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Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Friday said the exposure of Zia family's corruption has started burning up the BNP with mental agony.
"The corruption of BNP has exceeded fairy tales. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has honesty and courage in revealing the truth before the people," he told a winter-cloth distribution ceremony organized by Dhaka City South unit of Awami League marking the 4th anniversary of the present government at Kamalapur Railway Station's West Gate, BSS reports.
Railways Minister Mujibul Haque addressed the function as the special guest while AL Office Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap and Dhaka City South unit of Awami League General Secretary Shahe Alam Murad, among others, spoke on the occasion. Dhaka City South unit of AL President Abul Hasnat chaired it.
Quader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina exposed the corruption of Zia family at the Jatiya Sangsad on the basis of reports of national and international media.
"Media at home and abroad reported that Zia's family is involved in investing in various sectors, including shopping malls and restaurants, in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore and Malaysia through money laundering," he added.
About the remarks of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir about the design of Padma Bridge, Quader said the BNP leader will be brought to justice if he could not prove any defects in the design of Padma Bridge.
"Mirza Fakhrul claimed that there are defects in the design of Padma Bridge. You should submit facts and information in support of your claim. Otherwise you will have to face the court," he added.
About the curbing of militancy, the minister said, the country's law enforcement agencies have become role models in eliminating militancy. It is truly praiseworthy in the way the law enforcers curbed the militancy in the country, he added.
Quader said apart from Awami League no political party stands beside the cold-hit people.
"Coming to know the sufferings of cold-hit people in northern districts of Panchagarh, Thakurgaon and Dinajpur, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked us to stand beside the cold-hit people immediately. We have distributed one crore blankets among the people," he added.
He said: "We stood beside the cold-hit people cancelling our party's secretariat meeting. Apart from winter-cloths we have distributed cash money among the people."
Pointing to BNP, Quader said BNP did not stand beside the cold-hit people and haor people and flood-affected people.
Though the BNP leaders went to affected areas for a day, they did nothing except going for photo-sessions and criticizing the government, he added.
The Awami League general secretary said the BNP does not do politics for lessening the sufferings of people but they want to do politics capitalizing on the people's sufferings.
Later, Quader joined a discussion on "harmony and peace" marking the 155th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda at Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University. Bangladesh Vivekananda Shiksha O Sangskriti Parishad organized the discussion.
Parishad President Chandranath Poddar chaired the function while Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Dhaka Principal Dhrubeshananda Maharaj attended it as the guest of honor.
Dhaka University Pro-Vice Chancellor (academic) Professor Dr Nasreen Ahmad, Distinguished Fellow of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Dhaka University Teachers' Association President Professor ASM Maksud Kamal and DU Jagannath Hall Provost Professor Asim Sarker, among others, were present on the occasion.
Editor : M. Shamsur Rahman
Published by the Editor on behalf of Independent Publications Limited at Media Printers, 446/H, Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1215.
Editorial, News & Commercial Offices : Beximco Media Complex, 149-150 Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh. GPO Box No. 934, Dhaka-1000.
Editor : M. Shamsur Rahman
Published by the Editor on behalf of Independent Publications Limited at Media Printers, 446/H, Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1215.
Editorial, News & Commercial Offices : Beximco Media Complex, 149-150 Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh. GPO Box No. 934, Dhaka-1000.


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Gun Buyback Horrors
Includes .22 Standard, Mark I, Mark II, Mark III and all Centerfire Semi-Auto Pistols.
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Gun Buyback Horrors
I was looking at news articles on Gun Buybacks and noticed a picture of some turned in on December 26th 2012 in Los Angeles CA. On top of a barrel of turned in handguns was a couple of Ruger 22's. There was an RST4 & an RST6 right in plain view. It's enough to make you sick to see those fine handguns there waiting to be melted for scrap.
Re: Gun Buyback Horrors
Oh you are so right, that is an outright shame!! Guess watching them cut 'em up would be even worse!!
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- Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2010 8:20 pm
Re: Gun Buyback Horrors
Time was... there used to be enough crappy old guns around that an offer to pay a hundred dollars each for any gun just to burn it could be a windfall. Anymore, with GunBroker I guess every gun in the world is worth at least a hundred dollars.
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The Public Library, Completely Reimagined
You'll hear a lot of talk about the "death of the public library" these days. It isn't simply the perpetual budget crises that many face either. It's the move to digital literature, and the idea that once there are no more print books (or rather if there are no more print books), the library as an institution will cease to exist.
Librarians will remind you, of course, that a library is much more than a book repository. It's an information center (free and open information, I should add). It's an educational center. It's a digital access center. It's a community center. It's fairly clear when you describe the library like this that none of these roles are going away (nor should they), no matter what format our reading habits may move to.
But these new formats will indeed change libraries -- how they operate as well as how they look. As our books become digitized, there may be less need for row upon of bookshelves. And as such, that's a great opportunity for libraries to re-think how to use that space.
Earlier this year, MAKE Magazine's Phillip Torrone wrote a provocative article asking "Is it time to rebuild and retool libraries and make 'techshops'?" In other words, should libraries join some of the other new community centers that are being created (such as General Assembly which we covered yesterday) and become "hackerspaces" or "makerspaces"?
Sponsored By
"Yes!", says librarian Lauren Smedley, who is in the process of creating what might just be the first maker-space within a U.S. public library. The Fayetteville Free Library where Smedley works is building a Fab Lab -- short for fabrication laboratory -- that will provide free public access to machines and software for manufacturing and making things.
So far, the Fab Lab is equipped with a MakerBot, a 3D printer that lets you "print" plastic pieces of your own design. The potential for 3D printers to revolutionize manufacturing as we know it is huge: imagine being able to design and then manufacture -- or "print" -- whatever you want. Moreoever, imagine the tools of manufacturing being in the hands of everyone, not just giant factories (and remember, since this is a public library, this is really putting the technology in the hands of everyone, not just those that can afford a membership at a traditional hackerspace).
Smedley says she plans on adding other equipment as well, including a CNC Router and a laser cutter. Smedley helped her library win a $10,000 innovation grant at the recent Contact Summit in New York and is also raising money via an Indiegogo campaign. She's reaching out to local science teachers, as well as encouraging those already active in area hackerspaces and makerspaces to get involved. Her plans also include offering free classes and programs for the community, including Introduction to 3D Printing, 3D design software training, computer programming, and Geek Girl Camps.
Sponsored By
The Fayetteville Free Library is actually housed in part in an old furniture factory, so the site already has a "history of making," says Smedley. But as a new-to-the-profession librarian herself, Smedley has been thinking a lot about "innovation in public libraries": what belongs in a 21st century library? What should a 21st century library look like? What resources should it offer?
Smedley says she wants to prove that libraries aren't just about books. They are about free access to information and to technology -- and not just to reading books or using computers, but actually building and making things.


text: The app gives you an opportunity to order a professional retouch of your favorite photos easily, anonymously and at affordable price. Send us your selfie, and other photos. It runs around the clock, seven days a week.- we are available 24/7. Average time of editing 10-30 min. Processing is carried out by experienced retouchers using professional photo editors and professional devices to ensure the highest quality. All you need is to specify what you want to edit, and then after a short time you get a processed photograph. You may send edited photos to your friends and post them on the Web. ------------------------------------------ Basic processing capabilities: Retouch Slim body Enlarge breast Push-up effect Slim waist Slim arms Round butt Sexy body Long legs Thinner legs Big muscles Slim face Reduce wrinkles Remove pimples Fit belly Body plastic Tan White teeth Figure correction You can write what exactly you want to change


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Peak Experiences
The American philosopher and naturalist Henry David Thoreau roamed far and wide over the hills and mountains of his native Massachusetts and neighboring New Hampshire. In his masterwork, "Walden," ...View Article
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You don't have to be religious to appreciate the monumental architecture of many mosques and cathedrals and the fantastic works of art to be found within. Visit Istanbul, and I challenge you not to stand in silent awe beneath the magnificent bejewelled dome of the Blue Mosque.
But sometimes, much more modest buildings hide treasures of equal grandeur and artistic importance. Cappadocia in central Turkey is famed for its fairy chimneys and rock churches. Some are staggering in the complexity of their construction - or rather 'excavation' - yet even some of the smaller and most inconspicuous churches hide wall paintings of unbelievable colour and vibrancy (left). Although the open-air museum in Goreme is the best place to go and see lots of examples, there are others that one almost stumbles upon, when walking in Cappadocia.
Take a walk along a quiet valley just outside the pretty village of La Brigue in the French Alpes-Maritimes, and you'll reach a rather unassuming building at the end of a quiet lane that gives no indication of the extent of the veritable treasure trove hidden inside. Virtually every square inch of the interior walls of the church of Notre Dame des Fontaines is covered with vivid paintings depicting the life of the Virgin Mary and the Passion of Christ in all its gore and glory (right). Painted by two Italian artists - it's only a few kilometres to the border - Giovanni Baleison and Giovanni Canavesio, the work was completed in 1492 and, though it's hard to believe, these clear, colourful and detailed paintings have never been restored.
If you think this is a continental phenomenon, think again. Churches in England were once adorned with colourful paintings too, and despite the ravages - and whitewash - of the Reformation, there are still a few hidden gems out there. In the Middle Ages, paintings were an important tool of the clergy in teaching a mostly illiterate congregation the biblical and other Christian stories. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the Church St Peter & St Paul in Pickering, on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors and just a few miles from Inntravel's offices. This has scenes ranging from the Coronation of the Virgin Mary and the martyrdom of St Edmund to the death of St Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral and St George slaying the dragon (left). Taken as a whole, the Pickering murals are an astonishing medieval record, and well worth a visit.


