text:
Java Data Objects (JDO) is a specification from Sun Microsystems for the transparent persistence of Java objects to any transactional datastore. This document provides an overview of JDO. The information presented applies to all JDO implementations, unless otherwise noted. For coverage of Kodo's many extensions to the JDO specification, see the Reference Guide.
Customers are encouraged to consider using Oracle TopLink.
Oracle TopLink is an advanced, object-persistence and object-transformation framewor that fully implements the JPA 1.0 specification and serves as the reference implementation for the JPA expert group. It provides development tools and run-time capabilities that reduce development and maintenance efforts, and increase enterprise application functionality. For more information, see Oracle TopLink.
This document is intended for developers who want to learn about JDO in order to use it in their applications. It assumes that you have a strong knowledge of Java and object-oriented concepts, and a familiarity with the eXtensible Markup Language (XML). This document does not, however, assume any experience with database programming or the manipulation of persistent data in general.


text:
Flint Native And Former MLB Star Jim Abbott Returning Home To Give Back
People can say whatever they want about Flint, but you can't say the city hasn't produced some great athletes. Now one of those athletes, Jim Abbott, is returning to to help out both the Boys And Girls Club and the Flint Public Library. Check out the details.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, a former U.S. senator from Colorado, announced today he will step down from his Cabinet position by the end of March to return to the Centennial State.
Salazar was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, but moved to President Barack Obama's Cabinet in 2009 before finishing his term.
"Colorado is and will always be my home. I look forward to returning to my family and Colorado after eight years in Washington, D.C.," Salazar said in a statement. "I am forever grateful to President Obama for his friendship in the U.S. Senate and the opportunity he gave me to serve as a member of his cabinet during this historic presidency."
During Salazar's tenure, he worked to "usher in a new era of conservation," according to a White House press release. The release cited Salazar's accomplishments in promoting renewable energy projects and strengthening relationships with Indian Country.
Known for his bolo ties, cowboy hat and western boots, Salazar inherited a department that was fraught with scandal, allegations of incompetence and ethical lapses, the Associated Press reported upon Salazar's unanimous confirmation.
An inspector general's report at the time said: "Short of a crime, anything goes at the highest levels of the Department of the Interior," according to the Associated Press.
President Obama offered a statement in the White House news release: "I have valued Ken's friendship since we both entered the Senate in 2005, and I look forward to receiving his counsel even after he returns to his home state of Colorado."
Jim Carpenter, Salazar's former campaign manager and state director, praised his old boss for his creativity, energy and work ethic in a telephone interview.
When staff seemed reluctant to work on weekends or holidays, Carpenter said Salazar, a fifth generation Coloradan and rancher, would always respond: "you've still got to feed the cows on Christmas."
Salazar also served as the Colorado Attorney General, first elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2002. Michael Bennet, the Denver Public Schools superintendent at the time, filled the final two years of Salazar's term before winning the seat in 2010.
Salazar's brother John is Colorado's agricultural commissioner and a former U.S. Congressman for Colorado's 3rd District.
"I know this was a tough decision for Ken because he values the important work being performed in the Interior Department, but we were raised with a strong family bond," John Salazar said in a statement. "He has spent his career serving the people of this great nation and I'm proud of him for his work but it must also be balanced with the needs of those you love. I'm excited to have him back in Colorado."
U.S. Sens. Bennet and Mark Udall, and Gov. John Hickenlooper all released statements on the announcement.
Colorado's current senators are active in committees that share missions similar to the Interior Department: Bennet is the chairman of the Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources Subcommittee, and Sen. Mark Udall is chairman of the National Parks Subcommittee.
"As a senator, Ken's service to Coloradans was unrivaled in our state's history," Bennet said in a statement. "As Interior Secretary, his work now leaves a long legacy characterized by the thoughtful stewardship of our nation's lands and waters and a long list of impressive accomplishments."
Udall agreed: "Ken and I have worked together for more than a decade to protect Colorado and the West's land, air and water. He understands that we don't inherit the earth from our parents - we borrow it from our children," he said in a statement.
Hickenlooper added: "Ken Salazar reflects the best that is Colorado. As Secretary of the Interior, Ken expanded the integrity of the agency and was a strong advocate for Colorado and the West," the governor said. "We want to congratulate Ken on his distinguished record as a Cabinet member. We look forward to welcoming him back to Colorado."
The Cortez Journal added to this report.


text:
In case you haven't seen this yet, the young Oregon fan giving the double-bird salute from the stands here toward UCLA's Kevin Love got into big trouble when he returned home. It seems that Sports Illustrated ran the photo with its story about rabid college sports fans a couple of weeks ago, and the guy's dad saw it. Result? Dad took away the kid's car.
A letter in the March 24 edition of Sports Illustrated reads:
"I was shocked to see, in a photo of the Oregon student section, my son partaking in the harassment of UCLA's Kevin Love. When he came home the following weekend, his car was taken away and he headed back to school on a bus. I am embarrassed and wish to apologize to Kevin and his family." — Armando Navarro, Clackamas, Ore.
And they say that print media is dead.
Here's the SI story in question.
And, following below are some other potential bus customers that SI missed. You kids should be ashamed of yourselves!
Thanks For The Bus Ride, Sports Illustrated! [theWhammy]


text:
Social Report Professional Services enables you to enhance and augment your team with Social Report social media professionals. Designed as a monthly service for organizations to enhance their existing staff, we can do everything from running your social media to creating custom reports and helping you with social media strategy.
Custom Development
We have spent an enormous amount of time studying social networks, their functional nuances, working through bugs and issues on their end, figuring out endless workarounds and ethical 'hacks'. We also have vast experience with integration efforts and dealing with vast amounts of data. Leverage this experience on your projects. From social network application to high end enterprise apps - we can help! Don't reinvent the wheel! Focus on your business applications and let us help you with social networks!
Social Media Strategy
Every business will have a different social media strategy. While the basics remain the same, there are different methods that can be used depending on what your niche is. We will guide you and help you define the following:
- Creating and understanding your goals
- Staying engaged in the conversation
- Designing a Content Plan
- Identifying Reporting Needs


text:
Faced with some of the region's shabbiest roads, Escondido City Council members decided this week to nearly triple how much the city spends each year on paving and street maintenance.
"The condition of our streets just befuddles me," Councilman Ed Gallo told his colleagues during their meeting Wednesday night. "We deserve nicer streets as residents of the city."
More than 12 percent of Escondido's roads are either "failing" or in "serious" condition, according to a recently completed evaluation of every city street.
And an additional 15.5 percent were deemed either "very poor" or "poor" by the survey, the first of its kind in city history.
On Wednesday, council members directed city staffers to spend a minimum of $4.7 million per year on road maintenance. The city has been spending about $1.7 million annually, and was slated to continue spending that amount.
"In the past, we have neglected the basic core functions of the city," said Mayor Sam Abed, vowing to shift Escondido's priorities.
Abed said he was embarrassed when a recent survey of regional road quality conducted by San Marcos found that Escondido had the worst roads in the region.
Ed Domingue, the city's public works director, said Escondido's roads would be even worse without some one-time state and federal grants the city received during the last four years.
Those grants boosted spending on road maintenance to an average of $3.5 million per year, including $5 million during the fiscal year that ends June 30.
Without the sharp increase in road maintenance money that council members approved Wednesday, Escondido would face a steadily increasing percentage of crumbling roads.
Projections created by city staff show that 42 percent of Escondido's roads would be in failing or serious condition by 2029 if annual maintenance and paving expenditures remained at $1.7 million.
Things would get worse at the same level of expenditure because crumbling roads cost much more to repair and maintain, Julie Procopio, assistant director of public works, told the council Wednesday.
She said it costs about $1 per square foot to maintain a road in fair or good condition, but $9 to $12 per square foot to maintain roads in serious or failing condition.
Boosting expenditures to $4.7 million would allow the city to maintain its roads in roughly the same condition as today, Procopio said.
Council members said they wanted to improve local roads, not just maintain them. But they stopped short of directing Procopio to spend the $7.1 million per year she said was necessary to have "satisfactory" roads in Escondido.
However, the council gave public works employees the discretion to spend more than $4.7 million if it wouldn't require dramatically neglecting other priorities.
Domingue, the public works director, said he was hopeful some of the spending boost would be covered by additional funding from the county's regional planning agency, the San Diego Association of Governments.
But City Manager Clay Phillips said the city's plans to spend millions constructing new roads would also probably be delayed.
Shifting money from road construction to road maintenance could postpone the widening of Bear Valley Parkway, the completion of Citracado Parkway in southern Escondido and other projects.
"That's what you're going to have to wrestle with," Phillips told the council.
Councilman John Masson said the decision was easy for him.
"I'm for fixing our current roads before we build new roads," he said.
Procopio said she hadn't seen the survey showing Escondido had the worst roads in the region, but she questioned its validity. She said cities use different standards to assess their roads, making comparisons dubious.
Abed also said Escondido is one of the region's oldest cities, making it less surprising that its roads were in relatively bad shape.


text:
By MIKE CHAIKEN
On the sidelines of the New England Patriots' home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. this coming season, Bristol residents may see a familiar entertain the crowd.
And her journey toward this accomplishment is an example of overcoming physical adversity.
Karen Link, the former Miss Teen Bristol in 2007 (and then Miss Connecticut's Outstanding Teen 2007), is the one of the newest members of the Patriots' cheerleaders.
"I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Not only do I get to do what I love each day but I get to do perform at Gillette stadium, in support of my favorite sports team, in front of 70,000 fans," said Link via email. "Talk about the dream job."
The gig also gives Link the opportunity to use one of her lifelong talents.
"I've been a dancer consistently since the age of 2 and dancing professionally post-college has always been a dream of mine," said Link.
However, Link's journey might have been unthinkable years ago after she broke her back in a car accident.
"(M)y senior year of high school… my world was turned upside down after being a passenger in a head-on collision. I broke my spine in the accident and immediately was rushed into a spinal-fusion surgery, which inserted rods and screws along my spine to hold the vertebras together," said Link.
"The recovery process was a long one, I had to learn how to walk again and do things like climb stairs and sit down and stand up. I was devastated to hear that I would never be able to dance at the level I had before," said Link.
However, here Link is getting ready to dance up a storm for the Pats.
"I don't take 'no' for an answer… and fought through the long rehab process to ease my way back into being active and eventually found my way back to the dance floor," said Link.
"Looking back at that unexpected obstacle in my life I realize how very blessed I am," she said.
Link said joining the cheerleaders marks off an item on her bucket list.
"Being a member of the New England Patriots Cheerleading squad has been a dream of mine for a while now," said Link, who graduated from Holy Cross High School. "I remember doing research on the team my sophomore year of college, five years ago, which is when I really started thinking about what I needed to work on to gain a position on this squad and if it would be feasible to be a member while I was in still in college."
The 23-year-old Terryville native explained, "I decided to delay trying out until my senior year of college and made it through to finals, but unfortunately that's where the dream stopped."
"After I graduated from Endicott College," said Link, "I moved to New York City for a job in fashion and beauty public relations."
But, Link said, "I simply couldn't stay away from Boston though and decided to move back last year, with the goal of being a member of the Patriots cheerleaders on the forefront of my mind." (She currently works in the corporate communications department at a speech recognition company, Nuance Communications, at its headquarters in Burlington, Mass., communicating with the press and analysts about Nuance's technologies and innovations.)
"Since last June," said Link, "I've been taking dance classes in Boston, working out and focusing on healthy eating in anticipation of tryouts which began with the workshop this past February."
Link said she wanted to be part of the Pats' organization and the cheer squad because "aside from being a Patriots fan from a young age, The Kraft Organization is truly world class and something that is an absolute honor to be a part of. They place a large emphasis on qualities like working hard, helping others, and respect."
Additionally, Link explained, "Something that doesn't get as much attention as it should is the amount of community service that members of The Kraft Organization (including the Patriots players and the cheerleaders) participate in, it is truly unparalleled."
Asked to speak about the process of becoming a Pats' cheerleader, Link said the process began in February with an optional workshop. "This gives cheerleader hopefuls the chance to understand what it takes to be on the team, both in terms of dance ability and what the schedule the job requires," said Link.
Then, the preliminary auditions were held in Gillette Stadium at the beginning of April. Link said this pulled in 200 potential candidates.
"The day began at 10 a.m. and ended around 6 p.m.," said Link of the auditions. "We learned a variety of dance combinations and three rounds of cuts were made."
Link then was selected as one of 40 new candidates who would advance to the April 19 finals.
"Inbetween," said Link, "we had a one-on-one interview with the coach, Tracy Sormanti, and we learned additional choreography to be performed at finals."
"At finals," said Link, "the 40 new girls auditioned alongside the returning veteran cheerleaders and at the end of the day just under 40 girls total moved on to boot camp."
Link said, "Boot camp lasted two weeks and involved learning a number of dance routines, cheers, and sideline dances, while also participating in media training, running the stadium ramps and workouts with the official Patriots Cheerleading trainer (and inventor of the workout regimen called BMAX), Andy Berler."
Sometimes the reality of auditions differs from expectations. But Link said she had a pretty good idea of what was coming, especially after the workshop in February.
Between February and April, Link said, "The biggest areas I focused on for the audition process were improving my dancing, flexibility, and physical fitness through taking dance classes weekly and dedicating lots of time at the gym."
With 200 women at the beginning of the auditions, Link said of the other competitors, "The ladies I met during the audition process all possess amazing qualities. The judges and coaches emphasized along the way that they look for candidates who are well-rounded and possess the values important to The Kraft Organization. This was so apparent in the women I met, not only were they trained dancers but they were smart, goal-oriented, motivated, and friendly. I met some really awesome ladies along the way and will stay in touch with many new friends."
"The girls on the squad, both rookies and vets, are so extremely motivated," said Link of her fellow teammates. "These girls are smart go-getters who each have hearts of gold. They form a sisterhood throughout the year and I can't wait to get to know each of them better, both on and off the field."
The selected cheerleaders were announced via the Pats' website on May 3. But Link didn't know right away she made the final cut.
"My mom actually called me with the news that the list had gone live; she said 'I see a list, and you're on it.'"
"Honestly," said Link, "I've been on cloud 9 ever since and I don't think I'll come down anytime soon. It took a lot of work and dedication over the past couple of years but every ounce of it was worth it and I am so honored to have been chosen to be a member of The Kraft Organization and cheer for the Pats."
And Link said she is fortunate to have the support of family and friends.
"I actually didn't tell anyone I was trying out again with the exception of my immediate family and my roommates," said Link. "I let the cat out of the bag to a few more folks after I made it past finals and was in boot camp and then made an announcement on Facebook after they announced the final team."
"The outpouring of congratulations and support after the team was announced has been really heartwarming. I'm so happy to have made my family, friends, and community proud."
Link's day job has been in public relations. And she feels this will be an asset for the cheerleaders. "(It) has taught me how to communicate with people from all different walks of life. Just as I aim to represent my company in the best light each day, I'll aim to represent The Kraft Organization to the best of my abilities as well. Working in public relations has reinforced that no matter if your meeting Patriots fans, volunteering for a charity, or cheering at a game, you can't go wrong with having a smile on your face and being kind to each person you meet."
As for what's in store next for the Patriots' newest cheerleader, Link said, "It's been a whirlwind with practices and appearances having already started. We practice three times a week and have promotional appearances in between. Coming up fast is our calendar shoot in Cancun for a week in the beginning of June and we'll be working hard in preparation for preseason which begins in August. I can't wait to see what this year has in store."
"Go Pats!"
After personal tragedy, woman fulfills dream of being Pats' cheerleader
By MIKE CHAIKEN


text:
All this dog wants is a kitten — preferably a female tabby kitten.
In a new video created and voiced by Andrew Grantham, the man behind the "Ultimate Dog Tease" video, a rescue dog begs his owner to adopt him a feline friend.
Made on behalf of the Pets Add Life (PAL) campaign, the video promotes the adoption of rescue animals.
The American Pet Products Association launched PAL to demonstrate the joys and benefits of pet ownership and increase adoptions for shelter animals.
Watch the "Dog Wants a Kitty" video below, and check out more of PAL's animal videos on the campaign's YouTube page.


text:
Jason Pitman
Over 15 years' experience has provided Jason with a varied career in the digital and publishing space. From creating adverts for the Yellow Pages Directory at company Pindar Set to co-founding an internet arm of Yellow Pages' Multi Media department (Yell) in Reading, Jason has seen it all!
He has co-founded three businesses over the years - where he cut his web teeth as a hands-on Technical Director. His broad experience ranges from simple five-page brochure websites to the production of e-commerce and database-driven bespoke web solutions for larger clients with more complex site structures and requirements. Jason has dealt with clients on a real world level, producing solutions that fit their costs and time requirements and applying those solutions to produce functional, effective web solutions.


text:
Serviços Personalizados
- Citado por SciELO
- Acessos
Links relacionados
- Similares em SciELO
Revista mexicana de astronomía y astrofísica
versão impressa ISSN 0185-1101
Rev. mex. astron. astrofis vol.47 no.2 México Out. 2011
Obituary: Alfonso Serrano 19502011
At the Eastern edge of the high altitude plateau known as Altiplano Mexicano, a majestic white structure stands on the summit of a dormant volcano 4600 meters above sea level, seemingly defying Citlaltepetl, the "mountain of the stars". The Large Millimeter Telescope, perceptible on a clear day from a distance of sixty kilometers, is the most visible homage to the man who first conceived it as a necessary step for Mexico to overcome its underdevelopment, and who tirelessly lobbied for this cause until his final breath. Alfonso Serrano Perez Grovas, an exceptional force in Mexican science, died on the 12th of July 2011. He was a natural leader who followed the vision set by Guillermo Haro, that Mexico had to develop its own technology to achieve progress. This effective political advocate worked in that direction, shaping his destiny and that of his adherents by moving institutions towards the development of large projects, often in contention with colleagues, but always with the underlying belief of the ultimate benefit for Mexican society. A charming personality with a strong temperament and tough negotiating skills, he became wellknown in Mexican society, admired and criticized, but seldom ignored.
Born in Mexico on the first day of February 1950, Alfonso made his undergraduate studies at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM), and obtained his Master's and PhD in England, at the Universities of Cambridge and Sussex, respectively. He returned to Mexico as an active researcher of the Instituto de Astronomía of UNAM, working on the chemical evolution of galaxies. His production encompasses around seventy papers with 1500 citations, shared with the likes of Manuel Peimbert, James Lequeux, Luis Carrasco, Steve and Karen Strom. However, the main contribution of Alfonso was beyond scientific research itself. In the mid 1980s, around the time I made his acquaintance, Alfonso started the transformation from an offhand and rebel academic to professor Serrano, seeking and obtaining the position of Director of the Instituto de Astronomía in 1987, the year before the passing of Guillermo Haro. During his term he started promoting the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT), a 50 meter diameter antenna for millimeterwave astronomy, a formidable instrument poised to be the largest of its kind in the world and meant to position Mexico at the forefront of research. The proposal, jointly with the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass), was attractive but polemical for a scientific community doubtful of the feasibility of a project of this magnitude within Mexico. The opposition was an important factor for Alfonso to move in 1991 from the Instituto de Astronomía to lead the Programa Universitario de Investigación y Desarrollo Espacial at UNAM for a year, during which he promoted the construction of UNAMSAT, a small scientific satellite entirely made in Mexico. After the failed launch of UNAMSAT1 in 1995, its twin UNAMSAT2 was successfully sent to orbit from the Russian cosmodrome of Plesetsk and it operated for a year. The engineering team of PUIDE received recognition in Russia, but by then the man who had initiated this space project had moved to Tonantzintla, Puebla.
Alfonso Serrano directed the Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, (Óptica y Electrónica (INAOE), from 1992 to 2001. He took over an institution in critical conditions to raise it to the forefront of Mexican science, developing in a balanced way the areas of astrophysics, optics and electronics. The LMT project was approved by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT) on the 20th of June 1994, and the high altitude site of volcan Sierra Negra was selected for its installation in February 1997. The design presented by the German company MAN Technologie was chosen in 1998 and construction started at the end of 1999. The thin air of Sierra Negra, or Tliltepetl, proved to be the least of the difficulties that project was to face. The unprecedented initiative of investing tens of millions of dollars in a single scientific project was certain to meet supporters and opponents from the academic arena and beyond. Alfonso's skillfulness moved ahead the project against financial and political adversity, over costs and overruns. His vision of an independent technological development went beyond the LMT, initiating a collaboration with the University of Arizona for casting a large optical mirror that should become the core of the largest optical telescope in Mexico. In his last years he also became a promoter of the Mexican space agency, hopeful of becoming its first director.
An unanticipated burden for the project laid on his natural leadership and work capacity, led him to make inroads within CONACyT, where he was first appointed director of its network of research centers in 1997, whilst still director of INAOE, and then director of scientific research from 2001 to 2003. The combined commitment of heading LMT, INAOE and his CONACyT office proved too much even for this vigorous leader, who from 2003 on concentrated his efforts towards the completion of the telescope. He kept the sole control of the project, which he ran with a polemical management style, challenged by colleagues and scrutinized stringently by Mexican federal agencies. Once more, he overcame the challenges and took the telescope up to its first millimeterwave observations. Over twenty years after he first raised the flag, on the 17th of June 2011, INAOE and UMass made the joint announcement of the detection of molecular lines in the galaxy M82 with the Redshift Search Receiver instrument of LMT.
Alfonso was admired for his capacity, despite a stressful life, of keeping healthy with good food and wine. At the end, fate was merciless, and a pancreatic cancer took his life within two months of a late diagnostic. His tragic passing occurred three weeks after the observations of high redshift galaxies with LMT. And though Alfonso did see his masterpiece come to life, he still had much to contribute to Mexico. Leadership and patriotism are two words embodying Alfonso's life. He once told me that leaders created spaces; he certainly did so.
Alberto Carramiñana


text:
Refine results
Keyword search
- Accessible by public transport (22)
- Bicycle rack (7)
- Bus parking (11)
- Car parking (42)
- Children's quiz available (19)
- Disabled toilets (7)
- Display on history (18)
- No dogs allowed except assistance dogs (13)
- Guided tours – ask on site for details (2)
- May close for lunch in winter, please call in advance (1)
- May close for lunch, please call in advance (12)
- Mobility scooters available (1)
- Picnic area (10)
- Restaurant/café (2)
- Self service tea/coffee (6)
- Shop (21)
- Strong footwear recommended (68)
- Toilets (18)
- Visitor centre (6)
- Water bottle refill (13)
Search results
The search has returned 110 placesRefine results
Aberlemno Sculptured Stones
Witness a battle and a hunt at this magnificent range of sculptured Pictish stones.
Abernethy Round Tower
Explore one of Scotland's most unusual historic sites: one of only two Irish-style round towers in Scotland.
Antonine Wall: Bar Hill Fort
Observe the spectacular views from the highest fort on the Antonine Wall.
Antonine Wall: Bearsden Bath House
Get an insight into the everyday lives of Roman soldiers stationed on the Antonine Wall.
Antonine Wall: Croy Hill
See where Romans cut a ditch through solid rock at this Antonine Wall fort.
Antonine Wall: Dullatur
Stroll along the frontier of the Roman Empire at the site of two Antonine Wall camps.
Antonine Wall: Westerwood to Castlecary
Roam a section of the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire.
Arbroath Abbey
Discover the origins of the most famous document in Scottish history. Scotland's nobles swore independence from England in a letter sent from Arbroath Abbey in 1320.
Ardestie Earth House
Explore an ancient underground passage and trace the remains of long-abandoned buildings at earth house, or souterrain.
Ardunie Roman Signal Station
Take in the view from a Roman watch tower, part of a frontier running between the Ardoch and the Tay.
Auchagallon Cairn
Roam an ancient burial place overlooking a bay on one of Scotland's most beautiful islands.
Balvaird Castle
Get a feel for the comfortable life of a wealthy landowner at this remarkably complete 1500s tower house.


text:
A Guide To Conservative Care For Heel Pain
More often than not, patients with plantar fasciitis have already attempted to resolve the condition on their own before they come into your office. This author explores a range of effective conservative treatments, investigates the potential of physical therapy and offers pointers on getting patients to stretch in the appropriate manner to help relieve plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common ailments affecting the feet. Millions of Americans suffer with heel pain on a daily basis. It affects people of all ages, races and activity levels. This includes professional athletes, weekend warriors and average Joes. Teachers, nurses, mechanics, retail salespeople and anyone who has suffered pain in the plantar aspect of the heel can attest to its debilitating nature. Heel pain can adversely affect a person's quality of life. It can also affect one's work and decrease productivity.
By the time plantar fasciitis patients have walked into your office, many of them have already received a multitude of diagnoses from friends, co-workers and the Internet. They often tell you that they have a "heel spur, plantar fasciitis, that fascia thing or the plantar." (I do not know where this one came from but I grow weary of having to explain that plantar is not a diagnosis and only means the bottom of the foot.) Many have already attempted to use cushioned insoles in their shoes from "the scanner at Wal-Mart," ice, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and some may have gotten new shoes.
A careful history can often provide insight into the cause of the problem. When did the heel pain start? Was it a few weeks into a new exercise program, after buying a new pair of shoes or upon returning from a beach vacation with frequent walks on the beach? Usually, patients can trace the start to some change in a routine. These changes can include moving from a desk job to one that requires more time on one's feet, starting an exercise program, switching shoes or wearing old shoes that have broken down. This may also include stopping shoes altogether as we have seen with the most recent reincarnation of the barefoot running fad or quickly transitioning to a minimalist style running shoe without an appropriate progression.
We tend to see a large spike in plantar fasciitis as the spring rolls into summer and people move from slightly more supportive "winter" shoes to flip-flops and flatter shoes. (However, this spike has been slightly negated over the past few years as more people are being affected with plantar fasciitis through the winter due in large part to flip-flops becoming year-round fashion as well as the emergence of non-supportive fleece lined boots becoming a prominent fashion phenomenon.) The return of summer also means a large number of people cutting their grass in old, broken down sneakers that they would not run in anymore but feel obliged to wear while pushing a lawn mower on an uneven surface.
Also look at the patient's medical history for any recent surgeries such as unilateral total hip or total knee replacements. These surgeries may cause a limb length discrepancy or increased stress on a particular foot due to compensation. Ask about other joint involvement. Is there a systemic reason for the pain such as any of the inflammatory arthropathies? Recent weight gain causes increased mechanical load on the foot but it also may be a marker of a thyroid issue, which can also lead to heel pain. Look for new medications or changes in medical history that occur at the time of the onset of the heel pain or just prior. These can all provide significant clues to the reasons behind the heel pain. If you do not address these reasons, this will doom many of the treatments to failure or only short-term relief.
Pay careful attention when patients note what they have tried thus far and how it has worked. How have they modified their activity and has it helped? People may say they have tried and failed at stretching. However, when you ask some follow-up questions, you may find out they attempted two calf stretches for a couple of seconds and gave up. Did the cushioned insoles from the drugstore help for a couple of days or not at all? Detail the prior use of NSAIDs, including dose, frequency and length of use. Careful examination of this area can provide significant clues into what will and what will not help the particular patient.
What To Look For In The Patient Examination
As patients are relaying their history, take a glance and see what shoes they have worn into the office. Are these shoes appropriate for their activity or occupation, or are they broken down and in need of replacement? Have the patient stand up from the exam chair and even take a walk down the hallway. If radiographs are indicated (this is not the place for the debate about taking radiographs on patients with heel pain), then walking to the X-ray area is a great time to watch the patient walk down the hallway. This cursory gait exam can be very informative and happens without patients modifying their gait while thinking about the correct way they should be walking.
The examination is also very important. Look for biomechanical abnormalities including flatfoot (flexible or rigid), pes cavus, equinus, bunions, hammertoes, limb length discrepancies, etc. Is there pain with side-to-side calcaneal wall compression or just over the plantar fascia and medial calcaneal tubercle? Palpate and percuss for tarsal tunnel or Baxter's nerve symptoms. Look above the foot and ankle to the alignment of the entire lower extremity. Genu valgum or other knee and hip deformities can lead to abnormal stresses down the kinetic chain.
Emphasizing Appropriate Shoes And Orthotic Therapy Considerations
After establishing that the patient does have plantar fasciitis and not a calcaneal stress fracture, tarsal tunnel syndrome or other pathology, one can formulate a treatment plan. The first step is to remove the causative agent if one has identified it. If the problem is broken down athletic shoes, replace them. If it is a certain exercise at the gym, then modify it. Runners are often able to switch to a bike or do pool running to maintain cardiovascular fitness. If something is tight, stretch it. Failure to address the cause will render most treatment protocols ineffective in the long term.
Wearing appropriate shoes is the first step in alleviating the pain associated with plantar fasciitis. There are many different types of shoes that patients can wear successfully to reduce plantar fasciitis pain. For men, lace-up style dress shoes tend to work better than loafers. Women should wear small heels. Very flat shoes can be just as uncomfortable, if not more so than high heeled shoes. Both men and women should limit flat shoes and barefoot walking. It is often helpful to wear two or three different types of shoes all in the same day to vary the stress on the feet. When it comes to athletic shoes, ensure appropriate fit to the patient's activity and foot type. This is where a solid relationship with a technical running store can be very beneficial.
Depending on the cause of the plantar fasciitis, orthotic therapy may be indicated. One should tailor the device type to the patient. Flexible flat feet would respond well to a rigid orthotic to control the hyperpronation. In contrast, a rigid cavus foot may respond better to a flexible device that does not overcorrect the medial column but incorporates an intrinsic heel cushion to increase shock absorption. The simple addition of a heel lift to the long, pronated limb in a limb length discrepancy may be enough to alleviate symptoms.
Keys To Reducing Inflammation
Reducing inflammation in early plantar fasciitis is also important. Short courses of NSAIDs or corticosteroids can be effective in reducing the pain associated with plantar fasciitis. These become less effective as the fasciitis lingers and may become more of a plantar fasciosis. However, they can be beneficial early on. Injectable steroids are also effective if one uses them with early plantar fasciitis. However, many patients fall into the trap of thinking that if they get the shot, then they do not have to do any of the other treatments. The injection reduces the inflammation at the fascia but does not address the cause so injections alone may lead to relapse after a short period of time. Ice or frozen water bottle massage can also help with reducing the inflammation.
Some intense cases of plantar fasciitis or even ruptures of the plantar fascia may require either a controlled ankle motion (CAM) walker boot or cast immobilization to put the area to rest. Night splints, if patients wear them through the night and wear them appropriately, may reduce the first step out of bed pain. They also function well when the patient is lying on the couch watching television.
How Effective Is Physical Therapy In Reducing Heel Pain?
Physical therapy can be a very effective tool in the treatment of plantar fasciitis. There are many different approaches by physical therapists to the treatment of lower extremity pathologies. Even though physical therapy providers may be well respected in the treatment of knees, shoulders or hips, they may not be equally well versed in the treatment of foot or ankle pathology.
When patients return to your office after a course of therapy, ask them exactly what they are doing in therapy. Perhaps you have sent that patient for deep tissue massage, iontophoresis, etc., and may be surprised to learn that he or she is riding the bike for 10 minutes and then stretching in the corner of the therapy gym for the remainder of the session. Patients get frustrated because these are things that they can do at the gym on their own without paying a co-pay every time.
It is extremely important to get to know some of the physical therapists in your area and maintain a good working relationship with them. Learn what their treatment approach is to various foot and ankle problems. Are they aggressive or very conservative? How much manual therapy do they do with your patient? Do they work with athletes and more active people, or do they work with a relatively sedentary population? Are they looking above the foot and ankle for other lower limb pathology? Do not be afraid to get physical therapists on the phone and discuss the particular patient and your expectations. If they happen to call you with a question about a patient, return the call promptly. This may seem like a simple thing but it can create a lot of goodwill with that physical therapist.
After creating this relationship with therapists, do not be surprised if they start sending you patients. Mrs. Jones may be doing physical therapy as part of her rehabilitation after a total hip replacement and may develop a compensatory plantar fasciitis due to gait dysfunction. After she mentions this to her therapist, you suddenly get a referral for heel pain. From a practice management standpoint, this can be very lucrative.
Why are we adding physical therapy into the treatment arsenal? The goal of physical therapy is to restore normal soft tissue mobility, restore normal joint mobility and correct dysfunctional lower extremity mechanics.
Physical therapists have many modalities at their disposal. Ultrasound can provide deep heat to the plantar fascia. This can help break up or loosen fibrotic tissue. Some NSAID topical agents are also showing some promise in the treatment of superficial tendon, ligament and plantar fascia pathology when one combines these with ultrasound (phonophoresis). Electrical stimulation is a tool for temporarily reducing pain. Iontophoresis is the transdermal administration of corticosteroids to decrease inflammation by using an electrical charge as the driving force for the medication. Cold packs can control pain and reduce inflammation. One can use cold therapy concurrently with an object (i.e. frozen water bottle, frozen tennis ball, golf ball, etc.) for the dual purpose of inflammation reduction and soft tissue mobilization.
Physical therapists can also aid in the evaluation of a lower extremity alignment. Limb length discrepancies lead to gait alterations and eventually may cause plantar fasciitis. Some cases of limb length discrepancies are structural in nature and one can treat them with appropriate lifts. A fair number of people are affected by a limb length discrepancy, which has a largely functional component to it. One can also treat discrepancies in the short term with a heel lift on the short side.
However, this patient will benefit in the long term from skilled physical therapy to address the functional aspect. This may be stemming from a weak core group leading to ilium malrotation and pelvic upslip causing a functional limb length discrepancy. One can correct a pelvic obliquity through muscle energy techniques, manipulations and stretches. Core strengthening and continued home exercises are paramount to long-term treatment success and preventing a relapse.
Pertinent Pearls On Getting Patients To Stretch Correctly
An analysis of the lower extremity must also focus on the posterior muscle groups from the hips (gluteals, piriformis), thighs (hamstrings), calf (gastroc/soleus complex, posterior tibialis) and all the way down to the foot (intrinsics and long flexors).
Corrections to a lack of flexibility with stretching exercises are very important. Many patients tell you they have been stretching. Make them demonstrate these stretching exercises to you. The importance of proper technique cannot be overstated. Most will be doing something wrong with the stretches and are most often guilty of not holding the stretch long enough. Stretching for four to five seconds is a waste of time. Patients should hold the stretches for 30 seconds. Make sure that these people are not "over-stretching," not in terms of the number of times per day (which they usually aren't doing enough) but in terms of the intensity of each stretch. The stretch should increase until patients feel some tension in the tissue. Some patients feel that a "little stretch is good so a big stretch must be better." This is not the case and may actually prevent the problem from going away.
Regular stretching must occur throughout the day and not be limited to a couple of minutes in the morning and evening. Stretches should start when the alarm clock goes off in the morning and before the patient gets out of bed even if this means setting the alarm three minutes early. It should become part of the daily routine. Towel or resistance band fascia/gastrocnemius stretches, alphabet stretches and self-massage of the fascia can be very successful in alleviating the post-static pain associated with plantar fasciitis.
There is an opportunity to stretch every time the patient gets up from an extended period of time being seated, gets out of a car or comes back to the office chair. The bars on the bottom of a desk chair attached to wheels function well as built-in stretching devices that are routinely accessible during the day. Patients who spend a considerable time at their desk should also make sure that the chair is set up for them appropriately. Poor ergonomics are often a hidden underlying cause of recalcitrant heel pain and can delay healing if they go unaddressed.
Evaluating Joint Mobility And Soft Tissue Dysfunction
In addition to assessing the posterior muscle group, evaluate joint mobility. Look for talocrural joint restrictions that may limit dorsiflexion of the foot. Is the midfoot hypermobile or restricted? Is the distal fibula anteriorly displaced, limiting foot dorsiflexion from a previous ankle injury? If this is the case, this patient would benefit from mobilization of the restricted joints to restore the anatomical alignment and mobility of the ankle and midfoot. This can have a sudden and profound increase in dorsiflexion of the foot.
Are there digital deformities or restrictions of movement of the digits at the metatarsophalangeal joints? Examining flexor substitution, flexor stabilization or extensor substitution hammertoes can give insights into foot mechanics that may lead to excessive pressure on the plantar fascia. People always talk about thinking outside of the box. We need to look outside of the heel.
If there is soft tissue dysfunction or restrictions present and they go uncorrected, then pain will persist. Some of the most commonly restricted tissues include the plantar fascia, gastrocnemius/soleus complex, posterior tibial tendon and posterior ankle joint capsule. One can successfully correct these with any form of myofascial release including deep tissue and cross friction massage or stick rolling. Other options include any of the trademarked soft tissue release/mobilization techniques, such as ASTYM (Performance Dynamics), ART (Active Release Techniques) or the Graston Technique (TherapyCare Resources).
Taping can also be an effective way to treat soft tissue or joint dysfunction. Classic low-Dye taping can reduce pressure on the plantar fascia in the short term and has an easy and quick application. Taping has many variations, including adding scaphoid felt pads and using Elastoplast instead of athletic tape. All of these can be effective in different practitioners' hands.
The navicular sling strapping is another easy to apply taping that often provides almost immediate pain relief. It serves to offload the plantar fascia and the posterior tibial tendon, and may quickly improve gait dysfunction. It is also a cheap, simple test of the possible efficacy of orthotic therapy. If the patient gets significant relief from the taping, then a well molded, supportive orthotic may provide the same relief without the need to apply tape constantly.
In Conclusion
Plantar fasciitis can be a very painful condition that inhibits people from performing their normal day-to-day activities. The vast majority of patients respond well to conservative therapy and never require surgical intervention, but the success of the treatments rely on identifying the causative factor and removing it as a source of the problem. Many of the causes are outside of the heel area so a careful history and a complete lower extremity exam are keys to successful resolution of the symptoms and preventing recurrence.
Dr. Corwin is an Associate of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. He is in private practice in Media and Phoenixville, Pa. He is board certified in foot surgery and rearfoot/reconstructive ankle surgery by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery.
The author acknowledges Michael Groh, PT, DPT, from Excel Physical Therapy and Fitness for his assistance with this article.


text:
The World's Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!
Appeal for an International Association of the Free Thought
Appel pour l'Association Internationale de la Libre Pensée
14 edito la Une
On the Fourth of July, 2005, on the occasion of the World Congress of IHEU at Paris, a World Congress took place at the
initiative of the French Libre Pensée in which 250 participants from 29
countries debated of the necessary action of the Free Th…
© 2020 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group.
Powered by
Badges |
Report an Issue |
Terms of Service
Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator.


text:
Her story may have appeared in Glamour magazine, but having a kidney and heart transplant at the tender age of 11 is far from that.
Odunola "Ola" Ojewumi of Beltsville, Maryland was on a field trip with her classmates at William S. Schmidt, also known as Camp Schmidt, the day her life became nontraditional.
It happened one ordinary day. "All of the sudden I couldn't keep up with the other kids. I passed out," she explained.
And that is when the young Ojewumi learned that she had an underlying heart condition called cardiomyopathy.
Only a year after her diagnosis, Ojewumi had a heart and kidney failure. She was fortunate enough to receive both a heart and kidney transplant only five hours apart.
As if having a kidney and heart transplant was not enough, Ojewumi became a cancer survivor this year.
While some believed the odds had been stacked against her since she was a little girl, Ojewumi has a different and more positive outlook on life.
"When I was healthy people would tell me reach for the stars. As soon as I got sick and had a disability people automatically had low expectations of me. People would say 'you can hope to get a receptionist job.'"
Growing up her health impacted her ability to have the so-called conventional life.
"It affected my ability to have the traditional life, to have friends...there were no sleepovers," Ojewumi remembered.
Despite everything she may have missed out on as a child, one thing is for sure, Ojewumi is not missing out on success.
The part-time wheelchair user made up her mind that she would not allow her situation to dictate her life. Ojewumi started college at Howard University and then transferred to University of Maryland. As a minority woman in a wheelchair she quickly noticed that she was not represented in the college population.
"I decided then that I wanted to become an activist," Ojewumi elaborated.
College is where the young activist learned that her voice could be heard and was worthy of being heard. She made up her mind that she wanted to see more people like herself following their dreams and and not letting their "disabilities" hinder them.
While some students spend their refund checks on spring break or new clothes, Ojewumi put her money to a greater cause.
"I started a small nonprofit with a refund check," she recalled.
Project Ascend provides college scholarships to disabled students living in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Her hopes are to assist as many young disabled children and teenagers, help them reach their full potential and find amazing opportunities.
"I want to see fewer stories of people with disabilities who are doing normal things. I want to see us getting degrees, running Fortune 500 companies, breaking barriers..."
And breaking barriers is not unfamiliar to the 26-year-old. In college she completed seven internships to ensure that nobody could shut her down -- but despite all of her hard work and persistence, getting a shot still proved to be very challenging.
"I would go to interviews in a wheelchair and I wouldn't get a call back... and then I would go to interviews walking and get a call back," she shared.
But she never let that stop her. "Keep pounding the pavement. Eventually the nos will turn in to yes."
And yes they did. Ojewumi is a government employee, a successful activist on Capitol Hill, a Huffington Post contributor, all while she continues to run a non-profit that helps students both locally and internationally.
As for her dreams, Ojewumi intends on focusing on her non-profit, international development, writing a book and of course inspiring others.
"Disabled people need to be on television, we need to be humanized. I want us to have institutionalized power. I don't want to be the only person with a disability on Capitol Hill. I want us to move to world changers."
When the times are trying, Ojewumi keeps on pushing forward and reminds us all that glamour is about feeling good in your own skin and not letting anybody break your spirit.


text:
The Associated Press
National rankings (Rivals 71; Scout 68).
Best in class: Jihad Ward, 6-6 285, dt, Globe Institute of Technology (N.Y.)
Best of the rest: Malik Turner, 6-3 205, wr, Springfield (Ill.) Sacred Heart-Griffin
Late addition: Chris James, 5-11 185, db, Orange-Stark (Texas) High School
One that got away: Tyree Stone-Davis, CB, Pierce College (Calif.).
NOTE: The best player Illinois will add may not be among the signings. Quarterback Wes Lunt sat out last season after transferring from Oklahoma State.
National rankings: (Rivals 36; Scout 44).
Best in class: Tim Gardner, ol, Avon, Ind.
Best of the rest: Dominque Booth, wr, Indianapolis; Jordan Fuchs, te, Queens, N.Y.; Greg Gooch, lb, Longwood, Fla.; Robert McCray III, Rockdale, Ga.; Tegray Scales, lb, Cincinnati.
Late addition: McCray, who didn't make his decision until the final hours leading up to signing day.
One that got away: Willie Yarbary, de, Augusta, Ga., decommitted from Indiana and wound up choosing Wake Forest after Indiana changed defensive coordinators.
NOTE: "Physically, he (Gooch) is a Mike linebacker, who can come in and rush off the edge. He'll provide tremendous personality for this defense," new coordinator Brian Knorr said.
National rankings (Rivals 60; Scout 41).
Best in class: Wiegers, Scheel
Best of the rest: Nelson, Keegan Render, OG, Indianola, Iowa
Late addition: Taylor
One that got away: Ross Pierschbacher, OT, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Alabama)
NOTE: Although Iowa signed many of the state's top prospects, Pierschbacher wavered on his oral commitment and wound up with Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa. The Hawkeyes also failed to land the state's No. 1 recruit, wide receiver and Iowa State signee Allen Lazard. But Lazard's father and brother played for the Cyclones, and he's been committed to them for years.
National Rankings: (Rivals 51; Scout 60).
Best in class: OL Damian Prince, Forestville, Md. Parade All-American picked Maryland over Florida and South Carolina in a nationally televised ceremony at Bishop McNamara High School.
Best of the rest: DE Jesse Aniebonam, Olney, Md.; WR Juwann Winfree, Englewood, N.J. Aniebonam is a highly regarded pass rusher who had 30 scholarship offers from schools in just about every major conference. Winfree was offered as a safety by Georgia but wanted to play offense.
Late addition: LB Nnamdi Egbuaba, Baltimore. Edsall thinks the Terps got a steal in this under-the-radar prospect, who possesses great size and speed along with a high motor.
One that got away: CB Jalen Tabor, Washington, D.C. Five-star cornerback from Friendship Collegiate Academy grew up minutes from the College Park campus and always spoke highly of Maryland, but ultimately signed with Florida.
NOTES: Two of Maryland's top recruits are already enrolled at College Park. Derwin Gray and Larry Mazyck, both of whom graduated from Friendship Collegiate Academy in D.C., spent the 2013 season playing at Fork Union Military Academy and Iowa Western Community College, respectively. Gray and Mazyck, who technically count against the Class of 2013 in terms of how their scholarships are assigned, should contend for immediate playing time.
National rankings (Rivals 31; Scout 27).
Best in class: Jabrill Peppers, DB, Paramus, N.J.
Best of the rest: Drake Harris, WR, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Late addition: Jared Wangler, LB, Warren, Mich.
One that got away: Damon Webb, DB, Detroit.
NOTE: Wangler's father, John, was a quarterback for the Wolverines from 1977-80.
National rankings (Rivals 21; Scout 21).
Best in class: Montae Nicholson, db, Monroeville (Pa.).
Best of the rest: Brian Allen, ol, Hinsdale (Ill.)
Late addition: T.J. Harrell, db, Tampa (Fla.)
One that got away: Darius Slade, de, Montclair, N.J.
NOTE: Slade committed to Michigan State in mid-January but had a late change of heart and signed with Urban Meyer and Ohio State on Wednesday.
National rankings: Rivals 53, Scout 51.
Best in class: Jeff Jones, RB, Minneapolis Washburn HS.
Best of the rest: Isaiah Gentry, WR, Cincinnati Moeller HS; Melvin Holland, WR, Ashburn (Va.) Briar Woods HS; Conner Krizancic, WR, Mentor (Ohio) HS; Brandon Lingen, TE, Wayzata (Minn.) HS; Connor Mayes, OL, Van Alstyne (Texas) HS; Gary Moore, DT, Mobile (Ala.) Murphy HS; Dimonic Roden-McKinzy, QB, Kansas City (Kan.) Wyandotte HS; Andrew Stelter, DE, Owatonna (Minn.) HS.
Late additions: Moore reneged on his verbal commitment to Southern Mississippi and Krizancic did the same to Cincinnati.
One that got away: Frank Ragnow, OL, Chanhassen (Minn.) HS. Signed with Arkansas.
NOTE: Julien Kafo, a defensive end from Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, has an atypical background as a Canadian prospect. He speaks four languages: English, French, German and Spanish.
National Rankings (Rivals 32; Scout 34).
Best in class: Monte Harrison, WR, Lee's Summit, Mo. He's a dynamic athlete who led his West High team to a state championship. The question is whether he'll show up in Lincoln or turn pro in baseball. A speedy and strong-armed outfielder, he's pegged as a top-50 MLB draft pick.
Best of the rest: Tanner Farmer, OL, Highland, Ill. He made an impressive showing at the Under Armour All-Star Game and is ranked among the best offensive line prospects in the country. He and fellow O-lineman D.J. Foster out of Lincoln will make bids for early playing time.
Late addition: Mikale Wilbon, RB, Chicago. He flipped from Vanderbilt after James Franklin took the Penn State coaching job. He's been injury prone but has the tools to be a great one.
One that got away: Blake McClain, DL, Jacksonville, Fla. He flipped twice down the stretch, de-committing from Florida State, pledging to Nebraska and signing with South Carolina.
NOTE: Nebraska secured verbal commitments from a half-dozen players in the two weeks before signing day, but the strong finish was mitigated by the loss of McClain and three others who went elsewhere.
National rankings (Rivals 66; Scout 56).
Best in class: Clayton Thorson, QB, Wheaton, Ill.
Best of the rest: Austin Anderson, RB, Plano, Texas; Garrett Dickerson, TE, Englewood, N.J.; Justin Jackson, RB, Carol Stream, Ill.; Parrker Westphal, CB, Bolingbrook, Ill.
Late addition: Xavier Washington, DE, Cedar Hill, Texas
One that got away: Hamilton Anoa'I, LB, San Mateo, Calif.
NOTE: DL Fred Wyatt of Lawrence, Kan., comes with a connection to Fitzgerald and Northwestern. His father Buddy was the defensive line coach at Northwestern for two years in the late 1990s, and Buddy and Fitzgerald worked under Gary Barnett at Colorado.
National rankings (Rivals 3; Scout 3).
Best in class: Raekwon McMillan, LB, Hinesville (Ga.) Liberty County
Best of the rest: Dante Booker, LB, Akron (Ohio) St. Vincent-St. Mary; Johnnie Dixon, WR, West Palm Beach (Fla.) Dwyer; Jamarco Jones, OL, Chicago De La Salle
Late addition: Darius Slade, DL, Montclair (N.J.)
One that got away: Malik McDowell, DL, Southfield (Mich.) to Michigan State
NOTE: "We signed 23 players with an emphasis on linebacker, a position where we're going through an overhaul. There are four linebackers we recruited and they have to play four us. Just so everybody knows, there's no redshirting (for them)," Meyer said.
National rankings: Rivals 21; Scout 21.
Best in class: Saeed Blacknall, WR, 6-2, 210, Manalapan, N.J.
Best of the rest: De'Andre Thompkins of Swansboro, N.C., and Chris Godwin of Middletown, Del., were two of four wide receivers coach James Franklin recruited to fill void left by Allen Robinson, who left for the NFL draft. . Quarterback Michael O'Connor from Ottawa, Ontario, trained with former Florida State Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and was one of five of Penn State's 25 signees who began Penn State classes in January. . Franklin also added to his complement of tight ends with Mike Gesicki (6-5, 245) from Manahawkin, N.J.
Late addition: Torrence Brown, a three-star defensive lineman (6-4, 240) from Tuscaloosa, Ala., who de-committed from Southern Mississippi.
One that got away: Four-star defensive tackle Thomas Holley of Brooklyn, N.Y., de-committed from Penn State and opted for Florida when longtime Penn State assistant coach Larry Johnson became defensive line coach and assistant head coach at Ohio State.
NOTE: Recruits who faxed in letters of intent were welcomed by Franklin and his assistants via cellphone and were announced individually in NFL draft day fashion. There was a draft board that listed all players in the football offices as well.
National rankings (Rivals 75; Scout 64).
Best in class: Gelen Robinson, de, St. John, Ind.
Best of the rest: David Blough, qb, Carrollton, Texas; Tim Cason, db, Clarkston, Mich.
Late addition: Corey Clements, ol, Mesa (Ariz.) CC.
One that got away: Ladarius Wiley, wr, Los Angeles, decommitted earlier this week.
NOTE: "We're really excited about getting our needs. You look at last season, and I think we've done a lot of good things in addressing those needs." — coach Darrell Hazell.
National rankings (Rivals 57; Scout 55).
Best in class: Sideny Gorpe, LB, Newark, N.J.
Best of the rest: Kevin Wilkins, DL, Mahwah, N.J.
Late addition: Giovanni Rescigno, QB, Macomb Township, Mich.
One that got away: Saeed Blacknall, WR, Manalapan, N.J.
NOTE: "…Rutgers had an abysmal year," Mike Farrell, the national recruiting analyst for Rivals.com said. "They've had 12 de-commitments, which is a record. I've never heard of a program that didn't lose a head coach, that didn't go under NCAA sanctions, lose that many kids. They just had a disastrous recruiting year. I think they're ninth in the Big Ten."
National rankings: (Rivals 33; Scout 28).
Best in class: Jaden Gault, OL, Cottage Grove, Wis.
Best of the rest: D.J. Gillins, QB, Jacksonville, Fla.; Dareian Watkins, WR, Galion, Ohio; Taiwan Deal, RB, Capitol Heights, Md.; George Panos, OL, Hartland, Wis.; Conor Sheehy, DL, Milwaukee.
Late addition: D'Cota Dixon, CB, Oak Hill, Fla.
One that got away: Craig Evans, DL, Sun Prairie, Wis. (Michigan St.)
NOTES: Panos' father, Joe, played offensive line at Wisconsin from 1990-93 and was captain of the 1993 Big Ten championship team. … Andersen's son, Chasen, is joining the Badgers as a walk-on inside linebacker.
(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


text:
I have been using Puppy Linux for basic Linux needs, however now I would prefer one that has Ruby included, so that it does not have to be downloaded.
I would prefer a small distro that can run from a CD, smaller size preferred to decrease boot time. What would be a good choice for this?


text:
SKF Electronic Parking Brake
A compact, "smart" solution
Featuring an actuator controlled with by-wire technology, the SKF Electronic Parking Brake enables "smart" functions.
- "Automatic apply" activates when the key is off and the driver leaves his seat
- "Hill holder" and "Drive away" create maximum driver comfort, even on hilly ground
- Automatic wear compensation avoids manual system registration by the end-user
Design flexibilityThe SKF Electronic Parking Brake is a flexible add-on solution with integrated smart functions. When used to replace mechanical or hydraulic systems, the unit's by-wire technology can improve vehicle efficiency and performance. The unit is simple to install, giving designers freedom to position it in different locations on the vehicle. "Plug-and-play" solution reduces assembly cost.
- Robust, high-performance solution enhances equipment reliability
- Virtually maintenance-free
- Improves operator safety and ergonomics
The solution is appropriate for multiple vehicle platforms with different types of transmissions; and customizable software enables its use in varying equipment types faced with different operating conditions.


text:
It is often said that dead men tell no tales because there are none more silent than those resting forever within the grave. Such is the end of all journeys to know deaths cold embrace as the flesh is weak, but the soul may carry on and Fate may not yet be done. Fate is an enigma to which Mistress Death is but one aspect who guards her secrets well. She is the cessation of lifes journey, an ending to yet another beginning for most; an ending forever for some deemed worthy of nothingness... those deserving of her eternal embrace to sleep while others are reborn! While many would claim to be masters of their fate, one cannot master what one cannot know save that all who live must one day die! Each to his own fate as I to mine goes the saying. But none are masters of Fate beyond the why, when and where of it all in the choosing of how one dies... and even then fate might intervene to prevent it! Such are the ways of Fate that there are those in the world who are explorers of the darker paths, those who would seek to cheat fate of it's due reward. These "seekers of the forbidden" desired immortality, prosperity and powers to which they had no just claim. They would dare to challenge Fate thinking they had chosen the journey before them unthinking that it may have been the journey, instead, which had chosen them. All that matters is the journey and when lifes journey is at an end... death awaits!
There is no definition to fate as it is what it is and it is not always what one would make of it nor wish it to be. To some, it brings blessings; and to some it brings pain... this is the way of Fate, to which, most can only hope for equal shares and nothing more than what fate provides! Fate is a representation of this journey, the journeys which define us and which are defined by us. A kings bloodline dies out while the blood of peasants spread across the infinity of time like rivers flowing into the everlasting seas. A false prophet chooses a path thinking they can confess their sins and escape paying the Devil his due. It never dawns on them that their path was chosen as a test by the Heavens above knowing failure would send them into the Hells below. None can escape Fate just as none can escape the inevitability of Death. They might possess a longer life, a higher quality of living and more of all things for which great men might be remembered. Yet, there are those seemingly chosen by Fate to exist beyond it's reach. Anomalies which should not exist and, for which, there is no explanation. Such is the way of enigmas that they become enigmas even unto themselves. No rhyme or reason, it simply is what it is with no explanations necessary.
The Sisterhood of Fate are a manifestation of lifes journey which has existed in many forms since the dawn of time. They represent ones past as it becomes the present and the present as it becomes the future. Together, they represent different aspects of the passage of time... the memories of what was, the reality of what is and the hope of what is meant to be. They are an enigma even unto themselves made manifest time and time again as the chosen daughters of Fate. They are a trinity who must be born of the living and whose journey is both a curse, and a blessing as they are not immortal nor are they possessed of powers which cannot be undone. The sisterhood will live for hundreds, or even thousands, of years until such time as the grip of Mistress Death becomes a permanent hold which cannot be relinquished.
During the Burning Times, three daughters would be born to pagans who had refused to abandon their ancestral ways. Their father was a man of God who had betrayed his Christian faith by founding a sanctuary to preserve the old gods under the guise of saints and angels. Their mother was a healer, a woman who was a bringer of life unafraid of those who would might take hers should they learn her secrets. Each of their daughters seemed blessed with bewitching beauty and cursed by misfortune as if God himself sought to punish them. To outsiders, it was increasingly becoming clear that the hand of Lucifer was at work and a purge followed leading to the deaths of many. Those who had not escaped death at the hands of the mob would await their turn at the stake as all were to be burned as witches for the sin of non-conformity. When the Sisters Grimm were tied to the stake, they were tied together around a single stake to save wood. As their parents screams rang out into the night, only the eldest daughter watched as their parents skin blackened and then boiled being consumed by the flames. The stench of their parents burning flesh was thankfully hidden beneath the stench of those who had been burned before them. And then, it was the daughters turn as the wood beneath them was set alight.
The memory of these events would never be forgotten as the Sisters Grimm would not go silently into death. The youngest of the daughters would be resurrected within the flames to become a manifestation of the devils own. The eldest of the daughters would be resurrected through ash and smoke to become a manifestation of deaths cold embrace. The last of the sisters would be resurrected as the flames cleansed her of flesh and her blackened bones arose screaming at the panicked onlookers. The three sisters then reformed as as skeletal dragon engulfed by the flames of a phoenix and the ash of their own destruction. For an unknown number of people, this journey leads them to a land soaked red with the blood of the dead. A place where Hell itself has been summoned forth like a gaping wound of some monstrous beast. Those who find themselves within the Darkest Place on Earth do not sense that the world they know has changed until fate reveals itself. The Sisters Grimm would find themselves awakened within this place unknowing of their surroundings. They felt themselves drawn further into darkness as if summoned by the beating heart of an enormous beast. It was only then that they discovered the massive walls concealing behind them a dark, foreboding estate it's gates identified as Kravenwood Manor. To their eyes, the building was ancient. And yet, they could sense that they were looking at a future yet to be.
Kravenwood Manor serves as the living heart of evil. A place torn from the fabric of time and reality wherein the Sisters Grimm came to reside. It was created to serve as an estate by French aristocracy and became, instead, a home for the Devil's Own! The lands upon which it was created bare an ancient curse as it was a place of great suffering. The wood used in it's construction grew from blood soaked earth; the brick was forged from clay cursed by the ash of long dead flesh; even the mortar was created from the crushed bone that belonged to victims of sacrificial blades; and the stonework itself came from the souls of ancient beasts trapped within it still hungering for meat to fill stomachs that no longer exist. Kravenwood is not just the estate itself, it is much more as it encompasses everything including the surrounding lands and all which dwells upon them. None but the insane would ever seek out Kravenwood Manor as those who visit never leave! And yet, the Sisters Grimm find themselves in this place as servants at the gates of madness. The library within Kravenwood Manor belongs to them. It is their abode, their sanctuary and the Manor grants to them the power to rule it as their own private dominion. They are the Keepers of the Chronicles, the storytellers who preserve the stories of all who are condemned by fate to be in this evil place. As such, they like to interject themselves directly into the stories they have to tell. Fate is nothing if not something to be experienced and to make oneself a part of even if they must take on other forms to do it... being shapeshifters tends to help in this regard.
The eldest of the Sisters Grimm is Morticia. It is a name she chose for herself after arriving in Kravenwood because her given birth name is actually Anastasia Skúla Grimm, a bizarre name of pagan origin which her parents explained meant resurrection of the dark protector. She herself took it to mean that she was a guardian of souls and an angel reborn in mortal flesh to learn a lesson in humility. As proof of this, she was born with a birthmark across her back which her father said was an angel and which her mother said was a phoenix... her sisters, however, tormented her by calling it a crow. Following her rebirth, this mark became like a living thing changing and morphing as she tells her tales. A dark phoenix, a raven within which exists the faces of death and led to her viewing herself more as an angel of death preferring the company of the dead to that of the living. Her love for zombies and corpses is probably the most telling change in her nature while her fetish for skulls and severed heads is another. As the most powerful of the three sisters, she seems to acquire greater power when within the Library. Within it, she can twist the physical fabric of reality or simply a persons perception of reality by drawing upon the power within the books. She often sits at an enormous tree stump once belonging to a Southern Live Oak which includes a winding staircase to reach her desk atop of it.
Upon arriving at Kravenwoods gates, Morticia manifested her powers for the first time by transforming herself into dust and reformed on the other side. She was as mystified by this as her sisters because other forces seemed to be at work manipulating their fate from the moment they burned at the stake. Morticia would be first into the Library as if drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Once within it's confines, she would discover that she had been chosen by the Library as it's protector. This had been her fate from the moment she was born and she felt compelled to assume the role as head librarian as time was ethereal in this place. Many of the books she felt drawn to most proved to have been written by her skeletal fingers. She found the inkwell she had used to write them was filled with the blood of those she had written about... the dead whose stories she was yet to know even though it was she who wrote them. In her role as a speaker for the dead, Morticia likes to embellish her stories and toss in some what if's should anyone think they know the ending of her tales. When she is at rest, she becomes dust scattered about in the library or appears in the shadows like a specter not wishing to be seen. When she reforms physically, her spirit manifests first and causes the dust around her to form as a whirlwind until she is restored to solid form.
Her true form is that of a voluptuous, ashen skinned diva with glowing red eyes. The reason for this is she prefers to be a seductress who might be embraced when it is time for the living to join the dead rather than to be feared. Fear is, nonetheless, a weapon she uses when she feels the need as she can appear in a more frightening decayed or skeletal form. While she spends much of her time within the Library, Morticia often interacts to tell her stories. When she does, the stories she chooses tend to be tales of the macabre involving torture, executions and death machines. Her stories are those where someone is guaranteed to be dead by the end of her tales. However, Morticia is such a good story teller that it's difficult to know just who will be dead until her story's done. As Protector of the Library, anyone wishing to access it without permission will learn why Death is her given attribute. Morticia also keeps a number of jars filled with body parts to help her tell her tales and has a bit of a fetish for skulls and severed heads. She is often accompanied by "pets" like vultures and ravens known to be carrion feeders so that it's not just the living who might fear her as the dead aren't too comfortable when her pets are around.
The middle of the Sisters Grimm is Mercy, a name most ironic considering she is a huntress and self styled barbarian. Of all the sisters, she is the one most true to ancient paganism while adapting easily enough to the modern worlds ways of killing. In a violent world, it takes a cruel and unforgiving woman with a don't give a shit attitude to represent fate as it unfolds in the present. Fate can be cruel and where Morticia doesn't wish to be feared, Mercy has no problem with the concept as fear makes men think twice and fear makes them piss their pants rather than making others piss theirs. As a child, Mercy was her fathers favorite. When he brought home game or there was killing to be done of livestock, Mercy was the one to who didn't mind getting blood on her hands so the family would eat. At an early age, she began going on hunts with her father and became the son he didn't have. Her father was an ex-soldier who also served as a surgeon and an executioner making him one of the more valued men in his nations service. He had even served in the New World where the natives pagan ways served to restore his own views passed to him by his parents. Mercy was always eager to hear her fathers stories and he taught her the skills that he knew hoping she might pass them on to her own sons. When the local mob came for them, Mercy didn't go easy as she injured several of the townsfolk and killed one of the town council using the mercenary skills her father taught her.
When she found herself awakening in a forest unknown to her, she was the most able to survive and provide for herself. Her last memories were the agonies of being burned alive at the stake which at first did not bother her. But, after killing a beast to provide a meal for the three sisters, Mercy found herself staring into the flames completely lost in herself as her sisters cooked the hapless animal. Standing before the the gates to Kravenwood Manor, she watched as Morticia transformed into dust to rematerialize on the other side in solid form. Moments later, Mercy seemed to almost explode into a colony of bats rising up and over the gates before reforming into human form on the other side. Unlike Morticia, Mercy had to find her own way into the Library as there was nothing seeming to help draw her to it. By the time she found the Library, Morticia had apparently been there for some time and was already fully transformed into her present appearance as a death entity. As she began to explore the Library, Mercy sensed that she belonged here no different than Morticia; but for decidedly different reasons. Like Morticia, Mercey found trophies about the vast Library which she knew that she had killed and mounted... just, she had not yet done so. She also found creatures almost impossible to believe existed both as skeletons and as taxidermied beasts. Mercy also has the ability to take on the attributes of animals in a somewhat imperfect fashion if she tries to remain at least partially human. If she tries to grow wings, she will only be able to grow one as an example of these limitations. But, if she chooses to become a large eagle, she will be able to take on it's form almost perfectly.
Where Morticia practically lived in the Library, Mercy found her place was in a side room area fully equipped with tools of the trade she needed to perform her own duties contributing to the Library. She would also contribute in writing about the animals she found here and took on the role of caretaker to the animals in what she calls the zoo of Kravenwood Manor. It's because of this that she often takes on the appearance and role of a big game hunter as she doesn't need to travel the world when the world seems to find it's way to Kravenwood. She is just as adept at wearing military garb or portraying herself as a gangbanger street thug... she is a huntress and the hunt can take many forms. Of the three, mercy is possibly the most fair and balanced because she doesn't discriminate nor care if fate plays against her. Not every hunt results in a kill as she views her role as that of teaching lessons. While people might not die as a result of her involvement in their lives, there will be suffering and pain to be endured in crossing her path. As a practitioner of witchcraft and sorcery, her powers tend to be more of the elemental magicks and transformation. Mercy is also a supporter of all forms of weapons which she views as a "clean kill" type which gas and nuclear weapons aren't even if machine guns and tanks are in her view. Where Morticia has carrion feeders as her companions, Mercy keeps carnivores which aren't always living and might just as easily be found riding a T-rex telling her stories. Where Morticia has a fancy for the dead, Mercy prefers the living and likes violent men of barbarian nature moreso than sissy-boys.
The youngest sister is Hope and she's the troublemaker of the trio. Where Morticia was favored by their mother and Mercy by their father, she was a mistake who neither parent planned to have. As such, they gave her their love but neither chose her as their favorite leading Hope to become a mischievous little brat to gain attention. She was only at ease when she was staying with her childless, widowed Aunt Bess to whom she became the favorite. Bess was more of a wild spirit and a woman of ill repute who did not want to remarry as she had too much fun as a merry widow. She was always the one who had extra money when the family needed things and found creative ways to give gifts to the family where her ways of gaining her money for the gifts would otherwise cause the family to reject them. It wasn't that the family allowed Hope to stay with her Aunt as much as she made a nuisance of herself and keeping her happy got her out of her parents hair. They could trust Bess to protect Hope because the girl was like a daughter to Bess and she shielded Hope from her lifestyle the best that she could. But Bess was not the only person Hope spent her time with as she also spent time with the town orphans who were well practiced thieves. Where these children weren't thieves, they were well polished liars able to get jobs and things they wanted by telling lies and half truths adults believed. Hope wasn't beyond getting caught and punished for her behavior so that she developed a sixth sense for what to say to avoid punishment or to reduce it's severity.
Unlike her sisters, Hope stopped crying out at the stake as the fire consumed her. Something about the experience seemed almost funny to her and the agony of the fire blistering and burning her flesh caused her to begin laughing hysterically. The townsfolk grew silent as her laughter rang out above their chanting and it would be she who was first to lash out as her body became one with the flames. When she regained her senses, she was the first of the three sisters to reveal the changes that would eventually happen to all three. She possessed demonic horns and a long forked tail so that her sisters struck out at her not yet understanding what was happening to them. Leaping into a tree away from their reach, Hope followed her sisters from a distance and approached the gates to Kravenwood cautiously. Touching them, Hope burst into flames allowing her to attempt crossing through only to find herself transformed into a serpent as she reformed from fire on the other side. Unlike her sisters, Hope didn't even really try to find the Library as she had too much fun with the evils elsewhere within the Manor. When she did find the Library, it was a reunion with sisters as changed as she herself and who now welcomed her into the fold. Their "Little Sister" was, however, much different from them as she was still taking the form of a devil child and of the three; she was the one who might be considered truly evil.
She is a trickster of sorts who is always searching for fun and has a more infantile way of seeing the world making her a bit more mean spirited and cruel as children often tend to be. Where her sisters represent past and present, she represents the future and has no real concern for teaching lessons or telling twice told tales of the dead. Hope was more interested in bedevilment and while she might be angry if she didn't get the expected outcome, she's an excellent schemer and manipulator. Because fate cannot always dictate the future, Hope understands that crossing the fates of people can achieve a desired effect and all she needs to do is enjoy the show. So, death and causing harm are not always her objectives as she often just wants to have fun seeing how she might shape the fate of others where their own screw ups might make her chuckle. Hope is also a thief who procures most of the trinkets and objects for the library. She enjoys trickery and tricking people into acquiring things for her, or tricking them out of things they already have, is a test of her ability to manipulate. She tends to stay in the vault beneath the Library where she keeps all the little extra's not displayed in the Library above. Often appearing as a self styled red devil, she is enigmatic in nature as she represents the unknown elements of fate which her trickery is meant to steer but, ultimately, represents the unknown. It is for this reason that she also like to portray herself as a school teacher, a business woman and a dominatrix. Unlike the other sisters, Hope has a taste for devils and demonology... and her toys of course.
The Sisters Grimm are story tellers who chronicle and retell the stories of those who have found their way into this Purgatory... a little Hell on Earth! Few have ever escaped Kravenwood with their sanity intact because one cannot escape Hell without bringing part of it with you... or being pursued by the the jailers, hounds and bounty hunters whose job it is to return any escaped soul back to the Hell of their own making. The Sisters Grimm oversee these activities with Mercy taking the lead role in these activities because of her nature as a huntress. Kravenwood Manor is a place no one would ever want to visit. Yet, it is the final destination for many whose fate brings them to this place; a place torn from Hell itself and transformed into the darkest place on Earth.


text:
- No open positions
Blizzard Entertainment is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.
Accommodation Request: We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to email@example.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.
Note to Recruiters and Placement Agencies: We do not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward unsolicited agency resumes to our website or to any of our employees. We will not pay fees to any third party agency, outside recruiter or firm without a mutually agreed-upon contract and will not be responsible for any agency fees associated with unsolicited resumes. Unsolicited resumes received will be considered our property and will be processed accordingly.


text:
The publicized $9 billion papers on the Higgs Boson are out! Both the CMS and the ATLAS collaboration at the LHC, CERN have been working against the clock for the last two months to churn out the result that the world was looking forward to – finding the Higgs Boson. Having found the Higgs Boson and announcing it on the 4th of July at Geneva, the CMS and ATLAS collaborations have now released two papers, both reporting that they have improved upon their earlier presented results.
Stating the Obvious
The 4th July conference had already stated that both the CMS and the ATLAS detectors at LHC have found the Higgs Boson, the long sought after particle responsible for endowing all massive particles with mass. The search has been on since the LHC started running more than two years ago. The long time required just goes to show the magnitude of the search – finding the Higgs Boson wasn't easy. But make no mistake – the Higgs Boson is definitely there!
Now, these two papers, one by CMS and the other by ATLAS, do something on expected lines – they bump up the significance of the result. This simply means that they make the result more concrete.
Improving the Results
To put in the numbers, the CMS collaboration had quoted a significance of 4.9 sigma or 99.99995% surety of the presence of the Higgs at a mass of 125.3 GeV. They have just bumped up to 5.0 sigma, which means that the surety is not 99.99997% but at a mass of 125.5 GeV. The error bars stay as they are. The decay channels of highest significance are the diphoton (or the gamma-gamma) channel, where the Higgs decaying to two photons, or the ZZ channel, where the Higgs boson decays into two Z-bosons.
The ATLAS collaboration publish a more adventurous result. They have bumped up their significance from the 5.0 sigma announced on 4th July, to the 5.9 sigma! That is a huge improvement, but this also raises a few questions about the analysis of data. How is it that the ATLAS collaboration can bump up their significance so very quickly?
Both collaborations have gracefully dedicated their papers to all those who were associated with the Higgs search, but have passed away and couldn't see the remarkable results.
December ahoy!
All of the questions – and there are many – will be answered in an expected conference in December, when the data collected the LHC in the next three months will be analysed and presented. The LHC is set to go into a period of hibernation after that for about 14 months and expected to resume in 2014.


text:
"Should I wear my hearing aids every day?" is a question we're asked many times. Our patients will often equate their hearing aids to reading glasses. They will tell us that, "I only wear my reading glasses when I know I'll need them, can't I do the same thing with my hearing aids?"
In the beginning adjusting to your new hearing aids will take some time. The adjustment period and ultimately how well you'll do with hearing aids will vary from person to person depending on a variety of factors including:
- How long you waited to do something about your hearing loss.
- The amount of residual hearing you have remaining.
- Your word discrimination ability.
- How long you wear your hearing aids on a daily basis.
How long you wear your hearing aids on a daily basis is included in this because of the relevancy of neural plasticity. If you or someone you know has a hearing loss, has hearing aids or will be getting hearing aids anytime soon then please take the time to read the information below.
Neural plasticity is the capacity of neurons and neural networks in the brain to change their connections and behavior in response to new information, sensory stimulation, development, damage, or dysfunction. Rapid change or reorganization of the brain's cellular or neural networks can take place in many different forms and under many different circumstances. Neuroplasticity occurs when neurons in the brain sprout and form synapses.
As the brain processes sensory information, frequently used synapses are strengthened while unused synapses weaken. Eventually, unused synapses are eliminated completely in a process known as synaptic pruning, which leaves behind efficient networks of neural connections.
The second paragraph above under "Neural Plasticity" is a great explanation as to why you should do something about your hearing loss as soon as you have a problem. The longer you wait, the more your brain changes in response to how it processes what it hears.
When you do finally get hearing aids the process of neural plasticity (which is constantly ongoing) has to again reorganize the way it's processing the information it receives. It only makes sense that the more you wear your hearing aids and thereby the more consistently you reinforce the way you should be hearing, the more quickly the brain will respond to the change.
Spending half the day hearing impaired and the other half of the day with significantly improved hearing capabilities will only serve to confuse your brain and ultimately it just doesn't make any sense.


text:
Morphiage necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 123 diseños de 18 diseñadores freelance.
Morphiage, LLC. Make-Up and Effects for All Media
Morphiage, LLC is the company name, Make-up and Effects for All Media is our subtitle. We are special effects make-up artists, working in all media (Film, TV, Stage, Live Event and Print). We create original designs from gore to beauty. We train through workshops, techniques for stage and film make-up as well as moulage for disaster training. We also provide other effects, such as props, small explosions, bullet wounds, etc. We can design complete haunted houses and provide make-up artists in our area. Custom prosthetics, consultation.
1 The Film, Theatre, Print and Fashion industry professional, primarily in the Northeast US, but have the ability to travel nationally and internationally.
2 Theatrical enthusiasts/ non-professionals including Haunted Houses/Attractions
The name Morphiage was created by the combination of Morpheus (Greek God of change and illusion) and Maquillage (French for make-up). There should be an accent over the A in Morphiage.
Looking for an image with the name that conveys imagination and make up artists, that can be used alone or with the name.
We lean to colors of Purple on Black, but feel free to experiment.
To be used primarily for business cards, website, letterheads/stationary and eventually clothing and bumper stickers. Nothing as large as the side of a van or a billboard.
We want to avoid anything that will appear stereotypical (i.e. Artists brushes). Staying abstract with an emphasis on imagination. We often use the phrase "Imagination has no Limits" just an example, NOT TO BE USED FOR LOGO. Avoid clichés, but convey "makeup artist". No cartoons. We like a mild Gothic feel, but not limited to.
files required: print and web file.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
I'm not home, but I scheduled this post because today is my one year blogging anniversary!! I just had to write a little somethin' somethin'! I set out a year ago, 281 posts ago...completely clueless:) I didn't know a thing about how to blog. I wasn't sure what I was going to talk about or if anyone would be able to find me to even read it. But for some reason, day after day it came...the words came, the inspiration came and finally the readers came. I can only attribute it to God. He has filled my heart with so much to share and through that whole process He has given me a lot of new friends. I can honestly say that blogging has changed my life:)
There are times though that I question why I do this. We all know it's really time consuming, but more than that sometimes blogging makes me feel "less than"... I compare myself to other bloggers and feel intimidated. They seem to have it all together with their gorgeous homes, wonderful recipes, amazing crafting ability, pictures etc... This is a little embarrassing to admit, but the green eyed monster comes out and I have to deal with those envious thoughts. I have to remind myself that it's not a competition! I am who I am and that is exactly who God made me to be. Please tell me you've experienced this!
With this New Year approaching my goals are to just listen to what God is trying to tell me, look for opportunities to share my life and art with the world, and to just be! He put these desires in my heart; to blog, to paint, to share...so I give it over. Please know you have all encouraged me so much this past year!! Your comments and letters have always come at the perfect time. They bless my heart day after day and fill me with the inspiration to continue. I love ya...I really do!
Have a blessed day.
Oh and stay tuned...
when I get back I'll have some kind of giveaway to celebrate proper!!


text:
Category: Car Dealers
;289 Penarth Road,
Landline: 0844 24...
Website: www.wessexgarages.com
Website: Visit Website
Message now
Report a problem with this listing
At Wessex Garages, we operate the following mission statement: "Our aim is to treat customers how we would like to be treated. This centres around our three pillars: trust, transparency and value for money."
As a privately-owned company that has proudly represented the Nissan brand in the Bristol area for more than 25 years, we have gained great experience in bringing you the best vehicles and the highest levels of customer service. Our company has expanded to reach South Wales and the South West, with an increased number of vehicle brands now available. Our range of stock includes the complete Nissan, Nissan GTR, Kia, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Abarth and Hyundai lines, including commercial vehicles as well as passenger cars.
We supply new and Approved Used vehicles in our home region and nationwide, and also bring our customers a comprehensive range of aftersales facilities, including maintenance and parts. Our premises are located in Bristol, Gloucester, Cardiff and Newport, and we are always pleased to offer a warm welcome to our dealerships.
Our lengthy past experience has taught us how best to serve our customers, and how to deliver real quality to you at affordable prices. Priding ourselves on our honesty, reliability and outstanding value for money, we bring impressive levels of financial savings on our new and Approved Used vehicles. You will find our services friendly and professional, and our members of staff knowledgeable and welcoming.