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Sekiro - Shadows Die Twice review: Live, Die, Repe...
Sekiro - Shadows Die Twice review: Live, Die, Repeat
This isn't just one of the best games of the year - it's one of the best games I've ever played.
Fergus Halliday (PC World) on 04 April, 2019 09:00
I get the feeling that FromSoftware's reputation for making masochistically difficult games is going to turn a lot of people away from playing Sekiro. And, in fairness, it can be a difficult game.
Discounting Souls-like experiences like Ashen or Darksiders 3, I've never played a true Dark Souls game before. So when I say I will never be that freakish person who plays through all of Dark Souls on Twitch without taking a single hit, I mean it. But when you're playing Sekiro, that's more-or-less what you're doing.
If anything, it's how you're expected to play. You're supposed to be a Shinobi, after all. And there's something intrinsically rewarding about meeting the high expectations that Sekiro has of you, no matter how unreasonable they might seem at first.
That magical and magnificent moment when you surprise yourself and break through the mental wall that's been holding back your progress is hardly unique to Sekiro but it's rare to find a game that facilitates it this well. It feels like an evolution, rather than just extension, of the formula that FromSoftware have been exploring in prior games.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a difficult game but it rarely feels unfair or unreasonable in its expectations. It usually just comes down to learning what the fight is asking you to do. Once you understand, all that remains is the execution.
Die, Die, Try Again
The latest from Souls mastermind Hidetaka Miyazaki, FromSoftware's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a third-person action game with a high difficulty curve and a grim sense of atmosphere. In these respects, there are plenty of parallels with Miyazaki's earlier works. However, in many ways, Sekiro feels like something very different. Where Dark Souls and Bloodborne lean towards the fantastical, Sekiro embraces the historical.
Credit: FromSoftware
Set during the Sengoku 'Warring States' period of Japanese history, you take on the role of a nameless shinobi - later nicknamed Sekiro or the One-Armed Wolf - on a quest to save the liege lord he's sworn to protect. At the start of the game, you fail in this task. Everything that comes afterwards has to do with rectifying that initial failure and protecting The Divine Heir from those who would exploit the supernatural properties his blood contains.
There's a distinct richness and texture afforded to the setting but also a sense of weight to the way Shadows Die Twice handles its particular metatextual baggage. Even in the best hands, Immortality isn't a universal good. The core conceit here isn't to do with whether it's good or bad to live forever but rather who wears the cost of immortality - because there is always a cost. In this way, it acts as a really thoughtful and compelling metaphor for privilege.
And if the knack of Bloodborne and Dark Souls was about learning to fight creatures many times greater than yourself, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is about learning to fight opponents just as capable as yourself.
With a few exceptions, most of the game's mini and major bosses are humanoid in nature. You're fighting men, not monsters. What's more, they're subject to the same rules you are. Take damage, and you'll lose health. Obviously, run out of health and you'll die. However, any potential damage can be blocked by using a parry.
When you parry, you'll instead take posture damage - which regenerates over time. In addition, deflecting an incoming blow at just the right moment will damage your opponent's posture. Fill up the posture bar at the top of the screen, and you'll be able to instantly deliver a deathblow to any opponent - no matter how high their health is.
Though deceptively simple, Sekiro gets an enormous amount of mileage out of these ground rules. Some fights are about breaking your opponent's posture, others are about hurting their health. You're playing as much to learn each fight as you to win it.
The two variables that complicate this picture are the shinobi prosthetic and Sekiro's resurrection mechanic. Acquired early on in the game, the shinobi prosthetic is a mechanical appendage that Sekiro can kit out with various abilities. One ability might give you an axe that you can use to break through enemies who carry large shields. Another might let you throw firecrackers that'll temporarily stun and disorient your foes.
Where the posture-parry system in Sekiro is about repetition, balance and perfection, the prosthetic system invites creativity. You can swap between your different prosthetics at any time, so you've got a lot of freedom to experiment and find inventive solutions to the problems that the game's trickier enemies present.
Stealth is also a factor. The grappling hook capabilities of the shinobi prosthetic give you the option to sneak past enemies or ambushing them for easy kills. Sekiro even lets you do this on most bosses, allowing smart players to halve the length of a fight in an instant.
As far as fulfilling the fantasy of being a ninja slinking along rooftops and hiding in the shadows goes, Shadows Die Twice hits all the right notes.
Finally, as the game's title suggests, Sekiro is able to revive himself upon death. The catch here is that you're (initially) limited to one revive per fight but it's a good hook nevertheless. It gives you a bit more breathing room to recover yourself, even if you make that one fatal mistake during an intense boss fight - something that's very important in later playthroughs.
The Pursuit of Perfection
Of course, all this isn't to say Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is perfect.
It's not. I've lost count of how many times the game's frustratingly inconsistent camera got me killed. I found the way the game keeps track of side-quest progress really opaque. I wish the tutorial NPC who offers to train with you had more to offer and that the additional damage upgrades you get in later playthroughs had more consequence and weight to them.
Though (thankfully) optional, the Headless boss fights in the game are also quite frustrating in that Sekiro doesn't really do much to teach you how you're supposed to approach them. They're a little too sink-or-swim, in my opinion.
The Dragonrot mechanic in Sekiro is also a bit of a downer. The more you die, and specifically the more times you resurrect, the sicker the NPCs around you become. If an NPC is sick, your chances of receiving Unseen Aid - a buff which cancels out any XP and gold loss when you die - are reduced but more importantly, you're unable to actually progress any side quests that involve those NPCs.
Eventually, you do find a way to cure Dragonrot. However, the resources you use to do so are extremely limited in quantity and their effects usually only last until you get stuck on the Sekiro's next difficult boss fight (and die enough times to send everyone back to their deathbed).
There's only a certain number of chances to alleviate Dragonrot in the game - and it's all too easy to miss or accidentally waste them. It didn't take long before a second playthrough was basically required in order for me to complete most of the side quest content in the game.
And for all that the difficulty of the game does contribute to the sense of satisfaction you get from overcoming it, I do also feel like a more newcomer-friendly form of on-boarding might make Sekiro better. An "easy-mode" isn't maybe what I'm after but a setting that allows for slightly wider margin of error - or maybe additional resurrections - isn't an awful idea. Like I said before, I can't shake the feeling that FromSoftware's reputation for making "difficult" games is probably going to turn people who might end up loving this game away from trying it at all.
Still, so much about Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice just works and it doesn't hurt that the game is so incredible to look at. The mythical folklore aesthetic that Sekiro is going for lands so well that it's hard to stay mad at the game for long.
The dialogue crinkles with the weight of history, the trees sway with the gust of the wind and steel swords crackle as the slam into another with ferocious zeal. Perhaps most impressively, Sekiro manages to find a good balance between diverse level design and environmental variety that feels like a natural extension of the same seamless landscape.
Early on in Sekiro, I encountered an enemy with a spear. And I order to deal with an enemy with a spear, you have to regularly execute what's called a Mikiri Counter. Rather than try to block an incoming attack, you dodge into it - stepping on your opponent's weapon, stomping it into the dirt and dealing a massive amount of posture damage in the process.
The Mikiri Counter can be tricky to pull off but incredibly satisfying when you do. The thing is, I could never made it work outside of the tutorial trainer. This one mini-boss became a roadblock that I couldn't for the life of Sekiro overcome.
So I backtracked, hoping to farm up some gold. Maybe I'd find a new shinobi prosthetic upgrade or two. I ended up stumbling on an entirely new branch of the world map. Life went on. Later, I came back with several new upgrades. And this time, it didn't matter that I couldn't execute the Mikiri Counter. With a bit of creativity and attrition, I managed to overcome adversary and take down my spear-wielding opponent. Who needs the Mikiri Counter? Not me.
That is, until I reached Sekiro's final boss fight. Without spoiling too much about the game's finale, it's safe to say that my ability to complete the fight was impeded by my own inability to execute and refusal to learn how to pull off the Mikiri Counter.
So I focused on that.
I wasn't fighting to win. I was just fighting to see what happened. Watching how my opponent moved. Learning their moves and waiting for that bright red kanji to appear on the screen, warning me that they were about to unleash an attack that'd require me to initiate a Mikiri Counter. To start with, I died a lot. Then, I died less. Eventually, I got there.
Read more What We're Playing: Sekiro, Pathway and Destiny 2: Forsaken
And, having finally mastered the Mikiri Counter, the final boss fight in Sekiro became a breeze. I'd barely take a single hit and I'd effortlessly capitalise on every opportunity that came my way. Where before I was happy to let the boss dictate the tempo of the fight, I now took the lead.
The point I'm trying to make here is that. with the exception of some of the optional side bosses in Sekiro, most of the fights the game throws at you are ultimately fairly straightforward. Your opponents don't get better over time. You do - and you will.
If you're finding the game too hard, it just means you haven't caught on or aren't listening to what FromSoftware are trying to tell you about the encounter. The rules of posture and health management apply equally to enemies as well as yourself. And so long as you've got that to fall back on, nothing is impossible.
Sekiro manages borrows plenty of influences but stands tall as its own beast. It's part Souls, part stealth game and boasts a bevy of memorable moments that I suspect will see the game enshrined as a future classic.
At times, the hill you have to climb to get through Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice feels insurmountable but the sensation you get when you're at the top of that mountain looking down is nothing short of indomitable. This isn't just one of the best games of the year. I think it's one of the best games I've ever played.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is available on PC, Xbox One and Playstation 4 now.
Tags Shadows Die TwiceFromSoftwareSekiro
Fergus Halliday
@Cvamped
Making The Smart Home Work


