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Will supply of S-300 to Syria harm Russia-Israel ties?
S-300 move is Moscow's message to Israel to adopt restraint, experts say, but some doubt the transfer will happen.
by Farah Najjar
26 Sep 2018 12:41 GMT
Moscow's decision to supply Syria with S-300 missile system has met a strong reaction from Israel but experts say the move will not risk the Israel-Russian relationship.
Some analysts doubted Russia will actually transfer the S-300 to the government of President Bashar al-Assad, who has presided over more than seven-year-old civil war.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday his country would "transfer the modern S-300 air defence system to the Syrian armed forces within two weeks" - the same day the Kremlin accused Israel pilots of "premeditated actions" over the drowning of a Russian plane that killed 15 soldiers last week.
Russian officials had described manoeuvres by Israeli fighter jets during the incident as "hostile" and have accused Israel of violating Syria's sovereignty, breaching the Russian-Israeli de-confliction agreement.
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For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special hotline to prevent their air forces from clashing overcrowded skies over Syria.
The most recent incident was the worst case of friendly fire between Russia and Syria.
It posed a threat to the two countries' relationship, which Moscow has maintained since it intervened militarily in the country three years ago.
Syria's military previously owned a defence system that is less sophisticated from the S-300, but the long-range surface-to-air missile can spread across hundreds of kilometres and can be used to defend against aircraft and missile attacks and fire targets on the ground.
Analysts say Moscow's announcement is a "dangerous development" in the region, as the missile system would challenge the Israeli air power capacity.
Russia-Israel relationship 'intact'
Israel has, in the past six years, carried out hundreds of attacks inside Syria, varying from firing rockets to air raids, which have increased in intensity and frequency since 2012 - when Iranian paramilitary fighters entered Syria following the start of the Syrian civil war.
Earlier this month, Israel admitted it launched 200 attacks inside Syria since last year.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed Iranian paramilitary units in Syria of breaching its sovereignty by carrying out over-the-border attacks, and has vowed to keep acting against Iranian assets in Syria.
Russia has largely turned a blind eye to the Israeli attacks, and analysts believe the latest dispute between the two countries will not affect their relationship.
"The relationship between Israel and Russia is much stronger than what people think when it comes to Syria," said Samer Abboud, associate professor of Global Interdisciplinary Studies at Villanova University.
"There will be condemnation from 'the West', but behind the scenes, the line between the Russians and Israelis will remain intact due to agreements they are both abiding by," Abboud told Al Jazeera from Pennsylvania in the US.
However, experts are sceptical whether Moscow, which had also promised Tehran the S-400 - the most advanced version of the missile defence - is going to follow through on its pledge.
Russia to 'limit' Israeli strikes
The transfer of the S-300 to Syria is a "long-running saga," according to Aron Lund, a fellow with The Century Foundation think-tank.
"Russia has kept hinting that it will supply these missiles to Damascus since 2011, but never went through with it," Lund said, even though with the two-week deadline, it is declaring much "louder and clearer" its intention to complete the transfer.
"It's basically been a pressure tactic on Russia's part. They drop the S-300 back into the media whenever they feel the Israelis are not paying attention."
Similarly, Omar Kouch, a Syrian political analyst, noted that both the US - present in Syria's northeastern region - and its closest ally Israel consider the delivery of this missile to the regime as "a significant escalation".
US National Security Adviser John Bolton, on Monday, said the decision to transfer S-300 to Syria was "a major mistake", and urged Moscow to reconsider its decision.
"This is still a promise … so, we're not sure if Moscow is going to go through with it," Kouch told Al Jazeera.
Nonetheless, Abboud believes that the move by Russia has sent a message to Israel that its intervention in Syria needs to be limited.
"A few years ago the targets were strategic, but now they're spreading and becoming more sporadic," he said.
When asked whether the death of 15 Russian soldiers played a role in Moscow's decision, Abboud said the casualties were an "opportunity to impose the limit".
"The move was a boost to Iran and the Syrian regime," he said.
Some of the last string of attacks have targeted airbases and facilities in the Syrian capital, Damascus, where Assad's government sits.
In August, Syrian state media reported the Syrian army confronted a "hostile target" breaching the country's airspace west of Damascus, while in June, two Israeli missiles struck targets near Damascus airport.
With the new missile system, the government can at least ensure Damascus' safety from incoming attacks, Abboud noted.
SOURCE: Al Jazeera News
Syria's War


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Highly anticipated 'Zack Snyder's Justice League' to premiere in PH on HBO GO via SKY on March 18, 2021
The highly anticipated Warner Bros. Pictures and DC full-length HBO Max Original feature film "Zack Synder's Justice League" comes to Philippine homes with its premiere on HBO GO via SKY on March 18, 2021.
Determined to ensure Superman's (Henry Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) aligns forces with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions. The task proves more difficult than Bruce imagined, as each of the recruits must face the demons of their own pasts to transcend that which has held them back, allowing them to come together, finally forming an unprecedented league of heroes. Now united, Batman (Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and The Flash (Ezra Miller) may be too late to save the planet from Steppenwolf, DeSaad and Darkseid and their dreadful intentions.
With a screenplay by Chris Terrio, story by Chris Terrio & Zack Snyder and Will Beall, "Zack Synder's Justice League" is based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The film's producers are Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, with executive producers Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Wesley Coller, Jim Rowe, Curtis Kanemoto, Chris Terrio and Ben Affleck.
Viewers do not have to wait in long lines to be able to watch "Zack Synder's Justice League" as the cinematic experience is brought to the safety and convenience at home through HBO GO for as low as Php 99/month using a SKYcable plan or Php149/month via any SKY Fiber plan.
To know more about SKY's Video on Demand offerings, visit vod.mysky.com.ph.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


My stories are Fantasy in nature.
My stories are Science Fiction in nature.
My stories are Romance in nature.
And this year (2008), I'm taking it a step further by learning html to help with modifying the pips page.
I've written one complete book (and parts of two others).
I've written over 20 short stories.
I've sold one story and three articles (see below for the links).
I've gotten at least 10 rejections (including contests).
I've completed over 100 crits for FM members (closer to 170).
The Beginning of Something Wonderful published at Aurora Wolf.
Issue #36 November/December 2006 Do you know what you want from a Critique?
I've organized Back to School for Busy Writers beginning in October 2007.
I've organized 3 Little Words Activity for FM beginning in April 2008.


