I have always dreamed of placing wreaths on the windows of my house, but I have never lived in a house that allowed for this – until now. I think wreaths on windows work best when the house is symmetrical, with evenly sized windows.
A few weeks ago, I went out and purchased 5 artificial wreaths (edit: got them at Heeney and Company - they are really beautiful, they look real. I prefer real greenery inside, but am ok with artificial outside), and the day after Thanksgiving hung them on the windows. The wreaths came unadorned, so I fastened a large red bow onto the bottom of the wreath, as I prefer the visual weight of the wreath to be on the bottom, and like the way that the ribbon trails down.
However, when my family came out to review my handiwork, there was quite a bit of discussion about the placement of the bow. My husband and oldest daughter felt that it was more traditional to place the bow at the top of the wreath. A big discussion ensued: should the bow be placed at the bottom or the top of the wreath?
After doing a bit of research, it is clear that there is no right or wrong answer – it is totally individual preference, and is sometimes dictated by the size of the wreath and items that are around the wreath. But, it has given me something new and different to look for this holiday season when examining how people decorate.
Perhaps my all time favorite holiday décor picture is this one, from Martha Stewart. The soft palette, the green and white color scheme, the beautiful architecture, the urns flanking the door – all are beautiful. In keeping with the soft style and color palette of this vignette, there is no large red bow, but rather a softly tied ribbon draped from the bottom of the wreath.
The cover of this month's Family Circle features a picture perfect wreath with a vibrant red bow tied firmly onto the bottom of the wreath.
An old image in my inspiration files features a boxwood wreath at Mrs. Howard, with a green bow on the bottom. Image via AH&L and Phoebe Howard.
I definitely gravitate to the simple, clean, and traditional look of pure greenery and a crisp red bow. This bow is placed at the top, and I wonder if my preference is for placement at the bottom so the center circle of the wreath can be seen?
A beautiful traditional white clapboard house with black shutters and door, found via pinterest, features wreaths with bows placed on the bottom.
I have always wanted to display a magnolia wreath, and this one is beautiful with its large red bow placed at the bottom. Image source.
Something about this picture really speaks to me – I love the classic materials of the stone and limestone combined, and the large wreath on the arched door is perfection. Note that the bow is placed at the top of the wreath – a wise choice, as a bow on the bottom would block the mail slot. Source.
I thought it would be interesting to gather some wreath inspiration pictures from Atlanta – unfortunately, the weather has been dreadful this week so the pictures are from my errand and school carpool routes rather than my dog walks. This pretty wreath in the window of Jerry Pair caught my eye; the elegant simplicity of a fresh greenery and a large red bow is perfect. Note the placement of the bow at the top of the wreath – it crowns the wreath, and keeps the bow clear of the lettering on the window.
A large wreath on the Georgia Pacific building downtown wouldn't really work if the bow were on the bottom – it would block the door, and the building is so tall the visual balance needed to be on top.
I saw this unusual wreath at a doctor's office, and noted the bow placed at the top. I like how the ribbon is woven through the shape of the wreath.
Two wreath flank the gates at the base of the driveway – note the placement at the top of the wreath.
Two wreaths placed on the gates to the Adams Gate at the Westminster Schools in Atlanta (scenes from the movie The Blind Side were filmed here). Another check in the 'bow on top' column.
A quick drive by one of my favorite houses reveals that they too have a preference for bow on top.
Although decorated simply, with just a large wreath of the door, this house looks amazing at night because the tree is placed in front of the window. Note that the large red bow is placed on the bottom of the wreath.
Another house with the bows on the bottom of the wreaths. I really love the look of wreaths on windows, especially when a house has a crisp black and white color scheme.
The wreaths on this house have the bows placed jauntily on the lower side. It almost looks like the wind is blowing them.
Do you have a preference, or do you have any great wreath pictures to share? I have become somewhat fixated on wreaths this holiday season!
I am not sure if there is any grand conclusion to this post – placement of the bow on the wreath is not really one of those important philosophical topics in the holiday season – but if you have read this entire post, I predict that you will look at wreaths with a new eye this holiday season!
P.S. - the bows stayed at the bottom of our wreaths.
To see design, architecture, art, and decorative books that I recommend, please visit the Things That Inspire Amazon store (newly updated!).
We have a white house with black shutters, and since we have lived here, I have done plain wreath's with red bow's. I had to re-do all of the bow's this year, and I placed them at the bottom instead of the top, like I had them before. I do hang them with a strip of the same red ribbon, so I have red at the top and bottom of the wreath. For now, this is my preference!
Beautiful! Great minds think alike - I have already been planning this for next Christmas. For me, the bow is always at the bottom (although I like the way both look). My biggest question is what color ribbon - traditional red or lime green? Your artificial wreaths look great . . . did they come from Heeny's or somewhere else?
The Adams Gate looks so pretty - Madeline was a dear friend of mine in high school.
ok... so interesting. I have never thought about a bow going anywhere on a wreath except the bottom! I'm glad you provided some beautiful examples of bows on top... including those from Westminster... Gotta represent. ha ha. Happy Holidays Holly!
Love all the wreaths. It is a personal preference and where the wreath is. On my front door bow is at the bottom because I like my door knocker to show but on the wreaths hanging on my brick on both sides of my house bows are on the top! I should send you a picture because this may not make sense.
Your wreath on your house looks fresh in your picture. Did you stick some fresh greens in the artificial wreath?
I love the idea of the wreaths on windows - but I agree with the bows at the bottom!
Now we are in the mood for the holidays.
I love the way your brain works Holly! Can't wait to see your new house!
I am a bow on the bottom girl - big, fat, red bow with beautifully trailing ribbon tails -centered. Always have been, always will be.
Thank you for the comments everyone!
I like to use real greenery inside, but outside the practical side of me comes through and I purchased artificial. The one in the first picture is from Heeney & Company - they used to be to the trade, but are now open to the public. They have beautiful artificial wreaths that look real. I did not add any greenery to the ones on my window - this is exactly how they came from Heeney.
I did not put wreaths on my front door - I haven't decided what to do there. My front door is actually a double door, and I didn't want to put two wreaths on the door.
Single wreaths look lovely with the bow at about 4 or 5 o'clock.
Boy, I liked nearly every image you showed so I really didn't make a definitive decision on the debate. The image of the clapboard house with black shutters is one of my favorite holiday houses of all time.
I think your wreath looks great and I love wreathes on windows.
I have a traditional Southern farmhouse, white with dark blue shutters and a red front door. The wraparound porch floor is stained a dark blue as well. Our wreaths are bowed at the bottom. Candles in every window and spotlights on the ground~. Since there are 12 round wreaths to look at I have a long cone-shaped wire basket on the door with crystals dangling at the top. It's filled with greenery and lime balls.
Holly, wreaths can be very beautiful on double doors. I live in a French home with large double doors in front. I have a wreath on each door made of natural greenery with artificial pears, lemons and apples and a large red bow at the bottom. Another way you can achieve a dramatic look is to have a custom made large wreath for the door that splits in the center when one side of the door is opened. I had a neighbor who did this once and it was very beautiful and not in the least noticeable that the large wreath was actually in two pieces.
I really enjoyed your post and seeing all the beautiful homes with such great holiday decor. I love the look of a wreath on every window. P.S. I tend to agree about the bow on the bottom... your's looks great!
It now makes sense why some wreaths placed on windows at eye-level, have their bows at the bottom...so you can look out with no obstruction! For the past ten years I've been replicating a front door wreath I saw on the cover of Williamsburg catalog. It's full of faux fruit & cones and a big red & gold striped ribbon placed at the top with thinner gold ribbon woven throughout the circle. Each year I buy a fresh wreath and re-use the fruit & ribbon. p.s. Save a picture of the one that catches your eye, for easy replication.
I think they're prettier on the bottom but see why they would be placed on top. If the ribbon is meant to look like what's supporting the wreath it would be tied from the top. They're usually just ornamental though and hung another way.
Holly, there is something so classic and beautiful about a greenery wreath with a lovely bow. If you add a few decor items fine, however it isn't even necessary! Gorgeous images!
Come and enter my new exciting Holiday Event Giveaway! Amazing Gifts!Tis the Season!
I am staying with a friend tonight, and today she spent a couple of hours making a wreath ! We had a discussion about the exact same thing, and both prefer the bow at the top. But she had added all sorts including dried orange and it just seemed right. Somehow I think if the wreath is completely plain like yours, then a bow at the bottom is best !?!?!?
I prefer the bottom bow - more modern I think. The top bow seems more old-fashioned to me but I am not sure if this is historically accurate or my imagination.
Check out my latest two blog posts for plenty of wreaths, including our own front door.
Love when every window has a wreath and finally our new house is so symmetrical with every window being the same size that we will one year, hopefullly next be able to do something I have dreamt of in my head for many years!
This was a fun post and a reminder of the "less is more" application and how is applies successfully to wreaths too!
I put my bows at the top and slightly to the left of center or right of center flanking the front door. I don't have wreath's on every window, too symmetrical for me. :) Your artificial do look real in the photo. This post put a smile on my face....it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round.
I put wreaths and candles in every window, every year, but also have a hard time deciding which way I like it, because I think they are all so pretty! So to semi-solve this dilemma, this year I hung them all by simple green velvet ribbons with no bow and I am really liking the simplicity of it! I usually put a large fresh wreath or swag on the front door with a slightly different adornment.
I like them both ways, but prefer the bow at the bottom too. These are beautiful examples and the homes are all lovely.
Hi Holly! Thanks for stopping by to see all my wreath photos. I thought it was timely after this post. haha.
The secret to my photos - a good semi-professional camera (Nikon D300), a couple of expensive lenses, and a little tweaking in Photoshop to sharpen and straighten and saturate, plus photography as my main hobby for almost 15 yrs before I got into decorating - a good eye and composition is 90% of the battle.
WOW, are you reading my mind?? I placed mine on the bottom only after driving all around my neighborhood to see what others had done. It wasn't clear if it should be top or bottom?? I went with the bottom. After, a couple of days, I realized it looked out of place with my wreaths and I moved my bows to the top. I like both looks and it's funny that there is no right or wrong... but, all in all, I like the top!
Great collection of wreaths. I pinned a bunch of them to my pinterest board. I liked how you did a detailed analysis of each one. For the next few days I know I am going to be noticing bow placement more often!
This blog is really making me laugh! I found it because I was obsessed with bows on top or bottom. I switched mine to the top and didn't like it, so back to the bottom it goes.
Thank you for the wonderful photos of the houses in Atlanta!! I live on the west coast (originally from the Chicago area) and people just don't decorate for Christmas like they do "back east".
I love seeing how people decorate in different parts of the country! We are mid renovation, so we didn't go all out. Still, I have a magnolia wreath on the front door and one on the side (on a lattice).
Love the jauntily placed bows on the one house. Fun!
Hi Holly, I am a bow-on-the-bottom person. I love seeing all these examples, though - and some beautiful houses! I am also decorating this weekend even though we usually wait until after my daughter's birthday on the 4th. I was too excited to get started this year.
Wow, I just moved to a house that has a big entrance gate and so I wanted to place wreaths on both sides. I never considered anything other than the top, but for some reason, I questioned where the bow belongs and found this site. Haven't made my decision yet becuase I really like both ways. But I'll need to make it soon.


