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Ever wonder what you're neighbours are doing to improve their homes? Discover what other London homeowners have planned for their Garage Construction projects by reading the details of their request for quotes below.
In total, TrustedPros has received 16 Garage Construction projects posted by homeowners in London seeking the services of local Garage Builders. Total estimated value of these projects is $365,000.00 with a per project average of $22,812.00.
If you're in need of a contractor for your Garage Construction project, use our job posting tool to get matched to local pros or browse our directory of Garage Builders in London .
Porch - approximately 19'-6" x 5'-2". Three 6x6 posts, 3-2x10 SPF beam, 2x6 porch roof rafters and 2x4 porch ceiling joists attached to existing house roof trusses, 2x4 framing over house beam to support roof rafters. The existing house roof has a 1:3 pitch and has to be kept as is from the ridge down to the bottom of the valley formed with the roof of the upper side of the house. From that line down and over the porch the roof pitch is approximately 1: 4.75 in order to keep the ceiling of the porch at the same hight as the actual house soffit.
Carport - approximately 24'-7" x 11'-7" along the end of the house, on the actual driveway. Uses the last post of the porch and has 7 more 6x6 posts: 2 attached to the brick wall of the house and 5 on the side. 3-2x10 SPF beam front and back , 4-2x10 SPF beam in the middle and 2-2x8 SPF on the side. The carport roof follows the house roof line but is 18" lower than the house roof: 2x8 SPF ceiling joists @ 24", 2x10 SPF roof rafters @ 24", 2x4 bearing wall on the middle beam and 2x12 ridge board. For the portion with lower pitch (~1:4.75) 2x6 SPF roof rafters shall be added.
Setback variance already approved and building permit application ready to be submitted.
Pls email. Demo of a 12x20 garage and slab old and has cracked slab easy demo. Build 30 x 40 shop. Slab 6" thick with drain for wet cars. Polished concrete. 2 doors 12 wide 10 height on front. 1 man door on side and 8 wide 6 tall door from old garage ( brand new and insulated) on side at back. All doors insulated. Will insulate and wire in future. Max ceiling height. Looking to do this year. Pls include name, price, references and ceiling height. Zoned R1-9 Thx any questions pls email.
Post your project and let top-rated pros compete to get your business. Compare bids, read real customer reviews and hire the best contractor the first time.Click here to get started


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|Black Eyes
|Full Name
|The Fandraxorcist
|Current Age
|Date of Birth
|Referred to as male
|Current Status
|371 lbs
|Voice Actor(s)
|Dan Green
|First Appearance
|The Reminder
|Latest Appearance
|The Reminder II: Lest We Forget
Black Eyes, official name being The Fandraxorcist, was the primary antagonist of The Reminder and its successor, and was the mind of the lost god "Zyvoline". Originally dedicated to bringing misery and terror to the "abnormal" in the Zaxinian Lifts, he has been misplaced in the universe's prison and now spends his days tormenting his most notable victim, Devina, from there. He is one of two temporary partners in General's Journey, the other being General Snickers.
He appears to be a tall teddy bear, but he contains human skin and guts (as well as typical robotic gears and other machinery) behind the green skin. He appears to be very worn and torn, having several patches and a tear mark on his forehead. His eyes are a menacing red, and are filled with both vengeance and hate. One ear is torn, the body is ripped the more you go down, the feet are red, and a dark space sits as his stomach, sprouting mind controlling tentacles.
Black Eyes has several abilities, able to leave mental scars in his victims or outright kill them with a heavy strike from his ton-heavy arms. He is a bringer of nightmares and hatred, and can do a very good job leaving them in his opponents. Despite his heavy potential to kill, Black Eyes rather identifies his foes' weak points and damages them, and watches them suffer (much to his pleasure). His walking style is very distorted, when he moves, his body appears to disjoint and he moves very awkwardly. He is also capable of levitation.
Black Eyes is cunning, hateful, and absolutely disgusting, and is the remains of a distorted god's own mind. He is not caring at all, and enjoys to watch others suffer, especially those that identify as homosexual, transsexual, or races beyond white, as he finds them "abnormal" and "hideous". It seems to feel no remorse or pain, but yet seems to be great at faking emotions, and can bring others to trust him despite his obviously malicious appearance. Black Eyes seems to have a short temper, if angered, his body will glow slightly red and his inner mechanics will go wild.
- The Fandraxorcist's name is an obvious pun on "The Exorcist".

subset: commoncrawl


text: I'm having problems with this guy that I've been seeing. he was actively pursuing me, then said he didn't wanna see me, then changed his mind. things were good after that until we hooked up because I think it was too soon and ended up a little awkward. now he makes dates with me and keeps breaking them. he's so weird. what's up with him?


