La Vic's Opening a Third Restaurant Downtown!
If you can't get enough orange sauce, you'll have one more La Victoria restaurant Downtown to help you get your fix. La Vic's is taking over the former Tico's Tacos site at 291 N. Fourth and Julian (this was the oldest Mexican restaurant in San Jose, established in 1957). As far as I know, La Vics will be the only homegrown San Jose restaurant to expand to three locations in Downtown San Jose. They have a total of five restaurants in the greater San Jose area.
Swift Realty Partners purchased the Community Towers buildings near the San Pedro Square Market for $40M. The company is going to maximize their investment by spending an additional $6M to do substantial upgrades across the two buildings that comprise 309,235 SQFT of prime Downtown real estate.
The improvements will include redoing the lobbies, upgrading the outside areas, and enhancing the flow between the two buildings. A significant amount of money will also be used to improve the back-end infrastructure such as plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems.
The San Pedro Area is really turning around nicely and these improvements will hopefully help drive office vacancy rates lower in the Downtown Area.
San Jose, CA – April 23, 2014 --- Springtime is always yard sale season. History San José will host a Spring Yard Sale in the Park Sunday, April 27 from 10 AM to 2 PM.
Admission to History Park is free for the Yard Sale.
The Yard Sale in the Park at History Park, in Kelley Park, will feature individual booths of used lamps, grandma's china, toys, and a lot of other people's wares, all positioned throughout the park.
Even History San José's Collection Center is getting in on the action. There will be an HSJ book booth, offering duplicate, unuseable, or deaccessioned books for sale. There is a fairly large collection of books on U. S. Naval history and seafaring.
There are also several boxes of player piano rolls, and wax cylinders, mainly Edison Company, for player pianos.
Food will be available for purchase, and O'Briens Café in the Pacific Hotel will feature San Jose own's Treat ice cream. Live music by Fiddle Road and other food vendors will be a part of the Yard Sale event.
History Park is located at 1650 Senter Road, between Phelan and Keyes at the south end of Kelley Park in San José, CA 95112. For GPS tracking, History Park is at 635 Phelan Road in San José, CA 95112.
Niche Data has ranked the top 25 cities for millennials to reside based on a variety of factors such as crime rates, college graduate surveys, rent costs, and median income. As expected, both New York City and San Francisco ranked well with the #1 and #5 spots respectively. However, San Jose which is often perceived as a place to "graduate to" after you have a family also fared well in 11th place.
A big myth is also expelled, which is the percentage of young people in each of these regions (the assumption is that San Jose has fewer). Both San Jose and San Francisco have 15% of their population between ages 25-35, while New York is slightly less at 14%. Also while San Jose and New York have "low" crime rates, San Francisco is ranked as "average." Check out the source link for the full list of cities!
Tomorrow Fahrenheit is celebrating nine years of being a part of the Downtown San Jose community. Their award winning cuisine features all organic and locally sourced meats, seafood, and veggies. To celebrate their anniversary they are offering complimentary hor d'oeuvres and champagne from 7pm to 10pm. Late night celebrations will run from 9pm to 1:30am and include 1/2 priced Craft Beers and Specialty Cocktails from 9pm to 10:30pm.
Music will be provided by various resident DJs and Yo Yolie. There will also be surprises and goodies throughout the event and entry will be free all night long.
A new Indian Motorcycle dealership clocking in at 8,988 SQFT is schedule to open at 460 Meridian Avenue this summer in a space that used to host a Diddams party supply warehouse. The location will carry both new and used Indian and Victory brand bikes, parts, apparel, and will also have a service shop.
When it opens, it will be the only Indian Motorcycle franchise in San Jose and one of two in the Bay Area. The grand opening weekend is schedule for June 28-29 and they will be celebrating with food, music, prizes, and test-rides.
The biannual Silicon Valley Restaurant Week is back starting one week from today! 50 restaurants will be offering 3-course fixed price meals at reasonable prices. San Jose is heavily represented with 11 Downtown restaurants and 8 others from across the city. Some of my favorites are on the list like Arcadia, The Table, Hay Market, LB Steak, and Fahrenheit. You can even get a free ride from uber to your dining establishment of choice. To see the full list of restaurants and book a table, just head over to the Silicon Valley Restaurant Week website.
Welcome all kinds of uses Downtown, but hold out for jobs near regional transit (includes establishing minimum densities within a half mile of BART stations and eliminating minimum parking requirements for new developments).
KT Properties hopes to break ground this year for the largest residential high-rise project Downtown--Silvery Towers--involving two high-rises across from San Pedro Square Market and featuring 643 units.
Taurinus Brazilian Steakhouse is now open at 167 W. San Fernando.
First to Market is open at 399 S. First.
Seven Seas Sushi Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar is open at 130 E. Santa Clara St. (formerly Ninja Star).
Da Kine Island Grill is now open at 23 N. Market St. (Hula dancing and reggae bands on Saturday, old-fashioned luaus on Sundays).
Nick the Greek is open at 143 W. Santa Clara St.
Cafe Eden is serving Mediterranean food at 2 N. First St.
La Victoria is opening their 5th location this summer at the former Tico's Tacos site at 291 N. Fourth and Julian. This will be their 3rd Downtown location.
ISO: Beers is now offering a huge selection of craft beers at 75 E. Santa Clara.
Fireworks are Back this Fourth of July!!! The rotary club is is celebrating its 100th anniversary and has agreed to donate $20,000 to bringing back the fireworks show. The last fireworks show we had Downtown was in 2009 (and these would attract as many as 100,000 people).
Light Rail is now 25 years old.
A series of "pop-up tiendas" to support creative artists selling their work during events in SoFA.
Strike Brewing Company's own production brewery is scheduled to open shortly, hopefully this June, at 2099 S. 10th St., but to make sure that their taproom -- where people can actually have a place to visit, taste, and hang out -- opens around the same time, they're calling on the community for assistance.
Strike has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $20,000 to help fund the taproom. The campaign is more than half funded, but there needs to be more backers as the campaign closes this Saturday, April 26.
Visit the Kickstarter page to read more about Strike and the taproom story. As both a San Jose enthusiast and South Bay beer fan, I'm excited that Strike chose to build their brewery in San Jose. It'll be great if we could help them get to the $20,000 mark and play a part in building their taproom.
I've written a bit more about the Strike campaign on Examiner.com.
A new transit-oriented development is set to break ground in Berryessa this August and be ready for occupancy well before BART's arrival in 2017. The developer is Republic Family of Companies and the project is called LINQ at Berryessa Station.
In the plans are 230 residences with a mix of studios, one- and two-bedroom units. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, skydeck (rooftop patio?), landscaped garden with BBQs and a gazebo. The ground floor will have 12,000 SQFT of retail space, and I'm really hoping they won't all be national chains. Also part of the project is a new one-acre park.
LINQ looks like it will be about five stories tall and will be an easy walk to the BART station. Light rail will be a one station hop away and several freeways are within two miles (101, 680, 880). I wish it was taller, but overall this looks like another interesting project that we have BART to thanks for.
We all know that obesity is a growing problem in the US, but the good news is that it is much less of a problem here than it is in other places. In a recent Gallup Well-Being survey, the San Jose area ranked as having the 3rd lowest obesity rate for any metro with a population of more than one million people. If you look at the largest 189 US Metros, we still fared quite well in 8th pace.
The most obese community in the US was Huntington-Ashland, where every two out of five people is considered obese. San Jose has half that rate with one one out of every five people being statistically obese.
Silicon Valley's secret subculture is becoming less of a secret with each passing year. Forbes has just put out a great interview with Cherri Lakey and Brian Eder, the two founders of Anno Domini in SoFA. Their gallery is often ranked one of the best in the US and is a key anchor for the arts movement in Downtown San Jose. Not only did they start and continue to participate in South FIRST FRIDAYS, but they also throw the awesome SubZERO Festival each year.
Check out the interview over here. It's well worth your time, especially since you don't see an article on the San Jose art scene on a national publication like Forbes very frequently.
Not every company in North San Jose is tech oriented. 100% Pure is a vegan cosmetics company that sold 7 million products in 2013 through online sales, wholesale, and brick-and-mortar stores. Currently they have six boutiques in the Bay Area, including one in Santana Row.
The company is planning a huge expansion with 16 new stores across Southern California, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, and the East Coast. Instead of going with VC money, they are utilizing their own funds and loans from banks they have pre-existing relationships with.
Oh, and about that first comment: "Not every company in North San Jose is tech oriented"... I lied. 100% Pure also developed a freemium enterprise collaboration and task management tool called Incville. They are planning to spin this off into its own company with separate staff later this year. For more details, just head over to the source link below.
San Jose natives Adam and Ben Mayberry launched the Die Hards Co. four years ago with the mission of creating unique gear for die hard Bay Area sports fans. Now they are ready to take their company to the next level with higher-quality apparel made locally in the Bay Area that will perfectly match the official colors of all seven Bay Area teams. The team launched a Kickstarter to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into a reality. Combined with a Creative Industries Incentive Fund grant that they received from the City of San Jose, this campaign will have a huge impact on helping a local San Jose business achieve success.
The best part is that they already hit their goal, meaning any pledges $5 or more will receive a guaranteed reward. To find out more, watch the video below and then head over to the Kickstarter page to contribute!
SAN JOSE, Calif.,—Since 2010, local clothing company, The Die Hards Company. has been providing Bay Area sports fans apparel, including t-shirts, sweaters and hats, to wear proudly when cheering on their favorite team. Their tagline "Sport Your Colors" is the foundation for their brand as they strictly cater to the loyal fans of the seven professional sports teams in the San Francisco Bay Area.
With innovative designs—including their best-selling "Hella," "Fin City" and "I Survived the Stick" t-shirts—The Die Hards Co. has continued to grow, mostly from their strong social media presence. With their 4th Anniversary closing in, they intend to take their company to the next level.
The Die Hards Co. is pleased to announce the launch of a Kickstarter campaign to crowd source the funds needed to manufacture their tshirts using factories in the Bay Area. Previously they have purchased shirts from companys that sew they blank shirt options over seash.
I recently ran across the below renders for the Hualien Wellness & Residential development over in Taiwan. Several aspects of this project stood out to me. The most obvious is the stunning and unique design which also happens to be eco-friendly. What may be less obvious is that these are actually homes for seniors and the project is no taller than 18-stories.
There is absolutely no reason why we couldn't have buildings like this in San Jose, especially since they are well within our height limit. Not only are we the Capital of Silicon Valley, but we are at the center of the Green-tech industry. We should have buildings like this that could demonstrate innovation in the housing sector in addition to traditional green industries like solar energy.
I would even go so far as to call the designs below "suburban-friendly." I could see these types of buildings replacing strip malls near transit for traditionally suburban areas without causing much of a visual disturbance to nearby neighbors. Of course, I would love to see some of these Downtown... but at some point we will have to start thinking about urbanizing other parts of San Jose while minimizing impact to surrounding areas.
Silicon Valley is grabbing more national political attention lately and one of the most powerful lobbying groups is seeking to open a satellite office in the area. The goal is to lure VCs and startup companies to join the organization, which already has over 300,000 members. A few large tech companies in the area such as Apple and Yahoo are no longer members, likely because they are large enough to operate their independent lobbying group in Washington DC.
While a location has not been decided yet for their outpost, I have to say they could not pick a better place than Downtown San Jose. They would have easy access to both San Jose and Santa Clara County political operations, the Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, the new Patent Office, and thousands of companies within a 10 mile radius. It is also the only location that is easily accessed by multiple freeways, Light Rail, Caltrain, Amtrack, and soon Bus Rapid Transit. The last part of my pitch is the hundreds of restaurants, cultural and entertainment venues, convention center, and Arena within walking distance. I hope they take a very serious look Downtown and honestly would be surprised if they picked any other location.
VTA Light Rail Turns 25!
Last Friday, VTA celebrated 25 years of Light Rail service in Silicon Valley. Each morning during my commute, I am seeing more and more people hopping on Light Rail along Tasman. I think with the 49ers Stadium, BART, and the upcoming efficiency improvements... the system is finally going to get the traction it deserves.
Check out the map below to see what the system will look like in 2017. There will be a new Red Line from Mountain View to Alum rock, which will include express service during peak hours. Mountain View will get double tracked, Santa Clara will get pocket tracks near the Stadium for peak transit during games and events, and Almaden will get a direct connection to Downtown San Jose and Mountain View. There are also talks of expanding the system from Alum Rock to Eastridge Mall and from Winchester to Los Gatos.
San Jose gets a lot of flack for being sprawled out; however, based on two large scale studies of urban sprawl in the US it turns out we are not doing too shabby. In the Smart Growth America study, we were the 8th most compact and connect metro in the US with a population greater than 1 million people. In fact, we got higher index scores than Oakland and Chicago metros.
In another study entitled Urban Sprawl in the United States: 1970-2010, San Jose had a "sprawl score" of 21.04 in 1970, 16.5 in 1980, 16.33 in 1990, 15.25 in 2000, and 14.13 in 2010. Without really going into how the numbers were calculated, the conclusion is that sprawl decreased by a third over the past 40 years in San Jose. So the reality is that like LA, we are a lot more dense than the general perception.
Source: Smart Growth America, Hat tip to Russ Lopez fro sending this in!
Renaissance Productions is hosting the Fantasy Faire San Jose next to the SAP Center. The event will feature hundreds of costumed performers across multiple fantasy genres (ogres, pirates, sci-fi, steampunk, etc.) as well as shopping, arts & crafts, and various performances. The Fantasy Faire runs from April 12-13th and guests of all ages are welcome (but not pets). For more info, just head over here.
The San Jose arts scene is not just expanding in Downtown San Jose, but in other parts of the city as well. Empire Seven Studios is the anchor studio in Japantown and they are gearing up to celebrate their Sixth Anniversary. Tomorrow between 7-11pm they are doing an open reception for their latest exhibit featuring tons of artists, live music, and a taco truck.
The coolest part of the anniversary event will likely be the live murals at AEF Grocery, Santo Market, The Esplanade, and Towing Services. These will nicely compliment the three existing murals at 10th & Empire, 8th & Empire, and 7th & Empire. Check out the great map below with the locations of all the murals. For more info, check out the Empire Seven Studios website.
In a major win for the San Jose art scene, a new event called Silicon Valley Contemporary (SVC) is premiering tomorrow at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. As you can tell by the map below, this is going to be a huge event featuring hundreds of artists and 52 galleries across 10 different countries. There will even be video art and digital installations from around the world, which I think is the genre of art that will play a significant role in defining a strong brand image for San Jose in the near future. Traditional art such as paintings, photography, prints, and sculpture will also be featured.
In total SVC will have around $100 million in contemporary art available for acquisition, which is the largest selection of important art work for acquisition ever assembled in Silicon Valley. The event also includes an assortment of speakers, meet & greets with the artists, and side-events like a contemporary home tour.
The main exhibition runs from 11am-8pm on Friday and Saturday, and 11am-6pm on Sunday. There is also a VIP preview event tomorrow. Tickets start at $25. For more information and tickets, visit the SVC website over here.
Below is a look at events happening at Santana Row for April and May. You have everything from celebrity chef book signing at Sur la Table, Easter Bunny photos, dancing in Park Valencia, various charity events, and a fashion show with Vernon Davis from the 49ers.
San Jose, CA – Sunshine and warm nights brings a busy beehive of activities to Santana Row. Spring events include a personal appearance by author/celebrity chef Carla Hall, a day of dance in Park Valencia and an evening of glamour at the second annual Beauty Bash. May welcomes the return of Mommy & Me and Daddies, Too and a new weekly yoga series presented by Lululemon.
Celebrity chef Carla Hall will be doing a cooking demo at Santana Row Park and signing copies of her new book at Sur la Table.
Carla's Comfort Foods: Favorite Dishes from Around the World (on-sale April 1, 2014, Atria Books, $29.99) offers a delicious collection of imaginative new variations on soulful favorites from one of America's favorite food personalities. Hall was a finalist in the fifth and eighth seasons of Top Chef and Top Chef All-Stars, Bravo's competition show. She is one of five cohosts of The Chew, a talk show centered on food.
Her new book was Inspired by her love of family suppers and international flavors and offers a mouthwatering variety of foods from around the world along with heartfelt stories of connecting with people through food.
Sunday, April 13, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Hippity-hop on over and have your picture taken with the Easter Bunny at Santana Row!
The holiday rabbit will be ready to strike a pose at Park Valencia for $10, with proceeds going to the Autism Diagnostics & Consulting Center.
Plus, enjoy face painting, cookie decorating for $1 and Easter egg decorating for $3.
Sunday April 27, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Santana Row and sjDANCEco has partnered again this year to bring local and regional dance artists together to celebrate National Dance Week in a free outdoor festival that features the diversity and the wealth of our dance community. Join us at Park Valencia for a day of dance.
Join some of Silicon Valley's best known fashion bloggers and editors and fresh style and beauty voices at the second annual Beauty Bash!
For the second year, Santana Row brings together pampering and primping for a good cause. Beauty Bash is an evening of style and beauty tips with makeup, hair and fashion experts, retailers and salons.
This year, an after-party at Hotel Valencia caps the evening of fashionable fun.
It's all to raise funds for Dress for Success, a non-profit organization that provides interview suits, confidence boosts and career development to low-income women.
The public is invited to shop, nibble and enjoy cocktails while talking to the style experts who will be stationed at more than a dozen stops, including C. Wonder, Calypso St. Barth, Jest Jewels, Scotch & Soda, Diesel and Brooks Brothers. Guests are invited try the latest hair and make-up trends from professionals and receive personalized consultations from the experts and a mini-magazine with a collection of tips and inspirations from them. An after-party ends the night at Hotel Valencia.
Tickets are $20, or $15 with the donation of a gently used accessory (jewelry, bags, scarves) and available at SantanaRow.com beginning April 14. Guests receive a "passport" for in-store events, a wine glass (wine will be poured in the stores) and a gift bag.
Thursday, May 15, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Enjoy breathtaking sunset views overlooking the Santa Cruz Mountains at Cielo, Hotel Valencia's seventh floor rooftop terrace, open during the warm months of the year. Sample paella, sangria and an assortment of passed tapas for $20 while listening to live flamenco-style music.
Lunch on The Row + A Matinee Show!
Enjoy a two-course $20 lunch special at a participating restaurant on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday and receive a free ticket to the movie of your choice at CineArts Santana Row.
Present your itemized same-day receipt to the Santana Row concierge from the participating restaurant and you'll receive a voucher for a complimentary movie ticket that can be used for a matinee that day or at a later date.
Limit: one ticket per person, per day, while supplies last.
Restaurant choices include LB Steak, Left Bank, Rosie McCann's, El Jardin, Consuelo's, Thea and Lisa's Tea Treasures.
Practice your sun salutations under the sunshine at Park Valencia every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. The complimentary classes are held outdoors, with registration opening at 8:30 a.m. each week. For more information, contact Lululemon, 408.557.8721.
The popular kids' club returns for the season with free entertainment, interactive games, crafts and educational activities designed for parents and their pre-school aged children. Meet "Super Why" at a meet and greet, courtesy of KQED. Families will also enjoy arts and crafts, face painting, music, balloon art, story time and more.
Saturday, June 7, two shows at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
This popular summer event returns for the sixth year with two poolside runway shows at Santana Heights and a catwalk appearance by the popular 49er.
A portion of the sales will benefit the Vernon Davis Foundation for the Arts, created by the athlete/artist/philanthropist to promote art education and art appreciation among youth from disadvantaged backgrounds.
As always, the shows will feature the season's best fashions for women and men as well as style surprises and special guests.
Runway shows are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Included in the price of the $50 ticket is poolside seating to view the fashion show, access to the Beauty Lounge, pre-event champagne, wine and light hors d'oeuvres, a Passion for Fashion shopping card that entitles guests to discounts around Santana Row, prize drawings and in-store events. Tickets go on sale in April at the concierge office and online at www.SantanaRow.com.
Santana Row, a 647,000 square foot mixed-use development in San Jose, CA, is Silicon Valley's premier destination for shopping, dining, living and working. Santana Row features over 70 shops, 20 restaurants, a boutique hotel and movie theatre. In addition to the dynamic retail & restaurant collection, Santana Row offers 615 luxury rental homes, 219 privately owned condos and 65,000 square feet of Class A office space. Santana Row is a property ofwww.federalrealty.com (NYSE:FRT), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. For more information, please visit www.santanarow.com.
New Mixed-Use Development Coming to The Alameda!
A six-story building with 140 apartments, around 10,000 SQFT of retail, and 10,000 SQFT of second-floor office space is coming to the Alameda right next to the new Whole Foods. It's a transit-oriented project near Diridon and right on the border of Downtown. In fact, I would consider this to be a part of the Downtown area--which seems to be pushing outwards in all directions.
This is the first project that the developer Chandler Pratt & Partners is doing in the Bay Area, but if it goes well you can expect more. They are specifically looking for "high-quality infill sites" which is exactly what we need to focus on in San Jose.
The total cost of the Alameda project will be around $60 million and the plan is to break ground Spring 2015.


