I'm loving my balcony flooring!! I couldn't be happier. Thanks again so much for everything you've done. I've been telling so many people about you!
I'm really thrilled with how much the balcony space has been transformed and beautified by the flooring – it has already made such a difference. And equally as important, I want to recognize Richard and Joe for being incredible to work with. Richard, you and Joe have been amazing in every way – patient, flexible, solutions-oriented and exquisite in your workmanship.
Really looking forward to seeing it all done with the lighting… thank you again! You can count on me and my designers Coz and Jasmine to be ambassadors you Kandy Flooring.
Personalized and flexible service with an outstanding product. Cheers.
For the first, a definite 10 (and we already have recommended you and showed off the work). The second is easy: undeniable attention to detail, creativity, timeliness, cleanliness and product quality. And we really enjoyed meeting both of you as well. All the best. We look forward to seeing you when you have a minute to drop by and attack that one screw.
I will give you a 10. I love my deck and everyone that has seen it is amazed so I have been handing out your cards. Cheers.
Not only were my needs met by Jason and his team, but I really felt that my opinion was top priority and the turn around time for service was very quick. Our outdoor space now is more inviting and accessible for me using a wheelchair. Top notch!
This is easy ! I wholeheartedly recommend Kandy Outdoor Flooring to anyone considering this product and happily give a score of 10 /10. My reasons for the above. Definition of a 'candy', a delight to the eye which begs to be enjoyed ! Such is the case with Kandy Outdoor Flooring. I succumbed, and my condo balcony does indeed, delight my eye and enhance my balcony experience beyond expectations. Glenn and Yvonne Hermann are professional yet warm, a delight to do business with, and I wish them much success in their future with ' Kandy '.
Appearance of product, and, level of service. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
We were really happy with everything from when we first clicked onto your site, from our meeting, the installation and the finished decking. There is nothing we would want you to change at all. Thanks for your help.
We Love the extension of our indoor space to Our outdoor Balcony!  The colour of the flooring is perfect, and the Lighting adds a sophisticated ambiance .We are using the space which is a compliment to Dave, Hailey and their team for turning an "Okay" space into a "Restored! Exquisite!" space.
We had outdoor flooring put in on our balcony and we love it! I can honestly say that we had the BEST customer service: Dave, Haley, and Chris were AMAZING!!! In fact I cannot recall having better customer service ever! Thank-you again for everything! You guys ROCK!!!!
Our clients are so happy with your finished product and Sarah and I are so pleased with how easily everything all came together. Please keep in touch with us. We will definitely be referring you to any of our future clients. Looking forward to working with you again soon!
We worked with Dave Kennedy and his team to put in the Kandy Hardwood flooring on our balcony. Firstly, we are very pleased with the result – the product is good quality and enhances the look of a typical condo balcony making it warm and inviting. More importantly, working with Dave was a pleasure from the very beginning of the project. He was quick to respond to our request for a quotation and answered all our questions through the installation process. Commitment to customer satisfaction and quality work was his first priority. Absolutely recommend Dave's service and the product.
I can honestly say that my dealings with you surpassed all of my expectations. You instilled a belief in me and I just knew that an excellent job would be completed. You truly expanded my home experiences and broadened my life enjoyment. I am so happy with the tiling and lighting. You elevated my lifestyle. You made me look good to Laura. I owe you big for that one. You are always welcomed into my home. I wish you continued success.
Kandy Products – top notch; superior quality; wonderful grain and colour of tiling; lighting has wonderful features.
Kandy Service – spectacular; prompt; responsive; at every stage, the process was explained; attentive to details; installer made the appropriate modifications and adjustments to suit my home; respectful of my home; clean and tidy.
My New Outdoor Space – beautiful; elegant; classy.
I would enthusiastically recommend KANDY Outdoor Flooring 10/10. The biggest reason is the attractive appearance of the tiles on my balcony.
We just wanted to thank you immensely for the wonderful service and product that you provided. It started with us chasing down your Kandy vehicle trying to record your phone number. Your van was advertising exactly what we were looking for – hardwood flooring for our condo deck. When we met with you, the whole Kandy experience was enhanced. Your personality was warm and inviting. Your knowledge of the products was extensive and thorough. You fulfilled your promises and kept within the time schedule as proposed. The final result of our flooring is outstanding. The flooring was meticulously installed especially on the curves on our deck. Everyone who has come into our suite have commented on the beautiful flooring. We have already highly recommended you to others and will continue to do so. We are looking forward to entertaining our guests on the deck!
The entire procedure was explained to me fully before it was started.
The "all in" price structure was explained and followed to completion even though the installation was more difficult than expected.
The product was far superior that any of the commercially available types from retail stores.
The installation was excellent and the result vastly improved the aesthetics and functionality of my deck space.
Most importantly, everyone involved with Kandy Flooring was very easy and friendly to deal with.
We couldn't have asked for a better experience and are delighted with out new outdoor hardwood floor. Glenn and Yvonne were tremendous: They set expectations, arrived promptly, but most importantly, took pride in the product they were delivering to us. Glenn's attention to detail in installing our floor was beyond expectation! Our patio required a number of diagonal cuts and Glenn handled each with the quality he would expect in his own home. Even where our walls weren't perfectly square, he took the time to make the cuts and fill the gaps so that we have a beautiful, harmonious outdoor patio floor. Hire Glenn and Yvonne to transform your patio or balcony! You won't regret it!
Tony did a great job, perfect fit/cuts. Already getting great use out if it, we were out there all evening, it's just so much more comfortable underfoot.
The IPE product itself look is exceptional. The consultation process in selecting a layout pattern, as well as the use of the granite for the BBQ area was excellent. Delivery and installation were completed earlier than expected. Tony the installer was excellent in fine tuning the install plan, and the installation itself was done very professionally and totally on time. Overall we are very satisfied, you have helped us create a totally new deck environment, which we will enjoy for many years to come. Totally professional and awesome job!
Just a note to say how much we appreciated you coming over. The balcony looks brand new! We are very pleased.
We just wanted to thank you and Tony for our absolutely fabulous new deck – and just in time for the warm weather!! I wish you and your wife all the best with the company. We will certainly recommend KANDY to our friends.
"Thanks Kelly & Doug. I love the deck!
@KANDYoutdoor being on Dragon's Den is awesome, getting complimented by @JTreliving…… priceless.
@JTreliving @KANDYoutdoor Condo??? I would love this for my deck! Better looking than the wood! Awesome product, awesome!


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A Note from the Editors
First published online: March 14, 2007
The Guttmacher Policy Review and its readers recently suffered a tremendous blow. On December 24, 2006, at the age of 38, one of our most prolific and accomplished authors, Cynthia Dailard, died suddenly. Trained as a lawyer and seasoned through her work on Capitol Hill and in the White House, Cynthia, who joined the Guttmacher Institute's policy staff in 1998, was a disciplined, rigorous analyst and a compelling communicator. She seamlessly blended an authoritative knowledge of research—and an inherent feel for the power it can have in policy formulation—with an insider's understanding of the policy-making process.