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Welcome to Luma Contemporary Art
The shortest way from viewer to owner
Art advisor based in Rome with more than 25 years of experience in the modern and contemporary art world.
We are happy to lend a helping hand to collectionists who wish to create or expand their art collection.
Alighiero Boetti
Conceptual artist Alighiero e Boetti was associated with the Arte Povera movement. Heavily influenced by his travels to Afghanistan, in his "Mappa" series (1971-92), Boetti directed Afghan craftswomen to embroider maps with geopolitical entities represented by their flags.
Alighiero Boetti, "Maschio e Femmina", cm 50x70, 1973, frottage on paper
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Francesco Clemente, "Albero della vita", cm 66 x 48, 1989, pastel on paper
Italian painter Francesco Clemente came to prominence in the mid-1970s with vivid paintings rife with erotic imagery of mutilated body parts, gesturing amorphous figures often depicted in rich colors, as well as a series of contorted self-portraits. Fascinated with Indian art and mysticism, his gouache paintings and pastel drawings are especially noted for their intense and arcane quasi-religious content that has grown increasingly surreal in his later works. Though large in scale, Clemente's work often conveys an uncanny and unabashed intimacy. Clemente has been compared to such painters as Georg Baselitz and David Salle.
Sherrie Levine (born 1947) is an American photographer, painter, and conceptual artist. Some of her work consists of exact photographic reproductions of the work of other photographers such as Walker Evans, Eliot Porter and Edward Weston.
Sherrie Levine, "Lead Hexagon: 2", cm 50 x 40, 1988, Casein and lead on panel
Mauro Di Silvestre, "Un quadro coi fiocchi", cm 160 x 220, 2007-2008, oil on canvas
Mauro Di Silvestre
Mauro Di Silvestre lives and works in Rome. Mauro Di Silvestre was born in Rome in 1968, he studied painting in Los Angeles and Rome. He gets several public awards such as the City of Lissone Prize in 2001 and the Celeste Prize in 2004, winning the 2nd and the dedicated prize respectively to the category of Emerging Painters.
Giorgio de Chirico,10 July 1888 – 20 November 1978, was an Italian artist and writer born in Greece. In the years before World War I, he founded the scuola metafisica art movement, which profoundly influenced the surrealists. His most well-known works often feature Roman arcades, long shadows, mannequins, trains, and illogical perspective. His imagery reflects his affinity for the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer and of Friedrich Nietzsche, and for the mythology of his birthplace.
Giorgio de Chirico, "Après-midi d'été", cm 9 x 13, 1940, pencil on paper
Massimo Campigli, "Due scalinate", cm 66 x 92, 1956, oil on canvas
Massimo Campigli
Massimo Campigli, born Max Ihlenfeldt, 4 July 1895 – 31 May 1971, was an Italian painter and journalist. He started to paint upon his arrival in Paris, where at the Café du Dôme he consorted with artists including Giorgio de Chirico, Alberto Savinio, Gino Severini and Filippo De Pisis. Extended visits to the Louvre deepened Campigli's interest in ancient Egyptian art, which became a lasting source of his own painting.His early figurative works applied geometrical designs to the human figure, reflecting the influence of Pablo Picasso and Fernand Léger as well as the Purism of "L'Esprit Nouveau".
Don Eddy
Don Eddy (born 1944) is a contemporary representational painter.He gained recognition in American art around 1970 amid a group of artists that critics and dealers identified as Photorealists or Hyperrealists, based on their work's high degree of verisimilitude and use of photography as a resource material.
Don Eddy, "Buick Q.Q.R", cm 122 x 168, 1971, Oil on canvas
Salvo (Leonforte, Enna, 1947 – Turin, 2015) Salvo (real name Salvatore Mangione) was born in Leonforte, in the province of Enna in 1947. In 1956 he and his family move from Catania to Turin, which will always remain his adoptive city. In the early 1960s he begins painting and supports himself by selling low-priced portraits, landscapes and copies of Rembrandt and Van Gogh. In 1963 he participates in the 121st Esposizione della Società Promotrice delle Belle Arti with a drawing after Leonardo.
Franco Angeli
Franco Angeli, one of the most important Italian artists of the 20th century, was born in Rome in 1935 from a family with a solid socialist tradition. He did not attend regular art studies but began to paint in 1957. Through the sculptor Edgardo Mannucci he got to know the work of Alberto Burri who influenced, with his informal poetics, his first works: monochrome and material canvases in dark tones covered with torn and torn nylon, a symbol of poverty and pain.
Mario Schifano
He is considered to be one of the most significant and pre-eminent artists of Italian postmodernism. His work was exhibited in the famous 1962 "New Realists" show at the Sidney Janis Gallery with other young Pop art and Nouveau réalisme innovators, including Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.
Piero Pizzi Cannella
Italian artist and painter Piero Pizzi Cannella is best known for his conceptual works. He experimented with Citazionismo anacronista, an artistic movement known for its quoting of art history. After this period of his career he removed himself from the arts scene, before becoming part of the Nuova Scuola Romana (or "New Roman School"). His figurative works gained attention of dealer Fabio Sargenti and he restarted his career, focusing on the abstraction of the human figure in objects such as tables, chairs, clothes, and personal ornaments—all separated and detached from a real context.
Mimmo Rotella, who represented Italy in the 1964 Venice Biennale, was experimental to his core: in his poetry, paintings, photographs, sculptural assemblages, and collages, he broke down conventions, leaving behind a body of extravagant work. Through his collages, he became associated with Raymond Hains, Jacques Villeglé, and François Dufrêne—together known as Les Affichistes. Rotella was also linked to the French Nouveau Réalistes, for reflecting commodity culture, and its excesses and absurdities, in his art.
He was born in Naples in 1935. After having traveled to Turkey, Egypt and Greece, he settled in Nice in 1949, where he opened a second-hand record shop. In the meantime he begins his artistic research as a self-taught: he is passionate about everything that represents novelty in art, the shock compared to what already exists, recognizing this attitude in the work of Marcel Duchamp, an artist whom Ben considers a difficult master to overcome. Taking into account his lesson, he defines, towards the end of the fifties, the criteria that make a work of art valid: the novelty and the exaltation-affirmation of the ego, which push him to make "appropriations" by signing everything on which an artistic paternity has not yet been recognized.
Turi Simeti
Turi Simeti's career has spanned the history of Italian art in the second half of the 20th century. From 1961 onward, his art was based on abstraction, monochromes, and the oval. Simeti has maintained this minimalist commitment to a form that can be perceived beneath the surface of the canvas as a fundamental sign while pursuing his artistic radicalism. He never strayed from the aesthetic direction he had chosen. Turi Simeti's work invites us to a spatial and meditative experience of painting, a chapter in the monochromatic adventure that took place in the second half of the twentieth century in Italy and around the world.
Aldo Mondino
Aldo Mondino was born in Turin in 1938, where he died in 2005. In 1959 he moved to Paris, where he attended William Heyter's studio, the Ecole du Louvre and attended the mosaic course at the Academy of Fine Arts with Severini and Licata. In 1960, when he returned to Italy, he began his exhibition activity at the Galleria L'Immagine in Turin (1961) and at the Galleria Alfa in Venice (1962). The meeting with Gian Enzo Sperone, director of the Il Punto Gallery, is fundamental for his artistic career, with a partnership that still exists. Important personal exhibitions are also presented at the Stein Gallery in Turin, the Marconi Studio in Milan, the La Salita Gallery in Rome, the Galleria Paludetto in Turin.
Carla Accardi
Carla Accardi rose to fame as founding member of the 1947 Italian avant-garde movement Forma 1, a group of artists based in Rome who, in the face of Fascism, embraced the principals of Futurism and Marxism. As one of the key figures of abstract art in Italy during the time, Accardi developed an iconic visual lexicon of calligraphic marks that, when combined with her minimalist color palette and dynamic compositions, showcased the endless possibilities of abstraction.
Wolfgang Tillmanns
Wolfgang Tillmanns,born 16 August, 1968 is a German photographer. His diverse body of work is distinguished by observation of his surroundings and an ongoing investigation of the photographic medium's foundations.
Piero Gilardi
Piero Gilardi (born 1942, Turin) is a visual artist. Born in Italy from a Swiss family, he studied at the Liceo Artistico in Turin. In an interview with LeGrace G. Benson, Gilardi stated that his personal encounter with artist Michelangelo Pistoletto and others helped him in the development of his own artwork.
Alviani was born in Udine, where he showed talent for design and geometric drawing from his childhood. He enrolled in the Venice Art School, but soon showed little interest in his studies, spending afternoons in Venice's museums in contemplation of classical masterpieces. He also started doing small jobs for local architects, and helped local artists in inking projects such as etchings.
Tano Festa
Tano Festa (Rome, November 2, 1938 - Rome, January 9, 1988) was an Italian artist, painter and photographer. He attended the Art Institute of Rome and graduated in photography in 1957, he trained on the example of Cy Twombly and gestural and informal painting. His first public participation took place in 1959 together with Franco Angeli and Giuseppe Uncini, in a group exhibition at the La Salita gallery in Rome, where, only in 1961, he held his first personal exhibition. Protagonist of the Roman pop school, he welcomed the new dada solutions with formal rigor, proposing isolated monochrome objects for everyday use. Famous are the shutters, mirrors and windows, which become the support of his activity as a painter.
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The Minister for Families and Children Jenny Mikakos today launched the revised Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) at the annual Together We Grow: Early Childhood Education Conference.
The Andrews Labor Government is providing more support to Victoria's dairy farmers, extending the Back to Work scheme to make members of a dairy farm household an eligible category of employee.
A new report from the Victorian Auditor General has revealed the Andrews Labor Government's investment in TAFE has seen our public institutes finances post their strongest results in years.
Victorian householders will save an average of between $50 and $120 on their electricity bills over the next five years, following a new ruling from the national energy watchdog.
The Andrews Labor Government will pilot a new approach to prevent organised crime infiltrating a range of legitimate occupations and industries.
Speaker – it's never too late to put things right.
The Andrews Labor Government will merge the Office of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Commissioner and Commissioner for Privacy and Data Protection into a single office, streamlining Victoria's information and data oversight bodies.
Leading the nation in combating stigma and discrimination, the Andrews Labor Government will today deliver a formal State Apology in Parliament to Victorians convicted under homophobic laws that should have never existed.
The Andrews Labor Government has strengthened its focus on jobs, major projects and law and order with Premier Daniel Andrews today announcing changes to the Ministry.
Children under 18 will no longer be able to buy e-cigarettes under tough new laws to be introduced into Parliament this week by the Andrews Labor Government.
Victoria's strong economy continues to translate into new jobs, with the state's unemployment rate now below the national rate, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported today.
Dangerous miniature motorbikes, known as 'monkey bikes', were crushed and destroyed today as part of a Consumer Affairs blitz on unsafe products being sold in Victoria.
Communities will have access to $10,000 grants to boost security and tackle local crime issues as part of the Andrews Labor Government's commitment to crime prevention.
The Andrews Labor Government is working to keep more students in school right across Victoria with the launch of the new $8.6 million pilot program Navigator.


