a lot of time and frustration…


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*This approach to teaching design-fiction may sound a bit odd (especially for those whose first language isn't Italian), but they seem to be getting quite good results with it.
This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Contact firstname.lastname@example.com to report an issue.
"We have formalised a process to perform Near Future Design.
"Here are its steps:
Define topic areas of interest
during each cycle/project we define the topics of areas of interest which form our research domain;
these can be contiguous, complementary or contextual, providing continuity, but also the possibility to expand the observation to the indirect aspects of transformation to human societies brought on by our object of research;
the output of this stage is a visual representation of the research domain, along with its extended documentation;
"The Future World Map
the map aims to collect information about what is perceived as "possible", "impossible", "desired", "feasible", "preferred" and "envisioned";
it has two main areas, regarding the state of the arts and technologies, and the anthropological, ethnographic, psychological and emotional analysis of relevant cultures, communities, groups, organisations and individuals;
the part of the map that takes into account the state of the arts and technologies mainly deals with technical issues concerning the advancement of technologies, the data and information about the relevant contexts, the description of trends and tendencies;
the part of the map that takes into account the anthropological, ethnographic, psychological and emotional analysis deals with the collection of evidence about the ways that human societies shape themselves in the referenced contexts, describing approaches, strategies, tactics, rituals, relationships, networks, emotional expressions, gestures, economies, dynamics, ecosystems and their balances, both in their current state and in their transformation;
in all sections, information is provided for the background information, the socio-technical settings, the possible actors and stakeholders, and providing an expanded context for the stories that are about to be told;
the output of this stage is a visual map, a report and an extensive knowledge base, which can assume different forms, depending on the context and circumstances;
"The Story Setup
it is the incipit of the story;
it describes in general terms the future scenarios which we aim to describe, at the same time limiting the scope to explicitly exclude certain areas which will not be examined, and opening up to the domains which will be part of the research;
its output is under the form of a narrative, expressed in visual and textual terms;
"The Concept(s)
each possible future examined is described with conceptual (often abstract or diagrammatic sketches) as well as with a draft narrative which highlights its main modalities and which sets up the development of the actual storytelling;
"The Story Functions
each story is designed according to a formalised schema (usually the three-acts of Setup, Conflict and Resolution), to provide consistent, solid narratives;
for each story, the basic story functions are created, highlighting the kernel of each narrative, which describe in growing detail the "stories of the chosen future";
multiple stories can be created for each concept, even following different paths among the identified possibilities;
the output of this stage consists of the list of kernel events for each story, as well as a diagrammatic representation of their relations and of the relations running among the different (and alternative) storylines that are being developed;
"The Event Maps
each story is expanded into an Event Map;
each Event Map is a diagram in which the main parts of the stories are grouped into circles, starting from the kernel functions (the main phases of each story) as well as some additional events which might be added to balance the story logic;
satellite events, alternative paths and time-based items are added to the Map to create context, and to enhance the world-building characteristics of this stage;
each story described in this way constitutes a world, giving a full sense of context and of credibility;
the output of this stage is constituted by the Event Maps diagrams and by their documentation sets;
"The Story Maps
the Event Maps are transformed into sketches;
the representation in sketch form increases granularity and makes them more concrete;
this phase allows for some iteration with the previous ones, as its concreteness gives immediate evidence about the balance of the stories and about the necessity to re-factor them at one of the previous stages;
the output of this stage is constituted by the sketches and by their documentation;
"The Design Fictions
the objective of this phase is to create a simulacrum, a credible, possibly functional, "prototype from the near future" (a pre-totype), through product design and communication design, working across different media;
the objective is "world building", creating not only "the object" (or service, or idea, or …) but also to create the world around it, for its credibility;
we answer the questions "What would be the world like, if there was object X? What would be in it? How would people behave?", and we try to implement as much as we can about the answer using different media;
the final result should create a state of "suspended (dis)belief" in which it is impossible (or at least somewhat difficult) to decide if the "object" is real or fake, as there are multiple clues and evidences that point to its existence;
the simulacrum (and its state of suspended dis-belief) is the tool which we use to "shift the perception of the possible", and to start the global dialogue around the possibility of the transformation of human societies, thus triggering the performative dimension of Near Future Design;
"Transmedia Narratives
the output of the Design Fiction phase, thus, is constituted by a set of Transmedia Narratives implementing the simulacrum for the story;
the Transmedia Narrative is a multi-modal storytelling technique which is able to move and combine the effects of multiple media, from physical objects, to websites, urban interventions and more…."
(((There's lots more where that came from.)))Go Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article.


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Jan 28, 2013 2:50 AM GMT
I have heard rumors of this Jellyfish (Turritopsis nutricula)and am fascinated at what it can do when it reaches adult hood.
JR_Lore saidCan you eat these?
TheAlchemixt saidJR_Lore saidCan you eat these?
+1 I'll take two!
minox saidHydra are supposed to be immortal too


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The Black Wood Chiavari Chair is ideal for weddings, banquets and special events from casual to the most elegant. Constructed of high quality hardwood with a gold finish, this chair is very lightweight, yet extremely strong and wobble-free. The frame has reinforced stress points that give it the capacity to hold up to 1100 pounds. Steel flat socket cap screw and nut ensure durability and special 45° joints on the bottom of the front seat section increases the chair's stability. These beautiful chairs ship fully assembled, and can be stacked 10 high for storage.With its durable, lightweight construction and elegant styling, this Chiavari chair will be the prime seating choice for all of your special events, whether indoors or outside.
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Just Thinking...
Your profession is not what brings home your paycheck. Your profession is what you were put on earth to do with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling. ~Vincent Van Gogh
I love this quote but with respect to Mr. Van Gogh, I would want to change just one word - "becomes" should be "is".
You see, I do believe that we were put on earth for a grand purpose - and the only way to truly live out that purpose is to walk so closely with God that He guides you into it. I know I will write until the day I go home to be with Him because it is what I am supposed to do. What that look like may change over the years, so I choose to trust God with the doors He opens and with the doors that He closes.
Work can be a privilege.
I also realize that it is through writing that I communicate best. I can articlate better on a blog than I can in a "real" conversation. That just makes me different. We all have different ways we communicate best. I have a friend that throws get-togethers in her neighborhood to reach out to others. She communicates through her hospitality. I can't bring myself to do what she does, and that's okay, because we are both serving the kingdom of God.
I've moved on to page 6 of the screenplay today and it feels just like when you're making a snowman, when the ball you've formed can now be freely rolled around to create the foundation for the large ball at the bottom. It becomes easier to pack on the snow because just moving it around makes it all stick together.
I'm running into all sorts of questions as I go. I know what I want to do, but am not always sure of the proper format - I'm into following rules:-)
Anyhow, here's to passion!


