The U.S. regulatory environment strongly impacts innovation and the development of new drugs and biologics. With this in mind, the Achieving Regulatory Approval and Compliance educational track at the 2012 BIO International Convention will tackle the most pressing regulatory issues facing the industry, specifically the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA V), implementation of the new biosimilars pathway, and efforts to modernize and expedite drug development. Hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), this year's global event for biotechnology will take place June 18-21, 2012 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, MA.
"Attendees can expect to hear from a distinguished group of speakers from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as major biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies," said BIO CEO and President Jim Greenwood. "Sessions will address the steps involved in research and development of healthcare products and how to successfully bring these products to market, all while maintaining rigorous standards for safety, effectiveness, and compliance."
Ablitech, Inc., a biotechnology company developing delivery systems for gene silencing and cancer-fighting treatments, today announced that Dr. Daniel Bednarik has been named the Director of the Research Advisory Board.
In his part-time role, Bednarik will assemble and manage a committee of scientists who will provide guidance to the corporation's research efforts, enhance funding, and create partnering opportunities.
Plug into the Ecosystem of Health Innovation. Bring creative ideas, and connect with startups, developers, and designers. Learn how to utilize the exploding market of healthcare data innovation, and network with recognized VCs, funders, policy makers, and potential partners.
The Health Datapalooza will feature keynote addresses, a Data & Apps Expo, demonstrations of cutting-edge apps, hands-on data deep dives, and thought-provoking panel discussions. There will also be plenty of time for networking and one-on-one interaction.
Right now there are probably thousands of late-stage cancer patients waiting for drugs that could prolong their lives. Where do they look? Research labs all across the country. In a process called technology transfer, drugs go from the lab to the market, with a few steps in between, and the push is on to speed up the process, without leaving any loose ends.
Recent technology transfers have resulted in treatments for fibromyalgia, a joint and muscle pain illness, called Lyrica; a form of fatal breast cancer, now leaving the disease undetectable, Herceptin, and new chemotherapy agents.
The National Institutes of Health announced Friday it has awarded Johns Hopkins University $15 million to help establish the school's new Center for AIDS research.
The Center will tap researchers from Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health, the school of medicine and school of nursing to address HIV in Baltimore. It will also be supported financially by Johns Hopkins Provost Lloyd Minor and the deans of the Bloomberg School, the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing.
TATRC within the Army's Medical Research and Materiel Command is taking steps to move research forward according to the article "TATRC: Translating Research into New Medical Products" published in the May 2012 issue of "Mercury".
Ron Marchessault, Director of Technology Transfer and Commercialization for TATRC, is busy developing a comprehensive commercialization program for more than 1,800 research projects funded since 2000. So far, 2.3 percent have resulted in commercial products, generating $209 million in sales from a total federal investment of $74 million. TATRC manages these projects at universities, government laboratories, and high-tech start-up companies.
GlaxoSmithKline PLC is taking its unsolicited $2.6 billion bid for Rockville-based Human Genome Sciences Inc. directly to the biotech's shareholders through a tender offer this week, a hostile move that will test GSK's partnership with the smaller firm, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Human Genome Sciences last month rejected GSK's $13-per-share share offer as too low, and said it had hired two banks to advise it on "strategic alternatives," including a possible sale of the company. In a statement Wednesday, Glaxo said it won't participate in Human Genome Sciences' strategic review process, and will instead launch a cash tender offer this week at $13 per share.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) published a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) in the Spring 2012 NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts to establish Centers for Accelerated Innovations (CAI). The CAI will address the problems that hinder the critical early steps necessary to translate novel scientific advances and discoveries into commercially viable diagnostics, devices, therapeutics, and tools that improve patient care and advance public health.
Despite the remarkable success of NHLBI in enabling the development of interventions that have greatly reduced the health burdens due to cardiovascular, lung, blood and sleep disorders, much remains to be done. Cardiovascular and lung diseases still account for 3 of the 4 leading causes of death; 4 of the 10 leading causes of infant death; $392 billion in health care dollars, and 22% of the total economic costs of illness, injuries, and death.
Unfortunately, the pace of translating discoveries from NHLBI-supported research into medical products that can further reduce the public health burden of heart, lung, and blood (HLB) diseases appears to have slowed. Major pharmaceutical firms have announced their intention to abandon drug development efforts for cardiovascular diseases and venture capital and angel investors have shown a decreased interest in the healthcare and biotechnology sectors.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the first batch of organizations for Health Care Innovation awards. Made possible by the health care law – the Affordable Care Act – the awards will support 26 innovative projects nationwide that will save money, deliver high quality medical care and enhance the health care workforce. The preliminary awardees announced today expect to reduce health spending by $254 million over the next 3 years.
The genomic data generated from next-generation sequencing machines doesn't amount to much more than alphabet soup if it's not subjected to significant computational processing and statistical analysis. For the data to be useful, the trick is to turn those As, Ts, Gs, and Cs into a manageable description of disease risks and other genetic predispositions. That requires a lot of computational power and time—already a significant bottleneck for some genomic analysis companies.
Several companies are looking to the cloud as a way to help them analyze all the data. The idea is that researchers can send their data to a Web-hosted analysis service that will process raw data into a genetic profile. However, the data files generated by sequencing machines are so massive that the mundane issue of uploading large files to the cloud becomes its own issue. The strategy of a Redwood City, California-based startup called Bina Technologies is to divide and conquer: give customers an in-house data-crunching machine that will turn a mountain of raw sequence into easily shared genetic profiles. Those profiles can then be quickly uploaded to Bina Technologies' cloud-hosted site for data management, sharing, and aggregation.
Supernus Pharmaceuticals Inc. capped off its first week on the Nasdaq up nearly $1 from its initial public offering price. With its IPO in the bag, the Rockville biotech now turns to a bigger gamble: seeing two drugs through Food and Drug Administration approval and onto the commercial market.
The modestly successful May 1 offering marks the first time a Washington-area biotech has gone public since 2007 and leaves Supernus with a pile of cash to shovel into its lead product candidates — epilepsy drugs SPN-538 and SPN-804.
A proposal to speed the approval of new prescription drugs has patient advocates and biotech firms — including many based in Maryland — hoping that Congress will deliver a rare dose of bipartisanship this year.
Lawmakers are proposing a 6 percent increase in the fees that pharmaceutical firms pay the Food and Drug Administration to offset the cost of approving new drugs. If the measure is not signed into law by the end of September, the FDA would lose the ability to charge any fees and be forced to lay off 2,000 workers, significantly slowing review times.
Last Friday, Forbes health care editor Matt Herper and I sat down to talk about my proposal, which I detailed in a paper for the Manhattan Institute, to encourage the FDA to approve more drugs after mid-stage phase II testing, using a process called "conditional approval." (You can read my proposal, in three parts, here.) Matt put forth some very perceptive critiques of the idea, which I respond to in today's dispatch.
As a refresher, my proposal builds on an existing FDA procedure called accelerated approval in which the FDA approves drugs that show great promise in phase II, with the caveat that the drug sponsor must still perform confirmatory phase III studies. If the phase III studies ultimately show that the drug doesn't work as advertised, or has previously unknown safety issues, the FDA can revoke its approval. This is exactly what happened when the FDA revoked the approval of Avastin in breast cancer, after phase III tests did not reproduce the early signal of benefit that the drug had shown in phase II studies.
Last month, the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), a trade association representing the U.S. venture capital industry, released the results of its MoneyTree Report on venture funding for the first quarter of 2012. The report, which is prepared by NVCA and PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP using data from Thomson Reuters, indicates that venture capitalists invested $5.8 billion in 758 deals in the first quarter, which constituted a 19% decrease in dollars and a 15% decrease in deals as compared with the fourth quarter of 2011, when $7.1 billion was invested in 889 deals.
The report notes that the Life Sciences sector (biotechnology and medical device industries) and the Clean Technology sector saw marked decreases in both dollars and deals in the first quarter, with the drop in Life Sciences funding mostly due to decreased funding for the biotech industry. While the biotechnology industry still managed to place second among the industries tracked by the NVCA in terms of dollars invested in the first quarter, with $780 million invested in 99 deals, this constituted a 43% drop in dollars and a 14% drop in deals over the fourth quarter. The medical device industry picked up some of the slack for the Life Sciences sector, with $687 million invested in 72 deals, which constituted a 33% increase in dollars and a 6% drop in deals. The number of deals in the Life Sciences sector dipped to its lowest point since the first quarter of 2009. Overall, eleven of the seventeen sectors tracked by the NVCA saw decreases in dollars invested in the first quarter.
Yesterday at the New York Biotechnology Association's 21st annual meeting, National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins was beamed in by videoconference to a keynote lunch at the Times Square Marriott Marquis. Collins, who was the featured speaker, apologized for his virtual appearance at the event, but he had a good excuse: Just two hours earlier he was at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., making an announcement about an ambitious new program being undertaken by the NIH and drug giants Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Eli Lilly. The NIH said it will collaborate with the companies to make existing compounds available to outside scientists who want to find new uses for them.
Cambridge's most prolific life sciences entrepreneur, Andy Richards, says the local cluster is attracting more cash and global kudos than at any time in its history.
Dr Richards says a number of 'secret' investments in the UK sector have created a far healthier funding environment than available figures would suggest.
A serial angel investor in Cambridge's European-leading BiomedTech cluster, Dr Richards is also its most passionate evangelist and believes it has never ridden so high in its quarter-century evolution.
QIAGEN N.V. QGEN -1.92% (frankfurt prime standard:QIA) today announced the acquisition of AmniSure International LLC, a privately owned Boston company that markets the AmniSure assay for determining whether a pregnant woman is suffering rupture of fetal membranes (ROM), a condition in which fluid leaks from the amniotic sac prematurely.
The first three start-ups have been selected to participate in a new business accelerator program started by Loyola University Maryland.
CodePupil, PointClickSwitch.com and Vidstructor were selected by the university and its partner Wasabi Ventures to participate in the accelerator located in Govans, according to the Baltimore Business Journal.
In March Loyola announced it was creating the business accelerator to partner with local entrepreneurs to help create new businesses.
The results of the human trials are startling. Even at a lower-than-usual dose, multiple lung metastases shrank or even disappeared after one patient received only two-hour-long intravenous infusions of an experimental cancer drug. Another patient saw her cervical tumor reduce by nearly 60 percent after six months of treatment. Though the drug trial—by Bind Biosciences in Cambridge, Massachusetts—of an experimental nanotechnology-based technique was designed simply to show whether the technology is safe, the encouraging results revive hopes that nanomedicine could realize its elusive promise.
Maryland has the foundation on which it can grow a robust environment of high-tech, innovative start-ups, but needs a stronger angel and venture capital network, more support for entrepreneurs and better programs to nurture young, creative minds, a group of business leaders said Tuesday.
"There's no reason Maryland can't be an entrepreneurial hotbed like Austin or Boston or Silicon Valley," said John M. Wasilisin, executive vice president of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO). "We have our challenges, but our assets are off the charts, our education system and our quality of life, our access to federal facilities."
- and Vidstructor, a software company enabling interactive video training platforms for businesses.
Four New Enterprise Associates (NEA) venture capitalists were named to Forbes Midas List of Tech Investors, which aims to single out the top 100 venture capitalists that provide "the best returns for their investors, while helping create the most valuable and impactful technology and life science companies."
Scott Sandell from the firm's Menlo Park office ranked highest at 14th. He was joined by Chevy Chase, Md. based Harry Weller (17), Peter Barris (23), both stalwarts on the Midas list, and "newcomer" James Barrett.
Weller's and Barris' biggest deal was in Groupon while Barret's was in Pharmion.
President Barack Obama's administration rolled out its National Bioeconomy Blueprint last week, on April 26. It details measures by which Washington intends to apply biological innovations toward national challenges that include health, food, energy, and the environment.
At the top of the Blueprint's five priorities is supporting "R&D investments that will provide the foundation for the future U.S. bioeconomy." Also on the list: increasing the focus on translational and regulatory sciences, reforming regulations, updating training programs, and identifying and supporting opportunities for public-private partnerships.
For years, drug companies have known that their days of plenty were numbered, that the moment would arrive when the best-selling drugs that had driven two decades' worth of profits would lose their patent protection and succumb to competition from generic alternatives. Without new blockbusters to replace them, profits would tumble.
For Pfizer, that day has arrived. Pfizer profited from hits like Lipitor and Viagra, and swallowed up smaller companies from the 1990s onward.
But it has no immediate successor to Lipitor, the best-selling drug in history, which lost patent protection last fall. The problem was punctuated on Tuesday when the company said that profit declined 19 percent last quarter, largely because of declines in Lipitor sales.
It was exciting to see the creation this week of the New York Digital Health Accelerator in New York. The New York State Department of Health, the New York City Investment Fund and the New York eHealth Collaborative all have partnered to provide funding, mentoring support, development expertise and more to health app startups in the state.
The group is awarding $300,000 each to 12 startups that are producing apps for care coordination, patient engagement, analytics and messaging. The deadline to apply is June 1. What we'll really be watching for, though, is to see if other states follow suit, and fund health startups in, say, Nebraska or Mississippi. Such localized startup/development support really could be a boon for hospitals trying to develop their own clinical apps. Most incubator programs thus far have been in New York or California, leaving hospitals in the rest of the country out of the running.
BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI), a regional private-public partnership focusing on commercializing market-relevant biohealth innovations and increasing access to early-stage funding in Central Maryland, announced today the appointment of Douglas Liu, Senior Vice President of Global Operations at Qiagen, to its Board of Directors.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is now accepting nominations for the second annual Gates Vaccine Innovation Award. The award aims to recognize, celebrate, and spur transformative ideas for achieving health impact through the delivery of vaccines. Nominations will be accepted through August 31, 2012.
In a move that combines an interest in improving health outcomes with a desire to create jobs and boost the state economy, the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) and the New York State Department of Health (DOH) have partnered with the New York City Investment Fund to launch the New York Digital Health Accelerator (NYDHA). The program will subsidize health IT startups and link them with "senior advisors" from New York healthcare organizations to accelerate the development of useful new products.
Within the next few months, the program will choose 12 "early- and growth-stage companies" that are developing products in the areas of care coordination, patient engagement, data analytics and message alerts for healthcare providers. In addition to the mentoring, each selected company will receive up to $300,000 to help create solutions designed to improve quality of care for the state's Medicaid recipients, according to a NYDHA announcement.
David Brennan's move to retire as AstraZeneca's (NYSE:AZN) CEO in June did not come as a surprise to those who had been urging for a change at the top over the company's drug development shortcomings. In an industry that walks a tightrope between innovation and regulation and the financial considerations that frame them, there are two critical characteristics that can undermine a CEO:being too bold or not bold enough. Brennan was a bit of both.
His leadership was bookended by two acquisitions -- a $15.2 billion deal for MedImmune, a drug developer with a focus on influenza vaccines and the $1.26 billion purchase of biotechnology business Ardea Biosciences.
Economic activity that is fueled by research and innovation in the biological sciences, the "bioeconomy," is a large and rapidly growing segment of the world economy that provides substantial public benefit. The bioeconomy has emerged as an Obama Administration priority because of its tremendous potential for growth as well as the many other societal benefits it offers. It can allow Americans to live longer, healthier lives, reduce our dependence on oil, address key environmental challenges, transform manu- facturing processes, and increase the productivity and scope of the agricultural sector while growing new jobs and industries.
Decades of life-sciences research and the development of increasingly powerful tools for obtaining and using biological data have brought us closer to the threshold of a previously unimaginable future: "ready to burn" liquid fuels produced directly from CO2, biodegradable plastics made not from oil but from renewable biomass, tailored food products to meet specialized dietary requirements, personalized medical treatments based on a patient's own genomic information, and novel biosensors for real-time monitoring of the environment. Increasingly,scientists and engineers are looking to augment biological research with approaches from other scientific disciplines for solutions to our most demanding scientific and societal challenges and seeing exciting options that will profoundly affect our future.
IT WAS once only drug firms that developed drugs. But this is changing. Take the case of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, a Parkinson's disease charity. On April 19th it announced that it would pay for a clinical trial of a drug developed by Sanofi, a French pharmaceutical giant, that might treat the mental symptoms of the disease.
The deal is the latest sign of a broader shift—one that is driven by desperation. Patents on blockbuster drugs are expiring. Research and development (R&D) have grown less productive, with billions of dollars yielding only a trickle of drugs.
Growing diagnostic test developer Nodality Inc. is losing its first CEO, but the venture capital world is gaining another experienced life sciences entrepreneur.
Dr. David Parkinson will join New Enterprise Associates as a venture partner. He initially will be interim chief medical officer of NEA-backed Zyngenia Inc., a young Gaithersburg, Md., company targeting cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Parkinson leaves Nodality -- named "Most Promising Company" at the Personalized Medicine World Conference last year -- as the 40-person South San Francisco company forges ahead with a hybrid strategy of selling its tests into clinics and striking deals with drug developers. In the face of changes in the medical diagnostics industry, it's a model that just might be used by more companies.
Zyngenia, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing Zybodies(TM), next-generation multi-specific antibody-based drugs in oncology and immunology, announced today that it has appointed David Parkinson, M.D. as a member of its Board of Directors and head of its Clinical Advisory Board. Dr. Parkinson will also serve as Interim Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
"Since our start in September 2009, we at Zyngenia have validated our technology platform and developed a suite of novel multi-specific biological drug candidates. We have also built an outstanding drug discovery and development team," said Zyngenia President and CEO Peter A. Kiener, D.Phil. "We have been working with David Parkinson as a member of our scientific advisory group for some time now and, as we head toward clinical testing of our Zybodies, are thrilled to be able to get such an accomplished drug developer, company builder and leader in oncology and immunology more directly involved with Zyngenia.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, April 24, 2012 – The University of Maryland BioPark announced today thatBahija Jallal, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Research and Development at MedImmune, has been appointed as the newest member of the UM Health Sciences Research Park Corporation (RPC) Board of Directors.
Dr. Jallal is a member of both MedImmune's executive team as well as the R&D leadership team of parent company AstraZeneca. She joined MedImmune as Vice President, Translational Sciences, in March 2006 and has since held positions of increasing responsibility. Dr. Jallal now oversees research, development, regulatory and clinical activities conducted by a team of more than 2,500 employees based at MedImmune's Maryland, California, and Cambridge, UK sites. Dr. Jallal has guided the MedImmune R&D organization through unprecedented growth and expansion of its biologics pipeline from 40 drugs to more than 140. Dr. Jallal is passionate about leading and shaping MedImmune's rich pipeline of drugs targeting cancer, infections, respiratory and inflammatory diseases, cardio-vascular and gastrointestinal disorders and pain to ultimately develop new medicines for patients.


I can see all the design elements have come together harmoniously in this dress - the lip or the tulips is mirrored in both the sleeve and the neckline. What a gorgeous dress. This is going to make some mum very proud.
Lovely dress. The details are wonderful.
You just needed some time for the creative juices to get flowing. It wasn't really procrastination, but think-time. Very nice touch at the neckline.
Perfect details to this gorgeous little dress! I love the back!


text:
«Железный орёл» () — американский боевик.

Сюжет
Главный герой фильма, подросток по имени Дуг (Дуглас), неудачно пытавшийся поступить в Военно-воздушную академию США, собирается спасти своего отца-лётчика, сбитого над Средиземным морем эскадрильей враждебного средиземноморского государства, граничащего с Египтом (вероятно подразумевается Ливия) . Госдепартамент США не хочет усугублять отношения с руководством страны, где содержится пленный лётчик, а потому не санкционирует операцию по спасению и не предпринимает попыток вернуть пленного. Между тем, пленённому лётчику за отказ добровольно сознаться в совершении акта вторжения в воздушное пространство суверенного государства собираются устроить показательную казнь. Руки командования ВВС США связаны, поскольку командование ВМС отказывается предоставлять свои авианосцы для спасательной операции ВВС. Тогда сын пленного лётчика Дуг вместе с пришедшим ему на помощь ветераном ВВС отставным полковником Чарльзом «Чаппи» Синклером сами решают восстановить справедливость. При помощи своих предприимчивых школьных друзей, Дугу удаётся заполучить данные воздушно-космической разведки, сфабриковать накладные на получение со склада необходимого количества авиационных боеприпасов и подвесных топливных баков, а в довершение получить разрешение диспетчерского центра на вылет. Под видом штатных пилотов Дуг и Чаппи проникают на авиабазу и вылетают на двух истребителях-бомбардировщиках F-16B, назначенных для доставки в Испанию по договору о военно-техническом сотрудничестве, но вместо доставки самолётов в пункт назначения, угоняют их и отправляются на Ближний Восток, собираясь разбомбить вражескую базу и выручить отца парня.

Фильм, помимо инструментальных оркестровых композиций, написанных для фильма Бэзилом Поледурисом, содержит известные композиции рок- и поп-исполнителей тех лет, в том числе «One Vision» группы Queen (хотя, по словам Брайана Мэя, группе пришлось дважды подумать, прежде чем дать согласие на использование песни о мире в фильме о войне).

Роли МиГ-23 в фильме исполнили израильские истребители Kfir.

См. также
 «Железный орёл 2»
 «Железный орёл 3: Асы»
 General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon

Примечания

Ссылки

Фильмы-боевики США
Фильмы Сидни Фьюри
Фильмы США 1986 года
Пропагандистские фильмы США

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I've noticed that whenever Jesus drew a large crowd, He eliminated most of them by talking about the requirements of discipleship. If Jesus was interested in just building a large following He would have kept quiet about the cost of discipleship. Jesus wasn't interested in the numbers game, he wanted to make disciples. Unfortunately, most of the people who heard Him weren't interested in absolute commitment to His authority. Getting by was good enough for them.
Sadly, that's too often the case in the church today. Too many of us serve Christ as long as He doesn't inconvenience us. Few church members would never say things like this out loud, but that's the message that is conveyed. As a result, there are too few disciples around to enable the church to impact the world, the city, the neighborhood or simply the block their church occupies.
We need committed individuals to become disciples and they don't just magically appear. Committed disciples must be developed by dedicated Christian who have become disciples, and pour themselves into men and women who are determined not to sell out. This commitment requires not only bible reading but engaging into the lives of the lost. This guarantees some trials, suffering and inconveniences, but it also promises us the power, presence and provision of Christ that gives us something to offer a community and a nation full of people who have ran out of options.
Our church cannot be comfortable with the status quo. In order to combat the issue of a disciple shortage we must shout it on the mountaintop "Help Wanted, willing hearts need to apply".
Hope's 'More Than A Member' Campaign will encourage us to move to a deeper level in Christ. To move from Membership to Discipleship. Will you accept the challenge?


These are genuine responses from clients who have enjoyed successful outcomes at Brightway Hypnotherapy.
They are included, not simply as evidence of that success but to provide honest, personal insights into what hypnotherapy actually feels like.
These statements are from real people, who explain in their own words, the unique way that hypnotherapy has brought-about positive change in their lives.
It is what they say and how they explain the benefits they have derived through hypnosis that I hope provides genuine insight into what the experience of hypnosis for change is really like.
Additionally, they do also attest to the wide range of issues that can be dealt with through a mind over matter approach which the application of hypnosis affords.
Thank you Paul for the Hypnotherapy session the other day … I can only describe it as feeling like I have had a holiday away from myself.


TRANSCEND MEDIA SERVICE » The Peace Prize: Nobel or Ignoble?
But first the arguments in favor.
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 18 Oct 2012.
Anticopyright: Editorials and articles originated on TMS may be freely reprinted, disseminated, translated and used as background material, provided an acknowledgement and link to the source, TMS: The Peace Prize: Nobel or Ignoble?, is included. Thank you.
Less than one year of his inauguration, President Obama was given the Nobel Peace Prize. This time, the EU? Congratulations, the European Union! But for what? Well, the EU has been working more years than President Obama.
There are more international organizations, apart from individuals, that have been working for peace, human rights, justice, development, social welfare, etc., if there is an argument that the European Union deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. Why not, for instance, the African Union that decided to make Africa a nuclear weapon free zone? http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/documents/treaties/Text/African_Nuclear_Weapon.pdf Why not, for instance, the Organization of American States that has been promoting democracy and human rights? http://www.oas.org/en/spa/ And other regional international organizations? How about various UN agencies, for instance?
What happened (or what is happening) to the "value" of the Nobel Peace Prize? The decline and fall of the "old value" of the Nobel Peace Prize? Or a rise of a "new value" of the Nobel Peace Prize? Or what else? Does the Nobel Peace Prize Committee say that nothing has happened to the "value" of the Nobel Peace Prize?
You are right Johan, there is a kind of fatal attraction between Nobel's Norwegian committee and USA: I commented at the time of Obama's awarding that, by his acceptance speech, it sounded more like a prize for "just war" (can there be any?!) than for "peace".
But the committee is deaf to all criticism and you, as a Norwegian citizen, must know the whys more than anybody else.
I feel we have to shrug about this prize, take it for what it is worth (even Kissinger got one, come on!), value some other prizes and, most of all, take what's good in Alfred Nobel's peace principles, roll up our sleeves and go on building peace in our communities according, each one of us in proportion, to our ability to influence.
Go on, my friend, and we of Neotopia will go along with you!
Good list but JP2??? He reversed the work of the Vatican Council and did his best to root out all the Latin American priests, bishops and theology of liberation which sustained many social and political struggles. There was no dialogue let alone empathy with the progressive priesthood just thought repression.
Alfred Nobel had intended the peace prize for those who advance the cause of peace. But in the hands of Norwegian political comedians like Jagland it has become more of a joke. He was instrumental in awarding this prize to Obama who in his lecture at the peace award ceremony justified imperial wars! And now the EU!!


Join Christi for a powerful and inspiring talk!
Do you know what inner blindspots are? How to detect them? Or the clues to identify they're blocking access to your Soul's inner resources?
Join Christi Maybo, The Inner Clarity Coach™ for an inspiring and light-hearted discussion about the ongoing journey of Soul Integration, our infinite capacity to experience Pure Love, and the personal path of self-empowerment.
With a lifetime of practice using her innate ability to connect heart and soul with people, Christi uplifts others to their B.E.S.T. Self™. Her signature approach combines practicality, spirituality, and logic to provide inspiring and engaging events. You can be sure your soul will be stirred, your heart touched, and you'll experience the benefit of spirit's presence first hand.
So excited to know you will be coming to Circle of Miracles creating a spark inviting us to open to our infinite capacity to experience pure love! See you on the 17th!


Collect 449 Loyalty Points from this purchase.
The very first bottle of Chase vodka was produced in April 2008 and took two years in the making. Each batch of numbered bottles is a true labour of love, using traditional methods to produce the finest, smoothest vodka with true provenance.
Voted Best Vodka by San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2010.


text:
Q: Is it OK to use regular HTML forms as part of .inc files in a Drupal 6.x custom module? I inherited a project that seems to have a ton of custom modules. A lot of the modules have includes folders with include files that have regular HTML forms. I know that Drupal preaches using FAPI. My question is that in your experience are there any pitfalls with this approach or is this acceptable use?
Thank you

A: If you're trying to use the custom HTML forms to submit to Drupal-managed submit handlers, the biggest pitfall you're going to run into is that most Drupal modules verify the form via the use of form IDs and checksums, which you can't hard code.
Your forms are also going to be incredibly fragile: if what you're submitting to changes a form element, your forms will break.
Forms API isn't particularly hard to learn, is easy to maintain, and you get it for free. Unless it's absolutely impossible to use it, you should use it.

A:
My question is that in your experience are there any pitfalls with this approach or is this acceptable use?

There are surely pitfalls. The form API validates the values received from a POST request, and it is able to verify if the received data come from a forged form request.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Abstract color water. Fine art abstract water photograph.
I created this abstract water photograph at Yellowstone National Park. I loved all the geothermal activity at Yellowstone and it provided some fun opportunities for abstract photograph(which is a passion of mine). The algae in these warm waters made for gorgeous colors.


text:
Middle East selected
Will Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood return to political violence?
By Dr Omar Ashour University of Exeter
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28524510
Like most social movements that survived adverse conditions for decades, there are a few constants about the Muslim Brotherhood.
One of them is change. Between 1928 and 2014, the organisation has transformed multiple times -updating its world view, recalculating its objectives, modifying its behaviour, and altering its organisational structures.
Another constant: ideological beliefs are usually marginalised in times of crises and inconveniences. Supporting a foreign invasion, for instance, is an ideological red line for the Brotherhood.
But it was compromised in 2003 by the Iraqi Brotherhood affiliate which backed the US-led invasion, to the disappointment of the Egyptian Brotherhood.
A third constant is that the Brotherhood has had a transnational dimension since the mid-1930s, in a similar way to leftist movements.
But an international hierarchy has not really existed, except for a short period in the late 1930s.
In other words, local affiliates of the Brotherhood do not take orders from one another, and in many cases end up with conflicting policies on major regional crises.
A fourth constant is that in times of democratisation and relative political freedoms, the Brotherhood usually plays by the institutional democratic rules of the game.
They participate in party politics, constitutional crafting and electoral processes. In some cases like in Egypt (2011-2012), they consistently win the largest percentages of votes/seats (but almost never an absolute majority). In other cases, like in Libya (2012) and Algeria (1991), they lose to political rivals.
Between ballots and bullets
But what about the behaviour of the Brotherhood in more common Middle Eastern contexts: authoritarian repression, military coups, civil wars and other forms of political violence and social instability?
In these cases, the behaviour is majorly dependent on the domestic environment. Arms and religion in most of the modern and post-modern Middle East are the most effective means to gain and remain in political power, almost like they were in pre-modern times.
Image copyright AP
Image caption The Islamist Hamas movement in Gaza is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood
Votes, constitutions, good governance and socio-economic achievements are secondary means and, in many Middle Eastern countries, relegated to cosmetic matters.
In such a context, members, former members and affiliates of the Brotherhood were involved in various types of armed activities in specific timeframes and selected countries.
In Yemen, the Brotherhood and its affiliates took up arms on the side of the former Yemeni President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, during the civil war of 1994.
In Syria, the Brotherhood and some of its offshoots fought against the regime of Hafez al-Assad between 1976 and 1982, with direct logistical support from Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq and some training and financing from the Saudi regime and Anwar al-Sadat in Egypt.
In Gaza, Hamas, an ideological affiliate of the Brotherhood, is currently in its third war in six years with Israel.
In Egypt, the Brotherhood went through a phase of para-militarisation between 1940 and 1965, in which some of its members were involved in various forms of military operations, including assassinations.
But by the late 1960s, the leadership made a final decision to abandon any form of local armed activism.
Status quo politics
After Gamal Abdel Nasser was in power, the Brotherhood in Egypt engaged in status quo politics within the rules laid out by successive authoritarianism regimes.
This brought them the ire of radical Islamists, perhaps best outlined in Ayman al-Zawahiri's 1993 book, The Bitter Harvest of the Muslim Brothers.
In that period, the Brotherhood in Egypt condemned armed attacks against the ruling regimes of Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak.
In 1981, it declared that President Sadat was killed like Uthman ibn Affan, the third Caliph in Islam widely perceived in Sunni Islamic tradition as a martyr.
This was the behavioural pattern in the 1990s and the 2000s.
Image caption Under Anwar Sadat's regime the Brotherhood officially renounced violence
In Algeria, throughout the 1990s, the local Brotherhood affiliate, the Movement for the Society of Peace (MSP) Party, sided with the military junta of 1992 and was strongly critical of the Armed Islamic Group's (GIA) violent tactics and Islamic Salvation Front's (FIS) radical rhetoric.
As a result, the MSP became a partner in several Algerian coalition governments and held several ministerial portfolios in post-coup Algeria.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, local Brotherhood affiliated parties and figures were critical of the Taliban and Saddam Hussein's regime.
Two Brotherhood affiliates became members of the Iraqi Governing Council appointed by the Coalition Provisional Authorities.
In the West, Brotherhood offshoots and once-affiliated organisations were consistently critical of terrorist activists and radical preachers, especially after the 9/11 attacks on the US.
This was welcomed by many Western policy-makers at the time and turned into a form of limited, timid, intermittent and security-focused cooperation in several crises.
Perhaps one of the most notable coordinated counter-extremism efforts was the takeover of the North London Central Mosque (better known as Finsbury Park Mosque) in February 2005 from the supporters of the notorious preacher Abu Hamza al-Masri, by the members of the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) in coordination with Scotland Yard, the Charity Commission and Islington Council.
The takeover was perceived to be an accomplishment by the British authorities at that time, as it turned a base for supporting violence, extremism and criminal activities into a thriving community centre.
Non-violence sustainable?
After July 2013, when the military overthrew Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, the Brotherhood in Egypt and their relationship with armed activism emerged as a valid question.
Generally, military takeovers that target democratically elected governments are usually associated with high levels of bloodshed, and given the repression which followed Mohammed Morsi's ousting, the situation in Egypt is violence-engendering.
The logistics, however, are not. The leadership of the Brotherhood in Egypt understands that it can win in electoral processes and in street-mobilisation capacities.
Violence, however, is the domain of the army. And based on earlier experiences with political violence in Egypt, the organisation lost both the power-struggle and the legitimacy, even with paramilitary capabilities and with part of the army on their side in the early 1950s.
The Brotherhood leadership so far stress that non-violent civil resistance tactics are their means for toppling the military-dominated government.
But organisational fractures under heavy repression, offshoots, disaffected members, and mutiny against the leadership have happened in earlier crises and have happened in a limited way during the current one, the worst in modern Egyptian history.
And in a regional context - where bullets keep proving that they are much more effective than ballots and where eradication is more legitimate than compromise - the prospects of sustaining non-violence become gloomier.
Dr Omar Ashour is a senior lecturer in Security Studies at the University of Exeter and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Brookings Doha Center. He is the author of The De-Radicalisation of Jihadists: Transforming Armed Islamist Movements (2009) and Salute and Slaughter: Islamist-Military Relations in Egypt (forthcoming).
Egypt under Sisi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Reshma Saujani is the founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, which Knight Foundation supports to help address the shortage of women in technology. Below, Saujani writes about launching the initiative in Miami. Photo credit: Girls Who Code.
Since we started Girls Who Code in 2012, there have been a lot of proud moments.
There was the first day of class, when a 16-year-old girl who was so shy she could barely speak at the beginning of the day stood up to show a room full of people the website she had started building.
And then there was the time when 20 young women from our inaugural program opened personal letters from President Obama, congratulating them on their accomplishments as graduates of Girls Who Code and wishing them success in college and in their careers.
Last summer, I even sat at a conference table at Facebook headquarters and watched in awe while our girls pitched the apps they had designed to Sheryl Sandberg, the social network company's chief operating officer.
Today is another milestone for Girls Who Code. With support from Knight Foundation, Girls Who Code is coming to Miami. We debuted the program in two other Knight communities, Detroit and San Jose, last year.
As a national nonprofit that aims to educate and equip girls with the computing skills they need to pursue 21st century opportunities, Girls Who Code is working to close the gender gap in technology and build a pipeline of female engineers and entrepreneurs.
Miami is a natural fit for us. It's a city with the diversity and creative possibility to lead the world in innovation, and our programs will help ensure that the enormous potential of young women is tapped as Miami's tech community grows.
Starting next week, we'll be accepting applications for our 2014 Summer Immersion Program – an unforgettable seven-week course that pairs computer science education with field trips to top tech companies and mentorship from amazing women in the industry.
The program is set to launch in June and run throughout the summer. We plan to hold two programs in Miami, reaching a total of 40 local 10th- and 11th-grade girls who have a passion for technology, regardless of prior coding experience.
Our students learn to program robots in Python, master Web design and user experience, build creative and complex mobile applications, and develop Web and mobile applications to enhance their communities.
They form friendships that translate into a strong alumni network, where students share tips and encourage one another to continue coding. Most importantly, they build the products they want to see in the world, and develop a lifelong passion for technology.
At the end of last summer, 95 percent of our girls said they are definitely or more likely to consider a major or minor in computer science, and 99 percent of participants said they are considering a career in technology. Ninety-nine percent said they would recommend Girls Who Code to other girls.
With the U.S. Department of Labor estimating that 1.4 million jobs will be open in computing fields by 2020, and women earning just 12 percent of computer science degrees, this is the kind of movement we need to ensure that our young women are at the forefront of technology and innovation.
To learn more about Girls Who Code, please visit the organization's website.


text:
Cumputer
Home/Internet/Alternatives/The Best Alternative Operating Systems For Windows
The Best Alternative Operating Systems For Windows
MikeNovember 24, 2022
Before we begin, let's acknowledge that Microsoft Windows is one of the most popular and widely-used operating systems. Since its introduction in 1985, Windows has been regarded as the standard for personal computing. Even today, the term "PC" refers to Windows-running computers. It is quite reliable, user-friendly, and backed by superior customer service. Primarily, it is the standard. However, there are situations when this proprietary OS needs to be improved to meet your requirements. Alternatively, you may not be interested in a premium OS at all. When this occurs, you should switch to one of the alternative operating systems for Windows.
This article provides a list of alternative operating systems that can be used in place of Windows. Most of these operating systems are free, so the next time you set up a PC, you may test one of these alternatives to Windows. In addition, most operating systems offer dual-boot, allowing you to run two environments on a single device. We will describe each operating system's primary features, important characteristics, and intended use in the list. Then, shall we start?
Let's have a look at the Best Alternative Operating Systems for Windows.
Linux Mint, often known as Mint Linux, is an alternative to Windows based on the Linux operating system. It is also considered an alternative to Ubuntu in the free operating system market. Contrary to Ubuntu, Linux Mint is a community-driven Linux distribution. It is an OS based on Debian and Ubuntu. The most recent release of Linux Mint is 18.3 "Sylvia." We trust you are aware that Linux Mint is entirely free to use. Linux Mint is more difficult to install on your computer than Ubuntu, but you can test it with Virtual Box. Consequently, Mint contains a bunch of features and an intuitive user interface.
If you are seeking an operating system with a Windows-like interface, Mint is the superior option. You can find the taskbar, enhanced windowing, and more features here. It has multimedia compatibility, free and open source apps, and a speed improvement. From the perspective of a skilled user, Linux Mint offers greater configurability and customization. Linux Mint is an effective alternative to Microsoft Windows. As it is community-driven, it only offers a few professional configuration options. Therefore, if you exert some effort, it's a cool option.
Ubuntu is the best alternative to Windows if you're seeking a free operating system. It is also referred to as Ubuntu Linux, and Canonical Inc. developed it. It is a Linux-based operating system. Ubuntu is a widespread alternative to Windows, even though it is available for various devices such as smartphones and servers. Even laptops and desktops are available with Ubuntu preinstalled. The most recent release of Ubuntu is version 16.04.1 LTS Xenial Xerus. As a Linux-based operating system, it differs significantly from Microsoft in appearance and functionality. Ubuntu, like Microsoft Windows, is a multi-purpose operating system.
It is driven by the Unity interface, which differs significantly from the Windows UI concept. In addition to windows and tabs, the Sidebar is used for navigation. Each Ubuntu installation comes bundled with many apps, including LibreOffice, Mozilla Firefox, and Thunderbird. The GNOME Software Store offers a vast selection of apps for download. The most advantageous aspect of Ubuntu OS is its interoperability with widely used services. You may quickly install Chrome, Skype, Dropbox, and TeamViewer on your Ubuntu device. Ubuntu is the most straightforward Linux-based OS to set. Thus, you do not need to be a pc expert to set Ubuntu on your computer. Ubuntu may be used as a user-friendly, Windows-compatible alternative.
3. Chrome OS
According to the legend, Chrome OS was conceived by a Google employee who envisioned a web browser-powered operating system. Chrome OS makes it logical, given that we spend most of our time on a web browser. This operating system is likewise based on the Linux Kernel; however, it is created and distributed by Google. Chrome OS requires an internet connection and Cloud servers to do tasks. The Chrome OS is the default operating version for Chromebooks; however, Chromium OS, an open source alternative, is available for testing. Chrome OS consists mostly of the familiar Google Chrome web browser.
The Google Chrome browser powers the whole User Interface, and there is little need for conversation. Compared to other operating systems, it has the quickest boot time due to its simplified methodology. Chrome OS is made to run web apps designed for Google Chrome. In addition, the Application Runtime for Chrome may allow you to run some Android apps. It is a web browser optimized to provide the best Chrome experience. Chrome OS is an alternative to Windows for those who engage in extensive web browsing. Chrome is not a general-purpose operating system, although it can be used easily and quickly. There are several versions available, but the best choice is a Chromebook.
4. Mac OS X Or macOS
The excellent Mac OS X is our list's only proprietary alternative operating system. As you know, this is Apple's official operating system for its desktops and laptops. It was known as Mac OS X until 2012 and then OS X until 2016. However, it is now known as macOS. Widely, macOS is the second most popular operating system on the planet. Technically, macOS is accessible for devices such as MacBook, Mac Pro, iMac, etc.; these are available operating systems if you wish to purchase a laptop. The most recent version, macOS Sierra, added Siri support and other features to Mac devices. However, the Hackintosh configuration enables the installation of macOS on any computer. In other words, you may install the OS on your present Windows-based device if you try to circumvent the constraints on Apple code.
You may rely on macOS if you are searching for a professional alternative to Microsoft Windows. It's very different from Windows, yet it offers a variety of Apple Inc.-specific features. The user interface is what differentiates macOS. It is straightforward, sophisticated, and professional. A Mac device's performance is enhanced due to hardware optimization and other factors. A MacBook or iMac is the best option if you want genuine macOS.
5. Kubuntu
Does the name evoke Ubuntu for you? You are correct. Kubuntu is a version of Ubuntu that integrates another desktop environment with the Ubuntu operating system. Technically, Kubuntu is an official distribution of Ubuntu. It employs the KDE Plasma Desktop environment as made to the Unity system. This indicates that, based on appearances, it may appear to be another operating system. However, the fact remains that the OS at its heart is identical. This taste serves several purposes. First, it is supplied equally by Blue Systems and Community Members. Second, as previously said, Kubuntu is an alternative PC operating system for certain applications. Third, improved navigation is anticipated because it uses the KDE Plasma Desktop.
The navigator is straightforward and organizes all destinations in an approachable manner. The same holds when viewing and exploring the images you have stored. Regarding document viewing and administration, Kubuntu includes Okular and the LibreOffice suite. Kubuntu is a comprehensive collection of essential tools, including open source and commercial software. It should be evident that Kubuntu and Ubuntu are fundamentally identical. However, the interface and design distinguish them from one another. You may choose Kubuntu as a general-purpose, feature-rich alternative to Microsoft Windows if you want a different graphical user interface and a greater software selection.
6. Remix OS
What are your thoughts on having a fully functional version of Android on your pc? This is what the Remix OS is all about. Therefore, if you want the same Android experience on your Windows-based pc, you should try Remix OS. It is a Linux-based operating system, and you may boot it similarly to Ubuntu or Mint Linux. The PC and a few Android-based devices are compatible with Remix OS. You may download and install the official files if you wish to install Remix OS on your Pixel C or Nexus 10. However, if you choose to run the OS on your PC, you have two options. Or, you may obtain the installation ISO and follow the regular installation method.
Alternatively, if you like to simplify matters, you may acquire the Remix OS Player for PC. It should be mentioned that Remix OS brings a version of Android with improved multitasking and options. Moreover, the interface is beautiful. Remix OS PC is a third option for experiencing Remix OS. It's a fully functional Android PC with all the necessary connectivity options. Remix OS is the best Windows alternative operating system for Android enthusiasts. There are few features, but it offers improved multitasking, performance, and user-friendliness. What else do you want?
Other Best Alternative Operating Systems For Windows
In the alternative section, we have discussed the best alternatives to Microsoft Windows and other operating systems. These are the most popular alternatives to Windows OS; however, there are more. Among them are:
It is a well-polished Linux-based operating system that is suitable for business use. It is replete with well-executed aesthetic features. Fedora is a fantastic option if you seek a Linux-based workstation for professional use. It includes GNOME, LibreOffice, and Nautilus, among others.
It is a Linux-based operating system with a bunch of features. The design is basic yet distinct from Ubuntu and other platforms. It emphasizes improved personal computing. However, this is a brand-new project that may have flaws.
ReactOS
It employs Windows NT's design standards and layouts. ReactOS is a compatible operating system with Windows. It is a more direct alternative that also offers compatibility.
Therefore, we have discussed the best alternatives to Windows. Mac is an example of a proprietary Operating System in our list, including free options. Therefore, if you are bored with Microsoft Windows and desire a change, you can select one of the six plus three options. In case you missed it, most operating systems on our list are open source and offer customization options for expert users. Therefore, I wish everyone improved computing!
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit Share via Email Print
Top 15 AceStream Alternatives – Watch HD Sports
Top 20 WCOFun Alternatives – Watch Cartoons & Anime
Top 25 Zoro Alternatives – Watch Anime Online
Best 20 MMAshare Alternatives – Watch MMA Fights
How To Quickly Fix "No Such Interface Supported" Error Message?
Best 24 fuboTV Alternatives – Watch Live Sports
How To Quickly Fix KMODE EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED Error?
How To Quickly Fix Microsoft Store Crashing Problem On Windows 10?
Best 15 Crictime Alternatives – Watch Live Cricket
© Copyright 2023, NimbleTech All Rights Reserved.


text:
Ubud is known for being the cultural capital of Bali and it still has the highest concentration of art galleries on the island. One of the best museums to visit if you want a slice of the modern arts scene in Ubud is Museum Puri Lukisan where you...
One of the best museums to visit if you want a slice of the modern arts scene in Ubud is Museum Puri Lukisan where you will find a wide range of art work on show which comes with English language explanations of the history of art in this part of the world.
Ubud is known for being the cultural capital of Bali and it still has the highest concentration of art galleries on the island.
One of the best museums to visit if you want a slice of the modern arts scene in Ubud is Museum Puri Lukisan where you will find a wide range of art work on show which comes with English language explanations of the history of art in this part of the world. The museum was the brainchild of Rudolf Bonnet, Walter Spies, and local artist Cokorda Gede Agung Sukawati who was a prince and a member of the Royal Family of Ubud.
If you love art, then this is one of the best places to learn all about it, including non-religious art works which can be hard to find in other galleries.


The Mountain Lake Lodge is proud to offer luxury accommodations and dining in our seasonal packages.
Our special Seasonal Packages are offered only during our low season, October 1st through May 31st. Special Seasonal Packages are not valid for holidays and special events.


text:
Culinary Events (33)
Cultural Events (11)
(-) Festivals (42)
(-) Music Events (15)
Lafayette Area (3)
Monroe - Ruston Area (10)
Northshore Area (38)
Abita Springs (1)
(-) Arnaudville (3)
(-) Covington (32)
(-) Monroe (10)
(-) Ponchatoula (3)
Thibodaux (10)
Landry Vineyards Concert Series
March 25 - November 4, 2023
Landry Vineyards is proud to host live performances from talented musicians! They play Top 40…
Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival
April 14 - 16, 2023
Each April, the town of Ponchatoula puts on the state's largest free festival in honor of the…
Ponchatoula
Annual Étouffée Festival
Join us for the 34th Annual Étouffée Festival. Get a taste of the competition at the Mayor's Cook…
Arnaudville
A Taste of Covington Food, Wine, Music & Art Festival
A Taste of Covington Food, Wine, Music & Art Festival is an annual, month-long event each June…
Covington Three Rivers Art Festival
A juried show of original works with some 200 artists from more than 22 states. Tent after colorful…


Catered to your every need. Enjoy an invigorating massage to take care of any stress and tension or unwind with a softer massage to relax. All our massages are suitable for male or females.
A truly relaxing treatment perfect for reliving tension and stress.
Each treatment can be tailor made to suit your needs and help you unwind.
A personalised massage that will relax your mind and body.
Perfect for when you want to unwind, or ease tired muscles.
Catered to your individual needs you will be left feeling relaxed from the soles of your feet to the crown of your head.
Alleviate stress, ease aching muscles and revive the senses with this customised massage.
This relaxing but tension easing massage will be sure to relieve severe tension using a variety of massage techniques, including the use of elbows and forearms. Perfect for those who like a firmer pressure.
The perfect massage for when you want a invigorating massage to ease severe tension, but want a softer massage to also relax your mind. Combining two massage techniques, deep tissue on your back and well being on your legs and arms.
Your every need is catered for.
A highly therapeutic massage using warm basalt stones that melt away tension. Warm stones are placed on key energy points, whilst warm oils along with the use of the stones are massaged into the body. This treatment is a complete body experience to balance the mind, body and soul.
A truly relaxing and pampering treatment for you to enjoy during your pregnancy. This specialised massage will be adapted at each stage of your pregnancy and is safe from your first trimester. Designed for comfort and relaxation this massage will help ease aches and pains, relax the mind, ease swelling and connect mother and baby as one.


text:
Artist of the Week: Drake & DJ Khaled
Calling all Drake and DJ Khaled fans! The jam-machines released two hotly-anticipated collaborations today, and iHeartRadio will be world premiering both tracks across all our Hip Hop stations!
The new songs include "Popstar" and "Greece," and they arrive on the heels of DJ Khaled revealing the title of his upcoming 12th studio album earlier this week, Khaled Khaled. DJ Khaled's last LP was 2019's Father of Asahd, while Drake most recently dropped Dark Lane Demo Tapes back in April.
Although fans had been excitedly expecting an announcement, DJ Khaled confirmed his collaboration with our favorite Canadian rapper on Twitter just this week, with a post that read "2 KEYS. 2 ANTHEMS. 2 DJ KHALED FEAT. DRAKE. THIS FRIDAY." Both "Popstar" and "Greece" showcase Drake's versatility as an artist and DJ Khaled's inimitable production power. We can't wait to have these two tunes on repeat all summer long!
This isn't the first time that Drizzy and the iconic producer have teamed up to make musical magic. Previous tracks coming from the two include "To the Max," "For Free," "No New Friends," and "I'm on One."
Whether you're gearing up for an at-home dance party or just looking to add some new flavor to your work-from-home playlist, tune in to iHeartRadio stations nationwide or head over to iHeartRadio and start streaming "Popstar" and "Greece" now!
artist of the week, drake, dj khaled, greece, music collaboration, new music, popstar, world premiere
TheiHeartLife
Artist of the Week: Marina Morgan
Artist of the Week: Of Monsters and Men
Artist of the Week: Dustin Lynch
Artist of the Week: iHeartRadio's Fiesta Latina 2020
Artist of the Week: Billie Eilish
Artist of the Week: Luis Fonsi
Artist of the Week: FINNEAS
Artist of the Week: Trey Songz
Artist of the Week: Sarah McLachlan
Artist of the Week: BTS
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeartRadio App.
About iHeartRadio


In its May 2011 issue, Intellectual Property Today ranked Venable's trademark group number 10 out of 140 firms nationally. Firms were ranked according to the number of U.S. trademark registrations issued in 2010. This is Venable's first appearance in the top 10 after consistently ranking in the top 20.


When you opt for the eDIY Web Site Builder, you get all the features you need to maintain your own professional quality eCommerce web site.
Create, edit, move and publish web pages with just a few clicks of the mouse.
Easy-to-use word processor style user interface.
Handles text, graphics, tables, forms, hyperlinks and animations.
Find a look that's right for your web site.
eDIY can also customise an existing web template to suit your requirements.
Multiple price levels for retail and wholesale web stores.
Inform site visitors about upcoming events.
Repeat Event function automatically adds event items to the dates of recurring events.
Great for business portfolios, club and hobby web sites alike.
Options to alter the number of images per line or page and add extra content.
Galleries incorporate a smooth looking "click on a thumbnail to see the full-size image" function.
Your web site's in-house search engine.
Makes your site look and feel really professional.
Site visitors enter search terms to find the information they want in an instant.
Customers input their details to open an account.
Sign up for e-mail marketing newsletters.
Registers user names and passwords granting access to restricted pages or member-only websites.
Software-generated page lists information about your company.
Reassures visitors that there is a real company with a street address and telephone number behind the products they may wish to buy online.
Displays messages from visitors to your website.
A potential source of free endorsement for your business.
Administrator control over message moderation.
The eDIY Website Builder will let you take control of your web site and save money and time because you know what needs to be changed and when. No more web site updating costs or waiting - Download the trial today and get the software for free with a web hosting subscription.


text:
Bill Self: Climate from NCAA allegations will bring KU basketball 'more together'
Matt Galloway themattgalloway
LAWRENCE — Despite the perception of some outsiders, Bill Self insists his Kansas men's basketball program isn't thumbing its nose at the NCAA.
Nor is it using any other finger, for that matter.
KU faces five Level 1 violations, including a lack of institutional control charge, that are detailed in a notice of allegations delivered to the university on Sept. 23. Citing testimony and documents at last year's trial of three Adidas executives in the federal government's probe into pay-for-play schemes in college basketball, the NCAA has kick-started a lengthy process that Self on Wednesday said he doesn't expect will reach a conclusion until late next spring at the earliest.
KU has continued to make national headlines in the weeks since it received the notice of allegations.
Some pundits have interpreted a handful of subsequent events — Self wearing an Adidas shirt and a gold chain with dollar-sign symbol around his neck in a promotional video for Late Night in the Phog, and rapper Snoop Dogg's provocative concert at that event, a performance that featured scantily dressed pole dancers and a prop money gun that shot fake hundred-dollar bills in the direction of KU players and recruits — as a figurative "middle finger" from the Jayhawks to the NCAA.
Not so, Self asserted.
For starters, the promotional video was no different than past skits he's done ahead of Late Night — "Anybody that knows me knows that I'm not smart enough to figure out some of those things that have transpired that would relate to anything other than just that moment," Self said.
"I just happened to be wearing an Adidas shirt, which happens to be our sponsor for the next 14 years that helped sponsor the event," Self said. "It was innocently given to me and I just put it on."
As for the Snoop Dogg concert, Self has expressed his displeasure for the type of entertainment provided but indicated Wednesday it was in no way an intentional slight directed toward the NCAA.
"I don't know how an entertainer would in any way, shape or form be thought to be sticking it to anybody, including the NCAA, by (us) having an entertainer perform," Self said. "I do not like the narrative that has been said concerning that with me, but I also understand that I can't control what the media writes or their opinions. I do know, and people that know me know, that's not factually true in any way, shape or form."
As for the allegations, Self reiterated that KU is eager to "fight 'em," continuing strong rhetoric he's offered since the day the notice arrived on the school's doorstep. The 17th-year Jayhawk coach said the university, athletic department and basketball program are all "aligned" in their response.
"There is still a story that hasn't been told, and that would be our story," Self said. "That will obviously be told in a way that is consistent with the NCAA process, and when it's the right timing to do that and the public can be aware of that, then I very much look forward to that day. But right now we're locked up as we wait for that opportunity."
Regardless, the noise isn't likely to die down at any point in a season featuring sky-high expectations.
The Jayhawks should be a top-five team when the Associated Press preseason poll is released in two weeks, par for the course but noteworthy given the inability of last year's team to win a Big 12 championship or make it past the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Those Jayhawks were ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll.
Sophomore point guard Devon Dotson agreed it'd be fair to say KU is taking an "us-versus-the-world" mentality.
"I wouldn't say it's weighing on us at all," Dotson said of the allegations. "I feel like it can add some motivation for this team, really just make us go harder. ... Just kind of all the heat the program's been getting, we're trying to stay together and try to be the best team we can possibly be."
Self expects Dotson and the rest of his team to play "with a free mind."
"I think there will be potential distractions out there because they will be asked the same questions all year long, and we've talked about that. That will make us tougher and harder and more together than we've ever been," Self said. "But I don't see this being a distraction for them. Not saying that it won't enter their mindset, but I don't see them seeing how this affects them and this year."
California law 'very, very positive step'
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 30 signed into law the "Fair Pay To Play Act," aimed at giving college athletes an avenue to make money from endorsement deals without losing their scholarships or amateur status. Lawmakers in New York, North Carolina, Florida and other states have discussed similar legislation, which could change the landscape of collegiate athletics.
Self supports the proposal, with one significant caveat.
"It's a very, very positive step," Self said. "I think it puts it on the front porch of everybody involved with the NCAA. I think it's been long overdue to give student athletes the same opportunities that general students possess. I mean, there's nothing that says a general student can't go to school, be on scholarship and go work and make money on the side and do whatever. I think obviously student athletes would have more access to do different things in order to do that.
"So I think it's a good first step. Legally where it ends up, I have no idea. The one thing that I would hope that does happen: I hope it's a uniform law and become a rule. I don't believe California or New York or South Carolina could have it and other states can't. So it'll be interesting how that all plays out, but I certainly think it puts, pressure may not be the right word, but it puts it in the NCAA's court that we have to have the most serious of discussions to try to figure out what direction this needs to go."
The Fair Pay To Play Act is set to go into effect in January 2023.


The actual cheap nike air max mens order involving athletics sneakers targets performance. Several activities demand numerous professional athletics boots and shoes. The size and also healthy of the shoes tend to be cozy. The environment couch can certainly avert vibration, cut down mutual demand, endurable with out accidental injuries, as well as being uncomplicated to wash and also preserve. Breathability can be critical, so the particular 12 inches inhalation breathable, insoles might be accommodating that will soak up sweating, back should be aware of robust in addition to good.
Atmosphere safety net cheap nike air max 95 uk are a number of merchandise devised as well as released by simply nike. Included in this, the most crucial perform with surroundings cushion shoes and boots will be surprise compression, so as to defend his or her ankles in addition to knees coming from problems, plus the shock absorption effect is very apparent. Among them, mid-air sofa is produced involving top of the in addition to cheaper areas of the only. The particular accessory involving propane for you to particular products permits the shoes or boots to be able to process this force of the movement towards surface and offer additional shock and assistance.
The best a look at cheap nike air max 90 sale couch shoes and boots is always that it could present people today safeguards perform will be shock absorbers. Its inside a sealed breathing space, filled up with propane, this gasoline has a particular amount of compression setting, so that it will gain the particular factor regarding surprise compression. One of the services air-cushion footwear usually while persons run and also jump, they are able to decrease your effects with significant vibrations around the bottoms with the paws. Many people dress yourself in sneakers which might be certainly not good by the end plus feel that each and every time the particular toes drop, you will find there's sorts of foot or so. A feeling of numbness and ache. Long-term sporting involving still in training sporting activities shoes or boots could cause accidents for the your bones in the ft ., producing deformation with the bottoms on the paws. The bonus associated with air flow pillow shoes and boots is always that they might easiness this specific accident plus make persons sense handy while activities.
It can be the ability to protect your knees. nike air max 270 uk Right after some of our our bones include matured, for this middle-aged plus the seniors, the legs will likely go through damage due to extented anxiety. The power associated with air-cushion boots and shoes is it may possibly use a shock-absorbing consequence that will convenience the outcome throughout sports activities plus safeguard clients' legs. Elderly persons might try to invest in quite a few top quality air flow cushion footwear that will wear, ordinarily improved running as well as walking.


If your order is not in stock at the time of purchase , your credit card or Paypal account will not be charged. Buy the Tech 21 SansAmp Character Series Blonde Pedal online in Hong Kong at the best price of HKD $1,717. Serviced cities in Hong Kong (香港) include Kowloon , Tsuen Wan and Yuen Long.
Does a two-faced blonde sound like trouble? We hope so, when those faces are silver and black and this Blonde the Tech 21 SansAmp Character Series Blonde Pedal rocks pure American tone to the stratosphere. Sparkly, spanky cleans that overdrive with a satisfying low-end rumble become the punchy bark of hard-pushed tweed, maxing out in a fat sizzle of lead boosted tone. Take the reins and don't spare the emulated Jensens, this Blonde is a wild ride through American rock history.
The Tech 21 SansAmp Character Series Blonde V2 overdrive pedal gives you incredibly authentic-sounding silverface and blackface tone, as well as satisfying tweed sounds. Go from sparkling clean to punchy to dynamic overdrive to sizzling lead using the six effective controls you'll find on the Blonde (Level, Mid, Character, Drive, Low, and High knobs). All the pedals in the Character Series are much more than simple stompboxes; you can use them as preamps or take advantage of built-in speaker emulation for quiet, hassle-free recording. A speaker simulation bypass switch lets you use the Blonde V2 as a straight-up overdrive effect for your amplifer rig.


With Holding Back the Years, Saxophonist Norm Douglas takes fans down memory lane with new interpretations of some of the hottest songs of all time. A new tune by Slava Tolstoy with Nate Brown on bass that is destined for success on smooth jazz radio is the up-tempo "Ocean Groove," a catchy, radio friendly song.
A regular on the California Disney scene, Douglas has also opened Spyro Gyra and Eric Marienthal. What is most unique about Douglas is his ability to mix pop culture with familiar standards of yesteryear. Douglas visits the past with a shimmering rendition of "That's All" from the Great American Songbook. Yet, "How Deep is Your Love," previously written and recorded by the Bee Gees, is given a jazzy treatment that moves the music forward.
Connecting with the audience in the live setting is important to Douglas and he wanted to establish that same vibe in Holding Back the Years by paying close attention to emotional content of each song. The album kicks off with the title track, "Holding Back the Years," with a romantic mood that is surrounded by a background of guitar, trumpet and keys. Sting fans will enjoy Douglas' interpretation of "Fragile." Douglas' arrangement of "Strawberry Moon," originally recorded by Grover Washington, Jr., pays earnest tribute to the legendary Washington.
Things shift to a danceable "It's Too Late" in the fourth track with vocals by Penny Watson and keyboards by Steve Crum. The music slows down a bit with a smoky vibe that is reminiscent of the nighttime jazz club scene with the Norah Jones cover, "Don't Know Why." The Baby Face tune, "Breathe Again," is an interesting interplay between vocals and saxophone melody.
Douglas' ability to interpret the emotional context of the songs is further highlighted in his arrangement of the Luther Vandross tune, "Dance with My Father." However, the melody reigns supreme with the original "I Can't Dance," written by Nate Brown and Jeff McCullough. Listen carefully and you will hear both the sax and bass working together as one.
The CD comes to old-school close with "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" with the dueling altos of Norm Douglas and Paul Carman.
The sound is simple but it is DEEP. You know the smooth jazz cliches: limp-noodle tone, solos going nowhere -you won't find them here. Norm Douglas has a pretty sound, with an edge -light fuzz in his notes, a push to his phrasing. These elements hint the old-time horns, on songs full of contemporary spirit. His band is light but effective, and no drippy sentimentality -his emotion is real, and so is your enjoyment. If you've never heard Douglas before, this is a good place to begin. After all, they say the "First Time" is always the best.
The tunes (most are by pianist Ron Kobayashi) come at you stronger than your typical smooth fare. Like- wise Norm: he charges on "Since Then", running as the others float. His tenor is weighty, standing bold on Kobayashi's chords. And now a transformation: a soft groan, like the old balladeers. It all fits so well (listen to Bob Hawkins, heard just a moment.) "Peace" (not the Silver tune, but a gospel-tinged ballad) gets a pipe organ and Norm a soprano. Staying in its middle register he sounds reflective, with the sound of an oboe. The backing has that easy touch of Memphis soul (think of AI green) and Norm sits atop like a jewel. Yes -it does sparkle.
"Fast Lane" is a downtown samba: bright percussion, a piano of twinkling light. Douglas, on alto this time, has the firm-but-gentle touch I loved on "Since Then"; how it blends with the tune's airy breeze. Kobayashi's turn is exotic; that goes double for the cuicas in the background. Hawkins weaves a tapestry on "First Time": tightly woven strings to which Kobayashi adds color. The soprano comes in, higher this time, minus the shrillness you often get. Ron has a New Age feel in his tiny solo; it's his finest moment. Norm takes to soaring, and near the end Hawkins makes like a harp. This is fitting, as emotions are high.
"Yosemte" crackles with life: Norm's muscular theme, and keys rolling like a stream. The tune is calm, but isn't played that way: when Douglas hits those broad notes, he's triumphant on a mountain top. 'Vast Blue Sky", with a different band, tries the mood of "Peace" with a slightly simpler tune. Brad Cole whispers smoky and the alto. Quiet at first, comes forward in a stately ascension -nothing fancy but everything beautiful. Definitely "smooth", and definitely atypical -call it music and be done with it.
"It's Just a Valentine" is a nice mix by Mick Barton: country field vocal, elegant verse. "Take every poem, every sonnet, every love song ever heard/ There isn't a chance I could put what I'm feeling into words." Stronger than it seems, this grows on you, and the sax is a ribbon on top. For further decoration, look to "Tara's Song": dubbed saxes waltzing with ease, and bells twinkling with magic. This belongs in a music box, as does the album: solidly built, it's a study in strong gentility. If you've a taste for sm:>oth, give Norm a try: you'll "First Time", now and the next time you hear it.
Songs: Since Then; Peace; I Can Do It; Fast lane; First Time; Yosemte; Vast Blue Sky; It's Just a Valentine; Left Turn Only; Tara's Song.
Musicians: Norm Douglas (soprano, alto, and tenor saxes); Ron Kobayashi (keyboards); Bob Hawkins (guitar); Baba Elefante (bass); Steve Dixon (drums); Kurt Rasmussen (percussion), plus on various tracks: Matt Hocking (electric guitar); Steve Wood (keyboards); Frank Cotinola (drums on "It's Just a Valentine"); Mick Barton (vocals); Tom MacFarlane (synthesizer); Phil Carillo (drums on "Tara's Song"); Abraham Laboriel (bass); Greg Bissonette (drums); Alex Acuna (percussion); Brad Cole (organ).


Welcome to the flats of the desirable Strawberry area of Mill Valley!
This charming single story home has been lovingly maintained by the same family for 46 years. Situated on a private level lot with close proximity to all conveniences. This special property offers 3 bedrooms, 1 full bathroom , and a family room in the main house and at the end of the driveway is a 1 bedroom, 1 bath non-conforming unit which includes a kitchen, bath with shower stall, bedroom, living area, storage room, deck and private yard.
New carpeting and paint throughout the main house.
Additional torage in the attic with a pull down ladder located in the hallway.
New roof in 2000. New furnace in 2006.
Large rear yard offers an expansive patio, deck, level lawns, and mature landscape. Perfect location close to highway 101, the popular Strawberry Recreation Center, Strawberry Village Shopping Center, The Cove shopping center, biking trails, and Strawberry Point Elementary School.
Disclosure packages available via email.


I know how to make (moving) avatars with photoshop, then convert to .gif and then with RADVideo convert the gif to .bik.
Also I know how to make (not moving) avatars with alpha so "cut" them out of the image.
yesterday I tried to combinate all of them, so a moving GIF animation with alpa.
in game,converted to .bik, I saw the same blackness at the second frame.
the black frame should be my avatar (at forum) cutted out, so you only see the ghost.
I've tried to search for a .bik plugin for photoshop, so the alpha channel is working in the .bik, but I couldn't fins anything.
If there is, please send me an URL?
If there isn't can you explain me how to add the alpha channel in a .gif/bik?
And because Photoshop is an Image Editor, not a Video editor, i highly doubt there will be a .bik Plugin.
Actually DazzaJay, any photoshop from CS2 upwards can edit video.
I've had no joy with finding a bink plugin for it though as yet.
Generator wrote: Actually DazzaJay, any photoshop from CS2 upwards can edit video.
If you need to create your's video to a gif formats ,you can try to use VidGif ,it's tool for converting.


We're on a mission to offer our members the best experience for career exploration & hiring. We're a diverse, growing team (currently 16, with 8 nationalities!) headed up by our founders, Rich & Nick, who were both consultants at McKinsey when they decided to launch movemeon. Take a look below to find out more about us.
Enjoys most sports (now watching more than participating), and would love to complete the seven summits. McKinsey and Cambridge alum.
Has 2 young kids & recently moved to the country. Loves to run & hates family sized mounds of laundry! McKinsey & Oxford alum.
Owner of our part-time office dog, a rescue greyhound called Badger. Oxford PPE alum, loves travel and books!
Keen tennis player and runner. Love good films and travel - aiming to go to all European countries by 30.
Originally from Bristol, ex-TEFL teacher in Moscow. I'm a fan of film, Russian literature and anything canine related.
Born & raised in Bavaria, fell in love with London. FAU alum. Passionate about hockey, interior design and her huskador Nemo.
Accounting & Finance Graduate born in the Netherlands. Moved to London aged 7 and trying to teach myself Dutch again.
Venetian with a love for animals, travel, and good food. UCL postgrad and humanitarian at heart.
Originally from Brunei Darussalam, lived in Devon before moving to London. Love photography, travel and my dog Mika.
Born in the North, live in the South (obviously)! Runner, reader, raconteur. Will one day live on the beach.
Ex-teacher, Hungarian-Romanian Oxford alumna. Loves to read & travel. Wanted to be a professional dancer before moving to the UK!
Originally from Paris and aiming to discover as much of the world as possible. Missing cheese a lot.
From Texas, sadly does not know how to ride horses or shoot guns. LSE & UCL alumna.
Former Client Success Manager with previous experience in Hospitality. Social media enthusiast and out of hours Drummer. Digital Media alumna.
Italian adopted by London. Loves to travel and practice yoga. Bocconi alumna.
UCL alumna, unconventional Russian, cosmopolitan jedi at heart. Obsessed with design, coffee and East London.


"dangerous, radical hate mongers called the 'Tea Party.'"
Black Democrat congressmen have been going nuts about the Tea Party Movement lately. They must have some internal polling that indicates blacks are starting to view it favorably, or perhaps looking at sitting out the next election, because the smears and lies have begun to fly around pretty thick lately.
Now, a few things occur to me upon reading this news. First, if this guy is a human rights investigator, and he really believes this to be true, then he would be investigating the Tea Party Movement. According to the left, all of these opinion positions are violations of human rights. The truth is all of that is an utter, bald faced, and likely deliberate lie; nothing of the sort is true. He offers no evidence nor can he, but he sent that email out anyway.
Second, this was sent from a state government computer. On state government time, by a state government employee. He claims it was "inadvertant" which is just transparently ridiculous. What does he want people to believe, he got an email in his personal account, then tripped and copied it over to his government account and accidentally mass emailed it to co workers? Just an accident, he bumped his mouse. Forbes called the case against him "petty" which I wouldn't be surprised to find better characterizes some of his investigative work, given his antics here.
And finally, he sent these emails out a day before the 2010 November elections. Accidentally timed exactly to influence voting. Not that anyone working in his office or the Illinois government was likely to vote for any Republican candidate, but still, electioneering by a government official is at best frowned upon and probably an ethics violation.
Oh, one thing this joker did get right is to claim that Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and the Tea Party are trying to "take down President Obama." Yep we sure are. Of course, he characterized Palin and Beck as "leaders" of the Tea Party Movement, which is absurd. They're members, we have no leadership. And he claimed they were all trying to take down the government like some villainous cabal who want to overthrow the US, which is ridiculous. But hey, credit where credit is due, he sort of got something right.
Forbes was given a wrist slap, a reprimand for using government equipment for slanderous lies against a good 20% or more of the American public in an attempt to influence the election. But then, this is Chicago.
The thing is, the more panicked and hateful these guys get toward the Tea Party Movement, the more you can tell they're nervous about it. If the movement was a worthless joke and waste of time, they would just ignore it.


After failing in the mist and drizzle in January, I have it in the bag on a clear Autumn day. Climbed from Kaituna valley in 3 hours return.
After bagging Ben Ohau in the morning I drove to Mt Cook village and climbed Sebastopol. Fantastic views again and some rock scrambling for added interest. Summit gained in one hour from the bridge at the bottom of the Red Tarn stair-case.
A frosty start and a fantastically clear day. I climbed the 1000m from the lake to the summit in an hour and a half.


In our last addition of our 'Meet the Team' series we met with Emma Bull, next to go under the spotlight is Milcent Nhandara one of our Call Planners on our Service Desk.
"Hi, my name is Milcent but go by Millie. I live in Hatfield, not far from Hertford, but was born in Zimbabwe and raised in Hatfield. My first ever job, I as a professional Cheerleader for Saracens Rugby Club; thoroughly enjoyed it, it helped with my confidence as I used to be so shy, but now…you'll always find me talking to someone new. I have no kids and no pets although if I had the money, a dog sanctuary would be ideal. I'm obsessed with dogs that I am a member of BorrowMyDoggy, this means I pay to walk other people's dogs when I'm bored. I have a huge phobia of cats, I cant even see pictures of them without having a huge freak out, if I see one in person, I have panic attacks so I tend to avoid visiting homes with cats.
I've worked for Corona for the past month as a Call Planner and am so lucky to be part of the team I'm on. Everyone has made me feel so welcome and I'm so grateful.