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Coping with the War
"The whole theory behind terrorism is 'kill one and scare a million,'" Dr. Phil says. He suggests that while we need an "appropriate response to clear and present danger," we should not be paralyzed by fear.
"We need to have a plan to report things that don't look right to us. We need to have contingency plans should something happen in our community. And it's reasonable to have some supplies," he says. "But we should not become obsessed with it, and it should not dominate our lives." The following are some rules to follow during this stressful time.
1) Keep this in perspective.
"Sometimes we can get so focused on the events of war, that we forget the sky is blue, that the sun is coming up, that there are children playing. We need to keep it in perspective. Don't become addicted to the television," Dr. Phil suggests, even if that means forcing yourself or your family to do other things.
2) Think through this philosophically.
"It sometimes helps to focus on the upside of this, and realize what's going to happen when the country is liberated, if that's the way you feel," Dr. Phil says. Try to get at peace with where you are on these issues.
3) Do something affirmatively.
If there are actions you can take, whether it's sending a letter to your congressperson or writing to a newspaper to express your views, do it. Take some action that may make you feel less frustrated.
4) Remember that this is a time-limited situation.
"This will be over, probably sooner than later," says Dr. Phil. "You're not going to have to live in this limbo state with our troops in harm's way forever and ever. I say that to the families, including mine, that have men and women over there bravely representing our country. There is an end to this. They will come home. Cling to the fact that there is light at the end of the tunnel."
During these challenging times, we must turn to each other for comfort. "There is no shame in fear," Dr. Phil says. "Fear isolates people," and now is a time to be reaching out to one another.
Our way of life has changed, and we must make some adjustments. But Dr. Phil reminds us all to keep putting one foot in front of the other. "I've always said that I'm going to spend about 5 percent deciding whether something is a good deal or bad deal, fair or unfair, and about 95 percent deciding what I'm going to do about it," he says. "Fair deal or otherwise, it's the only deal we have right now. Our country is the object of hatred by what I believe are a lot of irrational people who wish us harm. That's the truth right now. We adjust our way of life and we learn to live with it."
Dr. Phil reiterates that we will get through this. "We are a very resilient nation. We get through things because we're on the right side," he says. "We stand for things in America that are good and right — the freedoms that are important and a way of life that we can't take for granted. We're strong in character and we will get through it. The idea is not to become depressed over reality. Things are changing, but we'll deal with it."


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FORT WAYNE (www.incnow.tv) - Indiana Tech's men and women basketballers both took it on the chin from Lourdes on Saturday.
The Tech men saw their five game winning streak snapped in a 59-45 loss to WHAC rival Lourdes..
Jeff Hoskins led a trio of Warriors who scored in double figures with eleven points.
Tech will next play at Marygrove on Wednesday.
The Lady Warriors dropped their third straight in their 72-62 loss to Lourdes.
Rachael Kruse had 19 points and Chelsea Carradine 15 for Tech, who also plays next Wednesday night at Marygrove.
For highlights of both games click on the video icon on the screen above.
What are your thoughts CLICK HERE to leave us a "QUESTION OF THE DAY" comment.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Acute coronary syndrome is a term used for any condition brought on by sudden, reduced blood flow to the heart. Acute coronary syndrome symptoms may include the type of chest pressure that you feel during a heart attack, or pressure in your chest while you're at rest or doing light physical activity (unstable angina). The first sign of acute coronary syndrome can be sudden stopping of your heart (cardiac arrest). Acute coronary syndrome is often diagnosed in an emergency room or hospital.
Acute coronary syndrome is treatable if diagnosed quickly. Acute coronary syndrome treatments vary, depending on your signs, symptoms and overall health condition.
Acute coronary syndrome symptoms are the same as those of a heart attack. And if acute coronary syndrome isn't treated quickly, a heart attack will occur. It's important to take acute coronary syndrome symptoms very seriously as this is a life-threatening condition. Call 911 or your local emergency number right away if you have these signs and symptoms and think you're having a heart attack:
If you're having a heart attack, the signs and symptoms may vary depending on your sex, age and whether you have an underlying medical condition, such as diabetes.
Some additional heart attack symptoms include:
If you're having chest pain and you believe it's an emergency situation, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Whenever possible, get emergency medical assistance rather than driving yourself to the hospital. You could be having a heart attack.
If you have recurring chest pain, talk to your doctor. It could be a form of angina, and your doctor can help you choose the best treatment. Stable angina occurs predictably. For example, if you jog, you may experience chest pain that goes away when you rest. In unstable angina, chest pain isn't predictable and often occurs at rest. It may also be more intense pain than stable angina.
Acute coronary syndrome is most often a complication of plaque buildup in the arteries in your heart (coronary atherosclerosis) These plaques, made up of fatty deposits, cause the arteries to narrow and make it more difficult for blood to flow through them.
Eventually, this buildup means that your heart can't pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body, causing chest pain (angina) or a heart attack. Most cases of acute coronary syndrome occur when the surface of the plaque buildup in your heart arteries ruptures and causes a blood clot to form. The combination of the plaque buildup and the blood clot dramatically limits the amount of blood flowing to your heart muscle. If the blood flow is severely limited, a heart attack will occur.
The risk factors for acute coronary syndrome are similar to those for other types of heart disease. Acute coronary syndrome risk factors include:
Acute coronary syndrome is often diagnosed in emergency situations, and your doctor will perform a number of tests to figure out the cause of your symptoms.
If you're having chest pain or pressure regularly, tell your doctor about it. Your doctor will probably order several tests to figure out the cause of your chest pain. These tests may include a blood draw to check your cholesterol and blood sugar levels. If you need these tests, you'll need to fast to get the most accurate results. Your doctor will tell you if you need to fast before having these tests, and for how long.
Your doctor may also want to perform imaging tests to check for blockages in your heart and the blood vessels leading to it.
If you have signs and symptoms of acute coronary syndrome, your doctor may run several tests to see if your symptoms are caused by a heart attack or another form of chest discomfort. If your doctor thinks you're having a heart attack, the first two tests you have are:
Your doctor will look at these test results and determine the seriousness of your condition. If your blood tests show no markers of a heart attack and your chest pain has gone away, you'll likely be given tests to check the blood flow through your heart. If your test results reveal that you've had a heart attack or that you may be at high risk to have a heart attack, you'll likely be admitted to the hospital. You may then have more-invasive tests, such as a coronary angiogram.
Your doctor may also order additional tests, either to figure out if your heart's been damaged by a heart attack, or if your symptoms have been brought on by another cause:
Treatment for acute coronary syndrome varies, depending on your symptoms and how blocked your arteries are.
It's likely that your doctor will recommend medications that can relieve chest pain and improve flow through the heart. These could include:
If medications aren't enough to restore blood flow through your heart, your doctor may recommend one of these procedures:
You can take steps to prevent acute coronary syndrome or improve your symptoms.
The same lifestyle changes that help reduce the symptoms of acute coronary syndrome also can help prevent it from happening in the first place. Eat a healthy diet, exercise most days of the week for at least 30 minutes each day, see your doctor regularly for checks of your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and don't smoke.
Original article: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acute-coronary-syndrome/basics/causes/con-20033942
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Community Information Database
You are browsing the Subject Heading Alcoholism Counseling which contains 18 record(s)
- Al-Anon Family Groups
Answering service will provide information on places and times for local meetings, etc. Al-Anon is a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who meet to share their experience, strength and ... [Full Record] [Add to Personal List]
- ALTO Counseling Center
Services also at 585 Auto Center Drive Watsonville, CA 95076 831-728-2233 Phone for an appointment. The ALTO program offers outpatient services, drinking driver programs, drug court and more.... [Full Record] [Add to Personal List]
- Camp Recovery Center
Service hours: 24 hours a day/seven days a week. The Camp Recovery Center provides highly structured, nationally accredited drug rehab programs at every phase of the recovery process. ELIGIBILI... [Full Record] [Add to Personal List]
- Diversity Center
All hours are hosted by volunteers and we make every effort to be open our posted hours. Please call ahead to confirm we are open to the public if you are visiting from a distance. Everyone who en... [Full Record] [Add to Personal List]
- Encompass Community Services
Encompass Community Services (formerly Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center), a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, has been serving Santa Cruz County since 1973. This year we served over... [Full Record] [Add to Personal List]
- Fenix Outpatient Counseling Services
Provides outpatient drug and/or alcohol abuse treatment services to adults. We offer comprehensive individual sessions, family and group sessions. We provide substance abuse counseling including: AOD ... [Full Record] [Add to Personal List]
- Janus of Santa Cruz
**New Watsonville location** 284 Pennsylvania Ave. (831)319-4200 To provide hopeful, supportive, person-centered and respectful substance abuse services to individuals and families on the journey ... [Full Record] [Add to Personal List]
- New Life Community Services of Santa Cruz
New Life Community Services is a private, non-profit, 12-Step, (12 step) social model program licensed by the California State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. Residential and outpatient servi... [Full Record] [Add to Personal List]
- Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance, Inc.
Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance (PVPSA) is a nonprofit agency dedicated to providing education, training, and counseling and prevention services to students, families, and staff of the... [Full Record] [Add to Personal List]
- Renaissance
Services are also available at 11D Alexander St., Watsonville 728-9970. Renaissance Program provides professional individual out-patient therapy which is paid through Medicare. It provides help copin... [Full Record] [Add to Personal List]


