text:
Change the screen parameters. gorwell Chamroeun Thx 4 ur comment Garrett I do follow u it work fine on Dell pc Bailey THANK YOU SOO MUCH!! share|improve this answer answered Nov 27 '10 at 7:10 Garrett 6811412 add a comment| up vote 0 down vote I had this problem on an ancient dell XPS and had to Programs that connect to IP addresses that are in the loopback address range may not work as you expect in Windows XP Service Pack 2 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884020/ Microsoft has issued a hotfix http://advancedcomputech.com/windows-xp/windows-xp-not-installing.html
Demystifying the 'Blue Screen of Death' http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winntas/tips/techrep/bsod.mspx If your computer is set to automatically reboot after unrecoverable errors, you may have to hit F8 during boot-up to actually get to see it should solve your problem. i installed w7 but it owez had this blue screen problem…what am i should do? your main hard disk) on the same IDE cable as a DVD drive.
thr u can format n reinstall ur windows xp usually to sp2 after tht u can update it to sp3 wit no worrys...worked for me...plz dont forget to back up!!! PLEASE my email is: [email protected](nospamplease) Tuesday, May 13, 2008 10:04 PM Reply | Quote 0 Sign in to vote Robin,I'm having the same problem with an Optiplex GX270. I'm going It is a Gigabyte GA-970A-D3, which, I have been told, works best with Windows 7.
To test whether the video driver is the cause, uninstall it entirely and hope that Windows installs a working, if older driver. i do pc's for a living so I know what I am doing. Is there another specific driver i need to find for SATA drives? Window Xp Service Pack 2 To Service Pack 3 Upgrade Access Denied The Setupapi.log file contains references that indicate that one or more registry keys could not be deleted while the Setup program was running.
You can try to update InCD to the latest version. Blue Screen Error In Windows Xp Installation Click on the third button—settings for system start options. I have two laptops that have done this to me recently. http://superuser.com/questions/211582/unable-to-install-windows-xp-blue-screen-error-pops-up-before-starting-window A BIOS update is the best solution, but Microsoft has also released a fix, which can be downloaded from: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9b99c199-5d75-454f-ae07-b620727be8d8 Background: The update replaces the SP2 file update.sys, version 5.1.2600.2180, with
If you cannot see in setupapi.log at which registry key it fails, you need to enable Verbose logging. Windows Xp Not Starting In Any Mode But I did not install anything new on it. If I can, I will. However, this still provides a fair first line of defense.
I FEEL DUMB lol. get redirected here Disable BIOS memory options such as caching and shadowing. Blue Screen Error In Windows Xp How To Solve They say to integrate, do the following:windowsxp-kb936929-sp3-x86-xxx.exe, execute as: windowsxp-kb936929-sp3-x86-xxx.exe /xI have also seen the following, which has worked for people:c:\XPSP3\windowsxp-kb93629-sp3-x86-enu.exe -x:c:\xpsp3 ( some have used this with D pointing to How To Fix Blue Screen Error In Windows Xp Installation Intel P4 Prescott, Celeron D, or Extreme Edition processor Some affected motherboards Abit IS7-V Albatron PX865 PE Pro Aopen AX4SG Max Aopen EA65 Asus P4P800 Deluxe Asus P4P800-E Deluxe (requires
Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead? have a peek at these guys When I set to "Legacy". I successfully installed it. a quick reply to this wud b nice! nope the error now is ***STOP: 0x000000FC Monday, May 12, 2008 2:03 PM Reply | Quote 0 Sign in to vote nevermind How To Fix Blue Screen Windows Xp Without Cd
Ideally you want at least 80 Hz. Enough is enough. before i start replacing compnents? check over here Now I'm thinking it's something else.
NET SEND messages no longer received First enable the File and Printer Sharing exception in the firewall. How To Install Windows Xp Sp3 Without Cd You can also use a bootable floppy disk to start Windows XP. Use the search box in the blue header, top right, to look for other causes.
One manufacturer, LaCie, has already issued a firmware upgrade for some Firewire storage devices. I have a feeling I'm going to lose everything. low virtual memory msg. Windows Xp Startup Repair Without Disk c.
