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Welcome to the Les Visible website...
We are glad you were motivated and curious enough to bother. We hope you will be entertained during your visit; read a few sample chapters from some of Visible's books, sample a portion of his tunes or, stare hypnotically into space, awaiting some strange epiphany that will provide answers for your unanswered questions (visible would probably say "grin" right about here). He tells us that the reason he writes out the word, "grin" is because he very much dislikes smileys and "lazy ass abbreviations like lol and lmfao". Visible views this kind of thing as a product of Cellphonitis, which is a chronic condition that results in degenerative idiocy and bad highway manners.
Les Visible is a kind of Renaissance Man, being as he is responsible for a prolific output of artistic renderings in various media. He is a lover of God, a performing singer/songwriter, a poet, a standup comedian, a radio personality, a novelist, a contributor to various blogs- "read around the world" under the guise of Dog Poet Transmitting (this appellation came about due to Visible's resonance with the Sirius Cluster), a metaphysician, a theater actor, a student of the martial arts, a practitioner of Shiatsu and other body working techniques, a psychedelic voyager and occasional visitor to the inner kingdom where he hangs out (when permitted to) with his invisible friends. There is a great deal more that can be listed and was listed but Visible says, "this is already embarrassing and more than enough".
Visible's life is a fascinating travelogue of meetings with known and interesting people, mysterious strangers as well as alien intelligences. Why these things have happened to him is something he doesn't know, or at least that is what he maintains. He's been thrown into some awful prisons and jails for extended tours of duty and was held for 16 months at the maximum security, John Howard Pavilion for the Criminally Insane. This is the present location where they are constructing the Homeland Security complex. This was (at the time) one of only two secure Federal facilities, where the truly dangerous and insane were housed. Visible met serial killers, mass murderers and all kinds of fascinating life forms. While he was incarcerated there, some of these very dangerous people were released, only to kill again. Dr. Kunev, who was Visible's physician, declared that Visible was far too dangerous to be released, even though Visible's only crime was to facilitate the purchase of two ounces of pot during a government setup, orchestrated by Scientology, which had declared Visible a suppressive for no good reason, other than simply telling the truth.
Some years later, Visible was once again set up by government agents and was facing a mandatory 60 year sentence. Miraculously, with only a court appointed lawyer, he managed to prove entrapment in the state (Hawaii) with the highest conviction rate in the nation. He is still the only person in the history of that state to achieve this. Finally Visible got a clue and realized that the Zionist owned states of America was toxic for him and he moved to Europe. Until a successful revolution takes place (if ever), Visible is not setting foot in America again.
The greater details of this interesting life will be covered in full, when Visible writes his autobiography, if he ever does (his words). If you've got questions about anything and they are questions that Visible can answer, just put them in the comment section provided for that purpose. Thank you for coming by. Feel free to purchase anything and everything you might find of interest to you and also, please consider donating in support of the important work that Visible does each and every day for free. There is a Paypal button at the top of the page. Thank you one and all. Om Amitabha! Hare Krishna and Ahrooooooooooooooooo!
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Beamed From The Saucer Pod By The 3rd Elf 3 comments


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Thailand forum
Arrive in BKK on the 17th August
Joined Travelfish
11th July, 2011
Posts: 6
I'm travelling alone and this is my first time.
Would anyone be able to advise how best to get from BKK Airport to Khoasan Road and if it will be easy enough to book accommodation upon arrival or best to book something in advance?
I'm only looking at spending a few nights there before heading to Chiang Mai.
#1 Posted: 10/8/2011 - 01:03
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There are express buses directly from the airport to KSR 150 baht.
Cheaper option is to get to the airport bus station (free bus service) take 511 mini bus to Victory monument & there get a no 28 bus which pasts very close to KSR. There may even be better options from the bus station.
You don't say when you are traveling, so if you are not traveling over the Xmas period, then you don't really need to book. However, it's nice to have a place to aim for & probadly not worth pounding the streets with your bags to look for a place for just a few nights stay.
#2 Posted: 10/8/2011 - 14:39
Sorry you did say when you were traveling, it's in the topic. Sorry. No, you wont need to book in advance in August.
#3 Posted: 10/8/2011 - 14:42
Joined Travelfish
15th January, 2008
Posts: 1557
They've stopped the express bus now.
I suggest you get the train to Payathai-45 baht.
Just take the lift to the basement station at the airport.
At Payathai you can get a taxi, approx 60 baht( unless you arrive at rush hour which is most of late afternoon/evening.)
By coincidence we will be arriving that day at 19.15 hours so if I can be of help let me know.
As Mike says there's plenty of accommodation only book if you're arriving very very late.
#4 Posted: 10/8/2011 - 17:47
money frees you from doing things you dislike,since I dislike doing nearly everything money is handy'
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Joined Travelfish
11th July, 2011
Posts: 6
Mike, Sayadian,
Thanks for your replies. I arrive in BKK at 8:30am, so I have the full day to sort myself out accommodation wise.
I will likely get the train to Payathai and then a taxi as suggested.
#5 Posted: 11/8/2011 - 18:04
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Joined Travelfish
15th January, 2008
Posts: 1557
It's probably the easiest way, you just go down to the basement station.Someone will help you if you have a problem getting a ticket.Actually it's a disc which you tap on the interactive screen to open the gate.Payathai is the last stop on the ordinary train, takes about half hour to get there.There are lots and lots of pink taxis passing, just hail one and they all know KS road. Make sure he puts on the metre though usually they are pretty honest.KS Road is just one big party, great for fun but not for sleep so try and get a place off the road unless of course you're not planning on sleeping.Good luck
#6 Posted: 11/8/2011 - 18:35
money frees you from doing things you dislike,since I dislike doing nearly everything money is handy'
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|Thailand from July 17th til August 16th ... By caseybln on 3 Jul 2011
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Oak Harbor hopes to bounce back from its first conference setback after a lopsided 68-21 loss to Clyde last week changed the complexion of its postseason hopes and the league race. Oak Harbor is unofficially eighth in Division IV, Region 14. Mark Konieczny was limited to 42 rushing yards as Austin Wiegand threw touchdown passes to Cliff Biggert and AJ Cecil. Cecil added a scoring run on the ground. The Rockets allowed Brad Smith to run for 379 yards and six touchdowns. Brandon Green ran for 86 yards on 18 tries in a 63-39 setback to Edison last week. Quarterback Alex Guerra and brother Adam can be a dangerous combination in the passing game. Adam Guerra can also lessen the load on Green on the ground while Green can catch the occasional pass out of the backfield. Frank Thompson (81 yards) and Aaron Colavincenzo caught touchdown passes as Alex Guerra threw for 377 yards last week. The Panthers have scored off a completed pass and lateral on two occasions this season. Thompson had seven catches for 198 yards while Adam Guerra had three for 117. Oak Harbor beat SMCC 35-13 last year.


text: New study shows no sign of first habitable exoplanet Science 19 January 11 by Lisa Grossman Lynette Cook Things don't look good for Gliese 581g, the first planet found orbiting in the habitable zone of another star. The first official challenge to the small, hospitable world looks in the exact same data -- and finds no significant sign of the planet."For the time being, the world does not have data that's good enough to claim the planet," said astro-statistics expert Philip Gregory of the University of British Columbia, author of the new study.The "first habitable exoplanet" already has a chequered history. When it was announced last September, Gliese 581g was heralded as the first known planet that could harbour alien life. The planet orbits its dim parent star once every 36.6 days, placing it smack in the middle of the star's habitable zone, the not-too-hot, not-too-cold region where liquid water could be stable.Planet G was the sixth planet found circling Gliese 581, a red dwarf star 20 light-years from Earth. A team of astronomers from the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland found the first four planets using the HARPS spectrograph on a telescope in Chile. The team carefully measured the star's subtle wobbles as the planets tugged it back and forth.Two more planets, including the supposedly habitable 581g, appeared when astronomers Steve Vogt of the University of California, Santa Cruz and Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington added data from the HIRES spectrograph on the Keck Telescope in Hawaii. They announced their discovery 29 September.Just two weeks later, the HARPS team announced they found no trace of the planet in their data, even when they added two more years' worth of observations. But it was still possible that the planet was only visible using both sets of data.Now, the first re-analysis of the combined data from both telescopes is out, and the planet is still missing."I don't find anything," Gregory said. "My analysis does not want to lock on to anything around 36 days. I find there's just no feature there."Unlike earlier studies, Gregory used a branch of statistics called Bayesian analysis. Classical methods are narrow, testing only a single hypothesis, but Bayesian methods can evaluate a whole set of scenarios and figure out which is the most likely.Gregory wrote a program that analysed the likelihood that a given planetary configuration would produce the observed astronomical data, then ran it for various possible configurations. Lynette Cook For the HARPS data set, he found that the best solution was a star with five planets, which orbit the star once every three, five, 13, 67 and 400 days. The 36-day habitable world wasn't there.When he looked at the HIRES and the combined data sets, the best solution was a star with two planets. Only when he included an extra term in the HIRES data did Gregory find more, which he suspects means the HIRES instrument isn't as accurate as thought."There may be something in the telescope… that's contributing to the error," he said.Gregory's model finds the probability that the six-planet model is a false alarm is 99.9978 per cent. None of the planets Gregory's analysis turned up are in the habitable zone. The results are in a paper submitted to the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and published on the physics preprint website arxiv.org.Other astronomers seem impressed with Gregory's analysis."That's the right way to do it," said exoplanet expert Daniel Frabrycky of the University of California, Santa Cruz. "I think everyone would agree that that is the most sophisticated analysis that you can do, and as much as you could hope to do.""The Gregory paper is by far the most complete statistical analysis to date that has been made public," said exoplanet and astro-statistics expert Eric Ford of the University of Florida. "It's by far the most rigorous analysis."But most astronomers are not yet ready to close the book on Gliese 581g."I'm not going to admit that it's a dead planet yet," said exoplanet expert Sara Seager of MIT. "No one will be able to sort this out today… it will take some time."Vogt still firmly believes the planet is there. "I'm standing by our data," he told Wired.com.He said there are two ways to interpret the signals from Gliese 581. Sometimes a single planet with an elongated, or elliptical orbit can look the same as two planets that trace perfect circles around their stars. One of Gliese 581's planets, planet D, could be one of these "eccentric impostors," hiding an extra planet within its signal.Part of the reason it's so difficult to tell these two scenarios apart is that spotty observations make fake signals in the data. These signals, which show up because the telescope can't watch the star continuously, look like they could actually be planets, but they would disappear if we could observe round the clock.In a paper that's still in preparation, astronomer Guillem Anglada-Escudé and Harvard graduate student Rebekah Dawson tackle these issues, and conclude that the habitable planet still has a chance. "With the data we have, the most likely explanation is that this planet is still there," Anglada-Escudé said.Everyone agrees that the problem can only be resolved with more data. In particular, astronomers are anxious to see the extra data that the HARPS group used to conclude Gliese 581g is a mirage."I don't think anything will change significantly until the Swiss publish their data," Anglada-Escudé said. "Nobody else has seen their data. We're waiting to see that, just to settle down the problem."Source: Wired.com Edited by Liat Clark Comments Latest on wired.co.uk


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Complaints follow charter school's testing rules
HARRISBURG — Public school officials are criticizing state Education Secretary Ron Tomalis for changing the rules for testing student achievement in charter schools.
In a story published Friday, officials told The Morning Call in Allentown that the changes made it easier for the privately run, publicly funded charter schools to meet state benchmarks for academic progress under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
They also criticized Tomalis for making the change for the 2011-12 school year without getting required federal approval.
Education Department spokesman Tim Eller says the new rules treat charter schools like school districts for the purpose of judging their performance, because both serve multiple-grade populations.
Eller labeled the change "routine" and said federal approval is anticipated.
"In the department's view, it's all about hairsplitting," he said Friday.
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association said the move violates requirements in the federal law that every public school be evaluated in the same way and that all students in a school be held accountable for its achievement.
Stuart Knade, chief counsel for the school boards group, said the change could confuse parents and give the Legislature the false impression that charter schools outperform public schools.
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The primary purpose for raising pigs is to provide us with food, or pork to be specific. Products including ham, bacon, sausage, pork roasts, chops and ribs, all come from pigs. Farmers are paid for the quality of the pork they produce. Ontario farmers produce some of the highest quality pork in the world and abide by strict on-farm food safety regulations.
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Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
This portrait of President Thomas Jefferson was painted by Charles Willson Peale in 1791. At the time of this portrait, Jefferson was serving as the nation's first secretary of state.
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Orion Skyquest XX12
Jan 27 2009 01:29 AM | Snaproll in Dobsonians (10" - 40")
Voice your opinion about this subject in our forums
Orion Skyquest XX12
By Terri Welisek
This evaluator is not easily given to emotional praise but the Orion Skyquest XX12 with Intelliscope gets a huge Yippee complete with Snoopy dance from me.
The XX12 is set up next to my 10" Lightbridge for comparison.
An amateur astronomer for the better part of 25 years, my most recent tool a 10" Meade Lightbridge, I am justifiably impressed with the Skyquest. Orion has brought together the portability of truss-tube construction with push-to functionality, the perfect solution for those of us who want or need as this petite star gazer does, a lightweight grab-and-go telescope complete with substantial light gathering capability.
The boxes where pretty savagely handled by FedEx Home delivery but the contents basically survived with the exception of one plastic OTA cover which was cracked by a puncture wound.
The Skyquest XX12 ships in three well-packed cartons. One cover was broken in shipping and Orion immediately shipped a replacement.
The initial build takes about 3 hours to complete. The instructions are clearly written and pictures very helpful. The trickiest part to assemble is the base encoder for the azimuth. The spacing on the encoders is critical and the attachment at the base is a bit awkward to accomplish accurate assembly. Since the base is not to be placed on its side, it requires raising the base only slightly and then working in the small area underneath the base which makes it difficult to see if alignment with the holes provided is correct. Thankfully this should be a one-time activity.
The hand box has some very helpful diagnostic routines to test the signal strength and functionality of the encoders. The hand box is simple to use and requires only two known stars for precise alignment. For planets it also requires the date for calculations. The rack holds one 2" eyepiece and three 1 1/4" eyepieces. The blue band is actually a rubber band for holding a heat pack on the controller in sub-zero weather. The cord is a little short and the hook and loop a little cheap for mounting the box, but overall it is easy to use.
Once the initial assembly is completed the Skyquest XX12 field assembles in minutes with the largest piece being the base cradle weighing only 34 pounds. Caution is needed when placing the mirror box into the base as it would be easy to damage the altitude encoder which could catch on the side rotational wheels on the main mirror tube. The instructions suggest assembling the trusses and then the cage. However, at 5'4" I found the height where the secondary cage would align with the trusses to be a bit uncomfortable. Putting two trusses in the base and the other two on the secondary and then bringing them together was easier for me to handle solo. Once assembled I have no problem accessing the eyepiece when the OTA is in the vertical position, no step tool or ladder is necessary.
The mirror cell has a cooling fan as standard equipment and the battery pack takes four D cell batteries. Collimation adjustment is three point with three locking screws. Collimation is very easy and the knobs come standard on the primary but the secondary requires an allen wrench.
The optional carry cases are superb construction. Though not necessary, these cases make moving the scope even more convenient and provide security that the mirrors are protected from the elements. I use them for storage too, especially nice for slow acclimation on those bitter cold nights of viewing. In fact, a recent night at zero degrees F proved that this unit can handle extreme cold very well. Assembly and the reverse was quite easy as there are no small parts that would make tear down difficult with gloved hands or numb fingers.
The optional soft cases consist of case for the cage, (complete with felt sock for the secondary), a truss bag that rolls up and a main OTA/mirror cell bag with side pouch for the 50mm finder and control box. Note that the handles for the main bag are off center to balance the load of the mirror cell at one end. A nice touch.
Here is a close-up of the 8 truss supports and their knobs. Field assembly of the telescope is tool free with the exception of an allen wrench for the secondary. Also notice the friction brake for altitude hold. There are hard covers provided for both the cage as well as the lower OTA.
A standard two speed focuser and 50mm finder scope complete the unit. A steering knob is also provided on the bottom of the cage but is rarely used. Movement in altitude and azimuth is stiffer than the Lightbridge but is acceptable.
The LED screen on the Intelliscope controller did have the same fading in clarity and slowed response seen on other LCD units in very cold conditions, a shortcoming of the technology that has yet to be overcome. However, the Skyquest XX12 was easily aligned with a vertical point entry, then two alignment stars. Although I enjoy struggling to find objects without the technology first, it is great to have the backup of the Intelliscope. The Skyquest XX12 offers a truly satisfying experience.
So how about the accuracy of the Intelliscope? Orion promotes the accuracy of the Intelliscope as having the desired object within the field of view if using a 25mm or higher lens on the initial search. Pleasantly conservative on their part. I would argue that the accuracy is better still. I use a 13mm Ethos and was finding dim objects like NGC 7331 galaxy within the field of view on the first attempt.
The weather has been terribly inhospitable here in Wisconsin since getting the Skyquest at Christmas, (isn't the new equipment curse just typical). We've used the scope for two, cold and windy nights so far.
The collimation of the Skyquest XX12 was straight forward for using a Glader laser and Blug. Optically the scope is very good. We were running a TV paracor and primarily using a 13mm and 8mm Ethos which seem to be a good combination with the scope for medium and high power. Both nights were not good enough to see the E and F stars in the Trapezium, but I'm sure it would be no issue on a calm night. The scope comes with a 10mm and 35mm eyepiece. The 10mm is still in the box untried and the 35mm doesn't appear to be the best quality. The light gathering of the 12" is noticeably closer to our C14 than it is to the 10" Lightbridge.
With the so-so conditions we started by finding an 11.6 magnitude galaxy. Not bad given to conditions. We moved off to NGC 7331 and using the encoder system, looked for Stephan's Quintet, which appeared on the edge of visibility. The Quintet is even difficult for the C14 with the sky glow we typically have. We moved to M31 and could see a hint of dust vanes. M110 and M32 were no problem. M33 with the 35mm eyepiece looked like a fuzzy ball without definition or embedded stars, but switching to the 13mm Ethos the embedded stars were tack sharp and NGC 604 became visible. As high ice clouds came in from the south we took a quick look at NGC404 off of Mirach. To finish up the night we used the push-to system to find the Blue Snowball off of Polux and also M1. For as bad as the sky conditions have been we haven't had a chance to give the optics a really fair test under dark skies. From what I have seen with the limited use we've been afforded, the Orion Skyquest XX12 looks to be a nice addition.
- williew likes this


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By the break, though, executives for New Line and its fellow Time Warner subsidiary HBO were crowding around Banaji, eager for more. The 50-year-old experimental social psychologist from Harvard University had started with a series of images that showed the tricks our minds play. In one video clip, a team passed around a basketball. Of the 45 executives watching, just one noticed the woman who walked slowly right through the game, carrying an open white umbrella. After a few more examples, Banaji had convinced the audience that these kinds of mistakes in perception, or "mind bugs," operate all the time, especially in our unconscious responses to other people.
"It's reasonable and rational," Banaji told them. "And it's an error." We may intend to be fair, she ex--plain--ed, but underneath our awareness, our minds automatically make connections and ignore contradictory information. Sure enough, in a paper quiz, the executives readily associated positive words with their parent firm, Time Warner, but they found it harder to link them to their top competitor, the Walt Disney Company. To their chagrin, they discovered the same tenden-cy to pair positive terms with faces that have European features and negative ones with faces that have African features.
Banaji has been studying these implicit attitudes and their unintended social consequences since the late 1980s, when she first teamed up with Anthony Greenwald of the University of Washington. Greenwald created the very first implicit association test (IAT). He measured how quickly people tapped keys on a computer keyboard in response to prompts on the screen. Would they more easily associate positive words such as "happy" or "peace" with pictures of flowers and negative words such as "rotten" or "ugly" with insects? Predictably, they did. Then he began testing responses to words and images associated with ethnicity and race. Participants' automatic reactions did not match the attitudes they said they held. Among social psychologists seeking investigative instruments, "the IAT just took off in a flash," Greenwald recalls.
In the decades since, Banaji, Greenwald and a third collaborator, Brian Nosek of the University of Virginia, have continued to find fresh ways to use the IAT and other tools to probe bias: its nature, where it comes from and how it works. With neuroscientists, for instance, Banaji combined classical fear conditioning, implicit attitude measures and people's own descriptions of interracial dating to study how social groups come to fear one another. Banaji hopes next to work with primatologists to learn about our predisposition as a species to build bias into our perceptions.
Even in people with genuinely egalitarian views, Banaji and her colleagues find that bias is ordinary and ingrained and remains active outside our awareness. When the team realized the power of unconscious attitudes in everyday decision making, she says, "we knew the right thing was to take this to the public." On an IAT Web site (implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/), users can try 14 measures--to find out whether they automatically favor young over old, for instance, or prefer thin to overweight. Ten new sections include country-specific IATs, such as Muslim-Hindu and Pakistan-India associations.
At least two million people have tried the tests online so far, and many have offered suggestions. "Once you put it out there, you have to listen to what people are saying--and their ideas are brilliant," Banaji finds. She has begun venturing from the lab to teach people about prejudice, employing humor, intellect and kindness as she alerts investment bankers, media executives and lawyers to the buried biases that lead to mistakes.


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- Aggregates Manager - http://www.aggman.com -
Modest increase forecast for construction costs
Posted By Tina Grady Barbaccia On October 16, 2012 @ 11:10 am In Articles | No Comments
The third-quarter 2012 Turner Building Cost Index — which measures costs in the non-residential building construction market in the United States — has increased to a value of 832. This reflects a 0.73-percent increase from the second-quarter 2012 and 2.21-percent yearly increase from the third quarter 2011, according to Turner Construction Co.
"A modest increase in construction costs over the last few months is driven by labor and material cost increases," Karl F. Almstead, the Turner vice president responsible for the Turner Building Cost Index, said in a written statement. "Market optimism also contributes to the moderate increase in costs. However, any significant change in the market will require a change in the overall economy."
Article printed from Aggregates Manager: http://www.aggman.com
URL to article: http://www.aggman.com/modest-increase-forecast-for-construction-costs/
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2009 Aggregates Manager. All rights reserved.


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Share Photo
In this undated photo provided by Mulholland Citrus, W. Murcott oranges are shown in Orange Cove, Calif. A new variety of mandarin oranges being touted as virtually seedless is coming to stores this spring after more than a decade of development. The Tango oranges, which look and taste good and peel easily, replicate the best features of its widely grown predecessor, W. Murcott. But most important, the Tango is bee proof. (AP Photo/Mulholland Citrus)


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New look Mandurah, Evolution adds to range, SE Asian market upturnWelcome to another week and another retinue of snippets, features and launches from around the marine world.
This week you can take some comfort in the indications that the luxury boating sector is returning to form, with a trickle down effect predicted to follow by year's end.
Close to home, Evolution is celebrating the launch of its latest 600 Extreme Gamefisher - purpose built for the keen bluewater angler out for the large haul. Australia's 3rd largest on-water show, Mandurah, is coming up, with plenty of enhancements to draw the crowds and a strong contingent of exhibitors, as well as national releases to boast of.
There's an update on Yacht & Boat Korea, announcing 100+ exhibitors and huge investment in the event scheduled for Oct 29 - Nov 1, and also in Asia, China's renewed ambition to focus on the marine sector as a major revenue stream in the next decade.
If you're looking for the latest global news for our industry - all the business opportunities, innovations and opinions - stop by regularly.
Looking forward to your news too, so keep in touch.Jeni Bone, editor Asian boat market celebrates record deliveries Jeni Bone, World leader in provision of marine logistics, Peters & May Ltd recently arranged what is believed to be the single largest shipment of luxury UK built motor yachts on Maersk Line's Rotterdam to Far East route, suggesting a new optimism in the region.... [more]Onsend this storyMelbourne Dealer Expands to Huge New Site Connexion PR Bob Carter, At a time when some in the marine industry are either consolidating or down sizing their business, Melbourne Yamaha dealer Andrew Shirt at Central Marine has taken the opportunity to expand the dealership.... [more]Onsend this storyMandurah revamped and ready for action Jeni Bone, Australia's 3rd largest on-water boat show is held in Mandurah, Western Australia each October. The 2008 show alone saw 250 exhibitors promoting WA's boating, fishing and outdoor lifestyle... [more]Onsend this storyFinalists announced for 2009 Australian Yachting Awards Craig Heydon, Yachting Australia is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2009 Australian Yachting Awards with the winners to be announced at a gala event at Sandringham Yacht Club on Friday, 16 October, 2009.... [more]Onsend this storyMaritimo expands service facilities in Sydney Imprint Media, Australia's premier luxury boat builder, Maritimo, has approved National Marine Services to provide maintenance and warranty services for owners in Sydney.... [more]Onsend this storyGarrett says 60% of people want more Green Zones Media Services, Environment Minister Peter Garrett met with conservation groups last week to discuss the Commonwealth's review of marine protection zones.... [more]Onsend this storyEvolution Boats launches 600 Extreme Gamefisher Greg Shoemark, Evolution Boats has added a new Gamefisher model to its highly successful 600 Extreme range, complete with a moulded-in side door for landing the really big fish.... [more]Onsend this storyKorea secures 100 exhibitors for Yacht & Boat Kate Duryea, Close to 100 exhibitors from Asia and Europe are confirmed for Yacht and Boat Korea 2009 to be staged October 29 to November 1 this year.... [more]Onsend this storyPaul Burt gets behind new Gold Coast fishing competition Australian Events, A new Gold Coast family fishing competition has the active support and endorsement of local media identity, Channel Nine host and fishing expert, Paul Burt.... [more]Onsend this storyLine 7 creditors likely to be shortchanged Media Services, Receivers for Line 7, KordaMentha have spoken of the debt owed to creditors and stated that it is unlikely that unsecured creditors will receive any payment.... [more]Onsend this storyWin a Laser sailing boat!! - value AUD$9,200 - NZ$11,495 What would you do with a new Laser? Some will sail them, lots in Masters, Others plan to give it to their Grandkids...but if you've not entered the competition you wont have to think about it!! Have you entered this competion yet? It closes on September 25th, so do it NOW!! http://www.laser-sailing.net/sweepstakes_form.cfm?SSid=32!Enter_online_now!new to win a choice of a Laser 4.7, a Laser... [more]Onsend this storyJeppesen Marine and Raymarine Reunite Liza Sticpewich, Raymarine, Inc., a world leader in marine electronics, and navigation expert Jeppesen Marine today announced that C-MAP by Jeppesen cartography will come standard on the new Raymarine E-Series Widescreen with HybridTouch multifunction display.... [more]Onsend this storyChina sets its sights on the sea Media Services, Currently only accounting for 10% of its GDP, the marine economy is to become one of China's top priorities, and it has earmarked eight coastal regions to spearhead a concerted growth effort that seeks to balance development and ecological protection.... [more]Onsend this storyBoat International Media acquires ShowBoats International magazine Boat International Media, In a deal announced September 4, Boat International Media CEO Tony Harris confirmed the acquisition of the monthly magazine ShowBoats International and associated publications, events and websites from CurtCo Media LLC.... [more]Onsend this storyWynnum Logs Up 50 Consecutive Brisbane Boat Shows Connexion PR Bob Carter, The recent 2009 Brisbane Boat Show saw Wynnum Marine achieve a notable milestone - that of exhibiting at 50 consecutive Brisbane Boat Shows... [more]Onsend this storyQuantum Sails aims for bigger market share Tom Pierce, Last month well known Australian sailing industry professional Carl Crafoord joined forces with Quantum Sail Design Group to deliver an expanded Quantum Sails presence in Australia and Asia. Now he explains the Quantum Difference.... [more]Onsend this storyVariety Splash to sail new course in 2010 Sandman PR, Modelled on the successful road-based fundraising event the Variety Bash, the three-day Variety Splash will follow a new course in 2010 – Docklands to Sandringham; Sandringham to Geelong; Geelong to Docklands – to cater for growing participation in the popular event.... [more]Onsend this storyRoyal Phuket Marina appoints new Sales Director Royal Phuket Marina, British sales & marketing specialist Lyndon Phillips has been appointed Sales Director of Royal Phuket Marina, Thailand's premier world-class luxury marina.... [more]Onsend this storyRaymarine previews its 'touch of genius' Liza Sticpewich, Touch screen or keypad operation? C-MAP by Jeppesen or Navionics cartography? Now users have a choice of charting software and the flexibility in operating their new multi-function display, thanks to the ingenuity of Raymarine's new E Series Widescreen which is being previewed in Australia this month.... [more]Onsend this storyLegendary yacht Sayonara visits Australian National Maritime Museum Australian National Maritime Museum Media, Melbourne-based Sayonara, one of Australia's most graceful historic yachts, will be moored on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, from 7 to 18 September.... [more]Onsend this storyNew Aegean leads Maritimo display in Mandurah A sparkling new A50 Aegean Enclosed Flybridge will be the centrepiece of a $5 million Maritimo display at the Mandurah Boat Show starting October 9.... [more]Onsend this storyWorld-class superyacht facility for Hobsonville NZ Marine NZ, Over a decade of vision, planning and lobbying has come to fruition with the announcement that there will be a world-class marine industry hub built at Hobsonville, New Zealand.... [more]Onsend this storyHaines Hunter: Working cleaner and leaner Jeni Bone, Not content to merely occupy some of the most technologically-advanced and enviro-friendly premises in Victoria, possibly Australia, iconic Australian boatbuilder Haines Hunter is putting its 30 staff through training in the 'Lean Operational Excellence' program, aiming to enhance all facets of its operations from the ground up.... [more]Onsend this storyOnline more potent than TV Media Services, Two studies by US companies, Comscore www.comscore.com and Dunnhumby www.dunnhumby.com/us show online advertising is as effective as TV advertising in building retail sales.... [more]Onsend this story If you don't want to read the latest Marine industry news, a single click here and you won't receive another MarineBusiness newsletter Alternatively if you want to add another member of staff to our mailing lists Click here to subscribe them
Customised news feedsMarine Industry companies, Clubs and Associations have asked can they received their own customised version of our Marine Business News, Powerboat-World & Sail-World news feed. The answer is yes, customised in content, news category, for example dinghies, small keelboats or just monohull racing, or Region of the world and appearance.CLICK HEREto view examples and get free news tickers for your site------------------------------------------------------------------Too much Marine news? Not enough?
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Fully furnished, lower level, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo in the heart of Georgetown. Located just steps to Georgetown's famous M Street, restaurants, grocery stores, shopping, coffee shops, entertainment and more are at your fingertips. The property features a fenced yard with patio seating. The living room has hardwood floors, exposed brick walls and a sleeper sofa. A gas stove, stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and all the tools needed for cooking highlight the upgraded kitchen. A queen size bed is in the bedroom. This property includes in wall unit air conditioning and in unit washer/dryer. The 38B bus, the DC Circulator: Dupont - Georgetown - Rosslyn bus and the D5 bus stops are a short walk. Parking is available at 3222 M Street garage through Colonial Parking, subject to availability, for $295/month. Walk Score: 100 (Walkers Paradise), Transit Score: 71, Bike Score: 83
Just bring your luggage and a laptop. All properties are fully-furnished and include all utilities, internet and cable. Your Friends at Attache Corporate Housing
Please note there is a 14.5% hotel tax on all stays less than 91 days for properties in Washington DC.


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Sweet Potato Lentil Stew Recipe
- 1-1/4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1-1/2 cups dried lentils, rinsed
- 3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 carton (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
- In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the first nine ingredients. Cook, covered, on low 5-6 hours or until vegetables and lentils are tender. Stir in cilantro. Yield: 6 servings.
Light-Bodied Red Wine
Enjoy this recipe with a light-bodied red wine such as Pinot Noir.
Reviews for Sweet Potato Lentil Stew
Sort By :
"A blogger is using your recipe as her own, she copied it word for word and even stole your picture as well. The recipe is located here: http://farerecipes.blogspot.com/2014/09/sweet-potato-lentil-stew.html Every one of the recipes on her blog are stolen. So tacky!!"
"I tweaked the spices by adding a pinch more here & there for a richer taste. I also added a can of diced tomatoes to the cooking process, cream of mushroom soup can also be added to add creaminess & to thicken the broth. I cooked all the ingredients except the sweet potatoes for 4 hrs & then added the sweet potatoes & cooked for another 4 hrs in a slow cooker. If adding the potatoes later doesn't work for you make sure to chop them in large chunks or halves so it doesn't dissolve into mush. Zucchini, eggplant & russet potatoes make for a nice lentil too. Thanks for recipe."
"We really enjoyed the mix of flavors in this stew!"
"While this was fairly good, I agree with another reviewer in that the lentils were still rather firm even after 6 hrs. I would like to try this recipe again, but would increase the amount of spices/seasonings and add possibly spinach, kale, corn, and/or zuchinni to add extra flavor and color. I did happen to add some pre-cooked barley just before serving, which added a nice nutty flavor. With some tweaking, this could be a 5 star dish!"
"Sorry to disagree with the other reviews, but no one in my family liked this. It seemed like there were too many lentils, and the lentils were firm while the other vegetables were falling-apart tender. The lentils and sweet potatoes just didn't work for us."