Lance Edwards, President, First Cornerstone Group, LLC.
When putting together your real estate deals, you need to be sure that you know what documents may be necessary to complete the deal. You need to be mindful of these documents when structuring your deal. You need to have your own attorney when it comes time to actually prepare these documents, but here is an overview of basic documents.
If you are doing the deal with your bank, then the bank will draw it up. Typically, the lender draws up the lending documents. If, however, you are dealing with private individuals, you will most likely need to draw it up for them unless they have their own documents. Once you have a template created for your promissory note, you can reuse it for other deals.
2. Deed of Trust: This is the security instrument. It's another term for the mortgage.
This defines the requirements of the borrower to keep the property in good condition, pay on time, and maintain insurance. These are all control and low risk attributes built into it. It shows the lender how he will be protected and it shows the borrower's obligations. You want to emphasize that there will be a recorded formal document between you and the investor and it shows the investor's rights if you do not perform.
3. Assignment of Income and Receipts: If you are going to be holding a property for awhile, you are going to be assigning the income to the lender. You are going to assign them the rents and you are going to keep them as long as you keep paying your note. If you do not perform, then the lender will take over the rents on the rental property.
This is yet another protection for the lender. The lender will license back the right to you as long as you pay the monthly mortgage payment.
4. Lease Option: This document says that during the time of the lease, you have the right to buy the property.
Again, always consult with an attorney when drawing up any legally binding documents. Not only are these documents legally necessary, but they afford your investor more control and add low risk to the deal. These documents are just examples of ones possibly needed to complete a deal.


text:
Floris Goesinnen (né le  à Opperdoes) est un coureur cycliste néerlandais.

