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The horror of Seven Sharp (Dear Mr Sainsbury - I am so very sorry)
Allowing the Marketing Department at TVNZ to take over from News at 7pm was never going to produce anything pretty, and so it comes to pass. The promo for Seven Sharp is out and it is god awful...
Seven Sharp cuts through the headline clutter to bring you the day's stories with razor sharp wit and insight.
...and that razor sharp wit was on display in 'Jesse's first day' - check out the comments section on Facebook for a feel of the venom Seven Sharp is already generating.
As I posted, I don't think TVNZ appreciates the animosity viewers feel about dumbed down news. Seven Sharp represents all that intelligent people hate about the new age of lite entertainment replacing critical thinking media. When we have 270 000 children in poverty, 7.3% unemployment and the highest level of inequality ever recorded, you want to play silly buggers?
The demise of critical media at a time when NZ needs it more than ever is simply another slap in the face to public broadcasting. Poor Jesse Mulligan, who knew paying a mortgage in Arch Hill could be so detrimental?
God knows why poor Greg Boyed is being tied to this sinking boat. The only winner here is John Campbell.


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DRHOOK- Womb woe: Periodic disorder painful, hard to cure
Cloris Leachman is very funny. High Anxiety proved it. Remember those pointy breasts as Nurse Diesel? Still, I didn't know how raunchy she could be until I saw her roast Bob Saget. Oooh, child!
Then she kept the censors for Dancing with the Stars jumping every time she was on air this past season because they didn't know what obscene, profane thing would come out of her. She was like Madonna on Letterman times four.
Cloris is 82 years old with many medical problems (as she mentioned on the first Dancing episode), but she moved as long as the young and vibrant Julianne Hough. It goes to show that age has nothing to do with perseverance. Hough, the professional dancer, was taken out by surgery for endometriosis. But then, as it's a competitive show, Lacey Schwimmer also announced she has endometriosis!
Is endometriosis that common?
Five million American women have endometriosis. Actually, it's hard to say how many really do because quite a few have it but don't have symptoms. For example, up to seven percent of women who are getting their tubes tied are found to have endometriosis.
On the other hand, nearly half of all teenage girls with chronic pelvic pain or menstrual problems are found to have endometriosis during exploratory laparoscopy.
Endometriosis is a weird disorder because we aren't really sure how the endometrial tissue (normally found within the uterus) ends up outside the uterus. Maybe it migrates out through the Fallopian tubes? It might just develop within the pelvis and abdomen because of cells "transforming" into endometrial tissue. It could be from altered immune cells because endometriosis is associated with autoimmune inflammatory disease, hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia, and allergies.
We all hate pain– and that's the main issue, especially during the menstrual period, because bleeding occurs not only in the uterus but also wherever the tissue might migrate: ovaries, around the appendix (like Julianne Hough), sigmoid colon– but also really anywhere including the breasts, arms, legs, lungs, and spine.
Cases of bruises under the skin have been attributed to endometrial tissue there!
Pain is most common in the pelvis, and it can mimic Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)– except there is no evidence of a sexually transmitted disease. For some, the pain is continuous, not occurring only during menstrual periods, making everyday a Midol day.
More than pain, endometriosis is associated with infertility, discomfort during sex, and chronic fatigue. Because adhesions can occur (like scar tissue connecting internal tissues and organs), there can be bowel and bladder problems.
Endometriosis occurs almost exclusively in females of reproductive years because endometrial tissue thrives on ovarian hormones. It seems to attack tall thin women in their mid-20s to mid-30s. Delayed pregnancy appears to be a risk factor, so professional women appear to have endometriosis more.
Surgery is the only cure because the tissue must be removed. When I was a medical student, I saw cases of endometriosis within the abdominal cavity and attached to different organs. But it was like mining for silver, because it's impossible to search every inch for endometrial tissue.
How do you know if you get it all? How do you know that more won't grow elsewhere? Ultrasound and MRI can locate endometriosis regions, but often a woman with endometriosis will need more than one laparoscopy.
Hopefully with the growing awareness of endometriosis, there will be more research to find out the cause and the cure. We need to see our Dancing with the Stars ladies kicking, spinning, and jumping to the music– not in response to pain.
Dr. Hook cracks a joke or two, but he's a renowned physician with a local practice. Email him with your questions.
5 comments
Don't pay any attention to John Hong. He's an idiot who appears to fellow idiots to be intelligent. That's what makes him so dangerous. HE'LL KILL YOU FASTER THAN THE HADRON COLLIDER!
Thanks for the article. I would like to point out that one of the reasons for delayed pregnancy is associated w/ endo is b/c women with endo find it difficult to have pain and/or have sex. So, it's wrong to attribute it to a professional women's disease. Also, laporoscopy is the ONLY way to diagnose endometriosis. And the only way to obtain long-term relief is EXCISION surgery from an endometriosis specialist. not all ob/gyns are trained to remove endometriosis. WHY? they just aren't trained to do so. I have been to ob/gyn surgeons who were not endo specialists who simply burned the endo off, but didn't REMOVE/EXCISE it. That's why women have to have repeat laporoscopies b/c the gyn didn't remove all the endometriosis. Luckily, there are a handul of endometriosis excisions who are specialists. Please visit www.centerforendo.com or www.endometriosistreatment.org. Whatever you do, do not listen to a doctor who says that the only way to cure endo is through pregnancy, that is false. Also, don't listen to a doctor who recommends Lupron injections as treatment. This medication puts you into a pseudo-menopause, and can only be administered for 6 months, after which there's risk for loss of bone density. Specialists are the best bet.
Also, women with endo can often have a hard time getting pregnant, so i think this article kind of has the order reversed (saying that delayed childbearing is a risk factor). that's bull. also, endo is well - documented among women who have had babies, so it's not an issue of delayed childbearing. it's a very devastating illness. sadly, the women's helath community rarely gives it the attention it deserves.
Thank you for this article. I suffered many years of misdiagnosis, including being told, over and over again, that the pain is "all in your head," I had 3 useless laparascopies.
Finally, after being threatened with a hysterectomy before the age of 40 (which is NOT a cure), I had much success with acupuncture, a strict vegetarian diet, and homeopathy.
Even with that, menopause is a blessing. This is a terribly disabling disease, and I was never able to conceive.
Dr. Hook, I was diagnosed w/endo over 10 years ago. I have had hormone treatment, endo ablasion and every other treatment my long time OB/GYN could think of. After having my son, I broke down and had a hysterectomy. Since then, I have had 1 more laproscopy to remove yet more endo. During that particular operation, my Dr. removed several spots of endo along w/bowel adhesions. She told me there was some spots in my chest cavity that she did not mess with due to presence of major organs, etc. I am not familiar w/specific surgical procedures vs. types of Dr. I still have severe pain during intercourse, bowel movements and sometimes when I simply sit a certain way it feels like my insides are falling out. I seem to be living in a hot bath, w/a heating pad & on OTC meds that DO NOT HELP! What I guess I am asking is would you be willing to "take a look" or automatically refer me to a general surgeon or have me follow a different path? Also, does your office accept Humana Gold PFFS insurance? I left my Dr. of 10 years due to insurance change that was out of my hands. She is willing to get you any/all records necessary but says it may help if whoever I see takes a "fresh look" w/o any preconceived notion. I found you on the web & decided to email & see what happens. Thanks for all your work in this field & for the help you give to others. I hope I can be helped also. Thanks again, Cynthia Wagle

subset: commoncrawl


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When I bought this mute a few weeks ago, I was not sure if I needed a replacement for my traditional Humes & Berg bucket mute. (seems like I've only ever sent this model used by my fellow players.)
The Soulo mute is easy to clip on the bell of my Bach (actually easier than my Humes & Berg), and was easy to adjust into both a traditional position, and also a tilted position. This allowed for a difference in "tone", that I was not aware possible with a bucket mute.
I have found this mute blends well with others in my big band section, and also has a very good tone & intonation for various jazz ensembles I play in.
The price is $68, which is quite a bit more than the $25 Humes/Berg bucket mute, but can honestly say this mute is worth the extra price. Also, have found I use it as not just a bucket mute, but also as a fit between my cup mute, and my old bucket mute.
I would highly recommend this mute to add to your collection (that you will actively use).
Reviews can be found at:
And the product website can be found at:
Update: Now available for Trombones


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An appraiser,is one who sets a value upon property, real or personal. In England the business of an appraiser is usually combined with that of an auctioneer, while the word itself has a similar meaning to that of "valuer." the term is often be used to describe a person person specially if they're appointed.
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Stein Valuation Inc.
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For more Appraiser results in Los Angeles, click here:http://us.wowcity.com/losangeles/?what=Appraiser
Most appraisers can take on a 1 parcel, 10 building appraisal without any assistance and even continue working on other assignments simultaneously. It's a lot of measurements, a lot of photographs, a lot of sketches but one appraiser can get it done relatively quickly without assistance. I have even taken on 30 parcel assignments that had parcels scattered through different parts of the state, again it can be done by a single appraiser, but it will test your stamina.


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One significant barrier to the expansion of the solar market is the limited training of municipal code officials, the individuals responsible for approving proposed plans and inspecting and approving installations of photovoltaic (PV) systems. A dynamic new online training opportunity launches this month to provide consistent, effective training which can quickly and cost-effectively reach a far greater number of code officials than has been possible with traditional onsite workshops and seminars.
"Development of the Photovoltaic Online Training (PVOT) project expands the reach and scale of training," says IREC Executive Director Jane Weissman. "It creates an avenue for more consistent learning nationwide."
The project is part of IREC's role as the national administrator of the Solar Instructor Training Network, through a grant with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). While the online program is targeted to code officials, to instruct in key issues for granting permits and performing field inspections for residential PV installations, it is also available to others.
The training addresses a significant barrier to the expansion of the solar market. Code officials and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) provide a critical link in the process of PV installation applications and permitting. Lack of familiarity with PV systems, codes and standards can lead to unnecessary steps in the approval process, which can slow system installations and add additional costs. Providing more accessible PV training online will help accelerate the process and reduce costs, while providing quality assurance of safe installations.
The project is also important for its use of groundbreaking technology in education. "This project is an early adopter of several highly innovative emerging technologies that are transforming the delivery of educational resources, not only within the PV industry but across all sectors," said Joe Deringer, executive director of the Institute for the Sustainable Performance of Buildings (SuPerB) and lead project manager.
The training includes seven online modules, six traditional and a final "capstone" module which is game-based. It provides an interactive environment in which the user can assess and improve his/her ability to identify correctly and/or incorrectly installed components of a roof-mounted PV Array installation.
In the final module, the online learner steps up to a virtual house to be faced with problem-based challenges and scoring. It is intended to fully engage the learner in a 3D environment, imbedded in a game-based framework with its own assessment. The first six traditional linear training modules present a series of pages with onscreen content, 2D media and video with narration, followed by an assessment quiz.
The content covers the major topics of concern for field inspection and expedited permitting, including: Roof Mounted Arrays and Wire Management; Electrical for Roof and Ground Mounted Arrays; Specifics of Ground Mounted Arrays; Appropriate Signage; Equipment Ratings; and Expedited Permitting.
All lessons have been reviewed and vetted by currently serving code officials and field inspectors, and representative members of the solar industry. All seven learning modules are contained within DOE's National Training & Education Resource (NTER).
IREC contracted with SuPerB to develop the training modules. Brooks Engineering provided the primary subject matter expertise.
"Through SunShot, the Department of Energy is succeeding in making solar affordable for many American families," says DOE's Minh Le, acting director, SunShot. "SunShot supports the development of the most innovative, effective tools for renewable energy adoption. Free, accessible online training for the local code officials involved in solar safety inspections in more than 18,000 jurisdictions will help drive down the costs of getting solar power," he said.
At the conclusion and passing of the course, students can apply for Continuing Education Units from the International Association of Electrical Inspectors. "We are pleased to be working with IREC and our Industry partners under the DOE's SunShot Initiative," said David Clements, IAEI's CEO. "IREC's online training program is an excellent tool that provides much needed education for all involved in today's fast growing PV industry."
To publicize the on-line training and to develop a companion, hands-on workshop, IREC will be working with DOE's SunShot Initiative; the nine Regional Training Providers comprising the Solar Instructor Training Network; SolarTech and its team including the International Association of Electrical Inspectors, Underwriters Laboratories, and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability; DOE's Rooftop Solar Challenge teams; and others.
"IREC's online training gives users a clear and easy pathway to help code officials understand the photovoltaic systems they are inspecting. This leads to safer systems, satisfied customers, and lower costs," says SolarTech's Tom Tansy, Solar 3.0 program manager. "SolarTech's Solar 3.0 team and IREC's Regional Training Providers give us a strong and wide-reaching network to get the word out about the online training opportunity," says Tansy.
Go directly to PVOT, or go to the National Training & Education Resource (NTER) website, and enter 'Photovoltaics' or 'PV' in the search bar.


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NOAA GFDL Climate Research Highlights:
Summaries, Graphics and Animations
about these summaries, images and animations and connections to the IPCC 2007 report
Scientific research conducted at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) figures prominently in climate change assessment studies, such as those assembled by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the United States Climate Change Research Program (US CCSP). On this web page, we provide links to short summaries, high resolution graphics, and animations that describe some of GFDL's recent research highlights regarding climate change – results that illustrate and complement findings reported on in the IPCC WG1 Summary for Policymakers released on 2 February 2007.
At GFDL, our research focuses on developing and using state-of-the-art climate models and computer simulations to improve our understanding of the behavior of the atmosphere, oceans, and the global climate system. And though a picture may be worth a thousand words, we find that our graphics are best understood when one reads a bit about them and the related research. So we encourage you to look over our brief GFDL Climate Model Research Highlights summaries (available from links on this page in printer-friendly PDF formats) as well as our graphics and animation galleries. In many cases, the summaries indicate how the featured NOAA GFDL climate model-based research relates to key statements contained in the IPCC Working Group 1 (WG1) Fourth Assessment Report (also referred to as IPCC AR4).
Links are provided below to direct you to the summary related to the images or animations of choice. Those short summaries include contact information that can direct you to GFDL scientists with expertise in each particular topic.
These graphics are considered to be in the public domain, and thus can be downloaded freely. We do request that if these images are used in publications or media broadcasts credit be given to "NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory" or at least "NOAA GFDL".
For more information about our climate research, including videos and audio podcasts, check out the
Climate Change, Variability & Prediction Group's Electronic Media Web Page.
noaa gfdl climate research highlight topics
increasing understanding … addressing uncertainties
Additional climate research overviews on other pages include:
co2-induced warming


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LOWELL -- No one has ever traveled farther before landing in Lowell.
Or been more perfectly suited for his assigned task.
Retired NASA astronaut Dan Barry, who logged 734 hours in space aboard the shuttles Endeavor and Discovery, and who gained further notoriety as a contestant on the CBS-TV reality series Survivor, will be the featured speaker at Tuesday's grand opening of a space-related traveling exhibition at the American Textile History Museum, at 491 Dutton St., Lowell.
The museum's special event, "Suited for Space: A stunning journey into the evolution of the spacesuit," includes free tours of the exhibit developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, from 3:30-6:30 p.m., followed by an opportunity to meet and hear a talk by Barry, 59, a veteran of three space-shuttle flights from 1996 to 2001, including spacewalks totaling more than 25 hours.
For his talk, titled "The Sensations of a Space Flight," Barry plans to wear an article of clothing he wore previously on one of his shuttle missions. Most likely, he said it will be a 100 percent cotton T-shirt, rather than one of NASA's bulky, signature spacesuits that often leave bruises on the astronauts who wear them.
In a phone interview from his South Hadley home, Barry said his talk will include "what it feels like to get on a vehicle and have a controlled detonation underneath you that slams you back in your seat and eight minutes later leaves you floating.
During his Lowell visit, Barry also promised to discuss another other-worldly topic he's passionate about, and which many attending his talks find more fascinating than his description of space travel -- and it's not his six-episode run on Survivor, Panama: Exile Island in 2005.
Barry said believes the human race ought to prioritize setting up an independent colony of our species on Mars, before it's too late.
A Mars mission "is really the most important thing we can do in space right now," Barry said.
"One reason is, Mars is the place where we've got a good shot of finding life that's independent of life on Earth. If we can do that -- demonstrate for sure there was a different type of life on Mars that occurred independently in two different places -- then it's all over the galaxy, and it's just a matter of looking hard enough to find each form of life that has got to be out there."
On the other hand, if there is zero evidence there was ever life on Mars, it would indicate the rarity of life on Earth and the more pressing need to preserve it elsewhere, Barry theorizes.
If not asked about Mars by an audience member during one of his public appearances, he often brings up the topic himself, Barry said.
"Right now, one event can kill everybody -- asteroid, ecological runaway, some weird bio-thing -- everybody's in the same basket here," Barry said. "But if we have a colony on Mars, there's no one event that can wipe out our species ever again. ... By going to Mars and establishing a colony independent of the Earth -- it's within our grasp, it's really just a matter of political will to do that -- we ensure the immortality of the human species."
But back to more earthly concerns, Barry said he won't wear one of the bulky spacesuits.
"There's two different spacesuits we wear: One is for launch and entry, and is actually pretty comfortable when you're in a normal phase of flight and it's not inflated," Barry said. "But the EMU (extra-vehicular mobility unit) is pretty uncomfortable because, when it gets inflated while you're working in it, the interior rubber bladder becomes very rigid.
"It's like you're wearing a suit that puts you inside this rock-solid structure, and you'll feel these pressure points where (the bladder) didn't get perfectly smoothed out. Think of somebody putting a knuckle in the middle of your back and just leaving it there for eight hours. It can get uncomfortable."
The astronauts' mental focus on the spacewalk's tasks at hand usually distract them from feeling the pain caused by the spacesuit, Barry said. The bruises on their bodies are only discovered later, when they get checked out by NASA's doctors on Earth.
Barry admits to not being well versed on the fabric that makes up a NASA spacesuit.
"I know there's a lot of nylon and Dacron and mixture of materials like Kevlar and aluminum foil, but you can find all that online," he said.
But he does consider the glove portion to be an engineering marvel.
"I'm outside the spacecraft, look down and at my fingertips, all that's between me and the vacuum of space is basically a very thin, rubbery material, maybe an eighth-inch thick, if that, and yet they were able to make them safe but still flexible and thin enough so you can grab tools and retain some feel. That's a real engineering achievement. That's what impressed me most were the gloves."
Barry was born in Norwalk, Conn., and raised in Alexandria, La. His mother was a homemaker. His father, a salesman and plant manager of a valve-manufacturing company, died when Barry was 2. One of Barry's three older sisters married an engineer from MIT.
"He sort of became my big brother," Barry said. "He taught me about engineering and how to program computers and was really my inspiration for going into science and engineering."
Barry now calls South Hadley his hometown. His wife is a professor at nearby Mount Holyoke College. Both their son and daughter are graduate students at MIT, about to earn Ph.D.'s in computer science.
Asked whether he'd prefer to return to Survivor as a contestant for another season, say, or make his first trip to Lowell, Barry called it an easy choice.
"I really enjoyed being on Survivor, but I had the experience and I don't think I'd go back. I like to go to unusual places. So I'm looking forward to being at the Textile Museum and learning a lot of stuff I don't know about."
Follow John Collins on Twitter at johncolowellsun.


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The Hadassah-Brandeis Institute (HBI) publishes and promotes a diverse range of works, from our blog, academic books and scholarly papers to popular prose and fiction and multimedia projects featuring some of today's most prominent authors in the field of Jewish and gender studies. Topics covered in the HBI's publications span the spectrum of Jewish women's history and culture – from an in-depth exploration of women's life in the Yishuv to contemporary trends of intermarriage in Jewish-American familial life, delving into the history of Jewish women in sports, to readings on Jewish women's lives in Muslim societies, circulating the globe to examine pertinent issues and survey the oft-unexplored in Jewish women's life.
- Fresh Ideas from HBI: The HBI Blog
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Explore Pula
Perched on the coast of the Adriatic Sea in the Croatian region of Istria, the ancient port town of Pula is a European paradise. Head to this beautiful city for clear blue water, incredible Roman ruins and delicious local food and wine. Though small, Pula has a reputation for excellent nightlife, and all the amenities for a great holiday in the sun.


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Subscribe to our Newsletter
The newspaper collection is one of the most heavily used collections in the National Library. Newspapers are a major research source for political, economic and social history, and local studies and genealogy. They provide a contemporary commentary of the major occasions in the political, religious, sporting and cultural life of the nation. But they are also a major source of information on everyday life. Advertisements, reports of social events, accidents, court proceedings and inquests, all the mundane and exciting details that made up the daily lives of our ancestors are recorded in newspapers.
See the Accessing Printed Material section to find out how to consult newspapers.