Dita, the young woman who's been talking to Fesmer, is desperately trying to alert the townspeople of Velia when the tae-oden refinery explodes behind her. She runs to help Fesmer, only to find Mike wandering the rubble; together they dig out the entire party, who've miraculously made it out alive. We find out that she and Fesmer are leaders of the Hunters of Truth…and that they're together. After this distinctly awkward introduction, the party then moves along to Velia, even though no one really trusts Dita; even Zana won't really talk to her. They reach the city and split up, as their goals have never been more divided.
Mike and Katherine move to the center of town to find any available information about Shauna – not that they have much luck. The two move towards a fire that just broke out elsewhere in town, and discover that neither the Legion, nor University, nor the Hunters are much liked.
Jareth breaks into the local University, where Targonane is visiting to give a series of lectures. Behaving very unlike his prior self, he threatens Targonane (who is, for all intents and purposes, very forgiving) in order to find out just what is going on in the University system.
Fesmer and Arkahn follow Zana to a local store; while they wait for her, Arkahn admits just how resentful she is of Mike for being self-sufficient in Boston, confesses to stealing his technology to give to Jareth, and explains that Jareth has been teaching her the basics of magic. Fesmer, realizing how skilled his friend is, invites her to join the Hunters, and along with Zana, they proceed to a very large meeting of local Hunters. Unfortunately, Zana and Arkahn realize that, for all his growth as a leader, Fesmer has developed a very nasty streak: in leading the meeting and inspiring his followers to finding the Legion's "tool", Shauna, Fesmer announces that he is perfectly willing to kill her if she refuses to help them.
- Mike has this absolutely heartwrenching quality to his voice when he's caught in a moment of vulnerability; it starts to show when he's searching for the others, and makes itself very obvious when he finds Katherine and isn't sure she's alive. I honestly think it's one of the reasons I love Mike as much as I do; it's so easy for him to come off as this bullheaded idiot, but Mike Hunter plays him in such a way that, as you get to know him, you come to learn that quite a bit of that bravado is just a front.
- Arkahn has just been kidnapped, tortured, and had a factory fall on top of her…and she still has the energy left to crack jokes once they dig her up from the rubble. Zana isn't kidding when she says this woman can survive ANYTHING.
- …they're all going to have magical lung cancer in 10 years from breathing in tae-oden dust, aren't they?
- Katherine's utter refusal to let her hands be healed before they find everyone just makes me love her more. Mike may have made fun of her stubbornness only a few episodes ago, but in a pinch, this is a woman I'd want on my side, no question.
- Ugh, Jareth's calling Fesmer maraa for the first time in forever just fills my heart with utter joy.
- Oh, that delightful awkwardness of meeting someone's new significant other after crawling out of the rubble of an exploded building.
- "Come on, guys, it's been 2 weeks on the road and we're all a little cranky." Man, who would've guessed a season ago that it would be Katherine who'd be in charge of keeping everyone from fighting? I've said it before, and I'll doubtlessly say it again, but her evolution into a person who knows how to keep perspective, console others, and pick her battles wisely will forever be one of my favorite things.
- "…but as different as the sights are, it is still the same fractuous, loud, vibrantly-alive city I once thought I could call home…" It's hard for me to comprehend what it must've been like for a young Zana (or really, what it's like for anyone in her situation), to have come from a tiny rural town to a big, bustling place like Velia (or Laundi, or Sonsa, or New York, or Boston). Clashing cultures, new ideas, a rainbow of people – it must've been thrilling to a person as intellectually curious and accepting as Zana.
- Mike and Katherine's conversation explicitly says what we've all been thinking for a while: in spite of the fact that there are 6 people on this quest, they're starting to think of themselves as the only ones who are truly in it to find Shauna. And honestly…they're not wrong. Everyone else has their own motivations, and that's okay! Arkahn needs to stand up to her parents and redeem herself, Jareth needs to find out if University is worth his dedication, and so on. But Mike and Katherine's only goal is finding their lost friend, and that sort of devotion is admirable.
- I'm not gonna lie, Mike putting Arkahn on the spot like that, forcing her to choose who to go with, was a little cruel. The choice is in itself innocuous: go with Kathe and Meek to look for clues, or with Fesmer to meet the Hunters…but there is a definite question-between-the-lines there that both Mike and Arkahn acknowledge. In reality, she's being forced to decide between the people she's been friends with for years who have just started forgiving her, or with the person who took care of her for a year in a foreign world – and that's a nearly impossible choice.
- That being said, Mike's little "…Oh." is so sad. They rarely ever mean anything by it, but everyone in our main cast has, at one time or another, implicitly or explicitly told Mike that they prefer someone else to him (Shauna romantically, Jareth and Fesmer as a leader, Katherine ALL THE DAMN TIME in Season 1, and now Arkahn as…well, as whatever they were/could have been). It's not surprising that he's starting to cut his losses quicker – that sort of thing is very psychologically stressful.
- "For the longest time, I thought you were perhaps so often by my side…because you were attracted to me." "…Tell me of your doki-luna!" Oh, what a beautiful, beautiful awkward pause. It actually makes sense that Arkahn would be, on some level, enamored of Fesmer – her home life doesn't seem like it would've engendered much mirth when she was young, so it must have been a little thrilling to meet a person who actively tried to make her laugh. As we found out in Campfire Tales, Jareth was older and handsome, yes…but Fesmer went out of his way to become her friend, and that must've meant the world to a young, shy Arkahn.
- Man, I'd forgotten about Dita's surrogate mother. No wonder she has serious issues with Zana when she finds out about her – not one, but two mother figures walked out of her life.
- "Dita and I both understand abandonment and loss, and have built a mutual regard on that foundation." There is nothing wrong with building a relationship on shared experiences, particularly negative ones – but a problem can arise when two people with similar issues don't actively deal with those issues. Fesmer and Dita may love each other (and I don't doubt that they do!), but from what we see of their relationship, they haven't really helped each other over those particular burdens. (SPOILER) Perhaps, if they had been given more time, helping heal one another would have been their next step…but unfortunately, we won't get to see that.
- "I had no choice but to trust his trust in me." Y'know, knowing Arkahn, she would've come out of her experiences at the end of Season 1 much the worse for wear – she hated betraying her friends, she hated leaving Shaena behind, and she very well may have hated herself a little bit for all the things she'd done. But Mike, I feel, would never have let her wallow in that self-loathing for long; when we see her get down on herself in Third Shift, Mike picks her right back up again. If you tell a person that they're worth something often enough, eventually they'll start to believe it. Arkahn may be seeking to repent for her past actions now, but at some point she had to convince herself that there was something about her that was worth redeeming, and I think Mike had a big hand in promoting that.
- Aaaand once again, I just want to give Arkahn a hug. Her life has been so damn unfair, and continues in this vein throughout the series. Jareth, Mike, and Fesmer have no idea how much their immature, pointless in-fighting weigh on Arkahn, who is the only member of the group who has equal ties and equal status to all three of them. You guys need to chill out for like 5 minutes so Arkahn can be happy, okay?
- Fesmer's offer to Arkahn to join the Hunters must be, on a certain level, incredibly tempting; Arkahn's never really known a true, loving family, and the Hunters being described as such by one of her best friends would be very appealing on that level. #CT's gonna talk endlessly about Arkahn and there's not a thing you can do about it.
- "'Do or do not, there is no try.'" "Rinson!" Oh man, you can practically hear Mike grin. I love this whole conversation, if only because it demonstrates how far both of these characters have come. Katherine makes a nerdy joke without getting defensive, acknowledges her own weaknesses in dealing with people, and critiques Mike's plan without getting overly harsh; Mike makes a serious gaffe in mentioning Katherine's inability to use her hands and immediately apologizes, and is willing to accept that his idea isn't working – and on top of all this, both of them can poke fun at one another without it devolving into a screaming match.
- "Someone did mention something about a fire in the south side of town." Ah, and so it begins.
- I tried posing Aldo's question to myself, and I honestly don't know if I have the proper frame of reference to be able to answer it. We the audience presumably don't live in a society where one singular country is controlled by two different factions with their own systems of government, so it's hard to say whether University has the duty, much less the right, to patrol the streets. Honestly, the closest frame of reference I have to the situation in Velia is living in a city being plagued by gang warfare – except that our gangs don't generally make or enforce the local laws. That being said, thinking about it in such a way really makes me understand why the Velian people don't like any of the three parties with power.
- Jareth is a reminder of why some people are very reserved with their emotions: because when they're finally pushed past the breaking point, they end up being very, very dangerous.
- "You're gonna get me into trouble one of these days…" Oh Mike, I THINK YOU'VE EARNED IT.
- …Is that Brad playing the woman at the Hunter's meeting? Because that's the greatest thing of all time.
- "I was much older when I was young!" Fesmer and Zana make an interesting contrast, when it comes to looking at how isolation and cutting off family ties affects a young adult. I wonder how old Zana was when she encountered Doro's hand? Because, while she doesn't strike me as being particularly old at the time, I don't believe she was quite as young as Fesmer is now…but who knows? Nonetheless, Zana and Fesmer dealt with their sense of loss in intensely different ways. Perhaps it boils down to a difference in personality – Fesmer throws his feelings outward while Zana turned them inward.
- It's so jarring to see Zana acting in such a reserved, awkward way; we're so used to her being very much in command of herself, and particularly able to talk to young people.
- The throwback to the Mr. Ham song is AWESOME.
- Poor Dita, she's so left out of these conversations – and everything else, honestly. It must be a new experience for her, being left to the side; she grew up with the leader of the Hunters, and was involved with everything, then joined a pre-established group where only one person trusts her judgment and motivations. No wonder she gets tired of everyone on their trip to Sonsa.
- I can totally understand why Zana reacts as poorly as she does to Dita's rather gruesome joke. It's not just that Dita's comment is in poor taste, it's that it's reflective of the woman as a whole. I can't even imagine what it must be like to be Zana in this scenario, (SPOILER) realizing that your child is not the person you would have raised her to be. This isn't even a difference in personality, as every parent inevitably has a different point of view than their children – this is an active acknowledgement that Dita's father, Rungrot, has molded Dita to reflect his own ruthlessness and conviction, without Zana's compassion to temper those traits.
- That being said…(SPOILER) Dita truly is Zana's daughter. Look at how quickly she picks up on Zana's evading of her questions, and how effective her questions are at poking holes in Zana's story. Intelligent and perceptive indeed.
- Okay, I haven't commented on it yet, but Ari Herbstman makes an absolutely wonderful Fesmer, particularly as we see Fesmer during his final descent into anger and revenge. His speech at the end of this episode is a perfect combination of the cheerfulness and drive of past!Fesmer and the ruthlessness that is fast approaching.
- The call-and-response format of the Hunters' meeting makes me very, very uncomfortable, and not just because it ends with Fesmer calling for Shaena's death. I am very much for the Hunters' ultimate goals – creating an effective, egalitarian system where the common people have agency – but any system that's built upon mob mentality is dangerous.
- "We must be prepared, for the sake of Amarand, to have her death on our hands!" And so Fesmer reveals that he has started down a dark, dark road. I remain convinced that it's due to a combination of undealt with aggression and his clinging to black-and-white morality in a very grey world that leads him to this place. I think the most frustrating part of it all is that it really, really didn't have to come to this; Fesmer is a product of his situation as much as he's personally responsible for his own choices. Watching him spiral like this…well, it's difficult.
Alright folks, no update tomorrow, as I'm goin' to Disneyland! (Ah, the benefits to being a SoCal native) See you later!
- "It doesn't count if you write slash with your own character!" …Fine then, I'll do it! Seriously though, this is the ONE AND ONLY THING that disappointed me just a little about Second Shift: no LGBT representation. Don't get me wrong, I still love the characters and the story, but I also love diversity in my fiction, and it would've been nice. I am going to refrain from comment on how, in my headcannon, there were definitely some delightfully slashy moments, because GODDAMN some of these platonic friends have great chemistry. After all, Jareth and Fesmer care about each other an AWFUL lot, and Katherine and Shauna WERE very close roommates, and…oh hell, who am I kidding, I straight up ship Arkahn and Dita post-series. OH GOD I'M SORRY I'LL STOP NOW.