Cynthia was the Institute's chief policy analyst on issues related to domestic family planning programs, sex education and teenagers' sexual behavior. Over the course of eight years, she proved herself a powerful, determined advocate, bent on moving a positive sexual and reproductive health agenda forward even in the most difficult political environment. Much of her work, and her writings, revolved around efforts to sustain and expand the reach of publicly subsidized family planning programs serving disadvantaged women, and to ensure the coverage of contraception in health insurance plans. At the same time, she pushed us to think and to stretch in new directions, often anticipating policy opportunities or trends before they were widely recognized. Some of her recent writings, for example, explored the logistic hurdles to providing widespread cervical cancer vaccination, and she painstakingly documented the increasingly restrictive definition of sexual abstinence being articulated quietly, in drips and drabs, by the federal government.
Cynthia Dailard was also a beloved colleague and friend. It is, therefore, not only with respect and admiration but also with abiding affection that we dedicate this issue to her, in her memory and her honor. The compilation on page 17 is excerpted from six of Cynthia's most influential articles and provides an overview of her thoughts on some of the issues dearest to her. We hope these parting words will educate, illuminate, inspire.
—Cory L. Richards and Adam Sonfield

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Did GDPR reduce domain spam?
The General Data Protection Regulation, better known under its acronym GDPR, has now been active as of half a year. The GDPR greatly limits the collection, storage and publication of personal data. That means that, although it is not perfect yet, privacy really is on everyone's mind nowadays. At Openprovider, we can imagine that many resellers and website owners are curious to know how much the GDPR has truly achieved on the topic of domain spam. Is it still possible to receive this?
Recently, we investigated two unrelated domain-related spam complaints from two of our most valued customers. Does that mean that we leak personal data somewhere? This blog post explains how the whois is protected, and tries to understand the smart minds of personal data harvesters after the GDPR.
A quick explanation
Within the scope of domain registration, the biggest impact affects the whois of generic top level domains (gTLDs). We will briefly explain those two terms, which are important for understanding the scope of this blog post.
The whois is a data directory that registries and/or registrars maintain. It contains the registration data of each domain name. The whois stores personal and company data, including the domain name, domain status, expiration date, registrar and domain contacts.
A gTLD is any domain extension that is not a country code. For example: .com is a gTLD, .uk is not; .info is a gTLD, .cn is not; .berlin is a gTLD, .de is not; .eu is… well, even registry EURid does not know, but at least ICANN does not control .eu, so we consider it a country code. Country codes always have 2 characters. Each extension that has 3 or more characters is a gTLD.
We do not cover the ccTLDs (country code top level domains). In most cases, their whois service was already quite restricted before the enforcement date of the GDPR.
The era of unrestricted, open whois
ICANN has always enforced an open whois in its contracts with registries and registrars. All contact data of the domain owner, administrative contact and technical contact were visible, without any restrictions. That's great in many cases. For example, if you want to contact the domain holder because you want to buy his domain; if you want to contact the domain's technical contact because the nameservers are broken; if you're doing statistical research; or if you are a trademark lawyer and want to contact the domain holder of a domain that infringes a trademark.
On the other hand, the publication of personal data also comes with potential abuse. A prime minister does not want the whole world to know his telephone number. And the domain holder of a strongly polarising website does not want his opponents to visit his home address. Moreover, no registrants of any website wants third parties to flood them with unsolicited offers of web design or SEO services.
This last example is what this blog post is about.
A short note on how easy it was to get all data from just registered domains: gTLDs are required to open their zone files to almost everyone. I could (and still can), at any moment, get a full list of all registered domain names in the gTLD zone and start crawling the whoises to retrieve linked e-mail addresses. With almost 200.000.000 registered gTLDs, this is a very valuable data source. If I do it daily, I can easily find all domains registered within the last 24 hours.
The era of restricted whois
Since the GDPR is enforced, the contact data that are publicly visible through the whois are limited to company name, state/province and country code. Moreover, the whois includes an anonymised e-mail address or a link to a contact form. As an example, you can view the whois output of openprovider.com on the right. You can click on the image to enlarge it.
In other words: there is no relation anymore between a domain name and contact e-mail address. Nobody can find the domain holder's e-mail address from the whois data of the respective domain name.
So, the GDPR finally got rid of domain spam!?
Theoretically, as the GDPR limits the whois to the most basic information, old domain spam practices are no longer possible. However, theory is not always equal to the real life situation…
Recently, we investigated two unrelated questions from two of our most valued customers. Both customers complained about domain-related spam to the domain holder, shortly after registration of a new domain.
Their justified question was: is Openprovider leaking data? The answer is "no". We were able to drill down each single case to a logical explanation.
Fact: the data is not published anywhere
What are the potential leaks? Of course there is our own whois server, which ICANN requires us to run. We can assure you: we do not leak data there. The "REDACTED FOR PRIVACY" fields are hard-coded in our implementation. We did not yet implement a way to disclose whois data for eligible requesters.
That leads us to the registry whois server. Most cases we saw concerned .com and .net domains. Again, we can assure you that no data is leaking there. Verisign, the registry for .com and .net, does not even support contact objects in their registry system! In other words, we never send contact data to Verisign.
Other registries do run their own whois server, including contact data stored in their systems. But just like us, those registries are bound to ICANN rules. Immediately from the 25th of May 2018, these registries hid the personal data fields. We cannot guarantee this for all gTLD registries, but the complaints are about the biggest ones: .org, .biz, .info and just one other domain under .art. So while we cannot speak for all of them, that should not be a source for leaking.
A short note on the difference between collection and publication. The GDPR so far only affects published data. Under the hood, the registrar en most registries still collect full contact data. Openprovider also shares this data with a designated escrow agent as part of ICANN's requirements. However, publication is strictly limited.
Other potential sources require illegal actions. Of course, third parties may hack our systems, registry systems or the data escrow provider – or that might happen to your systems. However, all of this is extremely unlikely.
Looking at all the above, well, it's quite unlikely that domain spam happens on such a big scale because of source data being available.
Assumption: what happened?
All cases that we investigated can be divided in three scenarios, of which the second and third are most likely to happen on a big scale. For full understanding, it's important to know that the registries' zone files are still available. If you want, you can download a fresh list of domains every day, and you then know which domains have been registered during the last 24 hours.
Some websites clearly show contact details. If you register domain-x.com place a big banner "Contact us at information@domain-x.com!" on it, you deliberately choose to disclose your personal data.
Spammers may use standard addresses. If you want to contact the owner of www.domain-y.com, just try sending an e-mail to info@domain-y.com.
But most likely, spammers use professional service providers like domaintools.com or whoxy.com. Those providers have decades of history on millions of domains, including personal data from the pre-GDPR era. While in our opnion, they should not be allowed to store and publish it, it is a fact they still do so and that people use these data. We will provide some examples on this.
Example 1: openprovider.page
We registered the domain openprovider.page this year on the 10th of October this year. The company name is Openprovider, and the address is our current office address (Kipstraat in Rotterdam). This, of course, is is invisible in the whois.
However, the details that we can see here are an address where we moved away around 15 years ago. The contact is also not the person actually linked to the domain, and all other personal data are incorrect as well.
