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Papadakis / Cizeron (FRA) heat up the ice to win Short Dance
ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2012 - Preview
The 2012 ISU European Figure Skating Championships will open in Sheffield, Great Britain, on January 23. Sheffield hosts the ISU European Championships for the first time...
Evgeny Plushenko to compete at ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2012
The ISU Council exceptionally agreed to accept the entry of Evgeny Plushenko into the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2012...
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final - Day 4
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final concluded Sunday in Quebec, Canada with the Free Dance and the Exhibition Gala...
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final - Day 3 part 1
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final continued Saturday in Quebec, Canada with the Junior Free Dance, Junior Men's, Men's, Pairs and Ladies Free Skating...
In what was a high level Pairs event, Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkwoy of Germany seized the Pairs gold, edging out Russia's Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov by just 0.18 points. Russia's Yuko Kavaguti/Alexander Smirnov moved up from fourth to claim the bronze medal...
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final continued Friday in Quebec, Canada with the Junior Pairs and Junior Ladies Free Skating, the Ladies, Men's and Pairs Short Programs and the Short Dance...
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final from opened Thursday in Quebec, Canada with the Junior Short Programs and Junior Short Dance. A total of 72 skaters (48 entries) from 11 ISU members are competing in the two Finals...
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final - Preview
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating and the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2011/2012 cumulate with the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final from December 8 to 11 in Quebec, Canada...
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Rostelecom Cup, Day 2
Mao Asada (JPN), pair skaters Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy (GER), Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) and ice dancers Meryl Davis/Charlie White (USA) struck gold at Rostelecom Cup in Moscow (RUS) Saturday...
Mao Asada (JPN), Aljona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy (GER), Jeremy Abbott (USA) and ice dancers Meryl Davis/Charlie White took the lead on the first day of Rostelecom Cup in Moscow...
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Rostelecom Cup, Preview
The 2011/2012 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating continues this Friday with Rostelecom Cup in Moscow, Russia. The Rostelecom Cup is the sixth and last event in the series and competition will be exciting with several contenders still aiming to qualify for ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Quebec (CAN) next month...
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Trophee Bompard, Day 2
Patrick Chan (CAN), Elizaveta Tuktamisheva (RUS), Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir (CAN) and Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov (RUS) struck gold at Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris on Saturday...
Patrick Chan (CAN), Elizaveta Tuktamisheva (RUS), pair skaters Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov (RUS) and ice dancers Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir (CAN) took the lead Friday as the Trophee Bompard opened in Paris...
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Trophee Bompard, Preview
The 2011/2012 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating continues this Friday with Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris, France. The Trophee Bompard is the fifth of six events in the series. Competition will be tough with several skaters vying for a spot in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final...
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: NHK Trophy, Day 3
Daisuke Takahashi (JPN) skated off with the gold medal Sunday at the conclusion of NHK Trophy in Sapporo (JPN)...


To browse all the DVDs in the C.H.E.K Institute's online store, click here.
Expanding upon his best selling book How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy! this presentation delves into the foundation principles for those seeking a holistic approach to optimal health.
Who are the Last Four Doctors you will ever need.
Why health starts from the ground up – literally!
The important lessons about our food and diet that we must learn from research performed in the early 20th century.
Why lions don't eat leaves and giraffes don't eat meat.
If stress is making your pants tight – and what you can do about it.
Which 4 White Devils are present in every modern diet.
In this DVD you will learn cutting edge rotator cuff, upper and lower extremity strength and power techniques – essential information for trainers, therapists, coaches and athletes!
Paul Chek shares practical tips for designing high-performance exercise programs. Learn how to look at each client as a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual being and how ot manage the body's cybernetic system to realize the athletic performance.


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Role of CC chemokines in skeletal muscle functional restoration after injury.
Warren GL; O'Farrell L; Summan M; Hulderman T; Mishra D; Luster MI; Kuziel WA; Simeonova PP
Am J Physiol, Cell Physiol 2004 May; 286(5):C1031-C1036
https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpcell.00467.2003
The purpose of this study was to determine whether certain chemokines, which are highly expressed in injured skeletal muscle, are involved in the repair and functional recovery of the muscle after traumatic injury. In wild-type control mice, mRNA transcripts of macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, MIP-1beta, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 as well as their major receptors, CCR5 and CCR2, increased after freeze injury and gradually returned to control (uninjured) levels by 14 days. Muscle function and histological characteristics were monitored in injured mice that were genetically deficient for the CCR5 receptor (a major receptor for MIP-1alpha and MIP-1beta) and also rendered MCP-1 deficient with neutralizing antibodies. To dissect the role of these chemokines, additional studies were conducted in CCR5- and CCR2-deficient mice. CCR5-/- mice injected with MCP-1 antiserum for the first 3 days after injury exhibited a twofold greater maximal isometric tetanic torque deficit at 14 days after injury than did controls (i.e., 33% vs. 17%; P = 0.002). The impaired functional recovery was accompanied with an increased fat infiltration within the regenerating muscle without a significant difference in the influx of inflammatory cells, including macrophages. Strength recovery was also impaired in mice deficient for the receptor of MCP-1, CCR2, but not in CCR5-/- mice that were not injected with MCP-1 antiserum. The data suggest that MCP-1/CCR2 plays a role in the regeneration and recovery of function after traumatic muscle injury.
Injuries; Musculoskeletal-system-disorders; Skeletal-system-disorders; Skeletal-disorders; Muscle-function; Traumatic-injuries; Laboratory-animals; Animals; Animal-studies
P.P. Simeonova, NIOSH, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505
psimeonova@cdc.gov
Research Tools and Approaches: Exposure Assessment Methods
American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology
WV; GA; CA
Page last reviewed: January 14, 2022

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Shared server anders.nocdirect.com has gone unresponsive all of a sudden, we are checking it and will post more details as soon as these are available. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Serve was completely unresponsive at console so we had no choice but to reboot it. Currently, all services are up on it and responding promptly. Thanks for your patience and cooperation.


Originally Published: February 12, 2019 11:27 a.m.
KINGMAN – Authorities say preliminary information indicates that a man in his 40s died from a gunshot wound late the evening of Monday, Feb. 11 on the Interstate 40 westbound off-ramp at Exit 51 onto Stockton Hill Road.
Trooper Kameron Lee, Department of Public Safety public information officer, told the Daily Miner troopers responded to the location at about 10:50 p.m. after receiving a call about an unresponsive man inside a parked pickup truck.
Troopers and medical personnel came upon the man in the truck. He was declared dead at the scene.
State detectives are on the scene investigating as of 11:09 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12, and Lee said the ramp will remain closed and there is still no estimated time when it will re-open.
Interstate 40 westbound Exit 51 onto Stockton Hill Road is closed due to a police incident.
Arizona Department of Transportation reported earlier the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019 that there is no estimated time when the ramp will reopen.
The ramp was still closed as of 7:30 a.m.
ADOT advises drivers to use an alternate exit ramp into Kingman.


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Q: How do I specify the amount of random numbers in my code in C++ I tried reading other questions to find the answer to my question but I got tired of seeing the answer being in a different coding language. I want to change the amount of numbers in my random error code. I am genuinely new to this so please no rude comments.
#include <iostream>
#include <ctime>
#include <cstdlib>

using namespace std;

int main () {
   int i,j[3];

   srand( (unsigned)time( NULL ) );

I set the array for j to 3 so I could try and get a maximum of 3 numbers.
for( i = 0; i < 1; i++ ) {

      j[3] = rand();
      cout <<"Error code: " << j << endl;
   }

   return 0;
}

Here is where the error comes in, the output of the code only sends the variable address instead of the random number. I really need help with this before I could continue my project. Please help.
Edit: Variable address is "0x7ffc9b46ed5c"

A: I can assume you want to set an array of size 3 to random numbers.

I set the array for j to 3

j[3] = rand();

You're not doing that, you're setting the 4th element in your array j as a random number, which happens to be out of bounds and invokes undefined behavior.
cout <<"Error code: " << j << endl;

Outputs the address of the first element in array j. Not the whole array.

A: How i would do it:
#include <iostream>
#include <ctime>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
  srand(time(NULL));
  int j[3];
  for (int i = 0; i < 3; ++i)
    j[i] = rand(); //sets every index of the array to rand()
  cout << "Error code: ";
  for (int i = 0; i < 3; ++i)
    cout << j[i] << '\n'; //outputs all values from the array

  return 0;
}

When you declare an array of size 3 by int j[3] you can refer to the first value by j[0], second value by j[1], and the third value by j[2]. If you want to display every value from your array you can use a normal for loop (using j[i]) or a range based for loop:
for(int& i : j)
    cout<<i; //this loop will display every component from your array

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This traditional Belgian-style wheat ale is brewed with the addition of freshly-ground coriander and Curacao orange peel. Citrus and floral aromas outshine the hops and dominate the nose of this dry and approachable beer, while the use of raw wheat adds cloudiness and enhances its mouthfeel.
Driftwood's core selection is available year-round at all fine liquor retailers and taphouses.
The bridge between the succulent interior of the Curacao orange and the bitter oil that protects it, is the pith, or the white bark of the peel. White Bark Witbier is a marriage of the two solitudes, yielding a perfect harmony of citric bitterness, fragrant coriander, round malt and raw wheat. Enjoy!


text:
3mph: The Adventures of One Woman's Walk Around the World
January 21, 2023 January 21, 2023 by
WINNER 2011 WRITER'S DIGEST ANNUAL BEST BOOK AWARDS Best Memoir
WINNER 2011 IPPY BOOK AWARDS Best Memoir
FINALIST 2011 USA BEST BOOK AWARDS
Polly Letofsky left her Colorado home and headed west across 4 continents and over 14,000 miles–by foot–to become the first woman to walk around the world. In a spirit of adventure, along with the goal of raising global awareness for breast cancer, strangers welcomed her into their homes. The world had embraced her. But in the middle of Polly's journey, 9/11 flung us all into a crossroads in world history, and she found herself navigating a vastly changing world.
Polly's GlobalWalk has been featured in over 2,000 newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations around the world including Good Housekeeping, CNN International, The CBS Early Show, NBC's Your Total Health, and Fine Living Channel's Radical Sabbatical. A documentary entitled Polly's GlobalWalk has been released by Newcastle Productions.
In 3mph she richly details her journey with humor and honest reflection, the good times and the hardships. Sometimes serious, sometimes funny, but always inspirational, her story encourages us all to take on our biggest challenges–one step at a time.


We manage the maintenance on your energy efficient HVAC system to save you money, time and aggravation.
Our program consists of a series of Precision Tune Ups scheduled approximately six months apart. We thoroughly clean and service your HVAC system.


text:
Restoring Health Naturally
Homekipperdog2018-12-01T00:29:09+00:00
kipperdog2018-09-03T23:07:40+00:00
Acupuncture successfully treats conditions ranging from musculoskeletal problems to nausea, migraine, infertility and more.
Massage improves muscle suppleness and mobility. It also helps to prevent future injuries and speeds up healing.
Cupping is an ancient Chinese therapy used to heal areas of the body by applying concentrated pressure using a cup vacuum.
Neuromuscular Therapy targets pain using a combination of my treatments which could also include natural supplements.
Neil Kinsella is a fully qualified Acupuncturist (Dip Acu), and Naturopath (Dip Nat). He is a fully insured member of the Acupuncture Foundation Professional Association. In addition he is a qualified neuromuscular physical therapist (ANMPT). Neil combines both these therapies in his clinic.
Traditional Chinese medicine has been used for thousands of years to harmonise the body when it becomes imbalanced. It calms and regulates the sympathetic nervous system through the release of endorphins that produce a sense of calm and contentment. This relaxed state releases muscle tension and improves organ function allowing the body to promote healing through improved circulation and oxygenation of the body's tissues on a superficial and deep level.
Neil puts an emphasis on helping the body to heal it's self through relaxation, simple exercise and improved diet and lifestyle habits.
Uplift Gym, The Murrough, Wicklow Town
Baggot st. Dublin City Centre
Email: neilkinsella2004@yahoo.co.uk
Call 086 346 1675 now for a consultation
Opening hours 9-5.30pm Mon-Fri, Evening appointments available. Sat 9-1pm
© Copyright - | Acupuncture Wicklow


Knitter's Pride products were developed with an international advisory panel of knitters & crocheters. They feature a wide variety of needle and hook options. Their products are sold outside North America in over 45 countries worldwide under the "KnitPro'' brand which has been recognized as the fastest growing brand in Europe in the field of knitting accessories.


Please submit detailed information on items offered as well as photographs of items in question.
Drop us an an email using the link provided below.
If you have any further questions, visit our frequently asked questions page which we hope will help you.
Alternatively, the contact us page has details on how to get in touch with us.


text:
Fulton pleased with Swans start
Jay Fulton is delighted with his start to life at Swansea City after joining the club from Falkirk in January.
The 19-year-old midfielder has featured heavily for the Swans Under-21s since signing a two-and-a-half year deal with the club on deadline day of the January window, playing a key role in the development side's victories over Brentford and Bristol City in recent weeks.
Commenting on his start to life in South West Wales, Fulton feels he has settled well and is looking forward to continuing the early progress he has made.
"I'm settling in really well," said the former Falkirk player. "It's been a few weeks now and I've got my flat sorted and my girlfriend is down as well, so it feels a bit more like home.
"I think I've done reasonably well in my first few games. It has taken a bit of getting used to in training, but I've been happy with how everything is going.
"In recent weeks, we've had a good couple of wins against the likes of Brentford and Bristol City.
"It's important we keep working hard to build on those victories."
In the last month, Fulton has also travelled with the first-team squad for away visits to Everton and Liverpool in the Barclays Premier League.
And having had a taste for life with Garry Monk's side, the former Falkirk player is relishing the prospect of further opportunities.
"I didn't expect to go away with the first-team so quickly," admitted Fulton.
"I've been training with them now and again, in between training with the Under-21s.
"The demands are high, but it's great to be able to learn from the senior players.
"It's obviously been good, but it's important not to get too ahead of myself. I just have to keep working hard to be involved.
"For the rest of the season, I need to continue what I'm doing and hopefully push for more opportunities."
Swansea City Under-21s' final fixture moved to avoid Coronation Clash
Swansea City Under-21s' final Professional Development League fixture of the season against Birmingham City has been rescheduled to Wednesday, May 10 at the Swansea.com Stadium. (2pm kick-off).


This study investigated the physiologically adaptive significance of elytral coloring and other thermal adaptations to different climes of Central and Northern Europe in a leaf beetle. Adults of Chrysomela lapponica L. differ in the coloring pattern of their red and black elytra when comparing populations from Finnish Lapland (Northern Europe) and from the Czech Republic (Central Europe). While the elytra of adults of the Czech population were bright red in color with a proportion of 51% of black marks, the relative size of the black marks of the Finnish beetle's elytra was significantly higher (68%). When exposed to light, the dark morphs from Finland increased their body temperature within a shorter time and reached higher mean body temperatures than the lighter morphs from the Czech Republic. The walking speeds of the two different morphs did not differ at temperatures of 20, 15, and 10°C. However, at 5°C, the walking speed of the melanic beetles from Finland was significantly higher. The specific metabolic rate during overwintering of the adults was significantly higher in the Finnish morph at a temperature of 5°C compared with the Czech morph. The average and maximum temperatures during overwintering in the leaf litter layer in the Czech Republic were more variable and on average higher than under the snow cover in Finland. These results on the thermoregulation in C. lapponica are discussed with special respect to melanic elytral coloring as adaptation toward lower ambient temperatures.


New Listing 881 Farmleigh Road, West Vancouver, BC | Teresa De Cotiis - Behroyan and Associates Real Estate Services Ltd.
View my new listing for sale at 881 Farmleigh Road, West Vancouver and currently listed at $9,988,000.
Spectacular million dollar VIEW VIEW VIEW! British Properties mansion on GOLDEN MILE, rarely available. This ULTRA luxurious meticulous home over 7,000sf is move in ready only 5 years new, hardwood floors, radiant heat, chinese wok kitchen, top of the line appliances and quartz countertops. Features, grand entrance with high ceilings, media room, wine room, guestsuite. Spacious masterbedroom with spa like ensuite, 5 bedrooms up & 1 down with office on the main level. Large private backyard, 3 car garage with lots of extra parking, gated entrance, lots of balconies and large back yard patio, great for entertaining. Land almost 24,000sf, close to Top schools, shopping, Golf, private club, seawall & downtown.


Fall is a great time to spend outdoors in the city of Tyler, Texas. University of Texas at Tyler, Texas College, and Tyler Junior College students, families, and visitors can look forward to major events like the State Fair and the Texas Rose Festival this October. As the weather cools down, these fall festivals give Tyler residents more reason to get out and have fun with the community.
The annual East Texas State Fair is a family-friendly event packed with activities and entertainment. The fair contains carnival rides, concerts, food, a livestock show, and many other exciting attractions. The fair's activities are intended to promote agriculture, education, heritage, and commerce. A portion of the event proceeds are used for academic scholarships. The fair holds College Night for students of the University of Texas at Tyler and other schools to receive free admission. There's more information on events and ticket prices here.
When: October 7 from 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
The SPCA of East Texas hosts Dogtoberfest to help homeless pets find homes. The festival is just as fun for pets as it is for people! There will be craft beer tastings, food vendors, pet-friendly vendors, and live music. Twenty-five breweries will be present with over 80 craft beers for tasting. There will be opportunities for on-site adoptions and chances to support your local animal rescue centers. Tickets and craft beer tasting punch cards can be purchased at the event or online at a discounted rate.
When: October 14 and 15 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
The Edom Art Festival is a grassroots event hosted by the Edom Area Chamber of Commerce and produced directly by the artists of Edom. The event takes place in a scenic meadow behind the artists' studios. The artists present at their booths are happy to discuss their work with viewers. There will be fine art, paintings, sculptures, jewelry, pottery, photography, woodworking, and more. Live music and food will also be part of the festival. Admission and parking are free.
When: October 14 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
The Lindale Countryfest provides a full day of events. It begins with a pancake breakfast, followed by the Harvest Hustle 5K race, then a silent auction hosted by the Kiwanis, the Crossroads Classic Car Show, and ongoing festival activities. There will be food booths, arts and crafts vendors, games, and live music. A portion of the proceeds from the festival will benefit the Lillie Russell Memorial Library and the LISD Education Foundation. More information about the festival can be found here.
The Texas Rose Festival has been a Texas tradition since 1933. The ceremonious event includes celebrations of the Queen's Coronation, the Rose Show, the Queen's Tea, and the Rose Parade against a backdrop of vibrant roses. A main event of the festival, the Rose Show, is an enchanting display of over 7,000 roses. The event closes with a parade with over 120 entrants. A full schedule of events is listed on the event website.
When: October 27 and 28 from 5–10 p.m.
The True Vine Brewing Company is bringing the craft beer scene to East Texas. The True Vine team started out brewing small batches of beer in their garage and has since grown tremendously, moving to their own brewery. They host many community events, one of which is the annual Hoptoberfest. At this beer festival, you'll get to taste some of the unique, handcrafted brews True Vine is known for. More information is available on Facebook.


text:
Trauer steht für:

 Trauer, durch einen schwerwiegenden Verlust verursachte Gemütsstimmung
 Trauer (Band),  deutsche Depressive-Black-Metal-Band

Trauer ist der Familienname folgender Personen:

 Günther Trauer (1878–1956), deutscher Bauingenieur, Stadtplaner und Baubeamter
 Philipp Trauer (* 1988), deutscher Filmproduzent

Siehe auch:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This model was originally sculpted by Jeanne Mellin Herrick.
The Morgan mold was finished in 1997, and as you can see, on many of the models today, that the original date is still marked underneath the back legs. The first painted release was a model called Hillock Showson in 1997, and you can view more pictures of him here: http://www.stonehorseref.com/Horseinfo.aspx?HorseID=1.


text:
South Africa/Northern Cape/Upington Accommodation
Photos Overview Articles Map
Accommodation in Upington
Orange Rive near Upington
Upington is situated on the banks of the Orange River in the Northern Cape. Surrounded by bright green irrigated vineyards, this area is known as the Green Kalahari. (The rest of the Kalahari, while not actually a true desert, is classified as thirstland, and is most definitely not green.)
Upington is a pleasant town with some lovely guest houses, hotels and restaurants. The Kalahari Oranje Museum Complex offers an insight into the history of the rather hardy folk who've made this town their home over the last couple of hundred years. The museum sells beautifully packaged dried fruit from the enormous South African Dried Fruit Co-operative just outside the town. Upington is the centre of the Orange River wine region and you could do a tasting in town at a co-op of five different cellars.
Still on a fruity note, an island in the Orange River boasts one of the longest and most dense date palm avenues in the southern hemisphere – it's over a kilometre long.
For such a small town it has a relatively large collection of animal statues. A donkey outside the museum pays tribute to the contribution of this humble beast in the development of the region, and a camel outside the police station commemorates the recalcitrant beasts on which the police patrolled the vast Kalahari in the past.
You could enjoy a gentle sundowner cruise on the river or, for something much more exciting, head to the Augrabies Falls National Parkwhere you could do some white water rafting and view the magnificent waterfall and canyon at its heart.
There is also a gentler canoeing trip, a quite taxing hike, and a fun day trip consisting of a short paddle, a walk and a mountain bike ride. The Augrabies Park also has some small game, as does the Spitskop Nature Reserve, which is conveniently situated about 13km north of the town.
Upington is the biggest town in its immediate area and the second biggest in the Northern Cape, after Kimberley. There is a small airport with a limited number of scheduled flights.
Upington Fun Rating
from 90 customer reviews
Popular in Upington
Peace And Quiet
Check out our list of 5 things to do and see in and around Upington
If you're looking to grab a bite, here is a list of places to eat in Upington
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text:
Fishermen rescued after nine months at sea
Ocean Navigator September 6, 2005 January 26, 2022
In an amazing feat of survival, three Mexican fishermen were rescued in good health and good spirits after drifting for nine months and nine days in an open 29-foot boat across more than 5,000 miles of the Pacific Ocean. Their story is remarkable, but as details emerge, questions arise.
Salvador Ordonez, 37, Jesus Vidana Lopez, 27, and Lucio Rendon, 27, set out with two other men on October 28 on a three-day shark fishing trip. But according to Ordonez, their fishing gear became fouled, their engines broke down and they ran out of fuel about 100 miles offshore from their homes in San Blas, Mexico, a coastal village about 60 miles north of Puerto Vallarta.
Strong winds and westerly-setting currents pushed them farther away from Mexico into a wide and empty ocean. Nearly 300 days later, on August 9, they were finally rescued by a 240-foot Taiwanese purse seiner in Kiribati waters. They eventually set foot on dry land in the Marshall Islands on August 22.
"We spent most of the time fishing and praying," Lopez told reporters. They survived on small fish, seaweed and barnacles scraped off the hull, and seabirds. Ordonez was nicknamed "el gato," the cat, because of his skill at pouncing on birds. Once, they caught nothing for 12 days.
Rainwater was mopped up and wrung out of rags into their rinsed-out, empty fuel tank. A covered section in the bow provided shelter from the sun and seas.
They had a compass to track direction, a flashlight and a Bible. Rendon counted the minutes, hours and days on his Casio watch.
They said the worst times were in storms during December and January, but they read the Bible and had what Ordonez described as "moments with God."
Their story becomes confused when they describe the two men who died. One was the owner of the boat, whom they call Juan and the other was a deck hand, whose name they don't know. "He never talked," said Ordonez. After two months of drifting, he said the two men couldn't digest the raw food any more and began vomiting blood. After they died, they were thrown overboard.
In Mexico City, government spokesman Ruben Aguilar said the deaths would be investigated to determine "how the fishermen on the boat disappeared."
The survivors, who also reject drug smuggling allegations, have aggressively denied speculations about murder and cannibalism. But authorities have questioned why none of the five men were ever officially reported missing.
In the Marshall Islands, Police Commissioner George Lanwi confiscated the Mexican fishing boat. The Mexican government paid to ship the boat back for further investigation. Lanwi also told reporters that the survivors "looked much healthier than we would expect." They were taken in ambulances to the Majuro Hospital where they all passed physical and psychological exams, apparently only suffering from swollen legs and hands.
Crewmembers from the Taiwan fishing boat said they looked much worse when they were rescued. "They were just skin and bones and we threw their ripped clothes away," said Lanbe Lajjiur. "On the first day they must have been in shock. They didn't sleep."
From the ship, the Mexicans made brief phone calls to their families, and amongst the talk of miracles, Lopez got a special message of his own. He was now the father of a six-month-old baby girl. Ordonez, Lopez and Rendon flew back to Mexico on August 24, retracing their nine-month voyage in a matter of hours.
Allyson Madsen
Previous PostMexico eliminates voyaging hassle – and expense
Next PostStorm Trysail Club responds to recent MOBs


Our lively podcast and SiriusXM satellite radio series explores current issues in education with hosts Dean Dan Schwartz and Denise Pope.
Professor Sam Wineburg makes the case for adding more digital media literacy to the history curriculum.
In an essay in The Wall Street Journal, Senior Lecturer Denise Pope writes that what a student does in college is more important than where they go.
Professor Jo Boaler and doctoral candidate Tanya LaMar write that schools shouldn't embrace narrow ways of thinking and celebrate students with learning differences.


Unitronic® TCU Performance Software is NOW AVAILABLE for the 7-speed DQ380/381 DSG® transmission found in the facelifted 2018+ (8V) S3 and MK7.5 Golf R*.
Gear Display is enabled, allowing the driver to see the current gear in both D- and S-mode on the Virtual Cockpit / MFD.
Unitronic's Stage 2 TCU Performance Software calibrations increase TCU torque limiters to allow for an increased output and has been developed alongside Unitronic's Stage 2 ECU Performance Software for the ultimate overall experience.
*Performance Software for specific TCU Box Codes is subject to availability.


text:
Permanency Policies
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19-OCFS-LCM-20
Eligibility Case File Maintenance
The purpose of this Local Commissioners Memorandum (LCM) is to notify local departments of social services (LDSSs) of the requirement to maintain separate eligibility files related to each child for whom the LDSS is claiming federal and/or state reimbursement. Some children will be eligible for multiple programs. The eligibility files must meet all state and federal requirements and be readily accessible, in case of monitoring or auditing by state and/or federal officials. LDSSs must review and update their Title IV-E eligibility determination procedures and continue necessary activities to maintain and improve Title IV-E compliance. Eligibility checklists are used to determine a child's eligibility for specific programs based on appropriate funding sources. The checklists determine whether a child is Title IV-E eligible or if the child is not Title-IVE eligible.
19-OCFS-ADM-07
FFPSA Model Licensing Standards and Updated Forms for the Certification or Approval of Foster/Adoptive Homes
The purpose of this Administrative Directive (ADM) is to advise local departments of social services (LDSSs) and voluntary authorized agencies (VAs) of the release of the Federal Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) model licensing standards and the alignment of New York State's process for certifying or approving foster homes with the model standards. This ADM also releases the updated forms that must be used by LDSSs and VAs when certifying or approving foster or foster/adoptive homes.
New Brochure: Know Your Resources: Non-Parent Caregiver Benefits and New Requirements for Distributing Publications
The purpose of this Administrative Directive (ADM) is to notify local departments of social services (LDSSs) and voluntary agencies (VAs) of revised requirements for providing publications to potential and current caregivers of children removed from their homes. This ADM also introduces a new brochure that provides information to non-parent caregivers (NPCs) who are caring for children outside of the foster care system about benefits for which they may be eligible.
Foster/Adoptive Home Certification or Approval Process
The purpose of this Administrative Directive (ADM) is to release and outline the new tools that must be used to support the foster/adoptive home certification and approval process. In New York State, an applicant(s) can be certified or approved as a foster parent. An applicant(s) may also be a concurrently certified or approved foster parent and an approved adoptive parent. For purposes of this ADM the term "foster home" and "foster parent" refers to both options. This ADM also reminds local departments of social services (LDSSs) and voluntary authorized agencies (VAs) of the regulatory requirements regarding certifying and approving foster homes.
Use of the Foster and Adoptive Home Development (FAD) Stage in CONNECTIONS
The purpose of this Administrative Directive (ADM) is to mandate local departments of social services (LDSSs) and voluntary authorized agencies (VAs) to record vital information regarding the initial certification or approval, and the annual renewal or reauthorization of foster homes in specific sections of the Foster and Adoptive Home Development (FAD) stage in CONNECTIONS. This information must also be maintained in the external foster home case record. This release also reflects the requirement that LDSSs and VAs review at the time of the initial application for certification or approval information available in CONNECTIONS to determine whether prospective foster parents have previously held a certificate or letter of approval as a foster parent and whether such certificate or letter of approval was revoked, not renewed, or a foster child was removed from the foster home for health or safety reasons.
Changes Impacting Adoption Assistance Payments
The purpose of the Local Commissioners Memorandum is to inform local departments of social services (LDSSs) of policy changes regarding the administration of the adoption subsidy program, in particular concerning the failure by the adoptive parent(s) to provide any support to the adopted child, annual certifications, recovery of overpayments and termination/suspension of adoption subsidy payments.
Regulations Prohibiting Discrimination and Harassment in Child Welfare and Youth Programs
The purpose of this Administrative Directive (ADM) is to advise local departments of social services (LDSSs) and voluntary authorized agencies (VAs) of provisions in 9 NYCRR §§ 180.5(a)(6), 182-1.5(g)(1) and 182-2.5(g)(1), and in 18 NYCRR §§ 421.3(d), 423.4(m)(7), 441.19(d) and 441.24, several of which became effective on November 6, 2013. These regulations prohibit discrimination and harassment by LDSS and VA staff, volunteers, and certified or approved foster parents against applicants for adoption services, families receiving preventive services, prospective foster parents, foster parents and foster children, youth in runaway and homeless youth () programs, and youth in detention on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, religion, or disability, in order to promote and maintain a safe environment for children, youth, and families that the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) serves.
Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 as Amended by the Interethnic Adoption Provisions of 1996
The purpose of this Administrative Directive (ADM) is to provide local departments of social services (LDSSs) and voluntary authorized agencies (VAs) information on the requirements of the Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 (MEPA), as amended by the Interethnic Adoption Provisions (IEP) of The Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996.
15-OCFS-INF-01
Re-homing of Children
The purpose of this Informational Letter (INF) is to define and provide information to local departments of social services (LDSSs) and Voluntary Authorized Agencies (VAs) on the re-homing of children to non-relatives and how it intersects with child welfare. In addition, this INF makes recommendations on how to prevent re-homing and provides suggested steps when a re-homing case is identified.
Termination of Notification of Subsequent Arrests in Closed Foster and Adoptive Homes
The purpose of this Administrative Directive is to set forth the process that must be used by social services districts and voluntary authorized agencies to notify the Criminal History Review Unit (CHRU) of the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) when:
An application for certification or approval of a prospective foster parent or a prospective adoptive parent has been withdrawn or denied after a criminal history record check has been completed by OCFS;
A foster home is closed and the foster parents in such foster home are no longer certified or approved; or
A person who was an approved adoptive parent is no longer approved by the authorized agency.
Timely notification of OCFS by the authorized agency is necessary to prevent the unauthorized release of criminal history information and to support compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory standards relating to criminal history record checks.
Adoption Assistance and Federal Reporting Requirements as it Pertains to Delinking
The purpose of this Administrative Directive is to notify local departments of social services of the requirement to identify children who have been determined eligible and in receipt of Title IV-E adoption assistance based on the federal expansion of Title IV-E adoption assistance, often referred to as "delinking," and the requirement for the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) to report to the federal government on reinvestment of savings based on delinking.
Notification to Prospective Adoptive Families of the Federal Adoption Tax Credit
The purpose of this Administrative Directive (ADM) is to notify local departments of social services (LDSS) and voluntary authorized agencies of the changes in the adoption tax credit enacted by the federal American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-240), which was signed into law on January 2, 2013. This Act made the adoption tax credit permanent.
Termination of Parental Rights' Effect on Continuing Contact of Birth Parent and Child
The purpose of this Informational Letter (INF) is to provide information to local departments of social services (LDSS) and voluntary authorized agencies regarding a recent NYS Court of Appeals decision in the Matter of Hailey ZZ (official citation not yet available). The Court of Appeals ruled that the family court may not order continuing contact between a parent and a child once the parent's rights have been involuntarily terminated pursuant to Social Services Law (SSL) §384-b.
Religious Designation of a Foster Child and a Child Being Placed for Adoption
The purpose of this Administrative Directive (ADM) is to remind social services districts and voluntary authorized agencies of their legal and programmatic obligations in regard to the religious designation of a child in making foster care and adoptive placements. This directive will also address the use of an Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) form for the purpose of obtaining the religious wishes of parents when their child is being placed in foster care or for adoption.
Clarification of Adoption Study Criteria Related to Length of Marriage and Sexual Orientation
The purpose of this Informational Letter (INF) is to provide clarification to local departments of social services (LDSS) and voluntary authorized agencies regarding 18 NYCRR 421.16 (e) and (h) in relation to length of marriage and sexual orientation as adoption study criteria.
Restoration of Parental Rights
The purpose of this Informational Letter (INF) is to provide information to local departments of social services (LDSS) and voluntary authorized agencies regarding Chapter 343 of the Laws of 2010, which amends the Family Court Act (FCA) and Social Services Law (SSL) in relation to restoration of parental rights. This law, which went into effect on November 11, 2010, authorizes the Family Court, in narrowly defined circumstances, to restore a birth parent's parental rights after they have been terminated.
Adoption by Two Unmarried Adult Intimate Partners
The purpose of this Informational Letter (INF) is to provide information to local departments of social services (LDSS) and voluntary authorized agencies regarding Chapter 509 of the Laws of 2010, which, consistent with current case law, amended section 110 of the Domestic Relations Law (DRL) in relation to expressly authorizing two unmarried adult intimate partners to adopt a child together.
Kinship/Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP)
Eligibility Forms for the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP)
The purpose of this Administrative Directive (ADM) is to notify local departments of social services (LDSSs) and voluntary authorized agencies (VAs) of the release of updated eligibility forms necessary to execute a Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) agreement.
Expansion of the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) – Revised
The purpose of this Administrative Directive (ADM) is to advise local departments of social services (LDSSs) and voluntary authorized agencies (VAs) of the provisions of Chapter 384 of the Laws of 2017 (Chapter 384). Chapter 384 was signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on October 23, 2017. It expands the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) related to who may be eligible to receive KinGAP payments, and extends the duration of certain KinGAP payments until the child reaches 21 years of age. The changes made by Chapter 384 are referred to as "KinGAP Expansion." With this ADM, the New York State Office of Children and Family Service (OCFS) is also releasing updated forms, an updated version of the publication titled Know Your Permanency Options: The Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (Pub-5108, in English and Spanish), and new and updated model notification letters. This ADM has been revised to incorporate feedback OCFS has received requesting additional clarification. For ease, the revisions are noted in purple and can be found in Sections III, IV and V, as well as contained as new links above.
Continuation of the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) to a Successor Guardian
The purpose of this New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) Administrative Directive (ADM) is to provide an update to the information that was provided in 15-OCFS-ADM-15 to address the implementation of a provision enacted by the federal Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (the Act) [P.L.113-183]. This provision relates to the continuation of Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) payments to a successor guardian if the original KinGAP relative guardian receiving KinGAP payments dies or is incapacitated. Implementation of this provision is necessary for New York State to continue to maintain a compliant Title IV-E State Plan, which is a condition for New York State and a local department of social services (LDSS) to receive federal funding for foster care, adoption assistance and KinGAP payments.
With the issuance of this policy, the previous policy 15-OCFS-ADM-15 is canceled and this ADM replaces it. This revised policy directive reflects recent New York statutory changes (Part M of Chapter 54 of the Laws of 2016) regarding the eligibility of successor guardians to receive reimbursement for non-recurring guardianship expenses.
This release only addresses the KinGAP continuation to a successor guardian provision of the Act. Other policy releases will address other requirements of the Act.
The purpose of this New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) Administrative Directive (ADM) is to provide an update to the information that was provided in 15-OCFS-ADM-02 to address the implementation of a provision recently enacted by the federal Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (the Act) [P.L.113-183].
Accurate Reporting of Kinship Foster Care Placements
The purpose of the Local Commissioners Memorandum (LCM) is to provide information to local departments of social services (LDSS) on a new field that must be entered to report kinship (relative) foster care placements in the child welfare reporting system, Child Care Review Service (CCRS).
Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program Payments - Excludable Income for Child Care Subsidy Program Eligibility
The purpose of this Local Commissioners Memorandum (LCM) is to establish a formal policy regarding the calculation of countable income for families in receipt of Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) payments and to notify social services districts of this policy.
New Reporting Requirement for Direct Custodial Placements of Children With Relatives Through Article 10 of the Family Court Act
The Purpose of this Administrative Directive (ADM) is to provide a new reporting requirement to Local Departments of Social Services (LDSSs) regarding children placed directly in the legal custody of a relative through Article 10 of the Family Court Act (FCA). This new information is required as part of the reporting requirements that were added by Part F of Chapter 58 of the Laws of 2010 (Chapter 58), which implemented the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP).
Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP)
The purpose of this Administrative Directive (ADM) is to provide comprehensive information and guidance to social services districts and voluntary authorized agencies about the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP). KinGAP is a new program in New York State which goes into effect on April 1, 2011. It is designed to provide a monthly payment and other benefits to qualified relative guardians of foster children who have been discharged from foster care.
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text:
Thomas "Thomen" Stauch (born 11 March 1970), also known by his nickname The Omen, is a German heavy metal drummer, mostly known as the co-founder and former drummer of Blind Guardian.

Biography

He began his career in 1984 the band Lucifer's Heritage, playing drums on their 1985 demo, Symphonies of Doom. After changes in the line-up, the band renamed itself Blind Guardian in 1987.

Stauch quit Blind Guardian in April 2005, citing dissatisfaction with the direction the band had taken in its latter years.
His last releases with the band were the 2002 studio album A Night at the Opera and the live album Imaginations Through the Looking Glass.

In 2004, while still in Blind Guardian, he formed Savage Circus with friend Piet Sielck. Piet introduced him to Persuader vocalist Jens Carlsson and guitarist Emil Norberg, who completed the band's lineup. They released their debut album Dreamland Manor in August 2005. Due to health problems causing him to miss too many gigs, Thomen left the band on 17 August 2007 but came back to the line-up in 2012. Stauch also worked in other projects such as Iron Savior and Serious Black.

Stauch joined the band Seelenzorn in September 2008. He has also played drums for the band Coldseed with Soilwork frontman Björn Strid.

Stauch is known for his fast and technical drumming skill, especially on the Blind Guardian album A Night at the Opera, where he mixes the traditional intensity and speed of the band's older style, with new, more technical and progressive elements. He uses Premier Drums, Artisan Turk cymbals and Vic Firth drumsticks.

References

German heavy metal drummers
Male drummers
German male musicians
Blind Guardian members
1970 births
Living people
Iron Savior members
Savage Circus members
21st-century drummers
21st-century German male musicians


Twin loft bunk beds – Up or down? How can we forget those discussions with siblings, cousins and friends who would sleep upstairs or down when there was a litter? This type of beds take us back to our childhood and youth, but not always exclusively for the younger ones, can also serve as an excellent space and storage solution in one room.
twin loft bunk beds is a great solution for a small space or a fully open plan, create 3 bedrooms in one: a living room on the bottom, protected by the structure of the cabinet, a small library on the outside in each of the shelves that create an interesting game of non – repetitive rhythms and finally a chamber at the top, where the bed. Really ingenious!
This interesting idea for a shared room is really practical and utilitarian. We strictly a twin loft bunk beds, but has 2 raised beds, which rest on a structure that serves as a support as storage space. United by a raised platform, this common area serves as a workspace that is shared between two users, having a virtual separation provided by a desk and a small bookshelf built into the wall. Its a very interesting idea.
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Grant - A Wrong Turn In Southtown
Description: While wandering lost along the boardwalk, Abigail happens upon an oni-masked figure who challenges him to demonstrate his strength. Unfortunately, neither man walks away impressed.
[ABIGAIL]
"Man..how'd I get here!?"
Abigail is lost. It's not often that one finds a lost kaiju. They're usually quite direct as to where they are going as opposed to meandering around without clear direction or an understanding of their place in a given area. Not so with Abigail. A wrong turn here and a wrong turn there and he's missed his pick up spot for heading back to the harbor to see about a shipment of tires. All about the tires. The last time he was here in SOuthtown a pack of werewolves tore his tires apart. He's not pleased about having to be here again, let alone being lost.
His stomping about is not without its effect on the world around him though. He doesn't have to be the size of a building to shake the ground as he moves. A low rumbling vibration from his sheer pressure. One supposes he might as well be the size of a building as a result. Between that and his outrageous size and proportions and that he is a known fighter ..he draws his share of camera phone snapping and video taking as he lumbers down the boardwalk and flickers his gaze for any landmarks to help put him on the right path.
At least the bystanders are smart enough to not approach him to ask for any selfies.
[GRANT]
To one side of the giant is a continuous line of ice cream parlors, gift shops, and food stands selling a wide variety of foods fried and grilled. To the other is a sharp drop away from the wide wooden walkway that groans beneath his boots, a steep hill of loose sand sloping away toward a broad expanse of beach, which itself vanishes into the rolling waves of the ocean. He couldn't be too far from the harbor, could he? I mean the ocean is right there...
It is a subtle thing when the gawking people and their cameras begin to drift away. Where once there had been dozens, there are only a hand full, then a couple, and finally none at all. If they were to be asked why they don't feel comfortable following the giant they probably wouldn't have an answer. A gut feeling, maybe. A sense that wherever the big man is going, it is toward mortal danger. And in fact, if Abigail had less presence himself, he would probably be taken by the feeling. that bone-deep instinct that danger is nearby.
That feeling more than doubles when Abigail makes it around a long bend in the path, coming to a long stretch of walkway that is completely abandoned aside from one very conspicuous figure. Tall by normal human standards, he is short in comparison to the monster trundling toward him. Muscular by most standards, he appears lean when contrasted against Abigail's hulking physique. And yet, standing there with his long white hair rippling in the breeze, heavy black cloak draped around him and arms folded across his chest, it is clear that the aura of power is radiating from him.
"Very good," the figure states, voice deep and quietly polite. "You have finally arrived."
Lifting his chin, the Martyr Of Might fixes the softly glowing lenses of his mask upon the big man, considering him with the demonic visage that he is known for world wide throughout the underworld.
"You have caught my attention. I am interested to see if you truly understand how to use those oversized muscles."
"...Are you my ride?"
Abigail is, if nothing, single minded and a little slow to catch on at first. Either that or he's being deliberately flippant. It might be a bit of both.
"No wait, I know you.. I thought your hair was red though!"
Now he's just being rude.
Eventually he just shrugs and rolls his massive shoulders and then that slasher grin of his slowly creeps across his face, "Alright, fine, fine, fine. Yes! I got plenty of horsepower in this body!" He slows to a stop and then leans forward slightly and begins slapping the bicep of his right arm with his left hand, producing loud meaty *THWAMS* on each impact, the very air shaking and ground rumbling from the force. His tee shirt begins to shred as his physique balloons, packing on more and more sinew and he ends the display by slamming both of his fists together. Knuckles crashing into each other with a final violent impact that would knock over any near him from the shockwave.
"And I'll crush anyone like a can who says otherwise!" The display ended he straightens up and peers at Grant, "So..uh..who're you?"
[MERRICK]
So far, it's been a fairly normal day out on the boardwalk. Young lovers getting their portraits taken, people buying giant sticks of cotton candy that they'll regret in the morning, old geezers fishing out on the peer and not paying much attention to anything until the creaking of floorboards force their attention toward the big gigantic man-sized man...and the dangerous looking individual in the mask. Much like everyone reasonable, the old men go a little white in the face, and leave without a word. Most of them, anyway.
Save for one, one curious fisher still sat in his lawnchair, sitting next to a cooler filled with cold ones and ice, his fishing rod perched on the pier and seemingly forgotten about, even though there is a fish currently on the line.
That's because the owner is now paying full attention toward the potential fight. Even from where he is, the black-clad ninja watching everything from a pair of binoculars, the strap still around his neck. Over that black and white tactical suit of his, is a Hawaiian shirt and a pair of khaki shorts, and worn on top of his mask is a fisherman's hat. Wasn't this a flimsy 'disguise', didn't everyone notice him before?
That line of thinking is exactly what a non-ninja would think.
"I am Grant, and if I allow you to leave this place alive, you will remember that."
There is no shout or roar in the cloaked man's voice, only the softly rumbling confidence of a man wholly confident in his position. The man before him may be a mountain, but stronger things have crumbled before the Martyr Of Might.
Arms remaining folded in the face of Abigail's overwhelming show of force, Grant cocks his head slowly to one side. Taking a moment to simply stare at the huge fellow who has swollen out of his clothing, he seems somehow, perplexed.
"Come then. Prove to me you are more than inflatable."
COMBATSYS: Grant has started a fight here.
Grant 0/-------/-------|
"Hey, is your engine busted? This is pure muscle, man! Not some sort of inflatable balloon."
Well, he can't help it if the man is half blind. Maybe he should introduce him to Zangief. Still, Abigail..doesn't like being threatened. "Anyway, so you're one of those crazies.. I dealt with to much of that nonsense in World Warrior. You think you're gonna intimidate me when that joke Rugal and Akuma couldn't? Stay in your lane!"
That seems to be enough ot rile him up and if that was indeed what Grant wanted..he got it.
The ground rocks and shakes as Abigail begins a sudden trundling charge, rumbling "Vroom, Vroom, Vroom, Vroom!!!" louder and louder as he takes several pounding steps in.
At the last second before impact he swivels, putting on the proverbial breaks and leaning into a huge punch that sees his entire torso lunging around and bringing a tree dwarfing arm and boulder of a fist hurtling in at Grant.
COMBATSYS: Abigail has joined the fight here.
Grant 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Abigail
COMBATSYS: Grant blocks Abigail's Dynamite Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Grant 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Abigail
"Hmph."
The quiet snort that escapes Grant's mask is drowned out by a cacophony of creaks and groans as the boardwalk struggles to cope with the stomping power of Abigail's charge. Swaying slightly as the path begins to rock, the demon-masked lunatic does very little to prepare himself for the oncoming pain train. In fact, though his face is completely hidden from sight, nothing about his body language seems concerned.
"You do not seem to understand." he replies into the vroom vroom vrooooming face of the giant as he looms over him. Calmly he unfolds his arms, left hand swinging up to intercept the enormous fist, a palm harder than iron crashing into the side of the knuckles and guiding it wide with an easy flex of his muscular arm. Voice as low and quiet as ever, he can just be heard through the chaos, chin tilted back to gaze up at Abigail's looming face.
"I am no petty tyrant or mad hermit. I am the Martyr Of Might, and I hope you are worthy of the trip."
That said, the white-haired crazy bends his knees, gathering power before launching himself straight up into the air. The planks beneath him bow, then crack as he pushes off, rocketing an easy 10 feet straight up over Abigail's head. With his shadow now cast over the larger man, Grant plummets back down out of the sky, cloak flowing out behind him to reveal the unreasonably cut lines of his bare torso. Arms snapping wide in a rush of dispelled wind, he scythes his right foot down in a diving kick, that ever-present sense of violence flaring sharply as a roar of purple flame rages up his foot to consume more than two thirds of his body, the demon arrowing down to try and deliver a raging dive kick square to Abigail's mustached face.
COMBATSYS: Abigail just-defends Grant's Messhou Hisetsu!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
The kick lands squarely against Abigail's face with all the thunderous force of an automobile collision followed by a burst of chi induced flame that roars around him and barrels behind him to kick up dust and cause the Boardwalk itslf to shatter as the ground sunders from the blow.
Abigail..doesn't move. He either forgot to move or block or react or otherwise showed a brief flash of insight and a hint at his potential should he ever go all out and be pushed to actualize his potential. But that moment of invulnerability is there and gone as the behemoth then staggers and recoils albiet in a delayed reaction to the initial impact. He seems disorientated..yet alright.
"Huff..aw no! Not more of that chi-whazzit-mumbo-jumbo! Stop lighting yourselves on fire!"
He surges forward, attempting to catch Grant before he can resettle into another attack. His body spins, sending a colossal back fist towards The Martyr of Might and if that lands, the force of the blow would be enough to lift the smaller man higher for Abigail to come around again with a gigantic upper cut after a full rotation.
COMBATSYS: Grant blocks Abigail's Abi Twist.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Grant 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Abigail
The force of their impact sends bits of trash scattering in all directions, the Martyr of Might rebounding from the kick to drop back toward the ground. However, before he can touch down the bigger man has shaken off the impact and a fist is coming his way.
Lashing out, Grant smashes his palm into the bottom of Abigail's hand, forcing the punch up and propelling his feet down to the ground so that the blow passes neatly over one shoulder. Calm and controlled, he pauses for half a moment, then snaps his other hand up to catch the oncoming uppercut by the wrist. Boards shatter beneath his bare feet as he leans into the attack, grinding the uppercut to a halt with sheer muscular strength. For Abigail to be this strong is almost understandable, he's huge. But Grant? Though the question is usually leveled at the Canadian, is it possible this masked man is even human?
"Your strength is impressive," the crazy praises, continuing to hold the giant by the wrist, "But you complain of your weakness rather than working to address it. Pathetic."
Having balled his free hand into a fist, he steps forward and releases Abigail's wrist just in time to drive a single, focused blow directly toward the center of his chest.
COMBATSYS: Grant successfully hits Abigail with Medium Punch.
Grant 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Abigail
"Patheti--"
Well that knocked the wind out of his sails. The blow lands solidly, violently. Abigail grimaces, a slight curling of his lips taking place as he wobbles backwards and the force of the blow passes through him to blast more of the boardwalk away violently.
"I got no time or interest for the nonsense you crazies peddle. Hadokothis and Abracadbra that. If you can't win a fight without that, it aint my fault!"
And yet, for his speech, he pauses as if to consider Grant carefully wile rubbing the massive expanse of his chest and then pounding on it with a solid *TWHOOOM*
"Alright, so come on with it then. I got books to balance!"
COMBATSYS: Abigail focuses on his next action.
"Because you were born with great size and strength you want all of your problems to face you where you are powerful. These are the words of a fool, and a coward. If you can not summon fire it is because you are too weak or stupid to figure it out."
Delivering each verbal slap with casual disgust, Grant tightens the raised fist he just punched the big man with until his knuckles crack with a rippling series of pops. Feet planted wide to balance atop 2 remaining support braces amidst a sea of broken and collapsing boards, he sizes the huge man up.
"It doesn't matter which techniques I use. Your body will crumble all the same. But perhaps this is a chance for you to learn."
The hand that had been held back and ready suddenly rockets forward and up, trailing a swath of purple flame that grows larger and larger as his fingers spear toward the sky. At the apex of the gesture the roiling wave of energy tears itself free and rages forward toward the giant, growing larger and larger as it consumes boards, struts, and anything else that gets in its way. By the time it reaches Abigail it is over 9 feet of blazing power, a wave of raw violence made manifest.
COMBATSYS: Abigail interrupts Kokuenryuu EX from Grant with Abi Lift.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Grant 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Abigail
The ground rocks violently - and it's not due to Grant. It's Abigail as he lunges forward, stomping a single foot down to crater the ground with the immense strength Grant so casually mocked.
With the power of a freight train (well he would say monster truck) he lunges forward through roaring energy shoving through the wave and trailing its remnants behind him as it rips away at the remains of his tee shirt leaving scorch marks already at home with similar marks from working bare handed in his modding shop to twist metal and handle overheated engines.
His arm comes rocketing up in a gargantuan rapid backfisted strike to slam home and disperse the rest of the flames even as it slams into Grant.
"What was that? I'm a fool??"
Abigail settles back into a combat stance from the strike, his body stablizing again, "You better not underestimate me! I didn't make top 8 in world warrior for nothing!" He slams his massive hands into his chest repeatedly, creating thunderpeal like eruptions from the impacts, "I get by on pure power! I don't -need- your fire to compete at that level! Whose the fool now!"
Of the various ways that Abigail could have dealt with his attack, charging right through was number three on the list of possibilities. And yet, though it isn't unexpected, Grant can still respect when the mountain of muscle comes thundering across the disintegrating bridge and plows right through the wall of energy. So abrupt is the charge that by the time he realizes what is happening, a spinning backfist is already hammering him squarely in the chest, sending his feet skidding through wooden debris as he slides a good 6 feet back from the impact.
A hefty hit, but not one that seems to have done more than bruised Grant's left pectoral, the tan skin darkening to a vivid shade of purple before their eyes.
With the remains of the boardwalk crumbling out from beneath them, the Martyr of Might focuses his burning gaze upon the celebrating giant and lets out a quiet scoff.
"Child."
Stepping calmly toward the enormous man, the demon pads from shaky strut to upright beam with offhanded ease, maintaining his balance as purple energy begins to manifest around his body. Swirling and puffing like a living mist, the dark energy radiates violent menace, more and more gathering until the warrior is little more than a shadow walking within the gathered shroud of his aura.
"I am unsure how you managed such a feet. There must have been those like myself that recognized it for the trash spectacle it was."
The weight of Grant's aura presses against Abagail as the last few feet fade away, the demon pushing off into a shallow leap that sees him twisting once through the air, every scrap of chi rushing down his body to be released in an explosion of violence from the tip of his striking heel, the brutal warrior attempting to hammer the giant backward through the crumbling boardwalk, through the sloping dunes of sand, and right up to the edge of the ocean.
COMBATSYS: Abigail endures Grant's Majin Hatendan but gets knocked away!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Grant 0/-------/----===|=======\====---\1 Abigail
COMBATSYS: Abigail gains composure.
Even the superhuman hot rodder has limits when it comes to attacks of certain force and devestation.
Perhaps, surprisingly, he's not unfamiliar with such pain. But that doesn't make it hurt any less.
"Grarrgh!!"
A plume of debris, sand and rock goes flying up through the air as he canyons a path backwards across the beach before finally managing to arrest his movements. He shakes his head a few times, clearly disorientated but recovering rapidly. Still, he may need a moment to pull it back together.
"Yeah, yeah. You don't get it. I've heard that all before. But the difference is that I made the top eight, won King of Fighters and the Neo League..because didn't back down or give up! SO I earned their respect! You think I don't know there's stronger fighters then me? Get real! I've been hit like that before! You ain't teaching me nothing I don't already know!"
He's battered but it doesn't make him any less monstrous as he brings his massive arms around infront of him in a gargantuan pose and flex. "C'mon!"
"I don't care about the King Of Fighters, or the Neo League." Grant replies from further up the beach, crimson eyes glaring down at the recovering giant from his perch balanced atop a thick upright beam. Despite his size and hulking physique, he holds the posture with effortless poise.
"It is my mission to seek out the strong. Those who hold within themselves the true spirit of a fighter. You think that your stubborn stupidity is what I will respect? I think YOU don't get it. Prove to ME what makes you a warrior, or I will leave your body cooling upon the beach. Death stares you in the face, small man. How will you answer it?"
Cape billowing out behind him, Grant launches himself down the beach to land not 10 feet away from the giant man. Bare feet sending bits of rock and sand tumbling away in all directions, he straightens up and turns his left shoulder toward the hulk, left arm folding across his chest while his right aims a casual palm in the brute's direction.
"Show me what truly defines you. For your sake, I hope it is more than simple brawn."
COMBATSYS: Grant charges his next attack!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Grant 0/-------/--=====|=======\===----\1 Abigail
Abigail remains..unimpressed. Stupid? Perhaps. Single minded? Most certainly. He feels the pressure, that much is certain. Grant has well made his point regarding the power he possesses. Abigail has seen it before but that doesn't make it any less dangerous. Even the rhetoric, as annoying to him as it may be.
"Oh great. Another one of those types. Man, why do I keep coming to this city! You're all nuts."
He reaches up and yank off the remains of his Mad Gear tee-sihrt, leaving his torso fully exposed for what it is. "Fine. You want to push it to the redline? Let's go!"
His body suddenly begins to turn a shade of deep red as fury courses through it, inflating his bulk even larger and splintering his tire-arm bands apart as his biceps swell like a four door car sewn under his skin.
"It's time for Max-Power!"
COMBATSYS: Abigail VROOOOOMS!!!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Grant 0/-------/--=====|=======\=======\1 Abigail
"So there is nothing else."
The low rumble of Grant's voice holds no note of surprise, though there is something. Disappointment, perhaps? Whatever it may be, the monster's focused intent has locked on to the bulging spirit that is Abigail, eyes burning like twin infernos.
Giving the bigger man all the time he needs to pump himself up, the Martyr waits until he has reached maximum bloat before launching himself at the undressing colossus with sudden, horrific speed. Ground cratering where he stood, he hurtles across the distance, violet chi pouring out of his body, and attempts to shoulder tackle Abigail clean off his feet.
If he can stagger the brute, Grant will twist, elbow lashing out with blinding speed to spike the big man's ribs with apocalyptic force. Only then will he turn, sweeping his foot forward in a ground-quivering stomp, and hammer his palm into the huge gangster's face in a maneuver that, with any luck, will send him rocketing backward to skip across the surface of the ocean like an oversized stone.
COMBATSYS: Grant knocks away Abigail with Empowered Majin Ganen.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Grant 1/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Abigail
For a minute, Abigail hasn't even realized what's happened. THe next thing he knows he's tumbling backwards, bouncing backwards towards and into the water as a roaring furious pain sets in from the force of a blow he hasn't felt since..well..the aforementioned World Warrior!
The earth ruptures and explodes around the colossus and then the water plumes violently on either side of him before crashing back down as he tumbles back uncontrollably. A blink and he regains enough sense and power to dig down deep within himself and keep from being knocked so far back he risks going completely under but it's clear that took out what reserves of strength he had built back up..if only barely. But barely over the edge is still over the edge.
"You sunnova.." he begins to sputter, blood mixed with water as he drops forward and staggers back out of the waters to the beach and then drops down to a knee. He makes an effort of climbing back up but Grant is to far away and he's to spent to make the journey with any sort of effort to make it worthwhile. "You happy now?" he grunts before finally collapsing over, frontwards into the sand.
COMBATSYS: Abigail takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Grant 1/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Abigail can no longer fight.
As the big brute collapses into the sand, the impact is such that a geyser of grain and surf erupt upward, and nearby seagulls cry out and fly away from the seismic activity. By this point, everyone has ran away, which means there are no witnesses to Grant's brutality, or his triumph over this beast.
Or is there? From behind the duo, Merrick steps up, his disguise fully abandoned and now one hundred percent his tactical ninja self. Not much shorter than Grant, the lean thugsassin -
(that's thug and assassin all combined into one word. Think that might be worth trademarking?)
the lean thugsassin rests his left arm against the masked caped fighter's shoulder, even as he gestures over to the fallen Abigail.
"Poor guy, looks like the day at the beach tuckered him out. Tell the truth, boss, there was at least a bit of bourbon in that bottle you just gave him, right? Something with a bit more kick than the same old formula he was used to."
He stood there a moment, listening to the gull cries, looking out at the beautiful waves out in the distance. After a moment, he gave a bit of a sigh and unholstered a very big, very serious looking shiny black handgun, laser sight pointed at the back of the giant's skull even as the silencer nearly poked into his skin.
"Well, guess this Mad Gear dumbass needs to learn why you don't step to the Syndicate. Just say the word, and it's 'rock-a-bye baby' for this sorry son of a bitch."
As if to emphasize his point, his goggles went from blank white to glowing red, and he clicked back the hammer of that fearsome firearm. He was almost itching to pull the trigger.
Cape flapping in the back draft thrown up by the thundering impact of his palm against Abigail's chin, Grant watches with glaring focus as the big man tears a path backward into the ocean. Surprisingly, he does not vanish beneath the waves, but manages to drag himself back to shore before collapsing in a bleeding heap.
Is he happy?
Not in the slightest.
Further musings are cut off when an arm lands upon his muscular shoulder with far too much familiarity. Beneath the press of the limb, the masked demon falls very still, a statue of granite muscle that radiates steadily growing menace while the syndicate thug rattles on. The gun comes out, aims, and there is a pause in which Grant is expected to answer.
"HRGH!"
The grunted exhalation is accompanied by a vicious spike of his elbow square to Merrick's ribs, attempting to stagger him away with all the casual force of a mad man swinging a sledgehammer. Then, without even looking he brings his near foot up, knee touching chest as he chambers it, then lashes out with a side kick that could cave in a steel door aimed precisely for the spot he just elbowed. It's a blow that could easily kill a normal man. Perhaps Grant knows that this particular gangster can survive it, or maybe he simply doesn't care.
Foot slamming back to earth with a gust of displaced wind, the Martyr Of Might gives Abigail's battered form one last glance before turning his back with a swirl of heavy black fabric, making his way back up the hill of sand toward the shattered remains of the boardwalk. Apparently he has decided the giant can live.
COMBATSYS: Grant has ended the fight here.
The elbow smashes into his ribcage, shattering almost all of them on that side, and causing the blackclad blackhander to double over and groan out. Seeing the leg chamber and the kick coming his way, his response is to try to force himself to stand upright, and quip out,
"Was it something I sa-"
And then he was gone, hurtling head over feet, smashing through a sand castle and hitting a bank of sand so hard that he bounces up a good 20 feet before landing hard. His limbs were twisted the wrong way, his shoulder dislocated even as his left arm was wrapped around his own neck, his torso completely caved in around the impact of that kick. He lays still a few moments, before horrifically, the mess proves that he is alive, and slowly works to a sitting position.
"...Got it."
Log created on 20:55:10 04/17/2021 by Grant, and last modified on 00:49:08 04/21/2021.


text:
Q: how to find out if two filenames refer to the same file This is a question about how to use Qt.
I  have two paths, let us say "c:\users\herbie\stuff\file1.txt" and "c:\users\HERBIE\stuff\file1.txt".
I want to write a method will tell me if these two paths refer to the same file or not. This method should work under windows and linux. Therefore I thought that Qt classes can be used to solve this problem, but I have not found how to do it.
Windows is not case sensitive so on windows these two refer to the same file. On linux they would refer to different files.
Does anybody know how to do this? string comparison does not work ( because of the case-sensitivity) and Qt classes such as QFileInfo,QDir etc always return the path the way it was set to them by constructor, not the name that actually exists on the system.
Any help is appreciated!

A: QFileInfo::operator== is defined to return true if two paths refer to the same file, except when (A) one is a Windows 8.3 "short" name and the other is its "long" name or (B) when one is a symbolic link to the other. Neither exception applies here.

A: EDIT
Even better look at boost::filesystem::equivalent :)
It returns true, if sf1 == sf2 and p1 and p2 resolve to the same file system entity, else false.

A: How do I get the correct case of a path? asks a similar question.
The solution by Slomojo is a bit of a hack, but there seems to be no way around it.

There isn't a simple way to do this, but you can try doing a
  QDir.entryList, and then do a case insensitive search on the results.
  This will provide you with the correct filename. You'll then need to
  get the absolutePath for that result.
This should give you the preserved-case for the path/filename.

A: You need to write OS specific code using #ifdefs. If you are running on Windows, convert the paths into uppercase, and compare. If you are on Linux, then compare as it is. There are some predefined macros on each OS that you could use.
You could use the list from here: http://sourceforge.net/p/predef/wiki/OperatingSystems/
With this, your code would look something like:
#ifdef __WINDOWS__
// do case-insensitive compare
#else
// do case-sensitive compare


text:
Prescription portal curbs deadly drug interactions
Rosie Lombardi
Published: May 29th, 2006
More than 11,000 adverse drug events were reported to HealthCanada in 2005, but the actual unreported numbers are much higher,according to IBM Canada research.
Many of these incidents could be prevented if doctors had theright information at their fingertips.
Unsafe practices – such as inappropriate prescriptions,inadequate monitoring, and harmful drug interactions – take theirtoll every year.
The Ottawa-based Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) seeksto offer them that. The CPhA recently launched its e-Therapeuticsportal, an online knowledge management system that deliversup-to-date and unbiased drug information to healthcarepractitioners.
Developed in conjunction with Markham-based IBM Canada, theportal aggregates several disparate, largely paper-based sourcesinto a centralized e-repository.
Many factors contribute to adverse drug events, says NeilStuart, a partner in IBM Canada's healthcare practice. The sheernumber, range and complexity of drugs available today feed into theproblem.
Stuart says drug therapy management is particularly difficultwhen patients are handed-off from one physician or specialist toanother for treatment. And the aging demographics of Canadiansociety means more and more people need treatment for chronicconditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and arthritis."Particularly with senior patients who are taking multiple drugs,it's hard to manage the effects without some kind of knowledgetool."
The difficulties of keeping up with the latest information areacute for general practitioners such as family physicians. Theymust cover the entire gamut of illnesses, says Stuart. But thevolume of material available is overwhelming. Medline, for example,a leading online database provided by the U.S. National Library ofMedicine, indexes about 4,000 articles annually on coronary diseasealone. "If a physician were to spend 15 minutes on each article, hewould require 115 8-hour days just to stay current – and that'sjust one disease," says Stuart.
In addition to volume, e-Therapeutics also removes the biasesthat may exist in other sources.
"This issue relates to pharmaceutical companies and thesignificant amount of influence they have on the prescribing ofmedication," says Dr. John Maxted, associate executive director ofthe Mississauga-based College of Family Physicians of Canada. "Theyspend a lot of money on these drugs and research, and then ofcourse they're going to want to recover their investments by tryingto sell their products. To be fair, they are required by law tooutline all the contraindications and side-effects of theirmedications – but they also want to sell them."
To eliminate this bias, the CPhA uses 130 authors – all expertsin their medical specialty areas – to develop content fore-Therapeutics. What they come up with, in turn, is cross-reviewedby panels of clinical authorities, says Diane Conrad, director ofproduct management, adding that the CPhA receives no funding frompharmaceutical companies.
In addition, the portal eliminates the ambiguity that U.S.-basedsources (which often list medications under different brand namesthan what are found in Canada) may introduce, she says.
The CPhA's compendium of pharmaceutical information, a massivetome that physicians call the "blue bible", has long been areliable source of information, says Maxted. Having a searchable,online version of the reference work incorporated in e-Therapeuticsis a godsend. "When you're seeing 30 to 50 patients a day in familypractice, you can't spend a lot of time looking up information oryou'll never get through your day," he says.
E-Therapeutics is one component of the larger effort to driveCanada's healthcare system into the electronic age. "About 70 percent of physicians have Web access at the office, 45 per cent havea medical warning system on their PDAs, and only about 14 per centhave electronic medical records," says Maxted. But this situationis changing rapidly, says IBM's Stuart. "An increasing number ofmedical schools are requiring their students have PDAs becausethey're building PDA use right into the curriculum."
Integration of e-Therapeutics with other medical systems will bea big focus in the future. "Many provinces are in the process ofintroducing pharmacy information networks, which are transactionalsystems that manage the interface between prescribers and retailpharmacies," says Stuart. "It would be terrific if this productcould be embedded in that."
There are many projects planned under the auspices of CanadaHealth Infoway, a Montr
Public Sector healthcare system
WestJet accepts blame, settles with Air Canada in espionage case
Massive eGovernment build in Singapore
Toronto hospital testing operating room 'black box'
Building and keeping an
e-Health in Canada – Electronic Health Record – Canadian Government eHealth
Technology transforms physicians