In this special edition of Jack Morris Live, Jack and Sandy talk with Marilyn M. Petitto Devaney, Governor's Council Incumbent, Seeking Re-election.
In Jack's final episode, he and Sandy talk with Kevin Roy about St. Andrew's 150th Anniversary. In the final portion of the show, we hear from member's of the Jack Morris Live crew and then we see a video recapping Jack's time on the show.
Watch as Billerica 5th graders face off against Superintendent Tim Piwowar.
Join Jack and Sandy for the Jack Morris Live talent show.
In part one of this episode, Jack and Sandy talk with Helen Potter about the Billerica Minuteman Statue. We then see the winners of the talent show. Jack and Sandy also talk with Marie Tremblay about the Billerica 5K Reader Run on Sunday, May 20.
In this episode, Sandy talks with members of the Billerica Scholarship Foundation. In the second half of the show, we hear about the upcoming Billerica Health Fair from Joan Parcewski and Ann Rosas.
In this episode, Jack and Sandy interview Joe Higgins about the Kathi Glavin Higgins Scholarship Fund. In part two, we hear from Jarrod Norman with Cops for Kids with Cancer. The final guest in this episode is Town Moderator John McKenna.
In this episode, we hear from Marie O'Rourke and Ken Buffum with the Billerica Food Pantry. In the second part of the show, Jack and Sandy talk with Dan "Bubba" Goodwin, Candidate Re-elect for the Billerica School Committee. In the final part, we hear from Kelly Isenor with the American Red Cross.
In the final episode of the year, Jack talks with Tim Wilson and jim Bradley with the American Diabetes Association/Tour de Cure and with Joan Parcewski and Ann rosas about the upcoming Billerica Health and Wellness Fair.
In this episode, Sandy interviews Mark Cappadona, President of Colonial Power Group, and Kevin Heffernan, Chairman of the BMHS Building Committee.
Jack and Sandy talk with Senator Cindy Friedman and then they talk fire safety with Deputy Fire Chief Tom Ferraro.
Jack and Sandy interview senior members of the BMHS football team.
In this episode, Jack and Sandy interview John Gagliardi and Matt Forti about the Billerica Holiday Festival. In part two, we hear from April Lasky and Bernie McCann about the Billerica Food Market. In the final segment, we hear from Selectmen Andrew Deslaurier and George Simolaris.
Jack and Sandy talk with Jay Parker and Bob Richardson with iPods for Wounded Veterans. In the second half of the program, we hear from Alicia Reddin, Candidate for State Representative, and David Gagliardi, Treasurer of the Committee to Elect Alicia Reddin.
In this episode, Sandy interviews Ellen Rawlings, Chairman of the Yankee Doodle Bike Path Committee, and Jean Patel Bushnell, Director of the Billerica Council on Aging.
Jack and Sandy talk with Carol Woods with Remax Billerica and George Simolaris, Candidate for State Representative.
In the first episode of the season, Jack interviews Kevin Heffernan, Chair of the High School Building Committee, about the new high school. In the second half, we hear from Taryn Gillis and Vicky Roy about the upcoming Yankee Doodle weekend events.
In this episode, Sandy interviews Alicia Reddin, District Director of Veteran's Services, and Rob Anderson, Billerica Economic Development Coordinator.
A special debate edition of Jack Morris Live.
In this episode, Jack interviews Joe Higgins, a community organizer. In part two, we hear from Jean Bushnell, Director of the Billerica COA, and Daria Rabkin, Memory Care Director at Brightview. In part three, Jack interviews Ed Giroux, candidate for Billerica Board of Selectmen. Finally, we hear from Dan Burns, candidate for Billerica Board of Selectmen.
Jack and Sandy interview Joan Parcewski and Bob Kinsman with the Billerica Lions Club. In part two, we hear from John Sullivan, Candidate for Billerica School Committee.
Jack and Sandy interview Virginia "Chris" Musker and Kevin Heffernan, Candidates for Selectman.
Jack and Sandy interview Kevin Jackson from Operation Snowball as well as Doris Pearson and Joan Parcewski from the Billerica Health & Wellness Fair.
Jack and Sandy interview Kevin Conway with the BMHS Athletic Association, Betty Patriquin with the BMHS Alumni Association, and Mark Efstratiou, Chairman of the Billerica School Committee.
In this episode, Jack and Sandy interview members of the Shawsheen Tech and BMHS football teams.
In part one, Jack and Sandy interview Richard Berube, Director of Public Health. In part two, we hear from Cathy Conenny of the Billerica Neighborhood Brigade.
In this special episode of Jack Morris Live, Dean Santoro interviews George Simolaris, Candidate for State Representative.
In part one, Jack interviews Dean Santoro, Chairman of the Democratic Town Committee. In part two, Jack and Sandy interview Pat Flemming about Article 47. In the final part, we hear about Halloween safety from Sgt. Steve Elmore from the Billerica Police department.
Jack interviews George Simolaris, candidate for State Representative.
In this episode, Sandy interviews Marlies Henderson and Ralph McKenna about the CPA. We also hear from John McKenna and Ed Giroux about the upcoming town meeting. In the third part, Sandy talks with Rob Anderson, the Billerica Community Development Director. In the final segment, we hear about the upcoming Health Expo with Alina Terzi and Kevin Sears from the Merrimack Valley Lifestyle Club.
In the first episode of the season, Jack and Sandy talk with Caroline Catlender about the upcoming Yankee Doodle Parade. During the second half of the program, Jack talks with Town Manager John Curran about the town's severe drought conditions and the current water usage restrictions.
In the final episode of the season, Jack and Sandy interview Katie Mahoney with Billerica's Political Future. In the second part of the episode, we hear from Judi Farmer and Maureen Couture with Enterprise Bank.
In this part of this episode, Jack interviews Bill Paskiewicz and Julie Rauseo with the American Cancer Society and Cathy Conenny with Shawsheen Tech Football and Pulling for Hope. In part two, we hear from Billerica Selectman Andrew DesLauriors. In the final part, Jack interviews Eric and Larry Tang, student at Billerica Memorial High School.
Jack and Sandy interview Carol Woods with the Re-Max Real Estate Group and Cathy Coneeary with Neighbor Brigade.
In part one of this episode, Jack and Sandy interview George Simolaris. In part two, they talk with Karen Milliken and Jeanne Martin with the DAV Women Veterans Committee.
In this special episode of Jack Morris Live , 5th graders from the Parker Elementary School test their trivia knowledge against Superintendent Tim Piwowar.
Jack and Sandy talk with Marlies Henderson, members of Billerica Pop Warner Football, and Michael LoColle and Kelly McCormack from Club Inhale Exhale.
In this episode, Jack and Sandy interview Marie O'Rourke from the Billerica Food Pantry and Jamie Haroutunian, an Estate Planning Attorney.
In this episode, Jack and Sandy talk about the upcoming Billerica Health & Wellness Fair. In the second part, they talk with Tim Piwowar, Superintendent of the Billerica Public Schools.
Jack and Sandy interview Daniel "Bubba" Goodwin, Candidate for Billerica School Committee, and Dean Santoro, Candidate for Billerica Planning Board.
Jack and Sandy talk with Jim Gately, Billerica School Committee Candidate. In the second part of the show, they talk with John Curran, Billerica Town Manager, Kevin Heffernan, Chair of the BMHS Building Committee, and Mark Efstratiou, Vice Chair of the BMHS Building Committee and Chair of the BMHS School Committee.
Jack and Sandy talk with Barbara Wittenhagen and Liz Berube with the Billerica Scholarship Foundation. In the second half, Jack and Sandy talk with Matt Battcock and John Burrows, Billerica Planning Board Candidates.


text:
Myrmoteras cuneonodum — вид муравьёв (Formicidae) из подсемейства  (Formicinae, Formicidae).

