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The Noblesville Daily Times is shutting its doors, the Indianapolis Star reports.
"The five-year-old newspaper serves Noblesville and Hamilton County. Publisher Michael Corbett said in a story on the newspaper's Web site that the final edition of the paper will be published Saturday.
"The closing affects the Daily Times' 24 full-time employees.
";It's a tough economy, it's a competitive market, and it's a tough time for newspapers in general,' Corbett is quoted in the Web site article. 'All newspapers are wrestling with what the future's going to be. And the industry is just in upheaval right now.'"
If you read the comments under the Star's story, it also sounds like the newbie paper ran afoul of local politics and made some errors in judgment regarding a column about the town's mayor that involved name-calling.
But there was a time when such tactics would not have necessarily sunk the ship. Today, newspapers continue to navigate treacherous waters, and often don't seem to know how to steer.
Thanks to the reader who sent the alert about the story, and best of luck finding new jobs to the laid-off employees.


If you are in a family law case then you are likely facing one of the most stressful times of your life. Lindsey Sharp is a Melbourne divorce and family law lawyer who strives to provide aggressive representation and the highest level of service to her clients. Lindsey has extensive experience in all areas of family law and has taken more than fifty cases to trial. She applies this experience to matters involving divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, and cases involving temporary protective orders. By providing her clients with quality representation, at a price her clients can afford, Lindsey provides representation that she is proud of.
Domestic relation cases cause extreme amounts of anxiety. This is true whether one is dealing with a divorce, a child custody related matter, other family law issues such as obtaining a temporary protective order, or the filing of a Florida family law appeal. Such situations leave a person wondering if their financial future will be secure, when they will see their children again, concerned for their safety, and unsure about the outcome of their situation. Retaining an attorney familiar with such issues can help ensure that the necessary Motions are immediately filed, that discovery is properly conducted into the opposing party's finances, and that you are prepared and adequately represented at trial.
Lindsey Sharp is a Melbourne family law attorney providing effective and aggressive representation to her clients. Lindsey is a former prosecutor who now devotes her practice to family law. Once retained she will quickly file any necessary Motions, determine which documents are required for your case, and help you know what to expect from the process. She will use discovery, the process by which information is gained from the other side, to gather additional evidence in support of your case. Lindsey will ensure that you are prepared for trial and will be in regular contact with you the whole way. She promptly returns phone calls and emails, regularly meets with her clients, and takes steps to ensure that you are informed. Do not risk the future of your family to a lesser experienced lawyer. Lindsey focuses on family law so that you can focus on the future. Contact us today.
In addition to Melbourne our office also services clients in the Brevard County cities of Titusville, Cocoa, Palm Bay, Grant, Valkaria, and Rockledge, as well as in the Indian River County areas of Fellsmere, Sebastian, Vero Beach, Indian River Shores, and Orchid.
You have enough stress at a time like this. You do not need to add financial anxiety on top of it. Lindsey often handles family law matters for a flat fee. This means that you will know the cost of your case in advance and will not be surprised by large bills at the end of each month. She is also able to sometimes take modified payment plans so that your case does not have to break the bank. This approach allows you to receive quality legal assistance while focusing your funds on the most important thing – your family. We are ready to assist you. Contact us today.


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text:
Eastern Congo on edge to see if M23 rebel cease-fire takes effect
By AP | 2mos ago
UN vehicles patrol the road leading to the front line in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo November 25, 2022. [AP Photo]
Civilians in mineral-rich eastern Congo edgily waited to see whether a cease-fire to end the latest round of fighting between government forces and a shadowy rebel group would come into effect as planned Friday evening.
Congo's president and neighboring Rwanda's foreign minister were among the leaders who helped engineer the cease-fire at a summit this week in Angola. The cease in hostilities is meant to be followed by a withdrawal of fighters from the M23 rebel group from the major towns they have seized in recent months — Bunagana, Rutshuru and Kiwanja.
While M23 was not formally a party to the talks in Angola, it has said it will accept the cease-fire. But it also says it doesn't trust the Congolese government to honor the deal and end hostilities.
"Otherwise, the M23 reserves itself the full right to defend itself and to protect the civilian populations against any violations of the agreed cease-fire," said M23 chairman Bertrand Bisimwa.
The group was warned that if it did not abide, the East African Community regional force would use force to make them do so. On Friday, Kenyan troops patrolled in the streets of Goma, the region's largest city.
Rwanda accuses DRC of abandoning Luanda-led peace deal
'He's close to us': Wheelchair users in Africa await pope
Fresh clashes as M23 rebels make gains in East DR Congo
Rwanda says another DR Congo fighter jet violated its airspace
Fighting between rebels and the Congolese military in recent weeks has caused people to flee their homes and abandon their fields. At a displacement camp in Kanyaruchinya, many longed to go home but remained fearful. The Congolese government accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels, which Rwanda has denied.
"If the government has agreed with Rwanda that the M23 should return home, we are happy," said Nsambimana Ashiwe, 64. "Because we also want to return home to cultivate our fields and keep our cows, sheep and goats because we are here and we are hungry. We are suffering a lot."
The M23 rose to prominence a decade ago when its fighters seized Goma, the largest city in Congo's east, which sits along the border with Rwanda. After a peace agreement, many of M23′s fighters were integrated into the national military.
Then the group re-emerged last November, saying the government had failed to live up to its promises under the peace deal. By June, M23 had seized the strategic town of Bunagana near the border with Uganda.
M23 has been a sticking point in deteriorating relations between Congo and Rwanda. Many of the rebel fighters are Congolese ethnic Tutsis and Rwanda's president is of Rwandan Tutsi descent.
When formed more than a decade ago, M23 was fighting to protect the rights of Congo's ethnic Tutsis. But many speculate that they just want control of eastern Congo because of its mineral wealth.
Eastern Congo DRC M23 Rebel Group
EABL half-year profit drops to Sh8.7b as struggling Kenyans drink less
Parents' long dilemma as schools reopen

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Job One for the Budget Super-Committee: Cut the New Health Entitlement's Cost
Charles Blahous
Budget Health Care
The recent drama over the federal debt ceiling resulted in legislation that resolves the government's operational debt management issues through early 2013. Left unresolved, however, was the critical matter of how to repair the government's larger fiscal imbalance. The next step in this process will be taken by a bipartisan budget "super committee" consisting of twelve Senators and Congressmen, established in that same legislation.
This special committee is charged with developing recommendations, due later this fall, to achieve $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the next ten years. The White House, continuing its rhetorical approach employed during recent budget negotiations, has publicly expressed the hope that this committee will "seek a balanced approach to larger deficit reduction."
Different observers will inevitably have different opinions of what constitutes "balance." I offer the view that no deficit-reduction agreement can credibly be called balanced if it fails to do one simple and necessary thing: cut the projected cost of new spending enacted in last year's health care law.
Background: In March, 2010, Congress passed and President Obama signed legislation that would make several sweeping changes to federal health care spending. At the core of the legislation were provisions mandating that U.S. residents obtain health insurance, along with provisions expanding eligibility for Medicaid and establishing federally-subsidized exchanges through which individuals could buy their own insurance. These expansions of the federal government's commitment to health care were to be financed in a number of ways, most notably an assortment of tax increases and reductions in projected Medicare payments.
There are several reasons why scaling back the spending provisions of the new law should be a primary focus of the budget super-committee, and why only a very imbalanced approach would avoid this focus. Among them:
Health care cost growth is a primary driver of the federal government's financial problem. Republicans and Democrats disagree on many things, but they do generally agree on one: spending on health entitlements remains a primary driver of the federal government's financial predicament. Without reforms to correct the unsustainable path of federal health spending, no lasting solution to our budget woes is attainable.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that in 2011 federal spending on Medicare, Medicaid and other health entitlements will equal $870 billion in 2011, or 5.8% of GDP. CBO's own words make abundantly clear why all health entitlements, and particularly the new health entitlement, must be on the table:
In CBO's baseline projections, spending for health programs more than doubles between 2011 and 2021, rising by an average of about 7 percent per year and reaching $1.8 trillion in 2021. That spending is projected to represent 7.4 percent of GDP in 2021—a jump of 1.6 percentage points from its share in 2011. Of that growth, higher spending for Medicare accounts for about 30 percent, higher spending for Medicaid accounts for roughly 40 percent, and the remainder stems primarily from the new subsidies to be provided through health insurance exchanges beginning in 2014.
For further perspective on these trends, consider this. That 7.4% of GDP devoted to federal health programs in 2021 would exceed CBO's baseline projection for all appropriated spending combined (including both defense and non-defense) in that year.
And, under CBO's January projection scenario in which the military drawdown from Iraq and Afghanistan occurs roughly as anticipated, spending growth on just the new health exchanges alone would exceed the growth in all appropriations outlays over the next decade. See the graph below, which shows the increases in annual spending levels for various spending categories by 2021.
To be sure, part of this phenomenon reflects recent-year elevations of appropriations spending, both for overseas military operations and for intended economic stimulus. But on the other hand, the new Budget Control Act will cut future appropriations below the levels shown on this graph, further accentuating the relative importance of health entitlement growth.
Simply put: it is difficult to conceive of a balanced approach to deficit reduction that does not start by addressing the growth in federal health spending, including the contributions of the new health care law to that growth.
Constraining the new spending is essential to strengthening Medicare. As a Medicare trustee, I am often asked what elected officials can to do improve the government's ability to finance the program. Unfortunately the question admits of few easy answers. Medicare's projected financing shortfall is substantial and both Republicans and Democrats struggle to find ways to reliably reduce projected cost growth without harming beneficiaries.
There is, however, one clear way to strengthen Medicare financing: by ensuring that savings achieved within Medicare are kept available to finance that program's operations rather than being diverted to other purposes. This in turn requires that we scale back last year's health care law.
By way of explanation: in a January, 2010 letter to Senator Jeff Sessions, CBO indicated that its preliminary scoring of the pending version of the health care bill (not yet then a law) showed an improvement of $358 billion in Medicare's HI Trust Fund balances over the following ten years. These Medicare savings broke down as $245 billion in reductions of projected Part A Medicare spending, and $113 billion in new payroll tax receipts.
Under law, the amount that Medicare can spend on benefits is limited by the assets in its Trust Funds. Accordingly, a change in law that results in $358 billion more in assets being held by Medicare's HI Trust Fund effectively gives the program permission to spend a further $358 billion on benefits.
But here's the problem: CBO also projected that the health bill's other effects on the broader budget would increase federal deficits by $226 billion over the same period. In other words, CBO found that roughly 63% of the amount of the bill's Medicare savings would be spent elsewhere on other new federal health benefits.
This combination of provisions produces an unambiguous weakening of the government's ability to finance Medicare. This is generally because the projected net improvement in the government's financial position under the law is only 37% as large as the additional amounts the law gives Medicare permission to spend. (The figures would be somewhat different for the final version of the law, but the principle remains the same).
A solution to this problem requires that the non-Medicare components of the recent health care law be amended to be, at worst, deficit-neutral. Only then can we avoid increasing our spending commitments by more than our projected savings. This in turn could be accomplished by scaling back the spending on the new health exchanges under the law. This would represent the single best thing that this super-committee could do from the perspective of Medicare financing.
People are not yet dependent on the new health exchanges. One of the factors rendering it so difficult to extract significant savings from Medicare and Medicaid is that so many people are already dependent upon them. This however is not yet true of the new health law, which doesn't become fully effective until 2014.
In general, policy makers prefer to make any changes to federal benefits prospective if they can. It's not perceived as fair to change the rules when an individual has planned around having a benefit, is already receiving it, and it's too late to make alternate plans. This is a big reason why costs in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid have proved so hard to contain; elected officials simply don't want to cut spending on people who are already dependent.
Unfortunately, Medicare and Medicaid's financing problems are already so severe that it will be virtually impossible to correct them without reassessing the levels of benefits promised to people already on the rolls. That's unfortunate, but we shouldn't unnecessarily make that problem worse. As we search for savings in future federal health spending, we should first concentrate on benefits that people aren't yet receiving. That in turn argues for putting the new law's health exchanges – scheduled to ramp up starting in 2014 – at the very center of these efforts.
How to Do It: According to CBO, the federal government is projected to spend $524 billion over the next ten years on the new health exchanges, subsidies, and related spending. Specifically, this spending includes premium assistance for individuals and families between 133% and 400% of the poverty line. If negotiators are unwilling to scale back spending elsewhere in the health care law, the 400% figure could be reduced by whatever amount is enough to ensure that the non-Medicare portions of the health law are no worse than deficit-neutral, with the sliding scale of premium support applied to that reduced income range. (Alternatively, if negotiators are absolutely determined that individuals and families up to 400% of the poverty level be served, then they should increase other non-Medicare savings in the law sufficient to finance this objective.)
The bottom line is that, though involving difficult choices, further federal health entitlement cost savings must be found if the super-committee is to make a credible down payment on deficit reduction. If subsidized benefits for this new law's target population are important enough to be enacted, they are important enough to finance without resorting to twice-allocating savings also earmarked for financing Medicare benefits. A credible budget process must choose one purpose for the Medicare savings; failing that, we must not claim to have financed an expansion of health care coverage.
Clearly, many elected officials are heavily politically invested in last year's health care law. But that in and of itself is not a compelling substantive reason to keep it off the negotiating table. Were it not for such political considerations, it would be obvious that spending on the new health exchanges is the first area that the deficit reduction super-committee should target – not only to preserve the financing integrity of Medicare, but indeed to ensure a truly balanced approach to deficit reduction.
Charles Blahous is a research fellow with the Hoover Institution, a senior research fellow with the Mercatus Center, and the author of Social Security: The Unfinished Work.
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Senior UX Designer at Comcast.
Interactive Designer at Free People in Philadelphia, PA. Problem Solver. UX + UI focused. Tech Nerd. EDM Addict.
My parents. They came to America with nothing and barely understood English, to see where they are now is a daily reminder to me of how fortunate I really am.
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Rechargeable batteries and propane tanks lead to big problems at recycling centers around the country.
Rechargeable batteries & propane tanks are a leading cause of fires at recycling centers & landfills.
Proper disposal of Rechargeable Batteries & Propane Tanks takes place at the Waste Commission of Scott County.
Rechargeable batteries and propane tanks should be kept out of recycling & garbage carts!


2. The impact of the automobile industry.
5. Hoover and the Free Market.
6. Rural to Urban migration.
7. The contraction of small towns.
8. Economic opportunity and a changing labour force.
9. The instability of unit banking.
10. Economic boom and a speculative bubble.


Gary K. Munkelt, PE, displays his ASTM C27 Distinguished Service Award, presented to him in December, 2017 for his 40+ years of service and commitment to the ASTM C27 committee.
The C27 Committee benefits designers, producers and end users of precast concrete products.
By Gary K. Munkelt, P.E.
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is a volunteer organization that creates and publishes standards for materials, products, systems and services. Organized in 1898, it is now known as ASTM International (www.astm.org) and publishes more than 12,500 standards used around the world.
The intent of this mix of professional pursuits among committee members is to produce a "standard" that is not biased to one interest group.
Committee C27, "Precast Concrete Products," is one of 139 ASTM committees that originate and update the standards for the society. C27 has jurisdiction over 29 standards and six technical committees that cover the field of precast concrete. It is responsible for precast concrete products that are manufactured in a facility away from the job site (as opposed to concrete poured at the job site).
The committee was created in 1972 and produced its first standards in 1978. The six-year development period is typical of the time it takes to establish a reliable standard. A draft is written, exposed to comments and rewritten until a final draft is put to a vote, first by all committee members and then by all members of the society. Comments addressing concerns with each ballot are considered carefully and either adopted or rejected. Proposals are revised and re-balloted until there are no negative ballots. The process is long, but experience has shown that the result is a reliable standard.
Because every standard must be reviewed and updated within five years of its last review, architects, engineers, contractors and owners can feel confident when they include the standards in their project specifications.
Gary K. Munkelt, P.E., has been an ASTM committee member for more than 35 years. His 45 years of experience is reflected in many of the standards published by the committee. He is available for questions at gkm2001@verizon.net.


Silk'n Sounds is excited to announce that we will be sponsoring New Reach in New Haven, CT as our new charitable organization. Since 1990, New Reach has been providing emergency shelter for women and children. The largest family provider in the state of emergency shelter, New Reach inspires independence for those affected by homelessness and poverty through a continuum of housing and support using the most innovative and progressive methods.
As an organization of women, Silk'n Sounds is proud to be able to support women and families in need. We look forward to a long and enriching collaboration. As part of this effort, Silk'n Sounds contributied a quartet performance for auction at New Reach's 18th Annual Auction event on May 3rd at Anthony's Ocean View, New Haven.
For more information about New Reach visit www.newreach.org.


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Sets the log block flush bit.
Sets the log block number stored in the header; NOTE that this must be set before the flush bit!
Checks if there is need for a log buffer flush or a new checkpoint, and does this if yes. Any database operation should call this when it has modified more than about 4 pages. NOTE that this function may only be called when the OS thread owns no synchronization objects except the dictionary mutex.
Writes to the log the string given. The log must be released with log_release.


With the five-year anniversary of the Women's Center at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, we would like to thank the community that supported Measure L that provided the bond money to build not only the Women's Center, but the Emergency Department as well. Many thanks go to our hospital CEO, Ken Underwood, for bringing these projects to fruition.
Over the past 18 years, Underwood's progressive thinking in strategic planning, along with support from the San Benito Health Care District Board of Directors, has led to the expansion of services, facilities and programs for the district. His accomplishments include the purchase of Mabie Northside Skilled Nursing Facility, the construction of Mabie Southside Skilled Nursing Facility, the Ambulatory Surgery Center, the Support Services Building, as well as the creation of four new community health centers, Hollister Multi-Specialty Center, Hollister Orthopedic Specialty Center, three outpatient lab sites and an outpatient radiology center and the new Diabetes Health Care Center.
These buildings, programs and services have all been required to keep up with the rapid changes in health care and the demands of our community. However, in my humble opinion the Women's Center is the crown jewel in the series in terms of functionality and esthetics.
Women make up more than 50 percent of the population of San Benito County, and the child-bearing segment needed to have more comfortable, satisfying and safe experience with our hospital. The Birthing Center offers 13 private, spacious birthing suites allowing privacy for family-oriented care and mother-baby bonding. The center also houses a surgical suite, and state-of-the-art surgical equipment for performing emergency surgical procedures for obstetrical delivery complications, which adds a great measure of safety to patient care. Anesthesia services are available 24 hours a day, making the birth experience safer and less exhausting for patients in labor. We now have the room to offer additional patient services, such as a lactation specialist who holds classes to prepare new mothers for nursing their newborns. This allows us to meet the state mandated goal of exclusive breastfeeding for new moms.
Women in our community now have access to the most technologically advanced diagnostic equipment for women's breast health with our new digital mammography, digital stereotactic breast biopsies, 3D and 4D automated breast ultrasound, bone density Dexa scanning and echocardiography.
Our patient safety scores and level of patient satisfaction have grown exponentially since the Women's Center opened, and we are fortunate to have a dedicated, highly trained, compassionate group of nurses, technologists and ancillary personnel working in the center.
Small hospitals have many challenges: changing technology, state and federal mandates, labor relations and ever-changing reimbursement rules by Medicare and Medi-Cal.
I am pleased to see our administrative team take the initiative to pursue a Critical Access designation for our hospital to receive higher reimbursement rates. I am gratified that my hospital has thrived in this environment and provided us the expanded new facilities that we need to practice in the 21st century.
Dr. M. Aslam Barra is a Hollister obstetrician/gynecologist.


text:
Al-Qaida leader urges kidnapping of Westerners
CAIRO (AP) — The leader of al-Qaida has urged Muslims to kidnap Westerners to exchange for imprisoned jihadists, including a blind cleric serving a life sentence in the United States for a 1993 plot to blow up New York City landmarks.
(Associated Press/IntelCenter, File – FILE – In this Wednesday, July 27, 2011 file photo provided by IntelCenter, an American private terrorist threat analysis company, purports to show Al-Qaida's new leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a still image from a web posting by al-Qaida's media arm, as-Sahab. The leader of al-Qaida has urged Muslims to kidnap Westerners to exchange for imprisoned jihadists. Ayman Al-Zawahri also urged support for Syria's uprising and called for the implementation of Islamic Shariah law in Egypt. In an undated two-hour videotape posted this week on militant forums, the Egyptian-born jihadist said that abducting nationals of "countries waging wars on Muslims" is the only way to free "our captives, and Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman," the Egyptian cleric serving a life sentence in U.S. prisons for his masterminding of 1993 bombings in New York City. )
In an undated two-hour videotape posted this week on militant forums, the Egyptian-born jihadistAyman al-Zawahri also urged support for Syria's uprising and called for the implementation ofIslamic Shariah law in Egypt.
He said that abducting nationals of "countries waging wars on Muslims" is the only way to free "our captives, and Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman," the Egyptian cleric.
"This is the only language which they understand," said al-Zawahri, appearing in his customary white turban and robe. "We will keep on seizing more … until we free our captives."
There was little clue to his whereabouts from the video, shot against a backdrop of brown curtains.
He periodically releases video and audio statements. Two weeks ago, an audio recording by him urged holy war over an amateur anti-Islam film produced in the United States. He released a video on this year's anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, claiming that his warriors "defeated America inIraq".
Freeing Abdel-Rahman has become a rallying cause for Islamic militants and jihadists. A group named after him has claimed responsibility before for a June assault on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, which caused no casualties. It caused no casualties, but a bigger attack on Sept. 11 claimed lives of four Americans including the U.S. Ambassador in Libya Chris Stevens.
Relatives and supporters of Abdel-Rahman have been holding a sit-in next to the U.S. Embassy in Cairo for months. Egypt's new Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, under pressure from leading Egyptian jihadists recently released from prison, vowed to push for his release.
Al-Zawahri appeared to be following Egypt's debates over the country's political future, as he called upon ultraconservative clerics in Egypt to ensure clear mention of Islamic Shariah law in the new constitution. Members of Egypt's Salafi trend have been pushing the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group from which Morsi hails, to make the role of Shariah explicit. Liberals fear that the Islamist groups will insert language that can be used to curb freedom of expression and the rights of women and minorities.
"Shariah must be the source of legislation … This must be stated," Zawahri said. "This is the first step to cleanse the constitution and laws in order to implement Islamic Shariah law."
Egypt's old constitution and most drafts of the new one would include some reference to "Shariah" or the "principles" of Shariah, but the exact phrasing could have a major effect on future court rulings on the constitutionality of laws.
Al-Qaida leader also called on Muslims, especially in countries bordering Syria, to support the uprising there.
"I urge Muslims everywhere … to rise up to support the brothers in Syria … to get rid of the cancerous criminal regime," he said. "Syrian people have the right to defend themselves with all means."
The transformation of Syria's uprising into an open war has given an opportunity to foreign fighters and extremists to play a larger role in the uprising, analysts say. President Bashar Assad's regime has long blamed foreign "terrorists" for the country's crisis.
Al-Zawahri accused international community of indirectly approving the killing of Syrians.
"The international community … is giving Assad a license to kill and one chance after the other to curb the Syrian revolution," he said. "They are afraid of a government that seeks victory for Islam and Muslims."
Syria's most Sunni rebels have received support from fellow Sunnis in the Gulf, while Assad's regime, dominated by a Shiite offshoot sect, is allied with Shiite-led Iran.
http://news.yahoo.com/al-qaida-leader-urges-kidnapping-westerners-112909722.html


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IT organizations are seeking ways to transform their delivery model so they can react faster to customer demands, relieve IT budgets, and align better with critical business initiatives. Implementing the cloud is an option, however many customers have trouble finding a starting point.
View this solution brief to discover a flexible reference architecture designed for simple, scalable Microsoft Private Cloud deployments. Read now to learn how you can get the most out of your private cloud, as well as the hardware and software components of this architecture.


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Special Anouncements
Bio Bay
Mangrove Project
Resiliency Project
Wizards of Nature
Financials & Legal
The Vieques Conservation Trust was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1985 under the laws of Puerto Rico. It is a 501(c)(3) federally tax exempt corporation with the EIN 66-0429598. VCHT also holds an Article 1101.01 exemption from the Puerto Rican government.
is to foster, protect and conserve the environmental, archaeological and cultural resources of Vieques.
One of the primary goals is to preserve and study the bioluminescent bays found on the island. The Trust supports a broad array of educational programs for the community, with a special focus on youth through lectures, experiential learning, educational exhibits, seminars, creative and fun environmental education programs, publications, computer resources and a unique scholarship program for Viequense students.
Currently the VCHT has approximately 500 members. These include organizations and individuals from Vieques, mainland Puerto Rico, the United States and countries around the world. We invite you to become a member so you too can be part of this growing conservation effort.
Reaching People
Every year over 10,000 persons visit the Trust: local residents, visitors from the main island, seasonal residents, and tourists from all over the world.
Your Donation
Your generosity helps support environmental education programs created for Viequense children and youth on subjects such as the sustainability of the Island, its ecological diversity and environmentally-friendly ways to earn a living.
Stay in touch to receive news, updates and progress of our programs and conservation efforts
138 Flamboyan Street
BO. Esperanza
Vieques, PR 00765
Cel. 787-741-2844
viequesconservationtrust@gmail.com
Currently the VCHT has approximately 500 members. These include organizations and individuals from Vieques, mainland Puerto Rico, the United States and other countries. We invite you to become a member so you too can be part of this growing conservation effort.
Help us keep alive the conservation of our natural and cultural resources and environmental education programs for generations to come. Endowment gifts are welcome in many forms. Contact us to explore how you can leave a lasting legacy


The film opens with the explorer Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman) traveling with his partner Mr. Lint (David Walliams) to the middle of a lake. There, they come across the fabled Loch Ness Monster. Lionel lassoes the beast and gets a picture of it, but it then grabs Mr. Lint with its jaws and drags him underwater. Lionel dives in to save Mr. Lint, but the camera is destroyed after the monster whips their boat with its tail.
Upon returning to London, Mr. Lint quits being Lionel's partner due to the constant distress he finds himself in, as well as Lionel's obvious lack of care for those he brings along on his trips just for the sake of earning credibility. Lionel looks through his letters and comes across one inviting him to find proof of the existence of the Sasquatch. He then grabs a large stone footprint he came across which he believes belonged to the Sasquatch.
Lionel brings his findings to the Optimates Club, a society of so-called "great men" who devoted themselves to new world discoveries. They have always refused to allow Lionel to join due to his constant lack of proof in his explorations. He speaks to the club's snooty leader, Lord Piggot-Dunceby (Stephen Fry), and offers to find veritable proof of the Sasquatch. The man breaks Lionel's footprint and dismisses his claims, but Lionel tells him he is wrong. Seeing that he is being challenged, Piggot-Dunceby accepts Lionel's wager to join the society if he does find the proof he seeks. After Lionel goes to do so, Piggot-Dunceby tells his assistant Mr. Collick (Matt Lucas) that he is going to hire a bounty hunter, Willard Stenk (Timothy Olyphant), to kill Lionel before he can bring shame to their club.
Lionel travels through Old Kemp Creek to make it to the forest where he discovers the Sasquatch. To his surprise, the creature (Zach Galifianakis) is capable of speech, as well as reading and writing. He brings Lionel to his cave and tells him that he wrote the letter to go find him. He also knows of Lionel due to several unflattering newspaper articles on him. The creature wants Lionel's help in guiding him to the Himalayas where he believes he will find other creatures like himself, and that way he won't feel alone. Lionel agrees and figures he must disguise the creature to get him through a crowd. Lionel dubs him Mr. Link, and they head off together. He tells Mr. Link that they will need to find a map kept by Lionel's old friend, Aldous Fortnight, who has recently passed away and left behind his widow, Adelina (Zoe Saldana).
As the two make their trip, they stop in town for the evening and go into a bar. They are spotted by Stenk and a couple other goons. Lionel knows of Stenk's reputation for hunting game, but also how the Sasquatch has eluded him. After Mr. Link makes himself known to the crowd, Lionel and Stenk begin to fight each other, which extends onto the rest of the patrons who start to fight one another. Lionel and Mr. Link get away, and they realize they have to keep things moving to avoid Stenk. Later, Stenk sends updates to Lord Piggot-Dunceby about his progress (or lack thereof) and quietly follows the two.
Lionel and Mr. Link make their way to Santa Ana to find Adelina. She and Lionel used to be involved before she married Aldous, and Adelina is less than welcoming to Lionel since he didn't go to Aldous's funeral. After Lionel makes it clear he only came for Aldous's map, Adelina tells him no and sends him and Mr. Link on their way. Later that night, Lionel and Mr. Link attempt to sneak back into Adelina's house to get the map, but Mr. Link manages to wake up Adelina and her butler when moving the safe containing the map. The butler shoots the safe out the window by mistake, which allows Lionel to grab it and run away with Mr. Link.
The two arrive at the train station in disguise as a nun, but Adelina gets there and easily spots them. Unfortunately, Stenk is also there and has spotted them, and he begins to shoot at the heroes. Lionel tricks him into believing that they hopped onto the train, but he and Mr. Link, now joined by Adelina, get away and hop onto a carriage to their next destination. On the trip, Adelina warms up to Mr. Link and becomes interested in helping him find Shangri-La, where Aldous believed they would find the Yeti.
The trio gets onto a boat, where Lionel warns Mr. Link of what will happen to him if Stenk finds him, in full graphic detail. However, the only concern Lionel has is to win his wager with Piggot-Dunceby. Annoyed at his insincerity, Adelina talks to Lionel in her room about his treatment of Mr. Link. Lionel goes to find Mr. Link outside where he asks him what kind of name he would prefer. Mr. Link recalls of a time when he saw a prospector who smiled at him instead of running away as everyone else does, and he names himself Susan after her. A moment later, Stenk appears and tries to get the heroes, but they fight him off. In the scuffle, Adelina is accidentally knocked overboard but hangs on for her life. Susan goes to save her, albeit clumsily. Lionel manages to evade Stenk once again and gets away on a boat with Adelina and Susan. Stenk reports his failure to Lord Piggot-Dunceby once again, and we cut to him throwing a tantrum.
The heroes travel through India before reaching a town to find a guide named Gamu (Ching Valdez-Aran). They are overheard by Gamu's granddaughter Ama (Amrita Acharia), who brings them to Gamu's home. After an awkward few minutes where Susan eats yak-based food and mentions Gamu's chicken (which Ama warned them not to do), he reveals himself as a beast, which causes Gamu to faint. After she wakes up, she points them in the direction of the mountain where they may find the Yeti. Later on, Gamu's home is found by Piggot-Dunceby, Stenk, and Mr. Collick, who threaten Gamu's great-grandson so she can tell them where the heroes are headed.
The trio reaches Shangri-La and are found by the Yeti, who bring them to the Yeti Elder (Emma Thompson). She shows them their land, but they regard Susan as their "country cousin", and therefore not fit to live among them. The Elder orders her soldiers to throw the heroes into a pit as prisoners. Down there, Susan feels sad that his own kind would reject him, while Lionel continues to grouse about not making it into the Optimates Club, but Adelina tells him off over how selfish he is and the fact that those men don't care for him, so he has no reason to do so himself. After cheering him up, Susan helps Lionel and Adelina get out of the pit before he climbs out himself.
The three attempt to make their escape, but Susan draws the Yeti's attention to them, and they chase after the heroes. Outside, they try to run across the ice bridge, only for Piggot-Dunceby, Collick, and Stenk to corner them. Piggot-Dunceby wants to make sure Lionel never brings back proof of Susan's existence, but Lionel finally tells HIM off on how he no longer cares about joining the club and that Susan is his friend. Piggot-Dunceby then shoots the bridge and starts smashing it to kill the heroes, but his plan backfires, and he falls to his death as everyone runs to the other end. Mr. Collick soon follows. The heroes then hang on for dear life as Stenk stands above them and tries to kill them just for his own pride. Lionel pulls him down, and they begin to slap-fight just as Susan attempts to hold onto an icicle to save his friends. Stenk falls and holds onto Lionel's foot, but the tip of the icicle breaks off and falls onto Stenk, sending him to his doom. After pulling themselves up, the heroes look back at the Yeti, and Susan blows the Elder a raspberry.
As their journey has come to an end, Lionel attempts to make his move on Adelina, but she decides to set off on her own adventure and to live for herself. Lionel decides to ask Susan to be his new exploring partner, to which he accepts. The two return back to London and head off on their next case. The last we see is a framed photo of Lionel and Susan together as friends.
An explorer named Sir Lionel Frost has always dreamed of making a grand discovery in order to join the Optimates Club, even though they don't care for him and constantly reject him. When Lionel is invited to find the fabled Sasquatch, he takes a trip and meets the creature, who is actually capable of speech, reading, and writing. Lionel names the creature Mr. Link (and later Susan) and decides to aid him on his quest to the Himalayas where they may find other creatures like him.
The two are joined by Lionel's old flame, Adelina Fortnight, who uses her late husband's map to guide them. The heroes are pursued by a bounty hunter named Willard Stenk, hired by the Optimates Club leader Lord Piggot-Dunceby. After evading the hunter numerous times, the heroes reach Shangri-La where they meet a tribe of Yeti, but they reject Susan as they don't view him as being like them. They keep the heroes prisoner, but they escape after Adelina tells Lionel that he has always been selfish and less concerned with those around him.
As the heroes get away, they are found by Lord Piggot-Dunceby, Stenk, and the former's assistant Mr. Collick. Lionel tells him off and says he no longer wants any part in the club, and that he regards Susan as his friend. Lord Piggot-Dunceby responds by trying to destroy the ice bridge they are standing on, but the heroes run to the other side as Piggot-Dunceby and Collick fall to their deaths. Stenk tries to kill the heroes for his own ego, but he plummets to his demise as well. The heroes leave, but not before Susan blows a raspberry to the Yeti Elder for being a jerk.
Lionel and Susan part ways with Adelina as she sets off on her own adventure, while Lionel brings Susan back to London so that they may explore the world together.


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Saoirse Ronan receives third Golden Globes nod on very good day for Irish
Updated / Monday, 11 Dec 2017 23:00
Saoirse Ronan - Nominated for her acclaimed performance in Lady Bird
Saoirse Ronan has received her third Golden Globe nomination for her starring role in Lady Bird, and on a very good day for the Irish, animated film The Breadwinner, Phantom Thread star Daniel Day-Lewis, Outlander's Caitriona Balfe and writer-director Martin McDonagh are also among the nominees.
Ronan is nominated in the Best Actress - Musical or Comedy category alongside Judi Dench (Victoria & Abdul), Helen Mirren (The Leisure Seeker), Margot Robbie (I, Tonya) and Emma Stone (Battle of the Sexes).
Lady Bird has also received nominations for Best Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Screenplay (Greta Gerwig) and Best Supporting Actress (Laurie Metcalf).
Loosely based on writer-director Greta Gerwig's own experiences growing up in Northern California, Lady Bird sees Ronan's character, Christine 'Lady Bird' McPherson, desperate to leave home and her overbearing mother (Metcalf) for the wider worldview of college life.
Saoirse Ronan pictured at a VIP screening of Lady Bird in Dublin
Ronan, who had twice been nominated for Golden Globes in the past, has received rave reviews for her performance in the coming of age story, and is also shortlisted for the upcoming Critics' Choice and Independent Spirit Awards.
London Irish writer-director Martin McDonagh has seen his film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri pick up six nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress - Drama (Frances McDormand), Best Supporting Actor (Sam Rockwell) and Best Score (Carter Burwell).
Described as darkly comic, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri follows Mildred Hayes (McDormand), a grieving mother railing against the lack of progress in the investigation into her daughter's murder.
She posts three controversial messages outside her hometown, which put her on a collision course with the local police chief (Woody Harrelson) and his deputy (Rockwell).
The Breadwinner is the latest film from Kilkenny's Cartoon Saloon and director Nora Twomey. It has been executive produced by Oscar winner Angelina Jolie.
Adapted from Deborah Ellis' young adult bestseller of the same name, The Breadwinner tells the story of Parvana, a young girl living under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. When her father is unjustly imprisoned, Parvana has to disguise herself as a boy in a bid to make ends meet.
Having recently announced his retirement from acting, Wicklow resident Daniel Day-Lewis, who holds dual British and Irish citizenship, is among the Best Actor contenders for his swan song performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread.
Day-Lewis previously won Golden Globes for Lincoln and There Will Be Blood and has five other nominations to his name. This year at the Globes, he is nominated alongside Timothée Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name),
Tom Hanks (The Post), Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) and Denzel Washington (Roman J Israel, Esq).
Daniel Day-Lewis in Phantom Thread
In the television categories, Outlander star Catriona Balfe received her third Golden Globe nomination. Also nominated are: Claire Foy (The Crown), Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Deuce), Katherine Langford (13 Reasons Why) and Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale).
Such incredible news today. I am beyond delighted to be nominated for @goldenglobes Thank you to the HFPA and congratulations to Maggie, Claire, Elizabeth and Katherine. I'm pinching myself just being in the company of these amazing women. 😊😘😊😘😊😘
— Caitriona Balfe (@caitrionambalfe) December 11, 2017
Catriona Balfe has received her third Golden Globe nomination for Outlander
The Golden Globes take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in California on Sunday January 7, 2018.
The Golden Globe nominations - the full list:
Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water
Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Ridley Scott, All the Money in the World
Steven Spielberg, The Post
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Judi Dench, Victoria & Abdul
Helen Mirren, The Leisure Seeker
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
Emma Stone, Battle of the Sexes
Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Steve Carell, Battle of the Sexes
Ansel Elgort, Baby Driver
James Franco, The Disaster Artist
Hugh Jackman, The Greatest Showman
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Jessica Chastain, Molly's Game
Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Meryl Streep, The Post
Michelle Williams, All the Money in the World
Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Timothée Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
Tom Hanks, The Post
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington, Roman J Israel, Esq
Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Armie Hammer, Call Me By Your Name
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Mary J Blige, Mudbound
Hong Chau, Downsizing
Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water
A Fantastic Woman
In the Fade
The Square
The Breadwinner
Loving Vincent
Home, Ferdinand
Mighty River, Mudbound
Remember Me, Coco
The Star, The Star
This Is Me, The Greatest Showman
Best TV Series - Drama
Best Actress in a TV Series - Drama
Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Deuce
Katherine Langford, 13 Reasons Why
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale
Best Actor in a TV Series - Drama
Sterling K Brown, This Is Us
Freddie Highmore, The Good Doctor
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Best TV Movie or Limited-Series
Top of the Lake: China Girl
Best Actor in a Limited-Series or TV Movie
Robert De Niro, Wizard of Lies
Jude Law, The Young Pope
Kyle MacLachlan, Twin Peaks
Ewan McGregor, Fargo
Geoffrey Rush, Genius
Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Limited-Series, or TV Movie
Laura Dern, Big Little Lies
Ann Dowd, The Handmaid's Tale
Chrissy Metz, This Is Us
Michelle Pfeiffer, Wizard of Lies
Shailene Woodley, Big Little Lies
Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Limited-Series or TV Movie
David Harbour, Stranger Things
Alfred Molina, Feud: Bette and Joan
Christian Slater, Mr Robot
Alexander Skarsgard, Big Little Lies
David Thewlis, Fargo
Best Actress in a Limited-Series or TV Movie
Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
Jessica Lange, Feud: Bette and Joan
Susan Sarandon, Feud: Bette and Joan
Reese Witherspoon, Big Little Lies
Best Actress in a TV Series - Comedy
Pamela Adlon, Better Things
Alison Brie, GLOW
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
Issa Rae, Insecure
Frankie Shaw, SMILF
Best Actor in a TV Series - Comedy
Aziz Ansari, Master of None
Kevin Bacon, I Love Dick
William H Macy, Shameless
Eric McCormack, Will & Grace
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
The Breadwinner named Best Animated Film by LA Critics


text:
@import Foundation;
@class FBKVOController;

@interface _SWLRillDependency : NSObject

+ (instancetype)dependencyWithObject:(id)object keyPath:(NSString *)keyPath controller:(FBKVOController *)controller;

- (BOOL)isDependencyForObject:(id)object withKeyPath:(NSString *)keyPath;

- (void)stopObserving;

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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HomeUncategorizedMayor Madden: Leonard Hospital Demolition...
Mayor Madden: Leonard Hospital Demolition Moving Forward
May 30, 2019 by Troy City Hall
City moving ahead with removal of asbestos, demolition of building located in Troy's Lansingburgh neighborhood
Removal of former medical facility part of Madden administration's commitment to neighborhood revitalization
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TROY, NY – Mayor Patrick Madden today announced the City of Troy has selected contractors to demolish the former Leonard Hospital building in north Troy. The long-abandoned 140,000 sqf medical facility – located at 74 New Turnpike Road in Troy's historic Lansingburgh neighborhood – will undergo asbestos remediation prior to demolition of the structure.
Mayor Madden said, "For too long, the Leonard Hospital building has harmed property values and decreased the quality of life for families and businesses in our Lansingburgh neighborhood. Demolition of this blighted structure will create new opportunities for neighborhood revitalization and investment in north Troy, part of my administration's commitment to support our diverse neighborhoods and positively impact the future of our community. I am proud to advance this long-awaited project safely and responsibly, and look forward to the first phase of operations to begin."
Completed in 1972, the Leonard Hospital served families in Troy and surrounding Capital Region communities for over twenty years before closing two decades ago. Prior to pursuing demolition, the city explored possible options for reuse of the building but the age and condition of the structure was found unsuitable for alternative uses. The approximately 6.4 acre site will be reviewed through a community lead initiative for future development options after the demolition is complete.
Demolition of Leonard Hospital is scheduled in two phases. First, removal of asbestos from the building will occur, followed by the controlled deconstruction of the structure. Work is expected to begin early summer and continue through the fall season.
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A big plus about M-School (among sooo many things) is that it operates like a school and an internship all in one. My undergraduate degree wasn't related to journalism, so I had to seek out that experience through freelancing professionally and editing and writing for my student newspaper. What I've quickly learned in this profession is that one of the most important things you can do if you want to be a writer and editor is to learn by just doing — and my time at M-School and Chatelaine gave me that opportunity. A sentiment that I want to echo from previous Chatelaine interns is that I had the honour of working with a remarkable team of supportive and ambitious women who wanted to see everyone shine.
Writing, fact-checking, editing, interviewing, researching, pitching, working on WordPress, doing reposts from other publications, refreshing health posts, transcribing, helping out with social media and print production, and more.
The day starts off with an early morning scrum meeting where we'd discuss the happenings of Chatelaine. I'd keep tabs on studies, trends, or recent news the night before and the morning of the meeting, and bring that list with me to run it by the editors. Other than pitching, I'd also give suggestions on reposts, or resurfacing past posts for social media. Then the rest of the day would deal with whatever needs to be done first in my schedule. You're treated just like any masthead member at the magazine, you're given a great amount of trust and responsibility over what you want to get out of this internship, so each day is different. I can usually be found writing, editing, fact-checking, researching for a new story to tell, getting to know my coworkers, going to a seminar, interviewing subjects — or even modelling for another Roger's publication. (No, seriously! At one point I modelled lipstick for FLARE.).


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There's something therapeutic about washing a car, or in this case, watching a well-used workhouse of a car get meticulously cleaned and buffed for the first time in a long while. Before putting it up for sale, the guys at Gears & Gasoline took their Subaru Forester camera car to Automotive Aesthetic in Charlottesville, VA for some much needed TLC—the 200,000 mile Subie had apparently never been washed in almost a year of ownership. Automotive Aesthetic owner Daniel Wendell takes us through the process of washing, polishing, and protecting the black Forester and the professionalism and passion on display is pretty cool to see.
In addition to well-known methods such as the using two buckets and grit guards, Daniel gives tips and insights on minimizing visible swirl marks, rejuvenating faded headlights, and properly maintaining a recently-detailed car's mirror finish. After a two-stage correction, other than a few rough edges and the inevitable dings and dents from 200,000 miles of driving, this Forester's finish is restored and looks like it could've lived on a showroom floor for the past ten years.
As the fellow owner of a second-hand black car in need of a good paint correction, I may have to finally bite the bullet and give my local detailer a call after this video.


text:
package ar.com.crypticmind.basewebapp.integration

import org.scalatest.{ BeforeAndAfterAll, Matchers, WordSpecLike }
import ar.com.crypticmind.basewebapp.testsupport.TestCore

trait IntegrationTest extends TestCore with WordSpecLike with Matchers with BeforeAndAfterAll {

  override def afterAll() {
    actorSystem.shutdown()
  }

}


Lower back pain is a common condition, most commonly caused by discogenic back pain, which is a degenerative condition. The term "discogenic pain'' means that one or more intervertebral discs are the pain source. The symptoms of discogenic back pain include local pain and stiffness.
Originally it may come and go. Each time it returns, the individual may see a gradual increase in intensity, or the pain may last longer. In advanced stages, it may result in referral pain into the arms or legs along with weakness, tingling or numbness into the upper or lower extremities.
Our bodies undergo many changes as we age. There is typically a gradual change in the spinal structures, notably involving the intervertebral disc. Discogenic pain is usually associated with activities that increase the pressure within the intervertebral disc. These activities include sitting, bending forward, coughing and sneezing, which usually increases back pain. Leg or arm pain is often caused by pinching of the nerves in the neck or lower back.
How can discs cause pain? Discs are comprised of two parts: the out layers, called the annulus fibrosis, and a centrally located gel- like structure called the nucleus pulpous. Each intervertebral disc has a nerve supply in the outer third layer of the annulus fibrosis.
One of the most common causes for discogenic pain occurs when the disc tears or cracks due to its degenerative changes, allowing the nucleus pulpous to move out from the center into the weakened annulus fibrosis. This allows a chemical to be released, which irritates the annular nerves, and can cause pain. This condition is best visualized on an MRI.
At the Back Pain Insitute of Fort Myers, we use a treatment technique called the VAX- D, which is a table- like device that applies a distractive force to the lumbar or cervical spine. The procedure is controlled via computer technology, which is designed to avoid stimulation of the proprioceptors that can cause muscle guarding. This device was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1989 for treatment of herniated and degenerative disc disease and radicular pain.
In 2005, a landmark study confirmed that the VAX- D therapy is one of the most effective treatments for chronic lower back pain. This study was sponsored by Independence Blue Cross. It demonstrated that the VAX- D treatment was 88.8 percent successful on more than 430 patients who were observed. The patients selected for the study had failed at least two previous non- surgical treatments. This information was provided by VAX- D leading expert Dr. John Hapka, D. C., of the Back Pain Institute of Fort Myers, Inc. To learn more about the VAX- D treatment, call 239- 936- 2225 or visit backpainswfl. com.
VAX- D works by alternately stretching and relaxing the lower spine, thereby relieving pressure on structures in the back ( the "cushion" discs and vertebral bones) that cause lower back pain. Dr. John Hapka is a leading VAX- D expert.


As long as Kevin J. Anderson is still alive to go through your notes with Nick, you're fine.
See, that's what I want. The full VC Andrews where dozens of books are written posthumously in my name based on "notes".
You are in a race against time with your inner slashfic perv.


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The English Way, El Camino Inglés, also known as Camino de Los Ingleses, originates at the north coast of Spain in Ferrol or A Coruña. This route can be traced all the way to the 12th century when it served as the main access route to Santiago for pilgrims coming from England, Scotland, Ireland and other Nordic countries. Nowadays, the English way is still well maintained and easily accessible, although the experience is bound to be rather solitary.
Comparing to other routes Camino Inglés is considerably shorter, the distance from Ferrol to Santiago being just 118km. Although A Coruña is considered other starting point, walking from this harbor town will not qualify you for the pilgrim's certificate. To obtain one, you would need to walk on foot at least 100km, and the route from A Coruna only rounds up to 74km.
The shorter distance requires the pilgrims to be a bit more pedant when it comes to collecting the stamps. Since walking only the minimum distance, the pilgrim's office needs to be sure that the distance has indeed been walked and the certificate is deserved. Usually, two stamps per day are required. The first one-half way through the stage and the other one at the end.
10 Why Walk the Camino Inglés?
From the geographical point of view, the route originates in Ártabro Gulf which is formed by the collection of sea inlets of A Coruña, Betanzos, Ares and Ferrol, located between the Costa da Morte to the south, and the Rías Altas to the east.
Neither the route from Ferrol nor the one starting in A Coruña offer you alternative paths, making the walk pretty straightforward. The two ways meet in Hospital de Bruma from where they continue to Santiago.
As per the Ferrol alternative, it might be worth mentioning though that a possibility to make a shortcut in the very first stage, crossing the Ría de Ferrol by the national road bridge. Nonetheless, given the route is relatively short as it is, we do not recommend it.
The first stage offers quite a few breathtaking seascapes and clandestine places. However, the experience is slightly affected by numerous roads, urban infrastructures as well as great navy and military facilities. The most interesting countryside awaits you during the 38km between Miño and Hospital de Bruma, which takes you through a rural, mountainous and a territory, sprinkled with small villages dedicated to both livestock and agriculture. Finally, the last part of the way, from Hospital de Bruma to Santiago, leads you mostly through quiet winding rural roads.
If we were to rank all the pilgrimages based on the difficulty, the English Way would somewhere in the middle, between the hard routes (like Camino Primitivo) and the undemanding ways (like Camino Portugués). The section with the most broken orography and a few notable ups and downs are the 28 km between Betanzos and Hospital of Bruma; The 20 km before that, from Pontedeume to Betanzos, there are also a few ascents and descents but of a more moderate character.
In this part of Spain, an efficient and straightforward waymarking is essential; otherwise, it would be impossible to advance quickly through a territory riddled with crossroads, forks in the road, intertwining forest tracks and local roads. This is another good reason to opt for Ferrol-Santiago route.
The waymarking between Ferrol and Santiago is very good, signaled by the classic milestones with shell symbol and painted yellow arrows. However, if starting from A Coruña, leaving the city behind can leave you quite confused.
From Ferrol, the route passes through counties of Neda, Fene, Cabanas, Pontedeume, Miño, Paderne, Betanzos, Abegondo, Mesía, Ordes, Oroso and Santiago. The A Coruña alternative takes you through Culleredo, Cambre, Carral, Abegondo and Mesía, where it unites with Ferrol itinerary. The services along the route are distributed pretty evenly. Thus it is unlikely you will find yourself stranded without food or water in the middle of nowhere.
As for the weather, the Camino Inglés is accessible at any time of the year, since the proximity of the sea both moderate the cold in winter and ease the heat in summer. However, due to its exposure to the Atlantic, it is also the route with the rainiest days. Going 5 or 6 days without a shower is unlikely.
There are dedicated pilgrim albergues in Neda, Pontedeume, Miño, Betanzos, Presedo and Bruma and other affordable alternatives are available in Ferrol, A Coruña, Pontedeume, Betanzos, Ordenes, and Sigueiro. Although evenly distributed, the accommodation is not sufficient during the busiest periods (Easter holidays, July and August). The most critical places that desperately need an albergue are Ferrol and Sigüeiro (which often transforms the local sports center into a shelter for pilgrims with reservation) while the albergue in Bruma is calling for an extension.
Despite being short in distance, the route it is not short on historical sites. There are numerous medieval churches, chapels, and ruins along the way.
If starting in or making a detour through A Coruña, do not miss the Roman Lighthouse (Tower of Hercules). Leaving from Ferrol, be sure to visit the monastery church in Xubia as well as the Church of Santiago and the church or San Miguel de Breamo in Pontedeume. Hospital de Bruma offers a medieval chapel of San Lourenzo while Lambre is known for a medieval bridge.
One of the best guidebooks available is the The Camino Inglés (Pilgrim Guides to Spain # 7) by John Walker. You can either purchase a hard copy or download a free up-to-date PDF version online. If you are up for something more modern, there is a handy app 'Camino Inglés – A Wise Pilgrim Guide' (available for both iPhones and iPads) which provides current information about the route, services, and albergues.
For a flight, bus, and train connection check out goeuro.com, which lists the cheapest available links from multiple transport companies. Alternatively, you can look up connections at Monbus, Arriva or Alsa which also operate in the region. Nonetheless, it is not advised to skip stages by bus unless you have serious (health) reasons as you can lose the right to the pilgrim certificate.
Why Walk the Camino Inglés?
If you only have a few days to spare, if you don't like demanding terrain or, simply if you are not a huge fun of staggering heat, the Camino Inglés might be just the route for you. It takes no more than five days to hike, the air will always stay fresh, and terrain gives you nothing to be worried about. Although it has become more and more popular over the years, it still offers one of the most solitary authentic experiences. Part of the authenticity is the lack of English along the way, so you might need to brush up on your Spanish skill so you can ask about directions, accommodation or other handy services.


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I was living in Michigan, about ten years after undergrad without any real notion of what I wanted in my art practice or how to go about attaining those goals, I just knew it was time to leave my home state and find something new. At the time, in Michigan, I was working with a loose group of peers collaboratively putting together pop-up art shows, noise music events as well as performing in a local puppetry theater. I was searching for my group, my people, but I missed working on my own art and it had been a long time since I asked myself what I needed to make. One day, I moved. After about a year living in Portland, and six months unemployed, I applied to the AC+D program one day, quickly got rejected and then, months after I applied, was asked if I would reconsider attending the program. I had finally found work painting apartment complexes that summer, but after reconsidering the offer, I quit that job and joined the first class of the AC+D program in 2009.
I was interested AC+D because it was not defined in any clear or concrete terms. I couldn't get a straight answer about what the program was and somehow that was intriguing to me at the time. It was an opportunity to make it my own and that approach seemed the most welcome as a member of the initiating class. We did just that. It was nuts, it was an incredible amount of hard work to build something from nothing, literally starting with a massive empty warehouse, but we did it, slowly.
I didn't have the vocabulary at the time but another intriguing aspect of the program was its nebulous notion of things. It did not ascribe to a hierarchy of objects. Art claimed nothing. Neither craft nor design did for that matter really either that first year. We were a group of misfits who were excited to start the conversation over from scratch. A lot of bad things were made that first year! Important things!
The first striking thing about the program was in comprehending the amount of infrastructure that is required when starting a project from nothing. Not only in architecture and facilities but as well as in rhetoric and ideology. The creative practices of my peers and I had little in common with each other than we were gluttons for punishment with propensities towards blue-collar labor. Doing that work made me appreciate everything it takes to start something new, something without precedent, or at the very least, a program specifically designed not to align itself with preconditioned limitations, allowing the students to openly experiment. The program was created by and through the student's individual needs and interests. The exceptional vulnerability on behalf of both college's during the programs conception, shows great strength and belief in the faculty and the students involved during in the first year. The very core of the program incorporated the design thinking process we students were learning for our own practices. At times a hardship, trying to build and define the program as well as our own creative pursuits at the same time, the ACD program taught me to define my own value systems and approaches for making, thinking and distributing the work I needed to make.
The ACD program extremely expanded my notion of things. I went there, well beyond my small world of stuff, well beyond my comfort zone; and it took me a long time to get back after graduation. My practicum has drastically altered how I relate to objects, in making and conception. In the beginning of my MFA education my art practice was based on the object, solid ceramic things I could mold in my hands; my notion of the world was concrete but felt off kilter in a way I had not yet understood. That led to a deep investigation and understanding of material consciousness. Material as form, material as concept. During the final semester of my Practicum, both material and objects came to be defined by space, both physically and virtually. Now-a-days, some eight years after graduation, my approach to ceramic sculpture is based on what I opened my mind up to for my Practicum. The shape of space is defined by the boundaries I set in clay. Due to the process of ceramics, it always has to be hollow. In my earlier ceramic career that was always an afterthought, a necessity for firing clay works in the kiln. Now, space is the driving intention for making a form around. The Practicum has helped me look at my art practice from a different and often opposite vantage point. I'm standing on the other side of the expansive valley of things now. Craft and Design Thinking support my art practice both in technique as well as intention. I make for myself as well as the viewer now.
Currently I live in Philadelphia, PA. I've been here since 2014. I am a full time artist-in-residence at The Clay Studio; a five-year gig. I am employed as the Ceramic Supervisor and Technician in the Materials and Craft Studies Program at the University of the Arts. As an instructor, I teach part time at both institutions as well. Next summer I will be researching my interest in Geomythology while traveling in Iceland for two months thanks to a generous grant from the Independence Grant Foundation and a residency at The NES Foundation.
Be selfish. Do what you want, make the program your own, yer paying a lot of money and spending a lot of time. Allow yourself the freedom to fail. At first, create without precedent or limitation. Make a lot; fill the dumpster! Read a lot; fill your head. Write a lot; exhaust all your seemingly amazing ideas. Try a different medium. Learn a new skill; take an undergraduate class. Sleep a lot. Stay up late talking to your peers. Get to know the other students in the other graduate programs. Spend time in the library. Be nice to your peers, they are your people. Drink green tea.