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What is the most appropriate knowledge synthesis method to conduct a review? Protocol for a scoping review
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- Kastner, M., Tricco, A.C., Soobiah, C. et al. BMC Med Res Methodol (2012) 12: 114. doi:10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
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A knowledge synthesis attempts to summarize all pertinent studies on a specific question, can improve the understanding of inconsistencies in diverse evidence, and can identify gaps in research evidence to define future research agendas. Knowledge synthesis activities in healthcare have largely focused on systematic reviews of interventions. However, a wider range of synthesis methods has emerged in the last decade addressing different types of questions (e.g., realist synthesis to explore mediating mechanisms and moderators of interventions). Many different knowledge synthesis methods exist in the literature across multiple disciplines, but locating these, particularly for qualitative research, present challenges. There is a need for a comprehensive manual for synthesis methods (quantitative/qualitative or mixed), outlining how these methods are related, and how to match the most appropriate knowledge synthesis method to answer a research question. The objectives of this scoping review are to: 1) conduct a systematic search of the literature for knowledge synthesis methods across multi-disciplinary fields; 2) compare and contrast the different knowledge synthesis methods; and, 3) map out the specific steps to conducting the knowledge syntheses to inform the development of a knowledge synthesis methods manual/tool.
We will search relevant electronic databases (e.g., MEDLINE, CINAHL), grey literature, and discipline-based listservs. The scoping review will consider all study designs including qualitative and quantitative methodologies (excluding economic analysis or clinical practice guideline development), and identify knowledge synthesis methods across the disciplines of health, education, sociology, and philosophy. Two reviewers will pilot-test the screening criteria and data abstraction forms, and will independently screen the literature and abstract the data. A three-step synthesis process will be used to map the literature to our objectives.
This project represents the first attempt to broadly and systematically identify, define and classify knowledge synthesis methods (i.e., less traditional knowledge synthesis methods). We anticipate that our results will lead to an accepted taxonomy for less traditional knowledge synthesis methods, and to the development and implementation of a methods manual for these reviews which will be relevant to a wide range of knowledge users, including researchers, funders, and journal editors.
Knowledge synthesis has the potential to inform the management of health problems [1] and is integral to the health of the Canadian population [2]. A knowledge synthesis summarizes all pertinent studies on a specific question, can improve the understanding of inconsistencies in diverse evidence, and can define future research agendas [1, 3]. Knowledge synthesis is also an important part of the knowledge translation (KT) process (and ideally should form the 'base unit' of KT strategies for providers and policy makers), and be used to provide the evidence base for KT products including clinical practice guidelines, policy briefs and decision aids [4]. As such, knowledge synthesis can be used to interpret results of individual studies within the context of the totality of evidence. This is an important consideration, given that basing practice and policy decisions on a single study or expert opinion can be misleading [5].
Knowledge synthesis activities in healthcare have often focused on the methodologically rigorous Cochrane reviews, most commonly of interventions. The definition of a systematic review according to the Cochrane Collaboration is "A review of clearly formulated questions that uses systematic and explicit methods to identify, select, and critically appraise relevant research, and to collect and analyse data from the studies that are included in the review. Statistical methods (meta-analysis) may or may not be used to analyse and summarise the results of the included studies" [6]. However, Cochrane-like review methods may not always be applicable for answering all knowledge synthesis questions, particularly those investigating complex and multidisciplinary topics [7, 8]. For example, members of our team recently attempted to conduct a systematic review to better understand the relationship between the perceived characteristics of clinical practice guidelines and their uptake by clinicians, and found that a flexible approach that borrowed relevant components of less traditional knowledge synthesis methods (i.e., including realist reviews and meta-ethnography) was more relevant to determine the mechanisms and circumstances underpinning guideline implementation [9]. This example highlights the need for less traditional methods for completing a review. By matching the appropriate design to fit the question, synthesis outputs are more likely to be relevant and be useful for end users.
Furthermore, a traditional review such as a Cochrane review cannot always explain why particular interventions work in some settings but not in others [10]. For example, a Cochrane review found that school feeding programs significantly improved the growth and cognitive performance of disadvantaged children [11], but failed to provide direction for policy-makers to decide which intervention should be implemented and under what circumstances. By conducting a realist review alongside the Cochrane review (which can be used to understand 'what works for whom and under what circumstances' [10]), the authors were able to provide concrete recommendations that could be implemented in practice and policy making [7]. To address these types of questions and adequately incorporate the needs, preferences and experiences of patients into healthcare delivery, there is an increasing need to consider less traditional review methods of complex evidence (i.e., heterogeneous, methodologically diverse, difficult to classify, and contradictory) [12, 13]. Another approach is to consider conducting a systematic review as a "first step" to better understand complex evidence (or to conduct them in parallel with novel reviews), particularly for evidence generated from philosophy and the social sciences. The increasing number of synthesis methods that have recently emerged within the healthcare literature supports this need [14, 15, 16, 17].
Characteristics of a preliminary list of existing knowledge synthesis methods
Knowledge synthesis method
Type of evidence
Bayesian meta-analysis
Mixed (qualitative and quantitative)
A method used in meta-analysis to offer flexibility in handling data from diverse study types (i.e., the integration qualitative and quantitative forms of evidence). It allows qualitative evidence to contribute to meta-analysis by identifying variables to be included and providing evidence about effect sizes (qualitative evidence gets converted into quantitative form); and helps to ensure that meta-analyses more properly reflect the diversity of evidence at primary level – it recognizes the fact that evidence from multiple sources usually needs to be combined to inform policy decisions.
Content analysis
(Stemler S, 2001) [20]
A technique for categorising data and determining the frequencies of these categories. It differs from more 'qualitative' methods in that it requires categorization to be sufficiently precise to allow multiple coders to achieve the same results, it relies on the systematic application of rules, and it tends to draw on the concepts of validity and reliability. Text is condensed into fewer content-related categories.
Critical interpretive synthesis
(Dixon-Woods, 2006) [21]
Developed from meta-ethnography, it is an approach to the entire process of a review rather than just the synthesis component. It uses an iterative approach to refining the research question, the searching and selection of articles from the literature, and defining and applying codes and categories.
Cross-design synthesis
(Droitcour J, 1993) [22]
A form of meta-analysis, which allows the mixing of different quantitative research designs (e.g. randomized controlled trials and observational studies) and the pooling of evidence using modeling to estimate a 'true' effect of a policy or programme, conditional on both the design of the study and the characteristics of the relevant population
Ecological triangulation
(Banning, date unknown) [23]
Uses the concept of triangulation, in which phenomena are studied from a variety of vantage points. The method 'unpicks' the mutually interdependent relationships between behaviour, persons, and environments, and requires 'ecological sentences' to be formulated during synthesis: "With this intervention, these outcomes occur with these population foci and within these ages with these genders… and these ethnicities in these settings".
Framework synthesis
Offers a highly structured approach to organizing and analysing data (i.e., indexing using numerical codes, rearranging data into charts, etc) to handle the large volume of information resulting from qualitative research. It's distinct from other methods in that it utilises an 'a priori' framework informed by background material and team discussions to extract and synthesize findings (i.e., a deductive approach). The 'synthetic' product may be expressed in the form of a chart for each key dimension, which can be used to map the nature and range of the concept under study.
Grounded theory
(Strauss & Corbin, 1998) [26]
A primary research approach used as a method for qualitative sampling, data collection and analysis. It offers the 'constant comparative method' (the most widely used element of grounded theory) to be used to identify patterns and iterations in primary data. It is an inductive approach to analysis, allowing the theory to emerge from the data.
Interpretive Synthesis/Integrative synthesis
(Noblit and Hare (1988) [27]
Noblit and Hare (1988) distinguish between the approaches of 'interpretive'
and 'integrative' forms of synthesis which can be described as exploring the nature of the synthesis rather than its application. Interpretive synthesis combines evidence with an intent to develop new concepts and theories (interpretations).
(Noblit G & Hare R., 1988) [27]
A novel synthesis method aimed to uncover a new theory to explain the range of research findings encountered. It is a way of re-analysing and comparing the texts of published studies (rather than the original data of each) to produce a new interpretation. The approach involves induction and interpretation in which separate parts are brought together to forma a "whole" (i.e., looking for new theory or 'line of argument' to explain all the studies) so that the result is greater than the sum of its parts. The product is the translation of studies into one another, which encourages the researcher to understand and transfer ideas, concepts and metaphors across different studies.
(Weed, 2005) [28]
A method that follows an ideographic rather than pre-determined approach to the development of the following components: exclusion criteria, a focus on meaning in context, interpretations as raw data for synthesis, an iterative approach to the theoretical sampling of studies for synthesis, and a transparent audit trail demonstrating the trustworthiness of the synthesis
(Greenhalgh,2005) [29]
A method developed from the need to synthesize evidence to inform complex policy-making questions, and involves looking across different paradigms/research traditions to uncover their 'unfolding storyline" resulting in maps of 'meta-narratives' from which dimensions or themes can be revealed and distilled for the synthesis phase of the review.
(Paterson BL, 2001) [30]
A multi-faceted, interpretive approach to synthesis developed to study the experiences of adults living with a chronic illness, and consists of 3 components to be done prior to synthesis: meta-data-analysis, meta-method, and meta-theory. Collectively, these create a new interpretation accounting for the results of all three elements of analysis.
(Sandelowski M, 2003) [31]
A quantitatively oriented summary of qualitative findings (as opposed to data being transformed) developed to accommodate the distinctive features of qualitative surveys. The approach includes the extraction, grouping, and formatting of findings, and the calculation of frequency and intensity effect sizes, which can be used to produce mixed research syntheses and to conduct 'posteriori' analyses of the relationship between reports and findings. Meta-summaries can serve as a basis for a further synthesis.
(Sandelowski M, 1997) [32]
A method developed in response to concerns about the relevance and utility of qualitative research, and involves combining separate elements to form a coherent whole using a process of logical deduction. Its aims are to portray an accurate interpretation of a phenomenon and to compare and contrast the constructs of individual studies to reach consensus on a new construction of that phenomenon. It involves: identifying findings, grouping findings into categories and grouping categories into synthesised findings.
Mixed studies review
(Pluye, 2005, Pluye 2009; Sandelowski M, 2003 book) [33, 34, 35]
A literature review that simultaneously examines qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods primary studies to provide a greater understanding of a health issue than one type of research approach alone (including the process of searching, analysis and study quality appraisal).
Narrative review / Narrative summary
(Dixon-Woods M, 2005) [36]
An informal approach used to describe the selection, chronicling, and ordering of primary evidence to produce an account of the evidence with commentary and interpretation. It can 'integrate' qualitative and quantitative evidence through narrative juxtaposition (discussing diverse forms of evidence side by side). It is less concerned with assessing evidence quality and more focused on gathering relevant information that provides both context and substance to the authors' overall argument.
Narrative synthesis
(Popay J, 2006) [37]
Similar to "Narrative review", it involves an approach to evidence review but includes a formal analytical process of synthesis to generate new insights or knowledge by seeking to be systematic and transparent. It involves the 'simple' juxtaposition of findings from the studies included in the review and some element of integration or interpretation. There are 3 main elements to the process: developing a preliminary synthesis of the findings of included studies; exploring relationships in the data; and assessing the robustness of the synthesis product.
Qualitative cross-case analysis
Case studies are used to understand complex social phenomena. Research using a case study approach may be based on a single or multiple cases, and can include a mixture of qualitative and quantitative evidence.
Qualitative meta- synthesis
(Jensen & Allen 1996) [40]
Meta-synthesis attempts to integrate results from a number of different but inter-related qualitative studies. The technique has an interpretive, rather than aggregating, intent, in contrast to meta-analysis of quantitative studies. Qualitative meta- synthesis defined as theories, grand narratives, generalizations, or interpretive translations produced from the integration or comparison of findings from qualitative studies.
Qualitative systematic review / Qualitative evidence synthesis
(Grant 2009) [41]
Method for integrating or comparing findings from qualitative research. The method helps identify themes or constructs that lie in or across individual studies. The resulting accumulated knowledge may lead to the development of a new theory, an overarching "narrative" a wider generalization or "interpretative translation".
Quantitative case survey
A formal process for systematically coding data from a number of qualitative cases sufficient for quantitative analysis. A set of structured questions is used to extract data from individual case studies, which are then treated as observations within a single dataset. Data are then converted to quantitative form for statistical analysis. It is a way of turning qualitative studies into quantitative data for analysis, allowing an integrated qualitative-quantitative synthesis to be undertaken.
Realist review / synthesis
(Pawson 2005) [10]
Rooted in philosophy, this is a method used to investigate 'what works for whom, under what circumstances, and why'. Primary focus is on the causal mechanisms or "theories" that underlie types of interventions or programmes and aims to build explanations across interventions or programmes which share similar underlying "theories of change" as to why they work (or not) for particular groups in particular contexts.
Textual Narrative synthesis
(Lucas, 2007) [44]
An approach that arranges studies into more homogeneous groups, and useful for synthesizing different types of evidence (quantitative, qualitative, economic, etc). Study characteristics, context, quality and findings are reported according to a standard format, and similarities and differences are compared across studies
Thematic analysis
(Mays, 2005) [45]
The most common method adopted within 'Narrative reviews" to produce a relatively rudimentary synthesis of findings across the included studies. It involves identifying prominent or recurring themes in the literature (largely shaped by research questions), and summarizing the findings of different studies under thematic headings using summary tables, which can inform a description of key points.
Thematic synthesis
(Thomas, 2008) [46]
This approach combines and adapts approaches from both meta-ethnography and grounded theory. Free codes of findings are organized into 'descriptive' themes, which are then further interpreted to yield 'analytical' themes (comparable to 3rd order interpretations from meta-ethnography).