Biographie
Floris Goesinnen commence sa carrière professionnelle en 2004 dans l'équipe néerlandaise de troisième division Team Moser. En 2006, il rejoint la formation Van Vliet - EBH Advocaten. Il obtient de bonnes places en début de saison au Tour de Drenthe (), au Hel van het Mergelland (). Ces performances attirent l'attention de Skil-Shimano qui le recrute en cours de saison. Pour sa première compétition avec sa nouvelle équipe, il prend la quatorzième place du Tour de Luxembourg.
En octobre 2007, il remporte sa première victoire professionnelle au Prix national de clôture. En 2008, il termine meilleur grimpeur de l'Eneco Tour.

En 2011, il rejoint l'équipe australienne Drapac. Le , il participe au championnat d'Australie sur route malgré sa nationalité néerlandaise et achève la course à la . Il remporte la  du Tour de Taïwan durant cette saison. En 2012, il s'impose lors de la  de la Flèche du Sud.

Palmarès
 2007
 Prix national de clôture
 2008
  du Tour de l'Ain
 2011
  du Tour de Taïwan
  de la Baw Baw Classic
  de l'Internationale Wielertrofee Jong Maar Moedig
 2012
  de la Flèche du Sud
  du Tour du lac Taihu

Classements mondiaux

Notes et références

Liens externes

Coureur cycliste néerlandais
Naissance en octobre 1983

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Why does `git submodule` require fetching from a remote repository everytime? Judging just from the number of results for "git submodule" here on SO alone, this is clearly a commonly asked and easily confused topic, so I will try to be as precise as possible.
Forgetting everything about updating/committing/branching submodules (which I understand greatly complicates things), why do submodules get emptied each time I change branches? From my current understanding, this makes branches expensive; what if I'm at the airport, and can't easily/cheaply connect? Am I doing something wrong, or there's some development philosophy that I'm not yet aware of?
Examples never hurt:
## make a new project
$> git --version
git version 1.7.5.4
$> mkdir new_proj; cd new_proj; git init
$> touch new_file_1.txt; touch new_file_2.txt
$> git add . && git commit -m "first commit"

## move into some development branch
$> git checkout -b cool_feature
$> <hack hack hack>
# in the middle, I add a submodule
$> git submodule add https://github.com/some/other_proj.git other_proj
$> git submodule update --init
$> ls -lR
new_file_1.txt
new_file_2.txt
other_proj
other_proj/that_file
other_proj/another_file

## I have to go back to master to do some work
$> git checkout master
# Why is other_proj still around?
$> git status
Untracked: other_proj
## Fine, I'll remove it, since I want a clean working copy, because I need to do some work and commits
$> git clean -f -d
$> <work work work>

## Now I'm ready to go back to cool_feature, but my submodules are empty!
$> git checkout cool_feature

At this point, I'm supposed to git submodule update, but what if I can't/it's expensive (e.g. it's remote, and I don't have internet access/it's slow).
The best workaround I've come up with is to clone all the submodules that I care about into a completely separate location, and then submodule from my local clones; this preserves the cheapness of submodules. Of course, this adds another layer of complexity when you're working on a team. :/

A: Considering a submodule is nothing more than a pointer to a commit of another repo, the git submodule update is a bit unavoidable (in order to get back the content associated with said pointer).
One other workaround would be to clone your main repo:

*

*one for the cool_feature branch, where you have your submodules

*one for the master branch, where you don't have any submodules

Switching from one branch to another wouldn't require a git checkout (and its associated git submodule update), but a change of path.
The other workaround, if you want to work in one directory, has been described in "Replaced third party code with git submodules, now I can't switch branches"

move the submodule directory out of the way before switching to the master branch

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Interview with Chips Moman and musicians at American Studios.
Culver City. July 15, 1970.
Fan Club Edition. Interviews and more.
Houston. June 4+5, 1975. ES+ES.
. No label Classic German "Hör Zu"-vinyl, in CD-version.
Reproduction of French album in 24-Bit high definition.
Gospel tracks; masters, outtakes, live and more.
. Straight Arrow Special Products SA/SP 2017-44-02 Macon. June 1, 1977.
Moody Blue and Boulevard masters and alt.
The Jungleroom, February and March 1976. Sonically enhanced by Retro Audio.
25th Anniversary Reissue of the old vinyl album.
The re-recordings from the 80s.
Bonus CD for the 2019 vinyl 45 rpm release.
The two 80s vinyl releases, in a 2 CD-set with bonus tracks.


Fine, beautiful and unusual Swiss 18K gold and enamel ladies antique pendant watch by Ed Koehn, Geneva, circa 1890. The case back with white enamel woman and cherub in a garden against a black enamel background, the front bezel with similar decorations. The bow decorated with black enamel. White enamel dial with blued steel hands. Fine nickel damascened 17 jewel movement.


Inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet and set in a modern African American church, Megachurch Murder tells the story of Hannah's (Shanica Knowles, Jump In!) life going off the rails after her father ("Hamilton Spears" – Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Sons of Anarchy) passes away in a cycling accident. The only thing keeping Hannah's life together is her new boyfriend ("Oliver" – Romeo Miller, Honey). Hannah soon finds evidence pointing to a church conspiracy and threats towards her father, determined to prove that Hamilton's death was in fact murder. As she gets closer to the truth, she realizes her own mother ("Martha" – Tamala Jones, Castle) and her boyfriend's father ("Clay" – Michael Beach, Sons of Anarchy) may be involved in the death of her father. Corbin Bleu (High School Music) and Dawnn Lewis (Hangin' with Mr. Cooper) also star.
Deep in the uncharted American wilderness, trapper Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is severely injured and left for dead by a traitorous member of his team, John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). With sheer will as his only weapon, Glass must navigate a hostile environment, a brutal winter, and warring Native American tribes in relentless quest to survive and exact vengeance on Fitzgerald. Based on a true story, THE REVENANT is directed and co-written by renowned filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu ("Birdman," "Babel").
Last night was a star studded event! Lifetime's "Whitney" Movie Premiere was held at the Paley Center in Beverly Hills, CA.
Lifetime's "Whitney Movie will air on The Lifetime channel on Saturday January 17, 2015 at 8pm.
Deborah Cox- Whitney Vocals and many more cast members!
Last Night So many people came together to show love and support for the United for Justine Fundraiser event at Hotel Angeleno in Los Angeles, CA and LFTPS has photo recaps just for you.
Eric Garner, A Loving Husband and father to six children, was controversially murdered by an NYPD officer on July 17, 2014. His family will undoubtedly suffer from the immediate financial hardship after their tragic loss.
Please continue to unite and support in this struggle for change. EVERY DOLLAR collected will be donated directly to Mrs. Garner and will help her to provide for their children , legal fees and any other unforeseen expenses.
LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD AND LET OUR ACTIONS BE FELT.
Today, Roadstarr Motorsports in association with The Los Angeles County Sherrif Department held The 2014 Roadster Drive event hosted by Columbus Short and Wilmer Valderrama.
Guest arrived at this event with new unwrapped gift donation for children and family that are less fortunate.
There were a lots of toys, shoes, and clothes donations collected at the event. Guest were served hors d' oeuvres throughout the event and there was also a dessert buffet and "Myx" Fusion Mascoto was also available for guest.
Celebrities also came to support the cause as well.


The aim of the project is to prepare you – youth workers, trainers, project coordinators, and mentors to deal with situations and act accordingly, when participants of your activities experience a crisis and find it difficult to continue with the activity. What to do when participant finds is too challenging to take an active part in the project? Some of them, for example, had to deal with a situation of a psychological crisis, a sudden death of a close relative, disclosure of a mental disease. Others, in long term projects, may experience intercultural shock or find it extremely difficult to establish satosfactory realtions in the new environment. Do you as a coordinator, trainer, mentor in this situation feel confusion, anxiety and helplessness? Often we can manage to deal with a concrete solution somehow, but with many difficulties. However, there is always a question of how far does our responsibility as a facilitator or coordinator go? And how to be supportive, yet allowing the responsibility for managing this situation to the participant, at the same time? How to deal with our own frustration coming from my limited position?
This training course anticipates developing competences to communicate with participants of your activities who find themselves in crisis or difficult situations during the activities. The aim is to prepare you to deal with situations when participants experience a crisis and find it difficult to continue with the activity.
* improving professional language skills for inclusive acting in a diverse environment, including linguistic diversity.
Food, accommodation and travels will be covered by the organisers.


Savings from $96 on over 2,626 previously owned Ford Focus's for purchase through 150 traders neighboring Los Angeles, CA. Autozin features around 6,542,241 low-priced brand new and previously owned sedans, trucks, and SUV postings, offered in following model types: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Hatchback, Compact Cars, Station Wagon. The Ford Focus is offered in different year models to choose from 1985 to 2018, with prices starting as low as $150 to $55,995 and mileage available from 0 to 180,000. Ford Focus in your location are available in various trim kinds to name a few most popular ones are: 2.5 RS, Titanium 5-Door, 1.8 TDCi Ambiente, C-Max 1.8, 1.6 Station Wagon, ZX 5 Premium, Clipper, S Sedan, 2.0 TDCi Coupe Cabriolet, 1.6 Viva. The transmissions available include:: 5-speed manual, Automated Manual, Single Speed, Direct Drive, Automatic, 6-speed automatic, 6-speed automated manual, 6-speed manual, Manual. The closest dealership with major variety is called American Listed, stock of 684 used Ford Focus's in stock.


text:
Q: Is it possible to use inheritance with CosmosDB collections? I'm new to understanding NoSQL databases.
Suppose I have a hierarchy like
public interface MyInterface
{
    [JsonProperty("id")]
    Guid Id { get; }
}

public class Foo : MyInterface
{
    public Guid Id { get; set; }

    [JsonProperty("intVal")]
    public int IntVal { get; set; }
}

public class Bar : MyInterface
{
    public Guid Id { get; set; }

    [JsonProperty("stringVal")]
    public string StringVal { get; set; }
}

Is it possible to create a collection that holds MyInterfaces? Or can it only hold fixed Json structure and I have to do something like
public class MyClass
{
    [JsonProperty("id")]
    public Guid Id { get; set; }

    [JsonProperty("type")]
    [JsonConverter(typeof(StringEnumConverter))]
    public MyClassType Discriminator { get; set; }

    [JsonProperty("fooIntVal")]
    public int? FooIntVal { get; set; }

    [JsonProperty("barStringVal")]
    public string BarStringVal { get; set; }
}

public Enum MyClassType
{
   [JsonProperty("foo")]
   Foo,

   [JsonProperty("bar")]
   Bar
};

???

A:
Is it possible to create a collection that holds MyInterfaces?

Of course you can. As mentioned in the comments,cosmos db collections have no schema so that you could design it into any structure you want to design.
Such as:
{
    "id": "1",
    "Discriminator": "foo",
    "FooIntVal": 5
},
{
    "id": "2",
    "Discriminator": "bar",
    "BarStringVal": "aaa"
}

Or even:
{
    "id": "5",
    "Discriminator": {
        "foo": {
            "FooIntVal": 5
        },
        "bar": {
            "BarStringVal": "aaa"
        }
     }
}

You can adjust the data structure flexibly.I suggest you refer to this doc to get start. Any concern,please let me know.


When considering giving a new product a try, sometimes the difference maker on whether or not an order is actually placed is a risk free trial. Those who have been thinking about checking out Tap Energy Pro can now take advantage of such an opportunity through its current 14 day trial offer. An order can be placed at the product's online ordering page by clicking the Order tab and filling out a brief online form with a name, address, phone number, email address, credit card type (sorry Discover and American Express cardholders, only Visa and MasterCard are accepted), credit card number, expiration date, and CVV (the number that appears on the back of the card at the end of the signature line). Once all of the required information has been entered the Send Me My Trial Order button can be clicked to proceed with the 14 day trial of Tap Energy Pro.
Those who decide Tap Energy Pro isn't what they were hoping for can cancel the order by placing a call to 855-588-1155 or by sending an email to cancel@tapenergypro.com. Those who cancel within the 14 day trial window will receive an RMA number via email that can be used to return the product. As long as the return is received within 30 days of the RMA being issued the full price will NOT be charged. Those who want to take a look at what's in the product before placing an order can do so by clicking the Ingredients Label link posted at the ordering page.


People throughout the world travel to Israel in attempts to understand which ingredients make up the secret sauce that has transformed Israel into the "Start-up nation". Indeed, many factors go in to this distinctive sauce, however, one key component is the ability of many Israelis who start new companies to encounter a real-life problem, visualize a viable solution, and then — most importantly — implement that solution.
Enter: Air Doctor. Millions of travelers visit unfamiliar places every year, and many ask themselves what will happen if I get sick? How can I be sure I will be able to get good medical care?
The problem became very real for Yam during his trip to Central and South America. When suffering from severe indigestion while in Mexico, Yam searched for a private doctor on the internet, but had no luck finding one. Not knowing Spanish, he had no idea who to turn to, or how to locate a trustworthy doctor.
Yam ended up going to a local hospital, where he was forced to wait hours before a doctor would see him. Adding insult to injury, Yam still had to communicate with the medical staff, who barely knew any English. Yam discovered from speaking to friends afterwards that he was not alone in his discouraging experience. Several of his buddies had avoided getting medical care while traveling, for fear of getting the incorrect, or sub-standard care.
About a year later, while traveling with his family and girlfriend in Budapest, Hungary, Yam ran into the same problem, once again. Identifying a gastroenterologist that he could trust was impossible. Most of what they found on Google was in Hungarian. The few articles posted in English suggested going to a hospital and praying the wait time would be less than 4 hours.
They ended up asking the receptionist at their hotel to call a doctor. A general doctor came to visit them, with little to no experience, or understanding of gastroenterology. Their 3-day vacation to Hungary turned into a disaster, due to their lack of accessibility to a medical specialist.
Upon returning to Israel, Jenny and Yam had an idea — Why not create a listing of recommended doctors in different countries? As a result of their recurring tormented travel experiences, Air Doctor was born. After partnering with their fellow co-founders, they began on their transformative journey and Air Doctor became a reality.
The Air Doctor team developed an app that would enable travelers to find local doctors who provide swift, friendly, high-quality medical treatment. Users of Air Doctor just enter their location and the type of help they seek into the app, in order to find the doctor they need.
Air Doctor has established partnerships in countries throughout the world to identify and screen a network of reliable doctors. At the same time, the team approached potential customers— and of course, they raised money, ($3.1 million to date).
Once their funding was secured, the founders were ready to launch their app and begin providing a great and needed service to millions of people all over the world.
The best thing about Air Doctor is that it is free for anyone to use. Moreover, via Air Doctor, users can even request reimbursement from his/her insurance company, based on the conditions of his or her travel policy.
Air Doctor made such an impact that they have begun to partner with insurance companies all over the world. One of their most important early customers was one of Israel's biggest insurance firms. Now, customers who purchase their travel insurance are told to download the Air Doctor app, and whenever they need medical care, they can find a local doctor in the countries where Air Doctor operates. The insurance company covers the expense of the visit and the traveler can take advantage of their time abroad.
So where does Air Doctor go from here? Its goals are ambitious. Air Doctor strives to provide medical care for travelers throughout the world. To date, Air Doctor operates in Mexico, Western and Eastern Europe, Russia, Thailand and Australia and will soon open LATAM, USA and Canada, as well. Air Doctor has expanded its partnerships to include: hotel chains, tour operators, and other travel industry sectors, to bring their exceptional service to even more people.
Yam could never have imagined that getting indigestion in Mexico could have helped led to a potential revolution in how millions of travelers receive medical care. Thanks to Air Doctor, travelers will know they can receive first-rate medical care wherever they may go.


