text:
Telling partners about chlamydia: how acceptable are the new technologies?
ABSTRACT Partner notification is accepted as a vital component in the control of chlamydia. However, in reality, many sexual partners of individuals diagnosed with chlamydia are never informed of their risk. The newer technologies of email and SMS have been used as a means of improving partner notification rates. This study explored the use and acceptability of different partner notification methods to help inform the development of strategies and resources to increase the number of partners notified.
Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 40 people who were recently diagnosed with chlamydia from three sexual health centres and two general practices across three Australian jurisdictions.
Most participants chose to contact their partners either in person (56%) or by phone (44%). Only 17% chose email or SMS. Participants viewed face-to-face as the "gold standard" in partner notification because it demonstrated caring, respect and courage. Telephone contact, while considered insensitive by some, was often valued because it was quick, convenient and less confronting. Email was often seen as less personal while SMS was generally considered the least acceptable method for telling partners. There was also concern that emails and SMS could be misunderstood, not taken seriously or shown to others. Despite these, email and SMS were seen to be appropriate and useful in some circumstances. Letters, both from the patients or from their doctor, were viewed more favourably but were seldom used.
These findings suggest that many people diagnosed with chlamydia are reluctant to use the new technologies for partner notification, except in specific circumstances, and our efforts in developing partner notification resources may best be focused on giving patients the skills and confidence for personal interaction.
- [Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Little research exists about adolescents' and young adults' use of new media technologies to communicate about sexual health. Understanding how young people at high risk for STDs use these technologies can inform media-based interventions. Between October 2010 and March 2011, a sample of 94 low-income, parenting adolescents and young adults recruited at clinics in Connecticut completed an audio computer-assisted self-interview about their use of media technologies, communication with friends about sexual health and willingness to use media technologies for such communication. Descriptive statistics were calculated; characteristics of those willing and those unwilling to communicate were compared in chi-square, t and Mann-Whitney tests. Ninety-three percent of participants had mobile phones; 71% used Facebook regularly. Participants discussed sexual health more often with close friends than with casual friends, and preferred to have such conversations in person (71% with close friends and 68% with casual friends), over the phone (52% and 45%) or via text message (30% and 28%), rather than through social networking sites (0-9% and 2-7%). Fewer than one-third reported being willing to share sexual health information with friends through a specific new media technology. Those who were willing were predominantly black (59%); of those who were unwilling, 51% were Latino. Condom self-efficacy, STD knowledge and number of Facebook friends were greater among those who were willing than among those who were unwilling. For conversations about sexual health, young urban parents prefer private forms of -communi-cation; thus, social networking sites may not aid STD interventions.Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 09/2012; 44(3):176-83. · 1.41 Impact Factor - Sexual Health 05/2013; · 1.58 Impact Factor
- SourceAvailable from: Richard T LesterCarole Lunny, Darlene Taylor, Jasmina Memetovic, Orion Wärje, Richard Lester, Tom Wong, Kendall Ho, Mark Gilbert, Gina Ogilvie[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Globally, the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) is rising, posing a challenge to its control and appropriate management. Text messaging has become the most common mode of communication among almost six billion mobile phone users worldwide. Text messaging can be used to remind patients about clinic appointments, to notify patients that it is time for STI re-testing, and to facilitate patient communication with their health professionals with any questions and concerns they may have about their sexual health. While there are a handful of systematic reviews published on short message service (SMS) interventions in a variety of health settings and issues, none are related to sexual health. We plan to conduct a systematic review to examine the impact text messaging might have on interventions for the prevention and care of patients with STIs. Eligible studies will include both quantitative and qualitative studies published after 1995 that discuss the efficacy and effectiveness of SMS interventions for STI prevention and management using text messaging. Data will be abstracted independently by two reviewers using a standardized pre-tested data abstraction form. Inter-rater reliability scores will be obtained to ensure consistency in the inclusion and data extraction of studies. Heterogeneity will be assessed using the I2 test and subgroup analyses. A nonhypothesis driven inductive reasoning approach as well as a coding framework will be applied to analyze qualitative studies. A meta-analysis may be conducted if sufficient quantitative studies are found using similar outcomes. For this protocol, we identified ten related systematic reviews. The reviews were limited to a particular disease or setting, were not exclusive to SMS interventions, or were out of date. This systematic review will be the first comprehensive examination of studies that discuss the effectiveness of SMS on multiple outcomes that relate to STI prevention and management, covering diverse settings and populations. Findings of the systematic review and any additional meta-analyses will be published and presented to our key knowledge users. This information will provide the evidence that is required to appropriately adopt text messaging into standard practice in STI care.Systematic reviews. 01/2014; 3(1):7.
Page 1
RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access
Telling partners about chlamydia: how acceptable
are the new technologies?
Carol A Hopkins1,2, Meredith J Temple-Smith3, Christopher K Fairley1,2, Natasha L Pavlin3, Jane E Tomnay4,
Rhian M Parker5, Frank J Bowden6, Darren B Russell7, Jane S Hocking8, Marcus Y Chen1,2*
Background: Partner notification is accepted as a vital component in the control of chlamydia. However, in reality,
many sexual partners of individuals diagnosed with chlamydia are never informed of their risk. The newer
technologies of email and SMS have been used as a means of improving partner notification rates. This study
explored the use and acceptability of different partner notification methods to help inform the development of
strategies and resources to increase the number of partners notified.
Methods: Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 40 people who were recently diagnosed
with chlamydia from three sexual health centres and two general practices across three Australian jurisdictions.
Results: Most participants chose to contact their partners either in person (56%) or by phone (44%). Only 17%
chose email or SMS. Participants viewed face-to-face as the "gold standard" in partner notification because it
demonstrated caring, respect and courage. Telephone contact, while considered insensitive by some, was often
valued because it was quick, convenient and less confronting. Email was often seen as less personal while SMS was
generally considered the least acceptable method for telling partners. There was also concern that emails and SMS
could be misunderstood, not taken seriously or shown to others. Despite these, email and SMS were seen to be
appropriate and useful in some circumstances. Letters, both from the patients or from their doctor, were viewed
more favourably but were seldom used.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that many people diagnosed with chlamydia are reluctant to use the new
technologies for partner notification, except in specific circumstances, and our efforts in developing partner
notification resources may best be focused on giving patients the skills and confidence for personal interaction.
Ensuring the partners of those diagnosed with bacterial
sexually transmitted infections are notified, tested and
treated is a well established strategy in limiting the
transmission of these infections [1]. Chlamydia-infected
patients are commonly encouraged by health care provi-
ders to contact their partners themselves. While this is a
relatively simple and inexpensive strategy, it has been
estimated that only 40-60% of partners are actually con-
tacted this way [2-4], suggesting the need for innovative
strategies to increase the number of partners being
In particular, there has been growing interest in the
role of the new technologies such as SMS, email and
the internet in enhancing partner notification [5-9]. In
recent years, innovative websites have offered facilities
for sending personal or anonymous emails and text
messages to partners [10-13]. To date, however, there
has been limited research into the acceptability of these
methods for partner notification [14,15].
This study aimed to determine the methods used by
participants to contact their partners, the reasons for
choosing those methods, and their opinions of various
partner notification methods including those utilising
these new technologies.
Semi-structured, telephone interviews were conducted
with people who were recently diagnosed with
* Correspondence: firstname.lastname@example.com
1Melbourne School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne,
Carlton, Victoria, Australia
Hopkins et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2010, 10:58
© 2010 Hopkins et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in
any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Page 2
chlamydia at three sexual health centers and two general
practices in Australia between November 2006 and May
2007. The sexual health centers were located in Mel-
bourne (Victoria), Canberra (Australian Capital Terri-
tory) and Cairns (Far North Queensland) while the two
general practices were from rural Victoria. Ethics com-
mittee approval was obtained from the University of
Melbourne and the Alfred Hospital research ethics
Doctors and nurses at participating centres asked peo-
ple who tested positive for chlamydia if they would
agree to being contacted by a research nurse to discuss
the study. The research nurse then phoned the person,
explained the study, obtained verbal consent and
arranged a time to conduct a 30-40 minute telephone
interview with them. While the interview explored a
range of issues relating to partner notification, this
paper reports only on the findings regarding partner
notification methods. People were excluded from the
study if they did not speak English, were under 18 years
of age, or if they had already been told by a partner that
they were at risk of chlamydia. We did not ascertain
whether participants believed they had been infected by
partners or whether they had exposed partners to
The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and
coded for emerging themes using NVIVO (V7.0), a qua-
litative research software program. The coding was con-
ducted independently by two researchers (CH and MT-
S) and then discussed to achieve consensus on common
Characteristics of the sample
A total of 66 people were invited to take part in the
study and 55 agreed. Of these, 15 were not able to be
contacted for interview, despite at least three attempts.
