text:
Joining Forces Christmas Cards from Military Children
As you know I am all about military support! I am the granddaughter of World War II Veterans, the daughter of an Air Force pilot and the wife of an Army Soldier. Anytime I can instill pride in my children for these generations before them I do.
So I really love the idea behind Michelle Obama's latest Joining Forces request.
The First Lady is asking military children from around the globe for some personal contributions to the finishing touches on the White House decorations this holiday season. The request is for military children to submit 5x8" handmade holiday cards with words of appreciation for their military parents, as well as pictures and drawings. The White House will display as many of the cards as possible.
Participants are asked to send holiday cards to the following address along with information from where they are sending it by November 16, 2011:
Reservation 1
Attn: Social Office
Will you participate? I can't wait to sit around the kitchen table with the kids this weekend. We'll pull out the crayons, construction paper, stickers and more. We'll make hot chocolate, laugh, smile and maybe eat a cookie or two. We'll share how proud we are of dad, their grandfather, their great-grandfathers. We'll talk about the White House, how US military kids live all around the world. It may be early to be thinking about Christmas but time with the family is always in season!
by Unknown on Monday, October 31, 2011 0 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: Christmas, Joining Forces, Leanne, Minute out of the Norm
Herb Pull Apart Yeast Rolls
There is nothing like fresh bread out of the oven to complete a meal. In the past my family has been big fans of frozen store bought rolls, like Pillsbury or Rhodes. However, I recently discovered how much more delicious made from scratch rolls can be. A perfect compliment to soups, steak, or chicken. This side-dish complements the senses.
This easy recipe recipe makes 18 rolls, which would be perfect for a Thanksgiving get together but if you are making just for a family dinner you can freeze what you don't plan on eating for another night. It's a great way to save a little money and have homemade deliciousness on hand!
You will make these again and again to please the senses of sight, smell and of course taste!
Continue Reading ->
by Unknown on Sunday, October 30, 2011 0 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: dinner, Leanne, Recipe, Side Dish
A Minute out of the Norm: Painted Candle Holders
There is something about a candle in Autumn. Even a small flame gives off heat as we adjust to new temperatures outside. Something as simple as looking at a warmly-lit candle can heat me up from the inside out. Temperatures have fallen here in NE Ohio and my neighbor friend and I enjoyed a craft that can be enjoyed of all ages, from 4 years old to 37 and older.
by Unknown on Friday, October 28, 2011 0 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: Craft, Leanne, Minute out of the Norm
Your Voting Opportunities Just Got Easier! DoD Blogger Roundtable
Time does seem to fly! We are approaching Veterans Day 2011 so fast. Do you know that by next Veterans Day we will have had elections for President, Congress and local officials too!
Why talk about elections now? Because so many of our veterans and in particular, active duty folks did not vote in 2010 or 2008! The folks with so much at stake with the direction of their government; either, made the choice not to vote, or had a problem getting their ballots. So… we talked to Mr. Bob Carey, director, Federal Voting Assistance Program during a Bloggers Roundtable yesterday and he outlined what the federal government and DoD are doing to make sure that no one and, I repeat, no one does not have an opportunity to vote.
Some great news to start:
"FVAP has released the 2010 post-election report, which shows a 21% increase
in military voting, a 27% increase in military voters receiving ballots, and
a 24% increase in military voters casting ballots. It also shows broad
increases in voter awareness of available voting assistance resources."
Congratulations! Many of our soldiers, airmen, sailors, marines and coasties made quite the effort to get their ballot counted! Did you know that Congress passed a law that said that election officials had to get your ballots mailed to you 45 days in advance so you had time to get it, vote and return in time to be counted! (Some of you do make it hard to find your locale in the far flung places of the globe you find yourselves assigned to) This is a terrific law for the military community as it prevents us from being disenfranchised!
by Colonel K on Friday, October 28, 2011 0 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: Col K, Veterans, Veterans Day, Vote
Demand Your Life Preserver!
We are so close to the end of Breast Cancer Awareness month that I can almost taste it... that would be Halloween. Pink ribbons, orange pumpkins: it is a world of color right now.
We are so close to the end... oh that it were so close to the end of breast cancer!
Nancee and I stood outside in September on a cool blustery night. Our hair was zipping this way and that. We both relished in the idea that we were having a wild hair moment. We both had been without any hair... evidence there was no such thing as a bad hair day for us. Survivors know this.
Both of us stood with baby fine tresses, a bit gray. Haven't you heard that hair comes back luxuriously thick and deep colored? pshaw
When a mammogram smacks your brain with some bad cells highlighted, this is your time to scream and demand attention. Patience at this moment is not your friend. Grab the phone, call your friends, find some doctors. Imagine that this person is going to save your life... you are not just a patient... but a drowning soul, and the doc has the life preserver, and YOU WANT IT.
Recognize that you will be assertive. You will speak out about fears. You need someone to graphically explain preparations, tests, complications and procedures.
You are NOT TO BE ANOTHER PATIENT.... not just another patient. If you doc tells you this is what he or she do for all their patients... RUN, slam the door, hightail it out, beat feet to your vehicle and grab your soul mate who is running with you and look 'deer in the headlights' at each other and contact another physician... or two.
The difference? I cannot be certain, but my sweet, sweet Nancee would not ruffle any one's ridges... Nancee accepted what would happen to be 'what will happen'. Doctor 'A' was who she saw first... and last.
October, breast cancer month is all but over, and Nancee is gone.
I truly believed that the cure was here. My heart told me that we are good as gold.
Nancee is wearing a golden crown in heaven. She touched more lives than pink ribbons fly.
As the month closes, and our awareness of the cure dims, be wary. Keep vigilant. Demonstrate that when life says trick or treat... and that mammogram is tricky. Breath deep. You are/will be a survivor and you need an advocate with you on every step of the way. Wave that life preserver over your head like a trophy.. you will have earned it!
by Deborah on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 0 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: breast cancer, Deborah
"Life is Not Over When Injured" - One "Heroes at Home" Veteran Shares
He refused their help not once … twice … but three times… before saying yes. Why? "Others needed it more". … It was a simple announcement on his part but I heard the caring attitude underneath of a medic, taking care of others first had always been part of him, but now he needed some help.
Sgt Johnny Agpi was the 1,000th veteran who received help from the Sears Heroes at Home and Rebuilding Together program. After talking to his fellow Army veteran, Tom Aiello about the efforts to rebuild Johnny's home yesterday I wrote about those helping our veterans, "Heroes at Home Helping Veterans One at a Time". I asked if Johnny would share his story with me and he said yes. A reluctant recipient of their largess, Johnny opened up to me about his experiences. Proud to have been trained in the medical career field in clinic, hospital and field conditions, he served several times in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Celebrate Veterans Day!
His combat story was confusing, jumbled as most are, medical evacuation of two injured soldiers – multiple attempts, personnel from the Army, Air Force, Aussies, Canadians, special forces, Afghans, Chinooks, explosion on the landing zone, unconscious, over night on a ledge after being blown there – it truly had the haze of war but sadly he finished the day permanently injured with lower back and head trauma.
Flash forward to a medical board, honorable discharge, retirement from active duty, changes to lifestyle and then a call he thought originally to be a scam… opening the door to strangers that wanted to help and help they did. They came for four months and continue today to make improvements to his home. Heroes at Home made his home more livable, safer and convenient. He said "they insisted on doing so much more"… for him than necessary and that it seemed strange to having others do things for him.
He commented that, "he had saved lots of lives" and finally decided to say yes to the help after he realized "it's ok to say yes to help" because the cause "is bigger than me". Veterans needed to know that Americans cared about them and that "life is not over when injured". He said that veterans served and "did it with honor" and sometimes Americans are ungrateful which is not easy to understand. Disrespected, chastised for serving, he felt the need to speak out about how "it hurts" when confronted in this manner.
by Colonel K on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 0 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: Col K, Heroes At Home Wish Registry, Sears, Veterans, Veterans Day, Wounded
Heroes at Home - Helping Veterans One at a Time
It was an easy conversation, two veterans talking about what they both enjoy doing – helping other veterans, particularly those in need. None to be left behind…
Tom Aiello
Tom Aiello and I had met in New York during another great veteran event last year but now we were talking about the Sears Heroes at Home program. Heroes at Home had just finished the rebuild of their 1,000th veteran home in conjunction with Rebuilding Together. I could hear the pride in Tom's voice as we talked about the program that has given back so much to veterans. Sgt Johnny Agbi was an Army medic, disabled, in a wheel chair, living alone and needed a major rebuild of his house. It took four months (the average is about one month) due to the comprehensive scope of making his home safe and usable for someone in a wheel chair. It included wheel chair accessibility, energy appliances, remodeling of kitchen cabinets and counters (imagine trying to reach for the oatmeal at wheel chair height), bathroom facilities and more to make it safe and easy to use.
Col K getting a push
The Homes for Heroes program has been active for four years and already includes multiple thousands of volunteer hours, $15-16M in costs with an impact of 4 to 5 times the investment due to the efforts of those volunteers and folks like Johnny being taken care of as well! Tom said he had a special feeling for Army medics like Johnny as they had cared for Tom after he was injured on active duty. The feeling that it was more than just helping a veteran but that lives might be saved - profound for sure. A rebuilt home with features to make life easier; that people, complete strangers cared about them and an uplifted spirit of hope for the future. It was readily apparent to this veteran, who had been through a very short time in a wheel chair due to a foreign body invasion (cancer), that our veterans would be blessed by these volunteers.
It was a special event in DC for number 1,000, the First Lady was there and spoke about volunteering and caring for our military families. She announced the launching of "Joining Forces" a program to encourage Americans to support the troops and their families.
"…to bring Americans together to recognize, honor and take action to support military families as they serve our country and throughout their lives. The initiative aims to educate, challenge, and spark action from all sectors of society to ensure military families have the support they have earned."
When Tom responded to my question about what he would tell readers about Veterans Day, he said we should think about what veterans have done for us. "The best way to show appreciation is by deeds, not just words". Do one thing to get started and then the rest follows. (Need some suggestions? Here are 101 Ways to Thank a Veteran). But why the Sears corporation? Why are they involved?
by Colonel K on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 0 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: 101 Ways, Col K, Homes for Heroes, Sears, Veterans, Veterans Day, Wounded Warriors
Thank A Veteran
Thank a Veteran Today: http://www.militaryavenue.com/ways_to_thank_veteran
(Click on image for a clearer picture)
by Unknown on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 1 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: Leanne, Veterans, Veterans Day
Hop On Off Bus
Tourists!
Here I am! Yo buddy!
Do you love seeing a new city, new sites? Bring on the best views to entice fellow tourists to spread the money: easy transportation. No parking, no subway stairs or questionable taxi rates, just pull out the ticket and hop on the bus!
Las Vegas, NV is a total tourist town. The action is laid out on a long strip of land that, if you are wearing sensible shoes, you can walk and walk love the sunshine and keep on walking. However, to get the quick and dirty look of the town... the Hop On Hop Off bus is perfect. The double decker stops all along the strip. People watching is phenomenal while sitting seeing the sites.
Big cities everywhere offer this means of transportation. Tickets are easy to purchase right from the driver. Most require a credit card purchase, with the ticket good for 24 hours. Get off.. Get on, slide the card into the reader and take a seat.
Catch a glimpse of the highlights the tourist books picture. Then plan the day for areas of your personal interest.
by Deborah on Monday, October 24, 2011 2 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: Deborah, travel
Help for Our "Troubled" Veterans
This Veteran's Day may not be so special for a group of veterans – those incarcerated in our federal and state prisons. Do you know a veteran who took a wrong step or maybe the legal system went awry? According to 2007 statistics there were 140,000 veterans in prison (federal and state) and most had honorable discharges from their military service. (National Coalition of Homeless Veterans)
Facing similar situations as our homeless veteran population with mental illness, addictions and reintegration issues they are frequently forgotten members of our society.
A friend who served time at Ft Leavenworth' US Disciplinary Barracks is still a strong emotional memory. A subordinate imprisoned there and then released after being found innocent upon appeal/review is the worst feeling. So when I drove past "The Castle" a few years back during a trip to the post, I had this awful chill run down my back. Thoughts went back to this honorably serving man with a chest full of decorations who stepped over the boundaries and legal requirements of being a leader and paid the price. I could not imagine his pain of being locked in that place. Or worse, how about the innocent man who served a couple of years before being released? The Castle was tore down in 2005 and replaced by a modern prison facility on the post.
Certainly there are plenty of veterans who deserve to be incarcerated for crimes they committed and need to be rehabilitated so they can contribute to society. Usually more educated and older than the prison population, veterans who served all of us may be waiting for care that would allow them to be released under parole. Speaking with a son, who serves a state prison population as a psychologist, the prisons do not have a specific program to help veterans. Relying on outside help from Veteran Affairs/Department of Labor in the form of grants (which are not approved very often) for specific veteran care, the veterans languish waiting "their turn" for care that would give them points for parole.
But why start in the prisons? A new approach which would seem to be appropriate nation wide is the formation of veteran courts! Advocates address the issues of social reintegration, combat stress, mental illness and addictions and seek treatment versus imprisonment for our veterans. The National Association of Drug Court Professionals supports Justice for Vets with an approach similar to drug courts but connecting the courts with VA health providers to assist in treatment plans. The American Legion passed a resolution in support for Veterans Treatment Courts at the 93rd American Legion National Convention in August this year. Resolution 109 seeks congressional action for funding Veteran Treatment Courts and VA action to establish a central office to manage the Veterans Outreach Justice program. The Legion resolution also includes volunteers from local posts to assist the courts with finding veteran resources including VA benefits and services. Other veteran organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars have also been advocates for our imprisoned veterans. While the US faces an unprecedented fiscal challenge, veteran programs need to receive priority from our elected officials.
As we approach Veterans Day, be sure to say thank you to a veteran and remember those veterans who served as well but need help to become a productive part of society. They served you and deserve your support!
USDB Ft Leavenworth Army.mil Images
A Soldier checks cells on one of the six tiers inside the old U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Oct 19, 2011 Army.mil Images
Military Life: 101 Ways, Homeless Veterans, Incarcerated Veterans, Veterans
Some Pictures Cannot Be Seen: Breast Cancer Awareness
We sat in the back office my grandson and me
Both carefree and chatty as Grandma/grandson can be.
He looked at some pictures that sat on the wall
and asked if his Daddy was always so tall?
I showed him some pictures of Panama days
Then Texas, Illinois, Florida and New York's growing phase
We gazed at the glaciers in Iceland and the cold...
Then he asked if Daddy was always so bald?
No, not true.Six years ago I was sick and in bed
A disease and medicine made the hair fall from my head
Your Daddy saw half of my head still had hair
And he asked if he could shave it and held me... oh dear!
When I was done, and back into bed for a rest
He shaved his brother and his head too! I confessed
It scared me
That cancer
Could touch
My boys too.
Oh Jacob
This disease won't touch you!
"Ride for Our Heroes" in New England - A Wordless Wednesday Thank You!
Two quotes about Ride for Heroes in New England:
"The biker community has a long history of riding to support veterans. We hope the Ride for Our Heroes can become another great tradition to honor those who suffer from the 'invisible wounds of war'--post traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. We are honored to work with the biker community on this event," --John Parrish, MD, Director of the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program.
"It is rewarding to know that we have a partner in the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital's Home Base Program assisting us in providing the additional support and services soldiers and their family members require. I'll remember this inaugural Ride For Our Heroes for many reasons, but none more so than saying I helped do my part on the battlefield abroad and at home with the Home Base Program." LTC Warren Bacote, Garrison Commander, Fort Devens, Mass., one of the six starting points for the Ride for Our Heroes
Photos Courtesy of George Photography
(www.georgephotos.com).
Military Life: Col K, military family, PTSD, TBI, Veterans, Veterans Day, Wounded
Tasty Tuesday with Sweet Potato Muffins
We went to the pumpkin patch with 2 of the grands today. Fun. Each ran and found their beauty. They surprised me in that they didn't go for the big one... but each chose their favorite from the ones at the farthest end of the garden... as if the pursuit was the prize!
With a little muscle help from Grandpa, the vine came loose, and the chilly orange orb was theirs!
Since it is Tuesday, they wanted to perform in the kitchen, and pumpkin was on their minds. Muffins seemed the perfect treat for this chilly afternoon. We got out the ingredients, put on the aprons and set to work. One problem, the only can of pumpkin that I had was a huge one... and right next to it sat a small can of sweet potatoes. Oh yes. Substitution time! Yummy results.
Sweet Potato Muffins
by Deborah on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 0 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: Breakfast, Deborah, Muffins, Recipe, Snack, Sweet Potato, Tasty Tuesday
Veteran Employment and Transition Ideas!
"The Mission Continues. It's Not A Charity. It's A Challenge."
Transitions are never easy! Civilian to military (remember basic training, etc), a PCS, new schools, new career path/job and that last military move – military to civilian. Finding your niche can be difficult! How about trying a fellowship with a non profit to find it?
MilitaryAvenue met part of The Mission Continues team in Motown during a homeless veteran's project. Young, vital, caring and enthused! The adjectives described them to the "T" but as with all good news that we find for the military community, it is our job to tell others about them! Nick, Tiffani and Meredith, their work teaming with the Home Depot Foundation during "The Celebration of Service" was exciting. But what caught our attention besides helping homeless veterans was their "fellows program". Nick and Tiffani were part of the program so we took an opportunity to find out more about this transition idea for veterans.
Meredith Knopp talking with Col K (center) and husband, Ken in Motown
Meredith Knopp, is an eight year Army veteran, and the Vice President of Programs for The Mission Continues. She traveled to be in Detroit to participate in "The Celebration of Service" and we briefly talked and arranged a follow up meeting to discuss the fellowship program for post 9/11/2001 veterans. With a sense of service that inspires them, many enter the armed forces with a purpose and she said that the fellowship program is a way to continue that service with their local communities after leaving the military.
"Seeing tremendous growth" according to Knopp; "The Mission Continues" fellowship program has 94 alumni, have awarded 180 fellows in 30 states with 87 current fellows. Founded by former Navy SEAL, Eric Greitens in 2007, the organization provides fellows for organizations such as the American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Habitat for Humanity, the YMCA and several others. Eric, a Rhodes Scholar, wanted to help veterans serve their communities.
by Colonel K on Monday, October 17, 2011 0 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: Col K, Homeless Veterans, Military Employment, Veterans, Veterans Day
The Military Spouse
A little something to pass along to the military wives (and husbands) in your life:
by Unknown on Saturday, October 15, 2011 1 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: Leanne, military spouses
The End in Sight? Iraq Withdrawal Continues! DoD Blogger Roundtable
We are finally leaving Iraq… well maybe not… the diplomats are still talking… the troops are left holding their breath.
According to current agreements as of December 31st 2011, the 41,000 military personnel in Iraq will have left and the final 22 bases will have been closed or handed over to the Iraqis. Eight years of conflict leaves a lot of material, equipment and trash. We have gone from a high of 505 bases and 165,000 troops to the current levels in a short time but the count down to the end of the mission continues rapidly. One point six million (1.6M) pieces of equipment have been moved from the Iraq theatre to other missions according to Maj Gen Thomas Spoehr but seven hundred thousand plus (700K+) remain.
Maj Gen Thomas W Spoehr
Gen Spoehr is the United States Forces – Iraq, Deputy Commanding General for Support and he talked to the Bloggers Roundtable about the withdrawal and the effort required to bring the troops home. The logistics folks are still delivering fuel (964,000 pounds a day – about 160,000 gallons), the clean up continues with 6.8 M pounds of scrap sold in October… the numbers go on for a long time but reality is that the folks still there are working hard to make the departure a healthy, protected, safe one. The quality of life has become, "expeditionary" in bases that are closing and "austere" in the last two weeks before closing according to Spoehr. Meals Ready to Eat and mail will be stopped but one bit of great news is that contact with families and friends through the internet usually continues because local Iraqi business internet providers are open for business till the end.
Military Life: Col K, Iraq, military family, Veterans, Veterans Day
"Military Spouse Employment Summit"
One of my favorite topics to write about is how to help the military community with employment! The next level up is how to help military spouses with employment! They sacrifice much during each PCS for their military member's career while frequently placing theirs on the back burner. In today's economic environment it is even harder so MilitaryAvenue wants to provide resources for the military community in the form of blogs, contacts, articles and news information! So tune up your social media for this one to the Military Spouse Employment Summit being held in Fairfax Virginia on November 3rd and 4th!
MilAve_Deborah talking to an Army spouse at an AWN Field Exercise
With challenge comes opportunity! Today I joined Sue Hoppin, the founder of the National Military Spouse Network in a blogger roundtable to discuss the coming event. I thought it would be interesting to hear what the Summit will include and why you should be there (virtually or in person). The Summit is a great way to learn networking among military spouses! For those hidden opportunities that we all know about or can learn to watch for (to help a fellow military spouse): the jobs that are opening due to PCS or retirement for example. Sue has put together a group of experts to panel and talk about social media, volunteering, military spouse friendly employers, entrepreneurship, re-entering the work force and much more! We just posted an article for you about the conference on MilitaryAvenue with details, 2011 Military Spouse Employment Summit.
So how much is $73 worth to you? A lot, many will say! How about connecting and learning how to find that job you need or how to help fellow military spouses! The best part it covers an evening social, breakfast, lunch, dessert social and all the panels! That is the best price for a one day + conference in the DC area that we have heard of since about 1938! Not born that long ago? Neither were we, and neither was the internet, read on for more!
by Colonel K on Thursday, October 13, 2011 0 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: 101 Ways, Col K, Military Spouse Employment, military spouses, Veterans Day
What a Pile of ... Laundry
Motherhood. - Childhood. - Sometimes they just don't fit hand in hand.
I did laundry on Monday - a basket full for each boy.
Last night (two days later) I am tucking my darlings into bed (E (9) and C (6) share a room) when I notice their dirty laundry basket, literally overflowing. Two days of laundry? I think not. Is there clean laundry in there? You can count on it!
Sometimes I have a very hard time coming up with appropriate consequences for things my boys do that they should know better. However, last night when I said "You have Friday off of school for a Teachers-Inservice Day and you two will be doing laundry." I wasn't fooling. They will wash, sort, fold and then put away. Perhaps, (pretty please!) they will think twice about wearing pajamas only once before throwing them in their laundry basket; picking up a pair of shorts that fell out of their drawer (never warn) and thrown in the dirty laundry; thinking, "Eh, I don't want to put the clean laundry away so I'll just shuffle it over to the dirty laundry pile." Perhaps...
Ah the challenges of motherhood. We will conquer this hurdle... or pile in this instance.
by Unknown on Thursday, October 13, 2011 0 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: boys, consequences, motherhood
"Celebration of Service" - Helping out Veterans
Loading supplies for veteran's homes!
It started early, involved 1,170 volunteer hours at four veterans' homes by the end of the day according to Doug Bellah, Home Depot Store Manager, Kentwood, MI! All volunteers, helping veterans get ready for Michigan's winter, improving their homes, lifestyle needs and more. Their shirts were orange and said, Celebration of Service and included a budget of $8,000 for the four homes' improvements and had workers from eight Home Depot Stores from Western Michigan – Ludington, Muskegon, Grand Rapids, Alpine …
Dan and I traveled to one site to talk with Mark, a 3 ID Army veteran from 1993-1996. With a family of six, they were identified by the West Michigan Veteran's Assistance Program as a veteran family who could use some help. Mark was affable, disabled and so appreciative of the volunteers running around his house. Outside, inside there were 50 or more and they were putting on new doors, building new decks, new door knobs, two bathrooms had new toilets and flooring, the kitchen had new flooring and cabinet hardware. Worn electrical outlets were replaced, landscaping added and flowers to show the pride of all involved! Top it off with repairing swing sets in the park across the street!
MilAve_Col_K speaking with Volunteers and W Michigan Veteran's Assistance Program leadership
Landscaping!
Military Life: Celebration of Service, Col K, Home Depot Foundation, military family, Veterans Day
What Success Looks Like
"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race" - Calvin Coolidge
Wishing you much /success/ as you press-on with what means the most to you!
by Unknown on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 0 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: Leanne, Persistence, Success
Breast Cancer – My Story
Breast Cancer runs deep in my family. It has taken lives. It has changed loved ones forever in so many ways. It is nothing to mess around with.
My Mom: Early detection saved her life. She is a reminder of how important a mammogram is. She underwent chemo and radiation and is daily reminded of those side effects but has been in remission for over five years!
My Mother in Law: A small lump was found during a self-check. No chemo required. Praise God. She has also been in remission for over five years.
My Grandmother: I never met her. Breast Cancer took her life in her early 40s leaving behind a very young family and generations that only wish they met her.
My Great Aunts: 3 out of 4 sisters had breast cancer; two didn't survive.
Military Life: breast cancer, Leanne
Leif Landed First Day
I love today. The calendar has it marked as Columbus Day. Oh the memories of childhood elementary school drawings and the smell of crayons are still carried in my mind. There were the stories and songs of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria sailing the ocean. Somehow these brave crews found the West Indies and are credited for laying claim on the Western Hemisphere. I always pictured a career group of sailors from Genoa working together, sharing food and chores: organized and cordial.
And then I had humor thrown into the vision.
In my Dad's hometown in upstate New York live a cluster of Norwegian octogenarians. They love October 10th and celebrate it in costume, with boatloads of food and party napkins. Food fills the table like walkers and oxygen tanks fill the room. It could be 80 degrees outside and all will come dressed in their finest handmade woolen Norwegian sweater.
Military Life: Columbus Day, Deborah, Leif Landed First
Sermon Notes: Praying for My Sons
I pray for the sick, those in the need, even for the future of my children (professions, spouses, choices they will make in years to come). But I rarely pray for my children in the present, here and now. Today there was a subtle nudge that I need to be better about that.
*E*, received his 3rd grade Bible in front of our church congregation this morning. He stood in front of the same congregation he was baptised in front of eight years ago. This was the same church-family who agreed to raise him in our family of faith. There we stood eight years later praying for him and thirty of his peers. This mother's heart swelled with joy. It was a beautiful reminder how important family is outside of your typical definition of family. But also a poignant reminder of how important prayer is, every day.
So I question myself: Why don't I pray for my children more often? I need to! I pray that my four boys will be godly men as they grow. That they will be examples of Christ at 17 (*J*), 9 (*E*), 6 (*C*) and even 14-months old (*L*). Their lives today influence who they are tomorrow, and next months and years to follow.
Today I pray for their insecurities, their compassion, their zest for life. I pray today not for their future but for their present day.
I pray that...
They are gracious winners,
and understanding losers.
They fight a fair fight,
know when to concede,
or know when to walk away.
Military Life: Leanne, prayer, Sermon Notes
What is a Veteran?
A military veteran is:
experienced in a trade
trained and skilled in their job
knowledgeable about being on time and on target
salutes the flag with purpose
wears or has worn a uniform
has sworn and taken an oath
has carried a weapon
has polished boots
understands what 'taps' means
comprehends an order
has awoken to reveille
knows the chain of command
has spoken the language of acronyms
has longed for leave
owns a set of dog tags
has access to organizations like the VFW, American Legion, VA, MOAA, NCOA
garners respect when speaking of service
has protected the integrity of our constitution
has pledged allegiance to our flag, and meant it!
Thank a veteran today. They have done so much for each of us, and continue to do so!
by Deborah on Friday, October 07, 2011 0 Readers' Thoughts
Military Life: Deborah, Veterans Day
Motown has a new Veterans Homeless Facility and Park!
A Park for Veterans is being created
It was not exactly the smooth sounds or motions of Motown but a blur of noise, colors (mostly orange), activity, yard equipment movements, cars and trucks being guided by traffic guards, pounding hammers, wheelbarrows rolling, noisy chippers, buckets carried, … It was heartening to see in the "rustic" downtown area of Detroit to see these bright orange clad volunteers turning the sounds of cacophony into a smooth jazz park for our homeless veterans in the area!
MilitaryAvenue's MilAve_Dan and Mil_Col_K had to follow up on this kind offer to see and report on this Volunteers of America Michigan, The Mission Continues, Home Depot Foundation and Veteran Affairs effort. It was a beautiful day to work outside and work they did! More than 200 volunteers as Tiffani McCardell proudly exclaimed! Tiffani is a proud Air Force veteran of Minot AFB, ND of "Why Not Minot; Freezin is the Reason" fame. A coordinator with nerves of steel (she did load bombs after all), she is a fellow with the Mission Continues that coordinated the day's activities with all the players and brought it together.
Aprons in Action Volunteers
Patrick Patterson, Vice President of Operations for Volunteers of America MI had invited us to see the new facility and watch the park being built across the street for veterans. He proudly took us on a tour of the facility as others worked to finish before the projected opening date on Veterans Day (11/11/11 at 11 AM). The renovated building will house 60 homeless veterans already on a waiting list in the 28,000 square facility that includes many features learned from previous experience according to Patrick. A secure place for veterans with many needs including counseling and medical treatment for the ravages of PTSD, TBI, drug and alcoholic addictions and mental illnesses. VOA has about an 80% success rate in approximately 9-12 months of treatment/housing. Success means contributing to society, permanent housing, continuing education and/or employment (if able).
But the focus of the day was outside as we watched the volunteers from Home Depot creating a park out of nothing in the empty lot across the street. Chris Gilbert, District Manager, Midwest Region of Home Depot brought volunteers from Bowling Green, OH to Lapire, MI, to East Lansing to Detroit in this effort to construct the park. Chris was excited about the effort as we talked and the volunteers felt the same as they shared their "passion" to help veterans and "make a difference" in their lives. It was "their turn to serve" as one explained their desire to help. Their orange Aprons in Action are certainly in action with service projects. The Home Depot Foundation "Celebration of Service" partnership with The Mission Continues is funding and providing manpower for 200 service projects across the country before Veterans Day.
Military Life: Col K, Home Depot Foundation, Homeless Veterans, Veterans, Veterans Day, Volunteer
What is Veterans Day?
Welcome in autumn. Our country steps up to elections. Our view of the land flashes from green to fading oranges and yellows. Where parks and buildings raise flag poles we see our nations pride: the American flag flies! It is more colorful; hangs more prominent; and displays strength on Veterans Day.
Each November 11 America looks to the past, the present and is thankful for the future with eyes on our servicemen and women. This year 11/11/11 illustrates squadrons standing next to each other... the date is like a parade marching across a page; a phalanx of individual 'ones' standing side by side and displaying numerical meaning to the date.
November 11 the date for Veterans Day, first decided upon by in European countries in 1918. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. This day became known as Armistice Day. A day set aside to celebrate the end of World War I. The war to end all wars.
Eight years later America brought the name before Congress but it was twelve years after that date before a Congressional act passed to make November 11 a National Holiday. And then...war broke out again. The amount of US servicemen that died in battle was staggering; those who survived came home changed.
Let's hear it for Birmingham, Alabama! This is a city where change pulses and takes life. In 1947 the first World War II veteran parade took place in Birmingham to honor all veterans.
Later in 1954, Armistice Day was officially changed to Veterans Day. President Eisenhower, a distinguished veteran signed the proclamation.
For a brief time Veterans Day was changed from the 11/11 calendar date to the 4th Monday. One does not mess with vets! In 1978 Congress returned it to November 11, the traditional date.
The most heart wrenching ceremonies can be heard like a symphony around the world. Our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are interred overseas as well as in veteran cemeteries. Wreaths are laid in Paris and London. However on the steps of the Potomac River in Washington DC the chilling steps of the Old Army Guard keep vigilant the safe guarding of our military pride and taps fill the air at Arlington Cemetery.
.US Department of Veteran Affairs "Celebrating America's Freedoms"
by Deborah on Thursday, October 06, 2011 0 Readers' Thoughts
The Army in Europe - Why it is Important to be There
It was fun and we laughed while talking about serious national and international security issues! Military family issues too.
Lt Gen Mark Hertling, commander, US Army Europe
It started out as another DoD/Army Bloggers Roundtable on a bright sunny fall day. The subject matter was interesting and the speaker one of our nation's military leaders with combat experience and information to share. The discussion was intended to be focused on why the forward presence of US forces in Europe was critical to meeting our defense requirements but we jumped around the interests of everyone in attendance. Lt General Mark Hertling, commander, U.S. Army Europe, was on top of the issues affecting his troops, their families and the international players he works with every day. He was articulate, could laugh at himself and traveled to be in DC for an Army leader conference and to attend the AUSA conference on Monday as well. He took the time to talk to social media outside the mainstream which he obviously considers important.
The first question out of the bucket was how budget shortfalls have/would impact European partners' military forces and their ability to meet security obligations. Many have significant challenges with their national budgets (even worse than ours in many cases). In fact, not one country is meeting the NATO requirement of 2% of the GDP for their military forces but General Hertling said, "Everyone is fighting above their weight class" as he praised their contributions and efforts. He added that the Army had conducted 8,000 exercises/events in Europe in 2010 (will be similar in 2011) and he had numerous antidotal stories about how they impacted our partners ability to get the job done. He spoke of a Polish brigade of 2,600 personnel being prepared for deployment to Afghanistan, command post exercises and smaller squad level training as well, which he considered to be critical to force modernization and training.
Military Life: 2011 Military Budget, Col K, DoD Roundtable, military community, military family
The Small, Fine Print
How often do we take the time to read the small, fine print?
Last weekend we had a great offer extended to us for a getaway weekend from a national corporation (HGVC) to a city which many consider to be a fun place to visit. Las Vegas, here we come! We came to visit and find memories. Two of our kids were born here while we were stationed at Indian Springs (now Creech AFB) and then a pregnant PCS 34 years ago. That was another story about military life and overseas assignments, birth with a doctor speaking a different language, etc., but I get way off this story.
Sunrise over Las Vegas
We coordinated airfare using our USAA Eagle Point Rewards , took advantage of the Hilton free offer and into the air we lept (very early I might add) with a stopover flight and then finally we were on the ground in the fun and pleasure seeking crowds at McCarran Airport/Las Vegas. Very busy place but well organized in most cases. By the way, we found the TSA folks to be very helpful and friendly whenever we encountered them. Funny, how a thank you and a smile works when talking to folks trying to protect you from terrorists. Oops, off the story line again.
When we made the airline reservations, we had to decide the advantages and disadvantages of a rental car versus public transportation and taxi. We try to walk as much as possible but realized that our location although on the Strip was a long walk to featured destinations. After weighing the advantages we decided on the rental car because we wanted to drive up to Indian Springs to see our old homestead (it was our first PCS after pilot training).
The Forum Shops in Caesar's Palace
The USAA travel service made the reservations for us and gave us a nice quote for the car. It made the car very appealing. In fact, when compared to the cost of a taxi during our visit, it would be comparable and of course we wanted to drive the 100 mile round trip to the Springs. When we got to the rental car center we talked to the Budget agent (after being in line for about 20 minutes) and found out the car was just about double what had been quoted. Now we were tired, plane weary, crowd weary and line weary so when I asked, why it was different and the lady said, "you have a great price" it seemed to make sense. After some saleswomanship we signed and left with our car looking for some sun (we do live in western Michigan which has Seattle like weather except more snow and colder).
Military Life: Col K, finances, military family, USAA
Domestic Violence Awareness - Be the Advocate
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, find out more about available support and resources. To speak with a Department of Defense Victim Advocate, contact Military OneSource at 1-800-342-9647, or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
This is not a cheery, happy-go-lucky subject. I much prefer those topics of conversation but there are times we need to step out of our comfort zone and be there for those we love, help those who need help and take the time to educate ourselves.
National statistics reveal that it affects more than 4 million people a year, with almost 17,000 of them murdered by an intimate partner and an estimated 2,000 children dying at the hands of a caregiver.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is a place I can not wrap my head around.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, domestic violence is one of the most chronically under reported crimes in our country today.
A dark tunnel I would never want to enter.
Military Life: Child Abuse, Domestic Abuse, Leanne
Homemade Pasta Sauce, a pleasure of the senses
You know that feeling when you realize you are more and more like your mother? I will never forget visiting my mom and dad a couple years ago. I offered to make dinner one night; thinking 'simple', like pasta, sauce and veggies. Only to find out she didn't have a simple jar of Ragu in her cupboards. When I questioned her (probably rather indigently, knowing me) about this lack of a jar of an important dietary staple she said something rather cheerfully like, "We can just make it!" I'm sure I rolled my eyes half way into my head and thought (or quite possibly spewed), "Mom, pouring it form a jar into a sauce pan is considered 'making it' in my book."
The sauce is simmering. When it is done there will
be about half as much in the pots
Fast forward five years, I am proud to say that I have about 10 quarts of frozen homemade pasta sauce in my freezer. Dinner time around here is crazy. Quick and convenient is very important to me! So when I do make homemade sauce I make a large batch of it. After it is made, frozen in quart ziplock freezer bags, it can than be easily defrosted and cooked as quick as a can of Ragu can be opened.
When tomatoes were in season last month I took an afternoon and made it in two large stock pots. My husband loves the smell of it as he walks in the door after a long day. In fact, he isn't much of a compliment giver, but when we have homemade sauce it never fails. He immediately takes in a huge breath when walking in the door and says, "Something smells good!"
If you are looking for a way to please your senses, with sight and smell try this one afternoon:
Military Life: Leanne, main course, Recipe
Joining Forces Christmas Cards from Military Child...
Your Voting Opportunities Just Got Easier! DoD Bl...
"Life is Not Over When Injured" - One "Heroes at H...
Some Pictures Cannot Be Seen: Breast Cancer Awaren...
"Ride for Our Heroes" in New England - A Wordless ...
The End in Sight? Iraq Withdrawal Continues! DoD B...
Motown has a new Veterans Homeless Facility and Pa...
The Army in Europe - Why it is Important to be The...


Dare composers Daniel and Gideon have recently produced and co-written the closing song for Sony Picture's "Call Me Crazy: a Five Film" from Executive Producer Jennifer Aniston.
The song has just been nominated for the APRA Screen Music Awards in the category of "Best Original Song Composed for Screen".
"Call Me Crazy" stars Academy Award® and Golden Globe® winners Jennifer Hudson ("Dreamgirls"), Melissa Leo ("Oblivian") and Octavia Spencer ("The Help"), Sarah Hyland ("Modern Family"), Brittany Snow ("Pitch Perfect"), Sofia Vassilieva, Ernie Hudson, Jason Ritter, three-time Emmy Award®-winner Jean Smart, Lea Thompson, Oscar®-nominee Melanie Griffith and Chelsea Handler. Laura Dern, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bonnie Hunt, Ashley Judd and Sharon Maguire direct the anthology.
The brothers collaborated with composer Alex Wurman and singer/songwriter Jessica Paige on the song.
The movie was premiered in Los Angeles on April 18.


This Queens hospital has stood abandoned for almost 20 years after its patients were secretly relocated in the dead of night.
This abandoned seaside fortress is now simply an imposing ruin being taken back by nature.
Are we missing something unusual in Queens?


Linking sensory input from a person to a model in a wind tunnel designed to create human-like turbulence patterns and expressions.
The challenges of this Tech project are to create and enable the artistic experience of seeing dance and hearing music in normally seeing and in congenitally blind people through tactile sensation. Based on data from motion capture the team has previously created 3D printed body objects that were explored through touch. The project focuses on dance movement of the whole body and its sonification to be rendered in material objects.
Our minds are limited to the corporeal form of our bodies which have distinct capabilities and limitation. Working with the Brain and Emotion Lab, the project "Wind Avatar" directly links a person to the wind. Body movements express emotion in subtle and highly coded ways. The practices of dance stabilize the expression of emotion into patterns of movement. The Wind Avatar creates a direct relationship between these patterns of expressive body movement in dance and turbulence patterns in the wind and allow a person to literally inhabit the wind and its freedom.
This project brings together three years of existing research in fluid dynamics by the artist with Dance's systems to create an original fusing of disciplinary knowledge. A wind tunnel system developed by the artist with engineers from the von Karman Institute for fluid dynamics creates the face of the wind and allows for the control of its expressions.
Like the Dance project, the Wind Avatar is particularly interested in working with people who are physically impaired or congenitally blind. This project can offer a tactile sensory experience of visual phenomenon by employing the full-body sensation of wind blowing on a person's skin.
HASEEB AHMED (b.1985) is a research-based artist. Originally from the US, he now lives and works in Brussels. He produces objects and site-specific installations.
Often working collaboratively Haseeb integrates methodologies from the hard sciences into his art production. Currently he works with the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics in Brussels to create the Wind Egg Trilogy. The project blends art and aeronautics, myth and technology, to create new narratives for the present. Its final part will be shown as a solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Antwerp in 2018.
DANCE hasn't shared any update yet.
Follow DANCE to receive notifications about future updates.


text:
Sri Lanka celebrates classic Buddhist text, requests UNESCO world heritage designation
by Haleigh Atwood| March 19, 2019
This week, the government of Sri Lanka is officially celebrating the Tripitaka, the collection of texts that form the foundation of Theravada Buddhism. The government has declared the week of March 16 to 23 "Tripitaka Week."
In January, Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena declared the Tripitaka to be a national heritage. The declaration offers legal protection, ensuring that in the future only a prominent intellectual panel will be allowed to translate or edit the scriptures.
Considered the oldest book in Sri Lanka, the Tripitaka contains three volumes: the rules and regulations for monastic life, called the vinaya pitaka; the discourses attributed to the Buddha and his closest disciples, the sutta pitaka; and a collection of scholastic summary and analysis, the abhidhamma pitaka.
According to HT Media, President Sirisena said the Tripitaka was originally gifted to Sri Lanka during the visit of Arahat Mahinda Thera. Passed down orally before it was transcribed onto Ola leaves in the 1st century BC, the scriptures were edited and published as a complete book in 1956.
To mark the week, events around the world are raising awareness of the text's importance. On March 16, the London Buddhist Vihara in the United Kingdom hosted a symposium on the significance of the Tripitaka as a world heritage. On March 23, the final day of the celebration, an event is scheduled in Kandy, Sri Lanka, to announce a proposal to have the Tripitaka recognized as World Heritage by UNESCO.
About Haleigh Atwood
Haleigh Atwood is the editorial assistant for Lion's Roar. She has also written for Montecristo Magazine, J-Source, and CBC Nova Scotia Information Morning. Find her on Twitter @HalEAtwood.
Topics: Asia, News, Sri Lanka, UNESCO
Ancient Buddhist city of Bagan added to UNESCO World Heritage List
by Sophia Kamps
Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh awarded Luxembourg Peace Prize
by Sam Littlefair
Tibetan Buddhist lama Geshe Tashi Tsering receives British Empire Medal

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Synergy Spanish was created by Marcus Santamaria, and it's object was to attempt to make learning Spanish as easy as possible. The way he approached this was by the use of 'cognates' — words which are very similar in Spanish and English.
The key selling point of the course is that by acquiring a vocabulary of just 138 words, you will be able to develop basic conversational skills in Spanish.
The course is an audio course consisting of five sections ranging in complexity from novice to advanced user. The audios are roughly 15 to 20 minutes in duration.
Many people have reported great results with Synergy Spanish. It is a great course to get you started, but if you wish to gain fluency in the language, you will need to progress to a more in depth course.
Our Verdict — A great way to get started!


text:
Herbalife faces U.S. inquiry, shares plunge
March 12, 2014 / 3:20 PM / AP
PORTLAND, Ore. - Nutrition and supplement company Herbalife (HLF) says that it is facing an inquiry from the Federal Trade Commission.
The company's shares initially plunged more than 12 percent following a brief halt in trading pending the announcement.
Herbalife said that it received the civil investigative demand from the FTC on Wednesday. The FTC's website says that these are used to investigate possible "unfair or deceptive acts or practices." A representative from the FTC was not immediately available to elaborate.
The company, which has faced accusations of operating a pyramid scheme, said that it welcomes the inquiry given the "tremendous amount of misinformation in the marketplace" about its business.
Herbalife says it believes it is in compliance with all laws and regulations and plans to cooperate fully.
The company, which is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and based in Los Angeles, uses a network of distributors to sell its nutritional supplements and weight-loss products globally.
The FTC inquiry comes just a day after hedge fund manager William Ackman renewed his attacks on the company.
Ackman has bet against the company and said repeatedly that he believes it operates as a pyramid scheme, which is when a company makes most of its money by recruiting new salespeople rather than on the products that they sell.
The head of Pershing Square Capital Management resumed this effort Tuesday, holding a public event to detail his firm's claims of how its Herbalife is operating as a pyramid scheme in China, violating laws there. Pershing declined to comment Wednesday on the FTC investigation.
Herbalife has repeatedly denied the claims and rival investor Carl Icahn has disagreed as well, taking his fight against Ackman public and increasing his stake in the company.
Herbalife shares fell $3.81, or 5.8 percent, to $61.58 in mid-afternoon trading after falling as low as $54.59 earlier. Its shares had fallen almost 17 percent so far this year through Tuesday's close.
First published on March 12, 2014 / 3:20 PM


This is a big week for leadership contests in Canada, including here in Saskatchewan, where the four hopefuls vying for the NDP leadership continue to campaign.
Tomorrow night, they are to be in North Battleford for an all-candidates forum, one of many they have been holding around the province in the runup to the March vote in Saskatoon.
I plan to be there at the event tomorrow, but I thought I would link first to the articles I have written profiling the candidates during their campaign tours up here in the northwest region.
My story on Trent Wotherspoon is here, the one on Cam Broten is here, and the Ryan Meili story is here. Also, I am scheduled to interview Erin Weir soon as well, so once that is posted I'll link to it as well.
As well, the federal Liberals have their leadership race going and hosted their first all-candidates debate over the weekend from Vancouver. The only candidate I've interviewed from that race so far is Deborah Coyne from when she came through Saskatchewan a while ago, and you can find that article here.
At the time I wrote that piece, I noted there were about a dozen hopefuls who claimed to be running. I notice the field has shrunk considerably since then down to, ahem, nine people.
I should note also that the Ontario Liberals are due to hold their convention this weekend to choose a new premier in Ontario — quite possibly a female one like in much of the rest of Canada. I should certainly tune into that race, because usually the Liberal leadership conventions there are pretty interesting. In fact, the last one they held was way back in 1996, and that didn't finish until something like five in the morning.
I mention all this here simply as a reminder to myself to tune in to the voting sometime on Saturday — otherwise I might miss the whole thing.


RICHMOND, Va. -- Statues of Laura Copenhaver, Mary Draper Ingles, and Elizabeth Keckly will soon be added to the Virginia Women's Monument outside the Virginia State Capitol. The Virginia Capitol Foundation announced recently bronze statues of the woman have been fully funded and commissioned.
"As a society, we have a responsibility to ensure that women's stories are embedded into the narrative of Virginia history," Mary Margaret Whipple, vice chair of the Women's Monument Commission, said. "The Virginia Women's Monument will provide a unique opportunity to explore and experience the powerful role that these female trailblazers played in the past, serving as an inspiration for current and future generations to find their own voice."
Statues of Cockacoeske, Anne Burras Laydon, Virginia Randolph, and Adèle Clark were commissioned last year. Upon completion, the monument will feature bronze statues of 12 women and a Wall of Honor inscribed with the names of 230 women.
"The Virginia Women's Monument is the nation's first monument created to showcase the remarkable women who made significant, but often unrecognized, contributions in a variety of fields and endeavors over the 400-year history of Virginia," a Virginia Capitol Foundation spokesperson said. "[The Virginia Women's Monument] will help tell the whole story about the diversity of achievement, ethnicity and thought that has shaped the Commonwealth."
Each statue requires a $200,000 financial investment before they can be sculpted. The remaining five statues are partially funded and will be commissioned as contributions become available.
A formal dedication of the Virginia Women's Monument is scheduled for October 14, 2019. Most of the bronze statues were expected to be installed by that time.
Laura Copenhaver: An entrepreneur from Smyth County in Southwest Virginia, Copenhaver was an early leader within the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. Working from her home, Rosemont, she coordinated the production of coverlets, rugs and other household items that were made with wool from area farms and crafted by local women. Rosemont's popular textiles attracted customers from throughout the U.S., as well as Asia, Europe and South America. The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation recently made a contribution of $100,000 to support Copenhaver's statue, and Altria Group contributed $50,000.
Mary Draper Ingles: One of Virginia's most famous frontierswomen, Mary Draper Ingles lived in Draper's Meadow (now Blacksburg). In 1755, she was captured by Shawnee Indians and taken to Ohio where she was forced to sew shirts for the men of the tribe. She eventually escaped and traveled 500 or 600 miles back to her home, much of it by walking across the rugged, mountainous landscape. Her brave, inspiring story is still shared and reenacted to this day.
Elizabeth Keckly: Born enslaved in Dinwiddie County, Va., Elizabeth Keckly was a talented seamstress who bought her freedom in 1855 with the help of her patrons. After moving to Washington, D.C., she developed a clientele of prominent women and came to the attention of Mary Todd Lincoln, eventually becoming the First Lady's personal dressmaker and confidante. She wrote a book of her experiences in the White House. In the 1890s, she taught sewing and domestic arts at Wilberforce University in Ohio. Keckly died at the National Home for Destitute Colored Women and Children in Washington, D.C., an entity that she helped establish.
For more information or to make a contribution to the Virginia Women's Monument, click here.


LIFE IN THE END ZONE: You Get What You Pay For—Or Do You?
You Get What You Pay For—Or Do You?
The Affordable Care Act, as it turns out, isn't just about providing health insurance coverage for the 40 million previously uninsured Americans. It's also about reforming Medicare, in part to pay for some of the costs of providing health insurance for everyone, in part to keep Medicare from going bust, and in part to improve the quality of care provided by Medicare. The favorite strategy for modifying Medicare is "value-based purchasing," which is another name for pay-for-performance. The idea is simple: don't just pay whatever doctors or hospitals ask for and don't pay per service (the original fee-for-service model); instead, pay based on results. After all, physicians aren't supposed to perform tests and procedures just for the sake of doing something; they are supposed to do things in order to improve health. So why not pay physicians only if they make people better?
The problem, of course, is that not everyone will get better, no matter how state of the art their treatment, and some of them will get better but along the way they will also suffer from all kinds of complications. To deal with the realities of taking care of people who are old and sick, Medicare has adopted a policy that rewards—or penalizes—hospitals based on their performance on a combination of measures: the processes of care, the outcomes of care (specifically 30-day mortality), the patient's satisfaction, and whether or not patients are readmitted to the hospital within a month of discharge. The big question is, does this approach work?
Previous studies have failed to show any benefit on clinical processes or patient satisfaction. Now, a new study in BMJ suggests that it doesn't improve mortality either. The authors examined mortality among patients with heart attacks, heart failure, or pneumonia (the 3 conditions for which Medicare "incentivizes" hospitals using its value-based reimbursement scheme). They compared mortality rates for these conditions before and after the introduction of Hospital Value-Based Purchasing. They studied whether changes in mortality in the target conditions differed from changes in a comparable group of patients with other medical conditions. They tested whether the trends were any different at hospitals that didn't participate in the HVBP system. And to look for trends, they determined mortality rates over a 3-year period before the introduction of Hospital Value-Based Purchasing and over the 3 years after its introduction. The result: nothing changed.
Not everyone will be satisfied with the authors' choice of the comparison group—either of patients with different medical conditions or of hospitals that participated in a different reimbursement scheme. The risk adjustment process might be flawed. Maybe 3 years wasn't long enough to see an effect, especially since the incentives have been changing—initially, hospitals were rewarded if they did well, now they are penalized if they do poorly, and the magnitude of the penalty increases annually. So it would be premature to conclude that value-based purchasing is a failure. But surely it isn't a great success, either, if no one has been able to prove that it does what it's supposed to.
Medicare has the potential to shape geriatric care in the U.S. There's no question that strategies invoked in the past such as the introduction of prospective payment for hospital care (ie paying a fixed amount for a given condition, rather than a fixed amount per day in the hospital) have made a huge difference in both costs and outcomes. But it's not at all clear that the prevailing enthusiasm for pay-for-performance is the answer to providing better, more cost-effective care to older people.
Maybe we need to go back to the drawing board and analyze the weaknesses of our current system. Perhaps what we will find is that the weaknesses are not just fragmentation, lack of coordination, and the triumph of high tech over high touch, although these are all important. Perhaps what we will find is that the weaknesses include a focus on disease rather than function, on individuals rather than families, and on the values of physicians rather than patients.


As the days shorten and the temperatures fall, many bulbs, perennials and trees, especially fruit trees, enter a dormant or rest period. The external sign that dormancy is occurring in trees is the onset of changes in leaf color and later leaf fall. This is evidence that photosynthesis and visible growth are progressively being shut down. Once trees enter dormancy each year, they are better able to withstand the cold winds, frost and freezing temperatures associated with winter.
The amount of cold required by a plant to resume normal growth following the cold of winter is commonly referred to as its chilling requirement. Plant and tree species vary widely in the amount of chill necessary to break dormancy. Each type of tree has a unique requirement to reach a given level of bud, flower and fruit development. Some varieties of apple require as many as 1,800 hours while other cultivars can break dormancy with less than 400 hours of chill. An index to determine the amount of chill a plant receives is based on monitoring the number of hours the temperature dips below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
If a plant or tree does not receive the required number of cumulative chilling hours to suspend dormancy, the fruit crop produced that year will be small, and the fruit possibly misshapen and reduced in size. Symptoms, such as sparse growth, delayed bloom development, flowering that never results in full-sized fruit and reduced fruit quality are symptomatic of insufficient chilling.
Rising temperatures caused by climate change may reduce winter chill enough to cause serious problems for fruit and nut tree yields, especially those grown in the warmer growing areas in California. Researchers at the University of California at Davis and the University of Washington analyzed data on hourly and daily temperatures from 1950 and 2000 in California, and projected trends for later in the 21st century. Their findings provide evidence that California's winter chill has declined substantially. In fact, by 2100, orchards in California are expected to experience less than 500 chill hours per winter.
Many species are only marginally suited to the environment in which they are grown, and even small changes in temperature patterns may become a problem. Farmers in California are especially worried about the effect climate change will have on pistachios and many commonly grown varieties of plums and peaches.
Inasmuch as Marin County has a Mediterranean climate, and thus relatively moderate winter temperatures, low chill cultivars of apples, pears, pomegranates, quince, nectarines, Japanese plums, persimmons and peaches — which require a minimum amount of winter cold (300 to 500 hours) to produce a good crop — perform best here. For information on chilling requirements of specific plants, go to homeorchard.ucdavis.edu and click on fruit and nuts.
Farmers and gardeners in most California counties have access to official data on chill hours through the Pomology Weather Service at the UC Davis Fruit & Nut Research Information Center. This service records chill hours. You can also contact the UC Marin Master Gardeners or farm advisors to access a local source of chill hour information.
In recent years, low chill varieties (less than 300 hours) of quince, fig, persimmon, almond, olive, blueberries and pecan have been developed. The best advice is to ascertain the typical number of chill hours for your garden setting and select plants with lower chill hours (i.e. figs instead of plums) and/or cultivars that need fewer chill hours.
To prepare for the impacts of climate change, more effort is needed to breed cultivars with lower chilling requirements, to develop tools to cope with insufficient winter chill, and to better understand the temperature responses of trees and plants.


New York Nails and Beauty Spa Parlour offers the services you need for a tranquil manicure and pedicure experience. Recline in their relaxing atmosphere or get the express service you need. Their enthusiastic team provides a range of services including shellac nails.
They are located conveniently in Mulgrave. Don't look anywhere else. Give them a call today.
Like to share your experience of New York Nails and Beauty Spa Parlour? SIGN IN and write a testimonial.


text:
Chico driver energized by new hybrid car purchase
Tony Edler gets to test out his newly purchased Toyota Prius hybrid plug-in at Chuck Patterson Toyota on Friday in Chico.(Jason Halley/Staff Photo)
All Chico E-R photos are available here.

PUBLISHED: April 28, 2012 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: July 28, 2018 at 5:04 am
CHICO — As gas prices continue to inch upward, causing summer road trips to include math calculations, Tony Edler of Chico is rolling along with a smile on his face.
This summer he'll be cruising around in the first Prius plug-in to be sold in town.
He got on the list six months ago, and will be only one of 4,000 nationwide to receive the newest Prius car this year.
He can drive 11-12 miles (enough for around town), on pure electricity. Then it takes about three hours to recharge in a regular electrical outlet.
With the combination of gas and electric, the car has a range of about 540 miles per tank, explained Chuck Patterson Toyota sales consultant Lee McKim. The estimated mileage for the 2012 vehicle is 87 miles per gallon, and is greatest when used for frequent, short trips. In full hybrid mode (without plugging in), it will get gas mileage of 49 mpg, such as on a long road trip.
Up until Friday, Edler was cruising around in the hybrid Prius he bought six years ago. He said he's had no problems, but the warranty was nearing its end and he knew he wanted the upgrade.
For Edler, the idea of running mostly from energy from the sun makes perfect sense.
In March, he and his wife Mary Pat Nowack had black solar panels placed on their roof. Edler estimates most of his driving will be around town, so he can "fill up" his battery for about 36 cents for each day's driving.
He paid about $33,000 for the car and will receive $4,000 in state and federal clean energy rebates. He'll also receive about $15,000 for his trade-in.
While the waiting list for more of the newest model is 2-3 months, with a $500 refundable deposit, other hybrid cars are available starting at about $20,000, sales staff at Chuck Patterson said.
These start at about 50 mpg.
McKim explained that the new Prius availability is limited because floods in Thailand slowed production. But a new plant in Mississippi will help ease demand.
The engine of the car is designed to recapture energy when braking or driving downhill, even slight hills.
During a drive to his house Friday, the display on the dashboard showed when the car was using energy and when it was capturing it. Sometimes the car was recharging when it seemed like the road was flat.
There's been some hype about whether new battery technology is trustworthy, but sales associate Morgan England said only 12 Prius batteries have been replaced since 2000. The batteries will last well over 200,000 miles, England said.
Edler said he likes the idea of driving a hybrid. He studied biology and he believes "everyone has to take care of the environment."
He's surprised when he hears that some people don't recycle.
Hybrid vehicles are starting to gain sales momentum, and as gas prices continue to rise people are opting for cars with technology that gives them higher mileage.
Jeff Rei, sales manager at Wittmeier Auto Center, said he is seeing people buy new cars with better gas mileage.
A big spike for more fuel efficiency came in 2008, when gas jumped over $4 a gallon.
"Everybody was trading in SUVs for gas mileage and economy," Rei said. And people who still want an SUV are buying the mid-size, he said.
As the economy has picked up in the past few months, sales are on the upswing again, he continued.
At Wittmeier, which sells Ford, Honda, Chevrolet and Lincolns, Rei said about a quarter of his buyers are going for the hybrid electric/fuel.
McKim estimated that 80 percent of Toyotas will be hybrids in the next decade, and the technology continues to advance.
Staff writer Heather Hacking can be reached at 896-7758 or hhacking@chicoer.com.


Now more than ever, businesses are expected to be present across all platforms, making themselves available to potential customers in all the major corners of the world wide web.
But establishing a visual brand identity that is consistent, compelling, and memorable isn't as simple as one might think. When it comes to social media branding, your followers expect clarity, cohesion, and stimulation - a delicate mixture that many businesses struggle to execute.
Thankfully, there are many resources available to business owners who are looking to improve their branding on social media. Developments in technology, the accessibility of graphic design tools, and the rise of digital marketing have all contributed to a new age of business promotion, where the importance of visual branding is apparent and valued.
After all, consistent presentation of a brand increases revenue by 23 percent on average - an increase that any business would be thrilled to benefit from.
Additionally, 60% percent of US millennials expect consistent experiences when dealing with brands online, in-store, or by phone.
So, what can business owners do to enhance their social media branding and increase customer loyalty?
Your logo is one of the first and most important aspects of your brand that potential customers will notice.
In fact, it only takes consumers 10 seconds to form a first impression of a brand's logo.
Are you capitalizing on those initial moments?
Keep it simple. Logos should be easy to identify with as little clutter as possible. Avoid complicated designs or text that will be difficult to read if the logo is down-sized. You want customers to be able to recognize your logo no matter where it appears.
Never sacrifice symmetry. Did you know that the human mind naturally equates symmetry with beauty and pleasantness? It's true. In order to make your logo more appealing to potential customers, focusing on a symmetrical and well-balanced design is recommended.
Focus on flexibility. Your logo is going to appear on all of your branded materials and social media profiles, so it's crucial to choose a versatile design. Be wary of textures and details that could be compromised depending on where your logo is displayed, and consult with an experienced design agency.
See the examples below from Quip, a company that sells oral health products, for a better idea of simple, symmetric and flexible logo design.
The colors that your company uses have a massive impact on the efficacy of your visual brand identity.
In fact, research suggests color can boost brand recognition by as much as 80 percent.
Blue is the preferred color of men. 57 percent of men say blue is their favorite color. Blue also represents security, tranquility, and intelligence.
Orange is the least preferred color for women. A whopping 33 percent of women say orange is the least appealing color.
Green is a safe second choice. After blue, green is the second-most preferred color among adults aged 19-50.
For more information about the psychology of color in branding, check out this informative infographic from HubSpot.
There is no magic formula for how to build a brand online, but there are some general rules that have stood the test of time, and one of those rules is consistency.
In fact, 41 percent of consumers rate the brand's consistency as the most important factor when it comes to being loyal to a brand.
But one of the common mistakes business owners make is thinking that consistency need only apply to their logo. This couldn't be further from the truth. The colors, images, and graphic content you use and share should also be consistent and streamlined.
The online cloud-based storage company, DropBox, does a great job of keeping their imagery style consistent in their social media branding. Note how they used the same color, graphic, and logo below, both in their profile picture and in their tweet.
For more imagery style inspiration, check out the branded graphics we created for Whitespark.
Many business owners tend to rely on popular fonts, opting for the most familiar choice to keep things simple. But taking a risk and stepping outside your comfort zone can pay off, when done correctly.
As long as the font you choose is highly legible across digital devices and comes with variations (italic, bold, etc.), it's okay to get a little creative with your selection.
Netflix is a perfect example of creative font use. They actually have their own custom font, which is recognized around the world.
The Netflix font is clean and animated, making it legible and easy to identify.
Remember, 95 percent of information on the web is in the form of written language, so using typography to distinguish your brand from competitors is always an integral part of any social media branding strategy.
Our final tip on how to build a brand online is all about preparation. While you work on solidifying your visual brand identity, you are going to need new images and graphics on an ongoing basis.
Designing a social media graphic or blog post cover from scratch every time you need one can be time consuming, taking you away from other important tasks that need to be completed.
So, why not build an online template library, so you can simply edit graphics as you need them?
Free online graphic design tools like Canva and Design Wizard allow users to create their template libraries at absolutely no cost - a great option for startup businesses or nonprofits.
And there you have it - the five most important steps to creating a consistent, memorable visual brand identity across your social media platforms!
We pride ourselves on being one of the most trusted and dedicated design studios in Edmonton. We take a meaningful, strategic, and creative approach to our projects, and use our skills to better communicate your business objectives, what you stand for, and why you exist.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN STRENGTHENING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE WITH A GRAPHIC DESIGN AGENCY YOU CAN RELY ON? CONTACT US TODAY. WE'RE ALWAYS READY TO WORK SOME MAGIC.


We are committed to bringing the Philanthropy University learning experiences to local practitioners across the Global South - including those that do not speak English.
All courses are accompanied by a scrolling transcript to help non-native English speakers follow along with ease. Course content also contains relevant examples and appropriate case studies for Global South contexts.
We are currently exploring learning experiences in local languages, and will share more on this when available.


Tsuchiyu Onsen Harumiya Ryokan is located in Fukushima and about 45 minutes by bus from Fukushima Station, near Takayu Onsen. Free WiFi is available in each guest room. Yukata are available for guests to wear during their stay. Guests may borrow conveniences such as humidifiers at no additional charge (please inquire at the front desk for details). Facilities include an open-air bath. The hotel possesses 10 guest rooms.


text:
Q: How to approach a common xib or controls across multiple view controllers? I have an animated character coexisting with other conventional controls in an xib.
All works well. No issues there.  The animation is done through UIImageView image flipping.  An animation engine (state machine) triggered by a timer runs the show.  The character uses six UIImageViews to render the different portions of the character that need to be animated.
Now I am looking at the possibility of the app getting more complex by adding a few more UIViewControllers (and their xib's).  As you may have guessed, my character would have to exist in any xib that slides on top of the prior one.
What might be the best approach to implementing this?  I suppose I could copy-paste the UIImageView's and instantiate a new animation engine (or pass a pointer) to each new xib.
I many ways what I need is for a new xib to only cover 2/3 of the prior xib and that would do it, but I am not sure that this works.  Not sure about events and how they'd work with two overlapping xib's (if it's even possible).
While I experiment I thought I'd ask and see if anyone who has been here before might have an interesting approach or two to share.

A: Your question seems to be about ownership and not about animation.  Try isolating the character into its own xib, (say Character.xib) and creating a CharacterLoader class.  The CharacterLoader class would have a property of character and look something like:
CharacterLoader.h
@interface CharacterLoader : NSObject {
}

@property(nonatomic, retain) IBOutlet Character *character;

+ (Character *)loadCharacter;

@end

CharacterLoader.m
...

+ (Character *)loadCharacter {
    CharacterLoader *loader = [[CharacterLoader alloc] init];
    [[NSBundle mainBundle] loadNibNamed:@"Character" owner:loader options:nil];
    Character *character = [loader.character autorelease];
    [loader release];
    return character;
 }

 ...

If you find yourself making a lot of these loader classes, you can roll them into a single class whose role is to basically load nibs programmatically like this.  Another alternative would be to just create the Character and all other shared content programmatically, but that's probably not desirable for you since you intentionally are approaching it by using nibs.

A: In the interest of closing the loop, this is what I ended-up doing:
I created a UIViewController subclass with a nib file.  Called it "AnimatedCharacter".
"AnimatedCharacter.xib" consists of all of the elements required to create the character.  It has a range of controls connected to IBOutlets and IBActions driven from "AnimatedCharacter.m".  In my case "AnimatedCharacter.m" creates an NSTimer that fires-off a state machine at regular intervals to decide what to do with the character.  It also implements audio playback through standard means.
Other than that there's nothing special about these files/code.  In other words, I did not do anything out of the ordinary to prepare them for insertion into another UIViewController.
In the main view controller .h file:
#import "AnimatedCharacter.h"

...

AnimatedCharacter *character;

...

@property (nonatomic, retain) AnimatedCharacter *character;

Then, in the main view controller's .m file:
@synthesize character;

...

- (void)viewDidLoad
{
character = [[AnimatedCharacter alloc] init];
character.view.frame = CGRectMake(54.0, 0.0, 150.0, 150.0);
[self.view addSubview:character.view];

...

With that in place I can now do things like:
-(void)FadeOut:(SEL)selector
{
[UIView beginAnimations:@"resize" context:NULL];

    [UIView setAnimationDuration:0.5];
    [UIView setAnimationDelegate:self];
    [UIView setAnimationDidStopSelector:selector];

    character.view.frame    = CGRectMake(0.0, 0.0, 50.0, 50.0);

[UIView commitAnimations];
}

And, generally control the character as I see fit through the various member functions in "AnimatedCharacter.m".  This is effectively working as a nib within a nib.  Not separate threads, but both nibs are discharging their duties as expected, receiving inputs and running their respective shows.
I'd be interested in comments as to the good/bad/ugly aspects of what I've chosen to do.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Birzeit University Student Wins Omrania Award for Excellence in Architectural Design 2013
Birzeit University Architectural Engineering student Renall Elghoul won the 6th Omrania Award for Excellence in Architectural Design 2013. The award honors distinguished architectural graduation projects by students from universities throughout the Arab World.
Elghoul's submission was chosen from 145 architectural graduation projects from 37 universities in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.
The award jury consisted of Egyptian architect Shahira Fahmy, the founder of Shahira Fahmy Architects, Lebanese architect Bernard Khoury, the founder of the architectural office DW5, and Turkish architect Murat Tabanlıoğlu, the co-founder of Tabanlıoğlu Architects. The jury awarded equal winning prizes to five projects. The winners are as follows:
Nassmah al Ghoussein
Project: Treading the Line, Beirut's Interactive Hackerspace, Beirut , Lebanon
Instructor: Karim Nader
Renall Elghoul
Project: All Senses Pavilion - Experience box, Ramallah, Palestine
Instructor: Shaden Qasem
Haneen Khouli
Project: Machine in an empty and vast territory - Tension of permanence
Instructor: George Katodrytis
Parastoo Najafi
Project: CRYSTAL [DE]FORMATION
Ahmad Yehya
Project: Home for Bedouins, Bekaa, Lebanon
Instructor: George Arbid
The award ceremony will be held in association with the German Jordanian University in Amman during December 2013.
The Omrania Award for Excellence in Architectural Design has grown and expanded over its five cycles. Award ceremonies and exhibitions have been held in different cities in the Arab world, including Amman, Beirut, Dubai, Irbid, and Manama. The yearly award ceremony is held to honor the winners and to exhibit their graduation projects to a wider audience. Detailed information about the award is available on the CSBE web site at www.csbe.org and the award's website at www.omraniacsbeaward.org.


text:
<?php if (!defined('BASEPATH')) exit('No direct script access allowed');

class SacarTurnoController extends CI_Controller {
    public $CI;

    function __construct() {
        parent::__construct();

        $this->load->model('turno');
    }

    function index() {
        $estado = $this->input->post('estado');
        switch ($estado) {
            case "0"://Inicia CU sacar turno.
                $this->frm_profesionales();
                break;
            case "1"://Ya selecciono el profesional.
                $this->frm_fechas();
                break;
            case "2"://Ya selecciono la fecha del turno.
                $this->frm_grilla();
                break;
            case "3"://Ya selecciono el turno.
                $this->frm_registro();
                break;
            case "4":
                $this->frm_guardar_turno();
                $this->frm_notificar_paciente();
                $this->frm_resumen_transaccion();
            default :
                $this->frm_profesionales();
                break;
        }
    }

    public function frm_guardar_turno() {
        $this->session->set_userdata('turno_obra_social', $this->input->post('cbo_obra_social'));
        $this->load->model('turno');
        $this->turno->registrar_turno();

    }

    public function frm_profesionales() {
        milog('**Acceso Metodo frm_profesionales de la controladora');
        milog('Controladora -> Carga Modelo Profesionales (Catalogo).');
        $this->load->model('Profesionales');
        milog('Controladora -> Modelo -> Llama al metodo: lista_profesionales del modelo.');
        $listado = $this->Profesionales->listar_profesionales();
        milog('Controladora -> Vista: Formulario Profesionales -> Carga y Evnia datos a la Vista.');
        $data_vista = $this->addprefijo('pro', $listado);
        $listado = null;
        $listado['data_vista'] = $data_vista;
        $this->load->view('sacar_turno/FormularioProfesionales', $listado);
    }

    private function addprefijo($prefijo, $arreglo) {
        $i = 0;
        foreach ($arreglo as $item) {
            $nuevo[$prefijo . $i] = $item;
            $i++;
        }
        return $nuevo;
    }

    public function frm_fechas() {
        $this->session->userdate['turno_profesional'] = $this->input->post('cbo_profesional');
        $this->load->view('sacar_turno/FormularioFechas');
    }

    public function frm_grilla() {
        $fecha_turno = $this->input->post('input_fecha_turno');
        $this->load->model('turnos', 'cat_turnos');
        $todos_los_turnos = $this->cat_turnos->obtener_turnos();
        $datos = [
            'turnos' => $todos_los_turnos,
            'fecha' => $fecha_turno,
            'id' => $this->session->userdata('user_id')
        ];
        $this->load->view('sacar_turno/FormularioGrillaDeTurnos', $datos);
    }

    public function frm_registro() {
        $this->session->userdata['turno_profesional'] = 50; //Simulacion de usuario logoneado nro 2.
        $this->session->userdata['user_id'] = 2; //Simulacion de usuario logoneado nro 2.
        $_POST['fecha_hora'] = '1982-11-06T08:16:00';

//      echo "
";print_r($this->session->userdata);
        $this->session->userdata['turno_fecha_hora'] = $this->input->post('fecha_hora');
        $this->load->model('Obras_Sociales', 'cat_obrassociales');
        $this->load->model('turnos', 'cat_turnos'); //Carga Modelo
        $this->load->model('Profesionales', 'cat_profesionales');
        $this->load->model('Pacientes', 'cat_pacientes');
        $this->cat_turnos->listar_turnos(); //Carga Catalogo.

        $fecha_hora = $this->input->post('fecha_hora');
//        echo "
";print_r($fecha_hora);echo "
";
        $obras_sociales = $this->cat_obrassociales->listar_obras_sociales();
//        echo "
";print_r($obras_sociales);echo "
";
        $idObraSocial = $this->cat_turnos->ultima_obrasocial_utilizada($this->session->userdata['user_id']);
//        echo "Ultima Obra Social Utilizada:
";print_r($idObraSocial);echo "
";
        //$obraSocial= $this->cat_obrassociales->buscar_obrasocial($id_ObraSocial);
        $profesional = $this->cat_profesionales->buscar_profesional($this->session->userdata['turno_profesional']);
//        echo "
";print_r($profesional);echo "
";
//        echo "ID_PACIENTE:
";print_r($this->session->userdata['user_id']);echo "
";
        $paciente = $this->cat_pacientes->buscar_paciente($this->session->userdata['user_id']);
        //echo "
";print_r($paciente);exit();
        $datos = [
            'profesional' => $profesional,
            'paciente' => $paciente,
            'obras_sociales' => $obras_sociales,
            'id_ultima_obra_social' => $idObraSocial,
            'fecha_turno' => $fecha_hora
        ];
        $this->load->view('sacar_turno/FormularioRegistroDeTurnos', $datos);
    }

}

/* End of file sacar_turno.php */
/* Location: ./application/controllers/sacarTurnoController.php */

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The Legislature will have multiple legislative hearings and reviews of budget committee recommendations this week. On Monday, Jan. 30, the House Appropriations Committee received the report from the House Higher Education Budget Committee for all of higher education. The Budget Committee recommended the governor's budget for fiscal year 2017. The report will be posted on the governmental relations website.
On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the House Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing on HB 2109. This legislation allows Kansas State University to sell three tracks of land: a small part of Marlatt Park on the east side of Seth Child Road; a small triangular piece of land in the University Research Park; and the site of the Pure Bred Beef Unit currently occupies.
In other action this week, the House Federal and State Affairs Committee will have hearings on Wednesday, Feb. 1, on HB 2042 concealed carry licensure amendments under the personal and family protection act; and HB 2074 creating a permanent exemption for certain entities from the public buildings law under the personal and family protection act. This act is the act which includes the exemption until July 1, 2017, prohibiting certain weapons on campus. Read more about these bills online.
In action last week, the House Higher Education Budget Committee heard testimony from President Myers on the governor's recommendations for fiscal year 2017. The president's testimony has been posted to the governmental relations website.
Also last week the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee heard testimony on SB 53 which creates a permanent exemption for certain entities from the public buildings law under the personal and family protection act. No action was taken on this bill at the hearing, however, the chair announced the committee may take action during the week of Jan. 30.
Please see the weekly updates every Tuesday in K-State Today through the Final Adjournment of the 2017 Kansas Legislature. In addition, the Office of Governmental Relations will host Kansas Legislative Review Sessions Feb. 3 and Feb. 17 in the K-State Student Union's Big 12 Room; March 3, March 17 and March 31 in Hale Library's Hemisphere Room; and April 14 and April 28 in 21 Bluemont Hall. These sessions are open to the public and feel free to bring a brownbag lunch.


Came across my former students FB post and I'm sharing it here as I believe the information is useful for others.
Another important things is …. have a diary or notes … so wat u do … whn plans are given for certain disease … u take pic and jot down in diary … so the very next time u encounter the same disease … u know wat to write in ur plan.
The above are some general advice for new housemen & Housewomen written by Dr Yasmin Ismail.
She said that many juniors from university who are due to start work have been asking her for advice, and hence the post.
May I have permission to save it in my blog, and credit you as the writer of course.
7. Be humble with the nurses because in the beginning, they know more than you and can help a lot and make your life easier.


Prioritizing life is an important step in managing the demands of life, at least a civilized life. In the wild I suppose circumstance pretty much handle what and when animals do what they do. Having freed ourselves from the drudgery of hunting and gathering whenever we get hungry has left us with much free time to choose what to do.
I find putting those painful 'must do' items at the head of my priority list actually delivers a deepest sense of well being. I imagine that in the wild, the 'must do' necessities would not be a choice we would have to make.
Civilization has left us with some serious unintended consequences. Fortunately we have the ultimate in how-to-approach life manuals: The Tao Te Ching and Buddha's Four Truths. By the way, wasn't Buddha's the ultimate life engineer! I'd say Lao Tzu was too, but it is doubtful he existed. I suppose Taoist views are a collaboration of clear minded observations from various people over time. That's remarkable in its own right, I'd say.


text:
The local time in the timezone you have set is: 2023-01-27 07:02 am PDT.
Note: If this does not match your local time, please update your time zone setting at the bottom of the page or do the appropriate calculations to compensate for the time difference. If you are noticing a significant discrepancy between the times listed here and what is being reported in Puddleby, please contact Kiriel D'Sol with details so it can be corrected.
Sun times for Today (Day 22 in Winter, 632):
8:16 am (OOC: Fri, 27 Jan 2023 06:33 am PDT - in 6 hr, 31 min)
3:44 pm (OOC: Fri, 27 Jan 2023 08:23 am PDT - in 8 hr, 20 min)
Sun times for Tomorrow (Day 23 in Winter, 632):
8:14 am (OOC: Fri, 27 Jan 2023 12:25 pm PDT - in 12 hr, 22 min)
3:46 pm (OOC: Fri, 27 Jan 2023 02:15 pm PDT - in 14 hr, 13 min)
The current zodiac for the specified date is:
Awjus and Hamusa the Shredders
Next zodiac is Josephus the Ancient:
IC: 43 in Winter, 632 (in 21 days)
OOC: Wed, 1 Feb 2023 07:44 am PDT
The current moon phase for the specified date is:
Next full moon:
IC: Day 50 in Winter, 632 (in 28 days)
OOC: Fri, 3 Feb 2023 12:48 am PDT
The next time the coliseum will be open from the specified date is:
IC: Day 28 in Winter, 632 from 7:00pm to midnight (in 6 days)
OOC: From Sat, 28 Jan 2023 08:23 pm to Sat, 28 Jan 2023 09:36 pm PDT
Get Date Details for a Specific IC Day:
IC Date: Day in WinterSpringSummerAutumn Year
IC Time: ampm (HH:MM format)
Get IC Date Details for a Specific OOC Date and Time:
OOC Date: (YYYY-MM-DD format)
OOC Time: ampm PDT (HH:MM format)
Change Time Zone Preference: