text:
This page provides information on how nitrogen dioxide gets in the air and its effects on health. It includes usual levels in New Zealand, and standards and guidelines values to protect human health.
This page has not yet been updated to reflect changes as a result of Our air 2018 report.
Chemical formula and description
The chemical formula for nitrogen dioxide is NO2.
Nitrogen dioxide is a reddish-brown, pungent, acidic gas that is corrosive and strongly oxidising.
Nitrogen dioxide is not usually released directly into the air. Nitrogen dioxide forms when nitrogen oxide (NO) and other nitrogen oxides (NOx) react with other chemicals in the air to form nitrogen dioxide.
The main source of nitrogen dioxide resulting from human activities is the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil) especially fuel used in cars. It is also produced from making nitric acid, welding and using explosives, refining of petrol and metals, commercial manufacturing, and food manufacturing.
Natural sources of other nitrogen oxides include volcanoes and bacteria.
Effects on health
The main health effect of nitrogen dioxide is on the respiratory system. Inhalation of nitrogen dioxide by children increases their risk of respiratory infection and may lead to poorer lung function in later life. There is also an association between nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the air and increases in mortality and hospital admissions for respiratory disease. Nitrogen dioxide can decrease the lungs' defences against bacteria making them more susceptible to infections. It can also aggravate asthma.
Groups most sensitive to nitrogen dioxide
|young children
|asthmatics of all ages (but especially children)
|adults with heart and respiratory disorders
Standards and guideline values to protect health
The national environmental standard for nitrogen dioxide is 200 µg/m3 as a 1-hour average.
The national ambient air quality guideline for nitrogen dioxide is 100 µg/m3 as a 24-hour average.
Effects on ecosystems
Nitrogen dioxide is toxic to plants in short-term concentrations of 120 µg/m3. It reduces plant growth. When sulphur dioxide and ozone are also present, the effects on vegetation are worse. Along with sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide can cause acid rain. Acid rain is not a problem in New Zealand.
Effects on buildings
Nitrogen dioxide forms acids in the presence of moisture and these can be corrosive to building materials at high concentrations.
Effects on visibility
Nitrogen dioxide can form secondary particles called nitrates that cause haze and reduce visibility. Nitrogen dioxide is the gas that makes summer smog look brownish in colour.
Usual levels in New Zealand
The 1-hour national environment standard for nitrogen dioxide is occasionally breached. The last breach was in 2011. In most places nitrogen dioxide levels are below the standard and guideline values.
For more information see Environment Aotearoa 2015.
Areas where nitrogen dioxide may affect health and the environment
Nitrogen dioxide can be a localised problem around congested or high traffic roads.


text:
Top Iranian and Russian officials have agreed to hold talks on a Russian proposal aimed a resolving Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West, Reuters reports quoting an Iranian diplomat close to the talks.
The proposal, which is backed by Washington and the European Union, involves the creation of a joint Iranian-Russian company to enrich uranium in Russia.
The plan has been put forward by Moscow in a bid to allay international concerns that Iran could manufacture highly enriched uranium on its own soil to build atomic weapons.
Iran says it only wants to enrich uranium to a low-grade, suitable for use in atomic power reactors.
Hossein Entezami, a spokesman for Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told AFP that "Iran has received the Russian proposal and is examining it", one day after a senior official acknowledged the proposal for the first time.
However, the Russian Defence Ministry on Thursday denied any conversation between Larijani and Ivanov about Iranian nuclear enrichment in Russia, with a spokesman calling such reports "false".
Change of tone
Iranian officials had previously said they would reject any plan which denied Iran the right to enrich uranium on its own
But in a sudden change of tone, a senior official said on Wednesday Tehran would "seriously and enthusiastically" study the Russian plan.
Iran says it only wants to enrich
The Iranian diplomat, speaking on Thursday to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the agreement for talks on the proposal came during a telephone conversation between Ali Larijani, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, and Sergei Ivanov, the Russian defence minister.
Larijani told Ivanov there were "ambiguities and problems" with the Russian plan but that "the outline of the proposal can be reviewed", the diplomat said.
Ivanov agreed to send a delegation to Tehran led by one of his deputies for further talks, the diplomat said, without specifying when they would take place.
The diplomat added that both sides had noted that their talks were unrelated to Iran's ongoing nuclear negotiations with the EU trio of Britain, Germany and France.
Little progress
The Europeans are hoping the compromise can bring a breakthough in deadlocked negotiations aimed at ensuring Iran cannot produce nuclear weapons.
The US says Iran does not lack
Talks between Iran and Britain, France and Germany resumed earlier this month, making little progress, and are to continue in January.
Iran says its nuclear programme has the sole aim of making fuel for atomic reactors that would generate electricity and denies US charges it is trying to develop nuclear weapons.
Hardliners within the conservative camp have denounced the Russian proposal. Hardline lawmaker, Saeed Aboutaleb, described the Russian proposal as a "dirty trick".
The nuclear programme is regarded as a source of national pride in Iran, and any government abandoning enrichment likely would lose support.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
How Often Do You Visit Optometrist?
The authoritative recommendation suggests that you should be visiting the optometrist as much as once every second year, or every other year. Many people are still guilty of foregoing this regular optometrist halifax consultation in the sense that once they have received their prescribed glasses or spectacles, their eyes will be just fine. They perceive that they are able to read and do a number of things a lot better.
And invariably it seems as though they do. To many it certainly feels that way. But here's an interesting thought. Say now that you are a generally healthy person. You eat right, more or less, so maybe there's no risk of you contracting type 2 diabetes perhaps. And you do a modest amount of exercise throughout the week. Even taking your hound out for its twice a day walk around the neighborhood qualifies as good exercise.
And your work hours are kept in good check. Let's just say that you have a healthy work/life balance. You are never overworked. And you always remember to make time to enjoy yourself, in a healthy sort of way, of course. Oh, and that's another thing. You're getting at least six to eight hours sleep a night, uninterrupted. No stress, no mess. But what the heck!? Why are you still feeling so darn tired? Could it be that your eyes have weakened considerably?
Could it be that, without realizing it, you're overworking your eyes? That's quite possible. It tends to happen as you grow older. No matter how healthy you are, it's quite natural for some of your vital organs, your eyes included, to start weakening. Even having to ask someone to repeat themselves every other sentence owing to not being able to hear them properly can be quite tiring.


text:
Joannie Rochette has carried a nation from despair to the podium in five remarkable days, she can certainly carry a flag into the closing ceremonies on Sunday.
Finally able to tell the world about her mother Therese who died suddenly on Sunday, Joannie Rochette smiled, cried and even cracked a joke.
Joannie Rochette skated to the music from Samson and Delilah, a Herculean tale of triumph and tragedy, but the story was all hers, its most poignant final line mercifully carved into a piece of bronze.
If only the crowd could have hugged Joannie Rochette for three solid minutes, ensuring she stayed on her feet through a performance that we're told was cathartic but surely must have been hellacious too, they would have all felt better.


text: COVER Protection & Health Summit In light of the challenges we face as an industry, this year our flagship conference will be presented as a fully interactive virtual event across two days on 10 and 11 November. Split into three parts this year - Protection, Health and Workplace – a combination of partner presentations, live panel debates and audience-led Q&As will explore the most topical areas affecting our industry today.Welcome to the future! It's a brave new world for our industry, but COVER is there to help ensure you are ready for it. Date: 10 Nov 2020 Virtual Conference,