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49 U.S. Code § 105 - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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(a) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an administration in the Department of Transportation.
(b) The head of the Administration is the Administrator who is appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Administration has a Deputy Administrator who is appointed by the Secretary of Transportation, with the approval of the President.
(c) The Administrator shall carry out—
(1) duties and powers vested in the Secretary by chapter 4 of title 23, except those related to highway design, construction and maintenance, traffic control devices, identification and surveillance of accident locations, and highway-related aspects of pedestrian safety; and
(d) The Secretary may carry out chapter 301 of this title through the Administrator.
Source(Pub. L. 97–449, § 1(b),Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2415; Pub. L. 103–272, § 5(m)(3),July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1375.)
|Revised Section
|Source (U.S. Code)
|Source (Statutes at Large)
|23:401 (note).
|Sept. 9, 1966, Pub. L. 89–564, § 201(a) (less pay of Administrator and Deputy Administrator), (b)(2), (c), (d), 80 Stat. 735; Oct. 15, 1966, Pub. L. 89–670, § 8(h), 80 Stat. 943; restated Dec. 31, 1970, Pub. L. 91–605, § 202(a), 84 Stat. 1739.
In subsection (a), the words "The . . . is an administration in the" are substituted for "There is hereby established within the", in section 201(a) (1st sentence) of the Highway Safety Act of 1966 (Pub. L. 89–564, 80 Stat. 731) to conform to other sections of the revised title. The words "(hereafter in this section referred to as the 'Administration')" are omitted as unnecessary.
In subsection (c), the words "carry out . . . duties and powers . . . prescribed by the Secretary" are substituted for "perform such duties as are delegated to him by the Secretary" to eliminate surplus words and for consistency. The list of excepted programs in clause (1) is substituted for "highway safety programs, research and development not specifically referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection", in section 201(b)(2) of the Highway Safety Act of 1966 for clarity.
In subsection (d), the words "Administration . . . authorized by this section" are omitted as surplus.
The text of section 201(d) of the Highway Safety Act of 1966 is omitted as executed.
1994—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–272substituted "chapter 301 of this title" for "the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.)".
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Electronics, Software, and Engineering Expertise
Pub. L. 112–141, div. C, title I, § 31401,July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 772, provided that:
"(a) Council for Vehicle Electronics, Vehicle Software, and Emerging Technologies.—
"(1) In general.—The Secretary [of Transportation] shall establish, within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a Council for Vehicle Electronics, Vehicle Software, and Emerging Technologies (referred to in this section as the 'Council') to build, integrate, and aggregate the Administration's expertise in passenger motor vehicle electronics and other new and emerging technologies.
"(2) Implementation of roadmap.—The Council shall research the inclusion of emerging lightweight plastic and composite technologies in motor vehicles to increase fuel efficiency, lower emissions, meet fuel economy standards, and enhance passenger motor vehicle safety through continued utilization of the Administration's Plastic and Composite Intensive Vehicle Safety Roadmap (Report No. DOT HS 810 863).
"(3) Intra-agency coordination.—The Council shall coordinate with all components of the Administration responsible for vehicle safety, including research and development, rulemaking, and defects investigation.
"(b) Honors Recruitment Program.—
"(1) Establishment.—The Secretary shall establish, within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an honors program for engineering students, computer science students, and other students interested in vehicle safety that will enable such students to train with engineers and other safety officials for careers in vehicle safety.
"(2) Stipend.—The Secretary is authorized to provide a stipend to any student during the student's participation in the program established under paragraph (1).
"(c) Assessment.—The Council, in consultation with affected stakeholders, shall periodically assess the implications of emerging safety technologies in passenger motor vehicles, including the effect of such technologies on consumers, product availability, and cost."
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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- "The common people pray for rain, health, and a summer that never ends. They don't care what games the high lords play."
- ―Ser Jorah Mormont
Cersei Lannister drunkenly explains to Sansa Stark that her conception of ruling is that "the only way to keep the smallfolk loyal is to make certain they fear you more than they do the enemy".[1]
In the books
Smallfolk make up the common working and middle classes of Westeros, serving as farmers, laborers, builders, shopkeepers, servants and soldiers. They are ruled over by their lords, but are not slaves, slavery being abolished in Westeros thousands of years ago at the command of the Faith of the Seven.
Because of their lack of authority and power, smallfolk tend to be neglected by their lords, seen only as a suppliers of food or soldiers. Smallfolk tend to look up to knights and religious folk who stand up for their interests.
A major theme emphasized in the books is that it doesn't really matter to the smallfolk who wins the "game of thrones", the political machinations in Westeros, because either way the outbreak of war is making them suffer. Particularly as seen in "Fire and Blood", once Joffrey comes to power he shows absolutely no concern for his subjects, frequently having smallfolk killed for slight or imagined insults, if not simply killing them on a whim.
- ↑ "Blackwater"


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A list of student-submitted discussion questions for Human Sperm.
To stimulate the critical thinking skills required to assess the validity of statements about the key concept using an Agree/Disagree Table.
To build a step-by-step description of a sequence for analysis, discussion, or communication using a Sequence Diagram.
Learn how the male reproductive system may be a source for stem cells .
This study guide looks at the male reproductive system (penis, testes, ducts, glands), spermatogenesis, and sexual development (puberty, adolescent growth).
These flashcards help you study important terms and vocabulary from Human Sperm.


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News Home
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Lady Dolphin Soccer Ties Whatcom CC 1-1
Lady Dolphin Soccer Ties Whatcom CC 1-1
The Shoreline Community College Women's Soccer Team tied Whatcom Community College on Wednesday afternoon in Bellingham, WA. The Orcas and Dolphins played to a 1-1 draw.
The two schools remain tied for first place in the NWAACC Northern Region with 3-1-1 records in the region.
SCC got their goal from Ashley Cole on an assistant from Elle Blume.
Shoreline is now 4-3-1 overall and travel to Salem, Oregon on Saturday to face Chemeketa Community College.
Posted At 4:31 PM •
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Check here for updates on Shoreline Community College Women's Soccer
Latest Stories
SCC Men's and Women's Soccer Open Season On Tuesday
SCC Summer Camps Start June 24 - 2 Soccer Camps Are Scheduled
SCC Women's Soccer Players of the Week (Catch Up Time)
SCC Women's Soccer Match Vs Clackamas Community College Now Available On YouTube:
SCC's Angela Celedon Is Named NWAACC All-Star For Women's Soccer
Lady Dolphins Soccer Ends Season In Overtime at Clackamas
Lady Dolphins Defeat Highline CC 1-0, Advance To Play On Saturday:
SCC Women's Soccer Will Play Highline Community College
Shoreline Community College Converted on Skagit Valley College Penalties for a 4-1 Win
Shoreline Community College Women's Soccer Shuts Out Green River Community College 3-0
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The Power of Independent Thinking
How Rising College Costs Hurt Families and Society
Recorded: Monday, December 24, 2012
Research Fellow Vicki Alger discusses the increasing debt burden of student loans and the state of college finances in an interview with Joy Pullman on Heartland.
Experts: Vicki E. AlgerType: RadioIssues: Culture/ Society, Economic Policy, Education, Labor and Employment
How U.S. Economic Warfare Provoked Japan's Attack on Pearl Harbor
Recorded: Saturday, October 27, 2012
Senior Fellow Robert Higgs speaks at The Arthur M. Krolman lecture, presented at the 2012 Mises Institute Supporters Summit: "The Truth About War: A Revisionist Approach". Recorded at Callaway Gardens, Georgia, on 27 October 2012.
Experts: Robert HiggsType: Other EventIssues: Defense and Foreign Policy, Diplomacy and Foreign Aid, Economic History and Development (International), Economic History and Development (U.S.), Trade
C.S. Lewis, My Godfather: An Evening with Laurence Harwood
Recorded: Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Laurence Harwood, OBE, godson of C.S. Lewis, reflects on his and others relationships with Lewis during his youth. He shares delightful letters and jolly recollections from his book C.S. Lewis, My Godfather: Letters, Photos, and Recollections. Laurence spoke at an evening event sponsored by the C. S. Lewis Society of California.
Type: TelevisionIssues: Culture/ Society, Entertainment, History (International)
2012 Mises Celebration Introductory Speech by Anthony Gregory
Recorded: Saturday, September 29, 2012
Anthony Gregory, Research Fellow and Student Programs Director, provides the introductory speech on the importance of honoring Mises at the 2012 Mises Celebration on September 29 at the Silicon Valley Capital Club in San Jose, CA.
Experts: Anthony GregoryType: TelevisionIssues: Economic History and Development (International), Economic History and Development (U.S.), Free Market Economics, Political Ideology and Philosophy
Anthony Gregory at P.A.U.L. Festival 2012
Recorded: Saturday, August 25, 2012
Independent Institute Research Fellow and Student Programs Director Anthony Gregory addresses P.A.U.L. Festival 2012 on Government Power and the Road to Liberty.
Experts: Anthony GregoryType: Other EventIssues: Civil Liberties/ Human Rights, Constitutional Law, Culture/ Society, Free Market Economics, Freedom, Nationalism, Political Ideology and Philosophy, Property Rights
John C. Goodman Interviewed by Marvin Olasky
Recorded: Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Research Fellow John C. Goodman, author of Priceless: Curing the Healthcare Crisis, on the Newsmakers Interview Series with Dr. Marvin Olasky.
Experts: John C. GoodmanType: TelevisionIssues: Bureaucracy and Government, Culture/ Society, Economic Policy, Free Market Economics, Health Care, Public Health/ Consumer Protection
Student Perspectives
2012 Summer Seminar for College Students
Recorded: Friday, August 3, 2012
These Student Perspectives are from our 2012 Challenge of Liberty Summer Seminar for college students, which was held from July 30 to August 3, 2012, at Notre Dame de Namurs University, Belmont, California.
View more videos and information about the Summer Seminars.
Type: Challenge of Liberty SeminarsIssues: Bureaucracy and Government, Business, Culture/ Society, Economic History and Development (International), Economic History and Development (U.S.), Economic Policy, Fiscal Policy/Debt, Free Market Economics, Freedom, Political Ideology and Philosophy, Property Rights
John Goodman Speaks on Obamacare at Heritage Foundation
Recorded: Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Sr. Fellow John C. Goodman, author of Priceless: Curing the Healthcare Crisis, speaks on the Affordable Care Act during a presentation at the Heritage Foundation.
Experts: John C. GoodmanType: TelevisionIssues: Culture/ Society, Economic Policy, Free Market Economics, Health Care, Public Health/ Consumer Protection


