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Mike Rice set his sights on earning a qualifying time for the Ironman World Championship.
Endurance athlete gives new meaning to Ironman
Ironman triathletes are known for their extreme feats of athleticsm and physical and mental stamina. Many train for months to accomplish the grueling event that includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.
When Mike Rice, a seasoned Ironman triathlete and father of two boys, Jonathan and Ethan, began his training for the 2011 Ironman Louisville — his second triathlon that year — he set his sights on earning a qualifying time for the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. However, just two weeks before the Aug. 28 event, he was hit by a car while biking in LaGrange, Ky., on a stretch of road that was part of the Ironman Louisville course.
"My first thought after the accident was, 'What kind of shape is my bike in?'" Rice said. "I knew the accident cost me my shot at qualifying for Ironman Kona."
Mike had suffered a complete rupture of a disc in his spine. Despite the injury, he went on to compete in the 2011 Ironman Louisville, pushing through severe pain and finishing in 12 hours, 7 minutes — just six minutes short of his personal record.
"Quitting wasn't an option for me. I'd put in too many long hours of training not to try," he said.
The pain continued after that accomplishment, severely limiting his activity level and hindering his lawn and landscape business. He couldn't run more than three miles. After realizing surgery was a means of getting his life back, Rice went to see a specialist at Norton Leatherman Spine Center.
"Mike was very limited in his activities when he first came to see me," said Mladen Djurasovic, M.D., orthopaedic spine surgeon. "He was unable to train for his triathlons and was having difficulty doing his day-to-day work. His back condition was greatly interfering with his everyday life."
Upon reviewing Rice's case, Dr. Djurasovic was optimistic about improving his overall quality of life and ability to function in day-to-day activities. He was more cautious, however, about Rice's ability to return to high-level athletic competition.
In March 2012, Rice underwent surgery to fuse his L5 and S1 spinal vertebrae to repair the damage caused by his biking accident. The minimally invasive procedure resulted in a beyond-average recovery.
"Mike has had tremendous success," Dr. Djurasovic said. "Improvement in symptoms and function are very common and what we would expect. Complete elimination of pain and ability to perform at the highest level athletically, such as he experienced, is beyond even what we hoped for."
While Rice's level of recovery is not the norm, patients undergoing or considering similar surgery should be encouraged by the fact that lumbar spine surgery significantly reduces pain and improves function and quality of life in at least 80 percent of patients, according to Dr. Djurasovic.
Patients who have minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery are able to resume normal activity within two to three months instead of six months, as is seen with traditional fusion operations, according to Dr. Djurasovic, and the procedure may have contributed to Rice's exceptional recovery.
"The use of minimally invasive techniques helps preserve muscle function and may allow patients to return to higher levels of physical activity," Dr. Djurasovic said.
Despite his earlier prognosis, Rice was determined to get back on his feet and on the road to his previous activity level. He credits his physical therapy team for keeping him encouraged through weeks of therapy sessions.
Just two months after Rice's surgery, Dr. Djurasovic gave him permission to begin easing back into his active lifestyle by jogging. In August 2012, Dr. Djurasovic reported that the spinal fusion was about 95 percent healed and released Rice to begin performing his regular activities. Rice resumed his training regime and completed his first postsurgery marathon in December 2012.
"Mike is one of the most driven and motivated patients I've had, which means he was very dedicated to his postoperative rehabilitation," Dr. Djurasovic said. "His hard work and dedication had a lot to do with his results."
Rice competed in the 2013 Ironman Louisville on Aug. 25 in hopes of qualifying for the world championship in Hawaii.


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Tooth erosion is a condition in which the tooth enamel wears out due to acid attack. Enamel is the hard-outer layer that covers and protects the teeth. The sugars and the carbohydrates that we consume contain harmful bacteria and acids that result in tooth erosion.
The common symptoms of tooth erosion are:
Tooth discoloration. This is the early and the most common sign of tooth erosion. Since the dentin of the tooth is exposed, teeth tend to become yellowed and discolored.
Tooth sensitivity. Since the enamel is worn out; it exposes the underlying dentin, resulting in tooth sensitivity making you feel pain drinking or eating anything very cold or hot.
Rounded teeth. Due to erosion of the enamel, teeth often appear rounded.
Transparent teeth. In the early stages of the teeth erosion, the tips of the teeth start looking transparent.
Cracked teeth. This symptom is usually visible when the teeth erosion has advanced or has become quite severe. The edges of the teeth start to crack and feel rough to touch.
In case you notice any of the above symptoms, visit your dentist in Tijuana Mexico. He will examine your teeth and will provide you with the best treatment and solutions. Here are helpful tips for preventing teeth erosion.
Avoid carbonated and fizzy drinks as they contain acid that attacks the enamel of the teeth. Try having normal water or go for unsweetened tea, coffee or milk to quench your thirst or to energize yourself.
Avoid sports drinks and fruit juices as they are very acidic. Use a straw to drink these beverages as it allows the liquid to go at the back of your mouth rather than washing away the enamel of your teeth.
Whenever you drink or eat anything acidic in nature, rinse your mouth with water. It helps neutralize the acid effect.
Never swish around or hold the acidic drinks and beverages in your mouth. Drink them quickly to reduce the damage caused to your teeth.
Brushing your teeth at least twice every day is a good habit as it helps to protect the teeth from plaque and acid. However, it is wise to wait for at least half an hour before you brush your teeth as your teeth need time to remineralize after an acidic attack.
Use a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste as it helps strengthen the teeth enamel and protects it from acids and plaque.
Dry mouth increases the risk of teeth erosion. To prevent dry mouth, you can chew sugar-free gum as it helps increase saliva production in the mouth and allows the teeth to remineralize.
Ask your Tijuana dentist how you can prevent teeth erosion. He will be able to offer you effective tips and advice on preventing, as well as dealing with teeth erosion and other dental problems.
Call us today, and one of our friendly patient coordinators will answer all your questions, give you an accurate quote, schedule your appointment, and help you make all the arrangements needed for your visit. Tijuana Dental Studio is your best option for all your dental needs.

subset: commoncrawl


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Pre-Order the Limited Edition and get an exclusive DLC episode: HyperThrowback 2009, and a ton of other goodies! More details when the release date comes closer!
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If you're seeking practical and applicable insight on retirement planning, this workshop is for you!
Who should attend?
Anyone who is preparing to retire soon and wants professional advice in crafting a well thought-out retirement strategy.
Understanding the big picture is critical when planning for a successful retirement. The proper integration of tax, legal, healthcare and income planning is necessary in a successful retirement strategy. During this 3 night event, we'll dig beneath the surface to discuss those items with a team of local professionals including a CPA, Financial Advisor, Estate Planning Attorney, and Medicare expert.
We'll discuss
-How to effectively coordinate your retirement income streams
-How to maximize your after-tax income through creative tax strategies
-How to make the best decision on Social Security
-How to make sense of your healthcare coverage options
-How to make sure retirement assets and income is legally protected
-The right way to plan your estate
-How to sort through all of the conflicting investment advice
At the conclusion, we'll leave plenty of time for questions.
Join us as we explore retirement planning like you've never heard before.
Your Speakers:
Devin Carroll
Owner, Carroll Investment Management
John Ross
Attorney, Ross & Shoalmire
Sarah Berry
Owner, Sarah Berry CPA
Jay Barnette
VP, The Barnette Agency Inc.
3 Tuesday Nights:
April 5th, 12th & 19th
Business & Computer Technology Building
Room: Levi Hall
How To Register
Our registration is a little different than it has been for our previous classes. There are three different ways to make sure that your seat is saved:
1. The most popular way is, to contact us at 903-793-4014. We will gather a little bit of information from you and mail you a registration form along with a return envelope. We will take care of the hassle of returning it to the college for you.
2. The Continuing Education department welcomes walk-in registrations for this class. Their physical address and phone number is:
Administrative Building
2500 North Robison Road
Texarkana, TX 75599
(903) 823-3270
3. You may register online from the convenience of your home. Once you follow all of the Steps in the link below, your seat will be saved for this free and very informative class!
Online Registration Steps
Campus Map:


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Discussion about the future of BlueQuartz
On 27th October 2007 and in reflection of the discussion on the public BlueQuartz mailing list I started to post my thoughts about the future of BlueQuartz on the internal developer mailing list.
For the first time in months that list then sees some activity.
All but the project leaders agree that Project BlueQuartz is lacking direction and leadership.
Plans are made, ideas are thrown around, suggestions are being made. For a couple of days things look good.
Then ... nothing happens.
← Return


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- Description
DetailsJ. Lindeberg Cal Lux Polo Shirt White/Black X-Large
The Cal Lux polo shirt from J. Lindeberg is made from ultra soft cotton jersey for superior comfort. This stylish polo has contrasting accent along the front collar, placket, and cuffs. The JL logo is embroidered on the shirt's left chest. Great with jeans for a night out or hitting the links in style.
J. Lindeberg Cal Lux Polo Shirt Details:
- 100% cotton jersey
- Modern slim fit polo shirt
- Four button closure
- Shorter sleeves
- Additional Information
Additional Information
Size XL Style Classic Color White/Black Fit Slim Fit Gender Men Sleeve Length Short Sleeve Pattern Solid Color Material Cotton
- Reviews


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Our Affiliations
Certified Commercial Investment Member
Through its education program, the Certified Commercial Investment Member designation to qualified commercial professionals. The designation curriculum is respected within the industry for its excellence. Professional experience requirements ensure that a CCIM is skilled in both theory and practice.
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Columbus Board of Realtors
The Columbus Board of Realtors provides leadership for the Realtor community by protecting the interests of its members, promoting their value to the real estate consumer, setting high standards for professional practice, and advocating private property rights.
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Columbus Commercial Industrial & Investment Realtors
The Columbus Commercial Industrial & Investment Realtors is a professional association of individuals engaged in full time in the commercial, industrial and investment real estate business. CCIIR is dedicated to enhancing and increasing professionalism and dedication among its members to insure quality and effecitve service and to the public in these highly specialized real estate fields.
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Columbus Ohio Commercial Information Exchange
A commercial listing service for Columbus that combines commercial listings from CBR, CCIIR, and Xceligent into one easily accessed database.
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Columbus Real Estate Exchangers
An organization of Ohio real estate exchange counselors and wealth advisers.
Commercial Investment Multiple Listing Service
The Leading Open Commercial Real Estate Listing Service
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Institute for Real Estate Management
IREM serves as the source for education, resources, information and membership for real estate management professionals.
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Online Commercial Real Estate
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National Association of Industrial and Office Parks
A professional association of developers and owners of industrial, office and related commercial real estate with emphasis on legislative awareness and involvement, and professional education and development.
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National Association of Realtors
NAR provides a forum for professional development, research and the exchange of information among its members, and to the public and government for the purpose of preserving the free enterprise system and the right to own real property.
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Ohio Association of Realtors
OAR is the Ohio's largest professional trade association and offers services such as lobbying state legislators on industry issues and research development to its members in addition to protecting private property rights for the public.
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Ohio Business Brokers Association
OBBA serves as a communication network for profitable, on-going businesses that are currently for sale are listed by the Business Brokers so that information about the businesses for sale can be shared with prospective Buyers.
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Ohio Commercial Realtors Exchange Association
An association as a means of communication and professional growth for the real estate exchangors to help promote the concept of tax deferred exchanges in real estate to meet client needs.
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Real Estate Investment Association
The purpose of REIA is to advance the real estate investing goals of members by providing them with information, networking opportunities, training services, local coaching and mentoring, and continuing education.
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Realtors Commercial Alliance
This is an association put together by the NAR to extend an affiliation for NAR members that are commercially oriented.
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Society of Industrial and Office Realtors
This elite group of commercial real estate specialists must meet rigorous entrance requirements before earning the SIOR designation, and are proven experts who display unsurpassed market knowledge, ability and a commitment to the most stringent Code of Ethics in the industry.
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The Commercial Source
Commercial Source was created to serve as a comprehensive website for all things commercial, with commercial property listings aggregated from local CIE's and practitioners from all over the country.
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We offer standard, 3 day express, 2 day express, and overnight express shipping options for your convenience. If you place your order Monday - Friday by 2:00 PM EST using one of our express shipping options, your order will be processed and shipped the same day it is placed!
Lightweight and virtually unbreakableEasily concealable and discreetIncludes lanyard holeStretches 7" overall
Product Description
One solid piece of virtually unbreakable, undetectable personal protective material. Made completely of high grade plastic, this non-metal knife stretches 7 in. overall. Lightweight and discreet.
Timber Wolf 2019 American Independence Bowie With Sheath - 3Cr13 Stainless Steel Blade, Wood And Bone Handle, Brass Guard - Length 16"
Special Limited Edition Tsunami Force Blue M48 Cyclone - Cast Stainless Steel Blade, Reinforced Nylon Handle, Stainless Steel Guard And Pommel
Ridge Runner Modified Ulu Knife With Sheath - Stainless Steel Blade, Full-Tang, Non-Reflective, Wooden Handle Scales - Length 6 1/2"
Timber Wolf Adrian Trail Knife With Sheath - Stainless Steel Blade, Full-Tang, Walnut Wood And Bone Handle Scales - Length 9"
Combat Cleaver Trench Knife and Sheath - Fire Kissed 1095 Carbon Steel Blade, Brass Knuckle Guard Handle, Distressed Finish - Length 15"
Honshu Boshin Toothpick Knife With Sheath - 7Cr13 Stainless Steel Blade, Contoured TPR Handle, Lanyard Hole - Length 18 3/4"
1918 WWI Trench Knife Replica
Bushmaster Bushcraft Primitive Field Knife
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Customer Reviews
Nice little letter opener.
Cool idea...would be suitable for self defense (even if dulled it could have a similar effect to a kubaton in the right hands I would think) but not as sturdy as I expected. The tip bent when I tested it on some card board. The photo of the guy hammering it into wood is absurd to me. Still for the money...not bad.
This composite knife is flat on one side, so it occurs to me to buy another and epoxy them together for a hefty off-the-radar weapon. Doubling the thickness and features would make it much more functional than the cake-cutter it's sold as. Have also found it to be an excellent emergency back-scratcher. (bachelor thing).
This plastic knife is a great defense weapon and that is what I bought it for.
Great little defense tool. Sewed mine into a boot.
i have several plastic ,nylon ,fiberglass knifes they are strictly stabbing self defence weapons . you can hide them anyplace they won't ,rust ,fade ,chip . they're not affected by cold or weather of any kind . they are sometimes called c.i.a letter openers . i have them all over the place ,i even keep one under the hood of my car..... you never know .... and another great deal from budk
I'm a bit paranoid, it seems. I ordered three of these to keep in my bathrooms, just in case someone came in on me while I was in the shower. They worked perfectly, as they do not corrode as a steel blade would. Also, thankfully, I never had to use one...yet. ;)
The Lansky is a hard plastic knife that would not be your choice for slicing apples or as a utility knife. It does fit the bill as a hide-away knife that could be invaluable in certain situations. It is flat on one side due to it being a knife from a mold. Good knife as a hide in your jacket or pocket without being detected by the metal detector. Probably use is limited to that of a dagger. You won't break it using it as its intended but given some imagination you'll find a way.
This is extremely lightweight, a couple ounces at most, chisel ground and fits in your hand. I was disappointed at first, but then remembered the price. The display picture is probably exaggerating a little bit, this knife doesn't seem indestructible, but within reasonable use for even a normal knife, I don't see any problems. Except the blade will most likely not hold much of an edge, certainly not if it's seeing use.
Great knife, its acually an amazing throwing knife, better than most 5-10 dollar ones on true swords.


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New Worm Targets Portable Memory Drives
Researchers from security vendor Sophos say a new worm targeting removable drives is an example of a potential security threat for businesses.
The SillyFD-AA worm searches for removable drives such as floppy disks and USB memory sticks and creates a hidden file called autorun.inf so that a copy of the worm runs the next time the device is connected to a computer running Windows. In addition, it changes the title of Internet Explorer windows to say that the computer has been "Hacked by 1BYTE."
In an interview with eWEEK, Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, said the worm has not been widely distributed, and that researchers were warning the public because of the potential danger. It would be easy, he continued, to add to the worm the ability to transmit through other routes, such as e-mail and instant messaging.
"It is interesting to see hackers using different techniques in their attempt to break into peoples' computers," said Cluley, in Abingdon, United Kingdom. "This type of attack is perhaps understandable as so many businesses these days do have e-mail gateway protection in place they can scan files coming into their company via e-mail attachments, but can't check the files coming in attached to the keychain in peoples' pockets."
Sophos researchers said hackers are increasingly looking for ways to attack businesses that will meet less resistance than more traditional e-mail-borne viruses and malware. The company's security experts advise users to disable the autorun facility of Windows so removable devices do not automatically launch when they are attached to a computer. Any storage device that is attached to a computer should be checked for virus and other malware before use, Sophos officials said.
Read the rest of this eWEEK story: "New Worm Targets Portable Memory Drives"