text:
DEA to Hold another National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Initiative
By Ed Coghlan.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and its national, tribal, and community partners will hold the 15th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day across the country on Saturday, April 28th. The service is free and anonymous.
The DEA has collected more than 9 million pounds (4,500 tons) of expired, unused and unwanted prescription medications at 14 previous events over the past 7 years,
This weekend more than 5,600 collection sites manned by almost 4,500 partner law enforcement agencies will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time.
"Take Back Day helps to keep drugs out of the hands of abusers and potentially save lives by removing unused painkillers and controlled drugs from homes," said DEA Acting Administrator Robert W. Patterson. "The more unused painkillers or controlled drugs we can help to remove from homes, the more potential lives will be saved. The home medicine cabinet is a frequent target of prescription drug abusers and often provides access to prescription medication. We need the help of the public to dispose of this unwanted source of abuse. Take Back Day is an effective tool for addressing the opioid crisis in America."
DEA launched its prescription drug take back program when both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration advised the public that flushing these drugs down the toilet or throwing them in the trash posed potential safety and health hazards.
Last fall the public turned in 456 tons (912,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,300 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its local and tribal partners.
The National Pain Report reported the DEA is taking public comment on its desire to put production quotas on manufacturers of opioid pain medication. The comment period ends on May 4th. To leave a comment, click here.
Earlier this month, the DEA announced it has reached an agreement with Attorneys General from 46 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia to share prescription drug information with one another in order to aid investigations. DEA's Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System (ARCOS) system collects some 80 million transaction reports every year from manufacturers and distributors of prescription drugs.
Last month, the DEA said it will add 250 task force officers and dozens of additional analysts to areas across America where the opioid crisis is at its worst. DEA task forces act as a force multiplier in carrying out DEA's mission through coordination and cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the U.S.
They have their reward. To be seen. If all the so-called antidepressants were the only drugs taken back, there would be many disappointed so-called authorities. How dare anyone suggest that they may pocket medication at these hypocritical, staged events.
So politically correct and sad for the many suffering United States citizens with Intractable Pain Disease and Chronic Pain.
Go after the drug dealers. They are the ones with the illegal drugs. They are the ones with the fake drugs. They caused all of this problem. They are laughing at you picking on cancer and chronic pain patients while they continue to bring in more fake illegal drugs into this country. Grow a pair and go get them. It's your job.
The government's agenda is to look good so the 553 elected representatives of the people, congress, senate and executive branch can get elected again. These folks have to do something that appears like they are "working" for you, the people. Here is how it started, first some congresswoman's son or someone who is a friend of an elected official dies of an overdose of a fentanyl laced heroin injection. This happens about a few thousand times over America during the year. Next, here comes the knee jerk reaction of those elected officials trying to look like they are doing something, anything to "fix" the opioid crises. So, these mental giants decide what quick and easy fixes can be attempted to look good on television. I know, says our leaders, we will go after the doctors who prescribe these heinous drugs like percocets and such to the patients! Everyone must do as we say even if it is a bad choice because we know better, right? Have you ever heard of throwing the baby out with the bath water? Not seeing the forest for the trees? We need to open up "shooting gallaries" where doctor supervised heroin is dosed out and injections are observed by trained medical clinicians. Seems crazy, doesn't it? Guess what? Overdoses went to almost zero. HIV and Hepatitus infections went to almost zero. Theft and crimes to obtain money for heroin went to almost zero. Methadone was offered along with counseling and those using heroin were reduced in number. The problem really is with our cultural bias which won't allow us to even think about allowing someone to "sin" and "destroy themselves with drugs". It's not the (Christian) right thing to do! And we need to punish those who use drugs! The only right way is abstinence! They know it doesn't work but look at all the jobs the "war on drugs" is creating and maintaining! And all that non-taxable income! So, let's face it folks, the whole system is rigged and corrupt. What I stated above about supervised doctors and all is a pipe dream here in America…unless we vote them all out and put people in who are actually up-right and smart enough to create solutions that work. Like this one.
What we need is a National Prescription Drug give back day! I don't know what it's going to take. There have been pain rallies, I've written to everyone including the President. The only one I heard back from was my congressman who is Doctor Phil Roe who said he was going full force with this opioid crisis they've got on "their" hands. His reason, "Due to the many overdoses, something just had to be done." Of course I wrote him back telling him of the illegal fentanyl and heroin, so forth and so on that of course he already knew of for he is not an ignorant man. He graduated in 1970 from the University of Tennessee to obtain his medical degree. Upon graduation he served two years in the United States Army Medical Corps. So people we ARE talking about a doctor that did graduate from medical school that does know the repercussions of taking medicine, pain medicine in particular away from chronic pain patients not to mention our veterans. After much thought it seems to me that his job in Congress is much more important than his medical degree. There have been rallies held, we've sent our letters to the DEA for what that's worth, hopefully with this news station that's coming in they will perhaps promote our stories as heartbroken as I have been from reading every single one that poured in. So many lives, so very many precious lives are and have been taken away from their families, from everything they once knew before 2016 including life itself. For every family that loses someone to suicide because they were denied their pain medicine they NEED to go straight to their local news station, then write a letter to their congressmen and the president enclosing newspaper clippings, pictures, items passed out from the funeral home of their loved ones that have taken their lives and why they did so. I would certainly make sure that the word "opioid crisis" was in there for it certainly needs to be. We need to raise awareness more so than we already have. It seems everything we do is in vain. Other than that the only other thing I can think of at the moment is for everyone to pray.
Heaven help us.
Unless I missed it, this doesn't say where to take the pills you want to get rid of. You need to make things easy for people! My elderly parents threw out tons of opioids in their regular trash. Unless you can lead folks like this right to the safe spot, they will never follow through.
It's a good idea the "take back" day, but honestly, I do not believe the current problem stems from those as responsible as this who bring their unused prescriptions to this event. But, every little bit helps I suppose. The problem with the drug overdoses is heroin predominantly. Also when the drug addict adds other drugs to their heroin mix. This is usually what causes an overdose, not pain pills. We must become educated about this before no one will be able to get any pain relief from a doctor because that's what it's coming to. Stay informed, write to your representatives, support those who are fighting for our cause.


text:
E: email@example.com
Closest Tube: Stratford
Closest Station: Stratford International
Gallery Manager:
David Brevans
Just a short walk from the Olympic Park, our Stratford gallery is not only surrounded by great sporting history but also a destination for entertainment with our very own Ronnie Wood having played there. Situated within the heart of East London, our gallery stands within Westfield Shopping Centre with regular direct links to London and the rest of the UK.
Join our mailing list for all the latest art news, lifestyle features & artist updates. We'll help kick-start your collection with £25 off your first purchase.*
*Terms and conditions apply
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
© Copyright Washington Green Retail Limited trading as Castle Fine Art. First published 2012, last updated 2020. Washington Green Retail Limited acts as a credit broker and offers credit products from Secure Trust Bank PLC trading as V12 Retail Finance.
Washington Green Retail Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our registration number is 726395. Credit provided subject to age and status. Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies V12 Finance


text:
Advice To Help You Out With Your Hobby
If you are looking for an activity to pass the time, a hobby is a great idea. However, there are quite a few things you need to do that may overwhelm you. That's the reason for this article. It is full of useful information about different hobbies to give you some great ideas.
A great hobby to have is paintball. It can be extremely fun to go out into an open paintball field and have a strategic battle with your family and friends. All you need to do is buy the right gear, such as a decent paintball gun and the appropriate clothing.
Try keeping your small hobby supplies in see-through bags or containers. Whether you use jars, bins, or bags, these transparent containers will help you find what you need without having to go through each storage bin. To keep your supplies organized in a large bag, try running a line made of stitches down the bag's center to create two sections.
Test the waters for your product before you decide to turn your hobby into a business. Try it out as a part-time business at first to see if there is a good market for your product. You can do this while you still maintain a day job. Keep in mind that even though it is part-time, customers will expect full service if you want your business to grow.
A peculiar yet fun hobby to have is metal detecting. Metal detecting might seem like a weird, almost taboo thing to start doing, but it can actually be really fun and addicting. You just never know what you'll find out there while combing the sand. You might find buried treasure!
When you think about starting a new hobby, consider the costs involved. Some hobbies you can participate in right away. However, other hobbies may require an initial investment of supplies. For example, learning how to paint will require you to buy paint, brushes and canvases for your work. Before choosing your hobby, consider how much you can spend.
Many people have found blogging to be a great hobby, and therapeutic as well. If you happen to be in need of a fun way to pass time, consider writing online, and possibly gathering a following. If you're good at it, you can even make money by putting ads up on your blog. Either way, it's a wonderful hobby you can learn a lot from.
Share your hobbies with your kids. Hobbies don't need to be something that you only experience by yourself. The entire family can get into it. In fact, it's a great way to introduce your children to new things. You may be surprised to discover that your kids may love the same hobbies that you do!
Nature watching is probably the best hobby if you enjoy the natural environment, don't want to spend money and just feel like relaxing. Take a blanket and sit down at the park or in your backyard. Take note of the birds, chipmunks, squirrels and other animals that surround you. You will be surprised by the different critters that you see on a daily basis.
Since reading this piece, you have helpful hobby information. Be careful when choosing your hobby. Your hobbies define you. Pick hobbies that reflect the kind of person you are.


text:
This timeless Basmati rice recipe goes with practically everything and only calls for a handful of herbs and some onion.
6 Servings
1 1/2
cups basmati rice (about 10 ounces)
tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
cups chopped sweet onions (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla)
2 1/2
cups water
1 1/2
teaspoons salt
tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
Recipe Preparation
Step 1
Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear; set aside. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice, 2 1/2 cups water, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in herbs. Season with pepper and more salt, if desired. Transfer to bowl and serve.


text:
Autographed Cards
Marietta, OK 73448
This is an authentic hand signed item and is NOT a preprint. The book is a hardcover 1st edition with a signed bookplate inlayed.
We just recently purchased a large index card, First Day Cover and album page collection and will be listing hundreds of great autographs starting only at $.99 each. So check out our other auctions. Please let me know if the photo is not showing up. Sometime Ebay messes up my photos.
Shipping & handling for this item in the U.S. is FREE for Media mail or $6.00 for Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation in the United States. International customers shipping is a flat rate of $14.00 for Global Priority.
FREE US Shipping offer is ONLY applicable to THIS item only and does not extend to other items purchased in our store! We will gladly ship together with other items purchased from our store that have our standard flat rate shipping fee applied. After your purchases please wait for a new combined invoice before paying in order not to be overbilled for shipping charges.
NOTE: Shipping & handling covers more than just the actual shipping costs. It covers a lot of other things like shipping material (envelopes, Card board, sheet protectors, labels, etc.)
Why you should buy from us?
Cliff Yow is the owner of Autographed Cards and is a member in good standing of the UACC, IACC and The Manuscript Society. He is also a member of The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels.
Every autograph we offer for sale comes with a lifetime guarantee that it is authentic. Whenever you make a purchase from us you will receive a hard copy invoice for your records. We do this so you can contact us at anytime and to provide our customers with peace of mind that are dealing with someone reputable. We are getting new collections so check out our auctions every week!
Return Policy:
If you are not happy with your purchase you have 14 days to return the item to us. We charge a 20% restocking fee and we do not refund the original shipping. We also will not pay for the return frieght of the item and the item must be returned in the same condition as we shipped it.
Contact Us!
Please contact us with any questions.
© Software Copyright 2004-| SimpleAuctionSite | All rights reserved.