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Brown Grad School
Update from the Provost: Graduate Student Unionization Discussions
I write to share the following letter that I submitted to the Brown Daily Herald following article they ran on Friday, Feb. 2, on the topic of graduate student unionization.
Richard M. Locke
I write regarding the article of Feb. 2, 2018, "SUGSE fears U. stalling talks on grad student unionization," and to respond to and correct some of the points made in the article.
Since the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled in August 2016 that graduate students at private colleges and universities who serve as teaching or research assistants are employees with the right to decide whether or not to unionize, the University has been consistent in stating that we would honor the NLRB´s decision. We have remained dedicated to providing a campus environment that fosters open and productive dialogue about graduate education and the potential role and implications of unionization. This is an important decision for graduate students to make, and we want them to be fully informed, guided by factual information and free of intimidation from any and all parties.
We have worked hard to build community here at Brown, and this is our priority. We have seen other campuses polarized by the prospect of unionization, and are deliberate in crafting a different experience for Brown. Regardless of whether or not graduate students at Brown decide to unionize, the University remains committed to the well-being of our students and the strength of our community.
It was in this spirit that, last fall, I reached out to representatives from Stand Up for Graduate Student Employees (SUGSE) to explore ways that, together, we could provide a climate that would promote constructive and balanced dialogue on the topic of graduate education and graduate student unionization. I´m grateful that over the course of the fall semester we were able to meet on a number of occasions to make clear our priorities and to explore shared values and areas of agreement that could contribute to an understanding of how we may conduct ourselves prior to and during an election. In December, as our discussions moved to consideration of preparing a written document to memorialize points on which we agreed and identify areas of disagreement to discuss, AFT´s General Counsel and Brown´s outside counsel advised that they would take the next step and develop a draft. It is important to note that we chose Proksauer Rose as outside counsel specifically because they had experience as counsel to another institution that involved working with the AFT in developing a pre-election agreement.
It is not unusual for the pace to slow when multiple parties, including outside counsel, are involved. A preliminary document drafted by the AFT did not adequately reflect the principles that I discussed with SUGSE representatives in the fall. I have pressed for another version to be developed quickly so that we could move the process forward, but there was never a specific deadline established for reaching an agreement. In fact, there will be additional steps needed before a pre-election agreement can be accepted. While SUGSE has had a central role in these discussions, the University has an obligation to all graduate students. Throughout our conversations, I have emphasized that any agreement with AFT/SUGSE would require consultation with the Graduate Student Council and others as the University seeks to act in the best interests of all graduate students.
It remains my belief and desire that we can demonstrate on our campus the capacity to reach agreement about the values and conditions that guide a fair, open, organized and transparent election process. However, it is important to note that a pre-election agreement is not necessary for an election to take place, and should not affect any plans by graduate students to pursue the steps necessary toward filing a petition. The University remains committed to the principles we have articulated since the very beginning of this process, and we will continue to work for them, whether or not a formal agreement is reached.
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Diabetes Mine
Coping with Diabetes Stress and Burnout: What to Know
Written by Greg Brown on May 8, 2019
May is National Mental Health Month, which can really hit home for the millions of people living with diabetes, who have to work so hard on their health each day along with all the 'regular' stresses of life. Yes, the struggle is real and it's all too common for diabetes to be coupled with burnout, depression and other mental health woes.
Be aware that it's normal to need help. Normal to feel tired, fed up, overwhelmed, or at your wit's end.
But you may be wondering how to differentiate between burnout, distress, and true clinical depression, for example. Or you may not know where to turn for tailored support.
We talked to several individuals and organizations who have resources that can help, including honest self-assessments and tips and tools for addressing mental health issues while staying on top of your physical health. These resources are designed for both the person living with diabetes and their family, friends, and support networks.
Diabetes and Depression: Recognizing the Link
It's important to know that the emotional and mental health burdens of diabetes are finally getting the recognition they deserve from the big national advocacy organizations. In April of 2018, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) partnered with the American Psychology Association to both train mental health providers, and to launch an online provider directory to let patients easily search for healthcare professionals experienced with the psychosocial side of diabetes care.
JDRF too, has been building a network of mental health researchers and professionals, and has recently launched a whole portal to help people with type 1 diabetes find the one-on-one support they need.
For Mental Health Month, they'll soon be adding a new set of resources on coping with diabetes distress and building resilience -- including a video series discussing sensitive mental health topics in open and frank ways.
"It's okay," says JDRF's National Mission Director Dr. Nicole Johnson, a former Miss America who lives with T1D herself and is heading up these mental health efforts. "We all experience distress, and we all brush with burnout at some point in time. There are ways to build our strength. As we talk about the things that help us move forward, and maybe find the positive in a negative situation, or to find hope, to find purposefulness, that's how we pull ourselves out of burnout and stressful situations."
Defining Depression and Distress
There's a big difference between being stressed, burnt out, and clinically depressed, says Dr. Bill Polonsky, founder of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute and a well-known expert in this area.
Stress is sort of what we all live with every day. There are lots of things that cause us stress. Some are related to diabetes, and some aren't. Many times diabetes makes these normal stressors more stressful or challenging.
Diabetes distress, according to Polonsky and others, is defined as a range of emotional responses to the specific health condition of diabetes. Symptoms vary, but include: being overwhelmed by the burden of managing a chronic illness, being afraid or anxious about diabetes complications and disease progression, feeling defeated and discouraged when glycemic or behavioral targets (whether realistic or not) go unmet despite one's best efforts.
Depression is a clinically diagnosed or diagnosable medical condition.
Depression and distress are different. Polonsky says that many people experience both simultaneously, but that diabetes distress is much more related to self-management and glycemic outcomes than depression.
While diabetes distress shares similar symptoms with depression, it doesn't meet the medical criteria for major depressive disorder (aka clinical depression) and is unlikely to respond to medications designed to combat depression.
Of course, when everything just feels awful and overwhelming, labels quickly can become meaningless, Polonsky points out. Using labels in that case can become dis-empowering thinking, and more likely to make things worse than better.
Self-Reflection and Screening
JDRF's Johnson says that critical first step is being able and willing to honestly take a look at yourself.
Nicole Johnson, JDRF
"Can you ask yourself, 'How am I feeling? Am I having more sad days than I'm having happy days?"' she says. "When we evaluate and look at ourselves, we become willing to then take action, and that's a conversation with your healthcare provider or someone who's safe for you."
To help people gauge where they stand, the ADA recommends screening for both diabetes distress and depression as part of overall care for all individuals with diabetes. The trouble is that these diagnostic assessments are typically done by mental health providers, and many people don't get routed there -- certainly not for early screening.
Also, it can be just plain hard to talk about how we're struggling, even with a medical provider or our diabetes care team. It's hard to open up and be vulnerable. While it's crucial to find appropriate support (more on that later) there are now a number of screening resources that are easy to access from the comfort, safety, and privacy of one's own home (or other private space).
The most widely used tools for assessing diabetes distress are the downloadable Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) scale, the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS), and the online T1-DDS, a diabetes distress scale specific to type 1.
When you complete the T1-DDS on the website, responses are automatically scored, and you receive helpful visual feedback. This tool differs from others in that it focuses on the following areas specifically identified with T1D patients:
Powerlessness (discouragement about the disease)
Negative social perceptions (concern about others' negative judgment)
Physician distress (disappointment with healthcare providers)
Friend/family distress (excess focus on the disease by friends and family)
Hypoglycemia distress (concerns about severe hypoglycemic events)
Management distress (disappointment with own self-care efforts)
Eating distress (concerns about own excess thoughts of food and eating)
"There shouldn't be any shame in having conversations about emotional well-being and mental health around life with a disease," Johnson says. "We want to have the conversation with ourselves, and then take that conversation out into a safe space, like with a healthcare professional, moving from acknowledgment to the place of being willing to do something -- and then from willingness to action."
Understanding and Developing Resilience
Living with T1D makes you tough, but it can also make you hard, Johnson says. You have to power through to meet this goal and then that goal. You have to stay on top of your numbers. You have to stay on top of your meals. You have to be strong. But to be honest with yourself and get the mental health care you deserve, you have to be willing to be vulnerable too.
"I will readily admit I have been in dark times, with my diabetes, over the last 26 years," Johnson says. "I deal with burnout a lot. It's okay to be burned out and it's okay to be vulnerable. Every day, I have to make a decision that I'm going to possibly move forward, that I'm going to express gratitude, so that I can find joy. It's when we're willing to be vulnerable and go through the emotional hard stuff in life that we realize how brave we are."
Marisa Hilliard, Baylor College of Medicine & Texas Children's Hospital
At Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Dr. Marisa Hilliard – another respected expert in the area of diabetes psychosocial health – works with a team that helps kids and families understand and develop resiliency around diabetes.
"What we know is that you have to use the strategies that work for you to achieve resilience," she says. "I don't think resilience is a thing people either have or don't have. It's not that you build this tortoise shell and become this resilient little thing."
Rather, resilience is the achievement of positive outcomes in the face of adversity or significant risk. It's growth, not closing down and powering through, Hilliard says. "You can't simply deflect the T1D bombs that come. You need to learn to manage them."
Identify Your Strengths and Use Them
Hilliard's approach is that each person has unique strengths and skills. The way to develop lasting resilience, which is key to lessening the mental health impact of diabetes, is to use what you're already good at.
"If you're a really organized person and do really well with lists and spreadsheets and that kind of thing, you can really use that to manage your numbers and make sure you always have your supplies and keep on top of your insurance," Hilliard says. "If you're someone who has a good sense of humor, is silly, or finds little things to laugh about—use it! Diabetes is really stressful, so being able to find things that you can laugh about to lighten the intensity of it can help you cope."
Ask yourself:
What do I do well?
What do I enjoy doing?
How could these strengths be used to help with diabetes management challenges?
The goal is to figure out who you are as a person and how to use your strengths, versus letting diabetes get in the way of your strengths.
"And don't try to be someone other than who you naturally are, Hilliard points out. "If you lose your keys daily and still have a flip phone, aspiring to be an organized Excel spreadsheet master won't likely go well. Learning a new skill or way of being is so much harder, especially under a stressful scenario like managing a chronic disease, than using what you already have in your emotional or physical toolbox."
Language Matters in Diabetes and Mental Health
Words carry weight. In the diabetes advocacy community, there's been a big #LanguageMatters push that's been gaining steam for several years now in hopes of revising how words play a part in our thinking about diabetes and our own sense of worth and accomplishment.
Hilliard says data shows that kids and teens report "family conflict" -- as it relates to how diabetes is talked about in the home -- as one of the major predictors of poor outcomes re: diabetes and mental health issues. "In order to have a good outcome despite how stressful diabetes is, we really have to find ways for positive supportive family communication," she says.
Whether you're a care provider, friend, family member, or a patient yourself, finding ways to talk about diabetes that doesn't feel blaming or accusatory but supportive and understanding is key to motivation and problem solving. Sometimes we don't even realize how words can be perceived as critical, Hilliard warns. Here are a few "Do and Don't Say" examples to consider:
Don't Say: "Your blood glucose is too high. You need to take better care of yourself."
Do Say: "I know that managing your blood glucose is hard work. How can I help you with that?"
Don't Say: "If you don't get your blood sugar under control now, you're going to have complications later on."
Do Say: "What can I do now to support your diabetes goals?"
Don't Say: "Cheer up, your diabetes could be a lot worse."
Do Say: "I am here to just listen if you need to complain or vent about your diabetes."
Remember that a good conversation is an empowering conversation, not a dis-empowering conversation.
Don't go it alone. As technology advances and mental health stigmas fade, there are so many opportunities and avenues for support now. Find another person who gets it and talk. Whether it's in person, on a forum, in a chatroom, or via a Facebook group.
That person can be anywhere.
"A main thing that's happened in diabetes in the last decade, is the reliance many people have on online communities and the diabetes online community specifically for support," Johnson says. "It's wonderful. When we connect with another person who gets it and can understand the day-in and day-out struggle, that in and of itself brings a salve over the emotional wounds that can exist in life with diabetes. That's always my number one: to find another person who gets it and talk."
Finding a mental health counselor can be key as well, but Hilliard cautions it has to be the right counselor. Some providers have more experience with diabetes than others and can offer more tailored support. That's where resources like the ADA's aforementioned mental health provider directory can come in handy.
"If you are having regular stress, diabetes distress or major depression, we don't expect someone to cope with that on their own," Hilliard says. "That's why we are here, a whole field of behavioral healthcare, social work, and psychology professionals."
Got Diabetes? Get to Know the Ambulatory Glucose Profile (AGP)
Sunday Funnies: Baby Pancreas? (Doo Doo Doo Doo)...
Ask D'Mine: Does PCOS Supersize Type 2 Diabetes?
All about the Ambulatory Glucose Profile (AGP), that standardizes how blood sugar data is reported for doctors and patients dealing with diabetes.
Our weekly series of diabetes humor at DiabetesMine features a cartoon by Jon Carter, just in time for Shark Week!
Our weekly diabetes advice column explores the interplay of PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and type 2 diabetes.