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On March 13, 2012, the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana published an interesting decision that focused on how parties involved in litigation might resolve a dispute concerning the proper allocation of future Medicare payments. Until recently, conventional wisdom to determine the proper amount to allocate for future medicals would be pursued through the use of a Medicare Set Aside (MSA) and possibly the submission of the MSA to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for review and approval.
However, in Frank v. Gateway Insurance Company1, we have yet another case where the interested parties sought to resolve all disputes concerning the appropriate funding of future medical payments through the courts, rather than taking the typical path of utilizing an MSA allocation.
The Frank case is interesting because CMS was noticed on the Order setting the hearing where the issue of the amount and need for a MSA would be heard, but CMS declined to participate in the hearing. This is also not the first time CMS has informed a court that it would not participate in a hearing during which the amount of future medicals would be determined. In Schexnayder v. Scottsdale Insurance Company, CMS also declined to participate in the hearing to determine the amount of the MSA. For a copy of PMSI's previous legal bulletin and more detail on Schexnayder v. Scottsdale Insurance Company, please click here. In both Frank and Schexnayder, the claimants had filed a workers' compensation claim in addition to a liability claim for their injuries. Of course, as seen in the well-known case of Bradley v. Sebelius, the Eleventh Circuit was highly critical of the government's position of not participating in a court proceeding where a Medicare allocation was to be made. It remains to be seen as to whether more litigants will opt to resolve issues of proper future medical allocations in court, rather than with CMS. It also remains to be seen if CMS will adopt a different policy in light of these decisions. In any event, a closer examination of the Frank case may be helpful.
Warren Frank (Frank) was employed by Ranch Supply and was injured in a workplace accident on June 24, 2010. Frank was unloading merchandise off a trailer owned by Terence Coleman Trucking (Coleman), which was insured by Gateway Insurance Company (Gateway). While Frank was standing on the trailer unloading the merchandise, he fell in a hole on the trailer, causing him physical injuries.
Frank filed suit on October 4, 2010 in the District Court seeking to recover for the damages he allegedly sustained as a result of the accident. Frank underwent lumbar spinal surgery on July 27, 2011, which was performed by Dr. Blanda, an orthopedic surgeon. Post-surgery, Dr. Blanda opined that Frank was doing well and that he would more than likely not need any further surgery. The Defendants, Gateway and Coleman, removed the action to Federal court based upon diversity jurisdiction. Although liability and damages were contested by the Defendants, the claims were settled on December 7, 2011 after lengthy negotiations. However, the one issue remaining to be resolved was the issue of a MSA. On December 21, 2011, a hearing was set to determine the need for, and amount of the MSA for the purpose of complying with the Medicare Secondary Payer Act (MSP). A copy of the hearing order was sent to the United States Attorney's Office.
On January 20, 2012, a letter from Assistant United States Attorney Karen King was received by the court which advised that the Government would not participate in the hearing. The letter stated: "The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) does not review or verify counsel's determination of whether or not there is a recovery for future medical services or counsel's determination of the amount to be held to protect the Medicare Trust Fund except under limited circumstances."
During the hearing on January 24, 2012, the Court received evidentiary medical records and affidavits from Frank's treating physician, his pharmacist, as well as a Payment Summary Form from CMS which indicated prior conditional payments were made by Medicare. From this evidence, the Court was able to surmise that Frank would need $3,200.00 for his future Medicare covered items or services and ordered that Frank provide that amount out of his settlement funding for future payment of these items (his MSA was to be $3,200). The Court additionally ordered that Frank reimburse Medicare for any conditional payments made.
The court clearly was able to decide the necessary MSA amount without CMS' intervention but interestingly, the Court spent an ample amount of time discussing the Bradley v. Sebelius decision and whether CMS manuals and memoranda should be given Chevron deference and the full weight of the law. The Bradley decision was an allocation case from 2010 in which the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sought to recover conditional payments made, although the settlement proceeds were inadequate to meet the value of both the survivor's claims and the full Medicare conditional payment demand. The Bradley court determined that Medicare had to take a portion of its conditional payment amount, despite the HHS argument that the MSP Manual required that Medicare be able to recover its full demand. The court rejected this argument, stating that such manuals are not subject to the force of law and therefore not entitled to Chevron deference. The Bradley case is also similar to the Frank and Schexnayder decisions in that CMS would not participate in the hearing.
So we now have three cases in which the Government/CMS/HHS has declined to participate in hearings to determine the need for and amount of an MSA, which certainly raises many questions. Will CMS later be bound by the Court decisions regarding the MSA amount? Will CMS now be forced to provide more detailed guidelines on allocations in settlements if it continues to be asked to intervene in hearings? One can only speculate as the enforcement of the MSP and surrounding guidance is continuously ever-changing.
1. [2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33581 (U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, March 13, 2012)]↩


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The Strength to Carry: One Mother's Journey with Genetics
These past few days, I've been experiencing breast pain. While it may be just the normal ebb-and-flow of breastfeeding, any pain in my breasts makes me scared, anxious, and nervous. I was going to hold on to this essay for a while - not sure when I was going to release it. But, today, I've decided that 2010 will be the Year of My Mastectomy. So, during this season of giving thanks, demonstrating love, and seeking peace, here is my latest essay into my personal journey as a cancer mom, cancer sister, and a cancer pre-vivor. Thanks for reading! -Liza "I don't know how to tell you this, so I'm just going to say it." Those words hung in the air like smoke in fog. Time sped up and stood still all at once. Slow motion met the click-click-click- quadruple fast-forward of my DVR menu. "Your daughter has cancer."
I clutched the waist of my 2-year old daughter sitting still on my lap. I could feel my own heart racing through her tiny body, and I could feel her breath on my arm take the place of my own breathing. I wanted to scream and crawl in the fetal position, recalling just two short years ago when she was safe and protected in my round belly.
"Please do not give her anything to eat or drink," stated the pediatric opthalmologist. "We may have to operate today. If her cancer is advanced, we'll be removing her eye tonight."
Within 24 hours, my daughter went from a carefree 2-year old in an Elmo shirt to a child with cancer. The 6-hour surgery to remove her eye freed her from the tumors that had destroyed her vision. Enduring six months of chemotherapy meant we could kill any stray cells that passed into her optic nerve, reducing her risk of cancer cells spreading to her brain. Once our lives settled into the routine of chemotherapy, hospitalizations, exams under anesthesia, and bi-weekly flushes of her port-a-cath, I obsessively combed through photos to find signs of leukoria - the tell tale white reflection in my child's eye that would have alerted us to retinoblastoma. In the hundreds of photos taken between birth and her 2nd birthday, I only found a handful. But, those handful have tattooed themselves into my palm. The guilt stamped it's place in my heart. The image of her a prisoner to IV lines burned in my brain.
"What did I do to make this happen?" I tortured myself with this thought every day. Once a skeptic of prayer, I found myself on my knees every night asking, begging, pleading with God to let me switch places with her. "Please, God, let me have cancer instead. Please, God, give me her tumors. Make me feel her pain of chemotherapy. Make me a prisoner of the pain. Just let her be a kid. I'll do anything."
While my daughter was going through treatment and recovery from enucleation, I became pregnant with our second child. My already lengthy prayer requests had included a new request: "Please, God, seriously this time! Please let this baby be healthy. Please don't let this baby have cancer." I was asking God this even though we had no confirmation that my first child's retinoblastoma was related to genetics. Given that her retinoblastoma was unilateral -- only in her right eye -- her cells likely mutated with no specific direction from her DNA. But, we had not undergone genetic testing for her cancer, so we were unsure about the cause at that time.
My pregnancy was both a blessing and an emotional curse. While my growing belly was a welcome distraction to our hospital and doctor's visits, I was consumed with the fear that my body had created the retinoblastoma in Joli. When pregnant with Joli, I was a healthy weight, ate all organic food, avoided caffeine, and got lots of sleep. My body was my temple. Now, with my second pregnancy and a sick child, most of my dinners consisted of leftover hospital food. Anxiety kept me awake at night and exhausted during the day. Caffeine was the only way I could make it through my 40-hour work week in a relatively stressful job. And, the first pregnancy and stress made every bit of food stick to my hips, thighs, and butt. My body was less like a temple and more like an empty cardboard container where "two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on a sesame seed bun" once lived. Drive thru.
Shortly after I gave birth to a healthy 8lb 9oz baby, doctors checked my new infant's eyes for any signs of tumors. Thankfully, she did not show any signs of retinal tumors at 3 weeks old. This baby child continued to have eye exams every 3-6 months for the first 2 years of her life since we did not have any confirmation of whether the original cancer was genetic in my family. Each time she went for an eye exam under anesthesia (done this way so that the retina specialist can examine a young child without having to struggle), we held our breath and prepared ourselves for the worst. I did this each time out of sheer protection against a surprise diagnosis. Now, at age 3, my younger daughter has been cleared of any risk of retinoblastoma and has graduated to once-a-year exams in the office.
Just after my older daughter had finished chemotherapy, and just when our lives were beginning to return to normal, my oldest sister, Mary, was diagnosed with a very aggressive breast cancer at age 36. Given our family history with breast cancer, her doctors asked if they could test her for the genetic marker -- known as BRCA -- for breast and ovarian cancer. Mary tested positive for the genetic deletion. However, regardless of the genetic outcome, Mary had already developed advanced stage cancer -- the kind where you begin to plan for a life without her -- and had aggressive chemotherapy, radiation, and then a bilateral mastectomy. My sister was already so immuno-compromised when she went through the very risky surgery of of a bilateral mastectomy. She needed to follow this protocol because the tumor in her breast was so large that they had to shrink the tumor before even trying to remove her breasts. It was at that point when my sister, Grace, decided to get tested for BRCA. At age 34, Grace had not been diagnosed with cancer, but she wanted to assess her risk of developing cancer. After all, having the BRCA gene meant that there would be a 80% chance of developing breast cancer and a 60% chance of developing ovarian cancer.
After working closely with a genetic counselor, Grace tested positive for BRCA gene. She decided that a prophylatic bilateral mastectomy -- a procedure done to reduce the risk of cancer preventatively -- was the route she wanted to take.
Having just put my daughter's cancer battle behind us, I was reluctant to get tested. And, I was hoping to play my schoolyard odds with "Well, best 2 out of 3, right? I mean, 2 people already have it, so there's no reason for me, the 3rd, to have it." That was the fun side of me talking. The more angry side of me sounded like this, "No way, there is no way that I would test positive for BRCA. We've been through too much already. I'm pretty sure shit doesn't hit the fan twice!"
Through peer pressure, or "sister pressure", I went and met with a genetics counselor in Boston to gather some information about the process, about BRCA, and about my odds of having the gene. In October 2007, I walked down the very familiar hallways of the cancer treatment center that had become home to my family from August 2005-April 2006. I knew that the benefit of doing all of our testing in one place would be the ability to share information. We could share not only the information of the sisters, but we could also include my daughter's cancer information if it ever became relevant to our own BRCA experience. And, so, I began my testing.
I sat across from a kind, caring, and friendly genetics counselor who reminded me of a childhood friend that I dearly loved. Arrogantly, I told her that she did not really need to go into all the details about cancer, BRCA, and genetics given my experience and my sisters' obsession with all things BRCA. "Go ahead. I know all the statistics. I know that I have a chance of being BRCA+. I know that, if I do test positive, that a mastectomy would reduce my risk by about 80% and an oopherectomy -- removal of my ovaries -- would reduce my risk of ovarian cancer by around 60%. But, I'll cross that bridge if I have to. For now, let's just get some results." With all that we went through with my daughter having cancer, I was confident that I would come up negative for BRCA. I figured God, destiny, faith, or the good natured order of the world would make it so.
Apparently, I was wrong. Yet, my prayers had been answered. Not my prayers to avoid being BRCA positive, but my prayers back in 2005 by my daughter's bedside. Just a few weeks after I gave blood to my genetic counselor, my test came back. I, too, was BRCA positive. While I knew what the results meant for me, I felt a sickening pain for what the results meant for my kids. What is the likelihood that I have passed on the BRCA gene to my two girls.
What have I done? What did I just do to them? What kind of mother am I? I really didn't care what I'd have to go through. After all, I just saw my oldest sister go through chemotherapy, radiation and a mastectomy. I watched as my other sister went through a preventative surgery to have her breasts removed. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, though. All I could think about was my daughters. Particularly, my daughter who had just finished cancer treatments. Did I give her the genetic predisposition for both breast and ovarian cancer? Does the baby, too, carry this ticking time bomb of DNA?
I found ways to distract myself from obsessing about my genetic responsibility and my own physical responsibility. I began doing what any psychology major would have done -- I intellectualized the process. Freud would be so proud. I began speaking more about retinoblastoma, participating in fundraising events, creating college workshops and presentations on the experiences of cancer and pre-cancer, and joining online groups for pre-vivors and even for young pre-vivors. I've dedicated blog entries about being BRCA, spoken publicly at work, followed up on all of my medical tests and baseline diagnostics, and have even talked at length with my sisters about their surgeries.
But, I have never seen my sisters and their mastectomy sites. I never touched their drainage tubes. And, the very thought of what their saline-and-sewn breasts must look like makes me queasy. I'm immensely proud of them for what they have endured, and yet I can't bring myself to look at them.
In December 2009, my sister Grace called to tell me that she was celebrating her Mastectomy Anniversary. "That's great, Grace! Happy One Year Anniversary!" I said with such pride. "It's been two years, Liza. Two years," she replied.
Shit. Two years? It's been two years? That means that it's actually been two years (and 2 months) since I first met with the genetics counselor and discovered I was BRCA positive. It's been three years since the breast specialist and the gynecological oncologist both said to me, "We can schedule your surgery anytime. Any time soon." The folks in those clinics don't mess around. When they get confirmation that you are BRCA positive, they expect you to be in a paper thin johnny in the Recovery Room shortly thereafter.
In July 2008, after a year of baseline tests that determined I had not developed any cancer cells, I found out that we were going to be expecting our third child. I was filled with joy and excitement. And, I was even more excited when my cancer team called to set up my next appointment because I said, "Yeah, about that appointment. I can't do any tests for a while because I'm pregnant." Needless to say, they were less than thrilled. "You know that this means we won't be able to monitor you closely for any cells, right, Liza?" Did I have to say, yea, kind of the point? Freud would not be so proud.
In October 2008, at a routine obestrics exam, my OB/GYN felt a solid lump at the 7 o'clock location of my right breast. "When you check your breasts, have you noticed this lump?" he asked. I heard myself say, "No, why? Do you feel something?" What I was thinking, though, was "You mean IF I check my breasts, right?"
"Feel here. Deep. Right here," he said as he positioned three of my fingers in the 7 o'clock position near my right nipple. I pushed down where he had placed my hands and felt a pea sized lump deep within the tissue of my right breast. I felt my fingers leap off of my breast, and felt a grapefruit sized lump begin to form in my throat. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry, I kept telling myself. Breathe now.
"You should call your cancer team right away," said my OB/GYN in a panic. "Can they see you right away?"
"Oh, yes. Yes, they can."
I called my cancer team from the parking lot. And, sure enough, my appointment for a Fine Needle Aspiration was scheduled in 2 days.
Those two days were awful. I fought the urge to let my imagination run wild. I lost that battle. I also did something a person should never, ever do when in a stage of crisis: I Used Google. I searched for all types of outcomes regarding cancer and pregnancy, chemotherapy and first trimester, radiation and fetal development, mastectomies while expecting. Naturally, nothing positive came out of those late night searches. I'm pretty sure it would have been a good time to buy stock in Kleenex tissues, because I can only imagine how much of their product I used in 48 hours.
The day came for my Fine Needle Aspiration. I was scheduled for an FNA as well as a breast ultrasound. Whenever I speak to students studying Health Care Administration, I usually bring up this doctor's appointment because it was one of the most nightmarish moments of my whole BRCA experience. Exposed, topless, and already emotionally unstable, I was subjected to a "well-meaning" doctor who decided to tell me that I was already delaying any survey of my condition because I got pregnant, that I really shouldn't breastfeed after my baby is born so that I can start up my survey tests immediately after I gave birth. "After all," she says,"I have seen too many women with advanced stage cancer because they decided to breastfeed and forgo their examinations. Breastfeeding doesn't promote bonding. Breastfeeding isn't any better than formula. And, I have 2 kids, never breastfed either of them, and we love each other so much." Oh, lady. Please stop talking....
If my boobs weren't flapping in the wind and my growing belly in the way of getting up quickly, I would have walked out of that room and demanded her supervisor. But, already emotionally wrecked, all I could do was roll my eyes and "uh-huh" her.
Thankfully, my cancer team (aside from random Breast Ultrasound Doctor) is amazing and called me with my results as I was walking to the parking garage. "It's fine. The lump, which we all agree is there, does not have any cells of concern after doing 2 Fine Needle Aspirations. Come back after you deliver so that we can begin our survey of you quickly. Have a beautiful pregnancy."
I got into my car and cried tears of relief. Then, I cried tears of pain. I'm not sure how many of my readers are familiar with Fine Needle Aspirations, but that procedure hurts! I think I had numbed myself to the physical pain in anticipation of bad news. Once the good news came, so did the burning pain in my entire breast area. And, just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I realized that I was leaving Boston at 4:00pm, with no additional passenger to ride the HOV lane with me. And, I really had to pee.
I managed to put the breast lump experience behind me and focus on having a healthy pregnancy. I convinced myself that this was my last baby, my last shot at feeling a growing being inside of my belly. This would be the last time I would feel the kicking, the hiccups, and the heartburn. This would be the last time I would place my hands on my stomach at the end of a long day and feel comforted by a stray heel, an intentional turn around, or a tightening Braxton Hicks contraction. This would be the last time I would provide nourishment for my biological child through breastfeeding. The last time I would lie down next to my infant and comfort him or her to sleep. With the removal of my breasts and ovaries, this would be my last time.
*** On March 24, 2009, I delivered my son. He was a healthy baby, 7.5 pounds, 20 inches long, dark brown eyes. Soon after I delivered, our pediatrician looked at his eyes to make sure there were no tumors. At 3 weeks old, we brought our son to our retina specialist for an exam. And, at 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months, our son returned for exams under anesthesia in case our genetic test stating the retinoblastoma of my daughter was an isolated mutation --which is only 80% accurate -- missed something. As of his 9 month visit, we are still clear of any tumors.
*** At my visit to my OB/GYN for a routine exam, the doctor said, "I see in your chart that the OB who delivered your baby in March recommended that you consider the permanent birth control. You turned it down. Why?" she asked. "Well, while I've talked seriously and publicly about how this is my last child, it's much harder to actually make that happen when the decision is possible. So, I'm not going to really consider a permanent solution yet," I replied with much more confidence than I had in the past. "Well, given all of your genetic testing and information, are you sure you want to keep passing these mutations on?"
"Well," I said calmly. "Given that my children only receive 50% of my DNA and 50% of my husband's DNA, that's still a pretty good chance that they do not have all BRCA or any other genetic mutation. So, yes, I think I do want to take my chances. But, my concern isn't with what I'm passing on. My concern is more focused on how much time I can buy and gamble with knowing that I am BRCA positive."
I'd like to think I created a teachable moment for the young doctor who had just joined the practice a few weeks prior to my appointment.
I'm not sure where the story ends, quite frankly. There are days when I feel I have no strength to carry, and there are days when I'm not exactly sure what load I am carrying. Just the other day, my daughter, the cancer survivor, asked me about how she got her cancer (a cellular mutation) and how her aunts got their cancer (a genetic mutation). When my daughter was going through her treatment, I made a single promise to her. I promised I would never lie about cancer. I explained about "good copies of DNA" and "sick copies of DNA" and how those combinations sometimes result in cancer. As I spoke of her aunts -- my sisters -- she then asked if I would get cancer. I told her that I wasn't sure, but that I probably was going to have surgery on my breasts no matter whether I got cancer or not. My daughter began to cry. "Mommy, I really hope you don't get cancer. Cancer really hurts, and I don't want anyone to be hurt." I explained that sometimes we have to experience hurt in order to see the beautiful things. That it hurt when I was in the hospital to have my babies, but that they were all the most beautiful things in my life. We talked about how it must have hurt to have her eye removed -- though, she doesn't remember it -- but that now she is a healthy and beautiful 6-year old girl.
*** I always promised my daughter that I would never lie to her about cancer. There are just some days when I wish I didn't have to tell her the truth. The truth is a burden to carry. The inabilty to predict the future is the uncertainty to carry. But, my children, my health, and the will to be around for many more years to come gives me the strength to carry.


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International Biodiversity & Ecology Sciences Symposium
Yer: İstanbul, Turkey
Tarih : 26-28 September 2019
Düzenleyen : Palas Akademik
Kongre Merkezi : Titanic Downtown, İstanbul, Turkey
Organizatör : Palas Akademik
Web Sitesi : http://bioeco2019.com/
Dear Colleagues,
It is great pleasure to invite you to the "International Biodiversity & Ecology Sciences Symposium (BioEco2019)", which will be held on 26-28 September 2019 in İstanbul, Turkey. We would be highly delighted with your participation. We would also be thankful if you could inform your colleagues about the symposium and encourage them for the participation.
Please note that an author can submit and present maximum 2 papers for the Symposium. There is no extra cost for second paper by same author. All contributions will be reviewed by the Scientific Committee and they reserve the right to decide form of presentation (oral/poster) in case of scope of the presentation or timing.
Deadline for the submission of the presentation is 20.08.2019. Abstracts of accepted presentations will be published free of charge in an e-book of symposium proceedings. Registration for the symposium is obligatory. Detailed information can be obtained through the web site of the symposium; http://bioeco2019.com/
As the organizing committee, we would be honoured and very pleased to see all who are interested in Biodiversity & Ecology sciences from related institutes, universities, ministries and non-governmental organizations.
Thank you for your interest in advance.
Kind Regards,
Prof. Dr. Tahir Özcan


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During the submission of a moc, part, or set, after each step the process is saved.
In the FAQ is mentioned, that under "your Home page" (I suggest "my profile") is a "Your Changes" entry. The only entry I'm able to find is "Change Log" which is a pro feature and refers to my Lego collection, not to my submissions.
I wonder, where I can find these Your Changes entry, if it's even there and How I can prevent adding the same things several times, instead of editing the old one.
adding /yourchanges/ in the address bar didn't help either.


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|Product code
|GS110: Daisy all over
|Mixed Designs & Themes
|Gemar Balloons, Italy
Daisy Flower Printed Balloons Assorted Colors 12" Dia (10 pieces)
A pretty and cheerful daisy floral design all around print on a big 12" balloon will suit any special occasion!
These printed balloons are of helium quality. Can be inflated with air or helium for the desired use. For inflating balloons with air , we recommend our balloon pumps.
Manufactured from natural rubber latex, using the most modern production technologies, Gemar balloons are distinguished by their highest quality. They comply with European Standards EEC Toy Directive 88/378, CE EN71. 100% Bio degradable. 100% rubber latex.
Do not expose balloons to extreme heat or they can burst.
Quantity : 10 pieces pack
Print : " Daisy flowers "- Screen Printed All Over
Size : 30 cm dia
Colour : Assorted Pastel Colours *
Volume : 14.4 litres
Floating Time: 20 hours**
Brand : Gemar balloons, Made in Italy
Quality : CE & TUV Toy Safety certififications. 100% Made in Italy Certification. Helium Quality.
* The balloon colours illustrated match the colours of the inflated balloons as much as possible. Due to monitor settings, the actual colours may vary
** Floating time of Helium filled balloons in internal environment at 18° C HR 65%- The experiment has been carried out by inflating balloons with pure helium gas for balloons without any additional products. Helium Gas Purity 99.5%
Registered users can share their experience with this product. Register to access all of the benefits reserved to registered users or click on login if you are already registered.


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Stations of the Cross: Fridays after the 7:00pm Mass
Tuesdays throughout the year:
Adoration 11AM to 6:45PM
Benediction at 6:45PM/ 7:00 Mass follows
First Wednesday of the Month:
Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help
First Friday of the Month:
Holy Hour follows the 7:00 Mass
First Saturday of the Month:
Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
Simbangabi: TBA
TBA usually the 9 days before Christmas, hosted by different parishes each night.
Santo Nino:
TBA usually the end of the Christmas season.
San Lorenzo Ruiz:
Holy Rosary is often recited after evening and Saturday daily Masses.
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Tuning Into Our Nervous System in Healing Trauma
Inside this webinar, I'll share some key tips on shifting your relationship with your nervous system.
Come and reinvigorate your personal exercise experience with some tip to toes reminders that keep you moving in new ways.
During the webinar, I'll share my knowledge, know-how and experience along side experiential learning and easy to implement body-based mindfulness practices (like adaptive yoga, breath, sound, meditation and journalling).
I'll also help you understand and use foundational concepts based on updated research about the human nervous system, the Polyvagal System, that changes how we meet our needs, navigate relationships and calm our body.
You'll come away with a better understanding of your nervous system, recognize its language of movement, learn what it can teach you and begin to reshape it.
Fee: $20, includes a brief bonus 1:1 chat after you've watched it to help you integrate practices and take the next step.
About Charlotte
42 years of personal practice and 26 years experience guiding gentle yoga to give your body the energy and support you need to fulfill the many tasks and journeys of a lifetime.
From 1976, Charlotte dedicated 19.5 years in service at Kripalu Center, culminating as Yoga faculty for four years. She was part of the wave that landed yoga, meditation and holistic health in our mainstream culture.
She specializes in Gerontology, adapting yoga & meditation in senior living communities. She consults with those on healing journeys, with breast cancer as well as teaches Trauma Sensitive Yoga.
Her cutting edge work blends positive neuroplasticity with current research re: our nervous system, to offer authentic experiences of body/mind integration in her new online course, Tuning Into Your Nervous System & Trusting Its Goodness.
If you'd like to explore working with me 1:1, let's chat! I get a lot out of connecting with you, so I'm happy to answer any questions you might have to be sure this is a good fit. Click here to find a good time to chat, or simply send me an email.


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After first sashaying onto the stage some ten years ago, The LipSinkers have proved themselves to be a drag cabaret act with enduring appeal. Following a five year residency at Bistrotheque's Cabaret Room (2007-2012) and a fantastic reception at the Edinburgh Fringe 4 years running, you can now witness The LipSinkers every month at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern where they have been resident since 2012.
Their shows are an absurdist blur of intense energy, first-class choreography and some pretty fantastic wig work – all laced with canny social commentary.
Sarah Humphrys got in touch with Richardette, Lisa Lee, Blanche Dubois, Smelly Mae and Steve Nice ahead of their show at The Firestation (Saturday 19th November) to ask them a couple of questions.
Let's start with the origin story of The LipSinkers - how did you guys begin? What or who inspired you to start a lip-synching troop?
We were originally a manufactured band put together to cover weekend slots at a local cabaret bar. We'd rehearse in the afternoon and perform in the evening, getting changed in the toilets at the back of the room. We did this for almost 6 years and as you can imagine when things are left in a toilet for a very long time they start to grow.
Did you imagine in 2006 that you would have such continued popularity?
Popularity has never played a big part in our manifesto. Our early days were defined by long weekend runs over 3 and four months in the same venue and 6 week Christmas shows - the gigs kept coming and time slid by! By the time we moved to The RVT the work and our love of it and the amount that we had created had become part of us and keeping it going almost unquestionable. We never imagined it - but we're totally, absolutely thrilled to have lasted a decade!
What do you think is the key to your enduring appeal?
Our popularity.
We love the variety of your song choices, with numbers ranging from Queen to Will.I.Am - how do you decide which songs to include in your repertoire? What makes a song perfect lip-sync material?
The songs arrive in many ways - backs of cabs, the martini girl, late night sessions, gifts, commissions, deliver.
What's the process for creating your routines?
We work hard together. Our process is on-going and omni referential. We have a monthly gig at The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, we never perform the same show twice and this structures our year. We're in constant rehearsals whilst also making new work - we don't stop the process as a company, we don't take holidays (individuals are allowed out occasionally!). As a structure this plans out the rest of our lives which we aim to colour in with our work. The work draws from the socio political climate of the time and often refers to previous work as well as drawing on more personal and/or abstract matters which may be affecting us.
Your shows make frequent references to current affairs and political events - is this important to you? / why is this important to you?
We are a queer political performance company. Current Affairs Matter. Dead Celebrities Matter. Cats in Dustbins Matter. Black Lives Matter.
Especially with such frequent and fast costume changes, have you had any entertaining on-stage mishaps you can tell us about? How do you overcome these?
Things happen in the moment. Our work is very live, that's part of its charm. It can be a right Carry On at times.
Off the top of our heads… Over dressed. Under dressed. Misjudged stage dives. Spaghetti underfoot. Glitter on the tonsils. Falling stage weights. Unexploded confetti cannons. Flying wigs. Broken heels. Accidentally singing. Vomiting hen party.
Have popular television shows such as RuPaul's Drag Race, Jimmy Fallon with his Lip Sync Battle or James Corden's Car Pool Karaoke had an effect on your popularity or the type of crowds that you draw at your shows?
We don't feel a lot of affinity with these shows. From what we've seen of any of them- which is pretty limited - we appear to have little in common, though that's not for us to decide really is it? Our audience is beautifully broad but there hasn't been a noticeable spike to tie in with any of these shows' growing in popularity.
We like this quote.
"The LipSinkers are a drag troupe who mime to other people's songs, but they're not a night out with Danny La Rue, and they're not Ru Paul's Drag Race. They are weird, wild, funny and fresh" ***** The Scotsman
Why do you think these types of lip-syncing videos and celebrity musical shows have become so popular on the internet? Do you watch these clips yourselves?
Why? More TV channels, more on line platforms, more celebrities needing stuff to do, more devices to view it all on. That kind of thing maybe?
If you could invite anybody to cameo in one of your performances who would you choose and what song would they sing?
We'd invite Wilson, Keppel and Betty to join us in a rousing performance of Ali Baba's Camel.
Do you have any top tips for budding lip synchs?
Move your lips. A mirror is not an audience, it's a tool. Your body is the greatest instrument you will ever own.
Describe The LipSinkers in 5 words?
Like Muppets with a pulse. (Someone once wrote this about us and we've forgotten who - but we still love it).
The LipSinkers are at The Firestation in Windsor on 19th November, check their website for full details.
More info and upcoming dates on Facebook thelipsinkers.


