text:
As 2001 began, the European Union (EU) looked forward to a solid 12 months of steady progress on the road toward a united continent. Europe's leaders had much to do as they prepared to expand membership into Eastern Europe and introduce euro notes and coins in 12 member states in 2002. (For design specifications on the symbol for the euro, which was inspired by the Greek letter epsilon, see Graphic.) Preparations for these historic developments, however, were eclipsed by unexpected events. Unforeseen tensions, pressures, and disasters on a global scale stole the headlines and overshadowed the EU's internal work. Alarmingly for the pro-EU lobby, antiglobalization protests that caused havoc at summits exposed how much the EU still had to do to win broad-based public support. In addition, the diplomatic fallout from the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. exposed how far the EU was from being taken seriously as a key player in foreign policy and global diplomacy.
In January the focus was on how to restructure the EU's institutions if new member states were admitted from former communist Eastern Europe, as well as Cyprus, Malta, and Turkey. The worry was that an overly large EU would slow down decision making even more and take government too far from the citizen. How could Europe expand, how could the goal of creating a wider market and area of peace be achieved while making its ever-expanding institutions more democratic at the same time?
Early in the year there was also an undercurrent of concern about the euro's sickly performance. Its price against the dollar did not bode well. Would the public refuse to accept a weak new currency in exchange for strong ones, such as the Deutsche Mark, that had served them so well? During its first two years as a noncash currency, the euro had lost over 30% of its value against the dollar. The hope was that the launch of notes and coins on Jan. 1, 2002—the thrill of handling the new money and the realization of the convenience it would bring—would lift confidence in the euro on the markets and among a skeptical public.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder was the first to offer his vision for a new Europe. In a speech made in the spring, he called for the creation of a European government that would involve the transformation of the European Commission (EC) into a strong executive, a reform of the Council of Ministers to make it a chamber of European states, and the drafting of an EU constitution. Germany, which had been a strong proponent of greater political integration, had already sunk the rock-steady Deutsche Mark into the euro and was looking to its partners—primarily France—to deliver their side of the bargain—political union. Schröder's "federal" vision for the EU won swift support from the leaders of Belgium, Finland, and Luxembourg, and it was in keeping with the ideas of EC Pres. Romano Prodi of Italy. Schröder's recommendations, however, did not chime with the messages coming from London and Paris, where the British and French prime ministers, Tony Blair and Lionel Jospin, respectively, were quick to reject the German vision. Presenting his own ideas for a revitalized Europe, Jospin put the emphasis on strong ties between the national governments under which power remained firmly vested with the member states.
While European leaders were busy pondering the future architecture of Europe, the message dominating headlines was that the EU was losing touch with its 376 million citizens. The first wake-up call came when on June 8 Ireland voted in a referendum to reject (by 54%) the Treaty of Nice, an agreement that had been made in 2000 by the 15 heads of state to begin a reform of the EU's decision-making procedures to allow it to enlarge. Voters, fearing that enlargement would weaken Ireland's influence in the EU and that participation in peacekeeping forces could threaten the country's military neutrality, rejected the treaty. The shock was all the more stark coming from Ireland, traditionally one of the EU's most loyal and pro-European members.
A few days later the EU was shaken once again, this time by riots at its summit in Göteborg, Swed., during which one antiglobalization protester was seriously injured by police. Important agreements concerning enlargement and the environment were utterly overshadowed by the violent protests that cast strong doubts over the viability of holding such summits in the future. Ironically, the outcome of the summit was in tune with what many of the peaceful demonstrators in Göteborg were demanding—a commitment to sustainable development, including measures on climate change and energy conservation. Together with the Irish "no" vote, the episode graphically underscored the growing sense of disconnection between the EU's institutions and its citizens and the need for its leaders to explain their objectives better.
As a result, EU leaders and the Brussels commission initiated a debate on the need to make the EU more relevant to its people. In early September foreign ministers agreed that in 2002 a convention should start preparing a large-scale reform of the EU's responsibilities and institutions to allow it to connect better with its citizens and cope with enlargement.
Such issues, however, were totally eclipsed by the September terrorist attacks in the U.S. As the horror of the events sank in, EU leaders took the opportunity to emphasize that such global crises demanded a global response. The need for EU member nations to work together on cross-border crime, intelligence sharing, and immigration was given a new urgency. In the 10 days that followed, the outraged member states broke new ground in foreign policy and dropped long-held taboos in the areas of justice and home affairs. Agreements that would normally have taken months, even years, to conclude were swiftly adopted. Though the political will to work together was strong, the EU's clumsy instruments for making policy, particularly on foreign and defense issues, were quickly exposed as inadequate. It soon became clear that in the short term the EU would be unable to make an effective collective contribution to the war against terrorism.
This fact was underscored by the flow of EU leaders to Washington, D.C. Though Javier Solana had been an energetic "high representative" of the EU's common foreign and security policy, it was Blair, Schröder, and French Pres. Jacques Chirac who set the pace in bilateral discussions with U.S. Pres. George W. Bush.
In addition, leaders of the 15 member states circumvented the EU institutions in their dealings with one other. Amid the frantic diplomacy, new tensions between the large and small member states arose. Many of the smaller countries felt sidelined by the efforts of the more powerful member states that were committed to making military contributions to the war against terrorism. They were particularly incensed by Blair's decision, four weeks into the war, to abandon the usual EU summit formula in favour of a meeting in London to which only certain member states were invited.
Among those most angered by developments was Prodi, who was furious at the way Brussels was being ignored. A series of gaffes earlier in the year, however, had put Prodi on weak ground, and many were losing faith in his effectiveness as a leader. He barely figured in the headline-grabbing initiatives that followed September 11. Earlier, following the Irish "no" vote on the Treaty of Nice, Prodi had infuriated the Irish government and forced the EC into a damage-control mode when he stated that EU enlargement could continue in spite of the Irish vote—a remark that left EU leaders even more open to charges of being detached from the electorate. More questions about his political judgment were raised when he refused to appear at a press conference in October with Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, one of the few EU leaders who could still be considered his supporter. Prodi's office issued a statement saying he had stayed away because he could not compete with Verhofstadt's verbose accounts of events in Dutch and French.
Amid the uncertainty created by the war against terrorism, preparations for the introduction of euro notes and coins continued on schedule. While plans for deploying troops to help distribute the new currency were finalized, retailers protested that the first few days would be chaotic because of the European Central Bank's (ECB) refusal to authorize the distribution of notes, as well as coins, ahead of January 1. A sense of unease about the impending switchover (and a fear that people were not focusing on the task at hand) was exacerbated by the euro's persistent failure to strengthen against the dollar even after the terrorist attacks and as the U.S. economy slipped into recession.
Optimistic talk earlier in the year that Europe would somehow be able to insulate itself from an economic downturn in the U.S. was also proving to be unfounded. Throughout the year Germany revised growth forecasts downward to the point where, by the autumn, there were fears that the country was entering a recession.The gloomy economic news added to frustration over the behaviour of the ECB, which, unlike the U.S. Federal Reserve, did not move quickly to reduce interest rates.
By year's end the expected publicity campaign about the introduction of the euro and the excitement generated by its imminent arrival unexpectedly failed to dominate the news. Even though this was to be the biggest peacetime operation of any kind in Europe since 1945, like everyone else the EU was thinking more about its role in the post-September 11 world.


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KUWAIT CITY, March 14 (UPI) -- Japanese officials at an energy conference in Kuwait sought natural gas assurances from the United States, a delegate from Tokyo said.
A magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. That left Tokyo scrambling to find alternative energy sources to offset the lack of nuclear power.
A Japanese delegate was quoted by the Platts news service as saying that Tokyo will "ask for U.S. permission on liquefied natural gas exports" on the sidelines of an international energy conference in Kuwait.
A boom in the production of shale natural gas from the United States makes it a net exporter.
Wood Mackenzie, an energy consultant company, was quoted by Platts as saying the United States could export as much as 3.5 billion cubic feet of LNG by 2030. Japan would need a waiver from the United States, however, because the lack of a free-trade agreement.
Russian energy company Gazprom had preliminary talks with Japan for LNG last month.
Japan, the largest LNG importer in the world, relies on LNG to meet 100 percent of its natural gas needs.


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Submit News
Researchers "Mend a Broken Heart" With Transformed Scar Tissue
Jason Mick
August 23, 2013 1:25 PM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
Scar forming cells -- fibroblasts -- are chemically tricked to morph into cardiomyocytes -- heart cells
Researchers are describing that the human body is much more strange and pliable than previously thought -- and that's a good thing. A shining example is the work of
Professor Deepak Srivastava, MD
, a professor at the
Univ. of California - San Francisco
(UCSF) and its affiliate
Gladstone Institute
labs. Dr. Srivastava first discovered that a cocktail of three genes injected into mice could provoke fibroblast cells to become cardiomyocytes -- the cells that pump blood in a beating heart. Now his team has managed to use a slightly more advanced formulation to get human fibroblasts to do the same thing.
I. Cardiofibroblasts Offer a Ready Made Stock of Cells For Heart Repair in Mice
While the holy grail of tissue engineering has long thought to have been to develop
fully pluripotent
stem cell colonies
and then
trigger them to differentiate
desired cells of any kind
, that has proven tricky in practice. Complex tissue parameters -- pressure, local nutrients, and signals from surrounding cells -- have all been found to influence what target a stem cell decides to become, making what seemed an easy route far harder. So some researchers like Dr. Srivastava have turned in part to look into ways to trick local cell types near
a damaged tissue
into becoming the type of cells in the healthy version of that tissue via gene therapy.
Repairing a (literally) broken heart is one attractive target: every year nearly 600,000 Americans
die of heart disease
. Heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S., according to
the latest statistics
from the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
. It accounts for nearly 600,000 deaths in the U.S. a year, or just under 1 in 4 deaths.
Heart disease kills nearly one in four Americans in the long run. [Image Source: Soracc Photo]
Dr. Srivastava's team considered fibroblasts a particularly attractive target. Recent papers such as
, et al. '04
, et al. '09
reveal that fibroblasts in heart tissue -- cardiofibroblasts -- are found in greater quantities (50-60% of the total cell population) than heart muscle cells (30-40%) -- also known as cadiomyocytes -- despite the cardiomyocytes dominating 75 percent of the cell volume.
In a healthy individual these special helper cells are like the gardeners of the regal estate that is the human heart. They maintain the collagen and other biopolymers found in the extracellular matrix, keep the heart elastic and receptive to electrical signals from the "pacemaker" -- the sinoatrial (SA) node. They also play a key role in a a damaged heart, depositing scar tissue. While this may save the heart from infection and internal bleeding, it also
thickens the heart and prevents it from fully healing
, over time leading to death.
But what if you could trick some of the abundant population of myofibroblasts to become myocardiocytes when heart damage (e.g. a heart attack) occurs, repopulating the damaged region with health tissue, rather than scar tissue.
In 2012 Dr. Srivastava
[abstract] that approach had legs, locating a trio of genes he dubbed GMT -- GATA4, MEF2C, and TBX5. When injected into cardiofibroblasts in mice, GMT triggered them to become cardiomyocytes. But would the approach work with humans?
The fibroblast idea worked on mice in a 2012 study. [Image Source: Science Museum]
That question was put to the test in the UCSF researcher's latest study. The team isolated cardiofibroblasts from three different sources -- fetal heart cells, embryonic stem cells, and neonatal skin cells -- and injected them with GMT. So what happened?
II. Transforming Human Cells Took a Little More Work
Ji-dong Fu
, a PhD staff scientist who worked on the human tests describes the frustrating initial results, remarking, "When we injected GMT into each of the three types of human fibroblasts, nothing happened -- they never transformed -- so we went back to the drawing board to look for additional genes that would help initiate the transformation. We narrowed our search to just 16 potential genes, which we then screened alongside GMT, in the hopes that we could find the right combination."
With 16 new genes on tap, they began to test different combinations and slowly eliminate the non-essential genes. They found that at a minimum a five-gene mix -- GMT plus ESRRG and MESP1 -- was necessary. But a seven-gene mix -- GMT, ESRRG, MESP1, MYOCD, and ZFPM2 -- the resulting cells were much better differentiated, being virtually indistinguishable from native cardiomyocytes.
Using a modified cocktail human cardiofibroblasts were tricked into becoming cardiomyocytes.
[Image Source: UCSF/Stem Cell]
The team also tested different cell signalling chemicals to see their effects on the transformation rate. They found that by exposing the cells to TGF-β -- a small intercellular protein that promotes differentiation -- they could speed up the process.
Professor Fu comments, "While almost all the cells in our study exhibited at least a partial transformation, about 20% of them were capable of transmitting electrical signals -- a key feature of beating heart cells. Clearly, there are some yet-to-be-determined barriers preventing a more complete transformation for many of the cells. For example, success rates might be improved by transforming the fibroblasts within living hearts rather than in a dish -- something we also observed during our initial experiments in mice."
Dr. Srivastava enthuses on the success in making the gene therapy work in reprogramming human cells, remarking, "Fibroblasts make up about 50% of all cells in the heart and therefore represent a vast pool of cells that could one day be harnessed and reprogrammed to create new muscle. Our findings here serve as proof of concept that human fibroblasts can be reprogrammed successfully into beating heart cells."
"With more than five million heart attack survivors in the United States, who have hearts that are no longer able to beat at full capacity, our findings -- along with recently published findings from our colleagues -- come at a critical time. We've now laid a solid foundation for developing a way to reverse the damage -- something previously thought impossible -- and changing the way that doctors may treat heart attacks in the future."
The next step is to test the technology
in vivo
on live pigs. [Image Source: UCSF/Stem Cell]
Professor Fu (the first author) and Dr. Srivastava (the senior author) -- along with eight other undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and postdoctoral researchers from UCSF and the Gladstone Institutes authored a paper, which
is published
in the peer-reviewed tissue engineering journal
Stem Cell Reports
The next step will be to test the five and seven component blends on the pigs, which are closer on a cellular level to humans than rats. Eventually the researchers hope to reformulate their drugs into "small, drug-like molecules", which would offer safe and efficient delivery of the transformative therapy to cardiac tissue of heart patients.
Gladstone Insitutes
Stem Cell Reports [Press Release]
"Then they pop up and say 'Hello, surprise! Give us your money or we will shut you down!' Screw them. Seriously, screw them. You can quote me on that." -- Newegg Chief Legal Officer Lee Cheng referencing patent trolls
Related Articles
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May 29, 2012, 5:41 PM
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Jan 25, 2011 | 240 Pages
"[An] evocative portrait of a child navigating a judgmental family ruled by Southern-fried traditions."
—Entertainment Weekly
"Warmly elegant. . . . Jones retrieves elusive memories . . . and creates a rich tapestry of Southern life."
—O, The Oprah Magazine
"Jones tells of his childhood in North Carolina not only in great detail, but with poignancy and gentle humor."
—USA Today
"Lovely and profound. . . . A carefully thought-out, deftly written book, one that restores dignity to a form that had fallen from grace. . . . In the hands of a subtle, disciplined writer, memoir provides a rich palette. . . . Little Boy Blues reinvigorates the form and helps us to remember why we bother to read other people's faulty memories in the first place."
—Los Angeles Times
"Jones's memoir is beautifully written and heartfelt. His clear-eyed view of growing up in the South and his honest look at the complexities of familial love will leave few readers unmoved."
—George Pelecanos
"With a touch as light as the scent of face powder hanging in his mother's bedroom, [Jones] examines scenes from his own childhood, obscured by a miasma of Southern decorum and disappointment. . . . Jones doesn't employ caricature or hyperbole in telling his story. In unaffected prose, he explores vignettes from his lifelong attempts to distance himself from his mother, with the dawning realization that his efforts only added links to their chain of dueling dependence."
—The Seattle Times
"A delightful, moving and often unsettling book. . . . Jones makes you laugh, he makes you cry, he makes you see and feel."
—The Washington Times
"Insightful, interesting and telling in its details. . . . [Jones] tells in clear, perceptive prose of the time and place in which he found himself."
—Winston Salem Journal
"Jones describes his Southern childhood without bathos and with elegant restraint, reminding me a little of the delayed and muffled detonations in Joyce's 'The Dead.'"
—Sally Mann
"With affectionate regard, Little Boy Blues captures the minutiae of a world far removed—Mason jars with lightning bugs, the delivery of a piano, the caustics of Christian catechism. Jones chronicles one family's sleepwalk out of the Eisenhower era into the fast forward jump-cut dynamics of an integrated South. This is a story epic in its intimacies."
—Van Dyke Parks
"Told with affection. . . . There is an abundance of comic relief in those finely drawn characters, and self-pity is mercifully absent."
—The Post and Courier (Charleston)
"This memoir possesses the compelling intimacy and frankness of a late-night conversation. . . . Among the many, many strengths of Little Boy Blues is the way Jones balances two views of his past: the naive experiences of the boy who lived it and the deep perceptions of the man that boy has become. It is a wonderful book."
—Eric Kraft


text:
First death knight Edit
The very first death knight created by Gul'dan was Teron Gorefiend. Can we assume that Rakmar's heart was embeded into Gorefiend's truncheon? --N'Nanz 17:39, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
It's too much to speculate that it is, it's more like fan fiction to me. Bajo 17:48, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
- I take as sources: Teron Gorefiend, Death knight, Gul'dan and Rakmar Sharpfang --N'Nanz 17:57, 21 April 2008 (UTC)
- Alright. Gul'dan kills Rakmar and takes the heart, fashions it into the jewel. Cho'gall does the same with the others. Then theres a break in the narrative. Next thing we read is Doomhammer, a while later, coming to check up on Gul'dan and Gul'dan using one of the jewels to animate Teron. Doesn't specifys whose. So Teron's truncheon could have anyones crystal. It was a decent theory but its definetly nothing more than speculation, not enough to make any assumtions. Warthok Talk Contribs 03:07, 22 April 2008 (UTC)
- Exactly what I meant. I never read the book but I though it was someway spacified but nobody modified the articles about the death knight of the horde. Good as they are than. --N'Nanz 11:04, 27 April 2008 (UTC)


text:
STEVE CHIOTAKIS: At his third news conference in two weeks today, President Obama acknowledged it's gonna be hard to put a big package together to raise the nation's debt ceiling -- a package that he says would utilize a balanced approach. But Mr. Obama says he's waiting on the other side.
BARACK OBAMA: If they show me a serious plan, I'm ready to move, even if it requires some tough decisions on my part.
Marketplace's David Gura is with us live from Washington with the latest. Good morning, David.
DAVID GURA: Good morning Steve.
CHIOTAKIS: So that press conferences just wrapped up a few moments ago. The president underscored the Congress has 24 to 36 hours to tell him what's on the table, what's realistic there. Are we any closer to a deal?
GURA: Well, there aren't any negotiations happening today, between the White House and the leaders of the House and Senate. In fact, earlier this morning, the Speaker of the House, John Boehner, held a news conference of his own. And he told reporters what the president's put forward so far just isn't good enough.
JOHN BOEHNER: There is no reason for this debate and this discussion to go past August the 2. All it takes is a little courage to actually cut spending and put America on a path to fiscal sanity.
And that's been the big stumbling block, Steve. Republicans say there's no way they're going to consider any tax increases. President Obama wants a plan that combines spending cuts.
CHIOTAKIS: Of course August 2 -- that deadline for the default on the debt. So, if they can't reach an agreement, what's Plan B?
GURA: Well there are a few of them floating around, but the one that's gotten the most traction comes from the Senate Minority Leader, Republican Mitch McConnell. Basically, Congress would give the president the ability to raise the debt ceiling three times over the next year and half. So, he'd get all the blame, or all the credit, depending on how you feel about this issue -- not Congress. We should have a better sense of how this may shake out what's realistic in the next day or two.
CHIOTAKIS: Marketplace's David Gura in Washington. David thanks.
GURA: Thanks you.
JEREMY HOBSON: President Obama will not be negotiating with members of Congress about raising the debt limit today. At least not publicly. But that doesn't mean the pressure has let up -- the President reportedly told lawmakers "it's decision time." He'll take his message to reporters later this morning in a news conference.
Marketplace's David Gura joins us now live from Washington with more on this story. Good morning.
DAVID GURA: Good morning Jeremy.
HOBSON: Well David -- the President says it's decision time -- but I assume we're not talking about what you might call Plan A -- the stuff that we were talking about at the beginning of the week.
GURA: No, that's what President Obama really wanted, What's been called the "holy grail," "a grand bargain." That would save up to $4 trillion over the next ten years through both spending cuts and new tax revenues, mostly tax increases for corporations and wealthier Americans. That suffered a big setback last weekend when members of the GOP say they oppose any plan that would include tax hikes. Yesterday President Obama reportedly told lawmakers that the clock is ticking down to August 2. They've had meetings all week Jeremy, and it's time for them to tell him what's feasible.
HOBSON: And what kind of plan could work, David? I mean, what is Plan B, Plan C? What are the other options?
GURA: There are a few of them floating around here, but the one that's gained the most traction is from the Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell. Basically, the president could raise the debt ceiling, by about $2.5 trillion. But the onus would be on him, not Congress. He'd get all the blame or the credit depending on how you see it. The president would be able to raise the limit in three stages, if he suggests new spending cuts every time. McConnell's plan also calls for a bi-partisan debt-reduction commission, apparently. Democrats rejected McConnell's plan early on, but now the two credit rating agencies have said they're considering downgrading the U.S.'s credit rating. Now they may have to consider it.
HOBSON: Marketplace's David Gura in Washington, thanks.
GURA: Thank you.


text:
Portland Natural Gas Transmission System
Second Revised Volume No. 1
Contents / Previous / Next / Main Tariff Index
Effective Date: 08/01/2010, Docket: RP10-885-000, Status: Effective
Second Revised Sheet No. 203 Second Revised Sheet No. 203
Superseding: Original Sheet No. 203
3.4 Measurement Variance. Reservation and usage charges shall be
based on Shipper's applicable monthly Maximum Contract Demand and Delivery
Point Scheduled Quantities, respectively, irrespective of whether the
applicable monthly Measurement Variance Factor is positive or negative.
Shipper shall receive in-kind adjustments to Scheduled Quantities in order to
account for positive and negative Measurement Variance Quantities. Transporter
shall publish the applicable monthly Measurement Variance Factor on its
Interactive Internet Website. Such published Measurement Variance Factor will
be bound by maximum and minimum percentages set forth on currently effective
Sheet No. 100 of this tariff.


text:
Hagel: Netanyahu Threats, Economic Sanctions Pushed Iran to Negotiating Table
U.S. Secretary of Defense tells Bloomberg website he does not believe Netanyahu is trying to derail talks. President Rohani says Islamic Republic 'not optimistic' about negotiations.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's threats to strike Iran's nuclear sites – coupled with pressure from economic sanctions – pushed the Islamic Republic to engage seriously in talks with the West.
"It's true that sanctions - not just U.S. sanctions but UN sanctions, multilateral sanctions - have done tremendous economic damage," Hagel said in an interview with Jeffrey Goldberg published in the Bloomberg news website. "I think that Iran is responding to the constant pressure from Israel, knowing that Israel believes them to be an existential threat. I think all of this, combined, probably brought the Iranians to where we are today."
Hagel said he did not think Netanyahu is trying to derail the current round of talks on Iran's nuclear program. "I think Prime Minister Netanyahu is legitimately concerned, as any prime minister of Israel has been, about the future security needs of their country," he said.
Hagel's comments mirror the position outlined on Sunday by Netanyahu's outgoing National Security Adviser Ya'akov Amidror.
According to sources who were briefed on Amidror's presentation, the adviser said that maintaining an Israeli military threat and tough sanctions are crucial to stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons.
He asserted that there has been a change in Iran's willingness to negotiate with the West, but this change was due primarily to the pressure imposed by the international sanctions. Still, the Iranians has not changed their policy on enriching uranium, he said.
"This is exactly why it's important to maintain sanctions," said Amidror. "Only maintaining the sanctions along with a credible threat of a strike will persuade Iran to make progress in negotiations with the West."
Israel must set a high bar with regard to any arrangement between Iran and the West and ignore international criticism, he said. He stressed that if it is "clear to the world that we have a real ability to carry out a military operation in Iran," the international community will not be able to ignore Israel's demands.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rohani has expressed pessimism over the outcome of talks with the West, the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported on Monday. "The government is not optimistic about the Westerners and the current negotiations," he said. Similar comments were made on Sunday by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said he was not optimistic about nuclear talks, but added that they will not damage Iran.
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Educational services, namely, an educational center featuring retreats, workshops, and classes for the dissemination of wisdom, love, grace, and inspiration of the divine for the highest benefit and well-being of humanity
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Six Schools Named STEM Lighthouse Schools
Will receive $20,000 and serve as mentors to other schools
OLYMPIA – January 29, 2015 – A total of six schools will serve as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) mentors to other schools in the state.
Known as STEM Lighthouse Schools, the six were recently awarded $20,000 grants each that will promote and develop STEM education, including technical assistance and advice for other elementary, middle, and high schools that are creating their own STEM environments.
The awardees are:
"It's a great honor to be chosen as a lighthouse school," said Randy Dorn, State Superintendent. "It makes those schools leaders in STEM education. Other schools will look to the six for guidance on how successfully teach STEM."
STEM Lighthouse schools originated in 2010 with the Legislature's passage of
House Bill 2621. The bill directs the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to designate lighthouse schools that will "serve as resources and examples of how to combine the following best practices:
About OSPI
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is the primary agency charged with overseeing K–12 education in Washington state. Led by State School Superintendent Randy Dorn, OSPI works with the state's 295 school districts and nine educational service districts to administer basic education programs and implement education reform on behalf of more than one million public school students.
OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director at (360) 725-6162 or P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200.
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Nathan Olson
OSPI Communications Manager
(360) 725-6015
The OSPI Communications Office serves as the central point of contact for local, regional and national media covering K-12 education issues.
Communications Manager
Nathan Olson
(360) 725-6015
Updated 1/29/2015
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California's lame duck governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, signed a bunch of bills into law on Thursday, including one decriminalizing possession of an ounce or less of weed, although you wouldn't know it. There's virtually no mainstream media coverage of Senate Bill 1449. The new law takes effect in 2011 and reduces the punishment from a misdemeanor to a civil infraction, that at the most, will cost $100 and as NORML points out, "no court appearance, no court costs, and no criminal record." Well done governor, even if you don't support Prop 19.
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Governor Schwarzenegger Decriminalizes Weed
By Bucky Turco |
6 Responses to "Governor Schwarzenegger Decriminalizes Weed"
arnold IS numbero uno!
THank you Arnold now if the rest of the nation could follow!!
I guess this is the best this steroid muscle head could do. Oh well, something is better than nothing.
arnold is a clever politician :)
Not good enough. That still punishes domestic growers and forces people to buy weed from abroad, usually filtered through organized crime, providing those groups with revenue. They need to legalize weed outright to keep the money going through legitimate channels.
Leave a Reply


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Medical City Las Colinas is committed to helping our patients and the community we serve. We provide the latest health and wellness information as well as recent medical advancements and discoveries to assist you in developing a healthier, more fulfilling lifestyle.
Handwashing Awareness Month
The single most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick and to stop the spread of disease-causing germs is to wash your hands often. By frequently washing your hands, you wash away germs that you may have picked up from other people or from contaminated surfaces.
Virtual Body
The Virtual Body is an interactive learning resource providing detailed information on the human brain, skeleton, heart and digestive track.
Medical Conditions and Procedures
To learn more about the following conditions or procedures please click the links below.


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Chris Simcox (born 1961) is the American co-founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (MCDC) and the project's main spokesperson. He was formerly a kindergarten teacher at the Wildwood School in Los Angeles, California, where he taught for thirteen years.
In October 2002, Simcox issued a public call to arms, inviting readers of his newspaper, the Tombstone Tumbleweed, to join a "Citizens Border Patrol Militia" whose function, Simcox said, would be to "shame the government into doing its job" of controlling the United States's border with Mexico.
He founded Civil Homeland Defense, a group which patrolled the border, and within the next two and a half years sought to assist the United States Border Patrol.


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Inky Ajanaka had 11 kills and nine blocks, leading second-ranked Stanford (29-3) to a 25-15, 25-23, 25-15 sweep of Western Kentucky (33-4) on Saturday night at Maples Pavilion in the second round of the NCAA women's volleyball tournament.
The Cardinal advances to the Berkeley Regional where it will play Iowa State (22-7) at Haas Pavilion on Friday. The other match will pit Michigan against Michigan State.
High school football
After national powerhouse De La Salle High of Concord won its 21st consecutive North Coast Section title Saturday night with a 52-7 win over James Logan, longtime coach Bob Ladouceur confirmed he'd be stepping down either after this season or next.
The Spartans (13-0) pushed their unbeaten streak against Northern California competition to 235 games. Ladouceur has now won 28 NCS titles as the Spartans' coach.
Now the Spartans will try to continue their decades-long dominance over the Northern half of the state. De La Salle will learn Sunday which team it'll face in the inaugural Northern California regional games. The Spartans are expected to receive a spot in the NorCal Open game, likely against Folsom.
Former Stanford star Joseph Bramlett struggled to a 4-over 76 at the PGA West's Stadium Course and fell into a tie for 61st at the PGA Tour qualifying tournament in La Quinta. He had a four-round total of 8-under 280.
Ex-Stanford player Zach Miller had a 79 at the Stadium course for a 286. Ex-Cal star Peter Tomasulo shot a 2-under 70 at the Jack Nicklaus course for a 286. Lee Dong-hwan (64) held a two-shot lead at 19-under 269.
The top 25 and ties after six rounds receive PGA Tour cards and the next 50 and ties earn Web.com Tour cards.
Moriya Jutanugarn (70) held a six-shot lead with a four-round total of 15-under 273. The top 20 in the five-round event earn full tour status in 2013.
The San Francisco Bulls allowed a third-period goal and fell to host Utah 3-2. Dean Ouellet and Rob Kwiet scored for the Bulls.
Staff writer Stephanie Hammon and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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Henrik Vibskov is known for his whacked-out fashion, and his SS '11 collection brought it to the max. With swimming goggles and some sort of head brace, the collection was all over the place.
Fashion often lacks a sense of humor, taking too seriously what is, after all, just clothes. But innovator Henrik Vibskov uses comedy to bring fashionable fun to his collection. Take a look at the gallery to be blown away by the Danish designer's over-the-top collection.
Head Case Couture
More Stats +/-
Wacky Fashion Fun in Henrik Vibskov's SS '11 Collection
- By: Tiana ReidJun 28, 2010
References: henrikvibskov & dazeddigital
References: henrikvibskov & dazeddigital


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A grandmother is looking to sue a council after her second fall from a controversial Braintree path.
Judy King, 67, is housebound for six weeks and could take up to a year to recover after breaking her femur and suffering severe bruising after falling from a 6ft high path in the Blackwater Nature Reserve.
The Gilbert Way, who has enlisted a no win/no fee injury lawyer, had been walking her son's Border Terrier dog, Bramble, when she tried to get down the steep slope from the path to pick up the dog's mess.
A council spokesman said: "The new path itself has been created within all safety perimeters required for a cycleway of this nature.
"In creating the first stage of the cycleway safety and accessibility have always been a priority and whilst it is raised in parts to allow the gradient to be kept level, it is also 2.5 metres wide, meaning it can be safely accessed by pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchairs and pushchairs alike."


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Rose (Regular -RETIRED-) - The Legend of Dragoon
|This version will be Rose's standard costume in the game.
For what I am currently doing, please see the to-do list.
My cosplay blog for this is at http://rose-darkdragoon.blogspot.com/
Expo pictures coming soon.
Cosplay Blog for Rose - http://rose-darkdragoon.blogspot.com/
Progress album - http://s694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/SlimDefinition/Rose%20Legend%20of%20Dragoon%20Cosplay%20Progress/
oh wow Legend of Dragoon was an epic game!
Yes! Whip Smack! XD looking forward to this :)
I hope to do this one next. It's not definite it'll be next, but I'll post if/when.
this is one of the most beautiful games that i had to research on for my course work! and was very upset as it didn't get much love! i am so happy you doing this and really looking forward to seeing progress work 83
Legend of Dragoon is one of my favourite games! I'd love to do Dart someday! Gods, this'll be amazing!
Well, me and Loveliesbleeding (on the expo forums) have a plan. I can't talk about it openly though. It's a plan we need others to pitch in on, and if you want to do Dart...
ive only seen thegame briefly but i love the guy with the spear a lot :P i want to cosplay as him sometime ^^ maybe 2010 ^^
Hun, let me know in a PM and I'll get back to you asap ^_^
This will be wicked, i cant wait!
The coronet looks nice :)
This is looking fantastic!
progress is looking great XD
Thanks. The horns are now glued on, so I just need to touch up some areas and re-adjust a little where my ears are concerned (still a little uncomfortable).
looking amazing!!! loving the head piece!!!
The headpiece is great! What did you make it from?
I've sent a PM to you regarding that one. It's been such a long-winded process. I'm dreading the armour now!
looking fantastic Slim! well done and keep up the good work xx
Ooooo looking good. Can't wait to see it finished.
Looking gooood! :D
Wow, excellent - Good choice, and many props for Legend of Dragoon love.
progress on this is looking great
Everything's looking great so far! I can't wait to see it in October! I love LoD, still can't believe how hard it is to find that game >_>
It can be found online. It's just REALLY EXPENSIVE!
hee, I know, I actually own a copy, after spending ages searching for it XD
looking really good :)
Ok i am impressed wit the armour. Really am :D its lovely armour at the moment! cant wait to see it all together finished!
This is looking amazing! Good luck with the rest of it. :)
Thank you everyone.
progress is looking amazing XD
Looking good already, Now if I can only see a good Meru cosplay in the UK I'd be satisfied.
Wicked progress :D can't wait to see it all come together!
Brilliant 8D
Looking really great, the armour looks so solid. There's not enough LoD cosplay <3 Rose!
This looks amazing so far~! Look forward to seeing it
cant wait to see it! you look lovely!
Freakin awesome!
This is fantastic! I love the sword! Can't wait to see this 8D
im gutted i didnt get to see this >___<
Aww I'm sorry. Were you there? I've uploaded some more pics for everyone to look at.
I saw this at the Expo and it looked great.Really good job on the armour,really nicely painted and made :)
This is so beautiful ^^
Thank you both.
Very awesome costume. I love the armour and the overall look.
Thanks Sephy.
That armour must have taken a lot of work, it's turned out very nicely though.
It was too big and heavy really. I will be remaking it as soon as I can put the money toward it. It still looked good, and I was happy with the first turn out of it.
Awesome! Legend of Dragoon needs more love
It sure does, and as soon as possible I am revamping this costume. ;-)
Can't believe I missed this one! :O Absolutely stunning.
Thanks Ino. ^_^ I am going to remake the armour and leggings in a revamp soon enough. Just need enough money for wonderflex to do that really.
Wow! Just wow! :o You're one good armour smith! looks fantastic aswell as very sturdy!
I made this armour a little too big, but it still survives. I'll remake it when I can afford to though. Thanks btw! ^^'
*squeall* GOD... Rosie you legend! This looked awesome! Ditto to what Natsumi said!
Thanks. ^_^' The armour IS indeed very durable (I have a long-winded way of making armour but it means you can smack it a lot and it won't even dent), but I made it a little bit too big that time. It was my first attempt at armour, and so I will be doing the version 2 in the near future.
To-Do ListWe're very sorry, but we've temporarily disabled this feature while we fix some bugs. Thank you for your patience.
Progress Journal
Coronet and horns almost finished
I'm about 3/4 of the way through making them now.
The coronet is a bit tight, and I have to wear a wig still, but it should be ok.
I will show a picture as soon as possible.
Sewing machine, midnight blue jersey fabric, and gloves
I've just bought all three of those things on eBay.
Whee! Mini sewing machine for £11.99! Sweet. Should make cosplay life a lot easier.


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August 22, 2012 BY Aaron Hope
Sneaker News showed you a peek last week of the soon-to-drop Jordan Spiz'ike iD options, and today we have a couple of samples demonstrating potential combinations of the nubuck and cement elements. Both of these Spizike iDs are done largely in grey for that blank 'Try-On' effect, which both amplifies the red and yellow accents, and draws extra attention to the velvety uppers. We get a sense of all the various colorblocking options that'll be available through NIKEiD with the subtle differences around the sole, so have a close up look for yourself below and be ready when the new Spiz'ike iD options debut tomorrow.
Filed under: Air Jordan Hybrid Nike iD Sample


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Under the Covers With Holly Dagger
Same songs done two distinctly different ways. The more poppy and electronica version being The Eurythmics version which made it onto Pop Radio in the 90's and of course then we have the eerie industrial rock version done by Marilyn Manson.
Both videos prominently feature the lead singer of the band who appears a bit more unusual than the other members. I can't quite figure out which version I like better although I am certainly leaning towards the Marilyn Manson version primarily because of the creepy and eerie feeling it seems to provoke.
Which version is your favorite and why?
Marilyn Manson "Sweet Dreams"
The Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams"


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Originally Posted by sakichop
not sure if you don't understand my post or I don't understand yours. I haven't received any abuse (other than a low self esteem wise crack). thr point was that after reading previews and playing the demo I bashed the game for its changes, but I still went ahead and got my pre-order. To me that seems a bit hypocritical. Was wondering if anyone else did the same and felt the same or not?


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From Our 2014 Archives
FDA Approves New DVT Blood Clot Treatment
By Shelley Wood
Reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH
Aug. 21, 2014 -- The FDA has approved the use of the anti-clotting drug apixaban (Eliquis) to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).
Apixaban is also now approved to lower the risk of DVT and PE returning in people who've already had one.
The FDA posted a copy of an Aug. 19 letter to drugmaker Bristol-Myers, announcing its decision. Apixaban was already approved for use in lowering the risks of stroke and blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem and to prevent DVT and PE in people who've had hip- or knee-replacement surgery.
Last month the European Commission granted a similar extension of apixaban in countries where drug policies are covered by the European Medicines Agency.
Other blood thinners, including rivaroxaban (Xarelto)and dabigatran (Pradaxa), are also FDA-approved for the treatment of DVT and PE and the prevention of DVT or PE's return.
home > heart health center > heart health a-z list > fda approves new dvt blood clot treatment article


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Have you ever seen someone roll in their sleep? Most of us have seen people walk in their sleep or talk in their sleep; we may even do one or the other ourselves. Over the past two years I have watched and learned about RMD. The first time I saw it I was shocked, I was never so scared in all my life. I was sleeping beside a very close friend of mine when she woke me. I turned over to see what had woken me and there she lay in her sleep rolling back and forth at a repetitive rate that was extremely alarming. It terrified me. I didn't know what was happening. It looked like she was out of control; I gently called out her name, and she awoke. That morning, I shared with her what I had seen, and she had no idea that she had been doing this. I began to study why she would roll in a motion like this in her sleep and this is what I found.
RMD is known as Rhythmic Movement Disorder; it applies to any type of consistent movement when one performs the movement in his sleep. This normally occurs primarily in young children and infants. It takes place just before sleep and during the light parts of sleep. Along with the movement, one might also hum in a rhythm or make another type of throat sound; these sounds can become quite loud without the person realizing it. There are three types of RMD: body rolling/rocking, head banging, and head rolling. My friend was a young adult when I saw RMD take place in her sleep. So, my question was, why would a young adult have RMD if it normally occurs in infants in children?
What I found out next made sense. Adults that have RMD may be connected to the fact that they did not receive enough human contact in their infancy or in their childhood stages. My friend lost both of her parents at a young age and was institutionalized. Today she is still living in an institution. Body rolling/rocking is not the only movement that one can see with RMD, you could also see one:
-head movements backward then forward in a forcible manner. This repeated movement occurs normally when the person in question lies face down. The head or entire upper body is lifted and afterwards forced down to slam against the object he is lying on;
-head movement from side to side while lying on the back in the same forcible manner;
-rocking the entire body supported by hands and knees;
-rocking the upper body while sitting;
-rock and gently hit the body often against a wall while in a standing position or bang the back of the head over and over again sometimes against a wall or headboard.
You can also see anyone of these combined at the same time. The causes of RMD are unknown; all we have are theories. Hyperactivity could be one cause as well as autism. Some adults were asked why they "rock" before they fall asleep? Their reply was that the movement calmed and soothed them into their sleep; the movement reminded them of when they were infants being cuddled to sleep by their parents or caregivers.
The treatment for RMD is time. Most who have RMD "lose" it before they turn the age of five. Infants with RMD who exhibit violent type motions can be helped by simply placing padding under and around him. If RMD continues into the upper stages of life; it can interfere with everyday social events. I have personally found that it is extremely important to discuss with caretakers, family members, and baby sitters about the one they are caring for if the one has RMD.
RMD episodes can occur at any time during the night when one is asleep. Sometimes, RMD may take place during one's quiet activities when one is awake; for instance when listening to music. The rate of the action varies, but it happens rapidly; one to two motions take place each one to two seconds. Most episodes often last for no more than a total of fifteen minutes. The motions normally stop when a noise or voice is heard or movement is seen or felt. When RMD happens at night it is not remembered; when it occurs in the day you will find that the one does not even realize he is doing it.


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Thomas Lifson
January 24, 2014
When the government is in charge of health care, rationing happens, and some people are handed death sentences. The ObamaCare Left would prefer that this reality remain hidden for as long as possible, submerged in a warm bath of "healthcare for everyone" sentiment, but Sarah Palin eloquently summed up the actuality with the expression "death panels."
Here is how it works in the Mother of All Nationalized Healthcare Systems. From Jenny Hope of the UK Daily Mail:
Pensioners with cancer are being written off as too old to treat, campaigners said yesterday.
They cited figures showing survival rates for British patients aged 75 and over are among the worst in Europe.
Young lung cancer sufferers are only 10 per cent more likely to die within five years than their continental counterparts.


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An out of the way place in the heart of Virginia Beach, Tubby's Tavern is a great place to meet up with old friends and small enough to make some new friends, too!
Our on-tap and imported beer will help you kick back and relax while our unique American cuisine will fill you up for lunch or dinner.
Locally owned-locally operated. Owners Rodney & Rebekah Jones are veterans of the hospitality industry and know their customers want a great meal in a relaxed atmosphere at a reasonable price.
So come on down to Tubby's and enjoy the best of what makes American food something to remember.
For a look at the menu, visit menu.


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prior art?
So how does this differ (in a substantive manner) from all those protocols around web conferencing/VOIP and suchlike which allow you to send files etc during the call, share screens and whiteboards etc etc etc. They all evolved to merge telephony into an IT structure to enhance capability.
This sounds much more like reducing the functionality to work over a cellphone than original design/invention.
Furthermore, if someone tries to send you stuff while you are on the phone you had better hope you are hands-free otherwise you have the choice of speaking to them or watching stuff download so you can keep pushing buttons to keep it flowing.


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MCKINLEYVILLE The Del Norte High varsity volleyball team completes a successful regular season tonight on the road against McKinleyville. The Warriors, 19-8 overall and 7-0 in the Big 5 Conference, have already won the conference title for the 19th straight year. The squad has not lost a Big 5 contest since 2005. They face a Panthers team that nearly defeated them on Oct.16. It took Del Norte five games to finally down McKinleyville. The junior varsity game starts at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity game will follow at McKinleyville High School. The Warriors will next play in the North Coast Section playoffs, which begin on Nov. 13.
-Triplicate Staff


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Epulo Bistro to donate Thanksgiving dinners
If you know someone in danger of missing out on Thanksgiving this year because of financial constraints or other reasons, Epulo Bistro and its staff would like to give back to the community this holiday season.
They will be donating two boxes with all the fixings for a Thanksgiving Day dinner, to go to local families (Edmonds, Woodway, Lynnwood) who are in need.
If you know of a family that could use some help, please private message Laura Castillo on Facebook, giving the name and number of a deserving family. They will be drawing two names on Saturday, Nov. 23.


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Denise Welch has a ball with her ex Tim Healy
SHOWGIRL Denise Welch struts her stuff in a stunning peacock-blue party outfit that leaves little to the imagination.
Denise enjoyed a night to remember as she made a dramatic entrance with her ex-husband Tim Healy on her arm.
The Loose Women star looked to be on good terms with Mr Healy, who she split from earlier this year after
24 years of marriage.
Denise, 54, looked stunning in a sequinned leotard that she teamed with an unusual feathered head dress and sparkling stilettoes.
The showstopping outfit highlighted a pair of impressively toned pins which she kept warm in fishnet tights. As well as her former husband, Denise also had her new boyfriend Lincoln Townley with her at the glamorous charity ball in
Manchester on Saturday night.
They enjoyed a ride in a dodgem and she took the wheel – and clearly enjoyed bumping into Tim, wearing a cheeky grin.
Denise, 54, looked stunning in a sequinned leotard
Denise is no stranger to the limelight and was crowned winner of Channel 5's Celebrity Big Brother this year, in a nail-biting final against X Factor finalist Frankie Cocozza.
She had been at the centre of many of the most explosive bust-ups on show.
She took her top off in the hot tub with 19-year-old Frankie, and sparked a huge row when she pulled down a model's pyjama bottoms during a boozy night.


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ClassyKat Calender Images
Pls Contact Me
Professional Freelance
Model ClassyKat
Thank you For Visiting My Webpage! I am a freelance model with a professional and positive attitude.I have published work in GlamModelz Magazine. I mostly model for commerical print and life style images. I believe that mature ladies are classy . I am honored to represent 1/2 century women like myself. The 50's are indeed the new 30's! ..A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous...
-Coco Chanel-
I am looking for other people that want to work together to not just create pictures but create real art that is exciting to everyone involved. I have years of experiance. If you are an experienced photographer or a company with a project in mind, drop me a line.
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Just looking for some reassurance and words of encouragement from those who have BTDT.
I just passed my dday anniversary, and the anniversary of my divorce being final is later this month. Since then, I've been living in what was the marital home, by myself. The mortgage is in my name only, and the payment is huge. The house itself is huge. After the D, I knew at some point I was going to have to sell. Financially and emotionally I guess I needed the last year to sort of let the dust settle, but now I'm ready to move on.
I've talked with a realtor friend about selling, and she assures me sales are fast in this neighborhood right now. She may have a buyer before I can even officially "list". I found a nice apartment and put down a deposit to hold it.
Everything is going smoothly, but I have moments where I feel unsure. I HAVE to sell this house, I can't afford the payment and I can't handle the upkeep. Mostly I'm excited for a fresh new start. I'm going to have to sell a LOT of stuff to downsize into the much smaller apartment. But its fun picking out new things. Right..?
I'm not sure what I'm scared of. Maybe its living in an apartment for the first time in 15+ years. Maybe its letting go of the memories, both good and bad, that happened in this house. I don't know how I'm going to feel the day I lock the door and walk away from here forever.
Please reassure me that I'm doing the right thing. That I'll be okay. That apartment living won't actually be hell after having my own house. If you are someone whose done this transition already, what unexpected problems did you face, either logistically or emotionally?
I guess what I'm feeling is normal, because this is a really big step. And it's happening fast. It took me a year to be ready, but now I am and things are happening very quickly. I think that might be better though, because I won't have a chance to get emotionally bogged down. I'm too busy!
Ugh. It's late and I'm overwhelmed and rambling. Sorry about that. As always it feels good just to express my feelings here. Thanks for reading.
Follow your heart, but take your brain with you. ~ Alfred Adler
Letting go of the outcome is about the most empowering thing you can do for yourself. ~ LosferWords
The memories will stay with you. Treat yourself to something nice and new, something that represents you. Simplifying is liberating. Being in an apartment gives you the freedom to take time and plan your future and move on easily. You will have more time for you than in a big house that requires a lot of attention.
Good luck!
[This message edited by stronger08 at 3:29 AM, May 7th (Wednesday)]
No family to speak of here (a brother about 2.5 hours away). My best friends are much closer now, but still about 3.5 hours away.
In the beginning, I was nostalgic about some of what I left behind, but downsizing is very liberating. I think quite a bit before I buy anything now. My only WTF moment was Thanksgiving when I made myself a lobster and realized I didn't have a nutcracker I used a hammer
Me: FBS (no longer betrayed nor a spouse)-62
Him: WXH-62
D-day: 2007 (two years before finding SI)
I understand your apprehension of moving on to fit your budget. I moved from the marital home (5 bdrm old farm house on 2 acres in a small rural town back to the middle of a very large city into a 800 sq ft one bdrm apt).
I downsized almost everything from the house and when moving into the apt I still had too much and sold what I could or donated for a tax write off.
I have been in the apartment for a year.
I have missed the quiet of the rural town and the house. I had a hard time adjusting to sounds of the city and sharing a ceiling and an adjoining wall with the other apartments. These were the most difficult to work through but beyond that financially the best decision to make to decrease stress etc ...
Good luck with your decisions Ann
Please reassure me that I'm doing the right thing.
You are!
I would try to view it like the end of the M. It is sad because things did not turn out like we all thought. However, that is just one chapter and you have lots left in a very good book!
Don't feel bad about grieving it - that is natural for many. Like you said, it held both good and bad times. However, you still carry those good memories within you.
The release from the payment and responsibility from it.....priceless for your soul!
You got this!
You're going to be okay. Think of the positives:
1) you don't have to do lawn maintenance!
2) if something breaks, you don't have to fix it!
3) presumably you'll have lower housing/energy costs!
4) you're getting a fresh start!
I'm sure there are more I can't think of because I don't know the specifics of your situation or the amenities the apartment complex might offer. For instance, I recently moved into an apartment complex with a pool and a fitness center. I have a washer and dryer in my unit. These were big draws for me because me and DS can generate a lot of laundry- I didn't want to have to be going back and forth to the laundromat. Also, the pool will be great (and free!) recreation when they open it this summer.
I was scared at first, but I'm happy here. Idk. It's change, and it's scary. But you'll be great.
[This message edited by abbycadabby at 9:06 AM, May 7th (Wednesday)]
Bought a condo in a concrete tower downtown, loved it for about a year, then got tired of the noise and the neighbours, so I decided to look for a heritage rental.
Renting makes sense for me because I'm in the most expensive area in the country for real estate and I'm old, so carrying a big mortgage makes no sense at my age.
I don't want to deal with tenants or maintenance.
I found the perfect apartment in an old mansion in a beautiful neighbourhood. It has two working fireplaces and a new kitchen, and it's surrounded by greenery and peace.
I've downsized A LOT, and now have a pretty simple and care-free life.
No car, no pets, no mortgage, no HOA fees, no worries about bugs or weeds or roof leaks or plumbing.
The owners live downstairs and keep everything in perfect condition, so all I do is call if I need anything.
They love me because I'm quiet and so they don't charge me full market rent.
If you live in a city that has a similar neighbourhood, look into it. You may have to look at a few places, but the perfect spot could be out there.
If I were going to buy again, I'd buy in a heritage conversion.
[This message edited by FaithFool at 9:25 AM, May 7th (Wednesday)]
Houses in my area are selling like crazy. It is definitely a sellers market which works in my favor. On the flipside though, this almost unprecedented market we're seeing in my area means there's little negotiating on the buyer's side. It's pay asking price or someone else will. That also doesn't make sense for me now since, with my new freedom, I may be open to relocation at work if the opportunity is too good to pass on. Who's to say in 6 months, a year, or 2 years that I won't be taking a loss on selling any new place.
So...an apartment is looking more and more like the best option for me, along with downsizing the extra "stuff." I went from resenting the idea to kind of being more and more excited about it. Less clutter. A place of my own with no ties to me ex. Less maintenance, taxes, worries, etc. Also, I should be able to save more money for when I do buy again. Additionally, for when I feel ready to possibly date again, an apartment complex seems more conducive to meeting single women than living in suburbia surrounded by families. Add in free access to a pool and gym, and it's sounding better and better by the day. The only possible downside is when I do have out of town friends come in, I may not have the room to put them up. Then again, if it's just a night or 2, I can take the couch.
You'll be fine gypsy!
I'm here to reassure you that you are doing the right thing. Sure, there are things you will miss about your house. But remember--that's what it is--a house. It is YOU that made it a home. And you will make that home again--wherever you land. My kids, family and friends would rather hang out with happy and content meaniemouse in my tiny apartment than with tense and angry meaniemouse and the lying cheating creep that used to share our large and lovely home.
Look at this as a new adventure. You will be fine.
Spend some time browsing the small home tours at www.apartmenttherapy.com to get excited for the downsize!
I know that this is needed for you not just logistically but that it will also be wonderful for you in all sorts of other was. It will be freeing, a real; new start. I'm excited for you! Keep us posted. It's normal to be anxious, but in the end, you're doing the absolute right thing.
I remember when it all happened, I was so jealous of him moving out, to his new life, new place, new job, new woman.. while I was left here alone in the rubble and destruction of the life that used to be. It seemed so unfair.
I am very proud of myself for the way I have gotten through the last year, reclaiming the house and making it my own. I love it, especially now that its very much "mine" and no longer "his" or "ours". Leaving it will be hard, that much is certain.
But remember--that's what it is--a house. It is YOU that made it a home. And you will make that home again--
This is my time to make a fresh start. And I really like the idea of renting because if there is a maintenance issue, I don't have to figure it out and/or pay for it. XWH left me with many halfdone projects here and I am just so SICK of it. Also, if things change for me I will be able to pick up and move fairly easily.
It definitely is going to feel small and probably cramped going from a 2,000 sq ft house to a 974 sq ft apartment. This apartment will hold my home office as well. So I hope I LOVE it because I'm going to be spending many hours there!
Thanks again everyone and I will keep you all posted as things progress. Please cross your fingers that I get a fast sale on my house!
I spent 5 months living out of a suitcase in a friends living room after d-day. It was so nice, and simple, and I loved the area and amenities. Then I got a nice sized apartment, closer to my work, no frills, filled it with a bunch of my old stuff. I have fonder memories of the air mattress and suitcase
Now I'm living with an SO, downsized my stuff again, hate the area, but it is starting to feel like home, and all the moving is giving me a great idea of what I want when I do eventually decide to buy another place.
Someday, I will have a small home in a planned community with a boat load of amenities.
I got rid of so much...STUFF! It was incredibly liberating! I only kept the things that had very personal meaning to me.
Everything I love - everything that has a special meaning for me - fits perfect in this house.
Good luck!
I have a front door, with a parking space that puts my car closer than if it was in my driveway. I have a back door with a yard beyond - that I don't have to do anything but enjoy. There's a pool, full washer and dryer book ups ( I got to bring mine from the house) . It's reasonable, close to major highways . I'm learning my way around this new city.
So far so good.
You can do this.


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With the quickly changing and demanding media landscape inherent to the industry,
Chainsaw's legacy KVM system had reached its limitations, making it difficult to keep pace with the ever-growing demands of clients.
The first issue is with the network itself. The old system used a copper backbone. This traditional copper cabling required too much space, lacked the ability to accommodate cutting-edge applications and lacked the security television and feature-length movie producers rely on when creating their product.
The second issue was that the existing system had reached its limits in scalability and ability to adapt to evolving industry needs. It had been deployed for so long that it had end-of-life transmitters and receivers that couldn't be expanded any further. It had gotten to the point where constant reconfiguration was the only solution to keep everything up and running. Users had to physically relocate bulky HDMI cables to cannibalize the materials they had to work with. It was very time intensive to constantly move and reconfigure equipment on the fly, depending on a client's specific requirements.
In addition to the limitations of its current KVM technology, the scope of Chainsaw needs had to evolve to meet the requirements of a major change in its business landscape. Chainsaw was merging with SIM Digital, a camera and production gear rental company. As this new entity, Chainsaw, along with another sister company Bling Digital, was relocating to a new three-story 65,000-square-foot building at the historic Hollywood site where Eastman Kodak once had offices. The project scope transitioned from complex system upgrade to a complete greenfield technology build out in the new location.
"We lost one of our last receivers as we moved," said Chainsaw's chief engineer Jeff Sengpiehl. "It was like jumping off the bridge just before it falls down."
After reviewing solutions from three different companies, Chainsaw selected Black Box as the trusted and go-to provider in the media and entertainment space. Not only did Black Box offer a cost-effective solution, it also brought a long and strong reputation of delivering the highest quality solutions, expert assistance in integration, and customer service. It was an easy decision for Chainsaw.
Black Box proposed specialized solutions to ensure Chainsaw's IT infrastructure and KVM capabilities were optimized for current and future growth. As part of the integration, Black Box delivered a high-speed fiber-based high-performance KVM system in the new post-production facility.
This allowed Chainsaw clients to have connectivity from any one of the 56 servers /CPUs to 51 displays/user consoles located in edit rooms, color prep rooms, media prep rooms and the on-site theater. This was achieved using a 288-port modular DKM chassis and 107 Tx/Rx units. With the industry's push for ultra-high quality, the system also uses 21 4K60 cards to accommodate the growing demand for 4K content.
This system allows clients to work from any location, accessing various servers and devices now back-racked in the central machine. If there is a camera on the first floor with footage, it can be transmitted through a Black Box receiver to a third floor monitor, allowing for seamless synergy between the post production and the camera floors. Before Black Box, every time Chainsaw wanted to introduce a client to a particular room, they'd have to carry a control surface to that location and make sure there was a path for physical lines. With Black Box's solution, a matrix switch was installed so that no additional wiring was needed to shift clients around. "Black Box is a much more elegant solution," said Sengpiehl.
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'I've had a good career here'
It's become an increasingly rare thing for someone to spend virtually their entire life in the same community where they were born.
Detroit Lakes native Jeff Grabow certainly didn't plan on doing so when he graduated from Moorhead State University with a degree in business economics.
"That's just the way it worked out," he says.
Grabow retired from his position as CEO of Bremer Bank in Detroit Lakes on Dec. 31, after more than 26 years with that financial institution, and nearly four decades in the banking industry.
Most of those 40 years were spent in Detroit Lakes -- but it wasn't in Grabow's initial plans to return to his hometown after college.
After graduating first from Detroit Lakes High School in 1965, Grabow went on to earn a degree in economic administration, with an eye toward a career in financial services.
His first job was with a retailer in Fargo; his second one was even farther afield, as an inspector with a large commercial insurance provider in the Twin Cities.
Factory Insurance Association, which was collectively owned by a group of 60 large stock companies, had given Grabow a large area to cover.
"I was sent all over Minnesota, Iowa, North and South Dakota," he said. "They trained me to inspect their fire protection equipment and services."
After a couple of years of doing that, Grabow was looking to find a job in his original field, banking.
"That was my focus," he says. "I wanted to get into financial services."
You can go home again
When his opportunity came knocking, it was in the form of a job back in his hometown.
"My dad was in business here for many years, and his company did business with First National Bank (now Wells Fargo)," says Grabow.
"My dad had a conversation with Arnie Porkkonen (then a vice president at First National), who asked what I was up to," says Grabow.
That conversation led to a job interview with Porkkonen.
"He gave me my start," Grabow says, adding, "He was a heck of a good man, who died too young."
After about eight years at First National, Grabow took a job with American Bank and Trust in Moorhead -- which is, by coincidence, also part of Wells Fargo now -- and would spend the next four years living in Moorhead with his family.
He was successful enough in his position at Moorhead to come to the attention of C. LeRoy Larson, who was the CEO of First American Bank in Detroit Lakes.
"He hired me as a senior lender," Grabow says -- and his family subsequently made the move back to Detroit Lakes, where they put down roots.
"The two people that influenced me the most in setting the stage for my career were Arnie Porkkonen and Roy Larson," says Grabow, who worked for Porkkonen from 1972 to '78, and Larson from 1984 to '94.
He would end up staying with First American Bank for the remainder of his career.
In the fall 1996, he replaced Don Haas (who had succeeded Larson) as CEO of First American Bank, one of about 100 banks chartered under the holding company of Bremer Financial Services.
Over the next 26 years, the local financial institution would change its name to Bremer Bank, acquire a branch in Perham, and most recently, was involved in a consolidation with the Bremer banks in Lisbon, Casselton and Minot, N.D., under the charter of the Fargo bank.
"We became a branch of the Fargo bank," Grabow explained, noting that those were probably the three biggest changes he has seen during his tenure at Bremer.
A legacy of giving back
"I've had a good career here," he says. "I like the work, I always have."
One of the biggest reasons for that enjoyment, Grabow believes, is that he was able to be involved in a variety of community organizations, starting with the Detroit Lakes Lions Club, where he held several offices at the local and state level.
Over the years, he also became involved with the local Jaycees -- including a stint as president -- as well as the Elks, Eagles, Chamber of Commerce, and most recently, the Kiwanis Club.
He was also heavily involved in the United Way of Becker County, where he "went through all the (officer) chairs to be the chairman," as well as the Booster Club and Youth Hockey Association.
On the business side of things, he has served on the Industrial Development Committee and the Detroit Lakes Development Authority, as well as the Arena Commission and many other county and city committees.
Currently, he is a member of the Kiwanis Club and serves as president of the Boys & Girls Club Endowment.
In short, Grabow says, "I've served in a number of volunteer capacities through the years, as a supporter of the community.
"It's all part of the way we do business here at Bremer," he explains. "The bank prospers because the community prospers -- and that only happens if the people get involved with the non-profits and other volunteer services.
"We were always encouraged to do that," Grabow continues, noting that many of the bank's senior staff members have continued the tradition of community involvement that began with the company's founder, Otto Bremer.
Though he has enjoyed every minute of his career with Bremer, Grabow says, he thinks now is the right time to move on to new challenges.
"I'm not necessarily looking to work again (in another profession)," he says. "It isn't that I didn't like what I'm doing...but after that many years in the business, I'm 63½, and I figured, if I could do it, why shouldn't I?
"I liked to say that I work to live, I don't live to work."
What he was really working toward all those years, Grabow adds, was to spend weekends and holidays with his family -- which includes wife Leann, their children Matthew and Andrea, both married now, and six grandchildren.
Daughter Andrea lives in Colorado with her husband Michael and their two children; son Michael lives in Prior Lake, Minn., with wife Michelle and their four children.
Grabow hopes to spend as much time on the Colorado ski slopes with his granddaughters as he can, and when he's not skiing, he'll be in the stands watching his oldest grandson play hockey in Prior Lake.
"We love hockey," he says.
A trip to enjoy the Florida sunshine is also in the works, and he wants to travel to other parts of the country as well.
But the summers will, as always, be spent at the family's home on Lake Eunice, which Grabow has no intention of selling.
"We have a lot of reasons to stick around here," he says, noting that he has two brothers and a mother who still live in Detroit Lakes. (His sister lives in Green Bay, Wis., while his youngest brother makes his home in Willmar.)


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How to make a good bug report
- Submit a test case, the smaller, the better. You can do this by clicking on the "Create a new attachment" link. When attaching a file, please set the correct MIME type from the list. For source code, "Plain text" is ok. For tar.gz or .gz files, you can enter "application/x-gzip" in the "Other" text box.
- Run the test against Microsofts .Net to see what it does and if this is an actual bug.
- Use bugzilla.xamarin.com to report the bug. In addition to bugzilla, posting to the list is fine if the bug merits larger exposure or design discussions to solve; posting to the list twice or more is just a way to annoy people and make them waste time, especially when you start a new thread about it.
- If the test involves libraries or assemblies that are not part of mono, add infomation on where to download all dependencies, and how to compile/install them.
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mcs test.csprovide the full command line you used to compile the test.
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mono test.exeprovide the full command line needed to replicate the bug.
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- Provide the actual output you get from the test case.
- If you are new to bug reporting, understand how you should set "priority" for your report. People tend to set CRITICAL or BLOCKER where they should not. Please keep in mind: no matter how important the bug is for you, it is nothing to do with the importance of the bug itself.
- Do not expect us to debug your software. We can not debug every application that is submitted to us, to improve the response time, you should create a self-contained test case that isolates the problem.
Please include at least 6 items from the list in your bug report. Incomplete bug reports are very hard to understand, reproduce and fix.
See also bug severity definitions.


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Find the Best Food in Sacramento
Looking for good eats in the capital of California? Whether you're looking for fast and cheap, mid-range or fine dining options, Sacramento, Calif.'s got them all.
Eating on the cheap
When what you want is good, old-fashioned, excellent home-style cooking, look no further than local favorites like Plates and Mo Mo's Meat Market. While they may not be fancy, these food destinations have online reviewers raving.
Located in the Tahoe Park neighborhood, Mo Mo's is your best bet for barbeque in Sacramento, serving up hot links, ribs and pork. Just choose two, three or four different meats for your plate and pony up a surprisingly paltry amount of cash. Most entrees are under ten dollars here.
Plates Café is another unique eatery, staffed by residents of a local shelter. The workers learn marketable skills while serving up comfort foods like pulled pork on jalapeno biscuits, sweet potato fries with sea salt, and a variety of sandwiches and salads. It's a cheap meal that supports a good local cause.
The best food in the mid-range
According to Time Magazine, Sacramento is one of the most diverse cities in the United States. A glance at some of the most-loved mid-range-priced dining options in the city may help you understand how the city claimed that title.
Whatever kind of international fare you're looking for, you'll find it in California's capital. For vegan and vegetarian dishes with a southeast Asian flair, there's Andy Nguyen's. If cabbage rolls and schnitzel sound good to you, try popular Midtown joint Café Marika. Spanish tapas, fruity sangria and live music are on the menu at Tapa the World. And Centro Cocina Mexicana, a staple on the Sacramento dining scene for 20 years, serves up fresh Mexican dishes and over 150 tequilas.
Splurging in Sacramento
Some of the country's best restaurants make up the fine dining scene in Sacramento. Expect to pay a premium but enjoy a unique dining experience –assuming you can get a reservation — at these popular spots.
Downtown Sacramento's Ella Dining Room and Bar, which has been called one of the United States' most innovative restaurants, is helmed by celeb chef Randall Selland and serves family-style portions of fine, locally-sourced fare. Biba Ristorante Italiano is also helmed by a famous chef, Biba Caggiano, a TV show host and author. Biba's is known for serving authentic Northern Italian dishes. (Tip: try visiting the restaurant during the week to sample its affordable prix fixe menu.)
Looking for more?
Still hungry to learn what else you can chow down on in Sacramento? Try scouring your favorite online review sites for tips on Sacramento's best restaurants. Also, visit local foodie dining resources like SacFoodies, Munchie Musings, and the Sacramento Food Blog on Urbanspoon.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock / 2578521


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Britannica left on the shelf? Photo credit: John Morrison: http://www.flickr.com/photos/localcelebrity/5416969277/
Print has been dealt yet another blow: Encyclopaedia Britannica announced on Wednesday that they will no longer publish a print edition. Over 7 million sets of the weighty tomes have been printed since the first edition was published in Edinburgh in 1768 (you can buy a replica copy for £69). The final hardcover edition of Britannica, which some believe will become a collector's item, is available for £1,195, comprising 32 volumes, and weighing over 9 stone, or almost 60 kilograms, in total.
Sales have fallen sharply. The Financial Times reported that this decision was inevitable – just 8,500 sets were sold in 2010, compared to a peak of 120,000 in 1990, reflecting the shift to online sources. The Atlantic made the point that for the price of the final set you could buy 10 iPhones. Dan Gilmour, in the Guardian, credited Microsoft Encarta, "a CD-Rom product the software company launched in the early 1990s and maintained until 2009" with heralding Britannica's demise, primarily because it was so much cheaper to buy.
Wikirivals. The move to digital will place Encyclopedia Britannica in direct competition with Wikipedia (described as "more whizzy, democratic and up-to-the-minute" by Craig Brown in the Daily Mail). Wikipedia, though user edited, is free to use and has more than 3.7 million articles, compared with the Britannica's 100,000 articles, accessible for an annual fee of £49.95. Britannica's chances of truly rivaling the ubiquitous online encyclopedia seem to be slim: The Financial Times quoted Jorge Cauz, president of the company, "We could be printing money if we were as featured as Wikipedia."
But not everyone is online. Stephanie Rosalia, a school librarian from New York, argued in the New York Times online debate that there is a digital divide, and people without high-speed internet connections, in rural areas, or in prison will suffer from this decision.
You can't believe everything you read. Moreover, some argue that Wikipedia's user-generated content is unreliable. However, Megan Macardle in The Atlantic pointed out that in 2005, Nature Magazine found that in scientific entries, Wikipedia contained an average of 3.86 mistakes per article, only slightly more than Britannica with 2.92 (some of Britannica's errors corrected by Wikipedia are listed in this Wikipedia entry). Accuracy seems to be a historical problem: Craig Brown in the Daily Mail reported that "the chief editor of the (1790s) third edition, one George Gleig, decided unilaterally that Newton was wrong about gravity and announced that it was, in fact, caused by 'the classical element of fire'."
The third edition of the Britannica claimed that Newton was wrong and that gravity was actually caused by "the classical element of fire".
Wikipedia vs. Britannica. But Dan Gilmour, in the Guardian, argued that Britannica's coverage of topics that don't appeal to Wikipedia's volunteer editors is "vastly better", although Wikipedia has articles on "topics that are of interest to lots of people but don't make the cut in a printed book." Alexander Chee worried in the New York Times online debate that by relying on unpaid content, we devalue true expertise, arguing that "all information should be as democratically available as possible, but I'm averse to it being democratically produced."
What do you think – will you miss the print version of Britannica?
The wonder of serendipity. Stephanie Rosalia argued in the New York Times online debate that "the Internet and its search boxes do not support or encourage a sense of wonder," while others described the unique print experience of looking up one thing and finding something completely different. The Daily Mail quoted Sir Kenneth Clark: "One leaps from one subject to another, fascinated as much by the play of mind and the idiosyncrasies of their authors as by the facts and dates." In the New York Times online debate, A.J. Jacobs agreed that these serendipitous juxtapositions were "key to Britannica's charm," while Alexander Chee argued that "to find only the thing you are looking for transforms the limits of your imagination into the literal borders of what you know, and this is never a good thing."
Mad, bad and dangerous knowledge? Encyclopedias have enjoyed a strange and interesting history. Jacobs recounted in his contribution to the New York Times online debate how "in 1751, the Britannica's predecessor – Diderot's Encyclopedie – was deemed so dangerous by King Louis XV that he had the volumes locked up in the Bastille alongside murderers and madmen." Ernest Shackleton carried the ninth edition on his exploratory voyage to Antarctica, but "ended up burning the volumes for kindling."
Eleventh Heaven? Fans agree that the 11th edition of the Encyclopaedia, published in Cambridge in 1910 was the apogee of the series. Craig Brown of the Daily Mail "picked one up for a song a decade ago" and described it lovingly as "a masterpiece, with contributions from great minds such as Bertrand Russell, Edmund Gosse and T.H.Huxley…winningly personal, even eccentric, with the contributors allowed, and even encouraged, to offer their opinions and prejudices." Though Josh Walsh in the Independent pointed out that this edition only included Marie Curie, who had just won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, following her Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903, in the entry on her husband, Pierre.
Ever swallowed an encyclopaedia? Author A.J. Jacobs read all 32 volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica as a "stunt" for his book: The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. In so doing, he joined an exclusive club, whose members include George Bernard Shaw, heart surgeon Michael DeBakey and C.S. Forester, the author of Horatio Hornblower, who found it so riveting that he read the whole thing twice.
End of an era. Hans Koning, The New Yorker writer, once called the Britannica "the culmination of the Enlightenment, the naïve belief that all human knowledge could be presented with a single point of view". John McWhorter argued in the New York Times online debate that this "era has passed", and noted that though he bought a set in 2000, he still hasn't "gotten around to taking the plastic wrap off of six of the volumes."
N is for Nostalgia. Even Phoebe Ayers, a trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation had to admit in the New York Times online debate that Britannica volumes had an "intensely satisfying completeness." John Walsh summed it up in the Independent: "It's a sad day for fetishists of gold lettering. It's a bitter blow for door-to-door salesmen. It's a major frustration for recently nominated godparents wondering what christening gift would combine the solid, the stylish and the edifying. The print edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica is no more."


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For those of us who read the Harry Potter series, we know that Quidditch is a wizard sport invented by J.K. Rowling and played by the book's main characters. This make-believe wizard sport has inspired the creation of the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association, which involves players from such Ivy League universities as Harvard running around on brooms and trying to score points while wearing capes.
The Intercollegiate Quidditch Association has grown to include countries from all over the world, with over two hundred participating teams.
Racy Sports
Sneaker-Inspired Flooring
Anti-Gravity Sports
Geeky Sports Equipment
Featherweight Sports Cars
The Intercollegiate Quidditch Association is Inspired by Harry Potter
- By: Jacqueline ParrishNov 10, 2009
References: collegequidditch & suntimes
References: collegequidditch & suntimes