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Q: Are there good reasons for avoiding the use of semantic HTML markup? Background
I have recently taken up a new job as a developer at a company where I have inherited an in-house CMS built approximately 5 years ago. The CMS constructs pages in XML which are then output to the page as HTML. Some of the markup is generated within the back-end PHP, whereas some is exposed to the user in the administration layer, to enable editing. So far I have observed that none of the markup is semantic: 95% of it is plain text wrapped in  tags, like so:

    This is a heading

    This is a subheading

    This is a paragraph.

        This is a button

(The markup has nested divs where required and utilises classes, but the above is intended as a demonstration that semantic tags are not in use.)
I am the only developer responsible for front-end work at this company: the previous front-end developer has left. I was informed in the handover that semantic markup should never be used, and that I should maintain the markup style going forward. I was unable to elicit any technical explanations for this structural decision, and the other employees at the company do not know either.
For now I am going to maintain the system consistently, but in the meantime I am investigating why this structural choice might have been made. Originally the platform would have supported IE8, but in the present day we support IE9 and above. Experiments with the templating system show that the CMS can handle semantic HTML, and my testing demonstrates that the generated webpages function as expected. I can detect no problems caused by the introduction of HTML5 semantic elements in any modern browser (though I have not yet attempted to test in IE8).
 Question
What are possible technical reasons for deliberately excluding the use of semantic markup from a web project?
NB. Some companies have atypical in-house rules, and working at those companies entails following the rules, regardless of opinion. My question is not whether I should maintain the status quo or change it, but what reasons might have affected the design choices in the first place.

A: Using semantic markup has a number of advantages:

*

*We get sensible default styles for many things like emphasis or tables or links.

*We get a number of user-interface elements with pre-built appearance and behaviour, like <form>, , <input>, <select>, or .

*We get a base level of accessibility since assistive technologies can interpret the HTML tags.

*Semantic markup may help search engines and other user agents to better understand your content (e.g. services like Pocket or Instapaper or the built-in readability view of some browsers try to extract relevant content for a better user experience).

But these might also be unnecessary, or may be drawbacks.

*

*Default styles are inconsistent between browsers. You more or less have to reset them first before your can build upon them with custom styles.

*Default styles don't help much if you aren't writing text. In fact, they tend to be a hindrance when doing layout. You pretty much end up with
 regardless of your intentions.

*It is difficult to style some built-in elements. If you're trying to build a consistent user experience, it might become interesting to develop your own user interface elements. E.g. you can't build a rich-text editor from a <textarea>. You can't consistently style scrollbars.

*You might not need accessibility (unlikely in many regulatory environments), or may prefer to implement the necessary accessibility features yourself through CSS and aria-* attributes.

*You might not need to be search-engine friendly. Also, there's some evidence Google is more interested in the styled appearance of your page than in your page source.

But that assumes the original developer considered these cases and made a conscious decision for or against them. This may not have been the case, and the actual cause may be that:

*

*it was considered too difficult to educate users of the admin interface about available tags and their proper use (my "favourite" abuse:

 as a paragraph separator because people don't understand
…).

*there was some FUD (fear, uncertainty, disinformation) about browser support for some semantic tags, so it was considered to be safer to use none of them.

*additional tags would have complicated the XML→HTML transformation too much.

As the original developer has left, they have no say in the future development. Whatever it was, you don't know their reasoning behind the design decision to only use
s. If none of the above ideas make sense in the context of your CMS, you could assume that no real reason exists. In that case, and if semantic HTML would provide value to the project, it would be good to suggest the appropriate changes.

A: The div element is a generic one that can be used for anything. With styling, one can produce the same visual output as any other element. However, browsers come with their own default styling and you would be duplicating that effort if you are replacing it with your own but chances are you are writing your own anyway to some extent to create a visual style.
With the div element being so generic, it's easier to use it instead of having to think about the semantics of the element or how it applies to the HTML outline. So it makes writing code easier. Some would say it's lazy but some of the new elements are open to a variety of interpretations and confusion.
In HTML5, the specification has changed and it is now advised to use the div element as a last resort. It is now suggested, by the spec, that you should use the newer elements, such as section, article, and so on, to give better semantic meaning to the HTML outline of the document.

Authors are strongly encouraged to view the div element as an element
  of last resort, for when no other element is suitable. Use of more
  appropriate elements instead of the div element leads to better
  accessibility for readers and easier maintainability for authors.

Therefore, better accessibility and maintainability might be considered a technical reason.
As far as SEO goes, no search engine gives any weight to the new HTML5 semantic elements. No search engine uses the specified HTML outline either. Google has stated they won't give consideration to HTML5 elements  until more people use them but, going forward, this could change and probably will.

...I definitely wouldn't want to stand in the way of your implementing
  parts of your site with HTML5, but I also wouldn't expect to see
  special treatment of your content due to the HTML5 markup at the
  moment.

Note that the above quote is six years old but I have not seen anything from Google that says differently.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Planet Fitness will offer pre-grand opening specials beginning July 2 in a temporary location, located near GameStop from July 2 - August 14, 2018.
No matter what you're looking for in a gym, we've got a membership option made for you. All Planet Fitness members enjoy unlimited access to their home club and the support of our friendly, knowledgeable staff anytime you need it. PF Black Card® members receive additional benefits, including the ability to bring a guest for free and access to any of our 1,500+ PF locations. Looking for a little extra guidance or inspiration to help you meet your fitness goals? As a PF member, you can take advantage of our free fitness training or find your motivation by reading real member experiences on Planet of Triumphs. It's our goal to provide a clean, safe, welcoming environment for anyone who walks through our door, and all the equipment, amenities and support you need once you're here.


***PS if you're like me and you hate going to the actual store because you end up buying 10 million extra things on accident, Target now has a $25 minimum for free shipping. I mean. When I go INTO Target I blackout and spend over $100 every single time. This is magical for myself and my bank account.
Other options: Target's 5 lb Neon Weights $7.99 , Marhsall's/TJ Maxx/Ross always have good deals on dumbbells too.
(Confession: I am bougie about this. I'm so sweaty that I slip and slide all over the place. This yoga mat was a gift and honestly I would pay the price to get the same one again for the sweat wicking and the padding- Lululemon is expensive a f*ck but they make some DAMN GOOD PRODCUTS).
Other option: Target 3 Piece Kettlebell Set $43.00, Amazon's top selling kettlebells $33-$100.
These are my necessities - anyone else work out at home? What am I missing?
I work out at home as well! I wish I would have gotten the adjustable dumbells. they are more of a cost up front...but save you a ton in the long run! Anyone just starting out needs to know that!!!
I have dumbells (4 different weight amounts), a yoga mat, some yoga blocks (even thought I dont do yoga anymore really), an exercise ball, and a resistance band. I also just got a treadmill this weekend, but that was a long time coming! Going to the gym just isn't convenient for me. There is no excuse with all these free you tube videos! You dont even need anything for some of them. Body weight exercises are good too!
Maybe some resistance bands or a stability ball?
i have a yoga mat and 2 10lb weights. womp womp. lol. my gym is only $10 a month, but i am probably going to quit soon and join my hubby's so we can work out together- his is only like $15 a month. that yoga mat is outrageously priced, but seriously i slip so much on mine i'm considering it.
I love having a home gym. I totally agree on the weights and yoga mat. I have a 15 pound kettlebell set, and free weights. I have an elliptical and treadmill to help with cardio too.
I am SO glad you posted this. I needed some ideas on where to buy weights for inside the house. There's no way I'm cleaning out the garage in THIS weather. And as always, LOVE your blog girl.
I think I have those exact handweights!! I just purchased a yoga mat and Im so excited!!
There is a chance you are eligible for a complimentary $1,000 Amazon Gift Card.


Join us for our annual blissful yoga filled holiday in beautiful Lindos, on the island of Rhodes. Indulge in a wonderful week of sunshine, relaxation and chilled out yoga in stunning surroundings. Whether it's glorious sunshine or cool and breezy we can find just the right spot for our yoga practice. Enjoy a fabulous workout in the villa's air conditioned interior or poolside in the shade of the gazebo. In the evenings our perfect meditation spot is on the shady terrace or down at the beach whilst appreciating the stunning sea views across Navarone bay. A peaceful and pleasant location to get away from it all and find harmony and tranquility. Six morning yoga sessions and six evening mindfulness/relaxation sessions (30 min) are included. Optional SUP yoga session , Traditional Greek Night with live music and entertainment (local charges apply). Optional spa treatments also available.


Many people ask how to send emails with/through JibberJobber.
It is important to understand that we are neither an email client (like Outlook, your Gmail page, etc.) or an email server (the system that processes emails – gmail, yahoo, hotmail, or a corporate email server).
Also, there are various services that allow you to send emails to many people (think: newsletters) such as Constant Contact, iContact, Mail Chimp, etc. We don't do that either – those companies invest mega bucks to ensure they are as compliant as they can be with current email policies (laws). It's messy, hairy stuff.
"Just to clarify, JibberJobber is not sending the emails. We've found we get into trouble if we send too many emails (people flag us as spammers, which hurts all users). When you do what Liz suggests below (go to the Network List Panel, click multiple users, then click the Send Email icon (for premium users)), you are simply putting the addresses into the email client you are currently using – this could be outlook, gmail, etc. Whatever your computer recognizes as the default email client.
You can also do that from the List Panel – one of the columns you can show is the Email Address, and it can be hyperlinked to bring up the email client also (this is one at a time, compared to what Liz suggested). To show the column, if it isn't showing, click Manage Columns. To make it hyperlink (if it isn't), go to My Account, Preferences, and you'll see a checkbox to turn on (one-by-one is a free feature).
Will we ever send emails FROM JibberJobber?
I doubt it… it is too easy to get into hot water with spam blacklists – it just takes one idiot who flags an email from JibberJobber as spam – whether it was by accident or because they forgot they signed up for a newsletter, or someone who was invited to JibberJobber from another user – and then every user is penalized. I don't want you to miss your Action Item reminders just because of all of the spam issues.


