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From November 1998 to August 1999, a large outbreak occurred in the general intensive care unit of the Ospedale di Circolo in Varese (Italy), caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa producing the PER-1 extended-spectrum β-lactamase. A total of 108 clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa resistant to broad-spectrum cephalosporins were recovered from 18 patients. Epidemic isolates were characterized by synergy between clavulanic acid and ceftazidime, cefepime, and aztreonam. Isoelectric focusing of crude bacterial extracts detected two nitrocefin-positive bands with pI values of 8.0 and 5.3. PCR amplification and characterization of the amplicons by restriction analysis and direct sequencing indicated that the epidemic isolates carried a blaPER-1 determinant. The outbreak was of clonal origin as shown by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis. This technique also indicated that the epidemic strain was not related to three other PER-1-positive isolates obtained at the same hospital in 1997. Typing by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR showed that minor genetic variations occurred during the outbreak. The epidemic strain was characterized by a multiple-drug-resistance phenotype that remained unchanged over the outbreak, including extended-spectrum cephalosporins, monobactams, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones. Isolation of infected patients and appropriate carbapenem therapy were successful in ending the outbreak. Our report indicates that theblaPER-1 resistance determinant may become an emerging therapeutic problem in Europe.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that causes bacteremia in immunocompromised patients and burn victims, iatrogenic urinary tract infections, and hospital-acquired pneumonia, particularly in intensive-care settings (27). Infections are especially serious in intubated patients, with a reported mortality of up to 40 to 50% (28). A variety of mechanisms contribute to the virulence of this agent: expression of adhesins, production of biofilms, secretion of hydrolytic enzymes, and production of toxins that may be injected directly into host cells (30).
P. aeruginosa infections are often difficult or impossible to eradicate. In part, this is due to high-level resistance to many antibiotics and disinfectants as a result of both intrinsic and acquired mechanisms (11, 16). Acquired resistance to β-lactams, which are among the frontline drugs for P. aeruginosa infections, may result from the production of β-lactamases and/or from a reduced access to the target due to decreased outer membrane permeability (23). Concerning the former mechanism, mutations that cause constitutive overexpression of the resident class C β-lactamase are a common cause of acquired resistance to ceftazidime and other broad-spectrum cephalosporins (12). In addition, secondary β-lactamases of classes A, B, and D can be responsible for the variable patterns of acquired β-lactam resistance (15, 20, 26).
The PER-1 enzyme is a secondary β-lactamase that was first detected in P. aeruginosa by Nordmann et al. in 1993 (18). It was reported as a chromosomally encoded class A enzyme produced by a urinary isolate of P. aeruginosa from a Turkish patient (18). PER-1 was later also detected inSalmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (34). A multicenter study conducted in Turkey in 1996 revealed a high prevalence of this enzyme among nosocomial isolates ofAcinetobacter spp. (46%) and P. aeruginosa(11%) (35).
In 1997, our group detected for the first time PER-1-positive P. aeruginosa isolates outside the geographic area of origin (F. Luzzaro, G. M. Rossolini, M. Perilli, L. Pagani, R. Belloni, L. Lauretti, G. Amicosante, and A. Toniolo, Abstr. 99th Gen. Meet. Am. Soc. Microbiol. 1999, abstr. A73, p. 15, 1999). The isolates were obtained from three different patients admitted to different wards of the Ospedale di Circolo in Varese, Italy. One year later, a large outbreak of PER-1-positive P. aeruginosa occurred in the general intensive-care unit (ICU) of the same hospital. Here we describe the dynamics of that nosocomial outbreak and the properties of the responsible multidrug-resistant strain.
Epidemiological and clinical data.From November 1998 to August 1999, 108 apparently identical isolates of P. aeruginosa were obtained from 18 patients admitted to the ICU of the Ospedale di Circolo in Varese, Italy. Isolates were characterized by multiple-drug resistance that included piperacillin, broad-spectrum and "fourth-generation" cephalosporins, monobactams, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones. Cultures were performed as requested by the clinical staff. Isolates were obtained most frequently from the respiratory tract (79 of 108) and urine (14 of 108) but also from blood (3 of 108). To better evaluate the dynamics of the outbreak, the following factors should be taken into consideration. Over the 1-year period from October 1998 to September 1999, 560 patients were admitted to the ICU. The mean hospitalization time was 7.6 days per patient. During the above period, 402 P. aeruginosa isolates were obtained from 87 (15.5%) of the 560 ICU patients. Subsequent studies revealed that 18 (3.2%) of the 560 patients were infected with epidemic multidrug-resistant PER-1-positive strains whereas 69 (12.3%) had infections caused by nonepidemicblaPER-negative P. aeruginosaisolates.
Bacterial identification, antimicrobial susceptibility, and clavulanate synergy test.Bacteria were identified by the ATB System (ID32GN strips; Bio-Mérieux, Marcy L'Étoile, France). MIC of several antimicrobial agents (piperacillin, ceftazidime, cefepime, aztreonam, imipenem, meropenem, gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin, and ciprofloxacin) were determined by the broth microdilution assay (Sceptor System custom MIC panels; Becton-Dickinson Microbiology Systems, Sparks, Md.). Data were interpreted according to the criteria of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (17). Sensitivity to disinfectants (chlorhexidine, iodide povidone, toluen-p-sulfochloramide, mercurochrome, and silver nitrate) was tested by a broth dilution method in 96-well plates. The reference P. aeruginosastrain, ATCC 27853, was used as control. To detect strains producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL), ceftazidime-resistant isolates were tested by a double-disk clavulanate synergy test on Mueller-Hinton (MH) agar. Disks containing 30 μg of aztreonam, ceftazidime, or cefepime were placed 20 mm apart (center to center) around a disk containing amoxicillin plus calvulanic acid (20 and 10 μg, respectively). Enhancement of the inhibition zone was taken as presumptive evidence of ESBL production.
β-Lactamase characterization by isoelectric focusing.As reported (24), supernatants (5 μl) of crude bacterial lysates obtained by sonication were subjected to isoelectric focusing (IEF) on a polyacrylamide gel containing Pharmalyte ampholines (pH range, 3.5 to 10) (Pharmacia, Milan, Italy). The gel was run for 3 h at 10 W and 4°C using a Multiphor II system (Pharmacia); β-lactamase bands were visualized with the chromogenic substrate nitrocefin (Oxoid, Milan, Italy).
Molecular studies.Unless otherwise stated, molecular biology reagents and restriction enzymes were obtained from Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.; Taq polymerase and reagents for PCR were obtained from Perkin-Elmer, Monza, Italy; and PCR primers were obtained from Cruachem Inc., Dulles, Va. A Perkin-Elmer 2400 thermal cycler was used for gene amplification.
Colony blot hybridization was carried out as described previously (24) on bacteria grown directly on sterile nitrocellulose filters layered onto MH agar plates (Schleicher & Schuell, Dassel, Germany). P. aeruginosa VA-353/97 (one of the PER-1-positive strains isolated in our hospital in 1997) and P. aeruginosaATCC 27853 were included as positive and negative hybridization controls, respectively. Southern blot hybridization was carried out using nitrocellulose membranes (Schleicher & Schuell). The probe used in filter hybridization experiments was a PCR-generated amplicon comprising the entire blaPER-1 open reading frame (19) labeled with 32P by the random priming technique (24).
PCR amplification of blaPER alleles was performed as described previously (24) on crude DNA extracts (prepared by boiling cells for 10 min in distilled water). TheblaPER-1 and blaPER-2genes were distinguished by digestion with PvuII andStuI. The amplicon sequence was determined on crude amplification products as described previously (24). The sequenced region included the coding sequence for the mature PER-1 enzyme and the last 10 amino acids of the signal peptide.
Macrorestriction analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was carried out as follows. Bacteria were cultured for 8 h in Trypticase soy broth. Genomic DNA was prepared from 108 CFU suspended in 1 ml of PIV buffer (10 mM Tris-HCl [pH 7.6], 1 M NaCl) plus 1 ml of 1.3% PFGE-agarose in PIV buffer, essentially as described previously (25). After preincubation in the appropriate restriction buffer, DNA was digested overnight at 37°C with 10 U ofSpeI or XbaI. DNA fragments were resolved in a 1.3% agarose gel with the Rotaphor system R23 apparatus (Biometra, Göttingen, Germany) using the following parameters: 12°C for 45 h; angle, 120° to 130°; voltage, 200 to 140 V; pulse time intervals, 10 to 40 s. Polymerized λ phage DNA was used as the size standard (48.5 to 1,018 kb). After staining with SYBR Gold (Molecular Probes, Eugene, Oreg.), gels were visualized with a Kodak CF440 camera (NEN Life Science Products, Boston, Mass.). PFGE patterns were interpreted according to the criteria of Tenover et al. (31).
Typing by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR (ERIC-PCR) was carried out as follows. Bacterial DNA was amplified with the ERIC2 primer (5′-AAG TAA GTG ACT GGG GTG AGC G-3′) (37) using a standard reaction mixture (1.5 mM MgCl2, 2 μM primer, 2.5 U of AmpliTaq, and 100 ng of template DNA) and the following parameters: 1 cycle of 94°C for 5 min; 35 cycles of 94°C for 45 s, 58°C for 60 s, and 72°C for 45 s; and 72°C for 10 min. Amplicons were separated by electrophoresis on 1.4% agarose gels and stained with ethidium bromide.
Resistance transfer experiments.Conjugation experiments were performed on MH agar plates using Escherichia coliMKD-135 (argH rpoB18 rpoB19 recA rpsL) (kindly provided by G. Kholodii, Institute for Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia) and P. aeruginosa 10145/3 (anrpoB his derivative of reference strain ATCC 10145T) as recipients. The initial donor/recipient ratio was 0.1. Mating plates were incubated at 30°C for 14 h. E. coli and P. aeruginosa transconjugants were selected on MH agar containing ceftazidime (100 mg/liter) plus rifampin (400 mg/liter). Under the above conditions, the detection sensitivity of the assay was ≥5 × 10−8 transconjugant/recipient.
Description of the outbreak.In November 1998, a multidrug-resistant isolate of P. aeruginosa (VA-463/98) was obtained from respiratory secretions of a patient admitted to the ICU of the Ospedale di Circolo. The patient suffered severe injuries following a car accident, with closed abdominal trauma and spleen and anterior gastric wall rupture. After immediate surgical care and a 2-month hospitalization in two different hospitals, he developed a retropancreatic abscess, septic shock, and coma. He was then admitted to the ICU of the Ospedale di Circolo. At admission, cultures from the lower respiratory tract revealed high concentrations of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa. The resistance phenotype included piperacillin (MIC, ≥256 mg/liter), ceftazidime (MIC, ≥64 mg/liter), cefepime (MIC, 32 mg/liter), aztreonam (MIC, ≥64 mg/liter), amikacin (MIC, 64 mg/liter), gentamicin (MIC, ≥32 mg/liter), tobramycin (MIC, ≥32 mg/liter), and ciprofloxacin (MIC, ≥8 mg/liter). However, VA-463/98 was susceptible to imipenem (MIC, 1 mg/liter) and meropenem (MIC, 2 mg/liter). Treatment was then initiated with imipenem (1 g twice a day). Repeated cultures from different body sites over a 1-month period remained positive for P. aeruginosa. These subsequent isolates exhibited the same resistance profile as VA-463/98, except that the MIC of imipenem and meropenem were increased (4 and 8 mg/liter, respectively). After discharge from the ICU in mid-December, the patient was transferred to a fourth hospital, where he recovered uneventfully. Two days after discharge of the index patient, a second ICU patient developed a urinary tract infection due to a P. aeruginosa isolate showing the same multidrug resistance pattern of the isolates obtained from the index patient, as well as an increased carbapenem MIC.
Overall, 108 apparently identical isolates were obtained from 18 patients admitted to the ICU from November 1998 to August 1999. Epidemic isolates were also resistant to high concentrations of several disinfectants, including chlorhexidine (MIC, 1.25 g/liter), iodide povidone (MIC, 19 g/liter), and toluen-p-sulfochloramide (MIC, 3.1 g/liter), while remaining susceptible to mercurochrome (MIC, 10 mg/liter) and silver nitrate (MIC, 6 mg/liter). Since epidemic isolates were characterized by the production of the PER-1 extended-spectrum β-lactamase, they were designed PER-1 positive.
To help evaluate the clinical impact of the resistance phenotype of epidemic isolates, Table 1 shows the drug susceptibility rates of nonepidemic P. aeruginosa isolates obtained from 69 of 560 patients hospitalized in the ICU over the time of the outbreak. These isolates were usually susceptible to extended-spectrum cephalosporins. The few ceftazidime-resistant strains gave no evidence of synergy between β-lactams and clavulanate and were shown not to carry blaPER-related genes by colony blot hybridization. Thus, nonepidemic strains were designed PER-1 negative.
Figure 1 (upper panel) shows, month by month, the number of initial PER-1-positive P. aeruginosaisolates recovered from each of the 18 patients involved in the outbreak, together with the number of replicate isolates. Figure 1(lower panel) shows the number of PER-1-negative P. aeruginosa isolates obtained per month (October 1998 to September 1999) from 69 patients hospitalized in the ICU.
Detection of PER-1 and sequencing of theblaPER-1 gene.The double-disk test showed that epidemic isolates were characterized by synergy between clavulanic acid and ceftazidime, aztreonam, and cefepime. The resistance phenotype and the results of the double-disk test suggested the presence of an ESBL. Analytical IEF revealed that double-disk-positive isolates had two nitrocefin-positive bands, at pIs of 5.3 and 8.0. The latter band is commonly found in P. aeruginosa as expression of chromosomal AmpC β-lactamase, whereas the band at pI 5.3 could be ascribed to a different enzyme, most probably representing the acquired ESBL (4; see also http://www.lahey.org/studies/webt.htm ).
Based on IEF results and on the previous recovery of PER-1-producingP. aeruginosa isolates at our institution in 1997 (Luzzaro et al., Abstr. 99th Gen. Meet. Am. Soc. Microbiol. 1999), we suspected that the PER-1 enzyme could be involved in the outbreak. Thus,blaPER alleles were searched for in all ceftazidime-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates by colony blot hybridization and PCR. A positive hybridization signal and an amplification product of the expected size (966 bp) were obtained with VA-463/98, its replicates, and subsequent epidemic isolates. Digestion of amplification products with PvuII (which cuts intoblaPER-1 but not intoblaPER-2) and with StuI (which cuts into blaPER-2 but not intoblaPER-1) consistently revealed a restriction pattern typical of blaPER-1 (Fig.2). Direct sequencing of the amplicon obtained from VA-463/98 revealed that the sequence of the resistance determinant was identical to that of blaPER-1(reference 19 and data not shown).
Molecular characterization of PER-1-positive P. aeruginosa isolates. SpeI macrorestriction analysis was conducted on representative PER-1-positive epidemic isolates obtained from the 18 patients involved in the outbreak. For comparison, the three PER-1-producing P. aeruginosa isolates obtained in 1997 as well as selected PER-1-negative P. aeruginosa obtained from ICU patients during the outbreak were analyzed.
PFGE analysis showed that the epidemic PER-1-positive P. aeruginosa isolates recovered from November 1998 to August 1999 were of clonal origin. The macrorestriction pattern of the epidemic strain consisted of 28 discernible bands ranging from 10 to 710 kb (Fig. 3). Epidemic isolates showed closely related patterns, with the exception of isolate VA-139/99 (obtained at the end of the outbreak), which differed from the others in 4 of 28 bands. In contrast, the restriction pattern of epidemic strains differed substantially from those of the sporadic PER-1-positive strains isolated in 1997 (Fig. 3) and those of the PER-1-negative isolates obtained during the outbreak period (data not shown).
However, analysis by ERIC-PCR of the epidemic isolates showed two different banding patterns: the first consisted of 12 amplicons (size range, 250 to 2650 bp) and was characteristic of strains recovered from November 1998 to February 1999, whereas the second was characteristic of isolates obtained from April to August 1999. Figure4 shows representative results for four strains belonging to the first period of the outbreak in comparison with the banding pattern of four strains obtained toward the end of the outbreak. Thus, ERIC-PCR revealed that minor genetic variations occurred during the outbreak.
Genetic location and transferability of theblaPER-1 determinant.Plasmid DNA was apparently not detectable either in plasmid or in whole genomic DNA preparations from VA-463/98 analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. In a Southern blot experiment carried out with genomic DNA of VA-463/98, the blaPER-1 probe hybridized to the band of chromosomal DNA, suggesting that the ESBL determinant was chromosomally located in this strain (data not shown).
Conjugation experiments failed to demonstrate the occurrence of transfer of the β-lactamase determinant from VA-463/98 (the initial isolate) and VA-139/99 (an isolate obtained at the end of the outbreak) to either E. coli MKD-135 or P. aeruginosa10145/3.
ICUs are high-risk areas for nosocomial infections because of the severity of underlying diseases, the duration of stay, and the use of invasive procedures. Surveillance studies have shown that 20 to 25% of nosocomial infections develop in intensive-care settings (38). Among gram-negative organisms, P. aeruginosa is an important pathogen, causing infections in 12 to 25% of ICU patients (10), and its prevalence is increasing (8). A limited number of antimicrobials maintain reliable activity against P. aeruginosa, including antipseudomonal penicillins and cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, and carbapenems (2, 3, 9). Thus, it is important to monitor and control the spread of genes conferring resistance to the above drugs.
The PER-1 ESBL is of particular interest in the management of severe infections for at least three reasons: (i) it confers resistance to most β-lactams, including aztreonam and newer antipseudomonal cephalosporins (i.e., ceftazidime and cefepime) (36); (ii) it may be carried on a plasmid that has been transferred in vitro from PER-1-positive P. aeruginosa to PER-1-negative strains of the same species (7); and (iii) unlike other class A β-lactamases of P. aeruginosa, PER-1 appeared to be transmissible among different species in Turkey (35).
As mentioned above, in 1997 we detected three different isolates of PER-1-positive P. aeruginosa from Italian patients who had never traveled to Turkey (Luzzaro et al., Abstr. 99th Gen. Meet. Am. Soc. Microbiol. 1999). Macrorestriction analysis of the chromosomal DNA showed that those sporadic strains were different from each other and from that responsible for the outbreak described in this paper. It is noteworthy that the index patient in the outbreak was already infected with the PER-1-positive VA-463/98 strain at the time he was admitted to our institution. Thus, the multidrug-resistant epidemic strain had presumably been acquired during a previous hospitalization(s). Interestingly, a clinical isolate of Alcaligenes faecalisproducing the PER-1 enzyme was detected in an ICU patient over the course of the outbreak (24). Taken together, our epidemiological observations confirm the circulation of theblaPER-1 gene between different hospitals and bacterial species in our area. The mechanism of interspecies transmission is, however, unclear. The apparent lack of transferability of the blaPER-1 determinant from the epidemic strain is consistent with its location on a nonconjugative element.
The strain responsible for the outbreak was highly resistant to piperacillin, aztreonam, ceftazidime, and cefepime. Piperacillin resistance was presumably mediated by overexpression of chromosomal AmpC (detected by IEF as a nitrocefin-positive band with pI 8.0), since PER-1 shows a poor activity on this substrate (18). In addition, the epidemic strain was highly resistant to aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones, and, with the exception of the first isolate, the MIC of imipenem and meropenem were increased. The latter property probably reflected an early selection of an OprD mutant of VA-463/98 following carbapenem treatment. Therapeutic management of infections due to multidrug-resistant PER-1-positive P. aeruginosaisolates was overall more problematic than was management of infections due to PER-1-negative P. aeruginosa isolates.
The adoption of strict hygienic measures, carbapenem therapy, and disinfection of decubitus ulcers and surgical wounds with mercurochrome or silver nitrate avoided disseminated infections and resulted in control the outbreak. However, the widespread use of carbapenems was associated with the subsequent emergence of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (a species naturally resistant to these drugs) and with a few cases of Pseudomonas putida infections producing VIM-1 (a hydrolytic enzyme active on carbapenems [unpublished data]). Consistent with the latter observation, circulation of P. aeruginosa isolates carrying the blaVIMmetallo-β-lactamase determinant has been recently reported in Italy (29) and an outbreak has been described in Greece (33).
The outbreak reported in our study was apparently of clonal origin, as shown by PFGE analysis. This was reinforced by the observation that both drug resistance phenotype and MIC remained unchanged over the outbreak. PFGE also indicated that the epidemic strain was not related to the PER-1-positive isolates of 1997 or to the PER-1-negative isolates obtained during the outbreak period from ICU patients. Further investigation of epidemic isolates by ERIC-PCR, which is known to have a good correlation with restriction analysis (21), showed that two different banding patterns could be distinguished within the outbreak. The appearance of the second ERIC-PCR type could be due to the occurrence of minor genetic variations within the epidemic strain during the outbreak (13).
The clinical relevance of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosahas recently been stressed by reports of nosocomial infections and outbreaks in several countries (1, 22, 32). Our report, together with more limited observations from Belgium (6), indicates that the blaPER-1 gene and associated resistance determinants may become an emerging therapeutic problem in Europe. New drugs and β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations will be needed to counteract P. aeruginosa resistance (5). In addition, new immunological tools will probably play an important role in future combination therapy (14).
This work was supported by grants from the Italian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research (FAR-1999 and COFIN-1999).
We are indebted to the medical staff of the ICU of the Ospedale di Circolo in Varese, G. Minoja and E. Lucchini, for providing clinical information on their patients.
- Received 25 October 2000.
- Returned for modification 4 January 2001.
- Accepted 5 March 2001.
- Copyright © 2001 American Society for Microbiology


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Connecticut Automobile Injury Lawyer Tim O'Keefe has been retained by a man who was injured in an automobile crash that occurred on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford, Connecticut. "The other driver was operating his vehicle in a very dangerous manner and he caused the crash. Our client had to go to the emergency room for medical care. We hope to recover compensation for his future medical care needs." Tim O'Keefe
For a Free Consultation with a Connecticut Automobile Injury Lawyer, please contact us directly.

subset: commoncrawl


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Engraving Service for All Types of Jewelry
We have expanded our range of services. Effective immediately, our engraving services will be available for all types of rings and necklaces in addition to wedding rings, as long as the material is conducive to engraving. Stop by the shop for more information and find out about further options!
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Harrison Ford Served as an Advisor on 'Solo: A Star Wars Story'
Posted on Wednesday, February 7th, 2018 by Chris Evangelista
Harrison Ford, the original Han Solo, served as a covert technical advisor on Solo: A Star Wars Story. While it's easy to assume that the frequently gruff Ford wouldn't have much interest in yet another Star Wars movie, reports indicate he offered some sage advice about one of his most famous characters. More on the Solo Harrison Ford advice below.
You might recall this photo that popped up on Twitter last year. Yep, a blurry image of Harrison Ford having lunch with Solo: A Star Wars story star Alden Ehrenreich.
Two Han Solos grabbing lunch. ? pic.twitter.com/6utZicjcaZ
— Nico Sotomayor (@nicosotomayor00) January 4, 2017
I had assumed that once Harrison Ford cashed his check for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, he was done with the Star Wars franchise. Ford delivered a genuinely touching final performance as Han Solo in the sequel, but he's always been slightly curmudgeon-y about the entire franchise. In other words, it seemed safe to say that Ford would probably not have any involvement with the young Han Solo film. When I saw the photo above, I thought Ford likely offered some blunt, no-nonsense advice to Ehrenreich, and then went his separate way. But EW reports otherwise.
Per their story, not only did Ford offer advice to Ehrenreich, he also served as a "covert advisor" on the upcoming Ron Howard-directed Star Wars film. EW says Ford "kept a respectful distance," but that he also provided "vital insights into the character he has lived with, sometimes uncomfortably, for four decades." Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy confirms she sent Ford a copy of the script and that he approved of it. Kennedy added:
"What [Ford] did so beautifully for Alden was he talked a lot about what he remembered when he first read Star Wars, and what George had done with Han. Who the character was and the conversations he had for so many years with George about how that character developed…He gave Alden that kind of insight which was invaluable. There were several times in the course of making the movie where Alden would actually recount some of the things that Harrison had pointed out. I think that was really, really helpful to him."
Ron Howard also sought out Ford's advice when he took over the film after original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were fired. Howard says Ford talked about Han's perpetual loneliness:
"Harrison's a very thoughtful actor and an artist, and I wanted to know what he learned about the character…He said that Han is always torn between that sense that he was, in a way, an orphan, and therefore both yearned for connection with people and struggled with it at the same time. I thought that was pretty interesting."
As for the above lunch meeting image, Ehrenreich provides some detail in a separate interview:
"He said a great thing when I met him. 'Tell them I told you everything you needed to know, and that you can't tell anyone.'…I wanted to meet him because I just felt generally it wouldn't be right to do the movie without some kind of contact with him, and I'm really glad I did. He was very, very supportive. And it's just cool to have lunch with Harrison Ford."
Solo: A Star Wars Story opens May 25, 2018.


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The 8 year old's two favorite meals in the world are anything that has refried beans and "gravy." What he means when he asks for that is biscuits and sausage gravy. He doesn't really care about the biscuits, so I get away with using pre-made biscuits from the store. I like the home style ones over the flaky ones for "gravy."
But what the 8 year old does care very much about is the sausage gravy. He'd really prefer his Nana's to anyone else's, but when she isn't around, he will eat what I make. However, I'd better make it just like Nana! Once I let the sausage brown just a touch too long and there were lots of yummy brown bits on the bottom of the pan to scrape up. It turned the gravy slightly darker than off white. The 8 year refused to touch it.
So when the 8 year old turned eight this week his request for supper on his birthday was "gravy." Not one to deny my boy, I made him Nana's Sausage Gravy.
I've listed salt and pepper in the ingredients, but I go very very light on both. The sausage is salty enough, you really only need to add a tiny bit of flavor to the gravy.
Nana's Sausage Gravy
1/2 pound bulk sausage
3 tablespoons flour
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper
Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Once browned, stir in flour. Mix flour with fat from pan and sausage for one minute to let flour cook. Pour milk and water into pan and stir well. Salt and pepper to taste. Let mixture come to a low boil, stirring frequently. Once thickened, about 5 minutes, remove from heat. If it becomes too thick, stir in a little extra milk or water.
To serve, split biscuits in half and place on plate. Pour gravy over each biscuit. Makes enough to cover 6 to 8 biscuits.


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CIH Exams resume May 15th
Testing Information Here
Applications open for BGC Board
of Directors
Professional Development Opportunities
available - in response to Covid-19
News Release: The IIA transfers EHS
Certifications to BGC.
Click HERE to view.
ABIH Is Now Under a New Name:
Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC)
Read more at https://EHSCredentialing.org
November 1, 2018
Certification Maintenance (CM) Changes
February 1, 2020
CIH application/reapplication deadline
for Spring 2020 Exam
April 1 - May 31, 2020
Spring Exam Window
October 1 - November 30, 2020
Fall Exam Window
ABIH is now offering QEP and EPI
ABIH is now offering the Qualified
Environmental Professional (QEP)
credential and Environmental Professional
In-Training (EPI) designation. For more
information or to apply, please visit the
Institute of Professional Environmental
Practice (IPEP) website at www.IPEP.org.


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Managers and Supporters
Here you can find information about our training modules for your manager or supporter role within Scouting.
What does the scheme look like in practice?
Getting Started: Essential Information, PLP and Tools for the Role (Managers and Supporters)
Training for All Appointments: Fundamentals of Scouting, Changes in Scouting, Scouting for All, First Aid, Administration, Delivering a Quality Programme
Managers and Supporters Training: This is structured around six core skill areas of leadership and management plus a module on safety. The learning opportunities for the Managers and Supporters Training is split into two elements:
Independent Learning
There are a number of independent learning modules to support managers and supporters. If you need to complete any of the three manager and supporter skills modules it is important to complete the independent learning required for each of the modules before attending. The skills modules rely on an understanding of this independent learning as a foundation for the learning. The independent learning that supports each of the individual skills courses is noted below. If you wish for further advice please speak to your Training Adviser.
These independent learning modules are helpful as a refresher to those already in post – so if you are unsure of any of the topics or feel that a refresher would be helpful please don't hesitate to complete them.
Skills courses
These consist of three courses (Skills of Management, Meeting the Challenges and Achieving Growth) where learners have an opportunity discuss and demonstrate different skills relating to leadership and management.
Personal Learning Plan (Managers & Supporters)
Materials for learners, including:
Independent Learning Resources
Skills Courses
Validation areas:
Managing Time and Personal Skills
Achieving Results
Providing Direction
Working with People
Enabling Change
Using Resources
Safety for Managers and Supporters


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Autographer camera catches life the way it was meant to be seen: candidly.
The best snaps in photography are not the ones where everyone is posing perfectly, but the ones that capture the moment
Autographer is custom built to capture impromptu hands-free images. The design is compact, discreet and light enough to wear; it can be hung around your neck or clipped to your jacket and the lens captures 136° eye view, so everyone will fit within the shot. The battery can run for up to 24 hours, and has five sensors built in, for optimum nighttime or ambient light shooting.
This camera is suitable for those who enjoy capturing candid photos and can snap up to 2000 pictures a day. With that many photos, you'll be sure to have a few good selfies.
Candid Photography by Autographer Will Make You Smile
Janelle Savel — January 28, 2014 — Tech
References: blog.autographer & firebox


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The Alabama Tennis Association (ATA) is a District of the United States Tennis Association Southern Section. All members of the USTA are members of the ATA (the USTA's representative in Alabama). The ATA promotes all USTA programming and USTA sanctioned tournaments.
The Alabama Tennis Association is run by a volunteer Board of Directors.
In addition there are many volunteers running local USTA programs throughout Alabama.
ATA Board of Directors
Tony Tumlin
Executive Vice President
Brad Brown
Regional Vice Presidents
Eddie Jacques, Keith Swindoll, Jeff Gray, Margaret Nicholas
Delegate at Large- Joel Mulkin
Secretary/Treasuer - Brad Brown
USTA Alabama Office Staff
Executive Director: Jerrie Ciza Burns e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Executive Director emerita: Elaine Francis e-mail: email@example.com
Director of Adult Leagues: Ruth Anne Bendall e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Director of marketing and Junior Team Tennis Coordinator: Jenny Robb e-mail: email@example.com; phone: 205-902-1188
Director of Community Development and Schools program coordinator. Keith Wilson e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Director of Junior Development: William T. Fain e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Contact us at 205-995-2280 or 877-225-5331
1108 Herrington Street
Hoover, AL 35242
Fax: 205-995-2283
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
The mission statement of the ATA is: "To Promote and Develop the Growth of Tennis"


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Tells the moving story of how a man can lose everything but his heart, and how a grandmother can reach through time, reclaim a story, and bring her children "home." Spanning two continents and three generations, from the Armenia of 1913, to 1930's Massachusetts, to 1960's New York, the play uses memory and dreamscapes as it reunites ghosts with the living, all yearning to find a way to make peace with their past.
Premiered at Golden Thread Productions (2011) and Silk Road Theatre Project (2012). Commissioned and developed by Middle East America: A National New Plays Initiative created by Golden Thread Production (San Francisco), Lark Play Development Center (NYC), and Silk Road Theatre Project (Chicago).
"… a triumph of live theater…creating unforgettable dramatic–and, yes, comic–images of immigrant heritage, of our common heritage."
– Berkeley Daily Planet
"In its first outing, the groups' Middle East America new plays initiative proves a success."
– The San Francisco Examiner
First there was Mary and Rhoda, then Thelma and Louise, and now Adriana and Rhonda, two loveable and unforgettable friends. One, searching for the goddess and her shamanic roots, the other, planning her epic "Godfather meets the Mists of Avalon" wedding, until 9/11 changes everything, leaving one in a hospital bed and the other intent on doing whatever it takes to save her friend. In this award winning play, "Sevahn Nichols joins the ranks of the best," (SD Union Tribune) as she takes you on a deeply moving, hilarious, and courageous journey into the depth of friendship, the challenge of care-giving, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Produced by Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, San Diego Rep, the Goodman Theatre, Stages Theater and Teatro Vision Santa Cruz. Originally developed at the Sundance Theatre Lab, South Coast Repertory.
"[this] enthralling play is an example of how good a one person show can be."
– Backstage
"80 minutes of tremendous theatre satisfaction…"
– SD Theatre Scene


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I'm just going to come out and admit it: I usually go to Starbucks every day. In the wintertime, I enjoy a venti drip with soymilk and a shot of classic sweetener ($2.28), and my favorite barista, Shannon (though I frequent a few different locations) knows to get it ready when she sees me coming.
The current conventional wisdom is that Starbucks is homogenized, corporate and uninviting; people love to yap about their favorite boutique coffee place. But does that place offer healthcare for its employees? "I pay like $16 a week, and I only have to work 20 hours a week for full, awesome medical benefits," Shannon said.
It's clear that there is no shortage of demand for the Starbucks product. It's also clear that each location, depending on the neighborhood in which it resides, actually takes on a community feel, where bulletin boards promote local activities, apartments for rent and occasionally an ad seeking musicians. The Prince and Crosby location is known for "having ears'" in the bloggy tech world of nearby Silicon Alley; a location just north of Times Square is full of lost, wide-eyed tourists and souvenirs for sale; and my friend Adam informs me, "the one at Sheridan Square always has trannies working there." We've taken the identical counters, tables, chairs, and cheesy décor and made them our own.
"Starbucks," said Adam, " is the great equalizer."
"It's like going to McDonald's almost, you know?" Shannon said.
Recently I found myself in Park Slope without an internalized map of every Starbucks location within walking distance, and opted to grab my "cup of joe" at the local favorite Tea Lounge, which is packed with comfy couches and velvety curtains. I patiently waited in line to order my beverage: a large coffee. A shaggy-haired, effeminate barista took my order without saying a word. "Do you want sugar in that?" he asked a minute or two later. Sure I did. He placed my cup on the counter, poured milk in it, and handed it over. After I informed him that I required soy, not cow's milk, he rolled his eyes at me, angrily poured the coffee out and started from scratch, reusing the same cup. My coffee tasted like cream, and I wished I had walked a few extra blocks to visit the neighborhood Starbucks barista.


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Investment Support
Production Incentive (PI)
The Production Incentive (PI) forms part of the overall Clothing and Textile Competitiveness Programme (CTCP) and flows from the implementation, by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), of customised sector programmes (CSPs) for the clothing, textiles, footwear, leather and leather goods industries. The PI Guidelines seek to enable companies to present their business cases to the CTCP Desk of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). They also provide a framework for the CTCP Desk to evaluate such cases.
Capital Projects Feasibility Programme (CPFP)
The Capital Projects Feasibility Programme (CPFP) is a cost-sharing programme that contributes to the cost of feasibility studies likely to lead to projects outside South Africa that will increase local exports and stimulate the market for South African capital goods and services.
Seda Technology Programme (STP)
Seda Technology Programme (Stp) is a division of seda (Small Enterprise Development Agency) focusing on technology business incubation, quality & standards and technology transfer services & support to small enterprises.
Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP)
The Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP) is a partnership programme funded by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) and managed by the National Research Foundation (NRF). On a cost-sharing basis with industry, THRIP supports science, engineering and technology research collaborations focused on addressing the technology needs of participating firms and encouraging the development and mobility of research personnel and students among participating organisations.
Support Programme for Industrial Innovation (SPII)
The Support Programme for Industrial Innovation (SPII) is designed to promote technology development in South Africa's industry, through the provision of financial assistance for the development of innovative products and/or processes.
Clothing and Textile Competitiveness Improvement Programme (CTCIP)
The Clothing and Textile Competitiveness Improvement Programme (CTCIP) aims to build capacity among manufacturers and in other areas of the apparel value chain in South Africa, to enable them to effectively supply their customers and compete on a global scale. Such competitiveness encompasses issues of cost, quality, flexibility, reliability, adaptability and the capability to innovate.
Critical Infrastructure Programme (CIP)
The Critical Infrastructure Programme (CIP) is a cost sharing grant for projects designed to improve critical infrastructure in South Africa. The grant covers qualifying development costs from a minimum of 10% to a maximum of 30% towards the total development costs of qualifying infrastructure. It is made available to approved eligible enterprise upon the completion of the infrastructure project concerned.
Business Process Services (BPS)
The South African government implemented a Business Process Outsourcing & Off-shoring (BPO&0) incentive programme as from July 2007. Between July 2007 and March 2010, the incentive resulted in the creation of at least 6,000 new jobs and attracted R303 million in direct investment.
As part of a process of improving South Africa's position as an investment destination, a systematic review of the BPO & O incentive programme was undertaken with the private sector resulting in a revised BPS incentive.
Sector Specific Assistance Scheme (SSAS)
The Sector Specific Assistance Scheme (SSAS) is a reimbursable 80:20 cost-sharing grant offering financial support to export councils, joint action groups and industry associations.
The Manufacturing Competitiveness Enhancement Programme (MCEP)
The Manufacturing Competitiveness Enhancement Programme (MCEP), one of the key action programmes of the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) 2012/13 – 2014/15, will provide enhanced manufacturing support to encourage manufacturers to upgrade their production facilities in a manner that sustains employment and maximises value-addition in the short to medium term.
Tourism Support Programme (TSP)
The TSP is a reimbursable cash grant that aims to support the development of tourism enterprise that will stimulate job creation and increase the geographic spread of tourism investment.


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After Hamas beat the Fatah protesters with clubs they raided the local Arab news offices and seized the video footage of the beatdown.
Palestinian protesters — members of rival factions including president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party — wave the Palestinian flag during a rally in Gaza City. Baton-wielding Hamas fighters beat their political rivals in the Gaza Strip as they tried to prevent them from holding a protest after the Islamists banned unauthorised public gatherings.(AFP/Mohammed Abed)
Hamas put an abrupt end to a Fatah protest in Gaza City today beating the protesters with truncheons.
ADN Kronos reported:
Hamas militants on Monday used truncheons to disperse a group of supporters of rival faction Fatah in Gaza, news reports said.
Advertisement - story continues below
Several people including journalists and camera operators were injured when members of the Executive Forces, a Hamas-formed security unit considered illegal by the Palestinian Authority (PA), charged the demonstrators, US-based Arab broadcaster Radio Sawa reported.
After breaking up the protestors who were calling on Hamas to return Gaza to PA rule, the militants raided the offices of Arab news networks Mbc and al-Arabiya, seizing television footage of the clashes.
TRENDING: UPDATE: Former Hunter Biden Associate in Fear for His Life - Bevan Cooney Moved to More Dangerous Facility After Leaking Emails to Conservative Journalists
On Sunday Executive Forces members raided a wedding celebration in Gaza and beat some of the guests who had been shouting slogans supporting Fatah and PA president Mahmoud Abbas.
Welcome to Hamastan!


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Reduce Self-Harming in Adolescents with Mindfulness
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.
"In order to end self-harm, one needs to change one's whole relationship with oneself, and how one sees oneself. A good starting point is with one's thoughts. Mindfulness keeps one fully grounded in the present … in the presence of the action of the present moment. Mindfulness helps one to observe and note thoughts, positive or negative, without feeling the need to act upon them." – Ian Ellis-Jones
Self-injury is a disturbing phenomenon occurring worldwide, especially in developed countries, such as the U.S. and those in western Europe. Approximately two million cases are reported annually in the U.S. Each year, 1 in 5 females and 1 in 7 males engage in self-injury usually starting in the teen years. Frequently, untreated depression and other mental health challenges create an environment of despair that leads people to cope with these challenges in unhealthy ways. Nearly 50 percent of those who engage in self-injury have been sexually abused. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a very serious mental illness that is estimated to affect 1.6% of the U.S. population. It involves unstable moods, behavior, and relationships, problems with regulating emotions and thoughts, impulsive and reckless behavior, and unstable relationships. About ¾ of BPD patients engage in self-injurious behaviors.
One of the few treatments that appears to be effective for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). It is targeted at changing the problem behaviors characteristic of BPD including self-injury. Behavior change is accomplished through focusing on changing the thoughts and emotions that precede problem behaviors, as well as by solving the problems faced by individuals that contribute to problematic thoughts, feelings and behaviors. In DBT five core skills are practiced; mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, the middle path, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT reduces self-injurious behaviors in BPD patients.
In today's Research News article "Cost-effectiveness of dialectical behaviour therapy vs. enhanced usual care in the treatment of adolescents with self-harm." (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5928596/ ), Haga and colleagues recruited adolescents who had repeatedly harmed themselves and randomly assigned then to receive 19 once a week 1 hour sessions of either Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) or enhanced usual care. Enhanced usual care consisted of a combination of psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy tailored to treat suicidality and self-harm. They were measured before and after treatment and 1 year later for self-harm episodes and global functioning. The costs of treatment were also estimated.
They found that at the end of treatment the adolescents who received Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) had significantly fewer self-harm episodes and lower levels of suicide ideation and depression than those who received enhanced usual care. Importantly, a year later, the group that received DBT still had significantly fewer self-harm episodes. In addition, DBT did not cost more than the enhanced usual care program to implement.
These results are important and suggest that Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an effective and cost-effective treatment for adolescents who harm themselves. This is particularly important as self-harm is often a predictor of eventual suicide. The reduction in suicidal ideation in these adolescents is an indication of this. Hence, DBT can reduce self-harm behaviors and reduce the suffering of these troubled adolescents.
So, reduce self-harming in adolescents with mindfulness.
"dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, for treatment of children and adolescents. DBT, regarded as one of the few treatments that has shown success in combating self-injury behaviors, combines Buddhism's mindfulness with cognitive behavior therapy in a program that teaches coping and communication skills." – Paradigm Malibu
CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies
This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch
Study Summary
Haga, E., Aas, E., Grøholt, B., Tørmoen, A. J., & Mehlum, L. (2018). Cost-effectiveness of dialectical behaviour therapy vs. enhanced usual care in the treatment of adolescents with self-harm. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 12, 22. http://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-018-0227-2
Studies have shown that dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is effective in reducing self-harm in adults and adolescents.
To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of DBT for adolescents (DBT-A) compared to enhanced usual care (EUC).
In a randomised study, 77 adolescents with repeated self-harm were allocated to 19 weeks of outpatient treatment, either DBT-A (n = 39) or EUC (n = 38). Cost-effective analyses, including estimation of incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, were conducted with self-harm and global functioning (CGAS) as health outcomes.
Using self-harm as effect outcome measure, the probability of DBT being cost-effective compared to EUC increased with increasing willingness to pay up to a ceiling of 99.5% (threshold of € 1400), while with CGAS as effect outcome measure, this ceiling was 94.9% (threshold of € 1600).


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Baby Miffy Napkins
Product Description
- 20 Napkins per pack
- 3 Ply
- Buffet size 33cm x 33cm
Durable 3-ply napkins featuring Dick Bruna's world-famous Miffy character. Each pack contains 20 napkins bearing a Miffy illustration against a light green candy stripe background.
Part of the fully licenced 'Baby Miffy' range of party products, these napkins make a pretty and practical addition to your party table and are ideal for baby showers, christenings and first birthday parties.
Product Details


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October 4th, 2014
This wedding was shot by Artistic Imagery's amazing Luxury photographer Elena. I just love her work and I couldn't get enough of these photos!!!
December 14th, 2013
A bride's wedding day doesn't start when she is walking down the isle, or when she gets into the trolley or limousine. It starts when she wakes up at 10am and rolls out of bed looking perfect – jumps in the shower, shaves, adds a little gel and we are good to go! … Wait, no … Sorry … That's the groom.
October 13th, 2014
From the start, Lauren was a pleasure to work with. She was very warm and outgoing, which made me feel very comfortable around her.
November 18th, 2013
I HIGHLY recommend Lauren without any hesitation…she truly helped to make the day perfect in so many ways!! I cannot thank her enough, or stop looking at the photos of how beautiful we all were.
Call Us Today: | Write Us: firstname.lastname@example.com
Copyright © 2020 Lauren Stefan. All rights reserved. Sitemap
Website produced by Inverse Paradox


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Random Post:
Retro Gamer's EarthBound Re-release Review
Popular Posts:None found
December 1st, 2012 | EarthBound | 46 Comments
The other day I posted a rough screenplay version of EarthBound penned by Seth – see here. He's since made some updates and sent me this: Hello again, thanks to the wonderful feedback I've recieved from the EarthBound Central community, I have been able to finnish the Second Draft of my EarthBound Screenplay faster than I previously expected. It's still a draft, but I feel ...Read More »
November 21st, 2012 | EarthBound | 37 Comments
Seth Campbell recently sent this to me: I wrote a perlimenary Screenplay for a potential EarthBound movie. I don't have the rescources to PRODUCE a film. But this rough draft DOES show that Earthbound has the potential for a really great movie. Something virtualy unheard of in the world of video games. I would really appreciate feedback both from fans and people unfamiliar with EarthBound si...Read More »
February 24th, 2012 | EarthBound, Videos | 16 Comments
A couple weeks ago I posted about an EarthBound fan film in the works, but for various reasons there was a bit of confusion because the demo reel wasn't EarthBound-related. They've since released an EarthBound-related teaser video, check it out: If you want to help them out, see here! ...Read More »
February 4th, 2012 | EarthBound | 36 Comments
Jesse sent this in recently: Hey, thought this might be of interest, It's an EarthBound Feature length Fan-Film! My buddy and I are currently trying to fund it (we're going to shoot it regardless of if we hit the goal but it never hurts, am I right? haha) We have an IndieGoGo set up (http://www.indiegogo.com/EarthBound-Fan-Film) and I was hoping you guys could post about it? We want ...Read More »
July 24th, 2009 | EarthBound | 34 Comments
EarthBound fan Galena wrote a screenplay for an adaptation of EarthBound. I have yet to read through it myself, but if you're interested, check it out here. I always find it cool when fans of anything are inspired enough to put this much work into something 😀 ...Read More »
May 1st, 2009 | Itoi, Uncommon Knowledge, Videos | 34 Comments
As many probably know by now, EarthBound/MOTHER series creator Shigesato Itoi voiced a character in one of the most classic animes of all time, My Neighbor Totoro / Tonari no Totoro. I'd never seen a Youtube clip isolating just him, at least until now. So here you go, Itoi the voice actor! As we already looked at before, Itoi and Studio Ghibli (the super-famous studio that made Totoro) go w...Read More »
April 29th, 2009 | EarthBound, Misc. | 108 Comments
A recent Japanese polling site asked the question, "Which game series would you like to see get turned into a Hollywood movie?" The results were as follows: Dragon Quest Takeshi's Challenge Metal Gear Tetris Spelunker Legend of Zelda MOTHER Phoenix Wright The Portopia Serial Murder Case Grand Theft Auto I dunno, some of those things seem pretty weird to me (Tetris?) but itR...Read More »
March 19th, 2009 | MOTHER 3, Uncommon Knowledge | 26 Comments
A neat tidbit of info, courtesy of Yannick! Apparently, the really creepy Love Walker enemy in MOTHER 3 (see here) is based on the poster for an old movie called "Cabaret". That enemy always creeped me out, so that poster would make me more likely to vomit in terror than anything else. BTW, lame tip: if you haven't yet, try getting it to turn around in battle. ...Read More »
March 17th, 2009 | EarthBound, MOTHER 3 | 38 Comments
Since today is Saint Patrick's Day, let's do something a little different! A good while back, my girlfriend and I decided for some bizarre reason to watch the movie Leprechaun. As the movie started, we noticed things that really reminded us of EarthBound stuff. As the movie went along, it sort of turned into a "hey, that's EarthBoundy too!" game. When all was said and...Read More »
January 20th, 2009 | EarthBound, Itoi, Uncommon Knowledge, Videos | 62 Comments
Many probably know by now that Giygas in EarthBound was partly inspired by a really old murder mystery movie. I even tracked down a copy and wrote a huge thing about it here. This afternoon, I finally got around to making a short video of stuff from the movie, mostly THE scene and some stuff that happens after. It's like a super quick version of the movie: Title screen, movie climax, end scr...Read More »


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Employers of every size and type have one thing in common, employees. We give you the power to manage your employees through the facets of the employment cycle, from start to finish. Our tools, services and support deliver solutions that best suit you.
As demand for technology explodes and government regulations increase, our clients turn to us for solutions. From benefits administration to government compliance, including the new Affordable Care Act, we give comfort to every employer.
Whether your staff utilizes our tools to achieve their goals, or you rely upon our highly trained staff to do the work for you, we're here to accommodate your needs.
Year-End Quick-Reference Guide
You may download our 2019 Year-End Quick Reference Guide [HERE].
This document contains valuable information ranging from critical dates with important dead-lines to checklists, questionnaires and important tax information.


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The Facts: According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, the club has re-signed tight end Alex Smith, who appeared in all 16 regular season games for Cincinnati a season ago.
Diehards Line:Smith's re-signing comes after tight ends Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert both missed time last week with minor ailments. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Smith has hauled in 163 passes for 1,473 yards and 13 touchdowns in nine NFL seasons. He caught three passes for 12 yards and one TD for Cincinnati in 2013. The Bengals' mandatory minicamp practices begin today and run through Thursday. Their final week of OTAs is next week, thus concluding their offseason program.


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Should Verizon Customers Hold Out for the Apple iPhone 5?
Historically, Apple (AAPL) has introduced new versions of its popular iPhone in June, with July typically marking the largest month for sales, according to Rubin, whose research firm tracks monthly iPhone sales. July tends to mark the largest monthly sales month because folks living on two-year iPhone renewal contracts got their start back in June 2007, when the first iPhone came out.
"February will probably have a bigger bump in sales, because there will be more competition on the Verizon network in July when all the [Long Term Evolution] handsets that were announced at [the Consumer Electronics Show] will be available," Rubin says. Verizon's 4G LTE network is designed to run at a blazing-fast speed, which could potentially give Apple's iPhone 5 a run for its money.
Will Customers Wait for the iPhone 5?
Folks who are weighing whether to buy an iPhone 4 or to wait for an iPhone 5 are likely to make the decision based on when their current contract expires -- and whether they have a family plan that allows all family members to switch contracts at the same time, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Jonathan Goldberg. Such timing and contractual issues will likely be a bigger decision point than the phones' features, he says.
Roughly 70% of carrier networks overseas use GSM. And although Apple makes a GSM-only iPhone for AT&T (T), it didn't include the technology in its iPhone 4 for Verizon. Instead, the Verizon iPhone uses a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) chipset, which runs on Verizon's older CDMA network.
"Some people may wait for a bigger and better deal with the iPhone 5, but the iPhone 4 is here and now," Goldberg says. "The average consumer doesn't pay attention to tech blogs or product road maps to even know an iPhone 5 is coming."
That may be too bad for consumers, because once they sign a two-year contract with Verizon or rival AT&T, they'll be locked in -- unless they're willing to pay a penalty fee to break their contract or pay the full price for a new phone without any rebate help from their carrier. A Verizon Wireless spokeswoman notes that upgrades are allowed only if a customer's contract has expired.
"No Inkling" of What's Coming
But not much is yet known about the features for Apple's next iPhone, Rubin says, and consumers would be foolish to hold out for the unknown.
"At this point, there is no inkling of what the next iPhone will bring," Rubin says. "In the spring, Apple usually gives us the next version of its iOS [mobile operating system], and that may give us an inkling then. But I can't imagine someone holding off a purchase without knowing anything except for some notion it will be better."
Apple may be considering adding LTE capabilities to the Verizon iPhones, for example, but Rubin doesn't expect that to occur for at least a couple of years. He thinks Apple will wait for LTE chipsets to mature and for Verizon's LTE network to expand.
In a recent report, Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin wrote that Verizon could win big if it convinces Apple to add LTE capabilities to the iPhone.
"[LTE] is the future '4G' technology path for both Verizon and AT&T," Golvin wrote. "Verizon's LTE network is live today for roughly 100 million Americans, delivering jaw-dropping, if scantly utilized, speeds; AT&T will not launch until later this year. If Verizon can convince Apple to accelerate its incorporation of LTE, the carrier will be able to deliver a significantly accelerated iPhone experience to more customers than its competitor when the product launches -- and attract a significant number of the first wave of buyers, including the Apple acolytes."
That's just what Verizon love would to see.


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How did Moonlight win the Best Picture Oscar, when La La Land was not only the strong favorite going in to the evening, but also picked up Best Director? The answer has nothing to do with misadventures surrounding envelopes, and everything to do with the arcane subject of voting systems.
The default mode for "Oscar Movies" is, and always will be, Serious Drama. There are many exceptions, of course, but the overwhelming majority of Best Picture winners are the kind of movies which are considered a Drama by the Golden Globes, rather than a Musical or Comedy. When push comes to shove, musicals and comedies are generally considered lightweight, while the Academy loves to give the Best Picture award to a heavyweight movie.
Against that, of course, is the fact that La La Land is the kind of movie which is almost clinically designed to appeal to nostalgic movie-lovers of a certain age. If you believe in the Magic of Cinema, if you worship Singing in the Rain, if you can't get that soundtrack out of your head, then La La Land is a breath of fresh air amidst all the dark and depressing fellow nominees like Manchester by the Sea, or Hacksaw Ridge, or, yes, Moonlight.
Thus were the battle lines drawn going in to the voting, in both the Best Director and the Best Picture races. Except there is one enormous and crucial distinction between the two. The Best Director race is first-past-the-post: Whichever director gets the most votes, wins. The Best Picture race, by contrast, uses a single-transferrable-vote system.
Damien Chazelle won the Best Director award for La La Land, getting more votes than Moonlight's Barry Jenkins. (It's worth noting that two years ago, when Chazelle's Whiplash was in the running for Best Picture, it wasn't even nominated for Best Director.) Still, in a five-way race, it's highly unlikely that Chazelle got an outright majority of the votes.
It's highly likely that the Best Picture race turned out the same way – that La La Land got more first-round votes than any other picture, with Moonlight coming in second. But this was a nine-way race decided by single transferrable vote, so the first-round outcome, while interesting, is far from decisive.
In the Best Picture voting, the first-round winner is much less important than the broad consensus. A lot of people loved La La Land; a lot of people hated it, too. So while it surely did very well in the first couple of rounds of voting, it simply lacked the staying power needed to win.
Basically, given the single-transferable-vote system, the thing which mattered is what happened to the votes for pictures like Manchester by the Sea. If that was your favorite movie of the year, or if you originally voted for, say, Fences, then there's no way that you will have ranked La La Land above Moonlight. As the list got shorter and shorter, then, the vast majority of the votes which originally went to other movies ended up being cast for Moonlight, while La La Land picked up many fewer.
Hence the result: La La Land got a plurality of the votes, but Serious Dramas got a majority. When that happens, La La Land will win a prize like Best Director which is decided in the first round, but, happily for Moonlight, it will lose out for Best Picture.


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For the second last episode of HBO's True Blood, this one is surely filled to over-flowing with bloody gore. For starters, we find the typically bloody Lilith appearing to Bill Compton and trying to convince him that he is the chosen one.
Next, we find Nora contemplating her previous vision of Godric being beheaded by Lilith. Is she having second thoughts perhaps? Or is she just missing her maker? Salome appears and cheers her up though. Seriously, Salome has made her way through a large chunk of the vampire cast of True Blood – and she's only one season old!
Jessica seems to be edgy and wants to keep Jason sheltered from the non-mainstreaming vampires. She tries to convince Bill to let her bring him back to Authority HQ. This backfires though and it looks like she will have to turn him in order to protect him – oops! Will Jason make it out of this episode alive?
It seems all Nora's contemplating has resulted in her defection from the ways of Lilith and the Sanguinista. We find her making amends (and getting naked) with her brother, viking vampire Eric Northman, in the very next scene. My, isn't the plot thickening deliciously for the season finale next week!
Sookie and Jason are sitting in fairyland and discussing the fact that Sookie was sold to a vampire over 300 years ago, thanks to the contract between a previous Stackhouse relative and Warlowe. Jason vows to protect her before leaving fairyland – I wonder how long it is before Jessica tracks him down?
The army is now concerned with the way vampires are behaving of late and a military general is sent to Authority headquarters to speak to Roman about it. Since Roman is dead, it gets a bit awkward here. The vampires there try to convince the general that Roman is unavailable. The general is not impressed but announces that the military knows vampires bombed the Tru Blood factories and tries to blackmail the vamps by letting them know that they are aware Russell Edgington is alive. If the general is killed then video footage of Russell and Steve Newlin killing college students en mass will be released to the general public. This probably would have worked too, except Eric goes all renegade and kills the general. What is he playing at? Once everyone calms down, Eric and Nora claim they can clean up the mess by glamouring everyone involved with the dead general. Bill seems suspicious and makes them take a security team with them. At least Eric is finally free of the Authority! And when Eric goes to change the channel in the car and kills the front seat passengers, he is also free of the security detail!
Jessica finds Jason. He starts to get suspicious as soon as he sees the security surrounding Jessica. It worsens when Jess starts talking about trust. It seems she is trying to send a message to Jason, but he is his normal thick-skulled self and doesn't get with the program. Jessica is forced to bite him in an attempt to turn him to placate her security. When Jess's security team are burying her and Jason, it seems he certainly did understand what she was saying earlier and jumps up and shoots the two shovelling vamps before they even know it – go Jason! He's still mad a heck at Jess though.
Pam and Tara are cleaning up the remains of Elijah. Tara gets a crash course in what the Authority are and why she has done the wrong thing by killing the new Sheriff. While this is going on, Jessica arrives in a panic and wants to be hidden by them. Pam is against the idea until Jess admits she knows where Eric is.
Sookie is taken to meet a fairy Elder. This fairy is a distracted dancing fairy who seems more interested in finding out Sookie's music taste rather than discussing Sookie's ancient contract. Finally, Sookie gets her to concentrate and the Elder admits that hers, Sookie's and Warlowe's paths are intertwined. Before she can divulge any further information, Jason arrives and the mere mention of Russell Edgington's name is enough to put fear into the fae. All the fairies agree to fight the vampires. Sookie and Jason devise a plan to lure Russell Edgington closer so the Elder can get rid of him.
Holly gets her kids to apologize to Andy for putting his butt on Facebook. Andy promises to look after their mom. It seems this may be an impossibility since later on in the episode, Maurella arrives and expects Andy to protect her and their unborn child. Apparently, Andy rejecting her is considered an act of betrayal against the fairies and there is a possibility this may lead to an outright war! I don't think Holly is going to happy with Maurella and Andy when she finds out about this.
A whole scene occurs while Alcide is shirtless and chopping wood. I'm not sure what was said the first time round (Alcide + no shirt = total lack of attention span), but with the second watching, it turns out that a former member of Jackson Herveaux's pack arrives to warn them that there is a lot of baby vamp attacks going on in the area. Luckily, Jackson has his trailer surrounded in silver. While it won't keep older vampires out, it will protect the weres from the younger, dumber ones.
Pam, Jessica and Tara discuss the change in Bill and Pam decides it is a sure case of nest mentality. When she leaves, Tara and Jess seem to sort things out a little. Rosalyn arrives at Fangtasia next, looking for her progeny, Elijah. When Rosalyn threatens Tara, Pam owns up to killing him to protect Tara – go Pam! Rosalyn has Pam arrested though – will Pam survive this season?
More Lilith hallucinations are occurring for Bill. The problem is, Lilith seems to be messing with all the vampires. When Bill goes to drink her blood, he finds Kibwe there – also professing to be the single vampire chosen by Lilith. Bill decapitates him. Next it is Salome's turn to think she is the chosen one. Is it vampire blood or peyote in that vial they've all been drinking from?
Alcide and his dad are surrounded by baby vamps, luckily the silver fence does it's job. When they move on and decide to harass another trailer load of
food people, Alcide has had enough and manages to take out a few baby vamps before getting overwhelmed. It's lucky his father steps in and kills the rest. It seems Jackson isn't a nasty as we first thought.
Jason is patrolling Sookie's house, waiting for Russell to arrive. Surprise, surprise, the plan works and Russell arrives with Steve Newlin. It seems to be failing though when Russell glamours Jason and he reveals a lot of information about the fairies. Needless to say, the end result is the same: Russell is led to the fairies.
Sam and Luna are mousing their way around Authority HQ looking for Emma. While nudity is an unfortunate by-product of shifting, it turns out to be their savior when they are caught unaware by Authority security. It seems there is a bunch of naked people being held as vampire beverages and they mistakenly think Luna is one of them. While security are "returning" Luna to the cell filled with the other nudies, Sam volunteers to be vamp refreshments. More than a few main characters lives appear to hang in the balance this season. While this is going on, Pam and Jessica arrive at HQ as well. Jessica and Bill have an argument while Pam recognises Sam. It will be interesting to see how all this pans out in the finale. But once again, Pam and Eric are separated, their roles now reversed: Pam is trapped and Eric is free.
Russell can smell the fae when Jason leads them to the fairy field. The Elder arrives and attempts to send Russell into another dimension but hits Jason with her microwave fingers instead – Uh-oh! Just when you think it can't get any worse, Russell captures the Elder and drains her dry! (Is it wrong to be happy this annoyingly distracted dancing fairy is gone already?) The nasty side-effect of this is that Russell can now see the entrance to fairyland. Does this mean he can also access it? I guess we'll find out next week in the season finale.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Also, is anyone planning a season finale party for next week? Let us know all about it. I, for one, will be baking Gran's pecan pie and washing it down with Tru Blood cocktails.
(Photo Credit: HBO Inc.)


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Rosenthal was born May 21, 1891 in Petoskey, Michigan. His father, Samuel Rosenthal, was a Jewish Pole from Suwałki, Poland. He originally settled in Alpena but moved to Petoskey around 1878 (source). Louis' mother, Sophia (Blumrosen) Rosenthal, was his father's second wife and also a native of Suwałki. The family moved to Detroit by 1910.
On June 15, 1915, Louis H. Rosenthal married Lillian Friedberg. Lillian was born June 29, 1896 to Jacob and Mollie (Israel) Friedberg. They immigrated to the United States in 1886, having lived in parts of Belarus and Lithuania that were part of Russia at the time (source). The family originally settled in Ohio but came to Detroit in 1897. Jacob Friedberg and his son Morris established a jewelry business called Friedberg & Son in 1906. The elder Friedberg retired in 1914, after which the business was simply known as "Friedberg's". Louis Rosenthal began working for Friedberg's around the time of his marriage to Lillian or soon after. He later became a co-proprietor, eventually becoming president of the company in 1931.
In 1917, Friedberg's built a new store on Griswold Avenue overlooking Capitol Park.
The store was designed by the architectural firm of Rogers, Bonnah & Chaffee. James S. Rogers, formerly of Rogers & MacFarlane, worked with Bonnah and Chaffee until his death in 1919. Harrie W. Bonnah and Audley B. Chaffee went on to design the Farwell Building and Cadillac Tower.
Louis and Lillian Rosenthal lived at 1479 Virginia Park Avenue until around 1936, after which it was inhabited by funeral director Ira Kaufman. The Rosenthals had two children, Bernard (born 1917) and Marjorie (born 1923, probably in this house). Louis retired from Friedberg's in 1956. He passed away ten years later, followed by his wife in 1972.
I was unable to find an old photo of the house, but I did find one of the entrance to the street taken in 1913, before the house was even built.
Click the image for a larger size.


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"Cut Your Calls in Half, Maybe a Letter Would be Better" Hourglass Timer
- 2005.001.04.017
- Item
- [ca. 1920?]
Part of Kodak Canada Corporate Archives and Heritage Collection
Item is an hourglass timer with blue sand encased in a rectangular prism of clear plastic with a black background. Beside the hour glass written in gold is "CUT YOUR CALLS IN HALF / [Kodak logo] / MAYBE A LETTER WOULD BE BETTER" with a small gold early telephone.
Kodak Canada Inc.


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The Danish Jews knew little about what awaited them back in the Denmark to which they returned after the liberation. The country had survived the occupation with its production apparatus intact and its public administration still functioning. Help was quickly arranged for the returning Danes who had been deported or in exile.
The Danish state set up acute economic aid for the returnees. In addition, the Danish municipalities had, since October 1943, attempted to protect the belongings and apartments of the Danish Jews. This was not the case everywhere else in Europe. More than 250,000 surviving Jews in the rest of Europe lived in camps for stateless persons who had nowhere to go. They were displaced persons.
From October 1st 2015 to December 31st 2016 HOME is only available for pre-booked guided tours. Book now: info@. jewmus.dk
You can acces the HOME exhibition directly from the Library Garden. It is wheelchair accessible and inside is a cloakroom.
- an exhibition about Jews in Denmark
The exhibition is a broad story of Jewish life in Denmark and focuses on co-exixstence and indentity through 400 years. Read more...
September - May:
Thursday: 12:30 - 18:30
Friday- Sunday: 12 - 17
Monday - Wensday: closed
June - August
Tuesday - Sunday: 10-17
Monday closed


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This Passover dessert, made with hazelnuts and matzo cake meal, is rich and delicious and as decadent as it gets.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment, and spread hazelnuts on top. Bake until fragrant and toasted, about 10 minutes. Place nuts in a clean kitchen towel, and rub to remove loose skins. Place 1/3 cup nuts in bowl of food processor, and pulse until finely ground; reserve. Roughly chop remaining 1 cup nuts, and set aside.
Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with margarine; dust with cocoa powder. Whisk together remaining 3/4 cup cocoa powder, ground hazelnuts, and matzo meal; set aside.
In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat yolks and brown sugar on medium-high speed until mixture holds a ribbonlike trail for 3 seconds when you raise the whisk, about 45 seconds. Fold in 1 cup nut puree from fudge glaze recipe. Transfer to a large bowl; wash and dry mixer bowl and attachment. Place egg whites and salt in mixer bowl; beat with whisk attachment on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. With mixer running, slowly add superfine sugar; beat until stiff and glossy. Fold egg whites and ground-hazelnut mixture into egg-yolk mixture. Fold in melted margarine. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top with an offset spatula.
Transfer to oven; bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 1 1/2 hours.
Invert pan, and remove cake. Using a serrated knife, slice cake into two layers. Place a 9-inch cake round on a wire rack set on a baking sheet. Place bottom layer of cake on round; spread 1/2 cup fudge glaze on top. Place second layer on bottom layer. Pour remaining glaze over cake, using the offset spatula to cover sides. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
When ready to serve, press chopped hazelnuts onto sides.
Make the nut milk for the Passover Fudge Glaze first; the leftover puree keeps this cake moist and tender.


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Latest MLB Baseball News
Need some advice on how to wager? Whether you're interested in today's games or the futures market or anything in between, our expert writers have you covered.
Verlander, Astros Heavy -221 Favorites Over Castillo, Rays in ALDS Game 4 � Picks & Odds
The Houston Astros will put Justin Verlander on the mound in Game 4 of the ALDS. They are -220 betting chalk as a result. Will the Rays pull off a huge upset in a do-or-die spot? Dave Golokhov analyzes the matchup and best wager.
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Red and Gold Hearts Design
Personalized HERSHEY'S 1.45oz Special Dark Candy Bar
(36 pack)
Special Price $74.99/36ct 1.5oz bars
Orders are still being processed but may require an additional 2-3 day processing time.
Photo & Text Guidelines
Please allow up to 10 business days for processing and shipping. (More Info)


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EQUIPMENT AS TESTED Automatic climate control, power locks/windows/mirrors, steering wheel-mounted cruise control, speed-sensitive wipers, message centre, tilt/telescopic steering, outside temperature/compass display, AM/FM/ satellite/MP3 radio, in-dash six-disc CD changer and eight speakers ($200), navigation system ($2,300), power sunroof ($1,150), leather seats ($1,205), rear spoiler ($300), all-wheel drive with traction control ($2,100)
After 21 years of service and some seven million sales, the Taurus has finally shuffled off its automotive coil and gone to meet its maker. This means the Fusion is going to have to pick up some serious slack if Ford wants to offset the loss. To sweeten an already decent pot, the 2007 Fusion receives some needed upgrades and one major addition — a V6-powered, all-wheel-drive model.
One forte of the Fusion is its handling. To begin with, its platform is one stiff piece, giving the mechanical underpinnings a solid foundation. Throw in double wishbones up front, a multi-link setup in back and anti-roll bars at both ends and the handling is light and tight without being harsh. When pressed, body motion is limited to a handful of degrees before the suspension takes a set. This holds true whether it is body roll or squat/dive under hard acceleration/braking. It is the type of balance and composure usually reserved for more expensive European brands.
Helping matters enormously are the oversized 225/50VR17 tires and the all-wheel-drive system. The latter is notable as it keeps a low profile, which means the driver is only aware of its action because of the lack of wheelspin. As with many AWD systems, this one operates predominantly in front-drive under normal conditions. However, by monitoring throttle position, steered angle and wheel speed, it is very quick to kick in the instant the need arises. Any slip that surfaces is dealt with in just 45 degrees of wheel rotation.
There's also a traction control system, so the reality is that wheelspin is virtually non-existent. It also means that, when compared with its front-drive sibling, the all-wheel-drive model suffers from considerably less understeer. The net effects are really appreciated in slippery weather.
The standard anti-lock brakes follow this lead. Working on four-wheel discs, the system brings the Fusion to rest in just 39.2 metres from 100 kilometres an hour, which puts it near the top of the sedan class.
The lone drawback comes in the form of the turning circle — at 12.2 metres, it takes a lot of real estate to get the Fusion pointed in the other direction. In a tight parking lot, this means a ton of steering wheel input.
Power comes from a 3.0-litre, DOHC V6 that pushes 221 horsepower and 205 pound-feet of torque. While not the most powerful in the segment, performance is considerably better than expected. The Fusion AWD reaches 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds and sprints from 80 to 120 km/h in a fast 6.2 seconds.
Part of the reason for the car's quickness is down to the V6's variable valve timing on the intake side, which spreads the power out over a broader range. The other part is because of the six-speed automatic transmission. Simply, the lower than normal first gear delivers an enthusiastic launch off the line, while the next three gears do a good job of keeping the engine on cam. The bonus is the leggy top gear, which allows for comfortable highway cruising.
The Fusion's interior and its amenities are a match for the rest of the car. The instrumentation is clean and uncluttered, the knobs and dials are large and readily accessed, the centre stack is properly organized (the audio system, which now comes with an auxiliary jack for an iPod or MP3 player, sits above the climate controls) and it's all finished in a classy- looking, high-gloss piano black. The equipment list also includes a power driver's seat and tilt/telescopic steering wheel. This combination means drivers of just about all statures are accommodated properly — that is, a safe distance from the air bag.
On that note, the Fusion again fares very well. Its Personal Safety System monitors the driver's seat position and crash severity to ensure the bag pops with the appropriate force.
Life for those relegated to the rear seat is not so bad, either, as there is enough width, headroom and legroom to accommodate three adults. Likewise, at 15.8 cubic feet, the trunk is large and is supported by split/folding seat backs that automatically spring into the flat position when released.
Another new feature is the ability to fold the front passenger's seat flat, which means longer items can be accommodated inside with the trunk lid closed.
The all-wheel-drive Fusion is the best to date. Along with some needed new features it is the AWD system that brings more poise to an already balanced package. The other upside is that this new-found traction comes with a minimal fuel penalty. The official numbers say it should be 0.9 litres per 100 kilometres thirstier in the city and 0.5 L/100 km thirstier on the highway than the front-drive version. With a test average fuel economy of 10.7 L/100 km, the reality is that the Fusion AWD is as miserly as many front-drive sedans.
National Post
TYPE OF VEHICLE All-wheel-drive family sedan
POWER 221 hp @ 6,250 rpm; 205 lb-ft of torque @ 4,800 rpm
TRANSMISSION Six-speed automatic
BRAKES Four-wheel disc with ABS
FUEL ECONOMY L/100 KM 12.6 city, 8.2 hwy.


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Multiple Teams · VOLLEYBALL STATE RUN ENDS IN 5 GAMES IN THE STATE SEMI
The Rocks (25-3) battled the #1 ranked team in Ohio and 7th in the Nation but came up a short. This is the third straight year the girls have advanced to the State Final 4. – 25-21, 25-27, 21-25, 25-21, 15-5


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Google Glass Update Adds iPhone SMS Messaging and Calendar App
Just a week after Google made Glass available for purchase to the entire public for one day, it unveiled a new software update for the wearable computer.
The latest software update adds SMS messaging for the iPhone, and includes a Calendar Glassware app.
Scheduled to be released over the next few days, the update will allow Google Glass users to view texts from their iPhone by turning on the "show notifications" option in the Bluetooth settings on iOS. The feature is already available for Android devices.
However, users will only be able to receive texts, not send them, due to what the Glass team calls "limitations with iOS." So while reading texts on the device might save you a bit of time, until you can reply to them using Glass, the feature will be less than ideal for frequent users of the wearable device.
Also included in the update will be the Calendar Glassware app, which allows users to view their appointments, as well as modify times, dates and locations.


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Subject: [xsl] Question regarding msxml3 default stylesheet...
From: Nate Austin <naustin@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 09:24:52 -0600
Greetings. I decided to play with some client-side transforms lately, and visited the Unofficial MSXML XSLT FAQ where I found a link to the default stylesheet for displaying xml documents in IE (res://msxml3.dll/DEFAULTSS.xsl). Here's my question: Even after upgrading in replace mode to msxml3, that stylesheet still uses the <x:stylesheet xmlns:x="http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-xsl"> namespace. Is that correct, or did my msxml upgrade not go as well as I thought? Nate Austin International Decision Systems naustin@xxxxxxxxxx (612) 277-2523 XSL-List info and archive: http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list
|Current Thread
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|RE: [xsl] test for several strings, Edmund Mitchell
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It says that the zone starts on AB41h,
if a channel exists?
I think it is a bad idea to check if a given channel exists every time an interrupt is triggered. It'd be better to hook all the given channel's handler calls and change the setup of your driver according to the changes happening.
Currently write to the User Manual: close MOUSE channel before any other channels closed!
And I have a vague feeling that integrating the mouse driver into the video driver is a big kick in the balls of EXOS. (What about you, Zozo?)
Page created in 0.058 seconds with 27 queries.


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We obstinately suggest you to learn the principles of our community before final decision about joining the club. We are convinced that a necessary following these principles by all of the club affiliates and partners will be able to create the best factors for your participation in the KENT Club.
The KENT Clubis the international club of a bilateral aid, organizing the members, who are ready to provide an aid to each other voluntary in any extreme and hard satiations.
We use the term "bilateral aid" to show the whole conformity with its general meaning which includes providing all necessary aid by several affiliates to any member of our partnership in different situations. Bilateral aid can be used in wide sphere of activity.
Person who joined the club gets privileges containing a possibility to get mutual services from the other affiliates and a possibility to join changing of ideas and assessments.
The principles of The KENT Club are a necessary part of partnership for all community's affiliates.
1. The members may get a help from the other partners by any way – from a usual advice till direct participation in a request's solving.
Partnership (bilateral aid) has following attributes:
- mutual intention;
- mutual direction in achievement of intentions;
- personal interest of each partner;
- freedom – every subject who willed to assist in a cooperation and a bilateral aid is an independent and an unmastered unit of partnership;
- voluntariness;
- confidence.
2. We recognize a member of The KENT Club as every private person joined the club by paying a due and recurring fee with the sums which are defined by the Conditions of the Club and matched with them. Paying the dues and recurring fees:
- Nowadays joining the Club and the Club membership are based on gratuitousness. In a case of any changing in this statement you will be informed by administrators preliminary.
- Some part of the dues is accumulated by the Club for providing financial aid for its members in necessary cases and some part is accumulated for the club development. The unity of the Club members lets us solve any sort of problem.
- All reports which concern providing an aid are clearly depicted in a respective branch of the site.
3.If the Club affiliate ruled by his own decisions will will to leave a membership, in this case his dues and fees will not be put back to him.
4.The foundation of an assumption to The KENT Club is written declaration of candidate about joining and written recommendation of the current Club member with inviting to join from the side of The KENT Club Administration. All candidates are considered and accepted by The KENT Club administration without depending on existing of written recommendation letters from any partner of the Club. Every candidate get notification about a decision including a positive or a negative result which let or does not let him join the Club respectively. The current partner of the Club may give recommendations for joining the Club regarding the third individuals which according to his view are interested to become partners of The KENT Club and have responsibility enough to act in accordance with the Club Principles.
5. . Submitting a declaration about joining all candidates must provide authentic profile data. Providing apocryphal data can be considered as a foundation of a repeal positive accepted decision about an accession to the Club.
6. The KENT Club guaranties the partners applying of all necessary measures to protect provided private data. All of private information of the Club affiliates is strongly confidential and it cannot be passed to the third individuals except cases which are foreseen by remaining in force regulations.
7. The partners take all liability to the KENT Club fellows for providing their services. The Club separately from the name of a The Club member connects with the partners except cases when the Club will judge more relevant a direct connection between the Club fellow and partners.
8. The Club collaborators must take all necessary measures for conscientious and professional providing the liabilities to the Club affiliates and affiliates' desires and orders during a process of ones' collection with a condition of an existence of the possibilities and matching with the Principles and goals of the Club.
9. The KENT Club does not take the liability to the Club fellows for any services which were provided by The KENT Club as mediator between the Club fellow and a Partner including any relationship shades of the Club member's cooperation with any Partner. At the same time The Club is ready to provide all necessary aid in any deals which are ruled by the Club fellow in a process of collaboration with a Partner.
10. The KENT Club undertakes to conduct all necessary measures for providing of security information, exception of viruses and another deleterious software over the Club site. However in a case of virus emerging or deleterious software over the site The KENT Club will not take the liability to visitors.
11. Staying The KENT Club fellow you approve your agreement for a absolute obeying these Principles during the whole period of a membership.


text: We have all received gifts we've wanted to return: ugly socks or sweaters that look exactly like the one you got (or gave!) last year. Sometimes, just letting loved ones know that you're there for them, no matter what, is the best gift of all. And you avoid the embarrassment of giving an awkward gift! Social Security is also there for you and your family — all year long. Continue reading


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5 Things You Need to Know About Your Cholesterol
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in all of the body's cells. Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, Vitamin D and substances that help you digest your food. Ample levels of cholesterol are produced by the body, mainly in the liver, but it also is found in some of the foods you eat. The liver will produce more cholesterol when you have a diet high in saturated and trans fats.
Since cholesterol is not dissolvable in the blood, it is required to be moved through the bloodstream with carriers, the LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol). The LDL is bad because it causes plaque to build up in the arteries and if a clot forms at the area of plaque build-up, a heart attack or stroke can occur. The HDL is a scavenger and carrier of the LDL through the blood stream, where it takes the LDL back to the liver where it is broken down and passed through the body.
Triglycerides are another type of fat, which is utilized by your body to store excess energy from your diet. In excess, the triglycerides lead to atherosclerosis.
How are cholesterol levels measured?
It is important to know what your levels are. They are tested by a fasting (no eating anything with a calorie 12-14 hours prior) blood test. The American Heart Association recommends that all adults 20 or older have their cholesterol and risk factors checked every 4-6 years.
- Total cholesterol is the sum of your HDL, LDL and 20% or your triglyceride level
- HDL (good) Higher levels are better. Low levels of HDL are associated with heart disease
- LDL (bad) Lower levels are better.
- Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in the body. High triglycerides with low HDL levels, or high LDL is associated with atherosclerosis
How Do I know if I need to treat my cholesterol?
You will need a risk assessment, which considers the following:
- Your healthcare provider will question if you have had a previous heart attack, stroke or blockages in your heart, neck or leg arteries
- Total and LDL cholesterol levels
- Age, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoker, low HDL and family history
How do I treat my cholesterol?
First and foremost, you need to follow a heart healthy diet that includes vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Utilize low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish, legumes and nuts. Limit sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages and read meats.
Medications are available for treatment if risk factors warrant. Statins provide the greatest benefit and fewer safety issues and are recommended for persons with known heart disease, very high LDL, Type II Diabetes in patients between the age of 40 and 75, and persons with a higher likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years. Other medications are available to treat cholesterol if a statin is not the right drug.
How do I Reduce My Risk for Developing Heart Disease?
Make healthy choices with your diet by eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Choose low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish, legumes and nuts. Limit sweets and sugar-sweetened soda and teas and limit red meat intake. Increase your exercise and physical activity, maintain a healthy weight and don't smoke, or quit if you do.
Discuss your health history with your healthcare provider, who can assist you in managing your long-term healthcare goals. General guidelines for cholesterol levels are as follows, but health history needs to be considered when cholesterol goals are being managed:
Total cholesterol <200 desirable
200-239 borderline high
>240 high
HDL <40 low for males
<50 low for females
LDL <70 with known heart disease or diabetes
<100 optimal
100-129 near optimal/above optimal if heart disease
130-159 borderline high
160-189 high
>190 very high
Triglycerides <150
Lisa Larson, APN, in an advanced practice nurse at SwedishAmerican's Midwest Heart Specialists clinic in Rockford.