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"The Two Emigrants المهاجران," Reviewed by Ketan Gajria
Posted by Joshua on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008
The Two Emigrants المهاجران: Review of a play currently showing in Damascus
by Ketan Gajria (kindly sent to SC by Ali Khan)
Early this week one of my teachers from the Institut Français du Proche-Orient (IFPO) invited us to what he had called "the best play currently showing in Damascus." Through his contacts in the Syrian theater, he was able to arrange a private showing for the students of the Institut to be performed on a Friday evening. He promised it would be an experience that we wouldn't forget.
That Friday I received instructions from the Professor to gather with the rest of the class in advance of the play at "Maqbarat al-Dehdah," a cemetery for Syrian war martyrs. After arriving at the graveyard, our teacher led us deeper into the area surrounding this necropolis, down dark alleys further and further away from the main road. You see, in order to arrange a private showing of the play on a Friday, which is a Syrian holiday, the only available space for the performance was in the "Maljah," or local shelter. We arrived outside an anonymous, non-descript brick building where a small crowd had already gathered. Apparently this private showing was to be attended by a few non-students as well. After several minutes of waiting in the chilly night air, the door of the shelter creaked open and a scruffy, bearded man in a cheap olive-drab suit beckoned us to enter. The entrance opened directly to a long, cement staircase enveloped in darkness which stretched downward below to the ground, and we did our best to cram ourselves in and as we waited for our permission to advance further into the shelter. After several more minutes we were made to continue down the stairway before taking a sharp left past graffiti adorned walls into an empty cement room devoid of lighting, which then led into another room lit only by a single tungsten bulb. As we entered the room the first thing I noticed was the soft tune of a French song playing in the background, the kind that wouldn't be out of place at a Parisian café. To my left was a beaten-up pull-away bed occupied by a second man with an equally-scraggly beard who was thumbing through a novel and apparently paying no attention to us whatsoever as we shuffled past him. At this point I began to wonder if I had correctly understood the meaning of the word "Maljah." The word comes from a three-letter root ("lah-jah-ah") which is used not only to describe those seeking shelter, but also for those seeking refuge. Therefore, "Maljah" in addition to shelter, can also describe a house for refugees. I was beginning to think that this private showing had been arranged with little or no budget and that this unfortunate man was going to have to put up with French students invading his house to watch a play which we had been told was a lengthy 160 minutes long.
I quickly realized that my assumptions had been totally off-track. We were split into two groups and seated opposite each other on a set of couches in the corners of the room, both facing this old man who seemed to remain oblivious to our presence. I then realized that the living room which we had walked through, and what we were now facing, was in fact the stage for our play. To be more accurate, the room we were in was the stage, meaning the audience and the actor (the old man on the couch) were existing in the same space without separation. Quite brilliant actually, as you will see. I also figured out, finally, what the meaning of "Maljah" meant in this place. We had descended into a bomb shelter. As this dawned on me, a second light suddenly lit up and a second man, obese and drenched in sweat, stormed into the room. And thus began the play.
The Two Imigrants
"The Two Emigrants" takes place in a single-room as a continuous conversation between two impoverished laborers who room together on the basement floor of an urban building, a setting which is essentially identical to the location in which we had gathered for this private showing. In these 160 minutes, which are unbroken and without intermission, the men discuss their lives, the society in which they live, and their hopes for the future. The older man is a failed writer who considers himself the more educated of the two, but is petrified by his fear of an omnipresent "authority" and has yet to complete a single work. The obese man in contrast, is illiterate, slow to understand and quick to misinterpret, but dreams of earning enough money to escape the country they live in and to return to his unnamed homeland. Their conversations touch on topics of their daily lives and struggles and their Joyce-worthy paralysis in achieving their goals, all the time surrounded by the constant specter of a totalitarian government whose purely-physical absence does nothing to diminish its effect on how these men behave and think.
The mood of the play is a constant alternation between moments of comedy interspersed with unsettling eruptions of violence, frightening uncertainty, and despair. Despite the differences in the education of the two men, the conversation between them allows each one to slowly expose the other's hypocrisies, lies, self-deceptions and delusions of future success, hope, and escape. As the play winds down, it becomes clear that the men are prisoners of a society that won't allow them to succeed, and the only power they have is the decision to destroy their own dreams. Although the original script seems to have origins in Eastern-European, leftist literature, it has likely been adapted to describe the conditions of the Arab worker who travels away from his home and family to earn money and give them a better life, only to find that fortune is unattainable and his return is impossible.
While the play itself was quite good, the talent involved in putting it all together did quite a bit to restore my hope in the future of the Syrian theater. The two actors are, without exaggeration, truly excellent in their roles and demonstrated the utmost professionalism. One of the Institute teachers who attended the showing informed me that both actors had done some work in Syrian television, but were unsuccessful and had only played a few small roles. Watching the countless, indistinguishable soap operas that run on television, one would think that there is barely any talent amongst Syrian actors, who are often doing little more than yell indecipherable phrases and overact even the simplest moments. However, watching these two actors perform 160 minutes straight, it is seems that it may be television that does not suit the talented actor rather than there being a lack of skilled performers. Furthermore, at the end of the play, the actors went "backstage" in the adjacent room to bring out the crew that made the play possible. The direction and the technical credits, despite the play's low budget, provided a completely enveloping and convincing experience. The single set, even in its extreme simplicity, evolves as the play progresses as a reflection of the characters discussions, with lighting cues occurring at just the right moments (and it must be added that a long section of the play takes place in near-total darkness lit only by a candle), in addition to a clever use of multi-directional audio cues representing the unseen inhabitants of the rest of the building and the city outside, and even the physical break-down of the apartment as pipes burst out leaking and the electricity comes and goes. Due to all these clever flourishes, I was surprised at the end when the crew turned out to be just two men, one of them presumably being the director. It is perhaps the only four-man play I have ever seen, but had I not seen this crew, I would never have known it.
As it seems, there is indeed a promising artistic culture in Damascus, underground though it may be (in more ways than one), and I must admit that seeing this play produced a measure of respect for Syrian dramatic arts in me that hadn't been present before. However, we still have to ask ourselves, how many Syrians are going to see plays such as "The Two Emigrants"? Is its audience a cross-section of Syrian society, including Damascenes as well as viewers from the villages, or is it (more likely) attended almost exclusively by Damascus' upper-middle class? The messages in the play are important for all Syrians to consider. In truth however, my concern is that these messages will go largely, if not exclusively, unheard.
Article and photographs by Ketan Gajria, Monday, December 1st, 2008: Ketan Gajria is an American student and graduate of Tufts University who is currently studying in the yearly-program at the Institut Français du Proche-Orient (IFPO) in Abou Roumanneh. The "The Two Immigrants" (المهاجران) is currently playing in Damascus.
Ketan and friend at Indian-themed party in Damascus
Also see Ketan's blog: Ketan Sessions
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Sarah said:
Not a bad review, but by the way, the play "The Two Immigrants" is always performed in ملجأ القزازين and has been for its entire run, not just on Fridays for private showings. It's a really brilliant use of an unconventional space for theater, although the lack of a bathroom makes one wonder what it might have been like to crouch there during an air raid.
trustquest said:
thanks, Love this post, it stirs memories,
Each generation in Syria lives this drama of oppression of the expression. The story posted here is repeated episode all familiar I have seen similar in the 70s. Even we did a play in college we tried hard to conceal any reference to the authorities. The results are 20 millions immigrants and 20 millions residents supported by the former. The number of exiled is larger than the Palestinians exiled. The amount of oppression and discrimination from authority since the enacting of the emergency law is penetrating every single organization all segments of society and even children who taught to clap to the dictator in early age, and the main theme is the killing of talent if it is not in norm with the regime guidelines.
jad said:
(How many Syrians are going to see plays such as "The Two Emigrants"? )
These kinds of plays are very popular in the Syrian society.
University students come first, middle class comes second, then you have the theatre public who are committed to the theatre movement in Syria and they attend every possible play they could..
I'm not sure why you are that surprised seeing such talented actors on stage, it's a fact that our Syrian actors and actress are the best in the Arab world and regardless of the soap opera level they appear in, they usually are better on theatre than on TV for many reasons and you have the same situation in the states.
(In truth however, my concern is that these messages will go largely, if not exclusively, unheard.)
You might be wrong in this point; you underestimate the Syrians, the public are still interested in such messages and even if they don't get to watch the play in theatre, local news paper and magazines usually spreads any kind of success pretty loud.
Milli Schmidt said:
Some comments about Obama made by Jihad Makdissi, spokesperson for the Syrian embassy in the UK, at a university event in London today:
– Syria's official position to Obama is 'cautiously optimistic' and he will be 'judged by his deeds'.
– although Syria does not deny the positive momentum that Obama's campaign and election has generated, past experiences have taught the government that campaign messages often go out of the window once the elected president is given a 'dose of reality' by the CIA and other advisors.
– In this regard, Makdissi raised a number of questions with regard to Obama:
How far was Obama elected on his agenda and how far only because population wanted Bush gone?
Will Obama focus his 'change' more on the domestic or on the international?Most big oil companies and other companies with interest in ME are dominated by republicans.
Syria notes the appointment of Rahm Emanuel but as yet has no opinion on it, it has to be seen whether he has been appointed to keep the Jewish right-wing lobby at bay or to support it.
Certainly, Obama is in a stronger position than Bush to get positively involved in the Middle East ad to realign the 'true role of the US as relatively unbiased mediator'
Interesting: in the end he emphasised that Syria today does not believe in single-issue solutions in the Middle East, 'it's not only about the Palestinians or only about the Golan', but Syria 'pushes a comprehensive, regional solution', as 'all our problems are interlinked'.
He also mentioned that Syria had held four rounds of talks with Israel, 'through our Turkish friends' and that Syria had several times asked the UK and US for cooperation to monitor the borders but was rebuffed. This last point somehow sounded unconvincing.
December 2nd, 2008, 10:24 pm
alloushi said:
by the way of talking about the place….shouldn't syria be ready by improving its underground shelters in case there is war? not having toilets is not a good idea….


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Q: Accessing Chat Folder in Python Using Imaplib I am trying to access the Chat Folder using imaplib but am not able to do so. The code mail.select("Chats") doesn't work since "chats" is not actually a label.
How do I access the emails in the Chats folder?

A: any folder you want to access by imap. it should be allowed by mail server.
e.g : for gmail, check below image for, how to set access of imap.

here, "Show in IMAP" should be checked for "Chats" folder.
then after, try below code snippets:
sock = imaplib.IMAP4_SSL("imap.gmail.com", 993)
sock.login("your Email Id", "Password")
lb_list = sock.list() # print
#search for "Chats" folder and its signature
#here, it is "[Gmail]/Chats"
sock.select("[Gmail]/Chats", True)
sock.search(None, '(ALL)')
resp, data = sock.fetch('1:*', '(RFC822)')

Hope, it will be helpful.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The ballistic galvanometer is designed to deflect its indicating needle (or mirror) in a way that is proportional to the total charge passing through its moving coil or to a voltage pulse of short duration.
Any conventional galvanometer may also be employed as a ballistic type.
But the latter has smaller torque and higher inertia in the coil.


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Recognition Process
Promoting Your Chapter
Since the establishment of Phi Beta Kappa at the College of William and Mary in 1776, the Greek letter honor societies have played an important role in American education and training. Today, to recognize their best students, many private postsecondary schools, institutes, colleges and universities join Alpha Beta Kappa.
Application Process - Institutions should submit a Charter Application and one-time Charter fee to join. Once approved, each institution receives its own Charter and Greek Chapter name. This Charter should be placed on display for all visitors and current students. The Charter - which is issued to the administration, faculty, staff, and students - includes the name of the institution, Charter date, and the official Greek name of the Chapter.
Selection Committee - to select candidates, each Chapter may choose to form a selection committee. This committee could include the President, Director, Director of Education or Student Services, Academic Dean, Faculty representatives, and one or two alumni members. Although institutional grading systems vary, society candidates should generally have marks of "A" or rank at the top of their class. As most institutions and programs are dramatically unique, each Chapter's selection committee determines its own basic selection criteria. The original group honored or "Charter Members" shall include the president or director, an academic officer or senior faculty member, and those students and others who may qualify. At the first official ceremony, it is recommended that alumni and a community leader or elected official be present. These individuals should be made "Honorary Members" of Alpha Beta Kappa.
Submitting Candidates - all recognition materials are prepared by Alpha Beta Kappa. Therefore, Chapters should submit a list of names exactly as they are to appear on the official certificates of membership at least eight business days prior to the ceremony. Please allow additional time if more than 25 individuals are to be recognized. Chapters can email, fax, or mail these names.
Sponsoring Candidates - the fee for each individual membership is $45. There are no annual dues for institutions or members. Candidates may be institutionally sponsored or student sponsored.
• Institutionally Sponsored - Most Chapters sponsor their students. These Chapters simply send their list of candidates to Alpha Beta Kappa via email. Within a few days, all recognition honors and materials are delivered to the institution.
• Student Sponsored - when students sponsor their own memberships, each Chapter simply gives each candidate a membership application (provided electronically by ABK). Applications can also be mailed or emailed with an invitational cover letter to potential candidates. Applications and fees are returned to the institution or sent directly to Alpha Beta Kappa. Recognition honors for these honor students are returned to the institution or mailed directly to students.
Certificates & Honors - each student elected to membership receives a personalized membership certificate which includes the name of the institution, Chapter name, and our Alpha Beta Kappa Gold Seal of Distinction. Certificates for honorary, alumni, faculty and staff members are indicated accordingly.
ABK Gold Key
To accompany these certificates, each outstanding student also receives our Honorary Alpha Beta Kappa Gold Key. Professionally die-struck, sandblasted and polished, each Gold Key profiles the Greek letters A.B.K., a five-pointed star, laurel branches, and two of the finest words in any language - Integrity and Excellence.
For the purposes of presentation during ceremonies, each Gold Key is handsomely profiled in its own case. As an added service, each honor student also receives a special congratulatory letter from Alpha Beta Kappa and a narrative about the society. Upon request, a letter of reference can also be acquired when seeking employment or further education.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Capricorn Full Moon on June 28th utilizes both earth and water elements, making it a great time to diligently nurture a new dream while letting go of an old vision that no longer suits you. The Capricorn Full Moon is a time of death, rebirth, and change through hard work. These energies all work together as long as we commit to our higher selves.
The following simple spell blends the elements of the watery Cancer sun and its opposing earthy Moon. This symbolic activity of nurturance will inspire your growth in the moon cycles to come.
The recipe that follows incorporates many elemental ingredients. Moon water is water that has been charged with the energy of the Moon, connecting us to the lunar power and energy from the Full Moon which can add magic and power to any intention and spell. Capricorn, being an earth element is related to growth and earthy ventures. The snake plant is the plant represented by Capricorn for its independence, requiring water only every 2-3 weeks. This is good because it will help you can conserve the Moon water month to month. Writing a letter of intention with a clear mind, while visualizing your dreams, and connecting to both elements will help you to truly bring in the new and release the things that no longer serve you.
Take a glass container or cups filled with water.
Set your intention while holding the water, to get your energy on it.
Under the Full Moon, visualize your intentions and let the light of the Moon radiate its energy in the water.
Let the water sit near the window or outside, so it consumes the lunar energy.
Make Moon Water to use to make the plants grow throughout the upcoming months.
Write a letter of intention.
Place the letter at bottom of soul in pot or outside.
Place Snake Plant seeds in soil or in earth outside, above or to the side of the letter. Note that you can use any type of seed! Feel free to be creative and find the plant or flower you connect with the most.
Water the seedling as needed, using the moon water to nourish your dreams, and give life to your new hopes while letting go of the past. Allow quiet time to meditate and restructure your visions as you move step by step towards them.
Remember to speak to your plant while you water it and even throughout the day as you do your daily activities. You can even discuss your intentions aloud with the plant as you work to manifest your next big dream!


08 August 2007. Free entry.
Your chance to get your very own limited-edition art work by Ronnie van Hout.
Commissioned as a fundraiser for a forthcoming publication celebrating The Physics Room's 10th anniversary, van Hout has made 12 new limited-edition dolls with a stark resemblance to van Hout himself. Call it doppelganger, call it alter-ego, call it what you will, just don't miss the chance to have your very own. Replete with custom-made suits and housed in their own coffin-shaped box, these painstakingly crafted dolls are available for purchase from The Physics Room. Each figure is 550 x 200 x 100mm comes with a signed and numbered certificate.


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Foreclosure filings picked up in October up despite moratoriums
Largest increases were in NYC and places hit hard by coronavirus
National Insights /
By Jerome Dineen
Despite federal and state moratoriums, foreclosure activity in the United States ballooned last month.
Nearly 12,000 properties had some kind of foreclosure filing in October 2020, up 20 percent from last month but down 79 percent from October 2019, according to a monthly report from Attom Data.
That largely continued a trend of growing foreclosures that began the month before, when many states ended relief measures that had protected homeowners hurt by the pandemic.
"It's a little surprising to see foreclosure activity increasing in spite of the various foreclosure moratoria that are in place," said Rick Sharga, executive vice president of Attom subsidiary RealtyTrac, in a prepared statement. "It's likely that many of these properties were already in the early stages of default prior to the pandemic, or are vacant and abandoned, which makes them candidates for expedited foreclosure actions."
Among states, October foreclosure filings were the highest in South Carolina, where one in every 6,133 housing units had one, according to the report. For metropolitan areas with at least 1 million residents, Birmingham, Alabama, led with one for every 1,933 housing units, up 51 percent from last month.
Foreclosure starts (lis pendens) increased nationwide in October. More than 6,000 properties started the process last month, 21 percent more than in September but 79 percent less than a year ago, according to the report.
For metro areas with more than 1 million residents, foreclosure starts were highest in New York City. There, 485 lis pendens were filed in October 2020, up 12 percent from the 433 lis pendens filed last month but down 71 percent from the 1,679 filed a year earlier.
Sharga said foreclosure starts have tended to increase most in coronavirus hotspots with higher unemployment rates than the national average. New York City is getting close to a second wave of coronavirus infections, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a news conference today.
The city has clocked more than 1,000 new cases in each of the past five days. Foreclosures have also ramped up, especially in minority neighborhoods, according to an analysis from the Association of Neighborhood and Housing Development.
Repossessions by banks have increased nationwide as well. Lenders foreclosed on 2,577 properties in October, up 28 percent from the prior month but down 81 percent from a year ago. In Birmingham, banks repossessed 233 properties, the most of any U.S. metro area. Repossessions were also high in Philadelphia (98 properties), New York (97), Chicago (62) and Miami (52).
Attom DataCoronavirusforeclosuresTRD Insights
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Here's what tenants are paying at Brookfield and CIC's One New York Plaza
Manhattan sublease space at record high after 47% jump


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Russia loads second monster nuclear missile in silo, issues renewed threat to NATO
The government of Russian President Vladimir Putin is making noises again about a potential nuclear attack on a major NATO ally, and frankly, it's something that the entire alliance should take seriously.
Earlier this week, Russian state television filmed a crew loading a monster Yars nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile into a second silo while threatening to destroy London, according to the UK's Daily Mail.
"Footage released by state media shows the Yars rocket, which can be tipped with a nuclear warhead and range all of Europe and the mainland US, being loaded into the ground at the Kozelsky base, 160 miles south of Moscow," the report said.
"It comes just a day after more footage showed another missile arriving at the same base and as a retired Russian general said Russia should prioritize striking London over Washington DC.," the report added.
Any firing of a nuclear missile by Russia against a NATO member will trigger World War III, without a doubt, and likely invite a devastating nuclear response.
"You don't have to [strike] Washington first – it's too far away," Lt. Gen. Andrey Gurulev told state TV. "London is next door…. London is the main hotbed of all nastiness."
The report noted further:
Vladimir Putin has been ramping up his nuclear sabre-rattling since declaring war on Ukraine back in February, with the West his main target.
Such threats have been dialled back in recent weeks after Beijing told him to stop, but they are slowly building again ahead of Russia's annual Strategic Missile Forces Day on Saturday.
Putin is angry that Russian soldiers and airmen are dying by the thousands in Ukraine, thanks in large part to an influx of Western weapons, mainly from the United States. Some recent estimates have put the Russian military death toll at more than 90,000 troops; Putin amassed 140,000-plus prior to his invasion of his western neighbor in February 2022. As we approach the one-year anniversary, he does not appear to be any closer to taking over Ukraine, and in fact, his forces have actually retreated in recent weeks.
He issued a call for 300,000 reservists to be called up and mobilized; at last count, most had been deployed in and around Ukraine. But again, reports said these troops are poorly trained, poorly equipped, and badly led, with many likely to become casualties as Ukrainian forces dig in and continue to push back on Russian troops, hard.
Over the past month, Putin has ordered missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure. Power stations and other vital services have been targeted, leading some to accuse him of committing war crimes.
"The last time Russia showed off its Yars missiles was back in October when Putin oversaw the annual Grom nuclear drills. Submarines, nuclear-capable bombers and Russia's nuclear missile forces all took part in those exercises – watched over by Putin in his nuclear command center," the Daily Mail reported. "Colonel Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of Russia's National Defence magazine, said afterwards that the drills were a rehearsal for destroying the UK and US."
Following the release of the latest footage showing a Yars being loaded into a silo, Gurulev said that the U.S. and the rest of the West were bent on seeing Ukraine attack Targets on Russian soil.
"So why are we embarrassed to say that we should strike London?" he told state TV. "I am not saying that we should demolish everyone. We should destroy critical facilities – control centers, military bases, and airfields."
He added: "I am sure we should have a catalog in the General Staff and it is being updated all the time… Is it nuclear…[or not]? If it is not nuclear, you have to calculate how many missile carriers, ships, aircraft, satellite constellation(s)… and long-range [drones] are needed. And a strike on London, strange as it may sound, would be the first and last warning to the [real decision-makers – Washington]," he added.
Tagged Under: Great Britain, ICBM, london, national security, NATO, nuclear missile, nuclear strike, Nuclear threat, nuclear war, Russia, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, White House, world war, World War III, YARS
China sends 18 nuke-capable bombers into Taiwan's air defense zone
While Putin readies nuclear missiles, Germany has RUN OUT of munitions and can only fight a war for TWO days
China to have roughly 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035
12/06/2022 / By Arsenio Toledo
Pentagon: China on track to have 1,500 nuclear warheads within 13 years
Iranian military commander threatens to kidnap and enslave Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu
11/23/2022 / By Cassie B.
Russia warns: World's nuclear-armed states on the verge of direct armed conflict
Dirty bomb part of Biden's planned propaganda to gain public support, Jeffrey Prather tells Mike Adams
Russian official: 2 Ukrainian firms ordered to build dirty bomb now in final stages of production
Sources: Ukrainian government planning nuclear 'dirty bomb' false flag to blame on Russia
Ex-Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu warns against sending weapons to Ukraine
The enemy of my enemy is my friend: Russia, Iran forge alliance amid Western sanctions
Two Ukrainian firms caught building dirty bomb – media blackout
Russia, Ukraine accuse each other of plotting false flag events that will cause mass casualties
Dirty bomb false flag event to IGNITE World War with Russia, but Europe and USA don't have enough functioning INDUSTRY to win a war
Radioactive waste discovered at Missouri elementary school
Jeff Nyquist: Russia ready to launch nuclear strike against Ukraine
Russia warns WWIII is all but GUARANTEED if Ukraine's Western allies continue to meddle in ongoing conflict


That ubiquitous ubi solemnly embellishing the popular Pinoy halo-halo, may soon be lost, thanks to a culture that looks down on the hardwork and perseverance of ubi-farmers, being low class, dirty nailed slaves of the land.
Bohol has gained over 200,000 kilos of ubi in the past year, according to data cited by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.
The figure however is yet to be shown in the local markets as there have not been much of the 200,000 kilos, enough to flood the markets with the purple or the white yam.
On the 18thUbi Festival here, there is enough reason to believe that ubi could possibly vanish in the next generation.
Here for generations immemorial, ubi has endeared itself to Boholanos, that the crop sits on a pedestal along with some faint objects associated with the pagan animist faith. It is so defined in some family altars during the padogmak (harvest thanksgiving) which also coincides with the All Saints and All Souls day.
But how did the ubi get there?
According to scientific research, ubi(DioscoreaAlatasp) was said to be brought in by THE Austranesian cultures. But the natives have another story for this.
A drought which lasted for months practically killed almost all the food plants. The natives found vines with traces of green or purple towards the roots, and they started digging it up.
Out came the ubi, a food natives believed was provided by the gods of the forest and the gods of the land.
And true enough, it is seasonal and survives towards the last months of the year.
As it is, farmers who have not really been into the industry said the crop is just too delicate to be gambled in. But more importantly, a crop that has attained an ethno-religious elevation is not something to gamble on.
Domesticated by the natives as a crop which they also introduced to the Spaniards and no sooner, the first ubi made its transatlantic crossing for Europe, to the galleon trades as a exotic product for Europe.
Extensively cultivated from generations, over time, farm families tried to uncover the secrets to a successful pamanlin, anything that adds up to the efforts during harvest they secretly bequeath the folk knowledge on the manner of nurturing the crop, all also knowing that not all farmers are gifted with the hardwork, patience and the perseverance of a saint.
Guarding the secrets like family heirlooms is understandable;with each family picking their own set of perceived beliefs and the resulting harvest.
Cultivated in kaingin patches, ubi is grown from diced tubers, laid in especially dug hutok (holes) laid with a weave of dried leaves, rice straw, banana leaves and sometimes dried sargassum and burning refuse.
And that is getting ahead of the story.
This year, while the OPA reported 200,000 kilos more, farm technicians agree that young farmers, which are fewer, do not put the ubi among their typical options, for several reasons.
Ubi farming is courting failure more than mastering the art of the unknown. And it entails a whole lot of sacrifice, which unfortunately is on bankruptcy levels among younger farmers.
For how could one be as careless when even picking the ubi patch from a secondary growth forest or thick bushes has to be meticulously weighed.
The slope must be considered, ubi thrives in areas where theire is sufficient drainage and water does not gather, this will rot the tubers, a plant disease farmers call as bonggak.
Another consideration is that the patch must have tall bushes that can support the harug (trellis) where the ubi vines can crawl and hang. Primary among the consideration is an abandoned bamboo patch, as the bamboo roots age great aerators. Some also pick abandoned dwellings.
Having selected this, the farmer leaves the area and comes back a few days later to bring an offering to the 'owners of the land," one that may be a whole boiled chicken without salt, a roll of tobacco, or anything that may endear him to the spirits so they would allow him to use the land.
Days later, the farmer starts to clean up the undergrowth, carefully leaving some tall shrubs that can be the support for the katayan.
Then he starts digging hutok (planting mounds), carefully digging out the rocks and stones that can wound the ubi. Each hutokcan be a foot in diameter and a foot deep. Mounds cango as much as over a thousand, or a few hundreds.
After completing this, he leaves the farm to gather dried coconut leaves for the hampas. Each coconut leaf, he piles one on top of the other over the entire patch, making sure each mound is covered. This can mean hundreds of dried coconut leaves.
And in one late afternoon after completing laying the dried leaves, he starts burning the coconut leaves from the lowest point of the patch. The fire crawls up and eventually consumes all the dried coconut, leaving some shrubs standing but dead. Burning assured all pests are killed and the ash helps treat the soil.
By the next week, he starts the arduous task of digging out the soil from each mound, replacing it with a good amount of dried banana leaves, a weave of coconut husk, ash, sea weeds, and more dried leaves falling from the burnt bushes.
Meanwhile, in his pinsa or kamalig where he keeps the aerated binhi, he picks the best kinds and uses the sharpest knife to cut diced sitt, about two fingers in width, which would go to each of the hutok. A sharp knife, accordingly would be less harmful as this does not bruise the seedling.
A kilo of guha (diced sitt) can produce over ten kilos of ubi harvest, but that in fact is no stunning motivation to young farmers who would rather dream of some office over the toiling backbreaking and laborious ubi farming.
On one late afternoon, the farmer, sometimes accompanied by the wife, treks to the patch and selects three mounds forming a tripod. He may or ask the wife to plant the first three mounds, carefully invoking the spirits to bless the seedlings, make it as big and possibly one that cracks when cooked. These that cracked are accordingly the sweetest. This is palihi.
A week later, sometime in early May to early June, gathering all these diced sitts to the farm, he, along with a good number of neighbors who join the communal planting called hungos, trek to the ubi patches, this would be timed when the moon is full, and on the waning side and not just anytime.
Some families forbid the farmers from talking too much during the planting, careful not to offend the wounded ubi, carefully laying two sits on the woven coconut husk, or dried banana leaves and then putting in the dug soil back, making sure it forms a mound to drain the rain and keep the sitt from rotting.
When everything is planted, it is now the sole responsibility of the farmer to visit his ubihan and check if the seedlings start to germinate. The moment the green shoots emerge from the mounds, he starts putting up the trellis, which he leans upon the remaining bushes. When this is done, he makes it his daily mid-afternoon to late afternoon ritual to produce some smoke from burning grasses to drive away grasshoppers and pests that feed on the shoots.
Ubi patches during these stages must not be approached, as soon as the shoots are touched, they sulk and won't grow anymore. The same is true when it is raining or in the early mornings. As the ubi vines start to climb the katayan, care must be exercised so as not to touch them. If in case a harug falls, the farmer must slowly fix the trellis, careful not to wound the vine or affect other plants. Especially by August to September when the ubi would be at its fastest growth rate.
By the last week of November, the farmer goes back to the palihi mound, digs the first three mounds using a wooden panlin, (stake used to dig the ubi)nadthen goes to the last mound planted and also digs the tuber.
These make up the first harvest, and would be forming part of the altar offering, the rest goes to the padogmak, cooked into nilunaw, boiled or simply inanag and displayed uncovered in the padogmak table and left.
Eating these can only happen after each family member returns after visiting their dead. There is the belief that the spirits and the souls of the departed, especially the elder farmers would partake of the food prepared on the padogmak table spread.
The farmer gain returns to the ubi patch as soon as the vine's leaves start to wilt and dry. This signals the pamanlin season.
This is again another time for the hungos, a communal help scheme where every available farmer helps in the harvest.
The harvesters also make sure they do not just stab the mound and wound or bruise the ubi, each harvest piled and the kids, carrying small bukag (bamboo baskets) gather these to a clearing where the owner keeps tabs of the harvest, an ash bowl on hand and immediately applying a thin paste of ash over the ubi woundor where there is skinning: this cauterizes the wound and stops the karma from the ubi. This also allows the ubi to be stored despite a would that could start the rotting, when unattended, This also goes as payment to the farmers joining the hungos.
When all else is done, the farmer then picks the best harvest, this would comprise the next cropping's sitt.
And the cycle of life of the ubi starts again.
And this is what the young farmers do not want to be engaged in.


text:
Podismopsis genicularibus är en insektsart som först beskrevs av Tokuichi Shiraki 1910.  Podismopsis genicularibus ingår i släktet Podismopsis och familjen gräshoppor. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Gräshoppor
genicularibus

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Connie Meijer, née le  à Flardingue et décédée le  à Naaldwijk est une ancienne coureuse cycliste néerlandaise.

Biographie

Victime d'un malaise pendant un critérium aux Pays-Bas, elle décède d'une crise cardiaque.

Palmarès
 1982
 Bad Homburg
 1984
  Championne des Pays-Bas de cyclisme sur route
 ,  et  du Tour de France féminin
 Ronde van de Haarlemmermeer
  de Lenterace
  de Omloop van `t Molenheike
 1985
 Lenterace
  du Tour des Pays-Bas
 1986
  du Tour de France féminin
  du Tour de Norvège
  de Lenterace
 1987
 Lenterace
  du Tour de Norvège
  du Tour de l'Aude
  de Ronde van Zuid-Friesland
  du championnat du monde de cyclisme sur route
 1988
 Wijdenes-Oosterleek
 Parel van de Veluwe
  de Driedaagse van Pattensen
  du Tour de Norvège

Notes et références

Liens externes

Coureuse cycliste néerlandaise
Naissance en février 1963
Naissance à Flardingue
Décès à 25 ans
Décès dans la province de Hollande-Méridionale
Décès en août 1988


Welcome to Episode 29 of Women In Leadership Podcast. In this episode Linda Reed-Enever and I speak about marketing, media, PR and all things business, business, business.
Business is an investment of passion and time and overnight successes did a LOT of work to become an overnight success.
Are you struggling to define your Signature Program? Register your interest for one of my upcoming Breakthrough Round Tables where I will show you the exact steps you need to define and create your very own Signature Program.
Question: What's ONE aha you had? Go ahead and share it below. Also, what's ONE thing you're going to do within the next 24 hours? Share your comment below.


Yuri Gorbachev combines the history, mythology and cultural heritage of his homeland with references to Russian and Balinese Folk Art, African rock drawings and masks, while precisely defining every form, every kind of object, plant or human figure.
Contact Galleria Silecchia for more on Russian painter, Yuri Gorbachev.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
Receive our Newsletter: Keep up-to-date with current events at Galleria Silecchia. We'll let you know what's happening and when.
© Galleria Silecchia 2000-15 Sarasota, Florida. All rights reserved.


SINGAPORE – For the first time in Singapore, junior college and polytechnic students will get to experience what goes on behind the closed doors of an operating theatre.
Nanyang Technological University has unveiled its simulation technology training for Singapore's newest medical school, and some 600 pre-university students get to preview it tomorrow.
When the first batch of medical students start their course at the new NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine next August, part of their training will involve using cutting-edge simulation technology.
Students will get to perform surgery on life-like prosthetics of human organs, complete with simulated bleeding.
Professor Roger Kneebone from Imperial College London said simulation surgery provides safety in an artificial environment.
"There's an increasing amount of evidence that learning in a simulated environment transfers to learning in the operating theatre so it cuts down the amount of time for training, it increases people's accuracy and it makes them better at making decisions," he said.
Tomorrow, 600 junior college and polytechnic students will get to attend the simulated surgery preview.
Some have been chosen to assist in a mock abdomen surgery, where they will have to fix a patient's intestinal bleed.
Eighteen-year-old Temasek Junior College student, Zariel Sim said it is an eye-opening experience.


text:
Female Killers Podcast
Help Find Jody LeCornu's Killer
January 22, 2021 Shevonne Season 1 Episode 69
Shevonne
In this week's episode, Shevonne talks about Jody LeCornu, a Towson University student who was murdered 25 years ago and there have been no leads in the case. If you have any leads, even a minor one, please call the tip line 410-200-6284.
You can find the entire transcript on https://femalekillers.com/
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Email: shev@femalekillers.com
Please rate the podcast and leave a comment. I would appreciate it tremendously.
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Show Notes Transcript
The Fairer Sex, Bombshell, Bitch, Mother, Girl Boss, Lady are some of the ways that have been used to describe women. "Killer" is usually not a word that comes to mind. Welcome to the Female Killers Podcast, where we will explore women who have killed out of revenge, love, or just pure evil.
As you know, I usually focus on known female killers. However, I am deviating this week because my niece, who is a Towson University student, asked me to please discuss this case to reach someone who has information about this cold case. A Towson University student Jody LeCornu was shot in her car. This was 24 years ago, and even with a $100,000 reward, there have been no leads in this case. The anguish that her family and friends must still be going through because how can they be at peace when they don't have the person responsible for the death of a young woman who had her whole life ahead of her. Hopefully, someone out there has some information that can finally help lead investigators to her murderer.
Jody LeCornu
Jody LeCornu seems to have been a sweet young woman who was loved by those who knew her. She was a student at Towson University, which at that time was known as Towson State. Jody was studying geriatrics, which is the branch of medicine or social science dealing with the health and care of old people. At the time, Jody was living in an apartment with her boyfriend and roommate Steve Durbin. When she wasn't at work, she also had a part-time job as a receptionist at Eastern Savings Bank.
People who knew Jody like friends and neighbors say that Jody was outgoing and friendly. The manager of the restaurant where she was a waitress the previous year said in an interview, "She was a sweetheart -- she always kept us laughing."
One thing that was also said about Jody was that she was very cautious and took extra precautions about her personality safety.
A neighbor of Jody's twin sister also said that she was very focused on her personal safety and it was "uncharacteristic" that she was out in the late of night at a parking lot alone.
On March 1, 1996, Jody had been seen at the Mount Washington Tavern. I searched to see if the place is still open and it is. It seems to be a restaurant/bar that serves American food. After Jody left the tavern, she aheaded to Curb Shoppe Bar that was about two minutes away from Mount Washington Tavern. It is no longer open. Jody bought some liquor. Afterwards, she went to Drumcastle Government Center, in the early morning of March 2, 1996. Jody parked at the parking lot at the center. This was in Towson, which is 12 minutes away from the tavern and bar.
This was almost 25 years ago, so it was just around the mid 1990s that CCTV cameras started being installed all over. There was a camera that captured the suspect and vehicle. Even so, no one knows what happens so not sure if maybe the camera was at a place that didn't capture the entire interaction? Did the suspect tap on her window to get her attention? Did the two talk? Or did he/she just pull out a gun and shoot Jody? The only thing that is known for sure was that on March 2, 1996, a person or persons shot at the rear window and was able to shoot Jody in the back. Jody was still alive at that point, and she took off and drove to the York Road Plaza parking lot, which was about 4 minutes away.
The suspect was able to follow her in his white BMW. He didn't shoot her again. Instead, he reached inside the car and took something. The thought was that he grabbed her purse because it was missing when the car was searched. This means that the windows were open. A Giant food store employee called the police when he heard the gunshots. This was at 3:41 a.m. When police arrived, Jody already dead, they were able to lift fingerprints from inside the car. However, even now, 25 years later, they still haven't been able to match the fingerprints to anyone.
There were witnesses who saw the murder and were able to give police a description of the suspect. He was a black male with a stocky build and was wearing a camo-style or a dark green army coat. . He seems to be between 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 200 to 220 pounds. After shooting Jody, he drove away in the white BMW.
Investigators have said that they think the suspect must have told someone. As someone who used to watch Criminal Minds and MindHunter, I wonder if they had a criminalist who did a criminal profile of the suspect. I am no expert but I have read that usually when someone commits a crime, they will usually tell at least one person.
In a 1996 news article, Captain Uppercue said, "With all the interviews we've done, we still haven't been able to determine why it is she was down there. There's no indication of drugs, or anything like that. It's kind of curious why this guy followed her to Giant -- we don't know why. We don't know if she was meeting someone."
Investigators interviewed Jody's family, friends, and boyfriend. No one was able to give the police any leads on the suspect. Also, no one could say why Jody was at the parking lot. Her boyfriend Steve said he had talked to her in the morning before they went to work. He got home around 12:30 a.m. Steve didn't think anything about Jody not being there. He had assumed that she had went to visit her parents in Annapolis.
The case went cold. Jody's sister Jenny Carrieri asked the police for the police file but they declined. However, in 2016, they police released photos from the camera. They show the suspect and white BMW but the resolution is pretty bad.
The suspect would be in his 50s. I don't care if he is a good friend of yours or a family members. He murdered an innocent young woman. He needs to be held accountable for that. Jody was taken away from her parents, twin sister, friends, and others. What's even more horrific was that she was murdered on her parent's anniversary. In 2020, her family put up three billboards in the Baltimore area and the reward for any information is now $100,000. Even if you have suspicions about that person, send a tip to the police. It can even be anonymous. This family deserves peace, and Jody deserves justice.
Thank you for joining again this week on the Female Killers Podcast. My name is Shevonne, and I do the research, writing, and narrating. Please make sure to visit our website at femalekillers.com, where you can subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or via RSS so you'll never miss a show. While you're at it, if you found value in this show, I'd appreciate a rating on iTunes – or if you'd tell a friend about the show, that would also be great! I am currently working on improving the podcast for you, so thank you for being part of the ride.
All content © 2022 Female Killers Podcast .


New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony called guard Tim Hardaway Jr. to express he was not pleased with team president Phil Jackson's draft moves, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
The Knicks traded Hardaway Jr. to the Atlanta Hawks for Notre Dame point guard Jerian Grant on Thursday night.
In the first round of the draft, New York selected Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis, who is believed to need more time to develop than some other prospects before making a significant impact in the NBA.
First, Kristaps Porzingis can play. He's an incredibly skilled, perimeter-oriented big man who can stretch the floor and make the mid-range jump shot. He's at least two years away from doing anything at an NBA level, but if developed right he could be a franchise player. But there are legitimate concerns in Porzingis's camp about how he will handle the pressure of New York, and he won't help a team desperately trying to maximize the last few years of Carmelo Anthony's contract. If the Knicks are patient, they could have a star. If not, they could ruin a promising prospect.
Anthony signed a five-year contract with the Knicks last summer.
The 31-year-old played in 40 games before undergoing season-ending knee surgery in February. Anthony averaged 24.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists while posting a 21.7 Player Efficiency Rating, his lowest since 2011-12 (21.1).
New York finished 17-65, the worst record in the Eastern Conference.
knicks trade tim hardaway jr.


Eightmood Grey Polished Stone Cutting Board a stylish essential for your kitchen.
A fabulous crafted Bheslana stone cutting board or presentation food platter that makes a wonderful gift or item for your own kitchen.
It's perfect for any cook as the weight of the stone means that it won't slip and slide on the worktop!
Ideally suited for indoor or outdoor use.
A useful carrying size so you can take it with you from the kitchen to the dining room or garden.
A fantastic option for all kinds of treats, this board is ideal for food preparation, cheeses or antipasti.
With a convenient hole where you can attach a loop to have the option to hang it up on the wall.
Use as a chopping or cutting board but looks equally good serving tapas, cocktails etc.
A contemporary design which easily complements existing kitchen accessories.
Made by Eightmood. Polished finish. Hand Wash only.


At this stage the planned WBA Field trip to Upper Crab Creek-Rocky Ford is still on but may be subject to cancellation if our current unhealthy/hazardous air in eastern Washington persists. The good news is that the National Weather Service is forecasting the smoke/haze to disperse on Thursday-Friday leaving Saturday to be sunny, clear of smoke and 79 degrees!
We will make a final decision on whether to proceed with the field trip on Thursday or Friday. If we proceed, we will meet at the car parking area at Rocky Ford around 10.30am. Rocky Ford is about 14 miles NE of Ritzville. Follow the E Danekas Road NE out of Ritzville for ~8 miles until you come to N Hills Rd. Turn left onto N Hills Road and follow it N for ~6 miles until you come to Rocky Ford.
Rocky Ford is a unique shrub steppe and riparian habitat managed by the BLM. Earlier visits including a WBA field trip earlier this summer (June 2) have revealed a large and diverse fauna of butterflies including some localized and threatened species (e.g. Silver-bordered fritillary, Garita Skipper). Previous trips have been made in spring and early summer so this will be our first trip to check out the late summer butterfly fauna. The Silver bordered fritillary population should be having its second flight and we will be looking for the presence of Coronis Fritillaries. We suspected (but did not confirm) the presence of Coronis in June. Coronis at Rocky Ford would represent a new County record.


text:
Халосток има више значења:

 Халосток (Искатеопан де Кваутемок), насеље у савезној држави Гереро у Мексику
 Халосток (Ајала), насеље у савезној држави Морелос у Мексику
 Халосток (Куезалан дел Прогресо), насеље у савезној држави Пуебла у Мексику
 Општина Халосток (Тласкала), општина у савезној држави Тласкала у Мексику
 Халосток (Халосток, Тласкала), насеље у савезној држави Тласкала у Мексику


text:
Clever Journeys
Simple, Honest, Freedom and Fun.
Clever Journeys Creed
December 24, 2020 December 24, 2020 Texans Jack & Dodie
United States Constitution: Article 4
Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.
No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due.
New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.
The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.
The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.
Click here for US Constitution: Preamble and Article 1
Click here for US Constitution: Article 2
Click here for US Constitution: Bill of Rights
Click here for US Constitution: Additional Amendments
Previous United States Constitution: Article 3
Next United States Constitution: Article 5
United States Constitution: Article 3 – Clever Journeys says:
[…] Click here for US Constitution: Article 4 […]
United States Constitution: Preamble and Article 1 – Clever Journeys says:
United States Constitution: Bill of Rights – Clever Journeys says:
United States Constitution: Additional Amendments – Clever Journeys says:
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With Play! at Chester Zoo proving to be such a massive hit last summer, the Zoo wanted us all to carry on playing, laughing and having loads and loads of fun. This Easter, they've been inspired by all our favourite animal stories and want everybody's help in bringing them to life at an amazing storytelling festival. Through music, theatre, film, arts and crafts or adventurous play, you can get involved in making storytelling even more creative at Chester Zoo.
During Easter, Chester Zoo will be hosting a storytelling festival with a range of events and performances. As part of the wider 'Play!' campaign, Ultimate's brief was to attract families to the Zoo over the holiday period and encourage creativity. Our creative designs needed to draw on the Zoo's own extensive collection, highlighting those animals which are going to feature in the events. For example, the 'Giraffe Dance Workshop'.
Ultimate's creative campaign primarily needed to compel a range of audiences to visit the Zoo, attend one of the amazing events and have an experience that they couldn't anywhere else. The goal was to excite the audience, make the adults feel nostalgic and leave everyone wanting to find out more.
For this campaign we revamped the Play! microsite with fresh ideas. Whilst families can't purchase Zoo tickets on the microsite, they can discover more about the storytelling festival. Refreshed with new content, it'll keep kids and adults playing and telling stories after their visit to the Zoo.
There was lot of information to tell people and not a lot of time or space to do so.
We needed to create a distinctive look for this storytelling festival to set it apart from the original summer Play! campaign, whilst still demonstrating a link.
Rather than focusing on one specific story, we thought about storytelling in general. Any story can be brought to life, even one you've imagined yourself.
At the heart of our creative campaign is an amazing showcase of just how creative and imaginative we can all be. With Chester Zoo so keen to encourage the talents of the Zoo community, we wanted to spark everybody's imagination.
We invited a group of children to draw some of their favourite storybook animals so that we could bring then bring these authentic kids' drawings to life as part of a photoshoot. Our creative wanted to capture that special moment when the children then saw their characters blown up larger than life and could interact with them. The animal drawings had bags of character and personality, and lots and lots of legs. It was like seeing directly into a child's imagination!
We felt that by focusing on drawing in our imagery, we could show that this Zoo festival is highly creative, unlike some of their other, more scientific ones. The type of illustration could vary, depending on the audience we wanted to target. For example, we could use more sophisticated drawings and older models for events like the Halle Orchestra.
We loved the idea of a solid one colour background but were careful to ensure that the final images would sit well on the microsite, with no clashing shades on the navigation.
To further support the campaign, we created a charming and playful animation.
There are stories in everything. How will you tell yours?


Vacation Rentals on the Guadalupe River at Lazy L & L Campground, the New Braunfels Premier RV Park.
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Overlooking the rugged coastline of the Pacific Northwest in the heart of Olympic National Park, Kalaloch Lodge is a stylish and luxurious Oceanside retreat which provides an exclusive and tranquil escape. Hidden in the midst of the beautiful wilderness of the park and just a few steps from the shore, Kalaloch Lodge offers comfortable accommodations with modern amenities, a range of outdoor.
This sleepy little island on Florida's gulf coast sits just above the Everglades. escape in their weekend getaways and features grand lodges along with rustic log cabins with views of Table Rock.
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Booking a vacation—or rather, a *staycation*—in your very own. option for both a romantic weekend or a girls' getaway. There are cozy private log cabins, an on-site spa and salon and plenty of.
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Sikari officials are working with the federal government and another company to create an affordable housing development of modular homes for veterans outside. it also has a slew of vacation.
Mar 18, 2019 · "A Bear's Den," Blowing Rock cabin is the perfect accommodation for your family vacation or mountain get-away. The cabin is conveniently located between Blowing Rock and.
Located in Pittsburg, NH, in the heart of northern New Hampshire 's unspoiled wilderness, Tall Timber has offered vacation cabin and room rentals since 1946. Surrounded by the Connecticut Lakes, the headwaters of the Connecticut River, and many remote streams and ponds, Tall Timber is the perfect setting to relax after an exhilarating day outdoors.
Once it reaches downtown, the log is set on fire as a commencement of the annual Christmas Town Festival. Here are more of our favorite small towns that are filled with the Christmas spirit. Florida.
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One of the last photographs taken of Carla Stefaniak in Costa Rica shows the 36-year-old Florida woman wearing a white spa robe. It could be an advertisement for a relaxing tropical vacation -.
In Florida, lawyers who want to sue doctors must first find. But she has grown frustrated with his inability to compartmentalize. Once, the family was on vacation in a cabin, and Plantz was on the.
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–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Silver Airways is once again providing business, leisure and military travelers with time and money-saving flights as the airline today announced yet another intra-Florida route.
Log Cabin Floor Plans Log cabin floor plans tend to be smaller in size and are characterized by a cozy, welcoming feeling. Log cabins have a connection to nature that makes them perfect for vacation retreats, lake houses and second homes.
And in the section of northwest Florida known as a popular spring break and vacation destination for Louisvillians. really full with construction workers and people that lost their homes. Where are.


text:
Q: Bash Shell - Print names of all self-referential files The idea is the write a bash script that prints the names of files in the current directory that contain their own name in their content.
e.g if a file called hello contains the string hello, we print hello, and we do this for all files in the current directory
Here's what I wrote, and I have no idea why it doesn't work.
#!/bin/bash

for file in *
do
  if (cat $file | grep $file) 2> /dev/null
  then
    echo $file
  fi
done

Fixed:
#!/bin/bash

for file in *
do
  if grep $file $file 2> /dev/null
  then
    echo $file
  fi
done

A: Apart from quoting issues, potential regex escaping issues, and the useless use of cat and (...), your code should work in principle.
Try this version - if it doesn't work, something else must be going on:
#!/bin/bash

for file in *
do
  if grep -qF "$file" "$file" 2> /dev/null
  then
    echo "$file"
  fi
done

*

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Differences in Outcomes and Indications between Sapien and CoreValve Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Prostheses
Alia Noorani
Vinayak Bapat
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as a suitable alternative to surgical valve replacement for patients with severe, symptomatic, calcified aortic stenosis and a background of co-morbidities, which can make surgery a high-risk option. It has also evolved as an alternative for degenerative prosthetic heart valve disease. Since the inception of TAVI in 2002, the two main devices in routine clinical use are the Edwards Sapien valve (since 2006) and the Medtronic CoreValve (since 2007). The more recent Sapien XT valve and Sapien 3 have been in clinical use since 2010 and 2013, respectively. In addition to registry data on these devices, there are a number of completed and ongoing randomised controlled trials, including one comparing the two devices. The aim of this article is to discuss the differences in indications and outcomes between these two prostheses.
Transcatheter aortic valve Implantation, percutaneous access, aortic valve replacement,
Disclosure: Vinayak Bapat is a consultant for Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic Inc and St. Jude Medical. Alia Noorani has no conflicts of interest to declare.
Citation:Interventional Cardiology Review 2014;9(2):121–5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15420/icr.2011.9.2.121
Correspondence: Vinayak Bapat, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK. E: vnbapat@yahoo.com
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an established alternative to surgical valve replacement in the management of calcified severe aortic stenosis in those with co-morbidities or adverse features (advanced age, impaired left ventricular function), or in those where open surgery may be associated with unfavourable technical features, such as previous sternotomy with a patent internal mammary graft, porcelain aorta or previous thoracic radiation, rendering the operative field hostile.1–3 A large body of experience and evidence exists predominantly for two commonly used TAVI devices; namely the balloon-expandable Edwards Sapien Valve (ESV) (Edwards Lifesciences Ltd, Irvine, California, US) and the self-expanding Medtronic CoreValve (MCV) (Medtronic Inc, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US). Although the fundamental principle behind the two valves is similar, both involving a stent with three bioprosthetic cusps (leaflets) deployed within a calcified native aortic valve, the specific design features and potential indications are different. In this article we explore in detail the respective design features, related indications for each valve type as well as their known outcomes.
General Indications for Aortic Valve Implantation
Normal aortic valve area is between 3 and 4 cm2 and a transvalvular gradient develops when the valve area decreases by half. Patients with a normal left ventricle are generally asymptomatic unless the valve area is <1 cm2, with an accompanying jet velocity of approximately 4 m/s and a mean gradient >40 mmHg (see Table 1).4 Symptoms may occur at lower gradients and with less obstruction in some patients, such as those with poor left ventricular function (low flow aortic stenosis).
Besides native aortic valve disease, it is important to consider that surgically implanted bioprosthetic valves also undergo structural deterioration resulting in calcification, wear and tear, thrombosis, pannus formation and docarditis.5 This deterioration can manifest as aortic stenosis, regurgitation or mixed disease. Although in a bid to avoid redo surgery, valve-in-valve TAVI is emerging as a treatment option in this group of patients, it is beyond the scope of this article.1
Patient Selection Criteria and Contraindications for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation
The patient selection criteria for TAVI are essentially the same as for surgical valve replacement. The main reason for opting for TAVI is the presence of co-morbidities placing the patient in either the inoperable or the high-risk category, making the option of open surgery less favourable. Current recommended patient selection criteria for TAVI from the European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) include one or more of the following:6
European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) >20.
Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score >10.
Presence of factors not covered in risk scores, such as challenging surgical cases (porcelain aorta, previous thoracic radiation, coronary artery surgery with a patent mammary artery graft) and the presence of severe co-morbidities.
Numerous exclusion criteria are present, although none are absolute. The presence of a bicuspid, unicuspid or non-calcified aortic valve, severe aortic regurgitation (AR) and a native annulus size that is too small or too big relative to available TAVI devices (currently unsuitable annulus sizes include <18 mm or >29 mm for a MCV prosthesis
Table 1: Grading of Aortic Stenosis
and <18 mm or >27 mm for an ESV prosthesis) are some excluding factors.7–9 In addition, expected patient survival of less than one year, a dilated ascending aorta at the sinotubular junction (>45 mm for the MCV prosthesis) and the presence of apical thrombus are also considered to be contraindications.6
Differences in Transcatheter Heart Valve Design
Edwards Sapien and Sapien XT Valve
The Edwards Sapien valve (ESV) (see Figure 1A) has been in use since 2006. It consists of a balloon-expandable stainless steel frame and three bovine pericardium cusps (leaflets) mounted onto a polyethylene terephthalate skirt (PET). Transfemoral delivery is facilitated via the RetroFlex 3 system, and the Ascendra system is used for transapical implantation. The newer generation Sapien XT valve, introduced in 2010 (see Figure 1B) consists of a balloon-expandable cobalt chromium frame with bovine pericardium cusps (leaflets). For transfemoral implantation the valve is crimped onto the NovaFlex delivery catheter and introduced via a sheath into the femoral artery. Transapical and transaortic delivery are also possible using the Ascendra 2 or Ascendra plus systems. Rapid pacing is required during deployment as the valve is balloon expandable. Both valves are available in 23 mm and 26 mm sizes, although more recently, the Sapien XT has been introduced in a 29 mm size, enabling treatment of annular diameters between 18 and 27 mm. The newer generation Sapien 3 valve underwent first-in-human implantation in 2012. In comparison with the Sapien and Sapien XT valve this has a lower crimp profile and an additional outer PET skirt to reduce paravalvular regurgitation. This valve is not discussed further in this article.
Medtronic CoreValve
The Medtronic CoreValve (MCV) consists of a nitinol self-expandable frame and porcine pericardial cusps (leaflets) mounted onto a porcine pericardium skirt (see Figure 1C). Nitinol, an alloy of nickel and titanium, exhibits martensitic transformation, which allows it to undergo a fully reversible solid-state transformation. Accordingly, at higher temperatures (e.g. body temperature) nickel exists as austenite, a strong cubic structure, whereas at lower temperatures (e.g. in an ice bath) it exists as martensite, a monoclinic crystal structure, exhibiting superelasticity, making it 10–30 times more elastic than other metals. This property allows it to be tightly compressed into a delivery sheath for implantation via the transarterial route (aortic or femoral).10 Currently, sizes 26, 29 and 31 mm are available. The next generation CoreValve Evolut valve is now available in 23 mm, and once in routine use, the range of treatable annular diameters will be between 17 and 29 mm. Table 2 details the differences between the ESV and MCV.
Indications for Each Valve Type
There are several factors to consider when contemplating a valve type and method of delivery. These include:
native annulus size;
cardiac anatomy;
peripheral arterial assessment; and
risk of annular rupture.
Native Annulus Size
Accurate assessment of the native annulus should be at the forefront when considering a TAVI procedure. It is a given that an annulus size of <18 mm or >29 mm precludes any form of TAVI at present. Since there is no current imaging gold standards for annular assessment, a combination of several methods may be employed, including transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography in addition to computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).3 Available valve sizes and their appropriate corresponding native annulus sizes are given in Table 3. It is worth mentioning that at present, until smaller sizes of MCV (Evolut 23 mm) and ESV Sapien XT (20 mm) become available for routine clinical use, a size 23 mm ESV is suitable for a native annulus size of 18–20 mm and MCV 31 for 27–29 mm annular diameters.9 Finally a degree of relative oversize (5–10 %) is required with the ESV system to minimise the risk of paravalvular regurgitation.1
Cardiac Anatomy
In addition to annular diameter, a detailed assessment of cardiac anatomy is necessary as this can affect the choice of implant and method of delivery. Specifically, it is important to acknowledge specific structural variations:3
Bicuspid aortic valve – the elliptical shape of the valve orifice in this condition is considered a relative contraindication to TAVI as it may result in higher rates of paravalvular regurgitation when implanting a cylindrical prosthesis. In more experienced hands, however, a slightly higher than normally positioned MCV may provide a good result.11,12
Left ventricular outflow size and shape is another consideration. The presence of a sigmoid-shaped septum or an existing mitral prosthesis may make transapical delivery more suited and hence favour the ESV.
A porcelain aorta and a horizontally placed aortic root may make transfemoral delivery more challenging and risky thereby favouring a transapical or transaortic delivery of an ESV. However, with experience and improved delivery systems, transfemoral placement is becoming more feasible and predictable.
The presence of a mitral valve prosthesis requires special consideration. Too low a placement of the transcatheter heart valve (THV) must be avoided as this can cause interference with mitral valve function.
The height of the coronary artery ostia should be at least 10 mm from the base of the aortic valve to prevent occlusion of the coronaries following THV implantation.
Although there is always some degree of valvular calcification, the presence of a large calcific nodule can cause coronary occlusion on THV implantation.
Peripheral Arterial Assessment
Accurate assessment of the peripheral arterial tree is crucial when considering an ideal method of delivery and the type of implant.3 Current methods of assessment include CT and peripheral angiography. In general, an ilio-femoral diameter <6 mm is considered unsuitable for transfemoral TAVI. The presence of ilio-femoral tortuosities, kinks in the aorta, existing stents, aneurysms or thrombi are also contraindications for transfemoral access, and alternative access via the transapical, transaortic or subclavian route have to be considered.
Risk of Annular Rupture
Aggressive balloon dilatation and oversizing during TAVI using the ESV has been associated with aortic root and annulus rupture.13 In a study of 37 consecutive patients with left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) rupture during ESV deployment, a higher degree of sub-annular LVOT calcification (Agatston score), higher frequency of oversizing (by >20 %) as well as balloon post-dilatation were all associated with a higher risk of annular rupture.14 It is possible that the introduction of the Sapien 3 valve may reduce the risk of annular rupture as relatively less oversizing is required.
Differences in Outcomes
In addition to self-reported registry data, randomised data are available from the Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves (PARTNER) trial, which evaluated the ESV, and the CoreValve US Pivotal trial, which evaluated the MCV. The retrospective Pooled Rotterdam - Milano Collaboration (PRAGMATIC) study compared the two valves and the recent Comparison of Transcatheter Heart Valves in High Risk Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis (CHOICE) study is the only randomised control trial of the two devices. In summary, although device specific complications are evident, there are no differences in clinical outcomes in terms of short- or long-term survival with use of either valve.15 Details of registry data and the relevant trials are presented below.
Edwards Sapien Valve
PARTNER TRIAL
The PARTNER trial consisted of two parallel arms. In cohort A, standard surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) was compared with TAVI in high-risk patients as determined by a STS score of >10 % and/or predicted operative mortality of 15 % or more. In cohort B, TAVI was compared with medical management (including balloon valvuloplasty) in inoperable patients with severe aortic stenosis. Patients enrolled into this cohort were deemed to have an operable risk of >50 %.
The one-year results from the trial demonstrated that in cohort A, TAVI and SAVR were found to be equivalent in terms of overall mortality, with all-cause mortality from TAVI at 24.2 % and 26.8 % from SAVR. Although the rate of stroke following TAVI was higher at 5.1 % compared with 2.4 % following SAVR, this result did not reach statistical significance. Results from cohort B confirmed that TAVI was superior to medical management, with the mortality rate from TAVI at 30.7 % compared with 50.7 % from medical treatment. There was, however, a higher rate of major vascular complications and stroke in the TAVI group compared with the conservatively managed group.
Review of the two-year data showed that the rate of stroke was 11.2 % with TAVI and 6.5 % with SAVR (p=0.05), and mortality in cohort A was 33.9 % from TAVI compared with 35.0 % from SAVR. Additionally, although paravalvular regurgitation was noted to be moderate in 7.0 % and severe in 1.9 % at one-year, this had decreased to 6.9 % and 0.9 %, respectively at two years, (p<0.001 for both intervals). Nonetheless, even mild paravalvular regurgitation was associated with an increased mortality (p<0.001).
Important findings from cohort B showed that mortality from TAVI was 43.3 % in the TAVI group compared with 68.0 % in the medical group, (p<0.05).15–17
SOURCE Registry
The Edwards SAPIEN Aortic Bioprosthesis European Outcome (SOURCE) Registry is the largest series of consecutively ESV implanted TAVI patients with one-year outcomes. A total of 2,344 consecutive patients were enrolled in two cohorts to reflect trends overtime. Cohort 1 consisted of 1,038 patients enrolled at 32 European centres between November 2007 and January 2009. Transfemoral TAVI was undertaken in 463 patients and transapical in 575 patients. The overall one-year survival was 76.1 %; 72.1 % for transapical and 81.1 % for transfemoral access. The transapical group represented a higher-risk population, given that the logistic EuroSCORE for this group was significantly higher than that of the transfemoral TAVI patients.
Cohort 2 of the Registry consisted of a further 1,306 consecutive patients at 37 European centres enrolled between February 2009 and December 2009. Final results from the SOURCE registry indicated excellent results, with two-year survival at 67.7 % overall, similar stroke risks between the two cohorts of 2.5 % in cohort 1 and 2.8 % in cohort 2, which notably were lower than the 30 day stroke risk from transapical TAVI in cohort A of the PARTNER trial at 3.8 %.18,19
ADVANCE Study
The MCV ADVANCE Study is the largest multicentre prospective MCV study comprising of 1,015 patients treated at 44 centres in 12 countries. The stroke rate in this group of patients was lower than the PARTNER A cohort at 4.5 %, and the one-year all-cause mortality rate was better than PARTNER A; 17.9 % compared with 24.2 %. These results were an improvement on previous pre-dated registry data such as FRANCE-2 and the UK registry (see below).20
CoreValve US Pivotal Trial
This prospective, randomised controlled multicentre trial of 795 patients in 45 centres in the US compared the MCV with SAVR in high-risk patients. The primary endpoint was the risk of death from any cause at one-year.
All-cause mortality at one-year was 14.2 % in the MCV group versus 19.1 % in the SAVR group. In addition, lower rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events were noted in the TAVI group. In contrast to PARTNER A, this study did not show a higher rate of stroke post-TAVI when compared with rates post-SAVR.
The incidence of moderate to severe AR post-TAVI at one-year was 6.1 %, although this did not have an adverse effect on survival. In the majority of patients (76.2 %) discharged with moderate to severe AR, this had reduced to mild or none on one-year follow-up. Possible explanations given were the properties of nitinol, a higher placement and more accurate pre-TAVI assessment of the annulus with CT.21
Weighted Meta-analysis of Early and Late Clinical Outcomes after CoreValve Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Seven National Registries
This meta-analysis included 2,156 patients treated with the MCV prosthesis between 2007 and 2010 in seven countries. Reported results included early (30-day) outcomes including procedural success, stroke and pacemaker rates as well as one-year survival rates. Pooled procedural success was 97.8 %, the stroke rate was 2.8 % and the pacemaker implantation rate was 28.7 %. Early survival was 93.4 % and one-year mortality was 17.1 %. Limitations of this meta-analysis by virtue of its design included the variability in patient selection criteria, the non-standardised definitions of adverse events and the under reporting of clinical events.22
CoreValve Versus Sapien Valve
CHOICE Randomised Clinical Trial
The CHOICE study is the only randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing a self-expandable valve (MCV) to a balloon-expandable valve (ESV). In this trial the primary endpoint was device success as measured by: successful vascular access; and deployment and retrieval without the need for a second valve; and less than mild AR post-procedure. Secondary endpoints included the need for a permanent pacemaker system, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality at 30 days.
Results from this trial showed that although cardiovascular mortality, bleeding and vascular complications were similar for both valves, there was a higher risk of pacemaker insertion following MCV implantation, a lower rate of more than mild AR following ESV implantation and better device success with the ESV valve (95.5 % versus 77.5 % p<0.001).23
PRAGMATIC Study
The aim of the PRAGMATIC study was to compare outcomes from transfemoral TAVI between the Medtronic CoreValve and Edwards Sapien/XT valves for patients with severe aortic stenosis. This non-randomised, retrospective study analysed pooled data from four experienced European centres, which underwent propensity score matching in view of differences in baseline characteristics. Of a total of 793 possible patients, 204 in each group were identified. There was no difference in 30-day all-cause mortality (MCV 8.8 % versus ESV 6.4 %, p=0.3520), major vascular complications (MCV 9.3 % versus ESV 12.3 %, p=0.340), or one-year all-cause or cardiovascular mortality between the two valves. There was a higher incidence of permanent pacemakers in the MCV group at 22.5 % versus 5.0 % in the ESV group (p≤0.001), which is likely a result of valve design. In addition, this study found that although there was no difference observed in the incidence of AR of any grade between the two valves types, residual moderate to severe AR was associated with an increased one-year mortality.24
UK Registry
Data from the UK TAVI registry evaluated outcomes according to valve type and method of delivery. In essence, there was no significant difference in mortality between the ESV and MCV groups at any timepoints, and no difference in mortality between the two valves types for transfemoral delivery. There was a higher incidence of permanent pacemaker implantation as well as paravalvular regurgitation with the MCV prosthesis. Transapical delivery of the ESV valve was associated with higher mortality at 30 days as well as one-year when compared with transfemoral delivery of the same valve type. Trans-subclavian delivery of the MCV was associated with higher mortality, although this did not reach statistical significance. Cumulative survival for transapically implanted ESV was found to be associated with a lower survival than with transfemoral delivery. Survival rates for subclavian delivery of the MCV cohort initially tracked that of both valves when delivered via the transfemoral route, but at six months this fell dramatically, meeting the poorer survival rates for transapically delivered ESV.2
FRANCE 2 Registry
This study was a prospective multicentre study of the French national TAVI registry. The primary endpoint was death from any cause. A total of 3,195 patients were included, having undergone TAVI using the ESV and the MCV between January 2010 and October 2011, at 34 centres. Results from this study were comparable with the PARTNER trial in terms of mortality at 30 days (9.7 %) and one-year (24 %). MCV use as associated with a higher rate of permanent pacemaker (PPM) as well as periprosthetic regurgitation. Multivariate analysis indicated that a higher logistic EuroSCORE and transapical approach as well as residual paravalvular regurgitation was associated with an increased mortality.25
Meta-analysis of Impact, Incidence and Predictors of Aortic Regurgitation after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation
This meta-analysis of 45 studies included a total of 12,926 patients. Results indicated that AR was common post-TAVI and was an adverse prognostic indicator of short and long-term survival. AR was also more prevalent in the MCV group at 16.1 % versus 9.1 % in the ESV group (p=0.005).26
TAVI is a suitable alternative to surgical valve replacement in inoperable and a select group of high-risk patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Significant technological and device design advances have occurred since the first TAVI was performed. Two devices in current use are the MCV and the ESV. Although device design features may vary and individual device complications may be present, studies have not shown a difference in mortality between the two valve types. At present, device choice is dictated by physician preference, annular diameter and, in a small percentage of patients, by availability of transapical access route for ESV. It is unclear at present which of the two devices is better with respect to degree of AR, as it may be dictated by local anatomy rather than device choice; although due to its specific design features, the MCV was found in some studies to be associated with a higher rate of AR, which did decline overtime, perhaps explaining the lack of difference in outcome data between the two valves. The MCV was also found to be associated with a higher rate of permanent pacemaker implantation, and along with AR, these factors may well become more important if TAVI is introduced into a lower risk population.
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