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The best golf courses in Canada, based on your ratings and reviews, are a mix of bucket-list destination courses and tried-and-true local values.
From Devil's Cauldron to Cabot Cliffs, browse the many phenomenal par 3s found throughout Canada.
Kananaskis Country Golf Course in Alberta's Canadian Rockies actually consists of two 18-hole golf courses, the Mt. Kidd and Mt. Lorette, named for the mountains they sit beneath. Both golf courses were built by Robert Trent Jones Sr., who actually had a hand in finding the location. Originally planned for the other side of the valley, Jones saw the Kananaskis River and mountain backdrops and persuaded the Canadian government to let them build on the present side.
A major $6-million renovation managed to make The Rock Golf Club more playable, but Nick Faldo's first design in Canada is still one tough nut to crack. The Rock opened in 2004 in Muskoka and immediately went under Faldo's knife again in 2007. Faldo's second effort to get it right covered extensive changes.


text:
Abraham Bergman Assumes Positions of President and CEO of Eastern Union
NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Abraham Bergman has assumed the positions of president and CEO of Eastern Union, one of America's largest commercial real estate finance companies. He had previously served as Eastern Union's managing partner since co-founding the firm with Ira Zlotowitz in 2001.
Mr. Zlotowitz had served as the company's president and CEO since its inception. He will now be pursuing other activities in the commercial real estate field.
Abraham Bergman has been named president and CEO of Eastern Union, one of America's largest commercial mortgage brokerage firms.
"Eastern Union has established itself as one of the industry's most respected commercial mortgage brokerage firms," said Mr. Bergman. "Our national client base is steadily expanding, and so are our relationships with lenders across America. Powered by these competitive assets, I am committed to ensuring the company's continued growth."
From the moment of the company's founding through to the present time, Mr. Bergman has been playing an active and central role in shaping Eastern Union's corporate strategy and structure. He has also been a leader in sales and relationship-building across each of the company's commercial real estate sectors. These elements have included conventional commercial mortgages, structured debt, healthcare, hospitality, mobile home parks, investment sales, and — handled in conjunction with company affiliate Eastern Equity Advisors — equity placement.
To fortify the firm's brokerage component, Eastern Union also announced that its two most productive brokers, Marc Tropp and Michael Muller, had been named to the company's board. They each hold the title of senior managing director.
Both Mr. Muller and Mr. Tropp possess excellent, national reputations within the commercial brokerage world. Mr. Muller has been the firm's leading broker in the New York City market over the past 20 years. Mr. Tropp has been Eastern Union's number-one broker in the Mid-Atlantic regional market for the last 16 years.
Moshe Maybloom — a 14-year veteran of the firm — has also been named to the company's board. Eastern Union also announced that Mr. Maybloom has assumed the position of senior managing director of operations.
The number of mortgage originations secured by Eastern Union in October ranked the second-highest by the company over the past eighteen months.
Eastern Union has additional new hires and promotions in the pipeline to help accommodate growing deal volume. Among the new hires, Eastern Equity Advisors — the Eastern Union affiliate — will be bringing on a senior underwriter and placer to help manage and broaden the company's wide network of capital sources.
Abraham Bergman's assumption of Mr. Zlotowitz's prior positions at Eastern Union is taking place "on the best of terms and with complete good will," Mr. Bergman said.
Mr. Bergman holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Touro College and a master's degree in general business administration from Baruch College.
Abraham Bergman is active with a number of philanthropic organizations both on the national level and also within his own neighborhood of Flatbush in Brooklyn.
About Eastern Union
Founded in 2001, Eastern Union is a leading, national commercial mortgage brokerage firm. It employs more than 125 real estate professionals and closes an average of $5 billion in transactions annually. Eastern Union leverages its relationships with lenders and its marketplace knowledge to secure the best available rates and terms.
Eastern Union, headquartered in New York, closes transactions of all sizes across the United States. It secures financing for all asset types. Transactions — which can include multi-state and multi-site portfolios — encompass both conventional and structured financing. Capital introductions are handled through Eastern Union's affiliate, Eastern Equity Advisors.
For more information, visit www.easternunion.com.
Steve Vitoff
Eastern Union
SOURCE Eastern Union

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
ISRAEL AT SINAI
19 In the third month from the very day the Israelites left the land of Egypt, they came to the Sinai Wilderness. 2 They traveled from Rephidim, came to the Sinai Wilderness, and camped in the wilderness. Israel camped there in front of the mountain.h
3 Moses went up the mountain to God, and the Lord calledi to him from the mountain: "This is what you must say to the house of Jacob and explain to the Israelites: 4 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.j 5 Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant,k you will be my own possessionl out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine, 6 and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.'m These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites."
7 After Moses came back, he summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 Then all the people responded together, "We will do all that the Lord has spoken."n So Moses brought the people's words back to the Lord.
9 The Lord said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud,o so that the people will hear when I speakp with you and will always believe you." Moses reported the people's words to the Lord, 10 and the Lord told Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothesq 11 and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.r 12 Put boundaries for the people all around the mountain and say: Be careful that you don't go up on the mountain or touch its base. Anyone who touches the mountain must be put to death.s 13 No hand may touch him;C instead he will be stoned or shot with arrows and not live, whether animal or human. When the ram's horn sounds a long blast, they may go up the mountain."
14 Then Moses came down from the mountain to the people and consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15 He said to the people, "Be prepared by the third day. Do not have sexual relations with women."
16 On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a very loud blast from a ram's horn, so that all the people in the camp shuddered. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the Lord came down on it in fire.t Its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace,u and the whole mountain shook violently.v 19 As the sound of the ram's horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.w
20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai at the top of the mountain. Then the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and he went up. 21 The Lord directed Moses, "Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the Lord; otherwise many of them will die.a 22 Even the priests who come near the Lord must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out in anger against them."b
23 Moses responded to the Lord, "The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, since you warned us: Put a boundary around the mountain and consecrate it." 24 And the Lord replied to him, "Go down and come back with Aaron. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out in anger against them." 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.
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text:
FINEST MUSEUM GRADE AMPHIPERCA PERCH FOSSIL FISH FROM THE FAMOUS MESSEL SITE *F125
Now: 1,486.26- EURO
Amphiperca multiformis
Messel Oil Shale Pit - Messel, Germany
MIDDLE EOCENE (GEISELTALIAN): 50 million years ago
9" in length x 7" high overall fish 7.25" long
INCREDIBLE 3D PRESERVATION OF SKIN OVER BONES. TYPICAL RESIN TRANSFER METHOD. 100% GENUINE WITH NO FABRICATION TO FOSSIL.
WITHOUT QUESTION, ONE OF THE BEST WE HAVE EVER SEEN WITH AMAZING ORANGE COLOR LIKE A HALO AROUND A BLACK AND ORANGE FOSSIL. A TRUE MUSEUM-CLASS SPECIMEN!
Includes Display Stand
This is the THE FINEST example we have ever encountered of this scarce species of the Messel shales. It is a museum-class fossil of an extinct Amphiperca multiformis fish, a type of perch that once lived in the ancient waters of what is now the Messel Shale Site in Germany. Amphiperca is a member of the "Higher Bony Fishes" known as the EUTELEOSTEI. The Messel fossil PERCH are far more rare compared to GAR or BOWFIN fish from Messel. If you wish to exhibit the finest grade fossils from rare locations and / or of rare types, this would be an extremely important example to acquire. This specimen has exquisite and very rare detail THROUGHOUT the entire fish. Fin, bone and even soft-body tissue are incredibly well preserved. The color is 100% natural. We prepared this example in our lab and can verify its authenticity and the work performed. A genuine Amphiperca fossil of this quality seldom comes up for sale on the market and when it does, its a rare opportunity that should not be missed by the discriminating collector! These have to come from old collections as this one did, and so few exist with the quality and detail of preservation of this magnificent museum grade example.
This specimen shows SUPERB 3D high relief preservation with an extremely fine level of intact anatomy one could possibly hope for. The black fish fossil is surrounded in a orange halo with dark orange highlights on the skin. The bones and skin protrude DRAMATICALLY off the plate. The crack is not IN the plate but was transferred into the resin from the original crack on the rock. The fin rays are present with superb detail and with a full tail.
If you curate a public museum or take pride in displaying the finest examples of fossils from this rare site, then this is a MUST HAVE specimen! It is not only much nicer than typically seen but it is much larger than usually found. It would be very difficult to nearly impossible to ever find a specimen that exceeds this incredible example!
Prior to the international protection and status of the Messel Pit, private collectors had access to the site and old collection specimens can be found occasionally on the market. Depending on their quality of preparation as well as preservation and type, fossils from Messel are extremely desirable to acquire and exceptional examples have proven to appreciate in value over time due to the rarity of their availability on the market not to mention the rarity of their natural occurrence. The Messel Pit represents an extremely rare occurrence in the fossil record hence its fame in the scientific world. Its fossils are extremely fascinating as well as important specimens in scientific history, and no collector wishing to exhibit an impressive collection should overlook including Messel fossils in their display, when possible.
One of the most scientifically famous fossil deposits in the world can be found at the Messel Pit near Messel, Germany, 35 km southeast of Frankfurt. The site occupies 70 hectares and the mine pit is 1000 meters long and 700 meters wide. The ground level of the area surrounding the pit is approximately 200 meters above sea level with the original pit floor extending to a depth of 60 meters. The oil shale deposits extend further below this floor to an additional 120 to 130 meters.
The site is so rich in a unique array of preserved fauna that it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995 and is now internationally protected. The UNESCO program aims to catalogue, name, and preserve sites around the world of remarkable cultural or natural importance for the common heritage of mankind. The majority of sites protected under UNESCO are cultural, not natural sites like Messel so its inclusion as a world "treasure" underlines its value and importance to both paleontologists as well as fossil collectors.
The Messel Pit was originally mined for its bituminous shale and this oil shale was actively dug from 1859 to 1971. After mining operations ceased in 1971, the German government considered filling the open pit mine with garbage and converting the site to a waste dump despite the knowledge of its fossils. Fossils had been well-known from the Messel site with the first fossil found in 1875 of a well-preserved crocodile and despite the local governments' desire to destroy the site, serious scientific excavations had been taking place there since the early 1970's. Fortunately, the scientific community was successful in saving the Messel Pit and German legislation was enacted in 1991 and in 1992 to protect it as a national monument. Later, in 1995, the Messel Pit gained its UNESCO listing and international prominence and protection.
The fossil deposits at Messel date back to the Middle Eocene Period ( Geiseltalian Period) or 50 million years ago. The site was a former lake during this time. The surrounding shore region is believed to have been subjected to periodic poisonous gas attacks emerging from the lake bed due to tectonic activity explaining the abundance of well-preserved terrestrial vertebrates near the original lake shore. The lake was also a deep body of water with nearly zero turbidity at the lower strata. This deeper part of the lake was also anoxic, that is, it had little to no dissolved oxygen so it could not support any aquatic life-forms that needed to breathe underwater. This unique set of circumstances meant that any fauna that died in the lake and sunk to the bottom would not have readily decomposed, been disturbed by predators or scattered by water currents. Combined with very low rate of sedimentary deposition resulted in the extraordinarily well-preserved fossils that are found now.
The Messel flora and fauna represent the finest examples preserved of this period ever discovered. The quality of preservation is astonishing ranging from preserved soft body tissue and stomach contents of many vertebrate specimens to preserved distinct metallic colorations in its insect fossils. Whole skeletons are found perfectly articulated and complete with dark regions of preserved hair, feathers and skin. Original complex prehistoric chemical compositions of the deposit are also still intact allowing scientists to study these "chemical fossils" and thereby reconstruct the paleoecology and paleobiological processes of the site 50 million years ago! The rich array of specimens includes 40 new species comprising rare mammal (both ground-dwelling and avian), fish, insect, amphibian, reptile and plant remains. The photos below show some of the amazing examples that have been found in the Messel shale.
PREPARATION TECHNIQUE OF MESSEL FOSSILS:
Since the oil shales from Messel are fragile and difficult to stabilize in the conservation of the fossils found there, the most common technique for extracting and presenting these fossils is by embedding the fossil in plastic resin on one side for a stable backing. When the fossil is discovered in the field, resin is mixed and poured over the exposed layer. The entire fossil with its reinforced resin backing is then removed from the ground and brought back to the lab where it is flipped over and prepared from the rock side which was the former layer facing down. The preparation is done very carefully with manual tools and in some cases, light air abrasives. The surrounding rock is removed to expose the layer holding the fossil and if done carefully, soft body tissue and other delicate features can be found preserved intact. The resin is either colored or left natural and the fossil is stabilized with a clear preservant to prevent damage to its fragile features now that they are fully exposed.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE FISH FOSSILS
The images below showcase some of the spectacular actual specimens excavated from the Messel Pit that now reside in the Senckenberg Natural History Museum in Frankfurt, Germany - protected by copyright
ID Amphiperca multiformis
FOUND Messel Oil Shale Pit - Messel, Germany
AGE MIDDLE EOCENE (GEISELTALIAN): 50 million years ago
SIZE 9" in length x 7" high overall fish 7.25" long
CONDITION INCREDIBLE 3D PRESERVATION OF SKIN OVER BONES. TYPICAL RESIN TRANSFER METHOD. 100% GENUINE WITH NO FABRICATION TO FOSSIL.
NOTE WITHOUT QUESTION, ONE OF THE BEST WE HAVE EVER SEEN WITH AMAZING ORANGE COLOR LIKE A HALO AROUND A BLACK AND ORANGE FOSSIL. A TRUE MUSEUM-CLASS SPECIMEN!
:: Includes Display Stand
LARGE EXCEPTIONAL BOWFIN FISH FOSSIL OF CYCLURUS AMIA FROM THE FAMOUS MESSEL PIT *MF001
Now: 658.26- EURO
SHOWPIECE FOSSIL WITH RARE JURASSIC PREHISTORIC AMMONITES *AMX381
LARGE CYCLURUS EOCENE BOWFIN FISH FROM THE FAMOUS MESSEL PIT WITH THE FINEST PRESERVATION *F039
PARAMBLYPTERUS PERMIAN EARLY FISH FOSSIL WITH CHOICE PRESERVATION *F146
FINEST MUSEUM-CLASS FOSSIL PARAELOPS FISH FROM THE DINOSAUR DAYS *F106
Now: 12,006.00- EURO


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« South African Medical Association (SAMA) denounces circumcision of infants
Swazi men stop using condoms after circumcision »
http://www.publichealthinafrica.org/index.php/jphia/article/viewArticle/jphia.2011.e4/html_9
Home > Vol 2, No 1 (2011) > Van Howe
Robert S. Van Howe, Michelle R. Storms
Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Marquette, MI, USA
Correspondence: Dr. Robert S. Van Howe, Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, 413 E. Ohio Street, Marquette, MI 49855, USA.
Tel. +1.906.2287454 – Fax: +1.906.4852726. E-mail: rsvanhowe@att.net, vanhowe@msu.edu
Key words: circumcision, HIV infection, risk compensation.
Conflict of interest: the authors report no conflicts of interest.
Received for publication: 25 October 2010.
Accepted for publication: 9 December 2010.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License (by-nc 3.0).
©Copyright R.S. Van Howe and M.R. Storms, 2011
Licensee PAGEPress, Italy
Journal of Public Health in Africa 2011; 2:e4
doi:10.4081/jphia.2011.e4
The World Health Organization and UNAIDS have supported circumcision as a preventive for HIV infections in regions with high rates of heterosexually transmitted HIV; however, the circumcision solution has several fundamental flaws that undermine its potential for success. This article explores, in detail, the data on which this recommendation is based, the difficulty in translating results from high risk adults in a research setting to the general public, the impact of risk compensation, and how circumcision compares to existing alternatives. Based on our analysis it is concluded that the circumcision solution is a wasteful distraction that takes resources away from more effective, less expensive, less invasive alternatives. By diverting attention away from more effective interventions, circumcision programs will likely increase the number of HIV infections.
At the XVIII International AIDS conference held in Vienna, there was a strong push to gather funding to circumcise 38 million men in sub-Saharan Africa within the next five years. The belief is that male circumcision provides the best hope of decreasing the spread of HIV infection there. We believe these efforts are misguided.
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS have supported circumcision as an HIV preventive in regions with high rates of heterosexually transmitted HIV, the circumcision solution has several fundamental flaws that have been glossed over by its proponents within these organizations. These proponents, who have been touting the "benefits" of circumcision for decades, have developed plans to circumcise Africa on behalf of WHO and UNAIDS.1 If their goal is to prevent the spread of HIV in Africa, circumcision will only serve to divert resources away from effective measures.
In this paper, we will expose the lack of scientific evidence, biological plausibility, and epidemiological evidence that provides the foundation for the circumcision solution. We will demonstrate how circumcision will likely increase the number of heterosexually transmitted HIV infections. Finally, we will discuss how poorly circumcision compares with other interventions.
Lack of scientific evidence
The results of three randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are often presented as proof beyond a reasonable doubt that male circumcision prevents HIV infection.2 After all, RCTs are the gold standard of medical experimentation. However, such accolades only apply to well-designed, well-executed trials. The three RCTs were neither.
The trials were nearly identical in their methodology and in the number of men in each arm of the trial who became infected. The trials shared the same biases, which led to nearly identical results. All had expectation bias (both researcher and participant), selection bias, lead-time bias, attrition bias, duration bias, and early termination that favored the treatment effect the investigators were hoping for.3 All three studies were overpowered such that the biases alone could have provided a statistically significant difference.
The common hypothesis for these trials was that male circumcision would decrease the rate of heterosexually transmitted HIV infections. A basic assumption adopted by the investigators was that all HIV infections resulted from heterosexual transmission, so no effort was made to determine the source of the infections discovered during the trial. There is strong evidence that this assumption was not valid.
In the South African trial, men who reported at least one episode of unprotected sex accounted for 2498 person-years and 46 HIV infections during the trial. Among the remaining men, who accounted for 2076 person-years, 23 become infected although they either had no sexual contact or always used a condom. These men, who had infection rate of 1.11/100 person-years (95%CI=0.74-1.67), presumably became infected through non-sexual means. The men at sexual risk of infection had an infection rate of 1.84/100 person-years (95%CI=1.38-2.46). It would be expected that all men in the trial shared the same baseline risk of non-sexual transmission and any additional risk could be attributed to sexual transmission. The infections attributed to sexual contact would be the difference between the total rate and the non-sexually transmitted rate (0.73/100 person-years). Consequently, only 18 (0.0073 infections per person-year * 2498 person-years) of the 69 infections in the South African trial can be attributed to sexual transmission.4
Similarly, in the Ugandan trial, men who consistently used condoms had the same rate of infection as those who never used condoms (Consistent condom use: 1.03/100 person-years; No condom use 0.91/100 person-years; RR=1.13, 95%CI=0.54-2.38, P=0.74). Men who reported no sexual partners for the duration of the trial accounted for 1252.1 patient-years and 6 infections (0.48/100 persons-years, 95%CI=0.22-1.07). If this rate is subtracted from the rate in sexually active men, at most 35 of the 67 infections in the Ugandan trial can be attributed to sexual transmission.5
Finally, in the first three months of the Kenyan trial, five men became HIV-positive who reported no sexual activity in the period before the seroconversion (0.73/100 person-years, 95%CI=0.30-1.76). If this rate is subtracted from the overall rate of infection in the trial, at most 36 of the 69 infections in the Ugandan trial can be attributed to sexual transmission.6 Conservatively for the three trials, 89 of the 205 infections (43.1%) were sexually transmitted. Without knowing which infections were sexually transmitted, it is impossible to test the hypothesis of whether circumcision reduces the rate of sexually transmitted HIV. Basing policy on studies that were unable to answer their own research question is unwarranted.
Lack of biologic plausibility
How does cutting off the foreskin prevent the transmission of HIV? This question remains unanswered. Proponents of the circumcision solution have speculated that the interior mucosa of the prepuce is thinner and more prone to tearing, but mucosa of the inner and outer prepuce have been shown to be of the same thickness.7 Proponents also speculate that HIV is more likely to be transmitted through the foreskin because it has a high concentration of Langerhans cells, which they believe are the entry point for HIV. Research has shown that Langerhans cells are quite efficient in repelling HIV and explains why the transmission rate of HIV is one per 1000 unprotected coital acts.8 The inner foreskin secretes langerin, which kills viruses.9 Langerhans cells also protect against other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which may explain why circumcised men are at greater risk for getting an STI (unpublished data). In general, mucosal immunity provides a stronger barrier to infection than the skin. Finally, to support their plausibility argument, circumcision proponents have identified the sub-preputial space as a harbor for sexually transmitted viruses. Meta-analyses assessing the susceptibility to genital infections with herpes simplex virus and human papilloma virus have not shown an association with circumcision status.10,11,12 Unfortunately, these speculations have been repeated so often in the medical literature that many physicians and public health officials consider them factual. There is, however, no direct scientific evidence to support the hypothesis that the foreskin is a predisposing factor for infection.
Lack of consistent epidemiological evidence
If the RCTs are to be believed and circumcision provides 50% to 60% protection from sexually transmitted HIV infection, then the impact of circumcision should be readily apparent in the general population. This is not the case. In Africa, there are several countries where circumcised men are more likely to be HIV infected than intact men, including Malawi, Rwanda, Cameroon, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Tanzania.13,14,15 Even in South Africa, where one RCT was undertaken, 12.3% of circumcised men were HIV-positive, while 12.0% of intact men were HIV-positive.16 If the national survey data that are available from 19 countries are combined in a meta-analysis (Table 1) the random-effects model summary effect for the risk of a genitally intact man having HIV is an odds ratio of 1.10 (95%CI=0.83-1.46), indicating that on a general population level, circumcision has no association with risk of HIV infection. Among developed nations, the United States has the highest rate of circumcision and the highest rate of heterosexually transmitted HIV.17 Within the United States, blacks have the highest rate of circumcision18,19,20,21 and the highest rate of heterosexually transmitted HIV.22 Among English-speaking developed nations there is a significant positive association between neonatal circumcision rates and HIV prevalence (data currently under submission, Scot Anderson). On a population level, circumcision has not been found to be an effective measure and may be associated with an increase in HIV risk.
Table 1. Meta-analysis of population survey results from 19 countries15,16 comparing HIV prevalence based on circumcision status using fixed-effects and random-effects models on exact odds ratios and confidence intervals.11
Risk compensation
Risk compensation occurs when people believe they have been provided additional protection (wearing safety belts) they will engage in higher risk behavior (driving faster). As a consequence of the increase in higher risk behavior, the number of targeted events (traffic fatalities) either remains unchanged or increases.23,24 When modeling HIV infections in San Francisco, Blower and McLean found that if an HIV-vaccine offered 50% protection, but reduced condom usage, or increased other risky behaviors, it would likely result in higher HIV infection rates.21
Risk compensation will accompany the circumcision solution in Africa. Circumcision has been promoted as a natural condom,25 and African men have reported having undergone circumcision in order not to have to continually use condoms. Such a message has been adopted by public health researchers. A recent South African study assessing determinants of demand for circumcision listed "It means that men don't have [to] use a condom" as a circumcision advantage in the materials they presented to the men they surveyed.26 If circumcision results in lower condom use, the number of HIV infections will increase.
African men, on average, have coitus once a week,27 and use condoms in 48% of their sexual encounters with women.5 Assume that 20% of sexually active women are HIV-positive, partners were contacted randomly, condoms are 98% effective when used, the baseline circumcision rate is 5%, and circumcision reduced the transmission rate of HIV infection by 50%. Since the transmission rate of HIV from females to males is one per 1000 unprotected coital acts, the HIV infection rate in men in this scenario would be 0.537 per 100 person-years (which is far below the rate reported in the three RCTs). If the circumcision rate increases from 5% up to 75%, the infection rate would decrease to 0.344 per 100 person-years. If in the baseline scenario with a 5% circumcision rate condom use increased from 48% up to 67.9% of sexual encounters, the infection rate would be 0.344 per 100 person-years. Consequently, the impact of a fifteen-fold increase in the rate of circumcision could be accomplished by a relative 41% increase in the use of condoms.
The leap of faith
Interventions and medications that demonstrate efficacy in a research setting are often failures in a clinical setting. Circumcision will provide another example of this. The results from the RCTs are of questionable value, and it is unknown how they will translate to the real world. Numbers gathered from general populations are outside the 95% confidence intervals generated by the RCTs.
Research results often fail to translate to other settings because the research population differs considerably from the targeted population. For example, to save money in a trial of a new antihypertensive medication, participants with the highest blood pressure will be recruited for the trial, because it is easier to show effectiveness in those with more severe disease. The new medication may do well with the participants, but when the medication is released for general use, it may not be beneficial for those with mild hypertension, let alone those who are normotensive.
The men attracted by a free circumcision to enroll in the RCTs are not representative of the general population. The RCT participants were required to want to be circumcised. A faithful monogamous man with a faithful spouse would have little motivation to seek a free circumcision. This selection bias may have resulted in enrollment of men more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors. The free circumcision and financial inducements may have added to the selection bias.
If the selection bias resulted in more men at high risk of infection being in the trial, then the results would apply only to men who engage in high-risk behaviors. This would be consistent with the observational studies finding that the association between circumcision status and HIV infection was present primarily in studies of high-risk men.
Instead of targeting sexually active men at high risk of HIV infection, the circumcision solution proposes circumcising all males (of all ages), which would be equivalent to recommending the above antihypertensive medication to everyone regardless of their blood pressure. In addition to the national survey data (Table 1), observational studies of general populations have for the most part failed to show an association between circumcision status and HIV infection.28,29,30 There is no scientific reason to believe that the RCT results would necessarily apply to the general population. It is quite likely that applying research results from a high risk population to the general population will lead to failure. Using the scenario above, if it is assumed that circumcision has only a 10% protective in the general population then increasing the circumcision rate from 5% up to 75% would decrease the infection rate from 0.548 to 0.509 per 100 person-years. Increasing condom use from 48% up to 51.8% would result in the same gains. So a fifteen-fold increase in the circumcision rate would have the same impact as a 3.8% absolute increase in the use in condoms.
Attractive, less invasive, less expensive, more effective alternatives
Before Africans address sexually transmitted HIV, a concerted effort to eliminate the iatrogenic spread of the virus is needed. As the numbers from the RCTs indicate, most infections can be attributed to non-sexual transmission. While this indictment of the medical system is unsettling, ignoring iatrogenic sources of infection will only allow the African epidemic to flourish.31
When it comes to sexually transmitted HIV infections, proponents of circumcision have consistently failed to compare the effectiveness and cost of circumcision to currently available alternatives, which include condoms, aggressive surveillance and treatment of STIs, and antiretroviral therapy (ART).
ART is a secondary preventive measure. When those infected with HIV are treated with ART, the viral counts can decrease to where the patient is no longer contagious. HIV-infected patients on ART with no currently active STI no longer need to use condoms to protect their partners.32 A recent model predicted that a "test and treat" model in a sub-Saharan setting could reduce the number of new HIV infections by 55-73.2%,33 making this approach attractive in Africa, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.34 This intervention directs prevention at those most likely to benefit: those exposed to the virus. With the circumcision solution, the vast majority of men who are circumcised will not benefit from the procedure (Figure 1). Secondary prevention is a more efficient use of resources and many HIV experts consider primary prevention extremely wasteful and ineffective.8 The "test and treat" approach is effective regardless of whether the infection was sexually or iatrogenically transmitted. Such an approach would not be limited to ART, as the use of other medications proven to decrease viral counts, such as decitabine and gemcitabine, may also become available.35
Aggressive surveillance and treatment of STIs has been shown to reduce the number of HIV infections by 40%36 at a cost of $217.62 per HIV-1 infection averted.37 This is more cost-effective than models for circumcision, which extrapolate the data collected from the 21 to 24 months of the RCTs to over 20 years, have predicted. These models, which incorporated major assumptions of questionable validity, presented circumcision as favorably as possible. In addition to being more cost-effective, aggressive surveillance and treatment of STIs have the advantage of treating and preventing the spread of STIs and avoiding the damage caused by removing the most sensitive portion of penis.38 Part of the success of STI treatment research may be due to a reduction of iatrogenically transmitted HIV, as the STIs were treated in research facilities.
In studies of discordant couples, condoms have been shown to be more than 99% effective in preventing infection.39 Condoms, in a public health setting, cost 2.5¢ each.40 A safe circumcision performed under sterile conditions in Africa using local anesthetic costs approximately $75,41 so for the cost of an adult circumcision, 3000 condoms, at 2.5¢ per condom, can be purchased. The nearly complete protection provided by condoms is a bargain compared with circumcision. In the first hypothetical scenario outlined above, the 0.193 infections per 100 person-years decrease in HIV infection rate brought by circumcision costs $52.50 per person. The cost per person of the additional condoms (at 2.5¢ each) for one year to achieve the same impact on the infection rate would total 25.87¢. To have the same effect for one year, circumcision costs 202.9 times more than condoms. Proponents for circumcision would argue that circumcision is a one-time expenditure, while condoms would be an ongoing expense. Using the scenario above with 3% discounting and assuming an average of weekly sexual contact over 45 years, the lifetime difference in the cost of condoms would be $6.13 per person. With 5% discounting the lifetime difference in cost would be $4.83. If circumcision is only 10% effective, with a 3% discount, the lifetime difference in cost of condoms would be $1.25.
One complaint has been that the 2.5¢ condoms are not attractive, which may explain why they are underused. Based on this analysis, if a man is having sex weekly for 45 years, an upgrade to condoms that cost ten times as much would be cost neutral (assuming a discount rate of 3%). Of course, if sexual contact was less frequent or a man was in a mutual monogamous relationship, further condom upgrades could be justified.
This is, however, a false comparison because, unlike circumcision, condoms can provide nearly complete protection.
Circumcision proponents believe that circumcision is the only proven effective preventive tool for HIV infection and have argued that condoms are ineffective.42,43 Condoms would be expected to be ineffective in regions where the majority of infections are from non-sexual transmission. Abstinence, be faithful, and condoms (ABC) should remain the focus of primary prevention for sexually transmitted HIV, but more resources need to be focused on the non-sexually transmitted infections, which is a much more efficient means of transmission.31
How rational is it to tell men that they must be circumcised to prevent HIV, but after circumcision they still need to use a condom to be protected from sexually transmitted HIV? Condoms provide near complete protection, so why would additional protection be needed? It is not hard to see that circumcision is either inadequate (otherwise there would be no need for the continued use of condoms) or redundant (as condoms provide nearly complete protection). The argument that men don't want to use condoms needs to be addressed with more attractive condom options and further education that sex without a condom and without a foreskin is potentially fatal, while sex with a condom and a foreskin is safe. No nuance is needed. Offering less effective alternatives can only lead to higher rates of infection.
Rather than wasting resources on circumcision, which is less effective, more expensive, and more invasive, focusing on iatrogenic sources and secondary prevention should be the priority, since it provides the most impact for the resources expended. The second tier would be primary prevention that focuses on the ABCs.
Resources are not unlimited. With the push for circumcision, public health workers in Africa are finding that resources that previously paid for condoms are now being redirected to circumcision. With every circumcision performed, 3000 condoms will not be available. For every circumcision performed, a health care provider is prevented from caring for someone in need of medical care. With trained medical providers busy performing circumcisions, patients will be forced to seek medical care provided in settings where sterility of equipment is less likely and HIV is more likely to be spread iatrogenically. For every circumcision performed, there are fewer resources that can be put into ART and other chemotherapies. Male circumcision is an unnecessary distraction that depletes the limited resources available to address the HIV epidemic. It also fails to address the underlying causes for the epidemic in Africa.
Figure 1. Cumulative HIV infections over time using the combined data from three randomized clinical trials with early circumcision represented with the solid line and delayed circumcision (control group) in the dashed line. Nearly all of the men in the trial remained infection free.
1.World Health Organization, UNAIDS. Male circumcision: global trends and determinants of prevalence, safety and acceptability. 2007. Available at: http://www.malecircumcision.org/media/documents/MC_Global_Trends_Determinants.pdf
2. World Health Organization, UNAIDS. New data on male circumcision and HIV prevention: policy and programme implications. 2007. Available at: http://www. unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/dataimport/pub/report/2007/mc_recommendations_en.pdf
3. Halperin DT, Bailey RC. Male circumcision and HIV infection: 10 years and counting. Lancet 1999; 354:1813-5.
4. Auvert B, Taljaard D, Lagarde E, et al. Randomized, controlled intervention trial of male circumcision for reduction of HIV infection risk: The ANRS 1265 Trial. PLoS Med 2005;2:e298.
5. Gray RH, Kigozi G, Serwadda D, et al. Male circumcision for HIV prevention in men in Rakai, Uganda: a randomised trial. Lancet 2007;369:657-66.
6. Bailey RC, Moses S, Parker CB, et al. Male circumcision for HIV prevention in young men in Kisumu, Kenya: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2007;369:643-56.
7. Dinh MH, McRaven MD, Kelley Z, et al. Keratinization of the adult male foreskin and implications for male circumcision. AIDS 2010;24:899-906.
8. Chin J. The AIDS pandemic: the collision of epidemiology with political correctness. 2007. Radcliffe Publ., Abingdon, OX,UK
9. de Witte L, Nabatov A, Pion M, , et al. Langerin as a natural barrier to HIV-1 transmission by Langerhans cells. Nat Med 2007;13:367-71.
10. Weiss HA, Thomas SL, Munabi SK, Hayes RJ. Male circumcision and risk of syphilis, chancroid, and genital herpes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sex Transm Infect 2006;82:101-10.
11. Van Howe RS. Human papillomavirus and circumcision: A meta-analysis. J Infect 2007;54:490-6.
12. Van Howe RS, Storms MR. Circumcision to prevent HPV infection. Lancet Oncol 2009;10:746-7.
13. Garenne M. Long-term population effect of male circumcision in generalised HIV epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. Afr J AIDS Res 2008;7:1-8.
14. Demographic and Health Surveys. HIV Prevalence and Associated Factors (Chapter 15). In: Rwanda National Health and Demographic Survey for 2005. Available at: http://www.measuredhs.com/ pubs/pdf/FR183/15Chapter15.pdf
15. Mishra V, Medley A, Hong Ret al. Levels and Spread of HIV Seroprevalence and Associated Factors: Evidence from National Household Surveys. 2009. DHS Comparative Reports No. 22. Macro International Inc., Calverton, MD, USA.
16. Connolly C, Shanmugam R, Simbayi LC, Nqeketo A. Male circumcision and its relationship to HIV infection in South Africa: Results of a national survey in 2002. S Afr Med J 2008;98:789-94.
17. UNAIDS, World Health Organization. Global HIV/AIDS and STD Surveillance Project: Report on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic 1998. Available at: http://www. unaids.org/hivaidsinfo/statistics/june98/global_report/index.html.
18. O'Brien TR, Calle EE, Poole WK. Incidence of neonatal circumcision in Atlanta, 1985-1986. South Med J 1995;88:411-5.
19. Xu F, Markowitz LE, Sternberg MR, Aral SO. Prevalence of circumcision and herpes simplex type 2 infection in men in the United States: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999-2004. Sex Transm Dis 2007;34:479-84.
20. Mor Z, Kent CK, Kohn RP, Klausner JD. Declining rates in male circumcision amidst increasing evidence of its public health benefit. PLoS ONE 2007;2:e861.
21. Mansfield CJ, Hueston WJ, Rudy M. Neonatal circumcision: associated factors and length of hospital stay. J Fam Pract 1995;41:370-6.
22. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Racial/ethnic disparities in diagnoses of HIV/AIDS – 33 states, 2001-2005. MMWR Morb Mort Wkly Rep 2007;56:189-93.
23. Blower SM, McLean AR. Prophylactic vaccines, risk behaviour change, and the probability of eradicating HIV in San Francisco. Science 1994;265:1451-4.
24. Richens J, Imrie J, Copas A. Condoms and seat belts: the parallels and the lessons. Lancet 2000;355:400-3.
25. Bonner K. Male circumcision as an HIV control strategy: not a 'natural condom'. Reprod Health Matters 2001;9:143-55.
26. Bridges JFP, Selck FW, Gray GE, et al. Condom avoidance and determinants of demand for male circumcision in Johannesburg, South Africa. Health Policy Planning 2010; e-pub ahead of print.
27. Sawers L, Stillwaggon E. Concurrent sexual partnerships do not explain the HIV epidemics in Africa: a systematic review of the evidence. J Int AIDS Soc 2010; 13: 34.
28. Grosskurth H, Mosha F, Todd J, et al. A community trial of the impact of improved sexually transmitted disease treatment on the HIV epidemic in rural Tanzania: 2. Baseline survey results. AIDS 1995;9:927-34.
29. O'Farrell N, Egger M. Circumcision in men and the prevention of HIV infection: a "meta-analysis" revisited. Int J STD AIDS 2000;11: 137-42.
30. Van Howe RS. Circumcision and HIV infection: review of the literature and meta-analysis. Int J STD AIDS 1999;10:8-16.
31. Gisselquist D. Points to consider: responses to HIV/AIDS in Africa, Asia and Caribbean. 2008. Adonis & Abbey Publ. Ltd, London, UK.
32. Vernazza P. La prévention du sida devient plus simpl, mais aussi plus complexe! Bull Med Suisses 2008;89:163-4.
33. Bendavid E, Brandeau ML, Wood R, Owens DK. Comparative effectiveness of HIV testing and treatment in highly endemic regions. Arch Int Med 2010;170:1357-54.
34. Charlebois ED, Havlir DV. "A Bird in the Hand…": a commentary on the test and treat approach for HIV. Arch Int Med 2010;170:1354-6.
35. Clouser CL, Patterson SE, Mansky LM. Exploiting drug repositioning for discovery of a novel HIV combination therapy. J Virol 2010;84:9301-9.
36 Grosskurth H, Mosha F, Todd J, et al. Impact of improved treatment of sexually transmitted diseases on HIV infection in rural Tanzania: randomised controlled trial. Lancet 1995;346:530-6.
37. Gilson L, Mkanje R, Grosskurth H, et al. Cost-effectiveness of improved treatment services for sexually transmitted diseases in preventing HIV-1 infection in Mwanza Region, Tanzania. Lancet 1997;350:1805-9.
38. Sorrells ML, Snyder JL, Reiss MD, et al. Fine-touch pressure thresholds in the adult penis. BJU Int 2007;99:864-9.
39. de Vincenzi I. A longitudinal study of human immunodeficiency virus transmission by heterosexual partners. European Study Group on Heterosexual Transmission of HIV. N Engl J Med 1994;331:341-6.
40. Shelton JD, Johnston B. Condom gap in Africa: evidence from donor agencies and key informants. Br Med J 2001;323:139.
41. Krieger JN, Bailey RC, Opeya J, et al. Adult male circumcision: results of a standardized procedure in Kisumu District, Kenya. BJU Int 2005;96:1109-13.
42. Potts M, Halperin DT, Kirby D, et al. Reassessing HIV prevention. Science 2008;320:749-50.
43. Klausner JD, Wamai RG, Bowa K, et al. Is male circumcision as good as the HIV vaccine we've been waiting for? Future HIV Ther 2008;2:1-7.
April 23rd, 2011 | Tags: Africa, Circumcision, Health Department, increase HIV infections, KwaZulu, KZN | Category: NOCIRC-SA


Preschool classrooms have taken on a new look!
After copious studying of how the environment can serve as a "third teacher" for all children, especially those in early childhood, MC School's early childhood team led in the innovative project of transforming the classrooms, and in the mist redefining the meaning of early childhood and education.
What is our image of the child, and what are we doing to advocate for this image? One of the answers is in our environment.


Julia is a fifth year doctoral student in social psychology. Her research interests focus on how relationship processes and self-regulation processes interact to influence physical and psychological health in romantic couples. Specifically, her research investigates interpersonal influences on self-regulation, the effects of social support on goal pursuit in romantic couples, technology interference in relationships, day to day relationship conflict, and basic self-regulatory processes. She is also interested in how mindfulness may influence self-regulation, relationship processes, and relationship conflict resolution.
Wesley is a second social psychology doctoral student. His research interests focus broadly on goal systems theory and how individuals navigate the complicated world of choice through means-goal analysis. More specifically, he is interested in the principal of counterfinality and how it relates to individuals' pursuit of different risk behaviors, such as smoking, drug use, or risky sexual behavior.
I am a senior working towards my Bachelors of Science in Psychology. My interests lie in the I/O Psychology field. After I complete my bachelor's, I plan on getting my master's in I/O Psychology. My ultimate goal is to do research in this field. I would like to work with companies and their employees to understand the factors that motivates the employees to give it their best at the job, as well as what demotivates them. Working as a research assistant is the first step to reaching that ultimate goal.
My name is Petria Laura Idita, you may call me Laura. I am a fourth year undergraduate psychology major hoping to go on to PA school after graduation. This will be my second semester in the lab, where I will be working as a research assistant, I will also be wrapping up the drinking and driving study along with working on other projects.
My name is Daria Sterp. I am a fourth-year undergraduate psychology major. After my Bachelor's degree, I am hoping to get into PA school and achieve my dream career. This is my first semester being an undergraduate research assistant. In the lab, I will be working on different projects, helping with research and learning new things.


This effect changes a picture's tinting by assembling colors from the original color channels in a new relation to each other.
Work with RGB channels is especially useful when repairing defective pictures with misassembled channels, for advanced color balance adjustments, and for reconstructing the colors in infrared photographs. For infrared photography, due to extremely strong exposure of the red channel, we recommend conversion to black and white, or swapping of the red and blue channels, for a more natural feel.
To reach this window, use Edit | Effects | Mix Channels… in the Browser, or Effects | Mix Channels in the Editor.
The first three items in this window's Channel menu set what channel's output should be affected by the source channels listed below the menu. Offset gives a flat strengthening/weakening of the whole channel. Setting the channel to Grayscale switches the whole window into grayscale mode. Unlike the Grayscale function, it enables subtraction of individual color channels.


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FABULOUS WOMEN WHO INSPIRE ME: IN HONOR OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
Empowering women… empowering girls… is something I have aspired to my entire life. As we celebrate Women's History Month this March, I want to take a moment to share with you a few of the fabulous women who have inspired me throughout my life. LOUISE HAY
I believe that "the thoughts you think create the life you live." I've been inspired by Louise Hay through my entire life. The godmother of self-help, Louise pioneered the positive thought, affirmation and self-healing movement. Her bestselling book You Can Heal Your Life sold over 50 million copies and is still relevant today. Always looking to help others, she founded Hay House, a publishing company specializing in self-help and personal growth, and the Hay Foundation, a nonprofit that supports organizations that supply food, shelter, care and money to those in need. Learn more about the Hay Foundation here https://www.hayfoundation.org/ GLORIA STEINEM
Rarely has one person influenced more women than Gloria Steinem. Ever since I was a little girl, she and the women's movement rocked my world. It is because of Gloria and the movement she championed that I was able to become the successful, independent business woman and mother that I am today. We still may have a long way to go, but Gloria's message of empowerment has helped women see the world in a different light and navigate the successes we are now able to achieve. BARBARA CORCORAN
Barbara is a force of nature and the definition of a self-made woman. After founding the Corcoran Group in 1973, she forged the way for women in the real estate industry. She later went on to sell the Corcoran Group for $66 million while mentoring many women along the way. Continuing her professional trajectory, she is one of the stars on Shark Tank, supporting women entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams. Always looking for ways to give back, she inspires the entrepreneurial spirit in all of us!
Promise Project
"If you know you can make a difference… then you have to," these are words I live by. Whether it's for one single person or on a larger scale, giving back is one of the most rewarding aspects of my life. Dana Buchman is a former fashion designer and found that her true calling was helping to improve lives. Her passion led her to found the Promise Project, a nonprofit whose goal is to provide an educational path for children struggling with learning disabilities. Dana is a smart, elegant and determined woman with a big heart who continues to impress me after years of knowing her. Learn more about the Promise Project here - https://www.promise-project.org/promise2/ KELLY WEARSTLER
photographed by: Nick Hudson and Grey Crawford
Kelly Wearstler's work always inspires me. She is a woman after my own heart. Having founded her own design firm in 1995, her edgy, over-the-top designs changed the way we view residential and hotel design. As an entrepreneur, I also have great respect for her thinking outside of the box in her career by expanding her business into product with her eponymous lifestyle brand. If this wasn't enough, she has done all this while being a mother and raising 2 boys. AMAL CLOONEY
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She is a true inspiration! Smart, beautiful, stylish and committed to making a difference. Amal Clooney is someone we can all admire. Born in Beirut and raised in England, Amal has taken the world by storm with high-profile defense cases and activism. Though she captured the heart of one of the world's most famous bachelors, Amal continues to pursue her passions and fight for what's right to help make the world a better place. LADY GAGA
Persistence! Persistence! Persistence! Always pushing the boundaries, Lady Gaga's unconventional style and awe-inspiring determination propelled her to icon status. She doesn't back down and she doesn't give up. With her heart in the right place, Gaga has an eye for philanthropy. She is always looking to help those in need and is always encouraging people to stay true to themselves. She is the ultimate artist and role model. It's always important to celebrate the inspirational women in our lives. They are the ones who influence each younger generation of both men and women to fight for fairness and equality. Here's to all the women who are breaking down barriers and are helping to create a better world.
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Dating from 1977, this is Mexicali's most popular seafood restaurant. The shrimp culichi (shrimp in a creamy green chili sauce) is spectacular. Live music brightens the night on Thursday and Friday. Reservations recommended.


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Chesterfield Police Athletic/Activities League
building lasting relationships between police officers and OUR youth in order to build stronger communities!
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- A Chesterfield County police officer teamed up with a former NFL player to keep children active in the summer.Officer Rick Cremonese started the Chesterfield Police Athletic League, a non-profit dedicated to keeping children busy and healthy.Chesterfield County native and former Houston Texan Mark Parson visited Chalkley Elementary School Monday with Officer Cremonese to discuss the Police Athletic League and recruit new members."PAL is not all about sports," Cremonese said. "We have to broaden their thoughts and help them believe they can achieve whatever they want to achieve."
CBS 6 News Full Article here: https://wtvr.com/2018/06/11/chesterfield-police-officer-teams-up-with-former-nfl-player-to-keep-kids-active/
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Antonio Bagnoli (Cortenuova, 25 februari 1902 - 24 december 1997) was een Italiaans geestelijke en bisschop van de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk.

Bagnoli werd op 25 juli 1925 priester gewijd. Op 7 oktober 1943 benoemde paus Pius XII hem tot bisschop van Volterra. Hij ontving zijn bisschopswijding uit handen van kardinaal Elia Dalla Costa, aartsbisschop van Florence. Hij zou tot 1954 in Volterra blijven toen dezelfde paus hem benoemde tot bisschop van Fiesole. Meer dan twintig jaar zou hij dit bisdom leiden. Hij kreeg in 1977 op grond van zijn leeftijd ontslag van paus Paulus VI.

bisschop van Volterra
20e-eeuws bisschop

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Q: Why do the Jedi say "May the Force be with you"? May the Force be with you is the catch phrase of Star-Wars, but does it make any sense?
Obi-Wan himself explains the force like this:

LUKE: The Force?
BEN: Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy
field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us.
It binds the galaxy together.

If "it surrounds us and penetrates us", how could it not be with you?

A: I always assumed it was a twist on the dominus vobiscum of Christianity.

Dominus vobiscum, a Latin phrase meaning "The Lord be with you", is an ancient salutation and blessing traditionally used by the clergy in the Roman Catholic Mass, as well as in the liturgies of other Western Christian denominations.

In modern services it's often translated as "may the Lord be with you".

A: Even if the force is at all times around us (therefore it would be WITH everyone), it doesn't me it is WORKING for us, otherwise said it might favor the other!

A: It doesn't mean a wish that the force will be physically with you, it is an expression of hope that it will be on your side. It is essentially "Good luck."

A: Like those who reference Christinaity, it's similar to saying "peace be with you" in Catholic mass.

A: In theory, couldn't the Force be against you as well?
So maybe it's saying, hope it's around, and hope it will help instead of kicking you in the ass.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Dr. John O'Connell, MD is a physical medicine & rehabilitation specialist in Weston, FL and has been practicing for 25 years. He graduated from Umdnj--New Jersey Medical School in 1994 and specializes in physical medicine & rehabilitation, sports medicine, and more.
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This category is for supplemental tools related to the installation, setup, troubleshooting, or basic use and maintenance of in-car video cameras: a.k.a. dashcams.
These dashcam-related tools are geared towards the DIY (Do It Yourself) crowd out there, as certain additional levels of knowledge or experience may be required in order to safely and properly utilize them. If in doubt, please consult a professional!


Glasgow giants Celtic have been told they need the return of Rangers to the top flight if their global value is to continue rising.
The Parkhead club have impressively defied a major downturn in the Scottish game to retain their place among the top 50 brands in world football.
The Premiership champions were ranked 34th in the list compiled by one of the world's leading valuation and strategy consultants.
London-based firm Brand Finance take a range of economic and football factors into account before awarding clubs credit ratings from AAA+ to D.
Despite failing to make the Champions League, Celtic still managed to rise four places on the index which saw Manchester United become the first billion dollar football brand.
However, with English Premier League sides growing at a rate of knots on the back of the recent £5.2 billion television deal signed with Sky and BT Sport then Brand Finance feel the Hoops will struggle to keep mixing it with the game's elite.
BF communications director Robert Haigh said: "In terms of Celtic it is quite disappointing that Rangers were not promoted because for their brand to continue growing then it really needs the Old Firm fixture.
"It is quite impressive they are still in the top 50 because outwith the major leagues – the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and the Bundesliga – there are only two clubs above Celtic in the table and they are Ajax and Galatasaray.
"Scotland is even smaller than both of those countries in terms of population so it is a major achievement.
"But if Rangers were to get back into the top tier that would be a further boost for Celtic in terms of cementing their position.
"Celtic are firmly ensconced in the top 50 with a brand value of £72million and it would take a significant decline for them to drop out.
It is a sign of the times that the likes of Stoke City, Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Swansea are starting to leave Scottish clubs trailing in their wake when it comes to generating cash, the Daily Record reports.
Haigh said: "The Premier League television deal is the main factor why these so called smaller clubs are flourishing. The TV income makes up a huge proportion of their revenues.
"The Premier League brand is almost an endorsement for being a major club these days even if you are not in the Champions League. If Celtic were to join the Premier League they would more than double their brand value overnight.
"That would take them closer to the big league but still some way behind Manchester United.
"Despite not winning a trophy for two years they signed a record breaking sponsorship deal with Chevrolet and a kit supply deal with Adidas worth £750m." Rangers remain a long way detached from the super powers of European football following three years of wretched financial mismanagement but there could still be a place for them at the top table if they get their house in order.
Haigh added: "The Old Firm rivalry still generates headlines and money.


Do you know the game Here-There? I presume you don't. It's a virtual board game, so you should first learn how this virtual board looks like.
The process of making the board is remarkably simple. You start by taking a square with side of length 3N, divide it into nine smaller squares of equal size and remove the central one. Then, you repeat the same divide-and-remove-the-centre process with each of the eight smaller squares over and over (N times in total), until you are left with a grid that consists of many little squares with side length 1 – and of many holes. By the way, the number N is called the degree of the board.
The game itself consists of two steps. First, your opponent chooses two squares on the board, one of them will be "Here" and the other one "There". Your task is to estimate the least number of steps you have to take if you started Here and wanted to get to There. One step consists of moving to another square, which has a common side with the one you're standing on. Obviously, you cannot move over the removed parts of the board. If you guess the number of steps correctly, you get a point.
You would really like to become a master of this game, so you have written down the sizes of the boards and the positions of the Here and There squares from several games in the past. Now, you'd like to find the exact number of steps you need to take to get from Here to There on each of the boards. Each square is described by two numbers between 1 and 3N, the first of them denoting the column and the second one the row the square is in. The square in the upper left corner of the board has coordinates (1, 1), as you can see on the picture below.
You can see one of the shortest paths between squares (1, 1) and (4, 8) on the picture, consisting of 10 steps.
You are given several boards and pairs of squares on them and your task is to find the steps-distances between the squares in each pair.
Each test case consists of five integers D, Hc, Tc, Hr, Tr, specifying the degree of the board D, the coordinates of Here (Hc, Hr) and the coordinates of There (Tc, Tr).
For each of the test cases, output a single line with one integer – the steps-distance between Here and There.


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Google video editor software free,best internet marketing strategies 2015,video marketing london,ins advertising agency in india - Videos Download
Step 3: When prompted for permissions, click the "Allow access" button to let Pixlr integrate with your Google Drive account.
AdWords Editor is still much-loved by search marketers, judging by the reaction when I suggested a year ago that Google seemed to be deprioritizing it. AdWords Editor is one of Google's most popular tools, according to the search giant itself. The new AdWords interface has a clean, fresh layout with reorganized navigation options and a streamlined data view.
In addition, you can use multiple open windows to view different parts of the same account at the same time.
Google added type lists to ease navigation and get rid of the need to use multiple open tabs.
Click an item in the type list to view data for the selected account, campaign, or ad group.
Build complex searches by using the Search Builder to first search on one term, then adding on additional criteria.
Google made it easier to make bulk changes and assignments across multiple campaigns and ad groups with the AdWords Editor 11 updates. Using multi-select lets you easily view and paste items into multiple campaigns or ad groups. In the tree view, use Ctrl + click (Windows) or ? + click (Mac) to select multiple campaigns or ad groups.
Your Shared Library lets you assign bid strategies and sitelinks across multiple campaigns and ad groups. The Make Multiple Changes tool organizes your text into rows and columns so you can add, update or remove items in bulk. Google now allows you to download and manage entire MCC accounts in AdWords Editor, with the option to download several accounts simultaneously.
Google will continue offering support for previous versions of AdWords Editor for four months – until April 10, 2015 – after which all accounts will migrate to version 11.0. This rollout is available to all AdWords Editor users worldwide effective now, on both PC and Mac.
You can avoid duplicate keywords by ensuring that similar keywords are under different match types. I have just started working with the new version of AdWords editor and to say I'm disappointed doesn't even get close to how I'm actually feeling.
Overall, this program is the polar opposite of being user friendly and it's a kick to the groin for every longtime user of the software. I just attempted to 'check changes' on a new AdGroup I created and it came back telling me it's an invalid AdGroup name! I also dislike needing to change tabs if I wish to bulk edit ads by making changes to both the display url and the final urls.
We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Rules. PPC campaign managers must upgrade to AdWords Editor 11.1 by July 1, 2015 to ensure uninterrupted use of AdWords Editor, warns Google.
The AdWords Editor keeps getting better and better, and I'm sure the next updates will come with great leaps in terms of user experience.
AdWords announced Upgraded URLs to assist in managing URLs and tracking parameters an easier way. AdWords managers have tremendous advantages they can leverage with the new inclusion of labels as a new feature in the Google AdWords Editor 11.1.
A number of Google AdWords Managers found it challenging when the Call-Only Ads feature was initialized that without bulk support for them in Editor. Now it is easy to create labels in bulk using AdWords Editor; this option works through the shared library in Google AdWords Editor. Google Adwords Editor offered the improved search option in the original Editor 11 version, and now the newly added filtering option is available. When a business displays ads in mobile apps they can reach the burgeoning number of individuals using mobile devices for searches, playing games, listen to music, and for entertainment.
For Marketers who managing more than one account simultaneously, the new features released in June 2015 are ready for use, and simplify the time it takes to implement changes across multiple accounts. Reach out to the author: contact and available social following information is listed in the top-right of all news releases. I've questioned over the last 18 months or so why AdWords Editor seemed to be lagging so far behind the web version.
The Toolbar, where you can open or add an account, download recent changes, check or post changes or view account stats. The Account Tree, or Tree View, where you choose which account, campaign or ad group you want to work in. Data View, where you'll find the contents of the account, campaign or ad group you've selected in the Tree View. An option within the search menu icon allows you to view and apply filters, limiting your results to new items, edited items, items with errors, etc. You can also use search shortcuts like the keyword:term command to find all keywords containing a specific term. You can either type your data in directly, or copy and paste a list of changes into the tool.
In my opinion it has taken away half of its most important functionality, especially when you are working on super large accounts. When I paste from excel a list of keywords or ads, adwordsEditor keeps skipping the import of large numbers of them.
Usually, when I update some software and every single button is now in a different place, I can at least rely on shortcuts to accomplish the things I want to do. I now understand why the old version didn't automatically deinstall itself; it's so you can continue using the version that actually "worked" and "got the job done". We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or fill out this form. Hill Web Creations, a Minneapolis Marketer, comments on the update and offers insights on the best new features of Google Adwords Editor 11.1. To ensure uninterrupted use of AdWords Editor, PPC campaign managers will need to upgrade to version 11.1 before June 30th, 2015.
This will mean a reduction in how often Google will crawl a website, and provide ability to add new ValueTrack and custom tracking parameters. Labels that have been generated in the AdWords interface for keywords, ads, ad groups and campaigns now show up for key insights when re-structuring elements in a Google AdWords campaign.
To ensure uninterrupted use of AdWords Editor, you will need to upgrade to version 11.1 before June 30th, 2015". For individuals with sufficient expertise in Excel, use the follow format for labels: Label, Color, Description, Status and Comment.
Under "Keywords and targeting," managers can now choose to show ads for specific categories of apps, including a particular app (or placement) and mobile app groupings. With this update, managers have improved control managing cross-account campaigns, using top-level analytics tools and improvements in overall account controls. Serving small to mid-sized Minneapolis businesses seeking to advance online visibility through optimized web content, PPC, SEM, Local Search and insights from Google Analytics. In their Version 11 announcement this week, Google said this is the biggest update to the tool since it launched in 2006. It's about time! You can then review your changes (Google will tell you if there are errors or warnings) and confirm that you want to apply the changes.
You can avoid this problem with ads by changing at least one character in one of the ad's fields. Forcing people to adapt to the new version is basically like Microsoft forcing people Vista down their throats. An AdWords manager can now upgrade destination URLs using the latest version of AdWords Editor.
One is now able to move call-only ads between accounts and various campaigns, edit individual elements like the verification URL, or an Ad's displayed phone number. Navigating through an Adwords campaign is less demanding and makes a quick task of locating specific elements when working in the Adwords Editor.
Gain insights by reading about New Features in Google Adwords Editor that can be leveraged to grow businesses on-line.
No, you now need to use shortcuts that consist of 2 keystroke combinations (first you need to use CMD + G and THEN "T" for text ads, etc.). To find specific items such as negative keywords or site linking structure, just create a custom filter that will only display the element(s) desired to examine at any given time. I have never in my life seen "shortcuts" that consist of keystroke combinations that need to be entered one after another. He is a native of Michigan and graduated from Michigan State University in 1978 with a degree in journalism.
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Share this Story: 'Dream It * Be It' in April
This section is Presented by West Brant Window World
This section was produced by the editorial department. The client was not given the opportunity to put restrictions on the content or review it prior to publication.
'Dream It * Be It' in April
Jacob Robinson
Members of the Days for Girls Ancaster Chapter met with the Soroptimist International of Grand Erie subcommittee that hosts the annual 'Dream It * Be It' event each year on Saturday. Members of the committee helped create feminine hygiene kits for young girls in third world countries. Pictured is Sylvia Liu (16) of St. John's College alongside Days for Girls representative Roelie DeKleine of Caledonia. Photo by JACOB ROBINSON /Postmedia Network
A Soroptimist International of Grand Erie steering committee is in the thick of organizing its fifth annual 'Dream It * Be It' gathering to take place in April.
The event aims to empower local girls to pursue career goals and reach their full potential.
In advance of the assembly, its steering committee assembled for a think tank session at the Brant Mutual Insurance building on Holiday Drive Saturday to further prepare and also meet with the Days for Girls Ancaster Chapter.
Days for Girls (DFG) provides hand-sewn, washable feminine hygiene kits to young women around the world. A kit consists of a drawstring bag, two cotton shields with a moisture barrier lining, eight flannel liners that fit into the shields, a washcloth, small bar of soap, two pairs of underwear and two Ziploc freezer bags.
The Ancaster chapter alone has sent almost 700 kits to villages in countries like Nepal, Zambia, Bangladesh, and Uganda. For girls in those locales, kits allow them to continue schooling during their adolescence.
Each kit requires approximately five volunteer hours to produce and so the 15 high school-aged girls on hand started the process by carefully cutting fabric into specific designs, setting the stage to assist kids like themselves around the world.
"It feels great and it's also very humbling because we take a lot of stuff we have for granted, specifically feminine hygiene products," said 17-year-old Teena Bhaga, who has been part of the steering committee for four years.
"We don't have to worry about where we're going to get them, but some people don't have that luxury and so it definitely makes you want to do more to help them and not take what you have for granted."
The committee is made up of high school-aged girls from the Brantford and Norfolk County area.
"This is a really great experience because it allows you to do something and put yourself forward and give what other people need," said Delhi's Georgia Nix, a 17-year-old.
"It's not something we would necessarily use because we have access to it but knowing that other girls need it, it feels great to be able to help them out."
The committee is not only a way for Soroptimist International to possibly gain more members down the road but further ingrains the value of lending a helping hand.
"We can be book-learned as much as we want to be, but to actually have hands-on (activities) and be part of the project is great," said Laurie Cappe, chair of the 'Dream It * Be It' event.
"Maybe they'll take this forward into their life."
Bhagat plans on becoming a Soroptimist in the future.
"When you're a kid we all want to be astronauts, police officers or something that's going to change the world," she said. "Doing something like this brings you right back to that, wanting to help the world. It makes you feel almost like a hero."
Nix plans to enlist in the army after graduating from Delhi District Secondary School and further utilize the values instilled by the committee.
"I definitely want to stay in a women helping women institution," she added.
"Having something that we can set up in the army – women helping women – would be phenomenal."
'Dream It * Be It' will take place from 9 a.m.to 3:30 p.m. at 33 Diana Ave. in Brantford on April 6. Log onto soroptimistgranderie.ca to register.
jrobinson@postmedia.com
'Dream It * Be It' in April Back to video


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Home Theatre Productions
Each year, the Theatre Department produces six mainstage shows in the Allaert Auditorium of the Galvin Fine Arts Center and two Studio Theatre (black box) shows.
The mainstage productions include specialty shows – Fresh Face Revue and Senior Showcase – that highlight first-year and senior students. And two other shows are the culmination of classes offered every other year. The Coffeeshop Cabaret is part of the Intro to Music Theatre class and the Midnight Shakespeare production comes from the Advanced Acting class.
Take a look at what's going on this year and plan to come see us perform!
Watch our Theatre videos on YouTube Buy Tickets
Studio Theatre Productions
Sept. 5-6, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 7, 3 p.m.
Feb. 13-14, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 15, 3 p.m.
See details about The Shape of Things and buy tickets
Past Theatre Productions
We've got variety! Try a little bit of everything at SAU, including acting parts, tech work, creating and/or designing sets, running lights, directing, and more!
See our Flickr album of past productions
Daniel Rairdin-Hale, Associate Professor and Chair
Galvin Fine Arts Center 43
HaleDanielK@sau.edu
See Past Productions on Flickr


Why does the DEOD matter?
The policy city council uses to make real estate investment and condo development unattractive to investors and developers is called "inclusionary zoning." It's called inclusionary because in the DEOD any new building, even an addition to an existing building, legally has to include 20% social housing. So far no private developer has managed to plan, build, and sell a condo project in the DEOD and make enough of a profit to make their investment worthwhile in their eyes.
In most neighbourhoods city hall gives developers and property owner bonuses and incentives for building condo towers. For example, in the spring of 2011 city council changed building regulations in Chinatown so that developers could build high towers where they used to be forbidden. Property values shot up by an average of about 100% that year. And by the anniversary of that rezoning one new condo tower had already been approved ("The Flats" at 219 E. Georgia) and three more major condo towers were going through city approval processes: a 10-storey project at 189 Keefer, a 12-storey tower at 633 Main St, and a 17-storey tower at 611 Main. CCAP calls city re zonings that allow developers to make more money "incentives" for development. It's a kind of government welfare for the very rich. The DEOD is different from Chinatown and the other areas in the Downtown Eastside because rather than give incentives to developers to build expensive condo projects city policy is to make condo development less attractive and keep property values down. Property owners, investors, and developers hate this kind of thing and are always arguing against this city policy. They like it when the government intervenes in development to give them more benefits, but they don't like it when government policy keeps profits down. If every neighbourhood in Vancouver was governed by inclusionary zoning then developers would have to make do and there would be nothing special – from a city-policy point of view – about the DEOD. But the DEOD is special because the city doesn't put such barriers to profit and development in other neighbourhoods. So even though the land in the DEOD is cheaper than almost anywhere else in the city, city policy protects it from the real estate storms that are making people homeless elsewhere.
To be clear, inclusionary zoning hasn't actually created any new housing for low income people and isn't really a good policy for creating new housing that people on welfare can afford. In the DEOD, inclusionary zoning is what planners call a "rate of change mechanism "It keeps developers from building condos that have all the ripple effects of higher rents in stores and hotels, yuppie stores, more policing and harassment of low income people, and displacement of low income people. We still need the federal and provincial governments to fund more new self contained housing that people on welfare can afford. But inclusionary zoning will give us some time to lobby for good programs and get the governments that will fund the housing.
Since 1982 the 20% inclusionary zoning rule has kept the DEOD low-income but there have been recent signs that 20% is no-longer enough. The most important example is the "Sequel 138" condo development planned at the old Pantages property on the 100-block of East Hastings, right behind Carnegie. The developer had his condo dream approved by the city with the 20% social housing requirement and without a rezoning. He has weathered massive community opposition just to get through the approval stage.
In the spring of 2012 CCAP found that property values have been going up in the Oppenheimer district too. Three SRO hotels were bought in 2011, one of them – the York – for sure by a gentrifying developer. A developer is sitting on a proposal for a market-rate apartment tower across from the cop shop on Main. And CCAP suspects that one owner has bought up a bunch of neighbouring properties along Hastings Street and on Main north of Hastings, often a precursor for development.
When the 20% inclusionary zoning rule was made city planners chose that number because that was the percentage of renters in Vancouver who were in "core need" of housing – paying more than half of their incomes to rent and living in unhealthy and insecure conditions. More recent stats are that that number is now more like 35% of renters.
The truth is that working class and low-income people in Vancouver are experiencing a housing emergency. 30 years of inclusionary zoning in the DEOD should teach us that the government can in fact do something about the Vancouver housing emergency. There is nowhere this emergency is more drastic than the Downtown Eastside, but we need social housing and shelter from the storm everywhere in the city. That means we need different levels of inclusionary zoning in different parts of the city; zoning to protect the low income community in the DEOD and the DTES and zoning to create more low income affordable housing throughout the city.
Vancouver outside the DTES: 30% social housing.