"Make it big" seems to be the single most important principle of web design today. Yet for many people, it's hardly acceptable that the homepage – specifically above the fold – consists of just a few words overlaid on an image or a video. Sometimes, even the navigation is removed or (at the very least) is hidden as a small icon.
The two flavors of this web design trend can be labeled as "Cinematic" and "Book Cover". The first has been inspired by movies and TV ads, while the second enhances the classic concept of printed book and catalogue covers.
The reasons for this trend are both visual and pragmatic. You're able to give users maximum impact as soon as they land on your site and it's easier to code, so it works well on mobiles and desktop computer monitors (the same layout remains unchanged despite the display device size).
Full screen images came into vogue last year (as we noted in our 2014 web design trends article), but with growing access to high quality images and speedier technology we're seeing websites take these "Book Cover" layouts to the next level.
The "Cinematic" trend relies on fullscreen (or almost fullscreen) video with a few words and/or elements overlaid on top of it. We initially referenced this style in our article,"Web design trends for 2013," when it was seen on a few agency websites.
Now the trend is picking up fast. Only last year Paypal updated its homepage with a fullscreen video background – a landmark move that has helped bring this concept into the mainstream.
The multimedia concept is quite dated. The word itself has been so used and abused that it's nearly lost its meaning. Nonetheless, armies of designers and programmers are constantly fighting to create increasingly engaging multimedia experiences.
A while back, Flash was the platform for these experiments. Presently it's the HTML5 <canvas> element that will eventually allow you to create almost any visual effect on the website.
Another noteworthy example of an interface built with HTML Canvas is community-driven DNA project by Brooklyn-based musician Jonathan Dagan (aka j.viewz). Opening with a highly visual background video, j.viewz tells us how he plans to build his new musical album through his personal experiments (which users can download) and other collaborators' uploaded videos, music and feedback.
Raise the River's website is yet another fantastic example not only because of its apt visual metaphor, but also its presentation. The pace of animation and inability to scroll almost forces the user to take a breath and adjust to the page timeline.
While designing interfaces, we usually do everything to enable users. This website shows that disabling users for a certain amount of time may sometimes enable a better experience.
Parallax has evolved into many different mutations that have one thing in common: designers use page scrolling or mouse movement to animate elements or properties of the page. If you look carefully, most of the websites showcased in this article use this logic. Here are some additional examples.
It's easy to appreciate Mint Design Company's creative use of an old CSS sprite technique. The result is an engaging and unique take on an otherwise straightforward company website.
The QUO+ headset page takes you on a wild, maze-like journey through their site with vertical and horizontal scrolling – along with an interesting section where you "scroll" through their product colors too.
In this type of page, similar to the first example, an animation sequence starts when a user reaches a certain scroll position. Often, it is just a few elements that slide into the page or use a fade-in effect to appear.
The Boldking product page (above) uses lightweight SVG and Java Script to present a visual metaphor describing the way their product works. Not only is the idea and animation amazing, but equally notable is the fact that it was achieved within 1.5 MB total page weight. Sometimes a single JS library has this size. One of the animated sequences is even interactive.
Colin and Dewi's wedding website is a simple yet effective way to keep the user focused while reading a story. You are presented with one fragment of the story at a time. To see the next part, you need to scroll to it.
It sounds like generic scroll functionality, but 3D CSS animation – as well as hiding and revealing text fragments – makes the story much more engaging.
This effect is used to create the illusion of a 3-dimensional space and works well when fit into the visual narration of the page, such as Habitat Web (above) or Archéologie de la Grande Guerre.
When used tastefully, this effect can have impressive result – although we predict that it will probably not become too common. If it were to be widely popular, it could just as easily be perceived as cheesy and annoying.
During the last three years, flat design has been hailed the "king" many times over. It's still doing great and is going to stay for good – especially in smaller elements such as icons, menus and illustrations.
Not only do these elements look good (way better than those glossy web 2.0 icons covering nearly every website a few years ago), but they are easily scaleable and manageable, thanks to icon font technology. icomoon.io is an example of one online service allowing everyone to create their own icon fonts easily for free.
It is worth noting, though, that flat design is not always so flat. Designers often incorporate subtle gradients, textures and photos to achieve the "wow" effect. In our opinion, the best part of flat design is not the flatness of the ink, but how it opens us up to creative visual metaphors.
Rather than imitating objects with skeuomorphic techniques (where a notepad icon looks like real life notepad made of paper and bound in leather), flat design tries to convey the idea of a notepad through a synthetic, catchy and fun visual that works well in varied sizes.
We predict that this trend will become more collage-like and mix with other visual styles, similar to the HábitatWeb website featured earlier in this article.
Web designers always love to show they can think outside of the box – in more ways than one. One could call this trend "Draw a box and prove you can break it". A rectangle screen is the frame for every web design (as far aw we know, we don't have circular monitors yet). Every HTML element of the page is a rectangle too.
But designers, like most people, don't like to be constrained. There are 3 distinct strategies to prove you are not a slave to the rectangle – and all 3 seem to be on the rise.
Allowed are: circles, hexagons, irregular shapes even rhombuses.
Skewed horizon and website layout previews in axonometric view on Lorenzo Bocchi bring the feeling of space and movement.
While looking at the Rosa restaurant homepage your senses are deceived – you can almost feel the aroma of the cookies. Use a modern version of the centuries old Trompe-l'œil technique and imitate a real desktop inside a monitor. For example, take a wooden table background and then put all layout objects on it.
The ultimate way of defying a rectangle is placing the user inside an infinite space where scrolling means flying, rather than, well… scrolling.
Swiss airlines challenge your understanding of website navigation. Browsing their page, you can feel how conventional our understanding of document space is. Here, instead of scrolling up or down, we dodge our way between the clouds.
On the other hand, if you are comfortable with rectangles, a cool way to structure your content is by creating tiles. For some reason tiles in web design sell better than the Windows 8 Metro interface. Tiles work well in responsive layouts and, at the same time, remain a cool way of forming impressive layouts.
If sticking to tiles becomes too boring, the layout may be pushed further with irregular zigzag edges, pushing objects or bringing the text across the edges.
Experimenting with navigation has been web designers' favorite playground for many years. "Playing" with navigation peaked when websites were designed purely in Flash. The decline of Flash brought us quieter menus, devoid of animation or eccentric interactivity.
But edgier navigations have been on the rise again, thanks in part to new web design potential and the growing inefficiency of existing navigation models in using across multiple devices. This is made easier thanks to the wide use of Java Script through Java's constant evolution (via frameworks and plugins) and the more consistent interpretation of modern CSS across all important browsers.
Here are a few examples of navigation experiments and trends. Some of these ideas are already widely used, while others are pushing the envelope towards a new kind of "modern" web design.
This type of menu expands a relevant item's submenu as you scroll. It works well on one-pagers with lots of content. The LESS manual page is one of the most comfortable to use "manual type" webpages we have ever encountered. Website via Less CC.
A Sticky Menu is a kind of a menu that stays glued to the top or edge of the screen while you scroll. Like it or not, it's becoming a standard for one-pagers.
Sometimes it's combined with a scrollspy script to create a widget accurately showing your position on the page. It's useful, especially with long hierarchical menus.
Google maps, especially street view, inspired the author of Oh Deer Games to create navigation resembling a walk through Google street view. Time will tell whether this becomes a trend. For sure, this is not the only page exploring either Street View-style of navigation or the axonometric "fly over" views, better known in gaming.
We mark this as a trend not only because it's been rising for some time now (and we see it almost everywhere), but also that it's become more and more visually interesting thanks to the well-used customization options that Google provides.
The most interesting websites following this trend build their functional and visual idea around a map concept. And certainly they use customized Google maps adjusted to the page look and feel.
The persisting love for one-pagers brings challenges that can be solved in creative, user friendly and visually attractive ways. The challenge is to fit a lot of information and functionality onto one page. The page has to have a clean modern look and be easy to navigate.
The solution may be something that we call a mashup interface: a layout consisting of many "layers" that adjust to the requested functionality or content. Actually it's not a new concept at all – it's the very nature of desktop applications – but it has not been very popular in the mainstream Internet so far. Recently, the use of such interfaces has been on the rise, and they are becoming more and more refined and functional.
Necotrans website seems to have little content above the fold, with a singular sentence overlaid on a full-screen photo. But the small, right side menu allows access to all essential functionality within the same screen area to offer users a site search widget (with results appearing as you type), customized Google map, news widget and contact form.
The classic KISS principle ("Keep It Simple, Stupid" or "Keep It Short and Simple") has been used in the military, business and government since the 1960s. Yet, even though you might work hard to simplify your designs, there is probably some room to push this process further still.
The Maemo restaurant tells its story with irresistible strength, using the simplest language possible, and then the visitor is confronted with a single call to action ("Book a table"), and the restaurant's name over a background of cold fog swirling over the fjord.
Scrolling down brings a few photos in a casual layout, with horizontal and vertical alignments hard to find. The themes of the photos seem casual, too. Nonetheless, browsing this page offers an intense sensual experience. Ascetic form highlights the quality of the photos, while the minimalism makes you read the few sentences they cared to share carefully, like the words of wisdom.
What can be learned here? You can keep things visually quiet (quiet!) in web design and still achieve a great look! Try minimizing the content, form and color as much as possible while adding interest through big, realistic videos.
You've probably heard this old joke. In the '90s, when 56k modems were the primary way to access the Internet, the "WWW" acronym used to be jokingly translated to "World Wide Wait". Fast network speed has made us nearly forget that.
Like never before, faster speeds are enabling us to create websites that would have been unthinkable just a short time ago – such as using HD video for a website background. But every step forward comes at a price and, in this case, the price is time. Specifically, the load time.
Hence, we can see a big comeback of visually engaging preloaders. Not as engaging as they used to be in the Flash days when they turned into little games, but still art pieces in their own right.
A screenshot of the grid.io website reveals an error that no human being would be likely to make (unreadable black text on dark background).
This article wouldn't be complete without taking a moment to mention "The Grid" – a catchy idea presented by "eclectic designers" that made some buzz recently. It's an attempt to replace the designer and the coder with Artificial Intelligence. Will web designers become redundant? It is yet to be seen.
It's not possible to test this system yet, so it's hard to judge its usability. Their website seems to be the only demonstration of its power. Generally it performs well in most resolutions, but attempts to create artificial art seem to be the sign of the times. For instance, The Painting Fool creative software hasn't yet wiped out paintings from art galleries.
These 13 web design trends have been creeping into popularity over the past year and are likely to heavily influence the way websites will be created in 2015. Nonetheless, if we were to summarize this year in one sentence, the most important thing to think about when designing a website would be "Content First".
That mantra has always been true. But nowadays, an increasingly aesthetic emphasis on web design can reveal many of the mistakes made in the pre-design phases – concept, navigation flow planning, wire-framing, copy-writing, etc. As you broaden your horizons with new techniques, be sure that you don't forget the basics.
What web design trends do you think will be big in 2015? Share them in the comments!
Great article. It is very useful and helpful story with amazing links. Thanks a lot for Top web design trends for 2015.
When choosing a Professional Web Design there are so many factors to always remember, first is the most important reason why you want the company to handle your project, second is the value, importance and advantages. When you have these entire points in mind, only then would you be very settled and free of worries, knowing that you will definitely reap the benefits of the invested capital.
This is simply amazing how wonderfully you describe about Web Designing trends in 2015. Thumb up to you. Alot more then thanks for sharing it.
Your Web Designing trends in 2015 was truly amazing & inspiring. I would also like to follow these techniques.
of any mobile, web or software app.
Excellent post..! Hardly found this type of collection. Thank you for sharing this post with us.
Very informative. Love it. Here is my point of view on current web design trends that will happen in 2015. I have shared this on Disqus about how this year web trends will shape the future on designing and web development.
will likely see when we turn the calendar to 2015.
Being a user i really like your visible information on this page.
Loving the parallax web design trend and minimal flat design trend which has been used together. Remembering the times when just big pictures and big fonts were a big web design trend..but flat trend came to save the day and make websites more user friendly.
Everybody can learn lots of ideas from here. Really nice blog.
You mention "Out of the Box" and when I click on the first example you give (Dan Paris), everything on the site is "In a Box" until you scroll down several panes to get to the visual example you provided. Kind of counter to your point.
Secondly, the example you provided for street view navigation (OhDeer) is not mobile friendly. Nothing on the site is clickable on a mobile device and on a desktop, it seems rather cumbersome. I can appreciate the attempt, but if that is the "standard" for the trend, I don't see it sticking around as a viable web design option.
Thanks for updating the users with new trends of 2015, it will help me a lot while making my client's websites.
Great Job !! Thanks for updating the users with new trends of 2015, it will help me a lot while making new websites. I learn lots of ideas from here. #Useful blog #99designs.
Nice post. Get some ideas for latest web design trends. Please keep sharing more ideas.
You are the reason that designer's struggle to make a living in this world. By competing in design contests you are demeaning our craft and lessening it to a competition that leaves the hard work of contestants who haven't been selected as the "winner" with absolutely no compensation for their time and creativity.
I had no idea that animated storybook designs were so common. However, I can definitely see why this would be a design that workers would choose to use. It is something kind of unique and different from what you would normally see on a website. This is also a great way to try to make websites more interactive and easy to navigate.
i agree creative web designs.
I am not excited about a return to loading screens, especially when very little of this bloat improves my user experience.
Agree 100%. Form should never overrule function. Not to mention, just because we can do some wild things with a website doesn't mean that we should.
As it was in the old days, the decision to implement a concept so heavy it needs a loader should be made based entirely on the type of experience you are building. You never want a task that should be quick and easy to have a loader. Additionally, if you do have a loader, the payoff better be worth it, because you've already drained half of your user's patience… But if you DO deliver a great experience you can more than win them back.
Yes indeed. Web designing trends are changing every year. I am bit confusing about what trends now going out in web designing. Certainly get this article from Google by searching Latest web design trends. Here I've got 13 valid and new trends about web designing. That's a great job to share these kind of info with us buddy. Keep doing it.
The original Apple silver monochrome theme around '06-'07 was based on my weblog as a former "A-lister" on web communities. When everyone started doing that, I turned to pastel colors and vibrant media. I hated moving the mouse to scroll and lengthy small text, and so promoted full pg landscape orientation with vertical scroll if any, no navigation menu columns (trend was 3 column under jquery dotted slider at the time). As web technology advanced, media-focused design could contain more information within the same pg. I think that's why when it took awhile to grow in popularity. I would definitely consider this a separate format, a web 3.0/4.0.
We'll definitely have a lot of interactive design and more of this style in 2015. Within the next 10 years, it's possible internet technology and infrastructure changes everything to a channel-format, much like TV and Youtube et al. are.
Awesome blog, get to know about some important and latest concept of web design. if you want to design your website there are so many platform you can go for any of them like html, joomla website design , wordpress etc.
I like 7th one. Its look Amazing design.
That was the year creators took control of the procedure, pushing the limits of what could be accomplished.
Need help making your website as sharp as these? Give us a try!
Animated storybook and navigation widgets are awesome ideas. It is always fascination to design a website.
Thanks for sharing your professional experience.
All things here like responsive design, typography, flat design, css animation, scrolling, video background and contents are evergreen things in web designing. Every custom web development company should follow all these things to stand up in their market zone. Peoples are only seen websites that looks awesome in designing. I am pretty happy as ever that i have found this such a informative article.
Excellent article.Interesting web designs.I love the parallax and flat designs most.These designs attract users more which ultimately increase traffic and boost business too.
Great article. Large background images, parallax scrolling and responsive web design are the major role players in the coming time.
Nice article & great direction to change our old site into new kind of attractive themes. i have enterprise development site, so anyone suggest me which theme i should choose for my site.
Very informative trends for website designs. I am searching some new trends for web designs.
That's great, all of these website design trends are very informative for any website developers who need to design their website best.
Great!! Many thanks for the informative & update article and step by step guideline with picture. It is really more helpful and more easy.I think interested person on this field will be more benefited .
There's some good trends and some that aren't really that practical for most websites other designers or programmers websites. definitely getting better a whole though I think. As internet speed and computers aren't really a limiting factor anymore for the most part it gives everyone a lot of freedom.
http://www.hugehdigital.com/ ,for a better platform.
Hey, we are offering you amazing web-design experience.
all the designs are nice but the pages taking time to load.
I m searching some great creative ideas for responsive website design and i found your blog, thanks for a such nice information with examples.
While considering the possibilities of internet presence, the viewpoints of users will, in fact, be more important to consider. Current trends as per various industries are must to know and apply therefore. Displayed tips are amazing; it's purposeful to convey the best visibility and feel the viewers to ever see them following one's website!
All the important information to the website is above the fold.
Is this really what companies are asking for these days, or is it what designers/developers are doing to showcase their expertise with the tools provided?
I would love to see some 'out of the box' thinking which stays within the realm of traditional website designs. Maybe that stuff happened in the past and I missed it? But I don't think so, I think most of the creative stuff happening in website design has started by throwing out the old traditions.
Nice article.Responsive web design,flat design and parallax are not only today's but also tomorrows trends.use of scrolling to animate page will play big role in attracting visitor's.But proper implementation of this design trends are required for which one should hire a web designing company for.
I'm glad I was able to find this blog as it contains information I couldn't find elsewhere. Thanks a lot for your efforts to put this website together.
True, very nice and smart designs. My website http://www.imonda.co.uk needs refresh, so I'm looking for something clean and fresh.
That's a very interesting article and I noticed that the graphic photo of No. 13. Designer automation was designed with a wrong text placement. Because according to experience, dark texts are not supposed to be placed on a dark background but instead on the light space which is by the left side of the photograph.
Thanks for your wonderful article and for understanding.


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Q: C# Linq queries How to find Min,Max,Sum of given array?
int[] number = { 1, 2, 3, 78, 100, 1001 };

(not working)
var query = new { maximum = number.Max,
minimum = number.Min, Sum = number.Sum };

A: You can:
var values = new {
               maximum = number.Max(),
               minimum = number.Min(),
               Sum = number.Sum()
            };

Note that those are 3 separate calls, like if it were linq2sql, those would cause 3 separate roundtrips. To pull it off in a single roundtrip, you could have a query that gives a single element in the from x in y where somecondition select ...

A: those are functions, so
number.Max()

number.Min()

number.Sum()

A: Max, Min, and Sum are methods, not properties of the number array. So, you have to call them as you would a method (with parentheses).
var query = new { maximum = number.Max(), minimum = number.Min(), Sum = number.Sum() };

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Top 5 Most Overlooked Books of 2011
Greg Zimmerman 12-06-11
On Sunday, Flavorwire posted its list of the top 1o "most criminally overlooked books" of 2011. Since I haven't read (or even heard of, if we're being frank) a single novel on their list, I'm making my own. Here it is (in no particular order):
5. The History of History, by Ida Hattermer-Higgins — Fans of Haruki Murakami will love this mind-bending debut novel set in Berlin. As a matter of fact, it might be my favorite novel of the year. But sadly, it's sitting at #623,373 on Amazon's sales rank. If you only read one novel from this list, make it this one — it's a beautiful book!
4. A Wild Surge of Guilty Passion, by Ron Hansen — Clocking in at #49,951 on Amazon's sales rank, Hansen's slim, elegant new novel takes a look at a real case of a manipulative woman convincing her lover to help her knock off her husband. It's rich with details of the 1920s — like a modern-day The Great Gatsby — and finishes with details from the real court case — like a modern-day An American Tragedy.
3. The Omega Theory, by Mark Alpert — Fans of novels that don't treat their readers like idiots will love this thriller that pits its protagonists against a crazy cult leader hoping to destroy the universe by crashing its "computer program." Along the way we get cameos from quantum computing, the "It From Bit" theory and the fact that Iran might have the bomb. If you liked The Matrix, you'll love this pulsar-paced novel.
2. The Instructions, by Adam Levin — Technically this massive (and massively brilliant) novel came out in late 2010, but because it sooooo deserves a wider readership, I'm including it. (The paperback came out in July, 2011 and is languishing north of #140,000 on Amazon's sales rank list.) It's the story of Gurion Maccabee, a 10-year old Chicagoan who might be the Messiah (you may recognize Gurion from last week's Top 10 Literary Characters of the Last 20 Years post). Because of its length, it makes a great winter book — I very highly recommend it! (And lest you're confused: No, it is not written by the same Adam Levine – with an "e" — who fronts the pop band [of questionable talent] Maroon 5. Just wanted to be abundantly clear about that. Back to the list….)
1. Domestic Violets, by Matthew Norman — This hilarious, insightful novel is starting to hit prime time as more and more readers are discovering it via word-of-mouth and raves on book blogs. But it's still sitting at #47,772 on Amazon, so it's certainly hasn't quite got its due just yet. If you like Jonathan Tropper, you'll love this story about a mid-30s dude whose life is headed off the rails.
So what's on your "overlooked book" list for 2011?
Greg Zimmerman is a trade magazine editor and blogs about contemporary literary fiction at The New Dork Review of Books. Follow him on Twitter: @NewDorkReview.
#Lists#Adam Levin#Domestic Violets#Mark Alpert#Matthew Norman#Ron Hansen#The History of History#The Instructions
CRITICAL LINKING: December 6, 2011

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: Dúvidas com a classe JSObject "Para passar um valor do applet para o HTML, precisei criar um objeto da classe netscape.javascript.JSObject."
A minha dúvida é essa classe JSObject está funcionando nos navegadores atuais?
Eu fiz um código aqui agora a applet não aparece no navegador. Será por que utilizei a classe JSObject?
dá a seguinte mensagem de erro:

O que faço?


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National Women's History Month gives us an opportunity to acknowledge women's contributions to history, culture, and society. At TERC, we decided to celebrate the month by sharing stories of the remarkable women who encouraged TERC staff to dream big and follow their passions.
In this story, Sabrina De Los Santos, Researcher and Development Associate, introduces us to her grandma, Abi, who illuminated her world with wonder and excitement and would always encourage Sabrina with these words.
"You know what's best for you. You know what you like and what you want. So you go out and do it, and everyone else will have to run with it whether they like it or not."
I grew up thinking my grandma, Abi, was a magician. She would catch me off guard and pull Andes Chocolate Mints out of my ears. At dusk, she would put her arms around my cousin and me, and ask us to stare out the window looking for a castle in the forest.
"Do you see those lights?" she would say, as she sketched the outline of the castle with her finger. Our eyes would light up with excitement as we made up stories of who lived inside. We would search for the castle when Abi wasn't around and we could never find it. When we questioned her, she would tell us we weren't looking hard enough; we weren't dreaming intensely enough.
My grandma would travel back and forth between Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Whenever I would get in trouble and she wasn't around, I would cry out her name as if she could hear me from 252 miles away. On the phone, she would remind me we were connected through the moon.
Abi's home was always open. Visitors came to share their love and stories. Some of her friends would accompany her to under-resourced schools offering books and snacks. While my cousin and I ran around classrooms with the kids, the adults would catch up over coffee.
My grandma was proud of her pharmacy degree, even though she was never formally employed. My grandfather was an engineer and she would send him to work every day with a love note in his lunchbox. She would make sure he wouldn't lift one finger outside of building and designing bridges. He had zero clue how to keep track of bills and run a home.
Despite her dedication to our family, she never encouraged me to think of my role as a woman in any particular way. She would always say, "You know what's best for you. You know what you like and what you want. So you go out and do it, and everyone else will have to run with it whether they like it or not."
When I grew too old to believe in magic, she would tell me stories of a fearless childhood and losing her mother at four years old. Stories of her sister's rebellion against a dictatorship, and putting her last newborn daughter to rest.
I'm continuously inspired by her ways of loving, creating, and being. I inherited her smile, her love for tight hugs, and belly laughs. When life gets overwhelming, I think of the magical world she created. A world where my imagination would come to life if I played with distinct perspectives. To this day, I picture her on the other side of the moon blowing me kisses, somewhere out there in space.
Sabrina De Los Santos
TERC's New Look, Looks Forward
"I juggle both Native and Western Science."
Autism Acceptance Month


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Inventory's the Albatross for Bed Bath & Beyond
Hudson's Bay Shareholders Offer $1.31 Billion in Deal to Take Company Private
By Vicki M. Young
Vicki M. Young
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The Saks Fifth Avenue flagship in Manhattan completed its ground floor renovation earlier this year. Shutterstock
A group of Hudson's Bay Co. shareholders, including executive chairman Richard A. Baker, on Monday offered to take the company private in an all-cash deal.
The offer is from Baker and affiliated investors, including Rhône Capital LLC, WeWork Property Advisors, Hanover Investments (Luxembourg) S.A. and Abrams Capital Management L.P. Collectively, they own 57 percent of the outstanding common shares of HBC. The per-share proposal they submitted is for 9.45 Canadian dollars ($7.12) a deal valued at 1.74 billion Canadian dollars ($1.31 billion).
The purchase price is the same as the one agreed to by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board in January for the sale of its entire block of 10 percent of the outstanding common shares of HBC. The proposed per-share amount also represents a premium of 48 percent of HBC's closing share price on the Toronto Stock Exchange Friday, as well as a premium of 39 percent of its 20-day average closing price.
"Our all-cash proposal would provide HBC's public shareholders the ability to realize immediate and certain value for their shares at a substantial premium while transferring the risks and uncertainties facing HBC to the continuing shareholders," Baker said of the take-private offer.
The group believes that improving HBC's performance, he added, will require "significant time and patient long-term capital that is better suited in a private company context without the emphasis on short-term results and returns."
HBC said on Monday that it has formed a special committee of independent directors to review the take-private bid. The company has hired Blake, Cassels & Graydon as legal counsel and J.P. Morgan Securities as financial advisor. The committee will also oversee the preparation of a formal valuation by an outside valuator in connection with its review.
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Separately, the terms of the proposed take-private deal are conditioned on the sale of HBC's 50 percent interest in its European real estate joint venture, and the 49.99 percent interest in its related retail joint venture to Signet. The net cash proceeds would help fund the transaction, along with additional debt financing and continued shareholder equity from those making the offer. The take-private offer is also subject to customer closing conditions, including the approval of the "majority of the minority" shareholders.
HBC has already signed definitive agreements to sell its German interests for 1.5 billion Canadian dollars, and upon closing would completely exit those operations. A portion of the proceeds will be used to repay the company's outstanding term loan of 436 million Canadian dollars. The deals are expected to close in fall 2019. Signa has made a deposit as consideration upon inking the purchase agreement.
While Signa will assume liabilities connected with the German operations, HBC will assume full ownership of the Netherlands retail business and release Signa from any further obligations upon closing. HBC said it has retained a financial advisor to explore options for the Netherlands operation. The Canadian firm also disclosed that the business "has not performed to expectations." And while it explores options for the business, HBC said it expects to pursue cost-cutting measures, including shutting certain stores.
Helen Foulkes, HBC's chief executive officer, said the transactions in connection with its German operations will help the company strengthen its balance sheet.
"Strategically, we will be able to fully focus our resources on HBC's North American operations, including our best growth opportunities–Saks Fifth Avenue and Hudson's Bay," Foulkes said, adding that the transaction with Signa "unlocks the value of our real estate and demonstrates our resolve to creating a stronger, more capable HBC."
The strength of HBC's Saks Fifth Avenue business was evident in the company's fourth quarter earnings results for the period ended Feb. 2. The net loss for continuing operations was $169.4 million of a 5.5 percent sales decline to $2.17 billion. What was important was that comparable sales at the luxury retailer was up 3.9 percent, giving the retail chain a two-year stacked comp of 7 percent and its seventh consecutive quarter of comp growth.
Separately, HBC is still exploring options for its Lord & Taylor business, which could include a sale or merger.
Bedtime for Serta Simmons as Firm Files for Bankruptcy
NRF's Chief Economist Watching Inflation Trends and Recession Risks
Loss Prevention Looters: Former Amazon Workers Guilty in $10M Conspiracy
Iconix Founder Convicted in 'Round-Tripping' Retrial


Please provide as much information as you can. Where in the game were you, what were you doing before the bug occurred, what happened during and after it occurred?
If it's an issue rather than a bug (like balancing or timing) explain what the issue is.
Be sure to note what platform you are playing on, what model your device is and what version the operating system is.
I can't personally guarantee that anything will be done, or if it I'll be, what time frame it will occur in, but at least if there is a place for these bugs to be posted then there is hope for them to be resolved.
Is Zeppelin range ability working properly? At least for Rotten Forest, can see bigger green ring when tapping tower, tower details changed to 'average' range, but the ground bushy effect is still that of old range. I have yet to see treants and stun appearing distinctly outside the bushy area, so it doesn't seem like a visual-only bug.
Zeppelin can improve the rally ranges of Wicked Sisters, another Zeppelin, Summon Bonem but not the Gargoyles.
Rallying immediately after buying Summon Bonem doesn't work. The long animation of the summoning seems to affect this.
Minor bug: icons for incomplete achievements may light up (descriptions remain grey). Unknown why. Perhaps after switching between game and other apps.
Can we have indication of placeholders (and littered placeholders), for Zeppelin and Furnace tower buffs? Cool like Falcon, can see purple circles before accepting ability purchase. For Zeppelin already with the range ability and moved, show affected placeholders temporarily too.
Show Tesla range on tap too.
Let us play only Denas' Courtyard (Wave 9), according to highest difficulty achieved for that stage.
Make Froggification last longer, or permanent like Sorcerer's polymorph. (I know it's much cheaper now, but so are other abilities in KRV, including other insta-kills). Hurts to see a frog turning back into a Sorcerer. Can't be scrolling the whole map all the time or putting on earphones!
I can't remember if skeletons can be polymorphed before, but now I see my skeletons getting polymorphed it's rigged!
Allow a special rally icon to decide Dead Walking spawn point, like Wicked Sisters having a unique button for poison/stun.
Also allow rally point for Grim Cemetery. Zombies wander around rally point instead of standing still.
Let us save a few equipped tower profiles for quick swapping. 4 or 5 profiles preferred since we might have close to 20 towers eventually.
Trivial: Allow 'floating towers' to rally at any terrain. Else it's only visually different from ground towers, technically the same as operating a Mecha.
Last edited by SHlSEID0 on Sat Dec 15, 2018 9:05 pm, edited 7 times in total.
Rotten Forest kills its own Treants, that's a bug right?
Santiago wrote: Rotten Forest kills its own Treants, that's a bug right?
I think they'e decaying like zombies. It's just at a faster rate.
Not just heroes, enemies, and towers, it also extends to skills. Can get quite hilarious, although it's clearly a bug that needs to be fixed.
They lose 5hp each time(the damage the tower has) at the same rate the tower attacks, so that's very suspicious. I think that it's just a bug.
It could also be a decaying effect that they made by making the tower also hit the trees.
I am unable to select the last 2 Goonie upgrades. I have sufficient upgrade points, but when I highlight the Infernal Nova upgrade the up arrow does not appear. I have repeatedly reset the upgrade points and tried this.
iPad Air 2, IOS 12.1 (latest).
Santiago wrote: They lose 5hp each time(the damage the tower has) at the same rate the tower attacks, so that's very suspicious. I think that it's just a bug.
After checking, it says that they "fight enemies for a few moments", so I'm thinking it's decay like you said.
slewis7 wrote: I am unable to select the last 2 Goonie upgrades. I have sufficient upgrade points, but when I highlight the Infernal Nova upgrade the up arrow does not appear. I have repeatedly reset the upgrade points and tried this.
If you're selecting the left side upgardes first, then I can say that that's actually a result of the new upgrades system. In this case, there are two paths to take. You must choose between Demon Guards (the upgrades you don't have selected) and Hellion Tridents. If not, then yeah, that's a bug.
Not a bug then, my "user" error, although I must add that the UI does not make this obvious to me. Thanks for the explanation!
slewis7 wrote: Not a bug then, my "user" error, although I must add that the UI does not make this obvious to me. Thanks for the explanation!
Yeah, I feel ya'. A couple of beta testers had an issue with the UI too. While I personally had no problem, I suggested an explanation be added in a tip, but I guess the devs deemed it either unnecessary or too late in development to implement.
A little disappointed with the upgrades.
Wish there were MORE of such split branches in the upgrade skill tree, to force us to forgo more upgrades. Or like some RPG systems, say, instead of making Pit Lord a 6-point upgrade, break it down into 8 levels of Pit Lord (eg. combinations of chance and stats) for us to choose; 6 levels of Tesla and so on. Ten points for final stage also too much.
The only good thing with having such conservative maxed upgrade system, maxed heros at start etc., is having an easier time when designing stages, due to the consistency.
iPad, iOS 12. City of Lozagon. Difficulty: impossible.
Game refused to end after beating wave 15. No house never came to life and magnus was frozen.
iPad Pro 2017, Veteran mode. The "From Zero to Hero" and "Ironborn" achievements are awarded after you complete every level except Denas' Castle. I suppose it's considered not part of the main campaign, but this seems inconsistent because it shipped with it as part of the main map. Seems odd to get the achievement when there is still a map to go.
Upgrade points got disconnected from number of stars. I had two stars on a couple of levels and got the usual two upgrade points. But when I went back and did it again and got three stars, no extra upgrade point. Stayed at zero. That happened after four different levels, then at one point it even showed I had negative four upgrade points! ( https://imgur.com/a/fTgpF23 )Then when I beat Denas' Castle, it corrected and jumped to 10 upgrade points.
I'm not sure if this is a bug or not, but on that last level the three giant knights that denas summons all are able to be insta killed by the gem tower, making it really easy to beat.
I purchased one of the towers and it didn't go through. So I clicked purchase again and the game has been glitches since. By that I mean, the tower refunded for some unknown reason and when I click purchase the Google pay never pops up. I've gotten with Google support and they say this error is a coding error and that I need to talk to the developers. However, after a week I never received an email back from my support ticket. When I posted about this on the FB page the Ironhide page responded asking what the problem is and when I told them they never replied.
Chessninja wrote: iPad Pro 2017, Veteran mode. The "From Zero to Hero" and "Ironborn" achievements are awarded after you complete every level except Denas' Castle. I suppose it's considered not part of the main campaign, but this seems inconsistent because it shipped with it as part of the main map. Seems odd to get the achievement when there is still a map to go.
That's not a bug, they went away with that featurem. Which is really sad cause it doesn't make you have to try harder to win upgrade points. If you win a map, you win the max points. It's dumb and defeats the purpose of replaying.
SHlSEID0 wrote: A little disappointed with the upgrades.