In all, 40 people were interviewed - 15 from Victoria, 15
from Queensland and 10 from the Australian Capital
Territory. Thirty-eight were from sexual health centres
and 2 from general practices.
Of the 40 people interviewed, 62% (25) were female
and 38% (15) were male. Sixty-five percent were in the
18-25 year old age group (range 18-55 years). In terms
of education, 58% (25) had secondary education only,
7% (3) had a trade qualification and 35% (14) had a ter-
tiary degree or diploma. Eighty-eight percent (35) of the
participants were heterosexual. Four interviewees were
men who have sex with men (MSM) and 1 man was bi-
sexual. While numbers of sexual partners in the preced-
ing 6 months varied from 1 to 40, almost three-quarters
of the sample (29) had less than 5 partners over that
Methods used to tell partners about chlamydia
Overwhelmingly, participants contacted their partners
either in person or by phone. Of the 36 participants
who contacted at least one partner, 56% (19) did so
face-to-face and a further 44% (15) used the phone.
Some of those who used the phone wanted to tell their
partners in person but were unable to because of cir-
cumstances. Only 17% (6) chose to use the newer tech-
nologies of SMS and email and 11% used the services of
health department contact tracers. A number of partici-
pants used multiple methods to contact their partners.
Reasons for choosing methods
Those who chose to tell their partners face-to-face fre-
quently stated that it was the only appropriate way to
talk with someone about a personal, sensitive issue such
as having chlamydia.
It seemed like the right thing to do. I think he deserved
for me to tell him with him there and not just call him
up. (female, 20, ACT)
Being able to see their partner's reaction, as well as
demonstrating respect and consideration, was also
important to many interviewees.
...I felt more comfortable that I could see their reaction
and it was just more courteous to tell them to their face.
(female, 21, Vic)
Those who told their partners by phone commonly
mentioned speed and convenience as the main reasons
for choosing this method.
It was the quickest and most convenient way at the
time. As soon as I found out I wanted to let people know
straightaway. (male, 24, Vic)
Where infidelity was suspected, the phone provided a
means to
"get it out of the way and find out what was going on
instead of having to wait." (female, 23, Vic)
For some, avoiding direct contact with the person was
a consideration in choosing phone, email or SMS.
I hadn't seen him in a long time and hadn't spoken to
him and wasn't really confident seeing him and had to
have a little bit of distance in the conversation. (Phone)
(female, 25, Vic)
I didn't really know the person all that well and I
didn't particularly like him and so it was easier to get it
out of the way (SMS). (male, 24, Vic)
Interviewees who used email often did so because
their partners were overseas or elsewhere on business.
SMS was sometimes chosen when partners were not
answering their mobile phones. Several participants
used SMS to ask their partner to call them and only
delivered the news about chlamydia when speaking
with them. Another used SMS to send the details of an
STI clinic.
Hopkins et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2010, 10:58
Page 2 of 6
Page 3
I sent her a text message saying, "I need to catch up. I
have something to say." And then she called back
demanding what was wrong and I just sort of told her
over the phone. (male, 20, Vic)
Some participants chose to use health department
contact tracers for partner notification because they
wanted to avoid contact with their partner, often
because they feared their reaction. For one, avoiding
public embarrassment and shame was also an important
And like I said before, it (having chlamydia) would put
my character down and people would be calling out,
'You've got some sore blah, blah, blah.' They would call
you everything under the sun. They would call you every
name. It's a small town, people know. (male, 27, QLD)
Opinions of contact methods
In discussing their views of different methods of partner
notification for chlamydia, interviewees made a clear
distinction between traditional, personal methods of
contact such as face-to-face and phone and the newer,
less personal methods of email and SMS. Generally,
people believed that a sensitive, personal issue such as
having a sexually transmissible infection needed to be
discussed personally with the partner. However, SMS
and email were seen to be appropriate, useful or even
advantageous depending on the circumstances.
Almost all interviewees believed face-to-face was the
"gold standard" in partner notification because it
demonstrated respect, consideration and caring for the
partner. Interviewees particularly believed partners
would think better of them for telling them this way.
I think it's the only way to go. And they think more of
you and they commend you, really, even though you've
given them an STD. (male, 21, ACT)
Being able to see their partner's reaction and offer
appropriate support was another advantage frequently
mentioned by interviewees.
By doing it face-to-face, you can see their reactions
more and judge how they are feeling about it. And if you
can judge their reactions or their body language you can
sort of say the things you need to make them feel better
about the situation as well. (female, 18, Vic)
When pressed for the negatives of face-to-face com-
munication, most interviewees mentioned feeling ner-
vous, awkward and embarrassed.
You've just got to be very brave to do it. Having to talk
to someone about such a big issue is very hard. (female,
23, Vic)
Fear of the partner's angry or derogatory reaction was
an issue for some.
I wouldn't want to do that. ...I'd feel dirty standing
there telling them, "Oh, by the way, I have Chlamydia
and you have to get yourself checked out". They'd stare
me up and down and say, "That's gross". (female, 19,
In situations where face-to-face communication was not
possible or desirable, phone was seen by most intervie-
wees as a reasonable alternative for telling partners
about chlamydia. Speed and convenience were viewed as
particular advantages of this method.
I can do it straight away. As soon as I find out I can
give them a call. I don't have to make arrangements to
meet them somewhere and take time out of their day
just so I can tell them something. (male, 24, Vic)
I wasn't looking forward to it and so I just got it out of
the way, straight away. (male, 27, Vic)
Others acknowledged that making a phone call is less
risky, confronting and embarrassing, particularly because
it offers more distance and control.
There's a sense of anonymity where you don't have to
worry so much about the person's reaction. You can
hang up the phone and it's over and you don't have to
deal with it any further than that. (female, 25, Vic)
Some felt that using the phone was cowardly.
It's really the 'chicken' way to tell someone. It's like
telling him "It's over" (the relationship) over the phone.
(male, 31, ACT)
Others regretted being unable to see their partner's
While you can hear what the person is saying, you
can't really see their reaction as much as if you were
face-to-face. You don't get a picture of how they feel.
(female, 18, QLD)
One participant had a very practical objection to using
his mobile phone to tell partners.
Over the phone would be expensive 'cos it would take
me a good half-hour, you know. That's like $30 or some-
thing. (male, 21, ACT)
Generally, email was viewed as a poor option for telling
partners about such a personal and sensitive matter as
having chlamydia. Nevertheless, some acknowledged
Obviously there are better ways to tell someone, more
honest ways. I guess it's kind of like breaking up with
someone. But if that's the only option then I think it's a
big step alone just to tell them. (female, 18, QLD)
Certainly email was seen as a better alternative to
SMS because
Hopkins et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2010, 10:58
Page 3 of 6
Page 4
"you can at least be informative and provide links to
show them where to go". (female, 19, ACT).
Another felt that she would be able to communicate
more calmly and clearly by email.
You tend to babble if you are telling people bad news
and you can be really systematic and outline what's
happened and what needs to happen by email. (female,
However, for most, the negative aspects of email out-
weighed the positives. As well as being seen as "imper-
sonal", "rude", "gutless", "distant" and "uncaring", email
communication was viewed as risky because it could be
shown to other people.