Распространение
Юго-восточная Азия: Вьетнам, Китай, Таиланд.

Описание
Длина тела составляет 3—5 мм. Основная окраска желтовато-коричневая; ноги, челюсти — светло-жёлтые. Длина головы — 0,92—1,10 мм (ширина — 0,92—1,03). Муравьи с крупными глазами и длинными узкими мандибулами. Мандибулы длиной 1,3 мм с 10-11 зубцами. Формула щупиков 6,4.  Стебелёк между грудкой и брюшком состоит из одного членика петиолюса (последний четко отделен от брюшка). Близок к видам Myrmoteras marianneae и Myrmoteras estrudae.

Примечания

Литература

Myrmoteras
Животные, описанные в 1998 году
Насекомые Азии
Эндемики Юго-Восточной Азии

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Dr. Kari Kervinen, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu 90029, Finland.
Objectives The aim of the study was to compare long-term follow-up results of crush versus culotte stent techniques in coronary bifurcation lesions.
Background The randomized Nordic Stent Technique Study showed similar 6-month clinical and 8-month angiographic results with the crush and culotte stent techniques of de novo coronary artery bifurcation lesions using sirolimus-eluting stents. Here, we report the 36-month efficacy and safety of the Nordic Stent Technique Study.
Methods A total of 424 patients with a bifurcation lesion were randomized to stenting of both main vessel and side branch with the crush or the culotte technique and followed for 36 months. Major adverse cardiac events—the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, or target vessel revascularization—were the primary endpoint.
Results Follow-up was complete for all patients. At 36 months, the rates of the primary endpoint were 20.6% versus 16.7% (p = 0.32), index lesion restenosis 11.5% versus 6.5% (p = 0.09), and definite stent thrombosis 1.4% versus 4.7% (p = 0.09) in the crush and the culotte groups, respectively.
In percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the use of drug-eluting stents has improved the short- and long-term outcomes of bifurcation lesion treatment (1). However, the optimal technique for treatment of this complex lesion subset remains a matter of debate. In the Nordic Bifurcation Study, the simple technique of main vessel stenting and provisional stenting of the side branch (SB) yielded clinical results as good as those of the more complex 2-stent techniques, with less procedure time, less radiation time, and smaller volume of contrast media (2,3). Therefore, the provisional SB stenting strategy can be recommended in most cases. However, in situations where the SB has a large diameter, has significant disease at the ostium, or has a long lesion, complete lesion coverage may be considered by stenting both the main vessel and the SB. In the randomized Nordic Stent Technique Study, we compared the crush and the culotte bifurcation stenting techniques and observed similar 6-month clinical outcome and slightly improved 8-month angiographic SB results in the culotte group (4). Previous data on the safety of 2-stent techniques are limited, and concern has been raised about long-term clinical safety outcomes, particularly stent thrombosis (ST) (5). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the 36-month clinical results in patients with coronary artery bifurcation lesions treated with the crush or the culotte stent techniques. The outcomes of patients with left main coronary artery (LM) bifurcation lesions were assessed in a subgroup analysis.
The Nordic Bifurcation Stent Technique Study was a nonblinded randomized trial that was designed to compare the crush and the culotte coronary bifurcation stent techniques. The flow diagram of the study is shown in Figure 1 (4). There was a clinical 6-month visit in all patients and an 8-month angiographic follow-up, stratified at randomization, in 160 and 164 patients in the crush and culotte groups, respectively. The primary endpoint of the primary publication was the number of 6-month major adverse cardiac events (MACE). The clinical follow-up was scheduled up to 36 months. The study was a multicenter trial conducted at 13 centers in Denmark, Finland, Latvia, and Norway (Online Appendix). It was approved by the national ethics committees of the participating centers, and written informed consent was obtained from all patients. From August 1, 2005 through February 28, 2007, 424 patients were included. In brief, patients were eligible if they had stable or unstable angina pectoris or silent ischemia, attributable to a de novo coronary bifurcation lesion defined according to Lefèvre et al. (6). For inclusion, the diameter of the main vessel had to be ≥3.0 mm and the SB ≥2.5 mm by visual estimation. Patients with both true and nontrue bifurcation lesions were included. The criteria for exclusion have been described previously (4). After providing written informed consent, patients were randomly assigned to the study groups in a 1:1 fashion before any balloon dilation was performed. The sirolimus eluting stent Cypher Select + (Cordis/Johnson & Johnson, Miami Lakes, Florida) was used. The main treatment principles of the crush and the culotte techniques have been reported (4). Per protocol, the operators were required to attempt a final kissing balloon dilation (FKBD) at the end of the procedure. After PCI, the recommended treatment time for clopidogrel was 6 to 12 months and lifelong for aspirin (≥75 mg/day).
The 36-month patient flow diagram of the Nordic Stent Technique Study.
The pre-specified study endpoints were the occurrence of total death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), definite ST and MACE (cardiac death, nonprocedural MI, ST, target vessel revascularization by PCI or coronary artery surgery), index lesion restenosis, and Academic Research Consortium–defined definite, probable, and possible ST (7) at 36-month follow-up. Blinded outcome assessment was performed by an independent clinical event committee.
Nonprocedural MI was defined as a rise of biochemical markers exceeding the decision limit of MI (above the 99th percentile including <10% CV) associated with either typical symptoms and/or electrocardiographic changes (4).
Differences in categorical variables between the 2 groups were analyzed using the chi-square test or Fisher exact test. We used the 2-tailed t test to compare continuous variables. Time-to-event data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. All tests were 2-sided and statistical significance was set at 5%.
At 36-month follow-up, mortality, MACE, restenosis, and ST data were available in all 424 patients. Baseline clinical (Table 1) and procedural characteristics (Table 2) of the 2 groups were well matched. In the majority of patients, the index bifurcation lesion location was the left anterior descending artery. A total of 41 (10%) patients had LM lesions. According to the Medina classification, true bifurcation lesions (Medina 1,1,1; 1,0,1; 0,1,1) were more common in the culotte than the crush stenting group (82% vs. 73%, respectively, p = 0.03).
We found no significant differences in clinical outcome between the 2 study groups. At 36-month follow-up, the cumulative incidences of MACE were 20.6% in the crush group and 16.7% in the culotte group (p = 0.32). The rates of event-free survival of MACE are shown in Figure 2. Table 3 provides cardiac/noncardiac death, MI, restenosis, and ST data. The outcomes in the 2 study groups were similar, albeit there was a trend to a higher rate of index lesion restenosis in the crush group and a higher rate of definite ST in the culotte group.
Major adverse cardiac event (MACE)-free survival (cardiac death, myocardial infarction not related to percutaneous coronary intervention, target vessel revascularization) during 36 months of follow-up of the Nordic Stent Technique Study. PTCA = percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
The success rate of FKBD was lower in the crush than in the culotte group (84.3% vs. 91.6%, p = 0.02). The rates of MACE tended to be decreased (18% vs. 24%, p = 0.3), and a significant decrease was found in nonprocedural MI (5% vs. 18%, p = 0.001) and in definite ST (2% vs. 8%, p = 0.04) in patients with successful FKBD versus unsuccessful FKBD.
