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This problem is based on a code using two different prime numbers
less than 10. You'll need to multiply them together and shift the
alphabet forwards by the result. Can you decipher the code?
Can you put the numbers 1 to 8 into the circles so that the four
calculations are correct?
This challenge focuses on finding the sum and difference of pairs of two-digit numbers.
Place the numbers 1 to 10 in the circles so that each number is the
difference between the two numbers just below it.
An investigation involving adding and subtracting sets of consecutive numbers. Lots to find out, lots to explore.
Have a go at this well-known challenge. Can you swap the frogs and toads in as few slides and jumps as possible?
Sweets are given out to party-goers in a particular way. Investigate the total number of sweets received by people sitting in different positions.
Find the sum and difference between a pair of two-digit numbers. Now find the sum and difference between the sum and difference! What happens?
Place six toy ladybirds into the box so that there are two ladybirds in every column and every row.
Can you put plus signs in so this is true? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 = 99
How many ways can you do it?
Use your logical-thinking skills to deduce how much Dan's crisps and ice-cream cost altogether.
There are nine teddies in Teddy Town - three red, three blue and three yellow. There are also nine houses, three of each colour. Can you put them on the map of Teddy Town according to the rules?
Your challenge is to find the longest way through the network
following this rule. You can start and finish anywhere, and with
any shape, as long as you follow the correct order.
Use the interactivity to find all the different right-angled
triangles you can make by just moving one corner of the starting
What do you notice about the date 03.06.09? Or 08.01.09? This
challenge invites you to investigate some interesting dates
What do the numbers shaded in blue on this hundred square have in common? What do you notice about the pink numbers? How about the shaded numbers in the other squares?
Ben has five coins in his pocket. How much money might he have?
Can you find which shapes you need to put into the grid to make the
totals at the end of each row and the bottom of each column?
How many ways can you find to do up all four buttons on my coat?
How about if I had five buttons? Six ...?
Add the sum of the squares of four numbers between 10 and 20 to the
sum of the squares of three numbers less than 6 to make the square
of another, larger, number.
Mr McGregor has a magic potting shed. Overnight, the number of
plants in it doubles. He'd like to put the same number of plants in
each of three gardens, planting one garden each day. Can he do it?
Try out the lottery that is played in a far-away land. What is the
chance of winning?
What can you say about these shapes? This problem challenges you to
create shapes with different areas and perimeters.
Tom and Ben visited Numberland. Use the maps to work out the number
of points each of their routes scores.
Choose four different digits from 1-9 and put one in each box so that the resulting four two-digit numbers add to a total of 100.
Ram divided 15 pennies among four small bags. He could then pay any sum of money from 1p to 15p without opening any bag. How many pennies did Ram put in each bag?
Can you find all the different ways of lining up these Cuisenaire
Exactly 195 digits have been used to number the pages in a book.
How many pages does the book have?
Find out what a "fault-free" rectangle is and try to make some of
your own.
Only one side of a two-slice toaster is working. What is the
quickest way to toast both sides of three slices of bread?
Arrange eight of the numbers between 1 and 9 in the Polo Square
below so that each side adds to the same total.
Can you substitute numbers for the letters in these sums?
Tim had nine cards each with a different number from 1 to 9 on it.
How could he have put them into three piles so that the total in
each pile was 15?
Arrange the four number cards on the grid, according to the rules,
to make a diagonal, vertical or horizontal line.
There were chews for 2p, mini eggs for 3p, Chocko bars for 5p and
lollypops for 7p in the sweet shop. What could each of the children
buy with their money?
Hover your mouse over the counters to see which ones will be
removed. Click to remover them. The winner is the last one to
remove a counter. How you can make sure you win?
There are 78 prisoners in a square cell block of twelve cells. The
clever prison warder arranged them so there were 25 along each wall
of the prison block. How did he do it?
Katie had a pack of 20 cards numbered from 1 to 20. She arranged
the cards into 6 unequal piles where each pile added to the same
total. What was the total and how could this be done?
You have two egg timers. One takes 4 minutes exactly to empty and
the other takes 7 minutes. What times in whole minutes can you
measure and how?
Zumf makes spectacles for the residents of the planet Zargon, who
have either 3 eyes or 4 eyes. How many lenses will Zumf need to
make all the different orders for 9 families?
Look carefully at the numbers. What do you notice? Can you make
another square using the numbers 1 to 16, that displays the same
Is it possible to place 2 counters on the 3 by 3 grid so that there
is an even number of counters in every row and every column? How
about if you have 3 counters or 4 counters or....?
What do the digits in the number fifteen add up to? How many other
numbers have digits with the same total but no zeros?
Cherri, Saxon, Mel and Paul are friends. They are all different
ages. Can you find out the age of each friend using the
You have 5 darts and your target score is 44. How many different
ways could you score 44?
Using the statements, can you work out how many of each type of
rabbit there are in these pens?
Place this "worm" on the 100 square and find the total of the four
squares it covers. Keeping its head in the same place, what other
totals can you make?
Suppose there is a train with 24 carriages which are going to be
put together to make up some new trains. Can you find all the ways
that this can be done?
Can you arrange 5 different digits (from 0 - 9) in the cross in the
way described?
There are 4 jugs which hold 9 litres, 7 litres, 4 litres and 2
litres. Find a way to pour 9 litres of drink from one jug to
another until you are left with exactly 3 litres in three of the


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10 Things You Should Know About talklocal
Troubleshooting Your Coffee Maker
Happy National Women's Equality Day!
Ten Family Friendly Ways to Spend Labor Day Weekend
By Jake Romm
Labor Day is the official celebration of the American Labor Movement. We know it as the unofficial end to summer, the beginning of a new school year, the closing of pools, and the last day to wear white pants.
Fortunately for most, it's also a day off from work and chance to spend extra time with family while enjoying some of the year's last drops of summer sunshine.
Soon, there literally won't be enough hours in the daytime as the frenzy of work, school, and a busy schedule take hold. So, before raking leaves and shoveling snow become your only outdoor past-time, make the kind of memories that will warm your heart all year long.
Here are some cool ideas to try out this Labor Day Weekend:
These are just a few great ideas for a family-fun packed Labor Day weekend. And remember, talklocal has a wonderful selection of party planners or party equipment rental in case you need some help hosting a memorable end to the summer.
Then, once the temperature starts to drop and the snow inches start to rise, call on us again for your snow-plowing, roofing, HVAC, and more.
Just visit www.talklocal.com, input the job details, and stand by to hear from a local service provider in minutes.
In Honor of Women's Equality Day
Written by Dallea Caldwell
Anything you can do
Pros can do better
Pros can do anything
Better than you
Down to the letter
(Don't get us wrong-
We mean lady pros too.)
We don't want to dent
Women's empowerment
You've got power to hire
Someone better than you
Any help you desire
talklocal finds it for you!
And just to be clear
There is no male exception
Drop that hammer, Mister
Use talklocal too!
Yes, you can DIY
No, I can't see why try
With local pros standing by
At talklocal to help you.
Remember: Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you have to. Just visit www.talklocal.com We filter businesses based on consumer and online reviews, location, schedule, social media, and other forms of feedback, then connects you to the right pros by phone– all in about 90 seconds.
Happy National Women's Equality Day!
5 Fantastic Beach Reads for Your Summer Vacation
Written by Jake Romm
Summer means vacation, vacation means beaches, and beaches mean reading. Beach reading is often associated with mind-numbing page turners — those books which are found in the thriller or romance stalls at airport kiosks. While certainly fun to read and good for a relaxing afternoon on the beach, these books often leave something to be desired when it comes to intellectual stimulation.
If you're looking for a different type of beach read, this is the list for you.
1. The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
This Russian novel, finished in 1940 by Mikhail Bulgakov, is a definite sleeper pick for a great beach read. While the devil showing up to Moscow during the reign of Joseph Stalin may not seem like the funniest of plots, this book is a surprisingly light and hilarious read.
The novel is largely episodic – splitting time between descriptions of the devil and his cohorts (including the giant, trash talking, black cat Behemoth), playing practical jokes on the Moscow elite (some more sinister than others), and the more serious and challenging sections about Pontius Pilate.
2. Among The Thugs, Bill Buford
With the World Cup in full swing, it's time to read up on your soccer. Even if you're not interested in the history of the sport, tactics, biographies of players, or even soccer in general, Among the Thugs is still a worthy read. No book better captures the extremity of European (specifically English) soccer fandom.
Shocking, funny, engaging, and informative, Among the Thugs follows Bill Buford and his real encounters with soccer hooligans (more dangerous than they sound) throughout Europe, including the riots at the 1990 World Cup in Turin.
3. Matterhorn, Karl Marlantes
This critically acclaimed debut from ex-Marine Karl Marlantes is a gripping and powerful Vietnam War novel. The novel follows Waino Mellas and Bravo Company as they build a base on a hill code-named "Matterhorn", only to be ordered to abandon it.
The second half of the book centers around their struggle to retake the hill from enemy hands. At times gruesome, this novel is not for the faint of heart. That being said, you will not be able to put this book down.
4. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
Everyone knows the movie, but few are familiar with the book that it was based on. Mario Puzo's epic novel about the Corleone family is every bit as entertaining as the film. You all know the story, but the novel provides more plot-lines and much greater insight into both the major and minor characters.