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Hongkongers' alcohol consumption has risen considerably, particularly among young people.
Health officials will look into controls on alcohol advertisements and a possible reintroduction of the wine tax to combat growing consumption of alcohol, particularly among young people.
This follows a steady rise in consumption generally and a big increase in binge drinking among the young, Centre for Health Protection consultant Dr Regina Ching Cheuk-tuen said yesterday.
"We should face up to the increasing trend," Ching said. "We have provided the data to related departments to see whether a change in the [tax] policy is needed, while we monitor problems that arise from drinking."
The department would also gather information on alcohol advertisements and communicate with broadcast regulators.
Hongkongers' average alcohol consumption has been increasing consistently each year from 2.6 litres in 2009 to 2.9 in 2012, measured in pure alcohol and calculated by dividing local alcohol production and net imports by the total population.
Meanwhile, the percentage of people aged 18 to 24 engaged in binge drinking has risen each year – from 7.4 in 2010 to 9.8 in 2012, Health Department figures show.
And the rate of children aged under 18 admitted to hospital for alcohol-induced conditions increased from two in every 100,000 in the age group in 2009 to 3.3 in 2012.
Ching, the centre's consultant for non-communicable diseases, said alcohol created health risks regardless of the amount consumed. She said health officials had also been discussing alcohol issues with university representatives in the past few months.
"We became aware that alcohol manufacturers are holding promotion activities on campuses and raised the problem with universities," she said. "Both staff and students should know more about the harmful effects of drinking."
Ching said many local students picked up the habit at university, from overseas students who brought in the drinking culture.
University of Hong Kong research has shown the percentage of boys engaged in binge drinking rose from 11 per cent in their first year of university to 21 per cent in their second year. The increase is more serious among girls – from 2.8 to 7.9 per cent.
Binge drinking is defined as having drunk at least five glasses or cans of alcoholic drinks on one occasion in the past month.
Hong Kong Paediatric Society president Dr Daniel Chiu Cheung-sing said alcoholic drinks should not be made available to children and young people. Law enforcement should be tightened so that those under 18 are unable to purchase alcohol, which they can do in convenience stores, he said. The city has become a global wine-trading hub since a 40 per cent wine tax was abolished in 2008.
Source: South China Morning Post


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Here is your chance to own an amazingly unique Estate in Addison Twp. This one of a kind home offers a beautiful spacious living space with hardwood floors throughout, enjoy cooking in the large open kitchen with eat in bar. This living area is very warm feeling with a gorgeous stone fireplace and ready for that next family to create great memories. The home also has 4 bedrooms, the master suite features a large walk in closet and a large bathroom with a jetted tub and oversized steam shower. The finished basement features a theater room and lounge room with bar and pool table. The garage area has a 4 car as well as a second 8 car heated building with high ceilings for hoists. The outdoor area features an inground salt water pool, large deck for entertaining and beautiful landscaping. You will be blown away by the 3 story, 7500 sqft barn with a huge shop, the 2nd floor is a furnished to be a Pub party area and the 3rd floor is a large storage area. all of this and set on 12.5 acres.
Attached, Detached, Direct Access, Door Opener, Electricity, Side Entrance, Workshop, Heated
Jetted Tub, Programmable Thermostat, Water Softener (owned), Wet Bar
Bar Fridge, Dishwasher, Microwave, Refrigerator, Stove, Other
Awnings/Overhangs, Pool - Inground
IDX provided courtesy of Realcomp II Ltd., via Jim Saros Agency, Inc. and REALCOMP, ©2020 Realcomp II Ltd. Shareholders. IDX information is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, noncommercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. The accuracy of all information, regardless of source, is not guaranteed or warranted. All information should be independently verified.


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Going Deeper on DNA Amplification
Learn about the basics of PCR for DNA amplification, how DNA functions and replicates, picking the right polymerase for your application, and the experimental potential of whole-genome amplification with this eBook!
The Scientist Creative Services Team
Mar 11, 2018
DNA is the language of life, and unraveling its secrets is integral to the biological sciences. The ability to efficiently, consistently, and uniformly amplify DNA has transformed both our capacity to study cellular activity and our ability to direct cellular function. Technological progress has made available a host of amplification technologies and techniques for every research purpose.
Download this eBook from The Scientist to learn about:
• The basics of PCR for DNA amplification
• How DNA functions and replicates
• Picking the right polymerase for your application
• The experimental potential of whole-genome amplification
This free eBook was made possible by an educational grant from GE Healthcare.


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You know what, this has nothing to do with horror but I don't care. I've had all I can stomach and I'm about to spew out a hell of a lot of word vomit. Today is a tragic and DARK day. You'd think that the death of the "World's Greatest Entertainer" would be treated with moments of silence and candlelit vigils. However if you look on the internet, we're still getting bombarded with asshole bloggers that are concentrating more on the controversy that surrounded him rather than the mind-blowing accomplishments he succeeded. This man broke more records, sold more records, and performed for more people than any other artist in existence.
I have absolutely ZERO respect for those who can't respect the dead. It is the single most disgusting trait of inhumanity one could possibly possess. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Every last one of you.Its just that no matter what MJ may or may not have done, you cannot deny that he's the man. I had a conversation with an 85 year old woman in the Salon I work at who said "In my day, Frankie just had to smile to win an audience, and he did it well. Michael...he completely changed the world, and no one can touch him". You know what, she's right. NO ONE can do it like Michael. I don't care how many dance lessons you take, you will NEVER moonwalk the way he does. Actually, our culture has lost a lot in general in the department of death. Its an ugly thing. We've become a culture of sarcastic douchebags. That same old woman held my hand as I cried. I said t0 her "This is my moment. I was too young for Dean Martin, Lennon was gone before my parents were even in the same state, and Sinatra didn't hit me until i was 12. This is the first time that one of my heroes has left me, and I can remember it" You know what, it is. I have no shame in that. Michael Jackson was the first artist I fell in love with musically without any help from my parents. I was raised on 80's metal, the British Invasion, and The Rat Pack. I chose Michael on my own.
What's sad, is that this asshole mentality isn't going to stop here. What about when Phil Spector finally croaks? Are we going to remember the fact that he did more for music than most people could ever dream of? Or are you going to remember him as the man with awful hair who axed some chick? The man was responsible for creating a sound that also changed music. He's in the Rock and Roll hall of fame, and he's never performed a single concert. Phil didn't do one sound, he did everything from Tina Turner, to The Beatles, to The Ramones. That's DAMN impressive, but I guarantee you no one is going to say boo when he finally leaves this earth.
I'm just saying. How dare any of you deny this man the incredible things he's done. Set more records, sold more records than any artist in history. His music may not be in the same genre of Sinatra by any means, but his performance and stage presence truly set the stage for EVERY SINGLE music genre to come. Even garage bands after MJ threw in kicks and personality. He changed music video, he changed song style, he changed concert performances, he revolutionized the sound of music. I refuse to remember him in vain, and anyone who chooses to remember him as a monster, is disgusting.
We live in a society of whiners, complainers, and over=reacters. I mean shit. Obama is getting bombarded by PETA for swatting a fly? Gag me. I'm sarcastic, I'm a bitch, I love to shit-talk, and I do it with pride...BUT There's two things that you just don't fuck with. America & Death. Have some damn respect for the dead. Call me what you want, give me as many nasty comments as you'd like...I don't give a flying fuck. Michael Jackson is amazing, and if you can't accept that...I just feel sorry for you.


