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Over the past fortnight, Johanna has failed at multi-tasking but succeeded at tattooing a dog.
Johanna Basford is on a four-month sabbatical from paid work to concentrate on making herself a better artist, illustrator and all-round creative person.
Every week Johanna aims to publish a diary entry, which we'll be running on Digital Arts so you can follow the ups and downs – hopefully mainly ups – as she pushes her creativity and vision into new areas.
Weeks 5 and 6
I've had my suspicions for some time now that a blip in the space time continuum runs directly through my studio. This has various effects, the most noticeable being the loss of vast chunks of day. Recent events have strengthened my theory.
Weeks five and six tumbled past in a heartbeat.
My book pile (below) sits untouched – a monument to good intentions and unachievable reading goals. The tower of unopened volumes only disheartened me, so I've hidden them from view for a few weeks and resolved to focus on making things for a while.
This decision to streamline my concentration has forced a guilty confession: I'm a rubbish multi-tasker.
I know. I'm a traitor to my gender, my generation, possibly humanity as a whole – but as much as I'd like to be able to simultaneously read a book, create artwork, research an idea and prepare a presentation – I can't.
Or more importantly, I perhaps could, but they'd stink.
As a concept, multi-tasking is pretty flawed. I think it must be like dating lots of different people at the same time: lots of dinners and movies, but not a single meaningful relationship. With multi-tasking, you're pretty darn busy – but are you really doing your best work?
Why do we celebrate the inability to focus? Why does flitting between jobs – never fully committing yourself to one – warrant commending?
Say you're doing three things at once, surely each of these are only a third as good as they could be? It makes no sense. For this reason, I would like to publicly denounce the silliness that is multi-tasking and declare that I will no longer buy into this conspiracy.
Instead I'll channel every ounce of concentration, skill, effort and passion I can muster into one job at a time.
I'll make it amazing. I'll make it my best work.
From now on, I'll mono-task.
Over the past two weeks, I have completed my cuckoo clock collection, then moved on to working solidly on drawing tattoos on a puppy.
The artwork for the clock is all ready to be silk screen printed and fitted with mechanisms.
With this finished, I worked solidly for a few days on the first of my tattooed bodies. Posca Pup is a white Weimaraner mannequin that I've been hand embellishing with inky floral tattoos (don't panic, his tail is added separately – he hasn't been docked).
I've got three bodies to tattoo, the dog and his two human companions. The male's body art is going to be loosely inspired by sailor tattoos whilst the female's will take queues from baroque textiles and costume jewellery.
Once caught up in the detailing, I seem to fall into a trance-like workflow – an inky bubble. It's as close to meditation as I've experienced and it produces some of my best work.
It's why mono-tasking works.


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Yesterday I had a vivid, cinematic dream in which I was more viewer than participant.
It began with a montage of old sepia toned film clips-- one of which featured a lion tamer on stilts in a darkened circus ring. The tamer has his back to the lioness. He loses his balance and begins stumbling backwards towards the lion, sitting calmly on her pedestal. In a flash the lioness lashes out her paws, swiftly and effortlessly snapping the tamer's neck before he even realizes he's fallen within her grasp.
The montage stops. A new scene opens on a wide expanse of green field. I am outside, it is warm and bright under the midday sun. In the distance, I see a lion in the field. Slowly, the camera pulls out, revealing a tall chain link fence enclosing this field. The camera pans along the fence perimeter. A figure is standing on the outside of the enclosure. It is an aged (but not ancient) buddhist monk, clad in saffron robes. He is expressionless, yet somehow comforting. The camera pans to his left, and I see that directly in front of where he is standing, the chain link fence is broken in a four-foot gap of twisted metal. I gasp. Instantly I realize there is NOTHING separating the lion in the field and this solitary monk. I scream inside my head: "RUN! RUN! GET AWAY FROM THERE!" In my mind I envision the distant lion bounding towards the man. I panic. Can't he see the fence is compromised?? Why isn't he running away??? Yet the monk stares back at me, unconcerned.
Calmly and slowly he walks away from the fence towards some grass nearby. I'm overwhelmed with anticipation that any second that lion will emerge and there will be nothing to stop what may come. But the monk carries on, seemingly oblivious to the impending danger.
He takes out a deep blue blanket and lays it on the grass.
The final scene of the dream is in the form of an illustration, as if from a book.
White background. Birds eye view of the blue blanket and the peacefully sleeping monk. Curled up beside him is the sleeping lion (which has become a tiger). Together they are Yin and Yang.
I awake, the image lingering in my mind's eye.
This dream is so odd. So abstract and yet specific. I can't shake the feeling that it is trying to tell me something-- that encoded within the imagery and loose narrative is a message I need to hear.
The message I have found is this:
The monk was not unafraid. He knew the natural danger and threat presented by the lion and the faulty fence. But he also knew he could not control what may or may not happen to him. He acknowledges the existence of his fear, but behaves despite it. In so doing, he has mastered his fear and attained inner peace.
Only by accepting the existence of lions (or tigers) in our world can we find peace within it, and within ourselves.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mission Statement
WORLD ORPHANS is a non-profit Christian charity committed to the rescue of millions of orphaned and abandoned children, the strengthening of thousands of indigenous churches, and the impacting of hundreds of communities with the love of Christ... through orphan prevention programs and the construction, start-up, and ongoing support of church-based, family-style children\'s homes in the developing world.
Overview of Ministry Activity
PROBLEM: 140 million + orphans in the world today
PROBLEM: 100 million + street children
SOLUTION: Hundreds of thousands of churches positioned among these children to rescue and care for them
ACTION: Match churches here with churches there to better resource and equip indigenous churches for the task
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Pray. Serve. Give. Go. Spread the word.


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Originally uploaded by mappamundi.
mappamundi shared this in the camera toss photo pool recently and it is an excellent example of something I have been meaning to expound on a little...
...of aesthetics and physics
Are there aesthetics that almost every human can appreciate? Certainly many believe so. A good example is the "Golden Ratio" and how it crops up everywhere in nature and man made design (see Golden Ratio Aesthetics and Golden Ratio on Wikipedia).
Personally I believe we do have some pre defined sense of aesthetics that relates to how our world looks and behaves. We have individual higher aesthetics beyond that, but there seems to be some base which we start from. It's a natural sense, something we have aquired just by existing and absorbing our world. Physics, including the physics of a thrown object, seem to me to fall firmly inside that realm. And when that flying object is capable of recording that motion visually... the result is capable of triggering those natural aesthetics in the viewer.
Obviously there are other ways to achieve photography that speaks to our natural aesthetic sense, but throwing your camera seems to almost force you to do it.
As mappamundi has achieved with this photo, throwing a camera near an unnatural subject, has produced a very natural looking image. A picture of physics. A picture that some, myself included, will consider beautiful. Beautiful for the same reasons that I enjoy images of outer space, watching reeds moving in the wind, curls of smoke rising, cloud formations, and leaves spiraling as they fall.
Some more unnatural pictures of nature, my own, part of the reason why it's been on my mind:
Assorted examples by clickykbd.


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Cufflink with Diamond & Blue Sapphire
by Shilpee Nagota on Sep.24, 2009, under Jewelry Designs
:Blue Sapphire, Cufflink, Diamond, White Gold, Yellow Gold
- Product name :- Cuff-link
- Style of Jewelry :- Geometrical
- Metals used :- White Gold , Yellow Gold
- Settings used :- Prong in Diamonds and Bezel in Blue Sapphire.
- Stones used :- Diamond and Blue Sapphire.
To know more about us please visit www.nagotacreations.com
You might be interested in:
- Tie Pin with Blue Sapphire and Diamonds in White & Yellow Gold
- White Gold – Pendant Set with Gorgeous Blue Sapphire & Diamonds
- Unique & Beautiful White Gold Pendant with Diamonds and Blue Sapphire
- White Gold – Pendant Set with Gorgeous Combination of Ruby, Diamond and Blue Sapphire
- Yellow Gold Pendant with Unique Combination of Blue Sapphire, Peridot and Diamonds
Related Reading:
1 Comment for this entry
January 21st, 2010 on 11:45 pm
That is a really nice cuff link, a lot of people are now starting to put on cuff links on their outfit. It is something which is in trend right now.


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You know, that's a little scary. The possibility that circumstances might come about which would make finding or downloading the Add-on unlikely or difficult.
That in mind, I'm hosting a copy of the file too, now. You can download it from:
So between this, the attachment uploaded into this thread, and the original hosting site, the E-COMIC SUPPORT add-on should stay within reach of those that would like to use it for quite some time.


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كيف تقومين بعملية الإجهاض عن طريق الحبوب؟
الطريقة الأفضل والأكثر أمانا لقيام المرأة بعملية إجهاض بنفسها حتى الأسبوع الثاني عشر من الحمل هو عن طريق استخدام اثنين من الأدوية تسمى: ميفيبريستون و المعروف أيضا (بحبوب الإجهاض أر يو 486،… Read more »
Diesel for Women
Women on Waves designed a hoax campaign "Diesel for Women" to expose the violations of women's rights that take place in the garment industry. The hoax is a parody on the PR campaigns and the reluctance to address human rights by the fashion industry in general and Diesel in particular. Read more »
إرشادات الإجهاض تثير ضجة على الفيس بوك
www.rnw.nl/arabic/article/580445 Read more »
Safe Abortion Hotline Indonesia 2011
More than 130 people participate in flashmob in Jogjakarta to launch safe abortion hotline.
Read more »
Venezuela Safe Abortion Hotline Launched, May 2011
On May 18th, a safe abortion hotline was launched at the Nuevo Circo in Caracas, with acrobatics performances and a banner-hang off the building by feminist activists in Venezuela. The hotline offers scientific and reliable information about how women can safely use misoprostol to have an abortion… Read more »
Misoprostol hotline Pakistan, June 2010
A new hotline has been launched in Pakistan that gives information about how women can use the medication misoprostol to have a safe abortion, or to prevent dangerous hemorrhaging after giving birth. Every year 30.000 women die from pregnancy related causes in Pakistan. The use of misoprostol by… Read more »
Here you will find many valuable resources. If you click on a country in the country map, you will get information about the brand of misoprostol that is sold, current abortion laws, and other information. Furthermore you can download our original training manual. This training manual covers… Read more »
Safe abortion hotline Peru, May 2010
Website http://abortoinfosegura.com/blog/ Read more »
Break The Silence
You can help support abortion rights and help break the taboo around abortion. Please go to Women on Web to show your face and share your story. Or donate money to help other women around the world to get safe abortion. If you live in a country where there is no access to safe abortion services and… Read more »
Safe birth with Misoprostol
Heavy bleeding after giving birth (Postpartum hemorrhage, PPH) is one of the main causes of women's death after giving birth (25%). 14 million women experience bleeding after birth annually. In other words: 1 in 10 women will have PPH after giving birth and of 1 of each 100 women who have PPH will… Read more »
Aan het College van Procureurs-Generaal en Minister van Justitie Hirsch Ballin
DD 5 DECEMBER 2009. HET OPENBAAR MINISTERIE HEEFT BESLOTEN MEVROUW IB NIET TE VERVOLGEN VANWEGE HAAR PERSOONLIJKE OMSTANDIGHEDEN. HET OPENBAAR MINISTERIE BLIJFT ER WEL BIJ DAT ZE SCHULDIG IS EN MET DIT STANDPUNT BLIJFT HET MOGELIJK IN DE TOEKOMST WEER VROUWEN TE VERVOLGEN VOOR EEN LATE ABORTUS. Read more »


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Thursday, December 20, 2007
A Milestone
Sometime today, while I was out giving away free resumes, we had our 10,000th visit. Looks like it was from Beacon, New York. Thanks. I know it's a small milestone, but it does give me a warm feeling.
3 comments:
- ellroon said...
Whoowhoooo! /throws confetti Congrats!
- December 20, 2007 at 10:22 PM
Congrats, Gang!!!!
I love these kinds of milestones. It's a celebration of connection.
- December 21, 2007 at 4:28 PM
- Mauigirl said...
Congratulations, Pygalgia!
- December 21, 2007 at 9:12 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Ten Strategies For Being A Great Dad
- Go on regular 'Dad dates' with NOANOK – No Other Adults, No Other Kids.
- Plan a one-on-one 'Dad trip' – be intentional about spending time with them.
- Be creative about making time with them. One day a week a walk to school, ice cream on a Friday, a bike ride.
- Help them understand they are special by focusing on their unique qualities.
- Practise listening not solving or judging. Just Listen.
- Talk about values like trust, honesty, integrity, showing respect to others and generosity to the poor.
- Acknowledge drug use and peer pressure to them. Teach them handy phrases to use as a 'get out clause' (Scary this one – see additional note*).
- Be involved in their education – take them to interesting places, help with homework and get to know the teachers.
- Instill confidence by telling them that they are beautiful on the inside.
- Treat all women with respect especially her Mother – she is listening.
- You can read more and find many resources for helping dads at www.thefatheringproject.org
We don't see why these just apply to just fathers and daughters as we think that they can equally apply to mothers and daughters and fathers and sons too.
*Teaching them a Get Out Clause
Biddulph recommends teaching your children some clever strategies to get out of uncomfortable situations such as being offered alcohol or drugs in a group situation or when the peer pressure is on.
"Sorry I have sport tomorrow, have to get up really early, don't feel that well actually" can help them to pass on the situation.
Taken from 10 THINGS GIRLS NEED MOST to grow up Strong and Free by Steve Biddulph, published by Thornsons, Harper Collins £16.99. For more from Steve Biddulph see Miss Manners.
Check out The Fathering Project.org
The Fathering Project isn't for those Dads who feel overwhelmed or that they are not doing a good job. It is for each and very Dad. It seeks to show Fathers their significance and importance to their kids and provide them with useful tips to raise and develop children; the future of our society.


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The project, which will be located in Wayne County, northeast Nebraska, is set to come online in 2013.
Nordex will supply 48 N100/2500 turbines, which are designed for low wind speed areas.
Nordex Vice President of Project Development Josef Fonio said: "Nordex assists wind project developers from an early stage with both technical expertise and financing.
"Our experience in strategic partnering and our resources improve the potential of promising projects like Way Wind.
"The turbines would be built at the company's recently completed production facility in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Nordex has increased its activity in North America over the last year, winning a number of US contracts including one for a 300MW community project.
In March, Nordex appointed former Alstom sales director Dany St-Pierre as vice-president sales.


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NVIDIA GeForce 8200 Preview - Palit N78S (Page 1)
As of the last year and a half it's all been Intel's time to shine. Intel has really put a lot in on Core 2 architecture, and even its updated cores like Penryn haven't disappointed, not to mention we've also seen excellent chipsets coming left and right for it; but what about the jolly green giant AMD? It's easy to have forgotten what they've been up to recently.
While Intel does have the most powerful CPUs available on the market, we can't forget the main reason behind the Intel Core architecture, that being K8 architecture that sent Intel into a tail spin and threw them off the top of the hill. By no means is AMD dead though; Athlon 64 X2s still provide good bang for the dollar value, and while Phenom hasn't shown up to be crash hot just yet, its price and performance seem to be right in the mainstream contention.
To that end we have to wonder where are the chipsets for this platform? - Phenom comes with the new Hyper Transport 3.0 protocol along with support for higher memory frequencies on the DDR2 platform, but so far only AMD's own 790FX Series chipsets have made their way into the market; that is till now!
Since AMD acquired ATI to do its chipset bidding, we haven't seen much from NVIDIA for the Athlon 64 and Phenom platforms. The first new generation chipset designed by NVIDIA to support the Phenom and Athlon 64 processors has arrived; codenamed the MCP78, it has officially been given the name "GeForce 8200".
Our first board is from Palit who have sent us over their first production motherboard based on the MCP78 for previewing. How will the new chipset fair compared to the 690G? Let's have a closer look.
Last updated: Apr 7, 2020 at 12:26 pm CDT
PRICING: You can find products similar to this one for sale below.
United States: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com
United Kingdom: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.co.uk
Australia: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com.au
Canada: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.ca
Deutschland: Finde andere Technik- und Computerprodukte wie dieses auf Amazon.de
- Page 1 [Introduction]
- Page 2 [Specifications]
- Page 3 [The Box and What's Inside]
- Page 4 [The Motherboard and Hybrid SLI]
- Page 5 [Test System Setup and Memory Performance]
- Page 6 [Benchmarks - PCMark05]
- Page 7 [Benchmarks - Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0]
- Page 8 [Benchmarks - HDD Performance]
- Page 9 [Benchmarks - 3DMark06]
- Page 10 [Benchmarks - Prey]
- Page 11 [Benchmarks - Battlefield 2142]
- Page 12 [Benchmarks - Far Cry]
- Page 13 [Power Consumption Tests]
- Page 14 [Final Thoughts]


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Microsoft Developing Software to Create 3D Image From Your PhotosMarch 25, 2011 No Comments
Microsoft is constantly working on new things. One of the latest things that we are hearing about is an application that takes your cell phone pictures and uses them to create a photo 3D model of your subject(all angle picture). The pictures have to be taken from different viewpoints in order to get all angles for the model to be created. Microsoft has created a plugin for browsers so that anyone can view the 3D pictures. This could be a revolutionary new technology. Just think of what this could do for Ebay and car dealerships. This is one of the most interesting new things I have heard of.


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Sailing for Adventure!
Board your ship and explore a massive online world, full of towns, monsters, and treasure. Grab your sword and fight alongside friends in your quest for riches and glory.
Beta signup:
Want to be notified when closed Beta testing begins for Arcane Waters? Submit your email above, and we'll contact you when testing phases begin!


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PORT TOWNSEND — Fort Worden's parade grounds will be filled with games, music, vendors and food today, as well as 3,000 or so adults and little ones gathering to experience The Old School 4th of July, Port Townsend-style.
The events begin at 4 p.m. and end when all the fireworks are launched from the beach, beginning at 10 p.m. An additional 2,000 revelers are expected to arrive to view the show.
Everyone enjoys a big community event like this, but it takes a lot of management, coordination and a small village of people to make it happen.
Danny Milholland and his company, Thunderbull Productions, is behind the fun.
"This is the fourth year for this event," Milholland said. "The past three have been in conjunction with the Jefferson County Chamber. This year, they handed it over to me, so I'm the event manager."
His team is composed of several paid staff and 40 volunteers that help out during the event throughout the day. Prior to the event, he has a dozen or so "helpers" that hang banners and signage and do other tasks.
Milholland said what's makes this event work so well is the community collaboration.
"It not just a nod of support or financial support, it's active support, too. People are physically on the ground working to make this happen," he said. "Government, nonprofit, business, community members — it's a symphony of collaboration."
"East Jefferson Fire-Rescue is an active partner. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office secures the perimeter of the area where the fireworks will be with their boat out there. Washington State Parks does a lot of traffic control inside the park. Port Townsend Police Department does traffic control outside the park for the mass exodus at the end of the night."
He said the bleachers were donated by the Little League and were delivered by Fort Worden PDA. The Sea Scouts helped with creating the parking area, and the fencing was borrowed from the Rhododendron Festival Association.
Milholland said the sanicans are pretty special this year.
"It's the first time Good Man Sanitation's mobile trailer has ever been used, so this is a trial run for that particular unit," he said. "Also, the Jefferson County PUD and Good Man have teamed up to completely fund the cost of sanitation, which is about $2,000. There are 14 cans on site and two are ADA accessible. We have two hand wash stations, with five nozzles. Sanicans are stationed on the beach, on the parade grounds, and there are a couple for vendors and staff."
Milholland said so many fun events that take place throughout the day are fan favorites.
"The Tug O' War is one of the epic moments during the day. I always enjoy the events where I don't know what to expect, like a walnut sack race and hoop-jousting. Those are two new events that I'm excited to see how they will happen."
"Ultimately I want people to have a great time and feel a sense of community and be safe. Feel connected to a strong sense of community which is built into the essence of the event. All these collaborations strengthen the relationships we have in the community, having everyone talking to each other and working together.
"It all contributes to our cool community having a good time."
Milholland points out that everyone leaves pretty much at the same time at the end of the night.
"We have a very robust exodus plan that we've been cultivating over the past few years and it's pretty smooth and pretty painless. Everyone is completely clear from the park within an hour."
"I'm keeping track of all of the moving parts of the event," he said. "It's a lot. I love Excel spreadsheets … they are my friends."
Milholland is looking forward to welcoming people to Port Townsend's big party.
"I'm like Uncle Sam, Jefferson County-style," he said.
Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Jeannie McMacken can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at [email protected].


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Chronodrop-Smart Watch by Beomjun Sohn
Beomjun Sohn Presents The Chronodrop Smart Watch
Beomjun Sohn, the project leader of the awarded project CHRONODROP by Beomjun Sohn demonstrates, The CHRONODROP is a Smartwatch inspired from a drop of water and the Confucian aphorism "Time flows away like the water in the river". He thought that every single moment would be compared to tiny droplet of water. It centers around a droplet-shaped minute hand, surrounded by LED hour hand and a circular display. It incorporates a simple UI that can perform tasks and adopts a novel interface that involves the usage of the droplet minute hand as a pointer, a method that has never been seen before. Also, to repeat the water imagery, it incorporates the droplet design in the strap button..
Chronodrop-Smart Watch by Beomjun Sohn Images:
End of the article, click here to go back to previous page, or alternatively go back to Design Portfolios homepage.


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Trucking companies see hiring a driver that is OSHA certified to operate a Forklift as a huge plus. This can allow you to load your own truck load which cuts down on potential costs for the company. This also allows you to potentially work in the warehouse when delivery orders are slow. This all equals better JOB SECURITY.
Enter answer here


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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle & Caffeinate
In celebration of Earth Day, try our best tips and tricks for reusing coffee grounds, Chameleon bottles and switching to sustainable brewing methods.
Chameleon's mission of sustainable farming and ethical sourcing remains a top priority in our pursuit to brew bold coffee, but we know loving the Earth doesn't have to stop there. Recycling and repurposing Chameleon Cold-Brew bottles, reusing Chameleon Cold-Brew coffee grounds and reducing waste with coffee compost can help keep the Earth healthy for many more days to come. Check out some of our favorite ways to reduce waste while staying caffeinated.
Practice self-care and reuse your Chameleon Cold-Brew coffee grounds with this Coconut Coffee Scrub. Use coarsely ground Chameleon Cold-Brew Whole Bean Coffee for a lightly textured and bold-smelling scrub to be stored sealed in the fridge or bathroom.
3⁄4 cup coarsely ground coffee
1 1⁄2 cups epsom salt
3⁄4 cup unrefined coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract (or couple drops of essential oil)
jar and spoon
1. Combine Epsom salt and coffee in a bowl.
2. Add your unrefined coconut oil to the salt and coffee mixture, and stir together.
3. Finally, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract (or a few drops of essential oil) and stir well.
While we always recommend recycling empty Concentrate and Cold Brew On-The-Go glass bottles, we've been inspired by our fans to find creative ways of reusing the bottles or making a new creation! Use Concentrate bottles to hold homemade smoothies or fruit-infused water, or store your snacks in an empty Ready to Enjoy bottle.
Try our favorite DIY Chameleon Bottle projects, including a bird feeder, succulent holder, tabletop tiki torch and a lamp, and follow the instructions in our blog.
Utilize used Chameleon Cold-Brew coffee grounds in the garden with a coffee fertilizer mix perfect for acid-loving plants like roses, hydrangeas, and Camilla's. It's as simple as working them into the soil near the base of these plants for extra nourishment. The addition of coffee grounds into the fertilizer will help attract earthworms and improve aeration and water retention.
Coffee grounds can also be added to your compost pile and will boost nitrogen levels to help bacteria breakdown food and other items into compost. This way your composting efforts will become more effective and your leftover coffee grounds will stay out of the landfills.
Show us how you reduce, reuse and recycle with Chameleon Cold-Brew by tagging us on Instagram using #ChameleonColdBrew. Find more inspiration and ideas for using and recycling Chameleon Cold-Brew on our website.


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Katrin Kleemann is a doctoral candidate at the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society at the LMU Munich in Germany, where she studies environmental history and geology. In her dissertation she studies the impacts of the Icelandic Laki fissure eruption of 1783 on the northern hemisphere.
The Laki fissure eruption is a fascinating research object as it is not a cone shaped volcano but a 27 kilometer long fissure in Iceland's remote highlands that produced the largest amount of lava in the last millennium during its eight months of activity. In Iceland the eruption caused a famine, which killed about a fifth of the population. Mainland Europe saw many extraordinary natural phenomena during 1783: a heatwave in the summer, followed by three severely cold winters, numerous thunderstorms, earthquakes, but most notably a veil of dust, which lasted for two to three months and had a sulfuric odor. While the population of Europe bore witness to this unusual haze, outside of Iceland it was unknown that a volcanic eruption was taking place. In the spirit of the Enlightenment contemporaries speculated about the cause of the haze and tried to explain the unusual natural phenomena of their time with reason. They developed several theories on what could have caused the unusual weather and natural phenomena.
Katrin holds a Master's degree from the Freie Universität Berlin in early modern history and a Bachelor's degree from the Christian-Albrechts-Universität of Kiel in history and cultural anthropology. Now she is pursuing her doctoral research at the Rachel Carson Center in Munich, where she is enrolled in a structured PhD program, the RCC offers an international and interdisciplinary environment that allows her to combine studies of history as well as geology.
As of January 2018, Katrin is a recipient of a fellowship (Promotionsstipendium) of the Andrea von Braun Foundation. From 2015 until 2017, Katrin was a research associate at the Environment & Society Portal, where she served as Arcadia's managing editor and coordinated the Virtual Exhibitions, two peer-reviewed born-digital journals for the environmental humanities. She is the social media editor for the Climate History Network and HistoricalClimatology.com. Moreover Katrin works as a freelance translator and German teacher.
To get in touch, please send an email.
Image source: Visiting Taormina in Sicily in June 2016, in the background you can see Mount Etna. Photo taken by Jack Walsh, all rights reserved.


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Stress CMR Imaging Observation Unit in the Emergency Department Reduces 1-Year Medical Care Costs in Patients With Acute Chest PainA Randomized Study for Comparison With Inpatient Care
Author + information
- Received December 20, 2010
- Revision received March 4, 2011
- Accepted April 18, 2011
- Published online August 1, 2011.
Author Information
- Chadwick D. Miller, MD, MS⁎,⁎ (cmiller{at}wfubmc.edu),
- Wenke Hwang, PhD†,
- Doug Case, PhD‡,
- James W. Hoekstra, MD⁎,
- Cedric Lefebvre, MD⁎,
- Howard Blumstein, MD⁎,
- Craig A. Hamilton, PhD§,
- Erin N. Harper, BS⁎ and
- W. Gregory Hundley, MD‖,¶
- ↵⁎Reprint request and correspondence:
Dr. Chadwick D. Miller, Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27357
An abstract of this work was presented at ACC.11/i2 Summit in New Orleans in April 2011.
Objectives This study sought to compare the direct cost of medical care and clinical events during the first year after patients with intermediate risk acute chest pain were randomized to stress cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) observation unit (OU) testing versus inpatient care.
Background In a recent study, randomization to OU-CMR reduced median index hospitalization cost compared with the cost of inpatient care in patients presenting to the emergency department with intermediate risk acute chest pain.
Methods Emergency department patients with intermediate risk chest pain were randomized to OU-CMR (OU care, cardiac markers, stress CMR) or inpatient care (admission, care per admitting provider). This analysis reports the direct cost of cardiac-related care and clinical outcomes (myocardial infarction, revascularization, cardiovascular death) during the first year of follow-up subsequent to discharge. Consistent with health economics literature, provider cost was calculated from work-related relative value units using the Medicare conversion factor; facility charges were converted to cost using departmental-specific cost-to-charge ratios. Linear models were used to compare cost accumulation among study groups.
Results We included 109 randomized subjects in this analysis (52 OU-CMR, 57 inpatient care). The median age was 56 years; baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. At 1 year, 6% of OU-CMR and 9% of inpatient care participants experienced a major cardiac event (p = 0.72) with 1 patient in each group experiencing a cardiac event after discharge. First-year cardiac-related costs were significantly lower for participants randomized to OU-CMR than for participants receiving inpatient care (geometric mean = $3,101 vs. $4,742 including the index visit [p = 0.004] and $29 vs. $152 following discharge [p = 0.012]). During the year following randomization, 6% of OU-CMR and 9% of inpatient care participants experienced a major cardiac event (p = 0.72).
Conclusions An OU-CMR strategy reduces cardiac-related costs of medical care during the index visit and over the first year subsequent to discharge, without an observed increase in major cardiac events. (Cost Comparison of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging [MRI] Use in Emergency Department [ED] Patients With Chest Pain; NCT00678639)
Chest pain observation units reduce costs of the index hospital visits for patients with chest pain (1,2) and are recommended for use in the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines (3). However, patients with intermediate risk chest pain and no definite evidence for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are commonly admitted for inpatient care due to the difficulty of managing patients with prior coronary heart events, and the higher acuity of their presenting illness.
A recent randomized clinical trial in emergency department (ED) patients with intermediate risk chest pain demonstrated that observation unit (OU) care coupled with stress cardiac magnetic resonance testing (CMR) was associated with a median reduction in cost of $588 during the index hospitalization when compared the costs of inpatient hospital care (4). However, the cost of an index hospitalization may not adequately reflect resource consumption for a particular illness; also, the care delivered during the index hospitalization may influence downstream care patterns.
The objective of this study was to compare the cost of medical care, measures of resource utilization, and report the clinical outcomes in ED patients with intermediate risk acute chest pain in the year following randomization to either inpatient care or OU-CMR. We anticipated that the reduction in index hospital visit cost seen with OU-CMR would be followed by similar utilization patterns among groups after hospital discharge. We suspected that reductions seen with OU-CMR would occur without an increase in the rates of major cardiac events.
Study design
As previously described (4), we conducted a single-center randomized clinical trial. All participants provided written informed consent. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and complied with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
From January 2008 through April 2009, participants were recruited from the ED of a tertiary care referral center that has an annual volume of 96,000 visits per year and is a level 1 trauma center. The ED is staffed by board-prepared/board-certified emergency physicians supervising care provided by residents in training. The observation unit is under the direction of the ED and is staffed by nurse practitioners and physician assistants with care provided jointly with emergency physicians. Cardiovascular medicine consultation is available at the discretion of the emergency physicians.
We enrolled individuals presenting to the ED with intermediate risk acute chest pain. Intermediate risk was defined as at least an intermediate probability that the patient's symptoms were related to ACS or a TIMI (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction) risk score ≥2 calculated in the ED. Care providers were encouraged to use the ACC/AHA framework to formulate their clinical impression. Additional inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years, care provider impression that an inpatient assessment was indicated, and care provider assessment that the patient could be discharged if cardiac disease was excluded. Exclusion criteria were an initial troponin I level above the diagnostic threshold for myocardial infarction (MI), ST-segment elevation (≥1 mV) or depression (≥2 mV), contraindications to CMR, systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg, inability to lie flat, refusal of follow-up procedures, <3 months life expectancy, pregnancy, renal insufficiency (such that the estimated glomerular filtration rate was <45 ml/min), chronic liver disease, or solid organ transplant.
To find eligible participants, the study staff screened ED patients with chest pain or related symptoms from 8 am to 11 pm Monday through Thursday and 8 am to 11 am on Friday. Consented participants were then randomized to 1 of 2 study arms: OU-CMR or inpatient care. OU-CMR participants were placed into the OU, received serial cardiac markers at 4 and 8 h from the initial marker, and had orders placed for a stress CMR study. One OU-CMR participant left against medical advice prior to OU placement. Inpatient care participants were consulted for admission following standard admission practices at the study institution. Study patients were admitted to the services of cardiologists (n = 29), internists (n = 17), family medicine physicians (n = 8), with 3 leaving against medical advice prior to admission.
OU-CMR imaging protocol
Imaging in OU-CMR participants has been previously described (4) and was similar to imaging used for clinical care at the study institution. In general, imaging was conducted with a 1.5-T Siemens Magnetom Avanto system (Siemens Medical Solutions, Munich, Germany). Initial orders were placed for an adenosine CMR, which included the imaging sequences noted in Table 1. Dobutamine stress was available as an alternative in the event adenosine was contraindicated. Images were interpreted by board-certified cardiology or radiology faculty with at least level II training in CMR (5).
Outcomes and definitions
The primary outcome of this analysis is the direct cost of cardiac-related health care through 1 year after randomization. Utilization measures used to calculate cost were cardiac-related hospital admissions, cardiac procedures, and cardiac-related office visits, further defined in Table 2. If a hospitalization or office visit met the definition of cardiac-related, the entire cost of the visit was considered cardiac-related. The secondary outcome is major cardiac events, composed of MI, revascularization, and cardiovascular death.
Myocardial infarction occurring at the study institution was defined as a troponin I >1.0 ng/ml in the presence of ischemic symptoms. Troponin I was measured in the central lab using either the TnI-Ultra assay using the ADVIA Centaur platform (Siemens) or the Access AccuTnI Troponin I Assay using the dxi800s platform (Beckman Coulter, Brea, California). Patients reporting major cardiac events outside the study institution were considered to have had the event.
Data collection and outcome measurement
After randomization, patients were followed during their index hospitalization by record review. Study staff then conducted a structured record review and telephone follow-up at approximately 30 days, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after randomization. Participants reporting hospitalizations occurring at another facility that were possibly cardiac-related had those records requested from the facility and reviewed.
During each telephone follow-up, a modified version of a previously described script was used to identify potential cardiac events (6). Participants were then asked to identify all healthcare encounters during the follow-up interval, which were then categorized as an office visit, an ED visit, a hospitalization, or a procedure. These patient reports were cross-referenced to those found in the medical record at the time of the phone contact. After completion of follow-up, itemized physician and facility billing records were obtained for each participant for the year following enrollment. Billing information was then manually paired with the encounters previously identified by record review and telephone follow-up. Encounters discovered through any of the 3 methods of identifying utilization (phone, medical record review, and billing record review) and classified as cardiac-related (Table 2) were included in the primary analysis. When available, exact dates were used for each component of resource consumption. If the date was not available, the date between the last contact and event reporting was used.
Follow-up was conducted with medical record and billing record review on all participants through 1 year. In addition, telephone attempts continued through the patient's enrollment in the study regardless of the success of the prior attempt. Follow-up time was included through 1 year for those patients with more than 1 year of follow-up. For those patients who could not be contacted at 1 year, we used data through the longer of either the last telephone contact or when telephone and medical records (including billing records) no longer demonstrated accumulation of cardiac-related services.
Cost comprised 2 elements: provider and facility cost. Provider cost was calculated by obtaining work-related relative value units associated with each charge and converting to dollars using the Medicare conversion factor. Facility cost was determined by applying to each charge the departmental-specific cost to charge ratios used to file cost reports with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services annually. Costs for events occurring at other institutions (8 of 246 events) were calculated using the mean cost for similar services consumed among other study participants at the study institution.
The sample size for this study was determined to provide adequate power for assessing the effect of OU-CMR on the cost of the index hospital visit, which was the primary objective of this trial (4). A cost model was constructed to assist in estimating the possible treatment effect and the variance of the index cost was estimated from pilot data. Based on this information, it was calculated that 110 participants would provide 90% power to detect a $2,000 difference in the index hospital visit cost between study groups, allowing for an 8% attrition rate.
Data analysis
Baseline demographics and clinical outcomes were compared using Fisher exact tests for proportions; medians of continuous variables were compared using Wilcoxon rank sum tests. The primary analysis compared the first-year cardiac-related costs for patients randomized to OU-CMR with those costs for patients randomized to usual inpatient care. A year was defined as the first 360 days following discharge, allowing us to look at costs accrued over 12 equal "months" of 30 days. Linear regression was used to assess group differences in total costs and costs following discharge, unadjusted and adjusted for patient characteristics. Covariates included the 2 stratification variables (known coronary disease [Yes/No] and time of day of presentation [6 am to 3 pm or 3 pm to 6 am]), age at enrollment, sex, confirmed prior heart failure, confirmed prior MI, confirmed prior coronary revascularization, and chest pain at ED arrival. The cost data were highly skewed so log transformations were used to reduce the skewness and to stabilize the variances between groups. A small constant of 1 was added to follow-up costs so that log transformations could be used when the costs were 0. The p values for group differences in cost are based on analyses of the log-transformed data. We then divided costs up into 12 monthly periods of 30 days and repeated measures models were used to assess changes over time and to determine if the changes over time varied by group. An unstructured covariance matrix was used to account for the within-patient correlation in costs over time.
Study population, study intervention, and follow-up
Enrollment was conducted over 15 months during which 180 patients appearing to meet inclusion and exclusion criteria were approached to consent for participation in the study. Twenty-five exhibited unrecognized exclusion criteria, and 46 refused to participate in the randomization process. The remaining 109 formed the study population accounting for 110 participant encounters. One participant was enrolled twice and the second encounter was excluded from this analysis, although the costs of the second encounter are included along with the costs associated with the initial counter for that participant. This analysis included 57 participants randomized to inpatient care and 52 randomized to OU-CMR. The baseline characteristics of study participants are shown in Table 3 and are not statistically different between groups.
Of the 52 OU-CMR participants, 51 were managed in the OU and 1 left against medical advice. Stress CMR testing was conducted in 48 of 52 participants over a median scan time of 53 min. Hospital admission was avoided in 41 OU-CMR participants. In the inpatient care group, 3 of 57 left against medical advice prior to admission and the remaining 54 were admitted. Once admitted, 9 inpatient participants received stress CMR as part of their clinical evaluation, 31 received stress echocardiography, 9 received cardiac catheterization, and 10 received no stress testing or catheterization. Several patients in both groups received multiple procedures.
All patients were followed through 360 days using medical record review and billing record analysis. Follow-up information after discharge was obtained in 98% of participants through review of medical and billing records, and phone interviews designed to identify or confirm the absence of events. Phone contact at 1 year or beyond was established in 81%, each of whom contributed 360 days of information. Remaining participants contributed follow-up data up to the last date of known consumption of cardiac-related services or the last date of phone follow-up. The mean follow-up time was 320.5 days for the inpatient care participants and 309.0 for the OU-CMR participants.
Cardiac-related healthcare utilization
After discharge from the index hospital visit, 15% of OU-CMR participants experienced at least 1 cardiac-related ED visit during the subsequent year compared with 37% in the inpatient care group (p = 0.02) (Table 4). Similarly, cardiac-related hospital admissions were significantly lower in the OU-CMR group (12%) compared with 35% in the inpatient care group (p = 0.01). No differences were seen in the number of cardiac-related outpatient visits per group (p = 0.30) with 83% of participants having between 0 and 2 visits over the year.
Cardiac testing procedures by study group are displayed in Table 4. During the index visit, cardiac catheterizations were performed in 13% of the OU-CMR group compared with 16% of the inpatient care group (p = 0.79). After discharge, no difference in the rates of stress testing were detected (OU-CMR 10% vs. inpatient care 16%, p = 0.40), but the inpatient care group had a higher rate of cardiac catheterization (19% vs. 2%) in the OU-CMR group (p = 0.01). During the incident visit and the subsequent 1-year follow-up, more OU-CMR participants received stress testing (96% vs. 79%, p = 0.01), whereas fewer received cardiac catheterization (15% vs. 33%, p = 0.04).
Clinical outcomes
From randomization to completion of follow-up, 8 participants experienced 9 major cardiac events. In the OU-CMR group, 2 participants had major cardiac events during the index visit: 1 experienced an MI before CMR testing and had a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and 1 had inducible ischemia on CMR testing and received coronary artery bypass graft surgery. At follow-up, 1 additional patient had MI without revascularization. In the inpatient group, 5 participants had major cardiac events during the index hospitalization; all had PCI, 1 had MI. At follow-up, 1 of these patients had an additional PCI. There were no statistical differences among groups in the occurrence of major cardiac events.
Cardiac-related healthcare costs
The distributions of cost by study group from enrollment through 1 year are shown in Figure 1, the cumulative accrual of cost after discharge is shown in Figure 2, and the data are summarized in Table 5. Costs were remarkably variable, with overall costs ranging from $616 to $34,084 and follow-up costs ranging from $0 to $17,698. Considering all cardiac-related costs from enrollment through 360 days, the geometric mean (95% confidence interval) cost was $3,101 ($2,519 to $3,817) among OU-CMR participants and $4,742 ($3,888 to $5,783) among inpatient care participants (p = 0.004). The difference remains significant once adjustment is made for covariates (p = 0.018). In the adjusted model, prior coronary artery disease (p = 0.047), prior heart failure (p = 0.049), no prior revascularization (p = 0.029), and pain at ED arrival (p = 0.046) were associated with higher costs. When only considering the cost of care after discharge from the index hospital visit, the geometric mean cost was $29 ($11 to $74) for OU-CMR participants and $152 ($63 to $366) among inpatient care participants (p = 0.012). This difference remains significant after adjustment is made for covariates (p = 0.049). In the adjusted model, only pain at ED arrival (p = 0.024) was associated with higher costs.
We then looked at the cardiac-related costs over time in both groups. The repeated measures analysis of covariance models showed a significant time (p < 0.001) and group (p = 0.012) effect with the costs for first month being significantly higher than for the other months and the average costs for the inpatient group being higher than for the OU-CMR group. Although it appears that the biggest difference between the 2 groups occurs in the first few months following the discharge, the group × time interaction was nonsignificant (p = 0.388). The only covariate that was significantly associated with higher cost in this model was having prior heart failure (p = 0.001).
The results of this study indicate that a CMR imaging strategy can be used in an OU to reduce the cost of care for patients typically managed in the inpatient setting. The reduction in costs seen with OU-CMR during the index visit was not associated with a "rebound" increase in consumption after discharge, as would be seen if testing or interventions were being deferred from the index visit. In contrast, the OU-CMR group continued to accumulate costs at a lower rate, due to fewer cardiac-related ED visits, hospitalizations, and catheterizations. In this study, 1-year costs are lower in those randomized to OU-CMR versus an inpatient admission at the time of their presentation to the ED.
Importance of considering care after hospital discharge
Within the 1-year period after the original ED visit, one can detect health-related expenditures that may be deferred from the index visit to the outpatient arena, account for changes in behavior resulting from the care pathway, and assess differences in clinical outcomes. This has particular importance in cardiac care as a previous study (7) has shown that PCIs are associated with an increase in subsequent care utilization. Our results suggest that OU-CMR reduces follow-up costs. The source of reduced cost relates to procedures and recidivism. Both groups had similar patterns of cardiac-related outpatient visits. However, the inpatient care group experienced higher rates of cardiac-related ED visits, rehospitalizations, and cardiac catheterizations. Nearly one-third of the inpatient care group received a cardiac catheterization by the trial's end, compared with only 15% of the OU-CMR group. These findings are consistent with those reported by Farkouh et al. (1) who also reported a reduction in cardiac-related utilization associated with OU care through 6 months of follow-up.
Observation unit care in patients with non–low risk chest pain
OU care is common for patients with chest pain, but is mostly used in patients with low pre-test probability for ACS. OU care is not commonly implemented in patients with non–low risk chest pain and the utility of OU care in this population is not well understood. Only 1 other trial (1) included patients with prior coronary events and randomized patients to OU care versus inpatient care. That trial by Farkouh et al. (1) allowed a variety of testing modalities in the OU group, including exercise electrocardiogram testing, stress echo, and stress nuclear imaging. They found that the cost savings associated with OU care at 6 months was dependent on using stress electrocardiogram testing without imaging; among the patients receiving stress imaging, there was no cost benefit to OU care (8). Our findings contradict their findings in that we demonstrated cost savings with OU-CMR care through the first year after presentation. This could mean that the cost reduction results from using stress CMR rather than OU care, or perhaps it is the combination of using CMR as an imaging modality within an OU that is lowering 1-year follow-up costs.
Despite a class I endorsement by the ACC/AHA guidelines (3), the safety of OU care is not well investigated in patients with non–low risk chest pain. In the OU arm of the trial by Farkouh et al. (1), 3 of 214 patients from the OU group died within 6 months of randomization, but 0 died in the inpatient group (p = NS). The OU group also experienced a total of 6 cardiac events between 30 days and 6 months from randomization compared with 1 in the inpatient group (p = NS). In our trial, 1 patient in each group had a major cardiac event, both between 6 months and 1 year following randomization. For OU-CMR participants, this is consistent with previous analyses demonstrating the excellent long-term prognosis after a negative stress CMR (9,10). The low event rates support our underlying assertion that an OU-CMR pathway should have similar safety to inpatient care because both pathways typically incorporate serial cardiac markers and objective cardiac testing. However, a larger trial should address the safety of OU care in this population.
Mechanisms for OU-CMR reducing cost
We propose several mechanisms that could, in part, contribute to the observed differences in costs between the treatment pathways. First, patients in the OU-CMR group could have been more stringently selected for revascularization during the index visit. As a result, the increase in post-revascularization cardiac-related care occurred less often. Second, patients in the OU-CMR group may have felt more reassured, reducing their likelihood of returning to the ED. Similarly, a recent CMR exam could have influenced physician behavior after discharge when deciding whether to pursue a patient's complaint of chest pain. This mechanism could also potentially account for the dramatic difference in catheterizations after discharge. Finally, it could be that inpatient care participants established relationships with subspecialists that in turn increased the likelihood that a subspecialist procedure would be performed.
Rationale for CMR use in observation unit care
CMR was felt by this study team to be the ideal imaging modality for OU implementation. The strength of CMR rests in its ability to provide a comprehensive evaluation without ionizing radiation. The comprehensive assessment in this protocol included a T2-weighted assessment for myocardial edema that often accompanies ACS, resting left ventricular wall motion, resting and stress perfusion to identify ischemia, and delayed enhancement to identify infarcts. Through this comprehensive assessment, clinicians are readily able to distinguish new infarcts or ischemia in the setting of pre-existing infarcts, left ventricular dilation, or hypertrophy. In addition, other causes of chest pain, such as myocarditis, or other processes that simulate infarcts (e.g., Takotsubo cardiomyopathy) can be readily identified.
Study limitations
Our study has some limitations. First, the data were collected from a single center and contained a modest number of participants. Future work will require a larger sample size from other sites to determine if these findings remain valid across healthcare systems and diverse patient populations. Second, the results were obtained in the tightly controlled setting of a clinical trial. The OU-CMR intervention may have a different effect when examined outside the clinical trial context. Third, the classification of healthcare encounters as cardiac-related or not cardiac-related was conducted without the immediate knowledge of subjects' study group assignments. However, the study group assignment could have been obtained, as this step required a record review. Objective definitions were used to standardize these assessments and minimize bias; however, this represents a potential threat to internal validity. Fourth, extensive medical and financial record reviews were performed to identify events after discharge, and further, most patients were contacted at 1 year to identify additional events. However, some participants did not contribute complete information. Follow-up did not differ by group and we feel it is unlikely that this introduced systematic error. Finally, there is the possibility that patient groups were unbalanced despite randomization. We stratified the randomization scheme based on prior coronary disease to prevent this from occurring, no statistical differences in baseline data were seen among study groups, and the findings remained significant after adjusting for covariates in our cost models. However, we cannot entirely exclude the possibility that differences in study groups contributed to our results.
Early findings demonstrate that an OU-CMR strategy is an efficient management strategy for ED patients with intermediate risk chest pain, but without definite ACS. In addition to reducing the index hospital visit cost, an OU-CMR strategy continues to reduce cost after hospital discharge leading to lower total cost at 1 year compared with inpatient care. The reduction in cost after discharge was the result of fewer cardiac catheterizations, cardiac-related ED visits, and cardiac-related hospitalizations.
Dr. Hwang is now affiliated with the Division of Health Services Research, Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania. This study was supported by grants from the Translational Science Institute of Wake Forest University School of Medicine; the National Institutes of Health (1 R21 HL097131-01A1 [to Dr. Miller] and 1 R01 HL076438 [to Dr. Hundley]); and the American Heart Association (0980008N [to Dr. Miller]). Dr. Miller has received research grants from EKR Therapeutics, Johnson & Johnson/Scios Inc., Chiron Corporation, and Novartis Pharmaceuticals; research support from Siemens; and has been an expert witness for the Law Offices of Wade E. Byrd, P.A., and Lewis and Oliver. Dr. Hoekstra has received consulting fees from Sanofi-Aventis and Verathon; and has served on the advisory boards of Merck & Co. Inc., Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Daiichi Sankyo, and AstraZeneca. Dr. Hamilton has stock in/ownership of Prova, Inc. Dr. Hundley has received research support from Bracco Diagnostics; and has stock in/ownership of Prova, Inc. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose. Eike Nagel, MD, PhD, served as Guest Editor for this article.
- Abbreviations and Acronyms
- American College of Cardiology
- acute coronary syndrome
- American Heart Association
- cardiac magnetic resonance imaging
- emergency department
- myocardial infarction
- observation unit
- percutaneous coronary intervention
- Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction
- Received December 20, 2010.
- Revision received March 4, 2011.
- Accepted April 18, 2011.
- American College of Cardiology Foundation
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Thank you for taking the time to visit my website. It is an honour and a privelage to be selected as a Fine Gael candidate for Howth/Malahide in the 2014 local elections. I have very much enjoyed serving my local communnity over the past three years and would be delighted to have the opportunity to continue my work as your elected Councillor.
I would greatly appreciate your No 1 vote on May 23rd. If you have any questions or would like to speak to me about any issues you may have, I would be delighted to hear from you.


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Neurophysiology Needles and Electrodes Market Latest Report with Forecast 2017 – 2025
Neurophysiology needles and electrodes are the devices used for converting ionic energy to electric current in the body and magnify the electric current for the identification and treatment of diseases. These needles and electrodes also help record the brain and nerve activity during EEG and EMG. These processes help identify neurological diseases such as epilepsy, lateral sclerosis, amyotrophic and multiple sclerosis.
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Global neurophysiology needles and electrodes markets can be segmented on the basis of product type, by application and by geography. By product type, it can be categorized into needle electrodes, surface electrodes, and cup electrodes. The needle electrodes segment market contributed around 58% of the total market share in 2015. Application of needle electrodes is quite diverse but significant as they are very effective in delivering impulse and need to be inserted close to nerves and under the skin. Recent funding has helped vendors to develop newer and better products, which are highly effective for treating a multitude of neurological disorders. By applications, it can be fragmented into EEG, EMG, TENS and others.
The main factor that is expected to drive the needles electrodes market in the coming future is the rise in preference for disposable electrodes. For the sake of the safety of the patients in order to circumvent hospital-acquired infections, which are caused due to cross-contamination, physicians and doctors are switching to the disposable electrodes. Disposable electrodes lower the risk of hypersensitive reactions caused by chemicals and by skin preparation methods. This has surged the demand for disposable electrode among the end-user and it is anticipated to grow significantly over the next few years. This increase in the preference for disposable electrodes will foster the prospects for growth in this market until 2025.
A foremost trend that will outgrow in this market is the development of dry electrodes. Currently, many diagnostic devices that are used to diagnose neurological issues utilize traditional wet gel electrodes. However, to overcome issues like degraded signals, drying gel, and skin irritation, vendors have started developing dry electrodes. Dry electrodes are made of elastic polymer and other materials that can monitoring and record EMG and EEG signals more accurately than wet gel electrodes. For instance, a company named Cognionics has developed a dry electrode system that offers better results than the conventional electrodes. Thus, it is estimated that the ability of these systems to offer better results than the wet gel electrodes, leads to the increased adoption of this product over the next few years.
Geographically, the global neurophysiology needles and electrodes market is divided into five regions – North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. During the forecast period, the North America is projected to dominate the market of neurophysiology needles and electrodes due to the high incidence of brain disorders like Alzheimer's disease in the U.S. In this region, organizations like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have funded many studies to help in the development of newer technologies, which will help in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders like epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and ALS. Thus, the demand for neurophysiology needles and electrodes is increasing in the region due to the rising government initiatives and favorable laws. Europe is considered as the second largest market. However, the Asia Pacific market tends to grow at the highest CAGR due to factors like governmental initiatives, increased awareness, rising focus of the major players towards Asia Pacific countries in order to expand their production unit. Emerging markets with rapidly growing economies offer great opportunities for this market because of changing lifestyle coupled with increasing awareness among people.
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This market is highly consolidated and is characterized by the presence of a few key vendors. With newer vendors of small and medium-size entering the market, the major vendors are losing market shares as they are unable to offer products at low prices. To survive in this market, the vendors are implementing different strategies like the development of newer products to gain market shares. Key players involved in the market are Ambu, Blackrock Microsystems, Cognionics, Rhythmlink, Unimed Electrode Supplies. Other prominent vendors in the market include Acertys Healthcare, Biomed Products, Bionen Medical Devices, G.Tec Medical Engineering, Dymedix Diagnostics, HydroDot, Jari Electrode Supply, Optima Medical, NR Sign, and R&D Medical Electrodes.
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Life as a Lawyer
The field of law has numerous subdivisions and you can take your JD down a variety of avenues. Following are descriptions of four common types of practice: bankruptcy lawyer corporate lawyer public defender plaintiffs' counsel Bankruptcy Lawyer Bankruptcy is more than simply a series of hearings before a bankruptcy judge. It's a court–managed transactional process,


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10 US Cities Where High-Income Rentals Are Growing Fastest
Among U.S. households with more than $150,000 in annual income, the percentage of renters has been growing faster than percentage of owners. In 2010, for example, owner-occupied households grew by 0.9% compared with growth of 7% in renter-occupied households. In 2015, renter numbers rose 12.2% compared with growth of 8.3% in owner numbers.
The gap has been narrowing since 2011 when renting outpaced owning by 9.3 percentage points. The number of households earning more than $150,000 a year rose by 217% between 2005 and 2015, but the number of homeowners in that group rose by just 82%.
The data were reported earlier this week by RentCafé, a national apartment search website. The researchers noted that comparing 2014 to 2015, 12% more households with incomes of more than $150,000 chose to rent rather than buy. Only those earning less than $50,000 in annual income chose to buy rather than rent, and the margin was just 2%. In general, though, the share of renters earning less than $50,000 annually represents the largest group based on annual income.
RentCafé compiled a list of ten large U.S. cities where high-income renter-occupied housing grew fastest. In only one, Detroit, did owner-occupied housing grow at a faster rate. Here's the list of changes between 2014 and 2015, ranked by renter increase.
- Fort Worth, Texas: 77% increase in renters; 13% increase in owners
- Portland, Oregon: renters up 71%; owners up 7%
- Memphis, Tennessee: renters up 51%; owners up 8%
- Phoenix, Arizona: renters up 41%; owners up 10%
- Chicago, Illinois: renters up 36%; owners up 9%
- San Francisco, California: renters up 35%; owners up 12%
- San Jose, California: renters up 32%; owners up 12%
- Austin, Texas: renters up 31%; owners up 14%
- Charlotte, North Carolina: renters up 29%; owners up 3%
- Detroit, Michigan: renters up 29%; owners up 34%
The big increase in ownership in Detroit may be due in large part to the low home prices that continue to prevail. And the large number of high-income renters in places like San Francisco and San Jose likely testify to the sky-high prices for homes in the region.
View RentCafé's full report at the firm's website for more details


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I'm Jodi, the mom of five awesome boys, hence the name 5 Boys Baker. I am completely outnumbered at our house. . . even our dog is a boy!
I have always loved to cook and especially bake. I've been doing it as long as I can remember and never get tired of it. I learned everything I know from my awesome mom and sweet grandma. My whole family LOVES to eat. I don't think any of us have ever met a cookie, brownie, sweet roll, etc., that we didn't like. For as long as I can remember, Sunday nights have been spent around my grandma's dining room table with LOTS and LOTS of food. There was always at least a plate of veggies & dip, or some cheese & crackers, and then there was ALWAYS lots and lots of sweet treats.
I'm known as the dessert queen in my family. Whenever we have a family get together everyone always wants me to bring the dessert, and sometimes I bring more than one. I love trying new recipes, but I always love making our family's tried and true favorites.
Some fun facts about me:
- I love to run. It keeps me sane!
- I am a clean freak, I hate a messy/dirty house and especially a messy kitchen. If my kitchen is cleaned, then life is good.
- I eat peanut butter by the spoonfuls and eat peanut butter toast almost every morning.
- Chocolate is one of my food groups . . . I have it stashed throughout my house.
- I could live on breads, chocolate and raspberries.
- I am TERRIFIED of all spiders and bugs. I've been known to freak out if there is even so much as an ant crawling on me.
This food blog is a way for me to share my love of baking. So welcome to 5 Boys Baker. I hope you enjoy the ride!
My blue-eyed boys:
These are my five awesome sons! I am so lucky to be their mom. They are my greatest taste-testers I know and they never get tired of having to eat all the things I bake. These boys are the ones who deem something blog worthy (BW). They are all willing to try anything with the exception of my fourth, Braydon. He is the pickiest eater on this planet. I keep hoping he'll out grow it, but no luck so far.
They definitely make life busy, but I love every second of it.
Feel free to contact me at [email protected]


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Just wanted to wish all you Nick Cave fans a happy Grinderman concert tonight. I was at the Lollapallooza, helping mind a friend's New-Agey stand - selling rainsticks and other unusual items - when last Cave performed Vancouverwise; I'd left the stand to check out his set, and was standing reasonably close to the stage when some idiot, no doubt come to see the Beastie Boys or Green Day or such, pelted Nick with his shoe, near the end of "Your Funeral, My Trial." I missed the actual shoe-hit, but I definitely noticed Cave's abrupt exit after it happened. (I think he managed to thank the audience for listening - it would have been near the end of his set, anyhow). He was an energetic showman (tho' I recall that he sang the slightly tamer version of "Papa Won't Leave You Henry," omitting the "warm arterial spray" that I am rather fond of). If I had a ticket, a place to sleep, and the energy, I would definitely be there tonight - I can't remember exactly the last time I saw a show at the Commodore, but I suspect it was Bison BC with Three Inches of Blood and the Golers, during the summer or perhaps fall of 2009 ...alas, tonight's show is not one of those concerts I will be able to see.
Swans on February 25th, mind you... (wasn't Jim Sclavunos of Grinderman a Swan, once?*).
*Edited to add: not according to Wikipedia, he wasn't, but he WAS a member of early Lydia Lunch project 8 Eyed Spy, maybe even Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, as well as playing with Sonic Youth, The Cramps, and many other bands that matter. The project he leads, The Vanity Set, has a website here; article by Jim on Greek rebetiko music here. Hi, Jim!


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In the upside down world of Colombia, the more things remain the same, the more they change. Juan Manuel Santos has been elected President, approvingly described by the BBC and other western news media as a "safe pair of hands" to continue with the policies of the current regime of the notorious President Alvaro Uribe. Santos won almost 70% of the votes cast but it turns out that almost 60% of the Colombians did not vote and that many of them did not turn out, or cast almost half a million blank votes, as a form of protest. Coming in the week that Jose Saramago, the Portuguese novelist died, it was somewhat ironic since his novel 'Seeing' charts out how a well-set regime begins to tumble after citizens spontaneously put in blank votes.
The winning candidate is of impressive Colombian pedigree. Santos is part of a very wealthy and influential Bogotan family which owns, together with its Spanish partners, a lot of the national media. It also supplies top-range political figures from time to time. Uribe's Vice-President is a Santos, a cousin to the incoming President, who also had a great-uncle as a President from 1938-1942. Juan Manuel took some unorthodox steps in the past to get this particular office. A former Colombian President, Ernesto Samper, accused him of trying to set up deals with drug lords and even reaching out to the Left-wing FARC guerrillas in order to organise a coup against him.
That he thought of doing simultaneous deals with drug lords and Left-wing rebels should mark him out as a pragmatist. There were more signs of pragmatism like being linked to the company that oversaw the elections. And somebody must have felt charitable about him winning to organise the widespread voting fraud, ranging from having the paramilitaries threaten voters to making voters understand they would lose welfare benefits if they did not attend Santos rallies or voted improperly. Then a citizens' group found out from a random sampling that fraudulent ballot papers somehow mostly seemed to have gravitated towards Santos in the first round of polling.
But there are times when even Juan Manuel discards opportunism to stand up for beliefs – like letting the world know how proud he feels when his country is described as the Israel of Latin America. Or may be it is still pragmatism, for Colombia buys a lot of Israeli weapons, its paramilitaries received (it would still be ongoing, wouldn't it) a lot of training from Israeli officers and Colombia, like Tel-Aviv, has developed security expertise field testing its military tactics and weaponry on a hapless population.
Juan Manuel would not have been President if his predecessor, Don Uribe, had had his way. Having tweaked the country's Constitution once to allow for a second term, he was all set for another tweak when Colombia's Supreme Court decided that the constitutional amendment campaign had taken money from dubious backers and overruled the President. However, Juan Manuel publicly remains loyal to his former boss and promises to carry forward his policies. This is what some of Uribe's achievements, the little eggs, as Uribe put it, that Santos would like to guard well:
Almost half of Colombians are poor and seven million live in extreme poverty. Colombia has the largest number of internally displaced persons after Sudan, something approaching 10% of its population. Farmers are driven off their land by the paramilitaries, their land is then handed over to large agro-businesses and government funds meant for small farmers are diverted to these large corporations. Neat. Unemployment is something like 13% and in some cities it approaches 20%. Four out of five Colombians lucky to work are not lucky enough to earn the minimum wage. So some take to smuggling drugs. Something like eleven million Colombians or 58% of the workforce is in informal employment. The services sector accounts for a disproportionately large number of jobs. School dropout is endemic. The public health system recently came close to collapse and is still infirm. Of the 102-odd aboriginal groups, something like 32 of them are in the danger of disappearing. Forty trade unionists were killed last year; this year the figure has already reached 31. Nevertheless military spending will approach 5.6% of the GDP this year. Colombia is the second largest military spender in Latin America after Brazil. In the past four years, some 5,000 were killed in cold blood, the so-called false positives where unsuspecting civilians were lured with jobs, shot, dressed in guerrilla fatigues and passed off as enemy combatants to take advantage of the financial incentives for killing guerrillas. The country has Latin America's biggest common grave and many more are still being found. Thousands have been "disappeared" during Uribe's presidency. Meanwhile, paramilitary bosses say they enjoyed a cosy relationship with Uribe and the military all through and that they supported Uribe's 2002 presidency. Juan Manuel was also Uribe's Defence Minister and in 2009 was linked to a scandal in which he is said to have favoured a friend of his in defence purchases.
During the presidential campaign, one candidate went on fast saying the media were ignoring him. Another, Gustavo Petro of the Leftist alliance, said the Bogota establishment had manipulated opinion polls to show the Green candidate was running a close second to Juan to inject some legitimacy into an election many Colombians see as essentially fixed. Piedad Cordoba, Colombia's doughty peacemaker first expressed that view and unsurprisingly in the actual elections Juan won by an enormous margin.
President Santos is a sinister shadow over Latin America. Nevertheless, he will find that Colombians are emerging from a long period of dissociation from political protest. Students, environmentalists, indigenous people, the victims of the civil war and state violence are all beginning to hit the streets again and the forced retirement of the nimble and utterly ruthless Uribe will be a loss for the Bogota establishment. The Colombian elite will have to sweat again.


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Hello Everyone
I have some tags up on the ScrapBerry's blog.
I so love making tags and I absolutely loved making these.
I would really appreciate it if you popped over and had a look.
Here is a little sneek peak.
ScrapBerry's Supply List:
The Art of Nature Paper Set 6x6 (SCB220609109)
The Art of Nature Paper Set 12x12 (SCB220609100b)
Set Of Clear Rubber Stamps Butterflies No. 3 (SCB4907003B)
Set of Stamps Elegy Precious Memories (SCB4904020b)
Paper Flowers Daisy Light yellow SCB280308
Shabby Ribbon Light Brown 10 mm (SCB510107)
I hope you have a super, creative weekend!
Denise x


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Epoxy Coatings
From a pool deck to the hull of an aeroplane, epoxies provide an unmatched level of bonding strength and durability. When it comes to choosing the best epoxy for a particular project, there are a number of factors that must be taken into consideration.
With so many possible epoxy applications, there is a need for a wide array of products that can deliver on the diverse project requirements that are out there. This is what underlies the principle behind Bluey's extensive line of BluRez epoxy coatings.
The versatility of Bluey's BluRez
BluRez from Bluey delivers the latest in epoxy innovation as a result of thorough research, development and testing. These products are designed to provide safe and sustainable solutions for a number of civil engineering needs, including:
- Structural anchoring.
- Bonding.
- Grouting.
- General concrete repair.
- Sealing floor toppers.
- Priming porous concrete.
Because all of Bluey's products are specifically geared towards a number of uses, our expert team is ready to support any project through advice and consultation. Whatever the project, Bluey's BluRez line provides a number of epoxy coatings that can meet your needs for a variety of applications.
BluRez 111 epoxy resin
For structural injection grouting repairs, BluRez 111 epoxy resin offers a fast-curing and solventless bonding agent that works well with dry or damp surfaces.
This two-component epoxy, like many others in the BluRez line, is very convenient. The two parts – A and B – are packaged together in precise amounts, so the full amount of part B needs to be mixed into the full amount of part A without the need for additional measuring.
The high level of penetration is due to BluRez 111's low viscosity – 100 mPa.s when kept at 25 degrees Celsius. At that temperature, BluRez 111 has a pot life of 120 minutes.
BluRez 480 epoxy grout
For projects that may require extended working times, BluRez 480 is an ideal grouting mortar that can be pumped or poured, according to the on-site needs of the project.
BluRez 480 carries a working time of 30 minutes, but BluRez 480UT extends that to five hours without sacrificing on strength. BluRez 480 has a compressive strength of 100 MPa and a tensile strength of 25 MPa, while BluRez 480UT measures up at 98 MPa and 29 MPa for compressive and tensile strength, respectively.
BluRez 480 offers a versatile solution for a number of anchoring needs, including:
- Deep foundation grouting.
- Transport and crane rail anchoring and grouting.
- Precision grouting for mining equipment.
- Anchoring of reinforcements, inserts and bolts.
- Structural concrete repairs.
- High-strength support of rotating machinery and mobile equipment.
BluRez 575 adhesive epoxy
When strength and chemical resistance are called for, BluRez 575 is the adhesive epoxy for the job. This Kevlar-reinforced epoxy paste is ideally suited for grouting, bonding and general concrete repair. Combining strength with versatility, BluRez 575 adheres well to a number of compatible surfaces – including concrete and prepared steel, dry or damp.
In addition to its chemical resistance, BluRez 575 can be used for filling in gaps and eliminates sag on overhead or vertical surfaces.
More than just products
A key component of Bluey's offerings is the consultation and support that we can lend to any number of projects. This stretches from advice on which product is ideal for your project, to support with the associated mixing and application tools.
In civil engineering ventures, mistakes can be costly and time consuming. With Bluey's industry-leading expertise, we make sure that the work is done in the most effective manner the first time around.
Contact us at Bluey to get top-level knowledge in your project's corner today.


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We had a grand time with Evelyn's cousins this weekend down in Beaufort. The highlight of the weekend was a "Three-Hour-Tour" abord the speed-boat Ink-Stink.
Here is a link to the pictures for the weekend: 2009_Cousins_Weekend. And below is a Google maps of the area where our tour took place.


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Jerry Blankman
Vice President | External Affairs
A native of Jersey City and a small business owner for more than 30 years, Jerry has seen firsthand how public/private partnerships can work together to achieve massive success. His business was in Downtown Jersey City and he was also a founding member of the Historic Downtown SID (Downtown JC), where he still serves as Vice President. Over the last decade Jersey City, specifically Downtown, has been a model for how commercial revitalization is reigniting the economies of municipalities.
Jerry's perspective has been developed through his many years as a small business owner and serving on a SID board. This has given him the ability to see both sides of the coin in understanding the needs of our clients and stakeholders. As the first line of communication for many of our clients, Jerry makes sure all our projects are handled on time, on budget and professionally.
Jerry resides in Central NJ with his wife and two sons. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, cooking and hiking.


text: We start off this week with a series we've only heard a couple of times so far. It's Bulldog Drummond and Help Wanted from August 13, 1945. Then after Ripley's we'll hear from a new series to the show titled Mr. District Attorney. The episode is The Museum Mystery, which aired sometime in the 1940's.[audio:http://archive.org/download/CaseClosedA/CaseClosed110.mp3]


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JASON NEWSTED Talks To NIKKI SIXX About His Decision To Leave METALLICA (Audio)
Former METALLICA, VOIVOD and FLOTSAM AND JETSAM bassist and current NEWSTED frontman Jason Newsted made an in-studio appearance last week on the "Sixx Sense" radio show hosted by MÖTLEY CRÜE/SIXX: A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx.
A three-minute audio clip in which Newsted talks to Sixx about his decision to leave METALLICA can be streamed below.
According to MTV, Newsted quit METALLICA in February 2001 for several reasons, including his desire to play more of a creative role. He also felt the band had lost its focus and was spending too much time involved in litigation and political rhetoric. And finally, he needed time off to recover from neck and back injuries he sustained banging his head every night onstage.
Newsted last performed with METALLICA in December 2011 at all four intimate shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the band's week-long celebration of its 30th anniversary as a group for fan club members only.
"Metal", the debut EP from NEWSTED, sold around 6,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 62 on The Billboard 200 chart.
"Metal" was released on January 8 exclusively via iTunes. The EP was made available as a physical CD on January 15.


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Corpoate Learning Solutions - BIS 2002 Special Session (BIS2002CLS)
Venue: The Poznan Trade Fair
Location: Poznan,
|Event Date/Time: Apr 24, 2002
|End Date/Time: Apr 25, 2002
|Registration Date: Dec 15, 2001
|Early Registration Date: Dec 15, 2001
|Abstract Submission Date: Dec 15, 2001
|Paper Submission Date: Dec 15, 2001
- providing common ground for sharing experiences and knowledge in the field
- introducing new technologies for learning communities
- proposing ways of adopting existing technologies in e-learning solutions
- employing business information systems for self improvement of corporate workers
- corporate knowledge management solutions
- evolution of information storage technologies
- demonstrating real life solutions and case studies
It is expected, that during this session theoreticians and practitioners will be able to share their ideas and develop new contacts, both academic and commercial ones. This session will be most interesting for people active in distance learning, mobile learning, integrated e-learning systems grounds, as well as for knowledge management, virtual learning communities, CRM systems for knowledge distribution experts.
Invitation Only


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Winder, GAHome Menu
- Most Requested:
- Payments
- Jobs
- Doing Business
- Golf Course
Public Works
|Managed By:
ESG Operations, Inc.
(770) 868-0863
Public Works Mission Statement
The City of Winder contracts with ESG Operations, Inc. for the operation of the City's Public Works Department (PWD). The PWD is responsible for maintaining the streets, right-of-ways, parks and recreation areas. The PWD also picks up yard debris on a weekly basis.
Key Personnel
Public Works Director: Clint Cannon
Regional Manager: Neil Counts, P.E.
About ESG Operations, Inc.
Clay Sykes and Dan Groselle, the co-founders of ESG Operations, Inc., are Registered Professional Engineers and each have over 20 years of experience in the operation of wastewater treatment and collection facilities. Neil Counts, the Regional Manager, is a Registered Professional Engineer and has more than 15 years of experience in design, consulting and management of municipal facilities.
ESG brings a professional engineering approach to its utility and public works management services, bringing with these services, an unparalleled dedication to its partners, communities, and core beliefs. For more information on ESG Operations, Inc., visit their website at www.esginc.net.
Questions, Comments and Concerns
Any questions, comments or concerns regarding the Public Works Department can be directed to ESG either by email or by phone at (770) 868-0863.


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Product Description
Product Description
Cylinder Door Knob, with biased indentation to 1 No. side. Product includes necessary Glazing Washers and Allen Key.
Product Dimensions
32mm(dia.) x 30mm(depth to each side of door glass)
Glass Specification
Suitable for 6 to 12mm Toughened Glass. Dia. 13mm Hole Required (please see product drawings)
Material Specification
All Components in Chrome Plated Brass
Environment Compatibility
Suitable for Indoor Use Only
Design Compatibility
Suitable for Shower Enclosures, Wet Rooms, Bath Screens, Glass Partitions and Glass Furniture
Other Considerations


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Good afternoon!
In case you missed it, yesterday the one and only Lady Gaga shared an unreleased song entitled "Stuck on F—king You." (This song really embodies the holiday spirit.) Gaga, who refers to herself as a "hooker whore," recorded this five-minute song in one take while on her tour bus.
The epic trilogy The Hunger Games has inspired a nail "Capitol Color" line. The nail lacquer line by China Glaze has chosen District 12's Effie Trinket, played by Elizabeth Banks, to be the official face of their colorful products, which hits stores March 2012.
Anna Paquin is on the cover of LA Weekly's Winter Film Issue. Film critic Karina Longworth named Paquin's movie Margaret the best film of the year and took issue with the lack of the film's distribution. I haven't seen Margaret yet, have you?
On my holiday I watched a bunch of movies including Hanna, Beginners and the comedy Cedar Rapids starring Ed Helms and Anne Heche. Did you know that in CR Helms and Heche crash a lesbian wedding? Just thought I would share that little gay tidbit.
Twilight's Ashley Greene has taken over Times Square in a ginormous DKNY's jeans ad.
Yesterday Uh Huh Her's Leisha Hailey made a historic discovery.
The lovely Emma Stone and Olivia Wilde are Revlon's newest Global Ambassadors. What do you think of their make up ads below? I think Tyra Banks would be very proud.
Photo of the Day!
Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir heated up the Holiday Dreams on Ice extravaganza. Am I the only lesbian who is obsessed with Johnny Weir?


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It's a judgment tossed our direction by La La Landers and other unjustifiably snobby sorts: "San Diego food sucks...except for the Mexican food, which is pretty good." Damning by faint praise? No, more like backasswards bullshit. It's our food scene that doesn't suck and our … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Full flavor, Baja(Med)-style at La Querencia
Chef Miguel Angel Guerrero's calling card is just above the door, La Querencia: "BajaMed Cocina." It certainly gets people's attention, especially considering Guerrero coined and trademarked the term that we in the food press now use as shorthand for Baja's new take on high-end … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Great tortas and tacos but no hot dogs
About the only thing you can't get at North Rosarito Beach's Sunday Mercado Sobre Ruedas "Los Panchos" is the thing for which they appear to be named: hot dogs. You can get backpacks, jeans, toilet seats, cast-iron pans, MacBook Pro power cords and more at Los Panchos (I've … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: A Tijuana taco crawl in the shadow of the Mercado Hidalgo
A tapas crawl in San Diego is hard to come by. A taco crawl in Tijuana a much easier find and a better bet. There may be no better place to do one than on Calle Francisco Javier Mina outside Tijuana's Mercado Hidalgo in the Zona Rio. Read more … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Tacos El Yaqui does backyard barbecue Rosarito-style
It used to be my Sunday ritual: wake up early to play 30-and-over Huff-n-Puff soccer—a gringo on a mostly Mexican team—then slowly sidle into the afternoon eating carne asada, drinking Tecates and telling exaggerated accounts of in-game exploits. While the tales should have … [Read more...]


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Painters Sydney Eastern Suburbs – They Do More than Paint!
Painters Sydney Eastern Suburbs: What You Think They Do
They come to your door with paintbrush in one hand and a gallon of paint in another. Here's what most people think painters in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs professionals do. They tape off the room, stand back and rub their belly, and shake their head, as if in a "this is going to cost you" type gesture. They slap the paint on, and with a handshake, take your money. In another scenario, they show up, paint an hour or so, then show up again a couple days later; repeating this routine until with a handshake, they take your money.
Painters Sydney Eastern Suburbs: What Painters Really Do
Whether it is in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney or across Australia, one fact remains: Painters must know and execute all things paint related. Professional painters in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs will bid according to time, work involved, and all costs. They will share with you problems such as wood or drywall needing replaced. Are problems like these handled within the company or sub-contracted out? A good painter will communicate effectively and work in a timely manner from finish to end. It is important to know what their experience and reputation is. A local painter has many other tricks up his sleeves too. He knows what colors will sell your home. Painters come in many types, find the one who is inspired by your vision.
Painters Sydney Eastern Suburbs: The Bonus
Here is where painting gets good. Have you ever seen a wall which mimics a beautiful Italian marble? A painter did this with hours and hours of polishing the wall into a glorious sheen. The point is, there are some very talented painters in Sydney who have perfected their craft into art. The best part of this is it is not expensive. You can have your glamorous entryway or subtle faux master suite or even mimic your favorite restaurant's walls. This takes painters to a whole new level. Your imagination is on their palette. Amazing results lie in a painter's hands. Check around in the Eastern Suburbs and there will be local painters who would love to give you the marbled wall. Imagine creating your own personal style in your home through faux appearances, textural designs, pearlescent hues, mottling or other techniques only your painter would know about. Get inspired with wood grains or limestone look-alikes or stenciled damasks. Find yourself in your home. Find a painter. If you want to find a painter in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, why not let our free Tradebusters tradesmen concierge assist you. Our team will speak to you directly about your needs and help arrange the best fit painters in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs from our tried and tested network. You can tell us about your painting job and we will contact you back shortly.
Painters Eastern Suburbs – Right one right here!
Need help with other local businesses in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs?
Meet our pick of some of the top 3 local businesses with our Eastern Suburbs Sydney free trade and business directory.


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In France, this savory bread is a traditional accompaniment to the cheese course.
- Yield
- 2 loaves
- 1 3/4 cups tepid water
- 1 tbsp walnut oil, plus a little extra for the bowl
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
- one 1.4 oz (7g) envelope instant yeast
- 1 1/3 cups bread flour, as needed, plus more for kneading
- 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
- Combine the water, walnut oil, salt, and sugar. Stir in the whole wheat flour, yeast, then enough of the bread flour to make a dough that is difficult to stir. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5-8 minutes, adding more flour when necessary, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball. Coat the inside of a large bowl with oil. Add the dough, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place about 1 hour, or until doubled in volume. Punch down the dough, turn it out onto a floured surface, and knead for 1 minute. Pat the dough into a rectangle and sprinkle with the walnuts. Roll the dough, and knead until the nuts are distributed. Lightly flour a large baking sheet. Cut the dough in half and form each into a ball. Transfer to the baking sheet and flatten lightly. Loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 15 minutes, until puffy. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly dust the balls of dough with flour. Cut a square, no more than ¼ in (5cm) deep, in the top of each. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for 25-35 minutes or until the bases sound hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.
Related Video
Nutritional Info
- Calories283
- Carbohydrates37 g(12%)
- Fat12 g(19%)
- Protein10 g(19%)
- Saturated Fat1 g(6%)
- Sodium251 mg(10%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat8 g
- Fiber5 g(22%)
- Monounsaturated Fat2 g
- Cholesterol0 mg(0%)