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It was the fall of 2008, the economy was in a tailspin and it was decidedly not a great day for the country, but it was a pivotal day for everything that has happened since... and for us, it will be burned in our memory forever.
In the predawn hours of a brisk Monday morning, my son and I woke in a hotel in Grand Junction, Colorado. My beloved 8 year old boy had knocked on doors with me during the historic campaign, and had raised money for a campaign donation with an Obama inspired poster he drew with crayons. So naturally, I allowed him to skip school to be a part of history in person. As a single mom of a young, precocious boy, Obama's unique personal story already resonated deeply for us.
Our eagerness at that pre-dawn hour earned us a spot on the risers right behind Obama for what turned out to be anything BUT an everyday stump speech.
It was on that fateful morning on September of 2008 when Lehman Brothers collapsed.
And it was that same day that McCain uttered those fateful words, which arguably cost him his credibility and thus, the election, "the fundamentals of our economy are strong."
And so it was that we heard about this impending chapter in the collapse of the economy -- and of McCain's tone-deaf words -- in person from Barack Obama himself.
He began telling us that day, "This morning we woke up to some very serious and troubling news from Wall Street."
It was a legitimate turning point in the election of our lives.
And it was the day my son got to meet the future President of the United States.
After the speech wrapped up, and after Obama walked the rope line, shaking hands with jubilant and hopeful admirers, one of the volunteers spotted my boy and asked if he wanted to go meet Obama. It was ALL he wanted to do!! And so Harris cleared it with secret service, and walked my 8 year old to go meet Obama and pose for a photo with the volunteers. I witnessed the moment with a sense of pride that is still difficult for me to put into words.
I knew in my soul upon hearing him speak that day that he would be elected. His personal presence, his quiet command of respect, his open, infectious smile and his ability to inspire were already qualities that shone brightly.
For eight years, my son and I have been moved by his integrity and his example. Our lives have improved dramatically, from our economic livelihood (my entire business was built in the Obama era -- rising tide lifts all boats!), to our health care, to the feeling of personal empowerment he instilled in us to keep fighting for the things we hold dear: environment, civil rights, and a better life for our fellow citizens and humans around this beautiful planet.
Above all, I am grateful that my son came of age with the Obama family as our role models, as our First Family. The leadership, ethical values and high integrity exemplified by Barack, Michelle, Sasha and Malia have meant the world to me as a mother, as a proud citizen and as a human being.
Thanks, Obama!! I'm proud to share the planet with you and wish you a love and family filled break… and all the best in your next chapter.


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Huntington Woman Sentenced in Connection with Illegal Food Stamp Fraud Scheme
|U.S. Attorney's Office September 17, 2012
HUNTINGTON, WV—U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that a Huntington woman was sentenced to three months of community correction and six months of home confinement as a part of her four-year sentence of probation for her role in an illegal food stamp fraud scheme. Stephanie Pauley, 35, of Huntington, previously pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud. Pauley admitted that she participated with other known individuals in a scheme to defraud the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ("SNAP"), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. These benefits are given to eligible individuals in the form of a debit card called the Mountain State Card.
Pauley was an employee of the Huntington-area convenience store, All-in-One store ("All-in-One") at the time of the illegal fraud scheme. Pauley admitted that some time after March 2009 and continuing until February 2012, she conspired with other known individuals in an illegal card-swiping scheme that took place at All-in-One. The owner of the All-in-One store, Abe Eloirzazi, and another store employee, Cindy Gibson, are both pending sentencing.
She fraudulently swiped certain recipients' Mountain State Cards by charging a certain dollar amount against the value of the recipient's card. Pauley admitted that the card recipients were given 50 to 65 cents on the dollar in cash. Pauley also admitted to illegally selling cigarettes and alcohol by charging the purchase on the Mountain State Card as though it was an eligible food item. The All-in-One bank account then received the full amount of the fraudulent transactions from the government. Pauley admitted that as a result of the scheme, she redeemed a portion of approximately $127,000 in SNAP benefits.
The court also ordered the defendant to pay $127,000 in restitution.
The Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the Huntington Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes handled the prosecution. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.


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Today Sony released some information, on their blog, about a day one patch for the PlayStation 4. The software update 1.50 will be roughly 300MB and is mandatory if you plan on using any of the cool features the PS4 has to offer. Although the PS4 will ship with some basic functions, the follow features will only be available once the user has downloaded the update:
Sony goes on to say that some features won't be available from launch, like the "suspend mode". This allows you to turn your PlayStation 4 into a low power state mode and then back into the game instantly, as if the game was paused. The company also that more information regarding system update 1.50 and what features will be available at launch will be coming soon.
- Remote Play
- Second Screen
- Recording and uploading gameplay/screenshots
- Twitch
- Play as you download
- Multi log-in (up to 4 accounts can be signed in at the same time on one system)
- Party chat
- Face recognition and voice commands
- Background Music Player
- Online Multiplayer
- Play Blu-ray / DVD
PlayStation 4 Will Have a Day One Patch
By Keysnsamples · Oct 25, 2013
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Are you gluten intolerant? Here are five gluten-free options you'll love December 18 2017
Many restaurants offer gluten-free options and grocery stores now have gluten-free products. Many patients we've helped here at Integrative Medica with severe illnesses such as IBS have improved after eliminating gluten from their diet. If you're gluten-intolerant, the presence of these options makes you happy knowing you have choices. Here are five gluten-free options you love:
- Rice: A popular source of carbohydrates and nutrients for gluten intolerant individuals, rice is a great choice that can be used in many meals. You can pair rice with any protein such as fish and chicken. You can also make a tasty vegetable stir fry with gluten-free soy sauce. You don't have to limit yourself to regular long grain white rice. You can also try out different forms of brown rice and basmati rice.
- Corn: This popular gluten-free option is used in many dishes. Are you craving Mexican food? Corn tortillas are the way to go. When you're at a Mexican restaurant, always order your tacos with corn tortillas. Corn can be used in a variety of dishes from salads or even as a fun snack in the form of popcorn. Plain, fresh corn is always gluten-free but sometimes corn in its different forms may be prepared in recipes with gluten. When you're eating out at a restaurant or considering buying pre-packaged food with corn as the main ingredient, do your research and check if there has been cross-contamination.
- Beans: Beans such as black beans are packed with nutrition and can be used in many different recipes such as salads and soups. If you don't like seafood but want a lot of the nutrients found in seafood, black beans are a great choice for you. It's a good source of protein with little fat and is also high in magnesium and folic acid. Kidney beans are another bean option that provides needed nutrients that can be used in dips and stews. You can find kidney beans that are canned and pre-cooked. Kidney beans are also available in dried varieties.
- Soy: Did you know that pure soybeans do not have gluten? You can experience the benefits of soy in different forms from tofu to soy milk. Let's focus on tofu for a bit. Tofu is a popular, long-standing member of many Asian cuisines. With over 10 grams of protein per half-cup serving, tofu also will help you receive a healthy serving of iron and calcium.
- Potato: Potatoes can be served in a variety of ways from french fries to baked potatoes to mashed potatoes. When you're traveling, be aware of the fact that not all potato dishes are gluten-free when you go out to eat at restaurants. When eating at a restaurant, ask to talk to a chef or manager to learn how potatoes are prepared since some recipes call for potatoes to be coated in butter and flour for extra crispiness.
Which ingredients are you going to try this week? Let us know in the comments!
Integrative Medica specializes in complementary and alternative medicine. Patients that come into Integrative Medica can feel comfortable that they are receiving the most effective alternative medicine treatments available. Contact us for your next appointment!


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Loss Sings
Distributed for Sylph Editions
The seventh-century poet Tumadir, also known as al-Khansaʾ—a sobriquet that means "the Snub-nosed Gazelle doe"—survived both her brothers. Her poetic output consists of dirges for those dead brothers. In Loss Sings, James Montgomery translates a number of these dirges from the Arabic and weaves a cahier around them. Bringing this little-known ancient Arabic poet to contemporary readers for the first time, Montogomery intersperses personal and poignant observations throughout the collection as he explores related elements of death and loss.
You may purchase this title at these fine bookstores. Outside the USA, see our international sales information.