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July-September 2022
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Page Nos. 107-197
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Impact of Noise Exposure on Risk of Developing Stress-Related Health Effects Related to the Cardiovascular System: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis p. 107
Kapeena Sivakumaran, Jennifer A Ritonja, Haya Waseem, Leena AlShenaibar, Elissa Morgan, Salman A Ahmadi, Allison Denning, David S Michaud, Rebecca L Morgan
DOI:10.4103/nah.nah_83_21 PMID:36124520
Background: Exposure to acute noise can cause an increase in biological stress reactions, which provides biological plausibility for a potential association between sustained noise exposure and stress-related health effects. However, the certainty in the evidence for an association between exposures to noise on short- and long-term biomarkers of stress has not been widely explored. The objective of this review was to evaluate the strength of evidence between noise exposure and changes in the biological parameters known to contribute to the development of stress-related adverse cardiovascular responses. Materials and Methods: This systematic review comprises English language comparative studies available in PubMed, Cochrane Central, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases from January 1, 1980 to December 29, 2021. Where possible, random-effects meta-analyses were used to examine the effect of noise exposure from various sources on stress-related cardiovascular biomarkers. The risk of bias of individual studies was assessed using the risk of bias of nonrandomized studies of exposures instrument. The certainty of the body of evidence for each outcome was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. Results: The search identified 133 primary studies reporting on blood pressure, hypertension, heart rate, cardiac arrhythmia, vascular resistance, and cardiac output. Meta-analyses of blood pressure, hypertension, and heart rate suggested there may be signals of increased risk in response to a higher noise threshold or incrementally higher levels of noise. Across all outcomes, the certainty of the evidence was very low due to concerns with the risk of bias, inconsistency across exposure sources, populations, and studies and imprecision in the estimates of effects. Conclusions: This review identifies that exposure to higher levels of noise may increase the risk of some short- and long-term cardiovascular events; however, the certainty of the evidence was very low. This likely represents the inability to compare across the totality of the evidence for each outcome, underscoring the value of continued research in this area. Findings from this review may be used to inform policies of noise reduction or mitigation interventions.
Noise Pollution in Intensive Care Unit: A Hidden Enemy affecting the Physical and Mental Health of Patients and Caregivers p. 130
Jagriti Pal, Manish Taywade, Rajni Pal, Divya Sethi
Background Noise in intensive care units (ICUs) has always been a problem, but noise above the recommended range affects not only the patient but staff as well. It is clear that some noise in the ICU is inevitable, but exceeding the normal range brings various physiologic and psychologic changes, which directly affect health. This review presents a synthesis of noise sources in the ICU and the potential interventions designed to attenuate noise and protect patients. Materials and Methods An extensive literature search, using electronic databases such as MEDLINE, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Research gate to understand the noise in ICU, effects of noise, and noise reduction interventions were undertaken. Results Findings were such as noise enhances the release of cortisol, increases oxygen consumption, increases sleep disturbances, increases the need for analgesia and sedation, and disrupts circadian rhythm. Many studies reported that measurement was always higher despite implementing noise reduction interventions. Conclusions ICU survivors always recall their memories, and for them, ICU admission becomes a negative experience for life. However, the sustainability of any single intervention did not show awe-inspiring results, whereas a bundle kind of interventions did show some effects. However, high-quality evidence demonstrating the benefit of any intervention on patient outcomes is still lacking.
Impact of Noise Exposure on Risk of Developing Stress-Related Obstetric Health Effects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis p. 137
Kapeena Sivakumaran, Jennifer A Ritonja, Haya Waseem, Leena AlShenaibar, Elissa Morgan, Salman A Ahmadi, Allison Denning, David Michaud, Rebecca L Morgan
Background: Exposure to noise can increase biological stress reactions and that could increase the risk of stress-related prenatal effects, including adverse obstetric outcomes; however, the association between exposure to noise and adverse obstetric outcomes has not been extensively explored. The objective of this review was to evaluate the evidence between noise exposures and adverse obstetric outcomes, specifically preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and gestational hypertension. Materials and Methods: A systematic review of English language, comparative studies available in PubMed, Cochrane Central, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases between January 1, 1980 and December 29, 2021 was performed. Risk of bias for individual studies was assessed using the Risk of Bias Instrument for Nonrandomized Studies of Exposures, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to assess the certainty of the body of evidence for each outcome. Results: Six studies reporting on preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and gestational hypertension were identified. Although some studies suggested there may be signals of increased responses to increased noise exposure for preeclampsia and gestational hypertension, the certainty in the evidence of an effect of increased noise on all the outcomes was very low due to concerns with risk of bias, inconsistency across studies, and imprecision in the effect estimates. Conclusions: While the certainty of the evidence for noise exposure and adverse obstetric outcomes was very low, the findings from this review may be useful for directing further research in this area, as there is currently limited evidence available. These findings may also be useful for informing guidelines and policies involving noise exposure situations or environments.
Contralateral Suppression of Transient-evoked Otoacoustic Emissions in Leisure Noise Exposed Individuals p. 145
Thilagaswarna Elangovan, Heramba Ganapathy Selvarajan, Bradley McPherson
Background Leisure noise may have a significant impact on hearing thresholds and young adults are often exposed to loud music during leisure activities. This behavior puts them at risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). A frequent initial indication of NIHL is reduced hearing acuity at 4 kHz. The objective of the current study was to assess the role of the medial olivocochlear reflex (MOCR) in leisure noise-exposed individuals with and without a 4-kHz notch. Materials and Methods Audiological evaluation, including pure-tone and immittance audiometry, was performed for 156 college-going, young adults between May 2019 to December 2019. All participants had averaged pure-tone audiometric thresholds within normal limits, bilaterally. Annual individual exposure to personal listening devices (PLDs) was calculated using the Noise Exposure Questionnaire. The participants were then categorized into exposed (with and without audiometric 4 kHz notch) and nonexposed groups. Transient-evoked otoacoustic emission amplitude and its contralateral suppression were measured using linear and nonlinear click stimuli to study the effect of leisure noise exposure on MOCR. Results A significantly reduced overall contralateral suppression effect in participants exposed to PLD usage (P = 0.01) in both linear and nonlinear modes. On the contrary, significantly increased suppression was observed in linear mode for the 4 kHz frequency band in the PLD-exposed group without an audiometric notch (P = 0.009), possibly suggesting an early biomarker of NIHL. Conclusion Measuring contralateral suppression of otoacoustic emissions may be an effective tool to detect early NIHL in leisure noise-exposed individuals.
Increased Signs of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Dental Students: A Multilevel Approach p. 151
Eduardo Fuentes-López, Adrian Fuente, Macarena P Bowen
Context: Despite the fact that the new generations of rotary tools emit less noise, some recent studies suggest that dental students are still at risk of hearing impairment. Aims: The aim of the study was to determine a possible association between noise exposure from dental equipment and early signs of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in dental students. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was carried out with dental and non-dental students from two universities in Chile. Methods and Material: A group of 102 dental students routinely exposed to noise emitted from dental equipment was selected as the study group. A group of 251 non-dental students was selected as the control group. Pure-tone audiometry was carried out on all participants ensuring that they were not exposed to noise for at least 24 hours prior to testing. The presence of a notch was determined for each participant. Statistical analysis used: Simultaneous-quantile regressions were used to compare percentiles of the hearing threshold between both groups. Then, the notch prevalence ratio adjusted by gender and age was estimated for each group of participants. Finally, the prevalence of an audiometric notch was compared between both groups using logistic regression models and generalized linear methods. Both fixed effect and multilevel hierarchy models were constructed. Results: Significant differences between groups for the 75th percentile of hearing threshold distributions at 4 and 6 kHz in the left ear and at 6 kHz in the right ear were found. In addition, study group participants exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of a notch at 4 kHz in the left ear than control group participants. Conclusions: Exposure to noise derived from learning activities as a dental student is associated with early signs of NIHL. Such signs include poorer hearing thresholds than those of non-dental students at 4 and 6 kHz as well as the presence of a notch at high frequencies.
What is Noise Sensitivity? p. 158
David Welch, Kim N Dirks, Daniel Shepherd, Jessica Ong
Background: Noise sensitivity moderates the association between environmental noise exposure and annoyance and health outcomes. Methods: In normally hearing adults, we measured noise sensitivity in three ways: using the noise sensitivity questionnaire, a 3-point self-rating, and the loudness discomfort level (LDL; mean reported discomfort level for tone bursts). We then presented recordings of a 15-second 80 dBLAeq aeroplane overflight and participants rated the annoyance and loudness they experienced. Results: The three measures of noise sensitivity were not well correlated with each other, and only the overall LDL was associated with the ratings of loudness and annoyance in response to the aeroplane sounds. Conclusions: This implies that our current measures of noise sensitivity may only capture parts of the underlying construct, and therefore underestimate effects due to it on the association between environmental noise and annoyance and health outcomes. We developed a theoretical model to describe the set of factors that may influence a person's sensitivity to noise and propose that interaction between the systems described is the basis for noise sensitivity. This paradigm alters the focus of noise research from the annoyance caused by the sound, to the sensitization to noise that may occur as a result of the interplay of many factors. We hope that our model will allow research to explore the sensitizing factors for noise more easily and systematically.
Influence of Auditory Training on Acceptable Noise Level Scores in Elderly Persons with Hearing Impairment p. 166
Megha K Nakshathri, Kishan M Mohan, Greeshma R
DOI:10.4103/nah.nah_5_22 PMID:36124526
Objective: To study the Influence of Auditory Training on acceptable noise level (ANL) scores in elderly persons with hearing impairment. Design: Quasi-experimental study design. Study sample: A total of 20 bilateral mild to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss participants with "high" ANL scores were taken into the study and randomly allocated to experimental and control groups. In the time frame, the experimental group provided 12 sessions of speech in noise training with a hearing aid and the baseline measures were repeated in both groups. Results: The Acceptable noise level and Speech in Noise scores significantly improved post-training only in the experimental group. They also showed a significant difference "Client Oriented Scale of Improvement (COSI)" scale in the domain "Conversation in Noise". Conclusions: Acceptable noise level is susceptible to training similar to that of speech in noise score. It provides hope to the individuals who are poor candidates to the hearing aids.
Effects of Noise Type and Noise Sensitivity on Working Memory and Noise Annoyance p. 173
Chen Song, Hongqidi Li, Huirui Ma, Tao Han, Jianping Wu
Objective: This study explored the interaction between environment and behavior and analyzed the effect of physical environment stimuli and individual differences on environmental perception. Methods: We investigated the effects of two kinds of noise sensitivities (high sensitivity and low sensitivity) and three kinds of noise types (quiet, road traffic noise, and speech noise) on working memory and noise annoyance of college students through questionnaires and experiments. Results: (i) noise sensitivity was positively correlated with neuroticism and negatively correlated with conscientiousness. (ii) The interaction between noise sensitivity and noise type significantly affected the accuracy of working memory. (iii) Both noise sensitivity and the main effect of noise type significantly affected the response time of working memory. (iv) The interaction between noise sensitivity and noise type significantly affects noise annoyance. Conclusion: There were significant differences in working memory performance and subjective noise annoyance among individuals with different levels of noise sensitivity.
Effects of Noise and Chemical Exposure on Peripheral and Central Auditory Pathways in Normal-hearing Workers p. 182
Júlio CS Trabanco, Bruno Morita, Carla Gentile Matas, Karina Mary de Paiva, Renata R Moreira, Seisse GG Sanches, Alessandra G Samelli
Objectives: To assess the effects of noise and chemical exposure on peripheral and central auditory pathways in normal-hearing workers exposed to chemicals or high noise levels and compare the groups with each other and with workers not exposed to either of these agents. Methods: A total of 54 normal-hearing workers were divided into three groups (chemical, noise, control) and submitted to the following assessments: conventional and extended high-frequency pure-tone audiometry; transient and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions, the inhibitory effect of the efferent auditory pathway; and Staggered Spondaic Word (SSW) and Pitch Pattern Sequence (PPS) test. Results: There were no significant differences between the groups in extended high-frequency hearing thresholds. Significantly lower amplitudes were observed in the noise group for otoacoustic emissions. There were significantly more absences of the inhibitory effect of the efferent system in the noise group. There was no difference between the groups in the SSW test, while in PPS, the noise group performed worse than the control group. Conclusion: These findings suggest that noise exposure produced deleterious effects on the workers' peripheral and central auditory systems, despite their normal hearing thresholds. The chemical group did not have significantly different results from those of the control group. It is important that individuals exposed to noise or chemicals have their auditory pathways monitored with complementary assessments.
Validation of Persian Version of Hyperacusis Questionnaire p. 191
Masoud Motalebi Kashani, Peyman Khaleghi Dehabadi, Fahimeh Karamali, Hossein Akbari
Background: One of the most common hearing disorders is hyperacusis, characterized by decreased sound tolerance or noise sensitivity. Objective: The present paper aimed to evaluate the validity of the Persian version of the hyperacusis questionnaire. Methods: The sample was comprised of 434 students evaluated at the Kashan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, between July 2019 and February 2020. After translation and retranslation of questionnaire, the content validity was assessed by 15 occupational health experts using content validity index (CVI) and ratio (CVR). Validity and reliability of the scale were examined by using confirmatory factor analysis, the Cronbach alpha, composite reliability (CR), and the average variance extracted (AVE) tests. Results: In the exploratory analysis of the Persian version of Khalfa hyperacusis questionnaire, 14 items were created based on three subscales) attentional, social, and emotional dimensions) which explained 46.5% of the total variances. Content validity of 14 questions was approved with CVR > 0.49 and CVI > 0.7. The Cronbach alpha, AVE, and CR indexes were calculated 0.811, 0.761, and 0.901, respectively, which showed that reliability of the scale was adequate. Conclusions: It was concluded that this Persian version of the hyperacusis questionnaire has relatively acceptable validity and reliability in Iran. Given that the tool has a small number of questions, it is easily used in different studies.


text:
Postpartum OCD Is Real and We Need to Talk About It
My obsession with my baby's wellbeing wasn't normal.
By Kavin Senapathy
Thanasis Zovoilis/Getty Images
It's normal to worry about your baby, I assured myself as I stood in the dark, hand resting on my sleeping baby, carefully counting the rise and fall of her chest in sets of five. I was exhausted and on edge. According to the superstitious creature in my otherwise rational mind, my precious baby might perish while I slept, and it would be all my fault if I didn't check her breathing.
I envisioned the fallout vividly: walking to the crib to find her cold, the futile attempts to wake her, the screaming, the agony, and the unbearable act of breaking the news to loved ones. After several minutes, the creature temporarily appeased, I stumbled back to bed only to rise minutes later and do it all again.
It wasn't normal worry. The realization dawned gradually after weeks of around the clock counting of breaths, checking of locks and stove knobs, knocking on wood, and other seemingly necessary rituals, all of which made leaving home with my baby an ordeal of epic proportions. I mostly avoided going out, trapped in the prison inside my head.
Checking and counting are just two of many types of compulsions, the C in OCD, which stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Performing the compulsion temporarily relieves distress from the obsessive thought, the O in OCD—in my case, horrific images of harm coming to my daughter. Despite common stereotypes, the disorder is not a cute, "I'm so OCD about cleaning my kitchen" quirk. It's a miserable, vicious cycle. OCD is a chronic or long-term anxiety disorder that ebbs and flows with life's challenges. It's thought to affect 1-2 percent of the U.S. population, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
While not causal, stressful life events can trigger or worsen symptoms in those predisposed to OCD, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). For me, the birth of my daughter, whom I love as unfathomably as any parent loves her child, was a major trigger. In retrospect, I suspect I've had OCD since my teenage years, but never as intensely as in the months following new motherhood. I started medication for anxiety following the birth of my daughter in 2011, but I didn't receive an official OCD diagnosis until 2014, nearly a year after my son was born. Jenny Yip, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist, institutional member of the International OCD Foundation, and a mother who suffered a flare of her own OCD symptoms postpartum, tells SELF that "OCD thrives on what you care about in the moment, so it makes sense that new mothers and fathers could experience the overwhelming, excessive fears that occur with OCD."
There are a lot of studies on OCD, but there is little data on postpartum OCD, which is an unofficial term for OCD that manifests, in both moms and dads, during the postpartum period. Experts "think that many people with postpartum depression also have OCD but they don't want to talk about their obsessional thoughts because of fear associated with them," Jonathan Abramowitz, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, tells SELF. "We don't know the exact prevalence, but it's definitely under-diagnosed and under-recognized."
Worrying about your child is normal, especially during the postpartum period. "It's even normal to have all sorts of strange and very unpleasant thoughts," says Dr. Abramowitz. "Most people recognize these kinds of thoughts are senseless"—he calls them "brain farts"—and just move on. So how can a parent tell if worries are excessive? "[A]sk yourself these questions," says Dr. Yip. "Are you doing more than what most parents would be doing? Are your family members noticing your fears and worries?"
Everyone double checks things sometimes, but according to the National Institute of Mental Health, people with OCD can't control their thoughts and behaviors, spend more than an hour a day performing compulsions, derive temporary relief but no enjoyment from the compulsions, and experience significant problems in daily life due to the disorder. If you spend hours sanitizing, checking, avoiding activities, or engaging in other rituals at the expense of sleep or time with your baby, you may have OCD.
Like others with OCD, new parents suffering from the disorder can benefit from psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of psychotherapy that trains the mind to react differently to intrusive thoughts, and a class of medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are the recommended first-line treatments for OCD. Drs. Abramowitz and Yip advise consulting with your doctor if you're breastfeeding and considering an SSRI. In my case, my doctor and I decided that the benefit of taking an antidepressant while breastfeeding far outweighed any risk to each of my children.
Untreated OCD was a horrible way to live. My kids are now six and four, and the superstitious creature still lives in my mind and occasionally rears its head. The medication I started in 2011 helped dampen my symptoms, and regular CBT sessions since my diagnosis in 2014 have armed me with tools to keep them at bay. I learned to recognize the underlying cognitive distortions spurring OCD thought patterns, like a sense of inflated responsibility—the belief that I could cause or prevent negative outcomes simply by performing irrational rituals or being "extra careful."
Rather than give in to compulsions, my therapist taught me to tolerate temporary distress in favor of long-term wellness. So, despite how uncomfortable I may be while fighting the urge to check the locks tens of times in multiples of five throughout the night, it allows me to recognize the following morning that—despite ignoring the impulse—my loved ones didn't burn alive overnight. These realizations reshaped the way I think and act, freeing me from the prison in my mind.
If you suspect you have postpartum OCD, don't hesitate to see a medical professional. "It's important to remember that the postpartum period is also about self-care," says Dr. Yip. "You can only help your baby the most if you've taken care of yourself, too."
Postpartum Anxiety May Be More Common Than Postpartum Depression
What You Need to Know About Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy
We Need to Talk About Postpartum Bipolar Disorder
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Topicsocdpostpartummental healthpostpartum depression
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Chris Frey receives Julia Clukey Courage Award
May 19, 2016 | Author TCT Editorial Staff
Pictured here (at right) is award recipient Chris Frey. With him (from l.) are State Senator Eric Brakey, Auburn Middle School principal Celena Ranger, Olympian Julia Clukey, and Frey's mother, Holly Bosse. (Photo by MBWDA)
Olympian Julia Clukey addressed nearly 500 students at Auburn Middle School recently as part of her ongoing "Julia Inspires" campaign to encourage students to find their passion, create a plan and go after their dreams.
As part of the campaign, Clukey presents the Julia Clukey Courage Award to a deserving student at each school she visits. Following her presentation at Auburn Middle School, she presented the award to AMS student Chris Frey, who was recognized for his ability to persevere though tough times in his personal life while maintaining a positive attitude and inspiring others.
Clukey continues to train for her 19th season in the sport of luge. Earlier this month, she was officially named to the USA National Luge Team for 2016-17. She has set a goal to compete in the sport of luge at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. This summer, she will host Julia Clukey's Camp for Girls at Camp KV in Readfield.
Through her "Julia Inspires" campaign, which is funded by the Maine Beer & Wine Distributors Association, Clukey has shared her story and message to date at 51 Maine schools, reaching a total of 16,770 students. Middle and high school administrators can request a presentation at www.clukeyluge.com.
One Response to "Chris Frey receives Julia Clukey Courage Award"
aikido-neuchatel:
Mrs. Susan Dunn of Buxton was honored in April during a Blaine House tea for school nurses as the School Nurse of the Year for the Maine School Nurse Association. The award recognizes outstanding leadership skills and excellence in school nursing practices. Mrs. Dunn has been a nurse for the MSAD 6 school district for more than 20 years, and currently coordinates and provides care for the students of three elementary schools in MSAD 6. She works as a volunteer and leader to promote many projects, such as bone marrow drives, food pantries, Red Cross blood drives and Pennies for Patients. Mrs. Dunn served as the district staff coordinator for the Wellness team for two years and teaches first aid and CPR in the schools and in the community. She also has been on the school nurse association s executive board, serving as the secretary for many years. When I heard that I was selected, I was very flattered and honored, said Mrs. Dunn. I have been a school nurse for 22 years and active in our school nurse association, but I know many nurses who are also deserving of this award. Mrs. Dunn was nominated by Mrs. Elaine Conant, the nurse here at BEHS. Mrs. Conant told Lake Region Weekly recently that when she first met her, Mrs. Dunn was soft-spoken. Through the years, she said, she learned Dunn had a lot to offer. To me she is a role model, a caring professional, and someone who is quite knowledgeable. Mrs. Ginny Day, the principal at Edna Libby Elementary School, Charles deSieyes, our district school physician, and Mrs. Joanne Lannin, a BEHS coach who has participated with Mrs. Dunn in the Southern Maine Senior Women s Basketball League, also recommended Mrs. Dunn for the award.
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Q: Ubuntu 12.04 update manager not offering 12.10 upgrade
Possible Duplicate:
Update manager doesn't offer an upgrade from 11.10 to 12.04

i have 12.04 with all updates applied as of 11-17-12. Re-ran update manager and it does
not offer 12.10 to me. I am doing this in virtualbox latest version. is this the reason? If not how to get update manager to offer me 12.10? thx :)


Pure Football is a case of "does what it says on the box". Pure Football. Football at it's purest. This means football stripped back to basics, the essentials, the raw materials. As such, the game is done in a 5-a-side format, with no referee, and as a result, a lot of the rules you would associate with a referee disappear. No referee means no offsides, no free kicks and bookings, and no fouls to a certain extent. I say 'to a certain extent' as there is a system in place, in the form of a foul meter. When this fills up from a team committing too many bad tackles, it equals an instant penalty for the opposing team, no matter where they are on the field.
To add to the purity and to support the rawness of the game, Pure Football has been given an urban feel. This urban feel is outlined through the grounds you play on, with an example of one being 'The Factory', a pitch located inside an abandoned warehouse. Gone are the large stadiums, as are the bustling crowds along with the commentators. Some will see this as a welcome change, not only for the lack of the crowd, which at times in other games can be off-putting, but for the loss of commentary, which you soon learn off-by-heart if it is included.
Already, you must be realising that Pure Football isn't your traditional football game. Well, there's more. To coincide with the 'Pure' theme running through the game, there is 'Pure' section of your shot meter, indicated by a white zone, as well as 2 pure bars along the top of the screen, one for each time. The first of these features, the Pure part of your shot power meter, is a small white zone which, if you manage to hit by holding down the shot button for just the right amount of time, will cause your player to drive a seemingly rocket-powered shot goal wards. This shot is known as a 'Pure shot' and, as you can imagine, is much more effective that standard shots. A 'Pure shot' is shown in a satisfying slow-mo/time stop style, and if shot from an appropriate range, is almost a guaranteed goal. The second of these features is the pure power bar which stretches across the top of the screen. Each time you do something deemed to be 'good', such as hitting the post or a saved shot, this bar will slowly fill up. When it is completely full, the next shot you take will be a 'Pure shot', no matter how long you hold down the shot button. After you have taken your shot, the Pure bar along the top will drain back to empty whether you scored or not. This method of obtaining Pure shots is very effective, and if you are controlling the match well, you will earn plenty of beneficial extra pure shots as a reward.
This display of strength through the powerful Pure shots is reciprocated in the physical appearance of the players. Ubisoft clearly haven't gone for realism, shown not only by the super-powered shots, but by the fact that the in-game players resemble caricatures of their real-life counterparts, more than the real thing. The graphical style certainly isn't unique, as it was already trialled in EA's 'FIFA Street 3', and in comparison , Pure Football is actually a more toned down version of this, despite the emphasised muscular structure of the player's bodies. With all this taken into account, it works quite well and adds to the arcade feel that Pure Football emits.
In regards to play modes, there is a fairly standard array of choice; from 'Exhibition' and 'Quickplay' for some instant action, either single player or local multiplayer; to the 'Campaign' section which links into the section were you can create your own player; on top of the Xbox Live compatibility.
As a single player experience, Pure Football allows for both brief and extended periods of play, depending on the preference of specific players. The ability to tamper with the settings, like being able to adjust the duration of the match, grants this flexibility. Even the Campaign can be played in short bursts, due to the "one match at a time" structure, which is complimented by the game's autosave system. The Campaign mode is long enough to be substantial, but short enough to make repeated playthroughs plausible, and an abundance of unlocks means there is plenty of reason to do so. The manner in which you unlock players is neat and quirky, completing challenges as you play against them in order to unlock them for transfer, at which point you can purchase them with Pure Points earned in matches (PP are the currency of Pure Football).
Unfortunately, the Campaign can be completed with ease on the lower difficulties, with the aim of being number one in the world achievable in half the allotted time. The fact that there is a range of difficulty, when combined with the arcade style of the game, means that Pure Football accommodates for less experienced gamers. But, for more experienced gamers, once you have picked up the controls, you will need to crank up the difficulty settings for this game to present any challenge. Even after the difficulty has been turned up, there is still the option to 'restart match' at the end of every campaign game. Although this comes with the consequence of a reduction in the bonus PP earned, this repercussion does not seem significant enough to discourage players from overusing this feature, meaning the campaign gets even easier.
Multiplayer is enjoyable, mostly due to the fact that it is much more fun playing with someone human, instead of the computer. This is partly because the AI is so unreliable though, especially the goalkeeper. This could be to encourage initiative in gamers, and cause them to make crucial decisions for themselves, but either way, the goalkeeper is a liability and you will need to take over from the AI goalkeeping decisions if you want to avoid silly mistakes. As far as Xbox Live goes, there is the 'Transfer Market' where you can spend your hard-earned PP to compile the squad of your dreams, as well as typical one versus one matches online.
Local Multiplayer is malleable, with up to 4 players able to collaborate with each other in a variety ways like 2 on 2, 3 on 1, or even all 4 against the computer. Local Multiplayer also benefits from a zoomed out viewpoint, in stark contrast to the behind-the-player perspective seen in single player. It brings me to wonder why this zoomed out view wasn't integrated throughout the game, as it certainly works a lot better, allowing you to clearly see all the passing options, as well as get a feel for the size of the pitch.
Another frustrating aspect of the game is the constant stoppages. With the removal of the referee, stoppages like free kicks, offsides, bookings and substitutes have also been ousted. There aren't even injuries! However, in their place, there are all kinds new, irritating stoppages which destroy every shred of momentum, and in turn, make the game feel very stop and start. For example, when there is a penalty the game's progress halts as the game seems to initiate a penalty mini-game. If the keeper manages to parry the ball away, play doesn't continue as it would in a real game. There is no chance for the striker to have another try on the rebound.
Then there is also the goal celebrations. As goals are frequent in Pure Football, the dark celebration screen popping up each time gets annoying and further interrupts play. They make the lengthy break in play from the instant replays (which, to be fair, are usually nice to watch) even longer, unnecessarily.
In summary, Pure Football offers an alternative spin on the ultra-realistic and technically accurate football/soccer titles on the market. It's arcade style, with the super-powered shots and only a few basic rules, mean it can appeal to those who aren't necessarily football fans, but are fans of games. At the same time, this inaccuracy could put off dedicated football fans, who may find the fantasy aspects on top of the lack of rules, too extreme. Whilst FIFA and PES remain unthreatened by this game as they bask in all their official and licensed glory, dwarfing Pure Football's meagre arsenal of 20 teams and 230, street/arcade football has a new front runner and it's name is Pure Football.