text:
|May 2, 2001
Volume 3, Issue 18
|Midwifery Today E-News
"Happy International Midwives Day!"
Print Page
Subscribe to Midwifery Today E-News
E-News is free! Pass it on to your friends and colleagues.
This issue is sponsored by:
Attend Midwifery Today's Paris, France Conference
MIDWIFERY TODAY'S INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE will be in Paris, France in October. French and English are the official languages of the conference.
Meet Michel Odent, Ina May Gaskin, Jan Tritten, Dr. Marsden Wagner, Françoise Bardes (France), Naolí Vinaver (Mexico), Adailton Salvatore Meira (Brazil) and many others at the Paris, France conference.
Send responses to newsletter items to:
WITH THE GOAL OF BIRTH RENAISSANCE IN MIND, Midwifery Today brings you our newest baby: the International Alliance of Midwives (IAM). IAM is an online directory of birth activists from around the world who network with each other. All practitioners and activists interested in birth change and international midwifery are welcome to join. Click here for more information.
Please Support Our Advertisers
Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology
Develop your passion: become a pioneer in Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology
and Somatic Psychology. Earn your MA or Ph.D. on weekends in Santa Barbara with
distinguished faculty.
Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, www.sbgi.edu (805) 963-6896
MAY 5 IS INTERNATIONAL MIDWIVES DAY. Take a few moments this week to appreciate yourself, each other, and the world-changing work you do, one birth at a time!
Quote of the Week:
"Just think what a powerful force we [midwives] could be if there was a worldwide statement on the rights of women....with signatories from as many countries as possible."
- Henny Ligtermoet, 1998
The Art of Midwifery
For sore feet while pregnant, frequent foot massage and lots of water usually helps. For the massage, use peppermint massage oil; start in the middle of the foot just behind the ball of the toes (this is the solar plexus reflex point) and work down to the heel, then back up and out to the sides. Go back to the middle. Finish by pinching each toe.
If massage is not an option, try this:
Fill an empty shampoo bottle halfway with water and freeze. Put it on the floor and roll it back and forth with the bottom of the foot for ten minutes or so. Do this with each foot.
Having a mom soak her feet in strong peppermint tea may help. Eating Bing cherries (fresh if you can get them, but canned is fine) is a remedy my family has used for years with excellent results.
Having the mom put her feet up (that means higher than her hips) for 30 minutes a day helps.
Avoid heavily processed food. Also, if none of this seems to be working, the mom can toughen her feet by walking barefoot through clean sand. She could also rub her feet gently with a pumice stone.
- Bren Chance
Share your midwifery and doula arts with E-News readers! Send your favorite tricks to:
E-News welcomes feedback about techniques described in "The Art of Midwifery." What experiences have you had with the same or similar technique? What side effects have you noted? What alternatives do you suggest, and why?
For hundreds more "tricks," check out Midwifery Today's "Tricks of the Trade" Volumes I & II. Get both volumes for just $40!
Watch for "Tricks of the Trade Volume III," coming this summer!
News Flashes
A study examined thyroid function in pregnant women. Children in the study underwent 15 tests for intelligence, attention, language, reading ability, school performance, and visual-motor performance. The children of the mothers with thyroid deficiency during pregnancy scored lower on all tests. Their mean IQ was reduced by four points compared to that of the control group. Fifteen percent of the children had IQ scores less or equal to 85 compared to 5% of the control group. Of the women who had hypothyroidism and received no treatment, the differences among the children were even greater. The mean IQ of this subset of children was reduced by seven points from the control group and 19% of these children had a IQ less or equal to 85. The study suggests that undiagnosed, untreated thyroid hormone deficiency during pregnancy adversely affects brain development.
- New Engl J of Med 341
Appreciating Midwives
Seeing one of my midwives today stirred something deep inside of me. I'm bonded to both of these women in a place in my heart that few people even visit. Ours is a special relationship, one that didn't end with the birth of my son, or even with the conclusion of their postpartum care. I am aware that I am one of hundreds of women whom they will work with, and develop similarly meaningful and deep relationships with, throughout their careers. I am also aware of the rare quality of these women. I know that my son and I are special to them. My relationship with them has obviously changed, as it should, but the intimate connection we shared, based on their loving care and commitment, can never be altered. I really just want to say thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You helped me to be the person I wanted to be, with dignity.
- Heidi Tyedmers
Because every woman is a unique individual, our understanding of the psychology of birth will never really be complete. Some of our most valuable lessons will come in working through our own issues. The more we as midwives can weed out doubts and questions about our own worth and abilities as women, the more effective our efforts to support other women will be. By our very presence at births we will feel strengthened and empowered to do whatever they need to in order to give birth. Beyond this, our continuing efforts to understand how life patterns manifest in birth will enable us to better guide the process for each and every mother.
- Anne Frye
Midwives speak a special language. We speak words of instruction, counsel, and encouragement. We speak with our hands as we touch the swollen abdomen with confidence and gentleness, and as we give that reassuring hug that says more effectively than words, "All is well." And we speak with our eyes, when above all else, above race, religion, or economic status we see only a woman who is having a baby.... As we are there for them within and in spite of their circumstances, we are speaking to them in the language that all women understand: the language of love.
- Valerie El Halta
Every midwife has, at one time or another, stared sadly at the bags under her eyes...at laundry piled high on the floor, at a husband sulking...and kids glaring accusingly as she flies out the door...again!
Every midwife has felt the fear and frustration of a labor gone wrong, felt the sting of contempt....
Every midwife has locked a door behind her, and in the pain of a broken spirit shaken her fists to the empty sky and cried, "Why? Why am I doing this? I can't stay awake another night! I can't face another transport! I can't bear the guilt of my household's collapse! I can't go on...."
Every midwife has looked at strength, courage, and beauty in the face of a laboring woman and witnessed the power of love between two people, silent, single-minded, bringing life!
Every midwife has heard words like, "You have made it so special," "We will never forget you," "I couldn't have done it without you." She has felt amazed at her personal growth and how she has stretched far beyond what she felt capable of....
Every midwife sees pride in the eyes that once were accusing, feels cherished by the one who once was sulking, knows "why" she has chosen to bear the name midwife.
- Linda Elsbernd
Teaching and practicing what she teaches, [the traditional midwife] offers the same information to the birthing woman she attends that she offers to her own apprentice. Her entire practice operates by providing information to women about how to maintain their soundest health and wholeness and strength, by creating an environment that is life-supporting. Her allies include simple forms of nourishment in keeping with the simplicity that nature anticipates as an environment for birthing: whole life-giving foods; herbs; deep, slow abdominal breathing; touch, massage, and interaction with water; walking outside. These forms of nourishment provide a woman with ways to learn to care for herself and accept nourishment from others, and offer sustenance to herself and her unborn baby.
- Sher Willis
As midwives it is important to remember at every point of our practice that we are blessed with the opportunity to help others realize the most treasured memory of their lives.
- Jan Tritten
LIFE OF A MIDWIFE: All the preceding excerpts were taken from this wonderful Midwifery Today book. Nearly 100 pages of insight, support, wisdom, and resources.
GRACIOUS BIRTHS: read midwife Judy Edmunds' stunning article about the meaning of midwifery care.
THE WORLD HAS BECOME A GLOBAL VILLAGE. With this freedom to share information comes the ability to travel and relocate. When midwives move from one country to another, they should, with equivalent education and credentials, be able to practice their profession wherever they live. Click here to read more.
Please Support Our Advertisers
You believe in natural childbirth...
Program details and current class schedule listed at www.hypnobirthing.com
('educator' section)
Ask about our hosting option to earn FREE tuition!
Check It Out!
CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL MIDWIVES DAY on May 5: Treat yourself to a subscription to Midwifery Today magazine, beautiful midwifery jewelry, "Life of a Midwife" (a Midwifery Today book), or any of numerous products and services available on the Midwifery Today web site. Go to www.midwiferytoday.com and click on the shopping cart icon to use our secure online shopping area.
INTERNATIONAL MIDWIFE is a section in every issue of Midwifery Today. Read birth stories, read about midwifery in other countries, get to know birth practices from around the world.
THE PREMIER ISSUE OF "HAVING A BABY TODAY" NEWSLETTER, a Midwifery Today publication, is now online, in PDF format.
Midwifery Intensive with Traditional Mexican Midwife Doña Irene Sotelo: Monday August 27-Friday, August 31, 2001.
Midwifery Today's Online Forum
Does anyone have experience with raspberry leaf?
Go to our forums to share your thoughts and experience.
Please Support Our Advertisers
So much information and so little time!
Let MIDIRS help you keep up to date with the latest midwifery related information with our "New Member" service.
MIDIRS collects references from 1000s of journals, Internet sites, databases and other sources of midwifery related topics and research information.
If you would like unlimited access to this information on-line, click on our link to find out more: www.midirs.org
Question of the Week
I am a doula and have a client who had two previous c-sections with large babies and really wants to try for a vaginal birth. What information and support can you offer? She plans to have a hospital birth.
- Amy
Send your responses to:
Question of the Week Responses
Q: How do you feel about attending a birth for a patient who is overweight? Does it affect decisions made during the labor, attention needed, or anything else?
- Anon.
A: Just as the body knows exactly what to do to develop a new human being inside the uterus, the birth is also taken care of. As birth assistants we really just need to be there for the woman, supportive and encouraging, to make it easy for the woman to move with her labor.
I have supported women of different shapes and forms and there is no difference in my task at all. I might get more of a workout helping her in and out of the bath, but the core of labor and birth is for the woman to surrender. Weight is not a factor.
- Greta
A: I ask midwives to think about the actual clients you have served (not the statistics you have read in books). What real complications have you seen in larger numbers in women who weigh more? I don't think I have seen more complications among bigger women than smaller women. In fact, while I don't have any special concerns working with fatter women, I do have some concerns working with thinner women who may need more help to eat enough, and more help with recovery after the birth.
Recent studies show that weight alone is probably not a good predictor of overall health or life span. It is activity level and quality of diet that play much stronger roles. So I discuss good nutrition and exercise with ALL my clients and take care to emphasize the importance of eating freely and eating often.
I realize that I work with a relatively small number of women, so I wondered if studies that point to poor health in fatter women might not play out in my practice but might be true in the larger world. If there are more health problems caused by fat, I can see two obvious causes that are rarely discussed. First of all, fat people--especially fat women--are regularly discriminated against in our culture. Many health problems of fat women could be due to an important and medically acknowledged cause of poor health: stress.
Like other members of oppressed groups, many fat patients avoid seeking healthcare because they either assume they will get another lecture on weight loss or that accommodations will not meet their needs.
Finally, I think it is important to mention some points on providing good healthcare to fat women. Always have a large blood pressure cuff among your supplies. Using a cuff that is too small is uncomfortable for the client and gives falsely high BP readings (probably partially to blame for the perception that fatness and high blood pressure are linked). Also, please think about this point: For most people Diets Do Not Work. Most fat women have tried to lose weight at some point in their lives. Most of those women have gained weight back. Numerous studies have shown that yo-yo dieting is extremely unhealthy. Let's stop emphasizing weight loss for health and instead emphasize good health for all.
For more information about these issues check out these fat-positive web sites:
- Anon.
Please Support Our Advertisers
Austin Area Birthing Center has openings for experienced , dedicated student
midwives starting in June. A room is available in the center. Send your resume
to (512) 345-6637 or email to email@example.com
My homebirth VBAC inspired me to pursue midwifery. After a couple of years following that dream, I decided to stick with my earlier career path in environmental advocacy. In the meantime, however, I'd become a doula. So far, I've only attended women in the hospital, which has seemed a bit strange, given my love of homebirth. Yet I feel very happy and fulfilled with my work because I am able to bring tenderness and attention to the birthing woman that I think would otherwise be missing in a hospital setting. Intervention levels have run the gamut, from basically none, to induction, Pitocin augmentation, epidural, and c-section. So the main thing I focus on is nurturing, encouraging, and reaffirming my clients, as my midwife did for me. I think of the pregnancy, birth, and early postpartum period as the soil in which a new family, like a garden, will grow. If I can help enrich that soil so it contains ample quantities of love, self-confidence, hopefulness, and a sense of accomplishment, then I am doing my job.
- Mollie Matteson
MAY IS DOULA MONTH! Doulas, please submit a one-paragraph philosophy of doula practice to E-News, or a one-paragraph description of why your work is important, or aspiring doulas, submit a one-paragraph "Why I Want to be a Doula" description to E-News. Be succinct, feel free to cite studies and experience, or be poetic, speak from the heart! We will publish as many as we can fit throughout the month of May!
Please Support Our Advertisers
Baby T's
Celebrate Mother's Day with the perfect gift for your new moms! Boldly and proudly show the world you are a MOM. heck out our Grandmother Tee's too! Discount prices for Mother's Day.
Visit www.BabyTs.com for more information
Know a strong woman? Helping empower one? If you haven't already done so, please forward this issue of Midwifery Today E-News to one or two of your friends or business associates. Thanks so much!
International Connections
I am a student midwife getting ready for an apprenticeship. I am considering a trip to Jamaica for hands-on experience. I would appreciate any information from someone who has apprenticed there and can speak from experience. Is there anyone who could let me know what it's really like?
- Amy
From April 14 to 18, 2002 the 26th Triennial Congress of the International Confederation of Midwives will take place in Vienna, Austria. The call for abstracts and second announcement can be found at: www.icm-congress.com
- Dorothea Rueb
INTERNATIONAL MIDWIVES, please direct your questions, comments, and needs to "International Connections." We're here to help you!
I am 15 years old and I am going to be a midwife. Do you know where to find out about midwifery schools or what I should do about school?
- Mandi
The only NACC-certified birthing center in the state of Michigan, the Family Birthing Center at Providence Hospital, is scheduled to close on June 1, 2001. This center, owned and run by Providence Hospital, has been open since 1979 and has been the birthplace of nearly 7000 babies. We need as many letters as possible written to the following individuals (in the order of importance):
Dr. Robert Welch/ Chair of OBGYN
How does IV antibiotic treatment in labor for positive Group B Strep affect the newborn infant? I have not been able to find any information besides that it takes at least four hours for antibiotic levels in the amniotic fluid to be high enough to take effect. I ask because a few moms who have had treatment have said that they had problems with thrush for several months after the baby's birth.
- Kathy
More information on the pending legislation in Oregon [Issue 3:16]:
To read the proposed legislation, go to www.state.or.us Click on Legislature, Bills/Laws (top of page), 2001 regular session, Search for Specific Measure. Check Senate Bill, type in 730 in the box, hit search. When the page comes up, click on Introduced. To contact your legislator on this matter, the home page will lead you to how to find out who your legislator is and where to contact him/her.
When licensing was first proposed, we were told that it would be beneficial not only to midwives but to the women they serve, as insurance would then pay for midwifery care. As it turned out, women had to be referred by a physician to a midwife. Licensing fees have increased dramatically, and who is in charge of licensing seems to change yearly.
The new legislation would authorize midwives to purchase and administer certain drugs. While on the surface this may seem like a good idea, one has only to look to our sister midwives in California to know that it is not. Recent changes were made in their laws because midwives were having great difficulty getting physician backup. The law was changed, but midwives are required to carry Pitocin (which they cannot get without a prescription from a cooperative physician). The wording of the law has changed, but not the reality of practicing.
The proposed legislation does not state that carrying and administering these drugs will be mandatory. It does state that continuing education "must include training in the use of legend drugs and devices." I assume this to mean that all licensed midwives will be required to do this even if they have no intention of using these drugs. And as past experience has shown, it will not be long before it will be mandatory to carry the items in order to be licensed.
This legislation also states that "After consultation with the Board of Medical Examiners for the State of Oregon and the State Board of Pharmacy, adopt rules to authorize licensed midwives to purchase and administer legend drugs and devices in addition to those authorized." And there you have it! Now we've got the Board of Medical Examiners in our business!
I do not mean to be an alarmist, but we have seen time and time again where this road will lead us. We have seen it in other states as well as other countries. More rules and more outside control will do us more harm than good. I would not be surprised if we were to see non-licensed midwives become illegal in the near future. This will follow with cease and desist orders for those who are licensed. History will repeat itself. We are not immune to the same problems that plague midwives across the country.
I urge everyone to take a look at this bill as soon as possible and to contact their legislators to let them know whether you are for or against it.
- PeriAn Wilson
In response to the question about flax seed oil [Issue 3:16], nutritionist Marilyn Shannon encourages its use in her book "Managing Morning Sickness."
- Kathy
Midwifery Today E-News is published electronically every Wednesday. We invite your questions, comments and submissions. We'd love to hear from you! Write to us at:
Please send submissions in the body of your message and not as attachments.
Click here to subscribe to Midwifery Today E-News
For all other matters contact Midwifery Today: PO Box 2672-940, Eugene OR 97402
Remember to share this newsletter
You may forward it to as many friends and colleagues as you wish--it's free!
For problems with your E-News subscription, or if you do not have Internet access: firstname.lastname@example.com
Please explain the exact problem when you write.
Learn even more about birth!
Subscribe to our quarterly print publication, Midwifery Today. Mention code 940 U.S.: $50 1 year $95 2 years
E-mail firstname.lastname@example.com or call 800-743-0974 for information on how to order.
To order Midwifery Today products mentioned in this issue, send a check or money order to:
Midwifery Today, Inc.
To pay by Visa or MasterCard, send your information to: 1-800-743-0974 (orders only)
Editorial for E-News:
Editorial for print magazine:
For all other matters:
This publication is presented by Midwifery Today, Inc., for the sole purpose of disseminating general health information for public benefit. The information contained in or provided through this publication is intended for general consumer understanding and education only and is not intended to be, and is not provided as, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Midwifery Today, Inc., does not assume liability for the use of this information in any jurisdiction or for the contents of any external Internet sites referenced, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advertised in this publication. Always seek the advice of your midwife, physician, nurse or other qualified health care provider before you undergo any treatment or for answers to any questions you may have regarding any medical condition.
Copyright Notice
The content of E-News is copyrighted by Midwifery Today, Inc., and, occasionally, other rights holders. You may forward E-News by e-mail an unlimited number of times, provided you do not alter the content in any way and that you include all applicable notices and disclaimers. You may print a single copy of each issue of E-News for your own personal, noncommercial use only, provided you include all applicable notices and disclaimers. Any other use of the content is strictly prohibited without the prior written permission of Midwifery Today, Inc., and any other applicable rights holders.
© 2001 Midwifery Today, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Midwifery Today: Each One Teach One!