My HDs seem to connect directly to the motherboard. Don't try to prevent these messages by disabling the firewall altogether. Windows XP is back up and running! (7 hours later!!!) From another user whose PC crashed with Service Pack 3 Your idea worked, but was only partly right. http://advancedcomputech.com/windows-xp/installing-windows-xp-sp2-fresh.html This IS the valid product key!( Since all I had onhand was CD-R, I cannot add anything to the Bootable if I have to add something else; which would mean I
Remove extra CD/DVD drives. I looked up several site and I this is the same person from those websites. This article does not generally cover installations running a third party software firewall. My HDs seem to connect directly to the motherboard.
The file encodedivxext.dll is the culprit in this case. Services Responsive Web Design SEO & Marketing E-commerce Solutions Business Solutions Explore Posts by CategoryExplore Posts by Category Select Category Advertising Business Solutions Cloud Content Management System Creative Customer Relationship Management Please give some solution…!!!! When the Mobo CD runs, you can make choices to install, but clicking on the choices on the menu causes them to automatically begin to install, and I don't want it
Came across this site, tried the /NoExecute=AlwaysOff method, and computer started right up. Correct the mispositioning with the controls on the monitor. All my data on the hard drive, its 320 gb u know n its full, with my weddin pics n new years wit my new wife, jus forget bout it these


text:
Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Tuesday - June 19, 2012
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Lists, User Comments
Title: Would like a "try instead of" list for non-native plants in Austin, TX.
Answered by: Jimmy Mills
QUESTION:It would be so helpful if, when asked about a non-native plant, you would do a "try instead of" list. I have about 45 plants to reseach from my landscaping firm, and it's wearing me out to try to find native alternatives for everything from boxwoods to lorepetalums! Thanks for all you do!
That is a good idea, but it's often easier said than done. This previous answer is an example of when it works.
The source of the information was the Native Plant Guide (pg 24) prepared by the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT)-Houston Chapter . It's part of a program called NICE (Natives Instead of Common Exotics). NICE! is now a registered trademark owned by NPSOT which is headquartered in Boerne, TX.
The Kerrville Chapter of NPSOT has produced the Blue Brochure that contains lists of recommended native plants for landscaping in the hill country. By the way, the 32nd annual Native Plant Society Fall Symposium will be held in Kerrville in October. The Austin Chapter is quite active, and holds its meetings at Wild Basin.
Another source of help is our Native Plant Database . It contain 7,239 species of native plants that can be searched by scientific name, common name or plant family. You can generate lists of plants by using the Recommended Species List option, or the Combination Search option. For example, if you wanted a list of evergreen shrubs suitable for a dry habitat in full sun, that were 6 to 12' tall, you could go to the Combination Search box and make the following selections; select Texas under State, shrub under Habit, and perennial under Duration. Check sun under Light Requirement, dry under Soil moisture, and 6-12' under height. Click the Submit combination Search button, and you will get a list of 29 native species that match these criteria. Clicking on the scientific name of each species will bring up its NPIN page that contains the characteristics of the plant, its growth requirements and, in most cases, photos.
You can also use the database to check out the characteristics of a plant that you find on other lists.
Although we don't have an exhaustive "try instead of" list, Mr. Smarty Plants thinks that using a combination of these resources may make your job less exhausting.
More User Comments Questions
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
July 02, 2014 - Foxglove (digitalis purpurea) is not a native U.S. plant. It was introduced to the U.S. from Europe and is now considered invasive in many parts of the western U.S. It invades our forested wild land...
view the full question and answer
Texas bluebonnets for Illinois
March 12, 2008 - Thank you Mr. Smarty Plants. I will be closely checking the variety of Texas bluebonnets that I tried to plant. For the record, I did soak them first to loosen the seed shell. I think we probably just...
view the full question and answer
How can I submit a picture with my question?
November 09, 2010 - How can I submit a picture with my question?
view the full question and answer
Obtaining a list of Texas native plants
February 16, 2005 - I'm a member of the Lindheimer Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas (New Braunfels area) and wanted to get a list of Texas Native Plants for our Chapter to use as our guideline of what is nat...
view the full question and answer
Agarita suggestion for Houston area
March 05, 2013 - Another possible plant for the following question is agarita. The question: "Looking for a very, very, thorny three or four foot tall shrub for in front of windows to deter break-ins. Considering Ro...
view the full question and answer
|Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
By Jeremy Greenfield, Editorial Director, Digital Book World, @JDGsaid
Barnes & Noble and other booksellers will have a tough time competing with Amazon following the Department of Justice's lawsuit against Apple and some of the largest U.S. publishers, say some in the publishing industry.
With the renewed ability to set prices on more e-books that it sells, Amazon will resume discounting of some best-selling e-books and selling them at a loss, putting price pressure on other retailers.
Amazon itself came out with a short statement saying as much following Wednesday's announcement by the Justice Department that it had filed a lawsuit against Apple and five of the largest U.S. publishers for colluding to fix the prices of e-books: "This is a big win for Kindle owners, and we look forward to being allowed to lower prices on more Kindle books," said Amazon spokesperson Drew Herdener of the settlement three of the five publishers made with Justice, which many think will return them to wholesale pricing in which the retailer – not the publisher – sets the price of e-books.
"Amazon has just had a weapon – price – put into its arsenal that it had lived without for two years," said Mike Shatzkin, a book industry consultant (and partner with Digital Book World on the Digital Book World Conference in January). "They'll use it and every competitor they have will suffer. Barnes & Noble is likely to have problems mustering the resources to fight the price battle while they're also trying to keep stores open and develop their own technology."
Stock in Barnes & Noble was trading at $12.06 at the open of the markets on Wednesday, plunging 8% as news on the Justice Department lawsuit and the settlements broke to a low of $11.00. The stock rallied later in the day, but ended down.
An unusually large number of Barnes & Noble shares changed hands on Wednesday – nearly six million – versus the average daily volume over the past three months of 1.3 million. The stock resumed its fall on Thursday, closing at $10.97. As Digital Book World went to press, Barnes & Noble stock was down 4.37% in early trading to $10.50.
A Barnes & Noble spokesperson said that the company had no comment when asked to about the lawsuit and its Nook e-book business.
It's not just Barnes & Noble under pressure, say observers.
"You take any company in the book retailing business, they can't compete with Amazon," said Lorraine Shanley, president of Market Partners International, a New York-based publishing consultancy.
The belief among some in the publishing community is that Amazon will begin discounting best-selling e-books at levels that other retailers can't afford, selling each one at a loss. If Hachette, for instance, sells an e-book to Amazon at $14.99 and Amazon re-sells it for $9.99, taking a $5 loss on each copy sold, other retailers will be pressured to match Amazon's price, losing money on each copy sold.
Unlike Amazon, which had $48 billion in revenue in 2011, most of it not from selling books, other booksellers need to make a profit on bookselling.
"Kobo's new owners [the Japanese e-tailer Rakutan] are going to have to dig deeper into their pockets to finance an upstart competing on price. Apple is either going to have to devote a lot more time and bandwidth to running a store than they have before or face total irrelevance. The challenge grows for everybody else as well: Blio, Copia, the soon-to-open Bookish, and other upstarts on the runway," said Shatzkin.
Of course, it all depends on what Amazon does.
"Nobody knows what the new order will look like," said a source at a publisher named in the lawsuit who works on e-book pricing and wanted to remain anonymous. "What happens with price depends on whether Amazon goes predatory. The more flexibility Amazon has to be aggressive, they may ultimately lower prices for consumers, but, as a result, we may lose Barnes & Noble."
To be sure, not all industry observers are predicting doom for the nation's leading bricks-and-mortar bookseller.
"Barnes & Noble has to become a retailer of stuff other than content and devices if it wants to survive," said James McQuivey, Ph.D. and principal analyst at Forrester Research who covers the book industry and told Digital Book World yesterday that Amazon may lower its e-book prices slowly. "William Lynch [CEO of Barnes & Noble] is smart and he has to say, 'we have to be a lifestyle retailer, rather than a bookseller.'"
And Barnes & Noble may be able to compete with Amazon in other ways. According to Thad McIlroy, a Vancouver-based digital publishing consultant who has written about the bookseller for Digital Book World, Barnes & Noble scored a huge success with a Hunger Games promotion in which it gave away two free tickets to advanced screenings of the movie to those who purchased a Nook in select Barnes & Noble locations. The company also made a splash this week in releasing a new e-ink e-reader with a built-in reading light, a first on the market, according to Barnes & Noble.
Barnes & Noble is also reportedly launching an international expansion of its e-reader and e-book business, which will expose its devices and content to a growing international e-book market.
It could be too little too late, said McIlroy, who recently published an e-book about the retailer's plight called Stripping Covers Off The Hunger Games: How 7 Billionaires Control the Future of Publishing in America.
"They'll get a toe-hold in the UK, although they don't have any international operational expertise. They've been hiring for it, but Amazon is a million miles ahead of them, as is Apple, as is Kobo," he said.
Meanwhile, shares in the nation's second largest bricks-and-mortar books retailer, Books-A-Million, are down 14% to $2.63 since an early-Wednesday high of $3.06.
Write to Jeremy Greenfield
Complete coverage of the Justice Department e-book lawsuit on Digital Book World:
— Analyst: Amazon Will Lower Kindle E-Book Prices Slowly, Strategically
— Amidst Justice Department Lawsuit, Kindle E-Book Prices Rise Sharply
— Compliance Requirements for Publishers That Settled: Everything But Ankle Monitors
— On the Dinner Menu: Fishy Discussions about "$9.99 Problem"
— Hachette Settles With DoJ, Admits No Involvement in Conspiracy
— Statements From DoJ's Eric Holder and Sharis Pozen on DoJ's E-Book Price-Fixing Suit
— HarperCollins Settles With DoJ Over Pricing
— Lawyer Who Filed Complained Against Apple, Publishers makes Statement on DoJ Suit
— Macmillan CEO John Sargent: 'Macmillan Did Not Collude', Macmillan to Fight DoJ Suit
— Department of Justice to Make Announcement on 'Significant' Antitrust Matter Today
— As Macmillan, Apple Prepare for Lawsuit, Justice Department Is Open for Last-Minute Talks


text:
OshKosh B'gosh® Heather Grey Jogger Pants - Boys 4-7
28.0 -1- 8.4 -2- 70 -3- -4- -5- yes -6- -7- no
$8.40CLEARANCE orig.$28.00 70% OFF
Get ready for all day fun! These OshKosh B'gosh® joggers are perfect for lounging around the house and for being active on the playground. The elastic waist and drawstring feature will help with easy dressing and provide all day comfort! Finish off this simple yet stylish look by pairing these joggers with his favorite OshKosh B'gosh® shirts!
- Elastic waist with drawstring
- Pull-on style
- 3-pocket styling
- Solid color grey
- 100% cotton
- Machine washable
- Imported


text:
Since none of us made Day 2 of The Montreal Open we decided to go to Playground Poker Club for around 12:30pm to grab some lunch at The Rail Coal Fire Bistro, and to my surprise they have a small limo bus that they use as a shuttle to get to the club and back.
We arrive at the club, and this place looks amazing and will put some Vegas Poker Rooms to shame. They only have one 1-2 table running, and they tell us that if we don't mind playing 6 handed to start that they will open up another table for us. We tell them sure but we would like to grab some lunch first, which then we were informed that all food and drinks will be comped if we are at a table playing. So we got our chips and started playing, and ordered our food and drinks.
Dealers were knowledgeable and knew how to deal, suits made sure we had everything we needed, waitresses were easy on the eyes in their short red skirts and tight tops. At Playground Poker Club you can straddle, and also run it 2 or 3 times.
I didn't have a very good 7 hour session at all and basically lost what I intended to play with. Just couldn't get anything going, every time the money got in I was ahead and dominating but by the time the turn and/or river came I was dead in the water, oh well that is the way poker is sometimes. Even though I had a really bad session, I still really enjoyed myself, and must say that this is one of the best places I have ever played poker at.
Since I really didn't want to leave and go back to my hotel room so early a few of us decided to buy into Playground's $100 Deepstack Turbo Poker Tournament. event though this was a turbo with 15min levels starting with 25k in chips made it feel like it was just a regular tournament. When the tournament started sitting next to me was this real big guy that stood probably 6 foot 5. We got to talking and really hit it off, as we had similar thoughts towards the game of poker, and I found out that he does not live to far from me. It is not to often that you hit it off so well with someone you meet at a poker table, and since he lives so close to me I look forward to playing some more poker with him, as I think I can learn from him to improve my poker game.
Playground Poker Club is hosting a series of poker tournament from April 29th to May 16th, that includes a $500 heads Up Tournament, a $750 No Limit Deepstack Tournament, a $150 No Limit Shootout Tournament, and ending with a $3,000 Main Event Deepstack Tournament. I won't be able to get back to Montreal for all of these great events, but I am really hopeing to get back for a couple of them. If you want more info on this and Playground poker Club go to their webpage here. www.playgroundpoker.ca


text:
Fair Mortgages can provide you with a first class service if you are looking for buy to let mortgage advice.
Special features of what we offer include:
To investigate your buy to let mortgage options call our specialist team on 0117 403 4222 or fill in our call back form.
If you want to buy a property with the intention of renting it out, you will require a specialist mortgage, known as a buy to let mortgage.
Buying a property to rent out can offer the opportunity to benefit from capital growth on the value of the property, as well as income from rent payments.
To all intents and purposes, a buy-to-let mortgage operates in a very similar way as a standard residential mortgage. You can choose from a range of buy to let mortgage offers, including fixed rate, variable rate, and tracker mortgage deals. However, buy-to-let mortgages can differ from residential mortgages in several key ways:
Buy to let minimum deposits – In general, the available loan to value (LTV) on buy to let property purchases is lower than those available for equivalent value residential purchases. While residential mortgages of up to 95% loan to value (LTV) are available through the Government's Help to Buy scheme requiring just 5% deposit, the minimum deposit required for a buy-to-let mortgage is usually around 20% to 25 % of the property's value, as a minimum.
Buy to Let fees - Arrangement fees on buy-to-let mortgages can be a lot higher than on a residential mortgage.
Buy to let Interest rates – The interest rates charged by mortgage lenders on buy-to-let mortgages tend to be higher.
Proof of rental income – One of the key areas of difference between a buy-to-let mortgage and a mortgage on your home is how affordability is assessed. One of the main things a buy to let mortgage lender will consider is how much rent you are likely to be able to charge on the property you intend to purchase.
As well as proving your income, as is required when applying for a residential mortgage, a buy to let mortgage lender will expect you to demonstrate that the market rate for rental income on the property you want to buy is at least 125% of the mortgage repayments.
Securing a buy to let mortgage deal is not the only expense when it comes to renting out your property. You will also need to ensure that you budget for:
Call our buy to let mortgage team on 0117 403 4222 or request a callback.
Call us for a FREE initial conversation on 0117 403 4222 about your buy to let mortgage options or request a callback.
The optional information below will help us to contact you
is rated 4.80 stars by Reviews.co.uk based on 98 merchant reviews
Fair Mortgages Limited is an appointed representative of Fair Investment Company Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.


text:
Smartronix Buys Cogon to Aid Military Health CareAug 14th, 2010 | By technologynews | Category: Technology
IT contractor Smartronix has purchased health care IT and consulting company
Cogon Systems, a move that will allow clients in federal agencies and the
military to share and store patient information in Cogon's HIE, or health
information exchange, platform.
Cogon CEO Dr. Huy Nguyen will remain as head
of the organization under Smartronix's ownership.
based in Hollywood, Md.,
makes cyber-security, health care IT and enterprise software products for the
Defense and Homeland Security departments as well as the Transportation
Security Administration.
company's existing health care IT offerings include software for medical
systems and data warehousing.
addition of Cogon, its visionary leadership and its intellectual property [is]
a great complement to Smartronix's growing health information technology
business," Smartronix CEO John Parris
said in a statement. "We are confident that our network operations,
enterprise software solutions and cyber-security core competencies will assist
in leveraging and augmenting Cogon Systems' Virtual Health Network
Cogon VHN is an SOA (service-oriented architecture) that provides enterprises
with business logic flexibility, network scalability, data interoperability and
application extensibility, according to Cogon's Website.
said the VHN allows for the storing and sharing of electronic medical records
between the Department of Defense and commercial hospitals. The VHN includes
information on patient demographics, medication, test results, allergies and
physician diagnoses.
federal government mandates that health care providers use HIEs to qualify for
stimulus funds, explained Judy Hanover, research manager for IDC Health Insights. "Health information exchange is one of
several technologies that are required for provider organizations to
demonstrate meaningful use and become eligible for federal incentives under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act … of 2009, and is currently a focus of
investment for provider organizations," she told eWEEK.
will continue to adopt HIEs through 2014 to maximize ARRA incentives and to
avoid incurring penalties by 2015, Hanover
HIEs were a top priority for 47 percent of IT professionals
surveyed recently by Embarcadero
Technologies, an application development and database management company.
Embarcadero announced the results July 19.
Verizon Business unveiled an HIE in the cloud on July 14 to provide a standard format
for sharing health information. Verizon's Health Information Exchange runs on the
Oracle Healthcare Transaction Base platform.
announced its purchase of Cogon on Aug. 11.


text:
Summary :
Interested in Exam Papers of :
Education History (Schools / Colleges / Universities attended) :
In Faves Of :
Recently Viewed ResPapers :
Recent Responses by alyazalea :
Cabinet Ministers
Ministers of State
Deputy Ministers
When no political party gets clear majority, the President can use his discreationary power and appoint a Prime Minister of his choice
Two members are nominated by the President from the Angle Indian community
The State Government
The Central Government
The High consists of one Chief Justice and number of judges that vary from state to state
Parliament is a legislative organ of the government.
It controls the executive and the finances of the nation.
Court of District judge
thankyou so much!
thank you so much!!
the fluid acts as a shock absorber and prevents the brain from suffering any mechanical jerk


text: Sorting type: Most visited Most visited Alphabetical | Images from Chapter 500. Media in category "Category:Chapter 500 Images" Enhanced Neinhart.png Posted in: Neinhart/Image Gallery Neinhart attacks Brandish.png Posted in: Brandish μ/Image Gallery Bloodman strikes Rogue.png Posted in: List of Fights Brandish Commenting on Fairy Tail's Hopelessness.png Posted in: Brandish μ Cover 500.png Posted in: Chapter Covers Gray punches Invel.png Posted in: List of Fights Gray uses Ice Devil's Zeroth Destruction Fist.png Posted in: Ice Devil Slayer Magic Invel's armor.png Posted in: Ice Magic Juvia Thanking Wendy.png Posted in: Wendy Marvell/Synopsis Natsu defeats Neinhart.png Posted in: Natsu Dragneel/Synopsis Wall shocks Minerva.png Posted in: List of Fights Retrieved from "http://fairytail.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Chapter_500_Images?oldid=931961" Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you've made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Categories: Images by Chapter Add category Cancel Save


text:
In The News
Local Newton, NJ Attorney, Colleen Cunningham has been elected as a Director of the Solo and Small Firm Committee—New Jersey State Bar Association
Last Modified: Jul 01, 2013 5:47 AM IST
"I am honored to serve on the Executive Committee of such an important section of the New Jersey State Bar Association and I am excited to represent Sussex County," Ms. Cunningham stated.
Newton Attorney elected as a Director of the New Jersey State Bar Association
Last Modified: Jun 10, 2013 5:47 AM IST
Newton — Colleen M. Cunningham, Esq., of the Law Office of Colleen M. Cunningham, LLC, in Newton has been elected to serve as one of the Directors of the Solo and Small Firm Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association.
