Last week I had a lifelong dream come true: I lined up the chance to shadow with a helicopter paramedic crew.
Today, the day finally came, and on the drive there my heart was racing. It was a gorgeous, clear day - perfect for flying.
Throughout the day I saw so many exciting things that I don't even know where to start. Well, I'll start with the unexciting things - two coffee shops, a Subway for lunch, and a bunch of errands around the station.
And...well, actually, that was it.
For the first time in over a year, none of the helicopters even left the ground. I sat around in the station for the entire twelve-hour shift, waiting for a call.
That picture? Not one that I took. I didn't even touch a stretcher today. I prayed for disaster, death, and carnage all day, and God wasn't listening.
At one point we got called to the tarmac to help lift an infant incubator into an airplane. Apparently a few years ago, some weak paramedic threw a kink in his back trying to lift the box and its 8lb 4 oz contents, so now they have a policy that they must call a second ambulance crew to help load it in. That was the most exciting part of the day.
Other than that, I sat around and read homework and napped all day.
I'll sign up for another ridealong. Maybe then I'll have some good stories.
Unlike the impression you may have gotten from reading this blog, not everything in med school is rosy and wonderful.
I've finally had one of the dreaded 'pimping' experiences that I've heard so much about.
For those of you who don't know what 'pimping' is, it refers to the age-old practice in medicine where a medical professional will ask a difficult question of someone lower on the medical education pecking order than themselves. From what I've learned, the pecking order goes something like this: chief of medicine > department chief > attending > fellow > resident > intern (archaic term for a first-year resident) > clerk (third or fourth-year medical student) > medical student > pre-med volunteer. The pre-meds have nobody to pick on. Some of them try to pick on nurses. They don't go far, rightly so.
The smarter docs know that nurses transcend the pecking order... after all, who do you think knows more about emergency medicine, the resident in his second year of an ER residency, or the underappreciated traige nurse who has worked in that ER for thirty-five years? Again, you get it. Kids, respect your nurses.
True 'pimping' relies on the art of progressively difficult questions: if you get a question right, then you will be asked a harder question; if you get that one right, then you will be asked yet a harder question, on and on until you answer one wrong and look like a fool. Pimping. You get it.
Anyways, we are learning about the cardiac examination right now, and we go to clinical skills practice rooms in various hospitals in small groups, and are set up with a tutor, an M.D., who is supposed to train us about the basic cardiac exam.
All is well and good, until we match with this guy, who took it up on himself to drill us like there was no tomorrow. Rather than let us practice on the patient, he simply asked us question after question after question. We all ended up feeling like a bunch of idiots.
Okay, it wasn't too bad the first time. At that point it was actually helpful. You see, I didn't know my stuff when I went in there and the whole time I was thinking, "I should have done the pre-reading." At the time, I didn't even know that he was in actuality asking us stuff way beyond what we had to know for this intro session.
So, knowing that I would have him as my tutor for one more session, I went home and studied. Boy, did I study. I won't make that skip-the-prereading mistake again.
Move ahead to week two. He quickly realized that since last time, we'd all studied, and knew our stuff. Fair enough. However, rather than follow his instructions which probably said something like "Teach these young 'uns the basic steps of the basic cardiology physical examination," he decided to get intimidated.
So, he started asking us progressively difficult questions about the material. Once he realized we knew all those answers, he started talking about things that people only learn in fourth year or cardiology residencies. Or, better still, he'd ask an ambiguous question, then feel happy when we got it wrong...strictly because we couldn't understand what he was getting at.
It began right near the start of the 2-hour session. "Vitum, what is pulsus paradoxus?" he asked, reading off my name tag. Question 1.
He picked the wrong guy to ask about Latin phrases. Apparently he doesn't know I take a fancy to them.
"Latin for paradoxical pulse," I replied, feeling brilliant (shut up, I know it's an easy one). "Refers to the difference between systolic blood pressure between inspiration and expiration."
I was unfazed. So was he.
Dr: "How does it change with breathing?"
Question 2. Serial questions. I could see he was pimping. I was game. I had studied this.
Me: "The systolic pressure increases with expiration, and decreases with inspiration."
Dr: "What's the normal difference?"
Me: "If the difference between inspiration and expiration exceeds the normal physiological variable range of approximately ten milimeters of mercury, the pulsus paradoxus is considered abnormal."
Dr: "What major condition does it indicate?"
At this point I was pretty glad I had studied for this. It was in our notes. Still fair game. He was getting a little agitated that I knew the answers but wasn't going to let it show.
Dr: "What is cardiac tamponade?"
Me: "When blood fills the pericardial space."
Dr: "What does result in?"
Me: "Difficulty for the heart to contract?" I was starting to feel a little unsure.
His face lit up like he had chanced upon a dancing leprechaun in a forest.
"Actually, that is wrong. When there is cardiac tamponade, it becomes difficult for the heart to relax."
Dammit. I knew that. This two-hour session was starting to feel like a whole day.
Still, he wouldn't let up. He had to prove that I was still the student and he was still the teacher, and ask me one more question. One question that was so vague that I couldn't possibly get it right.
Dr: "What is that effect?"
Question 7. I had no idea where he was going. He could be asking about the effect on anything. I asked him to clarify, and he mumbled something that didn't help, so I ventured a guess: "Increased afterload?"
Dr: "Ummm....", he replied, apparently surprised that I knew what afterload was, or never having considered the effect of cardiac tamponade on the afterload of the heart; probably the former. "Uh... no, that's not correct." Dammit, I knew that one too. I should have thought about that a bit more and realized that wasn't the case. I was nervous. I hadn't been pimped before. It wasn't fun anymore.
He went on. "Preload would be decreased. But what I was referring to is the ..." ...and on he went, explaining some advanced pathophysiology of cardiac tamponade, something that we definitely haven't been taught yet and aren't supposed to know in our basic intro to cardiac exam. I tried to understand, but couldn't.
I know what you're thinking. "Doctors should know this stuff." I'm not disagreeing with that; we should learn this stuff. But you see, we aren't supposed to learn it all at once. Our faculty knows that it will be overwhelming to learn everything in first year. That's why they made med school four years.
In fact, they clearly wrote in the course manual for today's session of this clinical skills course, and I quote: "Understanding the reasons for performing cardiac manoeuvres requires an appreciation of the underlying physiology of the manoeuvres and the pathophysiology of the murmurs that they affect" and that this is "beyond the scope" of this first-year course.
Which is why they provide a list of what we do need to know now, and a separate list of what we do need to know by fourth year. Right there in the book. So, when he decides to ask us about Osler's nodes and Janeway lesions, we know we aren't expected to know those things until fourth year. And when he decides to drill us on things like frikkin' leg-elevation and amyl nitrite auscultation maneuvers, we can see right in our book that he's pulling stuff that we don't have to know until a residency in cardiology, let alone before we graduate.
But aside from all that, this guy clearly wasn't asking us questions for our benefit. He was taking pleasure in putting us on the spot and watching us squirm. When, other than in boot camp and in horror stories of medical residency in decades past, is that okay? I doubt that's how Michelangelo learned from his instructor. We probably wouldn't have the Mona Lisa if he did. (I'm just kidding. I know my art history...Leonardo da Caprio panted the Mona Lisa).
I thought about calling this doc out on some stuff that I knew he was doing wrong ("shouldn't we inspect the hands and feet for cardiovascular signs such as clubbing or pitting edema before we look at head and neck and do the jugular venous pressure?"). He probably would have just shot me down.
In fact, he did shoot someone down when she called him out. "Why do we roll someone into the left lateral decubitus position when we auscultate?" he asked. "Mitral stenosis," she answered. "Nope," he replied. "I was referring to aortic stenosis." In disbelief, she double-checked what she had just read in our course manual. Sure enough, it says, "Mitral stenosis is an example of a murmur that is more easily appreciated in the left lateral decubitus position." She didn't bother to try and correct him.
Later on, he told us about "IHSS" and how it stands for Idiopathic Subaortic Hypertrophic Stenosis. Even if that is the proper term for it, his abbreviation letters didn't match up with his term. Idiot. I didn't bother being 'that guy' who says "don't you mean ISHS?"
The worst part was, even though we might have learned something had he talked slower and brought it down to our level, at the end of the day, we never accomplished the single objective of the entire session: practicing on the volunteer patient.
Listen, man, a little constructive criticism: Clearly you know your stuff. We expect that. You're a cardiologist. But, there is no need to show off here. And, don't take it personally when we know the answers to your first-year level questions. Instead of responding by asking us third- and fourth-year level questions that we haven't studied and will just confuse us, maybe try encouraging us.
If you're incapable of doing that, then how about you let us actually practice our skills on the volunteer patient, who has given up their afternoon so we can practice, and which is why we're actually here. They're getting bored of laying there and listening to you lecture, too.
Oh, and P.S. - the big yellow letters that say "Roll Up the Rim Contest" on your coffee cup mean that you should roll up the rim before you discard it on the counter. I rolled it up after you left and won a prize.
Boo-yeah. I feel better now.
This kid would eventually grow up to brave the competitive pre-med scene, apply to medical school, and get in and become a doctor. He's in my class.
Is that cool, or what??
Despite the narrow topic of this post, hopefully it will be entertaining for those of my readers not even considering medicine, due to my random attempts at humourous comments throughout. Those who have taken the MCAT, well, post a comment with your experience.
Every so often I get a question from pre-med students, and here's another one. I've gotten it a few times, so in a combination of laziness (I don't want to have to repeat myself 100 times) and desperation for attention (by directing the asker here instead of e-mailing him back, this will get my blog 1 more hit) I figured I'd post my standard answer here, with aforementioned random attempts at humourous comments throughout.
Q: Should I take an MCAT review course?
- Scotty, my very capable pre-med buddy. I'm rooting for ya.
Actually, test prep companies are not as bad as I just made them sound. Their courses are based on years of experience, they can indeed prepare you well, and in fact, on their websites they also have a lot of really good, free resources for admisison to many professions, which might give you an idea of what the application process is like or if it's right for you. For example, thanks to them, just now I was able to learn in 30 seconds that unlike the MCAT for med schools, for many law schools, an applicant's LSAT score accounts for over 50% of the admissions decision. There you go: something I didn't know before, but will be useful should I come to a career crisis in 2 or 20 years (unlikely. I'm happy where I am). The more you know.
So, my answer? Well, here's the short answer: In general, I'd recommend it and I'm glad I took one. But, it is expensive, so it depends.
That ambiguous response is unfortunately the best I can offer. Everything here on in will be basically serve to reiterate that. Sorry, but unlike scientific questions, there is no absolute, universal answer... okay, that was a little joke for people who are quite aware of the fact that there seem to be rarely any absolutes in scientific research (a hasty example: MedPage tells us that Aspirin is great for your heart by reducing heart attacks; a year later, the same source tells us it's bad for your heart by upping hypertension).
Back to MCAT courses: While I took the course and am glad that I did, whether or not you should take one depends on your personality type. Some people will benefit more than others. Let me explain: here are the reasons you might choose to take one.
Study motivation. Personally, I did take a Kaplan course before studying for the MCAT and felt it benefited me greatly. The general concensus of people in my class - which I agree with - is that a class is very helpful if you have trouble motivating yourself to study regularly. I do best with pressure to meet my study goals, so this aspect really helped for me. As well, if you can choose a course that starts several months before the actual MCAT, and then you'll be getting quality studying done well in advance.
Mock test experience. Second to that, the most valuable part of the course for me was the experience of writing several mock full-length MCATs in a large-group environment, in a huge classroom with a hundred or two other people, just like the real thing was going to be. Because it was full-length it got me in the groove of getting good rest the night before, packing a lunch, getting up early, and getting the timing down complete with breaks and the like. However, this might not be as big an advantage for you because the test is now going to be all online, rather than pen-and-paper like when I took it, so here I'm already dating myself. You might make fun of me for being that old, but hey, at least all my questions matched my passages (an error I've heard actually occured on a computer-based MCAT).
Resources. The question banks that these companies include with their courses are an asset in themselves. You get access to a huge amount of mock questions of varying difficulty just like you'll find on the actual test, which they write themselves based on the AAMC mock questions. In fact, you can imagine how far my jaw dropped when I opened my actual MCAT booklet and saw that the first question was on a topic that I'd seen a few times in the practice tests, with IDENTICAL diagrams (the questions were slightly different, though one or two were identical as well). A moment likes that makes you feel like all that money handed to the test prep company was worth it.
Lectures. As well, if you're someone who learns a lot from lectures, then this will help you out a lot, because they have some decent (and some not-so-decent) lecturers on the major topics. I don't fall into this category, so instead, for me lectures were a good chance to review on my own and distract the serious learners while I chit-chatted with other pre-med applicants and looked up NHL playoff game scores on my cell phone. However, for being someone who doesn't do well in lectures, there were still some outstanding lecturers that I learned a lot from, and in fact, I still refer to the notes I took in those MCAT course lectures.
People. If you're a social butterfly, and aren't sick to death yet by being surrounded by other keener pre-med types, then that in itself might be another reason for you to take a course; you'll meet lots of people with similar goals and aspirations, always good for sharing stories / advice / seeking out a potential life partner. I still keep in touch with or randomly bump into people I met in my MCAT class; two of them are in the year ahead of me in my med school, and I saw another one who was applying for admission at my school this coming year. Then again, the people might be just the reason you choose not to take an MCAT course. See my friend's quotes below.
"I didn't take the course but I didn't do well on the MCAT. It probably would have helped but I saved myself a thousand bucks or so."
- My friend the wink.
"I did take the course, and it helped because I am not adept at standardized tests."
- My friend the little med student with a big heart (and mouth). (She chose that name herself).
"I took one, and it definitely helped. They actually teach you what you need to know, have homework and a schedule that you strive to keep up with, and it just pushes you. The people in the class are intense pre-med keeners, though. They thought I was dumb and such a slacker, especially since i went travelling during the course too."
- Kitty, my slacker friend.
"I didn't take a course and I did fine. I didn't want to do the course thing because pre-med type people are too stressy for me. I studied from some Kaplan books I got from a friend. I just wish I studied harder for verbal reasoning."
- Annie, my friend who was too unoriginal to choose a nickname. Actually, maybe I shouldn't mock people who are helping me. Sorry Annie.
Which course should I take, Kaplan or Princeton Review?
Easy. All the people I know who took Kaplan say that Kaplan is the best (myself included), as opposed to the people who took Princeton Review. They say that Princeton Review is the best. I'll leave it at that.
For you? They both cost roughly the same. If they don't, find one which suits your budget the best. But obviously, most importantly, choose the one that fits your schedule best.
Final advice: Choose a course that starts well before your MCAT date. Despite the fact that you might want to get it over with quick like ripping off a bandaid, you'll probably find that more info sticks / you get to know how the test makers think better when you've been going over it for a few months as opposed to a few weeks.
Hope that helps. This was a hefty post, but I know that pre-meds usually don't complain about too much help. I also hope you didn't get lost in my answer full of random ADHD diversions. All the best as you tackle the MCAT giant for yourself, and remember, it's not that bad. Hopefully you come out alive.
Yes, when the lecturer annotates his slides and they end up looking like this.
Thanks to Ng for having the presence of mind to take a photo and letting me post it.


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text:
ArticlesCultureImmigrationIslamVoting
Is There Hope for the Restoration of American Greatness?
FJ Rocca June 5, 2015
The answer to this question is a firm "yes!" America is not just some country. Bono of U2 fame once put it succinctly when he said "America is an idea." The idea of America, which imbues every American, is freedom and rights, which are unalienable because they are not granted by government, but by the very fact of their creation. Those rights are guaranteed by our Founding Documents, the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
America has often been called a great experiment, an experiment specifically in whether freedom can endow a people with energy and the authentic progress of civilization. The experiment has worked for almost 300 years and is still working, despite forces against it, forces from within, because forces from outside have never and can never destroy it. For while it is possible to destroy property, to bring down the World Trade Center and attack the Pentagon, to assassinate American citizens and even bomb ships and planes belonging to our armed forces, it is impossible for anything outside the idea of America to destroy that idea. In fact, attacking that idea from outside, for example, with an ideology that is foreign to the American spirit, only makes real Americans into angry, fierce defenders of their beloved America.
The forces whose aim is to destroy America from within use methods that are slow, like cancer, affecting the bloodstream of the American spirit. They introduce ideas that are foreign to our makeup. They tell us that we are a multi-cultural society, that other cultures are equal to ours, therefore, should replace those values upon which America was built. An astonishingly backward example of this is to promote Sharia law in communities in which many Muslims live. This is a disastrous idea that must be rejected and the notion expunged from the fabric of American society. Sharia is a brutally backward set of laws based on Islamic theocratic prejudices. It has no place in free America.
We are not a multi-cultural society. We are a multi-ethnic society with a single culture. My father was born in France, my grandparents in Italy. They brought with them many of their cultural habits, their Catholic faith, their food preferences, some of their manners and clothing. But coming here changed them in a fundamental way. They "Americanized" by learning to speak English which some of them did not quite master, and by saluting the flag and going through the process, first, of immigration, then of naturalization and ultimately of taking the oath as citizens. They were proud of America.
My mother's youngest brother, my uncle Angelo, served in the Second World War, first in the infantry as an ordinary foot soldier, then as a bombardier in a B29. With his buddies in the Army he sang all the patriotic songs from the Lowry Field Songbook, but he wrote letters to his mother in Italian. When he came home from the war he gave me his copy of the songbook. I kept it for years and wish I had it still.
Angelo was a patriot who led us kids in marches around the house out on the grass, teaching us to sing all those songs. On VJ Day, my grandfather and I proudly watched as a parade meandered slowly by, waiting for the float on which Angelo sat in full military gear holding his rifle in a tableau of a campsite complete with a tent and mock fire. My grandparents burst with pride when they thought of Angelo, serving his country, their country. Of course that was long ago and much has changed.
Another method is to encourage illegal immigration, fueled by the promise of exaggerated levels of social services and other benefits. This only encourages in foreign nationals the mistaken notion that America is an endless goldmine to support millions of ignorant aliens who do not intend to contribute to, but only to take away from US economy and keep their own culture instead of adopting America's. They would only take away from legitimate citizens, jobs, benefits and, alarmingly, voting rights! To those flooding our southern borders, this is called "Reconquista" or reconquering parts of America that once belonged to Mexico. Ultimately, it will fail because America is not a bottomless supply of money and other goods, because wealth must be produced before it can be stolen, and eventually those being stolen from will no longer produce that wealth. The result will be to reduce America to a third world country, and Americans, in the end, will not allow that.
When I left home, way back in 1959, the population of the US, from the 1950 census, was approximately 160 million. It is now estimated to be twice that number. In the early part of the 20th Century our immigrant population was largely from European nations. Two world wars brought Germans, Italians, Poles and Russians in large numbers, escaping terrible conflict. But after the Korean War, other ethnic groups began to join the great Melting Pot of America. People came in large numbers from China and the East. After Castro's takeover, people fled Cuba on rickety boats, as did the "boat people" After the Viet Nam War from what was once called "Indochina," people from Laos and Cambodia. For the most part, these people were seeking a better life for which they willingly worked. The story of Chinese immigrants laboring 70 or 80 hours a week to establish themselves in businesses is a remarkable and honorable tale that has become a kind of legend.
In the New York City, whole areas of business are dominated by various ethnicities: Brazilians running shoeshine stands, Iranians and Pakistanis with newspaper kiosks, and, of course, everybody with their own kinds of restaurant. Everywhere the landscape is glorious with differences in accented English and other languages. The sounds collide like bells in the street adding to the pleasant cacophony of car and bus horns and the regular grind of wheels and footsteps. They hawk their goods, vegetables, fruit, hot dogs, donuts and coffee, from vendor carts at which an incalculable mixture of people of different colors, sizes and accents enjoy buying and eating those very same goods. Indians eat egg sandwiches in coffee shops alongside people from Viet Nam and China. Cabs are driven by people from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Croatia. Here, in America, they are Americans, a part of the fabric of a great culture that has given them the one thing they came her for, opportunity and freedom to pursue it.
Multiculturalism is the opposite of the Melting Pot, by keeping it from melting. Mostly, America's enemies are in positions of power which they believe gives them the right to change the way we think and live. Politicians are only the tip of the iceberg. In the rarified air of "the University" on stuffy campuses far from American culture, are the Academics. They no longer teach true Liberal Arts, but instead practice the propagation of discarded ideas choking with the dust of past social failure. They imagine themselves of great importance, but in fact they are the dregs of true American society in which citizens actually work for a living. And there is the mainstream press, a dying breed, a dinosaur, no longer paid serious attention to by normal people. Newspapers and what were once serious magazines like Newsweek and Time, sell so poorly to a diminished readership that they can now only afford to print fewer pages on cheap paper. The Baltimore Sun, a once great newspaper in a once great city, has turned into a pathetic tabloid, a ragged vestige of its former powerful self. They are the skeletal remains of what was legendary, the American free press. The New York Times will go the same way someday soon. Nobody can survive on the claptrap they propagate.
The citizen journalism of the internet has all but taken over because people no longer trust the elites to "interpret" the events of the day and feed them what it chooses. They want ALL the facts, even those that are unreliable, because Americans like to think for themselves, as individuals. Individualism is something vested in their Americanism and they don't like to have it tampered with.
In the past few decades, American culture has taken a black eye. For that, I point my finger at the Liberal Democrats, who, with their weak-willed cronies among the establishment Republicans, have tried systematically to dismantle everything from free speech to private enterprise. The situation has worsened since the menace of the Obama machine, who have tried to ruin things by apologizing for American greatness, for trying (but not succeeding) to destroy the reputation of our military, and for almost breaking the bank of American economic interests. His last gasp of destruction will be encouraging the invasion of millions of illegals, to whom he intends to give driver's licenses and the opportunity to vote illegally in American elections. By this, the Democrats hope to gain a permanent majority by buying these illegal votes with benefits paid for by legitimate American taxpayers.
But that is beginning to change. Obama is the quintessential clown masquerading as a monarch, and Americans don't like him. He is being buoyed by the dying mainstream media and those idiotic Academics, who see the destruction, but are frantically trying to keep Americans from seeing it. For them, it is too late. If Hillary Clinton is the vehicle they believe can sustain their legacy, they might as well just go away now. Americans do not like sell-outs. They will stand up and march, hand-in-hand, speaking in their accents and vending their wares and refusing to give in to all old, outworn, failed notions. They like America, you see, because they are Americans!
illegal immigrationsharia lawvoting
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FJ Rocca
FJ Rocca is an independent, conservative writer/blogger of fiction and non-fiction, most interested in the philosophy of American Conservatism. Clarity is more important that eloquence, but truth is vital to human discourse. His website is candiddiscourse.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Flanders Field Post BE02 initiated a Adopt-a-Grave program for the Flanders Field American Cemetery. The adoption ceremony was held on Saturday, 16 August 2014, were the adopters received their Certificate of Adoption.
Flanders Field Post hosted its 2nd annual High School Oratorical Scholarship contest. The contest was held in the multimedia roam of the Brussels American High School.
Flanders Field Post BE02 Membership Drive at the AAFES PX on Chievres Airbase on Saturday, 01 August. With the help from Post Historian Karen Himmelheber, Wellingston Jose, Post Chaplain Gavin Wainwright and Mike Walraf, we recruited 10 new members to the American Legion.
The American Legion and the USO will be hosting a dance with 1940's music on Saturday evening, 10 September from 2100-2300 at the Practhof in Borlo, Belgium. Entrance to the dance is free to everyone. All members are encouraged to attend. We will be asking for donations to help the European USO. During the afternoon of Saturday, 10 September, there will be an reenactment of the battle between the Germans and Americans as was fought..
We will be conducting our 2nd annual adopter appreciation day event on Saturday, 17 September. The official ceremony will start at 111:00 at the Flanders Fields American Cemetery followed by a catered lunch at the OC Niewenhove in Waregem. This is a special event that supports our relationship with the Belgian community. This event is to thank our Belgian adopters for their efforts in remembering our fallen American Heroes. The event is open to everyone..
Flanders Field Post hosted its 4th annual High School Oratorical Scholarship contest. The contest was held in the multimedia roam of the Brussels American High School. Amanda Macauley from AFNORTH American High School won this year's contest and will advance the Department of France's contest on 25 February 2017. Assisting this year's contest were members pf the Post BE02 family: Thomas Buckner, Laura Buckner, Morgen Buckner, Laura Hoffman, Paul Haney Judges for this year' contest..
The 370th Infantry Regiment, 93rd Division during WWI liberated a small area of Belgium on 10/11 November 1918. The ceremony is comemorate that libration.


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We are in the process of changing our windows in our sunroom. I have been examining several sunroom designs and I see both French doors and sliding windows. How much difference is the cost of sunroom designs that use sliding doors compared to French doors?
Hi Michelle, There are french doors and sliding glass doors available for just about any budget. You can get economical varieties of each and you can also get very high end products in both lines. French doors might be slightly more expensive than comparable sliding doors, but not enough that it should create a problem with your remodeling costs.
There are a few items to keep in mind when choosing your french doors or sliding doors for your sunroom remodeling project. French doors and sliding doors are handed, depending on which side you want your operable panel to be on. Check with the manufacturer, as they don't all figure the handing the same way. If you aren't sure which hand you would want, or why it might make a difference, there are a couple of considerations to take a look at.
If your sunroom is on a crawl space or has a basement under it, you might have floor registers to take into consideration. It is best not to have a door located so that the operable panel is right at a floor register. If you use a floor mat at the door, the register may be covered, and if you don't use a mat there is a chance that dirt can accumulate in the duct work.
You may already have an exterior light and interior switch for it on the wall that you plan on adding the doors to, if so the operable panel should be adjacent to the light and switch for ease of use. You don't want to have to always walk to the other side of the door to turn the light off and on. Another consideration is furniture placement, you should have easy access to the side of the door with the operable panel.
Talk to company in Rockford, Illinois that sells doors, and ask them to show you literature on the french doors and sliding doors they have available. The big advantage of a sliding door is that when open, and the screen in place, the door does not intrude into your sunroom. The advantage of french doors is that when both panels are open you have a large opening to move items in and out of your home.


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The power of Triple Trawler Disaster song cycle 12 Silk Handkerchiefs comes to Barton
The powerful story of a fishing community united to campaign for far greater safety stands on trawlers will be re-told at Barton upon Humber's Ropery Hall later this month.
Singer/songwriter Reg Meuross's song cycle 12 Silk Handkerchiefs tells the story of Hull's Hessle Road community were devastated in January 1968 when three Hull trawlers, the St Romanus, the Kingston Peridot and the Ross Cleveland perished and 58 men died in what became known as the Dark Winter.
First performed in Hull Minster late last year Reg is now taking the show on a national tour this Autumn supported by public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
The music which tells of fighting fishwife Lillian Bilocca, who led a battle for better trawler safety following the Triple Trawler Disaster and the songs were inspired by the book, The Headscarf Revolutionaries by Brian W Lavery.
Joined on stage by stalwarts of the Hull folk scene, musicians Mick McGarry and Sam Martyn, Reg's powerful songs are interwoven with narration from the author and an audio/visual show that includes rarely-seen archive footage, photos and audio from the time of the disaster. Three Hull trawlers, the St Romanus, the Kingston Peridot and the Ross Cleveland perished and 58 men died in what became known as the Dark Winter.
"Brian's book, The Headscarf Revolutionaries, is now shorthand for the four women Lillian Bilocca, Mary Denness, Yvonne Blenkinsop and Christine Jensen who fought the trawler bosses in a campaign which ended in Westminster," said Liz Bennet of The Ropewalk.
The show also covered a fourth tragedy, from which the show gets its name, telling how Lillian Bilocca was ostracised by her community and overlooked by history, ending her days in obscurity. Her last action in 1988 as she lay dying, which was to send her daughter Virginia to buy a dozen handkerchiefs to give as gifts to those who had cared for her in hospital.
"Fans of Reg's music, so accustomed to seeing his intimate solo performances at folk clubs and festivals across the land, will be stunned by the power of this show, and those new to him will find it impossible not to be moved by this emotional and humbling tribute to the many, many lives lost to what was once the most dangerous industry in the world," Liz went on.
Twelve ilk Handkerchiefs, Songs & Storytelling will be performed on Saturday, September 21, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £13 in advance or £15 on the door. Advance tickets can be bought online at www.roperyhall.co.uk, by telephoning 01652 660380 or in person from The Ropewalk's Craft Gallery/
Robert Ross salutes perennial Christmas treats on TV and film
Comedy historian Robert Ross returns to Barton upon Humber's Ropery Hall next month with a seasonal offering of Christmas Crackers.
Robert, who last appeared at Ropery Hall last autumn with his show Forgotten Heroes of Comedy, will be celebrating the time when everyone gathered around the television to watch comedy favourites perform. (more…)
By janetuplin | Published December 4, 2019
The First Farewell Tour – Peggy Seeger with Calum MacColl
Making a very welcome visit to Ropery Hall on her 'First Farewell Tour', the charismatic Peggy Seeger – singer, songwriter, feminist, icon, Ewan MacColl's partner and muse – is the undisputed queen of folk and political song. Join Peggy and her son Calum MacColl, an exceptional musician in his own right, for a glorious evening of up-close performance. Expect to hear some of Peggy and Ewan MacColl's most loved songs, readings from Peggy's award-winning memoir 'The First Time Ever', plenty of audience participation and lots of relaxed family banter.
"Peggy may be folk royalty, but there's nothing either reverent or nostalgic about this joyous and intimate performance" The Guardian
"Glorious – Peggy is a commanding presence" The Times
"An effortlessly intimate affair" The Scotsman
"A memorable warm and charming evening of great music, family humour and grace." Irish World
By richardhatfield | Published November 21, 2019
(15) 1hr 40mins –
A musician from Glasgow dreams of becoming a Nashville star.
Starring Jessie Buckley, Matt Costello
(2019) 12 | 1h 58min
Legendary performer Judy Garland arrives in London in the winter of 1968 to perform a series of sold-out concerts.
Stars: Renée Zellweger, Finn Wittrock
The Silence of Snow: The Life of Patrick Hamilton
Written and performed by Mark Farrelly
Directed by Linda Marlowe
Following his much-acclaimed performance of Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope at Ropery Hall last year, Mark Farrelly returns with his riveting, kinetic solo show portraying one of the great English writers of the inter-war years. Patrick Hamilton was a dazzling success in his twenties, producing hit plays Rope (filmed by Hitchcock) and Gaslight, and classic novels Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky, Hangover Square and The Slaves of Solitude.
But Hamilton was also an alcoholic, whose wit darkened as his inner and outer worlds collapsed. Covering the entire sweep of Hamilton's thrilling life and writing, The Silence of Snow entertains and challenges in equal measure, asking audiences: why do so many of us get through life without feeling we ever truly knew another person?
Mark Farrelly's West End credits include Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? opposite Matthew Kelly. He is directed by EastEnders star Linda Marlowe, who also directed Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope.
★★★★ "You won't be able to take your eyes off this magnetic actor Mark Farrelly. He inhabits the character of Hamilton with a blazing fluidity" The Times
★★★★ "Farrelly's performance is electric" What's On Stage
★★★★ "Horrifyingly funny snapshot of the wit, novelist and playwright. Brilliant" The Spectator
★★★★ "Farrelly's revelatory autopsy of a cauterised heart of darkness is intimidatingly implosive: stand well close" The Reviews Hub
★★★★ "Farrelly's achievement is to portray a life so lacking in personal happiness so entertainingly" British Theatre Guide
markfarrelly.co.uk
https://twitter.com/MarkFarrellyUK
Sax on Sunday: Album Launch
For over a decade folks have been asking Snake for an album of gentle, relaxing pieces – music to chill out to, stretch to, fall asleep to. Frog on a Lily Pad is that album and tonight Snake plays pieces from the album live and explains the history of their composition and recording.
Featuring the Japanese Shakuhachi, Chinese Dizi, the beautiful Handpan drum, whistles, and the saxes at their most mellow. Plus general banter, requests and Question and Answer


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A Las Vegas Wedding with a Roller Skating Bride & A Hotel Room Pizza Party Reception
July 30, 2017 in Wedding. Written by Kat Photos by Bridle Photography
Maddie and Matt wanted to go away to get married to picked Las Vegas followed by a two week honeymoon in Nevada and California. The bride, who did roller derby, met her BMX-loving groom at a skate park and although they didn't really care about having too much of a theme, they wanted the day to reflect both of their interests.
The bride wore a bohemian inspired dress from Blush Fashion and roller skates which she customised herself! The groom also customised a BMX for the day which he also rode down the aisle! "Not everyone rolls down the aisle on skates and on a BMX I guess", laughed the bride. "Our ceremony was at The Artisan hotel and pretty short and sweet. My dad drove me to the ceremony in a Porsche and Matt was waiting nervously inside with our friends an family. The thing I was most nervous about was that I may forget how to skate and fall over or get my dress caught up in my wheels! Or that the online livestream wouldn't work and people at home who had stayed up late to watch wouldn't be able to tune in! All went without a hitch though and our officiant, Chad, gave us a lovely ceremony."
After the ceremony, and some photos out in the desert, they hosted their reception in their hotel room at The Cosmopolitan. "We had a wrap-around balcony suite with the most breathtaking view from the balcony", Maddie said. "It overlooked the fountains at the Bellagio and the Eiffel Tower. There were so many bright lights. Our guests spent the whole evening staring out to the heart of the city."
"For catering we had pizza from Secret Pizza in the Cosmopolitan and made a YouTube playlist for entertainment! Our amazing cake was from Cake Lava."
The photo shoot out in the desert was one of their biggest highlights of the day. "The photo shoot in the desert was epic. The sun started to come down and there was a massive beam of light on us."
Initially we weren't going to have a photographer because we had chosen a different venue for the ceremony which came with a photographer as part of the package. But when Keith agreed to come out with us to take our photos we then found out that they had a strict 'no photographers' rule (you HAD to use theirs). In the end we decided to change venues about a month before. As the original venue also came with flowers and transport included we then had to sort out these other arrangements very last minute! Luckily there are plenty of places to choose from in Las Vegas so it all turned out OK in the end!"
"The only thing we would have done differently is we would have loved to have all of our loved ones there with us, but we already knew that was possible or practical."
"Our advice for future brides and grooms would be that weddings don't have to be traditional", she concluded. "Do things your way, as long as the two of you are happy then that should be the most important thing. Oh and have a good photographer, the photos are the only thing that last a lifetime!"
Photography: Bridle Photography
Ceremony Venue: The Artisan, Las Vegas
Reception Venue: The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas
Bride's Dress: Blush Fashion
Bride's Flower Crown: Lotus Floral Art
Make Up: Make Up in the 702
Groom's Attire: Marks and Spencer
Catering: Secret Pizza
Cake: Cake Lava
#red hair
#roller derby
Terry James August 2, 2017 at 09:53
Wow what a brilliant alternative wedding!The photography is stunning! As a contemporary wedding photographer myself, I sometimes look in envy at these types of weddings – Love this!!
Kelly Heath August 7, 2017 at 18:51
Amazing photos! I love the bride's dress too – so cool and beautiful. We had our honeymoon in Las Vegas and it is such a magical, quirky place, isn't it! I really enjoyed reading this, thank you x


Mercedes-Benz Vans and Europcar have signed a memorandum of understanding under which Mercedes-Benz Vans will supply "a number" of Vito E-CELL vans to Europcar for customer trials in Hamburg, Germany, and Paris, France, the companies said in a statement.
Also under the agreement the two companies will explore and analyze customer profiles and behaviors involving the use of electric vehicles in cities, and how rental services can be adapted to cater to this demand.
Select Mercedes-Benz dealerships will be responsible for servicing the Vito E-CELLs vans and will receive practical training on the vehicles.
The Vito E-CELL's electric motor has an output of 60 kW and 206 lb.ft. of torque, a top speed limited to 50 mph and a range of about 80 miles.


The Model D20T chicken coop door motor connects to any wood, metal or plastic chicken coop door to make it an automatic door. Your coop door will open and close smoothly in just a few seconds.
You'll set the included timer to automatically open and close the chicken coop door on your schedule.
The Model D20T is super simple to install in only about 15 minutes and includes the motor, mounting hardware, universal door connector and power adapter. The motor is fully adjustable to open and close to the positions you set.
Just plug the motor in to your own timer and set the schedule(s) you need.
Sleep in a little later.
Includes plug-in timer, motor, mounting hardware, power adapter, illustrated instructions.
We recommend doors and frames made from quality wood products, plexiglass, aluminum, marine plywood or 2 side tempered masonite for years of trouble free operation.
If you get frequent power failures we recommend adding a UPS or battery backup. The motor and timer will plug in to the battery backup so the door works even if power fails.


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Q: How do I differentiate flavors in an android NDK .c file I'm trying to solve a similar problem to NDK support with different Product Flavour but in a .c file instead of a .cpp file.
Does anyone know how of if it's possible to get the current build flavor from the JNIEnv parameter in C like in the accepted C++ solution in the linked thread? And if not what is the most efficient way to have a function in C return a different string on each flavor.
My first instinct was to declare a different jni folder in each flavor in gradle by giving each an ExternalNativeBuild NDKBuild path, but it fails to build as gradle attempts to find a method path() in Android.mk opposed to setting the jni folder for the flavor.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Want it on Saturday, 20th April? Place your order within 1 hrs 35 mins and select Nominated Delivery at the checkout.
The Zoggs Kids Cottesloe Sportsback comes with a lifetime guarantee against wear and tear.
Aqualast technology in the polyester fabric is 100% chlorine-proof for the ultimate in long-lasting durability, promising exceptional colour and shape retention and resistance to snagging.
Suitable for all aquatic activities including fitness and training sessions, this Kids' Cottesloe Sportsback features built-in UPF 50+ protection to guard against harmful UVA and UVB rays.


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style · Jul 28, 2017
ESCAPE THE CITY
Try a stay-cation this summer or even plan it as that last getaway before Autumn arrives. Here are 3 UK destinations to escape the city!
The Lake District is a national park in Cumbria known for its glacial ribbon lakes, rugged fell mountains and historic literary associations. Market towns such as Kendal, Ambleside and Keswick on scenic Derwentwater are bases for exploring the area and home to traditional inns and galleries of local art.
The former coach house now the Lakeside Hotel at a hotel and spa.The hotel is well equipped for a weekend break, with a leisure centre (including pool with separate children's area) and small spa. A traditional, family friendly hotel with a formal dining room, huge conservatory and lots of halls and lounge areas dotted with armchairs, fake fires and heavy oak furniture.
Escape to a world a million miles from your everyday life where ponies, cattle, donkeys and deer roam free. . . all just 89 minutes by train from London Waterloo.
There is a wealth of places to visit and explore in the New Forest from award winning gardens, museums, leisure and wildlife parks plus much, more. Each season provides a change of scene from the rich deep colours of spring and summer to the seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness
Brokenhurst has been officially declared Britain's Most Beautiful Place to Live. Stay at The Pig. With the New Forest at your doorstep, you can enjoy the natural wildlife or
The Cotswolds covers a huge area – almost 800 square miles – and runs through five counties. Explore quintessentially English villages of honey-coloured stone; take in splendid, lively market towns; visit some of the country's greatest palaces, castles and country houses; marvel at the natural world in acclaimed reserves and at some of the most famous arboretas in Britain.
Stay at situated in the centre of the Cotswold village of Barnsley, this is a country hotel like no other, hotel and spa Barnsley House


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Pro-brain-derived neurotrophic factor is decreased in parietal cortex in Alzheimer's disease Academic Article
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes the function and survival of the major neuronal types affected in Alzheimer disease, such as hippocampal, cortical and basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. We and others have demonstrated a reduction in BDNF mRNA expression in Alzheimer's disease hippocampus and cortex, which may help to explain the selective vulnerability of these neurons. Several studies have also shown decreased BDNF protein in Alzheimer's disease. BDNF protein is synthesized as a precursor, proBDNF, which is cleaved to the mature 14-kDa form. We demonstrate here that BDNF exists as a mixture of proBDNF and mature BDNF in all regions tested of human brain. Using Western blotting, we observe a 40% reduction in proBDNF levels in Alzheimer's disease parietal cortex compared to controls. Thus, decreased BDNF protein measured by ELISA and immunohistochemistry likely represents a mixture of the two BDNF forms, and previously reported decreases in BDNF protein may be due, at least in part, to a significant reduction in proBDNF levels. Although the biological activity of proBDNF is unknown, reduced proBDNF may have functional consequences for the selective neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer's disease brain.
Michalski, Bernadeta
Fahnestock, Margaret
Aged (MeSH)
Aged, 80 and over (MeSH)
Alzheimer Disease (MeSH)
Blotting, Western (MeSH)
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (MeSH)
Cell Death (MeSH)
Cell Survival (MeSH)
Down-Regulation (MeSH)
Ganglia, Sympathetic (MeSH)
Immunohistochemistry (MeSH)
Nerve Degeneration (MeSH)
Neurology & Neurosurgery (Science Metrix)
Neurons (MeSH)
Protein Precursors (MeSH)
Brain Research Brain Research Protocols Molecular Brain Research Journal
Blotting, Western
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Cell Survival
Down-Regulation
Ganglia, Sympathetic
Nerve Degeneration
Protein Precursors


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Details for: The graveyard of the Hesperides /
The graveyard of the Hesperides / Lindsey Davis.
By: Davis, Lindsey [author.].
Material type: BookSeries: Davis, Lindsey. Flavia Albia mystery: Publisher: New York : Minotaur Books, 2016Copyright date: �2016Edition: First U.S. edition.Description: 325 pages : map ; 25 cm.Content type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: volumeISBN: 9781250078902; 1250078903.Subject(s): Women private investigators -- Rome -- Fiction | Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction | Rome -- Fiction | FICTION -- Mystery & Detective -- Historical | FICTION -- Mystery & Detective -- Women Sleuths | Murder -- Investigation | Women private investigators | Rome (Empire)Genre/Form: Historical fiction | Detective and mystery fiction | Detective and mystery fiction. | Historical fiction. | Fiction. | Mystery fiction. | Historical fiction.DDC classification: 823/.914 Other classification: FIC022060 | FIC022040 Online resources: Cover image Summary: "In first century Rome, Flavia Albia, the daughter of Marcus Didius Falco, has taken up her father's former profession as an informer. On a typical day, it's small cases cheating spouses, employees dipping into the till but this isn't a typical day. Her beloved, the plebeian Manlius Faustus, has recently moved in and decided that they should get married in a big, showy ceremony as part of beginning a proper domestic life together. Also, his contracting firm has been renovating a rundown dive bar called The Garden of the Hesperides, only to uncover human remains buried in the backyard. There have been rumors for years that the previous owner of the bar, now deceased, killed a bar maid and these are presumably her remains. In the choice between planning a wedding and looking into a crime from long ago, Albia would much rather investigate a possible murder. Or murders, as more and more remains are uncovered, revealing that something truly horrible has been going on at the Hesperides. As she gets closer to the truth behind the bodies in the backyard, Albia's investigation has put her in the cross-hairs which might be the only way she'll get out of the wedding and away from all her relatives who are desperate to 'help.'"-- Provided by publisher.
Four-week, one renewal Butte Public Library
STACKS Online item MYS F DAV (Browse shelf) (Flavia Albia Mystery #4) Available 2089100140397
"In first century Rome, Flavia Albia, the daughter of Marcus Didius Falco, has taken up her father's former profession as an informer. On a typical day, it's small cases cheating spouses, employees dipping into the till but this isn't a typical day. Her beloved, the plebeian Manlius Faustus, has recently moved in and decided that they should get married in a big, showy ceremony as part of beginning a proper domestic life together. Also, his contracting firm has been renovating a rundown dive bar called The Garden of the Hesperides, only to uncover human remains buried in the backyard. There have been rumors for years that the previous owner of the bar, now deceased, killed a bar maid and these are presumably her remains. In the choice between planning a wedding and looking into a crime from long ago, Albia would much rather investigate a possible murder. Or murders, as more and more remains are uncovered, revealing that something truly horrible has been going on at the Hesperides. As she gets closer to the truth behind the bodies in the backyard, Albia's investigation has put her in the cross-hairs which might be the only way she'll get out of the wedding and away from all her relatives who are desperate to 'help.'"-- Provided by publisher.


As a landlord, purchasing an HMO (House of Multiple Occupation) or renovating an existing property to transform to an HMO can be an excellent way of generating an ongoing income through high rental yields. Average rental yields for single – let properties in the UK hover at around 5%- 7% depending on area. However, on HMO's the yields can be up to three times higher than the equivalent property let to a single family or tenant.
However, to ensure that your property is gaining the best rental yield possible, and offering you the best return on your investment, there are some factors that are worth bearing in mind.
Like any other rental investment, the more attractive your property is to potential tenants, the better price you will attain, and the quicker your property will let. With increasing competition for HMO landlords, be it from other HMO's, purpose built student accommodation or inexpensive single lets, anything that makes your property stand out from the crowd can improve your rental yield.
Initial investment in your HMO is likely to increase your returns over the long term. For example, investing in hard wearing flooring in communal areas is likely to offer far better value for money than installing a cheaper alternative which will need constant replacing.
In this modern age, it is also worth investing in the tech side of your property. Wi-Fi is of the utmost importance to most tenants and can be a cause of termination if there is not adequate Wi-Fi provision to the property. It is worth planning for adequate, consistent Wi-Fi that covers the entire property when looking at any refurbishment.
Most tenants in HMO properties will expect that bills are inclusive, as from a tenants point of view, identifying usage with several tenants involved is both time consuming and can lead to conflict. As a landlord, it is then worth investing upfront in items that will both reduce energy consumption and possibly technology that can also cap temperatures, or usage. For example, if you are providing a washer dryer, you could look to invest in a coin operated machine (don't be fooled by the term – they now take card!) It is also worth ensuring that the property is as energy efficient as possible, make sure that windows are well fitted, lofts are insulated, and that the property is made to both contain heat, while still providing adequate ventilation.
The true key to making sure that you get the best return on investment is choosing the right management for your HMO. Some landlords choose to manage tenancies themselves which, while it may initially seem to be the most cost effective solution, can be extremely time consuming. Many new HMO landlords underestimate the time involved in liaising with tenants, coordinating repairs, and maintaining the property. Those who have more experience often find that once they clock up the worth of their time, against the costs of a managing agent, the latter is by far the better value prospect.
Here at Student Haus we take the strain out of HMO management for student properties, offering an all in one solution for tenant sourcing, management and rent collection. Find out more about our services.


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Politically Inspired Fiction: In Shock and Awe |
Politically Inspired Fiction: In Shock and Awe
Alternet.org
Politically Inspired Fiction is fiction inspired by current events, by novelist Stephen Elliott. His short stories will appear weekly on AlterNet.
"Here we go," Amy says after the air-raid sirens have been ringing for half an hour and it's become clear they aren't going to stop. It's cold in Baghdad at night and we're both wearing a blue fleece, a coincidence of what we brought from home. My home being in San Francisco, a small studio with wooden floors and a moldy shower, Amy's in upstate New York on a communal farm. She gives me that look she's been giving me since we got here, two Human Shields on the same bus from the Syrian border. Two Americans squatting in an Iraqi power plant, an obvious target in the first wave of bombing. The Iraqis certainly consider it an important target, or they wouldn't waste two Americans on it.
"Yeah," I say, rolling a cigarette on my knee. I quit smoking 10 years ago, but I've started again, out of boredom. We're sitting on a long plank of wood we've been bunking on. "Say goodnight Gracie."
Amy edges closer to me, smiling. I could see why someone would think she was pretty. She is pretty. Long, brown hair, unwashed in a while now, the thin, muscular body of an athlete. Even in the baggy clothes she wears, and without makeup, it's obvious. And I should be delighted. After all, I'm short and hairy. Nobody has ever confused me with good looking. But what she's offering, or what I think she's offering since I could certainly be wrong, is sex in the name of politics, her body in gratitude for my willingness to die for a cause, mine to hers to comfort her in our last night on earth. But I'm not into it. I'm not into anything.
"I was married," Amy offers.
"I know. You've said."
"Well, when we broke up, I couldn't keep silent anymore. You know, I couldn't let the world continue to be the way it was. I had to take my place in it. I've been protesting ever since."
"Do you think they'll arrest us? I mean, if we live, when we get back to America?"
"Yes," Amy says, brushing my leg as I stand to go outside. "I do think that."
Outside the air is crisp. All around the power plant is the faint smell of bleach. All of the lights have been shut off and there are only the black shapes of the Baghdad skyline, buildings like obelisks. The stars are enormous and I wish it could always be this peaceful, except for the sirens, which interrupt all of it with their constant screams. The sirens are loud but I am steadily getting used to them.
I didn't leave much behind to come here except a good job with the University and a dead father who died three weeks before I arrived in Amman. I boycotted his funeral. I didn't want to hear the rabbi speak of his virtues. Everyone always speaks so well of the dead. De mortuis nihil nisi bonum, as the Romans would say.
I have no illusions about the conflict, though I suppose everybody feels that way. Everybody feels like they live without illusions, that they have the most accurate read on the news. I remember the papers before I left. The New York Times predicted up to 10,000 casualties on the first day of the bombing. The Village Voice placed the number at 100,000. Z-Magazine said it could be upward of half a million. Harlan Ullman, the architect of the "Shock And Awe" strategy, compared it to the atomic bomb used on Hiroshima. People believe what they want to believe, then they find the news source to back it up.
But I don't think I'm right to be here. This man Saddam Hussein, who our handlers refer to affectionately as Papa, with his thick mustache, is not a good man. Even the other Human Shields don't think he is good. Rather they are anti-America, or anti-war, or just anti-Bush. But for me, I'm not here for any of that, I'm trying to exist. The world is making a decision and I want to have a seat at the table. Because for so long now I've been so sad.
The original Human Shields didn't come to Iraq voluntarily. They were seized from airplanes with stopovers in Kuwait just before the first Gulf War. They were businessmen taken from buses. Six thousand hostages were taken, most were quickly released. But a few hundred, about the number of the volunteer human shields here now, were not released. Hussein went on television patting the head of an English child. The Shields were shuttled between military facilities. Some were driven out to the desert in the middle of the night, ordered to their knees, and then boarded back onto their buses. A practical joke.
I read about it before coming out here, what happened to those original Shields. The hostages. Many still have psychotic episodes, post-traumatic stress. I read a quote, in the Financial Times. They said we were denigrating their name with what we were doing. As if, by coming here voluntarily, to live in power plants and water supply facilities, we were making fun of them. It's a good argument, though irrelevant when looked at through the larger lens of history, and the larger lens still of a single person's life.
There was talk and fear among the Shields when we first arrived that we would be forced into places we didn't want to be. Corralled into factories manufacturing poison gas, strapped to the hoods of tanks shuttling forward to meet the troops. And that maybe, the Iraqi people, from their own anger and frustration, would take it out on us, pulling us limb from limb, the way the Palestinians did in Ramallah, storming the police station to get the two Israeli soldiers being held there. The soldiers had been caught selling drugs. The picture in the newspaper: two bloody hands sticking through the bars. Mob rules.
The first desert whistle streaks through the black tapestry. We call them whistles, the missiles and low flying planes breaking the sound barrier. The man who looks after the cafe nearby told us that word. He is a kind man, with thick black hair, who always laughs and never charges us for our tea. He jokes, when we are there watching the television, "Listen, the sky is whistling again." Then he smiles broadly and does this little tap dance. It's funny every time.
The fire bursts into explosions of bricks and rubble and dust and screaming. There are more whistles, drowning the sirens, and then the sirens are completely gone and there are only whistles. The obelisks fall to the ground as the sky streaks with white and the space between heaven and earth is lit orange and burning. I'm knocked to the ground in a wild explosion from the wind. I crawl back toward the door and inside the plant, where Amy is huddled in the corner.
"They won't bomb here," Amy says, above the din. I have my arm over her shoulder. She is shivering and crying. "We told our ambassador where we are. They won't bomb the power plant. They won't kill Americans."
"What's the difference," I yell. I mean between Americans and Iraqis. I'm too panicked to feel stupid. I wonder if we should get away from the walls. Twenty feet from us a hole bursts through the clay. A pipe breaks in half and falls from the ceiling and lands near our feet. "C'mon," I say, wrapping my arm around the middle of Amy's back, the bridge of my hand rising beneath her breast. I'm aroused, perhaps for the first time in months. My fingers fall in the spaces between Amy's ribs as I'm pulling her to her feet. There's a bomb shelter near the back of the facility. We had promised not to go there. We're running there now.
Stephen Elliott is the author of the novels "What It Means To Love You" and "A Life Without Consequences." He is the James McCall lecturer at Stanford University. Email him at steve@stephenelliott.com.
Donald Trump's griping about evangelical 'disloyalty' was an order to get in line
On the debt ceiling, the Democrats are the party of no
The Biden administration moves to end noncompete agreements and worker exploitation
Legal expert calls for new Brett Kavanaugh investigation amid explosive documentary allegations
'I'm asking about you': CBS host shuts down GOP lawmaker's attempt to 'both sides' election denial
How a Kansas mayor pulled off a 'coup' using Trump-like tactics: report
'Nice try': GOP Congressman says Marjorie Taylor Greene has 'matured' since spreading 9/11 conspiracies
House Republican fact-checked after calling President Joe Biden 'a serial classified document hoarder'
'You keep bringing up Chicago!' CNN cuts off Republican for dismissing new gun laws following LA mass shooting
'I lost control': Tucker Carlson issues rare apology after bizarre meltdown over NYT essay
'My heart is broken': Florida teachers ordered to remove, block class libraries or face felony prosecution
An ancient recipe for social success


Reporting: A mechanism that allows a complaint to be easily reported for a reasonable suspicion of Sexual or Physical abuse/neglect, within a 24 hour period of awareness. Federal regulations state that reports should be made to a) local law enforcement and b) local/state child protective services c) US Soccer, and d) the US Center for SafeSport. EVERYONE is a MANDATORY REPORTER.
Reasonable Procedures: Policies and procedures aimed at PREVENTING one-on-one interactions between an amateur athlete who is a minor and an adult.
Prevention Training: Offer and provide consistent training to adult members who are in contact with amateur athletes who are minors. Currently there is no mandated training provider. Several program options currently exist for awareness/prevention training of sexual abuse. Until there is a mandate or law change, you may use whatever program your organization deems will meet this training requirement. Some programs are currently available at no cost to the adult or organization. Most programs will take between 75 to 90 minutes to complete.
US Center for SafeSport: To enroll in this program just click on the link below, click on "Sign In," click on "Register." When prompted make sure to select US Soccer as your NGB and then enter the access code proved below.
Prohibit Retaliation: Include in your club policy that there can be no retaliation from the club toward those who are reporting.
Both US Soccer and US Youth Soccer are developing a strategy to help all State Associations understand, communicate and manage their abuse prevention programs.
This communication, which follows up on previous communications from both US Soccer and US Youth Soccer, provides a summary of the new law and the requirements for mandatory reporting. The new law states that The Center for Safe Sports shall develop training, oversight practices, policies and procedures for implementation by a NGB. This work is in progress and will be communicated when available.
This is to flag a new piece of legislation that affects many of our members. We are sending it to our organizational member list because many of you may meet the definition of "covered individuals" in this new legislation, and could, therefore, impact your organization. Please read it carefully, and watch for additional updates, including at the upcoming April Member Meetings, for more information from U.S. Soccer on this important topic. This summary is not intended to supplant the need to review the statute and we urge our members to reach out with questions. In addition, you may also wish to consult your own counsel regarding how this new law will impact your organization.
The bill amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to extend the duty to report suspected child abuse, including sexual abuse, within 24 hours to all adults who are authorized to interact with minor or amateur athletes by a national governing body, a member of a national governing body, or an amateur sports organization that participates in interstate or international amateur athletic competition. These individuals are called "covered individuals" in the new legislation.
If you make a report of child abuse to law enforcement, please also communicate this report to the U.S. Soccer integrity hotline at https://www.ussoccer.com/integrity-hotline or (312) 528-7004 and the U.S. Center for SafeSport at https://safesport.org/response-resolution/report. As a reminder, as a member or affiliate of U.S. Soccer, you may be subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Center for SafeSport under certain circumstances. The Center serves an important investigatory and remedial function where law enforcement may choose or be unable to act.


text:
Q: Gradle Multiproject - OpenClover I am trying to integrate Open Clover into my Gradle build process and was following the following guide:
When I added it to my build.gradle - I got the following error:
* * What went wrong:
A problem occurred evaluating root project 'Enjin-Coin-Java-SDK'.
> Could not find method cloverCompile() for arguments [org.openclover:clover:4.2.0] on object of type org.gradle.api.internal.artifacts.dsl.dependencies.DefaultDependencyHandler..

My build.gradle file is as follows:
buildscript {
    repositories {
        mavenCentral()
        maven { url 'https://plugins.gradle.org/m2/' }
    }
      dependencies {
        classpath 'org.openclover:clover:4.2.0'
    }
}

plugins {
    id 'com.github.johnrengelman.shadow' version '1.2.4'
    id 'java'
}

sourceSets {
    clover {
        java {
            srcDir "$buildDir/sources-instr"
        }
    }
}

apply from: 'gradle/util.gradle'

subprojects {
    apply plugin: 'eclipse'
    apply plugin: 'idea'
    apply plugin: 'java'
    apply plugin: 'maven'
    apply plugin: 'com.github.johnrengelman.shadow'

    group = 'com.myproject'
    version = '0.0.1-SNAPSHOT'

    idea {
        module {
            scopes.PROVIDED.plus += [configurations.shadow]
        }
    }

    tasks.build.dependsOn(shadowJar)
    artifacts.archives shadowJar

    tasks.withType(AbstractCompile) {
        classpath += configurations.shadow
    }

    ext {
        mockito = '2.9.0'
        junit = '4.12'
        powermock = '1.7.3'
    }

    repositories {
        mavenLocal()
        mavenCentral()
    }

    dependencies {
        // testCompile dependencies
        testCompile group: 'org.mockito', name: 'mockito-core', version: mockito
        testCompile group: 'junit', name: 'junit', version: junit
        testCompile group: 'org.powermock', name: 'powermock-api-mockito2', version: powermock
        testCompile group: 'org.powermock', name: 'powermock-module-junit4', version: powermock
        cloverCompile 'org.openclover:clover:4.2.0'
    }

    jar {
        archiveName = "${project.name}-slim.jar"
    }

    shadowJar {
        archiveName = "${project.name}.jar"
    }

    install {
        repositories.mavenInstaller {
            pom.artifactId = "sdk-${project.name}"
        }
    }
}

configurations {
  cloverRuntime
  cloverRuntime.extendsFrom cloverCompile
}

task cloverInstr() {
  inputs.files sourceSets.main.allJava
  outputs.dir "$buildDir/sources-instr"

  doFirst {
    def argsList = ["--initstring", "${buildDir}/clover/clover.db", "-d", "${buildDir}/sources-instr"]
    argsList.addAll(inputs.files.files.collect({ file ->
        file.absolutePath
    }))
    String[] args = argsList.toArray()

    com.atlassian.clover.CloverInstr.mainImpl(args)
  }
}

cloverClasses.dependsOn cloverInstr

test {
    def cloverClasspath = configurations.testRuntime + configurations.cloverRuntime + sourceSets.test.output + sourceSets.clover.output
    classpath = cloverClasspath
}

task cloverReport {
    inputs.dir "${buildDir}/clover"
    outputs.dir "${reportsDir}/clover"
    onlyIf {
        file("${buildDir}/clover/clover.db").exists()
    }
    doFirst {
        def argsList = ["--initstring", "${buildDir}/clover/clover.db",
                        "-o", "${reportsDir}/clover"]
        String[] args = argsList.toArray()
        com.atlassian.clover.reporters.html.HtmlReporter.runReport(args)
    }
}

The contents of util.gradle are as follows
ext.scriptFile = {
    String fileName ->
        return new File(new File(rootDir, 'gradle'), fileName)
}

Can anyone offer any assistance in how to resolve this?

A: Use the following script to integrate clover into your project:
buildscript {
    repositories {
        mavenCentral()
        maven { url 'https://plugins.gradle.org/m2/' }
        jcenter()
    }
}

plugins {
    id 'com.github.johnrengelman.shadow' version '1.2.4'
    id "com.bmuschko.clover" version "2.1.3"
}

apply from: 'gradle/util.gradle'

subprojects {
    apply plugin: 'eclipse'
    apply plugin: 'idea'
    apply plugin: 'java'
    apply plugin: 'maven'
    apply plugin: 'com.github.johnrengelman.shadow'
    apply plugin: 'com.bmuschko.clover'

    group = 'com.myproject'
    version = '0.0.1-SNAPSHOT'

    idea {
        module {
            scopes.PROVIDED.plus += [configurations.shadow]
        }
    }

    tasks.build.dependsOn(shadowJar)
    artifacts.archives shadowJar

    tasks.withType(AbstractCompile) {
        classpath += configurations.shadow
    }

    ext {
        mockito = '2.9.0'
        junit = '4.12'
        powermock = '1.7.3'
    }

    repositories {
        mavenLocal()
        mavenCentral()
    }

    dependencies {
        // testCompile dependencies
        testCompile group: 'org.mockito', name: 'mockito-core', version: mockito
        testCompile group: 'junit', name: 'junit', version: junit
        testCompile group: 'org.powermock', name: 'powermock-api-mockito2', version: powermock
        testCompile group: 'org.powermock', name: 'powermock-module-junit4', version: powermock
        clover 'org.openclover:clover:4.2.0'
    }

    jar {
        archiveName = "${project.name}-slim.jar"
    }

    shadowJar {
        archiveName = "${project.name}.jar"
    }

    install {
        repositories.mavenInstaller {
            pom.artifactId = "sdk-${project.name}"
        }
    }
}

There's no need for manual integration if ready-to-use plugin is available.


JFE Holdings Inc.'s engineering unit will build a 49-megawatt biomass plant for Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. south of Tokyo in Kanagawa prefecture.
JFE Engineering Corp. won an order for engineering, procurement and construction of the plant to be operational in December 2015, the company said in a statement today. No financial terms were disclosed.
The 16 billion yen ($165 million) plant will use woody biomass and palm kernel shells as fuel, Showa Shell said in August when it announced the project.


text:
ON celeb
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Selena Gomez Visits 9/11 Memorial in New York 09/24/2017
Selena Gomez rose to fame for her starring role as Alex Russo on Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place and played lead roles in the movies Another Cinderella Story, Princess Protection Program, Ramona and Beezus, Monte Carlo and Spring Breakers. In 2008, she formed the band Selena Gomez & the Scene. She released three hit albums with the band, then put out her solo debut, Stars Dance, which reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard chart in 2013.
Selena Gomez Age
27 years (July 22, 1992)
Related celebs
Selena Gomez reportedly started dating The Weeknd in January 2017.
In December 2010, Selena Gomez began dating Justin Bieber.
Selena Gomez dated Nick Jonas for the first time from March 2008 to January 2009 and for the second time from December 2009 to March 2010.
Selena Gomez in a White Suit Arrives at JFK Airport in New York 01/15/2020
Selena Gomez in a White Sweater Steps Out for Dinner at Nobu Restaurant in New York 01/13/2020
Selena Gomez in a Gray Sweatpants Was Seen Out in LA 12/18/2019
Selena Gomez in a Leopard Print Fur Coat Arriving at Capital Breakfast Radio Studios in London 12/11/2019
Selena Gomez in a Black Fur Coat Arrives at Heatrow Airport in London 12/02/2019
Selena Gomez Attends the 2019 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles 11/24/2019
Selena Gomez in a White Jacket Was Seen Out in Brentwood 11/05/2019
Selena Gomez in a Yellow Blouse Was Seen Out in NY 10/29/2019
Selena Gomez in a Gray Suit Arrives at Her Hotel in NY 10/28/2019
Selena Gomez in a Yellow Sweatpants Was Seen Out in Los Angeles 10/12/2019


text:
Q: remove or replace duplicated C++ code in one function on Linux I am working on C++ on Linux.
I need to remove some duplicated code in two functions.
One function is for computing and another one is for logging.
There are some code that are duplicated in logging(), which is much longer than computing().
The duplicated code is distributed in logging() separately, which means that they are not just  copy and paste from computing().
I need to figure out the duplicated part line by line, remove them and then replace the necessary results by passing them as parameters from computing() to logging.
Are there some efficient ways to handle this ?

A: Look at the functions side by side, identify common blocks of code, then factor these common blocks out into separate methods/functions.

A: It might not be worth merging them.  If you really have to, though, perhaps one common function with an extra bool do_logging parameter.


text:
GERD Chevron Right
5 Health Conditions That Can Cause Heartburn
Acid reflux and heartburn can be triggered by certain food, smoking, and alcohol. Medical conditions such as pregnancy, obesity and hiatal hernia can cause heartburn too.
What's causing your heartburn?
When the valve that separates the stomach from the esophagus—the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES—isn't closed tightly, it can lead to heartburn.
"The LES has to relax to allow the meal to go down," says Kenneth R. DeVault, MD, professor of gastroenterology and chair of the department of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, in Jacksonville, Fla. "But when those relaxations become too many or occur at the wrong time, that allows acid to reflux."
These 5 conditions can affect the LES, boosting your heartburn risk.
Credit: Istockphoto
Normally, pressure from the diaphragm—the large muscle separating the stomach and the chest—helps hold the LES valve closed.
In a hiatal hernia, part of the stomach bulges through the diaphragm into the chest. "This causes acid to essentially be pulled up into the chest and keeps the LES from working appropriately," says Dr. DeVault.
You could have a hiatal hernia and
never know it; chronic acid reflux may be your only symptom.
The hormonal changes during the first trimester of pregnancy seem to weaken and relax the LES, says Dr. DeVault. But during the later stages of pregnancy, pressure is the big problem.
The pressure on a woman's abdomen during pregnancy may be enough to throw the valve out of its proper position.
"There is simply so much pressure that it overcomes even a normal LES, forcing food and acid to come back up the wrong way," he says.
Weakened valve
About one in four people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition characterized by two or more bouts of heartburn a week, have a weakened LES valve.
This allows for more frequent reflux, but little is known about how or why it occurs.
"The best we can tell, it's just a weakness in that muscle," says Dr. DeVault, adding that it is more common in older people and is often associated with obesity.
Slow digestion
A small group of people with chronic heartburn may have what is called delayed gastric emptying, where "the stomach simply doesn't empty in the right direction," says Dr. DeVault. "Instead of going the appropriate forward way, it goes the wrong way and reflux occurs."
While it is an unusual cause of heartburn, it appears to be more common in people with diabetes, he adds.
When blood sugar is too high for too long, as can occur in diabetes, it can
damage the nerves that help move food through the digestive tract.
"There's been studies that show eating too much, eating too fast, and eating the wrong things—high-fat foods, carbonated beverages—are the things that tend to promote reflux," says Dr. DeVault.
Stuffing your stomach to the brim with a big meal increases your chances of heartburn by placing added pressure on the abdomen, basically mimicking the effects of pregnancy.
Obesity in general may do the same, and
weight loss can often help.
1 of 6 What's causing your heartburn?
2 of 6 Hiatal hernia
3 of 6 Pregnancy
4 of 6 Weakened valve
5 of 6 Slow digestion
6 of 6 Obesity


A picture with family or friends: A few of the Encinitas YMCA vert crew. You might recognize them!
Your favorite electronic gadget: My Macbook and Iphone. These things control my life.
Any room in your house: The extensive library in my house. I have yet to read one of the books, it's just there to make me look sophisticated, haha.
One of your collections: I like to collect flags from each country I have ever traveled to.
Picture of your backyard: My backyard is a jungle. There are always critters running around here.
Picture of the front of your house: I live in a treehouse in Encinitas. Ha!
The contents of your backpack: My skate bag. Everything I need to shred vert with.
Any random photo: Me and my girlfriend Mirjam Jaeger in Barcelona, Spain. She is also a Winter Dew Tour athlete!
A picture of your car: My new ride!
Missed the last Picture This with skater Jordan Hoffart? Check it out.
And make sure to come back when Kurtis Colamonico shares his pictures.


Dress up your little baby girl in these adorable pink football leg warmers. A perfect product to compliment any baby girl football body suit. Snap a great picture because these leg warmers will be a hit at any party.


text:
Indiana Senate approves constitutional ban on same-sex marriage
John Paul Putney
April 1, 2011 07:50:16 am
[JURIST] The Indiana Senate [official website] overwhelmingly approved [action list] on Tuesday an amendment [text] to the State Constitution [text] that would ban same-sex marriage [JURIST news archive] or any "substantially similar" status. The measure passed 40-10 after receiving a similarly lop-sided victory [JURIST report] in the House of Representatives [official website] last month. The amendment would reaffirm Indiana's 25-year-old statutory ban on gay marriage [WIBC report]. Opponents of the amendment expressed concern that it will make Indiana appear unwelcoming and deter talented workers [South Bend Tribune report] from coming to the state. Proponents insist the amendment is necessary because the judiciary can easily repeal a statute [The Exponent report]. The amendment would have to be approved again in a newly-elected House and Senate before being submitted to voters in 2014 at the earliest.
The issue of same-sex marriage continues to be hotly debated in the US. Last month, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] announced that it would no longer defend the constitutionality [JURIST report] of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) [text; JURIST news archive], which defines marriage for federal purposes as a legal union between one man and one woman, in court cases challenging the provision. Also in February, Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie signed a same-sex civil unions bill into law, while the Wyoming Senate approved a bill that would prevent the state from recognizing same-sex marriages [JURIST reports] and civil unions performed in other jurisdictions. Same-sex marriage is currently legal in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and Washington, DC [JURIST reports].