text:
View photos of the Space Shuttle Endeavour's journey through Los Angeles
DAY 1: Space shuttle Endeavour makes its way through Los Angeles streets at 2 mph
DAY 2: Space shuttle Endeavour inches through Los Angeles to final home
It blasted into space 25 times and zipped around the Earth at speeds of 17,500 mph.
But the space shuttle Endeavour's final mission was a slow, delicate, 2 mph, 12-mile voyage through the streets of Los Angeles that took nearly three days to complete.
Its last mission officially ended Sunday with applause, cheers and exhausted tears, after it was guided into its final resting place at the California Science Center. The shuttle arrived about noon, 15 hours later than planned because of blocking trees and a broken transporter.
"Today is a day of celebration as L.A. welcomes home the space shuttle Endeavour," a beaming Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said as he stood in front of the famous orbiter in Exposition Park.
"This is a piece of American history and a symbol of American spirit."
Many spectators seemed to agree with the mayor. Thousands lined the streets of Los Angeles day and night since Friday to catch a glimpse of the massive Endeavour, cheering as it crept by businesses and homes.
Some, such as Ken Phillips, aerospace curator at the California Science Center, had waited for what seemed like a lifetime for the shuttle to finally rest in Los Angeles. Phillips was the one who wrote a proposal a few years ago to NASA to convince the agency that the museum was the perfect choice for the shuttle's last resting place.
"I wanted this 20 years ago," Phillips said as he watched the nose of the shuttle make a last right turn into the center. "It so beat all the odds to be here. There are so many things that had to go right most of the time for it to be here. It's just incredible."
It took more than a year of planning and an estimated cost of $10 million to make Endeavour's final journey through Los Angeles possible, museum officials said.
With a 78-foot wingspan, Endeavour stands 57 feet tall on the runway and 122 feet in length.
The massive logistical adjustments included chopping down some 400 trees, hoisting cable and telephone lines and laying down steel plates to protect streets and underground utilities.
Endeavour itself was hoisted atop a carrier typically used to haul oil rigs, bridges and heavy equipment and pulled by a Toyota Tundra. An operator walked alongside, controlling the movements with a joystick as several spotters along the wings looked out for hazards.
Yet despite all the planning, Endeavour's last journey, dubbed Mission 26, became an exercise in patience as its travel was delayed several times throughout Saturday and part of Sunday morning because of maneuvering challenges.
In some spots it cleared trees by the width of a credit card, said California Science Center spokesman William Harris.
"We knew there would be shifts in the roadways and there were so many variables," he said. "But everything and everyone came together, and now, it's surreal that it's here."
Endeavour was the fifth and final NASA shuttle to be built. It blasted into space 25 times, orbited the earth 4,700 times, and after a final launch in May 2011, logged 122,883,151 miles.
The shuttle's final journey started at Los Angeles International Airport early Friday morning and crossed the Manchester Boulevard bridge over the San Diego (405) Freeway around midnight Friday. By early Sunday morning, it had reached the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza and then continued to crawl at 2 mph down Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
"This was the mother of all parades," said Jeffrey Rudolph, president of the California Science Center.
"What a great three days," he said. "Everyone was fantastic and patient."
No arrests were reported throughout the move, and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck praised Los Angeles residents for all their consideration.
"I've been working crowd control for 30 years and this was the most special crowd," Beck said. "Thank you L.A."
Many of those who had thought Endeavour would pull into the Science Center Saturday evening stayed at their spot into Sunday morning. Bleary eyed but excited, Gregoria Estrada and her son Sebastian Santos, 16, of Lynwood, wore lime green T-shirts emblazoned with "I love my space shuttle" and camped in a nearby parking lot to get up close and personal with the shuttle.
"It's something unusual, historic," Estrada said. "I feel emotional about it."
"It's not something you see everyday," added Santos. "I love the space shuttle."
Pavel Gonzalez, 29, of Los Angeles' Koreatown, said he had waited for hours last month at the Griffith Park Observatory to watch the shuttle flyover on a carrier on its way to LAX.
"I love astronomy," Gonzalez said. "I really love everything that has to do with space. It's a once-in-a-lifetime event."
His friend Vartuhi Temelsiz, 23, of Hollywood, said she hoped Endeavour's story would endure and inspire Americans to relaunch the space program.
"Science is an eye opener," she said.
After a long delay on King Boulevard the shuttle seemed to speed past apartment buildings and fast food restaurants as thousands of people, many with children, followed, filling in the closed down streets behind the shuttle and cheering the spacecraft on.
Troy Robinson, 46, who lives on King Boulevard, said he hardly slept, waiting for Endeavour to travel down past his home. The shuttle may have been late, Robinson said, but was worth the wait.
"We endeavored to see Endeavour," he said. "It was wonderful."
The Science Center will put the Endeavour on display in a pavilion Oct. 30 until a new addition called the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is built.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Last Updated on 18 April 2012, Company: Trackerbird Ltd.
Trackerbird Software Analytics enables software developers to track installations, software usage trends, user behaviour and license conversions. Also includes a direct-to-desktop marketing channel by which you can send promotional messages or surveys to users running your software. It's the ultimate tool for software product managers as well as sales and marketing executives who want to learn how their desktop software is used in the real world.