I think a negative with both SMS and email is that
anyone could see it. I don't think it's private. I wouldn't
risk anybody else seeing it or showing his mates and say-
ing, "Look at what this chick sent me." (female, 22, ACT)
Other negatives mentioned by interviewees included
not being sure if or when the email reached the recipi-
ent, not having email addresses for partners and not
having access to a computer and/or email facilities. One
interviewee also felt that email communication would
not be taken seriously.
It (email) is so informal. I think if you're going to tell
somebody you have an STI you need to show a good
enough level of respect to tell them in person, especially
if they are going to take you seriously and go and get
treated. (female, 18, Vic)
Although acknowledged as being better than nothing,
most interviewees believed that SMS was not a good
way to tell partners about chlamydia. SMS was seen as
being worse than email because of the brevity of the
I think it would be better to say it via the phone or
face-to-face, but I think it's tough enough to tell someone
as it is, and if your only way of telling someone is by
SMS then at least you've told them. (female, 18, QLD)
Others felt SMS was acceptable if the relationship was
brief and superficial.
I would SMS someone if it was a one-night stand and I
didn't really care about them. I would be just letting
them know. (female, 25, Vic)
SMS also had the advantage of avoiding personal con-
tact and shame.
It would be a lot easier. You don't have to hear the
disappointment or disgust in their voice. (female, 20, Vic)
One gay man was very enthusiastic about the anon-
ymous SMS facility that is available from some websites.
I think the SMS thing is the best thing I've heard. The
gay community in Melbourne is very, very small and so
it would be good to be able to send out an anonymous
SMS. (male, 24, Vic)
However, the majority of participants were strongly
opposed to using SMS to tell partners about chlamydia
stating that it was a "cold", "impersonal" "rude", and
"lame" form of communication. Some spoke of their
own reactions to receiving an SMS about this issue.
I think if someone sent me something like that by SMS
I'd think, "You gutless wonder." ... "You didn't even care
enough to tell me over the phone". (male, 31, Vic)
I got dumped by SMS once and there is no way that
anyone should tell anybody anything like this by SMS. I
think it's highly impersonal. I think it's worse than doing
it by email. (male, 39, Vic)
As with email, participants were concerned that text
messages could be read by others.
Anyone can go through someone's phone and read it
(the SMS) and be like, "Oh my God, that person is bad
and they got it from this person," and then they start
spreading rumours. (female, 22, QLD)
Others wondered if the message would be taken
The only thing that concerns me is the validity when it
comes through to their inbox. Whether they would realise
that it's for real or whether they would think it was a
joke. (male, 24, Vic)
Participants were asked for their views about informing
partners by letter, either one they wrote themselves or
one that was given to them by their doctor. Letters that
people wrote themselves were regarded as a better
option for telling partners than email or SMS because
they were seen as being more personal.
"It's much more personal to get something hand-writ-
ten from someone and I think that if you are not able to
say it out loud but you want to be more caring then it's
a very good option." (female, 25, Vic)
Nonetheless, many were clear that communicating by
letter was only acceptable if the relationship was not
close, the person was too embarrassed to talk to their
partner, or they had no other means of contact. In these
cases, most agreed it was better than nothing.
On the downside, interviewees described letters as
being old fashioned, time-consuming, a bit of a 'cop out'
and able to be read by others.
Something written down like that could actually be
read by someone else. No-one really writes letters now,
except thank you letters. (female, 19, ACT)
Using a letter from the doctor to tell a partner about
chlamydia was seen as having advantages, especially if
the relationship was casual, distant, strained or poten-
tially violent. The authority and anonymity of a doctor's
letter were particularly appealing.
I think that would be fantastic. It takes away the
strain of the situation. It absolutely has some 'street
Hopkins et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2010, 10:58
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Page 5
cred'. And the person is not friggin' going to come and
knock down your door and say, "You gave me chlamydia,
you bitch." And in that way, they do know to get tested
and I suppose it's their responsibility then. (female, 21,
Interviewees expressed relatively few concerns about
this method of partner notification, although some did
not know their partner's address. Some suggested that it
might be dismissed as a prank, the recipient might be
frightened and worried by the news and that it would
be inappropriate in close relationships. None of the par-
ticipants in the study, however, used letters to notify
their partners.
Overwhelmingly, respondents in this study believed that
personal methods of communication, such as talking to
someone face-to-face or over the phone, were the best
ways for telling a partner they might be at risk of chla-
mydia. This was because they believed a personal and
sensitive issue, involving an intimate relationship with
another person, deserved to be discussed.
By comparison, the new technologies such as email
and SMS were thought by most to be less personal. The
lower acceptability of email and SMS for partner notifi-
cation has been reported in other studies [15-17].
Despite these, email and SMS were seen to be appropri-
ate and useful in some circumstances. In one study,
almost a third of people who had not contacted all their
partners agreed that having access to web-based tools
such as anonymous email and SMS would have encour-
aged them to contact more partners [15] and evaluation
of services that facilitates the sending of electronic
cards, SMS and email to sexual partners have shown
substantial uptake [10,13].
Interestingly, although letters were seen as outdated
and irrelevant by most respondents, they were generally
regarded as a better method than the new technologies
for telling partners about chlamydia. A letter from the
infected person, particularly if it was hand-written, was
still seen as being personal, and a letter from a doctor
had the advantage of authority and credibility. A prefer-
ence for letters over emails and text messages has been
reported in another study [16].
A frequently mentioned disadvantage of all written
forms of communication - email, SMS and letters - was
that they could become evidence of the person's infec-
tion with chlamydia. Respondents felt this could easily
be shown to others, resulting in embarrassment and
shame within their social group.
Most respondents expressed the view that the method
of communication needed to match the relationship and
the circumstances. Many were prepared to acknowledge
that in the case of a brief, casual relationship, a
relationship that had ended badly, or a relationship that
was potentially violent, less personal methods of partner
notification such as SMS, email or letter were accepta-
ble. The same also applied to certain situations such as
the partner being overseas or not answering their
phone. In all these situations the general view was that
it was better to tell the partner - by whatever means -
than not to tell them at all.
A strength of this study was that the views on differ-
ent methods of partner notification were obtained from
individuals who had recently been diagnosed with chla-
mydia and who had confronted the issues around part-
ner notification themselves. A limitation of the study
was the limited number of participants in the study, in
particular the low number of men who have sex with
men (MSM) in the sample (5). It is possible that men in
this group, who often have high numbers of casual or
anonymous sexual partners, may be more receptive to
the new technologies for partner notification. In a recent
study, 81% of users of an MSM partner-seeking website
reported they would be happy to be notified by email if
they had been exposed to a sexually transmitted infec-
tion [14]. The findings of this study therefore may not
be generalisable to MSM. Most participants were
recruited from sexual health services, where partner
notification is generally well recognized and supported.
It is possible that the experiences and opinions of chla-
mydia-infected individuals may differ in situations where
clinicians are less adept at discussing and managing for
partner notification [18].
While most respondents used and favoured personal
methods of communication for telling partners about
chlamydia, it is important to remember that a propor-
tion of people in the sample chose to use SMS or email
to contact their partners. This suggests that the new
technologies, although not generally accepted for part-
ner notification to those in the study, still have an
important role to play for some people. It should also
be borne in mind that social desirability bias may have
affected responses so that people were more likely to
report favourably about personal methods over less per-
sonal ones.
Most people prefer to tell their partners about their risk
of chlamydia in person or by phone. The widespread
availability of new technologies such as email and SMS
does not necessarily mean that all people will use these
methods for communicating about personal, sensitive
issues such as having a sexually transmitted infection.
Nonetheless, some people are choosing to use these new
technologies for partner notification. To be effective in
assisting patients with partner notification we need to
take account of a range of personal preferences and
Hopkins et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2010, 10:58
Page 5 of 6
Page 6
circumstances. For most, this will involve giving people
the information and skills to have difficult conversations
with their partners, but for others it may mean provid-
ing easy access to template emails, text messages and
letters that they can send either personally or
The study was funded by the Australian Federal Government Department of
Health and Ageing Chlamydia Pilot Program of Targeted Grants. We thank
all the individuals who agreed to be interviewed and staff who assisted in
recruitment for the study.