Dark material has coated the low-elevation terrain and the interiors of craters in the southern portions of the quadrant on Iapetus that faces away from Saturn. This is part of the boundary region separating the dark leading and bright trailing hemispheres. The dark coating is thought to be no more than a few tens of centimeters thick (10 cm equals 4 in), and, as seen here, predominately appears on the northern-facing walls of craters in the south.
Farther south, the dark splotches are less numerous, and appear almost absent at the highest latitudes (near the bottom of the frame). This is a strong indicator that thermal effects play a role in the darkening process of parts of Iapetus' surface: the colder the surface, the less common is the dark terrain. As on Earth, the higher latitudes on Iapetus receive less heating by sunlight.
At left, below center, the eastern rim of a great and ancient impact basin can be seen. With a diameter of almost 500 kilometers (310 miles), it is one of the largest impact structures on Iapetus (1,471 kilometers, 914 miles across), and in the entire Saturn system.
This monochrome view shows terrain also seen in PIA08384, but at higher resolution.
The mosaic consists of three narrow angle camera footprints across the surface of Iapetus. The view is centered on terrain near 35.1 degrees south latitude, 218.5 degrees west longitude. Image scale is approximately 231 meters (758 feet) per pixel.
The clear spectral filter images in this mosaic were obtained with the Cassini spacecraft on Sept. 10, 2007 at a distance of approximately 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles) from Iapetus and at a Sun-Iapetus-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 31 degrees.
Re: PIA 08383 The small oblong impact craters on the lower 1/4 of the image running in a direction from 2:30 to 8:30 (compared to an analog clock face) appear to be created at roughly the same time by a cloud of objects roughly the same size and traveling from right to left with respect to the image. From what I can see in this image these types of shallow impacts are less common the further up the photo you look.


MIAMI — Brad Friedel is missing the party, and not just tomorrow's World Cup qualifier in Carnival-celebrating Trinidad.
Friedel announced yesterday that he is retiring from the U.S. men's national team, leaving Kasey Keller of Lacey as the favorite to be in goal through the 2006 World Cup.
Keller, 35, is the all-time U.S. leader in shutouts and goalkeeper wins.
But Friedel beat out Keller for the starting job at the 2002 World Cup, where the United States advanced to the quarterfinals in its best showing since 1930.
Friedel played a major part, stopping penalty kicks against South Korea and Poland.
"Certainly his performance in the 2002 World Cup was a huge factor in our success," said U.S. coach Bruce Arena, who twice tried to talk Friedel out of his decision to retire.
Friedel, 33, has played once for the United States since the World Cup, in an exhibition match at Poland last March 31. He starts for Blackburn of the English Premier League.
"I would like to spend my time away from my club team with my family," Friedel said during a telephone conference call. "The second reason is based on prolonging my club career, because I have picked up, albeit slight, muscular injuries recently.
Friedel was voted the top goalkeeper in the Premier League by fellow players at the end of the 2002-2003 season.
Brad Friedel says he is leaving the U.S. team.
In Cleveland to announce the launch of his soccer academy, Friedel said he wants to extend his contract with Blackburn, which has about 18 months left. His success and that of the U.S. team at the 2002 World Cup made his decision easier.
While Friedel was announcing his retirement, Keller was scrambling to meet up with the U.S. team.
Keller played for Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday in Germany's top league, and his flight from Duesseldorf to Frankfurt yesterday morning was canceled. Keller flew to Zurich, Switzerland, where he caught a plane to Miami to meet up with the rest of the American team, which delayed its charter flight to Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, to await his arrival.
Ten of the 23 U.S. players are based in Europe, and Arena will rely heavily on them tomorrow because a labor conflict caused the U.S. Soccer Federation to cancel a training camp in December and cut short another in January.
Tomorrow's match is the first of 10 in the final round of qualifying in the North and Central American and Caribbean region.


Some of them have been translated into Spanish. Download them below!
Would you like to keep on using the HEIRRI resources in the future? Are you committed to RRI teaching and want to foster its integration at higher education institutions? Then you should join the Network on RRI teaching at higher education institutions. This network connects professionals from all over the world that are brought together by the same interest in RRI training. Join the Network on RRI teaching at higher education institutions here. You can also contribute to the discussion by sharing your thoughts in this thread online on the RRI Tools Forum, specific on HEIRRI Training. You can post about your experiences testing the HEIRRI resources, raise a question, share a reflection, all is welcome!


Dao, who went to medical school in Vietnam in the 1970s before moving to the U.S., was working as a pulmonologist in Elizabethtown when he was arrested in 2003 and eventually convicted of drug-related offenses after an undercover investigation, according to documents filed with the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure last June. The documents allege that he was involved in fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances and was sexually involved with a patient who used to work for his practice and assisted police in building a case against him.
Dao was convicted of multiple felony counts of obtaining drugs by fraud or deceit in November 2004 and was placed on five years of supervised probation in January 2005. He surrendered his medical license the next month.
The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure permitted Dao to resume practicing medicine in 2015 under certain conditions.
Wow, that didn't take long to start a smear campaign against the victim of this attrocity – a currently practicing doctor who lost his license 10 years ago but had it reinstated since. This article "doxxed" the doctor, even showing a picture of his house, in an attempt to discredit the victim, to try to justify the actions of United Airlines, which wouldn't have known about the passenger's history from 10 years ago.
Makes you wonder why the author of this article chose to go after the victim?
Next Next post: Our economy is a hellscape for consumers. The United flier is the latest victim.