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© The Financial Times Ltd 2016 FT and 'Financial Times' are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd.
Economic growth
The IMF's Greek debt options: what do they all mean?
By Mehreen Khan in London
The International Monetary Fund's latest recommendations on Greek debt relief have leaked.
Yesterday, ahead of the latest meeting of eurozone finance ministers on May 24, the IMF repeated it would take part in Greece's €86bn bailout only if its European partners could prove "the numbers add up".
A key part of this calculation is for the fund to be fully assured that Greece's debt mountain is finally placed on a sustainable downward trajectory. Read more
The mystery of how Brussels came to love Britain's economy
Should an extraterrestrial land on Earth tomorrow and decide to base his decision on where to live solely on economic forecasts provided by the European Commission, there's a fair chance they'd pick the UK.
In country-specific recommendations published yesterday for almost all EU countries, Britain comes out looking pretty good, with a "dynamic" economy, "strong" household balance sheets and a banking sector whose resilience "continues to improve." Even the risks to the economic outlook are presented as being contained, or mitigated by the government's "wide-ranging" reform agenda.
All well and good. The only perplexing thing is, how does this fit with the altogether less peppy assessment that the EU Commission made this time last year? What could be happening to change their view? Read more
Brussels Briefing: Attention: deficit disorders
Welcome to Tuesday's edition of our daily Brussels Briefing. To receive it every morning in your email in-box, sign up here.
There's been a rare spate of good economic news for the eurozone recently, with Eurostat announcing last week that the currency union's gross domestic product had finally returned to pre-crisis levels and was growing at a 0.6 per cent quarterly clip – enough to outpace the US or the UK so far this year. But growth remains uneven across the 19-member bloc, and the first quarter's performance remains meagre by historical standards. As a result, it will likely not be enough to help eurozone countries currently finding it difficult to get their debt and deficit levels back under EU budget ceilings.
Those countries sparring with Brussels over such budget targets – France, Italy, Spain and Portugal – will be in the spotlight today when the European Commission issues its new economic forecasts, which will include predictions on whether any of them are making progress towards getting their deficits below the 3 per cent of GDP threshold or – in the case of Italy, which is already below the deficit ceiling – are cutting their debt piles fast enough.
Brussels Briefing: The Draghi effect
This is the Friday edition of our new Brussels Briefing. To receive it every morning in your email in-box, sign up here.
Amid the doom and gloom surrounding the eurozone's continued inability to shake off the funk that set in after the sovereign debt crisis started six years ago, policymakers have recently been able to latch on to a bit of sunshine that Brussels has dubbed "temporary tailwinds". These "tailwinds" are not the kind of good news normally associated with a strong economic recovery, such as companies expanding or workers' wages increasing. Instead, they're called "tailwinds" because they make it easier for those things to start happening – a little wind at the back of those thinking about investing in a new plant or hiring more people.
For the eurozone, these tailwinds take three forms: lower oil prices, which fatten the wallets of consumers and energy-intensive industries; a weak euro, which makes European products cheaper to sell overseas; and "accommodative" monetary policy, which lowers interest rates and makes it cheaper for investors to borrow money and build things.
There's nothing much EU policymakers can do to affect the price of oil, though lifting Iranian sanctions has contributed to the perception the world is now awash with supplies. But yesterday Mario Draghi, the European Central Bank president, did a whole lot for the other two "tailwinds" with just a few sentences of central-bank-ese. First, he described "heightened uncertainty about emerging market economies' growth prospects, volatility in financial and commodity markets, and geopolitical risks" – by which he mostly meant recent market upheaval in China. He also noted that eurozone inflation, which is supposed to be running at about 2 per cent each year, remained "weaker than expected". Then he unleashed the sentence that got everyone really excited: "It will therefore be necessary to review and possibly reconsider our monetary policy stance at our next meeting in early March." Which means that his already-accommodative monetary policy is likely to get even more accommodative in just a few weeks. Read more
Brussels Briefing: Hollande's "economic emergency"
This is Tuesday's edition of our new Brussels Briefing. To get it every morning in your email inbox, sign up here.
Le Monde called it François Hollande's "last-chance plan". Struggling with an unemployment rate that stubbornly remains above 10 per cent, and saddled with a promise not to seek re-election in 2017 unless joblessness falls, the French president on Monday unveiled a €2bn scheme aimed at reversing an "economic emergency" facing his country.
The measures themselves are mostly targeted at the young: a €2,000 subsidy for each young worker hired by small companies; creating 500,000 vocational training schemes; and a programme to boost apprenticeships. The price-tag may be high, but taken together the initiatives appear less ambitious than the so-called "Loi Macron", an economic reform plan passed a year ago under the aegis of Mr Hollande's youthful economic minister. That plan has failed to produce any signs that unemployment is dropping, raising questions over whether the new programme will provide much help.
As with the Loi Macron, Mr Hollande's new plan seemed to please nobody. Reformers like Mr Macron and Manuel Valls, the prime minister, are viewed with suspicion from within the ruling Socialists because of their "liberal" views. But the measures backed by the two men never seem to go far enough to please business interests, either.
The French business daily Les Echos has a useful summary of reactions from business and labour leaders, with Medef, the main French employers' association, offering a rather tepid endorsement by calling it a step "in the right direction." The head Medef's sister organisation for small and medium-sized businesses was similarly lukewarm, saying he was doubtful it would have any long-term effects. Predictably, the Républicains, as party boss Nicolas Sarkozy has re-branded the French centre-right, were withering in their criticism. The conservative Le Figaro quotes party spokesman William Larrivé calling the plan "an insult" to France's unemployed. Read more
The EU's expensive, empty airports
An airport that loses €275 per passenger. A €16.5m runway that has never been used by the aircraft for which it was built. Another airport that receives 0.4 per cent of the travellers that were forecast.
Read more
How will Juncker get to €300bn?
Just how does Jean-Claude Juncker plan on getting to €300bn?
With the formal unveiling of his highly-anticipated plan to stimulate growth in the EU just days away – officials say the Commission will decide on it early next week – politicians both in Brussels and in national capitals are abuzz about whether the financial engineering involved will make the €300bn credible.
Emmanuel Macron, the influential French economy minister, has already expressed concern, and in a meeting with a small group of reporters ahead of today's announcement of his own stimulus plan, Belgium's Guy Verhofstadt, head of the European Parliament's centrist Liberals, said he worried the programme would just move around existing funding.
As we reported earlier this week, the plan will take existing cash from the EU budget and the European Investment Bank and use it as seed money for new investment funds in order to attract private capital. The public money would act as a "first loss" tranche, taking the first hit if the investment goes bad, and giving private investors more senior status – something officials hope will "crowd in" all that private cash currently sitting on the sidelines.
The two questions that will be closely watched is just how much public money will be used – and how much new private capital the Commission will forecast coming in over the plan's three-year period.
According to documents obtained by Brussels Blog, the answer to question one – how much public money will be used – will not only include EU budget and EIB money, but also funds committed by national governments. For instance, the €10bn in new public spending announced this month by Wolfgang Schäuble, the German finance ministry, appears to be counted in the €300bn plan.
How the limited amount of public funding can be leveraged is far more complex. And by nearly all accounts, the public funding will indeed be limited: the plan is explicitly seeking to avoid any new public debt, and officials acknowledge a significant part of it will involve more efficient use of existing public resources and maximising already-approved instruments. Read more
Rehn, Germany and US Treasury Dept: Round Two
It may have appeared that Olli Rehn, the EU's economic chief, today was siding with Washington in the going transatlantic tussle over Germany's current account surplus by launching an inquiry into whether the surplus was harming growth in the rest of Europe.
But Rehn went out of his way to make clear that he was no fan of the US Treasury department report that pushed the dispute into overdrive last month.
Speaking at a press conference announcing the European Commission's decision to launch the "in-depth review" of Germany's surplus, Rehn said the US Treasury's report was "to my taste somewhat simplified and too straight forward". Read more
Rehn siding with Washington in its battle with Berlin?
Over the last few weeks, the normally über-dismal science of German economic policymaking has unexpectedly become stuff of international diplomatic brinkmanship, after the US Treasury department accused Berlin of hindering eurozone and global growth by suppressing domestic demand at a time its economy is growing on the backs of foreigners buying German products overseas.
The accusation not only produced the expected counterattack in Berlin, but has become the major debating point among the economic commentariat. Our own Martin Wolf, among others, has taken the side of Washington and our friend and rival Simon Nixon over at the Wall Street Journal today has backed the Germans.
Now comes the one voice that actually can do something about it: Olli Rehn, the European Commission's economic tsar who just made his views known in a blog post on his website. Why should Rehn's views take precedence? Thanks to new powers given to Brussels in the wake of the eurozone crisis, he can force countries to revise their economic policies – including an oversized current account surplus – through something soporifically known as the Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure.
On Wednesday, Rehn will announce his decision on whether Germany will be put in the dock for exactly what the US has been accusing it of: building up a current account surplus at the expense of its trading partners. And if Rehn's blog post is any indication, he's heading in exactly that direction. Read more
The mystery of EU economic study criticising Berlin
Did tight-fisted budget policies in Germany help make the eurozone crisis deeper and more difficult for struggling bailout countries like Greece and Portugal?
That appears to be the conclusions of a study by a top European Commission economist that was published online Monday – but then quickly taken down by EU officials.
Our eagle-eyed friend and rival Nikos Chrysoloras, Brussels correspondent for the Greek daily Kathimerini, was able to download the report and note its findings before the link went dark (Nikos kindly provided Brussels Blog a copy, which we've posted here).
Shortly after being contacted by Brussels Blog, officials said they would republish the 28-page study, titled "Fiscal consolidation and spillovers in the Euro area periphery and core", once a few charts were fixed. And as Brussels Blog was writing this post, it was indeed republished here.
Still, the paper's day-long disappearance looks suspicious given the hard-hitting nature of its findings. For some, they may not be surprising. Many economists have argued that it was the simultaneous austerity undertaken by nearly all eurozone countries over the course of the crisis that pushed the bloc into a deeper recession than predicted, hitting Greece and other weak economies particularly hard.
But coming from the European Commission's economic and financial affairs directorate – which was responsible for helping administer Greek and Portuguese bailouts as well as provide semi-mandatory policy advice to other eurozone economies – the criticism of Berlin is unexpected, to say the least. Read more
An EU-Russia trade fight escalates
What has become an increasingly touchy EU-Russia trade relationship took another tit-for-tat turn on Thursday when Brussels escalated a WTO case against Moscow over vehicle recycling fees.
The EU believes a recycling fee Russia charges on imported cars is less about good environmental policy and more a way to squelch foreign competition. The fee does not apply to cars built in Russia or its closest trading partners,Kazakhstan and Belarus.
Brussels complained to the WTO about the levy in July, marking the first case against Russia since it joined the global trade body with much fanfare in 2012 – 19 years after its initial application. On Thursday, the EU asked for a panel to rule on the matter after – to little surprise – settlement talks with Moscow proved fruitless. A result could take months.
"We've used all the possible avenues to find with Russia a mutually acceptable solution," said Karel De Gucht, the EU trade commissioner. "As the fee continues to severely hamper exports of a sector that is key for Europe's economy, we are left with no choice but to ask for a WTO ruling." Read more
Greece looks to cut EU presidency costs
My big fat Greek presidency it will not be. When Athens takes the reins of the EU's rotating presidency in January, the government will manage the event like a family throwing a frugal wedding.
That is only to be expected since Greece's crisis-hit economy is now enduring its sixth year of recession, the public coffers are bare and unemployment is nearing 30 per cent. Dishing out huge amounts of cash to impress visiting diplomats would likely provoke outrage from a citizenry that is increasingly unhappy with the EU, as it is.
So how frugal is Greece planning to be? The government has set a €50m budget for the six-month affair, down from the €60m to €80m spent by predecessors like Ireland,Cyprus,Denmark and Lithuania. Officials say they are hoping that the final bill comes to even less.
The Greeks have found a few simple ways to cut costs. They will limit the number of ministerial meetings that will be held in their country to just 13 – keeping as much of the work in the EU's Brussels headquarters as possible. All of the Greek meetings will be hosted in Athens. Read more
EU Budget: Schulz's shenanigans
It's hard enough to get 27 member states to agree unanimously on a seven-year, €1,000bn budget – as anyone following the latest EU summit wrestling match can attest. But completing an EU budget deal requires one more thing: the consent of the European parliament.
Martin Schulz, the German social democrat and parliament president, reminded EU leaders and the Brussels press pack of this fact on Thursday evening. In a mildly foreboding press conference, Schulz re-stated his threat that leaders should be prepared for MEPs to block any budget proposal that strays too far from the €1,033bn proposal submitted more than a year ago by the European commission, the EU's executive arm.
"Yes, we are prepared to make savings, but we are not prepared to have the European Union budget simply amputated," he said.
Schulz declined to say whether the latest €960bn proposal being considered by Herman Van Rompuy, the European council president, crossed the line from extreme weight loss to amputation. But he was clearly displeased. Read more
Lagarde urges 2 years for Greece. What will it cost?
IMF chief Christine Lagarde's declaration this morning that Greece should be given two more years to hit tough budget targets embedded in its €174bn bailout programme – coming fast on the heels of German chancellor Angela Merkel's highly symbolic trip to Athens – are the clearest public signs yet of what EU officials have been acknowledging privately for weeks: Greece is going to get the extra time it wants.
But what is equally clear after this week's pre-Tokyo meeting of EU finance ministers in Luxembourg is there is no agreement on how to pay for those two additional years, and eurozone leaders are beginning to worry that the politics of the Greek bailout are once again about to get very ugly.
The mantra from eurozone ministers has been that Greece will get more time but not more money. Privately, officials acknowledge this is impossible. Extending the bailout programme two years, when added to the policy stasis in Athens during two rounds of elections and a stomach-churning drop in economic growth, means eurozone lenders are going to have to find more money for Athens from somewhere. Read more
UPDATED: Is IMF pushing for an end to austerity?
[UPDATE] After a meeting of EU finance ministers in Luxembourg, Olli Rehn, the European Commission's economic chief, said he would read the IMF's analysis on the way back to Brussels. But he cautioned that while the impact of austerity on growth was important to consider, it was also essential to take into account the "confidence effect" budget consolidation has. He pointed to Belgium, which has gone from market laggard to nearly a safe haven after implementing tough austerity measures earlier this year.
Although the headlines generated by last night's release of the IMF's annual World Economic Outlook focused on the downgrading of global growth prospects, for the eurozone crisis the most important item in the 250-page report may just be a three-page box on how austerity measures affect struggling economies.
The box – co-authored by IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard and staff economist Daniel Leigh – argues in stark language that the IMF as well as other major international institutions, including the European Commission, have consistently underestimated the impact austerity has on growth.
For a eurozone crisis response that has piled harsh austerity medicine on not only bailout countries but "core" members with high debt levels –Italy, France and Belgium, for instance – the IMF finding could shake up the debate on how tough Brussels should continue to be on eurozone debtors. As French economist Jean Pisani-Ferry, director of the influential Brussels think tank Bruegel, tweeted yesterday:
[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/BruegelPisani/status/255520457976061952"] Read more
Working for Syriza
Since coming a surprise second in June's Greek elections, Syriza, the radical left-wing coalition, can point to at least one (admittedly modest) success in addressing the country's monstrous unemployment problem: It has found a job for Aphrodite Babassi.
Babassi, a Syriza supporter who appeared in the FT's pages in May, had been jobless for three years before she took a post in July on the staff of one of the party's new members of parliament, Afrodite Stapouli, researching science policy.
We bumped into Babassi, 27, at Syntagma Square on Monday night, where – as she prepared to protest against the pending visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel – she recalled the joy of receiving her first pay check. Read more


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The Small Stone is common crafting item that can be found in all biomes and is used in many of the beginning recipes. Small Stones can also be crafted later on in the game from Stones.
Small Stones can also be thrown when equipped on the player's toolbelt. When thrown Small Stones can be a distraction for zombies.
Small Stones can only be crafted with the Cement Mixer and require the following material:
- 1x Stone
The Small Stone can be used to repair the Stone Axe and Stone Shovel.


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Uhm...insurance fraud?
Creative campaign financing.
I am guessing that the DNCs insurer is someone like Progressive that is far Left politically.
The insurance company tells the DNC to pad their insurance claim and that the insurer will not dispute the claim.
By doing this the DNC avoids paying taxes on the contribution and the insurer avoids gift taxes and can write of the contribution as a business loss.
The value claimed includes the lists of enemies and dirt on those enemies. All that confidential data used to discredit enemies was obtained at tremendous cost
Recall tht the Democrat party is a criminal enterprise and the criminally obtained data becomes very expensive
IF it isn't INSURANCE FRAUD, then WHAT IS IT??? And why are we just now hearing about it??


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9,627,744 Thank Yous and Important Website Updates
Tips to Navigate the Website
Website Updates
Mastery of Meditation and Yoga has passed 9 million page views, 9,627,744 to be exact, and, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to thank each and every one of you for stopping by the website and contributing to it's success. So please accept my 9,627,744 heartfelt THANK YOUS !!
I know many of you read the website via the RSS feed and others are subscribed to the e-mail article feed, and I am very grateful to all of you as well, for being readers of the blog.
One more milestone that was recently achieved, was that my Mastery of Meditation Newsletter crossed 100,000 subscribers. For bloggers and webmasters, this is a number indicating a strong and popular blog, so I am very happy to have crossed that level. And I hope all of you who are subscribed to the newsletter are enjoying and benefiting from it. A hundred thousand THANK YOUS to all of the subscribers as well :-).
Below I want to update you on some important changes to the website and also, for those you are new to the blog, I also have some tips on how to get the most out of Mastery of Meditation and Yoga.
October Traffic Up 150% – Major Upgrade Coming:
I am very happy to report that the traffic to Mastery of Meditation and Yoga jumped 150% in October and continues to climb rapidly even now :-). As great as this news is, and believe me I am not complaining, this enormous traffic increase has caused the website to run into capacity limits.
If you have been getting timeouts connecting to the website, or experienced any slowness, I apologize for these inconveniences. Rest assured I am working very hard to resolve these issues and over the next few days I am performing a very large hardware upgrade to accommodate this increase. After the upgrade the website should be much faster and 100% stable.
I will inform everyone once the upgrade is completed, and if after that you experience any issues, I would really appreciate you letting me know, so I can look into it and work to resolve it.
Tips to Navigate the Website:
For those of you who are new to the website, I realize the size can be a little intimidating and sometimes if can be confusing to navigate the site. After all over the past 5 years, the website has grown enormously in terms of content and now there are over 700 free articles, videos and MP3s on the blog. So to help you get the most out of the website, here are some tips for you…
Free Yoga and Meditation Resources:
You will find all the Free Online Yoga and Meditation Classes on the following page: Free Online Yoga Classes
You will find a list of all the free resources here: Free Yoga and Meditation Videos, Programs, MP3s and Collections
Here is an individualized list of all the other Free Collections on the site. This list is always available to you on the Right Sidebar of every page for quick access.
Google Search Box:
The best way to find what you are looking for is by using the search box at the top of the Right Sidebar. Without a doubt this is the best way to find the information you are looking for. Even I use this search box to find things on my own website.
All Articles:
All the articles, organized by month and year are available for you on the following page: All Yoga and Meditation Articles
Newsletters, Article Subscription and RSS Feed:
Since I am constantly adding more articles, techniques, classes and resources to the website, below are the best ways to stay updated with the new content. Please note the important difference between the Monthly Newsletter and the Get Posts by E-mail broadcasts, as this tends to cause reader's some confusion. You can, of course, sign up for all three of the delivery systems below. At minimum, I do suggest signing up for the Monthly Meditation Newsletter, as then you will always be updated with the best yoga and meditation information available.
- Mastery of Meditation Monthly Newsletter:
This is the very popular free monthly newsletter that I send. It is sent 1 time per month, sometimes 2 times a month. As I mentioned there are currently over 100,000+ subscribers, and about 4,000 more join every month. This is a great way to keep up with the website and get free yoga and meditation information and gifts. Here is the sign-up box for you, just enter your email address, hit subscribe and you are done. If the form below does not work for any reason, this sign-up is on the TOP LEFT SIDEBAR of every page on the website as well.
- Get Every Posts by E-mail (Full Post Not Just Summary):
This sign-up in on the TOP RIGHT SIDEBAR of every page, and is great for anyone who wants to keep up with all the new content I add to the website and blog. I don't just send a summary of the article, but I send the full article to you via email as soon as it is written. You get embedded videos and illustrations as well. Here is the sign-up form for that, if it does not work please use the form in the top right sidebar.
- FULL RSS Feed, Not Just Summary:
Feed readers are a great way to keep up with a blog, and Mastery of Meditation Yoga currently has 18,000+ feed readers. That is the counter you see on the right sidebar, that keeps growing daily :-). Like the posts via email, I offer a full feed, meaning the full article is published via the RSS feed, not just a summary. Many bloggers don't provide full articles via email or RSS, as they want you to visit their website, to generate traffic statistics and Ad revenues, but I would rather MAXIMIZE spreading the wisdom of yoga and meditation, than maximize revenues :-). To sign-up for the RSS feed simple click the RSS feed button, or select your favorite feed reader, on the RIGHT SIDEBAR, or here is a RSS link for you, which you can also use…
When I reflect on my life, I am deeply satisfied with having been able to express my love and passion for meditation, yoga and spirituality, and all of that has been made possible by the Mastery of Meditation and Yoga website. And the life source of this website is all of you. So once again, wishing you all a Very Happy Thanksgiving and the deepest gratitude for all your love and support through the years. I am really excited at what the blog has achieved so far and look forward to serving all of you for many more years to come.


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Lincoln, NE Arts and Entertainment
Learn about Arts and Entertainment businesses in Lincoln, NE. Get the latest local news and offers for Arts and Entertainment near you.
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Planning the perfect wedding is all about the details, and your bridal bouquet is no exception. Adding unique touches to your bridal flowers is a great way to reflect your personal style and create a memorable occasion. If you need some ...read more
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Lincoln, NE Arts and Entertainment Businesses
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Whether you're planning your wedding or a major corporate event, your special day calls for high-quality catering and event services. Fortunately, Havelock Social Hall in Lincoln, NE, has everything you need to make the event a resoundin...
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For youth who want to learn the art of dancing, The Pure Movement Dance Institute in Lincoln, NE, is the best place to go. As the area's most innovative training facility for young dance athletes, The Pure Movement Dance Institute a...
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Are you an athlete who is seeking a competitive performance advantage in your sport? Whether you're a football player, swimmer, or long-distance runner, you can benefit from lea...read more
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Author | exchange4media News Service | Friday, Dec 14,2012 3:30 AM
Madison Media has recently won the media mandate for Radikal Rice. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch, where MEC and Carat had also participated. The account size is estimated to be approximately Rs 25 crore and will be handled by Platinum Media in Delhi.
On awarding the business to Madison Media, Siddharth Chaudhary, Managing Director, Radikal Overseas, said, "After reviewing several agencies, we found the right partner in Madison Media, given their expertise of the Indian media market and proven track record. I look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership."
Reacting to the win, Gautam Kiyawat, Group CEO, Madison Media, said, "We are excited to partner with this new age food company, and are looking forward to helping them gain their rightful share in India's growing food industry."
Radikal is one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of premium basmati rice with nutritive value.
Earlier this year, Madison Media was in the news for winning Dixcy Textiles, Enamor Lingerie, Gowardhan Dairy and Crompton Greaves media AOR.
At the Emvies Awards held earlier this year, Madison Media won the Grand Emvie for Saffola, Client of the Year for Cadbury, People's Choice award and eight Golds, five Silvers and two Bronzes.
Programming HeadRadio Mango


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TRPM2, a highly Ca2+-permeable member of the transient receptor potential melastatin-related (TRPM) family of cation channels, is expressed in cells of the immune system. We demonstrate firstly that TRPM2 cation channels on T cells critically influence T cell proliferation and proinflammatory cytokine secretion following polyclonal T cell receptor stimulation. Consistently, trpm2-deficient mice exhibited an attenuated clincal phenotype of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) with reduced inflammatory and demyelinating spinal cord lesions. Importantly, trmp2-deficient T cells were as susceptible as wildtype T cells to oxidative stress-induced cell death as it occurs in inflammatory CNS lesions. This supports the notion that the attenuated EAE phenotype is mainly due to reduced T cell effector functions but unaffected by potential modulation of T cell survival at the site of inflammation. Our findings suggest TRPM2 cation channels as a potential target for treating autoimmune CNS inflammation.
Citation: Melzer N, Hicking G, Göbel K, Wiendl H (2012) TRPM2 Cation Channels Modulate T Cell Effector Functions and Contribute to Autoimmune CNS Inflammation. PLoS ONE 7(10): e47617. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0047617
Editor: Martin Stangel, Hannover Medical School, Germany
Received: August 28, 2012; Accepted: September 19, 2012; Published: October 12, 2012
Copyright: © Melzer et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: This study was supported by an intramural grant of the University of Münster (IMF – ME121010) to NM. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Activation, migration and exertion of effector mechanisms of immune cells critically depend on receptor-operated Ca2+-entry from the extracellular space. This takes place via cross-linking of different cell-surface receptors, followed by Ca2+ release from intracellular stores via different Ca2+ release channels and subsequent Ca2+ entry through store-operated plasma membrane Ca2+ channels [1], [2].
However, receptor-operated Ca2+-entry in immune cells may also occur through non-store operated Ca2+-permeable channels [3]. TRPM2 is a highly Ca2+-permeable member of the transient receptor potential melastatin-related (TRPM) family of cation channels [4], that is – among others – expressed in various cell types of the innate (dendritic cells [5], monocytes/macrophages [6], [7], [8], CNS microglia [5]) and adaptive (T cells [6], [7], [8] and B cells [9]) immune system. Moreover, functional expression of TRPM2 channels was also demonstrated in CNS neurons [10], [11], [12], [13], [14].
TRPM2 channels are gated by adenosine diphosphate ribose (ADPR) binding to a c-terminal Nudix-like region with pyrophosphatase activity that cleaves ADPR to ribose 5-phosphate and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) [15]. Under physiologic conditions, ADPR predominantly originates form hydrolysis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) by various plasma membrane-associated and cytosolic glycohydrolases as well as a mitochondrial NADase [16], [17]. Moreover, two other NAD+-derived molecules, nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) and cyclic ADPR (cADPR), together with Ca2+ function as co-agonists facilitating the activation of TRPM2 channels by ADPR [10], [11], [16].
In T cells, cross-linking of cell surface receptors induces a rise of ADPR endogenously generated from NAD+ followed by a TRPM2-mediated transmembrane inward current and rise of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration [7]. Moreover, cADPR and NAADP were shown to be capable of eliciting TRPM2-mediated transmembrane currents in T cells either by directly binding to the channel or after metabolic conversion to ADPR [6]. Pharmacological inhibition of NAADP signalling in T cells [18] reduced antigen-induced proliferation and cytokine production and ameliorated clinical symptoms of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE, [18]).
In dendritic cells, TRPM2 functions as intracellular Ca2+ release channel and is critically involved in differentiation and migration [19].
In CNS neurons, intracellular Ca2+ overload and depolarization of the membrane potenital following activation of TRPM2 channels have been implicated in neuronal cell death during oxidative and nitrosative stress [11], [14].
(A) RT-PCR performed with naïve (middle) and anti-CD3/CD28 bead-stimulated (right) wildtype CD4+ T cells using murine TRPM2-specific primers revealed upregulation of TRPM2 expression upon stimulation. As negative control water (left) instead of cDNA was used. An experiment representative of 3 independent trials is shown. (B) Immunocytochemitry using an antibody specific for the c-terminal portion of the TRPM2 protein (red) revealed positive staining in activated bead-stimulated CD4+ T cells. Cell nuclei were counterstained with DAPI (blue). (C, D) Proliferation as determined by 3[H]-thymidine uptake (C) and secretion of proinflammatory IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-17 determined by ELISA from the supernatants (D) were significantly reduced in CD4+ T cells from trpm2-deficient (TRPM2 −/−) as compared to wildtype (TRPM2 +/+) mice following anti-CD3/CD28 bead stimulation at a bead:cell ratio of 1∶4. Moreover, the TRPM2 channel blocker ACA dose-dependently reduced proliferation (filled circles) of bead-stimulated splenocytes (E, bead:cell ratio 1∶4) without overt toxic effects on cell viability as assed using flow cytometry for annexin V and propidium iodide (open circles). ACA at a concentration of 100 µM significantly reduced IFN-γ secretion of bead-stimulated splenocytes (F, bead:cell ratio 1∶4; n = 3 for all experiments) P-values ≤0.05 were considered significant (*). P-values ≤0.01 and ≤0.001 were considered highly significant (** and ***, respectively).
Here, we study the role of TRPM2 channels in T cell effector functions and autoimmune CNS inflammation using a combination of in vitro approaches and EAE experiments in wildtype and trpm2-deficient mice.
Materials and Methods
Wildtype and trpm2-deficient mice both on a mixed 129/SvJ × C57BL/6J genetic background [20] were kindly provided by Dr. Y. Mori, Kyoto University, Japan. Mice were kept under pathogen-free conditions and had access to food and water ad libidum. All experiments were conducted according to the German law of animal protection and were approved by local authorities (TVA-Nr. 87–51.04.2010. A325, University of Münster, Germany).
(A–D) Proliferation as determined by 3[H]-thymidine uptake (A; bead:cell ratio of 1∶4) and secretion of proinflammatory IL-2 (B), IFN-γ (C) and IL-17 (D) determined by ELISA from the supernatants were significantly reduced in spleenocytes from trpm2-deficient as compared to wildtype mice following anti-CD3/CD28 bead-stimulation for 3 days at various bead:cell ratios (1∶1 to 1∶16; n = 3 for all experiments). P-values ≤0.05 were considered significant (*). P-values ≤0.01 and ≤0.001 were considered highly significant (** and ***, respectively).
Isolation and culture of splenocytes and T cells
Isolation and culture of splenocytes was performed as described [21]. CD4+ T cells were purified from isolated splenocytes using the respective MACS T cell isolation kit (Miltenyi, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany) according to manufacturer's instructions and cultured as described [21].
(A) Clinical MOG35–55 peptide-induced EAE disease score in wildtype and trpm2-deficient mice was examined for 50 days post-immunization (p.i.) and revealed a significantly reduced peak- and residual score in trpm2-deficent as compared to wildtype mice (n = 3 independent trials with 10 mice each for both experimental groups). (B, C) Representative H&E (B) and LFB (C) stainig (upper panels) of spinal cord sections from wildtype (left) and trpm2-deficient (right) mice obtained at day 20 post-immunization and quantification of respective leasion sizes (lower panels; n = 2 mice from each of the 3 independent trials representing the mean clinical score of the experimental group at day 20 post-immunization, white arrows indicate lesions). P-values ≤0.05 were considered significant (*). P-values ≤0.01 and ≤0.001 were considered highly significant (** and ***, respectively).
T cell stimulation, proliferation and cytokine secretion
Splenocytes and purified CD4+ T cells from non-immunized mice were stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 beads (Dynal Biotech, Oslo, Norway) for 72 h at various bead-to-cell ratios. For T cell proliferation analysis, [methyl-3H]-thymidine (1.0 µCi/well; Amersham Biosciences, Buckinghamshire, UK) was added 24 h before the end of incubation. Cells were harvested and [methyl-3H]-thymidine incorporation was measured using a liquid scintillation counter (Packard BioScience, Meriden, USA). For analysis of cytokine secretion, supernatants were analyzed for IL2, IFNγ, and IL17 by ELISA according to the manufacturer's protocol. All experiments were performed as triplicates.
Suvival of activated bead-stimulated CD4+ T cells (bead:cell ratio of 1∶4) from wildtype and trpm2-deficient mice under various concentrations of H2O2 (0.001–10 mM) using the amount of ATP relased following cell lysis as a parameter of cell viability (n = 3; ns = not significant).
In a subset of experiments, the TRPM2 channel blocker N-(p-amylcinnamoyl)anthranilic acid (ACA; Sigma) [22], [23] was dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) giving stock solutions of 50 mM. In final solutions, the concentrations of DMSO did not exceed 0.2%, and final DMSO concentrations without ACA served as controls (data not shown).
RNA preparation and RT-PCR
RNA was purified from naïve and bead-stimulated wildtype CD4+ T cells by extraction with peqGold TriFast reagent according to the manufacturer's instructions (peqLab, Erlangen, Germany). cDNA was synthesized from 1 μg of the total RNA using the TaqMan Reverse Transcription Reagents (Applied Biosystems, Darmstadt, Germany). PCR amplification was performed using TRPM2-specific primers under the following conditions: 1 cycle at 94°C for 2 min; 35 or 40 cycles at 94°C for 10 s, 55°C for 10 s, and 72°C for 30 s; and 1 cycle at 72°C for 2 min as described [24]. As negative control water instead of cDNA was used.
Immunocytochemical staining was performed on naïve and bead-stimulated wildtype CD4+ T cells as described [25]. Cells were placed on coverslips coated with poly-l-lysine (Sigma, Germany) and fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde. Subsequently, cells were blocked with PBS containing 10% horse serum (PAA Laboratories, Cölbe, Germany), 2% bovine serum albumin, and 0.3% Triton X-100 overnight. Next, the primary antibody (rabbit anti-mouse TRPM2, 1∶200, Novus Biologicals, USA) were added and incubated for 1 h. Cells were washed with PBS containing 0.3% Triton X-100 and incubated with secondary antibodies (Cy3-conjugated rabbit anti-goat, 1∶100, Dianova, USA) for another 1 h. Counterstaining of cell nuclei was performed using DAPI (0.5 μg/ml, Merck). Pictures were collected by immunofluorescence microscopy (Axiophot, Zeiss, Jena, Germany). Negative controls without the primary antibody revealed no positive signals (data not shown).
T cell death analysis
For analysis of H2O2 induced cell death, 50 000 bead-stimulated CD4+ T cells/well were cultured on white 96-well microassay plates (Greiner Bio-One, Frickenhausen, Germany) and incubated for 6 h with different concentrations of H2O2. Afterwards, the amount of ATP in the supernatant following cell lysis was assessed as a parameter of cell viability using the ATPLite™ Luminescence Assay System (PerkinElmer, Rodgau-Jügesheim, Germany) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Luminescence was measured on a Topcount NXT (PerkinElmer, Rodgau, Germany). All experiments were performed as triplicates.
In a subset of experiments, cell death analysis was performed using flow cytometry for annexin V and propidium iodide. The viable cell fraction was considered to represent the fraction of annexin V/propidium iodide double-negative cells as described [21].
Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)
Induction and clinical evaluation of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG35–55) peptide-induced EAE was performed as described [21].
On day 20 of the EAE experiments, mice were sacrificed and transcardially perfused with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Spinal cords were carefully excised from the brainstem to lumbar region, fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA) in PBS for 2 h and then embedded in Tissue-Tek OCT compound (Miles Laboratories, Elkhart, USA). Ensuring that the same regions were analysed for all mice, 10-μm cross sections of the beginning of the cervical enlargement were cut [26]. H&E and Luxol fast blue (LFB) stainings were performed on paraformaldehyde-fixed spinal cord cryosections according to standard procedures [2]. Spinal cord inflammatory infiltrates and demyelination were assessed by quantifying the respective lesion area relative to the total section area in 100 H&E and LFB stained sections randomly chosen from the cervical and lumbal part of the spinal cord, respectively.
Statistical analysis
All results are presented as mean ± sem. Statistical analysis was performed using the student's t-test for normally distributed datasets or a Wilcoxon rank sum test for non-normally distributed datasets. A one-way ANOVA was used in case of multiple comparisons using SigmaPlot 11.0 software (Sigma Plot). P-values ≤0.05 were considered significant (*). P-values ≤0.01 and ≤0.001 were considered highly significant (** and ***, respectively).
TRPM2 channel expression is upregulated in CD4+ T cells following polyclonal T cell receptor stimulation in vitro
To assess the expression and regulation of TRPM2 cation channels, isolated naïve murine CD4+ T cells were polyclonally stimulated for 3 days in vitro using anti-CD3/CD28-coated beads at a bead:cell ratio of 1∶4. RT-PCR revealed an upregulation of TRPM2 message following bead-stimulation after 3 days (Fig. 1 A). Moreover, immunocytochemistry using an antibody specific for the c-terminal portion of the TRPM2 protein revealed positive staining in activated bead-stimulated CD4+ T cells (Fig. 1 B).
CD4+ T cells from TRPM2-deficient mice show reduced proliferation and proinflammatory cytokine secretion upon polyclonal T cell receptor stimulation in vitro
To assess the impact of TRPM2 channels on T cell effector functions, we first determined proliferation and and secretion of various proinflammatory cytokines in CD4+ T cells isolated from wildtype and trpm2-deficient mice following bead-stimulation for 3 days at a fixed bead:cell ratio of 1∶4. CD4+ T cells from trpm2-deficient mice showed significantly reduced proliferation (Fig. 1 C) and secretion of different effector cytokines such as IL-2, IFN-γ, and IL-17 (Fig. 1 D) as compared to those from wildtype mice.
To assess this effect in the whole population of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, we measured proliferation and and cytokine secretion in splenocytes from wildtype and trpm2-deficient mice following bead-stimulation for 3 days. To mimick different strengths of T cell receptor triggering, the bead:cell ratio was varied between of 1∶1 and 1∶16 during these experiments. Again, splenoytes from trpm2-deficient mice displayed significantly reduced proliferation (Fig. 2 A, bead:cell ratio 1∶4) and secretion of IL-2 (Fig. 2 B), IFN-γ (Fig. 2 C), and IL-17 (Fig. 2 D) as compared to those from wildtype mice under all experimental conditions.
The TRPM2 channel blocker N-(p-amylcinnamoyl)anthranilic acid (ACA) is known to inhibit TRPM2 channel activity at concentrations between 10 and 100 µM [22], [23]. Hence, we aimed to reproduce the effect of TRPM2-deficiency on T cell effector functions using different concentrations of ACA. Indeed, ACA dose-dependently reduced proliferation of bead-stimulated splenocytes (Fig. 1. E, bead:cell ratio 1∶4) without overt toxic effects on cell viability as assed using flow cytometry for annexin V and propidium iodide. Consistently, ACA at a concentration of 100 µM significantly reduced IFN-γ secretion of bead-stimulated splenocytes (Fig. 1. F, bead:cell ratio 1∶4). Thus, genetic deficency and pharmacological inhibition of TRPM2 channels dampened proliferation and proinflammatory cytokine secretion in splenocytes following polyclonal T cell receptor stimulation in vitro.
Trpm2-deficient mice exhibit an ameliorated EAE phenotype with reduced inflammatory CNS infiltrates and demyelination in vivo
Given these effects of TRPM2 channels on T cell effector function, we performed MOG35–55-peptide induced EAE experiments comparing wildtype and trpm2-deficient mice (Fig. 3 A–C). As compared to wildtype mice, trpm2-deficient mice displayed an attenuated EAE phenotype: although the mean time until disease onset was identical between wildtype and trpm2-deficient mice (9 days vs. 9 days), trpm2-deficient mice displayed a delayed time to peak disease (20 days vs. 18 days). Moreover, trpm2-deficient mice displayed significantly reduced peak- and residual disease scores (Fig. 3 A).
Consistent with the ameliorated clinical phenotype, H&E (Fig. 3 B) and LFB (Fig. 3 C) stainig of spinal cord sections from EAE mice representative of the mean clinical score of the respective experimental group at day 20 post-immunization displayed reduced inflammation (Fig. 3 B) and demyelination (Fig. 3 C) in the spinal cord of trpm2-deficient as compared to wildtype mice.
TRPM2 channels do not impact the survival of activated CD4+ T cells under altered redox conditions
Given the potential role of TRPM2 channels in cell death of T cells in an inflammatory CNS lesion due to its activation by reactive oxygen species [27] we tested suvival of activated bead-stimulated CD4+ T cells from wildtype and trpm2-deficient mice under various concentrations of H2O2 (0.001–10 mM; Fig. 4) using the amount of ATP relased following cell lysis as a parameter of cell viability. Activated CD4+ T cell viability did not differ between wildtype and trpm2-deficient mice under all experimental conditions refruiting a role of TRPM2 channels in T cell death under altered redox conditions.
Taken together, we firstly demonstrate here a role for TRPM2 cation channels in T cell proliferation and proinflammatory cytokine secretion following polyclonal T cell receptor stimulation. The effects of TRPM2-deficiency on T cell effector function could be mimicked by application of the TRPM2 channel blocker N-(p-amylcinnamoyl)anthranilic acid (ACA; [22], [23]) providing an opportunity for pharmacological modulation of TRPM2 channel function in T cells. Moreover, TRPM2 channels have been shown to dramatically impact the maturation and chemokine-activated directional migration of dendritic cells, which function as antigen-presenting cells [19]. Both findings, strongly imply an attenuated clincal EAE phenotype with reduced inflammatory and demyelinating spinal cord lesions in trpm2-deficient mice as observed.
Moreover, TRPM2 expression within the CNS is in large parts attributed to microglia, the CNS resident monocyte-lineage derived cell type [5]. In microglia cells TRPM2 currents and Ca2+-entry could be evoked by triggering of toll-like receptors (LPS) and cytokine receptors (TNFα) as well as by intracellular ADPR and play a pivotal role in the activation of these cells [5]. Hence, it is very likely that reduced activation of CNS microglia contributes to the attenuated clinical EAE phenotype in trpm2-deficient mice.
There are also several lines of evidence that TRPM2 channels are expressed in CNS neurons: TRPM2-mediated currents evoked either by extracellular application of H2O2 or OONO- or by intracellular perfusion with NAD+-derived second messengers like ADPR have been identified in cultured striatal neurons [10], [14], acutely isolated cortical neurons [11] and hippocampal neurons in culture and slice preparations [12], [13]. These currents and the associated Ca2+ overload have been implicated in neuronal cell death during oxidative and nitrosative stress [11], [14], which is a dominant mechanism of neuronal cell death in EAE. Hence, lack of TRPM2 channels is very likely to protect neurons and axons from degeneration during EAE and thus may also contribute to the ameliorated clinical EAE phenotype. These findings and considerations strongly suggest that pharmacological inhibition of TRPM2 cation channels might be regarded as a strategy for treating autoimmune CNS inflammation.
However, TRPM2 channels have been suggested to confer susceptibility to cell death following changes in redox status as they occur in inflammatory CNS lesions [27]. However, under conditions of oxidative stress, we did not observe sustained survival of trpm2-deficient T cells as compared to wildtype T cells. This is consistent with the unaltered number of T cells in wildtype and trpm2-deficient mice in a model of colon inflammation [20] and suggests that TRPM2 channels do not overtly affect lymphocyte survival at the site of inflammation.
Hence, inhibition of TRPM2 channels in autoimmune inflammatory CNS disorders likely dampens the adaptive T cell-mediated immune response without favouring prolonged T cell survival and inflammatory tissue damage. Morevoer, TRPM2 channel inhibtion likely attenuates microglia activation and neurodegenration during autoimmune CNS inflammation.
We would like to thank Dr. Y. Mori, Kyoto University, Japan for providing breeding pairs of wildtype and trpm2-deficient mice and A. Beckmann for excellent technical assistance.
Author Contributions
Conceived and designed the experiments: NM HW. Performed the experiments: NM GH KG. Analyzed the data: NM GH KG HW. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: NM KG HW. Wrote the paper: NM KG HW.
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More information may be found on Chicago Opera Theatre's website.
Roles in CCPA productions, ensemble, cover and performance of roles in COT productions, and professional engagements.
"The voice and opera faculty at CCPA comprises passionate teachers and performers who have been heard on the world's greatest opera stages. Students in the opera program will enhance their musicianship through their participation in both CCPA and COT performances. Plus, if you are a student at CCPA you will get to live in the heart of Chicago, which is one of the most culturally and artistically diverse cities in the world."
All applicants must apply to CCPA and submit pre-screening requirements via Acceptd by December 1, 2016.
All materials must be uploaded via Acceptd. DO NOT mail recordings or documents to CCPA.
Do not make any travel arrangements to Chicago unless you receive indication that you have made it through the prescreening round of auditions. All repertoire must be performed from memory. CCPA will provide you an accompanist for your live audition. You may NOT bring your own accompanist.
Five contrasting selections in the original language, a minimum of four being operatic arias, to be performed from memory. These may include selections from the pre-screening audition if you wish.
Do not make travel arrangements to Chicago unless you receive indication that you have made it through the prescreening round of auditions. All excerpts below must be played and sung in the original language.
All applicants must be at an advanced level of technical ability. Singers should have a working knowledge of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and a firm grasp on at least one of the basic singing languages (in addition to English). They should also have experience working with directors and be comfortable onstage. Singers must provide three 3 copies of their audition repertoire for the audition panel.
All singers will present an aria of their choice, and will be prepared to sing addition selections from their list as requested by the audition panel. At the completion of the preliminary auditions, singers may be asked to remain for the final audition process. The final audition process may consist of an individual coaching, lesson, or a dramatic working session. Those selected to join the program will be notified by CCPA within a week after the final auditions.
Proper audition attire is expected for the preliminary audition. Loose clothing and shoes that allow for movement should be worn for the dramatic portion of the finals.
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Florida Senate education leaders announced
Some new faces will oversee the education policy debates in the Florida Senate during the 2017 session, while a familiar hand will run education appropriations in the chamber.
Senate President Joe Negron announced Tuesday that Sen. Dorothy Hukill, a Volusia County Republican, will chair the Education Committee with Sen. Debbie Mayfield, an Indian River County Republican, as vice chair.
Sen. David Simmons, a Seminole County Republican, will lead the education appropriations side, with Sen. Dana Young, a Hillsborough County Republican, as vice chair.
Hukill has not played a high profile role in key education issues in the past. She gained some note for her 2014 bill aiming to ban the collection of student biometric information in schools, and for her push to add financial literacy as a high school credit course. Mayfield, by contrast, offered some controversial bills on hot education topics during her time in the House, including measures to ban the Common Core, allow testing opt out and to return to an elected state education commissioner.
Simmons has run education finances in the past, and been a regular participant in the state's education debate. He is the main proponent of adding an hour of reading instruction to the lowest performing elementary schools, for instance. Young, also newly elected to the Senate, has not been a major player on the subject before, although she has held positions of influence in the state House.
Others assigned to the Education Committee are Sens. Gary Farmer, Bill Galvano, Tom Lee, Simmons, Wilton Simpson, Linda Stewart and Perry Thurston. Others assigned to Education Appropriations are Sens. Doug Broxson, Farmer, Denise Grimsley, Lee, Bill Montford and Darryl Rouson.


