text:
Net Neutrality Matters — Here's Why
Net Neutrality rules define high-speed Internet as a utility. Current rules in place by the Federal Communcations Commission (FCC) require Internet Service Providers (ISPs) give all consumers equal access to online content. On Tuesday, November 21, 2017 The FCC, released their plan to tear down the existing regulations, which would allow ISPs to charge users more and block access to some content. No matter your policical leanings, I think we can all agree that equal access for all is imperative for businesses to survive and thrive.
Why this matters for small businesses
Net Neutrality and the ability to access and share information without impediment is critical to the progression of small businesses. Without it, ISPs can give priority access to the "big" websites, leaving yours harder to access by your consumers — longer load times, or blocked completely if you in any way interfere with an ISP's business model. If you don't have a few extra million dollars lying around to pay a company like Comcast to put you in the fast lane, it'll be harder for your regular customers to find your website or shop in your online store.
Huge corporations should not have control of our election software OR our internet. #NetNeutrality is essential to our democracy. pic.twitter.com/nF3Q6pyoxn— Ruben Major (@rubenkmajor) November 22, 2017
We all should be freaking out right now
We have seen what not having Net Neutrality has done for the Internet in other countries. An ISP in Portugal, charges more for access to specific websites on mobile devices — €4.99 per month for unlimited access to Skype, FaceTime, and Whatsapp; another €4.99 if you want to access social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
In Portugal, with no net neutrality, internet providers are starting to split the net into packages. pic.twitter.com/TlLYGezmv6— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) October 27, 2017
The same thing can (and will) happen in America if Net Neutrality rules are dismantled, just look at the hypothetical (but very probable) situation below:
RT if this image makes you sick. This is what an internet without #NetNeutrality could look like. Can't believe this is actually a debate again. pic.twitter.com/4MJg7U6QyJ— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) November 22, 2017
What you can do
The only way to stop this train is to contact your representatives in congress. Let them know that you and your business rely on Net Neutrality to be able to compete in today's online world. Tell them that the Internet should remain in the hands of the people that use it every day.
Services like http://resistbot.io and https://www.battleforthenet.com make it easy to find out who your representatives are and contact them to share your concerns. It takes less than five minutes. The only way for congress to stop the dismantling of Net Neutrality is to know their constituents depend on it.
Here's a starting template — feel free to modify to fit your needs.
Dear [representative],
My name is [your name], and I am a small business owner in Northern Colorado. Net Neutrality is imperative for the growth and success of my business. Without it, it will be more difficult for customers to find my website and support my business. It will be impossible to compete with larger companies that can afford to pay Internet Service Providers for priority access.
Control over the Internet should remain in the hands of the people who use it every day. Data passed over any network should be treated equally by all providers. The ability to share information without impediment is critical to the progression of my business, and all small businesses around the country.
Please stand with the public by protecting Net Neutrality once and for all.
[your name]
Further reading
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_neutrality
- https://www.wired.com/story/heres-how-the-end-of-net-neutrality-will-change-the-internet/
- https://www.savetheinternet.com/net-neutrality-what-you-need-know-now
- https://www.savetheinternet.com/sti-home
Photo Credit: FREE PRESS/CC


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The RockFLEET Tracker is a truly global tracking device designed for permanent use aboard marine vessels and land vehicles. It has an optional GSM unit, which allows it to use terrestrial mobile phone networks when possible, automatically switching to the global Iridium satellite network when GSM is not available.
It is designed for permanent installation on ships, yachts, vehicles and other assets. The unit is waterproof, ruggedised, with a variety of mounting options to suit your needs.
The tracker will wake up on a regular basis, obtain a position using the GPS satellite network, and then transmit that position back to Rock Seven HQ using either GSM/GPRS or the Iridium satellite network. We visualize the positions on an easy-to-use web-based viewer, The Core.
The RockFLEET also allows short messages (like SMS, social media updates and short emails) to be sent using a paired Bluetooth device (such as a smartphone) and the Messenger app. This allows for full two-way communication wherever you are, even when out of mobile network range.
The combination of GSM and Iridium provides a cost effective, and truly global, method of tracking and communicating with your assets wherever they may be.
|Powered By
|9-30v input, with integrated backup
|Transmits Using
|Iridium (plus GSM with GSM option)
|130mm diameter x 50mm high
|350 grams
|IP-68 (submersion up to 3m permanently)
|Other Certifications
MIL-810 F/G (Ruggedness)
|Ideal For
|Permanent Installation on Ships, Yachts, Vehicles etc.
|Tracking Options
|Various tracking options from 1 minute to 12 hours
Line rental is paid in blocks of 1 month, and allows the RockFLEET to exchange information with the Iridium satellite network. You only pay for months in which you wish to use the RockFLEET. No annual contract is required. Line rental costs £17.00 per month and includes access to The CORE management system for monitoring your devices.
Credits are used each time you transmit. 1 credit is used per tracking position or per 50 characters of message sent or received. 1 credit is also used if you check your mailbox and there are no messages waiting (A mailbox check). Credits do not expire unless you do not use your account at all for 12 months. Credits are shared/pooled between all of the devices on your account
|per Credit
|Bundle Price
|50 Credits
|100 Credits
|200 Credits
|500 Credits
|1000 Credits
|2000 Credits
|5000 Credits
|10000 Credits
|20000 Credits
Iridium is the only satellite network that allows transmission of information from any point on Earth - other networks have no coverage in the polar regions, and have intermittent or no coverage in other marine and land areas.
Iridium has 66 satellites in orbit around the Earth, allowing coverage anywhere on Earth 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No other satellite network has truly global coverage. Messages sent via Iridium take just seconds to reach you, via e-mail or directly to your web-service.
RockFLEET uses the Iridium Satellite network. Specifically, it uses an Iridium service called 'Short Burst Data' (SBD). There's some official info here.
At the heart of RockFLEET is an Iridium 9602 modem.
RockSTAR units are used by marine security teams to provide tracking and secure communications with HQ.
Journalists carry our devices to provide a means of tracking and communication from wherever they are.
Horticulturalists use our devices for their remote workers, to provide field safety, and to mark the position of interesting finds.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The American Society of Reproductive Medicine, Oct. 28- Nov. 1
The 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)
The annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine was held from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 in San Antonio and attracted approximately 5,000 participants from around the world, including physicians, researchers, nurses, technicians, and other health care professionals focused on reproductive medicine. The conference featured more than 1,000 abstracts that focused on reproductive biology and more than 200 vendors.
In one study, Pietro Bortoletto, M.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues evaluated the perceptions and attitudes of reproductive endocrinologists and gynecologic surgeons who perform minimally invasive procedures about uterine transplantation.
"We sent a 28-question online survey to over 400 members of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine as well as members of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists. As a whole, 79 percent supported women being able to donate or receive a transplanted uterus," said Bortoletto."Their most common concern with uterine transplantation were the risks associated to the donor (72.7 percent), recipient (51.5 percent), and 56 percent for the infants being born from the transplanted uterus."
The majority (71 percent) of respondents supported uterine transplantation as an ethical surgical procedure; however, only 42.5 percent agreed that it should be considered a potential treatment option for patients with absolute uterine factor infertility.
"Our study demonstrates that a majority of American gynecologists surveyed find uterine transplantation to be an acceptable and ethical treatment option that should be available to patients," said Bortoletto. "As of March 2017, five transplants have taken place in the U.S.; however, four have been removed because of complications. As there are more successful uterus transplants, there is likely to be even greater support for this innovative technique."
Several authors disclosed ties to medical device companies.
Eduardo Hariton, M.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues found that the majority of survey respondents in a nationally representative sample of U.S. residents support uterine transplantation, find it ethical, and believe it is an acceptable alternative to a gestational carrier.
"The ethical aspects and clinical value of uterine transplantation have been controversial. Our objective was to evaluate opinions and attitudes of the general public regarding uterine transplantation in the U.S.," said Hariton.
The investigators sampled a nationally representative group of adult U.S. residents who completed an online questionnaire. The final analysis included 1,247 respondents. The researchers found that 78 percent supported and 4 percent opposed allowing women to undergo uterine transplantation; the remainder were neutral. In addition, two-thirds of respondents found uterine transplantation ethical and also found it to be an acceptable alternative to gestational carriers.
"Respondents' biggest concern regarding uterine transplantation was the safety of the procedure for donors, recipients, and babies," said Hariton. "As a whole, however, the U.S. public is in favor of uterine transplantation as a treatment for uterine-factor infertility."
Two authors disclosed ties to medical device companies.
In another study, Eleni Greenwood, M.D., of the University of California at San Francisco, and colleagues evaluated risk factors for depression among 737 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The investigators found that insulin resistance doubles the risk of depression in women with PCOS.
"Insulin resistance, as measured by HOMA-IR greater than 2.2, was associated with two times increased odds of depression, after controlling for potential confounders," said Greenwood.
Higher levels of anti-mullerian hormone reduced the odds of depression. However, this association was no longer significant in a multivariate model controlling for confounders.
"The next step is to demonstrate whether treating insulin resistance will improve mood in depressed women with PCOS. We are planning a clinical trial to investigate this question, with the hopes of identifying a novel targeted therapeutic option," said Greenwood.
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Marc J. Rogers, M.D., of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, and colleagues evaluated the impact of marijuana use on male reproductive health.
"It is estimated that 22 percent of adults have used marijuana, with a large portion of the users being men of reproductive age. Recent reports indicated that marijuana can have a negative impact overall on a man's fertility potential. However, this data is limited and needs to be expanded upon in order to improve patient care," said Rogers.
He notes that there are only three published clinical studies about the effects of marijuana consumption on fertility.
"In this limited data, neither dosing nor frequency of marijuana usage was controlled, but each of the three studies indicated a worsening of semen parameters. The studies indicated that concentration, motility, and morphology could be affected by marijuana consumption," said Rogers. "At this time, we would counsel men with infertility to cease marijuana usage due to potentially negative impacts. On a larger scale, it is important the fertility field pursues clinical studies in this area to provide better data when counseling marijuana users experiencing fertility issues."
Two authors disclosed ties to health care and medical device companies.
© 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted: November 2017
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text:
- Teststand Libraries
- Product Libraries
- Tool
.net DLL to connect with SEB2 to perform measurements.
This .net DLL is meant to leverage force measurements with DriveTest SEB2 devices in customer applications. It can perform measurements with SEB2 devices. As a result of a measurement, the Peak and RMS values are returned. Also, the course of values is available.
The library is not capable of changing the configuration of SEB2 devices. For this purpose use the program DriveTest PinchPilot. SEB2 .net DLL assumes that the SEB2 device is correctly configured.
As of version 1.2.0, the SEB2 .net Library does not have a license enforcement feature.
The library requires a license to be used. This is enforced by an entitlement management system, which has to be installed on the target system. Plase download and run the following installer in order to use SEB2 .net library. After installation, activation is required, as described in the DriveTest Licensing Manual.
seb2library follows an event based approach to account for the asynchronous process of measurements.
Fires when one of the following Properties changed:
Use this event to react on data changes, like incoming result data of a measurement.
Event Arguments:
Fires when Property MeasurementState changed. Use this Event to monitor the state of a measurement/SEB2.
Event Arguments:
Possible Error values:
The SEB2 device does not check the presence of a sensor before starting a measurement. It is not guaranteed that correct error information matching the situation is passed from the SEB2 device to the library.
Measurement_State possible values:


text:
Still wondering what my HeSo project is? I hinted at it in the last post. Since I was in elementary school, I wanted to be a writer – I sold photocopies of my stories to the kids on the block. In college, I stayed up every night writing a magical realism trilogy. In Mozambique, I enjoyed warm, mosquito-filled nights discussing writing with my roommate, Sojourner. For the last six years I've been meeting with writers about once a month to critique our work. Yes, I've always wanted to be a writer BUT I also had some serious problems with this career choice:
- It can be lonely. I sit across from my laptop for about eight hours a day. When I'm not writing I'm reading, which is also anti-social.
- It's scary. There are no guarantees. In almost every other job, you show up and you get paid. I have been working on my current novel for three years. I spent my savings traveling to Idaho to do research for it. I turn down most social gatherings because I either need time to write, or I'm out of money. Chances are I'll never make a cent for all this hard work. I truly believe that creative pursuits are a calling – a calling that can be full of disappointment but nonetheless impossible to ignore.
- It uses a small part of my skill set. Writing is extremely difficult for me, but I still need other challenges. I love public speaking, I love connecting people, and I love organizing events. The thought of writing a novel is wonderful, but the thought of planning a book tour for my novel is even more exciting!
So my HeSo project is not merely to become a writer, but to become an advocate for writers. I didn't set out to do this – it naturally evolved from my interests. A year ago, I organized a reading for my writers group. This seemed like a fun event to get me away from my computer while still fostering creativity. (I have another reading coming up this November if you'd like to join!)
I had so much fun putting the reading together that I started to think of other social events for writers.That's when the idea of a conference hit me. I had always wanted to go to a conference but they were so expensive, and I kept hearing the same complaint: writers get lost in the crowd and it becomes a competitive environment rather than one of support. I knew plenty of people who have something to share about writing, so I figured why not create a conference that's affordable and supportive.
I organized the first Writers Work conference last May. It was actually surprising how easy it was. I asked about twelve people to present and eight of them jumped at the opportunity to help inspire fellow writers. I was on such a high after the conference, and so many guests were telling me they wanted to come to the next one, I immediately began planning an expanded conference.
This is when all the lessons from my past failures came to help me. I had spent hours learning how to make a website for Brutal First Impressions, so it was easy to make the website for Writers Work. BFI also taught me to be ballsy, so I emailed a company that I really love and basically said, "Listen, this is my dream and I need $500 to get it started." In less than 24 hours, Scrivener sent me the money! (btw, if you want to purchase their amazing writing software, they give all of my readers 20% off the regular license. Enter WRITERSWORK where it asks for a promotional code.) Trying to create a manufactured product, taught me how to handle lots of balls in the air, which helped when booking the venue, getting the speakers, planning the schedule, marketing the event, among many other tasks. Most importantly, my past failures taught me that if the conference wasn't a success, I would eventually get over it.
Well the conference was a HUGE success! Here are just some of the survey responses:
"A fabulous, well-organized event."
"I felt invigorated and inspired by the day."
"I went to the BEST writing workshop ever! It learned so much! I got to meet great people, and even got the chance to pitch my book to a real agent! How amazing!. I cant wait until they do it again!"
"Inspiring, motivating and a great way of connecting with professional writers."
"Stimulating, encouraging, invigorating."
Well it was exhausting planning this conference, and I lost $700 on it, I would have to say it was one of the best moments of my life. I started planning the next conference for this Spring and I'm confident that this one will be profitable. I'm on the path to getting paid to do what I love. It's not easy, but it makes my soul happy.
It's important to stress this was a journey. If I had sat down three years ago and tried to think of what would make me happy, I never would have thought "hey, how 'bout a conference series for writers." I only figured this out by trying lots of different jobs, making lots of mistakes, losing lots of money, and listening to myself. I'm so glad I started this blog over three years ago, and that I got to share this journey with you! I hope this story helps you with your HeSo project.
P.S. I'll be sharing more about this conference in the upcoming weeks!


text:
A love that survived
g for a call.
The silence of the afternoon brought me back to long ago, when my children were small, when the house was so noisy, when we were always busy in the kitchen, when household chores were aplenty.
How time flies.
Two rings brought me back from my reverie. I ran hurriedly and lifted the phone. It was my son Dondon. I knew he would call. It was, after all, Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2009.
"Hi Don, Merry Christmas!" I greeted him happily.
"Merry Christmas too mom," he answered back. There was no joy in his voice. Not his usual jovial tone.
"What is wrong son?" I asked with a little tightening in my chest.
Even if your children are married and have families of their own, and even if they live far from you, the presence of the umbilical cord will always be there. Their problem is still your problem, their joy still your joy.
"Mom, Ninong Jess is dead. He died about an hour ago."
Silence. I could not answer right away. Jess is Pareng Dodong to me, husband of my friend Julie, almost a family.
"How's your Ninang Julie, who is with her?"
"She is OK mom, we are all here. Janice, John Paul, Liza, and the rest. I'm calling from their phone."
I heaved a sigh of relief, grateful and proud of my son and his wife Liza. Janice and John are Julie's kids and the rest meant their other friends.
"Mom? You still there?"
"Yes, can I talk to your Ninang Julie?"
While waiting for Julie, my thoughts went back to the times when we were still neighbors in Mandaluyong; when our kids were born; when our kids started school; and when our kids married.
Yes, our families grew up together. Julie and I, we went thru many happy times and we went thru many sad times too.
I vividly remember this one sad day:
There was a knock on our door. It was Julie. She was crying and between sobs she said, "Mare, can I stay here for a while? I just needed to cry." We call each other Mare because we are godparents of each other's children.
"What happened?" I was a little nervous. I never saw Julie crying before. For me, she is as strong as steel.
"It is your Pareng Dodong," Julie said.
I was beginning to get the picture.
"Well then, no one is in the house except me. Cry to your heart's content, nobody can hear you cry."
I let her cry and she really cried buckets. I knew when to keep silent. I just waited. I knew she would tell. True enough, after several minutes of crying, she did tell.
"Dodong could be leaving us at this very moment Mare," she said.
"I don't understand," I said.
"This afternoon when I came home from work, my maid called my attention to so many crumpled papers in the trash can, she said 'better read it, seems like your husband has a serious problem, he is not himself the whole day'. And so I took one paper and read it."
She cried again. "Oh Mare it hurts," she said in between sobs.
"He wrote to a girl that he loves her, that they could live together. It seems like he is planning to go with the girl."
Did you confront him? I asked.
"Yes of course. I told him if he ever opens the gate and made one step out to meet the girl, even just one small step, he will lose his family and he cannot come back anymore, not even to get his clothes, so he better pack up all his personal things before he goes out. And then I left for here so I could cry. I cannot let him see me cry Mare, I want him to know I am serious and Mare, I really mean it."
And she cried buckets again. I knew Julie meant it. And then she said:
"Mare, I am thinking of the children, what will happen to them? They will grow up without a father. I endured so much just so the children won't grow up in a broken home, but this time, I just can't swallow this anymore. He has to choose, between us, his family, and the girl."
Yes, I am privy to Julie's sacrifices for her children.
One day, many years ago, she came to my house. She just came from enrolling her eldest child in grade one and she asked me to keep her child's school books for her.
"Just until the school opens," she said.
"No problem Mare, but why leave it here and not take it home?" I inquired.
"Dodong does not want me to enroll the kid in a private school. He said it cost so much and we cannot afford it." She looked me in the eye and, almost pleadingly, said: "All I want is a better future for my child." She paused, as if waiting for me to agree with her, then quite suddenly and with a confident tone said, "anyway, I'm sure God will help me."
Julie is a very religious woman and she said it like she has a direct line to heaven and God has just given her that assurance.
True enough, God did help her out—not only with the expenses but with guiding the kids too. The children finished their courses, got good jobs, and grew up into fine adults.
As for Dodong, well, after that make or break day, I visited Julie.
"So Mare, how did it go? Did he make that one crucial step?"
"No Mare, when I arrived home, I found him on the sala. I sat beside him, he held my hand and he cried. He asked forgiveness for what he had done to me and our kids over the past years. He said that when I gave him the ultimatum that he cannot set foot in our house again, he suddenly realized that he loves us so much that just the thought of losing us already breaks his heart."
If there is a turn that is more than 360 degrees, Dodong has surely made it. From one who is always absent on weekends, even on special occasions, Dodong became not only a devoted husband and father but also a devout Catholic. He involved himself in Church and community works. Julie could not pray for more.
If only happy endings are forever.
"Hello?" I was woken up from my reminiscing by Julie's voice on the other end.
"Mare, I am sorry, say goodbye to Pareng Dodong for me."
"It's OK Mare. Dodong is not in pain anymore; he died peacefully. The kids are all here, we were holding Dodong's hands up to his last breath. We were able to say goodbye. He will be with his Maker any moment now."
What a beautiful way to die: To die in your own bed, with your loved ones holding your hands.
Julie's acceptance of Dodong's death somehow eased the sadness I felt.
Years later, Julie and I met again.
Like warriors that had just won a glorious battle, we talked of our grandchildren and how we were able to cope with the trials we went thru in our married life.
"Ay Mare, it was hard. If not for the vow that I made before God, you know, that part about 'in sickness and in health, till death do us part'? I could have given up. Do you know that just to appease my wounded pride, I would often tell myself, 'my partner is sick in spirit, I must be strong," said Julie.
"And there is the love for my kids. Many times I swallowed my pride for their sake." Then she looked at me and said, "My sacrifices didn't go to waste, right Mare?"
I nodded.
Yes, Mare's efforts and sacrifices didn't go to waste. The dream that she dreamt for John Paul and Janice came true.
"Maybe I didn't tell you this Mare but there was a time when I went to see a parish priest. My heart then was so full of pain. I desperately needed someone. I do not know how but I ended up in a church."
Julie never mentioned this to me.
"I am glad Mare that I did, what he said gave new meaning to my sacrifices, gave me courage to go on."
"What was his advice Mare?" I asked.
"He said: 'Persevere, for you are the light of your family. As long as there is light, no matter how dark the situation is, the family will survive.'"
"Suddenly I feel so important. I am the light of my family … how important my part is. If I let temptation and lust put out my light, my home will be in total darkness, so I said to myself, I will persevere; my light will guide my children and my husband."
Then with twinkle in her eyes, Julie smiled and said, "You know what Mare? God never ever left my side; in my sorrow and in my happiness, he is always with me." She paused as if searching for the right words to best describe her feelings, then she continued. "And at times when I felt like giving up? I could feel Him lifting me up. Mare, He lifted me up so many times. I am truly blessed."
She said it like she really felt God was beside her. But yes, maybe this is the pillar of most marriages, the secret that keeps it intact: Faith and commitment. Seems like with love alone it will not survive.
Consolacion "Neng" Zaldivar is 64 years old, has three kids and five grandchildren. Formerly an employee working in Ayala, Makati City, she now lives in Davao City.
What love taught me about copywriting
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text:
On Tuesday, November 6, Suffolk County voters must decide whether to reelect Democrat incumbent US Representative Tim Bishop to his seat representing New York's 1st Congressional District, or take a chance and shake things up with Republican challenger Randy Altschuler.
This year's election is a rematch between the candidates just two years after Bishop defeated Altschuler and earned a fifth term in the House in one of the closest congressional contests of 2010. (Bishop garnered 98,316 votes to Altschuler's 97,723.) The 2012 race could be another nail-biter.
A Siena College Poll of 624 likely voters had Bishop leading by a substantial 13-points in mid September, but an October 12 poll—funded by conservative super PAC Prosperity First—puts Altschuler ahead by three points among the 400 voters surveyed. If 2012 is as close as 2010, every vote will hold significant weight, so it's important to know the candidates.
Tim Bishop
A 12th-generation Southampton resident, Rep. Bishop earned a BA in History from Holy Cross College in 1972 and then received his Masters Degree in Public Administration at Long Island University in 1981.
Bishop, 62, went on to become provost of LIU's Southampton College for 29 years before he ran for office for the first time and won New York's 1st Congressional District seat in 2002. He was reelected four times and has served nine years in the House of Representatives. He is a member of the House's Education and Workforce Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and he is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. Bishop's wife Kathryn is the founder and director of The Children's School for early childhood development in Southampton, and they have two daughters, Molly and Meghan, and one grandchild, Nathan.
Randy Altschuler
A successful businessman/entrepreneur from St. James, Altschuler earned a BA at Princeton University before studying as a Fulbright Scholar in Vienna, Austria and eventually receiving his MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School. Now 42 years old, he currently serves as Executive Chairman of CloudBlue, an electronics recycling company he co-founded after selling his previous business OfficeTiger—a company dedicated to upgrading business support services—in 2006. Altschuler is a member of the Smithtown Chamber of Commerce and an active participant in New Yorkers for Growth, a group created to support "candidates for state and local office who support fiscally responsible policies which will restore our economy." His wife Cheryl is a pediatrician in Shirley and Port Jefferson, and they have two young children, Noah and Sasha.
Bishop has accused Altschuler of outsourcing jobs to other countries with his company Office Tiger, which he founded in 2000 and sold in 2006.
Altschuler admits to having "employees around the world," but contends that without those jobs, he would not have been able to create so many American jobs. Bishop said outsourcing is "the scourge of this economy" and sponsored a bill to stop companies that outsource from receiving federal loans and grants.
Altschuler has accused Bishop of asking for campaign donations in exchange for helping a Southampton resident get permits to have fireworks at his son's bar mitzvah. Bishop denies any wrongdoing and says he has never had his integrity or ethics questioned during his time in the 1st congressional district. He pointed out 15,000 instances when he personally helped constituents in the district.
The Economy
Bishop has supported various tax cuts during his time in the House, but he is also a supporter of progressive and fair taxation, which includes charging greater levies on America's wealthiest earners. He supports the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), which was designed to stop very high-income earners from using deductions, tax breaks and loopholes to avoid paying federal income tax. Bishop is opposed to former President George W. Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and generally opposed to the idea that tax cuts will solve the current economic crisis.
As co-chair of the Democratic Budget Group, Bishop meets weekly with House Democrats and outside experts and officials to discuss budget issues. He is also a member of the "GoBig" Coalition, a bipartisan group of House members trying to reduce the deficit by $3-4 trillion with a mix of spending cuts and closing tax loopholes to increase revenue over 10 years. He voted for the Budget Control Act to cap discretionary spending each year, resulting in $1 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years.
Through his seat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Bishop believes preserving federal investments in infrastructure will add jobs and stimulate the local economy.
Alschuler says he'd like Suffolk County to utilize its research, technology and educational institutions to become "the Silicone Valley of the East," and as a self-made businessman, he says he's the guy to make it happen. He has presented a "10-point plan to foster job creation and investment in Suffolk County's future." Altschuler believes the private sector creates jobs, not government, so laws should make it easier to create those jobs. He wants to create less regulatory roadblocks and more tax breaks for startup companies, such as doubling the minimum amount of revenue generated before regulatory laws kick in.
Altschuler wants to simplify and reform the tax code without raising taxes. He supports extending the Bush tax cuts, he wants to cut taxes by 20% for small businesses with fewer than 500 employees, eliminate the death tax, repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax and cut corporate income tax by 25% while also closing the loopholes in the corporate tax structure. He also wants to adopt a territorial tax system so US companies operating overseas aren't taxed twice.
He says excessive inspections and permitting has made it difficult for small businesses to grow, so he plans to eliminate or reduce these overextended processes for residents and businesses as well.
Bishop voted in favor of President Barack Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as "Obamacare," designed to make health insurance affordable and available to all Americans. He believes Obamacare gives the upper hand to patients instead of insurance companies and that it keeps healthcare decisions between doctors and patients. The plan does not allow insurance companies to deny coverage for preexisting conditions, it doesn't allow limits on coverage costs during the year or a patient's lifetime, and it allows children to stay on their parents' insurance plans until age 26. Bishop says repealing Obamacare would increase Medicare premiums and take away tax credits for small businesses. Bishop has fought against excessive premium increases and supported legislation to ensure premium increases are not adding to insurance company profit margins. He supports research in cancer, Alzheimer's disease and other illnesses.
Altschuler opposes Obamacare, which he calls a "big-government takeover of healthcare," and he supports repealing and replacing it. He admits the healthcare system is flawed and he agrees with certain parts of the Affordable Care Act—such as stopping discrimination against those with preexisting conditions—but Altschuler says it is far too costly and it scraps the best quality of care in the world for "European-style socialized medicine." Instead, he supports allowing insurance to be sold across state lines to increase competition and lower rates. He supports giving small businesses the ability to pool together and buy healthcare for employees at a lower group rate, and he believes medical decisions should remain between doctors and patients, not insurance companies or government bureaucrats. He says the legislation would cost about $1.7 trillion over 10 years, yet it won't reduce the cost of healthcare or place focus on medical malpractice tort reform.
The Environment
Bishop is a staunch advocate for environmental protection and intelligent use of natural resources. He has stood against sacrificing the environment to reward heavy industry and he has secured more than $35 million to preserve beaches and waterways. Bishop helped advance the dredging local harbors and inlets to allow fishing and other maritime industry access. He received a 100% on the League of Conservation Voters' National Environmental Scorecard in 2011.
Altschuler supports an all-inclusive national energy strategy to reduce US dependence on foreign oil and lower energy prices for consumers. He believes in pursuing renewable energy and environmentally responsible offshore drilling. Altschuler promotes private investment in renewable energies, such as wind, solar, water and bio-fuels to conserve natural resources, help the environment and create future jobs in the green energy industry.
Bishop, a former college provost, is recognized for his work to make higher education affordable for everyone. He is a member of the House Education and Workforce Committee and the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.
Altschuler says parents and teachers and local school boards should guide educational policy in their own districts. He believes in reforming tenure so bad teachers are not rewarded for longevity and classroom results are recognized with merit pay.
Gay Rights, Abortion, Gun Control, Immigration
Bishop, who has a gay daughter, is against the Defense of Marriage Act and believes gays should have the right to marry. He also voted to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. He believes in a woman's right to choose and has a 100% pro-choice voting record. Bishop opposes the absolute right to gun ownership and has voted in support of various gun control measures. He supports immigration reform and voted in favor of the Mexican border fence, but Bishop is in favor of earned legalization and he voted in favor of the Dream Act giving undocumented youth a chance at citizenship.
Altschuler says he believes marriage should be between one man and one woman, but same sex couples should be allowed to enter into a civil union that allots them the same rights as married couples. He is pro-life, though Altschuler recently confirmed that he is not in favor of forcing victims of rape or incest, or women whose health is in danger to take pregnancy to term. He received an "A" rating by the National Rifle Association and has been endorsed by gun groups. Altschuler supports comprehensive immigration reform, including the defensive of US borders, and he says illegal immigrants should not be rewarded with amnesty.


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Data Processing or EDP Coverage: All risk property insurance for electronic data processing equipment (computers), computer programs and data including mechanical breakdown, electrical injury and changes in temperature and humidity
Death Benefit: The amount of money paid to the beneficiary when the insured person dies.
Decreasing Term Insurance: Term life insurance on which the face value slowly decreases in scheduled steps from the date the policy comes into force to the date the policy expires, while the premium remains level. The intervals between decreases are usually monthly or annually.
Debris Removal: The cost of removal of debris from covered property damaged by an insured peril
Deductible: The amount of loss which is paid or absorbed by the insured prior to determining the insurance company's liability
Deposit Premium: The amount of premium required at the beginning of a policy prior to the actual premium being determined
Depreciation: The reduction in value of property over a period of time. Usually as a result of age, wear and tear, or economic obsolescence
Direct Damage: Causes of loss that produce direct and straightforward property damage (without interruption in time or deviation in space) from the cause of the event to the damaged property
Double Indemnity: Payment of twice the basic benefit in the event of loss resulting from specified causes or under specified circumstances.
Driver Other Car Endorsement: An endorsement that can be added to an automobile policy that gives protection while the insured designated in the endorsement is driving a car other than the one named in the policy
Drop Down Provision: A clause used in Umbrella policies providing that the Umbrella will 'drop-down' over underlying policy aggregate limits when they have been reduced or exhausted
Abandonment: As used in property insurance, prohibits the insured from abandoning damaged property to the insurance company for repair or disposal.
Accelerated Benefits Rider: An adjustment (rider) to a life insurance policy that allows for the early payment of some portion of the policy's face amount should the insured suffer from a terminal illness or injury.
Accidental Death Benefit Rider: An adjustment (rider) to a life insurance policy that provides for payment of an additional cash benefit when death occurs by accidental means. This amount depends on the value of the policy.
Accidental Death Insurance: An Insurance poicy that provides payment if the insured's death occurs as a results from an accident.
Accounts Receivable Coverage: Covers loss of sums owed to the insured by its customers that are uncollectible due to damage by an insured peril to accounts receivable records
Actual Cash Value (ACV): Cost to repair or replace damaged property with materials of like kind and quality, less depreciation
Additional Insured: A person or organization for whom insured status is arranged by endorsement
Advertising Injury: General liability coverage that insures against libel, slander, invasion of privacy, copyright infringement and misappropriation of advertising in connection with the insured's advertising of its goods or services
Agent: An authorized representative of an insurance company.
Aggregate: The maximum amount an insurance company will pay during the policy
All Risk Coverage: Property insurance covering loss arising from all causes of loss except those that are specifically excluded
Annually Renewable Term: Term insurance that provides coverage for one year and allows the policy owner to renew his or her coverage each year.
Application: A form with the information needed for an insurance company to underwrite and rate a specific policy
Assignment Assignment: The transfer of ownership of a Life Insurance policy from one person to another.
Attained Age: Your current age. Your attained age is a factors life insurance companies use to determine premiums.
Audit: A verification of the financial records, usually payroll or receipts, of an organization to determine exposures and premiums
Automobile: A land motor vehicle, trailer or semi-trailer designed for travel on public roads, not including 'mobile equipment'


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For the cake you need:
- 8 dates (date palm fruit)
- 100-200g/3.5 -7oz walnuts,
- ½ an orange,
Glaze: 3 tsp cocoa powder,
6 tsp unpasteurized honey,
Cream: 200g/7oz macadamia or almonds,
½ a tsp freshly squeezed lemon,
1 tsp honey
Cake: Dip the walnuts into filter water in a smaller bowl for 2h.
Take the seeds out of the date then put into another bowl with water for 15 minutes. Take the dates out of the water, put onto a flat surface and cut into small cubes. Drain the walnuts, discard the water. Put in a blender briefly or cut with a knife finely.
Empty the walnuts over the dates, drain a couple of juice drops and fold in with your fingers so as to evenly distribute the walnuts inside the date mixture. Make a ball from this mass and leave in the fridge for 15 minutes. Take the mixture out of the fridge, roll out with a pin to a 4mm (pinkie-width) layer. If the rolling pin is sticky, sprinkle the surface with cocoa powder.
With a smaller glass, cut out oval shapes and place them carefully on a plate or serving tray, then in the fridge for 1h to stiffen up.
Prepare the chocolate glaze:
Note: if using macadamia nuts instead of almonds, don't steep them in water.Cream: Steep the almonds in water overnight. In the morning, discard the water and peel the brown shells. Blend, add a little filter water so the water is a pinkie-width below the almond level in the blender. Blend so you get a creamy texture. In a deep plate, place 1 tsp honey, a drop of half a lemon and add the macadamia or almond mixture gradually,
until all the batter from the blender is poured out. Put this cream in the fridge for 1h. Take out the slices and cream. With a small teaspoon, take the cream and flip the spoon closer to either end of the cookie's edge, so that 2/3 of the cookie base is covered with snow. Take the rest of the glaze, mix with a teaspoon and drizzle over the snow.
Put in the fridge.
Source: Raw vegans serbia


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Sagala Ratnayaka '93
February 01, 2007
Sagala Ratnayaka initially set his sights on a career in international banking. When he was approached by the head of one of Sri Lanka's leading political parties to run for a provincial office, though, Ratnayaka saw it as a welcome opportunity to be of service to his community.
Ratnayaka graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a bachelor's degree in business and administrative studies. While a student, he worked as a resident assistant—a job, he later observed, that had much in common with being an elected representative—and participated in the Munich overseas study program. Following graduation, he returned to his native country and spent six years working in international finance before receiving the call to enter politics. He subsequently won a position on Sri Lanka's Southern Provincial Council representing the right-of-center United National Party in 1999. Two years later, he secured a parliamentary seat as one of Sri Lanka's youngest legislators. Following his party's 2002 victory, Ratnayaka was elevated to the rank of deputy minister of power and energy, a sector that required extensive reforms to meet the island's growing energy needs. He was also put in charge of the National Youth Corps, the country's youth development program.
Ratnayaka, who has been instrumental in Sri Lanka's recovery from the December 2004 tsunami, currently serves as an opposition member of parliament representing the Matara District. He holds membership in the parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms and the parliamentary consultative committee on power and energy.


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| 10.9°C Belfast
The reported departure of Ryan Giggs from Manchester United would break one of the club's strongest remaining links with the glorious Sir Alex Ferguson era.
And while a club legend leaves Old Trafford, one of the most recognisable names in world football arrives, with United announcing the signing of striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The 34-year-old Swede was a free agent after his contract at Paris St Germain expired at the end of last season.
"I am absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester United and am looking forward to playing in the Premier League," he said.
"It goes without saying that I cannot wait to work with Jose Mourinho once again. He is a fantastic manager and I am ready for this new and exciting challenge."
For two decades Giggs has been at the heart of the success enjoyed by United's all-conquering side under Ferguson and it will be strange to see him working anywhere but Old Trafford in future.
His first steps into coaching over the past two seasons under Louis van Gaal - after calling time on his illustrious playing career - have not gone smoothly. Indeed, his close association with the much-criticised, ponderous possession-based style of Van Gaal probably damaged his hopes of succeeding the Dutchman as manager.
But as he moves on in hope of furthering his coaching career elsewhere, the Welshman does so as nothing less than a hero at United.
He was a local boy who not only fulfilled his youthful potential but also achieved so much more. He always seemed destined for greatness after bursting onto the scene in exhilarating fashion as a 17-year-old but he went on to become the most decorated player in the English game.
Ryan Wilson was born in Cardiff but moved to Salford at the age of seven. He adopted his mother's maiden name, Giggs, after his parents split up.
He endured a difficult childhood but excelled on the football field. He caught the eye of Manchester City but United nipped in to sign him on his 14th birthday in November 1987. Ferguson was impressed by his pace and mesmerising dribbling ability and thrust him into the first team at just 17.
He won his first silverware as a member of the side that beat Nottingham Forest in the 1992 League Cup final but, perhaps as significantly, he was also in the United team that won the FA Youth Cup that year. The core of that side - the famed 'Class of 92' of Giggs, Gary Neville, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt - went on to provide the nucleus of the first team that swept all before them under Ferguson.
As time went on he became less of a flying winger with a knack of scoring spectacular goals and more of an intuitive midfielder but, such were his high levels of fitness, his influence waned little.
When he finally hung up his boots at the age of 40 in 2014 he had made 963 appearances for United and won 34 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues, and scored 168 goals.
By the time of his retirement he had already moved into coaching, having worked as player-coach under David Moyes.
He even got a brief taste of life in the hotseat by serving as caretaker boss for four games following the sacking of Moyes in April 2014. Going on to work as assistant under Van Gaal seemed a logical step but it proved a difficult two years as United fell well short of challenging for the Premier League title.
The club are now heading in a different direction under Jose Mourinho and, for the first time in almost 30 years, it appears Giggs will not be a part of it.
Belfast Telegraph


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Correlation is a technique for investigating the relationship between two quantitative, continuous variables, for example, age and blood pressure. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) is a measure of the strength of the association between the two variables.
The first step in studying the relationship between two continuous variables is to draw a scatter plot of the variables to check for linearity. The correlation coefficient should not be calculated if the relationship is not linear. For correlation only purposes, it does not really matter on which axis the variables are plotted. However, conventionally, the independent (or explanatory) variable is plotted on the x-axis (horizontally) and the dependent (or response) variable is plotted on the y-axis (vertically).
The nearer the scatter of points is to a straight line, the higher the strength of association between the variables. Also, it does not matter what measurement units are used.
Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) for continuous (interval level) data ranges from -1 to +1:
Positive correlation indicates that both variables increase or decrease together, whereas negative correlation indicates that as one variable increases, so the other decreases, and vice versa.
Identify the approximate value of Pearson's correlation coefficient. There are 8 charts, and on choosing the correct answer, you will automatically move onto the next chart.
Tip: that the square of the correlation coefficient indicates the proportion of variation of one variable 'explained' by the other (see Campbell & Machin, 1999 for more details).
Statistical significance of r
The t-test is used to establish if the correlation coefficient is significantly different from zero, and, hence that there is evidence of an association between the two variables. There is then the underlying assumption that the data is from a normal distribution sampled randomly. If this is not true, the conclusions may well be invalidated. If this is the case, then it is better to use Spearman's coefficient of rank correlation (for non-parametric variables). See Campbell & Machin (1999) appendix A12 for calculations and more discussion of this.
It is interesting to note that with larger samples, a low strength of correlation, for example r = 0.3, can be highly statistically significant (ie p < 0.01). However, is this an indication of a meaningful strength of association?
NB Just because two variables are related, it does not necessarily mean that one directly causes the other!
Nine students held their breath, once after breathing normally and relaxing for one minute, and once after hyperventilating for one minute. The table indicates how long (in sec) they were able to hold their breath. Is there an association between the two variables?
The chart shows the scatter plot (drawn in MS Excel) of the data, indicating the reasonableness of assuming a linear association between the variables.
Hyperventilating times are considered to be the dependent variable, so are plotted on the vertical axis.
Output from SPSS and Minitab are shown below:
Select Analysis>Correlation>Bi-variate
Correlations: Normal, Hypervent
Pearson correlation of Normal and Hypervent = 0.966
P-Value = 0.000
In conclusion, the printouts indicate that the strength of association between the variables is very high (r = 0.966), and that the correlation coefficient is very highly significantly different from zero (P < 0.001). Also, we can say that 93% (0.9662) of the variation in hyperventilating times is explained by normal breathing times.
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The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has recommended an insurance rate reduction of 12.9% for Illinois employers. This recommendation reflects the massive reduction in costs of providing workers' compensation coverage since the 2011 Amendments to the Workers' Compensation Act. Now we will wait to see if insurance companies will follow the direction of the NCCI and pass these savings along to Illinois businesses or keep premiums artificially inflated.
Reflecting on the NCCI's recommendation and the 2011 Amendments to the Workers' Compensation Act, Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) stated "Democrats and Republicans want to see lower costs for employers and cuts to waste and fraud in the system. The recommendation of significant cost reductions for Illinois employers shows that the reforms put in place in 2011 are doing just that, while still protecting the health and security of workers injured on the job through no fault of their own."
The savings in workers' compensation costs derive from an 30% cut in payment to medical providers for services rendered to injured workers, decreasing awards to injured workers that compensate them for their permanent disability, capping awards for work-related carpal tunnel syndrome and limiting the length of time a person may receive an award for wage differential benefits, among other limitations. These cuts have resulted in savings of well over 750 million dollars, yet the insurance carriers have pocketed these savings as profit instead of passing the savings along to businesses and consumers in the form of rate reductions.
In 2015 House Democrats voted to pass HB 1287. This bill would direct a state commission to analyze workers' compensation insurance rates and determine why the savings are not being passed on to employers. Inexplicably, this sensible legislation was opposed by the House Republicans and Gov. Rauner.
In discussing this House Bill, Rep. Hoffman noted that the legislation "would make sure our reforms are benefiting employers, not enriching insurance companies." He went on to say, "I hope that politicians who have championed cuts that would hurt middle class families will fight just as hard to ensure employers get the savings they are owed from big insurance companies."
We agree with Rep. Hoffman and applaud the work that he and his fellow Representatives are doing to protect workers' rights while making sure that cost savings are passed along to Illinois businesses in the form of premium reductions. Is the Governor's agenda to help Illinois' businesses or just to limit benefits to injured workers and hurt middle class families?
Source: State Rep. Jay Hoffman's Office
The leaders of the House and Senate have called the members of the Illinois General Assembly back to Springfield on December 3, 2013 to vote on legislation that may profoundly affect the pension rights of current and retired employees of the State of Illinois.
While the actual bill has yet to be drafted, initial reports indicate that it will not be friendly to the futures of State employees. It will limit cost of living increases that allow seniors' pensions to keep up with rising inflation, raise the retirement age, cap salaries and must importantly exclude pension issues from collective bargaining.
The Illinois Retirement Security Initiative states that 2009 census data indicates the Illinois average pension benefit was $27,400. They also note that nearly 80% of the retirees receiving benefits from an Illinois pension fund do not receive Social Security benefits.
The vast majority of retirees that receive a State pension are people who work hard every day on behalf of the citizens of Illinois. They are law enforcement officers, teachers, nurses' aides, prison guards, among other workers. They teach the developmentally disabled, patrol the highways, guard violent offenders and assist the elderly. They do difficult, sometimes dangerous and often thankless jobs on our behalf and deserve to have promises made to them, about their futures, honored.
Interestingly, "According to the Illinois State Comptroller, pension benefits paid to regular state employees in Illinois are low relative to benefits provided by other states. Illinois ranks in the bottom one fifth of all states for retirement benefits paid to an average state worker. The total of all participants in the state's pension plans represent only 5.3% of Illinois' total population. In fact, Illinois ranks dead last in the nation, in number of employees per capita." Illinois Retirement Security Initiative citing the Illinois State Comptroller.
On a day where the strongest voices advocating a change to the Pension system are multi-millionaires who do not need to be concerned about food and shelter as they enter the later years of their lives, the working people of this State need to support the people who have spent their lives working on our behalf.
Please call your Senator and Representative and tell them that you will not support a change to the Illinois Pension system that threatens the State's employees and retirees. If you are not certain about who represents you in the General Assembly please click here and you will be directed to your Senator and Representative.


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We first saw it testing on California roads and now the same model has appeared testing on its more familiar roads back in Europe. Well, the new 2018 Opel Insignia Sports Tourer was testing in California for a reason; the reason is that GM is looking to rebrand the model and sell it as the Buick Regal wagon in the US market. Read along for more information:
2018 Opel Insignia Sports Tourer Exterior
The 2018 Opel Insignia Sports Tourer new design is inspired by the Monza Concept. Most of the changes will be at the front and rear fascias. The car looks longer and wider. At the front, the model looks to have a more upright snout. The grille was also wrapped meaning it will be upgraded. Most likely, new, slimmer LED headlights will flank the grille. There will also be bigger side air intakes. These features will give the new Opel Insignia Sports Tourer a sportier stance.
The rear fascia also looks different. The most notable change is the slanting, shooting brake-like roofline. This feature is particularly inspired by the Monza concept. The taillights also look slimmer and narrower while the automaker has opted for utilitarian design for the rear bumper.
2018 Opel Insignia Sports Tourer Interior
The prototype our spy photographers captured testing was under heavy camouflage and they could not get snapshots of the cabin. However, I expect an upgraded cabin from the one on the outgoing model. Since the new wagon has a slightly longer wheelbase and wider body, the model will have better shoulder room and legroom. The headroom of the rear seats will also suffer due to the more slanting roofline. The new dimensions also mean the wagon could get a bigger cargo space, even segment leading.
The wagon will also get latest technologies including IntelliLink infotainment system, a Wi-Fi hotspot and OnStar. Expect the wagon to feature a huge digital display mounted on the dash. This feature will be borrowed from the Monza Concept. In addition, the Sports Tourer will also have a heads up display.
The cabin will be upholstered in a premium cloth on the lower trims and leather on the top trims. Safety-wise, the model will get a host of driving assists among other safety features. We will update you with more information once Opel makes such information available.
Engine Specs and performance
Under the hood, the Insignia Sports Tourer will feature an array of 4-cylinder gasoline and diesel mills. There is also a possibility of a 3-cylinder mill to save on gas while other rumors intimate that the V-6 mill will likely be dropped for the Insignia Sports Tourer just as the automaker did with the Malibu. Confirmed engines include a turbocharged 1.5 L, 4-cylinder EcoTec engine that is capable of producing 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. GM currently uses this engine on the Malibu. It is EPA rated at 27 mpg in city and 37 mpg in highway drives.
According to reports, the turbocharged 2.0 L, 4-cylinder mill will be upgraded to produce 256 hp. Due to this upgrade, the 2.8 L, V-6 may be dropped leaving the 2.0 L, 4-cylinder unit as the most powerful engine. The current V-6 produces 247 hp and 300-lb-ft of torque.
Over to diesel mills, the model will likely continue with the 2.0 L, 4-cylinder that produces 170 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. There will be a bi-turbo version of this engine that will be capable of producing 200hp and 310 lb-ft of torque.
According to rumors, there will be a hybrid engine but details about the drive-train are still scanty. Most likely, Opel will borrow the technology used by its distant cousin, the Malibu Hybrid. There will also be a performance dedicated OPC version but it s not clear whether it will use an upgraded version of the 2.0 L, 4-cylinder mill or the V-6.
The engines will be paired with an 8-speed automatic gearbox with an option for a 6-speed manual system for those who would what to be more engaged in driving their Sports Tourer.
Price and release date
As of this writing, the price of the 2018 Opel Insignia Sports Tourer is a closely guarded secret by Opel. However, considering the fierce competition in the market, I do not expect the model's price to increase significantly. The current model has a starting price of $28,100. Most likely, the new model could attract around $28,500. The model will likely hit dealerships in the second half of this year.
The 2018 Insignia Sports Tourer will sweat it out with other impressive wagons led by the iconic Volkswagen Passat Estate. The Ford Mondeo Estate, a model launched recently in 2014 will also be a model to watch in this segment.


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A bad escort ad is one where you barely describe yourself and only have a titty/ass photo on display. Sure, guys love looking at naked women, but in the case of hiring an escort, men like to have a clue as to who you are as a woman. Your job is to fulfill his fantasy and he needs to get a taste of who you are and what you're offering. Are you coquettish?
Domineering? Playful? We all want to know what we're paying for so give him a taste. Not too much. Your objective should be simply to pique his interest. If he's interested then he'll pick up the phone and you can work from there.
This is one of our recent favorite ads. It's a favorite because her photos are clear, not blurry and seductive. She's clear about the type of man she wants to meet, "well groomed, mature men". She's also clear about what she offers "classy, down to earth, mistress." This ad instantly draws a man: he WANTs to meet her.
This ad is very provocative, but there is absolutely NO INFORMATION. We know that she has big tits and that's about it. Bad ad. If she described her personality more she'd get better results, while with this ad, she's probably getting calls from Tom Cruise Risky Business types. Of course, underage clientele is not what we want.
Decent ad, simple and seductive. She's clearly pretty, tells us that she's outgoing and she gives you the option of exploring her good side or naughty side. TURN ON! She would probably benefit from adding more but this is good. She is definitely working. And isn't that objective? Of course!
Nice titty shot, but that's about it. Your buyer needs to know who you are and what you're offering. This photo tells us nothing about this woman. We need more.
This is also a bad ad, however her saving grace is the link to her reviews. The reviews will definitely get the men curious, however she would benefit if she posted more about her personality.
This is an example of one of the absolute worst ads. Why? Well, she barely describes herself and most importantly there is no picture. No picture is very simply BAD BUSINESS. Would you buy a car you couldn't look at? Always post a photo, ladies. It will only help your business. And also important, please make sure the photo you post is clear. A blurry photo is a no-no. A blurry photo makes your suitor think that you're hiding something.
There are countless bad ads on the market. To avoid a bad ad describe who you are as a woman and what you're looking for in a man. Make it short and sweet and your ad will bring you countless clients. Remember:
- Be positive, fun and/or sexy in the ad.
- Post a clear picture of yourself. You're attempting to lure clients, so sound appealing.
- Be informative. Describe your offer and expectations.
- Never post your address or bad experiences.
Pique his interest and he'll be happy to schedule an appointment with you.
Remember that on SkipTheGames.com the description of your companionship is not censored in any way.


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London, UK, August 14th 2008: Imagination Technologies, the leader in mobile graphics technologies, reports that POWERVR SGX is the world's first 3D graphics acceleration solution to achieve conformance on commercially available production silicon for all of the Khronos mobile 2D and 3D graphics APIs OpenGL ES 2.0, OpenGL ES 1.1 and OpenVG 1.0 — reinforcing POWERVR's credentials as the leading mobile and embedded graphics acceleration solution.
APIs, or application programming interfaces, enable software applications to use the power of advanced hardware in a high level, well defined and structured way. Conformance was achieved using Texas Instruments' POWERVR SGX enabled OMAP3430 application processor.
Production-ready SoCs utilising its industry-leading POWERVR SGX graphics acceleration technology are now designed into more than 20 announced MID, UMPC and other board level products with many more due within the next six to nine months. The first phones capable of delivering OpenGL ES 2.0 support, enabled by POWERVR, will enter the market in Q4 2008.
Imagination's POWERVR MBX 3D acceleration core is also conformant with Khronos' OpenVG 1.0.1 and OpenGL ES 1.1 APIs.
POWERVR SGX is currently available in SoCs from Intel, NEC and Texas Instruments, and several further key industry leaders are also committed to POWERVR SGX based platforms.
Says Tony King-Smith, VP marketing, Imagination Technologies: "";High performance, fully conformant support for open standards such as the Khronos APIs is a key strength of all of our IP core technologies. The graphics-driven content revolution is being enabled across many markets by the combination of Imagination's POWERVR hardware and the industry standard Khronos APIs for graphics, which are now available across an ever growing range of operating systems and hardware platforms."";
Says Neil Trevett, president of the Khronos Group: "";We congratulate Imagination on this important trio of conformance achievements particularly as it is the first organization to achieve certification for OpenGL ES 2.0 based on production silicon. OpenGL ES 2.0 enables fully-programmable 3D graphics on embedded systems. With the support of major suppliers such as Imagination, OpenGL ES 2.0 will usher in a new generation of devices that will enable revolutionary applications, ultimately driving consumer demand."";
Supplementary Information
Imagination's POWERVR graphics technology, which has been highly optimized for mobile devices, is already deployed in volume SoCs from leading semiconductor manufacturers including Texas Instruments, Renesas, NXP, Freescale, Samsung, SiRF and Intel, with chips from several other manufacturers yet to come.
POWERVR MBX graphics, which supports OpenGL ES 1.1 and OpenVG, dominates the market today for graphics acceleration shipping in mobile phones, PMPs, PNDs and MIDs.
POWERVR SGX brings a fully unified shader environment to mobiles, while retaining full compatibility with existing POWERVR MBX applications. Shaders are a technique used extensively in games consoles and other high end graphics platforms for creating advanced effects which enable more realistic and compelling images to be created. Unlike traditional 3D rendering, shaders are programmable, enabling the content developers' creativity to become the defining factor on the appearance of a game, user interface or other application.
The POWERVR SGX architecture is uniquely scalable, with IP (Intellectual Property) cores in the family targeting entry level handsets, through smartphone and MID, up to netbooks and laptops. The small sizes of the IP cores and the uniquely efficient patented tile-based deferred shading architecture allow chip makers to keep the clock-speed of the core low and memory bandwidth the lowest in the industry, extending battery life.
POWERVR SGX's patented tiled-based deferred rendering and multi-threaded Universal Scalable Shading Engine (USSETM) keep graphics processing on chip and are critical in ensuring that the POWERVR SGX GPU architecture can deliver optimal performance from any given silicon area or memory subsystem while minimising power consumption by eliminating unnecessary processing.
For further information, please see www.imgtec.com/powervr/powervr-graphics.asp.
About Imagination Technologies
Imagination Technologies Group plc (FTSE:IMG) a leader in semiconductor System on Chip Intellectual Property (SoC IP) creates and licenses market-leading embedded
graphics, video and display accelerators, multi-threaded processors and multi-standard receiver technologies. These IP solutions are complemented by dynamic and extensive developer and middleware ecosystems. Target markets include digital radio and audio; mobile phone multimedia; personal media players (PMP); in-car navigation and driver information; personal navigation devices (PND); Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) and Mobile Internet Device (MID); digital TV & set-top box; and mobile TV. Its licensees include leading semiconductor and consumer electronics companies, as well as innovative leading edge start-up and fabless semiconductor companies. Imagination has corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom, with sales and R&D offices worldwide. See: www.imgtec.com.
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text: polls Stateside: Coming home as a Michigan veteran; the viability of statewide passenger rail By Stateside Staff • Oct 8, 2018 Unsplash Today on Stateside, pollster Richard Czuba on how news consumers should be looking at media coverage of polls in 2018. Plus, Stateside kicks off a week-long series about the challenges Michigan veterans face connecting with VA benefits after returning to civilian life. Two veterans, one who served in Vietnam and one who served in Iraq, discuss their experiences navigating life after returning home from war. Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below. Fake polls are a thing, so how can you tell the difference? By Stateside Staff • Aug 24, 2017 Kid Rock / YouTube Listen Listening... / 10:01 Stateside's conversation with Harry Enten, senior political writer for FiveThirtyEight. There seems to be growing public doubt about political polls ever since Donald Trump unexpectedly won the presidency, when many polls had him trailing Hillary Clinton. Harry Enten, a senior political writer at FiveThirtyEight, recently looked at a poll released by Delphi Analytica that showed, in a hypothetical U.S. Senate race, sitting Senator Debbie Stabenow trailing Michigan native Kid Rock, although Rock hasn't officially announced his candidacy. Trump victory shows polling habits die hard By Stateside Staff • Nov 9, 2016 user jaina / Creative Commons Listen Listening... / 5:21 Our conversation with Zach Gorchow from Gongwer News Service. Many Americans were stunned and blindsided by Donald Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton. That's largely because months and months of polls pointed to a defeat of our new president-elect. Zach Gorchow, editor of Gongwer News Service, joined us today to talk about those polls. "Polling has a lot of problems. It's just not able to model the electorate successfully, and that seems to be especially true in Michigan," Gorchow said. "It just flat out failed to model the African-American turnout correctly, it failed to model the rural turnout correctly." Presidential campaigns looking down the ballot in Michigan By Steve Carmody • Oct 23, 2016 steve carmody / Michigan Radio There's little more than two weeks left before the November 8 election. Recent polls have shown Democrat Hillary Clinton holding a double-digit lead in Michigan. Stephen Neuman is the senior adviser for the Michigan coordinated campaign. He says they are now looking to use those poll numbers to help Democrats down the ballot. "We are working to include targeted House races, both targeted state House and congressional races, on the various scripts we use both on the phones and at the doors," says Neuman. Trump's slumping polls may be affecting Michigan congressional race By Steve Carmody • Oct 13, 2016 Steve Carmody / Michigan Radio Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's sagging poll numbers in Michigan may be behind a surprising rise in TV ad buys in one state congressional race. Michigan Radio/PSC poll on hot topics in 2015 By Stateside Staff • Dec 9, 2015 users Automobile Italia, lyle, michigan municipal league, chrismetcalfTV, / Flickr - http://michrad.io/1LXrdJM As 2015 winds down, it seems like a good time to see what Michigan voters think about a variety of issues that made headlines over this year. Michigan Radio and Public Sector Consultants explored voter opinions on topics ranging from drinking water safety to concealed pistols to making the Legislature more effective and lots more. Here are the topline results from the topics we explored: Water Safety What's your favorite apple? Honeycrisp, by far By Paula Friedrich • Oct 8, 2015 Paula Friedrich / Michigan RAdio We asked, you answered: Honeycrisp is the best apple. If we're being real, it wasn't much of a contest. Almost 50% of you voted for the Honeycrisp in our poll for "'Best Apple to Eat." A clear showing of Michigan's refined culinary palette--Honeycrisp apples are known to be kind of a "diva" to grow. Michigan Radio/PSC poll finds support for redistricting changes, and for recreational marijuana use By Mark Brush • Sep 8, 2015 Elkanah Tisdale / Boston Centinel, 1812 Michigan Radio and Public Sector Consultants conducted a poll of 600 likely voters from Aug. 4-8 about how they felt financially, possible changes in redistricting, and the potential legalization of recreational marijuana. In terms of those saying they're better off, Jeff Williams, CEO of Public Sector Consultants says things look relatively "rosy" for Michigan. More than half say they're "about the same," and around a quarter of them say they're "better off." Michigan Radio/PSC poll finds no strong support for Snyder's DPS funding plan By Michigan Radio Newsroom • May 27, 2015 Sarah Cwiek / Michigan Radio Voters believe providing education for Detroit students is the state's duty, but don't think Governor Snyder's recent proposal is the way to do it, according a recent poll conducted by Public Sector Consultants and Michigan Radio. Of the 600 likely voters polled, 82% agreed the state has an obligation to provide a quality education to all kids in Detroit, but answers varied when it came down to how to fund that education. A new poll shows gaps in children's behavioral health treatment By Steve Carmody • May 18, 2015 Steve Carmody / Michigan Radio A new poll shows parents are hesitant to talk to doctors about their children's behavioral challenges. Temper, anxiety and concentration can be major behavioral health issues for children. But a new Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health shows a large number of parents don't talk about it with their pediatricians. New U of M poll looks at "sharenting" By Steve Carmody • Mar 16, 2015 parentinginpublic A new University of Michigan poll says many parents may want to rethink some of the things they're posting online about their kids. The C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health finds a lot of parents of young children talk about them a great deal on social media: What the state should invest in according to Michigan residents By Stateside Staff • Feb 10, 2015 taxcredits.net Listen Listening... / 11:13 Listen to our conversation with Jeff Williams above. Governor Snyder is set to deliver his budget proposal for the next fiscal year tomorrow morning in Lansing. The just released Michigan Radio/Public Sector Consultants poll takes a look at where the voters of Michigan would like to see the state invest. Michigan Radio/PSC poll finds voters want more state money spent on jobs and less on prisons By Mark Brush • Feb 10, 2015 Simon Cunningham / Flickr A Michigan Radio/Public Sector Consultants poll of 600 likely voters in Michigan found that if they were making today's tough budget decisions, a majority would invest more in job creation, and most would make cuts to prisons. The findings were released today - a day before Governor Snyder is expected to announce where he thinks money in the state budget should be spent, and where it should be cut. Michigan pollster's track record on 2014 election By Stateside Staff • Nov 5, 2014 Steve Carmody / Michigan Radio Listen Listening... / 4:37 In the final weeks of the campaign we heard poll results predicting a dead heat between Republican Gov. Rick Snyder and Democrat Mark Schauer. In the end, it was Snyder over Schauer 51% to 47%. How do pollsters view their track record? EPIC-MRA President Bernie Porn joined us on Stateside. He says the Republicans Governors Association blunted Schauer's momentum going into the election, which may have given Gov. Snyder the edge needed to win re-election. It wasn't a total loss for the Democrats, Porn says, because they won the state board and education posts, which he believes indicates that the party base for the Democrats turned out. He also attributes Gov. Snyder's re-election to an appeal to independent voters; Snyder received 72% of the independent vote in this election. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Gary Peters received 88% of the independent vote in this race, showing how crucial independents are. *Listen to the interview with Bernie Porn above. Political polls can have bad consequences for election outcomes By Jack Lessenberry • Oct 24, 2014 Listen Listening... / 2:55 On Tuesday, The Detroit Free Press came out with a poll showing Gov. Rick Snyder eight points ahead of his challenger, Mark Schauer. That was the widest margin we've seen in a while. Most polls have had it much closer. But within a day after that poll, news stories started matter-of-factly referring to the "fact" that Snyder was eight points ahead, as if these were actual, counted votes, or bushels of grain. The sheer silliness of that wouldn't matter much, except that polls drive pretty much everything in a campaign these days: Nobody wants to give money to a loser. Nobody wants to stand in line in the rain to vote for one, either. Polls can be self-fulfilling prophecies. More political heavyweights in Michigan, poll updates and 11th hour campaign strategy By Emily Fox & Jack Lessenberry • Oct 23, 2014 Jake Neher / MPRN This Week in Michigan Politics, Emily Fox and Jack Lessenberry discuss what it means for Michigan when big name politicians campaign for local candidates, the outlook for the state's major races, and what political parties are up to as Nov. 4 draws near. Listen Listening... / 3:22 Listen to Jack and Emily discuss this week's events in Michigan politics. New polls suggest we may have the closest governor's race in 30 years By Jack Lessenberry • Sep 15, 2014 Listen Listening... / 2:59 Six months ago, I was convinced Rick Snyder would be reelected in November -- not by the 18 point landslide he scored four years ago, but by a fairly comfortable margin. Yes, I knew there was lingering anger over the pension tax and right to work, maybe other issues, but I figured that Snyder's Republicans would have so much money they'd overwhelm Mark Schauer, his Democratic opponent, with broadcast commercials, the "air war" of modern politics. Then too, Republicans have a built-in advantage over Democrats in midterm elections. Turnout is always smaller, and Republicans are better about showing up. 37% of you would rather live somewhere else than Michigan By Mark Brush • May 2, 2014 Gallup I mean, it's not like we're living in Hawaii, after all. Michigan is "above the national average" for the number of people who say they'd rather live somewhere else, according to the Gallup poll. Here was the question they put to the 600 people they reached by phone in Michigan: "Regardless of whether you will move, if you had the opportunity, would you like to move to another state, or would you rather remain in your current state?" New poll shows strong support for wolf hunt in Michigan By Steve Carmody • Oct 16, 2013 UK Wolf Conservation Trust / Wikimedia A new poll shows strong support for a wolf hunt in the Upper Peninsula. Michigan's gray wolves have rebounded from near extinction in the U.P. Last winter, Michigan's gray wolf population was estimated at 658. But as the wolf population has grown, so have the number of attacks on livestock and household pets. Next month, Michigan will hold a limited wolf hunt. The hunt will take place in three specific zones of the U.P. The zones have seen the most problems with wolves. Polls suggest the federal government shutdown is hurting 3 Michigan congressmen's reelection hopes By Steve Carmody • Oct 7, 2013 Steve Carmody/Michigan Radio The reelection chances of three Michigan congressmen might be hurt by the federal government shutdown. The poll numbers show Republican Congressmen Tim Walberg, Kerry Bentivolio and Dan Benishek all trailing significantly behind a generic Democratic opponent. Is legalizing gay marriage on Michigan's horizon? By Michigan Radio Newsroom • May 15, 2013 Guillaume Paumier / Flickr Yesterday, Minnesota's governor signed a bill that made gay marriage legal in the state. Could Michigan be the next state to make steps towards legalizing gay marriage? Given the state's current constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage, probably not anytime soon. But more Michiganders support gay marriage than they did a year ago. According to a state-wide poll released to The Detroit News and WDIV-TV Channel 4 on Tuesday, 56.8% of Michigan residents support gay marriage. That's a 12.5 percentage point increase since May 2012 when 44.3% of Michiganders supported gay marriage. Opinions have drastically changed since January 2011, when only 38% supported gay marriage. Republican opinion has shifted the most – 36.5% of Republicans supported gay marriage in the most recent poll compared to the 20% who supported it in 2012. New poll shows Michiganders holding conflicting views of 'fracking' By Steve Carmody • May 14, 2013 Steve Carmody/Michigan Radio A new poll shows a slim majority of Michiganders support natural gas fracking, though they want the industry to face more regulations and pay more taxes. Michigan's natural gas industry has grown as companies have used a technique called Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, to break up shale deposits releasing natural gas. Critics complain fracking is contaminating drinking water and causing other environmental problems. Revenge of a Michigan nerd: Nate Silver's election night victory By Michigan Radio Newsroom • Nov 9, 2012 JD Lasica / flickr President Obama defeated one Michigan native Tuesday night, but in doing so contributed directly to the landslide victory of another. Obama's victories in a number of swing states vindicated the predictions of East Lansing native and celebrity political forecaster Nate Silver. Presidential campaign heats up in Michigan as poll shows race tightening By Michigan Radio Newsroom • Oct 31, 2012 wikimedia commons Republicans are hoping to put Michigan's Electoral College votes back in play with $3.7 million worth of TV ad buys in the state as the campaign heads into its final week. As the Detroit Free Press reports, the conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity announced an ad buy of $1.5 million Tuesday, while the Super PAC Restore Our Future has purchased $2.2 million of air time. Romney closes on Obama in new poll; Stabenow extends lead By Michigan Radio Newsroom • Oct 9, 2012 Gage Skidmore / Flickr A poll released yesterday by EPIC-MRA of Lansing shows the presidential race tightening in Michigan. Aided by a strong debate performance, Mitt Romney has reduced President Barack Obama's ten point lead to just three points—within the margin of error for the poll reports the Detroit Free Press. From the Free Press: Obama, Stabenow remain on top in new Michigan poll By Michigan Radio Newsroom • Sep 19, 2012 Office of Senator Stabenow A recent poll of likely voters by Lansing-based Marketing Resource Group has President Barack Obama and Senator Debbie Stabenow maintaining slim leads in Michigan. MLive has the story: Republican women liked what Ann Romney had to say about her husband (but will it sway others?) By Steve Carmody • Aug 29, 2012 Steve Carmody/Michigan Radio Michigan's female delegates to the Republican National Convention not surprisingly give high marks to Ann Romney for her speech last night. Now the focus shifts to her husband Mitt, to see if he can build support among women voters. Commentary: Absentees for All By Jack Lessenberry • Jun 21, 2012 The other day, I told my significant other she should plan to be out of town on election day. "Was it something I said?" she asked. Well, no. It's the way election law works in Michigan. We may all face a ballot that is as long as the proverbial bed sheet. Not only are there a vast number of candidates and races, we could be asked to decide on four, eight, possibly 11 different complicated ballot proposals. Do you know what would happen if every voter stayed in the booth till she or he managed to figure all this out? We'd all still be in line in four years. Naturally, nobody does that. So people either skip the proposals or take uninformed guesses. In the case of judicial candidates, too many of us go for familiar or judicial-sounding names, which is why there are a lot of judges named Kelly. We also, oddly enough, elect trustees of our three biggest universities, and what's even more bizarre, elect them on a partisan basis. Since almost nobody has ever heard of any of these folks, the winners tend to be of the party that wins the top of the ticket. New poll shows Gov. Snyder's approval rating slipping By Steve Carmody • Aug 5, 2011 (Official state portrait) Governor Rick Snyder's approval rating has taken a tumble. Michigan State University's 'State of the State Survey' recently polled more than 900 Michiganders. The survey found the governor's approval rating fell from 44% in March to 31% today. Charles Ballard heads the survey. He says the poll's results are not surprising, given the state of the economy and the governor's push to cut state spending and restructure Michigan's tax system. Poll: Many local leaders say Mich. on wrong track By The Associated Press • Aug 4, 2011 After seeing lawmakers cut their funding and give financial managers sweeping new powers, half of local government leaders say they think Michigan is on the wrong track while a third saying it's headed in the right direction. The survey released Thursday by The Center for Local, State and Urban Policy at the University of Michigan also shows 37 percent give Gov. Rick Snyder a positive job rating while just 21 percent give that rating to the Legislature. Eighty-six percent say their own governments are going in the right direction. The biannual survey was conducted from April 18 to June 10 and is based on responses from 69 percent of the 1,856 local government units in Michigan. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 1.5 percentage points. Pages1 2 next › last »


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Daniel "Transparency" Andrews
If Victorian taxpayers are paying hundreds of millions of dollars to subsidise this, then it's not really cheap energy at all.
In fact, it means Victorian taxpayers are paying for this extra electricity twice.
Having helped to push up electricity prices by forcing the closure of Hazelwood, Daniel Andrews is now looking to taxpayers to help buy his way out of political trouble.
Electricity prices have gone up around $500 a household under Daniel Andrews, but a few months out from an election he suddenly claims he can fix it.
This is a desperate Premier and a panicked government. Daniel Andrews has had four years to fix electricity prices and 75 days out from the election he says he has an idea but can't or won't say what it will cost taxpayers.
Media contact: Michael Lewis 0433 495 454 firstname.lastname@example.com


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makes around 36 cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) Butter, softened
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup White Sugar
1 small pkg Instant Vanilla Pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 pkg ( 12 oz) Milk Chocolate Chips
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat the butter, both sugars, pudding mix, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until creamy and fluffy. Then slowly mix in flour and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop by tablespoonfuls, onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for ONLY 9-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes before eating.


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After the birth of your baby, you may be most focused on their eating habits and development. But to help your child obtain the ultimate oral health later in life, you need to begin their preventative care early on. The following are critical steps that will allow you to ensure good oral health for your child.
Begin to Clean Before You See Teeth
Your job as a parent is important and involves critical duties such as creating a healthy environment for your child to grow up in. To help start your child's life off right, you want to gradually introduce oral care such as teeth cleaning before their pearly whites have begun to come in. Getting them used to dental hygiene by gently cleaning off their gums once they are done with feedings sets a good routine. Using a warm, damp cloth, wrap the material around your finger. They also make rubber devices that adhere onto your finger to use for wiping down excess milk and food.
Schedule an Exam
Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Dental Association recommend a child gets their initial exam by the age of one. Family dentistry provides personalized care for both children and adults. Comprehensive exams detect if your child has tooth decay or cavities. Your family dentist will also be able to determine if your child needs braces or other devices such as a mouth guard as their mouth grows and develops. When you take excellent care of your child's teeth when they're young, you'll form good habits for the coming years.
Take Extra Care
Some parents think that a child's baby teeth are unimportant because they aren't their permanent set. But a child's primary set are critical as they reserve space for the final set to come in. Baby teeth also help her child talk and eat food as they grow. If they're not properly looked after, your tiny tot could be prone to gingivitis, tooth decay and infections.
Be on the Lookout
Signs your child may have a cavity includes pain, discomfort and tooth discoloration. You can do your part to reduce your child's chances of cavities by skipping bottle feeding when they go to bed. Juice is another contributing factor to cavities as the liquid contains high volumes of sugar. Plan on filling your infant's bottle with water, formula or breast milk.
Practice After Meal Hygiene
If you're looking to clean your child's mouth after liquid meals, offer your baby a bottle or cup of water to drink. This method helps formula and milk wash away easily. As your child becomes used to the motions of a toothbrush, gently clean any residue off their teeth and gums. This is especially important as you introduce solid foods to your baby.
Introducing Toothpaste
At the age of two, you'll probably be ready to introduce a small amount of fluoride toothpaste to your child's brushing regimen. Start with a small amount and guide them to brush at least twice per day. This should be done in the morning when they clean their face and at the end of the day when you're getting ready for bed. To encourage this daily ritual and make it fun, let your child choose their favorite flavored toothpaste. You'll also find brushes that come in their favorite animated character. You can also practice oral habits together as a family. This allows your child the chance to stay on task and learn the proper brushing technique from an experienced adult. If you're unsure, enlist the help of your dental care provider.
With your baby's teeth soon making an appearance, it's time to help them chart a course to the best oral health care. Although the initial set of baby teeth are in for just a short period of time before the tooth fairy collects them, staying on track with the above tips prepares them for when their permanent teeth come in for good.


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If you drop something into your mouth like drops water, the source of the water is long a bit of water, but you are quenching your own thirst and making it easier for you to live. You are dripping water into your mouth to keep yourself living a little bit longer.
If you have a dream about drops of some liquid or drops water then it means that you are thinking about purity and emotions and the way that they come into your life. Water is known for representing purity and it also represents emotions. The flow of the water is the strength of purity or emotions. Therefore if you had a dream about a strongly flowing river then it would mean that you were experiencing emotions very strongly or that you were feeling very strongly about different things. If you had a dream about a few drops water then all this would mean is that you were thinking about the way in which you were experiencing emotion was just a little bit at a time. This dream will also have a drastically different meaning depending on the time of your life in which it comes to you. If you are at a period in your life where chaotic events are occurring quite frequently or where you should be experiencing a lot of trauma for whatever reason then you should be experiencing a lot of different emotions and a dream like this would mean you were doing oddly. However if you had this dream at a time in your life where events were pretty steady then you should be fine and this dream is an indication of how normal you are and how well you are doing.
Likewise, a dream about dripping water means something similar. It means that you are going along in life pretty steadily. There may be a plethora of different emotions that you are feeling but you are handling them very well and making sure not to go too overboard. You are also sporting a great balance between how you are feeling about something and the actions you are taking in regards to it. Sometimes it can be tough to make the right decision in life, but because of the dream about dripping water it means that you will take all of these conundrums in stride and whether you do make the right decision or not, you will have spent an adequate and fair amount of time debating each option which is the best that a human being can be asked to do.