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RenewAmerica.com January 17, 2020 Click here to receive our twice-weekly Newsletter
ACORN falls from the tree, will abuse shelters come next?
By Carey Roberts
ACORN, the liberal activist group, was stripped of its funding by the House of Representatives Thursday following release of undercover videos showing lurid and criminal activities.
One tape showed an ACORN employee named Tresa Kaelke of San Bernardino, Calif. bragging how she had murdered her husband: "I shot him. And he died. Right there." To perfect her alibi, the ACORN worker declared how she had gone to a local domestic violence shelter where she "pleaded my case."
Following release of the video, a red-faced Kaelke claimed she was just playing along with the Candid-Camera gag, and local police reported her former husbands were alive and well.
We're relieved to hear the men are safe. Still, there's something deeply disturbing about Kaelke's boast.
Recently Trudy Schuett of Examiner.com published an insider account of abuse shelters. She reveals, "We've seen cases where fictional abuse, contrived for the purposes of leverage in court, became a reality." In other words, shelter workers coached women like Tresa Kaelke how to fabricate a White Lie for purposes of manipulating the legal system.
Others have developed a similar jaded view of shelters' claims of protecting women from their villainous tormentors. In July, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his plan to rescue the state from the brink of financial insolvency, cutting all funds for domestic violence shelters in the state.
Over the years I've had occasion to visit abuse shelters, speak with their employees, and peruse their literature. Just like the kiss-and-tell videos reveal fraudulent actions at ACORN offices around the country, I have found evidence of widespread malfeasance.
These are some of the more spectacular examples:
Arizona: A female resident sexually assaulted a 12-year-old boy staying at the Brewster Center Domestic Violence Services, but shelter staff wouldn't allow police on the premises to investigate. In Phoenix, the Shield Foundation operates an immigration scam operation that relies on well-rehearsed shake-downs of alleged abusers.
Arkansas: A resident made up tear-jerker accounts of partner abuse and medical emergencies, duping staff at the Options shelter in Monticello to loan her $25,000.
Georgia: The Cherokee Family Violence Center in Canton fabricated an allegation of child neglect by a shelter resident who complained too often, causing the mother to lose custody of her infant for five months.
Oklahoma: The YWCA Crisis Center in Enid lures prospective residents with the promise, "We do NOT require proof of abuse." Cindy Lou Shores, former director of the South Central Region Tribal Nations program, now resides in a federal prison for embezzling $106,000. At SafeNet in Claremore, the director was ordered to avoid any further contact with a former resident's children. Earlier this month the children's father filed a multi-million lawsuit against the shelter.
Texas: The Bay Area Turning Point program in Houston hosts dating parties, pairing up abused shelter residents with local dandies for an evening of schmoozing and boozing.
Virginia: Bethany House of Northern Virginia has a long record of problems. First, two female shelter workers were fired for sexual advances of the residents. Then an attorney appeared at a client's house demanding sex for his pro bono services. Later the shelter waged a six-year campaign to harass the husband of a mentally-deranged resident, what the judge later described as "Kafkaesque litigation."
West Virginia: The staff of the Hope House in Charleston lied to police about a woman in their facility, preventing her from getting needed mental health treatment. And the director of the Domestic Violence Information Center in Morgantown recently admitted under oath, "we do not shelter men in the shelter even if it's empty." Now a group called Men and Women Against Discrimination has filed a sex discrimination lawsuit.
Washington: A blind woman was ridiculed and finally ejected by staff at WomenCare in Bellingham for requesting basic safety accommodations like Braille dots on the security keypad at the shelter entrance.
In Florida, shelters are in a state of disarray. At SafeSpace shelter in Stuart, a 16-month-old toddler was run over in the shelter parking lot, and a woman was later fatally stabbed by a shelter co-resident. The Shelter for Abused Women and Children in Naples fired its former director for harassing and assaulting shelter employees.
At Another Way in Lake City, a four-year-old girl was vaginally penetrated by an older girl staying at the facility. Shelters managers drive shelter vans for personal use. Overt sex discrimination. Illicit drug use. Employees convicted of multiple violent crimes. An astronomical staff turn-over. And more.
No doubt some abuse shelters are providing a tremendous service to their communities. But considering abuse shelters take in $1.4 billion from the government and other sources annuallly, there are far too many bad apples in this barrel for Congress to continue to turn a blind eye on this sordid affair.
© Carey Roberts
The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
Carey Roberts is an analyst and commentator on political correctness. His best-known work was an exposé on Marxism and radical feminism... (more)
Carey Roberts is an analyst and commentator on political correctness. His best-known work was an exposé on Marxism and radical feminism.
Mr. Roberts' work has been cited on the Rush Limbaugh show. Besides serving as a regular contributor to RenewAmerica.com, he has published in The Washington Times, LewRockwell.com, ifeminists.net, Men's News Daily, eco.freedom.org, The Federal Observer, Opinion Editorials, and The Right Report.
Previously, he served on active duty in the Army, was a professor of psychology, and was a citizen-lobbyist in the US Congress. In his spare time he admires Norman Rockwell paintings, collects antiques, and is an avid soccer fan. He now works as an independent researcher and consultant.
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McDermott: Trump is a born fabulist. What is his defenders' excuse?
(123rf.com)
Kevin McDermott
Kevin McDermott is a member of the Post-Dispatch Editorial Board.
Follow Kevin McDermott
Richard Nixon claimed he wasn't a crook. Which was a lie.
Bill Clinton claimed he didn't have sexual relations with an intern. Which was a lie.
Donald Trump claims that people have to flush environmentally friendly toilets 10 or 15 times. Which is … weird.
It may be a lie as well; it certainly isn't true. But beyond that, it's just a bonkers thing for a sitting president to even talk about, isn't it?
As weird as Trump's recent toilet talk was, it follows a familiar pattern in which this president makes bizarre, transparently false claims about what vast numbers of unspecified "people" are doing. Some of these fantasies are in service to some policy or political goal; others have no apparent motive.
As we ponder what to believe in the dueling realities being offered in the impeachment hearings, it's worth examining what passes for reality for the president — and, lately, for his defenders.
Here's Trump recently speaking to a roundtable with small-business leaders regarding low-flow faucets and toilets:
"You turn on the faucet and you don't get any water. They take a shower and water comes dripping out. Just dripping out, very quietly dripping out. People are flushing toilets 10 times, 15 times, as opposed to once."
Have they tried jiggling the handle?
To be clear: There's no indication that any of this is true, plumbing-wise. Yes, environmentally friendly toilets use less water. That's the whole point. But you don't have to flush them "10 times" (unless, of course, you're trying to dispose of reams of subpoenaed documents before Congress can get them).
But the falsity isn't the point. Trump saying things that aren't true is the political equivalent of the sun setting in the west: If something other than that happens, call us.
No, the point is, why is he spinning alternate facts about toilets in the first place? What's the purpose here?
Yes, Trump delights in undermining environmental protection efforts, but why wrap it in such a daffy fabrication? He could have just said low-flow systems annoy some people, which is true — and which wouldn't have garnered a flurry of toilet-themed editorial cartoons. By embellishing it with this complex, silly tale of frenzied toilet-flushing, he actually detracts from his own goal.
We've seen this before. Trump once claimed that he saw nonexistent television coverage of "thousands and thousands" of Muslims celebrating the fall of the towers during 9/11. He has claimed his loss of the 2016 popular vote was caused by Democrats who would "put on a different hat, put on a different shirt, come in and vote again." He has repeatedly spread a baseless, dystopian story of duct-tape-bound women being trafficked over the southern border.
It's not adequate to just say these assertions aren't true. Like Trump's toilet-flushing delusion, none of them are even things that any reasonable person could believe. But the putative leader of the free world does, or claims to.
Trump's critics frequently call him a liar, but that's an inadequate description. Bill "I didn't have sexual relations with that woman" Clinton was a liar. Trump is a fabulist. There's a difference.
A liar uses targeted, specific lies for personal gain, or to get out of trouble, and he knows he's lying. A fabulist builds an entire fictional reality, deploying complex, universal falsehoods, often with no discernible purpose, and is immersed in them.
This is how a grown man declares that windmills cause cancer, that stealth planes are literally invisible, and that exercise permanently depletes the finite amount of energy your body was born with. These are all things that have come out of Donald Trump's mouth. (Have we mentioned that he has the authority to launch nuclear weapons at any target, any time?)
So the president is a fabulist. So what? It's not like it's contagious.
Or is it?
Let's review some other recent Trumpian assertions that, like the 10-flush toilets, are simply, inarguably untrue:
• Ukraine didn't attempt to interfere in our elections and frame Russia for it. U.S. intelligence, across the board, is clear on that. Yet congressional Republicans have repeated this utterly baseless, senseless claim throughout the impeachment proceedings.
• The FBI investigation into Russian contact with the Trump campaign wasn't driven by political bias, but was fully justified by the facts, as the Justice Department's own inspector general has just concluded. Yet Attorney General William Barr — the head of that Justice Department — continues to publicly tout the discredited conspiracy trope that it was all an attempted coup.
• When a president withholds promised military aid from an ally, then tries to get that ally to investigate his political rival as a "favor," this isn't a normal use of presidential authority. We can debate whether it's impeachable, but it undebatably merits investigation.
Yet for millions of Trump's supporters, the only outrage here is that it's being investigated.
Apparently it isn't just the president who is willing to flush away reality.
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"Echoes of 1915: The Munster Fusiliers and Gallipoli Remembered", the launch event for the 2015 Earlsdon Festival in Coventry. Pictured are Simon Shaw, Earlsdon Festival, Ireland's Ambassador to the the UK, Daniel Mulhall and the Lord Mayor of Coventry, Hazel Noonan.
The Estonia National football team trained at The Hive, home of Barnet Football Club in October 2015, whilst they were in England to play at Wembley Stadium in The European Chamionship Qualifiers. Here is the squad, with John "Village" Atkins (Barnet Football Club Supporters Overseas Liason Officer). The team are seen here with one of our Estonian flags.
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Pics Of Birthday Presents pics of birthday presents 25 fun birthday gifts ideas for friends crazy little projects ideas. pics of birthday presents asking guests to donate to charity instead of buying toys is great download. pics of birthday presents birthday presents set of colorful gift boxes for various occasions free.


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Q: Code functions properly when stepped through using breaks, but fails when ran without them - Powerpoint VBA I have a PointPoint presentation, the textrange is automatically generated from external text files. Each line in the text file is a new line in the powerpoint body. Some lines precede with "parent." These lines go through the replace function to remove the "parent." All other lines must be indented.
The lines output to the body fine, and the code works when I slowly step through the code using breakpoints. Note that using a custom pause function to force the code to run slowly does NOT solve the problem. Here is the code that I have to accomplish the above steps:
Private Sub Indenter(slideName)

With ActivePresentation.Slides(slideName).Shapes("ContentHolder").TextFrame.TextRange
    For i = 1 To .Lines.count
        If Left(.Lines(i).Text, 6) <> "parent" Then
            .Lines(i).IndentLevel = 2
        Else
            .Lines(i).Text = Replace(Replace(Replace(.Lines(i).Text, "parent", ""), Chr(10), ""), Chr(13), "")
            .Lines(i).IndentLevel = 1
        End If
    Next i
End With

End Sub

Here's what the powerpoint looks like before the code is ran:

Here's what the output looks like when the code above is ran:

Finally, this is what the output SHOULD look like:

Any help is greatly appreciated.
The pause function I use is as follows:
Public Function Pause(NumberOfSeconds As Variant)

    Dim PauseTime As Variant, Start As Variant

    PauseTime = NumberOfSeconds
    Start = Timer
    Do While Timer < Start + PauseTime
        DoEvents
    Loop

End Function

A: I figured it out. PowerPoint is awfully finicky when it comes to referencing lines in a TextRange. As such, my Replace functions used within the conditionals were altering the line orders causing some lines to be skipped, missing the conditional. As such I've altered the code to the following:
Private Sub Indenter(slideName)

With ActivePresentation.Slides(slideName).Shapes("ContentHolder").TextFrame.TextRange
    For i = 1 To .Lines.count
        If Left(.Lines(i).Text, 6) <> "parent" Then
            .Lines(i).IndentLevel = 2
        Else
            .Lines(i).IndentLevel = 1
        End If
    Next i

    For i = .Lines.count To 1 Step -1
        If Left(.Lines(i).Text, 6) = "parent" Then
            .Lines(i).Text = Replace(Replace(Replace(.Lines(i).Text, "parent", ""), Chr(10), ""), Chr(13), "")
        End If
    Next i

End With

End Sub

The text replaces are done after the indenting is finished. This ensures that no lines are altered, causing some to get skipped. The loop which does the replacing is done in reverse for the same reason. Powerpoint likes to add total lines (though not distinguishable on screen, but when looping through the lines and printing their text content, you can see this phenomenon) when replacing. The loop in reverse will ignore these extra lines. For extra safety, one could loop through twice.


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text:
Thousands protest as Italy's Covid pass becomes mandatory for workers
October 15, 2021 October 15, 2021 adminBusiness, Entertainment, Health
Dockers and other workers gather for a protest in the port of Trieste on October 15, 2021 as new Green Pass requirements come into force.
A mandate for all workers in Italy to show a government-issued Covid-19 pass came into force on Friday, triggering protests at key ports and fears of disruption.
Anyone who is on a payroll -- in the public or private sector -- must have a 'green pass' with a QR code as proof of either full vaccination, recent recovery from infection or a negative test within the previous 48 hours.
Employees who go to work without the pass risk a fine of up to 1,500 euros ($1,730) and suspension without pay. Employers could also face fines if they allow staff to work without it.
The largest demonstrations were at the major northeastern port of Trieste, where labor groups had threatened to block operations and around 6,000 protesters, some chanting and carrying flares, gathered outside the gates.
Around 40% of Trieste's port workers are not vaccinated, said Stefano Puzzer, a local trade union official, a far higher proportion than in the general Italian population.
Regional governor Massimiliano Fedriga told SkyTG24: "The port (of Trieste) is functioning. Obviously there will be some difficulties and fewer people at work, but it's functioning."
"The green pass is a bad thing, it is discrimination under the law. Nothing more. It's not a health regulation, it's just a political move to create division among people…," said Fabio Bocin, a 59-year old port worker in Trieste.
In Genoa, Italy's other main port, around 100 protesters blocked access to trucks, a Reuters witness said.
In Rome, police in riot gear stood by in front of a small rally with people shouting "No green pass." A protest was also to be held in the capital's Circus Maximus on Friday afternoon.
Italian government statistics say that 81 percent of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated and more than 85 percent have had the first dose. Italy has also begun booster shots for those with compromised immunity and who are over 80.
The certificate has been required on long distance trains and indoor venues including restaurants, museums and gyms since September 1.
Prime Minister Mario Draghi's cabinet approved the rule -- one of the world's strictest anti-Covid measures -- in mid-September,. It is effective until the end of the year.
Some 15% of private and 8% of public sector workers have no green pass, an internal government document seen by Reuters estimates.
The government hoped the move making the health pass mandatory would convince unvaccinated Italians to change their minds, but with over 80% of residents over the age of 12 already fully inoculated and infection rates low, that surge has not materialized.
The right-wing League and Brothers of Italy parties and some unions say that, to address the risk of staff shortages, the validity of Covid tests should be extended from 48 to 72 hours, and they should be free for unvaccinated workers.
But the government has so far resisted those calls. The center-left Democratic Party, which is part of Draghi's ruling coalition, says that making swabs free would be the equivalent of an amnesty for tax dodgers.
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text:
Tag Archives: 9/11
Welcome to the Rock!
On an average Saturday, I might be napping on the sofa at two in the afternoon. But, yesterday wasn't your average Saturday afternoon. It was the day I was going to see
I wasn't quite up in the nosebleeds, but I had a lovely unobstructed view of center stage, and excited for the performance to begin, I took my seat early.
I'm not going to go into details about the show. Suffice it to say I laughed and cried in equal portions as songs and scenes were funny, poignant or brought back memories of that terrible day. I wanted to turn to everyone around me and proudly say, "I'm Canadian".
Sometimes when a show ends and the applause begins, a single person rises and a standing ovations begins. Yesterday, when the lights when the show ended and the stage lights went out, the applause was immediate and deafening as the entire audience leapt to their feet. The cast came out for their curtain calls and, as they left the band came out and held a ceilidh on the stage. Well, the audience clapped and whooped along until the final chord. There were still tears in my eyes as I left the theatre, but my heart was warm.
Tags: 9/11, ceilidh, Come From Away, Gander, Newfoundland
Categories #SOL19, Slice of Life, Slice of LIfe Story Challenge
The one I haven't read yet
I put Gae Polisner's The Memory of Things on hold at the library before it was published this month.
I've been tracking it's progress through the library system as it has gone from on order to in process to in transit. I am the first hold on the Multnomah County Library system's 19 copies. I suspect it will be on the hold shelf for me later today.
Publisher's Summary:On the morning of September 11, 2001, sixteen-year-old Kyle Donohue watches the first twin tower come down from the window of Stuyvesant High School. Moments later, terrified and fleeing home to safety across the Brooklyn Bridge, he stumbles across a girl perched in the shadows, covered in ash, and wearing a pair of costume wings. With his mother and sister in California and unable to reach his father, a NYC detective likely on his way to the disaster, Kyle makes the split-second decision to bring the girl home. What follows is their story, told in alternating points of view, as Kyle tries to unravel the mystery of the girl so he can return her to her family. But what if the girl has forgotten everything, even her own name? And what if the more Kyle gets to know her, the less he wants her to go home? The Memory of Things tells a stunning story of friendship and first love and of carrying on with our day-to-day living in the midst of world-changing tragedy and unforgettable pain—it tells a story of hope.
I can't tell you much else about it. Just that I am excited to read it.
Tags: 9/11, Gae Polisner, September 11 Terrorist Attacks
Categories YA Literature
…and After
Monday, I wrote about Nine, Ten which focused on the days leading up to 9/11. Today's book, Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes, deals with the aftermath.
Publisher's Summary: From award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes, a powerful novel set fifteen years after the 9/11 attacks.
When her fifth-grade teacher hints that a series of lessons about home and community will culminate with one big answer about two tall towers once visible outside their classroom window, Deja can't help but feel confused. She sets off on a journey of discovery, with new friends Ben and Sabeen by her side. But just as she gets closer to answering big questions about who she is, what America means, and how communities can grow (and heal), she uncovers new questions, too. Like, why does Pop get so angry when she brings up anything about the towers?
Award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes tells a powerful story about young people who weren't alive to witness this defining moment in history, but begin to realize how much it colors their every day.
For a small book, this one covers a lot of territory. We have kids with a range of knowledge about 9/11, survivor guilt, community and what it means to be an American.
Deja was a little hard to like at first. She is very defensive, trying not to let people know she lives in a shelter, prickly because so many responsibilities fall on her shoulders. As you to know her, she becomes more likable and finally you end up rooting for her and her family. I think, too, that this book might make readers curious to fill in gaps in their knowledge about 9/11.
The language in this one is appropriate for 4th & 5th grade readers.
Tags: 9/11, homelessness, Jewell Parker Rhodes
Yesterday's book was for YA readers. Today's book Nine, Ten by Nora Raleigh Baskin, is definitely for middle grade readers.
We often think of how 9/11 impacted NYC in particular, but this book, with characters in California, Ohio, Pennsylvania and NYC, shows how people all over the country were affected. This could be a great beginning of the year read aloud because it honors the event, but also shows the universal problems tweens face, even though they often feel alone.
Publisher's Summary: From the critically acclaimed author of Anything But Typical comes a touching look at the days leading up to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and how that day impacted the lives of four middle schoolers.
Ask anyone: September 11, 2001, was serene and lovely, a perfect day—until a plane struck the World Trade Center.
But right now it is a few days earlier, and four kids in different parts of the country are going about their lives. Sergio, who lives in Brooklyn, is struggling to come to terms with the absentee father he hates and the grandmother he loves. Will's father is gone, too, killed in a car accident that has left the family reeling. Naheed has never before felt uncomfortable about being Muslim, but at her new school she's getting funny looks because of the head scarf she wears. Aimee is starting a new school in a new city and missing her mom, who has to fly to New York on business.
These four don't know one another, but their lives are about to intersect in ways they never could have imagined. Award-winning author Nora Raleigh Baskin weaves together their stories into an unforgettable novel about that seemingly perfect September day—the day our world changed forever.
Tags: 9/11, Nora Raleigh Baskin, September 11 Terrorist Attacks, tweens
Categories contemporary fiction, friendship, historical fiction, middle fiction
Then & Now: 9/11
In a week, we will mark the 15th anniversary of the September 11th attack. The students I teach are 11 and have no memory of that day. They can only understand it secondhand. In his oft quoted 2013 speech, Neil Gaiman states "that reading fiction, that reading for pleasure, is one of the most important things one can do." And here is a case to prove his point. My West Coast students will probably understand 9/11 more by reading fiction than any other way. So, this week, starting today, I will share some new, and some not so new, books about 9/11.
YA readers will find All We Have Left by Wendy Mills, insightful.
Publisher's Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Jesse is used to living with the echoes of the past. Her older brother died in the September 11th attacks, and her dad has filled their home with anger and grief. When Jesse gets caught up with the wrong crowd, one momentary hate-fueled decision turns her life upside down. The only way to make amends is to face the past, starting Jesse on a journey that will reveal the truth about how her brother died.
In 2001, sixteen-year-old Alia is proud to be Muslim… it's being a teenager that she finds difficult. After being grounded for a stupid mistake, Alia is determined to show her parents that they must respect her choices. She'll start by confronting her father at his office in downtown Manhattan, putting Alia in danger she never could have imagined. When the planes collide into the Twin Towers Alia is trapped inside one of the buildings. In the final hours she meets a boy who will change everything for her as the flames rage around them . . .
Interweaving stories past and present, full of heartbreak and hope, two girls come of age in an instant, learning that both hate and love have the power to reverberate into the future and beyond.
What I really like about this book is the way it shows the impact on the people left behind. In an election year where hateful words are being spoken about Muslims, this book is a powerful resource for adolescents.The beautiful, poignant prose will also appeal to adults. I couldn't put this book down.
Tags: 9/11, September 11 Terrorist Attacks, Wendy Mills
Categories contemporary fiction, historical fiction, realistic fiction, YA Literature
For my 4th graders, turning 10 is huge. Double digits, you know.
For Alex Douglas, the protaganist in Eleven, by Tom Rogers, turning eleven means he is responsible enough to get a dog. Or so he hopes. Alex's 11th birthday doesn't start off the way he expects and when you realize that Alex turns 11 on September 11, 2001, you know the day is not going to end the way he expects, either.
From the Publisher: Alex Douglas always wanted to be a hero. But nothing heroic ever happened to Alex. Nothing, that is, until his eleventh birthday. When Alex rescues a stray dog as a birthday gift to himself, he doesn't think his life can get much better. Radar, his new dog, pretty much feels the same way. But this day has bigger things in store for both of them.
This is a story about bullies and heroes. About tragedy and hope. About enemies with two legs and friends with four, and pesky little sisters and cranky old men, and an unexpected lesson in kindness delivered with a slice of pizza.
I felt the author did an extraordinary job of presenting the human side of what happened on 9/11. The book is honest in depicting the violence of what happened without being overtly gory or sensationalist. The focus was put on the thoughts and feelings of the survivors, their will to help one another, and their longing to get home and embrace their families.
This is the best book you've never heard of. It is not a perfect novel, few are, but this one is really worth reading.
Tags: 9/11, Tom Rogers
Categories animals, basset hound, chapter book, dog rescue, middle fiction


It is my intent to share what the Word of God teaches about worship which is acceptable to the Lord. What I share from the Scriptures will be rejected by those idolaters who love their music and their flesh more than the Lord who they say has bought them.
Many Christians today condemn the lawlessness of the world, but they themselves act as self-appointed arbitrators of the Word of God whenever they choose. They live as sweet moralists, jealous of their own little Christian-flavored world which they have created for their family. And they are proud that they aren't like all those other people who wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction. The Spirit-filled, faithful Christians of the past would be appalled at the reckless, shortsighted blindness of so many Christians today.
These first and second verses in chapter two of Romans are not meant to be used as an anthem for antinomian error. They are rather a withering condemnation of the error of true legalism, which is the claim of justification by the law. And I want to say right here that there are many who profess salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone who are nevertheless false converts. Though they would adamantly deny believing in justification by works, yet their hope in heaven is based upon their false confession, church attendance, fellowship with the people of God, and a certain moral code. And so they are closet legalists in a sense because they are not trusting in Christ but in their own works.
The issues I am going to deal with today are crucial to the spiritual well-being and good order of the church. I hope that godly women and godly young ladies will be very encouraged by this message. At the same time, I don't doubt there will be women who will be greatly upset with me because of the things I preach today.


The 90 Day Fiance empire continues to grow! TLC announced at the Discovery Communications Summer TCA Event on Thursday that they will be adding a FOURTH SPIN-OFF to their hugely successful franchise; in the latest edition, they flip the script and document Americans looking to leave the US to pursue their romantic happily ever afters abroad.
90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After cast members Molly Hopkins, Paola Mayfield, and Russ Mayfield were on stage at the Beverly Hilton Hotel for the announcement, along with Matt Sharp, CEO of the show's production company, Sharp Entertainment.
Matt shared some of the inspiration for the new concept, which has the working title 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way. "We noticed in the casting process there were Americans who said I'm going to forego my lifestyle, my family, my culture, my country to be with this person. There have been little bits of this in other shows," he explained.
Matt answered questions from the audience members, which seemed to include some fairly woke fans of the show who asked about the authenticity of the relationships as well as background checks!
And what about background checks? As readers of Starcasm are well aware, there are A LOT of mug shot photos out there from US cast members, including some for domestic violence related issues.
I'm pretty excited for the new series! As I've stated MANY times before, reality show concepts are a bit overrated and a show's success usually boils down to casting and editing — and no one casts and edits better than Sharp! Although the franchise has seen its fair share of thirsty peeps trying to act like they think reality stars ought to act (i.e., like 95% of all other reality shows), the majority of the couples featured on 90 Day Fiance do seem authentic, and THAT'S the biggest reason for the success of the show. You simply WILL NOT find Danielle Jbali, Paul Staehle, or Nicole Nafziger on pretty much any other reality series.
I can't wait to see some fellow Americans willing to give up the good ol' US of A for love in another country. And those stories will only get better as we follow a select few living abroad on the inevitable 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way: Happily Ever After series!


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The earth shakes under evil's tread.
The world grows wicked every day.
And echoes listen and repeat.
And all the human race improves.
Men's thoughts are higher than they were.
The world grows better every day.
Reproduced from the book "Poetical Works of Ella Wheeler Wilcox", W.P. Nimmo, Hay, & Mitchell, Edinburgh, undated, probably 1917, 527 pages, pp. 112-113.


ven when I'm claiming to 'not be wearing any makeup', I'm almost always wearing mascara and I have almost always curled my eyelashes. I love my eyelashes, but like most blondies I HATE when they are mascara-less. It makes my eyes look naked. Unacceptable.
I've tried several eyelash curlers (and always remained slightly terrified that I would accidentally hack of my lashes) and I have finally found the one. My true love of eyelash curlers is Tweezerman's ProCurl Lash Curler. Not only is it the coolest curler I've seen with its rose gold color, my fear of suddenly becoming eyelash-less was put to rest with its pinch-proof design and narrow top bar that adapts to all eye shapes.
I decided to put this curler to the test yesterday by curling my lashes and not following with mascara. Two, count em TWO people complimented me on my fancy lashes, which has forever convinced me that Tweezerman and I are a match made in lash heaven.


text:
Team News: Gossinki and Bombtrack Announce New Partnership
January 6, 2018 January 8, 2018 cyclocrosss
We've got another exciting press release for you today! – We've heard news of multiple female racers going it alone in cross', and as Tarteletto-Isore announce they have gained a new UCI Road Contract, Gossinki (Gosse van der Meer) announces he will be going solo, leaving the team and riding for new setup Bombtrack Bicycle Co p/b Hunt Bike Wheels.
It's fair to say the new kit looks great on Gossinki!
Here's what the team management had to say:
With immediate effect Bombtrack Bicycle Co. will enter the UCI cyclocross circuit with the signing of Dutch rider Gosse van der Meer. The German based bicycle brand will sign the young rider as its first entry into the pro cyclocross circuit. Van de Meer has been racing for Tarteletto-Isorex and will now switch to Team Bombtrack Bicycle Co.(powered by Hunt Wheels)" from January, 1st 2018.
"We have been looking for the perfect match of a rider to represent our brand on the Pro CX circuit for some time. We've been in contact with Gosse since meeting him at the 2016 Singlespeed Cyclocross European Championchips and are very excited to work with someone who has both the speed to race at DVV, the World Cup series and Superprestige races, while keeping the attitude to still race at the more funky races like SSCXEC and other more unique events more traditionally aligned with our brand" – Manuel Schuerholz, Bombtrack.
Bombtrack will be entering its fifth year of production in 2018. The brand has previous centred itself around road, cyclocross, gravel, bikepacking and trackbike segments. The signing of Van de Meer will represent a shift for the brand into the professional performance segment.
Van der Meer, born in 1995 in the coastal province of Friesland, Netherlands has won over 30 local and international montain bike and cyclocross races. However he has concentrated to the winter discipline in recent time racing competitively for the last four years in the U23 division on the UCI CX circuit. Now at 22 years of age, van der Meer has moved to Elite division for the current racing season and recorded increasingly solid results.
"I'm excited to lift my riding to the next level with my new partnership with Bombtrack. We've been friends for some time now, and I'm happy to be supported by such a great brand with the next step in my career" – Gosse van der Meer
Remaining races of 2017/2018 season include the DVV Verzekeringen Trofee , the Superprestige series, the remaining World Cup races and the World Championships hosted in Valkenburg, Netherlands among other Category 1 and Category 2 races. In addition to the standard elite CX circuit races, van der Meer will also appear at races more fitting to Bombtrack's typical mould, with appearances at Singlespeed Cyclocross European Championships in Koksijde, Belgium in March, the "Urban Cyclocross" in Zurich, Switzerland beginning of April – such as the "Canyon Rad Cross" late April.
Gosse van der Meer's journey with Bombtrack can be followed on:
https://www.instagram.com/gossinki/
Good Luck Gosse!
All, News, RacingBombtrack Bikes, Challenge Tires, Gossinki, Hunt Wheels, Press Release, SRAM
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If we believe that God is entirely sovereign, then we must also believe that He is entirely capable of doing the work that He has set out to do on His own. The local church has nothing to offer. Families have nothing to offer. As individuals, we have nothing to offer. People were created in God's image by God's design. God has chosen to, over and over again, reestablish His image within and upon His people.
Part of the purpose that God has given us as people is to multiply and fill the earth, perpetuating the image of God and worship to God upon within creation. In our context, we remember that this translates specifically to the act of evangelism: the act of verbally inviting others to submit to the authority of Christ and have God's image in them restored by Christ. There is an important question present as we think deeply together: If God is sovereign, why does He need me to accomplish His purpose? Why does God need us to practice evangelism? Why does God need us to cultivate His creation?
He answered, "I will not destroy it on account of 10." When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned to his place.
As we dive into this text together, I want to draw our attention to one important truth from the very start that will carry us through all of Scripture and all of life: God does not depend on people. In verses 16-19, we get a glimpse of God's own inward thought and His deliberation. God, from His own just nature, was going to eradicate the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness. Yet God chose to reveal what He would do to Abraham because He had chosen Abraham for Himself.
In this text, God has observed the cities and found there to be no hope for them. While there are some places in the text of Scripture where God declares contingencies (If the nation of Israel were to obey God things might have been different for them by God's own design), this is not one of those times. God has made His decision. He is sovereign. There is nothing Abraham can do to change that plan because God does not depend on people.
I want to work this out just a little bit more for us. If God does not depend on people, then it must be true that He does not depend on human religion. There are a couple things that seem clear to me as we look through the annals of history. First, Baptist ideology was established not long after the Protestant reformation and is descended from the Puritans of that time. Second, the protestant reformation took place only 500 years ago. Third, Christianity as a religion stretches back to Christ, who walked on the earth only about 2000 years ago. Fourth, Judaism, as a religion, was founded at the time of Moses who lived only about 3,500 years ago. Fifth, Scripture gives us at least 6,000 years of history. For almost half of the time humanity has existed on the earth, God had not selected for Himself a religious people. He did, though, still choose for Himself a people. God does not depend on Human religion. The local church is God's plan for today and God has a purpose for the local church (Hebrews 12:12-31), but God does not depend on human religion to any degree. Instead, the church depends completely and entirely on God.
If God does not depend on people, then He does not depend on organizational church structure to accomplish His work. As the church today, we seem to place so much emphasis on having the right programs, having the right music, and having the right preacher. Our mentality is that if we build it, they will come! God does not depend on us. God's work is greater than and more important than any organization. God is reaching people for Himself, and not for the organizational church. Here, I have to make a very important clarification. As an organized local body of believers, there are some practical things we can do to prepare for the work that God has for us. We can place personnel in the right position. We can develop outreach and evangelism strategies. We can train our servants. We can use our facilities in a way that helps facilitate better ministry on our end. Let me be clear about this, though. God does not depend on us for the work of the Gospel. The work of the Gospel will be done with or without us. I want to be prepared organizationally for God to work through us. If we are not prepared, though, God will still accomplish His work without Eastside Baptist Church. This being said, our church has two great opportunities before us, two ways that we can prepare to facilitate the work that God will do. The first is provide an area to better facilitate our growing children's ministry. Remaining where they are, there are too many ways that the children can escape, hide, and in general just be distracted from the Gospel. Moving them will help to facilitate their growth and the impact that God will have through that ministry. Second, we have a young man who has been called by God and desires to volunteer his time to direct the youth ministry. Having someone who can dedicate his attention to that ministry will be invaluable for us as a church and help us to better take part in God's work for this community. Again, God does not depend on our organization; but we can be prepared organizationally for the work that God might do through us. Thus, the organization of the local church is not about numbers, it is not specifically about us meeting needs that we perceive, but, instead, about our being prepared for what God might do in us and through us. The more God opens doors, the more we will get to take part in His work. The more we make it our work, the more doors God will close to us concerning the purpose of His Gospel.
If God does not depend on people, then we are not saved by our works, our rituals, our ordinances, our rules, or our ability to keep the law (which was not given until long after Abraham had died). This is good for us. It is because God does not depend on us that we actually have even the slightest chance to be saved. If He did depend on us, we would never make the cut. It would be like a bad audition for American Idol (I know you've watched it and made fun of people who try out and cannot sing), and it would be impossible for us to earn a place with God.
God revealed His plan to Abraham, Abraham did not discover God's plan on His own or come up with His own plan and ask for God's blessing. If Abraham would have gotten his way, he would have spared Sodom despite the wickedness of the people, but Abraham did not have all knowledge as God has. God alone must be and is the one who reveals his plan to us; we cannot dictate our plans to God. There are so many people who encounter a problem or difficulty in life. In fact we all do. We develop a plan to overcome that problem or difficulty, and we ask God for His blessing. This is contrary to God's very Word and is not consistent with God's own character as revealed in this text of Scripture. God has all knowledge. God has a plan. God reveals that plan to us. In the local church today, so many churches are trying to figure out what went wrong, why they are not growing numerically, and what they can do to bring people in. The answer is simple, we must stop producing our own plans and then asking God for His blessing upon those plans. Instead, we would do well to humbly go before the God who has all knowledge and ask what He wants us to do. He will lead our hearts.
It is God who reveals salvation and, as with Abraham in the above text, reveals what is needed for the purpose of sanctification (our being conformed to the image of Christ). We tend to hurt ourselves when we plan first and then ask for God's blessing, or come up with a plan on our own without first asking for God to reveal His specific plan to us. This is where genuine prayer has the impact that it does. Without prayer, we do not know God's direction. Prayer is about seeking God's direction rather than our asking God to submit to the plans that we have made. Without God's direction, we don't know how to plan and prepare according to His will and not ours.
God, here, is the one who is sanctifying Abraham and reassuring Abraham of both His just and merciful nature. There is a back and forth between God and Abraham. If God has all knowledge, then He already knows, at this point in the story, that Sodom and Gomorrah will need to be eradicated. His conversation with Abraham is for the purpose of Abraham's sanctification: that He might be able to trust that God is both just and merciful concerning the people of the earth.
God puts people in places to assume responsibilities on this earth. It is God who draws the local church and her people to Himself through sanctification. God burdens our hearts so that we are driven to serve. He has given Scripture to help train us in righteousness and prepare us for good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). He has given pastors to help prepare the whole body to do the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12). It is God who prepares us to fulfill the role that He has called us to on this earth.
Again, we arrive at our present question: why does God need us to accomplish His purpose? The answer is, again, simple. He does not. In His grace, though, God gives us a role in His Kingdom. Will we hurt ourselves by coming up with our own plans in life before asking God for His direction? Will we seek first God's kingdom and plan for our lives? In our singleness, are we asking for God's plan or is our attention on finding that special someone? Regarding our employment, have we asked God to reveal to us what He wants us to do? Should we go into ministry or have a secular job? If God desires that we pursue secular employment, does He want us to neglect His local church in order to pursue that employment? Where does God want me to serve in the local church? Does God want me to continue in school? Is it God's plan that I live in poverty or with wealth? If with wealth, what does God want me to use that wealth for?
God is sovereign, God is revealer, God is preparer. We are given a place in His plan. He is not given a place in ours. God's plan will always draw us closer to Him, not further from Him. Abraham was brought to understand more of God's nature. We are brought closer to God as He prepares us also. If we find that our plans pull us away from God or away from the local body, chances are that those plans are not of God. Furthermore, we make this realization: God does not need us, we need Him. We often live our lives in such a way that we insinuate the opposite. There must be less of us, and more of God. Our response to God's sovereignty in our lives is this: that we seek first His kingdom and not our own.


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Neuroimaging Technique Raises Stroke Treatment Standard
Posted on February 23, 2018 March 5, 2018 by yec14002
Dr. Leo Wolansky, chair of the UConn Health Department of Radiology, shows the types of images CT perfusion scanning yields to help determine the best course of action in stroke treatment.
UConn John Dempsey Hospital is among only a few hospitals in the state to offer a new neuroimaging technique to patients who've suffered the most common type of stroke, potentially quadrupling the narrow window for intervention to 24 hours from the onset of symptoms.
The cutting-edge technique, which involves new software called RAPID, facilitates computed tomography (CT) perfusion imaging in emergency settings by making radiologic interpretation of perfusion data simpler, a particularly crucial feature when treating emergency stroke patients.
This helps physicians determine which patients are good candidates for a highly specialized neurosurgical and interventional radiological procedure called mechanical thrombectomy. The lifesaving procedure is only available at a few hospitals in the state; UConn Health Chief of Neurosurgery Dr. Ketan Bulsara performed UConn John Dempsey Hospital's first-ever mechanical thrombectomy in November.
"It enables us to easily check how large an area of the brain is deprived of blood flow," says Dr. Leo Wolansky, chair of the UConn Health Department of Radiology. "We can distinguish between the part of the brain that's already dead [cerebral infarction] and the part of the brain that is in danger of dying [ischemic] but can be saved."
In October, UConn Health rolled out the perfusion imaging program a week after processing its first functional MRI case for surgical guidance. The innovations are part of a system-wide initiative by UConn Health leadership to provide cutting-edge technology and recruit top physicians familiar with its use, such as Wolansky, in order to provide the finest care for neurological conditions.
Historically, when a patient has cerebral infarction, the most common type of stroke, the race is on to administer a clot-dissolving medication known as a tissue plasminogen activator (TPA). Mechanical thrombectomy traditionally has also been an option with a very limited timespan. With the introduction of advanced imaging such as RAPID, patients now can be treated safely for up to 24 hours of their stroke if the CT perfusion scan is favorable.
"We can tell if there is brain that can be saved, even beyond the previously accepted window of time for thrombectomy," Wolansky says. "This creates the possibility of treating many 'wake-up' strokes, people who went to sleep well, but woke up eight hours later with a stroke."
The results of a major study known as the DAWN trial, released in May 2017, showed good outcomes for stroke patients who were treated with thrombectomy up to 24 hours after the event.
Posted in Clinical Innovations	Tagged Cerebral Infarction, Dr. Leo Wolansky, Mechanical Thrombectomy, Neurosurgery. Dr. Ketan Bulsara, radiology, Stroke, Stroke Care, UConn John Dempsey Hospital, UConn Radiology
Lab Notes – Fall 2017
Posted on October 30, 2017 November 7, 2017 by yec14002
E-Cigarettes Not a Safe Alternative
Using a new low-cost, 3-D-printed testing device, UConn researchers found that e-cigarettes loaded with a nicotine-based liquid are potentially as harmful as unfiltered cigarettes when it comes to causing DNA damage. The researchers also found that vapor from non-nicotine e-cigarettes caused as much potentially cancer-causing DNA damage as filtered cigarettes, possibly due to the many chemical additives present in e-cigarette vapors. Several factors impact the amount of DNA damage e-cigarettes cause, says Karteek Kadimisetty, a postdoctoral researcher in UConn's chemistry department and the study's lead author. "I never expected the DNA damage from e-cigarettes to be equal to tobacco cigarettes," says Kadimisetty. "I ran the controls again. I even diluted the samples. But the trend was still there — something in the e-cigarettes was definitely causing damage to the DNA." The findings appear in the journal ACS Sensors.
New Device Tests Heart Health
UConn researchers from the Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed a device that can test blood viscosity during a routine office visit. The heart must work harder to pump sticky — high viscosity — blood, and studies have shown thicker blood can indicate cardiac event and stroke risk. UConn associate professor of mechanical engineering George Lykotrafitis and doctoral candidate Kostyantyn Partola have filed a provisional patent on the small electronic device, which requires just a finger prick of blood, gives precise readings in minutes, and costs under $1,000. Currently, physicians must send large blood samples to off-site labs for analysis in a rheometer. "With this information, doctors can suggest simple lifestyle changes on the spot to prevent their patients from having a stroke or heart attack," says Partola.
The Lack of Black Men in Medicine
Medical school matriculation rates for black males have failed to surpass those from 35 years ago, according to a recent UConn Health analysis of data from the Association of American Medical Colleges. African-American men make up just 2.8 percent of the applicants to medical school. Out of all African-American applicants, only 38 percent are men, and black males who are unsuccessful in their first application are less likely to reapply than their white counterparts, the researchers write in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. "The absence of Black males in medical school represents an American crisis that threatens efforts to effectively address health disparities and excellence in clinical care," wrote authors Dr. Cato T. Laurencin and Marsha Murray.
Lifting Spirits Doesn't Require Many Reps
More physical activity is not necessarily better when it comes to improving your mood, especially if you spend most of your day sitting, UConn and Hartford Hospital researchers found in a recent study. The work, published in the Journal of Health Psychology, found that people who led sedentary lives and engaged in light or moderate activity showed the greatest improvement in overall sense of well-being. Further, the study found no positive or negative association between high-intensity physical activity and subjective well-being, contradicting a widely reported recent study that found high-intensity workouts significantly lowered some people's sense of well-being.
Posted in Research Notes	Tagged Black Men in Medicine, Blood Viscosity, cardiology, cigarette damage, Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, e-cigarettes, George Lykotrafitis, Journal of Health Psychology, Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, Karteek Kadimisetty, Konstyantyn Partola, Marsha Murray, Physical Activity, Stroke, UConn Chemistry, UConn Kinesiology, UConn Mechanical Engineering
3-D Printed Model Allows Brain Surgeons to Rehearse
Posted on October 26, 2017 February 26, 2018 by yec14002
by Kim Krieger
Dr. Charan K. Singh, right, threads a catheter through a 3-D printed model of arteries in the brain while speaking with Dr. Clifford Yang, one of the model's creators, at UConn Health. Peter Morenus
The first time a young surgeon threads a wire through a stroke victim's chest, up through the neck, and fishes a blood clot out of the brain may be one of the most harrowing moments in their career. Now, a UConn Health radiologist and a medical physicist have made it easier for them to get some practice first. The team made a life-size model of the arteries that wire must pass through, using brain scans and a 3-D printer. They will make the pattern freely available to any doctor who requests it.
Five years ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mechanical thrombectomy — using a wire to pull clots out of the brains of stroke victims. A trap at the end of the wire opens like a little snare that captures the clot, which is then dragged out of the patient.
After a couple months of tweaking, a UConn Health radiologist and a medical physicist found they could print a true-to-life teaching model of the brain's major arteries for about $14.
A lot can go wrong on that journey. One of the most dangerous complications is also one of the most likely: another clot can be accidentally knocked loose from the walls of the arteries and get stuck in the heart, the lungs, or elsewhere in the brain. Computer simulations of the procedure exist, but they are prohibitively expensive for many medical schools to purchase. Yet interventional radiologists and neurosurgeons need to train extensively before they work on a real person.
UConn Health cardiac radiologist Dr. Clifford Yang and medical physicist intern David Brotman knew they could help young doctors feel more comfortable with the mechanics.
Because of the prohibitive costs of computer simulation programs, often the first time a surgeon threads a wire into a stroke victim's brain to remove a blood clot is during the doctor's first surgery. Using brain scans and a 3-D printer, a UConn team made a life-size model of the arteries surgeons must navigate during the procedure so they can practice first. The pattern is available for free to any doctor who requests it.
"What matters is the ability of the doctor to be confident in guiding the wire," says Brotman. He and Yang found a brain scan of a patient with typical blood vessel structure and used the scan to design a 3-D model of the blood vessels. Finding a good scan was easy: UConn has an immense library of scans from computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients. The tough part was converting the data into something a 3-D printer could interpret. Brotman and Yang found and modified publicly available software to do that, and after a couple months of tweaking, they found they could print a true-to-life teaching model of the brain's major arteries for about $14.
Technically called a brain perfusion phantom, the model is surprisingly delicate. Holding it in your hand brings home just how small the arteries are, even in an adult man. The top arch of the aorta in the chest, big enough to slide an adult's pinky finger through, connects to the carotid in the neck and then on to the Circle of Willis in the brain, which is no thicker than a fat piece of yarn. The circle has six branches. Each branch supplies blood to one-sixth of the brain. It is in these branches that clots are most likely to get stuck and cause serious damage.
"We are using this model to teach students," says UConn interventional radiologist Dr. Charan Singh. "Obviously, it won't feel like the human body. But it will improve their knowledge of anatomy and give them basic technique on how to move the catheter."
What matters is the ability of the doctor to be confident in guiding the wire.
— UConn Health medical physicist intern David Brotman, one of the model's creators
Singh demonstrates how a slight twist can violently flip the catheter, which is dangerous. It could knock off new clots into the bloodstream. The model isn't perfect — there are several different ways a person's aorta can be shaped, and the other veins can vary too. But students can get good practice with it, Singh says.
Dr. Ketan Bulsara, UConn's chief of neurosurgery, also likes the technology. He cautions that individual anatomy varies too much for it to be used as the only training tool to learn mechanical thrombectomy, but says that it could potentially be used to visualize other conditions, such as brain tumors. Surgery for brain tumors has significant lead time, and modeling the tumor in advance could personalize and improve patient care.
"Creating these high-level 3-D models customized for individual patients has the potential to significantly improve outcomes and reduce operative times by enhancing surgical planning," Bulsara says.
Posted in Research Stories	Tagged 3-D Printing, Blood Clots, Brain Surgery, David Brotman, Dr. Charan Singh, Dr. Clifford Yang, Dr. Ketan Bulsara, Mechanical Thrombectomy, neurosurgery, Stroke
New Neurosurgery Chief Brings Elite Expertise to UConn Health
Posted on August 1, 2017 February 26, 2018 by yec14002
Dr. Ketan R. Bulsara, a world-renowned neurosurgeon, brings an unparalleled range of expertise in treating neurological disorders to UConn Health as the new chief of the Division of Neurosurgery.
Bulsara came to UConn Health from Yale, where he built successful programs in neurovascular and skull base surgery. He has trained with the pioneers in neurosurgery and is an author on many national and international guidelines
and standards.
Bulsara is among an elite few neurosurgeons in the world with dedicated dual fellowship training in skull base/cerebrovascular microsurgery and endovascular surgery. He is directing both of those disciplines in UConn Health's Department of Surgery in addition to serving as chief of neurosurgery.
"Dr. Bulsara is a world-class neurosurgeon who brings a level of expertise that is almost unheard of in the field," says Dr. David McFadden, chair of the UConn Health Department of Surgery. "Whether it's complex tumors, aneurysms, or any sort of brain- or nerve-related problem, he is well-equipped to offer a full range of treatment options."
That includes the full spectrum of treatment of both hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke. Bulsara was an early adopter of mechanical thrombectomy, a procedure in which the surgeon removes a clot from a blocked blood vessel going to the brain. Bulsara's collaboration with UConn Health's stroke program puts UConn Health in a position to handle these more complex cranial cases.
Bulsara also will be involved in UConn Health's efforts to expand its epilepsy program to include neurosurgical treatments, and will be recruiting additional neurosurgeons with other areas of expertise.
"It's always been my dream to establish a world-class destination center for neurosurgical care," Bulsara says. "Neurosurgery, the way I look at it, is a multidisciplinary specialty. The focus of my division is to optimize patient outcome. We'll build a team that's tailored and personalized for every single patient. Ultimately, as a team, we provide the best care for the patients."
Dr. Ketan R. Bulsara
Davidson College, B.S.
Duke University, M.D.
Duke University Medical Center, Neurosurgery
Selected Accolades:
America's Top Surgeons, Consumer Research Group of America (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
From the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons:
Mayfield Award in Clinical Science (2002)
Mayfield Award in Basic Science (2001)
Synthes Award in Brain and Craniofacial Trauma (2001)
Shulman Award (2001)
Traveling Fellowship in Neurosurgery (2001)
Posted in Physician Spotlight	Tagged Dr. Ketan R. Bulsara, Epilepsy, Neurological Disorders, neurology, neurosurgery, Stroke, UConn Health Department of Surgery
The Power of MRI
Posted on February 20, 2017 February 26, 2018 by yec14002
A UConn Health physician is seen reviewing an MRI brain scan. At UConn Health, doctors are pioneering ways to use MRI technology to diagnose and monitor a range of conditions affecting many parts of the body Photo: Peter Morenus
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has come a long way since the technique was first used in the U.S. in the late 1970s. UConn Health is now taking this powerful, non-invasive imaging tool to the next level.
UConn Health physicians in a variety of specialties are using the technology — which captures images of the inside of the body using a large magnet rather than radiation — in new ways to detect and monitor illnesses.
Dr. Peter Albertsen, chief of UConn Health's Division of Urology, currently follows 100 patients with localized prostate cancer, which is slow-growing, using advanced multiple-parametric MRI imaging. The technology has now replaced ultrasound as the imaging method of choice for prostate cancer. The technique yields multiple imaging sequences of the prostate, providing information about the anatomy, cellular density measurement, and vascular supply.
There is growing evidence to support the idea that the best treatment plan for low-grade prostate cancer is "watchful waiting" to monitor its progression, instead of immediate surgery or radiation. Albertsen's practice of active surveillance, and not intervention, for localized prostate cancer was reinforced by a recent long-term study published in September in the New England Journal of Medicine, on which Albertsen served as a consultant.
The technology is extraordinarily helpful, allowing us to avoid invasive biopsy testing and associated risks of bleeding and infection.
— Dr. Marco Molina, Radiologist, Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Therapeutics
UConn Health is the first in Greater Hartford to use MRI to measure the stiffness of patients' livers to reveal disease without the need for biopsy. Its MR elastography technique involves placing a paddle on a patient's skin over the liver during MRI to create vibrations and measure the velocity of the radio waves penetrating the organ. This can indicate a stiffer liver and help diagnose fibrosis, cirrhosis, a fatty liver, or inflammation associated with hepatitis. The initiative is led by Dr. Marco Molina, radiologist in the Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Therapeutics.
"The technology is extraordinarily helpful, allowing us to avoid invasive biopsy testing and associated risks of bleeding and infection," Molina says. "Plus, with the obesity epidemic, patients developing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), or fatty liver, can receive earlier diagnosis and take action to reverse their disease's progression with diet and exercise."
The new Women's Center at UConn Health has opened its state-of-the-art Beekley Imaging Center, featuring advanced breast cancer screening. Dr. Alex Merkulov, associate professor of radiology and section head of women's imaging, and his team are conducting research to test the effectiveness of using an abbreviated, five-minute MRI scan to confirm or rule out a breast cancer diagnosis. Typically, an MRI test takes 20 minutes, but researchers are seeing that a briefer MRI scan of just a few minutes can help provide a definitive answer to whether an abnormal breast growth is cancer or not — and potentially help women avoid the biopsy process.
The UConn Musculoskeletal Institute is now researching the use of MRI to assess and map the strength, weakness, and underlying makeup of a patient's cartilage, especially for those with arthritis. The tool can allow orthopedic experts to identify any thinning or loss of cartilage in the body, which signifies moderate to late-stage disease. In early stages of arthritis, MRI can help pinpoint early morphological and subtle biochemical changes in cartilage.
In neuroradiology, UConn Health is using the power of MRI to differentiate brain tumors, to detect strokes, to assess dementia, to diagnose multiple sclerosis, to evaluate traumatic brain injury, to find the source of epilepsy, and to guide brain surgery. In March 2017, leading neuroradiologist Dr. Leo Wolansky joins UConn Health to advance its research and chair the Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Therapeutics. Wolansky's neuroimaging research has focused on enhancing understanding of MRI and its contrast agents, especially for multiple sclerosis and brain tumors. He also specializes in the hybrid imaging modality PET-MRI.
"Thanks to the power and advancement of MRI, doctors can see early evidence of disease and seize the opportunity to intervene and improve their patients' health," Molina says.
Posted in Clinical Innovations	Tagged Beekley Imaging Center, Brain Tumors, breast cancer, Dementia, Dr. Alex Merkulov, Dr. Leo Wolansky, Dr. Marco Molina, Dr. Peter Albertsen, Liver Disease, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI, Multiple Sclerosis, neurology, New England Journal of Medicine, Prostate Cancer, radiology, Stroke, UConn Musculoskeletal Institute, Urology, Watchful Waiting, Women's Center at UConn Health
New Neurology Chair Sees UConn's Possibilities
Dr. L. John Greenfield looks forward to helping push UConn Health's Department of Neurology to the next level as its new chair.
Greenfield, a nationally known epilepsy expert, came to UConn Health in early September from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine, where he also served as chair of neurology. He will also serve as the academic chair of neurology at Hartford Hospital.
"I see a lot of possibilities at UConn," Greenfield says.
These include goals of establishing an epilepsy monitoring unit, developing a high-density electroencephalography (EEG) facility, and continuing to expand the stroke, neuromuscular, MS, and movement disorders programs.
Because we're training the next generation of neurologists, we're focused on … doing research and developing new treatments.
— Dr. L. John Greenfield, Chair, UConn Health Neurology
Greenfield's arrival as UConn Health's third epilepsy specialist puts the department at a "critical mass for moving things to the next level," he says.
Previously, UConn Health has relied on Hartford Hospital for inpatient monitoring of epilepsy patients to determine if they are candidates for epilepsy surgery. Greenfield hopes UConn can establish its own unit for the initial phase of the process. He plans for continued and expanded collaboration with neurologists at Hartford Hospital in epilepsy and other areas. Neurologists at UConn and Hartford Hospital already work closely together in training neurology resident physicians and fellows.
UConn Health is also developing a high-density EEG facility, which would be a resource for the region, he says. Traditional EEGs monitor brainwaves using 15-20 electrodes. A high-density EEG involves a special cap with more than 250 contact points, providing more detailed information on where seizures are coming from, along with other potential uses.
The department also plans to hire more doctors to support its successful movement disorders, neuromuscular, MS, and stroke programs, according to Greenfield, while continuing to provide top-quality care in more "bread and butter" neurological disorders, such as chronic headaches.
"The fact that we're accessible, very highly trained and patient focused, and an academic medical center gives us an edge against our competitors," Greenfield says. "Because we're training the next generation of neurologists, we're focused on not only using the latest techniques and information so we can teach them, and also doing research and developing new treatments."
Dr. L. John Greenfield
Yale University, B.A.
School of Medicine, MD, Ph.D.
University of Michigan, Neurology
American Academy of Neurology, Fellow
American Neurological Association, Fellow
Association of University Professors of Neurology, Councilor
American Epilepsy Society, Member
Epilepsy Foundation of America, Professional Advisory Board Member
Posted in Physician Spotlight	Tagged Dr. L. John Greenfield, EEG, Epilepsy, Hartford Hospital, Movement Disorders, Multiple Sclerosis, neurology, Neuromuscular Program, Stroke, UConn Health Department of Neurology


Founded by Max Frank and Jeff Warmoth, two leaders in California and Nevada residential and mixed-used development, 33North Development Group is committed to creative residential land planning and architectural design.
Every 33North community is planned to be an asset to the existing community, with a commitment to quality, sustainable design, and neighborhood engagement. At 33North, we have earned recognition for our innovative development concepts, as well as for our collaborative approach to place making.
33North works together with local governments, financial partners, neighboring landowners, architects, design professionals, and existing and future residents to create highly desirable communities, where people are proud to live.
33North's partners acquired, planned, entitled, and developed some of the most respected residential communities in California and Nevada. Reputation, experience, and relationships are the hallmark of 33North's success.
Max Frank brings more than a decade of real estate acquisition, financing, product development, land planning, entitlement, land development and homebuilding experience to 33NDG. Frank has been directly responsible for identifying new land investment opportunities, negotiating land acquisitions, sourcing and securing debt and equity, and obtaining entitlements for development properties throughout California and Nevada. Frank has entitled large-scale, in-fill residential master planned communities, mixed-use projects and neighborhood in-fill projects, including The Vale at Sunnyvale, a 450-unit master planned community that was sold in 2016 for $186 Million.
Prior to founding 33NDG, Frank worked for Watt Communities for 14 years, most recently leading operations in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area. At Watt, Frank focused on urban in-fill, urban master planned communities, and adaptive reuse of underutilized industrial or commercial properties. In addition to directing and overseeing strategic planning for his divisions, Frank managed real estate acquisition, financing, product development, entitlement, land development, and homebuilding operations.
Frank is a licensed California Real Estate Broker. Frank received his Bachelor of Science in Urban Planning & Development from the University of Southern California. Max uses his experience to impact the industry by serving on the Leadership Council for USC's Sol Price School of Public Policy and as a member and past board member of the Building Industry Association. In addition to being a leader within his field, Max supports Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Jeff Warmoth brings over three decades of experience in law, investment banking, land planning, product development, entitlement, land development and homebuilding to 33NDG. Prior to teaming up with Max Frank, most recently, Warmoth has been directly responsible for the land planning, product planning, community engagement and governmental entitlement for projects that will, upon completion, total over 900 units of in-fill residential and mixed-use projects in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, Warmoth was directly responsible for securing land use entitlements for several major Silicon Valley developments, including securing all of the required land use entitlements for the redevelopment of Downtown Sunnyvale (the former Sunnyvale Town Center).
Warmoth has also served as Vice President – Operations for two Builder 100 homebuilders where he was directly responsible for the acquisition, planning, product design, entitlement and development of several large master planned communities which will total over 7,000 units upon build-out.
Warmoth is a licensed California Real Estate Broker and a member of the California State Bar. Warmoth received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance/Accounting from the University of Illinois, and his law degree from The University of Virginia, Jeff has served in numerous community volunteer roles, including as Member and as Chairman, Los Altos Planning Commission, Los Altos, California, 1994-1998; and, Development Community Representative, Specific Plan Oversight and Outreach Committee, El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan, Menlo Park, California.
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