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An explanation for the non-scientist of a remarkable patent for killing second generation seeds of crop plants
How the Terminator Terminates
by Martha L. Crouch, Associate Professor of Biology, Indiana University
Genetically modified organisms (GMOS) have become a commercial reality in agriculture. For example, it is estimated that in 1998 over 18 million acres in the United States will be planted in Roundup Ready soybeans, which were first introduced in 1996 (Horstmeier, 1998). These soybeans are engineered by Monsanto Corporation to contain a bacterial gene that confers tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate, or Roundup, also made by Monsanto. Only two years after the introduction of Roundup Readysoybeans, over 30% of the corn and soybeans planted in the United States, and close to 50% of the canola planted in Canada, are genetically engineered to be either herbicide or pesticide resistant.
Monsanto and the other companies that have invested heavily in biotechnology in the last two decades are starting to make some money after years of promises without products, and they are aggressively protecting their patented seeds. In a recent issue of the Farm Journal (Monsanto, 1997), Monsanto ran a full page advertisement asking farmers to respect the company's property rights:
It takes millions of dollars and years of research to develop the biotech crops that deliver superior value to growers. And future investment in biotech research depends on companies' ability to share in the added value created by these crops. Consider what happens if growers save and replant patented seed. First, there is less incentive for all companies to invest in future technology, such as the development of seeds with traits that produce higher-yielding, higher-value and drought-tolerant crops.... In short, these few growers who save and replant patented seed jeopardize the future availability of innovative biotechnology for all growers. And that's not fair to anyone.
In the future, companies and government breeders who genetically engineer crops may not have to ask for such compliance. If the procedure outlined in a recent patent comes to fruition and is widely used, plant variety protection will be biologically built into the plants themselves. In March of 1998, a seed company later to be purchased by Monsanto, Delta and Pine Land Company, in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture, was awarded US Patent Number 5,723,765: Control of Plant Gene Expression. Although the patent is broad and covers many applications, one application favored by the patent's authors is a scheme to engineer crops to kill their own seeds in the second generation, thus making it impossible for farmers to save and replant seeds.
This "invention" has been dubbed the "Terminator Technology" by Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI), and that group of researchers have analyzed some of the technology's serious social, economic and environmental implications (RAFI 1998). However, many of the consequences of Terminator cannot be fully appreciated without an understanding of the science behind the invention. In this paper, I outline the steps involved in engineering Terminator Technology into a specific crop. After explaining the process, I then discuss which details might have the devil in them.
To help describe the Terminator procedure, I have confined the explanation to only one of the many possibilities covered by the patent. The example I have chosen is cottonseed, which previously has been genetically engineered with a unique trait, herbicide tolerance. In my discussion, I have assumed that to ensure that the descendants of the herbicide tolerant seeds are not used without compensation to the seed company, the company has genetically engineered the cotton with Terminator. Although this is a hypothetical case-Terminator cotton is not yet on the market, after all-all the components of the procedure have been shown to function, at least in the text of the patent for Terminator.
It would be a big boost to seed company profits if people who now grow non-hybrid crops would have to buy new seed every year.
Cotton is not often sold as a hybrid seed, and is thus a likely candidate for Terminator protection. By way of contrast, corn is usually planted as a hybrid, and thus has some measure of variety protection already. This is because the first generation of a hybrid is genetically fairly uniform, and has been bred to have desired characteristics that are not present in either parent alone. When these hybrids make seeds, however, the second generation is quite variable because of the shuffling of genes that occurs during sexual reproduction. Industrial agriculture requires uniformity, because the plants must dovetail with mechanization. Therefore, industrial farmers who grow corn usually buy new seed every year.
There are several major crops, which usually are not grown from hybrid seeds. These include wheat, rice, soybeans, and cotton. Farmers often save the seeds from these crops, and may not go back to the seed company for several years-or longer, in some parts of the world-to purchase a new variety.
It would be a big boost to seed company profits if people who now grow non-hybrid crops would have to buy new seed every year. This may have been the major incentive for developing the Terminator Technology.
There likely were other reasons for developing Terminator. One reason may relate to the way in which Terminator's effect differs from hybridization.
When Terminator is used, the second generation is killed. With hybridization, the second generation is variable, but alive; and any genes present in the hybrid will be present in the second generation, although in unpredictable combinations. Therefore, a plant breeder who wanted to use the genetic material from the hybrid in his or her own breeding program could retrieve it from these plants. With Terminator, the special genes, such as the herbicide tolerance of my example, would not be easily available for use by competitors.
Another reason sometimes cited for using Terminator in combination with a genetically engineered variety is to keep the GMOs from "escaping" into the environment. Many critics of biotechnology cite problems with releasing GMOs into the wild, noting that their effects on ecosystems and their members would be difficult to predict (Rissler & Mellon, 1996). Having the entire second-generation seeds die would circumvent this problem altogether.
Rough sketch and review
Terminator is a complicated process to understand and it helps to review beforehand some of the basic information about how genes function during the life cycle of a plant. (Editor's note: Basic information of genetic engineering is provided in Ricarda Steinbrecher's "What is Genetic Engineering?" article in this issue of S/R.)
General description of Terminator in cotton
In the cotton example, the goal is to develop a variety of cotton that will grow normally until the crop is almost mature. Then, and only then, a toxin will be produced in the (seed) embryos, specifically killing the entire next generation of seeds.
The system has three key components:
A gene for a toxin that will kill the seed late in development, but that will not kill any other part of the plant.
A method for allowing a plant breeder to grow several generations of cotton plants already genetically engineered to contain the seed-specific toxin gene, without any seeds dying. This is required to produce enough seeds to sell for farmers to plant.
A method for activating the engineered seed-specific toxin gene after the farmer plants the seeds, so that the farmer's second generation will be killed.
These three tasks are accomplished by engineering a series of genes, which are all, transferred permanently to the plant, so that they are passed on via the normal reproduction of the plant.
Details of the Terminator technology
The key to Terminator is the ability to make a lot of a toxin that will kill cells, and to confine that toxin to seeds.
To accomplish this, in the case of our cotton example, the plan is to take the promoter from a gene normally activated late in seed development in cotton, and to fuse that promoter to the coding sequence for a protein that will kill an embryo going through the last stages of development.