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P2X6 Knockout Mice Exhibit Normal Electrolyte Homeostasis.
de Baaij JHF., Kompatscher A., Viering DHHM., Bos C., Bindels RJM., Hoenderop JGJ.
ATP-mediated signaling is an important regulator of electrolyte transport in the kidney. The purinergic cation channel P2X6 has been previously localized to the distal convoluted tubule (DCT), a nephron segment important for Mg2+ and Na+ reabsorption, but its role in ion transport remains unknown. In this study, P2x6 knockout (P2x6-/-) mice were generated to investigate the role of P2X6 in renal electrolyte transport. The P2x6-/- animals displayed a normal phenotype and did not differ physiologically from wild type mice. Differences in serum concentration and 24-hrs urine excretion of Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ were not detected between P2x6+/+, P2x6+/- and P2x6-/- mice. Quantitative PCR was applied to examine potential compensatory changes in renal expression levels of other P2x subunits and electrolyte transporters, including P2x1-5, P2x7, Trpm6, Ncc, Egf, Cldn16, Scnn1, Slc12a3, Slc41a1, Slc41a3, Cnnm2, Kcnj10 and Fxyd2. Additionally, protein levels of P2X2 and P2X4 were assessed in P2x6+/+ and P2x6-/- mouse kidneys. However, significant changes in expression were not detected. Furthermore, no compensatory changes in gene expression could be demonstrated in heart material isolated from P2x6-/- mice. Except for a significant (P<0.05) upregulation of P2x2 in the heart of P2x6-/- mice compared to the P2x6+/+ mice. Thus, our data suggests that purinergic signaling via P2X6 is not significantly involved in the regulation of renal electrolyte handling under normal physiological conditions.
Animals, Base Sequence, Behavior, Animal, Breeding, Electrolytes, Gene Expression Regulation, HEK293 Cells, Homeostasis, Humans, Kidney, Membrane Transport Proteins, Mice, Knockout, Protein Subunits, Receptors, Purinergic P2

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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59 images of galaxies interacting with one another, newly released to celebrate the Hubble Space Telescope's 18th anniversary. Images available for download here. As featured in today's APOD.
posted 13 years ago by Pallas Athena - 6 comments
No, **you** are NOT lesbians ***WE*** ARE Lesbians and we're fightin' for it!
RIP Albert Hoffmann - he made a vast discovery. A vast one, I tell you. more inside
Cognitive surplus is a concept that produced an "aha!" moment for me. Many blogs have covered Clay Shirky's presentation at Harvard of his new book Here Comes Everybody (no sniggering!). Via.
Hubert's Freaks - This is the story of Bob Langmuir, a brilliant but troubled rare-book dealer whose headlong pursuit of an archive from a 1960s Times Square freak show leads to the discovery of a trove of hitherto unknown photographs by the great American genius Diane Arbus.
posted 13 years ago by tellurian - 4 comments
To Die For I'd been told that trust was the most crucial element involved when choosing a fugu chef. It was like selecting a heart surgeon or a private pilot. "The fugu chef has your life in his hands," one of my Japanese friends had said. Which is why my first impulse, upon greeting Mr. Naohisa Hashimoto, is to turn around, in the most diplomatic possible way, of course, and run screaming back to my hotel.
posted 13 years ago by Nickdanger - 26 comments
One-Woman Animated Feature. Sita Sings the Blues is a new feature-length animated film. Aside from its gorgeous art and music, it's remarkable in that all the animation was done by one woman, both by computer and by hand. more inside
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International Tapir Day is not today. Love a tapir anyway!
Men Who Explain Things Smart women and the men who have no concept of such a thing. more inside
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Invite a doggie into your home when the crotchfruit is tiny, and they won't sneeze when they get bigger. more inside
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What brought me to France in the first place was a story I'd heard about François Mitterrand, the former French president, who had gorged himself on one last orgiastic feast before he'd died. For his last meal, he'd eaten oysters and foie gras and capon — all in copious quantities — the succulent, tender, sweet tastes flooding his parched mouth. And then there was the meal's ultimate course: a small, yellow-throated songbird that was illegal to eat. Rare and seductive, the bird — ortolan — supposedly represented the French soul. And this old man, this ravenous president, had taken it whole — wings, feet, liver, heart. Swallowed it, bones and all. Consumed it beneath a white cloth so that God Himself couldn't witness such a barbaric act. I wondered then what a soul might taste like. more inside
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Raymond Scott was a musician and composer you may not have heard of but if you've ever watched Looney Tunes or Merrie Melodies, you've heard his music. more inside
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The beautiful white horses of England The Uffington hill figure More on hill figures Wiltshire White Horses More from the air more inside
And you thought YOUR landlord sucked... Don't rent from Kip and Nicole Macy.
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"A college student was last seen having a night on the town. He was partying with friends when they became separated. No one is sure how he ended up in the water. This is the disturbing path that almost all of the cases listed on this blog have taken." - Speculation that several disappearances in the Chicago and Great Lakes area are the work of a serial killer targeting young college men. via The Chicagoist
posted 13 years ago by smallerdemon - 12 comments
You don't want it, he can't have it back.
Conference on World Affairs. Founded in 1949, free and open to the public, discussing many many issues that affect us today. Notables who've spoken at it include R. Buckminster Fuller, Henry Kissinger, Roger Ebert, Andy Ihnatko, and Arthur Miller. more inside
posted 13 years ago by Sandspider - 1 comment
Lost Films is the project of a single photographer, but spans the work of many. He acquires old cameras that still have film in them, or comes across exposed but undeveloped film. The film is developed and what prints can be salvaged are made. Though they're mostly family snapshots, there's something fascinating and lovely about these glimpses into the lives of ordinary people and the decades they lived in.
posted 13 years ago by Christophine - 1 comment
The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913. A fully searchable edition of the largest body of texts detailing the lives of non-elite people ever published, containing 197,745 criminal trials held at London's central criminal court.
posted 13 years ago by The Carolingian - 5 comments
Live Webcast of a Collossal Squid Dissection Coming Up - lets go watch them chop this fat bastard up. more inside


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Quicksilver Chronicles
Directed by Ben Guez, Aleksandra Kulak
USA 2019; 75 min
Original version: Spanish, English
Visions du Réel
Kate Woods and her brother Kemp are survivors. They could have been some of Jack Kerouac's Dharma bums or Ken Kesey's freaks or militants like Jerry Rubin. They probably have been all these things. Like so many others from their generation, they wanted and tried to change the world. The world, though, went the other way. So, Kate and Kemp chose to live their lives in a way that was consistent with their vision and ideas. Retreating in a place that was once a mercury mine, they go on their daily routines in what seems to be a celebration of Gary Snider's values. Still fervent radicals, they follow with growing concern and anxiety the Trump campaign, not believing their eyes and fearing the worst. Glued to their tiny television screens, they witness the rise of the "orange tweeter in chief". QUICKSILVER CHRONICLES is the twilight's last gleaming of a generation that always fought against authoritarianism and must now face their worst nightmares that have become reality. Shot in a heartfelt observational style, the film is a poignant autumnal portrait of a community that (maybe) does not exist anymore.
Underground / Alternative
ALBUR DE AMOR
Misha MacLaird
Inside Me
Abyss: The Girl's Eyes
Truth and Justice
Scandinavian Silence
Mystery of the Night
Timeless Havana
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To celebrate Hamburger Month, the Hot Dish has been sampling various burgers around Minneapolis. We've tested black bean burgers on the West Bank and veggie burgers on Lyndale Avenue.
In this edition, we visit a downtown dining destination and a Nordeast/Dinkytown lunch counter to sample four burgers: two made of meat and two with no meat.
This downtown eatery boasts a menu designed to support its hip and eclectic philosophy. As such, Hell's Kitchen has two alternatives to beef burgers on its menu; bison and portobello mushroom.
Bison is a meat that has garnered more attention in the last decade. Once relegated to specialty food stores and remotely located gift shops, bison has been available at the decidedly mainstream Cub Foods stores for years.
The texture of bison is indistinguishable from lean beef, and the taste is so similar that most people wouldn't notice it wasn't beef.
This bison burger is the Jamaican Jerk burger ($14.50). The jerk spices further serve to mask any potential flavor discrepancy from beef. The grilled pineapple provides a hint of sweetness to counter the habanero pepperjack cheese melted on top.
The Portobello Meatless Mushroom "Burger" with Swiss ($13.25) is an entire portobello cap, char-broiled with a healthy slab of Swiss melted in. The cheese likely helps to keep the moisture in the mushroom, enabling a blast of warm juice with each bite.
Uncle Franky's is an old-fashioned hamburger/hot dog grill with several locations around the Metro: Dinkytown, Plymouth, Nordeast, and three "satellite locations" inside of Home Depot stores. We visited the simple, casual Nordeast location to sample two of its more obscure menu items: a salmon burger and a veggie burger.
The salmon is a significant solid, chunk. It's nicely grilled and slightly seasoned. This one was a little on the dry side, though we did opt out of the mayo. The awkward chunks of iceberg lettuce won't stay on and don't really add anything when they do.
Uncle Franky's doesn't make its own veggie burgers, but they do cook them pretty well. The grill leaves a slight but pleasing crunch on the outside of the patty. There's also a mild spiced flavor in this meatless burger.
We'll be featuring more local burgers soon, but you still have time to leave requests or suggestions for any non-beef burgers around the area that you'd like us to include. Just leave them in the comments below.