A total of 41 patients (10%) had a LM coronary bifurcation lesion. Of these patients, 20 were randomized to stenting with the crush technique and 21 with the culotte technique. At 36 months, the rates of MACE were 45% (n = 9) vs. 9.5% (n = 2) (p = 0.01), respectively. The individual endpoints in LM patients are shown in Table 4.
The Nordic Stent Technique Study is the only randomized comparison of crush versus culotte stent technique in coronary bifurcation lesions. At 3-year follow-up, we did not observe significant differences in the rates of MACE, all-cause death, cardiac death, MI, TLR, or target vessel revascularization between the study groups, but we did detect a trend to less restenosis after culotte stenting and less definite ST after crush stenting. FKBD was associated with lower rates of MACE, MI, and ST.
In our study, a control angiography was performed at 8 months in 76% of the patients (Fig. 1). At the time of the control angiography, and probably in part induced by the angiography, an increase in MACE was observed in both stent technique groups (Fig. 2). At 8-month follow-up, there were more incidents of angiographic SB in-stent restenosis in the crush group than in the culotte group (9.8% vs. 3.8%, p < 0.05) (1). At 36 months, there was a trend to increased restenosis in the crush group, but this did not translate into increased TLR.
In our long-term 36-month follow-up, the rates of definite ST were 1.4% and 4.7% (p = 0.09) in the crush and culotte groups, respectively. However, the difference between the 2 groups was less prominent after including probable and possible ST in the analysis (crush 5.3% vs. culotte 7.9%). Also, the higher definite ST rate was not reflected in higher rates of cardiac death and MI in culotte-treated patients.
The numerically higher restenosis rate in crush-treated patients concurs with our earlier finding of increased angiographic restenosis after crush stenting. A nonrandomized trial of 80 patients (8) compared culotte techniques with T-stenting. After 9-month follow-up, the culotte group had a lower TLR rate than the T-stenting group did (8.9% vs. 27.3%, respectively). In this study, the ST rate was 2.2% in the culotte group at 9 months (8). This is in line with a recent prospective registry study in which 100 patients with coronary bifurcation lesions were treated with the crush technique using paclitaxel-eluting stents. After 36-month follow-up, the rate of ST was 3% (9). In a recent Italian retrospective registry study (10), including more than 4,000 patients with bifurcation lesions treated with various techniques, the 24-month ST rate of 2.9% was not associated with the use of 2-stent techniques. The ST rates for patients treated with crush or culotte techniques were not reported specifically. Overall, the data from these studies suggest that the rate of ST is around 3% on a long-term basis for bifurcation lesions treated with a 2-stent technique.
We found a favorable effect of both 2-stent techniques on the long-term rate of restenosis with a need for TLR in only 6% of patients at 36 months (Table 3), whereas it was 10% after 12 months in a recent study using a T-stent technique and sirolimus-eluting stents (11). Another study using the crush technique with paclitaxel-eluting stents observed an 8% rate of TLR at 36-month follow-up (9). Although speculative, due to the lack of randomized data, the lower long-term TLR rates with culotte and crush techniques as compared to the T-stenting technique might reflect a beneficial effect of the complete carina coverage that may be achieved using these techniques.
An important finding in our study was that FKBD reduced the long-term rates of MACE, nonprocedural MI, and ST. In a previous report of patients treated with the crush technique, the absence of FKBD was a predictor for TLR at 9 months (12). Thus, the present results give further evidence that FKBD should be performed, whenever possible, in complex bifurcation lesions requiring 2 stents (1). Interestingly, the rate of FKBD was significantly higher in culotte- versus crush-treated patients, possibly because of SB wiring problems in the multiple stent layers of the crush technique. The observed lower success rate of FKBD in the crush group, however, did not result in high ST rates. This may be explained by the fact that the overall number of patients with definite ST (n = 13) was low, and only few definite ST (n = 4) occurred in the relatively small group of 50 patients, where FKBD had been unsuccessful.
In patients with LM stenosis, both crush and culotte techniques yielded good 36-month safety results with low rates of death or MI. However, stenting with the crush technique seemed to be associated with a higher rate of TLR than was the culotte technique. The optimal PCI treatment strategy for true bifurcation lesions with a large SB, such as in LM disease, is currently unknown. In our study, the number of LM patients was small and no definitive conclusions can be drawn. However, the results suggest that culotte might be an acceptable technique in distal LM lesions when a 2-stent strategy is needed. In the ISAR-LEFT MAIN (Intracoronary Stenting and Angiographic Results: Drug-Eluting Stents for Unprotected Coronary Left Main Lesions) study (13), where 98% of distal LM lesions were treated with culotte stenting, the 1-year MACE was 16% in patients treated with sirolimus-eluting stents. A recent randomized study compared culotte stenting to a modified crush technique, double kissing crush, for LM bifurcation lesions (14). It showed that the MACE rate was higher with the culotte technique (16.3 vs. 6.2%) at 1 year. Thus, the double kissing crush also seems to be a promising technique in LM stenting.
According to our study and the previous data, there is no specific 2-stent technique that may generally be recommended for the treatment of coronary artery bifurcation lesions. Therefore, the operator may choose technique according to the coronary anatomy and personal experience.
The Nordic Stent Technique Study had an open design, and operators and patients were aware of the technique used. This might introduce bias in the interpretation of symptoms at follow-up.
At 36-month follow-up, the clinical outcomes were similar for patients with coronary bifurcation lesions treated with the culotte or crush stent technique.
For information regarding the Nordic-Baltic PCI Study Group, please see the online version of this paper.
The study was supported by an unrestricted grant from the Cordis/Johnson & Johnson Company. Dr. Holm has received research grants and honoraria from Cordis Corp.; research grants, speaking fees, and honoraria from St. Jude Medical; speaking fees and honoraria from Terumo; and research grants from Medtronic. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose. The authors have full access to the data of the study and take full responsibility for its integrity.
(2008) Safety in simple versus complex stenting of coronary artery bifurcation lesions: the Nordic Bifurcation Study 14-month follow-up results. EuroIntervention 4:229–233.
(2009) Randomized comparison of coronary bifurcation stenting with the crush versus the culotte technique using sirolimus eluting stents: the Nordic Stent Technique Study. Circ Cardiovasc Interv 2:27–34.
(2007) Culotte versus T-stenting in bifurcation lesions: immediate clinical and angiographic results and midterm clinical follow-up. Am Heart J 154:336–343.
(2010) 3-year follow-up of 100 consecutive coronary bifurcation lesions treated with Taxus stents and the crush technique. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 75:605–613.
(2010) Real-world outcome of coronary bifurcation lesions in the drug-eluting stent era: results from the 4,314-patient Italian Society of Invasive Cardiology (SICI-GISE) Italian Multicenter Registry on Bifurcations (I-BIGIS). Am Heart J 160:535–542.
(2005) Clinical and angiographic outcome after implantation of drug-eluting stents in bifurcation lesions with the crush technique: importance of final kissing balloon post-dilation. J Am Coll Cardiol 46:613–620.
(2013) Comparison of double kissing crush versus culotte stenting for unprotected distal left main bifurcation lesions: results from a multicenter, randomized, prospective DKCRUSH-III study. J Am Coll Cardiol 61:1482–1488.


