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Chinese and Living in Dublin?
Na fist contacted Easy Divorce in August 2012. She was a Chinese national resident in Ireland. Her husband Graeme was resident in Malaysia. There were no children to the marriage.
One of Na's concerns was attending court – her English while reasonable was not fantastic. We reassured her that her court appearance would be brief and that the questions asked of her would be very basic. To ensure that Na fully understood the procedure, we spent considerable time explaining all documentation to her.
As Graeme was residing outside the EU, Na first had to attend court to request permission to serve paperwork abroad. This is what's known as an ex-parte application. This occurred in October 2012. Permission was received in Late October and Na served the paperwork on Graeme at the start of November.
Graeme fully cooperated and returned the signed consent almost immediately. Na was able to apply for her court date in late November and her judgement hearing was scheduled for early February 2013.
Divorce was granted without issue. Easy Divorce fee for entire procedure was only €575.


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I've written this here, because I don't want to be censored there.
Bp has withdrawn, leaving only Kbok and Moonstorm.
After spending a few hours reviewing the ups and downs of giving someone scripting access, I've decided against it. It'd require an immense amount of documentation and support on my part, and it'd be really easy for a scripter to accidentally break something permanently that would require an administrator to fix. Due to the lack of interest from most people in continuing this game's development, I think it's best if we just stick with the current tools the game provides, and having designers and artists pushing the content forward as best they can, without scripting changes.
That being said, I invite Kbok and Moonstorm to join our staff, pending Hardcz's approval.
Kbok, if you're still interested in working on the game without scripting access (being a designer or tester instead), please let us know.
Moonstorm - The game is certainly desperate for new art. If you're still interested, please post here, and Hardcz can give you access to the Designers forum so you can start getting involved. Also let us know if you're interested in being a Tester as well?
Due to the disputes between Hardcz and Blink, and the absence of Blink to resolve these disputes, I'm putting Hardcz in charge. This means he will be acting as Lead Designer until such time as he doesn't want to, or finds someone else to fill the position. He will also be in charge of any changes to the staff, as he sees fit.
Hopefully this will encourage the future growth of the game!
Here is my thoughts:
I withdrew, that is correct. Why? Because you fail to see how ignorant and worthless CZ is. You couldn't assure me his role wouldn't be equal to or lesser then mine, so I didn't want it. You tried to double talk me into it by saying neither Cz or Blink would have lead designer rights, but when it comes down to him wanting to talk to me, like a job interview, forget it. I knew what was going on.
You've also made yourself as a joke for even trying to spin it as Blink being absent. Yes, he's very very busy with school and that is more important. But he's done way more for Shilla(making an area for people to train in), then CZ has done(horrible weapon and armor forges). And when Blink did that, where the fuck were you CZ? Playing WoW? And now.. you get full control? Go fuck yourself.
And if anyone has gone awol the most, it's you. So for punishing Blink for his absence is hypocritical, and it's sad. He's given the most and understands Shilla better then 99% of the player base. Including you, including CZ.
I'll give you credit for creation of Shilla, but player/admin relationships you fail at. Starting from Napp and ending with this, you've failed.
I'm done with this. Have fun.

subset: commoncrawl


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PerformancesSeptember 2012
This event was presented in the past.
Ten Blocks on the Camino Realby Tennessee Williams
directed by Davis Robinson
Beau Jest Moving TheatreBoston, MA
Ten Blocks on the Camino Real
A fantasy play featuring virtuoso guitar music.
Masks, marionettes, and a mariachi band enliven Ten Blocks on the Camino Real in this fun extravaganza from Boston's Beau Jest Moving Theatre.
Director Davis Robinson, having staged two Festival world premieres by Williams (The Remarkable Rooming-House of Madame LeMonde and American Gothic), returns with an exciting production -- the first ever to follow Williams' stage directions.
Ten Blocks is a fantasy play, written in the 1940's at the peak of Tennessee's creative powers. The play was never produced, but was expanded for Broadway as the more convoluted and realistic Camino Real. This shorter, earlier version was meant to be an impressionistic melding of action, poetry, music, masks and dance that Tennessee believed captured the world we live in with a new kind of "plastic theater."
"I tried to convey something wild and moving,
like clouds changing shape in a gale, or the dissolving images of a dream."
- Tennessee Williams
Beau Jest Moving Theatre is one of New England's premiere theater companies, known for their imaginative productions and a joyous physical acting style.
Winners of the 1995 Boston Theater Critics Circle Award and the 2010 Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Award, they have long been recognized for their creative approach to theater.
Whether taking a full year to create an original work, or interpreting an existing script, the company brings their trademark blend of physical imagery and innovative staging to every show.
Beau Jest is an artist-run organization with a 26 year history of exploration and investigation into the role of the actor as creator, and the uses of movement and text to spark theatrical immediacy.
"This sort of freedom is not chaos.
On the contrary, it is the result of painstaking design, and
in this play I have given more conscious thought and
attention to construction
than I have in any work before."
- Tennessee Williams
Ten Blocks on the Camino Real
directed by Davis Robinson
produced by Beau Jest Moving Theatre
Larry Coen* - Gutman
Robert Deveau - Casanova
Lauren Hallal - The Gypsy
Jordan Harrison - The Guitarist/Baron/Quixote
Kathleen Lewis - Esmerelda
Ellen Powers - Street Sweeper/Sancho
Nick Ronan - Kilroy
Robin JaVonne Smith - Officer/Street Sweeper/Singer
Lisa Tucker* - Marguerite/Madrecita
Santiago Cardenas - Guitar
Adam Schutzman - Musical Saw/Bass/Foley
Mark Fredericks - Percussionist
Creative Team
Davis Robinson - Director
Colin Dieck - Stage Manager
Fabian Aguiar - Costume Designer
Don Dinicola - Composer
Judy Gailen - Set Designer
Libby Marcus - Mask & Puppet Designer
Karen Perlow - Lighting Designer
* Member of Actor's Equity Association


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How to install SteelConnect 2.0 & SteelConnect 2.0 manufacturing progress
Jason has notice some minor issues while installing SteelConnect 2.0 onto different Pebble Steel as we have two Pebble Steel Brushed and black matte with slightly different in the lug measurements. Wondering if you had the same? However, Not to worry as we had found solution for the issues we come across. This will not be a problem at all. We just need a little DIY on it. We have prepare a video to show you how these can be easily solved.
The installation video might be lengthy, we've provide the shortcut timeframe into different issues incase you want to skip the long winded part. The whole video is taken with the exact same piece of SteelConnect 2.0 PVD Black Matte. (Please pardon us for the location of shooting as we only have very little time to use the Pebble Steel. We need to get it back from our manufacturer and return it to them so that they can proceed with manufacturing process.)
Timeframe 00:00 - 00:39 - How to install SteelConnect 2.0?
Timeframe 00:40 - 02:00 - My SteelConnect 2.0 is too lose and caused rattle, what to do?
Timeframe 02:02 - 03:00 - The screw bar can't get through the other end of SteelConnect 2.0, what to do?
Timeframe 03:05 - End - How to remove 22mm screw bar from SteelConnect 2.0?
***Caution: If you do not manage to screw it in, please do not force it in. Try to use 22mm screwbar instead, it will not screw in as deep, but it could nicely grab between SteelConnect and Pebble Steel. It will either be very hard or even impossible for you to remove it if you use the wrong screwdriver. Use the LEFT screwdriver and avoid the Right one.
Both Flathead Screw Driver are 1.4mm, however there is a different in the thickness. The flat head screw is very thin and fragile. You will end up damaging the slot of the screw, if you apply the wrong screwdriver, . The recommended screwdriver is 1.4mm with the narrower version on the left.
**We would like to clarify as this problem is not caused by Pebble Steel as Pebble Steel does not need the precision for its straps and awesome apps. Furthermore, It does not need to adapt to any other 3rd party supporting accessories. Therefore, we would love to provide the above solution to adapt to all differences. We still whole heartedly support the awesome Pebble Steel as one of the most amazing creation.
SteelConnect 2.0 Updates
We will officially end our relationship with the first manufacturer right after this second batch. They had find it difficult to cover the high defect percentage and can hardly meet our order request plus all the hard time. The new manufacturer will only start manufacturing process on September as their machine are currently broke down. However they are using 5-axis CNC machines and had manage to cut down to 2 process instead of 8. This help cutting down the manufacturing time. Therefore we will be able to fulfil all SteelConnect 2.0 PVB Black Matte by Mid of September and to have ready stock for online purchase on October. However a pre-order campaign for SteelConnect 2.0 will start early September at the current retail price(very limited)to thank our early supporter who are still unable to order it from us. We would need to re-adjust to a new retail price later on due to the higher manufacturing cost of the new manufacturer.
Thank you again for your wonderful support and confidence towards SteelConnect. We are giving our best to serve you the best.