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May 4, 2016
Police in the east say it took 3 officers and a taser to subdue a man who officials say admitted to physicians he had taken acid.
Ayden Police Chief Barry Stanley says that it all started around 3:27 p.m. at the Handy Mart on Highway 102, when 22-year-old Jacob Strickland of Wilson, chased a car on foot over to the Walmart. Chief Stanley says officers arrived on scene after being alerted to a disturbance at the Walmart.
Officers say when they arrived on scene, Strickland was belligerent and refused to calm down. When they tried to arrest Strickland, officers say he began to fight them. Strickland was tasered one time, got back up, and fought officers again, according to officials. Chief Stanley says that Strickland was tasered a second time and that it took 3 officers to subdue him.
Chief Stanley says that the Pitt County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene with leg shackles.
Officials say that the man was taken to Vidant Medical Center where they say he admitted to doctors that he had taken LSD, also known as acid. LSD is known for causing hallucinations.
Strickland has been charged with 3 counts of assault, 1 count of damage to property, and 1 count of resist, delay and obstruct.
Chief Stanley says that one of the officers suffered some bruising to his arms.
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E-government is the use of online services to deliver government information and services to citizens. Nowadays some government information is accessible online more than it was in the past.
It is meant to engage the citizenry in governance and allows government transparency, as citizens are informed of what the government is doing and the policies being implemented to facilitate social development.
E-government increases efficiency, improved services, better accessibility of public services and more transparency and accountability. E-government service managers need to be equipped with adequate skills and knowledge on how to develop services that will meet citizens' expectations.
Tanzania Global Learning Agency (TaGLA), which links the world through learning, in collaboration with the Institute of Finance Management (IFM), has organised a videoconference workshop on implementing e-government services for citizens on May 28-31, this year.
The videoconference has been designed to prepare e-government service developers for better service delivery. Its contents include planning and managing development of e-government services, identifying and profiling users of e-government services, development, implementation, maintenance and evaluation of e-government services. Others are involving users in the development of e-government initiatives, experience sharing in development of e-government services.
The workshop offers a unique opportunity for developing competencies for steering structural changes taking place in public services and thus creating a mindset of e-government related to the utilisation of information communication technology (ICT) to transform and enhance the relationship between the public sector and its clients through improved services. It targets senior officers, executive leaders, middle and operational level ICT personnel, system analysts, programmers, web developers, systems and network administrators.
E-government relates to the utilisation of information communication technology (ICT) to transform and enhance the relationship between the public sector and its clients through improved services. It directed towards improved management of public finance and human resources, access to and quality of public services, particularly for poor people, improving investment climates, such as lowering regulatory burdens and transaction costs and transparency and accountability of governments.
Successful implementation and adoption of e-government initiatives and related services is dependent on the quality of involved human capital of the government and its partners.
Unfortunately, many developing countries including Tanzania still lack appropriate human capacity to support e-government. This situation leads to poor planning and implementation of e-government initiatives.
As a result, initiatives become costly and eventually fail. The failure of e-government initiatives has adverse consequences, such as a loss of scarce resources, including taxpayers' and sponsors' money, time and loss of citizen trust.
A decrease in training budgets and an increase in demand for new skills have created increased opportunities for TaGLA to bridge the knowledge gap through the use of technologies, mainly videoconferencing and multimedia applications. Other demands include spreading the services beyond the city of Dar es Salaam to increase access to more people countrywide and cope with fast changing technologies.
TaGLA as an institution is growing rapidly and demand for its services continue increasing. Such growth has necessitated for a new way of operating and a legal status, which will best position the agency to support ongoing reforms and the entire public demands for better services.
It is, therefore, important that government human capital is equipped with appropriate knowledge, skills, awareness and mindset that facilitate successful implementation of ICT projects in the government.
"The enforcement of e-government needs skilled manpower and without proper training, the implementation of e-government programmes will remain unrealistic," said TaDLA training coordinator Dickson Mwanyika at the ICT international conference opened by Vice-President Dr Mohamed Gharib Bilal last year. As ICT advances, e-government is needed today because of changing world operational systems to work and enhance efficiency in the public sector.
According to Mwanyika, Tanzania is not lagging behind in these unfolding developments, as the government has already launched a special e-government programme and put it under the supervision of the E-Government Agency.
This follows the ongoing construction of the national ICT broadband backbone (NICTBB), which demonstrates the government's commitment to promote ICT and enforce e-government in public delivery systems.
According to the TaGLA training coordinator, "these positive initiatives must be supported by human resources capable of helping the government realise its e-government dreams."
The national fibre-optic cable, which is part of the East African Submarine System (EASSy) connecting 12 eastern and southern African countries to the global marine fibre-optic cable, was commissioned in 2008.
"No country can today make any meaningful social progress without proper ICT investment," said Dr Bilal at the opening of the conference, who also appealed to African governments to invest more in ICT to facilitate knowledge transfer and cope with global developments more effectively.
According to Dr Bilal, Tanzania has recorded notable strides in education in terms of ICT applications and infrastructural expansion.
He said schools, colleges, vocational centres and polytechnics needed to be installed with proper ICT facilities to make students acquainted with computer applications and skills.
In light of this, the government has tasked TaGLA to help government executives from national, regional, district to local government levels to be acquainted with ICT applications and e-government. An e-government training project is implemented by TaGLA, E-government Agency and the Ministry of State in the President's Office (Public Service Management).


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so the card/comic shop near my house has started free weekendly yu-gi-oh tournaments. the turnout has actually been quite amazing actually, allowing them to sell more packs and single cards at a faster rate, thus almost doubling their weekendly profits.
so that brings me to my point. since gran, for the most part, can be obtained freely by any player (pay, recycles, mirage master) a weekly or weekendly series of tournaments would be a great idea to promote a greater player base for Alteil US.
I personally did enjoy the themed tournaments that was held last year a few times and would like to see them play the majority role for these tournaments. The obvious themes would be a welcome, like: carbuncles, lvl3 wizard kingdom, mid refes, gowen rush, etc. i do want a couple basic rules because some of these files may be hard to deal with, no more than 2 copies of each unit and no more than one copy of each grim.
i hope with this schedule, or one like it, we would be able to hold 2-4 tournaments per day.
Friday - Sunday
10am-10pm -5 GMT
Entry Cost: 25gran
1st: 50point cards 500gran
2nd: 40point cards 250gran
3rd: 30point cards 100gran
4th - 10th: 10point cards 25gran
11th and lower: 5point cards
i personally think the point card prizes are pretty solid as is but with the possibility of the auction house being a reality. i think the gran rewards may need to be worked on a bit. i do think, however, that first through fourth should atleast gain a free entry to the next tournament of their choice.


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TW Steel CEO Canteen Watches
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TW Steel CEO Canteen Watches
The TW Steel CEO Canteen collection embraces the principles of the Canteen style, the hook and crown cap and the two steel dots on the leather band. These desirable aspects on the TW Steel CEO Canteen Watch have been further elevated with luxurious qualities. The TW Steel CEO Canteen collection features new dial designs thicker mineral crystal and the CEO clasps, with straps made from Italian leather a TW Steel CEO Canteen watch has a real sense of luxury and sophistication.
The TW Steel name stands for 'The Watch in Steel' this indicates clearly what the brand stands for. The cases are made of high quality steel and beautifully finished. TW Steel Watches have a very distinctive design and tough appearance. From the start of TW Steel in 2005 with a simple 4 model collection the brand has had breakout success as a lifestyle brand. Being 'Big in Oversized Watches' is more than a mere tag line for TW Steel. The size of its watches form an essential part of TW Steel's identity along with their unique use of stainless steel. All TW Steel Watches are produced to quality and standard of the highest Swiss made watch.
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KSDK -- When the Pete and Rose Mary Willenborg look through old albums, they see portraits in time, snapshots of their personal history, memories.
"Oh, I can't look at them in depth. They're just kind of pictures," Pete said.
"The short term memory is where Pete has his issues. If you're talking about something and he turns around and goes into the other room and comes back, he maybe can't remember what we're talking about," Rose Mary said.
Four years ago, an Alzheimer's diagnosis confirmed Pete's memory loss would be more than short-term. And it thrust Rose Mary into a role she never expected.
"You asked me to do something that's kind of hard for me to do, and that's to verbalize what I'm thinking. Also, to think even some thoughts when I look at the picture, what that picture brings me to," Pete explained.
"It has to be pure frustration for him," Rose Mary said. "It's a baffling disease. Every day, every hour, something different comes up."
No one is prepared for the role of caregiver, especially when you've got the rest of your lives planned.
"I was angry. All I could think about was negative things: We can't do this, we can't do this, we can't do this. But you adjust, and you learn to do things you can do and have fun with them," Rose Mary said.
Deb Bryer is the Early Stage Coordinator at the St. Louis chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.
"People with Alzheimer's disease, in the past, have withdrawn, they've been afraid, afraid of embarrassing themselves, afraid of letting people see that there's a change in their memory and thinking," Bryer said.
As it turns out, a change in thinking is just what the community needed.
Introductions open the Alzheimer's music therapy class. But the understanding among participants is clear: In this room, there is no pressure to remember names or what happened last class. All that matters is the music.
Troy Jones, a music therapist at Forest Park Hospital, teaches the course. It aims to stimulate the mind and slow down the deterioration process.
"They'll tell you they're not done yet. They're still living and they're growing and they're doing, enjoying life. They have a problem, but we work with it," Jones explained. "It's not a strict, 'You have to do this on this beat.' The beautiful thing about the drums? There's no wrong answer."
"If you feel the beat, which I think he does, he kind of gets in his own world and gets involved," Rose Mary said. "It doesn't matter what ever is going on in the world, they're in that moment and they're having a good time. And that's the most important thing for them."
When so many things are coming up loss, it's the connections with other people that provide hope.
"I truly believe in the strength of the people who have this disease, and that all of us have the strength within us to face these things that happen in life that are difficult," said Bryer.
A commitment between two people, made stronger by the unforeseen events that often define our lives.
"I would hope that if I were in his shoes he would take care of me," Rose Mary said. "I understand from everybody I'm a pretty good caretaker, so we will take care of each other."
Click here for more information on Alzheimer's disease.
Click here for more information on the St. Louis Alzheimer's Association, or call 1-800-272-3900.


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Sage College of Albany Tuition and Fees
Tuition charges are not refundable. Adjustments for withdrawals and other circumstances can be found under our Tuition Liability Policy. Full-time tuition allows a student to enroll for 12-18 credits in each of the fall or spring semesters. Students enrolled for fewer than 12 credits pay part-time tuition according to the program for which they enroll (Refer to the Russell Sage College, Sage College of Albany or Sage Graduate School catalog for tuition rates and fees.) Summer tuition rates are published each spring prior to course registration. During summer sessions all students pay tuition per credit hour according to the level (undergraduate and graduate) and discipline of the course.
|Sage College of Albany (SCA) Tuition
|Per Credit
|Per Semester
|Per Year
|Full-time, non-nursing (12-18 credits)
|Part-time, non- nursing (per credit hour)
|Overload, per credit (more than 18 credits)
|Audited courses (per credit hour)
|SCA - Nursing Majors
|Per Credit
|Per Semester
|Per Year
|Part-time (per credit hour)
|Overload, per credit (more than 18 credits)
|Sage Undergraduate Summer School
|Per Credit
|Per Semester
|Per Year
|Per credit hour
|Discovery Degree
|Audited Courses
Room Charges
The following room charges are not refundable. Refer to the Adjustments for Tuition, Room and Board section for information regarding adjustments to room charges due to a student's withdrawal from the College or an approved leave of absence.
|Albany Campus
|Per Semester
|Per Year
|Double Occupancy
|Single Occupancy
|4 BR suite
Board Charges
Undergraduate resident students must choose one of the following board plans. Non-resident students have the option of choosing a board plan. Non-resident students have the option of choosing a board plan. The following board charges are not refundable. Refer to the Adjustments for Tuition, Room and Board section for information regarding adjustments to board charges due to a student's withdrawal from the College or an approved leave of absence.
|Boarding Meal Plans - Albany
|Per Semester
|Per Year
|19 meal plan ($100 Bns + $100 OCS)
|12 meal plan ($250 + $100 OCS)
|Block 150 plan ($700 + $100 OCS)
|Suite 75 Plan ($200 + $100 OCS)
Declining Balance Meal Plans
The declining balance meal plans are designed to meet the dining needs of students living off campus. Established as a way to provide tax-free purchases on meals, the meal plans provide a 5% discount on all purchases and, depending on the meal plan chosen, may include bonus money.
Declining balance meal plans can be used to make purchases at any Sage Dining operation on the Troy or Albany campus. Declining balance meal plans are maintained on a student's Sage ID card and work similar to a debit card. Only the person pictured on the ID card can use the funds on that card. If an ID card is reported lost and funds remain on the card, the funds can be transferred to a replacement ID card. With a commuter meal plan, students only pay for the meals they purchase, and balances can be used to purchase meals for guests.
Meal plans cannot be changed after the first week of classes, at which time all contracts become final and are non-refundable. Additions of $25 or more can be added at Dining Services throughout the semester and can be paid for in cash, check, Visa, or MasterCard. Additional deposits to a commuter meal plan are also eligible for the 5% discount and tax-free status.
Students enrolled in a declining balance meal plan for the fall semester will automatically be enrolled and billed for the same plan for the spring semester. If a student chooses not to participate in the spring or would like to change the amount of their meal plan for the spring semester, written notification to the Office of Residence Life must be received prior to the start of spring classes.
Balances remaining at the end of the fall semester will be added to the spring semester starting balance. However, balances remaining at the end of the spring semester may not be used to make bulk purchases. These balances are non-refundable in accordance with NYS tax regulations, and do not carry over to any future semester.
Declining balance meal plans may be purchased by contacting the Office of Residence Life at (518) 292-7711. For more information about both boarding and declining balance meal plans, please refer to the Sage College of Albany Dining Services web page.
Semester, Program, Activity and Other Fees
|Semester Based Fees
|Per Semester
|Per Year
|The following fees are not refundable or subject to adjustment after the first day of classes. These fees are charged accordingly and in addition to the previously stated tuition, room and board charges.
|Comprehensive Fee (full-time students)
|$700 per Semester
|Program Based Fees
|Applied Art Fee (per credit)
|Activity Based and Other Fees
|The following fees are not refundable or subject to adjustment.
|Orientation Fee
|Credit for Prior Learning (assessment fee)
|Credit for Prior Learning (per credit fee up to a maximum of $1000 for 10 or more credits
|Application Fee
|Late Payment Fee
|Transcript Requests
|Placement Service File
|Vehicle Registration (before 12/31)
|Vehicle Registration (between 1/1 and 5/31)
|Vehicle Registration (after 6/1)
|Returned Check Fee


text:
Welcome back,
The Universal Selection Source: Cosmetics Ingredients
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Make your paper projects bright and color-coordinated! Each pack contains 18 sheets total, with 3 sheets each of 6 designs of embossed, screen print, dew print, and glitter print papers. Handmade from 100% recycled, post-consumer waste.
Screen Print Packs — Each pack is color coordinated and contains 3 sheets each of 6 designs on


text:
Search Swinburne Research Bank
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/46604
|Download PDF (Author's final draft) (Adobe Acrobat PDF, 113 KB)
- Title
- Uncanny encounters: on writing, anxiety and jouissance
- Author(s)
- Hecq, Dominique
- Abstract
- In this paper, I'd like to investigate the relationship between writing as symptom, anxiety and jouissance, or more particularly, between writing as sinthome (a particular form of the symptom as suppliance), anxiety, and two forms of jouissances: phallic jouissance and the jouissance of the Other. I hope to be able to suggest that anxiety is the organizing principle of the jouissance of the writer---for as an affect transmuted into writing, anxiety contributes to creating another sense beyond its signification, which means that a supplementary jouissance invades the scene of writing. Thus, although neither writing nor anxiety are symptoms as such, anxiety organizes the writing process in a way that 'harmonizes with castration' (Lacan, 15-01-1974) hence making it into a particular type of symptom.
- Publication type
- Journal article
- Source
- Double Dialogues, No. 6 (Winter 2005)
- Publication year
- 2005
- Keyword(s)
- Anxiety; Creative writing; Cultural theory; Freud, Sigmund (1856-1939); Joyce, James (1882-1941); Lacan, Jacques (1901-1981); Minimalism; Pleasure; Psychoanalysis; Writers; Writing
- Publisher
- School of Communication & Creative Arts, Deakin University
- 1447-9591
- Publisher URL
- Full text
- Peer reviewed


text:
Zanzibar Football Association is soliciting funds to help the Island soccer team meet preparatory expenses ahead of competing in their first ever 'World Cup' for those countries and national associations that are outside the FIFA membership brackets.
The championship will be held in Kurdistan for five days from June 4.
ZFA is targeting to collecting 39 million shillings to cater for the team's training camp and other associated expenditures.
ZFA information officer Munir Zacharia said its high time Zanzibaris should exhibit solidarity, cooperation and devotion to their team through contributing to the fund's pool.
He said the team is supposed to open the training camp immediately but lack of funds seems to be a stumbling block.
A special committee has been formed to solicit funds and meet the objective. The ZFA spokesman said what is required is not necessarily hard cash as foodstuffs and whichever is useful to facilitate the training camp can be accepted.
He said Zanzibar must feel honoured to have the opportunity to feature in the championship as the organizers have already committed through the supply of 25 free return flight tickets.
A build up match has been organised as Zanzibar meet Malawi at the refurbished Amaan Stadium here on Saturday 26.
The match would also serve as fund raising initiative as fans have been urged to turn up in big numbers.
"We have already secured 18 return fight tickets for players and seven other for officials", said Zachariah.
ZFA had already selected players to join the training camp to gear up for the tourney.


text:
TreeThing is a simple program that is used to automatically generate forests which can then be exported in to your favourite paint program to use in your mapping.
It is written in Java and requires you to have JVM (Java Virtual Machine) installed to run it.
Here's an image to show a typical workflow...
And here is a PDF tutorial of how to use it...
TreeThing is free to use but I would ask that you credit me if you use it and if possible link to this thread so that others might find it.
Edit: Latest version - 0.9
1) UI update. Tried to make it a little more user-friendly by making most of the common functions more apparent. Most of the important features should be tooltipped - detailed tooltips are on by default but once you know the functions you can turn them to basic tooltips or off altogether in the options menu.
2) Added an option to randomly add some light shades of grey to the mask layer. This can be useful in post imagine by using the masks as a multiply layer to add variation. On by default.
3) Added a Link Brushes option in the options menu (or CTRL+L) to hold the current ratio between Brush 1 and Brush 2. Can save valuable seconds when resizing.
4) Added a Viewport Padding variable in the bottom menu (in Advanced) to adjust the free space surrounding a forest. This has no effect when a template is loaded.
5) Added the option to view your loaded template. Located in the View menu.
6) Various bug fixes and improvements.
Previous version - 0.81
1) It is now possible to save and load settings through an option in the File menu. Also, the current settings can be saved whenever the program is exited and these will be automatically loaded up the next time the program is run.
2) Added an option to utilise the greyscale of a template for brush positioning. This option is availble through the "Brush Weight" section of the parameter menu when a template is loaded. Obviously this needs a template tailored to greyscale.
3) Lost all memory of what was in previous versions so cannot say exactly what else is new.
Previous version - 0.75 - fixed
1) Changed the way the program handles shadows.
2) Added an option to adjust the positioning of shadows due to the way shadows are now handled.
3) UI updates.
4) Uploaded a fixed version that include the missing directory. :$


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As the first English-style landscape garden in mainland Europe, the 18th century Garden Kingdom of Dessau Wörlitz unites garden design and architecture in perfect harmony. Here you'll find manor houses, more than 100 buildings of varying sizes and a range of sweeping parks and gardens, all spread over an area of 140 square kilometres on and around the banks of the rivers Elbe and Mulde.
The garden is predominantly the work of Leopold III, Duke of Anhalt Dessau (1740-1817). As an adherent of the Enlightenment, the Duke used the art of landscape gardening to give expression to political views. Many of the structures and statues were also designed for the moral improvement of the observer. Between 1769 and 1773, mainland Europe's first ever classical building, Wörlitz House, was built in the centre of Wörlitz Park. In a period of over 40 years, other grand houses and parks were built in and around Dessau. These include Georgium Palace – in which the unmissable Anhalt Art Gallery can be found – Luisium Palace, Wörlitz Park and the wooded park on Sieglitzer Berg hill. Kühnau Park represented the culmination of this phase in 1805. Over time, the older structures of Oranienbaum Palace and Mosigkau Palace were integrated into the overall scheme, so that this landscape in today's Saxony-Anhalt resembles an open-air architecture museum covering the period from antiquity to the modern era. Numerous tree-lined avenues, dyke paths and sightlines link the individual gardens and parks. A weekend stay in one of the many holiday homes here should give ample time to appreciate the perfection of this landscape. You can explore the Garden Kingdom at your leisure on foot or by bike and then maybe take in one of the many concerts held as part of the Garden Kingdom Summer from May to September.
Opening times
Wörlitz House and Wörlitz Park:
May to September: open daily except Monday from 10am to 6pm
April and October: open daily except Monday 10am to 5pm
Oranienbaum Palace and Park:
May to September: open daily except Monday from 10am to 5pm
Luisium Palace and Park:
April to October: public guided tours on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 11am to 5pm
Mosigkau Palace and Park:
May to September: Wednesday to Sunday and public holidays open from 11am to 5pm
April and October: Saturday, Sunday and public holidays open from 11am to 5pm
Tips for your visit
Palace and park tours, gondola trips
Holiday accommodation in the Garden Kingdom: Schlangenhaus Lodge, Elb Pavilion, Eyserbeck House and Kavalier Pavilion
Further information:
#contentName# is part of the '#routeName#' UNESCO route. Other stops on the route are:
UNESCO World Heritage sites:
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text:
U-T San Diego (http://bit.ly/1nYl59s ) reports 33-year-old Timothy Lambesis was sentenced Friday in San Diego County. He had pleaded guilty to soliciting murder.
Authorities say Lambesis hired an undercover sheriff's detective to kill Meggan Lambesis last year. The singer said she had restricted his visits with their children after a separation, and he also was angry that his wife would get a large share of his income in a divorce settlement.
His attorney said Lambesis acted out of character and the behavior was sparked by steroid use.
As I Lay Dying was formed in San Diego in 2000. The metal band was nominated for a Grammy in 2008.
Information from: U-T San Diego, http://www.utsandiego.com


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Tate's Solrock (anime)
this wiki
Tate's Solrock is Tate's only known Pokémon.
Solrock first appeared in a battle with Liza's Lunatone. Although Solrock was strong, Lunatone was stronger and broke through Solrock's SolarBeam with a devastating Ice Beam, freezing and defeating Solrock at the same time. Solrock was later used to defeat Team Rocket.
During their first Gym battle with Ash, Tate and Liza got into an argument and would have lost the battle if Team Rocket hadn't rudely interferred. Although Solrock and Lunatone were the victims of Team Rocket's theft, they turned the tables on the villains and Team Rocket were soon the victims of their Psychic attacks.
During the rematch with Ash, Tate and Liza worked as a team and nearly defeated Ash, but the tide of the battle changed when Ash ordered Pikachu to aim its Thunder attack straight into the clouds. Thunder then hit Pikachu and its Flying type partner Swellow, injuring them both but through sheer willpower the two Pokémon absorbed the electricity and stored it in their bodies, creating a unique "Thunder Armor". Using this armor, Pikachu and Swellow overwhelmed Solrock and Lunatone, knocking them both out at the same time with Iron Tail and Aerial Ace.
Known moves
|Solar Beam
|It's Still Rocket Roll to Me!
|Psychic (move)
|It's Still Rocket Roll to Me!
|It's Still Rocket Roll to Me!
|It's Still Rocket Roll to Me!
|+ indicates this Pokémon used this move recently.*
- indicates this Pokémon normally can't use this move.


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WASHINGTON – When you think "killer commutes," you think of sitting in miles of traffic.
But gridlock can literally kill by raising your blood pressure, your stress level and your risk of heart disease.
A new Swedish study finds workers with commutes over 30 miles die younger than those with shorter commutes, the Pacific Standard reports.
Extreme commuters also take more sick leave and gain more weight.
Women with low incomes and low education levels are most likely to die younger from long commutes.
Is your commute causing you health problems? Feeling stressed or gaining weight? Post a comment in this story, comment on WTOP's Facebook Page or use #WTOP
Follow @WTOP on Twitter.
Check out the next group of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame plus a few contenders who've yet to be nominated.