5. All The Pretty Horses, Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy isn't exactly known for writing "light reads". His novels almost exclusively take place in bleak and hostile landscapes and his sparse punctuation makes them slightly difficult to read. Once you get acclimated to his writing style however, All The Pretty Horses is a quick and engaging western (although it is a bit dark).
It is a classic coming of age story replete with romance, knife fights, and lots of horses. The first part of a trilogy, it sets the stage for an expansive western that is equal parts beautiful and devastating.
Get Your Relaxation On!
Of course, finding the free time to go to the beach or get some reading done is fairly difficult. Everyone has their responsibilities, so let Seva Call help you thin the to-do list. We can help you take care of any outstanding home repair, car maintenance, or a variety of other needs in a matter of minutes – leaving you more time to relax and catch up on your reading.
A Brief History of Celebrating July 4th in the USA
Written by Marianne Zhao
On July 4th in 1776, the members of the Second Continental Congress signed the final document known as the Declaration of Independence. With this declaration, the thirteen colonies became the United States of America. July 4th has grown to become America's biggest non-religious holiday, and its form of celebration has grown as well.
Here's a bit of history as you lie down on summer grass or the beach, preparing for the exciting booms and sparkles of fireworks.
1776 - John Adams writes to his wife: "[July 4th] ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more"
1777 - Although July 4th was not an official holiday, many Philadelphians celebrated the anniversary of their nation's independence with bell ringing, gun firing, and candle lighting.
1783 - The Revolutionary War is over, and July 4th is more celebrated in various areas. Parades, speeches, military events, and fireworks were added to the celebrations.
1941 - July 4th is proclaimed a federal holiday by Congress (finally!).
Present - People truly embrace the Red, White, and Blue with clothing, party themes, desserts, barbecues, picnics, beach vacations, and of course, FIREWORKS. The extremity of July 4th celebrations has grown over the years, and we have tried our best to honor John Adams' wishes of Pomp and Parade.
Seva Call wishes you a happy 4th of July, and remember that we are always here to help for any last minute celebration needs. Just visit our website to submit a request for a party planner, party rental, or air conditioning repair.
Easy Party Tips for July 4th
Written by Marianne Zhao
It's almost that time of year for a day filled with the smells of barbecue, ice cream, sunscreen, and bonfires and the sounds of fireworks echoing into the night. That's right, July 4th!! This holiday not only celebrates the independence of the United States of America but also encompasses the relaxation and fun that comes with summer and family. If you want to do something a little different this 4th of July, here are some quick and easy party ideas you can try:
Decorations: It's all about Red, White, and Blue
- You can't go wrong with colored tissue paper streamers: they look great both inside and outside the home!
- Paint your flower pots red, white, and blue for a nice festive theme in your backyard
- Decorate your grass with white stars: cut a star shape into cardboard for a stencil. Lay the stencil on your lawn and spray the grass with water. Then use a flour sifter to fill the shape with flour.
- Use blue or red glassware (pitchers, cups, glass bottles).
- Many dollar stores sell various sized flags. These can be placed anywhere you like for a 4th of July feel!
Food: Get creative
- Watermelon is great in the summer, and to make it even more festive, you can carve your festive designs or words onto the watermelon, just like a jack-o-lantern (try: July 4th or stars).
- Sticking with the fruit theme: a fruit bowl consisting of blueberries, strawberries/raspberries, and bananas/apples. You can take a white rectangular plate and create the American flag with the different fruits.
- Serve fruit punch (red) or Gatorade (blue); you can have these in clear bowls or clear dispensers.
- You can never go wrong with a USA-themed cake or party platter!
Enjoy your holiday!
With these ideas in mind, we hope you have a perfect 4th of July! (Don't forget the fireworks!) And remember that if you are swamped with a busy schedule or just want some help planning your party, Talk Local has the best party planners for you. Check us out here.
Seva Call is Once Again Honored to Be an NVTC 'Hot Ticket' Nominee!
Stop the tweeting — and relax your thumbs for a second! The Northern Virginia technology Council has nominated Seva Call for their Hot Ticket Awards for the second straight year. That makes us sort of a big deal (twice).
Once again, the fine people at NVTC want to recognize Seva Call as a regional technology company with "great vision, the ability to implement and deliver, innovative management approach or star-quality charisma."
Seva Call is equally honored to share this nomination with such distinguished regional entrepreneurs as Social Tables, 9Lenses, and iCore.
"We're ecstatic that we have kept up our trend of being a hot company in the DMV," says Seva Call President Manpreet Singh. Seva Man was much less articulate.
"Alright, alright, alright," he exclaimed in his best McConaissance impersonation.
Having one nomination for such an award is special, but two?! Now it's time to go for a three-peat! Keep up on our 2015 Hot Ticket nomination run, and use our Hot Ticket nomination-worthy service here.
5 Ways to Bond with Your Dad this Father's Day
Written by Ezra Schwartz
Your dad has always been there for you. Whether he was playing catch with you for the first time, or dressed as a princess, enduring your tea party, he's always been around to put a smile on your face. Even if he didn't want to be there, even if he had work to do, even if there was a game on, Dad was always there to do what you love.
Which is why the most important thing to do this Father's Day is to return the favor and spend time with Dad. Sure, you can still buy him a tie, watch, grill spatula, or any other cliched gift, but what Dad really wants is your time. Here are 5 ways that you can bond with your dad on June 15th, and make it the best Father's Day he's ever had.
5. Spend it Outdoors!
The wonderful thing about Father's Day is that it takes place in mid-June, the ideal time for outdoor activities. Whether this means going to the beach, having a picnic in the park, taking a hike in the woods, or just having a nice barbecue, make sure to take advantage of the beautiful weather.
4. Make His Favorite Food
Whether your dad was the one who cooked in your house or not, he will definitely appreciate a meal with his favorite dish. It might mean going out to a fancy restaurant, or staying in and cooking yourself, but either way, it is a gesture that your father will love.
3. Go to a Baseball Game
What better bonding activity is there than baseball? For over a century, dads have been taking their sons and daughters out to the old ballgame. It's a classic way to spend the day, and if he loves the food at the park, this one can combine the previous two tips!
2. Bring Your Kids!
While Dad may love spending time with you, chances are he loves spending time with your kids, as well. This day is not only about cherishing old memories, but about creating new ones, and there is no better way of doing that than with the new generation. Dad loves his grandkids and they love him, so whatever you do, be sure to bring them along!
1. Just Do What He Loves!
You know your dad better than we do, so you know best how to make his day perfect! Dad has something that he loves to do, and whatever it is, just do that with him. Even (and especially) if that means just sitting on the couch with a beer and watching the game or his favorite movie, make sure that Dad can do what he wants, and make sure to do it with him!
Whatever you do this Father's Day, make sure that everything is working in the house. That wouldn't be fun if the TV, computer, or air conditioning didn't work. You can also make sure that the lawn looks perfect, and that all of Dad's Sunday chores are done.
We here at Seva Call would like to wish a Happy Father's Day to all of the dads out there! Thank you for all that you do!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Gets used too much by myself
Googled Nope Gif lol
Good to know
Hahahahaha that was a good one
Bad Influence on me
Match then sleeps
Starting a match
I am okay Sleepy
I thought not lol
How are you mate?
Black Ninja!
Fresh Member
Senior Member
© 2011 eWrestlingNews, All Rights Reserved.


text:
Computer controlled apparatus and method for enhancing myocardial revascularization using direct vessel implants includes a probe for insertion into a proposed graft site to determine the condition of the site using criteria such as oxygen levels, contractility and pressure/flow rate differentials in conjunction with the parameters of the selected vessel graft. Transmyocardial revascularization procedures are performed to increase flow rates when needed and to supplement graft treatment where desired. A coring device creates the opening for the graft and correlates the size of the opening with contractility conditions and vessel conditions. Reinforcement sleeves may be placed around grafts, particularly vein grafts, to avoid excess compression of the graft. Graft site preparation and TMR treatment enhance angiogenesis and collateralization of the implant, and angiogenic drugs may be used to increase such effects.
1. An apparatus for use in a procedure to revascularize a heart by implanting a vessel into myocardium comprising:
a pressure transducer adapted for connection to heart tissue, said transducer measuring a fluid flow rate for selecting an implant site;
a microprocessor for receiving and processing input from said pressure transducer; and
a tool for creating an injury in heart tissue at least at the selected implant site.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a probe for insertion into myocardium at said site, the probe connected to the pressure transducer.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a fluid source connected to the probe and to the microprocessor, the microprocessor controlling flow from the fluid source to the probe for delivery to the myocardium at the site.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a sensor for measuring tissue contractility operatively connected to the probe.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a sensor for measuring oxygen content of tissue operatively connected to the probe.
6. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a sensor for measuring oxygen content of tissue operatively connected to the probe.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a sensor for measuring tissue contractility operatively connected to the probe.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said injury creating tool is a tool for creating an opening at the selected site for insertion of an implant.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a transmyocardial revascularization device.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the tool for creating an opening at the selected site is a coring tool.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said injury creating tool is a coring tool.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tool is a laser delivery device adapted for attachment to a laser energy source.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tool is a laser energy delivery device adapted for attachment to a laser energy source, said laser energy delivery device both creating an opening at the selected site for insertion of implant and revascularizing heart tissue.
14. A method for selecting a site for placement of a vessel graft into myocardium of a heart for the purpose of revascularizing the heart, the method comprising the following acts: a) placing a sensor in contact with at least one possible graft site within the myocardium; b) measuring at least one localized tissue parameter at the at least one possible graft site to select an implant site; c) creating an opening in myocardium at the selected site; and d) implanting a direct vessel graft into the opening.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the act of creating at least one blood flow path within the at least one possible graft site if an acceptable tissue parameter is not found following act b).
16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the act of placing a reinforcing sleeve over the direct vessel graft prior to act d).
17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the act of using a transmyocardial revascularization tool to form revascularization channels at least around the selected site to enhance vessel patency and graft performance.
18. A system for selection and preparation of a proposed vessel implant site to revascularize heart tissue comprising:
a guide for insertion into heart tissue in the area of a proposed vessel implant site;
a fluid path coupled to said guide;
a device to evaluate the condition of said site in contact with said fluid path;
a monitoring device coupled to said evaluation device; and
a tool to create an opening in heart tissue for a vessel implant in combination with said guide.
19. The system of claim 18 further comprising a fluid source for said fluid path coupled to a pumping device.
20. The system of claim 19 wherein said monitoring device is a microprocessor coupled to said pumping device.
21. The system of claim 18 wherein said tool is a mechanical tissue removal device.
22. The system of claim 18 wherein said tool is an energy delivery device adapted for connection to an energy source.
23. The system of claim 18 wherein said tool is also a revascularization device used to increase blood flow rates in heart tissue.
24. The system of claim 18 further comprising a revascularization device in combination with said guide.
25. The system of claim 18 further comprising a sensor for determining contractility of heart muscle coupled to said monitoring device.
26. A device for use in selection and preparation of a vessel implant site to revascularize heart tissue comprising:
a hollow probe for insertion into heart tissue;
a device to evaluate the condition of a site for a vessel implant attached to said probe; and
an energy delivery device translatable within said probe for delivery of energy to heart tissue to create an opening for said vessel implant.
27. The device of claim 26 wherein a proximal end of said probe defines a first fluid input port controlled by a valve and said evaluation device is a pressure transducer.
28. The device of claim 27 further comprising one or more oxygen sensors and contractility sensors in combination with said probe at a second proximal port.
29. The device of claim 26 further comprising one or more pressure sensors and oxygen sensors mounted at the distal portion of said probe proximal to said distal end.
30. The device of claim 26 further comprising a sharp distal tip element in combination with said hollow probe to secure said probe to heart tissue.
31. The device of claim 30 further comprising one or more oxygen and contractility sensors attached to said sharp distal tip element.
32. The device of claim 26 wherein a distal end of said sharp element is angled to facilitate access to other portions of heart tissue from a single insertion point.
33. The device of claim 26 wherein said energy delivery device is also a revascularization device for revascularizing heart tissue.
34. An apparatus for use in a surgical procedure to revascularize a heart comprising: a body defining proximal and distal ends, the proximal end defining at least two arms having lumens therethrough, the lumen of at least one of the two arms for insertion of access tools and further having a blood seal, at least one of the two arms having a valve for closing off access to the lumen; the distal end having a piercing device suitable to pierce myocardium; and at least one sensor operatively attached to the body for determining a localized tissue condition.
35. A kit for use in a procedure to revascularize a heart by implanting a vessel into myocardium comprising:
a probe adapted for connection to a heart and to a microprocessor;
at least one sensor operatively connected to the probe for measuring at least one localized tissue condition, the sensor adapted for inputting results about the at least one localized tissue condition to a microprocessor;
a coring tool for creating an opening at a selected implant site for insertion of a vessel therein;
an injury creation device for creating injury in heart tissue around at least the selected site for enhancing revascularization effects of the vessel; and
one or more reinforcement sleeves adapted to be placed around the vessel prior to implanting the vessel in the opening formed at the selected implant site.
This invention relates to the field of treatments for revascularizing heart tissue, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for selecting and preparing sites for implanting direct vessel grafts into the heart to maximize myocardial revascularization.
Heart disease is a significant health problem which has been the subject of substantial medical study. Early treatments for angina pectoris, pain in the chest due to ischemia of the heart muscle, included, among others, attempts to revascularize the heart muscle by directly implanting vessels in the myocardium, by implanting tubes or vessels extending between the ventricle and the myocardium, and by performing acupuncture or channeling with a needle to carry blood from the ventricle into the myocardium. Acupuncture and channeling studies performed by P. K. Sen and P. Walter showed that the formed blood flow passageways and channels closed within a short period of time.
The Vineberg procedure, developed by Dr. Arthur Vineberg between 1930 and 1950, implanted the mammary artery into a tunnel created in an ischemic area of the myocardium of the left ventricle. Although the Vineberg procedure demonstrated successful animal trials which were supported by arteriograms from human subjects during the 1960's, the procedure remained controversial. Results of a 1972 randomized study conducted by the Veteran's Administration Hospital showed that just over 50% of the Vineberg grafts remained patent after one year. Dr. Vineberg reported higher patency rates in the results of a 20 year study in "Israel Journal of Medical Science", Vol. 11, No. 2-3, 1975, pgs. 250-263, which stated that implant patency was 80%, operative mortality was 2%, and anginal pain improved in 85% of cases. In the referenced article, Dr. Vineberg described the following surgical technique as necessary to achieve long term patency and collateralization with coronary arteries: careful preparation of the mammary artery with tying of the distal end and all but one or two of the intercostals; using forceps instead of a knife to tunnel at least 4 to 5 cm into an ischemic area of the myocardium located between branches of surface vessels in the apical, anterolateral or posterior arteriolar zones; and removal of the epicardium at the tunnel entrance.
The above treatments and associated research into Vineberg grafts and acupuncture techniques generally fell out of favor with the advent of coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) which are vessel grafts attached proximally and distally around blockage sites in coronary arteries to "bypass" such blockages. Additionally, in the 1970's percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) procedures were introduced. Bypass surgery and PTCA have become commonplace; yet such procedures may not be able to revascularized all of the heart muscle, particularly the left ventricle of the heart, where blockages extend into the narrow distal portions of the coronary arteries.
Recent advances in cardiology have lead to improved bypass techniques and PTCA techniques (use of stents and atherectomy devices) thereby making it possible to attempt treatment of patients with severe coronary artery disease resulting in severely weakened, compromised hearts. Current statistics suggest that such patients present with less opportunity to achieve good CABG graft sites thereby resulting in estimates that 20-40% of CABG patents are not "fully" revascularized following CABG.
As the traditional treatments discussed above are expanded in use to attempt to assist severely weakened hearts, severely ischemic heart tissue is being treated and subjected to a sudden increase in blood flow. The flow/pressure differential which normally exists in the circulatory network supplying the heart muscle results from flow passing through vessels which progressively decrease in size as follows: the aorta, the coronary arteries, the arterioles, the capillaries, the veins, the coronary sinus, and finally into the heart chambers. Within this system, blood flows back and forth between capillaries and the myocardial sinusoids which receive blood from a constant exchange between sinusoidal vessels and the arterioles. In severely damaged heart tissue, this natural pressure differential is disrupted and may be unsuitable to accommodate the sudden introduction of relatively high pressure flow provided by a graft.
One alternative technique for treating areas untreatable with conventional CABG and PTCA procedures is known as transmyocardial revascularization (TMR). Procedures such as TMR, and drug therapy, enable treatment in areas that cannot be revascularized by CABG and PTCA. Although this technique was considered as early as the work of Dr. C. Beck "the Development of a New Blood Supply to the Heart By Operation", Annals of Surgery, Vol. 102, No. 5 (11/35) pp. 801-813, the method was not extensively studied until the work of Dr. M. Mirhoseini and M. Cayton, an example of which is found in "Lasers in Cardiothoracic Surgery in Lasers in General Surgery (Williams and Williams; 1989) pp. 216-223.
Clinical tests have demonstrated that TMR channels, which generally communicate with the ventricle, facilitate revascularization of the heart muscle and recovery of heart function. Recent studies further demonstrate that beneficial revascularization also occurs following creation of channels that do not remain patent and channels that do not communicate with the ventricular chamber. One mechanism for TMR revascularization is believed to be angiogenesis in response to injury created by the channel making device. Histology studies show the development of new vessels in the area of TMR channels. Dr. Vineberg reported in the article referenced above that new branches of implanted vessels occurred after a Vineberg procedure, and these branches joined with surrounding arterioles to revascularize the heart. Dr. Vineberg stated the collateralization to be caused by removal of the epicardium and lateral thrust because of the tied off distal end of the mammary artery. Angiogenesis research also is ongoing using agents such as growth factors and gene therapy products.
A laser device to perform TMR is described in Aita et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,316, issued Jan. 10, 1995. In the procedure described in that patent, a number of channels are formed through the epicardium by means of a laser apparatus to extend through the myocardium to communicate with the ventricle. Other laser patents describing surgical transmyocardial revascularization include commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,713,894; 5,738,680; 5,703,985; and 5,766,164.
A need exists for combined modalities of treatment to enhance revascularization treatments while taking into consideration the condition of the myocardium to be treated.