Did your brand have what it takes to not only make the Courage Brands March Madness bracket -- but dance towards Final Four glory?
If you know anything about me, you know that I take my work seriously but not myself seriously. This is mirrored in my personal core values prioritized as: playfulness, creativity, courage and excellence.
In the spirit of honoring these values, I wanted to have a little March Madness fun while also commending those courageous brands across America who have gone above and beyond this year displaying a deep belief system rooted in their brand DNA, that has injected them into today's culture through innovative products and marketing.
With that, moments before the tournament tipped off last Thursday, I revealed the 'Courage Brands March Madness' bracket. Like the best teams that win across college basketball's March Madness, courageous brands win us over in the marketplace.
In the spirit of keeping things tidy, I bucketed and seeded these courageous brands into each of these four regions: East Region, Midwest Region, South Region and Midwest Region.
In the creation of these brackets, it was a blended cocktail of overall brand strength, my perception of their brand relevancy and, sheer gut on who had made serious brand strides over the year.
Criteria Alert: Yes, much like the creation of college basketball's real tournament brackets, this is clearly a flawed system. If you follow college basketball, then you know there are many subjective realities the "committee" uses to decide on who they allow in their tournament. Though never mentioned, the selection committee also has an obligation to entertain. So, yes, I aspired to "playfully" entertain where I could while also embracing the "excellence" where I could spot it.
A week later, have I received any backlash from any brands?
Two brands had reached out including a dear friend who works at the NBA. To be fair, he's right that the NBA is a clear Courage Brand. What the NBA has been able to achieve on a global level is top notch. Sometime, "the committee" (me) gets it wrong. We'll do better next year. If you look, specifically, at the East region, you'll put it all together as to why he wasn't overjoyed with a few of the results.
52% of the Fortune 500 since 2000 are extinct. That's no typo. In just under two decades, over half of the Fortune 500 are gone. It's a number that is expected to hold over the next decade. In fact, 9000 brands in total will carousel on and off the Fortune 500 over the next 60 years.
Yet, there's a lack of urgency across most organizations to address these callous realities. This is a literal grave danger moment in business and many brands don't have a plan in place to weather this catastrophic storm.
This is what drove me to get quiet and journey on a 1000 day listening tour where I interviewed bullish business leaders from Amazon, Apple, Dominos, Harvard, Google, Method, Tuft & Needle and Zappos.
Either you drive change or change drives you.
Often change can destroy you.
Courage Brands have a willingness to address change while also identifying, assessing and addressing their business fears head on.
Shameless Promotion Alert: I report on all of this in my recently released book 'Return On Courage' which you can see here.
I wanted to commend those brands who propelled themselves into continued relevancy. Throughout each region you'll see courageous brands who have found ways to "survive and advance" in today's business landscape.
Spoiler Alert: Assuming you wanted to see who made the brackets and who advanced to the Final Four, click here. If you truly made it this far, I think you'll enjoy the matchups from region to region and round to round.
This is brings us to the final question I've received from a few folks: who wins the 2019 Courage Brands March Madness?
Apple (2, West) vs Arby's (15, South). The magical meaty run for Arby's finally comes to an end against the Cupertino kids. Arby's can hold their heads up high while Apple will compete to cut down the nets.
NFL (2, East) vs Domino's (5, Midwest). It's a classic battle of who's competing on television vs what many consume while watching television. Granted the NFL has found a way to be a year round sport, Domino's plays strong week – right down to their stock price -- and advances to the final.
Apple (2, West) vs Domino's (5, Midwest). It's sheer creativity vs self-proclaimed technology. While Domino's has innovated all around their pizza, in the end, Apple is simply too much. There's a reason Fast Company called Apple the world's most innovative company.
Apple hoists Courage Brands iron in year one.
Ryan Berman is the author of "Return on Courage" and Founder of Courageous, a creative consultancy that develops Courage Brands and trains organizations through Courage Bootcamp. Berman also founded his own Courage Brand called Sock Problems, a charitable sock company that supports causes around America by "socking" problems and spreading awareness.