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HomeAway.co.uk, the home of Holiday-Rentals®, is part of the HomeAway family. As the world leader in holiday rentals, we offer the largest selection of properties for any travel occasion and every budget. We're committed to helping families and friends find the perfect holiday rental to create unforgettable travel experiences together.
We wanted to be surrounded by nature, tranquillity and the beauty of the countryside but not stuck in the middle of nowhere. We had read about Extremadura and it was obvious that Trujillo was the gem of the region. As soon as we saw Villa Moritos on the owner's website, we knew we had found something special and were excited at the prospect of a holiday there. We weren't disappointed!
The property and gardens are simply beautiful and exceeded our expectations. The website and photos really don't do it justice. The bedrooms are large with high quality beds and linen. The air-conditioning and en-suite bathrooms a welcome bonus. Every room in the house has French doors overlooking the gardens and the astounding views.
The accommodation strikes the perfect balance between luxury, comfort and cosiness.Our personal favourite was the terrace outside the master bedroom, where we had breakfast every day and at night enjoyed gazing at stars whilst taking in the beautiful scent of jasmine and orange blossom. Every sunset was different and spectacular! Not to be missed!
During the day, we relaxed in the magical gardens enjoying stunning uninterrupted views of the countryside. Surrounded by storks, eagles, and buzzards you can't help but be transported back in time. The swimming pool kept all ages entertained and we ate our meals in the outdoor dining terrace which is takes al fresco dining to a whole new level. For an extra bonus, we treated ourselves to the in-house villa menu which was well worth the experience, home cooked local delicacies and the best creamy tortilla we have ever eaten!
We also visited the sights in Extremadura, well worth the short drive! We'd recommend the Roman ruins at Merida and wildlife at Monfrague.
We found the experience friendly and professional from the outset. Nothing was too much trouble for Angela and her team and we were made to feel welcome from our initial enquiry onwards. Trujillo is "unspoilt Spain" at its best and Villa Moritos one of the most wonderful villas we have ever stayed in! We would highly recommend a stay and look forward to returning for another holiday, even if it's just the two of us. The owners also offer a small group rate. Unbeatable!


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Humans are social creatures and from the moment of birth we tend to seek our place in the civlization. Every person begins his life's journey by looking for companions who will be accompaning him throughout their lives. It is the companion with whom, we can share our feelings and belongings. This companion without whom our life will be a barren wasteland. Such companion is our friend.
When we are young, we make friends very easily and it is at this time span that our friendship blossoms the most. It is the time when we just start to age that we become more and more choosy and possessive. It is from this time on that the only freinds we make are the ones that join us in our paths. We mostly make friends with the people that we study with, the people tha we play with and later the people that we work with. Every friend we make is thrust upon us by destiny. The ease of friendship is lost. So is the truthfullness and our nature of sharing everything that we have.
There is only one way to live and that way is to share. We never look behind to the days that when we shared our joys and sorrows with our friends. Our sorrows were not so sad and life empty but our joys would increase manifold. When we share everything with our friends our bonds are always very strong. For every friendship is based on trust and as long as your friend trusts you he will never leave you. What better way to prove your trust to your friend than haring every moment with your friend.
The next step in friendship is forgiveness. Everytime you forgive your friend only brings you more closer to him or her. when you forgive somebody then he will that your trust in their friendship is more than any damage he may have caused and he will trust you evermore. The final piece in the puzzle of friendship is the most important one. It is respect for each others freedom. you must always respect your friends choices and assist them whenever you can and want to. If you cannot respect what your friend says or does then you will never be able to assume that they will respect your ways.
If you can have all of these virtues with every person that comes in contact with you then you will not only be the best of friends with everybody but also the luckiest person on the earth. It is only the luckiest person on earth that can share all his life surrounded by the best of his friends. It is such life that you must desire and make efforts for.


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P > POLYCORP > Poly 1 Educational Computer
mini forum is intended to provide a simple means of discussion
about the Polycorp Poly 1 Educational Computer computer. If you want to share your own experience or memories,
or add relevant information about this system: post a message!
For other purposes like sales messages, hardware & software
questions or information requests, please use our main
I went to High School in New Zealand in the 80s. My school still had a computer lab with a dozen or so Poly 1 and a couple of Poly 2 computers. They were a strange looking machine, and very heavy. I remember the keyboards on the Poly 1 had copper plates at the sides to let you de-static yourself before using them. They were all networked, and shared a central "server" which looked like a large box with a couple of 8" floppy disk drives. The shared printers also plugged into the "server". Software was very simple - I remember a very basic word processor, and we were taught Pascal on it.One of the guys I went to school with is trying to preserve and document information about these machines: http://www.cs.otago.ac.nz/homepages/andrew/poly/Poly.htm
The CPU speed has to be 1 Mhz, because the 6809 was never rated for 4 Mhz. (2 Mhz in Motorola made parts, 3 Mhz for some hitachi ones)


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Photo credit: AlBargan / Flickr
With gas prices fluctuating at rapid rates and concern rising over vehicular emissions and their impact on the environment, it's no surprise that hybrid cars have been becoming increasingly more popular in recent years.
Between their heightened fuel economy and their environmentally-conscious designs, hybrids are helping drivers build roads to a more affordable and sustainable future. If you are looking to jump into the hybrid market but don't know yet where to start, the 11 vehicles listed here should help to orient you.
11. Ford Fusion
The Ford Fusion is the best-selling hybrid vehicle in the United States, and according to most critics, there are plenty of reasons why. The car is highly rated across the board, from performance and safety to interior design. For buyers looking to chart their first foray into the hybrid car market – or for those who want to buy American-made vehicles – the Ford Fusion is a great place to start.
10. Honda Accord Hybrid
Since the Honda Accord is most known as a non-hybrid Sedan, many buyers forget that it also comes in a more energy-efficient hybrid format. Honda has always excelled at bringing outstanding fuel economy to their cars, and that fact only rings truer with their foray into Hybrid territory.
The Honda Accord Hybrid is reputed to achieve nearly 50 miles to the gallon. And while gas mileage may be the Accord's biggest draw, its roomy interior and Honda-grade performance, reliability, and longevity make it one of the best hybrid cars on the market.
9. Chevrolet Volt
Reviewers have criticized the Chevy Volt for a cramped interior design and a lack of dashboard features, but the car delivers in terms of sheer fuel economy like nothing else. The Volt has an EPA gas mileage rating that pushes – and even at times surpasses – 100 miles per gallon.
With numbers like that, the Chevy Volt has understandably been able to attract the attention of drivers who have never thought much about hybrid automobiles.
8. Toyota Camry Hybrid
The gas-only version of the Camry is America's best-selling passenger car, a fact that, by itself, makes the hybrid version worth noting. Reviewers have noted that the Camry Hybrid handles and drives much like its non-hybrid counterpart, a fact that should draw the eyes and ears of drivers looking to improve their gas mileage without changing the way they drive.


