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Antonia I. Tzinova is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office. Ms. Tzinova practices in the areas of international trade, foreign direct investment and industrial security. She advises on defense and high-technology exports; U.S. trade embargoes and economic sanctions; and customs matters. She regularly represents clients before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and advises on measures to mitigate Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) in cross border mergers and acquisitions of U.S. government and defense contractors. She counsels foreign investors on structuring investments in the defense, high-tech and critical infrastructure sectors of the U.S. economy.
Recent transactions include advising on a complex CFIUS mitigation measure in a foreign acquisition of an exterior envelope façades designer and manufacturer; and a CFIUS review of a sovereign wealth fund investment in a North American railroad depot services provider. She has also advised on measures to mitigate FOCI in portfolio investments by private equity firms in government contractors performing on classified contracts, as well as advising dozens of clients on whether and how to approach the CFIUS review issue.
Ms. Tzinova also has extensive experience in assisting technology exporters, government contractors and research universities in developing and implementing export compliance programs and conducting company-wide compliance training. Enhancing compliance under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regulations often includes conducting confidential internal investigations and submission of voluntary disclosures to mitigate potential export compliance violations. These are issues that come up during regular day-to-day business operations, or in the context of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) due diligence.
Ms. Tzinova also advises on inbound movement of goods in import matters, including classification, valuation, country of origin, and import licensing under the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and other U.S. trade regulations.
Ms. Tzinova is actively involved in pro bono and bar activities. She is engaged with the Bulgarian-American community in the wider Washington metro area, serving as pro bono counsel to the Bulgarian Educational and Cultural Center of Washington, D.C. She has also served on the Board of Governors, and since October 2017 as president of the Washington Foreign Law Society.
Ms. Tzinova's experience also includes interning at the Foreign Investment Advisory Service (FIAS), a joint facility of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), where she worked on issues relating to foreign direct investment in the developing countries.
Prior to the practice of law, Ms. Tzinova was an administrator of professional economics training at the IMF Institute of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where she served as a liaison between leading economics lecturers and officials of the central banks and ministries of finance of IMF member states. During her time at the IMF, she was involved in developing internal guidelines for the use of training materials in compliance with U.S. and international copyright laws.
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EUR 393,043.31 CasinoClub Jackpot Won
June 11, 2009 — A CasinoClub player walked away with €393,043.31 when he won the Fortunes of Egypt Jackpot. This has been the talk of the online casino world, even more so because the player won the jackpot with a wager of just €2.50.
"There was a lot of excitement when we heard the news that the jackpot had been won," CasinoClub's Marc West said. "The jackpot has been building up for a while and so it came as somewhat of a surprise when it was won. But then again, it can be won at any moment – and was."
The winning player has been identified as sunshine-muc. At this stage not that much is known about him, except that he has been a CasinoClub player since 2003.
"It's a good story and we're glad that a loyal player like him won it," West added.
CasinoClub is in the midst of jackpot fever with a string of jackpots all nearing record amounts. "Aladdin's Lamp is one of our most loved Jackpot games. After approaching the 2,000,000 Euro mark for a while, the jackpot has already climbed to an extra 30,000 over and above this milestone mark. The jackpot is going to continue to grow until someone wins it," West said.
Besides that the Super Sevens progressive jackpot has just trickled past 550,000 Euro while Bay Patrol is edging its way to 200,000 Euro.
"As people can now see, these jackpots are real and do get won. Because of CasinoClub, there is a player whose life has been forever changed. We really do make a difference to people's lives and make dreams come true. This just isn't rhetoric or marketing spin, it is an accurate reflection of what actually happens."

subset: commoncrawl


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On the World Wide Web, quality is measured through the lens of technological innovation and stylistic sophistication and only the newest tools survive, all else becomes obsolete and quickly forgotten. That is probably true for most of us but certainly not for Olia Lialina, a Moscow born, Germany-based artist, digital explorer, archivist, GIF model and iconic net.art pioneer. The reason for this is actually very simple: there has always been a tendency in digital cultures to render the subjacent technology invisible, naturalizing the gestures and habits of the users. It is precisely in apparently obsolete styles or in abandoned internet platforms where the trace of the user's presence, taking creative and unexpected decisions, becomes visible again.
"The development of the invisible computer", Lialina wrote "gives birth to the Invisible User", a standardized user, oblivious to his rights, particularly one that sums them all up: the user's right to literally use the net, to adopt and customize technologies in creative, unexpected, unpredictable ways, beyond the expectations of the original programmers. Which is precisely what Olia Lialina does since 1996, when she made My boyfriend came back from the war, a narrative experiment with the then brand new technology of the HTML frames. The work became immediately a classic of net.art, an experimental art movement interested in the web as an operative field for the avant-garde, working with tools as mundane as a computer and an internet connection.
The Whole Internet, the title of the solo exhibition by Olia Lialina at Aksioma Project Space in Ljubljana, is borrowed from The Whole Internet User's Guide and Catalog by Ed Krol, a book published in September 1992 by O'Reilly to make offline users familiar with protocols, utilities and resources already available to lucky owners of modems. The book "sold over 1,000,000 copies and was later selected by the New York Public Library as one of the most significant books of the 20th century. The title and format of this book were in its turn inspired by Stewart Brand's Whole Earth Catalog, an American counterculture magazine and product catalog featuring essays, articles, and product reviews on self-sufficiency, ecology, alternative education, "do it yourself" (DIY), and holism, under the slogan "access to tools".
"I never had a chance to hold the very first edition in my hands" Olia Lialina said "but I am more than happy with my late 1993 edition even if it had only 25 out of 520 pages dedicated to the World Wide Web!" The 1999 edition instead was almost only about the web ― 400 out of 512 pages ― becoming the last attempt to grasp on paper the immensity of the web.
This exhibition is not about the past though. Quite the opposite! For The Whole Internet Olia Lialina selected works that don't allow the viewer to think in before and after, past and present, not even new and old categories. It shows the history of her favourite medium as a continuum and infinitude.
Taking Your Talent to the Web is a pile of last century web design manuals such as Creating Killer Websites, Bringing Your Talent to the Web, Jazz Up Your Website in a Weekend, Pages that Suck, Finding Images Online, VRML and other books no one read. Visitors of the exhibition are welcome to flip through the pages and get inspired to make their own web site. Among the books is Jeffrey Zeldman's professional web design manifest, Taking Your Talent to the Web, which the installation is named after.
Trajectory (ivk) (2017, with Mike Tyka)
This work is about Blingee.com, a platform that allows people who don't have Photoshop, After Effects and other pro tools to create animated collages. It is a tribute to one particular Blingee user, Irina Vladimirovna Kuleshova (ivk), the author of many backgrounds, stamps, and frames that have spread all around Blingee and beyond. With the help of artist and machine learning expert Mike Tyka, Lialina created an endless journey through ivk's creations.
Production of the exhibition:
Aksioma – Institute for Contemporary Art, Ljubljana, 2018
Artistic Director: Janez Janša
Producer: Marcela Okretič
Executive Producer: Sonja Grdina
Technician: Valter Udovičić
Documentation: Jure Goršič (photo), Gregor Gobec (video)
Technical support: Cankarjev dom
Supported by: the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and the Municipality of Ljubljana.
Aksioma | Institute for Contemporary Art, Ljubljana
In this talk Olia Lialina discusses the most important elements of the web from the mid '90s and exposes the relationship between a new medium and its first users. The web of the mid '90s was bright, rich, personal, slow and under construction. Today this relationship has dissipated as the Internet became a mass medium to accommodate dotcom ambitions, professional authoring tools and usability guidelines. Olia Lialina's talk deals with the choices web masters of pre-social networks had to make in their work before web design became a profession, and about her choices today, being a designer, a passionate researcher of the vernacular web, and a keeper of the One Terabyte of Kilobyte Age archive.
In her highly illustrated talk the artist will introduce to the audience pearls of the early web culture, going much deeper than usual 'Under Construction' signs and animated GIFs nostalgia.
Olia Lialina is among the best-known participants in the 1990s net.art scene - an early-days, network-based art pioneer. Her early work had a great impact on recognizing the Internet as a medium for artistic expression and storytelling. This century, her continuous and close attention to Internet architecture, "net.language" and vernacular web - in both artistic and publishing projects - has made her an important voice in contemporary art and new media theory.
Lialina has, for the past two decades, produced many influential works of network-based art: My Boyfriend Came Back from the War (1996), Agatha Appears (1997), First Real Net Art Gallery (1998), Last Real Net Art Museum (2000), Online Newspapers (2004-2018), Summer (2013).
Lialina is also known for using herself as a GIF model, and is credited with founding one of the earliest web galleries, Art Teleportacia. She is cofounder and keeper of One Terabyte of Kilobyte Age archive and a professor at Merz Akademie in Stuttgart, Germany.


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|About this Recording
8.223406-07 - WALLACE: Maritana [Opera] (RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Duinn)
William Vincent Wallace (1812–1865)
The most enduring operatic legacy from Victorian England remains the canon of comic masterpieces produced by William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan during the last quarter of the 19th century. But, wrapped around this period, there was a now largely forgotten school of Romantic English opera whose lifespan stretched from the mid-1830s through to the outbreak of World War I. Ironically, the foremost composers in the early decades of this period were two Irishmen, Michael William Balfe and William Vincent Wallace.
Maritana, which had a triumphant première at London's Drury Lane Theatre on 15th November, 1845, was both the first stage work composed by Waterford-born Wallace and the greatest achievement of his career, although he went on to write five further operas before his early death in 1865. The libretto, a poor thing by any standards, was the work of Edward Fitzball (with some help from the equally inept Alfred Bunn, who contributed the lyrics for "Scenes that are brightest" and "In happy moments"). Based on D'Ennery and Dumanoir's play Don César de Bazan, it is nothing more than a hotch-potch of cardboard characters caught in improbable situations, noticeably the central device wherein the eponymous heroine, heavily veiled, is married to the about-to-be-executed Don Caesar. And if that sounds familiar, it is because W.S. Gilbert used the same scenario in The Yeomen of the Guard some 40 years later, causing Punch to sub-title that work The Merryman and his Maritana.
But the fictitious escapades of the intrepid Don and his winsome, if gullible, gypsy bride are as nothing compared to the real life happenings in the career of the peripatetic musician who set them to music. William Wallace (the Vincent was added when he converted to Catholicism in 1830) was born in Waterford on 11th March, 1812. His father, a Scottish-born regimental bandmaster, gave the young Wallace lessons in piano and clarinet and these were supplemented later by violin and organ studies. By the time he reached his late teens he was already an accomplished violinist and pianist in Dublin, where he played in the orchestra at the Theatre Royal. In 1830 he secured a post as church organist in Thurles where he met and married Isabella Kelly, with whom he settled in Dublin before emigrating to Australia in late 1835. Within five years, though, he deserted his family in Sydney and is said to have complemented his earnings from music with stints at, among other things, sheep farming and whale hunting before heading further afield. There are also tales of how he narrowly escaped being eaten by cannibals, was mauled by a tiger in India and caught in an earthquake in the South Seas. But these may well have been embellished by the imaginative Waterford man himself. What is not in dispute is the extent of his travels during those years, an odyssey which took him all the way from the Antipodes to South America.
Back in Europe for a period of composing, including the completion of the music for Maritana, some of which had been in gestation since his time in Tasmania, and the beginning of Lureline (eventually finished in 1860), he was threatened by blindness and sent by his doctor back to South America for treatment. The following year, having survived the attentions of the Inquisition in Mexico and a shipboard explosion on route to North America (more fanciful invention?), he reached New York. In 1850 he became an American citizen and, in the same year, bigamously married the 23-year-old pianist Helen Stoepel. Returning again to this side of the Atlantic he settled in London where he lived for another 20 years before ill health forced him to head for the Pyrenees, where he died in 1865.
After its initial triumph at Drury Lane, where it played for more than 50 consecutive performances, Maritana was quickly taken up by opera houses abroad. Dublin and Philadelphia heard it in 1846 and it reached New York and Vienna two years later. Twelve years after Wallace's death, a Dublin revival was sung in Italian, with the obligatory recitatives composed by the Neapolitan writer and musicologist Severio Mattei. In this form that it was also heard at Her Majesty's Theatre in London in 1880 and, as recently as the early 1970s, with the recitatives back-translated into English, at Dublin's Gaiety Theatre.
The opera continued to pull in the punters all through the remaining years of the 19th century and right into the 1920s and early '30s when, together with Balfe's Bohemian Girl and Benedict's Lily of Killarney, it formed a trio of inseparable works known collectively as The English Ring, which appellation must surely have been applied jocularly, if not derisively, for the three operas are light years removed from the four music dramas that make up Wagner's Nibelungen Ring cycle. In fact, the only link, and it's a tenuous one, is that two of the operas were by Irish-born composers and the third, written by German, has an Irish setting. If we are looking for similarities, they are to be found in certain elements they have in common, not only with each other but with the general run of "serious" English operas of their time: the plots are absurd, the characters two-dimensional and the versification risible, often sounding like bad translation rather than original English. But the tunes are marvellous; and this fund of bright melody was the real reason for their phenomenal popularity in their day.
The music is derivative, of course, Aficionados of early romantic opera playing 'spot the source' will find echoes of Auber, Weber, Marschner and Meyerbeer alongside the more obvious ottocento Italians. Not that this worried the original audiences. They liked their tunes short and sweet and preferably free of chromatic harmonies or heavy characterisation. And they weren't content to just listen. Many a Victorian drawing room enjoyed the strains of "Scenes that are brightest", "Alas, those chimes" and "Sainted Mother" warbled by aspiring sopranos and mezzos. Not to be outdone, the male contingent wooed with soft renderings of "In happy moments" and "There is a flower", while the more adventurous thundered out "Yes, let me like a soldier fall", unwritten high C and all!
The three operas continued to flourish up to the outbreak of the Great war. Even after they had disappeared from the world's major opera stages, they remained in the repertories of touring companies in the English-speaking countries. In the early days of the Vic / Wells they were trotted out regularly on Saturday nights. They even crossed to Sadler's Wells in North London when Lilian Baylis moved her opera company there in 1931, but quickly disappeared. In our time the works have been kept alive mainly by amateurs, often with professional bolstering, with Maritana, probably the best of the three, being given most frequently.
© John Allen 1996
[1] Overture
[2–9] Act I: A square in Madrid
We are in the heart of Madrid on a beautiful Spring morning. People have gathered in one of the city's great squares. They have come to listen to the singing of Maritana (soprano), a young Gypsy girl who entertains them in exchange for a few small coins (Chorus: "Sing, pretty maiden, sing"). Lurking in the crowd, heavily disguised, is no less a personage than the King of Spain (bass) himself. His Spanish Majesty, it would appear, is not just an avid music lover, he also has an eye for a pretty face when he sees one (Romance and chorus: "It was a knight of princely mien").
The King rewards Maritana for her song with a gold coin, but his gesture is spotted by an unserupulous courtier, one Don José de Santarem (baritone). As it happens, Don José has his eye on the King's wife and he is in the process of hatching a plan to win her for himself by disgracing her husband. But first, he asks Maritana to sing again, which she duly does (Romance and Chorus: "Tis the harp in the air").
And after he has presented her with yet another gold coin, everyone pauses for prayer as the Angelus rings out (Chorus: "Angels that around us hover"). While others are praying, Don José's thoughts have been focused on less edifying matters. He senses that he can somehow use the King's interest in this charming young Gypsy to further his plans. Drawing her out in conversation, he gets her to tell him about her aspirations of a better life for herself. And as she sings, his cunning mind ponders on the possibilities (Duet "Of fairy wand had I the power").
While Maritana nurses these dreams, Don José's plot is rapidly developing in his mind. He will somehow acquire a title for the girl, then use the King's infatuation with her to persuade the Queen of her husband's infidelity. But first, he needs a dupe. Some un-married nobleman gullible enough to wed the Gypsy girl and then conveniently disappear.
Enter, on cue, Don Caesar de Bazan (tenor), a happy-go-lucky knight who survives on his wits, his nifty way of avoiding creditors, and his duelling skills. It is this penchant for swordplay which will shortly get him into trouble, for he soon finds himself rushing to the defence of a terrified apprentice boy, Lazarillo (travesti mezzo), who is pursued by guards whilst trying to escape from his cruel master (Quartet and chorus: "See the culprit").
Pausing only to hear Maritana offer her listeners some matrimonial advice in yet another song, (Solo and chorus: "Pretty Gitana"), Don Caesar challenges and wounds the pursuing Captain (baritone). Unfortunately, he has forgotten that this is Holy Week, and in Holy Week duelling is a capital offence, punishable by hanging. He is arrested on the spot, much to the horror of the onlookers, including Maritana, who vows to find money for his ransom as he is ignominiously hauled off to jail (Finale Act I: "Farewell my gallant Captain").
[10–15] Act II, Scene 1: A prison cell
In a cell in one of Madrid's prison fortresses, Don Caesar is sleeping soundly, watched over by the faithful Lazarillo. And as a clock chimes five, and the hour of execution gets nearer, the boy laments his companion's fate and sings a gentle lullaby over his sleeping form (Romance: "Alas, those chimes so sweetly stealing"). As Lazarillo's song comes to anend, the condemned man wakes up. While he is assuring the lad that nobody apart from his creditors, that is—will mourn his death, they are joined by Don José (Duet: "Hither as I came" and trio: "Turn on old time").
When Caesar expresses his desire for a chance to die nobly like a soldier, rather than face the ignominy of the scaffold (Song: "Yes! Let me like a soldier fall"), Don José promptly comes up with an offer. If Don Caesar will agree to go through a marriage ceremony with a certain veiled lady, he, Don José, will see to it that the sentence is amended to one of death by firing squad.
Left to himself, Don José gloats at the way his scheme is progressing. Unknown to anyone, he has intercepted a pardon sent to Don Caesar by the King in recognition of some former services to the crown. And he has persuaded Maritana to marry an un-named husband. So, Don Caesar will die; his widow will be used to lure the King into a compromising situation; and the way will be clear for Don José to proceed with his wooing of the Queen. He pauses while he recalls the happy moment when he first set his eyes on the lady who is the object of his desires (Ballad: "In happy moments day by day").
Now it is time for the wedding, but not before the bridegroom and his veiled bride-to-be take a celebratory drink with the members of the firing squad. And, while the main characters voice their thoughts on these strange happening, the enterprising Lazarillo quietly replaces the soldiers' bullets with dummy rounds. Then it's off to the nuptials, and the supposed execution. (Quartet and chorus: "Health to the lady")
[1–5] Act II, Scene 2: A room in a palace
The scene has changed to a salon in a palace where a party in honour of Maritana, now the Countess of Bazan, is in full swing (Chorus: "Oh! What pleasure" and orchestral waltz). As the courtiers and attendant nobles make their exit, the King enters. Maritana has no idea who this man is, but he assures her that he is, in fact, the mysterious knight she married, and proceeds to woo her (Song: "Hear me, gentle Maritana").
The King's wooing is short-lived, however, because Don José arrives and advises him to scarper before he is recognised. He will, he assures the infatuated monarch, deliver the young Countess to him in a more discreet location later that same evening. As the King and Maritana exit through different doorways, a cowled monk enters through a window. To the horror of Don José, who thinks he is seeing a ghost, the monk reveals himself as Don Caesar, very much alive and now seeking the lady he married shortly before his mock execution. Although she was heavily veiled during the wedding ceremony, he feels sure he will know her as soon as he sets he eyes on her (Song: "There is a flower that bloometh").
Suddenly, Don Caesar hears a voice singing in another room. He instantly recognises it as that of his wife and demands that she be produced. Naturally, the unfortunate girl is now thoroughly confused and quite unsure who her husband actually is, especially when the crafty Don José tries to persuade her that a certain elderly Marchioness is in fact Don Caesar's wife. As the scene develops into a classic operatic ensemble de perplexité, Don Caesar is re-arrested and Maritana is led away to her assignment with the King. (Finale Act II: "That voice! 'Tis hers").
[6–12] Act III: A room in the Villa d'Aranguez
Maritana is alone in a magnificent apartment. Unhappily, as she observes the splendid fabrics and other trappings of wealth, she realises that all these riches mean nothing if she cannot be re-united with the man she married earlier that day (Recitative and ballad: "How dreary to my heart… Scenes that are brightest").
As Maritana departs, Don José enters and sings of his gratification at the way his plans are progressing (Song: "So! My courage now regaining"). Now the King arrives, eager to have his carnal way with the lovely Maritana. But as he makes his advances, posing as her unknown spouse, the real husband makes another of his sudden appearances and orders his royal liege to desist. In the exchanges that follow, the King says that he is Don Caesar, while the real Don Caesar, ever ready with a quick riposte, claims that, in that case, he is the King of Spain (Cabaletta: I am the King of Spain).
During their duet, in the course of which the King appears to take rather a liking to the debonair knight, Don Caesar learns about the royal pardon which was never delivered, thus proving that Don José should not have carried out the execution in the first place, Don Caesar and Maritana are left alone. This time he has no difficulty in persuading her that he is, indeed, the man she married; and the two join in a rapturous love duet (Duet: "A Stranger here… O Maritana").
As Maritana and Don Caesar exult in their happiness, Lazarillo arrives with more bad news. Armed guards are approaching. Maritana urges Don Caesar to run to the Queen, who is now their last hope of justice. Caesar rushes out, leaving Maritana and Lazarillo to pray for a happy outcome. (Duet: "Sainted Mother") Don Caesar returns, followed immediately by the King. His Majesty has discovered the full extent of Don José's perfidy and needs help in defending his throne—and, presumably, his marriage. But the doughty Don Caesar has anticipated the danger and, armed with the evidence of José's multiple treachery, has already run the villain through. The delighted King promptly re-pardons his saviour and rewards him by appointing him Governor of Valencia. Whereupon the entire company, led by Maritana, burst into a great song of rejoicing (Finale Act III: "With rapture glowing").
John Allen
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First POST: Overreaching
BY Micah L. Sifry | Friday, April 24 2015
Why the FCC balked at the Comcast-TimeWarner deal; Sheryl Sandberg wants Hillary Clinton to lean into the White House; the UK's Democracy Club brings a lot more information to election season; and much, much more. Read More
First POST: Zucked Up
BY Micah L. Sifry | Monday, April 20 2015
Mark Zuckerberg responds to criticism of "zero rating" Facebook access in India; turning TVs into computers; how Facebook is changing the way UK users see the upcoming General Election; BuzzFeed's split priorities; a new website for "right-of-center women"; and much, much more. Read More
First POST: Checking
BY Micah L. Sifry | Friday, March 20 2015
US pressures Germany to not offer asylum to Snowden; study shows the extent to which political advertising overshadows political news coverage; new site gives a minute-by-minute breakdown of most popular US gov't websites; Upworthy co-founder apologizes for breaking the Internet; and much, much, more. Read More
First POST: Long Games
BY Micah L. Sifry | Monday, March 9 2015
House Republicans knew about Clinton's personal email last year; Jeb Bush opposes the new net neutrality rules; the latest in augmented and artificial intelligence; why you should be wary of the Internet of Things; and much, much more. Read More
Survey Suggests Young People Unengaged With Politics and Voting, Engaged with Social Media
BY Miranda Neubauer | Tuesday, April 29 2014
New data from Harvard University's Institute of Politics finds new evidence that young people are disenchanted with government and are not enthusiastic about voting in the Midterm elections, though are enthusiastic about spending time on social media, echoing in some respects the findings of a recent Pew survey. Read More
For Democrats, Imitation Not Exactly a Form of Flattery
BY Miranda Neubauer | Wednesday, February 5 2014
Democratic organizers are not impressed with a new Republican National Committee effort to catch up with the Democratic data advantage. They have responded to the Republican's new in-house technology incubator called Para Bellum Labs with a parody website at a similar web address. Read More
NRCC Plans "Digital College" for Hill Staffers
BY Miranda Neubauer | Thursday, April 18 2013
The National Republican Congressional Committee plans to start a "digital college" training program for Hill staffers, Campaigns and Elections reported. Under the program beginning in May, staffers will learn about setting up webpages, e-mail outreach and Google Adwords, with a special focus on accountability metrics, according to C & R. Read More
With New CTO Search, Can GOP Find Tech Talent to Compete With Democrats?
BY Nick Judd | Tuesday, March 12 2013
The Republican National Committee ended some speculation about its technological future Tuesday by announcing that it is searching for a chief technology officer who would be responsible for building a plan, and a budget, for a new Republican strategy centered around data, technology, and digital activism. Read More
Republicans in Congress More Effective on Twitter, Study Finds
BY Miranda Neubauer | Thursday, March 22 2012
Congressional Republicans use Twitter more effectively than Congressional Democrats, according to a political analysis of Twitter conducted by Edelman and Simply Measured. The study analyzed 456 Congressional Twitter handles from September to December 2011. Read More
House Republicans Get a Jump on the Budget
BY Nick Judd | Thursday, February 9 2012


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What Warmists have been using lately as their cause de jour (they've tried global warming, climate change, biodiversity, sustainability, and so many other buzzwords/phrases in order to get people to buy into their cult), "extreme weather", is a fantasy
(CFACT) There would be extreme weather if humans lived on Earth or not.
With an arguable less than one degree Celsius of total warming, with no warming for the last 16 years, claims that human prosperity are causing extreme weather events are propaganda — nothing more.
Climate Depot's Extreme Weather Report 2012 lays out the science, history and evidence in detail. The report thoroughly debunks extreme weather propaganda and lays open the hypocrisy of those who exploit natural tragedy for ideological gain.
Flipping over to Climate Depot we see more
Deaths due to extreme weather are radically declining, global tropical cyclone activity is near historic lows, the frequency of major U.S. hurricanes has declined, tornados have dramatically declined since the 1950s, droughts are not historically unusual nor caused by mankind, there is no evidence we are currently having unusual weather.
Floods aren't increasing, extremes aren't more extreme, and Superstorm Sandy wasn't "the new normal." Read the whole thing.
Of course, we can expect Warmists to attack the messenger(s), not the scientific facts.


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Why the Term "Anti-Aging" Has Outlived Its Shelf Life
Rachel Lapidos・September 25, 2017
When you choose a shampoo because the label claims it'll give you shiny locks, or a toothpaste because it promises a whiter smile, you expect to get what you paid for. But when you buy a moisturizer that touts its anti-aging effects, you're setting yourself up for failure.
"Anti-aging" is inherently an impossibility. You can make a weekly appointment with your facialist, slather on retinol, and get those doctor-recommended eight hours of sleep every night, but the truth is, everyone is aging with each passing second. All of the beauty products and Botox in the world can't prevent that.
In August, Allure editor in chief Michelle Lee announced that the term would be banned from all of the publication's future stories. By using it, Lee wrote in her editor's letter, "we're subtly reinforcing the message that aging is a condition we need to battle—think antianxiety meds, antivirus software, or antifungal spray." Her move is a positive one, no question, but it won't be easy to erase the term from the vocabularies of those who have been seeing it on labels and in magazines since they first began paying attention to such things. For me, that was as a preteen.
I've been taught that I need to do what it takes to try and stay looking as young as possible forever.
I've been told I look younger than my actual age for my entire life—and I've always looked up to my mom, who's regularly mistaken for my sister—but "anti-aging" is still a real concern of mine. On the cusp of 30, I'm admittedly reaching for my at-home microneedling device, layering on stronger serums, and massaging my face more—all to help reduce those fine lines and wrinkles we hear so much about (and which I swear are starting to creep into my forehead and next to my eyes).
I can't help it—I've been taught that I need to do what it takes to try and stay looking as young as possible forever.
"Language matters," Lee wrote in her announcement. But will wiping "anti-aging" from the lexicon truly give women a healthier outlook on growing older? Will Allure's move cause a permanent shift in the way the beauty industry speaks to its consumers?
I spoke with several industry vets to see how the conversation about anti-aging could change the beauty landscape.
The problem with "anti-aging"
When you stop and really think about it, the beauty industry's obsession with anti-aging is bizarre. "Nobody judges us because we breathe oxygen, or because we require calories and water to continue living," says Sarah Villafranco, MD, founder of Osmia Organics. "Those are just biological facts of human existence. Perhaps the only thing more certain than those facts is the inevitable passage of time, and our lack of ability to stop it. So why on earth are we judging each other for [time's] effect on the human body?"
You keep the organs that facilitate these necessary processes—your lungs for breathing, your GI tract for digesting those calories—healthy by exercising, eating well, and avoiding toxic substances. And the way we care for our skin (the body's largest organ) should be no different, Tiffany Masterson, founder of clean beauty brand Drunk Elephant, says. "We must allow it to thrive by giving it antioxidants and more biocompatible, reparative, and anti-inflammatory ingredients. We avoid the disruptive ingredients that set skin up to age rapidly."
What if you made it your goal to protect and nourish your skin—not stop time?
Joanna Vargas, celebrity facialist and founder of her eponymous skin-care brand, is of a similar mind. "Aging is sort of a misused term," she says. "I always explain to people that diet, sunlight, and pollution contribute to cell mutation, which is what we all don't like to see in the mirror." Meaning, time can dull your skin, sure, but outside forces make a more visible impact.
So, what if you made it your goal to protect and nourish your skin—not stop time? (This isn't Westworld.) "You'll have skin that ages because it's inevitable, but it will age gracefully and naturally, looking a lot healthier and youthful along the way," Masterson says.
A healthier mindset
Masterson thinks it would be helpful to reposition products as "pro-skin" rather than "anti-aging." "We are either for skin or against skin when choosing what we do to it on a daily basis," she explains.
"I don't think canceling the word [anti-aging] handles the deeper issues," Vargas adds. "But perhaps for the younger generations it's a great first step. Women need to feel we are all in this together." Flipping the script could help you let go of your quest for perfection, and embrace your wrinkles.
After all, everyone should feel lucky to be aging. "It's utterly absurd, if you really stop to think about it," says Dr. Villafranco. "My crow's feet don't affect my compassion—if anything, they show that I've laughed and cried with those I love. My gray hair doesn't affect my fitness—come spend a day with me in the mountains if you want proof. My slightly wrinkled elbows and knees do not affect my kindness, my love for my family, or my ability to guide and nurture a friend in need."
Celebrate your muscles because they show your strength, and your skin because it shields you from the elements. All those fine lines you've been taught to smooth and firm are proof of your skin's (and your) resiliency. "I choose to pursue and discuss healthy, beautiful aging," Dr. Villafranco says. "I have only this body, and have always cared for it with respect—we all owe ourselves that commitment."
Here's why a new natural beauty brand built healthy aging into its DNA. And these are 10 reasons you might *feel* old, according to Dr. Frank Lipman.
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Everyone Has a Story — Make Yours MemorablePosted by gmayes on Jun 5, 2013 in Featured, Inspiration, Journal Writing, Memoir, Reflection, Where I Write, Writing Tips | 0 comments
Maybe it's because I'm a writer so people are prone to tell me this but it seems everyone wants to write a book. Mostly they want to write their life story. Maybe not all of it, but there are always a few memorable events — being high-jacked over Africa, surviving a childhood illness, catching the garage on fire — they want others to know about before too much time passes.
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What Role Does Faith Play in Recovery?
By: ATSI Admin
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What Role Does Faith Play in Recovery?
According to many, faith can play a huge role in recovery from addiction. Maryland's Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force is one group that is turning to church leaders to help curb addiction.
"Church and church concepts provide hope to the hopeless, it brings strength. Faith-based communities try and build families. Faith-based communities try to facilitate humility, acceptance," said Dr. Finegan, a member of the task force.
As a whole, church leaders are very open to helping in any way they can. "The whole idea of redemption and words that we preach Sunday after Sunday is at the heart of any recovery. There's always that chance of forgiveness, and there's always that hope," said one priest.
Participation in a faith-based program can help a person learn forgiveness, acceptance, and renewal. It can help facilitate holistic healing in the person's mind, body, and spirit. Turning to a higher power can help take the focus off of the person's own shortcomings and give them strength to make it through their recovery, one day at a time.
Read more about Maryland's task force and the resources they are tapping into here.
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We provide Cost Effective – high end Physiotherapy, Osteopathy, Acupuncture treatments in the Welwyn and Hatfield area . Many of our patients receive a combination of Physiotherapy, Osteopathy /Acupuncture or Sports Massage during the same session. We feel its important that our patients can make their own decisions about their well-being. We offer a genuine cost effective option to NHS treatments.
Our unique and highly effective approach will out perform any standard Physiotherapy / Osteopath treatment. We will reduce your pain fast. Our combination Physiotherapy treatments are rarely available outside expensive Harley Street Practice or Specialist "End of the Road" NHS pain clinics. Our Hatfield Practice treatment plans are brilliant & designed with with you in mind. Backed up by 25 years of clinical experience. We promise that we will get you pain free faster than anyone else.
Patients tell us that they love the way we look after them, its probably what we do best. Your satisfaction is important to us in many ways . If Your not Happy … We wont charge you a penny. That's honestly who we are. The Welwyn and Hatfield Practice is one of Hertfordshires leading clinics. Our safe and natural approach to healthcare is why Doctors recommend their patients to us . Our focus on the musculo-skeletal system (bones), muscles, ligaments and connective tissues – as well as the way in which these parts inter-relate to the body as a whole .
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Price Recap
Lets talk Fetches:
Zendikar fetches are trending on a downward slope, with both Scalding Tarn and Misty Rainforest dropping to £35 each, along with Verdant Catacombs and Arid Mesa down at £24. Arid mesa brings up the rear at a mere £18.
The Khans fetches are also on a dipping trend but the changes aren't quite as noticeable. The blue lands being hit the hardest with Polluted Delta now at £14.99 and Flooded Strand at £13.49; a fair way from their £20 and £18 débuts. Wooded Foothills and Windswept Heath have both ever so slightly nudged down to £11.49. To drop it all off Bloodstained Mire hits £10.49.
As far as the shinys are concerned both Foothills and Heath stayed level at £37.50, and Bloodstained Mire dropped down to £30 for a foil copy. However the rich get richer with both Foil Delta and Foil Strand going up to £59.99 and 49.99 respectively.
Fall Out PTKoT:
After the price hike due to Pro Tour performances last weekend (won by Ari Lax with Abzan Midrange) things have started to settle down again. From the winning deck itself Siege Rhino, Wingmate Roc, Sorin Solemn Visitor have levelled back out now. The Big Rhino settling at £6.99, Wingmate at £13.99, and Sorin solemnly sitting at £19.99
The Dimir control decks played successfully by the likes of Ivan Floch, Stanislav Cifca and Andrew Cuneo featured Pearl Lake Ancient, Prognostic Sphinx, Perilous Vault and Dig Through Time. Vault and Dig seem to be the best control cards in the format for the time being, with Vault coming in at £6.99 and Dig at £11.99 holding their price. Prog Sphinx, which has been sat as a £1 rare for a long time is creeping up a little weighing in at £1.99 for the meanwhile with a reasonable chance to go up if it keeps seeing success. Lastly Pearl Lake Ancient has fallen from favour back down to £3.49
Other Movers and Shakers
A few other notable cards have shifted. Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker himself is down to £26.99, Jeskai Ascendancy after all the hype its got in modern and its Top 8 finish in standard at thePro Tour is down at £4.49. Anafenza, after being featured in successful Abzhan aggro decks has settled at £7.99 for the time being. It is not a great week for some of the other Kahns though; Sidisi down at £5.99, and Surrak Dragonclaw at £3.99.
Lastly, after seeing some success over the opening few weeks and being used by a few high profile players at the Pro Tour (not to any spectacular finishes) the green devotion crew are also on the long list of cards to be hit this week. Rattcleclaw Mystic is now at £4.49 after spiking up to £7, and Hooded Hydra has dipped down to £3.49. See the Unwritten the only winner here rising up to £4.49.
Goblin Rabblemaster seems to slowly be falling out of favour; several teams choosing not to play it in their Jeskai decks. I would not be suprised to see this guy stumble a bit from his hefty £17.99 price tag.
That's about it for this week and its not a lot to brag about with drops all across the board. Not a great week for the standard stock market, maybe we'll get some shake ups this weekend. Thanks for taking the time to read this article, and I'll see you next week.
Alastair –


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By John T. Hewitt
For the last several years, business owners have had to play a wait-and-see game with Congress and the President when it came to certain tax breaks. The PATH Act put an end to that game by extending, in some cases permanently, several tax incentives for individuals and businesses. The extensions allow business owners to plan for tax breaks for which they are eligible, and incorporate those breaks into their business planning, especially when it comes to big equipment purchases and hiring employees. Here's a look at five things the PATH Act can help your business accomplish.
1. Make Equipment Purchases
That new computer will work even better for your business if you can write the purchase price off in one tax year instead of five. Not actually, but it sure would be nice to be able to take the full deduction in one year. That's what Section 179 expensing allows. Under the PATH Act, the deduction at the $500,000 level was made permanent. So, let's say that computer and software cost $5,000. Instead of using regular depreciation, which would allow small deductions over a period of five years, your business can take the full $5,000 in the first year as long as the computer and software are placed into service in the tax year and are used more than 50 percent of the time for business. Section 179 is valid for new or used equipment. The deduction limit starts to phase out when qualified property placed in service during the year is more than $2 million. Both deduction amount and limit will be adjusted for inflation starting in 2016 ($2,010,000 is the phase out amount for tax year 2016).
2. Get Another Depreciation Deduction on that Equipment
Another useful business tool, bonus depreciation allows a business to deduct 50 percent of its costs for new capital equipment in the year in which it was purchased, instead of over several years. Bonus depreciation can be used after you've taken the Section 179 deduction and in addition to the standard depreciation deduction. Bonus depreciation has a limited shelf life under the PATH Act. It drops to 40 percent in 2018 and 30 percent in 2019. In 2020, the deduction is set to expire completely.
3. Hire Employees
Business is going well, and you want to add a few new employees. Great. If you hire workers in certain categories, you may be eligible for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. The credit was created as an incentive for business owners to hire military veterans and others. It gives you a tax break when you hire such employees. The PATH Act extended the credit through 2019 and added a 40 percent credit up to the first $6,000 in wages for employers who hire qualified long-term unemployed individuals who have been out of work for 27 weeks or more. Several states also offer tax credits for businesses that hire these workers.
4. Do Research and Development
Product development and improvement can be costly but beneficial. The Research and Development Tax Credit recognizes those facts and seeks to help businesses recover some of the costs, including the expenditures of obtaining a patent, such as attorney's fees. The PATH Act permanently extends the credit, and, starting in 2016, eligible small business with $50 million or less in gross receipts can claim the credit against alternative minimum tax (AMT) liability.
5. More Quickly Recover Basis of Certain Types of Property
The PATH Act permanently extended the 15-year recovery period for qualified leasehold improvements, qualified restaurant property, and qualified retail improvement property. This allows business owners to more quickly recover the basis of property placed into service after 2014, because it can be treated as 15-year property rather than 39-year property.
Along with tax breaks for your business, the PATH Act includes several tax credits and deductions that may apply to your home life, including breaks for college tuition, state and local sales tax and tax-free distributions from IRAs to charities. Take time to review that new law with your tax preparer to ensure that you and your business get all the tax credits and deductions for which you are eligible.
John T. Hewitt is the CEO and founder of Liberty Tax Service and SiempreTax+, a leading tax preparation franchise with more than 4,400 locations in the United States and Canada. Mr. Hewitt is also the author of "iCompete: How My Extraordinary Strategy for Success Can Be Yours."


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During an interview last July on the BBC 4 radio program Desert Island Discs, actor Tim Robbins joked at one point that this forthcoming debut album perhaps should be titled "The Midlife Crisis Album," or maybe even "Songs of Love and Misery."
Released in September, the import was actually called "Tim Robbins and the Rogues Gallery Band." But by then, it didn't matter. The actor's innocent deadpan joke had been re-purposed around the world, via print and online mediums that lost all nuance of the original delivery. Ahead of some Australian concert dates later this month, Robbins chatted at the Chateau Marmont with Sydney Morning Herald contributor Bernard Zuel about this very strange viral vortex:
"It was pretty surreal," Robbins says, shaking his head slowly. "If you listen to the original [BBC 4] interview, it is so clear I am making a joke: she's laughing, I'm laughing… It is so clearly a self-effacing moment."
"Right next to [one subsequent story], they've got a side article written by a psychiatrist and he's explaining what men go through when they have a midlife crisis and all the flashpoints and signs and comparing me to a British comic who was institutionalized," Robbins says, beginning to laugh again. "And I was like, 'Howthe f*ck did that happen?'"
This is of course not the first time the 52-year-old Robbins has been misrepresented in the media. Later in the article, he suggests that circa 2003, a number of U.S. outlets had him pegged as "a crazy f*cking radical" who would get strung up by righteous patriots if he dared walk down their street.


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The adventure started on June 25th at 3:30 in the morning. Maddi (Clark) and I had to catch an Uber to the airport to make our 6:00 a.m. flight. Maddi succeeded in her first time flying and we made it to Miami. We had a three hour layover and we spent most of the time thinking about what we were getting ourselves in to. We did not know anyone or really what we were going to be doing. We just knew it was going to be an adventure.
We got back on the plane and flew to Santiago, Dominican Republic where we were quickly overwhelmed with the amount of people and the fact that no one spoke English. After spending over an hour in immigration, we were greeted by two Outreach360 leaders and two other volunteers. They took us two and a half hours away to our final destination: Monte Cristi.
After arriving at 7:00 p.m., we ate dinner and got ourselves organized and went to bed.
Sunday was a day of new. There were new faces, a new city and new information. Everything was new. We learned information about the program and the week ahead. We spent most of the day learning about everyone, exploring the city, and getting adjusted into our new home for the next week.
On the first day of camp, many boys showed up but we did not have a single girl for session one. A little disappointing because we expected to be teaching softball. The second session, again, no one showed up. Until two volunteers hit the streets and found two girls that were interested in softball, neither who had ever played before. They stepped with the wrong foot, didn't know what hand the glove went on; they did not know a thing. After two hours, the improvements already started showing and continued to pass any expectations I had for them throughout the week.
Tuesday and Wednesday more girls came to camp bringing our group to six. None of which, having any knowledge about the game of softball. The girls were all naturals, after a few instructions they all picked up on everything quickly. They could catch fly balls, field ground balls, throw to first, turn double plays, pitch, and so much more. I did not know really what was going to happen when I tried teaching the girls with not knowing any Spanish or them knowing hardly any English. By the end, it didn't matter we didn't speak the same language. With demonstrations, they quickly picked up everything I was trying to teach them.
I was amazed by the patients and ability these girls had with the game of softball. They came every day for five hours willing to learn. They didn't have to come; they chose to come, which taught me to be more grateful for the game. I am guilty of complaining about practice. These girls taught me to enjoy every moment and that I have an amazing opportunity to play college softball and should not take it for granted.
We also ran a "babysitting camp" (not on purpose, the neighbor kids and little siblings just all came to play every day) and they were some of the most amazing little kids I've ever met. They were full of energy and loved to play. They loved to climb on our shoulders and have us run around and chase people. They loved to read and use English flash cards. They were little balls of energy that I loved and never wanted to leave.
Thursday was the most amazing day of camp. In the D.R., girls are inferior to boys. Girls do not have a right to play on the same field as boys in their culture. However, on this day those rules and gender stereotypes were broken down. The girls and boys came together and played one inning of baseball then one inning of softball and it continued on. It was amazing to see them working and playing together. I would like to say that the girls did just as well as the boys or even better. That was a great way to end my week of camp.
Throughout the week, we did more than just camp. We did Zumba in the park with the locals, and just to point out, I did not know people could move their hands, feet, and hips all at the same time in different directions. We hiked up a small mountain with the most amazing view to watch the sunrise. We got dance lessons from the Dominicans. We played in the park with the funniest kids I've ever met. You could hear them screaming our names to come play with them. We ate ice cream and went out to dinner. (Still don't know what I ate). Went on a salt flat tour and learned how salt was made.
The last day was the most eye-opening day of the week. We took a trip to Dajabon, which is the market that is open every Monday and Friday on the Haiti and Dominican border. It was sad, incredible and busy. You could feel every emotion while observing and walking through the market. The two countries do not speak the same language and do not get along. But to see the two countries work together was incredible. It was heartbreaking to see the work the runners (people who were paid to run back and forth between the market and the distribution center on the Haitian side of the river) were doing for almost no pay. The Dominicans were buying supplies from the Haitians and the Haitians were buying food and things that are necessary for life. This was easily one of the most moving parts of the week.
Overall the week was an incredible experience. I learned more about myself and the Dominicans than I ever thought possible. I am incredibly blessed and grateful to have had the opportunity to go on this trip with my best friend who mentioned this idea and opportunity at Christmas time. I cannot wait to be able to go back next summer (for a longer period of time) and being able to serve this country even more.
I am especially thankful to everyone who donated to me to make this trip possible. Without you, I would not have had this life changing week.
How often do you think about the trip?
I honestly think about the trip all the time. I have a few reminders of the trip that I constantly have on me. One reminder I have is three bracelets that I bought while I was there. One of the bracelets has the Dominican flag on it. The other reminder I have is my wallpaper on my cell phone is a picture of me with some of the kids from camp. They are good daily reminders to keep me humble in my life back in the states.
Another time I think heavily about the trip is every time I step onto a softball field. I think about the girls that came to camp every day and how they were not required to come, but they had the desire to learn about the game. Sometimes I find myself wishing I did not have to practice, or go to 8:00 a.m. games. Then I remember that I have the opportunity to step out onto a well-groomed field, without big holes in the outfield and cow manure on the infield. Those were the only fields those kids have access too. I have the opportunity to play on some of the best fields in the world that are groomed, sometimes every inning. It made me appreciate the sport I have been playing since I was eight years old more than I ever thought possible.
Do you think about the people?
The people from the D.R. pop into my mind all the time. The moments I reflect on the most is playing in the park with all of the local children. We played soccer, volleyball, danced, chased each other around.
One little boy has forever left a mark on my heart though. I never did catch his name, but I met this boy a few times. He was a Haitian boy, no older than eight years old. The tensions between the Dominicans and the Haitians are high. Haitians sneak over the border for a better quality of life; however, since the island was separated, they have not got along.
The first time I met him was at the local ice cream shop, Bon. He was asking to clean people's shoes for 25 pesos, which is equivalent to about 50 cents. One girl, Bekkah, let him clean her shoes, and I was so impressed by the quality of work he did with the little he had. This little boy had clothes that were barley in tack, shoes that were broken, but a heart of gold.
Later in the week he came up to our house, Maddi and I happened to be sitting outside when he came up. This is common because our house gives the local children balls and toys to play with in the park. We asked him if he wanted to go play volleyball in the park, he hesitantly responded yes. We started playing volleyball, but we were not doing very well because we were playing with a soccer ball and our arms started to hurt. So instead, we started playing soccer.
This is when my heart swelled and my mind was blown. He was amazing. He was so skilled with his footwork and was having such a great time. The little boy was smiling from ear to ear. You could tell this boy had to work extremely hard for the little he had, and there was limited time for fun. We had a language barrier because he spoke a form of French that neither of us was familiar with. That however did not stop us from having the best time of my life. He was just one of the many kids I came into contact with that left a lasting impression on my heart.
How have you been different since you have been back?
I am more humble. Everything I do, I appreciate more than I did before. Simple things such as clean clothes, windows, internet to larger things such as proper health care, for example. I wish everyone had the opportunity to experience life in a different country, maybe they would be more grateful for the things we have here.


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text: World Baseball Classic Update by Craig Burley December 16, 2005 Baseball's Winter Meetings in Dallas kicked off last Monday with a major announcement about the World Baseball Classic, including some preliminary roster announcements, and there have been additional developments since then. Some of these took us completely off guard and others were expected, but as the WBC is really starting to take shape we thought we'd update our preview of the tournament in The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2006 with some additional insights. We will continue to cover the WBC as it takes shape over the coming weeks. The most surprising part of the announcement was the fact that Italy has apparently colonized such unlikely places as Bellflower, California, and Passaic, New Jersey. OK, maybe Italy colonizing Passaic isn't all that odd. The Italian team's roster will receive some unexpected help from a large group of Italian-American ballplayers, including Bellflower's Val Pascucci and Passaic's Mark DeRosa. The big name associated with Italy will be Mike Piazza; Frank Catalanotto and Dave Dellucci wil help anchor the batting lineup and Jason Grilli and Mike Gallo the pitching staff. That surprise announcement, and the strong possibility that there are more Italian-Americans to come, help to turn Team Italy into a potential second Team USA, not a small consideration when Italy's Pool D games will be played in Orlando. It certainly guarantees that Italy's games against the Dominican Republic and Venezuela are much less likely to be embarrassing blowouts. While the announcement was something of a surprise, in a sporting sense there is no skullduggery involved. All the players have parents born in Italy, and under international sporting rules, if you have a parent born in a country (sometimes even a grandparent!) you can usually play for it. An explanation of eligibility rules for the WBC is here. A very troublesome development, however, occurred this past Wednesday as the U.S. Treasury Department denied permission for MLB to bring a Cuban team to the WBC. The Cuban team had been expected to participate in the tournament, considering the opportunity too attractive to miss. Now a heavy-handed, politicized bureaucracy appears intent on making it impossible, and the Treasury Department has refused to discuss the case. This change is going to necessitate scheduling changes; presumably the Treasury Department's ambit extends to Puerto Rico as well, which is where the Cuban team was to play the first- and second-round games. For the U.S., perhaps the most important early development is that Buck Martinez will be the U.S. manager, with Davey Johnson serving as his bench coach. In scientific terms, this is like appointing Jerry Lewis as head of research with Louis Pasteur as his lab assistant. I hope you like bunting, U.S. fans! The rosters for the World Baseball Classic are set at 30 players. Of these players, at least 13 must be pitchers and three of the position players must be catchers. While the lists as released right now won't be the final rosters—injuries and last-minute drop-outs will no doubt change the composition somewhat—we're going to analyze and comment on some of the selections as they stand right now. The U.S. roster, loaded with superb talent, nevertheless has a couple of names that make you say "wha?" Most notable among these is the redoubtable "Senator Al" Leiter, a lightweight among the Halladays, Peavys and Clemenses. Of course, it's not that long since Leiter last had a fine season (just two years ago), and the U.S. team, while knee-deep in quality relievers such as Jason Isringhausen, Huston Street, Billy Wagner, B.J. Ryan, Brad Lidge and Chad Cordero, is somewhat shorter on starters. Since the tournament is in March, the U.S. team will likely give its starters short stints and go to its brilliant bullpen early in every game; there will certainly be some very good starters working out of the bullpen as well. In fact, many teams may be in this boat as the WBC rules will apparently include pitch count limits of some kind. These have yet to be worked out, but they appear to be quite important to MLB's clubs, not surprisingly. You just can't find a weakness in the U.S. roster; every position is covered twice over by superb players, from Joe Mauer and Jason Varitek at catcher, to Derek Jeter and Mike Young at shortstop. Forty-one players were named, so not every named player will go to the WBC, but it would be hard to go wrong here. Even if the best 11 players off this roster were sent home, this team would be right there. Yes, even if it has to play Brian Schneider or Michael Barrett at catcher. And just when you thought they were completely loaded, Alex Rodriguez has apparently not yet decided whether to play for the U.S. or the Dominican Republic, although he has stated that he is "leaning" towards the Dominican Republic. No doubt A-Rod is trying to figure out additional ways to make himself look insincere before having to settle on a flag. Rumors that he is in negotiations to buy one of the competing countries and name it "A-Rodistan" are apparently unfounded. The Dominican Republic released a list of 29 players, and with only two catchers on the roster we know that the last spot would be reserved for a third catcher. Therefore, there is a small chance that the Dominican will have exactly this roster construction for the tournament. The hitting roster looks like it will shape up as predicted, and it will be an incredibly entertaining lineup to watch. The infield will include three premier hitters in Albert Pujols, Alfonso Soriano and Miguel Tejada. Manager Manny Acta will have to decide between Adrian Beltre and Placido Polanco at third base; a decision which could be further complicated if Aramis Ramirez joins the team before the tournament. The outfield consists of Manny Ramirez, who had the option of playing for the United States, Wily Mo Pena and Vladimir Guerrero, with David Ortiz at DH. There isn't a scarier lineup in the competition, even with the offensive sinkhole at catcher. Juan Brito and Alberto Castillo have been appointed to the team, leaving Miguel Olivo and Ronny Paulino (Pittsburgh/AAA) as the leading candidates to fill the remaining roster spot reserved for catchers. However, the Dominican's roster announcement does contain some surprises. It looks like the bench will consist of Ronnie Belliard, Robison Cano, Beltre/Polanco, Pedro Feliz and Neifi Perez. This seems like a poor way to construct their bench. They have a plethora of second and third basemen, and while Feliz can fill it at first base and Perez at shortstop, Feliz is also the Dominican's only outfield reserve. Their outfield, particularly at the corners, is outstanding, but it seems likely that you'd want to have a couple of reserves around, for precautionary reasons and in the case of blowouts. We'd be surprised if this roster didn't change somewhat, but even the infield suggestions are questionable, as it leaves Rafael Furcal, Jhonny Peralta and Luis Castillo off the team. Potential outfield reserves include Jose Guillen, Juan Encarnacion and Willy Taveras. The bullpen also contained some surprising names. As it stands right now it includes Antonio Alfonseca, Eude Brito, Jesus Colome, Coco Cordero, Franklyn German, Jose Mesa, Felix Rodriguez, Duaner Sanchez, Julian Tavarez, Salomon Torres and maybe Robinson Tejeda, depending on how many starters the team uses. To demonstrate just how unqualified we are to go into fortune-telling, in our preview of the Dominican's bullpen we listed nine names, of which two are in the 11-man pen. Maybe all these players were approached and declined invitations to play, which is also possible for the hitters, but otherwise it looks like another case of poor selections. We're not sure what would cause someone to select some of those names over Damaso Marte (particularly because the entire bullpen is right-handed), Jose Valverde, Luis Vizcaino, Guillermo Mota, Ervin Santana, Julio Mateo and, if healthy, Al Reyes and Armando Benitez is beyond us. Nevertheless, with their outstanding lineup the Dominicans are easily among the tournament's two or three favourites, with or without an optimally constructed bench and bullpen. While the Dominican roster contained many surprises, the Canadian one was almost exactly what one would have expected. Canada announced two-thirds of the roster on Monday, so there are still 10 empty spots that will be filled before the March competition. Canada's chance to advance to the finals took a big hit when Rich Harden wasn't listed on the roster and will likely not take part in the WBC because of his rehabilitation and concern over further arm injuries. While disappointing to Baseball Canada, the move is completely understandable, and minimizing the risk of injury for Harden should be everyone's first priority. Canada can still advance to the second round even without Harden, but their match against Mexico will likely be the deciding game. It will be up to Ernie Whitt to set the rotation, but it would not be surprising to see Erik Bedard held back for this game. The bullpen consists mostly of the usual suspects, along with a couple of surprises. A healthy Eric Gagne will give Canada one of the best closers in the WBC, and with Jesse Crain, Chris Reitsma and Paul Quantrill setting him up from the right and Rheal Cormier acting as a LOOGY, the bullpen is serviceable, at the minimum. Ryan Dempster was not listed on the roster; we're not aware of any reason he would not take part in the tournament. If he's added later he'd serve as the primary set-up man and would give Canada's bullpen a huge boost. Two names were added that we discussed as possibilities but left off our predicted roster in the Annual. Steve Green is a righty from Quebec who split last year between Akron (Cleveland/AA) and Toledo (Detroit/AAA). He served as reliever, but prior to that had been exclusively a starter in Anaheim's system. Green accumulated a 4.23 ERA between the two levels with a 2:1 K:BB ratio. He had a miserable 2004 at Salt Lake (Anaheim/AAA) and will likely serve as a back-of-the-bullpen reliever. Shawn Hill made three starts for the Expos in 2004, but he experienced arm problems shortly after his demotion and spent all of 2005 on the disabled list. Despite low minor league ERAs, Hill's potential is limited. He is not a strikeout pitcher and his control isn't spectacular. Also, Hill has given up a high number of unearned runs throughout his minor league career. He may serve as a starter, but given his injury history the team may keep him as a reliever. There are likely three or four roster spots left for pitchers, depending on how Baseball Canada structures the rosters. Leading candidates for these spots include Dempster, Eric Cyr (Anaheim, AAA), Mike Meyers (Milwaukee/AAA), Vince Perkins (Toronto/AA), Chris Begg (San Francisco/AA), Phil Devey (Philadelphia/AA), Ryan Braun (Kansas City/A) and Cory Stuart (New York/A). As for the hitters, there were no surprises. The names on the list should fill out the starting lineup, aside from shortstop and center fielder/designated hitter. Baseball Canada is likely waiting to see if Chris Woodward's citizenship application is processed before the tournament, while the team's potential starting center fielder, Adam Stern, was also not named to the team. There is a possibility that manager Ernie Whitt will use Jason Bay, Aaron Guiel and Matt Stairs in the outfield, leaving the DH spot free for someone like Mark Teahan, Scott Thorman or Pete LaForest. However, further comment on the Canadian lineup and bench construction will have to be reserved until the other names are announced.A Hardball Times Updateby Rachael McDanielGoodbye for now. Venezuela, for its part, only announced a partial roster, but with many of its expected stars showing up on the roster, they should be a force to be reckoned with. Most notable are superstars Johan Santana, Freddy Garcia and Carlos Zambrano on the mound and Bobby Abreu, Melvin Mora and Carlos Guillen among position players. Felix Hernandez, for his part, wants to join them but so far the Mariners have stood firm that they don't want him risked. This controversy may yet escalate; we'll keep you posted. Even without Felix, Venezuela have enough arms to be a threat to everyone. We'll look at some other rosters in a future WBC Update. For now, feel free to send us your suggestions and comments.


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Spinal Cord Stimulation Market Getting More Crowded
Chronic pain patients who look to spinal cord stimulation (SCS) as a possible answer are seeing more choices, and if an industry report is right, there will be more spinal cord stimulation implants performed.
SCS involves direct stimulation of the nervous system with electrical signals and is used as a treatment for unmanageable chronic pain and/or movement disorders.
The new player in the fast-growing, $1.3 billion spinal cord stimulation business is Nevro Corp (NYSE: NEVRO) which received an "approvable" letter from the FDA for its SCS system for the treatment of chronic pain.
The device, called Senza, delivers a different kind of electrical stimulation to mask the pain signals before they reach the brain and are perceived as pain. Their proprietary technology delivers "HF10" therapy, "an advanced SCS therapy that provides electrical pulses to the spinal cord at a rate up to 10,000 per second (10 kHz), as compared to traditional SCS, which utilizes low frequency stimulation, typically between 40 Hz and 60 Hz," the company's website explains.
"We are pleased that the FDA has determined our Senza SCS system to be approvable based on the strength of the data provided in the PMA," Michael DeMane, Nevro's chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement. "We are working to satisfy the conditions of approval and anticipate initial commercial availability in the U.S. by mid-2015," he added.
Nevro faces some big competition with new industry leader, Boston Scientific, Medtronic and St. Jude. According to iData Research, the SCS market is far from penetrated. Less the 10% of people who would benefit from SCS therapy use it. They also state, "SCS devices have been shown to produce overall cost savings in the treatment of chronic pain patients in the United States. SCS therapy provides an alternative to opioid medications that can carry substantial health risks."
The industry report says the SCS market is growing thanks to favorable reimbursement by insurance companies.
The report also says that Boston Scientific has grown its share in the SCS market for back pain and failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) to become the leading competitor in those areas. Long-time industry leader Medtronic still has the largest client base in spinal cord stimulators. The major players, Boston Scientific, Medtronic and St. Jude Medical have all run public awareness campaigns for SCS, a trend most expect to continue as the sector grows and competition increases.
The National Pain Report is going to increase its coverage of SCS—given that it's expected to be a growing therapy.
As always, we are interested in reader reactions.
Have you had a spinal cord stimulation implant?
How did it work for you?
I'm very happy with my Boston scientific stimulator just have a few question: I'm 31 and have had it a short time and want to loose about 30-50 lbs and tighten everything to include my butt ( battery is implanted high on the right buttock) will this affect the pack like will it shift or be noticeable through the skin? Also a more personal question when did you feel comfortable, well for a lack of a better way of saying, it have sex? Also driving ?
I feel my stimulator has been a lifesaver for me! The trial went well and helped my lower back and left leg tremendously. My pain doc recommended Medtronics. I have had good experiences with my Medtronics nurse. She always calls me back and patiently answers ally many questions. I guess they are different because one person mentioned they cannot have a MRI but I am allowed to have a MRI. I recently had to have one for my neck following a car accident so I am sure I can have one. My stimulator doesn't take the pain away 100% but I don't think anything ever will after 3 back surgeries. I am just thrilled that I can stand to cook meals now and shop for a bit without paying for it for several days. I feel like my stimulator gave me back some level of normal in my life! I agree with the others to do your research. I'm not sure about this new stimulator mentioned above. I perfer things that have been around a bit, not ready to be any docs guinea pig just so he can try the newest thing.
I had my spinal cord stimulator implanted in 2006. In the beginning it helped my legs but never helped my back. Over the years I developed so much scar tissue that it eventually has 2 banks of the electrode stop working, as they are not in contact with the thecal sac. The scar tissue has really gotten so bad that I now feel like I have a knife sticking between my shoulder blades and when I talk to my St. Jude rep. they tell me they have never heard of removal of a probe. I in fact I have heard of it but with the development of excessive scar tissue it may not be a possibility. My only advice to anyone thinking of having this done, do your research, as with any medical device there are always complications. I made the mistake of listening to my pain management doctor and went through the trial and I had to do it three times because of migration of the electrode during the trial stage. Well no crying over spilled milk, what is done is done. I still see my Pain Management doctor monthly, the old ball and chain, unfortunately I don't see that changing soon.
I look at these things while waiting for my pain dr to get in the room. They scare the shit out of me. I will not be having anything else stuck inside my body. No thanks.
I've has an SCS since last April (Medtronic Adaptive Stim) for CRPS and it's a mixed blessing, but I'm far more active with it and have less pain so I'm happy overall. When my pain levels really spike, though, it can be tricky to get coverage without the coverage itself impeding movement; the signal causes muscle weakness and a profound exhaustion at very high power and moving can causes some really unpleasant jolts– that isn't the case when I have normal pain levels, so I accept the bad with the good and use topical ketamine and lidocaine to supplement when things get ugly instead of cranking the power too much. Quite a few people have told me that it can take a year or more to really adjust to life with an SCS and I'm finding that to be true, lots of nuance to managing the remote control.
I have had a Boston Scientific SCS for about 6 years, and it has saved my life. I was at the end of my rope struggling to control neuropathic pain down my left leg. I was an active, vibrant, athletic Army Captain and the pain left me just a miserable shell of myself with my butt permanently implanted on our couch. I've had 1 revision of my SCS and I had to learn that I had some limitations b/c of the device. I might not be completing any Ironman Triathlons, but I still can be an active participant in my life, including chasing my 3 year old little boy all day/every day. I recommend before getting an SCS implant, shop around. Learn about all the different kinds. Talk to patients about their outcomes and make the choice that is right for you, even if you have to see a few doctors.
I recently had the SCS implanted. After the trail period which was fantastic, I did not have 1 muscle spasm, we decided to go ahead with it. After a painful surgery the 1st month was great. I have had it adjusted 3 times since December and now it just doesn't seem like it is working. If I knew that than, I most certainly would have skipped it. I know some people have great results but mine is a Total Failure.
Had St JUDES eon mini for 3 years.After first 6 months just didn't help with pain.It actually impeded treatment due to the fact that you CAN NOT have another MRI after installed.And it hurt way worse coming out then it did being installed.
I got an SCS from St. Judes three years ago next month. The trial was amazing. I cried when they had to take it out. But the actual stimulator was an entirely different story. First, it left me with a permanent muscle spasm where the top incision is located. Secondly, the battery pack had to be removed surgically, and re-implanted in another spot. It was sticking out of my back, and catching on things. Then the battery charger burned me inside. They did replace the charger, with a less powerful one, but it takes a long time to charge. Also, the stimulator tends to turn on by itself, on programs that I don' t have. I have called the company numerous times to complain, and they just plain don't believe me. It took me several hours the first time to figure out what the heck was happening to my body. I thought that one of my nerves kept misfiring, but it was too rhythmic. It was also barely perceptible. I finally realized that it was the stimulator, but I couldn't turn it off. This has happened to me three times, and one person from St. Jude actually hung up on me!! Lastly, and most importantly, it doesn't hit the spot where I have the most pain, my lower back. We think that the surgeon put the stimulator in crooked. In fact the company told me that they can move it. (another surgery??? no way!!!) I have given up on this stimulator. I tried to get the surgeon to take it out so that I can get MRI's instead of CT's, but he claims that it will ruin my spine, if he does. I also heard outside room his PA talking to the rep, and mentioned "growing pains". I think that the thing was put in wrong, but there is nothing that I can do about that now. My body has been mutilated enough!! So I suggest to anyone that is considering implanting something in their body to make sure that your surgeon has a lot of experience, and I do mean a lot!! This has been a nightmare from the beginning. I also didn't mention the fact that I couldn't get pain meds for the surgical pain either. BTW, I live in Florida, surprise,surprise. I am not trying to tell people not to get an SCS, just make sure what you are getting into, and that your surgeon is EXPERIENCED. We have enough problems with pain, without added problems that we invite.
While there is no doubt that many, but not all, chronic back pain patients experience some pain relief with Stimulators, there are still a significant number who have adverse effects and stop using the devices. There is precious little data out there, perhaps because collection and publication of that data lies in the hands of those who profit most from their use and who stand to lose the most if data were published.
Second, there is virtually NO data on long term efficacy LONG TERM safety of the devices. Patients deserve to be told this information so that they can make an informed decision about the use of the device.
Third, there is no published scientific discussion of exactly how the stimulators work. How can their long term safety and efficacy be known if in fact there is no sound scientific understanding of how the stimulators work?
just had one implanted over a week ago. I got the peripheral nerve stimulator. Same concept but under the skin around my spine instead of in it. Waiting for the my back to settle with swelling to see my results and how much my pain will decrease through activity. If I don't have enough relief I will get the spinal cord stimulator in my spine. I have extra ports in my battery (inserted in buttocks) to add extra wires. Praying this changes my life because at the moment I don't have one.
Ive had a scs for over 20 years , it saved me , I get around 98% – 100% pain relief . Have had several revisions as well , it completely saved my life and I function very normally ! I highly recommend them !


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Enzyme immunoassay for the direct quantitative determination of Estrone in human serum. For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
Solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the competition principle. An unknown amount of antigen present in the sample and a fixed amount of enzyme labelled antigen compete for the binding sites of the antibodies coated onto the wells. After incubation the wells are washed to stop the competition reaction. After the substrate reaction the intensity of the developed color is inversely proportional to the amount of the antigen in the sample. Results of samples can be determined directly using the standard curve.


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Tomato Diet Tablets are the natural answer for weight loss. Extracted from fresh tomatoes, it is rich in Lycopene, which is a natural acid also named as red carotenoid pigment. The tablets have the capability of curbing the extra cholesterol of body and cut down excess craving. Rising up the metabolism rate of the body, the Tomato Diet Tablets are also beneficial for curing the heart disease and heart stroke. The tablets are greatly healthful due to their Vitamin C content.
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Small Oil Lanterns
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7.5" Lantern Height
5 candlepower
10 hours Light Duration
4oz Fuel Capacity
Comes with 4" length of wick
1/16" wick thickness
Replacement Wicks: OBP29932
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(Click here to see our V&O Lantern parts list.)
Small hurricane lanterns available in classic red and green. Old fashioned style. This little lantern complements rustic decor and is a great ambient light inside or outside. With a brightness of 6 candle power these small oil lanterns are great for reading a book or lighting personal space. If you're trying to cook dinner with a group you will need more light from a bigger lantern. These mini oil lanterns feature a globe raising side lever for easy lighting and wick trimming. Suitable for use inside or outside. Carry outside or hang along a wooded path with the top metal bail handle. They're so darn cute it's hard to resist rustic lantern centerpieces for the next summer night party. Made by V&O Lanterns.
Old fashioned oil lamps - Dietz oil lanterns - Parts of a kerosene lantern - Fundamentals of lantern construction - What is a hurricane lantern? - What type of fuel to use in old fashioned lanterns? - How to fill an oil lantern with oil - How do you light a lantern? - How to put out an oil lantern - Oil lantern operation tips - Storing lanterns - The differences of Dietz and V&O lanterns - Where are Dietz Lanterns made? - Where are V&O Lanterns made? - Dietz Lantern parts - V and O Lantern parts - Lanterns for Weddings


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Spring Time Allergy Therapies Special!
Allergies are just the worse. Itchy eyes, stuffy nose, clogged mind, irritability… and you pray for them to be over. What if you could actually enjoy the seasonal change without that… naturally? We offer a multi-therapeutic approach when it comes to seasonal allergies, and have created a package specifically for[...]
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Annual Competition
Accepted formats are Film Slides, Digital Images and Prints.
For guidance on submitting images please see Mike Hillyard's article on Preparing Digital Images for the Annual Competition
Download an entry form.
Closing date for entries 31, January 2020
Organiser : David Ford
Annual AV-5 Competition
The 2019 Southampton Convention will once again feature a selection of members shows under the AV-5 rules. Essentially, members of the Society are asked to submit, individually or as a group, an audio-visual show, with a subject of their own choice and having a maximum duration of 5 minutes. If you would like to take part in this event please contact email@example.com or download an entry from here
Please send any queries about the AV-5 competition to Barry


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Most of the startups launched in the past few years are mostly based on services offered over the web, their business value being delivered via mobile apps or web apps that propose new concepts – all of which should be done under the big hat of intellectual property.
If it's the case that your start-up's most valuable assets are based on intellectual property, you should read on, as not making sure you protect your most valuable ideas and solutions can lead to expensive and lengthy legal battles along the way.
Launch Your Startup Now Or First Protect Your Ideas?
As a new business owner, you might be [tweet_dis]feeling conflicted between getting the product out in the market quickly or ensuring it's well protected from the intellectual property standpoint[/tweet_dis] first. But if you're reaching to investors, you might notice that they won't put their name and money on ideas that could easily be stolen.
Let's get you through a brief guide of the main intellectual property rights that startups and businesses should think about before pitching their ideas around. From trademarks to patents, copyright and confidential information clauses, to non-disclosure agreements – intellectual property can be divided into several categories and there may be multiple rights to consider for your startup's product.
Applying for a trademark is the next thing to do after registering your business name if you're looking to protect your brand. Your mark should be distinctive and go with your general branding rules, while not being similar to a competitor, as this would cause confusion in your target market. A trademark specifically identifies your product or service in the public's eye and protects your asset by law. You'll have to register the trademark separately from your business name and first research the existing trademark registry prior to submitting a new application.
We're sure your startup is innovative and revolves around a lot of great ideas, but it can only be patented if you can prove your idea is new and has a practical use. The application process itself might make you change your mind about getting a patent, as it's lengthy, difficult and you'll most likely end up needing some legal advice or a dedicated lawyer to handle the process. If you decide to apply for a patent, we're here to make everything easy for you, for a fixed-quote – and you'll be the owner of your patent, with total monopoly, for 20 years.
Copyright is usually associated with creative work as written content, photographs, designed images, drawings and videos but can also cover software code, website design and databases. The best part of it is that it simply is associated with the creative work and it does not need legal registration – it has to be mentioned it it's a valuable asset that you can hold on. You can read on more details of copyright acts and exceptions to make sure your intellectual property is covered by copyright.
Confidential information clauses
This is not precisely an intellectual property right but it is a useful tool for your business information to be protected by the law of confidentiality, as long as you keep your business info clearly defined and limited from public availability.
Non-disclosure agreements
The main use of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is keeping you invention/concept a secret when talking to others. You can ask people to sign an NDA before discussing your future product with them. For example, in a future employee interview, or funding opportunity meeting where you'll need to share detailed information on how you got to your innovative concept and your work is in danger to be stolen. Here's where you can find NDA's examples to get inspired for writing your own.
Registered design rights
Do you use 3D animations or 3D design in your startup app, website or marketing campaigns? You might not know all the details but if you publish 3D explanatory videos or create original characters, if the quality and originality standards are met, you might qualify for a 25-year exclusivity for your design. We must give you a reality check though – it's quite difficult to meet the standards in getting IP rights of 3D work.
No matter the rights you've decided to consider for your startup's product, remember to take into consideration the countries your business operates in and what business sector you're working in, as you might need to look into more details on intellectual property.


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Cabaret Sequin Fringe...
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Diamond Sequin Keyhole Bodysuit Purple. Our bodysuits are custom made to order. If you have need a bulk order please contact us with your enquiry.
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