text:
EVERYTHING FLEETS NEED TO KNOW
Telematics & Tracking
Racking & Storage
How operators can help with addressing counter terrorism in road transport
Natalie Middleton 28th February 2019, 11:39 am
FORS director John Hix explains the importance of ensuring operators have a robust counter-terrorism policy in place and why preventive measures combined with driver training are integral to improving safety and security.
The fifth version of the FORS Standard brings a new counter terrorism requirement
Q1. What are the new counter-terrorism measures as set out in the revised FORS Standard version 5?
In order for an organisation to pass the FORS Bronze audit, it must now have a policy and supporting procedures in place to help safeguard against potential security and terrorist threats.
One element of this policy is to ensure that operational staff are trained to recognise threats, and that they know what to do should a threat be made, or in the event of an attack.
Owing to the growing governmental concern on potential terrorist acts, we felt our members should receive this training at FORS Bronze, our first level of accreditation.
On top of this, in order to pass the FORS Bronze audit, drivers must now complete the FORS Professional 'Security and Counter Terrorism' eLearning module, within the 24 months prior to audit.
Q2. Why were these changed made?
It is a sad fact that commercial vans and trucks are used in terrorist-related incidents, both in the UK and abroad. In 2017 alone, 14 people were killed in London in three separate attacks where a commercial vehicle was used as a ramming device, in what is referred to as a 'Vehicle as Weapon Attack'.
As an organisation which champions safety as a key principle, we wanted to ensure FORS members were not only aware of this threat, but that they had the training and policies in place to keep staff, vehicles and the community safe.
Q3. What should a counter-terrorism policy include?
An organisation's counter-terrorism policy should include every element that the organisation considers may be at risk from potential terrorist threats, and must be supported by clear procedures, setting out consistent steps which employees should follow to mitigate such risk.
For example, fleet operators should consider how vulnerable their vehicles are to theft, and if they could be used to aid terrorist objectives, and FORS encourages members to consider non-physical threats when they consider risk. For example, understanding which company information is available to the public, and could it be used to facilitate an attack?
Members must also appoint a Counter Terrorism Champion to (among other things) implement emergency response plans, complete risk assessments and ensure all staff are confident in their duties as set out in the policy.
Q4. In what ways can technology help to support a counter-terrorism policy and procedures?
Nowadays, there is a wide range of technology available that can be used to help support a counter-terrorism policy. Remote door locks, ignition locks and other safeguards can help to prevent vehicles from being stolen and used as transport or as a weapon. In addition, telematics systems are useful for tracking vehicles and letting operators know exactly where their vehicles are during an emergency.
Q5. How often should fleets review their counter-terrorism policy and procedures? And why so often?
Outdated policies can put a fleet at risk, so it's important that they are updated on a regular basis – at least every 12 months. However, it may be necessary to update policies and procedures more frequently, for example, in reaction to an increase in the UK's threat level.
Q5. How does FORS help members develop and maintain their counter terrorism policy?
A crucial element of a counter terrorism policy is completion of the FORS Professional Security and Counter Terrorism eLearning module. Since it was launched in January 2018, more than 36,000 individuals have completed this training, which helps drivers identify threats around vehicle security and focuses on measures which can be in place to protect drivers and vehicles against hijack, theft and physical attack, with advice on how to report suspicious behaviour or activity.
Though primarily aimed at drivers, and a mandatory requirement to be undertaken every 24 months, managers are also encouraged to take the free-of-charge module, which was produced in collaboration with Transport for London, the Department for Transport, Metropolitan Police, High Speed 2 and the DVSA.
FORS has also produced a free toolkit to help members meet the new counter-terrorism requirements, highlighting each elements required to develop an effective counter-terrorism policy. Members will learn how to recognise threats, both direct and indirect, with information on how to identify vulnerabilities, such as people working within the organisation, physical assets, information and processes.
Tagged with: FORS
Written by Natalie Middleton
Previous article Armorgard launches new tool storage drawer system for vans
Next article Trakm8 to spotlight latest fleet solutions at CV Show
FORS Members' Conference promotes safer, smarter, greener benefits of accreditation
by Natalie Middleton 21st October 2019 0 Comments
FORS members offered free van driver training
by Natalie Middleton 4th June 2019 0 Comments
Latest news from Van Fleet World
Mitie goes live with 250th EV under accelerated rollout plans
22nd January 2020 by Natalie Middleton
Van scrappage scheme doubles grants and opens doors to larger fleets
Government doubles funding pot for on-street charge points to £10m
21st January 2020 by Natalie Middleton
Multiple mobility solutions to be showcased at 2020 Great British Fleet Event
20th January 2020 by Natalie Middleton
Sign up to our daily newsletter by entering your e-mail address. You can adjust your mail preferences or opt out at any time:
We never share your email address and you may opt out at any point.
var enable_double_submit = false;
for (var i=0; i= 1 && !enable_double_submit) { evt.preventDefault(); } submit_count++; });
... As Business Editor, Natalie ensures the group websites and newsletters are updated with the latest news.
Dan Gilkes
Dan has been a commercial vehicle and construction equipment journalist for almost 30 years.
Jonathan Musk
... As the automotive industry moves towards electrification, Jonathan brings a near-unrivalled knowledge of EVs and hybrids to Fleet World Group.
... he joined Fleet World in April 2011, contributing across the magazine and website portfolio and editing the EV Fleet World Website.
© VAN Fleet World. All Rights Reserved


Before the release of his novel, Turtles All the Way Down, on October 10, John Green took to YouTube to offer fans his list of the best books of 2017.
John Green shared the video on his YouTube account Vlogbrothers.
In a video posted to Vlogbrothers, the YouTube channel John Green shares with his brother, he offers up favourite titles in a variety of genres, including YA fiction (Angie Thomas's The Hate You Gave gets a special shout-out), literary fiction (Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng earns Green's biggest praise), poetry and nonfiction.
Green notes that readers of his upcoming book, Turtles All the Way Down, may wish to learn more about obsessive-compulsive disorder and recommends David Adam's The Man Who Couldn't Stop.
Turtles All the Way Down is out on October 10 and focuses on 16-year-old Aza Holmes, a young woman "navigating daily existence within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts," according to the plot summary.


text:
Q: How do i access the Access Token from the spotify web api in Go? I need to access my access token from the CompleteAuth function, so i can use in my other endpoints.

func CompleteAuth(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
    tok, err := auth.Token(r.Context(), state, r)

    if err != nil {
        http.Error(w, "Couldn't get token", http.StatusForbidden)
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    if st := r.FormValue("state"); st != state {
        http.NotFound(w, r)
        log.Fatalf("State mismatch: %s != %s\n", st, state)
    }

    // use the token to get an authenticated client
    client := spotify.New(auth.Client(r.Context(), tok))
    fmt.Println("Access Token:" + tok.AccessToken + "\n")
    fmt.Fprintf(w, "Login Completed!")
    ch <- client
}

func RegHand(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
    log.Println("Got request for:", r.URL.String())

    url := auth.AuthURL(state)
    fmt.Println("Please log in to Spotify by visiting the following page in your browser:", url+"\n")

    // wait for auth to complete
    client := <-ch

    // use the client to make calls that require authorization
    user, err := client.CurrentUser(context.Background())
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    fmt.Println("You are logged in as:", user.ID)
}

I've triend to create a pointer to the tok variable, but i does not seem to work.
Would it be possible to create a custom interface that contains the acces token that is generated by the completeAuth function.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Louisville Orthopaedic Clinic's physical therapists offer the latest advances in care to our patients, who range from high school football players and weekend warriors to seniors living with osteoarthritis. These therapists collaborate with our board-certified orthopedic specialists to help patients get over their pain and get back on the move as quickly as possible.
Essentially, physical therapy is a strategic regimen of gentle exercises and non-invasive techniques that is designed to promote healing and improve range of motion. Physical therapists often help people regain strength after surgery, recover from a musculoskeletal injury, or manage the everyday symptoms of arthritis and other degenerative conditions.
Our physical therapists have backgrounds in sports rehabilitation and athletic training, and can provide sport-specific therapy plans to help patients get back in the game as quickly as possible.
Our center is equipped to provide custom orthotics and bracing using state-of-the-art scanning and measuring technology to ensure a perfect fit.
We are an independently owned practice, which means our physicians and therapists are able to provide a level of personalized and attentive care that is rarely seen at large, corporate practices.
Contact Louisville Orthopaedic Clinic today to learn more about how our physical therapists can help you overcome your pain and return to the activities you enjoy. We serve adolescents and adults in the Louisville, KY, area and accept most major health insurance plans.


Grow It Elixir Oil is a daily topical scalp treatment that treats the scalp and stimulates rapid hair growth. Our Proprietary Blend of 9 different hair oils makes Grow It Elixir Oil the Industry Leader in scalp treatment and hair growth.
Ingredients: Tree Nut Oils and natural Botanicals.


Commercial Metal – Aftermath Roofing Inc.
Here at Aftermath Roofing we count with the professional staff and equipment to tackle any metal roofing project regardless of size and difficulty. From re-roofs (tear offs) to new constructions, there is not one single project we can't handle. We are certified by some of the most recognized nationwide metal roofing manufacturers such as MBCI, Berridge Manufacturing Co., and McElroy Metal in order to be able to provide our customers with quality installation and warranties. Manufacturer specifications are always followed during our installations so that we can deliver the best craftsmanship possible. Our sheet metal and metal roofing expertise allows for us to overcome any fabrication obstacles found in both new and existing projects. When working on new projects we make sure to always follow architectural specifications such as acceptable manufacturers, roofing systems and installation requirements. To the right and below is a list of metal roofing manufacturer brands installed by Aftermath Roofing.


