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Easy entertaining with fresh, healthy berries
Brunch for friends and family, graduation, wedding showers, or weekend barbecues-- summer is full of reasons to entertain. Fresh raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries are an easy addition to so many dishes, adding a burst of flavor and color to really impress your guests. For stress-free entertaining, the recipes included here all have "shortcut" suggestions using convenient packaged sauces, mixes and salads.
Fresh berries are available year round, and are especially abundant throughout the rest of the summer. According to nationally acclaimed cookbook author and cooking school instructor, Chef George Geary, "If you can resist popping the berries right in your mouth the minute you get home, they will really pump up the color, excitement and nutrition of so many of the dishes you create, from sweet to savory." Chef George, Corporate Chef for Driscoll's of Watsonville, California--the nation's largest supplier of fresh berries--reminds us, "Remember not to rinse berries until just before using, since moisture hastens their breakdown. And above all, keep them refrigerated at all times so they stay fresh as long as possible."
Grilled Salmon with Blackberry-Mustard Glaze
Fresh blackberries add a bright splash of color to this tangy glaze; a great--and easy--sauce for grilled salmon.
6 ounces fresh Driscoll's Blackberries, divided
Preheat grill to high heat. Set aside 1/2 cup blackberries. In a blender, combine remaining berries with the oil, honey, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into shallow baking pan or casserole dish. Brush the grilling grate (in flame-free area) with oil. Coat salmon with glaze and place skinless-side down on grill. Let grill for 8 minutes. Flip salmon and brush with glaze. (If salmon doesn't easily peel off grill, leave for 1-2 more minutes until ready to flip.) Cook until middle is just barely cooked (about 8-10 minutes per side/20 minutes total). Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6. Shortcut: Use commercial mustard glaze and combine 1/2 cup with the blackberries in a blender, as above. Add salt and pepper if desired.
Berry Brunch Strata
This is a great brunch dish because you can make it the night before and pop it into the oven in the morning. The additions of orange juice and mint add great flavor and the juice, used in place of some of the milk, lightens the fat content of the dish. You could also substitute two egg whites for one of the whole eggs.
4 or 5 slices buttermilk or country-style bread, divided
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray or butter 2-quart casserole. Fit 2 or 3 slices of bread into the casserole, cutting them to fill any holes. Mix ricotta and cinnamon together. Dollop over the bread layer without smoothing. Layer on half of the berries and half of the mint. Put another layer of bread on top, then the remaining berries and mint. Whisk together the milk, eggs, orange juice, sugar, and salt. Pour over layers and let sit for 15 minutes (or up to overnight covered in the refrigerator). Sprinkle almonds on top and bake strata for 45 to 50 minutes, until puffy and golden, and the center is firm. Remove strata from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Serves 6 to 8. Shortcut: Use a 4.4-ounce package of custard dessert or "cook & serve" vanilla pudding mix (not instant) in place of the eggs and sugar. Use the same liquid as above.
Triple Berry Oatmeal Scones
Like a cross between a biscuit and a muffin, these tasty wedges are perfect for breakfast on the run or a leisurely brunch. Try them warm with honey and butter.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 425 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In bowl combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and 2 tablespoons of sugar (and lemon/orange zest, if using). Stir together briefly. Using electric mixer on low, add butter and mix until crumbly. Slowly add buttermilk, then fold in berries, mixing gently. On well-floured work surface, turn out dough and knead together gently 8 to 10 times (with floured hands). Pat into 8-inch circle about 3/4 inch thick. Using a floured spatula, cut straight down through dough to make 8 wedges. Don't saw or drag the spatula. Transfer wedges to the baking sheet, keeping them separate. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until just starting to brown evenly. Remove and cool on wire racks. Makes 8 scones. Shortcut: Use a scone mix and add 1 1/2 cups mixed fresh berries.
Blueberry Rice Chicken Salad
This impressively easy salad can be served chilled or at room temperature (but don't leave it unrefrigerated for more than two hours before serving).
2 cups brown rice
Cook rice as directed on package. (Should have 6 cups cooked). Meanwhile, heat pan of water to simmering. Add chicken and simmer until cooked (about 30 minutes). Drain, cool slightly, and chop into bite-sized pieces. In large bowl, combine rice, diced chicken, and remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Serves 4 to 6. Shortcuts: Use precooked chicken, precooked rice, and/or bottled citrus dressing in place of the oil, juice, garlic, salt and pepper.
Healthy & Delicious
The vibrant color of Driscoll's berries is so appealing. Did you know their rich color is also an indicator that they are one of the healthiest food choices you can make? Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries have no cholesterol, are low in fat, calories, and sodium, and are great sources of Vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, phytonutrients and antioxidants. The colorful pigments in the bright red, blue and purple skins of berries (called anthocyanins) contain the highest concentrations of these disease-fighting antioxidants--helpful in the fight against certain cancers, heart disease and the effects of aging. The revised Food Guide Pyramid, recently released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, emphasizes the need to incorporate more servings of fruits and vegetables into our diets. Fresh berries are a delicious way to reach that goal.
Get additional recipes and information by calling (800) 871-3333, visiting www.driscolls.com or writing to Driscoll's, 2005 RECIPES, P.O. Box 50045, Watsonville, CA 95077.


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Religion can be thought of as a set of institutions, a set of ideas and beliefs, or a lived practice (including the rituals, behaviors, and day-to-day life of individuals and communities)—all of which have complex relations with each other, and all of which are affected by and in turn affect literature (not least in the interpretations of scriptures). As a critical approach, literature and religion asks how these impulses compete, coordinate, or otherwise inform one another and other practices and traditions. At Washington University, scholars specialize in medieval culture and blasphemy; literatures of sin and confession; early modern drama and English religious life; early American religious culture and its impact on literary traditions; political theology and theory; narratives of secularization and the cultures of religion that challenge secularity; and, finally, the emerging relations among religion, philosophy and psychology in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Beyond these multiple specialties, we are aided by close interactions with Religious Studies and the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics. Necessarily interdisciplinary, literature and religion at Washington University takes seriously the study of belief and disbelief, studying how each emerges from and shapes literary, political, and philosophical traditions.
Literature and Religion
|Guinn Batten
Associate Professor, Department of English
Director of Honors
Irish Literature; Nineteenth-Century British; Theory; Women and Gender Studies; Gender and Sexuality
|Musa Gurnis
|Assistant Professor, Department of English
|David Lawton
Professor, Department of English
Medieval literatures and culture; Chaucer; Literary history and theory poetics; Blasphemy; Postcolonial and Australian studies
|Joe Loewenstein
Professor, Department of English
Director Of the Humanities Digital Workshop and the Interdisciplinary Project in the Humanities
Renaissance literature; Book culture
|William McKelvy
Associate Professor, Department of English
Nineteenth-century British literature and culture
|Robert Milder
Professor, Department of English
Nineteenth- and twentieth-century; American literature (especially American Renaissance)
|Jessica Rosenfeld
Associate Professor, Department of English
Medieval literature, Ethics, History of Emotions, Medieval Women's Writing, Psychoanalytic Theory, Gender and Sexuality Studies
|Wolfram Schmidgen
Professor, Department of English
Eighteenth century literature and culture
|Abram Van Engen
Associate Professor, Department of English
Director of Graduate Studies
Transatlantic Early American Literature

subset: commoncrawl


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We just finished shooting the 2013 KocoSky Summer photo shoot. It was an amazing day. The new summer line includes bright colors, light fabrics, and amazing silhouettes. Be sure to check out KocoSky.com for sexy new arrivals…coming SOON!
The beautiful Franki getting ready for the photo shoot. Makeup by the talented April Lopes/Pipsqueeak. Hair by Christine Garcia/HyphyChristine.
April Lopes putting on the finishing touch….HOT PINK Lipstick. Perfect makeup, hot hair and KocoSky dresses! What more could a woman wish for.


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|Wigton Pipe Organs, Inc.
Dryden, Michigan
|Extensive tonal finishing assistance on a new III/68 French Classic Tracker in Old Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Detroit (Greektown), Michigan
|Milwaukee LDS Stake Center
Hales Corners, Wisonsin
|Re-wiring and re-voicing of a II/9 WICKS Organ
|Wigton Pipe Organs, Inc.
Dryden, Michigan
|Sub-contract to construct a custon built case for a Wigton Organ in Michigan
|1992 - 1993
|First Lutheran Church
Pontiac, Illinois
|Console relocation and re-wiring as part of church remodeling project of moving the Choir Loft. Also, extensive tonal work on the 1969 Hilgreen-Lane organ as part of the overall project
|1993 - ????
|Lincoln Christian
ollege Chapel
Lincoln, Illinois
|Ongoing renovation of 1935 AEolian-Skinner, Opus 933
|First United Methodist Church
Sullivan, Illinois
|Repairs to water damaged Swell Division
|Dr. Eugene Blackstone Residence
Birmingham, Alabama
|Cleaning of IV/68 residence organ damaged in tornado of 1995 Extensive modification to improve the instrument's mechanical reliability and revoicing of certain ranks
|Dr. Eugene Blackstone Residence
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
|Removal of the above instrument to storage in Cleveland, Ohio. Future plans include re-design engineering assistance once Dr. Blackstone has determined a new location for the instrument
|Richard Emmons Residence
Chico, California
|Construction of a new 4 rank electro-mechanical windchest
|Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
New Orleans, Louisana< td>
|Assistance with acquiring and relocating a 3 manual WICKS from a disbanded church. Our Company provided the tonal finishing to the instrument after re-installation by members of the church. Our company completed installation and voicing, then Hurricane Katrina hit. See the page for information
|In Process
|Farmer City United Methodist Church
Farmer City, Illinois
|Renovation of Opus XVII for Farmer City UMC, which is getting a new Slider Chest for the Great and the Swell Slider chest re-racked and fitted withslider seals after water damage due to an ice storm early in 2005.


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MILAN BAROS is ready to carry Liverpool's striking burden in the aftermath of Djibril Cisse's horrific injury.
Baros knows there is extra responsibility on his shoulders with the #14m striker ruled out for the rest of the season.
The Czech striker (left) could identify with his partner's agony having suffered a broken ankle at the same venue a year ago.
Baros admitted: "I heard something snap and I thought straight away that something was broken.
"It is a shame and I hope he will come back soon. I wish him the best because I know what it's like to be out.
"We'll just have one striker but Harry Kewell can play up front, Luis Garcia can play up front so we have a good squad."
Baros' equaliser saved Liverpool a point in a game which ebbed and flowed, particularly during the second half.
He added: "I had a chance in the first few minutes and it was a shame we could not keep a clean sheet in the first half because we could have gone on to win."
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez felt two points were dropped more than a point gained, especially given other results.
He said: "I'm disappointed because we started the game with a high tempo. After we scored we reduced the tempo.
"Again in the second half we had a high tempo, we kept the ball and had many chances.
"We conceded two goals too easily, especially the second. When they scored the equaliser we lost concentration. You can't lose goals like that in the last minute of the half.
"I thought it was a good game and we could have won it in the last 10 minutes. But there were spells where either side had more control."


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More tears than cheers at Rio 2016
Silver successes for the O'Donovan brothers and Annalise Murphy couldn't disguise Team Ireland's failures in the boxing ring
Michael Conlan raised his arms aloft, a grimace etched across his sweat-drenched face, and let out an almighty roar, writes Adam Shaw. Once outside the ring, he let the world know exactly how he felt about his latest fight in Rio de Janeiro – it wasn't something that he, nor anyone else, would forget easily.
But those fists were not lifted in triumph; rather they were pushed out in protest, accompanied by two middle fingers jutting out in the direction of the judges. The expression on his face was not one of an Olympian who had been pushed to his limit in order to progress but was one of frustration and disappointment.
His outpouring of passion was not done in triumph; it was done in defeat, despite his claims that he was "a winner". It wasn't meant to be like this.
Conlan was meant to brush aside Russia's Vladimir Nikitin and secure Ireland's first boxing medal of the 2016 Games. There were whispers that he could go all the way and become the country's first male gold medal winner in the sport since Michael Carruth in Barcelona '92.
Bookmaker Paddy Power certainly seemed to think so. It promised to pay out on all bets placed on Conlan to prevail in his quarter-final bout, as well as to those who had tipped him to win the top prize. This was not a charitable action, and while cynics will point to the benefits of publicity and securing customer loyalty, there was method in their madness.
Conlan was, in the eyes of many, "robbed". It is a common claim in sport, but one that seems to rear its ugly head more regularly in boxing. Almost everyone who watched the fight could see that the Belfast man was dominant. Nikitin might have, at a push, nicked one of the rounds, but to declare him the overall winner seemed absurd.
It wasn't the first time we had seen this. The night before, Kazakhstan's Vasily Levit pounded his opponent, Evgeny Tishchenko, another Russian, for most of the heavyweight gold medal fight. The referee lifted the "wrong" man's hand and the crowd began to boo, just as they did at the decision in Conlan's scrap.
Levit must have known that he had been cheated and even his conqueror looked embarrassed as his corner celebrated wildly at the announcement. But the Kazakh took it all in his stride, disappointed, obviously, but gracious in defeat.
"AIBA are cheats, f****** cheats, simple as that. That's me; I'll never box for AIBA again. They're cheating b*******, they're paying everybody," he raged. "I was here to win Olympic gold. My dream's been shattered now. You know what, I've a big career ahead of me. And these ones. They've always been cheats. Amateur boxing stinks. From the core right to the top.
"I thought I boxed the ears off him in the first round, but they scored it against me. So I had to fight his fight, which I did, outfought him. It's a shambles to be honest.
"I'm gutted, from the bottom of my heart. I wanted to go back with a gold medal to Ireland. Now I feel I'm going back a loser. I'm not a loser, I'm a winner. Today just showed how corrupt this organisation is."
Conlan's emotional assault on amateur boxing's governing body provided one of the highlights of Ireland's Olympic campaign – underscoring its generally conflicting nature.
It started before it had begun as golfing superstar Rory McIlroy pulled out over fears surrounding the Zika virus. Then medal hope Michael O'Reilly tested positive for a banned substance and was sent home in shame. Throughout the Games it was a case of near misses.
Thomas Barr overachieved in the 400m hurdles but still finished an agonising fourth. The legendary race walker Rob Heffernan could only manage sixth in the men's 50km. Diver Oliver Dingley came eighth in the 3m springboard, while Arthur Lanigan O'Keeffee matched this feat in the modern pentathlon.
So close, yet so far. But in spite of these often glorious shortcomings, there were still a few moments to cherish for Team Ireland.
Annalise Murphy claimed the first Irish sailing medal in 36 years as she took silver in the women's laser radial discipline. After finishing just outside the top three in London four years ago, she was granted sweet redemption at Guanabara Bay.
Then there were the O'Donovan brothers. The lightweight scullers Paul and Gary from Skibbereen, Co. Cork, also returned with silver medals, but they won so much more during their stint in Rio. Hilarious interviews, a down-to-earth attitude and a genuine love of the craic propelled them to internet stardom.
They won the hearts of millions and thoroughly deserved their time in the spotlight. What's more, they will have inspired many more Irish to take to the water and get involved with rowing. That, they will say, is their true legacy.
A mixed Olympics for Ireland, a mixed Olympics full stop.
Michael Phelps returned to the pool and won another five golds. Wayde van der Niekerk broke Michael Johnson's 16-year-old 400m record. Simone Biles wowed in the gymnastics arena. Kosovo, Fiji and Jordan stood on the podium for the first time. Neymar sent a packed Maracanã into raptures as the hosts beat Germany on penalties in the men's football final.
Darker moments included poor attendances, incidents of robberies and non-robberies, boos for drugs cheats and critics of Brazil, women's clothing overshadowing their sporting achievements and a refused handshake damaging the 'Olympic spirit'.
Once again, the spoils of competition were at loggerheads with off-the-field issues.
Nowhere was this more apparent than in Irish boxing. While Conlan ranted and raved and O'Reilly was banished, the other squad members suffered further disappointments.
David Oliver Joyce, Joseph Ward and Brendan Irvine all fell at some stage, though none in contentious circumstances. Paddy Barnes had hoped for one last hurrah but he looked weak and exhausted as he suffered a shock defeat in his first fight; losing on a split-decision to Spain's Samuel Carmona Heredia.
Ireland's golden girl, Katie Taylor, a champion in London, was bettered by a woman who had never previously taken a round off her. As with Conlan, though perhaps not so irrefutably, she was judged to have been the inferior fighter despite a seemingly strong performance.
Her father, Pete Taylor, told The Irish Independent: "No disrespect to [Mira] Potkonen, but she's not fit to lace Katie's boots. I personally think the authorities don't want Katie at the top any more. I get the impression they just want new faces there."
He went further, however, and gave a damning view of the situation of Irish boxing, believing that it has suffered greatly since Billy Walsh was prized away to the US. "Every one of our boxers looked tired," he said. "They all looked overtrained. And everyone could see the tactics were poor.
"The best team we've ever sent to an Olympics and it's been a shambles."
The success of the O'Donovans and Murphy might sufficiently bolster Ireland's attitude towards Rio. The AIBA might be f****** cheats. Taylor, and Irish boxing, could come back stronger, as could Irish Olympic sport in general. But one thing is clear – this has been a relatively tough few weeks in one way or another. And that's before we even get started on Pat Hickey…


text: Following our performance at Supersonic as part of the Moon collective, I did some recordings with Estasy. Due to some bare wiring and s.h.i.t.t.y equipment the whole room got charged with current and using a microphone took on a whole new dimension. After fixing the problem, we made these pieces.


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As DanC noted, both request for CR has been approved by Steve Bratt and LC for Test-Cases has been requested. I sent Jean-Gui and WebReq a reminder e-mail - I was expecting feedback from them today. So, I believe the ball is the hands of the W3C staff and as a WG we're fine. Jeremy Carroll wrote: > > > If it is not out of order to ask, where have we got to? > We seem to have reached WG consensus on the base issue; did we get > approval for our requests? > > [If it is not yet public information, please reply off-list, I would > like to update colleagues] > > Jeremy > > > -- -harry Harry Halpin, University of Edinburgh http://www.ibiblio.org/hhalpin 6B522426Received on Monday, 30 April 2007 20:36:57 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 20:39:11 UTC


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The theme park, heavily indebted, expects a loss of 110 million to 120 million euros this year, the heaviest since 2004. Its attendance is eroding.
The Disney group announced Monday, October 6, its intention to massively recapitalize Euro Disney, its subsidiary operating the theme park Marne-la-Vallée, near Paris. A complex transaction of more than 1 billion euros, which will involve the launch of a US takeover bid (OPA) on Euro Disney.
Disney wants to avoid a bankruptcy filing of its French subsidiary
"Given the name of our reference shareholder, the assumption of a bankruptcy has never been considered," slip to Marne-la-Vallée. The only solution for Mickey: get out the checkbook.
Disney intends to inject 420 million euros of new money into the company that manages Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studio, the second park, opened in 2002. The group of Burbank (California) will also convert into shares some of the receivables held for 600 million euros. Finally, the remaining debt will be redeveloped, and the repayment pushed back to 2024. Debt consolidation must reduce debt by 43% in one go.
The consequence of this and not quite magic: Disney will rise to the capital of Euro Disney, and have to launch a takeover bid. The price is already fixed: 1.25 euro per share, while the share price was 3.46 euros Friday night. A gap that has unscrewed the price of Euro Disney 20% Monday at the opening of the Paris Bourse.
Today, the US parent company holds 40% of the shares, alongside Saudi Prince Al-Walid (10%) and a cohort of private and institutional investors (50%). Eventually, Disney could theoretically go up to 100%. The group wants the company to remain publicly traded. He proposes to his co-shareholders to subscribe also to the capital increase. Mr. Al-Walid has to give his answer in a week.
Euro Disney faces recurring losses and high debt
"In the face of losses, we knew we had to tackle our weak point, debt," explains Mark Stead, Euro Disney's CFO. This is what we do today, to find the means of our ambitions. This will have no impact on strategy or employment. "
Since it opened in April 1992, the park has already been close to bankruptcy several times and had to carry out three financial restructurings in 1994, 2004 and 2012.
Commercially, though, it's more of a success. After a tumultuous debut, during which Disneyland Paris was rejected by some as an unholy symbol of the American subculture and junk food, the company was accepted.
With nearly 15 million visitors in 2013, the park is the leading private tourist destination in Europe, and one of the most important hotels in France. The customers are very satisfied. The hotels are fuller than the average.
But, financially, this dream machine is a nightmare. In twenty-two years of activity, she has posted only seven financial years, especially the first years. Since 2002, on the contrary, it has suffered a cumulative net loss of more than 800 million euros. What to despair the shareholders.
In exchange, the SME is worth only 110 million euros, 54% less than five years ago. The stock is trading at near record lows.
The park must absorb heavy investments and the effects of the crisis in Europe
The equation is difficult. To build and maintain the dream, Euro Disney has made huge investments. More than 200 million euros just for "Ratatouille", the new family attraction inaugurated in July, inspired by the story of a little rat who became the grand chef of a Parisian restaurant. Added to this is the repayment of the debt, which Euro Disney drags from the beginning like a ball, and the royalties paid to Disney.
On the revenue side, management has deployed marketing treasures to keep visitors staying longer and spend more. Efforts partly rewarded. "Look, we have just renovated the Sequoia Lodge hotel: it has increased the cost per visitor by 22%! "Exclaims Mr. Stead. But the crisis that dragged on in France, where half of the customers come from, has complicated the situation.
In 2013, the operating result returned to the red. Since January, the situation is getting worse. Attendance is likely to fall to 14.1 million visitors over the year, against 16 million in 2012, according to estimates presented Monday. The occupancy rate of hotels could fall to 75%, far from the record of 91% obtained just before the crisis.
Under these conditions, Euro Disney expects a net loss of 110 million to 120 million euros, the heaviest since 2004. The equivalent of nearly 10% of turnover. Result, a cash more and more under tension. It was time to act.


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I just got copies of blood tests from my dr's. I have a positive titre of 1:320 with a speckled pattern. I also have positive Anti-ds DNA <10. Then the form says a Strong Positive for SSA and Moderate positive for SSB. then at the bottom there is a weak positive for AMA-M2. Now I strongly suspect I am dealing with Lupus and that is not great but when I looked up the AMA-m2 that suggests primary biliary cirrhosis...what the heck does that mean? Do I have some kind of liver disorder as well? I am freaking out a little bit here. I do have a referal for a rheumatologist, but they do not expect to get me in for about 9 months and my family Dr did not even suggest that there were liver issues. SHould I be waiting so long if there are liver issues? I have been having severe abdominal pain and gas upon waking but I assumed that was because I was eating before bed. I have transient itching on my legs, joint pain and terrible fatigue(but I have a 16 month old and 2 other children and I never sleep). what the ***l??? I need someone to explain some of this to me. I am really getting scared here. Anyone that has experience with any of this please offer advice, experiences or give me some ideas of what I should be doing. Is this pbc something I should worry about with a weak positive?
thank you so much for any responses in advance.


text:
There are many ways you can use http://www.oildirectory.com to find a high paying oilfield career. You can use our resume faxing service to get a hard copy of your resume to hundreds of employers, use the oilcareers link to e-mail your resume to employers, post your resume on the RIG ZONE site or post your resume on our online resume section. Check out the employement section at http://www.oildirectory.comReceived on Monday, 26 March 2001 11:00:28 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Wednesday, 7 January 2015 18:09:41 UTC


text:
Celebrate Authenticity with CraftsBazaar!
*Free Shipping on Furniture & More!
Browse, Buy or Commission Works!
Celebrate India's Diversity
Dating back to the Indus Valley C 3000 BC, Indian architecture includes the Maha-Janapada period C 600 BC to 300 AD, the Middle-Ages Kalinga, Dravidian, Chalukyas, the Middle-Ages, Hoysala and Vijayanagara, the Moghul Era through the Colonial, French, Dutch, Portugese, leading unto Modern India. It represents the living history of India through all ages in all its glory and sublime beauty.
India expresses itself unihibitedly from the Himalayan Mountains to the Coastal Plains. Festivals bring-in the Seasons, welcome rains, bid adieu to Winters, celebrate harvests, traditions and rituals and honor lives of spiritual gurus. Flowers, Fragrance, Foods, Music and Prayer are common to all faiths. All the plugs are pulled out when India celebrates!
Something is made from everything in India! Pottery-black, red and blue; wood soft & hard; cotton, woollen and silk threads, beads, bones, stones & metals. The array of techniques include carving, inlay, weaving, tie-dying, mirror-work, baking & glazing etc. The craftsmen of India have honed their ancient skills incorporating influences from far and wide to develop sheer genius.
The over 5,000 year old cuisine, has as many flavors developed over time as types of soil, climate and waters that deliver a variety of plants, fruits, sea-food and meats. The Yogic traditions classified all foods into Saatvic, Tamasic and Rajasic believing "We are what we eat". In time, as with architecture the influences of Moghuls, Colonials, French, Portugues and Dutch, as well as Indian traders returning from abroad, added complex flavours and techniques that are all now essentially Indian.


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An interesting point of trivia here is that, "Pavan" in hindi/sanskrit refers to the "Wind God".The study, headed by the Deutsche Bank economist, parallels the Stern Review into the economics of climate change.
The study echoes the understanding among some proponents of sustainability that being in harmony with nature is paramount to the survival of species. What this study has done is that it has put an economic value, which provides at least provides a floor to the (much higher) intrinsic value of nature. This is my personal opinion that the intrinsic value of nature is higher than the quoted numbers. If a part of nature were irreparably damaged, then the human economy has to provide them instead, either by carbon dioxide sequestration/conversion, or agricultural production of food and products that were previously naturally produced by forests. A excerpt from the study on the numbers involved compares it to the (smaller) scale of the current economic crisis:
"So whereas Wall Street by various calculations has to date lost, within the financial sector, $1-$1.5 trillion, the reality is that at today's rate we are losing natural capital at least between $2-$5 trillion every year."While you are reading about "natural capital", let me add a note about a book on my wish list: natural capitalism.
The source material for this blog post is the BBC.
Link text: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7662565.stm


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In Major Poll, U.S. Religious Identity Appears Very Slippery
Tuesday, February 26, 2008; Page A01
America has always been a competitive religious marketplace, but a major survey released yesterday shows a country increasingly exploring different faith identities and ways of worship. More than 40 percent of respondents told pollsters that they had changed their religious affiliation since childhood.
Experts say the growth of religious minorities, American mobility and intermarriage are key factors in the churn documented in the Religious Landscape Survey, one of the largest such polls ever done, with 35,000 adults interviewed.
Conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, the survey confirms on a grand scale trends that demographers have noted for years: the slipping percentage of Protestants, now down to 51, and the rise of people who call themselves unaffiliated, now at 16 percent, up from similar surveys.
The survey also lays out, just weeks before Pope Benedict XVI's first papal visit to the United States, the Catholic Church's challenge here: no American faith group has lost more adherents. Among U.S. adults, about the same percentage -- 24 -- call themselves Catholic as in the past, but that statistic masks significant turnover. The percentage has held up primarily because of the huge number of recent Latino immigrants, who are largely Catholic, the survey found. Sixty-eight percent of people raised Catholic still identify with their childhood denomination, compared with 80 percent of Protestants and 76 percent of Jews.
Millions of dollars are being pumped into such research as religious institutions -- like hospitals, universities and social service organizations -- watch Americans increasingly dismiss the importance of denomination, long a key societal organizer. Old barometers of religiosity such as church membership are becoming less important as Americans craft a more bottom-up, individualized concept of faith. The new landscape has nondenominational megachurches, worship services in movie theaters, Episcopalians speaking in tongues and independent rabbinical schools.
"When it comes to religion, there is believing, belonging and behaving, and they don't always correlate," said Barry Kosmin, a co-author of the 2001 American Religious Identification Survey, which polled 50,000 people but asked fewer questions than the new Pew poll.
Pew's survey also includes a basic sketch of each state's religious profile. Compared with national percentages, Virginia has relatively more white evangelicals and fewer Catholics; Maryland and Washington have three times the percentage of black Protestants and Jews. The survey does not do a separate count for Northern Virginia and treats Maryland and Washington as one entity, because the District's sample size was small.
The survey is likely to feed the debate raging among scholars about what is happening in American religion. Some think that secularism is underreported as people may check a box correlating to a faith group without actually believing its tenets or following its practices. Others think the growth of the unaffiliated (sometimes called "religious nones," because they check "none" when asked their faith on polls) disguises the number of people who consider themselves "spiritual but not religious."
Tom Smith, director of a major sociological survey at the University of Chicago, estimated that about 25 percent of U.S. adults think of themselves as spiritual but not religious. "Some trends show there is less support for organized religion but either a steady or, by some measures, rising support for personal religious beliefs," Smith said.
Some Catholic researchers played down the survey's finding that about 10 percent of U.S. adults are former Catholics, and they said the church has always been significantly impacted by immigration. They also said the church's membership has increased by about 20 million since 1965.
Mary Gautier, a sociologist at Georgetown's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, said Catholics are more likely than members of other denominations to say they "left" their faith because the bar of being a "practicing Catholic" is high.
"They feel guilty," she said. "If you're a Methodist and you only go to church occasionally, you don't consider yourself no longer practicing, but Catholics tend to do that."


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Serves four
4 spicy sausages, such as chorizo
4 slices of pancetta
400g/14oz precooked polenta, cut into 1cm-thick slices
4 handfuls of lambs lettuce or rocket
A handful of black olives, destoned
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
4 ripe tomatoes, sliced in half
Heat up your griddle pan or barbecue so that it's nice and hot and smoking. Slice the sausages lengthways so that they open like a book. If you're using a barbecue, grill the sausages, pancetta and polenta at the same time until char marks appear and they are nice and crispy. If using a griddle pan, do it all in batches. Keep everything warm and put to one side.
Place the lambs lettuce or rocket into a large salad bowl and add the polenta and olives. Season well, and pour over the balsamic vinegar and about double the amount of oil. Gently toss everything with your hands so that it's nicely coated, then transfer to plates. Break the pancetta over the plates, and roughly chop the sausages into quarters before also adding them to each plate. Place a couple of tomatoes on each plate and finish off with a few shavings of Parmesan, plus a good drizzle of oil.


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When selling your West Knoxville home, achieving great curb appeal is an essential part of attracting buyers. A house that achieves stellar curb appeal is much more appealing to those buying homes in West Knoxville. But,… read more →
There are many desirable condominium complexes in West Knoxville. But, is buying a condominium in West Knoxville the right decision for you? Take a look at the list below of pros and cons of buying a… read more →
With the start of 2012, there have been many predictions about what the real estate market will do. Analysts at Fannie Mae, Freddie Mace, and CoreLogic have all made predictions about what 2012 will hold for… read more →
Built in the last few years, this West Knoxville home for sale is in move-in ready condition. It has a great floor plan and is located in a small, quaint neighborhood in West Knoxville. This West… read more →
In a time, where mortgage interest rates are at record lows; and in a time, where homes prices in Knoxville are at record lows; and in a time, where buying a home in Knoxville is cheaper… read more →
With a fabulous layout and like-new condition, this West Knoxville home for sale is a great option for buyers who are looking to buy a home in West Knoxville. Located in at 1704 Saint Petersburg, in… read more →
In 2012, West Knoxville will see many new businesses opening up stores for the first time or opening additional stores in the area. Rumors about which particular businesses will be opening in 2012 have been floating… read more →
The numbers are in. That is, the 2011 Year End Foreclosure Report put out by RealtyTrac, and online resource solely dedicated to foreclosure statistics and sales across the United States. So, what do these numbers mean for… read more →
Are you looking West Knoxville homes for sale that offer maintenance free living? Are you looking for West Knoxville homes for sale located near near Lake Loudon? If so, look no further than this West Knoxville… read more →
Economic recovery in Knoxville, and other parts of the nation, are largely dependent on the stabilization and restoration of the real estate market, according to a recent report put out by the Federal Reserve Board. The… read more →


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Mission & Values
Mission & Values
The mission of BACAR is to provide quality construction services that exceed our clients' expectations while maintaining relationships that promote teamwork, opportunity, innovation and integrity.
We will continue to define each project a success when we have achieved the following objectives:
- Reducing the Owner's risk
- Serving as good stewards of the Owner's resources
- Completing projects on time, on budget and with the highest quality attainable
- Building lasting relationships
Our Values
- Integrity....period
- Hard work for solid results
- Preservation of our moral and ethical convictions
- Providing construction products and services that improve our client's competitive
position, enhances productivity and profitability and enriches their personal lives.
- Providing innovative design and construction solutions to our clients' needs and
- Development of a corporate structure that allows financial, operational and quality parameters to be met by constantly challenging how our company is operated and the services we provide.
- Completion of design and construction projects on time, within budgetary guidelines
and with the highest quality possible.
- Financial strength and growth achieving partnership-directed profit expectations
- Development of an organizational structure that recruits, trains and retains motivated, determined, enthusiastic staff members who seek out a customer service opportunity
and solve issues before they become problems.
- Fair, lasting relationships with our customers, and employees, expecting the same
in return.
- Safety: no lost-time accidents on any of our projects


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Asuka Intros 3.5-inch Handheld DTV Receiver
Asuka announced two new products Friday, one of which is a 3.5-inch handheld DTV receiver that displays a 480 x 234 pixel image. It includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack and a built-in telescoping antenna. The device measures approximately 5.3 x 3.3 x 1.4 inches (13.5 x 8.5 x 3.5 centimeters). U.S. viewers looking for a handheld DTV solution are out of luck, as the device only operates with the DVB-T standard.
The second Asuka product is a DVB-T receiver for automotive use. With a thickness of 2.5 cm (approximately one inch) Asuka claims it is the slimmest car-use DVB-T receiver in the world. It includes AV inputs and outputs for integration with other automobile entertainment systems. From the press release in DigiTimes announcing the product, it appears the automotive unit does not include a display.
Asuka is a module solution provider and system design house based in Taiwan.


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Shopping for a ½ size? Order down to the next smallest whole size.View size chart
Bistro Pro ClogItem #15010
We've added more comfort features to the Bistro to make even the longest kitchen shifts a piece of cake. You get an even softer footbed that just feels good. The Turbo Strap lets you dial-in the perfect fit. Toe and heel bumpers give your feet a little added protection. And of course there's the Crocs Lock™ slip-resistant tread. You work hard — so we worked harder to make the Bistro even better.
Bistro Pro Clog details:
Kim from Undisclosed"Love em just like I do all the others in my collection. Great fit and love the style."
- Fully-molded Croslite™ material cushions and comforts
- Crocs Lock™ slip-resistant tread
- Adjustable Turbo Strap for a more secure fit
- Toe and heel bumpers for added protection
- An even softer footbed for more comfort
Our most generous, roomy fit.
Dual Crocs Comfort™
Deeply cushioned footbeds paired with supportive Croslite™ foam outsoles.


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21 hours ago
Notwithstanding our adoption as sons and daughters in Christ through baptism, we remain "poor banished children of Eve", "mourning and weeping in this valley of tears" (Ave Regina). Why else would we need the sacrament of penance? :-)
I hope that the tradition of Septuagesima will soon recover its rightful place in the post-Vatican II liturgy as part of the Benedictine reform.
Diligam te, Dómine, fortitúdo mea : Dóminus firmaméntum meum, et refúgium meum, et liberátor meus.
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Enjoy special savings when you bring your group of 15 or more to Hurricane Harbor SplashTown. Whether you're visiting with a company, students, church group, or family & friends, Hurricane Harbor SplashTown will take care of everything from catering to coordination of tickets and planning. Call 281-355-3300, ext 0 to purchase your group tickets or
Looking for a great way to reward your employees for their hard work? Bring them to Hurricane Harbor SplashTown! Call 281-355-3300 ext 0 for more information. Learn More
School Groups
Looking to bring your school group to Hurricane Harbor SplashTown? Call Catherine Sanchez at 281-355-3300 ext 116 for more information or download your school group order form. Learn More
Groups of 15 or more
Bring your group to our park with pre-paid tickets or arrange a private catered outing. Learn More


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Coastal Contemporary
Marc Julien Homes latest project in Delray Beach is a Costal Contemporary home tucked away on a quiet street. This 1,350 square-foot home has the charm and warmth of a costal home combined with the luxury synonymous with Marc Julien Homes. The open floor plan welcomes you with sprawling porcelain floors and superb views of the large back patio and spacious backyard. Seamlessly transition into the expertly designed kitchen with custom Luxor cabinetry, quartz countertops, and a Jenn-Air Appliance package. Finishing off the home are Master and Guest suites adorned with hardwood and porcelain flooring, custom en-suite bathrooms, and coastal architectural touches.
- Beds 2
- Baths 2


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The journey of finding a job today is less difficult than you may suspect. Irrespective of whether you are endeavoring to discover work opportunities on a local level, or you are simply concerned with various jobs that let you work at home, locating these employment opportunities have never been easier, if, of course, you know where to search. In fact, the benevolent internet offers you the one of a kind chance to make full use of your resume by submitting it on specialized sites.
Do not think that just because you're currently out-of-work that means that you should be spending less time slogging to get yourself a job than others are spending on their real jobs. Remember to look at your current state of living unemployed as a job in itself, one which you've got to get over with as fast as possible. In order to accomplish this, you need to dedicate no less than 6 to 8 hours of each business day for distributing job applications , going to interviews and linking with several people and potential employers. Your primary objective ought to be to apply to 3 jobs per day. It would also be quite a clever idea to set up a contact list containing everyone you interact with in this procedure. This strategy is sure to reward you with a job sooner than you expect.
Assuming you are an employee, then it's best That you don't hunt for another job yet, because finding new work opportunities takes time. However, in case it's imperative that you find a new place to work at, it will a little more problematic to find the essential time to hunt for jobs. In such circumstances, you should book any spare time to your quest for jobs.
Before running into any hardships, you got to ask Yourself: what sort of job are you seeking? As an example, I recently had a conversation with my teenage daughter and since she is close to graduating, I asked her what career path does she want to follow along. To my surprise, she looked at me dead serious and told me she wants to be the boss of a grand, billion dollar company. Then she asked me how can she do that right now? After a couple of minutes of being lost for words, I finally giggled. I sincerely find it difficult to understand what kids are thinking these days. I looked back at her and without stuttering I simply let her know that she can't. I explained that she first has to get a college education, earn a bachelor's degree, and ideally a master's too. Just after those steps she is going to have the ability to find an entry level job in a potentially huge enterprise, and then continue to climb the ladder from there. She glared at me thinking I was insane. All things considered, in reality one does not simply finish high school and expect to become the head of such a huge business immediately. However excellent that sounds, it is just absurd.
Many of corporations are interested in highly competent individuals. Thus, these corporations have a tendency to use the web far more often with the objective of locating potential workers to improve their staff. What's also interesting enough is that in order to increase their chances of discovering skilled, gifted personnel, the managers of such companies often list a number of open spots in job posting websites. If a job is what you're searching for, websites such as this are a superb place to begin your inquiry.
On the occasion that you are more interested in freelance work, finding an online job is not as complicated either. You almost have dozens if not hundreds of web pages at your fingertips that provide a superb source of online jobs that don't require any fixed schedule and can be done exclusively by the comfort of your residence. Some of those web pages even enable employers to record offers to ensure that more freelancers can place a bid on them.
Locating your desired job online is definitely less demanding than finding one in a more classic manner. The old school way of finding a job implied the future employee to get as many papers as possible and filter through countless adverts. Not to mention that most of these advertisements about job offers were completely inadequate for the ones eager to occupy them. On the other hand, job listing websites offer some important advantages like the low time a potential employee must waste while trying to locate work, or the individualized process, specially tailored for those hunters.
In General, the World Wide Web could be your most Precious assistant when attempting to find jobs online. You can always encounter plenty of sites that will let you expose your resume on the web so that different companies can examine your expertise and possibly hire you, or you can stroll through dozens of job offers with the assistance of an effective search engine incorporated on these sites. What's more, you won't have to remain at the mercy of classic job searching methods and as a result of that, you are radically improving your chances of finding the job you're entitled to!
Set Up Your Resume To Find That Job
It is recommended that you bring up your resume to date or make another resume. Your distinctive curriculum vitae should be general, yet stuffed with keywords. The broad version shouldn't include any regards to any particular party. In essence, you should be capable of submitting your generic resume to any potential employer without needing to edit it for every new occasion. It must be promptly accessible and always ready for quick apply. The overall variant will be listed on job boards so that recruiters can have a look at it when browsing the database.
You need your curriculum to contain many catchphrases because companies use such keywords when they browse through databases to find resumes that point out interesting future employees. If your resume is properly optimized concerning keyword consistency, there are very good chances that it will rank higher in the search results (as an example, if the work you are seeking is"customer support" then the keyword you have to concentrate on your resume is"customer assistance").
Plenty of people argue over the fact that a single-page resume is the best resume, but based on my observations, a single-page resume doesn't deliver enough information for anyone who have rich backgrounds. Under these conditions, the best advice would be not to exceed 2 pages, except when the job is more technical and depends on extended particularities inside the business. If you find yourself in the latter situation, then it's highly recommended to list every program, every technology, each product you have placed your hands on, operated with, or have some understanding of. Nevertheless, do not pass over a 3-page limit.
Don't ever talk to excessive pride and self-satisfaction in your resume. Be genuine and list your objectives, skills, level of education, knowledge and proficiency.
If you lack the time or skill to build up a topnotch resume, then it could be sensible to call on experts to help us with it.
Jobs Pursuit 101: Achieving Success & Starting A New Career according to Vendior Belgium
As an extra to a printed curriculum vitae, numerous individuals who are engaged in jobs pursuit come to the conclusion that list their resume and portfolio online are both extremely useful when it comes to helping them discover and start a new career. Specially projected for potential employers to view, the vast majority of resume posters are not troubled with their position within the search engine, but instead a professional outlook to help with their jobs pursuit.
There are various online job banks (sometimes called job boards) you can use today, such as http://monster.com, where career seekers get help in their quest for jobs. People have the option to post a resume with the job board or submit their personal copy straight to the potential employer. The greatest amount of jobs posted on the web demand computer and online experience and several times people decide that using their personal web portfolio aids in their jobs pursuit.
In regards to people engaged in a jobs search, the resume will provide prospective employers their first glance at your abilities. Prior educational experience, credentials and work history are among the very important details to highlight. Among the most crucial online certification sites, http://BrainBench.com that is, provides 3-year credentials upon successfully completing an internet test. Accessible to people of all sorts, including individuals engaged in a jobs search, every single test provides instantaneous results and the right to add a certificate on a resume. Free of charge evaluations can be found each month for subjects such as math, programming, computer basics, typing, business, medical and legal terminology and so on. These supplementary credentials are always welcome as they add veracity to a resume and may even maintain one's likelihood in a jobs search.
In the events that a meeting is accorded, candidates must dress properly in order to correspond to the position they apply for. The dress code is very important, but maintaining a friendly yet agreeable attitude can also be signaled. Instead of overly praising your potential new boss, which by the way is a quick red flag to most companies, jobs search candidates are advised to behave like they were in the presence of a friend. Over the duration of the interview, applicants should convince their prospective employer of how personable they are and how they could add value to the group.
Create Your Contact List say the people at Vendior Belgium
By far the most effective method to build a touch network is by calling the recruiter or employer straightforwardly. The contact info is typically made known when you apply for work on the internet. If you go to a job bank website such as: CareerBuilder.com or Monster.com, or a niche-oriented job board for example: find a job DataCenterLife.com, then it is very likely that the contact info can be found on the job offer page. If, however, you want to apply directly through an employer's website, then most probably you can get the contact information under the"Contacts", or"Contact Us" tag.
Overall, you ought to make a contact for each job you apply for.
Unemployed, Not Unhelpful
Merely because you are currently out of work doesn't Imply that your skills are not needed somewhere. And it definitely does not mean you need to fall behind in your field of work. To the contrary, you still need to be interested in whatever happens in your industry and spend your time efficiently. Research your field of work market and learn about the latest technology in the respective domain. What's to attend a meeting if you won't have any idea what they will be talking about? Stay updated, stay informed and know your stuff. You might not become an expert at it but any bit of knowledge helps.
Don't Pick Up That Call
Remember the saying that goes: "first impression is the most lasting"? You only have one shot to make a excellent impression. It would be a terrible shame to waste it. Don't think of picking up the telephone if you are too busy to have a proper conversation. So if you see an unknown amount calling, just presume it is a recruiter or an employer and you should under no circumstances answer, if you're too occupied. There's nothing more embarrassing than the sound of a toilet flush, or a baby crying his eyes out, or a third party conversation going on in the background right when a potential employer or recruiter calls. In such cases, it is better that you do not pick up the call until you are back in a quiet place and you're calm, concentrated, calm and prepared to reply to all questions in a transparent manner.
Pause And Reflect
Job hunting can get quite stressful after a while. Give yourself a break and take your time to recharge your batteries and kick out the anxiety. I recommend taking off Fridays also. The only situation in which you need to schedule interviews on Friday is when the recruiter or the employer schedules it on Friday. Also, keep your phone close just in case a possible employer decides to call, but don't forget the advice above and don't answer if you're too busy to talk. Instead, let your voice mail service manage the situation until you become available again.
Earning that job interview is what you strived so hard for. The success of a meeting is as crucial as getting the job itself. This moment settles everything. The second you are scheduled for an interview is the second you've got to get started with the preparation for your interview. Do your research about the history and background of the company. It's ideal that you're accustomed with what the company does and how it functions. Usually this information is available right on their web address, but sometimes it is deeply buried within the pages of the website, so you may have to do some digging. Think of questions and ask your interviewer about the company, about the position you are about to get, or anything else you ought to know. Oh, and do not forget to rest well the night before. At least 7-8 hours of sleep would be ideal.
You should own at least two business attires. In case You have a second interview, you should be capable of changing to another suit. They don't have to be all fancy, but at least have a more sober look. Colors like black, gray, or navy are favored. Be careful to be well groomed too.
When the interview begins, unwind and be your genuine self. Leave your worries behind and rather concentrate on articulating your words and ideas in a coherent manner. Ask about the workplace, about the position you're applying for and , out of courtesy, ask about their position and the period of time they been in the business. Try to find out how come the place is open and why did the former employee leave in the first place.
Don't forget to be authentic, display a friendly figure and bear in mind that the interviewer is just human, same as you. Even if you don't obtain the job, do not panic and do not let yourself down. Take the experience as a lesson and try all over again, until you finally succeed -- because you will. More often than not, the interview is only a presentation of your personality and personality. If you genuinely and appropriately exposed your abilities in your resume, then the company already knows what you are capable of.
WerkZoektNemer.nl: The Job Is Yours!


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A THUG son lunged at his dad with a knife and locked his mum in her own home – after they told him to sleep in a cupboard in the communal stair.
Steven Doolan turned up at his parent's home looking for a place to spend the night but was left raging after being refused.
Doolan was told he was not welcome at the family home in Haddington, East Lothian, but turned violent after mum Annette gave him bedding and told him to sleep in the tiny stairwell cupboard.
The 30-year-old grabbed a knife and lunged at dad Duncan while his terrified mother was forced to shout for help from a window after Doolan locked her in the house.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told Duncan Doolan fled the house following the blade incident and managed to raise the alarm.
But when police officers turned up Doolan then turned on them and head-butted one of the constables to the face.
Depute fiscal Lewis Crosbie told the court Doolan's parents were at home on the afternoon of June 26 last year when their son turned up with a request to stay the night.
Mr Crosbie said: "During the day the accused asked if he could stay the night, but was told he could not. He returned later again asking to stay but again this request was refused.
"This time his mother gave him bedding and told him to stay in the common stair cupboard. He left then returned later and threw the bedding about the flat."
Mr Crosbie added Doolan appeared "agitated" and soon became "verbally abusive" towards the elderly couple.
"The accused returned with a knife in his hand and pointed it towards his own face", added Mr Crosbie. "He then lunged towards Mr Doolan with the knife and his father fled from the flat."
Mrs Doolan was then locked in her own home and ordered her to sit on a couch. The woman was said to be "clearly upset at this" request.
Mr Doolan then alerted the police to the ongoing incident and when officers arrived they could see Mrs Doolan shouting from a window claiming her son "had a knife".
Officers managed to gain entry to the flat where they failed to spot the knife, but during the subsequent struggle Doolan head-butted one constable to the face.
Defence solicitor Andrew Mellor told the court his client suffered from "mental health difficulties" and had been prescribed medication for depression.
Sheriff Frank Crowe deferred sentence for the preparation of reports and ordered Doolan to return to court for sentencing on July 7.
Doolan pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, throwing bedding about the flat, brandish a knife, prevent his mother Annette from leaving the property by locking the door and forcing her to sit on a couch during the incident at Artillery Park, Haddington, on June 26 last year.
He also admitted lunging at his father with a knife and to assaulting PC Peter Bamford by head-butting him to the face during the same incident.


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In search of me – Day 9
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
- 1 July 21, 2009 at 11:44 am
Make a positive difference in someone's life, be it acknowledged or not.
To feel comfortable in my own skin, to feel worthy, pretty, wanted… People tell me all these things, yes, but I don't FEEL them. I want that. To honestly feel it.
- 2 July 21, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Live happily ever after.
Seriously this is one thing I really want to be able to do. I want to go to sleep when I am 95 next to my husband (who will tell you he 94) and never wake up. Up until that point I want to be healthy and happy, no cancer, my mind intact. I want to give back to my community in some way. There are so many things I want to do in between, I just really want to chance to do them. And then maybe I will learn to play the guitar.
- 4 July 22, 2009 at 12:00 am
1: to find my own Happy ending.
2: Change the life of another person. I want to change the legal system in Texas so every one in the system in Texas has the chance to find their dream in Texas. I live in a state of old thinking and prejudice. I hope in my life time to see the end of this.
3: To see Nolan and Claire grow up into the amazing people they will be.
4. World peace in every cheesy seense. I hate war and hope one day there is no need for it.
- 6 March 31, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Of course as mentionned above, about family and life but what Urchin said sits with the new me.
"Make a positive difference in someone's life, be it acknowledged or not"
I want to try and do things in life for others without the need for recognition. Most of my life the little lie inside was always there hoping that someone would notice my good deed and give me the credit.
A story about a woman in our city last year who woke up the residents of the home when their house was on fire and saved their lives. Some would think wow that's great she then went to the bank machine returned to the scene and gave the couple $500 because christmas was coming. The residents tried to get her name so they could thank her and all she said was Thank God I had it to give. Much like her I want to be able to do that.
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By Jennifer Ablan
(Reuters) - Bill Gross, co-founder of bond fund giant Pimco and widely known as the "Bond King," has had a rough start to the year.
He's still dealing with the waves caused by a public falling-out with former heir-apparent Mohamed El-Erian, while in March the flagship Pimco Total Return Fund suffered an 11th straight month of outflows and its performance lagged 95 percent of its peers.
Now Gross's cat, Bob, has died.
On Thursday, Gross dedicated the first half of his widely followed Investment Outlook letter to the cat and headlined it "Bob."
"Treasure your pets and all living things. Eventually we all stop living," said Gross, who will celebrate his 70th birthday this month.
The cat, a female despite the name, died last week. The pet had been with Gross and his wife for 14 years.
"Aside from sleeping, Bob loved nothing more than to follow me from room to room making sure I was OK," wrote Gross. "It got to be a little much at times, especially when entering and exiting the shower."
Gross said Bob's "obsession carried over to the TV, sensing when I was on CNBC and paying apt attention no less. I often asked her about her recommendations for pet food stocks, and she frequently responded - one meow for 'no,' two meows for a 'you bet.' She was less certain about interest rates, but then it never hurt to ask."
Gross, who included in the letter an old photo of Bob watching Gross on TV, has canceled two planned CNBC appearances in March, according to the station.
(Reporting By Jennifer Ablan; Editing by Martin Howell)


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'What team?' I hear you say. Quite so. Chances are it's just you and your best friend. But let's suppose for the sake of this post that you do have access to people who will design for you – or at least be instrumental in getting your designs on stage in some form.
Part of my 'visioning' period (that's the never-ending period) involves visualising the design of the show in every way conceivable – the set, props, lighting, sfx, sound, costumes, hair & make-up. So, as soon as you can get together with each member of your team and talk through what you want. Show them your diagrams, sketches, design boards, fabric samples – anything at all you have collected whilst dreaming away! Try and find a way to make your design ideas a reality. I tend to be of the opinion that if my designer says 'it can't be done' then I'm probably talking to the wrong person (although I do compromise when I really, really have to).
I'm rubbish at actually drawing a set. I can't seem to get the hang of 3D and perspective at all. But I know what I want to see on stage and what I need my set to do. So, this is how I go about getting my dream set:
- If it's complicated and needs an engineering design (the giant peach and my 'waltzer style revolves come into this category) then search high and low until you find someone who can design what you need in an elegant and economical way. Your set needs to look good, don't settle for less.
- Be VERY clear about the look you want and what you need the set to do for you. If it has a function (revolving for instance) make sure this is understood! A static revolve would be pretty useless (yes, I know it seems unlikey, but just make sure …)
- Get your Stage Manager involved so there are two of you keeping an eye on the development. Be part of the process. Make sure all is ok in set-build land.
- Timetable it in to your grand plan. You'll need time to rehearse on set (especially if it's interactive). Bear in mind your lighting designer can't light the set until it exists and it's painted/decorated. Make sure there's time (when is your first tech run?)
This is where your list making skills will come in handy. A good props person will do this themselves – go through the script and list the props required. However, you may have extra requirements, so make sure you have a definitive list of props & go through it with your props person. Pictures help, period notes, colour, style – anything that will help the acquisition of the correct pieces. If you need to make specialist props – find the right people for the job and make sure they have plenty of time. Meanwhile your props person or Stage Manager should be able to sort out some rehearsal props. This is important. I've seen people mime a prop in performance because they've rehearsed it like that for so long they forget to take the actual prop onstage.
This might be very straighforward (never is for my shows), but don't leave it until the last few weeks. If you're doing a contemporary show and the cast are using their own clothes you still need to make sure the costumes are consistent with character! I'm amazed at how little thought people will put into this aspect of the show. I've seen some lovely performances that are totally let down by the appearance of the show. Schools will very often ask parents to sort out their child's costumes. Whereas I can understand the economic reasons for this it means you end up with a mish-mash of styles. It will look pretty awful. With a bit more planning you can get round this and it doesn't need to cost the earth (more on costuming a show to come).
- Start early – as soon as you've cast start collecting costumes. Enlist help if you don't have a Wardrobe Mistress. If you need to make costumes find people early on.
- Use your design board, give people copies or relevant parts and and allocate tasks. Be clear about the timeframe you have to complete everything.
- Use rehearsal costumes where needed. If actors need to get used to long skirts, fatsuits, masks, wigs – anything that will require them to adapt their physical performance, then provide them. I'm a great believer in rehearsing in costume as soon as it's practical.
- Make sure someone (if not yourself) is keeping an eye on continuity of style
- Be creative and thorough – people really notice the visual elements of performance
- When you're creating your costume pics on your design board -include hair and make-up as well. It may not be elaborate but make sure you don't get caught out the week before the show ('how shall I wear my hair?'). Find someone to cope with more elaborate hair & make-up – most people can't do it! Talk through each character and bear in mind the stage you are on and how it will be lit. Small stages do not need much make-up. Some don't really need any unless it is to create character. On the other hand – everybody needs a hairstyle!
Whatever you have in mind for the soundscape, at some point in the early rehearsal period make sure your sound engineer is on board and able to produce what you need. Do sit down and go through the script page by page – it's important that everyone has a bit of the director's time and attention. If you're using a lot of music/sound (I love having a soundtrack!) either source the music or sound effect yourself or describe it very well! Go through each piece and treat the sound like an extra character. Make sure the entrances and exits are ok! Involve your SM with all technical requirements. Everyone will need scripts marked up exactly the same (no, it's not the directors job to do that!)
Now I'm really stuck. This is one area that I can visualise (well, sort of), but I cannot give precise information to my lighting designer. If you have that problem then talk to your designer about the feeling or atmosphere you want to create. Luckily for me I've been working with someone for years who can interpret my 'slightly less than prescise' thoughts on lighting. However, before you do that go through the script and mark all the places where a lighting change takes place. I mark the script with a different colour marker for sound, lights, music – anything where I want to be reminded that someone other than 'acting' takes place. My scripts are actually a complete mess after the event, but they serve me well! Think about what it is you need from the lights and then talk through ideas with your designer. Lights are SO magical on stage – it really is worth seeking out someone who has a real feel for lighting.Even if your space/stage/budget doesn't offer the scope for West End type grandiose, stunning lights you can do a lot with some imagination! LED fairy lights (for example) – brilliant! In James & the Giant Peach I used green LED lights in a cotton bag to represent the magic beans (looked very magical on the 'pulse' setting). These days I just say 'I want this scene to be very creepy' and lighting magic happens!
The MOST IMPORTANT thing is not to leave all of this until the last month of your rehearsals! Get it underway as soon as you can – your technical crew and designers will appreciate being involved as soon as possible.
Phew! Now … onwards to that all impoprtant meeting with the folk who will produce, market and maybe even get you some sponsorship!
Next one ….
Offbeat Directing 7d: Infrastructure!


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- Montreat College Application for Admission
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BS 403S Leadership and Human Resource Management
A study of the leadership, technical, and legal issues confronting human resource managers in today's dynamic business environment. Includes an examination of principles and techniques utilized to effectively lead and manage the human resource/personnel staff function in modern business organizations.
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Montreat taught me strategy, to think outside the box, to be creative. And having a faith-based education and that background from Montreat helped a ton…it's helped carry me through this entire process. Montreat had a great impact on me and still does to this day.
Montreat taught me strategy, to think outside the box, to be creative. And having a faith-based education and that background from Montreat helped a ton…it's helped carry me through this entire process. Montreat had a great impact on me and still does to this day.


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Hi folks:
Please take a minute to visit the following Indiegogo campaign for author GB Banks. He's trying to fund the launch of his new novel, Revolution Z, and he has 8 days left to reach the modest $5000 goal. I discovered GB on Kboards and he always has some great, positive advice to give beginning writers so please – check out his campaign, and if you can, consider giving a donation. He's a fantastic guy and I want to do my part to help him get his book off the ground.
– Elle Chambers


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Cotabato City (June 26, 2015) – A total of 4,562 students in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) successfully graduated with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) certificates in vocational courses for the first semester of 2015.Datu Omar Shariff Jaafar, TESDA-ARMM executive director, said that this is part of the region's efforts to develop and improve the socio-economic status of residents in the region.
"There is no age limit as long as they want to be trained and we are encouraging out-of-school youth, persons with disability, and those who do not have a job (to enrol in TESDA courses)," Jaafar said.
Courses offered include automotive and land transport, computer systems servicing, electronics products assembly and servicing, dressmaking, healthcare services, pharmacy services, security services, 2D animation, visual graphic design, metals and engineering, bartending, bread and pastry production, food and beverage servicing, and front office services.
This year, TESDA-ARMM hopes to generate 24,500 tech-voc graduates with employable skills in the region. The TESDA central office has allotted P21.28 million to 2,358 slots under the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP), and P10.86 million for 1,203 slots under the Private Education Student Financial Assistance (PESFA) in the five provinces of ARMM.
TWSP and PESFA are scholarship programs currently implemented by TESDA that address equity and access issues by providing direct financial assistance to deserving technical-vocational education and training enrolees nationwide.
After a chosen training program is completed, a graduate will undergo competency assessment to determine if he can be certified as technical education and skills development specialist. Passers will be awarded TESDA National Certificate, or Certificate of Competency.
"After the 36 days of training, my welding skills will help increase my chances of getting a job," said Rhiden Aguilar, a 35 year old graduate of Shielded Metal Arc Welding Course.
Unemployed women can also avail of training that could earn extra income, or even launch a business enterprise, such as food processing. Fatima Mamaluba, a 51 year old housewife in Upper Capiton, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao said she learned a lot from her training in food processing.
TESDA programs are free of charge to out-of-school youth, persons with disabilities, as well as employed and unemployed residents of the region. (Bureau of Public Information)


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Keith Flint, the iconic lead singer of The Prodigy has…
George Michael
George Michael has died at his home at the age of 53. Firstly, he was a uniquely talented singer and songwriter. In addition, he was a scream inducing global pin-up, a cultural sensation and post-outing; a spiky, spliff totin' pop queen. I loved him.
I didn't always love George Michael. When Wham! first bounced into our living rooms via Top of the Pops in '81, it was wise to hide appreciation of the duo's tunes, bouffants and propensity for sporting biker jackets over bare chests. It wasn't just fear of being denounced a queer by one's peers, a love of Wham! was deeply uncool.
Rabid gibbons
Grandmaster Flash, Madness, Bad Manners and Jam were acceptable bands to chat about in the playground. Declaring love for Abba, Soft Cell or Wham! was an invitation to a kicking. One of the most evil stunts you could pull on a schoolmate in '82 was to write Wham! on their pencil case or satchel. You'd then publicise this to the rest of the class, who'd turn on the victim like rabid gibbons.
Prepared to suffer a bit of grief for my goth leanings, any appreciation of George and Andrew was queerly secretive. My younger sister, Julia, like many teen girls, had a loudly public crush on George Michael, so in '88, we went to Earl's Court to experience the Faith tour.
Whipped into a frenzy
Surrounded by thousands of fans, whipped into a frenzy by the man himself, I danced and screamed through that gig with such fervour that Julia was embarrassed by my exuberance. George was brilliant, truly exceptional live and he turned out the Wham! hits with such class, you forgot Andrew Ridgeley ever existed.
Sony have reissued a re-mastered, multi-formatted, luxe edition of Faith. Released in '87, one forgets how massive the album proved, grabbing the Number One spot both here and in the US. It spawned six Number One singles and sold 20m copies. The pop masterpiece was written, produced and arranged entirely by George Michael and garnered a clutch of awards and accolades.
Sheer genius
Listening to the album in its entirety the other night, it was hard not to be struck by its sheer genius. Featuring some of his greatest songs (Father Figure, One More Try, Faith, I Want Your Sex, Kissing a Fool) it really highlights how today's pop stars are often patchy, one dimensional and a depressing testament to marketing prowess.
George's musical talents were somewhat overshadowed by his personal life, so you can understand Sony's strategy in jogging everyone's memory with a re-issue. Some might say that George has tried the patience of even his most ardent fans by being a tad unpredictable. He wobbled often, but proved himself to be sensitive, chaotic, provocative and real.
Post-cottaging persona
It was George's post-cottaging persona that truly made me a fan. He's one of the best songwriters to grace the planet, but his fuck-you finger to the world, after his arrest in LA brought a standing ovation from yours truly. That's when appreciation turned to cheer-leading love.
'Outside' which came in the wake of his '98 public-loo-hoo-ha, proved an audio-visual high kick and punch. It's yet to be bettered as an artistic response to a public downfall. Lindsay, Britney, Miley- look and learn. It's a stormin' tune, with a sexy and political pop video. It still impresses by today's standards.
Rotating urinals
When the air con vents morph into mirror balls and the urinals spin to reveal a chrome and neon disco, with George in a Chips-esque police outfit? It's a triumphant victory over shame and humiliation.
Many people didn't appreciate his refusal to go weeping onto Oprah, or check into rehab, bleating hollow apologies. He refused to be a victim. That spiky, creative gesture proved a splendid apology for staying in the closet for so long. His hooded sexuality was utterly forgiveable, 'cause he 'came out' with such gusto.
Widespread mauling
In 2002, George released 'Shoot the Dog'. It led to a widespread mauling, mostly from the same people who didn't enjoy the humour of 'Outside'. The press and much of America were apoplectic. In case you missed it, the song (and promo) mocked Tony Blair as George Bush's poodle in a cartoon political satire. After stating the song wasn't anti-American, George admitted:
"My feelings about George Bush, however, are a little different. And I know I'm not alone in fearing his politics, and in hoping that our man Tony can be a calming and rational influence on him."
"On an issue as enormous as the possible bombing of Iraq, how can you represent us when you haven't asked us what we think? And let's be honest, we haven't even begun to discuss it as a society."
Razor sharp satire
In light of what we know now, and many of us suspected back then, his stance doesn't seem so ill-informed and self-serving, does it? If the press (and the Labour party) had listened to George Michael, rather than Alistair Campbell , there may have been less corpses coming back to Britain and filling the streets of Baghdad. But, why would they listen to a pot-smoking, cock-sucking, gay pop star, whose protest was nothing but attention seeking, eh?
Admittedly, 'Shoot the Dog' isn't his best effort, but the 2D video is a razor-sharp satire where George lampoons himself alongside others. Most critics riffed on George's apparent audacity and lack of political perception. They should have seen his bold and perceptive skills.
Eat. Your. Words. George was on the money. And the weed. And the cocaine. But, he was right.
Frolics in the fauna
My favourite George Michael moment was when the News of the World busted him cruising on Hampstead Heath. The publication photographed him returning to the car after frolics in the fauna and George's response remains one of my most cherished quotes of all time.
"Are you gay? No? Then fuck off! This is my culture! I'm not doing anything illegal. The police don't even come here any more."
Love. That. It was also rather camp and hilarious that following this exposé, he chose to set the record straight via a phone call to Richard & Judy. There's been a few drug-fuelled car mishaps. He now smokes only 'seven or eight' spliffs per day instead of the 25 he used to. All of which continues to make me a huge George Michael fan.
In 2006, when George was found slumped over the wheel of his car in London, after he was taken into custody for possession of a 'Class C' substance, he told reporters, "I won't make a record out of this one, even though it is tempting."
George Michael, a star, an artist, an occasional mess and a genius. Love. Your. Work.
First Published: HospitalClub.com


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Author: Sravisht Iyer
Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Date: November 2004
Take anything you learned about genetics in high school and throw it out the door. Incredibly, we may have to do so as we come to understand the prion theory of disease. Suggested to explain Mad Cow and other related diseases, prions are an earth-shaking idea, casting doubt on the status of DNA and RNA as the molecules of life. Not a bacteria, not a fungi, not a virus, but a protein, the prion is a novel infectious agent. The theory that a protein, a non-living object, can propagate disease has become a lightning-rod for controversy and has made the prion hypothesis one of the most hotly contested issues in molecular biology.
Mad cows, shedding sheep, and the birth of the prion theory
The prion theory of disease was created to explain Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), a group of fatal diseases that, as they progress, overwhelm neural cells and riddle the brain with sponge-like holes.
TSEs have been found in various species, including sheep, cows, elk and human beings. The disease was first observed by English shepherds in the 18th century when their sheep acted abnormally, rubbing up against any object they could find scraping off most of their skin and wool in the process. The disease, appropriately named scrapies, was devastating, often requiring the sacrifice of entire herds.
Human variants of TSEs are extremely rare, limited mainly to a neurodegenerative disease called Kuru found in cannibalistic Pacific Islanders, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a disorder diagnosed in one person per million. Both these diseases share common symptoms, including gait disorders, jerky movements, and dementia that lead to death months after the first appearance of symptoms.
Throughout the 1970s and much of the 1980s, the prevailing view was that TSEs were caused by a "slow virus," a virus that had a long incubation period. No such virus, however, had ever been purified from the brains of animals that had died from the disease.
When Stanley B. Prusiner, a researcher at the University of California at San Francisco, obtained a pure sample of infectious material, he began working to identify the disease causing agent. When Prusiner added enzymes that destroyed DNA and RNA, he found no change in infectivity. Adding protein-neutralizing enzymes to this cocktail, however, caused a sharp drop in infectivity. This observation set the stage for a theory of disease transmission that Prusiner admitted was "heretical" when he suggested it. In a 1982 Science paper, Prusiner introduced the world to the idea of a proteinaceous infectious particle or "prion" as he dubbed it.
Transformers! Robots in disguise: how prions infect the body
The idea that a protein alone could be an infectious agent remains a contentious issue.
"It has been an extremely difficult scientific question to nail down," said Byron Caughey, a senior investigator National Institutes of Health's Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana. "The complete nature of the theory remains unknown and some of the fundamental issues are unresolved."
Researchers believe that at the heart of TSEs is the conversion of a particular protein (known as the Prion-related Protein, or PrP) from a normal (PrPC) to an abnormal, "scrapie-cell" (PrPSC), shape. Both forms of the protein consist of the same building blocks but different final products just like the Transformers toys that could assume two shapes, one benign and the other aggressive. In the prion theory of disease, a PrPSC recruits and re-shapes a PrPC to match its own form, overwhelming neural cells that eventually explode and expose neighboring cells to more PrPSC. As more cells die of infection, they leave behind the spongy, holey brain that is a hallmark of TSEs.
Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde: How PrPs transform
Many lines of evidence support the belief that proteins alone are responsible for the transformation of PrPC to PrPSC. Among the most important are the facts that the gene encoding PrP can be found in many species (including humans) and that mice lacking this gene fail to succumb to the disease. Two significant observations can be made based on this data. Firstly, the fact that the body can produce PrP naturally means that no virus is required to supply the PrPSC that triggers the cascade leading to TSE. Secondly, the fact that PrPSC fails to infect animals lacking normal PrP suggests that the key to the disease is the interaction between the two forms of the protein.
Critics of the prion theory, however, were not satisfied by these experiments, claiming that samples of pure protein had never been shown to cause infection in live animals. The lack of such a finding left the door open for the theory that TSEs were caused by bacteria or viruses. In research published in the July 30, 2004 issue of Science, however, Prusiner's group showed, for the first time, that synthetically created proteins can infect mice.
"A great deal of evidence indicates that prions are composed only of protein," says the lead author of the study, Giuseppe Legname, a researcher working in the Prusiner lab, "but this is the first time that this has been directly shown in mammals. The challenge in the last few years has been to figure out exactly how to demonstrate that prions are made entirely of protein."
When they infected mice with synthetic protein, the researchers observed no signs of sickness for 300 days. They were ready to throw in the towel when, on the 380th day, one of the mice showed signs of sickness. By the 660th day, all infected mice had become ill.
While admitting these results represent a key step, Caughey cautioned that they must be taken with a grain of salt. Noting that the results could be attributed to low-level contamination, Caughey added, "In order to settle the question, they need to have all the controls and generate robust, highly-tittered infectious proteins."
Critics of prion diseases have also proposed their own theory to refute the protein-only view supported by Prusiner's lab. Among the most vociferous critics of prion disease has been Dr. Laura Manuelidis, a neurophysiologist at Yale School of Medicine. She has published several papers indicating an immune response in subjects suffering from CJD. This response, she argues, would not be present if the infectious agent was the body's own protein.
Another researcher who has presented dissenting views is Dr. Frank Bastian of Tulane University in New Orleans. Dr. Bastian found traces of a bacteria called spiroplasma in animals and humans suffering from TSE, and he believes that these bacteria, not aberrant proteins, are causing the disease.
Are we there yet? Questions yet to be answered
Recent work has found some key evidence to support the prion hypothesis. There remain, however, several crucial questions about the prion theory that must be answered before statements about it can be made with any certainty.
How is PrP[SUP]C[/SUP] converted to PrPSC? How do prions reach the brain after entering the body? How does PrPSC lead to neurodegeneration? What is the function of PrP in the body?
With so many key questions yet to be addressed, there is still a long way to go for the prion hypothesis, and controversy is sure to follow every step of the way.
References and Suggested Reading
Guyer RL. Prions: Puzzling Infectious Proteins. NIH - Research in the News. (http://science-education.nih.gov/nihHTML/ose/snapshots/multimedia/ritn/prions/prions1.html)
Taubes G. The Game of the Name is Fame. But is it Science? Discover. December, 1986. Reprinted at: http://www.slate.com/id/2096/sidebar/42786/.
Prusiner SB. (1995).The Prion Diseases. Scientific American. (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0009FD80-C3C6-1C5A-B882809EC588ED9F&pageNumber=1&catID=2)
Prusiner SB. (1982). Novel proteinaceous infectious particles cause scrapie. Science. 9;216(4542):136-44.
Legname G, Baskakov IV, Nguyen HB, et al. (2004). Synthetic Mammalian Prions. Science. 7;305:673-676.
Johnston N. (2004). Clearing Hurdles: Prions Know How to Do It. The Scientist. 18(11):18. (http://www.the-scientist.com/yr2004/jun/feature_040607.html)
Bastian FO, Foster JW. Spiroplasma SP. (2001). 16S rDNA in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and scrapie as shown by PCR AND DNA sequence analysis. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 60:613-620.
Aguzzi A, Polymenidou M. (2004). Mammalian Prion Biology: One Century of Evolving Concepts. Cell. 116(2):313-327. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6WSN-4BJK582-H/2/70143387edac888b362f04571b6a7988)


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Groups and Meetings
Meeting Room Availability
To find availability and pricing information for your meeting and event, please request a meeting quote online.
Facilities and Equipment
- Number of Meeting Rooms: 4
- Total Area of Meeting Space: 3520 sq ft
- Number of Sales and Meeting Professionals On-Site: 2
- Largest Room Capacity: 300
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Coffee, Tea, Decaf, Orange Juice, Danish, Muffins
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Choice of various omelettes and hot entree breakfast items
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Deli Buffet
Deli platter, cold salads, rolls, condiments, etc.
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Includes Room rental, breakfast, breaks and lunch with 4 choices
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Choice of hot luncheon items with salads
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In Beijing, American Michael Phelps has won his third swimming event in as many days, to tie the record for most career Olympic gold medals. Phelps now has nine in his impressive collection. As VOA's Jim Stevenson reports, the U.S. swimmer is nearly certain to surpass that total.
Michael Phelps has now reached a standard of Olympic excellence shared with American track legend Carl Lewis and another U.S. swimming great, Mark Spitz. Runner Paavo Nurmi of Finland (1920-1928) and Soviet Union gymnast Larissa Latynina (1956-1964) also won nine gold medals, each.
After winning the 200-meter freestyle race, Tuesday in Beijing, Phelps took a moment to reflect on his inclusion with some of the greatest athletes ever to compete at the Olympics.
"To be tied for the most Olympic golds of all time with those names in Olympic history - the Olympics have been around for so many years," Phelps said. "It is a pretty amazing accomplishment. I have been able to spend some time with [U.S. track legend] Carl Lewis. And I have exchanged a few words with [American Mark] Spitz here and there. It is pretty amazing."
Also amazing was his performance in his latest race, as he lowered his own world record in the event with a time of 1:42.96 minutes.
Park Tae-hwan trailed in the American's wake by nearly two full seconds (1:44.85). The South Korean touched the wall while Phelps was already looking at the overhead scoreboard. American Peter Vanderkaay claimed the bronze (1:45.14).
The victory avenged a difficult loss for Phelps at that same 200-meter distance, four years ago in Athens.
"I hate to lose," he said. "And, getting third in the 200-meter freestyle four years ago, you know when I do lose in a race like that, circumstance like that, it motivates me to swim faster."
Michael Phelps, 23, goes for two more gold medals, Wednesday, when he swims in the finals of the 200-meter butterfly and 800-meter freestyle relay. Phelps could haul in as many as eight gold medals in Beijing, which would also make him the most decorated athlete at a single games.