DISCLAIMER: The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. This web site is designed for general information only. The information presented at this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.


text:
Fear is debilitating. It's like quicksand. Once you are afraid, you plunge further and further and if you are lucky, you can see your head bobbing above. The strength to keep that head up and above the sand drains you. But you have to do it… because you just can't not stop living.
I cannot remember when I started feeling the 'fear'. Was it on the way back home from school when I received word that Amma had died? Perhaps the fear of losing her one day (which seemed inevitable at the time) was what was most overpowering. Slowly I began to fear everything – crackers, sound, the dark… Waking up one morning and realising that I had lost both my parents and I was only 32? But I clothed it all under a façade – a false show of strength. That I was in control of myself! I don't know when it went beyond slipping into what was uncontrollable.
Slowly, as years passed by, the false bravado only gave rise to more fears within. I suffered from many panic attacks and nightmares – often getting up in the middle of the night sweating, sometimes screaming and at other times crying. Then in the morning, I would get up to go face a normal day because it was the 'done' thing. And because, people wanted me to snap out of it.
My thoughts raced faster as my fears took deep root within. I was not paranoid, but I was filled with tension and anxiety all the time. But I coped – spending time at work and home – doing all the things I was expected to do because as people put it, 'it was all in my mind'. I dreamt of big mistakes that were to be committed, weighed every word I spoke and wrote – generally believing that 'perfection' was how it was meant to be. In short, I did everything that would make me an 'infallible' human being, for to admit to a mistake or doing one would mean the end of the world.
I weighed every pro and con till they ate into both my waking and sleeping hours. Even a positive remark seemed like a jab… and negative ones sent me deep into the abyss from which I thought there was no return… My heart thumped wildly all the time, I was irritable, impatient, always tired and ready to scream at the slightest pretext.
A breakdown was inevitable which led me to a psychiatrist and a slew of 'happy medicines' or anti-depressants. Counselling helped and slowly I began getting back on the rails of life… once again. This was in 2009 and after a year, I weaned myself away from the medicines, because a spiritual path brought about a new awakening.
Or so I thought… But knowing me, I tried to take on too much. Even the spiritual bit… I coupled the stress at work with volunteering, domesticity… taking on more than I could chew. A couple of health fears turned my life upside down but in the end… they were only fears. Again, I was trying too hard and didn't know what I was plunging into… Was it the quicksand again?
I spent a whole day crying in office in late June startling my colleagues and superiors. What was wrong? I didn't know. But I just wanted to cry… the flood of tears seemed to have no end. I had slipped into depression again.
Why? I don't know. For a person who knows me, I've always come across as super-efficient, even super-woman-like! I have a lovely family, great friends and a good job with some great friends at work. Then why is it that this keeps happening to me again and again?
The doctor put it very well. He said, "Feelings of depression are caused by a chemical change that affects how the brain functions. The brain is made up of billions of nerve cells called neurons. These neurons send and receive messages from the rest of your body, using brain chemicals called neuro transmitters. You get depressed when these chemical messages aren't delivered correctly between brain cells thus disrupting communication."
To make it simpler, the doctor compared the functioning of the brain to that of a telephone. If your phone has a weak signal, you cannot hear the other person properly. Communication thus becomes unclear.
I got onto the anti-depressant bandwagon again though with a lower dosage. I went on long leave to India and learnt to relax as if I were learning to walk for the first time. It was difficult but I did try. I went on a course of Ayurvedic treatments and basically, learnt to do nothing.
I am back… and sometimes the fear rears its head from time to time. I know I have miles to go to get rid of the thought process that I have got used to since childhood. But I am trying.
Yes, this is my story and I wanted to say it because I know there are so many out there who are not willing to accept theirs. Who think that seeking help is akin to being labelled 'insane' or 'crazy'. Who live their lives without understanding that fear can turn lives upside down.
Live in the moment. Listen to your inner self. Revel in the joy of doing 'nothing'. I know it's not easy to break out of an long-time 'addiction' to fear and do all these things. But I know, I am getting there… and so will you.


text:
Alaska Star
Free! Got your attention, didn't it? In an age where virtues like thrift and frugality are making strong comebacks, everyone has become a bargain shopper. And nothing's cheaper than free, a fact that two years ago put a simple idea into the head of longtime Chugiak resident Kay Abrams that could end up becoming the new fashion in trashin'.
Abrams said she first got the idea when her United Methodist Church of Chugiak was getting rid of some old furniture. Instead of hauling a couch to the dump, someone just took the used furniture down to the end of the driveway and put a "Free" sign on it.
"Before we could get back up the hill to get the second couch, the first one had disappeared," Abrams recalled.
Instead of taking old, unwanted items down to the dump or dropping them off at a thrift store, why not just set them on the curb? If everyone did that, she figured, a lot less stuff would end up in landfills and a lot of people would end up with some much-needed freebies.
The Great Alaska Giveaway was born.
On Saturday, June 25, Abrams' brainstorm will become reality when the program begins in the Chugiak-Eagle River area. The idea is for people in town to go to a Web page she's set up through the United Methodist Church of Chugiak (www.umcchugiak.org) and download a free (what else?) program logo. Once they've got the logo printed off, folks can then bring their unwanted items to the curb, slap the sign on, and hope that everything disappears.
Abrams said the reason for the signs is to make sure nothing gets taken that's not really free.
"We have developed a whole system to make this happen," she said.
Anyone who downloads the logo has to first agree to a set of rules that includes placing unwanted items away from wanted ones to avoid confusion and not dropping your stuff on a neighbor's property. It also includes guidelines for potential treasure seekers things like not taking items not labeled as free and respecting people's private property.
Abrams said that the logo doesn't need to be printed out for the program to work; really all that's needed is a marker and some common sense.
"It needs to be labeled," she said.
People are also being asked to take anything that doesn't get picked up back inside after 4 p.m.
Abrams said that the idea of having one designated day for the community giveaway will allow people to better share what they have with others.
"We are wasting an opportunity to take abundance and pass it on to someone else," she said. "Some of the things we throw out are luxuries for other people."
Just about anything can go to the curb for potential treasure hunters to take, but Abrams said participants should adhere to a few guidelines that are also on the Web site. She doesn't want to see hazardous materials set out, unsafe items like broken toys or unwanted pets. She'd also like to see people using the program throughout the community and not in just isolated pockets.
"If we did it in only one subdivision, you could get inundated with traffic," she said.
Abrams said it took her about two years to fully develop the idea. A former math and science teacher at Gruening and Chugiak, Abrams said she didn't want to just spring the program on the community. So she visited local community councils and talked to assembly members about any potential problems they might have with the giveaway day.
"Everyone was wildly enthusiastic about it," she said.
Abrams also searched for other places where such programs might exist, and found that cities in Canada have been using it for a couple years. According to the CBC, giveaways have already been held in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
"It makes you wonder why we haven't been doing this before," she said.
Some people suggested to Abrams that so many freebies sitting out might hurt the local business community. She doesn't buy it.
"When I get a good deal at a garage sale, I say, 'Hey, I saved so much money that now I'm going to go down and buy that clock I've been looking at,'" she said.
Abrams said a key component of the program is making sure folks know about it. So she's also been contacting as many area churches and community groups as she can to get the word out. But she didn't want to start too big, so at first, the program will be limited just to the Chugiak-Eagle River area. But, she hopes, not forever.
"I can see that if this works, it would be something that the Municipality of Anchorage and its recycling program would pick up," she said.
For now, the giveaway day will take place on the last Saturday of each month during the summer. Next year, Abrams said she would like to get started in the spring.
UMC pastor Carlo Rapanut said he was excited about the program from the beginning because of its potential to become an event that brings people together.
"You build community that way," Rapanut said.
Although the program is being run through her church, Abrams said people certainly don't have to be of any particular religion or any religion at all to take part in what she sees as a simple way to help make her corner of Alaska a little better place to live.
"I assured the community councils that it will not be used to promote a given religion or any religion," she said. "It doesn't matter why people do it if it's a benefit to the community."