Sometimes, the best way to see the outdoors is to stay inside.
Gondolas, cable cars and ropeways are all simple ways to see some of the world's most gorgeous landscapes. Cable cars will take you up to the Great Wall of China, into the hillside neighborhoods of Medellin, Colombia, and over London's Thames River.
The Tianmen Mountain Cableway in Hunan Province, China.
The Roosevelt Island Tram, which connects the island to Manhattan, makes its way over the East River.
A cable car crossing the Yangtze River will take you from one district of Chongqing City to another.
Heading to the summit of Mont Song Shan in Henan Province, China.
A cable line across the Rhine River connects the city of Koblenz, Germany, with the fortress Ehrenbreitstein.
The Damovar Ropeway in Gangtok, India.
A cable car service connects Tung Chung with the Big Buddha at Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island in Hong Kong.
The Peak 2 Peak Gondola in Whistler, British Columbia, holds world records for the longest free span between ropeway towers (1.88 miles) and highest point above the ground (1,430 feet).
The Nebelhornbahn Cable Car on Mt. Nebelhorn in the Allgäu Alps, in Bavaria, Germany.
Going up to the Great Wall of China.
The Zao skiing region in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.
Ascending Sugarloaf Mountain (Pao de Acucar) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
London's Emirate Air Line gondola lift is seen crossing the River Thames.
The aerial tramway over Lake Ashino in Hakone, Japan.
Topics: china, colombia, japan, landscape, Lifestyle, Photo Stories, Photography, public transit, Travel, Travel & Leisure, U.S.