Looking up this domain on Whoxy.com, they claim to know the holder's personal details.
These data likely come from an older domain (probably a test domain), that we reigstered on the name of "Openprovider" as well.
Example 2: incorrect historical match
The second example (which concerns an unaware end user, so we will not be sharing the name) strengthens our assumptions. The public whois shows that the domain belongs to the Dutch company "Masoko". Whoxy.com (we don't have shares in that company!) correctly shows "Masoko" as the owner. But the contact data are those of a completely unrelated Swedish company with the same name.
Example 3: GDPR-limited data
A last real life example is a domain registered on the company Proto-Service. Apparently Whoxy.com could not link this company name to any previously collected data, and thus it shows nothing more than "REDACTED FOR PRIVACY":
What does this show?
Let's be honest, these are all examples that illustrate our assumptions. You can call it a bias. It does not prove anything, but hopefully, it does explain why we would rather explain "domain spam after the passage of the GDPR" as a result of smart minds than a result of data leaking.
Every example that we hve investigated so far can be explained by the examples in this blog post.
We am still looking for an example that can not be explained in this way: a domain, registered on a unique e-mail address that is used nowhere else, that receives domain-related spam. For example, domain-z.com is registered with e-mail address firstname@domain-z.com, which is published or used nowhere else on the internet. Could it be possible that domain-related spam is received on this e-mail address? We doubt it! But if you encounter this situation, we'll investigate and pay you a beer!
Oh, and what about the question?
You're right, the question in this blog post's title is whether or not the GDPR resulted in a reduction of domain spam. Honestly, I do not know. Despite the title, our intention was to explain the above rather than make a numerical analysis. we w gladly leave that to the experts! For example, one of the leading anti spam agencies, Spamhouse, does not see a clear proof and states it is far too early to tell.


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A local community project's innovative work to improve the environmental quality for both visitors and wildlife at Wyke Beck Valley will be honoured this week.
As part of the three-year programme, members of Wyke Beck Valley Pride and partners have worked closely to enhance the green corridor that runs all the way from Roundhay Park to Rothwell Country Park through Gipton, Seacroft, Killingbeck, Primrose Valley and Halton Moor.
This has resulted in a raft of environmental enhancements being undertaken to create better access and opportunities for involvement in the life of the valley. Information to visitors has also been improved and new entrances installed from Wykebeck Woods to Halton Moor, giving important green spaces across the valley an identity.
What: School children, community and business sector volunteers, Wyke Beck Valley Community Forum members and other stars of the Wyke Beck Valley Pride project will receive Achievement awards from Councillor Mark Dobson, Leeds City Council's executive member for environment and Martin Wainwright, President of Leeds Civic Trust and former Northern Editor of the Guardian, who will also make the keynote speech.
Honouring members of the group will be the council's executive member for the environment Cllr Mark Dobson and President of the Leeds Civic Trust Martin Wainwright.
The £500k scheme is funded by Natural England's Access to Nature fund, Leeds City Council and Green Leeds and is being run as a partnership between members of the community, the Wyke Beck Valley Community Forum, Leeds City Council, TCV, Groundwork Leeds, Leeds Voice, and Ahead Partnerships.
"It gives me a lot of satisfaction to present these awards, which honours the fantastic work of the Wyke Beck Valley Pride project.
"The awards highlight many peoples' commitment over many years, culminating in the grant from Natural England that made it possible to do a lot of dedicated work with the schools, groups and residents of the Valley as well as the landscape.
Access to Nature is run by Natural England and is part of the The Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces programme launched in November 2005 to help communities enjoy and improve their local environments.
Natural England manages this £28.75 million Lottery-funded programme on behalf of a consortium of twelve national environmental organisations comprising BTCV, British Waterways, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Greenspace, Groundwork UK, Land Restoration Trust, The National Trust, Natural England, RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts and the Woodland Trust.
Through this programme, it is Natural England's ambition to create opportunities for people from all backgrounds to have greater access to our natural environment and bring a lasting change to their awareness and understanding as well as improved links to the natural world, which many of us can take for granted.
Groundwork is a national charity working with partners to improve the quality of people's lives and the places where they live, work and play.
TCV, a national environmental volunteering charity, enables people to make a difference in their lives and improve the places around them.
Voluntary Action Leeds (VAL) provides support and advice to third sector organisations & community groups and helps people to volunteer across Leeds.
Ahead Partnerships is a social business helping companies across the city to get involved in the social and economic regeneration of Leeds.
Green Leeds Limited is a charity which receives and distributes Landfill Communities Fund grants for environmental projects across Leeds. Telephone 0113 2478185 or e-mail: Sue.Lumby@leeds.gov.uk.
Leeds City Council Parks and Countryside service manages around 4000 hectares of green space across Leeds, ensuring that the city remains one of the greenest and most attractive places to live in Europe. They are responsible for visitor attractions such as Tropical World, Home Farm at Temple Newsam and Lotherton Hall bird garden. Other work includes supporting Leeds In Bloom, operating a large plant nursery, managing cafes and running an education programme.


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Opinion: Nothing Has Yet Gone To Charity
By Laurence Pagnoni
President Donald J. Trump's inaugural committee raised an unprecedented $107 million, and the committee pledged to give leftover funds to charity. That amount doubled former President Barack Obama's then-record inauguration donations in 2009, which totaled around $53 million. Nearly eight months later, the Trump inaugural committee has helped pay for redecorating the White House and the Vice President's D.C. residence.
But nothing has yet gone to charity.
An inaugural committee is appointed by the President-Elect to take charge of the presidential inaugural ceremony and related activities. This committee is required to disclose to the Federal Election Committee (FEC) all donations received. This report is due to the FEC no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the 90th day following the date of the presidential inaugural ceremony. That date came and went. We learned who the donors were. They included uber-wealthy givers, like investment firm founder Charles Schwab, mining entrepreneur Christopher Cline and the Bank of America. Investor and casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson spent $5 million, which, according to The New York Times, is the largest single contribution given to any president's inaugural committee. Sadly, presidential inauguration committees do not have to disclose how the funds were spent.
We also learned that the campaign committee is now paying legal bills related to the investigation of Trump's alleged collusion with Russia, which makes him the first U.S. president to use such funds to cover the costs of responding to a criminal probe. Is this also true of the inauguration funds?
The recent Associated Press news story about the funds being promised to charity did not quote one nonprofit leader on what we thought about this unfulfilled pledge. This is also true of 10 other articles that I surveyed—an example of how we of the nonprofit sector are invisible to most of the mainstream media and to this administration. Yet what are we doing to call-out this bad behavior?
Isn't it interesting that "45" wants our blessing? He wants "virtue by association" with us, because "giving to charity" means you are a good person. If that's true, what does it mean that he has not fulfilled his pledge? It means he basks in our light without the right to do so. Yet, what are we doing to say that this is not okay?
According to author and fundraiser Frank A. Monte, from a legal standpoint, a charitable pledge is a contract between a donor and a charity in which the donor promises to make a contribution in the future. Such a pledge may be oral or in writing. Obviously, a written pledge is preferable, and charities as well as donors are well advised to reduce all oral pledges to writing as soon as possible. In a disagreement, nothing "trumps" the written word. However, our public servants are expected to keep their word or be discredited.