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Making rugs by hand
This is where The Rug Company rugs begin: high up in the Himalayas in Tibet, where the snows of winter last seven months a year and where nomadic herders have been grazing their sheep, goats, yaks and horses for more than a thousand years. The actual rugs aren't woven here, but are made from the wool of hardy Tibetan sheep whose remote pastures are at an altitude of more than 10,000 feet. The wool thus produced is coarse, lustrous, hairy, and of high tensile strength. No other sheep anywhere in the world grow wool like it.
Those involved in the early stages of this magical metamorphosis from animal to artwork include nomadic herders, Buddhist monks and cohorts of Nepalese villagers - a vast team of carders and spinners who work from home. All these people help to create what will actually be a thoroughly contemporary artefact, combining ancient skills - which even today are the only way of preserving the wool's special qualities - with the most precise, state-of-the-art design technology.
The traditional process of rug-making has changed little for hundreds of years, and The Rug Company takes great pride in being able to support this wonderful craft, which is by nature sustainable and environmentally non-invasive. The company is a member of GoodWeave, which works to ensure that there is no child labour used in the manufacturing process. GoodWeave sends out inspectors unannounced to check the looms and also provides an education for children who otherwise might not have the opportunity to go to school.
However, although impressed by GoodWeave's operation in Nepal, The Rug Company takes further responsibility for the health, safety and wellbeing of the weavers and of their environment. To ensure that it adheres to the highest possible standards, The Rug Company has commissioned an independent specialist to continually improve the process both ethically and environmentally.
The Rug Company's rugs are made from the hand-processed wool of Tibetan sheep reared in Tibet, and woven using the Tibetan knot - essentially they are Tibetan rugs knotted in Nepal, Tibet's next-door neighbour. Their creation relies on a mixture of Tibetan and Napali expertise, and on Western design.
The weaving houses in Nepal are run by second generation Tibetan refugees, some of whom fled barefoot over the mountains with their parents in 1959 after the Llasa Uprising, when the Chinese fired on civilians. It led to a massive exodus, and today some 10,000 Tibetans live outside Tibet itself. The Tibetan government in exile, under the Dalai Lama, runs some of the workshops from its base in India.
Today, Nepal is the only country in the world into which Tibetan fleeces can be imported. The weavers of the rugs are Buddhist Nepalese who are mostly mountain folk.
Until now, there has been scant information to chart the journey of the wool and the different procedures neccessary to transform it into yarn ready for weaving. This page explains the evolution of a handmade rug as it goes through a number of extremely skilled steps required to turn an idea into a beautifully finished object.
Astonishingly, some two million of Tibet's five million indigenous people still live off the land as semi-nomadic herders. The light on the Tibetan plateau is so intense you can see for miles, but the terrain is hostile. Thanks to the extreme conditions, the sheep's fleece grows slowly but to an incredible thickness, so that the animal can survive and even thrive in the bitter cold, piercing wind and thin oxygen of the high pastures.
After the sheep are sheared in the summer months, their fleeces are carried hundreds of miles over the Himalayas to Nepal. Here they are subjected to a variety of traditional treatments to turn them into usable yarn that still retains the strengths of the original wool. The rugged, matted tresses are teased into flossy regularity, spun into long strands which are themselves bunched into loops, dipped into boiling vats of colour, whirled into balls of yarn and only then intricately knotted into a gorgeous rug that will last for many decades to come.
Tibetan sheep's wool is unusually long, springy, strong and shiny compared to that of other sheep, and takes dye well. This is why The Rug Company believes it to be the best in the world for making rugs. Crucially, the wool is also rich in lanolin, a naturally produced waxy oil which helps protect the animal from the ferocity of the elements and makes its fleece more durable and water-resistant. However, the lanolin only remains in the wool if it is processed by hand; if machines are used then much of the lanolin is rubbed off.
Lanolin is a natural stain barrier and helps the wool to stay soft and supple. Hand-processing is inevitably more time-consuming, labour-intensive and expensive but the benefits to the wool and the rugs made from it - as well as to the local community - are such that The Rug Company considers it enormously worthwhile.
Anyone who comes into The Rug Company can look through hundreds of designs that have already been turned into rugs. However, if you don't find the exact colour, pattern, size or shape you have in mind, the custom design service makes it easy to adapt existing designs or to start from scratch and create something entirely new and one-off.
The changes that can be made to existing designs are legion. They include altering the size and shape of rugs that are already in production, making motifs larger or smaller, weaving existing patterns in entirely different colours and adding or subtracting other elements such as the border. Because it is a truly bespoke service, any combination of the above is possible. A custom rug can be commissioned for any space, even on stairs and landings or fitted wall-to-wall.
When it comes to creating a completely new design, there are also endless possibilities. The starting point could be a doodle, a set of colours, or just an idea; then again it could be an exact and fully realised design. It really is a question of working out exactly what you want.
It sometimes makes sense to get a sample woven to check the colours, design and yarn you are planning to use. This is typically 1'- 2' (30-60cm) square and will add some time to the overall production but will enable you to be sure before weaving begins that every element of the finished piece will be right. Many different effects and textures are possible. If you have a more precise and detailed idea, then this can be achieved with a higher knot count. Finer knotting enables a lower pile and a more intricate design, or you may prefer the coarser more woolly texture provided by a lower knot count. You can also specify different knotting techniques and vary the pile height to create interesting surfaces.
The Rug Company showrooms are a brilliant resource for those seeking inspiration thanks to the huge number and rainbow variety of rugs made since it was founded in 1997; they are libraries of rug possibilities. The dozens of samples available to browse through include a dazzling array of colour swatches, the finest natural yarns and samples of the different textures that can be achieved.
It takes around four months from the time you place an order to when the finished rug arrives.
Wool has extraordinary natural properties. It is springy, resilient and even flame-resistant - it smoulders rather than burns. It binds into yarn that can be spun, takes dye well, has impressive insulating qualities and is flexible and hard wearing. It is also hypoallergenic, resists static electricity and is warm, comforting and soft to touch. No wonder it has been used, felted and woven into clothes and rugs since time immemorial.
Many of the rugs made by The Rug Company also contain silk - the combination leads to a super-soft texture which designers adore. Silk is immensely durable and will resist physical wear, while its gorgeous lustre catches the light and its contrasting texture can be used to highlight a design. Silk is also very attractive to bare feet and deliciously tactile.
Two main types of silk are used in rug making. Hand-spun Indian silk is slubby and uneven, while Chinese silk, which is spun by machine, has a high shine and is more uniform. It costs more, but requires less preparatory work.
In Tibet in the past, yak and camel hair were sometimes fashioned into rugs as well as tent cloth and blankets. Today, linen is popular for its brilliant whiteness. Other fibres employed by The Rug Company include luminous mohair, tactile cashmere and pashmina, abaca (a type of banana-leaf fibre), hemp, nettle and metallic thread. Rugs composed of these other materials tend to be made plain rather than patterned, so that the focus is on their interesting textures. However, nothing is as fabulous as wool and silk, whose popularity is testament to their qualities.
The minute variations of colour available to 'paint' a composition in yarn are staggering. If someone wants to match a hue from a piece of fabric, a Pantone reference, a paint swatch, a picture or a scrap of wallpaper, The Rug Company can do it. It has a selection of 2000 colours - many of them incredibly subtle shades of the same hue. When commissioning a custom design rug you are free to choose as many colours as you wish. The natural colours of undyed wool and other fibres can also be very desirable.
The same 2000 reference colours are kept in Nepal and this ensures that it is absolutely clear which colour is wanted, each one is numbered and easy to read. There is still room for judgement and brilliance however, as perception of wool colour also depends on how light shines through it and colours can look different in different situations. It takes an experienced designer to know how they will work in situ. The Rug Company will help you to come up with the perfect colour combination.
The first stage in creating a rug is to translate the idea into a design. The Rug Company designers have a wealth of experience in drawing up differing styles and realising people's vaguest - or wildest - wishes. In all cases, the designers will work out on paper what you want - adjusting and responding as the design develops. This can happen quickly or take a number of meetings; the purpose is to ensure that you are entirely happy with the finished design.
When the design is settled on, a large print-out is made. This gives both the two-dimensional pattern and also shows the texture of the finished rug, thus providing a good idea of what it will look and feel like.
The next step of the rug-making process takes place in Nepal and involves using the design as the template for an extremely precise graph. The graph is hand-drawn in the workshop's graphing studio and is literally a map indicating the position and colour of every single knot the rug will contain. It is created on graph paper specially made for the weavers and each one is a beautiful drawing in its own right.
Amazingly, the graph is done to exactly the same scale as the finished rug, which means that graphs range from fairly big to really enormous. While a rug is being woven, the graph is pinned to the loom, so that its directions can be read off. By the end of the process, the graphs are inevitably a bit crumpled and battered, but they are carefully folded up and stored in shelves containing the blueprint of every rug woven there - a Rug Company archive for posterity.
Many graphs are done in a few days, but new and complicated designs can take a few weeks to prepare. At the same time as the graphs are being plotted, the dyers will, with great precision, be conjuring up the required colours for the design, using the requisite amount of wool.
Wool arrives in Nepal by the truckload. When raw and unwashed it has a strong, pungent smell. The majority is taken to the beautiful lakeside town of Pokhara (the second biggest in Nepal after Kathmandu), which has an abundance of fantastically clear and clean glacial melt water- wonderful for washing wool in. Pokhara is situated at the base of the Himalayas, which rise dramatically behind its lakes. In recent years it has become the starting point for many of Nepal's trekking expeditions and is home to numerous guest houses and bars. Even so, a large proportion of the town is involved in the preparation of wool for the weaving of rugs.
A monastery of Tibetan Buddhist monks organises the preparation of the wool. When this arrives in Nepal in its raw state - mostly dirty white, but with some brown and black - it is tangled, miscoloured and full of thorns and grasses from the Tibetan pastures.
The monks sort the wool into its natural shades and wash it roughly in the river in big wicker baskets. Huge quantities of the sodden wool are then spread out on the banks to dry, looking like fallen clouds. Even after washing it is still relatively raw and unprepared. The monks put the dried bales in storage ready for the next stage.
Carding is the magical process whereby the jumbled-up wool is teased out into long fibres. It has to be detangled and straightened out and, like the most recalcitrant human hair, ends up frizzy before being spun into something manageably smooth. In most parts of the world this process is done by carding machines, which are relatively quick and efficient, but this has a major downside: namely the machines chop up the wool, weakening it as well as removing much of the all-important lanolin. It is always preferable to hand card, leaving the fibres intact and strong.
After the raw wool has been washed and dried, hundreds of carders and spinners turn up to collect it. The wool is carefully weighed out into bundles; it takes a week to turn two kilos of the raw stuff into yarn - which is what the wool is called once it has been prepared for weaving.
The carders retain every bit of excess fluff and thorn that comes out of the rough wool to ensure that nothing is missing. The monks check that the total weight of the carded wool and the scraps is the same as the weight of the wool originally given out.
Hand carding ensures the longest possible fibres - exactly what you want in yarn. In fact, the fibres will all be of different lengths and this has the advantage of making the final thread stronger. The difference between carding wool by hand or by machine is easily visible: hand carded wool is less even and more natural looking. Another reason it is so nice is that the high lanolin content gives it a softer texture.
The carders work with two wooden boards not dissimilar in size to ping-pong bats and with an inner surface covered in little spikes. Being handmade devices, each pair is different. With a bat in each hand, the carder moves them forwards and backwards against each other, teasing small amounts of the wool between them and combing it. The end result is something fluffy - like woolly candy floss - which can then be spun.
At any one time, there will be hundreds of carders and spinners at work, and this is detectable from the streets thanks to the dull knocking together of the carding bats and the gentle clicking of the spinning wheels.