Author details
1Melbourne School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne,
Carlton, Victoria, Australia.2Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, 580 Swanston
Street, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.3Melbourne Graduate School of Education,
Old Geology Building, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria,
Australia.4Centre of Excellence in Rural Sexual Health, School of Rural Health,
The University of Melbourne, 49 Graham Street, Shepparton, Victoria,
Australia.5Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute, Australian
National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.6Australian National University
and Canberra Sexual Health Centre, Garran, ACT, Australia.7Cairns Sexual
Health Service, Cairns Base Hospital, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.8Key
Centre for Women's Health in Society, The University of Melbourne, Carlton,
Victoria, Australia.
Authors' contributions
CAH recorded, transcribed and analysed all interviews and prepared the first
draft of the manuscript. MJT-S contributed to the design of the study,
assisted with analyzing interviews and developing themes and contributed
to the drafting of the manuscript. CKF conceived the idea for the study, was
the principle investigator on the funding grant and contributed to the
design the study and drafting of the manuscript. NLP contributed to design
of the study and interview schedule, assisted with recruitment of
participants and reviewed the manuscript. JET contributed to the design of
the study and themes explored. RMP contributed to the design of the study
and the interview schedule. FJB managed the conduct of the study at the
ACT site. DBR managed the conduct of the study at the Queensland site.
JSH contributed to the design of the study and themes explored. MYC
contributed to the design of the study, concepts and themes explored,
reviewed the manuscript and oversaw the project. All authors have
contributed to checking of the manuscript and approval of the final version.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Received: 27 August 2009
Accepted: 9 March 2010 Published: 9 March 2010
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Pre-publication history
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Cite this article as: Hopkins et al.: Telling partners about chlamydia: how
acceptable are the new technologies?. BMC Infectious Diseases 2010
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As I did not post yesterday here is an article I found and would like to share. Also as I reread this and thought about the cockpit photo of the Flying Fortress and all the great pilots of WW2 Let me say Great Job to the pilot that save those lives by landing in the Hudson River. The below article was copied from this site. Which I am finding useful information. http://www.svcyclingcenter.com/knowledge/commonmistakes.php 10 Most Common Mistakes Endurance Athletes MakeBy Steve Born, Senior Technical Advisor to Hammer NutritionThere are obviously more than ten mistakes that athletes can make, but those listed in this article represent the most common performance-ruining ones athletes have made over the years (I know I sure have made them!). Some of these may seem basic and obvious, but you'd be amazed how many athletes keep making the same ones over and over, and then wonder why their performance isn't as good as it could be. Most of these "Bottom Ten" violate the most fundamental law of fueling physiology: we must consume each component of fueling in cooperation with the marvelous machine that is the human body. In our efforts to help our body, we often overcompensate, and don't realize until too late that we've done more harm than good. Your body is your primary reservoir of all nutrients; ignore that concept and you will absolutely suffer the consequences. Carefully read through the description of each of these mistakes - at least some of them will sound painfully familiar! But we just don't tell you what you're doing wrong; each of the ten sections also tells you the appropriate corrective action to take. Follow this advice and you'll quickly see significant improvement in your overall performance. Excess HydrationOptimal nutritional support for endurance athletics means consuming the right amount of the right nutrients at the right time. You can neither overload nor undersupply your body without compromising athletic performance and incurring detrimental results. The principle of avoiding both too much and too little especially applies to hydration, where serious consequences occur from either mistake. If you don't drink enough you'll suffer from unpleasant and performance-ruining dehydration. Drink too much however, and you'll not only end up with impaired athletic performance, you may even be flirting with potentially life-threatening water intoxication. One of the most respected researchers on hydration, Dr. Tim Noakes, studied the effects of thousands of endurance athletes and noted that the front-runners typically tend to dehydrate, while over-hydration occurs most often among middle to back-of-the-pack athletes. Both conditions lead to hyponatremia (low blood sodium), but through different processes. Excess water consumption causes what is known as "dilutional hyponatremia," or an overly diluted level of sodium and electrolytes in the blood. This is as bad as under-hydrating in regards to increased potential for muscular cramping but has the added disadvantages of stomach discomfort, bloating, and extra urine output. And, as mentioned earlier, in some unfortunate circumstances, excess hydration can leads to severe physiological circumstances, including death. Unfortunately, endurance athletes too often adopt the "if a little is good, a lot is better" approach. This can lead to significant problems when you're trying to meet your hydration requirements. All it takes in one poor performance or DNF due to cramping and you start thinking, "Hmm, maybe I didn't drink enough." Next thing you know, you're drinking so much water and fluids that your thirst is quenched but your belly is sloshing and you're still cramping. Remember, you can neither undersupply nor oversupply your body with fluids, so consume appropriate amounts. How much should one drink? One expert, Dr. Ian Rogers, suggest that between 500-750 milliliters/hr (about 17-25 fluid ounces/hr) will fulfill most athletes' hydration requirements under most conditions. I believe all athletes would benefit from what Dr. Rogers says: "Like most things in life, balance is the key and the balance is likely to be at a fluid intake not much above 500 milliliters (about 17 ounces) per hour in most situations, unless predicted losses are very substantial." [Fluid and Electrolyte Balance and Endurance Exercise: What can we learn from recent research? by Ian Rogers @: http://www.wms.org/education/Hyponatremia.htm] Recommendation: We at E-CAPS/Hammer Nutrition have found that most athletes do very well under most conditions with a fluid intake of 20-25 ounces per hour. Sometimes you may not need that much fluid (15-16 ounces per hour may be quite acceptable) sometimes you might need somewhat more, perhaps up to 28 ounces. Our position, however, is that the risk of dilutional hyponatremia increases substantially when an athlete repeatedly consumes more than 30 fluid ounces per hour. If more fluid intake is found to be necessary (under very hot conditions, for example) proceed cautiously and remember to increase electrolyte intake as well to match your increased fluid intake. You can easily accomplish this by consuming a few additional Endurolytes capsules. Simple Sugar ConsumptionWe believe that fructose, sucrose, glucose and other simple sugars (mono- and disaccharides) are poor carbohydrate sources for fueling your body during exercise. Also, for optimal general health, you should restrict your intake of these simple sugars (see Dr. Bill Misner's article "113 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health" in the Knowledge section at www.e-caps.com). For endurance athletes, the primary problem with fuels containing simple sugars is that they must be mixed in weak 6-8% solutions in order to match body fluid osmolality and thus be digested with any efficiency. Unfortunately, solutions mixed and consumed at this concentration only provide about 100 calories per hour, totally inadequate for maintaining energy production on an hourly basis. Using a 6-8% solution to obtain adequate calories means your fluid intake becomes so high to cause discomfort, bloating, and possibly oversupplying your body to the point of fluid intoxication. You can't make a "double or triple strength" mixture from a simple sugar-based carbohydrate fuel in the hopes of obtaining adequate calories because the concentration of that mixture, now far beyond the 6-8% mark, will remain in your stomach until sufficiently diluted, which may cause substantial stomach distress. You can drink more fluids in the hopes of "self diluting" the overly concentrated mixture, but remember that you'll increase the risk of over-hydration. However, if you don't dilute with more water and electrolytes, your body will recruit these from other areas that critically need them and divert them to the digestive system to deal with the concentrated simple sugar mix. This can result in a variety of stomach-related distresses, not to mention increased cramping potential. Simply put, simple sugar-based drinks or gels have to be mixed and consumed at very dilute calorically weak concentrations in order to be digested with any efficiency. A simple sugar-based product used at a properly mixed concentration cannot provide adequate calories to sustain energy production. Any way you look at it, fuels containing simple sugars are an inefficient, inappropriate way to fuel your body during prolonged exercise. Complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides) are the wisest choice for endurance athletes, as they allow your digestive system to rapidly and efficiently