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California Animal Rescue
Address:P.O. Box 2179
Healdsburg, CA 95448
Get Directions
Phone:(707) 293-4470
California Animal Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rescue group dedicated to the rescue of homeless animals from county shelters and out in the streets, and control of the population thru diligent spaying and neutering. We consist of a group of volunteers who rescue animals, foster them in our homes and place them up for adoption. Although we are a non-profit corporation, in practicality, we are just a handful of dedicated animal-loving volunteers. We all have jobs, families and busy lives, but we're all committed to saving animals. Often we stay up nights bottle feeding kittens, or nursing sick or injured animals or making trips to the emergency vet. Since we operate out of our own homes, our space is very limited so we limit our focus to rescuing animals in dire need. During spring and summer, we have seasonal foster parents that help us during the busiest times, taking in litters of tiny sick kittens or pregnant momcats. We always need more fosters so please contact us if you're interested in fostering! Remember even Superman had foster parents. We rescue many animals from euthanasia at overcrowded county shelters, as well as taking in orphans and homeless animals found by people on their property, or sadly abandoned in front of stores or on roadsides. By taking these animals under our wing we alleviate shelter overcrowding and give these animals a chance at a good home. We foster the animals in our homes, often nursing many of them back to health, then have them spayed/neutered, microchipped, vaccinated & wormed before putting them up for adoption.
Once Adoption application is approved, a home visit is performed and meeting with potential adopter to make sure animal is going to be a good fit.
Adoption Fees:
•Cats/Kittens: Starting at $100.
•Dogs: Starting at $300.
•Puppies: Starting at $350
What do you get for the adoption fee?
•Spay/neuter - Each animal has already been spayed or neutered. This is the majority of the adoption fee.
•Microchip - Each animal has been microchipped.
•Vaccinations - Each animal has had its 1st and often 2nd set of vaccines. Puppies and kittens can only have initial vaccines. All adult dogs have had rabies shots. A written medical history is included with each adoption.
•Worming - We routinely worm the cats and dogs (experience has taught us that this is all too common an issue with homeless pets).
•No Fleas! - All of our animals have been treated with Advantage.
•Healthy cats & dogs - We don't put them up for adoption if they're sick. Upper respiratory infections are the most common, especially in shelter animals. They get any needed medical treatment, from upper respiratory infections to ringworm, from abcesses to amputations. Anyone who gets sick goes to back into foster care until they're healthy. The adoption fee is the same regardless of their medical history, which is why we always welcome donations.


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1 Accommodation
Limestone Lodge is a luxurious self-catering house, sleeping 8, just ten minutes from Cavan town and beside the Killykeen Forest park. It is child friendly and pet friendly, with on-site playground.
Read more
Want to know more? Ask a question in our Community, they're the people who know Ireland best.
For more information on travel, accommodation and attractions have a look at our brochures and maps.
If you're a visitor from the island of Ireland you may want to visit one of these sites… Otherwise proceed to Ireland.com
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Specialized Turbo
Specialized is claiming the Turbo eBike electronic bicycle to be the fastest electronic bicycle yet, and at a max speed of 28 mph it sounds like its got competition beat! What do you guys think of ebikes? I personally think if they're great. Never ridden one and don't really intend to ever own one either, but what about all those people fed up with over-paying at the gas pump? If they'll get more people to drive less then that's a great thing. Maybe those people will eventually get a "real" bike for the weekends too. Every cycling junky had their gateway at one point or another.


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I'd spent an entire year in Parkersburg before discovering this jewel of a park. It's a bit off the beaten track, not that easy to find (if you're not a local), but the view is glorious.
The park overlooks downtown Parkersburg, the Ohio River, and Belpre, Ohio, just across the river.
The view from Quincy Park inspires me to seek out the most stunning, panoramic views of any city I visit. These photographs, found on Flickr, are wonderful, and capture a charming side of the old city of Parkersburg.
When I climbed the picturesque steps of Montmarte, in Paris, I thought, "This reminds me of Quincy Park" (only not as steep).
I look at these pictures and I'm 19 again, sitting on a park bench with friends, gazing off into the horizon, wondering where life will lead us...
photos by Andrew & Courtney Holbrook
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Places I Miss: Quincy Park, Parkersburg, WV
2 comments:
Great to see someone that appreciates Quincy Park as much as I. I spent alot of time up there with friends and by myself. I moved away for college, but every time I come home, I try and get up there. Now that it looks as though I may be moving back, I can't wait to get my excercise running the steps, and watching the sun set there. Hard to beat. Thanks for the oics. Great job!
- February 5, 2011 at 8:48 PM
- Syifa Zahra said...
- January 1, 2018 at 5:26 PM
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DAR acting on sale of CARP lands
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Lucrecia Taberna yesterday said the Department of Agrarian Reform-Negros Occidental 2 is strengthening its campaign against the illegal sale, transfer and leasing of lands awarded to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries.Taberna said the department has bulked up its campaign after receiving reports of rampant "prenda-arriendo" in Southern Negros.
As part of the massive campaign, the provincial office posted tarpaulins in barangays, cities and municipalities covered by DAR-Neg. Occ. 2 to spread awareness among ARBs and residents.
"The department is not tolerating illegal sale, transfer, lease or any other form of conveyance by a beneficiary of the right of ownership, right to use, or any usufructuary right over the land acquired under Administrative Order No. 7, series of 2011, as amended," she said.
Under the law, engaging in such illegal activities can be a ground for the disqualification of a farmer to become a beneficiary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, she also said.*KBC
Source: http://www.visayandailystar.com/2016/August/17/businessnews5.htm


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Here is a complete list of every Housekeeper in Wausau, WI.
Get the names of specific professional Housekeepers by selecting the most appropriate professional category for your needs.
The Trustoria Professional Directory helps everyone find the right person for their next project.
Select a Professional Occupation
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House Cleaner (87)
Housekeeping Aide (87)


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Tim Howard Bill Clinton Write A Song Wednesday -[VIDEO]
This song took a very interesting turn this morning. It started out with a World Cup quote and then it went swiftly off of the rails (in a good way!)
Tim Howard's effort in the World Cup was nothing short of fantastic. He had a very heartfelt news conference after the game against Belgium. You can read about it here at Time.com.
So we started with his quote and then we let you, the listener take over. How it morphed into a song about Bill Clinton is interesting. Here is the audio so you can hear how it went down.
Nice job once again, folks. It never ceases to amaze us how the plot of these songs can completely change from the original intention of the song, but that's what makes it fun! Thanks for your help!
Would you like to hear some of the other songs that have been done in the past


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There's two new words in town. Leftist automata have taken to them like ducks to water. Forget "neoliberal" and "neocon" - they're so passé. What we now have are the words "populist Right".
Yes, Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the UK's Socialist Opposition, has urged "progressive parties" across Europe to unite against the rise of the "populist right".
Mr Corbyn, in a speech at the Party of European Socialists in Prague, was referring to Donald Trump, the Freedom Party in Austria, Marine Le Pen's National Front, and, of course, Ukip.
The Labour leader also accused right-wing parties of being "political parasites" which were "feeding on people's concerns". He went on to say:
"The gap between the rich and poor is widening. Living standards are stagnating or falling. Insecurity is growing. Many people feel left behind by the forces unleashed by globalisation. They feel powerless in the face of de-regulated corporate power."
Now what is all that if it ain't "feeding on people's concerns"?! Corbyn's feeding on people's concerns about falling living standards, the "gap between rich and poor", "insecurity, "globalisation" and "de-regulated corporate power". But, most of all, Corbyn wants to scare people with his fantasies about the "far Right" - or, as it's called this week, "the populist right".
When did being popular become a sin in politics? Or, at the least, why is it assumed that it's a bad thing in progressives' eyes? I suppose that, historically, various socialist vanguards were what really mattered to the Left. The Bolsheviks. The Fabians (i.e., the early Islingtonians). The Red Guard. The Khmer Rouge. And now a tiny bunch of very-posh Islingtonians.
Of course, the leader of the Labour (being regressive-left) offers a traditional Marxist analysis of the current situation. Thus:
1) People aren't against mass immigration because of the threat of terrorism or the Islamisation of the UK.
They're against mass immigration because of the failures of capitalism.
2) They aren't against Muslim grooming gangs because of how they exploit and brutalise young girls.
They're against Muslim grooming gangs because of the failures of capitalism.
3) And they aren't against the EU because it is facilitating mass immigration and subverting our laws.
They're against the EU because of the failures of capitalism. And so on and so on.
When Corbyn say that these "populist parties" have identified many of the "right problems" but that their solutions are "toxic dead ends", he means that the solutions should be Marxist/socialist in nature. Thus, after we've collectivised, nationalised and massively restricted freedom, then Utopia-in-the-UK can flourish.
And again, Corbyn talks about how the capitalist "substructure" is to blame for, well, literally everything. He also tells us that our economics and politics have "failed" and that only a pure and historically-blameless socialism can solve all our problems. This, in Corbyn's own words, is the solution:
"… unless progressive parties and movements break with a failed economic and political establishment, it is the siren voices of the populist far right who will fill that gap."


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CNR Helps Feed Families in Need on Thanksgiving
November 22, 2017
Before daybreak on November 21, 15 CNR students, along with Dr. Michael Gilliam, assistant professor of mathematics, and Tiffani Blake, dean of students, left campus and headed to Chelsea Piers in New York City to once again partner with FeedingNYC by assembling boxes of Thanksgiving meals for families in need.
"It was a rich experience participating in the synergy created by community members rallying together to support such a great cause," said Gilliam. "To see members of CNR working around the room, engaged in such a genuine effort, was really touching."
Each year, FeedingNYC hand delivers thousands of Thanksgiving dinners to those who otherwise may not have a holiday meal. The program that began in 2001 with deliveries to 40 families has now delivered Thanksgiving meals to more than 35,000.
"This volunteer effort is just one of many ways that CNR students learn the power of sharing our gifts with our brothers and sisters in need as God calls us to." said Blake. "This year, our work with FeedingNYC allowed students to help bless more than 5,200 NYC families in need with a nourishing meal for the holiday."


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On Human Rights Day: How the War on Organised Crime Is Destroying Our Societies
It is common knowledge that since 2001, government operations lumped together as "the war on terror" have become an increasing threat to civil liberties in liberal democracies. Key judicial notions like the presumption of innocence and due process are increasingly given short shrift whenever government actions can be justified with reference to the fight against real and imagined "terrorists". In recent years, extrajudicial death sentences in the shape of drone warfare have come to epitomise some of the bluntest setbacks in modern times for hard-fought rule of law principles that were spearheaded by Enlightenment thinkers in the eighteenth century.
There is a second, problematic government "war" going on these days that is getting far less attention than the "war on terror". It is a war where the definition of the target is equally arbitrary, the transgression of civil liberties equally extreme, and the threat to the survival of western liberal democracy equally acute. It consists of a large number of shadowy police operations carried out nationally and internationally with reference to an assumed war on "organised crime".
Today, "organised crime units" or "gang units" can be found in most Western democracies. Exactly like in the case of the war on terror, their "war" involves carpet bombing vaguely defined targets in lieu of a normal judicial process. Since prosecution is no longer the main aim, a domestic equivalent of drone warfare called disruption dominates instead. Police disruption methods range from rather innocuous elements like enhanced supervision and expedited trials, via illegal methods like police stalking and harassment, to serious torture crimes involving unconventional directed energy weapons.
The problem with organised crime operations is that the police tries to seduce the general public with fancy terminology in order to circumvent normal judicial procedure. Of course, the most obvious reason they are doing this is that they are unwilling or unable to bring forward a normal prosecution. The laws or the judges are "wrong" in the eyes of the police, or the suspected criminals aren't quite as criminal as the police thinks after all. But instead of making this police-state admission publicly, the police concocts a whole new vocabulary intended to divert attention from their own basic human rights violations. Exactly as in the case of war on terror, "organised crime" is construed so monstrously that the public is supposed to forget about human rights altogether. Suddenly every sex-work related phenomenon is seen as an expression of horrible "trafficking". Dissidents of whatever political or cultural colour are labelled "gangs", "hooligans", "hackers", or "bikers". For undesirables that fit none of these categories, accusations of sexual "perversion" can always come in handy. In short, with the spread of disruption as a police method, due process and the presumption of innocence are increasingly privileges given mostly to red-handed murderers where the question of guilt is so obvious that the prosecution can afford to show a little magnanimity. For everyone else disliked by the police, there are disruption methods – punishment that is meted out with police officers as jury, judge and executioner.
This of course is not to deny the existence of organised crime as a serious threat. Organised crime is real, exactly in the same way that terror is also real. But the definition of these problems is often so sloppy that the net effect of the government's "warfare" may well be to undermine the concept of rule of law rather than to promote it. This is even more pronounced in the case of the war on the organised crime since few suitable monitoring institutions exist. The spy services who do much of the war on terror are at least recognised as a threat to democracy and therefore have their own specialised oversight mechanisms. But the police departments that prosecute the "war on organised crime" are often subject only to ordinary independent police commissions. Such independent commissions are rarely equipped to deal with things that are more complex than police shootings and deaths in custody. As a consequence, even though organised crime units often possess exactly the same armoury of unconventional weapons that are being used in the war on terror, they are subject to far less institutionalised oversight and checks and balances than anti-terror squads. Ironically, some of the worst organised crime units thrive in countries like Norway and the Netherlands where politicians like to see themselves as particularly virtuous democracies and typically roll their eyes over conditions at Guantanamo. At the same time, these politicians are blind to the transgressions carried out by their own semi-secret "organised crime" police.
With respect to the war on terror, at least some civil liberties groups have been able to put systematic human rights violations on the agenda. By way of contrast, with respect to the equally grave human rights violations perpetrated by the police in their war on organised crime, the response from civil liberty groups is so far much more fragmented. Why is this so? One possible explanation is that many liberals may find it so much easier to defend people who live far away – say, drone victims in Yemen and Afghanistan – than engaging for the sake of dissidents closer to home. After all, defending the victims of the war on organised crime would often imply solidarity with sex workers, bikers, sexual minorities or football hooligans living in their own urban communities. Pseudo-liberals may find this to be outside their comfort zone .
In some countries, the development of organised crime units has gone so far that they represent perhaps the greatest threat against democracy since the Second World War and the police forces of the Nazis. A case in point in Norway, where the lawless but powerful organised crime department of the Oslo police is effectively controlled by state-sponsored street thugs with zero judicial expertise. The dominance of this unit is aggravated by several structural weaknesses of Norway as a rule of law country, including a culture of collusion between some politicians and human rights criminals in the police, a prosecution dominated by the police to an extent that is unparalleled elsewhere in Europe, as well as the absence of legal and constitutional protection for weak groups including many sexual minorities. Additionally, Norway exhibits an ironic weakness when it comes to secret policing. On the one hand, there is the police secret service (PST), which following a series of scandals during the Cold War era is now monitored and hamstrung to the point where even civil liberty groups sometimes pity them for their toothlessness and almost academic appearance. Large numbers of well-known Al-Qaeda sympathisers are benefiting from the reluctance of the PST to even monitor their activities in Norway. On the other hand, the organised crime department of the Oslo police – which includes some of the worst state-sponsored human rights criminals in the whole of Northern Europe – is exempt from real control altogether. The lack of oversight is highlighted by the fact that the organised crime department's indirect complicity in the 22 July 2011 terror attack is not even discussed in the independent commission report that was published after the attacks. During spring 2011, the people at the "organised crime unit" of the Oslo police who should have watched the rightwing extremist Anders Behring Breivik spent enormous resources on trailing me on three continents as extra-judicial punishment, justified with reference to (perfectly legal) street photography. The example shows how the elasticity of definition of organised crime – in this case singling out legal street photography as a "serious crime" worthy of "organised crime unit" attention – creates embarrassing and tragic failures on the part of the police with respect to their task of combating real crime, including crimes of terrorism.
Can these attacks on our democracies be dealt with effectively? Perhaps. Firstly, civil right groups must attack the Achilles heel of the police, which is their attempts to describe to the general public in the most innocuous language possible their own illegal activities. Even if they rarely describe their dirtiest tricks, some of what these police officers say publicly is nonetheless often so extreme that it suffices as admissions of torture, harassment and unusual punishment. Again, Norway can provide relevant empirical information. For example, the anti-prostitution Stop project of the Oslo police has openly bragged about how it outsourced threats against prostitutes to landlords, intimidated people into accepting giant fines by alluding to the inconvenience of a public trial, and discriminated against transvestites by systematically revealing to customers their biological gender. Some of this constitutes prosecutable acts of psychological torture under article 117 of the Norwegian penal code, which includes threats made by public officials. To make matters worse, the leading Norwegian daily VG recently revealed that prostitution in Oslo has increased again despite the massive "police offensive", meaning the only results of the "war on organised crime" in this case was a more insecure environment for legal sex workers, many of whom where thrown on the street because of the police's threats. (Please don't be surprised about their methods: The same Oslo police also systematically sends sniffer dogs on school classes without any specific suspicion, belittles Muslims and African sex workers via its Twitter account, and harasses its own gay officers to the point where they reportedly have their Christmas parties in secret locations.)
Second, it is necessary to enhance public awareness regarding the fact that many police disruption methods are judicially speaking the equivalent of torture and other unusual punishment. A law enforcement officer who tries to enforce something which is not the law is not only a criminal. Such officers are worse than ordinary criminals since their crimes involve state abuse of power, one of the greatest sins in a modern democracy. It is precisely for these reasons that a police officer guilty of extra-judicial or unusual punishment in many jurisdictions is liable to prison terms comparable to those for worst degree murders.
Thirdly, civil rights groups need to destroy the artificial schism whereby activists fight hard for civil rights in exotic countries but don't dare support the victims of government abuse at home, such as sex workers or bikers. I remember myself having read about threats against prostitutes by Oslo police but didn't reflect on it until the same animals from the organised crime department of the Oslo police that had previously harassed prostitutes beleaguered my apartment in Oslo for a full month in winter 2011. Only when the gap between different victims of a misconceived war on organised crime unite will a truly civic liberal culture and the rule of law prevail in our fragile democracies.


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The Permanent People's Tribunal (PPT) is an international public tribunal and in November 2018 it is coming to London.
This debate on Thursday 25 October focusses on the impact of pollution on indigenous peoples as well as the working of national and international legal instruments, in particular The Hague Court of Arbitration. How does it operate? Who are the judges? Who benefits?
Geneva: March 16, 2018 – The Global Campaign to Reclaim Peoples Sovereignty, Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity (Global Campaign) (1) welcomes the presentation and acceptance of the report on the 3rd session of the Open-ended intergovernmental working group (OEIGWG) on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights (2) in the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council 37th session.
This week in Geneva, members of a United Nations intergovernmental working group are discussing a long-awaited, legally binding treaty to regulate the human rights impacts of transnational corporations.
Susan George joined an expert panel on the first day of a meeting of a working group of the UN Human Rights Council, tasked with developing a treaty on transnational corporations and human rights. She spoke with the Global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power about the history of UN action on transnational corporations, the potential pitfalls of the current treaty negotiations, and the range of tax abuses, wage evasion, and investor protection weapons that transnational corporations can use.
The Treaty Alliance, an alliance of committed networks and campaign groups from around the world, is in Geneva for advocacy activities in support of a binding international instrument to address human rights abuses committed by transnational corporations and other business enterprise
This report contains six points for consideration of the UN working group tasked with developing a treaty on transnational corporations and human rights (the "Open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights"). The six points speak to the need for any such human rights instrument to end corporate impunity and address the systemic power of transnational corporations.
The historical first Permanent Peoples Tribunal Hearing in Southern Africa exposed the crimes of Transnational Corporations in the region and the growing peoples resistance.
The opening message from the presidency of The Southern Africa Permanent Peoples Tribunal (PPT) focused on The Role of Transnational Corporations in Southern Africa. The PPT on Transnational Corporations takes place in Manzini, Swaziland on 16th and 17th August 2016. During the two-day session, 10 communities from Southern Africa will present their cases to a plenary of respected jurors.
TNI and the Global Campaign to Reclaim Peoples Sovereignty, Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity were present at the World Social Forum to meet with partners and allies and develop analyses and strategies of mobilisation on Corporate Impunity, Public Alternatives, and Free Trade and Investment Agreements.
Real World Radio has interviewed Brid Brennan to discuss recent works of the UN Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) in Geneva, including side events of acknowledgement for Berta Caceres, and the proposals provided by the Global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power (GCDCP) and future plans.
The Global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity & for Peoples Sovereignty, an international coalition of more than 200 organisations, social movements and networks convenes to a press conference Thursday 10th March 2016 12.30 pm Place des Nations, Geneva
In today's world transnational corporations (TNCs) have asserted themselves as global entities, which exercise their power without any accountability that matches their economic and political influence. The panelists will assess the impact of a 2014 UNHRC initiative that would bind TNCs in terms of human rights and explore alternatives to the current neoliberal system of corporate impunity.
In a recent Public Forum held in Amsterdam, representatives of the Union of People Affected by Texaco (UDAPT) from Ecuador began their Europe speaking tour with a call for a "Global Minga" to support a treaty that will sanction transnational corporations for their crimes and ensure access to justice for affected communities.
Why do the acts of Transnational Cooperations (TNCs) that destroy our ecosystems go unpunished? This question is especially relevant in the context of the UN Conference on Climate Change COP 21.
CNN Phillipines - On the eve of the Paris Climate Summit, more than half a million people around the world took to the streets for the Global Climate March. They called on leaders to scale up action on climate change to achieve full use of renewable energy, eliminate poverty and protect people from worsening climate conditions.
I can only see progress—technological, political, social, moral, whatever—as a goal of human action and since progress has no will or direction of its own and depends entirely on what people do or don't do, it's neither contented or discontented about anything. As judges of the direction human affairs and the world are taking I am, and practically everyone I know is mightily discontented with the cumulative effects of changes brought about over the past several decades.
Over 39 organisations write an open letter to the presidents of European Council, Commission and Parliament to address their concerns on the agenda in favour of cutting compliance costs and replacing the role of the public regulator with corporate co- and self-regulation. The dieselgate scandal, caused by a will to cut compliance costs, shows that the human and economic consequences of weak rules and lenient enforcement of environmental laws are enormous.
EU observer- Since 2002, the price of land in Romania has seen a 25-fold increase, and Rabo Farm believe it will continue to grow – albeit at a slightly slower rate.


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John 1:29 King James Version (KJV)
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 1:36 King James Version (KJV)
36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
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This weekend only we're discounting Dub Caesar Apparel in honor of this weekend. Plenty of sizes and colors to choose from, limited amounts available.
DUB CAESAR APPAREL believes in making apparel for people like them.. The hustlers and dream chasers! Dub Caesar Apparel was Est. 2007 in West Chester, PA. by Adam Killgore. Dub Caesar Apparel is one of Philadelphia's premier independent clothing lines making their presence felt worldwide. They keep you fresh while you're chasing your dreams!


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Local Menu
Homeowners Due Refunds For Mortgage Insurance Overcharges
Attorney General Spitzer announced today that he has obtained a settlement that will result in consumers across the state receiving $4 million in refunds for mortgage insurance overcharges.
It's estimated that 10,000 New Yorkers will be eligible for the refund, with the average homeowner receiving $400. In addition, those eligible for the refunds will no longer have to pay mortgage insurance, thereby reducing their monthly payments.
State law prohibits insurance companies from charging consumers mortgage insurance once they have 25 percent equity in their homes. A year long investigation by Spitzer's office found that all six of the nation's mortgage insurance companies were continuing to collect the insurance premiums even after consumers had reached the 25 percent threshold.
"We want to make the dream of home ownership as available and affordable to as many New Yorkers as possible and this settlement helps achieve that goal," said Spitzer. "The settlement is important because we are obtaining refunds for those who have been overcharged, and we are bringing about needed reforms that will protect all other homeowners in New York in the future."
Typically, banks require homeowners to obtain private mortgage insurance if they are putting down less than 20 percent of a home's value at the time of purchase. On a $100,000 mortgage, the monthly costs for PMI would range from $30-$75 depending on the size of the down payment.
Consumers who were overcharged between November 1, 1997 and November 1, 2000 are eligible for the refunds. Over the next few months, the mortgage insurance companies and the banks holding loans will go through their records to determine which homeowners have been overcharged. Consumers should receive their refund checks by next July.
The six companies are: Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC) of Milwaukee; PMI Mortgage Insurance (PMI) of San Francisco; General Electric Mortgage Insurance Company (GEMICO) of Raleigh; Republic Mortgage Insurance Company (RMIC) of Winston-Salem; United Guaranty Residential Insurance of Greensboro; and Radian Guaranty, Inc. of Philadelphia.
Spitzer commended the companies for working with his office on the settlement, and for agreeing to implement policies to ensure that the overcharges no longer occur.
In entering into the agreement, the six companies deny any violation of law and have paid a combined sum of $125,000 to the Attorney General's Office to cover the costs of the investigation.
Also taking part in the news conference was Alexander Roberts, the Executive Director of Community Housing Innovations, Inc.
The case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Oliver A. Rosengart, and Bureau Chief Geneith Turnbull, of the Real Estate Financing Bureau, and by Assistant Attorney General Melvin Goldberg, Deputy Bureau Chief Dianne Dixon, and Bureau Chief Thomas Conway of the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau.


