What else does the Treasury Department need? The agency may also require an additional form, the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR). This form is due on April 15th, 2019.
Who needs to file an FBAR? The government requires the FBAR for any United States citizens and resident aliens with a foreign financial account or signature authority over an account that at any time during 2018 had an aggregate value over $10,000.
How is this form different than income tax returns? The IRS accounts for the presence of foreign assets on income tax returns by requiring tax payers disclose the presence of any qualifying accounts or property. If the foreign asset is over the $10,000 requirement noted above, the government also requires that taxpayer file a separate FBAR.
Another difference: who gets the paperwork. Taxpayers file the FBAR with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) while income tax returns are filed with the IRS.
Is there an automatic extension? The IRS generally grants an automatic six-month extension for those who fail to file a required FBAR. However, the extension generally comes with the retirement at the taxpayer file the form online.
What if I still need to report foreign assets? Those who have yet to report foreign assets to the IRS or Treasury Department have options. Those with foreign assets are wise to seek legal counsel to discuss these options.


Welcome to Stress Less Workshops!
This complete training will afford you all the information, exercises, worksheets, recordings and videos needed to complete the program and obtain your Certificate of Completion.
Sound good? Then sign up and get ready to change your life!
This "Core Program"* consists of the foundational level information contained in the Stress Intelligence program: Stage 1. The Core Program Quest contains 5 Levels of topics.
The Core Program will afford you all the information, exercises, worksheets, recordings and videos needed to obtain a basic understanding of stress, your Stress System and how to build your "Rest and Repair" response in place of the traditional "Fight or Flight" reaction. You will receive pragmatic instructions regarding all the techniques used to build a rested mindset.
Offering Stages 2, 3 & 4 in one Program just makes sense!
There is a prerequisite of completing the Core Program prior to enrolling in this option. The Core Program is foundationally built to accommodate this Expanded Learning. One Stage builds on the other to a full understanding of the Stress Systems predictable behavior and activity, and any Stress Intelligence gained.
Have you already taken the Core Program? Great, this is where you will continue your journey.
So, you're the curious type...me too!
We are pleased to offer this free "Test Drive" as it will give you a feel for what the training platform offers in ease of use, the 1:1 Team Coaching provided, the Community page, the Gaming feature, and thoroughness of the training.
It is a quick view of Level 1, Missions 1-8, and will get your imagination started as to what this program can accomplish for you.
Let's get started with the introductory "Test Drive" to vanquishing stress!


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Q: (Nested) ViewModel for primitive (value) datatypes (numbers, enums) I'm working on a wpf application. I use the mvvm pattern.
I have several usercontrols and I want them to have their own viewmodels because I want to reuse these usercontrols in different views without implementing the same (uc-specific) logic in a "super"-viewmodel again and again.
So I have different main viewmodels for every view and each of these viewmodels creates an instance of my subviewmodel, passing a certain property of my model in the constructor of the subviewmodel.
As long as this property is a reference type (class, List<>,...), the changes I make in the subviewmodel/usercontrol are made directly to the model itsself (since it's a reference type).
But when the subviewmodel is for a primitive type, like an integer or an enum, this does not happen because the value is only a copy of the value an when I edit this value I edit the copy and not the value of the model, of course.
How can I solve this? What can I do to get the changed value back to my model?
I do not want to implement a "viewmodel-communication-service" because this seems to be too "big" for the small app I'm working on. For the same reason I also don't want to use any  third party components.
In the main viewmodel, should I listen to the propertychanged event of the subviewmodel (and check if the changed property is my primitive property (check its name) and write the new value back to the model)? Hmm that should work but I'm no big fan of using events in scenarios like this since they arrive asynchronously.
Or is it possible to somehow pass the primitive type to the subviewmodel as a ref value (like using ref for method parameters)?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Orthetrum sabina – gatunek ważki z rodziny ważkowatych (Libellulidae).

Przypisy

Bibliografia

Orthetrum
Gatunki i podgatunki zwierząt nazwane w 1770 roku

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Formed in Kuopio, Finland by brothers Aarni & Jaakko Metsäpelto while they were still in junior high, Block Buster spent their teenage years honing their sound and identity. While still in the midst of not being of legal age to play clubs and instead tearing it up at local backyard and basement parties to their sixteen - seventeen year old friends, the band suddenly found themselves being chosen to open for Bon Jovi at Helsinki Olympic Stadium. Since then, Block Buster have been honing their craft playing gigs at festivals and those clubs they are now legally allowed to enter, while also releasing an EP and two singles which have created a nice buzz in the Finnish rock scene and drew the interest of Frontiers.
"All of us in Block Buster feel totally energized to have signed a worldwide deal with one of the truest ROCK labels on the planet, Frontiers Music. It's taken years of hard work to have built up a great team around the band and now we have all the right machinery behind us to push us to the next level. Our first album, "Losing Gravity" will be released on Frontiers worldwide in 2019 and it is going to be a great year for Block Buster. Please join us on the next stage of our rock 'n roll journey!"
Inspired by the sounds of classic hard rock pioneers while adding a modern "retro" approach, Block Buster are ready to break out from their Nordic homeland on to the world stage.


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Asiana to expand capital with additional shares, bonds
PUBLISHED :June 15, 2020 - 16:16
UPDATED :June 15, 2020 - 16:16
Asiana Airlines held an extraordinary shareholders meeting on June 15, and voted to raise capital by increasing shares and issuing convertible bonds.
The South Korean flag carrier put to a vote its decision to revise its articles of association, calling for an increase in the total number of issued shares and a higher limit on CBs. The amendment was passed with the approval of all shareholders present.
With the shareholders' approval, Asiana will increase the total number of its shares to 1.3 billion from 800 million, while also raising its limit on CBs from 700 billion won ($578 million) to 1.6 trillion won.
Asiana Airlines CEO Han Chang-soo said at the meeting, "The airline industry as a whole is having a difficult time from the first quarter of this year to the present due to COVID-19.
"This revision is to prepare for the need to increase capital in the aftermath of the pandemic."
Han added, "Based on the experience and capabilities accumulated by Asiana Airlines over the past 32 years, all executives and employees will do their best to maximize the interests of shareholders and company stakeholders by overcoming the crisis and enhancing corporate value."
For the resolution to pass, more than one-third of all shareholders needed to be present and more than two-thirds of those with voting rights had to approve it. The voting was done electronically.
However, market analysts were split on whether the move is a positive sign for the ongoing negotiations for Asiana's sale to the HDC Hyundai Development Company.
Last week, HDC, the preferred bidder, told creditors including the state-run Korea Development Bank to reexamine the acquisition deal, citing an increase in the debt-equity ratio.
HDC said Asiana was pushing ahead with changing the articles of association and holding an extraordinary shareholders meeting so that it could borrow additional funds and provide financial support to insolvent units despite disagreement from the consortium that won the acquisition bid, which also includes Mirae Asset Daewoo.
In response, Asiana said it had fully explained its latest moves to HDC in accordance with the contract.
As of the first quarter of this year, Asiana's debt-to-equity ratio stood at 6,280 percent, 4.5 times higher than the 1,387 percent posted in the previous quarter.
By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Darkly hued shaft with some high-up brick-red under-tones. Decent sheen which thickens as smoke progresses. Veiny, a good bit. Neat-O tooth. Seams present unevenly at pre-light, but hold throughout and mayhaps even tighten. Medium+ density of pack down-grades to a medium after 1/3 tho that don't alter draw particularly. Draw is a tick wispy/hollow at times on first toke. Likes to be puffed at in threes. Like much/most/all of the Assouline line, these CSB offerings mandate a good dry-boxing.
Resting smoke out-put fades quickly to a quite quiet burn; once pulled -- voluminous thick clouds emerge and create a sweet leathery room-note with hint of spice. Verily earthy. Pace quickens here and there a tick unevenly so, is never slower than an above average rate of speed. Ash is medium-dark grey with some flaking off a chunked build. Looking head-long into char, an aeration of burn can be seen. Burn-line wobbles-some, but self-corrects quickly off a quickly burn. .
Dark earthen toasted grains. Sweetened by goodly molasses doses. Middlings revolve around an espresso-drenched dark roasted natural tobacco with a heavy smoked attachment. Lower middlings are a bissell zetz of toasted caramel. Under-belly is a scorched compost manure thing of great richness and nuance. Spices are cumin and paprika, mainly. Red pepper flakes play well inside the spices. Leather laces the profile and leaves thickish oils in its wake. Mid-point transition sees the addition of a shouting dark cocoa and whispering dried red/purple fruits. Retro-hale offers up black pepper and a toasted nuttiness. In the 3/3, there is a drying nigh scorching of profile seemingly from grains... not egregiously-so, but worthy of note.
Sits a bit dry on the palate. Spiced earth and espresso bean finish of medium-length'd legs. Warm tingling on tongue. Oils, but powdery on cheeks, a bit of scorched feel. A half-tick coarse of texture.
Challah-basket warms like eating a heaping bowl of hot porridge. Head swims a tick and a half, but lending to that may be the amount of puffs needed on each draw in order to satiate smoke-hole and keep the CSB lit. My upper lip doth schvitz in the 3/3.