process a greater volume of calories, providing steady energy. Unlike simple sugars, which match body fluid osmolality at 6-8% solutions, complex carbohydrates match body fluid osmolality at substantially more concentrated 15-18% solutions. Even at this seemingly high concentration, complex carbohydrates (such as maltodextrins and glucose polymers) will empty the stomach at the same efficient rate as normal body fluids and provide up to three times more energy than simple sugar mixtures, which means you can fulfill your caloric requirements without running the risk of over-hydration or a variety of stomach related maladies. Recommendation: To get the proper amount of easily digested calories, rely on fuels that use complex carbohydrates (maltodextrins or glucose polymers) only, with no added simple sugar as their carbohydrate source. Hammer Gel and HEED are ideal for workouts and races of up to two hours. For longer workouts and races, select Perpetuem or Sustained Energy as your primary fuel choice. Improper Amounts of CaloriesToo many endurance athletes fuel their bodies under the premise, "If I burn 500-800 calories an hour, I must consume that much or I'll bonk." However, as Dr. Bill Misner says, "To suggest that fluids, sodium, and fuels-induced glycogen replenishment can happen at the same rate as it is spent during exercise is simply not true. Endurance exercise beyond 1-2 hours is a deficit spending entity, with proportionate return or replenishment always in arrears. The endurance exercise outcome is to postpone fatigue, not to replace all the fuel, fluids, and electrolytes lost during the event. It can't be done, though many of us have tried." In other words, your body can't replenish calories as fast at it expends them (ditto for fluids and electrolytes). Athletes who try to replace "calories out" with an equal amount of "calories in" usually suffer digestive maladies, with the inevitable poorer-than-expected outcome, and possibly the dreaded DNF ("Did Not Finish"). Body fat and glycogen stores easily fill the gap between energy output and fuel intake, so it's detrimental overkill to attempt calorie-for-calorie replacement. Keep this in mind if you're doing ultra-endurance events, especially if you've had to "alter the game plan" and are unable to stick to your planned hourly calorie intake. For example, let's say you've been consuming an average of 280 calories an hour but the heat or other circumstances (such as climbing a very long hill) prevents you from maintaining that desired hourly average. DO NOT try to "make up lost ground" by consuming additional calories; it's not only unnecessary, it may very well cause a lot of stomach distress, which will hurt your performance. Remember, during periods where fuel consumption may be less than your original hourly plan, body fat stores will effectively fill in the gap, thus eliminating the need to overcompensate with calories. Recommendation: Intake of 240-280 calories per hour, on average, is sufficient for most endurance athletes. Lighter weight athletes ( <120-125> 185-190 pounds) may need slightly more. Experiment in training to determine your specific requirements, using 240-280 calories/hour as a base to work from. If you fall behind on your average calorie intake, do not consume excess calories to bring your average back up. Inconsistent Electrolyte SupplementationConsuming sufficient calories and fluids during workouts and races is an obvious necessity. Consistent electrolyte supply is equally important. Just as your car's engine requires sufficient oil to keep its many parts running smoothly, your body requires electrolyte minerals to maintain smooth performance of vital functions such as muscle contraction. Athletes who neglect this important component will impair their performance, and may incur painful and debilitating cramping and spasms, a sure way to ruin a workout or race. However, this doesn't mean that athletes should indiscriminately ingest copious amounts of one or more electrolytes (sodium or salt is usually the most misused). Supplementing with only one electrolyte or consuming too much of one or more electrolytic minerals overrides the complex and precise mechanisms that regulate proper electrolyte balance. The solution is to provide the body with a balanced blend of these important minerals and in a dose that cooperates with and enhances body mechanisms. Salt tablets alone cannot sufficiently satisfy electrolyte requirements and excess salt will cause more problems than it resolves. Remember also that electrolyte replenishment is important even when it's not hot outside. Sure, you may not need as much as you would in hotter weather, but your body still needs consistent replenishment of these minerals to maintain the optimal performance of many important bodily functions. You don't wait until you dehydrate before you drink fluids, or until you bonk before you put some calories back in your body do you? Of course not. You fulfill those fueling requirements before the consequences of inadequate replenishment strike. The same logic applies to electrolyte replenishment. Going back to the engine/oil analogy, you don't wait until the engine seizes before refilling the oil reservoir and the same is true for electrolytes, the body's "motor oil," in that you don't want to wait until you start cramping before you replenish these important minerals. Recommendation: Endurolytes, in either capsule or powder form, is an inexpensive, easy to dose, and easy to consume way to get your necessary electrolytes. Use Endurolytes consistently during workouts and races to fulfill this crucial fueling need. No Protein Intake During Prolonged ExerciseWhen exercise extends beyond about two hours, your body begins to utilize some protein to fulfill its energy requirements. This metabolic process, called gluconeogenesis, allows for the synthesis of glucose from protein, helping to satisfy anywhere from 5-15% of your body's energy needs. If you fail to supply your body with protein from your fuel, it has only one other choice: your own muscle! Called "lean muscle tissue catabolism" or "muscle cannibalization," this process devastates performance through muscle deterioration and increased fatigue-causing ammonia accumulation, and also negatively affects the immune system and recovery. Carbohydrates are still the primary component of your fuel, but it should include a small amount of protein when training sessions or races last longer than two to three hours. We believe soy protein's amino acid profile is ideal for use during exercise, which is why the Hammer Nutrition fuels, Perpetuem and Sustained Energy, contain soy as the protein source. For instance, compared to whey protein (which is ideal for recovery), soy protein has higher levels of phenylalanine, which may aid in maintaining alertness during ultra-distance races. Soy protein has higher amounts of histidine, which is part of the beta-alanyl l-histidine dipeptide known as carnosine, which has antioxidant/acid buffering benefits. Finally, soy protein has higher levels of aspartic acid, which plays an important role in energy production via the Krebs Cycle. Dr. Bill Misner writes, "Soy's remarkable donation to endurance performance is deserving of our review. Soy has been observed to produce a higher degree of uric acid content than whey proteins. Uric Acid is reduced by excessive free radicals produced during exercise. When uric acid levels are higher, that is an indication of less free radical release due to antioxidant influence of the isoflavones found exclusively in soy. This is one reason why soy may be the preferred dietary protein application during endurance exercise demand." Recommendation: Using Perpetuem or Sustained Energy as your primary fuel during workouts and races longer than two to three hours will satisfy energy requirements from a precise ratio of complex carbohydrates and soy protein, the latter of which helps protect against excess muscle breakdown. You stay healthier, reduce soreness, and decrease recovery time. Too Much Solid Food During ExerciseIn the 1985 Race Across America (RAAM), Jonathan Boyer rode to victory using a liquid diet as his primary fuel source. Since then it has become the norm for endurance and ultra-endurance athletes. Liquid nutrition is the easiest, most convenient, and most easily digested way to get a calorie and nutrient-dense fuel. Solid food, for the most part, cannot match the precision or nutrient density of the best liquid food fuels. In addition, too much solid food consumption will divert blood from working muscles for the digestive process. This, along with the amount of digestive enzymes, fluids, and time required in breaking down the constituents of solid food can cause bloating, nausea, and/or lethargy. Lastly, a good portion of the calories ingested from solid foods is used up simply to break down and digest them; in essence, these calories are wasted. So while some solid food intake can be a welcome diversion during ultra-endurance efforts, we don't recommend it as your primary fuel source. Inasmuch as exercise diminishes digestive system functioning to begin with, regular solid food intake should be limited (the exception, not the rule) in your fueling strategy because of the increased the likelihood of performance-inhibiting stomach discomforts such as bloating, stomach cramps, nausea, and lethargy. Recommendation: Use Hammer Gel, HEED, Sustained Energy, and/or Perpetuem as your primary fuel source during exercise. These provide precise amounts of specific nutrients and are designed for easy digestion, rapid nutrient utilization, and less chance of stomach distress. Using Something New In A RaceWithout Having Tested It In Training The title is pretty self-explanatory; it's one of THE cardinal rules for all athletes, yet you'd be amazed how many break it. Are you guilty as well? Unless you're absolutely desperate and willing to accept the consequences, do not try anything new in competition, be it equipment, fuel, or tactics. These all must be tested and refined in