Finding cheap eats in Oslo is kind of difficult. In fact, hot dogs were one of the cheaper options that we found. So "cheap" that we ate them more than once.
Not the healthiest of meals for sure, but this is as filling and healthy as it gets when you want to eat as cheap as possible in Oslo. The good news is that these hot dogs taste much better than your typical Oscar Mayer dog in the US – in fact, they are closer to the organic 100% beef Applegate Farms hot dogs that we get from Whole Foods.
The drinks are basically just carbonated fruit juices – not the best drink that I have ever had but certainly not the worst. What's sad is that these drinks are cheaper than both sodas and bottled water. Needless to say, we had a lot of these fizzy juice drinks while in Oslo.
Eating healthy in Oslo was more of a challenge than expected. Not only is the cheapest available food junk like these hot dogs and pizza slices, but most of the restaurants did not offer anything like a simple house salad or a bowl of soup. We got to the point where we just wanted something healthier that wasn't hot dogs and fizzy juice and ended up at a Japanese restaurant that cost us around $60 for a meal. Moral of the story: healthy eating is very costly in Norway – at least when dining out.
Grocery stores in Oslo are not really expensive at all. In fact, many things were cheaper than what we pay for them at Whole Foods. There we stocked up on things like organic apples and snacks for when we were out walking or wanted a snack in the hotel room.
Our most expensive healthy indulgence was not the tasty Norwegian coffee but fresh juices at Joe & the Juice. It is a chain coffee and fresh juice shop where we got some of the best green juice that I've ever tasted. They make other fresh juice blends, serve coffee and specialize in a ginger latte that is just a latte with a shot of ginger juice. You can even get some paninis there, if you're hungry.
We also had more than our share of coffee while traipsing around Oslo. Norway is known for great coffee and each place that we tried got a thumbs up. Can't beat a nice, smooth cup of coffee. Even the coffee machine at the hotel (only 10 NOK for a cup!) was good.
Probably my favorite coffee shop that we went in was Espresso House. It's a cool two-story place that is really large on the inside, plus they have loads of outside seating. Not only was the coffee really good, but they serve lots of different food and sweet treats. Since we'd already eaten, we opted to try a few sweet items. There's also free wi-fi here.
Another good place for coffee was Deli de Luca, which is the place where the "cheap" hot dogs came from. It's part deli, part coffee shop, part convenience store. It's also one of the few places that was actually open late. Well, there and McDonald's. This trip is giving me a whole new appreciation of McDonald's as it is one of the few places open late when you're hungry or want a coffee.
Sometimes when you're traveling, dealing with a foreign language is all you need for a good laugh. Especially when it's ridiculous bathroom humor.
It's some sort of trail mix, but also, hysterical.
© 2019 Unlock Adventure | All Rights Reserved.


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Bakkt erhäkt 182.5 million USD funding,, BTC Futures, more in work
Bakkt erhäkt 182.5 million USD funding,, BTC Futures approval in work
Home News Bakkt erhäkt 182.5 million USD funding,, BTC Futures approval in work
Marcus Misiak –
The Bakkt, a subsidiary of the Intercontinental Exchange (parent company of the NYSE – New York stock exchange) has made on new year's eve a big announcement. The Chairman of the Board of Bakkt, Kelly Loeffler said in a statement that Bakkt has completed its first round of financing with 12 partners and investors.
The financing confirms the growing interest in Bitcoin by Fintech Venture capital investors, leading technology companies and Wall Street institutions, because of the new platform, which was founded by the parent company of the New York stock exchange, is primarily focused on promoting the institutional access to digital Assets and to expand at the same time, the use by retailers and consumers.
The companies that have invested, are considered to be a leading Player in the financial – as well as in the crypto-currency area. There are Horizons Ventures Galaxy Digital, Boston Consulting Group, Microsoft's Venture Capital Arm, Pantera Capital, PayU, CMT, Digital, Eagle Seven, Goldfinch Partners, Alan Howard, M12, Naspers, Protocol Ventures and Intercontinental Exchange. In this round of financing Bakkt has collected over 182,5 million dollars.
Loeffler said in the press release:
Our work today focuses on promoting the institutional access for digital Assets, as well as the commercial and private use, and we build on this Vision and together working with large companies such as Starbucks.
Start date uncertain
At the beginning of December, the start date of Bakkt was on the 24. January moved after the original date could not be held in December. As we reported a few days ago, could delay the launch, however, due to the approval procedure of the CFTC.
In the last Update on the Status of the project, no concrete start date for Bakkt is specified.
Our Team has been working together for almost a year in 2018, closely with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. At the industry level, the regulatory approval of Bitcoin for physically delivered and stored Bitcoins will establish the voice of the US authorities in the Wake of the global development of the Digital Asset market, and strengthen. We have submitted our applications and the time for the authorisation procedure is now based on the regulatory audit.
The founder of the company, Intercontinental Exchange, is expected in early 2019, an updated schedule shall be submitted.
Loeffler reiterated in the communication, but also that physically delivered and stored Bitcoin with the approval of the Supervisory authorities are to come on the market, and that it "will strengthen the voice of the US authorities in the Wake of the global development of the Digital Asset market".
We have submitted our applications and the timing for approval is now based on the Supervisory review process [….] Clearing firms and customers have joined us, while we work on the CFTC approval. We have made in December, great progress, and the customers will continue to have on Board while we wait for the "green light".

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


It looks like September 2014 shall forever more be known as Saffron Month in the world of Australian craft beer, with Bendigo's Brookes Beer and Abbotsford's Moon Dog decided that for too darn long have drinkers been denied the chance to sample the spice obtained from the stigma of a crocus flower in their beer. Although for lovers of Moon Dog's unique brand of experimental, high ABV madness, it will more likely be remembered as the month that "Ayyyyyyy!" returned as The Fonz reappeared on their labels to mark the arrival of the second annual Jumping The Shark release. It has rather large footsteps in which to follow, given we were inspired to declare 2013's barrel-aged, heavily truffled, 15.4 percent imperial stout their best yet and said beer then went on to win the brewery's first Australian International Beer Awards gold medal. So, what's 2014 all about?
Well, again, it's a beast of a beer: 14.1 percent of beast to be precise. And it's spent time in barrels again: one month in medium toast Hungarian barrels to be precise. It's an imperial red ale, one that uses a Belgian yeast in the mix, as well as half a kilo of the aforementioned saffron. Given the last of these is often used as a food dye it should come as little surprise that the beer has a distinctly deep red, russet hue, topped off with a steepling copper head and thus looks pretty glorious in the glass. Most noticeable on the nose are some Trappist like banana-y esters alongside all manner of sweetness – honey, treacle, Devonshire clotted cream fudge (should a 14 percent beer spark memories of tooth-rotting childhood addictions…?) as well as, unsurprisingly, some booze. There's much that reminds us of Amaretto too, particularly running through the syrupy, mouth-coating body that wraps up with a drying, almost tannic bitterness. It's warming too (although that probably goes without saying) and a beer that, if you can resist, will no doubt mellow with age.


There are many today including Christians that believe one can embrace sin and continue to have Gods acceptance, because they believe Jesus came to abolish Gods Laws and replace it with love and understanding. This may be true to a point but let us look at what Jesus had to say, please turn to Matt 5:17 and read aloud "17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil it. "Jesus stated in clear language that He did not come to destroy the law. God has always condemned sin from the beginning when Adam ate of the fruit of the tree of life, God's response was not one of well Adam you have disobeyed Me and that is alright. No His response was one of punishment please turn to Genesis 3:17 and read a loud "And unto Adam he said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;" This was the first sin of man the one through all mankind under Gods condemnation. God looked down and judges all sin. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of fornication and homosexuality. Please turn to your bibles and read with me Jude 1:7 ""Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange (Greek: different, other) flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of sin. He did not hold back His judgment. Now some say that because Jesus came God has changed His mind about sin, but once again let us turn to our Bibles and read aloud the following Scriptures first Malachi 3:6 "For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." and then let us turn to the following passages Psalm 102: 25-27 testifies that "Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end." It therefore goes that God has never condoned sin and He never will, He is unchanging. He cannot tell a lie nor can He say one thing and do another. What of this New Covenant how does it change things for Christians? The New Covenant that was spoke of in Jeremiah 31:31-34 is the New Covenant that God will give, it was ushered in with Jesus When He said "this cup is the New Covenant of My blood" Luke 22-20. What was this New Covenant, was an abandonment of the Laws God created or was it a New Way for Christians to be able to abide in the Law? God said He would wright His laws upon our hearts. We would know right from wrong and we would want to keep His commandments. Please read Jerimiah 31:31-34 ""Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" Now let us take a quick look how Jesus treated sin. Turn in your Bible to John 8:11 as we read the passage ask yourself if Jesus is saying that it is ok to continue to sin or must there be a change. The scene opens on the town and the people gathered around to stone a whore to death. Jesus asks a question of those who are ready to stone her. Let the one without sin cast the first stone John 8:7. after the crowd had left Jesus spoke to the whore, He said is any left to condemn you Marry responded by saying no not one man, and Jesus said then neither do I, but He did not stop there. He commanded her to go and sin some more, Ok He did not command her to go and sin some more, though some people truly believe that they can continue in habitual sin and not suffer the consequences. There is a new gay slogan that reads "we are going to hell and proud of it" I wonder if they will be so proud upon Judgement day. Jesus instructed this whore Known as Mary Magdalene to go and Sin no more. From our Bible verses We know that God is unchanging, He condemns sin and Jesus tells us to not sin. but what did God say of homosexuality. Please turn to Leviticus 20-13. This will be my final passage and my complete answer to weather God will accept homosexual behavior as a norm and accept those who practice into the Kingdom of Heaven. Now let us read aloud "If a man also lies with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. God calls homosexuality what it is, He does not sugar coat it, He does not show forgiveness for it. He destroyed nations because of it. He is unchanging and He did not send Jesus to destroy the law. As Christians it is sinful to think that it is ok to accept homosexuality as a God ordained right. It is my opinion backed up by Scripture that those churches that allow homosexual marriage and even ordain homosexuals as pastors are under Gods condemnation and will face His judgement. They will not be standing with the sheep but be on the left with the goats. Their fates will be of gnashing teeth as their eternal souls are committed to fire and brimstone.
Do not be fooled by false teachers that say you can live your life anyway you wish and there is no punishment, if you do you will also stand in judgement on the left side with the goats. We must all realize that we are sinners by nature and God can and will forgive us us transgresses, but we must try to walk as Christ did in righteousness. We cannot expect God to accept us in to His Kingdom if we continue in sin without remorse or a change of heart.
God bless all who have read this post. Remember we are the watchmen and if we do not sound the alarm, the blood of those who have not heard the word is upon our hands, but those who have heard or word and chose to ignore the warning the blood be upon their own hands. Ezekiel 33:6.
Our first topic for the Pastors thoughts is on salvation.
We will look at a few questions and then use the bible to answer those questions.
(2) What did Jesus say about who he could save?
(3) Where do we find Salvation?
(4) Have you committed to much sin to be saved?
The Greek word is Soteria and literally means the act of physical and moral rescue.
We will simply say that salvation is a redemption, as a salvage company can redeem or reclaim something damaged. Salvation can redeem our sinful life and make it possible to enter into eternal life in Heaven. The next question to be addressed is Why do I need salvation in my life? I live a good life and try not to sin. The fact is that all mankind is under a state of condemnation , it is our nature because of Adam, when Adam ate of the fruit of knowledge (Genesis 3:1-7) he brought sin into the world Condemning all people to death. This applies to everyone weather you believe you have committed great sin or weather you believe you have committed no sin, sin is our nature and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We are sinners by nature and therefore condemned to death but (Romans 6:23) goes onto tell us that (But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The next question to answer is who can receive salvation?
This is a great question there are those who believe that some peoples sins are so great that God can never forgive them an example might be Hitler or some of the most evil people that we know in history or in the world today, but what did Jesus say about salvation and who can be saved, we only need look at the bible and a particular passage of scripture for the answer to this question. Let us look at (John 17:12) KJV (While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, "but the son of perdition" that the scripture might be fulfilled. In this verse it is clear that Jesus has been able to save all but one and that was Judas the man that betrayed him, This may alarm some and outrage others when they think about the crimes and atrocities that some people commit and think that they may still be able to have eternal life, but Jesus promised eternal life to all those who seek him and believe in him, Let us look at (Romans 10:9) for the answer to who can claim salvation That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved, It is simple and straight forward in this passage anyone no matter how big or how litter there sin weather they be a mass murderer or a thief or a liar no matter what there sin they have the opportunity to be saved, The key is that the door is open to all for salvation, an good example of this is found again in scripture (Luke 23:41-43) as you may recall when Jesus was crucified there were two others crucified along with him and one of them was mocking Jesus and the other said v41 And we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this man hath done nothing amiss.42 And he said unto Jesus Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shall thou be with me in paradise. The thief that had been condemned to death for his sins repented and believed upon Jesus and was granted eternal life, no matter how big our sin we can ask and believe on Jesus Christ and be redeemed, this is the great gift God gave to us when he sent his only begotten son to die on the cross.
The final question has been answered and the question of where we find salvation has been answered we find it in our belief in Jesus Christ our belief that he died on the cross and shed his precious blood for us and that he arose on that third day. You do not need to pray for salvation, praying will do no good , if you truly wish to be saved just simply believe in your heart and confess with your mouth. If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Personal Savior, today may be a good day for tomorrow is not promised to us and if you wait it may be to late. Jesus is waiting the door is open will you walk through and secure your eternal future? God promised salvation for all, but you must ask him for it.


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Home » Cities » Farmers force way into Haryana, head to Delhi
Farmers force way into Haryana, head to Delhi
Thousands of farmers from Punjab broke barricades and forced their way into Haryana on Thursday, braving tear gas shells and water cannons en route to Delhi, where law enforcement officials deployed stringent crowd control measures as residents grappled with long traffic snarls in border areas.
By late evening, a large group of farmers — both from Haryana and Punjab — reached a toll plaza at Panipat, about 100km from the Capital, setting the stage for a confrontation with the Delhi Police, who have refused to give them permission for protests within the city limits. Leaders of farmers' groups said that they will resume their march — christened "Delhi Chalo" —on Friday morning.
While Delhi prepared for a possible law and order challenge as well as traffic disruptions, high drama unfolded in Haryana on Thursday, as farmers from Punjab entered the state a day after being thwarted by border barricades.
The police in Ambala erected barricades on an overbridge on the Ghaggar river connecting the Haryana town with Punjab's Patiala. Farmers threw several of these barricades into the river, facing tear gas shells by law enforcement personnel. Protesters could be seen waving black flags and shouting slogans.
The police made announcements on loudspeakers, asking farmers on the Punjab side to disperse, but that did not help. As smoke from tear gas clouded the skies and farmers outnumbered security personnel, they were allowed to enter Haryana around noon.
However, their forward march was not smooth, with frequent barricades and trucks filled with sand on the Grand Trunk (GT) Road blocking their way. This led to traffic snarls that hit commuters as well. But the farmers marched on.
Apart from this confrontation in Ambala district, there were face-offs between protesters and the police in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Haryana's Sirsa, Kurukshetra, Fatehabad and Jind districts bordering the Congress-run Punjab. At Karnal, there was another face-off and police again used water cannon. A farmer was injured, though no arrests were reported.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal were among those who criticised the Haryana Police's action.
Haryana Police chief Manoj Yadava, however, said that his force acted with "great restraint". "In this entire episode, not only a number of police personnel were injured, but police and private vehicles were also damaged," he said in a statement.
As tension spiralled, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and his Haryana counterpart, Manohar Lal Khattar, exchanged words over Twitter. While Singh asked Khattar why his government was stopping farmers, and the BJP leader told him to stop "inciting" them.
Food bowl Punjab is at the centre stage of the farmers' agitation against the government's moves to open up agricultural markets in the country and bring sweeping reforms to the farm sector, which supports nearly half the population.
Farmers have demanded a repeal of three laws enacted by Parliament in September which, together, allow agribusinesses to freely trade farm produce without restrictions, permit private traders to stockpile large quantities of essential commodities for future sales and lay down new rules for contract farming.
Farmers say the reforms would make them vulnerable to exploitation by big corporations, erode their bargaining power and weaken the government's minimum support price (MSP) system, which offers cultivators assured prices from the government, largely for wheat and rice.
Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and railways, food and consumer affairs minister Piyush Goyal held day-long negotiations on November 13 with leaders of several farmers' groups in an attempt to end over two months of a politically challenging agitation. The discussions were inconclusive, but both sides had agreed to continue negotiations in the future.
"New farm laws were the need of the hour. In the coming time, it's going to bring revolutionary changes. We'll talk to the farmers on December 3," Tomar told ANI on Thursday, reiterating that the Centre was ready to talk with farmers and resolve differences.
In the Capital, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced stopping trains from neighbouring cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) — Gurugram and Faridabad in Haryana, and Noida and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh — to Delhi on Friday, a decision that could likely impact thousands of interstate commuters at a time when stringent restrictions are already in place in borders areas. However, it will be business as usual for trains to these cities from Delhi.
From barbed wires at the Haryana and Uttar Pradesh borders to blocking highways with dumpers full of mud and sand, the Delhi Police on Thursday took a host of steps to stop the march of representatives of about 500 farmers' groups that are protesting against three contentious laws enacted recently by Parliament with an aim to liberalise the farm sector.
During the day, Metro services remained suspended on seven corridors for most parts and normal operations resumed from 5pm. On the road, heightened checking at Delhi's borders with both Haryana and Uttar Pradesh resulted in huge jams and confusion among commuters. The border connecting Haryana's Sonepat with Delhi's Narela was closed for three hours in the evening.
Notwithstanding the arrangements, two small groups reached Jantar Mantar, Delhi's protest venue, and Manju Ka Tilla in north Delhi. Eish Singhal, DCP-New Delhi, said that 70 farmers and activists were detained at Jantar Mantar and then let off. "We have registered a case under IPC (Indian Penal Code) section 188 (disobedience to an order by a public servant)," Singhal said. He refused to describe them as farmers. "They arrived in cars. Most of them were already in Delhi," Singhal added. A group of 35 people from different states landed near Majnu ka Tilla and began a protest. "They had arrived by public transport such as trains and buses. We have detained them and are booking them for not following the Covid-19 safety protocols," NS Bundela, joint commissioner of police (central range), said.
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Let's play a word game... I'm thinking of animals and their babies. Dog...puppy. Cat...kitten. This short little game is the perfect way to introduce the children to the names of common animals and their young. Read these cards yourself to inspire your spoken language games. Then, once the children start reading non-phonetic words, set them free to play related noun matching card games.
We also offer other related noun materials including Animals and their Homes, Animals and their Groups, and Masculine and Feminine.


Claire has a long standing working experience with the firm and is an expert in M&A, commercial and corporate law. Her practice focuses mainly on private M&A deals, Group restructurings and joint ventures both at a local and cross border level.
She has been involved in a number of important and complicated cross border as well as local deals involving the acquisition of target companies and business activities in various business fields.
Claire's practice in commercial law matters extends to franchising, aircraft financing, aircraft operating and finance leasing.


Icons of whimsical creatures and objects.
Is there a better alternative to Sketchbook Icons?
Is Sketchbook Icons really the best app in Icons category?
Will Sketchbook Icons work good on macOS 10.13.4?
Icons inspired by the whimsical creatures and objects inhabiting Ben SchlitterÕs sketchbook.
Sketchbook Icons needs a review. Be the first to review this app and get the discussion started!
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Gates Open for Career Opportunities at Adelaide Oval
General News 15 July 2015
The South Australian employment market is about to start seeing the benefits of the Adelaide Oval redevelopment with advertising for approximately 500 casual positions to start today (Monday, July 15).
Chefs, cooks, supervisors, baristas, bar and functions staff will be among those in demand as the Oval gears up for the Ashes in December.
In all, approximately 1200 casual and part-time jobs will be filled by the first bounce of the 2014 AFL season, with many of these positions expected to be taken up by existing SANFL and SACA staff.
"First opportunity for positions available at Adelaide Oval has been given to existing SANFL and SACA staff," said Andrew Daniels, Chief Executive Officer of the Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority.
"Applications will open to all other job seekers on Monday, July 15 and we are anticipating there will be approximately 500 casual positions available to the general public as part of this process.
"Adelaide Oval will become South Australia's largest single site employer of food and beverage staff. It's going to be an extremely busy and high-pressure environment – as well as tremendously exciting – so we're looking for the right people to join us and get to work."
Retail food and beverage positions make up the biggest chunk of the available positions, with more than 500 staff required to serve patrons at the Oval across the year. 50 baristas are needed, along with 230 front-of-house employees and approximately 200 customer service positions.
The Adelaide Oval will play host to more than 40 days of major sporting events every year as well as a multitude of other corporate entertainment, concerts and tourism events.
"The eyes of the world will be on Adelaide for the Ashes when we effectively open again for business," Mr Daniels said.
"We hope we will be inundated with passionate job seekers eager to be a part of this new chapter in the history of the Adelaide Oval."
For details on the positions available at Adelaide Oval and to apply, visit aojobs.pinnaclepeople.com.au.
Media inquiries: Kristy Macfarlane, Michels Warren, 8267 6888 or 0402 557 527
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Prune is a game designed by Joel McDonald and published by Polyculture for Mac and Android tablets in 2015.
The game is, quite literally, about pruning trees. As you cut branches off your newly planted tree, the remaining limbs will grow further. The ultimate goal is to reach for the sky, soak up sun, and give life to as many cherry-blossoms as possible.
The game does a great job at teaching the new player the ropes, gradually introducing more unique mechanics, together with more advanced challenges. As soon as you have gotten used to the challenges of one feature, a new one is introduced. The game is a perfect example of teaching though showing, not through telling, and the game does indeed pick up difficulty reasonably fast.
The game does not, however, contain any risk of losing or having to start over.
If one level does not work out, the player simply cuts down their existing tree, and starts over with a new sapling. There are no lives, and no game overs.
Perhaps the most enjoyable thing about Prune, is it's pretty visuals. The art style falls into the same category as recent tablet games with their minimalistic, colourful and contrast rich graphics such as Monument Valley (Ustwo, 2014). But even more intriguing is the heavy inspiration from Japanese art and calligraphy.
There is, however, one criticism to be made. As trees grows taller, and the branches become more and more intertwined, there are instances where the branches becomes so busy that the pruning-process can become a bit fiddly and – at times – frustrating.
The lack of any negative outcome makes the game very enjoyable and stress free. Together with the sound of rustling leaves in the wind, and gorgeous visuals, Prune makes for an altogether very pleasant zen-like experience.
Sanjin, Gentai (1749 – 1822) Prunus Blossom in Moonlight.
Screenshot Daily (2015) Prune. (June), Screenshot Daily. Accessed 24th of May.
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Iridocorneal Endothelial Syndrome and Secondary Glaucoma
Gregory W.Oldham, MD
Sarwat Salim MD, FACS, Ahmad A. Aref, MD, MBA, Dr John Davis Akkara (MBBS, MS, FAEH, FMRF), Dr. Kabir Hossain, Zachary Koretz, MD, MPH, Ohoud A Owaidhah, MD, Gregory W.Oldham, MD, Christine Wang MS, MD
Ohoud A Owaidhah, MD
by Ohoud A Owaidhah, MD on August 18, 2022.
Iridocorneal Endothelial Syndrome
Polycoria, corectopia and area of iris atrophy
DiseasesDB
2 Pathophysiology
3 Etiology
4 Epidemiology
5 Clinical diagnosis and evaluation
5.1 Chandler Syndrome:
5.2 Essential / Progressive Iris Atrophy:
5.3 Iris Nevus / Cogan-Reese Syndrome:
6 Diagnostic testing
7 Differential diagnosis
7.1 Iridocorneal endothelial syndrome (ICE)
7.2 Posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy (PPMD)
7.3 Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome (ARS)
7.4 Aniridia (Iris Hypoplasia)
8.1 Medical therapy
8.2 Surgical therapy
8.3.1 Glaucomatous optic neuropathy
8.3.2 Corneal edema and decompensation
8.3.3 Iris changes (atrophy, corectopia, polycoria, ectropion uveae)
8.3.4 Failed glaucoma surgery
8.4 Prognosis
Iridocorneal Endothelial Syndrome (ICE) syndrome is a unique ophthalmic disorder that involves an irregular corneal endothelium that can lead to varying degrees of corneal edema, iris atrophy, and secondary angle-closure glaucoma.
ICE syndrome is a group of disorders with three clinical variants:
Chandler Syndrome
Essential / Progressive Iris Atrophy
Iris Nevus / Cogan-Reese Syndrome
Clinical distinction between each subtype can be made based on unique characteristics. However, each can result in substantial visual impairment from glaucomatous optic neuropathy and / or corneal edema, making management a challenge.
Clinically, the corneal endothelium has been described to have a "hammered silver" or "beaten bronze" appearance in ICE syndrome patients, similar to corneal guttae seen in Fuchs Corneal Endothelial Dystrophy.[1] [2] On a pathological level, it is felt that the normal endothelial cells have been replaced with a more epithelial-like cell with migratory characteristics. Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopic examination of these cells has demonstrated a population of well-differentiated cells with epithelial features such as desmosomes, tonofilaments, and microvilli.[3]The altered endothelium migrates posteriorly, moving beyond Schwalbe's line, onto the trabecular meshwork, and at times, onto peripheral iris. Contraction of this tissue within the angle and on the iris results in the high peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS) and iris changes characteristic of ICE syndrome. Secondary angle-closure glaucoma is a consequence of high PAS, but can at times occur without overt synechiae because the advancing corneal endothelium can functionally close the angle without contraction.[1] As a result, patients may initially present with what appears to be open-angle glaucoma because the fibrovascular membrane obstructing aqueous flow can be difficult to visualize with gonioscopy.
The corneal edema found in ICE syndrome patients is thought to be secondary to both elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) from secondary angle-closure glaucoma, and from subnormal pump function from the altered corneal endothelial cells.[4]This can be found in any of the three clinical variants, but is more common in patients with Chandler syndrome.
The true etiology of ICE syndrome is not well understood.[2][5] It has been theorized that an underlying viral infection with Herpes simplex virus (HSV) or Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) leads to a low grade inflammation at the level of the corneal endothelium, resulting in its unusual epithelial-like activity.[1][6] Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing of corneal endothelial cells from ICE syndrome patients has been found to have high percentages of HSV DNA in comparison to normal controls.[6] Additionally, HSV DNA was found in samples of the aqueous humor .[7] These abnormal cells may also cause toxic injury to surrounding normal endothelial cells, evidenced by necrotic damage to neighboring cells seen on electron microscopy.[8]
ICE syndrome is considered sporadic in presentation, with no consistent association to other ocular or systemic disease, and familial cases have been very rare. It presents as a unilateral disease, more common in women, between the ages of 20 and 50.[1] ICE syndrome must be considered within the differential diagnosis for any young to middle-aged patient presenting with unilateral glaucoma, corneal decompensation, and / or iris atrophy.
Clinical diagnosis and evaluation
The initial presentation of ICE syndrome patients may be due to monocular pain (from corneal edema or elevated intraocular pressure from angle-closure), blurry vision, or iris changes. Patients require a full ophthalmic work-up, with assessment of visual acuity and refractive error, intraocular pressure, and slit-lamp examination, dilated fundus examination, and gonioscopic examination. Close evaluation of the cornea should be done to assess for corneal edema and corneal endothelial irregularity (a 'beaten bronze' or 'hammered silver' appearance when viewed in specularly reflected light with the slit lamp).[5] Iris changes (such as heterochromia, ectropion uveae, corectopia, hole formation, and iris atrophy) may be evident on slit-lamp examination. Exam with gonioscopy may show high PAS extending above Schwalbe line, which is pathognomonic for ICE syndrome.[1]
Distinction can be made between the three clinical variants based on clinical exam:
Chandler Syndrome:
This is the most common of the three sub-types, representing approximately 50% of all cases of ICE syndrome.[1] Of the three, Chandler Syndrome typically presents with a greater degree of corneal pathology with associated corneal edema. The edema can be microcystic, even with a normal intraocular pressure (this is common of all three variants). The iris findings are less common, and a majority of patients have no iris changes at all, making the diagnosis a challenge.
Essential / Progressive Iris Atrophy:
The iris findings of this variant can be quite robust and progressive over time. Polycoria, corectopia, iris hole formation, ectropion uveae, and iris atrophy are all common findings at the time of examination.
Figure 2. Polycoria, iris hole formation, and corectopia visible on a slit-lamp photo of a patient with Essential / Progressive Iris Atrophy. Note the corneal graft and the edge of a superior conjunctival bleb, as this patient required both penetrating keratoplasty and trabeculectomy. (Photo courtesy of KEI)
Iris Nevus / Cogan-Reese Syndrome:
This variant of ICE syndrome is distinguished by its unique iris findings. The anterior surface of iris has tan pedunculated nodules or diffuse pigmented lesions.[1] However, iris atrophy is uncommon with these particular patients.
Figure 1. Slit-lamp photo of a patient with Iris Nevus / Cogan-Reese sub-type of ICE syndrome. Note the pigmented pedunculated iris lesions that are characteristic of this disease. (Photo courtesy of KEI)
Specular microscopy is an important diagnostic tool, as the corneal endothelium has a characteristic appearance in ICE syndrome patients. ICE cells are characterized by loss of the typical hexagonal corneal endothelium shape, pleomorphic appearance, and " light-dark reversal " on specular microscopy.[9][8] Asymmetric endothelial cell loss and atypical endothelial cell morphology is typically evident, which appears on a specular photomicrograph as dark, larger than normal endothelial cells, with a bright central spot.[5] This is referred to as the "light-dark reversal." The endothelial cells have also been described to appear as dark areas with central highlights and light peripheral borders.[4][10] These corneal endothelial cells are felt to be pathognomonic for ICE syndrome, and have hence been referred to as "ICE cells" when seen on specular photomicrographs.[10] Resulting corneal edema can be quantified with a pachymeter at each visit.
Routine evaluation for glaucoma in these patients should be done by measuring intraocular pressure and evaluating the angle for PAS with gonioscopy. Greater diagnostic evaluation for glaucoma can be accomplished with common testing devices utilized for any glaucoma patient. Stereo disc photographs and visual field analysis (Humphrey or Goldmann), along with optic nerve and nerve fiber layer assessment (heidelberg retinal tomogram (HRT) or optical coherence tomography (OCT)), can all be implemented in the initial work-up and ongoing evaluation for glaucoma progression in these patients.
Iridocorneal endothelial syndrome (ICE)
Cogan-Reese syndrome
Essential iris atrophy
Posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy (PPMD)
This endothelial corneal dystrophy is an autosomal dominant disease that is similar to ICE syndrome on microscopic examination, with multilayered endothelial cells that look and behave like epithelial cells or fibroblasts.[4] Also, patients with PPMD may have variable amounts of corectopia, corneal edema, iridocorneal adhesions, and can present with both angle-closure or open-angle glaucoma. The easiest differentiating factor is that PPMD is inherited and is bilateral, whereas ICE syndrome is sporadic and unilateral. Additionally, the two differ on specular microscopy testing. ICE syndrome endothelial cells appear as dark areas with central highlights and light peripheral borders, whereas PPMD shows typical vesicles and bands on specular microscopy.[4]
Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome (ARS)
Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome is a bilateral, heterogeneous congenital condition that is is autosomal dominant in most cases, but can also occur sporadically, and may include developmental abnormalities in the anterior chamber angle, iris, and trabecular meshwork. Corectopia, polycoria, ectropion uveae, posterior embryotoxon, and increased intraocular pressure are common ophthalmologic findings with ARS.[11] Again, the fact that ICE syndrome is only sporadic and unilateral allows for easy differentiation of the two ocular diseases. Additionally, ARS is congenital with patients presenting at a young age, can have systemic findings, and does not have corneal endothelial changes.
Aniridia (Iris Hypoplasia)
Aniridia is a bilateral congenital disease that presents with absence of the iris (commonly a rudimentary iris stump exists), cataracts, glaucoma, and corneal pannus. In addition, patients may have foveal and optic nerve hypoplasia, with poor visual acuity (less than 20/100), nystagmus, and strabismus. A defect in the PAX6 gene on band 11p13, which can be sporadic or familial (autosomal dominant), results in congenital ocular malformations and corneal stem cell deficiency.[12] A unique angle-closure glaucoma may develop (50-75% of cases), typically in the second decade of life, which is a direct result from rotation of the rudimentary iris into the anterior chamber angle. The congenital cataracts, optic nerve and foveal hypoplasia, bilateral presentation, lack of corneal endothelial changes, and congenital nature differentiate aniridia from ICE syndrome.
The treatment of ICE syndrome, regardless of the variant, primarily revolves around the prevention of glaucomatous vision loss secondary to elevated intraocular pressure. Additionally, treatment of corneal edema and other corneal changes is vital to maintain high quality visual acuity. Both ocular hypertension and corneal decompensation can be addressed with medical and surgical treatment approaches.
Topical medication is the first line therapy for patients with elevated intraocular pressure from secondary angle-closure glaucoma in the setting of ICE syndrome.[2] More specifically, aqueous suppressants (such as topical beta blockers, alpha agonists, and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors) are typically used, rather than medications that would target the aqueous drainage sites of the eye (e.g. miotics). The role of prostaglandin analogs, which reduce intraocular pressure by enhancing uveoscleral outflow, remains unclear.[1] Because of the theorized role of HSV in ICE, the addition of prostaglandins should be carefully considered due to reports of latanoprost-induced HSV recurrence. [13]
Corneal edema in ICE syndrome patients may be exacerbated by elevated IOP, and these corneal changes may benefit from the reduction of IOP by topical aqueous suppressants as well. Additionally, topical hypertonic saline solutions and gels can be utilized to improve corneal edema by dehydrating the cornea.
Surgical therapy
When medical therapy is unsuccessful at controlling IOP, surgical therapy with a filtering procedure may be necessary. A trabeculectomy with antifibrotic agents (mitomycin-C or 5-fluorouracil) or a glaucoma drainage device (aqueous shunt) have been found to be effective in controlling IOP in ICE syndrome patients.[2][5] However, maintaining long-term success can be challenging, as the fistula and trabecular meshwork can be obstructed with advancing abnormal corneal endothelial cells[14]. Nd:YAG laser may be utilized to reopen blocked glaucoma tube shunts. Long-term surgical outcomes have been reported to be slightly better with glaucoma drainage implants (survival of 71% at 1 year, 71% at 3 years, and 53% at 5 years) versus trabeculectomy with antifibrotic agents (survival of 73% at 1 year, 44% at 3 years, and 29% at 5 years).[15] Regardless of the procedure, it has been noted that these patients typically require multiple surgeries to maintain stable IOP control.[15]If surgical success is not obtained with a trabeculectomy or glaucoma drainage device, it may be necessary to treat patients with a ciliary body destruction procedure. Often, this may be required due to the difficult to control nature of ICE syndrome intraocular pressure. Typically this is done with diode laser cyclophotocoagulation (diode CPC), and is reserved for intractable cases of glaucoma.
Corneal decompensation can similarly be treated with surgery when medical management fails. Penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) or endothelial keratoplasty (commonly DSEK or DSAEK) can be implemented to replace the abnormal corneal endothelial cells and improve corneal function.[1][2][4] At times, both a filtering and corneal transplant procedure are necessary. Concomitant control of IOP is vital for maintenance of corneal graft clarity.
Glaucomatous optic neuropathy
ICE syndrome can result in advanced glaucomatous optic neuropathy with extensive vision loss if left untreated. Glaucoma occurs in approximately 50% of patients with ICE syndrome and tends to be more severe in progressive iris atrophy and Cogan-Reese syndrome.[1] Glaucoma is a result of trabecular meshwork obstruction from migrating dysfunctional corneal endothelial cells.[5] High PAS may develop within the angle after contraction of this membrane, making the diagnosis of secondary angle-closure glaucoma simple with gonioscopy. However, a 'functional' angle-closure (that can be confused with open-angle glaucoma) may exist because the endothelial cell membrane can advance without causing overt synechial formation.[1]
Corneal edema and decompensation
Poor vision secondary to corneal endothelial cell dysfunction with resulting corneal decompensation and edema is common in patients with ICE syndrome. Mild cases can be managed with topical hypertonic saline drops and ointments. Severe cases may require corneal transplant surgery (Penetrating Keratoplasty (PKP) or Descemet's Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK or DSEK)). This complication has been found to be more profound in Chandler Syndrome.
Iris changes (atrophy, corectopia, polycoria, ectropion uveae)
Contraction of corneal endothelial cells that have advanced on to the iris can result in these degenerative changes. Patients with good visual potential may develop visual distortion and glare from these iris changes. This complication is most pronounced in Essential Iris Atrophy / Progressive Iris Atrophy.
Failed glaucoma surgery
Late failures have been reported with trabeculectomies secondary to advancing endothelialization of the fistula. In some cases these can be treated with a Nd:YAG laser procedure to re-open the fistula.[5]
Prognosis for patients with ICE syndrome depends on whether the above complications develop. This is dependent on the timing of diagnosis within the disease course, and the success or failure of treatment. Many patients have subtle disease, and do quite well with intraocular pressure control (both topical and surgical). However, there are rare patients with aggressive disease who suffer from extensive vision loss from advanced glaucoma and / or corneal edema. The glaucoma tends to be more severe in progressive iris atrophy and Cogan-Reese syndrome.[1] If surgical intervention is required for intraocular pressure control, the prognosis tends to be more guarded.
Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome
Glaucoma Drainage Devices
Penetrating Keratoplasty (PKP)
Endothelial Keratoplasty
Primary vs. Secondary Angle Closrure Glaucoma
Boyd K, DeAngelis KD. Iridocorneal Endothelial Syndrome . American Academy of Ophthalmology. EyeSmart® Eye health. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/iridocorneal-endothelial-syndrome-5. Accessed March 13, 2019.
All Images are Courtesy of The Krieger Eye Institute (KEI) at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, along with Dr. Donald Abrams and Dr. Gregory Oldham.
↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Glaucoma. Basic and Clinical Science Course (BCSC). American Academy of Ophthalmology, 2010-2011; pp142-144.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Doan A, Alward W: Iridocorneal Endothelial Syndrome (ICE) - essential iris atrophy : 63 year-old female with PAS, "iris mass", corectopia, and increased IOP OS. February 21, 2005; Available from: http://www.EyeRounds.org/cases/case14.htm.
↑ Levy SG, Kirkness CM, Moss J, Ficker L, McCartney AC. The histopathology of the iridocorneal-endothelial syndrome. Cornea. 1996 Jan;15(1):46-54.
↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 External Disease and Cornea. Basic and Clinical Science Course (BCSC). American Academy of Ophthalmology, 2010-2011; pp344-345.
↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Laganowski HC, Kerr Muir MG, Hitchings RA. Glaucoma and the iridocorneal endothelial syndrome. Arch Ophthalmol. 1992 Mar;110(3):346-50.
↑ 6.0 6.1 Alvarado JA, Underwood JL, Green WR, et al. Detection of herpes simplex viral DNA in the iridocorneal endothelial syndrome. Arch Ophthalmol. Dec 1994;112(12):1601-9. [Medline].
↑ Groh MJ, Seitz B, Schumacher S, Naumann GO. Detection of herpes simplex virus in aqueous humor in iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome. Cornea. 1999;18(3):359-360.
↑ 8.0 8.1 Levy SG, McCartney AC, Baghai MH, Barrett MC, Moss J. Pathology of the iridocorneal-endothelial syndrome. The ICE-cell. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1995;36(13):2592-2601
↑ Feng, B., Tang, X., Chen, H., Sun, X., & Wang, N. (2018). Unique variations and characteristics of iridocorneal endothelial syndrome in China: a case series of 58 patients. International Ophthalmology, 38, 2117-2126.
↑ 10.0 10.1 Laganowski HC, Sherrard ES, Muir MG, and Buckley RJ. Distinguishing features of the iridocorneal endothelial syndrome and posterior polymorphous dystrophy: value of endothelial specular microscopy. Br J Ophthalmol. 1991 April; 75(4): 212–216.
↑ Axenfeld Rieger Syndrome. Eye Wiki. Available from: https://eyewiki.aao.org/Axenfeld_Rieger_Syndrome
↑ Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Basic and Clinical Science Course (BCSC). American Academy of Ophthalmology, 2010-2011; pp223-224.
↑ Wand M., Gilbert C. M., Liesegang T. J. Latanoprost and herpes simplex keratitis. American Journal of Ophthalmology. 1999;127(5):602–604. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9394(99)00050-1
↑ Patel A., Kenyon K. R., Hirst L. W., et al. Clinicopathologic features of Chandler's syndrome. Survey of Ophthalmology. 1983;27(5):327–344. doi: 10.1016/0039-6257(83)90234-5.
↑ 15.0 15.1 Doe EA, Budenz DL, Gedde SJ, Imami NR. Long-term surgical outcomes of patients with glaucoma secondary to the iridocorneal endothelial syndrome. Ophthalmology. 2001 Oct;108(10):1789-95.
Aung T. Iridocorneal Endothelial Syndrome. Asian Journal of Ophthalmology and Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology. Volume 2, Number 1, 2. 2000.
Retrieved from "https://eyewiki.org/w/index.php?title=Iridocorneal_Endothelial_Syndrome_and_Secondary_Glaucoma&oldid=88255"
This page was last edited on January 9, 2023, at 09:45.


text:
Q: NullPointerException in Run Configuration - Java 9 I am running into some issues with one particular project's run configuration.  I have updated Eclipse Oxygen to use Java 9 and was able to clear up any compiler errors.  When I go to run/debug, an error occurs and this is what's in the log:
!ENTRY org.eclipse.core.jobs 4 2 2017-09-29 13:51:28.520
!MESSAGE An internal error occurred during: "Launching (My Run Config Name)".
!STACK 0
java.lang.NullPointerException
  at org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JavaRuntime.computeUnresolvedRuntimeDependencies(JavaRuntime.java:954)
  at org.eclipse.jdt.launching.StandardClasspathProvider.computeUnresolvedClasspath(StandardClasspathProvider.java:53)
  at org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JavaRuntime.computeUnresolvedRuntimeClasspath(JavaRuntime.java:1502)
  at org.eclipse.jdt.launching.AbstractJavaLaunchConfigurationDelegate.getBootpathExt(AbstractJavaLaunchConfigurationDelegate.java:299)
  at org.eclipse.jdt.launching.AbstractJavaLaunchConfigurationDelegate.getVMSpecificAttributesMap(AbstractJavaLaunchConfigurationDelegate.java:615)
  at org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JavaLaunchDelegate.launch(JavaLaunchDelegate.java:71)
  at org.eclipse.debug.internal.core.LaunchConfiguration.launch(LaunchConfiguration.java:885)
  at org.eclipse.debug.internal.core.LaunchConfiguration.launch(LaunchConfiguration.java:739)
  at org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.DebugUIPlugin.buildAndLaunch(DebugUIPlugin.java:1039)
  at org.eclipse.debug.internal.ui.DebugUIPlugin$8.run(DebugUIPlugin.java:1256)
  at org.eclipse.core.internal.jobs.Worker.run(Worker.java:56)

I get the same error in the log just by going to Run Configurations and viewing this configuration too, and the configuration is not editable because of this.
I don't see the issue with my other configuration but that project is much smaller and less complex.  However they both work if I roll back to my 1.7 JDK.
I'm still just using a .classpath file and haven't started messing around with module-info files yet, not sure if that could be a problem.  This is what the .classpath entry for JRE_CONTAINER looks like (but it looks the same on the other working project so not sure if there's anything wrong.  The only module I added was java.xml.ws):
<classpathentry kind="con" path="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JRE_CONTAINER">
    <attributes>
        <attribute name="module" value="true"/>
        <attribute name="limit-modules" value="java.se,javafx.base,javafx.controls,javafx.fxml,javafx.graphics,javafx.media,javafx.swing,javafx.web,jdk.accessibility,jdk.attach,jdk.compiler,jdk.httpserver,jdk.jartool,jdk.javadoc,jdk.jconsole,jdk.jdi,jdk.management,jdk.packager,jdk.plugin.dom,jdk.sctp,jdk.security.auth,jdk.security.jgss,jdk.unsupported,oracle.desktop,oracle.net,jdk.dynalink,jdk.incubator.httpclient,jdk.jfr,jdk.jshell,jdk.jsobject,jdk.management.cmm,jdk.management.jfr,jdk.management.resource,jdk.net,jdk.packager.services,jdk.scripting.nashorn,jdk.xml.dom,java.xml.ws"/>
    </attributes>
</classpathentry>

A: The solution is to upgrade to the newly released Eclipse package Oxygen.1a (4.7.1a) which supports Java 9.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Level 1: Without special recommendations
Diplomatic and Consular Representations of the Republic of Bulgaria to the USA or International Organizations
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Washington, USA
Address: 1621 22nd Street, NW, Dimitar Peshev Plaza, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel.: +1 202 387 0174; +1 202 299 0273; +1 202 483 1386; +1 202 387 5770
Out-of-hours emergency hotlines:
+1 202 387 0174; +1 202 387 5770;
Office hours /Mon-Fri/: 9.00 am - 5.30 pm
E-mail: Embassy.Washington@mfa.bg
Website: https://www.mfa.bg/embassies/usa
Consular Section
(R Street Entrance)
The Consular District includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington DC
Open to the public /Mon – Fri/:
9:15 am - 12:00 pm (walk-in)
and 2 pm - 3 pm (by appointment)
Phone Inquiries: +1 202 387 7969
E-mail: Embassy.Washington@mfa.bg; consulate@bulgaria-embassy.org
Permanent Representation of the Republic of Bulgaria to the UN
Address: 11 East, 84th Street, New York, NY 10028
Telephone:+1 212 737 4790; +1 212 737 4791
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Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in New York
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Address: 121 East 62nd Street,Nеw York, NY 10065, USA
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Open to the public /Mon-Fri, by appointment/: 09:30 am - 12:30 pm
Phone Inquiries:
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The level of criminality varies in the different states, cities and districts of a city. It is recommended to seek practical advice from local citizens or permanently residing co-nationals.
If you have to cross at night through insecure quarters, you should always have petty cash (a banknote). The banknote should be in the right pocket of your outer wear, and not in the left one, because reaching out with the right hand towards the left pocket could be interpreted wrongly.
If you are stopped by police officers, their instructions must be strictly followed, your hands must be visible all the time, movements must not be brisk.
The illegal hiring for work could lead to serious consequences for the employer. For the employee it is possible, depending on the practice in the particular state, to be deported, not to be admitted anymore on the territory of the United States, not to be permitted to launch a procedure for the legalization of his/her status if he/she has such a possibility.
Customs declarations (form 6059В) are distributed in advance yet on board of the airplane and, apart from English, are compiled also in several other languages among which French, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish. The declaration should be completed on board of the airplane. In case a family is travelling, the head of the family can fill in one declaration for the whole family.
Goods and belongings for personal use (clothes, toilet accessories, portable radio-receiversetc.) are not declared and are not subject to imposition of customs duty, if they are in the limits of a normal quantity.
Duty-free import of 1 liter of alcohol, type notwithstanding, 200 pieces of cigarettes or 50 cigars (not Cuban), or 2 kg of pipe tobacco, or a combination of these products in a proportional quantity, is allowed.
Once in every six months duty-free import of presents for other persons to the total cost of 100 USD is allowed.
Goods that do not fall within the duty-free categories and quantities, have a customs duty of 10 % for the first 1000 USD imposed on them; in case their cost exceeds 1000 USD, duty is imposed in accordance with a tariff for every commodity.
There are no restrictions for the currency that is brought in or taken out of the USA, but should you be carrying, or should by your instructions monies be carried over (in cash, checks, securities or stock etc.), you ought to complete a declaration for monetary and financial transactions (form 4790).
More details can be found HERE.
If you are stopped by traffic police while driving, you should stay in the car and not get out unless you receive instructions for that.
If you are stopped at night, you must switch on the light inside the car yet before the policeman has approached it. Your hands must be visible all the time (for example, be put on the steering wheel).
You must reach out for documents only if you have received instructions for that from the police officer
There are no contagious diseases for which obligatory vaccination would be required.
There are no areas with an increased threat of natural disasters.
Should during stay in the middle states or along the South-East coast a hurricane or tornado warning be issued, the corresponding security instructions must be observed.
When travelling to the USA you must possess a valid passport and an issued visa. A valid visa is only an entry document while the duration of your stay is determined by the immigration (border) officer. Every traveler must be prepared to reply to his/her questions with regard to the scope of stay, means of livelihood etc. At entry into the country finger-prints of the two index fingers are taken at the border check point. The white rectangular piece of cardboard (form І-94)issued by him/her must be kept in the passport and presented at departure from the country. Same serves as proof that the visitor has left the USA.
Visa categories and related procedures
There are many types of visas available to foreign visitors to the United States. Please review the information below to determine which visa best suits your needs.
Temporary Business or Tourism (B1/B2)
For those going to the U.S. on tourism, please indicate where you will be staying. If you are visiting friends, please bring letters of invitation from them and a copy of a document showing that person's immigration status in the United States. If you are visiting family, please indicate the inviting person's relationship to you and indicate whether that person is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident (i.e., bearer of a U.S. green card), or nonimmigrant in the U.S. on a work or student visa. You may present a letter of invitation and a copy of a document showing their immigration status in the United States.
Applicants may choose to present, but are not required to, any additional documents in order to support their claim that they will return home after a temporary visit to the United States (such as proof of ownership of property, bank statements, proof of employment, proof of family ties, etc.) Supporting documents do not need to be notarized, and if they are in Bulgarian they do not need to be translated into English. Legible photocopies may be submitted in place of original documents.
Individuals applying for business visas should be prepared to explain what kind of business trip they are making. For those visiting business contacts or clients, please bring correspondence that explains the nature of the trip.
B1/B2 visa applicants must complete the online application form DS-160.
Treaty Traders & Investors (E-1)(E-2)
The E visa is appropriate for Bulgarian (and other qualifying) nationals wishing to go to the United States to carry on substantial trade, including trade in services or technology, principally between the United States and Bulgaria; or to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise in which the applying citizen has invested or is in the process of investing a substantial amount of capital.
Temporary Work (H, L)
Nonimmigrant Worker (H)
An H visa is issued to a nonimmigrant to allow travel for the purpose of temporary employment in the United States. To qualify for an H visa, the applicant must demonstrate that (a) the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) has approved a petition (Form I-129), filed by the prospective employer, requesting H status for the applicant, and (b) the applicant qualifies for the specified employment by showing proof of education and relevant work experience. H visa applicants must complete the online application form DS-160.
Intracompany Transfer (L)
The L visa classification permits multinational companies to transfer qualified employees temporarily to the United States for the purpose of improving management effectiveness, expanding U. S. exports, and enhancing competitiveness in overseas markets. An applicant for an L visa must demonstrate that (a) the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) has approved a petition (Form I-129), filed by the prospective employer, requesting L status for the applicant; (b) the prospective employer is the same firm, corporation, or other legal entity, or parent, branch, affiliate, or subsidiary thereof, for whom the applicant has been employed abroad; (c) the prospective employer will continue to do business in the United States and at least one other country; (d) the applicant has been employed overseas by the transferring organization for at least one year within the past three years; and (e) the applicant is a manager, executive, or employee with specialized knowledge and is destined to a managerial or executive position, or a position which requires specialized knowledge. L visa applicants must complete the online application form DS-160.
Student or Exchange Programs (F, M, J)
Student Visas (F, M)
Those wishing to study in the United States must include with the visa application the Form I-20 and evidence of funding for the first year's studies, as well as sources of adequate funding for subsequent years. The Form I-20 is provided by the United States institution after a foreign student has been accepted. F-1 and M-1 visa applicants must complete the online application form DS-160 and submit it online. Evidence that you have full funding for the first year at a school should be in the form of: a bank financial statement (not just a letter from the bank); evidence of employment of the persons funding for education (either in the form of a tax return or document confirming employment). Students from abroad whose I-20 is issued on or after September 1, 2004, will be required to pay the appropriate fee in most cases, $100 - prior to obtaining their visas. This fee must be paid before a visa can be issued.
Please note that students planning to attend public high schools in the United States must meet different requirements.
Exchange Visas (J)
The United States Government and many private organizations sponsor a wide variety of exchange programs. These include academic and cultural exchanges, as well as au pair programs and summer work and travel programs. Applications for J-1 Exchange Visitor visas must be accompanied by the Form DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility for NIV Exchange Visitor) which is provided by the sponsoring U.S. organization. J-1 visa applicants must complete the online application form DS-160,and submit it online. Scholars and exchange visitors from abroad whose DS-2019 is issued on or after September 1, 2004, will be required to pay the appropriate fee - in most cases, $100 - prior to obtaining their visas. This fee must be paid before a visa can be issued.
Summer Work & Travel Program For Students
For more information on Student and Exchange programs, please see Studying in the U.S. or the State Department's Educational and Cultural Exchanges website.
Crew Members and/or Transit (C1/D)
Pilots, air hostesses, stewards, seamen or employees on board a ship whose services are required for normal operation, or crew members traveling to the United States as passengers to join a vessel or aircraft should apply for this type of visa. C1/D visa applicants must complete the online application form DS-160.
Journalists (I)
Representatives of foreign press, radio, film, or other information media should apply for this type of visa. This includes personnel whose activities are essential to the foreign information media function, e.g., media reporters, media film crews, videotape editors, and persons in similar occupations. The I visa classification may be accorded not only to primary employees of foreign information media engaged in filming a news event or documentary, but also to the employees of independent production companies when those employees hold a credential issued by a professional journalistic association. I visa applicants must complete the online application form DS-160.
Religious Occupations (R)
Religious workers include ministers of religion who are authorized by a recognized denomination to conduct religious worship and perform other duties usually performed by members of the clergy, such as administering the sacraments or their equivalent. The term does not apply to lay preachers. A religious vocation means a calling to religious life, evidenced by the demonstration of a lifelong commitment, such as taking vows. Examples include nuns, monks, and religious brothers and sisters. A religious occupation means an habitual engagement in an activity which relates to a traditional religious function. Examples include liturgical workers, religious instructors or cantors, catechists, workers in religious hospitals, missionaries, religious translators, or religious broadcasters. It does not include janitors, maintenance workers, clerks, fundraisers, solicitors of donations, or similar occupations. The activity of a lay-person who will engage in a religious occupation must relate to a traditional religious function, i.e., the activity must embody the tenets of the religion and have religious significance, relating primarily, if not exclusively, to matters of the spirit as they apply to the religion. R visa applicants must complete the online application form DS-160.
Fiancé/Fiancee Visas (K-1/K-2)
Processed by the Immigrant Visa Unit. The Immigration and Nationality Act provides nonimmigrant visa classification (K-1) for aliens proceeding to the U.S. to marry American citizens. The marriage must be concluded within 90 days of their admission into the U.S. Following the marriage, the alien spouse must apply to the Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to establish a record of entry for Conditional Permanent Residence (CR) status. After two years, the alien may apply to the USCIS for removal of the conditional status and change to Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status.
Spouse/Children of U.S. Citizen (K-3/K-4)
Processed by the Immigrant Visa Unit, the nonimmigrant K-3 visa (spouse) and K-4 visa (child) has been created to reunite families that have been, or could be, subject to a long separation while their immigrant visa petitions are being processed. The visa entitles the holder to travel to the United States to await the approval of the immigrant visa petition.
Spouses of U.S. citizens and their children under the age of 21 for whom an immigrant visa petition has been filed, but not approved by the Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), are eligible for this visa category.
Note: The child of a U.S. citizen will qualify for a K-4 visa only if he or she has no claim to U.S. citizenship and his or her parent qualifies for a K-3 visa.
In case a problem occurs: Address the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria or a corresponding Consulate General depending on the state where you find yourself.
Police, fire brigade or medical emergency are called on telephone 911 in every state.
Bear in mind that abroad you have to conform to the local laws and customs.During your stay there you fall under their jurisdiction. It is recommended to make yourself informed about them in advance and to observe them. The penalties for violation of the law could be much more severe than those in Bulgaria for the same violations.
Keep all the medicines in their original package and check whether any of them are not considered abroad as illegal narcotic drugs. In case you use such substances carry a copy of the doctor's prescription confirming that fact.
Avoid carrying items belonging to third persons when crossing a border.
If for any reason you get detained, request that a contact with the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria be ensured to you. The Consular officer shall establish contact with you in the shortest time possible.
You are advised to conclude in advance a contract for medical, tourist, traffic or other insurance.
In the case of death of a Bulgarian citizen in the USA the nearest diplomatic or consular representation of the Republic of Bulgaria shall render co-operation and help for settling formalities.
You could receive direct financial assistance from the diplomatic or consular representation only in case if your kin or relatives deposit the required amount in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate "Finance and Maintenance".
In the case of theft of your personal documents, monetary funds, tickets for travel etc., please inform without delay in person and in writing the nearest police station, and request a copy of the report on the determination of the incident. Get in contact with the diplomatic or consular representation of the Republic of Bulgaria to make all the applications for the receipt of the necessary documents for the continuation of your travel or for your return home.
Before departing from Bulgaria or immediately after your arrival in the country of destination, please note down the addresses and telephone numbers of the diplomatic and consular representation of the Republic of Bulgaria. It is appropriate that the administration of the hotels you stay at, or the tourist operators arranging your travel, and the organs of the local police have this information at their disposal in case of necessity.
Certification and Legalisations
Republic of Bulgaria and USA are parties to the Convention on Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation of Foreign Public Documents, concluded in The Hague on 5 October 1961. The documents issued by the Bulgarian authorities should be provided with an 'Apostille' stamp in order to be recognized by the authorities in the USA, and vice versa – those issued in the USA must have an "Apostille" stamp to be recognized in Bulgaria.
In Bulgaria the "Apostille" stamp is applied by the Ministry of Justice on judicial documents, and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on all other documents. In the USA 'Apostille' is applied by the Service of the Secretary of State of the state, from which the document originates.


I graduated from Auburn University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting. I received my Master of Accountancy degree from Auburn in 2001. While completing my coursework, I held an internship position with Powertel, Inc., a regional cell phone provider, in their corporate accounting office in West Point, GA. I also held an internship position with Big 4 international accounting firm Ernst & Young, LLC, in their Columbus, GA office. Upon completion of my graduate degree, I accepted a full-time position as an auditor with Ernst & Young in Atlanta and served on numerous audit engagements of Fortune 500 companies. I became a Certified Public Accountant in 2004. After working in public accounting for 3 years, I began working for The Facility Group, a design/build company located in Smyrna, GA. I held positions of increasing responsibility over the six years I worked for The Facility Group, and was the Controller and head of the Accounting Department when I resigned in 2010 to begin teaching full-time. While working full-time at The Facility Group, I was also an adjunct accounting professor for two years.


In Helsinki, beautiful design does not stop with the food. We enjoyed a meal at popular gastronomic restaurant, Olo, whose menu boasts first class ingredients from small Finnish producers. It was a special meal because John and I were celebrating our second wedding anniversary, always more enjoyable when spent together in such an amazing European capital.
After three greetings from the kitchen, we enjoyed these juicy palate cleansers before the main event.
I began my meal with a signature cocktail from their list. We relaxed and took in our surroundings - a warm, muted and efficient room that allows you to feel comfortable and focus on the food. And for good reason - the dishes are delightful. We were asked to choose between 'Matka' ('The Journey') with 9 courses, or 'Retki' ('Shorter Way'). We chose this six course menu to be paired with wines.
The main dish included sweetbreads, one of my favourites.
I cannot remember the names of all the dishes and the menu lists only ten ingredients and their origins to whet our appetites. The wines included selections from a variety of regions, including Australia, Austria and France. Each dish was inventive and complex, with perfectly balanced flavours. Dessert was fun - we were first presented with a fresh blueberry and lemon dessert, followed by the aroma of cinnamon with a warm, spicy Finnish apple concoction in a pot. Just when we thought we were finished, handmade mini-popsicles appeared for a sweet end to the evening.
Olo Restaurant and Bar is located at Kasarmikatu 44 in Helsinki's Design District (ola-ravintola.fi). After a romantic meal, retreat to the comfort of your suite at Klaus K Hotel for more beautiful luxury in Finland's capital.
Congratulations on your anniversary! This meal looks wonderful, and I love the delicate presentations.
Thanks so much, Jenna =) Olo was amazing!!
Now this is a reason to visit, please post more food, especially the typical food as I have no idea what it is.
wow i cant get over how beautifully plated each dish is. im sure they didnt taste too bad either 🙂 too bad i ban myself from eating in places that have 'palette cleansers' for they probably have 15 forks too and my unrefined colors would surely shine haha!
Those foods served on your plate looks really gastronomic. Congrats on your 2 years!


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Revisiting Grand Theft Auto's San Andreas
Fans of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will get a chance to revisit that game's setting this fall in Grand Theft Auto V.
By EMMANUEL LOPEZ
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Grand Theft Auto V, due out Sept. 17, takes us back to a familiar place — San Andreas, the fictionalized California that served as the backdrop for 2004's Grand Theft Theft Auto: San Andreas.
It's been nine years since Rockstar first visited the West Coast in GTA: San Andreas. The question is whether this return trip can capture some of the spirit and ridiculousness of GTA: San Andreas. With GTA V putting gamers in a San Andreas state of mind, it seems almost obligatory to revisit that place and remember how GTA: San Andreas turned everyone's expectations for an open-world sandbox game upside-down.
Rockstar Games certainly had big plans after 2002's hugely successful Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The pastel-splashed crime saga redefined the open-world game genre, creating a huge environment to explore while poking fun of a decade that featured MTV and enough hairspray to create a hole in the ozone layer.
So when Rockstar announced a new GTA game for 2004, it had everyone thinking "What could possibly top Vice City?" The easy answer would have been to keep doing more of the same. But Rockstar had a more outrageous solution — make it bigger and make it crazier. Nobody knew how much bigger the game would be. And nobody could predict how crazy it would become.
Some of the craziness to be found in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
GTA: San Andreas takes place in 1992 and America's nursing a hell of a hangover from the neon-soaked excess of the previous decade. Protagonist Carl Johnson is back in his old hood after getting word his mother was killed in a drive-by shooting. He returns to find the place is a mess, his old gang — the Grove Street Families — losing territory and influence to rival groups. Now it's up to him, his brother Sweet and his homies to take it all back.
As soon as the game begins, the first thing that is apparent is how much area Los Santos, a digital doppelganger of Los Angeles, encompasses. It's easily larger than the fictional Miami in Vice City. But then you hit the pause button and the game map shows the whole enchilada just waiting to be unveiled and explored. And it leaves you wondering what role all of this real estate will play in the story.
In-game models and textures are crude by today's standards, but despite the technical limitations of the time, there's a staggering amount of detail and sense of place across San Andreas. Each locale has its own character, from the sprawling Los Santos metropolis, to the scenic hillsides in San Fierro and the glittery boulevards of Las Venturas. Even the sprawling forests and deserts in between, and the small towns within them have their charms.
However, this world doesn't exist solely as a canvas for criminal hijinks or as pretty scenery to be admired. It is a game environment that feels dynamic, lived in. Even in 2013, it holds up surprisingly well against modern-day open-world games, even surpassing a few.
A soundtrack with offerings from artists as diverse as Ice Cube to Rage Against the Machine helps frame the time period in which San Andreas is set. Of course, no soundtrack of the West Coast in the 1990s is complete without a heavy dose of the G-funk sound that helped usher in the era of gangsta rap into the cultural mainstream.
There's something picture-perfect about cruising through the streets of Los Santos in a low-rider, doing drive-bys on rival gangsters while Ice Cube riffs on the great day he's having or driving a tank and leaving a wake of destruction to the tune of Guns N' Roses' "Welcome To The Jungle."
CJ and his fellow gang members are much more developed than previous GTA characters.
An interesting dichotomy begins to emerge as you play through GTA: San Andreas. It is a game embracing its pedigree and yet attempting to move beyond it. Nowhere is this paradox more apparent than in its protagonist.
What sets CJ apart from previous GTA protagonists — Claude, the silent goon of GTA III and Tommy Vercetti in Vice City — is his depth and complexity. Or rather that he has a personality at all. In GTA III and Vice City, the main character's primary purpose is to serve as the player's avatar, giving us a means to live out our criminal fantasies vicariously.
CJ is not a violent sociopath like his predecessors. Even though we are free to go off on crime sprees at any time, there's a conscious effort to portray CJ as a sympathetic figure. The gang life of Los Santos is merciless, but CJ and the Grove Street Families are cast in a more romanticized light, a tight-knit band of urban survivors rather than a group of hardened career criminals. Yet CJ finds himself reluctantly drawn back into a world he tried to escape, becoming entangled in shaky alliances and struggling to do what he feels is the right thing.
Despite some spotty targeting controls and uneven difficulty spikes, GTA: San Andreas is a flat-out fun game to play and explore. Missions vary greatly, even as they border on the absurd at times. It's a mash-up of wildly disparate game genres that blends together and gives the player an incredible degree of freedom to experience the game however they so choose.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' role-playing elements had its share of detractors.
Role-playing game elements, while providing a sense of realism, occasionally intrude on the main gameplay. One mission requires CJ to have spent some time splashing around in the water to upgrade his lung capacity before it even becomes available. Some of the later stages become rather difficult if you haven't spent some time grinding out upgrades to your health, armor and weapon skills.
CJ's story of gangland redemption draws heavily upon early 1990s urban crime dramas, but quickly veers into unexpected areas once the narrative leaves Los Santos. Some missions — sneaking aboard an aircraft carrier and stealing a jet — have a definite James Bond vibe to them, while the casino robbery that forms the main plot thread in Las Venturas could easily pass for an Ocean's Eleven sequel. It's an amusing contradiction, but you get the sense Rockstar crafted the story to fit the game world, and not the other way around, and struggled to incorporate all of the cities into it.
The sheer size of GTA: San Andreas proves to be its greatest strength and its biggest liability. The game has this incredible story it's dying to tell you, but the unbridled freedom it offers players makes it all too easy to get derailed from advancing the plot. These excesses certainly provided the impetus for Rockstar's scaled-down, narrative-heavy approach to Grand Theft Auto IV in 2008. This movement met some resistance from longtime fans, who criticized the dour tone of Niko Bellic's story and the rather bland rendition of Liberty City. It was with The Ballad of Gay Tony that Rockstar began to reconcile this new style of GTA with some of the over-the-top antics of previous installments, showing that a strong story and ridiculous fun were not mutually exclusive.
It's difficult to describe GTA: San Andreas without spouting off a litany of superlatives. The one word that keeps coming to mind, however, is ambitious. The brazen juvenile humor, rampant violence and pointed satire are there (even when it isn't, as in the case of the notorious "Hot Coffee" scandal). But GTA: San Andreas shows a Rockstar daring to stretch itself and take a mature approach to elevating the open-world genre as a viable storytelling medium, providing the blueprint for recent masterpieces such as Red Dead Redemption.
By GameWit| 2013-08-17T22:06:51-08:00	August 16th, 2013|0 Comments
Review: Grid 2 stretches itself thin trying to please everybody
Review: Buggy Dead Island Riptide feels like a step backward
May 3rd, 2013 | 1 Comment
Review: BioShock Infinite a one-of-a-kind tour de force
Spelunking through 'Heavy Rain's' plot holes [spoilers]
Thoughts on Green Day 'Rock Band' and other new titles
Don't buy Wii MotionPlus at GameStop
An early look at the Xbox One
Review: Dead or Alive 5: Ultimate fine-tunes the fighting
Review: Ducktales Remastered trades in nostalgia, for better and for worse
Eric Wittmershaus got a ColecoVision for Christmas in the early '80s and never looked back. He became a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan because the Milwaukee Brewers weren't in RBI Baseball. Email him at gamewit[at]gmail[dot]com and find him on Twitter @gamewit. Dirk Dorkelson on Xbox Live and Dirk_Dorkelson on PSN and Steam.
All it took was a half-hour in 1986 playing Super Mario Brothers on the NES to get Emmanuel Lopez hooked on video games. When he's not gaming, Emmanuel enjoys spending time with his dogs, watching professional wrestling and keeping up his "read at least one book a month" quota. Reach him by email at emmanuel.lopez@pressdemocrat.com or elopez1882@gmail.com. Find him on Xbox Live, gamertag Allyourbase18.
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FILE - Cambodian non-governmental organization (NGOs) activists hold a cut-out of Mekong dolphin, left, and cut-out of other species during a protest against a proposed Don Sahong dam, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
A two-day meeting in Laos regarding the construction of a 260-megawatt dam on the Lower Mekong River has left officials and the environmental communities deeply polarized. The Lao government remains determined to press ahead with the project, dismissing concerns over the dam's impact on the Mekong Delta region.
The planned Don Sahong hydropower dam, in southern Champassak province, is one of nine on the Mekong river's mainstream in Laos or near the Lao-Thai border.
Laos is heavily dependent on income from some 10 hydropower plants, largely built since the 1990s on tributaries and rivers within Laos. They generate some 2,000 megawatts of power for domestic use and for export to Thailand.
But two new massive dams have stoked controversy. One, the $3.8 billion Xayaburi dam in northern Laos, and the $600 million Don Sahong planned, for the Khone Falls in Chamapssak province, have drawn scrutiny from environmentalists who worry about their impact on migratory fish and water flow.
Laos' vice minister of Energy and Mines, Viraphonh Virapong, said the government is committed to what he terms developing clean, renewable hydropower, despite criticisms.
To evaluate the impact of the dams, the intergovernmental Mekong River Commission (MRC), last week oversaw consultations to evaluate the impact of the projects.
Robert Mather, South East Asia head for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said there are serious questions about whether this evaluation process is worthwhile.
"Three main issues - the timing of the process, the lack of clarity about really the limits of what the process is actually about and the lack of any real trans-boundary EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) discussions around, then I really don't think you can expect the process to really yield anything meaningful," said Maher.
The consultation process for the Don Sahong project will last only six months. The Laos government sees the meetings as a way to clarify problem areas in construction of the dams, but critics say the talks should raise issues leading to the project being halted.
Environmental groups, including the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the U.S.-based International Rivers and Thailand's Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance (TERRA), say the Don Sahong will disrupt the movement of migratory fish and impact local communities.
TERRA spokesperson Premrudee Daorung said consultations are failing to address these issues, especially because few communities dependent on the waters for their livelihoods are involved in the process.
"What we keep requesting is that the MRC itself, with its agenda, it has to include the local people; you cannot keep going along with the project or the platform that only allows so-called dam builders to attend," said Daorung.
Throughout the Greater Mekong Subregion up to 60 million people are dependent on fish and free flowing waters, as vital flood water runoff is needed to enrich soil for agriculture, especially rice.
Downstream, Vietnam has raised alarms over the impact the Don Sahong project would have on the Mekong Delta, the country's "rice bowl" and home to 20 million people. Vietnam says the dam will result in increasing water salinity and soil erosion.
An MRC spokesman told VOA national consultations are set to be held in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia, before final decisions are made on the project.


McPhee, Stephen J., et al. "Epiglottitis." Guide to Diagnostic Tests, 7th ed., McGraw-Hill Education, 2017. Anesthesia Central, anesth.unboundmedicine.com/anesthesia/view/GDT/619302/all/Epiglottitis.
McPhee SJ, Lu CM, Nicoll D. Epiglottitis. Guide to Diagnostic Tests. 7th ed. McGraw-Hill Education; 2017. https://anesth.unboundmedicine.com/anesthesia/view/GDT/619302/all/Epiglottitis. Accessed April 20, 2019.
McPhee SJ, Lu CM, Nicoll D. Epiglottitis [Internet]. In: Guide to Diagnostic Tests. McGraw-Hill Education; 2017. [cited 2019 April 20]. Available from: https://anesth.unboundmedicine.com/anesthesia/view/GDT/619302/all/Epiglottitis.


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Galaxy Mapping
Why make maps of the galaxies?
What is your vision of a galaxy? Of space? Of the universe?
Big Bang:
a theory of the origin and evolution of the universe (This theory holds that approximately 2 x 1010 years ago, all matter in the universe was packed into a small agglomeration of extremely high density and temperature. It exploded, sending matter in all d
Doppler effect:
a change in the frequency and wavelength of sound, light, or radio waves as perceived by an observer, caused by the relative motion of the source of the waves or the observer
galaxy:
a closed gravitational system of stars, their satellites, nebulae, and dust, that is spinning and traveling through space
light year:
the distance that light, traveling at 186,000 miles per second in a vacuum, travels in one year, or about 5.9 trillion miles
red shift:
a shift toward longer (redder) wavelengths in the spectrum of light from an object
>Galaxy Mapping TRY ITS
Edwin Hubble's proof that the universe is dynamic and that our Milky Way is not the lone galaxy provoked a renewal of questions and theories. Understanding the positions, distances, and distribution patterns of other galaxies not only provides mapping information; it gives perspective on what the earth's relationship is to the overall universal plan; it provides clues about the earth's origin; and it gives a type of structure to an indistinct concept. The Doppler effect can explain the red shifts found in the light from galaxies. According to the Doppler effect, the more that light is shifted to longer wavelengths (meaning toward the red end of the spectrum), the faster the source of the light is moving away from the observer. Edwin Hubble found that the farther away the galaxy, the more its light is red-shifted. This means that the farther the galaxy, the faster it is moving away from us. In other words, the universe is expanding. Consider the universe as a huge ball of bread dough, speckled throughout with raisins, each raisin denoting a galaxy. There is no definite boundary or edge, however. As this model universe is baking in the oven, yeast is making the dough expand. The expanding dough carries the raisins farther and farther apart from each other, but the size of each raisin does not increase. In the same way, space expands the distance between galaxies in the universe, but the galaxies themselves do not get larger. We are on the threshold of new discoveries about the galaxies. Using the latest technology, Margaret Geller and John Huchra are able to analyze "slices" of the universe. If the ball of raisin-bread dough represents the universe, Geller and Huchra so far have mapped only four very thin slices of bread that don't even go all the way through the loaf. Their mapping illustrates a definite pattern to galaxy distribution. Galaxies appear to be positioned in a network of thin, curved walls that surround huge, nearly empty voids. How empty the voids are and how they arose, no one yet knows. The "Great Wall" of the universe is the largest structure known to humans, yet its size, 500 million light years by 200 million light years , poses a challenge to cosmological theories. No one can explain how, if only known forms of matter and known forces were at work, such a large structure was formed in the time since the Big Bang . Newer technologies and continued research promise to introduce new insights into the universe.
See for yourself what a difference a 3-D map can make. You will observe models of constellations and galaxies from different vantage points to see how things look different when viewed from different locations. Materials
constellation and galaxy maps
drawing paper 18" x 24"
pieces of cardboard 18" x 24"
black paint OR construction paper
Divide the class into teams of four.
Have each team choose a favorite constellation or galaxy and make a paper map of it, using the acquired constellation maps as guides.
Make a three-dimensional (3-D) model of your chosen constellation or galaxy. Start by transforming the cardboard into the unknown "dark matter" of space by painting or covering it with construction paper.
Determine the location on the cardboard and size of stars needed to create a 3-D model of the chosen constellation.
Use foil, tag board, string, and markers to create 3-D star models. Attach hanging stars to the cardboard by using varying lengths and thicknesses of string.
Suspend the completed 3-D maps from the classroom ceiling. Note: Your finished project will illustrate only an approximation of the placement of the stars. It would be impossible, using these materials, to make something to scale.
Mail Code F
(booklets: The Great Observatories for Space Astrophysics, NP-128; The
Gamma-Ray Observatory,
NP-124)
Space Telescope Science Institute
3700 San Martin Dr.
(slides, posters, videos, hands-on activities, brochures)
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
390 Ashton Ave.
(Universe in the Classroom newsletter)
Community resources:
University departments of physics and astronomy