From the Cheapskate: Waiting for a sale on a Kindle title? Here's how to set up alerts.
Eager to read Amy Schumer's autobiography, "The Girl with the Lower-Back Tattoo"? Or Stephen King's latest, "End of Watch"? How about the new Rick Riordan title for your mythology-obsessed teenager?
They're all available for Kindle, of course, but they're all $14.99 apiece. I'm not saying they're not worth it, merely that you might prefer to wait for a sale. Because, yes, e-books do go on sale -- the challenge is finding out when that happens.
Savvy Amazon shoppers know about price-tracking service CamelCamelCamel, which can alert you when prices drop. Sadly, it doesn't support Kindle titles. For that you need a different service: eReaderIQ. It not only catalogs Kindle books that are free and on sale, but also lets you create alerts for tracking specific books.
Before I explain how to set one up, let me first note that although eReaderIQ is free, it relies on donations. If you find the service valuable -- meaning it routinely saves you money on book purchases -- consider supporting it with a percentage of those savings. The developer previously relied on Amazon's referral program, but that's no longer working out. This is a little guy trying to make a buck while helping readers save many bucks. Support him!
Step 1: Head to eReaderIQ and sign up for an account.
Step 2: Click Track Books, then Track Price Drops.
Choose one of the four available tracking options. For example, if you already have the Amazon book listing open in another tab, copy that URL and then click the Add by URL option. And if you've already added some titles to your Amazon wish list, use eReaderIQ's import tool to start tracking them.
Step 4: Click the Track It button for the selected book, then modify the "drops by" price if you like. For example, if you don't want an alert unless the price drops at least $2, enter that amount in place of the default $0.01.
The site also offers some integration tools, including bookmarklets (1-Click Watcher) for quickly adding any Kindle title to your watch list and a Chrome extension that also lets you check price histories and watch non-Kindle books so you can get notified if they become available.
For anyone who loves Kindle books and is serious about saving money, eReaderIQ is an invaluable tool.


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Ballard Spahr Named a Top Law Firm for Women by WomenInc.
Ballard Spahr—a national law firm with more than 650 attorneys in 15 U.S. offices—was named to WomenInc. magazine's 2019 list of Top 100 Law Firms for Women.
The firm was selected in recognition of its across-the-board commitment to advancing opportunities for women. Criteria for selection include demonstrated success in hiring and retaining women attorneys, in promoting women into equity partnership and to leadership positions, and the implementation of policies that foster an inclusive and equitable culture.
Diversity and inclusion is a core value at Ballard Spahr. Over the past year, the firm has been recognized by publications and community organizations across the country for the depth and success of its efforts to advance women attorneys. American Lawyer recognized Ballard Spahr for its high percentage of female equity partners, and the firm was ranked among the best U.S. law firms for women by Law360 and Working Mother magazine.
At Ballard Spahr, 28 percent of equity partners are women—above the national average for firms of its size—and 66 percent of its 2019 partner class self-identify as women or lawyers of color. The firm is home to a wide range of networking and mentoring programs for women at all career levels. It also provides professional development support designed to bolster the trajectory of women into key participation and leadership roles, both inside and outside the firm.
Read WomenInc. Top Law Firms for Women at http://womeninc.com/2019toplawfirms/
Ballard Women

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


FX Band put on a show that was so incredible some said that the voice of the lead singer sounded just as good, if not better than Frankie Vallie himself. The performance, costumes, and choreography all lead you to believe you were out a one of the best dinner shows in London.
Ryefield Court bringing in great entertainment so our residents can always have that out for the evening feeling at home.


Clean Heels Bridal Gift Pack is the perfect gift for any Bride!
A pair of Bridal/The Races Heel Stoppers that have detachable rings for that special day, and are a lovely keepsake for your wedding album.
An "I Do" Sticker, for a bit of fun on the day.
Ultra-slim Gels, for all-day comfort in your wedding shoes.
Heel Stoppers - Available in Petite, Small and Medium.
FREE PAIR OF PLAIN HEEL STOPPERS!
Buy this product and get a free pair of Plain Heel Stoppers with your order! Your free pair will be added at time of sending and won't show up at checkout. (Your free pair will be the same size and colour that you have ordered, unless you add in comment box what size or colour you would like) Please see FAQ's for further information.


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Q: Having problem generating a certificate request from a sql 2005 server I'm trying to generate a certificate request from a sql 2005 / windows 2008 server, so that i can get a certificate made and thus enable encryption on my sql connections from clients.
On the server, i do:

*

*start -> run -> mmc

*add 'certificates' snapin

*choose 'computer account'

*choose 'local computer'

*Right click the Certificates > Personal folder in the left hand tree pane, choose All tasks > Request new certificate

But then it gives me the error:
Certificate Types are not available
You cannot request a certificate at this time because no certificate types are available.
The requested certificate template is not supported by this CA.
A valid certification authority configured to issue certificates based on this template
cannot be located, or the CA is not trusted.

Any ideas? We've got an enterprise CA, if that's worth knowing.
Thanks

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


We've updated out dispenser line with a ton of acrylic and wire dispensers for your most common workplace needs. We've got them for safety glasses, safety goggles, ear plugs, beard covers, shoe covers, gloves, lab coats, towelettes, arm covers, and more! Some are even available in stainless steel.
We also have a new line of wire racks/baskets. And, of course, don't miss our solid hardwood dispensers and file holders for the ultimate in classy looks.


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News & Updates:
New wave of insecurity in Masaka worries Parliament
Police has started investigating to thwart the new spate of insecurity in the greater Masaka area, the Minister for Security, Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi has told Parliament.
Muhwezi confirmed on August 24, 2021, reports of machete wielding men that have yet again attacked the districts of Lwengo, Masaka and Bukomansimbi, leaving scores dead and others hospitalized.
He said, "We have heard of some insecurity in the Masaka area and have taken note. Investigations are underway and once we have the full report, I will come back to the House and give you details."
The Minister was responding to Dr. Abed Bwanika, the MP, Kimaanya Kabonera, who had raised concern during the plenary sitting that, the security situation in greater Masaka, is getting out of hand with the endless attacks leaving residents in fear and panic.
Bwanika told Parliament that on August 23, 2021, a total of four residents of the same village were murdered and others injured by unknown assailants that are still on the run.
"The other night, we lost four residents that were murdered in one village. On the night of August 22, three people were attacked in the same constituency and one of them succumbed to injuries," said Bwanika.
"An old man of 90 years identified as Edrisa Kakooza was murdered by people who we do not know up to now," he added.
Bwanika wondered whether the murders and the increasing insecurity in greater Masaka specifically in Lwengo, Bukomansimbi and Bukoto Central could be attributed to the small number of Police personnel and police posts in the sub-region.
Varying media accounts have reported that in the last two weeks, at least fifteen people have been hacked to death in the greater Masaka area, by unknown machete wielding assailants currently on the run.
This is not the first time, the area is witnessing a similar insecurity situation but about three years ago the gang was busted and the criminality thwarted.
The killings started in 2016 and during that period, over 30 people lost their lives, which prompted the then Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura, to camp in the area.
Kayihura's command of a joint operation by Police and sister security agencies then, resulted in the arrest of Muhammad Kiddawalime and Musa Galiwango, who were said to be the ring leaders of the killing gang.
Unlike in previous incidents where the gang would issue notices of intent to kill, the new criminals simply break into various homes and hack occupants to death before vanishing without taking any possessions.
Besides Masaka, the country has also witnessed organized crime in other areas like Entebbe in Wakiso district where, several women were killed by stuffing their private parts with cassava stems after raping them.
The killing of women pattern revealed that some of the victims were mobile money operators but in all cases, their money and phones were never touched.
House Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, appealed to the Minister to fast track the investigation to build confidence in the people of Masaka.
PrevMPs reject statement on performance of Umeme
Legislators call for action on Climate ChangeNext
Gov't agrees to pay Medical interns
UNOC to retain 7% of Oil proceeds
Gov't concerned over unfair trade terms with Kenya
Parliament to Debate Road Safety


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Interbrand: Apple, Google Own the Most Valuable Brands
Tim Brugger, The Motley Fool, AOL.com
Sep 30th 2013 1:21PM
After 13 consecutive years at the top of Interbrand's annual list of the most valuable brands in the world, Coca-Cola was unseated in 2013's report by Apple , which jumped to the top of the list with a value of $98.3 billion, the value analytics firms said today in a press release.
Apple's growth in brand value can be explained, according to Interbrand, by two key factors: "In addition to being resilient, Apple is also prescient -- continually anticipating what consumers will want next."
Google jumped two spots from last year's list to also pass Coca-Cola and place second in 2013, with a brand value of $93.3 billion, according to Interbrand. (Coca-Cola landed at No. 3 with a brand value of $79.2 billion.) "By continuing to move beyond search and by placing big bets on innovation, Google will impact the way its consumers live and behave worldwide -- and increase the value of its brand in the process," said Interbrand, noting Google Glass and Google's self-driving car work.
Interbrand arrives at the brand valuations by factoring in financial performance, the role brand plays in consumers' buying choices, and "the strength the brand has to command a premium price, or secure earnings for the company." Interbrand launched its ranking in 2000.
The value of Apple's brand jumped 28% compared to last year, bumping it from No. 2 to No. 1, while Coca-Cola saw a mere 2% increase from 2012 to $79.2 billion this year. Facebook enjoyed the highest percentage improvement in value on Interbrand's list of the top 100 brands, jumping 43% over 2012. The increase in Facebook's brand value to $7.7 billion puts it No. 52 on the list, up from last year's 69.
Interbrand said Facebook is the only social media brand to claim a position on this year's Best Global Brands list. It noted increases in revenue and earnings per share over the past year as well as an increase in Facebook's global user base and mobile users.
IBM and Microsoft round out the top five brands on Interbrand's list, with respective values of $78.8 billion and $59.5 billion. A complete list of the top 100 brands, with multiple filtering alternatives, can be found on Interbrand's website.
Interbrand said this year the total value of all 100 Best Global Brands is $1.5 trillion, an 8.4% record increase over the total value of the 100 Best Global Brands in 2012. New entrants to the list include Discovery (No. 70), Procter & Gamble's Duracell (No. 85), and General Motors' Chevrolet (No. 89).
The article Interbrand: Apple, Google Own the Most Valuable Brands originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Tim Brugger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple, Coca-Cola, Facebook, General Motors, Google, and Procter & Gamble. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Facebook, and Google. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


My writing day isn't settled yet and I'm not sure it ever will be. We've just got a puppy, so probably not. My day relies on how she, Puffin, behaves. I know one thing for certain, I will rise at dawn and lead her under the apple tree and while she relieves herself I will watch as the light comes up and later we'll watch the scene in reverse across a moor, the sea or tree-line. She's not really into sunrises or sunsets.
It's 6 a.m. after the clocks go back and Puffin and I are still sleepy under the apple tree. I watch as inky-blue night bleeds into yellow morning. In the living room there is hot coffee; a bruise on my consciousness.
Sometimes I go to London, so none of this happens. My partner gets up with Puffin and the coffee lingers in a thermos; these are the days I write on the train.
But then again, they're not. These are the days I enjoy watching the weather, naming birds, eating crisps and having thoughts; waiting for someone to ask me to move my coat so they can sit down on this busy train heading east.
Before I moved into academia, I used to work split-shifts in a seaside bakery. I'd get up at 4 a.m. and watch the sun come up. Midnight split my writing process in two, half-written drafts of poems from the night before glower at me in the blue light of the computer screen of the dawn.
I was always late for my shift. Walking from the car to the cloam, I used to like to read the Parish notices in the morning light. During my lunch break I would walk out across the cliffs, a misshapen cheese scone in my pocket, and read my book above a small cove called Readymoney. It's only the forces of capitalism that made my attempts then to write so desperate. The fear that I wouldn't have enough time in the margins of my day job to write what I needed to say; the metronome beat of clocking in and clocking out haunting me.
I'm still not sure what it means but maybe in another six-years I'll pull it down and replace it with another.
On Patmos, Lax used to like to swim in the sea. Nancy Goldring writes in an interview with the Brooklyn Rail, that her friend, Bob, would recite 'poems through his snorkel – "sea … sun … sea … sun … sea … sun …" while he was breathing in and out, to the fish'. As I read this, I feel I'm keeping hold of the horizon by a thread of abstract language.
That's not to say I'm sat here waiting for the muse. I try not to fear the moments when I'm not writing; my non-writing days. My words are usually found at the edges of the everyday, sometimes scrawled on napkins, written diagonally on lined notebooks, old poems cut up and juxtaposed with others, a half-line murmured in the bathtub or underlined in a book, or perhaps a witticism thrown away in a tweet. But maybe, also, one day, like today, or yesterday, the dog will settle, someone else will make the tea, and the music will be just right, so I can sit down and write what I see when I close my eyes.
Sarah Cave is a writer, academic and performer. She is currently studying for a PhD at Royal Holloway researching poetic process and prayer in contemporary and post-war poetics. Sarah's poetry has appeared in publications such as Oxford Poetry, Shearsman and Datableed. She has three pamphlets published, the latest of which, like fragile clay, is an illustrated book published by Guillemot Press. Her first collection, An Arbitrary Line, is due to be published in November 2018.


Aldeburgh is the nearest town to our site, a beautiful place on the Suffolk Coast in the East of England, close to Snape Maltings. We were asked to transform a tired brick barn, which sits in five acres of mixed woodland. Our proposal was for the demolition of an existing 1970's cottage annexe, replaced by a new modern accommodation containing five en-suite bedrooms.
The original homestead consisted of two houses, a log cottage and a stone barn, forming an L-shape an set naturally in a remote meadow. To keep this balanced relation we decided to make minimum interventions on the exteriors, the main changes happen inside.
A brick barn from the 1960s turned into a workplace for the artist, an experimental and creative environment where light and the surrounding hills shapes the architecture. The needs of the client are translated into design gestures consistent with the essence of the building.
This former hayloft barn in the centre of the village of chez-les-reuses is an example of traditional valaisan construction, with a stone lower part and timber upper part. The conversion of this rural building into a holiday home uses what is already there, retaining the typical local features.
This barn serves as the main area to socialize for a California family retreat. Big Sur Barn was completed by Studio Schicketanz, a full service architectural firm based in Carmel, California. It was relocated from the mid-West and refurbished for this purpose, according to the Indian building principles of sthapatya veda.


I outlined a couple of odd time zone anomalies within the United States in Part I, and here I continue the effort with several more examples. While none of these are quite as extreme as the Idaho instance discussed in the last installment — although one of them comes pretty close — they all represent places where one can travel due East and have to turn a clock backwards rather than forward. In other words, exactly the opposite of what one would normally expect. The phenomenon is localized but it exists and can be experienced firsthand.
In the United States, responsibility for time zone definitions is reserved for the Federal government. States may chose to recognize Daylight Saving Time or not, but they cannot alter time zone boundaries. Those are defined by Title 49 of the United States Code which relate to matters of transportation. Specifically we look to Subtitle A, Part 71. I am going to quote directly from the USC below, so prepare yourself. It will either fascinate you or bore you to tears. You can always enjoy the pictures and ignore the text.
The situation appears in a couple of spots south of the Arnegard/Watford City/Mandaree area and near the northern unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. Here the boundary between Mountain and Central Time follows the the Little Missouri River. No roads appear to cross the boundary at either anomaly so a visitor would have to conquer these on foot, or more properly, by kayak or canoe.
A better example can be found in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Focus on the town of Paulding which is right in the middle of it. Da Yoopers don't think much of the rest of the state, in fact they often consider themselves a separate state It's natural they might have more affinity with their Wisconsin neighbors in Central Time than someone hundreds of miles away in Detroit in Eastern Time. Indeed, a large slice of the southern Upper Peninsula follows Central Time. County borders provide a dividing line. A little jog in lower Ontonagon County creates the time conundrum. There are any number of roads in the southeastern part of the county where the phenomenon could be experienced, driving due east into neighboring Iron County.
Next we move onto Kentucky where once again the anomaly exists. Here the boundary between Central and Eastern Time also follows county lines. Taylor County swings down in a "V" shape, so a traveler driving through the lower part of the county into Adair County would be in for a surprise if she didn't know the secret. Coburg, KY would be a good starting point, just south of this remarkable spot.
And now the best. The border between Central and Eastern Time gets really bizarre through the Florida Panhandle. A whole prong of Eastern Time exists west of Apalachicola and runs half way up to Panama City. It offers several opportunities to experience the anomaly first-hand. Notice the tiny spike north of Beacon Hill. There's even a town located within the sliver and it's called Overstreet. You can see the phenomenon pretty well in this satellite image (although the town is actually across the river to the LEFT of the star). Overstreet sits in Eastern Time but it's hemmed-in tightly by Central Time on three sides! That's because it's wedged between the Intracoastal Waterway and the western edge of the Gulf County line which in combination defines the time zone border through this corner.
…thence westerly along the center of the Jackson River to its intersection with the Intracoastal Waterway; thence westerly along the center of the Intracoastal Waterway to the west line of Gulf County; thence southerly along the west line of Gulf County to the Gulf of Mexico.
I'm sure there are more examples but these were the obvious ones that jumped out during my quick survey.
Lots of places in southern New England have no county government, and towns have generally preceded counties in history. None the less, people do identify with their "county", even in Rhode Island. Just ask people about "South County", shown on maps as Washington County.
This is about six years late, but I spent roughly the first 40 years of my life in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. That would be in what everybody in RI calls "South County". And yes, it is Washington County. In fact, not far from where I lived is the town line between North Kingstown and East Greenwich, which is also the county like between Washington County (North Kingstown) and Kent County (East Greenwich). But, you would not know you are changing counties as no signs tell you that. Rhode Island actually has five counties in it – Bristol, Newport, Providence, Kent and Washington. Of note, Bristol County RI is bordered by Bristol County, MA.
My brother lives in Braintree, MA and I told him what county he lives it by living there (Norfolk County). Now, I live in Sanford, Florida (the county seat of Seminole County) and you know what county you are in here. There are signs everywhere at the county line that say "Entering Seminole County", and I see Seminole County Sheriff cars out a lot. In fact, the northern city limit is on the Seminole-Volusia county line, and there are signs depending on which county you are going into. I am surrounded by counties called Orange, Volusia and Lake. County government is completely foreign in New England.
I have petitioned the Obama administration to look into re-aligning the time zones. This would include the lower 48 states and Alaska. Time zone boundaries need to be shifted east by about 100 nautical miles. And oddball boundaries, such as in ND, ID, IN, KY, FL would be shifted on a north-south axis and those boundaries would be placed further east.
Extending eastern time or central time further west, in combination with the use of time shifting DST allows for exceptionally late sunsets in June-July. And exceptionally late sunrises in October and March. Especially those folks that live in the western part of their respective time zones.
complaining of folks? They want their town to be on the same time zone as further east?
Then move the time zone further east, not west. I venture to guess that most folks want morning daylight to come earlier. Not the post 8am sunrises we start to see in mid October and mid March. Cities like New York, Chicago, and Denver don't have that problem. But cities like Detroit, Bismarck, and Salt Lake City do. Those latter cities can fix that problem by having the time zone pushed further east by 100 nmi or greater.
and that means Central time. Same story for Indianapolis.
Great idea Bob. I noticed in the past, when I lived in Arizona and would go to Las Vegas in the winter, that it was getting dark at about 4:30 p.m. That is ridiculous!!
Where exactly is the Time Zone boundary near Chattanooga? It appears to run along the city limits, seem like it should be in a less populated area.
This is a different subject, but my parents live in Sevierville, near Knoxville. A drive to Nashville is about a 180 mile drive, and roughly about 3 hours. If they drive to Nashville, they lose an hour and it only takes about 2 hours. If they come home from Nashville, they gain an hour and it takes about 4 hours. Same mileage, just crossing a time zone line makes the difference.
See every Twelve Mile Circle article on a map!


In antiquity, the standard form of books was taken from Pharaonic Egypt, scrolls usually made of papyrus and rarely of parchment. In ancient Rome, these book scrolls were widespread with Greek and Latin texts starting in the 3rd / 2nd century BC. The oldest Greek literature is likely that of Homer from 700 BC. It was not preserved as contemporary scrolls. Still, it can be assumed that the use of scrolls in Greece goes back to archaic times. In Greece, pictorial representations of scrolls exist from the 5th century BC.
But the oldest original findings of Greek papyrus scrolls come from Egypt. They date back to the 4th century BC. At that time, the great philosophical schools of Athens already owned book collections. The founding of libraries in several capital cities of Hellenic kingdoms, for example in Alexandria or Pergamon, helped the ancient book production gain momentum. There is evidence that books were copied in the library of Alexandria and also for these other libraries. The philologists therefore must have had their own book production, or at least one linked to the library.
The scribes in ancient Rome were paid according to the number of written lines. In a Diocletiani price edict (306 AD), three pay levels are listed. In the margin of the text, the lines were counted (stichometry). Since the price for private copies was calculated the same way, copies with stichometric numbers did not necessarily have to come from a bookseller. However, one sample from a bookseller might be a papyrus at the University of Milan, which contains the name Sosos in Greek script at the end of a commentary on Ilias. The papyrus, found in Egypt, could be from the Roman publishing house of the brothers Sosius. The epistles of Horace (65 – 8 BC) were also published by the brothers Sosius.
The ancient papyrus scroll remained the predominant form for books until the 2nd century AD. In addition, since the 6th century BC there were early forms of the so-called codex in Greece. The ancient codex (plural codices) originally denoted a stack of wood or wax tablets with writing or that were intended for writing. Later these were also folded or bound papyrus or parchment "stacks" enclosed with two wooden blocks. In Latin, by the way, codex (originally caudex) means "trunk of a tree" or "block of wood", and later the word meant "book" or "booklet." In the Roman imperial period, both the Codex as well as the older book form, the scroll, were in use.
In the 4th century AD, the codex became the predominant form of book in late antiquity. Up to modern times, the book form changed very little. With the replacement of scrolls with the codex, however, papyrus was also increasingly replaced by the more precious and expensive parchment, which was also, however, dependent on imports.
The ancient wooden tablet codices remained in use for various purposes in the form of so-called diptych (also triptych or polyptych depending on the number of "pages") throughout the entire ancient Roman period. This developed in the form of the codex made of parchment papers (rarely from papyrus) bound between two covers. The ancient codex was first in use at the same time as the book scrolls, but by late antiquity (4th/5th century AD) had replaced these as the standard form of ancient books. The oldest papyrus scrolls were even systematically copied to parchment codices. The reason: it was more convenient to use the codices and they were preferred by Christians. The late antique codex in this form is the predecessor of the Middle Age and modern book.


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Proposed Legislation Aims to Keep Foreign STEM Grads Here
Posted at 19:43h in Blog, Immigration by mlfadmin
There is mounting concern about what some observers call the "reverse brain drain" – the emerging trend among foreign science and technology students to leave the United States after they complete their high-level training, rather than trying to find a way to stay here and work. Staying can require a significant investment of time and money to get through the labyrinthine immigration process. As we have noted in previous postings, a small but apparently growing number of talented foreign students are returning to their homelands to make the most of the new – and expanding – economic opportunities there. (See Study: Immigrant Entrepreneurs Leaving U.S. for Better Opportunities at Home, MurthyBlog, 11.May.2011, and Reversing the Reverse Brain Drain, MurthyBlog, 10.Mar.2011.)
Talk of a reverse brain drain has provoked handwringing in the corridors of American industry, particularly among high-tech employers who need a steady supply of well-trained graduates in science, technology, engineering, and math – the STEM fields – to stay ahead of their competition. Foreign students comprise a large proportion of the STEM graduates at American universities, and high-tech employers often complain that our immigration system makes it too hard for foreign STEM grads to stay here after they gain their cutting-edge skills. In effect, they say, we are exporting the very people we should be intent on keeping here, to build our economic base.
Peter Cleveland, Intel's VP for global public policy, told Bloomberg.com that although many scientists come to the U.S. for advanced training, all too often, they can't get a visa to stay here and work. He comments that, "We drop the ball when we let these individuals take this education elsewhere," and suggests, "We should let them stay here and work for Apple, work for Facebook, work for Intel." (See Intel, IBM May Benefit From Green Card Bill for Skilled Workers, by Katie Hoffmann, Bloomberg.com, 14.Jun.2011.)
President Obama alluded to the problem in his State of The Union address this year. In recent months, he has continued to press his point: it makes no sense to educate the world's best and brightest scientists and engineers only to send them home again – to compete with us – once they have their cutting-edge training. California Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, who represents the high-tech hothouse of Silicon Valley, takes a similar view, and has introduced legislation to help more foreign STEM graduates to stay here after they complete their training. According to Rep. Lofgren, her bill, the Immigration Driving Entrepreneurship in America (IDEA) Act of 2011, would:
"Help American companies attract and retain the best and the brightest workers by empowering them to seek green cards for advanced degree graduates in STEM fields from the most distinguished American universities.
"Attract new businesses by awarding green cards to entrepreneurs with significant venture capital funding who agree to open their start-ups in the United States.
"Incentivize job creation by awarding green cards to entrepreneurs who create new jobs for at least 10 American workers.
"Fix our employment-based immigration system by eliminating backlogs and streamlining regulatory hurdles.
"Protect American workers by increasing wages and reforming the broken H1B and L-1 visa programs.
"Better prepare American students for jobs in new technologies by investing significant capital into improving STEM education in the U.S., and
"Promote investment in the American economy by reforming the EB-5 Employment Creation Investor Program."
(See Lofgren Sponsors Bill to Promote Innovation, Research and Job Growth," Press Release, Office of Rep. Zoe Lofgren, 14.Jun.2011.) At this writing, neither the text of the bill nor an official bill summary was available online, so the details of the proposal – such as what specific changes the bill would make to the H1B and L-1 programs – remain to be seen. That said, Lofgren's bill has garnered support from technology giants like Intel, Oracle, and Google, according to a recent posting on Politico.com, suggesting there's much to like in the legislation for industry and potential H1Bs and L-1s alike. (See Tech Execs Seek Visas for 'Hotshots' by Kim Hart, Politico.com, 13.Jun.2011.)
At the moment, Lofgren's bill has 13 original co-sponsors, including six from her home state of California. The question now is whether she can recruit a significant number of GOP members – or any – to support her proposal. All of the current co-sponsors are Democrats, and without GOP backing, Lofgren's bill is a dead letter. As Politico.com notes, many GOP members, including Rep. Darrell Issa of California, agree that we need to allow more foreign STEM grads to stay here, but they would prefer to eliminate other programs – such as the Diversity Visa Lottery – reallocating the program's 50,000 green cards to promote the same goals as Lofgren's bill. Rep. Issa has his own measure that would do just that.
In sum, there is basic agreement that a problem exists. Now it's just a matter of getting the two parties to get over their political differences long enough to reach a pragmatic solution – easier said than done, these days. We will continue to follow this matter, and report on any progress that emerges in the coming months. Keep your fingers crossed.


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Home > Credits and Loans > Anglo Irish Bank loans 'were never queried'
Anglo Irish Bank loans 'were never queried'
Andrew Kozielski June 22, 20162016-06-22T10:06:59+00:002017-10-09T16:18:54+00:00 Credits and Loans No Comments
A former financial controller with Anglo Irish Bank has said he was surprised that external auditors never queried the annual refinancing of the bank's loans to Seán FitzPatrick, its former chairman.
Cyril Boyd told Mr FitzPatrick's trial at Dublin circuit criminal court that there was never any attempt to hide the refinancing of multimillion-euro loans using money provided by Irish Nationwide Building Society (INBS).
He said that it was an annual practice and was common knowledge. The trial also heard that the Central Bank never queried the loans to Mr FitzPatrick or the refinancing of them.
"If they had queried it, I would not have any issue speaking to them about it," Mr Boyd said.
He testified that Anglo Irish Bank sent quarterly reports to the Central Bank disclosing the total value of directors' loans and they could have seen the figure dropping annually in the final quarter when the refinancing was carried out.
It is the prosecution's case that the amount of Mr FitzPatrick's loans was "artificially reduced" for a period of two weeks around the bank's financial end-of-year statement by short-term loans.
Mr FitzPatrick, 68, of Greystones, Co Wicklow, is accused of failing to disclose to auditors the extent of multimillion-euro loans linked to him between 2002 and 2007.
He has pleaded not guilty to 27 charges under the 1990 Companies Act. These include 22 charges of making a misleading, false or deceptive statement to auditors and five charges of furnishing false information.
Mr Boyd said that the 1990 legislation introduced new obligations on a bank to disclose the figure for the total amount of loans by the bank to its directors.
In 1995 some of Mr FitzPatrick's loans were with a partnership of people who were not directors of the bank and there was a concern that the amount of their loans would have to be disclosed too.
A loan from INBS was paid into Anglo Irish for the purposes of refinancing Mr FitzPatrick's borrowings from the bank. This was done in September prior to the bank's financial end of year at the end of that month, which became an annual practice, he said.
"It was common knowledge. There was no attempt to hide it. I was surprised the auditors did not query it this year or subsequent years," Mr Boyd said.
The witness said that he knew Kieran Kelly, the bank's auditor from Ernst & Young, and said he would have told him about the refinancing arrangement if he had asked him.
"I don't recall him asking," he said.
Michael Walsh, the former non-executive chairman of INBS, told the trial that he would have expected the Central Bank or the financial regulator to know about the annual refinancing.
He described the refinancing of Mr FitzPatrick's loans every September as "good business" for INBS.
"I never had any reason to believe there was anything untoward about the loans. Seán FitzPatrick was a very widely respected and leading businessman and known to have substantial assets," Mr Walsh said.
"There were no concerns from the board. The loans were well secured and at a good interest rate," he added.
He said that all the loans to the accused were recorded each year in the building society's minutes, which were available for inspection. He said INBS duly reported them to the financial regulator and that the Central Bank would have been aware of the total figure for loans to directors.
In other evidence, the jury heard that Mr FitzPatrick told Anglo Irish's board in December 2008 that he was resigning principally over the issue of the loan refinancing that had emerged.
Alan Dukes, the former Fine Gael leader and a public interest director of Anglo Irish, said that he attended a meeting along with Mr FitzPatrick and Frank Daly, another public interest director, in December 2008.
He said the meeting was about the presentation of a substantial increase in the total amount of loans outstanding to directors in the 2008 accounts.
Mr Dukes said that Mr FitzPatrick had produced a handwritten note outlining the amount of lending to each director for the two financial year ends after he had sought an explanation for the increase.
The banker explained that "the loans were at arms' length and on commercial terms", Mr Dukes said.
Mr FitzPatrick told the meeting that "it had been his practice for some years to refinance his loans with other financial institutions coming up to the end of the financial year". He announced his intention to resign the next day and tendered his resignation on December 18 at a board meeting.
"He indicated the principal reason for his resignation lay in the issue of the refinancing of his loans," Mr Dukes said.
The trial continues before Judge John Aylmer and a jury.
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Turn off your phone and notifications and get some rest without society and all the errands.
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Blog of River City Midwifery, a birth center and home birth practice in Richmond, VA. Written by Linsey Kornya.
I considered writing this blog post in the form of an Epic Poem. This story has most of the classic Epic elements: A Hero (in this case Heroines) of Legendary Proportions, Adventures of Super Human Strength and Valor (hours staring at incredibly similar items online, hauling massive tubs up and down stairs), a vast setting (China to Richmond and back!), and multiple sites of action (whats up, Ferguson!). But, alas, this tale does not involve supernatural forces and I'm not sure this poet can remain objective and omniscient, so this is just going to be a regular blog post.
Have you ever noticed, tooling around online, looking at birth centers, that an awful lot of them have the sort of garden tub your mom might have had in her bathroom in 1994?
Often built in to corners, sometimes with outdated tiling, occasionally involving steps, birth center tubs seemed to us to be a design problem in otherwise beautiful birthing spaces. Every so often you see a freestanding tub, usually appearing, in our browsing, to be way too narrow. These birth center built-ins and narrow tubes are nothing at all like the deep, wide, poofy blow-up birth tubs most homebirth midwives are used to.
Our favorite birth tub, the LA Basseine, is a dream of cozy, sturdy functionality.
When we set out on this Grand Birth Center Adventure, we naively and offensively assumed these tubs were a failure in taste among our midwife sisters. Perhaps birth center midwives and designers had just not gotten the memo about Beautiful, Round Freestanding Tubs. Perhaps they had forgotten how nice it is during home water births that to be able to reach a client from all sides of the tub. Maybe they'd never watched HGTV?
The truth is that we had heard whispered tales about birth tub woes before. Through the grapevine we heard about a hospital labor-tub program where all of the expensive tubs were returned not once, but TWICE. We heard from students who spent hours cleaning jetted tubs after messy water births because, their preceptors told them, they literally had no other tub options. We remembered hearing that tubs were delivered with jets when none were asked for and that plumbing was always, always an issue. Another midwife had mentioned ominously, in passing, "good luck finding a freestanding tub, we tried".
So we were smug then, when a quick search in google, lead us to Wayfair. On Wayfair, there seemed to be a plethora of tubs that appeared perfect for water birth. They looked fine, were strangely affordable, and about the right height and size. We wondered, "have midwives never been to Wayfair before?" We felt worldly and wise, and in the middle of about 49 other renovations, a lake of paint, and the business of starting a new health care business, we didn't look too carefully at the specs (actually we didn't know there were specs) and clicked "proceed to checkout".
Our new tub began its journey to us from China.
While we waited, we added plumbing to a bedroom where no plumbing was before. To be clear, the amazing and patient Matt at New Day Mechanical installed the plumbing. He worked like a surgeon performing reverse laparoscopic surgery. One small incision in the wall here, another two there, and one to let out the gas over there (there was no actual gas involved). Look inside, thread the plumbing in and voila!
The Tub arrived. Adrianna and Marinda muscled and rolled it up the stairs, all by themselves! I was not there, but I imagine they felt very pleased with themselves (and possibly annoyed with me) as they set it in to place. But…….it was not right. Bafflingly shallow. We texted each other pictures of ourselves in various labor positions and declared that "it had to work".
Then we went back to painting a second or third coat on some trim. We had it plumbed in, and it looked beautiful. I posted a picture of the tub (in black and white because the walls were still the color of baby amoxicillin) on Instagram and it was a VERY popular post (for us, I don't really understand IG). Okay, we thought, the tub is good. It has to work.
Paint trim, rip out flooring, imagine that all future clients will be 4'11".
That night, I took a bath in it.
You guys. It was AWFUL, and I wasn't even remotely in labor. Hard, slippery, so, so shallow. The combination of shallowness and largeness made it feel like I was just sitting naked on the floor in a vast puddle, which, well, I was. The hard and narrow sides hit a strange part of my back and leaning over the edge in hands and knees - the most common water labor position - was a comedy of errors and bruising.
Another time, my toddler had a great bath in it. He declared it a "Great BIG BIG pool-bath!". So there you have it. Thumbs-up from the under 3 set.
It was with great sadness that the three of us convened the next morning and admitted to ourselves and each other that it had to go. We had thirty days to return it.
This seemed like a reasonable list. We learned more about bathtubs than we ever imagined was possible to know. We learned that the Standard Depth of a tub in the USA is 14-17 inches. This, of course, is too shallow for anyone who is not a baby. We learned that a "European depth" is 18 inches and that "Japanese or Greek depth" was 22 or more inches. We studied websites and we learned the listed measurements were often wrong. So, we downloaded and studied the specs.
Now, we understand that people not concerned about humans emerging from bodies might not have the same sense of urgency over these few inches, but it was frustrating how difficult it was to determine "how deep is the tub".
You guys, there are thousands of freestanding tubs on the market. Who knew? They are mostly variations on the theme of "Banana Split Boat".
Or sometimes they are shaped like shoes or horse troughs. We kept searching.
Japanese soaking tubs, we learned, were deep and round, but far too narrow for baby having. Like big buckets. We learned that those Friends-era built in garden tubs, usually jetted, offered the best depth, but we couldn't and didn't want to tile a tub in to the simple little 1930s bedroom that we loved. And NO JETS EWWW. So we looked, and looked.
Late at night, loopy, I even tossed hilarious hospital birth tubs like this in to the ring.
Some of them are actually pretty cool, but mostly not available in the US (of course) or hospital-budget friendly not low-debt birth center budget friendly.
I mean, this could be cool.
I've always wanted to be a spaceship pilot!
We did find one tub that was kind of perfect. I present to you: The Aquatica Pamela.
She wasn't the prettiest tub at the prom, but she fit every single criteria. Except one. She wouldn't fit in the birth center, up the stairs or in the room. We contemplated removing doors, windows, trim, hiring a crane, and/or changing the entire layout of the birth center. She was also way out of budget. So we got special tub financing.
However, before clicking "buy now", this time, like a pack of geniuses who learn from their mistakes, we made a template from an old sheet and laid it in the room. No. No way. Way too big. Would be like a cereal bowl in a dollhouse.
We vowed to get Pamela for our next birth suite, because in all other ways, she is kind of perfect. At least we won't have to go through this again in a few months.
Finally, in an act of desperation we did what countless people before 2017 have done. We went to a store.
Now, I had been to another Ferguson the previous week and found a tub that would more or less work, but it wasn't perfect. Let's call this tub "Barnabus". Here, my husband and child demonstrate "how to make showroom workers uncomfortable".
At the time, convinced there was a perfect option, we dismissed Barnabus out of hand.
Back at Ferguson, this time, we scoured not just the internet but the dark web of shopping: industry catalogs. We learned about the world of Very Expensive Tubs which included copper (the metal) and Solid Surface (the rock) and other rare elements. We added "must not weigh more than 300 pounds" to our list. Armed with The List and a mountain of catalogs, Marinda and our wonderful sales worker Teresa McClellan, found us a short list of acceptable, or nearly acceptable, candidates. With names like "Olivia", "Elise" and "Adriann", they were fancy versions of the banana split boat. Mostly they were too narrow, too heavy, and had a several week wait time. And were over five thousand dollars.
Back to the Aquatica Pamela? We did some more measuring and contemplated our life choices. Maybe we could make it work. MAYBE IF WE GAVE UP AND STARTED FROM SCRATCH. Did we all cry? I'm not saying.
Enter, stage left. Barnabus. In a sea of almost-right Olivias and Pamelas, we had looked right past the almost-right Barnabus. There he was on my photo roll, comfortably accommodating a giant adult human and a small 10yo. His edges were wide enough to lean over, he was deep enough. He looked alright.
When he arrived from across town, we visited him at the Fergeson showroom. He was good. A little underwhelming among all the shiny copper pennies and cold, hard rocks, but we took him home. (I mean, some strong workers brought him to the birth center).
I have to say, he looks great! So deep and cozy, lovely, freestanding. We can get to all sides, he fit in the door.
Now, we just have to get Matt here to move the drain over three inches….
Stay tuned for reports on Barnabas in action!
We would love to hear from you. Use our Contact Form to set up a free consultation and tour! We will get back to you right away.
You can also visit us on Facebook or Instagram or stop by the new birth center and visit us in real life!


Rajan Saini, http://corporatedir.com/company/sector-14. Designation Partner at Sector-14.
Shveta Saini, http://corporatedir.com/company/sector-14. Designation Partner at Sector-14.
Located at House No. 38, Ground Floor Sector-14 Gurgaon Gurgaon HR 122001 IN, , . https://corporatedir.com/company/sector-14.
Sector-14 was registered at Registrar of Companies Delhi on 11 February, 2017 and is categorised as Limited liability partnership firm.
Sector-14 registered address on file is House No. 38, Ground Floor Sector-14 Gurgaon Gurgaon HR 122001 IN, - , , .
Sector-14 currently have 2 Active Directors / Partners: Rajan Saini, Shveta Saini, and there are no other Active Directors / Partners in the company except these 2 officials.
Sector-14 is involved in Community, Personal & Social Services Activity and currently company is in Active Status.


American IronHorse Motorcycles of Huntsville, home of the "Texas Chopper" and other American IronHorse Motorcycles.
We carry the full line of American IronHorse Apparel. We are a full service dealership for American IronHorse Motorcycles in Huntsville, TX. Visit us at our Huntsville, Texas Dealership located 60 miles North of Houston just off of Interstate 45.


Bernardo TB 160 drilling machine.
The small and compact bench drill TB 160 features a small and compact construction. Due to the ideal price-benefit-ratio this machine is especially made for do-it-yourselfers.


No I'm not making any resolutions but I am making little changes so that I can keep reinforcing healthy habits all year long. It can be hard to stick to healthy habits and with our busy lives even harder. I give myself 10%, meaning 10% of the time if I don't keep up with my healthy habits for that day or hour whatever it is, that's okay. I'm not going to beat myself up over it.
One of the easier ways for me to form healthy habits is to do meal planning. I can make delicious meals like this Honey Balsamic Chicken Recipe but it's healthy too!
Keep your hair healthy: Washing your hair too frequently can strip out natural oils and cause split ends. This new year, start washing your hair every second or third day to maintain healthy and natural looking locks. Using Batiste™ Dry Shampoo Original between washes will help to eliminate excess oil and grease, leaving hair looking clean and fresh with added body and texture. No water required!
I love the Batiste Dry Shampoo it is a go to for my hair care routine!
Drink water: After a month of indulging start the year off right by challenging your family to drink more water. Try switching your evening pop, or morning fruit juice, for a large glass of water. This may be difficult for the first few days, but after a week you will feel rejuvenated and have healthier hair and skin.
Unplug and recharge: Getting a good night sleep is always difficult. There are always new emails to be answered and a list of chores to do; however, it is important to understand the need for a good night's sleep. Sleep can boost productivity, improve your memory and help maintain a healthy weight. This year, turn off the television, computers and smart-phones one hour earlier. If you are having trouble falling asleep, try Vitafusion™ SleepWell. Each SleepWell gummy is made with 2.5 g of Melatonin, a hormone that helps increase total sleep time.


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Q: How are very long component lifetime claims ascertained/evaluated? Its a common specification for household devices such as lightbulbs. However, I can't figure out how you'd truly evaluate/prove such a claim without running the device for the specified amount of time.
Consider a lightbulb that is said to have a lifetime of 9000 hours. If I were to test this, the only way I can think of truly measuring this is to let the lightbulb run for 9000 hours, which is approximately a year!
If a year is not long enough, consider certain LED bulbs rated at 50,000 hours!
Clearly its not feasible to run a test for this long. So I guess I'm asking; on what basis are these claims made?
Perhaps one way to test it is to stress the component at higher than normal operating conditions, so that it burns out faster, and then somehow create a prediction based on measurements. Or perhaps run the component for some (short) time and measure the deterioration/ageing and use that to create a prediction.

A: One of the methods is, probably as you've predicted, that of accelerated aging. This is used when the lifespan of a product is such that it would be impractical to run a normal lifespan test (such as LEDs, which have MTBFs of possibly 100,000 hours plus). Here, one stresses the test item past what it will ever receive "in the field" to achieve a shortened lifespan, from which the data can be extrapolated.
A major consideration in the use of accelerated aging is the non-linear effect of operating outside of a part's recommended operating range. This can be illustrated with mechanical systems, such as running a gearbox at 45,000 rpm instead of 15,000, and extrapolating the data by three. However, suppose you're testing your lightbulb. Common sense would say that running it at twice the current would make it run half as long; however due to those non-linear effects you may find that lifetime is only 1/4th of that at the proper current because of the additional stress of the overrating. An important consideration is that the test device/subject/item should be well-characterized in both its intended and unintended operating range behavior prior to performing the test.
Because of that there are any number of studies (a LOT of them) on the various refinements to the accelerated aging tests in various fields. LEDs come to mind; photovoltaics are another.

A: As you intuited, lifetime rating usually involves testing at operating conditions more severe than the specifications allow. Mathematical models - which can be empirical or theoretically derived - are then used to map the tested time to failure to a practical set of conditions. In semiconductor devices, one well-known such 'law' is Black's equation and the general technique is called HTOL testing. As you might imagine, it can be difficult to establish the validity of accelerated tests, and some engineers would recommend taking the numbers that result with a grain of salt. In the semiconductor industry, many standards have been created and continue to develop.

A: I think you basically answered your question. Depending on the technology the test cases and protocols to estimate the life-time vary of course, but overall they measure the degradation to a certain percentage and estimate the total life-time based on the protocols specific to that technology.
I found this regarding the LED life-time estimations that you mentioned: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/lifetime_white_leds.pdf
Hope this helps.


Events — SR3 Sealife Response, Rehabilitation, and Research improving the health of marine wildlife.
Interested in learning more about marine mammals?
Join this special session of the annual meeting of the Washington chapter of the Wildlife Society and the Society for NW Vertebrate Biology!
Do you think you're punny? Not punny, but love a good laugh? Come out to our Pun-Slam fundraiser!
Join The Whale Trail, Seal Sitters, and SR3 in welcoming back the orcas!
Join SR3 and other local scientists and organizations at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle for activities, presentations, and movies about the 'Science of Life'!
Join your local conservation district for Puget Sound Orca Recovery day on Saturday Nov. 10th!
The Substation and Whythre present a night of science and metal benefitting SR3!
Join us for the 15th annual Sustainable Ballard Festival this year!
Join SR3 at the historic Ballard Locks on August 31st for a presentation by Casey Mclean.
Casey Mclean, a marine veterinary nurse with Sealife Response + Rehab + Research (SR3), will discuss SR3's efforts to build the first marine animal rehabilitation and science center in Washington State. Hear Casey's first-hand accounts about marine animal rehabilitation, threats our local wildlife face and the need for a center in our region with a presentation at the Amphitheater.
SR3 in the 2018 Torchlight Parade!
SR3 joins the 69th annual Seafair Torchlight Parade July 28th!
SR3's marine animal ambulance joins the 83rd annual West Seattle Grand Parade!
SR3 at West Seattle Summer Fest!
SR3 and Seal Sitters will be sharing a booth at this year's West Seattle Summer Fest! Come say hi between 10am and 2pm on Saturday July 14th!
Happy hour at Patagonia Ballard supporting SR3!
Join SR3 at Patagonia Ballard to learn more about the work we're up to and help raise funds for Washington's first rehabilitation hospital exclusively for marine wildlife!
Join SR3 at the REI Seattle Flagship store on June 19th at 6:30pm to learn about our efforts to build Washington's first rehabilitation facility exclusively for marine wildlife. SR3's Casey Mclean will speak about her first-hand accounts of marine animal rehabilitation, discuss threats our local wildlife face and your critical role in helping marine animals.
The event is free and open to the public but space is limited.
SR3 joins Seal Sitter's annual Alki Beach clean up!
Tidy up at low tide on Alki with Seal Sitters, Sno-King, and SR3!
SR3 to present at Deception Pass Park's June lecture series, join us!
Celebrate World Oceans Day with SR3 and Patagonia!
Join SR3, Oceans Initiative, and Patagonia for a fun free event on June 7th at the Patagonia Seattle store!
Celebrate marine mammal May at the Puget Sound Estuarium with SR3!
Casey Mclean speaks at the Camano Island Sound Water Stewards 4th Wednesday lecture series.
Discover your wild neighbors at the Seattle Wildlife Festival!
Join us at Shilshole Marina for a fun and informative earth day event hosted by Shilshole Liveaboard Association!
SR3 will guest speak at the Vashon Nature Center / Vashon-Maury Island Audubon Society monthly meeting in March.
Join us at the Seattle Boat Show!
Join us for a special screening of "The Unknown Sea: A Voyage on the Salish" with an introduction by both SR3's veterinary nurse and Deep Green Wilderness' founder.
Join us for a panel discussion at the Museum of Northwest Art centered around Raven Skyriver's glass exhibit and the science behind it!
Casey McLean, SR3's veterinary nurse, will speak at the Museum of Northwest Art this Saturday, Oct. 28th.
SR3's entanglement specialist, Doug Sandilands presents "Whale Entanglement" on Tuesday, October 10th.
SR3's large whale disentanglement expert, Doug Sandilands, will present at the Sound Water Stewards Speaker Series on Sept. 27th.


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4-Month-Old Singapore baby comes down with Kawasaki disease
"I hope this little effort can bring awareness of this fatal disease because there are parents who have lost their child to this disease..."
Did you know that there are over 200 cases of Kawasaki Disease in Singapore every year? Recently, a Singapore mum took to Facebook to create awareness on the symptoms of Kawasaki Disease in babies after her 4-month-old baby came down with the illness.
"I hope this little effort can bring awareness of this fatal disease because there are parents who have lost their child to this disease", she says.
Singapore mum shares about the symptoms of Kawasaki Disease in babies
Singapore mum Michaela Michael Swee recently shared about how her then 4-month-old daughter, Germaine, fell sick with Kawasaki Disease...
"When Germaine was almost 4 months old she had onset of low grade fever of 37.5 degrees on 30 Sept 2018. We thought it was normal for babies to have low grade fever", she writes.
"She was still cheerful however until the 3rd day of fever, she started to get moody and she had spiking temperature as high as 38.5degree. At that point of time she had hives like rashes spreading around one side of her lower abdomen. She was unusually cranky."
The worried parents took Germaine to a paediatrician, who diagnosed her with Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) and prescribed antibiotics and paracetamol.
However, even after a day of medication and sponging, there was no improvement in Germaine's condition.
"Despite a day of medication and tepid sponging her fever did not subside and even went as high as 39.5 degree with the rashes looking worst."
"Aside from them, she started to have conjunctivitis, puffy hands and reddish lips. Her milk intake dropped drastically to almost less than 50% of her usual."
Germaine was rushed to KK Women's and Children's Hospital A&E. Doctors suspected that the baby was either having measles, or she had come down with Kawasaki Disease.
Since measles is highly contagious, they admitted her to isolation ward. Several blood tests and swabs were also done.
Finally, experts concluded that the baby had indeed come down with Kawasaki Disease.
Symptoms of Kawasaki Disease
Kawasaki disease is an illness that affects the blood vessels. It often affects the skin, mouth, and lymph nodes, and is most common in kids under the age of five. The cause is unknown, but a viral infection probably triggers it. If parents or medical professionals recognise the symptoms early, children with Kawasaki disease can fully recover within a few days.
If left untreated though, it can lead to serious complications that can affect the heart. That's because Kawasaki disease can harm the coronary arteries, which carry blood to the heart muscle. The doctor will usually monitor the child for heart problems for a few weeks to a few months after treatment.
Kawasaki disease is not contagious.
Symptoms of Kawasaki disease include:
A high fever (as high as 39-40 °C) lasting at least five days
A body rash, especially on the stomach, chest, and genitals
Sore irritated throat
Swollen, red, cracked lips
Swollen tongue with a white coating and big red bumps (called "strawberry tongue")
BCG scar may be prominent
Swollen, red feet and hands
Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
Treatment of Kawasaki Disease
Most children who have Kawasaki disease get better and have no long-term problems. However, early detection and treatment is critical, because it shortens the illness and lowers the chances of heart problems.
Heart problems usually won't develop if Kawasaki disease is treated within 10 days of the start of symptoms.
The diagnosis of Kawasaki disease is not straightforward, and a single test might not be enough. If doctors suspect Kawasaki disease, they may order tests to monitor heart function (such as an echocardiogram). They might also take blood and urine samples to rule out other conditions.
Treatment of Kawasaki should begin within 10 days after a fever starts, to avoid cardiovascular complications.
One type of treatment is done by administering intravenous (IV) doses of gamma globulin (purified antibodies) (IVIG), which is a blood component essential to fighting infection.
Another treatment involves giving high doses of Aspirin (or low doses over a prolonged period of time) to lessen the risk of heart complications.
In Germaine's case, mummy Michaela reveals that, she received her IVIG transfusion on the 5th day of onset of the disease.
"The transfusion was 10 hours long with frequent monitoring but so thankful her symptoms went off gradually and she appeared to be more cheerful and slept well", says Michaela.
The baby was discharged after she remained afebrile (not feverish) for 24 hours after the transfusion. However, she needed to be on 3 months of low dose aspirin. In January 2019, the cardiologist gave Michaela that good news that Germaine no longer needed to have aspirin.
Lastly, this mummy is thankful that her baby is now doing fine.
She writes, "It may sound like a series of unfortunate events but I am thankful my little one is treated. Thank God for the "mother instinct" to bring her to the hospital."
Healthy Weaning For Babies101: How To Get Started On Solids At Around 6 Months
Baby Eczema: Is Moisturising Doing More Harm Than Good?
11 Baby-Friendly Malls in Singapore
Here's wishing this baby happiness and good health.
Also READ: Singapore dad shares the heartbreak of losing his baby to Kawasaki disease
Kawasaki disease symptoms of kawasaki disease
Kawasaki Disease: What Every Parent Needs To Know
Boy Left With Heart Issues After Getting Kawasaki Disease
Couple In China Dies Of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning While Showering, Leaving Behind 8 Children


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Sarfraz banned for racist comments
January 27, 2019 January 27, 2019 Haider Abbasi 0 Comments
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed for four matches for the racist comments he directed at South Africa's Andile Phehlukwayo during the Durban ODI.
The ICC press release was delayed and came half an hour after the players had already been revealed for today's fourth ODI's toss in Johannesburg. Shoaib Malik is captaining Pakistan in Sarfraz's absence.
Commenting on the team, Malik aid: "We wanted him (Sarfraz), but the incident… we all know what has happened. I don't want to comment about it. But they've given me this opportunity, and I want to do my best."
South African captain Faf du Plessis had first revealed Sarfraz's ban during the toss saying: "We hear it's a four-match ban."
The ban means Sarfraz will miss the final two ODIs against South Africa, and two of the three T20s that follow. Mohammad Rizwan will keep wickets for Pakistan in the remaining ODIs and T20 series.
The ICC press release also mentioned that Sarfraz will have to attend "an education programme to promote the understanding and awareness of issues directly relevant to the offence that he has committed".
During the 2nd ODI in Durban, while Phehlukwayo was batting, Sarfraz was heard on the broadcast stump mics saying in Urdu: "Abey kaale, teri ammi aaj kahaan baitheen hain? Kya parwa ke aaye hai aaj?"
Translated literally it means: "Hey black guy, where's your mother sitting today? What prayer have you got her to say for you today?"
"The ICC has a zero-tolerance policy towards conduct of this nature. Sarfraz has promptly admitted the offence, was regretful of his actions and has issued a public apology, so these factors were taken into account when determining an appropriate sanction."
David Richardson, ICC CEO
After widespread criticism, Sarfraz apologized twice for the incident, first a general apology on twitter and then a personal apology to Phehlukwayo. Sarfraz tweeted a picture of himself shaking hands with Phehlukwayo two days ago with the caption: "This morning I apologised to Andile Phehlukwayo and he was gracious enough to accept my apology and I hope the people of South Africa also accept my apology."
This morning I apologised to Andile Phehlukwayo and he was gracious enough to accept my apology .and I hope the people of South Africa also accept my apology. pic.twitter.com/bco00dGumR
— Sarfaraz Ahmed (@SarfarazA_54) January 25, 2019
ICC CEO David Richardson said Sarfraz's apology was taken into account when deciding his penalty. "The ICC has a zero-tolerance policy towards conduct of this nature," he said. "Sarfraz has promptly admitted the offence, was regretful of his actions and has issued a public apology, so these factors were taken into account when determining an appropriate sanction."
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Great Diplomatic Fiasco


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Q: How to read a series of items under a child node in Firebase using FirebaseAdapter As the title states, I'm trying to read a bunch of nodes under a nested node in Firebase, and display the information using FirebaseAdapter. I'm using the parseSnapshot method to try and grab the information I need but I think I'm misunderstanding exactly how to go about getting the information.  The user section of the database is structured like so:

I want only the information under UserInfo, and so I currently have the following code setup to intialize a recyclerview adapter (which gets the information)
private fun setupRequiredRecyclerView() {
    val requiredItems = private_items_recycler
    val context = this
    val userDataRef = mDatabaseReference.child("Users/${prefs.UID}/UserInfo")
    val mAdapter = RequiredItemsAdapter(User::class.java, R.layout.privaterecyclerview_item_row, RequiredProfileItemsViewHolder::class.java, userDataRef, context)

    //load data into adapter
    requiredItems.adapter = mAdapter

    //add divider between items
    requiredItems.addItemDecoration(Utilities.createDivider(this))

}

But the data snapshot I get back in the parseSnapshot method only seems to contain "dateJoined" and no other nodes, I'm guessing there's something wrong with my reference, but I don't know how to structure it - going up to "Users/UID" gets me everything but it also gets me UserInfoComplete, which I don't want (and as far as I know, there's no way to ignore that data in parseSnapshot, as FirebaseAdapter grabs every child node)
Does anyone out there know how exactly I need to structure my database reference to only get the UserInfo data?
(If necessary, this is my current parseSnapshot method):
override fun parseSnapshot(snapshot: DataSnapshot?): User {
    lateinit var user : User

    Log.i("Snapshot Data", snapshot!!.value.toString())

    var dateJoined = snapshot!!.value
    var dateOfBirth = snapshot.child("dateOfBirth").value
    var gender = snapshot.child("Gender").value
    var location = snapshot.child("Location").value
    var phoneNumber = snapshot.child("phoneNumber").value

    Log.i("Snapshot Data", snapshot!!.value.toString())
    user.dateJoined = dateJoined as Long
    return user

}


Ten US sailors who were captured by Revolutionary Guards after entering Iranian waters have been released, soothing tensions during a week in which Iran is expected to receive the first wave of sanctions relief from the landmark nuclear accords.
The US military confirmed the sailors' release after the Guards issued a statement claiming they were freed into international waters after an apology from Washington.
"We decided to release them after conducting a technical investigation and consultations with our national security officials, and also after establishing that their trespassing into the waters of the Islamic Republic was unintentional and also receiving apology from them," read the statement published on the Fars news agency, which is affiliated to the Guards.
The sailors' two small navy craft brieflywent missing on Tuesday while crossing the Gulf from Kuwait to Bahrain. Pentagon sources later said the vessels entered Iranian waters because of technical difficulties.
John Kerry, the US secretary of state, said he was pleased that the sailors had been returned. "I also want to thank the Iranian authorities for their cooperation and quick response," he told an audience at the National Defense University in Washington.
The sailors received a medical screening on Wednesday morning aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Anzio, the Pentagon said. They were then expected to be transferred to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman, from where they will be flown ashore at an unspecified point for reintegration.
The Iranian claim of an apology was ambiguous. It was not clear whether Kerry had officially apologised during phone communications with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, or whether the apology, if true, had come from the sailors themselves.
A direct conversation between the Iranian foreign minster and US counterpart would have been unthinkable just five years ago, and Carter's statement is indicative of the improved diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran.
The Revolutionary Guards' navy chief and US officials saidmechanical trouble with one of the boats caused them to drift into Iranian territorial waters.
The 10 US detainees – nine men and one woman – were held overnight at an Iranian base on Farsi Island. Tasnim news, affiliated to the Guards, published a series of images showing the sailors in Iranian custody.
Fars said the two American boats were more than a mile inside Iranian waters when they were detained. The episode came amid heightened regional tensionsand only hours before Barack Obama was scheduled to deliver his final State of the Union address.
The Revolutionary Guards patrol Iranian waters in the Gulf, especially near the strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway through which a fifth of the world's oil passes in tankers.
Iran's navy has routine professional exchanges with its US and UK counterparts, but there have been incidents of heightened tension. In 2007, Iran captured 15 Royal Navy sailors and marines during a maritime inspection near Iraq and held them for 13 days in a disputed episode that drew the world's attention.
In December, the US accused Revolutionary Guards vessels of firing several unguided rockets near US warships, including the USS Harry S Truman, in the strait of Hormuz. The US later released video it said showed the incident.
The swift release of the Americans contradicted speculation that the hardline Revolutionary Guards were seeking to sabotage improving relations between Iran and the west days before the planned implementation of the nuclear deal reached in Vienna in July. It has been established that the US sailors drifted into Iranian territorial waters and that the timing of the incident was irrelevant to the lifting of sanctions.
First #SaudiEmbassy fiasco then #USSailors entering #Iran|ian waters. Internal handling of both showed #Rouhani admin & #IRGC quite in sync.
The Revolutionary Guards are controlled directly by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. President Hassan Rouhani's government has not control over the Guards behaviour internally or externally.
In an unusual move, the Guards last week condemned the attack by a group of hardliners on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, showing an approach in line with that of the Rouhani administration.
Iran is believed to be only days away from implementation day, when the International Atomic Energy Agency will verify that Tehran has taken all the necessary steps under the nuclear accord for the west to lift economic sanctions. All nuclear-related sanctions, including an embargo on the imports of Iranian oil, will be lifted by the EU. The US will waive them by the order of the president. At least $100bn (£74bn) in frozen assets will also be released to Iran.
Rouhani is pushing efforts to speed up implementation of the deal to bring about tangible relief from sanctions before parliamentary elections in February. Hardliners are worried about how such an event would bolster his profile just before the election period.
Once Iran finishes swapping the core of a heavy water nuclear reactor at Arak with cement, they will receive an influx of cash under the July deal.
However, deep-seated acrimony between Washington and Tehran has hardly ebbed. The US is expected to launch a different series of sanctions in response to Iran's recent ballistic missile tests, which are outside the scope of the nuclear deal but violate a UN security council prohibition.