A need exists for apparatus and methods to evaluate the condition of heart muscle, particularly the blood flow in potential treatment sites, to optimize treatment results by, when necessary, altering existing pressure/flow conditions to accept direct vessel implants into myocardium.
A need exists for cardiac treatment procedures which include diagnostic tools to evaluate and select treatment sites and tools to enhance treatment success by preparing compromised tissue to accept and benefit from the sudden introduction of a new blood supply utilizing, where appropriate, combined treatment modalities such as direct vessel implants and TMR.
A need exists for apparatus and methods to modify a vessel to be implanted within myocardium to enable the vessel, particularly a vein, to resist the contraction forces of the heart to prevent occlusion of the implant.
Broadly, an advantage of the present invention is to provide apparatus and method to increase revascularization effects of direct vessel myocardial implants.
More specifically, an advantage of the present invention is to provide apparatus and method for selecting appropriate sites for direct vessel myocardial implants for myocardial revascularization.
It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide apparatus and methods for measuring blood flow rates and/or oxygenation conditions in myocardium to select sites for direct vessel myocardial implants for myocardial revascularization.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide apparatus for enhancing blood flow rates in myocardium to correlate with blood flow rates in vessel grafts by increasing flow through rates at direct implant sites to provide continuous flow from the graft vessel through the implant site thereby maintaining graft patency and performance.
Still one more advantage of the present invention is to provide reinforcement sleeves for venous vessels to be implanted within myocardium for revascularization thereof.
Yet one more advantage of the present invention is to provide apparatus for measuring the contractile forces of the heart in the proposed area of a vessel implant to enable site and vessel graft preparation to compensate for such contractile forces.
An additional advantage of the present invention is to provide computerized control of a system for assessing direct vessel graft implant sites in myocardium and optimizing such sites and grafts using a combination of treatment modalities to achieve myocardial revascularization.
The present invention is a computerized vessel graft implant site selection and preparation system for revascularizing ischemic heart tissue by improving the results of direct vessel grafts into the heart muscle to achieve myocardial revascularization in ischemic tissue.
The system evaluates heart tissue by providing a sensor to measure at least one parameter describing the condition of tissue at a proposed implant site. In a preferred embodiment, the parameter measured is blood flow rate at select vessel graft sites. The system includes tools to increase blood flow rates, when necessary, and further measures vessel graft parameters so that any alterations in myocardial flow rates are correlated with vessel characteristics.
In another aspect of the invention, the system may employ additional sensors to determine additional tissue parameters, such as contractility of the affected heart muscle to ensure that flow rates are determined when the heart muscle is not contracting. Contractility information also can be used to select a graft reinforcement sleeve which is strong enough to resist contractile forces, yet flexible. Tissue oxygenation sensor results may be inputs to the computerized control system to validate muscle viability.
The procedure for using the system attaches a probe to myocardium to measure the selected parameter at a proposed graft site. A sensor operatively connected to the probe provides readings, such as flow rates, to the computer system. If the flow rate is sufficient to allow adequate flow from the proposed graft, a tool is used to create an opening in the proposed site and the vessel graft is inserted and secured within the opening.
If the flow rate is insufficient, transmyocardial revascularization (TMR) channels and pathways may be formed until the flow rate is increased to support run off from the graft. Optional sensors determine contractility forces of the heart at the proposed site, and reinforcement sleeves may be placed around the vessel graft prior to implantation to assist the graft in resisting the contractile forces of the heart. Angiogenic drugs may be used to enhance treatment.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of apparatus and the control system for selecting sites for direct vessel implants in heart tissue for the purpose of revascularization.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an alternative aspect of apparatus and the control system for selecting sites for direct vessel implants in heart tissue for the purpose of revascularization.
FIG. 3 is a side plan view of a probe for measuring tissue conditions, such as flow rates and oxygenation, at proposed implant sites.
FIG. 4 is a detail view of the distal end of the probe showing the insertion end and one or more sensors.
FIG. 5 is a graph showing pressure versus flow rates.
FIG. 6 is a side plan view of a coring device for preparation of the implant site.
FIG. 7 is a view of a vessel undergoing preparation for implant into myocardium.
FIG. 8 is a side plan view of a TMR device for enhancing flow rates at a selected implant site and for supplemental TMR treatment.
FIG. 9 is an elevated plan view of a MIS TMR device for use in MIS implant procedures.
FIG. 10 is a side plan view of the distal end of a TMR device having multiple fibers.
FIG. 11 is a plan view of a reinforcement sleeve mounted around a vein implant.
FIG. 12 is a side plan view of a flow restrictor device.
The present invention is a computerized vessel graft implant site selection and preparation system for revascularizing ischemic heart tissue by improving patency and performance of direct vessel grafts into the heart muscle to achieve myocardial revascularization in ischemic tissue.
The system evaluates heart tissue by measuring blood flow rates to select vessel implant sites. The system includes tools to increase blood flow rates, when necessary, at selected sites, and further measures flow rates in the vessel to be implanted so that alterations in myocardial flow rates are performed to result in a correlation between the selected vessel and myocardium flow rates.
The system further enables the use of venous as well as arterial vessels for grafts by providing reinforcement sleeves for vein grafts to compensate for contractile heart forces.
The procedure for using the system places a flow sensor probe within myocardium to measure the flow rate at a proposed graft site. A sensor operatively connected to the probe provides pressure readings to the computer system. If the flow rate is sufficient to allow adequate flow from the proposed graft, a tool is used to create an opening in the proposed site and the vessel graft is inserted and secured within the opening. If the flow rate is insufficient, TMR channels and pathways may be formed in the proposed site until the flow rate is increased to support run off from the graft. Optional sensors may be used to determine contractility forces of the heart at the proposed site, and reinforcement sleeves may be placed around the vessel graft prior to implantation to assist the graft in resisting the contractile forces of the heart. Tissue oxygenation also may be measured using sensors.
While a variety of embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein, one exemplary presently preferred embodiment demonstrating control of the computerized vessel graft implant site selection system is illustrated generally as reference number 20 in FIG. 1. The block diagram in FIG. 1 shows the mechanism for estimating the potential blood flow rate at a potential direct vessel implant site. A fluid reservoir 22 filled with saline or Ringer's solution or the like is connected to a pumping device 24 which conveys saline from the reservoir 22 along fluid path 26 and through a probe 40 for connection to a proposed graft site in the heart 4 of a patient. The pumping device may be a syringe pump driven by a stepper motor, a peristaltic pump, or a diaphragm pump with a weight scale or flow meter to allow calibrated flow from the reservoir 22. An example of a suitable pump is a Cole Parmer Syringe Infusion Pump.
A pressure sensor 28 is connected to the fluid path 26, or it may be attached directly to the distal end of probe 40. The pressure sensor 28 is connected to the computer system 30 which monitors the pressure and controls the pumping rate.
The computer system 30 may include a custom microprocessor control circuit. Alternatively, a conventional computer having a data acquisition card capable of reading and converting analog voltages from the pressure sensor may be used. In this system, a serial connection port of the computer is suitable for attachment and control of the pumping device 24. The system illustrated in FIG. 1 is a conventional computer microprocessor 32 fitted with a Keithly Metrabyte DASCard 1000 data acquisition card. The computer system 30 further includes a display screen 34 and a user input device 36.
An alternative computerized vessel graft implant site selection system, with like components bearing the same reference numbers, is shown in FIG. 2. The system of FIG. 2 has at least one additional sensor 38 for determining contractility of the heart muscle. The sensor 38 may be a conventional ECG device, such as ECG machines generally in use as monitors in operating room. In this aspect of the invention, the sensor 38 detects the QRS heart wave complex and provides confirmation of contraction of the heart to the computer system 30. The computer system 30 enables measurement of pressure by the pressure sensor 28 only after the QRS signal when the heart is not contracting. Alternatively, the sensor 28 may be a bipolar electrode connected to the distal tip of the probe 40 and further connected to the patient as shown. The connection to the patient may be accomplished by connecting the bipolar electrode to the conventional ECG device.
If the contractility sensor 38 is not present as in FIG. 1, the FIG. 1 system can correlate measurement of pressure during the resting phase of the heart cycle by monitoring the pressure with a fixed zero flow rate. The resulting pressure profile demonstrates increased pressure during contraction of the heart. Filtering or gating may be used to eliminate contractility input.
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the probe 40 for insertion into proposed vessel graft sites within myocardium. The probe 40 is a handpiece having a proximal end 42 defining a fluid input port 44 controlled by valve 46. As discussed above, the probe 40 may include the pressure sensor 28 which, in this case, is a thin film or dome pressure sensor shown connected to the fluid line 26. Probe 40 further includes a port 48 with a blood seal 50 for attachment of an oxygen sensor 39 or the contractility sensor 38 shown in the FIG. 2 embodiment. The oxygen sensor provides information regarding the relative health of the proposed graft site thereby adding valuable input to site selection criteria.
The distal end 52 of the probe 40 includes a sharpened needle point 54 for insertion of the probe into myocardial tissue. As best shown in FIG. 4, the oxygen sensor 39 and pressure sensor 28 may be mounted on the insertion point of the probe 40. Alternatively, a separate needle may be advanced and retracted into the generally hollow tube for insertion into tissue to secure the probe 40 to the heart. The distal end 52, or the distal end of an internal needle, may be angled to allow the probe to be rotated to access other portions of myocardium from a single entry point. The radius at the end of the needle allows the probe to be rotated to allow angled tissue access, show as E, by the probe.