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The Autism News | English By Swindon Advertiser AN autistic Swindon boy has become an internet hit thanks to his series of online games. Jack Booth, 11, of Beech Avenue, Pinehurst, has created scores of games to challenge players around the world – including City Of The Dead, which no player has managed to complete in over 2,000 attempts. Now Jack hopes his achievements will help to challenge perceptions of autism
Read the original here:
Autistic game designer Jack is an internet hit


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"A terrific series that balances the conventional pleasures of epic fantasy with unconventionally brilliant storytelling."
Posts Categorized: Uncategorized
Excerpt: Fire and Ice Reads
Liam gets his party on in this fun excerpt at Fire and Ice reads!
New York Comic Con
How to score signed books at New York Comic Con!
Who doesn't love a good map?
Interview: The Qwillery
Last stop on the Bloodforged blog tour. It's been a blast!
Guest Post: Fantasy Book Critic
Epic fantasy isn't the dinosaur some make it out to be.
Interview and Giveaway: Rabid Reads
In which I address such heavy issues as Thor or Loki, and why can't poor Erik get a break?
Excerpt: That's What I'm Talking About
It's Book Day!
Two for one guest posts! Tor.com and Addicted2Heroines
Guest post and giveaway at Addicted2Heroines, plus bonus material at Tor.com!
Review: All Things Urban Fantasy
Liam and Rig are killing it out there in the blogosphere.


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Stayed on Non-Smoking floor but could still smell cigeratte smoke coming from the aircond vent on some days.
Close to the center The room was not ready upon arrival
Excellent staff , clean hotel catering for Japanese Businessmen but also others , next to a park and lake to walk around with the locals in the evening . Nothing


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Author | Fatema Rajkotwala | Tuesday, Mar 15,2011 10:33 AM
Hindi dailies command a significant share of readership in India, and the year 2010 has only added further strength to the platform. Indian Readership Survey (IRS) 2010 pronounced a healthy last quarter for Hindi newspapers. The Hindi dailies genre began the year with an average issue readership (AIR) of 586.98 Lac in Q1, which grew to 626.94 Lac in Q4.
The top three most read Hindi dailies were the "regulars" – Dainik Jagran at the top, followed by Dainik Bhaskar and Hindustan. Of these, Hindustan has recorded the highest quarter on quarter (QOQ) growth, rising from an AIR 99.14 Lac to 114.52 in Q4. The growth in readership numbers for Hindustan has narrowed the gap between the second ranked Hindi daily, Dainik Bhaskar.
Dainik Bhaskar has seen a rise this quarter too and now stands at an AIR of 139.92 Lac from 134.88 Lac AIR in Q3. This number was at 133.29 Lac in Q1.
The top read Hindi daily, Dainik Jagran, has comparatively recorded a lesser growth this quarter -- from an AIR of 159.5 Lac in Q3 to 160.66 Lac Q4, which while is a rise this quarter, is below the AIR number of 163.13 Lac in Q1.
Firmly at the number four position, the combined editions of Amar Ujala have recorded a steady rise in readership QOQ and grown from an AIR of 85.83 Lac in Q3 to 86.40 Lac in Q4. Next in line, Rajasthan Patrika has seen a slight fall this quarter from an AIR of 72.17 Lac in Q3 to 71.66 Lac in Q4, which is still higher than its readership numbers of the previous two quarters.
The second five in the order of top ten Hindi dailies in India, have all recorded growth in Q4. The closest next, Punjab Kesari, comes in at number five, growing from an AIR of 34.99 Lac in Q3 to 35.59 Lac in Q4, a readership highpoint of the year, for the publication.
At number seven, Navbharat Times has grown across quarters from an AIR of 24.72 Lac in Q1 and settling at a 25.79 Lac in Q4.
Prabhat Khabar and Nai Dunia, which sit at the number eight and number nine spot respectively in Q4, have seen quite a tough battle through the year. Tracing back to Q1, both dailies stood at 12.70 Lac AIR. In Q2 however, Nai Dunia piped Prabhat Khabar with an AIR of 14.08 Lac, while the latter touched an AIR of 13.46 Lac. In Q3, Nai Dunia continued to hold the number eight position but Prabhat Khabar's significant growth in Q4 (Q3's 14.65 Lac in 16.79 Lac in Q4) led it to regain the eighth place in Q4. Nai Dunia closed with an AIR figure of 16.71 Lac.
Hair Bhoomi comes in at number ten, growing QOQ from an AIR of 13.55 Lac in Q1 to an AIR of 15.10 Lac in Q4.
In the next batch of ten Hindi dailies, Aj at number 12, Patrika at number 13, Rashtriya Sahara at number 14, Amar Ujala Compact at number 15, iNext at number 16 and Sanmarg at number 19 have all recorded a rise in readership this quarter.
The publications of NavBharat at rank 11, Lokmat Samachar at 17, Raj Express at 18 and Yeshobhumi at number 20 have seen a decline in average issue readership this Q4.
Programming HeadRadio Mango


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Angela Layton has not received any gifts yet
Hello! I am a TBI survivor since the early 1970's when I was about 2 or 3yrs old. I have a metal plate that was never changed as I was growing. My parents hid my TBI and still to this day my parents do not acknowlege my disability and won't even offer any support, my mom just says she knows only when she is by herself, with my dad it's a nightmare. I have been looking and searching and apealing social securty to get my much needed full benifits. I have been working on this for about 4 years.…Continue
Posted on April 8, 2013 at 11:33am — 6 Comments


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Our products come with a one year limited warranty to the original user of the CasaTunes product against defects in material and workmanship. Proof of purchase is required.
The warranty does not cover damage due to improper handling or installation. Within the first 30 days CasaTunes will replace the product with a new item. After the first 30 days, and upon return of a defective product to CasaTunes, CasaTunes will repair or replace the product with a new or refurbished product, at CasaTunes' discretion. Cost of shipping is to be paid by the customer.
CasaTunes is not liable for incidental or consequential damages.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights which may vary from state to state.


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OUSU and OUSS (Oxford University Security Services) are working together to get reduced priced, good quality bike locks and lights available to Oxford students. As a member of Oxford Universitiy Student Union, you can buy the Master Lock Gold Secure D-Lock and bike lights at a discounted rate.
Just visit us at Oxford University Student Union or pop along to the OUSS building in the science area to pick one up.


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No Mothballs In the Garden
- On August 03, 2015
- By Meleah
- In Uncategorized, Veggies, What In Tarnation?
- 4
You know me: I often write about the prevalence of bad gardening advice so, hey, here I go again. This time, let's talk about how often we gardeners hear stuff that's either dangerous, or stupid or both. Got a tree stump you need to remove? "Pour gasoline on it," I've heard more than one gardener advise. PLEASE don't do that. Need to get rid of moles? "Stuff Juicy Fruit chewing gum in their holes," advise ill-informed people who believe the story that the gum, lord knows how many sticks, will cause intestinal blockage. It won't, but even if it did, don't do this either.
And here's another thing you ought not do—use mothballs outdoors. (Honestly, though, who wants to wear sweaters and use blankets that smell like mothballs either?) Anyway, I have no idea who first started running about telling gardeners that mothballs are great for curtailing outdoor pest problems, but the strategy has been around a long time and is still going strong, according to my latest Google search. The trouble is, though it does work, it's a federal offense to use mothballs for an off-label reason such as animal control. And there are a lot of good reasons for that.
Regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, mothballs are pesticides capable of harming all living things, including children and pets who may mistakenly eat them thinking they're some kind of treat. Mothballs are also harmful to the environment because, as they deteriorate, they contaminate groundwater, soil and plants (the pesticides in mothballs bind to soil and are taken up by plants).
Labeled for use to kill moths and other pests that destroy fabric, mothballs are supposed to be used only in airtight containers. That's because the vapor from their active ingredient, usually naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene , is toxic. As the fumes build up inside a closed container, the pesticide reaches a level that kills the moths.
When we smell the terrible stink of mothballs, however, we are the ones breathing in the pesticide fumes. And those fumes can affect our health in truly sucky ways, depending on which active ingredient the mothballs contain. Adults exposed to naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene vapors for short periods, for example, may experience nausea, dizziness, headaches and/or vomiting. Longer exposure has been linked to the development of hemolytic anemia, as well as kidney and liver damage. Naphthalene, according to the World Health Organization, may also cause cancer.
Young children exposed to mothballs containing either pesticide can develop fever, diarrhea and abdominal pain, especially if they have eaten them. Dogs who ingest naphthalene mothballs may become lethargic or experience diarrhea or tremors. Paradichlorobenzene mothballs have been linked to kidney and liver damage in pets.
If you want to learn more about the health effects of mothballs, go to the National Pesticide Information Center's website.
Magical Monarchs
- On July 10, 2015
- By Meleah
- In Bugs, Natural Wonders, Uncategorized
- 0
So many magicsal things happen when caterpillars turn into butterflies. Recently, our neighbors Dale Hammerschmidt and Mary Arneson managed to get some great pictures of the monarch butterflies they often raise indoors to help protect them from predators. They said it was okay to share them, so here you are. Thanks Dale and Mary!
Growing Edibles In the Shade
Want to grow vegetables and herbs even though you don't have full sun? No problem. You just need to choose edibles that don't depend on six hours or more of baking sunlight to thrive. So, yes, tomatoes are out, as are peppers, squash and eggplant, because plants grown for their fruit really do need a minimum of six hours of good sun per day.
But that still leaves a wide variety of edibles to choose from as long as you've got more than deep shape to work with—not much will grow under a maple tree's canopy. But plants grown for their roots and flowers will produce with as little as three to six hours of full sun or consistent dappled sun. Beets, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, turnips and radishes, for example, can be successfully grown with four to six hours of sun. And though they produce fruit, I get a pretty good crop of cucumbers in 5 hours of sun.
Leafy veggies like kale, spinach, leaf lettuce, arugula, mustard greens and Swiss chard can get by with only two to four hours of sun—though they will grow more lush in sunnier locales. If you have a garden that offers both sun and shade, one of the advantages of knowing what can take less sun is the ability to increase your harvest by tucking these plants in along shaded borders that are often though of as wasted space.
Sure, there's a lot to be said for the power of sun, but there are some benefits to growing vegetables in part shade. Crops like broccoli and cauliflower won't bolt as quickly as they would in full sun, tender lettuces will last longer and you won't have to water constantly, which is always a plus. That said, though, it is important to monitor moisture levels in shade gardens carefully because these sites are often located beneath big trees or shrubs, as well as the overhang of the house or garage. So even when it does rain, the water may not reach your garden, and much of what does fall will likely be taken up by the root systems of greedy trees and shrubs.Read More»
Great Gardening Books
If I were able to retire tomorrow, one of the first things I would do is read more. I already read a lot: I love books. But I could read a lot more if I didn't work so, fingers crossed that we win the lottery sometime soon so I can get to the stacks and stacks of books taking up space all over our house.
One of the things I did manage to do recently was catch up on the books I've received to review. Here are some of my favorites. First, though, you'll notice these books are not the latest, hot-off-the-press sort of thing. I read as I'm able and review some of what I like. If I don't like something, I take my grandma's advice to "not say anything if I can't say anything nice." I figure, just because I don't like a book doesn't mean you won't. Why be a spoiler?
Beautifully Sustainable: Freeing Yourself to Enjoy Your Landscape (Be-Mondo Publishing, 2013), by Douglas Owens-Pike. I met Douglas several years ago when he invited me on a mini tour of some of the Minneapolis gardens his landscape design firm, EnergyScapes, had created in recent years. All of them were lovely and different from most "designed" gardens in the sense that were very natural, consisting mostly of native plants and arranged as if Mother Nature had done it herself. True to his company's name, the landscapes were all created with resource conservation in mind.
Beautifully Sustainable (which can be purchased here: http://energyscapes.com/book/) is Douglas' attempt to help gardeners at all levels make their landscapes more sustainable, and his smart, clearly explained ideas and tips are very useful. But I also appreciate how on a more subtle level, his book helps readers think more like a designer when visualizing outdoor areas: What sort of space would I really enjoy? What features matter to me most? What view do I want to see from my living room?
All of these questions seem easy, and they are. But most of us don't think of them until the patio is poured or the pergola is built in what turns out to be the totally wrong place. "Take time to imagine," he wisely suggests, before explaining how to create a map of your landscape long before you buy the first plant. Other chapters cover things like how to build healthy soil, create a rain garden, get rid of weeds without chemicals and how to maintain a landscape once its planted. In other words, there's something for everyone in this helpful, enjoyable book.
For those who want to learn more about growing edibles in our climate, take a look at Emily Tepe's The Edible Landscape: Creating a Beautiful and Bountiful Garden with Vegetables, Fruits and Flowers (Voyageur, 2013). Emily was doing fruit research at the University of Minnesota when she created an edible demonstration garden and fell in love with growing food.
There are lots of things to love about Emily's book, but in particular I appreciate the way she accompanies her advice to incorporate edibles into gardens with colorful illustrations that show exactly how that can be accomplished beautifully. While the book is a general primer on growing edibles, the appendix includes an extensive list of edible plants specifically for northern gardeners. I found several varieties there that I'm going to try this year.
Gardeners who want to help support pollinators and other beneficial insects should check out Minnesota landscape designer Heather Holm's fantastic book, Pollinators of Native Plants (Pollination Press, 2014). While the text sometimes made me reach for my botanical dictionary and refer to the glossary in the back of the book, Heather really did a great job of conveying complex subject matter in a relatable way. Don't want to learn about the actual process of pollination? Skip to the descriptions of the many different creatures that visit flowering plants. Read up on bees and how they live and work together. Or jump right to the bulk of the book where native plants are described in detail along with the insects that are partial to them. The photos alone are outstanding.
But the information Heather offers about natives for three distinct habitats: prairies, woodland edges and wetland edges, can be used by all gardeners who want to attract pollinators. And isn't that all of us at this critical time?
New Plants for 2015
Whew! I apologize for disappearing for so long. A family member has been ill for several months, and I haven't had time to post. Things haven't really calmed down, but I'm going to try to get back in the groove of writing more regularly so, here goes: Let's talk about new plants for 2015. Or more specifically, new plants that can survive Minnesota's horrifyingly cold, Zone 4 climate. For those of you who live where it's even colder, I've got a few plants that are hardy to Zones 2 and 3. If you live in much warmer climates, you have the opposite problem. So you'll want to check to see hot much heat the plants I'm talking about can take before you buy them.
You're probably familiar with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Plant Hardiness Zones, which indicate the minimum temperatures in 11 areas across the country. By checking the USDA's map, you can see whether a plant you're considering can take your area's minimum temperature. For example, in Zone 4b where I live, plants need to be hardy to at least -25° F to make it.
It's always hard to choose just a few plants to highlight from the long list of new introductions each year. But here are some of my favorites. Before I go on, though, I want to remind you that if you are concerned about the effect of neonicotinoid pesticides on bees, you'll need to check with sellers before you buy plants. Some retailers have stopped selling plants treated with "neonics" in response to studies suggesting that the pesticides harm bees, particularly honeybees. But this issue is still being sorted out and not everyone is on board. I'll write more about what's happening with neonics very soon, so without further ado, here are the plants.
Got shade? Try adding some Solomon's seal 'Tiger Stripes' (Polygonatum falcatum) from Plant Delights Nursery to your garden. This variegated selection has pretty cream-colored highlights and grows to about 18 inches tall. Fruit clusters appear in the fall and plants are hardy to Zone 4. Plant Delights is located in Raleigh, N.C., and is known for offering unique plants that are hard to find elsewhere. Orders can be placed on their website.
I've never tried growing cobra lily (Chasmanthe Saturnus) but I'm going to try now. This South African native bulb offered by High Country Gardens blooms in mid-summer and is hardy to Zone 2. Spikes of fragrant, tubular orange flowers attract hummingbirds. Plants grow to between 3 and 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide and need full sun, which is 6 hours or more.
Toad lilies are great for our northern gardens because they bloom late in the season and look so tropical. Tricyrtis 'Hatatogisa' from Creek Hill Nursery is a lovely Japanese toad lily with orchid-like, purple-spotted flowers on long, arching stems. This plant is not really new, but it is being freshly promoted. Plants grow 18 to 24 inches tall and 12 inches wide and prefer part shade to full shade. Zone 4.
Looking for a tough, no-fuss rose that's like no other? Head out to local garden centers and ask for Above and Beyond™ (Rosa 'ZLEEltonStrack'), the newest rose from local breeder David Zlesak. David gave me this rose to test in my garden a couple of years ago, so I can attest to its hardiness and beauty. Introduced by Bailey Nurseries, Above and Beyond has apricot-colored flowers that open in mid- to late-spring and often rebloom throughout the season. Plants grow 10 to 14 feet tall and about 14 feet wide, which sounds ginormous, but you can easily prune them to be shrubs or climbers. I've got mine growing on a south-facing fence. Full sun. Zone 3.
I know they aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I like black plants. So I can't resist suggesting Clematis recta 'Lime Close', also known as Serious Black™, a nod to Harry Potter fans everywhere. Unlike vining clematis, this new introduction from Walters Gardens offers dark-purple foliage that looks almost black and grows in clumps to about 6 feet tall. Foliage ages to green as the summer progresses and is topped with white flowers with slender petals. (Plan on supporting plants if they get too tall and floppy.) Walters doesn't sell to the public, but you should be able to find this plant at garden centers. Full sun. Zone 4a.
If you like baptisia but wish plants wouldn't flop over after they bloom in early summer, try Baptisia 'Pink Truffles' from Walters Gardens. One of several new varieties bred by Hans Hansen, this false indigo is compact at just 2 ½ feet tall and 3 feet wide and offers delicate, pink flowers. Plants are drought tolerant once they are established and should be grown in full sun to part shade. Zone 4.
And last but certainly not least, let me point out a really striking grass from Walters Gardens. (Again, this should be available at local garden centers.) Schizachyrium scoparium 'Twilight Zone' is a little bluestem that is now widely available after a limited release last year. In addition to its columnar form, this ornamental grass offers silver/purple highlights. Grows to 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Full sun. Zone 3.
Most of these plants should be available at garden centers this season, but in some cases you can order directly from the website I've provided.


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- Overview
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Bellwether Aqua-No JacketTake on the toughest conditions in the Aqua-No cycling jacket. Weatherproof shell manages moisture and breathes well so you can stay dry and protected in torrential downpours. Sealed seams and shockcord hem keep nasty weather on the outside while the mesh liner, ventilated back panel and pit-zips circulate cool air on the inside to prevent overheating. Hi-Vis piping maintains visibility on the road or trail. This cycling jacket even fits inside your jersey's back pocket for ultimate convenience.
- Aqua-NO fabric with a laminated, air-permeable construction is completely windproof and waterproof while maintaining excellent moisture-wicking and breathability
- CoolMax mesh liner manages moisture and enhances aeration
- Ventilated back panel and pit-zips circulate cool air
- Semi-form fit maintains riding comfort
- Seam-sealed waterproof construction
- Fleece collar retains heat
- Velcro wrist closure for hand protection
- Adjustable shockcord at hem for a personalized fit
- High-visibility reflective piping
- Back storage pocket
- Easily compressed to fit into a jersey pocket
Bellwether Aqua-No Jacket
- fabric:
- Aqua-NO
- pockets:
- 1 zippered back
- video:
- 1F6AmmT2X7c
- weatherproof:
- Windproof and Waterproof
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SPECIAL OFFERTake An Extra 20% Off This Item! Discount Taken In Cart. See details
Extra 20% Off: Offer valid 8/16/17-8/18/2017 only at Performancebike.com and by phone. Online no coupon code required, discount taken in cart. Extra 20% off is not valid on bikes/frames, GoPro, Garmin, Speedplay, Stages, Wahoo, Team Performance Memberships/Renewals, gift cards, Spin Doctor Services or Service Plans, paid training program fees, previous purchases, shipping or sales tax. Some brand and/or item exclusions may apply to this promotion – visit Terms and Conditions for details. Offer cannot be combined with any other coupon. .


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Butterfly & Bug House
Wildlife World »Product code: 294178
Purchase Options
Earn 135 reward points on this item Gift wrap available
Product Description
This house is designed for butterflies and moths and is both a feeder and habitat for roosting and hibernating. It is made from sturdy FSC timber with a felted apex roof to stop deterioration and the feeding tray is a petal shape, painted with ultra-violet attractor paint. The feeding tray has 4 washable nectar feeding pots and a central removable fruit feeding cup and the central section of the house can be filled with straw to give hibernating butterflies a safe place for over winter. The butterfly habitat should be placed in a warm, sheltered position, ideally in a spot that would catch the morning sun.
Product Ethics & Tags
The Butterfly & Bug House product ethics are indicated below. To learn more about these product ethics and to see related products, follow the links below.
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Great present 🎁
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Older relatives love their garden so.... a bright addition
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About Wildlife World
Wildlife World are a small UK company who specialise in producing wildlife habitats like hedgehog houses and bat boxes. Environmental concerns are not new to Wildlife World, they've been making products with an environmental bias for over 10 years. Products are made from either reclaimed or FSC certified timber and are finished with waterbased paints and stains which are good for the people who make them, and good for animal, bird and insect tenants that move in!
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