text:
The ShrinebyMdiGirolamo©
The Sylvan Elf huntress stirred from her rest. A silent, painted shamaness brought the daily offering of water scented with irises and fresh jeth-tree sap. The deep bowl was proffered through the leaf-shaped flap to the huntress' simple abode, high in the mist-shrouded trees.
The huntress awoke. She was powerfully built and dusky-skinned, the muscles of her belly and her battle-scarred, sinewy biceps stretching to the morning sunlight. She tasted the air. Humid—a foreign scent—perhaps a Winged Serpent had passed close by. If she found it, it would make a good meal and secure feathers to trade with the Grey Elves. She sat up from her mattress of stuffed rattan-work that lay close to the floor. She was naked. Sweat, not from heat, but from exertion, trickled, slick and lustrous, between her full breasts. It was the second time she awakened that morning.
A Wood Elf ranger slept on beside her. The ranger was lithe, taller and more slender than the huntress. Long-limbed, with swept, alert features and a cool, androgynous beauty, she seemed haughty. Her emerald-green eyes and high cheekbones had been the first thing the huntress had admired when they had met by chance at the foot of a dormant volcano. The huntress remembered soft, black soil under her bare feet, warm and full of latent fire. The ranger was a traveller from colder lands to the North and had never seen the snow-rimmed calderas and steaming lakes that capped the Dragonreach Mountains. They had seen eye to eye from the first moment. That had been a moment of Eahyyn – what the Wood Elves called a 'realization of kinship' – a bond formed between two whose life-paths the Moon Goddess meant to cross.
Now the ranger lay silent, half-asleep but vigilant, her long, satin-soft, verdant-green hair free flowing down her back, ending just a little above the athletic curve of her bottom. She was paler than the Sylvan Elf, but hard. Hard like a wilderness hunter ought to be. Strong arms to draw a bow wield a scimitar and make love. The huntress was fortunate. The ranger was quite a find.
The dusky huntress rose and slipped on a corded loincloth. Around it was her fang-dagger, adorned with an intricately twisted lock of ember-red hair. It was shameful for a huntress to be awake unarmed. She knelt and took the offering of scented water. Dipping her fingers in the cool liquid, she brought some to the ranger's pale lips.
The ranger stirred. She tapped the huntress' thigh with her foot. The huntress drew closer. Rich, musky aromas hung densely in the air. Sweat, nectar, fresh hathal-nut oil. The ranger moaned softly and turned on her back. Her belly was still covered in the residue of the huntress' creamy nectar – the earthy, powerful elixir of the dusky Sylvan Elf's passion. The ranger's eyes fluttered open – sharp, alert, observant. She rose to her knees. The huntress took a great draught of water in her mouth and kissed the ranger. Sweet water poured between their lips. The ranger swallowed gratefully and lay back against the abode's pliant, wooden walls, her thirst quenched. Hunting trophies and painted reed tapestries adorned the simple one room habitation.
The huntress drank a little and scrutinized the ranger's equipment. Soft, exquisitely fashioned leather leggings and jerkin, a sturdy cloak made from a giant leaf that had been hardened by druidic magic, and a fine longbow and wickedly curved sword. The huntress had been skeptical at first. No metal should enter the caern in the Forest Mother's presence. But the ranger's scimitar, inlaid with strange, complex calligraphy, was adamantine. Forged, not refined, from the depths of the earth. The ranger's grandfather was a High Elf, who had insisted she take the family's heirloom with her.
The huntress watched the ranger. The Wood Elf woman's breathing was soft, her taut, sculpted belly rising and falling almost complete silence. The huntress' gaze worshipped the fat, smooth mound of the ranger's sex. Deep pink nether lips, ever so slightly parted, still slick and inviting with their irresistible scent of female and musk. That same cunt had sheathed the huntress' hand many times the previous night. That morning, it had been the ranger's turn. So the huntress had let the ranger mount her, spread her; fuck her until her throat was raw from crying out. The ranger had been well pleased.
They waited, taking turns drinking from the bowl of water. Only after hunting would they eat.
Finally, the huntress spoke. "Do you wish to bathe?" Her voice was rich, like the rhythmic cadence of her speech.
The Wood Elf nodded. The huntress went to her armour stand and retrieved a white cotton loincloth and handed it to the ranger. The ranger slipped it on and the huntress felt a pang of regret. Now the ranger's fertile sex was obscured. The ranger knew the huntress' longing and she knew the ways of the forest. In the wild, there was no time or need for long discussions on the aesthetics or propriety of intimacy. A huntress, like a ranger, was expected to always be available for her partner's desire or comfort.
The ranger rose and the huntress led her out. She took her ancestral scimitar with her. If she left a huntress' abode unarmed, some might mistake her for the huntress's girl. A platform had been built around the huntress' tree. A flock of rainbow-coloured birds streamed in front of them. In the distance, the other Sylvan Elf abodes beckoned with their tremulous, wispy, spirit-lights. A great circle of trees ringed the Mother Tree - a gnarled, immense matriarch that hung over the forest, at least five hundred feet high with a trunk so broad it struck many casual observers as the base of a hill. There lay the shrine of the Forest Mother.
The ranger had discovered many things since coming south. She was a traveller by profession and by vocation. Her bow and her scimitar had never betrayed her, even during her travels across the Middle Sea. The more she travelled, the more she realised there was much she had to learn. It was a boon that she had encountered the huntress in her first excursion into the Storm Forests. Not only because she had found a companion, but also because the huntress knew the place like her own soul.
The huntress was a stern teacher. The ranger had been mortified by her lack of knowledge of the local fauna and flora: the honey of giant termites was only good for a day before it became poisonous; when your cycle bleeds, you must wash your sex with camphor-balm, otherwise Arrow-Lizards will follow your scent. But she was learning. The ranger looked up into the misty sky and, in the distance, saw two shimmering metallic circles reflect the sunlight.
"Airship," the huntress said. The word was alien on her tongue.
"Will it stop here?"
"To buy?"
"Should we go meet them?" the ranger inquired.
The huntress thought for a moment. Her last visit to the abodes of stone had opened her horizons. The strange, fire-headed woman she had met there had been the first truly interesting encounter outside her own lands. Now, perhaps the time was ripe to see other realms. "Perhaps. First we bathe, then we shall hunt, eat what we have taken and pray to the Forest Mother."
"Couple?" the ranger smirked, patting the huntress' iron-hard bottom.
"Of course." the huntress smiled. A cutting, predatory smile that befitted her feral, indomitable beauty. "You ought to take me with more vigour. Remember, by day I am yours just as by night you are mine."
"That is what we agreed. Our pact," the ranger nodded.
"Long may it last."
They bathed in a pool of glassy, warm water that had collected in a basalt crater at the volcano's foothill. The jungle was shrouded in mist – dense, impenetrable, vibrant with life. They filled their waterskins with sharp, spicy sap tapped from deep within a thick vine. The huntress knew exactly where to slide her dagger so that the dense, amber fluid trickled out uninterrupted. It would be both food and water for them during their hunting expedition.
The ranger dressed swiftly and helped the huntress fasten the straps of her intricate corded armour. Together, they moved in silence – two ghosts hidden in the morning mist. The huntress felt the trail under her bare feet. Something stirred behind a serried rank of gnarled, dark trees, their roots half-submerged. The previous night's rain had almost waterlogged the terrain. The ranger struggled, her boots slogging in the water. She had already begun to perspire under her jerkin. The sensation of clammy, wet leather and fabric liner against her skin was a constant irritation.
In front of her, the huntress navigated the wet ground with ease. Each tree, each fern, each moss-grown rock seemed familiar to her. The ranger followed, resolving to learn. There were no challenges left in the boreal and deciduous forests of her homeland – it was time to see the uncharted, exotic belly of the World-Mother.
They trekked through a narrow defile, ancient trees looming over them like knotted giants. Heady-scented flowers bloomed. The air was ripe with pollen. Fertility abounded, so that every crack in the earth gave shelter to some form of life.
The huntress paused. "Faral," she whispered – for that was the ranger's name, "do you see this?"
"What?" The ranger stepped closer. Her boot sank into the mossy ground, so that water splashed up under her knee.
"Here," the huntress indicated, uncovering a pile of fallen leaves to reveal a scrap of dark, glistening metal.
"It's a scrap of armour and crude at that."
"Outlanders passed here," the huntress said between gritted teeth. "The roots speak of the blasphemy of their intrusion."
"Txat," the ranger said with a grave nod. Feral bugbears.
"They should not be here," the huntress said grimly. "Our meal must wait."
"Someone injured one of their number – the metal is sundered."
The huntress prodded the damp soil and dug out an oversized Ghatt-wasp stinger, the length of two of her fingers. "One of your people – we do not make wasp-daggers."
"The Txat was struck from afar, perhaps wounded. His hunter is circling the group, waiting. That means there are many of them."
They needed no further confirmation. The huntress traced her hands into the mud and ran the rich earth between her fingers. The scent pointed towards the rising sun. Perhaps the bugbears were after the sun-rock of the cold river that flowed under the volcano. 'Civilized' Elves, who had forgotten the Forest Mother, and lesser races valued so-called 'gold'. Now, the interlopers would know better than trespass the lands of the Sylvan Elves.
The huntress followed the trail in the direction of the rising sun. They would find higher ground first and prepare an ambush. Txat would be hunted like any other animal. Their presence in the pure lands was unconscionable. The huntress would bring shame on her mother and grandmother if she failed to repel them. By the time they reached the place where the jungle gave way to the rockier, shrub-clad volcanic pools, the scent of sulphur was thick in the air. There, it was easier to track. Predictably, the Txat had taken the easy, flat path that would lead them straight into the shallow mountain caverns where the sun-rock river flowed.
Faral spoke, her voice piercing the distant hum of the rushing river, "Should we pursue them through the upper caverns?"
"No," the huntress shook her head, "the terrain will be difficult and we have little time."
"And if we were to stalk them as the basilisk hunts?"
The huntress smiled – a cruel, predatory grin. "So be it."
The ranger spread out her leaf-cloak and wrapped it around herself and the huntress. With a word of command, the druidic magic in the cloak began to shimmer. Light now reflected off the cloak, hiding all beneath in an illusion, so that they appeared indistinguishable from a moss-grown rock.
Taking position near a natural bottleneck at the entrance of the river-cavern, they concealed themselves near an outcropping of boulders and waited. The sound of the rushing river echoed through the stony cavern. It was cooler inside, and that brought relief to the ranger.
They did not have to wait long. In the distance, a trudging sound grew louder. Hunched, bestial and snarling, the hyena-faced Txat came baying and gibbering down the cavern path. Their eyes were yellow-orbs set deep into their haggard, grey-furred skulls. They walked on two legs, but their limbs were bent like those of a wolf, so that they stooped low, ready to pounce. Their armour was crude, a mishmash of leather, cord and metal, their weapons rusted.
Faral and the huntress waited. The Txat did not march in formation, but one male at a distance from the other, more like a pack of wolves than a war-band. Three stragglers brought up the rear, snarling and growling invective. They let them pass.
In a split second, the right moment was decided. The ranger surfaced from behind and slipped her gleaming sword between two of the Txat's ribs. That would collapse its lungs and sever its windpipe, preventing it from crying out. The movement was immediate, a flash of tense action. Blood gurgled from the bugbear's maw. The creature thrashed and only succeeded in drawing the sharp, agonizing blade deeper into its chest.
One of its companions shifted its head curiously to one side. The huntress was already upon it. With a flick of her wrist, the huntress brought her red-braided dagger to cut the second Txat's throat. A jet of dark blood splattered against the stony walls.
The third bugbear whipped around and drew its rusted broadsword. Faral swept forward and cut its belly open, her blade humming its deadly music as it sliced through the humid air. Steaming viscera spilled out like a bloody nest of worms. The bugbear fell before it even had time to cry out.
The huntress decided they needed to press their advantage. She went forward while the ranger readied two arrows in her ancestral longbow. It was dark, but the ranger's eyes could pierce the blackness with the ease of an owl's. The huntress struck from the rear. She brought down a bugbear by slipping her obsidian dagger in its back to cut its spinal chord. Then her fang-dagger finished the job by cutting open its throat.
Two bugbears whipped around, excited by the smell of blood and the odd splashing in the waters behind them. Faral loosed her arrows. Giant thorns, sharp as steel, pierced the air and parted company in mid-flight, finding an erratic, curling path into the two bugbears. They fell, mortally wounded, into the stony riverbed. The huntress finished them off methodically, as if she were slaughtering wild pigs.
Six down. The huntress motioned the ranger forward. They progressed down, deeper into the passage. Luminescent mosses covered the cool, dark volcanic rock, shedding a phantasmal glow. The path led them to a wide cave. The sound of clashing blades could be heard echoing against the backdrop of flowing water. Someone had beaten them to their prey.
The ranger dashed forward, her curved, bloodstained blade held perpendicular to her body. She lunged into the twilit battlefield and struck down a bugbear whose back was turned to her. Metal and bone cracked together. The arcing slash cleaved the bugbear open from shoulder to spine. Through the mist of blood the ranger saw the war-painted face of a girl. She had no time to contemplate who the mysterious ally was. The air had shifted to her right; a bugbear was trying to flank her.
Faral readied her blade, ducked out of reach of a clumsy lunge and spun round to riposte. Her sword flashed through the air and struck the bugbear's snout, slashing its muzzle open. She finished it off with a swift, furious thrust to the throat.
The huntress had taken the opposite end of the cavern and was closing in on the pack's alpha male. It was bigger than the others and better armed, too, a fine lance of Grey Elven make was clutched in its clawed hands. The huntress ducked under a wide sweep of the Txat chieftain's wicked lance and rammed a dagger into its belly before sliding between its legs. The creature doubled over, howling even as blood issued forth from its mouth and nostrils. Faral took her signal, drew her bow and loosed a single, deadly arrow. The dart thudded in between the alpha male's eyes.
Silence fell. Blood stained the river water red as it washed around the huntress' bead anklets. Red on turquoise beads. The huntress called the strange girl over. "You are a Wood Elf, these are not your lands – introduce yourself!". It was a common courtesy between warriors to declare name and intent when in the territory of another caern.
The girl stood resolute. Handsome, wiry and tan-skinned, she remained defiant. Faral scanned her. The girl's armour was first-rate leather, patterned like falling autumn leaves – gold, red and auburn brown to match her short-cropped hair. Faral sheathed her sword and said, "Do as she says, girl."
"Iniila," the young warrior said with a hint of indignation, "I am Iniila, a warden of the Caern of Brook-under-Sunshine and I beg your forgiveness for intruding into your pure lands, but I have offered my prayers at the First Tree and I am most certainly no girl. I am a warden and a ranger, just like you."
The huntress laughed mirthfully. "Well met, but the jaguar-kit needs to learn to hunt before she roars."
Iniila growled, "I am as much a huntress as you – archery, bladecraft any art..."
Faral interrupted her, "Speak when spoken to, understood? She is our host."
"But..." Iniila protested.
Faral's searing green eyes compelled her to silence. Faral was the more experienced ranger. Despite her bravado, Iniila's archery bracers marked her out as a junior warden. She owed Faral obedience and that was final.
Faral nodded in approval, glad that she had defused the situation. "I am Faral and I follow my dream-geas. What brings you to the Dragonreach Mountains?"
"I came with the airship," Iniila said – sheathing her crystal daggers for the first time, "there are legends of an ancient shrine deep inside the fire-mountain."
"Shrine?" Faral inquired. She turned to the huntress, "What do you know of this?"
The huntress spoke gravely, "Only that our shamans use it in their rites and that the rest of us keep our distance."
Iniila interjected, "By law or by custom?"
The huntress replied, "There is no difference, for us they are one and the same. But you are bold to address us so. We see your courage and are pleased that you, too, sought out the interlopers."
Iniila's lips curled into a half-smile. "It was my duty as one of our People, but your approval is greater than any reward – rarely have I seen such a fine, deadly art as yours."
Faral gave a soft chuckle, "You flatter her only because you seek her permission to go deeper into the cavern."
Iniila said, "If there is a shrine, I wish to find it. A friend of mine is a Grey Elf – an educated woman, who knows the drawn-words. She says that the shrine is powerful and I wish to see it for myself."
The huntress nodded, "I will accompany you deeper into the cavern, but you must go alone to the shrine. I am bound to follow the advice of the shamans. There are spirits here I do not wish to anger. Will you come too, Faral?"
"So be it," the ranger said. She sensed curiosity in the huntress's demeanour. It was a curiosity that had touched the bottom of the ranger's mind ever since they had set foot into the cavern. As if the river were calling them forward.
So they set out, following the flow of the river, pausing only to drink the cool sap from their waterskins. The stone became a deeper black the further they penetrated into the bowels of the mountain. It was humid and, despite the river, the further they walked, the hotter it became. Iniila seemed to chafe under her leather armour. The suit was beautifully oiled, but tight, for it had been fashioned for far colder climates. Iniila's hard muscles rolled under the leather. Faral admired her and found that the huntress did, too.