text:
'Frozen Planet': Why you'll be happy you have HD this weekend
By Mandi Bierly Updated March 17, 2012 at 01:00 PM EDT
Credit: Discovery Channel
Frozen Planet
This Sunday, Discovery debuts the new seven-part series Frozen Planet, from the makers of Planet Earth and Life. During four years of production, the temperatures went as low as -58°F and the winds as high as 148 miles per hour. In total, the crew spent 2,356 days in the field, 840 hours trapped in blizzards, and 134 hours filming under the ice. Among the jaw-dropping footage seen in the first two programs premiering Sunday: the killer whale "wave wash" behavior in which orcas swim in a line to make waves that knock a seal off an ice floe, and a pack of 25 patient wolves working together to separate a bison from its herd. We sat down with series producer Vanessa Berlowitz and director Chadden Hunter.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: When you're putting together a series like this, how do you balance "happy endings" — like a gentoo penguin escaping a southern sea lion multiple times on land — and sad ones, like the Weddell seal being targeted by the orcas, which is both absolutely fascinating and excruciating to watch.
CHADDEN HUNTER: To me, that's the most emotionally-draining sequence of the whole series. But then the power of it — it is nature and it is what happens. So part of conveying it is capturing that drama that these animals have to deal with day in and day out.
VANESSA BERLOWITZ: We do think quite carefully about how we pace those sequences and in what order. We really wanted to have a light moment — it's very uplifting when the penguin gets away — because we knew the ending of the orca sequence. We had lots of debates about whether to show that shot.
The final shot of the exhausted seal being slowly pulled off the ice floe.
BERLOWITZ: To be honest, compared to be what we filmed subsequently, that was absolutely tame. We captured the whole amazing behavior. Once that seal's dragged in, there was underwater shots of the way that they butcher the animal, which is really precise. The reason they spend so long trying to tire this animal out is that these are feisty seals. They're huge. They're about 10 feet long, and they've got teeth. So it's partly a game, it's partly training, but it's also for [the whales'] own protection. Once they've got it down, they kill it very quickly, and then they take the skin off. Literally, the seal comes out, almost intact. So we didn't show you any of that. [Laughs]
HUNTER: The one thing I find fascinating when you've got friends with families who watch it is that it's all the parents who have the emotional baggage. "Ohmygod, I can't watch this. It's harrowing, it's too emotional." We keep thinking of it as Frozen Planet is quite adult viewing. This is real drama, a classic wildlife series not that appropriate for kids. Most of my friends' kids, say, "No, no, come on, mum, dad. I want to watch this. How am I ever gonna learn if I don't see a seal chasing a penguin?"
BERLOWITZ: My 3-year-old was being cool about it. I said, "It's a bit like Tom and Jerry, isn't it?" He's fine. As Chad says, the adults bring to it the horror of what you don't see. Which is the way horror movies work — it's all about what you don't see that scares you. In some ways, it may have been actually less disturbing if you saw the kill. But by not showing that, we actually made it acceptable for kids to watch, and they just don't have that problem. They just read it differently.
Are there other examples of that, where you had to debate how much to show?
BERLOWITZ: [To Hunter] Well, it was very handy with your wolf hunt. I have to say, we were grateful for the knock. [An adult bison running from behind through a pack of wolves accidentally plows into the juvenile bison the wolves are chasing, knocking him down and ending the long battle. Watch the sequence here.]
HUNTER: What's remarkable about wolves versus bison, because they're so big and evenly matched, it's like a real chess game that goes on for hours and hours and hours. We'd follow groups where the pack of wolves would sleep right beside the bison, and the adult bison don't worry too much. As long as they can keep wolves in front of them, they know that if one comes near them, they can just toss them with their horns. So the wolves would test them, and the adult bison are like, Don't even think about it, and the wolves go and sit down again. For us, it's harrowing. Imagine if you were face to face with a predator, you wouldn't be calm. But these bison know as long as they don't run and expose their rump, then the wolves can't get them. To them it's just a game of nerves. In the opening episode, that circling and chess game is what's going on. The wolves are trying to disorient the bison, trying to surround them. As the bison spin, eventually some of them are like, I'm in the middle. Are we running? Let's just run. Then the group splits up, some of the older ones stay back like, What are you doing? Don't be stupid. That's when the advantage changes to the wolves. We had to really pace ourselves, especially with the helicopter. You'd get up and watch the chess game. Is anything going to happen? You'd land again. You're always making those hairline decisions about whether to film now….
The "Winter" program [airing April 1] has got a solo wolf and bison battle where just the alpha female takes on the bison. That is absolutely emotionally exhausting. And one reason we decided to do a making-of section about that [in April's 8's "The Making of Frozen Planet" episode] is that we wanted to basically take the viewer's hand and say, "Okay, this was emotional to watch, but we go through the same emotions when we film it." So as opposed to revisiting the hunt because it's gratuitous or dramatic, we actually wanted to revisit the hunt in the making-of almost as a therapy session. We wanted to say, "Okay, let's go through this together and explain that we're not heartless lenses on cameras. It can be upsetting to see all this drama in the wild." When you're back in the edit, it's quite interesting. Vanessa might come and see it for the first time, and she'll be like —
BERLOWITZ: "Holy s—."
Next: Don't get misty, your eyes will freeze shut
Credit: Lewis Jacobs/NBC
Watching the series, there are moments that made me misty, either from being in awe at the beauty of a landscape or overwhelmed by the emotion of an epic battle. Does that ever happen to you in the field?
HUNTER: It's not often that you get a chance in the field to just stop and reflect, but I think when you're all back at camp and you all talk about the shots, the high of that feeling is pretty unmatched. I think a lot of it has to do with how much effort you put in to get it. When we filmed that wolf hunt, we worked so hard in -40° conditions, our eyes were freezing shut out on foot. So when we filmed that first hunt after weeks and weeks and weeks, you're very emotional. That's probably why our eyes are freezing. Too many tears. [Laughs]
BERLOWITZ: Similarly, I'd been waiting for, I think it was six weeks, to try to get up in the air to fly to the South Pole to the base where Chad and I were working in Antarctica. You wait for the weather forecast, and they go, "Nope, the weather's still bad today." Eventually, we got the go-ahead to fly to the South Pole. As Chad's saying, you're already so emotionally charged that you finally got this opportunity to film something. And then we fly over the Transantarctic Mountains, which are absolutely spectacular. We cross a pass and revealed in front of us is this huge glacier called the Beardmore Glacier, which is known from Shackleton and Scott. The great explorers traversed this huge glacier — it's about 100 miles long, one of the longest in the world — and I had this moment where I was completely choked. I saw it, and I just went Ohmygod, that is what these men crossed on foot 100 years ago. There are moments like that that really stay with you forever.
Was there an animal you wanted to film but never captured the behavior you wanted?
HUNTER: My bête noire was wolverines. I became obsessed with wolverines. The iconic animals you know — like polar bears and killer whales — we knew they'd be stars of the series. So I went on a few wild goose chases, or wild wolverine chases. They're wonderful hairy beasts with a lot of character. They were roaming on the tundra and attacking snow geese, and it was a remarkable sight. We tried to film it, we got lovely snow geese scenes, but the wolverines would just outsmart us most of the time. They kept me up at night. We did manage to get a lovely little wolverine story in the "Winter" program, which made me feel a bit better about it. But they became my red baron, my nemesis.
BERLOWITZ: In the Southern Ocean, near Antarctica, you get these congregations of krill, which are like shrimp, and that attracts all of the marine wildlife. You can get thousands of whales — blue whales, minke whales, fin whales, humpback whales — seals, penguins, in this kind of huge feeding frenzy. We tried to time some of our penguin and orca shoots to be there at the right time and go through the areas that we thought it might happen. It never quite did. Although I think one of the most frustrating texts that I ever got was from a scientist friend of Alastair [Fothergill], our boss, who was on a fishing vessel doing science work. This fuzzy picture came through, I looked at it and said, "What is that?" I started to realize it was a picture of thousands of whales. You can see fins right to the horizon. The note underneath it was, "Is this what you were looking for?" [Laughs] Initially, we were just so crushed. You have to be quite philosophical about it, there's always got to be one thing out there that you aspire to get. If it's not this series, it will be the next series. I worked on Planet Earth, the mountain show, and we got the snow leopard sequence. And I'd been trying across two previous projects to film snow leopards, and finally we lucked out and we got it on Planet Earth. Eventually, you get your moment.
HUNTER: And if it made it easy, it wouldn't be special.
Does that kind of playful taunting go on a lot in your field?
HUNTER: There's a lot of friendly competitiveness. If one team doesn't quite manage to get a certain behavior and the next team is headed out… We all know each other very well, and you wish each other luck, but yeah, it's a quite competitive industry. People have the hunger to get the shots.
BERLOWITZ: The worst is tourism, of course, though. You see these things on YouTube that come back like that famous clip of the crocodile, and the lions, and the buffalo. I remember the first time I logged on, and I was going, "That's not fair. You know how many months I spent in Africa trying to get sequences like that, and some tourist who doesn't even know what they're filming has just captured it?!" [Laughs]
HUNTER: But the research is a massive part of how we make the series. We would research most of the stories for about one year before we actually send the teams out, making as accurate and almost military-like plan as you can.
Next: 3 a.m. polar bear sightings
BERLOWITZ: We've talked about the competition, but you also share information. So you start to get an instinct that okay, if you're gonna find a polar bear mother and cubs, how much time do you book to camp out in the Arctic to locate them? There's a body of experience, and you go, "I think we'll need two weeks." I'd say 90 percent of the time we're spot-on with the planning. For that polar bear shoot, I was pregnant at the time and a bit grumpy, as you would expect. Grumpier than normal.
HUNTER: [Laughs] I was gonna say…
BERLOWITZ: My back was aching. Polar bears have a massive territory. After about Day 8, I was thinking when are we ever gonna find a mother polar bear? You have 24-hour daylight in the Arctic summer, so you don't have that convenient oh, thank goodness, we can sleep now nighttime. So it was about three in the morning, and I was being quite grumpy, and I was like, "Okay, should we go back, guys?" And literally at that moment, the pilot spotted something on the ice and said, "I think that's a polar bear and I think it's two cubs next to it." So I was like [sighs] "Okay." A little bit of me was like —
HUNTER: "Why did you have to spot that?"
BERLOWITZ: We flew over and it was actually what we were after, a mother and two tiny, tiny cubs. My tiredness went, my backache went, and suddenly, we were locked into this magical scenario. I stayed up in the air for three days — that was sections of four to five hours filming, land, refuel, sleep in the helicopter, and then go back up again. It was one of the most precious times in my life because you just got this kind of window into a mother polar bear's life. It's a really tender, cute side. I mean it's quite serious for her, because she's really, really having to try to get food for her cubs. And the little cubs are like, Mom, this is fun. I've never been out in the sea ice before. They've just come from their den, and they're mucking about and biting her bottom, tagging behind, and spoiling her hunt. She'll be in stealth mode, and then suddenly one jumps on her back, and she's like, Ugh, get off. I was crying with laughter when she knocked the little one into the hole [for a time-out]. I had my baby in my tummy, I thought okay, that's what polar bear moms have to do, it's probably what I'm gonna have to do. [Laughs]
HUNTER: Scribbling notes. [Laughs]
BERLOWITZ: She was a great mum. My son had a three-hour time-out this weekend for spitting in his nanny's face. [Laughs] Time-out is definitely an important part of parenting.
Who's the best character you each encountered in the four years of production?
BERLOWITZ: The polar bear mother. Following one female for that time was such a privilege. You have to be careful not to anthropomorphize too much, but you cannot help but really identify with this personality. I do believe animals have personality, definitely.
HUNTER: When we were with the Emperor penguins, they're a lot more chilled out and graceful than the little Adélie penguins that poop on all your equipment and steal each other's rocks. They're really feisty. They remind me of New Yorkers. They go [pretends to waddle and flap] Outta my way.
BERLOWITZ: They remind me of Danny DeVito. [Laughs]
HUNTER: We had one that accidentally turned up at the Emperor penguin colony, so he was hundreds of miles from where he should be. He rocketed up out of the water, and we laughed and laughed. We have 50,000 Emperor penguins, they're like the supermodels of the penguin world, and then this little Adélie that comes up to their thigh going, What's going on here?
BERLOWITZ: It's like a New Yorker turning up on Malibu beach.
'Frozen Planet': Polar bear time out
DVD Review: Planet Earth: The Complete Series
Your Must List suggestions (Polar Bear Edition)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Argentina Australia Vietnam United States UK UAE Turkey Thailand Taiwan Switzerland Sweden Spain South Korea South Africa Singapore Saudi Arabia Russia Romania Portugal Poland Philippines Peru Pakistan Norway Nigeria New Zealand Netherlands Mexico Malaysia Japan Italy Israel Ireland Iraq Iran Indonesia India Hong Kong Greece Germany France Finland Egypt Denmark Czech Republic Colombia China Chile Canada Brazil Belgium Bangladesh Austria
Latest Trials
Sponsor Sign In
Advertise clinical trials
Volunteer Sign In
Post Clinical Trial
HEALTH ZONE – Parkinson's Disease Introduction
Parkinson's Disease is a neurological condition which causes day to day problems with movement. Sufferers may find they have a tremor at rest, have difficulty starting activity (e.g. walking), slowed thought, or low mood. In the past 50 years there have been great advances in the treatments available for Parkinson's and the disease has moved from being regarded as a debilitating untreatable illness to a very manageable chronic condition thanks to advances in medicine.
The "shaking palsy" was first described by the British Dr. James Parkinson in 1917. However the causes underlying Parkinson's were not understood until the 1960's and the first effective treatment, L-dopa, only came into widespread clinical use in 1967.
Relative to other neurological diseases, Parkinson's is quite common, developing in about 100-200/100,000 people per year, or about 2% of all people aged over 60. Parkinson's disease is not considered a terminal illness and many patients live a normal life span. However, studies have shown a slightly increased risk of death amongst Parkinson's sufferers as a whole, particularly amongst those who also have dementia or depression.
The underlying cause of the disease is damage to a part of the brain called the substantia nigra. These cells produce a neurotransmitter called dopamine which acts as a chemical messenger in the brain. Many systems in the body work in antagonistic pairs; for instance you have bicep muscle to bend your arm and tricep muscle to straighten it. Neurotransmitters often work in a similar way. In this case, another messenger called acetylcholine works like the bicep, causing muscles to contract, whilst dopamine causes them to relax. When these two neurotransmitters are in balance with one another, you have normal control of your muscles. However in Parkinson's disease there's a slow loss of dopamine in the brain, which means the balance swings in favour of the acetylcholine, causing muscle contraction known as "spasticity".
The vast majority of cases are 'sporadic', which means the disease appears out of the blue, typically affecting adults between the age of 55 and 60. However younger patients do exist, although cases younger than 30 are very rare. About 15% of cases have a family history of the disease, but there is not a clear pattern of "autosomally dominant" inheritence. In other words, unlike diseases like Familial MND or Huntington's Disease, the child of a Parkinson's disease patient is only very slightly more likely to develop the disease in the future. It is more likely that genes are recessive, or have a weak "penetrance"; in other words they may only give a predisposition towards the disease rather than guaranteeing that an individual will definitely get it.
Additional signs of Parkinson's Disease may include:
Small cramped handwriting
Lack of arm movement on affected side
Decreased facial expression
Lowered voice volume
Depression or anxiety
"Freezing," being stuck in place when initiating a step or entering a doorway
Slight foot drag on affected side
Increase in dandruff or oily skin
Less frequent blinking
Difficulty swallowing.
What causes Parkinson's?
At this point it is uncertain what causes Parkinson's Disease. Often, by the time physical symptoms manifest themselves, 60-80% substantia nigra cells have been destroyed. As a result, very little is known about the early phases of the disease. Most physicians and researchers believe that Parkinson's arises out of a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Who is at risk for Parkinson's?
As many as 1.5 million Americans alone are afflicted with Parkinson's, more than multiple sclerosis or muscular dystrophy combined. Generally, men and women are at equal risk for developing Parkinson's. However, individuals over the age of 50 are considered to be at a higher risk. There is also a subset of Parkinson's, called Young Onset Parkinson's that affects those under the age 50, sometimes as early as 30 years of age.
Some research is pointing to certain lifestyle risk factors that may have an effect on whether someone will develop Parkinson's. A disproportionate number of Parkinson's cases are found in people who either live or grew up in rural areas. Factors in this area that are being explored are exposure to pesticides, heavy metals and whether well water was the primary source of drinking water. Interestingly, smoking and caffeine have been shown in some studies to have protective effects against Parkinson's.
Drug treatment revolves around replacing lost supplies of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine precursors (such as L-dopa) are chemical compounds that provide the ingredients for the brain to make more dopamine naturally. Brand names include Sinemet and Madopar. Whilst these can be very effective for relieving symptoms, unfortunately they become less effective over time and can lead to side effects such as uncontrollable movements (known as "dyskinesias"). Another group of drugs stop the short term breakdown of existing dopamine in the brain as it gets used up (called COMT and MAO-B inhibitors). Brand names include Entacapone, Tolcapone, Stalevo, Rasagiline, and Selegiline. These drugs are often used more frequently in people who have only been diagnosed recently and can be used to help the "wearing off" effect of L-dopa. However there can be side effects including nausea, headaches, and possibly hallucinations in some cases. Finally, another class of drugs called the dopamine agonists act as direct mimics of naturally occurring dopamine. Brand names include Cabergoline, Ropinirole, Pramipexole, and Pergolide. Like L-dopa, these drugs are quite effective at reducing the core symptoms of Parkinson's disease, although there may be side effects including hallucinations and changes in blood pressure; careful monitoring is required.
Whilst these drugs help Parkinson's sufferers lead a more normal life their regime can be very complicated and many people end up taking dozens of tablets a day. Missing one can lead to an unpleasant "off" period during which they find it hard to move or initiate action. When the drugs have been prescribed correctly and spaced out properly, the levels of dopamine can be controlled well. However it is generally acknowledged that following a drug plan to the letter is difficult and at worst impossible. New advances include "controlled release" tablets such as Sinemet CR which act over a longer time period. For instance taking a CR tablet last thing at night can avoid having an "off" period first thing in the morning. Other technologies include injection pumps so that drugs are delivered directly into the body at a constant rate without having to remember a complex tablet regime. Advances on the horizon may include transdermal patches (much like the "Nicorette" patch to quit smoking) which provide a slow steady release of a drug without the inconvenience of tablets. Some patients may be eligible for a surgical procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS). This works by electrically "jamming" the signal from the thalamus which tell the muscles to contract. For some patients it can be very successful in causing significant reduction in symptoms. However it is not for everyone, not without risks, and there may be a range of side effects which are currently being explored.
Physiotherapy is important for maintaining joint mobility and may include strategies to prevent falls. Occupational therapists may prescribe splints, eating aids, walkers, and wheelchairs to assist with mobility. Speech and language therapists may advise on swallowing techniques, assisted cough, and may prescribe alternative speech devices such as a Litewriter or laptop computer. Other drugs used in the treatment of symptoms include baclofen for spasticity, anti-depressants for anxiety and depression, and in some cases opiates for pain management.
People with Parkinson's disease and their families need support from a number of places. The family itself is an important source of emotional and spiritual support, and are also likely to give a lot of their time in assisting the patient with daily care. More so than for other neurological conditions, it is important that employers recognise areas that may be difficult for someone with Parkinson's; for instance attending early morning meetings or tasks requiring fine motor skills.
In the UK the main additional source of support comes from a registered charity, the Parkinson's Disease Society. They have an information telephone hotline, train medical professionals, provide information leaflets for patients and doctors, fund research, pay for specialist nurses, raise awareness, campaign for more resources, and fund a network of regional support groups. In the USA, there are several organisations including the American Parkinson Disease Association,
There is a wealth of research going on into Parkinson's Disease, far too much to list here! To get the most up to date information try subscribing to www.pubcrawler.ie. This is an automated service which will deliver the results of customised queries straight to your inbox as often as you require. In the long term, future developments are likely to include improved techniques for deep brain stimulation, novel ways of getting dopamine replacement drugs into the brain, and might include stem cell therapy to replace and repair cells that have already been damaged by the disease.
If you've read this information sheet and are interested in doing more there are several places you can go. The Institute of Psychiatry in South London, UK, always requires healthy participants for research projects, some of which are investigating Parkinson's or other brain disease. You can register for their participant database, "PsychPop" To find out more about your local Parkinson's Disease association go to the website for the European Parkinsons' Disease Association . You might like to consider joining a local association branch as a volunteer or making a donation to research. There will be a cure for Parkinson's, but it is hard to say how long it will take. That length of time is however affected by three big factors: money for research, time for care, and awareness for the public. If you can contribute in any way you'll be helping us in the fight.
This information has been supplied to the BioTrax Volunteer Support Group in the interests of greater awareness and support of research volunteers by James Connolly – Research Specialist of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center. University of Pennsylvania
Dr.Paul Wicks at the MRC centre for Neurodegeneration research. From the Institute of Psychiatry
Medical research studies may be conducted and are carefully designed to answer specific medical questions while protecting participants� safety. Well conducted medical trials are the fastest and safest way to find improved treatments and preventions for diseases. Clinical trials or interventional trials determine whether experimental preventions, treatments, or new ways of using known therapies are safe and effective under controlled conditions. Observational or natural history studies examine health issues and disease development in groups of people or populations. For more information on current medical trials or to register on the BioTrax database, view the study section atwww.biotrax.com .
Why not E-Mail this Health Zone News Letter to a friend who may benefit or print copies to give to your support groups or friends ? Click on the buttons below.
Receive £1,092, Medical trials for cash – Paid medical trials
Bournemouth - 20 mins ago
receive £3,120, London paid clinical trial required Healthy female volunteers aged 18-39
Birmingham - 1 hrs ago
£2,250, London paid clinical trial recruiting Men and women
Aberdeen - 1 hrs ago
Receive £1,420, London Medical Trials Needs Healthy male volunteers aged between 18-64
Get paid £2,050, Paid Clinical Trials in London for Men and women
Leeds - 4 hrs ago
Biotrax.com
© 2021 - Biotrax.com


