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The VG Resource > Creativity > Custom Sprites / Pixel Art > Midday-Mew's Sprite Thread
Full Version: Midday-Mew's Sprite Thread
Midday-Mew
Okay, hello everyone, Midday here. This will be the thread I will use for sprites I made. Most of what you'll see here will be customs, but edits will occasionally appear.
So, here is a sprite sheet I just finished. It has some edits, but some of the sprites are customs. The sprite sheet is meant to be in NES Mega Man style. I have included the credits to these sprites in the image itself. I hope to submit these to this website at some point for other people to use, but I wish to receive critique on these sprites first. My hope is to make these sprites good enough to use in Mega Man fan games by anyone who wished to use them. I edited/made these because frankly, I'm sick of the mugshots from the Mega Man 3 credits that everyone seems to use--they aren't in the right style and have boring poses that really only work for playable characters rather than boss mugshots, and only when put on a black background. These can work on any color background and still be in NES style. Also, the grayscale sprites are Game Boy sprites. Also included is the NES palette I was using, the same NES palette that my good friend DragonDePlatino suggested that I use. This way people can fix the colors if they wish to use a different NES palette. I did not include a Game Boy palette, simply because the Game Boy did not have more than four colors that could be used, so the palette was too simple to include in here. The only real issue I have with these sprites is Bomb Man's Game Boy styled grayscale mugshot. The colors and contrast looks a little bland, if you ask me, so if I could figure out how to rectify that I'd change it for in the future. I figure that changing the way the face is shaded (the part that is normally yellow) would fix it, but I'm not sure how to go about doing that.
Without further ado, here are the sprites:
Please critique these sprites and how they can be improved further! Thanks so much.
DragonDePlatino
Hmm...I can't say much since I've critiqued this to death, but why not take a fresh look on things with a new palette?
After working with the NES palette for months, this is the palette I eventually found to be the best. It's not without it's fair share of faults (no pure yellow) but it's miiiles better than other versions of the NES palette. The contrast is fantastic, there's a good spread of hues and you don't have to hue-shift to obtain nice shading.
Oh, and I also took the liberty of removing the duplicate grays from your palette and recoloring your grayscale characters to make them closer to their colored counterparts. Trust me, the former will save you a lot of headache in the long run.
And one last thing...trim that text at the bottom! All you need is "Give credit to Midday-Mew" and a personal link. Something like this.
Vipershark
I don't mean to be Debbie Downer or whatever, but isn't that palette a custom one that would only be usable with outside emulation tools like YY-CHR?
Unless you can change to different "versions" of the NES palette on the actual hardware it seems like that's a kind of, uh... useless, I guess, edit.
I don't really see much point in bothering to keep something NES style and in the NES palette if the "NES palette" can be arbitrarily changed like that to something that isn't even possible on the system.
If anything, I think that sort of thing would cause confusion as palettes would differ between different sheets and people would end up possibly using the wrong colors.
Ah yes, let me explain that a bit...
We know that the NES palette has 64 colors (with a few duplicates) but there is no accurate representation of the NES palette on an RGB monitor. Colors on the NES were generated in the YPbPr rcolorspace, which is entirely different than RGB. It's like converting meters to hand-widths. One is rigorously defined with specific values (RG while the other is a bit fuzzy without specific boundaries (YPbPr).
There's also the fact that unlike RBG, YPbPr colors are different from television to television. If you tweak the knobs on your TV, you are actually changing the palette itself which can create all kinds of weirdness when you're trying to approximate it in RGB. You can read this topic from the NESdev forums if you want the nitty-gritty details. The point is, there's no single RGB NES palette that everyone can agree on.
And as for the palette I'm using, I used Bisqwit's NES palette generator with the saturation set to 2.0. Think of it like finding a nice television, then twisting the knobs until you get juuust the right color.
Using DDP's palette tool link seems like the way to go. I quite like the new mugshots for Time and Oil Man.
I would also suggest adding Oil Man's "classic" mugshot too, without the scarf. And with both the eastern and western palettes?
Okay, so I applied some changes to the image. Also, this sprite sheet doesn't have just edits. Oil Man's and Time Man's mugshots were sprited from scratch by me (with an edit by DragonDePlatino on Oil Man's mugshot, which I then re-edited), in that I looked at an image of Oil Man and an image of Time Man in the Mega Man Archie Comics, such that the two images from the comics were just referenced rather than traced.
In this version, the main changes are to the palette and to Bomb Man's Game-Boy-styled mugshot's shading. I went with a default NES palette this time (I think it was the default one, but I'm not sure after reading Platino's explanation above this post). Either way, I think this version actually looks better than the previous version. I like Bomb Man's Game-Boy-styled mugshot much better now.
Another change that was made was to the layout, I think I didn't make it clear enough that the grayscale sprites at the top were not NES style, but were, in fact, Game Boy style, meaning that I couldn't really use Platino's version (sorry, dude!) since the original Game Boy could not use that many different colors--it only had a palette of four colors depending on the type of screen the classic Game Boy had: one kind of screen had white, black, a lighter gray, and a darker gray; the other type of screen tinted those same four colors to be four different shades of cabbage green.
So without further ado, here is the third version of the sprite sheet:
(03-02-2015, 07:37 PM)Ton Wrote: [ -> ] Using DDP's palette tool link seems like the way to go. I quite like the new mugshots for Time and Oil Man.
Well, thank you. ^^ I could add Oil Man's "classic" mugshot (with the scarf removed) in both the western and eastern palettes, I suppose. I'll do that next in the next version. I hope to make the next version the final one.
Just a question, Ton...by "classic", do you mean the pose from Powered Up, or do you mean the same as the one I have here, just without the scarf?
I mean just his original look without the scarf.
Okay, so in this version, I added alternate mugshots for Oil Man, of his classic look (without the scarf) in both the western and eastern palettes. Is this what you meant by "classic" Oil Man, Ton?
I really could use some critique on this, especially for the new Oil Man mugshots on the right.
Pull the lips up a few pixels and maybe make them a bit thicker?
(03-03-2015, 04:38 PM)Ton Wrote: [ -> ] Pull the lips up a few pixels and maybe make them a bit thicker?
Do you mean like this?
To everyone: Is this better or worse? I only put the alternative Oil Man mugshots in this image because the mugshots of the other characters (and the mugshot of Archie's Oil Man) are unchanged from the previous image. Please critique this image and the previous image. Thanks. ^^
I think it's pretty rad. Nice work!
So, I submitted the sprite sheet of the Robot Master mugshots to the TSR database for review. I'm excited and nervous at the same time, considering this is the first time I've submitted a sprite sheet to TSR. If it gets accepted, I can finally close the book on this months-long project of mine. It's taken me very many months to finish it, possibly even over a year or two. I'm crossing my fingers, I hope it makes it in!
(03-09-2015, 07:16 PM)Ton Wrote: [ -> ] I think it's pretty rad. Nice work!
Sweet! Thanks so much! ^^ I'm glad you like it, Ton!
Hello folks! It's Midday again. Here's a sample of the project I'm currently working on, a rather over-ambitious spriting project where I attempt to sprite all Mario series items (barring those from the M&L games, from the handheld Mario Party games, from the Mario&Sonic crossover games, and from the sports games, as well as most of the items from SMRPG since those didn't really have a physical appearance, though I made an exception for the Max Mushroom, Royal Syrup, and Star Egg, as seen in the following sprite sheet!) in my Super Mario World Revamped style!
The Super Mario World Revamped Style is basically a revamp of Super Mario World style. The restrictions to the style are as follows: sprites generally limited to 16px by 16px tiles, up to 8 colors per 16px by 16px tile (transparency reserved for the ninth color), and using only colors naturally found in Super Mario World. Also uses shading in the sprites, and sprites in this style are intended to be a vast improvement over the horrid shading of the original SMW sprites. There were some sprites which I did not include from Super Mario World, either because I felt incapable of making an improved version (Power Balloon), or because I felt that the originals were just fine (Cape Feather, Coins, Silver Coins, Key, P-Switch, Silver P-Switch). Although I do believe I could make an improved version of the P-Switches' shading, now that I think about it... Hm....
Also, the Mega Mushroom sprites at the top are a work-in-progress and not finished. I still need to animate those in a personal animation so as to get the frames right for the sprite sheet.
Critique and feedback on the sprites would be much appreciated! If you have questions about which item is which, feel free to ask me.
As a side note, the Mushroom with the crown motif is my design of the Max Mushroom, and the jar/bottle with the gem "cork" and the crown motif is my design of the Royal Syrup. The Max Mushroom and the Royal Syrup items are from Super Mario RPG.
EDIT: I forgot to mention, but the icons used for the apples are temporary and will be replaced with better ones once I figure out which ones to use for them. By icons, I mean the "$", "G", "Y", "Bk", and the skull-and-crossbones. The icons are intended to aid colorblind users in telling the apples apart. The apples are incidentally a merge of the berries from Super Mario World with the apples from the Overthere in Super Paper Mario.
I really like these. Good work!
Attempted to do a Mewtwo head in 4-color limitation. Side note: where I'll be using this sprite will be on a black background and will not be displayed at 1x.
I think I didn't do so well.
I need to do a Mewtwo head, a Lucario head, and a Charizard head, at the smallest possible size, and in grayscale. I'm pretty nervous about having to do it because I can't sprite most Pokemon to save my life, much less at such a small size.
Please critique and please suggest how I can revise this sprite to make it look more like a Mewtwo head?


Changes that occur with aging, disability or even as the result of an accident can all cause mobility issues. This can include everything from unsteadiness when walking and getting in and out of chairs to stairs and fall risks.
There are many specific reasons why mobility can become a concern, including joint and back pain, neurological conditions and disease. Very often, it doesn't even need to be a serious problem to affect mobility in a big way.
Perhaps the main concern around mobility, and certainly the most damaging, is falling. Bones can break very easily, especially for elderly people. And healing often takes significantly longer. Broken hips, legs and arms can result in the need for canes, wheelchairs, frames and emergency equipment, such as evac chairs.
The best way to deal with falls is always prevention. Try to avoid situations where the risks are large. It might be necessary to work with an occupational therapist to install rails, guards and other specialist equipment such as walk-in baths. Very often stairs can become a major obstacle and a hot spot for fall risks.
Another of the major issues around mobility is that it can be a degenerative problem by definition. A lack of mobility makes exercise difficult and can damage confidence. This in turn leads to ongoing and more severe movement issues.
Therefore it may be necessary to create an activity or mobility plan to help regain some movement. Try and work with physiotherapists and mobility specialists to see what can be done to recover some range of movement.
There are many tips and tricks to improve mobility or at least improve safety. Obviously, using sticks, frames and chairs can reduce risk and build confidence, with even small adjustments like changing the type of slippers, removing rugs and other trip hazards, and working on mobility patterns can make a big difference.
Mobility can have a big impact on people's lives but there are lots of ways carers can help people to reduce the scale of these changes. By assessing risks, improving conditions and building confidence, a lack of mobility should never have to hold anybody back.


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February's contest winner was Amanda Bettle, who photographed sheep at The Natural Resources Trust of Easton.
This photo features Dog, a former 4-H show animal and sole male sheep among the nine ewes in the Natural Resources Trust of Easton (NRT) flock.
It is the mission of the NRT to educate the public about significant natural and cultural resources and to acquire and preserve land of special character for the benefit of the public. In 1973, the NRT was invited by Elise Ames Parker to use her former residence, Sheep Pasture, as a 115-acre classroom for its environmental programs and the study of nature in an outdoor setting. With the availability of this classroom came exciting new ways for the organization to implement its mission. A program of community gardens was introduced and managed, farm buildings were repaired and farm animals were acquired. Today, the private trust manages and owns 154 acres of conservation land.
Livestock like sheep, goats , chickens, geese and a Jersey cow are used in an experiential education program available to area schools. The "Down on the Farm" field trips focus on how the animals contribute to food and fiber production. Groups of children learn and explore on the farm with NRT educators. They have a day filled with fun and educational hands-on opportunities like making butter, collecting eggs and carding wool by hand.
Each month, we are posting the 2015 Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar's photo of the month. The calendar features a winning photo of Bay State farming as well as interesting facts about local agriculture. The 2015 Celebrating the Seasons of Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar is available for purchase. All photos were taken by amateur photographers who won the annual Massachusetts Agriculture Calendar Photo Contest. Proceeds from the $10 calendars benefit Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, a small, private non-profit organization that has been working since 1983 to provide agricultural education and training.


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Another year is about to come to a close. As we look back, were you the right kind of busy?
The new year is a great way to take a pause, evaluate and/or celebrate where you are at this point in your life. Now is also a good time to re-focus ourselves. Now this doesn't mean it's as easy as saying "I have a plan." We need focus to stay on the path we believe in. Focus is hard to develop but, with a little practice, we can create a vision to guide our efforts in the new year and achieve our plans.
A great tool that helps me focus is to select three words for the year. You pick three words to guide your efforts. All your actions, when evaluated against these words, will either keep you on track or not. You will find yourself more likely to staying the course you set out from the beginning with a focus tool.
My three words for 2014 were Root, Transition, and Build. I moved to DC and had to begin rooting myself into the new DC-Maryland-Virginia community, stabilizing myself financially during the transition, and re-build my network and career. It was a hard year with many setbacks, but also numerous achievements. Had it not been for these three words, I can think of a few ways where I would have been caught up on the day-to-day issues and lost sight of the bigger picture.
One critical juncture that I can look back on is my decision to leave my part-time work at a restaurant and re-focus that time towards re-building. I got involved in the startup community and have met and learned from so many entrepreneurs, worked with a dynamic team to win 1st place at a DC Startup Weekend, competed against 250+ other entrepreneurs in a Global Startup Battle, and am on the verge of becoming a solopreneur. These three words helped me stay the course and realize my goals.
It's hard to stay focused, and even harder to do everything. By focusing on what really matters, we can maximize our limited time. Let's be the right kind of busy.
What tools help you stay focused during the year?


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Supreme Court fills two Cook County judicial vacancies
Andrea M. Buford
In an order entered today, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed Andrea M. Buford to a countywide judicial vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Pamela E. Hill-Veal. Buford's appointment is effective May 17 and will terminate December 1, 2014.
Buford has had her own Loop law practice since 2001. Before that, Buford practiced with Buford Peters Ware & Zanzitis and as a partner with the law firm of Jones Ware & Grenard. A 1986 graduate of IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, Buford is a former president of the Cook County Bar Association and currently serves as President of the Cook County Bar Foundation. She also serves as a Commissioner for the Illinois Court of Claims.
Pamela McLean Meyerson
The Supreme Court today also appointed Pamela McLean Meyerson to the 11th Subcircuit vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Susan J. McDunn. Meyerson's appointment is effective June 7 and terminates December 1, 2014.
Meyerson has a solo law practice in Oak Park since 1989, representing individuals and small businesses in civil disputes involving contracts, construction, fair housing, consumer fraud, and other conflicts. She has also organized and advised small businesses "from restaurants to record companies, contractors to computer consultants, [and] midwives to meatpackers." Meyerson began her legal career with the firm of Antonow & Fink, moving thereafter to Goldberg Kohn Ltd.
A 1983 graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, Meyerson has helped teach the Intensive Trial Practice Work at the University of Chicago's Mandel Legal Aid Clinic since 2000.
Today's appointments are noteworthy in that they are the first credited to the screening committee created by Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis. As the court's press release today notes, "Traditionally, the three justices from the First Judicial District in Cook County rotate in recommending" candidates for appointment to Cook County vacancies as they occur. However, the court has not always disclosed which justice has recommended a particular appointment.
Posted by Jack Leyhane at 8:40 PM No comments:
Labels: Judiciary
Access to justice must involve access to lawyers
Equal access to justice is on the minds of so many in the legal profession these days. It was the theme of the recent Illinois Justice Foundation Spring Reception; a page on the Legal Assistance Foundation website proclaims, "Equal Justice Starts Here."
We are all agreed on the destination; we are, however, uncertain how to get there. The Illinois Supreme Court has established a Commission on Access to Justice to help us chart the way.
Not so long ago, the vision was much clearer: Lawyers would lead the way to equal justice. We are just past the 50th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963), when the U.S. Supreme Court mandated that states must provide indigent defendants in criminal cases with lawyers at state expense. Equal access to justice was equivalent to equal access to lawyers.
Today, though, lawyers are seen as more a problem than a solution. It may not be polite to say so directly, but lawyers are considered too darned expensive. It's not just the indigent who can not afford lawyers; quality legal representation seems beyond the reach of the not-so-poor, even the middle class. Small businesses increasingly skimp on legal representation. Some of them may not suffer for it. But only some.
Lawyers are increasingly urged to provide pro-bono representation. Illinois lawyers are required to report how many hours they donate each year; New York lawyers are now required to donate 50 hours of pro-bono time in order to keep their licenses. This approach might provide an effective stopgap if there were a critical shortage of lawyers, while law schools churned out new recruits.
But the unavailability of legal representation for so many is not due to any shortage of lawyers; on the contrary, newly minted lawyers are flipping burgers and folding pants. Law schools are being sued (so far without much success) for providing inflated statistics about employment prospects. Meanwhile, older lawyers are getting jettisoned from firms; many are abandoning the profession.
Some blame the disconnect between persons in need of legal services and legal service providers who can not find work on law schools, others on outmoded business methods generally (and the hourly fee in particular).
These surely play a role, but I believe there's a third, greater culprit: Discovery.
Discovery is the wedge that is dividing BIG LAW from the rest of us (call us little law if you like).
John Flynn Rooney reported in Friday's Chicago Daily Law Bulletin that McDermott, Will & Emery LLP
has expanded its discovery center operations to house up to 125 project attorneys working out of three locations.
That includes 90 in Chicago, up from 60; a new document review facility for up to 25 lawyers in Menlo Park, Calif.; and space for 10 lawyers at a Washington, D.C., facility.
The discovery center attorneys review and store electronic information that is used before and during litigation. The firm can have up to 175 lawyers reviewing documents simultaneously.
The staff attorneys are permanent firm employees who are not on a partnership track and are paid an annual salary, [firm co-chairman Jeffrey E.] Stone said.
According to the Law Bulletin article, a team of 20 technology professionals backs up the McDermott attorneys, and the firm has invested in new document-reviewing technologies, particularly in its Silicon Valley location.
Stories like this tell me that it is time for those of us in little law to recognize that our colleagues in BIG LAW are evolving into a different profession. We should wish them well, but let them go their own way; we must no longer ape them.
And, make no mistake, we in little law have for too long tried to imitate our BIG LAW brothers and sisters.
I remember, as a baby lawyer a generation ago, how excited my elders were when new word processing technology permitted us to propound form interrogatories, just like the big firms. The big firms have aggressively pursued full discovery for decades. Once they could, smaller firms followed suit: Discovery has gone from an option to a necessity in the course of my career. I tried a case 18 years ago in which next to no discovery had been taken. The insurer pulled the file from the first defense firm it had retained (even back then there were mutterings that failing to pursue complete discovery was near-malpractice at least) and my initial task was to frantically beg and plead the court to open up discovery. I tried groveling, even, but it was no use. I was forced out to trial.
Surprisingly, perhaps, the world did not end: The weekend before the trial I went out to inspect the locus in quo with my 10-year old son. We took some pictures. I came up with a strategy and it actually worked (I got a defense verdict).
I don't think this sort of thing happens very often these days: Motion Judges in the Law Division today conduct case management conferences every 30 to 60 days, or even more frequently, on occasion, when an attorney fails to complete discovery tasks as expected. Discovery is done or it is waived -- with a written order documenting the choice. If something bad happens down the road, no one wants to have a forfeiture order proving that he or she didn't do all that was possible.
All this discovery costs money. Insurance companies may complain about the expenses, but it's the uninsured litigants who crumble under the costs.
Those of us left behind in little law are going to have to find some way to help clients resolve disputes without automatically incurring the expenses of discovery. Let BIG LAW build 'discovery centers.' We should work on early dispute resolutions, using mediation or any other tools we can develop. Realistically, if we hope to provide equal justice for all, realistic access to lawyers in a streamlined, cost-effective litigation process will have to be part of the overall solution.
Labels: Access to Justice, Discovery, Mediation, Personal Opinion Clearly Labeled as Such, the Legal Profession
Illinois Judges Foundation hosts successful Spring Reception
"Equal Justice for All" was the theme of Wednesday evening's Illinois Judges Foundation Spring Reception, held at the Chicago Bar Association.
Circuit Court Judge and IJF President Laura Liu presented honoree Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride with the Foundation's Access to Justice Award and a personalized White Sox jersey. More importantly, however, the IJF will use the proceeds of this week's fundraiser to fund an internship for an Illinois law student to work with the Supreme Court's Commission on Access to Justice. In accepting the Justice for All Award for himself and on behalf of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Kilbride announced his own generous contribution toward the internship (and it must be noted that this announcement was made before he found out that he was getting the Sox jersey).
Chief Judge James F. Holderman of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois honored the assembly with an original poem and Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans presented the IJF's annual Harold Sullivan Scholarship Award to Ms. Ariel Johnson, a 2L at Loyola University School of Law. In his remarks conferring the award, Judge Evans offered a personal recollection of the late Judge Sullivan as a friend and mentor.
Despite my obvious limitations as a photographer, I was able to obtain images of a few of the many attendees at the event.
Judge Karen O'Malley, Justice Michael B. Hyman,
Chicago attorney John T. Theis and Justice Stuart Palmer
Decalogue Society President Michael A. Strom
and Oak Park attorney Pamela McLean Meyerson
Assistant AG (and former Circuit Judge) Joan Smuda
and Chicago attorney (and former Appellate Court Justice) Gino DiVito
Posted by Jack Leyhane at 9:49 AM No comments:
Dziak posts "Three-Pete" in Boston
Peter Dziak, 15, of west suburban Villa Park, won a third consecutive World Championship at the 2013 World Irish Dance Championships in Boston, Massachusetts last month.
Dziak is a student of the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance and his achievement, and the many successes of other Trinity students, are celebrated on Trinity's Facebook page. In the case of young Mr. Dziak, I believe it is safe to refer to his latest championship as a "three-Pete" without any danger of owing money to Pat Riley.
Full disclosure: Peter Dziak is the son of Joan and Dick Dziak. Joan Marie Dziak (nee Sullivan) is my cousin. And I'm very happy for Joan, Dick, Peter and all the rest of the Dziak clan.
Labels: In the News, Point of Personal Privilege
Supreme Court fills two Cook County judicial vacan...
Illinois Judges Foundation hosts successful Spring...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Welcome To Pulido Lung Clinic Jacksonville
Address : 2624 Atlantic Blvd.
— Main Menu —Home Meet Dr Pulido Lung Clinic Services	- Acute Lung Care Services	- - Acute Bronchitis - - Asthma - - Bronchospasms - Chronic Care Services	- - Asthma - - Chronic Cough - - COPD - - Pneumonia - - Pulmonary Hypertension - - Sleep Apnea - Lung Cancer Services	- - About Lung Cancer Procedures	- Bronchoscopy Blog Contact Us
Meet Dr Pulido
Lung Clinic Services
Acute Lung Care Services
Bronchospasms
Chronic Care Services
Chronic Cough
Lung Cancer Services
About Lung Cancer
What is a chronic cough?
A chronic cough is a cough that lasts for 8 weeks or more. It's usually caused by an underlying condition, such as allergies or heartburn, and usually goes away after the underlying condition is treated.
What is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (also called COPD) is a lung disease that makes it hard for you to breathe. COPD includes two main illnesses: chronic bronchitis and emphysema (say: "em-fa-see-ma"). Most people who have COPD have both of these conditions.
What is pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. Your lungs have 2 main parts: airways (also called bronchial tubes) and alveoli (also called air sacs). When you breathe, the air moves down through your airways and into your alveoli (say: "al-vee-oh-lie"). From the alveoli, oxygen goes into your blood while carbon dioxide moves out of your blood.
What is pulmonary hypertension?
"Pulmonary" means "in the lungs," and "hypertension" means "high blood pressure." Pulmonary hypertension is an increase in blood pressure in the blood vessels that carry blood to the lungs. It is a serious health problem. Pulmonary arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to your lungs. If these arteries narrow or become blocked or damaged, they cannot carry as much
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder. People who have sleep apnea stop breathing for 10 seconds to 30 seconds at a time while they are sleeping. These short stops in breathing can happen up to 400 times every night. If you have sleep apnea, periods of not breathing can disturb your sleep (even if they don't fully wake you up). LEARN MORE...
Chronic Asthma
Asthma is a disease of the lungs. The airways of people who have asthma are extra sensitive to the things they're allergic to (called allergens) and to other irritating things in the air (called irritants). Asthma symptoms start when allergens or other irritants cause the lining of the airways to become inflamed (swollen) and narrow. The muscles around the airways can then spasm (contract rapidly), causing the airways to narrow even more. When the lining of the airways is inflamed, it produces more mucus. The mucus clogs the airways and further blocks the flow of air. This is called an "asthma attack."
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The bank is also set to add two emerging markets traders to its global team over the coming months, said Philippe Jeanne, global head of emerging markets trading in London.
"CAI had a strong offshore business while Credit Lyonnais had a strong onshore business," he said. "We are using both assets to develop a stronger business as a whole with a specific focus on eastern Europe." Since Credit Lyonnais had little emerging markets coverage, no dealers from that bank are in the team, he added.


text:
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The way I came by the information in this package, is by analysing its
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accessed.

If you are interested in finding out how I pieced this together, you can read
the `MAKINGOF.md` file in this repository.

The data presented in this document comes from a sample audio book.
This is the free introductory audio book you get when you sign up for an
account on Audible.com. This is also the file I used to piece all the
information together.

All data in these files is encoded as big endian. The basic layout of a
`.aa` file is as follows:

### File layout

```
   SIZE | DESCRIPTION
--------|------------------------------------------------------------------------
      4 | File size.
      4 | File magic value.
      4 | Number of entries in table of contents (N).
      4 | Unidentified integer: possibly marker for beginning of TOC entries.
   N*12 | N number of TOC entries. Each consisting of 3 32-bit integers:
        | * 32-bit TOC table index: 0..N-1,
        | * 32-bit Block offset in bytes, counting from the start of the file.
        | * 32-bit Block size in bytes.
      4 | Unidentified integer: possibly marker for end of TOC entries.
     20 | Header termination block; No other known purpose. Starts with file
        | magic value, followed by 16 zero bytes.
      4 | Number of entries in tag dictionary (M).
M*(9+?) | M number of key/value pairs, each representing a single tag.
        | * 1 unidentified byte
        | * 32-bit key string length in bytes (X).
        | * 32-bit value string length in bytes (Y).
        | * X bytes of key string data.
        | * Y bytes of value string data.
    N*? | N number of data blocks defining anything from the encrypted audio
        | to a cover image to other stuff. The size of each block is defined
        | by the respective entry in the TOC.
```

### Table of contents.

The TOC defines a list of integer tuples. Each one holds the offset and size
of an important block in the file. Here's a listing of the blocks and a note
on which ones I was able to identify:

```
 TOC[0] = [0, 1215342]        => Defines entire file
 TOC[1] = [160, 24]           => Header termination block?
 TOC[2] = [184, 920]          => Dictionary with tags.
 TOC[3] = [1104, 74]          => Unknown.
 TOC[4] = [1178, 4]           => Unknown.
 TOC[5] = [1182, 8]           => Unknown.
 TOC[6] = [1190, 2462]        => Unknown.
 TOC[7] = [3652, 324]         => Unknown.
 TOC[8] = [3976, 4]           => Unknown.
 TOC[9] = [3980, 0]           => Unknown.
TOC[10] = [3980, 1208712]     => Huge block; very likely the audio.
TOC[11] = [1212692, 2650]     => The cover image block. This contains a raw,
                                 unencrypted JPEG image in the case of our test
                                 file.
```

### Tags

There are a number of tags defined in the file I used to create this package.
From what I can gather from some cursory Googling, other files may contain
more tags, but here's the rundown of the ones I know of.

The purpose for most of these is pretty self-evident. There are a few in here
I can't determine the meaning of, but they are most likely related to the DRM
encryption and checksumming of the header/file.

```
"long_description" = "Your Audible adventures begin right here, with \"Dear Amanda\" by Steve Martin. Listen now."
"copyright" = "(C)Audible.com"
"pub_date_start" = "01-JAN-2000"
"title_id" = "FR_PRMO_000001"
"HeaderKey" = "3498980186 198870190 3001429271 2115137088"
"short_title" = "Your First Listen"
"is_aggregation" = "no"
"license_count" = "1"
"68ec733412b9" = "A205F73BDA557F669DACD0AB30B7F6563359620A"
"parent_title" = "Your First Listen"
"product_id" = "FR_PRMO_000001_mp332"
"provider" = "Audible, Inc."
"pubdate" = "01-JAN-2000"
"short_description" = "Your Audible adventures begin right here...."
"HeaderSeed" = "1528285495"
"EncryptedBlocks" = "52189"
"license_list" = "103143417"
"CPUType" = "1"
"parent_short_title" = "Your First Listen"
"title" = "Your First Listen"
"description" = "Your Audible adventures begin right here...."
"codec" = "mp332"
"user_alias" = "AAJOH85S50EZZ"
```

### Usage

    go get github.com/jteeuwen/audible

### License

Unless otherwise stated, all of the work in this project is subject to a
1-clause BSD license. Its contents can be found in the enclosed LICENSE file.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
package kkdt.sample.webboot.client;

import java.awt.BorderLayout;
import java.awt.Container;

import javax.swing.BorderFactory;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.SwingUtilities;

import org.springframework.security.core.Authentication;
import org.springframework.util.Assert;

/**
 *

 * The main application window.
 *

 *
 * @author thinh
 *
 */
public class ApplicationConsole extends JFrame {
   private static final long serialVersionUID = -5575311618949877211L;

   private JLabel dataLabel = new JLabel("N/A");
   private AuthenticationPanel authenticationPanel;
   private ApplicationController applicationController;

   /**
    *

    * Associate this GUI with the controller.
    *

    *
    * @param applicationController the main controller.
    */
   public ApplicationConsole(ApplicationController applicationController) {
      super("Application Console");
      setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
      Assert.notNull(applicationController, "Application controller cannot be null");
      this.applicationController = applicationController;
   }

   /**
    *

    * Initialization can be invoked via Spring or programmatically and will visually
    * show/pack the application window.
    *

    *
    */
   public void init() {
      authenticationPanel = new AuthenticationPanel();

      JPanel data = new JPanel();
      data.setBorder(BorderFactory.createEtchedBorder());
      data.add(dataLabel);

      JPanel c = new JPanel(new BorderLayout(5,5));
      c.add(authenticationPanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
      c.add(data, BorderLayout.SOUTH);

      Container content = this.getContentPane();
      content.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
      content.add(c, BorderLayout.CENTER);

      authenticationPanel.getActionButton().addActionListener(applicationController);;

      this.setResizable(false);
      this.pack();
      this.setVisible(true);
   }

   /**
    *

    * The value the user typed in the input for login.
    *

    *
    * @return
    */
   public String getLoginUser() {
      return authenticationPanel.getUser();
   }

   /**
    *

    * Display a message on the main window.
    *

    *
    * @param message the message.
    */
   public void displayMessage(String message) {
      SwingUtilities.invokeLater(() -> {
         dataLabel.setText(message);
      });
   }

   /**
    *

    * Callback for the GUI to handle an authentication change.
    *

    *
    * @param auth the authentication.
    */
   public void handleAuthentication(Authentication auth) {
      if(auth != null) {
         if(auth.isAuthenticated()) {
            displayMessage("User successfully logged in: "+ auth.getPrincipal());
            authenticationPanel.setActionLabel("Logout");
            authenticationPanel.enableUserInput(false);
         } else {
            displayMessage("Invalid user: " + auth.getPrincipal());
         }
      } else {
         displayMessage("N/A");
         authenticationPanel.setActionLabel("Login");
         authenticationPanel.enableUserInput(true);
      }
   }

}


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Lesson of the day: Do not let your new dog off her leash until you know what she is likely to do. Apparently Abby is REALLY fast. Oh boy she is going to give me a run for the money (literally). I was pleasantly surprised though when I left Sadie and Abby together alone for about an hour and a half. I came home to a nearly pristine house! The only casualty was a small tupperware. Not too bad.
She was at the courthouse this morning and thought of me while witnessing what she called "justice gone right". A mom who went through all of the proper steps and remained sober for a year earned back custody of her kids. When the verdict was read, she cried and ran to her parents who were crying as well. Someone leaned over to my friend and said, "Someone needs to give them a big hug". She instantly thought of me knowing I would have done whatever it took to do just that. My favorite part was that she admitted if she hadn't been blocked in her seat, she may have just done it herself. My heart sings with joy every time I hear ways that hug awareness is spreading.


text:
Start-up Day
Exhibitors (18)
Contact persons (18)
Fresh products (9)
Technical systems (9)
Grower/Producer (10)
Research organisation (2)
Technical services (2)
Association/Institution (1)
Importer (1)
Hall 7.1b (1)
Hall 7.1c (1)
Hall 9 (3)
Hall 18 (2)
Hall 21 (15)
Hall 22 (163)
spotlight & Routes
spotlight - World premiere (2)
Postal code - Area
AGRIPOLYANE
Hall 8.1 A-26
AGRIPOLYANE is one of the European leading company in the field of agricultural films for more than 60 years. We design and manufacture tailor made solutions to our customers located in more than 60 countries in the world. AGRIPOLYANE is your trustable partner when it comes to : - greenhouse films - tunnel films - mulching films - biodegradables mulching films - silage bags - cattle sheds films You have a need? We will design you a solution. Do not hesitate to contact us!
AgroFresh Holding France
Hall 21 D-02
spotlight - World premiere
AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGFS) is a leading global innovator and provider of science-based solutions, data-driven technologies and experience-backed services to enhance the quality and extend the shelf life of fresh produce. For more than 20 years, AgroFresh has been revolutionizing the apple industry and has launched new innovative solutions in a variety of fresh produce categories from bananas to cherries and citrus to pears. AgroFresh supports growers, packers and retailers in ensuri…
Andean Superfood SCRL
Hall 21 B-06
ANDEAN SUPERFOOD was founded in 2016, with the purpose of revaluing Peruvian ancestral products following the tradicion of the agriculture under the organic system like ORGANIC EU AND USDA ORGANIC The company is a producer of superfoods with more than 100 hectares besides they promotes the sowing of peruvian superfoods giving technical assistance to the farmers in order they can sustain themselves and their family creating genuine jobs and sustainable in the time . The company has a fa…
EDENYS
Etablissements Martin SAS
Hall 21 A-09
Emballages Martin is a wooden packaging manufacturer in France. The company process lightweight wood coming from its nearby sustainable forests. It designs, produces and sells wooden boxes, baskets and crates for all kind of sector : fruits and vegetables, dairy, fish, catering, home design ...
Enyi Fresh
ENYI FRESH is a fresh fruit and vegetable farm located in East Africa, Ethiopia. The farm is situated close to the capital Addis Ababa, at about 50 km distance and with an altitude of 2000m ASL in an area known as Awash Melka Kuntre. The production team of ENYI FRESH has a high level of expertise which enables them to manage the farm conforming to international industry standards resulting into products with high quality.
FN3PT Federation Nationale des Producteurs de Plants de Pomme de Terre
Hall 21 E-04
Fertil SAS
For more than 50 years, FERTIL has been providing horticulture and nursery professionals with quality products. Visionary and concerned about the environment, FERTIL developped the first biodegradable pot in wood fibers, FERTILPOT, in the 60's. Little by little new products are born to expand its offering and accelerate its international expansion. Still today, FERTIL produces in France, on its original site in the heart of the Vosges mountains. Present in more than 40 countries and leader on th…
France Potato Board SAS
FRANCE POTATO BOARD is a subsidiary of the CHAMPART group. The CHAMPART group is made up of more than 200 growers and farmers. The CHAMPART group is one of the main suppliers of potatos, and is one of the premier packers in France. It is experienced in the constraints and demands of large scale distribution. FRANCE POTATO BOARD has 14 storage and packing facilities.
HARMONIE S.A.S.
Harmonie is a leading company in export of French fruit all over the world : America, Africa, Europe, NearEast, MiddleEast and FarEast. The main exported products are apples, pears, kiwis and plums. Harmonie belongs to producers located in the three main production areas of France : in South-East, South-West, and Loire Valley. The apple alone accounts for more than 100 000 metric tons. Orchards Our priority is to give satisfaction to our customers. This satisfaction starts with the way we …
JANNY M.T. SAS
Hall 21 C-01
"Innovation is at the heart of our company" Who are we ? Janny MT is a French company specialized in controlled atmosphere in small volumes. Janny MT proposes also an industrial air/watertight storage and transport module. Janny MT benefits from an expertise that is combined with a cutting edge, efficient production. Our team : Janny MT is a team of experienced specialists, constantly searching to improve quality. A young, creative and highly reactive team that offers innovative solutions ded…
JX Nippon ANCI SAS
JX Nippon ANCI, a member of JXTG Holdings, has developed and manufactures CLAF® Fabrics, a unique packaging net used successfully worldwide for fresh produce packaging. Available in polypropylene or polyethylene, it offers to packers and retailers the ideal combination of strength, dimensional stability and soft contact to the product. Our newest innovation is a bio-sourced PE CLAF. It meets global standards in environmental sustainability, and provide a renewable alternative to petroleum-based…


text:
Is It a Breaking Point or a Turning Point?
Joyce Shafer
There are crossroad moments in life, but there are also moments that have a stronger dynamic than that. These are moments when you face major decisions about giving up or giving out or going forward in life.
"A crisis only becomes a breaking point when we fail to use it as a turning point," wrote Guy Finley. Most of us have had a moment when we faced, or may now face, this truth. Depending on what's going on, we can feel weakened, either momentarily or for longer; and we may have to dig deep for the courage and self-love to head toward the direction of a balance point. Along with this, it takes an act of courage to reach out to others when we feel weakened so that we can get strong again, as author and motivational speaker Les Brown reminded us. That's not always easy or comfortable to do, especially if you have self-worth issues about your deservedness or a belief that you have to be perceived as perfect, which means you erroneously believe you must never have or demonstrate feelings other than those of empowerment.
Sometimes, what gets us to feel we're approaching a breaking point is a series of events that seem to pile up. Sometimes, it's one event. Sometimes, it's both, which has been my recent experience. Either scenario can make us feel that we're going to break open or break apart. That's why I was especially appreciative to reread Finley's and Brown's words. I've had to reach out to select others lately, in order to stay strong during a particularly challenging time. I've had to look at my role in the dynamics and own it, which has been painful but transforming; but doing this empowers me in many ways. What I've been facing can be viewed as a problem (breaking point) or as an impetus (turning point) to do something that's needed to be done for quite a while. In its specific way, my situation is a signal to turn and aim my life in a direction that is more appropriate for me, as though I can hear the words whispered on the wind, "Your life is calling you." Along with the emotions I've experienced, I've also been able to see the gifts and the hand of Source at work for my and the highest good.
It's somewhat frightening and exhilarating to stand in this place. Like that phrase that refers to leaping and finding you can fly. The encouraging words of support and love that have been coming to me from family and friends, and messages sent by Source in its very special way, help me remember how blessed I am in my life, how much I have to appreciate. And I realize one of the biggest blessings is that I can recognize this.
I haven't popped right into "positive energy and emotions only" mode as yet, nor will I put that unrealistic demand or burden on myself: There are still things to resolve and healing work to be done. I know that staying in an agitated state won't fix anything and is potentially damaging to the body, as well as every area of life. Einstein's words come back to me, "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." I can't keep doing the same things and expect different results; none of us can. And I can tell you that making specific changes has not been received well by one and all, though, support for the needed changes is strong from others; though, that shouldn't be required in order for any of us to take strength in any choice we make that's in our best and highest interest. In fact, making specific changes has set other dynamics into motion, as is wont to happen; but I completely trust Source to continue to support me, as well as act for the highest good of all involved.
Why is it that we sometimes feel compelled to wait to make changes until we have to? I'm one who believes everything has a purpose, so there's no judgment in that question. I can think of lots of reasons we might do that. Sometimes the reasons include being a kind, caring person who doesn't like to give up, which means the person also doesn't know that necessary endings are natural and, well, necessary, whether that's a complete ending or ending only what doesn't work. Sometimes it's because a co-dependent (toxic) relationship has been formed, whether personal or professional, and any number of fears get in the way, preventing a needed shift from happening. Sometimes it's because we live from the outside in rather than from the inside out, which puts the quality of our life into the hands of others instead of in our own hands and in partnership with Source. Sometimes it's to get our attention onto an inner healing that is needed, which of course could result in any or all of the above reasons I listed here. I'm certainly now aware of my reasons, and I'm directing my energy in a way that lets me move forward, however this challenge unfolds.
If you experience a moment, or are in one now, that feels like a breaking point, what might you do to make it your turning point? It's a good practice, one you'll appreciate.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce L. Shafer
You are welcome to use this article in your newsletter or on your blog/website as long as you use my complete bio with it.
Joyce L. Shafer is a Life Empowerment Coach dedicated to helping people feel, be, and live their true inner power. She's author of "I Don't Want to be Your Guru, But I Have Something to Say" and other books/e-books, and publishes a free weekly online newsletter that offers empowering articles. See all that's offered by Joyce and on her site at http://stateofappreciation.weebly.com


text:
« Terror and pity at HKU
Rimsky and procedural fairness »
The Law and the Professors at HKU
October 12, 2015 by timhamlett
The row over autonomy at HKU took a surprising turn last week, when the People's Post published a long piece by one Tony Carty, who was described in the usual endnote as the Chair in Public Law at the University of Hong Kong. As it seems unlikely that the furniture at HKU is writing op ed items I take this to mean that Carty is a Professor, and a law professor at that. He is in fact (according to Wikipedia) two professors, as he holds down a similar job in Aberdeen.
Prof Carty led us through the background, in four paragraphs, and said that as he could not read the 350 hostile articles about Johannes Chan in the left-wing papers he had asked one of his PhD students to translate one. This could be considered a rather small sample but we are not in a social science class here so let that pass.
Prof Carty then lists three "criticisms" in the article: "Chan's policy of having assistant professors without research degrees supervising mainly mainland PhD students; the faculty holding apparently academic meetings which are actually expressions of political activism; and appointing many senior Western academics who are not noticeably academically productive in research while in Hong Kong."
And the Prof goes on to say that "If there was to be a judicial review of these smears, I would expect any judge to say that they are "fair comment'". Oh dear me. Let us not linger over the fact that Prof Carty's writing skills do not include the use of the subjunctive. He is not exactly scintillating on the law either. Judicial review is a procedure in which a judge considers the propriety of an administrative decision. It has no place here, except perhaps to impress readers who are sensitive to legal mumbo-jumbo. "Fair comment", comes from the law of libel and is the old name for the defence which has been called "honest comment" since the Court of Final Appeal's decision on Cheng v Tse in 2000. This protects the expression of honestly held opinions. But the three criticisms which Prof Carty lists are not matters of opinion. They are matters of fact. The maker of the statement would be required to prove to the court, on the balance of probabilities, that it was true that there was a policy that assistant professors without research degrees should supervise mainland students, that apparently academic meetings were held for political purposes, and that Western academics were appointed and then did little research. If the newspaper established these facts, then the further inference that because of his poor taste in research supervisors, meeting agenda and visiting scholars Johannes Chan should not be appointed a Pro Vice Chancellor would be an honest comment. But a comment must be based on true facts to enjoy the defence. And it must be a comment, not an opinion about a factual matter. If you write a piece saying that X beats his dog and his wife, only to discover that he is a dogless bachelor, then the fact that you honestly believed the tale will not help you.
Alert to the possibility that this might be an interesting piece, I trudged on to Prof Carty's account of the appointment of Chan's replacement as law dean. The relevance of this is that the new dean does not apparently share Prof Carty's horror at the idea of a law teacher participating in Occupy Central. There seems, however, to be another problem here. An alternative candidate, who was not selected, was "a leading world specialist in the common law, with the inevitably much deprecated PhD from Oxford in the philosophy of the common law…" Well actually he didn't have a PhD, deprecated or otherwise, because in Oxford they call it a DPhil, but what is going on here? Could it be, one wonders, that Prof Carty has a PhD and feels it is not getting the respect it is due? Johannes Chan, as we all know, hasn't got one, and neither does his replacement. Neither do I. The relative merits of a research degree or a career in a real job are a recurring problem in professionally-orientated departments.
Now we come to the heart of the matter. A nameless "law graduate" had written publicly to Johannes Chan, asking how a teacher of law could be a leader of Occupy. Chan's reply seems to have run to some length. In the middle of it is the sentence "It is a classic debate in any jurisprudential class whether the laws asking the Germans to kill the Jews are law even when such law has been duly passed by Parliament." Chan goes on to say that opinions about breaking the law as a protest are a "political choice" and a respectable academic institution should not "penalize someone simply because we do not agree with his political choice".
Prof Carty pounces: "In other words, if a law professor in Hong Kong chooses to consider the Chinese government the equivalent of Nazi Germany and organizes mass illegal demonstrations to force the resignation of the chief executive, such is he personal political choice and not the concern of HKU."
Hold on a minute. Nobody is saying that the Chinese government is "the equivalent of Nazi Germany". The Nazis come up in discussions of whether it is ever wrong to break the law. They come up for one purpose: the refute the naive and simplistic idea that it is always wrong to break the law. Prof Carty seems to take a rather primitive view of the matter. The point is that there are circumstances in which it is clearly not wrong to break the law. That does not mean that it is always right to break the law. It means that in any particular case we have to consider the circumstances in detail. We cannot just jump to the easy conclusion that illegal = wrong.
It may also be useful for lawyers to bear in mind that the public has no difficulty in seeing variations in the seriousness of illegal acts. It is, for example, illegal to enter an MTR station for the purpose of protesting against the corporation's luggage rules. But anyone who got huffy about that would be considered to be lacking a certain sense of proportion. Professors do illegal things all the time … and we pay our parking fines like the rest of the population. Most people consider quite reasonable the HKU line that a prof who meets his job obligations has a right to do pretty much what he likes out of the office. It seems that the government also takes this view with its own employees. The Development Secretary, Paul Chan Mo-po, lost a spectacular libel action last week. This would once have been considered a serious blemish on the honour of a public servant, requiring resignation. Not these days, apparently.
Rather surprisingly Prof Carty comes to the conclusion that the decision not to appoint Johannes Chan was political, and it is "only to be expected" that the government's appointees and supporters "will avail themselves of the advantages which they have, under the colonial-style constitution of the council, to resist Chan's appointment." So it's political, but he's OK with it, because Chan is part of the worldwide pro-democracy, anti-China conspiracy.
This is all rather disappointing. It seems to me that Prof Carty has an unfortunate habit of taking quotes out of context, interpreting them in a way which is clearly unfair to the speaker, and as a result coming to a rather sensational conclusion. This is perhaps the sort of thing which journalists do, but then journalism is, as Max Hastings puts it, "a profession for cads and bounders." Professors, on the other hand, are supposed to be gentlemen and scholars.


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Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory relapsing or progressive disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) white matter characterized by areas of immune mediated demyelination and axonal injury.
A complex interplay of a number of factors, probably a variable combination, produces the disease. Both hereditary and environmental factors are implicated in etiology. 20% of MS patients have at least one affected relative with a polygenic hereditary predisposition. Many viruses and bacteria are suspected of causing MS, most recently the Epstein-Barr virus, but none have been conclusively proven.
MS affects 2.5 million people worldwide and 400,000 in the U.S. alone. It is more common in late adolescence or early adult life with at least a 2:1 ratio of female to male. It is more likely to occur in white populations than in Native Americans, African Americans and Asians. MS is more common in countries with temperate climates and there is a higher rate of prevalence in northern United States and Canada compared to the south. A number of other factors are associated with higher disease rates, such as urban background, higher educational and socioeconomic status, higher latitude, cold humid weather, and meat and dairy food consumption.
There is periventricular infiltration of lymphocytes and macrophages in the brain, brain stem, optic nerves and spinal cord. There is inflammation, intrathecal immunoglobulin G production with oligoclonal bands, antibody producing plasma cell infiltration and disruption of blood brain barrier. The demyelinating lesions are known as plaques which appear as indurated areas and hence the term sclerosis. There is myelin loss, destruction of oligodendrocytes and reactive astrogliosis with relative sparing of the axon cylinder in the demyelinating lesions of the brain and spinal cord. In some cases, axons are also aggressively destroyed. The cortex and the grey matter nuclei are also affected with diffuse injury to the white matter. The grey matter atrophy is associated with physical disability, fatigue, and cognitive impairment in MS. The location of lesions in CNS dictates the type of deficits.
Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) with supportive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings.
Relapsing remitting MS (RRMS). 88% of all initial MS diagnoses are RRMS. Patients have isolated relapses when symptoms may appear or resurface, followed by periods with fewer or no symptoms.
Secondary progressive MS (SPMS). About 50% of all RRMS patients develop SPMS. This happens gradually within 10 years of initial diagnosis. While patients with SPMS have fewer relapses, their disability worsens and symptoms become more pronounced.
Primary-progressive MS (PPMS). This makes up about 10% of all MS diagnoses. These patients have a steady worsening of symptoms and disability.
Progressive-relapsing MS (PRMS). It is characterized by steady worsening of disability with occasional relapses and constitutes about 5% of all MS population.
Fatigue is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms. Sleep disorders, depression, medications, and heat sensitivity may contribute to fatigue.
Many patients lose mobility and risk falls.
Spasticity is one of the primary symptoms of MS. It is usually more severe in the legs and torso.
Pain is present in about two-thirds of patients at some point during the course of the disease and 40% are never pain-free.
Depression is also found frequently.
Bowel, bladder and sexual dysfunction are common.
Depending on site of lesions, patients may give history of sensory symptoms, visual loss or blurring, dysarthria, ataxia, tremors, motor weakness, gait disturbances, bowel and bladder symptoms (such as constipation, bladder incontinence, urgency, and frequency) and cognitive disturbance. Symptoms characteristically worsen with heat.
Signs and symptoms depend upon when in the course of the disease patient presents. They may vary from cognitive dysfunction (memory, attention and concentration) to cranial nerve abnormalities (e.g., optic disc swelling or atrophy visual field deficits, internuclear opthalmoplegia, speech and swallowing deficits), motor and sensory loss, spasticity, and ataxia. A comprehensive systemic examination to delineate depression and other associated symptoms is warranted.
Deficits in the areas of mobility, activities of daily living (ADLs), bowel and bladder function, dysarthria and dysphagia exist in patients with MS. An assessment by physical, occupational and speech therapists is essential. Cognitive function should be evaluated to assess memory, attention, problem solving, and executive function.
Cerebrospinal fluid for cell count, protein, gamma globulin, and oligoclonal bands is helpful for confirmation of the diagnosis. Blood tests and imaging are needed to exclude other causes of symptoms.
MRI is more sensitive and useful than computed tomography (CT). The hallmark findings are multiple lesions in the periventricular regions showing as areas of increased signal intensity of T2 weighted images. Lesions are rounded or ovoid and appear homogenous but may possess a rim of altered signal intensity. Similar lesions are found in the white matter of the spinal cord and brain stem. MRI also has a prognostic value and may correlate with disability. MRI findings are a better barometer of disease activity than clinical evaluations.
Positron emission tomography (PET) scan of the brain.
Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP), visual and auditory evoked potentials are useful to identify subclinical impairments or confirm clinical findings.
Patients should limit their exposure to viral illnesses because infections may trigger relapses. Avoidance of heat and hot weather are important as exposure to heat may cause exacerbation.
Given a high risk of falls, it is important to remove environmental hazards.
Family and social support can be critical in maintaining a good mental and physical state. Concerns regarding work, environment, quality of life, end-of-life issues, and the impact of the disease on the family are all significant.
Many ethical and legal issues can arise relating to diagnosis, the effects of physical, cognitive and psychological impairments, and aspects of medical management and drug trials.
The MS Council for Clinical Practice Guidelines has published guidelines for different aspects of MS, including disease-modifying therapies, immunizations, urinary dysfunction, fatigue, and spasticity. Rehabilitation should address maintenance of functional mobility, activities of daily living, leisure and social participation, vocational activities, home adaptations, personal support and quality of life.
Rapid evolution of new symptoms or worsening of old symptoms characterized as exacerbations are treated with high-dose steroids; intravenous infusion daily for three to five days. If no response to steroids, a course of plasma exchange or intravenous immunoglobulin may help. Rest, energy conservation, range of motion and joint protection techniques, and preservation of mobility are important in the acute stage.
Patients with RRMS and SPMS are often started on disease-modifying therapy with immune-modulatory agents such as Interferon beta-1a or 1b (suppress T-helper cell response), Glatiramer acetate (alters T-cell activation), Natalizumab (a monoclonal antibody that blocks T-cell migration across blood-brain barrier), Fingolimod (prevents T-cell migration across blood brain barrier) and Mitoxantrone (an immunosuppressive agent that inhibits cell replication). Treatment is typically initiated with a beta interferon agent or glatiramer. Choice is largely based on patient preference and side effect profile. Natalizumab is reserved for patients who have inadequate response to other MS therapies, and Mitoxantrone for select patients with worsening disease.
Ongoing management of spasticity, fatigue, pain, ataxia/gait impairment, falls, sensory loss, prevention and management of decubiti, neurogenic bowel and bladder, sexual dysfunction, and cognitive problems is indicated. Periodic reassessment of function with routine visits should be part of follow-up care.
comfort care including psychosocial support, and palliative care includes symptom relief: To meet end-of-life care needs, an interdisciplinary coordinated approach is best, with shared models of care.
Because there is no cure for MS, symptom management is critically important to quality of life. A model that provides optimal results is multimodal and multidisciplinary approach, using disease-modifying agents, medications to address spasticity, fatigue, depression, pain, and bladder or bowel problems, physical and occupational therapies and other support services with effective communication and patient education interventions.
Patients and caregivers should be educated about medications, and symptom management and resources provided for community support groups. For patients with advanced disease, caregivers need hands-on training in transfer techniques, skin integrity, bowel programs, and urinary collection devices.
Functional Independence measure is used to determine the level of a patient's disability and indicates how much assistance is required for the individual to carry out activities of daily living (ADLs).
The Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is used to measure the disability status of MS patients. The purpose was to create an objective approach to quantify the level of functioning.
Outcomes should include quantitative functional independence measure (FIM) data, as well as qualitative patient satisfaction and fulfillment with life activities and goals.
A comprehensive approach involves multiple specialists, including neurology, physiatry, neuropsychiatry, to encompass a biopsychosocial approach to improve and preserve function, fulfillment, and quality of life.
Because of its autoimmune nature, targeting the immune system remains a vital component of treatment, however, predisposing the patients to infection. Therefore immune modulation through antigen-specific therapy has a hopeful, important future. Monoclonal antibodies therapy resulted in a clear paradigm shift in MS therapeutics. Their use in early, inflammatory phases could have the potential to prevent or delay disability.
The development of immunomodulatory therapies and disease-modifying agents for MS had significant impact in altering the natural history of the disease. Therapies targeting an antigen, a synthetic form of myelin basic protein, called copolymer I, were successful, for the treatment of relapsing-remitting MS. The possibility of developing an MS vaccine is in the horizon. Therapy to improve nerve conduction with potassium channel blocking agents such as 4 amino pyridines is shown to improve strength and gait.
Current research is directed at three major goals: preventing the development of new demyelinating lesions, protecting demyelinated axons from degeneration, and promoting remyelination. Strategies to reverse the damage to myelin and oligodendrocytes to enhance remyelination are under way. Advances in assistive technology and improved adaptive equipment, with computer devices and powered wheelchairs favorably enhance the impact of the disease on the lives of patients. Regaining quality of life by reducing functional dependence in conjunction with effective prevention of disease relapses must be the goal of future therapeutic approaches.
Although immunomodulatory therapies reduce relapse rate and MRI-associated disease activity, they are only partially effective and do not ameliorate irreversible axonal injury, which produces much of the symptomatic burden of MS. Targeted immune modulation and the demonstration of reduced disease burden and progression by objective criteria remains a continual area of research. Sustainability of programs to treat and maintain health of the individuals with MS is a major challenge.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Epidemiology of MS. Available at http://www.nationalmssociety.org Accessed September 6, 2011.
Noseworthy JH, Lucchinetti C, Rodriguez M, Weinshenker BG. Multiple sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 2000; 343(13):938-52.
Crayton H, Heyman RA, Rossman HS. A multimodal approach to managing the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Neurology. 2004 Dec 14; 63(11 Suppl 5):S12-8.
Freeman JA. Improving mobility and functional independence in persons with multiple sclerosis. J Neurol. 2001; 248(4):255-59.
Khan F, Turner-Stokes L, Ng L, Kilpatrick T. Multidisciplinary rehabilitation for adults with multiple sclerosis, The Cochrane Library. 2008; Issue 3.
Samkoff LM, Goodman AD. Symptomatic management in multiple sclerosis. Neurol Clin. 2011; 29(2):449-63.
Matsuda PN, Shumway-Cook A, Bamer AM, Johnson SL, Amtmann D, Kraft GH. Falls in multiple sclerosis. PM&R. 2011; 3(7):624-32.
Souza A, Kelleher A, Cooper R, Cooper RA, Iezzoni LI, Collins DM. Multiple sclerosis and mobility-related assistive technology: Systematic review of literature. JRRD. 2010; 47(3):213-224.
D'Amico E, Caserta C, Patti F.Monoclonal antibody therapy in multiple sclerosis: critical appraisal and new perspectives. Expert Rev Neurother. 2015 Mar; 15(3):251-68. doi: 10.1586/14737175.2015.1008458.


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September 28, 2018	by rycowborg
RYCO Strengthens Capacities of High Schools and CSOs in Montenegro
PODGORICA – Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) in cooperation and with the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized a four-day Capacity Building Training for the representatives of CSOs and high schools from Montenegro on 25 – 28 September in Podgorica. Twenty-seven participants from a number of cities and regions in Montenegro attended the training. Strengthening capacities of potential RYCO beneficiaries in project proposal design and implementation of intercultural youth exchange programs where the training's focus.
Welcoming the participants, RYCO Local Branch Officer in Montenegro Mr Edin Koljenović thanked the participants for showing the interest to take part in the training, and the OSCE Mission to Montenegro for being a friend and a partner of the RYCO Local Branch Office in Montenegro from the very beginning.
The training is important because it was created as a result of recognition of the clear need to work on strengthening capacities of civil society organizations and high schools to write project proposals, but also to implement intercultural youth exchange programs, Mr Koljenović said.
Praising the results achieved by RYCO in the first year of its operations, General Director for Youth in the Ministry of Sports of Montenegro and member of the RYCO Governing Board Mr Nenad Koprivica said that the Government of Montenegro supports the establishment and functioning of RYCO and the Local Branch Office, and recalled that his Government was the first among the WB6 governments to met all the obligations towards the organization defined by the Agreement on the Establishment of RYCO.
Opening the training, Deputy Head of OSCE Mission to Montenegro Ms Siv-Katrine Leirtroe emphasized that the OSCE sees RYCO as very important because it works on enhancing youth mobility and social inclusion in the region. She underlined that this is of a crucial importance for the future of young people since this is a chance for them to change the view on their neighbors through the opportunities offered by RYCO.
What Political Parties Offer to Young People in BiH?
Call for Essays: Balkan Debate Academy - Debating towards Cooperation


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by Andrew Wagner in Code, Ideas
Peter-Paul Koch and the browser dilemma
In July of this year, mobile platform strategist, consultant, and trainer, Peter-Paul Koch (PPK), published an article on his blog, Quirksmode, called "Stop pushing the web forward." When PPK publishes, people tend to listen and at AREA 17, we're no different.
PPK always sparks debate
Not long after PPK's post hit the internet, everyone at the agency received an email from global technical director, Luis Lavena. "This is a very good article from Peter-Paul Koch," Luis wrote. "It focuses on the current dilemma faced while creating websites." Alright, worth a read. But rather than just share the link, Luis, somewhat uncharacteristically, went on:
"Too many web browser features, partially implemented, all aiming to re-implement Native without being native and us (developers) having to deal with all these quirks and issues across browser and vendors. All in the name of a better user experience.
But is that really the reason? Do all those new partially-broken things really bring improvements? Or are these so-called improvements just mimicking something else?
How much are we paying for this constant evolution and ongoing game of catch-up? Not only in time and resources, but also the distraction from what's always been our priority — content.
While a bit technical, I think it's a good read for everybody.
Enjoy and discuss!"
Luis' prompt set off a rapid response from Paris technical director, Ned Baldessin, pushing back on Luis and the famous PPK. It's a great read with a nice look back at the development of the web so we wanted to share it:
"The main point, as I understand it, is that the web platform API is spread too large and thin, and that we should stop adding features and focus on the core user experience.
Focussing and enhancing the user experience is precisely what the Google Chrome team (the main target of his rant, really) is doing. Better yet, they are doing so based on real usage data. For example, they dropped further enhancements in multicolumn layout in CSS, because it wasn't really used much, and was slow on mobile. Same goes for hyphenation and other typographic enhancements: they were too slow on mobile, so they got pushed back.
On the other hand, they are pushing hard to introduce new APIs to map the capabilities of these new devices: beacons, device motion and orientation, server push, vibration, speech input, WebRTC, etc. To understand why they are so gung ho on this, you have to understand that we are in the middle of the web's third platform war.
Let's rewind…
Web War I, Web vs desktop applications, mid to late 90's
With the explosion of interest in the web and belief in its potential to revolutionize all human interactions (see Wired Magazine, circa 1996 – 1997), the Browser Wars (Netscape vs Internet Explorer) came to an end when Microsoft recognized that the web was a bigger threat than Java to its platform dominance and killed the browser market by releasing an excellent browser for free. The thinking was that the web would be an app platform, so Microsoft tried merging the browser with the file explorer, and pushed ActiveX, a technology to make use of native Windows functionality in a web context. Others attempted from different angles: "push" technology, AOL's walled garden, Apple's Sherlock, etc. Everyone could see that the strength of the web was content and reach, so "open and available" would win over "proprietary and restricted."
Web War II — Web vs Flash — early to mid 00's
Client-side web development was a nightmare by the late 90's, very much like HTML email development is still today. Flash offered a stable, performant, and feature full platform. Most web platform innovation was happening in Flash. Microsoft had put a stall on the web platform by greatly slowing the development of Internet Explorer. We couldn't use transparent PNGs. Z-index stacking didn't work properly. In a heroic effort Dean Edwards built "ie7.js", which was the ancestor of todays polyfills, and managed to fix (at the expense of performance) some of IE6's bugs using JS and ActiveX hacks. The W3C was powerless and acting like a bureaucracy.
Mozilla, Opera, and Apple — the underdogs of the web at that time — detached from the W3C and formed the WHATWG in order to advance both browser technology (specifying parsing rules) on user-facing features (form validation, audio, video, etc) under the umbrella "HTML5".
In 2007, with the release of the first iPhone, Flash was evicted from the web platform by Apple, the main reason put forward was performance: Adobe couldn't deliver a Flash player with good performance on an iPhone 1. (Note: the eviction certainly also had other reasons, like not extending the reach of Adobe's platform for free, but that's another story). HTML5 was pushed further, and resulted in a Cambrian explosion of web APIs, many of which already existed on the Flash platform: file api, binary blobs, user media recording and playback, sockets, pixel buffers (canvas), 3D, etc.
The web platform "won" once again, despite a technological disadvantage to Flash. The fact that it wasn't owned by anyone allowed it to resist and re-flourish.
Web War III — Web vs mobile apps — 2010 to present day
People now spend more time using mobile devices than a desktop computers. Trillions of dollars are being spent on this platform war. Nokia (Meebo, WebOS) has lost. Microsoft (Windows Phone) has lost. Mozilla is building FirefoxOS phones for free and trying to gain market share in emerging markets. Google, in order to properly display ads on new entertainment channels, makes phones and tablets, layered with two operating systems, layered with a browser! So in order to make the web platform still relevant on mobile, Google is pushing hard to add new APIs mentioned above.
This is when PKK comes in and tells us that we should stop adding features and celebrate the good old webpage of yesteryear.
Everyone at AREA 17 is acutely aware of the value of reduction in design, less is more, user-centered design, etc etc, so on the surface I'm sure everyone agrees with his argument. But these APIs are a reflexion of the capabilities of these new devices. The web is "catching up" because we are doing what we've always done: find common interoperable ground, and extract common usage patterns into high level APIs. It's not catching up, it's making native platform patterns of usage and interaction into universal standards.
Second, and more importantly: these are high level APIs, mostly related to I/O. They offer new territories to explore. Are they useful? We'll see.
What PPK isn't talking about is the new frontier of innovation happening in the inner core of the platform, for example:
Service Workers — programmatically handle all requests routing, opening great capabilities for smooth transitions between online and offline.
ES6 and ES7 — at last, Javascript is starting to become enjoyable to write!
Web Components — brings encapsulation and easy sharing of functionality.
HTTP/2 — reduce latency and speed up page load.
Houdini — an effort to redefine the building blocks of CSS
Responsive Images — a great example of how grassroots web developers can take over the standardisation process and contribute to it (thanks Mat Marquis, Yoav Weiss, and others).
These additions to the platform are a direct result of the new blood in the W3C's TAG, and are defined in the Extensible Web Manifesto: "make bedrock level APIs available and then standardize the resulting higher level APIs (built in JS) once a consensus has emerged.
I would agree with PPK that there's currently a strong feeling of fatigue in the community (mostly I think because of an overwhelming amount of new tools coming out every week), and that we need to separate the wheat from the chaff. But that shouldn't be at the expense of new platform features, like Apple is doing.
In the end, what we see is that the web is systematically championed by those that have the most to lose in a platform war:
– Microsoft fearing to lose it's Windows monopoly to Netscape (and Sun)
– Apple losing a decisive platform feature to Microsoft, and then later building the iPhone platform up from nothing against Flash
– Google, countering the iOS native platform and saving its advertisement-based business.
That's how the web evolves. It feeds off these platform wars. On the other hand, it's guaranteed to be the eternal underdog.
Which is good, because who doesn't love an underdog?"
Thanks Luis and Ned!


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Q: vertically aligning h1 and nav in header — using skeleton framework I understand that the vertical align problem has popped up over and over here. I made an account just to post this, so hopefully I can justify asking. I've searched through dozens of other posts and methods for a fix, but can't seem to get it / understand.
I'm using skeleton framework. I'm just trying to align my h1 with my nav>ul>li. Maybe this has something to do with my problem, as when I try using a fix in which a parent div has relative position and the child relative.. well it doesn't work.
Technically, I could just apply padding to the  but wouldn't that be inefficient, say if I changed the font family or size of the h1, it would require me to pixel peep at my screen to see if I can pad it back into being vertically centred with the h1.
Any tips? I'm still pretty new to CSS. Thanks for your patience.
here is my html:

my header

Work

About

Elsewhere

Contact

Sound

Moving-Visuals

Stills

Design

Text

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Quaerat, dicta, voluptatibus, adipisci neque doloremque accusantium magni possimus aliquam totam commodi recusandae id culpa animi temporibus blanditiis nulla pariatur dolore voluptate?

Here is my CSS:
header{

    padding-top: 20px;
}

header a{
    text-decoration: none;
}

header h1{

}

nav li{
    display: inline;
    padding-right: 50px;
}

.worknav{
    display: none;
}

Thanks for any help. I've also attached an image of what I want to achieve. (http://cl.ly/RbV7)

A: Part of the trick to this type of question is understanding how the CSS box model works.  The box model describes how margins, borders and padding work together.  You can read about that here.
You'll also need to understand how text is laid out.  Specifically, how font-size and line-height work together, and within the various types of CSS display options.  You might try this article which gets in a bit deep about typography, but has some good information on understanding text sizing, especially the diagram on font-size and line-height.
Whatever you decide, you're going to have to adjust something in CSS any time you change the font size, and if you understand padding, that might be what you go with.  If you figure out how line-height works, you could do that instead.
I've played with the jsfiddle a bit and if it's aligning the top of the H1 title with the top of the list items that you're looking for, I think I was able to get it to do that by tweaking line-height.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Turning zero into negative I have any amount of whole numbers in range from -6 to 6 (x)
in no specific sequence.
For example -2,1,0,5 .
If i go through each of them
negative values and zero should become (x-1) but positive numbers should stay intact.
So result is -3,1,-1,5
What formula i can use for this, if possible.

A: $$f: \mathbb{Z} \rightarrow \mathbb{Z},\ f(n) = n + \frac{\mathrm{sgn}\left(n - \frac{1}{2}\right) - 1}{2}$$
where $\mathrm{sgn}$ is the "sign function" or "signum function" which returns -1 for negative $n$, $0$ for $n = 0$ and $1$ for positive $n$.


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11 Best Quotes from the This Year's Golden Globes Acceptance Speeches
Mia Galuppo Updated Jan 13, 2014 @ 10:37 am
Acceptance speeches at any awards show are viewed as a necessary evil, often referred to as "that stuff that happens when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler aren't onstage." But at this years' Golden Globes, the speeches were a main attraction, with some being thoughtful, some being funny others being funny and then a few that were plain indecipherable.
Just in case you missed the speeches, here are a few highlights.
1. "And I actually did watch all of the movies… well, not all of them, but you know what I mean." -Jennifer Lawrence, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, American Hustle
Lawrence talked about her attempt to watch all of the movies of her fellow supporting actress nominees, and then openly admitted to not getting to all of the films. Pretending like you watched a critically acclaimed movie but instead just re-watching Urban Cowboy? Ya, Jennifer, I think we all know what you mean.
2. "To my mom, I hope one day to be one tenth of the woman you are." -Elisabeth Moss, Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Movie, Top of the Lake
3. "All right. All right. All right." – Matthew McConaughey, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture: Drama, Dallas Buyers Club
Mathew McConaughey's speech seemed like it was a drunk Matthew McConaughey doing an impression of Matthew McConaughey. In his defense, his category was the second to last of the night so if he wasn't drunk by then, what's the point?
4. "You are not only an incredibly visionary but you put the very fabric of our culture up in the screen… Thank you for your mentorship." -Leonardo DiCaprio, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture: Comedy, Wolf of Wall Street
DiCaprio's endearing speech was directly addressed to his Wolf director, Martin Scorsese. The actor has previously worked with Scorsese in multiple films, including The Aviator, The Departed and Shutter Island.
5. "I also went to med school and then decided to do this and this is way better, way better than saving a human life." -Dan Goor, Best Television Series Comedy or Musical, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
This was the closing line of the co-showrunner's acceptance speech. Brooklyn Nine-Nine nabbed the Golden Globe for an upset in the Best TV Comedy category, beating out Girls, Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory.
6. "Thank you to Italy. That is a crazy country but beautiful." -Paolo Sorrentino, Foreign Language Film, The Great Beauty
The country could not be reached for comment.
7. "The bravest, most talented actor I have ever worked with. And the only reason you are not here is I had more sequins." -Michael Douglas, Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Movie, Behind the Candelabra
Douglas was referencing his Behind the Candelabra co-star Matt Damon, who was also nominated for the Golden Globe in this category.
8. "I am always supposed to cry when I am not supposed to, and when a director asked me to, I can't. It really sucks." – Amy Adams, Best Performance by and Actress in a Musical or Comedy, American Hustle
9. "Such a lovely way to say goodbye to the show that meant so much to me." – Bryan Cranston, Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series: Drama, Breaking Bad
This was the Cranston's first win after four consecutive nominations for his Breaking Bad character, Walter White.
10a. "He came up from behind me and unbuttoned my jacket and said: 'Let it flow!'" – Alex Ebert, Best Original Score, All is Lost
Ebert was referencing a time in St. Bart's when he was partying with his award's presenter Diddy (formerly P. Diddy [formerly, formerly Puff Daddy]).
10b. "Thanks for letting me try– all over your movie."- Alex Ebert, Best Original Score, All is Lost
Ebert's speech deserved two quotes, and his up-do deserved its own nomination.
11. Everything Jacqueline Bisset Said – Jacqueline Bisset, Best Performance in an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, Dancing on the Edge
These include such gems as:
"Scottish background, to the front!"
"My mother used to say, 'Go to hell and don't come back.' "
"You have to forgive everybody. It's the best beauty treatment."
"Sh*t!"


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