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Call them the SWAGGER BOYS, some will call them 'AZENGELE', whereas many will describe them as Ghana's unassailable duo.
Last weekend, the bondage between the two; Bullet and Ahkan were shared with Tracy, Ahkan's girlfriend. The Canada resident, Tracy Hollywood-Hendrix who has dated Ahkan for the past 6 years finally got married to his dream man, Clement Baah Foh (Ahkan).
The marriage ceremony was a secret one which had less than 100 people as witness. Not even the Publicist of the Duo, Nana Kwesi Coomson and the Overseas Disc Jokey of the Duo, DJ619 had clue of the ceremony. This buttresses how secretive the wedding was.
Next time you see Ahkan on stage, take a quick glance at his left hand as the ring will red flag all the interested ladies signalling, 'HE IS TAKEN AWAY!'.
www.233times.com congratulates Mr Clement Baah Foh (Ahkan) and now Mrs Tracy Baah Foh for their life journey.
Author: Nana Kwesi Coomson (www.233times.com)
An Entrepreneur and Philanthropist. Editor-in-Chief of www.233times.com. A Senior Journalist with Ghanaian Chronicle Newspaper. An alumnus of Adisadel College where he read General Arts. He holds first degree in Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ghana; Political Science (major) and History (minor). He has also pursued MSc Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Energy with Public Relations (PR) at the Robert Gordon University in the United Kingdom. He is a 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow (YALI) who studied at Clark Atlanta University on the Business and Entrepreneurship track. His mentors are Rupert Murdoch, Warren Buffet, Sam Jonah, Kwaku Sakyi Addo and Piers Morganview all posts by: Nana Kwesi Coomson
233times.com is a Ghanaian media house which serves as a major source of exclusive interviews ,music and video downloads, news and more.
233times.com reports on major events,news covering entertainment, politics, sports, etc from within Ghana, Africa and beyond.
We have a platform for the amateur artistes to portray their staggering talents ...more...
To advertise with us or make enquiries, please visit 233times.com/advertise or call +233249455142 (Selorm), +233248185848 (Nana Kwesi)


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A 58-year-old woman presented to her primary care physician after several days of dizziness, weakness, urinary frequency, fever, and dry mouth.
Learn more about this patient's clinical presentation, past medical history, and results from a physical exam when you try our latest Interactive Medical Case, Stalking the Diagnosis. As you proceed, you will be guided through the patient's clinical developments and presented with detailed videos and graphics from lab and radiologic tests. Multiple-choice questions throughout allow you to test your diagnostic and therapeutic skills, and once a choice is made, you receive immediate feedback on your decision. Interactive Medical Cases are based on our popular Clinical Problem-Solving series, and allow you to virtually manage an actual patient's case, from presentation to outcome. You may later read the full Clinical-Problem Solving report.
CME credits are also available by purchasing the exam at the end of the case for $15. To try Stalking the Diagnosis and receive CME credit, click here.
Try our previous Interactive Medical Cases: Painful Purple Toes, A Crisis in Late Pregnancy, A Bloody Mystery, and The Writing on the Wall.

subset: commoncrawl


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And finally.
This is the last piece to go into my illustration portfolio all ready for our New York trip. This is a cover design for The Great Gatsby. I recently listened to the book on audiobook, read by Frank Muller, whose voice was so lovely to listen to and suited the story perfectly. I wanted to do the cover for this book particularly after hearing Fitzgerald's detailed descriptions of the characters, particularly Daisy whom I have represented on the cover itself. I did the whole book jacket for my portfolio, but I decided just to show the front here. I surprised myself with this one, because it doesn't stylistically match most of my portfolio but I think the pattern behind the skyline really helps to tie it in.
I'm getting excited about New York on Sunday, it's a little strange to think I will be there for a whole week, it still hasn't yet sunk in!


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This month's theme is A Handmade Christmas! The theme is pretty broad and can be interpreted in so many different ways...from a lovingly made card, to heartfelt gifts and homemade decorations! With the Holidays right around the corner, this will be the perfect time to get a jump start on your card and gift making!
So, we DARE you to make a Handmade Christmas card or gift!
Here's how I answered the dare:
I've enjoyed decorating gift bags and making toppers for them this season. So I thought it would be fun to make a snowflake gift bag with some of Verve's fabulous wintery images!!! You can find a tutorial for the topper HERE. I made the topper first and decorated it with some snowflakes from the Verve sets: Frosty Flakes and Glad Tidings.
I made the sweet little tree by using the new Verve tree diecut from the set Winter Fun, and running it through a crimper.
The Sentiment is from one of the newly released sets, Bright Spirits. I made the medallion using the Tim Holtz Mini Paper Rosettes die along with the 2011 Snowflake Pendant and the Petite Scallop Circle dies by Spellbinders.
See the little snowflake ornament? That was made with the medium snowflake from the Glad Tidings set along with a new Verve die called Snowflake Tidings. And the icicles were made with a Martha Stewart Punch.
Want to know how you can win some fabulous new VERVE GOODIES?
- Play along with us and link up your new A Handmade Christmas creation (posted November 18 or later) to the linky widget on the DAY 1 POST before 9PM Mountain on Thursday, December 8. One lucky stamper will win a $30.00 gift certificate to the Verve Store. Verve Stamps are not required, but if you've got 'em we would LOVE to see 'em!
- For another chance to win, be sure to give the Divas a little shout-out in the comments section as we share our A Handmade Christmas creations. One lucky commenter will win the Verve stamp set of his or her choosing! Winners will be announced on Friday, December 9 right here on the Verve blog.
Now it's YOUR turn! We DARE you to show us your creations!


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- HometownGreenbrook, New Jersey
- PositionMidfielder
- Number10
Date of Birth: 6/14/1992
Height: 5-2
College: Georgetown University
How Acquired: Free Agency (2017)
Corboz, 23, was originally selected by Sky Blue FC as the no. 22 overall pick in the 2015 NWSL College Draft. Although she had already proclaimed her intent to join Manchester City, Sky Blue FC still opted to secure her NWSL rights at the time.
As a youth player, Corboz attended Watchung Hills High School and flourished within the Players Development Academy, which is the U.S. Soccer Girls' Development Academy partner of Sky Blue FC. She then attended Georgetown University and had one of the most decorated careers in program history. Making 80 starts in 82 appearances, Corboz accumulated 134 points over four years, registering 47 goals and 41 assists. The 47 goals still stand as the highest mark ever in the Georgetown record books. During her collegiate career, she was named an NSCAA All-American on three occasions, including a First Team nod following her sophomore campaign.
Before arriving at Sky Blue FC, Corboz spent two seasons with Manchester City of the FA Women's Super League.


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Table Lamp filigree overlay panel lamp. Victorian era table lamp, with six panels of matching colors, variegated slag glass. Lamp has intricate detail Art Nouveau cast metal overlay panels. One of 60 Lamps to choose from. NO damage to the base or the shade. Lamp has all original glass, a fancy crown like open top, with three light sockets and original pull chains. The shade height can be adjusted via extension of arms. Overall the lamp stands 22" tall. Shade is 17 3/8" by 7 3/4" tall. Cast metal base is 7 1/2" diameter. Shade is original to the base. Notice the mandolin in the panels. See photos. Original cord and bakelite plug. One of many we are selling, see them all on our site. Base and shade will be boxed and shipped separately. Insurance will be based on full value per box. Over 60 Table Lamps, Hanging Lamps, and Lamp Shades to choose from listed at Drury House. ALL ON SALE, all in perfect condition. All Lamps are listed as a Antique Lamp, to find them all do a search at any Drury House item and type in Antique Lamp.
To purchase with credit cards please use PAYPAL. It is safe, secure, and simple to use. The good news is you do not need a Paypal account. Your credit card will work even if you are not a registered user. We also accept US Postal Money Orders.
20 other shoppers are interested in this item
SALE UP TO 50% Off On CLOCKS,Fishing, Advertising Signs, Tins, Lamps, Jewelry, Tables
Sale Final Days Marked Sale Price is UP-TO 50% OFF Or More on 1200 Antiques, Collectibles