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Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Volume 2012, Article ID 184346, 6 pages
Evaluation of an Experimental Gel Containing Euclea natalensis: An In Vitro Study
1Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics and Public Health, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Al. Octávio Pinheiro Brisolla, 17012-901 Bauru, SP, Brazil
2Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Natural Products, Federal University of São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luiz, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP, Brazil
Received 3 August 2012; Accepted 27 September 2012
Academic Editor: Andrea Pieroni
Copyright © 2012 Sílvia Helena de Carvalho Sales-Peres 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.
Objective. To evaluate the effect of an experimental gel containing Euclea natalensis extract on dentin permeability. Methods. Thirty-six dentin discs, 1-mm-thick. The discs were prepared from the coronal dentin of extracted human third molars that were divided into 3 groups (). The dentin discs in each group were treated with the groups following experimental materials: (FG): 1.23% fluoride gel, pH 4.1; (EG): Euclea natalensis extract gel, pH 4.1; (CG): control gel, pH 4.1. The gels were applied to the occlusal slide of the dentin under the following conditions: after 37% phosphoric acid and before 6% citric acid. The hydraulic conductance (HC) of each condition was determined four times using a fluid flow apparatus (Flodec). The data were analyzed using Two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (). Results. The greatest mean reduction in HC was produced in group EG dentin discs (61.2%; ). Even after acid challenge with 6% citric acid the great reduction occurred in group EG (66.0%; ) than other groups (CG-77.1%, FG-90.8%). Conclusion. E. natalensis gel not only reduced dentin permeability, but also resisted posttreatment citric acid challenge without changing its permeability. Further research has to confirm this promising result in the clinical situation.
1. Introduction
Dentin hypersensitivity is a painful clinical condition, which affects between 4 and 5% of the adult population and is associated with dentin exposure to the oral environment [1–3]. The hydrodynamic theory predicts that exposure of dentin surfaces as a result of enamel loss and/or gingival root surface exposure resulting from attrition, abrasion, erosion, abfraction, or gingival recession can cause sensitivity [3, 4]. Thus, the concept of tubule occlusion as method of dentin desensitization is a logical correlation to the hydrodynamic theory [5]. The fact that many of the agents clinically used to desensitize dentine are effective in reducing dentin permeability tends to support the hydrodynamic theory [6]. Many agents and therapies have been proposed for the treatment of hypersensitivity, however none of them has been proven completely efficacious for such use [7], and new desensitizing agents need to be developed.
In the field of oral health researches, investigations about the contribution of natural products to the treatment of different oral diseases, such as propolis [8] and neem [9], have used experimental formulations and found that they did not cause significant side effects.
Euclea natalensis is a plant species that belongs to the family Ebenaceae common in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, specifically on the east coast of Africa, popularly known as Mulala [10], Africans have shown the antimicrobial potential of E. natalensis roots used for oral care once daily in the morning, soon after breakfast.
A study conducted by Homer et al. [11] demonstrated that the twigs of the plant E. natalensis have sufficient antibacterial inhibitory action to interfere in virulence and growth periodontopathic bacteria, in vivo.
Several studies have evaluated the components present in the E. natalensis plant, which may be able to reduce dentin hypersensitivity. Scientific evidences have shown that E. natalensis has cytostatic properties [12], low toxicity in healthy tissues, and anti-inflammatory action [13].
Considering that the E. natalenis is used in different African provinces, and no data have yet been found on the subject in the scientific literature, it would be important to analyze the possibility of using E. natalensis for the prevention and/or control of noncarious lesions and dentin hypersensitivity. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the variations in hydraulic conductance of dentin after treatment with E. natalensis gel and acidified fluorophosphate gel, in vitro. The null hypothesis tested was that the E. natalensis gel would not reduce the hydraulic conductance of dentin, in vitro.
2. Methods
2.1. Specimen Preparation and Application of Desensitizing Agents
This research was approved by the Local Research Ethics Committee (Protocol no. 178/2009). The teeth were obtained from the Human Tooth Bank of Dentistry School.
Freshly extracted human teeth are a potential source of biological pathogens [14]. Extracted human third molars were stored at 4°C in 0.1% thymol (Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Str, Darmstadt, Germany) to inhibit microbial growth and were used within 30 days after extraction.
The crowns were sectioned with a diamond saw in a precision cutting machine (Isomet 1000; Buehler, Lake Bluff, IL, USA) perpendicular to the long axis of the roots to create dentin discs from midcoronal dentin. Thirty-six dentin discs were obtained from the extracted teeth and 30 were used. The smear layer created by the diamond saw was removed with 400–600 grit SiC abrasive paper (Buehler), resulting in dentin discs approximately mm thick, as measured with a micrometer accurate to 0.01 mm. Disc surface was free of coronal enamel and with no evidence of pulp horns [7]. The specimens were immersed in 37% phosphoric acid solution for 15 s to remove the 600-grit SiC smear layer on both sides of the discs. Using 320-grit SiC abrasive paper in a rotary polisher (125 rpm) for 5 s, a standard smear layer was then produced on the occlusal surface of the discs.
To sample calculate was adopted a error of 5% and a error of 20%, and assumed an estimated six disks per group ().
2.2. Permeability Measurements
The rate of fluid flow through a dentin specimen was measured using the Flodec device (DeMarco Engineering, Geneva, Switzerland), which follows the movement of a tiny air bubble as it passes down a 0.6 mm diameter glass capillary located between a deionized water reservoir under 140 cm (2 psi) of water pressure and the dentin specimens [15, 16]. An infrared light source passes through the capillary and is detected by a diode, allowing the unit to follow the progress of the air bubble along the length of the capillary. Linear displacement is automatically converted to volume displacement per unit time, from which the instantaneous volumetric flow rate is calculated and logged into a spreadsheet. Flow was measured until a steady-state was reached, typically 0–5 min; then the flow was measured for at least 3 min. Since one datum was taken every second, this resulted in at least 100 readings for each condition (Figure 1). Permeability was expressed as a fluid flow rate in μL min−1. All teeth were acid-etched with 37% phosphoric acid for 30 s to ensure maximum permeability was achieved for each specimen. After etching, dentin permeability was determined. The permeability of smear layer etched dentin established a minimum permeability value for that specimen. The permeability of acid-etched dentin established the maximum permeability of each specimens [17].
2.3. Application of Materials
The 30 dentin discs were randomly divided into 3 groups of 10 specimens each, corresponding to experimental group (EG): Euclea natalenis gel, group F (FG): Fluoride gel 1.23% and group C (CG): treatment with control gel. The materials used were acidulated fluorophosphate gel (1.23% acidulated fluorophosphate, pH 4.1), E. natalensis gel (10% of alcoholic extract of E. natalensis, pH 4.1), and control gel (base compounds, pH 4.1) (Table 1). The 1.23% fluoride gel was used as a control group as in other studies [7, 18] on treatment for dentin hypersensitivity.
E. natalensis was kindly provided by Oral Health Department of Health Ministry of Mozambique and plant identified by Laboratory of Natural Products at Federal University of São Carlos.
The gel of E. natalensis was prepared from the dried roots of E. natalensis (under controlled parameters) and the E. natalensis extract was prepared by macerating 20.0 g of dry powder of E. natalensis root with 100 mL of 70% (w/v) ethyl alcohol for a week in a round bottom flask with occasional shaking. The flask was kept under dark to avoid effect of light on the active ingredients of the E. natalensis. The extract was then filtered through a muslin cloth for coarse residue and finally through Whatman no. 1 filter paper, measured and kept in an airtight amber colored container. Gel formulation included 10% E. natalensis extract, Carbopol, methylparaben, EDTA and sodium hydroxide solution.
All the desensitizing agents were applied for 4 min, following the manufacturer's instructions for fluorophosphate-gel and then rinsed with deionized water. After the hydraulic conductance was measured under the above conditions, the specimens were exposed to 6% citric acid pH 2.1 for 1 min and the hydraulic conductance was measured again. The aim of this treatment was to evaluate the resistance of the possible occlusive effect of the studied materials to an acidic environment, similar to that found in the mouth. The hydraulic conductance of each condition was determined four times in succession and then the mean value of the maximum Lp was calculated.
2.4. Statistical Analysis
The hydraulic conductivity measurement was performed immediately after treatment application, calculated in mL/min, and expressed as a percentage of maximum permeability obtained after etching. For each specimen, the permeability was measured four times: (1) afterthe smear layer creation, (2) after acid etching of dentin, (3) after applying the gel, and (4) after conditioning with citric acid.
Statistica 9.1 software (Stat Soft, USA) was used. The data were tested by two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), at a 5% level of significance, applied to the reductions in hydraulic conductance, in order to detect differences between the conditions studied. Significant differences were found between materials, conditions, and interaction materials X conditions. Differences were identified by individual comparisons using Tukey's test at a 5% level of significance.
3. Results
The effectiveness of the three gels in reducing dentin permeability was analyzed by performing ANOVA for two criteria () (Table 2). Significant differences in the reduction of dentin permeability were found among the tested gels and conditions ().
The results showed that although the procedures caused some reduction in the hydraulic conductance of dentin etched with phosphoric acid, the groups presented significant reduction when compared with each other (). Tukey's analysis identified significant differences between interactions (conditions and gels) ().
Table 3 shows the mean hydraulic conductance (±SD) of the groups. The desensitizing effects of gels were observed for the groups (; ; ), which behaved differently and differed significantly from each other.
There was significant difference in dentin permeability between smear layer and tested gels (). Table 3 shows that the effect of gels after citric acid challenge revealed differences among the groups (; ; ) (). The EG group provided a reduction in permeability even after the acid challenge.
4. Discussion
There are diverse indications for the use of plant extracts, with very common multiplant regimens used in many traditional South African medicinal treatments. Several African tribes use the common traditional chewing stick scientifically known as E. natalensis [19]. The present plant extracts showed moderate cytotoxicity on the Vero cell line [20].
Natural products, such as propolis gel [8], have been developed to reduce dentin hypersensitivity. Nevertheless, therapeutic intervention with desensitizing agents may provide only partial pain relief and recurrence is common [21, 22].
In the present study, gel was used as a vehicle to deliver E. natalensis to the dental structure, in order to prevent further dentin permeability. Thus the null hypothesis was rejected.
The FG and EG presented significant difference from CG () in the reduction of dentin permeability. Treatment in the control group was based on gel, prepared with same compounds as used for the FG and EG, but without the therapeutic agents. The physical benefit provided by the vehicle was similar in all the groups, removing the intergroup error analysis. The fluoride gel was worse for preventing dentin permeability (90.8%), followed by the control gel (77.1%), and the E. natalensis was the most effective (66.0%). Among the conditions, there was no significant difference as regards smear layer, gels, and acid challenge, except for 37% phosphoric acid ().
E. natalensis presented the most effective action to reduce dentin permeability. This effect can be attributed to the flavonoids, taninus, and naphthoquinones present in the plant roots [10]. These E. natalensis compounds may be responsible for the dentin tubule obliteration due to the formation of a protective layer on the teeth [23].
A survey of the literature has shown that natural products such as flavonoids [24], terpenoids, naphthoquinones acetylenes, and tropolones have been identified. Naphthoquinones are widely distributed in plants [25] and many are found to exhibit an interesting range of pharmacological properties including antibacterial [26], antiviral [27], trypanocidal [28], anticancer [29], and antifungal activity [30, 31].
Naphthoquinone 7-methyljuglone (5-hydroxy-7-methyl-1,4-aphthoquinone) has previously been isolated and identified as an active component of root extracts of E. natalensis [32], which could be considered the most active compound [10]. This compound may act as a potent antioxidant which significantly interferes with the apoptotic event [33].
The use of citric acid after the experimental gels is made in order to simulate the gel strength of the acid attacks normally undergoes a tooth when present in the oral cavity during ingestion of food or beverages. The results showed no significant difference between the values obtained after the application of gels and after application of citric acid, which proves that all the gels tested offered some resistance to acid challenge. The protection of the E. natalensis gel may be due to presence of tannins and flavonoids. Tannins supposedly have an astringent effect on the mucous membrane [34, 35], and the interaction of tannins with salivary proteins causes the aggregation and precipitation of protein-tannin complexes [35] that form a layer over enamel, thus providing protection against dental caries [36], and this property could also help to prevent dental wear [23, 37]. The organic degradation of dentin might also be affected by other host-derived enzymes, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are present in saliva and dental hard tissues [38]. Some flavonoids, as green tea polyphenols, could inhibit activity against MMPs [37, 38].
The limitations imposed by the method should be considered, thus they depended on an initial clustering of the specimens, which were standardized for all other comparisons, starting with the smear layer, phosphoric acid gel and finally citric acid application [39]. In vitro method is an initial phase to test a new product to a problem, thus many characteristics of in vivo methods, as the presence of saliva, is difficult to be reproduced in the laboratory. Thus others studies, such in situ, should be developed to get results more compatible to clinical environment.
The minimum permeability of the specimens is determined by the presence of the smear layer occluding the dentin tubules, allowing minimal movement of fluids through the dentin. One study reported that the presence of smear layer on the surface of dentin is responsible for most of the total resistance to the movement of fluids within the dentin. The maximum permeability is determined by removing the smear layer by demineralization, which causes a significant increase in the filtration of fluid through the dentin [40].
E. natalensis causes light yellow-spots on the teeth and in the mouth. This transitory staining [13] is caused by flavonoids, however, it disappear within hours [20]. The colors of flavonoids are directly related to the environment and show an intense yellow at an alkaline pH and disappear in the presence of acid [41].
E. natalensis gel exhibited good activity after acid challenge to reduce dentin permeability, while maintaining similar protection when applying the gel. Further studies in vitro and in situ are needed to evaluate the properties of the E. natalensis extract effect on dentin permeability. This present research has pioneered the use of gel containing E. natalensis as a treatment for dentin hypersensitivity.
These findings are very important, especially for public health in Africa, where the E. natalensis roots are easily obtainable and used as tools for performing oral hygiene. There are additional benefits, as the E. natalensis root extract is a natural remedy for diarrhea, gonorrhea, bronchitis, pleurisy, asthma, chronic urinary tract infections, and for relieving headache and toothache [42], and also contributes to oral health.
5. Conclusion
Within the limitations of this study, the experimental E. natalensis gel formulation can interfere in the reduction/prevention of dentin permeability, even when submitted to acids challenges, and therefore the null hypothesis tested was rejected. The E. natalensis gel has provided a mechanical blocking of the experimental dentin specimen. Plant extracts used traditionally for the prevention and treatment of oral problems could be used to reduce dentin hypersensitivity. Further research has to confirm this promising result in the clinical situation.
Financial support for this study was provided by an operating Grant from the FAPESP (Grant nos. 2009/16079-0 and 2010/09951-0).
Conflict of Interests
The authors do not have any conflict of interests.
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Published at Saturday, April 21st, 2018 - 16:49:10 PM. Kitchen Trend Colors. By Gauthier Hermine.
Hit to Read More
A dark, richly veined stone can actually feel less dramatic when paired with dark cabinets. Whether you use espresso wood or a modern painted gray coordinating a base tone in the stone with one of a similar darkness or lightness in the cabinets will help the two connect.
It's also worth noting that mixing colors of light and paint operate in different ways. With light, this process is additive — combining colored light produces white. With paint or pigment, this process is subtractive — parts of the white light spectrum are absorbed to produce color. Brown, for example, is a color that can only be produced using paint or pigment; combining light cannot. Finally, you should consider lightness and saturation before you select a color for your kitchen. Lightness impacts how bright or dark a color will appear, while saturation governs intensity.
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Heat ratings are our way of telling you how much sexual content a book has before you buy it. LGBT sex may be found at any level.
Here's what they stand for:
Sweet – 🔥 (anything from no romance to sex behind closed doors)
Mild – 🔥🔥 (can contain several lovemaking scenes, but without graphic language. May include clinical terms for body parts.)
Sexual – 🔥🔥🔥 (can include hot, frequent love scenes, standard for mainstream romance)
Erotic Romance – 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (includes graphic terms for body parts and intercourse. Must contain a romantic theme. It may include light BDSM, ménage, and anal sex as long as its frequency does not outweigh vanilla sex.)
Erotica – 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (highly explicit/graphic/frequent, may include heavier use of BDSM, ménage, and anal. Not entirely dependent on romance.)
Violence ratings are our way of telling you how much violent content a book has before you buy it.
Here's what they stand for:
Pacifist – 💣 (no violence)
Mild – 💣💣 (schoolyard fights, angry drunks, sports, or siblings fighting)
Rough – 💣💣💣 (warfare handled tastefully, police at work, animals, monsters, not overly graphic.)
Very Rough – 💣💣💣💣 (any of the above, but more graphically portrayed; bullying; non-physical domestic violence, unjustifiable police violence)
Violent – 💣💣💣💣💣 (highly graphic versions of any of the above, any portrayal of rape or physical domestic violence, any portrayal of torture.)
A five on either scale, or 4's on both scales, or a 4 and a 3 between the scales, will put the book in Siento Sordida. Otherwise, it goes to Eternal.
Our acquisitions editor may set the provisional value on each scale upon accepting the book, in order to determine if it goes to Eternal or Siento Sordida. As long as the editor and author can agree on the rating, then they may set the permanent rating. Otherwise, it will be set by the lead editor or the CEO.


text: So I could be losing my mind, but I am sure I did in fact hear/read this. A few weeks before the new ATV went on sale I read something online about Apple having some free content for the new ATV. Obviously they aren't giving away free HD movies and TV shows, but it sounded like there would be some free Standard Def TV content available, possibly ad-supported. Then, I read a review after it came out that made a very vague reference to it having some free TV content. It also left the impression of it being ad-supported SD quality. I know I heard it, however the person reporting this may just not have known what the hell they were talking about. Has anyone else read these vague reports?


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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hedge fund star David Einhorn wants to force Apple Inc (AAPL.O) to share some of its huge cash pile with investors, but his lawsuit rests on a U.S. securities rule that has little court precedent surrounding it.
Einhorn's Greenlight Capital sued the iPad and iPhone maker in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Thursday to try to prevent Apple from eliminating preferred stock from its charter. The suit is part of Einhorn's bid to pressure Apple to use some of its $137 billion in cash to issue perpetual preferred shares that pay dividends to existing shareholders.
The suit contends that Apple has violated Securities and Exchange Commission rules that prohibit companies from "bundling" together unrelated matters into a single proposal for a shareholder vote.
Establishing that Apple violated the rules could be tricky. Little to no case law exists on the question, and the SEC's own rule is relatively general with little guidance, legal experts said.
Still, James Cox, a professor at Duke University School of Law, said he thinks Einhorn "has a hell of good case."
"I think he's got Apple in the crosshairs," he added, saying that it "strikes me as fairly dramatic case of bundling."
The hedge fund manager is seeking an injunction to block a February 27 shareholder vote on the proposal, saying Apple violated Section 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Arguments are due to be heard before U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan on February 22. Apple has until February 15 to file a response with the court to the Greenlight complaint.
The proxy proposal at issue, Proposal No. 2, seeks to amend Apple's articles of incorporation in three ways: by providing for majority voting for directors, establishing a par value for Apple stock, and eliminating its ability to issue preferred stock.
Einhorn is represented by law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Greenlight's long-time outside counsel. No lawyer for Apple is yet listed on the court docket, and a representative declined to say who would represent Apple in the case.
It is unclear how Apple will respond in its formal reply to the lawsuits. On Thursday, Apple said Einhorn's lawsuit was "misguided" and that adoption of Proposal No. 2 would not preclude preferred share issuances in future.
"Currently, Apple's articles of incorporation provide for the issuance of 'blank check' preferred stock by the Board of Directors without shareholder approval," Apple said. "If Proposal #2 is adopted, our shareholders would have the right to approve the issuance of preferred stock."
Greenlight in its complaint said it supports two of the proposals but not getting rid of preferred stock. Einhorn deems preferred stock superior to dividends or share buybacks, and has separately put forward a proposal for an issuance of Apple preferred stock with a perpetual 4 percent dividend.
But as Apple's proxy proposal is structured, Greenlight said, shareholders have "no choice but to either vote in favor of an amendment they oppose, or against an amendment they support."
Few lawsuits have ever been filed challenging proposals under the rules, a situation some legal experts attributed to the normally passive nature of shareholders.
"In most cases you're not going to get a lot of complaining about bundling," said Brian Slipakoff, special counsel at law firm Duane Morris in Philadelphia.
In one of the few related lawsuits, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York in 1999 recognized an implied private right of action by shareholders suing over alleged antibundling rule violations.
That precedent could back Einhorn in his legal standing to bring the case. The appeals court ruling was cited by Greenlight in additional court papers filed late on Thursday.
Francis Vasquez, a lawyer with the law firm White & Case who is not involved in the case, said Apple may argue that because the stockholder proposals in Proposal 2 are all amendments to the charter, they are properly related.
The California company has another five proposals up for a vote, which are not being challenged by Einhorn and do not involve amending Apple's charter. Those measures focus on matters such as director elections and executive compensation.
"Apple's first argument likely is going to be, 'Look, these are all amendments we put in one place, they don't have to do with the other items,'" Vasquez said.
The antibundling rules date to 1992. John Coffee, a professor at Columbia Law School, said the idea was to "prevent managements from bribing shareholders with a sweetener into voting for a proposal they would otherwise reject."
The case is Greenlight Capital LP, et al., v. Apple Inc., U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 13-900.
Reporting By Nate Raymond in New York; Additional reporting by Poornima Gupta; Editing by Martha Graybow, Tiffany Wu and Tim Dobbyn


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Barrie Grunewald wins By-Election
Liberal Democrat 1059;
Conservative 512;
Green 80;
Turn out was 38.15%
Rainhill Village Life - Supported by your Labour Councillors
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Barrie Grunewald wins By-Election
Barrie Grunewald (Labour) was successful in his campaign for the Rainhill Ward with 1562 votes. The seat was left vacant following the death of former Council Leader and close friend Mike Doyle. Other candidates were:
Liberal Democrat 1059;
Conservative 512;
Green 80;
Turn out was 38.15%
Barrie was also elected to serve on the Parish Council.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Warburton Hey Redevelopment
Since Helena held their first consultation sessions before Christmas on 2 and
As promised Helena are now ready to carry out our Second Stage Consultation following which they will consider the variety of comments received from all interested parties and agencies, including tenants and members of the general public.
As before this second and final event will be held at Rainhill Labour Club on the following two dates:
The club will be open between and
During the event, you will be able to meet the Architects and other people involved, look at the detail proposals for the site including how the development will look, and floor plans for each dwelling type.
Raise any issues, concerns or suggestions you might have. They will also be able to give you more up to date information including things like the number of homes that will be built as part of the new development. The comments received will be given full consideration in carrying out the review of the final designs prior to submission for Planning Approval.
Please drop in and see for yourself on any of the above days and at any time during the above period; on the way to the shops or when picking the children up from school or just after work. You may live opposite or have a business nearby and just want to know some basic details, so call in and find out more.


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Junior Brain Trainer: Math Edition is a collection of 15 math-inspired activities designed for children ages 7 to 11. Tying the games together is a storyline that finds players trapped within a mad scientist's flying laboratory. To escape, they have to correctly solve puzzles on a choice of three difficulty settings. Activities include filling in the right number to complete an equation, identifying whether or not an equation is true or false, and connecting dominoes to their corresponding numbers. Solving puzzles will award players points that can be spent on new games and earn them various rewards.


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Donegal recipients honoured by RNLI
The RNLI Annual Presentation of Awards took last week took place in the Ballroom of Farmleigh House in Phoenix Park and the Titanic Museum in Belfast. The two ceremonies also marked the 190th anniversary of the charity that saves lives at sea and on inland waters. The awards recognise fundraising and operational volunteers from across Ireland for their role in raising funds and awareness for the RNLI and in doing so supporting the volunteer lifeboat crews in their work.
Guest of honour for both ceremonies was RNLI Chairman Charles Hunter-Pease. Other attendees included the British Ambassador to Ireland Dominick Chilcott CMG, Commodore Hugh Tully, Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Service, Breda Collins, Chairperson of Irish Water Safety and Yvonne Shields, Chief Executive of the Commissioners of Irish Lights.
At the Belfast Ceremony awards were given to two Donegal volunteers.
The citations read out at the ceremonies are as follows:
Dr John McFeely received an Inscribed Statuette. Dr. McFeely has undertaken the role of Lifeboat Medical Adviser at Lough Swilly Lifeboat Station for the last 10 years. He conducts the crew medicals promptly and can be relied upon to provide additional support to the lifeboat crew whenever required. He is a valued member of the team.
Peter McBride from the Downings/Carrigart RNLI branch received a Silver Badge. Peter is one of those people to whom nothing is too much trouble. He has a calm manner and his attitude towards supporting the RNLI is infectious. The branch is a great team and through his leadership has developed new events and the Downings Branch has gone from strength to strength in recent years, despite the economic situation.
Two Donegal RNLI volunteers opted to receive their awards at Farmleigh in Dublin last weekend.
Shane O'Neill from Bundoran RNLI received an Inscribed Statuette. Shane has worked incredibly hard as Lifeboat Training Coordinator at Bundoran Lifeboat Station for the last 10 years. His attention to detail and energy for the role is second to none. He is also lifeboat crew at Bundoran station.
Dr. Philip Murphy also from Bundoran RNLI, received an Inscribed Statuette. Dr Murphy has been conducting lifeboat crew medicals and providing welfare support for the team at Bundoran for over 14 years. He is well respected and his valuable contribution to the effective running of Bundoran lifeboat station should not be under estimated.
These awards follow the recent Gold Badge which was presented to Audrey Irwin from Donegal Town RNLI at the Barbican Theatre in London by Coxswain Mark Criddle. Audrey is synonymous with the RNLI in Donegal town. From collection boxes to flag days, from church gates to concerts, you will always find Audrey there. Her drive and enthusiasm over a long number of years has ensured that fundraising for the RNLI in Donegal is a priority. Audrey has been the constant that has ensured that Donegal fundraising branch continues to thrive. With her husband Jackie she has been to the forefront of the Donegal Flag Day which raises in excess of €4,000 each year.
During his speech RNLI Chairman Charles Hunter-Pease spoke of the awardees that were to be honoured during the ceremony, He said, 'It all starts with the people who give their time, their donations and their expertise. Over the decades, as we have expanded our service and developed new craft and facilities; our volunteers, fundraisers and supporters have become more important than ever. Without them there is no lifeboat station, no lifeguard unit, no flood rescue team, and no coastal safety work preventing tragedies.'
* More pictures page 26 on Thursday.