Some researchers have attempted to outline methods for the synthesis of qualitative [47] and mixed-methods research [36, 45] and to build a typology of such reviews [41], while others have highlighted methods for knowledge synthesis reviews to inform specific end-user targets such as for management and policy-making in the health field [45]. A recent overview by Gough and colleagues attempted to outline the differences between review designs and methods by describing the important conceptual and practical differences amongst them [8]. However, a comprehensive manual for all of the different synthesis methods (quantitative/qualitative or mixed), outlining how they are related and how to decide which methodology is the most appropriate for a particular research question does not currently exist. To our knowledge, the current study will be the first to describe an overall taxonomy of all existing types of knowledge synthesis methods, to characterise the differences between them, and to develop a strategy for knowledge users to be able to select the most appropriate method to answer their research questions.
The specific objectives of the current study are to: (1) to conduct a systematic search for knowledge synthesis methods across multi-disciplinary fields, such as health and philosophy; (2) compare and contrast the different knowledge synthesis methods; and, (3) map out the specific steps to conducting the knowledge synthesis methods, which will be used to inform the development of a knowledge synthesis methods manual/tool.
Search strategy
We will use the methodologically rigorous scoping review approach proposed by Arksey and O'Malley [48] to conduct a systematic search across the disciplines of health and philosophy. We will search the following electronic databases from inception onwards: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycInfo, the Cochrane Methodology Register, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Social Sciences Abstracts, LISA, Philosopher's Index, and ERIC. We will also perform targeted searches for grey literature (i.e., difficult to locate or unpublished material) by searching 1) Google, 2) relevant discipline-based listservs (e.g., CANMEDLIB, MEDLIB), and 3) the websites of agencies that fund or conduct knowledge synthesis (e.g., CIHR, Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Cochrane and Campbell Collaborations, Joanna Briggs Institute, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination).
The draft literature search for MEDLINE can be found in Additional file 1, which uses a combination of medical sub-headings (MeSH) and free text terms. It will be modified as necessary for the other databases. The search strategy will not be limited by study design, year or language of dissemination and will be peer reviewed by another information specialist using the Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS) checklist [49]. The literature search will be supplemented by scanning the reference lists of included studies, searching authors' personal files, and contacting methodological experts in each field.
Study selection: inclusion criteria
Study design: All study designs will be considered including qualitative and quantitative methods such as methodology reports; knowledge syntheses (including a description of the synthesis method); short reports describing the development, use, or comparison of methods for knowledge synthesis. Type of knowledge synthesis: We will focus on synthesis methods above and beyond traditional systematic reviews and exclude methods on economic analysis or clinical practice guidelines. Disciplines: Health: "A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" [50] (and thus includes the disciplines of psychology, education and sociology) and philosophy. These were selected because many of the knowledge synthesis methods originated from these disciplines (e.g., systematic review methods rooted in education and psychology; realist reviews based on philosophy).
Study selection: screening
Prior to commencing the screening process, a calibration exercise will be conducted to ensure reliability in correctly selecting articles for inclusion. It will entail independently screening a random sample of 5% of the included citations by two reviewers. Eligibility criteria will be modified if low agreement is observed between the reviewers (e.g., a kappa statistic less than 50%). The reviewers will then independently screen the remainder of the search results using a pre-defined relevance criteria form for all levels of screening (e.g., title and abstract, full-text review). Discrepancies will be resolved by discussion with a third reviewer.
Data abstraction
A data abstraction form will be tested independently by two reviewers on a random sample of 10 articles and revised iteratively, as needed. It is anticipated that the data items will include study characteristics (e.g., first author, year of publication) and characteristics related to the method (e.g., general description of the review method, discipline) (Additional file 1). Two investigators will independently read each article and extract the relevant data. Differences in abstraction will be resolved by discussion or the involvement of a third reviewer. We will not formally appraise methodological quality because the aim of a scoping review is to identify gaps in the evidence base and to target topic areas for future reviews.
Data analysis
Analysis plan and anticipated outputs for each of the 3 synthesis objectives
Synthesis objective
Questions to guide analysis
Anticipated outputs
1: To characterize the synthesis methodologies
We will categorize or 'chart' [47] the synthesis methodology reported in each of the included studies using specific questions to guide the analysis
1. What is a general description of the knowledge synthesis method?
· To identify 'x' articles that report a knowledge synthesis method and of these, 'y' articles used the subjective idealism approach in 'z' discipline.
2. What is the purpose of the knowledge synthesis method?
· A taxonomy of knowledge synthesis methods across multidisciplinary fields
o Categorization of the synthesis methods to reveal what research is available within specific disciplines
3.What is the epistemological approach of the method? Is it subjective idealism (i.e., there is no shared reality independent of multiple alternative human constructions) or objective idealism (i.e., there is a world of collectively shared understandings)?
4. Which discipline is the knowledge synthesis associated with (e.g., health, philosophy)?
5. What type of evidence can be synthesized by the knowledge synthesis method – quantitative, qualitative or mixed quantitative and qualitative?
6. How has the method been used to answer healthcare topics?
o Additional categories may be identified iteratively through completion of the search and in consultation with the team members including the knowledge users
2: To identify the similarities and differences between these methods
We will categorize articles that specifically address the similarities and differences between the knowledge synthesis methods by comparing the synthesis methodology reported in each of the included studies
1. What are the similarities and differences among the knowledge synthesis methods?
· An in-depth comparison of the review methods in a table including:
2. How does the method differ from 'traditional' systematic review methods?
i. The specific features of the method that make it more appropriate to answer a question
3. What is the minimum expertise required to implement the knowledge synthesis method? Are particular skills required? Is a particular disciplinary background recommended?
i. The facilitators and barriers to using one synthesis method over another (especially if more than one synthesis method may be appropriate to answer the same research question)
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each knowledge synthesis method?
5. How comprehensive is the knowledge synthesis method? Can it be used for the entire synthesis or only for a part of the synthesis (e.g., the analysis)?
6. How applicable is the method and how can it be applied to healthcare interventions?
3: To map out a process for conducting different synthesis methods and to provide an approach for matching the appropriate method to answer research questions
We will categorize key articles that explicitly explain the specific methodology of the knowledge synthesis method.
1. What are the specific steps to conducting the knowledge synthesis method?
· An algorithm to guide synthesis methodology (informed by findings from objective 2 and consultation with knowledge users)
2. Was the method empirically derived (i.e., through experiment and observation) or theoretically derived?
· The mapping of specific steps to conducting the review
· A bibliography of articles that describe how to conduct the different knowledge synthesis methods
3. Are the steps operationalized (i.e., reported in a reproducible manner)?
4. In what disciplinary fields and contexts are the steps operationalizable? Can they feasibly be applied to other contexts?
Engagement of knowledge users and KT plan
We have adopted an integrated KT approach to this project through the inclusion of knowledge users (i.e., systematic review methodologists, journal editors, review funders, policy makers, students and educators who teach knowledge synthesis methodology), who have been and will continue to be involved in every step of the process through to the reporting format and the methods for disseminating and implementing findings, drawing on Graham's Knowledge-to-Action (KTA) framework [51]. We plan to develop an active KT plan by: 1) identifying the key messages arising from this research project; 2) determining the principal target audiences for each of these messages; 3) seeking out the most credible messenger for these messages and engaging their interest in becoming involved in the communication of these messages; and 4) launching a KT strategy grounded in the best available research evidence. We will use a diverse range of approaches to disseminate the results of this review to the different stakeholder groups (including an interactive workshop that will bring together the key target audiences for our research). These strategies will ensure that the research continues to reflect the relevant needs of the end users of this information, and to facilitate appropriate dissemination of outputs.
Anticipated challenges
We foresee some potential challenges related to this scoping review. First, the yield of the literature search might be more extensive than anticipated—the team will work closely with the information specialist to ensure that the scope is manageable. Second, it might be challenging to categorize the knowledge synthesis methods accurately (e.g., distinguishing between quantitative/qualitative or mixed / hybrid approaches or those not formally categorized) and to appropriately match a research question with a synthesis method. However, we have a strong team with diverse experience in different research methods, and are planning to hold stakeholder meetings to iteratively receive in-depth feedback from our end users.
Anticipated products generated by the scoping review
Taxonomy for review methods
Health services researchers, trainees
Publish in relevant journals; present at relevant academic meetings (e.g. Cochrane Colloquium); provide the taxonomy online through the Knowledge Synthesis Network, KT Canada, Cochrane Collaboration, CIHR.
Algorithm for matching the synthesis question to the appropriate review method(s)
Health services researchers, trainees, publishers, journal editors, funders
Prepare summary document describing the algorithm that will be disseminated through publication in relevant journal(s). Provide the algorithm online through the Knowledge Synthesis Network, KT Canada, Cochrane Collaboration, CIHR.
Methods Manual
Health services researchers, funders, publishers, and policy makers, and trainees
Develop online methods manual outlining the different review methods to be available as a series of articles, a set of powerpoint slides, and podcasts. We will also explore making these available as a book and have had preliminary discussions with Wiley Blackwell about this topic. Create an online systematic review course.
Review Course
Researchers and trainees
Create an online systematic review course to provide instruction in the methods for completing less traditional knowledge synthesis.
Conducting a scoping review of available knowledge synthesis methods across multi-disciplinary fields will help funders, publishers, policy-makers, researchers, teachers, and students make informed decisions about the most appropriate synthesis method to answer research questions about complex evidence, and provide the opportunity to elicit findings directly informing practice and policy decisions.
The study was funded by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Knowledge Synthesis grant. MK holds a CIHR Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship, ACT a CIHR/DSEN new investigator award, and SES a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Knowledge Translation.
We thank Drs. Jeremy Grimshaw, David Moher, and Peter Tugwell, who provided their support and expertise in knowledge synthesis methods and knowledge translation on this protocol.
Supplementary material
Copyright information
This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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subset: commoncrawl


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304 Laurel Street, Santa Cruz CA, 95060
Sold Price:
1 bed , 1 Full baths
595 sqft
Status: Sold
Listing Provided Courtesy Of: Realty Of California
Real Living Premier Realty
Last Updated: 5/24/2017 4:23 PM
Description for 304 Laurel Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Fixer upper. Near downtown, shopping, restaurants, and activities. One car garage, small yard.
Sold Price:
Sold Date:06/25/2015
Santa Cruz
1 Full
595 (approx)
Fixer upper. Near downtown, shopping, restaurants, and activities. One car garage, small yard.
Listing Information
Concrete Perimeter
Public Water Service
School Information
Room Information
Sound/Recording Studio
No Laundry Facility
Interior Features
Grill Built-in, Gas Range/Cooktop, None
Hardwood, Laminate, Hardwood Laminate
Electric Heating
Exterior / Lot Features
1 Garage Spaces, 1 Parking Spaces, No Parking
No Fence
BBQ, Stable
Financial Considerations
Listing Price History
Santa Cruz Real Estate
Santa Cruz is located in California. Santa Cruz, California 95060 has a population of 64,220.
The median household income in Santa Cruz, California 95060 is $61,533. The median household income for the surrounding county is $66,923 compared to the national median of $53,482. The median age of people living in Santa Cruz 95060 is 28.8 years.
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Sacred Paradox: Christmas Memior
There's supposed to be snow—fluffy, white, snowman-building snow, and just enough chill in the air that we can see our breath as we carol, tromping through the snow up the pristine pathways, haloed in 5 watt twinkling lights, a Technicolor rainbow of randomly blinking bluesredsgreensyellowsand sometimes orange, silhouetting the steps as we leave Sasquatch prints.
And the nervous moment before people sing dissolves into flawless harmony, the words flowing as if channeling the angel chorus, with no discussion of the right words or the proper key—we just know.
Everyone is Home, regardless where home is. Cousins from Colorado, uncles from Arkansas, shirt-tail relatives from the far-flung unknown—they all descend Home, filling the spare beds, backpacks and overnight bags spilling out of spare bedrooms, children huddled in sleeping bags after giggling through the night until grumpy, tired adults finally yelled the right combinations of threats to induce sleep. The rest of the year, the house is small, but the magical properties of Christmas spill people throughout the downstairs.
And always, music. From the ridiculous to the sublime, from Grandma getting the tar stomped out of her by rampaging reindeer, to the dulcet flute voices of boy choirs admonishing us to fall on our knees and hear the angles' voices. Cooking, cleaning, playing, gossiping—all wrapped up in the counterpoint of both the secular and the sacred, an integral intertwining creating the seasonal tapestry.
It takes several days for everyone to gather, days of snowmen and sledding, wrapping and baking. Grandma interrupts games to make protesting kids do dishes, or carry chairs or blankets or groceries to be put away. The grownups are always in the kitchen, cooking or cleaning and talking—distant relatives' health problems, gossip they heard at prayer meeting, anything, usually talking all at once until Grandpa entered the room to make mashed potatoes. Every supper had to have mashed potatoes, and only Grandpa could make them right. We'd spend hours peeling potatoes, cutting out the eyes, the herd of boy cousins flicking the peels at us squealing girls til Grandma would shake her peeler at them, saying, "Now, now, kids, don't do like that." And the boys would mimic Grandma till she'd join in the laughing.
Supper would last for hours, with cousins and aunts and neighbors dropping in and out, taking a seat vacated by someone moments before. Even we kids knew better than to try to end the meal early. Grandma was relentless about assigning jobs, and standing up when everyone else was sitting was a sure-fire way to have to carry or scrape something. We'd play games after we finished eating, Sorry or Parcheesi—two games that God apparently approved of, because decks of cards, just like alcohol and bad words, were never found in Grandpa's house.
The kids' table was in the laundry room, filled to the brim by the Post-war baby boom. Eleven grandkids within seven years: Sheryl, Kris, Rick, Gary, me, Tony, Jeff, Kelly, Diana, and toddlers Julie and Timmy; later, Emmy, Matt, Marty, Josh, Samantha, and Ben came along—that's the lineup. Years later, at Grandpa's funeral, we fell into place without even being told; we'd trained at the kids' table, holiday after holiday. Sheryl, unusually reserved and mature, graduated to the adult table before her 11th birthday; I'm still waiting for an invite—but I'm less eager since I realized that having a space at the table is dependant on someone else no longer needing it. I'd rather sit in the laundry room, bidding my time and listening to the grownups drone on.
And every night, singing. Grandma always had an old maid friend or a lonely widow who would love to have the whole herd of us tromp up to their door, a warm plate of cookies in one hand as we sing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing"—which was a far better song for walking up a dark, snowy path than "Silent Night" or "What Child Is This." Neither of those songs could be adequately rendered by a marching troop of atonal tots—the musical level we attained most nights.
Late one afternoon, after all the kids from all the corners of our family gathered, we entouraged to the gingerbread hut with the twinkling lights where Santa came especially to hear what we wanted for Christmas. We'd be ushered in by pointy-eared elves, past the reindeer parked at the side of the outpost munching hay, past the teeny white chapel where pictures of all Van Wert's WWII veterans, with gold crosses on select pictures of forever young boys like Uncle Maynard, into Santa's throne room--festooned with candy canes, tinsel, holly, and lights, lots of twinkling lights. Our wiggling herd never got to sit on Santa's lap, instead staying behind the red and green rope. Santa was always on the verge of catching a cold, and didn't want to infect us; it'd be a shame to miss Christmas in bed with pneumonia like a kid he knows in Duluth, Santa solemnly warned us.
Our wishes were always benign and predictable: dolls, trains, bikes--when we were older, musical instruments, sweaters, Monkee albums. My cousin Gary, always looking for an angle, knew that asking for a new Bible "since he'd worn out the old one" was a good plan. Santa seriously quizzed Gary about his devoutness, and Gary, able to lie with the innocent face of a choir boy, would insist that he was daily inspired by the story of Daniel in the lion den. After we each had our moment to talk with Santa, we'd sing for him, "Deck the Halls" or "Hark the Herald Angels Sang"--lively songs, ones where enthusiasm mattered more than intonation. Gary had another distinction; he was the first of all of us to say aloud what all but the littlest cousins knew--Grandpa's twinkling blue eyes were the ones above the real hair artificial beard. Not one of us ever told Grandpa we knew. His double life was an open secret in Van Wert, and each of us grandkids went through a phase where we half-believed that the cupboard door of Grandpa's insurance office opened into Santa's workshop, where he spent his mornings handing to-do lists to elves and taste-testing cookies from Mrs. Claus' bakery.
Then, endless supper, caroling, bedtime—leading into The Day, or rather, The Night.
Christmas Eve was the apex of our celebration; the next day a mere footnote to the festivities. A flurry of baking, cooking, ham, turkey, potato salad; after pancakes for breakfast, no real meals were cooked all day; as silently as snowfall, we would sneak past the aunts and mothers and Grandma to grab stray brownies and slivers of ham, staving off hunger until the Feast. If we slipped up, being sighted by a eagle-eyed aunt, we'd suffer: the to-do list was endless, dusting, moving chairs, shoveling.
As the daylight faded, the little girls donned their "gay apparel," our best dresses--not new for Christmas, though, because Santa hadn't come yet. Black patent leather shoes, festive headbands, and those cable-knit sweater tights--it would be cold out. The boys rebelled, hair slicked down and ties clipped on. Christmas Eve was not casual when I was a child. After the daddies got there, workday finally finished, children buffed and polished, the waiting started. Adults leisurely drank coffee as the nosey kids--my little sisters, Gary, and Kelly--began smelling and shaking the packages under the tree. Once in a while: excitement! The year my Great-Grandma Winnie made all the girls powder mitts, the packages reeked of flowery talcum, and Gary and Kelly, red-eyed and sneezing, denied they had been near the tree. My grandma, leaning close to the little boys, set them to cleaning the ice off the front steps after she smelled the powdery rose cloud around their hair.
Finally. the show starts. The mothers come into the lining room: "Get your coats, hurry, now, we can't take forever." Mittens and scarves and coats fly through the air, and we tumble out the front door and slide into back seats of bulky Fords and fin tailed Thunderbirds. It's time for church.
The hushed, candle-lit sanctuary hushes even the most anxious child. The excitement radiates from our faces, with red-headed Kris flushed as a shiny bulb as he tries to set a good example for the youngest kids. Fingers wiggle silently, because tapping toes or wiggly bodies would be too obvious. The organ starts, "Joy to the World!" Old people for rows around smile and nod at the obvious zest the Jerome grandkids have as the sing, and we rush the pace slightly, as much to hurry the service as from enthusiasm about the birth of Baby Jesus. A few scriptures, some more songs, communion. Release. We know better than to rush out; even the most impatient cousin shakes the minister's hand and trills "Merry Christmas" to everyone they see.
The evening is just beginning, by the children's reckoning, but the adults prolong the excitement, realizing that the night goes too fast, and we're only allotted so many special times, magical moments, in our lives. The aunts and uncles and grandparents, they understand the two-step waltz that takes them close, then whisks them back--and that once the music fades, then stops--the concert's over. The children, caught in the wild dance, can't imagine the rhythm will ever falter.
So we eat. Ham, turkey, potatoes, cranberry sauce. Cookies, fudge, pie. Even the mothers don't pay attention to nutrition; on Christmas eve, brownies could be a main dish, with fudge and candy canes as the veggie and fruit. This meal isn't relaxed, though--even though we didn't say anything about the Main Event, we all knew.
Loud bells jingling! Bombastic HoHoHo's shook the house! The kids yelled and rushed to the front door, knowing that Santa had finally landed in Van Wert. Show Time!
The velvet suit was always freshly pressed, the black boots shiny. If he'd been traipsing about roofs and chimneys, he was magically neat about it--but we weren't about to debate with Santa about what he said he'd been doing all evening.
Santa would HoHoHo his way to the chair beside the tree, and greet each child individually, knowing a bit about our successes and trials since he'd seen us last year. The youngest would sit on his lap, and stare, excited that Santa was at grandma's house, knowing that some of the packages came directly from the North Pole just for them. Grandma or Uncle David would comment on how sad it was that Grandpa was still at church helping clean up, "missing you again this year, Santa. Maybe next time." Santa would solemnly nod, and say he had some special presents just for Grandpa, and he sure hoped someone would make certain they were delivered. There were always willing volunteers.
Mayhem followed. Santa handed out each present. Some families are slow and reverent while unwrapping, each person having their moment. Not us. Not with six sets of parents, anywhere from 11 to 20 or so grandkids--Christmas eve was chaos, with a soundtrack of "Silent Night" blaring ironically in counterpoint to the rampant present-opening.
We had Santa's uninterrupted attention, but only for a short time. After the packages, he'd hug the littlest ones, and sometimes Grandma, then--amid loud "Merry Christmases" and admonitions to be careful on icy roof tops, Santa would disappear into the dark. Shortly after, we might catch the hint of sleigh bells on the roof, then...coffee. The daddies always seemed to need coffee while the kids played with new toys.
There was more, some dessert, sleepy, overexcited kids getting a bit fussy--finally, mothers bundling us up as we pleaded for one more chance to play with the new toy. "Tomorrow," we heard. Some cousins, those with other grandparents, other cousins--they would be somewhere else tomorrow. My sisters and I, though, would have left-over ham and day old pie, my orphaned father not providing us with another family to celebrate with. The car ride home, we'd softly sing with the carols playing on the AM radio station, stars twinkling, Dad singing flawless harmony as Mom took the melody. The cacaphony of the evening dissolved into a zen-like trance as our piled-high Ford drove back home.