text:
Transcribed Medical Transcription Sample Reports and Examples
Sample Type / Medical Specialty: Cardiovascular / Pulmonary
Description: Endotracheal intubation. Respiratory failure. The patient is a 52-year-old male with metastatic osteogenic sarcoma. He was admitted two days ago with small bowel obstruction.
|Home | MedicalTranscriptionSamples | MT911 | MTDictionary | MTSetup | MTHelpLine
Sitemap | Tell a Friend | Contact Us | Disclaimer


text:
This optical illusion is baffling the internet
The latest optical illusion sweeping the internet is leaving many baffled. What looks like a simple picture is actually, very confusing. The picture features a drawing of bars, but no one can figure out how many bars are in the picture.
Try it for yourself below:
How many bars did you count?
If you count the bars from the bottom ends your answer would be eight -- but it's not that simple. Count the bars from the top and you will get seven, that's where the optical illusion comes into play.
There are actually only six bars in the picture. From the top, there are clearly five distinct bars. Things get tricky between the fifth and sixth bar. The extra lines don't form full bars, but there is a full one on the end, making six total bars.
Related: Internet goes wild over couple's engagement photo
See Gallery


text:
League of Women Voters On Power Grab Signature Verification
Debbie Aiona of LWV has posted the following statement on the effort to repeal Portland's new innovative campaign finance system:
As action chair of the League of Women Voters of Portland, I was a volunteer observer reviewing the signature verification process over at Multnomah County Elections concerning the petition to repeal Voter-Owned Elections.
They've got a thorough system to provide strict scrutiny of signatures. I have a lot of confidence in their findings.
One factor in the repeal evidently falling short of qualifying is duplicate signatures. This is typical of most signature gathering efforts. It especially shouldn't be surprising on this petition since they had essentially no volunteers collecting signatures.
Read the rest of the statement here.
Feb. 15, 2006
Posted in elsewhere.
Ron Ledbury (unverified)(Show?)
"It especially shouldn't be surprising on this petition since they had essentially no volunteers collecting signatures."
Apply that reasoning to anything done by Tim Hibbits when conducting polls.
Shall we declare all polls to be political advocacy by the entity that pays for the poll? I think that would be too sweeping.
Given the ease of verification of the existence of duplicates, and correction thereof, I believe that the threat of criminal punishment is too great a burden on speech resulting from participation in any effort that involves obtaining signatures.
But I may be sometimes hyper-sensitive: I am, for example, also troubled by the belief that one must include their address on a signature sheet. Which causes trouble for potential signors. It is used only as an aid to locate the actual signature record at the elections division by elections staff. The date too, notwithstanding the SoS's view, is superfluous, except as an aid for the state's interest in fraud detection of circulators rather than as an independent grounds for rejection of a given signature.
As to the matter of statistical sampling over complete and thorough counting of all signatures, the petition sponsor is surely within their right to offer to pay for the counting of all the sheets and signatures, and insist upon it in court. The state's interest in use of sampling over complete counting is of course narrowly related to saving money, which cam be directly addressed by the offer of payment by the petition sponsor to perform the complete count.
Back to the original beef on volunteer versus paid . . . signors often sign just because they favor placement of an issue on a ballot even where they strongly object to the issue contained on a given petition. To say otherwise, that any signor must be a supporter of the issue on a petition would again be like saying that all respondents to a poll conducted by Tim Hibbits must be supporters of the proposition or issue presented by the poll sponsor. Except the sponsor is often not revealed.
Apply the rules for initiative campaigns to the conduct of phone polls, or at least try to draft a synthesized set of rules that apply equally and neutrally to phone polls and signature-backed polls on placement of an issue on the ballot.
Behind the Scenes (unverified)(Show?)
Shall we declare all polls to be political advocacy by the entity that pays for the poll? I think that would be too sweeping.
Why? There is no doubt that they influence as well as predict the outcome. Its pretty obvious that some political pros understand that. They coordinate their ad campaigns to when Hibbits is in the field with his polls, thus showing their candidates as doing better than they would poll without the bump in visibility.
The difference is that no one "verfies" Hibbit's polls and elections are dynamic enough that when things don't turn out quite as expected it is blamed on late movement, not biased polling.
Ron Ledbury (unverified)(Show?)
Your point seems to correspond to discovering the efficacy of the expenditure of advertising dollars. I think private folks could do that all day long. The only possible objection I would raise would be where a given incumbent politician authorizes the use of public dollars to conduct a poll. It at least appears as though some of these polls should instead be paid for by campaigns to elect or re-elect, rather than in the name of government.
The state interest that is recognized by the US Supreme Court for setting things like a minimum number of signatures for an initiative is the government cost of inclusion of a matter on a ballot. A poll commissioned by a City Council or an Initiative Petition by citizens do not alter that state interest but are rather just two alternative means of effectuating that state interest.
"There is no doubt that they influence as well as predict the outcome."
That is equally true of initiative campaigns that involve signatures rather than phone polls. It is analytically odd that the paths are treated as polar opposites, one that is wholly neutral and the other wholly non-neutral, when they both relate to the governmental interest in the cost of placement of a matter on the ballot. An unsucessful petition signature campaign can surely also be construed as an effort by a politician to "frame" an issue they believe is important.
A City Council does not need any polling data whatsoever to place a matter on the ballot. But halting all publicly paid polling and requiring disclosure of all payors of private polls submitted to government as evidence of support for a measure would be consistent with the recognized state interest as noted here:
"We explained in Buckley that disclosure provides the electorate with information 'as to where political campaign money comes from and how it is spent,' thereby aiding electors in evaluating those who seek their vote." BUCKLEY V. AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, 525 U.S. 182 (1999)
This would limit the obvious appearance of impropriety of hiding the special interest that has already leveraged their special interest to get a free poll on the public dole.
roman (unverified)(Show?)
Gee, isn't it interesting that the League of Women Voters, which supports taxpayer funded elections, thinks that the County is counting the signatures correctly.
Oscar (unverified)(Show?)
roman, lay off the ladies.
You'd feel better in the morning if you laid off the hookers and coke.
Money can't buy you love.
Tom Civiletti (unverified)(Show?)
Aiona's point is quite reasonable. Volunteer signature gatherers want the petition to qualify and are careful to avoid duplicate signers [I know this from personal experience]. Paid signature gatherers want to maximize their output, regardless of the pay structure, though things are better with an hourly wage than with pay per signature.
Gee, isn't it interesting that the League of Women Voters, which supports taxpayer funded elections, thinks that the County is counting the signatures correctly.
Roman, do you have any FACTS to support your implication that the signature verification is not producing an accurate count?
Here's where the spin is coming from folks: Ginny Burdick's PR firm, Gard & Gerber, who are using words like "sabatoge" and "unususal" and "abnormal" without coming up with ANY tangible evidence that anything else happened except their own failure to place an unpopular idea on the May ballot.
LT (unverified)(Show?)
The difference is that no one "verfies" Hibbit's polls and elections are dynamic enough that when things don't turn out quite as expected it is blamed on late movement, not biased polling.
Personally, I would love to see the accuracy rate of Hibbitts and other pollsters (did they forecast Mayor Potter, for instance?) along with how organizational endorsements turned out. Meaning, how many endorsed candidates won, and were the organizations happy with the people elected? (Bryant endorsed by OEA co-authors a bill to end teacher tenure being the most obvious example).
Tim Hibbits is consistently among the most accurate, most precise pollsters in the state. He seems to get brought into things here just about every other week, but folks, he's just the messenger.
Ron Ledbury (unverified)(Show?)
If we were talking about the perceived useful value of a private phone poll, without the ever-present risk of a patently absurd rush to claim hell fire and brimstone illegality, then discussion could be quite liberal.
The threat of prosecution of signors who, for whatever reason, sign more than once need to instead be just as free from threat as a grumpy recipient of a call from another damn phone poll taker.
If 190 folks were rounded up and given orange jumpsuits and leg restraints and then paraded as a group before a judge for arraignment what might the judge do? I'd say the judge would come unglued in anger. If the AG does not wish to prosecute enmass, and face the harsh rebuke, then he should advise that such provision should be stricken from the statutes.
I won't soft-tone that one with notions of maximizing output on the margin. If that would be the state's claimed interest, as opposed to limiting fraud, it would surely not fly in court.
Tim gets dragged in because the unequal treatment of various classes of pollsters remains a grounds for rejection of laws that apply criminality to one and not the other.
Also, the original post had nothing to do with Tim Hibbits, and a discussion of market research methology is off topic.
typo: methodology
Charlie in Gresham (unverified)(Show?)
Ron Ledbury continually loses me....sigh...getting old sucks.
I will say that if someone signs a petition multiple times he should be charged with a felony and prosecuted if it can be shown that it was indeed a calculated act of sabatoge.
As for the League of Womens Voters....decades ago they were a valuable non-partisan service organization. Those days are long gone and they are now nothing more than a political action committee. Nothing wrong with that, but I wish they'd be a bit more forthright about their leanings.
LT (unverified)(Show?)
Charlie B., you missed my point. Did Tim H. predict several weeks or months out that Tom Potter would be elected Mayor? Or is that a question that should not be asked because political professionals believe in polls and we should too?
There seems to be a lot of talk about facts this morning, but here is my question. Either Tim H. polls predicted Tom Potter would be mayor fairly early, or he was one of those "of course Francesconi will win with all that money he has but Potter will make things interesting" folks.
Seems to me that Tim H. has said friendlier things about Westlund in recent days than about Hill. Is he "just the messenger" in that he knows Westlund will qualify for the ballot but Hill will lose the primary? I ask that as someone who is having fun watching Hill and Westlund compete for my vote instead of this being a "lesser of evils" election.
But also as someone who has seen polls be reported on a newspaper front page just before an election and turn out to be WRONG! Do losers of close elections in such a circumstance have the right to be angry about that?
That is what I am asking--accuracy and responsibility of pollsters.
We can look at official election results and discover, for instance, that in 2004 Cowan lost by 414 votes, Stiegler lost by 548 votes and Howells lost by 825 votes. Those election results don't tell us why they lost, but they show that had 3 elections gone the other way all things being equal there would have been a split House.
What it is difficult to look up, however, is how many winners/losers Hibbitts predicted a month out or several months out.
Why is "he's just the messenger" an answer to "How many election winners did Tim Hibbitts or any other pollster predict more than a month before the 2004 election?".
Or is that a question no one wants to answer?
Gee, isn't it interesting that the League of Women Voters, which supports taxpayer funded elections, thinks that the County is counting the signatures correctly.
Um, roman, don't you think the opponents of VOE - who were, after all, the sponsors of this thing - would have had their own signature verification watchdogs in the room?
Charlie in Gresham (unverified)(Show?)
The opponents of VOE were primarily business community movers and shakers who are worried that their moving and shaking won't matter as much with VOE.....we're talking about fat cats which explains the absence of volunteers to gather the signatures....too much work and too much time away from making more money.
That being said, even though I strongly back the concept of VOE, I have a consistent 40 year UTTER disdain for politicians who enact substantial changes in public policy rather than refer those key initiatives to the electorate for a thorough public airing and vote. I wish Sten and Potter would have had more confidence in the citizens of Portland to embrace the concept of public financed elections. Their view that "you need to see this work for awhile before you will be smart enough to vote on it" is disgusting.
Oh well....no VOE in Gresham. We don't have enough fat cats around here to worry about.
That being said, even though I strongly back the concept of VOE, I have a consistent 40 year UTTER disdain for politicians who enact substantial changes in public policy rather than refer those key initiatives to the electorate for a thorough public airing and vote. I wish Sten and Potter would have had more confidence in the citizens of Portland to embrace the concept of public financed elections.
Politically speaking, it was a great strategic move. They forced their political opponents to spend $350,000 in a failed attempt to try and kill the VOE. In the process, those opponents painted themselves as fatcats who are more concerned with their influence in city hall than they are with public-interested government.
The words "hoisting them on their own petard" come to mind...
Charlie in Gresham (unverified)(Show?)
All it shows me is that they have become or are becoming the very thing they have stood against all these years.
LT: This is not a thread about Hill, Westlund, Hibbits or polling. It's about the League of Women Voters' statement on the power grab signature verification process - despite Ron Ledbury's original word salad comments.
Charlie in Gresham: The thing that's really missing in the discussion of Voter Owned Elections is that we didn't just get here because of a few forward looking electeds voting for this reform, this effort was in large part a product of a lot of citizen advocacy and community lobbying for the plan in the first place. That's the way our representative democracy works - and giving the system a chance to prove itself before going to a vote is fair and appropriate. That was true before the power grab's paid petition drive and is especially true now they appear to have failed to gather enough support.
Charlie in Gresham (unverified)(Show?)
Sorry Charlie B. If the citizen advocacy and community involvement we as wide ranging as you describe, Sten and Potter would have seen no need to run and hide from voter approval. They didn't do the work on this that needed to be done, pure and simple.
The Portland city leaders(?)seem to have a very cynical view of the citizens of Portland. This "try it out before we let you vote" crap is similar to intentionally understating the cost of a tram to OHSU to get the project rolling. They assumed if they had tossed out a $50 million dollar price tag the public would have risen up to stop it. Better to give a "rough" estimate of $15 million to the voters and ease the price tag up over time. Same thing with PGE park, and a myriad of other projects. No group of career politicians and bureacrats can miss budget projections by that much and that often unless it's intentional.
It's sad....the populists that were swept into office promising more citizen involvement and a better future for Portland have probably stayed too long. They became jaded and no longer trust the judgement of those very same citizens.
Gresham Charlie:
First, it's surprising that a fellow named Charlie would begin a comment with the grade school flashback "Sorry, Charlie.." but to the main point:
I think that it's pretty remarkable that the existing city council would vote for a system that makes it more likely - not less - that they'd be removed from office. To me, that's a pretty strong vote of confidence in voters' ability to focus on the issues and make the right choice.
This isn't just speculation either - if you look at the effect of public financing in Arizona for example, the number of competitive races doubled there from 22% in 1998 (pre-VOE) to 45% in 2002 (post VOE).
To put the long term interest of Portland ahead of their own personal political interest is exactly what I want from electeds, and although we're not seeing eye to eye on this, that's exactly what's happened here.
Charlie in Gresham (unverified)(Show?)
OK OK OK Charlie B.
One last word. The fact is that we DO agree on VOE.
What we don't agree on is the method Sten and Potter used to enact their version of VOA. We can go forward and agree to disagree on that point.
In the end, I hope Portland's experiment with publicly financed elections is a huge success. My only concern for the future vote is if some wild zany stripper from Marys Club or a Meth addict running on a pro drug platform qualify for the $$$$$ and rile up the citizenry enough to kill VOA. With the rather low qualifying thresholds, that may indeed be a concern.
Ron Ledbury (unverified)(Show?)
Pretend you were counting signatures for a referendum to a legislative enactment that banned abortions, even in cases of rape and incest, and established stiff penalties for doctors who performed them. Visualize the wild-eyed screamers of "baby-killer" sitting at the head of our government.
Then go back and reread my points in that context. Suppose additionally that the legislature added an emergency clause so as to try to limit a referendum.
I could have worn the hat of statistician had I taken a different career path long ago. The utterance of the statistical relevance of whether a gather was paid or volunteer has a hint of neutrality but is not free of innuendo and bias. It is puffery that diminishes the perceived neutrality of the League of Women Voters. But that is their choice, and Charlie Burr is also free to push the bounds of puffery rather than preserve the longer-term usefulness of the League.
Don't forget, I'm the guy would says that Judge Bearden should have voided the extension of special privileges that stem from the marriage statute as contrary to the equal privileges and immunities clause, but only if the ACLU had advocated that the proper procedure be followed such that Multnomah County would have rejected the license requests. The passage of M36 is wholly irrelevant now, as it only affects the name one places to a relationship and says nothing as to the extension of benefits, which is the outer limit of the state's secular authority on the matter; precisely the same today as before M36.
My point is that there are some clumsy folks guiding public policy. This is just one more example.
Charlie Burr, I would hope that you would believe that the BlueOregon audience includes lurkers that might apply greater scrutiny than you might yourself perceive.
LT (unverified)(Show?)
Charlie B--great comment until you got to "the electeds".
I admire the Mayor and city commissioners or councilors or whatever their title is. As the granddaughter of an elected official, call me old fashioned but I think people who won elections deserve to be called by the title of the job they were elected to do.
And about your statement "Tim Hibbits is consistently among the most accurate, most precise pollsters in the state.", I'd just like to see some proof.

