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I'll try to blog when I can, but I suspect I'm going to be super busy as I'll only be on Vancouver Island a week before I hit the Trans Canada Hwy #1! Once I'm back in NS I'll be able to settle into my routine again, which will include online classes, coffee and a card classes and holiday workshops. I can't wait!
Speaking of holidays, have you had a chance to see our new Holiday Catalogue? If not, click HERE and be prepared to drool all over your keyboard because you're going to LOVE IT ALL!
Today's card is one I made for my neighbor as a thank you for watching my dogs and cat the other day. I think thank you cards are so important and really mean a lot to those who receive them. I put a little note inside that I'll have my neighbor up for dinner later this month to show my appreciation for him too. The spirit of gratitude can be shown in so many ways, don't you think?
Supplies Used:
Take care my friends and I'll catch ya on the flip-slide!
Enjoy the day & HAPPY STAMPING!


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"They got me in the same day and at a much lower price than other facilities in the area. I even had the results the next day!"
"Always great service when I walk into the main entrance and the women's center! Everyone is so helpful and has a great attitude."
"The techs are always friendly. The billing department worked with my husband and I on our balance. This is only place we'll go to for diagnostic imaging!"

subset: commoncrawl


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TYPHON Charging Case for the KandyPens Galaxy and Gravity
The KandyPens vaporizers are quite rightly very popular. They do a great job when it comes to flavor and function, but the downside is traveling with them. Having to worry about carrying sticky dabbing tools, not losing your usually tiny concentrate container, carrying a charger lead so it doesn't go flat, well no more! Say hello to the Typhon Charging Case from Hydra Vapor Tech. Not only will it keep your Kandy Pen safe, it will hold your concentrate in the built-in container, it has a dab tool and holder so no more stickiness, and most importantly of all, it has a built-in battery that will charge your Kandy Pen when it is not in use via the included charging coupler. This really will make using your Kandy Pen a con-free experience.


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Your college applications may have been a breeze, but graduate school is a whole different ballgame. While college admissions officers look for well-rounded students with high potential, graduate admissions officers care about one thing and one thing only: focus. The graduate school purpose statement is your chance to explain -- in two pages or less -- who you are, why you're here and exactly what you plan to accomplish.
A graduate school purpose statement -- sometimes called a "statement of purpose," "personal statement," "letter of intent" or "personal narrative" -- is a required part of the admissions process at most graduate schools. It's a personal essay based on a short prompt or a series of prompts [source: Berkeley]. The prompt may be very specific ("Explain why you wish to study in the American Studies Department at State University.") or totally open-ended ("Tell us about yourself.").
The Princeton Review says that even though the wording of purpose statement prompts may vary, they all cover the same four basic questions:
- What do you want to study?
- Why do you want to study it?
- What qualifies you to study it?
- How will you use your degree?
The goal when writing a graduate school purpose statement is to attach a face to all of the test scores, GPAs and other numbers littering the rest of the application. It's your chance to tell a compelling story about why you're passionate about your chosen field. What were the experiences that inspired you? Who were the people that influenced you? And where do you plan on going from here?
A purpose statement is not the same as a college application essay [source: Princeton Review]. The goal of a college admissions essay is to present yourself as well-rounded and multi-talented. Purpose statements should be focused exclusively on the skills directly related to the field of study.
Purpose statements aren't memoirs or life stories, either [source: Callaghan]. Admissions officers don't want a point-by-point retelling of your academic and professional career up until this point. That's what a resume is for.
Still unsure what a graduate school purpose statement should look like? Keep reading for specific tips on how to write a killer purpose statement.


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Is it possible to live without having ballet flats today? This is an indispensable thing for walking trips. Best indoor shoes when the feet are buzzing from the high heels. But what to choose to be stylish, beautiful and most importantly convenient?
I decided in favor of Bloch flats. I liked these ballet flats, made by the company which specializes in footwear for ballet. So, they have to be of very high quality and extremely comfortable, as is the ballerinas should work to restore and protect their feet. I opted for the model of Bloch Mushroom Patent Ballerina Flats.
The main thing is to choose the right model and size. Each model has its own dimensional grid. Almost all models look attractive at the photo but you can understand whether a particular model with big cut-out looks good only on your feet.
Bloch Patent Ballerina Flats
Item Description:
Width: Medium (B, M)
Heel Height: Slight heel
Upper: Patent-leather, Italian Vernice
Lining: Padded heel, grosgrain trim and bow, goat beige suede lining, round toe
Bottom: Leather & Rubber Insert
Color: Mushroom
Style: Slip on, flats
Retail Price: $160
Italian sizing
My Description:
My exact US size is 7. So, 7,5 (EU 38,5) is fitting great. I ordered this model twice. First time I've got huge ballet flats ordering 8 (EU 39) size , following buyers' reviews. When I've chosen right size, they fitted and looked much better then Bloch Fontayn, which I already had. They won because of the beautiful open cut (Bloch Fontayn are more closed and look more old-fashion). They do not offer any real support or shock absorption but they also do not need any "breaking in". They are extremely comfortable from the start. The leather is soft and tender inside. The feeling that the legs are in heaven! Also the patent leather gives them luxury look.
These ballet flat are gorgeous! But the quality! It is beyond words! The most comfortable of ANY I have had. I also wish to have them in black and red!
Fits true to size, take your normal size.
Bought it new at amazon.com for $160
This beautiful mushroom color is no longer available!
Last seen at outnet.com on Sale for $88
I hope you enjoyed this review and if you have any questions about BLOCH PATENT BALLERINA FLATS or want to leave your own personal review, leave a comment below.
- Very stylish
- Goat suede lining
- Very comfortable
- Excellent for narrow and middle width
- True to size model
- Each Bloch model has different sizing, difficult to understand which one do you need for exact model
- High Price if not on Sale
Price: $88.00
Average Customer Rank: 5/5
Where to Buy: outnet.com


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Worker is a bold uppercase condensed display slab serif, designed for use across headline copy. Worker takes a traditional slab serif and pushes it further by elongating the crossbars of certain letters and placing additional serifs on the F, V and W. The O has a crossbar added to give it more weight, these changes give Worker its unique look and contempary twist.
Worker supports Western European typesetting and is available in both .otf and .woff formats.


text: Feedback: A mechanism of communication within a system in that the input signal generates an output response which returns to influence the continued activity or productivity of that system.Feedback, Psychological: A mechanism of information stimulus and response that may control subsequent behavior, cognition, perception, or performance. (From APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed.)Feedback, Sensory: A mechanism of communicating one's own sensory system information about a task, movement or skill.Knowledge of Results (Psychology): A principle that learning is facilitated when the learner receives immediate evaluation of learning performance. The concept also hypothesizes that learning is facilitated when the learner is promptly informed whether a response is correct, and, if incorrect, of the direction of error.Biofeedback, Psychology: The therapy technique of providing the status of one's own AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM function (e.g., skin temperature, heartbeats, brain waves) as visual or auditory feedback in order to self-control related conditions (e.g., hypertension, migraine headaches).Models, Biological: Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of biological processes or diseases. For disease models in living animals, DISEASE MODELS, ANIMAL is available. Biological models include the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.Signal Transduction: The intracellular transfer of information (biological activation/inhibition) through a signal pathway. In each signal transduction system, an activation/inhibition signal from a biologically active molecule (hormone, neurotransmitter) is mediated via the coupling of a receptor/enzyme to a second messenger system or to an ion channel. Signal transduction plays an important role in activating cellular functions, cell differentiation, and cell proliferation. Examples of signal transduction systems are the GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID-postsynaptic receptor-calcium ion channel system, the receptor-mediated T-cell activation pathway, and the receptor-mediated activation of phospholipases. Those coupled to membrane depolarization or intracellular release of calcium include the receptor-mediated activation of cytotoxic functions in granulocytes and the synaptic potentiation of protein kinase activation. Some signal transduction pathways may be part of larger signal transduction pathways; for example, protein kinase activation is part of the platelet activation signal pathway.Learning: Relatively permanent change in behavior that is the result of past experience or practice. The concept includes the acquisition of knowledge.Neurofeedback: A technique to self-regulate brain activities provided as a feedback in order to better control or enhance one's own performance, control or function. This is done by trying to bring brain activities into a range associated with a desired brain function or status.Psychomotor Performance: The coordination of a sensory or ideational (cognitive) process and a motor activity.Movement: The act, process, or result of passing from one place or position to another. It differs from LOCOMOTION in that locomotion is restricted to the passing of the whole body from one place to another, while movement encompasses both locomotion but also a change of the position of the whole body or any of its parts. Movement may be used with reference to humans, vertebrate and invertebrate animals, and microorganisms. Differentiate also from MOTOR ACTIVITY, movement associated with behavior.Computer Simulation: Computer-based representation of physical systems and phenomena such as chemical processes.Time Factors: Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations.Proprioception: Sensory functions that transduce stimuli received by proprioceptive receptors in joints, tendons, muscles, and the INNER EAR into neural impulses to be transmitted to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Proprioception provides sense of stationary positions and movements of one's body parts, and is important in maintaining KINESTHESIA and POSTURAL BALANCE.Biological Clocks: The physiological mechanisms that govern the rhythmic occurrence of certain biochemical, physiological, and behavioral phenomena.Circadian Rhythm: The regular recurrence, in cycles of about 24 hours, of biological processes or activities, such as sensitivity to drugs and stimuli, hormone secretion, sleeping, and feeding.Teaching: The educational process of instructing.Photic Stimulation: Investigative technique commonly used during ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY in which a series of bright light flashes or visual patterns are used to elicit brain activity.Models, Neurological: Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of the neurological system, processes or phenomena; includes the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.Clinical Competence: The capability to perform acceptably those duties directly related to patient care.Voice: The sounds produced by humans by the passage of air through the LARYNX and over the VOCAL CORDS, and then modified by the resonance organs, the NASOPHARYNX, and the MOUTH.Educational Measurement: The assessing of academic or educational achievement. It includes all aspects of testing and test construction.Biomechanical Phenomena: The properties, processes, and behavior of biological systems under the action of mechanical forces.CLOCK Proteins: Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain-containing proteins that contain intrinsic HISTONE ACETYLTRANSFERASE activity and play important roles in CIRCADIAN RHYTHM regulation. Clock proteins combine with Arntl proteins to form heterodimeric transcription factors that are specific for E-BOX ELEMENTS and stimulate the transcription of several E-box genes that are involved in cyclical regulation. This transcriptional activation also sets into motion a time-dependent feedback loop which in turn down-regulates the expression of clock proteins.Computer-Assisted Instruction: A self-learning technique, usually online, involving interaction of the student with programmed instructional materials.Employee Performance Appraisal: The assessment of the functioning of an employee in relation to work.Gene Expression Regulation: Any of the processes by which nuclear, cytoplasmic, or intercellular factors influence the differential control (induction or repression) of gene action at the level of transcription or translation.Luteinizing Hormone: A major gonadotropin secreted by the adenohypophysis (PITUITARY GLAND, ANTERIOR). Luteinizing hormone regulates steroid production by the interstitial cells of the TESTIS and the OVARY. The preovulatory LUTEINIZING HORMONE surge in females induces OVULATION, and subsequent LUTEINIZATION of the follicle. LUTEINIZING HORMONE consists of two noncovalently linked subunits, alpha and beta. Within a species, the alpha subunit is common in the three pituitary glycoprotein hormones (TSH, LH and FSH), but the beta subunit is unique and confers its biological specificity.Adaptation, Physiological: The non-genetic biological changes of an organism in response to challenges in its ENVIRONMENT.Visual Perception: The selecting and organizing of visual stimuli based on the individual's past experience.Reaction Time: The time from the onset of a stimulus until a response is observed.Neurons: The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM.Robotics: The application of electronic, computerized control systems to mechanical devices designed to perform human functions. Formerly restricted to industry, but nowadays applied to artificial organs controlled by bionic (bioelectronic) devices, like automated insulin pumps and other prostheses.Transcription Factors: Endogenous substances, usually proteins, which are effective in the initiation, stimulation, or termination of the genetic transcription process.Transcription, Genetic: The biosynthesis of RNA carried out on a template of DNA. The biosynthesis of DNA from an RNA template is called REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION.Retinal Horizontal Cells: NEURONS in the inner nuclear layer of the RETINA that synapse with both the RETINAL PHOTORECEPTOR CELLS and the RETINAL BIPOLAR CELLS, as well as other horizontal cells. The horizontal cells modulate the sensory signal.Models, Theoretical: Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of systems, processes, or phenomena. They include the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.Mutation: Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.Electromyography: Recording of the changes in electric potential of muscle by means of surface or needle electrodes.Postural Balance: A POSTURE in which an ideal body mass distribution is achieved. Postural balance provides the body carriage stability and conditions for normal functions in stationary position or in movement, such as sitting, standing, or walking.User-Computer Interface: The portion of an interactive computer program that issues messages to and receives commands from a user.Homeostasis: The processes whereby the internal environment of an organism tends to remain balanced and stable.Period Circadian Proteins: Circadian rhythm signaling proteins that influence circadian clock by interacting with other circadian regulatory proteins and transporting them into the CELL NUCLEUS.Speech Acoustics: The acoustic aspects of speech in terms of frequency, intensity, and time.Analysis of Variance: A statistical technique that isolates and assesses the contributions of categorical independent variables to variation in the mean of a continuous dependent variable.Hand: The distal part of the arm beyond the wrist in humans and primates, that includes the palm, fingers, and thumb.Periodicity: The tendency of a phenomenon to recur at regular intervals; in biological systems, the recurrence of certain activities (including hormonal, cellular, neural) may be annual, seasonal, monthly, daily, or more frequently (ultradian).RNA, Messenger: RNA sequences that serve as templates for protein synthesis. Bacterial mRNAs are generally primary transcripts in that they do not require post-transcriptional processing. Eukaryotic mRNA is synthesized in the nucleus and must be exported to the cytoplasm for translation. Most eukaryotic mRNAs have a sequence of polyadenylic acid at the 3' end, referred to as the poly(A) tail. The function of this tail is not known for certain, but it may play a role in the export of mature mRNA from the nucleus as well as in helping stabilize some mRNA molecules by retarding their degradation in the cytoplasm.Arm: The superior part of the upper extremity between the SHOULDER and the ELBOW.Task Performance and Analysis: The detailed examination of observable activity or behavior associated with the execution or completion of a required function or unit of work.Pitch Perception: A dimension of auditory sensation varying with cycles per second of the sound stimulus.Touch: Sensation of making physical contact with objects, animate or inanimate. Tactile stimuli are detected by MECHANORECEPTORS in the skin and mucous membranes.Algorithms: A procedure consisting of a sequence of algebraic formulas and/or logical steps to calculate or determine a given task.Nerve Net: A meshlike structure composed of interconnecting nerve cells that are separated at the synaptic junction or joined to one another by cytoplasmic processes. In invertebrates, for example, the nerve net allows nerve impulses to spread over a wide area of the net because synapses can pass information in any direction.Oscillometry: The measurement of frequency or oscillation changes.Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System: A collection of NEURONS, tracts of NERVE FIBERS, endocrine tissue, and blood vessels in the HYPOTHALAMUS and the PITUITARY GLAND. This hypothalamo-hypophyseal portal circulation provides the mechanism for hypothalamic neuroendocrine (HYPOTHALAMIC HORMONES) regulation of pituitary function and the release of various PITUITARY HORMONES into the systemic circulation to maintain HOMEOSTASIS.Circadian Clocks: Biological mechanism that controls CIRCADIAN RHYTHM. Circadian clocks exist in the simplest form in cyanobacteria and as more complex systems in fungi, plants, and animals. In humans the system includes photoresponsive RETINAL GANGLION CELLS and the SUPRACHIASMATIC NUCLEUS that acts as the central oscillator.Phosphorylation: The introduction of a phosphoryl group into a compound through the formation of an ester bond between the compound and a phosphorus moiety.Molecular Sequence Data: Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.Touch Perception: The process by which the nature and meaning of tactile stimuli are recognized and interpreted by the brain, such as realizing the characteristics or name of an object being touched.Cells, Cultured: Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.Acoustic Stimulation: Use of sound to elicit a response in the nervous system.Kinesthesis: Sense of movement of a part of the body, such as movement of fingers, elbows, knees, limbs, or weights.Nonlinear Dynamics: The study of systems which respond disproportionately (nonlinearly) to initial conditions or perturbing stimuli. Nonlinear systems may exhibit "chaos" which is classically characterized as sensitive dependence on initial conditions. Chaotic systems, while distinguished from more ordered periodic systems, are not random. When their behavior over time is appropriately displayed (in "phase space"), constraints are evident which are described by "strange attractors". Phase space representations of chaotic systems, or strange attractors, usually reveal fractal (FRACTALS) self-similarity across time scales. Natural, including biological, systems often display nonlinear dynamics and chaos.Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone: A decapeptide that stimulates the synthesis and secretion of both pituitary gonadotropins, LUTEINIZING HORMONE and FOLLICLE STIMULATING HORMONE. GnRH is produced by neurons in the septum PREOPTIC AREA of the HYPOTHALAMUS and released into the pituitary portal blood, leading to stimulation of GONADOTROPHS in the ANTERIOR PITUITARY GLAND.Afferent Pathways: Nerve structures through which impulses are conducted from a peripheral part toward a nerve center.Neural Pathways: Neural tracts connecting one part of the nervous system with another.Internet: A loose confederation of computer communication networks around the world. The networks that make up the Internet are connected through several backbone networks. The Internet grew out of the US Government ARPAnet project and was designed to facilitate information exchange.Kinetics: The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.Speech: Communication through a system of conventional vocal symbols.Action Potentials: Abrupt changes in the membrane potential that sweep along the CELL MEMBRANE of excitable cells in response to excitation stimuli.Therapy, Computer-Assisted: Computer systems utilized as adjuncts in the treatment of disease.Vocalization, Animal: Sounds used in animal communication.Promoter Regions, Genetic: DNA sequences which are recognized (directly or indirectly) and bound by a DNA-dependent RNA polymerase during the initiation of transcription. Highly conserved sequences within the promoter include the Pribnow box in bacteria and the TATA BOX in eukaryotes.ARNTL Transcription Factors: Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain-containing proteins that play important roles in CIRCADIAN RHYTHM regulation. They combine with CLOCK PROTEINS to form heterodimeric transcription factors that are specific for E-BOX ELEMENTS and stimulate the transcription of several E-box genes that are involved in cyclical regulation.Electric Stimulation: Use of electric potential or currents to elicit biological responses.Muscle, Skeletal: A subtype of striated muscle, attached by TENDONS to the SKELETON. Skeletal muscles are innervated and their movement can be consciously controlled. They are also called voluntary muscles.Estradiol: The 17-beta-isomer of estradiol, an aromatized C18 steroid with hydroxyl group at 3-beta- and 17-beta-position. Estradiol-17-beta is the most potent form of mammalian estrogenic steroids.Posture: The position or attitude of the body.Students, Medical: Individuals enrolled in a school of medicine or a formal educational program in medicine.Cryptochromes: Flavoproteins that function as circadian rhythm signaling proteins in ANIMALS and as blue-light photoreceptors in PLANTS. They are structurally-related to DNA PHOTOLYASES and it is believed that both classes of proteins may have originated from an earlier protein that played a role in protecting primitive organisms from the cyclical exposure to UV LIGHT.Motor Skills: Performance of complex motor acts.


