I've been pretty quiet over here. The last couple of months have been a time of deep internal reflection for me. Winter 2015 has certainly aligned with my need for slowing down and shutting up. It's supported me as I transition from one stage of my life into a different stage. And part of that transition for me has been exploring new ways of being, trying out new perspectives, taking on new habits. I quit drinking. After making it through the first few weeks of triggers (apparently apron on = wine poured in my world!), I've found teetotaling to be not too difficult to maintain. I'm about 75 days in and in a very different space with regards to alcohol and the space it takes up in my life than I was at the completion of 2014.
Humans are adaptable creatures. We can really adapt to a lot of not-so-pleasant things. Biologically, there are certain behaviors that help propagate the species that are perfectly appropriate for moms to adapt to when we have infants or toddlers. But as our tiny humans grow larger and are more able to fend for themselves, I see many moms who find it difficult to let go of the habits that were originally in place to keep our little people alive. For me, I have spent the better part of the last 9 years (cuz ya know, it starts in the womb!) prioritizing other people's needs above my own. My kids are 5 and 8–logistically they are of an age where I should be eating hot meals again. But after 8 years of eating semi-warm fare at dinnertime, it's become such a habit that I find ways to distract myself at the beginning of every meal time. Jerry thinks I'm nuts, but 8 long years of feeding others before myself doesn't just break itself overnight. And my mouth needs to refine its sensory impulses again. I've burned my tongue more in the last few months than I have in the last decade.
If it isn't our children's needs we're meeting, we often have the demands of a partner or spouse to be aware of; responsibilities at school or work; pets that require love and daily food in/food out support; plants that need watering; and hey, those toilets ain't gonna scrub themselves. As life speeds up (which it scientifically does as we age since time is relative–check out "Through the Wormhole" for a better explanation than I can give!), it's easy to skim over our own needs as we meet the needs of everyone and everything around us.
But then…something happens. The kids go off to school full time (or move away for college). We get laid off or quit our job. We lose someone close to us or experience a serious injury or illness. Something shifts in our lives that causes us to look at things from a new perspective. For some people, reaching a certain age or stage of life triggers that sort of a reaction. Our American culture is fond of the term mid-life crisis, defined as "an emotional crisis of identity and self-confidence that can occur in early middle age." What a disempowering way to describe something that I'm starting to see is likely a natural part of aging and growing up. I spent the majority of the last 8 1/2 years nurturing and learning from two young children who relied primarily on me to organize and source their whole world. The interesting thing about 5 and 8 year olds is that they actually have pretty clear ideas about what they like and don't like, and what was appropriate parenting methodology for my 1 year old is no longer appropriate for my 2nd grader. I'm so fortunate to have two bright, thoughtful, and kind boys to grow with on my parenting journey. They genuinely like each other and they genuinely like us, their parents. Their lives are independent of mine, their minds are their own, but I get to be a person who partners with them and supports them as they create whatever awesome life they want to create in this world. How cool is that? And wouldn't it be strange if I didn't have some sort of shift occur in my own world as their lives shifted away from being mostly dependent on mom? Why do we have to call this stage that I'm in a crisis (the first definition that popped up calls a crisis "a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger")? Why not call it a redirection? Or a refocusing? Isn't that more appropriate (not to mention empowering)?
Of course, your mid-life refocusing may have a different trigger. But I imagine many of the results are the same. We start to consider our work choices and to weigh our values differently. We consider making changes around our eating habits or level of physical activity. We reflect on how we spend our leisure time; maybe we go back to school. Humans live longer than we ever did before. Spending some time in reflection and redirection as we age seems like a smart and healthy way to move ahead in this world. In nature, the opposite of growth is death. And for many of us, we grow by making mistakes or trying things out. Even if the steps we take sometimes lead to a dead end or we sometimes need to double back and set out again, the path we are on is where the treasure can be found. There is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow of our lives (Happy St. Patty's day anyway!). Each step on our own journey has the power to inform and empower us, if we slow down long enough to hear the message.
And so I challenge you to ask yourself this, wherever you are in your day, wherever you are in your life: What do YOU want, really?
Cooper's birthday was the warmest day of 2015 to date.
This entry was posted in Health, Reflections, Wellness, Year of Radical Wellness and tagged being in process, career change, creating the future, family life, journey, mid-life crisis, mid-life redirection, mid-life refocus, Parenting, self-reflection, wellness. Bookmark the permalink.