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Simon Versus: The New Brand With a Long View
Profiles Brand Profiles
Updated: May 9, 2018 | Published: Apr 19, 2017 by Gerald Ortiz
Gerald is a Writer and Heddels former Managing Editor. He's worked in the industry at Guideboat, Unionmade, and currently at Gear Patrol. Based in NYC, you can find him at a café, in a vintage store, or on Instagram.
I love weird brands. There are plenty out there that offer offbeat garments that I'm eager to make closet space for. But, when I think about the clothes that stick with me the longest, these aren't them. Rather, basic tees, straightforward jeans, and blasé button-up shirts all remain stubborn stalwarts. Often, it's the subtlety that sets them apart. The rest usually end up as regrets, destined for a trash bag, which is then destined for donation. Thinking ahead is not my forte.
When we look at clothing that's long-lasting, we too often forget that the clothes themselves might outlast our own tastes. And, with the type of clothing we're looking at, that longevity is a safe bet. One brand, Simon Versus, takes the long view approach, considering both construction and style.
Coming from a streetwear brand, brothers Burag and Eddie Celik embarked on a new line, starting Simon Versus in 2016. They use their Los Angeles upbringing as their main well of inspiration for the brand. Burag sheds light on this:
"You are exposed to all walks of life. You see various forms of style interpreted in a multitude of ways. It also makes you realize something can crossover to various genres of style. For example, a flannel shirt can be worn in many different ways. You portray a different message if you pair a flannel with distressed black skinny jeans as opposed to raw selvedge denim. By being exposed to such a melting pot of imagery, we took elements of different aesthetics and applied those influences to our style."
Maybe that's why they've chosen an aesthetic that can be left up to the customer's interpretation. It's made for everyone.
Though their family had, for the most part lacked any sort of tailoring or fashion background — save for their great grandfather (the Simon in Simon Versus) — their mother always instilled quality over quantity in their nurturing. Following their momma's (very good) advice, their fabrics are mainly sourced from Japan and all have substantial weight and character. Their emphasis on texture means that they're also made on shuttle looms, which often give more depth and personality.
Heavy tweed, wool bouclé, and slubby cotton twill elegantly elevate each garment, separating them from the flat and drab. And, though one might scoff at the thought of a blended fabric, they take advantage of recycled poly, resulting in a smaller carbon footprint than producing new poly.
Simon Versus also toes the line between rugged and tailored. The slim silhouettes are telling of that. But you'll also see it on the inside, with clean, single-needle French seam construction. Their Sid Overshirt, a piece that's welcome in my city of San Francisco (aka the city with a million microclimates), employs it along the side seams, as well as through the sleeves, and the armholes.
All the garments are made in small batches in Los Angeles, which not only shrinks the scale, but also reinforces their slow fashion ethos. And, each garment comes in a seriously heavy-duty box, wrapped in a textured linen paper. "We want our customers to feel like they are receiving a gift," Burag says. I've never wrapped a gift with wrapping that nice. That's something you can't really do for the masses.
What's next for Simon Versus? They've set their sights higher than just making their own clothes and have begun to develop their own textiles. Burag explains:
"For the first collection, we worked hard in researching mills that were eco-friendly, but we want to take that a step further. We will be sourcing everything down to the fibers used to produce the yarn to create the textile. We want to make everyone aware of exactly how their goods are made and for the product to have as little a carbon footprint as possible."
And if you've noticed a lack of legged garments, you can also bet on that void being filled. The Celik brothers will be working on bringing pants to the collection. If it's anything like what they've shown already, you can expect it to be something with the same attention to texture and detail.
For more info, visit the Simon Versus website.
burag celik eddie celik simon versus
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Home > Popular Stories > Meet Hands, Hearts & Paws Rescue
Meet Hands, Hearts & Paws Rescue
By Eric Forrest on September 17, 2014
Pets in Omaha is proud to be a part of the pet community and is dedicated to spreading the word about our area's wonderful shelters and rescue organizations. Adoption is the most wonderful thing you can do for a pet, so please support your favorite Omaha area rescues and spread the word about the noble work they do!
With that said, meet Hands, Hearts & Paws- one of our Rescue Friends! Thanks to Debbie David for filling readers in about HHP.
Q: What is your organization called and where are you located?
A: We're Hands, Hearts & Paws, INC, and were an Omaha-based rescue.
Q: When, why and by whom was the organization founded?
A: I founded the group over three years ago on Sept 1, 2011. I had a vision for rescue, so I started HHP.
Q: Are there board members, a president or officers for your group? Who are they and what do they mean to the group's success?
A: I'm the president of the group and we have many volunteers that help the organization flow smoothly.
Q: What is your organization's mission and how do you execute it?
A: Our mission is to rescue, fully vet and find good homes for dogs out of kill shelters, puppy mills and other places where dogs aren't being advocated for. We take in dogs that have no one and help them find forever homes.
Q: How many people volunteer for your organization?
A: At this time, we are about 50 volunteers strong.
Q: How many animals do you rescue, foster and place in a year?
A: In 2013, we placed right around 350 dogs into adoptive homes . We are happy to say that we will do as many and more in 2014.
Q: Tell us what a typical day for your organization entails.
A: There are many emails to send and answer, Facebook updates to give to followers, volunteers and supporters, dogs who are incoming to the rescue, dog adoptions that take place and various opportunities for us to show off our dogs in any given day. Most of our volunteers have full time jobs, but our rescue work is a full time effort (plus some). We work very hard every day to make sure our dogs are happy, healthy and socialized prior to adoption. It's hard work, but definitely satisfying.
Q: How can animal lovers in the area help you in your mission? Donations? Volunteers?
A: We are always looking for more foster homes, volunteers and transport drivers. We are grateful for just about any donations. These include, but are not limited to, cleaning supplies, bedding, towels… really anything dog-related that helps us care for adoptable animals.
Take a look at some dogs adopted in 2014 from HHP!
If you'd like to learn more about Hands, Hearts & Paws rescue, please find them on the web by clicking here.
To stay in the loop about what's happening at the rescue, be sure to follow HHP on Facebook. Make sure to follow, give them a "like" and share updates with your friends. The page is full of great news about the happenings at the rescue and you can find a list of events, Meet and Greet information and more.


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Nothe Gardens is a public garden, located in Weymouth, Dorset, England. Positioned on the Nothe Peninsula overlooking both Weymouth and Portland harbours, the informal gardens are often acclaimed to be the most beautiful the borough has to offer.

The gardens include Nothe Fort, built in 1872 to protect Portland's harbour, and today a museum and tourist attraction.

On the coast below the gardens are Stone Pier at the entrance to Weymouth Harbour and Newton's Cove on the other side.

History

The Nothe is an area, covering 40,000 square metres of land, that has not been changed by modern development. In the past, the area played an important military role as defence of Weymouth port, whilst today it is a more tranquil place. The main flat top of the Nothe Gardens was once a military encampment and is public open space today. In 1888, the Gardens were at the beginning of their establishment.

During World War II, the gardens to the west of Nothe fort were the location of an anti-aircraft gun battery comprising four Vickers Armstrong QF 3.7-inch AA guns. The battery was later removed, entirely by the 1970s, and replaced by a car park. A restored gun of the same type is now situated on the ramparts of Nothe Fort.

A 90-millimetre searchlight defence was situated at the bottom of the garden, overlooking Portland Harbour to illuminate surface targets. It would have been constructed between 1940–41, using concrete. The emplacement remained in the gardens throughout the 20th century, until it was destroyed by a landslip in 1988. However, by this point the Nothe Fort had become a tourist attraction, and members of the Weymouth Civic Society decided to rebuild a replica of the structure inside the grounds of the fort. The replica was equipped with an original 90mm searchlight and associated equipment, and remains accessible to the public through entry to the fort. It is situated on the northern side of the fort. Another searchlight emplacement, used as a sentry light to guard the entrance of Weymouth Harbour, is situated nearby at Weymouth's South Pier, and has become scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

Wildlife
The area attracts many types of animals and species, and often displays various bird species and grey squirrels. Other animals found in the area includes bats, roe deer, foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, shrews, mice and slow worms, amongst other creatures such as insects, whilst plant life is also varied. A vast array of choice trees and established shrub beds are found in the area.

Friends of the Nothe Gardens
The Friends of the Nothe Gardens are a band of residents and locals who care about the gardens and promote the enjoyment of the area. The supporters main goal is to make the gardens "a jewel amongst Weymouth's attractions".

In recent times, the trust has been funded by a grant from the Lottery.

Use in the 2012 Olympics

For the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Events in the 2012 Olympics, the gardens were closed to the public, where organising committee LOCOG decided to charge spectators £20 to £50 for a day's admission to the gardens to view the sailing events. As a result, the local residents vented anger at the borough councillors for supporting the plan.

A fence was built and sectioned off part of the Nothe Gardens to enable it to be managed as a ticketed site. The rest of the Gardens remained open for residents and visitors without charge. Nothe Fort recruited 150 people to help out as marshals during the games, as an expected 4,600 ticketed spectators a day flocked to the official view point during the fortnight.

See also
 Nothe Parade
 Wellington Court
 Weymouth Peace Garden

References

1888 establishments in England
Geography of Weymouth, Dorset
Gardens in Dorset
Tourist attractions in Weymouth, Dorset

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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SAFE COMMUNITIES NEWS
Kristina Vaccaro
Dane County Experiencing Increase in Medical Emergencies for Alcohol Overconsumption, Substance Abuse
MADISON, Wis. — Dane County is seeing a significant increase in the number of medical emergencies related to alcohol overconsumption and substance abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic, a release said.
Between Feb. 1 and May 10 there was a 37.9% increase in ambulance calls for people with substance abuse emergencies in comparison to a year ago. There were 666 EMS calls in that time frame, which is 483 more from the same time period a year ago.
"These numbers highlight the countless layers of this global pandemic and its many pervasive impacts on families and our communities," Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said. "As we focus on the health and financial well-being of our community, we must make sure people also know about resources like the Recovery Coach program run by Safe Communities to get people help and confront addiction."
The report from Dane County Emergency Management found there were 18 days in the time period where there were 10 or more 911 calls per day for substance abuse.
"Whether its drugs or alcohol, we know these are challenging times for those who struggle with mental illness and addiction," said Cheryl Wittke, director of the Safe Communities Coalition. "Our team of recovery coaches have lived experience and know what it's like to feel hopeless and struggling, making them the perfect community resource right now to help get those who want to change their lives take the first steps toward getting help."
Those looking to contact a Safe Communities recover coach should email referral@safercommunity.net or call (608)-228-1278.
Original Article: https://www.channel3000.com/dane-county-experiencing-increase-in-medical-emergencies-for-alcohol-overconsumption-substance-abuse/
By: Maija Inveiss
Kristina Vaccaro is one of our leaders in our Recovery Coaching Programs. Contact us for more information about our recovery programs and other helpful programs offered to those in need.
In treatment instead of in jail. Local initiative aims to help people fighting addiction
January 9, 2023 | News, Recovery Coaching, Uncategorized
This article originally appeared on Fox47.com and can be found here. By Brady Mallory | Fox47 News Madison MAIDSON, Wis (Fox47) — Imagine a dinner table with an empty chair.
Dane County Approves $750,000 Emergency Initiative to Address Opiate & Fentanyl Epidemics
November 21, 2022 | AAOC, Drug Poisoning Prevention, News, Recovery Coaching
From the Office of Joe Parisi, Dane County Executive, November 18, 2022 The Harm Reduction and Prevention Act, a roughly $750,000 initiative to address opiate and fentanyl related emergencies, will
Two-thirds of Dane County Fatal Crashes Involve No Seatbelts or Helmets
November 14, 2022 | News, Traffic Safety
For Immediate Release For more information, contact: Cheryl Wittke, (608) 256-6713 Executive Director, Safe Communities of Madison – Dane County Two-thirds of Dane County Fatal Crashes Involve No Seatbelts or
The partnerships built by Safe Communities have created a safer community, with more opportunities for education and awareness. We continue to envision a safer future for the people who live in Madison and Dane County, with instances of unnecessary deaths and serious injuries are infrequent, rather than a daily occurrence.


While the tech world is all set to see the advancements in 2018, Google on Monday released the Android platform distribution chart for the month of December to highlight where its mobile platform stands this year. Android Nougat has continued its upward trend and reached over 23 percent of active devices. Android Oreo, on the other hand, is now running on 0.5 percent of the total Android devices, a marginal increase from the previous month.
The install base of Android Oreo matches that of Ice Cream Sandwich, which was released in October 2011. Notably, the Oreo version grew 0.2 percentage points, from the 0.3 percent distribution share reported last month. This comes as a result of the latest update rollouts on devices such as Nokia 8, Sony Xperia XZ, and the HTC U11 Life, apart from sales of as the newest Pixel models. However, there is still a massive gap if we compare the distribution share of Android Oreo with Android Nougat i.e. 22.8 percentage points.
Google is well aware of the sluggish growth of Android Oreo, and this is not the first time when the newest Android version has the lowest distribution share. Having said that, the Android maker is planning to improve the distribution by opting for initiatives such as Android Oreo (Go edition) and Project Treble. The Go edition is aimed at providing stock Android experience on affordable mobile devices, whereas the Project Treble development is designed to deliver faster updates by allowing OEMs to seed new improvements and tweaks without a lot of effort.
In addition to Android Oreo, the Nougat version that comprises Android 7.0 and Android 7.1 builds reports growth with 23.3 percent of the share, compared to 20.6 percent in November. Companies like Samsung and Xiaomi, along others, are continuously bringing new Nougat devices. This appears to be the prime reason behind its growth.
Other than Android Oreo and Nougat, all its other major flavours have declined. The distribution share of Android Marshmallow fell down to 29.7 percent from 30.9 percent in November, while Android Lollipop declined to 26.3 percent, compared to 27.2 percent. Android KitKat reduced to 13.4 percent from 13.8 percent last month, while Jelly Bean contracted to 5.9 percent from 6.2 percent.


FORMER Papua New Guinea Kumul and father of Penrith Panthers star James Segeyaro, died last Friday in Port Moresby.
Iffysoe Segeyaro, pictured, from Mohuveto (No.1) village in Bena, Eastern Highlands, represented the country from 1982 to 1983.
The five-eighth or centre, was touted as one of the most gifted players to don a Kumul jumper.
He was bestowed the challenge of marking Australian Kangaroo great Wally Lewis in a Test match in Goroka. Segeyaro contributed back to the game he loved with his involvement in developing the schoolboys pathway in its early stages.
Segeyaro, owned Negiso Wholesale and Distributors, which had offices in Lae, Goroka and Port Moresby.Son James and other family members were at his bed side at Port Moresby General Hospital at the time of his passing at 9.30pm on Friday, after being admitted on Wednesday.
Segeyaro is survived by wife Margaret and children Billy, Zeena, Damarish, Nazmie, Gabriella, James, Cooper and Mere.
In a mark of respect for Segeyaro, PNG Hunters staff and players wore black arm-bands and observed a minutes silence in the dressing room before their Round 25 Queensland Cup match against the Souths Logan Magpies yesterday in Brisbane.
A minutes silence was observed at the Port Moresby Rugby League matches at the Ipi Park yesterday as well. POMRFL board chairman, James Naipao said Segeyaro had the game at heart and spoke of nothing else. "Schoolboys league was a part of his life. He was larger than life, but cool and humble which is why I admired him a lot," Naipao said.
Nephew Iffysoe Kafare said the haus krai was at the residence of Unggai-Bena MP Benny Allan at Hibiscus St., Hohola.
He said the funeral would be on Wednesday and on Thursday the body would be flown to Goroka.
Kafare said for details the following people could be contacted: Solomon Resis on 73917842, Raymond Salala Kafale on 76198383 or himself on 70246505.


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On the first Wednesday of every month, Grateful Fred bring world class Americana, Roots and Acoustic music to The Atkinson. This month we welcome The Resonant Rogues with support from Danny Bradley.
The core members of Resonant Rogues, Sparrow and Keith J. Smith, boast an amazing array of talents and musical abilities. In Sparrow's case that includes playing the accordion, banjo, viola, violin, piano, and musical saw. She has been belly dancing since 2003 and attended the Circus Centre in San Francisco. Keith began traveling around the US, hopping freight trains, and street performing for a living. As a traveling busker, he accompanied many acts from New Orleans to the Pacific Northwest and everywhere in between and eventually met Sparrow and formed the Resonant Rogues.
Danny Bradley performed his first gig at the age of four when he sang a song about a tree to his kindergarten class. Despite extensive heckling, he decided to pursue a career in music.
A blues-folk musician, a multi-instrumentalist, and a singer-songwriter, Danny has performed as a lead singer/guitarist in an acoustic blues-folk trio, a slap bassist in a funk band, a drummer in a rock band and an electric guitarist in an ambient-folk duet. He is currently based in Liverpool and gigs regularly as a solo artist.
Across the U.K., Danny has supported and gigged with touring acts such as Jon Gomm, Edwina Hayes, Mark Morriss, Brooks Williams, Amy Wadge, Pete Riley, Amelia Curran, Astrid Williamson and Jason Feddy as well as international bands The Once, The Amanda Rheume Trio, Derrin Nauendorf, The Paperboys and Callaghan.


No drummer this time, the piano (David Virelles) and guitar (Miles Okazaki) were in charge of the rhythm section. I like percussive piano, so that was fine by me. I really like what Steve Coleman does, and I'm most fond of Jen Shyu and Jonathan Finlayson in this lineup, so I was well within my comfort zone despite the changes — I'm not sure that's a good thing though.
Overall that was definitely not one of my favorite performances of theirs, but there were unexpected rhythmic twists in the second part that made it well worth it. I suspect I could come to reevaluate this positively in the future, it had the feel of something new being tried.
What felt weird was that I didn't like Jen Shyu as much as usual. I suspect that my finally seeing her solo made me chafe at her secondary role. That would not be a good development, as she's probably not likely to play solo often around here. But Coleman was good and I took that opportunity to focus more on Finlayson, and that was very rewarding. And they played for a long time, adding an encore without Coleman that was more playful than the main event. I was surprised at how long they had played, always a sure sign that I enjoyed the show more than I thought.
I'm not sure what I think of it, and that's a good thing.
I created this blog on a friend's suggestion, to record comments about gigs I attend. I extended that to dance and other art shows. I didn't intend it to be public at first, but keep it so in the probably deluded hope it can get other people to check out the people I write about and try to link to.
About that name: fnord comes from the Principia Discordia, and counter from the counterforce of Gravity's Rainbow.
Anything I write is my opinion. Or rather was when I wrote it.
I can be reached through my gmail account; the name's counterfnord.
There are no pictures, videos or any kind of recording whatsoever on this blog, and I don't foresee that changing. My only records are my memories, and this thing is supposed to help me with that. I try to link to the sites of the people I write about, so something might be available there.


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Weldon Springs State Park
Looking for an Illinois State Park that is suitable for all seasons? Weldon Springs State Park, located just southeast of Clinton in DeWitt County, is a 550-acre park that provides RV lovers year-round recreational opportunities and some of the best camping in America. The park is also known for having one of the most comprehensive recreational programs in the Illinois state park system.
The landscape of the park features an unusual spring in the mostly flat area of central Illinois. The spring is a small reminder of a huge river valley, known as the Teays River, that was once as large as the Mississippi River. After the Ice Age groundwater was forced up by this buried geological feature. Weldon Springs then became a wetland with some of the northernmost bald cypress trees in all of Illinois.
During the milder seasons in Weldon Springs State Park fishing, boating, hiking and picnicking are all very popular activities. When the snow hits, sledding, tobogganing, ice fishing and cross-country skiing become the most popular recreational choices.
Named by Family Circle magazine as one of the "Top Twenty Campgrounds in America," the campgrounds at Weldon Springs is very quiet and family friendly. There are 75 campsites that are equipped with either 30 or 50 amp electric connections, along with five back-in sites that are non-powered and 15 primitive sites. Camping is available all year round and peak season is during the summer months.
RV Rentals in Weldon Springs State Park
Weldon Springs is located in central Illinois and is in a very easy to reach location. The park is near many small towns, including Clinton, Lane, Weldon and Wapella. There are also some larger cities within a short drive to the park, including Champaign, Bloomington and Decatur. The terrain in and around the park is very easy to navigate as the area is very flat and the roads are well maintained. Most of the land near the park is farmland so there will be no overhanging branches that could cause damage to your RV.
There are many ways to reach the park but they all connect up to Co Road-14. The most navigated ways are through the town of Clifton, Rout 51 North and Route 51 South. If you are coming from Clinton, take route 10 East to Weldon Springs Road. Turn right at Black's Heating & A/C, follow the signs for two miles until you reach the park. From route 51 North, turn right at the first Clinton exit. Turn right at Revere Road. Follow the signs for three miles to the park. From route 51 South turn left at the third stoplight in Clinton. Turn right at Revere Road. Follow signs for three miles until you reach the park.
There is plenty of parking available at Weldon Springs State Park.
Unfortunately there are no public transport options that will take you to Weldon Springs State Park.
Campgrounds and parking in Weldon Springs State Park
Campsites in Weldon Springs State Park
Weldon Springs State Park Campgrounds
Weldon Springs State Park has an amazing campground that was named by Family Circle magazine as one of the "Top Twenty Campgrounds in America". The campground is very large and has great vehicle access and level site pads. There are 75 campsites with 30 or 50 amp electricity connection that have vehicular access, a sanitary dump station, shower building, cooking grills, picnic tables, pit toilets, playground equipment and water hydrants located throughout the campground. Some of the sites also have views of the lake, so if you want a lake view we recommend staying at site 71 or 72.
Cell phone reception should be strong on all networks during your stay. During the spring time the park campground can flood, so make sure you call ahead to see what the park conditions are like before you begin your journey. During the winter the shower building is closed from the beginning of November until the beginning of May. Reservations are available online for the upcoming season.
Seasonal activities in Weldon Springs State Park
Weldon Springs State Park has a 29-acre, spring-fed lake that is perfect for the fishing lovers out there. There are two miles of shoreline that are dotted with fishing platforms along the bank and a boat launching ramp that provide anglers with easy access to the lake. The fish population is quite diverse, with largemouth bass, catfish, bullhead, crappie, bluegill, and sunfish all regularly caught. Check the fishing regulations at the park office before you cast out a line.
Want to go out on the lake at Weldon Springs State Park? Boating is allowed throughout the year (well, until it freezes over) and during the summer time boats are available to rent from a concession stand. If you have your own boat or kayak there is a launch ramp available for your convenience on the bank of the lake. Only electric boat motors may be used within Weldon Springs State Park. Check with the park office before you hit the water to see if there are any regulations that you need to follow.
Picnic facilities are fantastic at Weldon Springs State Park. There are eight large picnic areas, six of which have shelters for those who have large groups. There are also small groups of tables at a number of locations throughout the park if your group is less people. Cooking grills or fire rings, water hydrants and toilet facilities are available at each of the picnic grounds. For those wanting to make sure that they lock down a larger shelter six of them are available on a reservation basis.
Those who love to hike will be impressed with the four trails that are available for you to use at Weldon Springs State Park. The trails vary in length from around a mile to three miles and are suitable for hikers of all skill levels. At just over three miles long the Old Farm Trail is longest one in the park. It will take you from the campground to the east park boundary and then to an old farm on the north end of the park. Bicycles are also permitted unless temporarily closed due to flooding.
The Interpretive Center at Weldon Springs State has a lot of history. The building was orginally built in 1865 and was used by the residents of Logan County, Illinois for more than 80 years. The historic building was then moved to Weldon Springs where it was restored, furnished, and equipped for use as both a visitor center and a temporary classroom. The Interpretive Center is more than a museum and features a hands-on learning center with a "please touch" philosophy. Both science and local history are emphasized in the exhibits.
When the snow starts to fall in Weldon Springs State Park the park turns into a winter wonderland. There is a hill that is around one eighth of a mile that is great for sledding and tobogganing. Cross-country skiing is also possible on the Whitetail Ski Trail that quickly drops into the bottomlands of Salt Creek. For those who like to fish the lake freezes over and turns into a great ice fishing location. If you plan to use the ice make sure you test how deep it is as the ice is not actively monitored.


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HomeHeadlinesTunisia
Illegal Migration: Over 3,800 Tunisians Crossed to Italy in 2018
North Africa PostSeptember 10, 2018 12:00 pm
Frustration over lack of economic opportunities and social mobility has driven thousands of disenchanted Tunisians to undertake the perilous Mediterranean crossing in an attempt to reach Europe.
Some 3,811 Tunisian migrants, now in an irregular situation, arrived by sea in Italy during the first eight months of 2018 compared to 1,721 recorded during the same period of last year, according to the Tunisian Forum of Economic and Social Rights (FTDES).
Citing figures from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Forum President Masoud Romdhani reported an increase in the number of victims and missing, saying the number of victims that perished in the sea during that period reached 1,600. He added that 6,369 people have failed to reach the Italian coast, against 3,178 during the same period of 2017.
In statements to the press, Masoud Romdhani said despair, lack of confidence, and the social and economic difficulties in Tunisia force these young people to leave the country.
In this connection, he called on all parties concerned to put in place a comprehensive development plan capable of relaunching economic growth and social balances, underlining the role of authorities in fulfilling constitutional commitments by guaranteeing the rights of Tunisians, especially young people, and by putting in place urgent development plans for the benefit of remote regions.
Romdhani also advocated the adoption of "bold and serious steps" in the fight against corruption and the upgrading of public administration, while working to "revise the economic and social choices that have demonstrated their failure".
The disenchantment prompted other Tunisians, especially from provinces long neglected by the government, to join extremist groups. At least 5,500 Tunisians have traveled in recent years to Iraq, Libya and Syria to join the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, according to U.N. estimates.
Tunisia, the only nation that emerges as a democracy after the 2011 populist revolts across the region, known as the Arab Spring, continues to face a multitude of political, social and economic challenges.
The economy of the North African nation grew by 2.6 percent in the first half of this year, compared to 1.9 percent during the same period of 2017, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Tunisian authorities hope to reach a 3 percent economic growth by the end of 2018.
CATEGORIES HeadlinesTunisia
NEWER POSTWarlord Haftar Threatens to Declare War on Algeria
OLDER POSTMigration: European Commission Hails Cooperation with Morocco


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Kesbewa UC captures 'cows on rampage'
Published : 8:47 am April 4, 2017 | No comments so far | |
Text & Pics by Dayarathna Pathirana
Officers of the Kesbewa Urban Council invited several veterinary surgeons, the police, environmental police and respected monks as witnesses, to capture several freely roaming cattle in the area.
Falling in line with the Megapolis Ministry directive to capture roaming cattle in the urban area, the Kesbewa Urban Council captured a herd of ten cattle which were handed over to a safe house in the area.
Officials said the herd had been a nuisance to motorists and pedestrians as they roamed the Piliyandala town freely.
Officials of the Health Department had attempted to capture these animals on numerous occasions but were threatened by the owners of the cattle who released the herd. The Department did however lodge a complaint with the police regarding the incident.
Officials took measures to invite respected monks in the area to ensure the activity was not termed as "inhumane" towards the animals and also ensured the police and the environmental police who were present, to provide protection.
Officials said they had to tranquilize the animals, as it would have been impossible to herd them to one location individually. Vets from the Zoo were present at the time.
The cattle were captured by the Public Health Inspectors Ajith Karunaratne, Maldeva Perera and Mahesh Buddika under the directions of the Urban Council Secretary Ms Tharanga Gamlath. Numerous other organizations including the police, also lent a hand to capture the cattle.
The Megapolis and Western Development Ministry recently issued a directive to all cattle owners in the Western Province to ensure their herds did not roam around freely in suburban and urban areas, as they were a danger to motorists and pedestrians.
The Ministry stated that cattle found roaming freely would be captured and raised in safe houses.
Ja-ela Reserve Canal reservation being damaged by unauthorised constructions
Residents of Panadura inconvenienced by stray cattle
Panadura Market a serious health hazard and a nuisance to the public
Bellanwila: Another Meethotamulla in the making
Maharagama UC takes sudden decision to relocate Pre-school
Kesbewa UC library is not for reading Roof's gone, the rest to follow


Trained and qualified as a physiotherapist at West Middlesex University Hospital (1983).
In 1985 John worked with Dr Michael Smith at the Lincoln Clinic in the South Bronx, and at the Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota, where he specialised in acupuncture for detoxification and substance misuse.
Upon his return to the UK, John introduced the NADA protocol (auricular acupuncture for detoxification and substance misuse) into the UK, and is the founder of NADA UK.
Transforming lives through the practice of Qi Gong.
John has cultivated a clinical practice and teaching format that are uniquely eclectic, drawing upon a rich source of both personal and clinical experience from diverse locations such as Native American Indian Reservations and remote tribes in the Amazon and the Andes - to Western medical healthcare units across the UK, USA and Europe.
John has had a special interest in Qi Gong, in its various forms, from an early age and utilises the practice into his daily life. John teaches the Hua Gong form of medical Qi Gong, as developed by Master, Zhixing Wang. This form of Qi Gong is highly effective in promoting general wellbeing, self-healing, and both spiritual and personal development.
In all these places, John's work has been gratefully received and appreciated, calling upon the best and most appropriate use of Traditional Natural Medicine.
The art of weaving the balance of 'healing' tools to maintain equilibrium and breakthrough to recovery and wellbeing, where possible, is seen in the life evidence of those who experience that journey in the care of John's hands.


Take a number of shots using lines to flatten the pictorial space. To avoid the effects of perspective, the sensor/film plane should be parallel to the subject and you may like to try a high viewpoint (i.e. looking down). Modern architecture offers strong lines and dynamic diagonals, and zooming in can help to create simpler, more abstract compositions.
For this exercise, I took a few shots showing lines en route to Hucknall Train Station. For these shots I used a Canon 400D (crop sensor) with a 18-55mm kit lens set at ISO 200 and shutter priority 1/160. I used a variety of focal lengths to frame the images as appropriately as possible.
I tried to capture images to contrast those in Exercise 1.3 (1), but didn't manage to capture a flat image at the station.
By keeping all the lines perpendicular in IMG_7028.jpg, the building front looks flat apart from the bottom window which is obviously further back than the top window.
For IMG_7034.jpg, I attempted to hold the camera lens directly over the manhole covers to get the lines as perpendicular as possible to give the appearance of flatness. I didn't quite make it!
In conrast, By shooting the same manhole covers from a side angle, the lines converge giving the feeling of depth.
This entry was posted in Exercise 1.3 (2), Uncategorized on March 11, 2016 by Learning Log of Stephanie Webb.


No, we know the climate has changed over the last 40 years, and also that the change has accelerated over the last 20 That's not in dispute. The question isn't whether this change has happened. The question is whether this change is enough to cause a reduced forecast accuracy in models that are calibrated to a late 20th century climate. Julia will argue it is.
So, of course it looks like we skipped a step: you're questioning something that is well understood by every one of the 350 scientists in the room when Julia gave her talk, and therefore didn't need any more explanation. The specific example she used of comparing a 20 year to a 40 year calibration wasn't intended to be proof that climate change is affecting forecast accuracy, just one illustrative datapoint that's consistent with the other evidence. This particular example might be caused by something else, but right now, changing climate is the best explanation, and one that fits best with all the other evidence.
Notice the tentative phrasing "might no longer be a good indicator…" We're starting to notice a problem here, we have one very good explanation for it (climate change), and no other simple explanation. To pin this down more clearly, we need a systematic research effort into causes of uncertainty (which is what Julia argued for at the end of her talk).
Models that are calibrated on a 40-year hindcast gave only 20% probability of cold winter (and this was what was used for the seasonal forecast last year). However, models that are calibrated on just the past 20-years gave a 45% probability. Which indicates that the past 40 years might no longer be a good indicator of future seasonal weather.
says it all or almost . The choice of the number 40 can be considered as random . It could have been 37 or 44 .
Now , as the climate is a result of a chaotic process , we both know that only probabilities can be predicted .
And that only if the climate can be proven ergodic .
It is more than probable that of those 300 and some present at the meeting you reported about , 80 % do not realise what ergodicity means and the remaining 20 % don't know if climate is ergodic or not .
In any case finding that an event happened whose probability was estimated at 20 % is not shocking . 20 % is a pretty big probability .
What is shocking is to attach any importance whatsoever to the fact that one finds 45 % when calibrating only over 20 years .
So one changes the calibration to 40 years untill next year a very cold unforeseen summer happens and people say that with 27.5 years calibration the probaility of this event would have increased .
What these people do NOT consider and what is for me the simplest and most probable explanation is that the models THEMSELVES do not capture at all the probability distribution of regional events .
Clearly the moving target of variable calibration hindcast periods solves nothing and again it is extremely simple to understand why – in the hypothesis that the models do not capture the regional PDFs , there does NOT exist any unique hindcast calibration period .
There is still much work to be done at the fundamental level – spatio-temporal chaos , ergodicity , error propagation to jump immediately to some numerical models which will anyway always give results all over the place .
This irrational conviction that a computer can give all answers and that the only problems are to get more number crunching power , is the source of the biggest problems .
And if there is one domain where it has been already proven that the computer cannot give a true solution to the equations (even not the correct ranges) is the Lorenzian chaos .


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Two Lakewood Deputies hospitalized after 'brave' rescue of elderly man from burning house in Bellflower
Bellflower deputies from Lakewood Sheriff's Station responded to an emergency call at noon Saturday regarding a structural fire call at the 9500 block of Rose Street, Bellflower.
An act of bravery by local Sheriff Deputies has resulted in the heroic rescue of a elderly man in a burning house on Rose Street in Bellflower on Saturday.
Deputies from the Lakewood Sheriff's Station responded to an emergency call regarding a structural fire call at the 9500 block of Rose Street. When they arrived, they noticed the rear of the house was on fire with black smoke spewing out from the roof. They also heard a male voice calling for help from inside the home.
The deputies were initially unable to gain entry into the home due to metal security bars on the windows and doors.
One deputy forcibly pulled off one of the security bars with his hands and broke a window to the home. The small opening was not big enough to allow the deputies to gain entry, so they quickly moved over to a locked kitchen security door in an attempt to gain entry. Again the deputies was too big to get through the small opening.
Meanwhile, the victim's neighbor, a 59 year-old male, came to the aid of the deputies. He was smaller and was able to squeeze through the small opening the deputies had created in the window. Once inside, he opened the kitchen door so the deputies could come inside the home.
By this time, the house was filled with black smoke but deputies ran into the burning house, located the victim, and carried the 85-year old male resident outside to safety.
The 85-year old victim and two deputies were transported to local hospitals where they were treated for their injuries. The victim was later released; however, the two deputies have been admitted to the hospital for overnight observation. They are in stable condition. The neighbor was seen by Los Angeles County firefighters at the scene, but declined further medical treatment.
Los Angeles County Firefighters acted quickly and saved the house. Per firefighters, the fire was deemed accidental and caused approximately $25,000.00 in structural damage and $5,000 in property damage.
"The deputies and brave neighbor quickly worked together to save the man's life," said Captain Mike Parker, Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau. "We are certainly proud of our deputies, but the victim was also very fortunate to have a neighbor brave enough to climb through iron bars into a burning house to save him."


I am finding myself feeling guilty and almost ashamed of how much Santa has brought the kids this year. I hope i'm not alone in this. Growing up, we didnt have a whole lot. I never felt deprived on Christmas, but picking things from the Sears catalog was always a giant waste of time for me. I knew I wasnt getting any of that stuff.
Now I can get 'stuff', and like most kids, mine really do not need the amount they get.
I realize this makes me sound obnoxious, so feel free to stop reading.
I just find myself stuck between "Shut up and just enjoy what you never had and appreciate what you can do!" and "This is insanity! No wonder they dont appreciate anything!" (which is not 100% true, I must say) In all honesty, you never know what next year is gonna look like, right?
I got some of my shopping done early, but instead of being content with 'done', it gave me more time to hit sales and feel like I couldnt pass up an opportunity. It also gave me time to forget about all the things I already bought-and where they were hidden in some cases.
I have very generous family that also sends gifts to my kids, so I rationalize that the gross overabundance is not entirely my doing.
I'm sure watching them open their gifts and squeal and shout Christmas morning, I will forget the feeling of shame for spoiling them and just focus on how blessed and lucky we are to be able to create the next generation of materialism.
Party on, spenders! Ho Ho Ho!


text:
Welcome to Gulf Drug (Making Life Better)
Sunday - Thursday
Founder & Partner
Medical Equipment Business (Medequip)
Pharmaceutical & Consumer Healthcare Retail Business (Pharma & CHC)
Pharmaceutical Institutional Business (Pharma Inst.)
Medical Supplies & Instruments Business (Med Supply)
Veterinary Healthcare Business
MIS Management Information System
Projects & Services
About Gulf Drug
GulfDrug was established in 1969 initially starting as a pharmaceutical importer, then branching into other medical categories all over the UAE and has since then progressed side by side with the development, growth and maturity of the various health institutions in the UAE.
Dr. Hassan Al Moosa
A true visionary, Dr. Hassan Al Moosa founded GulfDrug in 1969 with an aim to provide quality healthcare products for clinics, pharmacies and hospitals in the MENA region. He completed his education as a medical doctor in Heidelberg, Germany, and started practicing in 1968 at Dr. Hassan Al Moosa Private Clinic, currently known as the Al Moosa Medical Center. As a medical professional and entrepreneur he developed and nurtured the company diligently, selecting only the best of medical products and professionals to serve the healthcare needs of the region. He passed away in 1996, leaving behind a legacy of quality, care and trust for the Al Moosa and GulfDrug family to follow.
Currently GulfDrug is owned and managed by the Al Moosa family, making it one of the few 100% UAE owned and managed family businesses in the healthcare industry…
Dr. Zeyad Al Moosa
Managing Director, Partner and Member of the Board of GulfDrug
A US educated pharmacist, he took over the management position in 1996 and has maintained and developed the legacy set by the founder Dr. Hassan Al Moosa.
Mr. Rashad Al Moosa
Joint Managing Director, Partner and Member of the Board of GulfDrug
A Finance graduate educated in the US, he joined the business in 2001. Since then he has optimized the company's performance and has taken it to new heights.
© Copyright Gulf Drug LLC 2013. All Rights Reserved
MOH Licence No: ZG44445 Expiry 01/27/2020