I never suffered the loss of innocence many kids have when the hymen of tissue paper and glitter is torn. Christmas is a sacred paradox, the conundrum for the faithful. Within every Santa suit, I see my grandfather's' twinkling blue eyes and hear his deep HoHoHo; grandpa: the church deacon, the lay preacher, the town Santa for 30 odd years. As I enter the sanctuary at this Holy season, I hum about a misfit Reindeer who saves the day; as I max out my credit cards, engaging in conspicuous consumerism, I sing with the angels as the herald the infant's birth. I love the sacred paradox of celebrating the blessed, silent nativity with blaring songs and flashing lights. We choose belief, as we become cynical and jaded, the ability to believe peels off us in stages, til jsut a shadow of Santa flickers, just a hope that somehow, we can blow of the embers in hope that we can again believe with the passion of a child.


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Hey, I'm goldthunder!
apparently that's not my name, sooo..
Just call me A!
One letter, no more, no less. Hehehe
Okay, about me :
I like music.
I like smileys
I like watching thunder
I like listening to other's problem and keep it as a secret, hehehe
I'm just an ordinary teenager who loooove the person in my profile picture! Waaah!!!
Thank you for reading this or my book, I really appreciate it
I'll be happy to be your friend, so, if you found this account, just private message me if you want.
It's okay, don't be shy, hehehe
See ya! :D
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goldthunder Mar 28, 2012 11:44PM
Hey friends :D I'm coming back. But i'm here just for my bud, @dipsylaalaa . Maybe you can check her works if you have time :D And you can talk to her too.. She's a nice person :D Thank you!!View all Conversations
Story by GoldThunder
- 1 Published Story
The Hated Who Is Loved [Beware : Include BoyxBoy] Teen Fiction
150 0 1
This is a story for you who don't feel being loved. Also for you who feel that you are "The Hated". And also for you who hate yourself. Listen to me, You are just wrong!
1 Reading List


text:
Sorry folks for the lack of posts. I am still busy building the new website. In fact this will probably be the final post under the old look before Geek Alabama moves to a newly designed site! Anyways, for this post I wanted to talk about a Kickstarter project someone e-mailed me about. This project is about the outdoor environment and uses some creative animal hand puppets to tell the story!
Falafel's garden is a rhyming children's book about gardening, cooking, and forgiveness. A clumsy, yoga-loving llama, a socially anxious sheep, and an epicurean horse come together in this endearing, yet humorous tale of the trials of friendship. Written in anapestic tetrameter, the rhythm of the book will be sure to delight readers of all ages!
Falafel the Llama, Baxter the Horse, and Griswold the Sheep are the characters in the children's book. Fluffmonger wrote brief story lines for them and painted 'pop-up' scenery for them to live in. From the moment they created them, they knew they deserved more than a few sentences for their stories. The book will be printed on 100% recycled paper in the US, and the plushes will be made in their studio using hand dyed organic fabrics, organic thread, and organic buckwheat hulls.
This project will close on Thursday, October 6th. For a pledge of $25 will get a copy of the book, coloring pages, and a pesto recipe card. For a pledge of $130, you will get a signed copy of the book, one of the three handmade plush animals, and more! To learn more and to pledge money, go to: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1063630813/falafels-garden-eco-friendly-childrens-book-and-pl/description


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You are here > Home > Baseball Newsstand > Baseball Primer Newsblog > Discussion
Baseball Primer Newsblog
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand
Monday, September 24, 2001
Glove story (9/23/2001)
I'm guessing we've all had that baseball glove we loved.
Sean Forman Posted: September 24, 2001 at 10:40 AM | 1 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
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Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.1. Eugene Posted: September 24, 2001 at 07:20 PM (#72845)
Great story, except for the brains.
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The final days of spring training, in just about any major-league clubhouse, leave the same questions to be handled: Who will get the final bench spot? Who will the fifth starter be? How about the long reliever? While the final edges of the map are being filled in, those at the center of it are biding their time until Opening Day.
John Lannan was doing that on Wednesday, and he did it quite well. The Nationals' Opening Day starter allowed three hits and two runs, neither of which was earned, in five innings of a 9-6 win over the Cardinals. He needed just 59 pitches to get that far, and finished the spring with a 2.91 ERA.
"I'm ready to get out of spring training. I'm ready to go," Lannan said. "I'm ready to get out there and start getting the crowd, where you've got a little more pressure. This is great to get ready, but I think it's about that time to head up north."
The rest of Lannan's teammates didn't look quite as ready as he did, at least in the field; the Nationals made four errors, including two by new shortstop Ian Desmond and one on a scary play when right fielder Willie Harris chased down a liner in right, only to overrun it and hit his head when he reached back for it and fell. But Washington tagged Adam Wainwright, who was third in last year's Cy Young vote, for five runs on 10 hits.
On with the awards for today:
Golden Geese
John Lannan: His fastball command was back after giving up four runs in 5 2/3 innings his last time out. Lannan got 10 groundouts to just three flyouts, and would have pitched a shutout if not for the errors. "Just because it's the last game of spring training, you want that momentum to carry into the season," he said.
Cristian Guzman: He went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run, falling a homer short of the cycle. Guzman looked awkward at second base the first time he tried to turn a double play there, but made a turn at second base on one later in the game and started another with Ian Desmond. He's hitting .326 this spring.
Josh Willingham: With a 2-for-4 day, including a run and RBI, Willingham is hitting .349 this spring, and has driven in 10 runs.
Goose Eggs
Matt Capps: The closer gave up another two runs on three hits while walking two in 2/3 of an inning, and his spring ERA is 8.44. It's not the walks that signal an unsettling trend with Capps -- he only walked 17 batters in 54 1/3 innings last year, and walked a mere five batters the year before. It's the fact he hasn't been able to get the ball down in the zone most of the spring. "It didn't work out the way I wanted, but it's not something I'm going to lose sleep over," Capps said. "Physically, I feel good. I felt like the ball was coming out of my hand pretty good. I just couldn't throw it where I wanted to."
Willie Harris: He went 1-for-3, walked twice, scored a run and drove in another run. He's hitting .342 this spring. But Harris gets a Goose Egg because he's probably going to have one on his head in the morning. He endured a scary moment in the first inning when he tore across the field to chase a fly ball, only to reach back when he realized he'd overran it, fall and hit his head. Harris was down near the warning track for a few minutes, but stayed in the game. So maybe he gets a Golden Goose for perseverance, but a Goose Egg for his health.
Jesse English: Manager Jim Riggleman has been trying to get the reliever in a game against more talented hitters, but English pitched against a lineup of scrubs again on Wednesday when he entered the game in the eighth inning. And he struggled, allowing two hits and one run. He's still fighting to make the team, though, and could get a chance to make an impression in a middle-inning appearance sometime in the next three days.
What to watch:
Mike Morse is coming back at the plate, going 2-for-4 on Wednesday and continuing to surge after a nasty flu bug put him in a mid-spring slump. He made an error at first, but is likely to make the team and see time in right field as well as several other spots.