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Supported by HRSA MCHB, the purpose of the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DRC) is to advance the effective use of public data on the health and health-related services for children, youth and families in the United States. A project of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI), housed at the Oregon Health & Science University, the DRC does this by providing hands-on access to national, state, and regional data findings as well as technical assistance in the collection and use of this data by policymakers, program leaders, advocates and researchers in order to inform and advance key child and youth health goals.
Currently, the DRC website includes national and state-based data on over 100 indicators from the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) and the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN). With funding and direction from MCHB, these surveys are conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. On the DRC web site, you can:


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Happy Mommy Tip: Journaling
Fall is just around the corner. You know what that means; it's Back to School season. Have you been tempted to buy some school supplies for yourself? How can you resist a pack of crayons for only 25 cents? When notebooks are four-for-a-dollar, it is crazy not to throw a stack in your cart! Don't feel guilty if you come home with a pack of pens or mechanical pencils, because you can put them to good use. This week's Happy Mommy Tip is Journaling. (Click Read More to See Article)


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|Venous and arterial thrombosis: Two aspects of the same disease?
MedLine Citation:
|PMID: 20865079 Owner: NLM Status: PubMed-not-MEDLINE
|An increasing body of evidence suggests the likelihood of a link between venous and arterial thrombosis. The two vascular complications share several risk factors, such as age, obesity, diabetes mellitus, blood hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and metabolic syndrome. Moreover, there are many examples of conditions accounting for both venous and arterial thrombosis, such as the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, hyperhomocysteinemia, malignancies, infections, and the use of hormonal treatment. Finally, several recent studies have consistently shown that patients with venous thromboembolism are at a higher risk of arterial thrombotic complications than matched control individuals. We, therefore, speculate the two vascular complications are simultaneously triggered by biological stimuli responsible for activating coagulation and inflammatory pathways in both the arterial and the venous system. Future studies are needed to clarify the nature of this association, to assess its extent, and to evaluate its implications for clinical practice.
|Paolo Prandoni
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Publication Detail:
|Type: Journal Article Date: 2009-08-09
Journal Detail:
|Title: Clinical epidemiology Volume: 1 ISSN: 1179-1349 ISO Abbreviation: Clin Epidemiol Publication Date: 2009
Date Detail:
|Created Date: 2010-09-24 Completed Date: 2011-07-14 Revised Date: 2013-05-29
Medline Journal Info:
|Nlm Unique ID: 101531700 Medline TA: Clin Epidemiol Country: New Zealand
Other Details:
|Languages: eng Pagination: 1-6 Citation Subset: -
|Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Sciences, Thromboembolism Unit, University Hospital of Padua Padua, Italy.
Export Citation:
|APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex
|MeSH Terms
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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Yellow perch, native to much of North America, is a popular game fish and tasty treat.
- Filed Under
A state inspection has found that a large fish farm is having no impact on the level of water in neighbors' wells.
Neighbors have expressed concerns about Bell Aquaculture's $30-million expansion plans.
The indoor fish farm already is raising about 2.5 million pounds of yellow perch, rainbow trout and steelhead trout as well as 300,000 pounds of coho salmon a year. ...


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Jazz CD Reviews
CASSANDRA WILSON – Thunderbird – EMI/Blue Note
Published on May 27, 2006
Hats off! Cassandra Wilson is back. Thunderbird is her best album since New Moon Daughter of ten years ago. She's hooked up with the brilliant arranger and producer T-Bone Burnett and the resulting songs not only begin and develop well, they also end deftly. (Sometimes they just stop abruptly, other times they mysteriously drift off.) The ill-fitting, easy listening style of Glamored has vanished and in its place are sultry blues and deconstructed bizarre cover renditions (Red River Valley), Latin beat (Go to Mexico) and compelling art-rock pieces (Strike a Match). Wilson's a decent songwriter, as evidenced in her catchy It Would be So Easy.
A couple of the songs, like the pop-styled Poet and Tarot, seem like rough drafts that needed more time in front of the computer. They're not bad, just not up to the others. One number I play for friends is Red River Valley, just to watch their jaws drop. It is surely the most offbeat take on this old Gene Autry chestnut I've ever heard. What nerve! She soars on Blind Lemon Jefferson's Easy Rider, starting it slowly as a toxeem, then bursting into a blues wail. Burnett's Lost is a tasty morsel, with languid music accompanying clever lyrics like "in most cases/the ayes have it/but in your case/you have the eyes." I wish Wilson would perform more blues and country music, because that's surely where her strength lies. I also wish this album were longer than the 50 minutes.
— Peter Bates
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A 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle for the University of New Hampshire Wildcats, Smith performed well at the NFL scouting combine at Indianapolis, according to ESPN.com. He ran a 5.08 40-yard dash, bench-pressed 225 pounds for 28 reps and had a 7.2-second three-cone drill.
In 42 games for New Hampshire, he had 129 tackles (26 for loss), five pass deflections, three forced fumbles and five blocked kicks. He received All-Colonial Athletic Association first-team recognition, as well as the College Sports Journal FCS All-America team.
Smith has a chance to be the first Wildcat to be drafted since the Chicago Bears picked cornerback Corey Graham in the fifth round in 2007.
He is projected as a Day 3 pick (rounds 4-7) by most evaluators, according to the New England Patriots' website. "He provides scheme versatility due to his strength and quickness off the snap," according to the website.
The draft will be held Thursday through Saturday.
A recent college baseball doubleheader featured four area players. Waynesburg University won the first game, 3-0, and Geneva College took the second game, 5-3.
n Aaron Witman (Shalom Christian), a freshman catcher, had two RBI singles in game two for Geneva. He is hitting .357 with 11 RBIS in 17 games for the Golden Tornadoes.
n Tanner Propst (CV Christian), a freshman pitcher, picked up the win in game two for Geneva. He has a 4.42 ERA with a win and a save in eight appearances.
n Marc Timmons (James Buchanan), a junior catcher, scored a run for Waynesburg in the first game. He is hitting .250 with three runs and five RBIs in 14 games for the Yellow Jackets.
n Tim Chilcote (James Buchanan), a post-graduate third baseman, played in both games for Waynesburg, going hitless but handling six chances flawlessly. He is hitting .278 with 12 runs and 16 RBIs in 29 games.
Several area players are continuing their athletic careers at Lebanon Valley College.
n Jordan Higgins (Fannett-Metal) and Ethan Klink (Waynesboro) are members of the Flying Dutchmen baseball team.
Higgins, a junior catcher and captain, is hitting .255 with 15 runs scored and 12 RBIs in 33 games.
Klink, a freshman outfielder, is hitting .333 with a run scored and three RBIs.
n Matt Maple and James Sylvester (both Chambersburg) are members of the LVC men's lacrosse team.
Sylvester, a junior defensive midfielder, has played in five games and scored a goal. Maple is a sophomore defenseman.
n Clay Heebner (James Buchanan) is a member of the LVC men's swimming team.
A freshman, Heebner competed in the butterfly, freestyle and backstroke. His best times this season: 57.26 in the 100 fly, 2:11.30 in the 200 fly, 1:09.23 in the 100 back, 26.09 in the 50 free, 1:58.35 in the 200 free, 4:43.76 in the 400 free and 9:58.01 in the 800 free.
Joe Kroepil can be reached at 262-4749 and firstname.lastname@example.com.


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I'm joining in the global A-Z blog party today with an alphabet dedicated to learning how to write. Here are twenty-six fun, creative, tried-and-tested ideas that you can use with your children to help them enjoy their first steps in learning how to write. There are ideas here for sensory alphabets, making spellings fun, encouraging creative storytelling and bringing writing into your everyday imaginary play.
Paper plate name game
Today we're joined by Kristina from Toddler Approved, who's sharing a fun paper plate name game that helps children learn to recognise, read and spell their name.
Paper plate name game [Read more…]
Literacy games: bingo
Here's how to make your own bingo game to help your child practise their letters.
1. Make several grids on paper or card. You can draw them by hand or print them from the computer. You need at least one grid per player but if you make more you'll be able to swap cards and play the game several times. You can make the grid any size you like but 6 squares are a good start for pre-schoolers.
2. Add a letter into each square.
3. Make a set of square cards with a letter on each, corresponding to the letters on your grids.
4. Give every player a grid and then turn the square cards face down.
5.Take it in turns to pick a square card. When you turn over a square, see if you can make the right sound for the letter.
6. If the letter you picked is on your grid you can keep it to cover up the letter on your grid. If you don't have the letter on your grid, place it back face-down.
7. The winner is the first person to cover all the letters on their card and gets to shout 'bingo!'.
You can of course make different versions of this game to work on numbers, colours and words.
I Can Teach My Child To Read resources
Download your copy of our practical and wonderful resource I Can Teach My Child To Read. It contains a 10-step program, that will give you the knowledge and confidence to teach your child to read, along with practical tips and fun activities to use together. See more here.
make an alphabet chart
While we were making our first autumn craft of the year on Monday we also added to the sensory alphabet we're working on. Once she'd satisfied her need to do some sticking, L made some leaf rubbings using wax crayons. We cut them out and used them as the background for our 'l is for leaf' picture.
Crafting with children is such a good way to help them develop important skills: picking out all the autumn colours from the crayon pot works on classification skills, important for maths and literacy, and using scissors to cut out leaves works on fine motor skills.
We also made a 'h is for hole' a while ago – turns out a hole-punch is fascinating when you're 4! Here's how out alphabet is coming along.
I Can Teach My Child To Read resources
Download your copy of our practical and wonderful resource I Can Teach My Child To Read. It contains a 10-step program, that will give you the knowledge and confidence to teach your child to read, along with practical tips and fun activities to use together. See more here.
Alphabet games
Alphabet games
L is getting more and more interested in letters and we're using our magnetic alphabet set to play some alphabet games. There are lots of ways you can use letters of course, depending on how old your children are, but here are two easy games to use with those just starting to recognise letters.
I spy my name
Put a selection of letters on the fridge door (making sure they are all the right way up) and ask your child if they can hunt out the ones which are in their name. We've been writing L's name on drawings, coat pegs, cards to send to friends and so on ever since she was tiny so she's had lots of chance to get to know what her name looks like. I sound out the letters of her name as I write them and she has learned the sounds, order and shape of them pretty much just by observing this. A child's name is a great place to start working with letters: they're pretty ego-centric so they like it being all about them! We always use a capital first letter and lowercase for all the others (so I replicate this with the fridge magnets too).
Letter snap
We put all the letters on the fridge and I select one and say 'this is an 'a" and ask L if she can make a match. Snap! She likes to take a turn choosing a letter for me to match – which lets me see how many letters she knows the sound for.
Have you got a set of magnetic letters on your fridge door? How do you play with yours?


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Fact or Fiction: Evolution Quiz
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Evolution! Since its inception, the theory has spread both controversy and a new way of viewing our role on the planet. Where do the facts end and the fictions begin? Slap on your favorite Darwin fish bumper sticker and prepare for a quiz-based battle for survival of the fittest.


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Coursework And Assessment in Accounting at University of Northumbria at Newcastle
Each semester is 15 weeks long and the final weeks are set aside for assessment.
Professional accreditation requires that much of the assessment is in the form of two hour examinations (three hours for double modules). However, other kinds of assessment are used as appropriate. Assessed coursework is an important component of the final year.
This degree is professionally accredited and gives significant exemptions from the examination schemes of the following professional bodies:
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)
The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
The Association of International Accountants (AIA)
The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)
The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)
Successful completion of the placement year to City and Guild standards allows the University to award the Licentiateship of City and Guilds (LCGI), a national qualification recognised by employers such as Lloyds TSB.
Employment prospects are good and graduates take up training contracts with the main six professional accountancy firms. Graduates have gone on to work in PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, Procter & Gamble and Reyrolle. Other graduates find employment in industry, commerce, local authorities and hospitals. Graduates usually go on to complete a professional accountancy qualification and find the exemptions they get particularly valuable. Good contacts are maintained with the local accountancy profession, industry and commerce and outside speakers often participate in the delivery of the programme.
There is an opportunity to undertake a year-long paid placement at the end of Year 2. You will get full support from the Placements Office to obtain a placement which prepares you for final year studies and future employment.
The high standing of this programme is evidenced by strong support from professional bodies and firms who donate prestigious prizes for outstanding work.
COURSE FEES - Year 1 entry
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|Risk factors associated with newly diagnosed high blood pressure in men and women.
MedLine Citation:
|PMID: 18437125 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE
|BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Early diagnosis and prevention of hypertension are of great importance in reducing overall mortality. The objective was to determine which potential risk factors are associated with newly diagnosed high blood pressure in women and men. METHODS: This study is part of a population-based, cross-sectional study including 4,228 women and men aged 60 years in Stockholm County, Sweden. Newly diagnosed high blood pressure was defined as systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure exceeding 140/90 measured on one occasion. Subjects with known hypertension were excluded, leaving 3,156 individuals. RESULTS: Waist circumference > or =95 cm (quintiles 3-5) in men and > or =88.5 cm (quintiles 4-5) in women was associated with newly diagnosed high blood pressure. Secondary school was a protective factor in men (odds ratio (OR), men = 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.54-0.99) and university education was protective in both men (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.52-0.85) and women (OR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.34-0.59). Regular physical activity was negatively associated in women (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.61-0.99), and high alcohol consumption (>30 g/day) was positively associated in men (OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.22-2.09). Women were negatively associated with newly diagnosed high blood pressure (OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.41-0.61). An interaction between college/university and gender was found in multivariate analysis (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.47-0.97). CONCLUSION: Gender differences in risk profile for newly diagnosed high blood pressure might explain part of the differences in hypertension found between men and women. These findings should be considered when planning preventive actions against hypertension at the community level.
|Axel C Carlsson; Per E Wändell; Ulf de Faire; Mai-Lis Hellénius
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Publication Detail:
|Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Date: 2008-04-17
Journal Detail:
|Title: American journal of hypertension Volume: 21 ISSN: 0895-7061 ISO Abbreviation: Am. J. Hypertens. Publication Date: 2008 Jul
Date Detail:
|Created Date: 2008-06-27 Completed Date: 2008-10-30 Revised Date: 2009-02-24
Medline Journal Info:
|Nlm Unique ID: 8803676 Medline TA: Am J Hypertens Country: United States
Other Details:
|Languages: eng Pagination: 771-7 Citation Subset: IM
|Center for Family and Community Medicine, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden. firstname.lastname@example.com
Export Citation:
|APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex
|MeSH Terms
Alcohol Drinking
adverse effects
Blood Pressure*
Body Size
Cross-Sectional Studies
Educational Status
Hypertension / etiology*, physiopathology, prevention & control
Logistic Models
Middle Aged
Odds Ratio
Population Surveillance
Risk Assessment
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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Pets have always been a fundamental part of people's lives, whether as helpers in certain jobs, guardians or just as companions and friends. The status of pets in our families has changed throughout history as the need for service animals has declined and keeping them solely for recreational purposes has become more relevant. This, of course, does not mean that no animals are used for labour nowadays – especially in rural areas, they have retained their position as needed workers.
In this research paper I will be analysing the change in the relationship between owners and their beloved pets throughout the last few decades. The main emphasis is on the change in the treatment of the animals. Also, although this was not the initial idea, the research concentrates mainly on pet dogs as they are the most widespread of all, making it easier to gather and process the information. As the sources on this topic are very limited (especially in Estonia), some facts are presented as common knowledge.
The topic was chosen with two main criteria in mind:
1) The topic has to be interesting to both the author and the reader(s),
2) The topic should not have been researched before.
Hopefully reading this work will be as interesting as it was to write it!
Comparison of pet care of the 80s and 90s with today
The eighties saw a boom in the number of pets worldwide. A tradition that had long been considered intrinsic only to the upper classes had gradually broken into the middle classes and had become part of their everyday life. It was like a status symbol to have your own pet. This occurrence brought about a large demand for pet grooming as a dirty-looking pet would not be best suited to show status.
"Doggie barbershops", originating from the late 1930s, were still the most dominant forms of grooming parlour in the 80s. Their small capacity and comparatively high cost, however, made them rather redundant in the situation of that time because the market was overflowing with potential customers who were not willing to pay the high price. Thus, people resorted to minimal grooming done at home. Soon, professional salons for pets started sprouting up and quickly became a favourite among pet owners. They offered a quick and easy service for just a fraction of the cost of a barbershop visit. Although these salons were nowhere near as advanced as today's facilities, they were a huge step forward in the development of the business.
At the same time, with the advent of home grooming, companies started focusing on the everyday user and releasing grooming supplies for the masses. At first these were a hassle to get hold of due to both their initial scarcity and uncompetitive pricing. But as time passed, more and more similarly oriented companies started emerging, allowing for competition and gradually lowering the prices.
Before the change of the millennium, there had been numerous speculations on what the future would hold in the grooming industry.
"The ideal salon has stainless steel tubs with special drain traps designed specifically to catch the pet's hairs. It has an automatic lift to set the larger pets in the bathing tub and a washer and dryer for towels. It includes ceiling-mounted blow dryers. No more hairballs in the dryer's wheels and enough blowing power on medium heat to dry pets efficiently." (Ogle, "The Heritage of Pet Grooming")
One can see that this prediction has been fulfilled quite closely. In essence, pet salons have become technologically as advanced as human beauty salons, if not even more so. A modern pet salon features an automatically adjustable table, two customizable (nozzle width, air flow and temperature) blow-dryers, fully automated washing system, electronic trimmer and many more upgrades that were considered utopian in the 80s. ("Grooming room"). An average grooming task today takes no more than an hour – a feat that had been long thought of as impossible.
Another positive occurrence, especially prevalent in the USA, is mobile grooming. It involves the use of a van equipped with state of the art technology which responds to house calls and completes the task on the spot. Although this might be viewed as a gimmick to fuel the laziness plaguing the Americans, it is actually widely used by older people with impaired mobility who would otherwise not be able to care for their pet. ("Mobile Grooming Georgia")
Nowadays the home groomer would also be pleasantly surprised – literally dozens of product lines are designed specifically for pets. These include shampoos, balsams, trimmers, brushes and even fur dyes and nail polishes which are all easy to acquire and use. They are regarded as the most economical way to keep the family pet looking good. ("Dog supplies") However, this situation inevitably begs the question: which is more important – a sparkling-clean coat or a healthy coat? It is no secret that the excessive grooming washes off the coat's natural oils, ruining its water resistance and rendering it virtually useless.
In conclusion, it is evident that the technological advancements and new products have made pet grooming less of a hassle. Compared to the eighties, it has become more affordable and available – maybe even too available.
Another controversial phenomenon that became more relevant with the pet boom are pet shows, also called conformation shows. Owners and pets alike compete against each other in various events, for example beauty, agility, obedience and even dancing. Pet owners with competitive spirits have formed communities around this hobby and they organise regular meetings and training sessions. Aside from the obvious benefit of tending to the pets, it is an excellent way for both owners and pets to socialise with others who share the same interests.
The controversy of the subject lies within the fact that although an overwhelming majority constantly takes good care of their pets, there have been some instances of people only tending to the animals when attending a show. The rest of the time, the animals are shut away in a cage or a separate room. Although this may be considered a precaution against accidents happening to the animals, it is still cruel and frowned upon. ("Animal Cops")
Another recent downside associated with conformation shows is selective breeding based solely on the pets' appearance and aesthetic value. Due to this, animals with better working qualities are left behind and only externally beautiful specimens are used for breeding. This may ultimately lead to the degradation of pedigree standards and an overflow of generally less healthy animals that are not suitable for work. As a countermeasure, more and more reputable companies that have sponsored conformation shows are now backing out in hopes of raising awareness of the problem. ("Conformation show")
Special institutions and facilities
The 21st century brought about the emergence of various service providers that are oriented towards the pet. Examples of these include the aforementioned grooming parlours as well as pet hotels, restaurants and even spas and resorts.
The hotels and resorts are mostly used by people travelling with pets or by those who need to travel without the pet and cannot find a relative to leave the animal to. Although the first facilities offering pet boarding can be traced back to the early nineties, real certified hotels as we know them started appearing in the last decade. Oftentimes they incorporate a variety of facilities (restaurants, groomers) under one roof. Similarly to normal hotels, pet hotels are graded in the star system, with five stars being the best and one star the worst. In early 2008, the first true five-star pet hotel was opened, offering more luxuries than most hotels for humans, including massages and acupuncture. (Chateau Poochie)
The spas usually offer a wide variety of services for the owners to choose from. The most reputable of them offer such services as pet sitting and obedience training in addition to the spa services (grooming, massages, coat treatments and teeth cleaning). As the services are comparatively expensive, they are targeted towards the more well-off people. (Spa for Pets)
Dog restaurants are a very recent occurrence – aside from the occasional "Dogs allowed!" sign on some restaurants (originating from the late 90s), diners with special menus for pets have been around since the turn of the millennium. Some go even as far as to have a separate menu for strictly vegetarian pets – something completely unheard-of in the 80s. (Roe, "Animal friendly restaurants")
Overall, the emergence of special facilities has catered for the natural laziness of the modern person. Although it is obvious that the pets could do without this excessive pampering, this is not necessarily a bad thing as it is a good way off reassuring the pet that it is being cared for.
During the last few decades there has been an emergence of various problems concerning the pet culture. Most of them can be attributed directly to the popularisation of pets, while others have existed since the start but are amplified by the hobby going into the masses. Some of these issues are described in the following chapter.
Milling is the term most commonly used to describe an action where pets are "produced" with only monetary profit in mind, without any licensing. No attention is paid to the genetic quality of the animals whatsoever. This has lead to many hereditary conditions becoming rampant throughout the United States. The most notable instances include heart dysfunction, joint dysplasia and epileptic seizures. In addition, they are more susceptible to various illnesses like heartworm and pneumonia due to a weakened immune system. Milled pets also develop behaviour issues because they have not been socialised and accommodated with other pets and people outside the milling farm.
Investigations have found that mills often work alongside local, uncertified pet stores, supplying them with relatively cheap pets. The stores, in turn, offer them to unknowing buyers for only a fraction of the cost of a quality pet from reputable breeders. Often this can turn into an even bigger problem because when the neglected animal turns out not to be fit as a pet, it might end up in a pound or shelter for the rest of its life.
Milling can be directly linked to cruelty as all of the animals are kept in highly unsanitary conditions. On top of that, many of the facilities do not meet the minimum requirement of space per each animal, not to mention the nutritional requirements. ("Animal Care Resource Guide"). Also, after the animal used for milling has reached its productivity limit, it is usually slaughtered and another animal is used.
Mills can only continue to exist because of the uninformed people who still keep purchasing pets from pet stores instead of licensed and certified kennels or breeders. This gives the millers a reason to keep running their business. The only way to prevent the problem is to raise public awareness about the origin of the pets sold in pet shops. Recently, there has been a lot of media coverage about the issue in the United States as the frequency of occurrences has escalated during the last few years. Police raids have also become more frequent in hopes of improving the situation. ("What is a Puppy Mill"). In San Francisco, similarly to many other areas in the US, has proposed a ban on all pet sales to fight against milling. (Nieves, "San Francisco proposes controversial pet sale ban") ("Animal Cops")
The 21st century was a definite turning point for pet culture in general. It became a topical matter, with various laws concerning it being passed every now and then. Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of these laws or they are just reluctant to abide them.
The most fitting example is the restriction of walking dogs in public areas without a leash. This law is especially enforced in the United Kingdom. A quite a hefty fine of £80 could be charged to the offender. The law also concerns the premises of schools and kindergartens, besides the vicinity of playgrounds. (Fines for dogs off leads in parks")
Luckily there has also been a steady increase in the number and accessibility of special parks meant for dog walking. The owners can let their pets run loose in the periphery of these parks without the fear of them getting into trouble, as the area is usually encompassed by a fence. A rather recent outcome of this law is a unified database of public dog-walking parks from which one can look up the closest in a matter of seconds. This site helps dog owners abide the restricting laws by offering them an alternative place to spend their time. (Public dog parks database)
Many prominent figures in society are of the opinion that adopting and keeping fierce animals as pets boosts their imago or makes them more respected. It is, however, a rather simple-minded assumption and the action itself is highly unethical and in some extreme cases, even illegal.
Probably one of the best known and talked about instances of this is the controversy surrounding the former boxing champion Mike Tyson's collection of Siberian tigers. He is allegedly also a trader of the animals. The problem lies within the fact that the tigers Tyson owned were kept in small cramped cages all year round. In addition, the tigers he sold to clients were neglected and not fed well enough. After Tyson's bankruptcy, most of his tigers were confiscated and given to local wildlife sanctuaries. (Bartosik, "Mike Tyson's Tiger Taken from Tattoo Parlor")
Quite a common hobby today is keeping exotic reptiles. Usually they live in aquarium-like boxes made of glass and barely ever get out throughout their whole lives. This is often considered cruelty as people are taking away the animals' right to move about freely.
Another controversial pet is the pit bull terrier. It is widely regarded as the most dangerous breed as it has been developed solely for the purpose of fighting in pits. Many fatalities have been recorded connected to the pit bull and because of that, restrictions have been placed on the breed in both the United States and the United Kingdom. (Balko, "Pit Bull Ban Punishes Dogs for Bad Owners")
Rather closely connected to the question are presidential pets. Since the very beginning, United States presidents have kept pets at their work posts. It can be regarded as a manipulative move because it is meant to show the public how caring and hospitable they are. The whole matter has been over-emphasized by the media, especially during the last "presidential dog election". (Goudreau, "The Pet Culture")
I have conducted a survey on www.surveymonkey.com among American and English forum users. This chapter will give an overview of the results and also a short analysis of the statistics. A total of 43 people have answered the questionnaire which consisted of 10 questions. (Link, Martin. "Appendix A")
1) A growing trend in today's society is to own more than one pet. Although the survey shows the majority having only one pet, a remarkable amount of people admit to having five or more pets. This shows the changing stance towards pets as in the 80s, it would have been considered outrageous and an unnecessary waste of money. Over 9% of the respondents own more than ten animals – an indication that they are either counting in their aquarium inhabitants, fostering a number of pets at the given time or developing a case of hoarding, closely connected to obsessive-compulsive disorder.
2) It is a known fact that pets do not come cheap. Even if the animal itself can be acquired relatively inexpensively, the ongoing expenses are what make the hobby costly. One should note that if the pets have been insured, the costs can go well over $2000 per year due to the fact that depending on the insurance plan, annual costs can reach $500 per pet. A majority of owners, however, tend to spend around $1000-$1300 on their animals. The people who spend under $250 probably do not own a dog as that is the bare minimum for only the cost of dog food per year.
3) Although it is a good thing that over half of the people have rescued or adopted their pets from animal shelters, it is also a sign that there is a continually deepening problem with stray animals. It is nice to see that none of the owners have knowingly acquired their pets from mills; instead, most of the purchased pets are from certified kennels. Rather strangely, despite very popular websites such as Petfinder becoming more and more known, only one of the respondents found their pet online. Unfortunately, accidental litters have been mentioned as the source of some pets. This indicates that some owners are not aware of how to keep their pets from producing unwanted offspring and thus, more emphasis should be put on raising awareness of this issue. Luckily, the respondents of this survey helped ease the problem by adopting at least a few of these unwanted animals as their pets.
4) All of the people who have taken up the hobby have managed to keep at it, spending at least one hour each day solely with their pets. One third of the people spend five to six hours each day dealing solely with the animals. A lot of answers came from unemployed people or students so some of their days are spent at home with the animals. Some answers suggest that for the sake of being with their pets, owners take them to work so they would not have to stay home alone.
5) Quite unexpected results came from this question. Only about one third of the questioned owners have ever used any form of services for their pets. None of them has been to pet restaurants and only one has visited a hotel for pets, although the popularity of these two services has been on the rise recently. 23,3% have used professional grooming services, probably for showing purposes. The rest either use the wide range of products to groom their pets at home or use the help of friends or relatives. Dog walkers have also been brought out – a necessary service when the owner is unable to go out with the pet because of a health condition or being preoccupied with work.
6) Rather predictable results – Almost all of the owners have trained their pets personally or have had them schooled professionally. The two that have not done so probably do not own trainable animals, e.g. dogs. Instead they own cats and rodents that cannot be trained that easily. People still mostly prefer training the pets themselves, although puppy schools are gaining popularity. Professional trainers have been used by only 14% of the owners. This might indicate that people are trying to be more sparing during the current economic depression or they are satisfied with the results of home training.
7) Buying presents for the pets is a rather new development. It is directly connected to pets turning into our four-legged children over the last decade. (Goudreau, "The Pet Culture"). Although there have been various videos spreading around the internet with dogs dressed in Halloween attire, the owners do not buy their pets presents for that specific holiday. Christmas and the pet's birthday are, however, celebrated with presents by more than half of the owners. The presents may be either toys or food. About 21% of the owners do not buy their pets anything for the celebrations, probably because they do not think it is necessary.
8) Almost none of the respondents take their pets to the vet more seldom than once a year. Some go even as far as to visit the vet every week, probably due to an ongoing condition of the pet or just because they care for it that much. The majority prefers yearly visits or only when something seems to be wrong. Again, this seems to be the most economical way to look after the pets' health as each visit to the vet can cost upwards of $30. The nine owners who visit the vet once a month or more have probably insured their pets so they do not have to pay the whole cost of the regular check-ups.
9) The results show that almost half of the owners let their pets sleep in the same bed with them. This would have been considered unethical and immoral a few decades ago, but now it is completely accepted. Most still have a separate mattress or bed for the pet. A few of the owners give their pets the freedom to choose the best place to
sleep, not confining them to any certain location. One fifth of the people like to keep at least some of their pets in a cage, probably so they would not roam around and wake up the owners. One respondent has even separated a whole room for the four-legged friends to guarantee a good night's sleep.
10) Pets have been almost universally accepted as members of the family – about 84% think of them so. One fifth even considers them as children or on the same level with them. This is also exemplified by the fact that the pets receive presents on holidays. Almost none think of the pet as just an animal living with them.
Ogle, Madeline Bright. "The Heritage of Pet Grooming". Web. February 2011. <http://www.petgroomer.com/history/history_2.htm>
"Mobile Grooming Georgia". Photograph. Web. February 2011. <http://www.twopawsupgrooming.com/mobile_grooming_georgia.jpg>
Link, Martin. "Appendix A: A Survey on Various Aspects of Pet Care". Survey. November 2010 – February 2011.
"Animal Cops Houston / Philadelphia / Phoenix". Discovery Communications. Animal Planet, Silver Spring, Maryland. 2009 – 2011.
"Conformation show". Web. Wikipedia, The Wikimedia Foundation. January 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conformation_show>
"Grooming room". Photograph. Web. February 2011. <http://www.canineproducts.co.uk/ekmps/shops/rjlpetsupplies/resources/image/grooming%20room.jpg>
"Dog supplies". Web. February 2011. <http://www.petsupplies.com/dog/551/>
Chateau Poochie. "Hotel for Dogs". Video. Web. February 2008. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrvTR24Hna0>
Spa for Pets. Web. Los Gatos, California. February 2011. <http://www.spa4pets.com/>
Roe, Nicholas. "Animal friendly restaurants: a dog's dinner". The Telegraph. Web. July 2008. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/3637281/Animal-friendly-restaurants-a-dogs-dinner.html>
"What is a Puppy Mill". Web. ASPCA. February 2011. <http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/puppy-mills/what-is-a-puppy-mill.aspx>
"Animal Care Resource Guide". Web. United States Department of Agriculture. February 2011. <http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/downloads/manuals/eig/11.4_eig.pdf>
Public dog parks database. Web. February 2011. <http://www.publicdogparks.com/>
"Fines for dogs off leads in parks". Web. BBC News. February 2007. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/6366293.stm>
Nieves, Evelyn. "San Francisco proposes controversial pet sale ban". Salon. Web. July 2010. <http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/07/10/us_san_francisco_pet_sales_1>
Bartosik, Matt. "Mike Tyson's Tiger Taken from Tattoo Parlor". NBC Chicago. Web. May 2010. <http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/No-More-Tigers-at-Gary-Tattoo-Parlor-95116419.html>
Balko, Radley. "Pit Bull Ban Punishes Dogs for Bad Owners". Fox News. Web. September 2006. <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,215637,00.html>
Goudreau, Jenna. "The Pet Culture". Forbes. Web. October 2009. <http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/15/pets-dogs-cats-forbes-woman-time-children.html>
Appendix A: A Survey on Various Aspects of Pet Care
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Wide receiver Mansel Simmons was found unconscious early Sunday morning in a parking lot with injuries to his head.
Police told the Moscow-Pullman Daily News that he was transported to Pullman Regional Hospital and then to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.
Pullman Police Commander Chris Tennant said WSU and Idaho players had been attending a party at a private home when a disagreement occurred.
The fight was fueled by alcohol, Tennant said, and occurred in the parking lot of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pullman.
When police arrived, there were about 20 people in the parking lot. They were not fighting but "there was a lot of posturing and discord," Tennant said.
Officers found Simmons, of Elk Grove, Calif., lying unconscious and called an ambulance. He was reported in satisfactory condition with various head injuries.
An Idaho football player has admitted being involved in an altercation with Simmons, Tennant said, but the investigation is continuing and no arrests have been made.
Representatives of both Idaho and Washington State are looking into the incident. The two schools are located just 8 miles apart.
In what appeared to be an act of retaliation, a car driven by an Idaho football player was attacked in the church parking lot shortly after the fight, Tennant said.


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Acer Liquid A1 Android phone to reach UK in November
updated 04:05 pm EST, Tue November 17, 2009
Acer Liquid A1 smartphone due in UK this month
Acer's first Android-powered smartphone, the Liquid A1, will be out in the UK in late November, according to UK electronics retailer Clove. The phone will, as previously reported, run on a detuned, 768MHz version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon instead of the full-blown 1GHz CPU.
Otherwise, the handset sports a 3.5-inch 800x480 resolution capacitive touchscreen, HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, along with a GPS sensor and a 5-megapixel camera. It will run on Android 1.6 instead of the newer Android 2.0 platform.
UK retailer Clove will offer the Liquid A1 for the equivalent of $480, and demand is expected by the store to be high. Despite the UK release date, one for North America remains unknown, though is expected fairly soon. [via SlashGear]


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Defending state champion South Plainfield headlines a field of 19 Central Jersey high school wrestling programs that qualified for the NJSIAA Team Tournament, which opens with Monday's first-round action.
The top two seeds in each section receive first-round byes. All sectional playoffs are contested at the site of the highest seed.
The sectional semifinals are slated for Feb. 13, while the sectional championships will be held Feb. 15. The state semifinals and finals will take place Feb. 17 at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River. ...