Little by little, the flossy, carded wool is fed into the handmade spinning wheel or charka and, as it goes through, it gets spun - or twisted - together into a much longer and unbroken piece of yarn, which is wound on to a spool. The amount of wool you add makes the yarn thicker or thinner; The Rug Company weaves with different thicknesses depending on the knot count of the rug. The use of spinning wheels was first recorded in the 11th century. Those used in Pokhara are operated by the spinner's foot while sitting on the floor, leaving hands free to feed in the fibres.
Once spun, the yarn is ready to be woven into a rug. It is still undyed and, being an unassuming, natural off-white colour, it still bears some resemblance to what comes off a sheep's back. The spun wool is twisted into skeins, taken back to the monastery and then weighed again before being trucked to Kathmandu for dyeing, drying and winding into balls, ready for the final transformation. This journey, on poor roads, can sometimes take weeks when the rains fall heavily in the summer.
The Dye Master is the key man in the crucial dyeing process and has been likened to a nose in the wine industry. Each workshop has its own dye master, and most are Indian. The best are keenly sought after and brought from India at vast expense, usually from Bhadohi, in Uttar Pradesh. They are treated with reverence - and poaching of the most brilliant also occurs!
The Dye Master has his own laboratory; a mysterious and exciting den of bubbling pots, bottles of liquid and brilliantly coloured powders. This is where he conjures up the colours. He works to recipes he has devised from creating the same shades in previous rugs. However, to add to the challenge, environmental factors, such as the difference in air temperature and humidity in, say, June or January, will have some effect on the colour. This has to be taken into account, so the formula tends to require fine-tuning and good light is essential. When mixed up, the dye is a different colour to the yarn when dyed and dried and judging this is another part of the Dye Master's skill. The Dye Master makes up a batch for each colour required in a rug and when he is happy with it, the formula is recorded in his recipe book - which looks rather like a book of spells.
Due to the colour variation of the natural wool and the way in which dye is absorbed to different degrees, there can sometimes be a varying density of colour in the finished piece. This effect is known as abrash and is part of the beauty, desirability and individuality of a handmade rug. Abrash is more prevalent in large areas of saturated colour and in very pale or undyed areas of the design.
The Rug Company uses very high quality and expensive Swiss aniline colours. These are the most photo-stable available, meaning that they are highly resistant to fading in sunlight. They come as powders that are dissolved in water.
Apart from computer design, this is the newest part of the rug-making process. For centuries Tibetans were obliged to use vegetable dyes to colour their rugs which led to a subtle but very restricted palette: yellow madder, indigo and red insect dyes would have been imported and to these shades were added less fast local dyestuffs of largely tawny hue, such as walnut, rhubarb (the chief Tibetan source of yellow dye), safflower, buckwheat and tea.
The introduction of affordable synthetic dyes in the mid-20th century led to electrifyingly bright colour combinations, which aren't favoured by purists, but were popular with Tibetans themselves. Vegetable dyes are still used but rather unpredictable - not advisable if you're looking for a precise colour. With custom design rugs, huge efforts are made to be accurate with colour matching, so aniline dyes are recommended.
There is something splendidly old-world and traditional about the pot dyeing process - apart, that is, from the huge variety of colours that are now available which weren't in the past.
Pot dyeing also requires very little machinery; skeins of yarn are attached to hand-wound metal loops, and these are rotated and repeatedly dipped into the dye until they are thoroughly soaked.
If only a small amount of yarn needs to be dyed (approximately 2.2lb or a kilo), the colour can be heated up in a saucepan on a stove. Pot dyeing - where the pot is like a cauldron or trough - is enough to dye the yarn for half a standard rug (measuring 9'x 6' or 2.74 x 1.83m). This will weigh 33lb (15kg) when finished, and it takes some 77lb (35kg) of raw wool to make it.
The workshops also house bigger vat dyeing machines for larger quantities of wool, though they use them less frequently. These are essentially big iron ovens, heated by steam from a furnace, with the wool and the dye inside them.
After dyeing, the yarn has to be dried. Sometimes it is put in a drying chamber but, weather permitting, the finish is better when the yarn is dried naturally. It is therefore slung over all kinds of unlikely objects so it can dry in the sun - wherever you go in Kathmandu wool is draped on every available space: on the back of bicycles, on washing lines, in rows on pavements. The dry, dyed skeins are then taken to the weaving room, placed on a traditional wheel called a 'kholo', and reeled into balls.
The Rug Company rugs are woven on vertical looms, as traditional Tibetan ones always have been. In fact the technique is knotting, though it's often referred to as weaving, and it is done directly on to metal rods. The loom consists of a wooden crossbeam at the top, supported by two uprights, with another crossbeam at the bottom completing the frame. In Tibet, the loom used to be all wood, with no glue or nails, and propped against a wall; today, with plentiful metal, looms stand upright rather than leaning.
The height of the loom depends on the length of the rug being woven, though particularly long rugs can be looped over as they are fashioned, meaning that there is no limit to the length of a rug.
A number of looms for making standard-size rugs are set up in the workshops, their width from 3' (0.92m) to 10' (3.05m). It becomes more challenging to make a loom as width increases, and special ones are constructed for particularly broad rugs. In 2005, The Rug Company made a 40' x 36' (12.2m x 11m) custom rug for a shooting lodge in Scotland. Seventeen weavers worked on it at the same time and it remains one of the largest rugs ever made in the Kathmandu Valley. More recently an all-silk custom Catella design measuring 36' x 35' (11m x 10.7m) was delivered to a client in Mumbai. By contrast samples are made on tiny looms.
Cotton warp threads are stretched from the bottom crossbeam over the upper crossbeam in a continuous loop. They are evenly spaced according to the knot count, which ranges from 60 to 300 depending on the detail of the pattern. A standard size 9' x 6' (2.74 x 1.83m) rug with a knot count of 300 will contain 1,500,000 knots. The warp threads provide the rug's structure, while the weft threads - which run horizontally - hold in each line of knots and are threaded in after the line has been completed. Both are made from high-quality cotton, which keeps its shape, unlike the less suitable wool warp and weft threads used in the past.
Tibetan rugs employ a unique knot. This is quite different to the more common Turkish and Persian techniques in which each knot is tied singly and then cut. In the Tibetan manner, each looped knot is half of both the previous and the next one; a line can continue for as long as desired and the yarn is only cut when the colour changes or the whole line is complete. The weaver passes the yarn around the warps and knots it around a metal rod that rests in front of the loom and then repeats the process. This is a fast way of weaving - twice as quick as a Persian knot but just as strong. It's also totally traditional; if you examine rugs several hundred years old you will find that they were made in exactly the same fashion.
The weaver starts at one end, tying a knot around a pair of warp threads and the metal rod, pulling them tight and repeating the process until he or she comes to the end of the line or needs to change colour. The process is dictated by the graph - the master plan for the design - which the weaver follows from the bottom upwards.
The rate of progress depends on the complexity of the pattern and the knot count. On an average day, each weaver can complete 2" to 4" (5-10cm) for 100 knot, or just 1"" to 2" (2.5 to 5cm) for 300 knot. The rug can be wound round the loom at the bottom if the warp is slackened and this is done so the weavers can work at the same height. In other words, the rug rotates around the loom.
The thickness or gauge of the metal rod depends on the knot count, which ranges from 60 to 300. (60 is shorthand for 60,000 knots per m2, while 300 is an astonishing 300,000 knots per m2). Most of The Rug Company's stock designs have a knot count of 100 or 150. Thicker yarn is used for simpler patterns, woven with a lower knot count on a bigger metal rod; a higher knot count allows more complex patterns and a lower pile height, worked with thinner yarn around a narrower rod. The latter is understandably much slower to work and needs a more experienced weaver.
For a loop pile, the rod is pulled out and the yarn left uncut when the line of knots is complete - thus a series of loops is achieved. There's also a no-rod loop, or flat loop; the yarn is tied directly round the warp - without a rod - and the result is a flatter surface with an interesting texture.
Once a rug has been completed, it needs to be thoroughly cleaned and this is done with a plentiful supply of soapy water and many rinses. The washing process is testament to the fact that the colours are absolutely fast, and a mild detergent is used to protect the wool's lanolin. The rugs are washed on both sides; soap and water are squeezed through the pile with wooden paddles or 'pharwa'.
When the rug is cut off the loom, its tensions are released and it rebounds slightly; when washed, it shrinks a little further, generally in the warp direction (lengthwise) rather than in the weft, because that's how it was stretched.
Rugs need to be dried flat after washing and stretched out to ensure this happens evenly. To this end, they are stitched squarely onto metal frames and put out in the sun to dry. The final finished size of a rug is therefore slightly different to its dimensions on the loom - a calculation about the different amount of shrinkage in each direction is made, but it's hard to be accurate to the nearest centimetre. In a situation where a precise size is essential, the rug can be made very slightly larger and cut down if necessary.
The ideal way to dry rugs is in the sun - the fresh air gives a nicer finish to the wool; if they're artificially dried you don't get the same look. The monsoon season between June and August can cause delays - in fact it's the commonest reason for a rug to take slightly longer than usual. For three months, the heavy rains of the monsoons drench the country - it doesn't rain all day, but it does every day - 'Soaked by Buddha's tears' as a haiku poetically puts it.
The Buddhist saying that 'rain does not penetrate a well-roofed house' is of little consolation when there is drying in the sun to be done! Every day, when the raging rains start, several people have to run outside, take the rugs off their stretchers and bring them quickly inside. When the rain stops for a while the rugs can be stitched onto their frames and put outside again. In fantastic weather conditions it takes a day to dry a rug; more usually, it's three or four days, which gives the rugs time to breathe.
Once a Rug is washed and dried, it is laid flat and the surface is treated with a variety of special implements in order to poke, tease, and smooth any slight irregularities. For example, a long iron rod called 'gopani' is used behind the rug to smooth the back surface. Fine hairline carving is done along the contours of the different colours with "jam-tse', which are Tibetan Scissors with 16-18 inch long blades.
A rug requires neat finishing, both to its edges – especially where the warp threads stick out – and to its surface where strands of pile yarn hang from each color change. The ends are stopped with a few lines of kilim (essentially running stitches) to ensure that they will never unravel, while the sides of the rug - the last warp - are wrapped with extra yarn in the same color (a selvedge).
The entire surface is trimmed depending on the design to achieve the required pile depth. In most other places, electric shears are used but, at The Rug Company, it's all undertaken by hand. Hand shearing is to an exact level – it's a very skilled and specialist job – so that the final pile is smooth with an overall effect. Designs that call for a variation in pile depth are more complicated; different sections must be sheared to different levels for a more three-dimensional effect. Careful contouring – rather like beveling on mirrors on a minute scale – is done where two colors meet, to emphasize the delineation.
A desirable effect in hand knotted rugs where the shade of colour varies. This is due to inconsistencies in the colour of the undyed yarn or in the amount of dye absorbed.
The process of teasing and straightening the jumbled fibres of raw wool so that it can be spun into yarn.
A technique that is part of the finishing process. The boundaries between different colours or pattern elements are defined and differences in pile height are smoothed.
The usual type of pile for rugs, where the yarn is cut to form a plush velvet-like surface.
The most important person in the dyeing process, the Dye Master is responsible for matching colours and preparing the dyes.
The warp threads at top and bottom of the rug are finished with a few lines of kilim and then folded under and stitched down. In traditional rugs, a decorative fringe is added.
A technique of weaving which produces a flat surface with a pronounced texture. The yarn is knotted directly around the warps without the use of a rod.
A plan of the design, followed by the weavers, specifying the colour and position of every knot.
A flat-woven rug. The design is formed of weft threads woven under and over the warp threads and tightly packed so that the warps are hidden.
The density of knots in a rug. Finer rugs will have a higher knot count and coarser rugs a lower knot count. The knot count of Tibetan rugs is given as A where A = (Number of knots)x1000/m2
A natural waxy substance in wool that has softening and waterproofing qualities and which acts as a natural stain barrier.
The apparatus on which the rug is woven.
A type of pile where the knots formed around the rod are left uncut forming loops.
In the Tibetan technique, the yarn is knotted around the warp threads and a metal rod. The gauge of the rod is determined by the knot count.
The sides of the rug. These are wrapped in yarn to match the design.
After weaving has finished, the rug is laid flat and the pile is cut smoothly to the required height by hand.
The process of turning carded wool or other fibres into yarn.
A technique of hand knotting rugs in which the yarn is tied around two warp threads and a metal rod.
The long threads running from one end of the rug to the other; they are the foundation on which the rug is knotted.
The threads, normally cotton, woven across the rug from side to side after each line of knots is completed.
A long, continuous length of interlocked fibres forming a cohesive thread.
Image 1: Jan Reurink.


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As I slipped off my shoes and walked into the room, I imagined that this must be what heaven looks like. It was a simple room in a simple building, but the excitement and joy filled it with riches.
The only thing brighter than the colors that filled the room were the smiles on the children's faces.
It was our third day in India, and my first visit to a Compassion child development center. As our group entered the church we began to take our places in the chairs, which were placed neatly around the sides of the church sanctuary.
As I began to sit my heart was pulled by the gazes of the brightly dressed children sitting on the floor in the center of the room.
I decided to follow my heart, and with quick permission from our group leader, I found an open spot on the floor next to a group of wide-eyed girls. Throughout the welcoming ceremony one of these sweet girls, in an especially bright pink salwar kameez, shyly touched my arm and smoothed my hair.
Each time I would look at her and smile she would quickly put her hands in her lap and look at the ground, until finally I grabbed her hand and held it in mine. Soon she was leaning against me and smiling back, and just like that she had my heart.
After the ceremony we were given time to interact with the children. Although she refused to say a word, the sweet girl in the bright pink outfit did not leave my side. We had a connection that was strong although unspoken.
After some play time we served the children lunch, and then most of them returned to their homes. Our group was given time to have lunch and fellowship with the center's staff before we would head out on home visits.
During home visits our large group split up into smaller "family" groups of six or seven people. Home visits are a time for sponsors to have a more personal view into the lives of children served by Compassion.
As my family group reached our first home, I had a mixture of laughter and tears when my sweet little girl in bright pink ran outside, took me by the hand, and led me into her one-room home.
Inside we met her mother, brother, sister and neighbor. As we talked and prayed the room felt tense. When our translator began speaking rapidly to the mother without stopping to translate, we knew there were deeper issues going on than we were being told.
As they talked, we all prayed silently, until finally the mother began to weep and her story unfolded. This mom shared with us that in her desperation just months earlier, she had doused herself in gasoline and was trying to light a match when God sent her neighbor to intervene.
Although he was not present that day, there was a father living in this household who was an abusive drunk. Before this family found Compassion, the only hope the mother could find was the escape of death.
Suddenly I realized this silent connection that I had with the girl in pink went deeper than holding hands and shy smiles. In a way I had walked in this girl's shoes, as I too had lived in fear in my own home when I was her age.
The greatest difference is that my mother, sister, and I were able to escape. I was born in a country where women are valued, respected, and can make the choice to leave. And when we made that choice we were offered protection.
This family was born in a place where women are not given the choice to leave, and if they do there is no protection, only condemnation.
As the mom opened up, we were able to cry with her and pray with her about her family's specific needs. She told us that Compassion has given them a better life, as her children are now able to attend school. She had begun to attend classes and services at Compassion's partner church, and there she found hope.
At the Compassion center they had also learned about Jesus. Although her home displayed shrines for the Hindu gods, the religion of her husband, she and her children carried Jesus in their hearts.
Their greatest prayer was that her husband, the children's father, would begin attending the substance abuse classes that they offered at the church, and that he too would welcome Jesus into his heart and into their home.
I do not know the ending to this story. I often think about the girl in bright pink, and I pray for her and her family. I thank God that because of Compassion she knows the love and the embrace of her heavenly Father, and I pray that someday she will also be able to experience the love of her earthly father.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rebecca Allen is a Compassion sponsor who is passionate about all children having the opportunity to live out their dreams. She shares her thoughts and stories of the great pursuit for "more of Him and less of me" at shebecomes.blogspot.com.


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Video Relay Service (VRS) is a relay that allows a user to communicate in American
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who voices the signed message to a standard telephone user in spoken English. The
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VRS is available on the first floor of the Central Library and at Walkertown Branch
Library during regular library hours. VRS is free, available on a first come, first
served basis. Usage is not limited by the number or length of calls.
Call the Walkertown Library at 703-2990 to schedule an orientation for VRS.
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