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Lois Vidaver: Holiday tradition is still going strong
The Vidavers have a holiday tradition that has nothing to do with hanging mistletoe, sending greeting cards or devouring Grandma's stuffing. It may not even be a very unusual custom these days, but at the time we started it, more than 30 years ago, it was.
We spend our holiday afternoons at the movies. The family ritual started because my husband, a clergyman, had church obligations during holiday seasons, so traveling to see our families living thousands of miles away was not possible.
On the day of the celebration, of course, we did the usual rituals, opening presents while fielding phone calls from around the country: "Merry Christmas! Wish we were closer!" But after the hoopla, there were hours to go before two overstimulated children would finally settle down and go to sleep. What to do?
The first time I remember us trekking to the nearest movie house was on a New Year's Day when the kids were 6 and 8. Having attended a midnight Watch Service at our church the night before, a nap sounded pretty good to the grown-ups. But our kids beat us down on that one. "It's a holiday – no naps!" they protested.
So off we went to see "Fantasia." Looking around, it was like Ralph Wilson Stadium on a bye week. There was one father and his little girl there, and that was the extent of the audience. Evidently, other people had better things to do. I began to feel sorry for myself, missing the camaraderie of family on such a day. But we were soon drawn to the music, color and style of the film and carried away to the land of imagination. We ended up talking about that movie for days around the dinner table.
Ever since, an important part of our preholiday preparation is scouting the movie house schedules, analyzing the movie reviews and taking note of the ratings. We vary the offerings. Sometimes it's an animated cartoon for the youngest, a chick flick for the girls or an action movie for the guys. I was just happy to be there, content that the whole family was together for one more pleasant memory.
Our 8-year-old granddaughter has now added her voice to our family outings. From our viewpoint, animated cartoons are becoming more sophisticated, designed to be adult-friendly as well as kid-friendly. We've also noticed we don't have the theater to ourselves anymore. It is often filled to overflowing with large audiences.
This past Father's Day, we took in "Madagascar 3," an animation that had the added attraction of being in 3-D. Some 3-D movies aren't worth the bother of putting on the special eyewear. This one was different – you were actually ducking that bright-colored bird careening toward your nose. Transported by the sound of beautiful voices singing beautiful music, many of us didn't move to leave when the credits started to roll. As the music continued, the audience, including my daughter and her daughter, began to sing, too, everyone enjoying the impromptu karaoke.
Suddenly, a man in the front row jumped out of his seat and began dancing, head bobbing and arms pumping to the beat, the silhouette of this joyful figure magnified on the movie screen. When the credit roll and music ended, the rest of us gave him hearty applause. A celebration of the spirit – what a great way to end the day. Thanksgiving is coming. Grab the Gusto!


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|Rew Hanks' winning entries
Another Friday and another visit to a gallery hosting part of the International Print Biennalle 2011. This time it was to the Laing Gallery in Newcastle to see an exhibition of invited artists' work. This photograph shows the winning entries for the 2011 competition, which are lino cuts by Rew Hanks entitled:
- Hunter and Collector
- King Bungaree
- Macquarie's seat
My husband, who is a keen naturalist, commented on the uncanny resemblance of the man in the left hand print to Joseph Banks the explorer and collector. I was very impressed when I researched Hanks only to find that in fact it was based on him!
|Lauren Drescher's Animal Skin & Tattoo Skin
on Japanese paper
celebrating 100th anniversary of Mervyn Peake, who illustrated books such as Tales of the Brothers Grimm, Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
|The History of Quadrupeds
first editions.

subset: commoncrawl


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Backers of a state initiative that would increase cigarette taxes by $1 a pack to provide more than $500 million a year to prevent, detect and treat cancer said Thursday that they have gathered enough signatures to put it on the ballot in 2012.
When former state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata and other backers announced their plans for the initiative late last year, they said they hoped to get enough signatures to put it before voters this fall.
But they missed that deadline and now want to place it on the ballot in November 2012. They said they gathered 634,722 signatures, well above the total that's needed. The signatures need to be verified by the California Secretary of State's office.
In addition to Perata, who is running for mayor of Oakland in the November election, the measure is sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the American Cancer Action Network, the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association and the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.
At a news conference at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute on Wednesday, supporters said Livestrong, bicyclist Lance Armstrong's anti-cancer foundation, also backs the measure.
David Veneziano, the chief executive of the California division of the American Cancer Society, said it's expected that the measure will raise more than $500 million a year to help the state's research community make advances in the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer, heart disease, stroke, emphysema and other smoking-related illnesses.
The money would go into a trust fund, and 60 percent would go toward research.
Twenty percent would fund smoking cessation efforts and campaigns to prevent tobacco use, 15 percent would pay for facilities and equipment to support research and 3 percent would help police enforce anti-tobacco laws and stop tobacco smuggling. No more than 2 percent would be spent on administrative costs.
A nine-member oversight committee made up of cancer researchers and health advocates would decide how the funds would be distributed.


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Fractional Flow Reserve and Adverse Outcomes
Study Questions:
Is fractional flow reserve (FFR) associated with clinical outcomes?
Data from the FAME 2 (Fractional Flow Reserve vs. Angiography for Multivessel Evaluation 2) trial were used for the present analysis. Patients with one or more coronary artery stenosis demonstrated with an FFR of 0.80 or lower were randomized to percutaneous coronary intervention or medical therapy alone. Patients with FFRs <0.80 but angiographically significant stenosis were treated with medical therapy and followed in a prospective registry. For the present analysis, only participants who received medical therapy alone were included. The primary outcome of interest was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) defined as cardiovascular death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization (both urgent and nonurgent) at 2 years.
A total of 607 patients who received medical therapy alone were included in this analysis. Risk factors for coronary artery disease were common in the study population. No significant differences in risk factors were experienced between patients who experienced MACE or not, with the exception of angina class. MACE was associated with increased complex stenosis. FFR values were mostly distributed in the range between 0.70 and 0.90. MACE occurred in 272 (26.5%) out of 1,029 lesions. Target lesions with diameter stenosis ≥70% were more frequent in the MACE group (p < 0.01). Median FFR was significantly lower in the MACE group versus the non-MACE group (0.68 [interquartile range, 0.54-0.77] vs. 0.80 [interquartile range, 0.70-0.88]; p < 0.01). The cumulative incidence of MACE significantly increased with increasing FFR quartiles. An average decrease in MACE per 0.05 unit increase in FFR was statistically significant even after adjustment for all clinical and angiographic features (odds ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-0.86]). The strongest increase in MACE occurred for FFR values between 0.80 and 0.60. In multivariable analysis, FFR was significantly associated with MACE up to 2 years (hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.83-0.91).
The investigators concluded that among patients with stable coronary disease, stenosis severity as assessed by FFR is a major and independent predictor of lesion-related outcome.
These data suggest that FFR may assist in risk stratification of patients undergoing coronary angiography.
Clinical Topics: Cardiac Surgery, Invasive Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention, Noninvasive Imaging, Atherosclerotic Disease (CAD/PAD), Aortic Surgery, Cardiac Surgery and SIHD, Interventions and Coronary Artery Disease, Interventions and Imaging, Angiography, Nuclear Imaging
Keywords: Angina Pectoris, Atherosclerosis, Constriction, Pathologic, Coronary Angiography, Coronary Artery Disease, Coronary Stenosis, Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial, Myocardial Infarction, Myocardial Ischemia, Myocardial Revascularization, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Risk Factors
< Back to Listings


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Definitions of canal
n. - An artificial channel filled with water and designed for navigation, or for irrigating land, etc. 2
n. - A tube or duct; as, the alimentary canal; the semicircular canals of the ear. 2
n. - A long and relatively narrow arm of the sea, approximately uniform in width; -- used chiefly in proper names; as, Portland Canal; Lynn Canal. 2
The word "canal" uses 5 letters: A A C L N.
No direct anagrams for canal found in this word list.
Words formed by adding one letter before or after canal (in bold), or to aacln in any order:
e - anlace l - callan o - canola r - carnal s - canals u - canula lacuna
Shorter words found within canal:
aa aal al ala alan an ana anal can clan la lac na
List shorter words within canal, sorted by length
Words formed from any letters in canal, plus an optional blank or existing letter
List all words starting with canal, words containing canal or words ending with canal
All words formed from canal by changing one letter
Other words with the same letter pairs: ca an na al
Browse words starting with canal by next letter
Previous word in list: canakins
Next word in list: canaled
Some random words: weigela okra mnemonic renail vroom cliche tsuba
This is not a dictionary, it's a word game wordfinder.
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In celebration of Zakka corp's 20th Anniversary in New York City, Jarvis Earnshaw and Decrepit Jaw are collaborating to create an event of sound performance and visual interpretation by using the bookstore environment to compose a completed piece that reflects the atmosphere of Zakka and by utilizing audio cassette tapes and recorders, the stacking of books, the rustling of pages, interior design elements, toys, and novelty items to record and mix into a complete composition.
Jarvis Earnshaw and Decrepit Jaw have named the event Interplay in reference to the interaction of two artists working together and that artistic collaboration working with the store. The performance is the equal intersection of all three parties. They hope to create an event that will serve as a bookmark in the continuing history of Zakka and its community. Serving as a dialogue about the ephemeral link between recorded sound and books as art objects, where both books and physical copies of music are designed to share creative culture.
Zakka bookstore started at Broome Street in SoHo in 1994, moved over to Grand Street in 1998 and eventually to Dumbo in 2007, where the store resides today. Weathering the transitions of the ever changing New York landscape, Zakka provides an eclectic mixture of art, literature and collectibles rooted in Japanese culture but also offers a wide selection of wares domestic and international.
Collecting sounds and imagery directly from the bookstore, the artists will reinterpret the material and perform in front of a live audience.
Decrepit Jaw is the sound project of visual artist Matthew Brennan. It began in 2008 to celebrate his nostalgia for cassette tapes and explore the dying breaths of this aging technology. He has released six albums along with several collaborations and has played all over New York including the Conflux Festival, Governors Island Art Fair, ABC No Rio and The Living Theater.
Jarvis Earnshaw, musician / photographer was born in London 1982, spent his childhood in Japan and is currently based in NewYorkCity and recently had a solo photo exhibition at the New York Public Library, Thompkin Square Branch. His work is often described as a cinematic experience, layering sounds and imagery with the use of analog equipment such as handmade audio cassette tape loops, acoustic guitars and film photography. www.jarvisearnshaw.com
The artists hope to create a soundtrack for viewers to continue to explore Zakka and all it has to offer.For additional information please contact: email@example.com


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You can help us reach our city and reach souls by donating to New Life Assembly of God. Thank you for your support.
If you are a Fry's customer, you can also register your Fry's VIP card and support us every time you shop at Fry's. For more information, click here, and search for our account number NR921, or New Life Assembly of God in Mesa


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This course is designed to give you the knowledge and skill to conduct spins in an aerobatic aircraft.
Flying Training
The course is conducted in our Subaru Fuji FA-200 aircraft.
Delivery mode
Full or part-time
Course duration
2 weeks for a full-time course
Entry Requirements
A Private Pilot or higher licence


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How did that not go in! Eibar should have drawn this game.
How did that not go in! Eibar should have drawn this game.
f. Signatures must not slow down the forum (no gifs, maximum size 30kb and 700 wide x 200 tall pixels for images OR 5 lines of text (in english/catalan/castellano)
Good for La Liga to keep Atletico at with some chance at least. We also don't want to be too comfortable and then suddenly having to show up for CL. Intensity is key.
Barca Man of the Match
How to use the Formations Code
Free Catalonia!
Bartomeu Dimissió
Damn Atletico. They are not giving up. Let's hope at least Valencia drops some points today.
It's a two horse race, Valencia aren't going to catch anyone up.
Atletico still have to come to the nou camp and also to the bernabeu. And have games against Sevilla and Villarreal both away.
This is pure gold.
Our new twitter admin is fantastic
Puyol #5
I think I am missing the joke. I only see a possible reference to the 'cold, rainy night in Stoke' meme.
Ray Hudson narrating Villarreal's counterattack "and they were off like a prom dress."
i'd love if i could enjoy their fall but i'm just indifferent,nothing can erase their success in last couple of years,especially winning CL back to back,i'm probably still bitter
Just seen highlights, Real had like 100 chances...guess the luck ran out this year, huh!?


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Fire In The Sky
Enhanced Critical Hits System
Combat in this game is nothing to be taken lightly. The vast majority of humans are not superheroes, your characters included, and as such you should think twice before engaging in a potentially mortal struggle with someone, because the outcome is never quite guaranteed.
To add a more dangerous, gritty feel, we will be using an enhanced critical hits system. Whenever an attacker rolls a critical hit, he will do extra damage as normal based upon his weapon's critical multiplier, but he also has a chance to cause a critical effect. These vary from a modest hinderance to total dismemberment, but they are never pleasant. First, the GM will roll to see what part of the body was struck. Humanoids use this table, but more exotic creatures have their own tables.
To determine if a critical hit causes a critical effect, we use a number called the critical hit's severity, which is calculated using the following formula:
- First, start with the base damage rolled by the weapon during the attack, not including any modifiers. This includes overwhelming damage if any.
- Then subtract the target's AC on the area that was hit. This means that some pieces of armor, such as kevlar vest, may protect only certain parts of the body…
- Then add or subtract 4 for every difference in size category between the weapon and the target. For firearms, the size category is always small, but different types of ammunition have critical severity modifiers that can negate this penalty.
- If the weapon is a melee weapon, the wielder's strength modifier is added or subtracted.
- If the weapon is enchanted, its enhancement level is added in.
- Finally, any miscellaneous modifiers from feats, certifications, or other abilities are added, subtracted, or multiplied.
The final result is the severity of the critical hit. If this number is 0 or lower, the critical hit deals damage as normal, but causes no critical effect. Otherwise, the critical effect is determined by the damage type of the weapon, and the location of the critical hit, using the tables below:
Piercing Critical Effects
Slashing Critical Effects
Bludgeoning Critical Effects
Explosive Critical Effects
Some damage types, such as lightning or fire, cannot cause critical effects. However in this game, if your enemy has an attack that causes lightning or fire damage, it will generally cause enough damage to make you wish they had shot you with a gun instead…


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USA: Time to end ten years of injustice: Oral statement to the UN Human Rights Council 20th Session
The failure of the US authorities to turn to the fully functioning civilian judicial system has not only deprived detainees at Guantánamo of their fair trial rights, it has so far deprived the victims of 9/11 attacks and other such crimes of their rights to see those responsible brought to justice and the truth firmly established through proper trials. Continuing failures in the domain of counter-terrorism are not only undermining the USA's impact as a serious and powerful advocate for human rights, but they are also providing other governments with political cover for their violations perpetrated in the name of countering terrorism. Friends of the USA are urged to use the Human Rights Council diligently to encourage the US government to remove this stain on the USA's human rights record. SEE ALSO http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/011/2012/en


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HD Wallpapers Fix Provides Wide Range Indian dasi Girls Free Wallpapers. We have selected a list of the Best 4 Indian dasi Girls Free Wallpapers Photos. Download the world's best quality photos for you PC desktop, Laptop, Mobile phone for using them as wallpapers, screen savers fix on your Desktop etc. Indian dasi Girls Free Wallpapers post the latest and rare pictures.
Here is the latest collection of HD Wallpapers high resolution pictures which you can use for wallpapers.


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SOURCE: RLJ Entertainment
April 22, 2013 07:00 ET
LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - Apr 22, 2013) - Image Entertainment, Inc., a subsidiary of RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE), has acquired all U.S. and Canadian rights to Nick Murphy's thriller Blood from IM Global genre division Octane. The film stars Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander), Mark Strong (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Sherlock Holmes), Brian Cox (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Identity) and Stephan Graham (Gangs of New York, "Boardwalk Empire"). The film was produced by Pippa Harris (Revolutionary Road, The Kite Runner, Jarhead), the BBC, and executive produced by Academy Award® winner Sam Mendes. Bill Bromiley, Chief Acquisitions Officer for Image Entertainment made today's announcement.
"Blood had a great buzz among critics during its world premiere at the London Film Festival and it is a must-have for Image," commented Bromiley. "It's a film with good theatrical potential. We're pleased to have Blood on our slate."
Blood is a thriller which charts the moral collapse of a close police family. Two brothers, both cops, are smothered by the shadow of their former police chief father. Unspoken secrets and unvoiced suspicions drive the ominous suspense as the brothers spiral into an obsessive confrontation between crimes of the present and crimes of the past.
The deal was negotiated by Bill Bromiley, Mark Ward and Michael Bayer on behalf of Image Entertainment and IM Global's President of International Sales Jonathan Deckter and VP of Business and Legal Affairs Lauren Wilson on behalf of IM Global.
About RLJ Entertainment
RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) is a premier independent licensee and distributor of entertainment content and programming in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia with over 5,200 exclusive titles. RLJE is a leader in numerous genres via its owned and distributed brands such as Acorn (British TV), Image (stand-up comedy, feature films), One Village (urban), Acacia (fitness), Slingshot (faith), Athena (educational), Criterion (art films) and Madacy (gift sets). These titles are distributed in multiple formats including DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download, digital streaming, broadcast television (including satellite and cable), theatrical and non-theatrical.
Via its majority-owned subsidiary Agatha Christie Limited, RLJE manages the intellectual property and publishing rights to some of the greatest works of mystery fiction, including stories of the iconic sleuths Miss Marple and Poirot. And through its direct-to-consumer business, RLJE has direct contacts and billing relationships with millions of consumers.
RLJE leverages its management experience to acquire, distribute, and monetize existing and original content for its many distribution channels, including its nascent branded digital subscription channels, and engages distinct audiences with programming that appeals directly to their unique viewing interests. RLJE has proprietary e-commerce web sites for the Acorn and Acacia brands, and owns the recently launched Acorn TV digital subscription service.
About IM Global Octane
OCTANE is the genre label of IM Global, one of the industry's most prolific film financing and sales companies. Breakout success stories that the label has been associated with include the original Paranormal Activity, Insidious, and Sinister. The operation had two films in Toronto's 2012 "Midnight Madness" section: Rob Zombie's The Lords of Salem and Barry Levinson's The Bay. The division also specializes in R-rated comedy, handling worldwide rights on last year's smash hit UK comedy The Inbetweeners, co-financing last summer's R-rated release The Babymakers, and the recently released box office success, Marlon Wayans R-rated comedy, A Haunted House. Currently in post-production is Plush from director Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight, Thirteen) and producer Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions (Paranormal Activity franchise, Insidious, Sinister), with Octane financing. Plush stars a sexy young cast, including Emily Browning (Sucker Punch, The Uninvited), Xavier Samuel (Twilight Saga Eclipse, Anonymous) and Cam Gigandet (Easy A, Never Back Down).
Katrina Wan
Katrina Wan PR
323-240-9996Email Contact
Katrina Wan
Katrina Wan PR
323-240-9996Email Contact
See all RSS Newsfeeds


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6807 Fayetteville Road
Durham, NC 27713
10am - 8pm
S: 10am - 7pm
Su: 12pm - 6pm
310 E. Main Street
Carrboro, NC 27510
10am - 7pm
S: 10am - 6pm
Su: 12pm - 5pm
Mark your calendars to come celebrate Valentine's Day with Fleet Feet! On Tuesday, February 14th, bring your Valentine and your running shoes for a lovely run and Valentine's treats.
More details to come.


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Excellent picture quality for its class
Sharp results shooting handheld even at the far reaches of the zoom
Excellent image quality, Exemplary handgrip
Sharp results handheld at maximum optical reach, Manual zoom
Maintaining good-to-excellent photo quality
Sharp lens, Good quality at high ISOs
Solid image quality in a pocketable body
Compact, Easy to use, First rate optics, Excellent image quality
Comfortable shooting design and nice photos
Excellent control layout, 7.1x zoom lens, Fast aperture lens
Best-in-class ergonomics, handling, and build quality
Excellent image quality
Respectable photo quality
Image quality is excellent
Has an arm-length list of features
Excellent image quality, Excellent value for money
First camera with total connectivity
Good macro feature, Samsung sharing apps included
Combines a smartphone and digital camera with 3G, 4G and WiFi
Image quality is good
Simple control layout, stylish looks
Good screen, Quick start-up
Image quality is good enough
High speed shooting at 60fps, High resolution screen
Fast shooting performance
Excellent high ISO performance
Speedy continuous shooting
Extremely rugged, LED Illuminator
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We are currently aggregating 376,500 reviews
covering over 29,483 products.
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West Ham United are set to welcome Aaron Cresswell from Ipswich into their side after finalizing what is to be their third signing of the summer, Mirror reports.
The 24-year-old left-back agreed a five-year deal with the Hammers as Sam Allaryce prepares his squad to improve on their previous season finish.
WANT MORE? >> West Ham United Transfer News | Latest Transfer News
He now becomes the third person to join the club with the acquisitions of Mauro Zarate and Cheikhou Kouyate earlier.
Cresswell, who was regarded as on of the Championship league's best player, joins the side after West Ham and Ipswich reached an agreement over the £4 million switch.
The defender was a regular at Portman Road featuring in 88 out of 92 matches in the English Championship over the last two campaigns.
He also managed to add two goals to his tally the previous season, while also picking up a total of 12 assists for his now former team mates.


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Send a Prayer Western Wall in the media
October 2, 2009
Send a Prayer – Western Wall is getting more and more media attention. Some of our favorite pieces are:
- 09/27/09 New York Post: iPhone Jews heed God's call
- 09/27/09 Huffington Post: Send a Prayer' iPhone App Beams Prayer To Rabbis
- 09/29/09 BeliefNet: Send Your Prayers to the Western Wall Via iPhone
- 09/26/09 JewKey.com: New York, NY – iPhoning A Prayer to the Western Wall Just in Time for Yom Kippur
Thank you very much again for the coverage!
No comments yet


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1.) The Anti-Kidnapping Band
For all you parents out there that are terrified of your travelling kid being kidnapped, this is the most practical thing we've ever seen. Even if the chances of getting kidnapped are pretty low in reality, this anti-kidnapping band gives a +10 stealth bonus to all rogues and makes anyone feel like James Bond. It has the non-metal, non-detectable means to escape from duct tape, zip ties, and handcuffs and fits unobtrusively on any watch band. Extensive instructions on the website. It's bloody genius. We both want them.
$25 for the band only on gearward.com. Watch not included.
2.) A Tiny Convertible Laptop
We are writing this post from our Asus Transformer T100s. A super lightweight, detatchable, tablet-laptop hybrid is far and away the most useful upgrade to our wandering lifestyles we have ever made. For comparison, that's Jerry's old Dell Latitude to the left. There are many higher end ones on the market, so go as big your own budget and desires, but what makes this one awesome: 1. It's a real laptop: full windows 8.1 and can run photoshop. 2. It has all the travel perks of a tablet: 10 hour battery life and weighs 1.2 pounds. 3. It's $265. Guys. That's CHEAPER THAN A PHONE.
$265 for the Asus Transformer T100 on amazon.com.
3.) A Kindle Fire and Amazon Unlimited
Laura is a big fan of real paper books, and there is definitely a hardcover of Borges' complete essays bundling around the world with us… but even she has to admit, the kindle is a hell of a lot lighter. Our kindle fire was a present from Jerry's brother two years ago, and it's one of the most used items of our trip. It has a battery life of multiple days, a less eye-straining screen, and a book-like size that's easy to hold. The $10 all-you-can-read deal is of Kindle Unlimited is pretty awesome for people spending a lot of time on trains and buses, and can be gifted long-distance, for the traveller already on the road.
$59-219 for the kindle, depending on the model, on amazon.com.
$10/month for kinde unlimited amazon.com.
4.) Bluetooth Speakers
This isn't strictly necessary, but it really improves quality of life. Every hotel room becomes your own private party and every tub your own spa. For budget travellers using wwoof or workaway, it's really motivating to have music while you scrub kitchens and rehab buildings. Jerry's brother knocked it out of the park again last Christmas with a Big Jambox by jawbone, which is powerful enough to be heard across a field with a mechanical harvester going at the same time. It's 2.5lbs and 10 inches long, works wirelessly with any smartphone and also has a battery life measured in days. The Mini Jambox comes in candy colors and is good for smaller backpacks at 9 oz and 6 inches long, and for super tight budgets there's the Bright Ideas Now version is 2oz and only 60mm across. There are many on the market, but be aware that many cheap versions are of questionable quality. The Jambox series is fantastic, for all others read reviews first.
$11 for the Bright Ideas Now on amazon.com.
$99 for the Mini Jambox on jawbone.com.
$299 for the Big Jambox on jawbone.com.
5.) Camping Towels
It's in the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy: don't forget your towel. Many budget hotels and some workaways don't provide them, even though we consistently book private double rooms, not dorms, campgrounds, or "you can crash on the floor with a sleeping bag" type scenarios. There's also inevitably going to be some spill-on-your-lap-when-trying-to-drink-coffee-on-a-bus situation. Even if the wanderer in your life isn't a true backpacker or camper, a towel is useful, and a camping towel is made of microfiber, which is smaller, lighter, and dries quickly, thus avoiding mold when shoved back into the luggage. It feels more like a shamwow than a towel, but it gets to job done. We have conventional towels this trip, and definitely plan to upgrade before the next one.
$8-20, many sizes and colours available on amazon.com.
6.) Therapik Mosquito Bite Reliever
Venom is heat sensitive, and this brilliant little gadget destroys it, getting rid of the sting from most forms of bug bite. We haven't been anywhere that is particularly mosquito prone this year, but this is a godsend for campers… and pretty much anyone who lives anywhere with mosquitos in the summer. Another brilliant thing we just heard of, and need to pick up when we return to the states. We need one for performing at Renn Faires.
Available at CVS, Walmart and similar.
$12 on amazon.com.
7.) Fog-Free Travel Mirror
Feather light and nigh-unbreakable, this is a brilliant idea, even if someone isn't a camper. We've stayed a surprising amount of places that don't have bathroom mirrors this year. We've made do with what regular cheap hand mirrors we could find, but the suction cup on the ShaveWell version would have been awful handy for things like shaving or plucking eyebrows. This also strikes us as something that would be exceedingly useful for all the bellydancers we know, who get ready in varying dressing rooms and backstage areas that are often crowded and have inadequate mirrors.
Available at Target, Walmart, and similar.
$10 on amazon.com.
8.) A wifi extender
Everyone's stayed in that one hotel with the wifi that just doesn't reach the room, or fades in an out. When you telecommute for a living while travelling the world, this actually can be a serious problem. We've taken to camping out wherever the router is, but for thirty bucks, next time we'll spare our hunched backs and freezing fingers and just get the signal in the room. These are basically secondary routers—for the non tech savvy, that means they work with any computer/tablet/phone OS. There are many models to shops from, but if you get a headache looking at specs on electronics, this TP-Link version has great reviews, is affordable, and many people state they now get four bars instead of one.
$20 for the suggested TP-Link version on amazon.com.
9.) Resqme Car Escape Tool
Along the same lines as the anti-kidnapping band, this is another way to provide peace of mind while simultaneously feeling like an action hero. It cuts seatbelts and shatters windshields in a single punch, comes in rainbow colours, and is all of $10. Whether you've been watching too many episodes of "locked up abroad," or just plan on visiting Milwaukee, WI (which is the human trafficking capitol of the US, to go with the beer and cheese curds) this is the perfect gift.
$10 for the Resqme Keychain Car Escape Tool on amazon.com
10.) Grenade Survival Kit
We prefer cities and don't personally expect to have to imitate Bear Grylls anytime soon, but if someone you know is the stealth camping type, this is just about the most efficient package on the market. It's got all the hardest tools to improvise in the wild: needle, wire, firestarter, knife, tinfoil, tinder, fishing lines, fishing hooks, weights, swivels, carabiner, and 9 ft of paracord rated for 500 lbs. Some reviewers keep it in their glove compartments in case of an inopportune breakdown. For a few bucks and all of two ounces, why not be prepared? There are multiple versions, but the Friendly Swede's is by far the highest quality.
$15 for the Friendly Swede Grenade Survival Kit on amazon.com.
11.) 11-in-1 Survival Tool
"Survival" is a generous term in this instance… we see this as more as "really, really convenient." It's basically a leatherman, but the size and shape of a credit card. It has a razor, saw blade, multiple wrenches, can and bottle openers, screwdrivers, and ruler. It won't replace an actual multi-tool for the hardcore survival enthusiast, but it's great for the less-enthusiastic girlfriend who was driving him crazy by refusing to wear utility pouches on her belt. Unlike a leatherman, it's also $1.50. Wanting to open a beer in your hotel room is not exactly a survival emergency, but at this price and size, there is no reason everyone you know shouldn't be getting one in their stocking.
$1.50 on amazon.com.
12.) Surgu self-setting rubber
Continuing with the really darn convenient theme, this stuff has "about 17 million uses" (according to a user review, not the producer.) It can repair broken luggage, reinforce charger cables, make holders to sort headphones and wires, create grips for tools, and pretty much anything else you can think of. It's like three-dimensional duct tape. This is the same category as carrying our own needle and thread. It promises to be the stocking stuffer everyone gets the most use out of, travelling or otherwise.
$12 for a basic three-pack on amazon.com
$10-20 for every colour, quantity and variety on sugru.com
12.) Pocket sized sanitizing UV wand.
Anyone who knows Jerry knows what a ridiculous fan he is of sanitizing UV wands. A waste treatment plant outside Chicago started using UV sanitation instead of chlorine, and the resulting water pumped out of the plant was so clean, salmon began swimming upstream to spawn inside the plant. The area outside has become a haven for endangered wildlife that require extremely pure water to survive. In our bnb in Chicago, a full-size Zadro UV wand is how we can be sure there will never be bedbugs, lice, or other questionable things when we have so many strangers sleeping on the same beds. It also destroys pathogens, mold, mites, etc on things like secondhand couches, well-worn sneakers, and counters and cutting boards that have touched raw poultry. Travel-sized ones used to be obnoxiously expensive… until we heard just this year that CVS has them for $8. Um. Yes. First stop when we get back.
$9 on amazon.com, or now available at CVS. (!!!)
13. ) A clothesline and tiny British sock rack
We're not sure if that advice sounds out-doorsey or serial killer-esque, but you'd be surprised how a short bit of compact rope can come in handy. Not least of those reasons is that it can be used as a clothesline, the main means of drying in pretty much every country but the States. Another amazing discovery we've made are these little plastic racks with clothespins attached, used as a compact method for hanging small things like underwear and socks. They're near-impossible to find in the US, but abound at every 99p store in the UK. They're brilliant and we're totally coming back with some.
$16 in America on amazon.com (wtf America?)
99p in the UK on ebay.co.uk, or at any 99p store.
14.) Flat water bottles
This has been a total God-send to have with us no matter where we go. Even if, like us, you do most of your hiking up subway stairs, there is no kind of traveller that wouldn't benefit from a water bottle that flattens to the size and weight of a piece of paper when it's empty. There's a lot of fancy expensive ones that look like they were designed by NASA, but Jerry found ours at Dollar Tree and it hasn't started leaking from 6 months of daily use, so if you pay too much more than a buck, you might be chump. You can sanitize it by filling it with boiling water.
$4 for a BPA-free and dishwasher safe version on amazon.com, or try your neighborhood dollar store.
15.) Compact bags for groceries, laundry
You should all have a bunch of these anyway, because Bill Nye The Science Guy, Al Gore, and Roland Emmerich all tell us that the Earth is sick, and re-using your own bags for groceries makes it feel better. One travel-specific trick we've discovered to cut down on checked bags fees: cram our carry-ons as tight as humanly possible and wear all our coats at once, but once we get off the plane, disperse things into our extra bags to displace the weight. They also make great portable hampers to keep your smelly stuff separated from your slightly less smelly stuff.
The bigger version (pictured) comes with a tiny pocket on the corner so you wad them up and flip them inside out to make a little pod. Open, they easily fit two heavy wool winter coats, two sweaters, and our big jambox. The smaller option is the generic flat drawstring backpack that are often given away promotionally, screenprinted with sports logos.
$6 for the original workhorse bag at reuseit.com.
$7 for a flat drawstring bag at amazon.com, or widely available at dollar stores.
16.) LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
This is just the sort of thing everyone should have in case of zombie apocalypse, natural disaster, world-wide calamity, or when you're going on vacation in Mexico. The LifeStraw removes 99.99% of waterborn bacteria and protozoa parasites from 1000 litres of water without chemicals, filter changes, batteries, or moving parts. It's the Time Magazine Invention of the Year 2005 and is used by NGOs for humanitarian relief in sub-saharan Africa, Haiti, Pakistan and South America. It only became available retail in North America after 2011, when the company was finally able to produce more than was directly needed for disaster relief. It weighs 2 oz and for everyone on you buy, one is donated to a child in a developing country. This company deserves ALL our money.
$20 for the original version at buylifestraw.com.
17.) Barbasol can safe
Remember how in Jurrassic Park, Newman hides the dinosaur embryos in the bottom of a can of Barbasol, but then it slips out of his pocket when he gets venom sprayed in his eyes and it rolls to the bottom of the hill, and back at the top of the hill Newman manages to get back into his Jeep and thinks he's safe for a second but the dilophosauras is somehow already just chilling on the passenger seat and then it cuts to the car rocking and Newman screaming but in the book it was waaay more graphic and kind of gave you nightmares when you were 11?
They actually make that Barbasol can now. Only instead of dinosaur embryos, you use it to hide stuff that's considerably less awesome, but still kind of important, like your passport and credit cards. Laura wants one in case she ever decides to screw over John Hammond.
$10 on amazon.com.
18.) SAS survival guide
We're city people. We would be pretty useless in the wild. Learning survival techniques takes training and hard work, and you probably have to sleep outside sometimes. Luckily, there is a book written by the Chief Survival Instructor for the British Special Air Services on how to survive in a bunch of different scenarios. Pretty handy for desert islands, zombie apocalypses, and various Mad Max-esque dystopias.
$6 on amazon.com.
19.) A travel-sized spice rack
We brought a bunch of our spices with us, and it's turned out to be one of our best decisions. It's great for making cheap assortments of veggies into hearty meals and really endears us to anyone who might be hosting us. If, like us, your recipient already owns a weird international mix of spices, the empty containers are available in many sizes. If your recipient isn't well stocked, the mobile foodie survival kit (pictured) is awfully photogenic when unwrapped as a gift, USDA organic, comes themed to different world cuisines, and supports Brooklyn Community Services.


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Looking for outstanding value for your learning and growth budget this year? Redvespa is proud to announce an incredible line-up of International and Kiwi speakers for the first ever Workshop Extravaganza for the NZ BA Community. Join Kupe Kupersmith and Moana O'Neil as they deliver Day 2 of the Redvespa Workshop Extravaganza. Fellow Day 1 Workshop facilitators including Georgiana Mannion, Blair Loveday and Glen McCloy will be joining you, the participants, to impart their knowledge and to share the extravaganza goodness!
More information about the Workshops can be found below!
Workshop 1 - 9am -12pm
Lean Decision Making
Many organizations are faced with high cost overruns and challenges to deliver anticipated value during project execution. In working with many clients and reading study after study, a root cause almost always points to requirement issues. It could be missing requirements, too many requirements, conflicting requirements or multiple interpretations of the same requirement.
In the end, this challenge and struggle commonly relates to how organizations are making and communicating decisions before, during and after projects. Decisions need to be made with the information available at the right time. By focusing on decision making you will know how to deliver what is needed at the right time. Analysis paralysis will be a thing of the past.
This workshop will take an in-depth look at how improved decision making helps increase project success. After all, one of the main responsibilities of a business analysis professional is to help others make better decisions. If decisions are not made during a project nothing can get accomplished. Easier said than done right? Making a decision, especially when there isn't consensus can be interesting, to say the least. However, there are tools that can be used to help facilitate decision making – tools that will lead you and the team to the right decision. Whether you are new to the role or have been doing analysis for a while, you will look at the "why" of business analysis in a whole new light after this session.
Session Objectives
· The Importance of Decision Making to increase the success of projects
· When you need to make decisions and the tools to help make them
· How you help others make decisions at the right time
Kupe Kupersmith
Kupe Kupersmith, President & Principal, B2T Training, possesses over 15 years of experience in software systems development in America. He has served as the lead Business Analyst and Project Manager on projects in the Energy, television and sports management and marketing industries. Additionally, he serves as a mentor for business analysis professionals. Kupe is a Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®).
Kupe is the co-author of Business Analysis for Dummies and is a requested speaker. Being a trained improvisational comedian, Kupe is sure to make you laugh while you're learning. For a feel for Kupe's view on business analysis topics check out his blog on BA Times. Kupe is a connector and has a goal in life to meet everyone!
Follow Kupe on Twitter: @kupe
Workshop 2 - 1pm - 4pm
A Journey to Knowledge
Knowledge is social and made to be shared! But how do you know if the culture and values at your place are right for a properly knowledge-savvy organisation?
Redvespa has a fantastic culture, a clear Vision and set of Values that made for a fantastic organisation - yet there was still evidence of consultants feeling isolated on client site, and limited opportunities to collaborate with Redvespa HQ and their peers. Moana will delve into Redvespa's continual improvement in knowledge management and how this led to unrealised potential in delivery to our clients.
Join Moana as she shares her experience setting the course, and implementing a successful Knowledge Strategy. Experience the techniques and methods Moana and guests have applied on a journey to knowledge - including aspects of Agile, Design Principles, Self Selection, and just plain solid Business Analysis.
In this collaborative session we will:
Share our journey and concepts so that it may help you on your journey to Knowledge
Give you some concepts, techniques, examples to take with you and apply to your environment
Share some of our pain and hear any of yours
Run your own Self Selection session
Moana O'Neil
Moana is Redvespa's Chief Knowledge Officer. Her key focus is getting the right knowledge to the right person at the right time for the team. She is also a key point of contact for Redvespa consultants regarding all things BA. Moana knows how to ask the right questions, engage people in change, build momentum and help our consultants share the knowledge they have with our clients and our team.
With many years of international and local business analysis experience under her belt, and always up for a challenge, she took up the CKO with limited specific Knowledge Management experience, but plenty of consulting experience - and is making it her mission to deliver a successful outcome for her client, Redvespa.


text: It all of a sudden turns out to be December, and as such the Christmas decorations are all around our apartment, we're figuring out what to buy for friends and family that they don't already have, and in general having a really nice time in what would otherwise be a very cold and dark Norwegian Winter. This season brings in tow it's own genre of movies, which I love, but among those cozy and delightful Disney films & heartwarming family films there's a certain darker side to Christmas Cinema, one that intrigues me most of all. So I'm starting a mini season of reviews called Yuletide Terror where I'll work through as many of these dark and strange Christmas 'Classics' as I can. There's more information on the dedicated page for the season… HERE!


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- I really want to be a better, more patient, more loving mom. The kind that never raises her voice and always gets down eye to eye with her children, even when disciplining them. Always out of love, never out of anger. The kind of mom that shows her children what following Jesus Christ truly looks like.
- My children (esp the younger one) are bent on making the above desire as hard as possible by disobeying whenever possible-lying regularly-and abusing the younger sis (elder child's infractions) or screaming, squalling, kicking, biting, bawling, whining, and just generally being an ornery disagreeable child as often as possible (younger child's infractions). Family Home Evening lessons just don't seem to be sinking in, no matter how many different angles I approach the various problems we are having in our home.
- The desire and the frustrating reality were painfully apparent at the conference as I battled (quite literally with screaming and kicking and hitting and trips out to the foyer about every 5 minutes) with the littles in between snippets of inspiration that were painfully opposite of the juxtaposed reality.
- What can I say more? While being inspired to WANT more joy and peace in my family, I am at the same time so frustrated with the CONSTANT fighting between the kids, the selfishness, and the never-ceasing bawling from the little one, and the subsequently far too frequent bouts of combustion from my own frustration-- that I can't help also feeling like it was a hard chastisement for our lack of spirituality in our home and relationships.
- I am not looking for comments of 'you can do this' or 'this is just a phase--they'll grow out of it'. This isn't a post to glean some obligatory compliments or words of sunshine. What this IS: a frustrated mom who feels like she's insane to want more kids when she can't handle the two she's got, when the pending Mother's Day next week just makes her want to hurl cards and flowers off the deck because what she REALLY wants.... really really... is a happy family with two girls that will love each other, play together, and stop the constant constant constant contention that drives the spirit from our home.


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Photo by Lou Noble
One of the greatest things about modern day animation is seeing just how big an influence female creators are having on the industry. From Natasha Allegri's Bee and Puppycat series on Frederator's Cartoon Hangover to Rebecca Sugar's Steven Universe on Cartoon Network—and more recently Daron Nefcy's Star vs. the Forces of Evil on Disney—women are pioneering a new generation of animated programming for kids and adults alike.
Among these rising stars, Julia Vickerman has been busy blazing her own trail. In addition to serving as a Storyboard Artist on the upcoming PowerPuff Girls reboot, Vickerman has also directed her first pilot, Twelve Forever, for Cartoon Network which just hit YouTube and has been taking aspiring animators by storm. Today, we're lucky enough to be joined by the Los Angeles-based artist as she dishes on her origins as an animator and what it's like taking on one of the most influential pieces of animation of the last millennium.
Welcome to the clubhouse, Julia, thanks for being here.
JULIA VICKERMAN: Thanks for hitting me up!
Tell us about yourself and what inspired you to become an animator.
JV: I've been working in animation for about 9 years, [but] I've wanted to make comics and animation since I was a small child. I've always drawn and wrote stories and made comics for myself just for the fun of it. My father signed me up for an animation course when I was 13, which I thoroughly enjoyed, so that was my first experience getting to see my drawings move. It was pre-digital – we drew on paper and shot everything with a VHS camera (that's how old I am!). It clearly had a huge impact, I remember being ecstatic about the process even though I wasn't particularly "good" at it yet.
What other forms of media have you worked in? Does any of those paths appeal to you more than animation?
JV: I've worked on various live action projects as well as animation, including the preschool show Yo Gabba Gabba for Nick Jr. I'm attracted to both paths, there is an energy that exists on a live action set that is indescribably exciting. But of course the freedom that comes with animation is equally exciting in a different way. I think sometimes animation is more attractive to me because of the amount of control the filmmaker has over every aspect of it. My honest answer is that I love both equally. Variety is the spice of life, and all that.
People usually see animation as a male-dominated environment: How was it for you when you first started?
JV: Definitely in my first few jobs, I would often be one of the only women working in a room of men. But that is, thankfully, becoming a much rarer situation. Animation studios dominated by men will soon be a thing of the past, as there are larger waves of young talented women, with brilliance to share, entering the industry every year. Women are getting a lot more support in positions of creative power nowadays. It's an exciting time, for sure.
Twelve Forever is quite an amazing pilot. What was your inspiration for creating this short?
JV: Thank you! I wanted to make a story that encapsulates how I felt when I was a burgeoning adolescent… it's a confusing age when some of your peers couldn't be more excited about becoming teenagers and getting boyfriends/girlfriends, whereas some other kids still have their heels dug into a "childish" escapist mindset and are still secretly playing with toys when they think no one's looking. I wanted to make a story about the kids that would rather live inside books and shows and fantasies rather than embrace their burgeoning maturity—the awkward kids that still dream about being superheroes, rather than being in the homecoming court.
I noticed an influence of PowerPuff Girls and anime—with the manly voice of the scary Butt Witch, the big eyes, quirky expressions and design of the characters—were there specific pieces of animation you would say inspires your work?
JV: When developing Twelve Forever I spent a lot of time watching Pee Wee's Playhouse, looking at Moebius illustrations and listening to Flock of Seagulls… I'm inspired by tons of stuff.
In terms of animation, I definitely watched a lot of 80s and 90s anime growing up and adored it, but also obsessed over Disney features, Ralph Bakshi's Cool World, the animated Hobbit and things like that.
Speaking of PowerPuff Girls, I understand you are working on the new series reboot. Can you tell us more about it? Are Craig McCraken and Lauren Faust involved in the project and, if so, are they as awesome as everyone imagine?
JV: Yes, I'm a storyboard artist on the new Powerpuff Girls series. It's great because we get so much creative freedom to explore this established world while adding our own signature to it. Our crew is so fun and positive, I adore being around them everyday.
Craig and Lauren are not involved in the new series, but I hope they enjoy it when it's done.
What do you think have been the greatest challenge for you to go into the world of animation, both personal and professional?
JV: Greatest challenge… hmmmm… I'm really not sure. It's very time-consuming making animation but making kids entertainment is all I want to do, so even when it's challenging it's the good kind of challenging.
What advice would you give to all the young and not so young aspiring artists and writers who want to go into the world of animation?
JV: Make things. Don't overthink it. Don't wait for anyone to teach you how to do anything the "right way". The "wrong way" is sometimes a whole lot more interesting.
If you want to get into animation but don't have access to the software, MAKE COMICS! All you need is paper and pencil. Making loads of terrible comics helps you figure out storytelling solutions. Sometimes you have to screw up a lot before you figure out what works for you personally.
And now for the signature Strange Kids Club question… what's the stangest thing you can remember doing as a Kid?
JV: I took a dump behind a sign in my neighborhood and would go back every day to write down what happened to the poop as it deteriorated. That's probably not what you're looking for, but… oh well.


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Toyota paint codes are found inside the door jams of their vehicles. Each code has three digits and can be comprised of both letters and numbers.
After locating the paint code on the side of the vehicle it can be ordered from the dealership. Paint codes are required in order for a person to order the proper color mixture when touching up paint or when completely changing its color scheme.
The exact number is placed after C/TR on the vehicles sticker inside the driver side door jam. As of 2015, the color code is located in the same spot on every Toyota vehicle currently available on the market.


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July 5, 2016
Nutty Stuffing Balls
1 tin cooked beans or lentils
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
150g carrots, grated
150g celeriac grated
1 tbsp zataar
1 tbsp paprika
200g toasted nuts and seeds, roughly chopped
lemon juice and shoyu to taste
gram flour or breadcrumbs to bind
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4.
2. Mash the beans with a fork
3. Fry the onion for 10 minutes until caramelising, then add the garlic and fry for another minute.
4. Add the tomato puree and fry for another minute
5. Add the carrots and celeriac and fry on a high heat, adding the zataar and paprika as you fry.
6. When the vegetables are soft, add in the cooked beans or lentils and heat through.
7. Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped nuts and add shoyu and lemon juice to taste.
8. Add gram flour or breadcrumbs to help bind and then shape the mixture into small balls.
9. Roll in sesame seeds and roast at 180ºC for 15 minutes to firm up.
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Jelly speaking.
Something out of the many, many things that annoy me is slut-shaming.
Slut-shaming, and our society with its double standard for sex, is an idea which is pervasive, clinging, and damaging to our self-esteem and fight to be truly equal. I hate it. The idea of a lady, or of anyone really, being judged on simply how much sex they're getting is completely irrational. There is no reason why frequency of sex should have any relation to things such as intelligence. And yet it does – according to sources as wide-spread as my little sister to the media. Despite the fact that our society reveres sex to an irrational extent, we judge those ladies who are getting a lot of it (or who look like they are getting a lot of it) in what seems like an absurd display of jealousy.
To start with, why is sex such a big deal? If it's fully consensual, then people should be able to enjoy it, however, with whoever, as often or as little or as never as they like. Instead we have a stupid situation where girls are not allowed to have sex before they are married, and yet are supposed to be amazing at it on the pinnacle of their lives, their wedding nights. Boys are supposed to have lots both sides of the perfect marriage, although the question arises, with who, if not the chaste and virginal girls? God forbid not other boys (although that's another matter entirely)! Something I like that sums this up is this post. (Shamelessly linking to my tumblr there).
Surely, if sex is this great, everyone should enjoy it? Men do. A man who has lots of sex with multiple partners is called 'lucky', a 'player'. The position of having lots of sex puts them in a position of respect.
Now imagine the same situation – someone getting laid a lot – but this time with a lady. A slut. That is all the commendation she would get. It doesn't matter what she wears, how she acts, this insult is based purely on how lucky she's getting. Her entire character would be based on her perceived sex appeal to men.
Laid out like this, it seems utterly ridiculous. And it is. People like my father can use the excuse that promiscuity has more dangers for the girl (namely getting pregnant), which is why 'nature' has made society look down on girls having lots of sex. This is a ridiculous argument though, because in this day and age of easy contraception and protection (although you shouldn't get me started on places where contraception is neither free nor easy) girls, if possible, can be as safe as men. Also, ahem, STIs?
And this argument certainly doesn't explain why frequency of sex seems to have something to do with what you're wearing. Regardless of your actual sex life, you can still get called a slut because of what your clothes, which doesn't even slightly make sense. If you reveal flesh, you reveal flesh. Maybe it's a hot day, or your legs are looking particularly fine that day and you want the world to know, or you want to feel sexy and wearing a low-cut top makes you feel sexy – so be it. Maybe you do base your clothing decisions on whether you are getting laid that night or not – so be fucking it.
I hate the way that we think we can make judgements about someone else's supposed promiscuity because of their clothes. It's not your problem. It's no-one's problem except the judged, because it's their body, and their sex life, and for some reason, boys don't undergo this same scrutiny and hatred. I wonder why? Hmm, maybe it's because of sexism.
In my school of anxious teenage girls, this has led to the story circulating like wildfire that someone I know gave a blowjob to her boyfriend in the park and then got the favour reciprocated. She is extremely intelligent and strong-willed. She likes her boyfriend. I know that she wouldn't do anything that she didn't want to do, and so why the fuck is it anyone in my school's business? The word 'slut' is getting bandied around a lot in regard to her, which is even more stupid once you think that slut is equal to promiscuity, and this girl has had one partner. My dad's argument of unsafeness and 'biological necessity' against lots of sex doesn't apply. Why, why, why, is she now getting a reputation, is she looked down on, is she judged?
Why, why, why, is slut shaming an easily accepted part of this culture that even my innocent little sister knows? She calls girls sluts, chooses clothes on 'sluttiness' rating, and yet can't articulate why sleeping with lots of people is such a big fucking deal. Along with everyone I know.
Please stop slut-shaming, stop using the word slut, and instead join Katharine Whitehorn in her famous 1963 article and ask yourself "Have you ever taken anything out of the dirty-clothes basket because it had become, relatively, the cleaner thing? Changed stockings in a taxi? Could you try on clothes in any shop, any time, without worrying about your underclothes? How many things are in the wrong room—cups in the study, boots in the kitchen? … [this makes] you one of us: the miserable, optimistic, misunderstood race of sluts."


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Holly McCarthy
- Production: 1977
- Company: volcano theatre company
- Venue: found space swansea
- Year: 2010
- Directed by: john hardwick
- Lighting Design by: david abra
- Costume Design by: holly mccarthy
- Set designed by: holly mccarthy
- Photography by: david abra
A Volcano Original™. Love. Politics. A big movie. And some very loud drums. Volcano's 1977 begins on the set of Coppola's notoriously troubled Apocalypse Now. As Coppola, Sheen and the crew go mad in the jungle, we transport you to a very different event taking place on the other side of the world, where a conference is gathering that aims to take the temperature of a "dying century". Among the thronging intellectuals there are two very particular young delegates. Their lives and stories unfold, with shattering consequences, against the twin backdrops of the conference rooms and Coppola's film.


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Meditation: On Patterns
Here, for instance, is a pattern for enabling a smooth transition from public to private space:
127 Intimacy Gradient
Unless the spaces in a building are arranged in a sequence which corresponds to their degrees of privateness, the visits made by strangers, friends, guests, clients, family, will always be a little awkward.
Lay out the spaces of a building so that they create a sequence which begins with the entrance and the most public parts of the building, then leads into the slightly more private areas, and finally to the most private domains.
I find it relaxing to explore Alexander's patterns, and useful too: even when I don't have control over every detail of my space, I can investigate what makes certain elements work and try to apply the characterisitics of successful spaces to less successful ones. This morning, for instance, I started with a vague feeling of dissatisfaction with my desk, read a couple of patterns, went into the kitchen and sliced an apple, came back to my desk, and realized that the kitchen Hoosier was designed at the right height for slicing, while my desk was designed for a shorter person. A couple of encyclopedia volumes under the laptop brings the computer to a more usable height–not an ideal solution, perhaps, but an improvement.
Photo credit: Center for Environmental Structure via NPR


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Death Before Decaf Baseball Tee
If functioning before coffee is your nightmare fuel, then this is the baseball tee for you!
This awesome illustration was designed by local tattoo artist, Thomas Bacot from Monument Tattoos.
These 100% cotton shirts are printed in house, and are soft as can be. They have a uni-sex fit, so we recommend checking out the sizing chart in the photos to get the right fit for you!
All our baseball tees are printed on Los Angeles Apparel, which means your new favorite shirt was made in the USA, in a sweatshop free environment!
Looks great with any kind of denim, and keep it casual with sneakers, or jazz it up with some dress boots for a night out.
**A portion of the sale of this shirt goes toward the Trans Liberation Front. A local organization which actively seeks an end to violence against trans people in our community**


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Freddie Stroma: BAFTA Bold
Freddie Stroma suits up in a tux for the 2009 BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards at Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on Thursday (November 5) in Century City, Calif.
The 22-year-old British actor played the scene-stealing wizard Cormac McLaggen in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which hits DVD on December 7.
Freddie looks like a clean-cut kinda guy and that's because he is. 'I don't drink, I have never smoked a cigarette in my life and I don't take drugs," the Harry Potter star has said. "I tried a drink a few years ago, but it just wasn't my thing so I simply stopped."


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Lake City Honda Kawasaki is a full service dealership located in Warsaw, Indiana; servicing northern Indiana and Southern Michigan. We are conveniently located within 45 miles of Goshen, Plymouth, Wabash, Huntington, Elkhart, Mishawaka, Kendallville, Peru, South Bend, Granger, Fort Wayne, Auburn, Logansport, New Haven, and Sturgis, MI. Check out our map and hours page for an interactive map, as well as our dealership hours.
We offer a large selection of New Honda ATVs, motorcycles, scooters, and utility vehicles, New Kawasaki ATVs, motorcycles, utility vehicles, and watercraft. Make sure you check out our huge selection of used ATVs, motorcycles, scooters, and utiltiy vehicles in our pre-owned showroom! Don't forget to search our Special Deals showroom to find great deals on new in-stock units!
We believe in great customer service and service after the sale so we also offer in-store and online shopping -goggles, boots, jackets,gloves, and more - at your fingertips 24/7! For your convenience, we provide an OEM parts finder to help you find the Honda and Kawasaki parts you need to do-it-yourself.
Lake City Honda Kawasaki repairs all years of Honda and Kawasaki motorcycles and ATVs. Need service? Call us now at 866-525-3248 or 574-269-4199!
If you're looking for something special, contact us and we'll do our best to locate it for you.


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"Met you on a wing-night, checking you out, we had so many thing to talk about; talked about "my childhood" until I turned blue, Donny Bizzle coming soon to a pub near you"
Recorded between 2003 and 2007, 2012:via_NYS: "Blown Out!" is one of the earliest incarnations of the 2012: Site-Specific project. This full length album was recorded and produced by Myke Flaherty throughout various locations in New York state, including the cities of Buffalo, Oneonta, and the village of New Hyde Park, hence the segment, or "band name "2012:via_NYS:". Originally released in 2007, various version were printed and distributed. The most recent version is the 2009 re-issue available for download below.
2012:via_NYS: "Blown Out!" // (2009 Re-issue)
release date: 11/15/2009 – Physical, first edition, run of 250 & Digital release
Sleeve/Liner Notes
(click images to enlarge detail)
design & layout by Myke Flaherty;
design-control, additional layout, & visual mastering by Sasha-K
Track listing is as follows:
02. So, Do You Party 2012
03. Yaw Control
04. 41 Shots (to: Many Cops)
05. Sit There While I Blow Smoke In Your Face
07. A Pheldsbar In The Light
08 .Evil Smile
09. All Is Well
10. La Danse Electrique (Winnie's Dance Ranch Edit)
11. Boldest Move Ever
12. American Outcast
13. Superfriends
14. So Many Ways
15. Good Morning, Good Evening
16. Ate Bit Nine
17. Today Sucked
18. Bar Superstar! Part II
19. RNCNYC04 (Observer Mix)
20. We Were Once Young
21. Reason(ing)
22. There Was Nothing
23. Regality
24. Take This Town
25. Inquisitive Duck
26. Tired Education
27. Put The Money Where The Mouth Is
28. Late
29. Left Of Center
*Produced by Myke Flaherty 2007
*Mastered at Dryhill Studios by Andris Balins: email@example.com
Featuring (in order of appearance):
Johnston Barclay // [Vocals: track 1]
Birthday Inferno (Donny Bizzle) // [Vocals/Voice Samples: tracks 2,4,9,16,17,18,26]
Special C // [Vocals/Voice Sample: tracks 2,10]
TheNotSoSuperNova (Cassidy Jasinski) // [Vocals: tracks 2,8,9]
RiteSedJed // [Vocals/Voice Sample: tracks 4,5,26]
Andris Balins // [Turntables: tracks 6,24]
Captain H.R. Frizzo // [Voice Sample: track 9]
Mike Serpenti (Ash) // [Sampled: track 12]
XmaSafari // [Vocals: track 26]
Mr.B (Brian Barbuto) // [Vocals: track 24]
Declaration of Samples:
1. voice samples; Coast to Coast AM: George Noory, Art Bell, guests [tracks 3,4,15,23]
2. voice sample; "Fuck The Police" by The Mopeds Hurtling Towards The Sky [track 4]
3. voice sample;1010WINS report re:Sean Bell shooting: AL Sharpton/witnesses; [track 4]
4. various samples from the movie "The Secret" [Sample used on tracks 4,27,28]
5. audio sample from "American Outcast" by F.H. [track 11]
6. audio sample of Birthday Inferno from "Shake Your Baby" by 23 Wattkins [track 16]
7. audio sample of Birthday Inferno from "Rent Money" by HeadGear [track 18]
8. manipulation of unknown Englebert Humperdink record [track 19]
1. Mr. B's contribution was actually recorded in Kearney, NJ, just outside of New York City
2. Although Rob(I.E) is credited on the 2009 Re-Issue version of the album, he never actually makes an appearance. This is because he appears only on the original version of "La Danse Electrique" and not the Winnie's Dance Ranch Edit.
AUDIO DOWNLOAD: (click the image to open media player and download):
2012:via_NYS: Blown Out! (2009 Re-Issue)
release date: 11/13/2009 (physical & digital)
Previous Versions:
2012:via_NYS: "Blown Out!" // (2007 Promo Version)
release date: 12/12/2007 – Physical run of approx 100
*Note:contains a collaborative illustration by RiteSedJed with help from Myke Flaherty & XmaSafari. Pictured in the drawing are Andrew Cordova, Sweets Becker, Myke Flaherty, XmaSafari, & RiteSedJed
2012:via_NYS: "Blown Out!" // (2007 Digital Version)
release date: 12/12/2007 – Digital Only
2012:via_NYS: "Blown Out!" // (2008 Tour Version)
release date: 01/10/2008 – Physical run of approx 150
Other Stuff:
Promotional Animations:
(click to play)
More about the 2012:Site-Specific: project here:
The 2012:Site-Specific: Recording Project
If your interested to participate, email Myke Flaherty:


text:
Each piece that comes out of my studio is made using traditional silversmithing skills which include- sawing, soldering, polishing, and finishing each item by hand. I put my heart and soul into each piece and I can't wait for you to see the amount of love I put into everything i do. Your purchase helps support this dream of continuing to own my own business.Meet Jenny
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text:
Patent application title: FULL FIELD MAMMOGRAPHY WITH TISSUE EXPOSURE CONTROL, TOMOSYNTHESIS, AND DYNAMIC FIELD OF VIEW PROCESSING
Zhenxue Jing (Southbury, CT, US)
Georgia Hitzke (Saunderstown, RI, US)
Donald Kennedy (Bethel, CT, US)
Andrew Smith (Medford, MA, US)
Jay A. Stein (Boston, MA, US)
IPC8 Class: AA61B600FI
USPC Class:
378 22
Class name: Specific application tomography with nonphotographic detector
Publication date: 2014-12-25
Patent application number: 20140376690
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A mammography system using a tissue exposure control relying on estimates
of the thickness of the compressed and immobilized breast and of breast
density to automatically derive one or more technic factors. The system
further uses a tomosynthesis arrangement that maintains the focus of an
anti-scatter grid on the x-ray source and also maintains the field of
view of the x-ray receptor. Finally, the system finds an outline that
forms a reduced field of view that still encompasses the breast in the
image, and uses for further processing, transmission or archival storage
the data within said reduced field of view.
1-5. (canceled)
6. A system for performing a tomosynthesis scan, the system comprising: an x-ray source configured to move in a first direction during the tomosynthesis scan; a receptor configured to obtain images during the tomosynthesis scan, wherein the receptor is configured to move in a second direction during the tomosynthesis scan; an anti-scatter grid configured to move during the tomosynthesis scan; and a breast compression paddle and a breast tray disposed between the x-ray source and the anti-scatter grid, wherein the breast compression paddle and the breast tray are configured to immobilize a breast during movement of the x-ray source, the receptor, and the anti-scatter grid.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the anti-scatter grid is configured to move in conjunction with the receptor.
8. The system of claim 6, wherein the anti-scatter grid is configured to move independent of the receptor.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the anti-scatter grid is configured to move in a third direction opposite the first direction.
10. A tomosynthesis imaging system for imaging a breast, the tomosynthesis imaging system comprising: an x-ray source configured for movement so as to emit an x-ray beam at each of a plurality of x-ray source positions, wherein the x-ray source comprises a tube comprising a focal spot; an anti-scatter grid configured to remain focused on the focal spot during movement of the x-ray source; a receptor configured to receive the emitted x-ray beams at each of the plurality of x-ray source positions; and a plurality of breast compression elements disposed between the x-ray source and the anti-scatter grid, wherein the plurality of breast compression elements are configured to immobilize a breast during movement of the x-ray source.
11. A tomosynthesis imaging system for imaging a breast, the tomosynthesis imaging system comprising: an x-ray source configured for movement so as to emit an x-ray beam at each of a plurality of x-ray source positions; a focused anti-scatter grid; a receptor configured to receive the emitted x-ray beams at each of the plurality of x-ray source positions; and a plurality of breast compression elements disposed between the x-ray source and the anti-scatter grid, wherein the plurality of breast compression elements are configured to immobilize a breast during movement of the x-ray source.
12. The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 11, wherein the receptor is configured for movement.
13. The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 12, wherein the focused anti-scatter grid is configured to move substantially in conjunction with at least one of the x-ray source and the receptor.
14. The system of claim 6, wherein the anti-scatter grid is focused so as to allow passage of x-rays emanating from a focal spot of the x-ray source.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the anti-scatter grid further comprises a less-focused anti-scatter grid having a focus less than the focus of the focused anti-scatter grid.
16. The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 10, wherein both the receptor and the anti-scatter grid are configured for movement.
17. The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 16, wherein the receptor is configured to move with the anti-scatter grid.
18. The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 16, wherein the anti-scatter grid is configured to move discrete from a movement of the receptor.
19. The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 10, wherein the anti-scatter grid comprises a plurality of anti-scatter grids, wherein each of the plurality of anti-scatter grids comprises a different focus.
20. The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the plurality of anti-scatter grids is unfocused.
21. The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of breast compression elements comprise a breast tray and a breast paddle, wherein the breast paddle is configured for movement towards and away from the x-ray source.
22. The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 11, further comprising a second anti-scatter grid having a focus less than a focus of the focused anti-scatter grid.
23. The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 11, further comprising an unfocused anti-scatter grid.
24. The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 12, wherein the focused anti-scatter grid is decoupled from a movement of the receptor.
25. The tomosynthesis imaging system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of breast compression elements comprise a breast tray and a breast paddle, wherein the breast paddle is configured for movement towards and away from the x-ray source.
[0001] This patent specification is in the field of mammography systems and methods, and is particularly applicable to using large field, flat panel, digital x-ray receptors.
[0002] X-ray mammography systems typically use an x-ray source mounted at one end of a rotatable c-arm assembly and an image receptor at the other. Between the x-ray source and the image receptor is a device for compressing and immobilizing a breast. Until recently, the image receptor was typically a screen-film cassette, which generated an image related to the detected transmission of x-rays through the breast. The device for compressing the breast against the image receptor, or a breast tray covering the receptor, is often called a paddle, and comes in a variety of sizes to match both the cassette size and the breast size. Such matching is desirable because the use of a small size paddle on a large breast can result in uneven and inadequate breast compression and may not allow full-breast imaging, while using a large paddle on a small breast can impede access to the breast, which is important during the compression cycle in order to optimize the amount of breast tissue brought into the field of view of the image receptor.
[0003] New mammography systems are now being introduced to use digital image receptors in place of screen-film, and have many well recognized advantages. Such a system is currently available from the assignee hereof under the trade name Selenia. Further information thereon, found at www.loradmedical.com/selenia, is hereby incorporated by reference in this disclosure. The Selenia system uses a digital flat panel detector made by the Digital Radiography Corp. division of the assignee hereof, located in Newark, Del. The panel has a 24×29 cm field of view. Various other aspects of a mammography system and method are describe in commonly assigned provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/350,213 filed Oct. 19, 2001 and International Application No. PCT/US02/33058 filed Oct. 17, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
[0004] Mammography systems often have provisions for partly or fully automating the selection of appropriate technic factors for an x-ray exposure, such as one or more of kVp (the x-ray tube accelerating potential), mA (x-ray tube current), and exposure time. When a film-screen image receptor is used, this can be done by relying on exposure detectors at the other side of the film from the x-ray source. An imaging exposure of the breast is stopped when these exposure detectors indicate that they have received a sufficient amount of x-radiation. This is not believed practical for use with flat panel image receptors for a number of reasons. Accordingly, one known approach for use with digital flat panel image receptors is to take a short, low x-ray dosage pre-exposure after the breast has been compressed, and then take an imaging exposure while the breast remains immobilized, using technic factors based on measurements taken with the same receptor in the pre-exposure.
[0005] Another aspect of mammography is proposals for tomographic imaging or tomosynthesis. In principle, a tomographic image of a plane in the breast can be obtained by moving at least one of the x-ray source and the image receptor relative to the breast during the x-ray exposure. If the x-ray source and the image receptor move in opposite directions in parallel planes, with the appropriate geometry, a plane in the breast that is parallel to the image receptor remains in focus during the entire exposure while the images of all other planes in the breast are blurred and become background noise in the final image. One known approach is to keep the image receptor stationary but move the x-ray source in a path suitable for tomosynthesis. One problem with this is that this limits the field of view for the tomosynthesis image. Another is that this makes it difficult to effectively control the effects of scattered radiation as it becomes difficult to maintain the commonly used anti-scatter grids focused on the focal spot of the x-ray source. Yet another problem is that this arrangement allows for only relatively shallow (small) angles relative to a normal to the plane of the receptor.
[0006] Yet another aspect of mammography using flat panel digital image receptors is the transmission and storage of images. Many health facilities had image storage systems such as PACS, and protocols such as DICOM exist for formatting medical x-ray images for storage and future use. However, in many if not most cases, the breast takes up only a part of the image taken with flat panel digital receptors such that an imaginary rectangle that envelops the image of the breast is smaller than the field of view of the receptor. One proposal has been made for use with a fan beam of x-rays scanning a flat panel digital image receptor, and is believed to involve eliminating from storage image areas that do not contain an image of the breast. However, that proposal is believed to be specific to the use of a scanning fan beam of x-rays.
[0007] The system and method disclosed in this patent specification are designed to overcome these and other disadvantages of the known prior proposals. cited patents are hereby incorporated by reference in this patent specification.
[0008] An object of the disclosed system and method is to provide a particularly effective and advantageous exposure control for mammography using flat panel, digital x-ray receptors, using an estimate of the thickness of the compressed breast and of breast density.
[0009] Another object is to improve tomosynthesis in mammography, preferably while retaining the benefits of a focused anti-scatter grid and avoiding a reduction of the field of view.
[0010] Yet another object is to improve the efficiency of x-ray image storage and transmission, particularly for mammography images, by selective use of decreased effective image size.
[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a digital mammography system in which preferred embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating processes of estimating and using tissue exposure control in a mammography system.
[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates a focused anti-scatter grid that can be used in the system of FIGS. 3 and 1.
[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates an aspect of tomosyntesis in mammogrpahy.
[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates selection of a decreased size mammography image for storage and transmission.
[0016] FIG. 6 illustrates processes involved in selecting a reduced size image for transmission and storage.
[0017] Referring to FIG. 1, a mammography system currently available from the common assignee under the trade name Selenia except for the new features described herein, comprises a stand 10 supporting a C-arm 12 that can move up or down along stand 10, to a selected height, driven by motor(s) controlled by a health professional operating the system. C-arm 12 carries an x-ray tube at an upper end 12a, a breast tray 12b at a lower end. Tray 12b covers a flat panel x-ray image receptor 12c, spaced from the tray by a focused anti-scatter grid 12d (which may be retractable so that it can be removed from the space between tray 12b and receptor 12c). C-arm 12 also carries a compression paddle 12e that is between source 12a and breast tray 12b and is motorized to move away from tray 12b so a patient's breast can be fitted between tray 12b and paddle 12e, and closer to tray 12b so the patient's breast can be compressed and immobilized. The movement of paddle 12e is motorized and controlled by the health professional. Different size paddles 12e can be fitted to suit different breast sizes for best compression. In addition, the health professional can move paddle 12 along the width of tray 12b to a position in which paddle 12e matches the position of a breast that is not centered on tray 12b, as in the Selenia system currently offered by the common assignee. The system further includes other components, such as a control station 14 comprising interface devices such a keyboard 14a and trackball 14b, a display screen 14c, and control and image processing facilities.
[0018] In order to carry out tissue exposure control, the currently available Selenia mammography system is modified to incorporate the equipment and process steps illustrated in FIG. 2. In particular, a paddle position encoder 20 measures the position of paddle 12e relative to tray 12b as the health professional positions, compresses and immobilizes the patient's breast for imaging. The thickness of the immobilized breast can be measured or estimated in other ways instead. For example, the final position of paddle 12e can be measured in some way, e.g. mechanically or optically or in some other way. The thickness of the immobilized breast may be measured or estimated directly in any one of a number of ways. A calculator 22, which can be implemented by suitably programming the processing unit 14 (FIG. 1) calculates the thickness of the compressed and immobilized breast on the basis of the output of encoder 20, or some other means for measuring breast thickness indicators, and provides information about breast thickness for a tissue exposure control calculator 24, which again can be implement through such programming.
[0019] To estimate technic factors, calculator 24 also relies on information about the x-ray density of the breast. Such information can come from one or more different sources. One example is manual input 26, e.g., keyboard 14a (FIG. 1), through which the health professional can input information characterizing the density of the breast. For example, the system can present the health professional with three choices--fatty, normal, and dense--and the health professional can make the appropriate choice based on any one or more factors such as physical examination of the breast, information from previous views in the same examination or taken at a much earlier time, or other information about the patient. Another example of a source of information about breast density is previous x-ray images (views) of the patient's breast or breasts. A previous view can be one taken at any earlier time, either in the same visit of the patient or at a previous visit. Information about density can be derived from the previous view(s) by the health professional, or it can be derived automatically--by measuring the overall density of a previous x-ray image and perhaps knowing the technic factors used to take it. If actually measured, the density information from the previous view(s) can be provided to calculator 24 manually or automatically, through a connection from the measuring device to calculator 24. Another source of density information is a dual energy arrangement 30 that pulses the immobilized breast with a low dose x-ray energy at each of two different energies, e.g. sequentially, and the measurements of x-rays with receptor 12c (FIG. 1) at each of the energies are used in a known process, similar to that used in bone densitometry, to estimate breast density and automatically or manually provide the estimate to calculator 24. X-ray tube 12a can be used for such dual energy process, using two different x-ray filters to emit x-rays at the appropriate to different energies or energy bands. Yet another source of information about breast density can be an arrangement 32 that measures the force with which paddle 12e compresses the breast and the time such force acts from the start of compression until the breast is immobilized for imaging, and supplies such force/time information to calculator 24, manually automatically.
[0020] Calculator 24 can be implemented as look-up table that in effect has an entry for each of a number of combinations of breast thickness and breast density values. The initial values of the entries can be estimated by actual tests, in essence a trial-and-error process, or in some other way. Calculator 24 provides its output to technic factor display 34, which can be display 14c (FIG. 1), at which the health professional can see the automatically estimated factors such as one or more of kV, mAs, filter, time, etc. An entry device, which can be keyboard 14a, allows the health professional to confirm or modify the automatically estimated parameters, and control 38 (which can be a part of unit 14 of FIG. 1) uses the resulting final tissue exposure control technic factors for an imaging x-ray exposure.
[0021] The examples disclosed in this patent specification refer to compressing and immobilizing the breast before determining technic factors and imaging. However, alternatives are contemplated in which the breast need not be compressed before imaging; the breast may be simply supported in some manner, such as by a breast tray, or may be suspended in some manner between an x-ray source and an image receptor. In such a case, the breast thickness and density information can come from different sources, such as measurements or estimates of the thickness of the uncompressed breast, or an average of the thickness of the breast portion that will be imaged, of the thickness of the part that is of particular interest for imaging. The density information may come from the health professional, or from prior x-ray images of the breast, or from some other source. The same alternative of imaging the uncompressed breast applies to the other two features discussed below--tomosynthesis and selecting a reduced field of view image for transmission and/or storage--where the alternative dispenses with compression but otherwise conforms to the description below.
[0022] Another feature of the mammography system disclosed here is tomosynthesis that both allows a large field of view and the use of a focused anti-scatter grid. As illustrated in FIG. 3, anti-scatter grid 12d is focused to allow the passage of x-rays along paths 40 that emanate from the focal spot of x-ray source 12a and to suppress (scattered) x-rays that travel along other paths. If such a grid changes its orientation relative to the x-ray source, it would undesirably suppress x-rays that it should be passing. Such change in orientation would result if x-ray tube 12e moves in a direction transverse to the x-ray beam it emits while grid 12d and detector 12c remain stationary. In addition, such motion would reduce the field of view, so a portion of the breast projected on the receptor in one position of the moving source may fall outside the receptor outline at another position of the source.
[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates an arrangement that overcomes these deficiencies of a known proposal. In FIG. 4, x-ray tube 12a and the combination of anti-scatter grid 12d and receptor 12c rotate as a unit while a compressed and immobilized breast remains between them and in the path of x-rays emitted from tube 12a and impinging on receptor 12c. Anti-scatter grid 12d remains focused on the focal spot of tube 12a, and the effective field of view does not change with angular position of the source-receptor unit. In the currently offered Selenia unit, source 12a and grid 12d and receptor 12c rotate as a unit, also together with compression paddle 12c and breast tray 12b, so a modification is needed to achieve the geometry of FIG. 4. This modification involves decoupling a means to compress and immobilize the breast from motion of tube 12a, grid 12d and receptor 12c. For example, this can be done by removing compression paddle 12e and compressing and immobilizing the breast between compression paddles 44 that are appropriately positioned relative to the center of rotation of tube 12a but do not rotate with tube 12a, as illustrated in FIG. 4. As an alternative to rotation, one or both of tube 12a and receptor 12c can translate relative to the breast immobilized between paddles 44. In such case, focused grid 12d can be decoupled from receptor 12c and allowed to remain focused at tube 12a, or a different grid can be used that is not focused or is less focused, and/or the motion of tube 12a and/or receptor 12c can be over a more limited path. Discrete x-ray images of the breast are taken at each of a number of different positions of tube 12 relative to the breast. The image data is used for tomosynthesis through the application of known image processing methods.
[0024] An important advantage of the example of FIG. 4 is that it allows imaging at relatively large angles between the extreme rotational or translational positions of x-ray tube 12a as compared with known systems.
[0025] Yet another feature of the mammography system disclosed here is to transmit and store only a portion of the field of view. With a relatively large field-of-view receptor 12c, such as used in the Selenia system (24×29 cm), typically the image of the breast lies within a rectangle that is smaller than the field of view, as illustrated in FIG. 5, where the image 46 of a breast is within a notional rectangular outline 48 (reduced field of view) that is much smaller than the field of view 50 of receptor 12c. The area of field of view 50 that is outside the reduced filed of view area 48 may contain little or no information about the breast. To save on transmitting and storing the breast image, only the information within the reduced field of view 48 may be used, and any information outside outline 48 can be discarded. If there is any significant information outside outline 48, only that information can be attached to the information for the image portion inside outline 48.
[0026] One way to select the position and size of outline 48 is to rely on the selection of the size and position of compression paddle 12e that the health professional has made. As earlier noted, the currently offered Selenia system allows the health professional to select both the size of a paddle and, at least for some paddles, also the position of the paddle relative to receptor 12c, so as to match the size and position on receptor 12c of the breast being x-rayed. The size and position of paddle 12e can be automatically determined, and the result used to in effect crop the resulting breast image before transmitting and/or storing and/or formatting it for transmission or storage, for example according to DICOM standards. Alternatively, the size and position of the breast in the image can be found through image analysis, such as analysis involving edge detection, and the size and position of outline 48 can be found in this manner. Still alternatively, the size and position of outline 48 may be entered by the health professional, e.g., through keyboard 14a, based on viewing the image displayed on monitor 14c. Or, a combination of said methods can be used, e.g., an automatic determination based on one or both of image analysis and paddle selection, followed with a presentation of a recommended outline 48 displayed to the health professional together with the entire image, for confirmation or modification by the health professional.
[0027] FIG. 6 illustrates an arrangement for providing a reduced field of view image. A compression paddle size and position encoder incorporated in C-arm 12 or elsewhere in association with the means for mounting and moving paddle 12e provides information about the paddle 12e that the health professional has selected, and about the position of the paddle's projection on receptor 12c. A manual input provides information entered by the health professional, which can be similar to that provided by encoder 52 or can be information regarding which of several rectangles within the entire breast image encompasses the breast, or what arbitrary rectangle can encompass the breast on the image. An image analyzer 56 provides information about the area in the overall image occupied by the breast. A calculator 58 uses the information from one or more of units 52, 54 and 57 to calculate the size and position of a reduced field of view that still encompasses the breast, and the calculation is displayed at 60, e.g., as an outline 48 in an image such as illustrated in FIG. 5, for the health professional to confirm or modify, e.g. through manual entries. The result is a finalized reduced field of view image at 62 that can be used for further processing, for transmission, and/or storage. While a rectangular outline 48 has been discussed above, in fact outline 48 can have other suitable shapes.
Patent applications by Andrew Smith, Medford, MA US
Patent applications by Donald Kennedy, Bethel, CT US
Patent applications by Georgia Hitzke, Saunderstown, RI US
Patent applications by Jay A. Stein, Boston, MA US
Patent applications by Zhenxue Jing, Southbury, CT US
Patent applications in class With nonphotographic detector
Patent applications in all subclasses With nonphotographic detector
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