At the Liberty Mutual office in Plano, trained local agents can help you find the coverage you need, and the discounts you deserve.
Since 2007 our office has proudly served the communities of Plano, Richardson and Dallas.
Our representatives are involved in the local community by supporting the Plano Sports Association and Allen Sports Association.


A plot that would seem unrealistic if it weren't a true story, Lion weaves an extraordinary tale in which a young Indian boy becomes separated from his family only to be reunited with them 25 years later.
First-time feature director Garth Davis and screenwriter Luke Davies come together to do this amazing tale justice- although it might be difficult not to with the source material.
Based on the memoir, A Long Way Home, the film tells the story of Saroo Brierley, a five-year-old who wanders around with his brother Guddu, whom he idolises, while they attempt to supplement the family income in whatever way they can.
Their mother works as a labourer hauling rocks and there is no sign of a father, so life is difficult -but the formidable love they share defeats any hardship.
One night little Saroo (Sunny Pawar) convinces Guddu (Abhishek Bharateto) to bring him along to his nightshift but the two get split up at the train station.
Saroo climbs aboard a train to seek refuge only to wake up and find he is moving and is hundreds of miles from home.
He ends up in Kolkata and, unable to get back to his family, he must survive on the streets in a dangerous place where he doesn't speak the language. After a few months he is taken into care and adopted by an Australian couple who fly him to Tasmania.
The story is about Saroo finding his way home 25 years later.
Lion is tremendously moving, strengthened by understated but powerful performances by Dev Patel, who stars as an older Saroo, Roony Mara, who plays Saroo's girlfriend Lucy, and Nicole Kidman, his adoptive mother Sue.
The relationship between Patel's character and Sue is convincing but somewhat overshadowed by the utterly honest and believable romance between Patel and Mara, who shines the brightest in this outing.
Sunny Pawar is exceptional in his first cinematic jaunt, and is complemented nicely by Bharate.
We are treated to some delicious shots of the rugged and beautiful landscapes in Tasmania and India by Australian Cinematographer Greig Frasier, who succeeds in depicting the good and bad of both countries through a lens.
Lion would have been a lot less affecting had it not been a true story, so incredible that is it. Saroo's search begins with a flashback stirred up by a traditional Indian sweet at a dinner party. He finds his home on Google Earth.
The fact that these things actually happened is an unlifting gem in a cynical world. Bring tissues.


A proper drainage system design will prevent the flooding of yards, muddy gardens or soggy lawns. Designing and installing your drainage system the right way will save you a lot of time and effort. There are 3 common mistakes you can make and should avoid.
Before you start building your drainage system, you must know the cause of the excess water, which can be coming from excessive rain, melting snow, broken underground irrigation or water pipes. After determining the source of the excess water you can choose what drainage system to build, or even if to build one at all.
You may find out that the the soil in your yard is mostly composed of clay. Clay doesn't allow water to drain as it should. To fix this issue, use a garden tiller to mix the clay soil with either sand, gypsum or compost. You could also just place sand over the clay soil and get a good drainage capacity without tilling the soil.
If you can't solve your drainage issues by altering the soil, your last solution might only be the drainage system. You must choose from 3 different types of systems depending on your needs.
The Open ditch drains fast and has a low possibility of getting clogged by debris or mud. It is also possible that you won't built an open ditch in your yard.
A Gravel ditch is like an open ditch but filled with gravel and covered with grass or topsoil. This drain is more likely to clog with mud than the open ditch but will drain the water at almost the same rate.
Using a Drainage pipe, buried in a trench will give you a fast water draining system that is less likely to clog. The labor and joint seal will be more costly.
Your drainage problems are usually fixed using one of the 3 solutions just mentioned.


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A Teiniaguá é uma das narrativas que compõe O Continente, a primeira parte de O Tempo e o Vento, de Érico Veríssimo, publicada em 1949. É a continuação da história da família Terra-Cambará, que havia começado em Ana Terra e A Fonte. Várias das personagens desse romance apareceram em Um Certo Capitão Rodrigo, como Bibiana (esposa do capitão Rodrigo e neta de Ana Terra) e Bento Amaral (antigo pretendente de Bibiana e inimigo do capitão). Na edição da Globo, ocupa as páginas 327 a 459 do segundo volume de O Continente.

O título

O título faz referência a um mito gaúcho, a teiniaguá, uma princesa moura transformada em salamandra, com uma pedra brilhante em lugar da cabeça, que seduz os homens. É uma alusão simbólica a Luzia, uma das protagonistas, que se casará com Bolívar Cambará, e será mãe de Licurgo, protagonista de O Sobrado. Moça educada e cosmopolita, Luzia se isola do resto da vila, e provoca descofiança na população tradicional. Sua personalidade é insondável e volúvel, e não raras vezes sádica e cruel. Na cena do contrato de casamento, a relação dessa personagem misteriosa com o mito fica mais clara, quando ela usa nos cabelos um belo diamante:

Enredo

A vila de Santa Fé, grande palco da ação de O Tempo e o Vento é elevada ao status de cabeça da comarca. O lugar vai lentamente crescendo recebendo novas pessoas, em especial colonos alemães. A história é narrada quase toda sob o ponto de vista de Carl Winter, médico alemão formado em Heidelberg e exilado no Brasil por motivos políticos. Devido a sua profissão, ele entra em intimidade com a maior parte da população da vila, e a escolha de seu ponto de vista é um excelente recurso narrativo. Dessa forma, o médico testemunha de perto o infeliz casamento de Bolívar Cambará (filho de Bibiana e do falecido Capitão Rodrigo) com Luzia, neta de Aguinaldo Silva. Este último era um homem rico, que havia construído um grande sobrado (que mais tarde será o palco da história O Sobrado, também em O Continente) que rivaliza até mesmo com a casa de Bento Amaral, manda-chuva da cidade. Aguinaldo havia conseguido os recursos para tal construção praticando certo tipo de agiotagem na vila, o que atraía para ele a desconfiança da população. O próprio terreno em que o sobrado foi construído havia sido tirado de Pedro Terra (pai de Bibiana), pois este havia emprestado uma certa quantia de Aguinaldo para investir na lavoura de trigo, empresa malfada que lhe custou sua propriedade.

Ávida por recuperar a terra de seu pai, Bibiana estimula a paixão e o casamento do filho com a neta de Aguinaldo, sua única herdeira, apesar da desconfiança que a população toda tinha pela família Silva, e a despeito dos conselhos contrários de seu irmão Juvenal Terra, pai de Florêncio (primo de Bolívar, ascendente do outro ramo da família Terra). Aguinaldo morre e, como Bibiana desejava, Bolívar herda a propriedade que era, a princípio, de seu avô. Eles têm um filho, batizado de Licurgo, que será futuramente o chefe de Santa Fé, com a decadência dos Amarais. Apesar de amar muito a esposa, Bolívar é infeliz, pois ela tem uma personalidade perturbadora, muitas vezes cruel, violenta e sádica.  Winter recomenda que o casal viaje para Porto Alegre, afim de distrair Luzia. Ao chegarem na capital, há uma grande epidemia, mas a mulher se recusa a voltar para a vila por capricho. Quando voltam, finalmente, Bento Amaral ordena que o Sobrado fique em quarentena, para não correrem o risco de espalhar a epidemia, caso o casal estivesse infectado. Bolívar entende isso como uma afronta. Mais perturbado ainda com as atitudes de sua esposa, ele quebra a quarentena, atacando os capangas de Bento que vigiavam, e é alvejado no meio da rua.

Obras de Erico Verissimo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Gamester or The Gamester may refer to:

 Russ Gamester (born 1965), American auto racing driver
 The Gamester, a 1633 play by James Shirley
 The Gamester (Centlivre play), a 1705 play by Susanna Centlivre
 The Gamesters, a 1920 American silent film
 The Gamester (novel), a 1949 novel by Rafael Sabatini

See also
 The Compleat Gamester, a 1674 English-language games compendia


Firepit is a place to gather where we cherish good company, great service and incredible pizza. Our pizzas are made from fresh, all-natural ingredients using traditional hand tossed dough and homemade sauces baked in our brick oven and served in tavern style squares.
Firepit Pizza Tavern was created by Leslie Cohen, an Atlanta native and winner of the Food Network's Cutthroat Kitchen. Studying Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales and working under world famous Chef Richard Blais, Leslie's extensive culinary background makes our dishes innovative and flavorful. Her charismatic personality and unique look, clearly convey into her work.
fire pit so we wanted to recreate a restaurant that carries the spirit of gathering around with loved ones while enjoying the world's favorite sharing food, pizza. Our goal is to serve hand-crafted pizza in a warm and casual setting.


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Close Up with a Battleship – The USS Iowa in Richmond
Yesterday we were able to find the time to drive up to the Port of Richmond (California, not Virginia) to see the USS Iowa, which is currently resting there awaiting a tow down to the Port of Los Angeles where it will become part of the Pacific Battleship Museum.
Google Maps Picture of the Iowa
Previously, since March 2011 to be specific, the Iowa sat tied up in Suisun Bay as part of the US Navy Reserve Fleet, and where I saw it whenever we were headed up to Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, or other points northeast.
Iowa at Suisun Bay, still in Google Maps
It was actually tough to get a measure of how big the Iowa was out at Suisun Bay since the cargo vessels it was tied up with are pretty big themselves. But now we had a chance to set foot on the deck of the ship.
Unfortunately, years of sitting in the bay with little in the way of maintenance takes a toll. Part of the work to be done is just to scrape off the rust and get things cleaned up. So while we were allowed aboard the ship, we could only walk around the two forward 16″ (410mm) gun turrets.
Turrets 1 and 2
16" Guns with me for scale
A lot of the rest of the deck looked like this.
Part of the problem, as it was explained to us, was that teak, the traditional wood used for the deck surface, and which holds up well in salt water conditions, was unavailable at some point, and so pine was substituted. Pine, it seems, rots and lets the water through. So there is a lot of scraping and painting to be done on the deck.
We were also kept about 100 feet back from the ship along the dock, by a chain link fence, thwarting close-up pictures, while buildings across the parking lot kept us from getting the whole ship in a single shot. Still, we walked around and took pictures of the ship and some of the display that was setup in a warehouse. As always, you can click on the pictures for the full size version.
5 inch mount
Me for scale against some hatches
Harpoon and Tomahawk Missile launchers
Turret three
16 inch shell and powder bags
Powder bags again
Harpoon missile
Iowa profile dockside
The USS Iowa tours in Richmond will last through the end of April. There is no charge to visit the ship, but they are asking for donations to help fund the refurbishment.
Addendum: From the comments, an interesting story about some people sneaking into the mothball fleet at Suisun Bay. Includes a picture of the Iowa.
This entry was posted in entertainment, In Person and tagged USS Iowa on March 4, 2012 by Wilhelm Arcturus.
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13 thoughts on "Close Up with a Battleship – The USS Iowa in Richmond"
bhagpuss March 4, 2012 at 10:12 pm
Really interesting photos. Fabulous weather too. We had sleet and hail today.
I still remember going on board a submarine that docked in my home town when I must have been about ten years old. Fascinating to visit but I really, really wouldn't want to have to go to sea in one, nor on a battleship.
Wayne March 4, 2012 at 10:32 pm
I love getting to visit old naval ships, as naval history is a hobby of mine. My high school band got to play onboard the MIssouri in Pearl Harbor for a reenlistment ceremony. It was a great chance to visit Hawaii, but I enjoyed seeing the ship as much as Hawaii.
Since then, we've been to see the Lexington down in Corpus Christi and the replica's of Columbus' ships that are in a museum there. Despite living in Houston for 6yrs, I've yet to go see the Texas which is nearby.
Seeing the Constitution in Boston and Victory in London are something I'd like to do at some point.
Wilhelm Arcturus Post author March 5, 2012 at 12:21 am
It was a bright and sunny day. I had my jacket with me as well, as getting near the bay can mean a chill, but I had to take that sweatshirt off when we got back to the car because I was too warm.
There were a pack of Sea Scouts running around, directing traffic and helping out. They got to go into the ship at various times.
Iggep March 5, 2012 at 12:45 am
Really enjoyed this post, being a retired sailor myself. I've been on the Iowa, but that was quite a while ago. In fact the last time was about a week before the turret explosion. Her sister ship, the Wisconsin is now a floating museum here in Norfolk, Virginia.
The Iowa will be a marvel to behold again after a little work!
Telke March 5, 2012 at 9:27 am
I have great memories of visiting the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space museum in NYC about twelve years ago (I was 9 or 10, so of course it was a standout trip). They're definitely awesome vessels. There's no chance of one appearing here, though; NZ's green tendencies bans most of the american navy from entering our waters.
Kevin Brill (@kevinbrill) March 5, 2012 at 11:38 am
+1 Karma for an obscure album name as a photo caption!
Alan March 5, 2012 at 4:05 pm
I took the family out to see this too. We had the good fortune of meeting former Iowa crewmember John Wolfinbarger during our visit and spent a very interesting 30 minutes talking to him about his time on the ship. He is mentioned in an article in your hometown paper.
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_19964672
NoAstronomer March 5, 2012 at 5:42 pm
One of the Iowa's sisters, the USS New Jersey, is moored in Camden, New Jersey, as a museum ship and I've been on board twice.
Even after a lot of maintenance there's still much decay in evidence around the ship in both the fittings and the deck. Incidentally the main reason for using teak as ships decks is because teak doesn't get (as?) slippy when wet.
The New Jersey has many rooms opened up for guided or self guided tours. Including the captains and admirals quarter. If I recall correctly you can access the deck where Admiral Halsey stood when the New Jersey was his flagship. The bridge and conning tower are also open.
The highlights for me though were the 5″ and 16″ mounts. Despite their huge size the 16″ turrets are incredibly cramped inside.
Hopefully you can take the full tour when the Iowa joins the museum.
Wilhelm Arcturus Post author March 5, 2012 at 7:16 pm
@Kevin – I actually remember the phrase more from the Rust-Oleum commercials from when I was a kid that the Neil Young album… so the obscure source for an obscure reference or something.
In dragging my daughter along to the Iowa, in which she had little interest, she did want to know if it was the most famous battleship or something.
I said it might be the second most famous surviving US battleship. (Though how do you rank that sort of thing?) It was the class leader for the last US battleships built, and there is the whole bathtub thing and the explosion in turret 2. But the Missouri is probably more famous having been the location for the signing of the Japanese instrument of surrender at the end of WWII… and because Cher filmed a music video on its fore deck.
Pia March 6, 2012 at 1:05 am
Here's a cool site with pictures of inside some of the abandoned ships up there: http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/abandoned-ships
Wilhelm Arcturus Post author March 6, 2012 at 1:11 am
I think you should have been more clear in your statement there Pia. That link goes to a site with pictures from somebody who was sneaking around the mothball fleet at Suisun Bay, including the Iowa and the Sea Shadow.
Those are not abandoned ships, but part of the Navy Reserve Fleet. They have been stored away with the idea that we might need them some day.
But an interesting link none the less.
I accept your corrections ;) There are lots of cool pictures on that site – old hotels, buildings, hospitals, towns – things that truly are abandoned – lots of it creepy.
On another site, I found a particularly interesting photo story about Brother Island, where Typhoid Mary lived out her life. http://gothamist.com/2011/01/14/north_brother_island.php#photo-1
Wilhelm Arcturus Post author June 18, 2012 at 4:50 pm
Hey, the Wargaming.net guys were standing pretty much where I was for their own pictures on the Iowa. Not sure about their idea of putting a gaming center to play World of Battleships aboard the Iowa, but if it gets the kids interested….
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Home Movies Mixed (Divisive) Neighbors 2 – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)
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Neighbors 2 – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)
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Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising is not only less funny than the original Neighbors but loses a lot of its heart as it attempts to introduce new characters.
TV Viewing
Trigger Warning(s):
Characters Worth Noting
Mac Radner (Seth Rogen) | Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron) | Kelly Radner (Rose Byrne) | Shelby (Chloe Grace Moretz)
Main Storyline (with Commentary)
After the growing pains of the first movie, Mr. and Mrs. Radner are closer than ever, going for baby #2, and are in the process of selling their house and getting a bigger place. That is until they learn what it means to "Be in Escrow." Which, at first, isn't an issue. The house next to them is empty, they maintained their own house well, and 30 days doesn't seem like that long to wait to see if the new buyers may make a decision.
That is, until Kappa Nu. This new sorority, born out the desire to rebel against a greek system which lets boys party but not girls, is founded by Shelby, but mentored by Teddy. Someone who, with his life in ruin thanks to a criminal record on top of losing the frat, wants revenge. So he helps the girls rent the house next door and present Mac and Kelly new neighbors from hell.
Leaving us with a story dealing with girls finding themselves, promoting girl power, and yet that all getting thrown out the window once they need money. Much less, unlike in the original, there isn't much in the way of growth. The girls are just doing one scheme after another to make rent and the Radners, with their friends, and eventually Teddy, are just trying to find ways to make sure they lose their house. Leading to us witnessing no real growth coming from either side in terms of the Radners being parents to a toddler, or soon to have a 2nd child, much less Shelby and her crew becoming adults. Teddy, on the other hand, has an inkling of growth, but not enough to compensate for the other characters.
Be ready for the vomiting moment early on in the movie.
Maybe my sense of humor has become rigid in the last two years, but in the original film, there were around 54 laughs over 97 minutes. With this film, it was about 25 in 92. Something which isn't horrible, but certainly a downgrade. With that said, some jokes, like one dealing with a baby in the oven, are so wrong, but so funny.
Low Points
There is a lack of chemistry (Chloe Grace Moretz is No Zac Efron)
What made the original so good is how Seth Rogen and Zach Efron played off each other. They were truly two good comedic actors throwing everything at each other in terms of jokes, physical comedy, and situational comedy. In this film, that is lost for Moretz just seems out of her league. I mean, yes, in Kick Ass she was funny, but she was funny due to the shock of her being young and her character being violent and vulgar. In this film, that is lost. Shelby is touted as a virgin girl, who had a strict dad, and had no friends in high school. She is stripped of her shock and with that, she is just a normal girl who likes to smoke weed, party and be a proud feminist. All of which doesn't mold well with Seth Rogen's stoner growing up trope he is in the process of perfecting.
Not to say she doesn't make you laugh, but she makes you laugh when it is just her and her friends of Kappa Nu. When Kappa Nu goes against the Radners though, you get this weird dynamic of Rogen trying to not carry the film, but instead sort of push Moretz to be like Efron was in the first movie. That is, Rogen having an equal who he could fully playoff, and may even make it so he isn't carrying the film. Unfortunately for Rogen though, in an attempt to try to do like was done with Efron, in terms of showing off how funny Moretz could be, something went horribly wrong. Of which, I can only assume was the chemistry and trying to reconcile the idea of having a grown man face off against a girl whose main crime is that she is trying to be free and make friends after growing up in an oppressive environment. That is, as opposed to when Mac was against Teddy who was not only more formidable, but more of a douche who you could love to hate, and then just love as you realized how pathetic he was during his senior year of college.
Rose Bryne feels downgraded
A part of me thinks that if it wasn't for Bryne being pregnant, and thus unable to sort of switch with Rogen and take lead, things might have been better. For I think the chemistry between Rogen and Efron stems from the fact that Rogen's films often deal with bromance and things of that nature. Making it so Bryne stepping in when it comes to facing off with a young girl would seem only natural, but sadly not a real option. Add in that she seems like she was put on the bench often, and increasingly it made it where Rogen seemed desperate for someone to play off of and Efron just trying to remind us of the magic the first movie had.
Too Many Characters (No One Really Grows Up or Gets Developed)
In the film we have Mac, Kelly, and their friends; Teddy and his frat bros; and then Shelby and his sorority sisters. This leads to the film being unable to handle both making sure everyone gets an equal share of the jokes, much less get developed. I mean, just in comparison to the original, there is no Efron and Franco like chemistry when it comes to the girls. They are just thrown together and while there maybe Instagram photos of Kiersey Clemons (who plays Shelby's best friend Beth – and what feels like a token Black girl) and Chloe Grace Moretz hanging out on Instagram, there isn't this sense of these two could be real friends.
Also, as noted in the overview, there is no heart. For while the Radners do question their parenting, especially since their daughter's favorite toy is a dildo, there isn't that same "Aw damn, we are actually adults now" vibe the first movie had replaced by them realizing they are on their way to a second kid. And while Teddy does finish his development into an adult with a career, unfortunately, the same exploration he had to get there isn't given to the girls.
Now, I should note, Shelby and friends are freshmen and Teddy was introduced as a senior, but even then you'd think these girls would have more to them than starting off as girls getting their first taste of freedom to solely knowing how to pay rent for their sorority, thanks to Teddy, by throwing parties. After all, let's factor that as freshmen they are likely just learning about themselves, trying to leave high school behind, are in the process of figuring out what they want to do with their life, on top of figuring out how to pay rent, dealing with sexism, and solidifying their sisterhood. Just as an example to show you how horrible these characters are written, you don't even get to know what the hell they are majoring in.
Something which to me is sad for it makes it seem that either Rogen and his team have no idea how to write young women, or that Moretz and the other girls were solely brought on for name recognition. All just for the sake of making some money and not presenting a different point of view than what Rogen and partner Evan Goldberg often bring to cinema.
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Overall Opinion: Negative Mixed Positive
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I read an article last week about how increasingly developers are incorporating two master bedrooms into their plans for new homes being built. Apparently it's a growing trend for couples to have separate bedrooms. In reality it's a fairly modern idea for couples to share their bedrooms. The idea of sharing a room with one's spouse became popular in the Victorian era. I'm using the term 'popular' loosely here. I'm a great exponent of having one's own room so I decided to write this post to extol its virtues.
As a child I can remember thinking that it was strange that I got a room and a bed to myself, being the only girl in our family, but my parents, who were so much bigger, had to share not just a room but a bed as well.
Although times seem to be changing, apparently 25% of couples now have their own rooms, many people still think that sleeping separately is rather odd. Because of that I find that I feel slightly uncomfortable if circumstance produce a situation where I have to explain that my husband and I have our own rooms and indeed have done so for most of our married lives, to people who I don't know well. We have been married for 33 years.
The reason we started enjoying sleeping separately was similar to many couples, one of us had a terrible cold and the subsequent coughing and snivelling was keeping us both awake. It's been so long now that I really can't remember who made their way into the spare room but what we found was that we both slept so much better. We were lucky to live in a house with spare bedrooms as we hadn't started a family at that stage and it seemed silly not to take advantage of using them. It also helped that amongst our friends at the time this was not considered unduly odd.
I think that one reason that people feel awkward about separate sleeping is that they associate it with lack of intimacy in a relationship. There was a tendency in 1970s sitcoms to show couples who didn't get on that well as sleeping in separate beds or cold dreary rooms.To be honest there is something much more romantic about a gentle knock or a smiling face peering round the door than someone just rolling in your direction in the bed. Enough said on that point.
Possibly we have witnessed amongst our circle of friends that terrible point in a relationship when things have broken down to such a degree through infidelity or something else that one partner makes the move to the spare room. But it doesn't have to be such a negative event.
I'm not recommending singled beds! I have a huge double bed which can actually accomodate our entire family, including the dog, when we decide it's time for a family hug, which happens regularly. It's a lovely thing to shout out from the isolation of my room 'family hug' and to hear all the footsteps scuttling across the landing from the other rooms. Of course it doesn't have to be the whole gang every time!
One thing I have found is that many of my female friends would love to have their own rooms but think that their husbands would see this as some kind of rejection and wouldn't countenance the idea. I feel sorry for these couples. This is really a sign of insecurity that has no place in a mature relationship.
We all need to have time to ourselves and space. This arrangement solves both these issues. How often do you go to bed earlier than your partner only to be woken when they turn in an hour or more later? How often have you got a great book that you'd love to read for half an hour before turning your bedside light off, but your partner can't sleep if you keep your light on?
Reading before lights out – a real joy!
There is also the delight of having your room decorated more in the style that you might chose but that your partner might not appreciate. Would you love to go minimalist or are you desperate for some flowery chintz?
If it was just down to you what would your room look like?
It might also be that you have a different approach to tidiness in the bedroom. You can be as neat or slovenly as you choose and it doesn't affect anyone else. Just imagine having all that wardrobe space to yourself. What about a writing desk in the corner or a bookcase for your own collection – or is that just me?
We haven't even covered the issue that sends most couples into separate rooms. It's the 'S' word – snoring. Well it goes without saying that having your own room makes sense if your roommate keeps you awake at night with their snoring, or indeed if you keep them awake too. I also found that I could almost 'hear' my husband thinking,when we shared a bed, and his mental activity kept me alert too.
So if you have a spare room that looks a bit lonely and unused then why not give it a try? I think you'll love it and remember it doesn't mean that your partner can't visit or that you don't love them. It's about getting a good night sleep and having some space to call your own. It may do wonders for your relationship. Having a good night sleep is such a hugely important thing for health and happiness and shouldn't be underestimated.
Of course there's nothing wrong with enjoying sleeping with the one you love. Maybe you love to snuggle up and don't experience any of the problems I've outlined. It's just that not sleeping with your partner doesn't mean you don't love them and might just be more fun.


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Health and FitnessLifestyleMental Health
Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia
January 4, 2023 23 views0
Not only is it good aerobic exercise, but dancing may help the elderly with reasoning skills and memory.
Helena Blumen, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.
What still isn't known
Social ballroom dancing can improve cognitive functions and reduce brain atrophy in older adults who are at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. That's the key finding of my team's recently published study in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.
In our study, we enrolled 25 adults over 65 years of age in either six months of twice-weekly ballroom dancing classes or six months of twice-weekly treadmill walking classes. None of them were engaged in formal dancing or other exercise programs.
The overall goal was to see how each experience affected cognitive function and brain health.
While none of the study volunteers had a dementia diagnosis, all performed a bit lower than expected on at least one of our dementia screening tests. We found that older adults that completed six months of social dancing and those that completed six months of treadmill walking improved their executive functioning – an umbrella term for planning, reasoning and processing tasks that require attention.
Dancing, however, generated significantly greater improvements than treadmill walking on one measure of executive function and on processing speed, which is the time it takes to respond to or process information. Compared with walking, dancing was also associated with reduced brain atrophy in the hippocampus – a brain region that is key to memory functioning and is particularly affected by Alzheimer's disease. Researchers also know that this part of our brain can undergo neurogenesis – or grow new neurons – in response to aerobic exercise.
Research shows those who regularly dance with a partner have a more positive outlook on life.
While several previous studies suggest that dancing has beneficial effects on cognitive function in older adults, only a few studies have compared it directly with traditional exercises. Our study is the first to observe both better cognitive function and improved brain health following dancing than walking in older adults at risk for dementia. We think that social dancing may be more beneficial than walking because it is physically, socially and cognitively demanding – and therefore strengthens a wide network of brain regions.
While dancing, you're not only using brain regions that are important for physical movement. You're also relying on brain regions that are important for interacting and adapting to the movements of your dancing partner, as well as those necessary for learning new dance steps or remembering those you've learned already.
Nearly 6 million older adults in the U.S. and 55 million worldwide have Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, yet there is no cure. Sadly, the efficacy and ethics surrounding recently developed drug treatments are still under debate.
The good news is that older adults can potentially lower their risk for dementia through lifestyle interventions, even later in life. These include reducing social isolation and physical inactivity.
Social ballroom dancing targets both isolation and inactivity. In these later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a better understanding of the indirect effects of COVID-19 – particularly those that increase dementia risk, such as social isolation – is urgently needed. In my view, early intervention is critical to prevent dementia from becoming the next pandemic.
Social dancing could be a particularly timely way to overcome the adverse cognitive and brain effects associated with isolation and fewer social interactions during the pandemic.
Traditional aerobic exercise interventions such as treadmill-walking or running have been shown to lead to modest but reliable improvements in cognition – particularly in executive function.
My team's study builds on that research and provides preliminary evidence that not all exercise is equal when it comes to brain health. Yet our sample size was quite small, and larger studies are needed to confirm these initial findings. Additional studies are also needed to determine the optimal length, frequency and intensity of dancing classes that may result in positive changes.
Lifestyle interventions like social ballroom dancing are a promising, noninvasive and cost-effective path toward staving off dementia as we – eventually – leave the COVID-19 pandemic behind.
Helena Blumen, Associate Professor of Medicine and Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
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St. Paul's Catholic School is a coeducational Roman Catholic secondary school and sixth form located in Evington, Leicester, England. It is situated off the B667 road, just west of City of Leicester College and is part of the St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust.

History
The current site of St Paul's Catholic School on Spencefield Lane (B667) was formerly the site of Evington Hall Convent Grammar School, a girls' grammar school. St Paul's was founded in 1977 from the merger of Evington Hall and Corpus Christi, a local Catholic secondary modern school built in 1950 on Gwendolen Road which is now the site of a non-denominational Primary School since 1978. The current includes parts of the original Evington Hall building as well as several wings built over the years. The additions have made the school building roughly twice the size it was upon the school's foundation. The school celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 2002, with an open day for alumni, hosted by students and staff. In 2003, the school attained specialist Performing Arts College status.

In 1992 the original Evington Hall building became the site of Leicester Grammar Junior School, which it remained until 2008 when the Junior School moved to a shared site with Leicester Grammar School in Great Glen. In September 2011, the building became the Leicester Krishna Avanti Primary School, a Hindu free school, which continues to share the Spencefield Lane site with St Paul's.

In 2014 the school entered a phase of renovation which included the development of a new building including a theatre for performing arts. The site now comprises two separate buildings very close together and a car park to the rear of the main building. Previously a voluntary aided school, it became an academy and part of the St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust in September 2018.

Admissions

St. Paul's is one of two Catholic comprehensive schools in the Leicester area, the other being English Martyrs Catholic School. There are 1125 students on roll at St. Paul's, 180 of whom are sixth-formers. They are organised into years, with years 7 and 8 constituting key stage 3 ; years 9, 10 and 11 constituting key stage 4; and years 12 and 13 (A-Level years) constituting the "sixth form".

Facilities
St Paul's is equipped with computer facilities, a learning plaza (the library) and a performing arts department which includes a recording studio, drama suites, dance suites and a theatre with a high stage, curtains and specialist lights. It was officially opened by Labour MPs Jim Knight (then-Minister of State for Schools) and Keith Vaz, MP for Leicester East. There is a Catholic chapel on the premises, which features a plaque blessed by Pope John Paul II.

It also features two hard-court areas, one with basketball posts and sports court with two full size football goals. There is a large grass field at the rear of the premises. All teaching rooms are well-equipped with resources and interactive whiteboards, with many having access to computers and laptops. There is a floor dedicated to science, and a specialist room for special educational needs interventions.

Curriculum
St Paul's offers GCSE, A-Level and BTEC qualifications, as well as a mandatory PHSE programme.

Academic results
Leicester LEA usually has low GCSE results, but the school is one of the few to gain high results, and in 2010 was third best, behind another Catholic school, English Martyrs Catholic School (in the north-west of Leicester). St Paul's had the best A-Level results in Leicestershire in 2012.

Since the introduction of reformed GCSE exams in 2017, St Paul's has consistently had an above average number of students achieving a grade of 5 or higher in English and Mathematics compared to other state-funded schools in the local authority.

A-level results since 2017 have been in line with or above the average results for schools in the local authority, with the proportion of A* and A grades increasing in 2019.

Staffing
The school is managed on a day-to-day basis by the senior leadership team consisting of a principal, two vice principals, three assistant principals, a business manager and a part time lay chaplain.

All curriculum subjects are led by a faculty leader, assistant faculty leader and sub-subject leaders (e.g. Biology Subject Leader). Years 7–11 are headed by a Head of Year (also referred to as a Progress Leader), and years 12 and 13 are headed by the Head of Sixth Form (role performed by an Assistant Principal), assisted by an Assistant Head of Sixth Form. There are also Assistant Head of Years and Student Support Officers to support pupils with a variety of issues. Altogether, St. Paul's employs over one hundred staff.

SEN provision include that of a specialist learning development team with particular responsibility for aiding pupils with additional needs, including higher level teaching assistants and teaching assistants being led by the special educational needs coordinator.

There have been six head teachers since 1977 Gerald O'Donnell was head from 1977 to 1990, followed by Edward Hayes until 2002. Deputy Headteacher, Roger Galvin, acted as head for one year until Francis Doherty was appointed in 2003. Dr Doherty was succeeded in 2011 by previous assistant headteacher Neil Lockyer, who went on to being the school's youngest headteacher before leaving in 2018 to take up the position of Chief Executive Officer of the school's new academy trust.

In 2018, Deputy Headteacher Marcella Gillespie was appointed as the first female headteacher since 1977 but left after only one year in post following successful promotion to the academy trust executive team as Director of Safeguarding. In 2019 Shelley Conaghan was appointed as the new leader of the school as Principal (formerly known as Headteacher), after spending a number of years as Vice Principal at local secondary school English Martyrs.

Team Ghana
Since 2008 a trip to Ghana has been organised every two years to foster links between St Paul's and schools in the dioceses of Obuasi and Kumasi. In 2012, Team Ghana 2012 raised £40000 for these schools. The trip was founded and is run by Mrs Sarah Lockyer (former Head of RE, now Vice Principal) and supported by staff and students. Fundraising activities such as bake-offs, walks to Ghana and non-uniform days are conducted to raise money for the trip.

Notable former pupils

Evington Hall Convent School
 Maggie Philbin, BBC science presenter.

St Paul's Catholic School
James Lee Dose, guitarist for Trailer Trash Tracys
Kirsty Linnett, former english professional footballer
Remi Allen, footballer for Aston Villa W.F.C.
Beryly Lubala, footballer for Blackpool F.C.
Admiral Muskwe, footballer for Luton Town F.C.
Adelaide Muskwe, Zimbabwean netball player
Grace Petrie, singer-songwriter and guitarist
Emmet Wan, footballer for Citizen AA in Hong Kong
Jozsef Keaveny, former Irish footballer

References

External links
 Official website
 Official Academy Trust website
 EduBase

Secondary schools in Leicester
Educational institutions established in 1977
Catholic secondary schools in the Diocese of Nottingham
1977 establishments in England
Academies in Leicester


I truly believe the shark suit sells it. There are no words for the awesomeness that this is. If I'm having a bad day, I come back to the cat on the rhoomba.
I just love this video. Cracks me up every time I see it.
This video made me smile, laugh, cry, and it touched my heart. This is what marriage should be for all of us.


The Dennis and Mary Langhoff family are proud to be owners of multiple Subway franchises in Southern Minnesota. From our first store, which opened in Savage, Minnesota in 1988, to our latest location added in Dundas, Minnesota, Subway has been our family's business for over two decades.
We offer the full array of Subway products including breakfast, lunch, dinner and catering. We're committed to the communities we serve, and make it a point to be involved by volunteering and sponsoring local activities and organizations.


Today's prompt is: Your family dynamics growing up.
I am the second child of four. My older brother is five years older than me, and for the most part growing up, I was his irritating little brother. At times I excelled at it.
Below me were a brother and a sister. My younger brother and I played a lot in the backyard, and my sister was sent to annoy me and has done that so well throughout life.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized, Writing prompt and tagged #TMAT, Family, parents, siblings. Bookmark the permalink.
Thank you Di, my dad liked to use it a lot.
I can imagine you as a little boy 'helping out'.
I think I used it on one of my kids who replied: No she doesn't.
As I would expect willow.


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2019 Tour de France: Spoilers!
Re: 2019 Tour de France: Spoilers!
Posted: 11 Jul 2019, 11:32pm
by Brucey
Julien in yellow? -no; its Giulio….
Giulio Ciccone rode strongly in a breakaway all day, in a move that was clearly planned beforehand, aided by his team. Up for grabs was the polkadot jersey, the stage win and maybe even the yellow jersey. Tim Wellens rode well enough (just) to retain the polkadot jersey, and Ciccone was pipped for the stage win by Dylan Teuns as the group of favourites bore down at speed upon the remains of their breakaway at the stage finish. It was Teuns' first TdF stage win; the culmination of his childhood dreams....
However Ciccone looked gutted as he crossed the finish line in second place, and the commentators hadn't mentioned that he might be virtual race leader as he approached the finish, the GC group was that close. But through the magic of time bonuses, it turns out that Ciccone has the yellow jersey! That cheered him up a bit.
So French hearts must have sunk a little; Alaphillipe out of yellow, Bardet and Pinot each having their problems on a stage where they ought to have shown well.
But G was ominously strong (stronger than Bernal) and has not yet put a foot wrong in his title defence. Alaphillipe may retake yellow in the next few days....and some of the GC contenders have yet to poke their noses into the wind, so anything could happen yet....
Transfer stage tomorrow; the longest in the race. Not expecting any big GC changes.
Posted: 12 Jul 2019, 12:09am
by tony_mm
Great show from Alaphilippe!
And Thomas is surely also in form....
Posted: 12 Jul 2019, 1:20am
by Debs
Giulio Ciccone is a rising star, even tho' he finished that tough mountain stage 2nd he's not only in yellow but also leading the young rider white jersey, has moved up to 2nd place in the climbers polkadot jersey, and Trek-Segafredo are now in 1st team position. An excellent days work!
IMO Thomas de Gendt should have won the combative award for his persistently helping his team mate retain, and acquire, more KOM points.
As it happened Tim Wellens does stay in polkadots but also got the combative too.
I think the big power climber teams Movistar and Ineos made the miscalculation of failing to catch the breakaway... LOL!
by mattheus
Spinners wrote: Nice show of grit by G right at the end.
I see what you've done there.
Richard Fairhurst wrote: Meanwhile in ITV4 news I found a screen-capture app which will record video and audio as it plays... so I put the highlights on, set it to record, went to put the little guy to bed, and by the time he was asleep the highlights were ready to watch. Just as well, as at the time of posting (10.15pm) they're still not up officially...
Hmmm. A "Screen-capture app" you say?
We have a new gadget called a Video Recorder which does much the same thing. Have you heard about them? They're the next big thing!
(I usually manage to watch the Highlights prog before *I* fall asleep. Yesterday was TT evening, resulting in a tired mattheus, so I doubt I could have stayed awake through watching a whole dull stage.)
by Bonefishblues
tony_mm wrote: Great show from Alaphilippe!
Peaked early, perhaps?
Suit yourselves!
by Spinners
mattheus wrote:
Unintended! Honestly.
by Richard Fairhurst
mattheus wrote: Hmmm. A "Screen-capture app" you say?
We'd need to have a TV to be able to use one of those!
Richard Fairhurst wrote:
Oh ... well you mustn't get one of those. Evil invention!
Posted: 12 Jul 2019, 3:45pm
Bonefishblues wrote:
Don't get it sorry.
Can you elaborate on that?
two wheels on the Groenewegen; he's still rolling along.
Despite crashing a few days ago Groenewegen narrowly outsprinted Caleb Ewen for the win today. Groenewegen started his sprint first and unsually it paid off; the others waited just that bit too long and a few of them looked like they were overgeared for the slight ramp in the final two hundred metres too. Sagan placed third so his stranglehold on the Green jersey tightens yet further.
One's hat has to go off to Offredo and Rosetto; despite hovering temptingly in front of the peloton for a few km there were no other takers, so they and they alone were the breakaway for the day and they spent about 220km out front, with the only possible reward on offer one for combativity. Offredo lasted a few hundred yards longer than Rosetto, so probably he'll take the day's award. Both riders have now featured in several breakaways so may be angling for the overall combativity award, which gets you onto a podium in Paris.
Apparently Alaphillipe was somewhat miffed that he lost the yellow Jersey yesterday; not in his plan, that. Tomorrow's stage is lumpy and has a time bonus on the final climb; Alaphillipe may well look to nick the Jersey back again, which he will do if he takes first place on the climb and Ciccone isn't placed; there are eight seconds on offer and he needs six.
The pure sprinters may well not make it to the finish tomorrow, which makes it potentially a stage for the more versatile riders who can also sprint.
"When all you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail". Thomas de Gendt is something of a hammer of a rider and today he found his nail; stage 8 of the TdF, which is 'lumpy'; more climbing metres than stage 6 in fact, and a road that was largely pretty draggy chip'n'seal, it was going to be hard. An early breakaway (de Gendt, Terpstra, King) was joined by Alessandro de Marchi to make four classy riders; an 'escape of the stars' I think is a literal translation of the phrase in one language .
They worked hard and bunch let them drift out to five minutes, but at 70km to go the break needed to get wriggle on and soon they were down to two, de Gendt and de Marchi. The bunch was soon strung out behind, and de Marchi -who had probably 'gone into the red' having chased for over 20km to get into the breakaway at all- could no longer stand the pace, leaving de Gendt alone. David Millar's commentary suggested that if de Gendt had one minute or more at the foot of the final climb he would have a good chance for the stage win; he had almost exactly one minute so it was too close to call.
DQS had run out of riders but Astana and EF were still chasing, so the gap was still closing to de Gendt.
Alaphillipe -as expected- attacked up the final climb and in the company of Pinot soon got within 15s of de Gendt. Amazingly de Gendt hung on for a fantastic, almost legendary victory (" my legs felt good all day" he said after 200km out front..... ) and the two Frenchmen pulled twenty-odd seconds on the peloton, propelling them into first and third place on GC.
Chances are that G would have been with Alaphillipe and Pinot but for an unfortunate crash; Michael Woods went down and G got into a tangle as did two other Ineos riders. G was lucky enough to remount his own bike (a team mate's had snapped in half) and with help was able to chase back on but had missed the attack off the front by then, Woods didn't rejoin the Peloton and finished about 15 mins down.
Also showing signs of weakness, Nibali slipped back four minutes, so stage wins may be in his plans, not GC. TJvG was a DNS today; he rode yesterday's stage in a bloodied state after an early crash but overnight it became apparent that riding with broken bones in his hand wouldn't be viable. Wout van Aert also finished well down on todays stage; its is not clear why. Yesterday he was flying; he did 2.5km at the front of the bunch on the lead in to the stage 7 finish during which he averaged nearly 60kph.... but today he must have had a problem of some kind.
There are about 25 riders with 3-1/2 minutes of the lead on GC; no-one has won anything yet but plenty have lost the chance, realistically.
Another rolling stage tomorrow with bonus seconds on offer; you can't call it between the control of the sprint teams, those with GC ambitions and the possibility of a strong breakaway, but one thing is for sure, the prospect of a win on Bastille day will whet the appetite of French riders.
I think this is easily the most interesting first week of the TdF for years. Bring it on!
Great stage today especially the last 20km. Something for everyone! Pinot has dragged himself into the equation, perhaps temporarily but the French have had a good day and I hope they animate the race tomorrow as well.
by reohn2
Spinners wrote: Great stage today especially the last 20km. Something for everyone! Pinot has dragged himself into the equation, perhaps temporarily but the French have had a good day and I hope they animate the race tomorrow as well.
Agreed,and I was very happy to see Thomas de Gent win the stage
BTW,today's stage for the second time in this year's TdeF saw a bike in two halves due to a crash.What concerns me about it is the ragged ends causing serious injury to a rider or even a spectator in certain circumstances,I'm aware the same can be said of disc rotors,chainrings or brake levers but CF frames just add to the problem.
I'm also aware that there's a distinct chance I'll be accused of ludditeism and or anti CF and to certain extent I am,but I've never seen a steel or Alu frame break in two in a crash.
Gianni Moscon's bike. The TdF seems to be an ill-fated race for him, although last year's problem (getting kicked off the race for being a bit fighty with another rider) was self-inflicted. Moscon finished yesterday's stage over 23 minutes down.


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Citing the American Revolution ... Baraga County Officials Revolt Against State COVID Orders
Upper Peninsula community's leaders point to their oath
By Tom Gantert | January 12, 2021
Several Baraga County commissioners, plus the sheriff, prosecuting attorney, clerk, and treasurer of the Upper Peninsula county, have all signed a manifesto that places the state on notice that they will no longer enforce the state's COVID-19 mandates and restrictions.
The declaration reads: "Since March 10, 2020, the People of the State of Michigan have endured restrictions on their freedom which have not been seen in North America since the days of King George III and the American Revolution. In the face of a worldwide pandemic our political leadership in Lansing has ignored the protections guaranteed to all America citizens by the Bill of Rights in favor of the medical models designed to predict the course of a still, for the most part, unknown virus. The result has been the unilateral adoption of clearly unconstitutional measures which treat human beings like herd animals and which arbitrarily pick economic winners and losers. Our citizens' rights to assemble, to freely practice their religion, to travel, to keep their property, businesses and jobs, even to dress as they please have all been swept aside, and to what end? The pandemic rages on and Lansing's failed efforts to control the spread of the virus is blamed on the people themselves rather than the scientific community's admitted lack of data and understanding of COVID-19."
The manifesto continued: "Enough is enough. We have taken an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, an oath we take very seriously. Accordingly, we hereby put the State of Michigan on NOTICE that we have no intention of participating in the unconstitutional destruction of our citizens' economic security and Liberty. We further declare our intention to take no action whatsoever in furtherance of this terribly misguided agenda. Finally, we call upon the Michigan Legislature to exercise their co-equal authority by adopting constitutionally sound measures which limit the unchecked exercise of executive power, which restore individual responsibility and accountability, and which return Michigan to the ranks of freedom-loving governments everywhere."
The Baraga County elected officials who signed the declaration include Sheriff Joe Brogan, Clerk Wendy Goodreau, Treasurer Jill Tollefson, Prosecuting Attorney Joseph O'Leary and Commissioners Gale Eilola, Dan Robillard, Will Wiggins, William Rolof and Lyle Olsen.


Bichon before & after "Bailey"
Before & After Bichon "Max"
He made the cutest little lion!
Nastiest dog I ever had!
One of my all time fave B & A.
It's hard to photograph a BLACK dog!
Fully Hand Scissored Pomeranian Teddy Bear!
Victory at last, my worst mannerd dog!
Before and After pics from my New Shop!!
A Few Before and Afters From my Shop!
The someday dog that finally came.
BloPen Fun and Other Before and Afters!
Whew, talk about a challenge!!
First Standard Poodle at my Shop!!
Perrfect pose and a smile!!!
Check out my cocker cut!!
What to do with Jack-Tzu!!!!
What breed do you think this one is???
Poodle rescue BF&A by a student!


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