training. Recommendation: Because all the Hammer Nutrition fuels are complementary (they all work well alone or in combination), you have all the flexibility you need to ensure that you can tailor a fueling program for any length of race, regardless of conditions. You'll never have to guess or grab something off the aid station table in hopes of trying to keep going another hour. Use Hammer fuels, try all sorts of combinations in training, and keep a log of what works and what doesn't. If you expand your training log to include fuel intake also, you'll have the data you need to prepare a fueling protocol for your next event. Sticking With Your Game Plan Even When It's Not WorkingEndurance athletes tend to be strong-willed and uncompromising. Most strive to have a "game plan" in place for their training program, which is, of course, an excellent idea. Wise athletes also have a game plan for their supplements and fueling. Having this nutritional game plan that you've honed during training is a big step toward success on race day, but don't slavishly adhere to it during the race if it's not working. What does fine in terms of fueling�your hourly intake of fluids, calories, and electrolytes�during training at a slower pace and lower overall energy output might fail during competition. Athletes who stubbornly maintain the same fuel intake hour after hour, even when it's clearly not working, end up with poorer results, if they finish at all. Yes, it's important to maintain consistent caloric intake during a workout or race, but if the weather gets hot, the body's ability to process fuel becomes compromised. It's important to recognize this and to listen to your body. Continuing to force down "X" amount of calories an hour (the original "game plan"), especially under extreme conditions when your body cannot properly assimilate them, puts a burden on your stomach and can cause any number of stomach-related maladies, which will certainly hinder or ruin performance. During the heat, it becomes more important to stay hydrated and maintain adequate electrolyte levels, so be willing to cut back on calorie consumption. Body fat stores, which satisfy up to two-thirds of energy requirements during exercise, will accommodate energy needs during occasional breaks from regular intervals of fuel consumption. During the heat, fueling is still important, but the focus shifts towards maintaining hydration and proper electrolyte levels. Resume regular caloric intake when you start feeling better and your stomach has had some time to assimilate the fuel it already has. In a similar, but "non-fueling" vein, another time when it's not a wise idea to stick to your original game plan is in training, especially after you've had a poorer-than-expected race. Many athletes think the cure for a poor race is to train harder and longer. Instead of recuperating, many athletes will train themselves into the ground, oftentimes ending up not fitter, but over-trained and with a poorly functioning immune system. A better tactic is to recuperate completely after your race, evaluating what went right and what went wrong during the race, and adapting your training accordingly; training harder and longer isn't necessarily your best option. Remember that recovery is as important a part of your training and the achievement of your athletic goals as the actual training session. Make sure you take your recovery as seriously as your training. Recommendation: It's a good practice to have a game plan that includes a fueling protocol that you have refined during training, but you need to be flexible. Evaluate and adjust accordingly as race pace and weather dictate. Have a game plan, but write it in pencil, not in ink. Inadequate Post-Workout NutritionPerformance improvement depends on a program of exercise to stimulate muscular and cardiovascular adaptation followed by a recovery period in which the body rebuilds itself slightly more fit than before. Thus, the real gain of exercise occurs during recovery, but only in the presence of adequate rest and nutritional support. Athletes who fail to replenish carbohydrates and protein shortly after workouts will never obtain full value from their efforts. So even though all you may want to do after a hard workout or race is get horizontal and not move for several hours, you must first take care of what might be the most important part of your workout: the replenishment of carbohydrates and protein. Carbohydrate replenishment as soon as possible upon completion of the workout (ideally within the first 30 minutes) takes advantage of high glycogen synthase activity, imperative to maximizing muscle glycogen, the first fuel the body uses when exercise commences. Protein supplies the amino acids necessary to (a) maximize glycogen storage potential, (b) rebuild and repair muscle tissue, and (c) support optimal immune system function. This is also an ideal time to provide the body with cellular protection support in the form of antioxidants. Because athletes use several times more oxygen than sedentary people, they are more prone to oxidative damage, which not only impairs recovery but is also considered a main cause of degenerative diseases. Consistent supplementation with a full spectrum vitamin/mineral supplement, along with any additional antioxidants, boosts and maintains the immune system and reduces recovery time. The bottom line is that post-workout nutrition is an important component of your training, and properly done, allows you to obtain maximum benefit from your training. Recommendation: Consume 30-90 grams of complex carbohydrates and 10-30 grams of protein (a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein) immediately after workouts. This is easily accomplished with Recoverite, the all-in-one, complex carbohydrate/glutamine-fortified whey protein recovery drink. You can also prepare a variety of different flavored, easily made, and rapidly assimilated post-workout drinks using Hammer Gel or HEED for your carbohydrate source and Hammer Whey for protein. Or try this delicious/nutritious combination: 2-3 scoops of Sustained Energy plus 1-1� scoops of Hammer Whey in orange juice. Supplements to consider for providing antioxidant support are the E-CAPS products Premium Insurance Caps, Race Caps Supreme, Mito-R Caps, Super AO, and Xobaline. Improper Pre-Race FuelingFar too often, athletes put themselves at a "metabolic disadvantage" during a race by fueling improperly prior to the race. The article, "The Pre-Race Meal" (which you can find in The Endurance Athlete's Guide to Success), discusses this in greater detail, but we mention it here as well because it's definitely one of the biggest fueling errors athletes make. It's also one that is super easy to remedy. Let's look at the two primary factors:
Recommendations: Don't go overboard with your food consumption the night before the race. First rule: eat clean, which means no refined sugar (skip dessert, or eat fruit), low or no saturated fats, and no alcohol. Second rule: eat until you're satisfied, but not more. If you're going to have a pre-race meal the morning of your race, you need to finish it at least three hours prior to the start of the race. If that's not logistically feasible, have a small amount (100-200 calories) of easily digested complex carbohydrates 5-10 minutes prior to the start. Either of these strategies will top off liver glycogen stores (the goal of the pre-race meal) without screwing up how your body burns its muscle glycogen. *********************Steve Born is a technical advisor for E-CAPS with over a decade of involvement in the health food industry. He has worked with hundreds of athletes - ranging from the recreational athlete to world-class professional athlete - regarding their supplement/fueling program. Steve is a three-time RAAM finisher, the 1994 Furnace Creek 508 Champion, 1999 runner-up, the only cyclist in history to complete a Double Furnace Creek 508, and is the holder of two Ultra Marathon Cycling records. In February 2004 Steve was inducted into the Ultra Marathon Cycling Hall of Fame. ©2005, Endurance Marketing Group. This information is copyright protected. Please feel free to distribute this information as long as this copyright notice and EMG's phone number and/or URL are included. Content must remain unchanged and original authorship acknowledged. http://www.svcyclingcenter.com/knowledge/co mmonmistakes.php |
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Young women with a history of depression are twice as likely to have the metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that raise the risk of heart disease, according to a new study.
Men with a similar history do not suffer as frequently from the same symptoms, writes Leslie S. Kinder, Ph.D., of the Veterans' Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
"Perhaps the health risks linked to depression are more critical to women," Kinder says.
Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 28 Jun 2004
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
Grohol, J. (2004). In young women, depression can mean literal heartbreak. Psych Central. Retrieved on January 30, 2015, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2004/06/28/in-young-women-depression-can-mean-literal-heartbreak/


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Picture taken on January 15 2013 at a holiday camp in Olmeto of a of... Fotografía de noticias 159521925Arruinado,Bomba,Bungaló,Campamento,Cuestiones ambientales,Córcega del sur,Día festivo,Francia,Horizontal,Olmeto,Restos,ViolenciaPhotographer AFPCollection: AFP 2013 AFPPicture taken on January 15, 2013 at a holiday camp in Olmeto of a of the wreckage of a bungalow destroyed by a bomb attack earlier today. The attack has not been claimed by anyone. AFP PHOTO / PASCAL POCHARD-CASABIANCA (Photo credit should read PASCAL POCHARD-CASABIANCA/AFP/Getty Images)


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Venture Brothers Halloween Special
by Dave KochThis page has been viewed 21 times this month, and 362 times total.