The needle used to deliver fluid to the tissue for flow rate determinations should be calibrated prior to use, although calibration may be performed by the manufacturer with confirmation by the user with a simple calibration confirmation command to the computer system 30. Calibration may be performed manually prior to insertion of the probe 40 into tissue by an input to the computer input device 36 to initiate pumping by the pumping device 24 to deliver fluid at a fixed flow rate during pressure measurement. The procedure is repeated at several flow/pressure points to allow calibration of the resistance to flow through the needle.
The computerized vessel graft implant site selection and preparation system is used as follows after calibration, if necessary, as discussed above. The distal tip 52 of the probe 40 is inserted into myocardium at a proposed direct graft site. Oxygen content is measured if the optional oxygen sensor 39 is present. Upon confirmation of sufficient tissue oxygen from the sensor 39, a command is given to the computer system 30 using the user input device 36 to perform a flow estimation and valve 46 is opened. The computer system 30 controls the pumping device 24 to increase flow of fluid through the pump during pressure monitoring. As flow increases, pressure increases because of resistance from the needle and from the flow conditions within the target myocardium.
FIG. 5 is a graphical representation of pressure vs. flow rate. Curve Pressure I, "A", represents an unrestricted pressure/flow curve when the probe is not inserted in myocardium and flow is inhibited only by the resistance of the system components, thereby representing the calibration curve. Curve Pressure 2, "B", represents the pressure/flow rate of the myocardium when the probe is inserted in the tissue. In curve "B", the pressure increases above the calibration curve "A" when flow from the reservoir 22 exceeds the blood flow rate in the myocardium. The flow rate of the myocardium thus is estimated to be the flow rate at which the pressure exceeds the calibrated rate. Measurements generally are stated as volume per unit of time(ml/min)/psi or mmHg. The estimated flow rate is displayed on the display device 34.
The displayed flow rate is compared with the flow rates measured in studies of successful long term, patent grafts, which is estimated optimally to be approximately 25 to 75 ml/minute. Long term patency will require a minimal continuous flow through the site to maintain graft patency. In addition, the available graft flow rate is measured as a second test of compatibility. Preferred implant connections will have a minimal run-off rate in myocardium and a graft supply flow rate sufficient to provide required flow without excessive turbulence or localized fluid stagnation. If the rates are found compatible, the vessel graft can proceed.
FIG. 6 shows a system component for forming a pathway into the selected myocardial site for insertion of the vessel graft. A mechanical coring device 60, such as the device described in U.S. Pat. Nos. commonly owned U.S. Pat. Appln. Ser. No. 08/908,816, filed on Aug. 8, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,164 hereby incorporated by reference, may be used to create the opening for the graft, or to create additional run-off channels. Device 60 is a motorized, rotating coring device for removing a core of tissue. Any coring device may be used, and energy delivery devices also may be employed to prepare the graft site. Such devices include those found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,713,894; 5,738,680; 5,703,985; 5,766,164; 5,125,926; 5,683,366; and 5,380,316 which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. The amount of coring and the diameter of the opening preferable is correlated with the type of graft to be used (vein as opposed to artery) and the contractile forces at the site to avoid excessive compression of the implanted graft. This is particularly important for vein grafts. The computer system 30 may be programmed to calculate the diameter of the opening after determining t size of the implant and the contractility of the site.
As shown in FIG. 7, the vessel, such as the LIMA 70, is detached from the chest wall and freed for insertion into the opening created by the coring device 60. Particularly for vein implants, contractility readings are used to calculate implant opening size to avoid excessive compression on the implant. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 11, reinforcement sleeves 85 or stents made from dacron, teflon, other plastic materials and biocompatible metals may be placed around the vein prior to implanting the graft into the opening. The distal ends of the sleeves 85 preferably are configured with sewing or stapling eyelets 91 for ease of attachment. The vessel may be pretested using a pressure cuff to determine the degree of support needed. Preferably, the vessel flow rate is similar to the measured or modified run-off rate to maintain flow and a balance between blood supply and demand.
FIG. 12 illustrates a method for restricting flow in the vessel graft when a balance between blood supply and demand is not achieved by modification of the implant site. An orifice restrictor 87 at the distal end of the graft 70, or the sleeve 85, may be used to reduce flow through the implant 70.
Using the system shown in FIG. 2, the contractility results also may be used to correct the pressure curve "B" for heart contraction events. Inputs from the sensor 38 enable the computer system 30 to generate a pressure/flow curve "B" which includes readings taken only when the heart is not contracting, as described above.
In those cases where a preferred graft implant site does not have a flow rate sufficient to support the graft, and other sites are not available, TMR or other revascularization procedures may be performed at and around the preferred site to increase the flow rate and enhance collateralization and other angiogenesis. Such a procedure may be performed with any TMR system utilizing mechanical devices or energy sources such as lasers, RF, ultrasound, microwave, heat and fluid jets. Suitable laser devices 80 and 80′ are shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 which are described in U.S Pat. Nos. 5,713,894; 5,738,680; and in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Appln. Ser. No. 08/794,733; now U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,497 and other suitable laser devices may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,703,985; 5,766,164; 5,125,926; 5,683,366, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. The TMR tool shown in FIG. 9 is particularly suitable for MIS procedures when direct vessels implantation is performed in an MIS setting.
As shown in FIG. 3, a TMR device also may be inserted through port 48 and through curved distal tip 54 to allow TMR channels to be made at more than one angle from a single entry point into the myocardium, or the TMR device may be configured with a curved needle as in FIG. 4 to provide angled channels 7 as shown in FIG. 8. Such channels may include stimulation zones as described in U.S. Pat. Appln. Ser. No. 08/664,956 and may or may not extend into the ventricle. When inserted through probe 40, blood seal 50 prevents blood loss through port 48, and the laser delivery device may be retracted to a resting position within arm 48 when not in use. Laser TMR devices are connected to excimer, CO2, holmium or other suitable lasers, such as the holmium laser 90 shown in FIG. 8. As an alternative to the curved distal tip 54, the distal end of the laser 80 also may be configured as shown in FIG. 10. In this embodiment, the distal end of the laser includes a plurality of laser fibers 53 for simultaneously creating a plurality of channels within the target tissue.
Following creation of channels to assist flow within and around the graft site, flow measurements are repeated to confirm that flow conditions are optimized to achieve desired constant flow run off from the graft. While the frequency of graft occlusion with flow rates exceeding 50 ml/min. is reported to be very low, implants using the proposed treatment modalities suggested above may allow flow rates significantly lower. The TMR treatment device also may be used to supplement treatment by performing TMR in other ischemic areas of the myocardium.
Angiogenic drugs may be added to the implant sites to enhance revascularization. Such drugs include VEGF, other growth factors and gene therapy agents.
It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that conventional wall motion studies may be used to indicate the general contractility of the heart tissue if desired, although site specific information provided by the sensors may be more accurate. Additionally, thallium scans and the like may be performed to indicate flow rates generally.
The foregoing description of a preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. The scope of the present invention is therefore limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
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Czech Central Bank Voted 6-1 to Hold Rates; One Voted for a Cut
Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) -- The Czech central bank board voted 6-1 to leave its benchmark rate unchanged today for a 12th meeting as it reduced growth forecasts for this year and next.
One board member voted to reduce the two-week repurchase rate, currently at a record low 0.75 percent, by a quarter of a point, central bank Governor Miroslav Singer said today at a press conference in Prague.
To contact the reporter on this story: Peter Laca in Prague at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Balazs Penz at email@example.com


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"The Great Gatsby" is an excellent book in which to study the writer's art. In this short book the reader can detect a collection of symbolic details which make the story much more than the tale which appears on the surface: the ash heap, as a symbol of the waste of American society; the green light on Daisy's dock, which means so much to Gatsby as a symbol, until he again meets Daisy, when it again becomes, for Gatsby, as for everyone else, just a light.
The characters all play their roles in the development of the story. Shallow figures fill Gatsby's parties, but show their true level of concern for him when they all absent themselves from his funeral. The class distinctions between Daisy, a true upper class maiden, who can never lower herself to accept Gatsby, the aspirant to a class rank which wealth and parties cannot buy. Gatsby's source of wealth is hinted at by his association with Meyer Wolfsheim, the gambler who fixed the World Series. Like others, he will associate with Gatsby in life, but has no time for him in death.
The unnatural core of Gatsby's world is illustrated by his act of moving east, rather than the traditional westward migration, in order to achieve freedom and advancement.
Tom and Daisy Buchanan represent old money, which will not accept Gatsby and, in the end, destroys him.
Nick Carraway is the one character in the book who develops his own moral sense. His role as narrator permits us to see Gatsby's world through his eyes. It is he who sees, and is repelled by, the rotten cores of Gatsby and the worlds in which lives and into which he aspires. He sees the corruption deep inside Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Most of all, we see the innate goodness in Tom. Observing, but not entering Gatsby's world, he is able to understand and judge it. His final evaluation of Gatsby's world is seen when he abandons it all to return to his native Midwest.
As I re-read "The Great Gatsby" I remembered what I had not liked about it the first time I read it. The causal acceptance of infidelity seems at odds with what I have always viewed as the ideal as well as the reality. As one studies the commentaries of this book, with all of its symbolisms, I often wonder if the symbols were really in F. Scott Fitzgerald's mind as he wrote the book, or whether they are constructs of later commentators. Either way, they give the book a depth which so many others lack. When my son speaks of other books he reads in English class, he always says "It's no Great Gatsby." The more I think of it, few of novels are.
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Chances are if you are a human being with a computer you have probably used, or at least heard of Skype. This is an example of VOiP software, or in layman's terms, internet-based phone or video chatting. The problem with Skype and other VOiP software programs though is that they can get pretty convoluted when it comes to setting them up or configuring your settings. Unless you are particularly computer savvy you might be dissuaded by having to sign up for, and register an account for the service. Excessive passwords become a burden and constant logging in becomes a pain.
Viber App for Desktop (VOiP Software) helps to solve that problem by offering a free VOiP service without the hassles of owning an account. You can actually download Viber, install it on your PC and phone, have it sync to your contacts automatically, and begin free HD video chatting right away without having to give up your email address, first born child, or eternal soul. Everything else is pretty much a wash actually. Viber does a fine job as a means to make phone or video calls for free, but the fact that you don't need an account and it will automatically sync your contacts is the best thing about it. With that said, it's not the big kid on the block so you might have to do some recruiting among your circle of people to get them to download the product to use as well.
You need to have the mobile app first because Viber does require a mobile number to operate on your desktop. Once set up you can send free text messages, photo messages, video messages and share locations with other users. Users can also make free HD-quality calls to other Viber users on iPhone®, Android™, Windows Phone, Blackberry®, Windows®, Mac, Symbian, Nokia S40 and Bada devices. You can do all of this over a 3G, 4G, or Wi-Fi connection.
If you can convince your people to switch away from Skype, Google, Facetime, or any of the other countless VOiP applications they may have, then you might just have yourself a winner. With 200 million users and counting, Viber is on its way up in the marketplace for good reason.
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Average Customer Review
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book not to be forgotten
To classify this book as young adult is a mistake. This is the kind of novel which can appeal to people of all ages. The young character deals with so many issues and feelings that everyone confronts sooner or later in one's life. Perhaps we would all like the gift to fade away-- to see the world without being seen. To view the true colors of others is a talent we all try...
Published on March 20 1998
2.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat disappointing
First, the prurience issue...it's SEXUALLY EXPLICIT... A sexually explicit coming-of-age novel from the eighties. Who'd'a thunk it? And when it comes right down to it, if you really think high school kids haven't already thought about this stuff without having read this book... well, let's put it more simply-- if you're the parent of a high school student who HASN'T...
Published on June 11 2000 by Robert Beveridge
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book not to be forgotten,
By A Customer
To classify this book as young adult is a mistake. This is the kind of novel which can appeal to people of all ages. The young character deals with so many issues and feelings that everyone confronts sooner or later in one's life. Perhaps we would all like the gift to fade away-- to see the world without being seen. To view the true colors of others is a talent we all try to develop; to realize one's self is something we never truly fulfill. By far, this is Cormier's most creative novel. His language portrays the dreary and dark surroundings of the charatcer. You will never want to put this book down.
4.0 out of 5 stars "Every family has its mysteries.",
Crystal (Florida) - See all my reviews
Fade by Robert Cormier is a great book.
Fade is a book with many different settings and point of views. It begins with Paul who is around the age of 13 when he finds out he has a gift. He is able to become invisible. Then there is Ozzie, Paul's nephew. Who is angry at the world because of his terrible life. After him there is Susan, Paul's distant cousin who finds a manuscript written by Paul about his life and the ways he dealt with "the fade."
Reading the synopsis of this book I thought it would be a good book to read because I've always thought it would be cool if I could become invisible. I know, silly, but I thought about it before. Of course when I thought about things like that I didn't think about the negative aspects and ways that I would most likely abuse the power, but this book reveals all the possibilities if "the fade" were real. I am not surprised that this was such a good book, since Robert Cormier writes amazing books. This book also dealt with a lot of other issues and it was just an all around great book to read.
4.0 out of 5 stars Fade in our hearts,
Albert hsueh (Texas) - See all my reviews
This book is great! It totally reveals the different aspects people view on certain subjects. How this book was written also enhances the addictive plot in this book.
The book was bisected into two different time periods, flashing back and forth, starting off with Paul the main character's autobiographical letter. In this writing, Paul described the ability of fade and how his long-gone uncle came and explained to him about when this ability originated and offered some past experience of his. Acquiring this ability, Paul eventually found himself dismal and lost later. After thirty years later, his far cousin Susan and her grandfather - Paul's cousin - gave their opinion on the ability of fading.
We, in our daily lives, would sometimes wonder if we acquired such and such supernatural powers, and what we would do with such and such powers. The truth is, when we actually get these powers, the vicious minds of ours would emerge and the world would fall into chaos. The book Fade pointed this out clearly. Susan and her grandfather's views on the power of fading are also reflected in this world. To believe or not believe, I think the characters in us would interfere this issue. Just like Susan's grandfather, being a detective had surely shaped him into a more logical person. This book Fade stated many situations and thoughts encountered either spiritually physically in our lives and personally I think it's a must for every reader.
The author Robert Cormier has also written some well received books such as the Chocolate War, which both my friends and I found pretty interesting, and if some of you have read it, you would not be disappointed with this fascinating book of his - Fade.
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing,
Sarah Jane (Glasgow, U.K.) - See all my reviews
Robert Cormier's unique knack for capturing the turmoil of adolescence (and to a lesser extent adulthood) with a haunting sense of melancholy is displayed perfectly in this beautiful novel.
The book focuses on Paul, a boy who discovers he can "fade," or become invisible; a gift inherited from his uncle and passed on to Paul's future nephew. Paul sees it as a useful feature, but the things he sees while in the Fade shock and disturb him, alienating his from his friends, causing him to view the world in a different way. The bits narrated by Sally, the interlude by Paul's cousin, and the Olly section at the end are all well done and spice up the plot, but it's Paul's narration that I find most fascinating.
The author hasn't written a fantasy novel, he uses the fade to expand the idea of coming to terms with change and the pain suffered because of this supernatural ability. Just as Cormier exaggerated the search for identity in I Am The Cheese, he seems to use the fade as a metaphor for growing up. The initial delight, the confusion and disgust towards the things that corrupt innocent eyes, the weary character that emerges... all seem to link to the author's recurring theme of adolescence.
As usual, the characters conjured up are memorable and unique, and I love the way Paul's cousin casts them in different lights and adds a new dimension, challenging us to choose who we believe.
Aside from Paul, Olly is probably the boy that I remember most vividly; Paul's nephew who inherited the fade. Unwanted, he goes through life lonely and rejected, loved only by the nun that takes pity on him. When he discovers his ability to Fade, he sees it as a great tool and a secret only he knows, but soon becomes paranoid that people know about "his secret" and plan to conspire against him. His conscience wrestles with the voice inside his head, encouraging him to kill the few people who take an interest in his sorry life.
Haunting, gorgeous... All in all, a perfect book. Well worth your time and money.
5.0 out of 5 stars Not every gift should be accepted,
When the average person thinks about 'super-powers', what likely comes to mind is the usual conglomeration of superhero comic books, cartoons, movies, and television shows; a muscular gentleman in tights and a cape, not unlike a professional wrestler. But far more intriguing, and satisfying, are the more literal takes on the theme, whereby ordinary people react in a realistic manner to powers they have no possibility of comprehending. I think of novels such as Stephen King's THE DEAD ZONE (telekinesis), Paul Auster's MR. VERTIGO (levitation), and Jim Munroe's FLYBOY ACTION FIGURE COMES WITH GASMASK (transmogrification), or the Bruce Willis/Samuel L. Jackson movie UNBREAKABLE; examples of day-to-day people struck down by the impossible. Into this more rarefied genre enters a sterling example of the hazzards of the unknown, FADE, by Robert Cormier.
FADE follows the life of Paul Moreaux, a young boy growing up in early 20th century America. His family is constantly struggling with the labour and union problems of the time, and Paul himself has learned from his similarly inflicted uncle that he is cursed with a gift that is not what it seems; Paul has inherited the ability to 'fade', to disappear into nothingness on a whim. While at first appropriately thrilled at the prospect, Paul soon realizes the dilemma that comes with such a gift. His juvenile thrill-seeking leads to discoveries of a sexual nature both exciting and perverse, and deeply unsettling. And as his father becomes enmeshed in the violence of the labour revolts, Paul finds himself compelled to commit an act that will haunt his every move for the rest of his life.
To give away any more of the plot would be to ruin the pleasures that such a novel provides. As Paul's story progresses, it is contrasted with a modern-day account of his life by his niece. Playing the innocence of youth off the wisdom of maturity gives FADE a poignant, and sometimes more horrific edge. Cormier plays his hand close to this chest, never revealing more than the reader needs to know, yet constantly imparting a foreboding sense of unease as the story unfolds. His presentation of Paul's early life, the nature of youth, is both nostalgic and realistic. Paul is just at that age where the seriousness of life has become evident, yet the thoughtlessness and frivolity of immaturity still pulls strong on his psyche. Every person has that one event in their life that separates childhood from adulthood, and it is just Paul's misfortune that 'fading' is his introduction to the complexities of the world. The power of invisibility is never presented as the 'cure-all' that some people would like to believe. It is a power for which there is no practical purpose, yet is a power that can extract a terrible toil upon those unfortunate enough to possess it. Paul's adult persona, after swearing off the use of his fade, learns the perils that such a path provides, as he discovers the next generation of the gift.
Cormier's true gift in this narrative is to never lose sight of the way the world works. A person with a power has to adapt to a world unprepared for such an event. The knowledge of his difference serves to affect his every waking moment; his refusal to travel, or have his picture taken, or even associate beyond his close circle of family and friends. The insular nature of being different is a universal theme that everyone copes with on one level or another. The popular child who realizes that he or she has nothing to offer beyond appearance. The powerful executive who cannot cope with people on a less-than-professional basis. Look at the afflicted Johnny Smith of THE DEAD ZONE, living as a target for every weekly news-rag and sad-sack, because he had the bad idea to go public with his gift. Being different than everyone else leaves you a target for the uninformed, the uncaring, and the ignorant. Cormier knows this, perhaps as a byproduct of all the 'young adult' novels he has written. Everyone has a fear of being different; it's how we handle this fear that helps define who we are.
FADE is a truly fine novel, a memorable exploration of the tried-and-true theme, "With great power comes great responsibility". Paul's life is a testament to this idea, and his failures to fully comprehend this credo leads to some terrible consequences. God forbid someone less able to cope should be afflicted with such a power. As Paul comes to realize, the world itself would never be safe with such a threat.
2.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat disappointing,
Robert Beveridge "xterminal" (Brunswick, OH) - See all my reviews
First, the prurience issue...it's SEXUALLY EXPLICIT... A sexually explicit coming-of-age novel from the eighties. Who'd'a thunk it? And when it comes right down to it, if you really think high school kids haven't already thought about this stuff without having read this book... well, let's put it more simply-- if you're the parent of a high school student who HASN'T thought about all this stuff, you may want to consider getting him this one for Christmas. Sheesh.
Because, when it comes right down to it, the first half of this book reads pretty much exactly like the fantasies of many an adolescent. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, and may even be a good thing, in a novel aimed at adolescents (unless the perspective belongs to the parent of the adolescent, who seems to think that sexual thoughts need to be PUT into someone's head, rather than just growing there on their own as a consequence of begin an adolescent. But that's a topic of discussion for the Dr. Laura list. The rest of you, please, just take my word for it). So I'm willing to allow all the latitude necessary given that I've pretty much forgotten adolescence.
When I start whining about Fade, then, I'm not whining about the explicitness of it. And I'm not whining about Cormier's writing style, for the most part; Fade is miles better than his two overrated teen "classics," the wooden The Chocolate War and the cardboard I Am the Cheese. It really flies, in fact, and ended up being my first single-day read of the year. So what's the whining about? The transparent strategy-changing exactly halfway through the book. One could argue that the plot, as set up at the end of the book, demads the things that happen in the middle (we suddenly have a storyline from 1938 interrupted by a storyline fifty years later, with absolutely no foreshadowing at all). This has been done a million times before, of course. The difference here is that in 99% of those cases, it's been handled better. Also, and perhaps this is a minor point, Cormier sets up a rhythm with his headings, and then breaks it towards the end, leaving the reader somewhat confused and disoriented as to what, exactly, he's trying to do.
The plot is about as complex as a primitive seesaw. Again, this is not a bad thing, and in fact contributes to what strengths the book has. It doesn't need a complex plot to get its point across. The plot being that a certain family, now living in rural Massachusetts (having emigrated from Canada), has one person in every generation capable of fading-- turning himself invisible. This trait passes from uncle to nephew (a never-explained oddity that ends up being a plot point), and has for at least two hundred years (it has been traced back to the mid-1700s). Paul Moreaux/Paul Roget, the book's protagonist, is thirteen in 1938, when he finds out he's the most recent family member to get the fade. His uncle, a drifter, comes back to town to school him in the ways of the fade. Simple, right? And in the correct hands, this tale and its obvious moral (if you spy on people, you're going to be let down by what they do in private-- well, duh) would be a killer. Has been a killer in many cases. But Cormier suddenly felt the need, halfway through his book, to add a number of subplots and complexities that made me want to rip my hair out. To keep playing devil's advocate, after I got used to the fact that we were going to skip around in time, I almost started enjoying the book again. Paul, once grown, has to continue the chain-- he searches for the nephew who's gained the power as well, and finds that one of the clumsiest pieces of foreshadowing ever written has come true. (Believe me, that's not a spoiler-- you'll know it the minute you read it.) And, through the jarring, clumsy mechanisms of the last half of the book, the most-improved-author status still shines, and I kept reading because here's a guy who's writing a good, fun story-- the work of an inspired but truly talented member of the X-Files fan fiction newsgroup is comparable.
And then comes the last paragraph.
I'm not sure I can give this one to you without spoilers. Suffice to say that the mechanism Cormier adopts in the last paragraph has been done by Stephen King a hundred times over a hundred times better. It's something that needs to be plotted all the way through a tale, rather than being a clumsy addition halfway through. (Two words: Springheel Jack.) If I hadn't been on a crowded train when I closed the back cover on this one, I'd have flung it for the last paragraph, if for nothing else. And there's enough else to warrant flinging before, even if there's also enough else to keep one reading up to that horrid last paragraph.
So what does one do with a book like this? One tries to balance everything out and hope for the best.
5.0 out of 5 stars "Fade," From the Point of Veiw of a Young Adult,
I am 14, in the eighth grade, and was assighned to read a book by Robert Cormier for my honors english class. I have read "I Am the Cheese," "Tenderness," "In the Middle of the Night," "Frenchtown Summer," "The Bumblebee Flys Anyway," and "The Chocolate War," besides "Fade," the book I decided to do my report on. I thought "Fade" was the most moving book I have ever read by him. I made a link with Paul's desperite feeling of slow isloation, was horrified by Ozzie's horrible acts toward the bum, and definitely identified with Susan's perspective of the book, and what ran through her head when she was reading it. I think it is the best book i have ever read by Cormier. The end of the book had my eyes glued open and my hands clutching the book, along with all sorts of wild thoughts running through my head like, "what if someone really CAN fade? what if i'm not really alone in this room at all?" speaking from the perspective of the age this book was written for, the book "Fade" may start out slow, but it's worth it. Frenchtown and it's people are now real in my mind. In my oppionion, the whole book is a carefully crafted and manuevered masterpeice anyone my age can wonder and connect with. Cormier is the only author I have ever read who can make the most unbelievable, overdone subject in the world breathtakingly real. So if you are thinking of reading or buying the book, I say DO IT! (I dont think adults would appreciate it though, and it would make a wierd gift.) ...
2.0 out of 5 stars Starts out great, gets choppy. Dissapointing for Cormier,
By A Customer
I read this book because it's by Robert Cormier--who generally writes great, psychological novels for young adults. I've read three other of his books, "I am the Cheese", "The Chocolate War", and one other book of his that deals with a hijacked school bus and hostage situation. I enoyed all three of these novels when I was in middle and high school. So I was dissapointed when I read 'Fade'. Being a young _adult_ now, I still found the story to be very cynical and morbid. I liken it to a hokey Stephen King story but not as hackneyed and a bit better done. The story started out okay, and got progressively worse. I guess if your tastes run to the more 'hardened and mature' and dark this book is for you. However, even the story line had a few snags. For a while the story just putters around with a lot of description of a very small, quiet town and the lonely main protaganist. Then it gets choppy with an abrupt change of narration, which I found to be annoying. I'm not sure how this story is supposed to be for young adults (15-17 year age range, right?). If you are a parent or adult relative looking for a book for a teen, do not buy this. There are many better novels, and many other novels that deal with sex, obsession, and murder in a more insightful and meaningful way than this. The ending of the story was cliche and predictable to say the least. The only reason I'm not giving this just one star is because it has a few redeeming qualities. I read the entire thing, so it must not be boring. Even though the atmosphere is decidely 'down' if not downright depressing, I can understand why other reviewers called this novel 'sensitive'. It doesn't glorify violence or sex and does deal with desire and in a larger sense with humanity and what makes us human (or inhuman) I would not recommend this book to anyone. If you buy a Cormier book, try 'The Chocolate War' instead.
4.0 out of 5 stars For young adults? For anyone who likes a good story!,
By A Customer
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a lot of fun. The main character was extremely interesting, and the things he saw and felt were very gripping. He seems to be a good, innocent person, and then he discovers certain traits/qualities in others (while he's invisible, lurking around) that leave him disillusioned, and somewhat frightened. He's very easy to relate to--a wonderful character. The book goes a bit astray by the end. Some of it seems a little too weird and the story would probably be better if it was left out, but it's still a great read (one of those where you can't wait to pick it up again--in fact, it's one of those rare books where you wish it was longer!), and it still ends in a way that won't make you *dis*like the book. Check it out. Oh, by the way--don't let the "reading level: young adults" scare you away. The main character is a "young adult" for a lot of the story, so of course some "young adult" themes are there, but it's not a kids' story, by any means. I feel the same way about Cormier's great novel, _The Chocolate War_. It's also labeled as a "young adult" book. It too deals with teens, but it uses characters of that age-group to tap into universal themes. Sure, these books aren't terribly complex or anything, but an adult of any age would probably enjoy them (if you'd enjoy this type of thing in the first place). Teens (intelligent, mature teens, mind you :) might be able to relate to some things in _Fade_ better than others, but again, the themes are universal, for all age groups (except old people--they'd be offended by some of it. :)
5.0 out of 5 stars A Gift can be both good and bad,
Geraldine (Odenton, Md United States) - See all my reviews
Cormier's Fade is an exciting book to read. There are three stories and three main characters. The author shows how Paul and Ozzie use and misuse this gift. When Paul realizes that this gift can be dangerous, he disappears into his writing, and in his own way tries to make the world a better place to live. Ozzie on the other hand, misuses his gift, and becomes a demented character. The author offers sympathy for all of his characters. In this book when one mystery is solved another pops up. The book is both fun and may be scarey for some to read. I liked the book, and would recommend it highly. There are many themes throughut the book. The author illustrates the importance of family and how a loving family influences Paul. He also shows how a disfunctional family influences Ozzie and how Ozzie grows up hating society. The ending is both surprising and sad. This is a great and wonderful book to read.
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Fade by Robert Cormier (Paperback - Sept. 14 2004)
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Ringtone Expressions iPhone 4 winner is...!
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Original recipe yields 1 servings
Ready In
I have been drinking this drink for years and mine has no cream or Frangelico. Mine is simply: Baileys, Vodka and Kalua. Very smooth and only need one.
Very smooth and tasty. Thanks for sharing!
Try it with Hazelnut liqueur (Frangelico) instead of Almond (Amaretto). It's even better!


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IS THAT new sofa looking a bit out of place where you put it? The days of endlessly shuffling furniture around to see which arrangement works best could soon be over, thanks to software that plans the layout for you.
The Make It Home program takes virtual room design a step further than manual systems like the fitted-kitchen program available on furniture retailer IKEA's website. Users of the IKEA program manually place cupboards, cookers and sink units from an on-screen library to see how they will fit into their kitchen.
"We want to automatically generate a number of ideas about how people can best place their furniture," says Sai-Kit Yeung of the University of California, Los Angeles, who was part of the team from UCLA and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology that developed Make It Home.
See more: Watch the system in action
The software treats a room as a container for furniture objects of known size, and which may have key relationships with each other. For instance, a TV is a "first-tier object" that must be placed next to a second-tier object such as a Blu-ray player. Similarly, a dining table could be linked to a side table so that these items automatically stay together in all variations of the room layout.
Users can also specify sight lines that require, for example, that a window or TV be visible from a certain couch or armchair. It is also possible to specify which items- a rug, say- can encroach on a pathway to a door, and which cannot. Make It Home takes all these constraints into account to create what Yeung calls a variety of different "liveable spaces".
There could be a ready market for software of this kind, should the team decide to commercialise it. Paul Kenney of IKEA in London say his firm's software was downloaded 4 million times in 2010, a fourfold jump in popularity from the year before.
Yeung expects movie set designers and video game developers, as well as householders, to find uses for the software. "When a large amount of indoor arrangement is required, automatic software can save the designer a lot of time," he says.
The UCLA team plans to demonstrate Make It Home at the Siggraph computer graphics conference in Vancouver, Canada, in August.
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Thorlos® Trail Hiking Crew Socks
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$16.99Featuring unique padding specifically engineered for light hiking in moderate to hot climates, these crew socks are made with an exclusive blend of 56% Thor-Lon® acrylic/25% THOR•WICK Cool® polyester/14% stretch nylon/5% Spandex that's been clinically shown to reduce blisters, pain, pressure, and moisture. Enjoy durability and superior softness in a comfortable, great-fitting sock designed to wick moisture and keep feet cooler all the way to trail's end. In Chestnut or Castlerock Grey. Made in the USA. Learn More


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Cook the Brussels sprouts in a medium pot that has about 1 inch of rapidly boiling water. Place 16 oz. of frozen Brussels sprouts in the boiling water and cook until they are still bright green, but are fork-tender. This will take about 8 minutes after the water has returned to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare your pepper jack cheese sauce. In a medium-sized sauce pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, and add 2 tablespoons flour. Mix the flour thoroughly into the melted butter or margarine. Do not combine the flour and butter over heat at this point. Add 1 cup milk and 1 cup cubed pepper jack cheese. Mix thoroughly. Now, place the cheese sauce over low heat, and cook and stir until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Move the cheese sauce to a "warmer-type" burner until your Brussels sprouts are done, and stir the cheese sauce occasionally. When the Brussels sprouts are done, pour them through a colander to remove all the water, and transfer your Brussels sprouts to a nice serving bowl. Pour your cooked pepper jack cheese sauce into a small serving pitcher. To serve, place a generous serving of Brussels sprouts on a serving plate. Drizzle your desired amount of pepper jack cheese sauce over the top (from your small serving pitcher). This is a dramatic, colorful vegetable, and is very spicy with the hot peppers of the pepper jack cheese sauce! It's an interesting way to dress up a vegetable that I think you will like!!!
BONUS: If you have any Pepper Jack Cheese Sauce left over, try it as a dip with restaurant-style tortilla chips! Yummy!!!


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You can now invite anyone to meet at your favorite Starbucks.
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43 year old man | West Los Angeles, CA, USA | Seeking women 28-40 within 60 miles of Los Angeles, CA
Who Me?
I'm really not too serious about things. Relaxed and sometimes nonsensical, but with a sense of responsibility and purpose. Always a positive thinker. Optimistic and supportive. I love surfing, the ocean, the mountains and the outdoors. I like to watch documentaries and slow paced films with thoughtful dialogue. I also love to read -- mostly non-fiction books about sociology and pop culture. Music is essential -- house, techno, electro, pop, dance, and a whole lot of other stuff. I work at an Advertising Agency as an Account Director for a handful of National Clients. It's challenging and often stressful. I'm fortunate to work with great people who I also consider close friends. In my free time you'll find me at the local diner drinking morning coffee and reading a book; surfing south bay with my brother; boarding local mountains with coworkers; watching sports and playing board games with friends; having dinner with my family; shopping for records, books, toys, and clothes; traveling and enjoying life. Looking for someone who is rad. She could be anyone, so rather than list the things I think I might be looking for, I'll finish with a couple of things I'm surely not interested in... negativity and complications. Save the drama for your mama :P
Camping , Coffee and conversation , Dining out , Hobbies and crafts , Movies/Videos , Museums and art , Music and concerts , Exploring new areas , Nightclubs/Dancing , Performing arts , Playing cards , Playing sports , Shopping/Antiques , Travel/Sightseeing , Video games , Volunteering , Watching sports , Wine tasting
Baseball, Basketball, Billiards / Pool, Bowling, Cycling, Dancing, Football, Golf, Other types of exercise, Running, Skiing, Soccer, Tennis / Racquet sports, VolleyBall, Walking / Hiking
I exercise 1-2 times per week.
I like Cats, Dogs
Anywhere I can be myself. Not really into phoneys, dress codes and velvet ropes.
San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
Friends. Family. Fun. Happiness. Surfing. Music. Learning. Early Morning. Late Night. Red Wine. Modern Cities. Coastlines.
I seem to have fun doing almost anything. Cool things can sometimes be fun, but dorky things are often the most fun! I like to do things without planning, but I also like to have things to look forward to. Hmmm?
Moonwalking with Einstein (Joshua Foer) : Retromania (Simon Reynolds) : I Wear The Black Hat (Chuck Klosterman) : Between The Bridge and The River (Craig Ferguson) : Mr. Vertigo (Paul Auster) : American Nerd (Benjamin Nugent)
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|What he is looking for
|5'10" (177cms)
|5'0" (152cms) to 6'2" (187cms)
|Body type:
|No preference
|No preference
|Dark blonde
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|No Way
|No preference
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15 years in the LA Advertising Agency business as a Media Strategist and Account Director. Current and past clients include Lexus, Acura, Honda, Red Bull, GoPro, Nokia, Disney, Nestle, Universal Pictures, and Relativity Media.
|$100,001 to $150,000
|No preference
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San Diego State University


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Easter bunny monkey bread is a festive way to present this breakfast favorite. Store bought cinnamon dough is rolled into balls and dipped into granulated sugar. This recipe quick, easy and oh so adorable.
Easter Bunny Monkey Bread
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cans (12.4 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
Candy sprinkles, colored sugar and candy-coated chocolate candies, if desired
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray.
Separate each can of dough into 8 rolls; set icing aside. Cut each roll into quarters. Place pieces in large resealable food-storage plastic bag; add granulated sugar. Seal bag; shake gently to coat. Arrange roll pieces in pans.
In small bowl, stir together brown sugar and melted butter until well blended. Pour over cinnamon roll pieces.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool 10 minutes. Place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Remove pan.
With serrated knife, cut one of the breads in half for ears; cut tips off one side of each half to form flat edge. Arrange pieces on top of whole bread. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Use reserved icing to add nose, mouth, whiskers and centers of ears. Decorate with candy sprinkles, colored sugar and candies.
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