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Doing my post-graduation with Indira was a life-changing experience for me. Having some experience and finding it difficult to cope up with, I found the course to be of an exceptional quality and easy to follow. Being an international business student and having a chance to travel to Dubai for the first time added to my anxiety. The programme is designed and administered so seamlessly that I not only felt 'the warm welcome' but, my faculty and peers became a support system throughout my journey in ISBS as well as a network for life.The programme has a strong International focus where students learn business principles relevant for global world.I thoroughly enjoyed the ISBS experience and will cherish not only the knowledge I gained but also the friendships that I made.The PGDM experience has definitely exceeded my expectations and in my opinion it is not just a step in the right direction but a leap towards your professional goals.Thank you Indira for a great placement.
Thanks and regards
Ambar Kumar


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Warning: romantic fiction is complex and varied and the author will make sweeping generalizations out of sheer necessity.
Character stereotypes are the staple of any fiction: the bitter disillusioned detective, the young rebel rallying against a repressive regime, the desperate mother trying to save her children, and so on. The stereotypes exist because real world is infinitely more complex than fiction and by distilling characters to a readily recognizable type, the author allows individual reader to fill in the blanks according to their own life experience.
This article will seek to examine one such stereotype, a Byronic hero (from this point on referred to as Alphahole, because it's trendy,) as an effective love interest type in romantic fiction, when presented as subset of damaged hero trope.
Definition of Terms
HEA – Happily Ever After. A short hand for happy ending, where the two people in love live happily ever after.
HFN – Happily for Now. A short hand for two people in love are happy for now, even though the future is not 100% certain. HFN is typically present in a series fiction when individual books within the series end on a happy note or with a hope of further development of the relationship but the series as a whole hasn't ended.
Romantic Fiction – for the purposes of this article, Romantic Fiction is defined as encompassing the traditional romance (HEA) where the relationship is the central theme of the story, series romance (HEA or HFN,) and fiction with strong romantic elements where the relationship is a significant part of the story and HEA or HFN is achieved within the individual book or series overall.
Average Romance Reader – average romancer reader, like unicorns, exists mostly in theory. Romantic fiction is a truly diverse field and it offers something for everyone. Some people enjoy forced seduction, some abhor it. Some people prefer victim-heroines in need of saving and some prefer savior-heroines who rise to the challenge. When mentioning average romance reader, this article attempts to hit somewhere in the majority of romantic fiction readership.
Definition of Alphahole
Traditional Byronic hero comes to us courtesy of Lord Byron, who was quite emo and had a rather serious opinion of himself.
That man of loneliness and mystery,
Scarce seen to smile, and seldom heard to sigh— (I, VIII)
He knew himself a villain—but he deem'd
The rest no better than the thing he seem'd;
And scorn'd the best as hypocrites who hid
Those deeds the bolder spirit plainly did.
He knew himself detested, but he knew
The hearts that loath'd him, crouch'd and dreaded too.
Lone, wild, and strange, he stood alike exempt
From all affection and from all contempt: (I, XI)
There is a lovely Wikipedia article on the subject, if you are interested. The modern definition of alphahole has evolved, but it does retain some of its primary characteristics. Modern alphahole is generally aware he isn't a good guy. He is, before all else, competent. He excels at his chosen profession, whether it is making billions, being a Duke, or running a ragtag crew of immortal werewolves trying to guard the world from horrible evil. By extension, alphahole is often rich, because he manages his money well. Alphahole delivers. If he invites you to dinner, you can bet your life that he has made a reservation; if your car breaks down, he will either fix it himself (points for additional competence) or make a mechanic appear nearly instantly out of thin air; if a monster is demolishing downtown, alphahole will run toward it; and if a sick child requires rare medicine that isn't available at any pharmacy nearby, alphahole will find it. Alphahole has no chill and takes no crap.
Because of his superhuman competency, alphahole is often a leader, both admired and sometimes feared by those under his command. He expects to be obeyed. When he isn't obeyed, he gets put out and forces compliance. He is arrogant and ruthless, sometimes cruel, seemingly unfeeling, and at the onset of the story, he often treats heroine with disdain and attempts to order her around. In most cases, the heroine reacts poorly to his attempts to control her, which puzzles, infuriates, and intrigues him.
"They were also invincibly arrogant, a characteristic fueled by the fact that they were, by and large, as talented as they thought themselves, a situation which engendered in less-favored mortals a certain reluctant respect. Not that Cynsters demanded respect – they simply took it as their due"
― Stephanie Laurens, Devil's Bride
Alphahole usually has few emotional attachments, although he may be fiercely loyal to people under his command and caring with his family members, the fact that heroine typically learns only after she put in the requisite amount of work. More on that later. Alphahole also regards love as weakness or may believe himself undeserving or incapable of love. Like Lord Byron, alphahole does indulge in occasional angst.
"Love is a terrible weakness. It gives your enemies a perfect target, clouds your judgement, makes you reckless… and that's on a good day."
― Jeaniene Frost, Twice Tempted
"I've got nothing to offer you, Adrien." These were not the opening remarks to a proposal.
It must be said that Alphaholeness is an emotional state and isn't gender specific. Kate Minola, played by Shirley Henderson in a modern retelling of Taming of the Shrew by BBC, is a spectacular female alphahole and her love story with Petruchio (Rufus Sewell) is wonderfully satisfying. Because the majority of alpaholes in romantic fiction happen to be male, we will continue to refer to alphahole as "he" for the sake of convenience; however, a reversal of roles would be not only welcome, but highly anticipated by this author.
To effectively use alphahole as a hero, alphahole's desire to control his environment and the heroine, his ruthlessness, and his utter lack of tact must present an insurmountable barrier to the relationship at the beginning of the book. This barrier is often made worse by the social gap. He is an immortal angel-like being, she is a human vampire hunter far beneath his notice (Angel's Blood, Nalini Singh.) He is a notorious Marquis of Dain, off limits to any respectable woman and she is a perfectly proper daughter from a good family (Lord of Scoundrels, Loretta Chase.) He is a billionaire and she is a lowly secretary. (Almost every Harlequin Presents ever.) He is deeply in the closet and is attracted to an openly gay man. (Adrien English series, Josh Lanyon.) A properly set up barrier will make the reader of romantic fiction rub her hands in anticipation and possibly even giggle in public and then have to deal with odd looks. The higher is the barrier, the greater is the emotional payoff.
It must be said that this particular set up isn't unique to romantic fiction – as defined by this article – but is particular to all popular fiction at large, from the story of a lowly swineherd who wins a princess to the story of a lowly space smuggler who wins a princess. Or a lowly space slave, who – yet again – marries a queen and then turns to the Dark Side. Sadly, the latter two stories can no longer be classified as HEA or HFN.
The social gap is often used by critics of the genre who point out that women in the romantic fiction are often presented standing below alphaholes on social ladder. The argument is that it is demeaning to women. The criticism is fair; however, one is obligated to point out that in fiction traditionally advertised to men, such as Westerns and male PI mysteries, the hero is often below heroine on the social ladder. For example, Robert Parker's Spencer is a self-educated, extensively well-read man who frequently quotes Frost. Spenser falls in love with Susan, who, although originally a guidance counselor, goes on to get her PhD from Harvard and in general displays the manners of a woman who would typically be out of Spencer's league. In terms of classical noir, Spencer is a gumshoe detective and Susan is a classy dame. Similarly, the lone gunfighter often marries a rich rancher's daughter.
This construct has less to do with preconceived gender roles and more to do with the story arc. A hero or heroine's journey must be a climb or a descent, otherwise the story has no momentum. Since we are dealing with fiction that, by definition, requires a happy ending, that journey, at some point, must become a climb, which means the point of view character has to start on the bottom and work their way up. Sometimes that climb takes them upward on their social ladder.
Please note the liberal use of pink and hearts on the chart. This is in case someone gets confused and decides that we're, in fact, having a serious discussion of the literary trope. Sadly, since we are discussing romantic fiction, which is marketed to women, we are required to use pink hearts and flowers, for the fear that someone might think romance is a serious genre.
Romances sales in 2013: $1.8 billion.
(This is usually the point when people not familiar with the genre say things like "Sex sells!" Sex does sell, just like action sells and there are books within the genre that sell primarily based on their sexual shock value. The key for the overall success of romantic fiction isn't sex, however. Some romance books feature no or very mild sexual content. The sales are so big because people tend to read for emotional payoff. Romantic fiction understands emotion. Pure romance succeeds on the strength of character conflict alone. No other genre makes such demands on characterization. Dismissing it as mommy porn, bodice rippers, women's genre – there is something wrong with women? – doesn't diminish the impact of the genre. It simply indicates the critic's unwillingness or inability to understand why it is successful.)
As you can see from above chart, alphahole's controlling tendencies push him to the very edge of a-hole spectrum. Any more a-hole and we risk entering Shades of Gray territory. Please note that caretaker hero type falls closer to alphahole on the a-hole spectrum than to beta male. Caretaker hero is driven by an overwhelming urge to protect and take care of the heroine and in the name of keeping her safe, he might exhibit serious alphahole tendencies, as demonstrated by Edward in Twilight series.
Alphahole is not universally beloved by romance community. Far from it. However, an average romance reader may be willing to tolerate an alphahole, unless alphahole breaks some unspoken rules:
- He must never physically abuse heroine. Such abuse includes striking the heroine with intent to punish; depriving heroine of food, water, and shelter; and rape (all instances of sexual intercourse to which the heroine did not specifically agree to.) Sex with unconscious/inebriated beyond being responsive heroine counts as rape. She must be conscious and give consent.
- Self-defense: cases when the heroine was the aggressor and initiated a fight. For example, when the heroine cuts off hero's head in Lothaire by Kresley Cole, it is understandable that hero may take steps to avoid reoccurrence of this unfortunate incident in the future.
- Violence in the line of duty: instances when violence was delivered as part of the job-related activities and the heroine is capable of defending herself. If an alphahole is an assassin and the heroine is a bodyguard, his initial attempt to kill her before the relationship is established is exempt from no violence rule; however, it is still subject to groveling clause. More on that later.
- Violence is inflicted in the binds on consensual sexual play to which both parties agreed prior to initiating sexual acts. In other words, if there is a safe word and the heroine is capable of saying it, the alphahole is probably in the clear.
- He must never kill or willingly injure children and defenseless pets. Typical Alphahole is not a psychopathic serial killer. A serial killer is a tough sell, and alphahole must exhibit redeeming qualities. This is an absolute must.
- At the conclusion of the romance, alphahole must recognize the heroine as his emotional equal. The majority of romantic fiction advocates for women's rights, not against them, and while the heroine may not match alphahole in financial or physical arena, she must absolutely match him emotionally. Failure to acknowledge equality of the heroine will crush the HEA or HFN.
A note to exceptions: as already mentioned, romantic fiction is a varied field. There are some instances where physical abuse between hero and heroine is portrayed. The most notable of these is probably the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. The series centers on Claire, a British nurse who travels back through time to Scotland of 1743, and Jamie, a Scottish laird with whom she falls in love. (It must be pointed out that Jamie doesn't meet the criteria for an alphahole hero.) At a certain point, Jamie whips Claire with a strap. This is done because Claire disobeyed him, endangered herself, and placed him into position where he would lose respect of his men unless he demonstrated his control by punishing her in the manner common to the times. It must be said that Jamie's emotional state is very clear at the time of the act – it is the very last thing he wants to do, he derives no personal satisfaction from it, and he does it out of desperation. The reactions to this scene among romantic fiction readership were strong and extremely varied.
Some people choose to include the fourth rule, which dictates that alphahole must never be emotionally abusive to the heroine. Unfortunately, due to the very nature of this hero type, he must initially treat the heroine with a certain amount of derision and disrespect. The degree to which readers will tolerate this behavior varies from story to story. For example, readers of Motorcycle Club subgenre in general have a greater tolerance for emotional abuse than readers of regency romances. Which isn't to say that a cut direct delivered at just the right time is any less damaging than a member of a motorcycle gang threatening to sell the heroine to another biker for some perceived disrespect. Even so, titles like Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley demonstrate that even in the environment skewed toward giving maximum power to men, a heroine still can have agency.
When does this disdain and attempt at control become abuse? It becomes abuse when an individual reader is uncomfortable with it. The field of romantic fiction is vibrant and tends to push the envelope quite often. However, it also tends to police itself through the use of reader reviews. For example, the recent attempt at writing a romance between one of the US Presidents and his slave was met with a nearly universal condemnation. A slave cannot give her consent and therefore anything the hero does, no matter how sweet and gentle or seemingly welcome, is rape. Romance community, as a whole, rejected it.
Because of the subjective nature of fiction, each individual book must be evaluated on its own merits. Some books follow the above criteria, some do not. The unspoken rules listed above are general guidelines that are known to make alphaholes more attractive to the majority of romantic fiction readers.
Does the emotional disdain set women up to be more accepting of abuse? The glib answer to this is "no more than watching James Bond films trains men to sexually harass their boss' secretary or shoot his rivals." The more serious answer is that an average romance reader is capable of distinguishing between reality and fiction just as most people find the warning of "cape doesn't enable the wearer to fly" unnecessarily when they are buying a Superman costume. To truly understand the impact of this trope, one must read to the very end of the book.
Anatomy of the Alphahole
To conquer an alphahole, one must first understand the alphahole. In real life a pair of well adjusted, conscientious parents can sometimes produce a monstrously sociopathic child, because real life doesn't come with any explanations. But we expect our fiction to be logical. In fiction, normal people don't become alphaholes. To make alphahole palatable to the reader, romantic fiction often gives them a reason for their infuriating behavior. Discovering this reason is like getting a key to the alphahole's heart. (Were you expecting the actual anatomy? Yes, figurative speaking does sometimes disappoint.) Most aphaholes become so due to one of two reasons: trauma or inability to relate.
Trauma. Alphahole usually falls into category of Damaged Hero. To be frank, most heroes fall into this category, simply because life is hard and then it kills you. But alphahole has typically undergone a serious trauma that has given him a drive to succeed and forced him to armor himself against the world. Such traumas can take many forms. Childhood abuse or neglect is a common device. For example, the already mentioned Sebastian from Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase was hated by his father for looking too much like his Italian mother and having "grossly overlarge nose" and "ill-proportioned limbs." Bones of Jeanine Frost's Grave series is forced to work as a prostitute until he is shipped off to an Australian penal colony. Failure to protect a loved one is another common motive. PTSD, watching your parents being slaughtered as a child and then slowly going blind as adult (Dark Lover, J.R. Ward), growing up in abject poverty watching one's siblings starve, losing your wife in childbirth, all those traumas can hammer an otherwise sensitive man into an alphahole shape.
Traumatized, aggressive, scarily competent, has no chill, thinks love is a weakness… Who else do we know like that?
Inability to relate. This subset of alphaholes is unable to form normal human attachments due to the unique nature of their upbringing or some character trait that makes them radically different from a typical human. Simon Wolfgard of Anne Bishop's Others series is the perfect example of this alphahole. He is Other, one of the old powers that rule the world and prey on humans. To him, human means weak, stupid, and, often, food. His initial conversation with human Meg consist of orders, declarative statements, and prohibitions. Frequently she has no idea why he is upset and he isn't great at communication, because he simply never had to interact with a human with such frequency.
Another good example is Piers from When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James. Piers is an exceptional surgeon, a genius, and that genius sets him apart from most of his peers, who can't match his intellect and do not understand the driving force behind what to them is an unusual pursuit for a man of his station. He is uninterested in society, hampered by chronic pain, and chooses to sequester himself far away from ballrooms and polite society. It must be said that Piers is less of an alphahole and more of a crankyhole hero, and his crankiness is oddly endearing. (A delightful book overall.) As has already been stated, the extent of alphaholeness is in the eye of the beholder.
Mechanics of the Story
We now established that a typical alphahole, controlling, rude, and frightening creature that he is, is also a damaged one, unable or unwilling to relate to the rest of humanity because of trauma or unique circumstances of his background. It follows that, as a proper damaged hero, he must star in a story of healing and redemption. That is the crux of the alphahole trope. By refusing his control, by challenging him, the heroine shakes the very foundation of the stone fort which the alphahole has built around himself. The balance of his world is shifted. He may become unhinged. He may think he hates the heroine, but the more they spar, the more he becomes drawn to her, until the attraction is irresistible. He begins to have feelings. Alphaholes fear that kind of feelings the way most of us fear tigers.
By now, if the story arc is done properly, the alphahole is riding the roller coaster of emotion downward, plunging toward falling head over heels in love. In this agitated state, alphahole may do rash things in a subconscious attempt to sabotage the budding relationship. Usually this is the point where the Incident occurs, something so damaging or unfair to the heroine that the average romance reader becomes infuriated on her behalf and wishes for cosmic mental powers with which they could reach through the book and wallop the alphahole upside the head. For more on this, please see Mr. Darcy's packing off his BFF and whisking him off to London, therefore ruining the romance between his BFF and Elizabeth's sister.
The alphahole soon realizes the fact that the heroine is his sun, his moon, and starry sky and without her he dwells in darkness and attempts to rectify the situation, therefore beginning the second part of the story arc known as the Grovel. During the Grovel, the hero – for he is now moved from the alphahole stage to the alpha male – is doing everything in his power to apologize. He may resort to public displays of humility or doing outrageous things to improve the heroine's position, known sometimes as the Big Gesture. He most certainly will beg or stop just a hair short of begging. He directs all of his drive and his superhuman competence toward proving himself worthy of the heroine's affections.
Any average heroine would be instantly swayed by the sheer intensity of his efforts. However, for romance to be satisfying, this process cannot be one sided. The stronger is the alphahole as a character, the more interesting the heroine has to be. She must be fiercely independent to truly resist the alphahole, yet at the same time also compassionate enough to recognize the issues in his past. A character like that usually emerges out of the crucible of adversity. She must have her own flaws and problems, and even though she is usually determined to overcome them on her own, the alphahole must offer something to her in return for his redemption. Love is the essential part of that something, but love alone isn't enough. Cutting out your own heart and sending it to the object of your affection is very dramatic and makes average romance reader go "awww" because average romance reader is surprisingly bloodthirsty. But alphahole soon realizes that a true romance requires more than a severed heart. Especially if you are a powerful vampire and will grow it back. (Lothaire, Kresley Cole.)
"It only takes one person to love, but it takes two to make a relationship work."
― Jeaniene Frost, Twice Tempted
This kind of heroine is made of sterner stuff. It must be said that the amount of groveling in this case is directly proportional to the severity of the incident.
We do apologize for the appalling lack of pastel pink in the above graph. We got tired of wrestling with MS Word's predetermined styles and this was the best we could do.
To truly win the heroine's forgiveness, the alphahole must not only grovel, he must demonstrate his willingness to act like a human being – to be able to participate in the relationship as an equal and active partner. He must make a statement, not only in words but through his behavior and actions, indicating that he has met his match, in both senses of that word. He must make a place in his life for the heroine, structuring his world around her. He must allow himself vulnerability.
For an interesting treatment of this plot line, this author highly recommends reading Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase. It would be a crime to ruin the surprise of this masterful historical, but guns are involved.
Following the above-outlined plot clearly indicates the transfer of power. At first, all of the power seems to rest with the alphahole. He is the aggressor, and the incident is the ultimate expression of his power. Darcy is forceful. He had the will to force his best friend to abandon the woman who clearly fascinated him, while also denying his emotional interest in Elizabeth. Edward Lewis (Pretty Woman) is rich. He offered to put Vivian into an apartment so she could become his kept woman, avoiding the issue of his growing emotional attachment. The Beast is physically frightening, and so he terrifies Belle.
However, when this ultimate expression of power has its intended result and pushes the heroine away, the alphahole realizes that his hard-won solitude brings him nothing but misery. He had someone wonderful in his life and he hurt her/him. He caused an injury. He feels guilt. He wants to make things right. At this moment, the perceived power of the alphahole is transferred to the heroine. Her emotional wellbeing becomes central to the alphahole existence. It is his redemption. He is redeemed not because he wants the heroine, saves her brother, offers to marry her, or defends her from the wraiths from outer space, but because he develops the ability to put someone else's feelings above his own. He is redeemed because he has shown that he is not a selfish asshole. A powerfully executed redemption will have the alphahole sacrifice himself. (Angel's Blood, Nalini Singh.)
It can be argued that this transformation is not truly altruistic. After all, most alphaholes still hope that the heroine will take them back, so they are getting love in return. Some are willing to make only small changes; others throw themselves into redemption expecting nothing in return. Each individual book will vary in its execution of this trope.
If the alphahole redeems himself, heroine grants him forgiveness, which once again redistributes the power. Now both parties are truly equal, achieving the ultimate requirement for this particular HEA. Not all romances featuring alphahole follow this dynamic, but it is by far the most effective construct that wrings maximum emotional impact out of this character type.
Doesn't this make the plot predictable? Yes and no. This plot construct and this particular hero type had given us many hours of enjoyment in many incarnations, even outside romantic fiction genre, from most obvious, such as Beauty and the Beast, to the subtler, like the story of Han Solo and Princess Leia. It is a plot of countless romantic novels and many films, popping up in unexpected places. Romantic genre is the kind of fiction where knowing the outcome of the relationship isn't the goal. It is the journey that makes the average romance reader's day with all of its magic and mayhem.
And there you have it. We hope you enjoyed this foray into analysis of the alphahole hero type as a subset of damaged hero. It must be said that alphahole is only one of the hero types present in romantic fiction. It has something for everyone: alpha women, beta men, gamma men, nice guys, antiheroes, princes, damaged geniuses, competent soldiers, strong and silent types, victims in need of rescuing types, friends becoming lovers, enemies becoming lovers, people in arranged marriage falling in love, men who love women, men who love men, women who love women, women who love aliens from outer space, men and women for whom happiness means more than one partner… The variety is endless. We hope you will find something you will enjoy in this wonderful genre and we provided the list of works mentioned in this article for your convenience.
Works Cited
Kristen Ashley's Motorcycle Man
Anne Bishop's Others series
Lord's Byron's Corsair.
Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels
Kresley Cole's Lothaire
Jeaniene Frost's Twice Tempted
Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series
Eloisa James' When Beauty Tamed the Beast
Josh Lanyon's A Dangerous Thing
Stephanie Laurens' Devil's Bride
Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series
Nalini Singh's Angel's Blood
J.R. Ward's Dark Lover
Comments are locked because I'm on a deadline. That means Susan would be checking them and
I would have to pay her to moderate. She is already checking the email. I'm not made of money.
Love you, bye.


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To create viable coffee-based farming systems for 80,000 farmers in the region, with a particular focus on women and youth.
Uganda and Kenya
The coffee sector in Kenya and Uganda is dominated by a patriarchal culture. The women and youth who do most of the actual work benefit very little from the proceeds to sustain their livelihoods.
Hivos and ECOM Agroindustrial Corporation in East Africa have teamed up in a public‑private partnership. ECOM is one of the world's largest commodity trading and processing companies in coffee and provides technical support to smallholder coffee farmers. Together we will create viable coffee-based farming systems by intensifying and expanding ongoing support to women and youth coffee farmers using Good Agricultural Practices and climate adaptation methods. Farming households will also be helped to diversify their income through commercial dairy and biogas activities.


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The iB&X way
Together with other safety ambitious organizations we want to create an incident and pollution free industry. And this is how we do it the iB&X way.
Personal, smart & responsible
The people at iB&X can be characterized as personal, smart and responsible. We like to have a personal connection with the people we work with, understand their daily challenges and their future goals. Together with them we feel the responsibility of seeing everybody go home safely after each working day. This calls for smart solutions and smart decisions.
Best practice, standards & control
A best practice is a proven method to do something. We use our 20+ years of experience and ongoing projects to keep improving the best practice for the key HSE processes. We experienced that by standardizing these processes, they can be controlled and compared, leading to continuous improvement.
Connecting & collaborating
Over the years we developed a partnership with key players in the industry. This means that we collaborate where ever we can, to work on our mutual goal of Zero incidents. In our online HSE community, we connect people in the industry by sharing ideas, experiences and successes on how to further improve.
Dynamic factor in a changing industry
We find ourselves in a dynamic line of business. From an HSE perspective the view on key safety processes has changed from a tool to organize complex processes, via a means to comply to laws and governmental rules into an opportunity to deliver a solid contribution to sustainability and operational ambitions. Our challenge is to keep up with these dynamics, enabling the industry to continuously work towards our mutual goal.


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This sounds to me like something out of Winnie the Pooh. This is delightful dialogue.
I didn't have my glasses on....
at the library
tucked into the honeycombs
reading and chatting
grandie r
sees a little girl
who wanders over
and she says to her,
"i'm four and i have some friends from school
but i just need one more and it should be you."
she answers,
"okay, i'm four too and i'm mira,"
then she climbs on in
and that is how they became new friends.
"every new friend is a new adventure…
the start of more memories."
-patrick lindsay


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Are You A Smoker In Need Of Life Cover?
Smoking kills. That is a truth we could not ignore. It is quite susceptible to coronary condition. Are you a smoker? Have you make inquiries on life insurance quotes for smokers? Are you satisfied with the results that you have received from their feedback? I believe not. Do not ever before consider existing to the life repayment service provider about your practice, it's really inefficient because they require a health examination or even request medical history. Just be honest regarding the smoking routine and they will give you a factor to consider to validate your claims.
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High death price or sudden death
Prone to conditions
Involves in high danger tactics like horseback or motorbike using; flying an plane or various other aviation-related tactics.
When you make an inquisition about life insurance quotes for smoker as well as obtain individual life insurance, you offer solution to detailed clinical and way of life inquiries. Such as age, height, weight, case history, profession, driving record, your household wellness past and also other personal practices like smoking cigarettes. These solutions offer insurance coverage firms with a concept of your total health. Based upon your reactions, insurance policy companies might request for additional clinical info or tests prior to considering your application for coverage.
The repayment provider will certainly classify as smoker, chewing tobacco customer, it could be possible for you to lower your life insurance costs by stopping. After you have continued to be smoke-free or giving up to smoke for a while period specified by your insurance coverage business, you could qualify for the lower, non-smoker premium. Keeping a healthy and balanced weight, practicing good health routines and seeking routine medical attention can be vital in reducing your repayment expenses.
Smokers who gave up highly decrease their threat for condition and also sudden death, improve their wellness as well as top quality of life, and also enhance their life expectancy. Giving up tobacco results in both prompt as well as long-term wellness perks. While wellness benefits are greater for cigarette smokers which stop at earlier ages, cessation is advantageous whatsoever ages. Giving up cigarette smoking is the single crucial activity that smokers could take to shield their own as well as their family members' health and wellness. For expecting women smokers giving up smoking greatly boosts the opportunities that they will bring to life a healthy and balanced child.
There were 2 alternatives to choose from insurance policy: the term life insurance and also the irreversible insurance coverage. It will depend to the financial status as well as demands of the policy owner. Better consult your household first. Opinions are likewise essential specifically when deciding that you want life insurance cover for smokers.


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Small Scale Industry Registration
We are providing consultancy services for Small Scale Industry locatedin Gujarat, Maharashtra region.
SSI Registration in Maharashtra
SSI Registration, MSME Registration, Small Scale Industry
We are providing consultancy services for Small Scale Industry locatedin Gujarat, Maharashtra region.
SSI Registration in Maharashtra
Gujarat – The Land of the Legends, stands bordered by Pakistan and Rajasthan in the north east, Madhya Pradesh in the east, and Maharashtra and the Union territories of Diu, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli in the south. The Arabian Sea borders the state both to the west and the south west. The State took it's name from the Gujjars, who ruled the area during the 700's and 800's. Stone Age settlements around Sabarmati and Mahi rivers indicate the same time as that of the Indus Valley Civilization while Harappan centres are also found at Lothal, Rampur, Amri and other places. Rock Inscriptions in the Girnar Hills show that the Maurya Emperor Ashoka, extended his domain into Gujarat in about 250 BC. With it's fall, the control of the region came under the Sakas or Scythians. During the 900's the Solanki Dynasty came to power and Gujarat reached it's greatest extent. Then followed a long period of Muslim rule. Ahmed I, the first independent Muslim ruler of Gujarat, found Ahmedabad in 1411. The Mughal Emperor Akbar conquered Malwa and Gujarat in 1570s. The British East India Company set its first footsteps in Surat in 1818 and the State came in control of their rule. In 1600's, the Dutch, French, English and Portuguese had all established bases along the coast of the region. Gujarat was divided into princely states. After the Indian Independence in 1947, all of Gujarat except Saurashtra and Kutchh became part of Bombay State until May 1, 1960, when the Government split Bombay state into the States of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Ahmedabad became the chief city of the new State and housed the State Government Offices. They remained there until they were transferred to Gandhinagar in 1970.
SSI registration in gujarat | SSI Registraiton
We are providing consultancy services for SSI Registration in Gujarat region.
SSI means Small Scale Industry for which is also know nas laghu udyog.
If your company is Manufacturing Unit or Export unit you can avail SSI benefits for your firm.
SSI registartion in Ahmedabad | SSI Registration in Baroda | SSI registration in Rajkot | SSI registration in Surat | SSI Registratin in Ankleshwar
Life sty,styles like apparels, dresses,luxury.
A daily selection of the best content published on WordPress, collected for you by humans who love to read.


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Raquel is an Agile Practitioner who cares passionately about helping deliver value to clients through simplicity using transparent processes.
Besides that, her main mission is to contribute every day to make the workplace a more human a place where people enjoy being, trust each other and work better together.
Raquel is a Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) and a Certified Scrum Professional (CSP) and also an active member of the London Agile Community.


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Update 27-02-2015
The issues with Textkernel Search are over. We have managed te solve the problem.
If you still experience any problems with the application please call our Customer Support.
We thank you for your patience.
Friday 27-02-2015 11:30
We are currently investigating issues relating the performance of Textkernel Search! in the application.
At this moment it's not possible to use Textkernel Search and also matching that goes with it.
As a workarround you can use the seach option in the top of your screen. With this search option you can search on specific words in your database.
We do our best to fix the issues as soon as possible.
We appology for the inconvenience. Futher updates will follow in through this articel.


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Functional electrical stimulation (FES; e-stim) has been around since the late 19th century. Seen as a way to enhance existing function today, small portable units can be employed to stimulate and strengthen weak leg muscles, enabling people with significant muscle sparing to walk. Implanted e-stim units can enhance hand function and grip, with the user activating the unit with specific shoulder movements. Ditto for bladder control — a "pee-on-demand" system. Over the past decade or so, implanted units have been offered as an alternative to vents, enabling people to breathe on their own, free from the bulk and noise of external units.
Christopher Reeve's advocacy brought attention to FES's potential to enhance return of function and begin to retrain muscles. While no blockbuster breakthroughs have yet to emerge from all this work, researchers and clinicians continue to toil, tinker and experiment with FES to find ways to benefit people dealing with a variety of neurological conditions ranging from spinal cord injury to multiple sclerosis to stroke.
One such benefit is heart health.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among people with SCI, with reported rates ranging from 30 to 50 percent. The SCI population is plagued by numerous other chronic diseases and conditions, including obesity, high cholesterol levels and adult onset diabetes.
A major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and early death is physical inactivity, which has been linked with cholesterol problems, increased fat and glucose intolerance — the inability to properly metabolize blood sugars and a precursor to diabetes.
The fact is, for most people (and especially wheelers), ordinary activities of daily living do little to maintain cardiovascular fitness. Additionally, SCI wreaks havoc with cardio-metabolic health, particularly for those with injuries above T6. However, as little as 30 minutes of moderate daily physical activity, combined with a 5 to 10 percent loss in body weight can lower the chance of developing diabetes by 58 percent. Regular cardiovascular or aerobic exercise can also help raise the level of HDLs (good cholesterol) and reduce the risks for CVD.
Therein lies the rub: Just how do wheelers get exercise — at a sufficient intensity — that they need? SCI poses numerous obstacles to beneficial exercise: limited muscle mass, lack of any weight-bearing below level of injury and, because the legs are not engaged, the absence of the body's largest muscle mass to pump blood, to say nothing of the autonomic system problems caused by cervical injuries. And there's always the risk of overuse injuries to body parts critical to daily living.
Aerobic or cardio exercise is demanding enough to elevate the heart rate to between 60 and 85 percent of maximum heart rate (MHR = 220 minus your age). Sixty percent MHR is a fitness and fat burning zone achieved through moderate exercise such as doubles tennis or bike riding. Seventy percent MHR gets you into a significant cardiovascular and endurance training zone, often achieved through distance running, singles tennis or perhaps basketball. Eighty percent MHR reaches the anaerobic zone, a level too taxing to sustain for very long, such as sprints and dashes.
In order to gain significant benefits, one needs to sustain exercise in the 60 to 80 percent MHR zone for 20-30 minutes or more (a pace or intensity sufficient to induce sweating and at least somewhat labored breathing). Without the engagement of large leg muscles and blood pumping, many wheelers have difficulty approaching even 60 percent of maximum heart rate, the fat-burning/weight control range. Using FES to engage the legs changes the game. It offers wheelers access to the joys of aerobic exhaustion and that lactic acid burn of overtaxed muscles. The upside is the treasure trove of potential health benefits that come with physical fitness and being in shape, such as better blood pressure levels, better circulation, decreased fat, greater muscle mass, more energy and increased stamina, and improved mental health due to stress and depression reduction.
The ability to predict maximum heart rate comes with wide variability, with as much as one third of the population falling outside those guidelines. Injuries above T4 or so may impair the heart's ability to increase with exercise, all the more so with higher physical injuries, to less than 130 beats per minute.
But there's still hope and promise. NEW MOBILITY takes a look at two FES modes of use here: stationary bikes and stationary rowers, both of which are facilitated with FES. While each has a different focus and goal, each shows promise as a potential gateway to meaningful gains in physical function, improving quality of life and most important for the purposes of this article, enhancing long-term health through significant cardiovascular exercise, a feat seemingly out of reach for most wheelers.
Restorative Therapies FES Bike
Dr. John McDonald worked with Christopher Reeve back in the '90s. Spend some time discussing e-stim bikes with him today and you'll come away wondering why all wheelers aren't in such a program.
"We found that FES cycling is a practical form of exercise that provides substantial benefits," he says, "including improved physical integrity, increased muscle size and strength, reduced muscle spasticity, improved quality of life and enhanced neurological and functional performance."
Those are the results of a two-and-a-half year study McDonald conducted while at the Washington University SCI Program in the early 2000s. The study also claimed that FES cycling enhanced muscle strength without increasing spasticity, with FES bikers reporting lower frequency of use of anti-spasticity medications in lower doses than their control group counterparts. Overall, bikers were found to have nearly 45 percent less intramuscular fat in their thighs than control group subjects, which would suggest a lower risk of glucose intolerance and diabetes, complications which plague a large portion of SCI survivors. Acceptance of those benefits is widespread.
More controversial are McDonald's claims of 80 percent of the e-stim bikers experiencing improved motor function and a majority experiencing "clinically important gains" in neurological function, defined as, among other things, improved light touch and pin-prick sensation. Subjects in the control group scored much lower in all areas. McDonald asserts that 70 percent of the FES bikers experienced "significant neurological gains," defined with similar rigor as functional gains. In general, the study associates FES cycling with improvements in quality of life as well as improved overall health.
McDonald says all these gains most often show up within three months of starting a regimen of three one-hour sessions/week. As with any exercise program, biking must be ongoing at that level or the gains could quickly evaporate.
McDonald is forceful and enthusiastic when speaking of the neurologic benefits and gains experienced by the study's subjects, who were injured an average of eight years. He says this offers further proof of FES cycling's value.
The study's findings have passed peer-review but are not yet in print. The authors acknowledge that the study is not a true randomized controlled clinical trial — the usual gold standard. Randomized controls ensure against numerous independent variables outside of FES that could influence the outcome. The absence of those controls may be a barrier to widespread acceptance. Still, McDonald's study is the first to pass peer review that links FES to improved neurological gains.
His enthusiasm borders on evangelical when speaking of who could benefit: "Everyone, regardless of age or number of years post injury," he claims. "People with incomplete injuries or those already very active can increase heart capacity and oxygen volume by using their legs. Most of our participants report enhanced quality of life. They're more independent because they can do more of their own care, can transfer better and have more confidence. They see these changes in their lives and realize they have more control."
McDonald sees the bikes as an avenue to "moderate physical activity, somewhere in the range of 60 percent MHR, 65 percent max." Interestingly, faster/harder isn't always better; studies have shown cardiovascular and muscle metabolism responses both to be independent of pedaling cadences. Twenty-five rpms yielded essentially the same effects as 50 rpms.
McDonald's program at the Kennedy Krieger Center for SCI caters strictly to chronic injuries. People come to the center for an intense two-week program to optimize physical activity through intensive treatments ranging from bikes to pool therapy to walking, while monitoring function throughout the process. People leave with what McDonald refers to as a life-long program.
"Physical activity is a necessary part of life for everyone," McDonald asserts. The cycling can be done at home, which is where this needs to go, rather than people coming to a center to work out. "Life-changing improvement is possible."
Two FES Bike Advocates
Patricia Pogodzinski has been using an e-stim bike since 2004. Clearly, she likes it and the results.
"It keeps my muscles from atrophying," says the 22-year-old C7 quad from Baltimore. "It also gets my heart pumping some, though I have no idea how high. I like that."
Pogodzinski, who graduated from the Maryland Institute of Art 10 years after injury, initially used an older model bike before acquiring her own RT200, which she uses at home three times a week, about an hour at a time.
"I feel it keeps me in shape and gives me the benefits of regular exercise. It keeps me fit and my weight under control and also is good for circulation. I like the way I look. I haven't had any real problems since using the bike. In fact, I've seen some functional gains. My posture is better, I think I have more endurance and many activities of daily living like dressing and transfering are easier. I definitely notice a difference in my posture and endurance if I don't use the bike for a while."
Nick Solomon, a C4-5 quad who lives outside Washington, D.C., is also a big advocate of e-stim biking. Solomon began using an RT300 model while still in rehab eight years ago and hasn't stopped.
"I think it's the best way for me to stay in shape. I played football and was always active before injury. The bike helps me stay active. I want the muscles to still be there in case there's some kind of breakthrough."
Solomon owns his bike and says he rides it for an hour or so each day, six or seven days a week. "I have fairly normal looking legs, which is good because the babes at the bar don't like scrawny legs. I have to believe there are other long-term health benefits." Presumably those benefits would be cardiovascular, controlling lipids and glucose tolerance, weight control and possibly mental health.
Solomon is presently involved in a Kennedy Krieger program to raise awareness of SCI, a "Ride Across America." E-stim bike riders track their miles in a quest to pedal "ocean to ocean." Solomon's logged 1,600 miles so far, about halfway there.
E-Stim and Rowing
Looking for some genuine nondisabled-type cardio exercise? Go see Dr. Andrew Taylor and Glen Picard, M.A., in Boston. They're running the Exercise for Persons with Disabilities (ExPD) program, an e-stim rowing program out of Spaulding Rehab SCI program, targeting people with SCI, CP, MS and peripheral neuropathy. The pair both have backgrounds in exercise and physiology and have been in the research field for years. Coupling a stim unit to trigger the legs with an adapted Concept2 stationary rowing machine, they've managed to achieve whole-body aerobic training at impressive levels, as high as 85 percent of maximum heart rate capacity.
The methods and technology for e-stim rowing were pioneered in the United Kingdom and introduced in the U.S. about six years ago at an annual international indoor rowing competition held in Boston. That's when Taylor and Picard got involved and secured funding for a study which grew into a program now involving 50 people with SCI and MS.
"Our program isn't about e-stim per se, but e-stim is a very important part of it. We use the e-stim to trigger the legs and allow a SCI individual to get a form of whole body exercise using both the arms and the legs. The e-stim allows individuals access to exercise similar to that of the nondisabled. We use the e-stim first to activate the quadriceps and push the body away from the erg, then we stimulate the hamstrings to bring the body back to what's called the catch position. The user is in control and must press a button on the handle of the rower to trigger the stimulation. E-stim bikes offer a relatively passive type of experience — people are reading or drinking coffee. Our program is very individual-involved and demanding; we're actually increasing aerobic capacity, oxygen consumption and metabolic demand."
The program, begun with funding from the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health, evaluates people upon entry and provides them with an individual program tailored to their specific needs and fitness level. The typical program usually combines arms-only rowing and FES rowing in a progressive fashion to build strength, stamina and overall fitness. The goal from the outset has been to provide meaningful exercise with significant health benefits. Taylor sees the program as potentially becoming the standard of care.
"The pilot study was about whole body exercise — oxygen consumption and metabolic demand," Taylor explains. "Once we achieved those goals we began to look for other benefits. We've seen improvements in blood lipids, changes in body composition and bone density. The implications are quite large."
Taylor repeatedly emphasized that the ExPD is exercise rather than therapy, and as an exercise physiologist, he believes meaningful exercise involves work, sweating and heavy breathing, a combination, he says, not often associated with the e-stim bike.
"Not all e-stim is created equal," he says. "I don't like to compare our program with the bikes or the NuStep because I think the goals are different. We're loading the muscles as much as possible in order to gain the maximum benefit, which is an order of magnitude greater than with the bike. With rowing, a person is moving his entire body weight with his legs with every stroke while using the arms to achieve whole body exercise. The stim unit lets us activate and involve the body's largest muscle mass, increasing aerobic capacity, and incorporates the upper body muscles in a fairly simple linear motion to do that. This is a progressive type exercise which increases fitness and provides tangible benefits."
"The added health benefit for wheelers," adds Glen Picard, "is that engaging both the upper body and lower body together results in a higher intensity of exercise, more like the able-bodied. Think of it as more muscle mass equals more intensity equals more benefit. Just stimulating the legs alone may not get to the level of intensity needed to reap health benefits."
While the equipment is much more affordable than the bike ($3,500 versus $20,000), many participants also prefer to go to the center to work out, citing the social aspects and benefits of getting out and interacting with like-minded people. They enjoy the camaraderie, access to the local rowing community and the opportunity to actually get out on the water.
"Rowing is a big sport here
An Intense Workout
Mike Mahoney, a Boston attorney whose age is "somewhere north of 50," was an active guy prior to a diving accident at 21 which left him a C6-7 quad. First law school and then a busy practice got the better of him and he ballooned to 173 pounds before he began using a stationary hand cycle and a home gym, which helped him get back down to 130. Since he got involved in Spaulding's ExPD last October, he's shed another 10 pounds and now says he's "54 going on 30."
"It feels like a good workout to me — the cardio is incredibly intense. Combined with a good diet and the lifting I do, it's made a big difference with my shoulders, my stamina, my breathing. Transfers are much easier, I sleep better and have more energy. Bowel programs are no longer an issue, nor an apprehension. I've got four kids, three of whom are under 8, and I figured I owed it to them and to myself to be as healthy as I can. I'm in better shape than when I was 30."
Once in the rower, Mahoney does seven minutes of whole body rowing with the use of the FES unit, followed by a two-minute rest. Then he does seven minutes of arms-only rowing and another two-minute rest. He does this routine three times each session.
"I can go much faster doing arms only because my legs get fatigued. I go from a resting heart rate of 75 up as high as 150."
That's approximately 90 percent of his maximum heart rate, a level of intensity not sustainable for long periods of time. Including travel time, Mahoney estimates he's investing at least seven hours a week in the program, time he considers well spent. He thought about buying a unit for home but decided to continue commuting instead. "I like going to the center. It's a good, positive atmosphere. There are people around you and you feel extra motivated. I enjoy the social aspect and the camaraderie of working out with others."
Dave Estrada, a 41-year-old T4 para, got into the rowing program on the ground floor. Injured 18 years, Estrada's been rowing for six of them and is a big advocate. "What I like most is that this is a whole-body cardio workout. The e-stim has given me more muscle mass and better circulation. I've seen edema decrease dramatically."
Estrada rows three days a week, 30 minutes a session. He's even had an adapted scull out on the water. He estimates his usual time commitment per session to be about 30 minutes travel time, five to 10 minutes of set-up and a half-hour of rowing.
"Bone scans confirmed I've reversed osteoporosis and increased muscle mass. I feel as if I have more back muscle and certainly more trunk control. I know I have more energy. Pushing my chair is much easier and not nearly as fatiguing as it once was. I've noticed an increase in appetite and feel it's helped with bowel function as well."
Estrada, who serves as executive director of the Greater Boston Chapter of the NSCIA, says he prefers rowing at Spaulding "because it's a great place to work out as well as meet and talk to others with SCI. It gives us a place to talk about SCI-specific issues and learn from other wheelers."
E-Stim Poised for New Growth?
Other facilities, often SCI rehab facilities such as Craig in Denver or Shepherd in Atlanta, offer e-stim bike access to the wheeler community. They cite the same general goal of fitness as a way of pursuing maximal wellness and function. They normally cite the same basic necessity of two to three bike sessions weekly and ongoing commitment in order to reap and maintain real and perceived benefits.
Other such programs are also exploring e-stim for fitness. A University of Delaware program run by Sam Lee is looking to reduce risk of obesity, CVD, diabetes and other chronic diseases, reduce spasticity and reach maximum function by putting kids with CP in e-stim recumbent tricycles they can actually take outside, play with and use to explore the world.
Vickie George of Yes U Can in Delaware is working with University of Delaware mechanical engineering seniors to adapt a hands-free recumbent bicycle for individuals with physical disabilities, and another for customizing a boat for disabled rowers.
It would seem riding an FES bike resembles anything from a stroll to a brisk walk, whereas getting on the rower is more like long distance running, interspersed with some sprints. Both these FES programs yield substantial benefits, though the focus and intent may differ. McDonald kept going back to the potential for neurologic gains, with those substantial health benefits almost secondary. Taylor and Picard, on the other hand, are clearly focused on hard-core exercise, looking to wring every last drop of health benefit from it they can.
What can be said of both with certainty (with scientific backing) is that they have been found to reduce muscle spasticity and muscle atrophy, while improving blood circulation and range of motion.
The Changing Role of FES
Functional electrical stimulation (FES or simply E-stim) comes in several forms and has various goals. Long seen as a tool to enhance function, FES has been used as an alternative technology for mechanical vents, enhanced bladder and hand function, and to stimulate leg muscles to facilitate walking. Now it's being used to facilitate an ongoing exercise program and to tap into an array of health benefits, such as increased glucose tolerance, altered cholesterol levels, greater muscle mass for skin protection, decreased edema, better core strength, and lower overall cardiovascular risk levels.
Two FES Programs
Kennedy Krieger's Wellness Program gives people in the community access to the program's therapy equipment. Rates vary, but are said to be comparable to local gym membership prices. People interested in using the therapy equipment as a part of this program must be referred by a Kennedy Krieger physician.
Spaulding's ExPD program charges a monthly $50 for rental of the stim unit and $100 for the program, to cover electrode pads, batteries and other supplies. Home users pay a monthly charge of $5 plus the $50 rental stim unit fee and cost of necessary supplies. Presently the stim unit being used is from the UK and only has FDA institutional use approval. The center is looking at other units commercially available and appropriate to the program. Spaulding also has a scholarship program to assist participants that cannot afford the program.


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Happy Monday everybody!
Is the heat draining you out yet? How about your pups? I have three little guys running around here, and each of them like the outdoors for a different reason. For instance, Kyler (our Sheltie) loves being outdoors to get away from the other two, and just basically to get some peace and quiet. He's a little grumpy in his older age ;) However, even he is avoiding going out because it's just too humid and miserable to bare.
So, what can you do during these devastatingly hot days to ease their discomfort? Make them peanut butter frozen yogurt dog treats! Not only will they enjoy these frozen and yummy treats, but they're also good for them. I found the original recipe over on Cesar's Way, but vamped it up specifically for my babies. Let's get started!
Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt Dog Treats
Ingredients You'll Need:
- 2 cups peanut butter
- 32 ounces vanilla yogurt
- 1 cup dog food (whatever kind you have at home)
1.) Add your peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl and melt it down. Mine took approximately a minute, but just keep an eye on yours to make sure it doesn't need a significantly lesser amount of time.
2.) Add your yogurt to your peanut butter, and mix thoroughly.
3.) Add your dog food to the mix and combine.
4.) Scoop as much (or as little) of your mixture into the paper cupcake cups. If you don't have a muffin tray it's ok! I actually made 12 of these cups at this larger size, and then four small ones without the trays for my neighbors' Jack Russell Terrier. You'll just have to place your cups very gingerly in a bowl or in your freezer so they don't fall over during the freezing process.
5.) Then, pop these bad boys into the freezer! If you don't have a lot of space to set them next to each other try out my method. I just placed a plastic bowl in between them so they took up less room.
6.) All you need to do next is wait for them to freeze! I created these during the evening so they had time to freeze overnight, and it was plenty of time.
7.) Last, take off the paper cups, and let your doggies enjoy a delightfully pleasant treat :)
NOTE to SELF: Peanut butter and yogurt is amazing together. Yes–I most certainly did try out these yummy treats. Without the dog food of course! ;)
Psttt… have you seen some of these super delicious "human" snacks? Check out one of these yummy recipes!
3 Ingredient Fruit and Yogurt Parfait


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Bread and Butter pickles adorn many southern tables throughout the year. Our team of chefs and artisans take on the product and show you a few different delicious ways to share it on your table!
Fried Pickles – Who doesn't like fried pickles?! Simply bread and fry them, we suggest the Fried Chicken Mix as an easy breading mixture.
Chop up the pickles and use as a dressing for a smoked salmon salad. Mix 4 ounces of Smoked Salmon, 2 tablespoons chopped Bread and Butter Pickles, 3 tablespoons aioli, and 1 teaspoon chopped dill. Serve it at room temperature.
For breakfast or brunch give your eggs benedict recipe a boost by simply cutting up the pickles into smaller portions and mixing in with Hollandaise sauce. We recommend 1 tablespoon of minced pickles to every cup of Hollandaise.
Use the pickles and the liquid to make a great German Potato Salad. German Potato Salad is potato salad without mayo so you would use the vinegar and pickles to dress the potatoes.
Put a little aged cheddar pimento cheese on a cracker and top with a bread and butter pickle for a yummy and easy appetizer or take the same concept and make a super pimento cheese sandwich.
Of course, you can always go classic with adding the diced pickles to your grandma's deviled egg recipe!
Put a Bread and Butter Pickle on a Pork Belly Biscuit Canape for a sweet and savory mix!
Try this recipe with the Squash or Cucumbers.


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Private Events
The Whirled Peas Band is available for private events, happenings and affairs. We can tailor our music experience to fit the needs of your event. Please email Todd at firstname.lastname@example.com.
General questions and CD sales
For general questions, CD and collared shirt inquiries please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Sorry, There's been an error and this web page may not exist on CouponPlay.com. Don't leave though!
We apologize, it seems this page no longer exists or we might have sent you to the wrong place. We will try to get you back on track with some links that may be of assistance, or you can use the search box on the top right hand corner of this page. You may have been looking to:


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Current Operations - Investments
During ProFund�s run, another gap in Latin America�s capital markets was identified: lack of emergency liquidity. During ProFund�s ten years, Latin America experienced many local liquidity crises due to natural calamities and political or economic upheavals which often took weeks to address. In response, several ProFund shareholders and other investors created the Emergency Liquidity Facility (ELF) along with its Technical Assistance Facility (TSF) . ELF began operations in 2005.
ELF quickly provides emergency liquidity to well-managed and solvent microfinance institutions during times of crisis when low-income borrowers are most affected. The Facility serves as a lender of last resort for pre-qualified MFIs located throughout Latin American and the Caribbean and is prepared to disburse a loan in just two weeks after the onset of a crisis to a pre-qualified institution. ELF pre-qualifies MFIs thorough institutional evaluation and monitoring of their financial performance to assure solvency and institutional health.
As of August 31st, 2012, ELF had disbursed a total of US $36.6 million to 37 different institutions (with an average loan size close to US $1 million).Â
For further information contact us here | Phone: (+506) 2220-4122 P.O. Box 769-1005, San José, Costa Rica


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Posts Tagged 'facebook'
Triple the action for Superior Scaffold at the Old Dublin Pike Bridge in Doylestown, PA.
The stone arch bridge was originally constructed back in 1875 and then rehabbed in 1947. So it was time for a reconditioning – seems that this old bridge still has over 5,000 cars travel over her every day in Doylestown, PA. Crews needed a way to support the structure and to get into the arches to repair the stones and masonry while keeping the road open above.
This was the challenge for Superior Scaffold.
First order of business was diverting the river through two of the arches so one could be fairly dry while the scaffolding was erected. Then, once that was built, the water had to be diverted again so the second, and then third arch could be constructed.
The next challenge was how to best shore up the arches so work could be completed but also support enough weight for heavy machinery traveling the road over head. Superior engineer Bob Robinson decided on 20k scaffold frames to hold up the shoring beams and wood supports. It allowed the road to remain open for business while construction crews completed the work below.
It's a unique way to solve the problem and keep a major thoroughfare open.
The job went off without a hitch and the mighty river is flowing once again and cars are happily traveling over the old bridge in Buck County.
Call Superior Scaffold at 215 743-2200 or go to www.superiorscaffold.com for all of your scaffolding and shoring needs.
Philadelphia Inquirer reports Superior Scaffold to erect Canopy at Amtrak's 30th St. Station
Superior Scaffold will provide 10-foot-high canopies around the gigantic 30th Street Station. This is no small feat. (Look at the photos) In fact, this is Amtrak's 3rd largest station – it's huge.
The renovation will take several years to complete at a cost of $60 milliion. The scaffolding will be erected to not only protect pedestrians but allow business as usual during a planned restoration of the limestone facade of the 80-year-old neo-classical building.
The Philadelphia Inquirer (philly.com) reported the story Aug 17, 2013 and quoted our very own man about town, Pat McAndrew (of the naked, fighting McAndrew clan) who had this to say, "the canopies – posts with "debris panels" on top – will be installed atop concrete barriers along the Market and Arch Street sidewalks and at the east and west entrances to the station. The station will remain "totally accessible" to pedestrians during the work."
Well put Pat.
The $2 million canopy installation will start in a few weeks and is expected to be completed by the end of September.
The 30th Street Station is the main railroad station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the seven stations in SEPTA's Center City fare zone. It is also a major stop on Amtrak's Northeast and Keystone Corridors. It sits at 93 N. 30th St. & Market St. Philadelphia PA 19104 (215) 580-6500.
Here's a link to the philly.com article.
And some cool information:
Great photos of the 30th Street Station
Temple University Performing Arts Center Dome Repair
In the heart of Philadelphia sits an incredible treasure – the Temple Performing Arts Center. Purchased in 1974 by Temple University the Baptist Temple was designated as historic and a landmark building. It underwent an extensive remodeling and has since hosted many great performing artists.
Superior Scaffold was called in by Temple University to help with the renovation of the two copper domes on top of the center. Over the years, the copper had oxidized and the wood beneath had fallen into disrepair. It was Superior Scaffold's job to get the crews up there to do the renovation.
The first challenge was to fashion a decorative but functional entryway / canopy that not only showed off the grandeur of the classic building but supported the tremendous load of scaffolding above.
"It not only had to allow pedestrians access to the center but it had to look great and allow crews to reach the top to work on the new copper domes," said Tom Creighton of Superior.
The additional challenge was not to damage any of the decorate artifacts or stonework on the roof.
Superior has more experience working with historic structures in Philly and is the best when delicate items need to be considered. (see Independence Hall)
Superior crews built a super-stable platform extending all the way around the base of the dome and built two work decks above the entire diameter of the domes – allowing renovation crews total access.
The crews had to strip off the decaying copper and rebuild the wood support beneath.
The new domes look amazing and we will post a photo as soon as we can. Temple University is one of our favorite clients and we were honored to help with their renovation.
Historic buildings are our speciality. Don't hesitate to contact Superior Scaffold
for all of your scaffolding needs (215) 743-2200 – Ask for Tommy.
Nothing's easy – The Road from Israel to South St. Philly for the famous LOD Mosaic
On January 26th, Superior Scaffold was proud to help bring to the East Coast one of the most incredible Roman Mosaics ever unearthed. The challenge to get them inside the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology was something of an engineering marvel taking scaffolding teams, crane operators, art curators, engineers, and scores of people.
But first… A real-life "Cover up".
In 1996, workmen constructing a new highway in Lod, Israel (near modern-day Tel Aviv), made a shocking discovery: a 1,700 year old Roman mosaic under the surface of the road. At that time, the Israel Antiquities Authority conducted a rescue excavation that revealed a full series of mosaic floors, measuring roughly 50 feet long by 27 feet wide. Conservators provided preliminary treatment of the mosaics, but they were then reburied until funding could be secured for the full scientific excavation and conservation. In 2009, excavators unearthed the Lod Mosaic once again. The mosaics were then separated into panels and rolled away from the earth. Today, they remain in near perfect condition. Three of these panels are on display in Unearthing a Masterpiece.
This piece is very unique because it lacks human figures. It was likely commissioned by a high-standing Roman official for his private home. Alluding to gladiatorial games, the mosaic panels depict scenes of hunting, trading, and marine life.
And because these tiles date back to 300 CE and are some of the most complete, well-preserved, and largest Roman mosaics ever found, everyone involved wanted to keep them that way. So the call went out to Superior Scaffold to help get them into the building. Piece of cake, right? Wrong. Follow the photos below to see just what was involved. Now, we were just one cog in a very important machine. But our piece was of utmost importance.
These tiles were so large that they had to be placed into 7 gigantic wooden crates and shipped to Philadelphia. And on the morning of January 26, 2013 two large box trucks arrived and blocked South Street in front of the Museum.
The biggest challenge on this job, that required weeks of careful planning, was that these crates couldn't just be waltzed through the loading dock and up to the third floor where they were going to be displayed. They were way too big and heavy to fit.
They had to be hoisted by a 100 foot crane up off of South Street and deposited onto a giant 16' tall platform that Superior built over the main stairs and Warden Garden Coy pond that straddled two giant sliding wooden doors accessing the grand staircase on the third floor into the Pepper Gallery. Wow, that was a mouthful. But seriously, look at the photos. Superior's platform allowed the giant crates to be maneuvered directly inside to the display area where curators could uncrate the masterpiece and put it together for display.
Sitting on top of the system scaffold, Superior used 9' aluminum stringers crossed with solid plank and then topped with plywood.
Then entire unloading process took approximately 6 hours. Of course, our part started long before the trucks arrived and lasted well after the crates were unpacked.
In the end, the Museum safely unloaded, unpacked, and assembled the Mosiac in time for their ribbon cutting ceremony on February 10, 2013 to start the exhibit (Unearthing a Masterpiece: A Roman Mosiac from LOD, Israel) which runs for a limited time.
Estimator Pat McAndrew not only oversaw the installation but also attended the opening where he took these photos of the famous Mosaic.
Superior will be back out assembling the same scaffolding in May when the exhibit is packed up again and shipped to the Louvre in Paris. After a short time there, it will make the trip to Israel and it's final resting place in a specially built museum. So see it while you can
And a shout out to Bob Thurlow in charge of Traveling Exhibits at Penn Museum for some of the great photos of the crates going in.
If you would like more information about the unearthing of the LOD Mosaic click here.
Going off the deep end with scaffolding…
The Princeton Medical Center at Plainsboro, NJ is adding on to their illustrious hospital with two new rehabilitation pools. The crews needed to get access to the ceiling to do some repairs and additions. Well, with swimming pools spanning the entire room it makes it a bit difficult to reach up that high.
So they called Pat McAndrew at Superior Scaffold and said, "Help." Since they had spent most of their budget on these incredible pools they were looking for a low cost alternative to just scaffolding the entire pools all the way up to the ceiling. They also wanted to use Baker/Painter scaffolds to roll from one end of the pool area ceiling to another.
So, they creatively devised a plan that would put an 8' scaffolding tower down into the center of the large pool from the 3' shallow end down to the 9' deep end. They used 8' horizontal trusses at deck height and then ran aluminum joists from side walls to trusses at 16" centers. The entire thing was then topped off with a deck of ¾" plywood. This would allow the baker scaffold to roll freely around the entire room while allowing crews to reach to the ceiling. You can see just how wide and deep this room is.
Now, the small pool was a bit different. They rested aluminum joists on the concrete side walls at 16" centers and then topped that off with plywood. Since it was only 18' in diameter the aluminum joists would be able to support all of the weight put upon them.
Bingo, bango, bongo… another Superior solution and satisfied customer. Superior specializes in creative solutions for scaffolding problems. Call 215 743-2200 to see what Superior can do for you.
Shoring up the Ben Franklin Museum, Philadelphia, PA
The new Benjamin Franklin museum just off of 4th & Market in an area known as "Franklin Court" is under way. This will be Philadelphia's newest exhibit about Ben Franklin and when completed, the new Benjamin Franklin Museum will be underground!
Yes, an underground museum. And that's all well and good but it posed some real challenges when it came time to do the expansion. You just can't take a hundred and fifty year old building and slap a bunch of exhibits inside. You need a complete redesign to support the architect's vision. And that exactly what they got.
If ever you wanted to see what shoring actually does – this is the time. You can clearly see the work going on above the shoring and below the shoring. It always amazes me at the sheer weight that these post shores can hold when you take in consideration the cement and steel necessary to make a job like this happen.
This was an extensive demolition of an old structure to open up the building. Walls had to be removed, ceilings had to be shored up so new steel and concrete could be poured to support the new additions.
15" thick Concrete slabs were poured and giant concrete beams were brought in to help support the weight. That was probably the biggest challenge on the job. The steel was so long it took several cranes and expert crews to get them in through the alley and into place. Superior Scaffold shoring guru, Bob Robinson, had to calculate all of the weight loads so the proper equipment could be utilized and the work done safely and up to code.
Some of the concrete beams in the new design were 36" wide X 42" deep and spanned 42 feet column-to-column!
When it's all done, the exhibits will be divided up into different rooms that reflect various aspects of his personality and his life. The museum will feature interactive displays exploring his life as a private citizen and statesman through individual, room-like installations. The library is intended to be the culminating experience. Other 21st century additions to the underground museum include interactive elements like touch screen kiosks, a computerized version of Franklin's glass armonica a musical instrument employing glass and water to create sound, and two-minute animated vignettes designed to help visitors understand critical turning points in Franklin's life.
More information:
CBS local news coverage on the job.
Click here for news on the construction job.
Truly amazing 4 story shoring project in Princeton, NJ
Surprise, surprise, surprise. I walked into this old building thinking I would find a few dirty post shores holding up a section of calapsing entryway or maybe even a portion of cieling that needed support but what I found was truly amazing.
Now, shoring isn't the most glamourus sector of the construction industry – relegated to dusty old basements and haunted houses deep in the underbellies where ghosts and spiders live… So this renovation at the Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart at 1128 Great Road was a pleasant surprise. They are expanding this old structure in a big way, updating the old 4 story brick school building to a more open style learning environment. But to do that – they needed to take out most of their support walls and put new steel and concrete in to carry the weight. Normally, not a big deal because you do it one floor at at time.
But this job was doing it ALL AT ONCE… Yes, 4 massive floors of concrete and steel being supported or shored up at once.
These old buildings once had many rooms and walls that would support the weight of the ceiling/floor above them. Take a look at these pictures and see just how incredible a task it was to support the floors above one another simultaneously.
The really unique challenge here was that most projects like this work on one floor at a time as the new steel and concrete are added. Once that structure is stable and in place you move to the next floor up the line.
But with this project, Superior Scaffold engineer, Bob Robinson, had to design a shoring system that supported the existing steel and concrete for ALL 4 FLOORS AT ONCE! Crews could then modify and add the new steel and supports needed for the additional weight.
You can see the bottom floor in the photographs. This was where the bulk of the support weight was being carried from the floors above it. Robinson had to calculate the weight loads and provide the proper shoring equipment necessary to keep this project standing. All of the architectural drawings had to be PE stamped in NJ before the project could begin.
Currently, the bottom and the second floors are complete. We will bring you updates and photos as the job gets closer to completion.
Superior solutions for shoring projects call (215) 743-2200
Additional information on the school.
Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart is an independent all-boys Catholic school located in Princeton, New Jersey and is part of the Sacred Heart Network of Schools. Princeton Academy serves students from Junior Kindergarten through grade 8 and is the only all-boys Catholic primary school in the state of New Jersey.[2] The school operates within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton.
Creative Scaffolding Solutions at Eisenhower Middle School, Norristown, PA
We get this call quite a bit. And even though it's a smaller job, we wanted to show you what can be done when there doesn't not seem to be an easy solution.
The good people at Eisenhower Science and Technology Leadership Academy were installing a new HVAC unit and couldn't figure out how to make the tie-in at the top safely using their ladders and scissor lifts, so they called Superior Scaffold.
Superior estimator and creative guru, Pat McAndrew, quickly devised a solution that put system scaffolding on either side of the unit and then added an access ladder and 2 decks for workers on the top so they could span the section across the apex of the HVAC unit. Crews were then able to safely tap into the duct work up top and then down into the HVAC unit itself.
It looks simple, but trust us, it takes an expert designer to devise a safe and simple solution like this.
Call Superior Scaffold (215) 743-2200 when you need creative scaffolding solutions.
Amazing underground scaffolding
This is one of my favorites. Yes, it's technically under a building – the Philadelphia VA Medical Center but it's still underground.
Superior Scaffold set this up so crews could get to the electrical underneath the floor of the hospital.
But that's not the half of it. Getting the equipment into and beneath the hospital building was the major challenge. Check out the video for what was involved.
Superior salesman Tom Creighton did a bang up job estimating the layout and materials to make this happen. Not only is it under the building but it's on a radical inclined as well.
Crews had to lug all of the materials through a maze beneath the hospital and then out a tiny door and then climb up a rope just to get to the bottom of the bottom. And then they had to assemble the scaffolding; all of this intricate craftsmanship to run new conduit from one electrical box to another!
In the end, the client was happy. The job was completed. And we got another story to tell.
For all of your scaffolding needs call Superior Scaffold (215) 743-2200
Shoring up the AAA Mid-Atlantic Headquarters Building, Philadelphia, PA.
Superior Scaffold was called in to provide heavy-duty shoring for the New AAA building conversion into apartments. And when we say heavy duty, we mean it. The design for this 4 story building calls for adding an additional 8 FLOORS!!! Wow.
The building at 21st and Market (2040 Market) was built in 1968 and was a 5 story structure (including a floor of underground parking)
PCM Property Group and their architects Stephen Varenhorst Architects needed the best in the business when they had to shore up the existing structure, remove the old columns and replace them with new, even larger supports.
Superior salesman, Anthony Pini, worked with PCM to design a custom solution using heavy-duty kip shores that would allow enough room for crews to work in and around each column. Most of the pics show at least a 25 Kip (25,000 Lb) load capability. You can see where crews set up to pour new heavy duty footers and Superior gave them plenty of room while still shoring up the floor above.
The real challenge was that the engineers kept changing the size and scope of the building footers as they added new floors. At one time Superior had to shore up the entire length of the building to support the additional weight above. Instead of shoring up one portion and then removing the old footer and pouring a newer larger one (able to handle more weight), and then moving to the next one, engineers decided to remove all of the footers in one fell swoop and pour them all at the same time…
Think about that for a second… That means that the ENTIRE weight of the building is being supported by our steel beams and shoring columns. Sounds wonderful, and hey, we always accommodate… So after several site changes we settled on a solution and put it into place. We shored up the entire building while the new, stronger, larger, more incredible ones were poured to support the additional 8 floors that were about to be added on top of the structure. We rocked. It rocked. Everything was a huge (and I mean huge) success.
Several sections needed shoring; the larger exposed areas that where going to be modified to handle the new structure above, and then the smaller sections tucked back in the lower floors. Superior provided shoring support for both areas.
When it's all said and done this building will have 282 units and will be the largest number of new apartments in the past two years. It will also increase the square footage from 120K to 300K.
To read more click on the following links.
http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/blog/natalie-kostelni/2012/06/pmc-making-progress-on-turning-aaa.htmlWe cannot display this gallery