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We arrived a bit frazzled and hungry after a long drive from Tuscany. Located in Coloreto, on the outskirts of Parma, Ai Due Platani gave us a warm welcome to Parma (thanks ekc for the rec!). Of course we started with a plate of Proscutto di Parma and torta fritta. The prosciutto really was as tasty and fantastic as we anticipated and whoever invented torta fritta to accompany the meat deserves a Nobel Prize. Simply brilliant! Torta fritta are fried dough squares, hollow, more flakey like pasty than doughy, and the tender ham just melts on it. Wanting the full local experience we had our first bottle of Lambrusco that was surprisingly nice, fizzy, not too sweet and most pleasant. The long drive was already long behind us. Then the pasta…
Flashback: Our last night in Florence a few days prior we are eating pasta at our favorite restaurant. The papparadelle was light and fine and oh so tasty with a rich venison ragu, and the pasta with squash blossoms and saffron was heavenly good. Anticipating our upcoming visit to Emiglia Romagna I said "This pasta is so amazingly good, maybe the best we've ever eaten, I can't imagine how it can possibly be that much better in E/R"…
When we took out first bites of the ravioli with rabbit and the tortelli erbette we both had the same thought "OMG, this is so great; NOW we understand; the pasta really is that much better in E/R". (We had this same thought over and over again during our 6 days in Parma and Bologna). It is lighter and fluffier and too good for me to describe completely with mere words. No secondi for us, instead we shared a plate of Tortelli di Zucca (stuffed with pumpkin). Yummy! Then to complete our first taste of Parma we finished with a plate of cheese. 30 months aged Parmagiano-Reggiano was softer than expected and not too sharp or grainy for an aged cheese. Slightly sweet, and not too sharp; Really good. We knew that we could not finish the way-too-large portion so asked if we could take the rest with us. I was slightly embarrassed, unsure if a "doggie-bag" was something that was done in Italy (I had never seen anyone leaving a restaurant with a bag) but they graciously packed our surplus cheese to go (We had a bottle of Brunello we brought with us from Montalcino that would go great with this cheese back at our B&B)
We had one of our best meals in Italy, dinner at Trattoria del Tribunale. A perfect trattoria filled mostly with locals. The pasta was divine, cappelletti in brodo was fantastic tortelli was even lighter and better than at lunch, this time with mushrooms and noci (walnut sauce), then a roast rabbit that was impossibly succulent and melanzane parmigiano that was wonderful (senza the heavy breading found in the eggplant parm I grew up with in NY). We enjoyed a good regional Sangiovese di Romagna.
Next day lunch at Ristorante Cocchi. The most highly recommended place in town lived up to its reputation. The service at Cocchi was impeccable, but not the least bit stuffy or pretentious. There were a few tourists, but more smartly dressed business people. Culatello and Prosciutto served with (hard to believe) even lighter and flakier torta fritta. The pasta was sublime: Tortelli stuffed with mushrooms and potato and anolini in brodo. Boneless rolled rabbit stuffed with prosciutto was tender and yummy, and the braised guancciale di manzo (beef cheeks, but interestingly translated on the menu simply as "pot roast") was very rich and prepared to the perfect tenderness, served with polenta (it was just like pot roast and maybe mashed potatoes might have been better ), it was maybe a bit too rich for lunch on an unseasonably warm autumn day, but no complaints. Tutto bene.
We couldn't resist stopping in Pasticcieria Torino and bought a few tiny pastries. Yummy. We stopped back the next morning and enjoyed some breakfast pastries and good café macchiato at the tiny counter bar. An adorable little place with super pastries.
We had planned to dine at Il Cortile located on the far side of town over the bridge. Instead we decided to take advantage of our prime location in the heart of Parma and returned to the fantastic Trattoria del Tribunale. Even better on our second visit and sitting at the table next to us was the single elderly gentleman we noticed the night before quietly enjoying his regular nightly meal and bottle of wine. It made us feel like "regulars" and the dinner was again fantastic. [Aside: We recently decided that instead of feeling compelled to try every restaurant in town that if we find someplace great that we love, why not return. Frankly, the menu is pretty much the same at every place in Parma as it is the same at nearly every place in Bologna or Florence or wherever, especially for tourists like us looking to sample the classic dishes of the area. Tribunale was a perfect place to return to and in addition to another round of great pasta we shared one of the best meat courses of our trip, sliced steak with radicchio and Grana that was simply perfect. Far superior to anything we ate in Tuscany] We again reluctantly passed on the Degustione di Parmigiano, a course of cheeses of different ages. (Gluttony has its limits ... Siamo Molto Pieno).
The amazing food is reason enough to visit Parma. But there is more to Parma than just ham and cheese (and pasta!). It is a fun town to visit, away from the mainstream tourist track, and we enjoyed it completely.
Trattoria del Tribunale
Vicolo Politi, 5, Parma, PR 43100, IT
Il Cortile
Via Alberto Mario, 26, Rome , IT


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Friday, 12 October 2012
PODCAST: Patrick Troughton in The Mind Robber
Oh, yes. Recorded in 2010 and now lovingly released in 2012 it's the podcasting equivalent of the Brian Wilson album, Smile! Indeed, it is time to venture into The Mind Robber, Peter Ling's odd psychedelic 5-part tale that was beset by behind the scenes problems and managed to turn them into positives, even the unplanned temporary absence of one of the series' lead actors.
Join Joe and Chris as they finally talk about this classic, play some guitar, laugh at themselves and provide a somewhat belated preview of the then-forthcoming 2010 Christmas special and series 6 of Doctor Who. Oh what days they were. Days when we had never even heard of The Curse of the Black Spot. We shall never see their like again.
Listen to THE MIND ROBBER
Image courtesy of the Doctor Who Image Archive
Available playlist on Spotify
1 comment:
- Chris JC said...
Duran Duran: Out of My Mind
Black Uhuru: Great Train Robbery
New Musik: Changing Minds
Mike Oldfield: Mastermind
The Herbaliser feat. Blade: Mind in the Frame
Spandau Ballet: To Cut a Long Story Short
ABBA: Soldiers
Fire: Tell You a Story
Quatermass: Make Up Your Mind
The Delfonics: Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)
Limahl: The NeverEnding Story
The Easybeats: Friday On My Mind
Bucks Fizz: Making Your Mind Up
The Pixies: Where Is My Mind (special mini excerpt)
Fine Young Cannibals: Suspicious Minds
Furniture: Brilliant Mind
- 12 October 2012 at 01:06
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Unprinted Drawstring Bags
Custom Made Quotes
This product is available for custom specifications.
Drawstring bags made from thick, glossy 2.5 mil low density plastic and have a cotton drawstring looped into the bag. These unprinted bags are available in case quantities and are ideal for trade shows and other promotional events. Custom printed draw string bags are available in quantities starting at 3,000 bags. Click here for details on our custom printed shopping bag program or call us.


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This is Part 1 of a two-part series
Almost every new business starts out with the same goals: get clients, get busy, hire people, and make millions… right? The problem with growth is pain.
Sisarina recently set out on a journey to find two new employees. What we found was a plethora of incredible people. Want to know how we made it happen? Pain – good pain from growing, and bad pain from doing it incorrectly in the past.
As a small business, hiring is the most daunting task you can undertake.
Hiring isn't about just finding the right person and putting them into a position. It's about all the scary little things that can happen when you have to start paying them, managing them, making sure you put them in the right role, paying taxes, paying unemployment… the list goes on.
Don't be scared. We promise you that every single new business owner is terrified when he/she hires the first person. If they aren't, they find the pain shortly after.
In this post I'm going to talk about lessons learned from past mistakes. Here goes:
In April 2009, I found myself a new business owner. My previous boss had asked what I would do if he couldn't pay me anymore and offered to send me his leads for a commission. I happily took him up on his offer and set up shop in my bedroom with my dog, Bailey. Sisarina opened for business May 1st and the client leads started pouring in. I was lucky, I didn't have to start from scratch.
The problem: I couldn't keep up with all of it on my own. I had a part-time developer, two part-time designers along with a pile of accounting and administrative tasks that I couldn't keep up on while managing projects.
It was already time to find someone to help with the stuff I couldn't keep up with so I could do what I set out to do – project management & client development. I did what any new business owner would do – I asked my friends if they knew someone who could help. Fortunately a friend recommended chatting with my pastor's wife, Teresa Thomas.
She started helping me 10 hours a week while teaching at the church preschool. We worked out of the church offices to give us more space to spread out while Sisarina was still young.
Lesson #1: Start small and hire for things you absolutely can't do yourself while utilizing all assets you can to save money.
Fast forward a few months to what I thought was the need for a part-time project manager. I was busy getting clients and thought it would be better for me to have someone else managing projects. One thing I realized later was that I didn't really have the pain, I just thought it would be there soon.
Hiring a project manager didn't work out the way I hoped due to hiring for enthusiasm instead of skill.
Hoping it was just the position and not the wrong fit, I changed the position to a marketing role. Fear of unemployment and letting someone down far outweighed my business sense. I made it personal, when it was really a business decision. In the end, it came down to a lack of desire for helping a business succeed and became about a paycheck.
Lesson #2: Business is business. Hire people who will stand by you through anything & learn from your mistakes.
About six months after making two hiring decisions that didn't go well, I had an big beautiful office with two people in it and was terrified of ever hiring again. I had let myself and others down. I had a staff of freelance designers, a full-time developer who worked fully behind the scenes and no real reason to hire more.
Teresa moved into a full-time role to help out more and organically moved herself from administrative work into projects. Her desire to help clients and finish projects fit her implementation skills and patience well. She was enjoying her new-found skills.
Lesson #3: Allow your employees to grow based on what they love to do. They'll find passion in their job & do it better.
These were three big lessons I learned when hiring the first time around. In Part 2 of this post, I'll go into more lessons learned (yes!), but this time, from the present.
Image: GoTRISI via Flickr, Creative Commons
More from Women Grow Business:
- Suzanne Paling suggests get job candidates to tell stories
- 4 steps to hiring your first employee, by Renee Brown
Melanie Spring is the principal and project director at Sisarina Inc., and a regular contributor to, and avid fan of, Women Grow Business. An expert networker, Melanie and Sisarina connect individuals and companies with the tools they need to market and promote their brand successfully and efficiently. Connect with her on Twitter where she's @sisarina.Google+


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Read and reply to reviews
Customers can leave reviews of your business by following these steps.
Reviews from your customers can provide valuable feedback for your business, and replying to reviews can help build your customers' trust. When you reply to a review, your response will appear below your customer's review on Google Search and Maps under the label "Response from the owner". People on Google will see both the customer review and your response when they look at your Google reviews.
To see and respond to reviews left by Google users, first verify your business, then follow the steps below.
- Sign in to Google My Business.
- If you have multiple locations, open the one you'd like to manage.
- Click Reviews from the menu. (Note that your business needs to be verified in order to respond to reviews.)
- Click Respond to respond to a customer review.
- Write a response and click Submit.
- Open the Google My Business app.
- Tap Customers, then tap Reviews. (Note that your business needs to be verified in order to respond to reviews.)
- Tap any review to respond to it.
Note that you'll be posting publicly as your business when you reply to reviews. Replies to reviews may not appear across Google immediately.
Tips for responding to reviews
Business owner responses allow you to build relationships with customers, but they're also public. When replying to your customers, keep the following guidelines in mind:
- Be nice and don't get personal. This isn't just a guideline—it's also a good idea as a business owner. It's difficult to win an argument with a frustrated customer, and you want to avoid burning bridges. Keep your responses useful, readable, and courteous. In addition, responses should comply with our local content policy.
- Keep it short and sweet. Users are looking for useful and genuine responses, but they can easily be overwhelmed by a long response.
- Thank your reviewers. Respond to happy reviewers when you have new or relevant information to share. You don't need to thank every reviewer publicly, since each response reaches lots of customers.
- Be a friend, not a salesperson. Your reviewers are already customers, so there's no need to offer incentives or advertisements. Tell reviewers something new about your business, or share something they might not have learned from their first visit.
If you believe that a Google review violates the posting guidelines, you can flag it as inappropriate by clicking the three dot menu icon and choosing Flag as inappropriate.