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So, who are these Adventure Tour guys?
Old ATAThat's a really good question. Grab a cup of tea, pull up a chair and we'll fill you in.
Adventure Tours is the leading small group tour operator in Australia and New Zealand. We're a bunch of Aussies and Kiwis that have been leading travellers through the Outback, the South Island (and a thousand other places) for over 21 years.
How we do this is pretty simple. We take a comfy, state of the art 4WD or minibus (with superhuman air-con), fill it swags, damper and about 15 fun-loving travellers, then head out into the wild. These aren't your standard bus tours. We specialise in the real deal: sustainable, red dust adventures, expert guides, cold beer and exclusive contacts with local Indigenous communities.
We've got a variety of trip styles available too – from a swag under the stars to permanent camps with soft pillows – so no matter your budget, experience or appetite for adventure, there's a shady billabong somewhere with your name on it. And for those after a private trip or group charter, we haven't forgotten you either.
So, that's us. Now it's your turn. Reckon you're ready for a proper adventure? Get in touch and tell us all about it.
Where did it all begin?
Old ATA guidesThe early 90s were important years for Australia. Sydney learned they'd be hosting the Olympic Games (then immediately phoned Melbourne to brag), Queensland officially said no to daylight saving (voting to all get up early and surf instead) and a bloke called Ken from the outback town of Alice Springs came up with an idea.
We could say it was an idea to create the country's most trusted and awarded local tour company, but it was simpler than that at the beginning. In those days backpackers were flooding into Alice, but with no real way of getting to Uluru (Ayers Rock). All Ken did was buy a bus (it was a bargain), hand out some flyers and begin driving them there a couple of times a week.
Within six weeks, this little start-up was running tours every single day, and Ken couldn't fill them fast enough. The bus became a fleet, one knowledgeable local guide became several and the idea for Adventure Tours Australia was born.
Today, it's still the little things that matter: expert guides, a few new mates by your side and raw, down-to-earth adventure. That's why we're number one when it comes to grassroots, sustainable travel throughout Australia and New Zealand (and we've got the awards to prove it). The close ties we've built with Indigenous communities means each trip is backed by over 21 years of touring experience and over 40,000 years of knowledge and story. It's something we're very proud of, and something you definitely won't find on your standard bus tours and day trips.
This is our backyard – all eight million square kilometres of it – and there's no one who knows it better.Get offer


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The attackers - numbering between 20 and 30 - managed to trap some of the people inside then set fire to the church in the town of Dablo, about 200km from the capital Ouagadougou.
Several shops were also torched before they headed to the local health centre, which they looted and then torched the chief nurse's vehicle.
"Towards 9am, during mass, armed individuals burst into the Catholic church," said Ousmane Zongo, the mayor of Dablo. "They started firing as the congregation tried to flee."
"They killed five of them. The priest, who was celebrating mass, was also killed, bringing the number of dead to six."
Urbain Kabore, a government spokesman for the West African country's Sahel region, said the attackers also destroyed all places serving alcohol.
"People are holed up in their homes, nothing is going on. The shops and stores are closed. It's practically a ghost town," he said.


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A Few Good Men was a popular movie out a few years ago which featured Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and others. I've had "a few good men" in my life. Actually, I'd say they're great men. Perfect? Absolutely not. Yet good doesn't seem an adequate description, either. Any of them would be the first to … [Read more…]
A Faithful Legacy
Steve Green sang a song years ago about leaving a legacy. Here are some of the lyrics: "After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone, And our children sift through all we've left behind, May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover, Become the light that leads them to the … [Read more…]


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Eleanor Roosevelt (American Experience)
The documentary illustrates how she galvanized others and made common cause for women's rights and civil rights in particular.
Eleanor Roosevelt (american Experience)Distributor: Paramount
Network: PBS
First date: 2000
US Release Date: 2006-01-10
PBS's American Experience documentary, Eleanor Roosevelt, highlights the "World's First Lady" in all her guts and glory. Narrated by Alfre Woodard, the episode offers a lively account of this iconoclastic, independent woman who bucked social conventions and found ways not only to live her own life but also to affect world politics. Using an effective mix of talking head interviews, historical film footage, photographs, and reenactments, the show moves beyond the "great woman behind the great man" narrative, instead embracing Roosevelt's own vision of herself, as someone with a responsibility to make a difference.
Roosevelt's story thus becomes one of changing gender roles and the limited opportunities open to talented women political leaders in the early- to mid-20th century. We see footage of her as a child playing at the feet of her famous uncle, rowdy President Teddy Roosevelt. We see her as a young woman falling in love with her distant cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, her future husband and the future four-term President who guided the country through the Great Depression and his New Deal. The documentary gives the impression that Eleanor never got sidelined by the famous men around her. That achievement seems particularly impressive, given resistance -- then and now -- to non-traditional First Ladies and progressive women activists.
The voiceover claims she was "one of the best politicians of the 20th century" and notes how many times her husband called on her to push Democratic measures forward. While he dealt with his health problems, including polio and heart disease, she often conducted her own political organizing and social activism, claiming she was doing it on his behalf, but also working on her own objectives.
The documentary is sprightly and engaging when it recounts some of her greatest successes. After FDR's death, Truman sent her as a delegate to the first U.N. meeting. As the only woman, she was condescended to by male ambassadors. But she went toe to toe with Soviet politicians as the Cold War skirmishes began. She chaired the committee that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and stood up to curmudgeons who tried to stop her.
In the U.S., she fought for racial equality and civil rights, which earned her the enmity of J. Edgar Hoover and the KKK. One adventure in the late '50s found her headed to Tennessee to hold a workshop on non-violent civil disobedience. When the KKK threatened her life and put a bounty on her head, the FBI told her not to go, that they couldn't protect her. She went anyway, though she was in her 70s. Another woman of the same age picked her up at the airport and they rode through the woods with a loaded pistol in their car to get Roosevelt to the hall for her talk. Don't mess with the grandmamas on a mission.
Her progressive efforts on all manner of causes earned her an FBI file a mile long. But she wouldn't back down. From tours to impoverished areas around the world, to her work with FDR, to her speeches on everything from The Ed Sullivan Show to Frank Sinatra specials, Eleanor made herself heard, as demonstrated in sound recordings including in the documentary.
The psychological narratives here are less compelling than tales of her public life. We learn that her mother did not give her unconditional love because she didn't live up to her New York high society standards of beauty and behavior. Her father was an alcoholic whom she loved dearly but who failed her. She also loved FDR deeply, but he also failed her, through repeated affairs with secretaries. She offered to divorce but they stayed together, living independent lives while remaining fond political partners. He built her her own house, which gave her freedom and a place to form a community.
The documentary suggests that she didn't give her five children enough unconditional love, and they buckled under the pressure of two world-famous parents. She was closer to her friends than her children, she had close friendships with both women and younger men throughout her life, and we're not sure if she was bisexual. She was a control freak because of all the alcoholics in her family but loosened up later in life. Her dad always promised they'd go to the Taj Mahal but they didn't, and when she finally got there when she was in her 70s, it was a revelation. The psychobabble is reductive and muddled.
When the documentary interviews friends and associates, you get a clear sense of how she galvanized others and made common cause for women's rights and civil rights in particular. Her willingness to be a symbol for the abilities of women made it easier for those who came after her. It's fascinating to hear Sinatra citing a Gallup poll naming her the most popular woman in the world for all of the '50s. Instead of being turned into just a stereotype or punch-line (horsy, buck-toothed busy-body), she gets the last laugh on her detractors who couldn't handle social change. Uncompromising uppity women. Rock on.


