Maybe it's the red stop light that annoys you because you are in a rush. But wait, look around you and you'll see that little toddler desperately prying from his mother's grasp and you're reminded of your own little brother who once held so tight to your mom and refused to let go. And you pause to think of how gentle your Mother's hands were and for once you want to be a kid again. There, now red lights have new meaning and purpose. It allowed you to escape from the monotony of life and take trips down memory lane.
The light turns green and you continue to your orthodontist appointment only to arrive to hear the words, "We are thirty minutes behind schedule." Wait before you pout, your Bible is in your purse, pull it out and use this time to read it. And you read for twenty minutes and suddenly your highlighter falls on the floor and a precious curly-haired five year old runs from across the room and picks it up and hands it to you with a crooked smile. She smooths the wrinkles in your blue, vintage pencil skirt and as you whisper, "Thank you, beautiful," her emerald colored eyes remind you of your niece, and so does the softness of her hands.
She makes you miss your niece, so you FaceTime your oldest sister and make silly faces with your niece. And then your name is called and you realize time passed rapidly and the delay was harmless. You beam at the office staff as they enthusiastically find new ways to bridge the gaps in your mouth.
As you leave the orthodontist, you watch a young, pregnant mom struggle with her backpack to catch the bus. She misses it. You glance at your watch and even though you are off work, you have a lunch date with your best friend in an hour but who cares, today has shown you that there is beauty in all things if we only take the time to observe it. So you offer her a ride. She opens up to you about her life - she is an honor student in college, majoring in law (your dream career) and she got pregnant from her boyfriend who wants to marry her but she is apprehensive. Here is your moment, it has practically fallen in your lap. So you tell her, "I was once where you are and I made it through the tough times. I am a teacher now."
"How'd you do it?" she asks.
"By the grace of God," you reply.
"Did you ever want to give up?"
"Let me guess, God helped you through, right?"
"He sure did. How'd you know?"
"Because we serve the same God. I accepted Jesus as my Savior three weeks ago. And my life has changed. I'm changing. He's wrecking me, daily."
You smile. What joy it is to meet someone who has a relationship with God. Who cares if she came wrapped in frumpled hair and a stiff summer day? She is His - God's daughter.
You exchange numbers, hug her extremely tight and promise to keep in touch with her. You watch her fade in the wind, and as you glance down at your watch, you realize you have ten minutes to get to your lunch date. Your heart skips a beat not for the thought of being late but because God is so good.
As you pull up to the restaurant, you notice your friend is not there. She's late but it is perfectly fine. When she does arrive, she is all smiles as she starts, "Let me explain." You tell her there is no need and she laughs and says, "Mrs. Impatient" is not upset?" You tell her about your day over lunch and she understands that God is doing a work in you and it started today.
Parting ways with your friend, you go for a walk in the park and for the first time the homeless man who feeds the pigeons becomes someone more. You converse with him and learns his name is Nathan and realize he suffers from depression and would rather live in poverty than to inflict his family. You take his filthy hands and clasp them together and pray for him. You look into his eyes and say, "God loves you. Do you believe that?"
"How would I know?" he asks.
"Because he gave his only begotten son - Jesus. That is how you know."
"Tell me about this Jesus," he pleads earnestly.
And so for three hours, you share Christ in the middle of the park with a total stranger in need of a Savior and a friend. Before you leave, you hug him, overlooking the filth and dander. That doesn't matter when a soul is at stake. You run to a nearby convenience store and buy him a prepaid phone and input your number and tell him to promise to call because you want to help him return to humanity.
With tears in your eyes you don't even remember where you parked your car, but it is okay. Everything about today was delayed but all with a purpose and something greater at stake.
You touched lives and lives touched you. You connected with people you would normally ignore. God is wrecking you and you are loving every bit of it. Someone matters more than yourself. Time is simply an element and agent of what you do with it.
Today, you found beauty in what is normally not beautiful. In moments that you could have exercised anger or malcontent, you chose to see the beauty in each situation.
As you turn on the t.v. to watch the evening news, there is a local church hosting a revival and people are lined up to interview and you are shocked because you see the little girl from the orthodontist and when asked why she attended the revival service she says, "I have leukemia and I want a miracle and today I saw an angel at the orthodontist. She smiled at me. And her blue skirt reminded me of heaven."
Next in line was the young mom. She'd make a great lawyer someday, you think. When asked why she came to the revival she says, "I believe in God and my faith has been wavering. I was on my way home to commit suicide because life has been tough but God didn't want that because out of the blue he sent an angel in a blue skirt with the prettiest smile I've ever seen to talk with me.
You look down at your skirt and the tears fall more.
The next person to speak was Nathan, the homeless guy.
"I, too, met an angel in a blue skirt. She bought me this phone and said to call her so she could get me out this situation. What she doesn't know is I called my wife and she said I can come home. She's been praying for me and since she could not contact me she asked God to please let me talk to someone. What my angel doesn't know is I haven't talked to a soul in years because no one stopped to even talk to me. She was the first to care. For the first time I felt human. She made me feel like I mattered despite what I looked like. And she told me about Jesus. I learned about Jesus today. Jesus! Jesus! I love you and I receive you in my life!"
With tears in your eyes, you grab your keys and start for the door. You run to find the church's revival. Hearing those testimonies gives you new reasons to live. You refuse to sign death's contract. Revival means to awaken to new life in Christ and with all you have left, you are determined to live again. Cancer will not kill you - at least not without a fight. You learned an invaluable lesson with time today. It is a gift and even when it is not on your side, it can be on someone else's if we stopped for a moment to access the beauty in delays and how time's grasp or lack thereof can possibly save someone's life.
Besides, if a five year old can believe in miracles then surely you can since you witnessed God in a new way today.
And now as you near traffic, you catch a red light. And you smile. Time is precious. Even when halted. And God is good all the time.
MiMi's Note: I pray you enjoyed my first piece of Christian fiction. This blog is different and to some readers it is a pleasant surprise, I pray. I write a lot but I seldomly share. And I think it is because I struggle with finding my own voice as a writer. And I shouldn't. God made me and I need to be confident in ALL the gifts He gave me. "Something Blue" is semi-autobiographical but mostly fiction. I observe. I digest. I remember. I recall. And then I write. And sometimes I share. So feel special that I invited you into my world to share the ink of my pen and my most intimate moments and thoughts.
Thanks for reading, Gemima. All glory to God.
Dear Lord let me be your hands and feet in this lost world and be like you Jesus. This is a great post Mimi.Today I was confirmed at church and having to read this affirmed my purpose as a Christian. I ask God that my actions mirror his and bring people closer to him for his glory only. I love you Mimi.
Wow! Amazing. Thanks for reading. Do share. All glory to God.
Your comment has me in tears, Luci. I love when God moves and convicts. That means we are keen to what He has to say. I pray you move as He sees fit in your life to do His will. Thanks for reading.
Yay Mimi! Enjoy your gifts, Enjoy every bit of what God has made you to be. This is so beautiful :) Keep Writing!!
Thank you for reading. I can only pray to use what God blessed me with to help another.
I was blessed by this! Thank you!
Wow! Awesome! Blessed! Inspired! Thank you!
Thanks for reading, Ada. All glory to God.
Wow. Thanks so much. I credit God for all I am. My gifts glorify Him and make Jesus known. That is all I want to do.
My first time visiting your blog, and I love it! I only recently came to understand what it really means to be a Christian. And because writing is a talent I have and I'm trying to develop, I've been thinking a lot about Christian writing especially fiction so you can imagine my excitement on reading this! I could so relate with the note at the end of the post. God bless you and continue to use you to bless people miles apart. I'm from Ghana!
Powerful! Powerful! Thank you so much for sharing! By doing so you've allowed GOD to use you just as the "Angel" in your story. Simply powerful!!
Beautiful. I love reading your blog!


On behalf of Barli & Associates LLC posted in divorce on Friday, September 8, 2017.
Most states use the legal theory of "equitable distribution" to divide the property owned by two spouses, and New Jersey is one of them. This concept means that all property acquired by either or spouse during marriage — with several important exceptions — will be divided in a reasonable and fair manner. Although this could result in a 50-50 asset division, it doesn't have to as long as the division is fair.
What are the ages of each spouse?
What are the physical health and emotional health conditions of the spouses?
How much does each spouse earn in income?
What is the standard of living enjoyed by the spouses?
What economic circumstances do the spouses enjoy individually?
How much did both spouses contribute to the marital estate during the marriage, including the contribution and value that homemaker added through his or her services?
Other issues that the court feels are relevant to the decision.
Do you have questions about who should receive what following your divorce proceedings? You may want to reach out to a New Jersey divorce lawyer to determine the asset division rights you have in your marriage.
Depending on how much you're likely to receive in your asset division process, you may want to make different decisions during your divorce process. For example, should accept your soon-to-be ex's divorce settlement offer? Is the offer fair? Or, should resolve your asset division disagreement in New Jersey court? Our website has helpful information.


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5 recommended sakes available in the US
It became a hot topic that "washoku" (Japanese food) was registered in 2013 as a world intangible cultural heritage (the purpose is to protect the culture deeply related to the country's history and customs, and to support understanding of people in other countries).
And sake is attracting attention as a liquor that maximizes the appeal of Japanese food, and the amount of sake exported overseas continues to increase.
For this issue, we would like to introduce sake that we would like you to try and that you can get in the United States.
Please find your favorite sake.
"Dassai" Asahi Brewery
The popular "dassai" in Japan is a sake that Yamaguchi Prefecture is proud of. It is also famous that Prime Minister Abe gifted this sake to President Obama.
It is easy to drink with a fruity taste and is easy to drink even for people who are not good at sake, so it is also popular by women and people who do not usually drink so much. It is a very popular sake in Japan that people sometimes must wait several months to get their hands on it.
Asahi Brewery, which produces this sake, is also famous for taking various new initiatives, and they are also known as a pioneer for Japanese sake as they advanced into the global market early, and are also said to be one of the key factors in sake being served at American restaurants as well. This is a Japanese sake that is accepted not only in the United States but also in the capital of food, France.
Although it is said that it is difficult to come across in Japan, many stores in Los Angeles handle it.
Please look for it when you stop by.
"Born" Kato Kichibei Shoten
"Born" is a pure rice daiginjo from Kato Kichibei Shoten located in Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture. The English name is "BORN" and a name that means creation. It is famous in the world, and not only in Japan but also in the United States.
This ultimate liquor, handcrafted with a tradition that does not rely on machinery, and aged for a long period of time, has won numerous awards. In 2016, it won the Grand Prix at the International Award held in Texas, USA, and received the Silver Prize of the International Wine Challenge 2108 SAKE category in 2018. It is gaining popularity as a sake to drink in wine glasses.
This is a masterpiece of Japan that has been designated as an in-flight drink for government planes, is used at events to welcome overseas leaders and customers, and has also been served to President Clinton.
If you find it at the store, please definitely try it out.
"Kurosawa Junmai Kimoto" Kurosawa Brewery
Kurosawa Sake Brewery in Nagano Prefecture has a very long history dating back to the 1858 Ansei period. This Junmai Daiginjo is highly regarded throughout the United States.
This is a sake brewed in the mid-winter season where you can feel its sweetness of rice, soft taste, a pleasant sourness and powerful richness, and a complex flavor that combines the five tastes of "sweet, sour, spicy, bitter and astringent".
This is a sake that has been featured in many events such as New York and Los Angeles, and has won numerous awards at the International Wine Challenge, the National Sake Appreciation Conference – Kimoto category.
Please enjoy this deep taste when you find this sake.
"COWBOY YAMAHAI" Shiokawa Brewery
Cowboy Yamahai, a sake brand for overseas customers and offered by Shiokawa Brewery, a traditional sake brewery that has been around since the Taisho era. The package made for overseas customers is so impressive that it will make you think that an American.
It is a new sense of sake that uses Niigata Prefecture's sake rice and matches meat dishes, with a crisp dark and spicy taste, but is simultaneously refreshing. This sake washes neatly washes the fat off heavy meaty dishes as well, just as does wine. Of course, there is also a condensed, fruity umami.
This liquor is accepted as a "Japanese sake that goes well with meat" at even non-Japanese restaurants such as steak restaurants, and is a new type of sake that attracts attention, including winning awards from around the world, such as the United States.
This sake should be easier to get a hold of at more affordable prices compared to other sake, because there is much distribution in the United States. Please try this sake with meat dishes such as steak.
"MOMOKAWA" SakéOne
SAKE has become popular in the United States, and an American version has even started to circulate. This is a sake that cannot be obtained in Japan.
SakéOne is a genuine American-capitalized Japanese sake brewing company. Although it is owned by an American, it is a company with a deep connection with Japan, as it started out as a joint venture with a local sake store called Momokawa in Aomori Prefecture.
They sell sake are made in pursuit of the taste that Americans like and allow for a new way to enjoy Japanese sake, such as sake that has various flavors rather than a delicate taste, and a sake which you can enjoy its scent just as with wine.
We touch more on SakéOne in the following article, so definitely give it a look if you're interested.
Learn more SakéOne
Regarding the American sake brand "SakéOne"
Is Nara or Itami the real birthplace of sake?
WHERE TO BUY SAKE? FIND SAKE STORES
5 BEST SAKE IN THE WORLD THAT ARE MADE OVERSEAS
Do you know Konnyaku?
10 BEST SPARKLING SAKE YOU CAN'T MISS
Want to drink delicious plum wine (Umeshu)?
WHAT IS SAKE ALCOHOL CONTENT / ALCOHOL PERCENTAGE?
TOP 10 KANJI USED FOR SAKE NAMES
Must-visits on a trip to Kyoto – 4 selected bars and cafés for good Japanese Sake
SAKETALK Customer Support2019-12-19T19:04:46+00:00
Sake gives you beautiful skin!?
Drinks that are good for splitting with sake
There are seasons to sake !?
The deep relationship between sake and religious rituals
E-mail newsletter registration
GET SAKE SET at OUR NEW SHOP!
THE 10 BEST VESSELS FOR WARM SAKE
8 EASIEST SAKE COCKTAIL RECIPES YOU CAN MAKE AT HOME
SAKE CALORIES – HOW MANY CALORIES ARE IN SAKE?
THE 10 BEST VESSELS FOR COLD SAKE
13 SAKE HEALTH BENEFITS THAT ARE SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN
HOW TO DRINK OUT OF MASU(Square Sake Box)
HOW LONG DOES SAKE LAST? HOW TO STORE SAKE
7 SAKE SET EVERY SAKE LOVER SHOULD KNOW
Sake Monthly Sale
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A late evening ice storm on Saturday night became a rare snowstorm throughout the early morning hours of Sunday. The snow stopped just after nautical dawn and the sun came out shortly afterwards. This Gulfstream was first in the queue on the Atlantic Aviation ramp. Meanwhile, over on the west side of the airport, another queue of aircraft, all pax birds, also waited to be deiced. Almost all the commercial aircraft that had RONed at RNO departed late, but one FDX cargo heavy got out on time. Kudos to the RTAA maintenance team; although two runways and almost all of the taxiways ended up being closed, the Conga Line just kept going and runway 34L-16R, taxiway Alpha, taxiway Charlie, and the terminal apron area all remained open. Everything else was a skating rink of solid ice covered by several inches of snow.
By owner's request to FA, the reg number of this Gulfstream is not being posted.
Another great photo! Caught WN departing in the background too! I know type IV de-ice fluid runs about $35.00 a gallon! Yikes! Thanks so much for posting this Gary! Cheers!!
In my business, we do our UTMOST to get hangar space overnight. Hard to do at BOS & ORD. They don't have hangars AT ALL for GA aircraft. Many times, we get left out in the cold....then it's $35.00 a GALLON hoping we don't exceed holdover time till we can depart! Then, Type IV decreases lift on the airfoil which causes fuel stops...UGH!! This time of year is NOT my favorite! I'm in the wrong end of the business!! Cheers!!
Yeah, well, if you can afford the Gulfstream in the first place I don't think the cost of de-icer is top of your "let's cut expenses" list.
@ Paul Wisgerhof - ya but a hangar keeps out all the snow and at 35 bucks a gallon, that extra cost would be awesome to be left out of the picture..
Sorry but I don't understand where this location is?
And yet, people with money STILL complain about paying for de-icing....HA! Cheers to Gary!
The exorbitant cost will probably be "written off" as a legitimate business expense!
It gets quite cold in Reno during the winter. Lots of snow in the mountains. The US Naval Air station in Fallon, NV is not far from Reno.
Reno is located (on a Map) in the N W corner where the shape of the state angles sharply toward Las Vegas.


Yesterday, Jan. 30, 2018, the moon was as close to the earth as it would get until next month, on Feb. 27, 2018. Because it is about 26,000 miles closer to the earth on these days, the moon looks a bit bigger to us. The time when the moon is closest to the earth is called perigee.
This super moon we had yesterday, also happened to pass behind the shadow of the earth. Basically, the moon was hiding from the sun behind the earth. When it was eclipsed by the earth, the moon was only visible as a dark shadow. As it disappeared and when it appeared again, we could see slivers of the edge of the moon.
I took this picture this morning about 5:45. No tripod, as I hadn't planned ahead to take the photo. Maybe next time … but I understand it will be a very long time before all these events coincide again. Not sure where I'll be in 2037.
Categories: Science | Tags: blood moon, blue moon, moon. eclipse. lunar, supermoon | Permalink.


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Macrophages Role in Integrating Tissue Signals and Biological Processes in Chronic Inflammation and Fibrosis
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Macrophages comprehend a heterogeneous mononuclear phagocytic population with wide range phenotypes and roles in homeostasis maintenance and diseases, such as infections, autoimmunity and cancer. Technology improvements enable researchers to track different macrophage populations in different tissues and ...
Macrophages comprehend a heterogeneous mononuclear phagocytic population with wide range phenotypes and roles in homeostasis maintenance and diseases, such as infections, autoimmunity and cancer. Technology improvements enable researchers to track different macrophage populations in different tissues and situations and hypothesize on their role in promoting inflammation or stimulating tissue repair. Through innate immune recognition system macrophages can launch several effector artilleries that culminate in the production of various types of inflammatory mediators as cytokines, chemokines, lipid mediators and oxygen reactive species, which in turn, influence the behavior of other cells. Furthermore, macrophages and interacting cells are also susceptible to metabolic changes that ultimately will define the outcome macrophage signaling and its effect in the tissue. Here, we present a concise series of discussions on the role of macrophages, its response to the microenvironment and effects on other cells during tissue injury and repair. Triggering of inflammasome in macrophage activation and function is of special interest in this issue. We will emphasize the role of different macrophage subpopulations and the plasticity of these cells during fibrotic process in different models of diseases.


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Every time I order breakfast, I face a first world problem. Why do I have to choose sweet or savoury, toast or muesli, fruit or bacon (erm, bacon every time!)? Well gather round fellow breakfast battlers, as a host of Melbourne's best cafes have come to the rescue with the indecisive eater's best friend: the breakfast board. Here are a few of our city's finest.
Clifton Hill's cutest cafe, Mixed Business, dishes up a ploughman's breakfast of free range pork belly rillette, with boiled egg, vintage cheddar and his humble friend, the pickle. Vegos needn't miss out—there's a meat-free version that replaces the pork with a roast mushroom rillette.
Those Fitzroy cafes have really got this breakfast board business in the bag, but Industry Beans has really upped the ante with their Industry Charcuterie. We're talking a share plate of duck bacon, wagyu bresaola, tea marbled egg with salt cured yolk, fennel remoulade, manchego croquette, pear and saffron relish and Pedro Ximinez prunes.
Killer Brunswick cafe Code Black dishes up a delectable Brunswick Ploughman's featuring soft boiled egg, smoked eggplant, pickled fennel, house made feta, fresh radish, pastourma (air dried cured beef), smoked yoghurt and house made flat bread. Suitable for vegos, vegans and the gluten-free.
Head to North Melbourne's beloved Auction Rooms for their adventurous take on the breakfast board: grilled chorizo, ocean trout croquette, feta, avocado puree, soft boiled egg with rye soldiers, and mixed grain porridge. A veritable feast at just 20 smackers.
St Kilda's Finn Cafe does a sophisticated version of the Melbourne breakfast favourite. Their brekkie board is topped with delectable duck rillettes, smoked salmon, boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, feta, beetroot hummus, cornichons, and granola. Yum.
Head to Fitzroy with your leaf eating pals for the Breakfast Thieves' epic veg-friendly breakfast board. The Breakfast Chain 2.0 pairs caramelised fig yoghurt with homemade granola; a pot of apple, rhubarb and ginger almond crumble; and a side of soft-boiled eggs with cheddar melted soldiers.
Out the back of innovative art and film space Grey Gardens, the Coffee Bar & Larder is a cute little Scando-inspired space with a small, perfectly formed menu. The Breakfast Smörgåsbord comes with Jarlsberg cheese, soft boiled golden egg, toast, cultured butter, junket with rhubarb and pear compote, and fresh fruit. Perfect for grazing over the weekend papers.
Prahran breakfast staple Tall Timber has also come to the breakfast board party. Their version teams a dukkah poached egg on pumpkin loaf with hummus and smashed avo, muesli with berry yoghurt and seasonal fruit, and a small OJ to wash it down.
Melbourne café, Sardi's breakfast board really nails the sweet to savoury ratio. Think granola parfait, croissant with rhubarb jam, pea and haloumi fritter with a poached egg and a cup of Joe.
Grab your breakfast board from Moor Street's very own airstream eatery, Grub Food Van, where you can plonk yourself at a sunny outside table. As you munch on gypsy ham, cheddar, boiled egg, avocado and a pot of bircher, all your ordering angst will melt away.
Want more of the best cafes in Melbourne? Search 'cafes' in The Directory!


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Longshore Union Faces the Grain Monopolies
By JACK HEYMAN | CounterPunch | October 22, 2012
The Oregonian has reported grain talks between the Pacific Northwest Grain Handlers' Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) are heating up. An "epic showdown" is looming because workers in Portland, Seattle, Tacoma and Vancouver won't accept major concessions.
The contract expired September 30 when the grain giants had threatened to lock out longshoremen and hire scabs. A port shutdown was averted only because the employers failed to file required legal paperwork in time, forcing an extension until Oct. 24. Now negotiations are set to resume Oct. 29, for the first time with a federal mediator. Simultaneously, in another proceeding the ILWU is being hit with Obama's National Labor Relations Board suing the union in federal for violating a judges' order, the ostensible crime: defending the union's container terminal contract. The Oregonian editorial (Oct. 2, 2012) charges the union with "temper tantrums" for defending contract rights.
The International Business Times (Sept. 4, 2012) reports "Big Grain Companies Reap Profits As Global Food Prices Soar and Poor Go Hungry". The world's four largest grain companies–Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge, Cargill and Louis Dreyfus– known as the "ABCDs" who collectively control 75 to 90 % of global grain trade are raking in billions during a worldwide food crisis. (Bunge owns EGT 's Longview terminal with partners.)
In the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, grain monopolies are boasting record profits, yet they're demanding major concessions from the longshoremen who do the dangerous work of loading ships. So, who's the real culprit?
A year ago, members of ILWU protested EGT's attempt to break their union and impose concessions. Scores were jailed for blocking grain trains including President McEllrath who was following the will of the membership. Coastwide protests occurred on his jailing Oct. 5.
In February, state police and an armed Coast Guard cutter were deployed to escort a grain ship through picket lines at EGT and stop mass protests by ILWU members, labor supporters and Occupy activists caravanning from Portland, the Bay Area and Puget Sound. Under the threat of overwhelming police and military forces, including the Obama administration, union officials succumbed. The ranks succeeded in defending their union jurisdiction but a hugely concessionary contract was imposed without a union membership vote, brokered by Democrat Washington Governor Gregoire.
So now, the other profit-bloated grain companies want the huge EGT concessions that the union ranks fought against. Following ILWU's democratic tradition, a dozen members and retirees with nearly 300 combined years on the waterfront signed a leaflet which opposed the contract. (EGT-Longview Longshore Contract – Worst Ever!) Their experience of organizing dock protests goes back to the 1978 refusal of Oakland longshoremen to load bombs for the Pinochet military dictatorship in Chile.
The militant 1934 West Coast maritime strike, like other strikes across the country, built the trade union movement which raised standards for all working people—including those not in unions– on wages, safe working conditions and social benefits. Unions fought for and won social security, unemployment insurance and medicare. Now the ILWU is on the front line defending all labor.
Last year when Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was attacking public workers, ILWU Local 10 protested by shutting down Bay Area ports. On May Day 2008, ILWU closed West Coast ports to demand an end to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. And in 1984, longshoremen, protesting apartheid, organized a boycott in San Francisco of a ship from South Africa.
Were these "temper tantrums"? Are these the actions of "greedy workers"? Nelson Mandela commended the ILWU for sparking the U.S. anti-apartheid movement. For these solidarity actions, longshore workers were docked pay, but that did not deter them from implementing their time-honored slogan, "An injury to one is an injury to all."
Now in Portland and other Northwest ports, the ILWU is faced with an employer-imposed contract or lockout backed by a massive police and Coast Guard mobilization. And in Vancouver, Washington the strikebreaking agency Gettier is already stationed at United Grain. This is the same outfit in 2010 that was successfully used to load scab borax in the Mojave Desert in California during a lockout of ILWU miners by the global Rio Tinto mining conglomerate.
Will intimidation by profiteering grain exporters and their government backers prevail now, or will union solidarity and ILWU unity against EGT concessions win out?
The stakes are high for all working people.
Jack Heyman, a retired longshoreman from Oakland, chairs the Transport Workers Solidarity Committee and writes about labor and politics.
October 22, 2012 Posted by aletho | Civil Liberties, Economics, Solidarity and Activism	| Archer Daniels Midland, ILWU, International Longshore and Warehouse Union, United States | 1 Comment
After First Drug Injures Patients Shameless Drug Company Pursues Follow-up Drug
By Martha Rosenberg | Dissident Voice | October 22nd, 2012
The year 1999 was a good one for the drug company Merck. In its 64 page annual report, it predicted that the arthritis medicine Vioxx ("Our Biggest, Fastest, and Best Launch Ever!") would also prevent Alzheimer's disease and colon cancer. It announced it was seeking approval to market the asthma drug Singulair to two-year-olds. And it forecast that 40 million women would take its new osteoporosis drug, Fosamax, as Merck continued to "help educate both doctors and patients" about the bone disease.
It turned out Merck spoke too soon. Vioxx was withdrawn in 2004 for doubling stroke and heart attacks in long-term users; Singulair now carries FDA warnings about "neuropsychiatric events" and Fosamax is suspected of doubling the risk of esophageal cancer, causing bone fractures instead of preventing them and causing heart problems, intractable pain and jawbone death. Oops!
There's plenty of ka-ching in selling "strong bones" products for the same reason there was plenty of ka-ching in selling "hormone replacement" products: one-half the population is female, and no one wants to look old. Of course, "avoiding hot flashes" really means "still looking hot" in hormone marketing terminology, and "avoiding fractures" really means "still looking hot" in bone product marketing lingo. That's why attractive women like Meredith Vieira from the Today show and former Charlie's Angel Cheryl Ladd and actress Sally Field push bone drugs, just as model Lauren Hutton pushed hormone replacement therapy.
To cash in on Fosamax, the first in the bisphosphonate bone drug class, Merck decided to market the dangers of osteoporosis "far beyond ailing old ladies." It hired researcher Jeremy Allen to whip up fears of "osteopenia," the risk of osteoporosis, as a health epidemic to sell bone drugs and planted bone scan machines in medical offices across the country, says National Public Radio. Allen created the faux "Bone Measurement Institute" which also maneuvered Medicare reimbursement for the scans. By 1999, there were 10,000 bone scan machines in medical offices, said the Associated Press, when there had been only 750 before Fosamax.
Like its trouble-laden drug Vioxx, Merck's Fosamax flew out of the FDA. It received only a six month review before its 1995 FDA approval. (The government also helped its promotion with the HHS secretary herself, Donna Shalala, participating in a 1998 rally kicking off free bone density screenings to be offered in 100 cities.)
But the wheels soon came flying off the bone drug. Patients experienced esophageal "irritation" and the warning to stay upright for one full hour after taking Fosamax, eating or drinking nothing was added after approval. One woman who took Fosamax but remained upright for only 30 minutes, not 60, had to be admitted to the Mayo Clinic with "severe ulcerative esophagitis affecting the entire length of the esophagus" and had to be fed intravenously, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
Next, dentists and oral surgeons discovered after simple tooth extractions and other in-office dental work, the jawbone tissue of patients on bisphosphonates would sometimes not heal but become necrotic and die — a condition called osteonecrosis of the jaw(ONJ), The necrotic condition did not take long to manifest "even short-term oral use of alendronate [Fosamax] led to ONJ in a subset of patients" — wrote a dental journal, but it somehow slipped through Fosamax's two, three-year clinical trials on which its FDA approval was based. Doctors, dentists, and pharmacists were enraged at what looked like deliberate obfuscation by Merck.
And there were second, third and fourth opinions about Fosamax! According to an FDA epidemiologist writing in New England Journal of Medicine in 2009 there were 23 incidences of Fosamax-associated esophageal cancer in the US and eight deaths and 27 incidences of cancer in Europe and Japan and six deaths.
Next reports in medical journals linked bisphosphonates to the risk of developing atrial fibrillation, or a chronically irregular heartbeat and to severe bone, joint or muscle pain. "In the most serious cases, the pain was so severe that patients could not continue their normal activities," wrote the FDA in a press release. "Some patients have complete relief of symptoms after they stop taking the drug, while others have reported slow or incomplete resolution." Clearly, the FDA was trying hard to avoid the word irreversible.
Finally, in a development that suggests tremendous medical ineptitude if not duplicity, bisphosphonates were found to sometimes cause the very fractures they were supposed to prevent. The thigh bones of patients on bisphosphonates have "simply snapped while they were walking or standing," after "weeks or months of unexplained aching," reported the New York Times in an article called "Drugs to Build Bones May Weaken Them."
It should be embarrassing to the medical establishment that a prominent drug company and the FDA "discovered" severe side effects after years of patient use and that bone scans are still merchandised though they are of no value to 90 percent of women, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. It should be further embarrassing that Merck was allowed to make $3 billion a year off a drug that many say would not have been approved had clinical trials lasted longer. Its patent expired in 2008.
Now Merck is about to launch a new drug for osteoporosis called odanacatib which has already intrigued the money men on Wall Street. "Odanacatib may be a viable alternative for patients who need continued therapy and who want benefits beyond what they received from bisphosphonates," a senior Merck research executive told Reuters without a hint of irony.
Martha Rosenberg is a columnist/cartoonist who writes about public health. Her first book, titled Born with a Junk Food Deficiency: How Flaks, Quacks and Hacks Pimp the Public Health, has just been released by Prometheus Books. She can be reached at: martharosenberg@sbcglobal.net.
New Study Links Fosamax to Esophageal Cancer (prweb.com)
New Study Links Fosamax to Vision Problems Risk (prweb.com)
Intramedullary Nailing Surgery Is Successful Treatment For Patients With Femur Fractures From Use Of Fosamax Or Other Bisphosphonates (drug-injury.com)
Alendronate Oral May Posses Bad Side Effects (businesslawdaily.net)
October 22, 2012 Posted by aletho | Corruption, Deception, Science and Pseudo-Science, Timeless or most popular	| Alendronic acid, Alzheimer's disease, Esophageal cancer, FDA, Food and Drug Administration, Fosamax, Merck | Comments Off on After First Drug Injures Patients Shameless Drug Company Pursues Follow-up Drug
3 Arrested as Palestinians attacked by settlers and soldiers in Tel Rumeida
By Vicky Blackwell and Elyana Belle | International Solidarity Movement | October 22, 2012
Settlers arrive to the Azzeh family land – Photographs by Vicky Blackwell
Today, a group of settlers from the illegal settlement in Tel Rumeida arrived at Hashem Azzeh's olive grove next to his house, whilst he and his family were harvesting their olives, yelling for everyone to get off of "their" land.
Hasham and his family were on their land harvesting olives for the first time in 5 years after being granted permission from the District Civil Liaison. He was accompanied by several members of his family as well as activists from the International Solidarity Movement. The situation quickly escalated as settlers pushed the Palestinians in order to try and enter Hasham's house.
Within ten minutes the soldiers arrived and began to separate the Palestinian family and internationals and siding with the Israeli settlers. Arguments continued with both sides yelling "this is my land," regardless of the fact that Hashem has the deeds to the land. The settlers were also heard shouting "This is not your land, this is the land of the Jewish people."
At this point around ten more settlers had come down and joined in, shouting abuse at Hasham and his family. The soldiers pushed the Palestinians and internationals back towards Hasham's house threatening to arrest anyone who did not obey. The soldiers grabbed a young Palestinian man by the name of Ahmad Al Atrash who was video taping standing behind international activists: pushed him against the wall and zip-tied his arms behind his back.
Then they went after an International activist trying to arrest him for taking video footage. While trying to escape they grabbed another of the International activists standing by, put him in a headlock on the ground and arrested him. Jawad Abu Eisheh who had arrived in solidarity with his neighbors was also captured and arrested.
The two Palestinians and Italian activist have been arrested and taken to a police station in the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba.
The district of Tel Rumeida is heavily militarized and contains the homes of both Israeli settlers and Palestinians. Hasham's family moved to Tel Rumeida in 1950 after being forcibly removed from their homes in what is now Israel. The Tel Rumeida settlement was installed in 1984.
In an attack in 2006 the settlers smashed Hasham's nephews' teeth in with a stone. That same year his wife (3 months pregnant at the time) was attacked and subsequently miscarried. Again in 2006 she was attacked, this time 4 months pregnant, and again, suffered from a miscarriage due to the attack.
The settlers living directly over Hasham's house have also in the past raided his house, (bullet-holes near his front door show when the settlers shot live ammunition at his house), they cut his water-pipes and poisoned his water tank, cut his trees down in his garden and have physically attacked and assaulted him and his family as well as breaking-into and vandalizing his house on several occasions.
Previous reports on settler violence against the Azzeh family:
http://palsolidarity.org/2006/05/report-on-razor-wire-closing-entrance-to-the-track-leading-to-the-al-azzeh-homes/
http://palsolidarity.org/2006/09/hebron-27th-sept/
http://palsolidarity.org/2006/10/olive-picking-tr-settlement/
http://palsolidarity.org/2006/10/tr-harassment/
http://palsolidarity.org/2012/09/hebron-man-walks-down-street-for-first-time-in-years/
Israeli army turns Palestinian homes in Hebron into military barracks (alethonews.wordpress.com)
Meet Zionist Miriam Levinger (alethonews.wordpress.com)
October 22, 2012 Posted by aletho | Civil Liberties, Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Illegal Occupation	| International Solidarity Movement, Israel, Kiryat Arba, Palestine, Palestinian prisoners in Israel, Tel Rumeida, Zionism | 1 Comment
Myanmar Buddhists set Muslim villages on fire, kill 11 Muslims in Rakhine
Press TV – October 22, 2012
At least eleven Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar have been killed after extremist Buddhists set fire to their houses in two Muslim villages in the city of Sittwe in the western Rakhine state, a report says.
The incident occurred when a number of Buddhists backed by army and border forces set fire to houses of Muslims in the villages of Mamra and Mraut late Sunday, Radio Banga reported on Monday.
Myanmar army forces allegedly provided the Buddhists with big containers of petrol to set ablaze the houses of Muslim villagers and force them to flee their houses.
The silence of the human rights organizations towards abuses against the Rohingya Muslims has emboldened the extremist Buddhists and Myanmar's government forces.
The Buddhist-majority government of Myanmar refuses to recognize Rohingyas and has classified them as illegal migrants, even though the Rohingyas are said to be Muslim descendants of Persian, Turkish, Bengali, and Pathan origin, who migrated to Myanmar as early as the 8th century.
According to reports, thousands of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims are living in dire conditions in refugee camps after government forces and Buddhist extremists started burning down their villages on August 10.
Reports say some 650 Rohingyas have been killed in the Rakhine state in the west of the country in recent months. This is while 1,200 others are missing and 80,000 more have been displaced.
Burma's Nobel laureate stays silent over Rohingya minority rights (pacific.scoop.co.nz)
Buddhist monks march in Myanmar to thwart Islamic office plan (thehimalayantimes.com)
Muslims trapped in ghetto of fear in Myanmar city (nation.com.pk)
Myanmar monks again attack mosque in Rakhine state (jafrianews.com)
October 22, 2012 Posted by aletho | Civil Liberties, Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Subjugation - Torture	| Buddhism, Buddhist, Burma, Myanmar, Rakhine State, Rohingya people | 2 Comments
Iran not to hold "independent" nuclear talks with U.S. outside P5+1: FM
Xinhua | October 21, 2012
TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said Sunday that Iran will not hold "independent" talks with the United States outside the framework of nuclear negotiations with six world powers, dubbed P5+1, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.
"We don't have something to be named talks with the United States," said Salehi when asked about the recent media reports that Iran and the United States have agreed to hold direct talks over Iran's nuclear issue.
"We will talk (with the U.S.) within the framework of P5+1 … and we don't have (other nuclear) talks independent from that," he was quoted as saying.
On Saturday, the New York Times reported that the United States and Iran had agreed for the first time to have one-on-one talks over the latter's controversial nuclear program after the upcoming U.S. presidential elections.
The paper said the agreement was the result of intense and secret exchanges between officials of the two countries, which began almost immediately after President Barack Obama took office in January 2009.
The White House on Saturday denied the press report. "It's not true that the United States and Iran have agreed to one-on-one talks or any meeting after the American elections," Tommy Vietor, spokesman of the National Security Council, said in a statement.
"We continue to work with the P5+1 on a diplomatic solution and have said from the outset that we would be prepared to meet bilaterally," he said
October 22, 2012 Posted by aletho | Deception, Mainstream Media, Warmongering	| Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Iran), New York Times, United States | Comments Off on Iran not to hold "independent" nuclear talks with U.S. outside P5+1: FM
US Probes South Caucasus' Attitude to Iran
Nezavisimaya Gazeta | October 18, 2012
Eric Rubin, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, is touring Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia to promote democracy and cooperation and develop partnership on the issues of Syria and Iran.
The media in Azerbaijan reports that Rubin's visit to Georgia focused on economic issues, civil freedoms and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The US Embassy in Armenia's press service said Rubin would attend a meeting of the US-Armenian group on economic cooperation to discuss stimulating investment in energy and trade, as well as nuclear power.
The agenda for high-ranking Washington officials' visits to the South Caucasus seldom varies, and this is not simply because Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia face largely similar problems, but also for ethical reasons. Washington wants to convince them that they are all equal partners. Therefore, if Rubin talked about Iran in Georgia, he did or will do the same in the other two South Caucasus states.
"During the meetings with the President and future Prime Minister of Georgia, we discussed the international community's efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons," Rubin told a press briefing at the US Embassy in Tbilisi as quoted by Azernews. "We are broadly cooperating over the Turkish-Syrian issue, and Georgia is called upon to play a peacekeeping role in the region."
However, some Georgian experts believe that Rubin met with Mikheil Saakashvili and Bidzina Ivanishvili to probe Georgia's attitude to Iran, where Washington will want Georgia to play a special role if the situation escalates.
Georgian politician Irina Sarishvili said before Rubin's visit that many hospitals built in Georgia recently under a presidential program bear an alarming likeness to standard US military hospitals. Considering the speedy modernization and construction of airports for heavy transport planes and other infrastructure improvements, this could be more than straightforward concern for the Georgians.
Eric Rubin also said in Tbilisi, clearly referring to Russian bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia that "the US position regarding the obligations that Russia undertook in 2008 to withdraw its troops from the Georgian territory remain unchanged." He said the US stance on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia is firm and clear.
Commenting on the recent parliamentary election, Rubin congratulated Ivanishvili on the victory and praised Saakashvili's personal contribution to positive developments in Georgia. He said the world can see that democracy in Georgia is real, and that the country can become a model for the region.
Rubin also met with ministerial nominees, notably Irakly Alasania who is slated to become the Defense Minister. Alasania assured him that Georgia would honor its commitments in Afghanistan. In response, Rubin said that Washington would redouble its efforts to promote Georgia's rapprochement with NATO.
The US official refused to comment on Ivanishvili's plans to participate in the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014. He said he was pleased with Saakashvili's assurances that Georgia is committed to strengthening ties with Euro-Atlantic organizations and the United States, and to guaranteeing press freedom.
October 22, 2012 Posted by aletho | Militarism	| Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, United States | Comments Off on US Probes South Caucasus' Attitude to Iran
IRAN: Don't trust the mainstream media!


Here you will discover noble hearts and fantastic places.
Come explore if you dare, but be not surprised by what you find there. It is nothing more than a reflection of an ancient calling within my soul and within yours.
Let us delight in our magic.


text:
Jake Bull
Road to the Finals: Wests Tigers
Current ladder position: 11th position
Points differential: -68
Run Home: Storm (H), Cowboys (A), Roosters (H), Bulldogs (A), Raiders (A), Sharks (H).
The run home for the Wests Tigers will take on even more meaning this season with their results directly affecting whether head coach Mick Potter remains in the job. In the last week, talks of in-fighting has plagued the club and with tough games to end the season, the club and supporters need to band together to ensure the Tigers play finals football for the first time since 2011.
First up, the Tigers play the Melbourne Storm at Campbelltown on a Monday night which includes a tribute to Simon Dwyer so you would expect the home side to lift and get an upset.
The next two games against the Cowboys and Roosters will ultimately determine if they play finals as both are jostling for those top eight spots. A tough game against the Cowboys will result in a loss before a win against the Premiers at Leichhardt will keep the fans faith in tact.
A rematch against the Bulldogs surely could not follow the same script as two weeks ago and a loss there will lead into two victories against lower opposition, Raiders and Sharks. These favorable results will improve the Tigers for-and-against and see them scrape into the top eight on 30 competition points.
Jake is a University of Wollongong student and one half of the 4 Pointers.
NRL match preview: Canberra Raiders vs New Zealand Warriors
James Gow
NRL match preview: North Queensland Cowboys vs Gold Coast Titans


text:
Cecelia Ahern (nascuda el 30 de setembre de 1981 a Dublín) és una novel·lista irlandesa. És llicenciada en Periodisme i Mitjans de Comunicació en el Griffith College de Dublín. A més de publicar diverses novel·les, ha escrit contes curts per a diverses antologies els beneficis de les quals han estat destinats a la caritat. Actualment és productora de la comèdia Samantha Who? (interpretada per Christina Applegate), de l'ABC. El seu estil literari ha estat comparat amb el de l'obra de Jessica Adams, Susie Boyt o Jenny Colgan.

Vida Personal
Filla de l'ex-primer ministre d'Irlanda, Bertie Ahern i germana petita de Georgina Ahern, dona de Nicky Bryne, líder del grup de música de pop irlandès Westlife.

L'any 2000 va participar en el grup de música pop irlandesa Shimma que va quedar en tercer lloc en la final d'Irlanda per participar en el Festival d'Eurovisió. Tot i això, aquest fet és irrellevant a l'hora d'entendre la seva actual figura com a escriptora.

Abans de començar la seva carrera com a novel·lista va obtenir un grau en Periodisme i Mitjans de comunicació en el Griffith College Dublin.

El 14 de desembre del 2009 va ser anunciada la recent estrenada maternitat i paternitat de la Cecelia i la seva parella, David Keoghan. Van anomenar a la seva primera filla Robin.

Obra
L'any 2004 publica la seva primera i reeixida novel·la, gràcies a la qual obté reconeixement, "Postdata: T'estimo". L'obra de caràcter realista és en el seu moment best-seller a Irlanda, Regne Unit, Estats Units, Alemanya i els Països Baixos, i es ven a més de 40 estats. L'obra no s'adapta cinematogràficament fins a l'any 2007, dirigida pel director Richard LaGravanese i interpretada per Hilary Swank i Gerard Butler. Tot i que en l'obra literària la història transcorre a Irlanda, l'adaptació al 7è art la situa a Nova York, als Estats Units

El seu segon llibre publicat és "On acaba l'Arc de Sant Martí", i també va ser best-seller a Irlanda i Regne Unit, a més de guanyar el Premi alemany Corine l'any 2005. El 2014, es va adaptar aquesta novel·la amb el nom de Love, Rosie, dirigida per Christian Ditter i protagonitzada per Lily Collins i Alex Stewart.

També ha contribuït a obres benèfiques amb llibres de contes com "Les nenes són irlandesos", "Retorn a la ciutat" i "Ladies' Night". És cocreadora, al costat de Donald Todd, i productora de la comèdia de l'ABC, Samantha Who?

El seu penúltim llibre és "El Regal" i va ser publicat abans de Nadal del 2008 al Regne Unit.

El seu darrer llibre es diu "El llibre de demà" i es va publicar l'1 d'octubre del 2009, data propera a la que el seu pare (Bertie Ahern) va publicar la seva autobiografia oficial.

Bibliografia
- Novel·les

"Postdata: T'estimo" (2004)

"On acaba l'Arc de Sant Martí" (2004). Als Estats Units ha sigut titulat "Love, Rosie", és a dir "Amor, Rosie".

"Si em poguessis veure ara" (2005). Als estats s'ha titulat com " A Silver Lining", és a dir "Un revestiment Platejat"

"Un lloc anomenat Aquí" (2006)Titulat com a "No hi ha lloc com aquest" als Estats Units.

"Gràcies pels records" (2008)

"El Regal" (2008)

"El llibre de demà" (2009). També ha estat publicat amb el nom de "La noia de demà" o "El demà comença avui"

"El moment de la meva vida" (2012)

- Històries curtes

"24 minuts", de "Moments"(2004)

"Pròxima parada: taula per a dos", de "Baixa i dolça"(2005)

"La trucada", en "Les noies irlandeses han tornat a la ciutat" (2005) (amb Patricia Scalan, Gemma O'Connor, i Sara Webb)

"Senyora Wippy" (2006)

"El final" en "La nit de les noies" (2006), (amb Wendy Holden, Freya North, Cathy Kelly i altres escriptores)

Enllaços externs

 Web oficial
 Written In The Night - Fansite

Escriptors dublinesos
Novel·listes irlandesos en anglès

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Antonio Brown Makes Pitch For Le'Veon Bell To Report To Camp
At the end of the day, Le'Veon Bell will do what he feels is best. But if Antonio Brown had his way, and I"m guessing this is an opinion held by many, Bell will report to camp on Day One.
Speaking this afternoon following his football camp, Brown said the team needs Bell to be there.
WPXI's Chase Williams captured the interview.
.@AB84 says convo with @L_Bell26 is "Top Secret" but REALLY hopes he'll report to @steelers camp Thursday. #Steelers #WPXI pic.twitter.com/ck7Buq2KQa
— Chase Williams WPXI (@chasepwilliams) July 23, 2017
"I was talking to him last night for about two hours," Brown said. "We need him. I need him. He's going to do what he decides to do…he's a special piece. Obviously, we know what he brings to the team. His dimension playing football.. He's a special individual. And I pray that we have him there."
Brown joked his conversation was "top secret" when pressed for details.
It's still unclear when Bell will show up. He'll do it before the end of the preseason but many believe he will miss the first two or three weeks, meaning he won't show up for training camp. But you can bet Brown and his teammates are hoping for him to show up sooner than later.
That's part of the drama and storylines the Steelers have heading into camp. Bell's situation and Alejandro Villanueva's potential holdout are at the top of the list. And you can bet Martavis Bryant and Ben Roethlisberger will be asked about Bryant's "man to man" comments he made earlier in July.
Let's just hope all these things get resolved quickly and professionally. And we can move onto some football talk.
Related Items:Antonio Brown, Chase Williams, Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers


Several years ago I was growing heaps more beets (beetroot for some) than I could eat so I decided to invest in a canning set and make pickled beets. I was a bit concerned because I'd never made any preserves other than strawberry jam at the time. I found a recipe from an old cookbook I found in the local library and that was the basis for the recipe I now use.
I no longer have a big veggie garden but that doesn't stop me from making pickled beets. Now I watch for cans of baby beets to go on sale and I stock up. When I have 7 or 8 cans in the pantry, I make pickled beets. I used to have bright red hands from peeling the beets but now it's no muss no fuss for me.
Pickled beets are really versatile to have on hand as they go great in a green salad or in a bowl by themselves paired with potato salad and a steak. In under 15 minutes I've got dinner on the table.
You'll need canning jars with new lids. Don't risk your wonderful preserves by trying to use old lids. It's false economy and you want to keep your family safe. I toss the jars in the dishwasher and I put the lids in a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes. That's all that's necessary.
You make up the preserving liquid (recipe below) and when that's done, use your home grown and cooked beets or open those tins and drain them. Slice an onion thinly and place the beets and onions (as many onions as you like – they aren't required if you don't like onions) in the jars to about 1/2 inch from the top. Pour the hot liquid over the beets to 1/2 inch from the top. Wipe any spills from the top of the jar so you'll get a good seal and then put the lids and rings on and tighten but don't tighted too hard.
Place the jars in a water bath and process in boiling water for 30 minutes. Remove from the water bath and place on layers of newspaper to cool. Don't touch them for 24 hours and by then they should be well sealed. Store in your pantry and refrigerate after opening.
Pickled beets are great to use as a side dish or in a salad and they're really easy to make and yummy too!
When the liquid has cooled a little (you don't want to break the jars because they are cold) fill the jars to ½ inch from the top.
A great quick salad. Baby greens, orange slices, pickled beets and feta or goat's cheese. Juice from the orange mixed with a bit of the preserving liquid makes a great dressing.
This is the salad I just made for myself to eat outside in the Sunday sunshine. Come on over.
Hi Maureen. Just wanted to stop by and say 'thank you' for your sweet comment on my blog. I completely understand what it's like to be an American living away from home. I lived in England for 3 years and there were so many convenience foods I missed from home. Some of them my Mom was able to ship – others -not so much.
Love pickled beets…hate red stained hands. I think I'm going to try your little trick.
That salad is beautiful. Is that your picnic table? Great view!
This looks great Maureen! I am surely going to try this! I love pickled beets in my sandwiches and salads!
These are really good.. I have them on hand all the time. Sometimes they work as a veggie side dish with a few pieces of feta cheese and some fresh picked parsley.


text:
Q: SafeArea backwards compatibility I'm having an issue when trying to layout a view programatically and I cant seem to find a concise, non hacky way to fix it.
I'm using safeAreaInsets to size some elements in my view. This works well until I try it out on a pre iOS 11 device. Obviously, with the lack of safeAreaInsets the sizing of my subviews falls apart and everything becomes a mess. What do I fall back to when using older versions of iOS.
More specifically, what can I implement in the extension below that will work as expected?
extension UIView {

func compatibilityInsets() -> UIEdgeInsets {
        if #available(iOS 11.0, *) {
            return self.safeAreaInsets
        } else {
            //what goes here?
            return self.olderVersionOfInsets
        }
    }
}

Here is an exmaple of how I might use this extension method:
var minimumHeaderHeight: CGFloat {
    //allows the header height to be 70 below navigation bar
    return 70 + view.compatibilityInsets().top
}

A: safeAreaInsets was added to help avoid content disappearing behind the "notch" in the iPhone X... which only supports iOS 11 IIRC.
So the alternative for iOS 10 and below would be return .zero as there doesn't need to be any safe area defined.
.zero in this case is inferred to be of type UIEdgeInsets so is equivalent to calling UIEdgeInsets.zero.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Over 800 cameras in 10 categories, plus cine cameras and projectors. 266pp.
popular paperback, written by a former General, published by Ica, but the content is completely independent from the camera maker.
Afalter, Udo: Voigtländer Kameras & Objective. Stuttgart: Lindemanns Verlag, 2nd edition, 1998. ISBN 3-89506-137-9.
Wache, Peter: BILORA, 40 Jahre Kamerageschichte. Stuttgart: Lindemanns Verlag, 2nd edition, 2006.
Bluth, Hans und Schlegel, Gert, Das Linhof Kamera Buch, Peter Bauernschmid (Herausgeber), zweite erweiterte Auflage, München, 2000. No ISBN stated. Text in German and English.
This page was last edited on 29 December 2017, at 13:09.


text:
Coronavirus Infected Animals Can Facilitate New Variants
The SARS-CoV-2 virus can infect animal species
Coronavirus Vaccines
(Coronavirus Today)
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and World Health Organization (WHO) issued a joint statement on March 7, 2022, stating, 'As we enter the third year of the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is spreading between people globally.'
Excerpts from this statement are inserted below:
'There are many factors that are driving virus transmission. One of these is the emergence of highly transmissible variants of concern, the latest being Omicron.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is driven by human-to-human transmission, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is also known to infect animal species.
Current knowledge indicates that wildlife does not play a significant role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in humans, but spread in animal populations can affect the health of these populations and may facilitate the emergence of new virus variants.
In addition to domestic animals, free-ranging, captive, or farmed wild animals such as big cats, minks, ferrets, North American white-tailed deer, and great apes have thus far been observed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2.
To date, farmed mink and pet hamsters can infect humans with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and a potential case of transmission between white-tailed deer and a human is currently under review.
The introduction of SARS-CoV-2 to wildlife could result in the establishment of animal reservoirs.
For example, it has been reported that approximately one-third of wild white-tailed deer in the U.S. have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, initially via several human-to-deer transmission events.
The SARS-CoV-2 lineages detected in white-tailed deer have also circulated close-by human populations. In addition, white-tailed deer have been shown to shed virus and transmit it between each other.
The FAO, OIE, and WHO call on all countries to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission between humans and wildlife, reduce the risk of variant emergence, and protect humans and wildlife.
We urge authorities to adopt relevant regulations and disseminate previously released recommendations by FAO, OIE, and WHO to (1) people working in close contact with or handling wildlife, including hunters and butchers; and (2) the public, concluded this statement.
Additional zoonotic influenza news, such as swine and bird flu, is published by Precision Vaccinations.
CoronavriusToday publishes research-based news.
Note: This news article edited the press statement for clarity and style for a mobile reader.
SARS-CoV-2 in Animals used for fur farming
WHO: Joint statement on the prioritization of monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infection in wildlife and preventing the formation of animal
Could Coronavirus Variants Evade Human Immune Systems
Europe's COVID-19 Outbreaks Identified on Updated Maps
Connecticut Confirms Eighteen Heart Complications Following COVID-19 Vaccination
Fresh Air Can Defeat Coronaviruses
Can Colleges Require Experimental COVID-19 Vaccines?
Adults Found More Infectious than Children with SARS-CoV-2
Infected Oral Cells in the Mouth Lead to SARS-CoV-2 Infection
One-Hour COVID-19 RT-PCR Test Obtains CE Mark
Low-Dose Aspirin Use May Decrease COVID-19 Risks
Uneven Pediatric Cancer Care Delivered During the COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 Outbreak Clues Found Sooner in Wastewater
Oxygen is an Essential Medicine Too
U.S. NIH Launches 'Long COVID' Study
No-Fault Compensation for COVID-19 Vaccine Injury
No Transmission of COVID-19 Through Food or Food Packaging


text:
package com.amazonaws.services.codecommit.model;

import java.io.Serializable;
import javax.annotation.Generated;

/**
 *
 * @see AWS API
 *      Documentation
 */
@Generated("com.amazonaws:aws-java-sdk-code-generator")
public class CreateCommitResult extends com.amazonaws.AmazonWebServiceResult<com.amazonaws.ResponseMetadata> implements Serializable, Cloneable {

    /**
     *

     * The full commit ID of the commit that contains your committed file changes.
     *

     */
    private String commitId;
    /**
     *

     * The full SHA-1 pointer of the tree information for the commit that contains the commited file changes.
     *

     */
    private String treeId;
    /**
     *

     * The files added as part of the committed file changes.
     *

     */
    private java.util.List<FileMetadata> filesAdded;
    /**
     *

     * The files updated as part of the commited file changes.
     *

     */
    private java.util.List<FileMetadata> filesUpdated;
    /**
     *

     * The files deleted as part of the committed file changes.
     *

     */
    private java.util.List<FileMetadata> filesDeleted;

    /**
     *

     * The full commit ID of the commit that contains your committed file changes.
     *

     *
     * @param commitId
     *        The full commit ID of the commit that contains your committed file changes.
     */

    public void setCommitId(String commitId) {
        this.commitId = commitId;
    }

    /**
     *

     * The full commit ID of the commit that contains your committed file changes.
     *

     *
     * @return The full commit ID of the commit that contains your committed file changes.
     */

    public String getCommitId() {
        return this.commitId;
    }

    /**
     *

     * The full commit ID of the commit that contains your committed file changes.
     *

     *
     * @param commitId
     *        The full commit ID of the commit that contains your committed file changes.
     * @return Returns a reference to this object so that method calls can be chained together.
     */

    public CreateCommitResult withCommitId(String commitId) {
        setCommitId(commitId);
        return this;
    }

    /**
     *

     * The full SHA-1 pointer of the tree information for the commit that contains the commited file changes.
     *

     *
     * @param treeId
     *        The full SHA-1 pointer of the tree information for the commit that contains the commited file changes.
     */

    public void setTreeId(String treeId) {
        this.treeId = treeId;
    }

    /**
     *

     * The full SHA-1 pointer of the tree information for the commit that contains the commited file changes.
     *

     *
     * @return The full SHA-1 pointer of the tree information for the commit that contains the commited file changes.
     */

    public String getTreeId() {
        return this.treeId;
    }

    /**
     *

     * The full SHA-1 pointer of the tree information for the commit that contains the commited file changes.
     *

     *
     * @param treeId
     *        The full SHA-1 pointer of the tree information for the commit that contains the commited file changes.
     * @return Returns a reference to this object so that method calls can be chained together.
     */

    public CreateCommitResult withTreeId(String treeId) {
        setTreeId(treeId);
        return this;
    }

    /**
     *

     * The files added as part of the committed file changes.
     *

     *
     * @return The files added as part of the committed file changes.
     */

    public java.util.List<FileMetadata> getFilesAdded() {
        return filesAdded;
    }

    /**
     *

     * The files added as part of the committed file changes.
     *

     *
     * @param filesAdded
     *        The files added as part of the committed file changes.
     */

    public void setFilesAdded(java.util.Collection<FileMetadata> filesAdded) {
        if (filesAdded == null) {
            this.filesAdded = null;
            return;
        }

        this.filesAdded = new java.util.ArrayList<FileMetadata>(filesAdded);
    }

    /**
     *

     * The files added as part of the committed file changes.
     *

     *

     * NOTE: This method appends the values to the existing list (if any). Use
     * {@link #setFilesAdded(java.util.Collection)} or {@link #withFilesAdded(java.util.Collection)} if you want to
     * override the existing values.
     *

     *
     * @param filesAdded
     *        The files added as part of the committed file changes.
     * @return Returns a reference to this object so that method calls can be chained together.
     */

    public CreateCommitResult withFilesAdded(FileMetadata... filesAdded) {
        if (this.filesAdded == null) {
            setFilesAdded(new java.util.ArrayList<FileMetadata>(filesAdded.length));
        }
        for (FileMetadata ele : filesAdded) {
            this.filesAdded.add(ele);
        }
        return this;
    }

    /**
     *

     * The files added as part of the committed file changes.
     *

     *
     * @param filesAdded
     *        The files added as part of the committed file changes.
     * @return Returns a reference to this object so that method calls can be chained together.
     */

    public CreateCommitResult withFilesAdded(java.util.Collection<FileMetadata> filesAdded) {
        setFilesAdded(filesAdded);
        return this;
    }

    /**
     *

     * The files updated as part of the commited file changes.
     *

     *
     * @return The files updated as part of the commited file changes.
     */

    public java.util.List<FileMetadata> getFilesUpdated() {
        return filesUpdated;
    }

    /**
     *

     * The files updated as part of the commited file changes.
     *

     *
     * @param filesUpdated
     *        The files updated as part of the commited file changes.
     */

    public void setFilesUpdated(java.util.Collection<FileMetadata> filesUpdated) {
        if (filesUpdated == null) {
            this.filesUpdated = null;
            return;
        }

        this.filesUpdated = new java.util.ArrayList<FileMetadata>(filesUpdated);
    }

    /**
     *

     * The files updated as part of the commited file changes.
     *

     *

     * NOTE: This method appends the values to the existing list (if any). Use
     * {@link #setFilesUpdated(java.util.Collection)} or {@link #withFilesUpdated(java.util.Collection)} if you want to
     * override the existing values.
     *

     *
     * @param filesUpdated
     *        The files updated as part of the commited file changes.
     * @return Returns a reference to this object so that method calls can be chained together.
     */

    public CreateCommitResult withFilesUpdated(FileMetadata... filesUpdated) {
        if (this.filesUpdated == null) {
            setFilesUpdated(new java.util.ArrayList<FileMetadata>(filesUpdated.length));
        }
        for (FileMetadata ele : filesUpdated) {
            this.filesUpdated.add(ele);
        }
        return this;
    }

    /**
     *

     * The files updated as part of the commited file changes.
     *

     *
     * @param filesUpdated
     *        The files updated as part of the commited file changes.
     * @return Returns a reference to this object so that method calls can be chained together.
     */

    public CreateCommitResult withFilesUpdated(java.util.Collection<FileMetadata> filesUpdated) {
        setFilesUpdated(filesUpdated);
        return this;
    }

    /**
     *

     * The files deleted as part of the committed file changes.
     *

     *
     * @return The files deleted as part of the committed file changes.
     */

    public java.util.List<FileMetadata> getFilesDeleted() {
        return filesDeleted;
    }

    /**
     *

     * The files deleted as part of the committed file changes.
     *

     *
     * @param filesDeleted
     *        The files deleted as part of the committed file changes.
     */

    public void setFilesDeleted(java.util.Collection<FileMetadata> filesDeleted) {
        if (filesDeleted == null) {
            this.filesDeleted = null;
            return;
        }

        this.filesDeleted = new java.util.ArrayList<FileMetadata>(filesDeleted);
    }

    /**
     *

     * The files deleted as part of the committed file changes.
     *

     *

     * NOTE: This method appends the values to the existing list (if any). Use
     * {@link #setFilesDeleted(java.util.Collection)} or {@link #withFilesDeleted(java.util.Collection)} if you want to
     * override the existing values.
     *

     *
     * @param filesDeleted
     *        The files deleted as part of the committed file changes.
     * @return Returns a reference to this object so that method calls can be chained together.
     */

    public CreateCommitResult withFilesDeleted(FileMetadata... filesDeleted) {
        if (this.filesDeleted == null) {
            setFilesDeleted(new java.util.ArrayList<FileMetadata>(filesDeleted.length));
        }
        for (FileMetadata ele : filesDeleted) {
            this.filesDeleted.add(ele);
        }
        return this;
    }

    /**
     *

     * The files deleted as part of the committed file changes.
     *

     *
     * @param filesDeleted
     *        The files deleted as part of the committed file changes.
     * @return Returns a reference to this object so that method calls can be chained together.
     */

    public CreateCommitResult withFilesDeleted(java.util.Collection<FileMetadata> filesDeleted) {
        setFilesDeleted(filesDeleted);
        return this;
    }

    /**
     * Returns a string representation of this object. This is useful for testing and debugging. Sensitive data will be
     * redacted from this string using a placeholder value.
     *
     * @return A string representation of this object.
     *
     * @see java.lang.Object#toString()
     */
    @Override
    public String toString() {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
        sb.append("{");
        if (getCommitId() != null)
            sb.append("CommitId: ").append(getCommitId()).append(",");
        if (getTreeId() != null)
            sb.append("TreeId: ").append(getTreeId()).append(",");
        if (getFilesAdded() != null)
            sb.append("FilesAdded: ").append(getFilesAdded()).append(",");
        if (getFilesUpdated() != null)
            sb.append("FilesUpdated: ").append(getFilesUpdated()).append(",");
        if (getFilesDeleted() != null)
            sb.append("FilesDeleted: ").append(getFilesDeleted());
        sb.append("}");
        return sb.toString();
    }

    @Override
    public boolean equals(Object obj) {
        if (this == obj)
            return true;
        if (obj == null)
            return false;

        if (obj instanceof CreateCommitResult == false)
            return false;
        CreateCommitResult other = (CreateCommitResult) obj;
        if (other.getCommitId() == null ^ this.getCommitId() == null)
            return false;
        if (other.getCommitId() != null && other.getCommitId().equals(this.getCommitId()) == false)
            return false;
        if (other.getTreeId() == null ^ this.getTreeId() == null)
            return false;
        if (other.getTreeId() != null && other.getTreeId().equals(this.getTreeId()) == false)
            return false;
        if (other.getFilesAdded() == null ^ this.getFilesAdded() == null)
            return false;
        if (other.getFilesAdded() != null && other.getFilesAdded().equals(this.getFilesAdded()) == false)
            return false;
        if (other.getFilesUpdated() == null ^ this.getFilesUpdated() == null)
            return false;
        if (other.getFilesUpdated() != null && other.getFilesUpdated().equals(this.getFilesUpdated()) == false)
            return false;
        if (other.getFilesDeleted() == null ^ this.getFilesDeleted() == null)
            return false;
        if (other.getFilesDeleted() != null && other.getFilesDeleted().equals(this.getFilesDeleted()) == false)
            return false;
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public int hashCode() {
        final int prime = 31;
        int hashCode = 1;

        hashCode = prime * hashCode + ((getCommitId() == null) ? 0 : getCommitId().hashCode());
        hashCode = prime * hashCode + ((getTreeId() == null) ? 0 : getTreeId().hashCode());
        hashCode = prime * hashCode + ((getFilesAdded() == null) ? 0 : getFilesAdded().hashCode());
        hashCode = prime * hashCode + ((getFilesUpdated() == null) ? 0 : getFilesUpdated().hashCode());
        hashCode = prime * hashCode + ((getFilesDeleted() == null) ? 0 : getFilesDeleted().hashCode());
        return hashCode;
    }

    @Override
    public CreateCommitResult clone() {
        try {
            return (CreateCommitResult) super.clone();
        } catch (CloneNotSupportedException e) {
            throw new IllegalStateException("Got a CloneNotSupportedException from Object.clone() " + "even though we're Cloneable!", e);
        }
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Maria Valdina Silva Almeida (Tobias Barreto, ) é uma política brasileira. Em 2018, foi eleita deputada estadual de Sergipe pelo Podemos (PODE) com 20 168 votos.

.   2.  TSE confirma cassação de deputada estadual Diná Almeida por abusos de poder | Sergipe | G1 https://g1.globo.com/se/sergipe/noticia/2021/09/22/tse-confirma-cassacao-de-deputada-estadual-dina-almeida-por-abusos-de-poder.ghtml

Deputados estaduais de Sergipe
Membros do Podemos (Brasil)
Membros do Progressistas
Membros do Progressistas de Sergipe


text:
«Крихітка на мільйон доларів» () — американська спортивна драматична стрічка 2004 року режисера Клінта Іствуда, який отримав 4 «Оскари» (найкращий фільм, найкращу режисерську роботу, найкраща жіноча роль — Гіларі Свонк, найкращу чоловічу роль другого плану — Морґан Фрімен). Прем'єра відбулась 15 грудня 2004 року. В українському кінопрокаті фільм не демонструвався. На 23 серпня 2021 року фільм займав 209-у позицію у списку 250 кращих фільмів за версією IMDb.

Синопсис
Фільм розповідає про трагічну долю жінки-боксера Меґґі Фітцжералд, яка впевнена у тому, що стане зіркою жіночого боксу. Їй вдалося досягти значних успіхів в цьому виді спорту завдяки своїй завзятості та волі до перемоги. У цьому також величезна заслуга літнього тренера, колишнього бійця, який отримав у особі Меґґі найкращого в своєму житті вихованця. Між ними виникли міцні, майже родинні стосунки, які не отримали розвитку через трагічний випадок на рингу — Меґґі отримала перелом шийного хребця. У її тренера складний вибір — допомогти Меґґі піти з життя (як вона цього хоче) або допомогти їй боротися за життя.

У ролях

Нагороди
В цілому картина виграла 25 винагород, включаючи 4 премії «Оскар», 2 премії «Золотий глобус» в 2005 році, премії «Сезар» і «Давид ді Донателло» за найкращий іноземний фільм 2006 року.

Примітки

Посилання

Фільми-драми США
Спортивні фільми США
Спортивні драматичні фільми
Фільми про бокс
Фільми Клінта Іствуда
Фільми — лауреати премії «Золотий глобус»
Фільми — лауреати премії «Оскар»
Фільми Lakeshore Entertainment
Фільми Warner Bros.
Фільми англійською мовою


text:
St. Jude Possibilities
St. Jude StoriedLives
St. Jude Selfless
St. Jude Place: Being a Kid at St. Jude
Running Toward Life
St. Jude Moments
Inspired Questions
Adam's Army Trek to a Million Part 3: The St. Jude Big River Ride
Austin's NFL Draft
465 Miles for St. Jude
The Royal Wedding of St. Jude
Friendly Competition
Patient Art Gallery
Batting Practice: Cardinals vs Redbirds
R. Madhavan
St. Jude PLAY LIVE Summit
Dragon Boat Races
10th Annual Darius and Friends Concert
Chip & Joanna Gaines Reveal New Playhouse at St. Jude
Welcome to St. Jude Inspire
Mission Possible: Adam's Army Sets its Sights on $1M
In an effort to give back to the hospital that saved his life, St. Jude patient Adam has raised an army of fundraisers working toward a single goal.
by Thomas Charlier
April 26, 2019 • 6 min
As a brisk morning ripens into a glorious spring day, Adam gulps down a handful of medicine and supplements and soon is jogging toward Downtown Memphis, his steady gait giving no hint that his hips have been rebuilt and his body is still reeling from more than 1,000 chemotherapy doses.
Block by block, Adam pushes ahead, accompanied by three supporters. Not usually one to hold back, he nonetheless heeds the advice of his running coach.
"There's no reason to push — we can't overdo it," Lisa Sanchez-Sullivan had told him. "You know when it doesn't feel right."
Three miles into the run the group does come to a halt, if only momentarily. Within sight of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, they pose for a selfie and turn around for the return leg.
St. Jude is what this run is all about, anyway. Adam is training for the St. Jude Rock 'N' Roll Nashville half marathon on April 27. In June, he plans to climb onto a bicycle for the St. Jude Big River Ride, followed by his participation in the St. Jude Walk/Run in September.
Then comes his biggest fitness test to date: running the full St. Jude Memphis Marathon in December.
For the 21-year-old Adam, the events represent a special type of endurance — both physical and mental. They're part of a marathon effort, if you will, to collect dollars to symbolically repay the hospital that saved his life.
Toward that end, he's raised more than money. He's raised an army — Adam's Army, as it is known. In just four years, this international group of supporters has generated more than $700,000 in donations to the hospital.
Adam's goal now is push that total to $1 million. Whether he achieves it by the end of this year — his preference — or by the time he's 26 and is officially considered cured, he's sure of the outcome.
"It will happen," he says.
Adam celebrates a huge milestone in his fight against cancer. St. Jude doctors and staff join his family in celebrating the end of his chemotherapy treatment with a St. Jude tradition - the "No More Chemo" Party.
An overwhelming disease
Cancer is nobody's idea of a day at the beach, but Adam, with metaphorical flourish, has a way of describing it like that. Except in his telling there's a "little tsunami" involved.
Life before the disease, he says, is like sitting in the sand, enjoying the sunshine and the view of the ocean. All of the sudden cancer, in the form of a large, powerful wave, engulfs its victims and sweeps them out into the sea, far from their past lives, and tosses them around in dangerous currents.
"And then, after everything, it kind of just lays you back on the beach to a different life, a life that you didn't really know existed," he says.
Adam, shown in his Rhodes College dorm room with his dog Louie, has been preparing for finals as well as the St. Jude Rock 'N' Roll Nashville half marathon on April 27.
As much as any patient, Adam can speak to the turbulent tides and upheavals attending a cancer ordeal. His began in late July 2014, when he was just 16 and in the middle of what he would later call the best summer of his life. He had trekked to Germany with a youth group, taken a beach vacation with his big sister. He hiked in North Carolina and rafted a whitewater river.
Mysteriously, however, he began experiencing intermittent hand pain, throbbing and excruciating. Although family and friends initially suspected arthritis, Adam received a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
As is so often the case with childhood cancer, the transformation was abrupt and traumatic. One day he was eating pizza and watching the sun sink over the Mississippi River with a friend. The very next, he was in the ICU of St. Jude getting chemotherapy as doctors fretted about his astronomical white blood cell count.
ALL, the most common childhood cancer, also is among the most survivable. Since St. Jude opened in 1962, the survival rate for the disease has soared from 4 percent to 94 percent for patients treated at St. Jude. Still, treatment is a long, rough process often involving some 30 months of chemotherapy.
Adam's course was especially difficult. Early on during his treatment, he suffered pancreatitis. Doctors realized he was allergic to one of the main chemotherapy drugs, requiring a radical departure from the established protocol for treating ALL.
Though it would help save Adam's life, the replacement drug wreaked havoc on his immune system. An air bubble formed in his chest, and later, his esophagus became partially blocked. For eight months, he wore a mask to fend off infections.
Despite the precautions, virus after virus infected him, and eventually he suffered septic shock. Of all the side effects, or "party favors," as his mom Connie ruefully calls them, the most disturbing was a week-long bout with delirium.
"One thing after another kept happening," Connie says.
'He knew everything he was missing'
In many respects, Adam's cancer experience showed that being an older patient has its peculiar downsides. Children who are afflicted at a very young age haven't established a sense of normalcy that can be shattered by the disease. They don't know what they're missing.
That wasn't the case for Adam. Like any teenager, he had tasted the fun and adventure that life can offer, only to have it brutally taken away.
"After his diagnosis, he became an angry, trapped teenager," Connie says. "He knew everything he was missing."
Making matters worse, chemotherapy was shutting down his immune system and weakening his hormones at around the time puberty should have been peaking.
The bitterness consuming Adam, however, wasn't just about what was happening to him. He saw younger St. Jude patients, kids for whom he had felt a kind of responsibility, suffer and sometimes die.
Among them was a feisty 9-year-old named Carson with whom he had grown especially close. She needled Adam relentlessly, making a running joke of calling him a "disappointment" to St. Jude because he was, in her assessment, insufficiently brave and positive. She gave him a collection of attractive handmade straps for his face mask, emphasizing to him the importance of looking nice even when he didn't feel well. When Carson passed away in 2015, Adam served as a pallbearer at her funeral.
The myriad traumas — physical, emotional and mental — took a predictable toll. Adam suffers from depression, anxiety, survivor's guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder. He periodically labors against Seasonal Affect Disorder.
Less than a year into his treatment, Adam and his mom knew something had to change. Even if the cancer didn't kill him, the toxic side effects of anger, anxiety and sadness would.
Driven to pay back
Adam traces his fundraising efforts in part to needing to fill time during the tedium and discomfort of treatment. "It was kind of like therapy."
He also was following the example of others, including Carson, who had pledged her piggy bank to St. Jude.
Adam learned that the alternative chemo regimen had helped push his total treatment costs to more than $3 million, although, like all other St. Jude patient families, Adam's family never got a bill from the hospital.
"People invested in me, so I've got to give back," he says.
He studied fundraising methodology and formed Adam's Army in 2015, its initial goal set at raising $100,000. Member teams took part in the St. Jude Walk/Run, as well as the St. Jude Ride and Marathon, that year.
But as Adam prepared for the half marathon during the St. Jude Memphis Marathon® Weekend in December 2015, another "party favor" from his treatment emerged. Doctors confirmed that his hips had been ravaged by avascular necrosis, an affliction that eats away the bone.
Trailed by a wheelchair, and under close monitoring by St. Jude medical staff, Adam completed the half marathon anyway. He crossed the finish line linked arm-in-arm with supporters. "Everybody was bawling. I can't tell you how many people are on the team because they witnessed it," Connie says.
Shortly after the race, Adam underwent surgery to reconstruct his hips. He completed his leukemia treatment in spring of 2017, and remains in remission. In an effort to help other patients, he's been open about the physical and emotional problems that still resurface occasionally.
As he prepares for the Nashville race — his fourth half marathon — Adam remains under the close guidance of St. Jude doctors. With help from an outside specialist, he's working to overcome challenges from his treatment. And he looks to running coaches and trainers to help get ready. St. Jude doctors have cleared him to run the full marathon in December.
After Adam's Army quickly surpassed the initial fundraising goal, the target moved continually higher.
"The first thing I learned about fundraising is when you hit one goal you just move it up to the next one."
Since treatment ended, Adam has struggled somewhat to figure out who he is. For two-and-a-half years, he was the kid with cancer, the one who took chemo every other day.
For all the challenges that remain, Adam insists he's found a measure of peace in knowing that his calling is to give back, to serve others.
That's why, on a beautiful spring day, he's jogging down a street in Memphis.
And that's why, with each passing moment, that big cancer wave that pummeled him so harshly recedes farther and farther away, leaving him in the sun, with a whole new life ahead.
One Big Family
They first met in New York City, at a photo shoot for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — two families on separate cancer journeys, but with so much common ground over which to bond.
A Race Like No Other
The St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend is an unforgettable homecoming for everyone involved — when the St. Jude family reconnects with one another, encourages kids currently undergoing treatment and honors those who didn't survive.
St. Jude Inspire
A New Cure for 'Bubble Boy'
Donors applaud as St. Jude announces gene therapy cure for babies with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency.
Storied Lives
Aiding Syrian Refugees: A Voice for the Voiceless
At 31, Sean Kenney is a veteran aid worker, helping refugees and migrants in Lebanon. His compassion stems from the hardships he faced after having a brain tumor at age 3.
Making History at St. Jude
When St. Jude opened in 1962, Danny Thomas vowed the hospital would treat patients regardless of race, religion or ability to pay. In 1968, Dr. Rudolph Jackson became the first black doctor at St. Jude.


The NBA Closer is written by Matt McHale, who can't decide whether he likes the fact that ginormous leads are not safe when these teams play. When he's not silently wondering what's going to happen in Game 6, he can be found staring into space with a contemplative look at Basketbawful. Enjoy!
And David Stern sighs in relief. Ever wonder why the NBA Finals — unlike any other playoff series in league History — uses a 2-3-2 format? Well, this is why. Had Game 5 been played in Boston with the Celtics holding a 3-1 lead, the series would probably be over. Instead, the Lakers' 103-98 victory ensures at least one more game, which means more primetime TV, which means more commercials sold, which means more $$ for the league ... you get the idea. But hey, who doesn't want more Lakers-Celtics, right? Uh, right? Anybody? Okay. Never mind, then.
Game 5 started out like a replay of Game 4, with L.A. taking a 17-point lead after one quarter (39-22) and Boston storming back. But like any not-quite-as-good sequel, there were some minor changes to the script. This time, for added viewing pleasure, Kobe Bryant went off for 15 first-quarter points on the strength of four three-pointers. And instead of waiting until the third quarter to mount their comeback, the Celtics outscored the Lakers 30-16 in the second — thanks to a point explosion by Paul Pierce — to cut the L.A. lead to three.
Pierce shredded the Laker "defense" all night, finishing with 38 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 19 [!!] free throw attempts. But he also had a team-high 5 turnovers, the last of which was poked away by Kobe (25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals, 6 turnovers) and converted into a game-breaking dunk with 37.4 seconds left.
Said Mamba: "I was just kind of reading the play and I was able to get my hands on the ball and get out and get a dunk." If by "read" he meant "totally gambled" and by "the ball" he meant "Pierce's arm and chest," he's exactly right.
Lamar Odom lived up to his Robin role by contributing 20 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocked shots, and several slightly maniacal grins. The Spanish Marshmallow Pau Gasol, in addition to screaming in faux agony every time he took a shot inside, scored 19, grabbed 13 and dished 6. Derek Fisher added 15 points, Jordan Farmar scored 11 off the bench, and Sasha Douchachick improved on his 1-for-9 performance in Game 4 by shooting 2-for-10.
On the flipside, Pierce didn't get a lot of help from the rest of Boston's ménage à trois. Ray Allen scored 16 points on 4-for-13 shooting before fouling out. Meanwhile, Kevin Garnett finished with a double-double (13 points, 14 rebounds), but he had 4 turnovers (to zero assists), was limited to only 33 minutes because of foul trouble, and missed a kinda-sorta easy put back with 26 seconds left that would have cut the L.A. lead to two.
If one of those guys had played just a teensy bit better, there might have been some champagne popping in the Celtics locker room last night. As it is, the Lakers now have a sliver of hope. And Phil Jackson thinks it might be enough: "A lot of things can happen. We're young enough and dumb enough to be able to do this."
I guess we'll find out just how dumb they are on Tuesday night in Boston.


"Banks of the Seine at Asnieres" by Renoir, Painting Reproduction.
Banks of the Seine at Asnieres (also known as "The Skiff") by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, was painted in 1875.
The work displays a long boat manned by two girls navigating the river Seine. The painting is now part of the permanent exhibition at the National Gallery, London.


WASHINGTON – To complement its existing safety inspection regime for foreign-flagged vessels operating in U.S. waters, the U.S. Coast Guard Friday announced an additional layer of risk-based safety oversight for mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) as part of an ongoing review of marine safety policies following the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion, fire, and subsequent oil spill.
Currently, U.S.- and foreign-flagged MODUs operating in U.S. waters undergo annual examinations to verify compliance with domestic laws, regulations and international conventions – ensuring that a vessel's major systems are in compliance and that crew training and performance, such as lifesaving and firefighting drills, meet all applicable standards.
When an examination reveals questionable equipment, systems, or crew competency issues onboard a MODU, the Coast Guard expands the examination as necessary to determine whether a deficiency exists, a process that may require additional tests, inspections or crew drills deemed necessary at the discretion of Coast Guard inspectors. The Coast Guard documents any deficiencies and mandates they be corrected; depending on the severity of the deficiencies, the Coast Guard may curtail vessel operations as appropriate until the deficiencies are corrected.
With today's announcement, Coast Guard marine inspectors will add an additional, risk-based layer of inspection for foreign-flagged MODUs operating on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf –determine the risk they pose by examining accident history, past discrepancies, flag state performance and classification society performance to identify those vessels requiring additional oversight. Risk based targeting allows for more frequent examinations of the highest risk MODUs and efficient use of Coast Guard resources.
The new system is based on a current Coast Guard safety and environmental protection targeting matrix that has been successful at identifying high-risk foreign vessels of all kinds for more than 10 years. In 2010, the Coast Guard screened 76,372 foreign vessel arrivals and conducted more than 9,900 examinations to ensure the safety and security of the nation's ports and waterways.
The policy letter outlining the new risk-based inspection program can be viewed here.