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British scientists report that dogs can be trained to detect bladder cancer in people by smelling their urine. The animals' exceptional sense of smell can distinguish the odor of compounds that tumors are thought to produce.
Man's best friend, the dog, has long been employed for purposes such as tracking the scent of missing humans or detecting the presence of illegal narcotics passing through airports. Now a new study by British scientists shows that dogs can be used to determine if humans have bladder cancer by sniffing their urine.
The research, led by Carolyn Willis at Amersham College in Buckinghamshire, is based on the theory that cancer produces chemicals with distinctive odors.
"It's probably a mixture of volatile organic chemicals, and probably not just one or two, but a combination of these volatiles that the dogs have learned to key into," she explains.
Current bladder cancer diagnosis requires a tissue sample to be removed, an invasive procedure that could be avoided with the use of dogs.
The researchers trained six dogs of various breeds and ages to discriminate between urine from patients with bladder cancer and from patients with other diseases. In the final tests, each dog smelled seven urine samples, one from a bladder cancer patient and six others from non-cancerous patients of the same sex.
As a group, the dogs correctly selected bladder cancer urine on 22 out of 54 occasions, an average success rate of 41 percent. This is three times better than untrained dogs would have performed by chance alone. The two best dogs, cocker spaniels named Tangle and Biddy, were right 56 percent of the time. Ms. Willis says this proves the principal that dogs can detect bladder cancer in urine, but she admits that the percentages are not yet high enough for diagnostic purposes.
"We showed that even dogs that aren't regarded as particularly brilliant scenting dogs can be trained as well to do this reasonably well," she adds. "We are going to be looking at ways to increase the accuracy rate by optimizing the training regime and the type of dogs that go into the training program."
The scientists undertook the study after two anecdotal stories published in a medical journal told of dogs that showed persistent interest in moles on the legs of their owners. The moles turned out to be cancerous.
An Imperial College of London professor of medical statistics named Tim Cole says he was delighted when he first learned of the latest research on bladder cancer, because it seems a logical extension of dogs' keen sense of smell. But he wonders if ultimately machines might be more reliable.
"It did actually flag up [signal] the fact there is something in the urine that can be detected," says Mr. Cole. "So if it can be detected by a dog, it could in theory be detected by the relevant machines that do these things, mass spectrometers. But it might be, spurred on by these results, that people would look for the active ingredients in urine, and once they had found them, I think that would make the whole thing much more straightforward in terms of routine detection."
Carolyn Willis says the ultimate goal is to develop instruments that can detect bladder cancer from urine samples. She notes that dogs are an interim step in the process of determining what chemicals bladder tumors give off into the urine. But she points to some instances where the animals could continue to be useful in this regard.
"There may be some uses for dogs, perhaps, in the Third World where these instruments are not available," says Ms. Willis. "Dogs in that situation might have a direct diagnostic use, but it is not ultimately the way that we would see things going in Western medicine."
The research by Ms. Willis and her colleagues appears in the British Medical Journal.


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Yet another beautiful day in Moshi, Tanzania…. Every morning this week has been cool and clear – and in fact everything is so dry we could really do with a bit of rain. The day quickly warms up (although only to low 30's so is not unbearable) and later in the day the wind has also been picking up – generating plenty of dust – which is very dry, a bit uncomfortable and settles onto everything….
Today we got to put into practice the training we provided to Mandela, Azimio and Kalolemi schools and see how they perform in the sports day. The stakes are high… not just the honour and prestige of winning against the other schools – but also for the Australia/Tanzania Athletics Shield (currently held by Mandela).
We gathered at the "sports oval"…. a shared block of dirt that is used by the whole community (mostly as a thoroughfare from one area to another), but in the background, looming from the earth, and overlooking everything is the majestic Kilimanjaro.
The pressure is on the group I belong to as we have been training the Mandela school – who traditionally always win. We kick off events with a War Cry Competition (won by Kalolemi, with an exuberant rendition of "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands")…. and the fun begins.
The day ran surprisingly smoothly – with events such as sprints, relays (including some novelty events involving stuffed toys, caps, beach towels, surfboards and even thongs). The Mzungus (us) and teachers also had an opportunity to participate. Despite the hot, dry dusty conditions, there was great enthusiasm throughout – with sporadic and exuberant outbursts of cheering and war crys…. and (increasingly as the day progressed), "whole of school" pitch invasions (often involving cartwheels, acrobatics and throwing handfulls of dust in celebration – as if it wasn't dusty enough) whenever any school won an event….
Finally after a very successfully run day, the winner (despite suggestions of cheating and corruption) was (thank goodness) Mandela – leading by a convincing 46 points – with just 1 point separating Azimio and Kalolemi for 2nd and third.

subset: commoncrawl


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55 and up: It's a building real estate market
Developers zero in on baby boomers with outdoor activities, ways to connect
Sun City, the nation's first grand-scale retirement community, opened near Phoenix in 1960 offering modestly priced homes and a lifestyle that most retirees could not previously have attained.
"They had 100,000 people show up in the middle of the desert for opening weekend," said David Kalosis, a senior vice president of John Burns Real Estate Consulting. "That goes to show you what America was missing at the time. It wasn't about the home. It was about the lifestyle."
Fast-forward to 2014. Developers and builders are updating that concept for a more demanding group of consumers: baby boomers. For them, builders and developers say, outdoor activities and interpersonal connections are more important than ever.
So-called active adult communities for residents age 55 and up focus on fitness and health and are frequently established in outlying suburban areas or within master-planned communities. They're close to job centers, since many boomers still work or want to be near their kids with jobs. And they feature outdoor spaces for socializing and often have lifestyle directors on-site to coordinate scores of clubs and activities.
Cards and shuffleboard are still options, but the primary focus is on connecting with nature and neighbors.
"The outdoor pavilions, dog parks, those are the things that have the greatest appeal," Kalosis said.
Builders and developers are finding opportunities in the 10,000 baby boomers who turn 60 each day.
"That's a huge number of people that are making these lifestyle and life-stage choices," he said.
Drawing a crowd
Last weekend, more than 1,800 people showed up in Montgomery County for the grand opening of Bonterra, a 55-and-up community from Taylor Morrison in the Woodforest master-planned community north of The Woodlands. Just nine model homes are there now, but plans call for 700 to be built over time. They start at about $230,000.
On tap is a 10,000-square-foot amenity center, which is expected to be completed in about a year. Plans call for bocce ball and pickle ball courts, fitness and aquatics programs and an on-site lifestyle director.
In Richmond, 30 miles southwest of Houston, Del Webb's 500-acre Sweetgrass development features a 28,000-square-foot lake house with an indoor spa and pool, dedicated aerobics center and fitness canter, three arts and crafts rooms and a billiards room. The community partners with the YMCA to provide fitness classes. Line dancing and yoga are among the offerings. More than 100 clubs cater to an array of interests.
Those amenities appealed to Joyce and Mike Stemmer, ages 66 and 67, respectively. The couple, who recently retired from their residential real estate company, recently bought a new 1,600-square-foot house in Sweetgrass and moved from Galveston.
"This was the last place we thought we'd end up," Joyce Stemmer said. "When you think 55-plus, you're thinking, 'Oh, Lord, you've got grab bars in all the tubs, and wheelchair ramps.' "
Instead, homes in Sweetgrass typically have two bedrooms and an additional study, with up to 2,700 square feet of space, much of it devoted to kitchens and great rooms. Buyers have an option to add a three-car garage. They range in price from $150,000 to more than $300,000.
The Stemmers liked the feel when they drove into the neighborhood, with lush green spaces, and biking and walking trails, which they use nightly. They also shopped in the Village at Tuscan Lake in League City but wanted to be more inland.
"We like the idea of being in a neighborhood where people are our own age," Stemmer said. "We've been wanting to try pickle ball. It's kind of like tennis, but you play with a big paddle."
The couple is part of a trend.
"What we see in the active adult communities popping up around the country, they are smaller in size, and the amenities have been redefined for today's retirees," said Martha Moyer Wagoner, principal of Master Planned Communications, who was involved with marketing Del Webb's Sun City brand across the country. "They are more interested in learning. The fitness offerings are different. It's Zumba versus an old-fashioned calisthenics class. It's tai chi. It's yoga. Weight training is very popular."
Closer to family
Other factors are drawing homebuyers 55 and older to these types of developments, and to Houston in particular.
Tanya Rizzo, general sales manager at Sweetgrass, said the pace of sales there has accelerated to 20 per month, up from about 15 a month last year and 10 a month when the community first opened in 2011. The neighborhood has sold about 500 houses out of a planned 1,500.
"With the booming employment in Houston, that's bringing a lot of new jobs to the market with a lot of buyers age 55 or better either staying in Houston because they want to be closer to kids and grandkids or moving back to Houston to be closer to family," Rizzo said.
Kalosis said cities like Houston, Atlanta, Tampa, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C., are popular for active-adult communities because they're close to job centers not only for older residents to work but to be near their families.
Taylor Morrison, the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based homebuilder in Bonterra, is increasingly active, with communities in Florida and Colorado and more coming in Texas.
The company relies on focus groups and experiences from other communities to design and develop house plans.
At Bonterra, houses were designed with minimal hallways to maximize space and elevated ceilings of varying heights throughout. There are "drop stations" near the entry for purses and keys and such belongings. In the kitchen, none of the 42-inch cabinets is higher than 8 feet. Doors are 36 inches wide so a wheelchair could fit through, and master bathrooms have oversized walk-in showers.
"They put a lot of thought into the potential needs of really elderly seniors in the home design," said Tom Allen, a real estate agent with Century 21 Olympian who has a lot of seniors as clients. "In the kitchens, those islands were far enough away from the wall cabinetry that you could easily, say, get in there with a walker or a cane or a Hoveround."
"As people move in there, they are going to continue to age," Allen said. "They may or may not continue to be that active."
Sees need on west side
Michael Gealt, a real estate agent who specializes in three age-restricted communities, thinks more are needed on the west side. There's a waiting list with 30 names on it for one of these neighborhoods, Heritage Grand in Cinco Ranch, where sales range from $180,000 to $379,000.
"It's a booming marketplace," Gealt said, citing Inner Loop-style dynamics in the 650-home community, which was completed about four years ago.
"Most of the homes sell the morning they come on, they usually have multiple offers. They often sell for more than list," Gealt said. "It's frustrating for buyers."
With an early heads up on a house that was about to go on the market, Liz Jok last year bought a house in Heritage Grand on her parents' behalf.
Jok, who moved to Houston 13 years ago for her husband's job in the oil and gas industry, liked that the neighborhood was gated, packed with planned activities and close to health care providers. She lives in nearby Seven Meadows.
"My mom would drive 30 minutes to paint with friends in Indiana," Jok said. "But in Heritage Grand, it's right there in the neighborhood."
Her parents, Charles and Carolyn Clark, 71 and 70, respectively, sold their ranch home of 50 years in Muncie, Ind. They found a two-bedroom, two-bath house with a small backyard where they've planted a butterfly garden. They go to the clubhouse several times a week for various activities and will be going with neighbors on a trip to a casino.
"We usually see one of our kids every day. We go to their house and visit," Carolyn Clark said. "That was the highlight of why we wanted to come here, and our grandchildren."
Clark added, "We go to the clubhouse and play cards and play dominoes and walk the dogs. A lot of people have dogs here. You walk the dog and get introduced to people that way."
Room for growth
Other age-restricted communities in the Houston area include CountryPlace, developed in the early 1980s in Pearland, Bellavita at Green Tee in Pearland, Windsor Lakes and Windsor Hills in The Woodlands and The Heritage at Towne Lake in the Cypress area.
The real estate advisory firm RCLCO says places like Arizona and central Florida have far more active adult communities than Texas, suggesting there's more room for growth.
"There is a lot of interest in these communities currently, both from consumers, and from builders and developers due to the very favorable demographics of the 55& market," RCLCO managing director Gregg Logan said in an email.
"The best active adult communities provide tangible value to their customers, allowing them to enjoy an amenity-rich environment at a moderate cost. Important design components include single-story living and sustainable materials that will reduce maintenance and operational costs. For households on fixed incomes, reducing or locking in costs are very important considerations."


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When I first saw his work a few days back , I just kept watching this video over and over again. The elegance with which he creates both sided strokes ( left slanted and right slanted) in a single creation is just inspiring. Also, his genre of Iconic – Calligraphy (drawing with calligraphy) is surely creativity at the best , especially his depiction of event snapshots from the epic Ramayana. This is a must watch video for those even least interested in calligraphy!
The video reflects the unique calligraphic style, process and concepts of Poosapati Parameshwar Raju the master of the genre of Iconic – Calligraphy. Lives and works from Hyderabad,India. Winner of State Award -2007.
#PoosapatiParameshwarRaju #Ramayana #IconicCalligraphy


text: Square gets most of the media hype, but without an international presence, would-be competitors have had a chance to carve out their own niches in the mobile commerce market. Sweden's iZettle has managed to make quite a splash in its homeland, and it's expanding its mini empire by finally bringing its wares to Android -- albeit in an extremely limited form. Unless you've got a Galaxy S III, S II or a Note then iZettle still isn't for you and with availability in a single Nordic country, it might seem more accurate to describe Android support as being in beta, but the company has ditched the testing tag regardless. Rest assured, however, it is actively working to add more handsets and export the app beyond its particle board-loving borders.


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Should I buy a hearing aid privately?
Can I buy hearing aids without involving my GP?
You don't need a GP referral to buy hearing aids privately, but it's a good idea to see your doctor first so you can rule out any temporary problems, such as build-up of wax. However, a private audiologist (dispenser) should also be able to spot this. They will also be able to identify whether you need additional support from another specialist, such as an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor.
Your GP may also tell you about the Any Qualified Provider scheme, which allows you to get hearing aids from a private company paid for by the NHS, but this is only available in some areas of England.
If you do decide to get your hearing aids from a shop, our survey of the best hearing aid providers will help you choose where to buy from.
Pros and cons of buying your hearing aid privately
When we surveyed 3,183 Which? members in April 2018, 31% had bought their hearing aids privately, rather than getting them from the NHS. To see how satisfaction levels differed, see our guide to NHS hearing aids vs buying privately.
Here are some of the pros and cons of buying a hearing aid privately as opposed to getting one through the NHS:
- You should be able to book an appointment at your convenience, with little waiting time.
- More choice of styles, especially if you want discreet or invisible hearing aids.
- Some retailers offer home visits.
- You'll see the audiologist - probably the same person - on follow-up visits (which you'll need to check are part of your aftercare package).
- You're likely to have more time with the audiologist to explore options or problems.
- Buying a hearing aid is rarely a one-off cost, as it will need replacing every three to five years - check our guide to hearing aid prices to find out more.
- You'll also have to pay for repairs and, depending on your package, replaceable items such as batteries and wax traps.
- An audiologist at a shop may have less ability/knowledge when it comes to complex hearing-related issues.
If you're trying to decide whether to get NHS hearing aids or go privately, check out the pros and cons of NHS vs private hearing aid providers.
Will I have more choice of hearing aids if I go private?
Yes, you will have a wider choice of types of hearing aid and models if you buy privately. The NHS doesn't tend to provide in-the-ear (invisible) hearing aids, for example.
You are likely to get your hearing aid more quickly by buying privately, but NHS services also have local targets set to ensure that you receive your assessment and hearing aids as quickly as possible.
Don't assume that you will get a better-quality hearing aid if you buy privately, as the NHS buys from the same manufacturers.
Who sells hearing aids on the high street?
Larger companies include Amplifon, Boots Hearing Care, Hidden Hearing and Specsavers Hearcare. There are also regional chains and independent specialists.
- Find out which company our members rated as the best hearing aid provider
- See average costs split by shop and hearing aid type with our guide to hearing aid prices
Some shops are linked to certain manufacturers, so check, as this may limit your choice. Some companies offer home visits if you're unable to visit their shops. This can be more convenient, but make sure you're comfortable with someone coming to your home to give you a hearing assessment, and have a family member or friend with you for support if possible.
Should I buy online?
The online hearing aids market is growing, and you may see cheaper web prices for hearing aids and feel tempted.
There is no right or wrong answer in terms of whether you should buy online - some people will benefit from buying online and others won't - but you need to know what the differences are.
By law, internet companies have to offer you a hearing assessment, so don't buy hearing aids unless you've had a comprehensive one. Certainly don't buy from an online marketplace or similar.
Exercise caution. Make sure you ask what happens after you've got your hearing aids. Some companies won't offer the level of face-to-face contact and aftercare you'd get on the high street.
For example, they may not have a physical office and so might ask you to return faulty hearing aids by post, rather than you seeing an audiologist.
Five things to do when choosing a private audiologist
- Check that the audiologist (also known as a dispenser) is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and has the initials RHAD after their name. You can also look for the initials BSHAA, which means the private audiologist is a member of the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists. Membership at present is voluntary, and to qualify audiologists have more rigorous requirements to meet, including extra professional development.
- Check that the audiologist will be easy to contact, as you'll probably need them for follow-ups, including adjustments or repairs.
- Find out when the audiologist will be on duty if you need help. Some are only available on certain days or at certain times, while others run drop-in clinics.
- Choose a company recommended by someone you know if you can (but remember that their hearing loss won't be the same as yours, so their specific hearing aid won't necessarily be the right one for you). You can check out the best and worst companies, according to Which? members, in our hearing aid providers review.
- Visit the Locate and Rate section of the Action on Hearing Loss website to find services in your area.


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An immigration judge on Monday ordered the deportation of a high school valedictorian who was brought illegally to the United States by her parents when she was 4 years old.
Daniela Pelaez attends North Miami Senior High School and earned nearly all A's in the school's international baccalaureate program. Her ability to go to college is threatened substantially by her immigration status.
"They are trying to kick me out, in layman's terms," Pelaez said.
Pelaez left Colombia with her parents in 1998. Her parents entered the United States illegally and divorced before Paleaz could become a citizen. She told NBC Miami that she has no memory of Colombia and loves her friends and this country.
"I've been asked the question before: 'Do I feel American?' or 'Do I believe I am?'" she said. "And I don't think it's a question. I'm American. I know the national anthem. I know the laws. I know what it is to be an American."
Her friends in the same honors program say the issue is "unbelievable" and are vowing to fight.
"The law and the judge, they see her as a statistic," said her best friend Emily Sell. "And we're trying to put a face on a cause."
Pelaez said that there are some students who are citizens who do not care about school, while she tries her best.
"But apparently my best isn't good enough for some people up in immigration," Pelaez said.
But that seemed to change Thursday evening. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a statement that said it will not take further steps in the case until the conclusion of Paleaz's appeal.
"As Daniela and Dayana Pelaez have reserved the right to appeal an immigration judge's decisions ordering them to return to Colombia, ICE will not take any action against them while they pursue additional legal options. Upon conclusion of their appeal, ICE will review this matter to determine whether an exercise of discretion is warranted," the agency said.
Pelaez welcomed the development.
"It's a great feeling to know that they were able to respond so quickly," she said after NBC 6 gave her the news.
The principal and students of the high school will be protesting her deportation Friday at 9 a.m.
Pelaez plans to appeal the case and delay her deportation until she starts college.
Pelaez's ordeal is part of a bigger fight for immigration reform. Those who support new laws say this is the reason why the United States needs the Dream Act – to prevent collateral damage of productive, well-intentioned, yet illegal immigrants.
A petition to stop her deportation is available online. To sign the petition, click here.


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UN Global Compact Celebrates 15 Years
On Thursday 25 June Mary Robinson spoke at the UN General Assembly during a special session to mark the 15th anniversary of the launch of Global Compact. More than 1,000 participants gathered in New York to mark the occasion. The Global Compact was created to align corporate practices with universal principles underpinned by the vision of a sustainable and inclusive global economy that delivers lasting benefits to people, communities and markets.
The event celebrated the progress made to date – from an initial 44 business partners in 2000, the membership of the Global Compact has grown to 8,041 business participants and a further 4,449 non-business participants. However, amidst the acknowledgement of the successes to date there was also recognition that entrenched business mind-sets were slow to change and more would need to be done to realise the ambition of the Global Compact's vision, particularly in the face of climate change and worstening global inequality.
In her speech, Mary Robinson reminded participants that the strength of the Global Compact stems from a partnership between business, trade unions and civil society and encouraged those gathered not to lose sight of the participation of the non-business actors. She highlighted the grave harms inflicted on vulnerable people and communities by corporations who neglect the social dimensions of their operations and called on all corporations signed up to the Global Compact to abide by UN Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Unilevier CEO, Paul Polman, who also spoke at the event said that members of the UN Global Compact are pioneering a new blueprint as to what business should look like in the 21st century. But he acknowledged that changes were too slow in coming. "We are making incremental progress when we actually need transformative changes" he said. He called on business leaders to be motivated not simply by the opportunities, but also by the moral challenge presented by socially and environmentally sustainable business practice.
The event also saw the launch of a study on the progress made by the UN Global Compact to date. Called Impact – Transforming Business, Changing the World the report considers advances in corporate practices, operating environments and world views over the 15 year lifespan of the Global Compact and forecasts pathways to a sustainable and inclusive global economy. In all the talk of paradigm shifts, tipping points and synergies, Erika Karp possible summed up the aspirations in the room best when she said "Corporate sustainability will simply be called corporate excellence some day".
Related Links
Webinar on Business and Climate Justice co-hosted by the UN Global Compact and MRFCJ


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Herein endeth the continuity. The sorrow of its demise is countered with the sweetness of finally knowing why, why oh why, did they make their latest journey.
Anyone who loves words and derivations as much as I do will find even more humor in the taxonomy of the wretched creature, despite the hilarity of its common name. That is because I believe comedy should be like an onion; it needs layers and it should make most people cry.


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Karthik11k posted an update 1 year, 9 months ago
Field support engineers and technicians give on-the-scene support for network connections and for police work flaws associated with hardware, networking, software, configuration, and inconsistent power provide. The engineers and technicians should support the installation tasks, together with testing, documentation, and setup. Field support specialists additionally participate in conferences and are available up with suggestions to enhance the supporting services.
With the speedy enlargement of networks, maintenance and repair of connections increase the load on service suppliers. It, therefore, makes it obligatory for enterprises, that rely upon property, to elect service level agreements (SLAs) with their service suppliers to make sure uninterrupted period of time and property for his or her networks.In this evolving landscape, even a nickel-and-dime service supplier offers communication networks to the agricultural areas, besides the cities. However, as these systems touch remote or international areas, service suppliers cannot afford to rely upon native or in-house field support engineers.
For more Information visit our Blog…..


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RAD Studio XE2 World Tour: Belgrade, Serbia
Pawel Glowacki – Last Thursday I have been to Belgrade in Serbia to demonstrate the new RAD Studio XE2, Delphi and FireMonkey to more then 40 developers. I took some pictures, but my mobile phone no longer works, so they are still stuck in the memory of my iPhone. If I manage to repair my phone I will put them here later. Native development is strong in Serbia and everybody loved the new Delphi XE2 and FireMonkey. One of the other impressive things to show was a blog post by Andreano with the photo of 700 Delphi developers on the Delphi conference in Brazil. That's so cool and shows how vital is the ...
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The pleasant chill in the air still binds all less ethereal odors in their winter prison-house. But late in April or early in May, when the hidden bonds have all been loosened, and even the fast-running brook calls out the fresh scent of the mossy stones in its channel, then, if you stand in an open meadow, and give yourself up freely to the full delight of the wakening earth, you will become aware that it is neither delicate blossom nor singing bird which adds the last enchantment to the moment, but the wonderful blending of every shy and vague scent in the world. You cannot rudely extricate one or another from the harmony.
The willows by the stream, in a green haze of unfolding buds, are shedding their yellow pollen even now, and the bees know it, though we may be too dull to guess the source of this heavenly sweetness.
The sweet-gale has already put forth its hundreds of little brown cones, which we often overlook in their unpretentious plainness, though we cannot brush by them so carelessly that they do not retaliate with reproachful fragrance. But even their flowers are worth looking at, particularly the tiny crimson tufts of pistils, which do not grow on the same plant with the sterile catkins. They remind us of the blossoms of their first cousin, the sweet-fern, whose sterile tassels are already in bloom, and add almost as much perfume to the air as their leaves do later in the season. A still nearer relative of the sweet-gale is the bayberry, but this has not yet opened, and it seems to me that its chief virtue lies in its leaves, though that may be because my own senses are obtuse.
Sassafras and benzoin are already in full flower, along the borders of the woods. Now why should good-sized trees bear such tiny blossoms? You will not find the flowers of either sassafras or benzoin unless you look for them. But everybody looks for sassafras for
the sake of the spicy bark and delectable leaves. The " honey-yellow flowers " of Benzoin odoriferum have given it not only both its botanical names, but the common ones of wild allspice and spice-bush. Who can tell us why Benjamin-bush and fever-bush have been added to its aliases?
If we are happy enough to be in the region of trailing arbutus, that enchanting odor, rising through the pine needles under our feet, dominates all others. We can find the blossoms by the sense of smell alone, as Tennyson can find wild English violets in the dark.
Mr. Higginson notices an " indescribable fresh and earthy scent " in the little hepatica, which is the earliest flower to welcome the spring, opening its blue eyes among the dead leaves lying on some sunny slope.
Still early in May, as we wander through the woods, we detect a bittersweet breath in the air, from the pendulous racemes of the white long-petalled flowers of the shadbush. When the breeze sweeps by, there is a snowstorm of blossoms on the ground beneath it, just as there is beneath the cherry-tree — its near relation — a little later. There are several of these rosaceous plants, whose clusters of white blossoms suggest each other, and whose odors all hint at the sound and healthy flavor of wild black cherry.
By this time the holy-grass is nodding its brown_ tassels in the meadow. You miss the full richness of its fragrance, perhaps, till after it is mowed. This is the grass which on saints' days is appropriately strewn before church doors in the north of Europe. Why should it also be called Seneca grass, or indeed vanilla grass, for the odor is not like that of vanilla ?
The most pervading sweetness of our meadows in May and June comes from the sweet-scented vernal grass, whose internal structure allies it to the holy grass, though it is much less beautiful, bearing merely a stiff green spike, relieved a little, however, by its glistening feathery white stigmas when in full flower. Here, handsome is that handsome does, for nothing could be more inconspicuous than this " flower of flowers," and the lens reveals to us that even from a botanical point of view it is imperfect. Let George Mai'Donald or Mrs. Whitney deduce a moral.
And now the fragrance of unrolling ferns grows and grows upon the delighted sense, till all the woods are filled with the sweetness of the light fronds of the hay-scented fern. But the ferns are not fully opened before June, and there are other tones in the scale of May.
There is the healthful tonic (no pun was intended) of the bitter dandelion; the spiciness of the balm of Gilead, which can metamorphose a dusty street into Araby the blest ; and the richness of the lilac, which two poets so different as Walt Whitman and T. W. Parsons have given a place in the foundations of our consciousness.
What perfect words can I find for the loveliness of the white violet, which from every fine purple line upon its pure petals and every clear curve of its leaves to the shy sweetness of every breath is a marvel of simple beauty ? Some people do not know that our common purple violet has any fragrance, but the elect know it. When it grows under apple-trees, I have sometimes noticed that it is so "interpenetrated with the light and fragrance its neighbors shed." that the breath of the apple-blossoms survives in it even after I have taken up the sod and carried it home.
Now, who knows the secret of the violet? A recent scientific writer has shown cause for the belief that. in virtue both of its color and its shape, it is one of the most highly organized of flowers; and Leonardo da Vinci was willing to bend the mighty genius which had mastered all the art and science of his time to the task of making those wonderful studies of the violet still to be seen in Venice. We all feel its mysterious kinship to other forms of beauty which Miss Larcom expresses in A Puzzle of Spring : —
" For the bluebird's warbled note
Violet odors hither flung,
And the violet curved her throat
Just as if she sat and sung."
By the time the apple-blossoms have fallen, the air is pulsating with the balm of June. The buttercups have come before this, to be sure. but now they make a veritable " field o' the cloth o'gold," with their " million, million drops of gold among the green." Did anybody ever try to make an attar-of-buttercups? This essence is entirely unique, and there is a softness in it which positively affects the senses like a gentle touch. But let no one try to imprison it in phials. It belongs to the wide country meadow and roadside.
Early in June the pretty false Solomon's seal lifts its tufts of white blossoms above its shining green leaves. At the same moment the brilliant pink arethusa raises its beautiful head among the grasses in the swamp.
By this time the little pink heads of the mitchella are peeping through their handsome leaves, like an echo of our beloved trailing arbutus. which has still another echo by the end of June, when
" Beneath dim aisles, in odorous beds,
The slight linneae hangs its twin-born head."
The slight linneae hangs its twin-born head."
And yet how much of the sweetness of these dainty things is due to that of the pines among which they grow, and which seem to enfold their slight perfumes in a kind of deep embracing fragrance! At the edge of the wood, the sweet-brier rose is now in bloom, and, for my part. I am a firm believer in the fragrance of other wild roses, let who will say nay. The strawberries in the meadows now appeal to us with color. form, odor, and rich juiciness at once. The lindens have opened their intoxicating blossoms, the grapevines fill the air with balm, the locust flowers contribute their spicy breath, the young hay lies on the lawns, and everywhere " the south wind comes o'er gardens, and the flowers that kissed it are betrayed."
Then, there are the clover fields. The very ponds are blooming with waterlilies, rightly named Nymphea odorata. And now the hillsides are magnificent with their wealth of mountain laurel, in whose aroma there is a hint of the ripening strength of the year. We shall get very few ethereal odors after this, in spite of the enchantment of July and August. We shall have the invigorating freshness of spearmint and peppermint and many more of their household ; but having once grasped a " good that is good to eat," we seem henceforth to be shut out of the sanctum sanctormn. of Nature. Middle age has come, and the illusions of youth can no longer throw a veil over our "too, too solid flesh."
Now begins the direful reign of Roman wormwood, which drives half our countrymen mad. Then comes the over» powering Mayweed, and if we are so unfortunate as to live at the West, now is the time when the dysodia, or fetid marigold, makes life a burden. I confess there is something in the pungent yarrow and even in the more pungent tansy which satisfies certain longings of the olfactory nerve; but in spite of that the days of romance are surely over.
Over? Not while the wild bean twines around the bushes in the underwood, with its burden of perfumed purple blossoms; nor while the white clethra (sweet pepperbush) opens its clustering flowers in every dell. There is a fragrance about the horn-bean, too; but few people seem to know it.
The compositae now almost have the field to themselves; though the pretty but inconspicuous blue curls and the mock pennyroyal add an appreciable flavor of mint to the clear September
air, especially when we carelessly crush them under our feet.
There is a strong family likeness between the odors of flowers belonging to the same order, as well as in other characteristics. This is sometimes startling, and suggests large questions.
" Flower in the crannied wall,
I pluck you out of the crannies, —
Hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
Little flower ; but if I could understand
What you are, root and all, and all in all,
I should know what God and man is."
Little flower ; but if I could understand
What you are, root and all, and all in all,
I should know what God and man is."
The vast composite family so illustrates this relationship of scent that we may almost describe the September air as the fragrance of the compositae. The Solidago odora is not the only goldenrod which contributes to the bouquet of this wine. All of us who love to be outdoors know when the air is full of the golden-rod, though we could not tell how we know. The purple asters blend imperceptibly with it, and the white everlastings, with their pearly, papery rays. Of course, the more obtrusive members of the family, yarrow and May weed and tansy, still hold their ground.
The thistles have a sweetish odor of their own, quite unlike that of their relatives, but the texture of their blossoms also differs from that of most of the other autumn compositae. Generally in September there is a certain pleasant vigor in the odors abroad in the air, which has little of the positive sweetness of earlier days, and which is due to the great mass of composite flowers in blossom. The sweetness which does mingle with this vigor comes from the ripening fruit, and is as different from that of spring as a shining red apple is different from a bough of apple blossoms.
In October, our thoughts are concentrated on the wealth of color. We hear no more birds, we gather no more fragrant flowers. Yet if some day we should lose the cool. slight breath of the
gorgeous leaves in our hands, or the fragrance of those we are treading upon, we should certainly miss the final charm of our ramble, though we might not know why; for this beauty of the old age of the year is as ethereal and impalpable as that of the spring-time.
The snow falls, and covers up the earth for its winter slumber. But we know one gentle secret. We know the
delicious scent of some of the dripping sphagnums in the deep woods during the happy days of a January thaw. Even in winter we have glad moments, when we are "lord of our senses five."
So the year marches on in its eternal round, and from January to January again
" Fragrance in its footing treads."
The Atlantic, Volume 60
The Atlantic, Volume 60


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Mauget capsules are simple and easy to apply. No need to purchase expensive, complex tree-injection equipment requiring costly repairs and maintenance. Mauget products have been developed strictly for trees with no need for any kind of "Bark Plugs". A cordless, electric drill is all that's needed.
Mauget is"The Right Way To Treat A Tree."
- Measure the tree at breast height (DBH) in inches (diameter).
- Divide that number by 2 (if measuring circumference, divide by 6), that will establish the number of capsules to use on the tree.
- Drill 11/64″ holes approximately 6″ apart at the base (root butress) of the tree, avoiding root valleys.
- Compress capsules by hand or use the Mauget compression tool.
- Insert the feeder tube onto the capsule (gunsight upward).
- Place capsule and feeder tube into holes drilled into that tree.
- Tap the compressed capsule and feeder tube on the rear of capsule seating the feeder tube into the tree while puncturing the capsules membrane/feeder tube interface at the same time.
- Remove capsule and feeder tube from the tree when empty.
- Dispose of the emptied capsules as outlined below.
FOR MORE DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS … Read More
Watch our installation video in either English or en Español:
English Version:
Ver en Español:


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It's Fast Friday again and time for another fast and fabulous dinner suggestion. If you are anything like me, by the time Friday rolls around the last thing I want to do is cook a big meal yet we all still have to eat. The dishes featured in this series aren't necessarily fancy but they bring together simple ingredients most people already have in their pantries or have easy access to and allow you to put a real meal on the table in between 30 and 45 minutes. Enjoy and if you have your own fast recipes you want to share, please send them my way and I will in turn share them with all of my readers.
Here is an easy gnocchi meal that is adapted from a Cooking Light recipe. Gnocchi is always a favorite go-to meal for my family but this dish is great since it is a one pot meal. Instead of boiling the gnocchi, which often results in over-cooked and soggy pasta, these gnocchi are pan sauteed in the same skillet as the sausage. The result is firm yet perfectly cooked gnocchi that hold their shape. And of course, only having a single pan to clean up is an added bonus.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 16-ounce package gnocchi
12 ounces spicy Italian sausage (loose)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- Preheat a broiler to high.
- Heat the oil in a large, oven proof skillet over medium-heat.
- When the oil shimmers, swirl it to coat then add the gnocchi, cooking for 7 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the gnocchi from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the sausage to the skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until browned on all sides. Stir the meat occasionally to crumble it.
- Return the gnocchi to the skillet along with the tomatoes and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the broth and cook for an additional minute.
- Sprinkle the mixture with the mozzarella cheese and place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until the cheese has melted and is beginning to brown.
- Remove the skillet from the oven, sprinkle with the chopped basil and serve.
Tagged: gnocchi, mozzarella cheese, sausage, tomatoes


text: Mono Playback Volume is very low (about -10dB) 2018-08-15 08:30:12 I have a wav file (16 bit stereo @ 32 kHz rate) from a very old vinyl recording. As the original record was only mono, I down mixed it to mono, and was surprised that Foobar2000 does not play the file correctly after this change.I've checked the file in a wav editor and the levels are correct. All other audio applications that I've tested play the mono file at the correct volume. Foobar2000 however plays the mono file at a greatly reduced volume, approx -10dB (or perhaps even less).There is no replay gain applied to either track (neither original stereo nor down sampled mono), no DSPs are selected, and I've tried all applicable output devices (KS, DS etc) with no change.Just wondering if this is a known bug?Foobar version is 1.3.14. BTW


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New Blood: Foo Fighters
June 1, 2017
No. There won't be new Foo Fighters this year. At least that's what they would have us believe until this morning. I opened my email at 6am and what do I have? Brand new Foo Fighters. Surprise!
No details on a full-length follow-up to "Sonic Highways" yet though I'm hearing it's in the pipeline. If "Run" is any indication of what's to come, we're in for a treat. -RC
Check out the awesome video for "Run" directed by Dave Grohl.


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Kami Beckford, a fourth grader at Roosevelt Elementary School in Rahway, is the latest student achieving 1,000 Points in the Accelerated Reader Program. The program personalizes reading practice to each student's current reading level. It assesses students' learning with quizzes and awards points for success. (Photo courtesy of Roosevelt Elementary School)
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text: India's Lead Role In South-South Cooperation For Environmental Diplomacy 19/08/2015 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)India can play a leadership role to inspire developing countries in environmental policy-making, according to a new paper. Using its experience, India should further enhance South-South cooperation through an action plan including the establishment of a cooperation platform focussing on issues such as climate change, traditional knowledge, innovation, and intellectual property rights. The policy brief [pdf] titled "South-South Cooperation and Environmental Diplomacy Options for India," argues that India "could emerge as a key player in guiding multilateral processes and shaping the future of South-South Cooperation (SSC)." The brief makes several references to intellectual property rights. Authored by Balakrishna Pisupati, adjunct senior follow at Research Information Systems for Developing Countries, Government of India, and former chairman of the Indian National Biodiversity Authority, the policy brief says that environment ministers have "lost control over their domain," as critical environment issues are handled by the president's or prime minister's office in many countries. The new environmental diplomacy includes factors such as the role of science, the complexity of negotiations, and equity issues, the publication says. According to the author, this new state of play requires "countries to be more prepared when negotiating decisions at multilateral level." "Countries in the South traditionally have had limitations with understanding this changing dynamic and many times had to compromise on issues of priorities at national level while participating in the negotiation processes," he said. India's experience in defensive IP rights protection through initiatives such as the establishment of the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) to prevent misappropriation of generic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as well as its pro-active IP rights policies on issues related to human well-being and national development, are relevant for a large number of developing countries, the brief said. "India's ITEC (India Technical and Economic Cooperation) programme is a pioneering effort in supporting SSC and encouraging partnerships, knowledge sharing and enhancing cooperation among developing countries," the author said, but India could also set an action plan to strengthen SSC, he said. The action plan would include widening ITEC to include more institutions, establishing a South-South knowledge corridor, and supporting capacity building programmes on environmental negotiation training and priority setting. The policy brief is published by the Forum for Law, Environment, Development and Governance (FLEDGE). Image Credits: Flickr – Jacinta Lluch Valero Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Related Catherine Saez may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com."India's Lead Role In South-South Cooperation For Environmental Diplomacy" by Intellectual Property Watch is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.


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Last night, I went out with a few friends to watch Abbie Smith debate a renowned young-earth creationist and itinerant preacher named Charles Jackson.
My first impression was that she's a Mac, and he's a PC. Abbie came off as more spontaneous and vastly less rigid and pompous than her interlocutor, especially after she really warmed to her work. Dr. Jackson, by contrast, pretty much followed his usual formula, which you can enjoy on YouTube. Also, it is of some note that Abbie is waaaay friendlier in person than one might ever suppose from reading her blog. I already knew that, but still, the contrast was striking.
Probably the most striking part of Dr. Jackson's presentation was the part in which he admitted (and even displayed) the remarkable degree of homology between human and chimp genomes and then when on to claim that this evidence is not to be taken as confirmation of common descent, but rather as evidence of an intelligent designer who pretty much recycles as much genetic material as possible when making new species. This guy can speak the whole cosmos into being, but cannot seem to be bothered to invent too much in the way of unique gene sequences for the one and only species that created specifically in the hopes that they would eventually get around to freely loving and worshipping Him. Small wonder, then, that the humans so often take to murdering each other for access to resources and mates, as if they were naught but tallish, baldish apes.
The good doctor took this line of thinking to its logical conclusion, namely, that the chromosomal fusion event (absolutely necessary to confirm the theory of common descent) did actually happen, but it happened in humans - presumably sometime between the creation of Adam and Eve and the eventual extermination of almost the entire species in the Noahic flood.
Congratulations, then, to Dr. Jackson for putting forth a research agenda for creation scientists everywhere. His hypothetical homo sapiens with 24-pairs of chromosomes should be found in strata just below the Noahic floodline, having lived only a few thousand years ago, somewhere between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Once the unfairly marginalized (dare I say EXPELLED) research scientists of the ICR make this find, they will finally get the attention they so roundly deserve. Go to it, guys!
- Unbeliever rating: 4.0 stars
- Believer rating: 3.0 stars
- Overall rating: 3.5 stars


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Company SERWIS AKPiA in 2003 was involved in renewable sources of energy, mainly biomass. Using its engineering experience, gained during many years of working with industry, the company focused on searching synergy between green energy, industry, maintenance services and agriculture. The research gave Back very positive response. Therefore, as a result, in January 2005 ASKET company was formed and took from SERWIS AKPiA the green energy business. ASKET belongs to SERWIS AKPiA group.
Nowadays ASKET focuses on biomass processing, production of briquettes made of straw and hay, wooden chips and Fire-places-wood. Moreover, ASKET sells briquetting presses BIOMASSER® and machines for straw crushing.
We will be pleased to make business with you!


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William "Bill" Rowson - 75
5/30/1942 - 3/26/2018
Camanche, IA
William A. "Bill" Rowson, age 75 of Camanche, passed away Monday, March 26, 2018 at his home Surrounded by his loving family. In following Bill's wishes cremation have been accorded. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, March 30, 2018 at Faith Lutheran Church in Andover. A gathering of family and friends will take place from 4:00 to 7:00 PM Thursday at the Pape Funeral Home, Clinton. Burial will be in Andover Cemetery with military rites by the Miles American Legion. Memorials may be made to family wishes or Faith Lutheran Church. William was born on May 30, 1942 in Clinton, the son of Maynard C. Hermena (Holdgrafer) Rowson. He graduated from Elvira High School in 1960. He served with in the U.S. Air Force from 1960 – 1964. He married Jeanne Schroeder on February 18, 1984 at Faith Lutheran Church. Bill retired from E.I. DuPont after 36 years of service. He worked at Detterman Blacktop the past 7 years. He was also a substitute school bus driver for 20 years for Northeast and Clinton schools. He was a member of Faith Lutheran Church, a former member of Low Moor Fire and Rescue and Andover Fire and Ambulance. Bill was a past-president of Andover Lions Club, former city clerk in Andover and a member of the Miles American Legion. Bill enjoyed his 15 years of going to Yuma, AZ and his 14 years at his Lake Thunder Head home in Unionville, MO. Bill very much loved his very best friend Jeanne and all his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Bill is survived by his wife Jeanne; sons, Michael Rowson of Clinton and Randy (Amy) Rowson of Blue Springs, MO; a daughter, Rhonda Welford of Clinton; step-children, Laurie (Terry) Geary of Clinton, Julie (Bob) Haring of Clinton Steve (Elenna) Schroeder of Goose Lake and Chad (Corey) Schroeder of Clinton; 8 grandchildren; 11 step-grandchildren; 6 great grandchildren; 18 step-great grandchildren and a sister, Mary (Les) Peters of Davenport. He was preceded in death by his parents, Maynard and Hermena Rowson and a brother, Maynard.
Gathering of Friends
A gathering of family and friends will take place from 4:00 to 7:00 PM Thursday at the Pape Funeral Home, Clinton.
Memorial Service:
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, March 30, 2018 at Faith Lutheran Church in Andover.View William "Bill" Rowson's Guestbook
Recent Obituaries
Edward C. Zirbes, 91
Clinton, IA
Diana Schumacher, 80
Clinton, Iowa
John R. Sawvell Sr., 70
Clinton, IA
William E., 80
Oelwein, Iowa
Kenneth A. Hansen, 42
Clinton, Iowa
Paul J. Schaaf, 85
Camanche, Iowa
Michael P. Peters, 43
Fulton, IL


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Originally posted by ObservingYou
I think therefore I am.
Originally posted by AfterInfinity
What do you have to be given a purpose? Find one for yourself. Decide your own meaning.
Originally posted by FlyersFan
Originally posted by ObservingYou
I think therefore I am.
Yes .. but why are you thinking while in an organic body?
Do you mean that you need an organic body to think with and that is it's purpose?
Can you think without an organic body ... while in a spiritual 'body'??
Originally posted by Silcone Synapse
My conclusion is not very nice,but allows me to keep a form of sanity in a world gone mental.
Originally posted by FlyersFan
reply to post by Cuervo
So our frail human organic bodies teach us things. Well .. teach those who are willing to learn from the experience. Teach things that can't be learned in a perfect etherial body. Okay. As good of an answer as any.
Originally posted by FlyersFan
No one knows ... so there are no right or wrong answers. Based on your thoughts and experiences and learning .. what is the purpose of us (our real selves .. our spiritual consciousness) being stuck in these human bodies?
Is there no purpose at all? We are what we are? No reason at all? No God? No spirit?


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Making of "Fly Fishing"
October "The Outdoors" photo contest winner
By PF Staff in Photo Contests on Dec 9, 2012
The main element about making of this picture was being in the right place at the right time. This was taken at Yellowstone National Park along the Madison River. I was there with my two sons and a nephew. We were staying in West Yellowstone and the night before was a late night. I woke up early and decided to drive into the park while the boys slept. I had the 55-300mm on the camera as I was looking for wildlife. I pulled over to this area and there was this fantastic mist coming off the river and a light fog above. It was bright enough as the sun was trying to burn through. I probably could have used a little wider lens, but there was no time to change it. I waited and got the fisherman in mid cast, took another shot, and within two minutes the fog and the mist were replaced with sunshine.
Equipment & Settings Used
- Camera: Pentax K20D (Hand held)
- Lens: DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED (at 55mm)
- Shutter Speed: 1/400
- Aperture: F14
- ISO: 200 (with expanded dynamic range)
- Shooting Mode: Av
- Metering: Multi Segment
- File Format: RAW
- Color Space: Adobe RGB
- White Balance 500K
I did lower the brightness a little. I also boosted the clarity, vibrance, and saturation a little. I also had a speck of dust on the sensor, so I had to clone stamp that spot out. Then I cropped the picture.
Here is the original photo (click to enlarge):
-ramseybuckeye, winner of PentaxForums.com photo contest #74
More from the Pentax Forums Homepage


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World War II Memorial Becomes Shutdown Central
eterans again visited the closed World War II Memorial, this time joined by lawmakers, at a site that is becoming one of the central symbols of the government shutdown.
The closure of the memorial — thanks to the images of elderly veterans disregarding the shutdown to enter the memorial on Tuesday — has captured the attention of Congress. Many lawmakers have publicly backed the veterans, and made trips to the memorial Wednesday.


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Follow us
I first started shooting surf photography. Shooting surf helped me compose, lock in and execute a photo in the blink of an eye, allowing me to capture the center of a curling wave. A wide angle lens was no doubt the best way to capture the power and energy of those waves. Because of this I started shooting with a 11-16mm lens on a small sensor, which is the equivalent of a 16-28mm lens on a full frame sensor.
For so many years I didn't even realise that it was all about training my eye for timing and composition. Learning how to use the lens helped me out in two specific areas that I base my night and landscape photography on today.
I love to shoot wide. If I could only take one camera and one lens with me, they would be my full frame Sony a7r II with my Tokina Fírin 20mm f/2.0. I am a big fan of capturing the whole wide world and with this combination by my side, I know that I can do so.
With this in mind, I'd like to offer you some advice on techniques that I use myself.
There are many ways this can be explained. I imagine a see saw. Too much weight on one side will make it unpleasing to the eye. The non-photographer viewer will not notice what might be wrong with a picture but they may feel disconnected in some way, feeling like there is something missing.
This may be the biggest problem with shooting wide as you have more of a field of view to balance. Take the image above for example. In this image I used the road to balance the three monuments. If the road wasn't there or if I was a few feet more to the right, the image could have been unbalanced and heavy on one side.
If you are having problems with balance, try moving to your left or right just a few inches. Even small movements can be beneficial to a composition when shooting wide.
Center focal point
Drawing attention to the center of the frame is probably one of the easiest techniques that work well with wide angle images. Here I used myself as the center focal point. I set a 10sec delay on the camera, pressed the shutter release and ran, trying to keep the same distance while keeping myself centered within the frame.
Go ultra wide
Another advice in shooting even wider is capturing a panoramic image. This is a panoramic image of the Mesa Arch in Canyon Land, Utah on a gloomy winter morning. This picture has been created by stitching 5 vertical frames in Adobe Lightroom. I tend to always shoot vertical and shoot each image from left to right making sure that there is at least a 20% overlap. I also use a Slik Levelling unit to make sure the horizon is nice and straight.
A little planning and preparation helps immensely with stitching all the images into a singe panoramic capture. I also shoot vertical for greater resolution. With 42 mega pixels coming out of the Sony a7r II, sometimes I get a final pano of 15-20 thousand pixels wide. That size image could cover a house!
It's a beautiful world we live in, why not try to capture it in one wide frame?


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Kerstin Brätsch at Museum Brandhorst
Artist: Kerstin Brätsch
Venue: Museum Brandhorst, Munich
Exhibition Title: Innovation
Curated by: Patrizia Dander
Date: May 25 – September 17, 2017
Note: A publication associated with the exhibition is available for download here.
Full gallery of video, images, press release and link available after the jump.
Jane Jo, excerpt of Commercials, 2009, Video, color, sound, Approx.01:00 min.
Courtesy Jane Jo and Kerstin Brätsch
Jane Jo, excerpt of Commercials, 2009, Video, color, sound, Approx.01:00 min.
Courtesy Jane Jo and Kerstin Brätsch
Jane Jo, excerpt of Commercials, 2009, Video, color, sound, Approx.01:00 min.
Courtesy Jane Jo and Kerstin Brätsch
DAS INSTITUT and UNITED BROTHERS, Taiyo no tate (Sunstorm) Green Flash / Blue Flash, 2012, Video, color, sound, 4:21 min.
UNITED BROTHERS with Kerstin Brätsch and Sergei Tcherepnin, Sunbathe Museum, 2012
Video, color, sound, 2:27 min.
Courtesy the artists and Green Tea Gallery, Fukushima
KAYA, excerpt of KAYA I, 2014, Video, color, sound, Approx. 30:00 min.
Courtesy the artists
KAYA, excerpt of Friedrichsplatz Burial, 2013, Video, color, sound, 143:26 min.
Courtesy the artists
KAYA, excerpt of KAYA Green, 2014, Video, color, sound, 11:42 min.
Courtesy the artists
KAYA, KAYA Silent, 2013, 2015, 2017, S8, black and white, no sound, 06:14min
Courtesy the artists
Images and videos courtesy of the artist and Museum Brandhorst, Munich. Photos by Uli Holz.
Press Release:
"Kerstin Brätsch. Innovation" is the first comprehensive exhibition of the Hamburgborn and New York-based painter. In Brätsch's work, the influences of the digital age are coupled, in a unique manner, with a reflection on art-historical traditions. Her complex and consistent work oscillates between a conceptual analysis of painting and a devotion to painterly processes. With around 60 large-scale paintings on paper and Mylar film, and in the marbling technique, more than 40 handmade glass works, numerous videos, two slide projections, a large installation, as well as several in situ interventions, the exhibition provides a first comprehensive overview of the artist's painterly practice since 2006.
Kerstin Brätsch's pictures reflect the pressure to which the medium of painting is exposed by the increasing dominance of digital technologies. In the digital realm, images become mere surfaces that can be pasted across all kinds of different supports and can be circulated with ever-increasing speed. Brätsch reacts to this change, especially in her series of works "New Images / Unisex" (2008/09) and "FürstFürst" (2009), which are based on digital designs by the artist Adele Röder (with whom she founded DAS INSTITUT in 2007). The paintings evoke technical motifs, the imagery of design, or corporate advertisements. She brings the materiality of painting – the inevitable corporeality of paint and the support – into contrast with the immaculate nature of digital images.
Brätsch further suggests, through her purposeful references to alternative arthistorical genealogies, a new perspective on the (male-dominated) history of modern painting. This becomes particularly evident in her engagement with the metaphysical strands of abstraction and the animistic qualities of painting, for example in the coin paintings of the "Stars and Stripes" series (2009-2012), which the artist describes as a "wishing wells". For the "Psychic" series (2006-2008), which she created during her studies at Columbia University in New York, she visited countless fortune-tellers. Their character readings served as the basis for her depictions of oversized faces. In the "Psychic" paintings, where we might usually encounter eyes, nose, and mouth, we find abstract patterns and shades that invite viewers to project subjectivity into them. For Brätsch, the "Psychics" visualize energy forms or "Power Heads" that are supposed to "stare back" at the viewer. Brätsch undercuts not only our expectations of the genre of the portrait but also formulates a central subject of her work: the relationship between painting and subjectivity – a connection that is softened, destabilized, and sometimes parodied in her work.
One of the central motifs of Brätsch's images, the brushstroke, is a good example of her engagement with this topic. She enlarges and isolates the brushstroke, transforming it into a representation of itself and letting it wander through various series of works. It becomes the signifier of a subjectivity that cannot be sure of its foundation. Brätsch uses the brushstroke like a digital sample which can be endlessly combined and take on a variety of forms through additive combinations. The brushstrokes in the "Blocked Radiant (for Ioana)" paintings (2011) are thus transformed into undergrowth, claws, and ribcages, but also appear as purely abstract patterns and structures. The "Interchangeable Mylar (3 parts)" paintings on polyester film (ongoing since 2012) consist of three layers. They can be combined in various permutations, each time with differing visual results. As a consequence, the brushstroke – and indeed the painting – loses its permanence and stability.
In 2012, the artist began to translate her brushstrokes into elaborately crafted works in glass with the help of the stained glass master Urs Rickenbach. She thereby provides an element that is conceptually closely bound to physical expression in painting with a real, material body. Its transparency seems, however, to negate true physicality. This ambivalence is continued in her latest antique glass works. She paints on the glass and uses fragments of stained-glass from the borders of church windows, glass stones, or agate slices to create representations of figures that are both corporeal and spectral.
The contradictory corporeality of the image – in psychological, material, and social terms – is also central in KAYA (her collaborative project with artist Debo Eilers). For their so-called "Bodybags", the artists cut up Brätsch's paintings on Mylar film, stuffed them with objects by Eilers, and crudely stitched them back together. The "scars" of the images remain visible; the bodies (of the images) are battered, maimed, and reassembled from fragments and leftovers into a symbolic and yet futile form of healing.
With her glass works as well as with the "Unstable Talismanic Rendering" marblings (ongoing since 2014), Brätsch's work opens itself up to centuries-old craft techniques. The references to alchemy and to the mystical and spiritual connected with these techniques thereby come to the fore. By using these supposedly minor forms of artistic expression, Brätsch is also advocating for an alternate history of painting which takes into account less trodden pathways and moments when artists have departed from the canon.
The title of the exhibition, "Innovation", is derived from an advertising slogan from the compressor company Brätsch in Hamburg. It seems to perfectly encapsulate the expectations of a first survey exhibition: the pressure to prove oneself again and again, and to continuously put out new works and ideas. Brätsch's strength lies in her ability to expose these types of mechanisms and expectations with great humor and clarity.
Kerstin Brätsch does not consider her works as isolated or static, but rather as objects of exchange and interaction. This is also reflected in her collaborative projects. Thus, alongside works by Kerstin Brätsch, the exhibition also features contributions from and with DAS INSTITUT, Full-Fall (Davide Stucchi and Mattia Ruffolo), Gaylen Gerber, Jane Jo, Allison Katz, KAYA, Kathrin Sonntag, UNITED BROTHERS (Ei and Tomoo Arakawa), and the filmmaker Alexander Kluge.


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Kids on the Ball Cuba to re-build 10 tennis courts in Havana
His Vermont Kids on The Ball Program along with the Cuban American Friendship Society are now taking this new found relationship a step further. After President Obama's executive order to lift sanctions on the communist island, the group was able to get approval to re-build 10 tennis courts at the National Tennis Center in Havana.
Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.wptz.com


text: Hello.. I'm actually travelling from HCMC towards North and am in Hue at the Moment.I want to finish the HCM Trail and then like to drive to the Mountains in the North (Son la , dien bien phu , lao cai, ha giang , cao bang) before arriving in Hanoi. Is that possible on a honda win? how many days should i expect to take (14 days for the north is max) The bike is doing really well,had no breakdowns,no problems and i'm treating it well. I know that most of the users here drive "real" motorbikes but i would be very thankful if someone has experiences or can give some advice about travelling how i intend to do. i really fell in love with the bike,the country and the people i met up to now and i want to see the mountains in the north as well, especially cause i liked the central highlands the most up to know. I'm in vietnam since the 25 of december and since the 2 of january i'm on the road. if somebody would like to join as a travel buddy (I'm from germany,30y,funny social guy,neither stupid racing nor a turtle.. )or has interest in buying a great bike incl. the newest version of the bando roadmap,raingear,good helmet,and gloves... in hanoi around the 13-17 of february send me a message :wink: Servus Thomas


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We have a Windows 2008 Server running as DC. DNS is provided by a standalone machine running ISC BIND v9. The zone is configured to accept dynamic updates from the Windows machine. This is needed - the DC needs to update resource records in the zone.
This is all working well, the windows machine registers all necessary resource records in the BIND zone. But - it also registers the IP-Adresses of all non-localhost Interfaces as A Record for the whole zone, which interferes with other services.
Assuming the server has three interfaces with IP-Adresses IPA, IPB and IPC. Without dynamic updates the zone will have a single (added by hand) 'A' record:
domain.com IN A SOMEIP
This is the desired state.
With dynamic updates the zone will have four 'A' records:
domain.com IN A SOMEIP
domain.com IN A IPA
domain.com IN A IPB
domain.com IN A IPC
How can we setup the Windows or BIND Machine to keep dynamic updates while avoiding this issue?


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Is there a truly Done-For-You System out there that works? WebCopycat claims to fit this description, let's take a look in this Web Copycat Review…
Website: www.webcopycat.com
Owner: Devon Brown
Cost: $1 to test for 10 days then $34.95 monthly
Overall Rating: 6/10
Devon Brown advertises Web Copycat as a system designed for total newbies. He states that if you are an advanced marketer, and you want control over the marketing process, then this is NOT for you. It is a biz in a box, no effort required after the initial setup, which is easy.
As this is a completely done for you system, this does mean you do not get to control any aspect of the marketing system. You cannot, for example, edit the sales pages, or opt-in pages etc. If you want this level of control, you can do it all yourself with a package such as Power Lead System – PLS is not a newbie friendly system though.
But if you are a newbie or just plain lazy, then WebCopycat is for you.
Got a spare $1?
You can test drive WebCopycat for 10 days costing just $1. After the 10 day period is over you will be re-billed at $34.95 per month. Devon offers done for you Sales opt-in pages and Sales funnels, he calls them Profit Funnels. It really is so easy to setup, it took me about 30 minutes, which included watching the intro videos.
So how does it work?
The idea is simple, you get a Profit Funnel which consists of an Opt-in Page and a series of f
ollow up sales pages. The sales pages offer products to help people learn how to make money online. The cost of the products increases as they go through the sales pages.
After you are setup – which is easy if you pay attention to the guide videos – all you then need to do is buy traffic through WebCopycat, and Devon sends the traffic to the Opt-in Page. The rest is all automated. After you plug in your Aweber, you then have an entire email campaign created by Devon which emails your list automatically over a set time frame.
When a sale is made, you get 50% commission paid direct to your Paypal by Devon, they pay twice monthly.
The Money is in the List
When you get opt-ins, they go onto YOUR Aweber list. This is good because you can then follow up with these leads for life – or as long as they stay subscribed.
This is Email Marketing, it is very powerful and it is a method which is used to great advantage by the internet's top marketers.
On top of this you can also advertise WebCopycat and earn $0.50c (50%) flat commission, and then $17.48 per month for each month they remain a Paying member (Also 50%).
So, when you have people on your Aweber list, you can then tell them about WebCopycat too – or any other offer you are in.
If you are new to this and want to learn more, Devon offers help here too. There are some resources in the back office with Email swipe templates, Facebook ads, Banner ads etc. If you are still lost with this, Devon offers to personally coach you 1 on 1 for an additional cost.
Web Copycat is a great idea and well implemented. It is aimed at those who either have little or no knowledge of Email marketing, or those who just want to get a system going with no further effort required whilst building their Email list. Devon gives regular email updates and there is a Facebook group as well. As good as the system is, I find the lack of control to be somewhat limiting, because it imposes a glass ceiling for your knowledge and progression.
If you are like me, then you want to be the Pilot of your Online Business. Check out my Number 1 recommendation where you can learn how to craft a long-term sustainable Online Business from scratch:


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This will be short and sweet – because we are busy celebrating our 5th anniversary!! And if you missed the amazing story of how my husband & I met, started dating, got engaged, and finally got married – make sure you check it out!
I also wanted to give you a chance to linkup your posts from the week – or leave a comment – with whatever you've been learning from God's Word. Let's encourage each other, and build each other up with the Word of God.
{And feel free to copy & paste the "What Are You Learning?" button onto your own blog, so others can find us too!}
For those interested, I'm reading through YouVersion's Blended Plan in 2012.
Join me if you want! Here's the reading schedule for next week:
Sunday: Obadiah 1, Acts 8
Monday: Ruth 1-4
Tuesday: Psalm 1-3
Wednesday: Psalm 4-6, Acts 9
Thursday: Psalm 7-9
Friday: Psalm 10-13, Acts 10
Saturday: Psalm 13-15, Acts 11


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Creative Process


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For his entire adult life, until 2005, Ian Bartlett lived on the wrong side of the law, carrying out criminal activities to support his addiction. He wasn't addicted to drugs or alcohol, he was addicted to gambling and that addiction destroyed his personal life time and time again. Things appeared to be getting better when he came to Faith in 2010 and as baptised but very quickly he returned to his addiction and this time instead of turning to crime he turned to credit, and was soon struggling to climb out of his financial pit.
It was at this point that Ian felt God speak to him about his problem and made Ian realised that he was able to help himself and others in the Lord's strength. 22 months have passed since this calling took hold and Ian has steadily been building relationships and trust with people who he believes have the ability to help bring about a transformation in society for the benefit of those who have been attracted to gambling by whatever means.
This year, Ian and a church friend created GAMserve (www.gamserve.org.uk), a movement to bind together the initiatives that have been borne out of Ian's mission.
The team at GAMserve are following a calling from our Lord to drive changes in society to better safeguard those who are vulnerable to the harm of gambling addiction. Its efforts go beyond raising awareness of the damage done by gambling addiction. Through prayer and God's grace the team are developing relationships that we believe will ultimately enable actual practical changes to become reality. GAMserve has already established contacts in Parliament, the Judiciary, those involved in Research and Rehabilitation programs and leaders in UK Churches.
Ian says "The journey is a long one but we see doors opening before us at every turn. By seeking His will we know that something special will result from following where He guides us. GAMserve is not a campaign against gambling, it is a call to action for Christian's everywhere to recognise that gambling addiction is a hidden problem that they and society must not ignore."
It was at a Christian conference (#TG14) in June that the team at GAMSERVE met Andy Flannagan MP and Colin Bloom MP who were attending together to speak about Christianity in Politics. It is this that led to Ian Bartlett asking Andy for support in three key areas:
1. GAMserve would like to see a watershed implemented relating to all gambling products, services and activities on all Social Media sites and T.V for 9pm. The Gambling Act 2005 introduced a watershed in most circumstances but loopholes mean that a huge increase in gambling adverts has been allowed on T.V over the past 7 years, rising from 234,000 adverts in 2007 to 1.4 million in 2013. A precedent has already been set for other area of concern like Alcohol, Cigarettes and Adult Content and this is an area that politicians have real influence over.
2. We advocate that a locking/unlocking system is required (by Law) on each Fixed Odds Betting Terminal which switches the machine to demo mode each time a player cashes out until it is remotely activated again by the shop staff, so that that only people that appears to be over the legal age of play are given the chance to do so. This is different to the current voluntary solution that leaves the machine in operating mode and requires the shop staff to de-activate it if they have concerns about the age of anyone playing. The Gambling Commission own figures show that in 2009 109,000 children entered a betting shop but in 2013 that rose to 588,000 and another 27,000 were stopped after placing their first bet. This is a huge increase and by implementing a system which prevents underage gambling by locking each machine, would not only act as a safeguard but also as a deterrent to children even trying to gamble.
3. GAMserve believes that the UK is poorly organised in the area of research and education relating to gambling addiction compared to many other countries, for example Australia and Canada. To improve this situation we are keen that a freely accessible and comprehensive library is established that covers the area of gambling addiction and responsible play, and that this library is added to regularly through overseas publications and research papers and through an ongoing program of bespoke research into the prevalence of and links associated with problem gambling amongst vulnerable groups in UK society.
We also note and suggest a review of the fact the Responsible Gambling Trust, which manages the commissioning of research in the UK, contains only one parliamentary representative as a Trustee, compared to five industry CEOs (one of which is Chair).
The GAMserve team hopes that this summary of its background and aims will give the politically motivated an opportunity to engage with the issues raised and are interested in hearing from others that share our concerns.
Ian Bartlett


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I drafted my Saturn in Scorpio piece last Saturday.
It started as a Saturn in Scorpio piece and is more about Saturn in the 8th house, and the 8th house and relationships.
I guess that's Saturn in Scorpio.
I've revised and tweaked and delayed pressing the publish button ever since.
I don't know why. I'll probably do it later today.
I think part of the reason is because a couple of things occurred to me while I was painting yesterday. I'm re-doing Miss 14's room- it was a hot pink. Now it's just undercoat white- so far it's taken 2 coats to cover the pink.
Back when we first painted this particular room for her, it coincided with her moving out of a "little girls" room into something that had a larger wardrobe, room for a corner desk, a place that she could call her own. I think she was about 8 or 9.
A relatively dark room, I insisted on cream walls, but said she could choose one colour as a feature. She chose hot pink- the same colour that was in the middle of a frangipani. Hot pink it was.
My Scorpio husband was horrified. 'What about a nice dusky pink?' he asked.
'Dad,' she said, 'do Mum & I look like dusky pink kind of girls?'
'But what about when you want to change it?' he said to me.
I shrugged, 'so I change it. A couple of coats of undercoat- how hard can it be?'
He was the same when I did the lounge dining room in 3 slightly different shades of William Morris green (I wanted it to feel like a piece of William Morris wallpaper made me feel). Or when I changed the feature colour in the family room last year. In fact the standing joke in our house is that the walls can fall down and the amount of paint on them will hold them up.
This time the job is harder because I'm also gradually re-doing all the trims (from lime wash stain to the same cream as most of the walls) in the house as I paint that room. That means sanding, taping, prepping and glossing each skirting board, window trim and wardrobe surround and doors. It's a big job.
'So what if you don't like it?' he asks.
'I'll think of something else,' I say.
'I don't see what's wrong with leaving the trims as they are,' he says.
'I'll tell you what's wrong- it makes the house look very late 80s and I want a more modern look.'
'But why does she need to change her room? You only painted it 2 years ago.'
'It was about 6 years ago, she's grown out of the design and wants to try something new.'
'I don't see what's wrong with keeping everything cream,' he muttered.
It's not the colour that scares him- he usually loves it when I'm finished (so much so that before long it becomes a colour choice that was his idea)- it's the change. Actually, I'll take that one step further, it's the fear that the change won't be enough and will need to be faced again.
And it occurred to me- this is what has everyone so afraid of with Saturn in Scorpio. I associate fear with Saturn, yet I don't recall hearing this level of fear with Saturn in Libra, or Saturn in Virgo. But with Saturn in Scorpio, it's real fear. It's a deep, dark, I don't really want to know what is lurking under the bed type of fear.
Scorpio and her opposite Taurus are the most change resistant of the fixed signs. With Taurus, the status quo makes like cement- good or bad, you hold onto it. With Scorpio, the fear and paranoia of the unknown has you emotionally attaching to whatever it is that needs to be altered- simply because the outcome is known.
To do nothing is to assume the outcome and to assume power over the future. There I said it.
Doing nothing is safe, but leaves no room, no potential for growth. No possibility to bring colour into neutrality.
Photographers use a technique for exposure that runs from a midpoint known as 18% grey. Focusing on the midpoint, the point of neutrality (they use a grey card, but you can use grass or the back of your hand) allows you to bring the whole picture into correct exposure. Sometimes though, over or under exposing brings some incredible results. Life's like that. It's the shade and textures we see from taking risks or letting things just unfold that make the picture interesting.
I've stopped doing relationship horary charts for now. Not because they don't work, but because the very point behind the questions being asked is to determine an outcome before taking the step.
This is different to an electional question where you are looking to choose the best possible time for a venture you have embarked on. I get that. But a question asking something like "should I ask X out and if we go out do we have a future?" is denying yourself the opportunity to experience something.
Sure, if you go out with X, it might end in heartache, but isn't feeling something the point of life in all of its multi coloured and shitty splendour?
It's like sticking to a metaphorical checklist and potentially missing out on the one man that mightn't meet the criteria, but might be one helluva great time. It's like choosing to stay at home instead of asking X out- simply because it's safe and the outcome is known.
During the Saturn in Libra period many of us looked hard at our existing relationships and relationship patterns. The data is in and has been weighed up. For some of us decisions have already been made and acted upon, others are still doing the latte vs espresso weighing up of alternatives.
Saturn in Scorpio is about having the bollocks to do something about it. Stay or go- that's your call, but don't allow the decision to be made from a position of status quo and fear of an unknown outcome. Make the decision because it is the right one for you to be making and acting on now. If you stay, re-commit. If you leave, leave. If you want to go out with X, ask him out. Who knows, it could work, it could be fun.
Hubby just popped his head around the door, 'Hey Darlin, I was just thinking how bright that room is now that the pink wall is gone. What colour are you painting it?'
'What's wrong with a nice soft mint green?'
'Do we look like mint green type of girls?'
'I don't see what's wrong with leaving it white.'
'Who knows, you might like it…'


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Getting to the point in your life where you are ready to try for a baby is a huge deal. You have reached a milestone, and it's this milestone that should feel easy. Man + woman + sex = a baby. Right? Well, that's what the textbooks tell us. What they also say, that most people gloss over, is that a healthy couple with no fertility issues has a 25% chance each month of conceiving a baby. We tend to gloss over this fact, because knowing such science can make conceiving a child feel rather clinical, rather than the spontaneous moment you wish for it to be. A 25% chance to conceive each month doesn't sound like much, does it? But it's the reality of trying for a baby.
A couple that is actively trying to conceive is a couple that is full of excitement, anticipation and nerves. Every month, there is a huge build up to ovulation and then another build up for the two week wait for a period to arrive. When that does arrive, the feeling of failure starts off as a small pinch and ends up in a knife wound to the heart. Trying to conceive for a child is supposed to be fun and life-changing, but when twelve cycles have passed by and nothing has happened, it can be concerning. Getting pregnant naturally is supposed to be easy, and it is soul destroying when nature has other ideas for you. Understanding your options when you aren't pregnant will mean research is your friend and trying to conceive becomes a mission rather than something that feels natural.
If you are struggling to conceive, the first thing that you should do is speak to your doctor. There are tests that need to be carried out to check the fertility of you and your partner. There could be nothing wrong, and you're just missing out on catching the egg. But there could be something there that means you need to consider your options for conceiving your child with a little help. In some cases, the tests coming back to tell you something is wrong can make you feel crushed, but it can also provide you some much needed answers. With answers come solutions, and below we have some of the solutions that are available when you need a little injection of science into nature.
Intrauterine insemination, or IUI, is the procedure where a doctor washes a sperm sample and places the sperm directly into the uterus of the woman. This helps the sperm to bypass making it through the cervix and gives them a technical head start. It's less invasive than other options, and it's more commonly used when the issue is due to low motility or low sperm count. It's also a choice for couples who get the news that their fertility is unexplained, or there is a problem like a hostile uterus killing all the healthy sperm. IUI is not always cheap, but it is a supportive option and more gentle than others.
In Vitro Fertilization, or IVF, is science stepping in and taking over the entire process of conception. You have to research everything from how eggs are extracted before they are mixed with sperm and implanted back into the uterus, to the IVF lab air quality in the clinic of your choice. Embryos are created in a petri dish and inserted back into your uterus at the right time of the medication cycle you are put onto. Ideally, an embryo will latch onto the wall of the uterus and the IVF is successful. This is an option that comes with an awful lot of medication and injections that you have to do yourself. It's not an easy or cheap road to go down, so don't feel bad for finding the process difficult. Those with genetic disorders, male factor infertility and even women with fibroids tend to go for IVF as it's a careful way to ensure that a created embryo gets where it should go. It's a major head start, but it's one that will need some careful thought before the beginning.
When IVF and IUI haven't worked, surrogacy can be an option. This is the process of finding someone else who is willing to carry the embryo for you. It's a huge decision to make, and it's not one that will be easy. There are two types of surrogacy: traditional, where the surrogate's eggs are used, and gestational surrogacy, where your embryo is created and then inserted into the womb of the surrogate. It's a very long process, and using an agency is the best way to go. With pregnancy being such a sensitive issue, it has to be absolutely right before you go ahead. After the baby is born, a parental order is made for the biological parents to take over the parentage of the baby carried by the surrogate. Using an agency can ensure that the biological parents are protected at every step of the way.
Lastly, going through the process of adoption is a consideration. The child may not be biologically yours but is still a child who needs love that you can give it. There are hundreds of thousands of babies and children of various ages that are looking to be adopted both in your home country and across the globe. It's a long, expensive process, with a lot of vetting checks that are done with social worker involvement. Adoption takes some time, but once you have the baby that you've been so desperately craving, nothing else will matter. Adoptive parents have all the rights and responsibilities that biological parents do, and the centre of the adoption process is love.
Infertility is tough. It's difficult and saddening and it makes you feel like something is missing. There are ways to help Mother Nature get a leg up, though, and research is key to ensure that in the end you get what you want.


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Eagles, Love and Free PizzaEileen
It was a busy week last Sunday. Eli Manning went dirty dancing with Odel Beckham Jr. (Nobody puts Eli in the corner!) There was a big Fire & Ice rap battle between Tyrion Lannister and Morgan "Get Ur Freak On" Freeman. Oh, and the Eagles won the Super Bowl in a game that was actually better than all the commercials. Now that football is over, do you know what it's time for? (No, Eileen. Not baseball, yet.) Valentine's Day. Actually, Valentines Days, plural. We've got you covered at Barley Creek with three days of Sweetheart Deals on Feb 13, 14 and 15. We've got four-course dinners, three-course dinners and drink specials. From twin filet Oscars and rack of lamb, to heart-shaped ravioli and red velvet cupcakes, you're gonna love it. Brenna is mixing up some awesome love potions, and Wanderlust Chocolate Porter is on tap. So bring someone you love to the Creek this week, like your sweetheart, or your best friend, or even just yourself. You know what else you'll love at Barely Creek this week? Free pizza samples! February 9 is National Pizza Day, and we're celebrating by offering free pizza samples (with meal purchase) between 12pm-7pm. That's a lot to love this week. Cheers!


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