In the Terminator patent, the authors use a promoter from a cotton LEA (Late Embryogenesis Abundant) gene. This gene is one of the last to be activated. Its protein is not made until the seed is full-sized, has accumulated most of its storage oil and protein and is drying down in preparation for the dormant period in between leaving the parent plant and germinating in the soil. If the engineered gene has the same pattern of expression, LEA-promoter-directed proteins should be made in high quantities, only in seeds, and late in development. It is important for the cottonseeds to go through most of their growth before the toxin acts, because the cotton fiber is an outgrowth of the seed coat and is made as the cotton develops. Further, after the cotton fibers are removed (for human use), the seed is then crushed for oil and protein, both of which are eaten by people and livestock. The cotton crop would be of little use to a farmer if the seeds did not mature normally before dying.
As for a toxin, there are several possibilities discussed in the patent, but the patent authors recommend a ribosome inhibitor protein (RIP) from the plant Saponaria officinalis. This protein works in small quantities to stop the synthesis of all proteins. Since cells need proteins for almost everything, they die fairly quickly when they can't make proteins. According to the patent, the RIP is non-toxic to organisms other than plants.
The manipulations of DNA required to engineer a seed-specific promoter/toxin coding sequence gene are done in test-tubes and bacteria, and then the altered gene is put into a cotton plant, using one of several possible well-established methods.
However, this is not all there is to it. If this were all, then as soon as the transgenic plant went through its life cycle and came around to seed development, that would be the end of the project. There would soon be no viable seeds to sell to farmers.
The Terminator patent offers an ingenious method for keeping the toxin gene from being active until long after the farmers plant their crops. The trick is accomplished by inserting a piece of DNA in between the seed-specific promoter and the toxin coding sequence that blocks it from being used to make protein.
At either end of the blocking DNA are put special DNA pieces that can be recognized by a particular enzyme, such as the enzyme called recombinase. Whenever the recombinase encounters these DNA pieces, the DNA is cut precisely at the outside of each piece, and the cut ends of the DNA fuse together, with the result that the blocking DNA is removed. When this happens, the seed-specific promoter is right next to the toxin coding sequence, and is able to function in making the toxin. But this does not happen immediately. Toxin will not be produced until the end of the next round of seed development, because that is when the LEA promoter is active.
...dead seeds, where they occur, would be a serious problem for the farmer whose fields are close to the Terminator crop.
Thus, after the recombinase enzyme does its work, the plant grows normally from germination, through growth of stems, leaves, roots, and all the way through flower formation, pollination and most of seed development. Then, on cue, the seeds die.
All this accomplished, there remains one more problem: How to grow several generations of the genetically engineered variety so that its seed can be multiplied to sell to farmers.
The Terminator patent solves the dilemma by preventing recombinase from acting until just before the farmers plant their seeds. The patent holders give several possible ways to do this, but concentrate on the following procedure: They propose putting a recombinase coding sequence next to a promoter that is always active -- in all cells, at all times -- but that is repressed. The promoter can be made active again-depressed-by a chemical treatment. Therefore, the seed sellers can treat the seeds right before planting, thus allowing the recombinase to be made then, but not before.
One of the repressible promoter systems they discuss in detail is controlled by the antibiotic tetracycline. A gene that makes a repressor protein all of the time would be put into the cotton plant, along with a recombinase gene that has a promoter engineered to be inactivated by the repressor protein. Under most conditions, then, the repressor would interact with the recombinase gene; no recombinase would be made; the toxin gene would be blocked; and no toxin would be made, even during seed development when the LEA promoter normally would be active.
How will a particular toxin affect birds, insects, fungi and bacteria that eat or infect the seeds?
To activate the toxin gene, seeds just starting to germinate would be treated with tetracycline, right before they are sold to farmers. The tetracycline would interact with the repressor protein, keeping it from interfering with production of recombinase.
Recombinase would be made, cutting out the blocking DNA from the toxin gene. The toxin gene would now be capable of making toxin, but would not actually do so until the end of seed development. The next generation thus would be killed.
To accomplish the Terminator effect in cotton, then, three engineered components must all be transferred into a cotton plant's DNA:
A toxin gene controlled by a seed-specific promoter, but blocked by a piece of DNA in between the promoter and the coding sequence;
A repressor protein coding sequence with a promoter that is active all of the time; and
A recombinase coding sequence, controlled by a promoter that would be active at all times, except that it is also regulated by repressor protein, which can be overridden with tetracycline.
In effect, Terminator Technology gives the seed producer the ability to determine when to set Terminator in motion. Until the recombinase is made, the cotton plants grow normally. After recombinase is made, the second generation of seeds is killed, protecting the patented variety.
Some problems that may crop up with the use of Terminator
The patent on this technology is complex. I have described only one of many possible applications of the procedure. Clearly, one cannot determine ahead of time all possible biological ramifications of implementing the patent. However, potential problems have already been noted (Ho, 1998). I deal with some of them below.
Will the Terminator spread to other plants?
It is likely that Terminator will kill the seeds of neighboring plants of the same species, under certain conditions. However, the effects will be confined to the first generation, and will not be able to spread to other generations. The scenario might go like this: when farmers plant the Terminator seeds, the seeds already will have been treated with tetracycline, and thus the recombinase will have acted, and the toxin coding sequence will be next to the seed-specific promoter, and will be ready to act when the end of seed development comes around. The seeds will grow into plants, and make pollen. Every pollen grain will carry a ready-to-act toxin gene. If the Terminator crop is next to a field planted in a normal variety, and insects or the wind takes pollen to that field, any eggs fertilized by the Terminator pollen will now have one toxin gene. It will be activated late in that seed's development and the seed will die. However, it is unlikely that the person growing the normal variety will be able to tell, because the seed will probably look normal. Only when that seed is planted, and doesn't germinate, will the change become apparent.
In most cases, the toxin gene will not be passed on any further, because dead plants don't reproduce. However, under certain conditions I will discuss later, it is possible for the toxin gene to be inherited.
In any case, dead seeds, where they occur, would be a serious problem for the farmer whose fields are close to the Terminator crop. How many seeds die will depend on the degree of cross-pollination, and that is influenced by the species of plant, the variety of crop, weather conditions, how close the fields are to each other, and so on. If many seeds die, it will make saving seed untenable for the adjacent farmer. Even if only a few seeds die, they will contain the toxin and any other proteins engineered into the Terminator-protected variety. These new "components" may make the seed unusable for certain purposes.
Will seeds containing the toxin made by Terminator be safe to eat?
In fact, the effects of the toxin on the uses of the seed are serious. Forage crops, for example, not all of the forage is always harvested before seeds are mature, depending on conditions. How will a particular toxin affect birds, insects, fungi and bacteria that eat or infect the seeds? If a forage crop with toxin-laden seeds is left in the field, and the seeds come in contact with the soil, how will that affect the ecology of soil organisms? These are important questions because a variety of specific organisms are necessary for the healthy growth of plants. Further, a floral or ornamental crop with Terminator may happen to grow near a related crop where the seeds are used, and if pollination occurs, the seeds will contain toxin without that farmer knowing. The toxin could end up in products without anyone's knowledge. For example, an ornamental sunflower could spread Terminator to an oilseed variety, and then the toxin could end up in edible oil or in sunflower seed meal.
The toxin could end up in products without anyone's knowledge.
Other potential problems with making novel toxins in edible seeds have to do with allergenicity. The RIP toxin described earlier may not be directly poisonous to animals, but may cause allergic reactions. If the seeds are being mixed with the general food supply, it will be difficult to trace this sort of effect.
Will dead seeds have different properties than living seeds?
Although Terminator is supposed to kill seeds very late in development, it is not known what other effects, if any, Terminator may have. Will the dead seeds be more or less easy to store? Perhaps they will respond differently to changes in humidity, or to infection with bacteria and fungi. If dead seeds do behave differently, even a few "bad apples may spoil the barrel" and the problem of partial killing of neighbor's crops may be even more of an issue. There also may be nutritional changes in seeds that are killed late in development.
Will the use of an antibiotic to treat seeds before planting be a problem?
If seed companies do indeed use tetracycline to set the cascade of toxin-gene activation in motion, then they will have to soak a very large amount of seed in the antibiotic. Basically, every seed planted by the farmer will have to be so treated. How many pounds of cottonseed or wheat seed are needed to plant an acre, and how many acres will be put in? In fact, I am having trouble visualizing exactly how this will work, because the seeds must be treated with tetracycline after they have matured completely (so that the toxin won't be made in the first generation), but before planting (otherwise, the farmer would have to apply antibiotic to the plants). Handling seed that has been soaked seems like a tricky process to me, but perhaps there are viable methods. At any rate, even at low concentrations there will be a lot of tetracycline to handle and dispose of, and large-scale agricultural uses of antibiotics are already seen as a threat to their medical uses. Further, the increased tolerance of bacteria, residual or waste antibiotics may also have a harmful effect on soil ecology.
Again, I am dismayed by the reductionist tone of the discussion of these issues in the patent. On page 7, line 30, the authors state that "since tetracycline has no harmful effects on plants or animals, its presence would not otherwise impede normal development of the plant, and residual amounts left on the seed or plant after treatment would have no significant environmental impact." Although it is true that tetracycline has no direct effect on animals, such as humans, the indirect effects can be severe. This is because we depend on a myriad of interactions with microorganisms for our daily functioning, from proper digestion to protection from pathogens. The patient information sheet that comes with any prescription for tetracycline is convincing evidence that tetracycline is not harmless to use.
Plants too depend on microorganisms. They do not function normally without a web of interactions, and indirect effects from substances like tetracycline may prove to be important.
Will Terminator prevent genetically modified organisms from escaping?
Clearly, farmers would not want plants genetically modified with Terminator to spread into surrounding areas or to grow from seed as unexpected "volunteers" in another season. They also would not want the Terminator plants to exchange genes with other varieties or related species. Interestingly, Terminator has been proposed as a method to prevent just such escapes of GMOs and their genes. However, Terminator is not likely to function well for such purposes.
...there will be a lot of tetracycline to handle and dispose of, and large-scale agricultural uses of antibiotics are already seen as a threat to their medical uses.
First, it is unlikely that any tetracycline treatment will be 100% effective. For various reasons, some seeds may not respond, or take up enough tetracycline to activate recombinase. In such cases, the plants growing from the unaffected seeds would look just like all the others, but would grow up to make pollen carrying a non-functional toxin gene. The pollen would also carry the genetically engineered protein supposedly being protected by Terminator, such as herbicide tolerance. If this pollen fertilized a normal plant, the seed would not die, because no toxin would be made, but the seed would now have the herbicide-tolerance gene and could pass that on. Thus a trait from the GMO would have escaped through the pollen.
Of course, self-fertilized seeds of the Terminator line would also survive in the second generation, if the tetracycline treatment failed, and could be carried off by birds, or grow as "volunteers" the next season.
Another possibility is that even successfully activated Terminator genes may fail to make toxin because of a phenomenon called gene silencing. In experiments with other GMOs, it was discovered quite unexpectedly that in some cases, previously active (introduced) genes could suddenly stop working. If this phenomenon occurred with seeds containing the Terminator gene, plants containing the silenced toxin gene could grow and reproduce, perhaps for several generations. Thus, Terminator and other engineered genes could be carried into the future, to be expressed-perhaps still unexpectedly-at some later time.
Depending on Terminator to prevent GMOs or their traits from spreading unintentionally is unrealistic. "Escapes" are even more likely to occur in some of the other patent applications, where the genetic components of Terminator will reshuffle during sexual reproduction, and a portion of the seeds will lack the toxin altogether, and thus be viable.
Organisms are always changing; will Terminator mutate and change characteristics in some dangerous way?
If plants were to carry silenced toxin genes, as described above, those genes might suddenly be activated again; causing seeds to die unpredictably in subsequent generations. By the time the phenomenon occurred, however, it might be difficult to ascribe the cause to Terminator.
Another possibility is that the Terminator may be activated at a different time or place in the plant. Fortunately, such events will be self-limiting, because the plants will die. However, for farmers, the instability and unpredictability of GMOs has already been an economic problem. Genes have an ecology-a complex way of interacting with themselves and the environment-that can interfere with the simple linear logic of genetic engineering. A recent article in The Ecologist discussed this problem in detail (Ho et al., 1998).
These are a few of the potential snags that I see in the use of Terminator Technology. My analysis was based on the details of only one of the applications described in the Terminator patent. I am confident that some of the particular problems I have discussed will be addressed by the seed industry before they implement the technology. However, I am also sure that there will be other problems no one yet foresees or imagines. There will be surprises.
Ho, M. (1998). Genetic Engineering: Dream or Nightmare? The Brave New World of Bad Science and Big Business. Gateway Books: Bath, UK.
Ho, M., Meyer, H. & Cununins, J. (1998). The biotechnology bubble. The Ecologist, 28, 146-153.
Horstmeier, G. D. (January 1998). Lessons from year one: experience changes how farmers will grow Roundup Ready beans in '98. Farm Journal, 16.
Monsanto Advertisement. (November 1997). Farm journal, B-25.
RAFI-Rural Advancement Foundation International. (1998). This organization has written several press releases, communiques, and articles on Terminator Technology. These can be accessed at RAFI's web site at http://www.rafi.ca, or by writing to RAFI, 110 Osbome St., Suite 202, Winnipeg MB R3L lY5, Canada.
Rissler, J. & Mellon, M. (1996). The Ecological Risks of Engineered Crops. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, US.
Rosenfield, I., Ziff, E. & Van Loon, B. (1983). DNA for Beginners. Writers and Readers, revised edition (c)1998
US.,United States Patent Number 5,723,765: Control of Plant Gene Expression, issued on March 3, 1998 to Delta and Pine Land Co. and The United States Department of Agriculture. Inventors: M.J. Oliver, J.E. Quisenberry, N.L.G. Trolinder, & D.L. Keim.
This paper is one in a series of essays meant to stimulate and inform discussion of the subject. The author (crouch@indiana.edu) invites readers to correspond with her directly if they have comments or questions about her interpretation of the Terminator patent.
This is an abridged version of an article which first appeared as an occasional paper published by The Edmonds Institute, a public interest, non-profit organization in Edmonds, Washington.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl