text:
\section{Introduction}

In conventional materials or the right-handed materials, the group velocity and phase velocity of electromagnetic waves are in the same direction. In contrast, the group velocity is opposite to the phase velocity in left-handed medium (LHM). \cite{Veselago1968} Because of their novel electromagnetic properties, LHM are promising for many applications, including antennas, superlens and cloaking. \cite{shalaev_optical_2007,chen_review_2016} To realize the LHM, generally one needs to artificially engineer the electromagnetic medium in subwavelength scale to create superlattice structures with effective permittivity and permeability. \cite{PhysRevLett.84.4184,shelby_experimental_2001} These electromagnetic superlattices are metamaterials which are currently under active research. There is a family of metamaterials with a hyperbolic dispersion of the electromagnetic waves, called hyperbolic metamaterials. \cite{PhysRevLett.90.077405,belov_backward_2003,poddubny_hyperbolic_2013,cortes_quantum_2012} The isofrequency surface of the wave vector is hyperbolic, see Fig. \ref{f1}(a), instead of an ellipsoid in conventional materials. One way to realize the hyperbolic electromagnetic dispersion is to use layered metal-dielectric periodic structures. \cite{agranovich_notes_1985} The dielectric constant in metals at frequency below the plasma frequency is negative while the dielectric constant for the dielectric medium is positive. By properly choosing the thickness of the metallic and dielectric layers, the layered superlattice can have a negative effective dielectric constant for electromagnetic waves propagating in one direction. To date, most LHMs are artificial structure, while the naturally occurring LHMs are limited. \cite{yoxall_direct_2015}

Anisotropic layered crystals are ubiquitous. One notable class of layered materials are superconductors, such as cuprate and iron pnictide superconductors. Here we show that the anisotropic superconductors are possible intrinsic LHMs, and find the conditions for realizing the LHMs. We have already identified $\mathrm{Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+\delta}}$
(BSCCO), $\mathrm{YBa_2Cu_xO_y}$ (YBCO)  and $\mathrm{La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4}$ (LSCO) cuprate superconductors as LHMs. In analog to metals, superconductors also host plasma mode which is a collective excitation of Cooper pairs and electromagnetic fields. Because of the weak interlayer superconducting coupling in anisotropic superconductors \cite{Kleiner92,PhysRevB.49.1327}, the plasma frequency is anisotropic and the plasma frequency in the $c$ axis can be as low as sub-terahertz and blew the superconducting energy gap. \cite{Tachiki94,Bulaevskii94} Because the quasiparticle excitations are gapped at the operating frequencies, the dissipation caused by quasiparticles can be minimized. The upper bound of the operating frequency is limited by the superconducting energy gap. For high $T_c$ cuprate superconductors, the upper frequency limit can be as high as 10 THz. Therefore the superconducting LHMs can operate in the terahertz frequency band, a frequency band is noticeably underutilized but has huge potential for applications. \cite{Ferguson02,Tonouchi07} For highly anisotropic superconductors where the superconducting layers are coupled through weak Josephson interaction, the inductance of the system can be tuned by bias current or external magnetic field, therefore allowing for tuning of the electromagnetic (EM) response. All these unique properties make anisotropy superconductors promising for applications in EM devices with left-hand properties.

We consider an anisotropic superconductor with in-plane ($ab$ plane) plasma frequency, $\omega_{ab}=c/\lambda_{ab}$, above the superconducting energy gap,  $\Delta$, and the out-of-plane ($c$ axis) plasma frequency, $\omega_{c}=c/\lambda_c$, below $\Delta$, i.e. $\omega_{c}<\Delta<\omega_{ab}$. Here $\lambda_{ab}$ and $\lambda_{c}$ are the London penetration depth. Examples are BSCCO \cite{Kleiner92,PhysRevB.49.1327}, YBCO \cite{PhysRevB.50.3511,PhysRevLett.89.247001}, LSCO \cite{PhysRevLett.69.1455,PhysRevLett.72.2263} and some organic superconductors \cite{PhysRevB.55.R11977,PhysRevB.62.5965}. The length scales that are relevant for EM properties are the London penetration depth, which are much bigger than the superconducting coherence length and the crystal lattice constant. We adopt the anisotropic Ginzburg-Landau equation and assuming the amplitude of the superconducting order parameter $\Psi=|\Psi|\exp(i\phi)$ does not change in space and time, valid for weak incident waves with frequency below the superconducting energy gap. The Ginzburg-Landau free energy functional for superconductivity is
\begin{equation}\label{eq1}
\mathcal{F}= {{\alpha_T}|{\Psi }{|^2} + \frac{{{\beta}}}{2}|{\Psi }{|^4} +\sum_{\mu=x, y, z}\frac{\hbar^2}{{2{m_\mu}}}{{\left| {\left(-i\partial_\mu-\frac{2\pi A_\mu}{\Phi_0}\right){\Psi}} \right|}^2}},
\end{equation}
where the anisotropy is due to the anisotropic Cooper pairs mass $m_\mu$. Here $\Phi_0=hc/2e$ is the quantum flux. The supercurrents in the $ab$ plane $J_{ab}$ and the $c$ axis $J_{c}$ are obtained by taking derivative of $\mathcal{F}$ with respect to $A_{ab}$ and $A_c$
\begin{equation}\label{eq2}
J_{{\mu}}=\frac{c \Phi _0 }{8 \pi ^2 \lambda _{\mu}^2}\left(\partial_\mu \phi -\frac{2 \pi  A_\mu}{\Phi _0}\right),
\end{equation}
where $\mu=x,\ y,\ z$ and $\lambda_x=\lambda_y=\lambda_{ab}$, $\lambda_z=\lambda_c$. The time variation of the supercurrent generates electric fields, $\mathbf{E}$, according to the London equation
\begin{equation}\label{eq3}
\partial_t J_{\mu}=\frac{c^2}{4 \pi \lambda _{\mu}^2} E_\mu.
\end{equation}
For the Josephson-coupled superconductors, Eq. \eqref{eq3} for $J_c$ needs to be modified to account for the gauge invariant phase $\phi$. \cite{Bulaevskii94,Koshelev01} Here we take $\phi=0$ valid when no external current or magnetic field is applied. We will discuss the effect of $\phi$ below. Using the Ampere's law, we have
\begin{equation}\label{eq4}
\left(\nabla\times\mathbf{B}\right)_\mu=\frac{4\pi}{c}\left(J_{\mu}+\sigma_\mu E_\mu\right)+\frac{1}{c}\partial_t E_\mu\equiv \frac{\epsilon_\mu}{c}\partial_t E_\mu,
\end{equation}
where at the right-hand side are the total current density consisting of supercurrent, normal dissipative current with conductivity $\sigma_\mu$ and the displacement current. The dielectric functions in the frequency domain $\epsilon_\mu(\omega)$ is
\begin{equation}\label{eq5}
\epsilon_\mu(\omega)=1-\frac{\omega_{\mu}^2}{\omega^2}-\frac{i4\pi\sigma_{\mu}}{\omega}.
\end{equation}
Here $\epsilon_\mu(\omega)$ has imaginary part due to the dissipation. In the case $\omega_c<\Delta<\omega_{ab}$ considered here, $\mathrm{Re}[\epsilon_{c}]>0$ and $\mathrm{Re}[\epsilon_{ab}]<0$ in the frequency region $\omega_c <\omega < \Delta$, which are essential for the following results.

First let us study the plasma modes inside an anisotropic superconductor. Using the Faraday's law $\nabla\times \mathbf{E}=-\partial_t\mathbf{B}/c$ and Eq. \eqref{eq4}, we obtain equation for $\mathbf{E}$ in the Fourier space $\mathbf{E}(\mathbf{r}, t)\sim \mathbf{E}(\mathbf{q}, \omega)\exp[i (\mathbf{q}\cdot\mathbf{r}+\omega t)]$
\begin{equation}\label{eq6}
\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}}
{q_y^2 + q_z^2}&{ - {q_x}{q_y}}&{ - {q_z}{q_x}}\\
{ - {q_x}{q_y}}&{q_z^2 + q_x^2}&{ - {q_y}{q_z}}\\
{ - {q_z}{q_x}}&{ - {q_y}{q_z}}&{q_x^2 + q_y^2}
\end{array}} \right)\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}}
{{E^x}}\\
{{E^y}}\\
{{E^z}}
\end{array}} \right) = \frac{{{\omega ^2}}}{{{c^2}}}\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}}
{{\epsilon_{ab} E^x}}\\
{{\epsilon_{ab} E^y}}\\
{{\epsilon_{c} E^z}}
\end{array}} \right).
\end{equation}
In our notation, the phase velocity is $\mathbf{v}\cdot \mathbf{q}=-\omega$. There are three plasma modes with the eigen frequencies and eigen vectors
\begin{equation}\label{eq7}
\frac{\omega_1^2}{c^2}=0, \ \mathbf{E}_1=[q_x,\ q_y,\ q_z],
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}\label{eq8}
\frac{\omega_2^2}{c^2}=\frac{q_x^2+q_y^2+q_z^2}{\epsilon_{ab}}, \ \mathbf{E}_2=[-q_y,\ q_x,\ 0],
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}\label{eq9}
\frac{\omega_3^2}{c^2}=\frac{q_x^2+q_y^2}{\epsilon_{c}}+\frac{q_z^2}{\epsilon_{ab}}, \ \mathbf{E}_3=[\epsilon_{c} q_x q_z,\ \epsilon_{c} q_y q_z,\ -\epsilon_{ab} (q_x^2+q_y^2)].
\end{equation}
The first mode is a static mode. The second mode is the usual EM mode in the right-handed materials. Because $\mathrm{Re}[\epsilon_{c}]>0$ and $\mathrm{Re}[\epsilon_{ab}]<0$, the isofrequency surface of $\omega_3$ is hyperbolic as shown in Fig. \ref{f1}(a). The third mode $\omega_3$ is the nontrivial plasma mode giving rise to the left-handed properties, and we will focus on $\omega_3$ in the following discussions. We will demonstrate below that anisotropic superconductors are intrinsic LHMs by considering the reflection and refraction of EM waves \cite{belov_backward_2003} at its $bc$ and $ab$ surfaces.
\begin{figure}[t]
\psfig{figure=fig1.pdf,width=\columnwidth}
\caption{(color online) (a) Isofrequency surfaces given by $\omega_3(\mathbf{q})=\mathrm{constant}$ for the plasma mode in Eq. \eqref{eq9}. (b) Schematic view of a superconductor/insulator superlattice.} \label{f1}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}[b]
\psfig{figure=fig2.pdf,width=\columnwidth}
\caption{(color online) Reflection and transmission of EM wave at the (a) $bc$ surface (b) $ab$ surface of an anisotropic superconductor. The blue lines with arrows represent the energy flux flow.
} \label{f2}
\end{figure}

First we study reflection of transverse magnetic wave at the $bc$ surface as displayed in Fig. \ref{f2}(a), where only the $\omega_3$ mode is excited. The system is uniform in the $y$ axis and $k_y=q_y=0$. In the upper region with an dielectric constant $\epsilon_d$, the dispersion of the EM wave is given by $(k_x^2+k_z^2)/{\epsilon_d}=\omega^2/c^2$.  At the interface $k_z$ and $q_z$ are continuous, and we have $q_z = k_z = - \sqrt{\epsilon_d}\omega\sin\theta/c$, where the negative sign originates from the phasor definition of EM waves and indicates wave propagation in the positive $z$ direction. From Eq. \eqref{eq9}, we obtain $q_x=\pm \sqrt{\epsilon_{c}(1-\epsilon_d\sin^2\theta/\epsilon_{ab})}\omega/c$. We will determine the sign of $q_x$ from the direction of the energy flux which has a component in the negative $z$ direction. The imaginary part of $q_x$ accounts for the dissipation. We consider the case where dissipation is weak as in the case of BSCCO, $\mathrm{Im}[\epsilon_\mu]\ll \mathrm{Re}[\epsilon_\mu]$, and neglect the dissipation in the following derivations. Using the boundary conditions at the interface, $(E^i-E^r)\cos\theta=E_z^t$ and $\epsilon_d(E^i+E^r)\sin\theta=\epsilon_{ab}E_x^t$, we obtain the electric field for the reflected and transmitted waves,
\begin{equation}\label{eq10}
E^r=\frac{q_z\epsilon_{c}\cos\theta +q_x\epsilon_d\sin\theta}{q_z\epsilon_{c}\cos\theta -q_x\epsilon_d\sin\theta}E^i,
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}\label{eq11}
E_x^t=-\frac{\epsilon_c}{\epsilon_{ab}}\frac{q_z\epsilon_{d}\sin(2\theta)}{q_x\epsilon_d\sin\theta-q_z\epsilon_{c}\cos\theta }E^i,
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}\label{eq12}
E_z^t=\frac{q_x\epsilon_{d}\sin(2\theta)}{q_x\epsilon_d\sin\theta-q_z\epsilon_{c}\cos\theta }E^i.
\end{equation}
We then consider the energy flow inside the superconductor by calculating the Poynting vector $\mathbf{P}=\frac{c}{8\pi}\mathrm{Re}[\mathbf{E}\times \mathbf{B}^*]=-\frac{c^2}{8\pi\omega}\mathrm{Re}[\mathbf{E}\times (\mathbf{q}^*\times\mathbf{E}^*)]$,
\begin{equation}\label{eq13}
\mathbf{P}=-\frac{\omega \epsilon_c}{8\pi}\left(q_x\hat{x}+\frac{\epsilon_c}{\epsilon_{ab}}q_z\hat{z}\right)\left(\frac{\epsilon_d\sin{(2\theta)}|E^i|}{q_x\epsilon_d\sin\theta-q_z\epsilon_{c}\cos\theta }\right)^2,
\end{equation}
where $\hat{x}$ and $\hat{z}$ are unit vectors in the $x$ and $z$ directions, respectively. Here $\mathbf{P}\cdot\hat{x}<0$ must be negative because the energy flow into the negative $x$ direction, which requires $q_x>0$. Therefore the $x$ component of the phase velocity and the energy flux flow are in the same direction. Because $q_z<0$ and $\epsilon_{ab}<0$, the $z$ component of the energy flux flow, $\mathbf{P}\cdot\hat{z}<0$, suggests the opposite direction to the phase velocity. This \emph{negative refraction} has the refraction angle
\begin{equation}\label{eq14}
\tan\alpha\equiv \frac{\mathbf{P}\cdot\hat{z}}{\mathbf{P}\cdot\hat{x}}=\frac{\sqrt{\epsilon_d\epsilon_{c}}\sin\theta}{\sqrt{\epsilon_{ab}^2-\epsilon_d\epsilon_{ab}\sin^2\theta}}.
\end{equation}
The reflection coefficient is
\begin{equation}\label{eq15}
R=\frac{E^r}{E^i}=\frac{\cos\theta\sqrt{\epsilon_{c}}-g\sqrt{\epsilon_d}}{\cos\theta\sqrt{\epsilon_{c}}+g\sqrt{\epsilon_d}},\ \ g\equiv \sqrt{1-\frac{\epsilon_d}{\epsilon_{ab}}\sin^2\theta}.
\end{equation}
There is always reflection because $\epsilon_c<1\le\epsilon_d$ according to Eq. \eqref{eq5}. The transmission coefficient is
\begin{equation}\label{eq16}
T=\frac{E^t}{E^i}=\sqrt{\frac{\epsilon_c\epsilon_d}{\epsilon_{ab}^2}\sin^2\theta+g^2}\frac{2\sqrt{\epsilon_d}\cos\theta}{\cos\theta\sqrt{\epsilon_{c}}+g\sqrt{\epsilon_d}}.
\end{equation}
At the BSCCO and vacuum interface, $\mathrm{Re}[\epsilon_c]<1$, $\epsilon_d=1$ and $-\mathrm{Re}[\epsilon_{ab}]\gg 1$, substantial portion of the incident wave can still transmitted into the $bc$ surface of the BSCCO with a small refraction angle $\alpha\propto 1/|\epsilon_{ab}|\ll 1$. Basically the transmitted wave travels along the layer direction with the electric polarization in the crystal $c$ axis because of the strong anisotropy in BSCCO \cite{Tachiki94,Bulaevskii94}.

The EM waves transmitted into BSCCO decay because of the dissipation. For $\omega_c\approx 1.5\ \mathrm{THz}$, $\omega_{ab}=750\ \mathrm{THz}$, $\sigma_{ab}\approx 4\times 10^6\ \mathrm{\Omega\cdot m}^{-1}$ and $\sigma_{c}\approx 0.2\ \mathrm{\Omega\cdot m}^{-1}$ in BSCCO \cite{Latyshev1999,Corson2000}, the decay length is about $r _d\approx 2\ \mathrm{cm}$ at an incident angle $\theta=\pi/4$ and operating frequency $\omega=5\omega_c$ and $\epsilon_d = 1$, which would be simple to perform transmission experiments using bulk BSCCO crystals. However, it would be technically challenging to experimentally measure the small negative refraction angle $\alpha$ in highly anisotropic superconductors using the configuration in Fig. \ref{f2}(a). For BSCCO, we estimate $\alpha\approx \sin\theta/10000$ at operating frequency $\omega=5\omega_c$. Therefore, one only measures the wave propagation along the $ab$ plane, resulting a trivial beam shift when a BSCCO slab is used. To achieve a sizable negative refraction angle, one may use less anisotropic materials with $\omega_c<\omega<\Delta<\omega_{ab}$. One may introduce defects into superconductors to increase London penetration depth and to render the superconductor less anisotropic, or use superconductor/dielectric multilayer artificial structures where the anisotropic properties can be tuned through tailoring the layer thicknesses, see the discussions below.

Let us proceed to study the reflection and transmission of EM wave at the $ab$ plane of an anisotropic superconductor, as displayed in Fig. \ref{f2}(b). In this case, we have $q_z=-\sqrt{\epsilon_{ab}(1-\epsilon_d\sin^2\theta/\epsilon_c)}\omega/c$. We have taken negative sign here because the energy flux flow in Eq. \eqref{eq20} must be in the negative $z$ direction. The incident angle $\theta$ should satisfy $\sin\theta\ge \sqrt{\epsilon_c/\epsilon_d}$ to have refraction. Using the boundary conditions, $(E^i-E^r)\cos\theta=E_x^t$ and $\epsilon_d(E^i+E^r)\sin\theta=\epsilon_{c}E_z^t$, we obtain
\begin{equation}\label{eq17}
E^r=\frac{q_x\epsilon_{ab}\cos\theta +q_z\epsilon_d\sin\theta}{q_x\epsilon_{ab}\cos\theta -q_z\epsilon_d\sin\theta}E^i,
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}\label{eq18}
E_x^t=\frac{q_z\epsilon_{d}\sin(2\theta)}{q_z\epsilon_d\sin\theta-q_x\epsilon_{ab}\cos\theta }E^i,
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}\label{eq19}
E_x^t=-\frac{\epsilon_{ab}}{\epsilon_{c}}\frac{q_x\epsilon_{d}\sin(2\theta)}{q_z\epsilon_d\sin\theta-q_x\epsilon_{ab}\cos\theta }E^i.
\end{equation}
The Poynting vector is
\begin{equation}\label{eq20}
\mathbf{P}=-\frac{\omega \epsilon_{ab}}{8\pi}\left(\frac{\epsilon_{ab}}{\epsilon_{c}}q_x\hat{x}+q_z\hat{z}\right)\left(\frac{\epsilon_d\sin{(2\theta)}|E^i|}{q_z\epsilon_d\sin\theta-q_x\epsilon_{ab}\cos\theta }\right)^2.
\end{equation}
The required negative $q_z$ (i.e., phase velocity in positive $z$ direction) suggests that the $z$ component of the EM energy flux flow is opposite to that of the phase velocity, i.e., \emph{backward waves}. We also have $\hat{x}\cdot\mathbf{P}>0$ because $q_x=-\sqrt{\epsilon_d}\omega\sin\theta/c<0$, therefore we have normal refraction at the interface. The refraction angle is
\begin{equation}\label{eq21}
\tan\alpha\equiv -\frac{\mathbf{P}\cdot\hat{x}}{\mathbf{P}\cdot\hat{z}}=\frac{\sqrt{-\epsilon_d\epsilon_{ab}}\sin\theta}{\sqrt{\epsilon_d\epsilon_{c}\sin^2\theta-\epsilon_{c}^2}}.
\end{equation}
The reflection and transmission coefficients are
\begin{equation}\label{eq22}
R=\frac{\cos\theta\sqrt{-\epsilon_{ab}}-g_c\sqrt{\epsilon_d}}{\cos\theta\sqrt{-\epsilon_{ab}}+g_c\sqrt{\epsilon_d}},\ \ g_c\equiv \sqrt{\frac{\epsilon_d}{\epsilon_{c}}\sin^2\theta-1},
\end{equation}
\begin{equation}\label{eq23}
T=\frac{E^t}{E^i}=\sqrt{g_c^2-\frac{\epsilon_{ab}\epsilon_d}{\epsilon_{c}^2}\sin^2\theta}\frac{2\sqrt{\epsilon_d}\cos\theta}{\cos\theta\sqrt{-\epsilon_{ab}}+g_c\sqrt{\epsilon_d}}.
\end{equation}

For BSCCO or LSCCO, only a small fraction of the incident EM can penetrate into the superconductor from the $ab$ surface because the refraction angle is $\alpha\approx \pi/2$ for a not small incident angle $\theta$ and the transmitted wave travels along the interface, or the incident wave is almost completely reflected, $R\approx 1$, for a small $\theta$. It is difficult for EM to propagate in the crystal $c$ axis in the frequency region $\omega<\omega_{ab}$ because the EM wave has to cross the superconducting layers. The EM wave can travel along the weak superconducting region in the $ab$ plane with plasma frequency $\omega_c$. In order to realize significant transmission, one needs to reduce the the effective $\epsilon_{ab}$, either using less anisotropic superconductors or using superconductor/dielectric artificial structures, where one may be able to measure the opposite directions of phase and group velocity using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy \cite{Grischkowsky90}.

One of the advantages using anisotropy superconductors such as BSCCO is that the superconducting layers are coupled through the Josephson junctions, where the plasma frequency $\omega_c$ can be tuned by the bias current in the $c$ axis or external magnetic field in the $ab$ plane. In this case, we need to replace Eq. \eqref{eq3} by $\partial_t J_c=c^2 E_z\langle\cos\phi\rangle/(4\pi\lambda_c^2)$, where $\langle\cdots\rangle$ represents spatial average. In the presence of a bias current $I_{\mathrm{ext}}$, $\phi$ is given by $\langle\sin\phi\rangle=I_{\mathrm{ext}}/I_{c0}$ with $I_{c0}$ the critical current. We have $\omega_c=c^2\cos\phi/\lambda_c^2$. This points a way to tune $\epsilon_c$ and to achieve controlled functionalities of LHMs by applying bias current or magnetic field.

As previously mentioned, in superconductors such as BSCCO the highly anisotropy results in minimal negative refraction angle or transmission. Here we discuss an alternative realization of superconducting LHMs with controlled EM response by using artificial superconductor/dielectric superlattice as depicted in Fig. \ref{f1}(b). Such a superlattice can be modeled as a stack of Josephson junctions, which have been discussed extensively in the past both experimentally \cite{PhysRevB.66.064527,goldobin_cherenkov_2000} and theoretically \cite{sakai_fluxons_1993,PhysRevB.50.6919}. We employ the effective medium theory to obtain the dielectric constant of the superlattice. We consider that the electromagnetic wavelength is much bigger than the period of the superlattice and neglect the variation of EM fields inside the layers. The electric displacement field $\mathbf{D}_{l}$ in the $l$-th superconducting layer is $\mathbf{D}_{s, l}=\epsilon_{s}\mathbf{E}_{s, l}$ and similarly for the insulating layer $\mathbf{D}_{I, l}=\epsilon_{I}\mathbf{E}_{s, l}$. Here we consider an isotropic superconductor with $\epsilon_s=1-\omega_s^2/\omega^2-i4\pi\sigma/\omega$, where the plasma frequency is $\omega_s=c/\lambda$ with $\lambda$ the London penetration depth and $\sigma$ the electric conductivity. Averaging $\mathbf{D}$ and $\mathbf{E}$ over one period and using the standard EM boundary condition, we obtain $D_{ab}\equiv (d_sD_{s,ab}+d_I D_{I,ab})/(d_s+d_I)=(d_s\epsilon_s+d_I\epsilon_I)/(d_s+d_I)E_{l,ab}$ and $E_{c}\equiv (d_s E_{s,c}+d_I E_{I,c})/(d_s+d_I)=(d_s\epsilon_s^{-1}+d_I\epsilon_I^{-1})D_c/(d_s+d_I)$. The effective permittivity are \cite{agranovich_notes_1985}
\begin{equation}\label{eq24}
\epsilon_{ab}=\frac{d_s\epsilon_s+d_I\epsilon_I}{d_s+d_I}, \ \ \epsilon_{c}=(d_s+d_I)\left(\frac{d_s}{\epsilon_s}+\frac{d_I}{\epsilon_I}\right)^{-1}.
\end{equation}
For $\omega<\omega_s$, $\mathrm{Re}[\epsilon_s]<0$. The anisotropy ratio $\epsilon_c/\epsilon_{ab}$ can be tuned by the thickness $d_s$ and $d_I$. Moreover $\epsilon_c$ can be tuned by bias current and magnetic field in the presence of Josephson coupling, when the superconducting coherence length is larger than the thickness of the dielectric layers, where it would be possible to achieve active tuning by applying electrical currents or magnetic field, similar to the case of BSCCO.

To summarize, we demonstrate that for anisotropic superconductors with plasma frequency in the $c$ axis, $\omega_c$, and in the $ab$ plane, $\omega_{ab}$, they are intrinsic left-handed materials in the operating frequency region $\omega_c<\omega<\omega_{ab}$. Meanwhile $\omega$ should be below the superconducting energy gap in order to maintain superconductivity. We study the reflection and transmission of electromagnetic waves at the surface of superconductors and found the existence of negative refraction and backward waves. We identify $\mathrm{Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+\delta}}$, $\mathrm{YBa_2Cu_xO_y}$ and $\mathrm{La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4}$ as intrinsic left-handed materials. Because of the huge anisotropy, the negative refraction angle is small and the transmission coefficient for the backward wave is tiny at the interface between these cuprate superconductors and vacuum. The negative refraction angle and transmission coefficient can be improved in less anisotropic superconductors or using superconductor/dielectric superlattices. Recently it has been shown that anisotropic superconductors can emit a strong monochromatic THz waves \cite{ozyuzer_emission_2007,PhysRevLett.100.247006,SZLin_phase_2010}. The anisotropic superconductors can also be used as detectors and amplifiers \cite{PhysRevB.78.224519,PhysRevB.82.020504,dienst_optical_2013,rajasekaran_parametric_2016}. Combined with the left-handed propertied revealed here, it is expected that anisotropic superconductors can be used in novel electromagnetic devices with low loss.

\begin{acknowledgments}
We thank Alex Koshelev and Ulrich Welp for helpful discussions. This work was carried out under the auspices of the U.S. DOE contract No. DE-AC52-06NA25396 through the LDRD program.
\end{acknowledgments}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
EPPD: Animal Cruelty Investigation Unit seeks better shelter for victims
by: Stephanie Shields
Posted: Apr 10, 2019 / 04:46 AM MDT / Updated: Apr 10, 2019 / 04:46 AM MDT
The Animal Cruelty Investigation Unit under the El Paso Police Department is exploring options to find better shelter for the animals, saying the housing situation is its biggest challenge when pursuing cases.
The ACIU was established in November of 2017 and Sgt. Sandra Zamudio, the unit supervisor, says it is still a young department.
As of now, the ACIU works hand-in-hand with Animal Services for investigations. However, it is searching for proper shelter facilities to house cruelty victims.
"Animal control is not a rescue it's not a shelter they're a municipality, it's a facility within the city so they're not ideally the place where you want to house a cruelty victim," Sgt. Zamudio said.
The Animal Services Operations Supervisor Gina Ramirez explains why this environment is not ideal for abused animals.
"If you take the shelter environment into account it's stressful so with any given animal, stray or victim abuse, we would prefer to have them in a foster based home again because the shelter is a stressful environment for them, we would prefer to have animal in a foster based home," Ramirez said.
The ACIU is a fairly new EPPD unit, it was established in November 2017. Sgt. Zamudio says limited housing is the unit's biggest challenge when pursuing new cases.
"As far as the unit hopefully it will grow bigger that way we can handle more cases and that way we can detach more from animal services," Zamudio said.
The unit serves not just the City of El Paso, but the county as well, giving detectives a larger base to cover, which means more cases to investigate.
"The unit would have less work, less animals would get impounded and turned over to animal control if we realize that we need to take responsibility for the pets we bring home," Sgt. Zamudio said.
She says the unit is exploring options to find an outside entity to house the victims, but for now, says that it is still in the early phases.
Animal Services and EPPD rely on the public for help in alternate housing for the victims.
"Unfortunately the shelter is a last resort of where we want to have the animals so we always try to reach out to fosters, we try to recruit citizens to volunteer their time as well," Ramirez said.
If you'd like to become a foster home, click here.
Animal Services says any type of donations helps as well, they ask for food, blankets, crates, even just 30 minutes of time to walk the animals.
If you see an animal that appears to be experiencing animal cruelty you can call the ACIU hotline at 915-212-0800 and speak to a detective Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you call on the weekend or after hours you can leave a message.
More El Paso News Stories
by Shelby Kapp / Jan 16, 2020
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)- The El Paso Police Department Crisis Intervention Team is made up of 14 officers who are teamed up with a specialists from the Emergence Health Network.
This week members of the teams are taking training courses on how to best respond to calls involving a veterans dealing with trauma.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) - A mother allegedly took her children to Mexico to be with their fugitive father, who is wanted for super-gluing his infant's mouth and eyes.
Now she is in jail after the Texas Department of Public Safety and multiple agencies, including Mexican law enforcement, were able to find the family and return the children to the United States.
by Andrea Chacon / Jan 16, 2020
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) - Workforce Solutions Borderplex (WSB) names their previous Chief Operating Officer as their new Chief Executive Officer.
The Board of Directors for WSB announced the selection of Leila H. Melendez as the new Chief Executive Officer today.
Border Patrol agents find about 800 pounds of marijuana in four days
Border Report / 21 hours ago
Fort Bliss soldier had 4 tall boys prior to crash that killed El Paso motorcyclist
Crime / 1 day ago
Couple arrested for using stolen credit cards on shopping spree after breaking into vehicle

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


What are the Smart Cities 2019 Awards?
The Smart Cities Awards recognise the greatest achievements in the development, technological advancement and interconnection of cities around Australia.
Our aim with these awards is to gather some of the best ideas and talent when it comes to the development and enhancement of our cities, so that we can all learn and benefit from the exciting work already being undertaken across the sector.
Submissions due by Thursday April 18!
The Smart Cities 2019 Awards are a chance for your organisation to stand out and showcase your expertise to the rest of the industry.
The awards will be presented at a gala dinner as part of Smart Cities 2019, which will be attended by senior leaders and experts from within the urban development and digital communities.


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Find Out When Your Favorite CW DC Comics Show is Returning
The CW has set the fall premiere dates for their roster of DC Comics shows and we have them here. Start setting your DVR's accordingly.
The Flash returns for its fifth season on October 9th.The new season has added three new series regulars including Hartley Sawyer's Ralph Dibney and Jessica Parker Kennedy as Nora West-Allen.
Black Lightning returns October 9th as well. After critical and fan praise, it will be interesting to see what the producers and writers have in store for the heroes in the new season.
Supergirl has her fourth season premiere on Sunday October 14th. After the departure of Chris Wood (Mon-El) and Jeremy Jordan (Winn Schott) becoming a recurring character on the series, Jesse Rath (Brainiac 5) has been upped to series regular and the next season might be adapting the Red Son storyline.
Arrow returns October 15th on the CW for its seventh season. The series is getting a new showrunner in Beth Schwartz and there are rumors that the big bads for the seventh season will be the Longbow Hunters along with a rumor of the introduction of Ted Kord aka Blue Beetle into the Arrowverse. We'll have to wait and see.
DC's Legends of Tomorrow will return for its fourth season on October 22nd. This season will see the departure of Keiynon Lonsdale's Kid Flash as a series regular and the addition of Matt Ryan's John Constantine as a series regular.
Be sure to check back here for the latest news and reviews at Super Powered Fancast.
Catwoman #39 Review
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During the latter half of 2015 I organised / collaborated with a range of "alternative hackathons" and related events re-imagining the role of technology in creative practice. I've now collected documentation including a range of videos on the website, it was a really great series of events to be involved with, together with dozens of really nice people. Have a look here.


I've installed Sailfish SDK on Windows using the instructions at https://www.sailfishos.org/develop.html . However, after the installation was complete, I was only able to find libQt5Core.so. Could you please tell me where the rest of the libraries are, such as libQt5Gui.so, libQt5Widgets.so, etc?


I pray for reaching lost people for whom Christ died every day. Never has it ever been about earning approval from God or scoring points with God. That thought has never in 40 years of walking with Jesus, ever entered my mind. I don't share him to be loved by him but because I love him, and passionately want to share his love with others. Destiny and eternity is at stake. The Gospel of Jesus Christ continues to burn passionately within my soul, and with it Jesus' final words before his ascension: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel." That mission is why I became a church planter almost 20 years ago, and that same fire burns within me today, and even more so.
Because of that, I am thrilled about all the faith based movies that have laced theater screens of late. Why? They provide unique opportunities to share the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and become potential bridges to lost people. Here's my appeal: Let's not bash those movies and build barriers; let's use those movies to build bridges. Let's use our knowledge of God's Word to connect with the lost, clear up confusion, communicate clarity, and, yes, address fallacy where necessary. But, most important of all, use these movies to create gospel conversations with unbelievers. See opportunity beyond errancy and eternity beyond inaccuracy.
The movie industry is realizing that indeed, GOD'S NOT DEAD, and that HEAVEN IS FOR REAL. It is not their job but ours to make sure that as many people as possible encounter JESUS THE SON OF GOD in a clear and compelling fashion.


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PLIC/1/3465 Patrick Keelan, 32 Benburb Street, Dublin. Keelan Ship Hotel Benburb Street; Abbey Street Lower Claim for £19 4s 11d for destruction of personal effects by fire at the Ship Hotel, 5 Abbey Street Lower, Dublin. Payment of £9 9s 6d recommended by Committee.
PLIC/1/6293 Mary Savage and Christopher Savage, 26 Benburb Street, Dublin. Savage Benburb Street; Cole's Lane; Henry Street Claim for £20 13s for destruction of furniture and household effects due to rifle fire and shellfire by Crown forces at 14 ½ Cole's Lane, off Henry Street, Dublin. Payment of £16 5s 6d recommended by Committee.
PLIC/1/2099 May Clancy, 2 Benburb Street, Dublin. Clancy Metropole Hotel Benburb Street; Sackville Street Lower [O'Connell Street Lower] Claim for £3 5s 2d for clothing destroyed by fire at the Metropole Hotel, Sackville Street Lower [O'Connell Street Lower], Dublin. Full payment recommended by the Committee.
PLIC/1/4923 John J Murphy, Municipal Buildings, Cork Hill, Dublin, deputy city treasurer, representing Dublin Corporation. Murphy Dublin Corporation Cork Hill; Parliament Street; City Hall; Castle Street; Thomas Street; Iveagh Market; Francis Street; Charles Street; Benburb Street; Linenhall Street; Foley Street; Cook Street; Bride's Alley Claim for £687 4s 9d for damage to municipal buildings at Cork Hill, Dublin, City Hall, Dublin, 15 Parliament Street, Dublin, 26 Parliament Street, Dublin, 28 Castle Street, Dublin, Thomas Street Library, Dublin, Iveagh Market, Francis Street, Dublin, Charles Street Dispensary, Dublin, Benburb Street, Dublin, Linenhall Street, Dublin, Foley Street, Dublin, Cook Street, Dublin and Bride's Alley, Dublin. Payment of £593 18s 5d recommended by Committee.


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In Audio
Meaxic – "Crazy" [Exclusive Song Stream Premiere]
By Christopher Gonda 04/13/2015 1 Min Read
The Skinny: We're delighted to help premiere the new song "Crazy," from progressive metal/rock band Meaxic. "Crazy" comes from Meaxic's forthcoming debut EP, Synergy, set to release April 28, 2015. Get an idea of what's to come on their debut by streaming the song "Crazy" just above!
The group has already been featured on notable outlets such as Metal Underground and Raw Ramp, who described their sound as, "intriguing prog-metal delivered with passionate, masculine vocals, breathtaking guitar-work – and an arrangement so fascinating that it will shake your curiosity-nerve fibres into action."
audiocrazyexclusiveMeaxicmetalpremiereprogressiverocksongstream
Author Christopher Gonda
Born in 2003, V13 was a socio-political website that, in 2005, morphed into PureGrainAudio and spent 15 years developing into one of Canada's (and the world's) leading music sites. On the eve of the site's 15th anniversary, a full re-launch and rebrand takes us back to our roots and opens the door to a full suite of Music, Film, TV, and Cultural content.
The Kut – "I Don't Need Therapy" [Bandcamp Song Stream]
Northern Faces – "Alone and Forgotten" [YouTube Song Stream]


Danger Equipment Locked Out Key Tags alert employees that equipment is not to be used.
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© 2019 Emedco - A Brady Corporation Company. All rights reserved.


Varanasi: Setting an example for communal harmony, several Muslim women in Varanasi congregated to offer prayers to Lord Ram on the occasion of Shri Ramnavmi on Saturday. Worshipping the idol of Lord Ram, group of Muslim women claimed that Lord Ram was their imam and Ayodhya was their place of pilgrimage.
"Ayodhya hai hamari jiyaratgah ka naam, rahte hain jahan Imam-e-Hind Shri Ram (Ayodhya is the name of our pilgrimage, where our Imam Shri Ram lives)," they recited while praising Lord Ram during Ramnavmi celebrations.
The women, associated with the Vishal Bharat Sansthan (VBS), have been celebrating Ramnavmi for years to give a strong message of communal harmony.
According to a report in a news paper, taking the 'thaal' of aarti, these women sang in praise of Lord Ram at Varunanagaram Colony, Hukulganj. They also wrote 'Ram naam' in Urdu on pieces of paper and deposited in 'Rurdu Ram Naam Bank'.
Nazneen Ansari, who has scripted 'Shri Ram Aarti' and 'Shri Ram Prarthana', said: "Lord Ram is the ancestor of all of us. Everyone should take part in his aarti, breaking the barriers of caste, creed and faith."
Being a Muslim, Nazneen has no hesitation singing in praise of Hindu deity and she believes that the name of Rama is enough to end all adversities. "That's why a bank of 'Ram naam' in Urdu has also been created by these women at the VBS. Anyone can deposit Ram naam scripted paper in this bank," VBS founder Rajiv Srivastava said.
"Ram humare purvaj hain aur duniya ke liye adarsh hain. Humein is baat ka fakhr hai ki hum Ram ki santan hain. Ram nam hi nafrat mita sakta hai (Ram is our ancestor and ideal for the world. We are proud of it. It is the only name which can eliminate hatred)," said Nazneen, who has also translated Hanuman Chalisa into Urdu.
She is working on the translation of Ramcharitmanas after scripting 'Durga Chalisa' in Urdu.
Nazneen also presented a 'Ram-naami dupatta' to former central information commissioner O P Kejriwal, who was present on the occasion. Other members like Najma Parveen, Mohammed Azharuddin, Razia Begum, Shams-un-Nisa, Hajra Begum and Bilqis Begum also took part in Ramnavmi celebrations.


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Gabriella Ben-Hutta
Crum & Forster Pethealth
C&F appoints Nicole Bennett new Pethealth CEO
Crum & Forster , Accident & Health announced that Nicole Bennett has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of recently integrated Pethealth . Pethealth, in a deal expected to close by the end of the fourth quarter 2020, will become part of Crum & Forster Holdings Corp. Accident & Health division, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fairfax Financial.
"Welcoming Pethealth to the A&H family earlier this year was tremendous for C&F, moving our combined position to fourth in the pet insurance market in the US. Securing Nicole at the helm of this new vertical positions us for synergies within our growing pet insurance ecosystem and allows us to scale with confidence as we continue to meet insurance needs of pet families across North America and the UK." – President of C&F Accident & Health, Gary McGeddy.
Bennett brings 27 years of experience in the P&C insurance industry, most recently as C&F Chief of Staff where she has been engaged in strategy and execution related to growth and profitability objectives across underwriting, production, analytics, innovation, technology, talent and leadership development and communication. She is one of C&F's thought leaders on long-term innovation and strategy. In that realm she is also the senior executive leader of the Digital Partners unit within C&F, which focuses on InsureTech distribution. Bennett will relinquish her role as Chief of Staff to head up Pethealth operations and she will retain oversight of C&F's Digital Partners, reporting directly to McGeddy.
"I'm one of the few people who started out knowing I was going into insurance. But to be presented with the opportunity to apply that initial instinct to a career that serves to protect pets across regions is a true privilege. I'm looking forward to seeing Pethealth solutions continue to anticipate the needs and improve the lives of pets and pet families everywhere." – Chief Executive Officer, Pethealth, Nicole Bennett.
Pethealth acquiring microchip registry operations
Pethealth will be the largest North American provider of microchips and lost pet recovery services for companion animals.
Pets Plus Us partners with Merck's HomeAgain
By Gabriella Ben-Hutta ·
Pets Plus Us, which launched in 2012, is a full-service provider of pet health insurance across the US and Canada.
InsuraGuest launched a new BOP site underwritten by Crum & Forster
InsuraGuest Insurance Agency will administer InsureThePeople.com policies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Petco opens 100th in-store veterinary hospital
Petco has more than doubled its count of full-service in-store vet hospitals in the span of a year.


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Paladins beat ETSU for sixth consecutive win
Devin Sibley had 17 points to lead Furman to a 79-76
win at ETSU Sunday. Photo courtesy of Furman.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Facing the best team in the Southern Conference at defending the 3-pointer, Furman hit 10-of-20 Sunday including some critical ones down the stretch as the Paladins beat ETSU 79-76. The Bucs' Devontavius Payne had a good look on a 3-pointer at the buzzer, but it bounced away no good as the Paladins held on for the win in front of a packed house of 5,908 fans.
With the win, Furman (22-9, 13-5) wrapped up a third-place finish in the SoCon. The Paladins will play No. 6 seed Western Carolina in the quarterfinals of the SoCon Tournament next Saturday in Asheville at approximately 8:30 p.m. Furman had 100-66 and 76-54 wins over Western this season.
"They (Furman) just answered every bell tonight and just had the 'next play' mentality. It's not about being perfect, you've just got to get to the next play. We're going to have to do that same thing in Asheville," Furman coach Bob Richey said. "All they're going to hear about is how much better they are than Western. I promise you, Western's going to have five or six days to get ready for this game and it's going to be a knockdown drag out."
The game featured eight ties and 13 lead changes, but the Paladins matched their biggest lead at 60-52 with 10:32 left. Desonta Bradford powered ETSU to a 17-4 run matching the Bucs' biggest lead at 69-64 with 4:15 left. Andrew Brown answered with a 3-pointer before Matt Rafferty had a steal and a 3-pointer to give Furman a 70-69 lead. It was tied 71-71 when Devin Sibley hit a 3-pointer and was fouled with 1:26 left. Sibley completed the four-point play.
"Daniel (Fowler) made a good play and a good pass. My defender just slacked off a little and I decided to shoot it," Sibley said of his big shot. "To come into this place on Senior Day, it's a big win."
Bradford's layup cut Furman's lead to 77-74 with 52 seconds left. The Paladins ran off much of the shot clock on their ensuing possession before Fowler missed. However, Fowler came up with a huge offensive rebound and John Davis was fouled with 15 seconds left. Davis hit 1-of-2 free throws then, and 1-of-2 with five seconds left for the final margin of 79-76.
"You can point to a lot of different plays, but the mental toughness is what got it done. We got up eight and they came all the way back and got up five," Richey said. "So you've got a 13-point swing there in a packed house against a team that's playing for a championship and you have the resiliency and mental resolve to stay the course and continue to swing. That's the story of the game.
"I told them before the game 'you're going to win this game because you're more connected,' and they showed that. There were two momentum swings that ETSU got and Daniel Fowler huddled our team twice - once in the first half and once in the second half. That's the growth and that's why we won this game today."
Furman held a 40-39 lead at the half despite shooting just 38.7 percent from the floor in the opening half, while ETSU shot 53.3 percent. The difference came at the foul line, where the Paladins were 12-for-12 and the Bucs were 1-for-2. Thanks to 10 ETSU turnovers, Furman had a 13-4 edge in points off turnovers in the first half.
The Paladins led by as many as eight in the first half with three minutes to go. ETSU reeled off a 13-3 run in a span of just 1:33 to take a 39-37 lead before Fowler's 3-pointer with 41 seconds left put Furman ahead at the half. It was just the second time an opponent held a halftime lead at ETSU this season and the first since Nov. 22.
Furman made 6-of-9 3-pointers in the second half, including each of its last five attempts. Meanwhile ETSU, which entered Saturday making 38.1 percent of its 3-pointers in league play, went 0-for-5 from beyond the arc after halftime. That came after going 6-of-13 on 3-pointers in the first half.
"That was a halftime adjustment because we were losing their (3-point) shooters," Richey said. "That opened the paint a little bit and so Bradford and them just started putting their head down and going to the rim. Then we had to shrink it back and fortunately we were able to slow it down a little bit."
Sibley led five Paladins in double figures with 17 points and six rebounds off the bench. Matt Rafferty had 14 points, six rebounds and three steals. Daniel Fowler and John Davis each scored 12 points and Fowler had five assists. Andrew Brown scored 11 for Furman.
The Paladins finished 21-of-28 from the foul line (75 percent) after entering Sunday last in league play in free throw shooting at 67.2 percent. Furman will carry a six-game winning streak into Asheville as their four seniors take their last shot at a tournament title.
"We've just been working to get better each game and that's why we're playing the way we're playing now," Sibley said. "It's the best way we could script going to the tournament."
Desonta Bradford scored 17 of his game-high 19 in final 10:14 of the game for ETSU (23-8, 14-4), which finished second in the league after home losses to The Citadel, Wofford and Furman to end the regular season.


A BMW with a bed is the ultimate eyesore. Beamer purists, prepare to have your hearts broken.
Even if you live in a dark cave, you probably know that BMW doesn't do trucks. The idea of a Beamer-badged truck is unappealing to just about everyone on Earth, which is what makes the existence of these BMW utes so odd. For whatever reason, people seem to love to chop the top off of M3s and M5s. Even BMW teased us a couple of years back with one such ute concept of their own. If the thought of a BMW pickup excites you, or if you just want to see mutilated luxury sedans, then continue reading on.
This BMW 730i pickup is a vehicle only a blind mother could love. This pickup comes complete with two rear death seats and a sticker of Uncle Sam on its rear windshield. If that's not enough to get you to shell out $6,200 (the car's asking price) then you don't know a good deal when you see one.
This M3 Ute has the honor of being deemed the fastest pickup on the planet. This April Fools' joke hit 186mph on the Nurburgring. All that performance and it can carry a max payload of 992lbs.
Long before BMW was pranking their fan base with M3 pickups, Australian golfer Stuart Appleby was hard at work converting his M5 into a pickup. Appleby's Beamer is a sight to see, with its all-black paint job and 460hp engine.
If you have a spare $16,000 lying around, then this M3 pickup can be yours. The truck comes complete with a banana yellow interior and a 3.0-liter 6cyl engine capable of putting out 282hp. The interior alone is worth $16,000.


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Medtronic's Tiny New InterStim Micro Neurostimulator Submitted to FDA
Medgadget Editors Neurology, Neurosurgery, Radiology, Rehab, Urology
Medtronic has filed for FDA approval for its InterStim Micro neurostimulator and the accompanying InterStim SureScan MRI leads. The rechargeable device delivers sacral neuromodulation therapy to treat conditions such as overactive bladder, fecal incontinence, unobstructed urinary retention, and urinary urge incontinence. Along with the InterStim Micro, the new leads allow patients with the implanted system to safely receive MRI scans, given certain precautions.
Sacral stimulation involves modulating signals passed between the brain, bowel, and bladder, improving performance of the underlying muscles. Because the new implant is 80% smaller than the currently available, and recharge-free, InterStim II, the InterStim Micro is more comfortable to wear. It also should function for 15 years without needing replacement surgery.
"The FDA submission for InterStim Micro and SureScan MRI leads is a significant milestone for Medtronic and a leap forward in our 20-year history of leadership in sacral neuromodulation," in a press release said Brooke Story, vice president and general manager of the Pelvic Health & Gastric Therapies business at Medtronic. "Our ultimate goal is to provide safe and effective treatments to patients affected by bladder and bowel dysfunction, and ensure they have a choice in selecting the most appropriate therapy for their unique situation."
Flashbacks: InterStim Incontinence and Bladder Control Implant Now Controlled via App; InterStim II System for Sacral Nerve Stimulation
Via: Medtronic


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A Fatal Disorder
Robbie Low on corporate moral schizophrenia
There may be no listing in the psychiatric textbooks or entry in the Dictionary of Ethics but I am increasingly convinced of the reality of a morbid social condition called 'corporate moral schizophrenia'. Let me explain.
Like everyone else (or 86 % of the adult population according to recent figures) I have watched, and tried to respond practically, to the unfolding disaster of the Christmastide tidal wave that shattered the shoreline communities of the Indian Ocean. If I was being 'picky' I would confess that I am always a little uneasy about the rampant emotionalism and self advertisement that often accompanies the charitable response to such major televised tragedies but rather the danger of that anyday than a cold indifference to the fate of our fellow man.
I bridled at the European Union's three minute silence as a measure of our grief – 50% longer for relatively few people, whom we could never have known and whose fate we could have done nothing to alter, than for the tens of millions of our forebears whose lives were sacrificed on the altar of the failure of our own nation states. But again, maybe any opportunity for reflection should be encouraged by religious people, even if the standing, staring folk merely reflect on their own mortality and give thanks for their good fortune.
I was moderately irritated by the media's enthusiasm for God whom, having been almost excluded from His birthday celebrations a few days earlier, they brought back in a big way to take the blame for the carelessness of His creation from all those who, at any other time, do not believe in Him.
For all those little caveats it was reassuring to know that amidst our normal self-absorption we could yet be moved by the death of so many and by the helpless plight of our fellow man.
By the time the story finally dipped off the front page and into the human interest hinterlands of our daily newspapers, the Government had pledged tens of millions of our money and we had given, out of the remaining 55 % of our wages, tens of millions more as the death toll headed for 180,000.
Scarcely had we recovered from this current enormity than we were recalled to witness the sixtieth anniversary of a far greater disaster whose roots lie inescapably in the sinful heart of man. The train whistle pierced the freezing night air, the tracks were lit with fire and, while the leaders of Europe watched in relative comfort, the elderly prison-pyjama-clad remnant of Auschwitz stood in terrible remembrance of their missing family and friends. You don't need to have read Wiesel or Schwartz-Bart or stood in the heart-rending darkness of the childrens' memorial at Yad Vashem to recognise as wickedness a philosophy of eugenics that grades people into worthy and worthless and denies personhood and humanity to whole categories of our fellow man. For the Nazis it was Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, the handicapped , the infirm. The toll, as we are constantly reminded, was six million souls.
A few days later, in a completely unrelated context, the Archbishop of Canterbury's adviser let slip, to a House of Lords' committee that he, personally, was not wholly opposed to euthanasia. Although later corrected by an Episcopal spokesman the initial publicity may turn out to be a fatal concession to the death lobby. The Archbishop's adviser has been publicly contradicted by the Archbishop himself but he is far from alone in his views. An Anglican vicar, a few miles up the road from me, explained to his local paper that it was his very Christian compassion that enabled him to take a much more sympathetic view of euthanasia. He was, of course, confusing Christian compassion with moral abdication and emotionalism. No surprise to any of us that he is a supporter of one of those liberal groupings with a severely deficient Christology which, in the 2002 Mind of Anglicans Survey, could not muster even a bare majority against either abortion or euthanasia.
While Parliament juggles with the morality of assisted suicide (or murder as we used to call it) and the deliberate culling of the frail by dehydration and starvation in hospital, the judgement of 'the life worth living' is passing from the hands of God and a compassionate Christian society into the maw of the reductionist and the materialist.
For a believer the value of human life is God given and can never be at the mercy of utilitarianism or second hand emotions. What the 'Right to Kill' lobby fails to appreciate is that, if the value of the vulnerable is set at nought, one of the immediate consequences is that it diminishes us as a society. The gift of the vulnerable is to deepen our compassion and stretch our souls into greater vessels of the love of God. But, while these motives may be on the noble side of selfish, nothing can add to or detract from the central proposition of the presumption of the inalienable right to life. To deny this is the gravest decision man can take. To deny it to whole categories of human being is to unleash a new barbarism which dehumanises the oppressor rather than the victim and unleashes a tide of blood which drenches a generation in blood. If you think this is hyperbole rather than fact, ask the Germans.
Annual tsunami
It was, of course, the two sets of figures above that confirmed my diagnosis of 'corporate moral schizophrenia'. They had an all too familiar ring. We were right to be shocked by the tsunami and its 180,000 victims. But there are another 180,000 victims that get no television coverage and whom to mourn publicly invites hissing and contempt. They are not the victims of an 'act of God' but of a deliberate state approved slaughter by organisations often boasting charitable status. 180,000 is the number of unborn children murdered annually in the abortion clinics of this country. Six million is the total number of our fellow citizens deemed unfit to live since Parliament abolished the death penalty for the guilty and instituted it for the innocent. In our lifetime there has been a silent holocaust and with exception of the Roman Catholic Church and a few other brave souls in organisations like Life, SPUC and Right to Life, no-one has lifted a finger or uttered a word in protest. For these victims there will be no mourning save in the hearts of the women who have been deceived, like the women of old in the Valley of Gehenna, into sacrificing the future to a demonic philosophy. It was no accident that this was the image that Jesus used so often for Hell. It is both a sign and a consequence of the return to paganism.
What is it, I wonder, about the tragedy of events about which we can do nothing , that so tugs at the heart while extraordinary and inexplicable cruelty in our midst goes unremarked? The 'corporate moral schizophrenia' first came to my attention as a student marching in the defence of the unborn. Our silent protest was mobbed by fellow students hissing and jeering and spitting at us amidst a hail of obscenities from faces twisted with fury. I couldn't help but notice, and not for the last time in this battle, that many of those so engaged were, in all other circumstances, ardent pro-lifers (CND, save the whale, anti capital punishment, anti hunting etc.). It wasn't just that their compassion was partial or schizoid, they were clearly seized by a deep hatred of anyone who opposed their materialist feminist philosophy. As one female student explained to me, turning language and meaning on its head, 'trying to persuade a woman to keep her baby, can you imagine anything more fascist ?' What is it about the unborn of our own species that unleashes such primal hatred against them and their defenders. In a society that prides itself on its emphasis on human rights, justice , egalitarianism and compassion there is this astonishing and overwhelming omission.
Victims all
And moral schizophrenia is not the preserve of the secularist. I have encountered it all too often in the C. of E. From the bishop who invited a leading 'Christian' abortionist to persuade his synod of the moral validity of such 'compassionate' work (he succeeded) to the 'Christian' doctor who told me that he saw it as a way of sending unwanted (and therefore by a jump of logic unhappy) babies straight to heaven. One of my wife's lowest points as an Anglican was when, on General Synod, she was the only woman called who spoke against abortion.
Now we are moving on to the next logical stage – euthanasia for the vulnerable. The 1967 Abortion Act effectively removed the Hippocratic Oath from British medicine – the short and profound promise to do no harm to one's patients or ever to procure an abortion – which had underpinned over two thousand years of medical ethics. The consequent morality may yet make unwilling victims of us all. The 'worthy' and the 'worthless' will be divided up and the sentence passed by lethal injection or agonising dehydration. When our time comes there will be no choice and, on current form, no-one to speak up for us. As in places like Holland the 'living will' rapidly degrades into the choice of compassionate relatives with care bills to pay and then to the more anonymous 'medical priorities' and finally to state economics. We did not speak for the unborn. They cannot now speak for us. The unborn were, it now seems clear, the Jews of our time.
Post script: I am sitting finishing this, my last article for 'New Directions', on a sunlit Tuesday afternoon in February in the 'Bay Tree Restaurant' in Glastonbury. Hannah, my waitress, has served me beautifully and with great care and attention and the food is excellent. The atmosphere among the staff is warm and loving. Coincidence or providence? All of them, except the manageress are, like Hannah, Down's Syndrome or with severe learning difficulties. All of them, in utero, would have met the State's criteria for 'a life not worth living'. The joy and graciousness of Hannah and her friends are a living refutation of that terrible lie.
It is sixty six years since our parents and grandparents girded themselves for battle against a sinister system of eugenics and the latest manifestation of the ancient enemy of man. It would be cheering to think that, even this late in the day, we might have the courage to do the same.
Robbie Low lives in Cornwall


JioTv web version/ Jio tv for pc goes under construction after launching it for few hours.
The much anticipated Jio tv web version goes under construction after launching it silently. This problem first observe by lifeoperate team at 10:00 am. The JioTv is much awaited web application. Reliance Jio first launches it for android as well as for ios devices. After getting a huge response for Jio tv android app, reliance jio decided to launch it for web also.
The main highlight of this web version is that you can stream jio tv on any network like Bsnl, Airtel etc. The only thing you need is Jio Id and password. One more thing is that you actually watch your popular shows live like big boss season 11 without waiting for video to get upload on voot app.
According to some report the reason for jio tv web version pulls down due to legal action on it. As some other streaming service will face loss as reliance jio trying to launch the web service free for jio customer.
Update : JioTv for web version again goes under construction .
Let us know your views in comment section. Are you waiting for web version of jio tv or you like watching on your tv ?


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Superblog!
Dungeon Diving
"Why are we here again?" Her voice echoed against the dripping stone walls. "If I'd known you were going to be dragging me here, I'd have worn better shoes." Her expensive shoes were quickly falling apart. She was down to one heel after an encounter with a snake a few floors up. Cave floors were wet and unkind to the spoiled rich.
"If I told you we were going to a cave, you wouldn't have come." A quick flash of laser light incinerated a few vines. "We're almost there. I even made a shortcut for you." Compared to the ancient cave architecture, Liz's little renovation was easy to spot. Freshly exploded into the ages-old wall was a portal to a well-lit room and a hanging rope. Cracks branched into the walls in every direction. "I billed you for the explosive. You're welcome." Her mechanical arm took the rope and helped her rappel down.
"What am I paying you for?" Sally scoffed. Her descent down the rope was more of a hand-burning slide than a controlled descent. The other heel quickly became a lost cause. "I tell you that magic is in this season, and you run me through the mud to look at a rock?"
The rock in question was about ten feet in diameter, radiating pure golden light, and hovering an inch from the ground. "First of all, there was no mud. Only moss, wildlife, and quicksand." The colorful layers on Liz's rubber boots told the same story. The green, red, and tan made the mad scientist half an inch taller, but no muddier. "You're the second person to see this thing in about half a million years, so maybe I didn't do this just to punish you."
Sally took a few careful steps closer. Her silver hair shone in the golden glow. A manicured hand ran down the smooth surface. "I guess I could chip a piece off and put it in a ring or something. Couldn't you have found something smaller?"
"I have a drawer full of smaller somethings at home. This is the real deal. Real enough that knocking a hole in it going to ruin more than your shoes."
"Too late for that." Poor Sally's shoes. "Whatever harebrained scheme you have better be good."
"You don't pay me to come up with bad ideas. All we need is-"
"Hasn't stopped you before."
Liz cleared her throat. "All we need are some off-the-shelf parts and-"
A rumble shook the room. Then the temple. Then the walls. Liz's homemade doorway crashed closed. The original door wasn't faring much better. "I knew I should have bought pricier explosives. The way in only opens every twenty years. They used to worship these things, you know."
"Will worshipping it help now?"
"You can try. I think demonstrating it will work better." Liz cracked her five real and five mechanical knuckles, whipped off her utility belt, and leapt into action. There's more than one way to make a three-phase power excavator in a cave with a box of scraps and a grumpy heiress. In fact, she had just enough for Way #625.
admin@illegalpornography.com
kansattica
MotherfukinLuna
Hi. I have a name. I write things. Sometimes it's books! Sometimes it's programs. I like to keep me guessing.


text:
class Admin::DomainThemesController < Admin::Disguise::DomainThemesController

end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I'm surprised there aren't more accidents at that damned Bellview exit from southbound I-25. Every freakin' idiot in the right turn lane seems to somehow end up in the left lane when they're done turning. I swear nobody ever gets it right.
I like my new doc. Had an appointment this morning to get things rolling (had to switch due to new insurance, yadda, yadda), and it's already obvious that he's a lot less aggressive than my old doc. That's not to say I didn't like the old one, he was a cool guy, and we'd trade book recommendations on quantum gravity and stuff like that, but his philosophy and mine didn't really mesh. I've very reluctant to follow the path of "better living through chemistry," and I thought he was borderline drug-happy. But, with the current guy, I think I may have found the doc I like best of all the doctors I've had so far. Hard to say that for sure after one visit, of course, so this is really only a first impression.
And on that note, it's time to put a more concerted effort into dropping a few pounds, because, among other things, it would probably save me $75 or $100 a month in the drugs I love (oh so much).
If you suffer from high-blood sugar, my mom the health nut highly recommends a sugar substitute called xylitol. My friends who have tried it didn't care for it, but as a sugar substitute it's supposed to be both cheap and healthy.
Honestly... I use very little sugar, even when I cook, which isn't that much these days. I just don't have much of a sweet tooth.


text:
World Map / Tonga Map
Tonga Map
More Maps of Tonga
Political Map of Tonga
Where is Tonga
Tonga Outline Map
Tonga Cities Map
Tonga Lat Long Map
Nuku alofa Map
Le Royaume des Tonga
Tonga History
The first settlers of the islands of Tonga were an Austronesian-speaking people from the Lapita cultural complex sometime between 1500 - 1000 BC.
The first Europeans to discover the archipelago were the Dutch, who arrived on the vessel called Eendracht, and came for a short visit to trade.
In 1747, the first missionaries, who were from the London Missionary Society arrived. In 1777, Captain James Cook arrived on the islands and named it "The Friendly Islands" because he perceived the people to be of gentle nature. His arrival also coincided with festivities, where he was invited to participate.
More missionaries arrived soon after, which included the Wesleyan Missionary Society in 1882. The people's conversion to Christianity soon sparked a civil war with the non-Christian groups, but it soon ended with the Christian convert ruler named Ha-apai gaining complete control of the islands. He changed his name to George in 1845, united the islands, and became the first king of Tonga, starting the present-day dynasty. He established a constitution and a parliamentary government.
In 1990, Tonga signed a treaty with the United Kingdom for friendship and protection. The UK were then in charge of all of Tonga's foreign affairs and that of military defense. Tonga was never formally colonized but their independence was achieved on June 4, 1970. Their membership in the UN came in 1999.
Tonga is an archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean. It is found 2/3 of the way from New Zealand to Hawaii, and it's found directly below Western Samoa.
Tonga consists of 170 islands, where only 36 of them are inhabited. The country is divided into 3 main regions, which are the Vava'u, Tongatapu, and the Ha'apai.
There are no land borders but the nearest islands include Fiji, Wallis, and Futuna to the northwest, Samoa to the northeast, Niue to the east, Kermadec to the southwest, and New Caledonia and Vanuatu to the far west.
The islands consist of 2 types of terrain: limestone overlaying a volcanic base, and a limestone base made from coral formations.
Tonga is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The King is head of state and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, and he acquires the position through direct inheritance.
The King appoints a Prime Minister and a deputy prime minister for life from the members of the Parliament. Executive power is exercised by the Cabinet of Ministers who are also appointed by the King. Legislative power is exercised by the Parliament, which consists of 9 Nobles, 17 people's representatives, and 2 members from outside the assembly.
Tonga is not a popular travel destination in the Pacific and very few know about the islands. The country has strong religious values and is considered to be very conservative. However, its remote location and very few tourist infrastructure make it the perfect destination for tourists looking for a secluded tropical island getaway. They have several unique laws that a tourist must understand before coming to the islands.
Among the most popular tourist activities in Tonga are sailing, kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, water sports, and fishing.
The main island of Tongatapu is home to more than 2/3 of the country's small population. It is a coral island surrounded by coral reefs, and the capital of Nuku-alofa on the north has a relaxed atmosphere with plenty of sites to visit. Among them are ancient tombs, nice beaches, and nearby smaller islands developed into world-class resorts.
One of the most interesting sites on the island is the Ha'amonga'a Maui - which used to be an entrance to a royal chamber in the 13th century. It is a stone trilithon that's 5 meters high, and is one of the country's most historic structures.
Hufanglupe is another interesting site on the island. It is a natural bridge that was formed when a sea cave collapsed, offering a picturesque view with waves crashing into the rocks.
For the best place to dock a yacht on the archipelago, the island group of Vava'u consists of 50 islands located 150 miles from Tongatapu. The harbor across the town of Neiafu welcomes over 500 yachts during the peak season. It is famous for its exceptionally clear waters and it is known for humpback whale sightings during the months of June to November.
Education is free and compulsory in Tonga from ages 6-14. About 98% of all children attend school, and the country's literacy rate is 99%.
There are 20 institutions for higher learning, 95 primary schools, and 22 high schools. 80% of all primary schools and 90% of all high schools are run by missionaries.
Colleges and universities offer degrees in the fields of agriculture, medicine, nursing, and teaching. But most younger people prefer to study overseas, specifically in Australia and New Zealand, where most of them stay to work after graduation.
The people of Tonga are called Polynesians.
The country's name is derived from Tonahahabe, which means "the wind that blows from the south east."
Sundays are considered to be sacred in Tonga, where washing laundry or swimming on a Sunday can place you in jail.
It is illegal to be shirtless in Tonga, even on the beach. But certain exceptions are made inside private resorts.
Last Updated : July 29 ,2015
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The flag representing the Kingdom of Tonga was officially adopted on 4th November, 1875.
Facts about Tonga
Official Name Tonga
ContinentAustralia and Oceania
Lat Long20.5878° S, 174.8103° W
Area748 sq km
Population103036
CapitalNuku'alofa
Largest CityNuku'alofa
Official LanguagesTongan, English
Major ReligionRoman Catholic, Protestant
National Day4 June (1970)
Form of GovernmentUnitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
PresidentNA
Vice PresidentAkilisi P?hiva
Prime MinisterNA
CurrencyPa'anga(TOP)
GDP$763 million 2011 estimate
Time Zone(UTC+13)
Internet TLD.to
About Tonga
Where is Nuku'alofa
Embassies and Consulates of Tonga
What are the Key Facts of Tonga?


After assigning students an anti-Trump worksheet, a 7th-grade English teacher in Texas is receiving major backlash from parents, local politicians and others outraged by the indoctrinating classwork – including death threats.
A mother of one of the seventh-grade students assigned the work quickly informed conservative state Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park) about the politically charged assignment given to middle schoolers within the Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District (GCCISD) in Baytown, Texas.
Cain was quick to get the word out and share his disgust over the matter, blasting the school district on social media.
"This individual has violated the sacred trust that every parent has with the State of Texas when they send their child into a public school," Cain wrote in a Facebook post about the teacher, according to Fox News. "They have lost the privilege of being in a classroom with Texas children, and forfeit the title of teacher. No teacher should attempt to indoctrinate a child to their ideology – no matter who is in the White House."
On Tuesday – the same day Cain posted an image of the anti-Trump assignment on Facebook – Republican politican issued a press release calling for the teacher to be fired, as reported by The Baytown Sun.
Under the mask of a writing and reading comprehension lesson, the English teacher clearly relayed anti-Trump sentiments to students.
Once students finishing reading the left-leaning reading material, they were given two multiple-choice questions to answer.
"Which of the following conclusions would the author most likely agree with?" the first question asked, with one of the responses being, "Donald Trump should not be president."
Racial tension was then spurred by the next question.
Public school district officials admitted the assignment was administered in poor taste, but insisted that it was an accident and refused to concede that it was given to students with political intentions. However, GCCISD response appeared to draw more attentions to the teacher death threats it received than addressing the concern about the political motivation behind the schoolwork.
The district insisted that everything was taken care of.
"The matter has been settled at the campus level, as appropriate," the GCCISD statement reads.
Virtually all of the emphasis was put on the virulent conservative backlash.
"We received many calls at the district following the issue of a media release and social media post that told part of the story and did not reflect the fact that the matter had been resolved within the district," district officials stated. "Many of those calls were deeply disturbing and threatening in nature. While we all agree that the particular passage should not have been used, the teacher made a simple error in judgement. Like all of us, teachers are human and make mistakes from time to time."
Cain responded to the GCCISD's handling of the situation – stressing his skepticism about the district's contention that the political sway of the assignment was a mere oversight.
"I am glad that we had the opportunity to bring this situation to light and encourage civil discourse on this incident," Cain expressed in a statement, according to the Chronicle. "I'm also grateful to (Goose Creek CISD Superintendent of School Randal) O'Brien and the district for the actions they took before my office brought this issue to light. I know Superintendent O'Brien personally, and have seen first-hand how much he cares for students and high ethical standards in education. Some view this incident as a simple mistake – others see it as a betrayal of parents and students. Sunlight is the best remedy to inappropriate behavior in the classroom. The importance of Texans being made aware of such actions is to ensure public accountability to indoctrination in the classroom."
But GCCISD Director of Communications Beth Dombrowa stressed that the anti-Trump assignment did not get the approval of the district – insisting that the material was only used by the teacher to help students prepare for upcoming standardized state testing.
However, the assignment is deliberately made available to be used as politically charged instructional material for teachers to implement on students.
Left-leaning parents not concerned about their children being subjected to politically charged instructional material believe that Cain was in the wrong for bringing the problematic lesson to light – insisting that such progressive indoctrination taking place within classrooms should not be exposed to the public … or even addressed.
Parent Christina Hutchison – who has a 7th-grade daughter enrolled in the district – believes that the conservative representative should not have involved himself in the issue.
Progressive-minded student mother Susan Cummings believes that it is no business of the public what goes on behind closed doors in the classroom, and she slammed Cain for his involvement.
A bi-partisan measure aimed at rooting out anti-Semitism on college campuses has unanimously passed the United States Senate, and a similar problem is being dealt with in the House.


Category: Necklaces. Tags: Pendant, Ruby, Silver, Sterling silver, Wire Wrapped.
One of many winged love gods forming the Erotes, numbered among them was his brother Eros. Anteros was the god of unrequited love and the avenger of love scorned.
Stunning sterling silver and Ruby pendant, oxidised and polished, giving it this gorgeous depth and feel to it.


The harsh penalties for drug-related crime, commonly known as "the war on drugs" was put in place in many countries with the intention of decreasing the amount of people who abuse or sell them.
What happened instead was a large increase of drug-related violence, corruption and distribution, and very little change in the amount of people who abuse drugs.
Compare this to the Prohibition era in the United States during the 1920s and 30s. Alcoholism rates didn't improve, but what did happen was a wave of organized crime, most notably the Sicilian Mafia, who served as an underworld source for alcohol.
Many Latin American and Caribbean countries have experienced waves of drug-related crimes after enforcing laws against them.
As a result many countries, including the United States are starting to consider retracting these anti-drug laws.
On February 24, possessing and cultivating small amounts of marijuana became legal in Alaska. Growing small amounts of weed is now legal in Washington, DC as of February 26.
Although these are the only states that have legalized the drug for recreational purposes, 19 other states have legalized consuming and smoking weed for medical purposes.
Very few people have a true understanding on the stark difference between legalization and decriminalization. Whether a drug is legal or decriminalized has effects on policing. While many people are either rejoicing or denouncing these decisions, it's important to realize that either decision allows for weed to be sold, consumed or cultivated with impunity.
For example, in countries like Jamaica, which recently decriminalized the possession of at most two ounces of weed on February 25, a person can still be fined if they carry or use it in public.
What has changed for Jamaica is that anyone caught possessing small amounts of weed can't be arrested or charged in court.
Decriminalization is different depending on the country or state, but what is general is that a person cannot be arrested or sentenced in court for possessing weed as long as it's within the area's limits.
In Uruguay, where possession of small amounts of weed are decriminalized, a person can get their license revoked for weed possession.
In Portugal, a person can be ordered to take classes to help prevent them from abusing marijuana.
In Alaska, Colorado, and Washington DC, weed is legalized, so while there are fewer restrictions for weed possession, there are still certain boundaries that apply. For instance, Alaskans can cultivate and use weed for recreational and medical purposes without being arrested or tried in a court of law, but getting caught selling weed can be fined.
Oddly enough, in Washington DC's legalization laws only legalize the possession of weed, but not the buying or selling of it.
Colorado has probably been the most controversial case of marijuana legalization. While Colorado's laws on possessing weed are relaxed, Colorado's bordering states, especially Nebraska have actually enforced stricter policing to prevent Colorado's influence from spreading.
According to B.J Wilkson, the police chief of Sidney, Nebraska, illegal drug trafficking has increased dramatically since Colorado's decision. Marijuana-related crimes have increased 50 percent since last year.
Oklahoma has joined Nebraska in outrage and sued the state altogether. Both states even took this issue to the Supreme Court, demanding that Colorado makes weed illegal again.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, more arrests are made for non-violent drug offenses than all violent crimes combined. A vast majority, specifically about 90 percent of these drug arrests are marijuana. The Huffington Post reports that one person is arrested for marijuana every 42 seconds in the U.S.
There are financial benefits to both legalizing and decriminalizing weed. About 7.5 to 10 billion in tax dollars are spent arresting and charging people for drug offenses.
The U.S could save an estimated 13.7 billion in tax dollars if weed was legalized. Colorado brought in a whopping 53 million dollars in tax revenue since selling weed in dispensaries.
Although there are benefits in decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana, there are certain aspects that are just as ineffective as criminalizing the drug. Although Colorado made 53 million dollars last year, it was much less than the economist predicted, around 184 million dollars.
Legal weed sold at dispensaries in Colorado had a 28 percent tax rate. Because of the high price, many people are still purchasing weed illegally for the affordability.
What decriminalization and legalization both fail to do is dismantle large organized drug-distribution groups.
Often times, these laws punish the drug users or individual dealers but don't go as far as to tackle the root of the problem.
So while they both prevent unnecessarily strict policing and saves a country billions of dollars annually, they are just as ineffective as making weed criminal when it comes to eradicating the source of the drug problem.
The war on cannabis consumers has been raging for more than 80 years.
Please demand full legalization and nothing less! Let's end this insidious war as soon as possible!
Based on ONE YEAR of retail sales, in ONE STATE, dismantling large organized criminal organizations is an unreasonable expectation, and an effort to find fault where there is none.
The legal cannabis market is barely established in Colorado. It has only been a year and they have already received millions in tax (plus millions in savings from less arrests, prosecutions, and incarcerations).
Including industry fees, Colorado has received $76 million from legal cannabis in 2014 on $700 million in sales. This is millions, probably well over a billion when production and distribution is included, that did not go to fuel a crime-ridden underground market that also sells hard drugs. They only need to lower their tax rate to accelerate this transition of the market from the underground to legitimate businessmen who can be easily monitored, actually check I.D., pay taxes, and follow other regulations.
There is Colorado cannabis leaving the state and supplying other states, but this should not be considered part of Colorado's black market as it is not sold in Colorado. Once the rest of the U.S. legalizes cannabis, its entire underground market will greatly shrink just as was the case for alcohol when it was legalized in 1933.
No, this article is all wrong. there is no drug-related crime, violence, and corruption. Aspirin is a drug. Where are the aspirin-related problems? The crime, violence and corruption are due to prohibition, not to molecules. What is the cure for prohibition-related problems? Repeal prohibition, restore liberty.


Special-interest magazine publisher Bonnier Corp. will start adding streaming video, music and Web links to its titles' interactive editions, part of an effort by publishers to heighten reader engagement with their iPad versions.
The additions are part of upgrades to Bonnier's Mag+ interactive publishing system.
The first magazine to add the new features will be the interactive edition of Transworld Snowboarding, which launches on the iPad with its fall issue ($2.99 in the iTunes App store).
The features also will be incorporated into future iPad issues of Popular Science and other Bonnier titles. Bonnier also pointed out that the features are being added via an in-app browser so users don't have to leave the magazine.


text:
Canelo hopes giant leap against Kovalev finds a…
Canelo hopes giant leap against Kovalev finds a soft landing
The middleweight champ goes up two weight classes to challenge the former light heavyweight champ
Canelo Alvarez, left, and light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev pose during a news conference at the KA Theatre at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino on October 30, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
By Mark Whicker | mwhicker@scng.com | Daily News
ARCADIA — Hot-dog skiiers and bull riders show more confidence with each passing risk. That's also the mindset of Canelo Alvarez.
The middleweight champ is vaulting two weight classes to meet Sergey Kovalev on Saturday at MGM Grand.
"I couldn't believe he wanted this fight," Kovalev said. "The fourth time they called, we said, 'OK, let's sign the contract.'"
Canelo is betting the 36-year-old Kovalev, the WBO light heavyweight champion, has lost a couple of steps, and that his own development will make him a four-division champ at age 28.
In fact, Canelo even has his eye on the cruiserweight division, which is at 200. That's 25 pounds above light-heavyweight, which is 15 pounds above middleweight.
"It sounds crazy, I know, but I really think I would have a chance to win there," Canelo said.
As usual, there is much intrigue behind this fight, but it's unusual to see most of it involving Kovalev's opponent and not him. The Russian usually has a complaint about his trainer or the judging, but seems content these days.
"I"m happy," he said, "but I'm more hungry."
Instead, Canelo is in the midst of a poorly hidden feud with Oscar De La Hoya, who has been his promoter since Canelo turned pro. Most of it is centered on De La Hoya allowing the IBF to strip Canelo of one of his middleweight championships because Golden Boy Promotions couldn't make a deal with Sergiy Derevyanchenko, who instead lost the IBF title showdown to Gennadiy Golovkin in a close decision.
De La Hoya and DAZN, the streaming service that is paying Canelo $365 million for an 11-fight package, preferred that Canelo fight Golovkin for a third time. The two had fought to a draw in 2017, and then Canelo won a unanimous decision in 2018. Canelo contended he had proved all he needed to, and that he didn't want to give Golovkin another payday, considering how the bitter vibes of the first fight. Triple-G's difficulty with Derevyanchenko seemed to vindicate Canelo's position.
De La Hoya has rarely been seen with Canelo in recent weeks, and Golden Boy officials no longer serve as his interpreter in press gatherings. Canelo said earlier this week that there was "no trust" in De La Hoya. Asked on Wednesday, Canelo said, "I'm only here to fight."
Another Golden Boy fighter with some second thoughts about De La Hoya is Ryan Garcia, a celebrity on the Internet and a 21-year-old with an 18-0 record and 15 knockouts. The lightweight from Victorville faces Romero Duno, a tough Filipino who raised his record to 21-1-1 with a victory over Ivan Delgado in Carson two months ago.
Kovalev has revived his career with the help of Buddy McGirt, a former welterweight champ who trained Arturo Gatti during his glory days. Since Kovalev hired McGirt, he avenged a loss to Eleider Alvarez and stopped Anthony Yarde in September. That fight, in Russia, was unexpectedly tough. Kovalev was in trouble in the eighth round before he ended the fight in the 11th.
"He came to the corner and told me exactly what happened," McGirt said. "He told me not to stop the fight, said he would be fine, and then he went out and took the momentum."
"The fight was postponed and I was ready for it in June," Kovalev said. "I went back to Russia and didn't do any training and I wasn't at my best, but I'm glad this fight came so soon, because I was able to stay in shape."
Canelo (52-1-2) is four inches shorter than Kovalev (34-3-1) and will have a 2-inch reach disadvantage. He says he doesn't expect to weigh much more than 180 when the two get into the ring, and he has fought in that neighborhood before, as a middleweight.
The two will be weighed Saturday morning and will be subject to heavy fines if either weighs more than 185.
The easiest path to a Canelo victory goes through Kovalev's body, which was vulnerable in both of Kovalev's losses to Andre Ward. Asked about it, Kovalev laughed and held out both hands, stationing one higher than the other. He doesn't think Canelo will be able to hit what he can't reach and still avoid Kovalev's lethal right hand.
Conor McGregor blasts Cerrone in 40 seconds in UFC return
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Whicker: Super-lightweight champ Jose Ramirez might be on verge of two long campaigns
Whicker: If we're as lucky as Errol Spence was, this could be a classic boxing year
When McGirt began working with Kovalev, he went back to tapes of Kovalev's amateur days, which featured more boxing skill.
"Why don't you do that now?" McGirt asked.
"Because I'm the Krusher," Kovalev said, falling back on his nickname.
"You can still be the Krusher," McGirt said. "But you can be a smart Krusher."
McGirt laughed.
"I see things he does in the gym that are amazing," he said. "If he does what he's supposed to do Saturday night, he is going to shock a lot of people."
Mark Whicker
Mark Whicker has worked for SCNG newspapers since 1987. He has been a sports columnist for newspapers since 1980 and a professional sportswriter since 1974.
Follow Mark Whicker	@MWhicker03LANG
More in MMA/Boxing


text:
California's HMO Guide for Seniors
Project Summary:
"California's HMO Guide for Seniors" is a unique, user-friendly resource for seniors who are in, or considering, a Medicare Advantage HMO or PPO. The guide is based on best practices in health communication and health literacy. It is available in English and Spanish and is distributed by the California Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA).
The guide covers choosing a health plan, communicating with your doctor, making decisions about treatment and benefits, and dealing with problems. It explains difficult topics like hospice, long term care, and the Medicare grievance processes. It includes websites and toll-free phone numbers where people can find more information or assistance.
Populations:
Native Americans, Seniors
Kathy Simpson
Contact Person's Email Address:
kathys@berkeley.edu
Department/Center:
Health Research for Action, UC Berkeley
Professor Linda Neuhauser
Website for Project or Program:
http://www.opa.ca.gov/about/consumer_information/HMO_Guide_Seniors.aspx
Office of the Patient Advocate
Funder/Client:
Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA)
Location - States:
Evaluating the Transition to Medi-Cal Managed Care
Evaluation of Cal MediConnect
The Wellness Guide
How to Use Your Health Plan


text:
Wild Rice and Quinoa Pilaf with Pecans and Pomegranate Seeds
Stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole. Most people will say that Thanksgiving isn't a holiday without these traditional dishes, but that doesn't have to be the case. Although they are classics, it doesn't mean they can't be reinterpreted, reimagined, or replaced with an equally interesting seasonal side dish. When vegetarians are around, it's also courteous to keep them in mind when planning the menu.
Rice rarely gets attention on Thanksgiving. Some people make it just in case it's requested, but most often it's ignored altogether. Rice pilaf is actually a very appropriate dish to serve at Thanksgiving. This recipe, made with wild rice and quinoa, is perfect for the holiday. It's altogether symbolic of the season and is studded with toasted pecans and pomegranate seeds. It's a good side kick or even alternative to classic dishes, such as stuffing.
Wild rice is very American. It was and still is cultivated by Native Americans. But it's actually not a rice but a seed of a grass that grows in marshy areas and it can only be collected by boat. Pecans are a specialty of the South, where pecan trees are everywhere. So what could be more American than this dish? The addition of quinoa, a South American grain, adds protein and texture to the dish. Gladly serve it to the vegetarians in your family.
Pomegranate seeds add beautiful gem-like color and bursts of sweetness to this pilaf. Even though the fruit is native to the Middle East (and therefore breaks the American theme of this dish), it still makes a nice addition. You could also substitute dried cranberries or raisins to add that requisite sweetness. Try this recipe on Thursday and you might just want to make it a new family classic.
Note: Make sure to rinse the wild rice and quinoa, separately, under water before cooking.
1/2 cup wild rice
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
Bring 3 cups of water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Add wild rice and a large pinch of salt. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Drain.
In another saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water to the boil. Add quinoa and a large pinch of salt. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until all the water is absorbed, about 12 to 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Warm oil in a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Off from the heat, add wild rice and quinoa; stir to combine. If too dry, drizzle with additional olive oil. Stir in pecans, pomegranate seeds, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Turn out into a serving bowl and garnish with additional pomegranate seeds and parsley. Serve warm or cold. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
by Joseph Erdos on 11/23/2011 | keywords recipes , Thanksgiving | print | share this


Within the past two weeks, a rise in the number of flu cases has prompted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to raise the warning level for Louisiana from moderate to high.
With that increase, we are strongly urging people to get the flu shot. Last week, an elementary school in Jefferson Parish had 122 reported cases of the flu or a flu-like virus.
The vaccine appears to closely match the 2018-2019 circulating viruses.
Influenza is considered to be widespread in Louisiana.
Please stay home if you and/or your children have any of the following symptoms; including fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.
Some people may also have vomiting and diarrhea. People may be infected with the flu and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.
People experiencing these warning signs should obtain medical care right away.
These lists are not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptom that is severe or concerning.
to schedule your flu shot at no cost while supplies last.


"Every moment and every event of every mans life on earth plants something in his soul"
See our new kid friendly Parks & Recreation map!
The Parks & Recreation Department Keep Las Cruces Beautiful along with, New Mexico Clean and Beautiful would like to announce we will be hosting the 23rd annual Toss No Mas campaign on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017. Hundreds of volunteers will collect litter at parks, schools, streets and business properties from 8 a.m. to 12 noon during the Toss No Mas campaign. Volunteers will then be treated to a free lunch sponsored by local businesses. The lunch will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at Young Park.
The City of Las Cruces Parks & Recreation Department will accept applications for the Youth Scholarship Fund for youth programs and activities presented through June 2017. Interested applicants must submit their application at the Parks & Recreation Administrative Office, 1501 E. Hadley Ave. Find out more!
The City of Las Cruces Parks & Recreation Department announces the start of a Mural Arts Program for local youth, grades 7– 12. The program is currently seeking teens with artistic ability and a desire to transform their community. Participants will become part of a skilled team capable of producing high quality public art. Find out more!