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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ Themes & Provenance ▸ Gods, Olympians ▸ Demeter or CeresView Options: | 1 Item3 Items10 Items25 Items50 Items | Sort by price △Sort by price ▽Sort by date | Page 1/2Page 2/2
The known mythology of Demeter and Ceres is identical. Demeter's (Ceres') virgin daughter Persephone (Proserpina) was abducted by Hades (Pluto) to be his wife in the underworld. Demeter searched for her endlessly, lighting her way through the earth with torches. While Demeter searched, preoccupied with her loss and her grief, the seasons halted; living things ceased their growth, then began to die. Some say that in her anger she laid a curse that caused plants to wither and die, and the land to become desolate. Faced with the extinction of all life on earth, Zeus (Jupiter) sent his messenger Hermes (Mercury) to the underworld to bring Persephone back. However, because Persephone had eaten while in the underworld, Hades had a claim on her. It was decreed that she must spend four months each year in the underworld. During these months Demeter grieves for her daughter's absence, withdrawing her gifts from the world, creating winter. Persephone's return brings the spring.
Marcus Ulpius Traianus, a brilliant general and administrator, was adopted and proclaimed emperor by the aging Nerva in 98 A.D. Regarded as one of Rome's greatest emperors, Trajan was responsible for the annexation of Dacia, the invasion of Arabia and an extensive and lavish building program across the empire. Under Trajan, Rome reached its greatest extent. Shortly after the annexation of Mesopotamia and Armenia, Trajan was forced to withdraw from most of the new Arabian provinces. While returning to Rome to direct operations against the new threats, Trajan died at Selinus in Cilicia.RB88224. Orichalcum sestertius, Woytek 240q (same dies), BnF IV 512 (same dies), BMCRE III 771, Banti 117, Strack 398, RIC II 478 var. (bust), Cohen 367 var. (same), VF, well centered, rough, weight 21.340 g, maximum diameter 34.4 mm, die axis 180o, Rome mint, c. 106 - 107 A.D.; obverse IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P, laureate heroic bust left, full chest exposed, drapery on left shoulder; reverse S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Ceres standing half left, head left, holding grain over modius in right hand, long scepter vertical in left hand, S – C (senatus consulto) divided across field; extremely rare with this bust, struck with a superb obverse die!; $880.00 (€774.40)
Titus, 24 June 79 - 13 September 81 A.D.
This type is from a very rare early issue of Titus as Augustus, not yet naming him P P (Pater Patriae - Father of the Country). Titus apparently accepted this title quite soon after the beginning of his ninth tribunician year on 1 July 79 and P P was quickly added to the end of the reverse legend.
RS89741. Silver denarius, RIC II 6 (R2, same reverse die), BnF III 1 (same rev. die), RSC II 270a, BMCRE II -, Hunter I -, SRCV I -, Choice VF, excellent portrait, excellent centering, flow lines, weight 3.399 g, maximum diameter 18.6 mm, die axis 180o, Rome mint, c. 24 Jun - mid July 79 A.D.; obverse IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M, laureate head right; reverse TR P VIIII IMP XIIII COS VII, Ceres seated left, grain stalks and poppy head in extended right hand, flaming torch in left hand; only two sales of this type recorded on Coin Archives in the last two decades; very rare; $450.00 (€396.00)
Caligula, 16 March 37 - 24 January 41 A.D., Magnesia ad Sipylum, Lydia
Britannica 1859, Roman History notes: "[Caligula] encircled his own head with the oriental diadem armed with spikes or rays, the well-known symbol of divinity in the East." Prior to this, the radiate crown had been used to indicate the divinity of Divus Augustus achieved after his death. This is the first time that this crown is shown on a coin of a living Roman.
RP90987. Bronze assarion, RPC I 2455 (same dies, 4 spec.); SNG Cop 257 (same dies); BMC Lydia p. 145, 51; SNGvA -, VF, dark patina, scratches, some porosity, small edge split, weight 5.668 g, maximum diameter 20.9 mm, die axis 0o, Magnesia ad Sipylum (Manisa, Turkey) mint, 25 Jan 41 - 13 Oct 54 A.D.; obverse GAION KAICA-P-A - C-E-BACTON, radiate head of Caligula right; reverse MAΓN,HTΩN AΠO CIΠY,ΛOY (first three letters in exergue, continuing counterclockwise on the right, last three letters upward on left), Germanicus (on left) stands facing in toga capite velato, patera in right hand, behind Agrippina as Demeter, grain in right hand, scepter in left hand, [ΓEP/M / AΓ/PI in four lines in center field (not visible on this coin and not visible on the RPC plate coin)]; very rare; $320.00 (€281.60)
Roman Republic, Lucius Cassius Caeicianus, c. 102 B.C.
The yoke of oxen was used by the Romans as a symbol of colonization. This coin probably refers to a colony established by an ancestor of the moneyer. The control marks on the obverse and reverse are combined in opposite alphabetical order, e.g., A with X, B with V, C with T, down to K with M. -- The Coinage of the Roman Republic by Edward A. SydenhamRR88380. Silver denarius, Crawford 321/1, Sydenham 594, RSC I Cassia 4, SRCV I 199, BMCRR I Rome 1730 var. (C• / T•), RBW Collection 1176 var. (controls), aVF, toned, banker's mark, bumps, scratches, tiny test cut on edge, weight 3.913 g, maximum diameter 17.4 mm, die axis 0o, Rome mint, c. 102 B.C.; obverse draped bust of Ceres left, wreathed in grain, CAEICIAN (AE and AN ligate) upward behind, C (control mark) upper right; reverse two oxen yoked left, plow and T (control mark) above, L•CASSI in exergue; ex Forum (2002); $160.00 (€140.80)
Uncertain City (Panormos?), Sicily, Roman Rule, c. 211 - 190 B.C.
In 254 B.C. Panormus was captured by the Romans. It retained its municipal freedom, and remained for many years one of the principal cities of Sicily. It continued to issue bronze coins, bearing the names of various resident magistrates, and following the Roman system. Under Augustus, Panormus received a Roman colony.GI89312. Bronze triens, Semuncial standard; Calciati I p. 365, 205 (Panormos); SNG München 835 (Panormos); HGC 2 1691 (R1, uncertain Romano-Sicilian); SNG Cop -, aVF, off center but types on flan, a little rough, weight 3.239 g, maximum diameter 17.1 mm, die axis 90o, uncertain Romano-Sicilian mint, c. 211 - 190 B.C.; obverse veiled and draped bust of Demeter-Ceres left, small cornucopia behind neck; reverse double cornucopia, overflowing with bunches of grapes, tied with fillets, four pellets (mark of value) in a vertical line to left; rare; $120.00 (€105.60)
Priapos, Mysia, 3rd - 1st Century B.C.
Unpublished in the references examined and the only example of the type known to Forum.
Priapos (Karabiga, Turkey today) is located on the Mysian coast, on a small east-facing bay at the mouth of the Biga River, about a third of the distance from ancient Parium to Cyzicus. Strabo mentions that the area produced fine wine and that the god Priapus gave the town its ancient name. Thucydides mentions the town as a naval station. In 334 B.C., the town surrendered to Alexander the Great without contest, prior to the Battle of Granicus. Deities worshiped there included Demeter, Apollo, Artemis, and Dionysus. Under the Eastern Roman Empire, the town was known as Pegae and was the site of a Byzantine fortress.GB83634. Bronze AE 13, cf. BMC Mysia p. 177, 14 (AE20, full ethnic 2 lines, bucranium); SNG Tüb 2500 (same); SNG BnF 2410 (similar); SNG Cop -; SNGvA -; Lindgren -, VF, green patina, corrosion, weight 2.400 g, maximum diameter 13.4 mm, die axis 0o, Priapos (Karabiga, Turkey) mint, 3rd - 1st century B.C.; obverse head of Demeter right, veiled and wreathed with grain; reverse ΠPIA within grain wreath; extremely rare; $110.00 (€96.80)
Thebai, Thessaly, Greece, c. 302 - 286 B.C.
The famous sanctuary of Protesilaos was about ten miles from Thebai, at Phylake. An oracle had prophesied that the first Greek to walk on the land after stepping off a ship in the Trojan War would be the first to die. Protesilaos was the first who dared to leap ashore when the fleet touched the Troad. After killing four men, Protesilaos was slain by Hector, as prophesied, the first Greek to die.
In the war between Demetrius Poliorcetes and Cassander, in 302 B.C., Thebai was one of the strongholds of Cassander. Thebai and Pelinnaeum are mentioned in 282 B.C. as the only Thessalian cities that did not take part in the Lamian War.GB87154. Bronze chalkous, BCD Thessaly II 760, Rogers 551, HGC 4 34 (R1), BCD Thessaly I -, aF, dark patina, tight flan, light pitting, weight 2.394 g, maximum diameter 14.5 mm, die axis 0o, Thebai Phthiotides (north of Mikrothivai, Greece) mint, c. 302 - 286 B.C.; obverse head of Demeter right, wearing grain wreath; reverse ΘHBAIΩN, Protesilaos advancing right from the prow of a galley right behind him, wearing military garb, sword in right hand, shield on left arm; rare; $105.00 (€92.40)
Petelia, Bruttium, Italy, c. 216 - 204 B.C., Time of Hannibal
"In 216, when most of South Italy joined Hannibal after Cannae, Petelia remained faithful to Rome and sought the dispatch of a Roman garrison. The Senate, however, felt it self unable to lend aid to so distant and ally; the town was besieged and after eleven months fell to the Carthaginians, who handed it over to the Bretti. After the defeat of Hannibal a substantial contingent of refugees who had escaped to Rome were restored to Petelia in recognition of their loyalty to Rome." -- N.K. Rutter, Historia Numorum ItalyGB88309. Bronze AE 21, BMC Italy p. 372, 8 (also Λ); HN Italy 2454; SNG ANS 602 var. (control); SNG Cop 1908 var. (same); SNG München 1551 - 1552 var. (same), F, uneven strike with weak areas, olive green and red patina, areas of corrosion, weight 7.431 g, maximum diameter 20.8 mm, die axis 90o, Petelia mint, under Hannibal, c. 216 - 204 B.C.; obverse head of Demeter right, wearing veil and wreath of barley; reverse ΠETHΛINΩN (clockwise on left), Zeus in fighting stance left, head right, nude, hurling thunderbolt with right hand, transverse long scepter in left hand, star with five rays around a central pellet left, Λ (control letter) lower right; ex Rudnik Numismatics; scarce; $90.00 (€79.20)
Leontini, Sicily, c. 207 - 200 B.C.
Leontini was founded by colonists from Naxos in 729 B.C. Six miles inland, it is the only Greek settlement in Sicily not located on the coast, Originally held by the Sicels, the site was seized by the Greeks to gain control of the fertile plain to the north.
When the Roman general Marcus Claudius Marcellus stormed the city in 214 B.C., Leontini was subject to Syracuse and the rulers of Syracuse actually resided there. Marcellus had 2000 Roman deserters who were hiding in the city killed, and then moved to lay siege to Syracuse itself.GB65520. Bronze AE 16, Calciati p. 81, 9; SNG ANS 274; BMC Sicily p. 93, 66; SNG Cop 366, VF, weight 4.170 g, maximum diameter 16.1 mm, die axis 180o, Leontini mint, c. 207 - 200 B.C.; obverse veiled head of Demeter left, plow behind; reverse ΛEON, bundle of grain; $75.00 (€66.00)
Pella, Macedonia, c. 187 - 168 B.C.
Pella was founded in 399 B.C. by King Archelaus (413 - 399 B.C.) as his capital. It was the seat of Philip II and of his son, Alexander the Great. In 168 B.C., it was sacked by the Romans, and its treasury transported to Rome. Later the city was destroyed by an earthquake. By 180 A.D., Lucian could describe it in passing as "now insignificant, with very few inhabitants."GB79966. Bronze AE 19, SNG ANS 572; SNG Cop 257 var. (no monogram upper right); BMC Macedonia p. 92, 29 var. (same), aVF, attractive patina, well centered on a tight flan, scratches, weight 7.510 g, maximum diameter 19.3 mm, die axis 0o, Pella mint, c. 187 - 168 B.C.; obverse veiled facing head of Demeter; reverse cow grazing right; ΠEΛ/ΛHΣ in two lines, starting above, ending below; monogram upper right, monogram below; ear of barley right on right in exergue; $75.00 (€66.00)
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Michael Scott on a thoughtful analysis of a pivotal classical battle
Reviewed by: Michael C Scott
Author: Peter Krentz
Price (RRP): £12
John Stuart Mill once famously argued that "the battle of Marathon, even as an event in English history, is more important than the battle of Hastings". During the recent 2,500th anniversary of Marathon, it was inevitable that the question of its importance again came under the microscope.
But perhaps an even more important question that has echoed through the years is this: exactly what happened at the battle?
Peter Krentz in this book sets out to examine what happened and why it is important. He is not the first to do so, nor will he, I am sure, be the last, but it must stand as one of the more comprehensive and accessible accounts.
He begins with a look at the place of Marathon in western culture, before starting his story
20 years before the battle. He charts both the political manoeuvres of Athens in the infancy of its democracy as well as our increasingly in-depth understanding of Persian tactics and army units.
The narrative moves on to the Persian arrival at Marathon, the layout of the plain, the battle itself, its aftermath and a final note on 'what if'.
Krentz's major argument is that the Athenians were carrying a maximum of 40–50 pounds of kit, lower than most previous estimations. If so, the Athenians' infamous run 0.9 miles across the plain to attack before Persian cavalry could engage was not only possible, but strategically brilliant.
This book is engaging and thoughtful, backed up by scholarly appendices, endnotes and further reading. It is a worthy testament to the battle that the Athenians thought their greatest.
Michael C Scott is the author of From Democrats to Kings (Icon, 2009) and Delphi and Olympia (Cambridge University Press, 2010)
Michael Scott's blog The Greek legend behind the Marathon
Book reviews: Classical
More on: Military history
Bloodied Banners: Martial Display on the Medieval Battlefield
A History of the World in 100 Objects
Philip II of Macedonia
The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon: An Elusive World Wonder Traced

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Excellent | Katz Law Group, P.C.
After reading numerous bios and basically scaring myself even more trying to navigate through this, as I was relatively new to this state, laid off and things starting to implode, I found David S Katz. He was very calming, straight forward and kept in communication all the way through and making sure I was comfortable and understood what was and will happen during the entire process.


Back aboard the Aurora Australis, Sunday, I can start to assimilate and look back on my experience.
Friday was again too gusty to fly or go outside much, but Saturday was fine and clear, and helicopter operations got into full swing. Highlight of the day was a very adventurous photo shoot – an opportunity we didn't want to miss with my blue harp on the ice. Concerts over, I thought it worth the risk: a once in a lifetime opportunity. Temperature was around -7C, and by the time we got going the wind was 30knots, which equals a Windchill factor of about -20C! I put my thermals on under the evening gown, a scarf, woollen gloves and snow boots with boot chains while Tom and Martin researched a suitable ice shelf on the edge of the bay. Then Chris gingerly manoeuvred the ute with harp on down over the rocks. Everything went pretty quickly because I wasn't sure how the harp would handle it, and my ears started freezing off, but I am looking forward to seeing the shots. Later in the day the winds eased back again considerably, and I would probably have really been able to play out there – but in Antarctica you have to take the windows of opportunity offered and not count on anything as it's never exactly what you expect. They call it the "A factor". I hardly dared check on the harp once we got it back – I let it acclimatise in the cold room first and got myself a cup of tea – but when I checked the tuning it was bang on pitch – not a bit sharp and seemingly unconcerned!
In the afternoon the ceremony for the interment of the ashes of Phil and Nell Law was held – unfortunately inside because of the gusty weather, but it was a nice ceremony in the same location as I had presented my concert, with the view of the bay behind. I played Sitsky's Fantasia 'Antarctica' and 'Dark Eyes' which was Law's favourite piece to play on the accordion.
Later I was treated to a trip up towards the plateau behind the station in a Haaglunds (Haags for short) a mixture between a tractor and a snowmobile. The sun melting the top layer of snow and the cold wind meant that the vehicle soon started to slip and slide, and eventually we got out before the summit for a walk. The surface was very beautiful, with glimpses of clear blue frozen water beneath the white surface. Tricky to walk on even with boot chains (these are like car snow chains and fit snuggly over the bottom of your snug Canadian snow boots), in some parts the surface was sheer ice with only little ridges to keep one from slipping down the large sweep to the bay below, or so it seemed. A sensational view over the icy bays and rocky outcrops in the only sunny day of the stay, the icy bay reflected blue as though it were melting.
This entry was posted on Sunday, March 6th, 2011 at 2:38 pm	and posted in Uncategorized.	You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Hi Meriel – I took it outside on the ute and in the helicopter in the heavy duty one piece travel cover, so I think that protected it from the wind really well. I was afraid the colour might crack but it all still seems quite fine.
Jakez was very impressed with your Camac glamour shot – we saw him in Tassie at Harp Island this weekend and played some of his pieces in the ensemble. Love from Philly.
Hi Philly – hope you had a good time there. It was beautiful to have all that blue and white for those photos, and you can see I was having lots of fun I think – something I often forget about every day with the harp!
Poor instrument. Even for Camacs, which are not from massive wood, but mostly veneers, such temperature/conditions change even for 10 minutes is pretty rough.
Hi – luckily the instrument was tougher than I had even counted on, and seems to have come out unscathed apart from an electronic cord which I seem to have pulled. I checked with Camac Harps beforehand and understood that the main issue would be sudden change, so I was very careful about cooling down and warming up stages. Time in minus temperature was quite minimal. The tough travel cover also insulated it a lot because the cold was mainly from the wind. Then again, you have introduced an interesting question about instruments – to a certain extent I see an instrument as just that – a means to a creative end, rather than an object in itself. This attitude might raise a few interesting dissussions amongst harp circles….?


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Doing frequent, small prize giveaways is an excellent way to show patient appreciation and keep people coming back to your page! Even the chance to win a $10 gift card is enough for fans to Like, comment, and share with friends — which helps new patients find you.
Few things draw everyone's attention like a chance to win a prize! And when you're looking to grow your dental practice's social media presence and increase visibility with potential patients, a giveaway can be a great icebreaker.
But before you go and buy a bunch of prizes to give out, take a moment to consider each part of the process and think strategically. Plan your giveaway around your patients' needs and interests, as well as your business growth objectives. Follow these guidelines, and you can run a quick, cost-effective promotion that will win you goodwill, patient loyalty and better reach among the people most likely to become new patients.
1. Stick with small prizes that allow you to do giveaways more frequently. In hundreds of cases, we've found that our clients get much the same engagement results with a $10 prize as with a $50 one. To patients, it's not so much about the value of the prize as about the chance to connect with you and win something for free. When you run frequent (even weekly) giveaways, you show patients and fans that you're worth staying in touch with, and that you love to go the extra mile for them.
Even your choice of prize can demonstrate your connection to your patients and community. Is there a unique restaurant or bakery that people in your city love? Give away a $10 gift card and let someone enjoy a lunch on you. Are your patients excited for a new movie coming out? Give away a couple of tickets!
2. Be clear about what the prize is, how to enter, and how long the giveaway will last. Make sure all relevant promotion details are stated in every social media post or piece of printed material about it. A giveaway that lasts about a week gives it a sense of urgency that encourages patients to enter the moment they see the announcement.
3. Make it easy to enter, and encourage sharing. Even if a prize is extremely valuable, many people will skip the chance to win the moment they have to fill out a long form or give a lot of personal information. Common requirements to enter a social media giveaway are to Like the page, Like the post, and leave a comment.
Another great way to do it is to tie the giveaway in with a practice campaign. For example, have patients accept a 30-day flossing challenge by posting a photo on their own account and tagging your practice. This way, their friends and family will see their post and your practice will be introduced to them.
Encourage fans to also tag their friends who would also like to enter in the comments.
4. Abide by the social media platform's rules. Facebook has rules about what you can and cannot do to promote a giveaway. Specifically, that you cannot make sharing a post or tagging friends a mandatory part of entering to win.
5. Don't forget to tell everyone who visits your practice about your giveaway. Successful social media efforts start in your practice, with face-to-face conversations. Ask everyone who walks in "Have you seen our giveaway on social media? You can enter right from your phone!" Display the prize on a table somewhere everyone can see it, with a poster above it telling visitors how they can enter to win.
This means that your whole team will have to be involved, so devote some meeting time to explaining the promotion and getting everyone on board.
6. Crosspost on all your social media accounts and boost it on Facebook. If you're running the promotion on Facebook (which we recommend), put your giveaway-related posts on any other accounts you have as well: Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.
Giveaway posts are also perfect for boosting on Facebook, which will help you reach more of the people most likely to enter, share with friends, or become new patients themselves.
Let's say you give away a $10 prize every week, and boost the post on Facebook for $5 each time. For just $60 a month, you can make strategic promotions a regular part of your social media mix! It's a great digital marketing value: engaging content, top-of-mind awareness, Likes, shares, and a reputation for having a great practice culture.
Even if you're starting with just a few fans on your pages, make small, frequent giveaways a regular part of your digital marketing. It's a tried-and-true tactic that helps new patients find you. Try one this week!


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I don't have a giveaway put together yet.
I'm disappointed that I haven't made it there yet. My readers are so important to me. I read all your comments. More than read. I devour your comments. I wait for your comments. I even sometimes track down your blogs and read and read. I love that people find value in my ramblings and my projects.
I've had quite the week.
I lost two days last week to the new medication. More on that later in this post. Then they called and asked us to speak on church on Sunday. In the LDS faith, we have a lay clergy, so we take turns speaking. We spoke before we left our last ward, and they really like to get you going and coming, so they asked us again when we moved into our new ward. I actually enjoy speaking, but I generally like to have more than three days notice. David and I decided to sing too, which is added pressure. So, I had a talk to write, and then give. Went pretty well. David spoke first, which made me cry. Then we sang, and then I cried though a lot of mine, but managed to make it through ok.
Sigh. My give away never made it to the top of my to do list. I'm going to get there. I am.
In other news, I'm feeling so so so good on this medication. I did get a migraine yesterday. Not surprising with all the stress lately, but it was my first in a week, which is a lot less often then I have been getting them.
I feel great. I feel like my old self. I feel like I did when I was a teenager, which I think must be normal for me. It's really hard to tell, because I've been not normal for so long. I'm suddenly very silly.
Like yesterday, I was getting ready for Eclipse. I had half my hair clipped up on my head while I'm straightening it, and I was wandering about the house, doing something else, and Maxton tells me my hair looks silly. My eyebrows go up.
"Oh really? You don't like it? This is my new hairstyle? I love it. It's very funky and cool. It looks like a dead animal."
At this point, I start petting my hair.
"I named him Seymour. He's my pet. I like him. Would you like to pet him?" I bend over. "Yep, and later, I'm going to put tuna in him, so he smells really gross, and them I'm going to rub Seymour on your bellies, so you stink too. Don't you think that's the best idea ever?"
Yeah, my Xander and Maxton are giggling hysterically at this point, because they are boys, and they are seven and six years old. And it doesn't stop. I randomly come up with this stuff all the time. I'm not sure if that's normal me, of if I'm so damn happy I'm not feeling depressed all the time now.
And the other day, I'm walking downstairs to watch a movie with David, and I see this beautiful tree lit up by the setting sun, and it's beautiful. Time just stops for a second, and I get so full inside. I feel lifted up, divine for a moment. I used to feel that way about nature all the time. It's been years since I felt that way. In Emily of New Moon, the title character has a similar experience and she calls it the flash (sort of funny considering later comic book characters, but go with me here). I knew exactly what LM Montgomery meant when she wrote about Emily's flash. It's like communing with God through nature, but more that you're a part of the earth, connected to it, one with the beauty of it and its energy. I can't describe it better than that.
This picture isn't that great, owing to the fact that I took it out the window this morning, whist wearing my underwear, and so it's really cropped and the wrong light, but I thought you might want to see it anyway. Least you can't see me in my skivvies. David, I can hear what you're thinking.
I told David about it and pointed out the tree. It's a bit more yellow than normal. David sprayed trees for a summer at one point in our marriage, so he knows a bit about tree health. My tree is iron deficient. Perhaps that's why I relate to it, having been iron deficient myself at several points in my life.
Anyway, I was thinking about this normal thing and how weird it all is as I came home from the gym on Monday, and I had an idea for a poem. I have composition books full of (bad) poetry from when I was a teenager, and yet only a handful of (bad) poems from my adult life. Another example of how not normal I've been.
I can't believe it's taken me so long to get something that works for me. I hope I can continue to find things that work. I feel like a miracle.
Anyway, here's the poem I wrote. And yes, our second car is acting up, and we've quit driving it for now until we can figure out what is really going on with it. Hopefully the adage that things break in threes is right, because after the AC, the dishwasher and the car, I can't take anymore. At least my brain is better for now.
hiding the way my bladder presses as full as the orange I won't ever eat?
Is it normal to inwardly roll your eyes at every demand of your six year old? to never feel hope?
Or to lie a little in each poem?
My baseline is all out of wack.
(with clear definitions of normal bathroom and sexual practices).
let alone my normal compared to everyone else's normal.


The Lingering – SJI Holliday – What Do I Read Now?
Set in an disused former psychiatric hospital, The Rosalind House community Project is now home to several residents who crave the peace and tranquility of a self-sufficient commune. Growing thier own crops and learning new ways to live without other human contact. Established by Smeaton Dunsmore to "Bring in the Light' their 'Family' is joined by Jack and Ali – who need to get away, for a Fresh start. The use of mobile phones, the internet, drugs, alcohol, TV, radio, and contact with friends and family is 'not advised'. 'Respect the House and live in peace. Bring in the Dark and live with the consequences' are Smeatons guidelines to life at Rosalind House.
From the outset, Jack and Ali bring with them an energy that upsets the calm and peace of the House, and the nearby village. As the story develops and it does so quickly, weaving in the local History of the grounds and then the stories from the Hospital. Jack, who initially is reluctant quickly seems to fit in whereas Ali is more guarded and tries to avoid becoming friends, especially with Fairy Angela, whose stories of ghosts firstly upset and then annoy Ali.
A fast-paced modern-day spookfest is hidden behind witches, ghosts, and paranoia. I was totally submerged within the first 10 pages and loved every bit of this book. The characters are believable and surprisingly likable, each chapter seen from a characters perspective – Ali, Jack, Smeaton, Ford, Angela, and Dr Henry Baldock's Journal entries from 1955, when he went undercover to report on the mistreatment, reportedly taking place at the Hospital, his findings feature and take the story through from the 1500's to the current day where life has blurred with cold case crimes. We've all heard spooky stories, but this one will stay with you.
Even disbelievers of all things ghoulish will be drawn in and like me be left with goosebumps. All hail Susi Holliday – She's done it again. 5 spooky stars from me.


Great tasting mints to moisturize the mouth.
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Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt – the Defining Abortion Case of the 21st Century
Claremont Journal of Law and Public Policy / January 27, 2017
By Desiree Santos (SCR '19)
Abortion is perhaps the most divisive issue within the United States. Its deep roots in personal ideology and religious morality make it a fighting cause for many. The 2016 Supreme Court case Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, the most significant US abortion case in over twenty years, pushed the issue of abortion even further to the forefront of the nation's political battleground. In this case, the petitioner, Whole Woman's Health (a coalition consisting of Planned Parenthood and other Texas abortion providers) sued the respondent, John Hellerstedt, the Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services. The constitutional issue involves the passage of Texas State Legislature's House Bill 2 (commonly known as "HB2"), which would require that all abortion facilities have an on-staff doctor who retains admitting privileges at a local hospital and that all abortion facilities abide by the same regulations as Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs). While this bill was championed by some as a giant leap forward in improving health and safety for Texas women, some alternately dubbed it as a conniving tactic to reduce abortion access, striking a blow to both women's health and reproductive freedom. The fundamental issue in this constitutional argument was whether or not HB2's restrictions amassed to create an "undue burden" to women seeking to uphold their right to terminate a pregnancy.
In its 5-3 decision, the Supreme Court found in June 2016 that seemingly arbitrary abortion restrictions that have no clear, positive impact on women's health are unconstitutional.[1] This decision was widely celebrated by pro-choice advocates, touting Whole Woman's Health as the Roe v. Wade (1973) of this generation. However, such a comparison is not necessarily all positive. Though Roe certainly was the landmark case in establishing a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy, it has still allowed for countless legislative restrictions that have effectively minimized that right. Roe is important, but the struggle for the right it supposedly established still continues forty-three years past its ruling. Whole Woman's Health is similar. Though it expands women's freedom to receive abortions without excessive State interference, the battle for female bodily autonomy is likely not over, as lawmakers still have room to pass laws severely restricting females' right to seek an abortion.
The bill in question, Texas State Legislature's House Bill 2, was not proposed at random – rather, it was drafted in response to the Kermit Gosnell catastrophe which horrified the nation in 2011. In this scandal, the FBI discovered that Gosnell, a Pennsylvania doctor not qualified to perform abortions, had been illegally running a clinic for over thirty years.[2] This clinic was in noncompliance with any and all abortion regulations in Pennsylvania at the time; Gosnell used corroded suction tubes to perform abortions, covered sedated patients in blood-stained blankets, allowed cats to freely roam and defecate throughout the clinic, and used scissors to sever the spinal cords of newborns. He displayed a complete disregard for the safety of the women in his clinic – he hired unqualified staff, re-used unsanitary equipment leading to patients contracting STDs, performed abortions on women nearly seven months pregnant, and allowed one patient to die under his care because he refused to send her to a hospital. Many believe that the reason why Gosnell was able to perform such atrocities for over three decades is because Pennsylvania lacked strict abortion facility protocols. The state legislators of Texas attempted to use their power to prevent such an incident from ever happening again, which prompted them to draft HB2 "in the wake of the Kermit Gosnell scandal … to provide abortion patients with the 'highest standard of health care.'"[3] They listened to the advice of the Gosnell Grand Jury Report and the National Abortion Federation's guidelines, which advised that "Abortion clinics … should be explicitly regulated as ambulatory surgical facilities" and "abortion patients should make sure that their doctor 'in the case of emergency' can 'admit patients to a nearby hospital no more than 20 miles away.'"[4] Such abortion facility restrictions, if put into place, would be some of the most prohibitive in the entire country.
By these standards, the Texas Legislature was lenient in drafting the regulations. For the restriction on admitting privileges, rather than requiring that doctors have such privileges at a hospital no more than 20 miles away (as the National Abortion Federation suggested), the bill read that "Abortion practitioners must 'have active admitting privileges at a hospital that is … located not further than 30 miles from the location at which the abortion is performed.'"[5] Likewise, when requiring that abortion facilities conform to ambulatory surgical center standards, the bill required that the facilities only meet the lowest tier of regulations for ASCs. This includes:
(1) operating requirements, which cover topics such as staffing, nursing, training, patient safety, and sterilization procedures, (2) fire prevention and general safety requirements, such as having a fire-extinguishing system and evacuation plan and properly inflammable materials), and (3) physical-plant requirements regulating, for example, room size, floor coverings, and soap dispensers.[6]
HB2 also allowed for a grace period, allowing for abortion facilities to have extra time after the bill's passage in order to conform to the requirements. Clinics had 100 days to adhere to the admitting privileges requirement and thirteen months to perform any necessary renovations to be in compliance with the ASC requirement. Although the bill was completely passed by the Texas State Legislature, the ASC grace period allowed for the bill to be argued in court before that restriction fully came into effect. Therefore, HB2 was only partially implemented before it was struck down by the Supreme Court.
Whole Woman's Health argued that the ASC and admitting privilege requirements would have placed an undue burden on Texas women because these requirements were expected to lead to widespread closures of abortion facilities, which would have severely restricted abortion access throughout the state. The petitioner referenced a map provided to the Supreme Court to show that prior to HB2, forty-one clinics and ASCs in the state of Texas were licensed to perform abortions. If all the regulations in HB2 were enacted, all the clinics would have been shut down, leaving nine ASCs as the only abortion providers in Texas. Their brief stated that "the resulting shortage of such facilities means that women will have long waits to get an appointment with an abortion provider, [and] … many women will have to travel far from home to reach an abortion facility."[7] Requiring women to travel over 100 miles to reach an abortion facility is not merely a temporal burden – it is also costly and adds even more stress to an already invasive procedure. The petitioner claimed that the woman may be pressed to find a car, have enough money for gas, be able to take time off work, or find someone willing to babysit any children she may already have. These various burdens caused by widespread closures would have likely led many women to either wait longer to have their abortion (which increases the risks) or seek out illegal methods of abortion. The petitioners believed that these negative effects outweigh any benefits posed by the increased abortion regulations, thus creating burdens "so grossly disproportionate to any possible health benefit that they are plainly 'undue.'"[8]
The petitioner stated that the true intention of HB2 was to close down Texas' abortion clinics, as it had already done through the implementation of the admitting privileges requirement. They cited that "after the admitting privileges requirement took effect on October 31, 2013, many abortion facilities throughout Texas were forced to close."[9] Additionally, if the entirety of HB2 was adopted as is, it would have shut down every single abortion clinic in Texas. The evidence that the petitioner offered that HB2 was the sole factor to blame for clinic closures is the correlation between the date of passage of the bill and the period of time when the majority of the clinics closed. Numerous clinics closed in anticipation of the admitting privileges requirement, and numerous more closed on the exact day that this requirement came into effect. Given that the respondent, the Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, offered no other reasonable explanation for why these closures occurred en masse, the petitioner's claim appeared valid. The petitioner used the effect of HB2's partial implementation to suggest its true purpose: to eradicate Texas' abortion clinics, making it exceedingly difficult for women to receive abortions, thus reducing the rate of these procedures performed. The 1993 case Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. v. City of Hialeah (1993) established that "the effect of a law in its real operation is strong evidence of its object."[10] Within the scope of Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, the most prominent effect of HB2 was that abortion clinics closed down. This, along with the negative impact on women's health that results from decreased access to abortion clinics, solidified the petitioner's claim that HB2 was drafted with an impermissible purpose that creates an undue burden for women seeking abortions.
The respondent took a completely different approach from the petitioner, using hyper-technical legal interpretations of precedent-setting cases and demanding that the petitioner provide credible, linked facts to adequately prove their claims of an undue burden posed by HB2. From the outset, the respondent attempted to dispel the petitioner's allegations that HB2 was written and passed with an ulterior motive. The very first line of their brief to the Supreme Court reads: "Like other States, Texas responded to the Kermit Gosnell scandal by enacting laws to improve the standard of care for abortion patients."[11] To structure their argument, the respondent posed three questions slightly altered from the petitioner's brief. The first challenged whether or not the Court should overturn the cases Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) and Gonzales v. Carhart (2007) by allowing courts to "override legislative determinations about disputed medical evidence, rather than adhering to the doctrine that abortion regulation is valid if it has a rational basis and does not impose a substantial obstacle to abortion access."[12] The second question asked if HB2 is unconstitutional in its totality or as-applied to a single El Paso abortion clinic. The final question the respondent presented is whether or not Whole Woman's Health should be blocked from arguing this case due to the fact that selective components of HB2 had already been found constitutional by a lower court in the past.
The respondent asserted that the petitioner's brief floundered in attempting to prove that HB2 was written with unconstitutional purpose, as the clearly stated effect and purpose of the bill was always the promotion of women's health, a valid government interest. The petitioner's first argument of HB2's unconstitutional purpose was that "no purpose other than creating a substantial obstacle could exist because the challenged provisions 'utterly fail' to advance any beneficial end."[13] The respondent urged the Court to believe that this was utterly untrue, as "the petitioner ignores evidence admitted at trial that admitting privileges and ASC requirements would increase patient health and safety and promote physician professionalism."[14] Specific to the admitting privileges requirement, the respondent cited valid reasons as to how it will promote women's health, highlighting that "without admitting privileges, other physicians are left to take care of an abortion provider's most serious complications."[15] In regards to the ASC standards, the respondent recalled that the petitioner never questioned the constitutionality of the preexisting Texas requirement that abortions performed after fifteen weeks must be done in an ASC-compliant facility. The respondent even found that prior case law was on their side, as established in their reference to Stimopoulos v. Virginia (1983), which held that – even under the strict scrutiny framework from Roe – "[The] ASC requirement was a valid means of 'furthering the State's compelling interest in 'protecting the woman's own health and safety.''"[16] The petitioner's second attempt to prove unconstitutional purpose was rooted in the belief that HB2's undisputed and predictable effect is to close abortion clinics. The respondent claimed that this is a false assumption and that if the State's aim was to close down clinics, then they wouldn't have provided a 13-month grace period for the operating clinics to conform to ASC standards before the requirement was to come into effect. Hellerstedt argued that it was also illogical and improper for the petitioner to presume that effect equates to intent, as Mazurek v. Armstrong (1997) established that "In all events, this court 'does not assume unconstitutional legislative intent even when states produce harmful results … an awareness of the consequences is not sufficient to demonstrate unconstitutional purpose."[17] The final prong of the petitioner's attack of unconstitutional purpose was the fact that Texas was attempting to regulate abortion differently from other medical procedures. The claim that trying to specifically regulate abortion is unconstitutional is pure conjecture, as "the constitution does not require a state to reform all of its medical regulations or none at all."[18] The respondent urged that singling out abortion for legislation without any unique aspects is indeed permissible, as abortion was a topic of particular public attention after the Gosnell investigation. In essence, the respondent heavily cited precedent and the presumptuous claims of the petitioner in order to argue that there is no evidence nor legal basis proving that HB2 had an unconstitutional purpose.
However, despite the respondent's arguments, the Supreme Court struck down Texas State Legislature's HB2. In Justice Breyer's majority opinion, he notes the Court being unmoved by HB2's motive to protect women's health, as the ASC and admitting privilege requirements only tangentially related to the abortion procedure.[19] The opinion cites that the possibility of having a mere seven or eight abortion facilities to serve the entire state of Texas under HB2's full enactment would pose an undue burden in and of itself. Since abortions are already considered one of the safest medical procedures, additional facility requirements that would ultimately restrict access are unacceptable.
Though in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt the Supreme Court reveals that it will not buy the bluff of women's health activists wanting to restrict access to abortion, it upholds the "undue burden" standard, which remains ambiguous. The totality of circumstances that would equate to an "undue burden" certainly varies from person to person, especially from different ends of the political spectrum. The Court's ruling certainly provides decisive clarity to the specific constitutional issues of Texas' HB2, but it still allows leeway for lawmakers and voters to pass legislation reducing the constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy. Despite the Court's ruling, abortion laws are still permitted to create burdens on a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy, as long as these burdens are justified and not excessive; this upholds a vague legal standard open to individuals' widely varying interpretations. As with Roe v. Wade, the symbolic legal significance of the Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt decision is huge, but the future of women's constitutional freedom remains uncertain.
[1] "Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt." SCOTUSblog. Supreme Court of the United States. 27 June 2016. Web. 06 May 2016.
[2] Kliff, Sarah. "The Gosnell Case: Here's What You Need to Know." Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 06 May 2016.
[3] Whole Woman's Health, et al. Brief for the Petitioners. 579 U.S. Supreme Court. 2015. 1-2. Print.
[4] See 3.
[5] Whole Woman's Health, et al. Brief for the Petitioners. 579 U.S. Supreme Court. 2015. 3. Print.
[7] Whole Woman's Health, et al. Brief for the Petitioners. 579 U.S. Supreme Court. 2015. 32. Print.
[10] Whole Woman's Health, et al. Brief for the Petitioners. 579 U.S. Supreme Court. 2015. 40-41. Print.
[11] John Hellerstedt, M.D., Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, et al. Brief for the Respondents. 579 U.S. Supreme Court. 2015. i. Print.
[12] See 11.
[13] John Hellerstedt, M.D., Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, et al. Brief for the Respondents. 579 U.S. Supreme Court. 2015. 40. Print.
[18]John Hellerstedt, M.D., Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, et al. Brief for the Respondents. 579 U.S. Supreme Court. 2015. 53. Print.
[19] Whole Woman's Health et al. v. Hellerstedt, Commissionner, Texas Department of State Health Services, et al. 579 U.S. Supreme Court. 2016. Print.
January 27, 2017 in Desiree Santos, Supreme Court.
Sriracha's Public Nuisance: Interview with Professor Ernesto Hernández-López
Ralph Nader's "Spoiler" Legacy
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State of Emergency: We'll resist FG's plot to impose APC on Anambra – Ohanaeze
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has come hard on the Federal Government over its threat to impose a state of emergency on Anambra State.
It was gathered that the President Muhammadu Buhari government had through the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami hinted that the insecurity in the State could lead to a state of emergency ahead of the next month governorship election.
Malami's statement has been receiving knocks from several political parties, as well as other organizations.
This time, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said it was shocked that the FG could even think of such a plan in the first place.
In a statement by its Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, he described it as a ploy to impose an All Progressives Congress, APC, governor on Anambra State.
He said he had expected that President Muhammadu Buhari should have declared a state of emergency in Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Zamfara, or Yobe states before threatening to declare a state of emergency in Anambra.
"We are astounded that the APC-led Federal Government is writing the scripts for the hijack of the electoral process in Anambra Governorship elections.
"The threats to announce a State of Emergency in Anambra and replace Governor Willie Obiano with sole Administrator from the North is the gimmicks of Governor Hope Uzodinma-led National Electoral Committee on Anambra Guber elections to install an APC Governor by November 6th, 2021 Governorship election in Anambra," the Ohanaeze scribe said.
He added that "Ndigbo earlier foresaw these moves to use the instrumentality of the Federal Government to install an APC Governor in Anambra.
"Our suspicion has been reinforced with the recent Presidential threats to declare a state of emergency in Anambra.
"It is a reaffirmation that the insecurity challenges in the South-East were sponsored and man-made.
"Even the operation Golden Dawn of the Army was a deliberate action; the threats from the Presidency are all politics, so Anambra people should resist this devilish plot of importing a sole administrator from the North to impose an APC Governor in Anambra.
"This is a wake-up call and a bitter lesson for the South-East Governors to rise and voice out the truth to President Muhammadu Buhari on his deficiencies and flaws in governance. A decorated slave fetching firewood for the roasting of another slave should be aware that his own life is not safe.
"If Governor Willie Obiano is removed under the guise of a State of emergency and replaced with a Northern Sole administrator, it will definitely spread to other states."
He said it was strange that while the Federal Government was helping APC Governors in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Borno and Yobe States to fight insurgents and terrorists, it was threatening a state of emergency in Anambra.
He alleged that "there is pressure on Governor Obiano to either decamp to APC or be replaced by an APC Northern Sole Administrator under the guise of state of emergency but Ndigbo will resist this onslaught against Anambra people."


text:
package inout.parentbean;

public class Child extends Base {
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Math wizard - Casual Flash Online Role-Playing Game, Adventure and Strategy for You !
It is a flash application for children of age between 5 to 10.This is a mathematics application which helps children to learn math easily.
You have four options on its home page.click on any option then you will have the math questions .you have to just calculate answer and enter that in the answer box.then click on the check tab which will lead you to the report page, where you will find your result.
Blast the Oddballs and defeat the boss?


text:
<?php
if (!defined('TYPO3_MODE')) {
	die('Access denied.');
}

\TYPO3\CMS\Core\Utility\ExtensionManagementUtility::addStaticFile($_EXTKEY, 'Configuration/TypoScript', 'Cretection: Viewhelper');


Training up our children in the way of the Lord is a spiritual duty of every parents. This is part of the Christian Culture that we must obey. And the Bible is certain about it, we, parents, will not just teach our children, but rather train them up according to the verse. Meaning, as a parent, or as a trainer, we should be the first one who know, understand and walk in the way of the Lord. We will not just say or teach our children to do this or that, or those good things, they should see us doing all those things, we should always be on their side as their trainer. Just like Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, whether it's just a practice or the actual fight, he is always with Manny. Also like Ateneo's head coach, Tai Bundit, of Ateneo Lady Eagles, whether it's just against other university or a game between their best rival in court, DLSU's Lady Spikers, coach Tai is always present on their game.
AND MOST ESPECIALLY, just like our Father in heaven who is always on our side in every steps of our lives.
That is why, aside from giving the best education to our children, giving them food and shelter, and all other material needs, providing and training them with the BEST SPIRITUAL EDUCATION is the CORE VALUE why we became parents.
We should always be with our children too in every steps of their lives. I believed we are all matured parents and readers here to understand this context, we exactly know the fine line between being present at our children's side as well as giving them independence to form their own life and identity as an individual.
The very essence of all these is because our Father in heaven is; seeking a Godly offspring, Godly children, Godly seed, or in Filipino, supling na tunay na mga anak ng Dios, (…Kaniyang hinanap ang ) "Lahing maka Dios", according to Malachi 2:15. And we, parents, are the instruments of God for building His kingdom here on earth. And this is the culture that we must follow, indeed, this is heaven's culture itself; to obey, glorify and worship God all days of our lives. Forever.


text:
Back to Winners
Congratulations Tuong Van Mai!
Early Christmas present of $1 million
Tuong Van Mai only recently started purchasing LOTTO 6/49 tickets and it has already paid off to the tune of $1 million. Van Mai won the Guaranteed $1 million prize in the December 16, 2015 Lotto 6/49 draw.
"When I checked my ticket before work I couldn't believe I won $1 million because I never thought I would win that big," admitted Van Mai. "I was shocked and overwhelmed but I still went into work that day."
As for how she will spend the winnings, Van Mai wants to share the wealth with her parents.
"The money will be put towards buying a new home for my retired parents because they have done so much to support me," smiled Van Mai.
The big win is an early present for Van Mai and she plans on celebrating with her family over Christmas dinner.
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This vegan bruschetta recipe is so fresh and delicious and makes a perfect appetizer.
It's also quick and easy while looking pretty gourmet and impressive. So it's a good recipe to bring out if you have some guests you want to impress.
But isn't bruschetta always vegan you might ask? Yep, it usually is.
The only thing that would make a bruschetta not vegan would be if the bread wasn't vegan. And bread is very often vegan. Not always, but often.
Especially breads like a French baguette or a ciabatta, these breads are almost always vegan. But nonetheless this is a vegan blog, so I usually preface my titles with the word 'vegan'.
Chop tomatoes in half and then use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds. You just want to scoop out the seeds and watery parts, and leave the middle parts (spines?) behind.
It's a bit freaky the words we use to discuss fruits and veg isn't it? It's all 'spines' and 'flesh' and 'skin'. 😂Good thing it doesn't actually mean anything freaky.
You can throw away the watery seeds of the tomatoes, or you can throw them into a stew or soup or whatever you like.
Then you chop up the tomatoes and throw into a mixing bowl.
Add chopped basil, crushed garlic, salt, black pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Toss together and then leave to sit for around 10 minutes for the flavors to really blend together, and get started on your bread.
Take around 12 slices of ciabatta and brush each side with olive oil. Place onto a parchment lined tray and place under the grill for 10-15 minutes, turning over half way, until lightly toasted.
Then heap on the topping, drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with some more sea salt and ground black pepper and you have yourself a seriously good appetizer.
Don't forget to scoop out those watery tomato seeds. You need the topping to be juicy but not wet or it will make your bread soggy.
Adding salt and letting it sit for 10 minutes or so allows the tomatoes to soften and get juicy without being watery. And of course you add olive oil so it all comes together beautifully.
Use a good quality olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the best tasting olive oil for this dish.
Use a sturdy bread. I really like ciabatta for this as it's very sturdy. It needs to be able to hold up to a nice juicy topping without becoming soggy.
Toasting the ciabatta also helps with this, but if you use something like a sandwich bread, there is no way it will hold up as well when the topping goes on.
Fresh is best. Even though this recipe can hold up for a few hours and still taste great, it's going to be best when fresh. It's not the kind of recipe you can really make in advance.
If you do have to make some of it in advance, then you can make the topping a few hours ahead, but don't add the salt.
The salt draws out the moisture from the tomatoes and if it sits too long it will become watery. So only add the salt when you're ready to serve on those fresh hot toasty slices of ciabatta.
Enjoy when it's fresh and juicy and delicious!
Let us know in the comments what you think of this vegan bruschetta and please rate the recipe too. Thanks so much.
Sign up to our email list and be the first to know whenever new recipes are posted to the blog and we'll send you an awesome 10-recipe ebook as well.
Fresh and delicious vegan bruschetta. Ripe, juicy tomatoes and fresh basil combine to make the perfect topping for toasted ciabatta. An ideal appetizer.
Slice the tomatoes in half and then use a teaspoon to scoop out the watery seeds and either use these for something else or discard them. Then chop up the tomatoes and add to a mixing bowl.
Add in the chopped basil, crushed garlic, sea salt, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss together and leave to sit for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to blend together perfectly while you prepare your ciabatta.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) using the grill function.
Slice the ciabatta and brush each slice with olive oil on both sides.
Place the ciabatta slices onto a parchment lined baking tray. Place into the oven and under the grill for around 5-7 mins each side until lightly browned and toasted. Keep an eye on it the whole time as ovens will differ and you might need less time.
When the ciabatta is toasted, place onto a plate, heap on some tomato and basil topping and then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and add a sprinkle of sea salt and ground black pepper on top and serve.
*The size of your ciabatta loaf may not be the same as ours, so just eyeball it with the amount of topping vs the size of your slices. The worst thing that could happen is you'd have some leftover toasted ciabatta once your topping is finished. If you have more bread than what can comfortably fit onto an oven tray then you're probably using too much.
*Ciabatta works great for this as it is nice and sturdy so is able to hold the topping without getting soggy. If you don't use ciabatta then make sure you use a similar type of bread that is equally sturdy.
Delicious Starter for any meal!
Incredibly good recipe! I had to exchange the basil for parsley since we only had that, but this worked as well.
Easy to make recipe, and extra thanks for the advice about removing the watery seeds.
I made this again, this time with basil. Still very tasty :-)!


The Federal Government yesterday said it would float People's Money Bank in the country next year.
It added that the bank, when established, will have branches in all the states of the federation for traders and artisans to have access to credit facilities.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said this in Ilorin, Kwara State capital at the launch of 'Tradermoni' micro-credit scheme.
Prof Osinbajo made the disclosure during a talk in a private radio station, Sobi FM Ilorin, after launching the programme at Ipata and some other markets in the town.
He said that there is no politics involved in the administration's 'Tradermoni' micro-credit scheme.
The Vice President said the government considered petty traders for the programme because it is always difficult for them to access bank loan because of the belief that they would hardly refund.
He said though there was no collateral for the loan, refund may not be difficult with the design that a beneficiary who refunds will receive bigger one.
He explained that beneficiaries at the start are given N10,000 while after refund they receive N15,000 with the progression to continue up till N50,000.
He said that the government targeted a total of two million petty traders across the states of the federation for the programme with minimum of 30,000 beneficiaries per state.
He added that contrary to insinuations in some quarters, it was neither buying vote with the programme nor favouring members of the All Progressives Congress with the programme.
He denied that the micro credit was being given to only members of the APC, saying that beneficiaries are not considered on account of party affiliations but on merit.
He said that the Marketmoni version of the micro credit programme meant for artisans and marketers of higher status would commence with N50,000 for the beneficiaries and explained that the people could receive up to N300, 000 when they do not derail in refunding.


text:
Amazon is now just an extension of the "military industrial complex" and the CIA deep state, with high-profit ties to Pentagon
POTUS Donald Trump may have jabbed fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post, over his paper's blatant Left-wing slant and bias, but his Pentagon is ensuring that the mega-e-tailer continues to amass a great deal of wealth — as part of the Deep State's "military-industrial complex."
According to The Wall Street Journal, surging profits at Amazon of late have less to do with the expansion of the company's core business of selling merchandise and allowing third parties to sell merchandise online.
Rather, Bezos has managed to build Amazon Web Services into the cloud computing equivalent of his behemoth e-tailer by allowing tens of thousands of firms to outsource their services.
Nevertheless, following years of growth, revenues for the AWS venture have fallen off of late, making it all the more vital for the company to snag a multi-billion dollar cloud computing contract from the Pentagon via JEDI — the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure, or the Defense Department's cloud infrastructure, according to TechTarget.
In addition to Amazon, IBM, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle all put in bids for the estimated $10 billion project. But only after it appeared as though Amazon was going to be a shoe-in to win it did the project become embroiled in controversy, with IBM filing a complaint with the Government Accountability Office.
But there's more smoke and, possibly, some fire as well, according to the WSJ:
Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp. were designated in April as finalists for the contract, drawing complaints from rival companies including Oracle Corp. and International Business Machines Corp. , which say the contract-award process was skewed from the start to favor Amazon—an allegation both the Pentagon and Amazon dispute.
Defense Department emails reviewed by The Wall Street Journal could give the contract's opponents more ammunition, providing a new window into Amazon's interactions with Pentagon officials in the months leading up to the announcement of the massive cloud deal…
The emails indicate that on March 31, 2017, then-Defense Secretary James Mattis went to a dinner in London with the vice president of AWS, Teresa Carlson. Though a person who helped organize the dinner say the subject of cloud computing did not arise, the dinner nevertheless paved the way for another meeting in August of that year between Mattis and Bezos, according to emails.
Jeff Bezos: Military computing king too?
In addition, DoD officials who had links to Amazon, which is HQ'ed in Seattle, also helped set up meetings for Carlson with officials representing Mattis, including his chief of staff around the same time, the emails show.
What was discussed during those meetings was not spelled out in the emails, but it's not hard to believe the talks weren't about baking, grandkids or needlepoint. (Related: Trump is going after Big Tech's evil monopolies and censorship: amazon.com now being targeted by the FTC.)
Pentagon officials have denied any wrongdoing and have claimed that the bidding process wasn't tainted but instead "open, transparent, and full."
But Oracle has also filed a complaint, this one with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, alleging that a former employee for Amazon who was working in the Pentagon helped craft a deal that assisted the e-tail behemoth before returning to Amazon.
"It is highly irregular that the Secretary of Defense attended a small, private dinner for 'off-the-record' discussions with an Amazon sales executive," Kenneth Gluck, who runs Oracle's Washington (lobbying) office, told the WSJ.
Some lawmakers are also suspicious, including Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa). He told the WSJ: "We shouldn't have to tolerate conflicts or appearances of conflicts of interest in any government contracting process.
True. But the JEDI contract "would cement Amazon's status as a major player in Washington," the WSJ noted.
As well as a member in good standing of the military-industrial complex and the Deep State.
Read more about Jeff Bezos and the Deep State at DeepState.news and JeffBezosWatch.com.
TechTarget.com
TheNationalSentinel.com
Tagged Under: Amazon, bidding, cloud computing, collusion, conflict of interest, contract, corruption, deception, deep state, Defense Department, evil, Google, IBM, influence, James Mattis, Jeff Bezos, military, money, Oracle, Pentagon, Washington
Scientists use sound to apparently defy gravity
Creepy stalkers: Robots can now track moving objects with extreme accuracy
Russia preparing for future cyber attacks, readies own web in case of internet shutdown
Advanced, non-human UFO technology repeatedly observed, documented and filmed by U.S. Navy pilots
After decades of denials, the Pentagon admits it has been investigating UFOs … and still is, even today
China's rare earth minerals export ban will collapse the telecom industry and all "green" power, including solar and wind turbines
Secret messages: Laser-based revolutionary technology allows researchers to send messages across noisy rooms using water vapor
New century, new space race? ESA announces plans to start mining the moon
Microsoft colluding with communist Chinese military to build AI systems that will execute civilians who resist government rule
Stunning new material invented in Turkey: "Metallic wood" is 5 times stronger than titanium, but lighter
Release the hounds: Are four-legged robot "dogs" the future of package delivery?
Robots now capable of inspecting aircraft… are we going to lose more jobs to machines?
Boeing's next-gen autonomous aircraft makes its first flight – and amazingly, it doesn't nosedive into the ground and crash
Grab and sort: Can "ambidextrous" robots expedite package sorting systems?
World War III will begin with China destroying all U.S. military satellites using these breakthrough ground-based lasers
Russia, China building powerful, exotic, new weapons capable of destroying American coastlines and entire cities by stealth
NOT the movies: In the future, humankind will hurl spacecraft into asteroids in "self-defense"
The light stuff: Researchers can print 3D objects faster using light


The 4" Knob is a best seller and crowd favorite. Perfectly sized for a single hand. Whether it is on a campus board, training board, tread-wall, or home wall, everyone can have a good time pulling at a multitude of angles.


text:
Французская федерация Таро или FFT — организация созданная в Париже в 1973 году игроками, увлеченными игрой в Таро, ставит своей целью продвигать и распространять игру среди игроков разного возраста и уровня, в частности, путем организации региональных, национальных и международных соревнований.

В частности, федерация организует чемпионаты Франции и ежегодно публикует национальный рейтинг лицензированных игроков.

Штаб-квартира находится в Ослоне (департамент Сона-и-Луара).

По состоянию на 2017 год, в ней числилось 400 клубов и 10 000 игроков.

По состоянию на 2022 год президентом федерации является Патрик Баумгартен.

Примечания

Ссылки

Организации, основанные в 1973 году
Статьи проекта Франция

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


the CQ World Wide DX RTTY contest. QSL via KU9C.
been on 30 and 17 meters using CW. His length of stay is unknown.
The Air Force Academy satellite FalconSAT-3 is now open for Amateur Radio use as a digital store-and-forward system. Built in 2005 and 2006 by cadets and faculty in the Space Systems Research Center at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, FalconSAT-3 was launched in 2007.


text:
Bringing the Wind In The New Atlantic Wind Connection Underwater Transmission Line Will Open Doors for East Coast Offshore Wind
Jennifer Santisi January 14, 2011
The Atlantic Wind Connection (AWC)—a 350-mile underwater transmission line designed for offshore wind energy—has drawn billions in investment from three sources: Google; Good Energies, a firm specializing in renewable energy; and Marubeni, a Japanese trading company. The AWC was proposed by transmission company Trans-Elect.
John Breckenridge, the managing director of Good Energies, is confident that "with this line in place, offshore projects can be constructed at lower cost, with less impact on the environment."
Trans-Elect plans to begin construction in 2013 after securing permits and a favorable environmental review. The transmission line would span the coastline from northern New Jersey to Norfolk, Virginia, and provide up to 6,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity—equal to the output of five large nuclear reactors. The cable would run in shallow trenches along the seabed 15 to 20 miles offshore with four connection points: southern Virginia, Delaware, and southern and northern New Jersey. The connection points allow the energy to be transmitted to existing energy grids on land.
The AWC would also allow companies to build wind farms far from the coast where the turbines would not be visible. Even before any wind farms are built, the cable will channel existing supplies of electricity from southern Virginia, where it is cheap, to nothern New Jersey, where it is more costly. Trans-Elect has estimated that the project will cost $5 billion, plus financing and permit fees. The first phase of the project is a 150-mile stretch connecting New Jersey and Deleware, which could go into service by early 2016.
CONTACTS: Good Energies; Trans-Elect.


text:
I13 eller I 13 eller I-13 kan syfta på:

I 13 – en benämning på ett regemente i Falun (1816–2000, 2021–) se Dalregementet
I13 (handelsplats) – en handelsplats i Falun.


text:
using System.Collections.Generic;
using Microsoft.Msagl.Core.Geometry;
using Microsoft.Msagl.Core.Layout;

namespace Microsoft.Msagl.Layout.Incremental {
    /// <summary>
    /// A horizontal separation constraint requires a minimum separation between x coordinates of two nodes,
    /// i.e. u.X + separation less or equal v.X
    /// </summary>
    public class HorizontalSeparationConstraint : IConstraint {
        bool equality;
        /// <summary>
        ///
        /// </summary>
        public bool IsEquality {
            get { return equality; }
        }
        private Node u;
        /// <summary>
        /// Constrained to be vertically above the BottomNode
        /// </summary>
        public Node LeftNode {
            get { return u; }
        }
        private Node v;
        /// <summary>
        /// Constrained to be vertically below the TopNode
        /// </summary>
        public Node RightNode {
            get { return v; }
        }
        private double separation;
        /// <summary>
        /// We allow the separation of existing constraints to be modified by the user.
        /// </summary>
        public double Separation {
            get { return separation; }
            set { separation = value; }
        }
        /// <summary>
        ///
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="u"></param>
        /// <param name="v"></param>
        /// <param name="separation"></param>
        [System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Naming", "CA1704")]
        public HorizontalSeparationConstraint(Node u, Node v, double separation)
        {
            this.u = u;
            this.v = v;
            this.separation = separation;
        }
        /// <summary>
        ///
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="u"></param>
        /// <param name="v"></param>
        /// <param name="separation"></param>
        /// <param name="equality"></param>
        [System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Naming", "CA1704")]
        public HorizontalSeparationConstraint(Node u, Node v, double separation, bool equality)
        {
            this.equality = equality;
            this.u = u;
            this.v = v;
            this.separation = separation;
        }
        /// <summary>
        ///
        /// </summary>
        public virtual double Project() {
            double uv = v.Center.X - u.Center.X;
            double d = separation - uv;
            if (d > 0) {
                double
                    wu = ((FiNode)u.AlgorithmData).stayWeight,
                    wv = ((FiNode)v.AlgorithmData).stayWeight;
                double f = d / (wu + wv);
                u.Center = new Point(u.Center.X - wv * f, u.Center.Y);
                v.Center = new Point(v.Center.X + wu * f, v.Center.Y);
                return d;
            } else {
                return 0;
            }
        }
        /// <summary>
        /// HorizontalSeparationConstraint are usually structural and therefore default to level 0
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>0</returns>
        public int Level { get { return 0; } }
        /// <summary>
        /// Get the list of nodes involved in the constraint
        /// </summary>
        public IEnumerable<Node> Nodes { get { return new Node[] { u, v }; } }
    }
}


With our strong domain and technology background we offer specific consulting assignment that involes technology enabled couslting services from our experts that basically provides the management with valuable , accurate decision data points for key business strategy and decisions.
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The 21s drill uses three variations (7 reps each) of a classic lift, but what do you do when three variations aren't enough? Well, you try four. This is the 28 method.
Variations on exercise technique and reps shock the human musculature system. That's why we should switch routines, reps, and lifting order regularly. The 21s method for biceps shocked my system to a life-changing extreme, but the gains leveled off. Like any responsible bodybuilder, I made a slight change to a proven regimen to create variation and increase my gains.
You know the 21s drill - grab an EZ-Curl bar, perform 7 reps going halfway up, 7 more halfway down, and then finish it with 7 full reps.
Well, I have something even better for you to tackle.
Like everyone else in lifting history, I took part in this great shock method, but I also started applying it to other muscle groups beyond my biceps. At a certain point, my body got used to this method and this technique. Then it no longer had the same impact. From that stagnation, my "28 method" was born; it takes 21s to an entirely different level.
If you're like me and find something missing when you do 21s, the "28 method" is certainly a step up. It might be precisely what you're looking for.
So, what exactly is the "28 method?"
Well, it's not complicated, but it just goes a step farther than doing 21s. To start, you do 7 regular full reps with whatever weight you're using and whatever exercises you're performing.
The next step, though, is the most intense. With your muscles already fatigued, do 7 slow reps. Slow in this case applies to both the eccentric and concentric part of the movement.
In your head, do a 5-count down and then another 5-count up, slowly lowering the weight and then slowly moving the weight back up. Believe me, this is the part that burns like crazy. From here, finish out the work with 7 reps going halfway down with the movement, and another 7 reps going halfway up—much like 21s.
So, it goes like this: 7 full reps, 7 slow reps, 7 reps at the top half of the movement, and then 7 final reps at the bottom half of the movement, giving you 28 shirt-splitting reps.
Try three sets for each exercise and pick three exercises for a particular muscle group. Get ready for your muscles to scream in pain.
With just two minutes of rest between sets and the intense workload of the "28 method," you will obviously use significantly less weight for the movement.
But don't worry, this method works.
Almost immediately, you will see an increase in muscle fullness. Your pump will be out of this world. It might not be the backbone of your training program, but you won't find a much better change of pace than the "28 method." Use it now and again for a couple of weeks at a time, and results will follow.
Your tighter-fitting shirts will be proof of that.


text:
Low IFN-γ production in the first year of life as a predictor of wheeze during childhood
Debra A. Stern, Stefano Guerra, Marilyn Halonen, Anne L. Wright, Fernando D. Martinez
Asthma/Airway Disease Rsch Ctr
Arizona Respiratory Center
Background: Diminished cytokine production in infancy has been associated with an increased risk for allergen sensitization and early-life wheeze. Objective: We sought to assess the effect of low cytokine production in the first year of life on the development of wheeze through age 13 years. Methods: Cytokine production (IFN-γ and IL-2) by mitogen-stimulated mononuclear cells was determined from peripheral blood samples (9.4 months, n = 118) in a subset of healthy infants enrolled in the Tucson Children's Respiratory Study. The occurrence of wheeze during the previous year was ascertained at ages 2, 3, 6, 8, 11, and 13 years by means of questionnaire. Relative risk for wheeze was computed with generalized estimating equations. Results: The risk of wheezing between 2 and 13 years was significantly higher for subjects with low 9-month IFN-γ production (relative risk, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.35-3.89) and borderline significant for those with intermediate IFN-γ production (relative risk, 1.59; 95% CI, 0.95-2.68) compared with those who produced high levels of IFN-γ (P value for linear association = .002). Nine-month IL-2 production was unrelated to wheeze. In relation to complex wheezing phenotypes, 9-month IFN-γ production was inversely related to toddler wheeze (occurring only before age 6 years, P = .03) and chronic wheeze (occurring before and after age 6 years, P = .007) but not school-age wheeze (occurring only after age 6 years, P = .06). Conclusion: The results suggest that characteristics of the immune system present during the first year of life can anticipate the likelihood of development of episodes of airway obstruction characterized by wheezing. Clinical implications: Immune susceptibility to asthma is established very early during postnatal life.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2007.05.050
IFN-γ
cytokine
10.1016/j.jaci.2007.05.050
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Low IFN-γ production in the first year of life as a predictor of wheeze during childhood'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Respiratory Sounds Medicine & Life Sciences
Cytokines Medicine & Life Sciences
Mitogens Medicine & Life Sciences
Allergens Medicine & Life Sciences
Immune System Medicine & Life Sciences
Asthma Medicine & Life Sciences
Stern, D. A., Guerra, S., Halonen, M., Wright, A. L., & Martinez, F. D. (2007). Low IFN-γ production in the first year of life as a predictor of wheeze during childhood. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 120(4), 835-841. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2007.05.050
Low IFN-γ production in the first year of life as a predictor of wheeze during childhood. / Stern, Debra A.; Guerra, Stefano; Halonen, Marilyn; Wright, Anne L.; Martinez, Fernando D.
In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol. 120, No. 4, 01.10.2007, p. 835-841.
Stern, DA, Guerra, S, Halonen, M, Wright, AL & Martinez, FD 2007, 'Low IFN-γ production in the first year of life as a predictor of wheeze during childhood', Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, vol. 120, no. 4, pp. 835-841. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2007.05.050
Stern DA, Guerra S, Halonen M, Wright AL, Martinez FD. Low IFN-γ production in the first year of life as a predictor of wheeze during childhood. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2007 Oct 1;120(4):835-841. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2007.05.050
Stern, Debra A. ; Guerra, Stefano ; Halonen, Marilyn ; Wright, Anne L. ; Martinez, Fernando D. / Low IFN-γ production in the first year of life as a predictor of wheeze during childhood. In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2007 ; Vol. 120, No. 4. pp. 835-841.
@article{658dbd5f7dd44e2ca61e70ff321c7855,
title = "Low IFN-γ production in the first year of life as a predictor of wheeze during childhood",
abstract = "Background: Diminished cytokine production in infancy has been associated with an increased risk for allergen sensitization and early-life wheeze. Objective: We sought to assess the effect of low cytokine production in the first year of life on the development of wheeze through age 13 years. Methods: Cytokine production (IFN-γ and IL-2) by mitogen-stimulated mononuclear cells was determined from peripheral blood samples (9.4 months, n = 118) in a subset of healthy infants enrolled in the Tucson Children's Respiratory Study. The occurrence of wheeze during the previous year was ascertained at ages 2, 3, 6, 8, 11, and 13 years by means of questionnaire. Relative risk for wheeze was computed with generalized estimating equations. Results: The risk of wheezing between 2 and 13 years was significantly higher for subjects with low 9-month IFN-γ production (relative risk, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.35-3.89) and borderline significant for those with intermediate IFN-γ production (relative risk, 1.59; 95% CI, 0.95-2.68) compared with those who produced high levels of IFN-γ (P value for linear association = .002). Nine-month IL-2 production was unrelated to wheeze. In relation to complex wheezing phenotypes, 9-month IFN-γ production was inversely related to toddler wheeze (occurring only before age 6 years, P = .03) and chronic wheeze (occurring before and after age 6 years, P = .007) but not school-age wheeze (occurring only after age 6 years, P = .06). Conclusion: The results suggest that characteristics of the immune system present during the first year of life can anticipate the likelihood of development of episodes of airway obstruction characterized by wheezing. Clinical implications: Immune susceptibility to asthma is established very early during postnatal life.",
keywords = "Asthma, IFN-γ, IL-2, cytokine, infancy, wheeze",
author = "Stern, {Debra A.} and Stefano Guerra and Marilyn Halonen and Wright, {Anne L.} and Martinez, {Fernando D.}",
doi = "10.1016/j.jaci.2007.05.050",
journal = "Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology",
T1 - Low IFN-γ production in the first year of life as a predictor of wheeze during childhood
AU - Stern, Debra A.
AU - Guerra, Stefano
AU - Halonen, Marilyn
AU - Wright, Anne L.
AU - Martinez, Fernando D.
N2 - Background: Diminished cytokine production in infancy has been associated with an increased risk for allergen sensitization and early-life wheeze. Objective: We sought to assess the effect of low cytokine production in the first year of life on the development of wheeze through age 13 years. Methods: Cytokine production (IFN-γ and IL-2) by mitogen-stimulated mononuclear cells was determined from peripheral blood samples (9.4 months, n = 118) in a subset of healthy infants enrolled in the Tucson Children's Respiratory Study. The occurrence of wheeze during the previous year was ascertained at ages 2, 3, 6, 8, 11, and 13 years by means of questionnaire. Relative risk for wheeze was computed with generalized estimating equations. Results: The risk of wheezing between 2 and 13 years was significantly higher for subjects with low 9-month IFN-γ production (relative risk, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.35-3.89) and borderline significant for those with intermediate IFN-γ production (relative risk, 1.59; 95% CI, 0.95-2.68) compared with those who produced high levels of IFN-γ (P value for linear association = .002). Nine-month IL-2 production was unrelated to wheeze. In relation to complex wheezing phenotypes, 9-month IFN-γ production was inversely related to toddler wheeze (occurring only before age 6 years, P = .03) and chronic wheeze (occurring before and after age 6 years, P = .007) but not school-age wheeze (occurring only after age 6 years, P = .06). Conclusion: The results suggest that characteristics of the immune system present during the first year of life can anticipate the likelihood of development of episodes of airway obstruction characterized by wheezing. Clinical implications: Immune susceptibility to asthma is established very early during postnatal life.
AB - Background: Diminished cytokine production in infancy has been associated with an increased risk for allergen sensitization and early-life wheeze. Objective: We sought to assess the effect of low cytokine production in the first year of life on the development of wheeze through age 13 years. Methods: Cytokine production (IFN-γ and IL-2) by mitogen-stimulated mononuclear cells was determined from peripheral blood samples (9.4 months, n = 118) in a subset of healthy infants enrolled in the Tucson Children's Respiratory Study. The occurrence of wheeze during the previous year was ascertained at ages 2, 3, 6, 8, 11, and 13 years by means of questionnaire. Relative risk for wheeze was computed with generalized estimating equations. Results: The risk of wheezing between 2 and 13 years was significantly higher for subjects with low 9-month IFN-γ production (relative risk, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.35-3.89) and borderline significant for those with intermediate IFN-γ production (relative risk, 1.59; 95% CI, 0.95-2.68) compared with those who produced high levels of IFN-γ (P value for linear association = .002). Nine-month IL-2 production was unrelated to wheeze. In relation to complex wheezing phenotypes, 9-month IFN-γ production was inversely related to toddler wheeze (occurring only before age 6 years, P = .03) and chronic wheeze (occurring before and after age 6 years, P = .007) but not school-age wheeze (occurring only after age 6 years, P = .06). Conclusion: The results suggest that characteristics of the immune system present during the first year of life can anticipate the likelihood of development of episodes of airway obstruction characterized by wheezing. Clinical implications: Immune susceptibility to asthma is established very early during postnatal life.
KW - Asthma
KW - IFN-γ
KW - IL-2
KW - cytokine
KW - infancy
KW - wheeze
U2 - 10.1016/j.jaci.2007.05.050
DO - 10.1016/j.jaci.2007.05.050
JO - Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
JF - Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology


Growth-movement leaders called it the critic, constant comment, the monkey mind, etc. I am a three-legged man. There's me and my constant critic, joined at the hip, here.
I'm grateful for this inter-regnum, this hiatus in world events. I'm using it to enjoy a few days of as-close-to-meditation as I ever get these days.
But then I forget and remember and forget that awareness is my path – self-awareness is my part of that path. I have agreed to remain self-aware as bare, minimal membership in the awareness path.
And as I clean up my apartment, expecting a friend over in a few hours, my critic is having a field day: Criticizing the order of my cleaning (this first; no, that first), on length of time for any one operation (too slow, too fast), on my confused state (but look why I'm confused), etc.
Constant critic forever disapproves of what I do. And I can't get rid of him.
This is certainly no fun.
Can this constant critic be the source of things not being fun in my life? Does constant critic take all the fun out of things?
Let that be the testable hypothesis I run in this next experiment in awareness: Does the constant critic add to my enjoyment of life or take away from it?