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Positive Behavior Program
Positive Behavior Program (School Discipline Program)
Atwater Avenue Elementary School has adopted the BEST (Building Effective School Together) Positive Behavior Support Program. The program works under the presumption that every person in the school community – parents, students, teachers, administrators, support personnel – all have specific responsibilities in ensuring a safe, challenging educational environment that respects the rights and differences of all. The Los Angeles Unified School District has implemented a foundation Discipline Policy that embeds a school-wide Positive Behavior Support (PBS) as a proactive mean to provide consistency among all district schools while allowing individual sites the freedom to tailor programs to the needs of their school communities.
AtwaterAvenue Elementary Schoolis currently implementing a school-wide PBS. Some examples of PBS strategies are: 1) Calling each student by name. 2) Engage students in the discussion of shared personal experiences. 3) Firm but respectful engagement of off-task or inappropriate behavior. 4) Allowing students time to make good choices. 5) Positively reinforcing desired behaviors. 6) Teach and revisit all school rules and desired behaviors.
A team of teachers, administrators, and support staff meet monthly to discuss, plan, and implement programs that support these concepts. The shared vision is to increase student achievement through the teaching of all school rules, positively reinforcing desired behaviors, and building a safe, positive atmosphere where each stakeholder feels valued.
At Atwater Avenue Elementary School, we have phrased all of our rules (in each location of the school) utilizing the three main categories of:
- Be Safe
- Be Responsible
- Be Respectful
This behavior model has been aptly named the "The Atwater Way." When teaching or correcting a student, it is essential to use this universal form so that it reinforces the consistency of the rules and understanding of each student. Providing a clear expectation of the desired behavior is a key component of the program. All staff members are encouraged to take a leadership role by attending the monthly team meetings


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Sr Talent Acquisition Specialist - IT
Full Time Minnesota Recruiter Job
Boston Scientific
Purpose and Passion • Comprehensive Benefits • Life-Work Integration • Community • Career Growth
At Boston Scientific, you will find a collaborative culture driven by a passion for innovation that keeps us connected on the most essential level. With determination, imagination and a deep caring for human life, we're solving some of the most important healthcare industry challenges. Together, we're one global team committed to making a difference in people's lives around the world. This is a place where you can find a career with meaningful purpose—improving lives through your life's work.
Collaborating with industry thought leaders gives my work purpose. Different Reasons. Same Mission.
About the role:
The Sr. Talent Acquisition Specialist will be responsible for full life cycle recruitment and sourcing support for the Global Operations Talent Acquisition Team with direct responsibility for US wide Information Technology (IT). Successful candidate will be responsible for developing and executing on innovative methods to source, evaluate, and pipeline external passive, diverse candidates for potential employment at Boston Scientific. This position is critical to provide talent that will drive the future growth and advancement of Global IT's mission to be a competitive advantage and trusted partner, delivering value with technology.
- Works closely with the IT Sr. Leadership Team, Hiring Managers and HR Business Partners to understand the recruiting needs of the business; anticipate hiring needs and proactively identify recruiting solutions to meet those needs. Develops, initiates, and executes sourcing and recruiting strategies and other Talent Acquisition related processes to fill requisitions which support their own clients groups. Manages multiple clients and competing demands to attract qualified candidates and fill open positions while positioning the organization as an "Employer of Choice".
- Develop and execute on innovative methods to source, evaluate, and pipeline external passive, diverse candidates for potential employment at Boston Scientific.
- Responsible for developing creative sourcing strategies for active candidates from on-line databases as well as passive candidates through networking, social media, cold calling, internet searches, and research. Partner with other Talent Acquisition team members to align qualified candidates with appropriate positions and work with them through BSC's hiring process.
- Foster and cultivate relationships with key potential candidates and large-scale talent pools to deliver upon both immediate short-term hiring needs and strategic long-term networks to be leveraged up to one to three years downstream. In addition, the Talent Acquisition Specialist will be responsible for conducting searches within BSC's applicant tracking system to identify pipelines of talent.
Your responsibilities:
- Lead the Global IT Talent Acquisition Strategy, partnering with US and OUS Talent Acquisition, and the IT Senior Staff.
- Coach Hiring Managers and coordinate selection process to ensure optimal assessment and selection of candidates.
- Develop and implement organizational recruiting strategies to attract qualified candidates.
- Conduct interviews by evaluating employment factors such as job experience, education, training, skills, knowledge and abilities and other data relevant to the selection process.
- Prepare, extend, negotiate, and sell competitive job offers.
- Utilize recruiting processes to leverage resume tracking software. Engage resources to maximize the strategic role of the Talent Acquisition function and eliminate non-value added work. Focus on continuous improvement and makes suggestions to improve the talent acquisition process, policies and strategy. Contribute to the development of new concepts, techniques and standards.
- Keep HR Business Partners and Hiring Managers updated as appropriate while effectively interacting with all levels of employees, answering questions and providing information.
- Develop, influence, execute and track sourcing strategies for passive and active candidates using all available tools (Success Factors, social networking, competitive intelligence, attending industry conferences, referrals and external relationship building)
- Represent Talent Acquisition and/or serve as project manager on specified initiatives.
What we're looking for:
Basic Qualifications
- BA/BS degree required
- 6 + years' experience in Talent Acquisition with client-facing recruitment experience required. Recruiting experience supporting various functions required in a matrixed environment. Technical/IT related experience preferred.
- Must be skilled in presenting meaningful TA strategies and metrics to influence and support senior business leaders
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a customer-service focus and tenacious appetite for uncovering talent
- Ability to deliver results with little supervision, and to effectively manage multiple competing priorities/projects
- Must be skilled in MS Office Suite – MS Outlook, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint as well as Applicant Tracking Systems and other HRIS systems
- Participates in the development of others by facilitating training and providing feedback and coaching
- Travel up to 10-15% as needed to industry conferences, association meetings and BSC locations
- Demonstrated experience in understanding, sourcing, and attracting an array of different IT disciplines
About us
As a global medical technology leader for more than 35 years, our mission at Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) is to transform lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients. If you're looking to truly make a difference to people both around the world and around the corner, there's no better place to make it happen.
Boston Scientific is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, National Origin, Disability, Veteran
To apply click Sr Talent Acquisition Specialist- IT


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We recently hit the sale racks and found some really great finds that are reduced up to 60% off. We are in love with these print Ringer leggings that are reduced to $82 from $118. Over here is a Norma Kamali racker tank with pockets (genius!) for $44 from $144, gumball leggings from Terez are $30 from $72 and here is the matching sports bra for $40 from $72.
Buying new athletic wear is great motivation to keep your latest package from expiring. After all, how many pairs of $100 leggings does anyone need?