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Artist News Release Round-Up Releases
Release round-up: Thurston Moore, Squarepusher, Karin Park and a weird Ariel Pink thing
By Aly Barchi | Published on Monday 17 February 2014
Rounding up the latest release news…
Thurston Moore has confirmed his second solo LP is 'on', so that's nice. He appears to be spearheading it with a new single titled 'Heavenmental', which if its title looks familiar, it's because it was first released on Moore's non-solo band Chelsea Light Moving's eponymous album of 2013. Which is a bit awkward, since he's now billing it as a solo track. Though hopefully CLM are okay with it. But who knows? Thurston doesn't care either way, because here is his new and not at all pre-existing 'solo' song 'Heavenmental'!
Also, Squarepusher has made an AI EP with some actual robots. Created by a team of roboticists in Japan, the trio of bots, or "music-performing systems", or Z Machines, are programmed to function as self-playing guitars and a drum kit, only with different capabilities to those of a human musician. So for instance, says Squarepusher (real name Tom Jenkinson): "The robot guitar player can play much faster than a human ever could, but there is no amplitude control".
He explains: "In this project the main question I've tried to answer is 'can these robots play music that is emotionally engaging?' I have long admired the player piano works of Conlon Nancarrow and Gyorgy Ligeti. Part of the appeal of that music has to do with hearing a familiar instrument being 'played' in an unfamiliar fashion. For me there has always been something fascinating about the encounter of the unfamiliar with the familiar".
Cool. Square and the Z Machines' first collaboration, a five track set, will be released via Warp in April. In the mean time here's a relevant clip:
Shamanic pop artist Karin Park, from Scandanavian climes, has shared a standalone (so far, anyway) track titled 'Shine'. The first sign of life from Park's camp since her last LP, 'Highwire Poetry', she'll release it as a single in seven days time (on 24 Feb), beside remixes by Let The Machines Do The Work, Lovegrove and Hannah Wants & Chris Lorenzo. Preview it here:
And finally, a weird Ariel Pink thing (pictured). It's really a single, titled 'Lana Del Rey', by apparently real-life 'rapper' Jerry James. Pink (again, 'apparently') is behind the beat via Raw Deal, his and Charli XCX collaborator Justin Raisen's hit-making team. Pink appears in the single's official clip in a wig and cap. It's all pretty strange. And here he is:
READ MORE ABOUT: Ariel Pink | Jerry James | Karin Park | Raw Deal | Squarepusher | Thurston Moore


text:
<?php

namespace App;

use Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Model;

class Token extends Model
{
	protected $fillable=['userId', 'token'];

	public function user()
	{
		return $this->belongsTo('App\User', 'userId');
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Simon Cowell to have 'spontaneous' wedding with Lauren Silverman
Rajiv Adatia pens a beautiful note for his former Khatron Ke Khiladi contestant; Check it out
Malishka and Ahana of Bhagya Lakshmi reunite; is more trouble brewing for Lakshmi?
Published by user1 at January 2, 2023
MUMBAI : Simon Cowell has opened up about his plans to enjoy a 'spontaneous' wedding day with wife-to-be Lauren Silverman.
He has been in a relationship with 45-year-old Lauren since 2013 and they announced their engagement at the beginning of this year, reports Mirror.co.uk.
Media reports earlier this year suggested that the couple, who share an eight-year-old son named Eric, were set to tie the knot in London over the summer, but this failed to materialise.
As per Mirror.co.uk, Simon has claimed he is planning to have an almost unplanned wedding instead – saying he will whisk Lauren down an aisle at the drop of the hat rather than plan an over-the-top ceremony.
He told The Sun: "I like to make everything spontaneous, and doing that will make it a lot more fun."
He added, quoted by Mirror.co.uk: "I don't think we'll be getting married in Las Vegas, but whatever we do will definitely be fun."
Source : Ians
1 + one =
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text:
Q: Attempted import error: 'PostsReducer' is not exported from './store/reducers/posts_reducer' I have been trying to figure out my issue and I am not getting anywhere.  I am getting the following message when trying to compile my react app:
./src/context_state_config.js
Attempted import error: 'PostsReducer' is not exported from './store/reducers/posts_reducer'

Here is my reducer file:
import * as ACTION_TYPES from '../actions/action_types'

const initialState = {
  post: [],
  comments: []
}

const PostsReducer = (state = initialState, action) => {
  switch(action.type) {
    case ACTION_TYPES.FETCH_DB_POSTS:
      return {
        ...state,
        posts: action.payload
      }
    case ACTION_TYPES.REMOVE_DB_POSTS:
      return {
        ...state,
        posts: []
      }
      case ACTION_TYPES.FETCH_POST_COMMENTS:
        return {
          ...state,
          comments: action.payload
        }
      case ACTION_TYPES.REMOVE_POST_COMMENTS:
        return {
          ...state,
          comments: []
        }

      default:
        return state
      }
}

export default PostsReducer;

Here is my context_state_config.js imports:
import React, { useReducer } from 'react';
import Context from './utils/context';
import * as ACTIONS from './store/actions/actions';

import * as Reducer1 from './store/reducers/plain_reducer';
import * as AuthReducer from './store/reducers/auth_reducer';
import * as PostsReducer from './store/reducers/posts_reducer';
import * as FormReducer from './store/reducers/form_reducer';

import Routes from './routes';

import Auth from './utils/auth';

Is there anything easy I am missing? I am drawing a blank.

A: There are no named exports in your posts_reducer file.  There is only one export which is the default export.
Instead of this:
import * as PostsReducer from './store/reducers/posts_reducer';

You should just import the default:
import PostsReducer from './store/reducers/posts_reducer';


France 2018 will be Paraguay's second appearance at a World Cup in this category. La Albirroja made their tournament debut at Canada 2014, where they recorded their first victory at the expense of Costa Rica (2-1). However, it would not be enough to progress from their group after they finished third behind New Zealand and eventual semi-finalists France.
Paraguay made light work of their opening group at the South American U-20 Women's Championship, topping the section with comprehensive wins over Colombia (6-1), Ecuador (4-1), Peru (9-0) and Argentina (3-0). Then in the four-team final round, they proved too strong for Venezuela (3-1) and Colombia again (4-2) to book their place in France. There was to be no maiden regional title, however, with Brazil inflicting a painful 8-1 defeat to continue their dominance.
Epifania Benitez was a regular in the Paraguay senior team when a knee injury curtailed her playing days in 2003. That same year she began her coaching career with a team at university level. After two seasons doing this, she made the decision to resume playing, but always with the long-term goal of returning to coaching. After a long period of study and training, she was handed the reins of Paraguay's U-17 and U-20 teams in March 2017, thus becoming the first woman to coach a national team in her homeland.
16 - The number of goals scored by Jessica Martinez (7), Fabiola Sandoval (5) and Lice Chamorro (4) at the South American Championship. Martinez will be hoping to grace her second U-20 World Cup in France and fourth overall, having twice competed at the U-17 equivalent.


text:
HomeOp-ed
US blaming Russia for Syria talks halt is just 'red herring'
4 Feb, 2016 16:06
U.N. mediator for Syria Staffan de Mistura leaves after a news conference on the Syrian peace talks outside President Wilson hotel in Geneva, Switzerland February 3, 2016. © Denis Balibouse © Reuters
The Geneva peace talks on Syria fell apart because parties involved in the negotiations are not interested in peace in the country; they are interested in war, William Jones of Executive Intelligence Review magazine told RT.
The UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura said Wednesday the Syria talks are temporarily on hold until February 25. The US State Department says Russia is 'in part' a reason for the suspension of the negotiations.
RT: The talks are on hold. What do you think is the reason behind this?
William Jones: I think that the real reason is that a lot of the people that were forced and shoved into the talks didn't really want to go there and they didn't really want peace. I am thinking in particular of the delegation that was sent from Saudi Arabia, which is most interested in overthrowing the legitimate government of Syria; they have conducted the war in Yemen. You have the Turks; whose main target is not ISIL and the terrorists, but it is the Kurds.
US claims Russia is 'in part' to blame for Syrian talks' halt, misquotes UN as proof
All these forces were brought in because there are certain people, Kerry I think, who probably would like to have some kind of a peaceful resolution. I don't think Obama does, I don't think Obama cares, and I don't that Kerry's got to the spot he needed to push these thing through, to pressure the Saudis and the Turks in such a way that it would be legitimate talks. So blaming the Russians is just a red herring on this thing. The peace talks fell apart basically because all the parties that were involved, particular ones that I mentioned, were not really interested in peace, they are more interested in war.
RT: Why is the US State Department putting the blame for the suspension of talks on Russia?
WJ: One of the targets in this whole Syria operation is Russia. The fact that overthrowing the Assad regime was an attempt to create a new geometry, the balance of forces in the Middle East and also to try and undercut Russia, which has had traditional relationships with the government of Syria. What you're seeing in the US at this point is a kind of a drumbeat toward military action which is indirectly and directly aimed at Russia and at China. See what is happening in the South China Sea; the reaction to Russian attempts to get agreements over the Ukrainian situation, look at the 'color revolution' that was carried out in Ukraine…
In addition to that you have the allies of the US – the Turks and the Saudis – who have their own agenda in the region. They also are not very happy with the Russian involvement there which has been a big help to the Syrian government. So, I think you're dealing with the situation in which a lot of the cards are placed against Russia. And obviously if the thing breaks down they are going to blame who else but Russia.
'Long negotiation process ahead'
The fact the Geneva peace talks started and the Saudi controlled rebel Salafist delegations showed up is a sign of the long difficult process, said Jeff Steinberg, from Executive Intelligence Review Magazine. Some initial discussions are expected at the next session on February 25, where all sides would confer and figure out what to do next, he added.
RT: The talks are on hold. No concrete reason has been given. What do you think is the reason behind this?
Jeff Steinberg: I am very much reminded of the Vietnam War, where there were Paris peace talks going on for a long time simultaneous to uninterrupted military combat operations. And in the case of Vietnam, the military breakthrough preceded the final resolution diplomatically. Clearly in four months the Russian military intervention beginning September 30 of last year has been a major game changer, and we may well be much closer than most Western analysts want to admit publically to a significant military breakout. So the Saudis and rebel groups are in big trouble and they've got to decide: is this the moment to basically reach some kind of a diplomatic agreement before they are wiped out on the battlefield altogether.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
Trends:Russian operation in SyriaSyria war news


text:
Researchers signed fake people up for health insurance exchanges
by Tom Handley
U.S. health spending vs. outcomes: What's the issue?
There were a number of rather notable developments and controversies surrounding the implementation of the health insurance exchanges mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act over the last year-plus. Now, new evidence suggests that it was also relatively easy for people to sign up and qualify for coverage when providing falsified or inaccurate information.
As part of a test to see just how easy it was to be approved for coverage through phone calls and the Healthcare.gov website, experts at the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office tried to obtain subsidized insurance through the site using 18 fake names, and recently told Congress that 11 of those attempts - more than 60 percent - were successful, according to a report from the Associated Press. In fact, these bogus accounts weren't even shut down after the Obama administration tried to do more to root out inaccurate data submitted by applicants. One round of this process actually led to the fake information being verified by the federal government. Interestingly, of the six attempts to sign up a fake person via a phone call, five were successful, with the only failure coming because the "applicant" did not provide a Social Security number.
Moreover, it's important to note that those more recent verification efforts successfully turned up hundreds of thousands of cases of improperly submitted or inaccurate data, the report said. In all, there are still some 600,000 such cases that have to be dealt with by the Obama administration, though obviously only a fraction of that percentage will likely end up constituting outright fraud.
However, it's also important to note that the GAO believes there's little actual benefit for Americans who are hoping to defraud the system if they can breach the government's verification processes, the report said. This is because the subsidies from the federal government are actually paid to insurance companies, and not to individuals - meaning that these people will still be obtaining and paying for relatively low-cost health insurance. For its part, the Obama administration says it will carefully examine the GAO's data and use that information to reconfigure its verification processes further.
Health insurance providers might want to think about the ways in which they can help consumers who remain unsure of the value of participating in the health insurance exchanges find the coverage they need to remain compliant with federal law.
Tom Handley


