text:
I am larger and better than I thought. I did not know I held so much goodness."
- Walt Whitman
This meditation uses words, images, and feelings to evoke a lovingkindness and friendliness toward oneself and others. With each recitation of the phrases, we are expressing an intention, planting the seeds of loving wishes over and over in our heart.
With a loving heart as the background, all that we attempt, all that we encounter will open and flow more easily. You can begin the practice of lovingkindness by meditating for fifteen or twenty minutes in a quiet place. Let yourself sit in a comfortable fashion. Let your body rest and be relaxed. Let your heart be soft. Let go of any plans or preoccupations.
Begin with yourself. Breathe gently, and recite inwardly the following traditional phrases directed toward our own well-being. You being with yourself because without loving yourself it is almost impossible to love others.
May I be filled with lovingkindness.
May I be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May I be well in body and mind.
May I be at ease and happy.
As you repeat these phrases, picture yourself as you are now, and hold that image in a heart of lovingkindness. Or perhaps you will find it easier to picture yourself as a young and beloved child. Adjust the words and images in any way you wish. Create the exact phrases that best open your heart of kindness. Repeat these phrases over and over again, letting the feelings permeate your body and mind. Practice this meditation for a number of weeks, until the sense of lovingkindness for yourself grows.
Be aware that this meditation may at times feel mechanical or awkward. It can also bring up feelings contrary to lovingkindness, feelings of irritation and anger. If this happens, it is especially important to be patient and kind toward yourself, allowing whatever arises to be received in a spirit of friendliness and kind affection. When you feel you have established some stronger sense of lovingkindness for yourself, you can then expand your meditation to include others. After focusing on yourself for five or ten minutes, choose a benefactor, someone in your life who has loved and truly cared for you. Picture this person and carefully recite the same phrases:
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
Let the image and feelings you have for your benefactor support the meditation. Whether the image or feelings are clear or not does not matter. In meditation they will be subject to change. Simply continue to plant the seeds of loving wishes, repeating the phrases gently no matter what arises.
Expressing gratitude to our benefactors is a natural form of love. In fact, some people find lovingkindness for themselves so hard, they begin their practice with a benefactor. This too is fine. The rule in lovingkindness practice is to follow the way that most easily opens your heart.
When lovingkindness for your benefactor has developed, you can gradually begin to include other people in your meditation. Picturing each beloved person, recite inwardly the same phrases, evoking a sense of lovingkindness for each person in turn.
After this you can include others: Spend some time wishing well to a wider circle of friends. Then gradually extend your meditation to picture and include community members, neighbors, people everywhere, animals, all beings, the whole earth.
Finally, include the difficult people in your life, even your enemies, wishing that they too may be filled with lovingkindness and peace. This will take practice. But as your heart opens, first to loved ones and friends, you will find that in the end you won't want to close it anymore.
Lovingkindness can be practiced anywhere. You can use this meditation in traffic jams, in buses, and on airplanes. As you silently practice this meditation among people, you will come to feel a wonderful connection with them - the power of lovingkindness. It will calm your mind and keep you connected to your heart.
Please put your attention on the breath for a few moments. Find patience and acceptance in your heart for your own difficulties, your own mistakes, for all the things that you think about yourself which you might not like. Find the acceptance and the patience to endure that in your heart. Let the patience and acceptance grow so that they fill you from head to toe, a feeling of ease. And with that love arises and you can surround yourself and embrace yourself with love. Pick out one person who is present here and accept that person fully. And with the acceptance have patience for that person. No demand. No pressure. No wanting. Just acceptance. Fill that person with that acceptance, with that non demanding patience , and then surround him or her with love. And now extend that to everyone here. Accept everyone the way they are and have that non demanding patience for each person. No pressure. Nothing you want. Everything is. Everyone is. And then surround everyone with love. Now think of your parents. Fill them with your acceptance. Non demanding patience. Surround them with your love. Now think of those people who are closest to you. Those you might live with. Patience and acceptance. Lovingness. Embrace them with those. Fill them with those. Nothing else works. Now think of your good friends. Accept them exactly the way they are. Do not wish them to become other. Let patience with them arise, which is non demanding, and non judgmental. Fill them with that and then embrace them with your love. Now think of neighbors, acquaintances, relatives, people at work. Accept them exactly as you know them. Fill them with that acceptance, with that non demanding patience and non judgmental attitude, and then embrace them with your love . Now think of anyone whom you find difficult. Accept that person exactly the way he or she is. With non demanding patience. Fill him or her with that acceptance and patience. Then embrace him or her with love. Now have a look inside to see if there is anyone or anything that you dislike, whatever it maybe, whoever is may be, small or large, and then accept that the way it just is, or accept the person or the ideas or the situation. Just accept it and have patience with whatever it is. Reach out with that acceptance and patience to the person or situation involved. And now imagine that your acceptance and your patience is like a rose colored cloud coming from your heart and going far and wide, giving people joy and peace by seeing this lovely patience and acceptance that comes to them on this rose colored cloud which can reach very far. First to people around here and then further and further afield. Bringing patience and acceptance and love onto this planet, into this universe. Now put your attention back on yourself and feel yourself filled with patience, acceptance, and love. Let that be your inner being. The warmth of the love. The peacefulness of the patience and acceptance with yourself. May all beings have patience with each other.
The natural ease of walking can be used as a direct and simple way to bring centeredness and peace into our life. Walking becomes a meditation when we bring a careful and present attention to each step we take. Walking becomes a meditation when we feel ourselves fully here on the earth. To learn walking meditation, select a place to walk back and forth at a leisurely rate, fifteen to thirty paces in length. Stand at the end of this "walking path." Feel your feet on the floor, on the earth. Sense the environment around you. Be aware of yourself and your surroundings until you feel quiet and composed. Then begin to walk. Focus your attention on your body, feeling each step as you lift your foot and place it back on the earth. As you sense each step, return your foot to the earth with care. Walk upright in a relaxed and dignified fashion. When you get to the end of your path, pause briefly and then turn around, Stand and center yourself then and be aware of the first step as you begin again. You can walk at whatever speed keeps you most present. Walk with careful attention to each step for fifteen or twenty minutes. Usually when we walk we are distracted by a hundred other things. As you walk in meditation, try to let the thoughts and images that arise remain in the background. Even so, you will regularly get carried away by thoughts. When this happens, simply stop walking and be aware of the thoughts. Then quietly re-center yourself and take the next step. Keep coming back to your footsteps in this simple way. At times you may wish to do a period of walking meditation alone. On other days you might walk for ten or fifteen minutes before beginning a sitting meditation. After some practice you can learn to use walking meditation to calm and collect yourself, to become truly present in your body. You can extend this walking period in informal ways, when you go shopping, when you walk down the street or to and from your car. You can learn to enjoy walking for its own sake instead of combining it with the usual planning and thinking. In this simple way you can move through life wakefully, with your whole body, heart and mind together in harmony.
As the leaves drop in the autumn and the snow flakes turn to snow, You too have special gifts to release and just let go, As the rain falls from the clouds and each river flows to sea, Inside your heart is love and the power to be free... As our Earth orbits the sun and gently dwells in outer-space, All troubles can dissolve to reveal your inner-grace, As the light explodes in glory at the start of each new morn, You too have lifes permission to refresh and feel reborn, As the never-ending cycle of birth, death, awake and sleep, Eternity hums her tune and beckons...Journey deep... As a child laughs with pure innocence and we peel back every layer, We find ourselves, beyond the noise, to be a mighty player, As the wind sings through the tress and the rocks stand bold and strong, You too can find beyond your thoughts, theres really nothing wrong, As the rain soaks dried up lands and the lightening parts the sky, Sometimes it is fine to pause and rest, and feel no need to try, As great underwater worlds intensely sparkle, dance, and play, You too can choose to live beyond, the forceful Ego way, As the seed becomes the flower which then reaches for the Sun, Living from you heart can be discovery and fun, As the stars shine in the cosmos and bring wisdom to our skies, There truly is another world... so breathe and close eyes, Life...mystery...unfolding...endless loving flow, Peace is here for you, when you choose to, just let go...
Sit comfortably in a quiet spot. Close your eyes and start bringing attention to your breath. Just notice it, without trying to change it in any way. Notice if it changes naturally just because it's being noticed. Say this: May I be safe. May I be whole. May the earth be safe. May the earth be whole. May all people everywhere be safe and whole. May all creatures everywhere be safe and whole. May we feel our deep connection to the earth. May the earth feel honored and loved by us. Go back to noticing your breath. Feel your sitz bones sinking toward the floor. And imagine yourself growing roots through the floor, through the building, through the foundation of the building, into the rich soil of the earth. Sinking deeper and deeper. Now imagine your heart is radiating pure divine love. Love for the earth, for the dolphins, for the fish, for the teeny tiny ameaobas, for the delicate ferns, for the swelling, swaying oceans. Say this: I am sending light and love to all beings. I am sending light and love to the earth. May we unite and may we know that we are safe, whole, and connected. May we treat each other and the earth tenderly. May we treat each other and the earth as divine. Still your self, go back to your breath, noticing each wave in and out. Sense those roots you've sunk into the soil and feel yourself nurtured, like a plant, through the roots. And go back to your heart, still radiating all that crazy-beautiful earth-love. Breathe in and out a few more moments. Feel the roots, sated, coming back into your body. Feel your heart fluttering back to its normal, beating, loving state. See the earth glowing, shining a little bit extra from receiving your love. Say this: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that youve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you cant wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid its like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didnt exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long days work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, theres no need for continuous conversation, but you find youre quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that theres a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure thats so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.
Everyone seeks peace and harmony, because this is what we lack in our lives. From time to time we all experience agitation, irritation, disharmony. And when we suffer from these miseries, we don't keep them to ourselves; we often distribute them to others as well. Unhappiness permeates the atmosphere around someone who is miserable, and those who come in contact with such a person also become affected. Certainly this is not a skillful way to live. We ought to live at peace with ourselves, and at peace with others. After all, human beings are social beings, having to live in society and deal with each other. But how are we to live peacefully? How are we to remain harmonious within, and maintain peace and harmony around us, so that others can also live peacefully and harmoniously? In order to be relieved of our misery, we have to know the basic reason for it, the cause of the suffering. If we investigate the problem, it becomes clear that whenever we start generating any negativity or impurity in the mind, we are bound to become unhappy. A negativity in the mind, a mental defilement or impurity, cannot coexist with peace and harmony. How do we start generating negativity? Again, by investigation, it becomes clear. We become unhappy when we find someone behaving in a way that we don't like, or when we find something happening which we don't like. Unwanted things happen and we create tension within. Wanted things do not happen, some obstacle comes in the way, and again we create tension within; we start tying knots within. And throughout life, unwanted things keep on happening, wanted things may or may not happen, and this process of reaction, of tying knotsGordian knotsmakes the entire mental and physical structure so tense, so full of negativity, that life becomes miserable. Now, one way to solve this problem is to arrange that nothing unwanted happens in life, that everything keeps on happening exactly as we desire. Either we must develop the power, or somebody else who will come to our aid must have the power, to see that unwanted things do not happen and that everything we want happens. But this is impossible. There is no one in the world whose desires are always fulfilled, in whose life everything happens according to his or her wishes, without anything unwanted happening. Things constantly occur that are contrary to our desires and wishes. So the question arises: how can we stop reacting blindly when confronted with things that we don't like? How can we stop creating tension and remain peaceful and harmonious? In India, as well as in other countries, wise saintly persons of the past studied this problemthe problem of human sufferingand found a solution: if something unwanted happens and you start to react by generating anger, fear or any negativity, then, as soon as possible, you should divert your attention to something else. For example, get up, take a glass of water, start drinkingyour anger won't multiply; on the other hand, it'll begin to subside. Or start counting: one, two, three, four. Or start repeating a word, or a phrase, or some mantra, perhaps the name of a god or saintly person towards whom you have devotion; the mind is diverted, and to some extent you'll be free of the negativity, free of the anger. This solution was helpful; it worked. It still works. Responding like this, the mind feels free from agitation. However, the solution works only at the conscious level. In fact, by diverting the attention you push the negativity deep into the unconscious, and there you continue to generate and multiply the same defilement. On the surface there is a layer of peace and harmony, but in the depths of the mind there is a sleeping volcano of suppressed negativity which sooner or later may erupt in a violent explosion. Other explorers of inner truth went still further in their search and, by experiencing the reality of mind and matter within themselves, recognized that diverting the attention is only running away from the problem. Escape is no solution; you have to face the problem. Whenever negativity arises in the mind, just observe it, face it. As soon as you start to observe a mental impurity, it begins to lose its strength and slowly withers away. A good solution; it avoids both extremessuppression and expression. Burying the negativity in the unconscious will not eradicate it, and allowing it to manifest as unwholesome physical or vocal actions will only create more problems. But if you just observe, then the defilement passes away and you are free of it. This sounds wonderful, but is it really practical? It's not easy to face one's own impurities. When anger arises, it so quickly overwhelms us that we don't even notice. Then, overpowered by anger, we perform physical or vocal actions which harm ourselves and others. Later, when the anger has passed, we start crying and repenting, begging pardon from this or that person or from God: Oh, I made a mistake, please excuse me! But the next time we are in a similar situation, we again react in the same way. This continual repenting doesn't help at all. The difficulty is that we are not aware when negativity starts. It begins deep in the unconscious mind, and by the time it reaches the conscious level it has gained so much strength that it overwhelms us, and we cannot observe it. Suppose that I employ a private secretary, so that whenever anger arises he says to me, Look, anger is starting! Since I cannot know when this anger will start, I'll need to hire three private secretaries for three shifts, around the clock! Let's say I can afford it, and anger begins to arise. At once my secretary tells me, Oh lookanger has started! The first thing I'll do is rebuke him: You fool! You think you're paid to teach me? I'm so overpowered by anger that good advice won't help. Suppose wisdom does prevail and I don't scold him. Instead, I say, Thank you very much. Now I must sit down and observe my anger. Yet, is it possible? As soon as I close my eyes and try to observe anger, the object of the anger immediately comes into my mindthe person or incident which initiated the anger. Then I'm not observing the anger itself; I'm merely observing the external stimulus of that emotion. This will only serve to multiply the anger, and is therefore no solution. It is very difficult to observe any abstract negativity, abstract emotion, divorced from the external object which originally caused it to arise. However, someone who reached the ultimate truth found a real solution. He discovered that whenever any impurity arises in the mind, physically two things start happening simultaneously. One is that the breath loses its normal rhythm. We start breathing harder whenever negativity comes into the mind. This is easy to observe. At a subtler level, a biochemical reaction starts in the body, resulting in some sensation. Every impurity will generate some sensation or the other within the body. This presents a practical solution. An ordinary person cannot observe abstract defilements of the mindabstract fear, anger or passion. But with proper training and practice it is very easy to observe respiration and body sensations, both of which are directly related to mental defilements. Respiration and sensations will help in two ways. First, they will be like private secretaries. As soon as a negativity arises in the mind, the breath will lose its normality; it will start shouting, Look, something has gone wrong! And we cannot scold the breath; we have to accept the warning. Similarly, the sensations will tell us that something has gone wrong. Then, having been warned, we can start observing the respiration, start observing the sensations, and very quickly we find that the negativity passes away. This mental-physical phenomenon is like a coin with two sides. On one side are the thoughts and emotions arising in the mind, on the other side are the respiration and sensations in the body. Any thoughts or emotions, any mental impurities that arise manifest themselves in the breath and the sensations of that moment. Thus, by observing the respiration or the sensations, we are in fact observing mental impurities. Instead of running away from the problem, we are facing reality as it is. As a result, we discover that these impurities lose their strength; they no longer overpower us as they did in the past. If we persist, they eventually disappear altogether and we begin to live a peaceful and happy life, a life increasingly free of negativities. In this way the technique of self-observation shows us reality in its two aspects, inner and outer. Previously we only looked outward, missing the inner truth. We always looked outside for the cause of our unhappiness; we always blamed and tried to change the reality outside. Being ignorant of the inner reality, we never understood that the cause of suffering lies within, in our own blind reactions toward pleasant and unpleasant sensations. Now, with training, we can see the other side of the coin. We can be aware of our breathing and also of what is happening inside. Whatever it is, breath or sensation, we learn just to observe it without losing our mental balance. We stop reacting and multiplying our misery. Instead, we allow the defilements to manifest and pass away. The more one practices this technique, the more quickly negativities will dissolve. Gradually the mind becomes free of defilements, becomes pure. A pure mind is always full of loveselfless love for all others, full of compassion for the failings and sufferings of others, full of joy at their success and happiness, full of equanimity in the face of any situation. When one reaches this stage, the entire pattern of one's life changes. It is no longer possible to do anything vocally or physically which will disturb the peace and happiness of others. Instead, a balanced mind not only becomes peaceful, but the surrounding atmosphere also becomes permeated with peace and harmony, and this will start affecting others, helping others too. By learning to remain balanced in the face of everything experienced inside, one develops detachment towards all that one encounters in external situations as well. However, this detachment is not escapism or indifference to the problems of the world. Those who regularly practice Vipassana become more sensitive to the sufferings of others, and do their utmost to relieve suffering in whatever way they cannot with any agitation, but with a mind full of love, compassion and equanimity. They learn holy indifferencehow to be fully committed, fully involved in helping others, while at the same time maintaining balance of mind. In this way they remain peaceful and happy, while working for the peace and happiness of others. This is what the Buddha taught: an art of living. He never established or taught any religion, any ism. He never instructed those who came to him to practice any rites or rituals, any empty formalities. Instead, he taught them just to observe nature as it is, by observing the reality inside. Out of ignorance we keep reacting in ways which harm ourselves and others. But when wisdom arisesthe wisdom of observing reality as it isthis habit of reacting falls away. When we cease to react blindly, then we are capable of real actionaction proceeding from a balanced mind, a mind which sees and understands the truth. Such action can only be positive, creative, helpful to ourselves and to others. What is necessary, then, is to know thyselfadvice which every wise person has given. We must know ourselves, not just intellectually in the realm of ideas and theories, and not just emotionally or devotionally, simply accepting blindly what we have heard or read. Such knowledge is not enough. Rather, we must know reality experientially. We must experience directly the reality of this mental-physical phenomenon. This alone is what will help us be free of our suffering. This direct experience of our own inner reality, this technique of self-observation, is what is called Vipassana meditation. In the language of India in the time of the Buddha, passana meant seeing in the ordinary way, with one's eyes open; but vipassana is observing things as they actually are, not just as they appear to be. Apparent truth has to be penetrated, until we reach the ultimate truth of the entire psycho-physical structure. When we experience this truth, then we learn to stop reacting blindly, to stop creating negativitiesand naturally the old ones are gradually eradicated. We become liberated from misery and experience true happiness. There are three steps to the training given in a meditation course. First, one must abstain from any action, physical or vocal, which disturbs the peace and harmony of others. One cannot work to liberate oneself from impurities of the mind while at the same time continuing to perform deeds of body and speech which only multiply them. Therefore, a code of morality is the essential first step of the practice. One undertakes not to kill, not to steal, not to commit sexual misconduct, not to tell lies, and not to use intoxicants. By abstaining from such actions, one allows the mind to quiet down sufficiently in order to proceed further. The next step is to develop some mastery over this wild mind by training it to remain fixed on a single object, the breath. One tries to keep one's attention on the respiration for as long as possible. This is not a breathing exercise; one does not regulate the breath. Instead, one observes natural respiration as it is, as it comes in, as it goes out. In this way one further calms the mind so that it is no longer overpowered by intense negativities. At the same time, one is concentrating the mind, making it sharp and penetrating, capable of the work of insight. These first two steps, living a moral life, and controlling the mind, are very necessary and beneficial in themselves, but they will lead to suppression of negativities unless one takes the third step: purifying the mind of defilements by developing insight into one's own nature. This is Vipassana: experiencing one's own reality by the systematic and dispassionate observation within oneself of the ever-changing mind-matter phenomenon manifesting itself as sensations. This is the culmination of the teaching of the Buddha: self-purification by self-observation. It can be practiced by one and all. Everyone faces the problem of suffering. It is a universal malady which requires a universal remedy, not a sectarian one. When one suffers from anger, it's not Buddhist anger, Hindu anger, or Christian anger. Anger is anger. When one becomes agitated as a result of this anger, this agitation is not Christian, or Jewish, or Muslim. The malady is universal. The remedy must also be universal. Vipassana is such a remedy. No one will object to a code of living which respects the peace and harmony of others. No one will object to developing control over the mind. No one will object to developing insight into one's own nature, by which it is possible to free the mind of negativities. Vipassana is a universal path. Observing reality as it is by observing the truth insidethis is knowing oneself directly and experientially. As one practices, one keeps freeing oneself from the misery of mental impurities. From the gross, external, apparent truth, one penetrates to the ultimate truth of mind and matter. Then one transcends that, and experiences a truth which is beyond mind and matter, beyond time and space, beyond the conditioned field of relativity: the truth of total liberation from all defilements, all impurities, all suffering. Whatever name one gives this ultimate truth is irrelevant; it is the final goal of everyone. May you all experience this ultimate truth. May all people be free from misery. May they enjoy real peace, real harmony, real happiness. MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY
The purpose of the Conscious Meditation is to help you find what it is you would love to do, what it is that inspires you to be the greatest you can be.... to live your inspirations and achieve your dreams, hopes and goals in life. Before you start, make sure you have a pen and paper near you. You will need this at the end of the meditation. This meditation is designed to help you relax and teach you easy techniques to gain focus and clarity in your life. This is a conscious meditation, with your eyes open while you read the mediation, however, all of your senses should connect to the words while doing the conscious meditation.Create a personal space where you can do your meditation on a regular basis, somewhere you know you won't be disturbed by phones, people or other interruptions, somewhere you can feel safe and comfortable. Go to this space now and sit in a comfortable chair. It is best to sit when doing a longer meditation like this one because if you lie down you are likely to fall asleep and miss the experience. Step One: Centering with Breath. As you begin your journey to the beyond imagine you are entering a place of centeredness, a place you can become one with the universal energy field. An energy field that connects your inner being to something much greater than yourself, a higher intelligence. An infinite place of love and light! Vibrations at a much higher frequency than you feel here on earth, a vibration where only love and light exist.Imagine the golden warmth of the sun caressing your mind and your body becomes still. As you begin to feel more relaxed and comfortable you will now concentrate on your breath.Take some deep breaths in though your nostrils, each time holding your breath for a short time. Imagine you are feeling lighter and more centered with each inhale, and all of your stress, busyness or worries are going out when you exhale through your mouth.Inhale, hold.... 1 2 3 Hold, hold, hold, Exhale, Inhale, hold.... 1 2 3 Hold, hold, hold, Exhale, Inhale, hold.... 1 2 3 Hold, hold, hold, Exhale,Continue to breathe in through your nostrils and out through your mouth, this is called a circular breath. Now imagine when you breathe in through your nose that you are breathing in from the bottom of your feet and up to the crown of your head. Then when you breathe out through your mouth imagine that your breath is going out from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. With the next breath, now imagine that you have a white aluminous bright light right around your body in the shape of a large egg. Continue this circular breathing in through your nostrils and out through your mouth and with each breath the light is getting brighter and brighter. Step Two: Noise Control.Now acknowledge all of the sounds and noises around you. These are the sounds that make your life interesting. Give thanks for the ability to hear all of these sounds. First of all concentrate on the sounds that are far away. These are the sounds that are not in your immediate vicinity. They could be outside or just in the next room or maybe streets away. It could be a car in the street, people talking in the next room. Tune into any nature sounds like birds, wind, the rustling of trees or the sound of water outside. Whatever they are, acknowledge the sounds and stay with them for a short while. Now bring your attention back into your immediate surroundings and acknowledge the sounds close to you. They may be machinery noises, music, the soft chatter of voices, perhaps you can hear your watch ticking or a creak in the walls. Stay with these sounds for a while.Now quickly take your attention outside and then bring it inside again. Switch between the two sounds, near and far a few times until you can differentiate the difference and imagine yourself integrating with the sounds and allowing them to be there rather than attempting to block them out. Acknowledge these sounds and let your attention go beyond and above the sounds. Now go back to concentrating on your breathing. Continue breathing in though your nostrils and out through your mouth letting any thoughts of busyness gently leave your mind. Imagine your thoughts are coming in through the left hand side of your mind and then let them go out through the right hand side. Don't be annoyed that they are there, allow them to be there and go though the other side.If any reminder thoughts arise, of things you need to do, thank them for coming into your consciousness and ask them to be filed and come back at a more appropriate time for you to deal with them.Step Three: Relaxation Process.Next, let's consciously start to relax your facial muscles. Tell your brow to relax, relax, relax, relax, then your eyebrows, relax, relax, now relax the muscles around your eyes, relax, relax. Next concentrate on the muscles around your mouth, relax, relax, and then let your shoulders drop, relax, relax, relax and feel all of the stress and tension of the day and past days leave you. You are now feeling very relaxed and are still concentrating on your circular breathing and illuminated light right around your body. With each breath ask your facial features to relax, starting with your forehead, ask your forehead to relax, relax, relax and feel the tension leaving your face. Now your eyebrows, relax and your cheeks, relax. Now ask your mouth and chin to relax, relax, relax. Consciously feel all of these muscles let go and relax. And finally, feel the muscles in your neck and shoulders let go and relax as any stress and tension leaves you.Step Four: Getting in touch with your inner joy.Now think of a time you had much love and gratitude in your life, a time when you felt peaceful and happy, a time of great joy. It could be as recent as yesterday or way in the past. Grasp that feeling and hold onto it. Embrace it, remember what it was like and intensify the feeling.Visualize a warm golden light shining down on you and engulfing you. Envisage this warm light transforming into a beautiful light fluffy cloud. Enjoy the sensation of being surrounded by Light. This is your inner light shining through, it is your own guiding light.As you bask in the illumination of this golden light your energy begins to feel lighter and lighter and you are feeling comfortable, relaxed and safe. You now float upwards to a sacred space of love, a space you feel safe and understood without question and without need of explanation. A place of unconditional love, a place you know and feel you are loved no matter what. This is a space that you feel great joy, a space where you can experience tears of love and inspiration and a sense of gratitude for being who you are.Step Five – The mediation journey – the doors of lifeAs you travel through the 1st door of life, you see a perfect flower the flower is the color of rich golden yellow and it is against a back drop of a vibrant pink sunset as it passes into the night allowing the mystical moon to rise. Watch, as your flower gently closes. Surrounded in a lush abundant forest of tranquility, this beautiful flower is perfection itself and it mirrors the perfection in you. You are here because you are loved, and you are truly unique.You deserve love no matter what you have or haven't done and like the flower, you are perfect just the way you are.As you travel along life's journey you realize the greatest gift of life is life itself and the stars are there to be reached. Your dreams are to be lived as your inspiration for life takes you on many roads of light and dark. Many roads of experience and living, loving and learning, roads filled with joy, and happiness. As you are floating through the 2nd door you are feeling lighter and lighter. With every breath you are feeling more and more relaxed, more and more peaceful. You now have a feeling of being balanced with your mind, body and spirit. It is here you can begin to understand the reasons behind your emotions and desires. The reasons for being who you are, a truly beautiful being. Here you realize that you do hold all of your answers to every question within your head and heart.At the 3rd door of greatness you can connect strongly with your inner self. Your inner self deep inside you that is always there, always there loving and giving. Like two strangers you invite each other to a dance. The dance of togetherness, a dance of giving and receiving. The dance of unconditional love and acceptance of who you are. As this transformation evolves you can feel a softening of your senses, a more relaxed feeling of acceptance of your surroundings, and a knowingness of something great inside of you, a realization of your very own creation, the creation of yourself, a realization of your own greatness is unfolding.Your dreams and hopes are beginning to formulate as you can feel a connectedness to yourself and a belonging, a feeling of never being alone, as your inner self is always with you guiding you along your journey, sparking your intuition and heartfelt feelings to help you with your questions and answers to your own life.Feelings of growth and abundance are with you now as you are engulfed in the cooling peaceful color of green as you approach the 4th door. As you enter through this door you feel calm and in control. It is here you experience a heightened feeling of understanding from your heart center of what your purpose and mission in life is. What it is in your heart you would love to do. The answer to this question is the gift you give yourself. As your vision unfolds you are no longer afraid of where life leads. Your purposefulness and certainty knows what it is you want to be, do and have. Your inner heart knows what it is you aspire to.Now that you are passing through the 5th door of life it takes you to a realization that you have traveled along the highway of life further than you thought. Step by step you have charted a course just like the comet, which darts across the splendidly bright starlit night. You realize it is soon gone and it is the 'now' that is important. It is the present, which holds the power. Right now at any time is the time of brilliance, the time, which holds the power for you and your life. It is the power of love.At the 6th door you feel the lightness and heightened vibration of the vibrant color violet finely tuning your intuitive senses and instincts. By opening up to your intuition you will find amazing inspiration and inspiring thoughts that will give you the answers to your life. As you feel more relaxed and your energy is lighter you can begin to gain a clarity, knowingness and certainty of your life.Step six – The inner connection.As you burst through the 7th door of life into the brightness and illumination of the golden white light it is here that you feel an incredible peace, a peace that you are one with everything and everyone around you and one with yourself. Stay here for a while and ask your inner self for a message, ask for a message, which will support you on your personal journey to realize your inner most goals. Step Seven – Homeward bound, back to earth.Stay here for a while as you communicate with your inner self. When you feel or hear this message, thank yourself for the journey you are on and when you are ready, gently float back down though the seven doors of life, bringing the illumination of the golden white light with you. As you pass through the seven doors the message of inspiration from your inner self becomes clearer and clearer. Step Eight – The moment of power, record your message, find your passion.When you feel you are ready, slowly start to move your fingers and toes, then gently open your eyes, and before you become totally conscious write down or draw your message or the first thing that comes into your mind. Your message may be in the form of a sound, word, color vision or a feeling, just write down what it is without trying to edit or understand the message at this stage. Now move your hands and feet and make sure you are totally alert before you stand up.
The Big Band era is generally regarded as having occurred between the years 1935 and 1945. It was the only time in history that the popularity of jazz music eclipsed all other forms of music in the U.S. Rightly or wrongly the appearance of Benny Goodman and his big band at the Palomar in Los Angeles in August of 1935 is often referred to as the official start of the Swing era. While Benny Goodman undoubtedly had a great big band, it should be clear by now that his may not have been the "best" or even most original big band playing hot jazz music at the time. Just as Benny Goodman did not start, conceive, or bring to fruition the Big Band era on his own, so no one incident can be cited as its genesis. Rather many circumstances, incidents, conditions, and inventions seemed to all work together and should be taken into account when viewing its conception.
On the morning of "Black Thursday," October 24th, 1929, a great sell off on the New York Stock Exchange occurred triggering panic by investors. While the market bounced back a bit that afternoon, on the ensuing Monday and Tuesday it plummeted again and soon America was in the midst of the Great Depression. On December 11th, 1931 The New York Bank of the United States collapsed. These incidents helped bring to an end the prosperity, frivolity, and gaiety of the roaring 20's. Money began to get extremely tough to come by. The public was not able to afford to go out and see live music performed or buy records. Work was hard to find for everyone let alone musicians. Record sales were at an all time low. Many talented players worked the studios of radio networks and stations or were hidden in the confines of the few "sweet" dance orchestras able to stay afloat. Enter the free entertainment world of radio.
In the 1930s radio became a household appliance. It is estimated that by 1935, the number of homes with radios was nearly 23 million, the total audience around 91 million. This was the "Golden Age Of Radio" when shows like "The Shadow," "Amos & Andy," "Tarzan," "Fibber McGee And Molly," and "The Lone Ranger" were at peak popularity. Studio musicians made their money as background instrumentalists both for shows and commercials. Radio executives had learned in the 1920s that music shows were also successful. However, as far as nationally broadcast music shows in the years preceding 1934, dance and "sweet" bands still dominated the airwaves. The general public was still only dimly aware of the great black jazz orchestras. Benny Goodman's Let's Dance broadcasts, which aired regularly in 1934, were one of the first such weekly live radio broadcasts of hot jazz music to be aired by a national network on a steady, reoccurring basis.
Given the economic conditions of the time it may be surprising that during this period advances in recording technology, and in particular the microphone, were changing the way Americans could hear recorded music and radio broadcasts. The ribbon or "velocity" microphone was introduced by RCA in 1931, as the model 44A, and became one of the most widely used microphones in vocal recording. Many bands today hoping to achieve a more authentic "vintage" sound still use the 44A. Another advance in recording sound came in 1933 when RCA introduced the 77A, cardioid pattern, dual ribbon microphone. These advances in sound enabled subtle nuances in both playing and singing to be amplified for the first time and made for better live broadcasts. Up until these advances vocalists were required to get up and belt out a song with many of the subtleties in inflection and voice tone being lost.
Advances in the discs that music was recorded on were being worked on and experimented with during the Great Depression as well. By the late 1930s a limited use of vinyl resin to replace shellac pointed the way to quieter records. Lacquer-coated aluminum discs also came into use in the recording process. These had a quieter surface and for the first time allowed immediate playback in the studio for auditioning purposes. This enabled both engineers and musicians the ability to instantly make adjustments of microphone or personnel placement, further refining their recordings. These advances in disc recording, being honed during the Great Depression, had significant impact on the quality of recorded music during the Big Band era. However in the early 1930s these advances were still in their infancy. Live radio broadcasts of music with the new microphones were nearly as good, quality-wise, (assuming the reception was clear) as personally owned recordings, and certainly much more affordable.
In 1933 Homer Capehart sold the Simplex record changer mechanism to the Wurlitzer Company. The jukebox was to become an important tool in the popularity and accessibility of big band swing music, and by the late 1930s one could find them located in speakeasies, ice cream parlors, and even drugstores. The jukebox was at least part of the reason record sales began to show a tremendous increase toward the end of the decade.
The disc jockey, a term not used until about 1940, was also to become a significant factor in getting music out to the public. At first the large U.S. radio networks were against the idea. In the early 1930s they sternly reiterated their policies in a memorandum discouraging the use of recordings in network broadcasts. But the records were already spinning on local programs. Los Angeles radio man Al Jarvis was playing records and talking about them on a successful program called "The World's Largest Make Believe Ballroom." Jarvis and his program were very popular on KFWB in the small Los Angeles radio market in the early 1930s. Originally a junior assistant at KFWB, Martin Block, who had moved to New York, borrowed the same concept during the breaks in the high profile Bruno-Hauptman trial on network radio and was met with great success in 1935. Although often controversial to the musician's union, to jazz writers, to music fans and to musicians themselves, these record jockeys, as they were called, were soon entertaining listeners with discs all over the country through the medium of radio.
While the youth of 30 years later could listen to thousands of stations catering to many genres of music; such was not the case nationally in the early 1930s. Hot jazz in a big band format was instead spreading in popularity through college age kids at Ivy League colleges like Yale. The Casa Loma Orchestra was a favorite of the kids there. In New York a new dance known as the Lindy Hop (named after Charles Lindbergh's famous Trans-Atlantic flight) was catching on with teens in ballrooms like the Alhambra, the Renaissance, and the Savoy where some of its most significant adaptations occurred. Kids from a new generation were searching for their own identity, searching for excitement, searching for something to call their own, and searching for the opposite sex. Jazz music through its evolution into swing and these new and energetic dances offered the whole package. Although the swing phenomena spread slowly and in small pockets at first, national publicity through radio and publications was about to assist in propelling jazz to the pinnacle of its popularity.
Benny Goodman's Let's Dance broadcasts first aired in December of 1934. His was the final of several music features of the night making it a late broadcast on the East Coast. Most high school and college students, who were more apt to like hot jazz music, needed to be up early for school and did not hear these broadcasts. The subsequent U.S. tour by Goodman ending in California in which Benny Goodman was booked following his Let's Dance broadcasts was largely unsuccessful until he hit the West Coast. The band was met with a tremendous amount of ambivalence and even scorn throughout the Midwest. The reason was the 3-hour time difference of his live broadcasts, between coasts, had enabled many of the youth out West to be tuned in nightly. They were ready and eager to greet and meet the band bringing them this new hot jazz music.
The tour culminated with Goodman's performance at the Palomar in L.A. Although Oakland turnouts were said to have been good and crowds enthusiastic, the band was not expecting what they were met with in Southern California. What seemed to be the end of the road for the Benny Goodman big band suddenly became the beginning of a new era in American music history when the kids that night, in the summer of 1935, heard the band launch into a hot jazz number and began crowding around the bandstand cheering and encouraging the group.
With the headlines talking about the success of the Benny Goodman big band in California, magazines like Down Beat and Metronome began to print more articles about the music. John Hammond, while known to most for his savvy in discovering artists like Count Basie and Billie Holiday, was writing about big bands in Down Beat as early as 1935. By 1936, when Benny Goodman was performing just blocks away from the magazine's Chicago offices, articles about the band filled its issues. Jazz in the form of big band swing was now beginning to sweep the nation.
Soon live radio remotes were regularly featuring this new swing music coast to coast as nearly all the major hotels in large cities had a "wire," as it was called, meaning a line installed for broadcast transmission. Jukeboxes were blaring, kids were dancing, record jockeys were spinning discs and talking about them and the Big Band era had arrived.


text:
NHWP Communities
NHWP Community Site Selection
The following criteria were used to identify and select community sites:
- County level health outcomes and health risk factor data;
- Access to community-based health resources such as a community hospital, CDC and non CDC-funded state and community-based health initiatives and programs (e.g., Community Transformation Grants), and the presence of local organizations that have experience supporting workplace health programs; and
- A sufficient employer base and overall population to support the program.
Preference was given to communities with significant health disparities and to communities that allowed for the inclusion of urban/rural localities, industry sector diversity, and demographic diversity. Based on these criteria, the following sites have been selected with their local community director program contacts:
Click on the map below to visit each NHWP Community profile.
For more information visit the site selection process [PDF - 722KB] including information on how employers can participate [PDF - 289KB] in the National Healthy Worksite Program.
View the NHWP Site Selection Presentation:
NHWP Communities
Local and State Resources,
Training Opportunities,
Participating Employers
and Contacts.
National Healthy Worksite Newsletter
Learn best practices in worksite wellness: download the NHWP quarterly newsletter [PDF - 2MB].

subset: commoncrawl


text:
If the game freezes, just click inside it (games can get unresponsive if you click elsewhere on the page).
Yes |
No |
More obstacles to drive through. Don't let anything slow you down! Drive your monster truck through obstacles and stay balance or you will crash.
Arrow keys to drive.
Add this game to your web page!
Copy this code to your page |
Advertise here: Trafficflux


text:
Follow the Arizona Daily Star
Special features
Deals, offers & events
View more...Do you have unwanted Dog or Cat orders? Let Sunshine Carpet Cleaning of Tucson bring back the sunshine in your home with our 10 step carpet cleaning process. cal us at 520-319-0196
Sunshine Carpet Cleaning uses the most innovative equipment an…
The world is a beautiful place, shouldn't you be able to view it?
Call Crystal Clean today! 520-325-7829
Pick a Painting and Schedule Yourself or Your Group for a Few Hours of Creativity and Fun! Call Creative Juice for Details Today! (520) 271-5023
Creative Juice is located in Tucson Arizona. We will be ready …


text:
Efforts to move away from a fee-for-service health care model to one that rewards quality have made little progress, a coalition of 21 U.S. employers finds. The Catalyst for Payment Reform analyzed insurance claims data and found that less than 11% of health care spending in 2012 was based on value instead of service volume.
View Full Article in:
Kaiser Health NewsPublished in Briefs:


text:
Aesthetician Danielle Kriege long believed in the transformative power of holistic bodywork and medicine. Her interest in whole-body treatments and alternative skincare led to her training as a master reiki therapist, and she continues to hone her cross-disciplinary expertise as the owner of White Lotus Wellness Center.
Now, Danielle bolsters the mental and physical tranquility of her clients with treatments for the body and skin. Detoxifying herbal body wraps and ionic foot baths evict pent-up poisons from their bodily hiding places, and an infrared-sauna treatment helps rid the body of cellulite. Her reiki sessions break up traffic jams in the body?s energy pathways, targeting pressure points along the feet that correspond to systems throughout the body.
In addition to healing inner trouble spots, Danielle also targets outer issues with custom beauty treatments. Custom facials and skin peels exfoliate the body?s all-important outer layer, and gentle brow-tinting and facial waxing treatments rein in unruly hair around the face's most expressive areas. In addition to her everyday service, Danielle helps clients prep for their biggest moments with bridal and event makeup packages.
Nestled between serene coastlines and redwood forests, Tradewinds Tanning & Day Spa houses a team of aestheticians and massage therapists that enthusiastically welcomes customers to relax and partake in various treatments. Numerous facials rejuvenate skin, and waxes remove unwanted body hair. Utilizing modalities such as Swedish, deep tissue, and trigger point, massage therapists aim to relieve muscular tension and stress from thinking about one?s perpetually-burning backyard tire fire. Tanning beds in five different varieties are also available, and infrared body wraps aim to reduce the appearance of cellulite.
Dr. Rebecca Small helms Monterey Bay Laser Aesthetics, where she harnesses her degrees from Harvard Medical School and Cambridge University to personally consult with each client. After the consultation, a nurse will perform a Botox treatment or diminish crow's feet and acne scarring with laser skin resurfacing. She also employs medical skincare to greatly reduce the appearance of sun damage caused by harmful rays or hyperpigmentation due to giving pigment too much coffee.
Swan & Company's stylists artfully resurface heads of hair and primp nail beds with salon products and keen aesthetic senses. During haircuts, meticulous scissors snip and shorten any rogue strands before the remaining locks are styled into shapes that fit customers' heads. Along with cutting and styling services, the staff can cleanse complexions with exfoliating microdermabrasion, dress nails in CND Shellac polish, and de-frizz hairdos with Coppola keratin smoothing.
A shower of crystal chandeliers and golden baroque workstations exemplify the air of sophistication at Tranquille Spa. Fresh herbal tea and an aromatherapy neck-and-shoulder pack accompany the myriad salon-and-spa services, including haircuts, waxing, and facials. The staff also travels to brides on their wedding day to set them up with an updo, a makeup application, and a groom to marry.
The Scotts Valley outpost of Faust Salon salves skin with nourishing plant-based products. The 60-minute facial begins with a consultation to determine the quirks and quibbles of your particular pelt using the Aveda Elemental Nature questionnaire, which assesses which of five essential elements or 11 seasons of MAS*H best fit your skin's behavior patterns. Depending on which Aveda products match your needs, facials may include exfoliants, balancing infusions, or hydrating masks to slough off signs of stress. With walls of rough-hewn stone designed for maximum contrast with newly smoothed skin, Faust Salon strives to place customers in a chic and easygoing environment.


text:
Get ready to see a whole lot of MILFS in Miami! Bravo has been secretly taping Real Housewives of Miami.
According to E! online, Real Housewives of Miami was "originally shot to be a different show, but they have decided to make it a part of the Housewives franchise."
It was originally supposed to be named Miami Social Club but they didn't want Bravo viewers to get it confused with Miami Social, Bravo's last flop.
So when can we expect the show to hit the air? "We just finished shooting," says the insider. "It's all done." But there isn't going to be any catty table flipping. "It's going to be a tamer, sexier show," the insider tells us.
Scottie Pippin's wife, Larsa, and former L.A. Laker/Miami Heat player Glen Rice's ex-wife, Christy, will both be on the show as well as Art scene socialite Adriana Sidi, Venue Magazine editor Alexia Echeverria, public relations expert Marysol Patton, drag queen of South Beach Elaine Lancaster and charity planner Lea Black, wife of famous defense attorney Roy Black.
Will you tune in for Real Housewives of Miami? Or are you tired of these crazy housewives?


text:
Most Popular Articles
Products & Newsletters
DK-Technologies Enhances MSD 600M
Copenhagen, Denmark - Mar 6, 2007 - DK-Technologies has added new features to the MSD 600M series audio meter. The updates will be on display in the company's booth at NAB2007. The new features include the latest LEQ Loudness measurement protocol, an upgraded Jellyfish surround sound display, improvements in session logging and LEQ logging and graphing with SMPTE time code. DK-Technologies has also updated the PC-based long format logging and documentation software, DK-Level Read.
Acceptable Use Policy blog comments powered by Disqus
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
Today in Radio History
Milestones From Radio's Past
The history of radio broadcasting extends beyond the work of a few famous inventors.
EAS Information More on EAS
NWS XML/Atom Feed for CAP Messages
The feed provides feeds for all US states and territories.
Wallpaper Calendar
Radio 2014 Calendar Wallpaper
Need a calendar for your computer desktop? Use one of ours.
The Wire
A virtual press conference
Information from manufacturers and associations about industry news, products, technology and business announcements.


text:
October 27-30, 2014
Hispanic Heritage Week
October 30, 2014 - 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Newton Hall Hallways
First Annual DAY OF THE DEAD Altar and Costume Competition.
Registration Deadline: 4p.m. on October 20th
October 30, 2014 - 7:00 p.m.
Newton 214
Screening of "Vampires in Havanna!"
To list an event related to the study of Latin America, please contact this page's Administrator.


text:
Virtualization on System p Virtualization with IBM's System p servers
Jul 01, 2008IBM has been in the virtualization business for decades. We'll show you around the award-winning virtualization environment for IBM System p series servers.
more »Virtualization Tools
Jul 01, 2008Running server systems in virtual environments is a popular approach, but the technology offers benefits to desktop users. In this article, we investigate some virtual desktop alternatives.
more »Bochs Emulator Legacy emulator
Jun 30, 2008Bochs, the granddaddy of all emulators, is alive and kicking; thanks to regular vitamin jabs, the lively old pretender can even handle Windows XP.
more »TECH TOOLS
Jun 17, 2008more »
VMKnoppix 5.3.1: CD with Updated Virtualization
May 28, 2008Version 20080519 of VMKnoppix (previously known as Xenoppix), a live distribution specifically designed for virtualization has just been released.
more »TECH TOOLS
May 23, 2008more »
New VirtualBox also Available for Solaris and Mac OS X
May 05, 2008A new version of the VirtualBox virtualization software has just been released: the major update 1.6.0 supports Solaris and Mac OS X as host systems.
more »Virtualization Intro Choosing tools for effective virtualization
May 01, 2008Good tools are half the battle – even if you are just managing virtual machines. This month we take a practical look at virtualization, and we show you a new threat to watch for in the virtual future.
more »Issue 171/2015
Buy this issue as a PDF
Cisco Releases Annual Security Report
Spammers go low-volume, and 90% of IE browsers are unpatched.
Zero Day Exploits Target Flash
Adobe scrambles to release patches for vulnerable Flash Player.
Intel Unveils Compute Stick
Four-inch-long computer on a stick lets you boot a full Linux system from any HDMI display device.
Obama Proposes Personal Data Notification Law
New statute would require companies to report break-ins to consumers.
TGXf Project Warns of File Transfer through Screen Pixels
Weird data transfer technique avoids all standard security measures.
Industry Giants Announce a Fix for the Password Mess
FIDO alliance declares the beginning of the end for old-style login authentication.
Poll: Vote for the Best Open Source Software for Photographers
The Linux New Media Awards have honored the most significant products, projects, people, and organizations for open source/Linux every year since 2000.
Debian Gets Forked
Legendary Uber-distro splits over the systemd controversy.
Linux Mint Project Releases Mint 17.1
New LTS version offers many refinements for the Cinnamon and Mate desktops and significant improvement under the hood.
CeBIT Open Source Forum Call for Papers
One of CeBIT's most successful forums returns in 2015.


text:
Publications (3)7.11 Total impact
- [Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Vibrio cholerae O1 causes cholera, a dehydrating diarrheal disease. We have previously shown that V. cholerae-specific memory B cell responses develop after cholera infection, and we hypothesize that these mediate long-term protective immunity against cholera. We prospectively followed household contacts of cholera patients to determine whether the presence of circulating V. cholerae O1 antigen-specific memory B cells on enrollment was associated with protection against V. cholerae infection over a 30-day period. Two hundred thirty-six household contacts of 122 index patients with cholera were enrolled. The presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-specific IgG memory B cells in peripheral blood on study entry was associated with a 68% decrease in the risk of infection in household contacts (P = 0.032). No protection was associated with cholera toxin B subunit (CtxB)-specific memory B cells or IgA memory B cells specific to LPS. These results suggest that LPS-specific IgG memory B cells may be important in protection against infection with V. cholerae O1.Clinical and vaccine Immunology: CVI 04/2012; 19(6):842-8. · 2.37 Impact Factor - [Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Current oral cholera vaccines induce lower protective efficacy and shorter duration of protection against cholera than wild-type infection provides, and this difference is most pronounced in young children. Despite this, there are limited data comparing immune responses in children following wild-type disease versus vaccination, especially with regard to memory responses associated with long-term immunity. Here, we report a comparison of immune responses in young children (2 to 5 years of age; n = 20) and older children (6 to 17 years of age; n = 20) given two doses of an oral killed cholera vaccine containing recombinant cholera toxin B subunit (CtxB) 14 days apart and compare these responses to those induced in similarly aged children recovering from infection with Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa in Bangladesh. We found that the two vaccine groups had comparable vibriocidal and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-specific plasma antibody responses. Vaccinees developed lower levels of IgG memory B cell (MBC) responses against CtxB but no significant MBC responses against LPS. In contrast, children recovering from natural cholera infection developed prominent LPS IgG and IgA MBC responses, as well as CtxB IgG MBC responses. Plasma LPS IgG, IgA, and IgM responses, as well as vibriocidal responses, were also significantly higher in children following disease than after vaccination. Our findings suggest that acute and memory immune responses following oral cholera vaccination in children are significantly lower than those observed following wild-type disease, especially responses targeting LPS. These findings may explain, in part, the lower efficacy of oral cholera vaccination in children.Clinical and vaccine Immunology: CVI 03/2012; 19(5):690-8. · 2.37 Impact Factor - [Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Children bear a large component of the global burden of cholera. Despite this, little is known about immune responses to cholera in children, especially those under 5 years of age. Cholera vaccine studies have demonstrated lower long-term protective efficacy in young children than in older children and adults. Memory B cell (MBC) responses may correlate with duration of protection following infection and vaccination. Here we report a comparison of immune responses in young children (3 to 5 years of age; n = 17), older children (6 to 17 years of age; n = 17), and adults (18 to 60 years of age; n = 68) hospitalized with cholera in Dhaka, Bangladesh. We found that young children had lower baseline vibriocidal antibody titers and higher fold increases in titer between day 2 and day 7 than adults. Young children had higher baseline IgG plasma antibody levels to Vibrio cholerae antigens, although the magnitudes of responses at days 7 and 30 were similar across age groups. As a surrogate marker for mucosal immune responses, we assessed day 7 antibody-secreting cell (ASC) responses. These were comparable across age groups, although there was a trend for older age groups to have higher levels of lipopolysaccharide-specific IgA ASC responses. All age groups developed comparable MBC responses to V. cholerae lipopolysaccharide and cholera toxin B subunit at day 30. These findings suggest that young children are able to mount robust vibriocidal, plasma antibody, ASC, and MBC responses against V. cholerae O1, suggesting that under an optimal vaccination strategy, young children could achieve protective efficacy comparable to that induced in adults.Clinical and vaccine Immunology: CVI 06/2011; 18(8):1317-25. · 2.37 Impact Factor
Publication Stats
34 | Citations | |
7.11 | Total Impact Points | |
Top Journals
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh
- Division of Laboratory Sciences (LSD)
Dhaka, Dhaka Division, Bangladesh


text:
Recent Comments
Monstro Bizarro
Monstro Bizarro
Monstro Bizarro: 'Bigfoot Wars' Sneak Peek
According the BIGFOOT WARS facebook page, the film will hit theaters "near you" on May 23rd. Director Brian Jaynes (Humans Versus Zombies, Boggy Creek: The Legend is True) has posted a sneak peek trailer which hints at the action.
Monstro Bizarro
The History Channel is launching CRYPTID: THE SWAMP BEAST, a new series about the hunt for this elusive creature, also known as the "Bigfoot of the Bayou."
Monstro Bizarro
Monstro Bizarro: 'EXISTS' World Premiere at SXSW
Austin, Texas' South by Southwest Film Festival has announced the titles which will be shown as part of their Midnighters section. Among the films on this list of "provocative after-dark features for night owls" are several horror entries, one being Eduardo Sanchez' EXISTS, which will finally see its world premiere. EXISTS was filmed on location in Texas and pays homage to The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972), a film that heavily influenced Sanchez.
Horror News, Monstro Bizarro
Your very own Beast of Boggy Creek
Thanks to RM's resident cryptid hunter, Lyle Blackburn, and New York's Resin Realities, you can now purchase your very own Beast of Boggy Creek! The Fouke Monster was sculpted by Jean St. Jean, and is available as a resin model kit, a faux bronzed statue, or a fully painted statue. Prices range from $99 to $189, and all figures are available exclusively through foukemonster.net. The figure is approximately 8 inches tall.
Check out these pics, and head over to the shop at foukemonster.net to get your paws on one.
Monstro Bizarro
Monstro Bizarro: 'Mountain Devil' Movie Premier, Clearfield, Pennsylvania
A premier screening of the new Bigfoot docudrama MOUNTAIN DEVIL: THE SEARCH FOR FRANK PETERSON will be held November 23, 2013 at the The Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre in Clearfield, Pennsylvania.
The premier will be a full day of Bigfoot events and activities related to the movie release.
Monstro Bizarro
Monstro Bizarro: Home Strange Home
My home will be featured on an episode of HGTV's "Home Strange Home" which is set to air on Halloween October 31 @ 1:00pm (CST). The segment – filmed one year ago – features a tour of my home and specifically my monster/cryptozoology memorabilia collection which includes classic monster toys, masks, posters, and artwork.
Monstro Bizarro
Monstro Bizarro: The True Story of the Lizard Man
I'm proud to announce that my new book, LIZARD MAN: THE TRUE STORY OF THE BISHOPVILLE MONSTER, is now available from Anomalist Books.
From the swamplands near Bishopville, South Carolina, come reports of a seven-foot-tall, scaly humanoid creature the locals call the "Lizard Man." Over the years, the creature has been seen by numerous witnesses, including a teenager who claimed it attacked him one night near a remote area called Scape Ore Swamp. The young man's testimony and physical evidence was so compelling, it not only launched a serious investigation by the local sheriff's office but an all-out monster hunt that drew hundreds of people to the small town.
Monstro Bizarro
Monstro Bizarro: Top 10 Cryptids
Cryptozoology, which is defined as "the study of unknown animals," includes a vast menagerie of creatures which are said to exist, but cannot be proven. Some of these creatures – known as cryptids – are well known to the general public and some are not. Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and Chupacabra are undoubtedly the most famous examples, but they are not the only beasts which lurk in the shadows of our reality.
The following is a list of cryptids which I feel are the most popular and recognizable.
Monstro Bizarro
'Lizard Man' Book
It's October 1, so I thought it would be an appropriate time to reveal the cover art for my upcoming book to be released on Halloween. This time I take on the case of the legendary "Lizard Man" from Bishopville, South Carolina to recount the complete, fascinating story and to shine new light on one of the most bizarre and hair-raising encounters with an unknown creature. During my research trip to Bishopville, I discovered that there's much more to the story than I first realized… and much more than meets the eye regarding the media's portrayal of this modern-day 'creature from the black lagoon.' All in all, it made for a fascinating research trip and resulted in a book that I think everyone will truly enjoy.
(C) 2015 Marrs Media Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy


text:
The following are the goals of the SSE Physics Lab:
1. Preparing an institutional and national platform for student-driven experimental research in physics.
2. Indigenous development of experiments for the laboratory and demonstrations for the classroom environment.
3. Training SSE students in world class experimental physics through required and optional lab courses.
4. Sharing expertise, resources and training in physics education with sister institutions and organizations in the country and the region.
Round-up: A round-up of Physlab's activities over the past five years. Written by Sabieh Anwar (January 2015).
New opportunities have opened up in the Spin Physics Group in Physlab. If you are motivated about experimental physics with cutting-edge scientific instrumentation, please send us your resumes. Click here for details. |
Dr. Sabieh Anwar taught Electricity and Magnetism in the Fall of 2014. This course was augmented through an array of classroom demonstrations, all of which can be easily replicated by motivated teachers. Click here for more details. |
A demonstration is designed for electricity and magnetism course that explains how forces act on conductors inside magnetic fields. If a permanent magnet is placed near a current carrying coil, the coil moves forward or backward depending upon the polarity of the magnets. See details here. |
A new demonstration based on Oersted's law has been designed for electricity and magnetism course. Oersted law holds for electric currents that generates magnetic fields which is an important characteristic of electromagnetism. Click here for more details. |
An article on Analyzing combinations of circular birefringence, linear birefringence, and elliptical dichroism in magneto-optical rotators has been published in Journal of Modern optics. The article describes the underlying theory of the polarization characteristics of light emerging from a magneto-optical medium. |
An interesting demonstration on Galton's board is made utilizing the locally available resources. Making novel and exciting demonstrations is an ongoing project of the physics lab, targeting the teaching of physics through innovative and interesting demonstrations. Click here for details. |
The Physics Lab at LUMS has developed a Smart Physics Lab that utilizes embedded modern smart phones, cameras and inertial sensors, for demonstrating and appreciating physical processes in the laboratory. These experiments are low-cost, easily replicable and used as meaningful in-class demonstrations. |
A new experiment on the cosmic ray muon lifetime measurement has been added to the advanced laboratory. This experiment introduces our students with working of sophisticated equipment including photomultiplier tubes, scintillators and high speed electronic modules. |
An article on Fourier analysis of thermal diffusive waves is published in American Journal of Physics (AJP). This article is about the propagation of diffusive thermal waves inside a metal rod and implemented in one of our advanced laboratory experiments. |
A new addition to advanced physics laboratory is an experiment on Gamma-ray spectroscopy. The experiment utilizes the technique of energy spectrum measurement and students will learn about the safe handling of radioactive sources. |
On August 8, 2014, Physics lab has completed the technology transfer project with Habib University. Under the agreement, the equipment of thirteen experiments along with the learning material has been transferred to the recipient institution. Click here for details. |
Physics lab has announced the Third Lab Immersion Program. This is a two days activity that will held on 25-26 August, 2014. The main objective is to promote the low-cost and modern experimental and teaching methodologies in Physics laboratory. For more details click here. |
The physics lab is equipped with a latest additive technology of 3D printing. This invaluable tool will boost up the potential of manufacturing capabilities of the laboratory. Click here for details. |


text:
so i got this project goin on here-- at the farmer's market here in hilo, hawaii papayas are pretty ridiculously cheap-- like six of em for a buck, and i always loved the cider and other boozy-juice drinks, and i figured hell, lets give it a go. with this new industrial-like strength juicer i just recently came across, i juiced up a hundred and twenty of these papayas (that's only twenty bucks!). so of course there were things i didn't see comin.. what came out of the juicer was more a pulp than a juice, almost like a apple sauce but bright orange. i got a six and a half gallon carboy up with about three gallons of this paste and figured oh i'll just throw some water in it. of course this paste is less dense than water and floats on it, resulting in me having three gallons of golden-murky water covered in three gallons of this paste. but i did stir it all in when i first but the water in and then added some yeast and some extra corn sugar, and sure enough it is bubblin up good, and if the fruit flies and the odor of it don't kill me in a coupla weeks im gonna go ahead and mix it up again and bottlem up. but hey if anyone has any ideas relating to any aspect of this (mainly getting the pulp to mix with the water) or anything else it would be good to hear. haven't heard of papaya booze before.. maybe this is why.. thanks much
I would think that if you stirred it up nicely you shouldn't worry about getting the pulp to mix in. The yeast will find its own way to the goods. Once they start multiplying they'll be everywhere in there. All of that stuff will start to drop to the bottom after the main fermentation is done. You said, "in a coupla weeks im gonna go ahead and mix it up again and bottlem up." That doesn't sound like a very good idea. First because your ferment is not going to be done at that time. Unless you plan on killing the yeast somehow you'll have a bunch of papaya bombs. Second, "mix it up"? No offense but yuck! I would think you'd want to rack off of the goop that's going to drop to the bottom. Probably many times. I'd treat this like a banana wine or something similar. Basically rack every once in a while off of the lees etc and keep it around for at least a year before even thinking of bottling it. It sounds like it would be really good with a nice color after a year or two but two weeks!? Blargh! Should we assume you've got an airlock on this or does the comment about the smell and flies foretell something bad about this situation?
Here's some papaya wine recipes:http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques56.asphttp://www.crfg.org/tidbits/makewine.html And here's a company selling it in Hawaii:http://islandprincesshawaii.com/prod...ne_papaya.html
whew so a few things-- yeah the shakin i'd imagin'd be a bad idea, but the plan was to mix up some of the pulp to kinda dissolve into the water, as the division between water and pulp is so strict. the water underneath is still about perfectly clear as of now. i guess though in a little bit it'll spread, eh? but the plan was then just to add some more started yeast.. not sure about how good of an idea that is, if anyone knows the downsides of adding more yeast after oxygen gets to the old stuff it'd be much appreciated. whoa so it would've been good to know about this depectinizer earlier.. would you know if it is fine to put in now after it's been in the jug a few days? thank you guys for the input, i was really takin a kinda shot in the dark
It shouldn't be a big deal about the pectin. Adding the enzyme will help to clear it in the short run. Possibly you could add it later if it remains really cloudy and that bothers you. I think it might also change pectin into sugars...? maybe not... As far as I know you should be able to add it at any time though someone else might chime in if that's wrong.
I've seen lorrikeets get incapable straight off without going through all the questions of ferment and how to. They must know something.


text:
Create an "Employability for Life" Contract with Andrew Ford
in Training
In the Jun 2013 issue of HBR there was an interesting idea: The "Employability for Life" Contract. (Article: Tours of Duty: the new employer/employee compact.) The idea is to transition from the fiction of the "Employment for Life" contract to the promise of opportunities for development that will enhance employability after this "job".
Andrew is a Sales Performance Management expert with proven success at building high performing sales teams. He has a reputation for making a lasting impact on the companies and teams he works with.
Andrew founded hisown company in the spring of 2006 and it provides a comprehensive suite of consulting and coaching services to build high performing sales teams that drive strategic results for its customers. Andrew has worked with more than 50 clients since 2006.
Andrew Ford's sales career spans 25 years in the software and technology industry. From 2000 to 2003, as Director of Sales at PointForce Inc., Andrew drove the US expansion that contributed to the successful sale of the company to TECSYS Inc. in 2004. At TECSYS Andrew held the position of President of the SMB Group until 2006 prior to starting his own organization.
Show #80: Interview with Peter Cheese, CIPD Chief Executive
in Business
Special Guest: Peter Cheese, CIPD Chief Executive
Peter Cheese joined the CIPD as Chief Executive in July 2012. He spent 30 years working at Accenture, culminating in a 7 year spell as Global Managing Director leading the firm's Talent and Organisation Performance Consulting Practice.
After leaving Accenture in 2009, Peter held a portfolio of consulting and non-executive roles. During this time he was also appointed Chairman of the Institute of Leadership and Management, a post he stepped down from on his appointment to the CIPD.
Peter sits on the Council of City & Guilds, and he is a European Board Director with Junior Achievement Young Enterprise Europe, an organisation focused on the development of entrepreneurial, financial and employability skills in young people through business engagement in schools and universities. He is also an Executive Fellow at the London Business School, associated with the faculties of Strategic Management and Organisational Behaviour. He was voted by HR Magazine as the most influential thinker in HR in the UK for 2013.
Host: Jo Dodds
The Empowerment Zone - Creativity after dis/ABILITY - With LesPaul
in Education
The Empowerment Zone - Creativity after dis/ABILITY - With LesPaul
Did you know there are thousands of people with disabilities working all over the United States and in other Countries fighting to help ensure a better future for people disabilities? Well, there are! The Empowerment Zone Was created to help people with disabilities find the resources, services, and learn the skills that it takes, after having a disability to help empower yourself to reach your goals and live your dreams no matter what!
I Am a Certified Peer Support Specialist And a survivor of multiple brain injuries, aneurysms an AVM, a coma, and survivor and multiple rare surgeries. I don't think lightly of the fact that there are many people with disabilities living in deep poverty and neglec with out work. I say our time is now 2014!!!
I Work for a Center for Independent Living Called Walton Options for Independent Living which a place where we use the four core services of our center which are 1, Information and referral, 2, Advocacy 3, Independent Living Skills 4, Peer Support.
In these four core services lies the meat and potatoes of the independent living movement, which is people with disabilities powered, community inclusion based, and a federal mandate in all 50 states and US teritories based on the civil rights for people with disabilities act, known as the ADA the Americans with Disabilities Act.
We are fighting for our rights and standing strong and firm in the belife that all people are created equally and reclaim ourselves as people of pupose as we strive to help others to get out of nursing homes, to work in the community, to get out of sheltered workshops, to bring down the Iron Curtain of dismay in disability, and start holding accountable the agencies that are supposed to support us and start taking control of our destiny. Now as survivors as people who struggled and fought for victory and face the challenge!
in Spirituality
"Spirituality is being conscious of reality." ~James Small .....
'For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.', Charles Spurgeon:
"It is no measure of good health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society." J Krishnamurti
Humanity is now maintaining an unstable collection of local holding patterns, awaiting a physical or metaphysical integrity to give structure to the future and to show the way out of the darkness. The twentieth century's leap into a realm with a million times greater range of reality, produced by the sudden visibility and employability of the total electromagnetic spectrum, has brought humans to the edge of self-extinction for lack of adequate guiding forces. Big business and big religion's inclination for moneymaking and power has served only to foster the continuance of a millennium of isolation, inhumanity, misinformation, and ignorance. Cosmography
Curtis Harwell & Richard Neal Discuss Personal Development, Health and Fitness
in Fitness
Personal development is a lifelong process. It's a way for people to assess their skills and qualities, consider their aims in life and set goals in order to realise and maximise their potential.
Personal development is a lifelong process. It's a way for people to assess their skills and qualities, consider their aims in life and set goals in order to realise and maximise their potential.
This page helps you to identify the skills you need to set life goals which can enhance your employability prospects, raise your confidence and lead to a more fulfilling, higher quality life. Plan to make relevant, positive and effective life choices and decisions for your future to enable personal empowerment.
Although early life development and early formative experiences within the family, at school, etc. can help to shape us as adults, personal development should not stop later in life. This page contains information and advice that is designed to help you to think about your personal development and ways in which you can work towards goals and your full potential.
Asylum Fantasy Sports Show 168- Buffoons Like You
in Sports
The Asylum Fantasy Sports Show is back on The Tuesday Blitz and The Armed Forces Radio Network. Join Fleeger and Briggs as we take a look at all the weeks headlines including Sidney Rice's future, Kirk Cousins' potential, and Clowney's measurables. Listen in as we also look at Jim Harbaugh's employability, give our Olympic wrap up, and play another rousing rendition of America's favorite game show.......Fact or Fiction!
The Ex-Offender Files - Re-Entry - Success or Failure?
in Lifestyle
There are re-entry programs in every state, county and some cities in this country, the question is are they working? Most re-entry programs consist of job readiness, resume writting, One-Stop Job Services.
The Department of Labor's goal is to help prison inmates get good paying jobs after
they return to their homes. Our experience has shown that most inmates do not know
how to go about this. Even in prison, inmates can do a number of things that will
increase their future employability. Once ex-offenders return to their communities they
can do more. The State, County, City are supposed to provide prisoners with contacts
and other information that can help them to prepare for release and know where to go
for assistance in finding a job.
But we have to consider the fact that the ex-offender population in this country is and forever will be the forgotten society. Trust and fear play a major role in the advancement of the ex-offender.
Federal programs are generally designed to help people who need a job, housing,
public assistance, and other services.
Each program has different standards for participation with low income being the most
common requirement. There are no federal programs exclusively for ex-offenders.
Government Agencies and Staffing Agencies = Employment
in Jobs
Government employment is a great place to begin your work for life. Government employment is a good place for retirees, veterans to reenter the job market. Newly graduates with high school diplomas and college degrees should consider government employment to find their work for life.
Whether you desire work cleaning, doing building maintenance, to customer services, to executive positions your government is the place to seek emloyment.
Registering with staffing agencies is a great place to gain access to companies in your communities. Your expertise if valuable to companies and because of the time consumption of brining on new employees, you find more and more companies using staffing agencies for screening services. Once a staffing agency has tested an applicant, compiled their work history and education levels, the agency attempt to match an applicant with a company that has expressed interest of applicants of a particular caliber. These things you can do to increase your employability:
Register at employment office
Match your skills to specific careers www.myskillsmyfuture.org www.onetonline.org
Attend job search workshops
Register at staffing agencies Google staffing agencies in (my city) for (truck drivers).
Keeping a job search agenda
Visit government agency websites in your state
www.50statejobs.com www.govtjobs.com http://jobsource.com
Build Your Personal Brand Through Your Volunteer Work
in Jobs
In this episode of Own Your Career, Rod will cover how to leverage volunteer work as the CEO of Me, Inc. By exploring these avenues, you gain important experience and references who can verify your qualifications. You also demonstrate personal initiative and commitment thus enhancing your employability.
POSITIVE PERSPECTIVES The Secrets Your Handwriting Reveals!
in Spirituality
Psychic Medium Melinda Carver welcomes back her good friend Master Tatankananda (Master T) tonight "The Secrets Your Handwriting Reveals! Graphology Analysis"
Tonight, Master T will provide readings to you based on YOUR secrets that are revealed in your handwriting. Your handwriting reveals your personality, temperment & employability. Send samples PRIOR to show!
Please provide handwriting samples on plain, unlined paper - handwrite 2 sentences, then print your name, phone & e-mail so we can find you on the phone line - PRIOR to show! Send photos to email@example.com.
Master T is the host of The School of Shamanism on BTR, a shaman, teacher, Tarot & Rune reader and provides energy healings. Master T is available for private appointments.
Twitter: @PsychicMelinda
Show Talk with Angela Butler
The guest on Show Talk with Angela Butler will be Herman Dummon, Jr. the ceo of Beautiful Men & Women, Inc. which is a personal and professional Development consulting(PDC). Dummon is a motivaitional speaker from New York State who works with Domestic Violence Victims, people with disabilities ,and ex- prisoners. Herman Dummon, Jr., has motivated youth, adults, and older adults. He has also Organized, developed and launched various community programs for the Living Skills, Personal Development and Leadership, Relapse Prevention, Anger/Aggression&Management, Employability&Transferable Skills. he has also Motivational presentations to group NYC DOC (2012): s of 20+ adolescents with concentration in: Criminal Thinking, Lifestyle & Prison Culture, Incarceration and Recidivism to inspire and influence personal awareness, development and self&management specifically to decrease violence, criminality and self&defeating behavior. So tune into the show on 08-26-2013 @ 7 pm est and 6 pm cst.
Lunch and Learn
in Education
Tuesdays Lunch and Learn broadcasts beginning June 18th, 2013 and ending July 30, 2013
Join Host Live Chats
- Radio Jihad Network (13 chatters)
- GR HealingFountain (12 chatters)
- High Frequency Radio Network (7 chatters)
- WithInsightsRadio (6 chatters)
- THE Collision of Faith Politics (5 chatters)
- FIREFOXNEWS ONLINE (5 chatters)
- EvolutionRadioNetwork (4 chatters)
- Papa CE (3 chatters)
- TLO Ministry (3 chatters)
- Transition Radio (2 chatters)
- Twin Radio (2 chatters)
- Two Men and a Sports Show (1 chatters)
- WC A Woman with CP (1 chatters)
- MRX SYCAMORES PLACE (1 chatters)
- Open Mike Program (1 chatters)
- The Organic View (1 chatters)
- TheLegacyOfANation (1 chatters)
- RATNetwork (1 chatters)
- somewhereinvegas (1 chatters)
- JASmius (1 chatters)
- 65457 (1 chatters)
- BDSIR NETWORK (1 chatters)
- cosmichorizonsradio (1 chatters)
- Everything Kathy B (1 chatters)
- Lets Chat with Nal (0 chatters)
- UFF of America (0 chatters)


text:
Central Water and Power Research Station senior research officer V.T. Desai on Saturday reached the Mullaperiyar dam to oversee the tomography test being conducted by the New Delhi-based company Parson Overseas Ltd.
The test was started on March 26 as per the direction of the empower committee appointed by the Supreme Court to look into the safety, security and strengthening measures of the dam.
The tomography test has been completed at four sites, a senior official of the Irrigation Department who accompanied Mr Desai told The Hindu.
A Mumbai-based company is expected to reach Kumily tonight to start the borehole camera test from Sunday onwards. It is expected to continue for four days and it will be conducted at the borehole spots on the main dam and the baby dam, the official said.
Mr Desai will also oversee the borehole camera test, said the official and added that a representative of the Irrigation Department, Kerala, and an assistant executive engineer of the Public Works Department Tamil Nadu accompanied Mr Desai.
Since the media is barred from entering the Mullaperiyar dam, the details of the tests are unavailable.
Keywords: Kerala, Mullaperiyar issue, Empower committee, Tomography test, Supreme Court


text:
I got the knife ending... I never felt so empty after beating a game. Needless to say I immediately started another play through.
StarwindX9's forum posts
I think this is missing the point entirely. You listed two vary mainstream games of mainstream genres. Though, the argument of genre is also irrelevant. You can make any genre accessible and mainstream. Just because there are few low barriers to entry doesn't really make a game "hardcore". Both games you listed a very approachable but also have depth. I haven't played either of them but I know it takes a heck of a lot of time to get every star in a mario game. It also takes a lot of time to shoot enough dudes in the face to prestige all the way. While that depth may encourage someone to get "hardcore into a game, the depth is not a requirement to complete or enjoy the game. "Hardcore" is the frequency or intensity of which you play a game.
The opposite is also not true. Just because a game is not mainstream or approachable doesn't make it "hardcore". It might just attract that type of player simply because of how complex the mechanics are or how steep the learning curve is. For instance, I didn't find Demon's Souls to be "hardcore" it merely attracted those type of players because the game wasn't very approachable. While I didn't find the game to be insanely difficult it required a level of patience that is somewhat extinct in modern gaming.
So, my point is, the poll is moot. The hardcore vs. non hardcore argument is dumb just like console wars. People enjoy games in different ways, labels exist so people have a basis of measurement. Also, I never mentioned skill. Skill is also irrelevant to this argument. You can be skilled and play a game casually, or be awful and play hardcore. The modern gaming world exists on the investment of time and money.
People don't like everything. He played the game and didn't like it. Don't be so butt hurt. They shit on my favorite games all the time, while they praise games I find to be utter garbage. People have differing tastes... deal with it
PS3s dont sell as well as 360s, cuz they dont break every two seconds. TBH, the only struggles I see within the industry is declining hardware sales of the wii, though the only Nintendo system to care about is obviously the DS.
It almost hurts how much I don't care. Shooters are so stale and boring these days... someone needs to do something different for a change.
I am personally shocked anytime a test isn't all multiple choice. It sucks, but gives you a chance to guess.
Just saw this come in the other day. Never seen Giant Bomb featured on a cover/back of a game so it was cool to see. I should have taken a picture of it :/
god I hope so, then the pot heads will finally shut the hell up