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Paola is celebrated as one of Instagram's top female photographers and culture influencers. Her Hispanic roots are in Puerto Rico and currently resides in New Jersey. She documents everyday, existential life with a hugely enthusiastic community. Her work has been featured in multiple NYC galleries and most recently in the Nasdaq Board in Times Square.
Brian has been a photographer for 22 years. His career began in New York City, where he was represented by multiple galleries. From there, he moved more into commercial work, while still keeping a foot in the fine art world. His commercial clients range from Adidas Originals and Nike to Land Rover, Honda, Google, Ciroc and a number of hip hop celebrities.
Brian still participates in art shows all over the world and currently lives and works in Chicago and Los Angeles.
Brendan is Philadelphia's top Instagrammer documenting life in the city from a local perspective. His feed is a curator of the city's top creatives across music, street art, sports and food sites. His work is currently featured in multiple billboards and out-of-home campaigns promoting both tourism and quality of life in Philadelphia.
Cole is a photographer based in DC and LA who has been shooting for nearly a decade. Cole's career started on a smartphone. After becoming one Instagram's most followed photographers, Cole's career moved into major brand work. Through the years his client list has grown to brands such as Jaguar, Adidas, Nike, Moncler and many more.
On Instagram, Cole has a very wide fan base and has participated in shows all over the US.
Ryan Millier has been a professional and fine art photographer for 8 years. His career started in Toronto, brought him to Los Angeles and ultimately, to New York City, where he currently resides. Ryan's work has been featured in a number of publications and has been exhibited in many galleries across the US and Europe. Ryan has a vast client list that ranges from Puma to Mercedes and also includes many tech and fashion brands.
Antonio started his career in photography 6 years ago at the age of 16. By age 17, he was one of New York's highest followed Instagram photographers and was already creating campaigns for brands such as Jordan Brand, Nike and Audi. Antonio has spent the past two years going on extensive trips overseas, primarily documenting life in many parts of Asia. His work has been celebrated by multiple national photographic publications and he has participated in multiple art shows across the US.
Sonja has been a photographer specializing in architecture and street portrait for 5 years. She also still has a career as a scientist, which gives her a unique perspective on how she sees the world and approaches photography.
Sonja's work has been exhibited in many galleries across the US and she has sat on multiple panels as a judge in photography competitions.


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RE: Belmont's Busy Weekend
Well, a big weekend has come and gone in dear old Belmont.
Some of the more progressive realtors in town were able to piggyback on the weekend that drew thousands of visitors to Friday Night Live!, the Garibaldi Festival, and the Belmont Women's Club Home Tour. There were multiple "open houses" for homes that were for sale in the Belmont area. Realtors certainly took advantage to show their listings this weekend and particularly on Sunday.
photos from Belmont Rocks! website:
Some homes for sale within the tour pattern were visited by a number of individuals, and a few received offers this week according to our sources.
Now this is the way to market Belmont, events, social life, school activities, and FUN!
congratulations to all the people who continue to show the best of what Belmont has to offer. This summer should be very interesting with all the upcoming events that are planned.
Belmont Theater Scene Alive and Well
Belmont, most recently known for it's thriving downtown and restaurants, has been an active theater town for a number of years. The Abbey Players would regularly present interesting and sometimes quirky works a couple of times per year.
Keith Taylor, the long time drama instructor at South Point HS left after the last school year to pursue greener pastures in the Triad. His replacement at South Point, Marcus Riter (prounounced, write-r), has taken the youthful thespians to new heights this school year.
During the fall semester the students performed a drama, "Dearly Departed", a play about a death in a southern family.
In the Spring, "Little Shop of Horrors", a dark-comedy/musical about a flesh eating plant in a flower shop, was staged to rave reviews.
Saturday night in the South Point cafeteria, the stage was set for a Dinner Theater production of Murder and Mystery. 2, one-act plays were performed around a pasta dinner catered by the Olive Garden restaurant to a sold out, SRO crowd.
The first performance, "Clue', was a take-off of the popular whodunit game. Mr. Riter wrote and directed his young charges through a simple choreography of murder and revenge. The usual suspects of Mr. Green (played by Sarah Green), Professor Plum (Scott Stowe), Colonel Mustard (Jon Stewart), Ms. Scarlett (Laura Lemond), Ms. White (Kelsey Pate), Mrs. Peacock (Haley Bishop), and the body (Adam Kirkby), were drawn into a surprising murder, committed by who? An audience member? one of the caterers, or (gasp…) Mr. Riter's own father!
The second play, a longer one-act play-within-a-play, called, "The Real Inspector Hound", evoked a Twilight Zone appeal where two theater critics are drawn into a London stage play in the midst of their own personal dramas. Julianne Reeger starred in this scenario as "Moon", a second level theater critic covering for a more expereienced reporter. Ms. Reeger ably carried an english accent throughout the production as did her competitive writer, Birdboot, played by Geoffry Brown. Ryan Howard played a somewhat clueless romeo, Simon Gascoyne, often floating around the stage. Felicity (Crystal Hannah) and Cynthia (Kirby Beal) were the objects of Simon's "affairs".
To make a long story short, the students pulled off a complicated plot line with energy, humor, and class. More importantly, a young crew of actors displayed their talent in a popular dinner setting. Mr. Riter is to be praised for his chops in putting together this event. As he mentioned, "if you liked it, tell everyone, if you didn't, just be quiet and go home!"
Obviously, we liked it. The format, the staging, the actors, and the enthusiasm – all good, even after a busy day in downtown Belmont.
The Abbey Players are still around. Somewhat loosely organized, but missing longtime director, Simon Donohue. Marcus Riter could certainly try to tie the student and adult groups together, find much needed funding for both programs and keep Belmont theater supporters going to dinner and a show.
Friday Night Live 2008 begins May 16
The Belmont Downtown Merchants Association kicks off the 2008 Friday Night Live! on May 16 with Chairmen of the Board
Other dates are:
May 30, Rough Draft;
June 13, Jimmy Quick & Coastline;
June 27, The Tams; (turn on your speakers)
July 11, SwampDaWamp
July 25, The Band of Gold;
August 8, Band of Oz;
August 22, Coming Up Brass
The CUB video
"W" Presidential Library – the inside edition
George W Bush Presidential Library is now in the planning stages. You'll want to be the first at your corporation to make a contribution to this great man's legacy. The Library will include:
The Hurricane Katrina Room, which is still under construction.
- The Alberto Gonzales Room, where you can't remember anything.
The Texas Air National Guard Room, where you don't have to even show up.
The Walter Reed Hospital Room, where they don't let you in.
The Guantanamo Bay Room, where they don't let you out.
The Weapons of Mass Destruction Room (which no one has been able to find).
The Iraq War Room. After you complete your first tour, they make you go back for a second, third, fourth, and sometimes fifth tours.
The Dick Cheney Room, in the famous undisclosed location, complete with shooting gallery.
Plans also include:
The K-Street Project Gift Shop – where you can buy (or just steal) an election.
The Airport Men's Room, where you can meet some of your favorite Republican Senators.
Last, but not least, there will be an entire floor devoted to a 7/8 scale model of the President's ego.
To highlight the President's accomplishments, the museum will have an electron microscope to help you locate them.
When asked, President Bush said that he didn't care so much about the individual exhibits as long as his museum was better than his father's.
Wow ! Newcomers make another impact
See The Spectacular 33 N. Main Renovation Thursday
What a difference in the building at 33 N. Main in Belmont from August to March!
And here's your chance to see the renovation that owner Richard LaVecchia has achieved as the new Designing Brides and the relocated Peppermint Shoestring hold an open house and grand opening Thursday, March 13, from 10 AM until 7 PM.
Nancy Lepore, owner of Designing Brides, and Lynnelle Dobbins, owner of the Peppermint Shoestring Children's Boutique, extend a special invitation to Chamber members and friends to come by between 5 p.m and 7 p.m. for tours and refreshments.
The building, which was once used as a funeral home, a clothing store, and most recently, a gift basket shop, will be a fine addition to the thriving downtown community.
Several neighbors and friends met Nancy Lepore and her husband, Patrick, last summer during the Friday Night Alive activities.
What Makes a Great City?
We thought you all might like to look through this check list. While we have a lot of things to work on , we all agree that YES, Belmont is very good already, and is "becoming" a great city.
This a reprinted article from Project for Public Spaces (PPS):
Is Your City a Great City?
Take a look around your town with this checklist, to see how it measures up.
By Ethan Kent and Kathy Madden
In Great Cities…
Community goals are a top priority in city planning
· Citizens regularly participate in making their public spaces better and local leaders and planning professionals routinely seek the wisdom and practical experience of community residents.
· Residents feel they have responsibility and a sense of ownership for their public spaces.
· Neighborhoods are respected, fostered and have unique identities. There is a sense of "pride of place."
· Public spaces are planned and managed in a way that highlights and strengthens the culture of a particular community.
The emphasis is on pedestrians, not cars
· Pedestrians and bicyclists are more numerous than vehicles (on at least some streets).
· Streets function as "places" and have numerous attractive destinations along them.
· Transit options are available to get to places where people want to go and are used by all kinds of people.
· Parking does not occupy most of the public space; free parking is difficult to find.
· There is a walkable commercial center convenient to every neighborhood that provides everyday needs and services (grocery store, pharmacy, library, medical services, coffee shop etc.)
New development projects enhance existing communities
· New developments, both public and private, are designed to include mixed uses and to be easily reached without using a private vehicle.
· Developments are human scale and connect with places to cut through rather than mega scale, internalized and islands unto themselves.
· There is a mix of new housing types and layouts that allows and encourages people to grow old there.
Public spaces are accessible and well-used
· There are public places within both neighborhoods and downtowns where people can gather informally and regularly.
· Parks feature attractions for people of different ages and are used at different times of day; they are more than simply recreation facilities.
· The waterfront allows people to actually reach the ocean, lake or river.
· Amenities (benches, transit waiting areas, etc) are comfortable, conveniently located and designed to support the intended use.
· Negative uses or users do not dominate the public spaces.
· Both children and seniors can easily and safely walk to where they want to go (e.g. children can walk to school, seniors can walk to movies, grocery stores).
Civic institutions are catalysts for public life.
· Schools are centrally located to support other neighborhood activity.
· The library is a multi-purpose and popular place where people go for many different types of activities. · Civic institutions (museums, community centers, hospitals, government buildings, etc.) have resources and activities that appeal to people of all ages and all cultures in the community.
Local economic development is encouraged
· There are many locally owned businesses-markets, mom-and-pop stores, street vendors, and larger independent stores; these local businesses are encouraged by the city; people know their retailers by name.
· The mix of locally owned businesses is such that at least some of them are "third places" -places where people can just spend time.
· Local businesses work with schools to provide internships or part time jobs.
Public spaces are managed, programmed and continually improved.
· The public realm is managed to maximize community interaction and to facilitate public outcomes.
· Spaces are managed to provide opportunities for generations to mix.
Headlines sell papers, content brings them back
Often, we are stirred to emotional response by the headlines of a "news" article, opinion page, and yes, even a blog headline.
A current article in today's Gazette makes us chuckle a bit: "How Liquor Stores Stack Up in Gaston County".
At first glance, without reading the article, one would think (even the simpletons who edit these pages), that we have stacks of ABC stores in our backwoods lovin' neighborhoods.
You could have a stack of books, a stack of boxes, or a stack of pallets, but stacking up liquor stores?
Of course it made us look — you did too if you clicked on the link or read it in the paper.
The content of the story is trying to make a case to combine all the community's ABC boards into one (Re: Gastonia), and to point out that the smaller towns don't know how to market their local operations. And of course, the Gastonia ABC general manager points out that people want to shop at larger, well lit stores. (Re: Gastonia –Cox Road or Long Avenue).
Well, we haven't seen either dirty or poorly lit stores in either Cramerton or Mt. Holly. Yes, the selection of product is smaller, and as most retail outlets will demonstrate, product offerings tend to follow local consumer demand. Certain items that sell well at Cox Road might not do well or even be offered at Mt. Holly. We get a kick out of the fact that a Harris Teeter is nearby the Cox Road store, and "Always Low Prices" Food Lion is next to the Cramerton and Mt. Holly stores.
Mt. Holly and Cramerton have Belmont's business depending on which side of town you are coming from. It certainly is more convenient most of the time to shop locally.
Good for the Gazette trying to imply that the yokels outside of Gastonia don't know what they are doing. It certainly sold a couple of papers.


text:
From compaña, from Vulgar Latin compania, from Late Latin compāniō (whence also Spanish compañón, French compagnon, Italian compagnone), from cum + pānis. Compare Portuguese companheiro.
compañero m (plural compañeros, feminine compañera, feminine plural compañeras)
Usage notes[edit]
In many Spanish-speaking countries the word compañero is used frequently to refer to one someone of an equal status, such as a coworker or classmate. It is often translated in English as comrade.
The noun compañero is like most Spanish nouns with a human referent. The masculine forms are used when the referent is known to be male, a group of males, a group of mixed or unknown gender, or an individual of unknown or unspecified gender. The feminine forms are used if the referent is known to be female or a group of females.
- colega m


text:
- Harvesting my first BIG crop of Johnson grass tubers. HUH? (5/30/20)12
- I don't want to die, but..... (5/30/20)3
- We have the paper! There is no shortage. (4/22/20)24
- Folks, WE NEED TO GO BACK TO WORK! (4/16/20)68
- Maybe this explains why cities often think and vote differently? (4/14/20)2
- First hummingbird spotted in Nashville! (4/5/20)16
Bedford Ramblings
Steve Mills and his wife have one daughter. They previously owned two coffee/ice cream shops, currently operate an internet sales company and teach classes, but his primary job involves the paper industry worldwide. Hobbies and interests lie in gardening, photography, recorded music and of course, their pets.
eBay starting some new videos about real users
Posted Friday, December 30, 2011, at 2:47 PM
eBay seemed to be growing towards the "big box" stores over the past few years and while they never really lost sight of the smaller sellers, it sure felt like it.
I think they are starting to return to their roots a little more and they wanted the new sellers to know of the success available throug the sellking venue.
While the video production is professional, these folks are not actors and tell their own story in a way that feels comfortable to many. See what you think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxc3zYMCqDc&feature=channel_video_title
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text:
An armoured joint like no other. The clever half-hexagon shape – called 'disruptive face' technology - prevents the wheels of materials handling vehicles from dropping into the gap between the two edges of the joint. Because there's no impact, there's no damage to either the joint or the truck.
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- Supplied as one unit for easy handling and installation - the two sides are connected with frangible bolts which separate naturally after installation.
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- Allows flexibility in future building use.
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- Suitable for a wide range of applications. Particularly suitable for directional traffic situations (such as transfer and racking aisles in distribution centres) where materials handling vehicles pass over the joint at 90°.
- Ideal for cold stores, where larger joint gap sizes are common.
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Our latest catalogue is now available
Download a digital version or request a hard copy delivered directly to your door.Get your copy now


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Your legs: a piece of art. Oroblù can make your legs look elegant and stylish, enhancing your beauty. Our tights and socks are made of high quality yarns that will look like a second skin on your legs, ensuring an extraordinary feeling of softness. Oroblù's excellence goes beyond its products: Oroblù stockings and sheer tights create a wonderful feminine and sensual world made of coloured, geometric, floral and dotted patterns. Mesh, weave, lines and the sheerest materials. A world ready to be discovered. Just like you. Discover our beautiful stockings and sheer tights and choose your style.
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text:
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text:
I like to consider myself the Carrie Bradshaw of the wine world. Not because I am a particularly talented writer, but because I love LA as much as she loves NY AND my expenditures on wine equal hers on Manolo Blahniks. In the 2006 calendar year I spent $13,846.37 on wine. Retail. For some big collectors that's nothing, I know. But for me, with my modest income, that's more than I pay annually in rent. And that's why I'm like Carrie Bradshaw, she couldn't afford her apartment either.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Dedicated to Bob Betz, MW.
2 comments:
"The self professed best looking GAY man in the wine business is Bill Fernandez, 750ml's sommelier" is presumably what you mean/he professes?
- October 8, 2008 at 2:02 PM
- Amy said...
Yes, I think that's right, but being a self-professed statement I am in position to confirm or deny.
I will, however, try to keep you updated on the sexual orientation of all the sommeliers in town if you like? I can make a pie chart.
- October 9, 2008 at 10:20 AM


text:
More coursework: 1 - A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I - J | K - L | M | N - O | P - S | T | U - Y
International Economic Policy: Book Review
The book reviewed in this essay, International Economic Policy in the
1990s, was to focus on some of the most recent concerns about international
trade. Its author, William R. cline, seems to have some good insights about the
topic as it seems that he researched, taught and lectured about this field of
study. The author tried to be as objective as possible and tried not to be
biased by referring to the different opinions about most of the issues he
handled. However, as it is really impossible to be totally unbiased, some biases
were to exist due to their necessity to form an argument. Furthermore, other
biases can be detected through his writings by remarking the aspects of
international trade that he examined, versus those he gave very small or no
weight at all.
There are many issues related to international trade that one can study,
however as it is usually the case, this book was to examine only some of them.
The author, in some parts of his book, was to concentrate on the question of
adjusting the US trade deficit against with Japan. He was to show the American
point of view that argues that Japanese terms of trade are unfair (104). Also he
was to refer to the North American Free Trade Agreement and reflect how it is
beneficial for Mexico (as first developing country to join the US and Canada)
which could not gain support from Europe to develop (as Europe was to
concentrate on its own further development and unity at the moment), and to how
the joining of Mexico was to benefit the US (and Canada) as it would open a
large market for the US as well as cheap labor (106). A good point made by him
was to show the prospects of incorporating more Latin American countries in
NAFTA (as this book was published in 1994) while saying that the Latin American
market "remains too small to compensate US exports for any broader loss of
markets in Europe, Japan, and elsewhere "(112). This conclusion might have led
him to have a closer look outside the US (and NAFTA) circle.
In a chapter of his book, he was to look at the "economic future of
Europe". He was to argue that an implication of the monetary union may be less
need for European countries to hold large reserves of dollars, as there will be
"reserves pooling". This may lead to an excess supply of dollars, and
consequently a "downward pressure" on the dollar (203). Unfortunately, this may
be the case, meaning that many economies will be affected. Another notice was
that the future of Europe is depending heavily on what will happen to the
"volcano" next to it, which is the former Soviet Union. This as the author
thought, should make Europe assist the former Soviet Union in order to assure
that Europe will not be affected by problems such as economic immigrants (204).
At his conclusion, he was to mention that Europe could play a similar role to
the world trade in the future as the one played by the US after the Second World
He was to look at the Uruguay Round and have some interesting remarks
about it. There are two of them that seemed to me as interesting. The first one
states that major achievements in the Uruguay Round need not to be by further
liberalization of trade, but by the very fact that such a round reassured the
already given promise not to return to protectionism (231). As for instance
Japan was fearing "new protective barriers that might be otherwise wise set up
against Japan" if the round was not held (69). The second one was to show how
the areas in which the round was to seek further liberalization were divide into
two; categories: the first include services, intellectual property, and
investment, while the second included agriculture and textiles. He remarked that
developed countries agreed to liberalize the second category as to encourage
developing countries to liberalize the first category (68).
Another topic, that he was to view, was the effect on the relation
between global trade and its effects on the environment. He was optimistic about
the future of environment with further trade growth. He saw that economic growth
may be linked to more pollution problems, but this might be the case at first,
as the more the countries get more developed, the more they take better
"environment friendly" measures. Furthermore, he was to argue that there are
"two types of environmental damage: local reversible and global irreversible"
(210). He thought that no tough measures were needed to be taken against
countries engaged in the first kind as it did no harm to the rest of the world
and as it could be "repaired later. While he encouraged taking tough measures
against the later. He added that in case that a country may led to environmental
damage, only then economic sanctions or other measures could be legitimate if
peaceful means failed (211). His overall handling of the environmental issue was
well put except for some details, as he gave no clear enough guides to
differentiate between what is local reversible and what is global irreversible.
The author was to handle some major issues concerning global trade and
its prospects. However, as it seems to me it was to give little concern to some
major issues. For example, he failed to look at the North/South relations, as it
seems that the fact that the gap between the rich and the poor increased. Also,
poverty, huge increase in the third world's population, and the lack of water in
the future may lead to problems to the world as a whole and so serious steps
must be taken to contain a forthcoming disaster. Furthermore, the author should
have taken a serious look at the South East Asian countries (the Asian Tigers)
as it seems that they might become a real economic power (possibly with Japanese
supervision) and this will have enormous consequences on global trade. China,
with its huge power and huge potential economy and market, should have got his
attention as it might be a major economic power in the near future.
Overall, the author seemed to try to give various opinions, and rarely
mark his analysis as the "right" one. However, his neglecting of some major
aspects of international trades (as the economic powers, and the North/South
relation mentioned above) did not necessarily harm the book. This was due to the
good analysis he gave to the specific issues that he covered, and his attempt to
be objective
A review of:
Cline, William R. International Economic Policy in the 1990s. Cambridge: The MIT
Press, 1994.
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At this site we maintain a list of the 5000 Largest Known Primes which is updated hourly. This list is the most important databases at The Prime Pages: a collection of research, records and results all about prime numbers. This page summarizes our information about one of these primes.
field (help)value
Description:5607 · 21376255 + 1
Verification status (*):Proven
Official Comment:
Proof-code(s): (*):L1204 : Brown1, PSieve, Srsieve, PrimeGrid, LLR
Decimal Digits:414298 (log10 is 414297.785413088)
Rank (*):6701 (digit rank is 1)
Entrance Rank (*):2261
Currently on list? (*):no
Submitted:1/28/2016 15:04:06 CDT
Last modified:1/28/2016 15:50:29 CDT
Removed (*):2/1/2019 06:52:35 CDT
Database id:120949
Status Flags:TrialDiv
Score (*):43.9274 (normalized score 0.7738)
The Top 5000 Primes is a list for proven primes only. In order to maintain the
integrity of this list, we seek to verify the primality of all submissions.
We are currently unable to check all proofs (ECPP, KP, ...), but we will at least trial
divide and PRP
check every entry before it is included in the list.
machineUsing: Xeon 4c+4c 3.5GHz
notesCommand: /home/caldwell/client/pfgw/pfgw64 -t -q"5607*2^1376255+1" 2>&1PFGW Version 184.108.40.206BIT.20130722.x86_Dev [GWNUM 27.11]Primality testing 5607*2^1376255+1 [N-1, Brillhart-Lehmer-Selfridge]Running N-1 test using base 5Calling Brillhart-Lehmer-Selfridge with factored part 100.00% 5607*2^1376255+1 is prime! (925.2709s+0.0006s)[Elapsed time: 15.42 minutes]
modified2016-04-08 12:40:26
created2016-01-28 15:11:01


text:
I have this uncle. His name is Joe. Many years ago, Uncle Joe's health took a startling turn, and he wound up in ICU in a coma. It was a somber time for his kids, as the doctors pulled them aside to talk about options. There was a point, the medical people said, where the kids would have to decide when to take him off life support.
Time crawled by; there was little change. Things did not look good, and finally, if I remember this correctly, my cousins made the tough call. It was time to disconnect the life support.
So the medical people did that.
And Uncle Joe woke up.
He recovered and went home from the hospital, and ever since then, he told me once, he celebrates a new birthday: the day he woke up from that coma, not the day he was born.
I have this friend. She's one of the bravest, strongest, giving-est people I know. We all met up for our annual Christmas dinner last month, this year in a wonderful restaurant in Columbus: amazing food, wonderful friends, rich, funny talk that swirled and hugged us. We had the best time.
What we didn't know until a few weeks later, when she texted us, was that our wonderful friend had, just days before, been diagnosed with cancer. She hadn't wanted to spoil our celebration; she didn't want to darken our holidays. So she waited until after to tell us that jarring news.
There was hopeful news, too; that surgery might well get it all, and that only radiation might be needed as follow up therapy. We are, all of us, connected in a web of prayer and hope, groping to figure out the best way to be a friend to a strong, proud woman who has mighty supporters by her side.
I just keep thinking about that day at the restaurant, about the real joy on her face at seeing everyone.
Connie, my fit-bit, continues to push. I will steal an hour for reading time, and she'll nudge me after thirty minutes. 'Want to stroll?' she'll ask. Or, 'Only fifty more steps to 250 this hour!' she'll remind me.
Yesterday, I had a work-at-the-computer, go-to-meeting kind of day. I found myself walking around the block last night at 9:15, getting my final steps in so I'd reach my daily goal. I am not sure what Connie would say to me if I let her down on that.
Today, I decided to forestall her by getting a lot of steps in early. So I laced up my sneakers, pulled on my tomato-red coat, and wrapped my hand-knit, scrappy scarf tightly around my neck. It's COLD outside.
And I set out for a walk.
The sun was shining in a sky only lightly scudded with puffy white clouds, and barely a dust of snow remained. The day was open and clear and free. I stepped around frozen puddles and navigated by manic squirrels. I laughed when unwieldy crows decided they really would have to flap themselves away: apparently, I wasn't thinking about yielding the sidewalk to them.
There were some runners out, and a few other walkers, and nice people in cars stopped and waved me across the streets I have to cross.
A bright day, crisp and cold and champagne-clear air. It felt good to swing my arms and stretch my legs.
But there in the back of my mind was this nagging thought: it may LOOK nice out, but weather is brewing. Storm is coming. Tomorrow, I thought, I probably won't be able to stride along happily. Tomorrow the snow will fall, despite today's cheerful weather.
Things aren't always the way they look.
I have this other friend. She is also brave and true, and she has been in my life for a long, long time. We were girls together, sweet, silly girls who didn't know how that life-tumbler arranges to sand down our sharp edges, to polish our facets, to mold us into the people we need to be to meet the challenges we never expected to face.
One of the joys of my life is that, although our paths diverged, we reconnected several years ago, and have grown closer now than we ever were as girls.
This other friend went in for a kind of routine check-up yesterday and got news she never expected to hear. Devastating news, although all the reports are not yet in.
That news rides with me, lodges in the back of my neck, aches like a nasty infection. So how must that news bear down on my very dear friend and the people who love her best?
My younger brother Sean texted this week. Uncle Joe was in ICU, he said. He wasn't sure what was going on, but it didn't look too good. In fact, it looked damned serious.
That message came when it was approaching ten o'clock one night.
The next day, Sean texted a photo. Uncle Joe was sitting in bed, grinning. He was holding the hand of a pretty young nurse, and she was grinning, too.
Once again, despite all appearances, he'd rallied.
I needed two thousand more steps to satisfy my hungry fit-bit, so later this afternoon, before I drove James to his book club, I went out, again, for a walk. The sky was milky now, thick with clouds. Six deer were in the street; they stared me down for a minute, and then flicked their tails at me and bounded for the woods.
I wondered why they were out in force in the middle of the day, and I wondered if they sensed, somehow, the storm to come.
And I thought of my valiant friends, and my indomitable uncle, and I thought that all I know is that I DON'T know. Things might look great, but there are no guarantees. Things might look bad, but they won't necessarily stay that way.
What I need to do, I decided, is to stop taking things for granted. I need to cherish this time, and the people put here to share it with me.