- Animated TV Special
- Williams Street, Noodlesoup Productions, Astro Base Go!
- Animation Studio: Titmouse, Inc.
- Cartoon Characters: Dr. Thaddeus "Rusty" Venture, The Phantom Limb, Hank Venture.
- Voice Actors: James Urbaniak.
- Directed By Jackson Publick.
- Written By Jackson Publick, Doc Hammer.
- Originally Released in Oct of 2012 (Estimate).
- Originally Aired on Adult Swim.
- Running Time: 30 minutes.
- Season: 5
- Color
Cartoon Summary:
The Venture Family fills your Halloween goodie bag with fun-sized Truth.
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Tagged: Hiking
New Recreation Trail Would Go From Valley To Coast
OPB |June 26, 2014 12:25 p.m.
THURSDAY: The planned Salmonberry Corridor would trace 86 miles from Banks to Tillamook, often following railroad lines.
Weekend Look-Ahead 9/22
Sept. 22, 2011 9:50 a.m.
What are you up to this weekend? Going to see Kris Kristofferson? Heading out for a bike ride? Or staying at home to think about your Netflix account?
Weekend Look-Ahead
Sept. 15, 2011 9:45 a.m.
Summer's coming to a close, and so is the TBA festival. What can you do with your weekend in the city or the wilderness to make the most of it?
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The old Toilet
This is the toilet we used before technology. Seriously
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10 comments
at least youve got some good air while pooping!
I love the tickle of a switch breeze.
your best one!
Gagagaga,,, important invention:}}
Umm..liar. Cool photo, though.
Its at out camp in the woods. We have an outhouse with a heater now. But we really used this for a long time
Great! :)
watch out for snakes!!! :-)))
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Fisheyed Zombies at Your Local Halloween Store
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Neighbors near a new downtown Dallas tower say they've been blindsided by the harsh glare reflecting off the mirrored glass of the building.
One of the first residents to complain was Petey Parker, 72, a business consultant who lives in One Arts Plaza, which is only a few blocks from the just-completed 42-story Museum Tower.
"It affects the entire art district, which has great value to us," said Parker. "Also, the glare will continue to be destructive to the Nasher Sculpture Center. It could really affect the nearby park as well."
The first complaint came from the Nasher Sculpture Center, which houses many important pieces of art. They requested that the reflection be dimmed to protect their art, which is being hit by the powerful rays.
According to D Magazine, The Nasher's roof was designed to optimize viewing quality for museum guests and protect the artwork, but the new building's rays are cutting through that.
The roof is comprised of a two-part system: a barrel-vaulted roof-cum-ceiling made of 3-inch-thick, 1,200-pound glass panels and, suspended above the glass, a sunscreen of millions of tiny aluminum oculi. The roof was designed with the exact longitude and latitude of the Nasher, and is able to protect the exhibit during every hour of Earth's orbit around the sun.
But that complex system is no match for the intensity of the rays reflecting off the new tower and some paintings, including a canvas by Picasso, "Nude Man and Woman," had to be quickly removed.
Parker said she was meeting with the Art Plaza's homeowners association and will introduce her "Stop the Glare" petition. She says that once she has the support she will present the petition to the developer of the new tower.
"There are minor glares throughout the day, but the major glare lasts anywhere from 15-30 minutes," said Parker. "I'm worried about the light damaging our artwork and furniture."
Paula Blackmon, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawling's chief of staff, said that they have placed a mediator to work through the issues. They say that they have also talked to the board members of the new tower, which is completely residential, and expressed that they want them to do everything in their power to sustain the Nasher Center, which they described as a "treasure."
The initial meetings between the two groups began several weeks ago and the mayor is urging them to find a solution as quickly as possible.
But some still think that the people involved aren't acting quickly enough.
"The decision, which is under a cone of silence, will affect the entire arts district. Not just us, it affects everyone around us," said Parker. "It seems like there is a great desire to find a solution, but they are not in a hurry to implement the solution."
Although this may seem like an unusual situation, this is not the first time that a building's mirrored sides have posed significant risk to the public.
In 2010, guests at the Vdara hotel were exposed to dangerous beams of light because of an architectural flaw on the glass skyscraper. The design of the hotel caused the sun's rays to become magnified and reflected onto an area of the hotel's pool, causing severe burns.
The heat was so severe that plastic bags and plastic cups melted when left out in the pool area.
Some hotel guests even felt like they were suffering from severe burns when they would enter the pool area.
"I'm sitting there in the chair and all of the sudden my hair and the top of my head are burning," Bill Pintas, a hotel guest, told ABC News. "I'm rubbing my head and it felt like a chemical burn."


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Friday, September 5th, 2014 Posted in Review | 1 Comment »
Title: The Professional Author: Kresley Cole Genre: Erotic Romance Series: The Game Maker (Book #1) Publication Date: May 6, 2014 Format: Paperback, 390 Pages ISBN-10: 1476762317 (Simon & Schuster) ISBN-13: 978-1476762319 (Simon & Schuster) Reviewed by: Steph Synopsis: The highly ... ">Read more..Thursday, July 24th, 2014 Posted in Review | Comments Off
Title: Unwound Author: Lorelei James Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance Series: The Mastered Series (Book #2) Publication Date: March 25, 2014 Format: Paperback, 384 Pages ISBN-10: 0451467310 (NAL /Penguin) ISBN-13: 978-0451467317 (NAL /Penguin) Reviewed by: Kelly Synopsis: UNWOUND...a man's need for control is tested by ... ">Read more..Monday, April 21st, 2014 Posted in Review | Comments Off
Title: Teach Me a Lesson Author: Jasmine Haynes Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance Series: N/A Publication Date: April 1, 2014 Format: Paperback, 320 Pages ISBN-10: 0425266249 (Berkley/Penguin) ISBN-13: 978-0425266243 (Berkley/Penguin) Reviewed by: Kelly Synopsis: Do what you have to do, Principal. I deserve it… High school guidance counselor by day, ... ">Read more..Sunday, March 30th, 2014 Posted in Blog Tour | Comments Off
If you are a huge fan of erotic romance then you'll have a lot of fun with today's excerpt from Telling Tales by Charlotte Stein! Telling Tales was recently re-released ... ">Read more..Saturday, January 25th, 2014 Posted in Review | Comments Off
Title: The Naughty Corner Author: Jamine Haynes Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance Series: N/A Publication Date: October 1, 2013 Format: Paperback, 320 Pages ISBN-10: 0425266230 (Berkley/Penguin) ISBN-13: 978-0425266236 (Berkley/Penguin) Reviewed by: Shirene Synopsis: Somebody's been a bad girl... Writer Lola Cook is ... ">Read more..


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An outtake from the Karate Kid's Vanity Fair photo shoot in Los Angeles.
While some kids were playing with their Nintendo Wii, Jaden was busy training (three hours a day!) for his role as Dre Parker in The Karate Kid.
Jaden, now 11 years old, has practiced karate since age five.
"It's an honor to re-do the classic," says the young Smith. "But it's also scary that people might not like it."
Jaden and his nine-year-old sister, Willow Smith, come from a family of performers. Catch up on Willow's work in 2008's Kit Kittredge: An American Girl and 2007's I Am Legend.
"I've co-starred in some movies, but co-starring is so much different than being the star," Jaden says.


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Join CNET for an exclusive interview with Google Lunar XPrize teams
Five representatives from the finalist Milestone teams told us how they plan to get to the moon and win $30 million next year. Catch up on this exclusive CNET event.
For five weeks this summer, CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman toured the Midwest, visiting some of the region's most interesting and important locations. Here's a look back at 5,200 miles of reporting.


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Find an Internship or Volunteer in Cordova, Maryland ( MD )
If you're looking for internships or volunteer work in Cordova, Maryland or even to get a summer job, you've come to the right place! With over 30,000 around the county, chances are that GrooveJob.com has the right job for you and wants to be your only source for finding internships and volunteer positions in Cordova, Maryland.
We've got plenty of intern and volunteer work in Cordova, Maryland. Check out the list of employers below who have positions in Cordova. Remember to check back with Groovejob.com on a regular basis. We add new internships and volunteer jobs listings to our database every week, so you'll find new opportunities every time you check back with us.
Browse by Employer (Click On Logos) | ||
Click for Intern or Volunteer at SEAWORLD ADVENTURE PARK | Click for Intern or Volunteer at INROADS | |
Jobs by Title | Location | Company | Posted |
Program Coordinator Internship Office PROGRAM COORDINATOR INTERNSHIP OFFICE FUNCTION The Internship Office Program Coordinator is responsible for managing all campus ... | Arnold, MD | 1/14/2015 | |
Pre-Grad Intern "Ensures confidentiality of information, documentation, and assigned records as requiredMaintains merchandise presentation in the... | Georgetown, DE | 12/29/2014 | |
Python Intern (Paid) Juju is looking for a Paid Intern with a strong knowledge of Python. Initial responsibilities will be writing and maintaining XML... | Cordova, MD | 1/6/2015 | |
Marketing Intern - Earn up to $20/Hr in Fares as an UberX Driving Part …Driving with Uber is for independent contractors only. Uber is looking for partners who know the local area and can get our community of... | Chester, MD | 1/21/2015 | |
IT Infrastructure Intern Smartlink is looking to hire an IT Infrastructure Intern . The IT Infrastructure Intern will support the IT department's infrastructure... | Annapolis, MD | 12/1/2014 | |
Pre-Grad Intern …certification * License permit Pharmacy intern *Job Title:* Pre-Grad Intern *City:* GEORGETOWN *State:* DE *Employment Type:* ... | Georgetown, DE | 12/24/2014 | |
Community Pharmacy Internship One of Walgreens most exciting paths to becoming a pharmacy professional is our internship program. This program will provide you with... | Cordova, MD | 12/6/2014 | |
Community Store Management Internship …is different, and how far you go is up to you. Our step-by-step Community Management Internship Program equips you to become a... | Cordova, MD | 11/27/2014 | |
GROWMARK Summer Agronomy Internship - Growmark FS …GROWMARK FS is part of the GROWMARK System, a regional agriculture cooperative serving more than 250,000 customers across North America.... | Milford, DE | 1/30/2015 | |
GROWMARK Summer Agronomy Internship - Growmark FS …semester senior in good academic standing at the time the internship begins. * Demonstrates essential abilities including business... | Milford, DE | 1/23/2015 | |
GROWMARK Summer Agronomy Internship - Growmark FS …semester senior in good academic standing at the time the internship begins. Demonstrates essential abilities including business... | Milford, DE | 1/23/2015 | |
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Fun & Free: Learn A Language
By Tom Miller
And finally, the free option, find a native and make a trade. This is a weird option that has a couple of different ways of handling. You could make it a volunteer date and trade ESL help for foreign-language tutoring. You'll have to do research in your local community but opportunities exist out there. A great way for singles to learn a new language is to date someone who speaks the language you want to learn. Isn't this "duplicitous?" Sure, but is it any more duplicitous than only dating someone because you just want to sex them up or think they're rich and will buy you things? Read: One Love, Two Cultures: Making It Work
Like all massive undertakings, set goals and give yourself rewards. If you master conjugation of the present tense, regular Spanish verbs, treat yourself to a night of Vicky Cristina Barcelona and tapas (and Flamenco dancing, naturally). And when this bastard of a red-headed stepchild of an economy swings back in the other direction, try a vacation where you can speak a little of the local dialect. I know you feel stupid but the locals do appreciate the effort (except, in my experience, for a certain country between Germany and Great Britain).
Note: I do not recommend trying to learn just by watching subtitled films, I've seen Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ten times and only know how to say "thank you" in Mandarin.


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Recent Comments:
World of Tanks trailer roasts EVE {Massively}
Jul 1st 2010 4:56PM I liked it because I was on the fence about both games before, after this majority EVE trailer I'm going to give eve a go. Tank you Wargaming.net.
Warhammer 40k MMO to be fully revealed this summer {Massively}
Feb 9th 2010 2:54PM This may have been said already and sorry if it has I just skimmed through the last comments.
Its important to remember THQ is the publisher and Vigil Games the developers (Darksiders). Vigil Games always seemed an odd choice to me as Relic have been THQs Warhammer 40k boys for a long time with the Dawn of War series.
The timing aswell makes sense in some different ways than just hype, Relic is launching their Warhammer 40k FPS / Action RPG in 2011. Backing up "internets" hype with a game like that will be designed to draw more people into the Warhammer 40k Universe which is as many have said very very rich. With that in mind you have a strong base for release.
Summer 2010 - Unveiled
2011 - Warhammer 40k Space Marine
2012 - Warhammer 40k MMO
End of 2012 world ends of course
P.S If it has Gorgutz in it the game auto wins every award going.
Ready Check: Zul'Aman -- Getting your first bear {WoW}
Apr 5th 2008 2:32PM Signet of primal wrath you say? My hunter will give you it for a bear :D
Hunter deadzone will soon be DoA {WoW}
Oct 13th 2007 11:29AM EVERYONE QQ MOAR :D
BigRedKitty: Smacking the Hit Cap {WoW}
Oct 10th 2007 4:30PM Another good one BRK /salute
@2 you have a skill called feign death, works well. And with ktm meter all it takes is a brief glance to see how your threat is.


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19 Jan 2012 | #11 |
i bought a game some years ago arrrrrghhh i forgot it's name ...... It was American McGee's ScrapLand (Nice Game) yesssssss it has StarForce :S but i did'nt noticed anything LOL!
My System Specs |
19 Jan 2012 | #12 |
Then why does Tweakguides dismiss the claims? I mean no one has actually proven that starforce has actually broken their optical drives. And also most people claiming that starforce damages optical drives were in Windows XP where a disk fault would cause Windows to downgrade it to PIO mode and eventually 16-bit mode; as far as I know that doesn't happen on Vista/7
My System Specs |
19 Jan 2012 | #13 |
Not sure. According to the Wiki page, many claimed it did but the case was dropped in court due to lack of evidence.
Im not sure Ive had a Starforce protected game, so I can't speak from personal experience. But, look at more modern DRM schemes. Tages and SecuROM. You see ton of compliants, and people refusing to buy due to activation limits etc. Yet I always wonder .. Why do you need to install on more than 5 machines at a given time? You can De-Auth or get those activations back after a period of time. I've never had a issue with either of these, and never even know they are there aside from the initial activation. Yet, you still see tons and tons of complaints about them. Perhaps its more of the same with Starforce? More of the idea its present rather than any real harm being done. The only thing I can really find is that many boycotted any games using it, so many devs just left it behind due to the outcry and it eventually just died off. But from some of the complaints Ive seen about it breaking optical drives etc. , and there are a lot, there does seem to be something to it. |
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Robert W. Wo - Owner and Director, C.S. Wo & Sons, Ltd. (a furniture retailer) since 1984. Under Mr. Wo's leadership, this third generation family-owned and operated business has grown to become Hawaii's largest furniture retailer, ranking it among the Top 250 companies in the State of Hawaii and among the Top 100 furniture retailers in the nation. He is a member of the Hawaii Business Roundtable whose mission is to promote the overall economic vitality and social health of Hawaii. Mr. Wo has been a director of Bank of Hawaii, the Company's major subsidiary, since 1991. He has always been active in the community, having served on the boards of Aloha United Way, Junior Achievement of Hawaii, and the Retail Merchants of Hawaii. Currently, Mr. Wo serves on several business and non-profit boards, including Hawaii Medical Service Association, Assets School, and Bobby Benson Center. He received his bachelor's degree in economics from Stanford University and earned his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. [...] more
Fees earned or paid in cash | $66,250 |
Stock awards | $52,500 |
Total Compensation | $118,750 |
Number of shares owned | 23,971 |