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#rentals property
Aspen Vacation Rentals
If you are looking for world-class lodging choices in Aspen, Colorado, then look no further.
Since 1974, Frias Properties has been helping vacationers from all across the world by providing a variety of Aspen lodging choices. With the best accommodations in town to choose from, including condo rentals in all price categories and private home rentals throughout town, you can rest assured that your Aspen vacation will be just the experience you and your family are looking for.
Many of our guests return to us year after year because of the superior personal service and vacation amenities we provide to winter and summer visitors alike. You will enjoy complimentary rides to and from the Aspen airport, five-star health club privileges at the Aspen Club Spa, concierge services and 24/7 property management services.
As a locally owned business our reputation is important to us. We believe that through ingenuity and hard work we have earned the trust and respect of our clients. We would like the opportunity to earn yours as well.
Call us today toll free at 1-800-542-7736 to get all of your questions answered by a local and knowledgeable reservations specialist. The reservations team at Frias Properties will work closely with you to find the best vacation rentals to meet your needs. No matter what time of year you plan to come to Aspen, we look forward to welcoming you.
Our Vacation Rental Brochure
Ready to Buy? Our experienced local real estate brokers are here to help you find your dream home! Contact Pam at 970-429-2418 for more information.


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Stem Cells International
Volume 2010, Article ID 582382, 5 pages
Cotransplantation of Adipose Tissue-Derived Insulin-Secreting Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Hematopoietic Stem Cells: A Novel Therapy for Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
1Department of Pathology, Laboratory of Medicine, Transfusion Services and Immunohematology, Dr. H. L. Trivedi Institute of Transplantation Sciences, India
2Department of Nephrology and Transplantation Medicine, G. R. Doshi and K. M. Mehta Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC), India
3Dr. H. L. Trivedi Institute of Transplantation Sciences (ITS), Civil Hospital Campus, Asarwa, Gujarat, Ahmedabad 380016, India
Received 1 April 2010; Revised 10 June 2010; Accepted 25 November 2010
Academic Editor: Bruce A. Bunnell
Copyright © 2010 A. V. Vanikar et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Aims. Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is believed to be an autoimmune disorder with disturbed glucose/insulin metabolism, requiring life-long insulin replacement therapy (IRT), 30% of patients develop end-organ failure. We present our experience of cotransplantation of adipose tissue derived insulin-secreting mesenchymal stem cells (IS-AD-MSC) and cultured bone marrow (CBM) as IRT for these patients. Methods. This was a prospective open-labeled clinical trial to test efficacy and safety of IS-AD-MSC+CBM co-transplantation to treat IDDM, approved by the institutional review board after informed consent in 11 (males : females: 7 : 4) patients with 1–24-year disease duration, in age group: 13–43 years, on mean values of exogenous insulin requirement of 1.14 units/kg BW/day, glycosylated hemoglobin (Hb1Ac): 8.47%, and c-peptide levels: 0.1 ng/mL. Intraportal infusion of xenogeneic-free IS-AD-MSC from living donors, subjected to defined culture conditions and phenotypically differentiated to insulin-secreting cells, with mean quantum: 1.5 mL, expressing Pax-6, Isl-1, and pdx-1, cell counts: /μL, CD45−/90+/73+:40/30.1%, C-Peptide level:1.8 ng/mL, and insulin level: 339.3 IU/mL with CBM mean quantum: 96.3 mL and cell counts: /μL, CD45−/34+:0.62%, was carried out. Results. All were successfully transplanted without any untoward effect. Over mean followup of 23 months, they had a decreased mean exogenous insulin requirement to 0.63 units/kgBW/day, Hb1Ac to 7.39%, raised serum c-peptide levels to 0.38 ng/mL, and became free of diabetic ketoacidosis events with mean 2.5 Kg weight gain on normal vegetarian diet and physical activities. Conclusion. This is the first report of treating IDDM with insulin-secreting-AD-MSC+CBM safely and effectively with relatively simple techniques.
1. Introduction
The incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has been increasing in an epidemic-like fashion in the last two decades globally. India is expected to become the world capital of DM by year 2030 [1–3]. Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is the second most common chronic disease of childhood believed to be autoimmune in nature and characterized by irreversible destruction of insulin-secreting pancreatic β islet cells. Symptoms of the disease appear when insulin-making β cell mass gets reduced by approximately 90% leading to severe insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia. At present the only therapeutic options for management are life-long exogenous insulin preparations. Sporadic reports of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have been reported with limited success [4].
We present our experience of insulin replacement therapy (IRT) by co-transplantation of insulin-secreting adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells (IS-AD-MSC) and cultured-bone-marrow- (CBM-) derived HSCT in 11 IDDM patients.
2. Study Design (Figure 1)
This was a prospective nonrandomized open-label clinical trial conducted from October 2007 to September 2008 to test the efficacy and safety of combined IS-AD-MSC and HSCT as IRT in IDDM patients. HSC co-transplantation with IS-AD-MSC was designed to augment the effect of the later. Omental vein infusion was carried out so that the cells would get trapped in hepatic microcirculation and the liver, being tolerogenic organ, would not reject them. The institutional Review Board approved of consent forms and clinical trial.
Inclusion criteria were patients between 5 to 45 years of age, of any gender, with confirmed diagnosis of IDDM at least for 6 months, with low levels of serum C-peptide levels (<0.5 ng/mL).
Exclusion criteria were positive serology for HIV/HbSAg/HCV and underlying hematologic, nephrologic, cardiac, psychiatric, or hepatic diseases, and pregnancy.
Healthy nondiabetic donors from family of recipients having matching blood group with patients, who were willing to donate fat and bone marrow (BM) were approved as donors in this research protocol after their informed written consent.
3. Methods
3.1. Adipose Tissue and BM Procurement from Donor
Adipose tissue (approximately 2 gm) was resected from anterior abdominal wall of donors on day −14, sutures taken after hemostasis were achieved and sent to stem cell lab for culture in appropriate transport medium to derive MSC and further differentiate them into insulin-secreting cells. On days −10 and −9, donors were stimulated with injection granulocyte colony-stimulating Factor (G-CSF), 7.5 μg/kg BW/ day subcutaneously followed by BM aspiration from their posterior superior iliac crest under local anesthesia, in which 60 mL BM was collected on day −8.
3.2. Isolation of MSC from Adipose Tissue
The resected adipose tissue was transported to the lab in self-designed proliferation medium with Dulbecco's modified eagle's medium (DMEM, Sigma, USA) (high glucose), 20% human albumin (Reliance Life Sciences, India), Fibroblast growth factor: 2 ng/mL, 1% Sodium pyruvate, and appropriate antibiotics which included penicillin, streptomycin, cefotaxime, and fluconazol and minced with knife into tiny pieces in Collagenase type I (10 mg/10 mL) solution. The entire contents of the medium were processed in culture dish and after mincing they were placed in incubator at 37°C with shaker arranged with 35 RPM for 1 hour, and subsequently transferred to 15 mL centrifuge tubes and centrifuged at 780 RPM for 8 minutes. After centrifugation the supernatant and pellets were separately cultured in proliferation medium on 100 sq.cm and 25 sq.cm cell+ plates (Sarstedt, USA), respectively, at 37°C with 5% CO2 under humid conditions for 10 days. Medium was replenished every other day.
3.3. Culture and Differentiation of h-AD-MSC into Insulin-Secreting Cells
On the 10th day of culture in proliferation medium, the cells were washed in phosphate buffered saline (1 N). The cells were harvested by means of trypsinization (0.25% Trypsin EDTA solution, Hi Media, India) and checked for viability using trypan blue, sterility (Bactec, USA) and counts in modified Neubauer chamber. For flow cytometric analysis of cells, CD 45(Per CP) negative and CD90 (PE)/CD73 (PE) (Becton, Dickinson, USA) positive tests were carried out. They were also stained by Giemsa and further subjected to differentiation in to insulin-secreting cells using differentiation medium with DMEM (glucose- 17.5 mM), DMEM: F 12, Nicotinamide, Activin A, Exendin 4, Pentagastrin, hepatocyte growth factor, B-27, N-2 serum supplement, and antibiotics. This cocktail upregulates gene expression, nourishes the cells, and prevents their further proliferation. No xenogenic material was used.
The cells were kept in this medium for 3 days for differentiation and then subjected to isolation on Ficoll Hypaque by density gradient.
3.4. Testing for Molecular Marker Characterization of Insulin Secreting MSC
Cell pellet was then diluted with equal amount of medium and after testing for sterility, viability, and cell counts, subjected to immunofluorescence test for expression of transcription factors, paired box 6 (Pax-6), marker for glucagon production, isl-1, key regulator for normal islet cell development, which is the gene upregulating expression of insulin, and pancreatic duodenal homeobox gene (pdx-1) which is the regulator of β-cell specific gene expression, function, and for self-renewal of β progenitor cells [5, 6].
