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Geothermal Energy: So Hot Right Now
If renewable energy sources were to have a popularity contest, wind and solar would win. But geothermal energy is edging in on their turf.
Sarah Laskow
If renewable energy sources were to have a popularity contest, wind and solar would win. But geothermal energy, the same force of nature that gave humanity hot springs and Yellowstone's Old Faithful, is edging in on their turf.
In the past few years, projects that would more than double the United States' capacity for geothermal electricity production have gotten underway, and just last week, the Department of Energy just announced $70 million in new funding for geothermal research. In East Africa, Kenya is planning on generating a third of its country's electricity using geothermal energy. Even Pippa Middleton, a trend-setter if there ever was one, is getting in on the ground-floor: She recently took a job at a geothermal firm in Britain.
Geothermal's popularity is growing for a reason: It's one of the cleanest energy sources out there. In geothermal plants, water or steam heated by the Earth's core is brought to the surface to drive electricity-generating turbines. Depending on the technology used, after the plants are set up, some produce no emissions whatsoever, and others nearly none. Geothermal is also an infinitely renewable energy source, practically speaking. One day, the core will stop producing heat, but at that point, we'll either be long gone or have bigger problems to deal with.
There are two ways to tap into geothermal power. On a small scale, it can heat or cool any building, through systems that run water through underground pipes. Iceland, for instance, heats almost all of its buildings this way. In cold weather, the water picks up heat from the ground and brings it to the surface; in hot weather, the reverse happens. These systems use some power to pump the water through the pipes, but since they're not actively heating or cooling it, they're far more energy efficient that other temperature-modifying systems.
But it's on a large scale that geothermal energy could revolutionize the power system. In the past, geothermal plants have been built in places with naturally occurring hot water reservoirs, the sort of places where hot springs and geysers spring up. These areas tend to be at the edges of tectonic plates, where the planet's crust is thinner; any place that's known for volcanoes or seismic activity probably qualifies. California, for instance, accounts for more than two-thirds of geothermal electricity production in the United States, which has more geothermal capacity than any other country.
Natural reservoirs are not common enough to boost geothermal past wind, solar, or hydroelectric power as a renewable energy source. The earth's crust, however, is hot all over the planet, and governments around the world are working on technology that would make geothermal energy accessible even to countries not known for their hot springs. These "Enhanced Geothermal Systems" essentially create water reservoirs by making cracks in a section of dry rock, pumping water into them, and bringing it back to the surface piping hot. Right now, these systems are too expensive to be commercially viable. The other big draw-back of geothermal energy is that drilling in the wrong place can induce earthquakes, and scientists are still working to figure out how to minimize those risks or avoid them altogether.
But funders such as the Department of Energy are hoping these problems can be overcome within the next decade, because the potential of geothermal is enormous. A 2008 report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimated that the extractable energy from these systems would be 2,000 times the amount of primary energy consumed in the United States in 2005. And the investment needed to solve these problems is tiny compared to the investment needed to make other clean energy projects work: Professor Jeff Tester, who worked on the MIT study, has pegged the total cost at between $600 and $800 million, which is less than it would cost to build one clean-coal plant.
Photo courtesy of flickr user Chris Beckett
environment innovation renewables geothermal energy energy


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Home Headlines & Breaking News Riot, Looting Prompt State Of Emergency, Curfew In Baltimore
Riot, Looting Prompt State Of Emergency, Curfew In Baltimore
Rioters plunged part of Baltimore into chaos Monday, torching a pharmacy, setting police cars ablaze and throwing bricks at officers hours after thousands mourned the man who died from a severe spinal injury he suffered in police custody.
The governor declared a state of emergency and called in the National Guard to restore order. A weeklong, daily curfew was imposed beginning Tuesday from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., the mayor said. At least 15 officers were hurt, and some two dozen people were arrested. Two officers remained hospitalized, police said.
Officers wearing helmets and wielding shields occasionally used pepper spray to keep the rioters back. For the most part, though, they relied on line formations to keep protesters at bay.
Monday's riot was the latest flare-up over the mysterious death of Freddie Gray, whose fatal encounter with officers came amid the national debate over police use of force, especially when black suspects are involved. Gray was African-American.
Emergency officials were constantly thwarted as they tried to restore calm. Firefighters trying to put out a blaze at a CVS store were hindered by someone who sliced holes in a hose connected to a fire hydrant, spraying water all over the street and nearby buildings.
The smell of burned rubber wafted in the air in one neighborhood where youths were looting a liquor store. Police stood still nearby as people drank looted alcohol. Glass and trash littered the streets, and small fires were scattered about. One person from a church tried to shout something from a megaphone as two cars burned.
"Too many people have spent generations building up this city for it to be destroyed by thugs, who in a very senseless way, are trying to tear down what so many have fought for, tearing down businesses, tearing down and destroying property, things that we know will impact our community for years," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, a lifelong resident of the city.
Gray's family was shocked by the violence and was lying low; instead, they hoped to organize a peace march later in the week, said family attorney Billy Murphy. He said they did not know the riot was going to happen and urged calm.
"They don't want this movement nationally to be marred by violence," he said. "It makes no sense."
Police urged parents to locate their children and bring them home. Many of those on the streets appeared to be African-American youths, wearing backpacks and khaki pants that are a part of many public school uniforms.
The riot broke out just as high school let out, and at a key city bus depot for student commuters around Mondawmin Mall, a shopping area northwest of downtown Baltimore. It shifted about a mile away later to the heart of an older shopping district and near where Gray first encountered police. Both commercial areas are in African-American neighborhoods.
Later in the day, people began looting clothing and other items from stores at the mall, which became unprotected as police moved away from the area. About three dozen officers returned, trying to arrest looters but driving many away by firing pellet guns and rubber bullets.
Downtown Baltimore, the Inner Harbor tourist attractions and the city's baseball and football stadiums are nearly 4 miles away. While the violence had not yet reached City Hall and the Camden Yards area, the Orioles canceled Monday's game for safety precautions.
Many who had never met Gray gathered earlier in the day in a Baltimore church to bid him farewell and press for more accountability among law enforcement.
The 2,500-capacity New Shiloh Baptist church was filled with mourners. But even the funeral could not ease mounting tensions.
Police said in a news release sent while the funeral was underway that the department had received a "credible threat" that three notoriously violent gangs are now working together to "take out" law enforcement officers.
A small group of mourners started lining up about two hours ahead of Monday's funeral. Placed atop Gray's body was a white pillow with a screened picture of him. A projector aimed at two screens on the walls showed the words "Black Lives Matter & All Lives Matter."
The service lasted nearly two hours, with dignitaries in attendance including former Maryland representative and NAACP leader Kweisi Mfume and current Maryland Rep. John Sarbanes.
Erica Garner, 24, the daughter of Eric Garner, attended Gray's funeral. She said she came after seeing video of Gray's arrest, which she said reminded her of her father's shouts that he could not breathe when he was being arrested on a New York City street. Garner died during the confrontation.
"It's like there is no accountability, no justice," she said. "It's like we're back in the '50s, back in the Martin Luther King days. When is our day to be free going to come?"
With the Rev. Jesse Jackson sitting behind him, the Rev. Jamal Bryant gave a rousing and spirited eulogy for Freddie Gray, a message that received a standing ovation from the crowded church.
Bryant said Gray's death would spur further protests, and he urged those in the audience to join.
"Freddie's death is not in vain," Bryant said. "After this day, we're going to keep on marching. After this day, we're going to keep demanding justice."
Gray was arrested after making eye contact with officers and then running away, police said. He was held down, handcuffed and loaded into a van without a seat belt. Leg cuffs were put on him when he became irate inside.
He asked for medical help several times even before being put in the van, but paramedics were not called until after a 30-minute ride. Police have acknowledged he should have received medical attention on the spot where he was arrested, but they have not said how his spine was injured.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: The prefix "cas" for element "cas:hazelcast-ticket-registry" is not bound I'm getting this error when I restart Tomcat7.  This is taken from my localhost.yymmdd.log.  I've examined the xml file it references but fail to see any error.  any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Oct 20, 2015 11:32:41 AM org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationContext log INFO: No Spring WebApplicationInitializer types detected on classpath
Oct 20, 2015 11:32:43 AM org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationContext log INFO: Initializing Spring root WebApplicationContext
Oct 20, 2015 11:32:45 AM org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext listenerStart SEVERE: Exception sending context initialized event to listener instance of class org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.XmlBeanDefinitionStoreException: Line 38 in XML document from ServletContext resource [/WEB-INF/spring-configuration/ticketRegistry.xml] is invalid; nested exception is org.xml.sax.SAXParseException; lineNumber: 38; columnNumber: 91; The prefix "cas" for element "cas:hazelcast-ticket-registry" is not bound.
at org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.XmlBeanDefinitionReader.doLoadBeanDefinitions(XmlBeanDefinitionReader.java:399)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.XmlBeanDefinitionReader.loadBeanDefinitions(XmlBeanDefinitionReader.java:336)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.XmlBeanDefinitionReader.loadBeanDefinitions(XmlBeanDefinitionReader.java:304)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanDefinitionReader.loadBeanDefinitions(AbstractBeanDefinitionReader.java:181)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanDefinitionReader.loadBeanDefinitions(AbstractBeanDefinitionReader.java:217)
at org.springframework.beans.factory.support.AbstractBeanDefinitionReader.loadBeanDefinitions(AbstractBeanDefinitionReader.java:188)
at org.springframework.web.context.support.XmlWebApplicationContext.loadBeanDefinitions(XmlWebApplicationContext.java:125)
at org.springframework.web.context.support.XmlWebApplicationContext.loadBeanDefinitions(XmlWebApplicationContext.java:94)
at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractRefreshableApplicationContext.refreshBeanFactory(AbstractRefreshableApplicationContext.java:129)
at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.obtainFreshBeanFactory(AbstractApplicationContext.java:537)
at org.springframework.context.support.AbstractApplicationContext.refresh(AbstractApplicationContext.java:452)
at org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoader.configureAndRefreshWebApplicationContext(ContextLoader.java:403)
at org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoader.initWebApplicationContext(ContextLoader.java:306)
at org.springframework.web.context.ContextLoaderListener.contextInitialized(ContextLoaderListener.java:106)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.listenerStart(StandardContext.java:4765)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext.startInternal(StandardContext.java:5260)
at org.apache.catalina.util.LifecycleBase.start(LifecycleBase.java:150)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChildInternal(ContainerBase.java:866)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.addChild(ContainerBase.java:842)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHost.addChild(StandardHost.java:615)
at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig.deployWAR(HostConfig.java:958)
at org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig$DeployWar.run(HostConfig.java:1599)
at java.util.concurrent.Executors$RunnableAdapter.call(Executors.java:471)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:262)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1145)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:615)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745) Caused by: org.xml.sax.SAXParseException; lineNumber: 38; columnNumber: 91; The prefix "cas" for element "cas:hazelcast-ticket-registry" is not bound

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Home Events More Than a Sleepy Bedroom Community
More Than a Sleepy Bedroom Community
We bet Rye resident [name redacted] wishes he were a MyRye.com reader.
That's because back on January 17th readers learned that Rye and three other Westchester cities just competed a sting in which they arrested 66 people for soliciting prostitution by responding to listings advertising same on Craigslist.com.
So much for a sleepy bedroom community…
Rye police had so much success the first time, they set-up a second sting last Thursday at a local hotel, according to the Journal News. Rye Police Lieutenant Joseph Verille told the Journal News:
""The phone was ringing off the hook," as soon as the posting went up at 11 a.m., Verille said, but police did not have a room until after noon and had to turn away business."
Unlike the first sting where plea deals resulted in the names of individuals to be sealed, names of the 11 arrested for soliciting a prostitute were released and listed in the Journal News. The patrons included Rye resident [name redacted] and ten non-residents who came shopping for love from as far away as Suffern, Bridgeport, Ardsley and New York City.
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Next articleResurrection School's Sister Kathleen Finnerty Giant Contribution
Rye Library Investigates Systemic Racism at March Event
The Coalition for Understanding Racism through Education (CURE), in partnership with The Lorraine Hansberry Coalition (LHC) and five Westchester public libraries including the Rye...
(VIDEO & PHOTOS) 21st Annual Polar Bear Plunge Honors Norbert Galligan, Raises $20K
Weather was on the side of the hundreds of human polar bears that showed up on New Year's Day in Rye Town Park for...
Christ's Church
12th Annual Christmas Tree Sale at Christ's Church is Saturday
MyRye.com - November 28, 2022 0
(PHOTOS: Parishioners at Christ's Church Rye unload trees for the annual Christmas tree sale in 2021.) The 12th annual Christmas tree sale at Christ's Church...
Stacy February 11, 2008 At 2:59 pm
hmmm….gives a whole new meaning to "i'll be back – i'm running to the store". yeah – sure you are.


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Primrose Guest House
Property Location With a stay at Primrose Guest House, you'll be centrally located in London, convenient to Swiss Cottage Farmers' Market and London Zoo. This guesthouse is close to Selfridges and Trafalgar Square.Rooms Stay in one of the guestrooms..
Prince of Orange
Property Location With a stay at Prince of Orange, you'll be centrally located in Gravesend, within a 15-minute drive of Bluewater Shopping Centre and Rochester Cathedral. This
Property Location A stay at Princess Hotel places you in the heart of London, walking distance from British Library and Cartwright Gardens. This hotel is close to King's College London and Trafalgar Square.Rooms Stay in one of 31 guestrooms featuring..
Property Location With a stay at Publove @ Exmouth Arms Euston in London (Kings Cross St. Pancras), you'll be minutes from University College Hospital and Bloomsbury Theatre. This hostel is close to London Zoo and Selfridges.Rooms Complimentary wireless..
PubLove @ The Crown, Battersea
Property Location With a stay at PubLove @ The Crown, Battersea in London (Battersea), you'll be close to Clapham Common and Harrods. This hostel is close to Imperial College London and Buckingham Palace.Rooms Complimentary wireless Internet access is..
PubLove @ The Great Eastern - Hostel
Property Location With a stay at PubLove @ The Great Eastern - Hostel in London (Canary Wharf), you'll be convenient to University of Greenwich and O2 Arena. This hostel is within close proximity of Cutty Sark and Queen's House.Rooms Complimentary wireless..
PubLove @ The Green Man - Hostel
Property Location With a stay at PubLove @ The Green Man - Hostel in London (Paddington), you'll be convenient to Lord's Cricket Ground and Selfridges. This hostel is close to London Zoo and Royal Albert Hall.Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the..
PubLove @ The Steam Engine - Hostel
Property Location With a stay at PubLove @ The Steam Engine - Hostel in London (South Bank), you'll be minutes from St. Thomas' Hospital and Florence Nightingale Museum. This hostel is close to London Eye and Big Ben.Rooms Make yourself at home in one..
PubLove @ The White Ferry, Victoria - Hostel
Property Location With a stay at PubLove @ The White Ferry, Victoria - Hostel in London (Victoria), you'll be convenient to Chelsea Bridge and Buckingham Palace. This hostel is close to Harrods and Big Ben.Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 6..
Putney Hotel, BW Signature Collection
With a stay at Putney Hotel, BW Signature Collection in London (Wandsworth), you'll be within a 15-minute drive of Stamford Bridge Stadium and Richmond Park. This hotel is 3.3 mi (5.4 km) from Kensington High Street and 3.5 mi (5.7 km) from Victoria..


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Streptococcus dysgalactiae Subspecies Equisimilis; An Agent Rarely Encountered in the Etiology of Septic Arthritis
Meryem Iraz 1 , * , Kerem Bilsel 2 , Hasan Ceylan 2 , Yasemin Akkoyunlu 3
1 Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
2 Department of Orthopaedic and Traumatology, Medical Faculty, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
3 Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
* Corresponding author: Meryem Iraz, Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Bezmialem Vakif University, Adnan Menderes Bulvari, Vatan Caddesi, 34093, Fatih, Istanbul. Tel: +90-2124531700, E-mail: meriraz@mynet.com
Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology: 6 (7); e9175
Published Online: September 10, 2013
Article Type: Case Report
Revised: January 28, 2013
Accepted: March 3, 2013
DOI : 10.5812/jjm.9175
Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis is one of the pyogenic group C and G streptococcus, which may be found in the normal gastrointestinal and genitourinary flora of a healthy human. Many cases have been reported in literature; however, reports of septic arthritis due to this agent without predisposing factors are extremely rare. Diagnosis of this agent is possible in advanced laboratories. Appropriate treatment for septic arthritis caused this agent is made by parenteral antibiotherapy without debridement following accurate diagnosis.
Streptococcus dysgalactiae Arthritis, Infectious Streptococci
Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SDSE) is a large colony-forming human group C and group G streptococci, which belong to the group of pyogenic streptococci frequently referred to as ß-hemolytic Streptococci. SDSE is found in the normal flora of the oropharynx, skin, gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems (1, 2). SDSE is known to cause pharyngitis and skin infections, although less commonly, compared to Group A and Group B beta-hemolytic Streptococci. Rarely encountered invasive infections include such as arthritis (1-4). In this report, we present a patient with erythema, swelling and increased heat in the right knee, whose synovial fluid culture revealed growth of SDSE.
2. Case Presentation
A 56-year-old patient, admitted to our emergency unit on the third day of her painful right knee. Swelling, erythema and effusion were observed. No history of trauma was reported and there was marked limitation of her joint motion due to the pain. There was also no history of systemic disease nor was there any history of recent infection, and no possible focus of infection was identified in the physical examination conducted. Because of increased dermal heat and erythema of both the knee and anterior crus, cellulitis was thought with at first glance. The patient previously was given some analgesics when no particular abnormality could be identified following physical examination at an external clinical unit. Initial laboratory examination revealed a normal leukocyte count and a slight increase in C-reactive protein (CRP) level. The patient underwent puncture with the intent of surgical decompression due to erythema and swelling of the joint. Gram-positive cocci and abundant polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) were detected in aspiration fluid. The patient was then referred to our emergency orthopedic clinic for further investigation.
In her laboratory findings, a white blood cell count (WBC) of 9.27 x 10³/µL, C-reactive protein (CRP) level of 19.903 mg/dL and an erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) of 42 mm/hour. The other biochemistry analyses were found to be within normal ranges. Direct X-ray graphy of the patient's right knee demonstrated osteophytes at the patellofemoral joint (Figure 1). There was also arthrosis of the distal femur and the proximal tibial joint surface. An MRI of the right knee was performed to eliminate any case of chronic disease. A fluid-filled knee joint, thinning of the articular cartilage, and subchondral cysts were observed (Figure 2). A very dense, odorless, deep yellow fluid was extracted from the knee following puncture performed under sterile conditions.
Figure 1. X-ray Examination Demonstrating Marked Osteoarthritis and Periarticular Osteophytes
Figure 2. MRI Analysis Demonstrating the Capsule in the Joint Expanded by Marked Joint Effusion
The patient's synovial fluid analysis revealed a leukocyte count of 98.000/mm3 following puncture in the right knee. Direct Gram staining examination on the sample material revealed abundant PMNL and Gram-positive cocci. Simultaneous blood agar and eosin methylene blue agar culture growth of the puncture fluid were performed, and incubated at 35°C for 18-24 hours. The patient was started on empiric ceftriaxone (2 g/day) and vancomycin (2 g/day) parenterally. Grayish colonies with large zones of beta-hemolysis were identified on blood agar after incubation. The bacterium isolated from the synovial fluid was identified as catalase-negative gram-positive chains cocci; and evaluated as Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis by API strep 20 system (Bio Merieux, France) and the automatized systems VITEK2 (Bio Merieux, France). The same bacterium was isolated from the aerobic and anaerobic blood cultures' analysis. Identification and antibiogram results were similar to those of synovial fluid.
Antibiotic sensitivity of the isolated strains was performed according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute criteria, using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion test method, with various antibiotic discs (Oxoid, England). The isolate was found to be sensitive to penicillin, ampicillin, clindamycin, cefepime, ceftriaxone, levofloxacin, linezolid, dalfopristin-quinupristin, vancomycin and teicoplanin, whereas it was resistant to chloramphenicol, tetracycline and erythromycin. The antibiotherapy was changed to ampicillin-sulbactam (8 g/day). Three weeks of parenteral antibiotherapy was followed by amoxicillin-clavulanate tablets (2 g/day). Antibiotherapy was then terminated following evaluation of clinical and laboratory recovery by the 6th week of total treatment.
Acute non-gonococcal bacterial arthritis is an infection disease requiring emergency treatment. A full recovery of joint functions is possible when prompt diagnosis is made, and appropriate emergency treatment is provided. Complications such as damage to the joint, osteomyelitis, and periarticular calcification may occur in untreated patients, and death may result particularly in patients with anatomic and functional sequelae (5). Making a diagnosis of reactive synovitis or septic arthritis is not always easy only by physical examination and anamnesis. Laboratory and radiological analysis should also be considered for the diagnosis.
The most common etiologic agent of acute non-gonococcal bacterial arthritis is reported to be Staphylococcus aureus, with β-hemolytic Streptococci being the second most commonly encountered agents. Group A Streptococcus are said to be the most common bacterial agent involving joints, apart from infection of the joints due to Group B Streptococci reported in diabetic and newborn patients. On the other hand, SDSE infections are very rare, encountered in the community at a rate of 0.003-0.006% and among hospitalized patients with a rate of 0.02-0.07% as the cause of acute non-gonococcal bacterial arthritis (2,5). Most patients with SDSE bacteremia are reported to be the elderly and males, with 74-100% rates having an underlying disease (6, 7).
Although SDSE (Lancefield groups C and G, Streptococci) were recognized as an imported pathogen in humans during the early 1980s, very few laboratories could identify them as species. As a result, the exact number of SDSE infections in humans is not well known (1). SDSE primarily causes infections on the skin and soft tissue. Its epidemiology is mostly underestimated, and treatment of its diseases is initiated empirically without bacterial identification. Although these bacteria commonly inhabit the gastrointestinal system, vagina, and the skin of healthy humans, they may cause severe infections in the presence of comorbid diseases such as malignancy, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, and cirrhosis (3, 4). SDSE may associate with a variety of clinical conditions, including pharyngitis, cellulitis, meningitis, endocarditis, peritonitis, salpingitis, and sepsis. Group A Streptococci-like invasive and systemic infections due to this agent have also been reported (1, 8).
The gold standard for the diagnosis of septic arthritis is identification of a microorganism by Gram staining and culture growth of the microorganism, from the purulent synovial fluid. The leukocyte count of the synovial fluid > 50.000/mm3 ( > 80% PMNL) are sufficient to reach a diagnosis, irrespective of the presence or absence of culture growth (9). Analysis of blood culture is also important in the presence of concomitant infectious diseases such as meningitis and endocarditis due to increased mortality rates of about 25%, particularly in elderly patients (1). In this case, a leukocyte count of 98.000/mm3 ( > 80% PMNL) was identified in synovial fluid and blood culture growth of SDSE was observed, although there was no predisposing factor and no possible primary focus of infection was detected in contrast to most of the cases in the literature.
ESR and CRP are important nonspecific tests practically used in prompt diagnosis and treatment follow-up of bone and joint infections. In a study conducted on patients with septic arthritis, ESR was found to be more than 40 mm/hour in almost all the patients, while CRP was also found to be positive (10). On the other hand, increase in the joint space and soft tissue swelling as observed through radiologic analysis may contribute to the diagnosis.
In conclusion, definite identification of the etiologic agent and assessment of antibiotic sensitivity is vital for successful treatment of septic arthritis due to SDSE. The choice of an appropriate antibiotic may contribute in reducing the duration and cost of treatment by decreasing development of resistance, without the need for invasive interventions such as joint debridement. Furthermore, our case assumes significance because it occurred during the absence of the characteristic risk factors.
Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education: Definite identification of the etiologic agent and assessment of antibiotic sensitivity is vital for successful treatment of septic arthritis due to SDSE. The choice of an appropriate antibiotic may contribute in reducing the duration and cost of treatment by decreasing development of resistance, without the need for invasive interventions such as joint debridement.
Authors' Contribution: MI initiated the concept, wrote and revised the manuscript. KB and HC involved in writing, creating the illustration and coordination, YA involved in the preparation of manuscript.
Financial Disclosure: None declared.
Funding/Support: None declared.
1 Brandt CM, Spellerberg B. Human infections due to Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis. Clin Infect Dis. 2009; 49(5): 766-72[DOI][ PubMed ]
2 Sipahi OR, Ozkoren Calik S, Pullukcu H, Isikgoz Tasbakan M, Arda B, Tunger A, et al. [Streptococcus equisimilis associated septic arthritis/prosthetic joint infection]. Mikrobiyol Bul. 2008; 42(3): 515-8[ PubMed ]
3 Suemori S, Sawada A, Komori S, Mochizuki K, Ohkusu K, Takemura H. Case of endogenous endophthalmitis caused by Streptococcus equisimilis. Clin Ophthalmol. 2010; 4: 917-8[ PubMed ]
4 Auckenthaler R, Hermans PE, Washington JA, 2nd. Group G streptococcal bacteremia: clinical study and review of the literature. Rev Infect Dis. 1983; 5(2): 196-204[ PubMed ]
5 Gonzalez Teran B, Roiz MP, Ruiz Jimeno T, Rosas J, Calvo-Alen J. Acute bacterial arthritis caused by group C streptococci. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2001; 31(1): 43-51[ PubMed ]
6 Liu CE, Jang TN, Wang FD, Wang LS, Liu CY. Invasive group G streptococcal infections: a review of 37 cases. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi (Taipei). 1995; 56(3): 173-8[ PubMed ]
7 Skogberg K, Simonen H, Renkonen OV, Valtonen VV. Beta-haemolytic group A, B, C and G streptococcal septicaemia: a clinical study. Scand J Infect Dis. 1988; 20(2): 119-25[ PubMed ]
8 Lopardo HA, Vidal P, Sparo M, Jeric P, Centron D, Facklam RR, et al. Six-month multicenter study on invasive infections due to Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis in Argentina. J Clin Microbiol. 2005; 43(2): 802-7[DOI][ PubMed ]
9 Kabak S, Halici M, Akcakus M, Cetin N, Narin N. Septic arthritis in patients followed-up in neonatal intensive care unit. Pediatr Int. 2002; 44(6): 652-7[ PubMed ]
10 Yorgancıgil, H. , Ozerdemoglu, RA. , Bilgen, O. F. , Yorgancıgil, B. . Septic Arthritis: A review of 64 cases. Hacettepe J Orthop Surgery. 1998; 8(1): 8-12
Meryem Iraz: [PubMed] [Scholar]
Kerem Bilsel: [PubMed] [Scholar]
Hasan Ceylan: [PubMed] [Scholar]
Yasemin Akkoyunlu: [PubMed] [Scholar]


text:
Q: Strings sometimes not retrieved with Cloud Datastore query (GAE, JDO, Endpoints, Java) I have a problem with retrieving objects from Google Cloud Datastore using JDO. It is incredibly frustrating, because 99.5% of the time my code works perfectly, but 0.5% of the time some of the data is missing, and I can't find consistent steps to replicate the bug. I'm fairly certain that my issue is with either how I've set up my model or how I'm querying the datastore (I have a suspicion that it may be to do with lazy loading or the default fetch group, but I'm not sure).
Before I explain what's happening it would help to understand the model.
Here is a simplified version of my model:
@PersistenceCapable
@Inheritance(customStrategy = "complete-table")
public class DataObject {

    @PrimaryKey
    @Persistent(valueStrategy = IdGeneratorStrategy.IDENTITY, defaultFetchGroup="true")
    protected Key theKey;

    @Persistent()
    protected String name;
    //...
}

@PersistenceCapable
public class Class1 extends DataObject{

    @Persistent()
    @Element(dependent="true")
    private List<Class2> listOfClass2 = new ArrayList<Class2>();
    //...
}

@PersistenceCapable
public class Class2 extends DataObject{

    @Persistent()
    @Element(dependent="true")
    private List<Class3> listOfClass2 = new ArrayList<Class3>();
    //...
}

@PersistenceCapable
public class Class3 extends DataObject{

    @Persistent()
    private String value;
    //...
}

And here is the code used to query the data store:
public class DataManager {
    public DataObject get(
        User user,
        Class type,
        Long id) throws OAuthRequestException
    {
        PersistenceManager mgr = getPersistenceManager();
       DataObject obj = null;

        try
        {
            obj = mgr.getObjectById(type, id);
            getAllChildren(obj);
        }
        finally
        {
            mgr.close();
        }

        if(obj != null)
        {
            return obj;
        }
        else
        {
            throw new EntityNotFoundException("Entity not found");
        }
    }

    /**
     * Returns all of the children of the given object
     * and their children etc. It is intended to 'touch' every object
     * in the tree to accommodate for lazy loading.
     */
    private List<StoredDataObject> getAllChildren(DataObject obj)
    {
        //...
    }
}

The problem is that very occasionally, the query will be returned with all of the 'name' fields at a given level empty. For instance, If I retrieve an object of Class1, all of the child Class2 objects will have the 'name' attribute equal to "". The data is definitely in the data store because if I run the query again they will be populated correctly. I have never seen any of the other attributes empty, only the name field. Sometimes it occurs at the Class2 level, sometimes Class3, but never Class1 (as far as I have seen).
It is my understanding that any String attributes should automatically be included in the default fetch group, but am I possibly missing an annotation that forces the 'name' attribute to be retrieved every time?
New observation: When this occurs, it will happen consistently for about 15 minutes as long as I run the same query with the same user credentials. Could this be something to do with caching?


I have learned more about life lessons from playing sports than I learned in my entire college career. Playing soccer from a young age has helped me build character and become who I am today. I grew up watching many professional games and playing with older players than I was. That helped me post my confidence, master my skills and most importantly try to think and execute everything a lot quicker.
We all learn in different ways and our playing style is not the same. Each player got his or her own strengths and weaknesses. The more aware ewe are about those attributes the more we can help ourselves improve. I played soccer in Romania till the age of sixteen where I moved to the United States at a relatively young age. I had to learn a lot of different things and adapt to the culture. In my opinion culture is key to success. We breath and build the culture everyday and based on how well we do it we can slowly develop our own identity while we try to be part of a coach's strategy. Each coach has his or her own expectations but if the player wasn't trained in a culture where it allowed for failures, learning and development, then that player will never be able to fully integrate and be part of a successful strategy.
Over the years I learned so much from playing sports. I will outline the most important lessons I came across and how they helped shape who I am today. I am not perfect and I made mistakes but I never had any big regrets.
During my playing career, I may have complained but I had the courage to try again and always found the power and strength to never give up.
A player's integrity goes a long way. It shows how a player chooses to behave in daily decisions. Those players' integrity engages in actions that follow their words and beliefs. I always said to myself that I will not smoke or drink too much while in college. Even today, I don't smoke or drink much. Also, I don't lie because I do believe that honesty is the best policy. So I appreciate all the coaches that have been honest with me from the beginning. Some people just don't have the guts to keep it real and tell you the way it is. There is no character or integrity to make a memorable impression on you.
I choose to speak the truth so I don't have to remember what story I first told. The truth shapes who I am even when I play or coach. Players always appreciate me more when I tell them the way it is. It's more important how I do it rather then what I tell them. That's integrity for me.
Over the years I become better at this. When we are young and go thru a lot of different experiences we tend to believe that we know it all. We often ignore other people's advice because we believe that we can do better without listening to them. I used to be that player. I changed and realized that if you listen very carefully, you will learn something from everyone. The more you listen the more you learn and the better you will do.
Now as a coach, I tend to listen to my players and identify what their needs are so I can prepare on how to help them best improve. As a player, I know I could have done a better job at listening to my teammates and coaches. I always respected everyone regardless if I chose to listen to them or not.
This is a major quality for players to have. All coaches like athletes that assume responsibility. I was always responsible for my actions and I chose not to do stupid stuff that will get me in trouble. It's important to know if a coach can hold you responsible because that will help increase the level of trust. I always encourage my players to take responsibility for their own actions. They are in charge 100% of their actions and sometimes the outcome is different than expected.
So my advise to all players out there is to always show up with the best attitude and give your best effort every time in the classroom, on the field and in life. If you do that, you will do well. As times goes on, you will understand the impact this can have on your future. I know I could have done better on the soccer field or in the classroom because there is always room for improvement. Do your best every time so you have no regrets.
The more you train, the more prepared you are and the more confidant you will be. It's a simple process that takes time and hard work to build when trying to become a master at something. I spend a lot of time with the ball playing so I can master my technique. I was able to dribble players in very narrow spaces and that gave me more confidence which, allowed me to take on new challenges.
Ask any coach or players of any talented athletes what's their forte. Most will say confidence. Once a player loses confidence, their talent will slowly get lost in the shadows of empty hopes. It's that simple. Have the courage to let your actions speak of your ability and lift up your teammates in an effort to prepare for the next battle. Those are confident players who lead themselves and others to success. And remember that great athletes show their true confidence in moments of adversity and how they can help overcome those moments.
Players who want to reach the next level know how important is to stay focused and be disciplined. The training, and routines will never work if there is no serious dedication towards them. During my soccer career, I don't remember missing many practices. In college I never missed a practice and my coaches and teammates can confirm that. I was disciplined and when I committed to something I did my best to complete my mission.
Being disciplined is something that most elite athletes have in common because they focus on accomplishing their goals without being distracted.
Players can control how much effort they can choose to put into their work. If I see players who are lazy, slacking or not trying their best, I quickly try to fix it. Effort is something that comes from within and sometimes players need some extra motivation to find a way of giving their best. So no matter how talented a player is, if s/he doesn't not work hard then they will fall behind. A player who works really hard will go further. Now, if you got the talent and you work hard then you may become unstoppable.
Most athletes become accountable due to a demonstration of daily work habits. If you are lazy, you won't be too accountable. Those who work hard and develop healthy habits are the ones that get the work done and therefore they are more accountable. Sports offer an environment where it teaches players to work and earn something in the long term. That could be more playing time, a starting position, a trophy or anything that requires work. That will also carry on in life when you get a professional job.
So how can players become more accountable? Well, always go thru stages by understanding what's required of you to do.
A true captain or leader is the type of player who leads by serving the team first no matter what. They put themselves last and always sacrifice for the benefit of the team. Those players they don't look for personal recognition but that comes with admiration form their coaches and teammates.
True leaders have confidence which allows them to lead by example. They are not afraid to fail, listen, hustle and most importantly to encourage and support those around them. Always serving the team with honor and respect while they fight till the last moment.
Those players who become leaders have a pure passion for what they do and they become the voice of the team. They always spread positive energy to those around them and they are easily admired and followed by the group. Those are the leaders you want on your team.
The higher the levels of play the more pressure. A player who doesn't have a strong mindset that can allow him or her to control and deal with the mental toughness will never be able to perform at their best. I remember that there were games where I wasn't mentally strong. And that took away a big part of my game. The days I was mentally tough, I was a lot more effective.
Great athletes devote their time to continue improvement. They want to climb the mountain so they can have the best view possible. The road is rough, the pressure is high, the pain is felt but the mental toughness is stronger than them all. Those athlete recover quickly form mistakes and refuse to be discourages. They get up and try again till they make it.
Mental toughness is a trait that allows an athlete to remain confident, enthusiastic and positive no matter the circumstances or the outcome. Mental toughness comes from within a players' mindset, which doesn't allow the athlete to lose their spirit.
To become the best teammate, an athlete has to be selfless. Those players don't care about scoring the goals, they are happy with the assists. As long as the team does well and wins, those players are satisfied knowing that they have contributed in helping the team succeed.
Always have on their mind that the team is first. Their decisions are based on the benefit of the team first and not their own. Your sports journey will be relatively short and all you have left will be your memories. Remember, that being part of a great team will be the true player's best memory. So always play and train by putting the team first while you compete against yourself. See how far you can go and how long you can last when you give without expecting anything in return.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and I truly hope you won't make the same mistakes as I did. Your time as an athlete is limited so choose to make the best of it.


text:
OUT Health and Wellness
World AIDS Day: Is the world closer to an HIV vaccine in the face of Covid-19?
Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a recent op-ed that it was "likely" that an HIV vaccine could build upon the pioneering technology of mRNA coronavirus vaccines.
People in Ahmedabad, India, arrange candles in the shape of a ribbon, the symbol of awareness and support for those living with HIV, on Tuesday, the eve of World AIDS Day.Ajit Solanki / AP
Dec. 1, 2021, 9:30 AM UTC / Updated Dec. 1, 2021, 5:11 PM UTC
By Matt Lavietes
As Covid-19 brought nearly every corner of the Earth to a halt early last year, researchers around the world scrambled to develop a vaccine to fend off the deadly respiratory coronavirus. And just several months later — in a process that normally takes years — several vaccines were ready for worldwide distribution.
In comparison, about 40 years since the earliest reports of what became known as AIDS, scientists are still scratching their heads to develop a vaccine against the virus that causes the life-threatening disease — HIV.
No longer a death sentence: How living with HIV has changed
June 10, 202111:11
But as the anniversary of the first Covid-19 vaccine shots approaches, experts say the brisk development of the lifesaving and highly effective coronavirus vaccines may have brought researchers closer to cracking the code to develop an HIV vaccine.
"There's a lot of new energy and buzz among scientists looking at how quickly some of the Covid science got done," said Rowena Johnston, the vice president and director of research at amfAR, an international nonprofit AIDS research group. "I think there's been a lot of soul-searching about how the scientific enterprise can be improved so that we can better serve the people we're trying to help."
Before the coronavirus vaccines, the most rapidly developed vaccine ever created — from sampling to deployment — was for the mumps in the 1960s. The process took about four years.
The federal government has conducted five large-scale Phase 3 HIV vaccine trials, all of which have failed. Its third Phase 3 trial was notable for increasing the likelihood of HIV infection among those who were vaccinated.
Scientists largely blame HIV's unrelenting evolution inside the body.
"The scale of mutations that HIV produces are beyond anything that's even in the same realm of what coronavirus does," Johnston said. "If you mapped out a genetic tree of all the different variants of HIV inside the body of one person, it's about as equivalent of all the genetic variations of all the influenza virus of all people around the world during one year."
Therefore, HIV is always one step ahead of the antibody response that failed vaccines trigger in the body, said Dr. Ronald Desrosiers, a professor at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, who was one of the first scientists to study SIV — the monkey disease from which HIV is thought to have originated.
"The antibodies that's present in a person can neutralize the virus that was present three months ago, but it can't neutralize the virus that's replicating at the current time," Desrosiers said. "It would be predicted to make development of a vaccine very, very difficult, and those predictions have come true."
But however elusive an HIV vaccine may be, scientists — including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical adviser to the president — say it is "likely" that one could develop from the pioneering technology used to make coronavirus vaccines.
Two of the coronavirus vaccines, those made by the pharmaceutical companies Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, were the first vaccines ever to successfully trigger immune responses using messenger RNA, or mRNA, a genetic material that our cells read to make proteins. The mRNA coronavirus vaccines have proven to be more effective at fending off the virus than the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which resembles more traditional influenza vaccines and does not use mRNA.
Moderna announced in August that it would soon launch a Phase 1 clinical trial for two new mRNA-based HIV vaccines, giving scientists fresh hope.
"If it were just another way to deliver the vaccine ingredients, I would say it would probably have no chance of succeeding where others have failed," Johnston said.
However, what has piqued Johnston's interest is that the mRNA coronavirus vaccine is delivered in the body through its lipid nanoparticles. Johnston said the lipid nanoparticles not only help deliver the drug but also act as an adjuvant, a substance that helps strengthen a drug's effect. And in this case, the adjuvant stimulation effect is working at "a greater extent than any conventional vaccine," she said.
"When I learned that, it really did give me some hope that finally we have a really, truly a new concept to test in HIV," she said. "So let's put our optimistic hats on and hope that this might be the thing that gets us over the finish line."
Aside from the scientific advancements it sparked, some experts say, the coronavirus pandemic may also indirectly help the HIV vaccine effort by generating more interest in science.
"The world has now increased its scientific literacy. I think the opportunity to build on that in HIV and make people more vaccine-aware and engage in vaccine research and introduction has grown exponentially," said Mitchell Warren, the executive director of AVAC, a nonprofit organization promoting global HIV treatment.
But others worry that the enthusiasm to stave off the coronavirus pandemic may have come at a cost to HIV research.
When the pandemic pummeled the globe last year, many of the world's leading HIV researchers shifted gears to the coronavirus. For instance, Johnson & Johnson tapped Dr. Dan Barouch of Harvard Medical School, who has studied HIV for over 15 years, to help develop its coronavirus vaccine.
Overall, scientists who did not pursue Covid-19-related research initiated 36 percent fewer new projects last year compared to 2019, according to a study by Northwestern University that was published in October.
"Sometimes people chase the exciting new thing, they follow the dollars. But we need to get people back to HIV, or there will be a price," said the director of the Infectious Diseases Initiative at Georgetown University, Jeffrey S. Crowley, a former director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy.
Regardless of whether the coronavirus will lead to scientific improvements or setbacks, some scientists say defeating HIV will rely more heavily on commonsense global health practices.
"Any pandemic is a day away, and we sort of learned that initially with HIV, but this pandemic has brought that home in an extremely strong way," said Dr. Kenneth Mayer, a Harvard Medical School professor who is the medical research director of Fenway Health. "What happens in one part of the world doesn't stay in that part of the world."
Follow NBC Out on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram
Matt Lavietes
Matt Lavietes is a reporter for NBC Out.


text:
News, Rumors
Nintendo, Monolith Soft, and Bandai Namco Are Working on a Baten Kaitos Remake – Rumour
The game is allegedly due out this Summer and could be announced at E3, though it's unknown whether it will be a full-fledged remake.
Posted By Shubhankar Parijat | On 18th, Jan. 2023
Monolith Soft has made a massive name for itself over the years as one of the best developers of RPGs in the industry, but while its Xeno titles – Xenoblade Chronicles in particular – have been what the developer is primarily associated with, the studio has, of course, worked on other notable games over the years as well. And interestingly enough, one of those may be coming back.
Exputer has published a report citing anonymous sources and claiming to have seen graphical evidence, and states that a remake of the 2004 GameCube RPG Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean is in development at Monolith Soft, with Bandai Namco co-developing the project. Interestingly, while the Baten Kaitos IP is owned by Bandai Namco, Monolith Soft's parent company Nintendo is allegedly overseeing the project.
The report states it's unknown what the scope of the project is, and whether or not it's a full-fledged remake or more of an enhanced remaster. It is supposedly targeting a Summer 2023 launch though, and is likely to be revealed at E3 this year.
Interestingly, multiple job listings over the last year have indicated that Bandai Namco is working on a game commissioned by Nintendo, and that it will be a remake/remaster of a 3D action title. Previous reports had claimed that the project in question was Kid Icarus: Uprising, but it's possible that those job ads were in reference to Baten Kaitos.
Either way, for now, it's best to take all this with a grain of salt, as is the case with most leaks- especially where Nintendo is involved. We'll keep an eye out for more updates though, so stay tuned.
Tagged With: bandai namco, baten kaitos, baten kaitos: eternal wings and the lost ocean, monolith soft, Nintendo, nintendo switch
Publisher:Frontier Foundry
Developer:KeokeN Interactive
The game is allegedly due out this Summer and could be announced at E3, though it's unknown whether it will be...
30 Massively Anticipated Video Games of 2023
With so many games set to launch in 2023, there's going to be plenty to look forward to in the coming months.
Forspoken Review Embargo Ends on January 23rd, 6 AM PST
Developed by Luminous Productions, the Square Enix-published action RPG is out worldwide on January 24th for P...
What Is Going On With Ubisoft?
Cancelled projects, delayed games, big-budget titles in limbo, losses and falling stock prices are only the ti...
Wanted: Dead – 13 Details You Need To Know
Soleil's hack-and-slash shooter is out on February 14th for Xbox, PlayStation and PC. Here's what you should k...
Genshin Impact – Update Version 3.4 is Now Live With New Characters, Domains, and More
The update adds two new Dendro characters, Alhaitham and YaoYao, the Desert of Hadramaveth as a new area, and ...


text:
San Francisco News Reports
Local News > Local Info • San Francisco, CA News
Recent San Francisco News Articles
Visa CEO talks Plaid deal, and why it's keeping its HQ in San Francisco
The credit card giant considered several options before deciding to keep its headquarters in San Francisco.
Mark Calvey. American City Business Journals. Wed, 29 Jan 2020 14:02:22 +0000.
Exclusive: Bay Area-based fintech firm leases three floors in downtown Portland high-rise
Exclusive: The San Francisco financial technology and payments company is leasing thousands of square feet of office space inside a downtown Portland office building.
Jonathan Bach. American City Business Journals. Tue, 28 Jan 2020 23:02:31 +0000.
Hackers target NFL teams on Twitter ahead of Super Bowl - CNET
Teams including the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers were all targeted.
Abrar Al-heeti. CNET. Tue, 28 Jan 2020 22:16:00 +0000.
San Francisco Real House Prices Fell 2%
Real, inflation-adjusted house prices in metropolitan San Francisco fell 2% from November 2018 to November 2019.
By John Wake, Contributor. Forbes. Tue, 28 Jan 2020 18:56:20 +0000.
Microsoft's Super Bowl ad thanks Katie Sowers, the first woman to coach in the big game
Microsoft will celebrate San Francisco 49ers assistant offensive coach Katie Sowers, who on Sunday will become the first woman to coach in the Super Bowl.
CNBC. Tue, 28 Jan 2020 16:57:51 GMT.
We tried the Silicon Valley shower head backed by Tim Cook, here's what it's like
A San Francisco startup backed by some of the biggest names in technology, like Apple CEO Tim Cook, says it's designed a better showerheadthat uses less water.
Newfront Insurance Names Garth Hamilton as Chief Sales Officer
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 27, 2020 -- Newfront Insurance announced today that Garth Hamilton has joined the company as Chief Sales Officer. ...
PR Newswire. Mon, 27 Jan 2020 12:15:00 +0000.
Super Bowl 2020: San Francisco 49ers' George Kittle awards Super Bowl tickets to family of fallen Army service member
"As I hit the field to play in the Super Bowl, I find comfort in the fact that 49ers fans Josie and Nicolas LaMar will be cheering our team on."
Kgo. ABC News. Fri, 24 Jan 2020 23:15:00 +0000.
2020 Global Travel Marketing Trends Unveiled in New Sojern Report
SAN FRANCISCO - Sojern, a leading provider of digital marketing solutions for travel, today published the second edition of its report, The Future of Travel Advertising: 2020 State of the Industry Report. ...
Hsyndicate. Fri, 24 Jan 2020 13:54:00 +0200.
San Francisco 49ers' Katie Sowers will become the first female to coach in a Super Bowl
San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant Katie Sowers will become the first female and openly gay person to coach in a Super Bowl on February 2 in Miami. She's also the face of a new Microsoft ad.
Daily Mail. Thu, 23 Jan 2020 18:29:34 GMT.
For more information and news about the city of San Francisco, California, please visit these resources:
San Francisco Business Directory
Categorized directory of product and service providers in San Francisco, California.
San Francisco Information Directory
General information about San Francisco as well as local government and travel website links.
San Francisco Newspapers
Newspaper publishing and online news organizations that are located in the San Francisco area.
Interactive San Francisco Maps
San Francisco, California is located at about 37.78 degrees North (latitude) and 122.43 degrees West (longitude).
San Francisco, California News


Biodiesel is a renewable fuel, designed for diesel engines.To be called biodiesel, it must meet strict quality specifications. Biodiesel can be used in any blend with petroleum diesel fuel.
BioFuel Stations offer a convenient and cost effective method of storing and dispensing Biodiesel.
Harlequin BioFuel Stations are manufactured from a specialist grade of polymer and are suitable for storing Biodiesel blends of up to B100.
BioFuel Stations are the first of a new generation of storage tank, developed specially for the safe, secure and environmentally responsible storage and dispensing of Biodiesel grades up to B100, which are produced in accordance with BS EN14214 and Irish Standard IS EN14214.
The Harlequin 1000BFS is the largest tank within the BioFuel Station range and is ideal for large, commercial or industrial applciations.
Copy of The Environment Agency's publication of The Control of Pollution (England) (2001).


text:
Star Trek: The Doomsday Machine Rewatch
March 21, 2015 10:38 AM - Season 2, Episode 6 - Subscribe
The starship Enterprise comes into contact with its sister ship, the USS Constellation which has been heavily damaged by a huge fortified planet-killing machine from another galaxy. Kirk and his crew must find a means to stop the device heading for heavily populated areas of our galaxy, and deal with the heavily traumatized Commodore Decker, the Constellation 's only survivor.
"The Doomsday Machine" is episode #35, production #35, and was first broadcast on October 20, 1967 and repeated on April 19, 1968. It was written by Norman Spinrad, and directed by Marc Daniels.
TrekMovie review. Overall this episode is considered one of the best of the series with its plot similar to Melville's Moby Dick.
Memory Alpha Link
The episode can be viewed on Netflix and YouTube.
posted by Benway (5 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
"Notneemore!"
"Borgus frat!"
Spock facing off Decker with that huge wireless earpiece hanging in his ear. ("Vulcans don't bluff.")
Everyone always cites Moby-Dick, but there's also a bit of The Caine Mutiny here, only instead of Queeg's ball bearings, Decker brandishes a deck (heh) of colorful plastic memory chips.
posted by Herodios at 5:16 PM on March 21, 2015
This is one of my favs, or at least best-remembereds. The only thing that doesn't quite work for me now is the somewhat heavy handed "THIS IS A METAPHOR" from Kirk.
William Windom is great as the shell-shocked Decker.
For some reason, I really enjoyed the bit when the Enterprise first encounters the planet killer and Sulu swivels around in his chair to face Spock, who is on the phone with Kirk, as if to say "Hey… are you not seeing this giant weird thing on viewscreen?"
And of course, "Gentlemen, I suggest you beam me aboard"
posted by rodlymight at 9:31 AM on March 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Overall this episode is considered one of the best of the series with its plot similar to Melville's Moby Dick.
I'm genuinely surprised. Easily in my top 5 of worst episodes.
posted by juiceCake at 6:49 AM on March 23, 2015
My first rewatch since Nimoy died. Damn he was good.
posted by whuppy at 7:16 AM on March 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
This was one of my favorites at the time, and I still love it! I also love William Windom (I once saw him live on stage performing Thurber!) and really enjoyed him here. I'm sure I hadn't seen "The Caine Mutiny" yet, so I missed the whole Queeg thing with the 4" floppy discs. I also hadn't yet read the Patrick O'Brien Aubrey/Maturin books, so I didn't yet know all about Commodores.
I agree that we didn't need help from Kirk to see the giant flaming metaphor. I'd wonder why Decker had a pretzel insignia, but luckily, when investigating Kirk's green uniform last time, I found out that the pretzel was a huge mistake in the Costume Department, with them thinking each Starship had a different badge.
posted by acrasis at 1:40 PM on February 1, 2021
« Older Glee: 2009, Dreams Come True... | Murder, She Wrote: No Laughing... Newer »
Watch via Amazon
thedoomsdaymachine
DrMcCoy
Mobydick
USSConstellation


Troy, I've tried messaging you here but to no avail! can you please drop me an email at simon.owen@hornby.com - or PM me on here. We have Airfix matters we would like to discuss with you.
If you are at the Kent Battle of Britain museum and memorial it is but a short trip along to the Hornby Visitor centre, which has a nice group of displays about Airfix. May appeal, may not!
Far south I know, but if you fancy a visit to a proper fairytale English castle then I heartily recommend Bodiam in East Sussex. Not far from Headcorn and also close to Tunbridge Wells, which has the superb Aviation Bookshop. A shop I know you will find both excellent and potentially expensive. and fear not my colonial visitors, they can post stuff back for you at very reasonable rates. They also sell second hand models. 1/72 stuff is always especially cheap.
Actually that is not correct. the F51-D boxing contains an extra sprue with the correct propeller + rockets.
But all extra parts and tooling adds to the overall cost. Thus pushing the prices up. You may want a highback, and that is fair enough, but a business case for a low back was obviously deemed to be stronger. Oh and wouldn't a high back need new wings? As they are a C wing... Thus more parts as well. I'm sure somone will provide the kit you need soon enough. Just not in this instance.
Or an attempt to keep costs down by not doing two fuselages plus different cockpit parts. Thus keeping costs down. Or you could be insulting.
Not hairy enough to be the Airfix team.
Nick is correct. Ford themselves get confused over this at times, but I would refer to as (and do in my 'day job' as a Ford GT MKII. the Chassis number begins GT40 - however this doesn't meal the body and final build was actually a GT40!
It was definitely the Wonder Woman plane. 100%. Though I think they have the drawings.
Because once you add paints and glue etc the DD works out cheaper. While the Spitfire and 109E starter sets are indeed marginally cheaper individually, they make a nicer gift for a child at a birthday or Christmas in a single box complete with history and evocative artwork.


text:
Q: ruby xml parsing: `dup': can't dup NilClass (TypeError) I am parsing xml recods using ruby. XML file has following data strcuture:
<row Id="27" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="11" CreationDate="2008-08-01T12:17:19.357" Score="13" Body="
@jeff

IMHO yours seems a little long.  However it does seem a lit
    tle more robust with support for "yesterday" and "years".  But in my experience when this is used the person is most likely to view the content in the first 30 days.  It is only the really har
    dcore people that come after that.  So that is why I usually elect to keep this short and simple.

This is the method I am currently using on one of my websites.  This only re
    turns a relative day, hour, time.  And then the user has to slap on "ago" in the output.

public static string ToLongString(this TimeSpan time)<br&g
    t;{
    string output = String.Empty;

    if (time.Days &gt; 0)
        output += time.Days + " days ";

    if ((time.Days == 0 || time.Days =
    = 1) &amp;&amp; time.Hours &gt; 0)
        output += time.Hours + " hr ";

    if (time.Days == 0 &amp;&amp; time.Minutes &gt; 0)
        outp
    ut += time.Minutes + " min ";

    if (output.Length == 0)
        output += time.Seconds + " sec";

    return output.Trim();
}

" OwnerUserId="17" LastEditorUserId="17" LastEditorDisplayName="Nick Berardi" LastEditDate="2008-08-01T13:16:49.127" LastActivityDate="2008-08-01T13:16:49.127" CommentCount="1" CommunityO
    wnedDate="2009-09-04T13:15:59.820" />

But there are some records that doesn't have all the elements
<row Id="29" PostTypeId="2" ParentId="13" CreationDate="2008-08-01T12:19:17.417" Score="18" Body="
There are no HTTP headers that will report the clients timezone so far although it has been suggested t
    o include it in the HTTP specification.

If it was me, I would probably try to fetch the timezone using clientside JavaScript and then submit it to the server using Ajax or so
    mething.
" OwnerUserId="19" LastActivityDate="2008-08-01T12:19:17.417" CommentCount="0" />

My ruby parse goes through these XML records and insert them into an MySQL database:
  def on_start_element(element, attributes)
    if element == 'row'
      @post_st.execute(attributes['Id'], attributes['PostTypeId'], attributes['AcceptedAnswerId'], attributes['ParentId'], attributes['Score'], attributes['ViewCount'],
        attributes['Body'], attributes['OwnerUserId'] == nil ? -1 : attributes['OwnerUserId'], attributes['LastEditorUserId'], attributes['LastEditorDisplayName'],
        DateTime.parse(attributes['LastEditDate']).to_time.strftime("%F %T"), DateTime.parse(attributes['LastActivityDate']).to_time.strftime("%F %T"), attributes['Title'] == nil ? '' : attributes['Title'],
        attributes['AnswerCount'] == nil ? 0 : attributes['AnswerCount'], attributes['CommentCount'] == nil ? 0 : attributes['CommentCount'],
        attributes['FavoriteCount'] == nil ? 0 : attributes['FavoriteCount'], DateTime.parse(attributes['CreationDate']).to_time.strftime("%F %T"))
      post_id = attributes['Id']

      tags = attributes['Tags'] == nil ? '' : attributes['Tags']
      tags.scan(/<(.*?)>/).each do |tag_name|
        tag_id = insert_or_find_tag(tag_name[0])
        @post_ot_tag_insert_st.execute(post_id, tag_id)
      end
    end
  end

But during the processing of second record based on whats been insert in my database (Last record is the record with rows id=27) I am getting following error:
/format.rb:1031:in `dup': can't dup NilClass (TypeError)

I was wondering if its related to missing elements, lets say if its missing some elements that I am expecting in in the database I wonder how I should be handling this or set to a some kind of a default value. Such as if its a missing date set the date to some default date value.
This is the line that is getting complain:
DateTime.parse(attributes['LastEditDate']).to_time.strftime("%F %T"), DateTime.parse(attributes['LastActivityDate']).to_time.strftime("%F %T"), attributes['Title'] == nil ? '' : attributes['Title'],

I think its complaining on the LastEditDate?


If I said "Arnold Schwarzenegger Zombie Movie" what would you think? That it would make a great name for an alternative band? That it would make perfect sense as Schwarzenegger is already zombie-like in every movie that he's made? That it's about time that we saw Arnie on-screen blowing away the living dead with a big machine gun? What if I told you that the movie in question, Maggie, is actually a quiet family drama which features Schwarzenegger in an actual acting role? Would that blow your mind?
As Maggie opens, we are taken to a world which has been overrun by a plague which not only infects crops (rendering them unusable to the point that they must be burned), but also causes humans to take on a pallid look and develop a taste for flesh. Wade Vogel (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is scouring the city looking for his daughter, Maggie (Abigail Breslin). He learns that she has been taken to a hospital and placed in quarantine, which is common for the infected. Wade is friends with the doctor (Jodie Moore), who allows him to take Maggie home. They arrive at their farmhouse, where Wade lives with his wife, Caroline (Joely Richardson). They attempt to make Maggie comfortable, but the reality is out there -- her condition is going to continue to deteriorate and she will have to return to the hospital. Despite warnings from local law enforcement, Wade is determined to keep his little girl.
Over the past decade-plus, we've seen the zombie genre not only rise from the dead (pun intended), but explode to the point that it's overtaken never every corner of entertainment. In that time, we've seen many takes on the idea and in many forms. From the deadly serious (Dawn of the Dead, World War Z) to the slapstick (Life After Beth, Shaun of the Dead), even to teen romance (Warm Bodies), zombies have appeared in many movies and it's clear that filmmakers have made an effort to put a different spin on these monsters. And, of course, The Walking Dead, despite having no original ideas, has brought zombies to the masses and made them something that suburban moms now discuss. Having said that, if you ask some (present company included), zombies may have worn out their welcome.
That's why Maggie comes across as such as breath of fresh air. This movie is not concerned with zombie gut-munching action. It's not concerned with how the survivors of a zombpocalypse will rebuild society. It's not concerned with the funny ramifications of a loved one suddenly returning from the dead. No, this quite little movie is about family and the heartbreak which ensues when a family member is terminally ill.
If you are into reading movie, it would be very easy to read Maggie as just that -- the infection here can be a stand-in for something like cancer or AIDS, anything where the individual gets sicker and sicker and the hope for any sort of recovery slowly slips away. When Wade brings Maggie home, she is already sick, but she looks fairly normal. However, as the days pass, she begins to manifest the visible symptoms -- her veins become more prominent and her eyes begin to change. She also begins to show other symptoms, such as an enhanced sense of smell. During this, we watch Wade attempt to come to grips with not only the fact that his daughter is changing, but that she must soon go away. He channels his sadness into anger, and challenges the authorities when they come to the farmhouse. As for Maggie, she is trying to deal with this as well. At one point, she visits a group of high-school friends, one of whom is infected as well. Here, we see how the other kids attempt to be nice, but they are clearly uncomfortable and don't know how to act around those who are sick.
The focus on the emotional material in Maggie is certainly surprising and refreshing. Even more surprising is Schwarzenegger's performance. Keeping in mind that he will never be Olivier, Arnold really does hold his own here and does a good job of expressing the emotions and frustration which Wade is experiencing. (Is he calling on his own well-publicized family issues to do this?) More importantly, someone here took the time to make sure that we could understand what Arnold was saying. (James Cameron never bothered to do this.) Keep in mind, if you are looking for an action movie, Maggie is not for you. Schwarzenegger's presence should not imply that he's a shotgun toting badass. But, if you want to see a movie which throws out a lot of the cliches and really brings the zombie movie home, in a quiet and heart-breaking way, then Maggie is worth checking out.
Maggie doesn't take enough time to explain the family dynamics on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of Lionsgate. The film has been letterboxed at 2.35:1 and the Disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 36 Mbps. The image is very sharp and clear, showing only a minute amount of grain and no defects from the source materials. The colors are intentionally muted, but they look good, and the image is never overly dark or bright. The level of detail is very good, and the depth is notable, especially in the exterior scenes. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 3.8 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. The stereo effects are nicely done, most notably when Maggie and Wade are in the woods. The surround sound effects are also good, as we can hear various sounds coming from within the farmhouse. The subwoofer effects aren't as prevalent, but they do punctuate certain scenes.
The Maggie Blu-ray Disc contains an assortment of extras. We begin with an AUDIO COMMENTARY from Director Henry Hobson. "Making Maggie" (18 minutes) is a featurette which focuses on the origins of the film's story and the shooting of the movie. We get comments from Hobson, Writer John Scott 3 (Yes, that's his name) and the cast, as well as on-set footage which looks at the locations and the make-up. Next up are "Interviews" with Hobson (8 minutes), Scott 3 (7 minutes), Schwarzenegger (20 minutes), Breslin (7 minutes), and Richardson (8 minutes) who give their views on the film, their characters, and the movie's themes. The Disc contains one DELETED SCENE which runs about 2 minutes. The final extra is a TRAILER for the film.


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Are there "universally human" traits?
This is a weekly post by Nidhal Guessoum (see his earlier posts here). Nidhal is an astrophysicist and Professor of Physics at American University of Sharjah
Until recently, when psychologists conducted lab tests (most often on undergrad students acting as guinea pigs in return of some stipend), they (the psychologists) assumed that their test results were universally valid, especially when it came to such "general" issues as self-image, fairness, visual perception, temperament, anger, etc… But the suspicion that our universalist preconceptions may only betray certain cultural biases remained there, but untested – until now.
Recently, a group of psychologists in the US decided to test precisely that principle of universality of human traits: what aspects of our humanness are (or are not) independent of our specific cultures? Are the typical human subjects of psychological studies in the west (two thirds of the time undergraduate students) representative of the human species in general or not?
In a paper published in Behavioral and Brain Sciences, a team from the University of British Columbia found that their student guinea pigs gave responses that are typical only of WEIRD subjects (WEIRD standing for 'Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic' – a nice acronym!). Behavioral scientists now emphasize the differences between WEIRD subjects and East-Asian ones, the latter – we are reminded – think "more holistically" and "see context and surroundings more than discrete objects" (see Sharon Begley's report in Newsweek).
What was really interesting in these studies is that several cases where one would not suspect any cultural influence turned out to produce clear differences between western (WEIRD) and eastern subjects. For example, the famous arrow test (see diagram) where the subject is asked which arrow is longer (the two are of equal length): in the West, more people (by about 20 percent) will have the impression that the lower one is longer. But for people from the San tribe of the Kalahari desert, no such wrong impression is found. The difference is interpreted as being the result of growing in "an environment filled with right angles" (don't ask me how the two issues are connected!).
A more interesting case was the testing of "the sense of fairness". How does one test that? The game is the following: A is given $10 and told to give some of it to B; if B accepts the amount, then each keeps his/her amount, and all is fine, but if B rejects it, the two end up with nothing; so B has to decide whether s/he is better off with a small (but unjust) amount or with nothing (but punishing A). American undergrads, we are told, typically give $4 or $5 as A, and B's reject anything below $3. But subjects from non-industrial communities (in this case in Tanzania) usually offer some $2.50 to the other subjects, and the latter do accept that.
Finally, it is reported that facial expressions related to emotions as well as the fondness for sugar are indeed human "universals"; some of these "universals" are probably due to human evolution. (I'm glad that my fondness for sweets is a typical, universal trait…)
Posted in general, posts by Nidhal Guessoum, science of belief on Monday, October 04, 2010 by Salman Hameed | 7 comments Edit
"I'm glad that my fondness for sweets is a typical, universal trait…"
And I'm wondering whether I am superhuman!!!! :)
(I am not fond of sweets.)
Interesting post Nidhal.
Isn't psychology the most open subject? I think anything cann fit in there. I think what they say is human psychology depends on who is making the theory.
I think it can also be said that people from an "environment filled with right angles" are better than those from WEIRD environments. Do we need a psychologist to tell us that? :)
The right andgled environment makes me wonder whther Pythagoras was educated there.
Oct 4, 2010, 3:34:00 PM
Nidhal Guessoum said...
Thanks for your comments. I need to bring some clarifications and add my views on your remarks regarding psychology.
First, the WEIRD subjects DO live in the "right-angled (western) environments", and it's not clear to anyone whether such environments are "better" (for what purposes?). And whether Pythagoras's world was "right-angled" or more "round-shaped" is a good question for historians.
Now, is psychology a "real" science, and does it tell us things that we do not know? You may recall that I reviewed Massimo Pigliucci's recent book in the summer, where he tries to determine the "demarcation line" between real science and non-science. He concludes that there are gray areas in between, fields he calls "almost science" and "pseudo-science". Furthermore, he stressed that what all scientific investigations have in common is three elements: naturalism, theory, and empiricism. By this criterion, psychology cannot be said to be a "real science", at least not yet, but perhaps it can be classified as an "almost science". Clearly we can see that it makes progress on the objectivity scale, but it also finds that many of the conclusions reached in the field are constantly in need of revision, first and foremost because it seems to be weak on the "universal" scale. When its experiments ("empiricism") become more solidly universal and objective (not depending on the subjects), and when it becomes able to provide explanations for its findings ("theory"), then it will become a real science.
Hope this makes sense.
Oct 5, 2010, 2:42:00 AM
Hi Nidhal,
"First, the WEIRD subjects DO live in the "right-angled (western) environments", and it's not clear to anyone whether such environments are "better" (for what purposes?)."
Ok. I actually thought otherwise. But, never mind.
In my comment above, the word 'weird' is to be read as 'weird' not as the acronym. I shouldn't have used capital letters.
Science has been defined a number of ways, i heard. But more importantly, some psychological findings make me wonder whether we are anything close to what reality is. People seem to make theories and do all sorts of experiments, surveys and research to find out various psychological findings. Or so they say. To me, sometimes they looked more like something cooked up. So the minute someone says psychological research findings, I normally run for miles.
About Piglliuchi's views ....
If science is naturalism, theory and empiricism, SETI is not science proper. It is more like pseudo-science. (oops, that makes it worse than 'almost science').
How can SETI be science when it has no naturalism, no theory and no empiricism?
I think at best ESTI is based on a speculation. Which means it is not even a theory. Now, you can add Drake eqation to argue otherwise. But thats hardly adding any theory, I think. :)
Regarding SETI, Pigliucci discusses it at some length, in connection to Popper's falsifiability criterion: since we cannot set up an experiment that will give a negative answer ("falsify" the claim of the existence of aliens), then SETI is not a real science, at least according to Popper. On the other hand, SETI uses bona fide scientific methodology, is naturalistic, objective, universal in its work, etc. Still, one has to be careful with allowing into Science areas where claims can never be proven wrong (like all kinds of new-age fields and effects...).
Oct 5, 2010, 11:06:00 AM
I haven't read Pigliucci's book.
There obviously is a danger in limiting the definition of science -- it excludes some of the important and at least one of the most expensive forms of science we are doing.
Of course, SETI is science. To say otherwise cannot be justified.
But if SETI is science, everything else that fits into the same criteria is also science.
"Still, one has to be careful with allowing into Science areas where claims can never be proven wrong (like all kinds of new-age fields and effects...)."
This is where I disagree.
You cannot use the same yardstick and not measure two things in the same way.
We need to attempt to prove "claims that can never be proven wrong." That they can never be proven wrong is an assumption we are making. Some people made the assumption and proved that we have an eternal universe. They also thought that they cannot be proven wrong. But we all know what happened. :)
Good points, Ali.
I'm sure we'll get more chances to explore these issues in the future.
Thanks and best wishes to you too, Nidhal
What is Irtiqa?
Irtiqa is Salman Hameed's blog. A few years ago (before Facebook killed many of the blogs), it used to track stories of science & religion, especially those related to Muslim societies. That is still one of its foci, but now it dovetails more of Salman's interests including film, astronomy, science fiction, and science outreach in both Pakistan and the US.
Irtiqa literally means evolution in Urdu. But it does not imply only biological evolution. Instead, it is an all encompassing word used for evolution of the universe, biological evolution, and also for biological/human development. While it has created confusion in debates over biological evolution in South Asia, it provides a nice integrative name for this blog. For further information, contact Salman Hameed.
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Salman Hameed
Salman is an astronomer and Associate Professor of Integrated Science & Humanities at Hampshire College, Massachusetts. Currently, he is working on understanding the rise of creationism in contemporary Islamic world and how Muslims view the relationship between science & religion. He is also working with historian Tracy Leavelle at Creighton University to analyze reconciliation efforts between astronomers and Native Hawaiians over telescopes on top of sacred Mauna Kea in Hawaii. He teaches "History and Philosophy of Science & Religion" with philosopher Laura Sizer, and "Science in the Islamic World", both at Hampshire College. Salman and Laura Sizer are also responsible for the ongoing Hampshire College Lecture Series on Science & Religion, and you can find videos of all these lectures below. Contact information here.
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I visited my friend Rachel this weekend in Atlanta. She lives in a lovely apartment in Midtown, right in the middle of the city. We got to spend lots of time exploring the city, eating delicious treats, enjoying the AMAZING fall weather, and just generally goofing around.
Urban wall art outside of an artists hub (above) and and Atlanta skyline as seen from inside Georgia Tech (below).
Saturday morning we had a delicious brunch at the Flying Biscuit, an Atlanta favorite. We both had egg and biscuit dishes with lots of sautéed potatoes and hollandaise sauce. It was definitely one of the highlights of the weekend (as food usually is).
We stopped in a local artist market in Midtown that featured lots of booths of different pieces. My favorite was this photography room with pictures taken around Atlanta. Not only were the pieces lovely, but the exhibit itself was just so pretty.
We walked the BeltLine, a new walking trail that repurposed what used to be old, rundown properties around the historic railroads. Along the trail there were lots of little outdoor art pieces that made use of their surroundings, like this little metal worker (above). The BeltLine also connects parks across the city. We stopped in Piedmont Park (shown below) to lay in the grass, absorb some vitamin D and people watch.
The skyline was absolutely gorgeous against a completely cloudless sky. I've never seen Atlanta look so welcoming. This photo is the snapshot that captures the cheer of the weekend.
Loving urban exploring and college days.


50 Cent is continuing his ongoing efforts to make sure that people are being fed all over the world. His Street King energy drink initiative is feeding impoverished families in Africa and now, with his latest venture, the altruistic rapper is feeding people in the United States.
At a New York event for his newly-launched line of SMS Audio headphones, Fiddy announced that with every sale of his $300-$400 headphones, proceeds will go to the U.S. hunger-relief organization Feeding America.
50 Cent describes his business model as "conscious capitalism," and believes that if more major companies embraced this ideology, it could help solve many of the social ills in America.


text:
Jesy Nelson >
Jesy Nelson hated being the 'fat one from Little...
Jesy Nelson hated being the 'fat one from Little Mix'
By Bang Showbiz in Lifestyle / Showbiz on 30 July 2019
Follow Jesy Nelson
Jesy Nelson
Jesy Nelson has learned to love herself after she was known as the ''fat one from Little Mix.''
Jesy Nelson hated herself for being ''the fat one from Little Mix.''
The 28-year-old pop star - who shot into the limelight in 2011 when the band became the first group to win 'The X Factor UK' - has had a tumultuous relationship with her body over the past eight years and has gone on an epic journey to lose weight and sex up her appearance in order to fit in with the rest of her band mates.
Taking to her Instagram account, the brunette beauty uploaded a photograph of herself in 2011 sitting on a sofa during an interview on 'This Morning' and wrote: ''6 months ago this girl was someone I just wanted to forget. I wanted to erase her from my mind and everyone else's memory. I didn't see her as Jesy I saw her as ''the fat one from Little Mix''. Up until now I hated her not because she'd ever done anything bad but because I was made to hate her by endless amounts of trolling.''
The 'Shout Out to My Ex' hitmaker has been filming a documentary for the BBC based on her mental health and her battles with trolls, and she believes it wasn't until she started to delve into her past that she learned to love herself more.
She explained: ''Since filming my documentary for @bbcone and @bbcthree I've learned so much more than I ever expected to. Thanks to all the inspirational people I've met on this emotional journey, I now love the girl in this photo. I've made this documentary for 2011 Jesy and for anyone who might be feeling like she did. I refused to speak about how I was feeling for so long. I was embarrassed and scared to. But I was so wrong to feel that way.
''Please if you are feeling how I did, SPEAK ABOUT IT. Talk to your family, speak to your friends, there's always help out there.
''If you'd have told that girl one day you won't feel sad anymore, I'd never have believed you....and here I am. Now when I look in the mirror, I don't see Jesy the fat one, I see Jesy the happy one! (sic)''
Jesy's boyfriend Chris Hughes jumped to praise the singer for her courage.
He wrote: ''That's my favourite Jesy, she's a princess.''
It's not yet known what Jesy's BBC documentary is titled or when it'll air.
Jesy Nelson doesn't 'give a crap' about trolls
Trolls almost made Jesy Nelson quit Little Mix
Jesy Nelson banned boyfriend from seeing her make-up free
Jesy Nelson 'making a difference' by speaking out about bullying
Jesy Nelson was 'a broken doll' after cyberbullying
Jesy Nelson 'starved' herself because of online bullies
Jesy Nelson tried to kill herself after being subjected to online trolls
Little Mix's Jesy Nelson felt she 'couldn't live without' massive fake lashes
Jesy Nelson experiences 'random waves of sadness'
Chris Hughes and Jesy Nelson are living together
Jesy Nelson's emotional rollercoaster
Jesy Nelson fronting mental health documentary
Jesy Nelson 'very affectionate' with Chris Hughes