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Louisa Johnson shows off bikini body and admits she's more confident than ever
January 10, 2017 - 16:44 GMT Chloe Best Louisa Johnson has shared an empowering message with fans, encouraging them to be comfortable in their own skin
Louisa Johnson has shared an empowering message with fans, encouraging them to be comfortable in their own skin. The former X Factor winner posted before-and-after snaps of her bikini body on Instagram, and admitted that she has put on a little bit of weight over the past few months due to being happy.
The So Good singer revealed that far from being uncomfortable with the changes to her body, she was more confident than ever.
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Louisa Johnson shared an empowering message with fans
Sharing the post with her 816,000 Instagram followers, Louisa wrote: "I just wanted to share this because it makes me happy looking at it. All from being ME and being HAPPY. Only a lil difference but a big difference within. It made me realise that feeling comfortable from within and making the most of what you have and not what you don't have is so important."
Louisa also offered some advice to her fans, telling them: "Let yourself be who it wants to be, don't worry bout what other people want/think/look for. Be you. I'm realising that J LET YOURSELF GROW & CHANGE! I don't want anyone thinking they ain't no good cos you really are in your own way. You have something that no one else does."
The 18-year-old was unsurprisingly inundated with praise from fans, who thanked her for her honest and body positive post.
The singer said she felt more confident than ever
"Beautiful!! An inspiration to young women, teenagers and younger girls. Well done," one user commented. Another wrote: "This is encouraging just what I needed to hear."
Louisa has had an incredible year since winning the X Factor in December 2015. As well as seeing success in her music career, the teenager has also found love with her boyfriend Daniel.
The Tears singer often shares loved-up photos with her boyfriend on social media, recently writing: "Love my baby".
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X Factor's Louisa Johnson tells HELLO! about her bond with Simon Cowell: 'I feel a bit like he's my dad'
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Conventional wisdom has led us to believe that milk gives us strong bones, eggs are a perfect protein, meat give us strong muscles and that plants contain low quality protein. Conventional wisdom differs from scientific wisdom in that scientific wisdom has been conducted without a bias for a particular result and is peer-reviewed by other scientists who have a strong knowledge of methodology and statistical analysis. In other words, the aim with science is to find out what is likely to be true, not what is popular. Unfortunately, the prejudices of big business food industries reach more people than that of the scientific community. "Prejudices are hard to uproot when they are not recognized as such, and even more so when they are still being repeatedly reinforced within the culture at large" (Diet for a New America, John Robbins). Lets take a trip back into history and follow a few studies that have helped shape the scientific viewpoint on nutrition and its relation to disease.
Over 2,500 years ago Plato and Socrates condemned the eating of animal flesh. 2,000 years ago, so did Seneca, tutor and advisor to the Roman Emperor Nero. Later Hippocrates, the father of medicine, understood that diet prevented disease and said "food should be our medicine and medicine our food" during his time, 460-357 B.C.
In the 1800's a few scientists continued to shape our view on nutrition. One of those scientists was Dutch Chemist Gerhard Mulder, who discovered protein in 1839. Carl Voit was a German scientist in the late 1800's who discovered that humans needed only 48.5 grams of protein per day, but recommended 118 grams. Voit mentored a few young scientists, including W.O. Atwater who later developed the Unites States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Atwater continued to over-exaggerate the need for protein, which became synonymous with meat in the 19th century even though protein can be found in plant foods as well. This has led to classically misguided question posed to vegetarians and vegans still today of "Where do you get your protein?" (The Chins Study, T.C. Campbell and T.M. Campbell). This is also about the same time that Dr. Weston Price published his findings on the excellent dental health in primitive peoples vs. the horrible dental health in civilized peoples. He determined that processed foods were the culprit for the deterioration of dental health, even with hereditary traits such as dental arches and facial structure (Nutrition & Physical Degeneration, Dr. Weston Price).
At the same time, the medical field was being shaped by a few pioneers. Louis Pasteur, a famous French chemist in the late 1800's, supported the germ theory of disease. The Germ theory remains the corner stone upon which vaccines, parasites, viruses and antibiotics were created upon in the medical field. It states that the immune system is a victim to such insults. His theory was very controversial and many disagreed with him. One of his opponents to the theory was Henry Lindlahr, author of "Philosophy of Natural Therapeutics", who believed that lowered vitality weakens the immune system to fighting disease. He concluded that the well-being of a man depends on normal nutrition and wholesome surroundings and that normal nutrition allowed for proper, drainage and enervation. Dr. Rodemon further demonstrated that Pasteur was wrong by smearing his body with small pox and going out in public. Nobody got small pox. Although dramatic, he had demonstrated a very important point.
Scientists began to classify the quality of protein in animals, which contained all necessary amino acids, vs. the quality of protein in plants, which contain bits and pieces of amino acids. They concluded that animal protein was of higher quality than plant protein, but did not bother to factor in which protein was healthier for human consumption or the fact that eating a wide variety of plant foods does provide all the necessary amino acids (The China Study, T.C. Campbell and T.M. Campbell).
After World War I (1914-1918), an allied blockade cut off the supply of food to over three million residents of Denmark, causing them to have to ration the food supply. One measures taken was to re-allocate grain used to feed livestock for the people. During this time, the death rate dropped by 34% (The CHina Study, T.C. Campbell and T.M. Campbell).
During World War II (1939-1945), the Norwegian government was forced to ration their food, especially meat, while the country was occupied by the Germans. Norway experienced a drastic drop in death from circulatory diseases during this time. Death rates rose again when the Germans left and Norway returned to their former diet. Britain and Switzerland also experienced an increase in health while food was rationed during World War II, where infant and post-natal death rates as well as the occurrence of anemia dropped to the lowest recorded at that time. What rose during this time? Growth rates and dental health for children. After World War II, the National Heart Institute investigated why plaque in heart disease develops and how it leads to heart attacks. A comparison of the medical records of 5,000 residents from Framingham, Massachusetts enabled the research team to develop risk factors such as cholesterol. blood pressure, physical activity, cigarette smoking and obesity. More than 1,000 scientific papers were produced from this study that showed a strong correlation between high blood cholesterol and heart disease (The China Study, T.C. Campbell and T.M. Campbell).
In 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea and over 30,000 American soldiers were killed. Military medical investigators examined the hearts of 300 male soldiers and published their results in the Journal of the American Medical Association finding 77.3% of the hearts examined showed "gross" evidence of heart disease.
Many scientists have contributed to the development of true scientific understanding of nutrition in relation to disease since then. Dr. George Macilwain, a prominent surgeon of the 1800's and a vegetarian, has contributed fourteen books on medicine & health popularizing "the constitutional nature of disease." Dr. John McDougall, author of ten books on nutrition including "The McDougall Plan," also advocates a whole-foods, plant-based diet. Dr. Dean Ornish, Harvard graduate, is famous for his Lifestyle Heart Trial where he enforced stress management, meditation, three hours of exercise per week, breathing and relaxation exercises as well as cutting out almost all animal products from their diets. He found that 82% of his patients who adopted the lifestyle changes experienced a regression of their heart disease in one year.
Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., aka "Dr. Sprouts," was a surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic and at St. George's Hospital in London, president of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons and voted one of the best doctors in America in 1994-95. Dr. Sprouts began studying nutrition and found that diets rich in meat, fat and highly refined foods caused disease. He began experimenting with his patients putting them on a vegetarian and had the greatest success ever recorded on treating heart disease. Never before has their been such a compelling mountain of evidence recommending a whole-foods, plant-based diet. This stacked up against the equally important and pressing issue of the record deterioration of American health with correlation to the Standard American Diet.
Many of us are unaware of these studies because there is no agency or industry with the motivation to share them with. As a Biology major graduate and a nutritional educator, I am not interested in what is popular, but what is believed to be true by the standards of the most well-respected scientists in the field. We cannot be held responsible for what we do not know, but hopefully, now you can make an educated decision on where to go from here. Stepping out into the unknown is scary. And often times people switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet, fill themselves with the wrong replacement foods. It is necessary to fill your diet with smarter food choices, ones that promote health and wellness. Start learning by reading as many articles and books you can written by reputable and unbiased resources and begin applying what you learn to buying food at the market. Sunrider International makes the most pure and concentrated whole food products that are so convenient to use. They are made from Chinese herbs, which have the backing of over 5,000 years of empirical knowledge of the Chinese royal family on their people. The owners of Sunrider are members of the royal family and have been handed down this ancient knowledge. Dr. Te-Fu Chen is a world renowned herbalist and pharmacologist. Dr. Oi-Lin Chen is a licensed western medical doctor. Together, they make the best foods on the planet! Their factories are pharmaceutical-grade and their quality control is unmatched by any company on the market today.
I have been reading a paper by Selig Finkelstein from 2003 in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis entitled 'Rapid Hypnotic Inductions and Therapeutic Suggestions in the Dental Setting' which I have found to be extremely interesting as it charts a number of evidence based rapid hypnosis inductions. Though the article is aimed at benefiting dentists wanting to induce hypnosis rapidly, I thought I'd point out one of the ways that Finkelstein suggests inducing hypnosis rapidly.
It is called the Somatic Awareness Induction and the paper itself has a full script for such an induction process which you can go and read for yourself (if you subscribe to the journal).
Somatic awareness has its roots in mindfulness and other related fields, though there is a Somatic Psychology field all of it's own in existence today. The main principle (and I realise how tough and unsatisfying it is to put an entire field into a media-friendly soundbite on a blog!!) is to examine the individual's relationship with their own felt body. The awareness of how the body is experienced physiologically is examined.
The script is longer, but I particularly like this hypnosis induction because it elicits absorption, internal focus and hypnotic responsiveness within the client in a rapid fashion whilst retaining a fairly permissive tone and style, so is not as direct as many rapid inductions tend to be.
I really rather like that. There are many versions of this same thing out there in script books, but it is always good to see these things in peer reviewed journals.
Learn About Propolis in Only 5 Minutes!
Have you heard of propolis? Have you heard about all the claims that this substance can cure a lot of diseases currently suffered by many people in the modern world. Do you know anything about it at all?
This article will equip you with the truth about propolis in only 5 short minutes.
To make things simple, you can think of propolis as bee's medicine. If we use all sorts of drugs for our ailment, bees use propolis for theirs. The only difference is bees took propolis from trees and use it as an internal coat for their hives. Once their bodies brush against the hive's wall, they become immunized and sterilized.
Actually people have been using propolis not only as a way of treatment but also for their daily lives. In Africa, it is used as to patch holes in boats or roofs. Master violin makers have also used it as a sort of varnish for their premium violins.
However, one of the most famous use of propolis is as medicine. It is used to treat all sorts of medical condition up to the stage propolis is hailed as some sort of wonder drug.
The truth is, propolis extract is an effective substance against viruses, germs and bacteria. However that does not mean it can cure all health problems as many propolis loyalist would suggest.
At the moment, we can safely say yes, it works. However, it has only been shown and proven effective as a dental treatment and to improve body's immune system.
Studies have also been done on the effect of propolis on cancer, fertility, HIV and as a complement to antibiotics. Although the results have been promising, the number of studies done on the subject is too small to suggest a direct positive relationship of propolis and the diseases being studied.
Propolis is a safe substance for most people. Those who are looking for a safe substance to improve their immune system should try propolis as a natural alternative to modern drugs.
However, one should always consult a doctor before using this bee substance. The reason is simple – allergies.
Some people may be allergic to propolis and other bee products. The best bet is to consult your doctor and check if you are allergic against it. Failure to do so will result in swollen faces, rashes and other unwanted side effects.
Where Can You Find More Information.
The best source of information are medical journals. These are the best, unbiased and most trusted source you could ever find on propolis. In the internet, I would suggest you go to Google Scholar to find such papers.
The link between periodontal disease and bad breath has been recognized for many years – though not all people with bad breath have gum disease, many people with gum disease suffer from bad breath. The connection between the two is bacteria. A whole group of bacteria that live in the mouth are known to break down proteins in their environment and produce volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) that have a very unpleasant smell. The bacteria involved are predominantly anaerobic – they live in environments where there is little or no oxygen – and they are found in gum pockets, in the grooves and crevices on the back of the tongue, and around the tonsillar crypts.
Scientific studies have explored the relationship between the periodontal bacteria that are thought to cause much of the tissue destruction in gum disease, and the presence of breath odor in patients suffering from gum disease. A study by S. Awano and others, "The Relationship between the Presence of Periodontopathogenic Bacteria in Saliva and Halitosis," (International Dental Journal: 2002 Jun;Suppl 3:212-6) looked for four species of bacteria in patients with both periodontal disease and bad breath. Researchers also measured levels of volatile sulfur compounds – hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan. The results indicated that Bacteroides forsythus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Prevotella intermedia were all associated with VSC production, with B. forsythus being the most significant producer of all.
Other studies investigating the habitats of periodontal bacteria have shown that B. forsythus lives on the lining of the mouth in locations other than infected gum pockets in healthy people as well as those with gum disease, and P. intermedia is frequently found living on the surface of the tongue. Thus, while there is a clear association between periodontal disease and bad breath, there is also good evidence to support the claim that periodontal bacteria can be the source of bad breath, even in the absence of gum disease.
Scientific study of both periodontal disease and bad breath continue to reveal information that is helpful to those who suffer from these conditions. These studies suggest that remedies for bad breath that target periodontal bacteria are likely to bring positive results, and that achieving a permanent change in the bacterial microflora of the mouth might cure bad breath.
Singapore is a cosmopolitan country and its population comprises the Chinese, Malays, Indians, and others such as the Eurasians. In this heterogeneous, multi-racial, multi-lingual and multi-cultural society, perceptions towards illness, medical treatment and health beliefs are expected to be varied. The fact that such diversity of the population as the various ethnic groups continue to celebrate their own cultures while they intermingle with one another, between people from different backgrounds and different genders. According to Helman (1994), the rules that underpin the organization of a society in the way it symbolized and transmitted, are all part of that society's culture.Helman (1994) also observed that culture, to a certain extent, can be seen as an "inherited lens" through which the individual perceives and understands the world in which he or she lives and learns to live within. The "inherited lens" has given us different perspectives of how individuals view their health and illness, and affects the way they respond to symptoms. It is also via this "inherited lens" that a patient determines how he seeks out health care.
A Singapore Minister, Mr Yeo, G. (2001) had distinctly highlighted that cultures evolve continuously, and are constantly in competition with each other. Although political correctness required us to view that all cultures are equal, but in reality, to achieve equality in cultures is an absurd proposition. Both cultural understanding and structure of health care, therefore, play an important part in determining health and illness. With the understanding of relevant health belief systems, we will enable the development of culturally sensitive health promotion programmes (Lee et al., 1993).
While culture can be influenced by other social variables like gender, class and age, other personal past experiences may also affect a person's responses to health beliefs. As a health care professional, we must take care to ensure that patients from certain cultural backgrounds are not stereotyped.
Chinese settlement has taken place in Singapore from the mid 19th century, with most people coming from southeast China (Singapore Chinese Physicians' Association, n.d.). Early migrants left China because of wars, floods, famine and poverty, and found work at the Singapore harbours.
Over the past 20 years, Chinese immigrants have arrived from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and elsewhere in Indochina. More recently, they have arrived from People's Republic of China (PRC), and these immigrants speak Mandarin and other Chinese dialects. They bring with them their own culture, and now have to integrate into a new culture. Prior to 1965, most Chinese immigrants were working class (Chang, 1999) and recently, we have seen more professionals immigrating into Singapore.
Chang, K. (1999). Chinese Americans. In J.N. Giger & R.E. Davidhizer (Eds.), Transcultural nursing: Assessment & intervention (pp. 385-401). St. Louis: Mosby.
Helman, C. G. (1994). Culture, health and illness: The scope of medical anthropology (3rd ed). Oxford. Butterworth – Heinemann.
Lee, K. L., Schwarz, E. and Mak, K. Y. K. (1993) Improving oral health through understanding the meaning of health and disease in a Chinese culture. International Dental Journal, 43, 2-8.


Solid Surface products are manufactured with high performance resin systems such as acrylic and unsaturated polyester. They have very high filler content and do not have gel coats. These materials are used primarily in counter top and wall panel applications.
A design benefit of solid surface materials is their ability to be machined to like wood, though special equipment and fabrication procedures are required. They can be precisely cut and bonded to fit nearly any surface shape. Solid surface materials can also be routed for decorative edging which can be applied with specially formulated adhesives. Since the color goes clear through the product, scratches, chips and stains can be easily sanded out. Several manufacturers are now offering solid surface products that are translucent.
Solid surface materials are sold under a number of brand names including Corian®, Livingstone, Staron, Avonite, Hi-Macs, Formica, Meganite, Wilsonart and many more. Some products are 100% acrylic and others have an acrylic / polyester blend. CMC is authorized to fabricate all of these products. Please see our links page to learn more about these specific products or to view color samples.


ROCCAT's designers have certainly gone to town on their latest keyboard offering; the exposed switches, low-profile keycaps, brushed aluminum backplate and, on the Vulcan 120 AIMO that I've been testing for the past few weeks, we get per-key RGB lighting that really brings out the beauty of ROCCAT's AIMO system. All that combines to produce a keyboard that at first glance has brought forth many compliments from literally every visitor that has seen it in action. But a gaming keyboard has to be so much more than just looks alone and to give their customers an edge ROCCAT have engineered their own TITAN mechanical switches that they say respond 20% faster than the competition thanks to their debouncing mechanics combined with focused attention to the keyboard's firmware.
The box design is pretty consistent across ROCCAT's range of peripherals. The front features a prominent photo of the keyboard on a black background but aside from the branding and product name, there's not a lot else.
Around the back of the box, we get a couple of different photos of the Vulcan 120, as well as an exploded image of the new ROCCAT Titan mechanical switch. There's also plenty to read albeit repeated in multiple languages so less than at first glance. The box itself is fitted with cardboard protection rather than plastic or foam.
With the contents laid out, we can see that there's not all that much in terms of bonus loot. ROCCAT have included some stickers as usual and the appropriate paperwork though. With our first look at the Vulcan 120 keyboard, we can see that it comes with a wrist rest which attaches by way of a magnetic strip.
The Vulcan 120 is the full-sized, full-featured version of this new range and with it plugged in we can see that there's a substantial amount of light bleeding through the switches, even under the studio lights. Not everyone is going to appreciate this but it really does show off the AIMO intelligent lighting.
The backplate of the Vulcan 120 is exposed, brushed aluminum and the Titan switches are attached on top rather than the usual method of burying them below it. Part of the reason for the amount of light bleed is the way the switches have been installed, however here we can see those lightweight, low profile keycaps which also do nothing to shield your eyes from excess light.
The back of the keyboard is pretty sparse when it comes to features. The braided cable is firmly attached rather than being replaceable and there's no cable routing or USB passthrough. What we do get though is an enormous amount of rubber padding on both the keyboard and the wrist rest to ensure that neither is going to slip and slide during frantic gameplay.
With the feet extended we can see that there are also fairly long rubber pads added here as well to give as much stability as possible.
Along Function row we also get things like profile selection, media, and multimedia keys. The FX key allows you to tune the keyboard's lighting in conjunction with the volume dial if you choose not to use AIMO. At least that's what's supposed to happen, but whenever I tested this feature it would quickly crash ROCCAT's Swarm software, so, for now, I would stick with just using the software itself to fine-tune your lighting or just leave it on AIMO.
Something new to ROCCAT's keyboard lineup is the introduction of their Easy-Shift[+] technology that was previously found on their mice. Easy-Shift[+] replaces the functionality of the Caps Lock key when the Vulcan 120 is set to Game Mode and allows you to add even more macros, shortcuts and remapping to the 20 keys between 1-5-B-Z. Think of it as you would the CTRL key when using copy and paste in Word and you'll get the idea. This extra functionality is on top of the ability to remap and set macros and shortcuts to almost every key to use in Game Mode (with normal functionality retained in normal use), changing the keyboard from 104 keys to somewhere in the region of 220 without the keyboard increasing in size.
Taking a look at the visible parts of the switch and the keycaps we can see that they feature the same Cherry-compatible connector which might suggest that the keycaps can be swapped out. Unfortunately, that is not the case here, you can use the keycaps themselves on a different keyboard, but standard size replacement caps won't fit on the Vulcan range. Almost all of the larger keys feature stabilizer struts, the only exceptions are Tab and Caps Lock And the difference between those with and those without is very noticeable when you type.
The software that ROCCAT supply for setting up and tweaking the features of the Vulcan 120 is ROCCAT Swarm which I've written about a number of times in past reviews since the same software is used across ROCCATs peripherals. With the Vulcan 120 added to the PC it was quickly detected by Swarm and after a short update, it was ready to use.
Moving backward we have the Key Assignment tab which is where you can assign different functionality or remapping within the Game Mode setting and also for the 20 Easy-Shift[+] keys. Remapping is as simple as selecting which key you would like to activate in place of the standard one, and macros and shortcuts can either be written yourself in the Macro Manager or selected from any of the 45 preset files for games such as the Battlefield series, World of Tanks / Warplanes / Warcraft, Skyrim, SW: TOR and many others.
Last on this brief software tour is the General Features tab which admittedly is pretty thin in terms of features. This is where you can adjust the repeat rate of keys, turn on audio for every keypress (handy if you have noise-canceling headphones but still want to heat a 'click'). You'll also be able to reset the keyboard back to its original settings on this tab.
Using the Vulcan 120 for the past few weeks have certainly been interesting. The low-profile design might be familiar to some of you, but with full-sized switches placed on top of the backplate it's more the illusion of being low profile with the keys being at roughly the normal height for a mechanical keyboard. That said, the wrist rest certainly is low-profile and as a result, I found that it caused me to have to raise my hands much more than I was used to, which quickly caused fatigue in my wrists. It took more than a couple of weeks to get used to the new typing posture to the point that long gaming or typing sessions no longer made my wrists ache.
The new Titan switches which ROCCAT developed to use on this keyboard are fine for office use even though they are designed for gaming. Structurally there is a slight wobble but no more than many other boards I've used and I was pleased to see the stability of larger keys thanks to the use of extra struts. I'm not a touch-typist or competitive gamer and so I didn't notice the speed benefits that ROCCAT claim goes hand in hand with these new switches; that said, they are noticeably less punishing, especially if you are typing an essay (or review) or gaming for a couple of hours. Whether that is because of the lighter keycaps or the switches themselves I cannot say, but it would make sense for it to be a combination of factors. I did find that getting used to the keyboard in terms of accuracy also took a couple of weeks and I regularly got double-strikes, most noticeably when pressing the Space Bar. This was probably because of the different posture since they went away in time.
It is in gaming that the Vulcan 120 really comes alive. Using the Game Mode I was able to turn off individual keys that I tend to press accidentally when gaming and the added bonus of Easy-Shift meant that commands in MMOs which are normally spread across the whole keyboard were easily in reach of my left-hand meaning I could activate them faster and still keep my right hand on the mouse to control movement, targeting and the camera. I've used Easy-Shift on the Kone AIMO mouse but because the Easy-Shift is pressed by your thumb you cannot trigger the other 2 side buttons as a combo. There's no such problem on the Vulcan though as the furthest you need to spread your fingers is between the Caps Lock key and B.
Ever since I first saw ROCCAT's AIMO system I've been anticipating the release of a compatible keyboard with per-key lighting. It was one of my main complaints about the Horde keyboard with its lamentable 12-zones, and the Khan headset with 4 LED sections but only 1 lighting zone. I was not disappointed with the Vulcan 120 in this respect, and being a fan of RGB I'm really not put off by the amount of floodlighting that's involved with this keyboard. I still think that there is room for improvement, and allowing brightness control rather than an all or nothing approach would be another important step forward, especially for those who are perhaps not such fans of RGB goodness but still want to experience the beauty of AIMO.
Lastly a note on the packaging… With more and more focus on the problems of microplastic, it's nice to see that some companies are using effective, biodegradable alternatives, although it should be noted that ROCCAT has never used much plastic in their keyboard packaging. There is still more that could be done, such as using a paper sleeve to hold the paperwork and forgoing the plastic bag that shields the keyboard from that single spec of dust that might appear before it makes its way into the box. All in all, I'd give this a 4/5 for eco-friendliness.
Priced at around £140 in the UK ($200 on Newegg) the ROCCAT Vulcan 120 AIMO is not what you could call cheap, but considering the gaming features that are on offer, the quality of the new Titan switches and the overall aesthetic, it's not too much to pay. If you are on a budget and want a reliable mechanical keyboard you can save a lot of cash with other keyboards, but if you want the benefits of Game Mode, Easy-Switch and an abundance of RGB wrapped up in a very stylish product then run to the nearest web browser shouting 'Shut Up and Take My Money!'.
The Vulcan 120 gets our Design Award not only for its overall attractiveness but also for the very comfortable Titan switches engineered in-house. I have struggled to find anything that's not right with this keyboard; it's a game changer in gaming compared to any number of keyboards that simply rely on profiles or macro keys, it looks amazing, it's comfortable to use (after a burn-in period), the build quality is great and the asking price is not too high. And so, this offering from ROCCAT also gets our coveted Platinum Award.
Thanks to ROCCAT for sending a sample of the Vulcan 120 in for review.
Roccat have pulled out all the stops with the Vulcan 120. The overall aesthetic oozes premium quality and we finally see AIMO in per-key glory. Their new Titan switches are immensely comfortable and consistent, the gaming features like Profiles, Macros, Remapping, Game Mode and Easy-Switch[+] cover all the bases. There is a lot to love about this keyboard.
Klipsch have a long lineage in fine speakers but will their new gaming offerings be up to the same standard?


text:
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  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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The Doctor Weighs In
Home Medical Care How One Foundation is Moving the Needle on Lung Cancer
How One Foundation is Moving the Needle on Lung Cancer
The Addario Lung Cancer Foundation is a 4-star charity that has raised nearly $25 million with ~90% of the money going to fund novel research projects, patient education and lung cancer awareness programs.
Bonnie J. Addario
Long before its official start date, a single diagnosis led to the founding of The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (ALCF). During Christmas week in 2003, I found out I had lung cancer.
At 56, I was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, Petroleum CEO, and one of millions of Americans diagnosed with lung cancer. Faced with a 16% survival rate and following a 14-hour surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy treatments that invaded my formerly predictable world, I became a lung cancer survivor with a new purpose in life.
Despite losing three family members to lung cancer, when the doctor said, "You have lung cancer," I realized I knew very little about the disease. So, I searched for information. I was surprised by how difficult it was to find credible information on lung cancer, treatment options, and how to live with cancer. Everyone kept saying, "Cancer is a journey," but no one could provide me with a roadmap. I was lost and I only just diagnosed.
In a unique position to become the voice for the other 1.5 million people personally affected by the number one cancer killer, I began to think of ways to help people facing the crisis of this highly stigmatized disease. I asked myself,
"What about the 450 patients who die each day of lung cancer in the U.S. alone…and What about their families? Where's the outrage?"
During my first chemotherapy treatment, I made a promise to myself: If I survive this, I will do something about the social injustice surrounding lung cancer. On March 6, 2006, the news broke that Dana Reeve lost her battle with lung cancer. I decided enough is enough. ALCF was born.
What is the mission of ALCF?
I founded ALCF to empower those diagnosed with lung cancer through education and to fund novel research efforts that directly impact patients today. Our innovative patient education programs support patients and their families.
[Editor's Note: The Addario Lung Cancer Foundation has a 4 star (the highest) rating by Charity Navigator.]
We support promising research projects through our grants program and the formation of The Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI), an international consortium dedicated to developing treatments that are more effective for lung cancer patients. To date, we have raised nearly $25 million and dedicated approximately 90% to novel research projects, patient education, and lung cancer awareness programs. Our ultimate goal is to make lung cancer a chronically managed, survivable disease by the year 2023.
The ALCF is one of the largest philanthropies (patient-founded, patient-focused, and patient-driven) devoted exclusively to eradicating lung cancer through research, early detection, education, and treatment. Our goal is to work with a diverse group of physicians, organizations, industry partners, patients, survivors, and their families to identify solutions and find a cure for lung cancer.
ALCMI's ground-breaking study, "The Genomics of Young Lung Cancer Study," aims to understand why never-smokers under the age of 40 are getting lung cancer and if they have a unique cancer subtype that doctors can treat differently. The development of targeted therapies—medicines designed to address the underlying genomic drivers of cancer—has revolutionized the treatment of lung cancer, however, there is an inherent need to match the right treatment to patients based on their specific genomic makeup.
Lung cancer, smoking, and stigma
Lung cancer kills more Americans than the next three most common cancers combined. Eighty percent of the people diagnosed either quit smoking decades ago or never smoked, but there is still a stigma attached to this cancer that takes the lives of nearly 160,000 Americans each year. During the past 39 years, the lung cancer death rate has fallen 29% among men while increasing 102% among women.
It is true that smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer. But every year, doctors diagnose more and more people who have never smoked a day in their lives. Lung cancer in never-smokers, if considered a cancer unto itself, would be the sixth deadliest cancer in the U.S. The American Cancer Society estimates that nearly 25,000 Americans who never smoked will die of lung cancer every year. That is greater than the number of deaths associated with leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, liver, ovarian, and bladder cancers.
Because there is so little funding for lung cancer research, we still don't know why the number of never-smokers with lung cancer is increasing. Prevention and early diagnosis are extremely challenging as there isn't a reliable early detection test other than a CT scan.
Research holds the key to discovering the causes of lung cancer, developing effective treatment options, and delivering those treatments to patients in a timely manner. What can we do to predict lung cancer risk, detect the disease at early onset, and, ultimately, prevent it? Are there novel drug combinations that researchers can create to preempt and overcome cancer cells? How can we personalize and provide targeted treatment for each individual patient? By funding research, the ALCF hopes to find the answers to these and other critical questions.
Patients participating in The Lung Cancer Registry have the opportunity to help researchers better understand the disease and develop better treatments. In turn, because it is an open platform, patients can do their own research and find information about others' treatment plans and what does and does not work with similar cancer types.
With more than 18 million people worldwide diagnosed with lung cancer each year, there is a dire need to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. The more people who register, the more data there is to study. Researchers can identify patterns in the data that could lead to more effective treatments and better outcomes. When there are clinical trials or research specific to the type of lung cancer users have, they can opt in to participate in studies.
This data provides critical information to identify new trends, recognize the most important treatments, and develop new clinical trials and care practice guidelines. We need patients to opt-in because we need their information.
With the onset of new targeted therapies, comprehensive genomic profiling, and now immunotherapy, we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. But in order to progress, we simply must increase the funding for this disease and say goodbye to the myth that it is solely a smoker's disease.
http://www.lungcancerfoundation.org/
Bonnie J. Addario, Founder, Chair & Lung Cancer Survivor, has been an activist, advocate, educator, and change agent empowering patients and giving them a strong voice in the fight against lung cancer since receiving a stage 3B diagnosis more than a decade ago. Although thrust into a role that she had never envisioned for herself, she embraced it and now considers it to be her second career and a personal calling. Recognizing the critical need for education, empowerment, advocacy and research to help patients and families, especially those without resources and support, Bonnie and her family founded the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (ALCF) in 2006, and then went on to found the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) with her husband, Tony Addario, in 2008. Bonnie's business acumen and skills honed in her first career as President of Olympian Oil Company and Commercial Fueling Network (CFN), as Past President of the CA Independent Oil Marketers Association (CIOMA), and as a community activist serving on diverse boards have all contributed to her work at ALCF in developing business strategies and being the Foundation's patient voice at national/international conferences, on panels and boards, and to industry leaders, clinicians, and policy makers. Bonnie's personal interests include collecting wine, travel, sports (Go SF Giants!), and spending time with family and friends at Lake Tahoe.
The Doctor Weighs In is a trusted source for quality, evidence-based stories about health, healthcare, and innovation.
–Paul Auerbach, MD
–Fayne Frey, MD
–Joshua Mansour, M.D
–Erick Messias, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H
-Anna Villarreal
Disclaimer | Content appearing on this Site is opinion only and no information appearing herein should be construed as medical advice, used for diagnosis or treatment advice. The reader is advised to seek out professional medical advice. Also, the content of each individual post is the opinion of the post's author and not of The Doctor Weighs In. The Doctor Weighs In is not responsible for such content.
© 2020 The Doctor Weighs In


Very very special.. Charm and character exude from this remodeled vintage 1946 southern colonial type home. 4 spacious bedrooms (2 masters) 3 baths, 2 fireplaces. This redbrick beauty has hardwood floors, crown molding, wainscoting and a portico (porch). Enjoy a formal living room with bay windows, formal dining and a family room with a view to a true park like yard. Located within walking distance of Brophy college, Xavier high school,St Francis Xavier grade school and Central high school. Near restaurants, shopping and the light rail. This home is very charming and well cared for. you will enjoy it. Hurry!!


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Cornwall é uma cidade canadense localizada no Condado de Queens, na Ilha do Príncipe Eduardo. A população no censo de 2016 era de 5.348 pessoas.

Cidades da Ilha do Príncipe Eduardo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


One day each year people all over the world visit local museums and galleries to look at art—slowly. Head to the museum to investigate artworks and soak in the inspirational feeling of being surrounded by art. This year's Slow Art Day at WAM includes interventions in the galleries and a video screening from Target Studio artists in residence.
Busy as each moment seems, caring for the needs of others can slow time down. Join Anna Marie Shogren along with artists Emmett Ramstad, Theresa Madaus, and Molly Parker Stuart in a conversation around self care, making art, and living life as a caregiver. Whether giving care via employment, or caring for a parent or young child, join us, accompanied or alone, for a day out, a change of pace, a chance to see art, and exchange experiences with other caregivers.
Sleep may be the last human resistance to the never-enough demand for increased production, which pervades the art world.Studies show that the average time a person spends looking at a piece of art in a museum is between 15 and 30 seconds. During Slow Art Day, artist Peng Wu invites you to take a long nap in the museum gallery in front of an artwork at a designated napping station. You will see something different with your eyes closed.
We have all known love, hopeful and terrifying. We have all been suspended over the rocks, caught in a state of falling. "An Act of Pure and Unrelenting Beauty" is a video that uses a 450GB dataset and made-from-scratch digital techniques to speak directly to the body, holding us on the edge of this overwhelmingly beautiful state. Parker Stuart used data from sources of transphobia and transmisogyny with the intention of turning this hate into love. The 6-minute video will screen continuously throughout Slow Art Day.
For venue accessibility information, visit our page on accessibility.


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INSIGHT News
Insight News August 11, 2018 U.S., Uncategorized
The Malibu Murder Mysteries
It was just before sunrise at Malibu Creek State Park when the shot rang out in the pre-dawn silence.
A bullet whizzed into the tent of Tristan Beaudette, who was camping with his two young daughters. Beaudette, a research scientist from Irvine, was killed, his body discovered by others.
The killing June 22 has baffled investigators ever since. At first, it seemed like an isolated incident. But then officials acknowledged they knew of at least seven other shooting reports in the same rustic area in the last two years. Beaudette was the first to die, but another man was wounded by buckshot to his arm.
It's been a summer of anxiety in and around the popular camping and hiking spot. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators have spent days scouring the canyon area looking for clues. They've fielded more calls about more shots fired but said it's unclear how many of those were real. They closed the campsite itself out of an abundance of caution.
Some have speculated that a sniper has been hiding in the hills taking potshots. Others question whether the incidents are even connected, noting the differences in the circumstances. One Malibu news website operator even took to Facebook, compiling photos of several vehicles that appeared to have been hit by gunfire.
But with few clues, residents in Malibu and the canyon areas are frustrated.
"They aren't answering our questions. They are clueless, or they sandbag us," said Calabasas resident Linda Edwards at a town hall meeting Sunday where detectives and other officials fielded questions.
Indeed, sheriff's officials were tight-lipped about their investigation.
"It's true that we do not have a known theory or definitive answer in Mr. Beaudette's death or a known suspect," said Lt. Rodney Moore, a homicide supervisor. "We don't have any independent knowledge or independent information that indicates that those prior shootings are related to Mr. Beaudette. However, we are investigating that there's a possibility."
Nearly two months have passed, with a $35,000 reward in Beaudette's slaying up for grabs. And as hard as sheriff's and state officials try, residents aren't getting the answers they want about how their paradise became a crime scene.
For those hoping for new clues, the meeting left attendees disappointed.
Detectives have placed a security hold on Beaudette's autopsy, and Moore refused to say whether any of the other shootings involved the same type of weapon.
Was it a random shooting? "We are not releasing any specific information that it is targeted or random," Moore said.
The shootings began Nov. 3, 2016. James Rogers was hiking the Backbone Trail and sleeping overnight in a hammock in Tapia Park, just south of Malibu Creek State Park. He was struck by buckshot; he said he needed surgery to remove the pellets from his arm.
"I heard a loud bang and then felt a burning sensation in my arm and fell to the ground," he said. "Before I could look at my wound, I did a quick check of the perimeter and I saw nothing."
Six days later, someone shot at a person sleeping inside a car at the Malibu Creek State Park campground. Then on Jan. 7, 2017, another vehicle parked at the campsite was hit by gunfire as a man and woman slept inside. Six months later, as a motorist drove down Malibu Canyon Road on June 8, a single shot struck the vehicle. Another car was hit July 22. On July 31, deputies investigated another report of shots fired but were unable to determine what happened.
Nearly a year would pass before a driver of a Tesla on Malibu Canyon Road heard a shot hit his vehicle about 4:30 a.m. June 18. No one was injured. Sheriff's investigators examined the car, and a piece of shrapnel had embedded in it, the owner said.
Four days later, Beaudette took his daughters camping to allow his wife, an Orange County obstetrician, some quiet time to study for an examination. He pitched a tent next to that of his brother-in-law and his children.
His killing stunned his family and the larger Malibu Hills community.
His wife, Erica Wu, calls his death a "senseless loss."
"I may never understand why our time together was cut short, but we had an incredible journey and I am so grateful for every day I had with him," she said.
Since Beaudette's killing, there have been several other reports of shootings.
But Sheriff's Lt. James Royal said deputies have yet to find any proof that those were actual shootings. Three of the reports turned out to be something other than gunfire, including a backfire and a transformer explosion in the Monte Nido area.
But Royal, who oversees detectives at the nearby Lost Hills station, said the public need to stay vigilant.
"I strongly encourage you to trust your instincts," he said at the town hall meeting. "If you see something that doesn't feel right, if you have a gut feeling, please trust it."
Adding to the fear was the discovery of two bodies in recent months. On May 16, the body of Francisco Reynaldo Crux, 52, turned up on Las Virgenes Road near the Malibu Hindu Temple. He had died of blunt-force trauma. On July 27, 19-year-old Roger Chavez Barahona's body was recovered on an embankment in the 24000 block of Piuma Road. He had died of multiple gunshot wounds. Moore said those homicides are gang-related and aren't connected to Beaudette's slaying. Officials say the remote canyon roads have been used as a dumping ground for bodies for decades.
The area between Pacific Coast Highway and the 101 Freeway is patrolled by five local, state and federal agencies. And that has led to some confusion. Some of the previous shootings were reported to California State Parks Department rangers and others to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.
Some officials complained they had not heard anything about the earlier shootings until Beaudette's death. Residents have questioned why sheriff's officials did not alert the public to the potential danger early.
"We are working on it, but we cannot tell you," is how Lloyd Ahern, a Malibu resident, summed up the law enforcement approach.
Barry Haldeman, also of Malibu, said the shootings have a lot of residents questioning the safety of Malibu Creek State Park after sundown. Some have said they've stopped hiking and driving there at night.
But Haldeman said he was encouraged by the team investigating the violence.
"At least we know they are working on it seriously," he said.
Posted in U.S., Uncategorized and tagged Malibu, Murder, The Malibu Murder Mysteries. Bookmark the permalink.
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Archaeologists Find Ancient Lost City in Kansas
Los Angeles Police Shoots and Kills Unarmed Homeless Man. Now City to Pay Family $1.95 Million.


One vegetable I cannot take no matter how you slice it or dice it. I am referring, of course, to broccoli. Where in the world does broccoli come from? And who, assuming they are in their right mind, decided to eat the first broccoli?
People of different opinions should respect each others opinions and live together in harmony. Even the Bible says, "But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend" (1 Corinthians 8:12-13 KJV).


General Motors has lost a court battle to a California-based Chevrolet dealership after the automaker attempted to revoke its franchise.
Folsom Chevrolet filed the lawsuit after GM said the dealership underperformed and moved to strip the dealer of its franchise. Folsom Chevy brought the California New Motor Vehicle Board into the equation, and ultimately, GM was found on the wrong side of the case. The sales measurement qualm comes from the Retail Sales Index (RSI). Many automaker employ RSI, which measures sales data and compares the dealer to a statewide average.
Automakers then set a dealer target based on the brand's market share (Chevrolet in this case) for each vehicle segment. Automotive News reported that Folsom Chevy 129th out of 133, 124th out of 128, and 115th out of 131 in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The dealer argued that construction hurt sales, but the New Motor Vehicle Board dug deeper.
The board found GM failed to incorporate brand preference, geography, and demographics in calculating the RSI for Folsom Chevrolet and the automaker failed to establish good cause for the dealer's termination with a lack of evidence.
GM has already said it strongly disagrees with the decision and it will likely appeal the case. Folsom's legal team added the attempt to revoke the franchise is also in violation of California law.
In Trump's America, shouldn't a company get to choose who they do business with? Shouldn't GM be able to say "You're Fired"? Or is this USA a commie welfare-state for dealers, where they get to force GM to give them handouts because the dealer trigger-whined and used the government to get its way? The dealer used the judge to tell the GM shareholder-owners to give their money to the dealer who does no work. Redistribution of wealth? Yup!
WELFARE FOR DEALERS – WELFARE FOR DEALERS !!!
If you can't make a profit like a decent business, why should the government come in and force the good profit-making listed company to 'redistribute their wealth' to the no-work-dealer? This ain't capitalism at all! It's socializm-for-dealers. Adam Smith would be appalled at the rent-seeking on display here.
Anybody who lives in Sacramento knows that there are two big auto-malls, Roseville and Elk Grove, and Folsom has been gradually dying as a mid-range-price car-suburb because Kaiser and Blue Cross are making huge medical campuses there and the house prices are exploding, leading to a population of very old and very rich folk in Folsom who buy Merc's and Porsche's, not Chevy's. The Chevy dealer making up for that by forcing GM to give it welfare … is SICK.
I think you're ill-informed, sir. First, this isn't Trump's America. This is the people's America. But if you'd like to use Trump as an example, then this dealer is following his lead.
Second, GM does not provide welfare to dealers. If so, I've failed to see the bulletin.
Third, the article indicates neither that the dealer wasn't profitable, nor that he was out of trust. The fact that he's fighting to keep his franchise indicates he feels it's a good financial decision. Based on the article, all we know is that his sales effectiveness isn't where GM thinks it should be. I will say, however, that's I'm certain there's more to the story. GM doesn't simply go around pulling franchises.
As for your last point, I'll offer this information: rich people buy GM products, too. As a matter of fact, they buy more GM products than the luxury makes.
Knowing your facts before going on a Fox News style tirade would certainly benefit you.
I apologize Buick dealer, Sir/Ma'am. 100% I didn't know any facts and yes I went right on a Fox tirade. I accept I'm wrong, you're correct, and I'm truly very glad you came on here and put us all right.
Of course I deserve no excuses and this following attempt at one is wrong, but Fox-style here I goes anyway: I'm sick of Fox Fact Free culture, and (although I find none of it above the line by Professional Journalists on GMA – Thanks J.Luft. J.Szymkowski, and all the folk who work at GMA) I find plenty down here below the line in comment land. One commenter Bob freakn blamed the GM CEO's gender for the collapse of his bottom cushion in the driver's seat of his 91 Blazer. So I go ahead and give Fact-Free-Fox tirades from the opposite perspective to give 'em hell! Their normal reaction is to get totally PC and try to shut me down and claim they have a safe space here, which is exactly what they accuse the left of doing before 2016, so I Gotcha'd them good many many times on PC hypocrisy.
Except from direct replies by the Professional Journalists who so excellently make this site, I never, ever get replies like yours – full of facts drawn from actual experience. Thanks for that. Honestly.
I still want to develop one point from your reply – "GM doesn't simply go around pulling franchises", they certainly don't. Isn't that a true fact? Doesn't that mean GM wants to do something with the products they designed and manufactured themselves, and they are being forced to do something they think is bad for their own business, forced by a government authority, to go with a decision they think is bad, to support a type-of-business that Apple, Google, and even PWC and Morgan Stanley say shouldn't exist and aren't likely to survive autonomous cars and app-based subscribers? Isn't the dealer model antiquated and being propped up by … forced welfare? GM says they don't want to deal with these people. Why should they HAVE TO?
"There are two mega trends that will challenge and change the current/established model for car sales. Additive manufacturing (Industry 4.0) and rise of autonomous and shared ecosystem.
In the future additive manufacturing will allow for localized (close to the customer) manufacturing of transportation solutions. Industry 4.0/IoT will also allow customers to highly customize their solution and have it built for them.
Autonomous technology will allow the completed solution to "drive itself" to you, check out 2018 Mercedes Benz S class production where the finish car drives itself around the facility and parks itself in the storage area.
When you add shared ecosystem on top then one must agree that "ownership" of the vehicle will not be with one individual and hence the current car distribution model will become irrelevant.
Dealers are struggling, like hungry lions in a drought. They don't see an easy future, and they're looking for any way to survive they can. Does society really need middlemen in the internet age?
If you want to see a positive future for the garage-businesses that dealers once were and will again be, have a look at the cover of the latest "Vette" magazine Nov 2018 – there you will see Abel Chevrolet Buick of Rio Vista CA's Service and Parts Director Rich Wilhoff in his personally-built '06 Z06 blasting everything on his way to winning the LS Fest West. That Business will always get Business from customers well into the future. If a kid in 2050 downloads and prints a Corvette, the kid can put it all together in the company of friends on build days at Abel, with advice from Wilhoff, and drive it at events that Abel organizes and/or trailer-caters. Caterham is doing exactly this at lifestyle-dealers in the U.K., where you can pay to build your car among friends in a workshop with all the right tools and advice from folks who actually designed some of the parts. Dang, even Bowling Green will charge you $5k to build-yer-own engine!
On a more stable note I agree there may be more to this. Often GM only goes this route when a dealer is out of control.
Often that can or will be cases like poor service, many complaints etc. Even a reluctance to do updates to the dealer as required. Even relocating as GM wants most dealer by highways today.
The MFGs have so little power on dealers. I have seen the same thing happen st Ford too.
Well, it looks like someone sure got triggered.
Fox is owned by an Australian – Rupert Murdoch – and supplies anti-American political movies in Saudi Arabia as well as the UK and pro-American movies in the USA (see Outfoxed). The mayor of NY (an American city) recently said Fox's Australian owner had caused irreparable damage to American culture, and had worked with Putin to do so. Murdoch's UK arm "Sky" recently had to declare allegiance to the UK government in order to get 100% control over satellite feeds in the UK, and part of that deal was to provide certain Fox viewer data for UK government inspectors.
CNN is owned in America and is 100% accountable to the American FCC.
Yup – I'm a Fox guy!!!! Listen to my accent, maaaaaate!
I get my news from YouTube.
He is more Looney Tunes news be it CNN or MSNBC.
Looks like someone is off their meds.


(formerly announced as an "Open mic" evening).
Our Featured Reader for the night is Anosh Irani.
He is well known for his novels and plays but a fine poet as well.
There will be an open mic. Sign up with Brayden at the event.
Anosh Irani (born 1974) is an Indian-Canadian novelist and playwright. An Irani (like Parsi, but of recent Iranian extraction), he was born and raised in Mumbai, although he has indicated that he personally prefers the city's traditional English name, Bombay. After working in advertising in India, he moved to Vancouver in 1998 to study and pursue writing. His first full-length play, The Matka King, premiered in October 2003 at the Arts Club Theatre Company in Vancouver. His most recent play, Bombay Black, won four Dora Awards, including Outstanding New Play.
Irani was also featured in Quill & Quire as one of a handful of young Canadian "writers to watch." He published his debut novel, The Cripple and His Talismans, in 2004. This dark fable won critical acclaim for its magic realist depiction of the seedy beggars' underworld of India.
Irani's second novel, The Song of Kahunsha, was chosen as a CBC Book Club One pick, and was selected for the 2007 edition of Canada Reads, where it was championed by Donna Morrissey. Kahunsha is a story about the abandoned children of Bombay, struggling for survival and to hold onto hope amidst the violence of the 1993 racial riots.


From Kurt Fiech: Here's an interesting chronology of quotes about "education" provided by the Separation of School & State Alliance staff.
Aristotle (d322 BC): "Neither must we suppose that any one of the citizens belongs to himself, for they all belong to the state."
Robespierre (d1794): "The nation alone has the right to educate children."
Benjamin Rush, (Signer of Declaration of Independence; d1813): "Let our pupil be taught that he does not belong to himself, but that he is public property.... He must be taught to amass wealth, but it must be only to increase his power of contributing to the wants and demands of the state... [Education] can be done effectually only by the interference and aid of the Legislature."
John Stuart Mill (d1873): "State education is a mere contrivance for molding people to be exactly alike one another ... in proportion as it is efficient and successful, it establishes a despotism over the mind, leading by a natural tendency to one over the body."
Karl Marx (d1883): "The education of all children, from the moment that they can get along without a mother's care, shall be in state institutions at state expense."
John Ruskin (English reformer d1900): "The first duty of a State is to see that every child born therein shall be well housed, clothed, fed, and educated, till it attain years of discretion. But in order to be effecting this, the Government must have an authority over the people of which we now do not so much as dream.
Edward Ross (Sociologist, Chm. ACLU, d1951): "[The role of the schoolmaster is to] collect little plastic lumps of human dough from private households and shape them on the social kneading board.
Jonathan Kozol (American education reformer): "The first goal and primary function of the U.S. public school is not to educate good people, but good citizens. It is the function which we call --in enemy nations-- 'state indoctrination.'"


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Best Wii U Virtual Console Games (that are out now!)
Sam Leichtamer
This year at E3, I asked all the gamers I met one question: Who won E3 2014? The overwhelming majority said Nintendo (kudos, Mario!). After a slow two years since the Wii U's release in 2012, Nintendo is finally getting fans hyped with some great games.
The only problem? Most of them aren't out until 2015. Sadface. :(
Good thing Jeremy Parish of USgamer is here to remind all of us that there are some awesome games available right now on the Wii U Virtual Console. Let's see if you agree...
Yoshi's Island
OK, so maybe this version of Yoshi's Island isn't the "real" one; for whatever reason - possibly rights issues to the FX2 chip that powered the game - the Super NES version of Yoshi's Island remains missing in action. Truth be told, despite some moderate downgrades (slightly worse music, slightly less cool visual effects), this is still an absolutely classic platformer, a high point in the already stratospheric Mario franchise. And to make up for those downgrades, this version of Yoshi's Island gets some bonus material as well. Not only that, but it plays better than it did on GBA, because you can remap the control scheme to use the face buttons.
Once Mega Man's NES adventures began to grow long in the tooth through repetition and annualization, Keiji Inafune and crew shifted their attention to the Super NES and totally reinvented the series - and the character, too, replacing the classic robot with a new model. The Mega Man X games would quickly become as stale as their forebears, but the spinoff series got an amazing start with this 1993 classic. With inventive level design, richer mechanics, better weapons, excellent graphics, and a whole new look and feel, Mega Man X reminded everyone why they'd been so obsessed with Mega Man 2 a few years earlier.
Timeless. Unrivaled. Perfect. These are words that have been used to describe Super Metroid - and not just by me. Super Metroid did for its series what A Link to the Past did for Zelda: It returned to the style and setting of the original game and greatly expanded on its premise while simultaneously refining and deepening its mechanics. The biggest problem with Super Metroid is that it's so good, so thoughtful, so brilliantly constructed that the series (and the genre!) has struggled to find ways to add onto it without destroying its perfect balance. Sucks for those other games, but it definitely makes Super Metroid an absolute must-play classic.
To read USgamer's complete guide to the 10 Essential Wii U Virtual Console Games, click here!
virtual-console
wii u virtual console
yoshis island
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How to Get a Passport to Yemen
How to Obtain an International Visa
How to Get a Visa After Marriage
Barbara Diggs, Leaf Group
(Photo: passeport image by free_photo from Fotolia.com )
Renewal for an Expired Passport at Zimbabwean Embassies
How Can I Apply for F1 Visa?
So you've married a U.S. citizen and now want to obtain a visa to come the U.S. You can apply for a K-3 visa, officially called the "nonimmigrant visa for a spouse." With this kind of visa, you can travel to the U.S. and stay there as you complete the immigration process. Your U.S. citizen spouse must make the initial petition for this visa on your behalf.
File a Petition for an Alien Relative (Form 1-130) with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office in your area. Your spouse must make this petition. Within a few weeks, your spouse will receive a Form I-797, indicating that Form I-130 has been received.
File a Petition for an Alien Fiance (Form I-129-F) with the USCIS. Again, your spouse must make this petition. You will be expected to provide your biographical background, copies of any divorce decrees, death certificates or annulments and, for your spouse, proof of U.S. citizenship.
Wait for the I-129-F petition to be approved. Once it is approved, the USCIS sends the petition to the National Visa Center. The application is then forwarded to the U.S. Consulate that issues visas for your nationality. The process usually takes 2 to 3 months.
Apply for the K-3 visa. Submit a valid passport, your birth certificate, a nonimmigrant visa application, your marriage certificate, two identical color photos (size 2 by 2 inches), police certification from all the places you have lived since age 16, a medical certificate, evidence that your spouse can support you (Form I-134, an Affidavit of Support, may be required) and proof that the marriage is genuine. Be prepared to pay the processing fee, which usually costs around $131. You will submit the application in the country in which you were married.
Wait for your K-3 petition to be approved. Processing times vary greatly, depending on individual circumstances. If your I-239-F petition is in danger of expiring before your petition is approved, you can renew it.
If you have minor children, they can accompany you to the U.S. on the K-4 dependent visa. However, make sure that they are named in the visa petition.
Once you are in the U.S., you can apply for a work permit by filing Form I-765.
Department of State: Nonimmigrant Visa for Spouse
Barbara Diggs is a freelance writer living in France. A former corporate lawyer, she has been writing professionally since 2006. She has been published in numerous print and online magazines, specializing in travel, parenting, history and law. Diggs is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Stanford Law School.
passeport image by free_photo from Fotolia.com
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Way back in 1987, when Reagan was telling Gorbachev to "tear down that wall," and everyone was singing along to Michael Jackson's new album, "Bad," ophthalmologist Jean Carruthers was using botulinum toxin injections for her patients who had blepharospasm. This is an annoying twitching of the eyelid. The properties of botulinum toxin (the same toxin that paralyzes the victim in botulism), work to relax the spasming muscles when delivered in controlled doses.
But an interesting thing was happening with Dr. Carruther's patients. Their wrinkles smoothed out after their botulinum toxin treatments. And so BOTOX® as a cosmetic procedure was born. Well, actually everybody was really skeptical, and it took years for it to catch on. But the FDA approved BOTOX® for cosmetic use in 2002, and it is now the most popular cosmetic procedure in the U.S., with 7 million procedures in 2016.
If you have a perpetually stern look because of the creases in your forehead, or your crow's feet make you look a little more "distinguished" than you prefer, you might be just the candidate for Dr. Carruther's discovery.
BOTOX® is injected with a tiny needle into some of the muscles responsible for facial expressions – the same muscles responsible for the furrowed brow or worried look that seems to get more pronounced with time. This is done in just a few minutes in your doctor's office.
No anesthesia is necessary, but some patients do choose to have topical anesthetic applied before the injections.
You will start to see results from BOTOX® injections in about three days, with the maximum effect at about one week after injection. Your skin will smooth, and your creases will become less obvious. The BOTOX® effect will gradually wear off over about four months. Because of the way the effects occur gradually and fade slowly, this is a treatment that won't be quite so obvious to those around you. You'll just look fresh and rested, and everyone will want to know your secret.
If you are wondering whether it's worth it, your best resource is patients who have already had the experience. And as it turns out, Real Self gave BOTOX® the "Most Worth It" Award because 93 percent of patients surveyed said it was indeed worth it.
Perhaps the biggest concern about the safety of "botox" is when botulinum toxin is not purchased from Allergan, the American manufacturer of BOTOX®. The FDA warns that other botulinum toxin products should not be used because they do not know where it has been, how it has been stored, or if is actually stolen product. Allergan's product has a hologram on the box and the bottle to identify it. We shared information about this counterfeit botox last month and you can read more about counterfeit botox here.
In addition, most side effects are mild and short-lived, such as a bit of bruising near the injection site. The key to minimizing side effects is to have the work performed by someone who is highly trained in injecting BOTOX® and who has devised your treatment plan carefully. Beware of having BOTOX® injections in a non-medical setting without the supervision of a board certified plastic surgeon.
In the end, BOTOX® offers a quick and safe way to rejuvenate your facial appearance without the expense, risk, and downtime of surgery. Currently, Allergan is offering a special for first time users of BOTOX®. Their loyalty program, Brilliant Distinctions, is offering a $50 rebate for anyone who has their first ever BOTOX® injections between now and March 31, 2018. Contact our office to set up a consultation with Dr. Slack and learn how to take advantage of this rebate. He will discuss your specific concerns, and offer a realistic assessment of the kinds of results this or any other treatment will provide.


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Steven Kaplan's blog
The Lesser Greater in the Haus of Klaus
categories: Greater New York | group exhibition | MOMA PS1
Greater New York 2010
MoMA PS1 Contemporary Art Center
Long Island City, Queens, NYC
May 23 - October 18, 2010
PS1 Celebrates the Presence of the Artist
May 24, 2010. Now is the Spring of our discontent, marked by downward stock market volatility and a continuing Gulf oil spill. But as the Whitney Biennial enters its final week, our critical fancy turns to thoughts of Greater New York. The newest blockbuster in town, with a mission to present the best young and underknown art that our city has nurtured over the past five years, GNY is in its "third iteration". Previous editions were mounted in 2000 and 2005 in what is now rather grandly called the MoMA PS1 Contemporary Art Center. Those who keep track of such things will note a change in the order of the institutional names - MoMA now stands predominate - indicating that the bride has finally been subsumed by her bachelor, even. Vita brevis, but Ars museums go on longa and longa. Hence the stated "quinquennial" timing of the exhibition, a designation that only a dedicated builder of dynasties could love.
Like the Biennial, GNY has been drastically downsized from over 200 participants in 2005 to the current roster of 68 artists or artist groups. This reduction, to one third its former girth, might lead some wags to call it "The Lesser of Three Greaters" or more simply "The Lesser Greater".
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Oil Spill Reaches Mississippi Delta, Threatens Gulf Coast, Possibly Atlantic Waters and Beyond...
categories: earth art | ecological disaster | gulf oil spill
April 29, 2010. This image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows oil leaking from the drill pipe of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig after it sank. A confidential government report on the unfolding spill disaster makes clear the Coast Guard now fears the well could be on the verge of becoming an unchecked gusher shooting millions of gallons of oil per day into the Gulf.
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It's a Psychedelic Guernica Kind of Day
categories: gifs we can't ignore | re-re-posts
April 29, 2010. Paddy Johnson posted this on ArtFagCity last Saturday. It was originally seen on the Today and Tomorrow site back in February 2009. So consider it a re-re-post for a sunny and very windy day, without the LSD.
My gut feeling: had Tony Shafrazi encountered this sort of "movement" in 1974 at MoMA, he would have dropped his spray can in dismay.
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Dan Asher 12/31/1947 - 04/23/2010
categories: dan asher | obituary
^ Dan Asher singing Karen Dalton's "Every Time I Think of Freedom" ^
News of Dan Asher's passing on Friday, April 23, has been slowly spreading through the downtown NY art world. He was an original, unique presence, an artist of rare expressive power with an uncompromising anarchic temperament. We will all miss him.
Asher was seriously ill with lymphoma/leukemia, a condition which had gravely worsened in recent weeks. He was receiving extensive medication and had been admitted to the hospital for chemotherapy and other procedures. A stem cell replacement was being considered.
In order to help raise money for this health care, the Gavin Brown gallery organized and hosted a benefit sale of Asher's mid-70s photographs of Bob Marley, which was announced in a previous posting on this site.
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We Like America and America Likes Us
categories: Bruce High Quality Foundation | Whitney Biennial
We Like America and America Likes Us from Bruce High Quality Foundation on Vimeo.
I plan to go back to the Whitney Biennial for another viewing before it closes (May 30), partly to see this piece again. But since I have not yet done so, I decided to access the video online, admittedly minus its particular installation details: the white ambulance, with headlights blazing in a darkened room, mysteriously projecting its brooding interior monologue onto a blue tinted windshield.
Purvis Young R.I.P. 1943 - 2010
categories: afro american | folk art | miami art | outsider art | overtown | Purvis Young | self taught
April 21, 2010. Purvis Young, the soul of the indigenous Miami art scene, was generally labeled an "outsider" or "folk" artist, but he was making it happen in Overtown and Liberty City decades before "Wynwood" was able to pronounce the words "Art Basel Miami Beach".
He died yesterday at the age of 67 at Jackson Memorial Hospital after a long battle with diabetes.
Images from Eyjafjallajökull
categories: iceland | maps | Olafur Eliasson | travel | volcano
April 18, 2010. This is the fifth consecutive day of eruptions of the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull [pronunciation], spewing ash into the atmosphere and shutting down air traffic over much of northern Europe. The image above represents the situation this morning. Below are images from days four, three and one. Obviously the volcano, after being dormant for 200 years under its glacier, is now experiencing a very public moment of midlife crisis.
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Uneasy Rigor: Dennis Hopper, curated by Julian Schnabel, at Jeffrey Deitch's MOCA/LA
categories: cronyism | dennis hopper | glitz | jeffrey deitch | julian schnabel | moca la | show biz
April 16, 2010. News that the first exhibition planned by Jeffrey Deitch as the new director of MOCA/LA will be a survey of work by Dennis Hopper, curated by Julian Schnabel, must be greeted with mixed feelings.
On the one hand, Hopper is undeniably a prodigious, mythic presence on the American scene, mostly due to his extended Hollywood career as actor and director. He helped define the counterculture in Rebel Without a Cause and Easy Rider, and raised the stakes with fierce performances in Apocalypse Now and Blue Velvet. He is also an early and important member of the West Coast art demimonde, friendly with many of LA's more radical practitioners, including Wallace Berman, Ed Ruscha and Billy Al Bengston. He started buying art in the late 1950s and owns one of the Warhol soup can paintings from the historic exhibition at Ferus Gallery, among a varied and extensive collection that includes Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat as well as Schnabel.
ecoartspace benefit exhibition and party, Exit Art, Wednesday April 28 6-9 pm
categories: amy lipton | art sale | ben neill | benefit event | ecoartspace | ecology | Exit Art | group exhibition | ny times blog
ecoartspace presents "What Matters Most?"
at Exit Art Underground Space NYC
475 Tenth Ave at 36th St
April 15 – 28, 2010
ecoartspace benefit exhibition/sale and party
Wednesday, April 28th 6-9 pm
PARTY TICKETS AND ART SALE at Exit Art: $250
To purchase tickets in advance online:
http://whatmattersmost.eventbrite.com/
To purchase tickets at the event please bring a check to avoid lines.
Over 275 artists will exhibit an original artwork related to the NY Times Dot Earth blog "What Matters Most?"
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Malcolm McLaren Dead
categories: Malcolm McLaren R.I.P. 1946 - 2010
April 8, 2010. Just heard, couldn't quite believe it. Malcolm McLaren died today.
From the NY Times blog:
2:45 p.m. | Updated
Malcolm McLaren, the impresario, promoter and self-promoter who once claimed to have invented punk rock, and who assembled and managed the youthful, unruly members of the Sex Pistols, the breakthrough British punk band, has died. He was 64.


This painted wooden box features figural scenes and vegetal motifs stylistically reminiscent of the earlier Safavid period. An octagonal medallion flanked by pendant motifs is centrally placed on the lid, with two elongated medallions on the front and rear of the box. Each one highlights a painted scene depicting figures enjoying music and wine in a garden. This theme continues on to the underside of the lid with six figures in a garden setting. The sides of the box bear eight-pointed stars with central rosettes. Inside are five compartments with sliding lids, and two open compartments divided into smaller pentagonal-shaped units. A small drawer with a compartment and sliding lid is located on the lower right side of the box.