C-Peptide and Insulin
from supernatant of cultured cells were measured by chemiluminescence.
3.5. Glucose Challenge Assay
Cells were further incubated in 6 well plates at the concentration of 5 cells/cm sq. without glucose, in glucose, (90 mM), 5 mL, and 10 mL respectively for 2 hours and insulin and c-peptide levels were measured at the end.
3.6. Culture of BM
The aspirated BM was subjected to invitro expansion under self-designed medium using DMEM:F12 (1 : 1) with 20% human albumin, Erythropoietin (V.H.B. Life Sciences, Inc, India), 10 μL/100 mL, G-CSF (Gennova Biopharma, India), 10 μL/100 mL, Mitomycin C, 2 μL/100 mL, nonessential amino acids, 1 mL/100 mL, Ascorbic acid, 10 μL/100 mL, and antibiotics in CO2 incubator at 37°C with 5% CO2 under humid conditions. No xenogenic material was used. Medium was replenished every other day for 8 days.
3.7. Recipient Conditioning
Nonmyelo-ablative low-intensity conditioning included target specific irradiation to subdiaphragmatic lymph nodes, spleen, part of pelvic bones, and lumbar vertebrae (200 cGY × 5 days) from day −8 to −3 of transplantation. Anti-T cell antibody, 1.5 mg/kg BW and anti-B cell antibody, 6 mg/kg BW were administered intravenously on days –2 and −1, respectively, to prevent rejection and facilitate grafting of transplanted cells. No immunosuppressive medication was used post-transplantation.
3.8. Cell Transplantation
Cell cocktail was transplanted into recipient on day 0 under general anesthesia as per our own technique of omental cannulation by mini-laparotomy in which a mid-line incision of 3 cm was made 5 cm above umbilicus, omental vein was cannulated using 20 guage needle and cells were infused at the rate of 6–8 mL/min. Omental vein was ligated with silk after infusion, hemostasis checked and wound closed with vicryl 2/0 stitches and subcuticular stitches were taken using 3/0 monocryl [7].
3.9. Posttransplant Patient Monitoring
Patients were monitored closely for 4 hourly blood sugar levels for 3 days after transplantation following 12 hourly monitoring for 1 week. Fasting and postprandial (PP) blood sugar (BS) levels were checked weekly for the 1st month and fortnightly for next the 2 months. Serum c-peptide levels were measured daily for the 1st week and with mixed meal tolerance weekly for the 1st month. Insulin administration was made on sliding scale with an objective of maintaining FBS <150 mg% and PPBS around 200 mg%. Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies were monitored by ELISA technique (Euroimmun -Medizinische Labordiagnostika AG, UK) before and 3 months after infusion. Recipient monthly body weight, and number of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) episodes were monitored and evaluated before and after infusion. Glycosylated hemoglobin (Hb1Ac) (reference range: normal: <8.3%, good control: 8.3 to 9%, fair control: 9-10%, poor control: >10%, Erba diagnostics Mannheim, GmbH, Germany) levels were measured at 2-month intervals post-transplantation.
Key endpoints of study were morbidity, mortality, untoward side effects from stem cell transplantation, and changes in exogenous insulin requirements (daily dose/duration). Secondary endpoints were serum C-peptide levels with mixed-meal tolerance test at monthly intervals, GAD antibodies and Hb1Ac following stem cell transplantation.
3.10. Patients
Eleven patients (7 males, 4 females) with mean age 21.1 years (range: 13–43 years) with mean disease duration of 8.2 years (range: 1–24 years) were subjected to co-transplantation with IS-AD-MSC+HSCT. Seven out of 11 patients had associated DKA episodes (1 to 5 episodes). Mean Hb1Ac levels were 8.47% (range: 6.2–10.3%) and mean insulin requirement was 1.14 units/kgBW/day (range: 0.42–2.4 units per day).
4. Results
Donors were parents and siblings, in 4 patients cousin in 1, and uncles in 2 patients.
4.1. Stem Cells
Mean total cell quantum transplanted was 96.3 mL (range: 92 to 118 mL) with nucleated cell counts of CBM: /μL (range: 12.2 to /μL) and MSC- /μL (range: 0.5 to /μL), mean CD34+ , 0.62% (range: 0.06 to 2.01%), mean CD 45−, 90+/73+ counts, and 39.99% (range: 16.6 to 81.4%)/30.1% (range: 14.1 to 65.7%). All of them expressed transcription factors pax-6, pdx 1, and isl-1 (Figure 2). Mean C-peptide level of cell inocula was 1.84 ng/mL (range: 1.15–3.6 ng/mL) and insulin level was 339.3 μ IU/L (range: 118 to 739 μ IU/L).
4.2. Patient Values
Mean pretransplant serum C-peptide levels of 0.1 ng/mL (range: 0.02 to 0.3 ng/mL) increased gradually to mean 0.37 ng/mL (range: 0.1 to 1.8 ng/mL) (normal range: 0.7 to 1.9 ng/mL by Monobind Inc, USA) and mean pre-transplant exogenous insulin requirement of 1.14 units/kg BW/day (range: 0.42–2.1 units/kg BW/day) decreased to 0.63 units/kg BW/day (range: 0.09–1 unit/kg BW/day) (Figure 3(a)). It was observed that there was gradual fall in exogenous insulin requirement over the first 2 to 4 months which then remained steady (Figure 3(b)). Mean befor transplant Hb1Ac of 8.47 % (range: 6.22 to 10.3 %) decreased to 7.39 % (range: 5.72 to 8.98 %).
GAD antibodies between 10 and 210 IU/mL in 5 patients decreased to values between 4 to 180 IU/mL and in 3 patients where values were >2000 IU/mL befor transplantation remained the same. No functional correlation was observed between insulin requirements/c-peptide levels and GAD antibody levels.
4.3. Statistical Analysis
Insulin requirement, Hb1Ac, and serum C-peptide levels were subjected to Student's paired t-test and change in insulin requirement was found to be the most significant with , Hb1Ac showed and c-peptide values showed .
There was no adverse/untoward side effect related to stem cell infusion or administration of induction therapy. Over a mean followup of 7.3 months (range: 2.2 months to 1 year) all patients continued to have a feeling of well-being after infusion and are physically more active, alert, on normal vegetarian diet, and better rehabilitated in their professional and personal lives. There was an impressive absence of DKA episodes in all of them. Pretransplant weight of 54.6 kg (range: 23.5 to 82 kg) increased marginally to 55.2 kg (range: 25 to 82 kg).
5. Discussion
Therapeutic strategies for addressing immune dysregulation of IDDM include nonactivating monoclonal antibodies against CD3, gene therapies, autologous HSCT, infusion of dendritic cells, T-regulatory lymphocytes, umbilical cord cells, embryonic or adult stem cells, and allogenic BM transplantation [4, 6]. Invitro rodent models have shown MSC derived from BM and spleen with capability of insulin-secretion to treat hyperglycemia [8]. Human BM-derived and adipose tissue-derived MSC have been found to be phenotypically identical cell populations as those of rodents [9]. We have generated in vitro MSC from human adipose tissue which qualify the definition standardized by the Mesenchymal and Tissue Stem Cell Committee of the International Society for Cellular Therapy. MSC have been defined as the cells having plastic-adherence when maintained under standard culture conditions, must have the ability of osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation, must express CD73, CD90, and CD105, and must lack expression of hematopoietic lineage markers c-kit, CD14, CD34, CD 45, CD 11b, CD 29, CD79α, and HLA-DR [10]. Our cells fulfill these criteria. We further differentiated them to insulin secreting cells under defined culture conditions phenotypically identical to pancreatic β cells [11]. These cells expressed transcription factors pdx-1, pax-6, and isl-1, all three are central controlling genes capable of reprogramming nonpancreatic cells to surrogate β cell functions. Again our technique is a shortcut to reprogramming non-pancreatic cells as compared to vector-based gene transfer techniques [12].
Our results support the contention that combination of these three transcription factors represents the establishment of ectopic mechanisms to secrete insulin. These exciting results raise intriguing questions; whether this differentiation involves epigenetic reprogramming, or nuclear content of the MSC has become permissive to allow activation of this transcription program for β cell function. Whatever may be the reason this strategy has worked even in distantly related cells of origin.
6. Conclusion
This is the first report of successfully treating IDDM with co-transplantation of insulin-secreting adipose tissue derived MSC and HSCT. Easy and repeatable access to subcutaneous adipose tissue provides a clear advantage over isolation of MSC from BM. Isolation and culture techniques are simple and easy to perform.
|Bone marrow
|Cultured bone marrow
|Diabetic keto acidosis
|diabetes mellitus
|Dulbecco's modified eagle's medium
|glutamic acid decarboxylase
|Granulocyte colony stimulating factor
|Glycosylated hemoglobin
|Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
|Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
|Insulin replacement therapy
|Insulin secreting adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells.
The authors are thankful to Yazdi Wadia and Priyadarshini Shah for statistical analysis and typing of the paper. C. N. Patel, J. V. Patel, A. G. Bhargava, B. N. Patel, and P. N. Bhavsar have carried out all the laboratory tests including flowcytometry analysis of the cases mentioned in the paper.
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Our good friend Mountain Butorac is offering you the chance to win a trip to Europe with the launch of his newly renovated website TheCatholicTraveler.com. There are three quick and easy ways to enter to win this fabulous prize. You may remember my interview with Mountain on Catholic Moments Podcast #73 – I've been dying for a pilgrimage to Europe ever since then!
So even though I haven't yet unpacked my suitcase from this weekend, I am daydreaming about Rome. If you're doing the same, head over to TheCatholicTraveler.com and enter to win! And if you win, you owe me a postcard!


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GameCentral readers reveal what games have been so good they've bought an entire new console to play them on, from Halo to Resident Evil.
The talking point for this weekend's Inbox was suggested by reader Luma, who asked what have been your personal 'killer apps' when buying new hardware. Although there may have been other contributory factors what games have been the primary reason you've bought a new system, and why?
There were no restrictions on what generation of consoles you were talking about, so we had people writing in about why they bought everything from a SNES to an Xbox One. There were also quite a few reasons given for buying a Wii U, despite its current troubles.
One step at a time
The Last Of Us was enough to get me to purchase a PlayStation 3 (also my first ever Sony console). I'd been thinking about it for a while but that's definitely the game that made me part with my cash. Strange thing is I didn't actually start it for months, I just didn't want it to disappoint so I was playing PlayStation Plus games until I felt it could be given my complete undivided.
I got a step closer to playing it a couple of months down the line, I actually took off the shrink wrap and put the disc/disk into the console but there it sat for another couple of months. It really didn't disappoint when I actually started it though. I can't think of another instance where I bought a console specifically for one game, I got a PlayStation 4 and Wii U after all, and it's clearly been decided there are no games for those.
Morale of the story… I really can waffle on.
DevilRed79 (NN ID/PSN ID)/Aaron Cooper (Underbox)
No disappointments
My sole purpose for getting a PlayStation 4 at launch was because of one game only: Battlefield 4. After spending countless fun hours on Battlefield 3 with only 24 other players I was excited to try the true Battlefield experience with 64 players. For all its reported problems I still love the game because when it gets it right no other multiplayer comes close.
I did end up with Killzone: Shadow Fall as well but I've still to complete that. In the not to distant future I'm looking forward to Watch Dogs, Destiny, Alien: Isolation and Batman: Arkham Knight. Big up the GC Battlefield Platoon (old and new).
Easy answer
Sometimes Hot Topics come along and I've no idea of what to write but when I read this weeks, it came to me instantly. Super Mario 64 DS was the reason I bought and actually imported an original Nintendo DS. I remember playing Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64 and thinking, imagine if one day you could play this on a portable console…
When I saw it on the DS it was like the future had arrived and I had to have it. Although the game was very good, the addition of new characters and goals made the game feel… different. It just wasn't as special as the original.
I've always been a fan of handheld consoles and for me the DS is one of the best.
Paul Conry
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The list
Xbox 360 was bought for Dead Rising because zombies, thousands of 'em (well hundreds at least). The Xbox was used and I got it cheap but it worked fine although I have had to send it away twice for repair.
Upgraded my PC especially for Half-Life 2 then again for Crysis. Two very good games.
Got a PlayStation 3 for God Of War III, which did made me sad due to it not being very good but then Ascension came out several years later and was a lot better and I also got to play the Uncharted series which Uncharted 2 has been the best in my opinion.
Bought the Wii for Super Mario Galaxy, great game, 'nuff said.
I have not felt the urge to buy any 'next gen' console due to the games not appealing. If Dark Souls II had come out on one of them I would have more than likely either bought one or just got it on PC as I have recently upgraded again due to a little windfall.
The moment
I had been thinking for a while about offloading my Xbox 360 and buying a Wii U, and then I seen a preview Super Mario 3D World. That was it, I was sold. Pikmin 3 and Zelda: The Wind Waker HD came close to selling the console to me, but Mario and his mates swung it.
I got rid of the Xbox 360 and haven't looked back. The Wii U has been a joy and gets a lot more use than my PlayStation 4 I recently bought. The GamePad is a joyous creation, pity game designers don't implement it more.
Michael Whitford
Follow the hedgehog
The first system seller for me, and by far my most poignant, would be Sonic The Hedgehog. Sonic was the reason I bought a Master System, then a Mega Drive, and finally a Dreamcast. The Master System version was the one I played first, and although Sonic was clearly more suited to blast processing hardware, I still fell in love. Especially with the map that popped up before the beginning of each stage and tracked your progress across the island. Robotnik would appear on that map for the third stage of each zone, giving a little preview as to how he would strike. Labyrinth still sucked.
The Mega Drive version was breathtaking. And by the time I got a Mega Drive, Sonic 2 had come out as well. I was in hedgehog heaven, I had come through the pearly star posts and was given my giant gold ring by Saint Tails. The underwater stages still sucked.
The fifth generation sadly passed me by, but I knew I had to have a Dreamcast for Sonic Adventure. And also, this fighting game by the name of SoulCalibur looked like it might be interesting…
And Sonic Adventure lived up to my very high expectations. That old Sonic magic had bewitched me once again, but sadly – as it turned out – for the very last time. And SoulCalibur was so damned good that it hooked me on fighting games for life.
I bought the first Xbox for Halo and – don't laugh, I'm a sordid and horrible man, Dead or Alive 3. Hey, it looked very pretty at the time! And I'm shallow.
I picked up a GameCube as it was cheap and Eternal Darkness sounded fascinating. Plus, the entire Resident Evil series would be on it too. This led me to believe, as I'm sure it did others, that Evils 2 and 3 would be getting the same shiny, sparkly remake treatment as the first. But still, there was still that fourth one coming, promised to be an exclusive… Oh, and I also love playing with monkey's balls on the dinky little Nintendo console. Who doesn't?
The PlayStation 2 attracted me with so many diverse offerings – mostly weird, Japanese stuff like Ico, Disgaea, and Gregory Horror Show. None of which disappointed. Oh, and Final Fantasy which has never failed to disappoint me in some way or another. But I pick on Final Fantasy too much, I feel…
The Xbox 360 I bought because again it was cheap, SoulCalibur IV was coming and I simply had to have it. Had to. Would have died and everything. But I really wanted Oblivion, too so that worked out pretty well.
I would have bought a Wii U for Sonic: Lost World, the blue hedgehog still has power over me. But only if the reviews were high enough. If you, Edge, and gamesTM had at least given it an eight I would have committed felonies to procure Nintendo hardware. Felonies. Real ones. That did not happen and so the world was spared the birth of my criminal empire. Probably for the best.
DMR, writing from his jail cell
Colourful choice
I always buy Nintendo's consoles to play their games, as quite simply they are the most fun and creative games that are around today. Nothing beats the Super Mario and Zelda franchises for bright and colourful candy lands packed with fun-filled features. Nintendo really are the Willy Wonka of the games industry, and their games almost transport you back to your childhood, when life was simple and the only major decision you had to make was which toy to play with next.
While I enjoy more mature games like Grand Theft Auto and Battlefield sometimes it can be a bit of chore shooting yet more terrorists in the face, and it's nice to leave the grey industrial wastelands behind and jump into the colourful lands of the Mushroom Kingdom or Hyrule. It's a nice palate cleanser that keeps me interested in gaming, when I may have eventually got bored and moved onto another hobby.
I'm really looking forward to Mario Kart 8, which could just be what the Wii U has been crying out for, and I have high hopes that it will help lift Nintendo out of the doldrums, and get some Wii U's into peoples homes. While the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are still looking for that killer game that make them must haves I am quite happy with my purchase of a PlayStation 4. I've really enjoyed the larger maps and player count of next gen Battlefield 4, and haven't encountered many problems that other gamers have endured. I've also enjoyed inFamous: Second Son and Killzone: Shadow Fall, which I found were a lot more enjoyable than their PlayStation 3 iterations, and were a good showcase for the power of the next gen.
While we await the next Uncharted and Halo that will really help push consoles sales, I'm hoping that Watch Dogs and Destiny will keep the momentum going until the major releases start coming out towards the end of the year. I have high hopes that all three consoles have a slew of unannounced new games that will get showcased at E3, and help stem some of the negativity that some gamers have about the new consoles, and the perceived lack of new games. Perhaps the next great system seller will be among them?
Cubes (PSN ID)/Cubes73 (NN ID/Steam ID/Raptr ID)/Kevin M
The late bird catches the bargain
Pretty much every console has been influenced by a particular game. Street Fighter (Mega Drive), Tomb Raider (PS one), Goldeneye (Nintendo 64), Donkey Konga (GameCube), Wii Sports (Wii) and Ico/Shadow Of The Colossus (PlayStation 3).
Most of these (apart from GameCube and Wii) were quite late in the console's life, when quality games are plentiful and cheep.
A bad start
In previous generations all of my consoles have been bought because I wanted to play specific games. A much lusted after game was included either in the box or as part of a bundle. Atari VCS for Space Invaders, SNES for Super Mario World, PS one for WipEout even a Sinclair Spectrum to play Manic Miner. All great games that I tore into and devoured as soon as I got my precious cargo home/present unripped.
The main thing that always made me move on was that the games were far in advance of what was possible from the last generation and boy did the new consoles want to show it off!
The prevailing fashion that this generation's consoles get released without an initial surge of great games seems a bit odd to me. For me, the absence of must haves has been their undoing. Nintendo took a kicking for launching the 3DS and the Wii U too early. Then Microsoft and Sony, despite watching Nintendo's goofs, seem to have followed suit. Apparently too caught up in a high testosterone competition with each other over their respective release dates and specs to take on board what was happening and ensure that their console launches were properly planned.
The big three seem to have been caught out by the divergence between the mouse-clicking simplicity to design hardware and the resource devouring complexity required to craft HD games. AAA games probably now need a two to three year lead time, however you can probably knock a console and its operating system together in a year. Look at the fundamental changes that were made to the Xbox One in only a few months.
Yes, things will turn around. However, a lost year because of feeble planning and a bunch of corporate dudebros (not sure Nintendo fit that description!) is a p…retty poor start to a new shiny generation.
PaulVW (PSN ID/NN ID/PSN ID)
PS: If you show this on Sunday Happy Star Wars day everyone – May the fourth be with you!
Catch up on every previous Games Inbox here
Justified purchases
I have owned a lot of consoles through the years. My first home gaming experience was from a surprise hand me down Commodore 64 but since then I either chose or bought each console myself.
Mega Drive: Present bought for Sonic 2, which was excellent.
Nintendo 64: Present bought as my friends were all getting N64s. I went for the Turok bundle ,which I enjoyed but was definitely not worth the entry price of the console. The later release of GoldenEye however was.
Dreamcast: Bought for Skies Of Arcadia, Shenmue, and Sonic Adventure after the console was discontinued. Skies Of Arcadia justified the purchase on its own, excellent game.
GameCube: Bought on the promise of Super Mario Sunshine and a rumoured new Zelda. Both were good when they arrived but I should have held off buying the console until they did as both disappointed slightly when compared to their N64 ancestors.
Xbox: Bought purely for Halo and it delivered. The Xbox later became my main console for the generation even though it was originally meant as an accompaniment to the GameCube.
PlayStation 2: Bought for Final Fantasy X, which was a huge disappointment. I had liked the adventuring of Skies Of Arcadia which this did not have with its linear corridors. The console however really came into its own once the Xbox was prematurely killed, with Final Fantasy XII being a highlight.
Wii: Bought for the novelty of the controller and Zelda: Twilight Princess which was good but slightly disappointing. My Wii console was woefully underused during the generation despite a number of classics like the Super Mario Galaxy games.
Xbox 360: Got caught up in the HD hype and bought for Gears Of War and the promise of a new Halo. Fortunately Gears was better than I expected and Halo 3 was also excellent. The 360 became my main console for most of the generation.
PlayStation 3 original: Bought for Metal Gear Solid 4, which was so painful in the first few hours I never progressed any further and Uncharted which despite positive reviews surprised me with how good it was. The PlayStation 3 was also bought with the promise of a future exclusive: Final Fantasy XIII, which turned out not to be exclusive and also to be awful.
PlayStation 3 Super Slim: After my original PS3 was seized as evidence by the police following a break in (and never returned) I bought a replacement purely for The Last Of Us which was excellent. However, given that I had already pre-ordered a PlayStation 4 at the time I made this replacement purchase it is somewhat disappointing as that game is being re-released on my new format. (The house insurance did not pay out either.)
PlayStation 4: Pre-ordered for Watch Dogs, which obviously has not been released yet and also the promise of Destiny. Assassin's Creed IV deputised well for Watch Dogs and I have fully enjoyed playing on the new console despite the lack of an awesome exclusive. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes in particular is a highlight but I fear Hideo's ego may ruin The Phantom Pain.
I have also bought most portable consoles, however those purchases have not been for a particular game. (Except for the very first which was bought for Pokémon Yellow.)
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Lettering Delights has a freebie for you this week, coupons to give out on Father's Day. What a cute way for your kids to say thanks in their own way! (click image below)
Tie One On Dad Collection, just $6 for a paper pack, 2 alphabets and 2 graphics sets. It's a great deal.


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Curated by Noam Segal
On Thursday, April 11 at 6:30pm, Velan Center is proud to present Battle, Therapy, Living Room, Guy Yanai's first solo exhibition in Italy, in collaboration with nonprofit art space Rothschild 69, Tel Aviv, Israel, curated by Noam Segal. The Battle of San Romano is a triptych painted by Paolo Uccello, describing the battle between the fighters of Florence and Siena at three different points in time on the day of the battle in 1432. This triptych is at the center of Yanai's exhibition, which addresses the day-to-day atheist struggle in contemporary society.
e-flux » Announcements
// From our friends at E-Flux


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When I first came across this in store (Superdrugs) I knew I just had to get one! Initially, the colour (pink) I had wanted sold out. After a few weeks I went to check if it was back in stock and guess what? It was back in stock and was selling for half the price (£8.00 to £4.00). So it's true, good things happen to those who wait.. haha!
I love the colour and how innovative the product is: lipstick and lip gloss combined. I personally don't like scented lipsticks/lip glosses, however, the smell is bearable and isn't too overpowering.


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Dell To Buy Cloud Toolmaker Wyse
Dell agreed to acquire privately held Wyse Technology Inc., the latest move by the computer maker to expand its offerings for business customers, Shara Tibken reports on digits. Photo: AP.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... the deal will be ... getting into the ... bought ones technology cloud computer software and hardware to tells all but shut it in ... and what this means for Dell this is another move like don't get to market ... the of the ... reaction Don's been making huge pressure have for years to get more into enterprise projects in other higher margin they make a lot of money on these things are selling and he seems to consumers over the internet ... so this is just another for their push for that ... everybody's going Creasey the clout right now so if you should be buying a cloud company and flaked and ... by no means in general and specifically at what this case and ... this is for PCs so you know and that and everybody having their own individual PC access at me intently and dummy terminal type of thing ... an access and ... email ... access ... ability and restored from all the events he might yet be yet you just have the plot senior that is that too it's all that well yet that makes it cheaper you but you know ... it's easier to secure its easier to will theoretically in Ten-year silat ... he and teammate Nansen updates and things like that and seven and security updates her we have to send ... your answers ... lol ... I think it's mainly due to corporate users set on ... called iCloud and other things I'm learning in of consumer and enterprise is glaring at this point when you mention that this one the company but was is that their hardware and software ... the deals come and try to get both ends of the ... week they don't ... really have right now and again the hidden trying for years to get into this ... but there is Apple the day running up against Amazon me into thinking that we start talking about this cloud and who's in there ... companies that you might not think would be no are all getting in there says actually into much more competitive space ... then just boxes no computers yet yet what and that of the start-ups that mean everybody's rights in all the crying IBM in the cloud known going up against IBM has died ... at her in the evening either ... not ... sell any new tenants is going up against everyone and Intel ... you know they need another acquisitions and think ... this is just getting continue I think they're ... giving keep up the ... cool is this for them I mean I know the company didn't the sort of been stagnant for a long time I compute ... my yet on ... Palm Beach how important is this the top of that yet it's pretty importance at ... everybody's trying to diversify outside of PCs ... yet we saw from the HP internet were they ever talk about spinning off decided not to ... the companies you have it still important and and yet they still need this it helps them ... get supplies cheaper you know have more presence ... on yes the PCs are still really important and I don't think are going away anytime soon ... but at least in the US right now they're not really growing revenue not really a flat while one of those that are notably absent in mobile yet and yeahh Plattner's L I think it's their pants ... he doesn't have that yet again with entire cycle yet Montanino one and talk to their and their strategy and he said then ... that you know there they need to be mobile but they more heated than Canada services around which ... this is part of that you know this acquisitions part of that being a book that says here that stop him from your tablet or something like that you know that they can be seen ... see you on ... that's seen being there ... if you don't have the best-selling device mounted that the terms of the steel work through the Strait of ... Juan is not the ... company know what was the red ... the discovery seventeen Brian ... three-party at accounted for three seventy five yes there last year ... I think they were like forty five percent higher revenue ... I'm you much much faster than Canada market were there playing and ... so on and that the number one provider of what the deal selling Intel is buying a market leader ... I in him getting in on top the lot of questions from analysts for why are you just about went into nothingness I harrowing any two D design your own and had a lot of it when Steve and these guys are ... our Number whining to get there right away instead of having to take some time


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Spring Break is so wonderful. Not that I am really on vacation; I have been working pretty much everyday. Yesterday, I planned my whole day around a webinar I found on www.eschoolnews.com. The title of the webinar was "Powering the Digital Classroom, It takes more than computers." I was intrigued.
The webinar looked at a study where the success of students correlated directly to the student to computer ratio. The best part of the webinar was the nine key implementation factors. (Here is a link to the slides http://www.eschoolnews.com/files/2012/03/TimetoKnow.pdf. It was a free webinar, so I don't think I am stepping on anyone's toes.) Two of the nine really caught my eye: virtual field trips and online formative assessment.
Online formative assessment is something that I have been thinking about and really wanted to incorporate into the flipped classroom, but my time has limited me. I have done quite a bit of research, but had never taken the plunge. I am proud to say that today, I finally sat down and figured out how to use YouTube annotations so I have a little mini quiz in my latest video. (Check it out http://youtu.be/8O0Hte3vapc). If you are going to work on annotations, some words of advice. First, set aside some time so that you can really figure it out in one sitting. Second, I found it easier when I made my Power Points to have the wrong answer first, and keep the language on the right answer general. If you watch it you will see. I watched 2 or 3 different YouTube videos by josephbison one of which can be found at http://youtu.be/O46Lfz4ekH0.
Yesterday I finally figured out how to implement flubaroo, which is a Google script that can correct online quizzes for you. If you are a Google apps user, I recommend you check it out. It really didn't take very long, and there are plenty of videos to walk you through using it. www.flubaroo.com I had never even really taken the time to sit down with Google docs and create a form, which was also remarkably easy. I created an exit survey for my students for the end of the year to get their impressions about the flip.
On to virtual field trips.....I have been thinking about incorporating Google Earth into the classroom since my class read a Spanish short reader that was set in Spain and I kept having to explain to them what El Escorial was or what the Plaza Mayor was. My plan is to go back through the books and make a sightseeing tour on Google Earth so that the students can watch it before they read and then have a better idea about what they are reading about. Although I have played a little with Google Earth, I have to dedicate a whole day to really figure out how to best make it work. I am planning to have it put together for the conference in Chicago.
I also never realized that there were companies that put together virtual field trips. Since money is a major issue, if one of these companies that puts these together is any good, I may really consider it. The pricing I have seen didn't look too bad, but I have to do a lot more investigation.
Luckily, since the last unit in Spanish III is technology, I can throw just about any of this at my students and it fits with the lesson plan. I am curious to their feedback on the online quizzes in the videos and some of the Google docs forms. Time will tell!


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Looking for full-time summer employment and part-time employment during the school year? We have positions for you starting this summer. Find out what it means to be a part-time soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve and see what 41 Service Battalion has to offer!
We will host two information sessions in March - one on Wednesday, March 8 and again on Wednesday, March 22. Both will commence at 7:30 p.m at the General Sir Arthur Currie Building in Calgary. Click on the info session tab for more information.
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text: USDA: Feeders and Stockers Stay Stong, Calves Wane April 7, 2014 02:39 AM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Jo Windmann AgWeb Senior Web Producer Email Corbitt Wall gives the USDA Feeder and Stocker Cattle Summary for the week ending April 4. Feeder cattle sold $1 to $4 higher and stockers—thinner fleshed and suitable for grass pasture—sold up to $8 higher. Feeder cattle trade was very active with some of the best receipts we've seen for a while. New crop calves were not nearly as active as the last few weeks, selling unevenly steady. This might mean that there isn't time for Western or South Central orders to get calves bought, backgrounded and pre-conditioned so that they get the most out of their pasture and the market might slack off this these calves. The cattle market continues to see record prices updated almost daily. This week in the Midwestern markets several places met or surpassed $2 per pound on 7-weight steer. Bassett, Neb., saw the highest prices this week with two loads of fancy steer weighing 750 pounds and selling for $2 per pound. As we start to get into spring this will bring a weather markets and as planting season quickly approaches Wall expects demand to slack off. At the same time receipts will start pulling back and the availability will be lighter so markets will depend on the timing of these aspects. Watch Corbitt Wall's full report on Beef Today's Cattle Markets Center. Back to news


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Paradigm Imaging Group Introduces SID XL 2513 Laser Engraver
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Press release from the issuing company
Costa Mesa, CA – Paradigm Imaging Group announces the newest addition to the SID Signs line of laser engravers, the new SID XL 2513 Laser Engraver.
The new SID XL 2513 Laser Engraver has been designed to maximize productivity. Its powerful CO2 150W laser provides ample power for heavy cutting loads and high-throughput for engraving. Its industrial flatbed design offers both stability and productivity with its large-format 96" x 52" cutting area.
All aspects of the SID XL 2513 have been manufactured for long-lasting performance. The high quality steel strip belt and ball screw transmission ensure X/Y positional accuracy of 0.01 mm. Its open bed design allows for easy handling of standard 4'x8' material sheets.
Materials that are handled by the SID XL 2513 include acrylic, wood, aluminum bond, glass, as well as some metals. It can cut up to 25mm (1 inch) thick acrylic plastic and up to 12mm (1/2 inch) wood.
Said Randy Geesman, president of Paradigm Imaging Group, "The build quality is excellent on the SID XL 2513 and with the outstanding pricing and performance the XL 2513 is sure to be a top seller."
Cutting Area 96" x 52" (2,400 x 1,330 mm)
150W Laser Tube Power
Cutting Speed Up to 12"/s (300 mm/s)
Engraving Speed Up to 16"/s (400 mm/s)
1 Year Limited Warranty
Retail Cost: $27,900
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Audit (A-07-11-06019)
Review of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Medicaid Prompt Pay Requirements in Nebraska
Executive Summary
The Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services (State agency) complied with the prompt pay requirements for receiving the increased Federal medical assistance percentage under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Specifically, the State agency paid 99.3 percent of the 2,095,810 clean claims it received from applicable providers within 30 days of the date of receipt and 99.7 percent of all claims received within 90 days of the date of receipt. Therefore, we have no recommendations.
Complete Report
Download the complete report
Adobe® Acrobat® is required to read PDF files.
Copies can also be obtained by contacting the Office of Public Affairs at 202-619-1343.
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Priority recommendations summarized.
Work Plan
OIG planned projects.
Semiannual Report
Significant OIG activities in 6-month increments.


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Equinox Fitness is expanding its upscale workout emporium.
Equinox, which is owned by the Related Companies, bought Sports Club/LA gyms in New York and four other cities as well as the Reebok Sports Club/NY Gym on the Upper West Side. Those gyms will all turn into Equinox locations.
This $110 million deal — Equinox's second biggest acquisition — is for the remainder of the gyms owned by Millennium Partners. Half of Millennium's gyms were sold to Equinox three years ago for $130 million.
Equinox will now have 73 locations across the globe, mostly in San Francisco, Los Angeles, London and New York. [NYT] — Claire Moses


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To our prospective clients…
The following represents a small sample of comments from some of our very satisfied clients. We hope you will put your trust in Orlando's as so many others have done before. We sincerely look forward to the opportunity to serve you and your guests in the future.
The Orlando Family
You and everyone at Orlando's did such an amazing job helping make our wedding reception perfect! Seriously the food was so outstanding and our guests are still talking about how good everything was. Thank you for your willingness to take our family recipes and create them perfectly. The set-up, the service, everything was fantastic and we will always remember that special day. Thank You! Wedding Reception at the Sheldon Ballroom
We can't thank all of you enough for the providing such wonderful food for our wedding, especially on short notice. We received a great deal of compliments on both the excellent quality and elegant presentation of the meal, and we personally could not have been more satisfied. Wishing you all the best in all of your endeavors! Wedding Reception at Third Degree Glass
We have gotten so many compliments from our guests and we agree that this is the best wedding reception we've ever been to (and not just because it was ours)! The food was absolutely delicious (love that chicken spedini and cavatelli broccoli), the atmosphere so elegant, and every one of your staff members so friendly and helpful. Sandy, the banquet manager, was great – she was patient with us when we arrived behind schedule, and then when we took awhile to get the wedding party sorted out to enter! She emceed our numerous toasts wonderfully and kept everything moving (I think she was better than the DJ!) . She and the staff also made sure that we got back all of the things we brought with us – cake knife, champagne glasses, votives and vases, etc. Mike (Orlando) was also there and made sure that we were happy throughout the evening.
We had a great time and could not be happier with the way everything turned out. I had never been to a reception at Orlando's before, but I hope I get the opportunity to in the future, because it is truly one of the best reception sites in St. Louis. Thanks again for an outstanding job. Wedding Reception, Orlando's
Artistic Soup Photography has worked with Orlando Gardens at their multiple properties on numerous occasions and they have always done a great job. They view the event as a collaboration amongst vendors to make certain the day is a huge success for the wedding couple. Food is delicious, time line is met and presentation impeccable. We highly recommend Orlando Gardens!
I am both a client and a colleague of Orlando's. My own wedding was there, as were several of my clients and there is nothing they can't do or won't do for a client and bride. Jim Helton is amazing, and I happily refer brides to meet with him every chance I get! South County Location
I want to say more than the response card has room for because nothing could have been more perfect than the evening that was presented by you and your staff. The food was great, the room looked great and we received more compliments from our guest than Elise and I could count.
I have attended wedding receptions at the Watson location in the past and always thought, just as our guests did, that everything was very nice. Until I was actually involved in planning a reception did I realize how professional everything is at an Orlando's establishment. You made everything very easy and were more than willing to accommodate our specific requests. The staff on duty that night, the food servers, bartenders, and clean up crew were courteous and pleasant in every aspect of their work. My 90 year old mother-in-law uses a walker to get around and one kind staff member walked through the food line with her to assist with placing the food on her plate and carrying the plate to her table.
All are commended. Everyone gave Mary and Brian the party of a lifetime. Please know that if my wife and I are ever in need of a facility for celebration, party or gathering, Orlando's will be the place of choice. I will contact you personally to make the arrangements. Again, thank you very much for a job well done. Wedding Reception
Sam and his team were phenomenal to work with on our October 9th,2010 wedding! In fact, on many occasions, the bride, Jen, commented on how she felt like Orlando's went above and beyond all of her expectations. Sam's team arrived on time, setup promptly and was on hand to assist in any way we needed throughout the evening. On top of that, the "kid at heart" themed menu was amazing! Big thank you to Orlando's for all of your hard work!
Orlando's catered our wedding at The Foundry Arts Centre on May 31. Our main person we worked with was Jim. However, on our wedding day Denise handled the set up and running everything. We could not believe how amazing Orlando's was from start to finish! Jim took care of making sure he knew exactly what we wanted and how we wanted things to go. Denise did an amazing job making sure things went off without a hitch! If anything went wrong, we had absolutely no idea. The food was fantastic, and everything was set up just how we wanted! Everyone raved about how good the food was!
I was the mother of the bride and I cannot say enough good things about Orlando Catering! I had originally booked another catering company. Then about 8 months before the wedding, I recieved a letter stating that Orlando had bought out that other company. I was a little concerned and skeptical at first. But Orlando honored my contract and pricing with the other company. Then they proceeded to give me outstanding service, answered all my questions no matter how trivial, and customized our menu to our tastes. They were so friendly and professional at the reception, and the food was beyond delicious! My husband and I had so many people come up to us and say how much they enjoyed the food and it was some of the best "wedding" food they had eaten! Thank you so much Orlando Catering and Dan Snyder for knocking it out of the park for our daughter's wedding!
My husband and I had the pleasure of having Orlando's cater our wedding a week ago at NEO on Locust. We worked with Denise and she was amazing! We had a buffet style dinner at our reception and the guests raved about how good the food was. Denise is very knowledgeable about catering and gave us a lot of good ideas as far as the flow of our reception. I would highly recommend Orlando's for anyone looking for a great catering service!
Orlando's provided catering services to my daughters wedding at the Jewel Box in Forest Park It was a wonderful experience. Jim Helton helped plan the event and he and his team delivered outstanding food, beverage and services for the evening. Truly a wonderful experience. This is the second time we have used Orlando's for a wedding. My other daughter used the Orlando facility and service 17 years ago and this event utilized just the catering services. Both were outstanding.
Orlando's answered every crazy question I asked throughout the wedding planning process and helped us come to an agreement that met our budget. They treated us like royalty on the wedding day and even had a seamstress on hand when my dress ripped. They were wonderful!
Jim was awesome to work with!!!! I don't even know where to start… knowing how stressful things can get when planning a wedding Jim always told me "don't worry I will handle everything on my side." just hearing those words made me feel better about whatever crazy thing was happening that day!! The food was delicious, the staff was so kind, and I didn't worry because I know Jim was on it!!! Wedding


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Andrew Zimmern is a chef, food writer, the host and producer of Travel Channel's hit series, Bizarre Foods. Andrew, a recipient of the prestigious James Beard Award, has traveled the world, and understands the importance of a hotel and its amenities.
Andrew browsed around Oyster and chose his favorite kid-friendly hotels exclusively for us. Find out which hotels he loves and why.


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Husband Hank Baskett is embarrassed by reports that his wife made and wanted to sell sex tapes.
OK! reported a couple of weeks ago that the tape, shot before Kendra began "dating" Hugh Hefner shortly before her 19th birthday in 2004, shows Kendra and her high school boyfriend, a fellow named Justin, getting it on. As you do. Except that most of us do it without cameras in the room. Radar alleges that there's more than one tape, and that in 2008 Kendra set up a company to attempt to market the explicit footage. Now she's fighting porn empire Vivid Entertainment to suppress the videos—whether because she's decided her lady bits are only for family these days, or because she wants to capitalize on her on-screen romping herself, we don't know. Kendra Wilkinson Apologizes to Hef
More Juicy Content From YourTango:


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'vgdc' tag.
This weeks Virtual Worlds Forum in London is now over. The event had started on an unexpected low with the the conference venue turning into a crime scene after an unrelated shooting at the weekend. During the first day, some folk regrouped to "The Hospital" – a private members club for creative types in Covent Garden.
As I knew many people would no longer be heading into London I offered to setup a virtual refugee camp at the IBM Business Center. As the afternoon progress more people arrived and after showing Jeff Barr and Giles Hogburn around the Virtual Green Data Center, Giles agreed to present his very interesting talk planned for the VWF on my virtual chat show Boris in Wonderland. You can see it by visiting my Boris in Wonderland show channel, and pressing "On Demand" and then VWF. Our comms team also picked up the story and sent out a press release about it.
In the evening, the planned South by Southwest mixer party continued as planned, and I quickly wrapped up Giles' presentation so I could head in for it. I met up with some of the VWF team, did a quick vox pops (7.5mins in (bear in mind it was pretty loud and my hearing is not so good ) for the VWF podcast series, met Bruce from Vastpark (who's pitch seemed to make a lot of sense to me), discussed IBM's Lotus virtual worlds announcements with the Ambient team, and met lots of others. I hopefully snaffled a few people to appear on Boris in Wonderland in the future. Good evening and free drinks
The next day, the VWF arranged an "unconference" at the Hospital, where about 100 die-hards showed up to set the agenda, meet and greet. Ian Hughes, Rob Smart and I spread out and effectively setup an IBM track and input to other sessions too. Ian hosted a discussion on 3D printing, Rob ran on on inter-world messaging and I ran one how to communicate virtual worlds to business technophobes. I also attended a session on "when will corporates get virtual worlds", to which my answer was basically, when their sales people understand it (that's my experience in IBM!) and when they are all running Sametime 3D I got to see Klaus Hammermuller again and was hearing how his "Talkademy" (one of the best uses for virtual worlds I've seen) is going now he's left IBM. Ian also introduced me to Mal Burns, an interesting character who is I understand a well known blogger and twitterer. Indeed, through talking to a few folk over the conference has inspired me to get back into blogging, twittering etc and basically get give myself a shotinthearm2.0 (running my own virtual chat show is clearly not enough, apparently I have to be web2.0 not just 3.0 ). That's the problem with working from home and being busy it's just too easy to stay focussed on core work, and spend time with your wife and kids and that's not what the modern world is about
All in all a bit of a pheonix from the ashes. It's hard to say whether there would've been lots of potential clients there originally, but there certainly wasn't at the unconference. Time will tell whether the Virtual Worlds expo in 2 weeks will be any better…


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FINES totalling more than £300,000 have been dished out to drivers caught using Portsmouth's bus lanes in just five months, The News can reveal.
Cameras on key city bus routes have snared 6,456 motorists who have then each been issued with a £60 ticket for using them to avoid heavy traffic.
That means the total cost of the penalty charge notices – issued between November and April – is a staggering £387,360.
The statistics reveal that 58 of the fines were cancelled on appeal – including 32 for hackney carriage vehicle drivers who can use bus lanes – taking the value down to £383,880.
But Tory councillor Ken Ellcome, who was in charge of traffic in the city during that time, insists it is not about the money, but rather to ensure public transport flows freely.
And rival parties agree the move has been for the greater good.
People need to learn the lesson that bus lanes are for buses, hackney carriages and cyclists.Portsmouth Tory traffic boss, Councillor Ken Ellcome
Cllr Ellcome said: 'Irrespective of the money, that isn't the point – the reason for the cameras is to keep the bus lanes clear to try to improve public transport and try and get it from A to B where possible. The money is the consequence of that. People shouldn't be alarmed by these figures.
'You could argue 6,000 drivers is a lot, but when you look at the fact there's 20,000 to 30,000 vehicle movements in the city each day, I don't think it's a big number. People need to learn the lesson that bus lanes are for buses, hackney carriages and cyclists.'
The total amount paid back to the council by motorists may be lower if they paid within 14 days, as the cost of the fine is then discounted to £30.
Lib Dem traffic spokeswoman, Cllr Lynne Stagg, said: 'If you have the added problem of cars parking in the bus lanes and driving down them, it makes it worse. Transport costs a lot of money to run.
'The problem is unfortunately getting worse in the city.'
Portsmouth's bus lane cameras were introduced on November 1 as part of a contract with traffic management firm Videalert.
The cameras aren't permanently fixed and move across the bus network.
It comes despite Cllr Donna Jones, leader of the council, revealing her idea to open up all bus lanes to traffic and to review the introduction of the cameras. Cllr Jones said the information would be examined in the coming weeks.
TAXI firms continue to criticise the council over its stance on not allowing private hire cabs to use bus lanes.
Portsmouth's traffic rules state hackney carriages can use public transport routes, but private hire cars operated by firms are banned.
Bruce Hall, general manager of Aqua Cars, said: 'We have been lobbying the council for donkey's years. We are supposed to be part of the transport plan for Portsmouth. Unfortunately, we don't think the council will ever change its views, it seems to be stuck in its ways.'
'Public transport must be given stronger say'
PUBLIC transport must be given more of a priority in Portsmouth.
That's the message from campaigners who believe roads are still not safe enough for everyone to use.
While welcoming moves to fine drivers who use bus lanes, Portsmouth Cycle Forum believes there aren't enough public transport routes to enforce and cars have been given special treatment.
And the campaign group has launched fresh criticism at the decision by Tory council leader, Cllr Donna Jones, to remove a section of the bus lane south of the M275 to ease congestion and improve journey times for motorists. Tory traffic boss Ken Ellcome had wanted to keep it in place, but was overruled.
Jon Spencer, chairman of Portsmouth Cycle Forum, said: 'It remains to be seen whether safety has improved.
'The Department for Transport will publish figures for accident statistics in Portsmouth, for the current year, in about a year's time.
'At the moment, it's too early to say what effect the cameras have had on casualties.
'I do fully support this. But it's unfortunate one of the principal bus lanes, on the Mile End Road, was removed by Portsmouth City Council.
'It would be nice if there were more bus lanes to protect.
'There are quite a limited number in the city and in key areas, there is still not enough space for public transport and cyclists. The council, if it wants to resolve congestion, has to give more priority to public transport and cyclists.'


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My Trip to Cranberry Bog; The world's only Island Bog
By Wiktor
Cranberry Bog is a Bog completely surrounded by water on Buckeye Lake near Hebron, Ohio. It is the only bog of its kind in the world. Today Cranberry Bog is just 10 acres in size and likely will not survive another few decades. Both of these facts are because Cranberry Bog is not itself a natural phenomenon.
In the 1800s the state of Ohio was largely undeveloped and there were few if any reliable means by which to transport goods in and out of the state. Inspired by the recently built system of canals in New York the Ohio legislature set out to build what would be called the Erie Canal which connected Lake Erie to the Ohio River, connecting the two bodies of water which form the northern and southern borders of the state of Ohio (a distance of nearly 300 Miles). In order to achieve this monumental feat it was necessary to find elevated sources of water which could feed the canal with water to maintain the necessary depth of water. These "feeder lakes" were created artificially by damming up rivers and bogs. Such was the birth of "Buckeye Lake". Before being flooded Buckeye Lake was a massive bog filled with plant life brought south from Canada by the glaciers which formed north and central Ohio's characteristically flat terrain. When this bog was flooded a 50 acre section of bog floated to the surface of the lake forming Cranberry Bog. Ordinarily a bog grows from the outside of a lake towards the center which is why this Bog is so unusual.
Above is Cranberry Bog as it is today and to the right is a typical bog notice that cranberry bog is an island while the Triangle bog to the left grows from the outside in.
A bog is distinguished from a swamp or fen by its growth on top of Sphagnum moss and layer of peat below which makes the bog soil and water extremely acidic. The acidity is so great in fact that it almost completely inhibits bacterial activity which has in some cases allowed bodies submerged in a bog to remain almost perfectly intact centuries after death. Because of bogs high acidity they tend to be very poor growing conditions for most types of plants and those that do grow there grow almost nowhere else. This is what brought me to the Cranberry Bog, to witness the yearly blooming for two species of bog orchid which only grow in the bog environment.
This is the flower which brought me to the Cranberry bog.
The Cranberry Bog is a short boat ride from the site of the old Buckeye Lake theme park which once was one of Central Ohio's greatest attractions bringing people from all over the country. After penetrating the ring of trees and poison sumac on the periphery of the island we came into a clearing filled with orchids, ferns and the bog's namesake cranberry plants.
In addition to the Orchids, Cranberry Bog also hosts two of Ohio's species of carnivorous plants, the pitcher plant and the sundew. It is believed that carnivorous plants evolved their penchant for killing in order to gain access to nutrients which are exceedingly rare in the nutrient poor bog soil.
This is the sundew. It gets its name from the sticky, bug trapping substance which coats its leaves which resembles dew.
Here is a cluster of pitcher plants. These plants have a cup shaped leaf which insects tend to fall into where they decay and release their nutrients for the plant to absorb.
Cranberry Bog's gradual decline over the past century is a direct result of its unnatural formation. Bogs require constant acidity to maintain their characteristics and because the lake water of Buckeye Lake is comparatively basic the island is slowly deteriorating. It is almost impossible to alter this unique habitats fate however it isn't gone yet and was a sight to behold.
Arrow Arum and Cinnamon Fern are two other notable plants on Cranberry Bog.