text:
Cardiac pacemaker adaptive to physiological requirements
A cardiac pacemaker has a pacing pulse generator whose rate is adjusted as a function of the cardiac output requirements of the body that are commensurate with the activity of the individual. The length of the ventricular preejection period (PEP) is governed by body hormones as well as direct nerve action upon the heart in relation to stress. The PEP is determined by marking occurrence of the onset of a natural ECG signal or artificial pacing pulse, whichever is first to occur in a heart cycle, and detecting left or right ventricular ejection by a pressure or flow pulse in the arterial system or a volume change in the right ventricle. The length of time between the onset of a natural or artificial stimulus and onset of ventricular ejection is the PEP. An electric signal that depends on the PEP is used to regulate the pulse generator rate and escape mechanisms in any of the conventional pacing modes including the AAI, VVI, DVI, VDD and DDD modes.
The invention disclosed herein is a cardiac pacemaker that responds to varying physiological or metabolic requirements of the body by automatically adjusting the stimulus or pacing rate and, hence, the blood pumping rate of an abnormal heart to the same extent that the body would naturally adjust the rate of a normal heart for equivalent physiological requirements.
The body maintains a hormone level in the blood that is related to the prevailing amount of physical activity and emotional stress. When a person increases physical activity voluntarily or is subjected to a challenge that results in stress, the level of the activating hormones increases. By a complex but short duration chain of events, the heart responds to the hormone level or direct nerve action by beating at a higher rate so as to pump a sufficient volume of blood for coping with the increased demand. The converse of the foregoing occurs when the person goes from a physically active state to a resting state.
Normally, changes in physical activity alter the rate of the nerve impulses to the sino-atrial (SA) node of the heart. This node depolarizes in response to receiving said nerve impulses and causes an electric signal to be propagated over the atrium which causes it to contract and discharge blood into the ventricles. The atrial signal is conducted to the atrio-ventricular (AV) node which, after a short delay, causes a depolarizing signal to be propagated over the ventricles, thus causing the ventricles to contract and to discharge blood to the aorta and pulmonary artery. Simultaneously with increased rate, ventricular contractility is enhanced.
The electrical system of the heart is subject to various kinds of failures. In some cases, the natural or intrinsic electric signals of the atrium occur at a rate in correspondence with hormone levels and physiological requirements but the signals are not propagated to or through the Purkinje fibers which conduct the signals from the AV node to the ventricles. Hence, the ventricles do not depolarize immediately in which case ventricular contraction is delayed and falls out of synchronism with the atrium. The ventricles have an escape capability which is to say that even though they do not receive a conducted signal they will depolarize by themselves eventually and cause ventricular contraction. This slow ventricular rate results in an inadequate supply of blood to the organs which reduces patient's work capacity and can result in a patient fainting, especially if an attempt is made to increase activity.
In some individuals, the defect in the electrical system of the heart is such that the heart generates natural or intrinsic stimulus signals some of the time but fails to generate them at other times. Pacemakers that provide artificial electric stimuli on demand are usually implanted in the subject when ventricular contractions are missed or unduly delayed periodically. The latest demand pacemaker designs can be programmed from outside of the body to operate in any of several modes. For instance, a pacemaker may be controlled to pace the atrium only, or to pace ventricles only, or to pace the heart chambers synchronously, first the atrium, then delay, then ventricle stimulation. In demand pacemakers, the pacing rate is set sufficiently high to assure that enough blood will be pumped to permit a limited amount of physical activity above a resting state.
In some cases the pacemaker is operated in the atrial synchronous mode. The atrial signal is detected and used to adjust the artificial stimulus or pacing rate of the pacing pulse generator in the ventricle to match physiological requirements. This is based on the assumption that the nerve impulses to the SA node increase and decrease faithfully in response to changes in demand. There is coordination between the natural atrial signal timing and variable physiological requirements, but the signals are difficult to detect with accuracy. In some subjects, the atrial signal is not synchronized with the ventricular signal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,442 exhibits one attempt to solve this problem.
It is known that with a healthy heart, the QT interval in the natural ECG signal changes in relation to physiological demand, that is, the QT interval shortens as exercise is increased. U.S Pat. No. 4,228,803 uses this phenomenon to adjust the artificial stimulus pulse rate in relation to physiological requirements. The interval between the QRS complex in the ECG waveform and the T-wave is measured for every heart beat. As the T-wave interval shortens, the rate of the stimulus pulse generator is increased and as the interval lengthens, the pulse rate is decreased. This has not completely solved the problem of coordinating pacing rate with physiological demand because the QT interval is not wholly independent of pacing rate. When physical activity of the person is increased voluntarily, a natural contribution to shortening the T-wave interval occurs. The pacemaker senses this as a requirement for increasing the artificial stimulus rate. This shortens the interval further. Thus, there is a positive feedback and the pacemaker can go into a needless cycle of self-acceleration. Pacemakers of this type can increase the stimulus pulse rate even though physical activity has not increased.
Other attempts have been made to match stimulus pulse rate with physiological needs. One example is given in U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,721 which is based on recognition that the pH level of the blood is a function of physical activity. The pH is detected and converted to a signal useful for adjusting the rate of the stimulus pulse generator. However, there is doubt as to whether a system can respond to physiological requirements on a beat-to-beat basis.
A deficiency that exists in all prior art pacemakers which attempt to respond to physiological requirements is that they do not change stimulus rate in response to emotional stress or simply a challenge to the body without increase in physical activity as nature provides in a healthy individual with a normal heart.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, regulation of the stimulus pulse rate of an electronic pacemaker is based upon the recognition that in subjects which have either normal or abnormal cardiac electrical systems, the ventricular preejection period (PEP) and the isovolumic contraction time (IVCT) within said period vary naturally and faithfully in direct correspondence with physiological requirements of the body.
As is well known, during systole, that is, during ventricular contraction, blood pressure in the aorta and pulmonary artery rises until their valves close after which the pressure pulse declines to a rather steady state during diastole. A cardiac cycle begins with initiation of the QRS complex in the electrocardiogram (ECG) waveform. It takes a certain amount of time-for an intrinsic heart stimulus signal or an artificial pacing pulse to propagate and to effect depolarization of the ventricular tissue cells so there is a short delay before ventricular contraction starts. The point in time at which contract,ion starts coincides with the beginning of the isovolumic contraction time (IVCT). During IVCT there is no ejection of blood from the ventricles. Finally, the pressure in the ventricles exceeds the residual back pressure in the aorta or pulmonary artery and ventricular ejection begins. The time elapsed between the beginning of the QRS complex or the artificial pacing pulse and the onset of ventricular contraction is defined as the preejection period (PEP).
When the body is subjected to any physical or emotional stress and when physical activity is voluntarily increased, there is an increased sympathetic nerve action upon the heart and catecholamines release by the adrenal glands into the blood stream. This enhances metabolic activity in the musculature sufficiently to effect the necessary response to the stress or increased activity by increasing contractility of the heart and its rate. It has been demonstrated that the IVCT varies with the cathecolamine levels and decreases in length as physical activity increases and increases as physical activity is decreased. A study and confirmation of this phenomenon is presented in Harris, W. S., Schoenfeld, CD, and Weissler, A. M.: "Effects Of Adrenergic Receptor Activation and Blockade on the Systolic Preejection Period, Heart Rate, and Atrial Pressure in Man". The Journal of Clinical Investigation Vol. 46 No. 11, 1967. Tests conducted in connection with establishing the hypothesis of the present invention confirm the value and consistent relationship of IVCT and PEP with changes in stress and activity.
In accordance with the present invention, an artificial electronic pacemaker is adapted to alter its stimulus pulse rate in response to body controlled variations in PEP which parallel the normal atrial rate variations from the same stimuli.
The primary objective of the invention is to provide an artificial pacemaker device with the capability of altering its stimulus pulse rate and, hence, control the blood volume pumped, in faithful conformity with metabolic requirements of the body just as a healthy body and heart respond to said requirements.
Another objective is to achieve, for the first time in pacemaker technology, alteration of the stimulus pulse rate in response to the body simply being subjected to emotional and other non-dynamic challenges such as hot, cold, fear or isometric stress analogously to the way a normal body functions.
Another objective is to provide a device for controlling stimulus pulse rate that can be incorporated in most, if not all, modern pacemaker designs.
Briefly stated, the new pacemaker system comprises a first device that senses the beginning of each natural QRS waveform in the ECG signal. If there is no natural QRS signal within an escape interval to cause the heart to beat, then the artificial stimulus pulse provided as a substitute by the pacemaker is sensed. In either case, the sensed signal corresponds to the time the heart is being signalled to initiate ventricular contraction. After a delay extending to the beginning of the IVCT, the ventricles begin to contract, but no blood is being ejected as yet. A second sensor is used to detect the moment the blood pressure in the contracting ventricle equals the static diastolic pressure in the aorta or pulmonary artery or when blood begins to flow in said vessels or other arteries. The time corresponds to the onset of ventricular ejection and constitutes the end of the PEP. Thus, with the beginning of the QRS complex or signal being sensed and the subsequent signal indicative of ventricular ejection being sensed, the time of ejection relative to the beginning of the QRS signal can be measured and the measured interval represents the PEP. A signal corresponding to the variable PEP and, hence, to variable physiological requirements is used to adjust the pacemaker stimulus pulse rate and escape interval.
As previously indicated, it is the IVCT that is caused to vary naturally in response to the cathecolamines that are released into the blood as well as to direct sympathetic nerve activity when physiological requirements increase. Measurements show, however, that the delay between onset of the QRS complex and the onset of IVCT is constant for each patient and the delay between an artificial stimulus pulse and onset of the IVCT is also constant for each patient. It is difficult to sense the onset of the IVCT on a continuing basis outside of the laboratory, that is, in a mobile patient. However, if the PEP is measured as is the case here, it will vary faithfully in proportion to physiological requirements and will be wholly independent of the largely uncertain changes in the QT interval as activity changes.
That there is direct correlation between IVCT, PEP and ventricular ejection is shown by Martin, C. E., Shaver, J. A., Thompson, M. E., Reddy, P. S. and Leonard, J. J.: "Direct Correlation of External Systolic Time Intervals With Internal Indices of Left Ventricular Function In Man." Circulation, Vol. XLIV, September 1971. That left ventricular ejection time (LVET) can be determined by sensing pressure or flow in a variety of blood vessels besides the aorta with various types of sensing means is demonstrated by Chirife, R., Pigott, V. M., Spodick, D. H.: "Measurement of the Left Ventricular Ejection Time By Digital Plethysmography." American Heart Journal Vol. 82 no. 2 pp. 222-227, August 1971. Also by the same researchers: "Ejection Time By Ear Densitogram and Its Derivative." Circulation Vol. XLVIII, August 1973.
A more detailed explanation of an illustrative embodiment of the invention will now be set forth in reference to the drawing.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram for illustrating one of several ways that the invention can be implemented in a pacemaker;
FIG. 2 depicts some waveforms which are useful for explaining the invention; and
FIG. 3 shows the functional flow chart of the automatic pacemaker described herein.DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The simplified block diagram of a pacemaker in FIG. 1 depicts one example of how the concept of controlling stimulus rate in response to variations in the pre-ejection period (PEP) can be implemented. As usual, the pacemaker is connected to the heart by means of a conductive lead 14 which terminates in an electrode E that contacts the heart. Lead 14 is used to conduct artificial stimulus pulses from the pacemaker to the heart and to pick up natural or intrinsic electric signals on the heart and conduct them to the pacemaker. It is the onset of the QRS signal that is of special interest insofar as the invention is concerned.
In accordance with the invention, means are provided for regulating the stimulus pulse rate in response to variations in the isovolumic contraction time (IVCT) determined by measuring the more easily measurable PEP which is linearly related to the IVCT. The onset of ventricular ejection during each heartbeat is a marker for the end of the PEP. The end of the PEP is determined by sensing the abrupt increase in arterial blood flow that occurs at the onset of ventricular ejection from either ventricle. A blood flow sensor is symbolized in FIG. 1 by an encircled S. Several known types of sensors are adaptable to use with body implantable pacemakers for the purposes of the invention. As one example, a sensor in the form of a photoelectric transducer may be used as described by Chirife and Spodick (Amer. Heart J. 83:493, 1972). Sensors that sense, coincident with ejection, impedance changes in the right ventricle or impedance changes in tissue proximate to arterial vessels anywhere in the body are also suitable. A right ventricular volume detector of the type described by Salo et al (PACE 7:1267, 1984) is suitable too. In general, any implantable device that produces an electric signal in response to the abrupt change in arterial flow or ventricular volume that coincides with ventricular ejection may be used.
The pacemaker in FIG. 1 is a demand type which is characterized by providing an artificial stimulus to the heart by way of lead 14 and electrode E if the natural or intrinsic QRS signal is missing or unduly delayed beyond the escape interval of the pacemaker in any heartbeat cycle. Production of a stimulus by stimulus pulse output generator 1 causes a logic switch 2 to open and remain open during a period determined by a refractory period timer 3. This is a conventional feature in demand pacemakers and assures that the pacemaker will be insensitive to signals such as the evoked QRS or T wave which would adversely affect functioning of the circuit.
In each heartbeat cycle sensor S produces a signal indicative of the onset of ventricular ejection and, hence, the end of the PEP. The starting point of the PEP coincides with the occurrence of the onset of the intrinsic QRS signal or the stimulus pulse whichever occurs first in a heart cycle. The signal from sensor S is supplied by way of a lead 15 to an amplifier 6 in the implanted unit and through a logic switch 4. The output from amplifier 6 is conducted to a signal conditioning circuit 7 which uses bandpass filters and other components, not shown, to discriminate against electrical and motion artifacts in a manner known to pacemaker circuit designers.
The PEP measuring circuit 8 has an input 16 for a signal corresponding to the stimulus pulse, if any, and an input 17 for any detected intrinsic QRS onset signal and an input 18 for the signal indicative of ventricular ejection and the end of the PEP. Thus, the measuring circuit has the information it needs for producing a signal whose value represents the duration of the PEP.
The stimulus timing signal generator 10 controls the rate of the stimulus pulse output generator 1. Generator 10 may be implemented with analog circuitry or digital logic circuitry. Basically, generator 10 generates a signal whose value increases in respect to time and which is reset to a predetermined value such as 0 concurrently with occurrence of each natural or artificial stimulus signal. In a digital implementation of generator 10, clock pulses may be counted to determine the elapsed time since the last heart stimulus and to set the time for the next one as governed by the measured PEP. When physiological demand is low as when the body is at rest, the PEP is longest and the timing signal generator 10 triggers the stimulus pulse generator 1 at the lowest rate. The escape interval or longest time permissible between heartbeats is indicated as having been reached when the number of clock pulses counted since reset exceeds a programmable predetermined number in which case the timing signal generator 10 triggers the stimulus pulse generator 1.
As physical or emotional activity increases, the PEP becomes increasingly shorter and the PEP measuring circuit 8 output signal is translated by a timing modifier circuit 9 into a signal that is sent to timing signal generator 10 by way of line 19. This signal controls the timing signal generator 10 to increase the stimulus pulse rate commensurate with the current level of physical activity. The opposite occurs when the PEP increases as a result of a decline in physical activity or emotional arousal.
In an analog signal circuit implementation of the pacemaker, generator 10 is a ramp signal generator and the slope of the ramp is set with a PEP signal responsive modifier 9 that changes the slope of the ramp as a function of the PEP measured in circuit 8. Again, the relationship between the measured PEP and the slope of the timing ramp generator is externally programmable through modifier circuit 9. A modification in the ramp slope causes the escape interval of the pacemaker to be changed, which in the absence of natural or spontaneous QRS signals will result in a modified pacing rate.
In either the digital or analog circuit implementations of the invention, the stimulus timing signal generator 10 sets an escape interval appropriate to current physiological demand which corresponds to the duration of the measured PEP.
Every time a natural QRS signal is detected by electrode E outside of the refractory period so switch 2 is closed, the signal is amplified by amplifier 11 and conditioned by conditioner 12 so it will cause reset circuit 13 to reset the stimulus timing signal generator 10 to thereby initiate a new cycle. Any detected natural QRS signal or artificial pacing stimulus, whichever occurs first, will activate a window circuit 5 after a programmable delay. Logic switch 4 closes in response to a window interval being started. The use of a programmable delay accounts for the difference among individuals in the elapsed time between occurrence of the natural or artificial stimulus and the start of ventricular ejection. The stimulus signal timing generator 10 will thus be updated by the PEP measurement either from the detected spontaneous QRS signal or the pacing stimulus to the onset of ejection.
Attention is now invited to FIG. 2 which shows an ECG waveform 25 and a waveform 26 obtained by densitometry measurement concurrently with the ECG. A typical PEP is marked off. The PEP begins when the heart is stimulated to beat by a pacing pulse. The heart stimulus pacing pulse or the intrinsic pacing pulse, whichever is first to occur in a heart cycle, is detected to mark the start of the PEP. One typical artificial stimulus pulse to which attention is directed is marked 27. In reality, the pace pulses coincide with the onset of the evoked QRS signal. In any event, one may see that the electric signal is applied to the heart for artificial stimulation at a point marked 28 on the pulse waveform 26. There is some delay after the pacing pulse 27 occurs before the heart begins to contract but the delay is constant in any given patient. For a period after the ventricle begins to contract, there is no left ventricular ejection to the aorta. This is so because there is a back pressure in the aorta from the preceding heart beats which must be exceeded before there is ejection under the influence of the contracting left ventricle. The moment of ejection by either ventricle marks the end of the PEP. The measured time between occurrence of the pace signal and ventricular ejection varies in accordance with physical and emotional activity of the body. In other words, the PEP shortens as body activity increases and lengthens as body activity decreases. This is true whether the patient is being artificially stimulated or naturally stimulated for any given heartbeat. It is the cathecolamines and the direct sympathetic nerve action upon the heart that have the effect of varying the PEP when physiological demand for blood increases. In accordance with the present invention, the PEP is measured instead of the IVCT and since it depends on a delay time following the stimulus pulse plus the IVCT, the IVCT in effect, can be calculated by measuring the PEP. This is evident from the waveforms taken from a patient depicted in FIG. 2. All one has to do, in accordance with the invention, is detect the Q-wave or pacing stimulus at point 28, for instance, and the beginning of left ventricular ejection such as at point 29 and a signal proportional to IVCT is obtained. Detecting right ventricular ejection provides the same result.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram defining the operational sequences of a pacemaker using the new feature of adjusting rate in response to variations in the length of the PEP. Measurement of the length of the PEP as an indicator of the IVCT for every heartbeat permits the adjustment of the timing controls for the stimulus pulse generator in accordance with the demands of the body for blood flow. Starting with a pacing stimulus 31, a measurement window begins after a programmable delay 32 which will differ among individual patients. During this window, a blood pulse wave or ventricular ejection 33 may be detected by the particular previously mentioned sensing device that is used to indicate ventricular ejection. If, (yes) a pulse wave or ejection is detected, the length of the PEP is measured 34 and the timing circuitry 35 of the pacemaker is adjusted; that is, the stimulus pulse rate and escape interval duration are adjusted. During this alert period, either a normally conducted or ectopic spontaneous QRS (R-wave) may occur. If, (no) an R-wave 36 is not detected, a new pacing stimulus 31 is delivered to the heart prior to the end or at the end of an escape interval. If (yes) a QRS or R-wave 36 of said characteristics is present, a new delay 37 is created, followed by a blood pulse detection window 38. If a pulse is detected and PEP measured 39, similar to the above, the timing 40 will again be set, with which the cycle may close with the detection of a patient's R-wave 36 or a pacing stimulus 31. If, on the other hand, following a pacing stimulus 31, no pulse 33 is detected, the stimulus timing will not be modified and the pacemaker will operate in an R-wave 42 demand mode at its preset lower rate. Delay 41 constitutes the alert period for R-wave sensing.
With the invention, anything that would bring about an acceleration of a normal heart will increase the artificial stimulus pulse rate. It has been observed that, besides physical activity, psychological events such as a pleasant or an unpleasant surprise caused the PEP to decrease with the result that the pace pulse rate is increased. The new device is sensitive and can completely restore heart function to normalcy. In healthy individuals the carotid sinuses detect pressure in the arteries. Once pressure is increased in the carotid sinus there is another mechanism which inhibits the heart or slows it down normally by a very small amount in a normal person mediated by the vagus nerve or parasympathetic system. Particularly in elderly patients who have a diseased, hypersensitive carotid sinus and a prevailing high blood pressure or calcification of the carotid artery, the carotid sinuses respond to the mechanical stimuli by slowing down the heart beat too much in which case the patient can faint. The carotid sinuses, of course, provide the signals to the brain and nerve circuits to change the heart rate by nerve action on the SA node. Fortunately, the new system is insensitive to vagal stimulation because the new device does not respond like a normal atrium in this particular case. The new pacemaker system controls the rate in correspondence with PEP (sympathetic action), so carotid pressure will not affect the pacing rate. Said pacing rate would be that existing prior to the time of carotid stimulation and would correspond to the demands of the body for blood at the prevailing level of activity.
1. A demand cardiac pacemaker including an adjustable rate artificial stimulus pulse generator having output means for being coupled to a patient's heart to deliver artificial stimulus pulses to said heart, means for detecting the start of ventricular ejection during each heart cycle,
- means for sensing during each heart cycle an intrinsic heart stimulus signal or an artificial stimulus pulse whichever is first to occur during each heart cycle, said sensed signal or pulse coinciding with the start of the preejection period during said cycle,
- means for measuring in each heart cycle the length of the PEP constituting the time between occurrence of the intrinsic stimulus signal or stimulus pulse that is sensed by said sensing means and occurrence of ventricular ejection, the length of said PEP being a function of the physiological demand of the patient,
- means for producing a signal that is a function of the length of said PEP, and
- means responding to said last named signal by adjusting the rate of said stimulus pulse generator.
2. A cardiac pacemaker comprising:
- stimulus pulse generator means for applying artificial stimulus pulse signals to the heart and having an adjustable pulse repetition rate,
- means for detecting in the heart in each heart cycle the onset of a natural heart stimulus signal or an artificial stimulus pulse signal, whichever occurs first, detection of said signal coinciding with the start of the ventricular preejection period (PEP),
- means for sensing in said cycle the occurrence of the onset of ventricular ejection, which onset corresponds to the end of said PEP,
- means for measuring in each heart cycle the length of the PEP constituting the time between occurrence of the stimulus signal that is sensed by said sensing means and occurrence of the onset of ventricular ejection, and
- means coupled to said pulse generator and responding to the length of said PEP by adjusting the pulse rate of said generator as a function of the length of the PEP.
3. The pacemaker as in claim 2 wherein the onset of said natural signal sensed is the onset of the natural QRS complex.
4. A cardiac pacemaker adaptive to physiological requirements including an adjustable rate pulse generator,
- means for delivering artificial stimulus pulses from said generator to the heart,
- means for sensing in each heart cycle the onset of a natural stimulus of the heart or an artificial stimulus, whichever is first to occur, sensing of said stimulus coinciding with the start of the preejection period (PEP),
- means for sensing the start of ejection of a heart chamber corresponding to the end of the PEP,
- means for measuring the length of time between said start of the PEP and the end of the PEP, and
- means for adjusting the rate of said pulse generator inversely with the length of the PEP.
5. A cardiac pacemaker adapted to respond to current physiological requirements of a patient being paced, comprising:
- adjustable rate pulse generator means having output means for coupling stimulus pulses to the heart,
- first sensing means for sensing in each heart cycle the occurrence of the onset of the QRS complex in the intrinsic heart electrical activity or an artificial pacing pulse, whichever is first to occur in the cycle, sensing of either onset of the QRS complex or the artificial stimulus pulse marking the start of a ventricular preejection period (PEP) whose length varies with said current physiological requirements and during which pressure in the ventricles increases but blood is not ejected therefrom,
- second sensing means for sensing the abrupt increase in blood flow in the arterial system resulting from ventricular ejection, which increase marks the end of the PEP,
- means for measuring the length of time between said start and said end of the PEP to yield a value representative of the length of the PEP,
- means for producing a control signal which is a function of the said value representing the length of the PEP for said signal to control the rate of said pulse generator means,
- means for adjusting the escape interval of said pacemaker in response to an extrasystole having occurred if said extrasystole produces said abrupt increase from which to measure the end of the PEP initiated by said extrasystole, and
- means for adjusting the escape interval in case of failure to detect the end point of the measurement of the PEP initiated by a natural intrinsic ECG waveform or an artificial pacing stimulus.
|March 1, 1977
|October 21, 1980
|February 2, 1982
|Knudson et al.
|July 9, 1985
|August 20, 1985
|December 3, 1985
|Grassi et al.
- Chirife et al., "Densitography: A New Method for Evaluation of Cardiac Performance at Rest and During Exercise", Am. Heart J., vol. 83, No. 4, Apr. 1972, pp. 493-503. Martin et al., "Direct Correlation of External Systolic Time Intervals with Internal Indices of Left Ventricular Function in Man", Circulation, vol. XLIV, Sep. 1971, pp. 419-431. Harris et al., "Effects of Adrenergic Receptor Activation and Blockade on the Systolic Preejection Period, Heart Rate, and Arterial Pressure in Man", J. Clin. Investigation, vol. 46, No. 11, 1967, pp. 1704-1714.
Type: Grant
Filed: Aug 28, 1985
Date of Patent: Jan 19, 1988
Inventor: Raul Chirife (1640 Martinez Buenos Aires)
Primary Examiner: William E. Kamm
Law Firm: Fuller, Puerner & Hohenfeldt
Application Number: 6/770,205
International Classification: A61N 136;


text:
Day 58 ~ March 28th ~ Citizenship
"...we all have an obligation as citizens of this earth to leave the world a healthier, cleaner, and better place for our children and future generations."
~ Blythe Danner
"As global citizens, it is our responsibility to become active participants in our democracy, and to make sure that everyone's civil rights are protected."
~ Robert Alan Silverstein
To be a citizen means to help your community be the best it can be. You are a member of many communities: your family, your place of work or school, your place of worship, your city, your country, and the planet. Participation in your community presents an opportunity to model nonviolent action, peaceful resolution, and how each of us can and do make a difference.
Victoria Diana Stillig, age 14, Germany
Peace Pals International
Democracy is based on the principle of government "by the people…for the people". Being a citizen does not simply confer rights, privileges, and entitlements; it carries with it responsibility, an obligation to exhibit citizenship. Today, I will find ways to partner with my fellow citizens as we take steps to improve the quality of the conditions in which we live.
Daily Action
You have the right (and the obligation) to voice your concerns when you are dissatisfied with the actions of your government. Today if you are feeling unhappy about a direction being taken by elected officials, take time to call or write your representative to make them aware of your concerns. Effective democracy relies on the importance of all citizens voicing their opinions.
Action for Teens
How can you be a better citizen of your community? You belong to many communities…your family, school, church and town/city. How can you improve your community today? Think about ways you can bring more peace to your environment.
Action for Children
Most community rules exist to ensure that everyone is safe and we all have the chance to be the best we can be. Do your part by respecting others and following the rules.
Taishi Saha, age 15, India
Peace Pals International
"The most important thing an institution does is not to prepare a student for a career but for a life as a citizen."
~ Frank Newman
"A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization."
~ Samuel Johnson
"Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote."
~ George Jean Nathan
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." ~ Margaret Mead

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Exploration in Africa
Source: MiningMx
Posted: Tue, 13 Nov 2007
[miningmx.com] -- AFRICA comprised 16% of all non-ferrous exploration budgets totalling some $9.99bn during 2007, according to North American research company Metals Economics Group (MEG).
Total exploration is roughly 40% higher than total exploration by companies polled in MEG's annual survey last year, and more than double expenditure during the last peak of the exploration cycle in 1997, it said.
African exploration mainly took place in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Angola, Tanzania and Botswana, MEG said. Latin America absorbed the most exploration expenditure comprising 24% of total spend followed by Canada (19%) and the rest of the world (17%).


text:
Update: There are question marks over whether this is true or not. I'm hoping it is just to prove how awesome Bill Murray is, but for now take it with a grain of salt.
Being a successful actor is a doube-edged sword. You'll never be out of work or short of cash, but your days of being able to walk around unnoticed disappear. But it turns out that's actually a good thing in some cases, and has recently made Bill Murray a bit of a hero in Japan.
Murray single-handedly stopped a bank robber in his tracks simply be being his famous self. The man in question had just managed to rob and flee from the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi when he spotted Bill Murray walking down the street. Rather than continuing to run away, the robber stopped and began talking to Murray.
It seems the robber was a little star-struck as he asked Murray if he was Bob Harris from the movie Lost in Translation. Murray remained polite and spoke to the guy, confirming he was indeed Bob. The conversation continued mainly with the robber going on about how much of a fan he was.
The impromptu conversation was all the time the police needed to catch up with the guy, and they tackled him in the street while he was distracted by Murray. It turned out he'd only managed to grab around $5,000 from one of the bank's cash registers after threatening staff there with a knife.
Tomi Tanaka, manager of the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, threw Murray an award ceremony the following day as a way of saying thank you. I think Murray was a little surprised (as are we) as to how this went down, and understandably is shrugging off the hero tag saying it's the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department people should be thanking.
[Image credit: djp3000]


text: Getting Back to The Pursuit of Truth June 26, 2018 | by Kern Lewis | Coaching, Communication Skills, Mentoring, Our Blog, Rave, Team Engagement The idea that a leader never stops learning while "remaining a student" underpins the Pursuit of Truth. You are a leader of people, not an owner of knowledge or manager of process. Tags: Bovo-Tighe, Coaching, Foundation of Excellence, Leadership excellence, pursuit of truth, team engagement Read more


text:
October looks like it will also be a fairly strong month for home sales. There are 141 homes under contract right now, last year at this time there were just 99. At last months sales pace, we have just over 8 months of active inventory. This is slightly higher than a balanced market, but compared with what we have seen, this is something to be optimistic about.
The amount of real estate inventory is also down, and HOME PRICES ARE UP. That's right the median and average list price of homes for sale in Cache County Utah is higher than it has been in months. The median list price rose $4,000 to $179,000, while the average list price increased from $218,135 to $223434. Sales prices last month were also up. The average sold price last month was $182,833 while the median sales price was $168,000. August of 2010 was the last time home prices were that high.
Things could change over the winter, but with the way things are looking, it appears as if the Logan Real Estate market has bottomed out and we are near recovery. Real estate inventory is declining, and with 30 year mortgage interest rates hovering around 4%, this could be the best time EVER for buying Cache Valley Real Estate.
Start searching Logan Homes for Sale.


text:
Email article link to friend(s) -
Facebook -
North Korean Christians Suffering Increased Persecution
Christians living in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or North Korea, have suffered government-sanctioned persecution since the brutal communist regime came to power.
However, according to a recent human rights report, North Korean Christians are experiencing more brutality and violence than at any time in history.
The Christian human-rights group Open Doors, based in Holland, reports that North Korea is number one on its annual World Watch List (WWL), which "ranks countries by the "intensity of persecution that Christians face for actively pursuing their faith."
For the first time, North Korea received over 90 of the maximum 100 points given to the most serious persecutors of practicing Christians.
North Korea, a nation cloaked in secrecy, has been topping the list of Christion persecutors for over five years, according to Open Doors.
In no other country in the world are Christians persecuted as severely as in the empire of the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, the Christian group said.
According to officials at Open Door, more Christians had been imprisoned last year than the previous year, and the persecution "is getting worse" by the day.
North Korea's Stalinist system of implementing a Communist economy is based on "total devotion" of the individual to an ideology promoted by the late leader Kim Il Sung and his successor and son, Kim Jong Il, according to observers who visited the isolated nation.
Officials in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea see Christianity as a threat to their philosophy of state control. North Korean authorities, however, deny imprisoning, torturing and killing Christians in the same way they denied working on creating a nuclear weapon.
Open Doors' International Director Johan Companjen said, "Christians in North Korea say they have become more courageous thanks to [the] prayers," of fellow believers around the world.
"Perhaps that's why more believers have been jailed," he stressed.
To discover how you can help stop the persecution of believing Christians in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, please visit:http://www.helpNK.com/. The web site contains information on religious persecution including an online petition to the US Congress.
Jim Kouri
Chief of Police Magazine (Contributing Editor)
Send email feedback to Jim Kouri
Biography - Jim Kouri
Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for a number of organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. He writes for many police and crime magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer, Campus Law Enforcement Journal, and others. He's appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com, Booksamillion.com, and can be ordered at local bookstores. Kouri holds a bachelor of science in criminal justice and master of arts in public administration and he's a board certified protection professional.
Visit Jim Kouri's website at Chief of Police Magazine
Copyright © 2008 by Jim KouriAll Rights Reserved.
[ Back ]
© 2004-2020 by WEBCommentary(tm), All Rights Reserved


text:
I have been getting a lot of questions about container gardening specifically. It doesn't surprise me that more and more people are beginning to realize that they can grow food practically anywhere they live– even if they don't have a yard!
The questions I have received have varied from "What is container gardening?" all the way to specifics on watering and fertilization techniques. I'm going to start by talking a little about what container gardening is and why it's such a great idea.
The beauty of container gardening
Container gardening is just one part of a system well-known as Urban Gardening. The beauty of container gardening specifically is that you can control exactly what grows where (and keep the weeds out!), and you can keep things like garlic and mint from taking over your entire yard (trust me… they WILL take over). Container gardening is also good for someone who moves frequently– you can take your garden with you! Container gardening is great for people who live in extremely hot places, or really cold places. Since your plants are mobile, you have the option to bring them inside if it's too hot or too cold outside; you'll be able to grow things that you normally wouldn't. Container gardening is also amazing for people who live in apartments, condos, etc in urban areas where there is no dirt to plot a garden. If you get creative, you can plant quite a lot of produce on one little balcony or patio. If sunlight is a problem, you can always supplement with a UV plant/grow light. Most patios have a place for a lightbulb already; you can start by replacing the bulb that's there with a strong UV light and place the plants that need more "sun" under it. Actually, some people are able to grow an entire aquaponics system in their basements by hanging strong UV lights above the system (how cool is that!?). The great thing about container gardening is that you can control what seeds you use for growing your produce (keep reading to find out why I highly recommend using SeedsNow.com, but it you're antsy and want to click to their page now, make sure to use coupon code ORGANICLIFE10 to save 10% off of your entire order. You'll also get free shipping if you spend over $40).
You can grow GMO-free, organic, healthy, and delicious produce in your yard, on your patio, or even in your basement. With the rising cost of… well, everything… this is a great way for you to be able to eat healthy foods on a daily basis while actually saving money on your grocery bill. With container gardening being a very realistic option for almost anyone to grow some produce, there is absolutely no excuse for anyone anymore.
Recap: Benefits of Container Gardening
- Control what grows where
- Keep certain plants from taking over your entire garden (or yard!)
- Grow fresh produce year round pretty much anywhere
- Grow plants that normally wouldn't thrive in your climate
- You don't have to pull weeds like in a normal in-ground garden
- Your garden is mobile– if you move, take it with you!
- Have healthy, organic, GMO-free foods available to you on a daily basis.
- Save money on your grocery bill by growing your own food!
Specifics of container gardening
Let's start with containers…
I like "UpCycling" old items, and I love repurposing things. I am growing a small salad garden in used, but cleaned out, Coconut Milk container, and I'm growing another salad garden in a TOM's shoe box. Well, I WAS growing a salad garden in a TOM's box until the little neighbor kids decided to pick my red leaf lettuce, kale, and butter lettuce out of it. Interestingly enough, they left the arugula. Go figure. Maybe they were really hungry? Probably not, but I'm not going to sweat the small stuff. This would be one reason I generally grow multiples of each plant.
I have found that growing things in a cardboard box can be extremely gratifying, or extremely maddening. If your box is solid, you provide proper drainage, and you're not planning to use the container for more than a growing season, container gardening in a cardboard box might be for you! HOWEVER, if you tend to over water things, you have a flimsy box, or you are trying to grow a plant that will last more than one growing season, I wouldn't recommend growing in a cardboard box.
with that said, growing containers for small things (like a head of lettuce or some arugula) can be easily made from a used (and cleaned) coconut or almond milk container. You know, the boxed milk in the refrigerated section of the grocery store? Yep, that's the stuff. These containers were already made to hold liquid so they function quite well for growing plants! I just cut the top off of the box and poke holes in the bottom. It makes for a nice little "UpCycled" project. Instead of throwing that container in a land fill, why not utilize it to grow new life?
I also use some typical plastic planting pots because they're cheap and easily accessible. I'm not really going to spend much time on this because they are so common and most people already know what they are. My only suggestions here is that you need really know what size you need for what plants you're growing. I have all different sizes, and I usually end up playing musical pots. I start seeds in one pot until they're strong enough to move to a more permanent place.
Another type of container for your container garden is a Smart Pot. I absolutely LOVE my Smart Pots. I currently use three different sizes. I have a 5 gallon, a 10 gallon, and a 30 gallon. These come in all sizes. They even make a 100 gallon "Big Bed Bag" that has a 50 inch diameter! It is perfect for a ready-made raised bed! These are completely re-usable and can last for years. As far as price is concerned, they are more expensive than cheap plastic planters, but they're not THAT expensive. The Big Bed Bag is currently only priced at $39.95. If you have a yard, or a large patio with a lot of sun, one or two of these would probably give you enough space to have a very nice vegetable garden!
Okay now you're probably wondering why I'm even talking about these. What's so great about them? Why NOT just use plastic containers for everything all of the time? The great thing about Smart Pots and any other similar containers (I am only naming Smart Pots because these are the ones I have personal experience with) is that they encourage the roots to grow better by "air pruning" them. Instead of the plastic containers where the roots constantly hit hard walls and eventually become root-bound if they run out of room, the Smart Pots encourage the roots to be more efficient with the space they're given. They also get oxygen from all directions because it's not a hard plastic container. The way the Smart Pot is constructed, it even keeps the soil warmer in the cooler weather, and cooler in the hotter weather. It's really a pretty nifty invention. These types of containers are also what a lot of tree growers/tree nurseries use because of the way they encourage the roots of the plant.
The next growing container is just one type of "Vertical Gardening."
My next big project is to utilize a hanging shoe rack to have a greens and herbs garden. I haven't done this myself, yet, but I have seen it done, and it makes perfect sense as to why it should work. Basically, take a canvas hanging shoe organizer, poke holes in the bottom of each slot, hang it in its location (a fairly sunny side of your house or your apartment), fill each slot with your soil (leaving a couple of inches of room at the top), and transplant herbs, lettuce, arugula, etc, into each slot. You'll want to water it from the top to the bottom, and water slowly. This will allow for proper drainage and not over watering. The excess water from the top plants will trickle down into the plants below and so on. You can actually put a long planter box on the ground below the hanging garden to maximize the system. All excess water will trickle down until there's nothing for it to trickle down to (either to the floor beneath, or into the planter box beneath).
Other types of vertical containers include everything from home-made towers, store-bought towers, shelves that are converted to vertical planter boxes, and so many more options. I'm not going to get into each option because I could literally write for days and still not be done! If there's a specific vertical gardening option that you're curious about, leave a comment, and I will do my best to get back to you with the information I have.
A cool option for you, if you don't have a lot of ground space, could be a hanging container garden! I love these, and am in the midst of building one for myself. You can grow a lot more plants in a hanging basket than you might image. A great way to do it is to actually grow the plant up-side-down. You can buy things like the "Topsy Turvy," but you can also make your own. Take a plastic hanging basket planter, cut a hole out of the bottom (usually around 4 inches in diameter), and use a piece of foam that has a slit in it to cover the hole from inside the pot (I would make the foam circle 6 inches in diameter, and slit it half way across). The only real catch here is that you'll need to use plants and not seeds. Of course you could sprout seeds first, and wait for the seedlings to grow nice and strong, but you'll need to do that in another container first. After you've selected a strong seedling, insert it into your into your piece of foam, and then put it into the pot with the roots facing the inside of the pot, and the plant hanging out of the bottom. Next, carefully fill your pot with your soil and fertilizer. Hang it in a nice sunny location. Be sure to water SLOWLY from the top of the hanging basket! A few things that I know will grow well like this are: tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, egg plant, and scallop squash. I'd add a little organic fertilizer to the soil every couple of weeks.
Let's move on to Seeds.
Where do I get my seeds?
Seed banks? WHAT!? As I touched on above, it is absolutely important that you grow safe seeds. As time goes by, safe seeds are becoming harder to come by, so it's of the utmost importance that you continue saving your seeds from your harvests. A really cool thing that SeedsNow offers are their Seed Bank systems. Instead of "survival readiness kids" that are just a bunch of pre-packaged junk food, these Seed Banks contain safe, organic, heirloom seeds for you to plant and grow. They range in price from $19.99 (for the Culinary Herb Seed Bank) all the way to $119.99 (for the Mega Seed Bank). The way that they're packaged, the seeds are guaranteed to grow for at least 5-7 years, and maybe even longer if you store the Seed Bank in your freezer. Their "Mega" Seed Bank actually comes with 55 different types of seeds amounting to ver 58,000 seeds in all! Along with the seeds and the Bank, it includes their expanding seed starting soil. You also have the option to include a hard copy of their Seed Saving and Grow Guide for only $19 extra (you can purchase this book separately for $22.99). You can also purchase an empty Seed Vault from them to store and save the seeds you purchase and the seeds you harvest from your little crops. The vaults have a vacuum-seal top making them airtight, water, pest, and rodent resistant, and freezer safe! You can keep you seeds inside the vault in your freezer, and your seeds will last even longer!
Don't forget to utilize the coupon code ORGANICLIFE10!!!
You can also save seeds from heirloom vegetables/fruits that you purchase from your local farmer's market. Do not save seeds from non-heirloom varieties. The seeds in hybrid varieties are mostly sterile, and do not produce a crop worth your time (if any crop at all!).
Let's talk fertilization
What about watering?
Organic Garden Life


text:
Talita Bottom
Talita Bottom
The ELLEJAY Talita low rise bikini bottom boosts beautiful stitching. Pair with the Mara Top for the effortlessly chic look you've been after!
- Binding and stitch detail
- Fully lined
- Moderate coverage
- Made in USA
Fit: Fit is true to size.
Fabric: Fabric has stretch.
80% Nylon, 20% Spandex
Ellejay bikinis were designed from the soul of a Brazilian and the heart of an American. Founded in 2015 by Jordyn Pressler and Ludi Delfino, Ellejay was created to offer a bikini equally specializing in fit and style. Inspiration was gathered from their lifestyle and work experiences to curate a collection that speaks to them personally.
They combined their passion for the beach with their industry experiences to launch a new collection during an important turning point in swimwear. Jordyn, a merchandiser and stylist, joined with model Ludi, to create the needed niche in the market they hadn't seen through years of being in retail. Jordyn's experience allowed her to style hundreds of bikinis, studying fit and quality along the way. She quickly picked up on material and cuts that did not lend to a flattering style. Ludi, who has modeled thousands of bikinis in her career, has also become an expert on not only the feel of bikinis but the functionality as well. Combining their experiences led to creating a collection that is stylish, flattering, and functional.


text:
- This event has passed.
Beginning Yoga
February 24 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am|Recurring Event (See all)
One event on February 24, 2020 at 10:00 am|
Main Library (Traverse City)
One event on February 24, 2020 at 10:00 am
Event Navigation
We invite community members of all abilities and experiences to join us at Woodmere for a series of hour-long of gentle yoga classes. Geared to a general audience of participants, this class will focus on settling the mind and resting the body by remaining in the present. All abilities are encouraged and welcome. We hope to take time for yourself and enjoy an hour to just be. Doing is highly overrated, being is where it's at!
Participants will need to bring their own yoga mat, blanket, and water bottles. Please arrive 15 minutes before the beginning of class to give yourself time to get settled. First time attendees will be required to sign a waiver. Registration not required.


text:
The Interrogation
I felt trapped in my own body. I had been waiting for 3 dreadful hours, I had taken 2 hot and suffocating bus rides from Jordan, and had been given 2 rounds of repetitive questioning by Israeli security. I waited and waited, I watched the others in the waiting room, seeing my own feelings of discomfort and paranoia in their weakening eyes. Some of them had told me they had been waiting in that room for more than 6 hours. The Israeli security kept calling me in and asking me the same questions, "Where are you from, what are you doing here, where were you born, where was your father born?" After the 3rd round of their "interrogation", I felt myself becoming more and more sick. "I'm never coming back, I never want to do this again." And as I heard my own thought echo in my mind, I felt even more disgusted, but now only with myself. I realized exactly what was happening. This is what they wanted. They wanted me to feel so sick I'd never want to come back and go through this again. And in that moment I knew I had won. I had beat them because I knew I would do this a million times, I would do this an infinite amount of times just to be home. And so I waited, I waited for Palestine.
The Check points
I stared at the Israeli check point in the distance and I told myself not to cry. I knew that if I began to cry for Palestine, I would never stop. Israel's illegal apartheid wall was making my heart turn cold, as it stood in front of me so shamefully proud of its own injustice. The soldiers stand, as emotionless as the wall and fully armed at the first of hundreds of checkpoints. As I waited, I began to think about all the tourists I had seen earlier that day taking photos in Jerusalem. I wondered what they would be taking photos of if they were here next to me and if they too knew about the horrors behind this wall, would they be as excited to stand in apartheid Israel? And as the wall began to do its job and suffocate me, the soldiers began their questioning. Each soldier carrying two guns on the front of their body and a bat on their back. I wondered what it felt like to carry things that have no other purpose but to hurt another human, to scare and oppress them. I continued to zone out, thinking, "How did this wall get so big? How did the world allow for all of this?" And then the voice of a female soldier, angrier this time, brought me back to reality, "Where is your visa!?" I took a deep breath and just like the hundreds of others of Palestinians behind me, the women, the children, the elderly, I did as she asked.
The Cab in Tel Aviv
I looked outside the window of the car I was in, and I felt I was worlds away from the occupation, lost in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. We were a car full of Palestinians trying to find our way back to East Jerusalem and it was midnight. The streets of Tel Aviv were empty and I saw just what kind of different world Tel Aviv was from the Occupied Territories, just how much that wall could keep left forgotten. We saw a cab and could tell the driver was a Palestinian. We pulled down our window in hope of asking him for directions. My cousin shouted "Yetek Al Afya" an Arabic phrase to say God bless you. The cab driver looked at us. We wanted him to understand we were Palestinians, just like him. He heard our words, he understood them, and then he slowly and very carefully shook his head. He signaled to the Israeli couple in the back seat. We understood. He was too scared to speak Arabic. I saw it in his eyes, as if he had never in his life wanted to speak more. Our windows slowly went up. I then realized we weren't worlds away from the occupation, we were at the heart of it.
The "Arab Hospital"
We had just passed the last checkpoint out of the West Bank, it was around 2 am. My cousin sitting in the front began to tell us she was suffocating. She said that she felt herself having an asthma attack. She demanded we take her to the closest hospital. And that's what we did. We arrived at the emergency counter of the first hospital we could find in Jerusalem. The Israeli women asked us for our passports. She took a brief look, read our last names out loud, looked up at us and then said "Arabs?" She then began to speak only in Hebrew, telling us that we should go to the "Arab" hospital. I stared at the lady barely understanding the Hebrew she was speaking while my cousin on the other side of me was quickly losing more breath. I was helpless because I was the wrong race.
The Worst Moment Of All
The hardest part of leaving is not the part where you are unsure when and if you will ever be able to return, but it is the part where you have no idea what and who will remain when you come back. I looked at Palestine one last time, the land underneath me, the people around me, and I knew the only thing left to do was pray. And so I prayed, like I have never prayed before, with every bit of energy and hope I could find. And as I left Palestine I prayed watching the wall start to disappear in the night, I prayed it would too disappear in the morning.
And A Moment Back from Palestine
It was the first time I had seen my dad since I arrived home from Palestine. My entire family picked me up from the airport and we were all now sitting in traffic as I began to talk about my trip. As I spoke I began to noticed my father. It was as if my words were music playing for his heart, like an old song he hadn't heard since he was a young boy, a song he was desperately reminiscing. My dad looked excited in a way I had never seen before. Baba, who is 71 years old, began to look like a child. Like the child who was born in Palestine, the child forced out of Palestine, stolen of a childhood, made a refugee, never allowed to return home. "Lena, you went to Haifa? Lena, Lena, tell me about Haifa. Tell me about Haifa, how does it look now?" My father asked, he spoke fast and his tears began to form in the corner of his eyes, half of them joyous the other half in great despair. I could not respond. I could not think of anything worthy enough to respond, because words here would be inappropriate. My father deserved more than words. He deserved every moment I had in Palestine. I saw his childlike eyes glowing, I knew his memories of Palestine began to form as he waited anxiously for my response. I wanted to close my own eyes, to see Palestine, to grab all of Haifa with the hands of my memory and to give it to my refugee father, crying in front of me. And in that moment I wanted nothing more than to give Baba, a 1948 Palestinian refugee, his birthright, his never ending right to return home.


text:
Our settings are fully inclusive in meeting the needs of all children. We recognise that children and their families come from diverse backgrounds. Our settings are committed to anti-discriminatory practice and we aim to provide a secure and accessible environment in which all children can flourish.
Our aim is that all children develop as individuals. We make appropriate provision within our curriculum to ensure that each child, through their own interests, receives the widest possible opportunity to develop their skills and abilities and reach their full potential.
We look to encourage all areas of development, supporting and guiding children emotionally, socially, physically and academically as well as encouraging confidence, independence and self-discipline to help children cope in life and be ready for school.
Our care provision is governed by Ofsted and recognised through regular inspections. Our curriculum planning is based on the Early Years Foundation Stage set out by Department for Education.


text:
HOOSL OFFSHORE OIL SERVICES LIMITED established on Feb 27, 2008 with its headquarters located in Hongkong. HOOSL is a China's leading integrated oilfield services & petroleum equipment provider, and a comprehensive oilfield service company which integrates project design, field operations such as drilling, completion services, drilling technique, equipment supply and rentals, logistics & warehouse etc.
HOOSL processes 9 drilling rigs, 2 workover rigs, 13 logging units and 2 cementing units, 5 oil/gas testing units and over 1000 multinational employees. After seven years of development, HOOSL has extended its services to major oil and gas fields in China and overseas market such as Asia, East Africa, Oceania and South America.Till the end of 2014, HOOSL has succeeded in drilling more than 300 wells of gas and oil, total footage is over 660,000m. HOOSL has made a great contribution to the oil and gas exploration and production industry, our role in supporting the oil/gas sector is widely accepted.
HOOSLstrictly implement international standard in terms of safety and environment, work closely with clients to enhance efficient productivity. The maintenance and enforcement of an effective Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) management program is HOOSL's basic commitments.


text:
Website Development
Building responsive websites that look great and convert leads is what we do! Our LocalX web team will design and develop a website for your business to capture your essence and reach. Our websites are cross-platform ready on a multitude of devices including desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
Search Engine Optimization
LocalX SEO analysts understand that ranking in search engines can be a complicated and time-consuming task.That's why we are dedicated to creating industry-driven, keyword targeted content for your business. Our best practices and techniques are designed to increase your visibility, gain competitive edge, and improve rankings on popular search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing.
Social Media Management
Social Media is the most powerful tool you have to reach customers and cultivate relationships lasting a lifetime. Let LocalX optimize your business social marketing initiatives and generate social presence on the world's leading channels including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Pinterest.
eCommerce Website Development
Make your business go global with LocalX's eCommerce Platform! Our website development team can set you up to easily manage your products, run promotions, and offer exclusive deals to your existing customers while making it easy to reach new ones.
Audience Targeting – Display & Video
In today's digital age, visual advertising is one of the most powerful tools to add to your marketing campaign. Let LocalX's Audience Targeting program introduce you to potential customers globally through effective display & video ads.
Pay-Per-Click advertising can help you achieve first page results within minutes of kicking off your campaign. Our LocalX PPC experts are devoted to identifying new ways and techniques to maximize your business ROI quickly and effectively.
YouTube Advertising
Reach Your Target Audience On The Largest Video Streaming Website In The World! Guaranteed Completed Views With YouTube advertising, you only pay when someone watches your entire ad. If someone skips your ad, you pay nothing!
Database Marketing
LocalX Database Marketing is all about customer acquisition! Whether you are a B2C, small business looking to increase traffic to your website or are a mid-to-large size business seeking corporate B2B opportunities, we can help. Using only CAN-SPAM compliance best practices, we generate robust data lists for precise audience reach at a hard to beat competitive cost.
Local Listings
Consistent branding across the web is pivotal for your business development. An unclaimed business listing, an incorrect url, and even a listing with the wrong phone number increases the likelihood of missed ROI opportunities. Find out more about our LocalX Listing package and how it can further expand your local business presence, online visibility, and greater improve your search ranking.
LocalX Live Report
LocalX Live Report allows you to gain in-depth, measurable data to accurately evaluate how your business is performing. These valuable assets will provide you with an insider view on important business strategies like increasing client retention and finding niche markets to increasing ROI for your business.
Call Tracking
Call tracking is the only kind of ROI your clients can hear. Discover how a customer heard about your business with LocalX Call Tracking. We offer informative analytics that will allow you to observe customer call behavior such as differentiating callers from those who have visited your website after a call, from those first-time callers responding to a web ad.


text:
We appear to be following the 1 in 5 year or lower 20th percentile when it comes to water storage in Cape Town supply dams. To be anywhere near being "out of the woods" for the next few years, the red dots would have to be following the dark blue, or even light blue line. We're not even above the green line! Best we all realise the water shortage is far from over and at this point, it looks like we'll be living the "new normal" for some years to come.
Take advantage of the rain tank specials when the likes of Builders Warehouse starts trying to offload the stock they got in at the tail end of the panic buying.


text:
"I hope you don't plan on doing something like that," I said.
His smile faded. "Doing something like what?"
"Marrying another wife."
He was quiet for some time. "Of course not."
"Good." I folded my arms across my chest. "Anyway, I read that I can put a no-polygamy clause in my contract."
He nodded slowly. "I read that too."
"I hope you know I'm putting it in there."
We didn't speak for some time.
"What if I don't want to sign it?" he said.
I shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me. I just won't marry you."
"You would turn down a good brother for something like that?"
"If he's a good brother, he wouldn't mind signing it."
"Now, that's not true."
I shrugged again. "Whatever. It's what I think."
"Some brothers I know think it's haraam [forbidden] to sign it," he said. I could tell he was trying to use my religious sensitivities to make me back down from the no-polygamy clause.
"So?" I said.
"So I'm not sure if it's okay."
"Honestly, I don't care what you think," I said. "All I know is that whoever I marry is going to sign that. Otherwise, we won't be getting married."
"And if no one signs it?"
"I just won't get married. It doesn't matter to me."
There was an awkward silence.
"You're really serious, huh?" he said, looking at me with concern, but I wouldn't meet his gaze.
"Does it really mean that much to you?"
"But why?"
I looked at him. "Would you want your wife with someone else?"
"But that's different—"
"How is it different?"
"Polygamy is halaal [permissible]."
"I didn't say adultery. I said someone else. She could divorce you and marry your friend," I said. "That's halaal. But would you like it?"
His eyebrows rose as he thought about what I said. "No, I wouldn't."
"Then why are you surprised when I feel the same way?"
"But it's in the Qur'an. That means it's not the same for you. Obviously, women can handle it."
"Just because it's in the Qur'an doesn't mean everyone should do it."
"Then who should?"
"Honestly, I don't care. I just know it's not me."
"But how do you know?"
At that I grew impatient. "How do you know you can handle another woman?" Before he could answer, I went on. "You don't. So why do it? Or, better yet, why not just be patient and see how you can handle just one?"
He shrugged. "You have a point."
"I know I do. And you don't."
A grin formed on his face and he shook his head. "Okay, you win."
Because I didn't know what to say and was too upset to smile with him (though I did feel the urge to laugh at myself), I got up. "I should get home," I said. "I told my mother I'm going for a walk. I don't want her to think I'm kidnapped or something."
"Or to know the truth."
Unwilling to display amusement, I nodded. "As-salaamu'alaikum," I said, giving him the standard Muslim greeting of peace in an effort to end the conversation. I didn't wait for his reply.
Later in my room, I reflected on what I'd said and wondered if it was the full truth. I certainly was not willing to live in polygamy, but I doubted I'd turn down the opportunity to marry someone I really cared about just because he didn't sign the no-polygamy contract.
Still, I refused to get married without the clause in there.
Realities of Submitting to Marriage
In the above excerpt from my novel Realities of Submission, the narrator Renee is discussing marriage with a man who is interested in marrying her, and like many women, she does not want to deal with the possibility of her husband taking another wife. In order to ensure that this does not happen, she is stipulating a no-polygamy clause in her contract.
However, will this stipulation protect her from the endless "unknowns" that are inevitable after agreeing to marriage?
Frustration After Marriage
"I dropped out of school and gave up my career for him. I even abandoned my dreams and became a stay-at-home mom. Now he wants to tell me how to dress and practice my faith! I feel like a sex slave with no rights except picking nice meals and pretty clothes. I can't take this anymore."
Many women gush at the thought of finding the "perfect man," and often this sense of excitement continues after marriage for women (and men). However, after years of living together, it is not uncommon for men and women to face difficulties and trials. The man and woman knew that marriage would mean sacrifice, but in the beginning stages, it's impossible to know exactly what that means.
For women who marry while they are completing their studies or before they obtain a university degree, marriage often means letting go of this educational pursuit, at least for a time. If they become pregnant after marriage, many women give up on their education and career altogether. Though this sacrifice is often voluntary, many women complain that their husbands, who were very supportive of their education and career prior to marriage, insist that they drop out of school and give up their career and dreams completely after they are married, especially once children are in the picture.
However, their frustrations do not stop there. Many women complain that their husbands, particularly those men who consider themselves religious, go as far as to micromanage their dress and religious practices. And because these women wish to be good, righteous wives, they feel obligated to listen to their husband's demands, even as they see no Islamic need to adjust their hijabs and religious opinions.
Unfortunately, though "swallowing your pride" and obeying the husband seems like the right thing to do, if the woman's concerns are left unaddressed for an extended period of time, she may become extremely frustrated such that she ultimately wants out of the marriage, or even out of Islam itself.
Can a Marriage Contract Help?
Too often when women are negotiating the marriage contract, they focus on what they want from the man or the relationship (such as "no polygamy") as opposed to what they want and need for themselves. In the case of Renee above, though her insistence on a no-polygamy contract is well within her rights (as it is for any woman), perhaps it would be best for her (and other women) to shift her focus to matters that would benefit her life, mental health, and spirituality regardless of the choices her husband might make down the road.
What if, when writing the terms of her marriage contract, Renee focused on her desire to live as mentally and spiritually independent, successful woman, as opposed to her desire to never share her husband?
In other words, what if women used the marriage contract to think long-term regarding their own actions and choices as opposed to those of their husband?
A Suggested Marriage Contract
Here are some suggested marriage contract stipulations that women might want to consider, even if they do not foresee any serious obstacles or disagreements with their future husband:
-I have the right to continue my education, and I will have my husband's full support, such that he will not seek to deter or prevent me from this. If there are any concerns regarding the care of the children, we will come to a mutually agreeable arrangement that respects the rights of both the children and myself.
-I have the right to own my own business or to pursue a career path of my choice, and I will have my husband's full support, such that he will not seek to deter or prevent me from this. If there are any concerns regarding the care of the children, we will come to a mutually agreeable arrangement that respects the rights of both the children and myself.
-I have the right to practice Islam in a manner that I believe is most correct in front of Allah. Under no circumstances will my husband compel me to understand or practice Islam differently from what I believe or understand to be right.
-In religious matters in which there is a legitimate disagreement amongst scholars, my husband will not compel me to follow the opinion that he favors, as I have full right to follow the point of view that I believe is most correct, even if it differs from his.
-Regarding any personal or religious matter in which my husband and I disagree, we agree to first seek a mutually agreeable conclusion between ourselves. If this is not possible, we agree to seek the counsel and input of an arbiter whom we both respect.
-Above all, we agree to put Allah first and last in everything and let the ultimate decision rest in His hands through seeking righteous advice from others and making du'aa (sincere supplication) and Istikhaarah (the prayer for making a decision) before coming to any final conclusion.
If women wish to add the stipulation of no-polygamy, they can feel free; but it is perhaps best long-term to make the primary focus of the marriage contract on the their own needs and goals, as opposed to the men's desires and choices.
First published: December 2012


text:
The lush, green country of Uganda is a landlocked African country bordered by Kenya, the DRC, South Sudan, Rwanda and Tanzania. The country is found in the Africa Great Lakes region and features numerous bodies of water, including the enormous Lake Victoria. Inland Uganda is largely composed of thick jungle or marshes, though some savannah and mountains do exist. The landscape and the animals which live there play a huge role in Uganda's tourist sector. In fact, recent estimates suggest that more than 80% of tourists in Uganda are visiting the country primarily for the wildlife. The country's most popular attraction is trekking through Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to more than half of the world's remaining wild mountain gorillas.
Giraffes in the Murchison Falls national park, Uganda
Early Ugandan history is similar to its neighbours. Early on, the country was home to a variety of native peoples, who were primarily hunter-gatherers or nomadic. However, this changed with the arrival of the Bantu from Central Africa. The Bantu were skilled in metallurgy and agriculture, which allowed them to develop an expansive kingdom throughout Africa. Though several other immigrant groups moved into Uganda at some point or another, the Bantu were the predominant force in the region for many centuries. Other groups in the area included the Luo from Kenya and Arabic traders who had moved inland.
In the 1860s, British explorers began coming to Uganda, mostly in search of the source of the Nile River. However, the region soon became a popular destination for Christian missionaries. In 1888, Great Britain assimilated Uganda into its colonial territories and placed it under the control of the British East Africa Company. During British reign, the famous Uganda Railway was constructed. Unfortunately, the British also brought along diseases, and in the early 1900s an outbreak of the Black Plague killed a huge portion of the country's native residents. In 1914, the British added more land and cities to the country, and for the first time the area was named Uganda. The country was given its independence in 1962.
During the 1960s, Uganda was ruled by an unstable democracy, which was replaced by a military dictatorship in 1971 under the leadership of Idi Amin. His reign was marked by widespread death and genocide, as well as general degradation of the economy. Amin was displaced in 1979 and replaced by numerous short lived presidents. Since 1986, Yoweri Museveni has been in control. Though his reign initially looked promising, it has since been revealed that his regime has committed numerous humans rights violations during Uganda's lengthy civil war with the Lord's Resistance Army, led by Joseph Kony. Even today, Uganda struggles economically and politically, though it has become substantially more stable and open to tourism since the turn of the centre.
The Equator in Uganda, shutterstock.com/Pal Teravagimov
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
As we've already alluded to, ecotourism, particularly expeditions to see mountain gorillas, makes up the majority of Uganda's tourist industry. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is by far the most popular place to see the gorillas. There are several groups of gorillas in the park, some of which live within 15 minutes of the campsite. Other groups take a day or two of hiking through thick forest to reach. Because of the popularity of this activity, the locations of the gorillas are relatively well known, and it's rare that one won't see at least some gorillas in the wild. The park is also home to 119 other mammal species, several dozen types of reptiles, and countless plants, birds and insects.
Great Silverback Mountain Gorilla, in the Bwindi National Park
Kampala is the largest city in Uganda, and really the only settlement currently large enough to qualify as a full sized city by international standards. Because of this, Kampala is home to numerous historic and cultural attractions. The Uganda Museum, the country's national museum, is an example of one such attractions. Another celebrated attraction is the Kasubi Tombs, which are the final resting place of royalty of Buganda, a powerful 14th century kingdom. Kampala sits near the headwaters of the Nile River, which makes boating, kayaking and fishing another popular activity for tourists.
Kampala, Uganda shutterstock.com/Pecold
Lake Bunyonyi
Lake Bunyonyi is found in southwestern Uganda, near the border with Rwanda. The lake is well known for its bright blue water and numerous islands. What's more, the surrounded landscape is terraced in a unique and gorgeous manner. Lake Bunyonyi features 29 islands. Bushara Island has been developed specifically for tourists, which the purpose of reinvesting profit from the tourist industry into humanitarian works around Bunyonyi. This island features luxury resorts, campgrounds and boat rentals. All 29 islands in Lake Bunyonyi are world class birdwatching locations, featuring hundreds of different species throughout the year.
Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda
2) Go gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You'll need to spend a night at one of the two campgrounds, then traverse through difficult paths through the jungle for anywhere from fifteen minutes to an entire day. However, seeing the rare and majestic mountain gorillas makes for quite the reward.
3) Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's most visited national park for good reason. The park is most famous for its numerous volcanos, which lend a dramatic edge to the landscape. They also provide an area for crater lakes. Queen Elizabeth National Park is also home to numerous animals, including hippos, elephants, lions and chimps.
Elephant in the Queen Elizabeth National Park
4) When in Kampala, be sure to see the fittingly titled national museum, the Uganda Museum. What's more, you'll want to visit the Kasubi Tomb, a very popular and fascinating royal burial ground. Kampala also features numerous dining and shopping options, especially in the Owino Market.
5) The coastal city of Entebbe has become a popular tourist destination, due primarily to its relaxed environment and location on the banks of Lake Victoria. Entebbe is the home of the Ugandan president, who resides at the State House. The city is also home to an extensive botanical garden and a zoo.
6) Jinja is located on the banks of the headwaters of the Nile River. For this reason, the location is best known as the source of the Nile River, which is commemorated by some gardens and a statue of Ghandi. The area is also a prime location for white water kayaking. Jinja is also home to Nile Breweries, one of the most popular distilleries in East Africa.
7) Murchinson Falls National Park is found in northwestern Uganda and has historically been a popular attraction. Unfortunately, much of the wildlife was massacred by poachers during Idi Amin's dictatorship. However, the park is slowly recovering. Its most famous site is undoubtedly Murchinson Falls, where the water from the Nile is forced into a small gorge before emptying out at an incredibly high speed.


text:
The Mother of Five was at work, #2 and #3 of 5 had their girlfriends over, and #4 of 5 was at a volleyball game so that left #5 of 5 and myself for dinner.
I let it be "daughter's choice" night – allowing her to select where we went for dinner. She decided upon Subway.
#5 of 5 had a 6" toasted Black Forest Ham on Italian Herb and Cheese bread, with shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, cucumbers, pickles, ranch and Mayo. This was washed down with a Dr. Pepper.
I had a 6" toasted oven roasted chicken on Monterrey cheddar bread, with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, heavy green pepper and light southwest chipotle. This was washed down with a fresh brewed Fuze half and half (iced tea and lemonade)
While enjoying dinner with my daughter, I had a brilliant notion! Let's go home and bake cookies!!
We stopped at the grocery store on the way home, and picked up a premixed "Cheesecake Swirl" brownie mix, and the fixins for Rice Krispy Bars.
Somewhere between dinner, and the grocery store – an "ear worm" made it's way into my head. I started singing it on the way home – and once we got set up for baking in the kitchen, I connected my phone to our under cabinet radio and turned it up!
Once the brownies were in the oven and the Rice Krispy bars were cooling, we really got into the music!
What was the "ear worm"?? Rancid's Ruby Soho!


text:
Having a short discussion with one of my friend met in one of the property investment seminar. He also bought into Pangsapuri Widuri at that time. I asked, " How many have you invested after the Pangsapuri Widuri?". His replied, "NONE". My next question, "Why?" He is saying that his money has gone to his wedding. I follow up with another question, "Do you still believe property investment required a lot of money?". His replied is "YES".
Some of others investor also said that, at current market, it is hard to get positive cash flow. So not worth to invest in property. The rental market is so much depressed and the property price is high. Let do indepth mathematic calculations.
Say you bought into a residential property at RM500,000 in Penang near USM area.
Loan amount is RM500,000 x 90% = RM450,000
Monthly installment @ 4.6 % for 30 years = RM2,358
The rental is only able to fetch RM1,800 per month.
It simply means that RM1,800 – RM2,358 = -RM558 (negative Cash flow)
Source: https://www.amortization-calc.com/mortgage-calculator/
In normal circumstances, no investor will buy into this property as the negative cashflow is high. However, for Sophisticated Investor, he will invest into it. Do you know why?
Two component need to take into consideration, namely Capital Gain and Equity gain.
1st Consideration: Capital Gain
As we know, property price gain is through inflation. For Malaysia average inflation rate is 5% in average. As such, the property price will be valued at RM500,000 x 5% = RM25,000
2nd Consideration: Equity Gain
Let's look at below details break down of the Loan Repayment schedule. It split to two portion, interest charged and Principal. The interest is about 75% of the total monthly installment for 1st year.
Your rental is RM1,800 and it match with your monthly interest charged. In a way, your tenant is paying for your bank interest charges. You as a landlord, you are paying your principal to the bank. You may treat this as a hard saving into the bank. If you can shift your thinking to this "SAVING" concept, then you are one step better than the normal investor. Let see, after 1 year. your loan balanced is reduced to RM453,330 (Blue circle). The starting loan is RM460,000, you have save RM6,670
With Capital Gain + Equity Gain = Total gain after 1 year
What happen on 2nd year? Similarly, there is a Capital Gain and Equity gain on 2nd year.
Capital Gain = RM525,000 x 5% = RM26,250
Equity Gain = RM460,000 – RM445,726 (Red Circle)
Total Gain on 2nd year = RM40,524
Your gain has growth from RM31,670 on first year to RM40,524 on second year.
And based on the Rule of 72, the property price will Double in 14.5 years.
Meaning, at year 15, your property value is at RM1 mil
The loan balanced at the year 15 is RM306,210 and your property is valued at RM1 mil. You just have the gain of approximately RM 693,790 in 15 years!
If you calculate your force saving amount = RM558 per month x 12 month x 15 years
Your net gain = RM693,790 – RM100,440
= RM593,390 (out of no where!)
Would you buy into it? If you invested 2 units, after 15 years, you are RM1.2 mil richer compare to other if do not take actions and do above calculations! The prerequisite is you must be able to do force saving in negative cash flow property.


text:
A model of Ministry for St George's
At St George's Church here in Schenectady we are trying hard to identify in our everyday life and faith the essence of ministry for all our baptized members. The Anglican Consultative Council back in 1995 spoke of the ministry of the whole body of Christ as rooted in the "one ministry of Jesus Christ in which all Christians participate by virtue of their baptism." The document goes on to explain: "This ministry of the baptized is the fundamental ministry of the Church, with the function of ordained ministry being to serve, equip and enable this ministry to take place. If the ministry of the baptized is to be Christian where they live, then it follows that this is chiefly not sanctuary or churchly ministry, but rather a matter of being a Christian parent, employee, employer, unemployed person, (voter, neighbor, friend) with integrity. We need to help people to find out how to exercise these world-focused ministries. The pattern for us all remains Jesus Christ who had a world-focused ministry. … the ministry of the whole body come(s) first (not that baptismal ministry is derived from ordained ministry)."
"The purpose of ministry:
- To promote the unity of the whole church (One);
- To foster its sanctification (Holy);
- To keep the Church focused on its universal mission (Catholic)
- And to ensure that it remains apostolic, that is, sent with the same message as the apostles. "


text:
The Bachelorette Season 12 Premiere Got Messy, FAST
Bring on the men.
When Bachelor hopeful JoJo Fletcher had her heart broken by Ben Higgins on the season finale of The Bachelor, Season 20, we all felt gutted – I, for one, was strongly #TeamJoJo – but something told us this wasn't the last we'd see of the bangin' brunette with an infectious smile.
And we were right.
This season, JoJo's back, and contagiously likeable as The Bachelorette. And though the show's only been going for 12 seasons, the female led series is already giving The Bachelor a run for its money, with adorable bromances and chest puffery to spare, plus plenty of proof of what we long suspected, the fact that guys bitch just as much as we do.
This Monday night our fave leading lady made her grand re-entrance, draped in a skin-tight shimmering gold Randi Rahm gown that left little to the imagination (and who'd want to, with curves like that?!).
In true Bachelorette style, the boys made their entrances in a predictable pattern of smouldering hot dudes underscored by romantic theme music, interspersed with loveable goofs who exited their limos to a soundtrack that wouldn't be out of place in SpongeBob Squarepants, reminding us all they're only here for our amusement in the first few eps.
These included a guy who appeared to be confused about why he was there and showed up in a kilt, and a dude who bought wine to try with JoJo but forgot that drinking requires a glass, and instead resorted to classily taking turns swigging from the bottle.
There were some clear standouts from the get-go.
Audible panty dropping was heard when bad boy and ex marine (hubba, hubba) Chad Johnson stepped onto the scene, signalling plenty of forthcoming testosterone-fuelled peacocking and chest clashing when he met the contenders and promptly began aggressively sizing everyone up.
Adam Levine lookalike Ben (a coincidence?!! Me thinks not…) rode in on a horse dressed as a unicorn and won everything.
And former pro quarterback Jordan and his meticulous sideswept undercut fade snagged the first kiss for the show, before one of the guys re-appeared dressed as Santa and JoJo immediately took to enacting a Daddy issue/old dude fantasy by sitting on his lap and telling him how handsome he was.
Then most of the guys got mortifyingly drunk, and ex Bachelor Jake Pavelka inexplicably showed up for a baffling pre-rose ceremony chat with JoJo in which he proved his extensive knowledge of cliches, dolling out gems such as "Just be true to yourself" and "Keep your heart open to love".
My only theory as to why he was there is that he was passing by to pick up a residual cheque from ABC and stumbled onto the set by mistake.
Finally, the roses were dished out (no surprises, the guy wearing a kilt was axed) and then we got a sneak preview of what to expect this series, and HOLY SHIT does it look epic.
Among the teasers were predictable melodramatic threats and fist-fights involving loveable but brain cell-starved bad boy, Chad; enough absent shirts to fill my porn viewing collection for the next year; Days Of Our Lives-level bitching and drama and MULTIPLE "I love you"s. Yaaaassssss!
Oh yeah, and it looks like JoJo finds love.
Though let's not kid ourselves, that's not really what we came here to see.
Images via ABC and youtube.com.
Comment: Who's your fave guy to win JoJo's heart on the season of The Bachelorette?


text:
Directory Listing
|Sticky Revision:
JIT compiler now supports 32 bit Macs thanks to Lawrence Velazquez.
JIT compiler update.
JIT compiler update.
JIT compiler update
JIT compiler update.
Last minute fixes and some documentation update in the JIT compiler.
Large JIT compiler update again.
JIT compiler update.
JIT compiler update.
JIT compiler update.
JIT compiler update.
Another huge JIT compiler update.
Change 0 to NULL for mmap in the JIT compiler.
JIT compiler update.
JIT compiler update.
Major JIT compiler update with experimental Sparc 32 support.
Final touches on Power/PowerPC cache flush
Improved instruction cache flush for POWER/PowerPC
Improved cache flush for AIX
IBM AIX OS support for PPC
Supporting IBM XL C compilers for PPC architectures in the JIT compiler.
Put spaces around SLJIT_PRINT_D in the JIT compiler
cache flush for Apple devices
JIT compiler update
JIT compiler update: fix x86-64 alignemnt issue
JIT compiler update
comment fixes
JIT compiler update
Rename madvise to posix_madvise
opcode lengths must be private for printint and fixed some compiler warnings
JIT test prints cpu info
JIT compiler update (rename GENERAL to SAVED)
JIT compiler update
JIT compiler update
rename PCRE_SCHAR16 to PCRE_UCHAR16 and JIT compiler update
add pcre16_callout_block and pcre16_extra
fix signed/unsigned half load mismatches and JIT compiler update
endianness fixes and JIT compiler update
Merging all the changes from the pcre16 branch into the trunk.
Rolled back trunk to r755 to prepare for merging the 16-bit branch.
Retrieve executable code size support for the JIT compiler and fixing some warnings.
JIT should use pcre_malloc/pcre_free for allocation.
Fix cache-flush issue on PowerPC, adding some comments and a check for disabled PCRE_EXTRA_TABLES.
Updating the JIT compiler
JIT compiler update: Make fast_call a separate call type. Allows call optimizations on MIPS.
A fix for signed/unsigned comparison warnings reported by Visual C++ in the JIT compiler
JIT compiler update: MIPS III support
JIT compiler fix for MIPS position independent calls
Borland C++ JIT support by Dmitry Ukolov
Small, MIPS related fix in the JIT compiler
Small, ARM related fix in the JIT compiler
JIT compiler source
|ViewVC Help
|Powered by ViewVC 1.1.5