text:
Their has been a lot of media surrounding the so called "fake" Apple stores in China. These stores are not fake but do not have the right authority to sell the genuin Apple products.
"Displaying the Apple logo, the products are on tilted stands on wooden display tables, the employees are decked out in the familiar blue t-shirts with their name tags hanging from their necks, in fact the illusion is so convincing that even the staff are under the impression that they are working for Apple."
Their are some reports that the Employees working their actually thought they were working at a 'real' Apple store but somehow I doubt it. Apple has not responded to the stores in China but its obvious that they will soon, and probably a lawsuit as well [after the Motorolla and HTC lawsuits have passed].
22 More Fake Apple Stores Caught in China! Fakery Speaks Aloud - Hi-Tech Analogy

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Rodhos town is described as a "remarkably preserved medieval city". The crusading Knights of St. John used the island as a main base from 1309 until 1522. One of the things that attracted us to Rhodes was the great old architecture. We hope to fine lots of inspiration in the old town
We are also traveling during the "off season", which is something else we always try to do since we don't like a lot of crowds. It saves money and right now the weather in Rhodes is in the 70 to 80 degrees instead of the baking hot temperatures of the high summer season.
|Rhodian Fallow deer sculpture in place of the Colossus.
I always wanted to see the harbor where the "Colossus of Rhodes" stood. The bronze statue of the Greek god Helios didn't straddle the harbor like some of the Fifteenth century drawings show, but it did stand 107 feet high. Having worked on creating bronze statues, I can really appreciate this. Unfortunately, the finished piece only stood about fifty years before and earthquake in 226 BC broke it off at the knees. In fear of offending their god, Helios, the Greeks didn't dare move the broken pieces. It stayed there for 800 years when the invading Turkish armies dismantled it. It would be great to create a piece of art that people still came to admire even when it was broken!
Jeff's Corner: Looks like Tina has finally become a "Rhodes" scholar!


text:
Hey, all!
Today, going on all day, is the Summer Performance Palooza 2013, hosted by the PASS Performance Virtual Chapter. It is a virtual parade of SQL Server webinars and super speakers delivering terrific tele-training into your living room, or whereever you are. Check out the link for on-going sessions.
Now, just in case you miss this Performance Palooza, and can't get enough of web-based virtual performance presentations, you can top off your day, with a night cap of SQL Server by yours truly, Robert Pearl (blog|twitter).
This virtual event, hosted by the SQL Server Society of Las Vegas or S3OLV, will take place at 6:00PM PDT/9:00PM EDT on your internet browser.
Jason Brimhall, (blog|twitter), recently minted MCM, and VP of S3OLV, has asked me , to speak to the group, and fill-in at the last minute as the schedule was changed for tonight! Naturally, I agreed, because he threatened to come out to New York, and well, don't want to get him in trouble :-P
So, I'm going to give my HealthySQL presentation v1.2, with last minute notice. Hopefully all will go well, or if it doesn't - everything that happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas ;-)
This webinar will be delivered via LiveMeeting. To attend, click and join via this link: S3OLV LiveMeeting
The meeting will be kicked off by S3OLV founder/president Charlie Jones and Jason.
Ever done a SQL Server Health Check? Well, here's what I'm gonna talk about:
Are your SQL Servers Healthy? Are all the SQL Servers you manage, healthy running optimally and has the high availability that is expected? How do you know for sure? Have you checked on the health of your SQL Servers lately? What is a HealthCheck, and how do we perform one? If you are a DBA, then you ought to know! Well Pearl Knows. I will talk about the importance of regular health checks of your SQL Server(s). We will talk about the need to create a baseline and provide some time-tested ways to determine if your SQL Servers are healthy and prove it to your managers, clients and heaven forbid, your IT auditors. Using various tools and scripts, you will come out of this session feeling much better :-)
You can check out the links below for more info on the User Group, and all their monthly meetings!
Hope you can join us!
You can also follow me on twitter @Pearlknows, and visit my website http://www.pearlknows.com
Whether you can or can't make it, please inquire about our comprehensive 15-point healthcheck today!
Email me at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
|Aug 30, 2016
|Western Pacific Announces Settlement Of Debt
|Aug 17, 2016
|Western Pacific Appoints New Board Member
|Jul 29, 2016
|Western Pacific Announces Settlement of Debt
|Jun 16, 2016
|Western Pacific Provides Corporate Update
|Jan 28, 2016
|Western Pacific Enters Stipulation Agreement
|Oct 16, 2015
|Western Pacific Receives Notice of Default
|Apr 09, 2015
|Western Pacific Receives Final Assays of 2014 Drill Program
|Feb 02, 2015
|Western Pacific Announces Issuance of Remaining Notes Related to Unsecured Note Financing
|Jan 05, 2015
|Western Pacific Announces Unsecured Note Financing
|Jan 05, 2015
|Western Pacific Encounters 1.5 ft grading 82.7 g/t Gold and 24,981 g/t Silver - Highest Grade Intercept To Date
|Oct 27, 2014
|Western Pacific Appoints New Corporate Secretary
|Oct 02, 2014
|Western Pacific Drilling Encounters High Grade Mineralization
|Sep 10, 2014
|Western Pacific Receives US$600,000 Tranche from Quintana
|Jul 31, 2014
|Western Pacific Receives US$1.0 Million Tranche From Quintana
|Jul 09, 2014
|Drilling Commences At Western Pacific's Deer Trail Mine Project
|Jun 17, 2014
|Western Pacific Grants Stock Options
|May 23, 2014
|Western Pacific Grants Stock Options
|May 22, 2014
|Western Pacific Provides Progress Report
|Feb 25, 2014
|Western Pacific To Settle Debt
|Feb 24, 2014
|Western Pacific Completes Initial Advance of Convertible Note Financing and Acquisition of the Deer Trail Mine
|Jan 14, 2014
|Western Pacific Shareholders Approve Quintana Transaction
|Dec 10, 2013
|Western Pacific Welcomes Proposed New Board Members, Upon Closing Of The Quintana Transaction
|Dec 10, 2013
|Western Pacific Announces $10 Million Convertible Note Financing And $8.5 Million Base Metals Streaming Agreement
|Nov 14, 2013
|Western Pacific Extends Agreement to Acquire Deer Trail Mine
|Sep 03, 2013
|Lower Deer Trail Mine Returns Sampling Results up to 164.5 g/t Gold and 8090 g/t Silver over 0.533 meters for Western Pacific
|Sep 03, 2013
|Western Pacific Reports Sampling of up to 20.9 g/t Gold Over 0.762 meters at Upper Deer Trail Mine
|Aug 12, 2013
|Western Pacific Reports Historic Sampling of up to 18.5 g/t Gold at Upper Deer Trail Mine
|Aug 06, 2013
|Western Pacific Retains Financial Advisory Consultant
|Jul 29, 2013
|Western Pacific Renegotiates Deer Trail Transaction
|Jul 12, 2013
|Western Pacific completes final tranche of private placement, raising total proceeds of $1,000,500
|Jun 06, 2013
|Western Pacific Files Technical Report for its Mineral Gulch Project
|Jun 03, 2013
|Western Pacific completes $980,500 tranche of private placement
|Apr 26, 2013
|Western Pacific Undertakes $2.0 Million Financing
|Apr 15, 2013
|Western Pacific provides update on acquisition of Deer Trail Mine, Piute County, Utah
|Mar 22, 2013
|Clarification And Retraction Of Previously Issued Technical Disclosure
|Mar 18, 2013
|Crown Mines Waives Right of First Refusal on Deer Trail Mine
|Feb 27, 2013
|Michael Callahan & Arthur Brown join Western Pacific; Options Granted
|Feb 26, 2013
|Western Pacific enters agreement to acquire the Deer Trail Mine, Piute County, Utah
|Jan 16, 2013
|Western Pacific sells Meridian Ridge Project to Midway Gold
|Nov 08, 2012
|Western Pacific hires Tetra Tech for Engineering Services
|Oct 10, 2012
|Western Pacific begins evaluation of the historic Leach Pad at its Mineral Gulch property, Cassia County, Idaho
|Aug 09, 2012
|Western Pacific Appoints Douglas Ford as Director and CFO
|Jun 19, 2012
|Western Pacific Extends Warrants
|Jun 11, 2012
|Western Pacific Receives 5 Year Drill Permit
|May 09, 2012
|Western Pacific Receives Pegasus Drill Data
|May 01, 2012
|Western Pacific reports results from magnetic survey at Mineral Gulch
|Apr 18, 2012
|Curt Everson
|Apr 16, 2012
|Western Pacific Cuts 12.2m of 1.37 g/t Gold at Mineral Gulch, Including 7.6m of 1.88 g/t Gold
|Feb 14, 2012
|Western Pacific Begins Detailed Magnetic Survey
|Feb 07, 2012
|Western Pacific Expands Southern Soil Anomaly
Previous. All pages. Next. Page 1. Page 2


text:
Seems like the hot topic these days is welfare reform. Everyone has their opinions and fiscally we know that things have to change. As a country we can't continue to pay out at the rate we are paying and expect the program to survive.
Now I am not well versed in all the in and outs of the system but I do know that the intent with which these programs were started has long since been forgotten.
The programs were intended to help people get back on their feet after life had knocked them down. It was not intended for those who just want to set back and put their feet up. There is a big difference.
I know some great hard working people that have reluctantly utilized these resources to sustain them during tough times. That is exactly how they should be used.
They should not be a means for anyone to continue to grow their families and stay home in lieu of seeking employment. They should not be used by folks who are working and getting paid cash to avoid the taxes the rest of us pay and they shouldn't be used because you are hiding the cash income from your business. If you are living in a expensive home and driving an expensive vehicle your kids should not qualify for the free lunch program at school.
If there is a way to reform this system it would be a very positive thing for our country. Weed out those who refuse to work to make the benefits available to those they can't work. Making drug testing mandatory just like it is when you apply for a job. The private sector doesn't pay you if you fail a drug test, should the public assistance be any different.?
Erma Bombeck meets Karen Walker in this 40 something single mom's crazy life. Armed with Xanaz and sarcasm she tackles midlife, teenagers and all the other stuff that makes us all grab a glass of wine every night.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Welfare Reform
Posted by Kim Eller at 5:35 AM
2 comments:
Incredible! This blog looks exactly like my old one!
It's on a totally different subject but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Superb choice of colors!
Here is my website :: gay porn
- Tuesday, September 30, 2014
- Paula Lewis said...
This is my ideal site because whenever I come here to visit I always get the new things from here. florida family insurance
- Friday, June 12, 2015
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
I've recently started looking for good, no cost CAD software to work on my solids designs. I wanted to find something that's anyone can get and use continuously, so no expensive packages or time limited demos.
My original hunt lead me to open source. From there, I ran into the following software. I'm still just touching on these right now, so I might be missing the big picture.
BRL-CAD is an open source implementation of the Army Ballistics Research Laboratory solid modeling package. They use it to do simulations of various combat scenarios. Its results look pretty, but the Windows package I looked at shows that this is going to be a command line driven uphill battle. It's essentially a collection of very powerful software bits that can read and work on the same data set.
Another CAD package, although this is not based on a US DoD project. Seems similar in capability to BRL-CAD, and also may be command line based. What got me interested in looking at this one is that it has close ties to various finite element analysis software packages.
Ah, an old open source 3D modelling standby. While you can do solid CAD style modelling with it, and it has a much better UI for diving into it than the prior two, it doesn't appear to do solid modeling, which may cause issues if you want to post-process the component.
Now, there's also a few "freebie" packages I'm investigating. As they're based on commercial packages for Windows, they tend to be at least easier to dive into within a few minutes. I'll have to see how everything stacks up in the long run.
Solidedge 2D V19
Basically the 2D component of SolidEdge, this is a really REALLY nice free 2D CAD package. It's not AutoCAD, but it reminds me of the fast and simple CAD package I learned on back in high school. It's also nice that it can open and edit all AutoCAD files, and can export into AutoCAD and MicroStation formats, so it's not locking you into its format.
Alibre Design Express
I'm just going through the initial tutorial for this one. If it's up there in capability with SolidWorks and SolidEdge, this one's a keeper. They've removed the ability to work with sheet metal forms and the ability to generate bill of materials (these are usually addons in other programs anyway). However, it looks like it's all there, I'll give it a try and I'll have to follow up on this at some point in the future.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Tools: CAD for the home user
Posted by SOI Sentinel at 10:10 PM
1 comment:
nice to see other bloggers concentrating on open source and free cad for home and small manufacturing shops. i have a more detailed post on open source CAD on my blog at Open Source and CAD if anyone reading the parent blog is interested.
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
this mom and dad deserve a foot rub every night.
all three of these beautiful kids were born in 21 months!
we ate lots of marshmallows and i did all sorts of ridiculous
behind the camera to get them all to look at me.
but it didn't take long and i had one of them holding my hand
as we raced down the sidewalk. man i love my job. :)
so jealous.. i have always wanted a twin brother.
love her.
hot mama.