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Thank you for your interest in obtaining a Habitat for Humanity home in El Paso.
For many years Habitat for Humanity of El Paso has helped numerous individuals and families achieve strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter. If you or someone you know finds themselves facing barriers to opportunity due to inadequate living conditions, we may be able to help. If you support our mission and now find yourself asking how you too can become a Habitat homeowner, please review the qualifications below. From both our perspective and yours, this process is a significant investment in people who can shape what is possible. Habitat home-ownership is a foundation for a brighter future.
The criteria for our home ownership program include the following:
1. Ability to Pay: Habitat homes are not free, but are sold to our partner families at cost (land + construction) with a 30-year no-interest loan. We calculate a family's ability to afford the mortgage, taxes and insurance by using a variety of documents to determine income, credit worthiness and legal residency. The ability to pay documents and income guidelines will be listed in detail on the next page of this document.
2. Housing Need: Applicants who meet the Ability to Pay requirements may be chosen to go onto the home interview phase where a team of Habitat Family Selection volunteers meets with them in their home to determine housing need. This can be defined in a variety of ways to include overcrowding, a dwelling poorly-maintained by a landlord or property manager, an unreasonably high income-to-rent ratio and other factors that contribute to housing need. Applicants may not currently own a home, but owning land does not eliminate someone from consideration.
3. Willingness to Partner: Habitat partner families work with us to build their own homes and the homes of other applicants. In addition to working on the construction site, we offer volunteer opportunities in our El Paso ReStore and our downtown warehouse. Details on the number of hours required and the distribution of those hours are available in the second half of this document.
4. Military Service: For our normal selection process, this criteria does not apply, however the donor has stipulated that the selected family must include a veteran who has served honorably in the United States military. Documentation verifying service will be required as part of the application process.
Please feel free to send this document to as many interested organizations and individuals as you would like. If you would like an electronic copy to distribute via email, send a request to the email address above, and it will be provided. The next two pages of this document will provide additional details that will aid in understanding our application process during the selection period. More information is also available on www.habitatelpaso.org.
The first page of this document is designed to stand on its own in order to highlight the main points of our process and can be provided to applicants who are interested in the qualifying criteria. The following information expands on the main points in order to provide more information about our income levels, required documentation and sweat equity expectations.
Ability to Pay: Applicants who complete the application and meet the income guidelines should be able to provide copies of the following documentation, which allows us to determine a family's ability to pay for a home:
a. Three months worth of paycheck stubs for all working household members.
b. Proof of other income such as a child support statement from the attorney general's office and award letters indicating
income from the following sources: social security, disability, TANF / SNAP, pensions from retirement accounts or the
military or unemployment benefits. Self-employed applicants should provide profit and loss statements for their
c. Six consecutive months of bank statements for all household members.
d. Proof of assets such as CDs, Mutual Funds, 401(k), etc…
e. IRS form 1040's and W-2's for all household members who filed taxes in the last two years.
f. Social Security cards and birth certificates for all household members and valid Texas identification cards or driver's
g. Proof of legal residency is required for non-U.S. citizens.
h. A Divorce Decree if applicant or co-applicant are divorced.
i. Applicants will complete an application that includes a signature allowing us to run a credit report and background
check on all applicants and co-applicants.
The maximum annual income for applicants to be considered are as follows:
Number of people in household Maximum Annual Income
1 $23,760
2 $27,120
3 $30,540
4 $33,900
5 $36,660
6 $39,360
7 $42,060
8 $44,760
Housing Need: We ask applicants to describe their housing need on the application, but need is ultimately determined by conducting a home interview. The mission of Habitat for Humanity is to eliminate substandard housing in the communities we serve, so applicants with the greatest housing need are given preference over applicants who currently live in adequate housing.
Willingness to Partner: In order to fulfill the sweat equity requirement, single applicants (individuals living alone, or one adult applicant with children under the age of 16) will be required to complete 300 sweat equity hours and multiple-adult partner families (two parents or a single parent with children 16 and older) will be required to complete 400 sweat equity hours. Most of these hours are required to be completed by the immediate family, but we allow some of them to be completed by extended family, friends and co-workers. The details of the sweat equity contract will be discussed in detail with a family before the Homeowner Agreement is signed and partner families will have opportunities to ask questions.
Military Service: As part of our application process, we will ask that an applicant provide proof of an honorable discharge from one of the military services so that we can verify their status as a veteran.
If you have a question that is unanswered in this document, please feel free to use the contact information on the front page to submit a question and we will respond as soon as possible.


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I got some of that black garlic you were talking about.
Never heard of black garlic I never mentioned black garlic. I said about purple garlic. Is that like wet garlic? No it's like purple garlic. Well I've got some of the black stuff and it looks like something Takabuti has had stuffed in her cheeks since 660 BC.


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I am beginning to put two and two together and not making four; or, to vary the cliché, I am beginning to smell a rat: I refer to the unfolding story of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. Others, I know, have beat me to it in this particular process. But I am a simple soul, I tend to look on the bright side and try to avoid paranoia where I can. I hope I am wrong: but I am, all the same, beginning to wonder if the warm support with which even quite unexpected people in our hierarchy (like Bishop Hollis) greeted the establishment of the ordinariate this time round (you will remember the extreme hostility with which they squashed the same basic idea in the 90s) was really as wholehearted as it seemed at the time: or were they simply saying what they knew the Pope wanted them to say, but without any real belief in the basic idea? Or maybe with the idea, this time, of getting the whole thing under way and then squashing it?
Let me direct your attention to a couple of websites, which seen together provide food for thought. The first is the website of the new US ordinariate, the Ordinariate of the Chair of Peter, a name which splendidly makes very clear a basic characteristic of most Anglican converts these days: their loyalty to the Magisterium (undoubtedly one reason for the open hostility of most of our hierarchy to the idea of an independent Anglican Catholic jurisdiction 20 years ago). The newly announced US ordinary (who has been a friend of mine for 30 years; I first knew him in Oxford when he was doing his DPhil) is Fr Jeffrey Steenson, a distinguished Patristics scholar and the former Anglican bishop of the Rio Grande. From his website, I perceive that he is getting very full support from the American hierarchy in more than just fine words: he already, for instance, has a "principal church", in other words, a sort of cathedral, which was immediately designated as such on the erection of the US ordinariate, by the Cardinal Archbishop of Houston, Texas, where he will be based.
The second website is the Ordinariate Portal, which reports on our own English ordinariate, that of Our Lady of Walsingham. In October, this reproduced without comment the following from an article which appeared on Damian Thompson's feisty Telegraph website:
I was disappointed to miss Cardinal Levada's visit to London for a fundraising event for the ordinariate sponsored by the Catholic Herald …. It would have been good to hear the Prefect of the Congregation for the Faith remind us that the ordinariate is the Pope's own project and an "important new structure for the Church".
But, talking of important structures, could I just ask: where is the London church that will serve as the ordinariate's headquarters? The question was already a pressing one when I raised it back in January. The failure to address the matter is so morale-sapping that I really can't blame those Anglicans who are hesitating to take the plunge. This isn't the fault of the ordinary or Cardinal Levada; as usual, the blame lies with the slow-acting Bishops of the Benzodiazepine Rite based in Eccleston Square. If they don't find a church soon, there won't be a second wave of Ordinariate converts. And you have to ask: do they really want one?
It's a very good question, which I am now in my slow-moving way beginning to ask myself. Damian Thompson was asking it from the outset. He repeated the question yet again last month: this time, the Ordinariate Portal reproduced his article in full, under the headline "Damian Thompson: The English bishops are trying to smother the ordinariate. How long will Rome tolerate this situation?" It's a headline which doesn't surprise one much when one reads it on Mr Thompson's blog; it's his style, and he has been from the beginning the principal scourge of the English hierarchy in general and of Archbishop Nichols in particular. But it's one thing to see a headline like that in the Telegraph: entirely another to see it in the Ordinariate Portal. Have a look at it: it's very striking, as is the article which follows.
It prompts the question: what is the policy of those running the Ordinariate Portal; is it just to reproduce everything that appears online about the ordinariate? I doubt that, because there's lots of such material that isn't reproduced in it. Or, do they repeat material sympathetic to them, material, furthermore, with which they to some extent agree? In this particular case, it prompts the question: does the leadership of the ordinariate agree that the English bishops are trying to smother it? It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if they were: it's what they did 20 years ago after all, and they haven't changed that much; many of the same bishops, indeed, are still there. Does the leopard change its spots? Last time, they killed the idea of people crossing the Tiber in parish groups, but put in place fast-track provisions for the recycling of convert Anglican clergy: they got quite a lot of high-quality priests that way without having to bother with their laity: this mitigated the effects of the shortage of indigenous vocations no end. Are they up to the same tricks again? This time, just let the whole thing fall flat, then absorb the ordinariate clergy into the local diocese, and their laity into the local parishes?
Let me make it clear: I have deliberately, in the course of writing this article, not asked, even off the record, any of the ordinariate monsignori if they agree with what I might call the "Thompson scenario". I say this in order to protect them from the accusation that I am knowingly reflecting their views. But if this analysis is correct, if the bishops do have some such strategy, and if the ordinariate's leaders do think so, then it really is time for Rome to intervene. I hope that Archbishop Mennini is keeping a close eye on all this, and that he is still Rome's man and hasn't, like so many of his predecessors, gone native, seduced by the "creamy English charm" (Evelyn Waugh in Brideshead) of whoever is the current incumbent of Archbishop's House, Westminster. Damian Thompson claims that "The Vatican is well aware that the English bishops are trying to smother this initiative". If so, as he comments, "much depends on the Pope's state of health… The enemies of the ordinariate are counting on this pontificate coming to an end before the structures of the English ordinariate are set in stone." Well, I suspect (certainly, I pray) that the Pope has plenty of life left in him yet: it isn't time for him to go, he has too many things to complete. And this increasingly looks like one of them.


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When I first intended to start this post it was several weeks ago and I was in that self-induced delusional haze of a new relationship. You know the kind: you feel giddy all the time, smile for no reason and tend to let your mind wander to naughty places about 1000 times a day. You're so deliriously happy. But of course, it never lasts. I'm not saying happiness doesn't last, but that all-consuming feeling of getting to know someone and having them get to know you is fleeting. And we all wish to find that special someone, if we haven't already.
But when I started this post, it was meant to be a somewhat cautionary tale of what happens when you get what you want. Of what happens when you find someone who makes you happy and you let your guard down. It was meant to touch on how scary that is to finally feel like you found someone after years of searching. Scary but good scary, right? Because after all this is what life is about. Love. That euphoria we all strive to have and that hopefully lasts and grows into something deeper. Something more permanent and thoughtful. And I thought that was the case.
We moved quickly, which tends to be my M.O. We spent a lot of time together. Talked daily if not more often than that. We FaceTimed. We confessed falling for each other. It was wonderful. Until it wasn't.
I went away for a week and apparently absence doesn't always make the heart grow fonder. In this case it made his heart realize maybe he wasn't so over the moon after all. Maybe he wanted to take his newfound confidence and euphoria and apply it to other people. Now, mind you, we never talked of exclusivity. It was certainly implied in all the time spent and conversations had. After all, who had time to date anyone else with all the time we spent together or with our respective kids? So, I am not begrudging him that opportunity to see other people. In fact, I encouraged it. Go ahead. See what trainwrecks are out there. Have a good time. But the more I thought about it, the more this seemed selfish on his part. This was not fear of moving too quickly. This was selfishness and arrogance, pure and simple. I made him a better person and now he wanted to see who else might appreciate that.
Clearly, I'm not going to wait around while he sows his oats. I did mention that if he could date others, then so could I and how would that make him feel. He acknowledged he wouldn't like it. He also acknowledged he was the one who accelerated the relationship in the first place. And that he could have dated others in the beginning of our 'relationship' but didn't. So essentially, he did a 180 on me and at this age and this stage of the game is not something I have time for nor do I deserve it. I deserve better. I deserve more. And while, yes, he could have dated others and not told me, I appreciate the honesty. But like someone who confesses to an affair, just because you're honest doesn't mean you should be commended for it.
As I write this, we haven't spoken about definitively ending things. When he left here Saturday night he told me I was his "#1 girl", a term so condescending it makes me vomit a little. I've been trying to reach him to simply have the 5-minute conversation I think we need to have and frankly I think deserve. After a couple of months, not speaking or ghosting is not only cowardly, it's downright offensive and disrespectful to both of us. At the age of 40-something, if you aren't capable of having a conversation to cease a relationship you aren't mature enough of actually having said-relationship in the first place.
Of course now I reflect on how I could have been so wrong about this person I was truly developing feelings for. But I wrote the very reason above. When you're blinded with euphoria, you can't see clearly. You can't assess. And while every failed relationship is just primer for the right one, it still stings. It still sucks. Honestly I don't know what's worse. Getting back into dating, or the sadness you feel when a relationship ends.
For now, I'm debating taking some time off from men…again. But spring is coming. So, maybe not. I'm a woman. I have the right to change my mind.


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It is the first novel of this century, in English, that truly made me want to write my own novel. However, what is doubly impressive is that Roth has pulled off a neat trick - while seemingly straightforward, this is a fiction, and a text, that is, in some ways, highly modernist in its tricks. For one, the narrator, while not exactly "unreliable", as in The Good Soldier, looks on with uncertainty at some stages; the three sections are notably various in tone; and the gosh-shucks Americana of the diction, dialogue and style is gently ironic, but also true to the time. More notably, the novel is suffused with an unbearable level of dramatic irony, building to a proper tragedy, which wrong-foots the reader who might have though the authorial ethos was simply anti-God or even existential. Indeed, the pathos of the ending is heightened by there being a sense of the avoidable about this nonetheless character-foretold destiny. I don't want to say too much more to destroy the experience for readers.
I hope the Coen Brothers make this a film. They are utterly suited to capturing the tension and black comedy of every moment. I'd have said Kubrick, but he is dead - indeed, the intertwining of sincerity and irony we see in Kubrick's films is very present here. And, as befits a novel about a young phys ed teacher, the classical end is sublimely beautiful. Or perhaps Spielberg could do this, if he returned to his Schindler's List mode.


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We Move Forward 2018 – Say Si and Live your Best Life!
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This is a follow up to yesterday's post. If you are a regular blog reader of mine you know that I love to do creative edits to my photographs. I tried not to with the photos yesterday since the focus was on the makeup and I think color is the preferred choice on those. Well…tonight I decided to do a little editing on some of the remaining photos. Enjoy them. I don't think it will be too much of a challenge for ya! 🙂
Also, If you've been awaiting the follow up to Retro Wonder your wait will be over tomorrow!!!
Let's get down to business…
A very simple b&w conversion on the lovely & photogenic twins…Amanda (L) & Chelsea (R)~
Miss Chelsie…with some faded sepia action and textured water droplets over the top, this is my top pick out of all the photos of Chelsie from the session on Sunday~
The twins and my FAVORITE photo of them two together…mostly b/c of the connection between them instead of with my camera~
Another sweet shot of Chelsea (in color for her mom who adored this shot as it was taken)~
This shot was edited to have high contrast, faded color and burned edges (my style completely). With the bold color of their eyes popping out at you…you can't help but get drawn in~
Lastly an almost vintage touch with a "high Key" feel to it and big-pretty smiles~
To see more photos from this shoot clicky clicky.
Thursdays are for giving thanks…Give a lot of verbal "thank yous" out today-people will wonder what's wrong with you…in a GOOD way! 🙂
Thanks for stopping in…


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The search found 134 results in 0.082 seconds.
This article explores the relationship between hardships and protest in the world-system. Despite the history of discussion of anti-systemic protest, there has been little work that differentiates world-systems contributions to social movement research from others who examine social movements. We contribute to a theory of anti-systemic protest by re-introducing hardships as a crucial element that defines inequalities in the world-system; one consistent source of those hardships are austerity policies imposed in response to debt negotiations.
Do appeals that subtly invoke negative racial stereotypes shift whites' political attitudes by harnessing their racial prejudice? Though widely cited in academic and popular discourse, prior work finds conflicting evidence for this "dogwhistle hypothesis." Here we test the hypothesis in two experiments (total N = 1,797) in which white Americans' racial attitudes were measured two weeks before they read political messages in which references to racial stereotypes were implicit, explicit, or not present at all.


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The League of Women Voters is a proud partner of the second annual #GivingTuesday campaign, a movement to promote a national day of giving at the start of the holiday season. From fighting to protect voting rights to leading efforts to prevent climate change, and so much more, the League is committed to educating and engaging Americans around the major public policy issues that impact our daily lives.
In celebration of #GivingTuesday, we've been sharing a look at just some of what the League has done to increase political participation and strengthen our democracy -- and our country -- in 2013.
Protecting Voting Rights
Rooted in the movement that secured the right to vote for women, the League of Women Voters has been working to protect voting rights for over 90 years. But this summer, our work went into overdrive. In June, the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights (VRA) Act of 1965, resulting in widespread attacks on voting rights across the country. Immediately, the League sprung to action -- calling on Congress to repair and restore the Voting Rights Act to its full strength. At the same time, League leaders across the country got to work filing lawsuits, publishing op-eds, participating in protests and rallies and holding community meetings in efforts to thwart state and local voting restrictions.
We've also helped usher in some major wins for voting rights. This summer, LWVUS and the League of Women Voters of Arizona were involved in the Supreme Court voting rights case, Arizona v. The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (ITCA). The case, which focused on the pivotal voting rights legislation, the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), resulted in a victory for voters.
Leagues across the country have also been busy rallying for improvements to the nation's flawed voting system. LWVUS and Leagues in Colorado, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania testified to the newly-established Presidential Commission on Election Administration (PCEA) on the need for a free, fair and accessible voting system. Our testimonies upheld the importance of these goals and focused on pro-voter reforms, including expanded early voting, improved polling place management, providing for portable voter registration and establishing secure online voter registration.
Educating & Empowering Voters
At the same time that we pushed to protect voting rights, we also helped educate and empower voters. Throughout the year, Leagues across the country registered tens of thousands of new voters at naturalization ceremonies, baseball games, high schools, colleges and more. In September, nearly 300 local Leagues joined a total of over 800 partners to help register 58,000 voters and counting for the second annual National Voter Registration Day. But we did more than just energize voters to head to the polls -- we also made sure that they had everything they needed to vote! As Election Day approached, state and local Leagues hosted numerous candidate forums and debates to ensure voters knew where candidates stood on the issues most important to their communities. Additionally, through VOTE411.org, our nationwide online voter education resource, we connected voters with local candidate and ballot information, registration deadlines, voting requirements, polling place details and more.
Defending the Environment
The League believes that preventing climate change requires action from both individuals and policymakers. After months of advocacy efforts, we were successful in driving President Obama to take the lead to protect our climate and work to reduce carbon pollution, a move that will protect our children, our nation and the world at large. We sent over 5,000 letters urging the U.S. Senate to put people before polluters, partnered to hold the largest rally on climate change in the history of the country and continue to help lead the fight against the Keystone XL Pipeline -- a project that comes with a laundry list of health and environmental risks.
Gun Control
Curbing gun violence is a matter of public safety and public health. The League urged both chambers of Congress to pass new legislation addressing the gun violence plaguing our nation. Our supporters helped us urge Senators to help save lives by supporting proposed gun safety solutions, including closing the gun show loophole, increasing penalties for straw purchases of guns, banning assault weapons, placing limits on high capacity ammunition magazines. We're buoyed by successes in Connecticut, where the League of Women Voters of Connecticut helped lead efforts to pass landmark state gun control legislation.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform
The League was founded upon the belief that our democracy is enhanced by a diversity of voices. In June, we commended the Senate for passing a comprehensive package. Our work includes explaining how comprehensive immigration reform -- including family reunification and a pathway to citizenship -- will strengthen our nation and society. We're encouraged by positive remarks from President Obama and House Leaders on renewing the push for immigration reform, and we continue to urge the House to support the legislation.
Money in Politics
The League believes that it is essential to stop the flood of secret money and to protect our political system from big-money corruption. We submitted an amicus brief in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (FEC), the major Supreme Court case heralded as "the next Citizens United," challenging aggregate contribution limits made by individual donors to political candidates and committees. We also lobbied both the President and Congress to take legislative action to fix and protect our nation's campaign finance system, including closing gaping loopholes in campaign finance laws and preserving critical anti-corruption legislation.
Year in and year out, League members across the country do everything in their power to make democracy work, but their work requires the support of all the members of all the communities which benefit from that effort. #GivingTuesday is propelled by those who believe that passion and commitment can make a difference. On December 3rd, we ask that you think of the League as you reflect on the need to strengthen our country and our great democracy.