But the other thing to watch will be how Capps moves forward. Remember, he's coming off the worst year of his career, and though he said he feels fine, he's struggled with location all spring. "He's as prepared as he can be, but he didn't get the ball down," Riggleman said. "But his velocity has picked up." That doesn't mean much if Capps isn't hitting his location better. Brian Bruney has outpitched Capps most of the spring, and if that continues into the season, the closer's job could become a group effort.
Up next:
The Nationals head to Port St. Lucie to face the Mets in a noon start -- which allows them to get on the road a little sooner before heading to Fort Myers on Friday for a game against the Red Sox. Tomorrow will be my last game of the spring; I head home Friday morning before the exhibition at Nationals Park on Saturday. But I'll have a live thread for you at noon.
Today's live thread is here, and audio from the day is here. Talk to you tomorrow!


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High water coming raising water levels 500 cfs per day til peak of 10,800. Jet boat pulled til water recedes
Slight chance of rain means cloud cover which should bring out mayflies. Look for clear to stained water all week.
Should be awesome fishing as the water warms up a bit
Excellent! Shad are beginning to spawn and topwater action should be starting any day now.
Road is open, time to head up to the high country!
water levels are dropping, but still high. With forecasted rain and high overnight lows this week, expect the river to keep rising.
Seems like the fish that are here are settling in as long as the strong easterlies stay away
more fish moving in each day
We should have a few days for the streams to recede but 80% chance of rain and storms on Sunday and Monday.
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Passion - Jerry
Ellie grabbed my shirt and pulled me into another perfect kiss.
Her lips moulded beautifully into mine, sending spurts of pleasure running through every inch of my being.
It was incredible, so so so incredible.
I pressed her ever closer into me, pushing her being into mine.
She moved her hand and placed it at the back of my head, running her fingers through my hair.
We were unaware to everything around us, the fight between that new person, Jade and Ethan, and we only pulled away to breathe.
Just amazing.
I can't remember the last time we had loved like this.
I can't remember the last time we had let this much passion out.


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At its heart the HS20 uses a 1/2.3-inch, 16-megapixel EXR CMOS sensor – exactly the same one that's used in the Fujifilm F550 EXR travel compact. This chip benefits from being backside-wired, an arrangement that allows more light to reach the individual photo diodes, thereby increasing the performance of the sensor in low-light. In addition, it also benefits from Fuji's EXR sensor technology that employs a triple-layer pixel array, which allows the sensor to optimise for resolution, sensitivity or dynamic range, depending on the scene it's faced with.
Still images can be recorded at a maximum 4608 x 3456 pixels in the default 4:3 aspect, with further options to record at 8MP and 4MP at 4:3. Other aspect options include 3:2 up to a maximum 14MP resolution of 4608 x 3072 pixels and 16:9 up to a maximum 12MP at 4608 x 2592 pixels. In addition to Fine and Normal JPEG quality settings the HS20 can also be set to record images as lossless Raw files (.RAF format) or even Raw JPEG.
This 16MP EXR sensor is backed up by Fuji's multi-core EXR image processor that allows for some seriously speedy shooting in both stills and video mode. Indeed, high-speed shooting has become something of a trademark of Fuji superzooms in recent years, and while the HS20's more densely populated sensor prevents it from reaching the dizzying speeds of its predecessor (owing to the larger files it generates) it's still capable of an impressive 8fps continuous shooting at full 16MP resolution, rising to 11fps at 8MP.
Movies get the same high-speed treatment too, with the ability to record VGA-resolution movies at 80fps, QVGA-resolution movies at 160fps, or even 320 x 112-pixel movies at 320fps – all of which will play back in varying degrees of slow-motion on a computer or compatible device. If you'd prefer to opt for quality over speed then the HS20 duly obliges with a maximum 1920 x 1080p Full HD movies at 30fps, or 720p HD movies at 60fps.
As per the Taking advantage of this speed, the HS20 offers an above average range of bracketing options – from standard exposure bracketing to film simulation and dynamic range bracketing too.
As is the norm with advanced superzoom models, the HS20 offers the regular quartet of semi- and fully manual shooting modes: Program, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority and Manual (PASM). Looking further around the dial there's also an Automatic (scene recognition) point-and-shoot mode, along with 17 individual Scene mode options – two of which can be assigned direct-access points on the shooting mode dial.
In addition to these standard options, the HS20 also offers two Advanced shooting modes, along with three EXR-specific modes. While these modes do have their benefits they all produce images at a lower overall resolution than the standard shooting modes, up to a maximum 8MP.
Turning first to the Advanced shooting modes: the portrait-orientated Pro Focus mode and the noise-reducing Pro Low-Light mode. Both options take advantage of the camera's high-speed shooting abilities by taking multiple exposures in quick succession with a single shutter press before combining them to produce images with a shallower depth of field (Pro Focus mode) or less noise (Pro Low-Light mode).
On the other hand, the three EXR shooting options – High Resolution, Dynamic Range Priority and High ISO & Low Noise – all exploit the characteristics of Fuji's proprietary sensor to achieve their goals.
The first of these, High Resolution, uses the full 16-megapixels to deliver images that can be blown up to poster-sized prints. The Dynamic Range Priority option, meanwhile, optimises the camera for better results in high-contrast scenes, while the High ISO & Low Noise mode offers greater sensitivity and improved results in low-light conditions. If you're not sure which one to use, the camera can be set to choose the right setting automatically.
Rounding off the HS20's range of shooting modes is the Motion Panorama option that allows you to create 120, 180 or 360-degree panoramas with a single button press by simply panning the camera in a preset direction. As far as panoramic technology goes, we find the Fuji option to be only slightly behind Sony's excellent Sweep Panorama in terms of overall image quality and ease of use. These two are currently way out in front at the moment – other manufacturers have some distance to make up.
Fujifilm FinePix HS Series HS20EXR 16.0MP Digital Camera$130.50 View Item
Fujifilm FinePix HS Series HS20EXR 16.0 MP Digital Camera - Black (HS20EXR)$120.00 View Item
FUJI FinePix HS20EXR 16 Megapixel 30x OPT ZOOM FULL HD Digital Camera Black$199.99 View Item
Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR 16.0 MP Digital Camera [Exc+++] From Japan [794]$177.00 View Item
Fuji FinePix HS 20 EXR , NEW NEVER USEDAU$310.00 View Item
This is in no way an Advanced Compact. Apertures are better, sensors are healthier in size and density, Image Quality is superior, and more, on an Advanced Compact, (Canon S95, Canon G12, Olympus XZ-1, Panasonic LX5, Samsung EX1 and more besides), than on this Superzoom.
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text:
Government desperately wants to mobilise pension fund money to invest in infrastructure but seems unable or unwilling to take the steps to make it happen. Months of negotiations with and between the funds have produced an outline for a small scheme which might mobilise one or two billion pounds. It is a start but nothing like what is needed.
There is another way. Anthony Mayer is chairman of the biggest London-based public-sector fund, the £4bn London Pensions Fund Authority. But there are 34 other local authority funds in London, so he told his members on Tuesday how LPFA was trying to get them all to merge into one. This he says would create a £25bn-£30bn fund which would not only be significantly less costly to run, but would be big enough to have its own infrastructure fund.
But progress is slow because turkeys rarely vote for Christmas, even if it is a good idea. It badly needs political support to push it through. But thus far there has been little sign of it.Reuse content


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text:
Disclaimer – I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The prequel to this is FOUR AVATARS: Banishment. That is more of a setting up of things more then anything else. I'll recap in the prolog here.
FOUR AVATARS II: Awakening
FOUR AVATARS II: Awakening
Water… earth… fire… air… there used to be very many tales told in my tribe of the old days, when things where much different and things were in balance. This was before my father left the Southern lands, before my mother died, back to the time when my grandmother was a child, if not before. That was when all the nations had hope.
These tales told of a balance kept by the four Avatars, a cycle that went continuously through each of the kingdoms, though at times shortly overlapping. There were the Air Avatar, the Fire Avatar, the Earth Avatar and the Water Avatar, which were at this time in that order, the first cycle, second cycle, third cycle and forth cycle of.
Grandmother liked to describe the cycle of the Avatar's like a clay pot that was forged cylindrically and then twisted slightly so that the top was three quarters around the circle from where it started, though sometimes a little bit off. The first cycle of the Avatar represents hope, the second strength, the third knowledge, and the last one, luck.
In our world, we had these four Avatar's taking care of us, protecting us. Then, all of a sudden, the Avatar's just disappeared one day. That was when the Fire Nation began to strike against all the other nations, bringing into everyone's life, despair. But I still hope that all of this turmoil will eventually come to be fixed.
~ Katara
Water… earth… fire… air… that list the current roster for the Avatars when they were last seen. They just up and disappeared a hundred years ago. Their names were Lyto of the Northern Water Tribe, Fumi of the Earth Kingdom, Kuzon of the Fire Nation, and Aang of the Air Nomads.
The circulation of the Avatars is like a clay vessel, twisted three-quarters of the way around. If one were to twist it to far one way, it all would break and shatter. This is what would have happened when the current Fire Lord Ozai found Kuzon and killed him, and the second was to be born into the Air Nomads.
This wasn't because of the fact that they were all gone, but the fact that it would have disturbed the whole pattern disastrously. Thus, the second had to be born into the Fire Nation again. To be expected, certain changed would slightly occur as to keep the pattern of the Avatar vessel in shape.
The former Fire Lord Azulon had no clue as to what his youngest son had done, at least for the most part. He had not clue that Ozai knew ever since he killed the one named Kuzon, who Kuzon would be reborn as. He wished with all his heart for this person to die in birth, or to be killed after birth, as it would reveal likely his crime.
Or perhaps it wouldn't… but it is the only logical explanations why Ozai would treat someone or something with such disdain, or how Ozai came to be so dark minded to lose all interest in anything but power. Kuzon has told me, when he has been able, that he doesn't understand why Ozai killed him.
It can be understood that there is confusion with Kuzon, as unlike the other times that the Avatar's are reborn, he wasn't born as a separate entity, like Avatar Aang and Avatar Ruko, but as one being, being blocked off by his second half. And might I add that the two are so similar, I find it quite funny… as does Kuzon… but not his second half.
Kuzon has his second half's memories, but his second half is trying to block of his first half completely. It is sort of like a split personality, yet not, as they are the same person at all times… it is just that Kuzon can't always come forth. But as to what Kuzon is confused about…
Kuzon wonders why his other half is so loyal to Ozai. He wonders why his 'father' killed him and then maimed him, yes… in that exact order. This would mean that Kuzon is the same person as my nephew… ironically. Kuzon I believe… reflects what Zuko may truly realize but just doesn't want to. And by forcing them separate, there may be repercussions' later on.
How do I know Zuko is the second Avatar, our Fire Avatar? There were small signs from when he was younger, but I also took him to take the test, which he passed, by selecting the correct weapons from a huge group. Of course… it could be said that I was trying trickery just like some of the others out there.
But I wasn't… Zuko picked each and everyone exactly, not knowing the true reason for him being there. He does not know yet what I do know. He does not know that if it comes out that he is the second cycle, that his life is in jeopardy, perhaps not through death, but at least through loss of his freedom. Perhaps this is for the best, or perhaps the worst.
~ Iroh
Author's note – There… the recap told from Katara's perspective, then Iroh's. I originally wanted to do it with just Katara, like she does in the first few episodes of the show, however… I found her view point was going to be quite limited, so I added in Iroh. Feel free to ask questions.
Author's note – There… the recap told from Katara's perspective, then Iroh's. I originally wanted to do it with just Katara, like she does in the first few episodes of the show, however… I found her view point was going to be quite limited, so I added in Iroh. Feel free to ask questions.


text:
Even the wind is afraid to rustle the leaves on this Haunted Tree Adult Costume. Strike terror into the hearts of children, and anyone else who dares even bark in your direction. Who wooden love to stump their close friends and relatives by hiding in the yard, and then, without warning, grabbing their limbs?
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text: "I say that you turn 50 and there's things you really want to do and you better do them because if you don't do them, you might not have time or be able to do them."For Gary Roberts of Seattle, Washington, the "thing" he wanted to do was take a bike ride to visit his sister. 2 months later, he's due to arrive at her house. "My sister Carol Ann lives in Old Town, Maine," says Roberts, "I haven't seen her in about 15 years and I'm happy to say I'll be having lobster with her and her husband and my wife tonight."Robert's wife Ellen joined him in Buffalo New York. The two biked to Niagra Falls and celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary."It's made me understand what his days have been like the past 75 days," says Ellen Kaise, Robert's wife, "but now I see what it's like and I see why he would want to do it."In addition to his wife, Roberts says no trip would be complete without a first mate. In this case he's speaking of Brindle, the family dog. Ronerts has been pulling Brindle the entire way in a carrier that attaches to his bicycle."She's 15-and-a-half," says Roberts of his first mate, "she's the family dog and having a mate, even though you have to pull the mate, is great."A 3000 mile bike ride does have some advantages."In a sort of sly way I really enjoyed eating my way across the country," says Roberts, "when you bicycle all day, you burn up 5-to-6000 calories a day, you can just eat, and eat, and eat, it's just great." Some of his favorite things to munch on during his trip? "Ice cream is high on the list, gotta have the carbohydrates so a lot of pizza, a lot of pasta, I like the donuts and the milkshakes, all the good stuff."For roberts and his wife, they've had an inside look at the country few will ever experience. "The country is a huge country and it's full of very wonderful people, I've had nothing but really good experiences, positive experiences, people have helped me, of all the bad things you might hear and see on the news and read, the country really is a wonderful country."Anyone who would like to see photos from Gary Robert's cross country trip are invited to see his [email protected]


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Hong Kong McDonald's have just released a whopping 'Batman Burger' and we want one BAD.
The burger comes as part of their new Justice League limited edition meals and according to website Grub Street, the full Batman meal comes equipped with: squeezy cheesy fries and sparking green apple tea. Damn.
When are Hong Kong going to stop showing off with their fast food? The UK are lightyears behind anyhting they do.
We need this burger and its companions over here ASAP. That is all. Oh, and enjoy the packaging too…