text:
One incident that was particularly memorable for me was in the small community of Yawari, which is not far from the small town of Archidona. There, our mission worked in the local elementary school, where we set up stations on the basketball court and in some classrooms. Chickens and dogs wandered around the school, children played on swingsets, the atmosphere was lively. Our MEDLIFE students even played a game of basketball with the students after the mission, which was great to see.
Amidst the atmosphere of joy, a very sick man, aided by his relatives, slowly walked over to be seen by the doctors of MEDLIFE. This man, Juan, who was only 40 years old, but looked at least 60, had a bulging tumor in his stomach that looked like the size of a grapefruit. He said that had had this tumor for at least five years, and could not afford to see a specialist who could remove the tumor, nor was in a condition to work to save money for the operation. He was an immense pain, and any help we would could offer him was all he asked.
It was in this moment that my heart sank, a feeling of compassion that I want to help you but there is nothing I can do. Only a surgery could help this man, something we had no way of doing, and he had no way of paying for, and most likely only available in larger cities like Quito that he had no way to travel to.
These sorts of moments in our lives are difficult ones for me. We often express in English, "I wish I could help you." "I wish" – an expression of profound desire to realize that which is not realizable – are both the easiest and the hardest words to utter, to think.
But, out of this difficult moment of truth, came a tiny miracle: Juan smiled at us, and said "gracias por venir" – 'thank you for coming here'. No anger, no desperation from him, just a simple "thank you for coming." Such grace, such humility, such appreciation.
We believed we had come to help and teach the people of Yawari about health, but instead we left with an important lesson about life by someone with neither health nor access to healthcare: "gracias por venir."
-Steve Byrd


text:
PUPILS at an Accrington primary school make good progress despite low starting points, Ofsted has found.
Inspectors who visited St Peter's CofE Primary School, in Cartmel Avenue, rated the school 'good' overall and said there had been improvements since the last inspection in 2011.
Lead inspector Neil Dixon said in a report: "Teaching is consistently good and standards of attainment are rising. Pupils are polite and welcoming and the caring environment in the school helps pupils to work and play well together. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well. The school is moving forward at a good pace."
He added that the school was not yet outstanding because when children were all working together, activities were sometimes too difficult for some, teaching did not consistently challenge the most-able pupils to do their very best and pupils did not check and evaluate their work often enough.


text:
When: May 1st 9:30 PM EST
Where: Disc Golf Talk Radio Live
Well it's been way to long. I just have had way to much personal stuff going on. So we will get this thing rolling for 2012 with this interview, then look for interviews with Gregg Barsby, Paul Mcbeth, Brian Schweberger and many more in the near future.
If you have any question you would like us to ask Jeremy just post them here or stop by the show and ask them yourself!


text:
About Tesla
Tesla's goal is to accelerate the world's transition to electric mobility with a full range of increasingly affordable electric cars. California-based Tesla designs and manufactures EVs, as well as EV powertrain components for partners such as Toyota and Daimler. Tesla has delivered over 15,000 electric vehicles to customers in 31 countries. Model S is the world's first premium sedan to be engineered from the ground up as an electric vehicle. Model S was named Motor Trend's prestigious 2013 Car of the Year, achieved the best safety score of any car ever tested by the NHTSA, and Consumer Reports is calling it the best car it has ever tested.
Tesla Motors is committed to hiring and developing top talent from across the world for any given discipline. Our world-class teams operate with a non-conventional automotive product development philosophy of high inter-disciplinary collaboration, flat organizational structure, and technical contribution at all levels. You will be expected to challenge and to be challenged, to create, and to innovate. These jobs are not for everyone, you must have a genuine passion for producing the best vehicles in the world. Without passion, you will find what we're trying to do too difficult.
The Role
The Design Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and delivering prototype level components and systems for the Tesla Model S program as well as TBD future Tesla product programs.
This position requires frequent interaction with the vehicle engineering team and design team using input from Interior, Exterior, BIW and Closures.
The successful candidate must have the ability to meet tight deadlines, have strong interpersonal and communication skills, be detail oriented, and have the ability to work independently. He/she must establish and maintain a professional working relationship with external and internal teams at all levels across the company. Typical job duties may include but are not limited to the following, Conceptualize Design, Release, Develop assigned components/systems, including:
Tesla Motors is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, age, sex, ancestry, marital status, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, present or past history of mental disability, genetic information or any other classification protected by state or federal law.
|Los Angeles, CA
United States
|Web Site:
|1050 Bing Street
San Carlos, CA 94070
United States
|Cleantech / Energy


text:
So these last few weeks WWE has been dropping in Ratings and they are getting ever so close to the 2.9 mark.
Now I hate TNA lately as much as any other guy, but I know Damn well if they just make a few minor changes and market the company better instead of taking shots at WWE that they could without a doubt pull off 2.0 ratings.
If you were to ask yourself if you ran TNA full


text:
NEW ORLEANS — Pardon the New Orleans Saints and their fans if they saw Sunday what they've seen so many times this frustrating season.
What they saw was a lot of inconsistency on both sides of the ball and on special teams in a 44-38 season-ending setback to the Carolina Panthers that sealed the deal on the Saints' first losing record since 2007 — Sean Payton's second season with the team.
"At the end of the day, this game is kind of a microcosm of the season," said Saints tackle Zach Strief. "We were inconsistent … and that's what killed us."
The Saints were done in first by a slow-starting offense, before the Panthers took advantage of the worst defense statistically in NFL history to score 28 straight points and turn a 24-13 third-quarter deficit into a runaway.
"It was totally unacceptable what happened today," Saints interim coach Joe Vitt said as he began his postgame remarks.
Along the way, the Saints were stung by a controversial non-fumble call against the Panthers in the third quarter by the officiating crew headed up by referee Al Riveron.
After trailing 10-0 midway through the second quarter on a 20-yard Graham Gano field goal and the first of Mike Tolbert's three 1-yard touchdown runs, which was set up on a 65-yard dash by DeAngelo Williams, the Saints bounced back with two touchdowns of their own.
Drew Brees threw a 7-yard TD pass to Marques Colston before linebacker Jonathan Vilma intercepted a Cam Newton screen pass and returned it 18 yards untouched for the touchdown that gave the Saints their first lead of the day.
After Gano kicked a 31-yard field goal to trim the deficit to 14-13, the Saints took control of the game.
Garrett Hartley kicked a 53-yard field goal, which tied his career-long, on the final play of the first half before Brees directed an 80-yard drive capped by a 19-yard TD pass to tight end Jimmy Graham on their first series of the second half to cap a 24-3 run and take control of the game at 24-13.
But that's where everything went terribly wrong for the Saints.
On the second play after the ensuing kickoff, Newton threw a short pass to tight end Greg Olsen, who fumbled the ball while being tackled by safety Roman Harper. Cornerback Johnny Patrick appeared to recover, but an official ruled that Olsen's knee was down before the fumble.
After the officials huddled, they ruled it a fumble but Patrick stepped out of bounds with his right foot in making the recovery.
Vitt challenged the ruling, but Riveron upheld the call because he said there was no indisputable evidence on the replay to overturn it.
NFL observer Ron Baynes, a retired official who is now a supervisor, said Riveron couldn't overturn the call because he could not tell from the TV replays if Patrick's foot was in or out.
"You have got to have indisputable evidence that the recovery was a clear recovery," Baynes, who was stationed in the press box, told a pool reporter. "(Riveron) didn't have a clear shot on the replay and couldn't tell if the right foot was in bounds or out of bounds."
"The referee didn't get the same angle as we did on the (video board) in his review and couldn't see it, so it is what it is," a disappointed Vitt said. "Every call is not going to go your way."
Vitt, in fact, seemed more upset with what happened immediately after that.
The Saints had the Panthers backed up to their own 12 one play later with a third-and-18 when Newton connected with Louis Murphy on a 34-yard pass along the sideline that set up a 54-yard TD run by Williams.
"When it comes to third-and-18, you can't get beat over the top of your head," Vitt said. "It's unacceptable, but it is what it is."
Then, Brees was intercepted by Panthers safety Charles Godfrey at the Saints' 36, which led to another 1-yard run by Tolbert to regain the lead at 27-24.
A punt by the Saints was turned into an 80-yard drive to a 1-yard Tolbert run before a 69-yard punt return by Armanti Edwards set up Williams, who rushed for 210 yards on 21 carries, for a 12-yard TD run.
All that came after the Saints' defense set an NFL record in the first half in giving up 287 yards to the Panthers, which brought the Saints' total to 6,799 for the season. That broke the single-season record of 6,793 yards allowed by the 1981 Baltimore Colts.
The Saints gave up 530 yards on Sunday — matching their season high — and finished with 7,042 yards given up, or 440.1 yards per game. The Panthers finished with 273 rushing yards and averaged 7.0 yards per carry.
Vitt refused to say that the no-fumble call on Olsen took the life out of the Saints even though they would have had the ball deep in Panthers' territory with an 11-point lead.
"It's not an excuse," he said. "If it did (take the life out of them), it's our fault. You have to play the game out. It's not a perfect game played by perfect people. It's not a perfect game officiated by perfect officials.
"The fact of the matter is the game didn't go our way. Either you rebound or you don't, and we didn't."
"Calls are going to be made, but we have to answer the bell when our number is called," Saints tackle Jermon Bushrod said. "We want a call that potentially could go our way to go our way and it didn't. They didn't have the correct camera angle to overturn the call, and that was unfortunate."
"From that point on, they had the momentum," said Brees, who completed 29 of 43 passes for 396 yards with four TDs and one interception. "They get that touchdown, then we have a turnover and they get another touchdown.
"Then, they get the punt return in the fourth quarter. It just seemed like something over and over again."
And as they were for a good portion of the season, the Saints defense was powerless to stop the Panthers.
"(We played) inconsistent," Vilma said. "Some games we play lights out. Other games, we'll give up 44 points and who knows how many yards. You can't win like that in this league, and it shows."


text:
Topic: TH-302, or What I learned by reading The Motley Fool
As I've mentioned before, my husband has extrahepatic CCA or possibly pancreatic cancer. Pathologists and his doctors have been unable to make a final diagnosis. We can't see any tumors on his CT scans, only enlarged lymph nodes. Because of this, his doctor frequently looks for treatments and trials for pancreatic cancer. Right now, my husband is receiving gemzar and Abraxane, and it's working pretty well. However, we don't have our next option lined up. His oncologist would like to try a targeted therapy, and in particular would love to get us into a B-Raf trial but hasn't been able to find one that is currently recruiting for either type of cancer.
I hate not having a good plan, so I've been searching, too. Tonight, I stumbled on this fascinating article for investors about pancreatic cancer research and which drugs have the potential to blow the disease out of the water (and make a ton of $).
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2 … rrent.aspx
I was happy to see Abraxane listed as a top choice, but I had never heard of TH-302. There is a trial near us in New England, so we are going to ask our onc what he thinks about it as a potential next step. Wondering if any of the experts on this board have heard of TH-302 and its potential for helping CCA? Thanks so much!


text:
NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Conversion disorder or stroke?
Apologizes for reiterating questions already asked; we're looking for more answers. Also sorry for writing too much, thought it would be better w/ a broader picture.
2 ½ months ago mom had severe r-sided weakness and fell to floor at work. 911 was called and arrived immediately. B/c her face was drooping and drooled, speech completely slurred, couldn't move at all, and BP was dangerously high – firemen said stroke and rushed her to hospital. She stayed overnight w/ several tests (CAT scan, MRI of neck and head, MRA, EKG, etc ?). Everything showed clear…although she still had symptoms – along w/ r-sided weakness in leg, arm, shoulder, and hand, also had comprehension problems and couldn't understand commands. Mixed up words and it took awhile to formulate sentences.
Started intensive Speech, PT, and OT (recomm. by Dr. in hospital). All therapists agreed she displayed symptoms of stoke patient. Hand specialist performed pressure test showing she had less than 50% strength in r-hand. Wasn't able to go back to work since therapy was all she could do in one day, was extremely weak and grew tired very easily, and used mostly fine motor skills at work.
Second week we visited an Internal Dr. someone recommended. Mom didn't have reg. treating physician – since only 55 ys, in good health, doesn't smoke/drink, and takes vitamins and eats only healthy food daily. Only medical history was what we gave him (never had major health prob.s except for a few visual disturbances w/ jagged prism of colors some months prior to event, and old injuries caused by car accidents; and only family history is her dad had several strokes and seizures in the recent past...although he has also always been healthy).
So during visit, Dr. became very skeptical of situation b/c of tests run in the hospital. Wanted to write off her condition as being a "conversion disorder." We didn't know anything about it, so went w/ it. Also said didn't want to write it in chart b/c he was still going to treat it as a stroke. Since BP was still extremely high and her blood work came back, went ahead and prescribed: an aspirin a day, blood pressure, heart, cholesterol, and anti-depressant medications. Also scheduled more tests.
Next week: more therapy, took meds, did some research on CD, and went back to Dr. Until now seen him about 4 times and every visit he gets more condescending and even down-right rude at times. He dismissed everything we told him including visual prob.s and therapists' reports. Says just about everything except calling her a liar to her face….when we asked about his diagnosis. She works extremely hard in therapy and isn't someone you can just look at and tell has had a stroke, so at times people are questionable. He wants to see surveillance video from work and even claims being fatigued has nothing to do w/ stroke and that she should be fine by now.
Mom is very strong, independent, happy, educated person and feels he's claiming all symptoms are basically "in her head". She doesn't get stressed easily and b/c we are spiritual we hand over our problems to God instead of becoming overly worried about them….so she's not the type to do something like this just for attention and never has been.
Then visited neurologist who ordered EEG w/ another MRI. Was polite and wanted to wait for new results before making any conclusions. First test not back, but we do have the MRI report. I've tried to read as much as possible but feel like I'm going in circles. Her Dr. is not an end-all bad guy and at times can be charming, but is just stubborn and big-headed sometimes and doesn't want to back down. If possible don't want to change Dr.s this late, but will if all it means is better bed-side manners. Have another follow-up w/ him next week and was just wondering if you could help us interpret results or if you have any comments.
MRI findings: along with technical terms stating that she does have "significant bilateral foraminal stenosis" and bone spurs, concerning her brain it states that "there does appear to be some slight periventricular white matter changes in the deep white matter of the left frontal region."
Does this mean that she had a stoke, and if not…was it definitely a conversion disorder? What do we do next? Thanks for your time and consideration.
Despite the extensive information provided, I cannot tell you if your mother's event represents a conversion disorder or a stroke. The recent MRI and EEG results will be very helpful, but may still leave a lingering doubt. If the report is as you have written, it is not clear if they saw something in the left hemisphere that they feel is consistent with a new ischemic lesion (stroke) or not. It will probably be necessary for your neurologist to review the films him/herself to determine whether this lesion is related to the symptoms. The findings are in a location where they could potentially be related to the symptoms.
In either case, the symptoms are real--your mother is not normal, with right sided weakness. The problem lies in that the expected test results were not seen (an obvious stroke on the MRI). This is a difficult circumstance in medicine--physicians are troubled when they can't clearly explain the symptoms.
A conversion disorder is defined by somatic symptoms without a clear cause, and thus is a consideration for your mother. Part of the definition is that the patient is not willingly "faking" the symptoms--they consider the symptoms quite real and are not actively trying to have or portray the symptoms. Typically, the physical symptoms are indicative of a psychological conflict or stress that the person cannot deal with cognitively, and the body's way of dealing with the stress is to manifest physical symptoms. These conversion disorder symptoms typically get better if the conflict/stress is identified and the patient is able to confront and deal with the stressor. Often this is not obvious, and so conversion disorders are hard to treat. The lack of voluntary control of symptoms separates conversion disorder from malingering, in which symptoms are voluntarily portrayed for a secondary gain (a classic example of malingering is a student portraying illness to get out of taking an exam they didn't study for).
Let's presume for a minute that it is indeed a conversion disorder. As to how individual physicians deal with a potential conversion disorder, there is certainly a variety of responses. Some become frustrated with the patient and family. Some are quite uncomfortable being in a position where they can't explain the symptoms with a biological problem. Some physicians and some allied health personnel are not aware of (or have never seen) a conversion disorder, and thus might inappropriately insist that a biological cause exists. A frank discussion of the symptoms with the physician, and trying to come to an understanding of the future care plan may be helpful.
I hope this helps.
Brett Kissela, MD
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Director, Neurology Residency Program
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati


text:
Email firstname.lastname@example.com: 1-856-461-8883
Free Shippingon all orders $60 or more!*
You have 0 item(s) in your cart worth $0.00
White Mountain Puzzles offers a wide selection of high-quality and popular jigsaws. From hot air balloon puzzles to scenery puzzles and insect puzzles, White Mountain Puzzles has a jigsaw for everyone. These jigsaws are made with sturdy puzzleboard and beautiful illustrations. They also come packed with information, so each becomes and educational jigsaw puzzle too!


text:
Send cattle reporting information online or by phone
- From:
- British Cattle Movement Service
- Part of:
- Guidance on keeping cattle, bison and buffalo in Great Britain and Cattle movements
- Published:
- 6 May 2014
- Applies to:
- England, Scotland, and Wales
You can send the British Cattle Movement Service updates via CTS Online, approved farm software and a self-service phone line.
To report the births, movements and deaths of cattle, bison or buffalo electronically, you can use:
- Cattle Tracing System (CTS) Online
- CTS Web Services using approved farm software
- the CTS self-service telephone line
CTS Online
CTS Online is a British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) website that is free to use and lets you:
- report births, movements and deaths and get receipts for your transactions
- access a list of all the cattle on your holding, see their details and look at the history of your herd
- view your holding's transactions for the last 6 months
- see if there are any problems with your transactions and send BCMS information to resolve them
- order bar code labels and forms
CTS Online is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It allows you to get your cattle information to BCMS quickly, upload movements in batches and send information via a 'contact BCMS' facility (eg if you make a mistake in reporting). It also validates some of the information you send, which leads to fewer mistakes.
You can download a slideshow (MS Powerpoint Presentation, 13.4MB) demonstration that lets you navigate around as you would on the live site (press the 'escape' key to exit).
Enrol to use CTS Online
Before you first use the system, contact BCMS to get a CTS Online reference number. You'll also need to register with the Government Gateway (PDF, 336KB, 3 pages) if you haven't already registered to access other government services online. You'll use your Government Gateway user ID and password to access CTS Online.
Once you're registered with the Government Gateway, there are two ways to enrol to CTS Online for the first time:
enrol for CTS Online via the Government Gateway portal (PDF, 391KB, 3 pages)
enrol directly from the CTS Online homepage (PDF, 405KB, 4 pages)
You can also register for the Government Gateway and then enrol for CTS Online (PDF, 668KB, 5 pages) all in one go.
Once you've enrolled, each time you use CTS Online you can choose whether to log in via the Government Gateway or directly through the CTS Online homepage (PDF, 450KB, 4 pages) .
Help with CTS Online
You can download help guides on:
how to report same-day on and off (or off and on) movements at the same time (PDF, 381KB, 6 pages)
how to report on and death transactions at the same time (PDF, 589KB, 8 pages)
moving animals between holdings registered under the same Government Gateway account (PDF, 623KB, 6 pages)
how to register for the Government Gateway and enrol multiple holdings for CTS Online (PDF, 749KB, 7 pages)
how to report on and off show movements (PDF, 316KB, 5 pages)
uploading a file of movements or deaths (PDF, 758KB, 12 pages)
uploading a file of births for the first time (PDF, 1.18MB, 12 pages)
There is also help information on the right-hand side of each screen on CTS Online.
If you still have a problem, you can contact BCMS, with the following information to hand:
- your County Parish Holding (CPH) number
- the web page you were using when the problem happened
- your internet service provider (ISP) and browser type
- the date and time the problem happened
CTS Web Services
CTS Web Services is a BCMS system that allows compatible farm software packages to link straight through to the Cattle Tracing System via an internet connection. It allows you to report your cattle births, movements and deaths securely to BCMS through your farm software.
As with CTS Online, some of the information is validated by the system, helping to eliminate mistakes.
You can also request receipts for your transactions. To find out if your transactions have been successful in reaching CTS, you can enter your receipt number back into CTS Web Services. This will show if any mistakes have been made, so you can enter your information again.
Other features include:
- a 'cattle on holding' cross-check option, which allows you to automatically compare your holding register with the information CTS holds, to ensure there are no discrepancies
- a 'get animal details' option, which allows keepers and abattoirs to view full movement histories for up to 50 individual animals
To start using CTS Web services using approved farm software or to change your CTS Web Services password for your farm software, contact BCMS.
If you want to produce a product which uses CTS Web Service and you'd like more information, email email@example.com.
CTS self-service phone line
The CTS self-service line (SSL) is an automated phone line for cattle keepers who don't have access to a computer.
The number is 0345 011 1212 (0345 011 1213 if you are a cattle keeper in Wales).
The line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
When you register with BCMS, your CPH number and the telephone numbers(s) you'll be calling from will be registered on the Cattle Tracing System. To change the number or add other numbers to call from, contact BCMS.
If your telephone number is withheld, the system won't recognise it unless you dial 1470 before the SSL number. If you have trouble dialling in from a mobile, your mobile provider should be able to tell you what settings to change so that the system can detect your number.
How to use the SSL
You can use the SSL for reporting:
- births (press 1)
- movements on (press 2)
- movements off (press 3)
- deaths of registered animals (press 4)
- deaths of unregistered calves (press 5)
You don't need to wait for the menu to finish before pressing the option you need.
The most effective way to use the SSL is by using the telephone keypad to enter information.
There's a limit of 50 transactions in one call. If you need to report more than this, hang up and re-dial.
At the end of each call you'll be given a reference number, which you should note in case of queries. The information you have given will appear straight away on CTS Online.
Contact BCMS
British Cattle Movement Service
Curwen Road
Derwent Howe
Email email@example.com
BCMS helpline 0345 050 1234
Helpline for cattle keepers in Wales 0345 050 3456
Normal BCMS helpline opening hours: Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm, closed weekends and bank holidays. All calls charged at local rate.
Document information
Published: 6 May 2014


text:
Hill makes first appearance since death of son
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Red Sox reliever Rich Hill made an emotional return to the mound Friday against the Blue Jays, throwing a perfect inning in his first appearance following the tragic death of his newborn son.
Hill's progression this spring was delayed by a late arrival to camp following his infant son's recent death. But Hill impressed Boston manager John Farrell with how quickly he prepared himself after reporting and wound up recording three straight outs in the bottom of the fifth inning Friday at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium during Boston's 3-1 win.
Afterward, Hill couldn't hide his emotions when asked what was going through his mind on the mound.
"It was tough, but it was good," Hill said, pausing to compose himself. "It was good to get out there and pitch. ... I remember the 3-2 count, and before you'd [think], 'I've got to make the pitch, I've got to make the pitch.' And it just comes to you where you're just -- you're playing baseball. This isn't something that you were dealing with a few weeks ago.
"So it was kind of a sense of ease just to go out there and play the game the way that we were meant to play it as kids. So that was kind of the emotions and the feelings that were out there today."
Added Farrell: "He's done everything he could to get back in a game. I'm sure in his mind just to get back out on to the field and compete hopefully gives him a little peace of mind. Still, we're going to reserve any judgment and any kind of evaluation until we get more appearances. But more than anything, he's out there and he's in the flow of things."
Hill said he had to fight the desire to do too much and work too hard to catch up with the rest of Boston's pitchers, but he was pleased with the way he threw Friday. Hill got Dioner Navarro on a popout, induced a flyout to center field from Moises Sierra and struck out Ryan Goins looking. The lefty admitted he didn't have his best stuff, but that might have made the results even more encouraging.
"You really had to focus on feeling the ball come out and trusting it and just executing the pitch," Hill said. "It was a great day because you look at it and you take it as, 'Wow, you had 'B' stuff today but you were able to go out there and execute and get guys out.' That was exciting for me."
Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
AN eight-year-old girl was taken to hospital after her foot was impaled by a garden fork in North Yorkshire.
Fireighters called our to assist an ambulance crew as they treated the casualty in the East Way area of Whitby.
"The fire crew used manpower to remove the fork and assisted paramedics administer first aid prior to the girl being taken to hospital," said a spokesman for North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue.


text:
One Single Letter
This is a true statement:
_ is 1,000 times _ _
The same letter goes in all three spaces. What is the letter?
HintIf you're thinking Roman numerals, you're way off track.
AnswerThe letter is m.
m is 1,000 times mm.
One metre (m) is, in fact, 1,000 millimetres (mm).
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Back to Top


text:
If you are searching something different and out of the line, please check out the CityLife – Responsive Under Construction Template. CityLife is a fully configurable and easy to use responsive under construction template with HTML5 Video Background Support and a lot of other great features. It has been specifically designed to be easily customized and it's created for creatives who want to make under construction page in few minutes.
- Fully Responsive,
- Fullscreen Homepage Slideshow,
- HTML5 Video Background,
- More Than 20 Social Media Icons,
All images and videos used in the demo are not distributed with the theme. They are all licensed under Creative Commons and credited to their respective creator/owner.
Video Clip by OneDayStudio
Modernizer – the feature detection library for HTML5/CSS3
jQuery UI CSS Framework 1.8.12
Vegas – jQuery plugin
jQuery Video Background plugin
jQuery Countdown
Somicro – 33 Free Social Media Icons
Lato – google.com/webfonts
Exo – google.com/webfonts
Libre Baskerville – google.com/webfonts
Archivo Black – google.com/webfonts
v1.1 Fixed: Social Media Icons Bug


text:
The words "final" and "exam" are harmless until they are put together in the dreaded sequence "final exam." Here is a public service announcement: final exams are scheduled to begin a week from today. Stressed? No way, you got this! Below are a few tips to help you minimize stress and maximize your confidence come exam time.
Sleep is a precious thing. That's why babies look adorable while sleeping. If you can say that you got enough sleep 85% of the semester, congrats and skip ahead. If you can't, then pay attention. Sleep is important for brain function- that's common knowledge. Your body needs rest, especially during this high-stress time period. Start planning and implementing a sleep schedule now. It may seem crazy going to bed at 11:00 in college, but it is possible. Allow yourself to get enough sleep at night and soon you will be waking up refreshed and ready to go rather than groggy. Start sleeping properly now and your body will get plenty of rest come exam time.
Flashcards aren't always the answer.
Many courses, while emphasizing understanding, tend to lean toward memorization and regurgitation of material. This then coerces you to the go-to method of making flashcards. However, flashcards are only useful in memorization. In courses where you have to understand large concepts or mechanisms you may find flashcards counterproductive. Instead, try drawing out concepts and mechanisms on copy paper. If you have to understand blood flow in a heart, print out a basic (but unlabeled) hear diagram and use red and blue pens to show direction. Also try explaining things to yourself out loud. This may help you catch where things don't sound correct.
Spending so much time studying in the library leaves little time for proper consumption. Don't let yourself get caught up in ramen, poptarts, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It is important to eat properly in order to provide your body the right fuel for getting things done. Eating sugar, caffeine, and carbohydrate loaded foods may give you incredible energy at first but also come with a quick drop in energy after some time. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, protein, and drink plenty of water in order to ensure your body can operate at maximum potential.
Hitting the gym isn't a waste of time.
Many students find that spending time at the gym versus studying is a bad idea. Wrong. Your body needs to move. It's also a great stress relief. Going to the gym can also be productive. You can study while you work out! Equipment like the bicycles and ellipticals have little shelves on them you can use to hold papers, flashcards, and books. You may need to learn to multitask, but it can help use your time wisely if you're in a crunch. Just be sure to exercise a few days of the week during this week and next to make sure that your body gets enough movement and minimize stress.
Finals week won't be so scary if you start preparing ahead of time. Take steps now to make sure that you are fully ready. Start hitting the books now on the topics that you struggle most with. Sleep, eat, and exercise. Most importantly: just breathe. Hard work pays off and within a few days you'll be able to return home and relax for nearly a month! What could be better? Good luck!


text:
It's possible Woodland will have two community pools open again in the near future.
City staff are working with a private citizen's group and the YMCA to explore the option of re-opening the Grace Patches Hiddleson pool sometime next year, confirmed Community Services Director Christine Engel.
"At this point we're continuing to explore the opportunities to re-open the pool," Engel said. "We welcome a partnership with this community group and the YMCA because everyone has the same intention in mind, which is to provide additional recreation opportunities for the public."
Closing the pool was a symptom of the recession. In 2009, the Parks and Recreation Department was cut by $1.8 million, necessitating the closure, among other staff and programs. It had staved off being shuttered since 2004.
When the Charles Brook Swim Center opened 41 years ago, Woodland's population was about half it is now, yet it had two pools, said Vice Mayor Tom Stallard. During hot, summer months the Brooks pool sees an average of 500 kids per day.
Re-opening Hiddleson would provide greater access for aquatic recreation for young and young-at-heart alike. The pool, 1127 Elm St., along an alley between College and Elm streets, is right out the YMCA's backdoor it could be an ideal situation for the organization to provide programming for the facility.
"It's empty and it looks sad and it should be usable," Stallard said.
The 250,000-gallon pool, which has been out of service for five years, will cost around $1 million to bring it back into service, including ADA compliance, estimated Stallard.
"We're not daunted by that. Our community can figure that out," said Stallard. "Hopefully we can make this happen."
However, the passage of Measure J on the June ballot, with its four advisory measures, may be critical to the project.
Measure J proposes to extend the life of Measure V, a quarter-cent sales tax, that is distributed to various Woodland projects.
At its Jan. 7, 2014 meeting, Woodland's City Council passed a resolution calling the special election for Measure J. Advisory measure K asks voters in part if 60 percent of the revenue from the tax should be used to "expand and enhance youth and teen programs and facilities, including funding to support the re-opening of Hiddleson Pool?"
Advisory measures are not binding, but do provide officials with a guide for what residents want their money used for.
The Measure J funds would go toward getting Hiddleson back online, including being ADA compliant, said Tony Mengali, who heads the five-person citizen group to get the pool re-opened.
Once it's renovated, Mengali proposes that the on-going deficit of the pool could be managed by private fundraising. It's just the start up costs that could make or break the project.
"We have this asset. You just can't have an asset like that sitting dormant," Mengali explained. "There's no reason for it to sit just idle like that. The deficits are not so overwhelming that we couldn't raise funds privately. It's the remodel that's very expensive.
Measure V — which brings in about $2 million to the General Fund each year — was a temporary revenue measure approved by voters in 2010 to help offset the city's budget crisis at the time. It expires in June.
Measure V monies are being used consistently with its advisory measures that provided 30 percent be allocated to support the Woodland Public Library, 30 percent for park maintenance, landscape maintenance and senior programs, and 40 percent in support of police and fire services.
In addition to Hiddleson, advisory measures for Measure J include allocating 20 percent of the revenue to enhance educational and youth literacy programs at the Woodland Public Library, as well as expand its hours of operation; using 15 percent of the revenue for enhanced public safety, including the expansion of crime prevention programs such as Neighborhood Watch and services supporting at-risk youth; and allocating 5 percent of the tax revenue to support a city water and sewer utility ratepayer assistance program for low-income residents.
"You have an asset of the city's that's got mosquitos in it. I don't see how anyone can think that's acceptable," said Mengali. "If the city could use it, it should be open. I also understand that that could take some creativity to reach the common goal. We understand the city's financial challenges and we're not oblivious to it."
Follow Elizabeth Kalfsbeek at twitter.com/woodlandbeat


text:
Assistive Technology for People who have Disabilities or who are Deaf
Documents Low Cost Assistive Technology Read More ▹
Learn five steps that agencies can take increase safety and accessibility options for victims of sexual violence by using assistive technology. Read More ▹
The use and availability of Assistive Technology in programs and agencies is a critical component of ensuring accessible and safe services for victims and survivors. This tip sheet briefly highlights: how... Read More ▹


text:
1 of 14 Photos
'Star Wars: The Force Awakens': Meet the Cast
What is the controversy? That blacks don"t care for sci fi ? Who cares it"s gonna make millions
Amy would kill in a talk show like this. She's the perfect combination of smart and silly and she's personable. She laughs at everything which helps make the guests feel more comfortable. I don't think she would leave NBC though and I'm not sure she would want to be tied down to a talk show. If I was CBS though, she would be my first pick, hands down.
How old is Daisy Ridley. I want to know her date of birth. Post it – and not her playing age.
I sure hope Jeremy Bulloch ("Boba Fett") is in the cast!!! Lots of folks would agree with me.


text:
Once Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Steve Montador alluded to perceived key changes in the NHL's CBA proposal, it was probably inevitable that the league would release the offer in full. On Wednesday morning, that's exactly what happened.
The league sent the four-page proposal and seven-page addendum to media and published it on its website. The substance of the offer and response from the union is about what we expected by Tuesday night—a starting point for negotiations, not an ultimate solution to the NHL lockout.
— Extensive breakdown of the owners' proposal
The issue Montador raised in an interview with Adam Jahn's of the Chicago Sun-Times: potential changes to hockey-related revenue, which is shorthand for the money the league is arguing over. Last season, that totaled $3.3 billion, and players got 57 percent of it. The owners, citing increased costs of running franchises, want to drop players' share to 50 percent—a projected 13 percent paycut—then reimburse for the first year over time. That, ultimately is what this is about—but a necessary starting point for negotiations is that the sides are talking about the same number, with the same calculation methods.
Montador said the league switched things up, which would be both disastrous and not without precedent—the league did just that in a previous proposal. This time around, according to the NHL, that isn't the case—though it does cop to "clarifications" in how the number is calculated. From the addendum:
"We agree to retain the CBA's current HRR definitions. Further, we propose to formalize the various agreements the NHLPA and the NHL have reached, and lived under, during the course of the expired CBA, and to clarify mutually identified ambiguities in the CBA.
"Importantly, we do not believe any of our proposed clarifications should have any impact either on the amount of the Players' Share or the amount that any individual Player is entitled to receive. None of these clarifications for instance, would have had a material impact on the 2011/12 Actual HRR number. This proposal is all about certainty, clarity and speeding up our complex, end-of-year accounting process."
The question boils down to whether the NHL is talking about 50 percent of the pie the players are used to, or whether its's 50 percent of a slightly smaller pie. Smaller pies, in metaphors and reality, are always bad.
The NHLPA, in a letter to players obtained by TSN.ca, essentially said, "Let's wait and see."
"They want to "clarify" HRR definition and rules," executive director Donald Fehr wrote. "It is not immediately clear what this means, but so far all of their ideas in this regard have had the effect of reducing HRR, and thereby lowering salaries."
An offshoot of the HRR figure is revenue sharing—the NHL, based on the $3.3 billion figure, says top-grossing teams and league/playoff revenues will provide $200 million to be split among lower-revenue teams. That, according to the proposal, is a 33 percent increase—assuming there aren't any changes to HRR. Or pies.
Other points on revenue sharing, according to the proposal:
— Distribution will be determined each year by a committee, on which the union will have representation.
— In the proposal's first two years, no team will receive less than it received in 2011-12.
— Teams from large markets and in the top half league revenues will now be eligible.


text:
|February 7, 2013, 07:50 PM
Junior Member
Join Date: February 4, 2013
Posts: 13
Gun Facts vs Emotion
Thought people might enjoy this read - I heard discussion of this on the Michael Brown Show (on 630 KHOW out of Denver). The article was submitted by a listener - while I have not checked the facts (there are a lot listed), however it is an interesting read.
You may remember the name Michael Brown - he was the FEMA director during Katrina, although that has no bearing on the article, it was not written by him, only discussed on his radio show.
|February 8, 2013, 05:17 PM
Join Date: March 8, 2005
Location: ny
Posts: 87
That is virtually every debate between pro gun (facts, statstics, and logic) vs anti gunners (emotion only).
in addition to that i wrote a similar letter to the nra last week to encourage them to produce commercials that show these stories of women and the elderly defending themselves. This is all the left knows (emotion).
|February 8, 2013, 05:58 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: August 21, 2000
Location: Minnesota, Twin Cities
Posts: 1,057
Another good way to stifle the anti gunners is to ask them point blank, "How am I supposed to protect my wife and children when you keep putting limits on my rights and the tools I have to protect myself. Yet you continually let hardened criminals out of prison early, if you send them there at all. Those criminals won't obey your gun control laws. Thus, you are purposely providing them with a decided advantage over me and my family. Why do you favor criminals over me and my family?"
"If you love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." Samuel Adams.
|February 8, 2013, 07:18 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: July 29, 2010
Location: The ATL (OTP)
Posts: 3,546
A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it ... gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.
- Milton Friedman
|February 8, 2013, 08:42 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 15, 2011
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 317
Emotion is great in the short term, but not so much the long term.
Just look at the polls -- after Newtown, the nation wanted all kinds of gun control, bans, etc. Now those same polls say no, that's not what the nation wants. What changed? Time. People's emotional state returns to normal, and they start thinking.
Once you're thinking, what prevails? That's right -- things like facts. Many of those undecideds, exposed to the gun control debate for the first time, have learned the facts. Even Salon.com is saying that the AWB was about cosmetic crap and the NRA was right about a coupla things. That's bloody historic, that is.
Once those undecideds have learned, they won't have the same panicky reaction next time. They'll ask insightful questions, and the national discussion will be the better for it. Get them to learn about "Assault weapons" this time, and maybe next time they can learn about magazine capacity.
Stay on your reps!
|Thread Tools
|Search this Thread


text:
TOBY Faletau will drop to the Newport Gwent Dragons bench for Saturday's clash with Munster.
Tom Brown, who has been a replacement in all three games this season, will get the nod for the RaboDirect Pro12 encounter at Thomond Park.
So far this campaign Faletau has failed to hit the heights that propelled him to stardom in the Wales back row.
However, there were mitigating circumstances in last weekend's deflating loss to Cardiff Blues at Rodney Parade.
The 21-year-old suffered a dead leg and it is that injury that prevents him from being a starter in Limerick, although it was likely that Brown would have been given a chance anyway.
"There is no point having these guys playing half fit because you just don't get out what you need from them," said head coach Darren Edwards.
"Toby was good at the contact area against the Blues, and that's something that we have been working on with him, but everybody loves to see him making breaks and he is not quite at his usual level.
"His dead leg means that Tom gets a game and as a flat our ball carrier he is suited to what we are going to face in Munster. He is very abrasive and we will need that confrontational edge.
"Tom is desperate for a game and we do need to play some of these guys (who have not featured) or they will start to lose their conditioning, and we cannot afford that."
The Dragons adopted the same no-risk policy they are taking with Faletau when they headed over the Irish Sea to face Leinster a fortnight ago.
On that occasion Dan Lydiate, who was struggling with a minor chest injury, was left out of their travelling party altogether.


text:
SANTA CRUZ -- Visitors flocked to the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum over the weekend to catch a glimpse of hummingbirds flitting about and the plants that attract the tiny creatures.
Hummingbird Days drew people from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and included tours of the Australian and other nectar-rich sections of the garden, as well as children's craft activities and more. The event included an exhibit of several artists this year as well.
Part the event involves welcoming Allen's hummingbirds, which winter in Mexico before arriving in California and pushing aside the other arboretum regular, Anna's hummingbirds.
Rufous, Costa's and black-chinned hummingbirds also visit the arboretum annually, organizers said.
Arboretum Director Brett Hall said he remembers being floored at the first event more than 20 years ago when he rounded a corner and saw "a mob" show up to see the beloved hummingbirds.
But Hall is used to it now. The hummingbirds could be seen and heard Sunday without the patience of a birdwatcher, as they dove, chirped and shined in the sun.
"It's a major phenomenon for annual hummingbirds," he said. "It's really a special situation."
Quoting founding faculty member Todd Newberry, Hall said it's definitely a hummingbird "hot spot" in California, if not beyond.
Sunday, people of all ages gathered with long-lensed cameras, folding chairs and more to grab a glimpse of the birds.
Bonnie Young of Santa Cruz headed up to see the hummingbirds Sunday, a couple decades after her last visit.
"It's wonderful," she said. "It's changed and developed and improved. All these signs really help."
Nearby, a hummingbird alighted on a sprawling bush that a sign identified as a Proteaceae, Grevillea, or "Ruby Clusters."
A pair of gray-haired ladies strolled by, leaning close at the shoulder, as one said, "They come right up to me in my yard."
The arboretum is a research and teaching facility committed to plant conservation, according to the facility's website. Serving students and the public, its collection contains representatives of more than 300 plant families, plus rare and threatened plants of unusual scientific interest.
Particular specialties are world conifers, primitive angiosperms and bulb-forming plant families with large assemblages of plants from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, as well as California natives.
And it offers lovely views of Monterey Bay from some spots.
Lin McCarthy and her husband, Mark, brought their three young daughters to the festivities from Fremont, along with other family friends.
The girls, 5-year-old Valerie and twin 3-year-olds Carol and Clara, were making hummingbirds on a stick or perhaps a hummingbird puppet. (The pieces were works in progress, and the final visions were not yet realized).
"I think it's great, it's a well-maintained garden, but still so natural," McCarthy said. "And you can see different scenes minute by minute, and different plants that I don't see in this area. And the hummingbirds are more colorful than the ones I see in my backyard."
Follow Sentinel reporter Cathy Kelly on Twitter at Twitter.com/cathykelly9
If you go
Naturalist visit
What: UC Santa Cruz Arboretum Director Brett Hall suggests checking out the visit of naturalist, educator and author John Muir Laws.
WHERE: UC Santa Cruz
When: 6 p.m. potluck, 7 p.m. 'Thinking like a Naturalist: Reclaiming the Art of Natural History' talk, March 14; 'Nature Journaling: The door to deep observation' workshop, March 15
more details: Visit arboretum.ucsc.edu/ or call 831-427-2998. Reach Hall at email@example.com.


text:
Groene at the Legislature: Teacher absences, substitutes
Mail: Southern statues symbolize suppression
More opinion
Senate: Vote no on Graham-Cassidy health care plan
Fall: Good time to spray musk thistle in rosette stage
More Ag News
Chuck Hagel, who was born in a little house on the edge of Norh Platte after World War II, was confirmed Tuesday as U.S. Secretary of Defense Tuesday by a 58-41 vote in the U.S. Senate.
Several strong opponents, including Sen. John McCain, said they thought there were better choices, but decided not to mount another filibuster.
Earlier Tuesday, the Senate voted 71-27 against the filibuster, advancing Hagel's nomination to an up or down vote.
Sen. Mike Johanns voted yes on Hagel's confirmation. Sen. Deb Fischer voted no.
Hagel will face many challenges, including sizeable defense department budget cuts if the sequester goes into effect at the end of the week. The sequester will begin on Friday if Congress doesn't come up with a compromise plan in the final hours.
The Pentagon earlier announced plans to furlough most of its 800,000 civilian employees to help meet a $46 billion shortfall.
The annual Defense budget is $615 billion.
Hagel, 66, was born in North Platte and grew up in towns in western and northern Nebraska where his father worked at lumber yards.
In 1968, Hagel and brother Tom went to Vietnam and were both wounded in combat. Chuck was awarded two Purple Heart medals.
After the war, Hagel ventured into public service in Washington, D.C. and helped launch a cell phone company. He returned to Nebraska in 1996 to run for the Senate, upsetting then-Gov. Ben Nelson for the seat.
Hagel was a senator for two terms, from 1997-2009.
In 2007, he became an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq, distancing himself from most Republican colleagues in the Senate, including McCain.
His confirmation was applauded Tuesday by VoteVets.org, a group that describes itself as progressive.
The Vote Vets group said they collected more than 8,000 petition signatures from veterans backing Hagels nomination and sent more than 18,000 emails to senators, covering all 50 states and all 100 senators.
VoteVets.org Chairman Jon Stoltz said Hagel "brings with him the experience of being a grunt on the ground in Vietnam."
"In short, very few understand the sacrifices troops make in war as much as Chuck Hagel," Stoltz said. "That experience, as well as his years of experience advocating for troops and veterans in the Senate, will make him an exemplary Secretary of Defense."
In all, four Republicans voted with Senate Democrats to confirm Hagel -- Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Johanns and Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama.
Flatrock Publishing, Inc.
1300 E 4th St., Suite F
North Platte, NE 69101


text:
On Thursday night, the Buffalo Sabres entered a new era. Some are proclaiming it as the "Martin Biron era," while others are withholding judgement. Either way, the Sabres are following in the Bills footsteps in losing their opening game of the season. Against the Atlanta Thrashers, they could not generate enough offense to light a 20 watt light bulb, let alone a goal light as the Thrashers upset the Sabres 2-1 in Buffalo's own building.
You are here: Home / SabresBeat / Sabres Thrashed in opener


text:
Here are 10 Things You Need to Know as you start your Tuesday:
1. OBAMA STANDS HIS GROUND ON FISCAL DISPUTES. The president chose to draw attention to the aspirations he hopes will define him rather than the conflicts that have characterized his relations with a divided Congress.
2. SMITHSONIAN CURATORS SCOUT FOR OBAMA ARTIFACTS. The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History will feature a large display about the first black president.
3. HAWKISH NETANYAHU LIKELY TO BE RE-ELECTED. Israelis, who head to the polls Tuesday, no longer seem to believe that peace with the Palestinians is possible.
4. OBESITY RATES AMONG CHINA'S YOUNG CLIMBING. The government is urging schools to beef up physical education after two college students died during mandatory running exams.
5. PHILIPPINES TAKING SOUTH CHINA SEA FIGHT TO TRIBUNAL. Philippines formally notified the Asian superpower that Manila is seeking international arbitration to declare Beijing's moves in the potentially oil-rich waters "illegal and invalid."
6. WHY A CHURCH LEADER IS APOLOGIZING. Court records show former Cardinal Roger Mahony maneuvered behind the scenes to shield molester priests in the Los Angeles archdiocese.
7. ACCUSED OF KILLING HIS FAMILY, NM TEEN TALKS. Nehemiah Griego, 15, tells authorities he had been having homicidal and suicidal thoughts.
8. INDONESIA SENTENCES BRITON TO DEATH. An Indonesian court sentenced a British grandmother to death for smuggling cocaine worth $2.5 million in her suitcase onto the resort island of Bali.
9. HIGH SCHOOL GRAD RATE HIGHEST SINCE 1976. Education Department says the rise of students completing their education is a reflection of the struggling economy and a greater competition for new jobs.
10. REMEMBERING 'JOE PA.' A year after his death, State College residents will hold a vigil Tuesday evening for the longtime Penn State coach whose reputation was tarnished by scandal.


text:
Kimber Tactical Ultra II
Small and light enough for backup, perfect for concealed carry.
Height (90° to barrel): 5.0 inches
Weight (with empty magazine): 26 ounces
Length: 6.8 inches
Magazine capacity: 7 rounds
Recoil spring weight: 18 pounds
Material: Aluminum
Finish type: KimPro™ II
Finish color: Gray
Width: 1.28 inches
Thumb safety: Ambidextrous, extended
Front-strap checkering: 30 lines-per-inch
Checkering under trigger guard: 30 lines-per-inch
Guide rod: Full length
Special features: Extended magazine well
Material: Steel
Finish color: Matte black
Type: Match grade bushingless, bull
Length: 3 inches
Material: Steel
Twist rate (left hand): 16
Special feature: Ramped
Type: Fixed low profile, 3-dot night sights
Radius: 4.8 inches
Material: Laminated
Type: Double diamond, Kimber logo
Type: Premium Aluminum Match Grade™
Factory setting: 4-5 pounds
Kimber Tactical handguns have all the performance-enhancing features demanded by law enforcement professionals and cover every application, from concealed carry to tactical response. Frames wear KimPro II, a premium finish that is self-lubricating and extremely resistant to moisture. All are chamber in .45 ACP. The Tactical Pro II is also available in 9mm.
Click here to see Kimber's entire line of handguns at KimberAmerica.com.


text:
Hi everybody...
I'd like to visit Amaravati monastery but I don't have a car and I think going by bus or train must be a little complicated because of the timetable and a little expensive. So I've been thinking that it would be fantastic if someone would have a car and would like to go and visit the place sharing the cost of the petrol. If there would be more people it would be still more fantastic... and cheaper.
I'm living in Dunstable/Luton area.


text:
Dentists in Derma, MS
Find a Dentist in Derma - Family, Cosmetic & Pediatric Dentists
Choosing the best dentist in Derma, MS is not always an easy choice to make. That is why we provide consumers with a comprehensive search directory of Derma dentists and dentist offices, including pediatric dentists, cosmetic dentists, family dentists and many more. Get started now - browse the detailed listings below to find dentists in Derma, MS.
We're sorry, there are currently no listings for this city. Please click here to search again.


text:
Igor Peev, Bryan Smith, and Ari Schorr collaborated on this article.
Igor is a Senior Program Manager who enjoys working on challenging projects that deliver new, innovative and immersive experiences. In project codenamed "GeoFlow," Igor works on the data Time animation and the interactive Tours functionality.
Bryan is a Business Intelligence Technology Specialist who works with customers in a variety of industries, helping them understand how Microsoft Office, SharePoint and SQL Server can be used to derive meaningful business insights.
Ari is a Product Marketing Manager on the Office Technical Product Marketing team that works closely with engineering to prioritize and message features in the new Office. He has worked closely with the project codename "GeoFlow" engineering team as they launched public preview and will continue to do so as they work towards general availability release.
Editor's note: Since this article was originally published in April 2013, Project codename "GeoFlow" has been renamed Power Map as part of the new Power BI for Office 365 offering.
The Microsoft account team in Dallas, TX wanted to create a localized demonstration that would be recognizable to customers in the area. Taking advantage of publicly available residential data and awareness of the extreme summer temperatures in and around Dallas, the team decided to present simulated household energy consumption data using Excel 2013, Power View and project code name "GeoFlow" Preview for Excel, believing the presentation would peak customers' interests.
Collecting the data and preparing it to use in GeoFlow Preview
The Dallas County Appraisal District provides access to property data at this URL: http://dcad.org/.
The team used property data from that site to obtain information about the size and specifics of the houses. The next step was to generate simulated monthly kWh consumption data on a per household basis. National averages on seasonal consumption and the account team's personal household energy consumption were used in the simulation. They also added random numbers to each household's monthly energy consumption to enhance the variability of the data.
A sample of households in the cities of Addison and Carrollton were extracted and are provided in the sample data file included at the end of this blog post.
Constructing demo material
For both the Power View and the GeoFlow Preview demonstrations, calculations were added to the PowerPivot data models for kWh per Square Foot and kWh per USD Market Value. These values allowed the team to normalize energy consumption across homes of varying size and value and gave additional measures to work with for the demonstration.
For the Power View presentation, various predefined reports were built up within the Excel workbook. Animated bubble charts, pie charts, maps, line charts, and column charts were used to illustrate a range of interactive visualizations. (Monthly average temperature data was also imported into the PowerPivot model in this demo so that energy consumption relative to temperature could be shown.) Here is an example of a report showing a breakdown of electricity consumption:
For the GeoFlow Preview presentation, households were mapped using longitude and latitude. Columns were presented on these points illustrating square footage or market value of the properties. The decade of the construction of the homes was used to highlight the various neighborhoods. A second layer was added to the presentation to show household kWh consumption as a heat map. This data leveraged the Play option in GeoFlow Preview in order to show how the map of kWh consumption changes over time: The first day of each month was embedded in the PowerPivot data set since the Play option requires a date value so that the customer could see the ebb and flow of energy consumption over the three-year period. Various neighborhoods were zoomed into to illustrate differences in consumption patterns between them.
Building the demo
Give it a try! Follow these steps to recreate the key GeoFlow Preview visualization showing houses in height by SqFeet, colored by Decade Built and their electricity consumption over time using heatmaps on your own:
- Download and install the GeoFlow Preview.
- Click Map, then click New Tour.
- Click Map It. Now you will see red points appear on the globe in Dallas.
- Click Zoom in.
- Select the Square Feet field. This will place that field in the HEIGHT well. You will see this on your screen:
This visualization shows house locations and the height of the columns shows their size. There are some really big houses which are condo complexes.
Now do the following:
- Click the DecadeBuilt field. This will color the columns specific to the decade in which they were built and will refresh the Legend.
- You can adjust the Legend to see that there houses built from 1910s to 2010s in the dataset.
- Zoom in again. You should see something that looks like this:
You can adjust the thickness of the columns by accessing the Layer properties. To do so, click the Settings icon on top of the Field list. Lower the thickness to 20%. At this point we can spot patterns. There is a neighborhood which was built in the 1980s, and the columns there are blue. That neighborhood is flanked by two neighborhoods built in the 1960s, which are green. This mix is interesting because it lends itself well to seasonal comparison. You should see something that looks like this:
Now add the second layer which will show electricity consumption per month, and we will transpose that visual using heatmaps. To do this, follow these steps:
- On the top of the Field List task pane, click the left most icon to access the Layer Manager.
- Make a New Layer by clicking the icon.
- Select Latitude and Longitude from the field list on the right – each layer needs GEOGRAPHY to be added to the field well in order to be geo-coded (mapped).
- Click Map It.
- Select the kWh field.
- Change the CHART TYPE from Column to HeatMap by using the drop down menu.
- Click the PeriodStart field. This will add it to the TIME field well.
- Scroll down in the bottom right field pane and change TIME SETTINGS from Time Accumulation to Persist the Last (last event which happened in a particular geo-location; ignores Null or 0 values) using the drop down menu.
- Close both the Tour task pane and the Layer Manager task panes by clicking each .
Your visualization should look like something like this:
Click the Play button on the left of the time scrubber on the bottom. You will see that as seasons change, the houses built in the 1980s (the blue columns) consume less electricity than the houses built in the 1960s (the green columns).
To play your visualization in full screen, click Play Tour.
The demonstration has created quite a bit of interest in the Microsoft BI stack and clearly aligned with various aspects of the lead architect's BI vision for the company long term. While the demonstration leverages simulated data, the power of GeoFlow to illustrate spatial patterns consistently resonates very well with customers in industries from real estate to healthcare to the arts (the Seattle Art Museum has used GeoFlow to visualize member/non-member, online/in-person Picasso exhibit ticket sales). Businesses are always tracking geospatial data in one way or another to assess performance across locations, pinpoint opportunities for growth, and observe seasonality for making forecasts.
More resources
Want to learn more about the GeoFlow Preview for Excel? To learn more, follow these links:
Download sample data file of utility demo
Looking for data sets that light up in Geoflow? Try the Data Explorer preview for Excel and find them through the online search feature. Search for key words such as largest cities, tallest mountains, earthquakes, GDP, to find geo coded data to light up and explore in 3D with Geoflow. With Data Explorer, you can discover relevant data sources from Excel, then shape and combine your data with other sources so that you can gain deeper insight by analyzing and visualizing with features such as Power View and Geoflow.
–Igor Peev, Senior Program Manager, Office Graphics and Visualization Team
–Bryan Smith, Business Intelligence Technology Specialist
–Ari Schorr, Product Marketing Manager, Microsoft Office Division


text:
Natural History Collections Home
Sustained by the School of Life Sciences and the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University, the Natural History Collections are comprised of nine collections that directly support the University's teaching, research, and public outreach functions. Our holdings emphasize flora and fauna from the arid southwest of North America, especially Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. Collectively, our holdings rank among the largest collections of Sonoran desert biota in the world. The collections are organized into four units:
The Zoological Collections are in turn comprised of six major divisions: