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Vintage can often seem both important and sometimes baffling to wine drinkers. The vintage of a wine is simply the year in which the grapes were picked. The idea of recording the age of a wine goes back a very long way. When archeologists in Egypt opened Pharaoh Tutankhamen's tomb in 1922, they found wine jars buried with him labelled with the year of production, the winemaker's name, and comments such as "very good wine."
Because it takes time for grape juice to ferment into wine, wine from grapes picked in the fall is not normally ready to drink before next spring. Red wines can take even longer to be ready. So, usually wine is not normally available in the year of the recorded vintage. There are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, Beaujolais nouveau (new or young Beaujolais) is a red wine that is rapidly and only lightly fermented, and is released in November of the same year that the grapes were picked.
But things can get more complicated looking at vintages. Grapes in the Southern Hemisphere are picked when it is spring in the Northern Hemisphere. So, a 2014 Australian wine could be six months older than a 2014 wine from Cavender Creek Winery. Things get even more difficult when you encounter wines (yes, they do exist!) from countries such as Vietnam and Thailand. Here in Georgia the vines can only have one crop of grapes per year, but these tropical regions can produce two or even three grape crops per year. The vintage then becomes a bit difficult to record.
So, why does vintage matter?
The year of the vintage provides clues about both the quality and drinkability of a bottle of wine. Each year's wine is different due to the weather during the growing seasons of the grapes. When we visit Cavender Creek, my wife is very picky about the white wine she drinks. There are two vintages of Petit Manseng wine available, 2012 and 2014. She immediately gravitates to just one of them – she has a distinct preference (though you might disagree with her choice, as your palate is different to hers).
Many of the mass-produced brands of wine do not declare any vintage on the bottle. The reason for this is that the manufacturers want to produce a totally consistent win, unaffected by the natural variations between years. So they blend wine from several vintages and vineyards to ensure the wine always tastes the same.
How long the wine has been kept in the bottle will affect how good the wine tastes. Like so many wines, Beaujolais nouveau is not suitable for keeping – it needs to be drunk within a few months of bottling. Most white wines should be drunk within about three years of release, and the majority of red wines are not suitable for long-term maturing either. So, if you have a ten year old bottle of Californian chardonnay hidden at the back of a kitchen cabinet – it is unlikely to be drinkable.
Robin Hall


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BRIDGET HILTON BARBER's favourite Limpopo road trips
America may be famed for its iconic Route 66, but Limpopo's lonesome lanes snake through ancient bushveld, a baobab forest and sexy mountain passes. In Limpopo it's pretty much up to you to determine the route, pace, mood and moment.
And whether you hit the trail in your auntie's old Mazda 323 or in the latest SUV with a built-in GPS, the joy of road-tripping means you can take scenic routes and stay over on a whim.
It's not the destination, remember, it's the journey.
Here are the best road trips in the province:
- The Misty Mountain Trail: The 40km long Magoebaskloof Pass along the R71 from the wacky hamlet of Haenertsburg to Tzaneen. This is one mother of a pass! The road descends from Highveld to Lowveld through dense forests in a series of corkscrew bends – at one stage it drops 600 metres!
- The Get your Kicks Trail: Welcome to the R36! This awesome beauty takes you up the legendary Abel Erasmus Pass and through the Strijdom tunnel. Yeehaa! Ascend over 800m towards the tunnels and emerge from the cool reptilian darkness into views 1000m above the Olifants River valley. Dramatic? Hell yeah!
- The Waterberg Wander: The R33 from Bela-Bela to Vaalwater is a haunting and evocative drive through the heart of the Waterberg. Former stomping ground of vast herds of springbok; and Eugene Marais, author of Soul of the Ape. Excellent at sunset.
- The Venda Bender: From the N1 before Louis Trichardt, turn right onto the R578 to Elim. This route takes you through the heart of ancient Venda. Stop and visit sacred Lake Fundudzi, place of birth and creation, and the holy forest of Thatho Vonde, home to Venda's ancestral spirits and royal burial sites. Rolling green hills, good voodoo.
- The Biltong Run: Stock up at the best little butcher shop in Alldays – and barrel out towards Pontdrift. If you're after sweet bushveld solitude, this is your road. Pontdrift is the border between South Africa and Botswana. Depending on the river level, you cross the mighty Limpopo in your car. Very African.
- The Bandelierskop Boogie: Few people know about this little scenic gem. Take the R36 (yes, the R36) and travel from Modjadjiskloof to Bandelier kop, via Mooketsi and Morebeng (used to be Soekmekaar) Takes you through mountains and farmlands, and ends up meeting the N1 near the Tropic of Capricorn, which is commemorated by a giant spray-painted stone.
- The Valley of the Olifants Route: Take the R40 from Phal-Phala (Phalaborwa) to Mica, through the scenic heart of the region they call the Valley of the Olifants. Great beauty, wild atmosphere. You pass through the famous Selati, Klaserie and Balule wilderness areas. Check out the surreal granite outcrops and road signs saying Beware Elephant Crossing.
Don't leave home without:
- Water and a map. Remember men don't like asking for directions and women don't like getting lost. And don't forget that long and winding road to the Far North used to go Warmbaths, Nylstroom, Naboomspruit, Potgietersrus and Pietersburg, to Tzaneen. Today the same road heads through the Bela-Bela, Modimolle, Mookgopong, Mokopane and Polokwane.
- Padkos. An essential part of any Great South African Road Trip. Biltong, sandwiches, fruit, chips – pack it all into a picnic basket with cups & glasses. And a decent cooler box, with those blue thingies that keep cool drinks cool. And tequila, for later.
- Your granny never travelled without one. And these days you can get amazing designer thermos flasks that keep coffee hot all the way from Modimolle to Mookgopong and way beyond.
- Sunglasses. A sexy pair of sunglasses is a must.
Check out www.roadsideamerica.com. The site is an American state-by-state guide to weird, wonderful and kitsch roadside installations. Most inspiring!

subset: commoncrawl


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Why do therapists, physicians, even your best friends tell you to "slow down and take a deep breath" when you're anxious and upset?
They know what your body knows: intentional deep, calming breath settles the emotion, clears the mind, and soothes the body.
The breath is our built-in tool for calm and self-correction. You become present, feel safe, and behave in a less reactionary manner.
In my last post, "The Value of Turning Inward When Managing Anxiety and Emotional Trauma," I've discussed how turning inward can assist in healing emotional trauma causing anxiety.
In this post, we'll explore how a calming breath also aids the treatment of anxiety due to a traumatic experience and how it is connected to turning inwards.
Why Deep Breaths Matter
As we discussed in my previous blog, the ability to tune out the external world and connect with our inner wants, needs, and desires is vital. Being able to access a place inside yourself that is aware, encouraging, and at peace makes recovery from anxiety caused by emotional trauma much more possible.
Deep breathing is a gateway to that inner place.
Using a calming breath to heal and facilitate awareness taps into both the calming, steadying aspects of Eastern practices like yoga and Tai Chi, as well as the most positive and supportive characteristics of Western psychotherapy for effective relief.
Deep breathing is a way to support emotional stabilization with your therapist. In addition, it provides a coping skill that you can employ quickly on your own to improve the quality of everyday functioning immediately and successfully.
How to Breathe Effectively
Various therapies use similar breathwork techniques. The primary idea is to breathe deeply into the body, paying attention to each breath and noticing the depth and rate of inhalation and exhalation.
The practice is controlled and straightforward. Just what you need when traumatic memories, unproductive or harmful thoughts, and anxiety drain your energy, upset the nervous system, and threaten to keep your breaths panicked or shallow.
With the affirmation and guidance of your therapist, you can slow down anxious thoughts, negative rumination, or toxic beliefs with deep breathing. You can examine them and challenge them with a clearer mind and release them from your body and conscious awareness.
This is an important means to help an individuals develop emotional resilience and promote well-being. A powerful realization that demonstrate to you that you are strong, secure, grounded, and in charge of your own body and mind.
As you breathe and calm sets in, you can also take charge of your present thoughts and responses, replacing negativity with more self-compassion and comforting thoughts. You'll also find that you become increasingly able to accept a more positive, realistic view of yourself and your life as it is, instead of remaining tied to the chaotic, anxious thoughts connected to past traumatic experiences or dreadful worries about the future.
Mindful Attention to the Breath Helps Make Healing Possible
In recent years, research revealed that we tend to focus less internally and more externally. Unless, of course, there is a serious problem. In other words, it's only when we experience extreme discomfort that we pay the most attention internally.
Therefore, we often don't recognize emotions as they arise. Instead, we feel surprised or overwhelmed by deep pain, explosive rage, or intense sadness.
Lamentably, shallow breathing has become a part of our modern lifestyle, with proven negative consequences to our health.
Conversely, in and out of therapy, using deep breathing helps promote internal attention and allows us relief from the things outside ourselves that keep us feeling stuck. In fact, calming breath practices can alleviate the need to find comfort in poor coping choices like alcohol, excessive eating, or drug use.
As Bessel van der Kolk noted: "Learning how to breathe calmly and remaining in a state of relative physiological relaxation, even while accessing painful and horrifying memories, is an essential tool to recovery."
And Dr. Richard Brown observed that "when you take slow, steady breaths, your brain gets the message that all is well and activates the parasympathetic response."
Clearly, deep breathing as a means to support therapeutic treatment is invaluable.
It can help release you from persistent external judgments and your own negative self-perception based on past traumatic events. And you can learn to relax at any moment, directly tapping into increased bodily awareness and self-acceptance as you learn to manage anxiety.
Essentially, on your way to recovery from anxiety caused by trauma, the calming breath can be an important part of developing a new, empowered sense of yourself, providing healthier coping skills for a brighter future.
For more information about my approach to anxiety therapy, please click on the link.


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What happens when you take a bunch of people, selected solely on their lack of adherence to heteronormativity, to fight for a loosely defined goal like "equality"?
We wind up with disagreements over what is important. Health reforms, Equal Rights, Justice and Police, Social Acceptance, Socialising, and Visibility to name a few. Then we disagree over the particulars of what is most important: Even the people most concerned about health are divided on mental or physical, Disease prevention vs access to surgeries vs … You can drill down, and the community is split a million ways till sunday. This is normal. People are passionate about different things. If you took any group of heterosexual people and told them to work towards some equally ill-defined goal, say… "the perfect society" you'd get similar problems.
We have this thing called the GLBTI Community, right? The only thing that binds it together is that its members do not fit a heteronormative mould, or support and affirm those who do not fit one. We have the G and the L quarrelling over who should be first in the Alphabet Soup based on "Lesbian Invisibility". We have ,the B, who G and L sometimes say "should make up their mind (and be G/L already)" We have the T and I folks who are struggling with serious health issues trying to be heard, and getting frustrated with the G/L/B groups who may not even understand that they are struggling differently. Did you know there are even some horrifying G/L/B groups (such as http://www.erinyes.com.au) who are trans- and/or intersex-phobic? This was saddening news for me to hear.
So we argue, and we bicker, and sometimes we all-out fight amongst ourselves over priorities for "The LGBTI Community".
Is it any wonder? Should we be surprised that issues for people with non-straight sexual orientations are different to the issues that plague those who don't fit the binary gender paradigm? Should we be surprised that people are passionate about the issues that affect them directly, yet not so much about the ones that affect the rest of the community? Of course not! The GLBTI community is often seen as a bloc, particularly for funding and politics, and this is simply not the case! We are a diverse group of people from all walks of life, drawn together by a single characteristic. Frankly, I think the GLBTI community does an amazing job of showing solidarity on its various causes. That's certainly been my overall experience in Tasmania, though I've not had so much to do with the QLD community yet. (And yes, I know I posted that Same-sex marriage in Tas is not Marriage Equality. I reject the notion that this is a result of ignoring T/I people, believing instead that the omission is to bolster the law against constitutional challenge.)
I think most of us try, as individual members of that community, to fight the good fight. To support our queer neighbour. Sometimes though, as a member of the BILTG Community, I see the infighting and the "We are more oppressed than you" statements (which may be completely true, by the way) and I wind up feeling less supportive than before I read or heard them. I, and I suspect many others, respond better to concrete requests for assistance: "Please help us in our quest to improve access to hormone therapies by donating $10|signing this petition|contacting your MP. You can get more information here." I don't often have the time to read all the news articles I'd like relating to my passions, let alone the things that I'm not actively investigating. But if you wave it in my face, chances are I'll go look.
The crux of my post is this: Saying "You don't support us, even though we support you!" doesn't help me to support you, and makes me feel defensive. Saying "here's a starting point, I suggest you read this site" is better – I can get acquainted with your issues as time goes by. Best – at least for me – would be someone saying "To me, the biggest issue we're facing right now is X and you can help by doing Y. Please check out Z for more info." It gives me problem, action, and information, meaning that I and others can help you in your struggles/concerns even if I don't necessarily understand them. In short, help me to help you.


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I'm Back!!!
Here's the story folks. For the past five year, my blog has been hosted by an Internet Service Provider as a freebie because my company did a lot of business with them.
Apparently, "ADadsJourney" was no longer a priority for them, so they just took it down along with all my archives.
Being somewhat tech challenged, it has taken me a little while to get back up to speed. Truth be told, I still am getting used to this new site, but at least we're using 21st Century blog software, so hopefully, I'm able to add more features as I move along.
So once again, I will be blogging about my twin sons, Michael & Sean, who are getting ready to turn 10. As well as all the latest theories, articles of interest impacting the fathers of autistic kids.
I hope to make this blog less one sided than before and allow for more interaction. Certainly feel free to comment on anything you see here, whether you agree with me or not.


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Rising obesity levels and an ageing population are contributing to an increased risk of a "cancer time bomb", a leading scientist has warned.
Dr Greg Martin, science and research manager for the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), said that people must take steps now to prevent an increase in cancer cases.
Speaking at the start of Cancer Prevention Week, Dr Martin said that "a lot of people still do not realise how closely obesity is linked to cancer".
"People getting fatter will lead to an increase in the number of cancer cases as surely as night follows day. You also have to add into the mix the fact that cancer is largely an older person's disease, and the UK has an ageing population," he said.
Steps that can be taken to reduce people's cancer risk include cutting down on portion sizes and taking regular exercise.
Government statistics said last year that 12 million adults and one million children would be obese by 2020 unless people changed their lifestyles.
© Adfero Ltd


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While students are forced to take part-time jobs to help pay their way through university, some of the top staff at Plymouth University are enjoying the high-life at the expense of the taxpayer – including first class rail travel, designer chairs and a trip to Miami.
Over the past three years, Plymouth University's vice chancellor has spent almost £15,000 on first class train travel. That's been calculated to work out at an average of one first class journey every eight days. These include a trip on the Eurostar to Paris at £311.50 and numerous return journeys between London and Plymouth, each costing £242.00.
"While we understand that from time to time there will be a need to travel by train," says a regional University and College Union spokesperson, "first-class journeys every eight days for three years does seem excessive, particularly at a time when the university was making staff redundant because of the need to make savings."
But this is not the only cost to the taxpayer of vice chancellor Wendy Purcell, who is currently suspended from her top post, on full pay of £288,000, while being investigated over her recent conduct. A boardroom row involving a previous chairman and the vice chancellor has seen legal costs skyrocket to over £150,000 for seven months' work. At one point, the university was footing the bill for £27,000 of legal advice for Purcell.
Then, if that wasn't bad enough, news emerged that the scandal-hit Plymouth University has spent £150,000 on seven chairs, designed by top craftsman John Makepeace, for its graduation ceremonies, while a further £24,000 has been spent on sending six members of staff to Miami for a conference. All this against a background of threatened job cuts at the university.
"Ultimately, this is not about 'chairs' but a collection of contemporary design pieces by one of the world's leading furniture designers," says Plymouth's deputy vice chancellor. "Even before launching the project publicly, the works have attracted the attention of one major museum which is interested in adding to its contemporary design collection."
"No student has ever chosen a university because of its chairs," says the baffled local Union rep. Students and low-paid college workers will need a sit down.
Tim Newark is the South-West Coordinator of the TaxPayers' Alliance


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Once a concern we used to all tip-toe around, odour control has evolved into the powerhouse of personal care that is helping push the clean beauty bandwagon. But in between the rumours about the potential harm of aluminum are the conflicting reviews of natural deodorants made by ingredient savvy consumers, which has this editor asking: Do natural deodorants actually work and do I need to start using them?
Known for being completely transparent with how their deodorants work, I reached out to clean beauty authority Kaia Naturals to get some answers.
"Here's the issue: the reason why people don't think that they work is because they've been using antiperspirants for years. When you suddenly stop using antiperspirants and move to a natural deodorant your body does go through some changes," says Kaia Naturals founder Mary Futher. "You have to give your body time to adjust. It's not the deodorant."
To better understand it all, Futher walked me through everything I needed to know about natural deodorants before making the switch.
What's the difference between antiperspirants and deodorants?
"When I give little talks, most people in the room don't understand the difference between antiperspirant and deodorants — they're two very different products," she explained. "Antiperspirants stop you from sweating, while deodorants allow you to sweat but to stop you from smelling."
Oh, I always thought they were the same thing. How do they work?
"Your sweat is actually odourless. But when sweat sits on your underarms, an enclosed area, the moisture forms bacteria which causes the odour. Deodorants aren't designed to stop you from sweating, they're designed to help you control the odour. Antiperspirant contains the ingredient of concern, aluminum chloride. How it works is aluminum forms a gel-like substance and plugs your sweat ducts to stop you from sweating. So, when you don't sweat, you're not wet and prevent bacteria from forming."
Honestly, antiperspirants sound like the real deal, aside from the aluminum. How does it impact the body?
"The reason why [people] think that it's dangerous is because it goes into your body (it's plugging your pores), it can travel through your bloodstream. Studies show to have seen it in other parts of your body like breast milk and breast tumours. I just don't think it's a very healthy process to plug your ducts," she says. "Now people are using clinical strength [antiperspirants] and it just means that it's higher doses of aluminum chloride, which is extra scary."
So what would happen if I do make the switch from antiperspirants to a natural deodorant?
"Admittedly, all deodorants are not created equally, but for the most part, people don't wait long enough to allow their body to transition from using antiperspirants to using deodorants. I always tell people that a good rule of thumb is 30 days," says Futher.
According to the founder, once you ditch your conventional deodorant for natural deodorant, your body will go through a detox period where it produces more than its usual amount of bacteria.
"You're probably going to get kind of smelly on week two when you start developing that bacteria. We've actually published that in that back of the carton of our deodorant to take people through that detox journey. I feel like it's really good education that people know that. It subsides, it's not going to last forever. You just gotta push through it."
How do they work?
"The most common ingredient in a natural deodorant is baking soda. Baking soda is really effective, [hence] why you use it in your fridge to conquer odour. But it's very alkaline, meaning it is quite abrasive on the skin. To cater to those with sensitive skin, we substituted baking soda for charcoal to eliminate odour. We also use probiotics to keep the odour away."
Like all cosmetics, picking what's best all depends on personal preference. If you're simply aiming to mask odour then a natural deodorant is an effective and clean choice. But if you're looking to beat the sweat, especially during these summer months, it's perfectly fine to continue to rely on antiperspirants.
While the cancer-related whispers around aluminum continue to spread, one dermatologist insists antiperspirants are not as harmful as everyone claims it to be.
"No, [aluminum] does not cause cancer, particularly when used as an antiperspirant," says Renée A. Beach of Bay Dermatology Centre and Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto. The amount absorbed in intact skin is around 0.01%, not enough to cause internal or organ damage."
However, after speaking with Futher, I think natural deodorants are totally up my alley. Because I get super sweaty during the summer, I don't think I'm going to make the switch from antiperspirants to deodorants just yet (for the sake of my comfort and everyone else's). But until the weather cools down, here are the aluminum-free deodorants that are on my radar.
Kaia Naturals The Takesumi Detox
Shop it: $22, Well.ca
Consonant Dealkalizing Deodorant Deodorant
Shop it: $14, Sephora
No Pong All Natural Anti-Odourant
Shop it: $9, Well.ca
Secret Aluminum Free Deodorant
Shop it: $6, Walmart
Sukin Natural Deodorant
Shop it: $6, Shoppers Drug Mart
The editors at Yahoo Lifestyle Canada are committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. At times, we may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page.
Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.


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Reggae From Around The World. Catch the Vibes!
Island & Cali Reggae all aboard the Famous Queen Mary
Join us as we rock the boat reggae style with an all star studded event with Hawaii's very own ANUHEA & REBEL SOULJAHZ along with San Diego's TRIBAL THEORY and featuring Los Angeles' THROUGH THE ROOTS and ARISE ROOTS along with South bays SONO VERO, PAPAFISH, BENNI ROOTZ, BAD APPLES, ITAL VIBES and BO NAPOLEON
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Samsung QE55Q9FN Review
In this article we take a look at Samsung QE55Q9FN TV specfications and features. We will help you decide whether you should shortlist Samsung QE55Q9FN as your next TV or not. To that end we review its Ergonomics, Connectivity, Efficiency and Picture Quality.
There are a couple of other related TVs that you may want to check including LG OLED65B7V, Sony Bravia KD-55A1, Sony Bravia KD-55AF8, Panasonic Viera TX-P46S10B, LG OLED55E7N and LG OLED55C8PLA.
In the following we explore Samsung QE55Q9FN's Ergonomics.
In this section we discuss Samsung QE55Q9FN's Connectivity.
In the following we analyze the Efficiency of Samsung QE55Q9FN.
In the following we take a look at the Picture Quality of Samsung QE55Q9FN.
To sum it all, with normal Ergonomics, top end Connectivity, unpleasant Efficiency and really fabulous Picture Quality, Samsung QE55Q9FN has pleasant bottom line quality.


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item(s) added to your bag!Checkout
Clarifying Lotion 2
Rated 5 out of 5 by HFit from I will not stray again! I have tried many different products, and always find myself coming back to this line. I am not left oily or greasy as I am with other products!
Date published: 2016-08-23
Rated 5 out of 5 by Sasha from Good for a clear blemish free cleanse I have been using Clinique - Clarifying Lotion 2 for the past 10-15 years and I simply love it.
Date published: 2016-07-26
Rated 5 out of 5 by edward2007 from Changed My Skin! This clarifying lotion cleared up my skin better than any acne treatment or cleanser I've had before. I use it every night (and in the morning when I feel oily). Not too drying and has never irritated my skin.
Date published: 2016-08-17
Rated 5 out of 5 by Torborgie from OMG I've been using this product for over 30 years This is THE product that will never be replaced in my skin care regime. I've tried dozens of other toners, but nothing keeps my skin clearer and cleaner than #2. People are always asking me about my skin care regime and I always credit Clinique for my complexion. If they sold this in litre jugs I would buy a case and never run out.
Date published: 2016-09-07
Rated 5 out of 5 by Animelove24 from First Toner Ever This is the first tone I have ever bought and I'll definitely think about buying it again. It lessons my acne significantly and I find it helps a bit with my dry skin. I would recommend using it everyday as that seemed to work the best for me and also when I stopped using it for an extended period my acne came back swinging.
Date published: 2017-08-19
Rated 4 out of 5 by BabyBluePrincess from Good Clarifying Lotion! This product leaves your skin feeling smooth and velvety matte. I find that Clinique's Clarifying Lotion 3 and Clarifying Lotion Acne Solutions are better for my oily skin type.
Date published: 2017-03-10
Rated 5 out of 5 by Charlie from excellent results I purchased this product and trust that it is worth my hard earned pennies. It lasts a long time and small enough to keep in my purse. I am 55 and find that there are very few products that will give me results I need. I will keep on purchasing this product.
Date published: 2016-05-29
Rated 5 out of 5 by Lindsay love from LOVE LOVE LOVE IT ❤❤❤ I've been using this product for years and I absolutely love it. I have tried many other products like this but the Clinique one is the only one that doesn't leave my face feeling oily or like it has product on it. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this product
Date published: 2017-09-26


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Inspired by nature and the elements, Belgian designer Kaspar Hamacher uses fire to create furniture. 'Ausgebrannt', which means "burned out" in German, is a series of stools made of tree trunks that have been cut into segments of varying length.
The bark is stripped from the exterior of the trunks and fire is then used to hollow out parts of the bole to create legs. Originally based in urban Brussels, Kaspar moved back to his roots, to the forest, where he now runs his atelier.
An installation of Hamacher's Ausgebrannt collection, as well as a series of pieces which have been conceived and produced for his first solo exhibition in Paris, "Monoxyl(e)s", is on display at Design Pool until September 13, 2014.


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But there's lots that can be done to make it better – here are some tips
There is ample evidence that barcode technology for medication has had a significant impact on patient safety. But while most U.S. hospitals have adopted barcode medication administration, experts say there's big room for improvement.
According to a recent study conducted at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the use of the bar-code electronic medication administration significantly reduced the rate of errors in order transcription and in medication administration as well as potential adverse drug events.
The study, "Effect of Bar-Code Technology on the Safety of Medication Administration," concluded that while barcoding did not eliminate errors altogether, it remains "an important intervention to improve medication safety."
Mark Neuenschwander, president of the Neuenschwander Company and cofounder of the unSUMMIT for Bedside Barcoding, said that currently more than two-thirds of U.S. hospitals are scanning most patients and medications before administering them.
"And doing a fairly good job," said Neuenschwander. But he contends that there's room for improvement.
"Using technologies with best practices, getting the final third to adopt and getting all to expand their medication coverage," is essential, he said, adding that one noticeable gap is that most BCMA hospitals are not scanning medications in OR or ER.
Since 2012, barcoding has been required for hospitals under Stage 2 meaningful use's core measures.
Teamwork and leadership
The successful implementation of BCMA requires baseline knowledge of barcoding as well as teamwork and leadership, says Jeff Chalmers, assistant director, pharmacy informatics at the Cleveland Clinic.
Chalmers suggested that a good start would be for the barcode team to read the practice resources and guidelines provided by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists with regard to medication barcoding.
"Once you've armed yourself with that information, the creation of a strong multidisciplinary steering committee including pharmacy, nursing and physician leadership to sponsor the program and make key decisions with input from front line staff is an important first step."
From a pharmacy-centric perspective, Chalmers says one of the most important activities to embark on early in the project is to take an inventory of all products in the pharmacy to determine which products are barcoded and which are not.
"Subsequently, the development of operational procedures to get barcodes on all projects is also challenging and important," he said.
Chalmers asserted that the development of a system to screen all incoming products' barcodes to determine if the system can read National Drug Codes before they are dispensed to patients, would allow hospitals to have a sustainable system with as few erroneous alerts directed towards nurses as possible.
Chalmers, a member of the Pharmacy Informatics and Technology section and the Section Advisory Group for Clinical Decision Support and Clinical Information Systems at ASHP, added that it's important that the front line nursing staff also understands how the system works and what the expectations are for using it – as well as an efficient way to report problems they see with the system are all key for making the system work for the staff who relies on it the most, nurses.
Despite the fact that there is currently no solid data on adverse drug events, Chalmers said that it is possible to review, through reporting techniques, "near miss" events, where nurses were warned of a mismatch between the medication and the patient's orders and were able to avoid making a medication error.
"We have the capability to review these near misses and pass along this information to other nurses with regard to mistakes that may be easier to make due to look alike-sound alike medications, or medications with similar packaging," said Chalmers.
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Monitoring and Evaluation
- Our Work
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Transparency. Accountability. Good governance. Are the natural resource sectors there yet? Through the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Publish What You Pay, National Resource Governance Institute, and the International Council on Mining and Metals, among others, our understanding of these interrelated goals has evolved. We have learned that transparency alone – simply making information available to the public – […]
We seem to be inundated by new, emerging technologies, both physical and digital, plus all the breakthroughs in biotechnology.


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Thursday, December 27, 2018
By Lana Nelson, DO, FACOS, Director Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Dr. Nelson is a bariatric surgeon at Norman Regional's Journey Clinic who follows a plant-based diet and loves running and hiking.
The new year is always a great time for a fresh start. Here are a few tips for a healthy 2019:
Set achievable and sustainable goals! If you decide you are going to the gym 5 days a week starting January, then this may be achievable for a few weeks but unlikely to be sustainable.
This is especially true if you have not been doing any regular exercise. Think about how the activity will fit into your schedule, even when life is a little more hectic, and stick with it. You can always make adjustments, doing a little more or less as needed to sustain activity goals without abandoning the plan altogether. Also, if you choose things you enjoy doing, you are more likely to stick to it.
Eat more veggies! It may seem like a simple notion, but we could all benefit from more vegetables in our diet.
Find ways to make it easy. I like to have at least a fist full of veggies at each meal. For example, at breakfast, I will add a large handful of spinach or kale into my smoothie. At lunch, I pick raw veggies that are portable, so they can be eaten on the run. Some of my favorites include baby carrots, snap peas, or broccoli florets. This also avoids any special prep. For dinner, I like steamed or broiled veggies, and will frequently batch cook them on the weekend so they are ready to go. I like bagged veggies for simplicity. A large bag of Brussels sprouts can be steamed in the bag in the microwave and is ready to go. A bag of pre-cut broccoli or kale can be tossed with a tiny bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic, and placed high under the broiler on a pre-heated, foil lined cookie sheet at 500 degrees for 15-20 minutes, turning the veggies half way through for a delicious charred finish. Add some precut mushrooms or onions for some extra flavor and nutrients. Another option is to heat some water in your steamer while you are warming your other foods, and throw some veggies in the steamer for 5-10 minutes then season with some lemon pepper or garlic salt for serving. If you pick out veggies you like, you are more likely to eat them regularly. It is perfectly acceptable to have green beans for dinner every night if that is your favorite veggie.
Plan ahead! Think about what your week looks like in terms of daily commitments. Make a mental note of what days you will get your exercise in, where you will be eating your meals, and any quick prep work you may need to do for the week. If you know you will be dining out, you can always review the menu online prior to visiting the restaurant to pre-pick your items based on nutritional value, and not your current mood. Stick to it by avoiding opening the menu at the restaurant. If you normally hit the gym on certain days, but know this week's schedule will not accommodate that plan, shift to another day so you don't miss out altogether. If you do miss your goals, plan to restart quickly rather than going days or weeks without considering your plan.


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Showing clearly that there is nothing scientific about this alarmism either. It is fanatical, it is religious, it is dogmatic, and it is the new radical fundamentalism.
Sadly, yes, it will be decades before the alarmists begin to fade. Practical people will begin to forget about climate alarmism, and eventually no one will listen to the alarmists at all, but it will take decades, and the alarmists will continue even after, even after the money dries up.
Guest essay by Eric Worrall
The new British Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd's plan to win over prominent climate skeptics like Lord Lawson, by setting up a meeting between skeptics and the Royal Society, has dramatically backfired, after the Royal Society admitted that the pause would have to continue for another 50 years, before they admit they are wrong.
According to Breitbart;
"We pinned them down on this hiatus… they were arguing that yes, there might have been a hiatus, but warming might be going into the ocean, or it could be due to volcanic activity. So we asked at what point would you begin to accept there had been no warming. If there is no warming for five years, or ten years?
"Finally they conceded they would wait fifty years.
"We asked would that be fifty years from now, or fifty years from 1997, when the…
View original post 80 more words


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(A Random Post)
Man, it's been tough to get a post up in the last couple of days…it's just been one of those stretches where you just gotta grind it out. I just haven't been able to find a good enough link or an interesting personal note that could support an entire post on its own…so instead I have to charge my meter and just wait it out and accumulate little bits as they come and slap them together at the end of the week. So what's to come shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
Do not be alarmed if you feel yourself being factually provoked by the content to follow…for they are Choking Yak's Provoking Facts!
(…so gay.)
– Gilbert Arenas apparently cheats at Halo 3. After the first page, it's basically just a whole forum full of Halo nerds complaining about how terrible of a role model he is for kids because he cheats in a video game (oh no, a dude who's signed for $11.95 million this year might have his X-Box banned), so feel free to skip all of that. I don't know about you, but this actually makes me love Gilbert Arenas even more. And I'd imagine this is nothing but good news for you if you're a Wizards fan – imagine having a guy so competitive that he'll even cheat at a video game. You want a guy like that on the court. It's like that story about Michael Jordan – who was legendary because his competitiveness was straight up psychotic (among other things…like…being really good at basketball) – bribing an airport worker to make sure his bags came out first so he could win like a $100 bet with his teammates. This is a dude who's made like $93.78 million dollars in NBA salaries alone (he's probably earned like a hundred times that in endorsement deals) cheating to win a hundred bucks…he's so bent on winning that he can't turn it off. So I can't imagine how this doesn't make Gilbert even more awesome. Remember, we live in a world where Batman is like the most awesome superhero ever, because he has no powers and has to constantly CHEAT LIKE A MOTHERFUCKER to take out his superpowered rogues gallery and to keep up with his superfast, superstrong, superdurable Justice League teammates. It's cliche, but it's still true – if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying.
I just hope he figures out (or has already figured out) a way to cheat at basketball as well.
– When microwaving my lunch of Thanksgiving leftovers yesterday (it will not run out!), I accidentally beeped out the first six big brass notes of Soul Bossa Nova on the keypad…and I've had the Austin Powers intro stuck in my head ever since. This was really just an excuse to link to the video so that I could get it all out of my system. I've been walking around the halls doing those stupid hand motions at the beginning all day…it's horrible.
– Furthermore, I saw someone's lunch in the communal fridge wrapped up in the distinctive plastic bag from Silver Snail, identifiable only to others that have been there. So. There is another one. I will find you and destroy you.
– Also, Jack Bauer goes to jail – 48 days for DUI? THAT AIN'T SHIT. Nigga kicked a heroin habit, came back from the dead TWICE, shotgunned a dog, and has killed like three thousand terrorists over the course of 144 hours. He was trapped and tortured in a Chinese prison for TWENTY MONTHS – you think that dinky Los Angeles playpen you call a jail will hold him? I pity your city – you are all already dead, you just don't know it yet. Though maybe now FOX can have that 24/Prison Break crossover we've all been waiting for.
Probable next related news headline: "Jack Bauer At Large: LA County Jail Found Full Of Dead People"
– I got this silly email at work, regarding a visual test that will apparently determine which hemisphere of the brain is your primary think tank. Apparently if the dancer rotates clockwise, you're a right brain thinker, and vice versa for counter-clockwise and for the left. Even though I don't really understand nor fully believe the science behind how sight or visual interpretation can determine which side of the brain you use…the actual optical illusion thing is still really neat. It is messing up BOTH sides of my brain. I don't know about you, but at first, I could only see her spinning clockwise, and I was completely convinced that there is just absolutely no way that you could interpret her spinning counter-clockwise, just because of the slope of her leg and all that.
But then I managed to get it to flip (I think the "weakest" frame and where the illusion is at its thinnest is the frame where the bottom foot spins "behind" the heel so that you can't see it for a split-second…so the trick is to wait until then and then mentally reverse the spin from that point – imagine grabbing and constantly trying to break her bottom foot by forcing it to spin the other way, since violence solves every mental exercise) so that I could see her going counter-clockwise as well…and the weird thing is, now I can't see how anyone could interpret her spinning in a clockwise direction, even though I just did like ten seconds ago. And I can't make her switch back. It's insane, I can only get it to click from clockwise to counter-clockwise. Every time I want to see her going clockwise again, I have to close the page, reset my brain, and look at it fresh again…and it's always initially clockwise for me.
I have no idea what this means in terms of the brain hemisphere concept – like what does it mean when people can switch how they see the image? That they can switch between left and right hemispheres at will? Oh God, I think I'm going to vomit.
– Rowlf & The Swedish Chef from this past weekend's SNL with Seth Rogan. Of particular note is how uncannily accurate Andy Samberg's joint movements matches those of an actual Muppet. Frightening in its realism.
– While I was coming back from lunch today (do not order the turkey sandwich from Senator Diner on Victoria and Dundas…it sucks) I saw this big important looking guy in like a three thousand dollar power suit, expensive silk tie, and leatherbound notebook that I imagine was likely full of high yield investment portfolios, or maybe like a list of high ranking political figures to publically discredit or assassinate. He was just lighting up and chilling out in front of the doors to the elevators, where all the smokers generally are, and I paid it no mind. But then as I walked past him and got in a good whiff, I noticed that he wasn't actually holding a cigarette – dude was blazing a joint just like that…out on the street at 1:30 in the afternoon! Either that guy is living it up like he don't even give a fuck, or he's like the absolute best dressed hobo I have ever seen. What series of fortunate events has transpired to let him lead a life like that, and most importantly, how can I follow in his footsteps? I mean…do I have to be white, or is that just preferred? I need a more powerful name. Like…uh…Clint Braddock. YEAH. It's gotta be the name. Let's go with that instead. I'd feel like a superhero with that name. …maybe because I might have just combined the names of two superheroes to form it, but whatever.
– The weather (among other things…) in San Francisco is still something I'd trade this crappy Toronto getup for in a heartbeat, but since Captain America's dead, and now that the Canadian dollar has reached and exceeded parity with the US dollar…only one of my top three reasons for moving to the states is still relevant. So I guess it might be relevant to announce that Cap's coming back in January, along with a new costume redesign…though if it isn't Steve Rogers, then it doesn't really matter then, does it? I haven't been keeping up with Cap's title on a monthly basis, but I assume Bucky (who is alive again, which is ironic because now Cap's dead) aka "The Winter Soldier" is going to be the new king of ass kicking in the Marvel universe. Alex Ross is generally pretty good with costume designs (ie. Earth X, Kingdom Come), and I think I like this one too – the idea of incorporating Cap's old school triangular shield as a chest piece instead was kinda neat. But I think it's going to look wack when it appears panel-to-panel in the interiors of issues with the all black thing going on for everything under his bellybutton. They didn't even give him red boots to balance it out…he's just going to be like this floating chest piece with disembodied hands every time someone draws him running through a dark alley. And this is more of a character concept than the visual costume…but weapons? Call me old fashioned, but I missed the days when Cap would just beat regular Nazi soldiers or Skrulls to death with his bare hands American Boxing Judo Style. And now we live in a world where we'll constantly have to ask ourselves if Cap's gon' hafta shoot a bitch. Breaks my damn heart.
– In case you were wondering, Cap 9/10 majority over Batman in a straight up, shieldless and utility beltless fist fight. And still Cap 6/10 majority over Batman even with shield and utility belt. And then Batman 11/10 over Cap if he has more than five minutes to prepare for the fight, because then he gets to cheat like a motherfucker. That's fact – not even open for discussion.
– I think this is just a horrible way to die, and it's one of those stories where you're just left wondering like…what else could they have done? I guess it's impossible to jump out of a plane if it's going into a nosedive, but it's like…you have the training, you have the parachutes, and you only need the plane to balance out for a second so you can jump out…but it never happens. Though I have this horrible image in my head where this guy jumps out and yanks the cord, only to find out that it was full of silverware. Ah, it happens to the best of us.
…yes, I'm going to Hell.
– So I never got my registration card in the mail, even though both my parents did, as well as my brother who spends most of the year living in Hamilton. But I went to vote yesterday anyway, because I've voted numerous times before, and I just assumed that there was a mail mix-up and everything would be cool anyway because I'm on the registered voter list for my riding. So turns out I'm not on the list. Which seems to technically imply that I'm either dead or not a registered resident of Ontario…which I wouldn't mind (for either one), but the fact that this comes after I've already paid up my income tax and put my money towards funding bullshit programs I don't care about (Education!?! Why the fuck would I want to support an education system that doesn't include mandatory viewings of Van Helsing in History, Social Science, or Physics curricula?)…that's just something that doesn't sit right with me. So after lining up for five minutes in one line only to discover I wasn't on the list so I had to line up for another five minutes in another line to spend ten minutes filling out a form that would put me on the list at which point I had to go back and line up in the original line which took me another fifteen minutes because it had tripled in size during the last fifteen minutes I had just spent filling out the form. And at the end of the day, it didn't even matter because the party I was rooting for lost by 5297 votes in my riding anyway. Fuck my life.
– At least we get a new holiday out of it. Monday, February 18th, 2008 – for Ontarians to spend more time with their families. Which is great, because I love spending time with my family! Hurray! Do we know what it's called yet? They should hold another election for Ontarians to vote on what to name it. I want it to be called "Van Damme Day"…but I guess in the end it doesn't really matter what I'd want anyway, BECAUSE I'M NOT ON THE FUCKING LIST. Bastards!
– Don't tell anyone, but I found out where they store the bags of hot chocolate syrup for the coffee machine. They're 1 litre bags in boxes of ten each, and they lock it in the overhead cupboard in one of the kitchens, but I know how to open it with a string (or a network cable) and this flat piece of metal I found on the floor of the server room today. I haven't really figured out how I can use this new found information to my advantage yet…but it's a nice card to have up my sleeve anyway, and everyone knows that knowing is half the battle.
– …I might just drink one of the bags if I ever feel sufficiently daring or if I'm ever working late, depressed, and have a death wish (aka "Mondays").
Yeah, I probably could have split this into like five separate posts without anyone knowing. Fuck you guys, I'm not posting again for like a month.
Waste my days (waste my days)
Drown aways (drown aways)
It's just the thought of you
In love with someone else
It breaks my heart to see you hanging from your shelf


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(iv) The cold water from the depth is pumped up and condensed water again changes into
- Though wood is renewable source of energy, but the use of wood as a fuel is not wise decision. Explain.
A. Wood is obtained by cutting trees. A newly plant sapling usually takes about 10-15 years to grow and mature into a tree. Cutting of trees on a large scale cases depletion of forests leading to disturbance of balance in nature. The balance between Oxygen & Carbon dioxide is also disturbed. Therefore the use of wood as a fuel is not wise decision
- Explain, why a sheet of glass is used in solar heating devices?
A. Glass has a property that allows the infra red rays of short wavelength from the sun to get in the device but does not allow infra red rays of long wavelength to leave the solar heating device. Therefore, heat is trapped inside the heating device. A kind of green house effect is produced, which helps to increase the temperature inside the heating device.
- Explain, why is a reflector used in a solar cooker?
A. The reflector is used to increase the area over which the solar energy is collected so that more and more heat rays of the sun enter the solar cooker. It increases the efficiency of solar cooker.
- What is the use of black painted surface in solar heating devises.
- Why are bio gas plants considered to be boon to the farmers? Give reason.
- Hydroelectricity generated at a dam may be considered another form of solar energy. Why?
- How is the slurry left over after the generation of biogas in biogas plant used?
- Why is charcoal considered to be a better fuel than wood?
- Why a solar cooker cannot be used for frying or making chapattis?
- In parabolic reflector type coolers, even temperature up to 1800C- 2000C can be attained. How?
- Modern chulahs are more efficient than traditional chulahs. Why?
- How is hydro energy converted into electrical energy?
- Explain, why only a part of the solar energy that strikes the upper regions of atmosphere reaches the surface of the earth?


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On Wed, 06 Aug 2003 13:30:53 GMT, "Frank" <com>
MySQL is a database server. It's free! But it has no GUI front end,
and simple people like me have difficulty configuring it. phpmyadmin
is a GUI tool that you can use to administer MySQL with. It's also
free. But I prefer a different GUI - called DBManager, from
www.dbtools.com.br. It's also free. php is just the scripting
language. You need a database to connect to, and MySQL is the most
In addition, I recommend you use the Windows version of Apache as your
web server, rather than IIS. This is also free and easy to install.
Install Apache first, after disabling IIS, then install PHP, then
MySQL. Your remote Linux server will be running the Linux brand of
Apache, so the applications you make will be just the same on your
machine as the remote.
Paul Taylor


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And More Poetry…
Remnant of a Stray Litter
Yellow tabby, last,
standing just outside my light,
you meow alone
(other-colored siblings gone,
grey, tuxedo, calico).
Your meow skittish,
fearing to entrust your life
in the dark of early morning
to a strange unknown.
I meow in sympathy,
in the edge of light
a yellow,
wet paw trembles.
© Damon Dean, 2020
Seize the Song
There's a man
I am told
who is wise,
who is old,
whose viola is played every day.
He plays tunes
in the air
that speaks bird,
light and fair,
in a voice that makes one want to pray.
There's a light
in his strings
that makes me
think new things
and go wondering my worries away.
There's a joy
I am told
in expression
so bold,
a passion for seizing each day.
There's a hope
I can play
in that bold
honest way
and by song and by string find the way.
© Damon Dean, 2019
(for Poetic Bloomings, Inform Poetry, 9/25/2019, revised 06/22/2020)
(a sijo for Spring)
The kite hangs high in the guilty tree, suspended by its tail
still wavering in the throes of death, back and forth in the spring breeze,
March showers gone, April flowers beginning their short lives below,
leaf buds, green, tender, preparing to unfold on limb tips,
the kite dancing unaware among them, swaying in oblivious joy,
even upside-down joy, ecstatic just to be moving still;
and the tree, broad, strong, majestic, rooted deep in warming earth,
feels no guilt at all, no sympathy for a flippant silly kite,
and wakes from its sleep with an unconcerned, unsurprised yawn and sigh.
© Damon Dean, 2019
for Poetic Bloomings, In-Form Friday, March 1, 2019
My Dog,
the Storm,
and I
I am shaking at the rumble!
Look, she's trembling at my roar.
"She can't understand, she's quaking,
cowered, trembling on the floor."
I will thrash with rain and fury–
Oh, there's terror in the skies!
–roll my clouds and flash my lighting!
"Now she's pleading with her eyes.
I can't bear her fear–I'll hold her."
Look, she jumps up in his lap…
Ah, the hands of my good master.
…now she rests, as if to nap!
"There now, Daisy, only thunder,
nothing, precious friend, to fear."
Though I rumble, flash and roar,
it's only his strong voice she'll hear!
How I love my master's lap,
the love and mercy of his arms,
with each storm I can but whimper,
and with him, I'm safe from harms.
© Damon Dean, 2019
for Poetic Bloomings, Motivation by Perspective, Sunday March 3, 2019
Light Dancing
Sol and Luna met one day
as the world turned round.
"hello, " Luna dared to say.
"HEY! " Sol's brave resound.
"bye, " was Luna's faint reply,
"SEE Ya! " ol' Sol said.
Then he rolled out of the sky,
resting for a stead.
Luna pondered as she rose,
might he want to dance?
But as all of heaven knows,
she had not a chance.
As she danced alone that night,
in her lonely mirth,
Sol watched with a longing light
'round the edge of earth.
Stars and moons may dance apart
in opposing skies
but the music of their hearts
shines in human eyes.
© Damon Dean, 2019
(a trochee quatrain for Poetic Blooming, 01.18.2019)
A Coat to Walk In
While colors fly outside the panes,
while branches grow more bare,
while words fly from their origins into notions piling up in heaves
against curbs in my mind,
I put on my brown poet coat,
thick with memory,
the pocket lint vague evidence of seasons past.
I open up a door to
take a walk
against the winds of change,
that will subside, in time,
so now I write a few heart-spoken poems,
scribbled on the virtual leaves
that pass and tumble between us
on this lovely autumn-littered lane.
© Damon Dean, 2018
Poetic Bloomings Autumnal P.A.D. Chapbook Challenge, Day 14, October 27, 2018
Night to Myself
They move down sidewalks,
neighborhood streets,
(gathering smiles along with sweets)
this flock of darlings a thousand-strong
a laughing, giggling, excited throng.
They chose to dress in
other personas,
(Batgirls, ghouls, Ironmen, Madonnas)
Imagining, on these annual nights
of being someone else–in tights.
Their goal is identity
not revealed,
(hidden, costumed, masked, concealed)
to be someone who you are not,
but inside, just the same small tot.
I will not fly in
their skies this night,
(my cape and tights put out of sight),
not flex my muscles, no powers flout–
I'll just be Clark, and give candy out.
© Damon Dean, 2018
Poetic Bloomings Autumnal P.A.D. Chapbook Challenge, Day 12, October 25, 2018
Fall Roster Call
Let's not forget brown,
for brown belongs.
As much as the yellows and oranges that laugh,
as much as the reds that shout,
or crimsons that hum,
or golds that sing,
brown belongs.
Let's not forget brown,
for brown belongs,
It stands in tree trunks, bark and twig,
rests in acorn caps, and the meat of nuts,
and more, perhaps,
in the forest floor,
the dirt from which
all colors came
Let's not forget brown,
for brown belongs,
more as an au pair for the hues
of children swirling all about,
not in the autumn-play herself,
she stands, then stays to take her rest,
never changing.
Just to sleep a while
beneath the winter snow
until new children come.
© Damon Dean, 2018
Mom's Hunting Stew
Oh, from the cupboard,
while we were in the woods,
seasons came and went
into Mom's dutch oven,
on potatoes, celery, onions, carrots,
and browned cubes of last year's deer.
Salt and pepper, garlic, bay,
some Tabasco,
gathered into a
V-8 tomato base.
The seasons came, and simmered,
in a bath of contentment,
comfort went wafting upward
toward the oven hood,
issued by a humming vent into kitchen air,
simmered 'til a red foam puree
floated gently over all.
Oh, from the cupboard of memories,
warmth of comfort
from the flavors of life,
the aromas of
well done
© Damon Dean, 2018
What Rules Over Memory's Remains
There was plenty
in our home,
as far as I remember
what rules over memory's remains.
Cream of Wheat a plenty,
in the year that Dad was hurt
out of work, in and out of hospitals,
surgeries, stiches, whispers,
but I was three, and Cream of Wheat
was plenty, milk and butter
on the porch.
There was plenty
in our bank,
as far as I might know,
what rules over memory's remains.
Smell of money a plenty,
in the year that Dad was well,
back to work, wafting in papermill air
sulfur, sauerkraut, tuna,
but I was five, and stinky air
was plenty, milk and butter
on the porch.
There was plenty
in our town,
as far as I could imagine,
what rules over memory's remains.
Corporate growth a plenty,
in the years that Dad moved up,
bossing, supervising, engineering,
steaks, status, company car,
but I was twelve, and Christmas gifts
were plenty, milk and butter
from the store.
There was plenty
in our lives,
as best I can remember,
what rules over memory's remains.
TV news a plenty,
in the years that Dad stood quiet,
watching Cronkite's broadcasts
and war, worry, his boys,
but I was sixteen, and hormones
were plenty, milk and butter
in the fridge.
There was plenty,
in our minds.
I know what I remember,
what rules over memory's remains.
© Damon Dean, 2018
(for Poetic Bloomings Autumn P.A.D. #5 Challenge, October 18, 2018)
But For Autumn
Aromas rise,
they tell the day its age.
A scent of fireplace dust
at waking, with a thought to stoke the coals.
A waft of flavored coffee steam
at stirring, with a prompt to seize the day.
A pungent dew-wet-fur
at dog-is-in, with whines for breakfast kibbles.
Each season
has an age, an age that lasts all day, I say.
And autumn owns
the morning (not bright spring as you might think).
It owns it by the rights
of smell, by odors that can never be denied their time.
Let other seasons
claim their time by sight, or sound, or touch.
But for autumn,
aromas rise,
they tell the day its age.
© Damon Dean, 2018
(For Poetic Bloomings, Autumn P.A.D. #2 Challenge, October 15, 2018)
Mind of a Dog
The eyes,
the begging eyes,
always, always watching mine,
waiting for a key to turn
to unlock her wanting.
The pleas,
the gentle whines,
sounding on my human ears,
though I can't hear what she can hear,
a squirrel's scurry up an outside tree.
The sad-eyed dread,
the nagging fear
I might decline,
I might demand
she lay back down
ignoring what she knows is true.
The wag,
the honest pleading wag
to let her joy be mine,
begging my confession that
I truly count
her happiness my own.
The yes,
the glad relenting yes,
appears in the air between us
like a poem's unexpected line.
I grab the leash,
go to the door.
I don't know, ever,
who really turns the key.
© Damon Dean, 2018 – In reply to Poetic Blooming's prompt "Pandora's Box"
This Way
Simply is, as simply does;
my faith must live this way.
To lay down burdens, with a dare to leave them there…
peace enough, full of trust, by unrepeated prayer…
yet confidence that bears the right to ask again, again, again. ..
when answers come, a smile, a tear, a laugh, unheeded from the heart.
My faith must live this way:
simply is, as simply does.
(c) Damon Dean, 2018
For Poetic Bloomings, in reply to Anna Akhmatova's poem "I Taught Myself to Live Simply, " selected for a Reading Room post in September, 2018.
He marks the square,
on the calendar,
and writes the time and place,
hangs it on the fridge by magnet,
right before his face,
where every day he passes by,
a thousand times and more,
then wakes one day,
and dresses, readies,
walks out, locks the door,
drives miles, and smiles and
says, "I'm here,", so proud
that he's on time.
He's told, "No, not today,
next week. "
With pleasantry sublime,
he offers an apology,
tho really none is needed,
except perhaps a 'Sorry… '
to his calendar unheeded.
© Damon Dean, 2018,
for Poetic Bloomings, where you can find poets of all sorts whispering among the blooms.
In a SevenAcreSky
Pines and oaks
surround the pasture,
fingering a line that meets the sky,
a line that cloaks horizons,
a jagged line of limits for
the wondering mind and eyes.
My mind and eyes imagine
what my heart can only know,
since eyes and minds prefer the facts,
but hearts can freely go
where words can take them–
and then with them
thru the open sky
beyond a fence,
past now to hence.
My wandering mind,
my wondering eye,
follow my heart
into a wide blue
seven acre sky.
(c) 2018, Damon Dean, for Poetic Bloomings, where you can find poets of all sorts whispering among the blooms.


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27 June 2019 | News
Launch of Evolution® NitrX™ Medial-Pivot Knee System
MicroPort Orthopedics, a medical device company associated with China headquartered MicroPort Scientific Corporation, that develops and manufactures cutting edge joint replacement implants designed to help patients achieve full function faster, has announced the launch of the Evolution® NitrX™ Medial-Pivot Knee System.
The MicroPort Orthopedics medial-pivot knee system now stands on over 20 years of clinically demonstrated success with its novel medial-pivot design built on the evidence of the natural stability and kinematic motion of the knee.
The Evolution® NitrX™ Medial-Pivot Knee features a titanium niobium nitride (TiNbN) coating that has been shown in simulated clinical testing to reduce the release of cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mb), and nickel (Ni) ions common in standard CoCr implants. The Evolution®NitrX™ Medial-Pivot Knee builds upon the same medial-pivot legacy of 95% patient satisfaction with 98.8% survivorship at 17 years.


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With the right Adwords strategy, your business will be well on its way to dominating the Google search results pages and riding the waves of prospering success. Competing for prime real estate on the world's most popular search engine has never been more important in an age of digital domination, so implementing successful Google Adwords strategies is Melbourne's favourite marketing agency, Arrow Digital's top priority.
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The Impact of Coronavirus on Avg. CPC's on Google AdsThe measures taken in regards to COVID-19 continue to change daily. With that, we are also seeing changes within the digital marketing world. This global pandemic […]


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4-pce Mars Series Rock 24 Shell Pack - Smokewood (grey). Includes: 24x16 Bass Drum, 12x8 Tom Tom, 16x16 Floor Tom, 14x 6½ Snare Drum, and TH800 Tom Holder.
The Mars Series "Rock 24" Shell Pack features a 1 up and 1 down tom set-up that keeps all the toms within easy reach while the 24" bass drum produces a powerful, yet naturally equalized tone.
The Birch 6Ply 7.2mm shell, with the new SONIClear(TM) Bearing Edge, allows for the direct transmission of sound, reduces unwanted frequencies and provides a strong fundamental pitch and an effortless tuning experience especially at lower tunings.
This 4-piece shell pack includes 12" mounted tom, 16" Floor Tom, 14" Snare Drum and 24"x16" Kick.
The SONIClear(TM) tom suspension and floor tom feet increase overall resonance by preserving vibration in the shell and keeping stress away from the tension rods, helping the heads stay in tune.
Product information
Mapex has created a series of drum sets and hardware that are designed for drummers who are ready to exchange their starter kit to a drum kit in the mid-range and is super simple to tune. Mars series offers shallow depth shells in 100% Birch with a completely new type of bearing edges - SoniClear™ - which follows the drumheads edge shape, and producing a fast, clear tone with a quick rebound. The contact surface of the drumhead is therefore optimal, resulting in more power and it is also super easy to tune to the tone you want. March series hardware is designed to match the drum kits. They are strong and steady, without being oversized, and is available in both chrome and black. p>


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This item is no longer available. Updated or related products shown below:
Items which are considered "oversize" are noted on horizonhobby.com. Oversize packages will not ship 2 Day, Overnight or Saturday Delivery. For shipments to Puerto Rico, please call for a shipping quote.
Oversized 1 items are not eligible for Gift Wrapping.
5+ channel DSM2- or DSMX-compatible transmitter.
The F4U Corsair is regarded as one of the most accomplished and innovative military aircraft in aviation history. Different than any other fighter aircraft in WWII, the Corsair was respected by both its friends and enemies thanks to its ferocious firepower and impressive versatility. Today, the HobbyZone® F4U Corsair S honors this fighter's legacy of innovation with a thrilling design that incorporates Horizon Hobby's revolutionary SAFE™ (Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope™) technology system. When you fly HobbyZone's F4U Corsair S, you'll experience the best modern RC flight technology can offer and the distinction of piloting a legend. With the Bind-N-Fly® F4U Corsair S, all you need to do is charge the flight battery and bind the aircraft with your favorite full-range Spektrum™ 4+channel 2.4GHz DSMX® transmitter and you're ready to learn with the legend.
|2-3 Cell DC Li-Po Balancing Charger
|Completion Level:
|Flying Weight:
|960g (33.9oz)
|Landing Gear:
|35 in (890mm)
|Minimum Required Radio:
|Minimum Speed Control:
|30 amp ESC
|Motor Size:
|480 Brushless Outrunner 960Kv,480 Brushless Outrunner 960kV
|Propeller Size:
|9.5 x 7.5
|Recommended Fuel:
|Recommended Motor Battery:
|1800mAh 11.1v LiPo,1800mAh 11.1v Li-Po
|Speed Control:
|30 amp ESC
|Trim Scheme Colors:
|Blue, White, Yellow
|44 in (1120mm)
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text: Despite a 1998 peace deal, religious animosity still plagues Northern Ireland. [Molly McCluskey/Al Jazeera]Belfast, Northern Ireland - Fifteen years after the Good Friday agreement aimed to bring peace to Northern Ireland, political tensions still run deep along religious lines in this United Kingdom territory. "The Troubles", as it was called during decades of conflict between mostly Protestant loyalists, who maintain devotion to the UK, and mostly Catholic nationalists who advocate for a reunited Ireland, ostensibly ended in 1998 with the Good Friday, or Belfast Agreement. "To me, that's the saddest thing, that we've confused politics with religion," said David Duly, a youth counselor at a community centre in suburban Belfast. "It just so happens that many Catholics are nationalists, and many Protestants are loyalists, but the people who were planting bombs didn't have a Christian bone in their body." He asked the centre not be named for fear of reprisals. Duly said the trauma of the Troubles has continued into the next generation. "Some of the youth have bigoted views, which they've gotten from their parents or their friends. It's an 'us against them' mentality. If you ask them why they feel the way they do, they won't be able to tell you." "Northern Ireland is such a small place that everyone's been impacted by the Troubles, or know someone who was killed," Duly said. "The Good Friday agreement was something where Republican terrorists and Loyalist terrorists, people who had murdered people, through the agreement were let out of jail free. And that is something that many people find hard to justify." 'Us against them' There's a fear that looking at our history would turn us to violence, but it really could do the opposite. - David Duly, youth counselor That "us against them" mentality begins at an early age in Northern Ireland. According to the Northern Ireland Department of Education, only seven percent of all schoolchildren are in so-called "integrated schools", in which Protestant, Catholic, and children of other faiths are educated together. The rest are in either Protestant-run or Catholic-run schools. Kym Montgomery, owner of Little Joy Nannies, a company that pairs nannies with clients, said the reason for the fierce loyalty on either side comes from fear. "Both sides feel the other doesn't want them," she said. "And so they cling as tightly as they can to Ireland, or to England, to prove that they belong." Montgomery, who describes herself as a deeply spiritual woman, doesn't identify as Catholic or Protestant, and said she sees such designations more as political affiliations than religious ones. Duly blames a lack of comprehensive history instruction in school for contributing to the continuing tension. "There's a fear that looking at our history would turn us to violence, but it really could do the opposite," he said. "So many Catholics in Northern Ireland turned to Protestantism during the Reformation that many of the most hardened Protestants today have their roots in Catholicism, and don't know it. People will walk down the street, holding up banners, talking about the importance of history, and they don't even know their own." Those banners are most prominently on display during Northern Ireland's marching season. While parades are held year-round on topics ranging from gay pride to funerals, the crux of the marching season runs from April to August, and celebrates Northern Ireland's fiercely contested cultural heritage. The most controversial parade is held each year on July 12, Orangemen's Day, when Unionists celebrate the victory of the Protestant Prince William of Orange over the Catholic King James at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. In 2013, the march erupted into a riot that was captured on social media the world over. In 2014, it passed without incident. A new era? People have benefited from the Good Friday agreement. They're not meeting armies as they're walking down the street. - John Hanvey, former peacekeeper These images of Northern Ireland, however, belie its successes. The country's four major banks have recovered from the financial crisis. Despite the fiery photos, crime has reached a 15-year low in the city. International investors and major corporations are setting up shop. "People have benefited from the Good Friday agreement," said Dr John Hanvey, a Protestant and a former peacekeeper. "They're not meeting armies as they're walking down the street." "There's less stress now, despite all the issues," said Hanvey, who was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for his work. "There are fewer explosions, although there are more than there should be. And I think a lot of attempted murders are being stopped at the moment, although that's not necessarily due to the work of the police force." During the Troubles, Hanvey built community centres in conflict zones, including one in a home so repeatedly bombed it became uninhabitable. A mini-mart stands there now. It's still in the Catholic section of Belfast, near one of the last so-called "peace walls," with a gate that is still locked at night, dividing it from the Protestant section of town. Above the market flies the Irish flag in a country that more often than not flies the Union Jack. Beckoning tourists Northern Ireland has been striving to brand itself as a tourist destination, and in many ways, it's succeeding. The city's burgeoning food culture is less expensive to sample than in London or Dublin, the revitalised waterfront includes the newly opened Titanic museum, and fans of the television show Games of Thronesflock to the countryside to visit filming locations. Logistically, however, Northern Ireland remains a hard sell to tourists, especially those in the neighbouring republic. Although less than a two-hour bus or train from Dublin, it's a different currency from Ireland, and for many international visitors, requires a separate visa. A young volunteer suicide hotline worker attended Belfast pride on behalf of her Catholic charity, Samaritans, based in the Republic, and said many of her friends never come to Belfast. "There's an image that there's all these terrorists running around loose," she said. "And that's simply not the case at all. I was really surprised at how clean and safe it was. But it's too far from the south for a weekend, and if you have a proper holiday, why would you go to Northern Ireland?" She asked that her name be withheld because she wasn't authorised to speak to the media. While Northern Ireland's southern neighbours may not venture up very often, the Republic of Ireland plays heavily in Hanvey's vision for the future of peace in Northern Ireland. "There's a lot of stuff happening down south on a spiritual front, and that's more likely to change our society than anything done by our government," he said. "People are going to accept each other no matter where they come from, and people who are less accepting, are going to be accepted less." SOURCE: Al Jazeera ABOUT THE AUTHOR Molly McCluskeyMolly McCluskey is a freelance foreign correspondent based in Washington, DC. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, National Geographic, Beacon Reader, and The Washington Diplomat, among others. Follow her on Twitter: @MollyEMcCluskey Politics Europe Ireland


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RSVP for Dane County Parks Volunteer Appreciation Summit
William G. Lunney Lake Farm County Park 4330 Libby Road, Madison, Wisconsin 53711
press release:Mark your calendar & join us: 2018 Dane County Parks Volunteer Appreciation Summit Saturday, March 17, 2018 9:30 am – 12:00 pm Location: Lussier Family Heritage Center, 3101 Lake Farm Road.
During this gathering, each Dane County Park Friends Group & Park Partner Group will have an opportunity to give a quick "3-minute, 3-slide" overview of their major projects and accomplishments over the past year. Please encourage others from your group to attend! This will be a great opportunity to network with other volunteers
Questions? Contact Rhea Stangel-Maier Email: Stangel-Maier@