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Budget Overview 2017/18
Yesterday, Maranoa Regional Council adopted the budget for the 2017/18 financial year.
Totalling $86.1 million, this budget provides a strong financial plan for the coming year, ensuring a balance of service delivery while also providing for the maintenance and upgrade of the region's infrastructure. Following is an overview of the income and expenditure for the year.
Out of a budget totalling $86.1 million, $29.4 million will be funded through rates, levies and charges.
General rate revenue will increase by 1.84%. Some categories will see increases and some will see decreases and there will be swings against the trend within the categories dependent on valuations, capping, minimums and banding.
For the average household (Residential A property), this equates to an extra $52.54 per year, or just over $1 each week.
Rural Roads
The region's rural road network has once again been one of the largest areas for budgeted expenditure:
- Rural Road Maintenance - $9.042 million
- Rural Roads Capital Works - $14.3 million.
As always, Council has worked hard to prioritise the works selected for this financial year. Some highlights include Injune Taroom Road, Injune upgrade and gravel resheet ($9.51 million), Bollon Road, Mitchell ($1.03 million), and Gullagimbi Road, Jackson ($79,560).
Water & Sewerage
As an essential service for our community, $3.15 million has been allocated to the region's water and sewerage services. Some key projects include the installation of a delivery main from the northern bore in Roma ($650,000); Bore 1 replacement in Injune ($350,000); water main upgrade on Northern Road – Alexander Avenue, Roma ($150,000); 3 kilometres of sewer relining, Roma (480,000); and replacement of sewer at Rugby Street, Mitchell ($150,000).
Ensuring community facilities across the region are maintained and upgraded is an integral function of a local government. This year, Council has set aside $994,170 to ensure the region's facilities are kept up to standard. Some highlights this year include the replacement of the Mitchell Great Artesian Spa deck ($149,000); pre-paint maintenance and painting of the Noonga Hall ($38,000); and re-paint of the Surat Hall ($53,900).
This year, $350,000 has been put aside for waste projects. A highlight includes $200,000 for the development of a new cell and its fencing at the Mitchell Refuse Facility.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy has featured in this year's budget, with a Renewable Energy Pilot program set to take place at the Roma Cultural Centre ($140,000).
The aim of this project is to reduce Council's overall operating costs – this one project alone could potentially save $50,000 per annum in electricity costs.
With the slowing of economic activity in the region, Council is committed to growing tourism to bring more visitors to the region and therefore boost opportunities for local business.
Some initiatives to encourage visitors to stay and spend longer in the Maranoa total $89,000 with highlights including:
- Relocation of heritage railway carriages, fencing and landscaping around the Calico Cottage and Heritage Building in Wallumbilla ($45,000);
- Implementation of the Cobb and Co Park Yuleba Masterplan, with Stage 1 improvements set to be complete for the 95th Anniversary Cobb and Co Festival in 2019 ($20,000).
To view the full Budget document for 2017/18 click here.
To view Deputy Mayor Jan Chambers statement, click here.
The challenges in setting rates and charges following large swings in valuations
CPI figures released for June 2017
Essential services flow into this year's Budget
Driving forward this year - rural roads stay a priority


text: Kosmor :: View topic - List of notable rulers Imprint Search Log in Legal Memberlist Profile List of notable rulers Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3 Next Kosmor Forum Index -> Kosmor Talk View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message NikoyGuest Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 20:13 Post subject: Hey, Kosmorians! Nice to see whats going on here, the history of Kosmor brings me joy to read and remember! When I read the first requirements I was so happy that nobody put me in the list! Because I was absent for some months (entering for 10 minutes every 3th day or so), this seemed so long for me that someone may have thought I am not around anymore... Well, now on the topic: 1. Kodro - The real leader of the Templars when I joined. Cooperating with everyone and doing all the coordination. Sold his account to become Lujin, which became our enemy. 2. Sandal - The official Grand Master, the house's WP, the BIG BOSS, alone on his high mountain peak, away from the mortals... Later separated and cooperated more with us, but became inactive. 3. Michimike - cunning but twisted mind, ever hating the name Templar, hated me only because I put the house together again after it fell apart. Lets not forget his friends Bucan and Abdul, in war with Templars for long time. 4. Agnar - I watched the great southern war from afar and couldnt help him although he was in good relations to us, because I didnt have the ability to do it back then. 5. RobinHood - Agnar's greatest enemy, finally victorious, great warrior, although not in good relations with Templar, but not our real enemy too. This is to name a few - many more are deserving the same though. I will like to see the history of Kosmor in details if possible! Back to top GinerGuest Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 09:44 Post subject: I nominate: Nikoy: Took the remnants of a falling house and revived it back to a peak which saw it become a superforce once again. Moby Dick: The long arm of the law in the southern arm, made alot of sacrifices but helped keep that area safe for newer imperators. Assisi: Significant member of Templar who was the rock in recent times keeping us motivated when absences occured, grew from minor to major player quickly. will add more when I can think of decent things to describe. Back to top AurionGuest Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 10:04 Post subject: Well, all of them are still here. I don't know if thats good. They are not "history", so to speak. They can still ruin their reputation. Thats like when people get nominated for the work of their lifetime when they are 40, or when a 15 year old writes his biography. Thats why i suggested the "must have left" requirement. If the general opinion is to do away with it, so be it, but i'd like to have an opinion Back to top AssisiLord of the HouseJoined: 25 Jan 2007Posts: 316Location: Bucuresti , Romania Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 10:20 Post subject: Even if I like Giner's nomination and I agree them all ... I am not history ! For sure. I also want to thank Giner but I must say that I am against nominating characters that are still in game. Can turn ugly if we continue and will not help us at all in our other task ... the history of Kosmor. I only want to add that my nomination would have been different ... especially if I think about the number of nominations. Regards ! Assisi P.S : what we will do with Giner's post ? If remains written ... will become a precedent and others will follow. Maybe Giner should edit it ??? I am sure that he knows lots of interesting characters that are no more._________________Lord of the House Assisi in the house Nemesis Back to top NikoyGuest Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 17:47 Post subject: Want to revive this by updating my opinion: First - I want to point out that the emoticons in the first post must be repared! I also want to suggest that we may nominate any inactive player and we may vote for any nominated. The names with more votes can go up in the list. How about? Second - Aurion didn't updated the list in the begining entirely and I think more names can be added: - "Kodro : the best Knight from those that are no more." This can be updated with the Pauls addition: "Kodro had 40 subordinates at one point." - Apo can be updated to Apocalypse (his real name) My nominations are still not in the list - the old ones (edited) plus some new: - Sandal - The official Grand Master in the times of Kodro, the house's WP, the BIG BOSS, alone and silent on his mountain peak, away from the mortals... Later separated from the house, but kept tightly cooperating with us, in several occasions fought hardly with and defeated michimike, Abdul and Bucan. - Agnar - Leader of house Agnari, water-addicted amphibian, one of the participants in the great southern war with house Troja. Fought long and brave, but finally lost the war. - RobinHood - Agnar's greatest enemy, finally victorious, great warrior, leader of big house, (one of) the first to put up more than a million CP on his WP. - Bucan and Abdul - very skilled warriors, friends of michimike, long-lasting enemies of the Templars. - Locutus - good ally of the Templars from the south (delta quadrant), together with Nella and Carboneater fought bravely the pirates in their first major attack. - Giner - Templar Knight acknowledged by me, good warrior, very good coordinator and community builder. - marion! Of course - marion! she was the biggest troublemaker I have ever seen. Coming and going from the Order of Temlar, sometimes friendly to us, but mostly shouting against us, warmongering all the time, loving and hating, but also cheating and lying... very interesting and contradictory person. ----------------------------------- I hope Aurion will make efforts for this update. Back to top AurionGuest Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 01:08 Post subject: Ah, you could have easily asked me via spacemail long ago, maybe even compiled a updated list yourself so i could change it more easily. The list is also not sorted by any means, except the order they where suggested, so it's not like there is a need to "upvote" someone right now. I also think we do not have enough active people and not enough people on the list to warrant this, it wouldn't change that much, and reflect the opinion of only a few players. Voting could be more useful to establish which rulers get on the list, like, only those who get a certain amout of votes, or only the top three of each voting turn, or both. Though we still have way too few players to really make a difference there. Also, there is - because of the already mentioned low activity - no agreement on the actual rules of the list, as in, allow players still playing on it etc. Some were still playing by the time they got nominated, some still are, like you or me. What to do with it? Accept, add once they quit, wait for a new nomination after they quit? We need at least a few basic guidelines, specially if we want it to be future proof (might be a reason to use votes, even if it would not change much right now). Back to top AurionGuest Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 09:22 Post subject: I did update the list, but i am not happy with it as it is now. Especially the wording. You used several "i", "me", "us etc, which i made an effort to clarify to the reader who said that. And then i noticed others did that too, including/especially me...maybe i'll go through it again some other time. Back to top nellaGuest Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 21:45 Post subject: well i like the idea of this post but i think we have missed a name or 2 out Eric_T_Cartman: was one of the first people playing the game and the only one that tryed to make the high council work from day one Ad_thrawn: What can i say he made the forum intresting???? mad a few enemys doing it tho Alteron: i dont know if he should be on the list but sumone may know more about him i only know small bits about him and yes i have just come back and i can remember nearly every person on this list as i have been on the game since nearly the time the game begain Back to top nellaGuest Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 13:01 Post subject: as no has answered i take it they should be on the list then???? people have to talk Back to top AurionGuest Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 15:55 Post subject: Thats one huge problem, the participation is not high enough to really make this list into something. As with most stuff here. Back to top NikoyGuest Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 18:19 Post subject: Hi, hi! Yes, not many people are reading the forum nowdays... I remember only Ad_thrawn - he was the biggest spammer ever!!! Back to top nellaGuest Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 00:40 Post subject: you have to remember i have been playing the game in one form or another since nearly day one so i remember most people and yes he was a spammer but he did start quite a few posts that were worth reading every1 just remembers the spam lol Back to top paveyjGuest Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 08:36 Post subject: Ah yes i remember Thrawn, quite the talker... Back to top LegionGuest Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 04:25 Post subject: Aurion wrote: Thats one huge problem, the participation is not high enough to really make this list into something. As with most stuff here. not necesarilly, but im new, so i cant help you. Back to top ThaumaturgCommanderJoined: 24 Mar 2005Posts: 72 Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 04:17 Post subject: As this list is of "notable rulers" and not great or honorable, i think the following should be on it: - Tyr - Mac I know Tyr especially for the period when he became a pirate so don't know much from the previous period of time. As a pirate, alongside his slaves made a lot of trouble in the game. Mac needs no comment as all of us know him. Shame though for the way they left the game when defeated._________________Commander Thaumaturg in the house Nemesis Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Kosmor Forum Index -> Kosmor Talk All times are GMT - 6 HoursGoto page Previous 1, 2, 3 Next Page 2 of 3 Jump to: Select a forum Information----------------NewsGalactic News Community----------------Kosmor TalkKosmor TradeKosmor TournamentsKosmor RPG Support/Feedback----------------Questions and AnswersFeedback / suggestions for improvementBug-Reports You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

subset: commoncrawl


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Nuclear Sciences Division
Paul Bredt
Division Director
The Nuclear Sciences Division provides process engineering and development in the laboratory and for large-scale equipment. We have a broad range of expertise in structural materials for nuclear energy, radiological materials research, fluid and computational engineering, and radiation and health technology. Our scientists and engineers are developing alternative waste forms, new ways of understanding process flow and materials that will stand up to use in nuclear reactors. Nuclear Sciences Division staff have been instrumental in developing radiation protection programs at the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington, and other locations.


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What to do with all those leftover Easter Eggs? Well, why not make Deviled Eggs, right?
Fill a pot of water, gently put your eggs in, add a few drops of vinegar, bring to a boil, remove from stove, let eggs sit for 10 minutes. Remove and cool in fridge.
Once eggs have cooled, slice them in 1/2.
Remove yolks and place into a glass bowl and mash with a fork.
Add the following ingredients:
5-6 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of ground mustard, a dash of garlic seasoning, salt, and pepper. I made two batches, one with relish and one without. My family doesn't care for sweet relish, so I used dill, but lots of people like sweet relish.
Mix it all up and....
You can also toast up some bread and mash the yolk and whites together, add ingredients and have yourself a Deviled Egg Salad sandwich, yum!
Of course, a simple hard boiled egg is fine on its own, too! Add a little sea salt, cracked black pepper, and a dash of Paprika!
Hope you are all enjoying this beautiful and blessed Easter Day! I'm about to start dinner soon....
Honey Baked Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Fresh Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce, Salad, and Dinner Rolls.
Strawberry Shortcake for dessert! :)


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|David Kastrup
|Re: Staging/Master Merge - James' Patchy
|Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:46:35 +0200
|Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/24.1.50 (gnu/linux)
David Kastrup <address@hidden> writes: > "Phil Holmes" <address@hidden> writes: > >> If I could have worked out how to split them, while at the same time >> being able to keep track of what changes were still needed, I would >> have done. However, doing things like having a screech-boink.ly in >> new, with a screech-and-boink.ly in snippets, and remembering to keep >> checking that the docs were all up to date and the one in new could be >> deleted was too much for my brain. The problem was that I believe I >> needed to get them into a single patch for the benefit of patchy, You don't. What makes you think that? >> but I had them in six patches on my system. I git apply-ed each >> patch, but didn't remember to git add the files. Your mistake is that you bypass any operation working within git, and instead juggle with patches on the work directory exclusively. If you want to conflate 5 commits into a single patch for whatever reason (it is _not_ necessary for working with patchy, and I have no idea why you would think so), you can do something like git rebase -i HEAD~5 and do it. Very, very simply. Of course, you might want to do git checkout -b my-squishy-branch before in order not to change the original branch with 5 commits. For any non-trivial change, I tend to have about a dozen iterations of git rebase -i before everything is one coherent and organized sequence of commits. >> TBH that seems a duff aspect of git. > > No, it isn't. git apply _only_ touches the work directory, so whatever > happens, git does not remember anything about it. Use > > git apply --index > > if you want git to also _register_ the changes. In short: it is a duff aspect of your workflow _bypassing_ git. How do you expect git to deal with things you don't even tell it, and which you choose to do outside of git's control? -- David Kastrup
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Missed a post about kids (one of ours actually) from Emily's Pretty Cool Blog here. The picture is of a liger. Thomas and I had just watched Napoleon Dynamite (surely not for the last time). It was cool that he understand it well enough to root for the good guys and also to see how much of the film he retained via comics.
The most recent post here is about women writing about men and vice versa.


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8 ways to get your toddler talking
Are you keen to help your little one express him or herself from the word go? Studies have shown that children with a 'positive communication environment' at home achieve higher scores on tests of language, reading and maths when they enter school, so by boosting your baby's language you can give them the best possible start in life. Read on for some tips from Tracey Blake, co-author of Small Talk: Simple Ways To Boost Your Child's Speech And Language…
Say what you see
The single most important thing to do – for children of all ages – is the Say What You See technique. It's all about learning through play, giving a gentle running commentary on what your child is doing. It involves following your child's lead, observing him closely to see what he is interested in, and commenting and then pausing to give space for the child to respond. We can often talk too much or ask too many questions, not giving our children a chance to speak.
This helps your child become involved in what he's doing and link what he hears to what he is doing or thinking. And, after lots of repetition, next time he repeats the action or play sequence, he will hear your voice in his head, and eventually want to say it for himself.
Watch this video to see Say What You See in action…
Be simple and clear
Speech therapists agree that understanding is the key to good language development. Before a child can even begin to speak, he or she needs to first understand what is being said. Once your baby grasps something fluffy saying "woof, woof" is a dog, they can then begin to start to say the word. So the best way to help your little one start to make sense of the world is feeding him bite-sized morsels of language at the right level. When your baby is under one, for example, try to communicate simply, in one or two-word phrases.
Focus on the key words and don't worry too much about using correct grammar – "The teddy has fallen out of the push chair" should be simplified to "Teddy fall down," depending on the level of the child's language.
Be consistent
As well as being simple and clear, aim to be consistent. For example, there are lots of different ways of describing having a drink, you might say you're thirsty, juice, water, milk, bottle or cup. But your child will learn more quickly if you drill into him just one such word, so try to pick one and stick to it in the early stages of language development.
Repeat, repeat, repeat
I was thrilled when my son Monty's first word, at about 10 months, was "cat". I had been pointing to our puss, Keith, and saying 'cat' until I was blue in the face. Monty always took great delight in watching Keith and first began pointing to him and squealing excitedly, before beginning to attempt to say it himself. It began as "ah", so I'd praise his effort and model the correct word back to him, "Yes Monty, cat! Clever boy." Then, with lots of repetition from me, my daughter Minnie and husband James, it slowly morphed into a completely clear "Cat!"
Watch the video to see his first word!
Use words in context
When you are repeating certain words, make sure they are in context. For example, say "Up" each time you pick up your baby, repeat "Down, down, down" when you go down the stairs, "Push the button" when you're in a lift or "Shake, shake, shake" for a rattle. Doing this each time will help your baby learn the word and also reinforce the context in which that word is meaningfully used.
Make the most of story time
A bedtime story should be shared from a very early age – even from birth. For young babies, it's best to simply point out one or two single words that relate to the pictures on the page. As you 'tune in' to the level of your child's language and thought, you will be able to modify your storytelling accordingly – first reading out one line from each page, then the whole story.
Don't forget to point out parts of the illustrations your child might be interested in that may not always relate to the words. Use your baby's finger to point to these things as it encourages the child to look at the same thing you are looking at.
Do some 'container play'
Toddlers love 'container play' and all you need is a couple of old ice cream tubs or large Tupperware tubs (lunch boxes work well too) and some objects to play with. Try a small range of objects that fit within a certain category or set, for example, vehicles, clothes, snacks, toys or animals.
Interestingly, when words are learnt within their particular set, they are stored better in the language centre in your baby's brain (a bit like a filing cabinet in your brain).
Name each item as you pull it out of the bag and then throw it theatrically into a large container (kids will love the noise of is bashing and crashing in) – continue until the bag is empty then start all over again.
Give reasons to communicate
Doting parents and grandparents often try to pre-empt their baby's every need, but by doing this your child no longer has a reason to communicate with you. Here's a list of reasons why a baby might try to communicate, once you understand these you can begin to encourage them to express their needs – through gesture, babbling, words or eventually sentences!
Responding to someone – saying "Hi" or "Bye"
Asking for more – "Another biscuit!
Protesting/refusing – "No!"/ "Go away"
Getting attention – "Muuuummy!"
Making comments – "Look!"/ "Big bus"
Giving information – "Me fall down"
Seeking information – "What's that?"/ "Where's Daddy gone?"
Thinking and planning – "After tea"/ "Bath time"
And sharing ideas – "Let's go park!"/ "I like sweeties"
So, next time your toddler points furiously at the biscuits, pretend you don't understand and offer him a piece of fruit instead. Chances are that he will make his desire for a biscuit very clear!
Small Talk is available from Amazon now. Please visit and subscribe to the Small Talk Channel on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/SmallTalkTime for friendly talking tips to get your cheeky monkey chatting.


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Read what clients say about the professionalism and quality of Samples Photography.
I have known and used Samples Photography for just over 12 years. I originally used the company when my 2 year old daughter was a flower girl for a friend's wedding. The photographer had patience to allow my daughter to feel comfortable with him before he took photos. The outcome was amazing.
Over the next 12 years Samples Photography has done many sessions with both of my children. We have done sessions in all different weather and locations. Samples Photography not only has patience to work with children, but also the availability and expertise to work in many different locations. We have done shoots from the local area to the banks of Saco River. Mike has the ability to capture not only the subject but also the surroundings.
In the past he has done birthday parties. This was poolside with multiple screaming giggling splashing teenage girls. My daughter will cherish the pictures and memories for a lifetime.
When my son was preparing for his Senior Prom, Mike not only came to our home to photograph my son and I, he went to the home of my son's date to meet her parents and request permission to photograph them together. Both families received a session of memories that were priceless. The most recent, was High School Graduation. We spent the morning taking photographs on the river's edge. Then we were off to the house for family portraits.
In all the years we have used Samples Photography I have always been surprised and impressed with the portraits. Samples Photography has a natural talent for capturing the perfect picture at the perfect time.
Randi Curato
Michael was extremely professional and fun to be around. He made everything so easy and made it so we were comfortable around the camera. We were so impressed by his hard work and his interest with photography. His enthusiasm and love for his craft was evident, not only by the quality of photos he produced but also by the excitement and joy he brought to our special occasion. Michael showed extreme interest in taking our wedding photos. He was diligent and even studied beforehand on what type of pictures we wanted. We look forward to recommending him to our friends and family and hiring him again!
-Sophia L.
From the first meeting with Michael all the way through the end of the process we could not have been happier that we chose to work with Samples Photography for our wedding. We knew we had chosen the right photographer when we met with Michael to have some engagement photos taken. Michael did a great job of using his expertise to help us get exactly what we wanted out of our photos and made us feel comfortable throughout the entire photo session. On the day of the wedding Michael and his staff did an outstanding job of getting all of the photos we wanted with family and friends without being intrusive. As great as it was to work with Michael before and during our wedding, we were even more pleased when we got the proofs for our wedding photos. We had hundreds of beautiful pictures to choose from as we put together our wedding album and we continue to receive numerous compliments from family and friends as they view our photos. We couldn't have been happier with our experience with Samples Photography and highly recommend their services to anyone looking for a photographer for any event.
Annie and Bill Rosario
We have been absolutely pleased with every aspect of our experience with Samples Photography. From our first contact until the very last print and negative were delivered, we were treated courteously, considerately, and professionally. Mike Tetrault understood exactly how important our wedding day was to us, and took every step to ensure that all would go successfully and stress-free. Samples Photography provides one of the best combinations of quality photography and reasonable price that you can possibly hope to find. Few photographers are willing to part with the negatives from your special occasion, and those that are, usually charge an arm and a leg for them. But Samples Photography includes the negatives with all their very reasonably priced packages, because they realize that the memories are yours to keep, and so the negatives should be as well. For truly important occasions, you need a photographer you can trust. Our wedding day was one of the happiest days of our lives, we couldn't have asked for a better photographer to help us capture that day forever.
Angelique and Brian Sawyer
This letter is for anyone who is looking for a "Wonderful" photographer. We hired Michael for our wedding in April 2003 in North Andover, MA. We found him through a referral from another photographer after it was found that the original photographer had actually double booked our wedding date! I was in a panic but I'm glad we ended up with Michael. His prices were a lot more reasonable and after phone calls and emails I found him very professional, friendly and he put me at ease. I was looking for a "photojournalistic" shoot of the wedding, with a few standard poses, with which he happily shot. The pictures were beautiful! He even managed to get many pictures of my daughter, who is VERY shy. The two pictures that are my favorite are that of my son and granddaughter on the stairs and my granddaughter being shy.If you'd like to see them I'll copy and email them to you...just ask. Everyone at the wedding enjoyed him being there and was never intrusive to our guests. When developing the disposable cameras from the tables there were even a few shots of him on there...he was like a member of the celebration...not just a hired photographer. Thank you Michael...I give you 2 thumbs up!
Karen McGravey-Gajera
If you are looking for a photographer who has it all, then there is no need for you to look any further. While planning our June 2003 wedding, I was outraged and frustrated with the prices of the packages that some photographers were charging. The largest disappointment was that most were not willing to part with the negatives. Finding Samples Photography was a blessing! Michael's prices on his packages were the best I could find and YOU get to keep the negatives. Michael is professional, courteous, helpful, and understanding. He was always very eager and always willing to hear and comply with our thoughts and insights about what we were looking for. He has such a fantastic, friendly personality and has a way of making everyone feel comfortable and relaxed. Michael has created a beautiful story of our wedding day with only using his photographs. Each photograph he took captured every feeling and emotion that was felt at that time. I cried while flipping through the proofs because the pictures brought back every detail of our special day. At our reception, he was so non-intrusive that we forgot he was taking pictures until many of our guests started inquiring about his services. Working with Michael has left a memorable lasting impression on us as well as our family and friends. We cannot wait until we start having children so we can call Samples Photography for family portraits!
Carrie and Ron Jarvis
Working with Samples Photography was the easiest aspect of our May 2003 wedding planning experience. Michael Tetrault made himself available during every moment of our big day. He came to our rehearsal in order to work with our minister in capturing special moments on film. The results were amazing. Our ceremony pictures are some of the most beautiful I have seen. The reception photos are full of candids that show us how much our friends and family were enjoying themselves. Samples photography provides hundreds of proofs from which clients may select. This ability to choose from such a large selection is unlike many photographers. Samples also offered us very reasonable prices on reprints and was able to reprint in a variety of finishes. Michael's dedication to his work and his ability for shooting a picture at just the right moment has given us a wedding album that we will treasure for years to come.
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Wood


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- White Island, Bay of Plenty Right
Bay of Plenty
The coastal Bay of Plenty, one of the country's top holiday destinations has more sunshine than anywhere else in New Zealand.
The Bay of Plenty has much to offer, do as little or as much as you choose. There truly is "Plenty for Everyone".
The coastal Bay of Plenty is located along the pristine Pacific Coast Highway and takes in 125km's of white sandy beaches. Stretching from Waihi Beach to New Zealand's best kept secret Ohope, the region offers a mix of outdoor activities, scenic attractions, culture and top dining experiences.
From New Zealand's only active marine volcano to sites of national historic importance and stunning coastal walkways and beaches, the region has plenty to offer.
From the beaches and harbour to thriving kiwifruit industry and Maori culture, the coastal Bay of Plenty is a great holiday destination.


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Our flight up to Brisbane was spectacular. We flew right over the Sydney Harbor and straight up the coast. It confirmed my suspicion that this continent is basically one long beach.
Brisbane feels much smaller than Melbourne and Sydney. There's also proportionately less to do, but they have free ferries which will float you along the city's downtown river. Another neat thing is that Brisbane's oldest suburb is set up on cliffs, which are open to the public for rock climbing.
The most obvious difference between Brisbane and the large southern cities was the weather. It's warmer and more humid. There are leaves on the trees, which indicated to us that they don't really have a winter…kind of like San Diego.
We met our Aussie friend Mike 4 years ago in Yosemite while he was traveling through Canada and the U.S. About a year ago we let him know we'd be coming to visit, and we've been looking forward to it ever since. He lives just an hour south of Brisbane along the Gold Coast. We still don't even know the name of his town…he just always refers to the coast.
Mike is a **single** orthopedic surgeon who lives right along the ocean and whose beach cottage is more like a sporting goods store. He spent the weekend showing us his 40 kilometer stretch of golden, sandy, people-free playground. We drove an hour south to Byron Bay, where we stood at the most eastern mainland point of Australia and partook in some surfing and camping.
Closer to Mike's house (like right out his front door), we attempted stand-up paddle boarding. This is much harder than it looks…especially in waves…and with blue jellyfish sporadically floating just below surface. Don't let this picture fool you…Mike was able to capture the split second that Steve and I both stood up on our boards at the same time.
After saying goodbye to our buddy, we continued our journey north along the coast. From the day we put Australia in our itinerary, we've been at a loss about the best form of transportation. There's a lot of distance to cover between the big stopovers. We've asked heaps of people for advice and we always get a different answer…planes, trains, buses, and some have even suggested to buy a car and then sell it before we leave! In the end we decided to cover the southern half of the country by plane and the northern half by bus. Even though this company has a certain connotation in the U.S., we're goin' Greyhound style!
On our first leg from Brisbane to Hervey Bay, you would have thought we had paid to be on a tour bus. Our Greyhound driver loved to sit behind his microphone and inform us about all the top spots we were passing.…like the Gympie Pie Shop, which won last year's national meat pie competition. He recounted Aboriginal legends and told of the morning that the Australian people had "lost Steve Irwin". All-in-all, it was the most entertaining 5.5-hour bus ride I've ever been on.
Hervey Bay is a boring town with an odd combination of retirees and backpackers. What it does have going for it are the humpback whales that vacation here every year between their breeding grounds in the Great Barrier Reef and their feeding grounds in Antarctica. Hervey Bay is considered the whale-watching capital of the world (according to the people of Hervey Bay), so we hopped aboard.
At this point in their migration, the whales are not on a mission; they're just relaxing in the warm waters. So when a boat comes by, they get curious and playful. It's the interaction between the whales and the boats that makes Hervey Bay so unique.
Our boat had some sort of sonar fish-finding technology that allowed us to track the whales. Once we got close enough, the captain would shut down the motors and we would just float until the whales got curious enough to come over for a look. The water here is so clear and blue that you can easily track them underwater. We sat in one spot for over an hour while two humpbacks put on a show.
They swim so close around and underneath the boat that you're within feet of touching them, and they like to peak their humongous heads out of the water and look at you.
Humpbacks in the Southern Hemisphere have black bodies with white bellies. They also have barnacles on their skin and nodules on their heads, which they use as a sort of GPS device.
Just off the mainland from Hervey Bay is Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island. Instead of a landmass, they call it a "sandmass". It's one of only two sandmasses in the world where rainforests grow completely on sand. It's a popular place to go 4x4ing, so we rented the most overpriced car rental of all time, and ferried to the island. For the same money that we could have rented a penthouse in Las Vegas for the night, we got JoJo…our 1985 Toyota Land Cruiser.
4x4ing on Fraser Island is famous because of the long stretch of sand highway called 75-Mile Beach. It reminded me of driving on Daytona Beach, except that it's all nature and not a single building. We also had to remember to drive on the left-hand side of "the road", which is even harder to remember given that there are no lanes.
Driving for hours down a beach is just about what you would imagine…you look at pretty much the same thing the whole time. But then again, how many times in life do you get the opportunity to speed down a beach with the ocean lapping at your wheels? It's a freeing feeling, and Fraser does provide a couple of nice stopovers along the way – like the Maheno shipwreck.
Driving on Fraser is completely dominated by the tide schedule. There's essentially no driving two hours before or after high tide, so timing is critical. There are lots of creeks and rocks to pass through. Nevermind that I don't really know how to drive a stick shift. I successfully navigated JoJo through my first creek crossing.
We had been warned not to swim in the waters off of Fraser further than waist deep because of the sharks. Waist deep?!? That's probably only like ten feet off-shore! The sharks are really coming that close? We went about ankle-deep and called it good enough. Lucky for us there were no shark sightings, but we did spot some dingos. There are about 200-300 dingos who have their run of Fraser Island. They look like harmless dogs, but they are hungry and known to be vicious. We had one lurking around our campsite at night, but we did not get eaten.
Fraser also has over 40 freshwater lakes, which make up half of the world's perched dune lakes – meaning that they sit above the water table and are only fed by rainwater. At Lake Wabby, you can run or slide right down the dune and straight into the lake.
There are also some cool hikes where the rainforest switches from tropical to deciduous to coniferous in a matter of steps. More often than not, they're all mixed up together.
Hands down, our best memory of Fraser Island will be the camping. We got set up in a spot called One Tree Rock right along 75-Mile Beach. For as far as our eyes could see left and right, there was not a soul in sight. It was just us, JoJo, sand, sunset, stars, and sunrise.
I just really can't describe how beautiful it was. You know those rare moments in life when you feel like you're living in a movie because everything around you is just absolutely perfect? This was it. It was camping heaven.


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The holiday season is right around the corner, and you want to make sure you make the most of your time away. Whether you want to explore Europe alone, with a companion, or in a group, a self-guided cycling tour may be just what you need to enjoy your time travelling. No matter who you find yourself travelling with, every leg of the trip will be at your own pace. The time you take to get in touch with the outdoors, find fantastic sights, and explore new landscapes will create memories to enjoy for a lifetime.
Get Off the Usual Trail
A cycling trip is different in that you have no cars to deal with during your time away from home. Cars have certain limitations that force you to stay within certain areas and miss out on hidden locations can be easily reached by bicycle. Squeeze down tight hiking trails, ride along the coast, and discover brand new areas that you never knew existed. By climbing onto a bicycle, you give yourself twice the options for finding adventure and all the opportunity in the world to make your holiday something amazing.
Self-guided cycling holidays allow you more freedom than any other type of holiday. Whether you want to spend all day riding to one location or just a couple of hours, you are the person in charge of your own timeline. In a car, you are trapped by your own luggage, the rules of the road, and how far your petrol can take you. Climbing onto a bicycle will completely remove the cost of petrol during your trip and allow you to go wherever you want to go the moment you decide to go there. You deserve the chance to enjoy true freedom after the bustle of your everyday life.
Weight Loss
It is unlikely to surprise you to learn that a cycling holiday often causes participants to lose weight over time. Bicycles run on calories, and the more you explore and ride during your trip, the more weight you are likely to lose in the process. For travellers with an appetite for delicious local cuisine and the need to find adventure wherever it can be found, the calories burned are a great benefit to a cycling holiday.
There are more than 100 different self-guided tours available for booking. These options allow you to customise your experience to your fitness level. If you love to travel rugged hills and battle against nature to find each new location, you have a huge range of options available. If you want something simpler and altogether less difficult, you have just as many tours from which to choose. By the time you finish your tour and return home, you may be in need of a new wardrobe.
Perfect for Children
Traveling with children can be difficult due to their easily distracted natures. By booking a cycling holiday, you give them something unique to experience and unlimited opportunities to find adventure. You may grow closer to them during the trip and ignite a fire for fun and exploration within them. The time you share with them on this trip will be simpler, more enjoyable, and fit to remember for a lifetime.


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At a glanceWhether you're heading for the pool or the beach, this maternity tankini is the perfect choice throughout your pregnancy and is designed with ruched sides to fit comfortably over your bump. With moulded cups, the top features removable straps allowing you to create two different looks.
Features and benefits for Black Spot Maternity Tankini
- Two piece maternity swimming costume
- Black with white spot design
- Top with ruched sides to fit comfortably over your bump
- Moulded cups
- Removable straps
Fabric composition: 80% Poly Amide 20% Elastane
Care instructions: Machine Washable
Safety warning: Keep garments away from fire


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Revisiting the cultural geography argument
In an earlier post, I had put forward the argument that using foreign locales in an arbitrary way (i.e., not placing the narrative in the reality of the geography and culture and instead using them as sites for the enactment of exotic fantasies) was problematic (read here and here). A report in Eux.tv validates the argument.
German church leaders angered at Bollywood intrusion =
By Yuriko Wahl, dpa
Cologne, Germany (dpa) – Organ music and candlelight took a back seat to Indian pop songs and flashing disco lights as Bollywood stars took over a Catholic Church in the German city of Cologne on Tuesday.
An 85-strong crew of actors, technicians and dancers descended on the 100-year-old church of St. Agnes which is providing the backdrop for an Indian film about love and music.
But church leaders are not amused that the house of prayer is being transformed to a film set, surrounded by catering vehicles, security personnel and portable toilets.
"We were not consulted. If we had been we would never have given our permission," said Christoph Heckeley, a spokesman for the diocese of Cologne. St Agnes is the city's second biggest church.
You cannot entirely blame Hindi filmmakers for that, especially when countries are bending over backwards to welcome film crews into their country (read here and here).
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State Politics
Obama, Gov. Rick Scott use same Jacksonville company as evidence of their economic success
President Barack Obama and Gov. Rick Scott are battling over the same building in efforts to cement their legacies in stimulating the economy.
With Obama's visit to a lithium-ion battery company Friday, the political leaders from opposing parties have now visited the same firm within four months, both holding it up as an example of how their economic policies have spurred Florida's economic recovery since 2009.
After touring Saft America for about 20 minutes, Obama said the nearly 300 "jobs of the future" the company is creating is a clear success of the federal stimulus, also called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed seven years ago this month. Obama said despite withering criticism from Republicans over the $831 billion program from its inception, it kept America from slipping into an economic depression and spurred innovative new jobs.
"I came here to Saft to show what it means to invest in the future," Obama said. "Seven years ago the ground we are standing on was an empty plot of swampland. I don't know if gators make it up this far, but it was not someplace you'd want to be wandering around. It had been ignored for more than a decade since the Navy base here closed."
Obama said the Recovery Act didn't just create jobs. He said it invested in the innovation and technology that Saft represents.
"We took an empty swamp and turned it into an engine of innovation," Obama said.
Four months earlier, Scott was touring the same 235,000-square-foot facility and standing just a few hundred feet to the right highlighting his education policies to emphasize high-tech job training and his efforts to help recruit national and international companies to expand their operations in Florida.
"The governor has been here twice; he's been a huge supporter," said Christopher P. Kaniut, general manager for Saft America. "He's very good for business."
Just three days ago in Jacksonville, about 20 miles from where Obama was Friday, Scott held another rally to draw attention to his job recruitment program that helped lure Macquarie Group, an Australian financial services company that promises to bring 120 new jobs to Florida.
Regardless who gets the credit, the visit is a testament to the gains Jacksonville has made over the last four years, said Gregory Anderson, president of the Jacksonville City Council. He said the area's high quality of life and low cost of living has resulted in growing diversity in the areas economy.
The unemployment rate has been in steady decline. In 2009, Duval County's unemployment rate was over 11 percent. Today, the unemployment rate is 5.5 percent.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, a Republican, leaves no doubts that he credits Scott with turning around the state's economy and Jacksonville's. But he said having Scott and Obama both in his city in a matter of days to talk about the economy speaks to the area's success.
"Anybody who wants to talk about jobs is welcome to come to Jacksonville," Curry said.
That was certainly Obama's mission on Friday. The Department of Energy awarded $95.5 million to Saft America to create lithium ion batteries for the military and specialty hybrid vehicles. The company has also received nearly $20 million incentives from state and local governments.
"This was an example of the fruits of those investments we made," Obama told a group of more than 200. "Jobs that America needs done, getting done right here in Florida."
But the company that both Obama and Scott celebrated has had shaky moments recently. Kaniut, general manger of the Saft America, said the company had to restructure in 2015. The New York Times reported earlier this week that Saft's chairman said it will take years before its Jacksonville factory is profitable.
"Sometimes you go through peaks and valleys as you are growing a business," Kaniut said of the factory that opened in 2011.
Still, during his visit on Friday, Obama, was all praise for the company.
"Taxpayers are getting their money back — and some — and these businesses are thriving," Obama said.
In his 25-minute speech, he pushed back against unrelenting criticism of GOP presidential candidates.
"Anybody who says we are not absolutely better off today than we were just seven years ago, they're not leveling with you, they're not telling the truth," Obama said.
"By almost every economic measure, we are significantly better off," he said
Even before Air Force One touched down at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, the Republican National Committe was not about to let Obama take a victory lap on the stimulus without weighing in.
Ali Pardo, the RNC spokeswoman said the "stimulus failed to live up to expectations, yet this Administration and Democrats on the campaign trail continue to advocate for extreme liberal policies that have left the middle class behind."
The attention that Obama and Scott showered on Jacksonville goes beyond boasting about jobs. Duval County, which has about 900,000 people, has become a pivotal, competitive area for both national and statewide races.
In 2004, Democratic nominee John Kerry lost Duval County by nearly 62,000 votes to President George W. Bush, en route to losing the state and the election. Four years later, Obama lost the county to John McCain by less than 8,000 votes, the closest margin for a Democratic presidential candidate in more than three decades. That helped propel Obama to a narrow victory in the nation's most populous swing state.
"Duval County was a huge part of the plan," said Steve Schale, Obama's 2008 state campaign director, noting that Obama visited Jacksonville three times during the general election, including the day before the election.
Scott invested heavily in Jacksonville in 2014 during his re-election campaign, winning the area by 34,000, more than half of his total margin of victory in Florida.
"We are important in both statewide and national elections," Curry said.
Contact Jeremy Wallace at email@example.com or (850) 224-7263. Follow @jeremyswallace.


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A opportunity to learn traditional crafts which have been practised for hundreds of years takes place in Sleaford this October.
As part of a project to encourage people in the area to embrace their local heritage, Cogglesford Watermill and Navigation House are to co-host a country crafts event.
The day will allow visitors to try their hand at willow weaving with local crafter Alison Walling – or have a go at making your own corn dolly with Angela Riley of Ceres Crafts. There will also be woodworking demonstrations by award-winning craftsman Alan Eley from Hill Holt Wood. Alan will be on hand to offer tips and advice for budding woodworkers or for the more advanced.
The millers will be busy putting the mill in to action for their regular milling day.
Visitors can see the water wheel rumble into action as the huge cogs interlink and use the power of the wheel to turn the millstones, producing stoneground flour from organic wheat.
The mill has been producing flour since the early 18th century and has been preserved by North Kesteven District Council, giving a real insight into milling in days gone by.
A spokesman for NKDC said: "While you're there you can learn about the history of the mill and its millers, try your hand at grinding grain and explore the mill. You can also meet Sonya Hundal from Greenfield Bakers who will be at the mill with different types of bread to try as well as offering tips and advice on how to make your own at home."
Alison will be at Navigation House demonstrating willow weaving skills and helping visitors make their own willow work. They can also try canal art, reflecting Navigation House's importance in Sleaford's navigation heritage.
For details visit www.heartoflincs.com or call NKDC on 01529 308102.


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- Research
- Open Access
- Open Peer Review
The pressure/volume relationship during dobutamine stress echocardiography in transplanted heart: comparison with quality of life and coronary anatomy
© Minardi et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2012
- Received: 7 August 2012
- Accepted: 4 November 2012
- Published: 14 November 2012
Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a major late complication in cardiac transplant recipients and has a relevant impact on outcome of these patients. Aims of this study: to compare, in cardiac transplant recipients patients, the diagnostic value of pressure/volume relationship (ESPVR) during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) for coronary artery disease, assessed by Multislice Computed Tomography (MSCT), and by coronary angiography (CA). We also analyzed any possible relationship between ESPVR and the Health Related Quality of Life of the patients (HRQoL), evaluated by SF–36 questionnaire.
25 consecutive patients underwent DSE within 24 hours after MSCT coronary angiogram and then they underwent CA. The HRQoL questionnaire was administered to the patients in the settings of DSE. They were followed-up for 6 months.
DSE has a sensitivity in detecting CAV of 67%, specificity of 95%, positive predictive value of 67% and negative predictive value of 95%; DSE with ESPVR has a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 95%, positive predictive value of 75%, negative predictive value of 100%; MSCT has a sensitivity of 100%; specificity of 82%; positive predictive value of 43%; negative predictive value of 100%. Htx recipients with a flat-biphasic ESPVR, although asymptomatic, perceived a worst HRQoL compared with the up-sloping ESPVR population, and this is statistically significant for the general health (p 0.0004), the vitality (p 0.0013) and the mental health (p 0.021) SF-36 subscale.
Evaluation with DSE and ESPVR is accurate in the clinical control of heart transplant recipients reserving invasive evaluation only for patients with abnormal contractility indexes.
- Dobutamine stress echocardiography
- Cardiac allograft vasculopathy
- Coronary angiography
- Multislice computed tomography
Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a major late complication in cardiac transplant recipients. This disease is insidious and usually gives no clues until heart failure, myocardial infarction, or death occurs [1–4]. Routine evaluation with coronary angiography and/or intravascular ultrasound are not a reasonable approach because invasive and potentially harmful, expensive, and sometimes inaccurate. Less invasive methods in identifying patients at increased risk of CAV haves been tested in recent studies [5–8]; Multislice Computed Tomography (MSCT) and dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) have shown to be accurate diagnostic techniques for this harmful condition [9, 10].
In recent years, Bombardini and co-workers [11–13] demonstrated that the left ventricular (LV) end-systolic pressure-volume relationship (ESPVR) was a prognostically useful noninvasive index of global contractility, associated with adverse outcome in unselected series of patients with negative exercise [11] and DSE [13].
The primary aims of this study was to assess, in cardiac transplant recipients patients, the accuracy of ESPVR (stated as index of LV myocardial contractility) in detecting CAV searched by MSCT and coronary angiography. We also analyzed any possible relationship between ESPVR and quality of life in these patients.
Study patients
From September 2011 to January 2012, asymptomatic heart transplanted recipients from the Heart Transplant Center of San Camillo - Forlanini Hospital in Rome were consecutively enrolled.
Study population comprised 25 patients who underwent DSE within 24 hours after MSCT coronary angiogram and, if the results of almost one of the two non-invasive diagnostic technique was positive, the patient underwent coronary angiography within 1 week after the tests, and if negative within 2 months. All patients were in sinus rhythm and on optimal and maximal tolerated pharmacological therapy, according to current guidelines for treatment and management of cardiac transplant [14]. Ongoing medical therapy was kept unchanged at the time of the stress test. No patients had implantable cardioverter-defibrillators or pacemakers. The exclusion criteria were: less than 12 months since transplant, iodinated contrast media allergy, signs or symptoms of CAV and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class IV. The sonographers were unaware of the results of the MSCT and of the coronary angiography.
The study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki. All patients gave written informed consent when they underwent stress echocardiography. When patients signed the consent forms, they also authorized physicians to use their clinical data according to Italian law.
Quality of life assessment
Quality of life has been assessed with the standard form of the SF–36 Health Survey (Version 1) [15], which has been used in a number of previous studies of organ-transplant candidates and recipients [16], with findings suggesting excellent validity and reliability. This test includes multiple-item scales to measure the following 8 health-related aspects: physical function (PF); role-physical (RP); bodily pain (BP); general health perceptions (GH); vitality (VT); social function (SF); role-emotional (RE); and mental health (MH). Scores were transformed into scores from 0 to 100, based on SF–36 scoring algorithms, where higher scores reflect better health [17]. SF-36 questionnaire was administered to the patients in the settings of DSE.
Stress protocol
Two-dimensional echocardiography and 12-lead electrocardiographic monitoring were performed in combination with high dose (up to 40 mcg/kg/min) dobutamine. Atropine infusion was considered if 85% of maximal heart rate wasn't achieved at the end of DSE. During the procedure, blood pressure and the electrocardiogram were recorded each minute. Only representative cycles with optimal endocardial visualization were measured and the average of three measurements was taken. Images were acquired at baseline and at each 10-beat frequency increase during stress. LV volumes and ejection fraction were measured at rest and at each step using biplane Simpson rule. All volume measures were normalized by dividing by body surface area. Regional wall motion was assessed according to the recommendations of the European Society of Echocardiography from 1 (normal) to 4 (dyskinetic) in a 16-segment model of the left ventricle [18]. The blood pressure recording was made using a sphygmomanometer and the diaphragm of a standard stethoscope [19].
Non-echocardiographic criteria for ending the test were peak dobutamine, achievement 85% of target heart rate, (determined according to the equation: 220 – age), intolerable chest pain, excessive increase in blood pressure (defined as systolic blood pressure > 220 mm Hg; diastolic blood pressure > 120 mm Hg), hypotension (relative or absolute: > 30 mm Hg decrease in blood pressure), sustained supraventricular arrhythmias (supraventricular tachycardia or atrial fibrillation), ventricular arrhythmias (ventricular tachicardia, frequent, polymorphous premature ventricular beats), bradyarrhythmias. A maximal test was defined by the achievement of 85% of age-predicted maximal heart rate.
End-systolic pressure–volume determination
ESPVR was defined as the ratio of the systolic blood pressure (SBP)/end-systolic volume index (ESVi). The slope of the relationship was calculated as the ratio between SBP/ESVi and heart rate increase (from baseline to peak stress). The ESPVR was defined up-sloping when dobutamine-induced SBP/ESVi increase was higher than 25th percentile values of the entire study group, flat when below the 25th percentile values; biphasic, with an initial up-sloping followed by a later down-sloping trend, when peak dobutamine SBP/ESVi was lower than intermediate stress values [20, 21]. The critical heart rate was defined as the heart rate at which SBP/ESVi reached the maximum value during progressive increase in heart rate. In biphasic pattern, the critical heart rate was the heart rate beyond which SBP/ESVi declined by 5%.
Clinical follow-up
The patients were observed prospectively for 6 months with regular monthly outpatient visits. Adverse cardiovascular events were registered. The events considered were death, non-fatal acute myocardial infarction, and heart failure.
Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, version 17.0 (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL) for Windows. We assumed the coronary angiography as the reference standard for the identification of CAV. Results of MSCT and DSE (with and without ESPVR) were compared to the coronary angiography's ones in order to evaluate diagnostic accuracy of the non-invasive tests. Distribution of relevant variables was summarized using frequencies, means, medians and standard errors (SEs), as appropriate. Univariate analysis was performed to compare the differences between ESPVR with continuous variables, using Fisher's exact test and the Student unpaired t-test. Differences between groups and quality of life measures were analyzed using tests for non-normally distributed samples, as appropriate. To address the potential problem of error rate with multiple testing, Bonferroni–Holm adjustments were performed. All probability values were obtained using 2-sided analyses; p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant for all analyses.
Characteristics of the study patients
Age (years)
58 ± 12
Gender (M/F)
21/4 (84/16%)
Years from Htx
8.5 ± 7
BMI (kg/m2)
27.4 ± 4.2
eGFR - CKD-EPI (ml/min)
61.7 ± 25.8
19 (76%)
10 (40%)
Previous Smoking Habits
17 (68%)
Metabolic Syndrome
8 (32%)
Familiarity for CVD
12 (48%)
12 (48%)
Atypical Chest Pain
6 (24%)
PTCA (post HTx)
3 (12%)
Myocardial Infarction (post HTx)
2 (8%)
NYHA class (I-IV)
11 (44%)
12 (48%)
2 (8%)
Cause of Htx
Post Ischemic Dilated CM
9 (36%)
Idiopathic Dilated CM
11 (44%)
End-Stage Hypertrophic CM
1 (4%)
Non-Compactation CM
1 (4%)
Peripartum CM
1 (4%)
Dilated CM in Becker Dystrophy
1 (4%)
Post Myocarditis Dilated CM
1 (4%)
Feasibility and tolerability of high-dose DSE
Near the totality of patients (22/25 = 88%) reached the maximal dose of DSE (40 mcg/kg/min); in 3 patients dobutamine infusion was stopped at 30 mcg: in 1 patient because of the achievement of 85% of age-predicted maximal heart rate, and in 2 patients because of excessive increase in blood pressure.
Echocardiographic data and force-frequency relationship during dobutamine echo
Left Ventricular EDV (ml)
108 ± 28
Left Ventricular ESV rest (ml/m2)
23 ± 8
Left Ventricular ESV peak (ml/m2)
11 ± 6
Systolic Pressure rest (mmHg)
127 ± 13
Systolic Pressure peak (mmHg)
160 ± 27
SP/ESV index (rest)
6.22 ± 2.53
SP/ESV index (peak)
17.03 ± 7.88
ESPVR slope (χ 10-2)
21.1 ± 7.3
Δ peak – rest (mmHg/ml)
10.85 ± 6.9
Heart rate rest (b.p.m.)
82 ± 6
Heart rate peak (b.p.m.)
129 ± 15
Left Ventricular Ejection fraction (rest, %)
59 ± 8
Left Ventricular Ejection fraction (peak, %)
72 ± 9
Double product (rest)
10437 ± 1396
Double product (peak)
20838 ± 3481
Ischaemia during Dobutamine, n (%)
3 (12%)
Flat-biphasic ESPVR during Dobutamine, n (%)
4 (16%)
Critical Heart Rate (b.p.m.)
123 ± 17
Dobutamine dose 40 μg, n (%)
22 (88%)
Dobutamine dose 30 μg, n (%)
3 (12%)
On therapy at the time of stress:
10 (40%)
5 (20%)
22 (88%)
Mycophenolate mofetil
14 (56%)
3 (12%)
Ca-Channel Blocker
6 (24%)
3 (12%)
19 (76%)
12 (48%)
Acetyl salicylic acid
23 (92%)
1 (4%)
13 (52%)
2 (8%)
23 (92%)
Relation among DSE, DSE + ESPVR, MSCT and CA
At the coronary angiography 3 out of 25 patients (12%) had significant coronary stenosis: a 80% narrowed proximal left anterior descending artery was found in all the 3 patients.
The DSE resulted positive in 2 patients with positive coronary angiography and in 1 out of 25 patients with negative coronary angiography; 1 patient with CAV had a negative test (sensitivity 67%; specificity 95%; positive predictive value 67%; negative predictive value 95%).
The MSCT showed significant coronary artery stenosis in 7 out of 25 patients: all the 3 patients with CAV were correctly identified (showing the same results of the coronary angiography), but 4 patients with positive MSCT had normal coronary arteries at the coronary angiography (sensitivity 100%; specificity 82%; positive predictive value 43%; negative predictive value 100%).
Comparison of quality of life ratings with normative data
Statistics correlations between demographic and echocardiographic characteristics of the study population and the SF-36 items
Age (years)
p 0.27
p 0.09
p 0.7
p 0.13
p 0.20
p 0.73
p 0.12
p 0.89
Gender (M/F)
p 0.06
p 0.19
p 0.12
p 0.46
p 0.25
p 0.22
p 0.49
p 0.21
p 0.22
p 0.29
p 0.92
p 0.78
p 0.45
p 0.24
p 0.19
p 0.92
Echocardiographic variable
p 0.27
p 0.16
p 0.67
p 0.000^
p 0.001^
p 0.22
p 0.21
p 0.02*
Results of 6 months follow-up
At the end of the follow-up no patient died; during the 6 months of follow-up, 2 patients, both with positive DSE and flat-biphasic ESPVR, had cardiac events.
1 patient, with coronary stenosis treated with stenting, experienced, two months later, an exacerbation of chronic heart failure solved ambulatory by increasing diuretics doses.
1 patient, with negative MSCT and CA but positive DSE and flat-biphasic ESPVR, experienced, four months later, an acute heart failure episode due to acute heart rejection diagnosed by endo-myocardial biopsy. The patient was hospitalized and treated with a short course of high-dose corticosteroids, a calcineurin inhibitor and an anti-proliferative agent; thanks to this treatment, the patient survived to the episode.
Differently from general population of patients with coronary artery disease, there are only few studies comparing the accuracy of DSE, MSCT and coronary angiography for detecting CAV in cardiac transplant recipients [10]. The uniqueness of our study is that all our patients underwent the three techniques, and introduced in the DSE protocol the valuation of the ESPVR for diagnosing CAV. At our knowledge, indeed, this is the first study in which ESPVR is used to assess LV contractility, coronary anatomy and quality of life in a population of asymptomatic heart transplant recipients. The results of the present study are broadly consistent with the previous evidences suggesting that the challenge of inotropic reserve with catecholamine infusion is useful to unmask depressed contractile reserve in a left ventricle with latent dysfunction. Even more clinically relevant and original, this technique significantly improves the prediction of CAV in comparison with MSTC, reducing the risk of useless invasive interventions.
Difficulty in detecting and treating CAV remains the major limiting factor for survival after heart transplantation. The disease is silent in most of cases mainly because of cardiac denervation.
First modality and diagnostic test for detecting CAV is the anatomic one: coronary angiography CA is still the reference standard for diagnosing CAV, in spite of its invasive nature not free from complications and the exposure to ionizing radiation and to iodinated contrast media given to patients taking immunosuppressive medications. Up today, many centers perform annual evaluations to establish the presence and severity of CAV after heart transplantation [22].
Another relevant anatomic modality to detecting CAV, although non-invasive, is MSCT. In 2000, Knollmann and co-workers [20] compared, in 112 heart transplant recipients, the electron-beam CT features of coronary arteries with those of biplane coronary angiography and intracoronary ultrasound. They found that electron-beam CT had a sensitivity of 94%, a specificity of 79%, a positive predictive value of 43%, and a negative predictive value of 99% for detecting coronary stenosis. Similar results, comparing cardiac multi-detector computed tomography angiography and coronary angiography, were found by von Ziegler and co-workers [21]. From these data appear a high negative predictive value and an unsatisfactory positive predictive value of this diagnostic tool. Our results are in line with those previously reported that lead to overestimate the coronary disease with the clinical implication of an inappropriate request for coronary angiography, which implies the use of nephrotoxic agents. As expected, many heart transplant recipients have chronic kidney disease due to cyclosporine or other immunosuppressive therapy: in our population 88% of the patients were treated with cyclosporine. It is a very important problem that the cardiologists have to think about when prescribe a MSCT.
Moreover, we analyzed the presence of any possible relationship between ESPVR and quality of life. Theoretically a loss of contractile reserve could carry to a worse physical activity: it can be caused by a classic ischemic mechanism, due to a reduced blood supply in situations of increased cardiac output (i.e. catecholamine infusion), or by an inflammatory response as in the heart transplant rejection. Both mechanisms cannot be identified either by CA or by MSCT, and a functional test is requested to reveal whether a reduced functional capacity may be associated with a latent ventricle dysfunction.
Our results seem confirm this hypothesis: patients with flat-biphasic ESPVR, indeed, have lower scores in all the 8 subscales of the SF-36 questionnaire, and this is statistically significant for general health, mental health and vitality. Also in that single patient with flat-biphasic ESPVR and negative coronary angiography, the results of the SF-36 were coherent with the inotropic reserve found.
Study limitations
Our study has several limitations.
Calculation of the ESPVR requires measurement of the LV pressure at the end-systole. Because only non-invasive measurements were available, cuff systolic pressure was substituted for end-systolic pressure.
The overall patient population was small, thus limiting the generalizability of our findings. Studies with a larger sample size and longer follow-up are warranted.
Finally, in all patients on β-blocking agents, therapy was kept unchanged and may have influenced, at least in part the results. However, the optimal dose of dobutamine to assess contractility and recognize CAV is not defined and it did not appear ethical to withdraw a life-saving therapy.
The evaluation of ESPVR with DSE may be a safe and feasible strategy for the clinical control of heart transplant recipients during the time. It seems to provide an accurate assessment of coronary artery anatomy and function and a suitable selection of candidates to invasive evaluation. ESPVR evaluation may also be helpful for explaining a worsen quality of life referred by some patient when it is associated with the development of cardiac abnormalities during physical exercise undetectable by most of the available invasive and non-invasive diagnostic techniques for CAV.
We are grateful to Lino Fabrizi, Attilia Caroselli, Luca Guerrieri, Marina Rotoloni, Rita Venusti, Sergio Baldoni, Patrizia Mattacola, Loredana Ferri, Alessandra Dulach and Rosaria Piredda for their skillful nursing assistance.
Authors' Affiliations
- Gao SZ, Schroeder JS, Hunt AS, et al: Acute myocardial infarction in cardiac transplant recipients. Am J Cardiol. 1989, 64: 1093-1097. 10.1016/0002-9149(89)90858-8.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Halpert I, Goldberg AD, Levine AB, et al: Reinnervation of the transplanted human heart as evidenced from heart rate variability studies. Am J Cardiol. 1996, 77: 180-183. 10.1016/S0002-9149(96)90592-5.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Wilson RF, Mc Ginn AL, Johnson TH, et al: Sympathetic reinnervation after heart transplantation in human beings. J Heart Lung Transplant. 1992, 11: S88-S89.PubMedGoogle Scholar
- Stark RP, Mc Ginn AL, Wilson RF: Chest pain in cardiactransplant recipients. Evidence of sensory reinnervation after cardiac transplantation. N Engl J Med. 1991, 324: 1791-1794. 10.1056/NEJM199106203242507.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Thompson D, Koster MJ, Wagner RH, Heroux A, Barron JT: Single photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging to detect cardiac allograft vasculopathy. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2012, 13: 271-275. 10.1093/ejechocard/jer270.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Akosah KO, Mohanty PK, Funai JT, et al: Noninvasive detection of transplant coronary artery disease by dobutamine stress echocardiography. J Heart Lung Transplant. 1994, 13: 1024-1038.PubMedGoogle Scholar
- Akosah KO, McDaniel S, Hanrahan JS, et al: Dobutamine stress echocardiography early after heart transplantation predicts development of allograft coronary artery disease and outcome. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1998, 31: 1607-1614. 10.1016/S0735-1097(98)00169-7.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Akosah KO, Olsovsky M, Kirchberg D, et al: Dobutamine stress echocardiography predicts cardiac events in heart transplant patients. Circulation. 1996, 94: SII283-SII288.Google Scholar
- Bacal F, Moreira LF, Souza G, et al: Dobutamine stress echocardiography predicts cardiac events or death in asymptomatic patients long-term after heart transplantation: 4-year prospective evaluation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2004, 23: 1238-1244. 10.1016/j.healun.2003.09.007.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Mastrobuoni S, Bastarrika G, Ubilla M, et al: Dual-source CT coronary angiogram in heart transplant recipients in comparison with dobutamine stress echocardiography for detection of cardiac allograft vasculopathy. Transplantation. 2009, 87: 587-590. 10.1097/TP.0b013e318195a5a7.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Bombardini T, Galderisi M, Agricola E, et al: Negative stress echo: further prognostic stratification with assessment of pressure-volume relation. Int J Cardiol. 2008, 126: 258-267. 10.1016/j.ijcard.2006.12.093.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Bombardini T, Agrusta M, Natsvlishvili N, et al: Noninvasive assessment of left ventricular contractility by pacemaker stress echocardiography. Eur J Heart Fail. 2005, 2: 173-181.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Grosu A, Bombardini T, Senni M, et al: End-systolic pressure/volume relations during dobutamine stress echo: a prognostically useful noninvasive index of left ventricular contractility. Eur Heart J. 2005, 26: 2404-2412. 10.1093/eurheartj/ehi444.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Francis GS, Greenberg BH, Hsu DT, Jaski BE, Jessup M, LeWinter MM, Pagani FD, Piña IL, Semigran MJ, Walsh MN, Wiener DH, Yancy CW: ACCF/AHA/ACP/HFSA/ISHLT 2010 clinical competence statement on management of patients with advanced heart failure and cardiac transplant: a report of the ACCF/AHA/ACP Task Force on Clinical Competence and Training. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010, 56: 424-53. 10.1016/j.jacc.2010.04.014.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Ware JE, Kosinkski M, Gandek B: SF–36. Health survey: manual and interpretation guide. 2000, Lincoln, RI: Quality Metric, IncGoogle Scholar
- Kugler C, Malehsa D, Tegtbur U, et al: Health-related quality of life and exercise tolerance in recipients of heart transplants and left ventricular assist devices: a prospective, comparative study. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2011, 30: 204-210. 10.1016/j.healun.2010.08.030.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Apolone G, Mosconi P: The Italian SF-36 health survey: translation, validation and norming. J Clin Epidemiol. 1998, 11: 1025-1036.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Sicari R, Nihoyannopoulos P, Evangelista A, et al: Stress echocardiography expert consensus statement European Association of Echocardiography (EAE) (a registered branch of the ESC). Eur J Echocardiogr. 2008, 9: 415-437.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Agricola E, Oppizzi M, Pisani M, Margonato A: Stress echocardiography in heart failure. Cardiovasc Ultrasound. 2004, 2: 11-17. 10.1186/1476-7120-2-11.View ArticlePubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
- Knollmann FD, Bocksch W, Spiegelsberger S, et al: Electron-beam computed tomography in the assessment of coronary artery disease after heart transplantation. Circulation. 2000, 101: 2078-2082. 10.1161/01.CIR.101.17.2078.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- von Ziegler F, Leber AW, Becker A, et al: Detection of significant coronary artery stenosis with 64-slice computed tomography in heart transplant recipients: a comparative study with conventional coronary angiography. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2009, 25: 91-100. 10.1007/s10554-008-9343-z.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
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This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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Truck drivers seeking quick border crossings between the U.S. and Mexico through the Free and Secure Trade program can put away pens and fire up the Internet. FAST applications are exclusively online.
FAST aims to speed efficiency of goods movement at the U.S.-Mexico and Canadian border. Beginning April 15, FAST applications were accepted at CBP.gov.
The agency removed paper applications for the FAST program in April, a practice already in place for other global enrollment systems.
"It's a way to do things faster; it facilitates the process," said Joanne Ferreria, a Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman.
Customs and Border Protection plans to launch online enrollment for drivers needing access at the U.S.-Canada border in August. That program, however, will continue to accept paper applications.
The U.S.-Mexico FAST program is administered by U.S. officials, Ferreria said. U.S.-Canada FAST is run jointly between the United States and Canada.
"It's a different kind of program than the U.S.-Mexico program," she said.
FAST applications in 2008 for U.S.-Canada tallied 6,835 as of May 1, Ferreria said, while U.S.-Mexico applications stood at 874.
For more information, visit www.cbp.gov.
– By Charlie Morasch, staff writer


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|Service Information
Esther Lillian Gates
Service: Saturday, June 30, at Breton Terrace, 2500 Breton Woods Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512at 2:00 PM
Esther Lillian "Kuzee" Gates aged 94, of Grand Rapids, MI transitioned into the open arms of her Lord and Savior on June 8, 2018. Her faith was strong as she saw life as just passing through to eternity in heaven. She claimed that one of the most important moments of her life was to make public profession of faith at the age of 19, alongside her cousin, Dave Zylstra.
Esther was the second to the youngest of eleven children and the last remaining. She was born in Grand Rapids on Easter Sunday, April 20, 1924. Growing up she said she was spoiled and could get away with almost anything. Her younger sister, Char, a dear lifelong friend talked with her on the phone three or four times a day.
Esther described her mother, who raised eleven children, as a saint, very loving, kind, generous, patient and understanding. She described her father, Cornelius "Casey" Kuzee as very stern, demanding obedience. He drove truck for Grand Rapids Builders Supply and was never late for a day of work.
Esther looked forward to being reunited with all her siblings, especially those who died so tragically at a young age. In 1926, her brother, Bobbie, was struck by a car at age six and was killed. In 1930, her oldest sister, Marguerite, died suddenly of a heart attack at age 20, followed by her brother, Russ, dying of a heart attack at age 20 while playing basketball in 1935.
Her faith has always been a big part of her life influenced by her mother, Gertie, who came to America from the Netherlands at the age of nine with four siblings in 1892. With the promise of prosperity, they settled into the west side of Grand Rapids where they clustered with families, church congregation and culture intact, with conservative characteristics drawn from their Old World background in Kollem. They were bonded by their "Dutchness".
Esther was always active in church belonging to women's groups, bible study, and choir. She was never afraid of giving her testimony, even days before her passing. She regularly read the Bible, devotional materials, and enjoyed watching one sermon after another on television. When asked about her goals in life she says that they have always been to live a full life walking closer to the Lord and to know that by growing to love God above all, everything else will fall into place. Her favorite Bible verse Romans 8:28 was, "All things work for the good for those who love the Lord." She believed that if you choose to love the Lord, you will always be blessed. She felt that she had always been blessed with good health and a loving family.
She always tried to be an Ambassador and a witness playing hymns and singing. She feels that God called her to play the piano at a young age. She practiced faithfully every day, even playing weeks before her death. When she first started earning money while working in the payroll office at American Seating, she bought a Hammond organ and held a recital for her co-workers. She sang in choirs most of her life and at a young age, remembered singing on the corner of Leonard and Alpine with the Salvation Army. At age 15, she took marimba lessons and bought her own marimba from an ad in the paper. She kept a log of all the places she played, and it had over 80 entries only being paid once, $5 at a Senior Citizen Center on Burton by Division. Most of the music she enjoyed playing were hymns, praising God. She was the pianist for Riverside CRC, her church home, and for Breton Terrace of Holland Home for four years after being one of the original residents 16 years ago.
Getting married and raising seven children were the most significant events in her life. When she was 26 years old, Elmore "Bud" Gates, called her and asked her out to a baseball game. They shared laughter and became engaged two months later. Bud had unexpectedly lost his first wife to complications of surgery at age 28 and had to find a mother for his infant son, Ken. They met in September, 1950 and were married on May 4, 1951. She was happily married for 61 years when Bud passed away on January 19, 2012.
Esther claimed that the soundest investment they ever made was investing in Christian education, at great personal sacrifice, and instilling high values in all their children.
She was a stay-at-home mom and enjoyed cooking, knitting, crocheting, Boggle and Scrabble; playing Scrabble up until the very end. She always looked forward to receiving the Grand Rapids Press just to do the word scramble. Sometimes she would lay awake at night with word combinations running through her head.
Even at a young age, she was considered a "jolly person". She remembers being the class clown in school and always had a keen sense of humor making a point to joke with everyone she met wherever she went, even when her health was failing. She saw her positive, upbeat attitude as part of her witness.
Towards the end, she couldn't wait to be reunited with her family in heaven who had gone on before her. Her hospice worker said due to her strong faith, he had never seen anybody so "accepting of her demise".
She is survived by all seven of her children, Ken (Dori), Ross (Barb), Terry (Kim), Craig (Marcie), Darla Lamancusa (John), Brent (Rebecca), and Ron (Lelaine). She has 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Her family meant everything to her and she will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
The family will be having a memorial service at Breton Terrace, 2500 Breton Woods Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512 on Saturday, June 30, at 2:00 PM.
Arrangements by Stroo Funeral Home


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Davis' Heart Challenge started on November 26 and will run till December 14th. Here is our chance to be a Heart Hero by learning about heart health, spreading the word and raising funds to save other children like us. If you register online at heart.org/kidsheartchallenge you will earn a glow in the dark wristband. So get out and get those donations.
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eight years a windhover (and farewell)
This August marks eight years since I started this here blog - how strange to think when I started it - in my first year of university, just eighteen years old, that I would keep it up all these years later. It has been an enormous blessing - a place at once to feel familiar, comfortable, thankful and vulnerable - when I moved house, lived overseas, missed my kin, had children, worked, convalesced, meditated. So many friends made, dialogues started, I have felt so much encouragement and validation as an artist, cook, writer, mama in being able to share here. Truly, looking back I realise how much I needed it. It's been eight years and now it's time to go...
I have always had an agreement with myself that when it seemed time to move on from here, I would. I've been mulling over this for months now - a sense of distance from this space, and a deep right feeling that it's time to close this chapter.
And as you know, in the last year Alex and I have really taken a huge leap of faith - in starting a smallholding farm business, Hand to Ground - since it's inception I've felt the need to pour more time and energy it's vital, young years - my days are overflowing with what we are trying to create, grow, sell, establish - the very full occupation of caring for my young boys, tending to a garden, selling produce and making local connections... and as much as I love reading blogs and keeping up with friends on Facebook and instagram swooning, I really do need time to carve out and call sacred - time to slow down, be mindful, nourished - offline. Not to mention the inevitable weaning that comes with such limited internet connect here in the countryside!Oh, blog - there are so many posts half written in my drafts, things I wanted to say and didn't, or couldn't find the time to put exactly how they needed to be said, or soon became too outdated and no longer relevant to the narrative of life as it moved along. Still, you've been so good to me. I not do not leave empty handed... in fact, I look forward in the next year or two to compiling a series of printed photo books with my favourite posts, odes, poems, photos, reflections, recipes...
And so, from time to time, or as often as I can - I will document my days of learning to homestead and build a nourishing life on my instagram and on our farm blog...
Finally readers, it's you I owe a great thanks -
for joining me here, going away and returning,
leaving comments, emails, or unspoken well-wishes,
supporting my crafty or poetic or wordy pursuits -
delighting in the seasons, in my loves,
thank you
and for the last time let me ask you to please comment, if you can, and tell me:
where are you reading this?
what is your favourite season?
what is your beverage of choice?
what do you like to read?
what have you liked best here?
fare thee well and adieu,


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I love looking back at all the different ways gallery wall $10 water colors get used.. nobody has sent me pictures in a while, so you're all in trouble ;) I love to see what you do with them, where you put them, how you style them.. so I'm expecting my in box to get flooded with pictures ok?! firstname.lastname@example.com
The shop has just been filled with a whole bunch of new paintings :) xx
( for the list of who these beautiful spaces belong to and to see more GALLERY WALL in bloggers homes click here! )
( this gorgeousness above is a home done by Marianne Simon Design, it's not listed in the link :) )
design philosophy | providing a foundation to grow and alter through the years, I keep the core basic and layer in the current, creating a room that is innately yours. I believe great interiors are not found in one shop. I know you should feel a sense of calm in your space as well as balance, and revel in that gut feeling that it's the right fit. DESIGN SERVICES start at only 10.00. See Sarah Swanson Design at the top left of this blog!
November 28, 2012
send your pictures please!
posted by Unknown at 28.11.12
5 comments:
- Nicolle Cannone said...
Love it!!! thanks for sharing;)
- November 28, 2012 at 5:24 PM
- Laura Collins said...
I love the way that Marianne Simon Design used it in the living room!! So subtle!
- November 28, 2012 at 5:55 PM
- lizziefitz said...
I still LOVE mine with my blue and white collection! I think of you daily when I admire it:)
- November 28, 2012 at 7:18 PM
- Becca | Lowlife Couture said...
I love mine! Right now it is behind the christmas tree (tight quarters) but I will have to check my archives for a photo!
- November 29, 2012 at 6:37 AM
- Megan Daly said...
Ok. So I am glad I saw this. I did send you a couple pics of my Sarah Swanson Art and you never showed it on your blog. I am thinking you forgot or you just didn't like it. ;)
So I will try it again Sarah. Last chance for a Super cool Megan's Living Room Picture. lol
- November 29, 2012 at 4:24 PM
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Cubans to Real Maryland
On a day when the USA lifted some travel and telecom restrictions pertaining to Cuba, the Insider has learned that two Cuban refugees are on the verge of signing with Real Maryland, the USL2 club based in Rockville. (Are those news items related? Well, no, but we like to stay topical here.)
The players are defenders Yendry Diaz and Loanni Cartaya Prieto, who bolted from the Cuban under-23 national team last year during the Olympic qualifying tournament in Tampa.
As part of its preparations for the
March April 25 season opener against Bermuda, Real Maryland lost to third-division rival Crystal Palace Baltimore, 1-0, on Friday at UMBC and to Salvadoran club Aguila, 3-0, on Saturday before an estimated 2,500 spectators at Richard Montgomery High School.
Steve Goff
April 13, 2009; 4:18 PM ET
Categories: CONCACAF , USL
Save & Share: Previous: Americans Abroad, Monday Edition
Next: Video: Coach Punches Referee
If United ever plays Real Maryland, the headline I'd write:
"United Smokes Cubans at Montgomery High"
Posted by: joedoc1 | April 13, 2009 4:38 PM | Report abuse
Joedoc, are you havana laugh?
Posted by: BlackandRedRedDevil | April 13, 2009 5:26 PM | Report abuse
If one of these players gets injured from taking a shot in the huevos, you can report they were "castro-ted".
Posted by: IamAM | April 13, 2009 5:57 PM | Report abuse
If you guys think your jokes are funny, you all must write for Leno. ;)
Posted by: SonicDeathMonkey | April 13, 2009 6:37 PM | Report abuse
People were looking for the Keller red card (and Arnaud goal):
Posted by: Reignking | April 13, 2009 6:51 PM | Report abuse
seattle-kc vid also here http://tinyurl.com/cja5qt
for those who prefer the yuotube.
Posted by: joshuaostevens | April 13, 2009 7:42 PM | Report abuse
Arnaud's goal was a cracker, but McBride's is pure class. And to think there still are people who think all he can do is head the ball!
Posted by: b18bolo | April 13, 2009 8:32 PM | Report abuse
"As part of its preparations for the March 25 season opener against Bermuda, Real Maryland lost..."
Not a good sign, if part of your preparations is to lose - twice.
Cubans are not the only illegal things being smoked @ Montgomery High.
Posted by: I-270Exit1 | April 13, 2009 9:14 PM | Report abuse
Real is looking at a Cuban keeper too.
Posted by: thirdandmain | April 14, 2009 5:41 AM | Report abuse
dont you mean april 25
Posted by: Rjbatzler | April 14, 2009 11:05 AM | Report abuse
Goffihno with the Cuban connection.
They both have had some looks from at least two USL1 clubs (Miami had the edge on Puerto Rico but Islanders ownership got to them about 2 days after the defections)& at least ChivasUSA if I recall correctly.
Real Maryland is a much imporved team this year. They look like a different club.
Posted by: yankiboy | April 14, 2009 11:15 AM | Report abuse
Nice coup for Real Maryland. They've got a good young coach as well.
Posted by: mrennick | April 14, 2009 11:47 AM | Report abuse
The comments to this entry are closed.


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Construction Milestones
Pre-construction Conference (Kick-Off)
Before construction begins, a kick-off meeting is held involving the SFD Project Manager, district stakeholders, architect/engineer, CMAR, Owner's Representative (if applicable), general contractor, and major subcontractors. Topics that may be covered include:
Procurement & Project Bidding
Procurement generally refers to the process of acquiring goods, services, or works from external resources. In the creation of quality school facilities, procuring a team of qualified construction professionals is essential. These include design professionals (architects and engineers) and non-design professionals (such as carpenters, electricians, masons, plumbers, general contractors, etc.).
While each school district has the ability to use its own procurement process, SFC policies encourage using a qualification-based selection process where multiple firms/individuals are allowed to compete for the business.
Job Progress (OAC) Meetings
Regular, onsite progress meetings are held between the SFD Project Manager, the owner (district), architect, and contractor to review:
Occupancy & Project Closeout
Closeout involves a series of checks and inspections to ensure the building meets all code and condition requirements for occupancy. The SFD uses a comprehensive Project Closeout Checklist to document a wide range of information, including:
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New Year Photo HD for iPad$1.99
$1.99 Nguyen Tung iOS Version 2.0 Full Specs
Publisher's Description
From Nguyen Tung:
Time for New Year Party is near! Take impressive New Year photos by adding tons of New Year items to the photos. Choose the frame, wear a New Year hat and make meaningful greeting with New Year special fonts then share with your family, your friends. Let's do it now! STEP BY STEP: - Capture photos or select one from your album. - Choose a New Year frame/template. - Choose New Year items from 6 category and place them anywhere you like. Free moving, scale & transform them. - Add greeting text with special New Year fonts. There're also dozen of greeting text already for you to choose from. - Apply effect to your photo - Share your Christmas photos directly and instantly on Facebook or send them via email. FEATURES - Easy to use - Both front and back cameras are supported. - Hundreds New Year items. - Dozen of Frames - New Year Fonts - More items/frame/effect/text on the way to update. SUPPORT & MORE TIPS ON CREATE GREAT/CREATIVE PHOTOS: Facebook support page https://www.facebook.com/pages/2x-Photo/686498958045379
read more +


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Spring College Fair
Date: Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Time: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: Heritage Hall - HUB
The bi-annual College Fair gives students an opportunity to learn about majors at University Park. Open to all undergraduates, the fair features information tables, free material and giveaways, a chance to connect with representatives of different majors and ask questions, and an opportunity to find out where and how to meet with academic advisers.
Brief demonstrations/presentations highlighting each College will run throughout the event.
10:00 a.m. - College of Agricultural Science
10:20 a.m. - College of Arts & Architecture
10:40 a.m. - Smeal College of Business
11:00 a.m. - College of Communications
11:20 a.m. - Division of Undergraduate Studies
11:40 a.m. - College of Earth & Mineral Sciences
12:00 p.m. - College of Education
12:20 p.m. - College of Engineering
12:40 p.m. - College of Health & Human Development
1:00 p.m. - College of Information Sciences & Technology
1:20 p.m. - College of the Liberal Arts
1:40 p.m. - Eberly College of Science
Representatives from Colleges will be available for one-on-one conversations from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
An added goal of the fair is to help first-year undergraduates understand they can work with academic advisers to plan and manage their educations; consider majors, minors and courses that fit; learn about academic policies and procedures; and get involved in co-curricular activities that are interesting and enriching.


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KALIMANTAN: The Central Kalimantan administration has called on mosques in the province to turn off their loud speakers outside azan (calls to prayers), as mosques commonly air Koran recitations a during Ramadan, Jakarta Globe reported.
"Don't use loud speakers when reciting the Koran. Take pity on people of different faiths who want to rest," Central Kalimantan Deputy Governor Achmad Diran said during an event in Palangkaraya on Wednesday.
But Achmad was careful to say that his request should not be seen as a ban against Muslims preventing them from performing their religious rituals such as reciting the Koran; Achmad said he was only asking for a reduced use of the speakers.
"Please use loud speakers for azans, including during the magrib [dusk], as well as for the tarawih prayers," Achmad said. "But after nine in the evening, please turn off the loud speakers."
Mosques in Indonesia commonly air the azan through loud speakers five times a day as calls for the five mandatory daily prayers. During Ramadan however — and especially at the holy month's end on Idul Fitri — mosques commonly increase the use of their loud speakers by airing Koran recitations and the tarawih, or recommended Ramadan evening prayers.
Achmad said the Religious Affairs Ministry and the Central Kalimantan branch of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued similar calls.
"Let's preserve the unity and diversity in Central Kalimantan," Achmad said.