Nourishing Minds: Nutritional approaches to mental health – Talk on September 1st.
I love my work and find it deeply rewarding. It combines all the various work experiences and trainings I have done during my career – and my passion for food! My clinics are currently based in Bristol and Cirencester, but I also have Skype clients from all over the world.
One off 30-minute phone consultation for £55 for any nutrition related queries [Please note if you need any further information emailed or tests ordered my standard admin rate of £60 per hour will be added on a pro rata basis].
Reductions available for people receiving benefits/low income – call to discuss.
❤ 2 x 45 min follow-up face-to-face or Skype/phone sessions (6-8 & 12-16 weeks after initial consultation) to review your initial concerns, assess your response to and review your current plan. Explain test results (if undertaken), discuss next steps and send email recommendations.
**Shorter phone support available for clients who have consulted in the last 2 months as required – time charged at £60 per hour admin rate.
**Extended follow-up sessions available on request to review test results or include stress management approach.
Review of your initial concerns (I look back through your notes/test results ahead of your session.
A 15-minute phone call (or email support) within 2 weeks of you receiving your recommendations to answer any queries.


OPEN HOUSE ~ ANYONE LOOKING FOR INVESTMENT PROPERTY IN LAGUNA BEACH?
Do you know anyone looking for INVESTMENT PROPERTY in the beach cities area of Orange County?
I'm hosting an Open House on Sunday May 11, 2008 from 1:00pm - 4:00pm.
Tastefully remodeled, ocean view units, less than a quarter mile to the beach and notorious surfing areas of Laguna. Three units plus a guest room/casita.


A design studio has hooked a place with the largest manufacturer of wallpaper in the UK with her interior designs.
Former Cleveland College of Art & Design student and part-time lecturer Kate Usher has been chosen as one of just 13 up-and-coming young designers from around the country to work with leading wallpaper company Graham and Brown on their Best of British New Wave collection.
Kate, of Newcastle, launched her own boutique wallpaper brand after graduating from CCAD in 2009, thanks to a start-up scheme created by celebrity designer Wayne Hemingway and Gateshead Council.
She has since gone on to create her own successful interior design company Kate Usher Studio, specialising in high-end children's wallpaper for design-conscious adults.
"Graham & Brown are a really influential company within the wallpaper market," said Usher.


text:
var hexa = require('../hexa');
var postcss = require('postcss');
var expect = require('chai').expect;

describe('postcss-color-hexa', function() {

	function transform(source) {
		return postcss([hexa]).process(source).css;
	}

	it('short hex and full decimal', function(done) {
		expect(transform('body { background: hexa(#fff, 0.1); }'))
			.to.equal('body { background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1); }');

		done();
	});

	it('full hex and full decimal', function(done) {
		expect(transform('body { background: hexa(#ffffff, 0.1); }'))
			.to.equal('body { background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1); }');

		done();
	});

	it('short hex and integer', function(done) {
		expect(transform('body { background: hexa(#fff, 1); }'))
			.to.equal('body { background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1); }');

		done();
	});

	it('full hex and integer', function(done) {
		expect(transform('body { background: hexa(#ffffff, 1); }'))
			.to.equal('body { background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1); }');

		done();
	});

	it('short hex and zeroless decimal', function(done) {
		expect(transform('body { background: hexa(#fff, .1); }'))
			.to.equal('body { background: rgba(255, 255, 255, .1); }');

		done();
	});

	it('full hex and zeroless decimal', function(done) {
		expect(transform('body { background: hexa(#ffffff, .1); }'))
			.to.equal('body { background: rgba(255, 255, 255, .1); }');

		done();
	});

	it('hex with zeroes at the end and zeroless decimal', function(done) {
		expect(transform('body { background: hexa(#f00, .1); }'))
			.to.equal('body { background: rgba(255, 0, 0, .1); }');

		done();
	});

	it('hex with zeroes at the end and full decimal', function(done) {
		expect(transform('body { background: hexa(#f00, 0.1); }'))
			.to.equal('body { background: rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.1); }');

		done();
	});

	it('without hexa', function(done) {
		expect(transform('body { background: #f00; }'))
			.to.equal('body { background: #f00; }');

		done();
	});

	it('first within a multi-value property', function(done) {
		expect(transform('body { border: hexa(#fff, 0.1) 1px solid; }'))
			.to.equal('body { border: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1) 1px solid; }');

		done();
	});

	it('within a multi-value property', function(done) {
		expect(transform('body { border: 1px hexa(#fff, 0.1) solid; }'))
			.to.equal('body { border: 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1) solid; }');

		done();
	});

	it('last within a multi-value property', function(done) {
		expect(transform('body { border: 1px solid hexa(#fff, 0.1); }'))
			.to.equal('body { border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1); }');

		done();
	});

	it('multiple colors on a line including a hexa', function(done) {
		expect(transform('body { border-color: #fff hexa(#fff, 0.1) red #f00; }'))
			.to.equal('body { border-color: #fff rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1) red #f00; }');

		done();
	});

	it('multiple hexa\'s on a line', function(done) {
		expect(transform('body { border-color: #0f0 hexa(#f0f, 0.1) hexa(#fff, 0.1) #f00; }'))
			.to.equal('body { border-color: #0f0 rgba(255, 0, 255, 0.1) rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1) #f00; }');

		done();
	});

	it('invalid hex code fails', function(done) {
		// http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21587122/mocha-chai-expect-to-throw-not-catching-thrown-errors
		expect(function() {
			transform('body { background: hexa(#f0f0, 0.1); }');
		})
			.to.throw(/Invalid hex color/);

		done();
	});

	it('invalid opacity number fails', function(done) {
		expect(function() {
			transform('body { background: hexa(#f0f, 0.1.1); }');
		})
			.to.throw(/Invalid opacity/);

		done();
	});

});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
<?php
require_once dirname(dirname(__DIR__)) . "/classes/autoload.php";
require_once dirname(dirname(dirname(__DIR__))) . "/lib/xsrf.php";
require_once("/etc/apache2/capstone-mysql/encrypted-config.php");

use \Edu\Cnm\Jpegery\Comment;

/**
 * Controller/API for the Comment class
 *
 * @author Jacob Findley <jfindley2@cnm.edu>
 */

//Verify the XSRF challenge
if(session_status() !== PHP_SESSION_ACTIVE) {
	session_start();
}

//Create an empty reply
$reply = new stdClass();
$reply->status = 200;
$reply->data = null;

try {
	//Grab the mySQL connection
	$pdo = connectToEncryptedMySQL("/etc/apache2/capstone-mysql/jpegery.ini");
	if(empty($_SESSION["profile"]) === true) {
		setXsrfCookie("/");
		throw(new \RuntimeException("Please log in or sign up", 401));
	}
	//Determine which HTTP method was used
	$method = array_key_exists("HTTP_X_HTTP_METHOD", $_SERVER) ? $_SERVER["HTTP_X_HTTP_METHOD"] : $_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"];

	//Sanitize the inputs
	//Note: Could this be unnecessary? What with type-hinting and all? Investigate further.
	$commentId = filter_input(INPUT_GET, "commentId", FILTER_VALIDATE_INT);
	//Make sure the id matches what the relevant method requires
	if(($method === "DELETE" || $method === "PUT") && (empty($commentId) === true || $commentId < 0)) {
		throw(new \InvalidArgumentException("Improper ID", 405));
	}

	//Sanitize and trim the other fields.
	$commentImageId = filter_input(INPUT_GET, "commentImageId", FILTER_VALIDATE_INT);
	$commentProfileId = filter_input(INPUT_GET, "commentProfileId", FILTER_VALIDATE_INT);
	$commentDate = filter_input(INPUT_GET, "commentDate", FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);
	$commentText = filter_input(INPUT_GET, "commentText", FILTER_SANITIZE_STRING);

	if($method === "GET") {
		//Set an XSRF cookie on 'get' requests
		setXsrfCookie("/");

		//Get the listing based on the current field
		if(empty($commentId) === false) {
			$reply->data = Comment::getCommentByCommentId($pdo, $commentId);
		} elseif (empty($commentImageId) === false) {
			$reply->data = Comment::getCommentByImageId($pdo, $commentImageId)->toArray();
		} elseif (empty($commentProfileId) === false) {
			$reply->data = Comment::getCommentByProfileId($pdo, $commentProfileId)->toArray();
		} elseif (empty($commentText) === false) {
			$reply->data = Comment::getCommentByCommentContent($pdo, $commentText)->toArray();
		}

	}
	//Verify that the object is not empty
	if(empty($_SESSION["profile"]) === false) {
		if($method === "PUT" || $method === "POST") {
			verifyXsrf();
			$requestContent = file_get_contents("php://input");
			$requestObject = json_decode($requestContent);

			//Ensure that all fields are present.
			if(empty ($requestObject->commentImageId) === true) {
				throw(new \InvalidArgumentException("Comment Image must exist", 405));
			}
			if(empty ($requestObject->commentProfileId) === true) {
				throw(new \InvalidArgumentException("Comment Profile must exist", 405));
			}

			if(empty($requestObject->commentText) === true) {
				throw(new \InvalidArgumentException("Comment text can not be empty", 405));
			}
			if (empty($requestObject->commentDate) === true) {
				$requestObject->commentDate = null;
			}

			//Attempt PUT
			if($method === "PUT") {
				$comment = Comment::getCommentByCommentId($pdo, $commentId);
				if ($comment === null) {
					throw(new \RuntimeException("Comment does not exist", 404));
				}
				if($_SESSION["profile"]->getProfileId() !== $comment->getCommentProfileId()) {
					throw(new \RuntimeException("Only the author of the comment can edit it."));
				}
				$comment->setCommentText($requestObject->commentText);
				$comment->setCommentDate($requestObject->commentDate);

				//Update the Comment table
				$comment->update($pdo);

				$reply->message = "Comment updated";
			} elseif($method === "POST") {
				$comment = new Comment(null,  $requestObject->commentImageId, $_SESSION["profile"]->getProfileId(), $requestObject->commentDate, $requestObject->commentText);
				$comment->insert($pdo);
				$reply->message = "Comment created";
			}
		} elseif ($method === "DELETE") {
			$comment = Comment::getCommentByCommentId($pdo, $commentId);
			if($comment === null) {
				throw(new \RuntimeException("Comment does not exist", 404));
			}
			if($_SESSION["profile"]->getProfileId() !== $comment->getCommentProfileId()) {
				throw(new \RuntimeException("Only the author of the comment can delete it."));
			}
			$comment->delete($pdo);
			$deletedObject = new stdClass();
			$deletedObject->commentId = $commentId;
			$reply->message = "Listing deleted";
		}
	} elseif ((empty($method) === false) && ($method !== "GET")) {
		//If a non-admin attempted to access anything other than GET, throw an error at them
		throw(new \RuntimeException("Only administrators are allowed to modify entries", 401));
	}
} catch(Exception $exception) {
	$reply->status = $exception->getCode();
	$reply->message = $exception->getMessage();
}
header("Content-type: application/json");
if($reply->data === null) {
	unset($reply->data);
}
echo json_encode($reply);


text:
Mellow Mice Chill Out For Science
First there was Mighty Mouse - and now comes Mellow Mouse, the coolest, calmest rodent ever to don a pair of sunglasses. Created by genetic engineers at Michigan State University, he's completely unflappable, and may help scientists get to grips with the mechanisms of stress management.
As reported in the June issue of Neuron, the key to unlocking the chill factor in mice is to "knock out" a gene that triggers anxiety. Reaction to stress - in both animals and humans - is mediated by a corticotropin-releasing factor receptor known as CRFR1 in the central nervous system. Take out the gene that produces CRFR1, and voila: relaxed rodents.
"These mice are mellow," says George Smith, assistant professor of animal science at MSU and a leading player in the project. "They don't get excited about anything."
To prove it he placed regular mice in a brightly lit clear tube, and watched as they fretted and stressed.
Mellow Mice in the same situation, however, felt secure and relaxed enough to explore their surroundings at a leisurely pace. Only a lack of deck chairs kept them from chilling out completely.
Scientists now hope these genetically engineered 'knock out' mice will help them develop new treatments and medications for stress-related disorders.
"Knock out mice are a valuable tool to tell how the body works," says Smith. "Hundreds of lines of knock out mice, each carrying a deletion of a single gene, have been generated by scientists in recent years, resulting in an explosion of information important to the biomedical community. Information obtained from knock out mice will help form the basis for many of the remarkable advances in treatment of genetic disease, cancer and neurological disorders awaiting us in the future."


Every time you choose to walk through the doors at First Ruston you will enjoy great music (traditional or contemporary), an upbeat atmosphere and teaching aimed at helping us deal with real life issues.
We believe that what we do within each ministry should flow purposefully out of what we value and love. Here is where you can get Connected within a ministry here at First.
If you are a New member or believer then check out our class that will help get you started here at First Ruston.
We exist to LOVE, WIN, and GROW Ruston and the world for Christ.
Grace for the Moment . . .
When our lives crash around us, we tend to hurry faster to fix it. And by fixing it . . . we mean to restore it the way it was. During the last few weeks, I've found myself running faster and faster to get more parts of my life back in order . . . while abandoning my quiet prayer time . . . and just praying as I ran.
However, last week as I passed a window, a movement caught my eye. A tiny bird was busy working . . . and I watched while she worked building a nest. It looked as though she was knitting! She had long wild weeds and rough pine straw . . . and she was weaving all these together to make a little basket-shaped nest to attach to a tree branch.
How did she know how to do this? As I stood and watched, I learned several lessons. Yes, indeed, God taught her how to do this . . . and He cared for her while she worked. What is more . . . He stopped me in my tracks to watch her and to know that He cares for me, also. But in order to realize this anew, I had to be still long enough to hear Him.
"Be still and know that I am God . . .." Psalm 46:10a (KJV) (See Zechariah 2:13).
Elementary School Teacher (ret), Bible Teacher, Mother, Grandmother, Encourager, Lover of the LORD, family, and others.
[Editor's Note: Here in the virtual eThoughts Ministry, you are invited to join with us in welcoming a new team writer, Vivian Lassiter. The eloquent Vivian is one who is meticulous and graceful with her words and one who cherishes the beauty that words convey to the mind and to the ear. She writes soothingly with God's blessings until she pens the voice from God.
You are receiving eThoughts . . . either with your permission or by a friend's forward.
Ruston and the world for Christ.