Spiritual Transmission is a powerful force that is very versatile in usage. Everyone who has received this initiation will develop their own ways of using it. It raises the vibrational level and brings in more universal light to each and everything to which it is projected.
Because it is so powerful it needs a certain level of energetic and spiritual development. This means that if this attunement is received, is decided by Source alone.
Basically there are no limitations on the use of Spiritual Transmission, only ones own mind and mental concepts confine the effects.
Some aspect of this force has been available lately. Spiritual Transmission now, as given by this attunement, is a very balanced and complete energy in terms of male-female-aspects (to use classic, conservative language). It bears strength but also softness, it is lightful and strong. As the desired future of humankind will bring forth softer, more compassionate, and more tolerant qualities as have been present in the male-dominated dark age, that is about to leave, so also the energies that light workers are using should more and more be those of a balanced male-female structure. This need is fulfilled by Spiritual Transmission.


text:
Assassin Farmer Chapter 114
Chapter 114: A Letter from The Imperial City
Although Lin Si Yao said that he had to go to The Imperial City once, there was no sign of him leaving.
Since he didn't mention it, Su Shuilian didn't ask. Of course, she hoped for him not to go. The immense pain that accompanied their month's parting… That feeling, once was enough.
Si Chong brought Si Luo, who was still in a coma, to Bamboo Garden to recuperate.
Except for Situ Yun, his other hyperactive twenty-four disciples had been brought back to Guangci House. Since both Si Ling and himself were back, they didn't need to worry about security anymore. Si Tuo's days of staying leisured and disturbing others were all gone because of wounded Si Luo.
Moreover, Si Tuo had come to Fan Hua Town himself. The complicated matters, such as choosing an heir for Feng Yao Court, would be handed to him to worry about.
"Do you also think that their characteristics are switched?" Seeing Si Tuo loom over the small bed, watching Lin Long waving her limbs in the crib and Lin Xiao hiding in Bai He's chest, smiling innocently for a long time, Su Shuilian could not help but ask him.
The weather was getting warmer. Especially thanks to Lin Si Yao's persistence, Lin Xiao and Lin Long's small bed had been moved to their own room – the bedroom in the West wing. The two wet-nurses were conveniently placed in the adjacent room outside to take care of them.
Until now, though subtle, Su Shuilian's tired face had subsided. She just needed to breastfeed the kids in the morning after they woke up and before they went to bed.
Three months after her labor, the amount of her milk produced was reducing. Although she had eaten the same foods that were good for lactation, like the two wet-nurses, she didn't have as much milk as the other two. She wondered if it was because of her individual physique.
Before she slept, she often thought about this strange thing. However, whenever she told A Yao about this, he would try to switch the topic by saying something to comfort her or using his passion to wipe away her attempt to study this.
"They were born like that?" Si Tuo's question broke Su Shuilian's train of thought.
"Yeah, it's strange, isn't it?" Su Shuilian got a hold of herself, watching the twins happily chattering, playing on the small bed. She smiled, asking tenderly.
"Yeah…" Actually, he suspected it was due to Si Ling. After they were born, he tried to train their characteristics with the purpose of not to letting him take any of his children to train and make him or her the next Master of Feng Yao Court – his most favored successor.
According to the intelligence from Si Chong's disciples and his own observations, it was clear that even at three-months old, Ling Long was more suitable to become Feng Yao Court's Master than Lin Xiao.
She was active and lively. When she was awake and not hungry, she would play alone. She didn't need anybody to accompany her. If she were hungry, she would cry loudly. She would never have a grimace or whine. Not to mention that, as her little, cute face was developing, it became apparent that she had inherited Si Ling's expression of indifference.
Lin Xiao was the complete opposite. When he was awake, he needed someone to hug him and pamper him. When he was hungry, he would only whimper quietly. This kid had various facial expressions. It was easy to read his mood just by looking at his face.
The devastated Si Tuo couldn't imagine how Lin Xiao, who wore his heart on his sleeve, with a spoiled child's temper, could be trained to become the Master of Feng Yao Court?
Needless to say, Lin Long's character was way more suitable!
However, he began to worry. Si Ling and his wife would protest against his idea. Daughters should be nurtured in her boudoir to receive love and protection from others.
Sigh, it was truly a dilemma.
"Why are you so hurried? Just let them zhuā zhōu*." Si Chong laughed. He squinted, looking at Si Tuo, who was contemplating for almost two hours after he had visited the twins. Si Tuo was a rather indifferent man, for him to idle and ponder like that, Si Chong could not help but respect the twins who were still wearing diapers.
(抓周/zhuā zhōu – a custom of placing a variety of articles (writing brush, abacus, etc) before an infant on their first birthday to see which one he/he picks up. The article chosen is supposed to be an indication of the child's inclinations, future career, etc.
"Zhuā zhōu?" Of course! At that time, he would bring Feng Yao Court's Master Token – the jasper ornamental thumb-ring so the kids could choose it. The kid that chose the ring would become the next Master of Feng Yao Court. No matter whom it was, he would try his best to train them.
Let's do just that! It would save him from more worries.
"I heard that the most mysterious 'Knight' organization had returned to Jianghu?" Si Chong remembered the news he and Si Ling had received a month ago. He frowned, asking.
"Yeah, unexpectedly, they were working for the officials." Si Tuo leaned against the window, his eyes gazing at the flowers blooming in spring, and nodded his head.
"They aren't from the officials, but the royals," corrected Si Chong. "If the twelve Blood Knights weren't so tough to deal with, perhaps the 'Knights' wouldn't have shown up. What I don't understand is why they have to stay in Jianghu?"
Si Chong shook his head. He hadn't figured out why the 'Knights' had shown up yet.
"They keep an eye on the imperial court and Jianghu. If any party messes around, they will deal with that party. In other words, if the imperial court does wrong, they can even overturn the entire imperial court." Si Tuo retracted his eyes from the winter jasmines. He turned around and walked towards the table in the middle of the room. He sat down and poured himself a cup of fragrant tea before continuing.
"And now, they are exposed to the imperial court. There will be no doubt that everyone is walking on needles."
"That's why Si Ling needs to show himself."
"Does he really need to go into the imperial palace?"
"I think so. Even if he doesn't want to, he has to."
Right, a married man would be different from them. He had to shoulder more responsibilities. And, single men like them could do whatever they wanted. No one could force them.
However, Si Ling getting involved in a dispute between the two nations was to save Si Luo.
And Si Luo… The two of them glanced over Si Luo, who was lying on the bed with an ashen face due to his long coma. They sighed.
Was it their bad luck? If Si Luo hadn't gone to the West Corridor to take revenge, he wouldn't have been so injured. But if he hadn't done that, they wouldn't have discovered the Blood Union's conspiracy that quickly. Allowing the twelve Blood Knights to hide in the West Corridor, no one knew when the chaos and war would erupt.
In the end, it was Da Hui Empire's fortune.
Eh? Since when did they begin to have unnecessary worries like this? They were two of the top ten assassins in Jianghu. Er… Although their identities were changed now: One was in charge of an intelligence organization; one was Feng Yao Court's temporary Master that had switched to "vegan mode". Neither of them were considered 'good people'. And now, they are sitting here talking about their country's peace and the people's welfare, it wasn't their initial intention. Really! Swear to God!
"Beautiful jie-jie, is Xiao Chun sick?" Situ Yun went to visit Xiao Chun in the backyard but returned quickly to alert Su Shuilian, who was playing with the twins who just started to learn to talk.
"No, A Yao checked this morning. Perhaps he just misses Xiao Xue." Su Shuilian shook her head.
After she got pregnant, Xiao Chun rarely left the house. If she took a walk outside, Xiao Chun would follow her closely. And when Feng Qing Ya destroyed their house, she and Chun Lan were in the cellar of the new house. Xiao Chun was with them then as well. That's how he avoided danger.
Then, Elder Wangye and Wangfei came. There were more people going in and out of the house. It became too noisy for Xiao Chun, who enjoyed peace and quiet. Thus, with Lin Si Yao's suggestion, he headed to Mount DaShi, resuming the training it had done with Lin Si Yao.
Occasionally, Xiao Chun would bring wild rabbits home. The servants would roast them for him. Other times, wild fruits were delivered, including the longans and lychees that were extremely rare even in the big stores in the city. The cold and refreshing fruits were personally dropped onto Su Shuilian's lap. His calm life was regular but interesting.
But this month, though he entered the mountain every day, Xiao Chun's appearance showed displeasure. Even Situ Yun, who habitually came and teased him, felt his strange mood.
"What's wrong with them? Pregnant?" Situ Yun guessed without any obvious clue. Su Shuilian didn't know if she should cry or laugh.
"Yun-er, Xiao Chun is a male."
"So he must have lovesickness. My Shifu said that no matter if it's human or animal, as long as he doesn't want to eat or drink, he must be lovesick." Situ Yun said, then clapped his hands, looking content as if he was "totally correct".
"What? Could it be?" Su Shuilian suddenly remembered the time Xiao Xue had been pregnant with the cubs. She thought this presumption was possible.
"But Xiao Chun comes to the mountain every day. Why does he look like that?" If Xiao Chun went on dates daily, what would cause his lovesickness?
"Beautiful jie-jie, you don't know this but 'parting for one day is longing for three autumns'. When Uncle Si Ling wasn't home, you also looked unhappy. Am I right?…" While Situ Yun explained to Su Shuilian, he did not forget to tease her. Unexpectedly, before he could finish, someone had knocked his head.
"Disrespectful!"
"Ouch! Uncle, I'm just worried that beautiful jie-jie doesn't understand." Situ Yun rubbed his head, resentfully looking at Lin Si Yao, who had just walked through the door, mumbling.
"Call her Auntie!" This little evil didn't change the way he addressed her even though he had taught him many times! He called Shuilian a beautiful jie-jie, but he called Lin Si Yao 'Uncle'. Wouldn't that be interpreted that he was one-generation older than his wife? Lin Si Yao corrected Situ Yun in displeasure.
"Hehe! If I call her that, I will make her feel old, won't I? Beautiful jie-jie is just seventeen years old. And I'm just thirteen. What kind of nephew is four years younger than his aunt?" Situ Yun fearlessly emphasized then sprinted out of the room, winking at Lin Si Yao. "Uncle, I'm not going to bother you guys anymore! I'm going back to check on Xiao Chun." He disappeared shortly after.
"That runt! (I) should ask Si Chong to reteach him!" Lin Si Yao snorted annoyedly. Then, he gently pulled Su Shuilian into his embrace, also hugging Lin Long whom she was holding.
"My mind is at ease as Yun-er is here." Su Shuilian was afraid that her husband would really send Situ Yun back to Guangci House. Thus, she smiled, trying to rescue Situ Yun from his looming demise. Whenever she needed to head out on short errands, knowing that Situ Yun was here to watch the twins made her feel more assured.
"I know." Lin Si Yao placed his chin on her shoulder, answering glumly. He knew they needed Situ Yun here to protect his family. Thus, he couldn't kick him back to Guangci House.
"Your elder brother sent a letter, urging us to go to The Imperial City." Lin Si Yao muttered a moment later, breaking the silence in the room.
"Us?" Su Shuilian was surprised, almost turning around to look at him, wanting to confirm what he had just said.
"Right, we will go together." Almost at the same time, she received his confirmation.
(This site now runs on ads, so please support us by clicking on one…. Much thanks! -MissQ)
5 thoughts on "Assassin Farmer Chapter 114"
曖昧 says:
And I'm the kind of aunt who is closer in age to her grand-nephews and nieces than her actual nieces and nephews. Its always so awkward, especially because my family values manners so much…
Rie says:
Aww what's wrong with Xiao Chun, I hope he's alright. As for going to the capital, I hope there's not much problem there…
winterkaguya says:
I hope Xiao Chun is okay~ and the twins will be going to the capital too?? Nice!! Shuilian will be meeting her family there, I presume?? Thanks for updating!!
Saphti says:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Liverpool's first of five matches in February is a trip to the London Stadium to face West Ham United on Monday evening, 8pm kick off UK time.
The next seven days could have a huge impact on the title race with Man City hosting Arsenal on Sunday before travelling to Everton on Wednesday Feb 6 in a match that has been re-arranged due to their participation in the League Cup final. City then host Chelsea Sunday week, one day after our home match against Bournemouth, so if Liverpool come out of Matchweek 26 still leading the way, there will be 11 matches left to play for Man City and 12 for the Reds, which means any points advantage Liverpool hold can be added to while City focus on lifting the League Cup for the 6th time in their history and 4th time in six seasons.


You don't have to accept a job offer with a salary lower than what you expected. In a situation where you believe the offer is not good enough, what you should do is to open a conversation with your potential employer on why you should be paid more than they are currently willing to pay you.
Here's a scenario – You are offered N100,000 less than you feel you deserve for a job. Instead of jumping at the offer because you are worried that good jobs are hard to come by, renegotiate your offer with the goal of meeting the company in the middle.
The question then becomes – How do you achieve this without losing out on the job offer? How do you renegotiate an offer without looking greedy and over ambitious? For instance, in a situation where you are in a different town from where the company making the offer is situated, then this forms a good premise on which to ask for consideration.
However, this is not the only way to renegotiate an offer as you are about to find out.
It's important to keep your expectations realistic. Before you raise the subject of renegotiating an offer, you should have a realistic salary range of your role in mind. This will help you find out where you belong on the company's compensation scale. For instance, if the role you are getting hired for is the role of a Campaign Manager and you find out that the industry standard for a campaign manager is N200,000 for a university graduate, this gives you a standard to negotiate with.If the company is offering you N125,000 for the same role despite the fact that you have 3 years of working experience, then it becomes clear to you that offer is on the low end. This puts you in a good position to call for an upward review of your salary.
No matter how tempted you get to talking about personal reasons why you need to have an upward review of your salary, please don't do it. During a renegotiation, you need to focus on how to get compensated with what you believe you deserve as an employee and not about how you need to extra cash to put your brother through school or how you need a 50% increase from what was previously offered to be able to replace your problematic car with a used Toyota from Cheki.
You should always remember that a salary renegotiation is a conversation between two parties. It is expected that even before the dialogue is initiated, you already have a preferred outcome in your mind. What you should go for is not the outcome that you have preferred. Instead, you should work towards a point in the renegotiation where both parties can reach an agreement on a figure that works for both sides.
Making an aggressive request or being extremely rigid in your renegotiation will not particularly work in your favour. Rather, what you would succeed in doing is putting the company on a defensive and from that point, acceding to your request would prove difficult. You might even lose out on the job offer.
Of course, the crux of the renegotiation is the salary but don't forget that this is an opportunity to also revisit the perks and benefits that come with the job. If you are keen on things like flexible working hours, working remotely some days, more vacation time and other perks, now would be a very good time to raise these as alternatives. These benefits could form a perfect meeting ground in a case where the employer is not able to measure up to your salary expectations.
Before you delve into the heart of the renegotiation process, you should define a point where you consider your 'walk-away' point. This is the point where the offer from the company is so low that you have to let the offer go by walking away. It is up to you to decide what your walk-away' point is. It could be based on your financial need, the current economic situation, or what you feel is your market value. The essential thing is to have that point where you have no problem walking away from the offer.
There are cases during a salary renegotiation where the company requests to know what you currently earn (if you are working) or how much you earned monthly at your last job. This can be a very tricky question to respond to. The tricky nature of the question gets worse in a situation where you are either underpaid at your current job or looking to earn much more from the company's offer. Please note that telling a lie is never a good idea as it could always come back to haunt you.
Be honest about your salary if asked during a renegotiation. Tell the company what you really earn (including benefits, bonuses, and other perks) and be quick to add details about your new skills and market value.
If you want to have a renegotiation of your offer with an outcome closer to your expectations than that of your employers, you need to be prepared. You need to know your worth and value. You should be armed with information that will put you in a strong position to renegotiate and stay confident.
So helpful. A stronger weapon of defence in today's salary negotiations.
Nice write up and very useful information. Honestly you have answered the questions bordering my mind.
Thanks..This was really insightful ….
In my experience, telling a potential employer what you used to earn is ALWAYS a bad move! Most employers won't be able to move past the figure you've given them and they'd make further assessment of you based on that figure.
It's sort of like going to the market and asking a trader for the price he bought a good he's about to sell, he's either gonna lie or not tell you at all.


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text:
The Realistic Optimist
The Lebanese startup ecosystem hasn't failed. It's just not solely in Lebanon anymore.
www.realisticoptimist.io
Faced with severe internal adversity, the Lebanese startup ecosystem has transcended into a multi-headed creature, spanning different continents.
Timothy Motte
The Realistic Optimist provides weekly, in-depth analyses of some of the hottest stories in our now-globalized startup world. Subscribe below to receive it directly to your inbox and don't hesitate to share it with your colleagues :)
A promising decade
Less than a decade ago, Lebanon's startup ecosystem was a leading force in MENA. The country's capital, Beirut, was widely recognized as one of the region's most dynamic startup hubs, replete with international-minded and creative talent. The country's globe-trotting and engaged diaspora provided the ecosystem with an undeniable advantage, a dynamic shared on a much larger scale by Lebanon's neighbor and longtime foe, Israel.
The ecosystem was nascent but growing amidst a backdrop of continuous social, economic, and political turmoil that had plagued the country for decades. Local incubators were starting to make a name for themselves, and local VCs were starting to raise decent funds. Locally-bred startups such as Anghami, which later became the first Arab company to list on the NASDAQ, were starting to pop up.
In 2013, the ecosystem received a considerable boost from the government through the launch of Circular 331 spearheaded by the country's now-infamous central bank, Banque du Liban (BDL). The initiative incentivized local banks to invest 3% of their capital into the local startup ecosystem by guaranteeing reimbursements of up to 75% in the case of failure.
The Circular initially aimed to unlock $400 million into the ecosystem, a target later augmented to $650 million in 2016. Admittedly, the Circular funded some of the country's first tangible incubators, VCs, and startups. It showed some promise to an ecosystem accustomed to a dysfunctional and sluggish government.
"The Circular paved the way for hundreds of budding businesses and dozens of incubators and accelerators to receive financial support directly from commercial banks or through special venture capital funds. During that period, Lebanon moved from fifth to second place regionally in quantity and value of tech investments, now only trailing the United Arab Emirates (UAE)." - Le Commerce du Levant
Dusk sets in
While Circular 331 moved the needle, it wasn't perfect. Companies receiving funds were bound to a couple of burdensome conditions, such as registering the company in Lebanon. Being a tiny market of 4 million people, Lebanese startups are obligated to expand internationally to achieve relevant scale, something a Lebanese corporate entity doesn't quite facilitate.
The Circular unlocked necessary funding, but that funding came from banks. Traditionally risk-averse, banks viewed the failure of startups they invested in as a reason to lower investments, a rookie mistake for anyone familiar with the functioning of venture capital.
Some ecosystem actors take a more introspective view on the matter, arguing that the Circular unlocked too much money into an immature ecosystem leading to a bubble of high valuations, high salaries, and a number of bad investment decisions. Lastly, the Circular did little to address the underlying systemic issues the ecosystem faced, such as cumbersome regulations, oppressive bankruptcy laws, and decrepit infrastructure.
"Unfortunately, no matter how ambitious the Circular is, it could not recompense for the absence of a State and an economic ground favorable to innovation and creativity, both in terms of regulation and infrastructure" - Blominvest
Although not representative of the actual sums invested, the number of deals demonstrates the dynamism of an ecosystem. (source)
A cascade of bad news
In late 2019, the Lebanese people took to the streets to protest their discontent with the government's ongoing inefficacy, nepotism, and sectarian structure. The protests foreshadowed the Lebanese population's distrust in their government, a feeling which would be vindicated around a year later.
On August 4th, 2020, just as the country was reeling in covid-induced pandemonium, a blast originating from a stockpile of ammonium nitrate fertilizer leveled Beirut's port and parts of the city, killing more than 200 people. The evitable nature of the explosion, and the subsequent failure of the local investigation, strongly upheld the Lebanese population's qualms about its government.
The Beirut port explosion marked a new turn in the Lebanese people's relationship with their government. They were already angry and frustrated at its lackluster management of the country, but the explosion proved that its incompetence put the population in lethal danger.
The country's financial crisis, a constant underlying cause during the events described above, also slipped further into oblivion. Starting in 2019, banks started issuing capital controls aimed at slowing down the withdrawal of dollars from Lebanese banks. Dollars and Lebanese pounds had long been used interchangeably in the country. The value of the Lebanese pound, which had previously been pegged to the dollar at a fixed rate, started quickly slipping away.
The situation has continuously deteriorated since and Lebanon's economic situation is now regarded as one of the worst financial crises of the past century. In a potent exemplification of the situation's severity, Lebanese depositors have taken to "robbing" their own banks, just to recuperate their deposits.
A closer look at the situation reveals that the robbing has been going on the other way for decades. Government mismanagement has obliterated the value of the Lebanese people's savings, and the banks' refusal to let them withdraw money has rendered depositors essentially powerless as they saw the value of their life savings go down the drain. One ecosystem actor told me that his savings, which could've bought him prime real estate pre-crisis, could now buy him a bicycle.
"The Lebanese pound has lost some 95% of its value, driving up prices and demolishing purchasing power in the import-dependent country. A soldier's monthly wage, once the equivalent of $900, is now worth less than $50. Poverty rates have sky-rocketed in the population of about 6.5 million, with around 80% of people classed as poor, the U.N. agency ESCWA says." - Reuters
Impact on the startup ecosystem
The country's degradation has evidently heavily impacted the startup ecosystem. First and foremost, the country is losing its brightest talent at an even faster rate than before. In a sadly paradoxical move, one of the only avenues Lebanese startups have to keep their employees is to help them relocate abroad, aggravating the talent gap even further.
The breakdown of the Lebanese banking system has impacted Lebanese startups in two major ways. First, the economic quagmire makes it nearly impossible to get local and foreign investors to pour money into Lebanese bank accounts, let alone startups. Second, capital control restrictions have made it a nightmare to pay for foreign services through a Lebanese bank account, a heavy blow for inherently-digital startups.
"Startups in Lebanon are being barred from wiring money abroad to pay for marketing, software, ads, and foreign talent, which is having an adverse effect on their financial standing." - Executive Magazine
Feeble internet and electricity infrastructure has also been heavily detrimental to the functioning of startups. The ones who can afford it rely on co-working spaces to maximize their ability to work. From a more human perspective, the evident moral damage caused by the disastrous recent couple of years has created understandable mental fatigue within ecosystem actors. As always in Lebanon however, resilience is the word of the day.
"There is also a bit of defeatism in all of us, from the trauma of the blast to the healthiness of the banking system, which reflects onto everybody from the startups to the fund managers. People need someone to inspire them today. I wouldn't say it's gone, but there is a lot more that needs to be done today to support startups.
The odds are not in their favor, but they're Lebanese, so they'll figure it out. The resilience is what makes us special, the positivity that almost looks naïve, but isn't. It's hunger, it's the will to continue and make a difference." - Fawzi Rahal, Managing Director of Flat6Labs in Beirut
Source: Braving the storm: Safeguarding Lebanon's innovation economy
Local reaction: Lebanon-specific innovations
In response to the dire state of the country, the local ecosystem has naturally been leaning towards solving urgent, local issues. This has given way to the emergence of an especially active circular economy ecosystem. Incubators such as Berytech support startups attempting to make the most out of local resources while reducing reliance on exports which, given the state of the national currency, have become unsustainably expensive. Innovations in agritech, waste management, and clean energy have also emerged out of a shared need to rethink the way the country functions at its core.
Local VCs are also adapting, with VCs such as IM Ventures closing the $12M Save our Startups (SOS) fund in collaboration with USAID, aimed at maintaining the ecosystem afloat during the crisis.
While most of these startups are focused on the national market for now, their potential application in other countries facing similar problems as Lebanon, such as Venezuela, can't be discounted.
Increasing "south-south" startup synergies have been recently emerging, out of the realization that what works in one country with a specific demographic and economic situation can work in another one with the same traits, even if it's on the other side of the world. The expansion of Mexican unicorn Kavak into Oman is a cogent exemplification of said trend.
Long-term adaption: the creation of a decentralized Lebanese ecosystem
In their quest to survive, Lebanese founders have ended up creating a new version of the Lebanese startup ecosystem. In true anti-fragile manner, the Lebanese ecosystem has spread out, spanning multiple continents while taking advantage of what each of them has to offer.
For example, a significant amount of Lebanese startups are now HQ'd in the Gulf or Cyprus, utilizing a more recognized corporate structure and saner banking system to ease foreign investments. They've combined that with keeping a local team in Lebanon, taking advantage of the unfortunate fact that the breakdown of the economy has made Lebanese-based talent cheaper than in many other places.
The crisis has also created an imperative for Lebanese startups to open foreign markets following the tumbling of Lebanese people's purchasing power. While this has killed many startups in the process, the ones that survived have come out stronger. Toters, a Beirut-based delivery startup that just raised a Series B for expansion into Iraq, is a case in point.
Similar to a river adapting its shape to continue flowing despite branches and rocks put in its way, the Lebanese ecosystem has morphed into a decentralized entity, with founders, investors, and operators dispersed around the world. In doing so, it might be pioneering a new type of startup ecosystem, one where borders are porous and founders cherry-pick where they want particular parts of their business to be.
Source: a16z: "The Company of the Future is Default Global"
Conclusion: A brave new world
When one searches for "successful Lebanese startups", names such as Anghami, Kitopi, or Sarwa pop up. Most of these startups have a strong foreign presence, either by being incorporated abroad, operating outside of Lebanon, or having non-Lebanese people on their teams. In other words, all successful Lebanese startups are "default-global".
Interestingly, the way Lebanon's startup ecosystem has developed into a global and decentralized entity, as a result of adverse local conditions, is a premonitory sign of what all startup ecosystems will end up looking like in the very near future.
The globalization of talent and capital, combined with the explosion in digitalization rates worldwide, is constantly opening new markets for startups to penetrate. From Uzbekistan to Brazil, from Nigeria to Sierra Leone, startups will leave no stone unturned. To service these markets, startups won't wait for local conditions and regulations to change but will look abroad to access the services they need to grow.
By doing so, the startup world will become an amorphous and cosmopolitan ecosystem, where a Brazilian founder will incorporate in the US, raise from a Japanese VC, hire a Nigerian software engineer, and mentor a Vietnamese fellow founder all within the span of one afternoon. At least that's what I believe.
The Lebanese ecosystem has already moved into that new setup, not by choice but by necessity. And in that aspect, it is a pioneer.
Jan 16Liked by Timothy Motte
Good perspective.
1 reply by Timothy Motte
© 2023 Timothy Motte


KUCHING, March 26: Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing today defended the country's palm oil industry and accused the European Union (EU) of being hypocritical.
"The EU's environmental argument against oil palm is misleading. The most destruction to the world forest is done by the production of soya bean," Masing said today.
According to him, an acre of forest felled to cultivate oil palm is equivalent to 10 acres of forest felled to produce the same volume of soybean.
"Moreover, once an area is felled for oil palm plantation, it will not be cleared for the next 20 years. While the cultivation of soybean requires a yearly periodic clearing. Thus it is more destructive to our environment!" he said.
Masing who was a former Land Development Minister, reiterated that the EU's argument is not an environmental issue.
"Its economic argument is based on an economic rivalry between oil palm producing countries and soya bean nations. Malaysia and Indonesia must not fall to such argument! We may belonged to the Third World countries, but we know of First World trading needs! You can't fool us anymore!" he said.
Masing was responding to a recent report that the European Parliament is in the process of banning palm oil for biofuel while certain retail networks in Britain and Iceland have announced they will stop using the commodity.


At Mayor Mon Repos Palace Art Hotel we welcome Spring with a spring in our step! Feeling excited about opening our doors for yet another spring/summer season, we wish to convey our admiration for art that is omnipresent in our interiors and exteriors. Inspired by the infamous Corfiot landmark of Mon Repos Palace, we are committed to high aesthetics, and dedicated to spaces that exude class, elegance, and luxury from another time. Inspired by a quote from E. A Bucchianeri, "Art is in the eye of the beholder" we invite you to see a little bit of art everywhere you look.
Meet our Passagio - the best place in Corfu town to enjoy an elegant set-up, with sea views, and a an irresistible menu, brimming with exceptional flavours.
The wall details showcase our love for elegant embellishment.
Indulge in evenings with this sophisticated atmosphere, when the sun goes down.
Our halls are graced with a luxurious coat of wood that acts as our main element of ornamentation, exuding a certain kind of grandeur that fits our establishment like a glove.
Choose to chill by our bar, next to the antique Cramer piano, and be subdued by the sweet, ambiance of this elegant corner.
Strike a pose: pause to admire the ornate, golden mirror that illuminates our hallway with its charming presence.
Each of your days here will be as sweet, as these selected, complimentary chocolate bites.
At Mayor Mon Repos Palace Art Hotel, we are always by your side..


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US, China deal aims to simmer long-running trade tensions
published on January 15, 2020 - 2:15 PM
Written by KEVIN FREKING and PAUL WISEMAN Associated Press
(AP) — President Donald Trump signed a trade agreement Wednesday with China that is expected to boost exports from U.S. farmers and manufacturers , protect American trade secrets and lower tensions in a long-running dispute between the world's two biggest economies.
Trump said during a White House ceremony that the deal is "righting the wrongs of the past." He promoted the signing as a way of delivering economic justice for American workers and said, "We mark a sea change in international trade" with the signing.
The agreement is being described as "phase one" of a larger negotiation focusing on tensions in the U.S.-China trade relationship. Chinese leader Xi Jinping said in a letter to Trump that the first phase was "good for China, the U.S. and for the whole world." The letter was read by Beijing's chief negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He.
But this agreement left unresolved many of the complaints — notably, the way the Chinese government subsidizes its companies — voiced by the Trump administration when it started the trade war by imposing tariffs on Chinese imports in July 2018.
White the deal stops short of many changes the president has sought from China, it leaves in place tariffs on about $360 billion in Chinese imports, leverage the administration hopes will generate future concessions.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said work on follow-up negotiations will hinge on how China fulfills the commitments it made in the initial phase.
"We have to make sure this is implemented properly," Lighthizer said. "This is the first agreement like this of its kind and we have to make sure that it works."
The White House ceremony gave Trump a chance to cite progress on a top economic priority on the same day that the House prepared to vote to send articles of impeachment to the Senate for a trial. He told Republican lawmakers attending the ceremony that he understood if they had to leave early for votes.
"They have a hoax going on over there. Let's take care of it," Trump said.
The agreement is intended to ease some U.S. economic sanctions on China while Beijing would step up purchases of American farm products and other goods. Trump cited beef, pork, poulty, seafood, rice and dairy products as examples.
The deal would lower tensions in a trade dispute that has slowed global growth, hurt American manufacturers and weighed on the Chinese economy. Trump said easing trade tensions was critical.
"Keeping these two giant and powerful nations together in harmony is so important for the world," Trump said. "The world is watching today."
His Chinese counterpart said "the world is now at a critical historical crossroads" facing choices of how to promote country-to-country cooperation.
"Cooperation is the only right choice," said Liu.
U.S. trade officials said the agreement would end a long-standing practice of China pressuring foreign companies to transfer technology to Chinese companies as a condition for obtaining market access. Lighthizer said China has also agreed to combat patent theft and counterfeit products, which would include forfeiting machinery used for making counterfeit products.
The 86-page agreement makes it easier to bring criminal cases in China against those accused of stealing trade secrets. It includes provisions designed to stop Chinese government officials from using administrative and regulatory procedures to ferret out foreign companies' trade secrets and allowing that information to get into the hands of Chinese competitors.
The deal requires China to come up with procedures to "permit effective and expeditious action" to take down websites that sell pirated goods.
China also must make it possible for e-commerce sites to lose their licenses for "repeated failures to curb the sale of counterfeit or pirated goods."
China is required to increase its purchases of U.S. manufactured, energy and farm products and services by a combined $200 billion this year and next.
The arrangement means that China is supposed to buy $40 billion in U.S. farm exports. That's a windfall for Trump supporters in rural America but an ambitious goal considering that China has never bought more than $26 billion in U.S. agricultural products in a year.
"It's a strong first step," said Jeremie Waterman, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's vice president for Greater China. "It begins the process of addressing some of the structural concerns, but there's a lot of work left to do. The meat, the core of (U.S. complaints about China's aggressive tech policies) has not yet been addressed. Obviously, that's going to have to wait until Phase 2.' '
Critics, including congressional Democrats, say that the first phase allows China to put off serious economic changes by agreeing to buy more U.S. exports. "Right from the start, China was hoping to make the trade dispute go away with lots of purchases, and that strategy has succeeded," said Jeff Moon, a former U.S. diplomat and trade official specializing in China who is now president of the China Moon Strategies consultancy.
Most analysts say any meaningful resolution of the main U.S. allegation — that Beijing uses predatory tactics in its drive to supplant America's technological supremacy — could require years of contentious talks.
Skeptics say a satisfactory resolution may be next to impossible given China's ambitions to become the global leader in such advanced technologies as driverless cars and artificial intelligence.
The U.S. has dropped plans to impose tariffs on an additional $160 billion in Chinese imports, and it cut in half, to 7.5%, existing tariffs on $110 billion of good from China.
Derek Scissors, China specialist at the American Enterprise Institute, said the trade war has already delivered a benefit for Trump, even if it hasn't forced Beijing to make major changes to its economic policy: Trump's tariffs have reduced Chinese exports to the United States and narrowed America's trade deficit with China.
So far this year, the U.S. deficit with China in the trade of goods has declined by 16%, or $62 billion, to $321 billion compared with a year earlier. The deficit will narrow further if Beijing lives up to its pledges to buy dramatically more American imports.
US wages rise by most in decade even as hiring tumbles Posted: March 8, 2019 at 1:17 pm
(AP) — The pace of hiring in the United States
Georgia could be first state to test Trump health proposals Posted: December 20, 2019 at 1:00 pm
(AP) — Georgia could be the first state to test
Corporate chiefs flee Trump; he disbands WH advisory panels Posted: August 16, 2017 at 1:06 pm
(AP) — With corporate chieftains fleeing, President Donald Trump abruptly
'Fearless Girl' creator sued, accused of not making a statue Posted: January 29, 2019 at 12:29 pm
(AP) – The Delaware artist who created the "Fearless Girl"
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This little classic gem "As A Man Thinketh" by James Allen is one of my all time favorite personal development books and literally a blueprint on living. It serves as a course of action for approaching life in a meaningful manner while capturing the pure essence of the human mind and unlimited potential each of us has if we simply will change the way we think.
Everyone should read this wonderful philosophy book many times throughout their life because it takes more than one reading to fully understand the powerful insights given in taking responsibility for your thoughts, actions and circumstance. I first read this book when I was 16 years old for personal growth and it quickly became my guide for shaping my thought processes and creating self awareness throughout my entire life. I have given it as a gift to clients, friends and acquaintances and continue to use all of the principles in my coaching practice for well over 20 years. There is so much life-improving wisdom, advice, and guidance packed inside this motivational book that you will still learn something new every time you read it.
They say what's old becomes new again. Many people consider James Allen as the founder of the personal development industry and current motivational speakers, success coaches and authors credit this book for providing the foundation to their teachings. Allen understood over a century ago what everyone is now calling "The Law of Attraction" and set the stage for the book, "The Secret" to be written. We are what we think...and you always have the choice to determine what that is!
Enjoy reading the wisdom of James Allen, but most of all learn to apply it to your life! Click on this link As A Man Thinketh and begin your journey to enlightenment!
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President Maithripala Sirisena extended his best wishes to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of India successfully launching a new communications satellite, which can be utilized by the member countries of SAARC including Sri Lanka.
The President congratulated the Indian Prime Minister via satellite technology from the President's House in Anuradhapura and said that this is a historic milestone to accomplish progress on cooperation and development among the SAARC countries.
The President also appreciated the commitment by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen the relationship between the SAARC countries.
The South Asia Satellite is a geosynchronous communications and meteorology satellite by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation region. The satellite was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh today.
President Sirisena said as this will be networked with all SAARC countries,and Sri Lanka as a partner in this effort,can benefit from this satellite to develop infrastructure facilities in a more successful manner and said that he believed this satellite would help to uplift the economic and social standard of the people.


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HomePalo Alto1 of 2 escapees caught
1 of 2 escapees caught
BY ALLISON LEVITSKY
Daily Post Staff Writer
One of the two inmates who escaped from the Palo Alto courthouse 16 days ago is back behind bars after a chase and shootout with the California Highway Patrol in Stockton yesterday (Nov. 21).
Tramel Leon McClough, 46, was arrested last night, authorities said.
John Penn Bivins, 47, remains at large.
The two men are said to have led officers on a 2-mile chase from northbound I
nterstate 5 to a Walmart Supercenter in north Stockton after an officer tried to pull them over around 5:16 p.m.
McClough, who was driving the green 1999 Ford Explorer
with the license plate number 7TTY505, got out and ran into the Walmart. He was later arrested. A CHP officer shot at Bivins about a half-mile away. He fled north in the Explorer afterward. Authorities were still searching for him late last night.
Santa Clara County sheriff's officials tweeted at 11:31 p.m. that they would provide an update on the investigation this morning.
Bivins and McClough, both from East Palo Alto, escaped from the Palo Alto courthouse on Nov. 6 while being led into a court hearing for their armed robbery case from February.
McClough, a three-striker, faces a life sentence if convicted of the holdup at gunpoint of a Sunnyvale Verizon store. Bivins faces up to a 25-year sentence.
A handcuff key was found outside the courthouse the day of the escape. The two left in a waiting Toyota Camry, which they ditched a block or so from the courthouse for a U-Haul moving van.
On Nov. 7, McClough's longtime girlfriend Marquita Kirk, 44, of Sunnyvale, and Rene Hunt, 54, of East Palo Alto, were arrested for allegedly arranging for the two getaway vehicles.
Courthouse escape blamed on shortstaffing
Car hits woman on Central Expressway
2 alleged accomplices in courthouse escape arrested, inmates remain at large
BY ALLISON LEVITSKY Daily Post Staff Writer A man and woman suspected of helping two inmates escape from the Palo Alto courthouse were arrested today (Nov. 7), though the two […]
DA should drop ridiculous plea deal
OPINION BY DAVE PRICE Daily Post Editor The case of former CEO Abhishek Gattani at the Palo Alto Courthouse has been a real eyeopener about how Santa Clara County District […]
Los Altos woman killed in suspected DUI crash
A Los Altos woman was killed in a suspected DUI crash in Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County on Saturday, according to the California Highway Patrol. The crash happened […]


Conciliation and Mediation is the legal term for helping parties work out their differences. In Family Court, it is the process by which a social worker or marriage and family therapist works with the parties to develop a parenting plan.
Mediation is different in every county. In Riverside County, the family courts give great latitude to the therapists and social workers who assist you. If the parties cannot work through custody and visitation matters themselves – either on their own or through this process – then the mediator will make a recommendation to the court. The court gives great weight to their recommendations and they are often adopted as the final ruling.
In San Bernardino County, mediators also work with the parties to get a result. If the parties are not able to come to a decision together, the mediator will write a report summarizing each party's position. They may make a recommendation, but it is not the focus of the report and the Judges do not rely on their recommendations as they do in Riverside.
Los Angeles County takes a different approach. Mediation there is confidential. The social workers and therapists do not make recommendations to the Judge and anything said in mediation cannot be used in the court room.
Knowing how to approach mediation is an important part of preparing your case. You should rely on a qualified family law attorney who knows the local courts to get you through the conciliation and mediation process.
To talk to an attorney about conciliation and mediation, contact me at 877-369-5294.