More Recent Posts
Guest Column
Kari Chisholm
Kari Chisholm
Final pre-census estimate: Oregon's getting a sixth congressional seat
Albert Kaufman
Polluted by Money - How corporate cash corrupted one of the greenest states in America
Guest Column
Albert Kaufman
Our Democrat Representatives in Action - What's on your wish list?
Kari Chisholm
Guest Column
Kari Chisholm
Albert Kaufman
Yes, of course - Pass House Bill 4145 Democratically Run Oregon Senate
connect with blueoregon


text:
Tuscany Coastline
From the Leaning Tower to Elba.
Arrival in Pisa
In the evening, you will have your welcome briefing and get your bikes. A first glimpse and a visit to the exquisite old part of town is possible today too.
From the Piazza dei Miracoli, home of the Leaning Tower, there are lovely trails winding through the national park 'Macchia Lucchese' directly to the sea. Along the sandy beach you will reach the charming sea side town and spa Viareggio. On the way there and in the resort, the refreshing waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea will tempt you to dive in. Short train ride back to Pisa.
Morgens kurzer Bahntransfer nach Livorno. In der historischen Hafenstadt lädt nicht nur das berühmte Viertel "Venezia Nuova" mit seinen vielen Kanälen zum Verweilen ein. Über die Uferpromenade mit seinen Villen der Belle Epoque geht es mit dem Rad hinein ins Hinterland. Eine längere Steigung führt durch den Naturpark "Monti Livornesi". Im weiteren Verlauf durchfährt man ursprünglich toskanische Dörfer bis eine lange Abfahrt mit herrlichen Meeresblicken begeistert. Der Übernachtungsort liegt direkt an der Steilküste und versprüht mit seinen Palmen und Uferwegen mediterranes Flair.
Today's section is all about the Etruscan coastline. Via the famous white sandy beaches of Vada you will pass through some of the most striking pine forests in all of Italy. After that a cool cycle path in the shade leads you through the nature park 'Tomboli' and then on to Bibbona. From there your journey takes you to the well known wine region of Bolgheri. It is here where the top Tuscan grapes are pressed! After passing the longest Italian avenue lined with cypresses, once again the sea is not far away. Marina di Castagneto is a classic Italian sea side town with its many beach cafes and promenades.
The day starts with an ascent towards the medieval town called Castagneto Carducci. A well deserved break over a cup of cappuccino and stunning views follows. After that, the ride continues upwards on a curvy mountain road through romantic cork oak forests. A few breaks in little traditional villages with the characteristic stone built houses will stay in your memory forever. Next, a comfortable descent through olive groves takes you to the well-known beach 'Golfo di Baratti' with Etruscan excavation sites and all. Only a few kilometres left until Piombino, an impressive seaside town where you can relax on the Piazza directly by the sea.
A ferry ride will take you to Portoferraio (duration approx. 1 hour). Stunning scenery and first glimpses of the island accompany the boat trip. A short cycle path along the panoramic route will lead you to several secluded bays and coves. The longer tour takes you through the hilly hinterland with its characteristic island vegetation of the 'Macchia Mediterranea'. On the return journey to Piombino a picturesque and glorious sunset at sa will be the perfect ending to this day.
Departure or extension
Tour character
The terrain is mainly flat to slightly hilly. The only two strenuous stretches are during the two legs in the hinterland. Nearly all cycle paths are asphalted and some segments along the sea will be on rustic but well maintained trails. Due to lack of cycle paths along some sections, cycling briefly on roads with moderate traffic is unfortunately unavoidable.
| Season 1
26.04.2020 - 16.05.2020
27.09.2020 - 11.10.2020
| Season 2
17.05.2020 - 26.06.2020
30.08.2020 - 26.09.2020
| Season 3
27.06.2020 - 29.08.2020
Saturday, Sunday
|Tuscany Coastline, 7 days, IT-TORTK-07X
|Base price
|Surcharge single room
Kategorie: 3*** Hotels located mostly at the coast side, Pisa 4**** Hotel
| Season 1
Apr 26, 2020 - May 16, 2020
Sep 27, 2020 - Oct 11, 2020
| Season 2
May 17, 2020 - Jun 26, 2020
Aug 30, 2020 - Sep 26, 2020
| Season 3
Jun 27, 2020 - Aug 29, 2020
Saturday, Sunday
|Extra night p.p. dbl/bb
|Extra night sgl/bb
|Extra night p.p. dbl/bb
|Extra night sgl/bb
- Accommodation as already mentioned
- Breakfast buffet or extensive breakfast
- Welcome briefing
- Luggage transfer between the hotels
- developed route
- Detailed travel documents (route maps, route description, local attractions, important telephone numbers)
- 1 Train journey from Viareggio – Pisa and from Pisa – Livorno incl. your bike
- 1 Return ferry to Elba incl. your bike
- signposting
- GPS-data is available
- Rental bike insurance
- Service hotline
Arrival / Parking / Departure
- Pisa train station
- Pisa and Florence airport
- Hotel garage costs approx. € 15 per day, to be paid for at the time, no reservation possible, or free car parking at the hotel
- Return transfer by minibus to Pisa every Saturday, this costs € 65 per person, incl. your bike, reservation is necessary
- Good train connections from Piombino to Pisa
- Where visitor's tax is due, it is not included in the tour price!


text:
During the next two weeks, we'll be breaking down the 10 best players at the moment on every team in the Big 12.
These lists won't include junior college or freshman signees who haven't arrived on campus yet. Rather, they will include only the players on their teams this spring. Some of these rankings might look different after the spring, but this is how we see them now.
On Thursday, we continue with the Texas Longhorns.
1. Defensive end Cedric Reed: This is the guy Charlie Strong will build his defense around, a 6-foot-6, 258-pound senior who took his game to another level in 2013. During his monstrous junior campaign -- 79 tackles, 10 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles -- Reed often played just as well as Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Jackson Jeffcoat, and sometimes better. Reed elected to return for his final season to not only earn his degree, but also to make a run at all the awards Jeffcoat collected and get Texas back to its winning ways.
2. Defensive tackle Malcom Brown: Brown has looked like a future NFL player from the day he first stepped foot on campus, and he started playing like it in 2013. In his first season as a starter, Brown racked up 68 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, two sacks and five pass breakups. He'll be a menace for opposing Big 12 linemen, and the former top-15 recruit has a chance to get even better under new defensive line coach Chris Rumph.
3. Running back Malcolm Brown: Texas is going to run the ball plenty under new coordinators Joe Wickline and Shawn Watson, and Brown enters his senior season with a chance to become one of the Big 12's premier backs. He finished sixth in the league in total rushing and surpassed 125 yards in each of his final three games. Brown is in even better shape today physically and has a chance to do big things in 2014.
4. Defensive back Quandre Diggs: Entering his fourth season as a starter, Diggs has the potential to make a huge impact in the new defense that Strong and DC Vance Bedford construct. He led the Longhorns with 10 pass breakups from his nickel spot and added 2.5 sacks, but no interceptions, in 2013. Whether he ends up at corner, safety or back in the nickel, Diggs is hungry and out to prove he's one of the nation's best at his position.
5. Running back Johnathan Gray: The big question mark is, when will Gray get back on the field? He's still recovering from a torn Achilles suffered last November and is hoping to be full strength by the start of fall camp. Even if Gray misses a nonconference game or two, Texas will have big plans for him upon his return. He's one of the conference's most dynamic backs and a critical cog in the Longhorns offense. Don't be surprised if Gray, a freaky athlete, is back in pads earlier than expected.
6. Wide receiver Jaxon Shipley: Shipley is probably underrated at this point, even if his 2013 season wasn't too sparkling from a statistical standpoint (team-high 56 catches, 589 yards, 1 TD). But no matter who's starting at quarterback this season, Shipley is going to be the go-to guy. He's been a starter since he first arrived in Austin, and Texas' new offensive attack will find ways to get him in space.
7. Quarterback David Ash: Should Ash be higher on this list? When he's fully healthy, yes, he's one of this program's most important pieces. The junior is back on the field this spring but won't take any contact. His early efforts have been encouraging, but he still has some rust to shake off, and Strong has been somewhat noncommittal when it comes to calling Ash his starter. If USC transfer Max Wittek joins the program this summer, Ash will have to fight to hold down the job. But when he was healthy in 2012, Ash was a top-25 passer in several key metrics and still has a bright future if he can avoid another concussion.
8. Linebacker Steve Edmond: We finally saw Edmond take a big step forward in 2013, with 73 tackles and two interceptions, but his junior season ended early because of a ruptured spleen. In this multiple defense, it will be interesting to see if Strong and Bedford experiment with playing Edmond down at defensive end or in some hybrid roles. Dalton Santos will push Edmond, too, but expect the senior to play a major role in Texas' new-look defense.
9. Linebacker Jordan Hicks: It's hard to justify ranking Hicks any higher after he's missed 19 games in his past two seasons. He is not competing in spring practice right now while he completes his recovery from a torn Achilles, but once he's ready to go, Hicks should be one of Texas' best linebackers and one of its leaders on defense. He only has one season left to play up to his five-star potential, but staying on the field is more important.
10.Wide receiver Kendall Sanders: Several other Longhorns could take this spot on the list and have more playing experience, but Sanders is definitely worth keeping an eye on this fall. A smooth, speedy athlete capable of game-changing plays, Sanders has one year of game experience under his belt and a chance to take over as Texas' top deep threat.


text:
Posts and Pages within the site may contain affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). This helps support our blogs and allows us to continue to give you free content. Thank you for your support ! - MuzG
As complicated as infertility may get, we may find that it can present no real symptoms that will help clear the condition of a couple who are incapable of conception. When this is the case, doctors may diagnose "unexplained infertility".
However, this is not often the case. The majority of causes do not fall on the "catch-all". Thirty percent of which may be duly caused by the female factor while another 30% can be attributed to several male problems. The remaining thirty therefore takes up the unexplained infertility or the combination of both factors.
So what truly cause female infertility?
For one, we may safely presume that 15% of all female factors is covered under the structural issues. These normally refer to issues that cover the anatomy of the woman. Thus, it may either be a problem on the fallopian tube or the cervix or fibroid may be found in the uterus.
Blocked fallopian tube is the result of previous endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease.
Among these factors may be shared by troubles caused via surgeries or medications. A surgery may lead to the disruption of cervix while DES exposure may affect the woman even while she still was a fetus herself.
While surgical intervention may solve the majority of such cases, some women still have to undergo specialized medical procedures and treatments to help solve infertility.
Mechanical issues, on the other hand, deal with blockage of the fallopian tube due to the formation of scars. This accounts for some 25% to 40% of all female infertility causes.
Thirty percent of female issues may be contributed by ovulation problems. This may either be the product of complete ovulation difficulty or merely the untimely detection of ovulation. Restoration of the ovarian function may be helped with complete evaluation of the cause and eventual medication treatment.
Aging is inevitable. But with this comes the problem on infertility. As the woman ages, the quality of her egg cells may decline along with their potency. This condition is normally worse during the age when almost all egg cells were already released.
Again, as thirty percent of all problems are either founded on unknown causes or may be the mixture of both the male and female factors, female infertility may simply be attributed to unknown or multi-factorial causes.
You see, even with the vast knowledge of medical science, it is still quite uncertain on some of its fields.


text:
ZenDesk Lite Agents for Account ManagersBeantwortet
So I want to be able to provide my account managers the ability to view tickets that their customers have raised with them remaining as Lite Agents.
I don't currently have a trial period anymore to test this and I am hoping someone has a similar set up?
Or can lite agents search for a customer name on the app and then see all tickets raised by that customer? I know they can only add internal notes and thats it.
2 Kommentare
Hi Heather.
Please read this article regarding Light-agent permissions.
For Light-agents using the Support App, you are able to search for eg. the customers name or email domain but not organization.
#helpsome regards,
Thomas de Silva
Zendesk Consultant @ helphouse.io
That's good enough for me - thanks!!
Bitte melden Sie sich an, um einen Kommentar zu hinterlassen.


text:
Friday Top News Executive Summary
Warren's tax, Obama counsel indicted, Interior's new chief, Georgetown reparations, pro-life victory, and more.
WARREN'S SPREAD-THE-WEALTH SCHEME: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has proposed a new tax on the most profitable companies in the U.S. as part of her presidential campaign platform. It's the latest new tax from Warren, whose proposed levies are estimated to raise $4.1 trillion over 10 years if enacted. Warren says she would use the funds to pay for new housing and universal child care proposals. The new proposal Warren pitched Thursday would tax companies that earn over $100 million per year, which she estimates to number about 1200 currently." (Washington Examiner)
OBAMA COUNSEL INDICTED: "Former Obama White House counsel Gregory Craig was indicted Thursday on charges that he made false statements to investigators and concealed information about his work for Ukrainian officials, the Justice Department announced. … He faces up to five years in prison for each of the two charged offenses and will be arraigned at a later date. The former White House counsel was reportedly investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller before the case was referred to the Southern District of New York and then back to prosecutors in Washington, D.C." (The Hill)
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT GETS A NEW CHIEF: "Congress confirmed David Bernhardt as Interior secretary on Thursday… Bernhardt was confirmed … in a 56-41 vote with three Democrats and one Independent breaking ranks to vote for him. … Bernhardt's confirmation … means he will now oversee about 500 million acres of publicly owned land as well as the energy production on that land and offshore." (The Hill)
VILLAGE ACADEMIC CURRICULUM: "Georgetown University could become the first college in the nation to mandate a fee to benefit descendants of slaves sold by the university nearly 200 years ago… By almost a 2-to-1 margin, students approved the measure, which still must be approved by the university to go into effect. The school's undergraduates voted Thursday on the referendum, which would increase tuition by $27.20 per semester to create a fund benefiting descendants of the 272 slaves sold to pay off the Georgetown Jesuits' debt — a move that saved the university financially." (ABC News)
PRO-LIFE VICTORY: "Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) gave a victory to the pro-life movement Thursday by signing one of the strictest pro-life bills in the nation. … The Human Rights and Heartbeat Protection Act makes it illegal for women to receive abortions after the first heartbeat is detected. … The bill was sent to the governor's office twice before, but former Gov. John Kasich vetoed the measure both times." (Townhall)
MORE CHARGES FOR AVENATTI: "Federal prosecutors revealed a batch of new criminal charges against Michael Avenatti on Thursday, accusing the combative celebrity lawyer of embezzling $12 million from his clients to pay for personal expenses, a coffee business and a private jet. … The new charges are the latest blow to the brash lawyer who not long ago battled President Donald Trump over hush money the president had paid to an adult film star and now faces criminal charges in two states." (USA Today)
MILITARY ENACTS TRANSGENDER POLICY: "The Pentagon's new policy that places limits on the military service of transgender individuals goes into effect on Friday, nearly two years after President Donald Trump tweeted that he wanted to ban transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military. The new policy largely requires service members and those wishing to join the military to adhere to the standards associated with their biological sex." (ABC News)
POPE BENEDICT'S CULTURAL DIAGNOSIS: "Former Pope Benedict has blamed the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal on the effects of the sexual revolution of the 1960s, homosexual cliques in seminaries and what he called a general collapse in morality. … The 91-year-old … argued that the sexual revolution had led some to believe pedophilia and pornography were acceptable. He also said that an openly gay culture in some Catholic seminaries meant they had failed to train priests properly." (Reuters)
BDS LEADER REJECTED: "On Thursday, Omar Barghouti, a Qatari-born Palestinian-Arab best known as a co-founder and international leader of the inherently anti-Semitic 'Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions' movement that incites economic warfare and sundry other forms of 'lawfare' against the world's only Jewish state, attempted to board a flight from Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport to the United States. … But in a stunning move, U.S. immigration authorities did not allow Barghouti, described by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs as 'a famous Hamas leader in the West Bank,' to board the U.S.-bound flight." (The Daily Wire)
JUSSIE SMOLLETT'S LEGAL JEOPARDY: "Outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration says it has gone to court to try to force Jussie Smollett to pay Chicago back for an alleged hate crime hoax even though Cook County prosecutors dropped all charges against the 'Empire' actor. The lawsuit, filed late Thursday in Circuit Court, comes after Smollett failed to pony up $130,106 by a deadline imposed by the city to cover the cost of the police overtime hours expended in the investigation into his allegations." (Chicago Tribune)
HUMOR: Scientists recommend reducing the number of Democratic presidential candidates to help fight climate change (The Babylon Bee)
POLICY: Why the West should support Iran's labor movement (The Washington Post)
POLICY: Are crazy state liquor laws constitutional? (National Review)
For more of today's editors' choice headlines, visit In Our Sights.
- Tags:
- In Our Sights


text:
The Library will be implementing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology over the entire Library collection at both City and Kuring-gai campuses. It is expected to be fully operational by Monday, 27 February 2012.
RFID gives you MORE
- Check-out more items simultaneously
- Borrow more items immediately after self-returning your loans
- Library items more easily found
- More time for library staff to provide you with F2F service
What is RFID and how does it work?
Radio Frequency Identification or RFID technology is used widely in everyday applications in a variety of industries, including libraries worldwide. An RFID tag, as the name implies, uses radio waves to transmit information to a reading device. For example, the new self service loans machines will read the information on the RFID tag on the book and the bar code on your library card.
Are there any health risks associated with RFID and radio waves?
RFID uses the low-end of the electromagnetic spectrum. The waves coming from readers are no more dangerous that the waves coming from your car radio.
Are there any differences to the way I currently borrow items from Open access area and Open Reserve?
There'll be no difference in how you borrow, however in the Open Reserve you can both borrow and return items. The benefits are that borrowing will be quicker, you'll be able to check-out multiple items simultaneously and will be able to borrow more items immediately after self-returning your loans.
What information is stored on RFID tags?
The tags contain only information that will identify a particular library item and the rules that apply to the item. The title of the book is not stored on the tag, nor is any personal information stored on the tag. Only a Library staff member with authorisation to use the Library's system can determine the title of the item attached to the library item number.


text:
Showing 1 - 21 products of 45 products
Maintaining heart health becomes increasingly important as you grow older. This includes eating healthy, exercising and maintaining your overall health. Some of the most common heart problems that senior citizens face include high & low blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks & irregular heartbeats. You can monitor at home some of these problems yourself by using heart rate sensors or heart rate monitors. The various different devices that you can find online at Seniority include blood pressure cuffs, tubeless design BP monitors, automatic BP monitors, wireless BP monitors, pulse oximeters and more.
These products provide benefits such as quick diagnosis of conditions like measuring blood pressure, pulse rate and oxygen levels in the blood. You can also keep your heart conditions in check when you are not at home as most of the devices are portable.
Go get yourself the best heart support aids now on Seniority!


text:
Submarine Accidents
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 24 February 2009 15:55
On 26 May the Faslane based submarine HMS Superb collided with rocks in the Red Sea 80 miles South of Suez.
The sonar system was so badly damaged that the vessel is now unable to dive and can only travel on the surface. The submarine was due to be decommissioned shortly and the Navy may scrap it rather than carry out a full repair. This was only the latest in a series of accidents on British nuclear submarines in recent years. In May 2000 there was a radiation leak from the reactor on HMS Tireless while it was sailing in the Mediterranean South of Sicily. This resulted in a 12 month repair in Gibraltar which was strongly opposed both in Spain and in Gibraltar itself. In November of the same year two submarines ran aground, HMS Triumph hit the seabed off the West coast of Scotland and HMS Victorious, carrying Trident missiles, ran aground on Skelmorlie bank on the Clyde in fog. Within the last month the Ministry of Defence has released the Board of Inquiry reports into two other incidents. On 6 November 2002 HMS Trafalgar was taking part in an exercise to train future submarine captains off the North coast of Skye. The instructor deliberately covered up navigation aids with post-it notes to make the exercise more diffi cult. With a trainee at the controls the submarine crashed into the seabed at a speed of 14 knots, 165 feet below the surface. The senior instructor and commanding offi cer were both court martialled. The second Board of Inquiry report was into an incident on HMS Tireless in May 2003. The submarine hit an iceberg while sailing underwater. The iceberg had a draft of over 60 metres. The crew were under the false impression that any iceberg could be detected on their passive sonar system. Because of the presence of other icebergs in the area, withdrawing the submarine after the collision was diffi cult. One of the conclusions of the report was – "the focus of RN submarine environmental effort is in tactical exploitation and there was insufficient focus (HQ and on board) on the hazards to submarine safety presented by icebergs". In March 2007 there was a second incident with the same submarine under the ice cap. Air-purifi cation equipment on HMS Tireless exploded killing two sailors. The vessel had to surface through the ice. The incidents above all took place on nuclear-powered submarines. There was also a fatal accident on the diesel powered submarine Upholder, when it was on route from Faslane to Canada in October 2004. The British-built vessel had been sold to the Canadian Navy and was sailing on the surface. Water entered the submarine from an open hatch. This caused a serious fire in which one sailor was killed and nine injured. A similar fire on a Trident submarine could have catastrophic consequences. This catalogue of mishaps indicates how dangerous it is to continue to have nuclear submarines operating around the coast of Scotland.
John Ainslie


text:
Baubles and Shiny Things
Because I'm saving up for hair extensions, I had absolutely no money to buy an outfit with for the weekend so I ended up having to recycle AGAIN! As it's coming into winter now I remembered that embellishment adds to every outfit, just like the baubles on the Christmas tree! So I decided to crack out the black sequin leggings I bought from Topshop two winters ago and to my surprise I got tonnes of compliments on them! Topshop don't actually sell them anymore, however, here's my round up of this season's sequin updates –
|Black Sequin Leggings, £28, River Island
|Black Sequin Panel Leggings, £30, River Island
|Leopard Sequin Leggings, £30, River Island
The black sequinned leggings from River Island are almost identical to my ones from Topshop but I love River Island's updates.
|Sequinned Body, £32, Miss Selfridge
|Sequinned Jumpsuit, £135, Reiss, Available on ASOS.com
|Black Sequinned Hotpants, £35, Topshop
I've seen these hotpants everywhere from ASOS to Ann Summers but I think it was Topshop that first brought them out. If the look of these scare you, team them with black tights, a white long sleeved shirt buttoned to the top and a black bow tie for office style chic.
|Shoes, £60, ASOS.


text:
Lycée Français de Chicago - Graduation Ceremony
Chicago (IL), June 13th, 2016. Remarks by Consul General of France Vincent Floreani on the occasion the Graduation Ceremony of the Lycée Français de Chicago.
Chers élèves,
Chers parents,
Chers membres du comité de direction,
Chers professeurs et personnels du lycée,
First of all, my congratulations to the students. This is your ceremony!
An important ceremony.
You are moving from high school education to University studies, where you will experience more and more autonomy. This is a passage to adulthood.
You are the first generation, the first class, to obtain a diploma in this wonderful new building.
This building has a tremendous importance for France, which contributed to secure the loan for the construction.
This is the concrete (no pun intended) sign of the willingness of the francophone community to build stronger links with Chicago.
We are proud that the Lycée can offer a high quality bilingual education to all communities of this great city.
This Lycée offers the best of both the French system and the American system of education. This beautiful graduation ceremony is a case in point. It does not exist in the French system but the Lycée is delighted to borrow it from the American tradition.
During your studies here, you have received an outstanding multilingual and multicultural education and have spent hours with other students with different cultures and different backgrounds. You now have the tools to understand our ever changing world, to be part of our globalized society, and to shape your own future.
Some of you will move to higher education in France. This is a very good choice. As you know, my country offers high quality education, free of charge most of the time, with a growing opening to the world and offering of English curricula. France is the world's third country of destination for foreign students.
Some of you may want to become diplomats, as I did some years back. Your multicultural education and your mastery of languages will be strong assets. It's a great career that allows you to discover many other countries and cultures.
You are leaving the Lycée not only with a strong education but also with values that we share with the US and several countries of the world.
Respect for others and for yourselves, as well as excellence are two core values. I could add the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity that could guide you in the future. I'm sure you will uphold these values and principles!
Finally, I'd like to thank the faculty, who guided you in your intellectual and personal development during your studies at the Lycée. They are proud of your accomplishments. Teaching is a very demanding job, yet very rewarding.
Thanks also to the President, M. Eric Veteau, and the staff of the Lycée.
I would also like to thank all the board members for their impressive contribution to the development of the Lycée and in particular, Ms. Sharon Langshur, who was such an incredible President of the Board!
Congratulations on your graduation and I wish you all a happy summer vacation!
Merci beaucoup.


text:
Duncan, Thomasson & Leonard is a preeminent law firm serving clients in West Georgia and East Alabama.
Our areas of practice include:
Address: P. O. Box 1168, LaGrange, GA 30241
Phone: 706.882.7731
Copyright © 2020 MH Sub I, LLC dba Nolo ® Self-help services may not be permitted in all states. The information provided on this site is not legal advice, does not constitute a lawyer referral service, and no attorney-client or confidential relationship is or will be formed by use of the site. The attorney listings on this site are paid attorney advertising. In some states, the information on this website may be considered a lawyer referral service. Please reference the Terms of Use and the Supplemental Terms for specific information related to your state. Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use, Supplemental Terms, Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Do Not Sell My Personal Information


text:
Remember the halcyon days of yore when a future First Daughter could auction off a half hour coffee date for $60,000 without coming under fire for selling access to members of the First Family? Where are these spro-dens of yesteryear, you ask? According to the New York Times, they appear to be canceled.
We reported yesterday that First Daughter to be Ivanka Trump was currently auctioning a brief meet and greet over coffee with the proceeds going to her brother's charity. Well, that auction has not only closed, but any evidence of its existence on CharityBuzz–the site that hosted the auction—has been erased. Sorry bout your luck, "Willing Bidder #72987."
According to the Times, "criticism mounted that the future first family's charitable solicitation risked opening the White House to special interests seeking to pay for access." No one knows for sure what exactly has happened to the auction. There has been no mention of the cancellation on any of either Mrs. Trump's or the Donald's social media accounts.
But not all hope is lost. You can still donate $60,000 to charity, and I bet there would be a ton of really cool people who'd gladly spend at least an hour with you based on that donation alone.
Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.


text:
MedPage Today reporters are on the ground this week at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology in Tampa, the American Academy of Dermatology in Denver, and will end the week with the opening of the American College of Cardiology annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
Also this week, serelaxin will finally get its chance before an FDA advisory committee after the originally scheduled meeting was snowed out.
Another advisory panel will consider two new screening tests for colorectal cancer, one of which is a blood test.
Other news from MedPage Today for the week of March 24, 2014, will include:
- New circuitry findings in autism.
- Screening older patients for cognitive decline: Useful or not?
- Bullying leaves long-lasting scars into adulthood, but how do pediatricians handle bullying in real-time?
- More news on e-cigarettes: Do they actually help smokers quit?
- Results from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey begin dribbling in Thursday.
- And more ICD-10 Follies.


text:
The Province of Antrim Leisure and Social Committee (PALS Committee)has been formed to organise and assist others to organise Leisure and Social events throughout the Province of Antrim and to increase social interaction between Antrim Freemasons and their families.
Through these activities the PALS Committee hope to improve the public perception of the Order, stimulate the new members and retain existing members.
The PALS Committee wish to support and assist thiose already involved in these activities and to encourage the widedr membership in the Province to participate in them.
If your Lodge already organises such events would it be of benefit if Brethren from other Lodges could attend?
These would include organising groups of Brerthren to attend sporting events, theatre, BBQs, Dances, Fairs, Kids' parties through to even arranging for a degree team to assist with degrees (this list is not exhaustive) the PALS Committee can assist.
Contact can be made by e-mail at email@example.com or by contacting ant PALS Committee member or through the Antrim Freemason Group. Facebook.


text:
With Israel's policy of arrests escalating, Stop the Wall publishes an account by two witneses of an 'ordinary' court hearing in the extraordinary repressive and racist system of injustice of the Israeli military courts. Last week the Palestinian Prisoner's Society has released data that Israeli forces have detained 174 Palestinians across the West Bank during the second week of September alone.On September 18th, addameer denounced that in the early hours of the morning Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) re-arrested Ayman Nasser (44) from his home in the West Bank village of Saffa. Nasser is the legal unit coordinator at Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association.
Just on the other side of the border we could see the destination for today, the court of Salem. It is situated almost as far north you can go here on the West Bank. The bus could not take us all the way so we had to walk the last bit, past the warning sign that said: BARRIER AHEAD. It took some time before I realized that they meant the wall, I had forgotten that the Israelis call it a security barrier. At this point, far out in the country side the wall is not exactly a wall, but more a high metal fence. But even here it is crowned with meters upon meters of barbed wire.
Before we came to the "barrier" we stopped by a small van with a metal shed that served as kiosk, information's desk and storage of valuables. In to the court area we could bring nothing else but food, water, cigarettes, empty papers, a pen and our passports.
We were a little late so we hurried to the entrance in the barrier, a corridor of fences divided into security checks and turnstiles. There we met a Israeli soldier, but we could just as well have run into a wall. The arrogant young man first addressed our coordinator in Arabic but constantly switched to Hebrew even though we repeatedly said that we only knew Arabic and English. After he had asked us maybe twenty times about our names, not to check our identity just to.. well, just for the fun of it, he told us there would be no court today. A statement he stood by until a superior came half an hour later and started to let everyone through. I don't know if it was because we were not Palestinians or because our coordinator and I were the only women there, but we were let to the front of the line.
Through a turnstile, into a room with a metal detector and a soldier in a booth, in to another room with yet another turnstile and another soldier in a booth. Then a passport control where the round sergeant yelled to us: "Welcome to Israel!" with a wide smile. What else could we do than smile back and say thank you? Even though all of my body wanted to turn and leave, why would I be grateful to be here? Later on we were told that they had been so nice to us, we for one did not have to get through a body search, because "international presence" makes them nervous. If we had not been there it had been much tougher and more unpleasant to get through.
It was hard to imagine something much more unpleasant than the time we had to wait and the place, we had to wait in, before the court started. Between the security checks and the barracks that served as courtrooms we had to wait on a hot courtyard with a tin roofed waiting area. Where we sat there was not much more to look at than the fence that surrounded us on all sides, and the relatives that waited together with us. Not much was there to do for the children that were waiting together with the grown ups either, they quickly grew bored and impatient in the warm sun. Our coordinator told us that sometimes they have to sit here all day waiting for the cases of their loved ones to be taken to court. And even though it is close to insufferable to sit here, with so little to do, and no more access to food and water than what they bring themselves, nasty toilettes and no opportunity to pray with dignity, it is worth it. For some it is the only chance they have to see their father, brother, son, relative or friend. Israeli prisons only allow visitors every three months, and it is not easy to get permission to travel there, inside Israel. In addition only two people can come at a time, and only people from the closest family. They have a better chance of seeing them here at the court, even if it is only to see them, they rarely get to talk to them and never get to give them a long longed for embrace.
When we finally get to the court hearing for M.A., who a year ago got arrested for supposedly throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at a demonstration for prisoners rights, I do not understand a thing. It takes me a while to sort out who everyone is, but after a while I get it. There is one judge, two policemen who serve as prosecutors, two secretaries, a translator, M.A's lawyer, M.A himself, a witness and three security guards. It is a mix of Hebrew and Arabic and it seems more informal than what I had expected a court to be. The policemen/prosecutors walk back and forth and sometimes several people talk at the same time. I guess it is more confusing to me, who does not understand what they are saying, but I have a feeling that this is not a typical example of a regular court procedure.
It is revealed that the witness, who they have brought in to testify against M.A, has signed a statement against his will under the threat of violence. It is also revealed that those who were arrested together with M.A almost a year ago, and who have been arrested since, were abused by the policemen who arrested them. To my surprise one of the said policemen is actually taken in for a hearing when the court gathers again after lunch. Evidence is brought forth and by comparing different samples of handwriting they prove that the policeman's statement was false, the arrested men had not themselves written the statements they were forced to sign.
Even though this was maybe the 10th time the court gathered on the case of four young men who were arrested for something they claim to be innocent of, the judge ends the court by slamming the hammer and summoning everyone to continue with a next hearing. By then M.A and his friends have been in Israeli custody for over a year.


text:
Search Results.
Your search returned 17 links
Home> Search Results
Konbini WiFi Rentals
Quezon City, Philippines
Telephone: 63 947 949 5200
Konbini Rentals Philippines offers pocket Wifi rentals to foreign travelers who are visiting the country. Stay connected and enjoy unlimited wireless internet surfing.... more
Hoddesdon, United Kingdom
Telephone: 44 1992 445589
Globe-Trotter is a modern heritage brand established in 1897. Founded by David Nelken in Saxony Germany, the company moved to the UK in 1932 where it has remained ever since. Today, Globe-Trotter products are style icons adopted by purveyors of ... more
The Safari Store
Lancaster, United Kingdom
Telephone: 44 207 193 4751
Thank you for taking the time to visit our new online store. Shopping for your safari clothing and safari accessories is now even easier. We have added even more advice on what to pack for your safari, and made ordering the correct size a breeze with our ... more
Briggs & Riley Travelware
Hauppauge, United States
Telephone: 1 631 434 7722
Briggs & Riley Travelware is dedicated to building a lifelong relationship with its consumers by fulfilling their travel needs. The companys wide variety of innovative, high-quality luggage and business cases match smart design and exclusive features, ... more
Rimowa GmbH
Köln, Germany
Telephone: 49 221 956 4170
Worldwide, RIMOWA ranks among the leading premium brands for suitcases made of aluminium and of the high-tech material polycarbonate. It is one of very few manufacturers of luggage still producing in Germany. The company was founded in Cologne, Germany ... more
Travel Legacy
Nevada City, United States
Telephone: 1 530 274 3834
Travel Legacy offers attractive, inviting travel journals for you to capture what you see & experience on your trip. Scrapbook on the go. Have fun capturing vacation memories in our creative, user-friendly journals. Have a great time living & recording ... more
Secured Traveler
Newark, United States
Telephone: 1 888 659 2553
Keeping your Important, Critical & Personal Data, Secure and available has never been easy, until now. Secured Traveler will allow you to have complete "Peace-of-mind" with immediate, but secure, access to all of your information. Our models are "Bio-... more
Bottle Shop
Karlstad, United States
Telephone: 1 218 436 2494
Welcome to Travelindex, the Premier Site on the web for travel and tourism information. Each country in the World has separate listings for Hotels, Motels, Attractions, Lodging, Dining, Flights, Gambling, Museums, Auto Rentals, Campgrounds, State and ... more
Bossier Tent Rentals
Bossier City, United States
Telephone: 1 318 746 8368
Welcome to Travelindex, the Premier Site on the web for travel and tourism information. Each country in the World has separate listings for Hotels, Motels, Attractions, Lodging, Dining, Flights, Gambling, Museums, Auto Rentals, Campgrounds, State and ... more
Good Old Days
Bangkok, Thailand
Telephone: 66 2 949 8973
The Good Old Days Leather Bags, Handbags and Accessories in Bangkok, Thailand... more
Taiga Works
Vancouver, Canada
Telephone: 604-875-8388
Taiga Works is an outdoor gear & sports clothing company producing leading edge outdoor gear including waterproof Gore-Tex jackets, down jackets, fleece apparel, cycle wear, gaiters, hats, gloves, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks and kayaks.... more
Homepage - KATADYN International - the global Number One in individualized water purification systems and water purification products... more
Find L.L.Bean outdoor apparel and gear, casual clothing, footwear, home furnishings and luggage at llbean.com.... more
Ex Officio - Technical, Outdoor and Travel Clothing, plus Buzz Off Insect Repellent Apparel. Shirts, pants, shorts, underwear and outerwear for men and women. ... more
Digital camera bags and cases. Camcorder bags and cases. Absolutely top notch quality, superb array of features and functions. Look no further - get the best camera bags at the best prices, perfect for city, adventure & travel.... more
Known for our quality in workmanship, materials and innovative design, the AmeriBag® Healthy Back Bag® continues to lead the way in ergonomic designs.... more
Travel gear, luggage, travel accessories and packing aids and solutions for any adventure or travel around the world, found in stores like Ebags, REI, Sonoma Outfitters, Magellans, Backcountry Store, Le Travel Store, Changes In Latitude, Summit Hut, Lugga... more


text:
Categories: Kitchen and Cookware
Go green in your kitchen and get healthy with OrGreenic Kitchenware. It is the non-stick cookware that is made with natural ceramic.
This 9″ frying pan with a super non-stick surface has a patented natural ceramic material that requires little or no oil, butter or grease to cook.
Stuck foods will be a thing of the past. Also the non-toxic ceramic coating on the OrGreenic won't ever chip or peel away.
With other non-stick pans, the surface may chip, flake and wear off into your food as you're cooking. Then when you and family eat that food, you will be ingesting toxins.
But with OrGreenic you get a safe and a preferable way to a healthy cooking lifestyle. Plus the handles are designed to stay cool for convenient cooking.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
You can order the OrGreenic 9″ Frying Pan for just $19.99 plus the cost of shipping and handling. But wait there's more.
As a special bonus, you'll also get a handy Food Chopper and a Fast and Easy cookbook free with your order. You just have to pay the additional shipping cost.


text:
Note: I didn't post yesterday as I said I would. I was feeling a bit fatigued and achy so took it easy yesterday.
Recently while doing my shopping on the Albert Heijn website I was looking for my old Ajax cleaner and saw something called "Cleaning Vinegar" (it actually says Schoonmaak Azijn) but I've translated it for you.
It only cost €. 41 (41 euro cents) as opposed to the €1.89 for the Ajax. I decided to give it a try since I'd used vinegar here and there in the past for cleaning and it was very effective. This product didn't disappoint and in fact has simplified my cleaning product supplies and saved me a bit of money ON TOP of cleaning just about everything much better than Mr. Muscle, Ajax , bleach, etc.
It only cost €. 41 (41 euro cents) as opposed to the €1.89 for the Ajax. I decided to give it a try since I'd used vinegar here and there in the past for cleaning and it was very effective. This product didn't disappoint and in fact has simplified my cleaning product supplies and saved me a bit of money ON TOP of cleaning just about everything much better than Mr. Muscle, Ajax , bleach, etc.
First test for it was a very serious build up of whatever it was that constant water under my dish drain had caused on my counter top. (It's called "kalk"here.) I put a bit of the vinegar neat (undiluted) on the surface. I left it a couple of minutes and started wiping it off. I could see immediately that the "kalk"had started to dissolve. In fact, the dissolving of it had caused it to spread a bit. I figured that an abrasive was needed so I poured some baking soda on top of the vinegar,. It started to foam and fizz immediately and that was a bit alarming so I stepped back from it. :-p The foaming and fizzing calmed down after a few seconds so I just left it all for about 15 minutes. I got out a little scrub brush (from Fuller Brush Company) that my dear friend Edith had sent me from the USA a few years ago. (Why oh why don't they export their products?? I applied a bit of elbow grease (as much as I can with my weak wrists) and saw the "kalk"start disappearing. I kept at the scrubbing and pretty soon I was seeing a surface that I'd never seen before on that part of my counter top. It was miraculous! I wish I had taken a before photo to show just how cruddy it was but no photo could ever show how hard caked on it was. But here it is the after shot. And this is it a few weeks after this intensive scrubbing session.
I used the vinegar neat again to clean the cooker hood. A film left by the ineffective product we used last time (Pink Stuff) had been added on top of the grease and grime from usual use collected over a couple of weeks. The cooker hood was shining like new in no time.
The smell of the vinegar wasn't pleasant though so I though I'd dilute it 1:1 with tap water in a spray bottle. I also added some lavender and lemon essential oil for fragrance, further cleaning properties and anti-bacterial properties. This spray bottle has become my all purpose cleaner now. It cleans everything from windows to bathroom fixtures. I've used the vinegar diluted in water in a bucket with some pine essential oil on my laminate flooring. I've used it in a "maintenance" wash in the washing machine which I do every month to keep it smelling fresh. (Empty machine, dosing cup full of vinegar and a bit in the drawer too and set to the highest temperature.) The windows were a real revelation though. It cleans quicker, faster than Windex or other commercial window cleaners and only has to be sprayed on once even on the dirtiest of windows/mirrors since it leaves no smears after you wipe it away. Tip: using newspaper to wipe adds more to the shine.
Slowly but surely the space under my sink is getting bigger and bigger as I use up all the old stuff and replace it with my vinegar, baking soda and small brushes for cleaning.
I've since discovered that lemon will also help dissolve the "kalk"and have used that along with the other things for the "kalk-y" caked up taps in the shower room. Some of it has been here for years, way before us, so it will never all come off. But it looks reasonable now and very shiny. In fact everything in my house is looking quite shiny these days! Last thing in the kitchen at night I use my spray to clean the sink and counter tops with my dish cloth. It doesn't make the colours of the cloth fade ( I crochet them with colourful cottons) and it also makes it fresh smelling and I have to admit to using the cloths for two or three days now instead of a clean one every day so I'm saving a bit on laundry, too. Win/win all around!!!
I hope this two part post has inspired you to question some myths that the dry cleaning and companies selling cleaning products tell us. You don't need to spend a fortune to have your house and clothing clean and spotless. Just a couple of cheap, natural products can do that job for much cheaper and in my experience much more effectively. "Dry Clean Only" doesn't always mean that. I wouldn't machine wash a wool winter coat, a man's suit or anything like that but simply shaped items in solid colours can often be despite what the tag says. You'll have to look over your garment before you do what I did. Does it look fragile? Is it very old ? If not, make sure that you have detergent for delicate fabrics and a washer that can do a cold wash and gentle spin. If so, go for it!