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text:
Adsorption of glucose oxidase onto plasma-polymerized film characterized by atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance, and electrochemical measurement
Hitoshi Mugurunia, Yoshihiro Kase, Naoya Murata, Kazunari Matsumura
材料工学専攻
地域環境システム専攻
材料工学科
Adsorption of glucose oxidase (GOD) onto plasma-polymerized thin films (PPF) with nanoscale thickness was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and electrochemical measurements. The PPF surface is very flat (less than 1-nm roughness), and its properties (charge and wettability) can be easily changed while retaining the backbone structure. We focused on three types of surfaces: (1) the pristine surface of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS) PPF (hydrophobic and neutral surface), (2) an HMDS PPF surface with nitrogen-plasma treatment (hydrophilic and positive-charged surface), and (3) an HMDS PPF surface treated with oxygen plasma (hydrophilic and negative-charged surface). The AFM image showed that the GOD molecules were densely adsorbed onto surface 2 and that individual GOD molecules could be observed. The longer axis of GOD ellipsoid molecules were aligned parallel to the surface, called the "lying position", because of electrostatic association. On surface 1, clusters of GOD molecules did not completely cover the original PPF surface (surface coverage was ca. 60%). The 10-nm-size step height between the GOD clusters and the PPF surface suggests that the longer axes of individual GOD molecules were aligned perpendicular to the surface, called the "standing position". On surface 3, only a few of the GOD molecules were adsorbed because of electrostatic repulsion. These results indicate that the plasma polymerization process can facilitate enhancement or reduction of protein adsorption. The AFM images show a corresponding tendency with the QCM profiles. The QCM data indicate that the adsorption behavior obeys the Langmuir isotherm equation. The amperometric biosensor characteristics of the GOD-adsorbed PPF on a platinum electrode showed an increment in the current because of enzymatic reaction with glucose addition, indicating that enzyme activity was mostly retained in spite of irreversible adsorption.
https://doi.org/10.1021/jp063755m
Published - 2006 12 28
10.1021/jp063755m
フィンガープリント 「Adsorption of glucose oxidase onto plasma-polymerized film characterized by atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance, and electrochemical measurement」の研究トピックを掘り下げます。これらがまとまってユニークなフィンガープリントを構成します。
Glucose oxidase Engineering & Materials Science
Quartz crystal microbalances Chemical Compounds
Glucose Oxidase Chemical Compounds
oxidase Physics & Astronomy
Atomic force microscopy Chemical Compounds
glucose Physics & Astronomy
quartz crystals Physics & Astronomy
microbalances Physics & Astronomy
Mugurunia, H., Kase, Y., Murata, N., & Matsumura, K. (2006). Adsorption of glucose oxidase onto plasma-polymerized film characterized by atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance, and electrochemical measurement. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 110(51), 26033-26039. https://doi.org/10.1021/jp063755m
Adsorption of glucose oxidase onto plasma-polymerized film characterized by atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance, and electrochemical measurement. / Mugurunia, Hitoshi; Kase, Yoshihiro; Murata, Naoya; Matsumura, Kazunari.
In: Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol. 110, No. 51, 28.12.2006, p. 26033-26039.
Mugurunia, H, Kase, Y, Murata, N & Matsumura, K 2006, 'Adsorption of glucose oxidase onto plasma-polymerized film characterized by atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance, and electrochemical measurement', Journal of Physical Chemistry B, vol. 110, no. 51, pp. 26033-26039. https://doi.org/10.1021/jp063755m
Mugurunia H, Kase Y, Murata N, Matsumura K. Adsorption of glucose oxidase onto plasma-polymerized film characterized by atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance, and electrochemical measurement. Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 2006 12 28;110(51):26033-26039. https://doi.org/10.1021/jp063755m
Mugurunia, Hitoshi ; Kase, Yoshihiro ; Murata, Naoya ; Matsumura, Kazunari. / Adsorption of glucose oxidase onto plasma-polymerized film characterized by atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance, and electrochemical measurement. In: Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 2006 ; Vol. 110, No. 51. pp. 26033-26039.
@article{d53922c203004f4aa00c6a9b9eb389e0,
title = "Adsorption of glucose oxidase onto plasma-polymerized film characterized by atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance, and electrochemical measurement",
abstract = "Adsorption of glucose oxidase (GOD) onto plasma-polymerized thin films (PPF) with nanoscale thickness was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and electrochemical measurements. The PPF surface is very flat (less than 1-nm roughness), and its properties (charge and wettability) can be easily changed while retaining the backbone structure. We focused on three types of surfaces: (1) the pristine surface of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS) PPF (hydrophobic and neutral surface), (2) an HMDS PPF surface with nitrogen-plasma treatment (hydrophilic and positive-charged surface), and (3) an HMDS PPF surface treated with oxygen plasma (hydrophilic and negative-charged surface). The AFM image showed that the GOD molecules were densely adsorbed onto surface 2 and that individual GOD molecules could be observed. The longer axis of GOD ellipsoid molecules were aligned parallel to the surface, called the {"}lying position{"}, because of electrostatic association. On surface 1, clusters of GOD molecules did not completely cover the original PPF surface (surface coverage was ca. 60%). The 10-nm-size step height between the GOD clusters and the PPF surface suggests that the longer axes of individual GOD molecules were aligned perpendicular to the surface, called the {"}standing position{"}. On surface 3, only a few of the GOD molecules were adsorbed because of electrostatic repulsion. These results indicate that the plasma polymerization process can facilitate enhancement or reduction of protein adsorption. The AFM images show a corresponding tendency with the QCM profiles. The QCM data indicate that the adsorption behavior obeys the Langmuir isotherm equation. The amperometric biosensor characteristics of the GOD-adsorbed PPF on a platinum electrode showed an increment in the current because of enzymatic reaction with glucose addition, indicating that enzyme activity was mostly retained in spite of irreversible adsorption.",
author = "Hitoshi Mugurunia and Yoshihiro Kase and Naoya Murata and Kazunari Matsumura",
doi = "10.1021/jp063755m",
journal = "Journal of Physical Chemistry B",
T1 - Adsorption of glucose oxidase onto plasma-polymerized film characterized by atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance, and electrochemical measurement
AU - Mugurunia, Hitoshi
AU - Kase, Yoshihiro
AU - Murata, Naoya
AU - Matsumura, Kazunari
N2 - Adsorption of glucose oxidase (GOD) onto plasma-polymerized thin films (PPF) with nanoscale thickness was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and electrochemical measurements. The PPF surface is very flat (less than 1-nm roughness), and its properties (charge and wettability) can be easily changed while retaining the backbone structure. We focused on three types of surfaces: (1) the pristine surface of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS) PPF (hydrophobic and neutral surface), (2) an HMDS PPF surface with nitrogen-plasma treatment (hydrophilic and positive-charged surface), and (3) an HMDS PPF surface treated with oxygen plasma (hydrophilic and negative-charged surface). The AFM image showed that the GOD molecules were densely adsorbed onto surface 2 and that individual GOD molecules could be observed. The longer axis of GOD ellipsoid molecules were aligned parallel to the surface, called the "lying position", because of electrostatic association. On surface 1, clusters of GOD molecules did not completely cover the original PPF surface (surface coverage was ca. 60%). The 10-nm-size step height between the GOD clusters and the PPF surface suggests that the longer axes of individual GOD molecules were aligned perpendicular to the surface, called the "standing position". On surface 3, only a few of the GOD molecules were adsorbed because of electrostatic repulsion. These results indicate that the plasma polymerization process can facilitate enhancement or reduction of protein adsorption. The AFM images show a corresponding tendency with the QCM profiles. The QCM data indicate that the adsorption behavior obeys the Langmuir isotherm equation. The amperometric biosensor characteristics of the GOD-adsorbed PPF on a platinum electrode showed an increment in the current because of enzymatic reaction with glucose addition, indicating that enzyme activity was mostly retained in spite of irreversible adsorption.
AB - Adsorption of glucose oxidase (GOD) onto plasma-polymerized thin films (PPF) with nanoscale thickness was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and electrochemical measurements. The PPF surface is very flat (less than 1-nm roughness), and its properties (charge and wettability) can be easily changed while retaining the backbone structure. We focused on three types of surfaces: (1) the pristine surface of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS) PPF (hydrophobic and neutral surface), (2) an HMDS PPF surface with nitrogen-plasma treatment (hydrophilic and positive-charged surface), and (3) an HMDS PPF surface treated with oxygen plasma (hydrophilic and negative-charged surface). The AFM image showed that the GOD molecules were densely adsorbed onto surface 2 and that individual GOD molecules could be observed. The longer axis of GOD ellipsoid molecules were aligned parallel to the surface, called the "lying position", because of electrostatic association. On surface 1, clusters of GOD molecules did not completely cover the original PPF surface (surface coverage was ca. 60%). The 10-nm-size step height between the GOD clusters and the PPF surface suggests that the longer axes of individual GOD molecules were aligned perpendicular to the surface, called the "standing position". On surface 3, only a few of the GOD molecules were adsorbed because of electrostatic repulsion. These results indicate that the plasma polymerization process can facilitate enhancement or reduction of protein adsorption. The AFM images show a corresponding tendency with the QCM profiles. The QCM data indicate that the adsorption behavior obeys the Langmuir isotherm equation. The amperometric biosensor characteristics of the GOD-adsorbed PPF on a platinum electrode showed an increment in the current because of enzymatic reaction with glucose addition, indicating that enzyme activity was mostly retained in spite of irreversible adsorption.
U2 - 10.1021/jp063755m
DO - 10.1021/jp063755m
JO - Journal of Physical Chemistry B
JF - Journal of Physical Chemistry B


Third party launchers are some of the best things about Android. Using a third party launcher, you can enjoy the latest Android OS. Launchers are like themes in the sense that they can change everything, but launchers also give you the option to return to a stock interface. In this post we look at the top five best launchers for Android devices.
The Google Now Launcher was previously included with Kitkat devices only, but is now available for all devices in the Google Play Store.
Google Now on the home screen.
Button-free access for Google Voice.
Launcher Pro is an Ice Cream Sandwich like launcher.
App for people who want an automated experience in their phones.
Responds to voice based commands including search or updating Facebook status.
Goes along from morning till evening and adopts changes progressively.
Updates you with news and weather updates in the morning, and gives you schedule updates throughout the day. to begin your day and give you updates for your day's schedule, meetings in line and other important events throughout the day.
One of the oldest and most customizable launchers found in the Android Playstore.
Supports 'Ok Google' for convenient searches.
Aviate adapts to changes as you proceed with your day.
Screen changes, showing you only the apps you need at that particular time of day.
You can create shortcuts, widgets and icons and more.
App wakes you up in the morning, will guide you on the road and give suggestions for what you are looking for anywhere throughout the day.
Do you have any of these five launchers on your phone?


text:
El HMAS Adelaide (L01) és un vaixell d'assalt amfibi tipus LHD de la Classe Canberra de l'Armada Australiana parcialment construït a Espanya a les drassanes de Navantia a Ferrol, i finalitzat per les drassanes de BAE Systems Austràlia en Williamstown.

Construcció

El Adelaide, va ser posat en grada el 18 de febrer de 2011, l'endemà de l'avarament del seu bessó, el HMAS Canberra. Fou avarat el 4 de juliol de 2012 a les 17:34, coincidint amb la plenamar, apadrinat per Maureen Banks, en presència del vicealmirall Ray Griggs, de l'almirall general Manuel Rebollo, del president de Navantia, José Manuel Regirada Lapique, i del conseller delegat de BAE Systems

El 2 de desembre, el seu buc, construït al 80%, va ser remolcat des de Ferrol a Vigo on s'esperà a l'arribada del Blue Marlin, una plataforma semisubmergible per a traslladar-lo a Australia. El 10 de desembre, es va realitzar en quatre hores la maniobra de càrrega del LHD. El 17 de desembre va iniciar el viatge des de Galícia amb destinació Austràlia, per arribar a Port Philips a Melbourne el 8 de febrer de 2014, on les drassanes BAE Systems Austràlia en Williamstown, Victòria (Austràlia) van terminar la superestructura.

Va realitzar les proves de mar entre juny i juliol de 2015 en una navegació des de Melbourne a Sydney, on el vaixell va entrar en dic sec per netejar i pintar el buc, i poder realitzar noves proves de mar a l'agost. El 22 d'octubre de 2015 va ser lliurat a les autoritats d'Austràlia en Williamstown, i finalment va ser lliurat a l'Armada d'Austràlia entrant en servei el 4 de desembre de 2015.

Referències

Vaixells militars
Forces Armades d'Austràlia


text:
Ria - Total results - 4
Earthquake of 7.4 magnitude strikes off Russia's Kamchatka peninsula; threat of tsunami passes, no damage reported
A major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck off Russia's sparsely populated far east on Thursday, but officials said the threat of a tsunami had passed and no damage was reported.
HealthifyMe, a Bengaluru-based health and fitness start-up has unveiled its AI-enabled nutritionist Ria
Ria uses key learnings obtained from HealthifyMe's 150 million tracked meals and 10 million message exchanges between coaches and clients.
North Korea preparing to test long-range missile to reach US west coast, says report
North Korea is preparing to test a long-range missile which it believes can reach the west coast of the United States, a Russian lawmaker just returned from a visit to Pyongyang was quoted as saying on Friday.
Russia to create alternative Wikipedia for 'detailed and reliable' information about country
Russia plans to create its own "Wikipedia" to ensure its citizens have access to more "detailed and reliable" information about their country.


Poetry can be underrated in books but let's all be honest, IT SHOULDN'T!
If I'm being completely honest, lately I've been lacking on reading.
I know, I know, I'm disappointed too, but the main point is that I finally finished this series and I really enjoyed it!
The unique thing about this book is that in the love triangle, you obviously lean more towards one person, but then you have the other person that you would be okay with. In this love triangle, I leaned towards the more obvious book boyfriend who most people would choose. He's obviously the right choice!
But aside from that, the writing in this book was probably my favorite. As I writer I definitely appreciate it. My only complaint with this series/book is that I wish there was a little more romance.
I know in past reviews I said ⅘ but I changed my mind because although they were good, they could have been better.
‹ PreviousCongratulations Ginny & Elissa!
I definitely agree with you – people don't give enough credit to the poetry embedded in some works. I just recently read an ARC of Kiss Collector which I only really liked because of the poems!!


It seems like just about every other week, T-mobile adds a few more cities to the big list of those supporting their "4G Speed" (they can't outright call it 4G, because it's technically still 3G) HSPA+ network. Last month alone brought 15 — and this month? 25 more.
Baton Rouge and Lafayette, La.
Ft. Lauderdale and Jacksonville, Fla.
Additionally, ol' Magenta has been spending time fleshing out their map in areas that have been live for a whole, expanding coverage in Los Angeles, New York City, Washington D.C., and a few other major areas.
So, how do you get in on the newly-available 4G-ish speeds? If you've got one of the handsets pictured above (or the Samsung Vibrant, not pictured), just flip it off and back on — chances are, you'll see the change right away. Be sure to let us know how the new speeds are down in the comments.


Selling the new home today is exciting with all the new products, energy efficiency and warranties. Give a great presentation to the consumer by understanding the overall big picture of new construction.
Most home buying advice is aimed at people who are buying an existing home. But what if your buyer client is in the market for a new construction house? What do they need to know to ensure the home they're having built will meet their family's needs?
Let's present the new home construction to todays' home buyers in a compelling way.
Cathy McDaniel is the author of "A Road Map To Saving Your Home" which is available at the National Association of REALTORS bookshelf. Cathy has just released her current book "The Route to Homeownership" Generational Differences in Home Buying.
Being in the real estate and mortgage industry since 1993 she opened "My CE Class, LLC" in 2007, a real estate school approved by the Georgia Real Estate Commission. Cathy has conducted over 1,500 live continuing education classes, authored 150+ training manuals and has met and trained more than 100,000 real estate professionals throughout 23 states since 2007. She is licensed as a continuing education instructor at many real estate boards and associations across the country.
Cathy is recognized as an industry expert in homeownership and received from Georgia Real Estate Educators Association the 2016 "Outstanding New Program Course" and the 2008 "Educator of the Year. Today she serves as the Administrator for the new Atlanta Training Campus a divison of the Atlanta Maxim Realty International. She has a partnership with Barney Fletcher Schools, OnCourse Learning and D.R. Horton Communities, and many others which allows her to offer free classes and community events. Today she serves as the Director of Education at Atlanta Training Campus, and the 2019 Membership Director for Georgia Real Estate Educators Association.
Cathy's new home for continuing education, certificate and designation courses will be sponsored held at The Atlanta Training Center, 6251 Smithpointe Drive, Bldg. B. Peachtree Corners, GA 30092. The campus will offer training for real estate practitioniers, mortgage and insurance industry.
Visit: www.classeswithcathymcdaniel.com for course descriptions, dates and locations.
Cathy's Motto: "Autograph Your Work With Excellence!"


text:
Trust My Love Again - JULY 29
5Moving
Gerard felt his heart start to beat again. He looked deeply into her beautiful eyes. "Monica?"
"Take us home, Gee." She whispered.
Gerard closed the distance between them. He pulled her into his arms. "I'm so sorry, so sorry." He chanted. "Oh God, I thought I'd lost you forever."
"Never." Monica whispered. She closed her eyes and hugged him tightly.
"I was so afraid." He said spilling out his emotions, "I didn't think you could ever forgive me." His lips crashed down on her. All the pain and fear were fading. The kiss left them both breathless.
He pulled away needing to make her understand, "I swear to you. I will do everything in my power to make you trust in my love again. My family means the world to me. Without you and the girls my life is empty. I will gain your trust again, please believe me."
Monica looked deeply into his eyes. "Kelly was so hurt."
"I was devastated when I found out how badly I'd hurt her. I never meant to hurt her and I told her that. She says she believes me." He paused, "She said she believes in me."
"I do too." Monica whispered as she reached out to touch his face. She knew he needed to understand. "She knows about Liv and what happened. I didn't tell her." Monica still had trouble sometimes understanding her daughter's gift.
Gerard nodded, "She told me she knew. Kara knows too."
Monica was shocked, "You told Kara?"
"I thought she had a right to know what happened to fucking drive me over the edge. I wanted her to understand that what I did was never because I'd stopped loving you." He pulled her to his chest and poured out his heart. "I can't believe this. I wanted so badly to believe you would forgive me but I just couldn't let myself." His voice broke with emotion, "You are really back in my arms."
"Where I belong." Monica whispered.
"God, yes." Gerard rocked her gently, "Where you belong." He leaned down and kissed her neck. She felt his tears touch her skin. "Monica, I love you so much."
"I love you too, Gee." She spoke from her heart.
He took a step back and Monica watched as he dug into his pocket with trembling fingers. Her breath caught as she saw him pull out Elena's locket. "Monica, when I gave this to you, I gave you my heart. This belongs to you. It always will."
As she turned and swept the hair from her neck so he could fasten the piece she realized how much she had missed the locket. A feeling of peace filled her soul. She reached up and touched it. Gerard saw the smile on her face when she turned around.
He wondered if he could ever make her believe how much he truly loved her. In her eyes he saw the love she had for him. He broke eye contact and looked down. "I have your engagement ring, too."
Monica knew she'd be a fool not to admit she still clung to some of the pain he'd caused. She wanted to let go of it. Gerard understood her silence.
"I know it will take time to repair the damage that's been done to our relationship. I will wait forever."
"No, Gee. Not forever. I want to be your wife. I want to let go of the hurt." She took a deep breath, "I just want our happily ever after."
"Oh God, so do I." Gerard whispered. His fingers were still trembling as he pulled the ring from his pocket. He held the ring in his fingers and looked deeply into her eyes, "I promise you with all my heart, I will do everything I can to make you happy. I will love you. I will treasure you, always."
Monica held out her hand and he slipped the ring onto her finger. "I love you, Gee." Tears of happiness flowed down her cheeks.
"I love you too, Honey." He said as he pulled her to him once again.
They heard the front door open and a minute later Kelly appeared in the doorway. "I'm just grabbing Elle's other shoes." She said, hating that she'd interrupted them. "The ones she has on are giving her blisters."
Monica and Gerard smiled at her. "It's okay, Kelly." Monica smiled.
"Really?" She had hoped with all her heart that seeing them in each other's arms meant this was truly over. That things were finally right again.
Elle appeared next to Kelly. "Mes don't wanna go to pawk. Me's wanna stays ear."
"But you can't." Monica said softly. "You can't stay here. It's time for us to go home."
Kelly gasped, "Home?"
Gerard tightened his arm around Monica's shoulder. He waited for her to explain.
Monica smiled and spoke the words she's been afraid she'd never speak. "Yeah, home. We're going home."
Late that night as Monica climbed into bed she couldn't help but feel nervous. So much had changed in one day. She and the girls had moved their stuff back into the house. They were truly home. Still there were so many things that had been left unsaid. She took a calming breath only to feel her heart begin to race again as Gerard walked into the bedroom. He too appeared nervous.
"I tucked the girls in." He said as he walked towards the bed.
"Bet they were happy to be back in their room again." Monica answered softly.
He nodded, "But not as happy as I am." He climbed into bed slowly. "I know there are still so many things we need to discuss."
Monica smiled, "Yeah, a few things."
Her smile made him relax a bit. "So Christa really contacted everyone and told them our wedding was off?"
Her smiled faded, "Yeah, she did." She looked into his eyes. "And I had Brian tell Sarah we wouldn't be adopting her baby."
"Do you wish you hadn't?" He asked suddenly.
Monica wasn't sure what he meant, "I didn't know what else to do." Her voice lowered, "I didn't think we would be getting married."
"But you really wanted the baby?" He had to know her true feelings.
"More than anything. I know at first I didn't sound very happy with the idea but I was dealing with taking care of Liv and trying to keep that fact from you."
He leaned on his elbow and looked down at her, "God, I wish I had known what was going on."
"Liv didn't want you to know." Monica reminded him softly.
He nodded, "I understand. I just know how hard that was for you."
"Gee, I don't want to talk about it anymore." She whispered.
"Understood." He answered before leaning down and kissing her lips gently. "Monica, I have to tell you something about the baby. Brian hasn't talked to Sarah."
"What?" Monica was shocked.
"He said he was sure you and I would work out our problems. He told me he wouldn't do anything until I got back."
Monica processed the information. "So there is a chance we can still adopt the baby?"
"I think so." He admitted, "I mean if you still want to we should talk to Sarah together. Tell her we are working through our problems but that we are together." He laid his head on the pillow next to her and looked deeply into her eyes, "And that someday we're going to be married." He didn't want to push her into marriage. He knew she needed time to believe in their love again.
"Someday." Monica repeated slowly. She reached down and intertwined her fingers with his.
"When you trust my love again." Gerard answered. "No matter how long that takes I will wait." He slowly raised her hand and kissed her finger that wore her engagement ring. "When you are ready." He whispered.
Monica saw the love in his eyes. She did not doubt. He was shocked when she spoke, "How about next Saturday?"
He pulled her into his arms. He knew he had found his way home. "Yes." He whispered. "God, yes."