text:
How a pressure cooker works
To understand how a pressure cooker works, you need to know just a little about physics. to put it simply, water boils at 212o Farenheit. At this point, no matter how long you continue to boil, it always stays the same temperature. As the water evaporates and becomes steam it is also the same temperature, 212o F.
Why isn't the food pulverized? It's all in the physics: As long as pressure is uniform on all surfaces of an object, it won't be distorted.
Pressure is effective throughout the food items, from the surface through to the center! No matter whether you're cooking a single chicken breast,or a 5-pound ham.
The only way to make the steam hotter (and/or to boil the water at a higher temperature) is to put the system under pressure. This is what a pressure cooker does. If we fit an absolutely tight cover to the pan so no steam can escape while we continue to add heat, both the pressure and temperature inside the vessel will rise. The steam and water will both increase in temperature and pressure, and each fluid will be at the same temperature and pressure as the other.
Steam has six times the heat potential when it condenses on a cool food product. This increased heat transfer potential is why steam is such an effective cooking medium.
If you put water into a pot and cover it with a tightly sealed lid, the steam will remain trapped and pressure will build and that rises the temperature at which the liquid boils. So at 15psi your food is cooking at 257oF instead of just 212oF. When you turn off the heat and begin to drop the pressure you will sometimes hear the food begin to boil inside the closed pot as the pressure drops and the contents come back down to the normal boiling temperature. See more about pressure settings.
Pressure cookers are especially designed cookware of aluminum or stainless steel. All models have a lock-on lid and a vent or pressure relief valve. Most pressure cookers are designed to be used on top of your stove, but there are some electrical models and also a one that is supposed to work in the microwave.
Food is cooked by the high temperatures inside the cooker. Click here to see how the internal pressure compares to temperatures. This high temperature is made possible by raising the pressure to a point greater than atmospheric pressure. Cooking times are based on pounds of pressure.
Steam cooks many foods quicker than dry cooking methods. Steam is efficient in transferring cooking heat rapidly to foods upon contact without burning or damaging the final product, and for less energy than either electricity or gas. As a result, steam can be used to cook anything from delicate, tender-crisp veggies to large chunks of meat, either fresh or hard frozen.
Consider the difference in cooking between an oven and steamer for example. You can put your hand in a 400oF oven and not burn yourself, but put your hand over a boiling tea kettle and the 212oF steam will scald immediately. This is due to the different methods of heat transfer: Air is a poor conductor of heat; but water is a good conductor. Think of being outside when it's 70oF (quite pleasant) versus being in a pool of water at 70oF (feels very cold).
The increased pressure inside the pot delays the water and/or other liquids inside the pot from boiling under it reaches a much higher temperature. As a result, the cooking process is sped up considerably. A pressure cooker works by building up pressure from steam in the pot, which cooks food at a very high temperature. This method can cut cooking time by up to two-thirds, and will also retain the nutritional value and moisture of foods.
Pressure cookers create a closed environment that literally forces steam through foods to effect heat transfer. When the tightly sealed cooker is set over high heat, steam pressure builds and the internal temperature rises. This environment ranges from 5 to 10psi in low and medium pressure units and 15psi in standard high-pressure units which enables cooking at temperatures of 257o F. Under high pressure (15 pounds per square inch), the fiber in food is tenderized and flavors mingle in record time. What's more, fewer nutrients are lost because cooking is so speedy and nutrient-rich steam condenses in the pot instead of being lost in the air.
More cooks are becoming interested in pressure cooking as a way of creating healthful meals and to meet the demand of a busy schedule. Cooks are turning, or in many cases, returning to pressure cooking because of its versatility in preparing many different foods. Today's cook wants the convenience of faster cooking without the loss of nutrients normally lost to air, water, heat from cooking methods used in regular pots.
How a pressure cooker works
Credit to MissVikie


text:
Bible Reading Day 360
by markburlinson
Day 360: December 26 (Revelation 16)
Good morning!
Just one more week of this year's readings! Well done for sticking with it this far!
Today we reach the seven bowl judgments – the final judgment series in the book. Each judgment is similar to those poured out on Egypt under Moses, but the reach of these judgements is worldwide.
God is bringing an end to sin and evil. According to Jesus, those who are ready for His return are blessed!
As in all the judgments, the emphasis is on God's victory. His purpose is to destroy all that has gone wrong with humanity, leaving His people free to love fully. That is our heritage!
Have a great day!


text:
Fatass Edition.
Fatass Edition.
Sometimes, 15 minutes of happiness (and carbs) can cost you $15 and it's worth every cent (and potentially every pound).
In the span of one block in the West Village, the amount of restaurants, bars and anything in between is overwhelming enough to justify the consumption of Xanax at 2 PM on a Sunday.
I wasn't feeling avo or eggs because I've been overdosing on both as of recent and wasn't in the mood for more yolks and omega 3's than my body knows what to do with. I had no particular cravings and decided to go with this Muesli toast because I felt like it and then this thing happened and I inhaled it and it was delicious.
This was the only title deemed appropriate considering the beastiality of the consumption.
Think about the amount of f*cks given, multiplied by a rainy Saturday, and add in deli mustard. Now, throw in a warm, hefty helping of salty, melt-in-your-mouth pastrami, and shove it in rye bread. According to my nonexistent math skills, the answer comes out to: Katz Deli.


text:
More Popular Issues
See how voters are siding on other popular political issues...
Results from Republicans
Last answered 44 minutes ago
1,513,266 votes
2,818,952 votes
Distribution of answers submitted by Republicans.
Data includes total votes submitted by visitors since Jan 26, 2016. For users that answer more than once (yes we know), only their most recent answer is counted in the total results. Total percentages may not add up to exactly 100% as we allow users to submit "grey area" stances that may not be categorized into yes/no stances.
Choose a demographic filter
* Data estimated by matching users to U.S. Census data block groups via the American Community Survey (2007-2011)
Learn more about Solitary Confinement for Juveniles
In January 2016, President Obama issued a series of executive actions banning federal prisons from using solitary confinement to punish juveniles and prisoners who commit low level infractions. His orders also lowered the number of days an adult inmate could be subject to solitary confinement from 365 days to 60 days. A recent study found that prisoners who were subject to solitary confinement were 20-25% more likely to be repeat criminal offenders than prisoners who avoided it. See recent solitary confinement news
More stances on this issue
I think that rather than define the days of solitary, we should increase the amount of work required of every prisoner. Less gym time, less TV and recreational time as well as social contact time between inmates. Prison should not become a "higher... 3 years ago from a Republican in Wilmington, NC
No, if they cannot abide by the conventions of living with the prison population, they have earned solitary confinement. 3 years ago from a Republican in South Bend, IN
Yes, and we should create more Christian spiritual programs to help prevent and rehabilitate criminals. 3 years ago from a Republican in Sunbury, OH
No but the use of it should be reduced and mostly used for those who are violent and a danger to themselves or others. Also those in solitary confinement should receive additional counseling. 3 years ago from a Republican in Lubeck, WV
I think the major issue with children is the breakdown of the family. Children are growing up in a lawless generation. Anything goes. A drug addict can have multiple children and they are left for the public to take care of. There should be consequences. 3 years ago from a Republican in El Dorado, AR
Juveniles deserve every opportunity to be rehabilitated, but those held in adult facilities should be protected from the general population of said facilities. 3 years ago from a Republican in Myrtle Beach, SC
The Wardens need to be able to run the facility without meddling. 3 years ago from a Republican in Basehor, KS
I don't say 'ban' , however, some really bad juveniles may need it for a week or two. 3 years ago from a Republican in Naples Manor, FL
This is a Catch 22 question. They say solitary confinement is not ok for juveniles, yet, if they are housed with other criminal elements, they can be attacked and would not be protected. Which is worse?. 3 years ago from a Republican in Delray Beach, FL
Yes, if you deserve it. We are all accountable for our actions. No said juvenile detention was fun. 3 years ago from a Republican in Carleton, MI
No, prison officials should determine who needs confinement based on security concerns for guards and prisoners. 3 years ago from a Republican in Sacramento, CA
Yes but there should be a more intensive process to getting someone placed there and they should have low maximum time of using it. 3 years ago from a Republican in Harrisonburg, VA
Yes, but only if the individuals show a totally a unrelenting trend toward gang activity or violent behavior. Michael Brown was a juvenile
and tried to kill a law enforcement officer. Case closed!. 3 years ago from a Republican in Atlanta, GA
Juveniles below 17 should be screened individually and entered into programs that will guide them to reenter society. They should not be mixed with general prison populations. 3 years ago from a Republican in George Mason, VA
I believe that in certain cases where a juvenile inmate poses a threat to themselves or others that solitary confinement should be an option. 3 years ago from a Republican in Madisonville, TN


text:
The Hampton Dress is the spring/summer version of our best-selling Vero Dress, inspired by the classic, resort style tunic. We kept the comfortable style and added versatility. Perfect for casual, everyday wear or dressier events. The classic notched tunic neckline and sleeveless style it easy to wear anywhere or a simple option to layer and wear year-round. Loves to be by the coast.
Sizes: XSmall (00 – 0), Small (2 – 4), Medium (6 – 8), Large (10 – 12), XLarge (14 – 16)


text:
Step One's Vision is to be a model of excellence in early childhood education, thus inspiring our larger society to an elevated commitment to its young children. The vibrant educational community of Step One provides the healthy foundation children need to reach their full potential as learners and human beings.
Step One has designed four distinct programs to help children at each stage of their development:
Two Year Olds
Nursery School
Transitional Kindergarten
Arts Enrichment
"It has been the best possible experience I could have hoped for our children. We attribute so much of our children's skills, ability to form friendships, focus, and communication to Step One." – Barbara B.


text:
Web Code:
Customer Service |
Track Order |
Request a Quote |
Corporate Accounts
Home > Flexsteel Sleeper Chair
Flexsteel Industries
View Collection:
Acute Healthcare
Item No:
Buy in quantity and save even more.
(1-3) $1,284; (4+) $1,264
Provide a place to sleep for any guest staying overnight in a hospital patient room. Flexsteel's Sleeper Chair easily converts to a lounge chair to a one person sleeper that has a built-in innerspring mattress. Contemporary design one-piece smooth back and welt knife-arm design. Arm Height: 26".
Upholstered in anti-microbial vinyl for easy cleaning. A variety of finishes for the hardwood feet. Floor saver glides included. Meets CAL 117 regulations. Overall depth is 89".
Ships fully assembled. Manufacture's warranty applies.
This item is a GSA Schedule Contract item. National Business Furniture's GSA contract number is: GS-27F-0024V.
For more information, please call one of our government specialists at 800-558-1010, or visit this page to learn about all our government contracts including Navy BPA, Air Force BPA, TXMAS and CMAS.
For a limited time, take an additional 15% OFF the price of this item by entering promo code HARVEST during checkout! Your discounted price will be reflected at checkout. Promotion valid for 15% off all qualifying products (excluding tax and shipping) using promo code HARVEST only. Qualifying products will be marked with a 15% Off tag. Promo code cannot be used with any other promotions or discounts and is limited to one use per customer. Promo code applies to merchandise only. Enter promo code on payment page in check out to see discount before submitting order. Promo code valid November 1, 2018 to November 30, 2018 11:59 p.m. CST.
Connect with us:
My Account
Track Your Order
Corporate Account
Customer Service
Request a Quote
Request a Catalog
Contact Us
Shipping Policies
About Us
Life at NBF
Join our Team
Furniture Consultants
Sustainability Statement
En Español
Privacy & Security
Site Map
Talk to one of our furniture specialists
Email Us
Web Code: ZY8CXW-16734


text:
Donors meeting in Addis Ababa have pledged some 340 million euros to fund an African-led military force to fight Islamist extremists in Mali. Mali's president wants to hold fresh elections this summer.
As in previous years, Africa's trouble spots dominated this AU conference, which was chaired for the first time by the new head of the AU Commission Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Delegates say she was very well informed and ran the conference with discipline and efficiency. Nobody challenged her assertion at the start of the meeting that considerable effort would be needed to resolve the new or recurring conflicts in a number of African countries.
The crises in Mali, the DRC and Sudan were vigorously debated in the plenary sessions and in the corridors of the towering Chinese-built new AU headquarters.
Unwelcome reprimand
African heads of government are not used to being rebuked by their peers in public. They were therefore surprised when the outgoing AU chairman, President Thomas Yayi Boni of Benin, scolded them for failing to come to the aid of Mali fast enough. Yayi Boni's words of gratitude for the military intervention by France may also have irked many of them.
AU member nations have until the end of this week to decide on the forces they will contribute to the African-led Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA). Burundi and Tanzania have already said they will send in troops. On Saturday, defense ministers from the West African regional body ECOWAS said they would raise the number of soldiers taking part in AFISMA from 4,500 to 5,700. Chad, which is not a member of ECOWAS, has offered a further 2,000.
President Thomas Boni Yayi of Benin criticised fellow African leaders for their slow reposnse to the Mali crisis
Currently, almost all the African troops active in the battle zone are from Mali itself. However Mahari Tadele Maru, a political analyst in Addis Ababa, says the lack of political will is not a serious challenge, but "the financial aspect is much more acute now." Maru also believes that the African Union and ECOWAS "could have prevented this kind of situation" if they had been stronger as institutions.
Responding faster
Solomon Ayele Dersso from the Institute for Security Studies in Addis Ababa favors the creation of an African Standby Force. The idea may not be new, but would include a rapid deployment capability which could be dispatched to a conflict zone within 14 days of the AU Peace and Security Council mandating its deployment. "And if that capability is put in place, there is definitely a possibility of African countries being able to respond more quickly than they did in the case of Mali," Dersso said.
The donors' conference was opened on Tuesday morning by Alassane Ouattara, Ivory Coast President and ECOWAS chairman. It was attended by African nations and 60 partner organisations and countries, including the United Nations and the European Commission and its purpose was to secure funding for the African Mali mission.
Ouattara said that at least 718 million euros was required and he put the number of troops needed at 10,000, far in excess of the 3,300 previously mooted.
The African Union has earmarked 40 million euros, Germany has promised 15 million and the sum total of all pledges was 340 million euros.
Political dimension
Dersso says money itself won't be enough and it is imperative that a political process is launched as well. Constitutional order must be restored in Bamako and the grievances of the Tuareg in the north of the country need to be tackled. "The focus on the military dimension of the operation shouldn't overlook and overshadow the most important aspect of addressing the Malian crisis, which has to do with addressing the political situation," he said.
With such concerns evidently in mind, Mali's president Dioncounda Traore announced on Tuesday that he hopes to hold elections in his war-torn country by the end of July.
The French army has said some of its troops have deployed in Kidal, the last major rebel-held settlement in Mali. According to local Malian officials, the settlement's airport is the first major target. (30.01.2013)
For years, the US trained the Malian army to fight militants based in the Sahel desert. But Washington's efforts have faced a major reversal, with armed Islamists now threatening Mali's survival as a state. (30.01.2013)


text:
Do you like Copy Cat? Share it with your friends.
URL of the game
Link with image
Post the game on your website
"Copy Cat" - put individual layers of paint on the canvas to create the best possible copy of the original painting.
Current year (antispam)
No games have been played yet.


text:
Executive Staff
|Owner / CEO / Governor
|Dr. Michael A. Kahn
|Chief Operating Officer / Alternate Governor
|Tera Black
|Sr. VP of Hockey Operations
|Derek Wilkinson
|Director of Finance / Controller
|Jamie Black
Hockey Operations
|Head Coach
|Mike Vellucci
|Assistant Coach
|Ryan Warsofsky
|Assistant Coach/Video
|Myles Fee
|Head Athletic Trainer
|Bryn-Marc Conaway
|Strength and Conditioning Coach
|Ryan Wysocki
|Equipment Manager
|Steve Latin
|Equipment Manager
|Donny White
Corporate Partnerships
|Vice President, Corporate Partnerships
|Mary Grams
|Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships
|Buzz Wilkie
|Corporate Servicing Specialist
|Kate Gatterdam
Ticket Sales
|Senior Vice President
|Shawn Lynch
|Senior Director of Sales and Analytics
|Jonathan Forsberg
|Director of Operations
|Adam Slechta
|Director of Group Sales
|Jeremy Recoon
|Director of Charitable and Community Programs
|Maggie Myers
|Group Sales Specialist
|Katelin Glass
|Group Sales Specialist
|Kyle O'Rourke
|Account Executive, Season Tickets
|Ryder Bowline
|Fan Services and Retention Coordinator
|Carlin Kennedy
Marketing / Public and Community Relations
|Vice President, Marketing and Communications
|Paul Branecky
|Director of Broadcasting / Voice of the Checkers
|Jason Shaya
|Director of Communications
|Nicholas Niedzielski
|Director of Creative Services
|Zac Harvey
|Video Production Manager
|Ethan Holmes
|Marketing and Community Relations Coordinator
|Joan Palumbo
|Merchandise Coordinator
|Shannon Kuenzel
|Gregg Forwerck
|Office Mascot / CMO (Chief Motivational Officer)
|Finley Myers
Game Day Staff
|Public Address Announcer
|Brian Stickley
|Lead Team Physician
|Dr. Jerry Barron
|Team Sports Therapist
|Dr. Greg Bielec
|Team General Practitioner
|Dr. Joe Garcia
|Team Chiropractor
|Dr. Casey Schneible
|Team Plastic Surgeon
|Dr. Kevin L. Smith
|Team Emergency Doctor
|Dr. Jamie Davis
|Team Neuropsychologist
|Dr. P. Jeffrey Ewert
|Team Eye Doctor
|Dr. Erin Schotthoefer
|Team Oral Surgeon
|Dr. Richard Rolle
|Team Dentist
|Dr. Bobby Pappert


text:
Rehabilitation FAQs
1. Will I have a telephone and television? Can I bring my own TV? How much does it cost? Can I have a phone and not the TV or vice versa?
While staying at Harlee Manor television and telephone services are available upon request. A patient/resident may select one or both services. The costs are $5.00 per day for TV and $4.00 per day for phone.
2. Who will be my doctor?
Many of Delaware County's premier physicians provide on-site services to our patients and residents through an ongoing arrangement with Harlee Manor. Your own appropriately credentialed Primary Care Physician or General Practitioner can, of course, continue to care for you at Harlee Manor. Residents of Springfield Senior Commons at Harlee Manor may choose to receive basic medical services from our medical staff, although it is not unusual for residents to continue a relationship with their medical team in the community.
3. How long will my mom or dad stay at Harlee Manor?
That question can only be decided on an individualized basis. Every one of our patients receives a personal plan of care designed to meet his or her specific needs. Harlee Manor reviews each patient's status on a weekly basis. For those patients covered under a commercial insurance policy (anything other than traditional Medicare), our on-site Case Manager will also complete a regularly scheduled telephone review with the insurance company's Case Manager.
4. How much therapy will the patient receive?
The amount of therapy a patient receives is highly individualized. At admission, each patient is evaluated by both the Physical Therapist and the Occupational Therapist. They collaborate on a therapy program designed to meet the patient's specific needs. Speech Pathology services, if needed are also available. During the course of treatment, the therapy team will constantly reassess the patient's condition and make necessary revisions.
5. How many patients share a room?
The standard room at Harlee Manor is semi-private. Our long term care unit offers semi-private and private accommodations.
6. Does Harlee Manor accept Medicaid?
Harlee Manor does not participate in the Medicaid program. If you require immediate funding from the Pennsylvania Medical Assistance program for a long term care stay in Delaware County, information and guidance are available from the discharging hospital and/or COSA (County Office of Services for the Aging). Pennsylvania also offers a Long Term Care Helpline at 1-866-286-3636.
7. Does Medicare pay for a long term stay at a skilled nursing facility?
The Medicare program does not pay for long term care. Medicare pays up to 100 days in a skilled nursing facility, only if the patient requires skilled care during that time. It is important to understand that Medicare only pays the full 100% for the first 20 days in the skilled nursing facility. Thereafter, the federally mandated co-pay becomes the responsibility of the patient or can be billed to a secondary insurance carrier if the patient owns this type of insurance. In 2013, the co-pay is $147.00 per day.
8. Why should an individual carry secondary insurance?
As stated in question #7 above, Medicare pays only the first 20 days of a patient's stay in a skilled nursing facility in full. Starting on day 21, patients are subject to a federally mandated co-pay. This can quickly result in a substantial amount of money. Secondary insurance (for example, through AARP or Blue Cross) can be obtained to cover the co-pay. We recommend that individuals 65 years and older consider carrying secondary insurance coverage.
9. Do we arrange Home Care services and the delivery of medical equipment to the home?
The Harlee Manor staff is well versed in the discharge process. Approximately 90% of our patients return to their prior living arrangements after a rehabilitation stay here. We ensure that each of our patients is set up with Home Care services immediately upon discharge. All necessary equipment for the home is ordered and the patient is provided with prescriptions so that medications can be easily obtained. Complete discharge instructions are also provided. Home Care is arranged with the company of your choice.
10. If a patient needs to go back to the hospital due to complications, can they be returned to the hospital from which they were discharged?
The attending physician will try to send the patient back to the discharging hospital. However, in the event of a "911" emergency, the patient MUST be sent to the closest facility.


text: My name is Vadim Mikhnov. I design interfaces for a living and play a lot of video games. I used to write texts about that for russian sites Look at Me and Kanobu. In 2013 I registered two domain names: sequencebreak.ru and metroidvania.ru with the intention of eventually making a site about metroidvanias (or at least my broad definition of it). I sketched some cover picture and started thinking on layout. A year later I've launched this blog with the text about Dark Souls II.


text:
Our Showroom
Choose your project
and let's make it a sacred space
Visit our expansive Interior Design and Fabric showroom
Creative Wallcoverings and Interiors interior design showroom is located in 560 Central Avenue, New Providence, Morris County, New Jersey. Our expansive 8000 sq ft retail showroom also functions as a complete resource library and design studio.
CW&I showroom environment stocks hundreds of thousands of fabric samples that can be used for any type of interior design projects. We represent all the major brands. Our retail showroom is one of the largest interior design showrooms in New Jersey. We design, source, and manufacture the products we specify for our clients – Upholstery, window treatments, case goods, lighting, home accessories, bedding, wallpaper, carpet and area rugs, blinds, shades and shutters.
Located in Morris County, NJ
In addition to showcasing products and samples, our retail showroom is also used primarily as a work space for our designers – functioning as a design studio. Our space is also used to host charity events and fund raisers for local organizations in our space.
Location of our Showroom:
560 Central Avenue,
New Providence, NJ 07974


text:
So maybe Valentine's Day isn't a Jewish holiday per se. But Jews are lovers, too. Sunday on "Sounds Jewish," romantic music and comedy from throughout the Jewish world. Hear recordings featuring Stan Getz, Isa Kremer, the Yiddish Art Trio, the Andrews Sisters, DeLeon, Alan Sherman, Shoshana Damari, Ziggy Elman and Myron Cohen.
previous post
Happy Birthday, Tree!
next post


text:
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to your new go-to summer gathering spot: Hill Country's Backyard Barbecue outside the National Building Museum.
Sit on hay bales in the sun while listening to country-rock bands. Find a seat in the grass while servers deliver brisket sandwiches to your picnic blanket. Get your girlfriends together, stake out a picnic table and sip sangria or margaritas under shady trees. Make a beeline for the far corner of the museum's green lawn, where you can play cornhole for free while holding a can of Shiner beer.
Any one of these things should be enough to entice people away from the been-there, done-that Jazz in the Garden, or persuade them to skip the usual downtown happy hour on a sidewalk patio. But when you put all four together — without a cover charge — and run it Wednesday through Sunday, it should become the District's newest after-work destination.
"I love this," said Caleb Campbell, who had commandeered the cornhole with friends as part of a going-away party. "I really like the laid-back atmosphere. It's nice to come here on a Friday and de-stress." The nonprofit group employee said that although he thought it was "nicer than Jazz in the Garden," the party's relaxed vibe "reminds me of college, a little bit."
Located on the west side of the Building Museum, across from Verizon Center, the infrastructure is pretty simple: A white picket fence surrounds a grass area with a large food and drink tent. There's a stage for bands, which perform from 5:30 to 8:30 on Friday and Saturday, plus the picnic tables and hay bales. (A couple of portable toilets are tucked in the far corner, near the cornhole boards.)
"When we first sat down, it was like we were at a barbecue in someone's back yard," said Dara Klein, a visitor from Boston who had snagged a picnic table with friends from Washington. "Someone's really big back yard."
Although Klein and her friends enjoyed the band and praised the Hill Country event for not feeling too crowded, they did bring up the "confusing" lines for food and drink. If you're seated at a picnic table, on a hay bale or even just a blanket on the grass, servers come and take food and drink orders. But if you want to order a beer or margarita, or just want a spicy sausage (with signature Shiner mustard), you head for the main tent. Lines can be long: At about 6:30 on Friday, the wait was 20 minutes.
On opening day, when there were dozens of people in two lines, Hill Country staffers started sending servers into the crowd carrying buckets of Shiner cans, selling them to people who only wanted to order beer. When it gets really busy, said Hill Country general manager Alex Munoz, there will be satellite bars around the fenced-in area, hawking beers (but not margaritas) to cut down on lines.
That's too bad: The margaritas and the Summer Porch Swing — a fresh strawberry lemonade spiked with gin — are more interesting choices than the four Shiner cans sold at the bar.
Drinks also aren't cheap: A 12-ounce can of Shiner costs $7, a margarita is $8 and there are no happy hour deals. By comparison, at the Hill Country restaurant a few blocks away, a pint of Shiner is $6, and the happy hour includes $3 cans of PBR and $5 house margaritas. That said, the costs of most drinks are comparable to other outdoor bars outside of happy hour: A glass of house wine is $7 and mixed drinks are $7 to $9. Refreshing iced tea and lemonade cost $3 each.
Two weeks in, the Friday happy hour is the busiest, thanks to live music and two warm, sunny days. It's rarely as crowded on Saturdays and Sundays, when attendance ebbs and flows throughout the day. It's worth noting that the event is family and dog friendly: There have been toddlers and pups at every visit.
Talk about Texas hospitality.
National Building Museum, Fifth Street between F and G streets NW. 202-556-2050. www.hillcountrywdc.com. Open
4 to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.


text:
Dr. Zoltan P. Rona, MD, MSc
Dr. Zoltan Rona is a leading proponent of natural, harmless, health-building alternatives to conventional medical care. He has a general practice where he has provided preventive medical counselling for over 20 years and is a past president of the Canadian Holistic Medical Association. His books, "The Joy of Health", "Return to the Joy of Health", and "Childhood Illness and the Allergy Connection" are Canadian bestsellers. He writes regular columns for Alive Magazine and The Toronto Star. Dr. Rona is also the medical editor of the Benjamin Franklin Award winning "Encyclopedia of Natural Healing" and is known for his many public lectures and media appearances.
Other Articles by Dr. Rona:
Alternative Solutions to Chronic Fatigue
Chronic fatigue or tiredness is a symptom that brings at least one in five individuals to a doctor. Only 20% of these people have a diagnosable or treatable medical condition while the remainder have no obvious physical source of their chronic weariness or exhaustion. An indeterminate percentage of these cases are related to a virus as in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (a.k.a. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or M.E.) and fibromyalgia. In the majority, however, no specific cause is established. What can one do when conventional doctors have ruled out cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypothyroidism and other metabolic disorders to explain chronic fatigue? Are there any alternatives to learning to live with it?
Although all the following measures are best taken with the guidance of a natural health care practitioner, their safety is high enough for most people to attempt without supervision:
– Revise your diet. There is an adverse relationship between chronic fatigue and the health of the immune system. Since sugar suppresses immunity, eliminate it in all its forms, including the milk sugar lactose. Avoid foods and beverage such as beer, wine, other spirits, cheese, grain-fed animal products (red meats, especially beef and pork, animal fats, milk and other high fat dairy products), caffeine containing products and refined foods. Avoid leftovers and tobacco.
"Pure vegetable oil" used by most restaurants usually refers to shortening or corn oil. The fried foods made from it would most certainly be high in peroxides and other toxins, leading to damage to the cardiovascular system, including and elevated cholesterol. Shortening, lard, margarine and beef tallow are all probably good as car engine lubricants but are unfit for human consumption.
Eat more fish and fish oils, garlic, onions, olives, olive oil, green vegetables, herbs, spices, soy products like tofu, yogurt, psyllium, pectin and milled (ground) flax seed provided you can tolerate them without symptoms. An increased intake of fiber significantly reduces the impact of toxins found in many commercial foods.
– Supplement the diet with high energy producing herbs and other concentrated nutrients:
Whole food concentrates are like bee pollen, beet root powder, royal jelly, kelp, dulse, spirulina, chlorella, barley green, aloe vera juice and others have a naturally occurring high vitamin and mineral content with highly bioavailable antioxidants. They are also low in calories, fats, salts and sugar and high in live active enzymes and soluble fiber. They are a rapid and convenient way of supplying the vital 5+ daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
Herbal teas, capsules or tinctures which are well documented to boost energy and enhance a general sense of well being include ma huang (ephedra). ginkgo biloba, Siberian ginseng, ginger, yerba mate, kola nut, fo-ti and licorice root.
Vitamin and mineral supplements which are helpful in combating fatigue include B complex vitamins, especially vitamins, B1,B5,B6 and B12, vitamin C, zinc, copper, manganese, chromium and magnesium.
Other nutrient supplements have energy enhancing properties, especially coenzyme Q10, pycnogenols, amino acids like carnitine, taurine, tyrosine and phenylalanine, lactobacillus acidophilus and bifido bacteria.
Healing Blood Vessel Diseases Naturally
Chronic fatigue or tiredness is a symptom that brings at least one in five individuals to a doctor. Only 20% of these people have a diagnosable or treatable medical condition while the remainder have no obvious physical source of their chronic weariness or exhaustion. An indeterminate percentage of these cases are related to a virus as in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (a.k.a. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or M.E.) and fibromyalgia. In the majority, however, no specific cause is established. What can one do when conventional doctors have ruled out cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypothyroidism and other metabolic disorders to explain chronic fatigue? Are there any alternatives to learning to live with it?
Although all the following measures are best taken with the guidance of a natural health care practitioner, their safety is high enough for most people to attempt without supervision:
– Revise your diet. There is an adverse relationship between chronic fatigue and the health of the immune system. Since sugar suppresses immunity, eliminate it in all its forms, including the milk sugar lactose. Avoid foods and beverage such as beer, wine, other spirits, cheese, grain-fed animal products (red meats, especially beef and pork, animal fats, milk and other high fat dairy products), caffeine containing products and refined foods. Avoid leftovers and tobacco.
"Pure vegetable oil" used by most restaurants usually refers to shortening or corn oil. The fried foods made from it would most certainly be high in peroxides and other toxins, leading to damage to the cardiovascular system, including and elevated cholesterol. Shortening, lard, margarine and beef tallow are all probably good as car engine lubricants but are unfit for human consumption.
Eat more fish and fish oils, garlic, onions, olives, olive oil, green vegetables, herbs, spices, soy products like tofu, yogurt, psyllium, pectin and milled (ground) flax seed provided you can tolerate them without symptoms. An increased intake of fiber significantly reduces the impact of toxins found in many commercial foods.
– Supplement the diet with high energy producing herbs and other concentrated nutrients:
Whole food concentrates are like bee pollen, beet root powder, royal jelly, kelp, dulse, spirulina, chlorella, barley green, aloe vera juice and others have a naturally occurring high vitamin and mineral content with highly bioavailable antioxidants. They are also low in calories, fats, salts and sugar and high in live active enzymes and soluble fiber. They are a rapid and convenient way of supplying the vital 5+ daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
Herbal teas, capsules or tinctures which are well documented to boost energy and enhance a general sense of well being include ma huang (ephedra). ginkgo biloba, Siberian ginseng, ginger, yerba mate, kola nut, fo-ti and licorice root.
Vitamin and mineral supplements which are helpful in combating fatigue include B complex vitamins, especially vitamins, B1,B5,B6 and B12, vitamin C, zinc, copper, manganese, chromium and magnesium.
Other nutrient supplements have energy enhancing properties, especially coenzyme Q10, pycnogenols, amino acids like carnitine, taurine, tyrosine and phenylalanine, lactobacillus acidophilus and bifido bacteria.
Hiatus Hernia
Varicose veins, stasis dermatitis, leg ulcers, vasculitis, diabetic retinopathy, and cherry spots (hemangiomas) are some of the many blood vessel diseases thought to be the result of heredity or free radical damage. Evidence suggests that they can be improved or prevented with use of complementary medicine.
With respect to diet, eat a low sugar, low fat, high complex carbohydrate, high fiber diet. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and a high sugar or fat intake. High fiber foods ensure that the large bowel remains relatively clear of excessive waste material thereby reducing pressure on large pelvic veins thought to worsen varicose veins.
Psyllium seed, milled flax seed, fruit pectin, guar gum and oat bran all reduce the potential toxins in the gastrointestinal tract. Carrots, celery, spinach, parsley, beets and cucumbers are good sources of natural antioxidants that protect arteries, veins and capillaries. Other green foods, whole grains, legumes and fruits are high in powerful free radical scavenging bioflavonoids, vitamin C and vitamin E.
Pycnogenols are a family of antioxidant bioflavonoids derived from pine tree bark, berries, grape seed and other colourful plants. They have 50 times stronger antioxidant activity than vitamin E and 20 times stronger than vitamin C. They are effective against all blood vessel problems as well as water retention, inflammatory conditions, allergies and arthritis.
Other effective nutritional supplements for blood vessel damage are aloe vera juice, B complex vitamins, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc and silica gel.
Some herbalists and homeopaths have claimed both preventive and therapeutic successes with varverry, chamomile, curcumin, hawthorn berries, white oak bark, witch hazel and calendula.
Witch hazel and calendula in particular are effective when applied topically to soothe inflamation in any blood vessel. These herbs can improve circulation and prevent the build-up of toxins responsible for tissue damage.
For a personalized program of diet and supplements, see your natural health care practitioner.
Natural Interferon Boosters
Interferon is a substance produced by the body's white cells to fight infections, cancer, allergies, and toxic chemical poisoning. Interferon can be made artificially and injected for some cancers and viral infections like hepatitis C. Studies indicate that many natural substances can activate the body's own production of interferon. Some better known natural interferon boosters are:
Astragalus: a Chinese herb that enhances the antibody reaction to foreign invaders of all types including cancer.
Boneset: a native American Indian herb with antiseptic, anti-viral properties used for the treatment of colds and flus, coughs, fevers, indigestion and pain.
Chlorophyll: a plant pigment which can be found in a long list of green leafy vegetables and algae like spirulina, chlorella and barley green.
Coenzyme Q10: an antioxidant involved in the electron transport chain needed for all energy-dependent processes in the body. CoQ10 increases helper T-cells and reduces infection risk.
Echinacea: the most popular herb in North America used as a treatment for toothaches, bites or stings and all types of infections.
Ginkgo: a potent central nervous system antioxidant for the treatment of circulation disorders, memory problems, high blood pressure, depression, tinnitus and immune system disorders.
Licorice: an anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic herb use to boost energy, treat respiratory tract infections, as well as female disorders, ulcers, adrenal insufficiency and congestion.
Melatonin: a hormone produced by the pineal gland with strong antioxidant and immune system boosting properties.
Milk Thistle (Silymarin): a herb most commonly recommended as a liver cleanser and complementary medical treatment for hepatitis.
Medicinal Mushrooms: Reishi, Maitake, Shitake, Kombucha and others stimulate many aspects of the immune system including the production of interferon.
Siberian Ginseng: stimulates T-cell and B-cell activity, energy, libido, body fat burning and many stress-related conditions.
Vitamin C and bioflavonoids, especially proanthocyandins (pycnogenois) like grape seed extract, pine bark extract and bilberry, quercetin, hesperidin and catechin, are powerful antioxidants.
There are over a dozen more natural interferon boosters available at most health food stores and pharmacies alone or in combination. For more information about safe and effective natural ways to boost immunity, see your health care practitioner.
Natural Treatment for Fibrocystic Breast Disease
Fibrocystic breast disease is a benign but sometimes painful condition, occurring in about 20% of pre-menopausal women and associated with a three times greater risk for the development of breast cancer. It can be caused by estrogen dominance, a high animal fat dietary intake and caffeine consumption. Pain and swelling from the breast cysts usually occurs in the second half of a woman's menstrual cycles and typically affects both breasts.
Fibrocystic breast disease can be reversed by cutting down on high fat foods, especially hormone-containing foods like beef, pork, eggs, chicken and all dairy products. Avoid alcohol, sugar and white flour products, all of which encourage the development of breast cysts in sensitive individuals. Products containing caffeine and methylxantines like coffee, black tea, chocolate, cola drinks and some analgesics should be avoided. Eat more citrus fruits, beets, celery, carrots, artichokes, parsnips, spinach, cucumbers and antioxidant rich green foods like spirulina, chlorella, green kamut and barley green.
Supplements that may help shrink some of the swelling from breast cysts are Vitamin A, selenium, silicon, vitamin V6, vitamin E, alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, pycnogenol from grape seed extract, flax seed oil, evening primrose oil and the pineal gland hormone melatonin. Melatonin works by blocking estrogen receptors and shows promise against both fibrocystic breast disease and breast cancer. Some doctors have reported successful elimination of breast cysts using concentrated forms of iodine. Other B complex vitamins and lipotrophic factors such as choline, methionine and cysteine are also beneficial.
Natural progesterone cream directly applied on a daily basis to the affected breasts is another treatment option. Aside from its role in reversing osteoporosis, progesterone cream protects prevent breast cancer and reduces the incidence of ovarian cysts, endometriosis and uterine fibroids. It prevents fluid retention, fat deposits, vaginal dryness and urinary bladder infections. Women who suffer from both stress and a loss of libido will also benefit form the use of natural progesterone cream. Herbs that can be used effectively in treating fibrocystic breast disease include dong quai, burdock, alfalfa and pokeweed. Discuss these and other treatments for fibrocystic breast disease with your health care practitioner.
New Alberta Law Defends Freedom of Choice in Health Care
"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds." . . Albert Einstein
Bill 209, a private member's bill promoted by Alberta MLA, Roy Brassard, to provide citizens with a greater degree of choice in health care, passed third reading in the Alberta legislature on April 24, 1996. This bill allows Alberta doctors to perform any alternative therapy, provided that it cannot be proven to do more harm than conventional drugs and surgical treatments.
No conventional medical studies have ever have been able to prove that the commonly used treatments offered by the alternative health care community cause any harm to the public. Although Victor Herbert and the NCAHF (National Council Against Health Fraud) have been on a world wide crusade against complementary medicine for the past two decades, he and his group have never been able to prove any of the allegations against medical alternatives. On the other hand, the side effects, complications and deaths resulting from supposedly "safe and effective" conventional medical and surgical treatments have been very well documented in books like Racketeering in Medicine by Dr. James Carter.
Under Bill 209, chelation therapy, ozone therapy, homeopathy, environmental medical therapies, vitamin, mineral and herb treatments provided by doctors would all be freely accessible to the public. Bill 209 frees doctors from the totalitarian control of the Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons (A-COPS). The A-COPS have actively opposed alternative medical services for many decades, prosecuting doctors that dared to offer natural alternatives irrespective of beneficial therapeutic results.
Unlike in Ontario and the majority of provinces across Canada where a doctor can be prosecuted by the COPS for recommending that patients drink filtered, clean water and use air purification devices, doctors in Alberta will not be dealing with such brainless forms of persecution. Much like in Nova Scotia, doctors wishing to practise homeopathy or environmental medicine will not be charged with incompetence just for using natural remedies. There will be no need now for doctors to justify or ask permission from anyone except their patients about using alternative therapies.
Prior to the tabling of Bill 209, public pressure had already forced the A-COPS to draft their own bylaws allowing doctors to practise alternative medicine. With the passage of Bill 209, the A-COPS can be eliminated as obstacles to freedom of choice in health care. Bill 209 effectively bypasses the A-COPS and makes any attempts to control alternative medical practitioners impotent.
According to The Canada Act, any medical service legally available in one province cannot be prohibited in other provinces. This basically means that it's only a matter of time before someone challenges the oppressive state of affairs in provinces without an Alaska Clause (legislation in states such as New York and Alaska have allowed alternative health care to flourish). With Nova Scotia and Alberta leading the way, laws will surely be passed in other provinces prohibiting the various COPS from attacking alternative doctors, confiscating patient records and sabotaging the medical care of patients who simply choose to walk away from conventional medicine. The COPS were established to protect the public and not to destroy clinics freely chosen by the public. Without evidence of harm, the COPS should abide by the wishes of the public they have been sworn to protect. They are clearly not doing so and politicians like those in Alberta recognize the fact. COPS are increasingly being seen by the public and doctors for what they really are – protectors of the financial interests of the medical monopoly and puppets of the multi-national pharmaceutical firms.
Authority figures in conventional medicine should not be allowed to go against the wishes of the public. It is clearly the case that a large segment of the Canadian population wants complementary medicine. Without easy access to complementary medical services, freedom of choice in health care can never be a reality in Canada or anywhere conventional medical bureaucratic groups have full control over the type of medical care the public receives.
Rethinking Chlorinated Tap Water
Most people never give it a thought. After all, our elected public officials keep assuring us that chlorinated city tap water is completely safe for human consumption. Numerous scientific studies, however, report that chlorinated tap water is a skin irritant and can be associated with rashes like eczema. Chlorinated water can destroy polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E in the body while generating toxins capable of free radical damage (oxidation). This might explain why supplementation of the diet with essential fatty acids like flax seed oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil and antioxidants like vitamin E, selenium and others helps so many cases of eczema and dry skin.
Chlorinated water destroys much of the intestinal flora, the friendly bacteria that help in the digestion of food and which protect the body from harmful pathogens. These bacteria are also responsible for the manufacture of several important vitamins like vitamin B12 and vitamin K. It is not uncommon for chronic digestive disorders as well as chronic skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, seborrhea and eczema to clear up or be significantly improved by switching to unchlorinated drinking water and supplementing the diet with lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus.
Chlorinated water contains chemical compounds called trihalomethanes which are carcinogens resulting from the combination of chlorine with organic compounds in water. These chemicals, also known as organochlorides, do not degrade very well and are generally stored in the fatty tissues of the body (breast, other fatty areas, mother's milk, blood and semen). Organochlorides can cause mutations by altering DNA, suppress immune system function and interfere with the natural controls of cell growth.
Chlorine has been documented to aggravate asthma, especially in those children who make frequent use of chlorinated swimming pools. Several studies also link chlorine and chlorinated by-products to a greater incidence of bladder, breast and bowel cancer as well as malignant melanoma. One study even links the use of chlorinated tap water to congenital cardiac anomalies.
Anything you can do to filter tap and shower water that eliminates or even minimizes chlorine would certainly be helpful and possibly curative for some immune system problems. The use of at source water filtration devices is increasingly popular and affordable. Discuss their use with your health care practitioner.
Fackelmann, K.A., Hints of chlorine-cancer connection. Science News, July 11,1992;142:23.
Flaten, Trond Peter. Chlorination of drinking water and cancer incidence in Norway. International Journal of Epidemiology, 1992;21(1):6-15.
Messina, Virginia. Chlorine and cancer. Good Medicine, Winter 1994;8-9.
Morris, Robert D. Chlorination, Chlorination by-products and cancer. American Journal of Public Health, July 1992;82(7):955-963.
Rothery, S.P., et al. Hazards of chlorine to asthmatic patients. British Journal of General Practise, Jan, 1991;39.
Shaw, Gary M., et al. Chlorinated water exposures and congenital cardiac anomalies. Epidemiology, November 1991;2(6):459-460.
Steroid Alternatives
Prednisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone and betamethasone are commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory corticosteroid drugs used to block pro-inflammatory mediators in the body such as histamine, some prostaglandins and leukotrienes. These mediators are thought by scientists to be responsible for pain, swelling, redness and eventual scarring reactions like fibrosis in the body. Since autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, thyroiditis and vasculitis involve these pro-inflammatory chemicals, prednisone is used to offset some of their more serious effects. Allergic conditions like asthma, psoriasis and eczema also involve these chemical mediators. Corticosteroid pills or creams are often prescribed for these conditions as well.
Although prednisone and other steroid drugs are effective at reducing inflammation, this comes at a huge price. These drugs primarily cripple the immune system if taken for long periods of time. Some of the more common side effects include fluid retention, increased appetite, increased risk of infection, depression, high blood pressure, diabetes, ulcers, acne, weak muscles, osteoporosis, insomnia and an increased risk of blood clots.
Alternatives to prednisone and other corticosteroids include the following:
1. Detection of food and chemical allergies. This is ideally done by a combination of elimination-provocation (exclusion diet) techniques and blood tests which measure antibodies in the blood directed at specific food and chemical invaders. Usually, the person must be off prednisone or aspirin for several weeks before blood tests for food allergies can be determined. The elimination diet is probably the best way to go for such cases.
2. The use of natural fatty acid anti-inflammatory supplements. The type of fat found exclusively in meats and dairy products is known as arachidonic acid. Saturated animal fats and arachidonic acid increase the inflammatory response by stimulating the production of inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes.
Vegetarian diets that avoid dairy and eggs, use flax seed, evening primrose oil, borage oil and canola oil are higher in the essential fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic acids which stimulate the synthesis of anti-inflammatory prostaglandins that block the pain and inflammatory effects of chemical mediators like leukotrienes.
An alternative way of obtaining anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids from the diet is to consume more cold water fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, swordfish, shark, cod and halibut. These fish contain high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids which have also been documented to blunt the inflammatory or allergic response. If fish is either unpalatable for the individual or not readily available in certain inland areas, supplementation on the order of 9 to 12 grams daily from oil capsules is a better alternative.
3. Supplementation with antioxidants. Since the inflammatory response creates oxidative damage to tissues, the use of antioxidants helps prevent tissue damage that leads to permanent dysfunction. Antioxidant supplements include vitamins like natural carotenoids (carotenes, lycopenes, and others), bioflavonoids like rutin, hesperidin, quercetin, catechin and the proanthocyanidins (grape seed extract, pine bark extract, bilberry and others loosely also called pycnogenols), vitamins C and E, sulfur containing amino acids like cysteine, N-acetyl-cysteine, methionine and glutathione.
Other important antioxidants are coenzyme Q10, B complex vitamins, selenium, zinc and hormones like DHEA (dehydoepiandosterone) and melatonin.
Plant enzymes and other phytochemicals found in superfoods like spirulina, chlorella, barley green, green kamut, bee pollen, royal jelly and herbs of many different kinds are all potent antioxidants. Wholeleaf aloe vera juice with high MPS (mucopolysaccharide) content also contains high levels of dozens of natural antioxidants. Kombucha tea contains many powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Drinking on a regular basis has been reported to reverse hundreds of chronic immune system ailments.
4. Supplementation with natural anti-inflammatory enzymes and herbs. Pancreatin (animal based pancreatic digestive enzymes), plant enzymes and bromelain (from pineapples) not only help with protein digestion in the gastrointestinal tract but have been demonstrated to work as pro-inflammatory substances. They help reduce the number of leukotrienes. The yellow pigment of tumeric is called curcumin. In some studies it has ben reported to be equally effective as cortisone without any of the associated side effects.
Other natural anti-inflammatory herbs are licorice root, yucca (e.g. YU-CCAN Herbal Supplement) and alfalfa. The latter have been reported to be particularly effective in the treatment of most cases of arthritis. Doses of all these supplemental nutrients have to be carefully individualized. Supervision by a nutritional medical doctor or naturopath is highly desirable.
What to Ask Your Health Care Practitioner to Do For You
The following diagnostic and treatment possibilities are frequently worth investigating, especially for those who have been suffering from chronic fatigue which has failed to respond to medical intervention or the simple self-help measures discussed earlier:
– Low grade depression, often accompanied by anxiety, is a real diagnostic possibility and one of the major reasons for unexplained chronic fatigue. It should not be forgotten that insomnia, fatigue, eating disorders, memory loss and multiple intractable somatic complaints are common symptoms of a clinical depression. This diagnosis is usually the most resisted by chronically fatigued victims but long term psychotherapy may well be worth a try. Other treatment options include aerobic exercise, visualization, yoga, breathing exercises, massage therapy, acupressure or Shiatsu and other relaxation techniques.
Alcohol, tobacco or other drug/substance abuse is often seen in depressed individuals and requires long term addiction therapy either in a hospital or detox clinic setting. As an initial act, look into various 12-step support groups for guidance.
Whether or not you believe that stress or relationship conflicts can affect you physically, look into some ways to make positive changes to your lifestyle by reading some of the reference listed at the end of this article.
– Subclinical hypothyroidism or Wilson's disease which can be discovered in cases where body temperatures are consistently below 98.6 degrees F or 37 degrees C. Fatigue usually responds to natural thyroid hormone precursors like iodine, tyrosine, zinc, copper and selenium or to thyroid hormone itself (i.e. desiccated thyroid or liothyronine).
– Toxic heavy metal excess or hypersensitivity, especially to mercury in dental amalgams but also to lead, cadmium, aluminum, copper, arsenic and nickel. Ridding the body of these toxins through a variety of natural supplements like garlic, N-acetyl-cysteine, vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium often eliminates fatigue. In more severe cases, intravenous chelation therapy is effective.
– Vitamin deficiencies, especially to B complex vitamins, notably folic acid and vitamin B12 which may be poorly absorbed by the intestines of chronically ill individuals are common fatigue generators. Injections of vitamin B12 and folic acid may be necessary until gut healing can take place.
– Mineral deficiencies or imbalances involving iron, zinc, copper, selenium, calcium, magnesium, chromium, manganese, silicon, boron, iodine and lithium. Iron deficiency is not the only mineral capable of causing fatigue. Testing for other mineral deficiencies may be vary important.
– Essential fatty acid and amino deficiencies can come about due to malabsorption caused by digestive enzyme deficiencies. Amino acids are precursors to all the neurotransmitters responsible for optimal brain and nervous system function. Essential fatty acids are important components of all body cells and particularly vital for the health of the nervous system.
– Masked or delayed food allergies or chemical hypersensitivities which can only be determined by elimination – provocation testing or blood tests like RAST or ELISA.
– Hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia due to endocrine gland dysfunction other than the thyroid (pancreas, adrenal, gonadal disease) is often overlooked as a cause of chronic fatigue. Blood levels of hormones like DHEA, cortisol and progesterone might all be at suboptimal levels.
– Chronic candida/fungal infection or hypersensitivity syndrome which is best diagnosed and treated by a trial therapy with a sugar-free, yeast-free diet and natural antifungal supplements like garlic, taheebo, tea tree oil, colloidal silver, olive oil, acidophilus and others.
– Chronic parasitic infestations usually due to poor or inappropriate medical testing procedures are not only associated with digestive problems like chronic constipation or diarrhea but with chronic fatigue and immune system malfunctions of nearly every type.
– Low stomach acidity or low pancreatic enzyme production in response to food intake leads to subclinical malabsorption syndromes and numerous nutrient deficiencies, which, when corrected alleviate some cases of chronic fatigue.
Discuss these possibly overlooked diagnoses and treatment options with your natural health care practitioner. For more information, see the references below.
Bateson-Koch, Carolee. Allergies, Disease in Disguise. Vancouver: Alive Books. 1994. Crook, William G. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the Yeast Connection. Professional Books: Jackson, Tennessee, 1992. Ford, Norman D. 18 Natural Ways to Beat Chronic Tiredness. New Canaan, Connecticut; Keats Publishing, 1993. Lark, Susan M. Chronic Fatigue & Tiredness. Los Altos, CA: Westchester Publishing Company. 1993. Moore, Neecie. Bountiful Health, Boundless Energy, Brilliant Youth: The Facts about DHEA. Dallas: Charis Publishing Co.,Inc. 1994. Rona, Zoltan P. and Martin, Jeanne Marie. Return to the Joy of Health, Vancouver: Alive Books, 1995
Winter Health Tune-Up
Natural immune system builders can help prevent flu, colds and other common infections. A multivitamin and mineral supplement will provide basic protection. For better protection, consider these immune boosters.
Vitamin C
High doses of vitamin C stimulate white blood cells to produce more virus-fighting interferon and natural immune-boosting hydrogen peroxide. The recommended daily dose in Canada is 60 mg. For antibiotic properties, take 200-1,000 mg.
Improves ability of body's macrophages to destroy germs by increasing T-cell production. Take for 14 days every month for best protection.
Garlic, Onions, Parsley, Cayenne
Active ingredients allicin, bioflavonoids and phytosterols repel a variety of disease-producing bacteria, fungi and parasites. Useful for bronchitis, sinusitis, bladder and yeast infections.
Other Boosters
- Siberian ginseng – Protects body against stress, radiation and chemical toxins. Improves production of antibodies and interferon.
- Pau d'arco – Herb, also known as taheebo. Potent immune enhancer for people susceptible to yeast or fungal infections.
- Reishi, shitake and maitake mushrooms – Increase resistance to viruses and bacteria by increasing production of T-cells and interferon.
- Co-enzyme Q10 and Chinese herb Astragalus also increase interferon.
NOTE: Stock up on the YU-CCAN premium line of immune-boosting products for the winter season.