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She looks at herself at her tainted reflection
and is taken aback by her bland complexion.
She hates what she sees and longs to change
to look normal and pretty instead of quite strange
they will say she is shallow and seems to be vain
as she rarely reveals when she is in pain
for her hurt is hidden and her anger disguised
her fading self belief rests in her sunken eyes
She finds fault and flaws in her entire face
ridiculing each feature to debase and disgrace
a horror to see what the world can see
in the broken mirror looking back at me.
*Photo – dreamstime.com


text: Casa & Country Italian Property specialises in fine Italian real estate in the regions of Tuscany, Umbria and Sardinia. Our portfolio includes a range of prestigious properties from townhouses, grand frescoed apartments, farmhouses, coastal villas, stately homes, castles, vineyards, agricultural estates, restoration projects and hotels. In Tuscany, over recent years the agency has closed some of the region's most significant property sales and therefore succeeded in positioning itself as one of Italy's leading luxury real estate agencies. The company has offices in Tuscany and London enabling us to market our portfolio directly to international buyers around the globe.


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Scene In Rockridge
Rockridge resident and BART commuter Amy Lemley has bought her daily newspaper from vendor Robert Mohead at his BART lobby newsstand for the past nine years. "Over the years, we became friends," she says. Mohead, who worked on the City Council campaign of Carter Gilmore in 1976, reviewed Lemley's mailing pieces during her council candidacy in 2012.
To help celebrate Mohead's 87th birthday, she invited the community - via Next Door Rockridge - to gather at his newsstand for the presentation of a City Council resolution proclaiming April 11, 2015, as Robert Mohead Day in the city of Oakland; a gift certificate; a chocolate birthday cake; and balloons. Joining in, a lobby musician played Happy Birthday on his keyboard.


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Richter's - A Different Class of Fast
An exclusive club located in the infield above pit lane at the start/finish line.
Join us at the exclusive Richter's and discover Southern California's home VIP race experience. Enjoy insider access, action-packed tours plus food and drinks all around - this is the best way to enjoy race weekend.
• Gourmet food and beverage
• VIP NASCAR Garage access
• Exclusive NASCAR Garage Tour
• Pace Car Rides
• NASCAR Driver's Meeting access
• Breakfast with the track president
• VIP access to Driver Intros
• VIP Victory Lane access and group photo with winner
• Starters Stand photo
• Commemorative Credential
• Exclusive Race Gift
For more information or to make a reservation, please contact us at:
Roxanne King
(909) 429-5306
Chris Carlson
(909) 429-5316


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Tammy has been a pleasure to work with. Very professional and hard working. We needed to sell our home quickly due to relocating for work and she didn't disappoint. She helped to ease my stress through the entire process. Thank you Tammy!!
Tammy was very knowledgeable about our area. Sold our home in 3 days. Very personable. Would highly recommend her. Kept us informed about all details of selling our home.
Tammy and Tasha were very knowledgeable of the real estate profession. They were patient with us while we found our Dream Home. They were very professional yet fun to work with I would highly recommend them to anyone. We sold the home that they grew up in so it was bittersweet for both parties us and Tammy and Tasha. We were at that home for 26 years so it was very hard to leave it due to the fact we watched our family grow up in it but they gave us all the attention that was needed to find our perfect home. Thank you very much.
Tammy helped us sell our home and negotiate with a for sell by owner to get us in to the home we have wanted for almost a year. We appreciate all she did for us through the closing process! She took care of all the details for us and made the whole process a easy experience! We recommend Tammy to everyone!
Tammy did an absolutely amazing job! We first contacted her about a house we found that we wanted to see and she had us in to see it within 24 hours. We decided that it wasn't the one but when I called her she already had another one she thought we would love....and we did, she again had us in the house very quickly and stayed up to help us put in our offer the night that we saw the house! She was also very helpful from the time we finished the offer until (and after) closing. We will never use another realtor! Tammy was amazing and you will not regret using her!


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Omegamorph wrote:Maritonic wrote:Aside from a boat being attacked and discovering a foot print, I'd genuinely like to know what the others are. The article compared Broderick's character to Serizawa and I literally laughed out loud. They claim there are multiple call backs. I count two. Three if you mention the origins of his name.
The aforementioned 'sonar detecting the approaching monster' is another. Not from 54 specifically but used in others (84, namely). The entire first act is essentially based on the old formula -- obviously reworked -- and some character archetypes (scientist / cameraman & reporter / secret agent) had already been used in Godzilla films. That would be essentially it, unless I'm missing some
I don't consider those call backs, I consider those monster movie tropes. The scientist/cameraman/reporter/secret agent are all tropes of the entire monster movie film universe, such as it is. Watch any 50's or 60's monster flick, and those characters (MAYBE not the cameraman) will be present.
Disagreement aside, these aren't points in Godzilla 1998's favor or to glorify it as some sort of homage to the originals as Devlin/the writer of this article likes to make it seem. There are still critical issues with the film that even if it WAS full of call backs, are not saved by them.


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During the Draper Center's sixth annual Raising the Barre benefit, students ages 6 to 18 will perform a variety of pieces — from contemporary and jazz to ballet — practiced throughout this year's competition season, with choreography arranged by Artistic Director Jamey Leverett, Competition Director Stephanie Cheshire, and other faculty members. Each performance is about 3 minutes in length, and the program includes solos, duets, trios, and group pieces. New to the event this year, the Draper Center will hold a pre-performance reception at the Del Monte Lodge from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. All of the money collected from Raising the Barre will benefit the Draper Center and its students.
Draper Center's Raising the Barre will be held on Friday, May 27, at Nazareth College Arts Center, 4245 East Avenue. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; performance begins at 7:30 p.m. General Admissions tickets are $15; VIP $50. 461-2100; drapercenter.com.


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Posts Tagged women's rights
Four women in the fight against torture
Posted by World Without Torture in international women's day, Women/Girls/Gender on 08/03/2017
Today marks 42 years since the UN began celebrating International Women's Day on 8 March. To honour women's achievements we have spoken with four inspirational women who were recently elected to the Executive Committee of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims. They represent four different regions of the world, but they all share a strong commitment to the fight against torture. Here they tell us how they got to where they are now and what it is like to work with torture victims.
Sana Hamzeh, Clinical Advisor at Restart Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture, Lebanon
WWT: How long have you worked with torture victims?
SH: I have been working in the field of rehabilitation since 1986. I was one of the three founding members of Restart, which was first established in 1996 in Tripoli and then later in Beirut in 2007. I have been able to gain international expertise in the documentation of torture according to the Istanbul Protocol and 23 of the cases that I have psychologically documented have been referred to the court, with the collaboration of lawyers. In December 2016, I was elected Vice President of the IRCT, which provides a valuable opportunity to spread our vision of the fight against torture through prevention, accountability and reparation.
WWT: How did you end up in this sector?
SH: My journey through rehabilitation, with an emphasis on torture survivors, was not clearly outlined in the initial stages of my professional career. However, as the turbulent political situation in Lebanon and its neighboring countries continued, the need to treat this group of victims became clear. The intensity of torture victims' suffering and the urgency of responding to their situation, propelled me towards this decision of responding actively to their mental health needs, including many women who were silenced for years and had been too afraid to speak out.
WWT: How many clients does your center approximately treat/support each year?
SH: Restart Center has treated approximately 4,116 clients in the past year. However, those numbers are subject to variation from one year to the next. In Restart's first 20 years of establishment, we helped approximately 17,650 people.
WWT: Who are the clients and where do they come from?
SH: Restart simultaneously works on several projects targeting various clients, including people from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq as well as other nationalities such as Egyptians, Sudanese, Bahraini and Ethiopians. Restart supports victims of torture, ill-treatment and war trauma; in particular, those in specific situations of vulnerability such as ex-detainees, secondary victims, refugees and asylum seekers, women victims of Gender-Based Violence etc.
In addition, we also provide community-based psychosocial support as well as animation and reconciliation activities to victims of war trauma including victims of torture, traumatised children, children of detained parents and young mothers.
WWT: What does your work mean to you?
SH: Responding to survivors' unique needs may be distressing at times, but the end result is more rewarding than words can describe. Eliciting smiles in individuals who had forgotten what a smile even means, or re-establishing the bonds that were once destroyed in a family, is the main reason why I look forward to the next day. For instance, a client of ours from Iraq initially approached our centre with severe Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder symptoms. Not only have his symptoms now subsided, but he is also currently working as a filmmaker, with one of his films soon to be shown in Cannes. My work reminds me that I have a second home and this feeling is mutual. One of our clients expressed her feelings towards her second home through the following words: "Restart Center is the only place where I feel human, well respected and able to express myself without feeling afraid." These words offer hope and propel me to continue doing what I do despite all of the challenges that may arise in between.
WWT: Why is torture rehabilitation important?
SH: Torture rehabilitation is a right that should be granted by the state, although that is seldom the case. Survivors' memories of their traumatic experiences are painful; they seem inexorable and real. Accepting the past is vital, but demanding that the victim regains his or her dignity is equally important. The key is to provide rehabilitation services through which, victims can learn how to deal with their traumas and grief, and to look at a future that was previously inconceivable. Victims' lives can be dramatically altered so that they can stand up once again. Through a holistic approach that addresses the physical, psychological, social and legal service needs of the torture survivors, life can be perceived as "life" once again.
Kathi Anderson, Executive Director of Survivors of Torture, International (SURVIVORS), San Diego, US
WWT: How long have you worked with torture victims?
KA: I am the co-founder of SURVIVORS, which was established 20 years ago on February 27 this year. Prior to SURVIVORS, I resettled refugees for the International Rescue Committee, volunteered with Amnesty International and was in private practice caring for traumatised clients from many areas of the world.
WWT: How did you end up in this sector?
KA: I was encouraged by professional colleagues to start a torture treatment centre in San Diego where there was a growing need for specialised care for an increasing number of asylum seekers and refugees arriving from throughout the world.
WWT: How many clients does your centre approx. treat/support each year?
KA: Recently, we have expanded our projects so we are now working with more than 500 clients per year.
WWT: Who are the clients and where do they come from?
KA: The vast majority of our clients are asylum seekers and refugees. In the past five years, the top five countries of origin are Iraq, Somali, Mexico, Ethiopia and Iran. Over the past 20 years, the clients have come from more than 80 countries.
WWT: What does your work mean to you?
KA: The work is incredibly rewarding. To be able to counter what the torturers have done to our clients by providing a safe haven for them to heal is extremely gratifying. I enjoy bearing witness to our clients' improvements and being part of something bigger than me.
WWT: Why is torture rehabilitation important?
KA: Torture survivors need to have access to specialised care so they can learn to trust again, rebuild their lives and have hope for their future and their children's future.
Mariana Lagos, Psychiatrist and psychotherapist at Argentine Team of Psychosocial Work and Research (EATIP), Argentina
WWT: How long have you worked with torture victims?
ML: I have been working in this field for 25 years. Even during my years at university I used to participate in a broad movement of young people that supported Madres de Plaza de Mayo.
WWT: How did you end up in this sector (torture rehabilitation)?
ML: Severe trauma left by the military dictatorship in Argentina shaped my generation as well as large sectors of the society, creating an unwavering commitment to Memory, Truth and Justice.
When I chose my career I was motivated by the desire to contribute professionally to alleviating human suffering. My parents, with their strong political, social and professional activities, were role models for me and my siblings when we grew up. The three of us have taken on that family legacy and we use our knowledge and effort to practice our profession while taking into consideration the needs of our people.
WWT: How many clients does your centre approx. treat/support each year?
ML: Throughout the history of EATIP, we have supported and assisted thousands of victims. Currently, we are carrying out several clinical and psychosocial assistance units that reach more than 100 people.
WWT: Who are EATIP's clients and where do they come from?
ML: EATIP provides assistance to individuals and groups affected by torture and several other traumatic situations of social origin, where the state is responsible. At the beginning we assisted the families of people who had disappeared or survived the military dictatorship. Today, many of them are plaintiffs and witnesses in trials for crimes against humanity. Lately, we have also started providing assistance to people affected by new situations, such as relatives of young people killed by the security forces and relatives of victims and survivors of tragedies caused by state negligence and corruption. We also provide assistance to people affected by the criminalisation of poverty and social protest and the violation of rights of native peoples' leaders, migrants, refugees and women victims of human trafficking.
WWT: What does your work mean to you?
ML: It is a privilege, even if sometimes it is hard work. I feel that it is very rewarding to be able to provide support to people and their families during their extensive treatment processes. We become part of their story and share their accomplishments. At EATIP, we share with our clients and with groups of affected people the complex path to fighting impunity.
WWT: Why is torture rehabilitation important?
ML: Because it is the right of groups and individuals affected, so that they can overcome both the consequences and losses they have suffered, while improving their lives. In order to reach out to people affected by torture, clinical and psychosocial approaches require specialised professionals and systems that victims can trust. In addition to the right to rehabilitation, achieving justice is essential both for individual and collective reparation.
Lela Tsiskarishvili, Psychologist at Georgian Center for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT), Georgia
WWT: How long have you worked with torture victims?
LT: I have been working with torture victims since 2000.
WWT: How did you end up in this sector?
LT: I was studying psychology, when, in 1998 one of my professors told me there was a part-time job opening at an NGO foundation. The salary was very low and they needed a Georgian- English interpreter, so it seemed like an ideal opportunity for a student like me. The organisation provided psychosocial rehabilitation services to Internally Displaced Persons in Georgia – those who were displaced as a result of the two wars in Georgia in the early 90s. In 2000, representatives of the IRCT came on a fact finding mission to Georgia as part of the IRCT's regional strengthening programme with the idea to establish a torture rehabilitation centre in Georgia. My colleagues and representatives of the IRCT had several meetings, which led to the establishment of the GCRT. By then I was already a Masters student and was very happy when my colleagues offered me to move to GCRT together with them. I started as a documentarist and interpreter. From 2002 to 2004 I worked as a psychologist before I became the executive director of the organisation in 2005.
WWT: How many clients does your centre approx. treat/support each year?
LT: GCRT has regional offices in four regions of Georgia. GCRT provides rehabilitation services to people such as torture survivors, victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, war affected people, refugees and Internally Displaced Persons. It serves up to 600 individuals per year. In case of sufficient funding for the work with torture survivors, GCRT provides assistance to 400 torture survivors and their family members per year.
WWT: Who are the clients and where do they come from?
LT: Our clients who are torture survivors are refugees, Internally Displaced Persons, persons tortured by the law enforcement agencies (mainly the penitentiary system and the police) and asylum seekers.
WWT: What does your work mean to you?
LT: I have been working at GCRT for most of my adult life. From a small family type organisation, GCRT has grown into the largest trauma service in Georgia and is one of the key actors in fighting inhumane and degrading treatment, policy reform and bringing the voices of affected persons to the general public and decision makers. I have been part of this journey all along. My work is an integral and one of the most central parts of my life and I take pride in the amazing work of my colleagues at GCRT.
WWT: Why is torture rehabilitation important?
LT: In our line of work we are not rescuers, we merely try to be there for people who have gone through the worse forms of interpersonal violence and who have been subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment. We often spend sleepless nights thinking about how to help our clients transform their nightmares into dreams, how to replace the dominant experience of horror with love for their families and hope for the future. We ourselves are lost in this line of work. Working with those who have been affected by torture is a matter of passion and compassion – also about maintaining the delicate balance of being a therapist and a human rights activist. That is why, rather often, the process of rehabilitation of torture survivors is invisible among the human rights community. We work to touch upon the depths of human existence, yet most of the times, in order to protect our clients we cannot voice our opinion. However, the line of our work is 'extremely loud and incredibly close'.
International Women's Day: Four strong women in the fight against torture and ill-treatment
Posted by World Without Torture in international women's day, Women/Girls/Gender on 08/03/2016
Today marks 41 years since the UN began celebrating women's achievements on 8 March. To celebrate International Women's Day and to honour these achievements we highlight four strong women who – in their own way – have fought human rights violations such as torture, sexual violence and other forms of ill treatment.
The advocate: Helen Bamber, Founder of the Helen Bamber Foundation
The late Helen Bamber worked tirelessly in the human rights field for more than 60 years, helping thousands of torture survivors worldwide. Starting out in the former German concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen after World War II, she later became an early member of Amnesty International.
In 1985 she established the UK based torture rehabilitation centre Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture – now known as Freedom from Torture. Twenty years later she founded the Helen Bamber Foundation, which is a human rights charity that provides therapeutic care, medical consultation, legal protection and practical support to survivors of human rights violations.
Named European Woman of Achievement in 1993, Helen Bamber was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1997 and in the same year also received a lifetime Human Rights Achievement award for her work. She passed away in 2014.
The caregiver: Uju Agomoh, Founder of Prisoners Rehabilitation And Welfare Action
Dr. Uju Agomoh is the founder and Executive Director of Prisoners' Rehabilitation And Welfare Action (PRAWA) — a Nigerian NGO working on security, justice and development with initiatives in several African countries. She is a board member of several associations and committees and has served as Federal Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria (NHRC). She was also the Special Rapporteur on Police, Prisons and Centers of Detention of Nigeria from 2001 to 2008.
As the Executive Director of Nigerian NGO PRAWA, Dr. Uju Agomoh's work includes training, assessment, documentation and provision of support services to prisoners, ex-prisoners, torture victims and their families. She has undertaken over 1,000 prison assessment visits to over 100 prisons in Nigeria in addition to prison visits in South Africa, Gambia and Rwanda. Her work has facilitated the training of over 5,000 prison officers in good prison practice and international human rights standards in Ghana and Nigeria and she established the first victim-offender mediation scheme in Ghana, Gambia and Nigeria.
Not surprisingly, she has become one of Africa's most prominent experts on a range of issues in the human rights and anti-torture field. She has spoken out against the poor conditions in African prisons and police violence just as she has advocated for prison reforms, access to justice, rehabilitation and social development of prisoners.
Waris Dirie, Supermodel and Founder of the Desert Flower Foundation
50-year-old Somalian supermodel and human rights activist Waris Dirie was only five when she underwent the inhumane procedure that is female circumcision, more accurately known as female genital mutilation (FGM). Unlike many girls who die from haemorrhaging, shock, infection or tetanu after FGM, Waris Dirie survived. But she was in extreme pain and continues to suffer from the aftereffects.
At 13 she ran away from her village when she learned that her father had arranged to have her marry a man in his 60s. She ended up in London where she was spotted by a photographer and became a successful model, fronting campaigns for some of the world's biggest fashion houses.
Finding it difficult to embrace the success of her modelling career while knowing that thousands of girls undergo FGM every day, Waris Dirie set out to raise awareness about the practice that she calls "torture" against young girls. She became the UN Goodwill Ambassador in the fight against female genital mutilation and in 2002 founded the organisation now known as the Desert Flower Foundation, which supports victims of FGM directly with healthcare and medical treatment. The foundation opened a medical centre in Berlin in 2014, which is expected to be the first of several centres to offer FGM victims reconstructive surgery.
The anonymous victim: BC
Eighteen-year-old BC grew up in the Rukum District of Western Nepal. She was just one when her father died and three when her mother remarried and left her with her grandparents.
BC's grandparents arranged her marriage to a boy from the same village when she was 15. Immediately after the wedding she was subjected to violence from both her husband and in-laws. After six months of marriage she fled to the capital city Kathmandu to live with her mother, but was forced to return. Upon her return she was arrested and detained despite the police not having a proper arrest warrant.
She was later brought to a hotel room and raped by the officer investigating the case. BC did not file a complaint as she was afraid she would be detained again. She became pregnant as a result and had an abortion in secret. Living in terror, she told no one what had happened, suffered in silence and felt increasingly more hopeless.
It was not until a local NGO referred her to the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Nepal (TPO Nepal) for rehabilitation that she received the treatment she so desperately needed. At the time she suffered from dizziness, palpitations, headaches, restlessness and was very weak physically. She blamed herself for what had happened, had trouble sleeping and contemplated suicide.
TPO Nepal gave her post abortion medical care and treatment for other physical problems. She also received regular counselling and legal support from the centre's legal officer. Her physical and mental state have gradually improved and she no longer contemplates suicide.
She filed a complaint to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) about the police with the support of the centre's legal officer. This complaint is now pending in the NHRC.
There are many incredible and strong women in the human rights movement. Who would you like to celebrate, honour or remember?
Last year we also focused on strong women who have played an important role in the anti-torture movement. Click here to read the blog.
Forced virginity testing still a problem
Posted by World Without Torture in Advocacy and Influencing Policy, Asia on 01/04/2015
Forced virginity testing is a serious human rights violation and at its worst it constitutes rape and torture. This is how a group of experts have described the highly controversial practice that is used to determine a woman's virginity.
In the past few months, Indonesia has made headlines around the world for all the wrong reasons. Late last year, the country unwittingly found itself in the spotlight when it emerged that the national government subjected female applicants for Indonesia's National Police to "discriminatory and degrading virginity tests."
When a few months later a local Indonesian MP proposed that all girls should be subjected to virginity tests in order to graduate from school, it sparked an outcry. Shortly after, the deputy head of the district announced that the proposal had been scrapped.
Sadly, Indonesia is far from the only place where forced virginity testing is still happening despite the practice being illegal in many states.
Recent cases in Egypt and Afghanistan reaffirm that this gruesome practice is flourishing in many countries around the world.
For those unfamiliar with the practice it may seem like a simple intervention, but according to the Independent Forensic Expert Group (IFEG) – a group of more than 30 of the world's leading forensic experts – forcibly conducted virginity testing is likely to cause severe and lasting psychological symptoms and disabilities that remain over time.
"The practice can cause women to feel intense humiliation, self-disgust, and worthlessness, especially since examinations are likely to involve other forms of abuse such as unconsented touching or groping, as well as threats, coercion or force," the group said in a recent statement.
The IFEG also pointed that the practice has zero scientific value and at is worst it constitutes torture and rape.
"Health professionals have no medical foundation for conducting virginity examinations," it said.
The IFEG is not the only group of experts condemning forced virginity testing. In December last year, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) joined the growing opposition against the tests, calling on states to end the 'degrading, discriminatory, and unscientific "virginity testing" of women and girls.'
So why do states continue to carry out these tests?
Most experts agree that the larger issue at stake here is the perception of and the treatment of women in these countries. In some instances forced virginity testing has the effect or purpose of controlling women and denying them their rights.
"Prejudice and negative stereotypes against women and girls are passed off as medical science by many doctors who wrongly believe they can determine a woman's virginity," explained women's rights director at Human Rights Watch, Liesl Gerntholtz.
While there is a growing focus on what we know as sexual violence against women, forced virginity testing is still just one issue on a long list of overlooked violations against women and girls.
There is hope, however, that the highly publicised cases in Indonesia and Egypt will change this.
Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT), Victor Madrigal-Borloz has reminded doctors of their responsibility to respect human rights.
"As a movement made of health professionals, we are in a key position to condemn forced virginity testing, often carried out by health professionals in a clear violation of professional ethics and international human rights."
Beyond survivors: women at the forefront to stop violence, stop torture
Posted by World Without Torture in Voices, Women/Girls/Gender on 26/11/2012
Yesterday marked the start of 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, a global campaign to bring attention to the crimes of violence against women. The campaign begins every year on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, through to 10 December, UN Human Rights Day.
We at the IRCT have often raised the issue of torture against women, and we will do it again through the 16 Days of Activism campaign.
The women you will meet are more than simply victims.
These women are on the forefront of the fight against torture; they are the human rights defenders challenging the state in public protests and national advocacy. They are the activists sharing petitions and taking up the struggle to defend others. They are sharing their stories, standing forth and testifying against powerful state apparatuses. And they are being rehabilitated, joining other women in healing themselves and healing each other.
There are many ways to describe the bravery of these acts.
So, in the coming two weeks, we shall allow the women to describe it themselves. On WorldWithoutTorture.org, the floor is theirs. Please join us in this global challenge against gender violence and share these stories throughout the 16 Days.
Women at the frontline in the fight against torture
Posted by World Without Torture in Latin America & the Caribbean, Middle East North Africa, Rehabilitation, Voices, Women/Girls/Gender on 08/03/2012
Today, on International Women's Day (8 March), we wish to join the worldwide movement to honour women as human rights defenders. Women from all over the world, including at our 140+ member centres in over 70 countries, work at the frontline in the fight against torture. These women lobby national governments, head human rights inter-governmental bodies, work in rehabilitating torture survivors, and are often survivors of torture themselves.
At World Without Torture, we would like to honour these women by providing a platform for their stories today. Please share these stories to honour not only their work, but the hundreds of thousand of women human rights defenders worldwide.
What do we do with what others have done to us?
Brazilian psychologist and human rights activist Vera Vital Brasil knows from experience what she is talking about when she tells about her years of work with torture victims.
As a student at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in the late '60s, Vera participated actively in the student movement, a major focus of resistance to Brazil's military dictatorship. Because of her activism, in 1969, she was arrested and tortured on the premises of the notorious DOI-CODI, the Destacamento de Operações de Informações – Centro de Operações de Defesa Interna in Rio de Janeiro. After three months in prison, Vera left Rio for exile in Chile. Her exile lasted six years and upon her return to Brazil, she was determined to try to turn the wrongs that others done to her into something good.
"What do we do with what others have done to us? Internalize this tormenting experience or fight to stop this happening again? I chose the latter," she says about her involvement with victims of torture through clinical work.
In 1982, Vera joined other former political prisoners living in Rio de Janeiro against the appointment of people responsible for torture during the dictatorship. This initiative eventually led a group of former political prisoners, torture survivors and relatives of dead and missing people to found the Grupo Tortura Nunca Mais (GTNM/RJ, which in English stands for Never More Torture Group) in 1985, which, in 1991, started providing medical and psychological treatment and physical rehabilitation to victims of torture.
Throughout these years, her personal experience and dedication to other victims have convinced her that the trauma caused by torture can never be completely overcome but must be addressed through clinical treatment and proper redress.
"The damage caused by torture is accentuated if it is ignored, if there is no justice, or no redress. The fact that the state, which should guarantee and protect human life, is the agent of violence has a devastating effect on people's psychological well-being. Our clinical practice is insufficient to cure this damage. But we can try to get people who have gone through this harrowing experience to feel better and give another meaning to this suffering, shifting it from a personal and private level to the collective and historical level, "she says.
Read Vera Brasil's full story here.
Giving a voice to the victims
"You try to channel revenge through peaceful channels, you know, campaigning, publishing, providing legal consultation, providing legal aid, taking the person to court, accompanying the person throughout this process," says Dr. Aida Seif El Dawla.
Dr. Seif El Dawla, founding member, psychiatrist, and human rights defender at Egyptian centre El Nadeem, was awarded the 2011 Alkarama Award for Human Rights Defenders.
For nearly two decades at the El-Nadeem Centre for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence, she has worked with countless victims of torture. When the Egyptian clinic began in 1993, Seif El Dawla and the other founders wanted to provide psychological services to the survivors of torture and their families. They sought other like-minded organisations – medically-based NGOs that served the psycho-social needs of victims of violence – to model their new clinic. Soon they realised that focusing simply on the psychological rehabilitation neglected the social and political aspects that allowed the crimes to continue – the victims' access to justice and seeking the prevention of torture.
"Many of the people who come don't really want to have a psychological assessment," she says. "I realised that those people aren't really patients in the classic sense of patients. They have responded very normally to an extremely abnormal situation."
El-Nadim not only had to treat the psychological consequences of torture, but provide their clients with access to medical doctors to treat the physical wounds. In addition, many survivors came to the clinic with a need to channel their anger, humiliation, and helplessness into bringing their perpetrators to justice, bringing the crimes to light.
When the image of Khaled Said's face appeared in the newspapers, bruised and beaten, Seif El Dawla had seen it all before. Said's image ignited change. The people of Egypt have become fed up with a broken system and a police force that tortures, carries out arbitrary arrests, and falsifies forensic reports, she says.
"Already before the 25th of January people had enough of this kind of violence. They had enough. And it's not a coincidence that the first targets of the people when they revolted were the police stations, all over, because there isn't a governor, there isn't a city, where there isn't a family who has lost somebody to a police station or who has a relative who was abused or humiliated in a police station. So, it was already boiling. Now, people are not willing to take it anymore."
Read Dr. Seif El Dawla's full story here. And, see the short film on the Khaled Said case, which features her in an interview.
A voice for the torture victims in Ecuador
During her medicine studies in the late eighties, Yadira Narvaez was unexpectedly transferred from a neurological clinic, where she worked as an intern, to the medical department of a male prison.
The unwanted transfer was a punishment for her habit of wearing trousers. "My superior said that if what I wanted was to look like a male, I should be as close as possible to men", she remembers. The experience became one of the most transformative events in Forensic Doctor Yadira Narvaez's life. "It was a striking experience: there I learned the difference between being alive and dead".
While working at the medical department of that prison, where approximately 1,500 men served their sentences, she discovered the real meaning of the word torture. "By then, I really didn't know what torture meant and what it could do to people". Dr Narvaez's placement at the prison ended after 18 months but has led to decades of dedication to the treatment and protection of torture survivors and prisoners.
Two years after the end of the "punishment", Dr Narvaez decided to go back to work in the same prison, this time, of her own free will. She went on to also work in the treatment of female detainees at another penal institution. Being a witness of the suffering caused by a lack of respect for human rights made Dr Narvaez realise that she needed to do something to try to protect prisoners and to assist torture survivors.
To address the problem on a national level, Dr Narvaez helped found the Foundation for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence (in short PRIVA) in 1997. In addition to denouncing torture in Ecuador, PRIVA focuses on the prevention and eradication of torture and the care of torture victims and their families.
"Like Martin Luther King, I also have a dream: that one day in my country all individuals who, for any reason come into contact with the penal system have their rights respected, have the right to be heard and the right to justice," says the 52-year old doctor. "And torture victims need access to rehabilitation services to recover at least part of the health lost due to arbitrary practices by state agents. In addition, torture survivors need to be assured that these violations will not continue so that they can go on to live without fear".
Read Dr. Narvaez's full story here.


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By Veronica Fernandez
It has been less than a month that President Donald J. Trump has taken office, and in such brief time it seems as if all havoc has been unleashed. The president has signed eight executive orders thus far, which include to repeal the Affordable Care Act and the immediate construction of a physical wall between Mexico and the United States. Many fear the power of these executive orders, as the United States proceeded to cease pass to individuals from seven Muslim countries a week and a half ago. In this case, the entire world has witnessed firsthand the immediate consequence generated from this executive order. What is to say about the executive orders before and proceeding it?
However, in response, the American public has not sat by the sidelines, in turn they have demonstrated its discontent with protests all over the nation in major cities ranging from New York City to Los Angeles.
The National General Strike that is to take place February 17th through the 20th is yet another step to contribute to impede this reign of terror. Strike organizers encourage participants to refrain from going to work, school, and to refrain from shopping. Although the call to action is to partake in a crippling action that will affect the economy to attract attention to the malfunctioning political system in place, the complications are deeply embedded into considerably more than just the political system. There are components of racism, ignorance, misinformation, lack of accountability and fact checking, among an array of others.
What remains is the crucial question, is it enough to simply stay home from daily obligations and responsibilities?
As the strike quickly approaches, participants should take this opportunity to vocalize all concerns about the political and social tribulations that are currently being undergone. Participants can contact Congressman Daniel Lipinski serving the 3rd district of the state, Congressman Luis Gutierrez serving the 4th district of the state, and finally, Congressman Danny K. Davis serving the 7th district of the state via letter or email. Partakers can also contact their state representatives Lisa Hernandez or LaShawn K. Ford, and senator Martin A. Sandoval in the same manner.
Another alternative in which participants can approach the National General Strike is to combat ignorance and prejudices with phenomenal enlightening reading material:
A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Critical Race Theory: An Introduction by Jean Stefancic and Richard Delgado
Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil by Hannah Arendt
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis
Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen
Notes on a Native Son by James Baldwin
Racism without Racist by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild
The Chicago Guide to Fact Checking by Brooke Borel
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt
White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg
In a time when there is significant strain, torment, deception, fear, discomfort, and constant anxiety of the days to come, the people of this diverse nation must unify as one. Action is required to keep from the complete derailment of decades of progression. We must prove that the individuals that fought vigorously and relentlessly before us did not sacrifice themselves in vain.
These are the individuals that were voted into office to represent and serve the people; now it is time for the people to raise their voice.


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Red Lion Hotel & Casino in Elko offers the fascinating table game, Roulette. As the wheel spins, so do the heads of players and spectators as they anxiously wait for the ball to drop and declare a winner. If you want a game that moves quickly and gives you many ways to bet, then Roulette is for you!
How to Play: In Roulette, you may bet straight up, which means your bet is on any of the 38 single numbers, including 0 and 00. Additionally, you may place combination bets divided over a combination of adjoining numbers. Look at the Roulette table in the diagram. Here you see letters that represent the various types of bets in the game. The chart shows their winning odds.
For instance, if you place a "Single Number" type bet, it could be on the number shown, or any number on the table. Or, perhaps you want to place a "Line" type bet. You can place it on the line adjoining 13, which pays on 13, 14 and 15. Or, you could place an "Line" type bet on the line adjoining 31, where it pays on 31, 32 and 33.
Caution: Where you place your chip or chips on the Roulette table is very important because this determines your bet and, ultimately, your winnings. Use our diagram as your guide. It is the player's responsibility for proper placement of their bets. The dealer spins the Roulette wheel in one direction and a small white ball in the opposite direction. Bets may be placed on the Roulette table until the dealer declares, "no more bets."
When the ball comes to rest, the dealer calls out the winning number and places a marker on it. First the table is cleared of losing wagers, and then all winners are paid. During this time, please don't touch the table. Wait until the dealer announces, "place your bets," to place bets for the new spin. One last thing: when you place an even money bet on 1-18, 19-36, Odd, Even, Red or Black and the ball comes to rest on 0 or 00, you lose.
If you're wondering how your bet is kept separate from everyone else's, it is because different color chips are used. The value of the colored chips is determined by the player when purchasing a stack or stacks of chips. The value of a stack of color is indicated by a numerical marker button placed on top of a chip of that color (20 indicates $20 per stack). These chips must be redeemed for value chips, before you leave the roulette table. Away from the Roulette table, roulette chips have no value.


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The adventurous retreat has been able to eliminate double bookings and allow their guests...
The 18-room inn has been rated the No. 1 hotel on TripAdvisor after using Hotelogix...
With Hotelogix PMS, the 68-room hotel saves 6 man hours per day and has reduced booking errors...


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Autodesk® Inventor—profession grade design and engineering tools that help you make great products.
Autodesk® Inventor® software, part of the Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping, takes manufacturers beyond 3D to Digital Prototyping by giving engineers a comprehensive and flexible set of tools for 3D mechanical design, simulation, tooling, visualization, and documentation. With Inventor software, engineers can integrate 2D Autodesk® AutoCAD® drawings and 3D data into a single digital model, creating a virtual representation of the final product that enables them to validate the form, fit, and function of the product before it is ever built. Digital Prototyping with Inventor software enables you to design, visualize, and simulate products digitally, helping you to reduce development costs, get to market faster and make great products.


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Northfields W13 Professional Access Control Company
Do you need help in improving the security of your business premises in Northfields W13? We are Locksmith Earl, the specialists in door access control security systems for local commercial and domestic customers. We offer modern and efficient access control solutions. Our access control technicians are all thoroughly police checked. They are qualified to work with the best and the latest access control systems in the industry. If you choose our professional access control system repair, installation and maintenance services, we guarantee you:
- No need for changing locks if a pass card is lost
- Emergency and same day access control repair and other services available
- Maintenance of existing access control system
- 100% customer satisfaction
For a price estimate, booking or more information, call 020 3404 1580. We are here for you! .
A list of our basic access control services
We can offer many access control services in Northfields W13. Here is a list of the most common services for access control in the area:
- Domestic intercom repair, Master key systems, Wireless Intercom
- Wired intercom - repair and installations, Commercial intercom repairs
- Fingerprint controlled locks, Door entry phone repairs and installations
- Swipe card systems, Doorbell repair and installation, Fob-reader systems
The suppliers of access control technology and equipment
We work with approved suppliers and leaders in the world of access control systems. Here are some of them:
- Bosch, Samsung, Panasonic, Bell
- Keri, Nedap, Sony, BPT
- Elvox, LT, Auta, Fermax
- Videcon, Urmet, Videx, Farfisa
- Paxton, Comelit, Siedle, Bitron
To make the most of the professional access control services by our company, call now.
All you need to know about our access control company
Locksmith Earl has been serving private and commercial customers with professional access control solutions in Northfields W13 for over a decade. We offer different security services, so we can meet every need regarding locksmith, CCTV, access control and fire and burglar alarms. By hiring us, you will get a one-stop shop service. Our vetted and experienced engineers will give you a professional advice on the best solutions to fit your situation.
Among our clients there are private residential homes, as well as offices, schools, hospitals, business premises, police forces, airports, retail outlets, industrial properties, apartments, local government, sports clubs and others.
Our access control services
We Offer electronic security and access control systems, installations or service of existing systems. We can install video intercom systems or intercom door entry systems for control of your barrier or gate. We can ensure entry to your property via biometric installations, keypad PIN entry systems, digital keypads or a key fob, smart card, token reader or passcard. We are masters in car park access systems including number plate recognition systems.
Booking conditions for properties in Northfields W13
To book our access control and security services, just call 020 3404 1580. You can also send an online request here to our 24/7 customer care centre. Our response time for emergency cases in Northfields W13 is 30 minutes.
We work with fixed prices, no advance payments and no hidden fees. Customers who book several of our services at the same time, get a discount. We are available 365 days a year.


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Select Medical and Pharmaceutical Clients
Medical & Pharmaceutical Sellers Need More Access To Their Buyers
Medical and Pharmaceutical sellers today are more driven than ever to close the sale with aggressive outreach efforts and repeated contact with the customer. Despite this bold approach, winning the sale has become more difficult because physicians are distancing themselves from salespeople.
Research from AccessMonitor shows that over the last several years pharmaceutical sellers have spent approximately $1 billion on infeasible calls. These attempts to reach inaccessible doctors has proved costly and time-consuming.
Moreover, availability continues to drop. The same body of research shows that accessibility has been in a steady decline for nearly a decade. Only 44% of physicians today are considered "accessible" meaning they engage with over 70% of sellers. This trend comes amid doctors placing deliberate access restrictions on sellers. Curiously, these actions haven't reduced outreach efforts. Sellers continue to pursue professionals who are reticent about discussing solutions.
The bottom line: repeated contact is unlikely to reach disengaged physicians. This practice allocates too many resources to too few. Instead, sellers should approach a wider cross-section of healthcare professionals. Sellers need to bring nurse practitioners and physician assistants into the mix. By widening their base of professionals, a seller has more opportunities to get one's attention. Additionally, these other care providers are key influencers. They have the physician's attention. Learn more about selling in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry in the brief: Selling in the Pharmaceutical and Medical Industry.
Medical & Pharmaceutical Sales Training Solutions
The solution of seeking non-physicians introduces a new challenge. Sellers now face a disparate group representing a variety of expertise. A Harvard Business Review study encompassing 5,000 respondents reflects this fact. The data shows that an average of 5.4 people are involved in every purchasing decision. More players are on the field. The game has become more complicated. Successful sellers are discovering that to engage a group of buyers, they must present as a group.
Navigating this new reality of selling means putting the right team together. Leaders need to prepare a group that has the background to speak with ity on the range of issues present in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Next, sellers must take efforts to help the team coalesce. Honesty, productivity, and mutual understanding take time. The team must build to a familiarity that allows for confrontation. Feedback is painful. Feedback is necessary. Keep it balanced, specific and honest.
Feedback and preparation are important because sellers need to be able to engage buyers on a deeper level. Why? Because research published by SAP shows that "Seventy to ninety percent of the B2B customer journey is completed before sales reps are typically engaged." By the time the seller has their first conversation, the buyer is already well-informed.
The diminishing availability of physicians doesn't signal the end of pharmaceutical or medical selling. Rather it represents the natural evolution of a system that incorporates more people into buying decisions. Sellers can benefit from an early adoption of these changes with sales training that teaches them how to target and engage the right people.


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What Are the Most Common Causes of Rashes on Dogs?
Fleas, allergies, infections, and contact dermatitis are all common causes of rashes on dogs. Poor nutrition can also aggravate skin problems. Excessive scratching can break the skin, creating an opening for a secondary infection that can aggravate the ailment. Dogs that scratch excessively should be taken to a veterinarian for a diagnosis.
One common reason why a dog might be excessively scratching, creating red patches and a rash, is due to fleas. Fleas are highly contagious, easily passing to other pets. The fecal matter from the fleas act as the agent that causes rashes on dogs, as well as the actual biting from the fleas. Infected areas tend to be sore, red, and bare of hair due to the scratching. Fleas, however, can usually be easily managed with the help of medication.
Allergies are another cause for skin rashes on dogs. As a dog brushes against plants or grass, some of the pollen will stick onto the fur or skin. An allergic dog can experience skin irritation. Hives are another common symptom of an allergic response; the hives will usually be circular in shape, sometimes protruding from the skin. Dog shampoos formulated with oatmeal can help with skin irritation.
Broken skin due to the scratching can lead to bacterial infections, causing skin rashes. Internal infections can also cause external rashes on dogs. Scratching can spread the infection to other areas, worsening the problem. Bacterial infections tend to be more robust, and will usually require medication from a veterinarian to be controlled and cured.
Contact dermatitis is caused by surfactants, cleansers, and chemicals that can cause discomfort to the dog. Excessive shampooing, for example, can dry out the coat and skin, causing rashes on dogs. Canine dermatitis can also occur when the dog becomes irritated with material that it would normally not be reactive to, like bedding material. Monitoring the dog's lifestyle is important to eventually remove the substance or chemical that is causing the dermatitis.
Poor nutrition can lower the skin's defenses against skin disorders. Mineral deficiencies can alter the skin and fur as well, creating an environment for a skin ailment to develop. A dietary supplement formulated with essential fatty acids can help support healthy skin development and lower the chances of rashes on dogs from occurring.
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Discussion Comments
From my experience, dogs are more prone to rashes in the hot summer months. Insects, plants, and extreme heat can all contribute to this pesky skin problem that can cause dogs to scratch constantly. This creates a vicious cycle that only makes the problem worse.
I have found that frequently bathing your dog in the summertime helps reduce the risk of him developing a rash. When itchy irritations do occur, wiping them clean with an antiseptic helps prevent infections. Finally, I have also found that using a medicated powder on irritated areas helps keep the rash dry, and decreases the chance that it will spread to other parts of his body.
@talentryto- If you haven't taken your dog to see a veterinarian already, you should do this first. He or she will be able to diagnose the issues that are causing your dog's reoccurring rash.
I have had dogs that have had this problem, and my vet has prescribed a variety of treatments at one time. Antibiotics help control any secondary infections caused by the rashes, anti-itch creams control the itching, and a variety of medications targeted to my dogs' specific problems help to make the rashes go away and prevent them from returning. Of course, flea preventative helps to control itching and a variety of rashes, and can be given with other types of medications.
I have a dog that has a reoccurring rash, and his usual treatment of medicated baths and cortisone ointment is no longer working. Does anyone have any suggestions of a better method for treating his problem?


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Paul Weinberger, the creative who's been key to the Tesco account at Lowe & Partners and now the The Red Brick Road, is leaving the agency. Intriguingly, though, he hasn't said what he's going to be doing.
Weinberger, who's also chairman of TRBR, says: "I've enjoyed a wonderfully collaborative relationship with Tesco over the last 20 years or so but, sadly, you have to know when your time is up. I wish every success to Tesco and to all of the talented people at The Red Brick Road."
Which presumably means that TRBR is resigned to losing £110m Tesco's consumer advertising although Tesco has said it will keep the trade marketing. The imminent Tesco loss, though, also places a very large question mark over the agency's future, still regarded by many in adland as Tesco's house agency despite some notable work for other clients including Magner's and Thinkbox. Without Tesco (and Weinberger) its other principals, including CEO Paul Hammersley, might decide they'd be better off doing something else too.
Which would be quite a comedown for the agency which set up shop with the Tesco account when Sir Frank Lowe fell out with Lowe & Partners owner Interpublic and strode off with the Tesco business, then said to be worth £40m. Lowe retired last year.
As for Weinberger, he sounds pretty cheesed off by the whole business but things can change. Does Tesco still want the man who coined 'Every Little Helps' on its business? Will Sir Martin Sorrell and WPP come calling with an offer for him to join its 'Team Tesco' line-up in what is already the year's most hotly-contested UK pitch?


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Introduced in the late 1960s by British Rail as part of a new corporate image many of these signs are still to be found on modern railway platforms.
British Rail Station Signs
BRM4(1) A6 Pack
Page 1
For larger view of packs - click on images
Poster and timetable boards for detailing a 1970s British Rail Station.
BR Poster Boards 1970s
BRM4(4) A6 Pack
1980s poster and timetable boards.
A selection of speed and other lineside signs to be found on the modern railway.
Modern Lineside Signs
MLSS4 A6 Pack
Signage to be found in the station environment including health & safety and station car park signs.
A selection of information and timetable boards. Pack also includes cash machine and digital screens.
BR Station Signs Pack 2
BRM4(2) A6 Pack
Additional Station Signs
BRM4(3) A6 Pack
BR Poster Boards 1980s
BRM4(4) A6 Pack
Orders by Post
You can also pay by Cheque or Postal Order if you download the form below:
Platform Advertising Posters & Billboards on Page 3
Red Star Parcels Signage
BRM4 RSP A6 Pack
Introduced in the 1960s, Red Star Parcels used passenger stations for transporting parcels between British Rail Stations.The service used scheduled trains and as such was one of the fastest methods of transporting a package long distances nationally. Privatisation of the national network in the late 90s finally saw the demise of Red Star.
Pack has a selection of signage associated with the service and instructions.
RETB Signage
RETB4 A6 Pack
A wide selection of signage associated with rural lines in Scotland, Wales and Suffolk operated by Radio Electronic Token Block. Pack comes with detailed notes and instructions.
For larger view of packs -
click on images
Depot Signage Packs
All the signage you will require if modelling a Traction Maintenance Depot (TMD). Packs include depot company name signs, line side signage as well as a wide range of health & safety signs in addition to other details.
British Rail TMD Signage
TMDBR4 A6 Pack
Railfreight Distribution
TMDRFDist4 A6 Pack
Railfreight Coal
TMDRFCoal4 A6 Pack
Railfreight Petroluem
TMDRFPet4 A6 Pack
Railfreight Construction
TMDRFConst4 A6 Pack
EWS TMD Signage
TMDEWS4 A6 Pack
Freightliner TMD Signage
TMDF4 A6 Pack
Railfreight Metals
TMDRFMet4 A6 Pack
Railfreight General
TMDRFGen4 A6 Pack
General Depot Signage
TMDSigns4 A6 Pack
DB Schenker TMD Signage
TMDDB4 A6 Pack
DRS TMD Signage
TMDDRS4 A6 Pack
Network Rail TMD Signage
TMDNetR4 A6 Pack
These A4 and A6 packs are excellent value and are usually despatched within a day of ordering. Take a look by clicking the link.
Customised Depot Packs
Sankey Scenics is able to offer a range of customised Depot Packs for British Rail, Sectorisation & post privatisation companies. These range from small to large A4 sheets and include named large, medium and small sized signage, a wide range of appropriate lineside signs, health & safety signs, notice boards, CCTV signs and many other details.
For larger view - click on image
For larger view - click on image
Motorail terminal Detailing Pack
motorail4 A5 Pack
Printed to our usual high resolution, this pack contains a wealth of signage and accessories including directional signage, poster & timetable boards, informational signs as well as indicator boards and platform and vehicle loading signage.
We also produce a range of Motorail rolling stock items including coach boards & Panels.
Use the link to visit this page
Take a look in the British Railways Section for other items that might be of use.
British Rail Station Signage
Combination Pack
Comb BRM4(1-3) £8.80
Sankey Scenics also offers Network Rail Station Signage as well as a wide range of customised Station Signage. Take a look at the bottom of this page.
Network Rail Station Signage and Customised Station Packs
Click the link
Sankey Scenics can offer customised Station Packs. A4 Packs come with a selection of nameboards, poster and timetable boards, as well as general station & health and safety signage. These A4 packs provide outstanding value at just £10.75.
In addition to the A4 Station Packs that we offer for some British Rail and regional stations, we also have a numbers of smaller A5 packs that cover a wider range of periods and companies. Here you will find some post privatisation companies and franchise managed stations as well as those managed by Network Rail.
These packs are usually despatched within a day of ordering and are personal to your model railway station. Take a look by clicking this link.
Outstanding Value
Network Rail Station Signage Pack
NetRailSigns4 A5 Pack
These signs tend to be used at the larger Network Rail managed stations. The pack contains a wide range of platform, directional and information signage. There is also a customised pack for Network Rail. Just click Modern Stations Link and see the special offer for combined packs.
Customised Station Packs


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On the second day of the United Nations Earth Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, delegates discussed the importance of agriculture as a means to help reduce world hunger by 2015.
The United Nations estimates about 1.2 billion people worldwide live in poverty. And the UN Food and Agriculture Organization predicts the world population will rise to eight billion in 2030, further straining food resources. Pedro Sanchez, of the University of California, called on governments to concentrate on improving agriculture.
"There is no point having healthy children if they are going to die of malnutrition and also, nobody can be an environmentalist with an empty stomach, so agriculture is inextricably linked with water, energy, health, and bio-diversity."
Many rural areas have low agricultural productivity because of over-use of farmland which triggers erosion and desertification. Global warming also affects its productivity by producing unexpected climate changes with storms, droughts, and floods.
Also Tuesday, a group of members of the European Parliament and delegates visited Alexandra, one of the poorest neighborhoods in South Africa. European Parliament member Gill Evans talked about her impressions.
"There is real abject poverty here, it's been quite shocking for all of us to see just how bad the conditions are and although we have read and heard about it for many years but to see it first hand is quite a sobering experience."
In the meantime, members of non-governmental organizations said summit organizers excluded them by restricting their access to the convention center. NGO delegates said they had more requirements placed on them at the last minute.
"We are being denied our place, to be able to have our voice heard."
Campaigners said the restrictions have led to the silencing of the very people the summit is supposed to help.