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When we lost our first pregnancy, Josiah, Concetta and I were have a tough time. I put a lot of time and energy into taking her out of New York, up to Saugerties, NY for a bed and breakfast. She was really depressed at the time. We rented a car, stayed at a B & B, went on a train ride in a restored, old time locomotive, and walked around the different shops in town. We ate at a nice, organic restaurant. Finally, we drove back through the foothills of the Adirondacks, and toured an old home, like the home they shot "Knives Out" in. We returned to the city. She was still withdrawn, we hadn't slept together, and nothing had changed. I remember saying to myself, "I'm going to get in touch with Vail."
It was like a hurt feelings contingency, like it had been in my mind, but I was holding back from doing it. She and I had made a connection in my master's classes for Special Education. We were both book readers, both musical, and both open, vulnerable, prone to darkness, and looking to talk to someone.
Holy fuck. Have you ever stopped, and said to yourself, as memories flooded back, how did I forget about this?
It's almost hard to write about. There's so many memories, this could be its own entry. I had kept Vail in my mind as if it were an entirely one-side d relationship, but there's more to it than that. She told me things, she sympathized with me, I sympathized with her.
I got in touch with her by Facebook message. I knew she liked the National, and she told me about Florence + the Machine and Adele. So I walked around with my iPod nano, listening to this music, and she got all caught up in my feelings with these songs. There was so much hurt and pain and damage in my heart, that I couldn't even express it.
Before that, with Josiah. Concetta and I had been trying to get pregnant for a couple years. She was five months pregnant, and everything was fine, and then we went for the five month ultrasound exam, and the tech stopped talking during the exam. We had been joking about names, and then the doctor came in. I realize now he was a radiologist. He said the baby wasn't going to be able to live, his arms, and legs, and head hadn't formed, and that we were going to have to terminate the pregnancy.
We asked a couple questions, and he stormed out. Concetta asked if the legs were too short because she was short, and the doctor said "no, you're short, but not like that." And it was over. It was over.
I thought maybe I could do something. I called Cora, my sister in law, on the phone, because she was a doctor (pre-med school me). I told her the story, and she started crying. I asked her if she knew of any chance that there was a mistake, that a second opinion would be helpful, and she said maybe, I don't know, and I called my parents, and everything crashed down around me.
I spent a lot of time online trying to come up with something about this condition. I was set to take the MCAT in a few months, and I had been studying science all that year. The closest I could come was a condition called Thantatophoric Dwarfism, with a bell shaped chest, frontal bossing (prominent forehead), telephone receiver femurs. We got a second opinion anatomy scan, and nothing had changed. We had to stop the pregnancy.
There were two pieces of evidence that I used to make this my fault, emotionally. One, I was masturbating off and on when Concetta conceived, and so maybe my sperm wasn't that strong, and maybe a defective sperm had gotten through. Or, this was a curse from God because of my sin. Two, Concetta was taking Celexa at the time because I really had strongly pushed her to, and there were some reports that SSRIs in early pregnancy had been linked to limb defects.
I held this in the back of my mind, I wasn't thinking about it. I was the husband, I was the dad, I was the one who had to take charge of the situation. Concetta's aunt flew in to stay with us, and took her for an amniocentesis, which didn't find any genetic abnormalities. When they were coming back, they couldn't get a cab to take them back. Concetta's aunt Maria, who had raised her after her stepmother had been abusive, made the comment that if Concetta miscarried because she walked too hard after the amniocentesis, maybe it would be the right thing. In so many words.
Maria and her husband, John, were conservative people. Concetta admired the hell out of John, and his contribution to the whole process was suggesting that if we waited, had the baby, and the baby died, then we wouldn't have had to have an abortion, it would have been nature's way of taking its course.
I was like, fuck that. I didn't say that, but I said that I worried that it would be a risk for her, and a trauma for her to keep carrying the pregnancy. Eventually, we got the abortion scheduled, just under the deadline for when it would have been considered a late term abortion. My dad and stepmom, Carmen, came in, and stayed with us. I went in with Concetta, and I put on clips from "the Office" on my phone to comfort her while the procedure was started. They used seaweed sticks to dilate her cervix, gave her anesthesia, and took her back.
My dad and I stayed in the waiting room, and then I was called back. She hugged me and started crying, and I could see blood on the hospital panties she wore. We got a cab back to our apartment, and Concetta recovered.
We had the baby's remains cremated. We had talked about the name Josiah, after the president on the West Wing, Josiah Bartlett. Concetta had a vision of a little boy walking with Jesus, his face turned away. We sketched it, and had a memorial service. "He was going to be 'handsome like Daddy,'" she wrote to me in a letter. God, I'm crying just writing this.
A month or two later, we went to a restaurant in Union Square for my birthday. I started talking about the research I read about SSRIs, about the limb defects, and how I didn't think they would match up with the baby's birth defects. Concetta got really serious, and started questioning me, like, "What? You knew about this, and you didn't tell me?"
I started sobbing, and had to leave the restaurant. I couldn't talk, I couldn't stop crying. I had to walk around the corner to try and regain my composure. People were calling my phone to wish me a happy birthday, and I couldn't talk.
Concetta made me go get a therapist. I wanted to see somebody that I could talk to about sex. It occupied my mind a lot, and it wasn't something I could talk to anyone else about it. I got really obsessed about certain things. Sometimes it was creepy even to me. I started going to a therapist name Tara at the center which is specialized in LGBT clients. Tara also happened to be a lesbian.
I told her about everything, and she really took my side. She also liked to talk about shows like Game of Thrones sister Luther, and The Walking Dead, which were in their first few seasons at the time. I think she identified with me, and she recommended All About Love by bell hooks for me to read.
When I started talking to Vail, Tara approved. She thought I needed a friend, and somebody that I could talk to.
There is also a lot of myself that I kept in books and music; things I didn't have words to express. When we started dating, I played Elliott Smith for her, and she said it was really depressing. Elliott Smith is depressing, but it hurts so good, to use a cliche. Concetta and I had a lot in common when we were both really involved in Christian activities, but I had been out of the loop since we moved to the city. I was angry for several reasons: first, because I got treated so bad as a teacher, second, because I didn't get anything out of the churches that we went to, third, I had resumed my pursuit of Christian ministry in the year is leading up to our move, and I was going to go to seminary in California and become a Pastor in a non-denominational evangelical church. That all ended in flames, which is another story, but suffice to say, I didn't identify with Christian books and music the way I had before. After what happened with Josiah, I was even more tangled up and lost. The Christian message seemed to be, "suck it up."
Tara would coach me through how to be more assertive in interactions. Concetta would question if I was seeing a Christian therapist, and if what she was telling me it was God or Bible-based. I bristled at this, for the above reasons.
I still miss Tara a lot. I told her about the porn and masturbation, and my shame about it. I told her about how I was stuck on lesbians. I told her the buildup was what really got me going, the tension. She told me that one of the things about lesbian sex that she found interesting was that it was two sided. Anything that you're doing to your partner, or doing with them, you switch roles, and then they do it to you. She was very open about talking about it, and I felt like less of a pervert.
Concetta and I had vacationed in the Cayman Islands that summer and she really felt good during that time. I was getting into this obsessive bent, trying to gently ask her about swinging, having an open marriage. About which of our friends she would want to trade with, or who I thought would be an OK guy for her to be with.
And eventually Concetta found some of the Facebook messages. I showed her everything. I told her about everything. I told her how I masturbated, I told her about the porn, I showed her some of it. I thought that when you bare yourself completely to your partner, that they would accept you, because that's what I would've done for her.
She was getting more and more upset. There was something in the messages that was upsetting to her specifically. It was probably when I was talking about how Concetta didn't really understand me and was only interested in getting to know certain parts of me. It was about how Concetta didn't even know what my favorite books were and she didn't know what my favorite music was. She never listened to any of that stuff.
Concetta got really upset, and she struggled with me at one point. I restrained her, and she ran out of the house. I called her phone, she didn't answer. I called our pastor (who lived in the neighborhood), she wasn't there.
Concetta ran to her friend Dolores's house, and she told her all these things. And she told Dolores that I had said that I would want to sleep with her. And Dolores atold her that she would never sleep with me in a million years. I still feel betrayed by this. It's like, you tell your wife something that's very personal and very compromising, and then they get you rejected by proxy.
I didn't want to give up sending messages to Vail. I would go to different parts of the city that I knew she went sometimes and look for her, imagining seeing her. Concetta decided that she had to go and meet her in person. I was so humiliated. I asked her not to do it. I told him if it was something cold and twisted him, And that she was taking something from me that she shouldn't.
They went and got lunch together. Vail told her she thought we were just friends. They talked; Vail brought a guy with her.
Tara didn't think I should stop communicating with Vail. She said it was a valuable means of self expression, and not something to be discarded over misinterpreted sentiments. I treasured every message that Val sent to me. I read it again and again, and I would dream about it sometimes. It was something very precious and very personal and something that was only mine.
Concetta and I fought about it; I got the suitcase out, and started packing my clothes to go stay with my friend Justin. And she was crying. I told her if she was miserable all the time, she should take a leave of absence from work and go back to Pennsylvania, and be with her family. She asked if I wanted her to leave. I thought about it for several moments, and said, "no." I felt like divorcing her would make me a cheat. Like, I promised her a baby and a house and a car, and I hadn't given it to her, and that's what a man was supposed to do.
But, I caved. I called Vail, and talked to her on the phone for the first time since we were in classes together. I told her that I shouldn't write to her anymore, and that I was sorry.
Tara was disappointed, but I had to choose my marriage. I had to do it.
So Vail was on my mind for years. All through four years of med school. Then, in my intern year, I got in touch with her, under the auspices of sharing my writing. We talked; she had gotten married, and had a young baby. We exchanged a few messages, and gave each other feedback on our respective novels.
I stopped thinking about her. I had replaced my fantasy version with a real, contemporaneous woman that I talked to, and I could let her go.


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Desert Living
March 2007
As the title would suggest, 1000 New Designs and Where to Find Them (Chronicle), is packed with eye candy (352 pages of it, to be precise). Author Jennifer Hudson presents a monumental collection of furniture, tableware, kitchen and bath fixtures and accessories, lighting, textiles electronics, and miscellaneous items (the category under which you'll find the Eglu, a polyethylene urban chicken coop) from around the world — almost all of which were designed since 2000 (although a handful of classics are also included).
Desert Living
1000 New Designs

subset: commoncrawl


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Sign up today! TREA publishes a monthly newsletter including volunteer opportunities, news and upcoming events. Please enter your email below:
Bike Clinic with London Centennial Wheelers
Join London Centennial Wheelers for a fun, relaxed course, geared towards all who are new to road cycling. Learn the basics of road cycling from experienced LCW members.
Gain the confidence needed to ride in all situations such as cycling in traffic or tight group riding.
- How to use your gears more effectively
- Braking for all situations
- Pedaling more efficiently
- Cornering
- Climbing and Descending
- Emergency Repair Tips
- Plus much more
Who can attend? – All cyclists (road or hybrid bike and helmet are required)
Duration – 2 hours
For more information or to register;


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WE'RE HERE!! NBA Basketball is upon us today so here's my way too early NBA standings and award predictions!!
MVP: Luka Doncic
I think it's pretty evident that Luka is the frontrunner for the most valuable player. The reason for this is because of the fact everyone expects him to improve off a 28.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 8.8 APG season. The Mavericks are in a spot where they could possibly be a title contender but that will only come to fruition if Luka takes that MVP step. Now why didn't I say LeBron James or Giannis? Well Giannis coming off back to back MVP will most likely hurt his chances at a 3rd because of voter fatigue which has hurt guys like LeBron and Michael Jordan. But LeBron isn't gonna be MVP because of voter fatigue cause I think he won't be the best player on his team this year (Anthony Davis). If Luka can average a triple-double and take the Mavericks to a top 3 seed in the West the MVP trophy will be coming home to Dallas and Luka will become the youngest MVP in NBA History.
DPOY: Anthony Davis
Lets face it, Anthony Davis was robbed of the DPOY last year to fit the media's narrative for Giannis but we'll let it slip. Anthony Davis was dominant on the defensive side of the ball last year with 2.3 BPG, 11.1 DWS, and a 101.8 Defensive Rating. We fully expect AD to match these stats and surpass them going into his 2nd year in the Vogal system and going for a repeat in LA.
MIP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Coming off a huge leap in his 2nd year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to make another big leap because of the trade that sent Chris Paul to Phoenix. Oklahoma State has given Shai the keys to the kingdom and hope he can take the step of being a 1st option scorer in this league. Shai had his moments last season where he looked like a 1st option guy but then had other moments where he looked like a 3rd option. Let's see if Shai can jump his PPG up to around 23 PPG, and see an improvement in his APG and if he can get an efficient 3 point game he can be very dangerous for the Thunder for years to come.
ROTY: LaMelo Ball
The guy that landed into Charlotte's lap will be taking them to a stage they've never seen in the media eye. LaMelo will have a lot on his shoulders to carry Charlotte back into the playoffs and make them a genuine threat for the future. Yes Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman have the better odds of winning ROTY but I feel like there are too many heads to feed in Golden State and Minnesota for Edwards and Wiseman to have the stats to win the award.
COTY: Steve Nash
It's very rare for 1st year coaches to win COTY but I feel like if the Nets are the 1st seed in the East and Nash looks like a guy who can control Kyrie and Durant I think he's the guy. Nash will integrate an offense for KD and Kyrie but how will he handle the bench guys like LeVert and Dinwiddie who'll be key parts to the Nets success. Bench management and how much he plays his stars will dictate Nash as a great or terrible coach.
Standing Prediction:
Western Conference
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Denver Nuggets
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Houston Rockets
- Golden State Warriors
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs
- Oklahoma State Thunder
Eastern Conference:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Milwakee Bucks
- Boston Celtics
- Miami Heat'
- Toronto Raptors
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Indiana Pacers
- Atlanta Hawks
- Washington Wizards
- Charlotte Hornets
- Orlando Magic
- Chicago Bulls
- New York Knicks
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Detroit Pistons
NBA Finals: Brooklyn Nets vs Los Angeles Lakers
This is my matchup without a doubt for the championship this year. I think these 2 teams are the clear cut favorites to win their respective conferences. Kevin Durant & Kyrie Irving vs LeBron James & Anthony Davis, 4 top 15 players in the NBA will go head to head to see who's on top. But I think the Lakers will come out on top, there is nobody on the Nets that is capable of guarding Anthony Davis, also the Lakers depth might be up there with the Clippers at this point.
NBA Champion: Los Angeles Lakers


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The 56th Roan Mountain Fall Naturalists Rally will draw nature enthusiasts from far and wide to this jewel of the Southern Appalachians on the first weekend after Labor Day with programs, nature walks, catered meals, and much more.
The annual Fall Naturalists Rally is always a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and, for birders, get a sneak peek at fall migration with any of the walks and programs focusing on our fine feathered friends. The best naturalists in the region volunteer their time and energy to make this a landmark event for people of all ages.
This year's rally, which is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, Sept. 7-9, will feature guest speakers, Gabrielle Zeiger and Dr. Joey Shaw, for the main programs on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Zeiger's Friday program, "Zen and the Art of Mushroom Hunting," will get underway at 7:30 p.m. following a catered dinner at 6:30. Zeiger has been studying mushrooms in the region for 23 years. She considers herself more of a mushroom enthusiast than an expert. She is a member of the North American Mycological Association, and attends their national forays. She is involved in the association's annual Wildacres foray in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Mount Mitchell in North Carolina.
Photos by Bryan Stevens • Mushrooms will feature in one of this year's evening programs at the Fall Naturalists Rally.
Her program will focus on the two basic approaches — looking for good edibles and scientific study — to mushroom hunting. Her talk will touch on both approaches and include basic information on common mushrooms found in the area, species diversity and poisonous versus edible mushrooms. The program will include various types of fungi from gilled mushrooms, boletes, corals, stinkhorns and polypores, as well as the roles that they play in the environment such as decomposition and forest ecology. She will also talk about what mycologists do at forays. Findings will be included regarding 20 years of record keeping at Roan Mountain and scientific information on studies at Mount Mitchell regarding amount of rainfall and diversity of fruiting.
Photos Contributed • From left: Gabrielle Zeiger and Joey Shaw are this year's featured speakers.
Saturday's program on "Digitizing Tennessee's One Million Herbarium Specimens," will also start at 7:30 p.m. followed by a catered meal at 6:30. Dr. Joey Shaw received a bachelor's of science in biology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1998, and that same year began his graduate education in the Department of Botany at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In 2001, he received his master's in botany for a floristic investigation of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in Tennessee and Kentucky. In 2005 he received his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, for his work on the phylogeny and phylogeography of the North American plums and molecular evolution of different genetic regions of the chloroplast genome.
Shaw is currently serving the Association of Southeastern Biologists as Past President and will rotate off this Executive Committee in April 2019, after having served for over ten years and in all ranks of that committee. He is also serving as Chair of the Wildflower Pilgrimage Organizing Committee, and in this capacity he organizes this annual event that brings together more than 120 professional biologists with 850 members of the public to participate in more than 150 different events over four days every spring in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Evening and lunch programs will take place in Roan Mountain State Park's Conference Center and unless other noted, field trips will leave from the field on the left before the cabins in the park.
In addition to the programs, morning and afternoon walks will be held Saturday and Sunday on a vast array of subjects, including birds, salamanders, butterflies, spiders, snakes, geology, mosses and liverworts. A "moth party" will be held after the Friday and Saturday programs. Larry McDaniel will host this party taking a look at these winged nocturnal insects outside the Conference Center.
Consider joining the Friends of Roan Mountain, if you are not a member. Members get free admission to all Naturalists Rally events and the newsletter, "Friends of Roan Mountain."
The rally offers catered evening meals by City Market of Elizabethton, as well as brown bag lunches on Saturday. All meals must be pre-paid in advance.
Registration and payment for meals and other activities can be made at the website for Friends of Roan Mountain at friendsofroanmtn.org. The website can also provide a brochure for download that offers a complete schedule and details all the available activities at this year's rally. Whatever your interest, the Roan Mountain Fall Naturalists Rally is sure to have an activity available. For local birders, it's often the kick-off to the fall migration season as warblers, vireos, thrushes, tanagers, birds of prey and many other species pass through the region on their way to their wintering grounds.


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Enjoy the restaurants you see on TV when you travel
By Francis Navarro, Komando.com
May 23, 2018
Are you a fan of all the food shows on channels like the Food Network or the Travel Channel? For a fledgling foodie, there's nothing like an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," "Man vs. Food," "Bizzare Foods," or "Parts Unknown" to satisfy that fix for culinary knowledge.But you know what's ultimately better than plopping down in front of the TV and vicariously living off the food experiences of personalities like Guy Fieri, Adam Richman, Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain?That's to go on the road and experience all these TV restaurants first hand!Seem like a challenge? Well don't worry, this app will help you track down and locate all these famous TV restaurants that might lie along your way.
Related Stories
Join the Komando Community
Get even more know-how in the Komando Community! Here, you can enjoy The Kim Komando Show on your schedule, read Kim's eBooks for free, ask your tech questions in the Forum — and so much more.


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LCD Games of the 80s VII: The Grand Finale
July 18, 2022 10 Comments
Here we go. This will really be the final part for a while, since I've run out of material to source from. But, I've gone all out here with the most games I've ever done for one of these. If your favorite childhood LCDs are still missing.. sorry. Actually, I probably would have done them if someone had emulated them. The issue with that is, someone has to donate a unit to someone willing to program the emulation for this. It's actually likely they won't ever get the original back either, because if you want to truly get the emulation and the backgrounds perfect, it might require the physical game itself to be destroyed in the process.
I wanted to do games like Konami's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or Super Mario Bros. for Game & Watch, but nobody has done them yet. Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch fetches hundreds of dollars. If I owned any rare LCD, I would donate it for this. The fact is, one day, these will stop working. But, if you donate your rare game now, yea, you lose out on a valuable keepsake. BUT, you've also preserved that game FOREVER, for everyone who will ever want to play it. Even shitheads like me who are likely to dump on it in features like this.
See, no matter what I think of the quality of these games, I'm very happy they've been preserved. I love video games, and it's not cool to believe only the games that I like should be immortalized. LCD games are a not-insignificant part of our heritage, and it's a shame more haven't been adapted. I've played LCD games where I feel there's educational value for game designers. Look at the Tiger Electronics version of Gauntlet and its outside-the-box thinking on how to adapt it. Look at the genuinely dazzling Bandai port of Frisky Tom. But, even bad titles like Bandai's Burgertime serve to show why some ideas don't work. These could easily give inspiration to a new generation of indie developers. So, if you're sitting on a mountain of Tiger LCDs, don't just hoard them. Give them to the world
Special thanks to the Handheld Game Museum for their cataloging of these. Check this site out, seriously. My jaw dropped when I saw just how many games Tiger Electronics did.
Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, to EVERYONE who contributed these games. I'll try to be nice to them. Okay, that's a lie, but I'll be fair, I promise.
Nintendo Game & Watch (1983)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
Certainly one of the better spinning plate Game & Watch releases, a duel screen affair where you have to rub your head and pat your belly at the same time. No wait, actually you have to watch both screens and catch people jumping off a boat and help them reach the land on either side of the screen. Game & Watch did tons of these style of games, but Lifeboat is genuinely the only one that I couldn't put down. Seriously, this should have been done a lot sooner than it was. I wanted to lead-off with the very first Game & Watch I've ever said is really good without having to qualify that statement with "for an LCD game." Nah, Lifeboat is genuinely the best Game & Watch, at least of the ones I've played.
Gakken (1981)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
One of the simpler LCDs I've played. You just go back and forth and grab people stranded on a building and fly them to safety. You don't even drop the ladder for them. It happens automatically. You only get one life, so that's different, and it ended when I pushed left too much and I crashed into a building. It was the first time I saw the idea of "don't just mash the button, or else" implemented, and it certainly did it better than Nintendo's take on the same idea. While I wouldn't want Towering Rescue today, I imagine it was a decent enough time waster in 1981.
Nintendo Table Top (1983)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
Snoopy is the OTHER game I played that penalizes you for moving too far. It's a spinning-plate game where you have to smash colored music notes generated by Schroeder's piano. I wanted to like this, because it's so colorful and.. I mean.. LOOK AT IT! I very much regret that I didn't grow-up in an era where "handheld" games looked like miniature arcade machines. Well, except for the fact that they mostly suck. Maybe I dodged a bullet, actually. Snoopy is a TERRIBLE game. It's very sluggish, and positioning yourself to get to the notes is such a chore. It's basically a revamp of Nintendo's previous Game & Watch release Vermin, only you need to hit a button to activate the mallet. If you move too far over, you fall to your death. One of Nintendo's very worst LCDs.
Nintendo Game & Watch (1982)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
Probably the most famous Game & Watch that hasn't been adapted to any Game & Watch Gallery, Snoopy's Tennis is, surprise, not actually a Tennis game. It's a spinning plate title where Charlie Brown lobs tennis balls to one of three channels and you have to hit them off the screen above him. You have to time it right, because if you miss, you have to wait an extra frame of animation before you can swing or move again, which is a nice touch. Occasionally Lucy Van Pelt, the biggest bitch in all of fiction, will block the lane with either a high or low racket that bats the balls back at you. On Game A, it takes FOREVER for the action to get intense, so go straight to Game B, though even that is kinda slow. I get the impression this was targeted specifically towards younger kids, and as a result, it's pretty slow to get going and overall quite boring. On the plus side, it has the funniest death animation in Game & Watch: Snoopy just goes to sleep. It's the first time anything related to The Peanuts actually made me laugh.
Nintendo Game & Watch (1982)
Gameplay Type: Cross the Road
While spinning plate type of games are the most common LCD game type, cross-the-road games are the surest bet for quality gaming. Well, relatively speaking. It's not a sure bet by any means. Take Turtle Bridge, a slog of a game where you have to deliver a package from one side of the river to the other by hopping across the backs of turtles. There's two catches. #1: fish draw closer to the turtles, who will eventually submerge to grab a bite to eat, and if you're on them, or jump to them, you die. #2: the asshole who you're supposed to deliver the package to has his mind wander and he disappears from time to time, leaving you stranded on the bridge and watching for fish while the person finishes taking his dump or whatever he's doing. It sounds intense, but it's just a boring, annoying slog of a game. Turtle Bridge has fans, but I'm not one of them.
BASEBALL!! and ENGINE ROOM!! and DEFENDO!!
Vtech Explorer Time & Fun (198?)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
Vtech Time & Fun is basically generic off-brand Game & Watch that was sold through Sears, actually. They're one of the most prolific makers of LCDs, some of which directly rip-off Nintendo's gameplay, only suckily. These games though? Their Explorer line, though, is just desperate. I started cracking-up so hard because it has a compass and a teeny tiny little LCD flashlight built into it. That's the most pathetic grasping at straws for a competitive edge I've ever seen in my life. "Gentlemen, how can we compete with Nintendo?" "I know.. hear me out.. you know how boring camping is? Well.." And it was a whole series of games! While they did a deluxe Baseball model that probably plays closer to the actual sport's rules, their Explorer Baseball is really just a spinning plate game. Move your batter left and right and hit the balls. There's no action button, and nothing else to do with baseball. It's NOT baseball. You just have to intercept the balls, and rarely one will curve. You know, for challenge. It's far and away the most basic LCD I've done in this now seven-part series, but they did the same exact game two more times, more or less. Engine Room has you shoveling coal as it reaches you, while Defendo has you thumping soldiers rushing your tent. I guess they had to skimp on the gameplay and pass the expense on to a tiny toy compass and a flashlight about as bright as lobotomized Kardashian.
Vtech (198?)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
Another in the Explorer series, but the only one that actually had different gameplay. This is a juggler-variation of a spinning plate that's closest cousin is Nintendo's Game & Watch legend Fire, which gets closed a lot. Roller Coasters go across a broken track and you have to stand over three channels and juggle them to safety. It's a toothless bore, but at least it's more interesting than the other games in the Explorer series. I had planned to ignore it, but then I found a Vtech game that more directly rips off Fire, only it completely botches it..
Vtech (1981)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
Another straight-up rip-off of a Game & Watch design, in this case a mirrored version of Fire. You're a caveman, and baby birds fall out of a nest above you, which you then CLUB TO DEATH WITH A HAMMER and then juggle their carcasses to the other side of the screen. Holy crap!! I can't believe I can say this about an LCD game but Jesus Christ that's so insanely violent!! Plus, they completely fucked-up Fire. Birds that are higher up on one channel will hit the ground faster than birds lower on another. Like Banana did with Manhole, they took one of the better Nintendo games and made it a lot worse. And more grotesque.
PIRATE!! and MONKEY!!
Vtech (1981)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
These are the exact same game with different sprites, and easily the most basic of the higher-end Game & Watch rip-offs. They're the most basic spinning plate style games, where you have three channels to block people climbing up things. For Monkey, it's coconut trees. For Pirate, it's your ship. I'm going to assume they just recycled the programs from this for some of those Explorer games from above, and other games still to come. I wouldn't want to play these, but at least they're faster paced than other three-channel plate spinners and feature fun themes with awesome sprites, especially Pirate. See, I can be generous. But, let's keep it real.. even their games that play fine are nothing compared to Nintendo's.
Nintendo Game & Watch (1981)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
It's not simply the "name brand" aspect. Sorry all wannabes, but Nintendo just plain made better games. Here's THEIR three-channel plate spinner. Parachute!! is the exact same gameplay as Vtech's Pirate and Monkey, but it just plays faster, has better graphics, a more fun theme, and even little details like an LCD shark that occasionally pokes its fin and head up. The shark doesn't even factor into gameplay, but it's that extra touch towards making the experience as fun and playful as possible. As dirt simple a concept as this is, not to mention insanely easy from a gameplay perspective, it's one of the best Game & Watch games and probably the best plate spinner ever made. It's like popping LCD bubble-wrap.
Vtech (1981)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
Another that looks like a Game & Watch. Remember, in 1981, before the NES, it was a lot easier for a parent who had a kid asking for a Game & Watch for Christmas to instead get one of these. It feels skeezy to me. It's another Fire/Chef clone, and of all the direct rip-offs of Game & Watch releases, Pancake plays the best. It's still boring though.
BANANA!! and SLEEP WALKER!!
Vtech Time & Fun (1981)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
Vtech was pretty shameless about ripping off many of Nintendo's Game & Watch designs. The iconic Manhole by Nintendo is pilfered here not once, but twice, only with much worse gameplay as the timing of when you have to make cover a path is all wrong. Given how Nintendo is famously litigious, I genuinely can't believe they didn't sue Vtech for some of their designs. Then again, this takes a famously decent Game & Watch and makes it nearly unplayable. Maybe they considered it free quality advertising?
Vtech (1981)
Gameplay Type: Cross the Road
It looks a lot like a real Game & Watch, and I think the actual gameplay is original. Then again, I haven't played every Game & Watch so maybe I'm wrong. It's sort of like Turtle Bridge, except without the crossing-back part. the idea is you're sneaking prisoners out of a jail. The gate opens and closes, and there's two lanes of guards that have five total openings. As long as the guards are on the bricks, you're safe to move. If they pass through one of the five archways, they can see you. It's not a bad concept, honestly. It's one of Vtech's stronger games, but I still didn't really enjoy it. It would have been better with clearer-marked safety zones. Yea, I'll go ahead and call this the best Vtech Game & Swatch.
Vtech Mini-Time & Fun (1982)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
It's extremely hard for any of these games to actually get me to zonk out on, so imagine my surprise when this turned out to cost me over fifteen minutes. It's not even better than other spinning plate games, really. Some dude chucks bombs at an elephant and you move the trunk and squirt them back at him. That' sit. It's easy. It's so stupid, yet I just totally zoned out playing it, and next thing I know the Secret Base video on the Utah Jazz I was watching had finished and I was still playing. Maybe it's because it's so cramped and that adds to the intensity. Actually, no, here's why: because it's the only LCD juggler I've played where you can get ahead of the bounce. The water spray works at any distance. It doesn't feel like you have to wait until the object is right on top of you to deflect it. Never seen that before, and it makes the game more exciting than artificial close calls. Wow. Even Vtech made a decent LCD. It proves my theory: EVERYONE who made many of these (and Vtech had over a hundred) had at least one winner.
Angstrem (1980s)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
Even though I'm not at all a fan of the Game & Watch anti-classic Egg, aka Mickey Mouse, I had to include this in my series of LCDs of the 80s. In Soviet Russia, the USSR authorized Game & Watch clones to be manufactured. 18 were made, and legends of the franchise titles like Octopus (released there as Mysteries of the Ocean) and Chef (released there as Merry Chef) were cloned pixel-for-pixel. Then, there's Mickey Mouse, which not only got a pixel-for-pixel clone, but the exact same game code was reused ELEVEN MORE TIMES! Here's the three examples I've been able to play.
Why make two-thirds of your entire LCD game lineup the same game? There's two reasons for that. The first is these we made on a fraction of the budget and the factory making them could only produce one type of circuit board. The way LCD games work, you can have the exact same game code but shape the actual lights differently, and that's what they did. The second reason, and the most interesting: in Russia, they actually sold kits that allowed you to change the theme of your Game & Watch. It would still be the same game of Egg, of course, but the appearance would be different. That's neat. While I personally don't like Egg at all.. and I also don't endorse cloning (in this case, it's the appropriate use of the term).. part of me is happy kids from he other side of the Iron Curtain had their own Game & Watch series. For some reason, that puts a smile on my face. Gaming is truly universal.
MICKEY MOUSE!! and DONKEY KONG CIRCUS!!
Nintendo Game & Watch Panorama Series (1984)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate/Juggler
In the very first LCD Games of the 80s feature I did here at IGC, I gave a snarky one-line review to these games, but they deserve better. I consider all juggler-type games to be part of the broader spinning-plate theme, and this is a prime example of it. As Mickey or Donkey Kong, depending on which version you play (though after checking a couple times, I've determined they're the exact same difficulty either way), you move back and forth and juggle pineapples or batons that drop through five different channels. Drop one and you lose a life. Here's the twist: there four actual spots you can stand on and your hands are stuck over two different channels as fireballs (or burning batons) fall onto the playfield, and if you touch the fire, you also lose a life. It's awful because (1) there's no sense of momentum. They could have easily added above and below motion lines to show you which direction the objects are going. (2) The timing of when the fire will hit your hands is so touchy and often synced perfectly with a falling object you have to juggle. I hated these. I really hated them.
by Bandai (1983)
Gameplay Type: Versus Action
This could have been one of the greats, but I didn't get a chance to play it two player. It's a battle type game. Bombs fall onto the playfield and the penguin has to catch them and throw them back at the walrus and wait for ice cubes to spawn on the left side of the screen. Stack three ice cubes to reach the top of the screen and score points. It's a lot of fun, actually. A different concept. But I couldn't get the anyone to play it with me. Oh, and despite being based on the Doki Doki Penguin Land series, this isn't a puzzle game. That's so weird.
WILD MAN JUMP!! and MONKEY JUMP!!
Vtech (1981 and 1982)
Gameplay Type: Cross the Road
Vtech actually could rip-off with the best of them, but to their credit, their Donkey Kong is a closer LCD Donkey Kong than the crap that Coleco came up with. It LOOK so much like Donkey Kong that I'm stunned this wasn't a major lawsuit from Nintendo, who DID in fact sue over Tiger's King Kong game (and Tiger's King Kong game sort of jump-started the whole Nintendo/Universal fiasco, with Tiger Electronics being the first company to actually ask Universal "hey wait, do you even own King Kong to begin with?"). Ironically, this is a LOT closer to Donkey Kong than King Kong ever was. Both these games play functionally the same, though I feel the colored game is a lot more unresponsive. I managed to reach the top of both games only when I stopped trying to grab the items and just legged it to the top. They look like Donkey Kong but there's nothing fun about them.
Gakken (1982?)
Gameplay Type: Spinning Plate
I got so excited when I heard the name. I pictured Donkey Kong in a tacky fishing jackets. One of those fuzzy fishing lures that I've never actually seen (and I've "gone fishing" with my Dad a dozen times, though if you never get a bite, does it really count as fishing, or did we really just drive off to stare at body of water while contemplating if it's worth impaling yourself "accidentally" with a hook if it'll get you home to your TV and video games faster?). But actually this is just a three channel spinning plate game. The thing that really strikes me about this is just how much it looks like a Game & Watch. Even the sprites look exactly like Nintendo's Mr. Game & Watch-type sprites. It's so close it gets uncomfortable. Anyway, boring game but at least a little faster-paced than your typical plate spinner.
Unknown Developer (1980s? 90s?)
Gameplay Type: Maze Chase
This is literally the same game as the Toby Pac-Man, with the same "must be facing the dots rules" that I showed in LCD Games of the 80s IV. UPDATE: I actually got the game working once I realized I had to actually hold the movement buttons down. Also, I might be DUMB for not figuring that out since I literally have done 100 of these games and should have known that. Anyway, it's weird that, of all the games to copy, the weird Pac-Man where you can't eat dots if you're facing the wrong direction was the one.
Bandai (1981)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
I probably shouldn't have even included this one, but the theme boggled my mind so much that I had to. You hear the name "LAS VEGAS" and you naturally assume "card games, maybe dice, maybe roulette." Nope. It's a minimalist spinning plate game. Three careless slot jockeys are playing and when they hit a jackpot, you're a degenerate grabbing the coins that slip pass them, I guess? There's only three channels and the game tells you what they're getting. It's so weird and stupid. Why? Why would you even make this game? It's boring and it feels like it should be a different name. Slot Jockey! There you go!
Gakken (1983)
Gameplay Type: Spinning-Plate
Another spinning plate game, though this one is a bit more challenging by virtue of how the sprites are done. They're supposed to be balloons that Jerry is launching at you, and they sorta bob around and shrink like they're fading into the background. It's hard to clock. Here's what's REALLY weird: it's a three channel plate spinner, but there's a huge gap between the second and third panels. You don't step on that gap, mind you. You jump from the 2nd channel to the 3rd like normal. It makes it feels like this "we gotta fit this all in to a small screen" haphazard design. Tom & Jerry's not fun, but it's notably weird.
Unknown Manufacturer (19??)
Gameplay Type: Racer
This feels like a cruel joke, because it's shaped just like a Game Boy. It feels like something designed to dupe witless parents too stupid to realize they didn't just find the bargain of the century while trying to find little Timmy a Game Boy for Christmas. I get that this phenomena exists in all forms of entertainment, from Asylum Mock Busters to Mega Super Rangers to alarmingly red Game Boy knock-offs. But the really batshit thing? Motor Cross is, no joke, the first racing LCD I've played that doesn't suck. I can't believe it at all! It makes me feel unclean to heap any praise on this obvious attempt at confusing unaware consumers, but Motor Cross' gameplay is rock solid, genuinely exciting, kind of addictive, and yes, even fun.
Motor Cross actually does feel like a race, with an accelerator, breaking, laps, and fuel consumption. Huh. Even wilder is just how many objects on screen you might have to weave around. Sometimes, the entire course fills with bikes, and successfully navigating through it feels incredible. Finally, Motor Cross does what I didn't think was possible in an LCD game: creates a sense of speed. There's three speed you can use, and I shit you not, they work to make it feel like you're on a bike traveling at a high velocity. I don't think it quite beats Frisky Tom, but it's one of the best LCD games I've ever played. Goddamnit, I have no choice but to declare Motor Cross the greatest LCD racing game until a more ethical option comes along.
aka HEATHCLIFF & SONJA – HUNT THE THIEF
Vtech (1982)
Gameplay Type: Spinning Plate
Apparently "Heathcliff or Garfield" was a debate before I was born. I didn't even know Heathcliff existed by time I was a Saturday Morning Cartoon watcher, but they still reran Garfield & Friends on TV. Game, set, match. Garfield wins. Fatality! But, hey, at least Heathcliff has a pair of games that are marginally better than the Konami Garfield LCD. This is the weaker of the two. You have to throw bombs up at someone raiding fish out of garbage cans. Occasionally a dog gets in the way, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to move it. I thought throwing a bomb at the dog would get it to move, but it doesn't. It seems to move randomly, and that means you can't defend that can. The fish remaining are presented by sprites. Vtech seemed to specialize in action-defense (oxymoron, I know) but this was not good.
aka HEATHCLIFF & SONJA – FIRE
Vtech (1982)
Gameplay Type: Spinning Plate
Remember the "spray the bombs with the elephant trunk?" game from above? Same concept turned upside down. As Heathcliff, you spray drops of fire with a hose. Like Bomb Fight, you don't have to wait to stop the drops of fire. You can destroy the fire at any spot of progress instead of waiting for it to be on top of you like a typical Game & Watch game. It changes it from feeling like a spinning plate game into a genuine defensive-oriented game. It's not as fun as the bomb game though. It feels less claustrophobic and thus isn't as exciting. I'm leaning towards not liking this, but let it be said: Heathcliff's best LCD absolutely curb stomps Garfield's.
Vtech (1982)
Gameplay Type: Maze Chase
Once I remembered this is a Pac-Man clone and held down the movement buttons instead of pressing them like a normal LCD game, I found Crazy Chewy to be, far and away, the best Pac-Man LCD clone ever made. It's not very hard, and the power-pellets last a generous amount of time. But, it's actually not a bad little knock-off, and I'm only not awarding it my seal of approval because I just personally ain't a Pac-Man fan. Generic and soulless and I imagine many a kid said "that's NOT Pac-Man!" on Christmas mornings, but if you were a mega-sized Pacmaniac during this era, you had a pretty solid clone of it here.
Vtech (Tini-Arcade 1981/Arcade Time & Fun 1982)
Gameplay Type: Maze Chase
Chicky Woggy is basically reverse-Pac-Man. Instead of eating the dots, you lay them down. You start with one wolf chasing you, and eating one of the two worms are like power-pellets that let you eat the wolves, but they only last a second or two. Like, on just the second level, I ate a worm, moved up only two spaces and the wolf killed me. Even considering that, I was able to clear multiple levels. Like other Vtech games, this got two releases: one as a premium color-picture tabletop similar to Nintendo's Panorama or Coleco's tabletops, and one as a simple LCD with a dial. Looking at the dial, ugh, can you imagine trying to play an LCD with that thing? Anyway, I'm giving it a pass for the same reason I did Chewy: I'm not a huge Pac-Man fan to begin with, but if you were a little kid in the early 80s who was gaga for the Pac, I imagine owning these would have passed the time in a car ride a lot better.
Epoch (1981)
Gameplay Type: Gallery Shooter
I had this hunch that a Space Invaders-like LCD would be excellent. I'm grateful for Galaxy II, which proved I was 100% right. Actually, this is really like a better version of Coleco's take on Galaxian. Even the sprites look very similar. But, this is a much better game that's a lot of fun. A gallery shooter where the aliens dive down at you. I wish the controls were a little more responsive, and I wish it was just a channel or two wider, but otherwise, this is a solid shooter. A kid who opened this on Christmas morning in 1981 was a very lucky kid, especially compared to most of the larger fluorescent tube games. They usually suck, but Galaxy II is the best gallery shooter in LCD gaming that I've played and behind only Frisky Tom and Frogger on my top games list.


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Valentine's Day doesn't have to be boring for single gals .
It's actually quite amusing when one really thinks about it. Guys will do these things they would prefer not to but try to accommodate womens percieved need for over attention.
Take for example the case of Valentine's day greetings .Us girls are not necessarily looking for the grand gesture from anyone except our guy .So it's quite amusing when potential, past and current dudes decide it's time to reach out . Partiuclarly the pressure they must feel to send that all emcompassing TEXT message to every woman they know.
A message Valentine's Day via the witness protection program.
Here's one from someone we'll call Al but he goes by Eric now. Perhaps he's in the witness protection program. Apparently he's changed identities depending on which female he's talking to. You know this guy, he goes off the grid for months and pops up out of the blue when you've long forgotten about his ass.
Al/ Eric : Happy Valentines Day Baby . I will see you very soon . Eric
Her: Eric ? Lol I think you have the wrong girl playa!
Him : Crickets …….
The Proposal Gone Wrong
On the other end of the spectrum is the visual guy. He sends photos and selfies all the time .He keeps adores you. One particular guy well call him The Athelete found a great way propose and never get an answer .Yes,you read that correctly
The Athlete sent her 3 ballons spelling out "Will You Marry Me?" but they were delivered facing the blank side. Katy never saw the other side went home happy about her gift unknowingly leaving the proposal at the office. Once they were both home The Athlete is wondering "Why is she's so calm?" He finally says to her " So are we just going to shack up " Katy confused said " What do you mean "
Him I sent you the ballons did you see it ?
Her : Yes I loved them!
Him Oh you didnt see the other side! ,Will your marry me ?
Her : Oh my Gosh, yes yes of course I will!
And a happy ending this was.But hey in the spirit of Love gentlemen try to keep your messages clear and most importantly send it to the person it's actually intended to reach.


text: A City has its own kind of magick and allure. Chicago is a place like no other, and it has long been a favourite space of mine, my second home. The creative energy of Chicago overwhelms the senses and transports me to a higher plane. This is a love story.


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Saturday, January 30, 2021
Biden's Big Spending Plan Will Hurt Jobs and Growth
The plan calls for spending $1.9 trillion, even though Washington has already spent $4 trillion in COVID-19 relief which has gone toward the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses, provided unemployment insurance during the worst of the crisis, funding for hospitals, and vaccine distribution. Biden is calling for this new spending even though Congress passed a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package a little over a month ago.
RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...Podcast
For those who missed last night's show
where RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discussed 'A Revolution of Truths Still Untold'; 'America First...Let's Get This Party Started'; and important news of the day...you can listen to it (and previous shows) at your
convenience at: https://www.rspradio1.com to go directly to our podcasts and hope you become 'followers' of RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS.


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Animals are always a great option for face paint, and pretty much everyone can agree that cheetahs are some of the most gorgeous big cats. For this step by step I wanted to try a cheetah face paint design that is roaring with its mouth open. I hope you enjoy!
Cheetah Face Paint Tutorial
Step 1:
I loaded a round brush with a natural light flesh tone and sketched out where I wanted my cheetah's features to be placed on the models face.
Step 2:
I loaded a half round sponge with Roar Pixie Rainbow cake and sponged on the color throughout the design where the cheetahs fur would be. I made sure to keep the darkest color on the outer edges of the design. I also went over the eyes with the loaded sponge, again keeping the darkest brown color towards the outer corners of the eyes.
Step 3:
In this step I loaded a small angled brush with a pink to purple one stroke and filled in the nose, tongue and under tongue.
Step 4:
I loaded my round brushwith the light flesh tone and filled in the teeth and right above the pink of the nose. I also loaded a small round brush with a dark brown and began to draw in the snarly wrinkles on the nose and around the eyes.
Step 5:
I loaded my round brush with black and outlined the models eyes and smudged the edges to give it a softer look. After I lined the eyes I dipped that same brush into water to dilute and reactivate the paint left on my brush to make a wash. Using the wash I added some shading to the muzzle and around the pink of the nose.
Step 6:
I loaded a round brushwith black paintand filled in the areas that are black inside and around the mouth, the nose, the muzzle and wrinkles.
Step 7:
I loaded my rake brush with a brown and black and added hair like stroke's inside the ears and under the chin. I loaded a round brush with a pink and shaded the bases of the teeth. Lastly in this step, I loaded a round brush with black and painted on the cheetah spots.
Step 8:
I loaded a round brush with black and outlined the cheetah's face. I loaded another round brush with white to add whiskers and highlights and my design was finished! :)
Materials Used:
Face Paint Shop 1/2 inch rake brush
Roar Pixie Rainbow cake by Silly Farm
Diamond FX essential fair skin
Kellie Burrus is an all around artist who has been painting skin for six years now. She is the owner and operator of her company, Fabulous Faces by Kellie LLC, based in Long Island, New York.
Since her journey into face and body art Kellie has won several face painting contests and has been featured in face and body painting magazines.
Below are some links to Kellies social media pages that you may wish to check out and follow!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fabulousfaces77/?hl=en
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/FabulousFacesFacePaintingByKellie/


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- Financial wellbeing
- 4 minute read
The financial pressure of the COVID-19 crisis can harm employees' mental health and, consequently, their engagement. How can employers support their employees' financial wellbeing during hard times?
It's well understood that supporting your employees' financial wellbeing is an effective way to strengthen employee engagement, secure talent and drive up productivity. When your people are suffering from financial stress, every aspect of their lives can be affected. Money worries are one of the single biggest causes of stress, leading to poor performance at work.
Our recent research, Changing Trends of Financial Wellbeing, found that, even before COVID-19, 42% of employees admitted to losing sleep as a result of money worries, and nearly 40% of employees felt distracted at work. Younger employees are especially vulnerable to financial stress, with 45% of those aged 18-24 having suffered mental health problems as a result of money worries.
COVID-19 has only made things worse. 46% of employees felt financially unprepared for the emergency. As employees use their savings to cover costs and have concerns over job security, it's no surprise that 36% of employees now worry more about their financial health than before COVID-19.
Also, many people are using lockdown to reconsider their careers. One recent study suggested that 19% of people considering a career change are doing so as a result of poor treatment by their employer during lockdown.
These difficult times are an opportunity for employers to step up and proactively support their people. It's a challenge, certainly considering that most businesses have had to drastically change the way they work and, for many, get used to managing employees remotely.
Here we explore some of the ways you can support your staff to reduce the impact of financial stress:
- Keep talking
Communication is key. Empower your managers to check in with their team regularly. Staying connected, especially if your people are working remotely, means it's easier for them to recognise when a colleague is having problems. Upskill your managers with active listening skills to support productive conversations with employees. Every employee is different. Some may just want an understanding ear and to be heard to feel better
- Remove financial shame
The only good thing about the pandemic is that it gives you an easy way in to raise the subject of financial wellbeing with your employees, if it's not something already in your company culture. Acknowledging that the pandemic is a no-fault cause of financial stress will reduce the financial shame that many people can feel, and bring the issue into the open.
- Champion financial preparedness
The financial shock of COVID-19 has changed the way employees think about money. In our research, 50% of workers have plans to enhance their financial preparedness, with around 25% already having made changes. Financial preparedness is a hot topic. Start having conversations and offering resources that will help your employees become more financially resilient.
Employers who provide resources for financial advice/ guidance during the coronavirus pandemic have proved popular. Around one in five (21%) say they are likely to use them, but this rises to 27% among those aged 25-34 and then to 38% of those aged 35-44.
- Address job security
If you're sure that your employees' jobs are safe, tell them. If you're not sure, be open and transparent about it.
- Reduce non-financial sources of stress
Lockdown has highlighted potential new ways of working that could reduce non-financial stressors for your employees. Remote working, done well, means no commuting, more time with family or for hobbies, and a better work-life balance. Work with your employees to engineer new ways of working to reduce overall stress levels, post-pandemic.
- Highlight the importance of self-care
Self-care isn't a soft option. Self-care activities such as exercise, meditation, good nutrition and good sleep impact positively on mental and physical health. Self-care is especially important during times of extreme stress, such as COVID-19. Give your people the time and flexibility to attend to these most basic needs.
- Give employees access to financial education resources
More and more, employees are looking for financial wellness as a workplace benefit, and financial education is a key part of your offer. Knowledge is power, so giving your staff access to COVID-19-specific financial resources that can help them manage their finances during the crisis will make them feel more in control and therefore less stressed.
COVID-19 is an opportunity for employers to step up to the challenge of improving their business outcomes by supporting the financial wellbeing of their staff through the crisis. The pandemic has increased employees' levels of financial stress but it's also engaged them more proactively in their own financial health, and brought financial issues into the open. It's your chance to create and deploy a powerful financial wellness strategy that will keep your staff loyal and engaged.
Here at Close Brothers, we offer financial education services to organisations and employees at every stage of their career. To discover how you can improve financial education for employees in your business, request a call back today.


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Jack White, Willie Nelson & Neil Young Headline 2014 Farm Aid
August 13, 2014
Jack White, Willie Nelson, Neil Young are just three of the star names aiming to both promote and raise money for family farmers later this year with the release of 2014 Farm Aid tickets for the annual food and music festival.
Heading to North Carolina for the first time in its 29-year history, the charity event will take place on September 13 at Raleigh's Walnut Creek Amphitheater where audiences can enjoy sets from the organization's President Nelson and board members Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews as well as a debut appearance from the former White Stripes frontman.
Inspired by Bob Dylan's comments about struggling family farmers at Live Aid back in 1985, the charity event was first staged at Champaign's Memorial Stadium in the same year and has since gone onto raise over $45 million for the farming cause.
Staged at Saratoga Springs' Performing Arts Center, over 30,000 Farm Aid tickets were sold for last year's festival, which featured the likes of Pete Seeger in his final live performance, Amos Lee, Jack Johnson and Kacey Musgraves as well as the usual suspects.
This year's line-up, which also includes Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Jamey Johnson, Delta Rae, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Carlene Carter, Pegi Young & The Survivors and Insects vs Robots, is expected to attract a similar number of festivalgoers when Farm Aid tickets go on sale later this week.
Alongside the impressive array of performers, those with Farm Aid tickets can also visit the Homegrown Village where they will be able to sample food, engage in hands-on activities, meet local farmers and learn about cultivating land.
Fans also have a rare opportunity to experience a VIP Backstage Tour and access to an exclusive press conference through these reasonable packages. Both experiences include a premium seat to the Farm Aid concert, VIP hospitality, and private bathrooms.
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"Michelle manages a social media feed for one of our client journals and we are absolutely delighted with her work. Her deft touch on Twitter has driven engagement, dramatically increased followers, and pushed the important content without raising controversy––not a trivial accomplishment. She also writes blog posts for our clients and her writing is clear, friendly, and concise without being terse. Moreover, she writes on a broad range of topics––from plant molecular biology to fiber arts––we have yet to come across a project she couldn't excel at."
Jennifer Mach, Plant Editors/Peridot Scientific Communications
"Michelle is a unicorn. She's a skilled and versatile writer, capable of crafting exactly what you need, whether it's a friendly interview, a probing investigation, or a deep and nerdy dive into a technical aspect of art or craft. But it's not just that: Michelle delivers clean copy, to specification, on time. She's an absolute joy to work with, and we're not entirely sure how we'd manage to run our publication without her."
Kate Atherley and Kim Werker, Digits&Threads Magazine/NineTen Publications
"We appreciate Michelle's responsiveness, clean writing, and flexibility. Her overall positive tone makes her a pleasure to work with!"
Plant Editors/Peridot Scientific Communications
"We are a financial services organization currently building our own financial planning software. We have used Michelle's expertise to help us write the software User Manual, the document that our Advisors will use to navigate the software. Michelle's ability to wordsmith our industry's complex information into useful communication that a new Advisor would easily understand, is invaluable. In addition, she created content, incorporated design changes, and made layout improvements to the Manual, making it more appealing to the reader.
We highly recommend Michelle and the many skill sets she brings to the table, and look forward to continuing our collaboration together as we add more content to the manual."
Marianna Paltanen, CFP, Business Analyst, T.E. Wealth
"I very much enjoyed working with Michelle as my editor. Giving my material to anyone to potentially change, was unnerving. I didn't want to lose control of it. I soon learned that what Michelle put forward was both in the form of a suggestion and came with an explanation. Most importantly, her recommendations were to round out the material but at no point did she ever change my voice. Instead, she edited the material through my lens, as a writer and made impactful suggestions. In fact, once I've completed updating from her edits, I intend to hire her again to polish the final version. Her style is gentle, informed and precise, which made Michelle very easy to work with. I'd highly recommend her."
Janis Boase, Writer
"Michelle Woodvine worked for our financial services organization on a number of initiatives. She helped write technical manuals and organized us through a messy auditing project. I was completely satisfied with her editing and organizing—which was thorough and effective. She improved the readability, clarified items without changing their meaning and helped us to organize a challenging project (creating a thoughtful, themed based matrix to help us map out the project). I have no hesitation in recommending her editing and organizing service. She is not only reasonably priced but also friendly and very responsive to work with."
Connie Cooper, Vice President, Consulting Group, T.E. Wealth
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Seven-year-old Winston Churchill was amazed in his first Latin lesson to hear his Latin teacher expecting him to speak to a table! It reminds me of the folly of the much older Dean of Windsor speaking to a dead body, at the funeral of the aged Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip.
Churchill's experience was popularised in his biography My Early Life and this became one of the most recognised passages, but it may also have demeaned the language and contributed to its demise from British schooling. Latin is not taught much nowadays in schools, although so much of the English language is based upon Latin, as well as upon other languages. The education of the rising generation is not the better for it, and the impoverishing of the English language is apparent to older generations educated with a better curriculum than at present.
Latin syntax
When I first learned Latin, I was astonished to discover that the verb was placed at the end of the sentence. It seemed to me that one was kept in suspense throughout the whole sentence until the speaker or reader reached the end of the sentence. Only recently, with the manifest deterioration in public discussion, has the utility and practicality of Latin syntax become apparent to me.
Public discussion, debate and interruptions
Public discussion is impoverished by the interruptions that prevent the audience hearing what was said, or was intended to be said. It occurs to me that it would be difficult to interrupt a Latin sentence because one would need to wait till the end of the sentence to hear its significant verb.
So these Latin-speaking Romans have stolen a march on us and it may have contributed to Roman oratory building upon Greek oratory.
The question arises how this could be adapted to improving public discussion. It could begin with letting people finish their sentence, which will not only establish what was said, rather than what the hearer thinks or expected the speaker to say, and it will give the responder more time to formulate their response. It also allows listeners to hear the discussion and gives them time to assimilate the points made by each contributor. It reminds me of time-bound chess matches where each player hits the clock after he has made his move and the opponent now has his time to make his move. Time to think? Time to speak? It seems so obvious. Let the debate begin.


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CNLM Ranger Todd talks about Open Space and Wildlife
CNLM Ranger Todd Nordness talks about how keeping plant life healthy helps to attract wildlife. For more click, here...Read More
CNLM Ranger Todd Nordness talks about how keeping plant life healthy helps to attract wildlife. For more click, here...Read More
CNLM's Dave Erickson and Deborah Rogers discuss newly created wetland at Marblehead Preserve. For more click, here. Photo by: Cindy Yamanaka, Staff Photographer of The Orange County Register...Read More
April 17, 2015: Grand opening for the Marblehead Coastal Trail, including information on the habitats and species found on CNLM's Marblehead Preserve click, here. ...Read More
Center for Natural Lands Management welcomes four new staff members, Gary Slater (in our Washington office), Cara Applestein (in our Washington office), Carola Tejeda (in our Washington office) and Dave Erickson (Orange County). Gary joined CNLM in October 2014 and is our new Avian Ecologist in Washington...Read More
Wiggins' cryptantha (Cryptantha wigginsii), a rare annual herb, once thought to be extinct was rediscovered! Read here....Read More
Prairie Appreciation Day is Saturday, May 9, 2015!! For more information please visit http://prairieappreciationday.org/...Read More
The South Puget Sound Program of the Center for Natural Lands Management is excited to share with you our new video about the South Sound Prairies. This video aims to provide background information about the prairies as well as provide some insight about the type and...Read More
CNLM presents at California Native Plant Society's Conservation Conference, Jan 13-17, 2015! This conference, celebrating 50 years of conservation progress, drew conservation professionals and enthusiasts together to present and discuss important information on the conservation of native plants in California. With more than 300 presenters and...Read More
Recovery efforts after the devastating Poinsettia fires in San Diego. Read article about CNLM's restoration efforts in San Diego County. Post Date: September 3, 2014...Read More
CNLM hosted a get-to-know-you cocktail open house at the Thousand Palm Oasis Preserve (Coachella Valley). It was well attended by numerous friends, volunteer, staff, and others interested in learning more about CNLM, and the past, present, and future of the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve. The setting was...Read More


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This gorgeous wooden stacker brings out all of your little one's under the sea dreams. Stack eighteen unique wonderfully vibrant ocean creatures and fish on their coral rock. This set will improve fine motor skills and encourage creative play. This set includes: eighteen under water creatures and a coral rock for stacking.
Dimensions: 10.63" x 3.15" x 9.84"
Age Recommendation: 18+ Months
Made with: Wood
Created By: Tender Leaf
Made in Indonesia
Choking hazard. Contains small parts.


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Balancing Input—Delivering Results
It is a commonly held belief that public buildings and facilities should set the standard in a community. Architecturally pleasing buildings, made with quality materials, project a sense of permanence and human scale that expresses the dignity and importance of the community they serve.
At CGA, we are committed to the public and strive to build structures that are everlasting and aesthetically pleasing. Our project management team is responsive to the detail-oriented focus you require to execute complex projects. Below are but a few of the types of Municipal Projects we build:
• Museums
• Churches
• Fire Stations
• Airport Ancillary
• State Government
• Federal Government


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… Walking Britain's Roman Roads, in fact. It is quite a good series, in which Jones explores some of the most important of these, together with some aspects of Romano-British Society. The first episode takes him the length of Watling Street, the first part of which is now he M2, during which he visits the… Continue reading Dan Jones hits the road …
Tag: Bath
"Bone Detectives" come to Ipswich …
… and other venues, with Tori Herridge and Raksha Dave. This Channel Four series, which consists of five episodes, begins at Stoke Quay on the town's Waterfront where a long-forgotten (St. Augustine's) burial ground was fully explored before some new buildings were constructed. Three bodies in particular were examined: 1) A wealthy man buried in… Continue reading "Bone Detectives" come to Ipswich …
Come and have a dip in Bath….
As a writer of historical novels (I've produced a lot!) it is always of immense interest to know exactly what a certain place might have looked like in the time my novel is set. Having written many that were set in Regency Bath, I would have been very thankful indeed to find this site. Alas, my… Continue reading Come and have a dip in Bath….
George Washington's England, especially Sulgrave Manor….
I had never looked into the English origins of George Washington's family, although I did know that his ancestors were associated with Washington Old Hall, Washington, Tyne & Wear. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/washington-old-hall So I am surprised to discover that the family was also associated with other places, including Purleigh in Essex (http://www.kenmore.org/genealogy/washington/descendants.html) and Sulgrave Manor in… Continue reading George Washington's England, especially Sulgrave Manor….
The Tewkesbury Medieval Festival 2015
I've been wanting to attend this festival for at least 20 years and finally everything came together this year and I was able to take my family with me for an orgy of medieval shopping, weaponry, costumes and merchandising followed by the re-enactment of the Battle of Tewkesbury on part of the original site… Continue reading The Tewkesbury Medieval Festival 2015


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Gabi was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and moved to New York City with her parents at the age of six months.
Robert is a fifth generation Californian, born in Los Angeles, who has seldom returned to that great city since moving to San Diego at the age of two years.
Starting from opposite corners of the country, we both wandered far and wide until independently ending up in the San Francisco Bay Area where we ultimately discovered each other and our common love of the outdoors and travel.
Cycle Across America Factoids
Cycle across America starting point: Redwood City, California
Cycle across America destination: New York, New York
Estimated Total Miles: 4200
Actual Miles: 3970
Total Days: 74
Riding Days: 64
Best Meal: Blue Point Grille, Cleveland, OH
We started this site as a way to chronicle a big bicycling trip we wanted to do. We thought it would be a great way to share our experience with friends, family and random web surfers. Over time the simple web site that Gabrielle envisioned, has taken on a life of its own. We have learned a lot along the way.
After looking into various web publishing technologies, we decided to build our site initial on pMachine. It is the most flexible, fastest, coolest web publishing platform out there. We loved it. Image editing was done using Photo Impact. This is a truly amazing image editing tool with most of the features of products costing way more.
Recently, we moved the site to WordPress and the photos to Flickr where they live today.
And most importantly, we ride a Burley Samba Softride.


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Loving Home Grown
AKC German Shepherds
Loving Home Grown
AKC German Shepherds
AKC German Shepherds
AKC German Shepherds
Baron is a AKC registered German Shepherd. He has the pedigree of champion show dogs in Germany, with some VA1 & V ranked and/or Schutzhund titled individuals Absolutely wonderful. A young strong Male with Deep Red /Mahogany and Bold Black colors. Back colors are solid Black and small section of Red. Black face and stock coat.
OFA Certification Hips - A2 Good Elbows - Normal DM - Clear
Baron is intelligent, friendly, loving and loyal while also possessing a proud, alert and protective temperament.
Baron's pedigree includes : 2x VA1 Remo vom Fichtenschlag , VA1 Zamp vom Thermodos and more.
Isabella is a gorgeous AKC registered German Shepherd. She is a Black & Red female with a short stock coat. Isabella has a pedigree with VA 1 / Sieger champion titles, Schutzhund and in SV. Isabella has the desired temperament of being friendly and great with children. She is playful and very intelligent along with having instincts of a loyal companion and protector. Isabella's pedigree includes: : V1 Quantas von Fichtenschlag , 2X VA1 Wilko vom Fichtenschlag and more.
Venus is a AKC registered Female. Red and Black with an excellent pedigree. Her parents Sire and Dam have multiple VA & VA1 titles and many more in their bloodline.
OFA Certified Hips and Elbows. Clear for DM.
Venus's pedigree includes : VA1, IPO3 KKL1 Karat's Kimbo (Sire) , VA1 Ballack von der Brucknerallee , 2X VA1 Vegas du Haut Mansard and more.
Aurora is an AKC registered Female. Deep Red and Bold Black, Aurora stands out as an absolutely beautiful German Shepherd, we are very proud of her.
Aurora's pedigree includes : SG1, IPO1 SV Fanto von Farhantal ( Father ), SG1 Japa vom Vrban Haus ( Mother ), VA1 IPO1 Wikky von Farhantal ( Grandmother ), VA1 Sieger Odin Vom Mittelwest ll, ( Great Grandfather ) 2X VA1 BSZS & USA IPO2 Schumann von Tronje ( Great Grandfather ) and more.
Our babies are expected to sell quickly, so reach out to reserve your puppy today.
11108 New York Avenue Northwest, Lavale, Maryland 21502, United States
By Appointment
Open to Visitors By Appointment Only
Be the first to hear about new litters and availability.


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Today, Samuel went swimming for the first time!
Yes, we asked his pediatrician first, and he said it was okay. And we didn't stay all that long. Plus, Hubby needed to get back to studying for his exams (Aug 10 & 12 — only 2 weeks away!).
I thought and though about what I could put up for {Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real} and realized that Samuel in the pool does it all! Here's some stills from our time there.
|First getting in… chilly!
|Daddy! You put me under the water!
|Hmmm… not sure if that was a bad thing or not.
|Maybe its not all that bad.
After 15 or so minutes, Samuel was starting to kick like he does in the bath, and I think he was really enjoying himself by the end.
I realized how much water and "the kitty" go together (since Hank is fascinated with baths and tubs of water), and that my voice can get very high when I'm talking to the baby. Ah, well, its always a bit odd to hear yourself on a video or some such.


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Ali Husain
Owner, Husaak Adventures
Ali was trained to be a petroleum engineer, but born to be an explorer. He left Kuwait at the age of 17 and has been exploring this planet ever since. He's now sharing that experience with you.
Ali lived in many different parts of the world, mainly around salty water and rugged majestic mountains. Along the way, he spent 11 years working in the energy exploration business in Alaska and the Arctic before coming back to the Arabian Peninsula to explore the untouched surface and the rich subsurface.
Ali started his career in the oil industry working for BP exploration in Alaska and the Arctic. He progressed around the world working ion Oman, off shore Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. In 2013, he left the oil industry and his job as the Petroleum Engineering Manager for the world 5th largest oil field to focus on Husaak Adventures.


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Adam Moore
Residence: Norwich , UK
Adam Moore is a musician living and working as a composer, performer and teacher in the east of England. His compositional interests include projects for cheap soundcards, expensive orchestras, competitively priced theatres, choirs, and rock bands, for installations and for various small ensembles. He studies at the University of East Anglia where he is currently reading for an MMus degree in composition by research.
Date: March 28, 2003
Little Fireworks (2001)4:38


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In Vivo Imaging of Synaptic Density in Schizophrenia
PET tracer may demonstrate that schizophrenia is linked to decreased brain synapses
Patrick D. Skosnik, Ph.D., and Rajiv Radhakrishnan, M.D.
Yale University, New Haven, CT
Grant Program:
David Mahoney Neuroimaging Program
Funded in:
September 2016, for 3 years
Funding Amount:
Lay Summary
PET tracer may demonstrate that schizophrenia is linked to decreased brain synapses
Investigators will use a newly developed positron emission tomography (PET) tracer in individuals with schizophrenia to examine whether this disorder, and its symptoms and degrees of severity, are directly associated with decreases in brain synapses where transmission of electrochemical messages from one brain cell to another occur.
When individuals first show signs of schizophrenia, usually in their early 20's, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows that the brain's areas of grey matter (brain cells) and white matter (nerve fibers that connect brain regions) are reduced. Moreover, this reduction or "atrophy" progresses over the course of the disease. However, postmortem/autopsy studies have shown that it is not the brain cells themselves that atrophy. Rather, atrophy occurs in two essential structures that transmit brain cells' electrochemical messages: "axons" and "dendrites." Brain cell axons are fibers that send the cell's electrochemical messages, while dendrites on neighboring cells receive those messages. This message exchange occurs at a junction called a "synapse."
In schizophrenia, microscopic examination of autopsied brain tissue shows that dendrites receiving messages carried by the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate are shorter and less dense. Further, the presynaptic terminals of axons (located at the ends of axon fibers) have also been shown to be atrophied. This finding corresponds to studies showing that schizophrenia is associated with decreased levels of glutamate, a neurotransmitter involved in several functions including mood, reward, attention, and learning. It is possible, therefore, that lower levels of these neurotransmitters in schizophrenia correspond to decreases or destruction of the synapses that facilitate their passage from one cell to another.
Now, for the first time, researchers will be able to measure the density of brain synapses in schizophrenia in vivo (i.e. in living patients). This is possible using a new PET tracer ([11C] UCB-J) that was recently developed at Yale. The tracer binds to specific proteins located on the ends of axon fibers, just prior to the synapse where the axon sends its message to awaiting dendrites. The binding of the tracer to this protein will serve as a proxy for measuring the density of synapses in living patients. Moreover, the investigators will be able to assess changes in the density of synapses over time (i.e. as the disease progresses).
The investigators hypothesize that people with schizophrenia will have decreased synaptic density. Moreover, they hypothesize that this decreased density will be correlated with worse symptoms and greater deficits in information processing as measured by electroencephalography (EEG).
In this preliminary study, they will use this Yale-developed PET tracer to see if there are differences in synaptic density between 12 patients with schizophrenia and 12 healthy adults. They will also examine whether decreases in synaptic density are correlated with symptom severity and cognitive performance. Lastly, they also will use EEG to measure alterations in information processing, and will attempt to determine whether such alterations relate to degree of synaptic loss.
Significance: This study may reveal that presynaptic dysfunction, which results in the loss of synapses, is a core feature of schizophrenia. If so, future research could be aimed at testing new therapies designed to increase synaptic function to treat schizophrenia.
In Vivo Imaging of Synaptic Density in Schizophrenia
Background: Converging lines of evidence suggest presynaptic "microstructural" abnormalities in schizophrenia (SCZ). For example, post mortem (PM) studies have revealed reduced expression of region- specific presynaptic transcripts/proteins in SCZ, and genetic studies have reported alterations in genes related to synaptic integrity and function. Availability of an in vivo measure of synaptic density could provide a tool to test the hypothesis of altered synaptic density in SCZ while also addressing confounds that are inherent to PM studies (e.g., PM interval, storage, nature of death, etc.). Further, being able to measure synaptic density in vivo will permit the ability to relate synaptic density to concurrent measures of the phenomenology of SCZ in the same individual. Synaptic vesicle glycoproteins 2 (SV2) are integral proteins localized on the surface of synaptic vesicles and have an important role in synaptic vesicle exocytosis and neurotransmitter release. SV2A is one of three SV2 isoforms and is expressed in virtually all synapses. Thus, SV2A offers a unique target to image synaptic density in the human brain in vivo. UCB-J, an analog of levetiracetam (Keppra) binds to SV2A with high specificity and has been developed as a PET radioligand at Yale. The SV2A-specific signal measured using [11C]UCB-J is thus a proxy quantitative measure of synaptic density. The purpose of the current study is to examine synaptic density in SCZ in vivo utilizing [11C]UCB-J and to relate synaptic density to disease phenomena (see below) and electrophysiological (EEG) correlates of information processing. Hypotheses: Patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) will exhibit decreased synaptic density as estimated using the PET tracer [11C]UCB-J across brain regions. Further, [11C]UCB-J binding will be related to worse symptoms, and greater deficits in electrophysiological (EEG) measures of information processing. Aims: 1) To measure global and regional synaptic density in patients with SCZ (n=12) compared to healthy controls (n=12) using [11C]UCB-J, a novel PET tracer that binds to the synaptic vesicle protein SV2A utilizing High Resolution Research Tomography (HRRT), a PET scanner with the highest sensitivity and resolution available for human brain imaging. 2) To explore the relationship between [11C]UCB-J binding and disease phenomena including a) disease severity (total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale [PANSS] scores; and b) electrophysiological indices of information processing and psychosis-related biomarkers (utilizing EEG). Methods: Using the validated PET SV2A radioligand [11C]UCB-J and the HRRT, [11C]UCB-J binding (VT) will be compared in patients with chronic SCZ and healthy controls. PET scanning will be performed using HRRT (Siemens/CTI, Knoxville, TN, USA). In addition to concurrent measures of phenomenology, EEG measures of information processing will be utilized (64 channel; Neuroscan SynAmps RT, Compumedics Neuroscan, Charlotte, NC, USA).
Investigator Biographies
Patrick D. Skosnik, Ph.D., and Rajiv Radhakrishnan, M.D.
Dr. Skosnik is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. He joined the faculty at Yale in 2010 (as research faculty), and was subsequently promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor in 2013. Dr. Skosnik has been interested in the neurobiology of psychosis since his early doctoral work at Northwestern University. Dr. Skosnik studied behavioral neuroscience under the mentorship of Dr. Sohee Park, one of the world leaders in schizophrenia research. There he examined the cognitive, biochemical, and electrophysiological correlates of psychosis from the perspective of the cannabinoid model of schizophrenia. During his postdoctoral study, he worked with two other pioneers in the schizophrenia research field (Dr. Brian O'Donnell and Dr. William Hetrick). During this time, he continued to examine the neural substrates of psychosis utilizing multiple imaging modalities (EEG, MRI, and PET). Since arriving at Yale, Dr. Skosnik has expanded his "multimodal imaging" approach, and has obtained additional grant support to study psychosis and drug abuse utilizing PET, EEG, and MRI. Currently, Dr. Skosnik is part of the Schizophrenia and Neuropharmacology Research Group at Yale (SNRGY) which is directed by Dr. Deepak C. D'Souza. He has been the recipient of two NARSAD Young Investigator Awards, was invited to participate in the NIH Early Career Reviewer (ECR) Program, was the 2016 Yale Nominee for the Charles A. Dana Foundation Neuroimaging Grant (awarded), and his work has been featured on the covers of Biological Psychiatry, Neuropsychopharmacology, and Clinical Neurophysiology.
Dr. Radhakrishnan, MBBS, MD is a Clinical Instructor at Yale University School of Medicine. He graduated psychiatry residency from Yale and had also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Schizophrenia Research Clinic at Yale (under the mentorship of Dr. Deepak D'Souza). In his brief career, he has received a number of awards including the Seymour Lustman Research Award, the highest award for resident research achievement given by the Yale Department of Psychiatry and the Thomas P. Detre Fellowship Award in Translational Neuroscience Research in Psychiatry. Dr. Radhakrishnan's research has focused on examining the link between the cannabinoid system and schizophrenia and is currently invested in using PET imaging to further elucidate this relationship.


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Limitations of recursive logit for inverse reinforcement learning of bicycle route choice behavior in Amsterdam
Used for route choice modelling by the transportation research community, recursive logit is a form of inverse reinforcement learning. By solving a large-scale system of linear equations recursive logit allows estimation of an optimal (negative) reward function in a computationally efficient way that performs for large networks and a large number of observations. In this paper we review examples of recursive logit and inverse reinforcement learning models applied to real world GPS travel trajectories and explore some of the challenges in modeling bicycle route choice in the city of Amsterdam using recursive logit as compared to a simple baseline multinomial logit model with environmental variables. We discuss conceptual, computational, numerical and statistical issues that we encountered and conclude with recommendation for further research.
|Additional Metadata
|, , , ,
|12th International Conference on Ambient Systems, Networks and Technologies, ANT 2021 / 4th International Conference on Emerging Data and Industry 4.0, EDI40 2021 / Affiliated Workshops
|Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, Amsterdam (CWI), The Netherlands
Koch, T. H. A, & Dugundji, E.R. (2021). Limitations of recursive logit for inverse reinforcement learning of bicycle route choice behavior in Amsterdam. In Procedia Computer Science (pp. 492–499). doi:10.1016/j.procs.2021.03.062


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The Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs continues after a nail-biter in Game 3 Monday went the way of the home team, 3-2. As such, the Maple Leafs grabbed the 2-1 series lead, retaining home-ice advantage for now. The B's would love to square the series before heading back to Beantown for Friday's Game 5.
Odds provided by FanDuel; for a full-set of today's sports betting odds, access them at USA TODAY Sports.
Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs: By the Numbers
- Center Auston Matthews came alive in Game 3 with a goal and an assist. Left wing Andreas Johnsson also stepped up with a goal and an assist, handling bigger responsibilities following the suspension of C Nazem Kadri and the subsequent move of William Nylander from wing to center.
- Goaltender Tuukka Rask won his only regular-season start against the Leafs, but he coughed up three goals on 32 shots in the home setback Thursday.
- Bruins center Patrice Bergeron was held off the board in Game 3 after scoring a pair of power-play goals in the first two games.
- Trade deadline acquisition Charlie Coyle has goals in back-to-back games, paying dividends for the B's.
Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs: Projected Goalie Starters
Frederik Andersen vs. Tuukka Rask
Andersen bounced back after a shaky Game 2, turning aside 34 of the 36 shots he faced in Monday's win to pick up the win. He is now 2-1-0 with a 2.34 goals-against average and .939 save percentage through the first three games in this series, and he has allowed two or fewer goals in each of his two wins.
Rask allowed just one goal in Game 2, picking up his only win of the series, but he has allowed three goals in each of the two losses. Still, he has a stellar .928 save percentage in the three games in the series, and 2.37 GAA.
Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs: NHL Best Bet
Moneyline: The Leafs (-125) are looking to grab the upper hand in this series and push the B's to the brink of elimination, but it won't be easy. The Bruins (+105) are just 2-8 in their past 10 skates at Scotiabank Arena, however. This one could be super close and low scoring. If you have to bet anyone, take the B's, but I don't love it.
Against the spread: The Bruins (+1.5, -250) are an attractive play, as it's unlikely the Maple Leafs (-1.5, +210) win this one by more than a goal, if they win at all. Of course, it's a lot of chalk to eat in case the Leafs repeat their Game 1 performance. I don't like betting anything more than -170 in hockey, as a rule of thumb.
Over/under: The UNDER 6 (-110) has cashed in each of the first three games in this series, so there's no reason to get away from it now. As the series continues to go on, things will get tighter and tighter and teams will take even fewer risks, leading to fewer scoring chances.
Follow Joe on Twitter @JoeWilliamsVI


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City officials on Monday touted a planned divestment of roughly $4 billion in pension funds from "fossil-fuel" companies, though they declined to name the businesses in question.
The New York City Employees' Retirement System and the city Teachers' Retirement System voted to sell off the securities, Mayor de Blasio and Comptroller Scott Stringer announced. The New York City Board of Education Retirement System was expected to soon follow in those footsteps.
The pension funds will sell off securities "identified based on demonstrated risk from fossil-fuel reserves and business activity" within about two years years, the officials said.
"Our first-in-the-nation divestment is literally putting money where our mouth is when it comes to climate change," de Blasio said in a statement. "Divestment is a bold investment in our children and grandchildren, and our planet."
Stringer has championed a range of environmental causes as he runs for mayor in this year's election.
"New York City is leading the way forward because we know the future is on the side of clean energy – not big polluters," he stated.
During his unsuccessful 2019 presidential run, de Blasio repeatedly boasted that the city had divested $5 billion from the fossil-fuel industry, though the claim was false.
Asked for names of the companies from which the city will divest, a de Blasio spokeswoman cited part of a press release stating: "The names of companies and the final scope of the divestment will be released following the sale of all targeted securities."
"It is our policy to only share the names of companies after we've executed the sale to avoid financial risks of moving markets by broadcasting specifics," Stringer spokeswoman Hazel Crampton-Hays said in an email.
Union leaders applauded the moves, which required their approval.
"Under the current proposal, we can confidently support a vote to divest from fossil-fuel holdings in the [New York City Employees' Retirement System] portfolio, and most importantly do so without an adverse effect on the pension fund," Gregory Floyd, president of Teamsters Local 237, said in a statement.


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What we do
The challenge for Pavlov's Design is to create brands that are alive and emotionally charged . It is important for us to be inspired and to enjoy the very process of creation. This is what we call inspiring branding.
Research and Analytics:
– environmental studies;
– brand audit;
– consumer behavior studies.
Brand development:
– strategy development;
– brand platform and positioning;
– brand architecture.
Strategic sessions and trainings.
Visual brand attributes:
– brand identity;
– sign, logo;
– elements of style;
– brand communication design and style.
Verbal brand attributes:
– naming;
– tagline;
– brand legend.
Brand Environment Design.
Communication Strategy.
– shape;
– design;
– package production control;
– package design guidelines.
Brandbook development.
Corporate printing.
POSM design.
Prepress (preprint preparation of original layouts).