2019 is going to be an exciting year for the fans of shooting games. We have already seen some promising shooter games being announced for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
There is a long list ranging from atmospheric horror to pure action without a real story. We will also see some titles set in a post-apocalyptic settings.
We have summarized some exciting shooter games that are going to be the highlights of 2019 in this genre. In the end, we have also listed all the other shooting games that we might see being released in 2019.
The first gameplay videos of Rage 2 presents it as a colorful and crazy game. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world reminiscent of Mad Max and will feature fast battles on foot and in armed vehicles. How the story revolves around protagonist Walker remains to be seen. However, some well-known characters, like Dr. Kvasir will be there again.
In comparison to the predecessor, the original Rage, a lot has happened. So this time the map is much bigger, more varied and, above all, more open than the Canyon-style map in Part 1. Thanks to new Nano Treat powers, the character can also use supernatural powers.
There should be a lot going on in the game world without our intervention. The various factions wrestling in the destroyed environment for the last resources will act independently against each other when, for example, two convoys meet randomly.
23 years after a devastating nuclear war, people are still hiding in the Moscow subway tunnels from radiation and mutants. With the restored steam locomotive Aurora protagonist Artjom and his wife rise to the surface to find out how the world is outside the metro.
The most important innovation comes in the game world. Instead of using atmospheric subway tunnels and their stations, players in Metro: Exodus expect much more open areas on the surface.
The game's extensive levels and a variety of customizable weapons and gadgets will allow for different approaches at any given time. Whether you storm a bandit camp with gun power or sneak past unseen, is up to you.
Dying Light 2 also sends us into a post-apocalyptic world. This time, however, a zombie epidemic was the culprit of the planet's collapse. Exact story details are not yet known. Fifteen years after the first part, the protagonist is sent to search for something that could change the future of humanity forever.
As in the predecessor, Parkour is still the center of the second part. That means you run, jump and climb acrobatically through the ruins of the fictitious European metropolis. This time, however, your story choices should have a significant impact on the game world.
Depending on how you behave, it can happen that the human camps develop into a brutal police state or total anarchy. Your choices also affect the look of the city. The developers promise far-reaching opportunities to influence the world. The developers plan internally with a release in 2019. The specific date is still pending.
With Doom Eternal, ID Software released the direct successor to the 2016 reboot of the series. This time, however, Doomguy is battling on Earth against endless demon hordes. The story has to give way to the fast and varied action.
Alongside the new environment, on our hell-ridden planet, there will be plenty of new types of enemies standing in your way. In addition, Doomguy gets some new tools in his hand.
The two most important new toys are an arm-mounted blade and a grapple-like chain that allows you to swiftly swing through the arenas at certain points. The high degree of violence, including creative finishers, is part of the series again.
The plot of Far Cry: New Dawn begins several years after the events of Far Cry 5. A nuclear war destroyed the once idyllic Hope Country and left another surprisingly idyllic wasteland. The antagonists this time are the twin sisters Mickey and Lou.
Although New Dawn plays in the same area as Part 5, the atomic bombs have changed quite a bit. Also, this time is often fought with improvised weapons and vehicles.
New Dawn is not a big sequel but rather sees itself as a standalone spin-off of Far Cry 5. That means lesser scope. But it also means that the game does not appear at full price. The gameplay will be largely based on its predecessors.
Gears 5 is one of the largest exclusive titles for the Xbox One that we will see this year. The typical cover shooter aspect of the game is still there. Not much is known about the story, but the fight against the Locust and the family history of the protagonist in the foreground.
This time, you are playing the role of Kait Diaz for the first time in the campaign. The character is already known to the fans of the series from the story of the predecessor and could be played in the Gears of War 4 multiplayer. The gameplay will be less linear than before and put more emphasis on Open World aspects.
Despite the new protagonist, you can look forward to many well-known characters, including the previous protagonist JD Fenix. In addition to completely new characters, there will also be new types of opponents who stand in your way. For the first time Gears 5 gets mouse and keyboard support on the Xbox One.
Crackdown 3 is all about the wacky and colorful open-world sandbox. The gameplay is based on the predecessors. This means there is a lot of shooting, explosions, and a completely destructible environment. Originally, Part 3 should have appeared in 2016, but has been postponed several times.
The basic gameplay in Part 3 remains the same as Crackdown 2 which was released nine years ago. In addition to over-the-top infantry action, every vehicle can be stolen and there is a Bulletstorm like scoring system for creative action.
The story is expected to be quite thin. The fictional city of New Providence must be freed from terrible evil criminal bosses. If you kick a boss with your actions too much, he'll respond and eventually even hunt you personally.
It is not officially confirmed where the journey in this year's Call of Duty is going. However, nobody should deny that even this year nothing and nobody can change the release of a new game in the series.
So far, there are only rumors that revolve around the setting of the game. A little teaser on Twitter brought especially Ghost 2 and Modern Warfare 4 into the conversation. The former has already been denied.
Whether it will really become a new part of the Modern Warfare series, in the end, is not yet confirmed. But, if it does, I am very excited about it.
The action of Wolfenstein: Youngblood sets several years after Wolfenstein: New Colossus. This time, you take on the role of BJ Blazkovic's now grown twin daughters and set out in occupied Paris in search of the missing ex-protagonist.
Gameplay wise the latest series part is based on its predecessors, but the campaign this time can also be played in a two-player co-op. For single players, the AI takes over the second twin.
Youngblood sees itself not as a major sequel, but rather as a standalone spin-off in the style of Wolfenstein: The Old Blood. The volume should therefore be slightly lower than in The Order and The New Colossus.
In Generation Zero, you roam the deserted Sweden of the 1980s. The world is suddenly devoid of humans and is instead populated by strange robots. A group of four teenagers are trying to figure out what happened.
Set in Scandinavia, the game presents itself as an open-world First Person Shooter. The game is being developed by Avalanche studio using Apex engine which we already know from the Just Cause series. The scope is correspondingly large.
The story should play an important role. As you roam the world, you collect weapons, supplies, and items for crafting. There are different skill trees for leveling up.
The star of the show in Scorn is it's unique art design. In the Horrorshooter, everything you see is largely made of organic material, even the weapons.
Scorn relies less on action and more on creepy atmosphere through the fleshy look and nasty opponent design. In addition to the battles against all kinds of livestock, there will also be puzzles.
There will be a lot to discover in exploring the nonlinear levels. This includes items and upgrades for your own, humanoid character. Regarding the story, unfortunately, only little information is known so far.


Hot tapping is a procedure that allows safely making links and connections to the pipeline operating under the pressure without stoppage of operation.
Hot tapping gives ability to make modifications, amendments and obviate pipeline form deformations that can be a result of physical or corrosion damages. Using this method it is possible to create bypass that would be a new temporary way of flow and prevent stoppage in operation. From the other hand bypass gives ability to do repair works on the whole section. Using the same scope of equipment (tapping flange, hole drilling machine and isolating valve) it creates not only new way of flow but isolates damaged section and allows to repair or replace it.
Hot Tapping procedure is applicable for most types of pipelines and can be efficient decision for operators in transmission and distribution oil and gas systems, for water or stream pipelines. Using only tapping flange, hole drilling machine and isolating valve, in scope you are getting safe, fast and reliable solution. Isolating valve is placed between tapping flange and hole drilling machine and all the time is opened during the performance of this method. The hole drilling machine has sealed surface that prevent any leakage during the procedure but at the same time allows to use colter that drills the hole in the operating pipeline. When the procedure is completed the hole drilling machine is removed and the valve is closed. After it, it is easily possible to connect new lines and integrate it with existing pipeline network.
The Stopple method is efficiently as well. This approach gives ability to repair pipeline using both-sides isolation and leakage prevention. Stopple is also good decision when some pipeline's segment is required to be repaired but without decommissioning. This solution is technically and economically efficient because of ability to apply it to the pipelines during the operation and under the pressure.
Using Hot Tapping and Stopple methods it is possible to prolong pipeline lifetime, prevent leakage and reduce repair work time.


Happy Varalakshmi Vratham: Varalakshmi Vratam is an important pooja performed by many women in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Hindu festival going by the name 'Vara Lakshmi Vrata' is celebrated on the Second Friday or the Friday before full moon day – Poornima in the month of Sravana. This year it falls on August 24, 2018. Varalakshmi Vrata is performed by married woman for the well being of all the family members, especially husband, to get progeny etc. On this day, people send Text Messages, SMS, Wishes, Quotes to friends and family to wish them regarding Happy Vara Mahalaxmi Vratam Festival.
Check out the below article for best Happy Varalakshmi Vratham Festival 2018 Messages, SMS, HD Pictures, Status, Quotes, Wishes, Greetings and more.
May Goddess Lakshmi Fill Your Life With Health, Wealth, And Freedom. May This Varamahalakshmi Vratha Bring Everything Festive Just For You. Have A Prosperous Varamahalakshmi Vratha.
Let Goddess Varalakshmi who is an aspect of Sri Mahalakshmi shower blessings on you and your family on this auspicious day. Happy Varalakshmi Vratham.
Let Goddess Lakshmi bless you with all eight forces on this Varalakshmi Vratam festival.
Sri (Wealth), Bhu (Earth), Sarasvati (learning), Priti (love), Kirti (Fame), Santi (Peace), Tushti (Pleasure) and Pushti (Strength). Happy Vara Mahalaxmi Vratham.
I wish you Happy Varalakshmi Vratam and I pray to God Lakshmi for your prosperous life. May you find all the delights of life, May your all dreams Come True.
Here is the best collection of Happy Varalakshmi Vratham SMS / Text Messages.
Dhanalaxmi Dhanyalaxmi Dhairyalaxmi Shouryalaxmi Vidyalaxmi karyalaxmi Vijayalaxmi Ashtalaxmi blessings on you and your family Happy Varalakshmi Festival !!
I wish you Happy Varalakshmi Vratham and I pray to God Lakshmi for your prosperous life. May you find all the delights of life, May your all dreams come true. Padmaasane Padmakare sarva lokaika poojithe Narayana priyadevi supreethaa bhava sarvada.
Here is the best and latest collection of Happy Vara Mahalakshmi Vratham 2018 Images / Photos / Pics / Wallpapers / DP's.
With the help of these above methods (SMS / Text Messages, Images, Facebook & WhatsApp Status and Quotes) you can convey your Happy Varalakshmi Ratham Festival 2018 Wishes / Greetings to your loved ones.


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ADB-Funded Pakistan Projects Mired in Problems
Half of the Asian Development Bank-funded projects–worth $3.4 billion–have either become problematic or put on the watch list due to implementation delays, reveals a latest portfolio review that has again highlighted governance issues in Pakistan.
Most of the troubled projects are in the areas of energy generation, transmission and distribution, which are the so-called priority sectors of the government during the past four years, APP reported.
The other projects are in the water, agriculture, transport and social sectors, according to officials who attended the portfolio review meetings that continued for about one month.
As of end June 2017, the ADB-funded active public sector portfolio in Pakistan is made up of 37 projects with a total cost of $6.7 billion. Of the 37 investment projects, 32 valued at $5.83 billion are ongoing. About 18 of them worth $3.6 billion are facing problems.
The ADB has declared six projects worth $560 million 'actual problems' and eight schemes costing $1.2 billion 'potential problems'. There are four projects, which are on the watch list, having total cost of $1.7 billion and there are a total of seven projects on the watch list but three are already declared problematic.
Excluding the watch list projects, the ADB rated 60% or 21 projects on track. This ratio was 80% in December last year and the latest review indicates that the project implementation is getting from bad to worse.
The ADB underlined that the downward trend in the performance rating of the projects is due to the lag time in meeting contract award and disbursement targets for the first half (January-June) of 2017. From six months to one year is wasted in between project approval by the ADB and its effectiveness, largely because of bureaucratic inefficiencies.
The ADB monitors implementation performance of projects using projections of contract awards and disbursements and the status of implementation on them.
The high ratio of troubled projects underscores the challenges the country faces in improving governance, which has restricted socio-economic benefits of the schemes.
Pakistan's transmission network has outlived its life, creating problems in wheeling the electricity besides causing technical losses. Similarly, the distribution companies' network also requires upgrading and expansion.
The ADB-funded energy sector portfolio is worth $3 billion that represents 43% of the active portfolio of projects. The transport sector is the second major area representing almost 26% of the active projects. The energy and transport sectors together accounted for 69% of the active loan portfolio by end of June 2017.
The ADB has declared Public Sector Enterprise Reform Project as an actual problem. The bank had approved the project in 2014 to strengthen Pakistan's capacity to privatize and restructure its designated public sector enterprises.
A $42 million Fata Water Resources Development Project, which six months ago was on track, has been declared as actual problem. The Karachi Bus Rapid Transit design project is also declared as actual problem.
Iran Sovereign Wealth Fund Favors Energy Sector, Five-Year Data Shows
NDFI Lending Hits $36b
Iran Signs Energy Deal With Germany's SAG
MAPNA Seeking Foreign Finance
Renewed Appeal for Energy Conservation
China, Japan Racing for Iran's "Economic Cake"


Every year, I spend the second weekend of march at the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, California. It marks the arrival of spring. And I get to see people I've known for 20 plus years.
Hundreds of natural and organic foods manufacturers and supplement companies exhibit their products. If you can elbow you way past 50,000 attendees, you can taste all the new great stuff that the health food industry has in store for you.
'Gluten-free' appears to be the big new trend this year, as it was the year before. I'll have more to say about gluten-free in a future blog.
But a tried-and-true marketing gimmick by a fish oil manufacturer annoyed me, so I want to share that with you here.
It's called the fish oil freezer test.
Simply put, the marketing claim is: if you freeze your fish oil, and it becomes opaque, it's bad fish oil.
On the surface, this test is made for infomercial TV – easy, simple and fun to demonstrate. Everyone can understand freezing and opaque vs. clear. No wonder marketers continue to use it and no wonder people fall for this gimmick.
As I've mentioned several times on this blog, regular (retail grade) fish oil contains only 30% Omega-3. The other 70% is a mixture of various saturated and unsaturated fats. There is a lot of saturated fats in regular fish oil. And these saturated fats solidify when put in the freezer. Omega-3 fats do not freeze solid easily because they have extremely low freezing points.
When the saturated fats solidify, it makes the pill look opaque like butter (right).
It's not an indicator of quality.
It's just an indicator of the Omega-3 content.
This does not mean that the oil is low quality and it does not mean that it has mercury or other contaminants. It simply means that there is more saturated fats than Omega-3 fats in the opaque pills.
Now, if you took a Ultra-concentrated fish oil with 85% Omega-3, it is less likely to go opaque in the freezer because there is more Omega-3 and less saturated fats.
I think the 'freezer test' marketing gimmick is misused by marketers to indicate quality and purity, as opposed to Omega-3 content. And THAT is my objection to this sales technique.
It connects dots that don't exist.
A 90% Omega-3 fish oil product that is old, rancid and contaminated with mercury will pass the freezer test. It will look clear, crisp and beautiful after a night in the freezer.
But it will also make you sick.
As I was walking through the Natural Products Expo, I saw a prominent manufacturer's sales rep use the old 'freezer test' pitch on an unsuspecting health food retail store buyer.
It sounded exactly like a TV infomercial pitch.
It took a lot of self-control for me to not step in and set the situation straight.
The words 'interference of commerce' popped into my head and so I kept walking.
Oh well. At least you know.
Great posting. It is sad that there is such ignorance about basic chemistry as to allow this clownish tomfoolery to continue. Omega-6-to-Omega-3 imbalance is one of the most serious health issues plaguing America. In the end, we have to put our hopes in intelligent discussion and well-crafted education materials, not in stupid, incorrect, condescending faux-experiments that represent everything science isn't.
The freezer show is just an opportunistic selling tactic. But it will show people that different fats freeze at different temps. DHA, for instance, will remain liquid until -58 degrees F.
Great article, I appreciate your writing style and breakdown of how the freezing method works. When it comes to purchasing supplements, you really don't know what's in the capsules and have to trust the labels. It's good to see people writing quality articles to help others make a healthy decision instead of trying to sell. Thanks!
How is this a gimmick? Your paying for Omega 3, and the test shows you not getting it. Sound like a legit test to me.
Hi Sally – when you buy regular strength Omega-3, it usually contains between 20 and 30% Omega-3. The rest of the pill is Omega-6, Omega-9, saturated fats and other misc fats that solidify at refrigeration or freezer temps. That's OK. That's just basic science. When a fish oil pill turns solid white when frozen it DOES NOT mean there is no Omega-3 in it. It simply means there is more non-Omega-3 ingredients in the pill than there is Omega-3. So the freezer-test DOES NOT PROVE that there is no Omega-3 in it.
Low potency fish oil contains, well, low levels of Omega-3 and sometimes that's what people can afford. It is very expensive to concentrate fish oil to a degree that it no longer freezes solid. It is not a matter of purity. It is a matter of potency, which in turn is a matter of cost. Not everyone can afford pharmaceutical grade fish oil. That's OK too. With low-potency fish oil (the kinds that freeze solid), you have to take 3 times as many pills to get the Omega-3 benefit you need.
The gimmick part that I have a problem with is where people express fake outrage at saturated fats freezing at low temperatures. Saturated fats are SUPPOSED to freeze at low temperatures. This is exploiting people lack of chemistry knowledge for personal gain. And telling consumers that pills that freeze solid have no Omega-3 in them is misleading and deceptive. These practices only add to the high level of confusion that people already feel about Omega-3, nutrition and health in general.
3) Customers are not deserved to get what they expected because they don't pay enough money.
My question is why can't these companies sell products with Omega 3 only with same price or don't label their products as Omega 3?
Hi Francis – it is not alright for people to buy an 'Omega-3' product and get mostly Omega-6 & 9 instead. Where did you see me agreeing to something like that? If there is one message on this website that I repeat, that is to reduce Omega-6.
Mr Kutty, is of course correct, in that freezer test does not necessarily indicate NO Omega 3, nor does it help demonstrate rancidity etc. However he seems to undervalue an important point for those of us who are simply trying to differentiate between capsules with lower percentage Omega 3 vs those with a high percentage. As the former likely have a higher percentage of saturated fats, they will freeze more easily, and this valid indication of concentration can be very useful.
If one is paying for Super Concentrated Omega 3, and only getting regular 18/12 Omega 3 Fish oil, this test can certainly help.
I am not in this industry, but if anyone knows of a more valid simple test of comparing concentration of very high vs regular/low Omega 3, it would be most welcome.
Hi Dr. Wells – you have a good point. I concede that if you are trying to separate the low-potency vs the high-potency fish oils, then the freezer test may be somewhat useful. The likelihood of paying for concentrated oil and getting low-grade oil is virtually zero in North America or Europe. The regulations are tight. And any caught infractions are very painful for the manufacturer. None of the manufacturers that I know (and I know a lot of them) would even consider duping customers like this. I make no promises about other parts of the world, where this kind of trickery occurs regularly.
Thank you for your information I fell so much better I thought I bought a bad brand .
I bought an Ômega 3 and it was freezed when about 5 hours into the freezer. Could you tell me about? For me it is not good. It's from Simply Supplements Omega 3 1000mg.. from My Protein yes is good.
Hi Juliane – as the article above states, freezing or not freezing makes no difference in the quality of the Omega-3 supplement. But if the oil freezers that usually means that there is less Omega-3 fats and more non-Omega-3 fats in the oil.
Whether Big Pharma is out to make money or nor is irrelevant (they are), but you still need Omega-3 if you've had open heart surgery. Doesn't have to be OmegaVia, just any good brand.


Hi, my son is 9 yrs old. In the past 2 years he has grown quite a lot both in height and weight. My GP says its a growth spurt, but Im not convinced. We go to gym at least 3 times a week. He is actively involved in school sport, but Im worried that he is going to continue to put on excessive weight. He has a healthy appetite and is constantly hungry. Im very woried and have de-wormed him to try and illiminate this as a possible cause. Should this be a concern for me as I don't want him to develop into a fat adult.
It is more important to be concerned about your child's diet than about his weight. I do not imply that food intake should be limited in any way, but that the food offered should always be healthy and balanced. An active boy with a healthy diet will maintain his weight at the correct level without any interference required. It will also translate into a healthy adult.


MAULE VALLEY, Chile – Sven Bruchfeld doesn't mind if you don't like his wine, as long as some people love it.
He's part of a bold new wave of independent vintners who are challenging Chile's reputation for producing oceans of agreeable but predictable wines. Their quirky, small-batch harvests are capturing the attention of wine connoisseurs at home and abroad.
"We need wines that are polemical, that are not liked by everyone, that generate controversy and spark conversations," said Bruchfeld, a Chilean of German ancestry who is owner and chief winemaker at the Polkura winery.
The independents have broken away from Chile's industrial wine culture to lovingly squeeze out small lots of wines, usually using organic, even spiritually tinged theories of winemaking.
In Alvaro Espinoza's vineyard in the Maipo Valley south of Santiago, a horse plows along rows of grapevines in the shadow of the Andes mountains while a solar panel powers the irrigation. In the Maule Valley farther south, Pilar Miranda also farms with horses and when her wine is ready for bottling, she punches the corks in by hand.
"This new generation is much more conscious about environmental problems and more committed to healthy, sustainable agriculture ... and also for the production of wines that have a stronger connection to the Earth," said Espinoza, whose Antiyal wines regularly break into the 90s in respected ratings.
"That's why I think this new generation of winemakers and entrepreneurs is going to change Chile's image globally."
Chile has been making wine since the mid-1500s, when Spanish settlers brought the first vines to the coast-hugging nation. And it has grown into the world's No. 7 wine producer, with an output of nearly 1.3 billion liters last year. About 480 million liters of bottled wine were exported.
While major producers such as Concha y Toro also release batches of world-class wines, critics have long complained that Chilean wine overall was too industrial and fixated on volume.
"It had quality but lacked character, and there was no space for the small winemaker," said Patricio Tapia, Chile's most respected wine writer.
But in the past decade "a new generation has been born, and Espinoza was the precursor," said Tapia, author of the "Descorchados" wine guide.
The 52-year-old Espinoza who apprenticed at wineries abroad as well as in Chile was among the first to embrace the "biodynamic wine" movement that was taking root in Europe and the United States.
Based on the writings of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, it forbids artificial pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers and it sees farms as living organisms affected by the cycles of the moon and planetary alignment, as well as seasons.
Like Espinoza, most of the new vintners emerged from the country's old wine industry, either working at corporate winemakers or studying enology at local universities.
But some have also come from abroad: an Italian count, a former Canadian ski coach and a Swiss lawyer are among the 18-member Chile-based Movement of Independent Vintners.
The artisanal producers have pounced on long-abandoned vines or set up shop in forgotten wine zones, while others have experimented with new combinations of grapes, regions, temperatures and terrains.
In the quest for a more interesting wine, they've experimented in extreme places: from the icy south to northern areas in the heart of the Atacama desert. The result has been a rich mosaic of styles.
They often use rustic but proven methods such as manual corking and egg-shaped concrete vats and earthenware pots for fermentation.
"For us it's about getting back to our roots to make some great juice," said Miranda, 40, who started making wines in the garage with her ski-coach Canadian husband and created the whimsically named Garage Wine Co.
The couple's mountain-grown cabernet blend and cabernet Franc and a dry-farmed, single varietal Carignan are mostly sold in boutique wine shops in San Francisco, New York and London for $20 to $30 a bottle. "I'm going to call them hipster shops," said her husband, Derek Mossman, who began the company in his garage. "We don't compete with the big players from Chile, but rather with the independent offerings from the south of France, Spain, Italy and California."
In the Colchagua Valley, Polkura focuses on syrah grapes to produce 2,000 cases a year. Its name means yellow stone in the native Mapudungun tongue and comes from the yellow granite spread in the area's clay soils. Polkura's winemakers say the decomposed granite "gives the wine minerality and elegance, while the clay provides body and structure."
Its 2008 syrah made it into the Top 100 list for both Wine Spectator and Decanter magazines. And its Block g+i won the Southern Hemisphere's best syrah in Australia's "Five Nations Wine Challenge."
Prestigious mainstream vineyards such as Lapostolle, owned by the heirs to the Grand Marnier liquor fortune, also have embraced biodynamics. Its Clos Apalta, a blend of carmenere, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, was named Wine Spectator's wine of the year for 2008.
"More people are experimenting, searching for new frontiers and new techniques," said Andrea Leon, Lapostolle's winemaker. The results "express a place of origin and a particular vision of wine that doesn't have to be the same."
For Peter Richards, author of "The Wines of Chile," ''It's not an overstatement to say that the very future of Chilean wine is being decided right now."
"Chile can stay in a dependable, reliable but slightly unexciting mode, or it can choose to spread its wings and really try to discover its potential for fine wine," said Richards, one of the world's 314 certified "masters of wine."
"It's very exciting to see the beginnings of this revolution. The flame is still small but it continues to grow. It just needs more fanning."


A myelodysplastic syndrome is a disease of the bone marrow that eventually progresses into leukemia, a type of cancer. While 1 curative option for myelodysplastic syndromes is a procedure called a stem cell transplantation, not all persons are able to tolerate the potentially life-threatening complications that can occur with this procedure. For these persons, treatment is focused on providing biologic agents that help the bone marrow produce more normal blood cells, relieve the signs and symptoms of disease, and prolong survival time. Now, researchers say that blood cell counts may be better enhanced using a combination of 2 agents, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and erythropoietin.
anemia is used to describe the deficiency in red blood cells that results in some persons with myelodysplastic syndromes.
Treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes often consists of the infusion of red blood cells or platelets to compensate for the inadequate production of these cells in the bone marrow. An agent called GM-CSF, a growth factor, is often used to help white blood cells grow. Another agent, called erythropoietin, is used to improve the production of red blood cells, usually only in persons who have low red blood cell counts. These therapies may ease the signs and symptoms of disease, such as anemia and fatigue, and may prolong survival time. The use of chemotherapy drugs and other biologic therapy agents (immunotherapy) are being studied in clinical trials. The use of high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, followed by a stem cell transplantation, is an additional treatment option for persons who are strong enough to tolerate the transplant procedure.
Researchers from several medical centers studied whether GM-CSF alone or GM-CSF plus erythropoietin would be more effective in increasing blood cell growth in persons with myelodysplastic syndromes. They assigned 65 patients to receive either GM-CSF or GM-CSF plus erythropoietin for 12 weeks. The results showed that white blood cell counts increased in all patients. In addition, those receiving erythropoietin had an increase in their levels of hemoglobin, an iron-rich protein in the red blood cells that helps carry oxygen to the tissues. For this reason, these persons also needed fewer red blood cell transfusions than those receiving GM-CSF alone.


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Crossrail shut through central London as disruption set to hit Friday rush-hour
Londoners were hit with fresh travel disruption on Thursday as the first strike on the Elizabeth line paralysed services.
No trains are running throughout the day in the central section of the line between Abbey Wood and Paddington a result of Thursday's walkout by members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and Prospect.
The Elizabeth line is operating as separate railways on the east and west of the line, but passengers were warned there may be short-notice alterations or cancellations.
Tube passengers reported busier-than-usual trains as hundreds of thousands of people sought other mean of getting around.
When do stamps expire? How to swap out Royal Mail stamps without barcodes
Royal Mail introduced the barcoded stamps last year to improve security and efficiency
Shetland set for Up Helly Aa festival with women in squads for first time
Thousands of people are gathering for the main Up Helly Aa fire festival in Shetland, with women set to take part in the squads for the first time.
What is DNP? Toxic slimming drug blamed for more than 30 deaths
Slimming drugs seem to be all the rage, but most are not regulated, and some have even proven to be fatal.
Which cars are Ulez compliant as London zone is set to be expanded? From Nissan Leaf to Honda Jazz
Cars that meet certain emission standards are exempt from the £12.50-a-day levy
Princess of Wales aims to 'shine a spotlight' on the importance of early childhood in new campaign
The Princess of Wales is calling on the whole of society to play a part in helping children to have the best start in life and grow into "happy, healthy adults". This week, Kate will front the new awareness drive called Shaping Us, with the hope it'll revolutionise the way the UK thinks about supporting families and young children.
HuffPost UK
UK Will Not Send Fighter Jets To Ukraine, Says Downing Street
But Rishi Sunak says Britain will "accelerate" other help for Kyiv in the war.
'It can be scary': how corporate America is hitting back against unions
Employers are using heavy-handed tactics to prevent workers from organizing, and US labor union density is falling as a result
Turkey favours approving Finland's NATO bid before Sweden's
Ankara says Finland's NATO bid is "less problematic" than Sweden's after Turkey accused the government in Stockholm of enabling groups it deems as terror organisations. But Finland's FM says it is important for both countries to join the alliance at the same time.
Wolves sign Brazilian midfielder Joao Gomes
Premier League strugglers Wolves have signed midfielder Joao Gomes from Brazilian side Flamengo on a long-term deal for a reported fee of £15 million ($18.5 million).Wolves are currently 17th in the Premier League, level on points with Bournemouth, who are in the relegation zone. jw/smg/imm
Bradford Telegraph and Argus
Cannabis farms being set up in 'back of shops and underground'
CRIMINALS are going underground to hide their cannabis farms – a meeting has been told.
Which Bury schools will be affected as teachers set to go on strike over pay
Teachers in Bury are set to walk out tomorrow as part of national strike action taken by members of the National Education Union (NEU).
The Guardian view on Brexit's unsound legal thinking: turning back the clock
Editorial: Ministers want Britain's judges to interpret human rights not in the light of present day conditions, but those of the 1950s
Dorset Echo
Man airlifted to hospital after falling from height in Weymouth
A MAN from Weymouth had to be airlifted to hospital after he was reported to have fallen from height.
Unsentenced prisoners make up a third of Australia's prison population as bail refusals boom
Advocates urge overhaul of strict bail laws in Victoria and elsewhere to ensure people aren't needlessly funnelled into jail
Lancashire Telegraph
Coffeehouse for new mums, SEND parents and the whole community hailed a huge success
A mum of two from Darwen has opened the doors to her brand-new coffeehouse – and it has already been a huge success.
Mortgage approvals for house purchase drop to lowest levels since May 2020
Some 35,600 mortgages were approved for house purchase, which was the lowest total since May 2020, according to Bank of England figures.
SNP accused of spending £600,000 on 'propaganda' campaign
SNP ministers have been criticised for spending more than £600,000 on a "propaganda" campaign which experts said was designed to fuel their push for independence rather than help vulnerable Scots.
Outrage Over Sam Smith's Music Video Is Outdated And Far Too Pious For 2023
Enough with the tiresome pearl-clutching.
Brendan Fraser admits he didn't like himself much early in his career
Brendan Fraser has admitted that he didn't like himself much early in his career.
Indigenous leader shot dead as Peru protests pit rebel campesinos against ruling elite
As they descended on Cusco, the former capital of the Inca empire turned global tourism magnet, Remo Candia insisted to his followers that their anti-government protests remain peaceful.


Bhikhabhai's Gifts first customer from New Zealand gifted Special Raksha Bandhan Sweets packs with FREE RAKHI to each of her brothers in Ba.
Our CEO shares his journey into his family business as 4th generation family member on Genda Connections which is a not for profit organisation.
Launch of Special 10% Discount for all gifting of Bhikhabhai Sweets & Snacks for Charity.
Our products make it to South Korea and they loved it!


This elegant apartment in the middle of downtown, on the Grand Boulevard, is a perfect starting point to discover both Pest and Buda. In the spacious flat 6 people can rest comfortably and you can cook in the well-equipped kitchen.
Enjoy the vibration of the Blaha Lujza tér area! The best clubs and ruin pubs are in walking distance from you. Tram and underground lines are 2 minutes away from the flat, so you can map any part of the city and get home easily even after a long night out.


Check out our online pharmacy.
See our online pharmacy link on our home page.
We accept a limited number of vouchers for spays, neuters, and vaccines from Kankakee County Animal Control.
Welcome to Kankakee Animal Hospital serving clients in and around Kankakee, IL. We are a full service companion animal hospital. Our mission is to provide the highest quality veterinary medical care with compassion, friendliness and professionalism. We are here for you throughout the life of your pet. Our veterinarians and staff provide routine preventive care for young, healthy pets; early detection and treatment of diseases as your pet ages; and medical and surgical care as needed during the life of of your furry family member. We promise to treat your pet just like our own.
At Kankakee Animal Hospital, we treat your pets like the valued family members they are.


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Juve stands firmly behind Sarri, Lippi dismisses the idea of a crisis
Just two weeks back, Juventus and Mauricio Sarri were being praised for having the best start ever after 18 games. Following the loss against Lazio, the Italian media is speaking about a crisis in the Maurizio Sarri-led club. But the Old Lady's executives and former managers have stood in defence of the tactician.
At Juve's Christmas dinner, club president Andrea Agnelli publicly backed Sarri.
"This summer, when we went around with sporting director Fabio Paratici and Vice-President Pavel Nedved to try to understand what was going to be the Juve of the future, one person listened to us and believed in us. At the first press conference, he recalled the ferocity and desire we wanted. You've had the same ferocity and desire in wanting Juventus, Maurizio. Maurizio, you have taken on a tough and difficult challenge, but together, we know we can win," said Agnelli.
A post shared by Juventus Football Club (@juventus) on Dec 7, 2019 at 12:24pm PST
Legendary manager Marcelo Lippi also spoke about the situation at Turin.
"They have only lost one game, on Saturday. Before that they had never lost. Maurizio Sarri needs time. He doesn't have a magic wand," said the legendary manager, downplaying the idea of a crisis.
Lippi also stated that he doesn't see Inter as the only contenders for the first place.
"It is too soon. We need to wait until May. Conte is doing a great job but I didn't think there would be any doubts. And I don't think they are the only team to play for the Scudetto. I believe Lazio can put themselves in the title equation. They are a team who play great football and are a modern side with good players, especially in midfield. I like them a lot."
Even though the reaction to one loss was over-dramatic, it is worth noting that Juve has conceded the most goals, scored the second least goals, and is in the second-worst point differential compared to the last 8 seasons.
mrgol 6.3.2022. 21:03:11
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Q: Why Ubuntu 20.04 userspace boot time is so slow My ubuntu system is taking over a minute to boot up. I have checked systemd-analyze and it is the userspace that is taking this much time alone. I have already checked other similar problems on askubuntu and else but nothing has worked. I have disabled wayland but to no effect.
$ systemd-analyze
Startup finished in 3.924s (firmware) + 4.194s (loader) + 4.731s (kernel) + 1min 3.616s
(userspace) = 1min 16.466s
graphical.target reached after 1min 2.908s in userspace

This time it is little fast (usually it takes 1min 30-40s).
$ systemd-analyze blame
30.726s plymouth-quit-wait.service
18.379s systemd-journal-flush.service
13.680s networkd-dispatcher.service
8.956s udisks2.service
7.800s dev-sda5.device
7.009s libvirtd.service
6.799s accounts-daemon.service
6.638s NetworkManager.service
5.179s polkit.service
4.520s avahi-daemon.service
4.433s ModemManager.service
4.237s gpu-manager.service
4.105s switcheroo-control.service
4.093s thermald.service
4.083s wpa_supplicant.service
4.078s systemd-logind.service
4.071s systemd-machined.service
3.682s systemd-fsck@dev-disk-by\x2duuid-6CF4\x2dF74D.service
3.478s rsyslog.service
3.396s systemd-resolved.service
2.933s apport.service
2.679s grub-common.service
2.250s gdm.service
1.829s e2scrub_reap.service
1.776s apparmor.service
1.510s systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service
1.508s systemd-backlight@backlight:intel_backlight.service
1.489s media-avatar\x2dhiro-Data.mount
1.452s systemd-udevd.service

Here it is mentioned plymouth-quit-wait.service is not the main culprit.
and I have checked and configured the systemd-journal-flush.service from here.
There are no external peripherials connected (I am on laptop). I am on the end of my rope.
P.S. I have installed Ubuntu 20.04 couple of months ago on the same machine and it worked great. Then I moved to windows temporarily. I moved to Ubuntu 20.04 as my primary os last week and this problem comes up for the first time.
Edit 2: After, sudo gedit /etc/default/grub and remove everything from GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="" as kannzzmm2 suggested, bootup time has improved
avatar-hiro@Laptop-Ubuntu:~$ systemd-analyze
Startup finished in 3.890s (firmware) + 4.390s (loader) + 5.362s (kernel) + 32.779s (userspace) = 46.423s
graphical.target reached after 31.152s in userspace
avatar-hiro@Laptop-Ubuntu:~$ sudo systemd-analyze critical-chain
The time when unit became active or started is printed after the "@" character.
The time the unit took to start is printed after the "+" character.

graphical.target @31.152s
└─multi-user.target @31.151s
  └─libvirt-guests.service @30.830s +319ms
    └─libvirtd.service @24.991s +5.831s
      └─network.target @24.782s
        └─NetworkManager.service @19.516s +5.263s
          └─dbus.service @19.509s
            └─basic.target @19.408s
              └─sockets.target @19.407s
                └─libvirtd-ro.socket @19.405s
                  └─libvirtd.socket @19.381s +20ms
                    └─sysinit.target @19.116s
                      └─systemd-timesyncd.service @18.669s +445ms
                        └─systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service @17.107s +1.538s
                          └─systemd-journal-flush.service @3.895s +13.209s
                            └─systemd-remount-fs.service @3.579s +291ms
                              └─systemd-journald.socket @3.320s
                                └─-.mount @3.266s
                                  └─system.slice @3.266s
                                    └─-.slice @3.266s


text:
Jenkins Gets Her Beak Wet
By Michael Smith
Well, that sure did not take long.
Outgoing Kansas congresswoman Lynn Jenkins is becoming a lobbyist. Via Twitter, she recently announced the formation of a new venture, LJ Strategies, LLC, already registered to lobby in the state of Kansas.
Ethics laws prohibit ex-members of Congress from lobbying that body for one year after leaving, so LJ Strategies will formally lobby only at the state level during its first year. After that, the field is wide open for Jenkins to use her years of institutional knowledge and insider connections to lobby her former colleagues.
Nothing about this is illegal. Jenkins and her partners know the law and followed it to the letter. But that does not make it right.
Jenkins' gambit perfectly encapsulates voters' anger at the so-called political establishment. Rage against it helped fuel President Trump's rise among rank-and-file Republicans, who still approve of his performance in office at levels approaching 90%. Hillary Clinton came to personify The Establishment, also provoking the surprise challenge of Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination in 2016. Sanders is still in the game, and continued frustration also propels Democrats' adoration for younger figures like the outspoken Congresswoman-Elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Ocasio-Cortez has even been discussed as a possible presidential candidate, despite the fact that she has yet to take office, let alone shape any policy decisions.
By contrast, Jenkins and her ilk are seasoned politicos, with decades of real-world experience learning how Congress, state legislatures, and executive agencies really work. For example, Jenkins' role in moving the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) to Manhattan, KS, was so important that it interfered with redistricting in 2012. Though population shifts seemed to dictate that Manhattan and NBAF be moved out of Jenkins' district, the Kansas Legislature refused. Moving NBAF could jeopardize the whole project. Unable to agree on a map, legislators chucked the whole thing into the federal courts, making Kansas one of the last states to redistrict after the 2010 Census. The judges immediately and logically moved Manhattan to the First District.
Jenkins was also instrumental in a successful, multi-year effort to pass a new farm bill that was spearheaded by Senate Agriculture Committee chair Pat Roberts. The bill finally came to fruition last month, just weeks before the end of Jenkins' term. Controversies, including changes in eligibility for SNAP benefits (formerly called Food Stamps), had delayed progress. This time, farmers' alarm over the possible impact of Trump's tariffs propelled the bill to passage. In addition, Jenkins was a member of House Republican leadership. Among other roles, she served on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, writing tax policy.
Jenkins is respected, but her knowledge and skill cast a dark shadow. She is part of that inside-baseball, political culture that cannot resist—in Stephen Colbert's pithy phrase—getting their beaks wet. They dip in, keeping up with their old friends in power and using their connections for a little extra cash.
Maybe more than a little.
Governing is complicated. We desperately need experienced hands at the tiller. Unfortunately, that is become a tough case to defend, when so many long-timers see themselves as part of an elite political class, trading on political connections far removed from the lives of those they used to represent.
Lynn Jenkins accomplished some remarkable things as a state legislator, state treasurer, and Member of Congress. Now, with the formation of LJ Strategies, LLC, she becomes part of the problem.
— Michael A. Smith is a Professor of Political Science at Emporia State University.


text:
Q: How do I post in facebook a big image on a friend's timeline without using sdk feed dialog I have an app that lets the user create a custom-made greeting card (a big image) and send it to a facebook friend who has their birthday / another occasion on that day.
I want to allow my user to post the generated greeting card image on the other friend's timeline.

*

*Since feb 2013, developers are not allowed to post on other user's wall using /feed (stream.publish), the documentation states it is only allowed using the feed dialog (sdk pop-up).

How do I allow a user to post a big image on a friend's timeline from an iOs app without using the sdk's send dialog?

A: Due to the Recent Changes of Facebook Graph API you can't do this anyway without using the Feed Dialog .


text:
Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery
Operative considerations
RCH > Plastic and maxillofacial surgery > David B McCombe
David B McCombe
M.B.B.S., F.R.A.C.S.
Paediatric Hand Surgery, Brachial Plexus Surgery, Reconstructive Microvascular Surgery
M.B.B.S. - University of Melbourne
1991 Internship - St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Hamilton Base Hospital
1992 Junior Resident Medical Officer - St.Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
1993 Diploma of Anatomy - Anatomical Society of Australia and New Zealand
1993-1994 Senior Resident Medical Officer - St.Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
1995 General Surgery Training - St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
1996-1999 Plastic Surgery Training - Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, Melbourne, Western General Hospital, Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
2000 Hand Surgery Fellowship - Victorian Hand Surgery Associates, affiliated with St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
2000 Enrolled in Doctorate of Medicine degree - University of Melbourne
2001 Microsurgery Fellowship, Bernard O'Brien Institute of Microsurgery - St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
2002 Fellowship - St. James University Hospital, Leeds, UK
Hospital appointments
2000 Clinical Assistant Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery Department - St. Vincent's Hospital
2000 Consultant Plastic Surgeon - Skin and Cancer Foundation
2001 Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery Department - St.Vincent's Hospital
2001 Consultant Plastic Surgeon Plastic Surgery Department - Northern Hospital
2003 Consultant Plastic Surgeon - Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
1985-1987 Academic Scholarship, Newman College - University of Melbourne
1990 Clinical Gynaecology Prize, School of Medicine - University of Melbourne
1990 Evelyn Coy Prize in Surgery - St. Vincent's Hospital Clinical School, University of Melbourne
1999 Tyco/Autosuture Research Prize - St.Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
2000 Melville Hughes Scholarship, School of Medicine - University of Melbourne
2000 Foundation Scholarship - Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (not accepted)
2001 Foundation Scholarship - Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
2003 Research Award - Australian Society of Plastic Surgery


panoramic flight on of the Sossusvlei desert in the Namib Naukluft National National Park of Namibia, Africa.
Sunrise in waterfall Epupa Falls on the Kunene River in Northern Namibia and Southern Angola. Aerial view from airplane.
Pan-shot of open fields and a refugee camp in Northern Uganda, Africa.


Calories are at the heart of your physical health and ability. The calories you consume provide you with energy, and the energy you get will determine how you look and feel—take in less than your body needs, and you can wind up tired and weak, but take in too many and you can bet that your body will store those up for a rainy day. A lower-calorie diet is a safe and efficient way to lose weight and combat certain health issues—learn how it works and find the right reduced-calorie diet menu for you.
The formula for weight loss or weight gain is simple. If you want to lower your body weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume; take the opposite approach if you want to gain weight. It follows that if you monitor and adjust your calorie intake, you will be able to control your body weight fairly well. Of course, there are other things to consider, like metabolism, daily routine and the amount of exercise you get, but a healthy weight begins with your food choices and portion control.
When using a calorie per day diet, the key is to take in fewer calories without starving yourself. This means that you don't necessarily want to decrease the amount of food you eat, but rather eliminate dishes that are particularly high in calories. That may sound straightforward, but it's not always simple: you'll find that it takes a bit of an effort to achieve the fine balance between reducing your calories and staying satisfied, so take the lead from a pre-formulated calorie diet plan and get acquainted with an online diet calorie counter to monitor your meals accurately.
A low-calorie diet is the safest, simplest and most effective way to lose weight—if you choose the right one. Many specialized diets such as the low cholesterol meal plan or the low-fat diet also happen to be low-calorie diet plans, since fatty or unhealthy foods tend to be high in calories as well. Essentially, every effective diet operates on the simple calorie/energy equation.
Most experts agree that a reduction of 500 calories in your daily diet will give you the results you're looking for. So, if you're currently taking in 1,800 or 1,900 calories a day, adopt a 1,400-calorie diet plan. For women who are of average height and build, a 1,600- to 1,800-calorie diet menu is a good place to begin. Adjust the plan as needed with the help of sample menus—you can find everything from a 1,000-calorie diet menu to a 2,000-calorie diet sample online, or look for a cookbook that offers appropriate recipes for your specific calorie diet.
It's not a good idea to simply decide on an arbitrary number of calories and shoot for that, since your present caloric intake and your specific energy needs will play a big role in how your body sheds weight. A drastic calorie reduction will do more harm than good, leaving you hungry and actually slowing your metabolism; lower your caloric intake by small increments and you'll lose one to two pounds each week have enough energy to get you through your day and keep you happy.


text:
Car & Classic Premium Dealer
St. Andrews Autos
Phillips Farm/Highwood Rd Edney Common Chelmsford
CM1 3PX
1928 Alvis 12/50 Two Seater Special For Sale
St. Andrews Autos (ccts3348)
Click here for more info / photos
Category Classic Cars
Make Alvis
Model 12/50
Region Essex
1928 Alvis TG 12/ 50.
We are pleased to offer this stark two seater Alvis 12/ 50.
WK 6951 started life as an Alvista Six Light Saloon but was derelict by the early 1950s and was rebuilt as a special retaining the original wings and bonnet by a Mr Bagshaw. It has the larger 1645cc engine.
In 1968 the Alvis was bought by Jeremy Davy Haines of Dulwich to use as an everyday car and was regularly driven between the owner's South London home and the Rolls Royce factory in Bristol where he worked on developing the engines for Concorde. In 1971 Mr Haines drove the car to Venice, returning over the Stelvio pass and during the 1970s, 80s and 90s the Alvis was used extensively in rallies and hillclimbs, following which it was taken off the road for a rebuild.
In 2010 the Alvis was returned to the road for its 82nd birthday, coincidentally featuring on the front cover of the VSCC Bulletin. The Alvis was then in continued use until Mr Haines passed away in 2015 and the car was subsequently purchased by our vendor.
The Alvis has since benefitted from fresh coach paint on the body, a stainless steel exhaust system and a high quality rewire using armoured cable.
It is a joy to drive having the typical Alvis 12/ 50 attributes of willing performance and excellent steering – very much the archetypical Vintage sports car.
The 12/ 50 enjoys excellent support from the 12/ 50 Register and is of course eligible for all manner of events including those of the VSCC.
With their enviable reputation, 12/ 50s are sought after motor cars and this must be the cheapest sporting Vintage 12/ 50 on the market.
For more information and to arrange a viewing call James on the details below or contact us via the website.
We would be happy to take an interesting vehicle in part exchange.
Compare classic car insurance quotes Get a quote
1926 12/50 TG Six Light Saloon by Carbodies For Sale
YEAR: 1926 COACHWORK: CARBODIES ENGINE: 1645 cc PRICE: PLEASE ENQUIRE Built on 5th November.1926 this outstanding luxury saloon was sold by Simiters of Macclesfield ,after two years it then went to a Sheffield man and has remained in Sheffield ever since,having three owners in 94 years. Exceptionally original ...
1931 Alvis 12/50 TJ four seat Tourer For Sale
1931 Alvis 12/50 TJ Four Seat Tourer During 1929, Alvis ceased production of the 12/50 in order to concentrate on the Front Wheel Drive model. However, this did not achieve the anticipated success and the well-established 12/50 was revised and reintroduced in September 1930. Designated 'TJ' Series, this model ...
Alvis 1930 TJ 12/50 tourer For Sale
Restored vintage alvis with interesting competition history. Ideal for someone who wants a fully sorted vintage sports car capable of being used in modern day traffic conditions. this competition tourer was re-bodied in aluminium with tubular steel sub-frame onto a shortened chassis in the 1940's with parts owned ...
1926 Alvis 12/50 TE C&E narrow body sport tourer For Sale
What a delight and honour to be asked to offer this Alvis TE 12/50 with original Cross and Ellis narrow bodied sports tourer coachwork from 1926. The TE was built on the second iteration of the 12/50 chassis, which moved away from the original and much heavier sub-frame chassis cars, with the engine being mounted directly ...
1926 Alvis 12/50 project For Sale
For sale is my Alvis 12/50 project that I have been collecting parts for, for the past few years. Below is a list of all the parts I have, most are in good condition and ready to be restored. There is almost enough to start on building up a rolling chassis. The chassis itself (#4515), was exported to Australia as a rolling ...


When it comes to curry houses, Phoenix is not your only choice in Arizona.
Thank God, Indian restaurants are now to be found in Tempe and other cities of Arizona.
While most Indian restaurants in Arizona serve North Indian cuisine, a few Chettinad and Udupi restaurants have come up in the state with savory South Indian fare.
Here are a few Indian restaurants in Tempe, AZ.


text:
Words in the News
1. a type of small lizard with skin that changes colour to match the colours around it
2. someone who changes their opinions, ideas, or behaviour to fit any situation
Origin and usage
Chameleon comes from the Greek word 'khamai' meaning 'on the ground, earth' and 'leon' meaning 'lion'. It is believed that the large crest on the head of some chameleon species was thought to resemble a lion's mane, thus giving the small reptile its name. Chameleon first appeared in English in the mid-14th century, and its use to describe a person who easily changes his or her mind is from the 1580s.
The word chameleon is a noun that refers to a kind of small lizard with large, bulging eyes and a long tail. The most striking feature of a chameleon is its ability to change the colour of its skin to match its surroundings.
A chameleon actually has four layers of skin which contain different pigments, allowing it to create a range of colours and patterns. While a chameleon can't change its skin to match a red-striped tablecloth or a yellow polka-dot blanket, these lizards are able to mimic some colours, like brown, yellow and black, while they can also reflect other colours away, like blue and white. Through a series of nerve impulses and hormone changes, a chameleon can activate these different layers of skin to help it blend into its environment.
Most chameleons can be found in the wild in Africa, Madagascar and the Middle East. One chameleon species is native to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, while another species can be found in Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean.
Chameleons are also commonly found in zoos around the world and some people keep them as pets, but most experts agree that these lizards do not often thrive as domestic companions.
View the full definition in the Macmillan Dictionary.
rakish
the Antarctic
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Previously, we looked at the five things every MS patient should know about MRIs. These included diagnosing MS, monitoring MS progression, MRI and gadolinium contrast agent, the safety of gadolinium, and open vs closed MRI options. While these are all things that answer why and how MS patients get MRIs, the patient experience is just as important to consider.
As a person living with MS for more than a decade now, and someone who has had approximately 20 previous MRI scans, I am uniquely qualified to discuss MRIs and the MS patient experience. The following will give you some tips and tricks that I have learned during my years of MRI experience.
Shop around – Believe it or not, prices for MRIs (and other medical services) can vary differently from company to company, or location to location. Companies like Healthcare Bluebook can help you find a fair price for your MRI near you. Shopping around is especially important if you have a high deductible insurance plan and you want to limit your out-of-pocket costs.
Scheduling matters – MRI centers can be a bit unpredictable. There are many factors that can delay an appointment. An MRI study is a noisy exam in a small, claustrophobic tube that many people struggle with. If the person before you is squirmy, then they will have to reshoot the images causing delay. When I schedule, I either try to get the first appointment of the day or the first appointment after lunch to avoid any unexpected delays.
Dress appropriately – Leave anything you don't need to wear at home. When I go to an MRI, I wear workout pants, a T-shirt, and flip-flops. They provide a blanket, so I am not worried about being cold. I leave my wedding ring at home and do not wear any additional watches or jewelry. MRI centers have lockers that you can leave all your valuables, but I prefer to keep that stuff at home and take only what is necessary to my appointment.
Limit liquids – You are going to be in the tube for an hour. If you grab an extra-large drink on the way to the exam, you are probably going to regret it. The last thing you want to do is stop the MRI for a bathroom break. Treat that extra-large drink as a reward for getting through the exam and get it afterwards.
Staying still – For some of us, this is easier said than done. Piggybacking off limiting liquids, anything that can make you uncomfortable in the MRI tube will make you wiggle and twitch. If you wiggle or twitch, the radiologist will have to repeat the image sequence. An MRI is not a typical camera. An image sequence can take several minutes. If you have to repeat those sequences, you will add additional time to being in the tube. Yet, even if you try hard to minimize these distractions, as soon as the study starts your nose will start to itch or you'll feel the need to take a deep breath or swallow. These are all in your head. Stay as still as possible to avoid adding time in the tube for repeating pictures.
Relax – The most important part of the MRI process is to relax. The MRI tube is claustrophobic. The top of the tube is about four to six inches from the tip of your nose. Your head is put in a cage to keep it still. The machine is loud and makes agonizing sounds. Despite all of this, you have to understand that you are doing this for the benefit of managing your MS.
MRIs, although uncomfortable, give your physician a clearer picture of your disease progression and treatment plan. The MRI scan lasts approximately 40 to 60 minutes for most appointment types, but if you are not relaxed you can make it take much longer. The facility will provide blankets, ear plugs, and in some cases, music. Just close your eyes, relax and it will be over before you know it. Your MS journey will benefit from the clear images your MRI presents.


Inspired by one of my best friends, I stepped back to ask myself why I'm on Facebook.
It's fun to read and comment on photos and witty status updates.
It's just fun to see what people are up to.
Obviously, I'm playing devil's advocate here, but they're still valid reflections. As I age, I'd rather have real-life connections, and in an almost maternal way, shield those relationships from unnecessary "noise." Does this mean sacrificing contact with hundreds of "virtual" friends? Yes. Will it mean that my time is invested in truer relationships? Yes, please. I'll take the latter. And with that, my Facebook will gradually transition into another "e-mail" account while this blog will hold updates and stories for family, both biological and chosen.
So come on, y'all! Let's be REAL friends. Check in for updates, but let's keep the arts of letter writing, greeting cards, e-mail, and phone calls alive!
great reason for starting a blog! You're so right. And isn't it strange how even with a few hundred followers, there is more connection than on facebook?
I found your blog through Kerrie's link up! Hello!
I have wanted to close my facebook account for all of the above reasons...I keep it because it's "convenient for posting/sharing pictures." Blogging is so much more personal. I look forward to following!


With the MP4 Input Plugin (for Winamp 2/5) you can enhance the functions of the well-known media player and enjoy a variety of new features: decoding MP4; AAC, PS AAC, HE AAC profiles and MP4 tagging.
This plugin whose last version was released in 2004 enhanced the functionality of old versions of Winamp.
Later, these options were included in the media player and the plugin is not necessary anymore, unless you are using an outdated version of Winamp.
From Winamp 5.12 and later, this plugin becomes useless.
In order to install the MP4 Input Plugin, decompress the archive, look for the in_mp4.dll file and copy it to the Winamp\Plugins directory.
Make sure you close the player before installing the plugin.
When you launch Winamp, go to the Preferences menu and look for the plugin following the path Plug-ins\Input section and you will be able to change the settings of the MP4 Input Plugin.
When it comes to plugin settings, you can modify the priority from lowest to highest; resolution can be changed, too, from 16 bits to 32 bits. Moreover, the plugin enables you to customize the title format and to activate the VBR display.
In order to decode MPEG4 audio and video files, you may need to install FFDShow. 3ivx could be necessary, too.
If you want to eliminate this plugin from your computer, just delete it from the Plugins folder.
The MP4 Input Plugin is obsolete, since Winamp currently supports the features that this plugin offers using its own plugins. You are unlikely to need this piece of software unless you have an old computer running an old version of Winamp (under 5.12).
- As from Winamp 5.12 and later, the default Nullsoft MPEG-4 Decoder (in_mp4) supports he-aac/nero digital mp4/m4a audio files, so there's no longer any need to use this plugin.
Note, the new in_mp4 still doesn't support mpeg4 video or proprietary Apple lossless audio (alac), though neither does the 3rd-party plugin. You'll still need to use the DirectShow Decoder for .mp4 video files; that's why you have to add ;MP4 to the Extension List in the DirectShow Decoder config (see the 2nd screenshot) by going to Preferences > Plug-ins > Input > double click "Nullsoft DirectShow Decoder...".
Lossless Audio : Lossless Audio, as its name suggests, provides lossless audio compression. This codec reduces the size of audio files without affecting quality, unlike in MP3 files.
ADX Decoder Filter : ADX Decoder Directshow Filter is needed in order to decode ADX streams found in WAV and AVI files.


This lightning fast aero road bike minimizes drag and gives you every advantage against the wind, but not at the cost of ride quality. Its lightweight composite frame is tuned for a perfect ride quality.
Have you found the 2019 Giant Propel Advanced 2 Road Bike in Blue Cheaper?
What do you think of 2019 Giant Propel Advanced 2 Road Bike in Blue?


Nice Yellow Eyes in this Madagascar Ocean Jasper Sphere!
Rare Old Stock Mexican Luna Agate - Cut from our private stocks - Nice!
Rare Turkish Dendritic Agate Sphere - Beautiful nice dendrites!
Rare Turkish Dendritic Agate Sphere - Really nice dendrites!
Scenic Brazilian Layer Quartz Sphere with Green Chloride Inclusions.


text:
Sol Invictus. In The Rain - 20th Anniversary Edition
Альбом: In The Rain - 20th Anniversary Edition
Год: 22.05.15
Формат носителя: 2CD
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Sol Invictus' classic album "In The Rain" we will release a special edition of the album on May 22nd. The anniversary edition comes as 48-paged hardcover book including a bonus CD with new liv
e demos of almost all the album's songs. The book itself features two forewords (Tony Wakeford and Tor Lundvall), an interview with Tony Wakeford and much previously unreleased graphic material from the artwork and the time of the album.
Further, please note that at the end of next week we will have the classic Les Discrets shirt designs "Lovers Facing Death" and "Night Effects" (both from the debut album "Septembre et ses dernières pensées") back in stock again.
format: 2CD hardcover book (18x18 cm, 48 pages) incl. bonus CD with new live demos of almost all songs of the album (with new arrangements, added guitars, samples etc.). The book contains forewords by Tony Wakeford and Tor Lundvall, an interview with Tony Wakeford, unreleased "In The Rain" pictures and sketches by Tor Lundvall and unreleased photos from the time of "In The Rain". (500 copies available)
Sol Invictus are the godfathers of classic Apocalyptic Folk, and alongside Douglas P. from Death In June and David Tibet from Current 93, Tony Wakeford is rightly regarded as one of the genre's founding fathers. Under the banner of the ancient Roman sun deity, over a dozen albums were released since the mid-Eighties, chronicling an evolution from raw, post-punk Dark Folk to increasingly sophisticated arrangements, taking in influences from Early and Classical Music, Ambient, and Jazz. Supported by a changing cast of musicians, Wakeford offers his pessimistic visions with his unmistakable voice, drawing on his exploration of ancient myths and modern poetry as much as on his own personal reflections on (mostly unhappy) love and the transience of all existence.
01. Stay
02. Believe Me
03. Down The Years
04. In The Rain
05. Fall Like Rain
06. Oh What Fun
07. An English Garden
08. The World Shrugged
09. In Days To Come
10. Europa In The Rain
11. Hedda Gabler