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Toy Trade Delivery Policy
Mainland UK Delivery Rates
Delivery Option
Delivery Time
Signed For
3 - 5 Working Days
24 Hour
1 Working Day
Non-Mainland UK and International Delivery
UK delivery charges are available for all UK addresses. We currently do not ship outside of the UK.
How quickly will my order arrive?
Our aim is to dispatch all orders placed before midday on the same day. Any orders placed after that time will be dispatched on the next available working day.
We will send you a notification email when your order has been dispatched. The time your order takes to arrive will depend on the delivery option you choose.
While we always try our best to dispatch every order following the above guidelines, during extremely busy periods dispatch times may increase by up to one day.
How can I track the status of my order?
You will receive an email to confirm we have received your order and that your payment has been accepted. You will also receive an email when your order has been dispatched.
In your dispatch confirmation email we will include any relevant tracking numbers, allowing you to track your parcel on the courier's website. You will only receive a tracking number if you have chosen a tracked delivery option for your order.
What days will my order be delivered on?
Our couriers deliver between 07:00 and 18:00 Monday to Friday.
Will I need to sign for my order?
If you have chosen the next day delivery option, you will have to sign for your parcel upon receipt.
I have a query regarding my delivery?
If you have any queries regarding your delivery please email us at [email protected]
If we cannot deliver your order within the specified time period we will make every attempt to contact you and provide an expected delivery time. If this delivery time is not suitable, you can cancel your order and we will provide a full refund.
A number of our orders are shipped via Royal Mail, and whilst they endeavour to deliver on time, occasionally there can be delays with the delivery of your item. If your item hasn't been delivered after 5 working days, then please check with your local Royal Mail Delivery Office as often parcels are found awaiting collection from the customer, but a delivery card has not been left.
How carefully is my order packaged?
We take great care in packaging your order, using the necessary materials according to its weight, size and how fragile it is.
What do I do if my order arrives damaged?
If any item you receive from us arrives damaged, please contact us as soon as possible by email at [email protected] We will then advise you on the best course of action. In most cases we will ask you to return the item to us for an exchange or refund.
Please do not return a damaged order to us without contacting us first.
Please check your order before you sign for it from the courier. If the item is faulty or damaged in any way, please do not sign for it and the courier will return the item to us. We will then send a replacement item out as soon as possible.


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Ethabuka Reserve Tour Itinerary (1.7mb)
Reserve Manager Matt Warr with wife Amanda and children Bella and Maddy. Photo Kate Cranney.
Ethabuka Reserve is a vast, magnificent desert property characterised by stunning red dunes, spinifex swales, and ephemeral wetlands, dotted with coolabah and gidgee trees. It's a haven for desert wildlife and boasts one of the richest reptile lists in Australia, including species like the Jewelled Gecko and Short-tailed Pygmy Monitor.
Our base camp will be nestled in the gidgee trees and provide wonderful views of Queensland's open, starry skies. There will be a mix of travelling in cars and exploring on foot, with plenty of time for birdwatching, botanising, and soaking up the desert ambiance.
A bearded Dragon basks in the sun. Photo Wayne Lawler/EcoPix.
Having owned and actively managed this property since 2004, we've watched it make a remarkable recovery and seen how it responds to drought and flood. You'll meet Reserve Manager Matt Warr, his wife Amanda and their children, and Bush Heritage's Healthy Landscape Manager and ecologist Dr Alex Kutt. They'll guide you around the property, sharing with you their stories and vast knowledge of this land.
In order to get around the property efficiently we will be travelling by 4WD and getting out regularly to explore.
Ethabuka is in western Queensland on the boarder of the Northern Territory. Mt Isa (662km or an 8-hour drive away) is the closest regional centre. Bedourie (about 136km away) is the closest small town with limited services including a roadhouse and pub.
Black Kite glides past the moon at Ethabuka. Photo Wayne Lawler/EcoPix.
Download our Tour Itinerary above for details of the facilities, vehicle requirements and preparation you'll need to be self-sufficient. Contact Katrina Blake on (03) 8610 9124 or firstname.lastname@example.com if you have any follow up questions.
Cost: $440 (inc GST) per person. Children under 18yrs free. The cost of the trip is based on covering our costs to plan, prepare and run the visit. This ensures donations made towards conservation are not being used to subsidise visit activities.
Bookings are essential.
Bookings are managed during business hours Monday to Friday (AEST) and may take 48 hours to confirm.

subset: commoncrawl


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I am looking to get Jack a scooter but can't decide on which one is best suited for him. I don't want him to outgrow it to soon and I would like something which is stable and not going to fall apart weeks after getting it.
There are so many to choose from; I wondered if you has any advice or tips which could help me narrow my choice down. Below are a few which I thought might be suitable. If you have any advice or suggestions please feel free to e-mail or comment on this post.
First up is George Tri Scooter
Only £24.99
Not sure if this would be well made well as it's only a character scooter and made from a lot of plastic! But I know Jack would love George Pig on the front. Only draw back is - it doesn't have adjustable height,
Website states its for ages 3 years and over.
Next, is Chad Valley Children's Tri Scooter
Only £17.99
Could it be cheap and cheerful; not lasting more than a few months?
Nice bright colours and has adjustable handlebars. Again website states it is suitable for children aged 3 years and over.
Another one on my list is, Ozbozz My First Scooter 3 in 1
Only £20.42
Tick's all my boxes; has 4 wheels for extra stability, grows with the child, can be folded down, wheels can be removed to create a 3 wheel scooter and a 2 wheel scooter. Website says it's suitable for children 2 years and over.
Only £24.99
Now this looks like something Jack would enjoy riding on. It is height adjustable, has 3 wheels for stability and also has flashing lights! Only downside - this is battery powered and could use a lot of batteries to keep the light going! Website states it for children who are 3+.


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Here's a sample of our volunteer opportunities:VIEW AS
Please wait . . .
Mission Statement
We remove barriers to affordable housing for low- and moderate-income Americans, through education and law.
- We take a fresh approach -- working to expand the recent trend of decisions, by the legislatures and/or highest courts of a number of states, to outlaw exclusionary housing policies adopted by local governments.
- Those policies are "among the principal culprits behind the nation's persistent [housing] affordability problems" (in the words of the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies).
- Those policies have contributed substantially to problems such as homelessness, poverty, the current subprime lending crisis, and the national financial crisis.
The Center is a new non-profit organization that offers educational and legal services to reduce homelessness and poverty in the United States. The Center:
- educates the public about exclusionary housing policies and their correction;
- identifies jurisdictions in which rights of low- and moderate-income people to opportunities for affordable housing are being violated;
- helps bona fide victims of violations vindicate their rights; and
- interacts with legislative and rulemaking bodies to promote appropriate statutes and regulations protecting opportunities for affordable housing.
The Center launched its educational website (http://cswac.org) in November 2008. Its office is in Vienna, Virginia. However, it offers virtual volunteer opportunities, so that volunteers may work from their home or office.
This information
Might be out of date
Do you work for this organization?
Request administrator status and update its information!
Would you recommend CSWAC?


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Business Bhutan
Bhutan moves up 10 places in press freedom ranking
Reporters Without Borders has been calculating indicators of the overall level of media freedom worldwide; the higher the figure, the worse the situation
Lucky Wangmo from Thimphu
Bhutan has moved up 10 places in the World Press Freedom Index report compared to last year's 104 released by the Reporters Without Borders this week.
Bhutan is ranked 94 out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index, which measures the level of freedom of information in 180 countries.
It has scored a total of 34.57 out of a possible 100, the higher score being the worse.
The report states that Bhutan is now evolving and the media landscape with it.
"The number of privately-owned media is still low but pluralism seems to have been developing since a transition from absolute to constitutional monarchy in 2008, and foreign journalists with official accreditation are able to operate," states the report.
Among the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries, Bhutan tops the list followed by Nepal (105), Maldives (112), Afghanistan (120),India (133), Sri Lanka (141), Bangladesh (144) and Pakistan (147).
Last year, Bhutan's ranking fell by 12 places from 92nd position in 2014 to 104th position.
Bhutan's ranking has been constantly changing over a time period of 15 years. Records with the Reporters Without Borders show Bhutan's ranking from 2002 till 2016. Bhutan was given the worse ranking in 2003 at 157th position with a score of 77.33, while the best ranking was given in 2010 at 64th position with a score of 17.75 out of a possible 100.
Talking to Business Bhutan, the Director General of Department of information and media (DOIM), Ministry of Information and Communication (MOIC), Kinley T. Wangchuk, said that the possible reason that improved the ranking must have been because of the policies that are already in place and the ones that are coming up.
"Another reason could also be because of the trainings that are being provided by the DOIM and also for assisting the Journalist Association of Bhutan," he said, adding that felicitating the foreign journalists and making arrangements for them to make their mobility easier might also be some factors that help improve the rankings.
On the other hand, the Executive Director of Bhutan Media Foundation (BMF), Dawa Penjor, said that though the ranking has gone up, there has been no significant difference in the score.
"Unlike other countries, we are enjoying better freedom," he said, adding that the interaction with international media and Bhutanese news reaching the international arena could be the reasons for the better ranking this time.
The Scandinavian countries of Finland, Netherlands, Norway and Denmark are ranked the top four spots, while Syria, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea and in the last four places.
According to Reporters Without Borders, there has been a deep and disturbing decline in respect for media freedom at both the global and regional levels.
The global indicator has gone from 3,719 points last year to 3,857 points this year, a 3.71% deterioration. The report published annually since 2002 measures the level of freedom available to journalists in 180 countries using the following criteria-pluralism, media independence, media environment and self-censorship, legislative environment, transparency, infrastructure and abuses.


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It is clearly legal for the United States to attempt to kill Iraqi President Saddam Hussein now that armed conflict has begun, international law experts said Thursday.
In turn, it would be legitimate under the laws of war for Iraqi soldiers to attempt to kill President Bush, the experts said.
"When you move into a state of recognized armed conflict -- and we clearly are there now -- and you are dealing with a head of state who has tactical control over his armed forces, he becomes a legitimate military target," Duke University law professor Scott Silliman said.
Determining whether a head of state is a legitimate target "is not dependent on whether there was just cause or authorization for the war," said Robert K. Goldman, an international law professor at American University in Washington.


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MICHELLE FIELDS: Lewandowski Wasn't Charged Because FL Attorney Has Ties to Trump (VIDEO)
Hoaxer Michelle Fields hits bottom, continues digging.
Sunday on CNN Michelle Fields claimed Florida State Attorney Dave Aronberg did not charge Corey Lewandowski with assault because Aronberg has ties to the Trump family.
Hoaxer Fields made headlines when she charged Trump Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski with assault and battery for touching her at Trump's victory speech in Jupiter, Florida.
The video later showed Fields did not flinch or react to Lewandowski when he brushed by her during alleged "assault and battery."
The case was thrown out of court.
Fields said she was traumatized by the experience.
On Sunday Fields once again claimed Corey did not call her even though he turned his phone records over to police showing he called her number the night of the alleged incident.
You obviously can't trust a word this woman says.
Go away, already, Michelle.
Via Crooks and Liars:
As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to edit or remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, anti-Semitism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. The same applies to trolling, the use of multiple aliases, or just generally being a jerk. Enforcement of this policy is at the sole discretion of the site administrators and repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without warning. Guest posting is disabled for security reasons.


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Much in recent press arguing against hedge funds. Probably related to news of another large pension fund divesting completely. Plenty of vitriol around; a good summary of why not to invest in HFs from Barry Ritholtz is here, which further sources material from FT regarding 'zombie funds'.
Let me highlight a couple reasons I'm still happy to invest in hedge funds:
- Problem with averages + performance persistence = opportunities. I recently wrote about how alternative asset managers (including HFs) show much more persistence in returns, unlike conventional asset managers. Thus, as often thrown in as a throwaway comment in the articles above, there are managers out there which consistently beat the averages to provide attractive returns. Unlike picking the best-performing long-only equity manager, hedge fund managers tend to show more consistent outperformance.
- Risk premium diversification, at needed risk level. Though most articles focus on how not diversifying hedge funds are as a group (probably because HF indices tend to have a massive overweight towards Long/Short equity and credit, which have high correlations to long-only equity), there remain several investment strategies which provide true diversification (e.g. managed futures/CTA). Though some of these diversifying strategies are available in more conventional form – e.g. through an ETF or mutual fund – I appreciate the additional capital efficiency provided by higher-risk versions in 'proper' hedge funds. More of a barbell approach to alternative investments (an aside – here is a new paper by Nassim Taleb et al. regarding mathematical justification for a barbell approach).
In sum: hedge funds can be massive wastes of fees, particularly if their performance starts to look very much like long-only equity. However, even a small bit of due diligence can yield solid managers with solid track records in solid diversifying strategies.


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I HATE bathroom cleaning.
Sigh….who loves scrubbing? my bathroom floor was tiled with nice non slip tiles which has little little 'stylish' grooves in them…and at the end of every week they tend to get all moldy and scummy and guess who has to do the scrubbing? who else but me.
Sometimes I skip cleaning. because…there are so many other things to do…and then that geli feeling came and I had to do it anyway because the longer I wait the worse it'll get.
Today I tried to cheat by googling "part time maid ampang jaya". Dah pasrah, and ready to pay just so I don't have to be the tortured side of Cinderella for the day. Agreed on a Filipino who charges RM15 an hour but she didn't turn up. tunggu2 tak datang. Kidding right? no. I think I have lose faith in all the different kinds of maids. sorry no offense, but really.
So off I went, yellow gloves on with my army of sponges and brushes of multiple textures…ready to get down on all fours and scrub the shower area. sighhhhhh. Desperately, I googled for "deep cleaning bathroom tricks" and found a couple of tricks that does it for me. hehe. anyway, here are MY tips for bathroom cleaning. which worked for me by the way.
Must must must. the last time i tried to appear super hardworking-i-can-go-without-gloves….the skin of both my palms peeled and flaked. scary ok. please pakai.
2. Vinegar and Dishwasher.
Mix the two in equal parts, dip in a course sponge and scrub the tiles and shower screens. I love this tip that I used it for the entire bathroom walls and floors. and sink and the toilet too. lol. Vinegar is apparently the queen of cleaning agents, despite the unpleasant sour odour. Dishwasher cleans the grease on pots and pans pretty well, so I guess it does its job pretty well in the bathroom too. Surprisingly I didnt have to scrub so hard. just lightly. and especially the shower screen which was previously full with soap scum…instantly became cleaaar and pleasant to see.
3. Baking soda and Vinegar
Ok apparently these two are for the drains and grouts (between tiles). a big box of baking soda is indeed not easy to find. but anyway, mix the baking soda with water to form a paste and scrub. then spray vinegar on, watch it fizzle. After the fizzle, rinse. Sebab malas, I just scattered the soda on the floor, waited a few mins and then scrub. poured vinegar all over then rinse. haha. u can tell i really hate doing this! It works better if you leave the soda scattered on the floor overnight actually. I dont like the slimy feeling baking soda leaves upon rinsing.
4. Dettol spray
My practice is, after all is done, mop the floor, the spray the bathroom all over with diluted Dettol solution. This is solely because I love the clean after smell. as if confirming that I have scrubbed real good! lol
5. Get a mani pedi (finally)
Hahaha. always scrub the bathroom with door open so that the hubby or anybody else can see that you're working hard. they might offer you a mani pedi treat after the deed. but if your husband is the kind who doesn't get the hint (like mine)- demand lah. i feel bad for demanding since its just 1 bathroom tapi kecoh butttt….to think of that 2 hours of scubbing and since it's your responsibility to take care of your skin and appearence for the hubby….by all means, demanding a mani pedi is darn WORTH IT. hahahha
Tanamera Spa Pedicure it is at Capello by Nina Ampang today *snicker* thanks sayang! (although i paid half. haihhh)
K till then, happy scrubbing your bathrooms!


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Arsene Wenger is reportedly looking at making an audacious bid to bring out of favour Manchester United winger Nani to Arsenal in January, the Daily Mail reports.
The 26-year-old Portugal international has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford after a bust up with United chief Sir Alex Ferguson and failing to secure a contract extension.
He is currently out of action with a hamstring injury but hasn't played for the Red Devils since being substituted after a disappointing performance in the 3-1 Champions League victory at Braga in early November.
It has been a largely frustrating career for Nani at Old Trafford but he displayed the quality he possesses in an excellent 2010-2011 season where he scored nine goals and provided 18 assists in the league, helping United on their way to the title.
Wenger is keen to bolster his squad as his inconsistent side continue to fight on all fronts for glory this season. With the increasingly likely departure of Theo Walcott in January, Wenger could view Nani as an ideal replacement.
The winger is contracted to United until 2014 but it seems his relationship with Ferguson is becoming increasingly strained and that Nani has privately conceded his future lies elsewhere.
Zenit St Petersburg and Paris St Germain among others have been said to be interested in him but it is believed that he would prefer to stay in England, which will give Wenger hope if he is to pursue his interest in the player.