text:
From agelastic to zugzwangs, one man's pick of the weirdest words from the Oxford English Dictionary
By Ammon Shea for MailOnline
If you sat down and read the whole Oxford English Dictionary, you would need a lot of spare time on your hands. It would be the equivalent of reading the King James Bible every day for two-and-a-half months or ploughing through a whole John Grisham novel every day for more than a year.
But one man has done just that. The result is a new book which includes a fascinating selection from the total of 59 million definitions, which you can use to impress your friends...
Acnestis (n.) The point of the back that lies between the shoulders and the lower back, which cannot be reached to be scratched.
The fact that there existed a word for this thing which previously I had been sure lacked a name was such a delight that suddenly the whole idea of reading the dictionary seemed utterly reasonable.
Agelastic (n.) A person who never laughs.
Grim, but with fewer wrinkles.
Apricity (n.) The warmth of the sun in winter.
A strange and lovely word. Not to be confused with apricate (to bask in the sun), although both come from the Latin apricus, meaning 'exposed to the sun'.
From 'a' to 'zyxt' (yes, that DOES have a meaning), Ammon Shea has compiled the weirdest words from the Oxford English Dictionary
Atrate (n.) One dressed in black; a mourner.
Although used specifically to describe a mourner, it is still quite nice to know that since at least the early 17th century there has been a word for that thoroughly modern character, the Goth teen dressed all in black. We also have a word for describing someone who is wearing scarlet (coccinated) and the state of being dressed in purple (porporate).
Bed-swerver (n.) An unfaithful spouse.
Sounds like a possibly gentler or more easily forgiven type of adultery, almost a euphemism, like 'straying'. After all, when one swerves, one can swerve back again.
Bouffage (n.) An enjoyable or satisfying meal.
Comes from an Old French word of the same spelling. Defined in a 1611 French-English dictionary as ' cheek-puffing meat'. Cheek-puffing just does not have the same currency as an indicator of satisfaction that it used to.
Cachinnator (n.) A person who laughs too loud or too much.
A creature more common in our imagination than in real life.
Calisthenical (adj.) Addicted to exercise or calisthenics.
The pleasant thing about such people is that they generally wear themselves out and expire at an early age, sparing the rest of us the monotony of watching them, forever cheerful and virtuous, as they go about proudly proclaiming their bodies their temples.
Desiderium (n.) A yearning, specifically for a thing one once had, but has no more.
The appropriate word for lost youth or innocence, for the great love of your life (who perished from consumption), or for the utopian community to which you belonged that was somehow destroyed by forces of evil.
Elumbated (adj.) 'Weakened in the loins.'
A very delicate treatment of a possibly salacious word.
Empleomania (n.) A manic compulsion to hold public office.
Anyone stricken with this urge should immediately be banned for life from 'serving' the public in any capacity that requires more responsibility than that of a hot dog salesman.
Fard (v.) To paint the face with cosmetics, so as to hide blemishes.
It seems to be very difficult to make a four-letter word that begins with 'f' sound like an activity that is polite to discuss at the dinner table.
Garbist (n.) One who is adept at engaging in polite behaviour.
I am always pleased to make the acquaintance of a garbist, even though I'm not much of one myself.
Grimthorpe (v.) To restore or renovate an ancient building with excessive spending rather than with skill.
More or less eponymous word, taken from the title of Sir Edmund Beckett (the first Lord Grimthorpe), a London lawyer who enjoyed attempting restorations of old buildings. His efforts did not meet with widespread approval, and gave birth to this word.
Grinagog (n.) A person who is constantly grinning.
Perhaps this should have also been defined as 'one who deserves to be poked in the eye with a sharp stick.'
Gulchin (n.) A little glutton.
The diminutive form of gulch (which presumably is a full-sized glutton).
Homodoxian (n.) A person who has the same opinion as you.
A very fancy word for 'friend,' 'assistant,' or 'someone who's got their head on straight'.
Hooverize (v.) To be exceedingly sparing, especially with food.
Poor Herbert Hoover. The 31st President of the United States not only presided over the country's descent into the Great Depression, he was also Food Commissioner during the years 1917 to 1919, and his stewardship led to charges that he was overly stingy with food rationing.
Cachinnator (n.) A person who laughs too loud or too much
Illutible (adj.) Unable to be washed away.
Suits a wide range of subjects, from bicycle grease to adultery.
Inspirado (n.) A person who thinks himself inspired.
Simple rule of thumb: if someone is describing you with a noun that ends in 'o', chances are, they are not paying you a compliment.
Jehu (n.) A fast or reckless driver.
Jehu was a king of Israel in the ninth century BC, renowned for his furious chariot driving.
Jentacular (adj.) Of or pertaining to breakfast.
Some may wonder: 'Why do I need this silly little word that describes "of or relating to breakfast"?'
The answer is you don't need it. But it is also true that you don't need the overwhelming majority of the words you use throughout the day, either, and jentacular is far more charming than most of them.
Kakistocracy (n.) Government by the worst citizens.
Any word which describes the worst possible example of something is a word worth remembering.
Lant (v.) To add urine to ale, in order to make it stronger.
The English language has displayed an unreasoning fondness for using urine, both human and otherwise, for a dizzying array of purposes. The OED also lists such delightful words and terms as all-flower-water (cow urine, used as an unspecified remedy), puppy-water (the urine of a young dog, used as a cosmetic), and the ever popular lotium (stale urine used by barbers).
Levament (n.) 'The comfort which one hath of his wife.'
As defined by lexicographer Henry Cockeram, who found (or made up) more absurd and entertaining words than even the superior Samuel Johnson.
Mammothrept (adj.) A spoiled child or infant.
Equipped with a delightful etymology (from the Greek mammothreptos, a child brought up by his grandmother), this word has a touch of mystery. Its first recorded use is by Saint Augustine, which the OED finds puzzling, as Augustine did not know Greek.
Matutinal (adj.) Active or wide awake in the morning hours.
Perhaps the only thing more annoying than someone who enjoys mornings is the person who wants to tell you what the word for this is.
Misandry (n.) Hatred of men.
Enjoys far less currency today than its partner, misogyny.
Nastify (v.) To render nasty; to spoil.
I have included this word simply because it looks like one that would be fun to have rolling off your tongue.
Natiform (adj.) Buttock-shaped.
An obsolete medical term, and one I was surprised to find had never been recorded as having been used as an insult.
Onomatomania (n.) Vexation at having difficulty in finding the right word.
Finding a word that so perfectly describes a rather large portion of my everyday existence is one of the things that makes reading the dictionary feel like an intensely personal endeavour.
Opsigamy (n.) Marrying late in life.
Don't confuse the opsigamist with the opsimath (a person who begins to learn late in life), as they are of different ilk - the opsigamist has obviously not learned anything at all.
Osculable (adj.) Able to be kissed.
Remember, just because someone or something can be kissed does not necessarily mean that it should be.
Oxyphonia (n) Excessive shrillness of voice.
I avoid people suffering from this like the plague.
Opsigamy (n.) Marrying late in life
Pandiculation (m.) The act of stretching and extending the limbs, in tiredness or waking.
Everyone does it, and no one knows what to call it.
Panurgic (adj.) Ready for anything.
Panurge was a character that Rabelais created, and he certainly lived up to his name.
Petrichor (n.) The pleasant loamy smell of rain on the ground, especially after a long dry spell.
A lovely word, coined in 1964.
Prend (n.) A mended crack.
A pithy word that gets to the point, and serves its purpose admirably, describing something for which I know of no other word.
Queaning (n.) Associating with women of immodest character.
At moments like this, when I see the OED clucking about associating with immodest women, I remember that a great deal of what I'm reading in it was actually written over a hundred years ago.
Ruffing (n.) The stomping of feet as a form of applause.
Maybe you do not go through life as I do, plagued by things for which I think 'there's a word for that and I can't remember what it is'. The only balm for this is to discover brilliant words like ruffing.
Scrouge (v.) To inconvenience or discomfort a person by pressing against him or her or by standing too close.
Falls within the category of words one wishes one did not have occasion to use on a daily basis, but are fascinating nonetheless.
Semese (adj.) Half-eaten.
To say you'll be serving 'semese' sounds so much less appetising than to declare it 'leftovers night'.
Sesquihoral (adj.) Lasting an hour and a half.
Because sometimes you don't feel like saying 'an hour and a half'.
Solivagant (n.) A person who wanders about alone.
Create the image of a lone walker who is a tramp or vagrant.
Tacturiency (n.) Desire of touching.
This is probably responsible for more dissolved marriages than all other desires combined.
Turkish (v.) To transform something, especially for the worse.
I'd assumed that the OED would be filled with all sorts of racist and otherwise offensive words. There are very few of them, however. But there is also 'frenchified' - although without the sense that is given in a number of other dictionaries: 'to be afflicted with a venereal disease'.
Umbriphilous (adj.) Fond of shade.
Although a botanical word, used to describe things arboreal, I choose to use it to describe myself.
Unasinous (adj.) Being equal to another in stupidity.
If you are uncertain how one might use this word, just think of any two political parties.
Vicambulist (n.) One who walks about in the streets.
Now 'streetwalker' has taken on connotations some people may not care to ascribe to themselves, we have a dearth of words to describe someone who simply likes to walk about in the streets of a city.
Wine-knight (n.) A person who drinks valiantly.
How does one drink 'valiantly'? Draw your own conclusions.
Wonderclout (n.) A thing that is showy but worthless.
Surgically augmented breasts and a large vocabulary are two things that come to mind when I contemplate that which is showy and of little value, but I'm certain that you can think of others.
Xanthodontous (adj.) Having teeth that are yellow.
Unlikely to be a compliment - but still a fine word nevertheless.
Xenogenesis (n.) Offspring that does not resemble its parents.
The reason God invented paternity suits.
Xerostomia (n.) A dryness of the mouth caused by insufficient production of saliva.
A word that makes my mouth dry just thinking of it.
Yepsen (n.) The amount that can be held in two hands cupped together.
A measurement that has never caught on like the teaspoon, this falls within the category of things for which you never thought there was a word - at least, not until some busybody like me came along and told you what it was.
Zugzwang (n.) A disagreeable position in which a chess player is obliged to move but cannot do so without disadvantage.
This may be a chess term, but it would seem to have wide applicability in everyday life.
• Extracted from READING THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY by Ammon Shea, published by Allen Lane on October 16 at £12.99. ° Ammon Shea 2008. To order a copy (p&p free), call 0845 155 0720.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Golf clubs in a golfing bag beer stein.
Logo golf ball with cool shades coffee mug.
Collection of golf balls on a fair way coffee mug.
Golfer lining up his shot on a beautiful golf course.
Golf tee in grass field for golf lovers ceramic mug.
I love golf message in a logo beer stein.
I love golf message in a logo coffee cup.


Until the early 1990s, UK police officers were equipped with a short wooden truncheon approx 40 cm long and weighing just under 300 g. There was little formal training with these, but actual use was not that common, either because they were not terribly effective or the situations faced at that time could be dealt with differently. In 1993, trials of both side-handled and numerous straight batons were introduced, because there was a rise in the number of officers injured on duty and the adequacy of their equipment was called into question.
1. The Monadnock PR24 side-handled baton can be either a rigid one-piece baton or extendable from a shorter form for easier transport. Weighing approx 600 g with a shaft of polycarbonate plastic or aluminium, it has a fixed grip at right angles to the shaft toward one end. It is approx 60 cm long. The addition of the handle to the shaft makes it versatile, with more than 30 blocking and striking techniques available to the officer. Correct use in stressful and challenging situations requires extensive and ongoing training. In some restraint situations, a baton strike from the PR24 type is ineffective at producing the desired effect because not enough energy can be imparted from the strike.
2. The straight friction lock baton (e.g., the Asp) weighs less at 560 g and extends from 13 to 39 cm when racked (extended) with a flick of the wrist. It is carried unobtrusively on the belt and does not impede the general movement of the officer. It is made of hollow gun metal, with a small metal knob at the far end. This gives more weight distally, but it is prone to becoming flattened and rough over time because the baton is closed by striking this end against the ground. This change in shape may increase the chance of injury in a forceful strike.
3. The acrylic patrol baton has a solid or hollow nylon shaft with a ring of rubber separating the shaft and handle. It has fixed lengths of 56, 61, and 66 cm. It is broader than the friction lock type and, therefore, less likely to cause injury because the imparted energy is spread over a larger area. This is even though its weight is slightly less at 500-580 g. The heavier weights of these types of batons are used in public order disturbances.
In the United States, a 26-in hickory (wooden) straight baton is used (similar to group 3 in the previous list). The situation throughout the Australian states is variable, with intrastate differences relating to specific police staff; for example, plain clothes staff may use an Asp-type baton, whereas uniformed officers are equipped with straight or side-handled batons.
Batons are used in offensive and defensive strikes, blocks, or jabs. Strikes are made from an officer's strong (dominant) or weak (nondominant) side, and clearly the potential for injury varies with the baton mass and velocity at impact, the target area, and to how much of the surface area the force is applied. Although no body area is absolutely forbidden to strike, an officer must use a proportionate response to the situation he or she faces knowing the potential to injure. Although target areas are divided into low-, medium-, and high-risk areas, maintaining a distinction between them can be difficult because strikes are made in dynamic situations where an initial target area may change as the potential detainee moves.
Target areas with a low injury potential are the areas of the common peroneal, femoral, and tibial nerves on the legs and those of the radial and median nerves on the arms. There is a low probability of permanent injury, with the main effects being seen as short-lived motor nerve dysfunction, as in a "dead leg" and bruising. The medium injury potential areas involve bones and joints, including the knees and ankles, wrist, elbow, hands, upper arms, and clavicle. In these cases fractures, dislocations, and more extensive soft tissue injuries would be expected. Finally, those areas with the highest risk of injury include the head, neck and throat, spine, kidneys, and solar plexus.
The most common injury is bruising, and this is often in the pattern of so-called "tramline bruising," where two parallel lines of bruising are separated by a paler area. This is not unique to a baton injury but reflects an injury caused by any cylindrical hard object. The absence of bruising or other find ings does not mean that a baton was not used because, for example, a degree of cushioning can occur from clothing. If the baton end is used to jab, then circular bruises may be seen. It is possible for a detainee to have signs but minimal symptoms or even be unaware of being struck. However, a move toward the friction lock batons makes this less likely.
An impact over a bony surface may produce a laceration. Abrasions are possible from the surface of a damaged baton. Fractures need to be considered where there are the traditional clinical signs of local pain, swelling, and loss of function. X-ray confirmation is needed as soon as possible.
Considering the forces that can be applied when necessary, there is the potential for significant injury with bruising and rupture of internal organs, including the heart, liver, spleen, or kidneys or a head injury. The forensic physician should refer suspected cases for hospital review without delay, especially if a confirmatory history for events is unavailable. Particular care is needed in those who are intoxicated because they are difficult to assess.


text:
Managing Archaeological Sites MA
The Managing Archaeological Sites MA examines why certain archaeological and heritage sites, including World Heritage Sites, are selected for preservation, and how power relationships and different perceptions of contemporary values impact upon this. It explores modern approaches to how sites can be successfully managed, conserved and presented to preserve their significance.
Part time: 2 years
Due to the large number of applications received, this programme is no longer accepting applications for 2020/21 entry. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Applications for 2021/22 entry will open later in the year.
£5,770 (PT)
£11,830 (PT)
A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.
The English language level for this programme is: Good
Students will grasp theoretical issues surrounding heritage management, and how to apply a planning process to holistic and sustainable site management, based on the recognition of a site's values to its interest groups. They will also learn practical methods for participatory processes, physical conservation, digital documentation, visitor management, site interpretation, World Heritage nomination, and heritage tourism.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of a core module (30 credits), optional modules (60 credits), an optional work placement and a research dissertation (90 credits).
Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded a MA in Managing Archaeological Sites.
Students are required to take the following:
Managing Archaeological Sites
Students choose to follow further optional modules up to the value of 60 credits, at least one from the list below. The other 45 credits may also from from this list or can be chosen from an outstanding range of Master's modules available at the UCL Institute of Archaeology.
African Heritage
Antiquities and the Law
Archaeologies of Modern Conflict
Archaeology and Education
Comparative Archaeologies of the Americas I: First Peoples to Emerging Complexity
Critical Perspectives on Cultural Heritage
Digital Heritage: Applications in Heritage Management (although not a compulsory course, it is likely that most Managing Archaeological Sites students will take this option)
GIS in Archaeology and History
GIS Approaches to Past Landscapes
Heritage, Globalisation and Development
Managing Museums
Museum and Site Interpretation
Sources and Social Research Methods for Heritage and Archaeology
Themes, Thought and Theory in World Archaeology: Foundations
Themes, Thought and Theory in World Archaeology: Current Issues
Detailed descriptions of the core courses and modules can be found here. Please note not all modules are available every year.
Due to COVID-19, there may be updates to the modules for your chosen programme of study this year. Some modules may not be available or may need to be moved to a later term or year of study. These updates are relevant for 2020-21 academic year only.  The full list of modules will be available in the module catalogue from late August.  From the first week of September, you will be invited to complete module selection from Portico, our student record system. There may need to be additional updates or changes to modules during the academic year to allow for new guidance from the UK Government and Public Health England. Your department shall keep you updated of these changes as they become available.
Students are asked to write a 15,000 word (90 credits) dissertation which will be on any approved topic relevant to the degree and taught components. It is produced as an individual research project undertaken during the course.
Examples of projects include:
the preservation of archaeological sites in Egypt and the role of local communities
the conservatiuon and site management of ring-forts in the Republic of Ireland
post-inscription support for World Heritage Sites
Students will have the option to undertake a voluntary placement in an appropriate organisation or on-site project for a period of three weeks in total. In recent years, these placements have included organisations such as English Heritage, the National Trust, Historic Royal Palaces, ICOMOS (Paris), World Monuments Fund (Paris), UNESCO World Heritage Centre (Paris), the Museum of London, Atkins Global, the Parque Arqueológico do Vale do Côa (Portugal), MIRAS (Iran), City Museum (Palermo), Ancient Merv State Archaeological Park (Turkmenistan), and the National Institute of Informatics (Tokyo, Japan). This is not assessed.
Covid-19 placement updates
Due to COVID-19 updates, there may need to be changes to planned placements for this programme. This will depend on social distancing measures, the availability of the relevant placements, and the relative risk of completing the placement. Your department will keep you updated if placements are able to occur and/or any alternative options available.
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical demonstrations and site visits. It includes an optional three-week placement in an appropriate organisation or on-site project. Assessment is through essays, project reports, projects and practicals (depending on the options chosen), and the dissertation.
Covid-19 practical component updates
Due to COVID-19, there may be changes to the availability of the practical components for your chosen programme. Any updates relate only to the 20/21 academic year and may not apply to all students across the programme depending on your year of study.  Your department will keep you updated if the practical component of your programme is able to occur and/or any alternative options available.   There may need to be additional updates or changes to the practical component during the academic year to allow for new guidance from the UK Government and/or Public Health England. Your department shall keep you updated of these changes as they become available.
UCL Institute of Archaeology (IoA) Master's Awards: a small number of grants up to the value of £1,000 are available for the academic year 2020/21. All UK/EU and Overseas fee-paying students with an offer to start any Master's degree offered by the IoA are eligible to apply. For an application form please email Lisa Daniel. The deadline for applications is 1 March 2020.
Recent graduates of this programme have gone on to work in policy areas and project areas for national and international organisations, such as English Heritage, the National Trust, ICOMOS and UNESCO. They have also worked in development control, heritage consultancies (such as Atkins Global), museums, site interpretation and education. Many students have also gone on to further research in academic institutions around the world, such as Stanford, Athens and Leiden, or here at UCL.
Students on this programme gain understanding of a wide range of practical methods for the conservation, management and interpretation of cultural heritage, which provides a sound basis for a wide range of employment opportunities of the heritage sector. Students also master a technical vocabulary to communicate with heritage professional and agencies, and develop strong transferable skills in written and oral communication, teamworking, digital documentation and dealing with complex stakeholders.
The theory and practice of archaeological heritage management is undertaken within the context of the Institute of Archaeology's international outlook and membership, with student and staff involvement in field research projects around the globe. This provides a unique range of perspectives and circumstances, reflected in critical discourse.
UCL is located in central London, close to the British Museum and British Library. The institute's outstanding library is complemented by UCL's main and specialist libraries.
Students undertake placements with London-based agencies, such as Historic England and the Museum of London, or international bodies, such as UNESCO, ICOMOS and Global Heritage Fund.
Department: Institute of Archaeology
The programme has an international perspective and will appeal to students from a range of academic backgrounds (e.g. archaeology, conservation, planning, architecture, museum studies). In balancing theory and practice, it will suit those wishing to continue to academic research and those seeking employment in heritage administration or international organisations.
why you want to study Managing Archaeological Sites at graduate level
what do you consider to be the major challenges in this field today
what particularly attracts you to this programme
where you would like to go professionally with your degree
why you want to study Managing Archaeological Sites at UCL
how your personal, academic and professional background meets the demands of a challenging academic environment at UCL
Institute of Archaeology
The Managing Archaeological Sites MA examines why certain archaeological and heritage sites, including World Heritage Sites, are selected for preservation, and how power relationships and different perceptions of contemporary values impact upon this....
Miss Lisa Daniel
Graduate Admissions Administrator
ioa-gradadmissions@ucl.ac.uk
Dr Gai Jorayev
Degree Co-ordinator
g.jorayev@ucl.ac.uk
Social and Historical Sciences


This is the Way of the Tiger and the Monk!
By looking back and choosing to reflect on the things, events, learnings and beings we are grateful for we empower our past with the memory of that which was good, helped us to grow or served us in some way .
Honour all you have to be grateful for by doing what you intend to do and being who you intend to be.
A profound way to enhance gratitude and intention is to combine the two by following each blessing you are grateful for with an intention or action to honour that blessing.
Every night write down three things you are grateful for that happened that day, write down three things you intend to do tomorrow and write down three attitudes, values or character traits you intend bring into you life.
When you wake up in the morning re-read your list and turn your intentions into actions.
Universal guidance, inner wisdom, a higher calling.
Our inner genius speaking to us.
Our higher self inviting us to fulfil our potential, to step into our destiny.
Do you ever have thoughts that makes you believe in all the above?
Maybe you even dare to believe the above is true!!
And then self talk steps in and talks you out of it. Convinces you you are not good enough. Keeps you in you place. Convinces you it was just a silly notion, nothing worth paying attention to. Just another day dream, thought or feeling that comes up every now and then. Even if its true there's just too much standing in your way to consider it further.
Whether we do have a higher self guiding us to fulfil our ultimate potential and become a higher version of ourselves or just a bunch of random thoughts and feelings – some very inspiring and others full of fear doubt and complacency – we still have a choice.
We can act upon those thoughts that inspire us and make us want to shine.
We can accept the thoughts that say we are not good enough as a challenge to get better and continue to improve – not a road block to stop us from shining right now.
We can accept that fear and doubt are over protective but often misplaced safety mechanism designed to protect us from the sort of threats that no longer concern us – lions, tigers, bears, starvation, dehydration.
We can start to listen to that "higher self" as if it really existed, understanding that the more we listen and act the more forthcoming the guidance will be.
1000s of thoughts travel through our minds all day. The ones we listen to and let go of shape our experience. The stories we tell ourselves about these choices shapes our lives.
Listen deeply, choose wisely and act courageously.
Take a deep breath in and a long breath out.
Soften your gaze, relax the muscles in you face and take another deep long breath in, following the breath as it enters your nose and travels down to your belly.
Hold the breath in for a moment and be with the space, full of breath. As the desire to breath out presents itself let the breath out gently and patiently with a long, slow exhale. At the end of the exhale before you start to breath in again be with that space of no breath.
Continue to ride these waves of breath, letting go of any distractions, until the waves themselves cease to be and only the sea remains.
Theres a space we some times visit and that sometimes visits us. That space where the mind is clear, where all worries disappear and the sound of silence creates a sea of bliss for our consciousness to swim in.
The Tiger gets to that space through purpose. Physically or mentally challenging and expressing himself so whole heartedly that all else falls away and the tiger becomes one with the activity at hand.
The Monk gets to the same space through peace. Meditating deeply, curiously, patiently and wholeheartedly.
until only serenity, acceptance and consciousness remain.
Both ends of the spectrum provide us with magical moments of bliss, clarity and oneness but most of our lives are lived in between these two extremes,.
What if we could turn those magical moments into magical states?
The subtle art of mindfulness allows the essence of deep meditation and the flow state achieved when we are fully engaged with a task, to permeate our everyday lives.
While it seems far out and is not an easy thing to master daily mindfulness is perhaps the most powerful practice we can apply to improve the quality of our experience from the inside out!!
*upon waking before you get out of bed tune in with your thoughts, don't let them sweep you away just notice them. Next bring your attention to your body, how does it feel after a night in bed? Finally tune in with your emotional tone. How are you feeling on the inside? This scan needs to take no more than a minute or two but can take as long you like.
Once you've scanned all those direct your awareness to your breath. Take 5 – 10 deep expansive breaths into your belly and long slow breaths out. If distractions arise acknowledge them and direct you focus back to your breath.
On your last breath get up and out of bed with hesitation and know you've already started to train your "mindfulness muscles".
*Once out of bed begin the day with a formal meditation practice or some self reflective journalling.
*as the day goes on it's easy for us to get swept away and to start doing things mindlessly. It's a great idea to set a reminder (on your phone, watch or computer) that goes of every two hours. When this alarm goes of tune in with your thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations, noticing whatever's there. Then take 3 – 5 deep breaths, and continue to mindfully go about your day.
Another reminder can be before you walk through the door to your home. Before you walk in consider the energy you a carrying with you. Tune in with your body, thoughts and emotions. Take a few deep breaths before entering your home with the intent of letting go any thing that isn't serving you as you breath out.
Dinner is a great opportunity to slow down before bed time and practice mindful eating. We often eat t.v. in front of the t.v. and computer and barely engage our senses. To mindfully eat dinner is to limit distractions as best you can. No t.v., no computer, (even try no talking. You simply engage all your senses and focus to eating dinner. Noticing the smells, the sounds, the sights of that which you're consuming. Even tuning in with your sense of touch. Notice any thoughts that arise as you do this quite unusual practice. See if you can be patient enough to last the whole meal in this mindful state (it takes patients and perseverance).
Before you go to bed make sure you write down three things you are grateful for from the day gone by and spend another 20 minutes meditating or doing some calming breath work. As you go to bed tune in with you're breath and drift of to the other world.
Picture this ……. you're on the bus reading quietly and someone on the bus is whinging loudly about something outside of their control. You try to continue reading but a good part of your attention is listening to their whining. You grow increasingly frustrated at their apparent lack of wisdom and you consider offering them the above quote to help them out of the futile (& loud) conversation their ignorance has them in and earn yourself a bit of peace for the rest of the bus ride.
I would suggest there's (at least) two conversations happening here. One between "the whinger" and his friend and another in your head. If you accept this second conversation is the one causing you frustration you may realise that you need to heed your own advice (in this case the above quote) for letting someone else into your sacred space.
It's often easy for us to see lessons that could help others and often it's precisely the lessons we would prescribe others that would actually serve us.
Master your own domain before you try to "fix" the world around you.
It's the height of hypocrisy and arrogance to assume you can fix in another what's broken in you.
1. Does "their" fault live with in you?
2. Could the energy and attention you spent allowing yourself to be frustrated by them be redirected to something more positive?
The second questions is the antidote to most things we worry about these days and one of the keys to self mastery and personal freedom.
Beauty is the evidence, love leaves behind.
Beauty is the map that leads the Soul.
Beauty is the wisdom of unity.
Beauty is subjective to one's own myth.
Beauty is objective to our collective evolution.
Beauty is the unspoken truths – held within & upheld throughout.
Beauty is creation conceived of love.
If we humans, function as microcosms of the macrocosm that is the Earth in which we reside, the same laws of nature that govern our universe, so too apply to us.
We are NOT separate by design, to the world we're a part of and are susceptible to the same elemental forces that control our environment.
It is such, therefore, that a change in the microcosm, affects the macrocosm. Our inner world (thoughts, words, actions) permeates to affect our outer world (relationships, environment, planet).
Instead of perceiving all of humankind's injustices, hatred and wars as a removed spectator, powerless to change and immobilised by fear, what if we perceived this as a physical manifestation of our own unaddressed, underdeveloped and unaware selves? – The parts of us that we often hide from others, fears we need to overcome, hindered growth and thoughts we need to upgrade..
Individually and collectively what if changing the world was as simple as changing ourselves?
By taking personal responsibility and honest action, we can then wholeheartedly enjoy with a clear conscience, the magic that is our life on Earth. We can claim the immeasurable beauty of our world as our own and know it, intimately, to be an extension of all that is balanced and good within ourselves.


The State of Property Crime in U.S.
What's Ahead in Health Care Workers' Compensation?
Could Trouble with Comp Products from Berkshire Affiliates Land in Brokers' Laps?
New MGA Verve to Target Liability Market for Insurance Agents, Insurers in U.S.
Samsung Agrees to Replace 1 Million Galaxy Note 7 Smartphones in U.S.
Does Drug Company Money Affect Doctors' Judgment?


View Poll Results: Dream Signing for Summer 2012?
We need another defender Stamm will be great.
Buffon could be great .
I have heard Milan is going to buy Hary kewel and Mohammad Camara(Modena) for next season.Is it true?
Lippi,you can go to hell.nobody cares.
Berkovic? Is that a joke?
Whos got the balls to challenge THIS team?
well how 'bout Dimitar Berbatov and Daniel Bierofka in BayerLeverkusen?
And Victor Sikola in Ajax,i think this guy would hopfully be a world-class wing in the future.
id like to see mateja kezman as a rossonero - hes the prolific yugoslav striker for eindhoven..
Yes, Ajax has very good players....maybe something for us???
Van Der Vaart,Chivu,Van Der Meyde.....all good young players.
But Rafael Van Der Vaart is the best of that Ajax.
I want him in our Milan!!!!!
So, Galliani, you know what we want: VAN DER VAART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALWAYS MILAN; IN GOOD AND IN BAD TIMES!!!
YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE!!! NEVER!!!
Do you REALLY think Christie could play up front for AC Milan?
What about Dimitry Sychov for the future, he will turn out to be a great player, despite his current problems at Spartak. His preformance at the world cup, while being only 18 says alot. It will be interesting to see him at Milan. Shevchenko has talked about him a few times to the media, and he feels the same way.
sergei rebrov? ive heard good stuffs about him at kiev but he is always on the bench at the spurs because he doesnt fit in with their style of play... and with sheva they create a deadly ukrainian offence that nearly qualified them for japan/korea or so i heard? would this guy be good at milan?
Rebrov would be great, and Milan has tried to sign him, or so the rumors go, to reunite the combination of Sheva and Sergei. But unfortunatly these attempts were not sucessful and Rebrov continues to sit on the bech with the Spurs. It seems increadibly unlikely that they would sign him now, with an overflow of forwards on the team.
I read somewhere that Milan want to buy Nocola L, the Chievo's central defender.
The current Milan squad needs a centre defender, maybe a right back and a typical out-and-out striker. Chivu would be an excellent coup coz he can slot in at left back as well. But the dutch youngster Kevin Hofland or the french kid Phillipe Mexes are my choices.
There are not many quality right backs not much in the world, the best few are Zanetti at Inter, Thuram at Juve and Sagnol at Munich, very difficult to prise them away. Guess Zauri is my choice.
I feel the best target man in the world at the moment are Vieri, Crespo, Van Nistelrooy and Trezeguet, all not capturable at 20-30 million pound! I thought Inzaghi is too light weight to be there alongside Sheva. However if Hasselbaink is younger by a few years, he would be the perfect man. But... ALAS! For somebody young and cheap, well, perhaps Ancelotti might want to take a gamble on Paraguay's Rogue Santa Cruz!
Ok, where to start.......I have to fully agree with you about Phillippe Mexes.....this kid is the next Desailly for the french, unfortunately, I think you will see him playing for Roma next season, but a good player on all facets. Hofland......when is this guy finally going to Man U? It will happen, I just do not know when. Chivu I think is a dream for Milan.....I just see us losing out to Real Madrid for him.
Target man......well......yes, everyone you have up there is indeed class, but when you have the likes of Sheva, Pippo, and Rivaldo.....you would think your attack is fine. Also, when Cesare Maldini coached Paraguay in the world cup, he tried to convince Santa Cruz to come to Milan (keep in mind that when Maldini was coach of Paraguay, he was also a non-paid AC Milan scout )......and he just signed a new deal with Munich, because Munich are ready to part ways with Elber.
"I would rather score and lose, than not score and win."
Well, maybe not, but he certainly acts like it.
Another interesting player you emntion is Hasselbaink. He is indeed too old now, but I have wondered for years now, if Hasselbaink truly would do good in Italy.
I keep wondering the same thing about Emily Heskey, he is big so he can rumble in the box with the best of them. That why I think he does well w/ Owen you get the quick nimble player in Owen and and Big and overpowering Heskey. I think w/ as pyhysical as Seria A can be he would make a good forward if he paired with someone like Sheva. Problem is I don't want Milan to be the one to experiment with him. Think they can talk Perugia into signing him to play alongside Amoruso, w/ a clause that he can't play against Milan, to test it out. How do you think he would do?
Silly name, but nice and very very good Brasilian Young talented GUY!!!
During Real-Rest of the world he seemed excelent!!!


text:
Q: Regex to remove <> from column I have a column with name and email id like
Column A

ABX <ABX@gmail.com>
hfgfg <shantanu @gmail.com>

I Want to use a regex to only retrieve the name and exclude the <> along with email idfrom the above column.
Regex in SQL query.
I tried
SELECT REPLACE('s <abc@gmail.com>', SUBSTR('s <abc@gmail.com>', instr('(', 's <abc@gmail.com>'), LENGTH('s <abc@gmail.com>') - instr(')', reverse('s <abc@gmail.com>')) - instr('(', 's <abc@gmail.com>') + 2), '')
FROM dual;

A: You could use regular expressions; either remove everything from first opening angle bracket, optionally trimming any remaining spaces as well:
select rtrim(regexp_substr('s <abc@gmail.com>', '[^<]*'), ' ') as name from dual;

Or replace the angle brackets and whatever is inside them, and any immediately preceding whitespace, with null:
select regexp_replace('s <abc@gmail.com>', '\s?<.*>', null) as name from dual;

With some sample data:
with your_table(column_a) as (
  select 'Some Name <some.name@example.com>' from dual
  union all select 'SingleName <single@example.com>' from dual
)
select column_a,
  rtrim(regexp_substr(column_a, '[^<]*'), ' ') as name1,
  regexp_replace(column_a, '\s?<.*>', null) as name2
from your_table;

COLUMN_A                          NAME1           NAME2
--------------------------------- --------------- ---------------
Some Name <some.name@example.com> Some Name       Some Name
SingleName <single@example.com>   SingleName      SingleName

If you want the email address as well you could use:
select regexp_substr('s <abc@gmail.com>', '([^<>]*)', 1, 3) as email from dual;

... though there might be a better way. Demoing that too:
with your_table(column_a) as (
  select 'Some Name <some.name@example.com>' from dual
  union all select 'SingleName <single@example.com>' from dual
)
select column_a,
  rtrim(regexp_substr(column_a, '[^<]*'), ' ') as name1,
  regexp_replace(column_a, '\s?<.*>', null) as name2,
  regexp_substr(column_a, '([^<>]*)', 1, 3) as email
from your_table;

COLUMN_A                          NAME1      NAME2      EMAIL
--------------------------------- ---------- ---------- ---------------------
Some Name <some.name@example.com> Some Name  Some Name  some.name@example.com
SingleName <single@example.com>   SingleName SingleName single@example.com

A: Why don't you try something like this :
UPDATE table SET A=TRIM(SUBSTRING(A, 1, INSTR(A,'<')));

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
Suspicious Person/ Warrant Arrest
Officers saw a man smoking marijuana in the 16th St. BART Station Plaza. A warrant check located an outstanding felony Possession of a Controlled Substance FTA warrant out of Sacramento County. The suspect was booked at the San Francisco County Jail for the outstanding warrant. – 1112-1190 – 1314 hours
Friday, Dec. 09, 2:59 PM
Open Container/Warrant Arrest
Officers on patrol in the station plaza contacted a female suspect for possessing an open container of alcohol. Record checks revealed an outstanding $10,000 arrest warrant out of San Francisco County, charging burglary. She was arrested without incident and booked at San Francisco County Jail on her warrant and for the open container.
Warrant Arrest General Quality of Life
Wednesday, Dec. 07, 1:33 PM
Officers patrolling the plaza area watched a hand to hand transaction and tried to detain one of the parties. The male tried to walk away and had to be restrained. A search revealed a crack pipe and crack cocaine in his possession. The male was debriefed regarding his knowledge of BART related crimes before being booked into the San Francisco Jail for the possession charges.
Thursday, Nov. 17, 12:28 PM
A female victim reported a male suspect grabbed her buttocks and waist area from behind, while she was descending the Westside stairway leading into the station. The suspect then fled to street-level. The victim does not know the suspect, but she can identify him. The victim stated she believed the suspect was "on drugs." Suspect description: BM, 6-00, 30's, blk beanie, white jersey shrt, blk jacket. The victim was not injured during this incident. Officers responded to the station and conducted an area search, but were unable to located the suspect.
Assault/Battery Sex Crime
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 3:21 PM
The station agent called the ISRC/BART police dispatch to report having heard shots fired at street level, in the west plaza. A man who had been shot in the foot entered the station from the plaza, then exited the station shortly thereafter. According to a witness, four or five men had been in a fight on the street or sidewalk adjacent to the west plaza. One man then fired a gun multiple times in the plaza. Three men were apparently hit by the gunfire. Paramedics removed one wounded man from the plaza. The other wounded men were located on nearby streets. The injured men were transported to the hospital. No suspects are in custody at this time. San Francisco police and BART police are currently on scene and investigating this crime.
Weapon Involved Medical Assistance
Saturday, Nov. 05, 2:49 AM
Open Container in Public / Warrant Arrest
BART Officers contacted a subject for having an open container of alcohol in public at the 16th St. Station. A subsequent records check revealed the suspect had a $20,000 warrant for petty theft. The suspect was arrested for the warrant and booked at the San Francisco Jail. The suspect was not cited for having an open container.
Monday, Oct. 31, 5:13 PM
Outside Assist/Assault with a Deadly Weapon/Train Delay
The station agent reported 10 males involved in a fight on the platform and one was reportedly in possession of a knife. One of the involved males jumped down on the trackway as a train was approaching the station. Trains were held out of the station as the male stood on the trackway. SFPD officers arrived and took the suspect off of the trackway and into custody. It was determined that the male on the trackway had struck a female in the face with a glass bottle on a nearby street. Numerous male witnesses chased him into the station in an attempt to detain him, but he jumped onto the trackway. SFPD is conducting the investigation as the assault occurred in their jurisdiction. SFPD determined that the suspect is currently on parole for assault with a deadly weapon. Trains were delayed for approximately 9 minutes before officers arrived and detained the suspect.
Outside Assist Assault/Battery Train Delay
Friday, Oct. 28, 1:38 PM
A man ran to the station agent requesting medical assistance and stating the trombone player upstairs wanted to harm him. The man sought protection by trying to lock himself in the station agent's booth, and inadvertently brushed the agent's arm while trying to get into the booth. Officers arrived at the scene and detained the subject. The subject, on parole for drug activity, told the officers he had taken the drug Ecstasy earlier in the day. The subject was transported to San Francisco General Hospital for psychiatric evaluation. The station agent, who was not injured but traumatized by the incident, was transported by her supervisor to St. Luke's Hospital for evaluation. 1109-3305 L12.
General Narcotics Crimes Against BART Employees Medical Assistance Psychiatric Evaluation
Saturday, Sept. 24, 8:21 PM
Fare Evasion / Warrant Arrest
Officers contacted a suspect for fare evasion at the station. Upon a records check, the suspect had two outstanding felony warrants for burglary/theft and narcotics possession. The suspect was arrested and booked on the warrants, and cite for fare evasion.
Saturday, Sept. 10, 10:58 AM
A patron/victim reported to the station agent at 24th Street station that he was robbed of his iPod on the train and the suspect off boarded the train at the 16th Street station. The suspect brandished a knife-like weapon and took the iPod. The suspect description is: BM, 18-20, dark complexion, bald, clean shaven, wearing a white striped jacket and baggy jeans. BART officers responded to the call and SFPD was advised on the incident. CCTV was checked immediately, but UTL any suspect.
Grand Theft/Pickpocket Robbery
Tuesday, Aug. 23, 12:55 PM
Terrorist Threats / Intoxicated in Public Arrest
BART and SFPD officers responded to the station on a report of a male suspect in the lead car of a southbound train threatening to kill patrons with his automatic weapon. The train operator was the reporting party and stated the suspect appeared extremely intoxicated, and no weapon was seen. SFPD was first on-scene and were able to detain the suspect without incident. The suspect did not have any weapons and was arrested and booked for public intoxication by BART officers. TSOC was notified.
Saturday, Aug. 06, 2:15 PM
Disturbing the Peace / Intoxicated in Public Arrest
Officers responded to the station plaza on a report of a boisterous and belligerent subject disturbing patrons. Upon contact with the subject, the officers determined he was intoxicated in public and was subsequently arrested for such. The suspect was booked at SF City jail.
General Quality of Life
Tuesday, Aug. 02, 3:36 PM
Planned Protest/Station Closures
There was a planned protest that began at Dolores Park (located on 19th and Dolores Streets, San Francisco). The gathering was held to protest a recent Officer involved shooting. There were about 100 protestors who traversed from the Park, to the Castro District, to the Mission District, and Downtown. The BART police Tactical Team was deployed along with the Critical Asset Patrol team and downtown beat units, for crowd control at the BART stations. The protest resulted in periodic station closures at Civic Center, Powell, and 16th and Mission Stations. Numerous arrests were made by San Francisco Police on the street level. L22
Train Delay
Tuesday, July 19, 10:13 PM
Outside Agency Assist / Crowd Control
The San Francisco Police Department reported that there was a protest of 75 people at 16th & Valencia St. and the crowd was turning violent. They had 10 units on the scene and were requesting our units assist them. BART supplied four units that were available and swing shift was held past their end of shift. The last train of the evening going through 16th & Mission Station was run through without stopping and BART Police assisted closing the station. As BART Police Oakland swing shift units were starting to head over to San Francisco to assist, the SFPD Watch Commander informed us that the crowd was dispersing down to a manageable size and he no longer needed additional units. Swing shift units were released.
Outside Assist
Sunday, July 17, 12:46 AM
Planned Protest/Train Delays
There was a planned protest that began at the Civic Center Station. There were about 150 protestors who primarily traversed from Civic Center Station, to Powell Street Station, and 16th Street Station. The BART police Tactical Team was deployed along with patrol Officers and the Critical Asset Patrol team for crowd control. A BART Police Sergeant was assigned to the San Francisco Police Command post. The protest resulted in periodic train delays/station closures at Civic Center, Powell, and 16th and Mission. Normal train service resumed at approximately 2000 hours. L22
7/1/11 – 0446 An 18 year old female reported that she had been robbed at gun point in the west stairwell of the station while waiting for it to open. The victim reported that as she was counting her $570.00 in cash, a black male suspect wearing a ski mask, (6', slim, black hoodie, dark jeans) pointed a black handgun (auto type) at her took her money and her Metro cell phone worth $90.00. The suspect also robbed her friend of her phone but the victim refused to give any information about her friend and the friend was not at the scene. The suspect left in an unknown direction and flagged down a USF P.D. vehicle as it passed and reported the crime to them. TSOC notified.
Robbery Weapon Weapon Involved
Saturday, July 02, 6:15 AM
Outside Assist/Arson
A witness called San Francisco Police to report a male setting fires to trash cans on Mission Street, near 16th Street. The male suspect then ran down into the BART Station and boarded a train as SFPD officers were chasing him. A BART officer intercepted the train at the Balboa Park Station and located a male matching the description given. The male had suspected burns on his pants and a lighter in his hand. SFPD transported the original witness to the Balboa Station where the suspect was identified as the responsible. SFPD took custody of the suspect and is handling the investigation.
Vandalism Outside Assist Train Delay
Monday, June 27, 6:32 AM
Suspicious Circumstance
A Sergeant and two Officers responded to the station on a report of a battery. They were also advised that San Francisco Police was on scene, standing by with the parties at the booth (male, female and 9 year old child). Further investigation revealed the female subject accidently fell while struggling over luggage with the male subject, with no evidence that a battery had occurred. All parties were released after being identified.
Saturday, June 18, 10:53 PM
The BART Police Tactical Team was working a special detail when dispatch advised of two intoxicated subjects harassing patrons on a Millbrae train holding at the 16th street platform. The first subject was described as a black male wearing all white clothing and blue shoes. The second subject was described as a black male wearing a teal colored shirt. A Tactical team Officer saw a subject that matched the first suspect description (all white clothing) and detained him at the concourse level. A Tactical team Sergeant and Officer responded as cover. A wants/warrant check showed he had 3 outstanding warrants; a $20,000 vandalism warrant – ALCO, a $1180 fare evasion warrant – BARTPD, and a $736 vehicle code warrant –OPD. The suspect was arrested and booked into the SF County Jail on the warrants. He was reprimanded for public intoxication.
Warrant Arrest General
Sunday, May 29, 5:39 PM
Drug Paraphernalia / Warrant Arrest
Officers patrolling the plaza of the station saw a subject smoking suspected drug(s) via a makeshift glass pipe. Upon contacting and detaining the suspect, any drug in the pipe was now gone. A records check was conducted. The suspect had an outstanding, no bail arrest warrant by the CDCR for parole violation. The suspect was arrested and booked at SF jail on the warrant.
Outside Assist/Robbery
Officers patrolling the 16th/Mission Street Plaza noticed two adult males involved in a physical altercation on the sidewalk across the street. The officers responded to break up the fight without incident. Further investigation revealed that one suspect had robbed the other party of his backpack, which started the fight. San Francisco Police Department responded and both parties were turned over to them. SFPD took over the investigation of the case.
Tuesday, May 10, 11:15 AM
Drunk in Public/Resisting Arrest
Two officers patrolling the station observed a subject walking unsteadily on the platform. As they approached him to conduct a welfare check, the suspect batters a female sitting on a bench. After a brief struggle, the suspect was taken into custody. The female victim did not wish to press charges on the battery. The suspect was arrested and booked for being Drunk in Public and Resisting Arrest.
General Resisting Arrest Assault/Battery
Attempt Grand Theft Person
Two male suspects attempted to take an iPad from a patron aboard a southbound train approaching the 16th Street station. The victim confronted the suspects verbally and other patrons in the train stood to assist. The suspects returned the iPad and off-board the train at 16th Street. The victim reported the attempted theft when he got to the Daly City station.
Tuesday, April 26, 10:35 AM
Intoxicated in Public
A patron to the agent reported a male subject at the top stairway to the station urinating in public. The patron also reported the subject was belligerent and had an open container of alcohol in his hand. Officers responded and located the intoxicated subject. The subject was arrested for intoxication in public and booked at SF City jail.
Sunday, April 24, 11:33 AM
Outside Assist/Shooting
A shooting occurred at 14th and Mission Streets and two armed suspects were reported to have fled to 16th Street Station. San Francisco PD units responded to the BART station and requested trains be held while they searched the station and the train that was in the station for the suspects. One person was detained, but not arrested. Trains were held approximately 8 minutes.
General Outside Assist
Tuesday, Nov. 02, 10:58 PM


text:
Officials in Trinidad investigate COVID deaths
Port of Spain – Health authorities on Monday said they are still investigating reports that at least four people may have died after having been given the first dose of a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.
"We are actually still compiling and validating the vaccination information. There have not been many cases of where vaccines were reported to have been on board or have been delivered in the event of a death," epidemiologist Dr Avery Hinds told reporters during the Ministry of Health's virtual media conference.
"In those where it has happened, there are maybe about four or five we have on record and they're usually persons who would have contracted illness pretty soon after having the vaccine, but we're still attempting to get the documentation on the vaccine itself from some of those individuals. So that's something that will be refined and clarified."
Dr Hinds told reporters that the deaths resulting post-vaccination were people who only had their first dose and those deaths would have occurred less than two weeks after vaccination.
He said such a result is in keeping with the expectation that the first dose of vaccine still needs a couple weeks before one's immunity is boosted sufficiently by it.
"And even with the first dose of vaccine on board, the immunity is not optimised yet, which is why your second dose of vaccine is of utmost importance. If you had that first dose, you need to have the second dose in order to get the most out of your vaccination, both in terms of the strength of the immune response and the duration, meaning how long that immune response will last," Hinds said.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Health reported that 204, 209 people had received their first jab of the various vaccines, while 71 246 had received their second dose.
Meanwhile, the ministry said the Chinese vaccine, Sinopharm, has been approved for use among the breastfeeding population.
Director in the Directorate of Women's Health, Dr Adesh Sirjusingh, told reporters that the decision was taken by the national technical advisory group chaired by the Chief Medical Officer Roshan Parasram,
He said that the AstraZeneca vaccine has not yet been approved for use.
"As a result of a national immunisation technical advisory group of experts chaired by the Chief Medical Officer, they have completed their deliberations and as of yesterday formal decisions were made with respect to the breastfeeding and the approvals. After considering all of the documentations we are now allowing the roll out of the use of the Sinopharm vaccine for the breastfeeding population, the approval does not cover the AstraZeneca vaccine based on the information before the committee," he said.
Sirjusingh said that since the start of the pandemic, 170 pregnant women tested positive for COVID-19.
"To date since the start of the pandemic, we have 170 pregnant women who have now contracted COVID-19 at various stages of pregnancy and not all have been delivered. I was last here in March and at that time we had 41 cases so . . . we have seen a surge in the pregnant clientele," he said.
Health authorities warn that pregnant women who suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and asthma, as well as those who are over 35 or in the second half of pregnancy are more likely to become seriously ill if they contract COVID-19.
Of the 170 positive pregnant women, he said, ten had been hospitalised in the intensive care unit (ICU). In addition, an increased risk of preterm delivery, hospitalisation and heart complications were observed.
Sirjusingh also urged pregnant women to attend prenatal clinics, reporting a fall-off had been observed in recent times.
"As it regards our maternity and newborn services, we continue to offer all our services. These are satirical emergency services in a safe environment across all the Regional Health Authorities. We have established special areas for COVID-positive women and those who have emergencies.
"I want to reassure the public and I want to encourage all pregnant women to attend your clinics. We are seeing some fall off in this. All routine in-person care, all support continues. We have also established a telemedicine service for our quarantined patients if you have COVID and you are at home.
"For those who have delivered, you have postnatal clinics and well-baby checkups. We need all our babies to continue the mandatory vaccine program that we have against all those diseases," he said. (CMC)


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