text:
- Research article
- Open Access
- Open Peer Review
The impact of rotavirus gastroenteritis on the family
© Mast et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2009
- Received: 05 September 2008
- Accepted: 06 February 2009
- Published: 06 February 2009
Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhea in young children and causes substantial morbidity and mortality. Although the clinical aspects have been well described, little information is available regarding the emotional, social, and economic impact of rotavirus gastroenteritis on the family of a sick child. The objectives of this study were to: 1) assess the family impact of rotavirus gastroenteritis through qualitative interviews with parents; 2) compare the clinical severity of rotavirus-positive and negative gastroenteritis; 3) test a questionnaire asking parents to rank the importance of various factors associated with a case of rotavirus gastroenteritis.
The study enrolled parents and children (2–36 months of age) brought to one of the study sites (outpatient clinic or ER) if the child experienced ≥ 3 watery or looser-than normal stools and/or forceful vomiting within any 24-hour period within the prior 3 days. The clinical severity of each child's illness was rated using a clinical scoring system and stool samples were tested for rotavirus antigen. Parents of rotavirus-positive children were invited to participate in focus group or individual interviews and subsequently completed a questionnaire regarding the impact of their child's illness.
Of 62 enrolled children, 43 stool samples were collected and 63% tested positive for rotavirus. Illness was more severe in children with rotavirus-positive compared to rotavirus-negative gastroenteritis (92% vs. 37.5% rated as moderate/severe). Seventeen parents of rotavirus-positive children participated in the interviews and completed the written questionnaire. Parents were frightened by the severity of vomiting and diarrhea associated with rotavirus gastroenteritis, and noted that family life was impacted in several ways including loss of sleep, missed work, and an inability to complete normal household tasks. They expressed frustration at the lack of a specific medication and the difficulty of treating the illness with oral rehydration solutions, but had a largely positive outlook concerning the prospect of a rotavirus vaccine.
A better understanding of how rotavirus gastroenteritis impacts the family can help healthcare providers ease parental fears and advise them on the characteristics of this illness, practices to prevent infection, and the optimal care of an affected child.
- Gastroenteritis
- Stool Sample
- Oral Rehydration Solution
- Oral Rehydration Therapy
- Family Impact
Since its identification in 1973 [1], group A rotavirus has proven to be the leading cause of severe diarrhea in infants and young children [2]. In the U.S., 2.7 million episodes of rotavirus gastroenteritis occur annually among children <5 years of age, resulting in 410,000 outpatient/office visits, 205,000–272,000 emergency department visits, 55,000–70,000 hospitalizations, 20–60 deaths, and >1 billion dollars of medical care costs [3]. Worldwide, approximately 610,000 deaths annually in children <5 years of age are attributable to rotavirus infection [4].
Traditional measures of childhood diarrheal disease impact (i.e., morbidity, mortality, medical cost) fail to measure the effect illness has on the social and psychological well-being of affected children and their family members – factors the World Health Organization considers to be important aspects of health [5]. Little information is available regarding the impact of rotavirus gastroenteritis on the immediate family of a sick child. Since the disease involves fluid loss associated with severe diarrhea and vomiting, the administration of oral rehydration solutions (ORS) is recommended [6], but parents may be unaware of – or unable to implement – these recommendations. As diarrhea and vomiting persist, parents may call physicians for assistance, schedule medical visits or take their child to the emergency room (ER). The illness associated with rotavirus infection may generate emotional, social, and economic burdens among parents before, during and after contact with the health care system.
Precedents exist for research on the family impact of acute and chronic illness in children. McKenna and Hunt developed a 25-item "Family Disruption Index" after interviewing parents whose children had chickenpox [7], while others have assessed the family impact of caring for a child afflicted with congenital heart disease [8] or atopic dermatitis [9]. Stein and Jessop developed the "Impact on Family Scale" to assess social and psychological impacts of chronic disorders in childhood [10]. However, we are not aware of any studies to assess the family impact of diarrheal disease.
This paper reports the results of an observational study on the family impact of rotavirus gastroenteritis based on focus group and individual interviews with parents. It also presents information regarding the clinical severity of illness associated with rotavirus-positive and negative gastroenteritis, and results from a questionnaire asking parents to rank the importance of various factors associated with their child's illness.
The study, initiated during February and March of 2004, was conducted by the Primary Care Research Consortium of the Duke Clinical Research Institute in Durham, North Carolina (Duke Children's Primary Care [3 locations], Durham Pediatrics [2 locations], and Duke Children's Hospital) under a protocol developed within the Epidemiology Department of the Merck Research Laboratories, North Wales, PA. The protocol and study consent form were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Duke University Health System.
The study enrolled parents and children (2–36 months of age) brought to one of the study sites (outpatient clinic or ER) if the child experienced an episode of acute gastroenteritis within the prior 3 days. An episode was defined as having ≥ 3 watery or looser-than normal stools within a 24-hour periods and/or ≥ 1 episodes of forceful vomiting. Parents had to be literate in English, give written consent, and be willing to participate in a subsequently scheduled focus group or individual discussion.
Laboratory and clinical measurements
Whenever possible, a stool sample was obtained from the child at enrollment or was subsequently delivered to study personnel by the parent. Samples were tested for rotavirus antigen at the Duke University Medical Center Laboratory using the ImmunoCard STAT!® Rotavirus immunoassay (Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Cincinnati, OH).
At the time of enrollment, the clinical severity of gastroenteritis was assessed by the physician or nurse health worker based on a direct examination plus parental information and was scored numerically based on a system described in 1988 by Clark et al [11]. This 24-point clinical scoring system was used in pivotal rotavirus vaccine trials and was modified in this cross-sectional study in order to assess clinical severity at a single patient visit. Values of 1–3 (mild, moderate, or severe) were assigned to body temperature (rectal equivalent) and the frequency and duration of diarrhea, vomiting and behavioral symptoms (i.e., irritability, lethargy, seizure). Illness with a clinical severity score ≤ 7 was classified as mild, while scores of 8–14 and 15–21 signified moderate and severe illness, respectively.
Parents of children with a laboratory confirmed case of rotavirus-positive gastroenteritis were invited to participate in either focus group or individual interviews. At the interview session, the interviewer used a semi-structured guide to conduct an open discussion soliciting parental thoughts regarding: 1) severity of the illness, 2) transmission of rotavirus, 3) emotions, 4) schedule disruption, 5) medical care, 6) economic impact, and 7) the prospect of a rotavirus vaccine.
Pilot quantitative questionnaire
After the interview, parents were given a questionnaire similar to one described by McKenna and Hunt [7], but modified to capture concepts related to rotavirus gastroenteritis. This instrument posed 37 questions regarding feelings, actions, and impacts possibly associated with their child's illness. Parents indicated what they felt were the most significant items and rated their importance. The item impact was determined from the proportion of patients who identified it as important, and the mean importance score [ranging from 1 (least) to 5 (greatest)] attributed to this item (impact score = frequency cited × importance).
Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Analysis Software (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA), with mean values for continuous variables compared using Student's t-test and differences between proportions assessed using either the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Relationships between continuous variables were examined by simple linear regression. The level of statistical significance for all tests was set at 0.05.
Demographic characteristics of children and parents in the study
Demographic characteristics of children and parents participating in the study.
Children (N = 59)
Age, in months
Mean and (range)
15.3 (3–32.3)
Age, by category
< 6 months
4 (7%)
6 – 12 months
20 (36%)
13 – 24 months
21 (38%)
> 24 months
11 (20%)
28 (47%)
31 (53%)
Parents (N = 57*)
Age, in years
Mean and (range)
29.8 (16.8 – 44.7)
53 (93%)
4 (7%)
African American
30 (53%)
17 (30%)
10 (17%)
High School or less
19 (33%)
Some College/College Graduate
29 (51%)
9 (15%)
Marital Status (N = 58)
34 (61%)
Never Married/Separated/Divorced
22 (39%)
Household Income
Less than $50,000
30 (58.8%)
$50,000 or greater
21 (41.2%)
Clinical severity of gastroenteritis and rotavirus test results
A stool sample was obtained from 43 (69%) of the children. Lack of a stool sample was more likely if the parent was younger (mean age 26.5 years vs. 31.5 years p = 0.002), unmarried (p = 0.005), or had an annual household income <$50,000 (p = 0.0028).
Twenty-seven (63%) of the 43 stool samples were rotavirus-positive. Emergency room subjects were more likely to test positive than outpatients (100% vs. 53%, p = 0.03). The mean ages of rotavirus-positive and rotavirus-negative children were similar (16.5 months vs. 15.4 months; p = 0.69).
Clinical severity of gastroenteritis in children with a stool sample testing positive or negative for rotavirus antigen (n = 43).
Number (%)
Rotavirus Antigen Test
All Subjects Tested*
Mild Illness
Moderate/Severe Illness
Mean Clinical Severity Score
27 (63%)
2 (8.3%)
23 (92%)**
16 (37%)
10 (62.5%)
6 (37.5%)**
12 (29%)
29 (71%)
Qualitative interviews
Focus group and individual interview themes and representative quotes.
Illustrative Quotes
Illness Severity
"...and after church we got home, I fed him lunch, and he threw up from then until Wednesday. He couldn't hold anything down. He got so dehydrated he [husband] had to bring him in [to the ER]."
"He was just gagging and vomiting. So we were getting really concerned because he had only one wet diaper in that whole 24 hour period and he couldn't keep the ice chips down."
"Poopy diapers about every 10 minutes...vomiting...had a little bit of fever."
"[M]y husband took off work to stay with her at home, and she had two loose BMs and they were starting to get to watery... She had 11 loose stools that day. So her, I think her biggest part of this was the diarrhea and they were back to back, like 5:26, 5:40, 5:48..."
"Horrible. The vomiting wasn't that bad, because I can deal with that, but the diarrhea was awful."
"..we never had any vomiting.....she had a slight fever,....that night [next day] she had a really loose stool and a fever again.....it's continued [a week later], it's never stopped [the diarrhea].....at least 10 [number of diapers changed daily]."
"Lysol......extra cleaning......I changed my bed probably every day because she was pooping on it.....And then everything she would touch.....I would wash her hands...".
"We had to kind of partition the house into the sick zone and the healthy zone"
"Somebody would take care of the sick kid and somebody would take care of the healthy...to prevent it from spreading"
".....you just try to do your best and sanitize everything.......with Lysol and spray down the couch and carpet. Clorox wiped off the countertop, I would spray off the door knobs, the bathrooms and I would open all the windows in the house to get fresh air in...My hands were extremely dry and raw from washing, but I knew I had to. I didn't have a choice"
"Is it airborne or what? I'm thinking it's airborne because the baby is passing it around."
"I got it the day after she got sick........I woke up with severe stomach pains.......had to go to Urgent Care.....get a shot ...to stop me from throwing up."
Oh, man, I was horrified. I guess it's because...I know when the kidneys shut down. That was my main concern; he wasn't drinking anything, eating anything..."
"My husband was scared. He said you got to take her to the doctor now."
"And you're sitting there worried, are you doing the right thing?"
"Very, very anxious because he was so lethargic...it was very scary as a parent."
"The fever was much more elevated.........we were alarmed. We didn't know what she was going through."
"Worried about him getting dehydrated..... I was really upset because I've never seen....he just looked so pitiful vomiting."
"I was upset because seeing his little face, you didn't know what was going on with him and seeing the panic on his face. What's going on? Fix this mommy."
Illness severity
Parental descriptions of their child's illness varied, but most felt that rotavirus gastroenteritis was worse than other common childhood diseases. Symptoms ranged in duration from a few days to more than 2 weeks. Most cases started with repeated episodes of vomiting followed by multiple rounds of diarrhea. Some children were reported to have a transient, low grade fever, but several sustained a high fever and in one case this was the initial presenting sign of illness. Repeated vomiting and diarrhea caused the children to become dehydrated and, in some cases, required the administration of IV fluids either in the clinic or the ER.
Parents had little prior knowledge of rotavirus, and some were uncertain how it was transmitted. However, most believed that good hygiene in the form of frequent handwashing, laundering of clothing and bedding, and the disinfection of objects possibly contaminated with vomit or feces was essential to preventing the infection of other persons in the household. They also discussed the need to keep infected children out of daycare for at least a day after the last episode of diarrhea.
Parents were frightened by the severity of their child's illness, especially the threat of dehydration from repeated vomiting and diarrhea. They were stressed, fatigued, and frustrated because they were not able to be more effective in relieving the child's distress. Parents were concerned by the behavior of their sick children, who were variously described as whining or crying a great deal and becoming clingy, irritable, and uncharacteristically fatigued or even frighteningly lethargic.
Schedule disruption
Many parents missed several days of work, and several stated that caring for their sick child had substantially disrupted their sleep, meal preparation, and the timely completion of other tasks such laundry and housecleaning. Episodes of rotavirus gastroenteritis were sometimes disruptive with respect to social events. One parent said it was necessary to cancel a trip to see family, another noted the illness interfered with plans to attend a birthday party, and a third parent mentioned having to leave a wedding celebration early.
Medical care
The primary reason parents sought care for their children was the severity of the illness and concern of its association with a medically serious state of dehydration. Parents were counseled by medical providers to rehydrate the sick child with frequent small volumes of ORS. In some cases this advice was hard to implement because the child either rejected oral fluids or failed to keep them down; several children had to be given IV fluids to combat dehydration and to control vomiting so that oral rehydration could be pursued. Parents were frustrated that there was not more they or the doctor could do to relieve the child's suffering; they felt there should be some specific medication for this illness.
Economic impact
Parents mentioned the direct cost of such items as ORS, antipyretics, extra diapers, disinfectants, laundry soap, take-out food (sometimes needed when the child's illness interfered with food preparation at home), and co-payments for a clinic visit to the doctor. They had varied opinions regarding the relative significance of these expenses. While many parents missed several days of work, few felt those absences had much economic impact on the household. Most parents had jobs that continued payment under a variety of policies, such as allowing the employee to take a paid absence against vacation time or maternity leave.
The interviews were conducted before the February 2006 licensure of a new rotavirus vaccine in the United States [3]. Parents were asked questions to gauge their interest and attitudes regarding a vaccine that could prevent or attenuate rotavirus gastroenteritis. Parents generally felt that a rotavirus vaccine was needed and would be welcome, especially if their child had a severe course of illness. Opinions were mixed as to whether an oral formulation would be preferable to an injected vaccine. Some favored the oral formulation because it would not increase the large number of injections already given to infants. Others thought children might spit out at least part of an orally administered vaccine, and several expressed the opinion or hope that an injected vaccine might work faster than one given by mouth. Concern over vaccine-related adverse events was expressed by several parents. They wanted to be assured the safety of any rotavirus vaccine would be extensively evaluated and that the benefit of its protective efficacy clearly outweighed any negative side effects.
Pilot questionnaire on the impact of rotavirus gastroenteritis
Importance scores based on parental responses to a pilot questionnaire on the relative importance of factors associated with caring for a child with rotavirus gastroenteritis.
Rank Order
Rank Mean Score
I was worried about my son/daughter
Wanted to be cuddled a lot
Ate very little
Was sleepy all the time
Did you spend a lot of time changing diapers because of diarrhea?
Did you spend time trying to fee him/her rehydration solution?
Had very little energy
I felt tense
I had to get up during the night to see my son/daughter
I felt very tired
Wanted someone with him all the time
Got tired easily
Was miserable
Whined a lot
Did you spend time trying to keep his/her temperature down?
Was irritable
Did you have to spend time in the house more than you wanted to?
Did not want food
I had to stay home from work
Was moody
Seemed to have lost interest in everything
Did you see family and friends less?
I felt like I had to rush around
Slept badly at night
I had to change plans at the last minute
Did you have to rush to get jobs done?
Did you have to spend most of the day amusing your son/daughter?
Did you get behind in your house cleaning?
Traveling to the doctors office was a strain
I had no time for other family members
Was restless
I couldn't travel out of the city
I felt nobody understood the burden
Did you have to ask someone not to visit you socially
I felt like this was a financial burden
Traveling to the hospital was a strain
I was depressed
This is one of the first published studies to assess the family impact of rotavirus gastroenteritis. The research adds to the literature by demonstrating that children affected by rotavirus gastroenteritis are part of families that can be substantially impacted by the illness of a child. The illness results in subsequent disruption to family routine, parental work schedule, and the parents' sense of control. The qualitative research technique of using focus group or individual interviews was intended to provide richer context to the often cited clinical and population level impact of this disease. By design, qualitative health studies are often much smaller than quantitative studies, since they seek in-depth narratives from subjects using their own words to describe disease related factors of importance to them.
Our data suggest that rotavirus gastroenteritis has significant impact on the physical and emotional well-being of the child but also the parent. Many parents expressed fear over the possibility the child might suffer medically significant dehydration, distress regarding the child's discomfort and their inability to rapidly relieve the child, and frustration over problems with administering ORS as well as the disruptive effects of this illness on parental sleep, work, and household routines.
An opinion expressed by some parents that the risk of rotavirus infection is relatively low and has only slight economic impact stands in contrast to the literature and points to the need for better education about this disease. In fact, the cumulative risk of rotavirus infection is nearly 100% by the time children reach 5 years of age [3], and children treated in the ER, who were given IV fluids and blood tests to check electrolytes, and perhaps other procedures, certainly incurred substantial medical costs. However, the qualitative interviews in this study assessed only parental perceptions of relatively minor out of pocket expenditures (e.g., the cost of purchasing extra diapers or ORS) and did not consider other documented costs from the payer perspective.
Although the study was designed primarily to elicit qualitative data, the observation that 63% of stool samples collected in our study during the winter/spring of 2004 were rotavirus-positive complements other quantitative studies showing that this viral infection is an important reason for visits by young children in the U.S. to outpatient clinics or admission to hospitals [13, 14]. Our results also accord well with a large hospital-based study showing that rotavirus gastroenteritis is more severe than gastroenteritis caused by other enteric pathogens [15].
The study was also useful as a preliminary test of a questionnaire probing parents' perspectives regarding the importance of various factors involved in caring for a child with rotavirus gastroenteritis. The rank order and numeric scores parents assigned to items on that questionnaire closely reflected the concerns expressed in the focus group and individual interviews, with factors of major importance including parental feelings of fear regarding the severity of the child's illness, concern for the child's suffering and behavioral changes, sleep disruptions and the extra work involved in attending to and trying to keep the child effectively hydrated. This preliminary assessment will be useful in refining the questionnaire for application in future rotavirus burden of illness studies involving larger samples of parents and primary caregivers.
As in every study, there were limitations to our findings. Although 62 subjects were enrolled in the health care setting, stool samples for rotavirus testing could not be obtained for 19 (31%) of the children, and only 17 parents of the 27 rotavirus-positive children ultimately participated in the focus group or in-depth interviews. We attribute the latter difficulty to the problem of scheduling multiple parents to meet at a mutually convenient location, and the likelihood that once a child recovers the parent may be less inclined to continue discussion of the illness. Nevertheless, we obtained a rich qualitative dataset that provides a previously unavailable perspective on rotavirus gastroenteritis. Those parents who participated in the interviews spanned a broad socioeconomic spectrum and so provided a good range of the perspectives of parents who may have to deal with this common childhood illness.
Although this study enrolled a diverse patient population (Table 1), our study was conducted only in the United States. Given the substantial international burden of rotavirus disease in other developed and lesser developed countries [4], further research would be helpful to understand the global impact of rotavirus disease on families. In particular, there are substantially different types of medical care systems and patient access to medical care in international settings that could result in family impact from rotavirus disease that differs from the results reported here. Given the lack of other available data, the research methods utilized in this study could be used to provide additional family impact data from other geographic and cultural settings.
Two rotavirus vaccines are now licensed for pediatric use in the US. The first of these was the pentavalent reassortant rotavirus vaccine, RotaTeq™ [16], from Merck & Co., Inc. and was licensed in February 2006. The public health impact of the introduction of RotaTeq™ in the US was recently documented by a substantially delayed onset and diminished magnitude of rotavirus activity in the 2007–08 season compared with previous years [17]. The second licensed vaccine is the monovalent vaccine licensed in April 2008 (Rotarix™, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Inc.).
Despite the availability of rotavirus vaccines that can effectively prevent severe rotavirus disease, this study highlights that more education about rotavirus disease and vaccination is needed for parents and their health care providers. A study conducted in the US by the US Centers for Disease Control suggested that a general lack of parental familiarity with rotavirus disease, its potentially serious consequences, and the need for preventative vaccination may be a barrier to the acceptance of the new vaccines [18]. Similar results were found in a study conducted among providers in several international settings [19]. Both studies highlighted the need for better dissemination of information about rotavirus disease in order to prioritize the disease and to highlight the benefits of vaccination.
Since parents or providers may not know the etiology of the severe diarrhea that is being caused by rotavirus, further education on the management of children with rotavirus infection is important. The management of diarrhea has typically focused on the use of oral rehydration therapy (ORT), which is recommended for all age groups and for diarrhea of any etiology [6]. All families should be encouraged to have a supply of ORS in the home at all times and to start therapy with a commercially available ORS product as soon as diarrhea begins. However, the severe vomiting that is characteristic of rotavirus disease often makes the successful administration of ORT difficult [19]. Therefore it is important that providers educate parents how to recognize signs of illness or treatment failure that necessitate medical intervention [6].
A better understanding of how rotavirus gastroenteritis impacts the family, can help healthcare providers ease parental fears and advise them concerning the course of this illness, practices to prevent infection, and the optimal care of an affected child.
The authors thank Dr. David J. West for support and assistance in the preparation of this manuscript.
Authors' Affiliations
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- The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/9/11/prepub
Pre-publication history
This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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HTC's latest Android smartphone is the HTC Sensation, which went on sale in the UK and Europe recently and is due to hit the US shortly, we just got out hands on the new HTC Sensation, so we thought we would show you guys a few photos before we post a full review.
The HTC Sensation features a 4.3 inch qHD Super LCD display with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels, from our initial brief hands on with the Sensation, the display looks great, everything looks crisp and clear.
Processing on the HTC Sensation is provided by a dual core Qualcomm MSM 8260 1.2GHz processor, and there is also 768MB of RAM and 1GB of internal storage, the device feels very snappy and it features the latest version of HTC's Sense UI, which is very good.
Other specifications on the HTC Sensation include a microSD card slot, a VGA camera on the front for video chat and an 8 megapixel camera on the back with a dual LED flash and autofocus.
The HTC Sensation comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, we have only had a chance to test it out for about 30 minutes, so we will be publishing a detailed review late in the week once we have had a chance test out all the Sensations features, have a look at the gallery below.
Filed Under: Android News, Mobile Phone News, Technology News

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Our hotel is located in the town of Thassos, Limenas, built in a garden of total area of 11,000 sq. meters, including a children's playground, tennis court, parking area, swimming-pool and pool-bar where you can enjoy the sun sipping exotic and refreshing cocktails.
The kindness, warmth and incomparable hospitality combined with the services and facilities provided by Aethria Hotel promise you an unforgettable holiday experience.
If cancelled up to 14 days before date of arrival, no fee will be charged. If cancelled or modified later, 50 percent of the total price of the reservation will be charged. In case of no-show, the total price of the reservation will be charged. Early departre: 50% of the remaining stay will be charged. Payment policy: A valid credit card is required to secure your reservation (pre-authorization might be needed) Full payment will be made directly at the hotel , at check in time. Prepayment: No deposit will be charged.
All children are welcome. One child under 2 years stays free of charge in a child's cot/crib. The maximum number of children's cots/cribs in a room is 1.
Hotel Aethria is located in the town of Limenas, the capital of Thassos.
In Limenas there is the Archaeological Museum, the Ancient Theatre and other places that should not be missed. Starting from Limenas and Hotel Aethria you can begin your tour in Thassos, the lovely beaches, quaint villages and magnificent nature.
Very near there are shops, restaurants, supermarkets in a distance so small that you would not need a car.
In Thassos Island there are: archaeological sites, hiking trails, water sports, facilities for horse riding and much more.
Its increadibly easy to reach Thassos island, thanks to frequently and daily ferry crossings all year long leaving from Kavala Port or Keramoti Port. -If you take the ferry from Kavala Port you will need 1 hour and 35 minutes of traveling to reach Prinos Port. -While taking the ferry from Keramoti Port it takes only 40 minutes and will lead you directly to Limenas Port(Thassos Town) where you can just walk or drive 300 metres to reach our hotel.
|HACI ISAThu 20 Sep, 2018
Central Location
Great Hotel. Central location, smiling personal, good breakfast and with big garden. Best in the Thassos town.
|StoianWed 22 Aug, 2018
I like this hotel
I would like to bot no more expensive every year and i would like the air conditioning to used all the time ,( not just when stay in the room ) because is very hot in the room .Otherwise everything is fine
|HACI ISAMon 23 Jul, 2018
Loved this hotel, because it is in the center
Great hotel. I would definitely come back
|GruitaWed 27 Jun, 2018
Loved this hotel
Great hotel and staff
|VADUVASun 27 May, 2018
Best Hotel on the island
Best staff,best hotel on island ,best services
|LunguTue 12 Sep, 2017
A great hotel.
Everything was perfect.
|SorinSat 09 Sep, 2017
It is not my first holiday in this hotel. It was the third time and everything was great from reservation to all staff, reception, cleaning and kitchen. I will continue to come here with pleasure, great services and a quiet place for relaxation. I forgot to mention the pool and the bar, everything ok. Thank you for a very nice time spent here.
|AurelianMon 21 Aug, 2017
Friendly staff, nice surroundings
Only big minus for the schedule of the swimming pool - 08:00-20:00. It should be opened until a reasonable hour for a vacation like 22:00 or even 23:00 if possible. If the schedule is based on not disturbing those who go to sleep at 20:00 during vacations, sorry...they should go to an asylum for complete silence.
|ANTONIOSThu 17 Aug, 2017
General satisfaction
The three bed rooms are small The bathroom is small
|sinisaMon 10 Jul, 2017
Good enough
Very clean place, solid location (if you have car for traveling to the beach).Very friendly stuff. Small and very warm rooms.
|AlexandreTue 27 Jun, 2017
We loved this hotel
Very good. Neer of the old city. great parking. Very good welcomes and service.
|ANTONIAThu 01 Sep, 2016
|CervacTue 30 Aug, 2016
Very satisfied, loved a lot.
Great garden and pool. Very friendly staff. Cleanliness daily. Great position to the city center and beaches.
|AliSun 21 Aug, 2016
Best city hotel in Limenas Tassos
Excellent location, excellent staff, very good city hotel. We won't look any other hotel for our next holiday. Thank you to all!
|NikolaWed 26 Aug, 2015
Very nice hotel
We were very pleased to stay in this hotel, so we would definitely recommend it to anybody.


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There will be no delays as Apple has just confirmed iPad 2 will be available this Friday, March 25 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Just like the US launch, online orders will begin a 1am (they don't say which time zone?) and in store purchases will be available starting 5pm local time.
While competitors are still struggling to catch up with our first iPad, we've changed the game again with iPad 2," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We're experiencing amazing demand for iPad 2 in the US, and customers around the world have told us they can't wait to get their hands on it. We appreciate everyone's patience and we are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone."
Apple also announced that iPad 2 will be available in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and additional countries in April.
If you're having trouble deciding if you want an iPad 2, and which of the 12 models you want (no CDMA versions outside the US), check out our iPad 2 buyers guide and full on iPad 2 review. Then let us know what country you're in and whether you're ordering online or lining up!
[Apple PR]


text:
Local boy Kieran Cross is proving to be the man of the moment for ambitious League One outfit Doncaster RLFC.
The 22-year-old former Doncaster Toll Bar amateur, who is the club's top try-scorer this season, joined an elite group of players to have scored four tries for the club in a game in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup fourth round win over University of Gloucestershire All Golds last time out.
"I've always loved scoring tries throughout my career and it's great to be scoring them for my hometown team," he said.
Signed primarily as cover for hooker Kyle Kesik last season, Cross has stolen the show in several games this season standing in at both scrum-half and stand-off.
His form has given head coach Gary Thornton, who often struggled to fill the gap last season when either of his two first choice half-backs were ruled out, a massive selection headache ahead of the return of Australian scrum-half Jordie Hedges from a four-match ban, for he admits he can't leave Cross out in his current form.
Although regularly in the Doncaster match-day squad last season, Cross was mainly used to give skipper Kesik a breather during games.
Yet he had no complaints.
"I viewed it as being a kind of development season last year," he said. "I was learning stuff from the other players and from Gary.
"Although being versatile can sometimes count against you, I think it's a good thing that I can play in several positions.
"I'm happy to play wherever Gary wants me to play. I don't think that there is a lot of difference between the two half-back positions these days.
"Gary wants the half-backs to direct the team as he did last season and both Jordie and Jordan (Howden) can do that and I hope I've shown that I can as well."
Reflecting on the season so far, Cross said: "I think overall we've got a stronger squad than last season and I think we'll be up there challenging.
"There is probably still room for improvement in attack but it's not ideal working on moves on the small floodlit pitch at Cantley Park.
"The situation will start to get better from now with the clocks having gone forward an hour at the weekend.
"Hopefully fans will see an improvement in Sunday's game against Hunslet."


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PM to attend national meet on sustainable agriculture
New Delhi, Jan 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the National Conference on Sustainable Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to be held in Sikkim on January 18, an official statement said on Friday.
Modi, scheduled to undertake a two-day visit to Sikkim from January 18, will also attend a special event on organic farming in northeast and the Sikkim Organic Festival.
The announcements were made by Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singh and union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh when they addressed media on the National Conference on Sustainable Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
"Government is focusing on organic farming in northeast and the three-day organic festival will give a boost to this endeavour. By year 2025, India will be able to provide food for 150 crore of its population," said Singh.
"Promotion of organic products, with Sikkim as the nodal state, will not only help in generating revenue and employment opportunities but will also be a great booster for the government's 'Act East policy'," he added.
Referring to some of the other major projects in Sikkim, Singh said: "Greenfield airport at Pakyong is expected to be complete and become functional by 2017 and will emerge as one of the most beautiful destinations in the region."
"There is also a plan to connect Sikkim with the country's rail network and after the present government took over under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, this will be the third northeastern state after Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh to be brought on the rail map of India," said Singh.


text: For years, we've known that humans can't multitask. We can serial task by switching our attention back and forth between tasks quickly, but it makes us less efficient. However, a new study shows that there is actually one way that the human brain can multitask. Join Trace as he breaks down how this new finding sheds light on our extremely limited ability to multitask. Read More: Foveal Analysis and Peripheral Selection During Active Visual Sampling http://www.pnas.org/content/111/2/E291.abstract "Picking up visual information from our environment in a timely manner is the starting point of adaptive visual-motor behavior." Our Brains Can Multitask For Visual Searches http://www.futurity.org/peripheral-vision-multitasks-search/ "Many studies suggest that pushing your brain to multitask- writing emails for instance, while watching the day's latest news and eating breakfast- leads to poorer performance and lower productivity." Watch More: Amazing Animal Vision http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbZ9xJUyIWY TestTube Wild Card http://testtube.com/dnews/dnews-476-allergies?utm_campaign=DNWC&utm_medium=DNews&utm_source=YT How the Blind Use Light http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdYyhZLG3jo ____________________ DNews is dedicated to satisfying your curiosity and to bringing you mind-bending stories & perspectives you won't find anywhere else! New videos twice daily. Watch More DNews on TestTube http://testtube.com/dnews Subscribe now! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=dnewschannel DNews on Twitter http://twitter.com/dnews Anthony Carboni on Twitter http://twitter.com/acarboni Laci Green on Twitter http://twitter.com/gogreen18 Trace Dominguez on Twitter http://twitter.com/trace501 DNews on Facebook http://facebook.com/dnews DNews on Google+ http://gplus.to/dnews Discovery News http://discoverynews.com


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Venture Capital: The market is hot for Hyperion
GUS, DUKE and Fido will be able to keep their paws and underbellies toasty on long car rides or cold nights at home thanks to what Hyperion Innovations is calling the "most technologically advanced pet bed in the world."
The 18-inch-by-24-inch sleeping quarters, which will cost more than $100 and be introduced at pet stores and veterinarian clinics later this year, are designed to keep small dogs and cats warm with a consistent temperature of 104 degrees. Unlike other heated pet beds on the market, Hyperion's new patent pending design is portable -- running on a battery pack or plugging into a car's cigarette lighter, the Bellevue company said.
The heated pet bed is just one of many products that Kent Baker, the newly appointed chief executive at Hyperion, hopes will resonate with consumers, or canines for that matter, who crave heat. The 22-person company has about eight ideas in various stages of development, including a battery-powered glue gun that was introduced this month and a heated seat cushion that Baker says is perfect for hunting, fishing or sporting events.
Hyperion is nearing completion of a $2.75 million financing round that it will use to develop even more heat-based products, with Baker saying that he will look for additional funding later this year to boost marketing efforts. It raised $3 million from Acorn Ventures and others last year.
The technology behind each of the innovations stems from Hyperion's first product: the Cold Heat soldering tool. The $19.95 device, marketed through infomercials and at retailers such as RadioShack and The Home Depot, has sold more than 3.5 million units. Designed to quickly heat up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit and then cool down in a matter of seconds, the device exceeded the company's initial expectations.
"Hyperion is a very innovative little company," said board member Greg Forge, general counsel at Acorn Ventures in Bellevue. "The Cold Heat soldering tool was not the sexiest product on the market, but it was a smashing success."
Baker now has bigger plans for the company, which was founded six years ago by Romanian immigrants Grigore and Dragos Axinte. He estimates that the glue gun market alone is five times as big as that of soldering tools.
"It is going to be huge for us," Baker said. "There are 60 million crafters in the U.S., and the serious ones spend on average $1,200 per year on craft purchases."
Christine Stickler, the Seattle author of "Wild With a Glue Gun" and a consultant to Hyperion, has worked with glue guns for more than 30 years. She said Hyperion's new device resonated with crafters when she introduced it at a recent get-together.
"You can literally walk around the house with it," Stickler said. "The portability is really great."
Baker, who moved to Seattle from Dallas late last year, has some experience rolling out new consumer products. The 56-year-old executive most recently served as president of Jacuzzi Whirlpool Bath, introducing dozens of new bathroom gadgets and strengthening relationships with retailers such as Lowe's.
Before that, the Kansas native spent eight years at Maytag -- at one point overseeing the company's $1 billion laundry products group.
Baker said he was attracted to Hyperion's Cold Heat technology because it is "just a huge opportunity."
"There are lots of applications across many different industries," he said.
Baker's consumer products experience should help Hyperion at a time when it is attempting to roll out new devices and strike technology licensing agreements with third parties, Forge said. "He has a terrific track record and has come in and really focused the company in a sharp way," he said.
Not all consumers have been impressed with the company's products, which are designed in Bellevue and manufactured in China. Some have complained that tips on the Cold Heat soldering tools break too easily.
Baker said less than 5 percent of the devices have been returned to have the tips replaced. But in order to address consumer issues, Hyperion released a more durable version of the soldering tool last summer that costs $29.95. It is also investigating ways of strengthening the tip.
Hyperion also is revising an agreement with a New York producer of infomercials, which is giving up royalty rights to future products that are built with the Cold Heat technology. Baker said the new agreement is important because it will allow Hyperion to grow faster and attract more capital.
"Part of the issue is that Cold Heat was restricted somewhat on their growth because they had to share," said Baker, who expects the company to turn a profit this year.
Asked about challenges, Baker said the company must bolster management and identify key product niches. He also said it needs to develop "breakthrough" products that "really meet the consumer need."
Will heated seat cushions and heated pet beds resonate?
Baker thinks they will. "There is no significant brand in the pet category around heat or in the heat seat at this point in time," he said.
BLOG ROUNDUP: A quick look at some of the items appearing in my venture blog this week. Here is the link: goto.seattlepi.com/r30.


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Below you will find a convenient listing of contact information for some of the major services within the City of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, including attorney and mayor contact information, city website, and contact information for some of the most frequently used departments.
City Attorney and telephone number: Susan Trevarthen, 954-763-4242
City Website: Lauderdale-By-The-Sea
City Chamber of Commerce: Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Chamber of Commerce
City Police Department: Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Police Department
Occupational License telephone number: 954-640-4210
Mayor name and telephone: Roseann Minnet, 954-326-0594
Zoning department telephone number: 954-640-4214
Code Violations telephone number: 954-640-4220
Broward Legal Directory is a resource for consumers looking for Broward legal information and to ask a local Broward attorney a question or obtain a free case evaluation. We offer information on legal topics ranging from foreclosure defense, personal injury, car accidents, probate, to slip and falls, DUI and more. Finding Legal Information Made Easy.
Arbitration Bail Bonds Broward County Courts Broward Government Broward County Judges Broward County Probate Broward LawsClerk of Courts Court Cases Court Filing FeesCourt Reporters
Criminal Law Divorce & Family Law Foreclosure Filings Landlord & Tenant Legal Forms ParalegalsProcess ServersPublic Records State Tax LiensTitle Insurance See All
Copyright - BrowardLegalDirectory.com - © 2019


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Carol Donaldson Composer & Musical Director
Carol Donaldson is a composer of bespoke music for theatre, television and radio with many years experience. She is also a popular choir and singing workshop leader.
Carol composed the songs and played the shows for the hugely popular new musical 'Meat Pie Sausage Roll' at The Oldham Coliseum. Written by Cathy Crabb and Lindsay Williams., Dir Kevin Shaw, designed by Alison Heffernan.
Northern Soul: 'lovingly drawn and the songs are a canny mix of musical fare that decorates most big venue musical hits with rousing, football chants. '
Manchester Theatre Awards: 'Donaldson mixes original compositions with existing tunes and chants and with a large community chorus to belt them out there are plenty of uplifting stage-filling moments.'
Attitude: 'football chants and new songs composed by Carol Donaldson.. one stands out, 'Just The Light', a beautiful duet about two people struggling to admit a mutual attraction.'
The Reviews hub: 'Inventive, comical and full of heart… Carol Donaldson's original compositions combine popular Oldham Athletic football chants such as Oh Lanky, Lanky into the songs to portray the passion of the fans'
Carol is set to reprise her Duke's production of Debbie Oates's 'Treasure Island' in Williamson Park in Lancaster for Summer '17
Last year Carol composed for 'Dreamer's - a new musical written by Cathy Crabb and Lindsay Williams, set in the nightclub of the same name in Oldham. Great 4 star review from the Guardian
Produced by Oldham Coliseum, directed by Kevin Shaw and ran June/July '15. http://www.coliseum.org.uk/plays/dreamers/
With an all female cast, including Sally Carman ('Shameless'), Olivier nominee Rachel Leskovac, and all female community chorus the show has original songs by Carol and a host of anthemic 90's Indie Classics. There was a real buzz about 'Dreamers', large groups of women, hen nights etc went and it became 'The Dreamers Phenomen' - it sold out many nights and broke the records for bar sales! ! See 'Theatre ' page for excerpt.
Carol was Choir Director on the much talked about Sainsbury's Christmas advert , showing the Christmas truce of 1914. (Woodwork Music. http://www.woodworkmusic.co.uk/) See video above.
On 12th July Carol conducted 1,000 singers for the 2014 National Street Choirs Festival - see youtube below of Nkosi Sikel i'Africa, the South African national Anthem
Carol's choir 'Open Voice' from Whalley Range, M/cr recently performed in a sell-out show of David Grieg's award winning innovative play 'The Events' at HOME
M/cr http://homemcr.org/production/the-events/
Carol was composer and MD for 'Cinderella' written by Ian Kershaw ('Shameless') Dir: Joe Sumsion and produced by the Dukes Theatre, Lancaster Christmas'14 . It's a feministy reworking of the tale and has original folky & bluegrass influenced songs in! See theatre page for an excerpt.
Great article about it here:
Composing for TV
I draw on a highly eclectic variety of styles ranging from classical, ambient or quirky to contemporary, upbeat or world music to reflect the needs, moods and nuances of the project.
- Theme tunes - incl 'NVA', 'Bob's Hotline' and 'In my Life' for Planet Wild all shown on Granada TV
- Commercials -inc national TV campaigns for DFS, Max Spielman, Pennine Telelcom, West Bromwich Building Society
- Animations - 'Backyard' and 'Snooze Dog'Pilots for Lough House Animations
- Children's programming - several RTS award winning DVD's for Child's Eye Media
Please click on top left hand 'Showreels and Compositions' tab to watch my compositions for TV and film
Theatre work
See 'Theatre' page for songs, clips and reviews
Currently working on a new original musical for Oldham Coliseum for Spring '17, I have composed and M.D'd for the last 3 Dukes' Xmas shows - much acclaimed productions of 'Cinderella' (Adapted. by Ian Kershaw) 'A Christmas Carol' and 'Treasure Island'. Adapted by Debbie Oates (Coronation St), all directed by Joe Sumsion and designed by Alison Heffernan. http://www.dukes-lancaster.org/christmas.
Over the last 25 years I have also done productions for the Library Theatre, Manchester,The Octagon Theatre, Bolton, Manchester Youth Theatre; two children's shows for the West End and for Feelgood's award winning 'Slave, a Question of Freedom.'
Last year I wrote JBShorts's first mini-musical ('Ballad of Valentino Rivas' by Lindsay Williams), wrtten madrigals and canons for 'Shakespeare's' Deadly Sins' (Dir. Wylie Longmore, Adapted by Conor McKee) and this year will also be writing another new musical 'Mary' by Jane McNulty.
Singing workshops and choirs
Singing workshops and choirs
I use the Natural Voice approach -we all have a voice but are often too scared to use it. I helps free the natural voice bursting to get out of all of us, using a variety of fun techniques. Singing in a group is uplifting emotionally & physically.
I run several community choirs including OPEN VOICE in South Manchester, for 15 years,the Melody Macs for MacMillans, and Calder Valley Voices in Hebden Bridge
Me and Wendy Paintsil launched Wrexham Community Choir in Jan 2012 which now has over 100 people coming every week!
I have run many singing workshops all over the country including 'From discord to harmony' workshops at Manchester Buddhist centre and I have run the singing workshops at One World Camp for 14 years every summer
I led 500 singers in Manchester City Centre for the 25th Street CHoir Festival in 2007.
Please click on the top left hand 'Choirs' & Singing Workshop' tab for more info about the choirs.


text:
Limitless life: you are more than your past when God holds your future.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781400206377 (sound recording : hoopla Audio Book)
- ISBN: 1400206375 (sound recording : hoopla Audio Book)
- Physical Description: 1 online resource (1 audio file (7hr., 05 min.)) : digital
- Edition: Unabridged.
- Publisher: [United States] : THOMAS NELSON : 2013.
Content descriptions
|Restrictions on Access Note:
Digital content provided by hoopla.
|Participant or Performer Note:
Read by Van Tracy.
|Summary, etc.:
Is your life limited by labels the world and other people have used to define you? Labels you have internalized and apply to yourself every day. Labels like Afraid. Or Addict. Orphan. Damaged Goods. Failure. Maybe even Religious. These labels might be sewn into your life with such tight little stitches that they feel like a part of you. They feel like they define you. But that's a lie. If you let Him, Jesus can remove those old labels and tattoo new ones onto your soul. Then you'll begin to see yourself as God the Father sees you. The limits will be lifted, and your life will be transformed. It's the truth. Join Pastor Derwin Gray on a fascinating journey into what can happen when you offer your head, your heart, and your hands to the only one who can offer you truly limitless life.
|System Details Note:
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Search for related items by subject
|Christian life.


text:
High Street, Hillmorton
I hope you've enjoyed the last couple of weeks of postcards from Tony Cockerill's collection. His final ones, for now, are scenes of Hillmorton.
This one and the one below, taken from virtually the same spot but many years apart, are in High Street, or as the card calls it - Higher Road. Tony 88, was among four generations of Cockerills who farmed Moat Farm in Hillmorton and has lived at three addresses in High Street.
He thinks the horses on this picture most probably belonged to Mr Fenwick, who along with the Darby family were the gentry at that time and big landowners.
Mr and Mrs Fenwick's daughter was Dorothy Rich, who was popular for giving Christmas parties for children and did a lot for the village. Tony had heard a story that when she was ill, so that the horses didn't make a noise trotting up and down the road, sacks were put onto their hooves to keep them quiet!


text:
Sexy Red Strapless Prom Dresses Satin Side-Slit Simple Unsymmetrical Evening GownsItem Code: BO7080
Market price::
US $283.80Factory price: US $117.00
- WEDDING VENUES : Hall
- SILHOUETTE : Sheath/Column
- HEMLINE / TRAIN : Sweep / Brush Train
- NECKLINE : Strapless
- BODY SHAPE : Misses
- FABRIC : Satin
- SEASON : Fall
- SLEEVE LENGTH : Sleeveless
- EMBELLISHMENT : Tiered
- BACK DETAILS : Zipper
- WAIST : Natural
- Rush Time : 6 work days
- Custom measurements : Custom measurements
Short Description:
High Quality dresses fabric handcraft,Reasonable price,Fast Delivery,Perfect service!!!
Processing time:18-25 business days made for wedding dresses, 12-18 business days made for party dresses
MOQ: 1Piece
Package Size: 40.0 * 30.0 * 20.0 (cm) wedding dresses/30.0 * 20.0 * 10.0 (cm) Party dresses
Once shipped, we will update you tracking number on our website immediately, please check it in time.
More items you buy,more discount you'll get;
Both wholesale and retail are welcome!
Competitive prices on our website will save you much.
The price is just for the dress. Any other accessories in the picture, just like veil, jacket, etc. Is not included, and if you need one, please feel free to contact us.


text:
Piper P2 - GT body - manufactured in 1972
Those interested in racing and performance parts may know the Piper name from the special camshafts and exhausts the company produces and offers for a wide range of cars. Far less known is that the company has also offered complete cars for a brief period. The road cars attracted a fair amount of attention in their day, backed up by an actual racing car programme, and derived sort of a dream-car status for a short while. This however didn't stretch much further than the United Kingdom, the rest of the world remained practically oblivious of these attractive British sports cars.
Piper was the company formed by George Henrotte and Bob Gayler in 1966 and named after the trade mark of the garage they started out in. Henrotte was a former racing driver and Gayler an experienced engine tuner and together they set out preparing race engines and offering performance parts which soon evolved in producing self developed tuning components. An ambition of the two men was constructing a racing car and together with artist and designer Tony Hilder, who had worked on the McLaren M1A previously, a prototype sports racing car was created. This open Alfa Romeo powered car appeared on the racing track in the same year the company had started and featured unusual transparent sides. It proved to be competitive and the company received orders to produce some more of these cars with various engines. Over the following years it was developed into a closed GT coupe which ultimately culminated into the 1969 Piper GTR, a Group 6 sports racer with very futuristic looks and innovative lightweight construction by Tony Hilder. One of these was entered in the 1969 Le Mans 24 hours race, powered by a small 1300 cc Lotus engine, and though it didn't survive the qualifications due to technical problems its striking sleek looks made a lasting impression.
In total about 100 Piper cars were made, which makes them very rare. In addition hardly any of these has left the United Kingdom which makes them very obscure in the rest of the world. On the other hand they have a strong enthusiast following in the UK and they are rarely for sale, resulting in relatively high values. The Piper P2 is the best offer of the road cars, well built and fully developed, while the GTT can be rather crude and unrefined. Most impressive Piper is the GTR racing car of which a handful is built; a new version of this model is offered by Tony Claydon as Piper GTR Le Mans Replica.
If you'd like to see more of my car pictures, you can visit my new car photo archive by clicking this link.
© André Ritzinger, Amsterdam, Holland
...continue by clicking the arrows pointing right...


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On this page, you'll play the game One Piece Tower Defense, one of your best free one piece games!!! You are having a strange dream that you are shipwrecked on a beach. Now enemies are coming down the road to get on your ship. You have only a few friends to help you stop those enemies. You must place them carefully along the road to shoot at the rats, soldiers, chickens, and other weird invaders. As you make money, you can buy more allies or upgrade the skills of the ones you already have.
|I recommend this game on Google+ :
Give your opinion on the game One Piece Tower Defense :
© 1996-12-19 - 2019-01-17 Games Etc., best free online games.


text:
Holiday Inn Stratford-Upon-Avon
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Set in beautiful landscaped gardens, this 4-star Holiday Inn is in the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon, just 500 metres from The RSC Theatre. The hotel has a modern fitness centre and traditional restaurant. (from booking.com)
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text:
Application Profile
From eCrystals Federation Project
The eCrystals repository Application Profile was developed for the pilot repository by the eBank-UK project and will be developed further, if necessary, to accommodate a federation architecture.
Schema for exchange of crystallography metadata
eBank UK Feasibility Report on dataset Description and Schema to access the results of experiments in crystallography
Summary:The eBank UK project has produced a prototype demonstrator of a service based on EPrints.org software providing access to the detailed results of scientific experiments in crystallography. To present this complex data in a retrievable and meaningful way requires that it is described by metadata using appropriate metadata schema that support harvesting and re-use by other services through alternative interfaces. The challenge faced by the project is the complexity and volume of data that are to be made accessible from the principal points in the network dissemination chain - institutional archives, aggregators, service providers, portals, and prospectively other data providers such as publishers and digital libraries. The design of the metadata schema is critical to the success of the demonstrator, and is perhaps the key contribution of the first phase of the project (to September 2004). The report describes the metadata schema adopted during the initial phase of the project, and shows how the metadata records based on these schemas are presented in the demonstrators. The advantages and limitations of the approach are briefly evaluated with a view to appropriateness of the schema for the presentation of experimental data from other science disciplines through other service providers, which will be investigated during phase 2 of the project. eBank UK XML Schema, namespace and Application Profile
The latest version of the eBank UK XML schema is found at the locations below. Please Note that the schema is a work in progress, and subject to change at short notice. It is not recommended that this schema be adopted by any other service at this stage.
* The ebank_dc container schema: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/projects/ebank-uk/schemas/xsd/ebank_dc.xsd * The ebankterms schema: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/projects/ebank-uk/schemas/xsd/ebankterms.xsd
The eBank UK namespace, ebankterms, is provided for human and machine reference at: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/projects/ebank-uk/schemas/terms/ (local Copy http://wiki.ecrystals.chem.soton.ac.uk/images/8/85/EBank_UK_project.pdf )The URI for each eBank UK-specific metadata term is grounded on its declaration in this document.
The eBank metadata profile for the project repository and service is documented as an Metadata Application Profile. This is done according to the CEN standard "Dublin Core Application Profile Guidelines" and the DCMI Abstract Model. The Application Profile is the documentation necessary to consult in case other projects want to model metadata informed by the eBank solution or when OAI harvesting of the eBank resources is planned.
* eBank UK Metadata Application Profile
Metadata exchange by OAI-PMH
eBank UK currently exports metadata using the OAI-PMH 2.0 protocol in two different metadata formats:
* Simple DC (oai_dc). * METS encoded qualified DC (ebank_mets).
Metadata Schema References
CLRC Scientific Metadata Model
Matthews, B. & Sufi, S. (2001). "The CLRC Scientific Metadata Model - Version 1." (ed. Kerstin Kleese van Dam). Technical Report DL TR 02001. Warrington: CLRC Daresbury Laboratory. http://www-dienst.rl.ac.uk/library/2002/tr/dltr-2002001.pdf (This technical report includes a full description of the CLRC Scientific Metadata Format Version 1 including the XML schema and an example).
Sufi, S., Matthews, B. & Kleese van Dam, K. (2003). "An interdisciplinary model for the representation of scientific studies and associated data holdings."UK e-Science All Hands Meeting, Nottingham, 2-4 September 2003. http://www.nesc.ac.uk/events/ahm2003/AHMCD/pdf/020.pdf NERC DataGrid: MOLES
MOLES (Metadata Objects for Links in Environmental Science): Schema; Metadata Guide in tar.gz file
O'Neill, Kevin et al (2004). "A specialised metadata approach to discovery and use of data in the NERC DataGrid" (Paper - pdf). Proceedings of the U.K. e-science All Hands Meeting, 2004. http://ndg.nerc.ac.uk/public_docs/AHM-NDGDMandMDMSplitFinal.pdf
O'Neill Kevin et al (2003). "The Metadata Model of the NERC DataGrid" (Paper - pdf). Proceedings of the U.K. e-science All Hands Meeting, 2003. http://ndg.nerc.ac.uk/public_docs/AHM-2003-KON.pdf STMML
Murray-Rust, P. & Rzepa, H.S. (2002). "STMML: a markup language for scientific, technical and medical publishing." Data Science Journal 1(2), 1-65. http://journals.eecs.qub.ac.uk/codata/Journal/contents/1_2/1_2pdfs/ds121.pdf Chemical Markup Language
Murray-Rust, P. & Rzepa, H.S. (2003). "Chemical markup, XML, and the World Wide Web, 4: CML Schema." Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Science s, 43(3), 757-772. http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/article.cgi/jc isd8/2003/43/i03/html/ci0256541.html Resource Metadata for the Virtual Observatory
Hanisch, R (ed.), Resource Metadata for the Virtual Observatory, Version 0.8, IVOA Working Draft, 2003-07-09 This document suggests an architecture for resource and service metadata and describes the relationship of this architecture to emerging Web Services standards. An initial set of metadata concepts is also described. http://ivoa.net/Documents/WD/ResMetadata/WD-RM-20030709.html
International Virtual Observatory Alliance XML SchemaVOResource Implementation of an XML Schema describing a Resource to be used in the Virtual Observatory. Based on "Resource Metadata for the Virtual Observatory", Version 0.8, February 2002 by Bob Hanisch et al. http://www.ivoa.net/xml/VOResource/ Materials Science
Bartolo, L.M. and Lowe, C.S. (2003)." A Preliminary Investigation of Metadata Description Mechanisms for Materials Science". Dublin Core Conference, Seattle, Washington, USA, 27 September - 2 October 2003. http://purl.oclc.org/dc2003/03bartolo.pdf Other
XSIL http://www.cacr.caltech.edu/SDA/xsil/
Common Information Model (CIM) Standards http://www.dmtf.org/standards/standard_cim.php
Data Documentation Initiative http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/DDI/ The Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) is an effort to establish an international XML-based standard for the content, presentation, transport, and preservation of documentation for datasets in the social and behavioral sciences.


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Psychological Stress Affects Male Fertility
the MPR take:
While perceived stress and stressful life events may impact semen quality, it seems that work-related stress does not. From 2005–2008, 193 men between the ages of 38–49 were studied on the relationship between stress measures like job strain, perceived stress, and stressful life events and outcome measures of sperm concentration, percentage of motile sperm, and percentage of morphologically normal sperm. The researchers found that perceived stress was inversely related to sperm concentration and that men who experienced two or more stressful life events in the past year had a lower percentage of motile sperm and a lower percentage of morphologically normal sperm. While unemployment was associated with reduced semen quality, job strain was not.
Psychological stress may degrade sperm quality and sperm fertility, according to a study published today in the journal of Fertility and Sterility. "Men who feel stressed are more likely to have lower concentrations of sperm in their ejaculate, and the sperm they have are more likely to be misshapen or have impaired motility," said researcher Pam Factor-Litvak, an epidemiologist at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health, in a statement.
READ FULL ARTICLE From Time


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San Diego Pet Expo
- Details
- Category: Events
- Published: Sunday, 01 January 2017 11:02
The San Diego Pet Expo.
a pet's life magazine was happy to join in all the fun at The San Diego Pet Expo in Del Mar. Four-legged friends received "spa treatments" from local groomers, sampled delicious treats, and learned pet-care tips from animal welfare organizations. Various rescue groups such as Second Chance Dog Rescue, FACE Foundation and more brought awareness to adopting your new best friend.


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Protect Your Financial Assets; CSULB Seminar Begins Tuesday
2011-01-20 · By Editor
The Office of Estate and Gift Planning at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is offering a free, three-part seminar series titled "Protect Your Financial Assets…Today, Tomorrow and Always" at the Long Beach campus.
The three-part series begins Tuesday, Jan. 25, with its opening seminar on "Protecting What You Have Now: Investment Strategies and Risk Management," followed by the second offering on Wednesday, Feb. 9, titled "Protecting What You Will Have for the Future: Retirement Planning Ideas, Insurance and Health Care Options," and concluding with the final segment on Tuesday, Feb. 22, called "Protecting What You Leave to Others: Estate Planning, Including Wills and Trusts."
Each of the seminars will run from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the CSULB's Pyramid Annex Conference Center. Those attending are directed to enter the campus using the Atherton Street/Merriam Way entrance and park in Lot 13, the lot adjacent to the Walter Pyramid.
"This three-part series will answer many of the financial planning and tax questions during this unpredictable economic climate," said Susan Berkman, CSULB's assistant vice president for estate and planned giving. "Professionals from various fields will be on hand to share ideas, answer questions and give updates on planning for the future with the ever-changing tax codes."
Berkman stressed that the seminar series is for educational purposes only. There is no sales pitch, and no products will be sold.
While the seminar series is free, registration is required, and space is limited. Those interested can register by phone at 562/985-5607 or register online here. For more information, contact Rachel Sanchez firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The Importance of Milk and Milk Products as Reliable Sources of Calcium
Not only are milk and milk products high in calcium, but the calcium they provide also has good bioavailability, i.e., it is easily accessible to the body. In contrast, most plant sources contain lower amounts and/or less bioavailable calcium.
In Canada, nutrient recommendations (Dietary Reference Intakes [DRIs]) are established in collaboration with the U.S. by expert committees of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), who base their decision upon an extensive review of the available scientific evidence. For calcium, the recommended intakes have been determined as those necessary to maintain calcium balance and bone health.1
The calcium requirements for the different age categories are listed in the table below. While recommendations may differ from country to country, the DRIs are fairly consistent with most national and international recommendations. For instance, the IOM's calcium requirement for adults is 1,000 mg per day,2 which is similar to the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendation.3
|Recommended calcium intake, mg/day
|Older adults
Note: Age cutoffs for each life stage differ slightly for the IOM vs. WHO.
Milk and milk products such as yogurt and cheese provide good amounts of calcium. Additionally, cow's milk has good bioavailability, with a calcium absorption rate of about 30% to 35%.4
While certain dark green vegetables, such as broccoli and kale, have a higher absorption rate, they contain less calcium. To obtain the same amount of calcium found in one cup (1 serving) of milk, more than two cups (4 servings) of broccoli would have to be eaten.
Furthermore, the bioavailability of calcium from plant sources can be compromised by the presence of certain compounds. Some foods contain oxalic and phytic acids, which bind with calcium to form insoluble complexes and interfere with calcium absorption. These foods are considered to be poor sources of calcium.2
- Examples of foods with high levels of oxalic acid include spinach and rhubarb.
- Eating spinach at the same time as milk reduces the absorption of the calcium in the milk;5
- When assessing calcium intake, PEN (Practice-Based Evidence in Nutrition), the knowledge transfer tool developed by Dietitians of Canada indicates that calcium from spinach and rhubarb should not be included.6
- Examples of foods with high levels of phytic acid include wheat bran and whole-grain products, which are high in fibre.
- However, as the Canadian diet is generally low in dietary fibre, it is not recommended to limit the intake of phytic acid.6
As plant sources of calcium may be less bioavailable, they can be a barrier to adequate calcium intake. Therefore, diets consisting of only plant sources of calcium need to be evaluated for bioavailability.6
In conclusion, although milk and milk products are not the only source of calcium, consuming them as part of a healthy diet makes it easier to meet calcium requirements.
- Health Canada. 2012. Vitamin D and calcium: updated dietary reference intakes. www.hc-sc.gc.ca. Accessed July 17, 2015.
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary reference intakes for calcium and vitamin D. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 2010.
- World Health Organization and Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Vitamin and mineral requirements in human nutrition, second edition. 2004.
- Weaver CM and Plawecki KL. Dietary calcium: adequacy of a vegetarian diet. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59:1238S-1241S.
- Heaney RP et al. Calcium absorbability from spinach. Am J Clin Nutr 1988;47:707-709.
- Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition. 2011. Should individuals with osteoporosis avoid dietary oxalates and phytates due to the effect on the absorption of calcium? www.pennutrition.com. Accessed July 17, 2015.
Keywords: calcium , bioavailability , recommendations


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I had a rough week but was lucky enough to come out of it unscathed. Nothing gained, nothing lost.
Lots of fun stuff on the social calendar for this week, which in my book means good food is involved.
The plan is to pick up my exercising.
I overindulged at the BBQ yesterday (the ribs were bangin'), I'm taking a trip with 3T and family to Hershey Park, and Saturday will probably be a date night.
I'm a sick, sick puppy who is already thinking about all the goodies I want to eat at the park. Chocolate (of course), funnel cakes, hot dogs and fries. (OMG, I seriously can't remember the last time I ate a hotdog!)
Wonder how many calories walking around the park will burn off?
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
I had a rough week but was lucky enough to come out of it unscathed. Nothing gained, nothing lost.
Posted by TooFatties at 10:13 AM 1 comments Links to this post
Monday, May 25, 2009
I have finally broken through the fat ceiling and lost weight!
To me losing 3lbs is like losing 40; it feels so great!
I guess I'm going to gain it all back today because it is the fateful holiday BBQ and, it's at my parents' house.
My parents' house is my weakness.
It might as well be the candy covered house from Hansel and Gretel b/c when I'm there I eat everything in sight; walls, floors, ceilings, all of it.
I think it's the wonder of having tons of food around that I didn't have to prepare myself.
Food always tastes better when it's made by someone else, and flavored with their blood, sweat, and tears.
Plus, when I cook, I ruin my appetite by tasting.
And, I'm so exhausted from the cutting, chopping, measuring, browning, and creating of awesomeness that I barely want to even eat (it does happen, just rarely).
So, the parents' house is the perfect solution: everything I like, no work involved.
I will commence to stuffing my face.
I went running, though, to try to at least get my metabolism in gear.
The two of us have a big day ahead.
Enjoy your holiday!
Posted by Dumb Mom at 5:12 AM 2 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Stuffing It
My face.
Every since I let my guard down to enjoy my birthday, I have been stuffing it.
I actually think that I consumed so much ooey, gooey, greasy goodness this weekend that Sunday night featured me, and my porcelain homeboy getting very friendly with each other.
Let's review what I ate this weekend, and then you can tell me (actually, just spare me b/c I can't handle the truth) if there is any chance of me NOT gaining weight this week.
Naughty Foods:
Ice cream cake (2 slices)
Huge Steak (w/some sorta flavored butter smeared on top)
Shoestring Fries
salad with regular dressing
Various alcoholic beverages (probably only 2 and a half)
regular (gasp!) soda
chocolate covered almonds (nearly an entire Costco sized bag)
shrimp sandwich from Cheesecake Factory
tons of avocado (some delicious appetizer from CCF)
french fries
sweet tea
more popcorn
ice cream
and undoubtedly a few other items that I have chosen to forget in order to maintain any sense of self I have remaining
It wasn't all bad, though.
I have discovered a healthy snack that I quite enjoy: roasted edamame.
It is pretty yum, once you get over the initial shock of the taste which is kinda like sunflower seeds, but not quite as good.
They grow on you.
And, if you can't stomach them plain, they are really good on salads.
That's the bright side.
The only bright side.
That, and the fact that I ran every day this past weekend, to try to counteract some of the food.
Doubt it worked.
I fully intend to skip my weekly weigh in.
What I don't know can't hurt me:) -3T
Posted by Dumb Mom at 4:30 AM 2 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
I didn't post last week. Maybe I should have.
Because last week I could've shouted from the roof top that I lost two pounds.
But this week?
This week, I'm back to my normal crappy lose some, gain some pattern.
I gained a pound.
Yeah, it's only one pound but I would have rather the scale not move at all then gain even a little.
Guess I partied (and ate) like it was my birthday and not 3T's.
My aerobics class is also coming to an end and it looks like I'll have to find another one to attend. The class time is changing so I won't be able to make it because…I have a job.
Apparently the Department of Parks and Recreation thinks that most people who want to participate in their exercise classes are available to attend Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:30 and 11 a.m., since this is when the bulk of their classes are offered.
Don't know for sure, but I highly doubt Granny wants to join a kickboxing class. Could be wrong but I'm pretty confident in my thinking here.
Posted by TooFatties at 9:16 AM 1 comments Links to this post
Friday, May 15, 2009
It's my birthday and I'll eat if I want to
Starting with chocolate covered almonds.
Thank you, Costco for adding this delightful little number to your inventory.
I've looked at them sitting on your shelf for two weeks now and today I said, Self, it's your birthday, might has well enjoy it.
So, I bought them, and now I am eating them (with a diet coke chaser!).
And, I am smiling.
I like to stretch out my birthday celebrations over an entire weekend, and since my idea of fun generally always includes food (and possibly alcohol), I don't expect to make much progress this week.
Although, I don't expect to make much progress any week, because (per my previous posts), I have not lost any weight yet.
A few ounces (yes, I count those too), here and there, but that's it.
I figure, if even on the days/weeks when I am eating well and working out nothing happens, then there is not much reason for me to deny myself birthday pleasure, is there?
Now if I gain two pounds this week, I will be very pissed.
Actually, maybe I won't, because at least then I can lose it next week and finally feel happy that what I am doing is working.
I'm still gonna run so hopefully, some of the bad I put in will be canceled out by the good I am doing on the outside.
Catch up with you when my drug (aka food) induced stupor wears off sometime next week:) -3T
Posted by Dumb Mom at 10:33 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: birthday. celebrate, chocolate
Monday, May 11, 2009
This is all I can think these days.
Where has all the fat gone?
It's exactly where it was last week (and the week before, and the week before, and...).
Attached to my fat ass.
Not sure why I can't seem to lose weight.
Let's rewind to about four/five weeks ago.
I was doing nothing to lose weight.
No exercise. No food intake moderation. Nothing.
I was enjoying brownie batter, and ice cream , and mini Kit Kats. I was ordering sausage at breakfast, and french fries at dinner.
I was happy with my food choices, but miserable with my fatness.
So, silly me, I decided to make a change.
I cut out the junk (mostly), and got moving.
I have been eating oatmeal for lunch and veggies (alongside my Smart Ones meal) for dinner.
This weekend I ran 4 miles (last weekend I did 5). Maybe that doesn't sound like much, but it is 100% more than what I was doing 4/5 weeks ago.
So why am I still fat?
Why do my clothes fit the same?
Why do I look and feel the same?
Why has the scale not moved one pound?
It must be broken. That's what it is, it's broken!
Next week I will weigh somewhere else.
'Cause, seriously, if I don't mark a change soon, I will be enjoying brownie mix unabashedly for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the only thing that will be able to stop me is a wicked case of diarrhea. -3T
Posted by Dumb Mom at 1:20 PM 2 comments Links to this post
Friday, May 8, 2009
Blame it on a-a-a-a-a-alcohol
I'm back from Florida and at this point two pounds heavier again. I say at this point because at my next weigh in (Monday) I will not be surprised if the numbers go up even more.
I tried to be good. I tried to make good choices but my lack of will power, in addition to alcohol consumption, and well, things got bad. Drinking lowers inhibitions. For some chicks that means turning into promiscuous ho bags—for me it means eating anything in sight.
I really need to get my ass in gear. This up and down is just a waste of time. There is really no point in suffering for a week only to throw it all out the window the next. I've been at this for about two months now and am only down 5 pounds and still fucking fat.
I think part of my problem is that on a daily basis I feel pretty good about myself. Yes, I look in the mirror but it just doesn't seem that bad. But seeing a picture of myself snapped my ass back to reality quick. 3T just sent me some pics she took a few weeks ago. Not cute. Not cute at all. (And no way in HELL am I putting those on my internet dating profile.) And then I did this self torture thing where I compared the photos of today to those from last year…when I weighed 20 pounds less. Why did I let myself get back here?
Seriously, I've got to get it together.
Posted by TooFatties at 8:18 AM 1 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
See Mommy Run
Because I have been.
The sadness caused by my lack of weight loss is gone (almost), and I have been inspired to do more, push harder, to reach my goal. You know, my goal of losing at least one stinkin' pound.
To make it happen, I have fully gotten back into running.
I have a true love/hate relationship with the sport.
I hate getting ready to do. I hate how it makes me feel for the first five or ten minutes. And, I hate that since I don't have a treadmill or a jogging stroller, I can only do it when Hubby is home to keep the kids.
Because, I also love it. I love how I feel after the first five or ten minutes. I love how accomplished I feel when I'm done doing it. And I love that, since I don't have a treadmill or a jogging stroller, Hubby has to watch the kids (and I can be alone) when I do it.
Hubby was home, so I ran Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
I didn't go very far, and I didn't go very fast, but I went which is more than I can say for the week before.
And, I noticed that by Sunday, I was going a little bit further, a little bit faster, and without all the heavy-breathing-I-think-I'm-gonna-die stuff.
So, lets hope that when I weigh myself at the end of the week I note a difference.
If not, there will be hell to pay, body, and you will be S-O-R-R-Y! -3T
Posted by Dumb Mom at 10:57 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Friday, May 1, 2009
Today was a sad day in the land of 3T.
I learned that after a week of salads for lunch and weight watchers meals for dinner, working at least once and sometimes twice a day, and putting myself through a form of torture that should be recognized by the Geneva Conventions, that I did not lose one. Single, Effing, Pound.
I hate my face (and my thighs, and my back, and my disgusting, wiggly, gut) right now.
I am unable to provide any words of wisdom for those of you beginning this treacherous journey.
And (for the first time ever), I am all outta witty one liners and smart alecky quips.
Right now I am just sad. Very, very, sad that, as I approach my 31st birthday, I remain unhappy with my body bag that is perpetually trapping the pretty young thang that I know I still am inside.
For the first time ever, I am too sad to eat. For dinner tonight I ate two pieces of sushi and a couple of strawberries, and guess what, I'm not even hungry.
So, friends, I will return in a few days when I am better able to be a pleasant companion in the weight loss journey, because no one likes a Mopey Mabel hanging around them when they can't even turn to ice cream and chocolate chip cookies for joy and comfort. -3T
Posted by Dumb Mom at 6:50 PM 0 comments Links to this post


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Hey there everybody! I am going to go on a bit of a rant today. Why is it so hard to find a good book these days? With so many options out there you would think finding a good author or even just a good read would be easy to come by but it isn't. In the last few weeks I found a really good author and I'm reading through her books but not binge reading for the simple fact I don't want to finish all her books just yet. But trying to find something in between is getting so hard. It seems so many authors have jumped on the same band wagon and it's hard to find something to read. When I first started reading romance I found so many great authors and great reads with only a few eye roll inducing reads in between and now it feels like I find only a few great reads in between bleh books. What's happening? Is it me changing my views, have I read everything good out there, am I not looking in the right places? I just don't know any more. I have this huge craving to just read but I can't seem to find read after read that I love. Just a few books here and there for me aren't enough. I want to finish a book I love and pick up another that is just as good if not better. I want the book hangovers and the stories in my head all the time. The yell it from the roof tops how awesome a book is. The can't put this book down feeling. The eye rolls from my boyfriend being like these aren't real people Stacey give it up but still listening to me tell him the story cause it's so fricking interesting. What happened to these books where have they gone? Or the hilariously written books that I HAVE to read out loud to him so he gets the jokes too, I haven't had one of those in so long! Maybe this is just me bitching and have found a low spot in books I feel like reading, maybe I'm being too picky, maybe I have too high of expectations for other reads after reading something really good. Whatever the problem is I'd like a solution cause I don't want to become bored while reading, it's what I love and my form of entertainment. I just need to get back on track with fantastic reads. I'm sure everyone goes through times like these and this is just a real big one for me haha. Maybe my standards are too high after so many years but I didn't set those standards its just whatever I like or the way I feel while reading so that may be impossible. Maybe with this post I should ask for any reads from others that got them out of their book slumps or books/authors that are absolute must read?
Are you in the same situation or have you ever been? What book got you out of your slump? Let me know and maybe we could do a 'get out of a book slump' post!
Happy Reading!


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A good credit report and credit score are important factors in determining whether or not you will be approved for a mortgage. Here are some simple steps you can take to maintain a good credit history — and improve your chances of being approved.
What is a Credit Score?
Your credit score is a number that illustrates your financial health at a specific point in time. It also serves ...


text: + Article code: BLUD, Surgical Steel 316L/Acryl Barbell with Die × Please select M One for the players and gamblers: 1.6 mm barbell made of surgical steel with a six-faced die on one end and a ball on the other. Select size and color and pop one in your cart! Base price $1.11 ? $1.11 Add to cart Add to watchlist