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About Me
- Carmins Chaos
My Name is Carmin I am a 41 Year old Mother to 2 Handsome Boys.I at times feels overwhelmed with my health so WHEN and IF I ever get time I like to play in PSP.I have been working with PSP for just over 18 years now, even though there was massive learning on my own, and now trying to how to also create in photoshop too. Im new to the whole scrapping aspect of things and as I create and learn I will share them with you. Thanks for checking out my page and I hope you find something you like.
If you happen to try my Tutorials, and get lost along the way or find an error, Please dont hesitate to let me know. I do not have tutorial testers, and I do make mistakes and hate to confuse people. Thanks a bunch... Carmin firstname.lastname@example.com
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2:03 PM | Posted by Carmins Chaos | Edit Post
This tutorial is for those that have experience working knowledge of PSP. This tutorial was written by me on October 1, 2013 and any resemblance is purely coincidental. I use PSP 9, but any version should work. I do not allow my tutorials to be translated and please do not claim them as your own. If you would like to share your results than please feel free to contact me, I would love to see others results. You can email me at firstname.lastname@example.com Thank you!
Things Needed:
Tube/Image of choice: I am using the work of the talented EliasChatzoudis which can be purchased at his store which can be found HERE
Kit of choice: I am using a PTU kit called Living Dead Girl by Grunge and Glitter which can be purchased here at Pimp My Tags w/Scraps
Plugins: xenofex 2, and a few Paintshop Pro inside filters (ie: Texture, Gaussian blur, etc…)
Masks/Templates: None Needed
Other Items Needed: Font of choice- I used: Almibar Swash 2
Let's Begin:
1) Open a new image 850 x 300 72 DPI transparent ( This will be called our "working" image)
2) Open paper GG_LDG_paper10.jpg
3) Duplicate this paper and close the original
4) Effects- Image effects- seamless tiling at Default settings
5) Change our foreground color to pattern and select the paper we just tiled
6) Flood fill our working image with the paper (pattern)
7) Now open GG_LDG_castle.png- duplicate and close the original
8) Resize by 50% and place as a new layer on our working image
9) Place to the left side of the working image (to your liking)
10) Duplicate this layer
11) Image- Mirror
12) Now place this one to the right of our working image
13) Once satisfied with placement merge this layer with the other castle layer
14) Lower the opacity of this layer to 36
15) Duplicate this layer
16) Adjust-Blur- Gaussian Blur 10%
17) Raise the opacity of this layer between 60 and 80 ( to your liking)
18) Change this opacity to Luminance
19) Move this layer below the other castle layer (so it should now have a hazy blur to it like mine below
20) Now open GG_LDG_nightsky.png and place as a new layer on a working image
21) Resize to your liking and lower the opacity to around 48%
22) Open tombstones of your choice resize by 50% 3 times and 70% once
23) Paste as a new layer on our working image
24) Place to your liking and repeat steps 21-23 until you are happy with how your tombstones look
25) Open the spider web – resize to your liking
26) Copy and paste as a new layer on our working image
27) Place the spider web to your liking and duplicate if you want more than one moving into placement of your choosing
28) Now open your tube (resize to fit our tag)
29) Copy and paste your tube as a new layer
30) Place to your liking in the center of the tag to make sure our tag stays balanced
31) Adjust the hue and saturation to 0,0 (grey scale)
32) Duplicate our tube layer
33) Adjust- blur- Gaussian blur 10%
34) Move below our original tube layer
35) Lower the opacity of the original tube layer to your liking
36) Now place something small on a new layer in our working image
37) Effects-Xenofex 2- Electrify
38) On the basic tab use the following settings:
Arc Spacing 25.20
Arc Length 147.02
Arc thickness 14
Jaggedness 81
Branching 60
Branch Spread 60
Radiate from center checked
39) On the glow tab use the following settings:
Glow Width: 5
Glow Opacity: 50
Both Colors set to white
40) Now crop out the "something small" and place the lightning to your liking
41) Duplicate and place lightning on the opposite side
42) Move these lightning layers down so they appear to be behind everything else ( I placed them right above my pattern/background layer
43) Image—add borders—Symmetric checked— Pixel size 2 , black for the color
44) Image—add borders—Symmetric checked—Pixel size 10, another color within your tag
45) Image—add borders—Symmetric checked— Pixel size 2 , black for the color
46) Select the middle border with our magic wand
47) Effects—Texture Effects—Blinds: width 4, Opacity 14, Light from top left checked—color set to white and click okay
48) Resize now if you would like to shrink the tag down some
49) Add your copyrights and name
There you have it our tag is now complete! I really hope that you like the results and I would love to see YOUR results... Feel free to email me at email@example.com
Labels:CT,Tags,Tutorials | 0 comments
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My Disclosure
My tutorials are just that- Mine.In other words I really don't want them on other sites or translated. If you would like to share my tutorial then please do just that by sharing the link to my blog or a link straight to the tutorial. At the time I write the tutorial I use the artists website at the time as well as the kit designers link at the time and it would take quite some time to go back and edit all of my tutorials and posts to reflect all changes that happen. So if by chance you cant find something or a link I provided has gone bad please contact me and I will do my best to help! I write tutorials in hopes that others will use them as a guide and send me their results so I can also post others results to show people other samples other than my own. All tutorials are written by me and any resemblance is purely coincidental. I write my tutorials in PSP 9 but they should work with other versions as well. Not all tutorials are for beginners but all levels of creators are encouraged to try working on the following tutorials!!! Have fun... and be copyright safe!!!!
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Main Navigation
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Crossroads Gardens Blog
Can't get enough of Crossroads Gardens? Check out Beth's blog site! Beth says, "As a farm wife, school teacher, home school mom, farmer's market sales lady, and musician, I get a lot of questions about what my life is like and how I keep up with everything. I created this blog to share and explain a little about our old fashioned modern life."
Click here to read the latest posts on our blog.
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Working Woman
Started my job on Monday. There's so much junkfood around that place, it's hard to contain myself. I've kept myself around a solid 1300-1400 calories daily. Feeling really good actually.
Worked out this morning. Started a new routine because I had JUST started that previous one when I hurt my back, so I had skipped all the workouts except one, so I pretty much started the same thing over again. Abs. Yet my arms hurt worse from the abs workout than they ever did from the arms workout. Go figure.
I've found a pretty good balance between eating the foods I love and eating smart. It feels, tastes and IS completely wonderful. I think this summer is shaping up to be a fantastic one. Especially because I get to spend a TON of time outside (weather permitting) playing with the kids and having fun. I love my job. I love the fact that I have self control 🙂 I love how great I feel after a tough workout in the morning, and I love the burn in my legs after the 15 minute powerwalk to mom's work after I'm done my shift (we carpool).
All in all, everything is starting off pretty darn well this summer. Good job, good eating, good exercising. 96.8% core average for my Grade 11 year. I'm so proud of myself.
Thanks everyone for all your support. Especially James and my family ^_^ love you all! ❤


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Glenavon have agreed the transfer of Gareth McKeown to Carrick Rangers with the deal expected to be completed today.
The 32-year-old moved to the Lurgan Blues in July 2013 after a trophy winning career with Crusaders.
He scored the winning penalty to help the Shore Road club lift the Setanta Sports Cup in 2012.
"We wish Gareth all the best," said Glenavon boss Gary Hamilton. "He was one of a number of players I brought in to change the mentality at the club.
"He had experience and most of all knew what it took to be a winner. Gareth played his part in our Irish Cup winning team and has given excellent service to Glenavon since he has been with us.
"We were not seeking to let him go, but he approached us a few weeks ago to seek a move that would help him play regular first team football.
"At his age I can fully understand his reasons. He is trying to get in ahead of young players here like Rhys Marshall and that is going to be difficult."
Gareth was full of praise for the Lurgan club.
"I wish Glenavon all the best in their campaign this year and for the future," said Gareth. "I made a lot of good friends about the place and unfortunately things just didn't work out for me at the club and at my age I need to be getting game time. It's a club that's going places and I wish them well."


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Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Spot Light on...... Nina
Name: Nina O'Brien
Age: 28
Favorite Craft: I love to Crochet, Sew and Im learning to Knit in the group
Member Since: Since the beginning as I started the group
What are you making at the moment: At the moment I am crocheting a hat in purple yarn,
What do you like about being a member of CafeCreate: I love meeting people from all walks of life, people that perhaps I would never have met day to day, but that a love for crafting has brought us together, I also love how welcoming and friendly the group is.
Each week will cast a Spot light on a different member of CafeCreate, We hope you enjoy getting to know us!
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The new year..
2010, for us, as you very well know, has had its ups and downs, happy times and not-so-happy ones, but until we know what bitter is, how will we learn to appreciate the other "good" flavours of life, right?
Its 1/1/11!! Looking forward to what 2011 has hidden under its wings :).
Wish you all a very happy and a prosperous new year from all of us..


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With a fleet of ten Class40s assembled in the Solent, five of which have entered the upcoming Transat Jacques Vabre doublehanded race to Brazil, it was no surprise when an informal race was organised to provide some competitive training run in parallel with the SORC Poole and Back races over 14-15 September.
Six 40s came to the start line off Gurnard buoy on Saturday morning; Al Bucq sailed by Andy Greenwood , a new Akilaria RC3, had the best start which they held for 14 miles to the first mark at South West Shingles, Al Bucq was leading from Vaquita, a new Humphries boat, and sailed by the Austrian ARC winning team of Christof Petter and Andreas Hanakamp.
At the end of the four very shifty windward-leeward legs in Christchurch Bay, Al Bouq held the lead with Forty Shades of Grey, an Akilaria RC1 sailed by David Pearce and Tim Rogers, rounding second from Phesheya-Racing, sailed as ever by Phillippa Hutton-Squire who has massive experience, sailing with Sandy McPearson.
By the time the boats got to the finish more places had changed, but Al Bucq was first across the line having led from start to finish. Forty Shades of Grey crossed second, but with Phesheya-Racing crossing the wrong side of the line and having to re round losing their third place to 11 Racing (ex-Forty Degrees) a third generation Owen Clarke design, sailed by Hannah Jenner and US Class 40 'guru' Rob Windsor, which managed to sneak into third. Final place went to Swish, sailed by Rod Knowles and Paul Peggs on a first generation Rogers design.
The fleet of Classe 40s assembled in Poole made an impressive and unique sight as the crews gathered for post race analysis and supper.
On the Sunday return race from Poole the forecast was to finish in the Solent with winds of 35 knots and as it was relatively short race it was a tough decision on the right sail choice: masthead or fractional kite, full mainsail or one reef in the main? With five boats coming to the line, Al Bucq having to go back early, it was Vaquita that led away from the start with a new co skipper Marc Lepesqueux carrying full main and mast head kite surfing at over 20 knots at times, followed by Forty Shades with fractional kite and full main. 11th Hour Hour Racing' was laying third with the same sail configuration, following close behind Phesheya-racing and Swish, both with one reef and fractional kites.
As the fleet closed on the Needles and with Vaquita building a reasonable lead, the decision to be made was whether to gybe early for the North Channel and flatter water or gybe later and head down the Needles Channel with the wind against tide, where there were some big breaking seas.
Swish was the only boat to take the North Channel option. Unfortunately before 11th Hour Racing could gybe they had a big wipe out and before they could get things under control their fractional kite was torn, leaving a big mess to clear up and worryingly close to the Shingles Bank but all was sorted out to head home just under main and Solent.
As the fleet came through Hurst Narrows, Vaquita, with their masthead kite still under control had opened a large lead and took line honours. 50 Shades was second with the kite up as they gybed into Lymington and with a fairly safe second place assured and little chance of catching Vaquita they sailed conservatively dropping their kite and sailing to the finish line off West Lepe in the Solent. Swish was next, having made a big gain going through the North Channel and also sailed conservatively from Hurst Narrows to finish third. Phesheya-Racing pushed hard down the Solent with fractional kite, trying to close on Swish, but finished fourth with 11th Hour Racing claiming fifth.
A training weekend for the 40s off Gosport is proposed for 27-29 October. Most of the boats will be there and they may be joined by two brand new boats recently christened at the Southampton Boat Show: Mike Gascoyne's new Akilaria RC3 Caterham Composites and Ned Collier Wakefield and Sam Goodchild's very impressive looking new Ker-designed Forty(1)Design, Concise.
Many thanks to the Solo Offshore Racing Club and race officers for organising this excellent first race for the 40s in the Solent.


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Western Digital ups My DVR Expander to 1TB
The TV, or better quipped as the idiot box, is a major fixture in many homes around the world. In essence, it allows families to gather in one spot, apparently "spending time" with one another without having any interaction except perhaps in between commercials. Well, our hectic lifestyles have to compete with the TV and its programming for our time, which means there are many times when work wins out over recreation – which was why the invention of digital video recorders came about. Well, there are more and more shows and series released these days that make us want to watch all of them despite being busier than ever, which translates to more recorded shows taking up hard drive space on our recorders. Many will be pleased to know that Western Digital identifies with this group of viewers, hence increasing the maximum capacity of its My DVR Expander to a whopping 1TB which ought to last you for some time (assuming you actually catch up on all those recorded shows, of course).
The 1TB My DVR Expander is TiVo Verified compatible with TiVo Series3 and TiVo HD DVRs, where its newly acquired space is able to store up to 140 hours of high-definition (HD) television programming. In addition, you don't have to worry about sluggish data transfer speeds since it relies on an eSATA connection which is ideal for consumers who require more room to store the ever-expanding HD entertainment options offered by their service providers.
If you're interested in picking up the new and improved TiVo Verified My DVR Expander 1TB, make sure you set aside at least $199.99 from your salary this month. The other thing is, get a good secretary so that she will be able to organize your time and squeeze in enough minutes into your busy schedule so that you have some time off to catch up on your recordings.
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Mario B Says: September 28, 2009 at 12:02 pm
This is my 3rd try at expanding my Scientific Atlanta 8300HD and this is the first problem free one. I read hundreds I mean hundreds of reviews before purchasing the Western Digital MY DVR EXPANDER 1TB,I even wrote Western Digital for the specific info on the drive itself (they were very helpful by the way).This is the only one of the 3 other drives by other manufacturers' that I tried that did not Pixelate at any time.This drive is rock solid.I highly recommend it.


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Oasis® Origins Seed & Clone Double Box makes growing easy. These refill sheets are compatible with standard growing trays such as in the Speed Starter Kit. The Seed & Clone media features a star-dibble for use with clones and the option to simply increase the hole size if using seeds. The convenient packaging allows you to use what you need and store the rest for the next crop. Not only that, the consistent media structure of Oasis® Origins offers the ultimate air to water ratio that young plants need to thrive.
— Ships separately from HF: OR, CA, CO, PA, TX, FL USA.
* Special Order Item: made to order by the manufacturer, can take 2-6 weeks to ship, and cannot be canceled, returned or exchanged once ordered.


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By BILL HALL
By BILL HALL
Associate Editor
SWANSEA — A proposal for an indoor golf driving range at 2780 G.A.R. Highway was continued to Dec. 3 when a quorum of eligible Planning Board members were not in attendance.
The proposal brought by Brian Batting of Providence would include eight driving tees. The focus of the indoor golf would be to videotape swings and give instruction as the balls are hit into netting. That portion of the building had been planned for storage.
Planning Board members Scott Adams, Kenneth Baker and Gilbert Howard were on hand, however Mr. Adams recused himself from taking part in the discussion because he did some engineering work at the location for the building owner, Barry Conway Construction, Inc. several years ago and did not want to jeopardize a vote with a potential conflict of interest.
Planning Board Chairman Glenn David Medeiros was out of town and Robert Schecter had taken ill over the weekend and could not attend the Monday night meeting.
Although the board had a quorum to conduct other business, Mr. Adams recusing himself left the board with just two members for this particular issue, and that was not a quorum.
Mr. Batting was asking the board to waive the site plan review since there would be no changes in the structure of the building.
Planner Steven Antinelli noted that the change of use brought about the site plan review, but the Planning Board has the discretion to waive that matter if it feels that the changes are slight enough.
The board also discussed potential legal issues regarding two developments. East Meadow Farm on Bushee Road has been cited because some work went beyond the scope of the land owner, particularly the dismantling of part of the wall. The Planning Board was looking to remdiation and the return of the wall and drainage.
Another drainage issue, this time on Miller's Lane near the border with Somerset, may involved legal action. The project has been a thorn for the board after runoff from the development affected other property. The board members would like to see that rectified and that the planner take the issue up with Town Counsel Arthur Frank.
The board members also discussed the issue of Base Lodge Lane where the lights have been turned off. The Lane, which runs off Stevens Road, has not been accepted by the town but is receiving plowing and trash services as a courtesy to the homeowners there.
It was noted that $29,000 remains in the bond account. The board is going to look into the possibility of charging the developer for services if the light issue is not rectified.
Developer Gene Baasch said that he did not know why the lights were turned off and that he was in the process of having them turned on. Mr. Baasch noted that the lights were on for three years, even while town lights were off.


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In this video we show how we FUE hair into a linear strip scar, done elsewhere, to camouflage the scar. Even with that fine hair he has, at 12 days, the scar is concealed. Of course the new hair will shed but a year from now I'd expect his scar to essentially be like it looks on day 12.
The video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPUc9Dr_jMw
Dr. Lindsey


text: Track Sample Source Code Submit a Sample Source Code Sample Source Code: H2O Scala Sample Code by H2O Comments Machine Learning, Business, Enterprise, Intelligence The H2O Scala Sample Code by H2O demonstrates how to predict spam text messages via machine learning. It includes models, responses, tables, and metrics as resources. Summary Followers (1) Comments (0) Changelog (0) Summary Followers Comments Changelog Comments (0) Comment * Leave this field blank Post Comment


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My Week in Sketches7:13 AM
My friend Angela came to visit this week, and my whole pack of friends ran to welcome her. It was a funny scene, like 15 children and adults running across the park towards one person.
My friends and I visited a local farm, and the baby goats were just the cutest little creatures I've ever seen.
At a new coffeeshop with my friends, I noticed that a bookshelf had hinges on it, and I just HAD to check for a secret passageway back there. Turned out it was just the owner's clever way of covering up the ugly fuseboxes, but still making them accessible. I'm just proud that I spotted the hinges and knew what it meant.
Angela will be visiting again next weekend, much to my delight.
After seeing a pretty restaurant in the movie "The Fault in our Stars" with branches hanging from the ceiling...there is now a branch hanging from my kitchen ceiling.
We got to play with dry ice at work this week!
Our new office just got a sign out front! We're all so proud, looking out there now and seeing our logo.


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The City of Longview and Beacon Hill Water & Sewer District (BHWSD) supply customers with groundwater sourced and treated at the Mint Farm Regional Water Treatment Plant (RWTP). The Mint Farm RWTP reliably produces drinking water that meets all regulatory standards but a 2014 survey found the majority of customers were unsatisfied. In 2016, the City investigated going back to the Cowlitz River using horizontal collector wells but this option is no longer being considered due to disappointing water quality results. Instead, focus shifted to improve water quality through optimization of the Mint Farm RWTP.
In summer, 2018 the City will commission an air injection system at the Mint Farm RWTP to increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. Aeration is simple and widely used for corrosion control, but also removes hydrogen sulfide and ammonia which tend to cause taste and odor issues. Increasing the dissolved oxygen will also help harden pipe scale and prevent iron release in the distribution system. Once the system is commissioned, it will take several months to slowly raise the amount of dissolved oxygen to meet target levels. Long term, if dissolved oxygen can reduce the dependency on chlorine to maintain a stable distribution system, we hope to reduce the amount of chlorine added to the water.
Based on an average increase of $12 to $15 per month for a typical single family household, a decision was made not to remove silica. This decision may be revisited at a later date once benefits of dissolved oxygen are seen.
Horizontal Collector Well Feasibility Study
Exploratory wells were drilled in January, 2016 to evaluate four possible sites where a horizontal collector well could be located on the Cowlitz River. Two sites proved feasible in regards to capacity but water quality testing showed high levels of iron, manganese, hardness and silica, the same constituents which have caused many of our current customer complaints.
Customer Advisory Committee
In 2015, the City Council and BHWSD commissioners appointed a Customer Advisory Committee (CAC) to review water supply options. After considering options, the CAC recommended developing a new source on the Cowlitz River using horizontal collector wells. In March, 2016 the CAC reconvened to discuss the results of exploratory drilling and recommended further investigating Riverside Park and/or Rocky Point.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can't find what you're looking for? Click here to view Frequently Asked Questions.
Water Fact Sheets:
Please check out these links to read fact sheets prepared by Intertox Inc., an independent toxicologist expert with information about water minerals:
News From the Well:
Please check out these Daily News inserts for water quality updates provided to customers:
To make sure the Mint Farm aquifer is protected from contamination, the City developed a program to monitor changes in water quality. For more information, visit the City's Wellhead Protection Program.
Water Presentations:
Please check out the following presentations regarding updated water quality information, by clicking on the following links.
Public Outreach Documents:
Please check out the following handouts for tips on inspecting your hot and cold water plumbing system and other questions circulated in bill stuffers and the local paper addressing water quality concerns.
Letters from Concerned Citizens:
Formal letters from City staff responding to questions and concerns about issues relating to the Mint Farm groundwater source and water quality.
Distribution System Water Quality
To better address water quality issues, the City regularly samples the distribution system to monitor changes in customer water quality. More information is available by clicking on the following links:
Other Related Project Information and Reports:
5-7-2008 - Constructability Study - A report identifying deficiencies, needed improvements, cost estimates, and construction schedule for possible rehab of the Fishers Lane water treatment plant.
9-4-2007 - Value Engineering Study - A review of water quality alternatives focusing on options to rehabilitate Fishers Lane or relocate the source and treatment to the Mint Farm Industrial Park.
9-4-2007 Value Engineering Study (Part 3 of 3)
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Orrick Advises WHILL on $45 Million Series C Financing Round
On a daily basis, our 40-lawyer team in the Tokyo office seamlessly cooperates with our other global offices to provide the best and most responsive legal solutions and services for our clients. Our Japan-qualified bengoshi, educated and with practice experience in Japan and abroad, work closely with our Japanese-speaking U.S.-qualified lawyers to provide legal services with an invaluable cross-cultural perspective.
Our team of lawyers leverage a deep knowledge of local laws and business practices and our global network to provide Japanese multinationals with comprehensive legal services in all relevant languages and jurisdictions on a range of matters, including corporate and M&A transactions, intellectual property, dispute resolution, infrastructure and energy projects, real estate and real estate finance, and help to Japanese technology startups in their financing and expansion abroad.
We have a long history of helping clients with cross-border M&A, joint ventures and other commercial transactions. With offices in key jurisdictions around the world, we are particularly adept in transactions that span multiple jurisdictions. We also advise global investors with Japan-based interests.
In some recent notable transactions, we advised:
Our Japan Technology Companies Group advises local and global technology-driven ventures at all stages of growth on a wide range of legal and strategic matters, including corporate formation and structure, corporate governance, financing activities, employment law, employee compensation and benefits, IP, data privacy, and exit and other strategic transactions. As one of the only full-service technology companies practices with a significant presence in Japan, Silicon Valley and other key markets in the U.S., Europe and Asia, we are uniquely positioned to provide services that can scale with our clients' global growth.
We've helped:
We are one of the most active and successful firms in representing Japanese multinationals in sensitive patent infringement cases before U.S. district courts, the Federal Circuit and the International Trade Commission (ITC). Our team is also known for handling complex disputes in Japan involving patents, copyrights and trademarks, as well as unfair competition and trade secret actions.
Recently, we helped:
We help our clients navigate complex multijurisdictional commercial disputes on product liability, antitrust, FCPA, UKBA, cybersecurity issues and compliance investigations. Our Employment Law team represents global companies in dispute resolution cases in Japan, also advising on all legal aspects of their employment and HR strategies in Japan.
Recently we acted for:
Moreover, our lawyers have served as lead counsel in major international arbitrations arising from commercial and investment disputes, and have handled ad hoc and institutional arbitration proceedings in multiple languages and under a variety of arbitral rules and governing laws.
As the leading renewable energy practice in Japan, we play an active role in the reinvigoration of Japan's green sector. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry relied on our team for help in structuring Japan's feed-in tariff policy, designed to accelerate investment in renewable energy.
We also helped:
Our team advises global investors on their cross-border joint ventures, acquisitions of real estate assets, property developments and complex financing transactions.
Among others, we advised:
Our team collaborates on a range of community responsibility projects. For example, we represented the Wild Salmon Center and the Sarufutsu Itou no Kai to protect the endangered Itou, often referred to as Japan's "legendary fish." We advised on a groundbreaking agreement to create the Sarufutsu Environmental Conservation Forest, said to be the first protected area established on privately owned lands in Japan for the express purpose of aquatic biodiversity conservation. Our team also helped in the development of a legal framework for regulating recreational fishing and promoting ecotourism in the area.


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A teenager has died after taking drugs during a night out in Leeds city centre.
Police suspect the teenager, who was from Leeds and who they have yet to name, took ecstasy before being taken ill in Pryzm nightclub on Woodhouse Lane in the early hours of Tuesday.
A friend helped her outside where door staff alerted the club's medical staff and paramedics arrived to take the woman, who was in a critical condition, to St James's Hospital.
Despite emergency treatment, she was pronounced dead later the same morning.
Staff at the club yesterday said their thoughts were with the victim's family and issued a warning to others over the use of drugs.
In a statement posted on Pryzm's Facebook page, they said: "We are deeply saddened by the news of the tragic death of one of our customers.
"Our deepest condolences and thoughts are with her family and friends at what is sure to be a difficult time.
"We are doing everything we can to help the police with their investigation and would like to remind all customers that the use of drugs in our venue is strictly prohibited and dangerous.
"Out of respect to the family we will not be sharing any further details about this."
Police said the initial findings of a post-mortem examination showed that the woman died as a result of
hyperthermia and complications due to MDMA toxicity – the drug known as ecstasy – and in a statement said that her family was "completely
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Police said a man, aged 19, was arrested, and later bailed, on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of a Class A drug.
In a statement, Det Insp Phil Jackson, of Leeds District CID, urged people to be conscious of the risks posed by illegal drugs, and added: "This young woman's family are completely devastated at her death in such sudden and tragic circumstances and we are doing everything we can to support them at this difficult time.
"From our enquiries so far it appears she has taken the Class A drug MDMA, also known as ecstasy, in powdered form and has been taken ill shortly afterwards in the nightclub. We are awaiting the outcome of further tests but at this stage it does appear she has died as a result of a reaction to the drug."


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Remodeling a bathroom is one of the most common home improvement projects because homeowners prefer a toilet and bath area where they can relax from a difficult day's work. Be aware that whatever fixtures, accessories and furniture you wish to add to your bathroom should add warmth and relaxation to the room. Many of us have increased the amount of time we spend in the bathroom and because of this require extra space; here are some points to consider before you start remodeling and enlarging a bathroom.
Tips and Tricks in Bathroom Remodeling
Focus on your walls, ceiling and tiles because these three items can greatly influence the outcome of your project. The materials you will buy largely depend on your budget. For people who have a budget of $200 or less, you can easily give a new life to your bathroom by doing the work by yourself and focusing on the walls, ceiling and accessories.
Since you only have a few dollars to spare, you need to choose on the color or theme you want to implement for the ceiling or walls. People who can not do the work themselves should consult a contractor. Make sure you get quotes for the work from several contractors.
A Remodeling Plan Is the Most Important Item
Of course, to be successful, you need to design your remodeling project just right before you swing a single hammer. With all things in bathroom remodeling design, if you design with an eye for common sense and space, you will be successful in your attempt to create a room that's both stylish and functional. When you decide where smaller fixtures, such as the towel rack or even the toilet paper roll, go in the bathroom remodeling design, keep in mind that they should go in places that are sensible.
Once again going back to function over form. The towel rack might look nice by the door, but if it's out of arm's reach of the bathtub, then you won't be happy whenever you get out of the shower, for example.
The first entry that should go into your bathroom remodeling planner is a floor plan of your new bathroom with all of the correct dimensions included. You can complete this on paper, or by buying software that is specifically for this purpose. In addition to the major work, also listed on your bathroom remodeling check list would be any components, such as cabinets, fixtures and countertops.
Once you have determined the exact cost of your project using the bathroom remodeling check list, you should budget another 10 percent of the total cost for contingencies. For instance, when you are cutting out the wall for a latest fixture you accidentally cut through a water pipe and your new drywall is ruined. The contingency budget can pay to replace the cut pipe as perfectly as the ruined drywall.
Finally, even the budget in a room as small as the bath can get out of control if a plan is not set and adhered to. Your bathroom remodeling planner should include a budget of the necessary materials and the labor that will be required. With a comprehensive bathroom remodeling planner, you will be on your way to purchasing the job done right.
Getting the Most Out of Working with a Contractor
You should not really attempt to do a job that is more technical than your abilities. In the long run, the contractor will have to come in and fix it which will cost more money. If your remodeling project is more complicated than painting and replacing the light fixtures, it is probably in your best interest to hire a contractor.
The problem, of course, is where to find a good contractor. The best place to look for a bathroom remodeling contractor is to ask friends, coworkers, and neighbors who have had remodeling work done recently. Next, call all of the contractors on the list and show them what needs to be done. It is appropriate and important to ask for references. Check with some of the references and find out what they liked and didn't like. Bathroom remodeling contractors get work by their previous work. If they aren't good, they won't have very much work to do.
Once you have decided on the right contractor and the right price, the topic of payment will soon come up. Ask the contractor how long the project will take and how much is the labor. In most cases, people don't want to pay the contractor before the work is started. If payment is made before any work has started, the incentive to finish the project will have been lost. Some contractors may want to buy the materials themselves so there is much to talk about with the contractor.
While your contractor is responsible for remodeling a bathroom, it is your responsibility to ensure all materials have been delivered. Before starting the project, inspect all items and accessories. To prevent delays, ensure that all deliveries are complete. Once the job is finished to your satisfaction, make the remainder of the payment in a timely fashion.
You can now take your first relaxing shower and enjoy the long-term benefits of the investment you made. There is no greater joy to a homeowner then to remodel and enlarge a special room such as the bathroom. So, enjoy every minute of it by following a plan and finding a good contractor.
Steve Dolan has undertaken extensive home remodelling over the past 10 years. Learn how to take on remodelling projects Home Remodelling and DIY and redo your bathroom Bathroom Decorating and Remodelling


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Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia
Print version ISSN 0066-782XOn-line version ISSN 1678-4170
Arq. Bras. Cardiol. vol.72 n.2 São Paulo Feb. 1999
Original Article
Assessment of Inotropic and Vasodilating Effects of Milrinone Lactate in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Severe Heart Failure
Edson Antonio Bregagnollo, Adjair Humberto Fortes, Antonio Carlos Cicogna
Botucatu, SP - Brazil
OBJECTIVE: To assess the hemodynamic and vasodilating effects of milrinone lactate (ML) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III and IV heart failure.
METHODS: Twenty patients with DCM and NYHA class III and IV heart failure were studied. The hemodynamic and vasodilating effects of ML, administered intravenously, were evaluated. The following variables were compared before and during drug infusion: cardiac output (CO) and cardiac index (CI); pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP); mean aortic pressure (MAP); mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP); mean right atrial pressure (MRAP); left ventricular systolic and end-diastolic pressures (LVSP and LVEDP, respectively); peak rate of left ventricular pressure rise (dP/dt); systemic vascular resistance (SVR); pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR); and heart rate (HR).
RESULTS: All patients showed a significant improvement of the analysed parameters of cardiac performance with an increase of CO and CI; a significant improvement in myocardial contractility (dP/dt) and reduction of the LVEDP; PCWP; PAP; MAP; MRAP; SVR; PVR. Were observed no significant increase in HR occurred.
CONCLUSION: Milrinone lactate is an inotropic dilating drug that, when administered intravenously, has beneficial effects on cardiac performance and myocardial contractility. It also promotes reduction of SVR and PVR in patients with DCM and NYHA class III and IV of heart failure.
Key-words: heart failure, inotropic agents, milrinone
Despite classic therapeutics with digitalis, diuretics, vasodilators, and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, patients with DCM and NYHA class III and IV congestive heart failure (CHF) often present with episodes of cardiac decompensation. During these episodes, the therapeutics of CHF requires the intravenous administration of either inotropic or vasodilating agents, or both. Vasodilating therapy with sodium nitroprusside has proven effective in patients with left ventricle failure, but arterial hypotension is its main side effect. The inotropic agents (dopamine and dobutamine) that act through a-adrenergic stimulation also have proven efficacy in short-term treatment of CHF 1,2. In addition to the intense positive inotropic activity, these agents also have adverse side effects, such as a significant increase in HR, an increase in oxygen consumption by the myocardium, an increase in myocardial irritability, and elevation of systemic and pulmonary vascular resistances 3-5. It should be emphasized that patients with DCM in an advanced stage often exhibit reduction in the number or sensitivity of a-adrenergic receptors, or both, and this can restrict the plain activity of sympathicomimetic agents 6,7.
From 1978 on, a new category of drugs has appeared, the so-called inodilators, to be used intravenously in the treatment of CHF of different causes 8-10. They are the bipiridines characterized by the concomitance of positive inotropic properties and peripheric and pulmonary arterial vasodilating properties. The bipiridines act by inhibiting the isoenzyme of type III phosphodiesterase, promoting an increase in intracellular cyclic AMP in the myocardium and in the vascular smooth muscle 5,10-13. This results in an increase of concomitant inotropism and vasodilatation that are independent from the adrenergic pathways and from the Na+K+ATPase system, used by sympathicomimetic agents and digitalis, respectively.
Currently, for clinical use there are two inhibiting agents of phosphodiesterase available: amrinone and milrinone. There are reports in the literature 14 showing that milrinone lactate (ML) has greater inotropic activity and smaller incidence of adverse side effects than amrinone. Both drugs are used in the treatment of CHF of different causes.
The objective of this study was to evaluate ML in patients with DCM and NYHA class III or IV CHF. The acute effects of the intravenous administration of ML in patients were analysed with regard to cardiac performance and myocardial contractility, as were the systemic and pulmonary arterial vasodilating effects.
We analysed 20 patients, 11 males and 9 females, ranging in age from 35 to 63 years. They had DCM and were in NYHA class III and IV CHF (5 patients were in class III and 15 in class IV). Althrough, conventional therapeutics with digitalis, vasodilators, diuretics, and ACE inhibitors were used, patients were still in heart failure. Prior to the study protocol, the patients underwent clinical examination, ECG, chest roentgenogram, and Doppler echocardiogram.
The criteria for inclusion in the study were the following: a) the patient, female or male, should be >18 years of age; b) have NYHA class III or IV CHF; c) have DCM; d) have a cardiothoracic index of >0,60; e) have diffuse hypokinesia of the left ventricle (LV) on echocardiogram and ventriculography; f) sinus rhythm; g) no coronary artery obstruction and LV end-diastolic pressure ³16 mmHg. Patients with cardiac valvular diseases, Chagas' cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, hypertension, and significant tricuspid insufficiency were excluded from the study.
The oral medication patients were taking was kept at the same dosages throughout the ML study protocol.
To determine the causes of the cardiomyopathy, all patients underwent right and left cardiac catheterization through brachial via and under local anesthesia with 2% lidocaine. Right catheterization was performed through the median basilic vein, with the introduction of a thermodilution catheter 7F. Its distal extremity was located in the right branch of the pulmonary artery. The catheterization of the left ventricle was retrogradely performed through the right brachial artery, using the catheter Sones 8F. All patients underwent coronary angiography and ventriculography.
For pressure registration, a manometrical system was used. This system consisted of a Statham P23Db transductor connected to a VR 1205 amplifier of a VR 12 recorder (Electronics for Medicine). This manometrical system has already been evaluated in our laboratory and has dynamic characteristics appropriate for the evaluations performed in this study 15. The mean plane of the thorax was taken as the zero pressure reference level for the pressure values.
The changes in the contractile state of the myocardium were evaluated by the analysis of the behavior of the peak rate of the left ventricular pressure rise (dP/dt). For this, the left ventricle pressure signal was continually differentiated electronically by unfiltered RC circuit. The value of dP/dt was the arithmetic mean value of 10 consecutive cardiac beats.
The cardiac output (CO) was determined by the thermodilution method using the monitor of cardiac output Anamed model 7800. For each patient studied, the CO value was obtained using the arithmetic mean value of 5 consecutive determinations, which did not did not show a difference greater than 5% between the highest and the lowest values obtained.
Study protocol - When the diagnostic evaluations were finished, a period of 30 minutes was observed before starting the evaluation protocol. With the patients at basal condition, the records of the following variables were obtained: HR; PCWP; MAP; MPAP; MRAP; LVSP and LVEDP; CO and CI; systolic volume and index (SV and SI, respectively); dP/dt; systemic and pulmonary vascular resistances (SVR and PVR, respectively). For the determination of CI, SV, SI, SVR, and PVR, pattern calculations and formulas established in the literature were used.
After the variables at basal condition were recorded, an initial bolus of 50 µg/kg of ML was administered in about 10 minutes, followed by intravenous continuous infusion of increasing doses of 0.50, 0.625, and 0.75 µg/kg/min of ML up to the obtainment of a maximum increase in the CO without adverse side effects. The following side effects were established as adverse: a) increase of HR and/or decrease of the MAP >15% in relation to basal values, or both; b) ventricular extrasystoles >10/minute.
Once established, the dose of ML that promoted the highest increase of CO was maintained by continuous infusion. One hour after the start of this dose, another measurement of all variables evaluated at basal condition was recorded. A 5% glucose solution was used as a diluent for ML.
The values of the variables at basal condition were compared to those obtained during the infusion of ML, using Student's t test for paired data. For all variables studied, the difference between the values obtained was considered significant when the statistical probability of its casualty was <5% (p<0.05).
The maintenance dose of ML that determined the highest increase of CO was 0.500µg/kg/min in 3 patients, 0.625µg/kg/min in 4 patients and 0.750µg/kg/min in 13 patients (table I).
The results of the hemodynamic parameters obtained at basal condition and during the infusion of ML of all patients studied are shown in tables II and III, respectively.
When the results obtained at basal condition were compared to those obtained during the infusion of ML, the following could be observed: mild elevation of HR (+7.1%); significant reduction of MAP (-10.9%), but in none of the patients analysed was the MAP less than 70 mmHg; significant reduction in MPAP (-28.8%) and in MRAP (-37.9%).
There was also significant reduction in PCWP (-40.2%) and in LVEDP (-38.0%). In regard to cardiac performance parameters, there was a significant increase in CO (+37.2%) and in CI (+37.8%) in all patients evaluated. There was also a significant reduction in PVR (-37.2%) and in SVR (-30.3%). In regard to dP/dt, there was a significant and dramatic increa-se (+45.1%), characterizing the important positive inotropic effect of the drug. The percent variation of each parameter analysed is shown in figure 1. There was significant improvement in PCWP, LVEDP, MPAP, MRAP, CI, SI, PVR, SVR, and dP/dt, associated with a mild decrease in MAP and slight elevation of HR. None of the patients studied had adverse side effects that could justify the interruption of drug infusion. Five patients had isolated ventricular extrasystoles (not more than 10 ectopic beats per minute).
The conventional treatment of patients with DCM and NYHA class III and IV CHF includes the administration of digitalis, diuretics, vasodilators, and the ACE inhibitor. Even with the use of rigid therapeutic regimens, a considerable number of these patients have frequent episodes of cardiac decompensation that require hospitalization and intravenous administration of inotropic drugs or vasodilators, or both. Among the inotropic drugs of intravenous use, besides the a-adrenergic stimulants, the phospho-diesterase inhibitors (amrinone and milrinone) are useful agents in these conditions.
Milrinone lactate is a therapeutic agent of relatively recent use, with simultaneous positive inotropic and vasodilating activities. Therefore, it is a potentially promising drug for the treatment of patients with CHF, who do not respond satisfactorily to other drugs 16-18.
In DCMs, the primary and major functional disorder is the depression of myocardial contractility, which results in a decrease systolic function and reduction of CO. The reduction of CO leads to a series of complex mechanisms of compensation, with special emphasis on the adrenergic hyperactivity, the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and the increased release of the arginine-vasopressin complex 19. In an initial stage, these mechanisms stimulate contractility, increasing the CO, maintaining the flow to vital organs, and promoting the expansion of blood volume. The consequence is the increase in afterload and preload (the first results from vasoconstriction and the second from sodium and water retention). When CHF becomes chronic, these mechanisms can cause undesired effects, such as exaggerated elevation of preload and afterload, as well as reduction of density and sensitivity of the myocardial b-receptors, due to their prolonged exposure to high levels of circulating norepinephrine 6,20. The reduction of myocardial b-receptors deprives the failing heart of this main compensatory mechanism and can restrict the activity of the inotropic agents, which act through the b-adrenergic pathway.
Under these conditions, the inhibitors of phosphodiesterase (amrinone and milrinone) can promote an increase in myocardial contractility through a different mechanism from those of the sympathicomimetic agents. The effect of ML through the inhibition of the fraction III of phosphodiesterase results in the increase in the concentration of cyclic AMP and Ca++ inside muscle cells 14. The increase of Ca++ influx occurs through the slow calcium channels, producing positive inotropic and vasodilating effects. The positive inotropic effect is believed to be linked to the modulation of capture and release of calcium by the sarcoplasmic reticulum inside myocardial cells 10. The vasodilating effect is due to a vessel-relaxing action produced by the phosphorylation of proteins of the smooth muscle of the vessels by protein kinases dependent on cyclic AMP and by changes in ionic flows 10,12,14,21. This combined effect increases myocardial contractility and simultaneously reduces the cardiac load through vasodilating action, which justifies the use of ML in the treatment of CHF, replacing the sympathicomimetic agents or associated with them.
This study demonstrates that the intravenous administration of ML results in beneficial hemodynamic effects, improvement in myocardial contractility, and reduction in pulmonary and systemic vascular resistance in all patients analysed.
The improvement of LV performance can be evidenced by the significant increase of CO and CI along with the reduction of PCWP and LVEDP. Parallel to the improvement in cardiac performance indexes, we also verified reduction in MPAP, MAP, and the values of SVR and PVR, which, along with the increase in CO and decrease in the values of systemic and pulmonary blood pressure, characterize the vasodilating effect of ML. Furthermore, the decrease in MRAP concomitant with the elevation in CO and reduction of SVR and PVR suggest a vasodilating effect on the vessels of the venous capacitance.
The effect of ML in cardiac inotropism is demonstrated by the significant elevation in the values of dP/dt in all patients studied. It should be emphasized, however, that the positive inotropic effect might be underestimated because this index is influenced by the conditions of cardiac load 22-25. Because dP/dt is an index of the pre-ejection stage, the reduction of the systemic blood pressure associated with the reduction of LVEDP due to ML might have restricted a more significant increase in the values of dP/dt, which characterize the positive inotropic effect of the drug. Several clinical trials have investigated the effects of ML in patients without 26 and patients with CHF of different levels and causes 11,14,16,17,21,27-29. These studies demonstrated that, when administered in the form of bolus or of intravenous continuous infusion, ML improves CO and CI, myocardial contractility (dP/dt), as well as reduces MAP, SVR, MRAP, and LVEDP. These hemodynamic effects were not accompanied by significant elevation in HR 30,31 and in myocardial oxygen consumption 4,28,30,32,33. Jaski et al 5 compared the hemodynamic effects of ML with those of sodium nitroprusside, which has only vasodilating activity. They demonstrated that ML promoted a higher elevation in CO and dP/dt, with equivalent grades of blood pressure reduction, thus confirming the positive inotropic effect of this agent.
The beneficial effects in the indexes of cardiac performance, myocardial contractility, and systemic and pulmonary arterial vasodilatation observed in this study are in accordance with several studies of in vitro preparations 34,35 and with clinical trials 5,16,17,27,31,33, which showed that ML has a strong positive inotropic effect associated with arterial vasodilatation. These studies also revealed that vasodilating effects tend to compensate the inotropic effects in the myocardial oxygen demand, resulting in an increase of CO, with minimum changes in myocardial oxygen consumption 4,28,30,32,33. We also emphasize that ML action is hardly affected by the reduction or dissociation of b-adrenergic receptors, commonly present in patients with severe DCM 6,7, because the inotropic action of this drug does not involve the b-adrenergic pathway. Therefore, considering the information available in the literature, we can state that ML is an inodilator potentially useful in the treatment of patients with DCM and severe CHF. The drug enhances myocardial contractility concomitantly with the reduction of preload and afterload, without significantly increasing myocardial oxygen consumption, and promotes positive inotropic action even when the activity of b-receptors is impaired. This fact turns this agent into a potentially useful treatment for patients with DCM and severe CHF.
The results of this work are in accordance with the data in the literature and prove that ML is an effective inodilator in the short-term treatment of patients with DCM and class III and IV CHF. It was proved that the intravenous infusion of this agent was followed by a significant increase in the indexes of cardiac performance, significant increase in myocardial contractility, reduction of preload and afterload without significantly interfering with HR. The activities of the drug are compatible with beneficial cardiovascular effects with no increase, or only mild changes, in the consumption of myocardial oxygen.
Therefore, we conclude that ML is a therapeutic agent with effective cardiovascular activities. It can and should be used in the treatment of episodes of heart failure in patients with DCM and severe myocardial involvement.
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13. Scholz H, Meyer W Phosphodiesterase inhibiting properties of new inotropic agents. Circulation 1986; 73(suppl III): 99-108. [ Links ]
14. Forister PE Amrinone, milrinone and enoxinone. In: Eny GA, Bressler R. eds Cardiovascular Drugs and Management of Heart Disease, 2nd ed. New York: Raven Press, 1992: 83-8. [ Links ]
15. Matsubara BB, Bregagnollo EA, Ribeiro MACL, Tucci PJF Relações pressão/diâmetro e esforço/diâmetro do ventrículo esquerdo em seres humanos. Padronização e análise crítica do método. Arq Bras Cardiol 1990; 54: 373-81. [ Links ]
16. Baim DS, McDowell AV, Chermilles J Evaluation of a new bipiridine agent milrinone in patients with severe congestive heart failure. N Engl J Med 1983; 309: 748-56. [ Links ]
17. Maskin CS, Sinoway L, Chadwick B, Sonnenblick EH Sustained hemodynamic and clinical effects of a new cardiotonic agent WIN 47203 on patients with severe congestive heart failure. Circulation 1983; 67: 1065-70. [ Links ]
18. Braunwald E, Covell JW Evaluation of the efficacy of new inotropic agents. J Am Coll Cardiol 1984; 3: 1570-4. [ Links ]
19. Parmley WW Pathophysiology and current therapy of congestive heart failure. J Am Coll Cardiol 1989; 13: 771-85. [ Links ]
20. Bristow MR, Hershberger RE, Port JD, et al Beta-adrenergic pathways in non-failing and failing human ventricular myocardium. Circulation 1990; 82(suppl): 12-15. [ Links ]
21. Silver PJ, Lepore RE, O'Connor B Inhibition of the low km cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and activation of the cyclic system in vascular smooth muscle by milrinone. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1988; 247: 34-42. [ Links ]
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23. Wallace AG, Skiner NS, Mitche JH Hemodynamic determinants of the maximal rate of left ventricular pressure. Am J Physiol 1963; 205: 30-6. [ Links ]
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25. Quinones MA, Gaash WH, Alexander JK Influence of acute changes in preload, afterload, contractile state and heart rate on ejection and isovolumic indices of myocardial contractility in man. Circulation 1976; 52: 293-302. [ Links ]
26. Borow KM, Come PC, Neumann A, Baim DS, Braunwald E, Grossman W Physiologic assessment of inotropic, vasodilating and afterload reducing effects of milrinone on subjects without cardiac disease. Am J Cardiol 1985; 55: 1204-9. [ Links ]
27. Sonnenblick EH, Grose R, Strain J, Zelcer AA, Lejemtel TH Effects of milrinone on left ventricular performance and myocardial contractility in patients with severe heart failure. Circulation 1986; 73(suppl III): 162-7. [ Links ]
28. Monrad ES, Bain DS, Smith HS, Lanone B, Braunwald E, Grossman W Effects of milrinone on coronary hemodynamics and myocardial energetics in patients with congestive heart failure. Circulation 1985; 71: 972-9. [ Links ]
29. Cody RJ, Muller FB, Kubo SH, Rutman H, Leonard D Identification of the direct vasodilating effect of milrinone with chronic congestive heart failure. Circulation 1986; 73: 124-9. [ Links ]
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31. Gun C, Piegas LS, Bianco ACM, Freire RBP, Ramos RF, Timerman A Valor do uso da milrinona no tratamento das crises de agudização em portadores de insuficiência cardíaca congestiva. Arq Bras Cardiol 1995; 65: 255-8. [ Links ]
32. Bain DS Effect of phosphodiesterase inhibition on myocardial oxygen consumption and coronary blood flow. Am J Cardiol 1989; 63: 23A-6A. [ Links ]
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Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu UNESP. Support: FAPESP Project number 91-3666-9.
Mailing address: Edson Antonio Bregagnollo - Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu UNESP. Serviço de Hemodinâmica e Angiografia Digital - 18618-000 - Botucatu, SP - Brazil


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When I started on the pump in April, the agreement was that I would give it at least a 3 months try-out, and if I still felt that it wasn't a kind of diabetes management that suited me, I could go back to MDI and the nurse would keep her mouth shut about the pump for the next year or so (that was her exact saying, although I am not sure if she would be able to keep that promise if I return to MDI ;-)). When I agreed upon that, I had several reasons to finally give in to the pressure of my diabetes nurse for at least giving it a try. First of all she managed to "sell the concept" to Jimmi, who had been on my side regarding pumping until then. Second, I had – and still have – a wish to eliminate the visits of paramedics/my visits to the ER due to severe hypoglycaemic reactions, not only for my own sake but also for Jimmi's as these episodes are tough on him too. These episodes had probably also affected his attitude towards the offer of a PhD.-position that I got from
Now the initial 3 months are long gone and I am still pumping, but also still debating the advantages and disadvantages of this therapy with myself. Within the initial 3 months I was so close on quitting several times. I felt like I was starting all over again, having to collect experience for the handling of different situation once again, and being frustrated about very low or high BGs. I managed to pull myself together, however, because I was aware of the fact that it would be impossible to give a fair evaluation of the therapy based on less than at least 3 months try-out.
Having tried the pump has changed my conception of it in some areas, but it has also confirmed others. I have no doubt in the fact that an insulin pump is actually the best mimic of a natural pancreas available for the time being. However, I also believe that things can get a lot better. A pump is not optimal in every context of life. Still, it may be the best alternative in others. This is probably also why I am still not convinced about pumping, yet certain that it definitely is the alternative of choice in some situations.
I want to become a scientist. Working as a scientist in the biotech-/biomedical fields means that your working hours are determined by the experiments and other scientific work that you have to do, and that you are likely to go abroad frequently to participate in internal conferences and meetings with collaborators. For a diabetic this offers several challenges in terms of regulation and the need to be flexible. In this regard, no doubt the pump offers most freedom. I got the pump about a month before I was off to a conference in
Why am I debating with myself about it then? One of the reasons is leisure time activities. I still find it very annoying to have to wear the pump during soccer. In general, I frequently have moments where I miss not being attached to anything. Although the pump can be disconnected, you still have the infusion site sitting around. Another thing is high readings. Though I do not have that many of them, every time they make me doubt in the function on the pump just as much as in my own actions in the hours before (did I miscalculate the carbs of my last meal, have I done anything different that may cause this, ect.). With injections there are not that many options to consider evaluating a high reading. Of course you can always doubt the absorption and general effect of the insulin, but usually it pins down a wrong assessment of dose size covering your last meal(s). With injections you can visually confirm that the insulin is going into your system by looking at the movement of the plunger move in the pen. With the pump you have no visual of where the insulin is going (I have tried having a leakage somewhere around the place where the tubing enters/connect with the site once, noticing it by an unexplainable high reading and a very wet site patch when I started a correction bolus).
I guess that what it all comes down to me not being totally comfortable with and trusting in the pump yet, despite the fact that I recognise the advantages of it. That is probably why I find it so difficult to evaluate. So far the list of disadvantages with the pump is longer than that of the advantages, but some of the advantages are compelling, so at the moment I guess it is more like a tie that may tip to either side.


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Sitting on display at the 2015 North West Walls art festival is a series of shipping container art pieces acting as large painted murals.
Program curator and artist Arne Quinze was able to convince six different street artists from all over the world to come together for this project. The towering shipping container sculptures are carefully stacked to appear highly vivid and almost three-dimensional.
Located in the Belgian village of Werchter, these six artistic canvases also act as a centerpiece for the Rock Werchter music festival. They will remain on display until 2016 -- the same containers will then be re-painted by a new group of artistic minds, starting the shipping container art process anew once again. Photo Credits: designboom, northwestwalls.be
Stacked Shipping Container Art
More Stats +/-
Shipping Container Towers
Shipping Container Homes
Mobile Hotel Structures
Graffitied Shipping Container Homes
Shipping Container Skyscrapers
These Large Murals Use Industrial Shipping Containers as a Canvas
- By: David IngramSep 4, 2015
References: northwestwalls.be & designboom
References: northwestwalls.be & designboom


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If you are a quantity-oriented type of drawn sex pic hunter, then we are sure you won't be left dissatisfied by the things that you will find inside our site's Members area. There are thousands upon thousands of Simpsons porn pics, each of them deserving to be called a real XXX masterpiece, each good enough for you to drain your balls to it. Still, we've got enough stuff for quality-oriented people too – thanks to the fact that we supply nothing but 100% exclusive content, we always manage to keep its quality sky-high. The stuff that you will find here is real HD drawn sex content – the equivalent of Penthouse in the world of toon porn!


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Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
Volume 2012, Article ID 728547, 6 pages
Is Physical Activity Able to Modify Oxidative Damage in Cardiovascular Aging?
1Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, Via Giovanni Paolo II, Località Tappino, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
2Department of Medicine and Sugery, University of Salerno, Via Salvador Allende, 84081 Baronissi (SA), Italy
3Istituto Scientifico di Campoli/Telese, Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, IRCCS, Via Bagni Vecchi 1, 82037 Telese Terme (BN), Italy
Received 22 June 2012; Accepted 13 August 2012
Academic Editor: William C. Burhans
Copyright © 2012 Graziamaria Corbi 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.
Aging is a multifactorial process resulting in damage of molecules, cells, and tissues. It has been demonstrated that the expression and activity of antioxidant systems (SOD, HSPs) are modified in aging, with reduced cell ability to counteract the oxidant molecules, and consequent weak resistance to ROS accumulation. An important mechanism involved is represented by sirtuins, the activity of which is reduced by aging. Physical activity increases the expression and the activity of antioxidant enzymes, with consequent reduction of ROS. Positive effects of physical exercise in terms of antioxidant activity could be ascribable to a greater expression and activity of SOD enzymes, HSPs and SIRT1 activity. The antioxidant effects could increase, decrease, or not change in relation to the exercise protocol. Therefore, some authors by using a new approach based on the in vivo/vitro technique demonstrated that the highest survival and proliferation and the lowest senescence were obtained by performing an aerobic training. Therefore, the in vivo/vitro technique described could represent a good tool to better understand how the exercise training mediates its effects on aging-related diseases, as elderly with heart failure that represents a special population in which the exercise plays an important role in the improvement of cardiovascular function, quality of life, and survival.


text: This office space can be easily used for two different tenants. The entrance offers a reception area with waiting areas on both side of the reception. The two wings are a mirror image of each other and comes together at the back into a boardroom area. There are 9 offices in total. In the centre of the building is a small open courtyard that will be attractive as a recreational area for clients and or staff members a like. Additional to the building is a walk inn safe , archive room , Secured private parking for 12 vehicles and electric fencing with automated gate


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New powers to help curb anti-social behaviour in Lancaster will come into force on Monday February 20.
A Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) will cover the city centre and provide police with new powers to stop people drinking alcohol on the streets and, if necessary, confiscate it.
It replaces the Designated Public Place Order (DPPO) - more commonly known as the no-drinking zone - that covered the city centre and was due to expire later this year.
As well as restricting the drinking of alcohol in the city centre, the new PSPO includes additional powers for the police to crackdown on anti-social behaviour.
These have been included due to an increase in anti-social behaviour in recent years in some hotspots in the city centre.
A task group recently set up by Lancaster City Council to discuss the late night economy heard there was broad support for a PSPO and additional powers for the police to help reduce anti-social behaviour.
A fixed penalty notice of £100 can be issued for anyone in breach of the Public Spaces Protection Order, which can be reduced to £65 if paid within 10 days.
Non-payment could lead to prosecution at court.
There are also plans to introduce similar restrictions in Morecambe in the near future, subject to public consultation.
PC Chris Smith, Community Beat Manager for Lancaster City Centre, added: "Whilst most people come into the city to enjoy the ambience it offers, there are those individuals that continue to blight the lives causing disruption, nuisance and general anti-social behaviour. The Public Spaces Protection Order allows the police to target these individuals in order to make the city of Lancaster a harmonious place for all to live, work, visit and enjoy."
Coun Brendan Hughes, cabinet member with responsibility for community safety, said: "Lancaster is a great place to live, work and visit, but there are some hotspots in the city centre that suffer from anti-social behaviour and onstreet drinking, especially late at night.
"The introduction of the PSPO sends out a clear message about the type of behaviour which is not acceptable within the city centre and provides additional powers to the police to help them tackle the problem."