President Bush has made the spread of Freedom and Democracy the basic pillar of our foreign policy. As part of this effort he has committed to a vastly enhanced program of Public Diplomacy under the authority of Karen Hughes as Under Secretary of State.
By emphasizing diplomacy over the use of force President Bush did much to eliminate the fear of an American military crusade. But in order to prevail Ms. Hughes will not only have to sell the idea of freedom and democracy to the Arab world, she and the President will have to sell the American version of democracy to much of the rest of the world, including many of our allies.
"Democracy," like "Rashomon," has many faces and American democracy, viewed from abroad, has some unique facets. During my four years as U.S. Ambassador to France I saw how fascinated the French are by everything American; I believe that to be true of all Europeans. While they admire much of what we do, there also is much that is contrary to their beliefs and, in some cases, frightening to them. The death penalty, the power of religion in our politics, our opposition to international law, are just some examples of deep differences in values.
There is also a certain historical level of anti-Americanism that reflects these differences, but they are offset by recognition of a broad community of interests. Global economic instability, fear of terrorism and proliferation of nuclear weapons ultimately outweigh everything else. However, the war in Iraq unleashed a level of public hostility to America that was more virulent than anything in memory.
The new tone of the Bush Administration's dialogue with Europe has softened, which is all to the good. It is also a quite pragmatic recognition of the fact that we need each other. Domestically, just as George W. Bush needs the support of American public opinion to commit the country in a dangerous world, European political leaders need the support of their public opinion to be able to support us. To do so we have to recognize their concerns about our policies.
When President Bush speaks of freedom and democracy, Europeans think of the economic freedom that is fundamental to American capitalism. They are fascinated by its dynamic and by the opportunities it offers. They are, however, troubled by the social objectives imbedded in American capitalism, by the lack of a solid social safety net, by the speculative aspect of our markets, by the growing inequality created by our large differentials of wealth, and by the harsh impact of extensive deregulation.
Today they are also worried about the weakness of the dollar, and about policies that may lead to even greater weakness and the risk this creates to the global financial system. After all Europeans own more than $2 trillion in American securities, including over 15% of all listed stocks here, and over five million Americans work for European companies here. As a result of the depreciation of the dollar, they have suffered capital losses of about $800 billion.
The vision we have of American capitalism is that of a market driven system where government regulation and Protestant ethics help ensure that the public interest is protected. In that vision the Federal Reserve maintains a stable currency while a responsible budgetary policy enables strong investment in technology and innovation by the private sector. A progressive tax system is expected to provide for a fair distribution of benefits to society as a whole.
Seen from abroad, however, the current practice of American capitalism is quite different. Huge government deficits are generated by a rapidly growing military budget; taxes are being cut, instead of being raised to meet these expenses; a weak dollar and burgeoning speculative bubbles in the real estate markets are the present reality and the present risk. And the tax cuts, which strongly favor upper income groups, accelerate the growing inequality in wealth and income that is creating an ever more sharply divided America.
Americans' antipathy to taxes is not new. In 1782, the French Ambassador to the United States noted, "The Americans suffer the torching of their farms, the loss of their ships, and endure all the trials of war with courage, of which they have not enough to levy taxes, which would prevent the greatest part of their calamities." The tax increases on upper income Americans by Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush I, and Clinton, in fact improved the functioning of our economy, but we have not changed our attitude. American capitalism is very different in practice than in theory.
Market-based capitalism requires a platform of political freedom, the creation of wealth and fairness in its distribution. The American economy reflected these values until the 1980s, when American capitalism and European social democracy created reasonably similar economic outcomes. After the New Deal and the Great Society an implicit social contract, among business, labor and government, had maintained economic stability, a strong social safety net, and an increasingly broad distribution of wealth in America. We began to diverge with Europe in the 1980s as a result of higher population growth rates in the U.S. coupled with significantly greater investments in research and technology. And by the 1990s accelerating changes in our corporate culture and in the functioning of our financial markets, together with cheap money and easy speculation, resulted in the creation of astounding levels of wealth. These in turn led to serious legal and ethical abuses in the business world and to a breakdown in the concept of fairness.
On December 2, 1988 Ross Johnson, the then Chairman of RJR Nabisco, appeared on the cover of Time Magazine above the headline "A Game of Greed." Some time earlier, Ivan Boesky had given a much-applauded speech to the graduates of the University of California, entitled "Greed is Good." Greed had become one of the main engines of American market capitalism and speculation, and, in some cases, massive fraud was the result.
Greed is a sin, but it is not necessarily a crime. In the case of Ross Johnson, it remained a sin. However, it can lead to crime and, in the case of Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky and others it did just that. In the 1990s criminal behavior extended not only to speculators or insider traders, but also to a number of CEO's and senior corporate officers who manipulated their financial statements in order to inflate the price of their stock. In doing so they were often aided by their auditors, their bankers and, in some cases, their lawyers. We saw some of the results recently in the criminal conviction of the former CEO of WorldCom, Bernie Ebbers. Other rogue companies, and their former CEO's such as Enron, Adelphia, and HealthSouth, are presently under indictment or under investigation, and great banks such as Citibank and Morgan Chase were forced to pay billions to settle claims for violations of the security laws. As of now, even Blue Chip companies such as Fannie Mae and AIG and their CEO's, are under investigation.
In the late 1990s, as ambassador to France, I spent much of my time singing the praises of American capitalism. But back at home these factors were changing the system. A booming stock market sent executive compensation soaring, with very little accountability for performance. At the same time, deregulation, an easy monetary policy, and media-driven hype of new information technologies created essentially "free money" and astronomic stock valuations. Speculation created the dot.com bubble and in due course brought about the collapse of much larger companies, with tragic results.
The results were usually the same. Management and directors collected hundreds of millions in bonuses and stock sales while tens of thousands of employees saw their jobs and their savings lost. Hundreds of thousands of stockholders were ruined.
These events strike at the very heart of the most basic requirements of market capitalism: transparency and fairness. In addition, the media, treated finance like show business, creating stars out of executives and touted wealth as the sole standard of success.
While no single event can be pinpointed as the start or the single cause of these corruptions, I believe a great deal began in the 1980s. The road to Enron was long and well traveled.
Until the 1980s overall corporate activity was still consistent with the evolution of a largely industrial economy, while the consolidation of the financial sector, of Wall Street and the rise of institutional investors pointed to a major shift—late 20th Century finance capitalism.
Until then, the top levels of American enterprise, the big industrial companies, the big banks, etc., were dominated by Boards and CEO's who were traditional, conservative businessmen, with relatively high but not excessive compensation levels, whose fiefdoms were the platform of the American economy.
The advent of the leveraged buyout radically changed the relationship of management to the corporation. As LBO firms such as KKR and Forstmann Little, restructured American companies, they provided management with ownership levels never previously imagined. The 20% ownership stake in RJR Nabisco, demanded by Ross Johnson for his small top management team, possibly worth $2.5 billion, was simply an extreme extension of this new process, and Time Magazine made it the symbol of a new age.
The 1980s also coincided with the adoption of the large scale granting of stock options. I remember sitting on the boards of some large companies at the time, pressured by institutional investors demanding changes in compensation packages, aiming at greater stock interests of management and lower cash payouts. That meant more stock options. Meanwhile, stock prices were shooting upward, with no consistent correlation to the performance of their companies. According to the author Kevin Phillips, the compensation level in 1981 for the top ten American corporate executives had ranged from $2.3 million to $5.7 million, mostly in the form of salary and cash bonuses. Because of the shift to more options, by 1988 the compensation of the top 10 American executives ranged from $11.4 million to $40.1 million. By 2000, the range was $104 million to $290 million. While the levels of executive compensation are back from the stratosphere, they are still lofty. However, during this entire period American workers' pay increased only by slightly more than the inflation rate.
During these years, the deregulation of the telecommunication industry and the breakup of AT&T, together with dramatic advances in information technology had become a magnet for new investment. WorldCom, Qwest, Global Crossing and others raised tens of billions of dollars from the markets. They used over-inflated stock to acquire older, stronger companies and fed the myth of endless growth.
The glamour of these new entrepreneurs, and their new billions, gave a new political dynamic to the notion of deregulation. The repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act allowed banks to re-enter the securities field from which they had been excluded since the Great Depression. Energy deregulation brought new players into the staid utility field where traders such as Enron hooked up with the Internet to create a new culture of trading instead of investment.
The Federal Reserve kept interest rates low and flooded the markets with money. As it found its way into the stock market, it drove prices higher and higher. The Federal Reserve did nothing to slow this down. It was fearful of bursting the bubble and Alan Greenspan had become a convert to the New Economy.
A financial critical mass had been created which, at first, drove stocks sky-high and ultimately, and inevitably, exploded. In March 2000 the NASDAQ reached 5,100 and the Dow Jones 11,000. They then crashed and wiped out $7 trillion of market value. They wiped out the savings of millions of Americans, triggered the recession of 2000, and brought about the bankruptcies.
The public uproar created by these scandals, finally allowed the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley bill in July 2001. It required more responsibility from independent directors, certification of company finances by CEO's and demanded separation between the investment banking and research analysis functions of the banking industry. It is important legislation but, by itself, it will not suffice; it is already under attack.
We still have much to learn from what happened. New private equity funds have surpassed the original LBO investors in their size and ability to generate quick returns. Larger and larger hedge funds are being created and highly leveraged transactions in the tens of billions of dollars each are being considered. The availability of almost unlimited amounts of bank financing is astonishing.
Speculation is back but the biggest speculator of all is now the U.S. government. The Bush administration gave in to the conservative anti-tax revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, and went to war in Iraq while greatly underestimating its $300 billion cost to date. It simultaneously engaged in a policy of massive tax cuts, probably the first time ever that a country cut taxes when going to war. The domestic budget went from surplus to a record deficit, as did our trade balance, and the Federal Reserve pushed interest rates to all-time lows. And neither the Treasury nor the Fed acted to protect the dollar, which has declined by 40% and only drove our foreign deficit still higher. Our foreign debt has reached $4 trillion and China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan became our largest creditors. We have become the world's largest debtor; the dollar became one of the world's weakest currencies; and we are now facing large and increasing deficits for the foreseeable future.
And to add to an already incoherent and radical fiscal policy, President Bush, with the support of Chairman Greenspan, proposed to fix a supposedly "bankrupt" Social Security system by borrowing a further $2-4 trillion to create private investment accounts. This would do nothing for Social Security, but the perspective of such huge borrowings is likely to have a seriously negative impact on the credit markets.
During this period the fairness so vital to a modern democracy, was seriously impaired. As a result of the tax cuts and extraordinary levels of executive compensation, 1% of Americans now own 45% of the nation's household assets, a level not seen since 1929.
And in the meantime, we continued to starve domestic public investment. Much of our infrastructure is in a state of decay. The state of our public schools in particular, is a disgrace. It would probably require $2 trillion to bring our overall infrastructure up to decent condition, and a decade or more to achieve it, if we tried.
Much of what has gone wrong is due to serious ethical lapses of some business leaders, as well as mistaken policies by the Bush Administration. In the financial services field, however, there is an additional factor involved: the dehumanizing aspect of much of the new business.
Financial services used to be an extremely personal business; the making of loans, the purchase and sale of securities, the giving of financial advice, these were all activities with high levels of personal interplay, where personal character counted. Today, more and more of the financial service business involves capital markets and other trading activity. These consist of individuals, facing computer screens, buying and selling electronic signals with counter parties whom they never see, in locations all over the world. The only measure of performance is the profit or loss for that day. Quality, trust and confidence or any other non-quantitative measures of performance are of ever decreasing importance.
When a group, under the sponsorship of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, recently suggested the adoption of an Ethics Code by the financial industry, it was immediately met with the Kafkaesque notion that the very existence of such a code might increase legal liability risks. This is, however, an initiative that must be encouraged; corporate compensation committees, as part of their reviews, should specifically take ethical standards into account.
A global financial crisis could well happen as a result of our present fiscal policies. Many experts take the view that this is very unlikely; that foreign central banks will indefinitely support the dollar, and that the global system is self-correcting. Perhaps so. The risk that the experts are wrong may be small, but it is a risk we cannot take since it is a gamble we cannot afford to lose.
Our economy is vastly over leveraged and very vulnerable to a major shock. If a crisis occurs, mainly centered on the dollar, it will require heroic coordinated international efforts to bring it under control, as well as a level of bipartisan efforts unthinkable in the present domestic climate. To avoid the crisis, it is critical to maintain our credibility with our foreign friends as well as with those less friendly to us.
I am a capitalist and believe that market capitalism is the best economic system ever invented; but it must be fair, it must be regulated, and it must be ethical. American capitalism is now driven by the urge to deregulate and to limit the role of government to a minimum. Hence the current attacks of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, only three years after its enactment. At the end of the 19th Century, Theodore Roosevelt had a different view of the earlier manifestations of American capitalism. He rejected the idea that Washington had no role but to stamp Wall Street's initiatives. His quarrel was with illegal behavior, with those who exploited their extraordinary advantages to abuse others. He insisted on government's obligation to regulate the large new business aggregations not so much to address the inequalities of wealth as to police its potentially distorting influence. TR's war on the trusts was an effort to reinforce the new system, not weaken or attack it. This should be the purpose of regulation in a more and more complicated system.
The stakes are very high. Foreign investors own $5 trillion of our stocks and bonds. It is imperative that those foreign investors maintain their level of ownership and actually increase it by about $2 billion a day. That is the amount required to finance our current account deficit. "Credit" comes from the Latin verb: "to believe." Belief in our system is critical to maintain a global financial balance.
President Bush's idea of an "ownership society" is an idea, which is consistent with the objectives of American capitalism. But it is not credible within the context of government fiscal policies that increase our external indebtedness every day to the detriment of our national wealth. These policies cannot be allowed to go on indefinitely. They require difficult and painful actions, which can only come from a multi-year, bi-partisan plan, led by the President, and the Congress, with the support of business and labor. Such a plan will require a fair allocation of sacrifice in the form of budget cuts and tax increases. It must deal with entitlement programs. It must address the problem of alternative sources of energy such as nuclear power. It should aim to rebuild the country's infrastructure with new investment and new employment. It must stabilize our currency. Like the GI Bill of Rights, it should enhance the creation of American intellectual capital. The President and the Congress have much work to do if we hope to regain the global confidence in American capitalism. This is the challenge they must face which is fundamental to our ability to lead the free world.


CHINESE tourists continue to flood into Thailand, with January and February registering huge increases of 45% and 22% respectively over last year's figures, according to the Immigration Bureau.
In January this year, Chinese visitors numbered 814,593 (compared to 560,360 in the same month in 2015), while February increased to 958,204 (from 780,516).
If this amazing surge is sustained over the next 10 months, the total number of Chinese coming here this year could be as high as 10.5 million, greatly exceeding last year's record total of 7.9 million, making China by far Thailand's biggest tourist market.
In 2015, Thailand welcomed almost 30 million visitors, five million more than in 2014.
Malaysia is the country's second biggest market, with some two million visitors. Other important sources include Japan, India, Korea, Singapore, Russia, UK, Australia and Germany.
But it is the rise of China that is truly astonishing. As recently as 2005, a mere 776,792 of its citizens visited Thailand. By 2012, this figure had increased to 2.7 million visitors, putting it ahead of all other nationalities.
A year later, that number had almost doubled, but the biggest jump to date was in 2015 when 7.9 million Chinese came to Thailand. Today, Thailand's tourism industry is bracing itself for yet another increase this year.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has reported that Chinese visitors spent a whopping 697.5 billion baht during the first half of 2015, making it easily the country's biggest source of tourism revenue.
In fact, all the major markets registered visitor expenditure, with the sole exception of Russia which was down by more than 50% over the previous year.
China's dominant position is attracting both praise and criticism. TAT says it is playing a major role in bolstering the Thai economy, supporting jobs and income distribution nationwide, while others say their huge presence in Thailand may deter visitors from other countries. It is also suggested that some of the package holidays used by Chinese tourists yield only a small percentage to the host country.


text:
Longtime baseball executive Dan O'Brien Sr. dies at 87
Navigato has career-high 22, Toledo rolls over Bowling Green (Jan 17, 2017)
Williams scores career-best 38; UCF beats South Florida (Jan 17, 2017)
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Matt Williams made 11 3-pointers and finished with 38 points, both career highs, and Central Florida rolled to an 86-64 victory over South Florida on Tuesday night.
Williams, who surpassed his previous career-best of 24 points and eight 3s, was 12 of 23 from the field. Tanksley Efianayi added 12 points for Central Florida (14-4, 5-1 American), which has won seven of eight. Tacko Fall and A.J. Davis scored 10 points apiece. Davis grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
Geno Thorpe had 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting to lead South Florida (6-11, 0-6). Troy Holston added 16.
The Knights had a double-digit lead midway through the first half and built a 42-30 halftime lead. UCF stretched its lead to 20-points with 14:34 to play and cruised from there.
UCF outrebounded the Bulls 46-30, and shot 14 of 37 (38 percent) from long range. South Florida made 7 of 17 (41 percent0 from distance.
Mike White gives New York Jets fans something to believe in
College football Week 2 results: Who covered, closing lines, more
Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama and more: College football Week 2 by the numbers


text:
Edgar Klitsch (* 11. Juli 1887 in Berlin; † 15. September 1955 in Pfettrach) war ein deutscher Theaterintendant und Schauspieler.

Leben
Klitsch begann seine Bühnenlaufbahn 1915 als Spielleiter und Direktor am Albert-Theater in Dresden. Es folgten Engagements an den Hamburger Kammerspielen, an der Volksbühne und am Staatstheater Berlin sowie am Neuen Theater in Frankfurt am Main.

Von 1927 bis April 1932 war er Intendant des Stadttheater Mainz und im Anschluss bis zu seiner politisch begründeten Entlassung im März 1933 des Staatstheaters Kassel. Am 11. Juli 1933 wurde er als Nachfolger Fritz Landsittels als Intendant des Stadttheaters Magdeburg eingesetzt. Künstlerisch verlor während dieser Zeit das Stadttheater an Qualität und Bedeutung. Viele ehemalige Mitarbeiter durften nicht mehr arbeiten, andere verließen die Stadt und gingen an andere Bühnen. Auch Klitsch verließ Anfang 1934 Magdeburg und kam im Januar 1935 als Generalintendant des  Ostpreußischen Landestheaters nach Königsberg. Klitsch wurde Mitglied der  NSDAP Nach 1940 arbeitete Klitsch als Spielleiter an der Staatsoper Berlin.

Nach Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs war er von 1951 bis 1953 wieder in Kassel tätig.

1952 wurde er mit dem Bundesverdienstkreuz ausgezeichnet. Er erlag im September 1955 den Folgen eines Herzschlags.

Filmografie (Auswahl)
 1916: Du sollst nicht richten
 1919: König Nicolo
 1922: Frauenopfer
 1924: Das goldene Kalb

Literatur
 Christiane Bernsdorff-Engelbrecht, Hans Joachim Schaefer: Theater in Kassel: aus der Geschichte des Staatstheaters Kassel, von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 1959, .
 Hannes Heer, Sven Fritz, Heike Brummer, Jutta Zwilling: Verstummte Stimmen: die Vertreibung der "Juden" und "politisch Untragbaren" aus den hessischen Theatern 1933 bis 1945. Metropol, Berlin 2011, ISBN 978-3-86331-013-4, S. 298f.

Weblinks

Anmerkungen

Theaterintendant
Filmschauspieler
Theaterschauspieler
NSDAP-Mitglied
Darstellende Kunst (Nationalsozialismus)
Träger des Bundesverdienstkreuzes 1. Klasse
Deutscher
Geboren 1887
Gestorben 1955
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Chief winemaker at Yealands, Natalie Christensen, was in London last week to show off the Awatere estate's new releases, having just caught up with her extended family in Denmark.
Yealands has made a name for itself as a maker of a grown-up style of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc – and it still does that. But the focus here was broader, showing their full range of whites including Pinot Gris, Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer and Riesling, as well as a handful of Pinot Noirs.
And why "to boldly go"? Yealands' marketing strapline is "Think boldly. Tread lightly", referencing their pioneering attitude with green credentials.
Exposure to wind in the Awatere makes for smaller berries with thicker skins and results in intense flavours in the wines.
There is life beyond Sauvignon Blanc – Yealands Estate Riesling really impressed with its gradually flowering aromas of orange blossom and lime and herbal palate. The Pinot Gris struck a fine balance between the simple, crisp pleasures of Italian Pinot Grigio and the richer, more aromatic Alsace incarnation.
Having said that….Sauvignon Blanc is still 85% of Yealands' production – and they do it well, with a range of bottlings showing different nuances (not a word that you might readily associate with this grape in New Zealand). Not a gooseberry in sight (or smell).
Get blending – I enjoyed the Grüner and Gewürz, but was most impressed with the perhaps underwhelmingly named PGR (as in an annually changing blend of Pinot Gris, Gewurz and Riesling). The Pinot Gris acts as what Natalie called "the cuddly arms bringing it all together", alongside the more assertive varieties.
It's not all about the whites: Marlborough Pinot Noir is making great strides – there was lovely balance of cherry fruit with delicate use of oak in the wines from the cooler vintage of 2017 – and even a hint of natural winemaking in the low intervention Q Block Pinot Noir 2018 barrel sample.
Natalie, who succeeded another gifted female winemaker Tamra Kelly-Washington, has been at Yealands for three years now and seems to have settled into the groove, producing well-made wines which say something about their origin – the opposite of "look at me" wines which could have been made anywhere.


There is no formal assessment for entrance to S5 at Stewart's Melville College or The Mary Erskine School, but an offer is subject to references/reports from your child's current school and predicted examination results. Your child should also have strong passes at National 5 or GCSE equivalent in the subjects they are planning to study in S5.
We are happy to receive applications at any time during the year prior to proposed entry.


During long road trips , I enjoy looking out of the car window and searching for something interesting ! It is fun if you do not drive ! There are fleeting moments around us that we miss noticing while living a pretty still ,normal life.
Sometimes , I sit with a camera ( not the phone camera but my uni-functional camera and some lens ) and try to click things from certain angles and heights .
Sometimes , I forget to remove the lens cover and the car passes the view !
Sometimes , I wait for something better to come and the car matches with 60 mile speed limit and crosses the natural beauty without giving my camera even a second to click!
But , I do not give up ! I always wait for a perfect moment to surrender to my lens ! Later , I call those pictures " insignificant shots" due to some issue with angle or shutter speed ; but deep in my heart , they are just a few ephemeral moments !
– > Do you love catching a moment far from your car window? Why do you love photography ? What do you do to save yourself from car sickness?
Next Post Quotes to Peace..
I don't have bridges where I am, so I kind of miss them! I used to love driving over bridges early in the morning coming or going through NYC, the fog with the sun trying to burn through it was always magical. I grew up in the days of no cells, actually I had one a few years ago but it drove me nuts when I was out and people would call or text so I got rid of it 😉 I miss having a darkroom and developing pictures myself, yeah I'm that old school! Something about working with the chemicals and watching the pictures appear was awesome, more so than picking them up from a developer. Of course I have no place for a darkroom anymore 😉 So that's not happening, plus I don't take pictures like I used to.
I usually sleep to avoid car sickness 🙂 I'm trying to train myself to not do that as I've needed to co-pilot from time to time.
Lovely shots Archita dear. Yes I always have to take shots while moving. But its fun to wait for the right moment.
I always knew you and I have many things in common ; now adding car photography to that list . 🙂 Thank you for the encouragement, Indira . Love and hugs.
wow, that's one nice looking beach!
Beautiful photos! I esp love the last two!


Do you know the importance of "Residual income"? Let this sink in for a moment or two; The average millionaire has at last three streams of income and I can guarantee one of them is residual income. But, what's the big deal? Well, this is capitalism we are talking about. It only really matters if you're perhaps an entrepreneur and pondering the thoughts of truly making it big. Even if you're simply trying to make a few extra bucks online, monthly recurring (residual) income is definitely the way to go. Check it out!


Lindsay and Jordan began their life together on a beautiful spring day at Foxhall Sporting Club near Palmetto, GA. The white and blush flowers included peonies, tulips, ranunculus, hydrangea, babies breath, and garden roses just to name a few of the blooms that graced their tables and decor. Thank you Thu Tran of 2TPhoto for capturing and sharing such a beautiful day for Lindsay and Jordan.
Marji and Adam were married on a beautiful fall day at the Foundry at Puritan Mill. The river birch chuppa was adorned with beautiful blooms. Free spirit roses, ranunculus, mini green hydrangea, seeded euc, branches, nigella, dusty miller, rosemary, etc., etc. Check out their gallery for a glimpse into their fairy tale wedding.
Beautiful noon wedding at Mt. Bethel Methodist Church followed by a gorgeous English style wedding brunch at Marietta Country Club. Peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, scabiosa, and other garden flowers in pinks, peaches, greens and white. Accented with dusty miller and queen anne's lace to mention a few.
Rachel and Rob married in the beautiful chapel at Perimeter Church. The celebration continued at Country Club of the South. The rustic but elegant theme was very in keeping with their style from the shot gun shell bouts to the wood and natural elements throughout. White washed wooden boxes, white and silver lanterns surrounded by flowers, barn wood planks, etc. Be sure to continue on to check out their gallery. White, blush a touch of purple and lavender. Beautiful photography by Lauren Carnes at Lauren Carnes Photography.
The beautiful and historic Naylor Hall was the back drop for Lexey and Michael's beautiful wedding day. Clusters of flower on shepherds hooks lined the aisle up to the steps of this stately home. There were beautiful flowers throughout. Roses, hydrangea, larkspur, dusty miller, spray roses, berries and magnolia were among the floral decor. Take a peek into their special day. Thank you Brandi Sisson Photography for the beautiful pictures.
Katherine and Christopher were married on a beautiful fall day in November at St. Anne's Catholic Church followed by a fabulous reception at historic Naylor Hall in Roswell. White, lavender, purple and green were their wedding colors with beautiful blooms of larkspur, hydrangea, succulents, roses, lisianthus and many more. Tall arrangements sitting on glass trumpet vases along with low mercury glass vases filled with beautiful blooms adorned the reception ballroom. Take a peek to see more. Thank you Alena Moore Photography for the beautiful pictures.
Beautiful January wedding at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church and reception following at Cherokee Town and Country Club. Reds, white, seasonal greens and natural elements were the features used in this spectacular wedding. The bride and groom are into Virginia Vineyards and used them as the theme for their table seating. Be sure to take a peak into their special day! Thank you Erin of TinCanPhotography.net for the beautiful pictures!!!
Rachel + Matthew = Married Loved being a part of this sweet couple's wedding. They were united under our river birch chuppa on the front lawn of Naylor Hall in Roswell. A beautiful ceremony and really fun reception. Rachel chose white and purple for her flowers and wedding colors. Thank you Once Like A Spark Photography with Tyler for sharing your beautiful photos with us.
This adorable couple celebrated their marriage with a fabulous reception at the historic Georgia Freight Depot. They enhanced the rustic charm of this venue with wooden boxes, barn wood planks, candles, gold vases of white flowers with lots of draping greenery. Don't miss their gallery for a glimpse of their special day!
Beautiful winter wedding at Northside Methodist Church. Melissa was honored with the gift of her wedding flowers from her Uncle Curt. We joined him and his very talented friend Velve at his beautiful home in Atlanta and worked with them to design her beautiful wedding flowers. Melissa would pass through and share with us her excitement and pleasure in the florals we were creating. The reception was the first to be held at the new venue 3109 Piedmont Estate (Old Anthony's). The reception was absolutely gorgeous. Dahlias, roses, brunia berries, dusty miller, garden roses, freesia, ranunculus and the list goes on.
Their weekend wedding celebration got started on a fun note. The White Oak Restaurant & Bar hosted the rehearsal dinner and everyone enjoyed the food and fun. Photography by Griffin Gibson Photography.
A beautiful summer day for Laura and Kevin's wedding day. The reception at Park Tavern Tent was perfect. White, blush with a little lavender touch. Loved the mix of silver, mercury glass and juliska styled vases. Perfect garden setting.
A beautiful summer reception at Summerour studio. The rustic theme was carried out with cool tones of blue and purple, accents of moss, wood and silver. Hydrangea, roses, poppy pods, and delphenium were among the dominant flowers used.
Here is a cross section of bouquets we have done. We customize each bouquet to our bride's flower and style choice. Hope you enjoy!
Here are a few arrangements we have done. Again, arrangements are designed with the bride's flower choices, colors and style in mind. From simple to very elegant and stately.
Often boutonnieres don't get top billing so they don't get captured in photos. We will add as we capture more. images.
Here are examples of Estate Tables we have done. From rustic to vintage to super dressy. Take a look!
A beautiful winter wedding at the historic Georgian Terrace Hotel. Jewel toned flowers were beautiful in the ornate. ballroom. Silver candelabra, mercury glass and gold added to the beauty. Thank you Allison Elaine Photography for such beautiful pictures.
Here are a few Ginger Lily pictures from Andrea & Joe's Georgian Terrace wedding.
On a beautiful winter day in December, Whitney and Caulder were married. The ceremony was beautiful in a clear tent sitting beside the Barnsley Gardens ruins. Burlap, lace, lanterns, the arbor built by Caulder the Groom were just a few of the beautiful details. The dinner tent featured a huge Estate Table with an elegant hanging wooden box overflowing with flowers. The ceremony tent was flipped and set for an evening of dancing and celebration. Hope you enjoy the pictures. Whitney and Caulder's celebration was a special event to remember.
Whitney & Will got married on a beautiful summer evening when there were thundershowers EVERY afternoon but theirs. A beautiful garden ceremony united them and then on to the tents nestled on the beautiful grounds of The Hill home place/event facility in Athens. Whitney chose blush colors of peony, dahlias, garden roses, scabiosa, and ranunculus for a start. They choose smaller tables to serve their guests and make for great conversation. A great time was had by all as they celebrated the marriage of Whitney & Will and the new Perry family.
Laura and Tyler were blessed with a beautiful fall wedding weekend. The rehearsal dinner was held at historic Naylor Hall in Roswell. Beautiful fall flowers in orange and yellow hues. Roses, gerbera daisies, ranunculus, dusty miller, and billy balls to name a few.
Laura & Tyler were married at the Garden at Great Oaks another historic home in Roswell. Thank you David Diner of Atlanta Artistic Weddings for the great photographs.
A few adornments for the little flower girls and ring bearers in your ceremony.


Well this episode didn't turn out the way we hoped. Perhaps we need to start over with a new podcast body. Too bad we don't have the money raised to do that. Maybe we'll show up at our local gangster's house and play piss-poor poker to win some cash.
We'd like to thank our Patron - The Indy Sportscar Podcast for being a hero.