Back in April, Trump's campaign committee said it was still identifying charities toward which it would direct leftover money. Why is it taking so long?
The Trump campaign committee is due for its next disclosure on October 15th. Let's see if anything has come our way by then. In the meantime, please join me in speaking out for transparency and accountability.
E Laurence Pagnoni Author's page
Laurence is author of "The Nonprofit Fundraising Solution," the first book on fundraising ever published by the American Management Association. He is Chairman of LAPA Fundraising serving nonprofits throughout the U.S. and Europe.
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Justia Patents US Patent for Ultrasonic imaging catheter with guidewire channel Patent (Patent # 5,024,234)
Ultrasonic imaging catheter with guidewire channel
Oct 17, 1989 - Cardiovascular Imaging Systems, Inc.
Intravascular catheters including both a flexible catheter body and a less flexible housing mounted at a distal end of the catheter body are provided with a flexible distal tip, preferably having a conical geometry. Guidewire channel or lumen is formed within the tip, and optionally additional guidewire lumens are formed in the housing or the distal end of the catheter body, or both. The catheters may thus be inserted and withdrawn over a guidewire without the need for the entire length of the catheter to pass over the guidewire.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the construction of intravascular catheters. More particularly, the invention relates to intravascular catheters having guidewire receptacles which are compatible with distal housings having internal components therein.
Arteriosclerosis, also known as atherosclerosis, is a common human ailment arising from the deposition of fatty-like substances, referred to as atheroma or plaque, on the walls of blood vessels. Such deposits occur both in peripheral blood vessels that feed the limbs of the body and coronary blood vessels which feed the heart. When deposits accumulate in localized regions of a blood vessel, blood flow is restricted and the person's health is at serious risk.
Numerous approaches for reducing and removing such vascular deposits have been proposed, including balloon angioplasty where a balloon-tipped catheter is used to dilatate a region of atheroma, atherectomy where a blade or other cutting element is used to sever and remove the atheroma, and laser angioplasty where laser energy is used to ablate at least a portion of the atheroma. In addition to such therapeutic approaches, a variety of techniques for transluminal imaging of atheroma and other diseased regions of a blood vessel have been proposed, including endoscopic imaging techniques and ultrasonic imaging techniques. Common to all such techniques is the use of an intravascular catheter which is positioned at a desired location within the blood vessel to be treated or imaged.
Two alternative approaches may generally be employed to achieve such positioning. In the first approach, the vascular catheter is provided with a "fixed guidewire" secured to its distal end. The fixed guidewire is typically a coiled spring or other elongate resilient member having a preformed, curved tip. The catheter can then be guided through branches within the vascular network by rotating the entire catheter, causing the tip of the guidewire to enter a desired branch as the catheter is moved forward. In the second technique, entirely separate "movable guidewire" is employed. The movable guidewire is itself a coiled spring or other resilient elongate member and will generally include a curved tip similar to that provided on the fixed guidewires described above. The vascular catheter being positioned includes a guidewire lumen which generally extends down the center of the entire length of the catheter and is sized to receive the movable guidewire. The movable guidewire is first positioned within the vascular system so that its distal end extends beyond the region of interest, and the intravascular catheter is then inserted over the movable guidewire using the guidewire lumen. Such procedures using movable guidewires are commonly referred to as "over-the-wire" insertional techniques.
The use of movable guidewires enjoys a number of advantages over the use of fixed guidewires. In particular, a movable guidewire allows positioning of relatively large diameter catheters which would be difficult to manipulate using a fixed guidewire. The presence of a movable guidewire also facilitates repositioning of the catheter during use and simplifies withdrawal of the catheter and replacement by either the same catheter or a different catheter.
The use of movable guidewires with certain types of intravascular catheters, however, is problematic. Many catheters have internal components within their distal end for imaging or interventional purposes, and such components can interfere with passage of the movable guidewire through the catheter. The use of movable guidewires has been particularly troublesome with imaging catheters of the type employing ultrasonic elements at their distal end, frequently in combination with rotating mirrors. It is undesirable to penetrate the ultrasonic element thus rendering passage of a movable guidewire through the center of the catheter undesirable. Thus, such catheters have normally employed fixed guidewires at their distal ends.
A second consideration in employing movable guidewires relates to their length. In many catheters, the movable guidewire is received in a lumen which extends the entire length of the catheter body. In order to both insert the catheter and remove the catheter while leaving the movable guidewire in place, it is necessary that the movable guidewire have a length equal to at least twice that of the catheter body. In this way, the proximal end of the guidewire may be held in place at all times while the catheter is being inserted or withdrawn. The use of such long guidewires, however, proved highly inconvenient, requiring manipulation of the guidewire in the catheter at great distances from the patient. To overcome these problems, "monorail" systems have been devised for certain types of catheters, including balloon-tipped catheters and laser hot tip catheters.
In such monorail designs, the guidewire lumen extends through only a very short wire lumen formed at the distal end of the catheter. Thus, the length of the guidewire can be reduced to a length which need only be equal to the length of the catheter plus the short length of the wire lumen at the distal end. Such monorail guidewire lumens, however, have not generally been employed in catheters having mechanical and electrical components in their distal end, such as ultrasonic imaging catheters where the passage of a guidewire, even for a short length, is problematic.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide intravascular catheters having alternative receptacle constructions for receiving movable guidewires. It would be particular desirable to provide such intravascular catheters with receptacles for receiving movable guidewires in such a way that interference with the internal components is minimized. Preferably, such guidewire receptacles should provide for monorail operation which facilitates separation of the catheter from the guidewire as the catheter is withdrawn.
Description of the Background Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,931, describes a vascular ultrasonic imaging catheter employing a rotating mirror or ultrasonic element to produce a two-dimensional image. The catheter is illustrated to include a fixed guidewire at its distal tip. U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,129, illustrates a balloon dilatation catheter having a laterally-offset lumen extending axially through the balloon and capable of receiving a movable guidewire. U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,982, discloses a balloon dilatation catheter having parallel lumens extending through the catheter body. A side port opens to one of said lumens proximally of the balloon, allowing a movable guidewire to extend from said side port the entire distance to the distal tip of the catheter. Trimedyne, Inc. of Tustin, Calif., sells a hot tip laser catheter having an enlarged metal tip with an axially-offset lumen for receiving a guidewire. The catheter is described in a brochure entitled "Announcing the family of 2.5 mm Laserprobes" dated December 1987.
According to the present invention, an intravascular catheter comprises a flexible catheter body having proximal and distal ends with a housing secured to the distal end. A flexible tip is secured to a distal end of the housing, and a guidewire channel is formed in the tip, extending from a first port on its proximal periphery to a second port at the distal end of the tip. Usually, the flexible tip has a conical geometry, where the first port is formed adjacent the base and the second port is formed at the conical apex. By providing a guidewire port at the periphery of the flexible tip, the guidewire can be partially or entirely bypassed around the housing in order to minimize the design impact on the internal components within the housing. Such design is particularly useful for ultrasonic imaging catheters having ultrasonic imaging components within the housing. Bypassing the guidewire around the housing can minimize the diameter of the catheter, improving access to small blood vessels and tight atherosclerotic lesions and minimizing the image artifact resulting from the guidewire.
In a first exemplary embodiment, both the housing and the catheter body are provided with radially-offset guidewire channels which are generally aligned with the first peripheral port on the flexible catheter tip. The channel in the housing usually extends the entire length and is typically formed as a separate tube adjacent to the portion of the housing which encloses the internal components. The guidewire channel on the catheter body, however, will extend only a portion of the body length where a peripheral access port is provided. In this way, the guidewire will be received in a radially-offset guidewire channel which extends from a peripheral port on the catheter body to an apical port on the flexible catheter tip. Such constructions provide a very high degree of maneuverability and facilitate pushing the catheter through small, tortuous paths where the tendency for the guidewire to separate from the catheter is greatest.
In a second exemplary embodiment, the guidewire channel in the flexible catheter tip is utilized as the sole guiding channel for the catheter. Such a construction provides a minimum catheter diameter and image artifact, but is somewhat less maneuverable and pushable than the first exemplary embodiment.
In a third exemplary embodiment, guidewire channels are provided in both the flexible catheter tip and on the flexible catheter body, but not on the housing. Such construction combines the best features of both the first and second embodiments, where the guidewire channel on the catheter body enhances maneuverability and pushability of the catheter, as the tendency for the guidewire to separate from the catheter is minimized, and minimizes the catheter diameter and image artifact as no additional structure on the housing is required.
FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a catheter system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the distal end of the catheter system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a distal tip of a second embodiment of the catheter system of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10--10 in FIG. 7.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a distal tip of a third embodiment of the catheter system of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 12--12 in FIG. 11.
FIG. 16 is perspective view of a catheter system of the type illustrated in FIG. 11, having open guidewire channels formed in the tip in the catheter body.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
The intravascular catheters of the present invention will include an elongate catheter body which is similar in construction to intravascular catheters of the type which are well known in the art. The catheter body will usually comprise a very flexible tube having proximal and distal ends and at least one lumen extending between said ends. The tube may be formed by extrusion of an organic polymer, typically a thermoplastic, such as nylon, polyurethane, polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyethylene, and the like. The tubes so formed may be reinforced or unreinforced, with reinforcement being provided by metal wires, metal braided cables, or the like. The catheter body will typically have a length from about 60 to 150 cm and a diameter from about 3 to 11 French (F; 0.33 mm). For use in coronary applications, the catheter body will typically have a length from about 120 to 150 cm, and a diameter from about 3 to 6 French (F), while for peripheral applications, the catheter body will have a length from about 60 to 110 cm and a diameter from about 3 to 11 F.
The housing will be secured to or formed at the distal end of the catheter body. The housing may be open, i.e., include one or more apertures, gaps, or the like, which allow for unrestricted passage of materials or energy between the interior of the housing and the external environment, or may be closed. The housing may be formed separately or integrally with the structure of the catheter body. In either case, the housing will provide a more rigid structure than the catheter body. Usually, the housing will be very rigid, although a certain degree of flexibility may be desirable in certain applications. The housing may be formed from metal, such as stainless steel, from a rigid plastic, or may be formed by reinforcement of the catheter body itself within the region intended as the housing. When intended for ultrasonic imaging, the housing will usually be open or formed from an ultrasonically transparent material. The housing will usually have a cylindrical diameter, having a diameter from about 3 to 11 F, more usually from about 3 to 8 F, although the geometry may vary as described in connection with the drawings hereinbelow.
A wide variety of internal components may be located within the housing in order to provide for various interventional and imaging capabilities, such as laser ablation, atherectomy, perfusion, therapeutic ultrasound, endoscopic imaging, ultrasonic imaging, and the like. The present invention will find its greatest use, however, with ultrasonic imaging systems including an ultrasonic element capable of generating and receiving an ultrasonic imaging signal. Mechanical components will also be provided for sweeping the ultrasonic element in a desired direction, typically a radial sweep as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,931, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The ultrasonic element may be directly rotated or the ultrasonic signal indirectly rotated using a rotatable mirror. Specific systems for providing ultrasonic imaging will be described in connection with the drawings hereinbelow.
A flexible catheter tip will be secured to or formed at the distal end of the catheter housing. The flexible tip may be substantially solid, substantially hollow, or have an intermediate construction, and will extend beyond the housing by a length of at least 0.5 cm, usually being from about 0.5 to 1.5 cm, more usually being from about 0.5 to 1.0 cm. The tip will be highly flexible, being more flexible than the catheter housing, and typically being as flexible or nearly flexible as the catheter body. The flexible tip may be formed from similar polymers as described in connection with the catheter body. The tip will usually be formed separately from the housing and the catheter body, but integral constructions where at least a portion of the flexible tip is formed continuously with the housing and/or the catheter body may also find use.
The primary guidewire channel of the present invention will be formed in the flexible tip and include a first port on the outer periphery of the tip adjacent the proximal end where the tip is attached to the housing. The guidewire channel extends through the tip to a second port formed at the distal end of the tip. By locating the first port on the periphery of the tip and the second port along the axial center of the tip, the guidewire may be readily received in the guidewire channel with a minimum tendency to seize as the catheter is advanced over the guidewire. The ability of the catheter to follow the guidewire is further enhanced by the flexibility of the tip which allows it to follow around even tight radii formed in tortuous regions of the vascular system.
In the preferred embodiments, the flexible tip has a conical geometry, where the first port is formed in the conical surface of the tip adjacent the base and the second port is formed in the conical apex. The conical tip is able to smoothly advance through the vascular system over the guidewire.
Referring now to FIGS. 1-6, a first catheter system 10 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention will be described. The catheter system 10 includes a catheter body 12, housing structure 14, and a flexible tip 16. The catheter body 12 includes a distal portion 18 having a central lumen 20 and guidewire lumen 22 formed therein. The remaining proximal portion of the catheter body 12 includes only central lumen 20. Proximal access to the guidewire lumen 22 is provided through peripheral port 24 formed at the proximal end of the distal region 18. As illustrated, the catheter body 12 and distal region 18 have a generally oval cross-section which provides an extended region for forming the guidewire lumen 22. In this way, a guidewire 26 may be received through the port 24 in a substantially parallel axial orientation.
Housing 14 includes cylindrical segments 30 and 32 and a separate tube 34 which is aligned with the guidewire lumen 22 and catheter body 12. Cylindrical segments 30 and 32, in turn, are aligned with the primary lumen 23, with segment 30 including an ultrasonic transducer 36 and segment 32 including a rotatable mirror 38. The rotatable mirror 38 is driven by a drive cable 40 which extends proximally through primary lumen 23 to a proximal housing 42, where it terminates in a drive coupling 44. A pair of wires 46 are also introduced to the catheter 10 through a port 47 in housing 42 and are ultimately connected with the transducer element 36. The wires 46 may be passed through a pair of small lumens 48 formed in the catheter wall (FIGS. 5 and 6), passing through the tube 34, and being connected to the transducer element 36. Housing 42 also includes a perfusion port 50 which is fluidly connected with the primary lumen 23. Additional ports in housing 42 and lumens in the catheter body 12 may be provided for other conventional purposes.
Distal tip 16 is a substantially solid elastomeric cone which is secured to the distal end of housing 14. Tip 16 includes the guidewire lumen 52 which extends from first port 54 which is aligned with the lumen of tube 34 to an apical port 56. In this way, wire lumens 52, 34, and 22 are connected in a substantially continuous path which allows guidewire 26 to enter through the apical port 56 and exit through the peripheral port 24 on the catheter body 12. The length of region 18 will typically be in the range from about 5 to 30 cm, more typically being in the range from about 10 to 20 cm.
Referring now to FIGS. 7-10, a second embodiment 60 of the catheter system of the present invention is illustrated. The embodiment 60 includes catheter body 62, housing 64, and a flexible catheter tip 66. The flexible tip 66 includes a guidewire lumen 68 which passes from an apical port 70 to a peripheral port 72. In contrast to the construction of FIGS. 1-6, the peripheral port 72 is formed on the outer conical surface of the tip 66 and allows guidewire 74 to extend to the exterior of the catheter 60, rather than passing through a guidewire lumen formed in the housing 64 or the catheter body 62. By forming the first port 72 flush with the conical wall at the base of the tip 66, smooth passage of the guidewire along the side of catheter 60 is enhanced. Provision of the second port at the apical tip of the catheter tip 66 similarly enhances the passage of the catheter along the guidewire through tortuous vascular paths.
The housing 64 is similar to housing 14 of FIGS. 1-6, except that axial struts 76 are provided in order to connect the first housing segment 78 with a second housing segment 80. The housing 64 includes an ultrasonic imaging element 82 and rotating mirror 84, where the mirror is driven by drive cable 86 which passes through a central lumen 88 of the catheter body 62.
Referring now to FIGS. 11-15, a third embodiment 100 of the catheter system of the present invention is illustrated. The catheter system 100 includes catheter body 102, catheter housing 104, and a flexible catheter tip 106. The construction of the flexible catheter tip 106 is substantially the same as that described for catheter tip 66 in FIGS. 7-10. Flexible tip 106 thus includes a first port 108 formed adjacent the base of the tip on its conical surface and a second port 110 formed at the apex of the flexible tip. The guidewire lumen 112 is thus able to receive guidewire 114 through the apical port 110 and release the guidewire adjacent to the outer surface of housing 104, as illustrated.
The catheter body 102 of catheter 100 includes a second guidewire lumen 116 formed parallel to the primary lumen 118. Guidewire lumen 116 includes a peripheral port 120 formed near the distal end of the catheter body and a second port 122 formed a preselected distance proximally to the first port. The preselected distance will usually be in the range from about 5 to 30 cm, more usually being in the range from about 10 to 20 cm. Location of the ports 120 and 122 on the periphery of the catheter allow entry and exit of the guidewire 114 with a minimal increase in the diameter of the catheter body 102. Moreover, the ability to route the guidewire 114 through the second guidewire lumen 116 enhances the maneuverability of the catheter 100 relative to catheter 60 of FIGS. 7-10. Moreover, passing of the guidewire 114 along the outside of housing 104 eliminates all interference with the internal components of the housing and, in the case of ultrasonic imaging catheters, minimizes the image artifact resulting from the presence of a guidewire lumen or channel.
Although the guidewire catheter 116 need only be formed within the distal end of catheter body 102, in some cases it may be convenient to continue the lumen throughout the remaining length of the catheter body. In that case, the lumen may be utilized for additional reinforcement, e.g., by placement of a stiffening wire, or for any other purpose. Alternatively, the lumen 116 may simply be blocked off, as illustrated by plug 124.
The ultrasonic imaging mechanism illustrated within housing 104 is substantially the same as those previously illustrated. An ultrasonic transducer element 130 is provided to project and receive ultrasonic energy from a rotating mirror 132. The mirror is driven by a drive cable 134 which extends proximally to a proximal housing (not illustrated). The housing 104, however, differs from earlier illustrations in that it is fully enclosed and not open to the surrounding environment.
Referring now to FIG. 16, a modification of the construction of the guidewire lumens of the present invention is illustrated. A catheter 130 which is constructed similarly to that illustrated in FIGS. 11-15, includes catheter body 132, housing 134, and flexible catheter tip 136. Instead of providing enclosed guidewire lumens, however, the flexible tip 136 in catheter body 132 include open guidewire channels 138 and 140, respectively. The open guidewire channel 138 in tip 136 extends from apical port 142 to peripheral port 144 to allow normal passage of a guidewire (not illustrated). The open channel 138, however, allows the guidewire to be pulled from the channel without the need to pull the catheter over the entire length of the guidewire. Similarly, the open channel 140 in catheter body 142 allows the guidewire to be pulled from the catheter as it is removed from the patient.
Although the foregoing invention has been described in detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be obvious that certain modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims.
1. An imaging catheter comprising:
a flexible catheter body having proximal and distal ends and a channel capable of receiving a movable guidewire extending between a first port on the periphery of the catheter body located a preselected distance proximally of the distal end and a second port on the periphery of the catheter body located adjacent the distal end;
a substantially rigid housing secured to the distal end of the flexible catheter body, said housing having a substantially rigid radially-offset channel which is aligned with channel on the catheter body and capable of receiving the guidewire from the second port thereof;
means within the housing for scanning an ultrasonic imaging signal across an environment surrounding the housing, wherein the means for scanning includes a fixed ultrasonic transducer and a rotatable mirror; and
a flexible conical tip secured to a distal end of the housing and having a channel which is aligned with the channels on the catheter body and the housing and extending between a first port at the base of the tip and a second port at a conical apex of the tip, wherein the first port on the tip is capable of receiving the guidewire from the channel on the housing.
2. An imaging catheter as in claim 1, wherein the channels on the catheter body, housing, and flexible conical tip are substantially continuous.
3. An imaging catheter as in claim 1, wherein the distal end of the catheter body, the housing, and the base of the flexible conical tip all have non-circular peripheral geometries with a lateral extension to accommodate the guidewire channels.
4. An imaging catheter as in claim 1, wherein the preselected distance between the first and second ports on the catheter body is from about 5 to 30 cm.
5. An imaging catheter as in claim 1, wherein the guidewire channels are closed lumens.
6. An imaging catheter as in claim 1, wherein the guidewire channels are open to facilitate removal of the guidewire.
7. An imaging catheter as in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a distal segment and a proximal segment with an open gap therebetween, wherein the axial channel joins the two segments and the ultrasonic transducer is disposed in the distal segment and the rotatable mirror is disposed in the proximal segment.
4402684 September 6, 1983 Jessup
4748982 June 7, 1988 Horzewski et al.
4762129 August 9, 1988 Bonzel
4794931 January 3, 1989 Yock
4821731 April 18, 1989 Martinelli et al.
Medi-Tech, Incorporated, "Ultrasound Imaging Catheter", Cat. No. 01-118, Aug. 1989. "Announcing the Family of 2.5 mm Laserprobes" dated Dec., 1987. Intravascular Ultrasound, edited by Bom and Roelandt, Kluwer Academic Publishers, p. 148, 1989.
Filed: Oct 17, 1989
Assignee: Cardiovascular Imaging Systems, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA)
Inventors: James J. Leary (Sunnyvale, CA), John R. McKenzie (San Francisco, CA)
Primary Examiner: Kyle L. Howell
Assistant Examiner: Kevin Pontius
Law Firm: Townsend and Townsend
Application Number: 7/422,935
Current U.S. Class: 128/66301; 128/66206
International Classification: A61B 814;


text:
EarthAftermath :: Roleplaying :: California :: Los Angeles Share
Settling in? Or... maybe not.
Naitachel
Location : Los Angeles, CA
Subject: Re: Settling in? Or... maybe not. Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:38 pm
The Seraph nods to Nari, and smiles at Soraya, offering her his arm. He can guess why she'd much prefer his company, though he hopes he might aid this rather wild child of a girl as well. One can but hope...
"That sounds as a reasonable plan. In that case, if you might know of such a place, Soraya, and guide us there for this talk? After all, some memories are simply not comfortable when aired in public. Mister Everett, perhaps we might see you with this Master Eric person after? Or if not, I hope we do run across each other again fairly soon... though I am not certain when I shall next be allowed to wander these halls, after that incident, even with an escort," he chuckles wryly, not minding amusement at his own expense.
<Perhaps I might be able to aid in this child's distress. Something in her past was truly terrible. Not that Mister Everett has had an easy time of it, either, from what I feel from him. These have been truly trying times for all... Perhaps I should offer to Radu, to meet others so traumatized here, if only to offer such aid? Though how well I may yet conceal my nature then, I am not certain... I may need assistance with such sessions to avoid that leaking out,> he suggests to Soraya, allowing Michael to overhear.
Nari finished off the last bit of her lunch, though she saved the apple, slipping it into her backpack. "I know, but you want to know what it's like out there...and I've been trying to avoid you...but..." She glanced over at Michael. "...I've been told I shouldn't run any more."
She excused herself long enough to put her used dishes in the marked area, noting that there was two people already there washing dishes, but both of them didn't look happy to be there. Nari really didn't have a problem with washing dishes, she liked making things clean, and especially liked keeping herself clean.
As she was returning to Soraya and Nait, she wondered if there was a way to get a few more changes of clothing, aside from the two sets she'd been given her first night. Not a lot more, but something for a little more variety. "Okay, I'm ready...I think..." She glanced at Michael one more time, then followed Nait and Soraya from the room.
Subject: Re: Settling in? Or... maybe not. Sun Feb 06, 2011 2:27 pm
Michael smiled encouragingly at Nari as Soraya and Naitachel led her away. He frowned unconsciously as she left, his features revealing something of worry. There was something else, there, however, under the worry, perhaps a little pride in the girl's bravery. It took guts, after all, to face down and discuss a past like hers.
<I'd do what I could,> Michael responded to Naitachel, though he knew that once rumor mills started running amongst these colonists, it was hard to stop them. It was one of the side-effects of living in such close, confined quarters with only a handful of others.
"You ready?" Michael finally asked Everett before gesturing toward the exit and leading him toward the area where he sensed Eric was.
<I will let you discuss that with Radu> Soraya responded with an inward sigh, knowing that even such a small thing might be enough to put the seraph at risk, <though you are right. Perhaps we should ensure you are in close proximity to the girl as she begins to open up.>
Aloud, Soraya chatted idly to both Nari and Naitachel, trying to hide the fact that she had gotten herself turned around (twice) before finally reaching the door that led to the family's private area. "I am glad that you finally feel comfortable enough to talk to us about everything," she finally said, her voice softening as she ushered the girl and seraph into the quieter study, where they were less likely to be interrupted.
"Just know that we are here to listen to whatever you need to share, and that you need only speak of what you feel comfortable telling us," she said, inviting Nari to sit on a loveseat, leaving room for Naitachel to sit next to the girl while Soraya herself took her place in a chair across from the two.
<Thank you for everything, but I will be fine without your comfort for the time being. As you suggested, Nari will likely need you more than I, I fear,> the redhead informed the seraph, bracing herself for the nausea's return.
"Perhaps you should start at the beginning, then?" Soraya suggested after ensuring that Nari was comfortable.
The Seraph perches beside Nari on the edge of the loveseat at a bit of an angle, long robes (and wings and tail, with it) trailing off the side behind him. He offers the girl his hand, as if to provide something to squeeze for merely psychological support... though it is really to use his calming influence on her, and soothe her with his empathy--to try easing the pain of her past.
Soraya wrote:
Naitachel nods to agree to both women, and watches Nari intently, hoping even speaking of her past with them might help her recover somewhat from the trauma.
Nari settled down on the loveseat, feeling a little more nervous and unsure of herself now that she was alone with Naitachel and Soraya. "To start at the beginning...." She shifted some on the seat, not taking Nait's hand, though she noticed it there. "I, um...well, I guess I should start with my full name, Narissa Marlow. I was raised in a small town just a few hours away from Washington, DC." She pulled her backpack onto her lap and dug through it for the photograph. Glass tinkled in the bag and she winced some as she jabbed her finger on a piece. She'd have to clean it out once she was in her room. She pulled out the picture frame though, turning it to show Nait and Soraya. Her face was unreadable, her voice distant, as though she was speaking of someone else. "This picture was taken a year before I was kidnapped. When I was eight years old, I went on a school field trip to Washington, DC. The bus never got there...everyone on the bus was kidnapped." Her voice grows a bit faint as she continues talking. "We didn't know what was going on at first, because no one took over the bus, the driver just drove us into a warehouse, and the bus was gassed. When we woke, we were packed into rooms, our hands bound. We were taken out one at a time, dragged to even smaller rooms and stripped naked, cleaned, then....then...." She shuddered, unable to speak of it. Instead, she slid off the couch and pulled the back of her shirt up, all the way up to expose the brand burnt into her skin. She shivered, biting at her lower lip as she let them see the brand. "We were then thrust in front of a camera, turned about and exposed....then...sold."
Nari yanked her shirt back down and dropped back onto the seat, drawing her knees up to her chest. In the same distant voice she related all that had happened to her after that, how she was sold, how she was beaten for speaking her mind, beaten until she learned to keep her mouth shut and just do her work. How every night a girl would be taken from the dormitory and return the next morning, covered in bruises and weeping. Nari hadn't known what had happened to them until she herself was chosen one night. She struggled to relate what had happened to her, how she had been used, beaten if she fought back.
"Then, just over a year ago, the city was bombed again, and the house was hit. We took the opportunity to escape, not bothering to grab anything, just saving ourselves. I returned home first, only to discover that the neighborhood had taken the brunt of the bombings too...not every home was completely destroyed, but they were all damaged and all deserted." Slow tears welled in her eyes, running unnoticed down her cheeks as she hugged her knees tighter to her chest, closing her eyes. "I don't even know if my family survived." She whispered softly, barely audible.
She then related how she traveled to New York City, falling in with a gang there, learning how to take care of herself on the street. She constantly looked over her shoulder though, worried that the slavers would snatch her back up, or that the gang leader might decide to sell her back for the money. When he started making moves on her, she left, grabbing what she could before running away. "I traveled mostly at night, taking trains and buses, or just walking. It's not all bad out there though, but I didn't feel safe. Some areas are almost like normal, others...well...I learned how to spot the signs and avoid them. I heard lots of stories, of how some cities had barred any outsiders, others required 'payment'. Then I heard the rumor about this place, and decided to come here. I....I just want to be safe."
Naitachel closes his eyes, dismayed and saddened... but gathers his spiritual power to him, and once Nari has finished her sad tale, opens his eyes once more, flaring the power to clense the room. With the faint rush of warmth, the gentle scent of sage and grasses, comes a soothing sense of calm and safety. It drains him somewhat to do this, more so than exerting his ability through touch, but he feels it is worth it in this case.
"That must have been a terrible ordeal," he murmurs sympathetically. "No creature should be bought or sold, and certainly not sent to such conditions as you experienced--at such a young age, at that. You have done amazingly well to break free and make it here."
Again, he reaches a hand, this time to pat hers lightly. "At least here you are indeed safe."
(OOC--Any Family members nearby might recognize the feel of this, as he's used it around them many a time before... if tempers had flared or some such.)
A lump rose in Soraya's throat as she listened to Nari's story, and she was frequently forced to wipe at her cheeks to clear tears that trailed there as the young woman relayed just how much she had been through. No wonder she didn't trust anyone.
The redhead found herself having to clear her throat before she could speak as Nari's words ended. "Yes, you /are/ safe here," she agreed with Naitachel, thankful for his soothing yet once more. The poor seraph would likely end up exhausted if he was forced to keep this up, and the redhead made a mental note of avoiding asking him to use his gift for her benefit unless she were desperate.
The other thing that struck Soraya regarding Nari's story was the fact that the girl really had no idea whether her family was really still out there, alive somewhere, or if they were, in fact, dead.
"That anyone would think it is acceptable to do such things is simply inconceivable to me," the redhead sighed, leaning forward in her seat and taking Nari's free hand. "And I am /so/ sorry that it had to happen to you," she said, knowing that the words of empathy were sorely lacking. "Is there anything that I, or that we," she said, indicating the whole of their family, "can do to make you feel even the slightest bit better?" she asked. She knew the constant reassurances that she was safe would do little to prove the truth behind the words, and that Nari would simply have to be shown their genuineness.
Soraya hesitated a moment, debating whether her next words would serve to spook the girl or calm her, before making her suggestion. "I was told that your mattress is often found on the floor and must be replaced onto your bed for you. Would you perhaps like us to have a lock put on your door, so that you do not have to move your bed every night?" she asked.
Subject: Re: Settling in? Or... maybe not. Sun Feb 06, 2011 10:36 pm
Nari felt the warmth in the room, and smelled the soothing scent of sage and grasses, and gradually relaxed, releasing her knees and letting her feet fall to the floor, unconsciously leaning slightly toward Nait, as if her unconscious /knew/ that he was safe to seek comfort from. She looked up at Soraya, startled. "I didn't know anyone had told you that. I just feel more comfortable keeping the door blocked while I sleep." She looked down at her hands in her lap, twisting her fingers about. "I'd ask for a lock, but what if someone else has a key? Unless there's somewhere more secure to sleep..." She shrugs some. "I don't mind sleeping on the floor though, the mattress is just as comfortable there."
"No one would have a key other than yourself and another key kept safely locked away for us to use in emergencies," she promised. "I could even hold it myself, if you like," she offered, squeezing Nari's hand gently. Either way, I will have Michael arrange it for you through Eric, she said, silently sending word to her son that he should do as much. "Though if you feel safest with the mattress on the floor, then by all means," Soraya invited. "We can consider the lock simply extra protection."
The redhead searched Nari's face a few moments, as though trying to find some sign there that the girl was alright, that coming clean about all of this had somehow helped her, even beyond the Naitachel-induced haze.
<Do you think she will be alright?> she asked Naitachel with concern.
Subject: Re: Settling in? Or... maybe not. Mon Feb 07, 2011 12:04 am
<I thinks so, yes... but she still has further to heal. I can feel she has some tie to Michael, at least a firming friendship, so perhaps he is best suited for healing her further. It may do them both some good,> the Seraph muses thoughtfully.
Naitachel smiles at Nari. "Well, that sounds like a good idea. But if other ideas come to mind, do tell us, please. From the sounds of things on the surface, we may have others fleeing here, equally traumatized in some manner or other--and such ideas may assist their comfort as well."
Subject: Re: Settling in? Or... maybe not. Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:48 pm
"It's not going to cause any problem with me pulling my mattress onto the floor each night, is it?" She then realized something. "Though, if my door is locked, no one would be able to come in and clean. I really can keep it clean myself..." Her voice trailed off some, then she spoke up again. "I don't know if you're the one to ask, but...would it be possible to get one or two more sets of clothing? I only had what I was wearing when I arrived, and then I got two other outfits that night. I sleep in one..." She flushed some, not wanting to appear greedy for clothing, but wanting something other than just the two outfits.
Nari glanced over at Nait. "I'm not really sure...just...maybe let them come to you, or whomever, when they're ready to talk? Michael helped me decide to talk to you instead of continuing to run away all the time. I'm just not used to being with other people." She looked back at Soraya. "Michael mentioned something about me needing a bracelet? What's it for?"
Subject: Re: Settling in? Or... maybe not. Mon Feb 07, 2011 11:08 pm
"No, it is no problem, for you to pull your mattress onto the floor, if that is what you prefer. Nor is it a problem for you to keep your own room. Those who clean really do it mostly as a service to others and to keep themselves feeling busy and useful," Soraya responded hastily, trying to keep track of Nari's multitude of thoughts.
"I will have someone drop off extra clothes for you in your room," she then said, once again making use of her mindspeak to request as much from one of the twins. She knew the two would have fun coming up with outfits that were both stylish and practical for Nari. The girl would likely get more than she had bargained for, to be honest.
"As for the bracelets," Soraya continued, "as I explained to Naitachel, they are our way of restricting movement to more secure areas, like weapons storage. They're also needed to move through exits in and out of the compound without setting off the alarms."
The redhead consciously worked to avoid yawning, her morning activity dwindling away her already low energy reserves. This was more important and the last thing she wanted was to give Nari the impression she was less than interested in her well-being.
"I can have Michael collect you later and help you get yours," she suggested with a brief glance in Naitachel's direction to indicate she was taking his thoughts regarding the two to heart.
Soraya was unable to suppress the next yawn and she found herself smiling sheepishly at the two facing her. "I am sorry. It has been a trying few days," she told them, "and I have not gotten enough sleep, it seems."
<I fear I will not be getting 'enough sleep,' to keep up with this fatigue for awhile yet,> she quipped quietly to Naitachel, the only one outside of herself and Vlad who knew her secret.
"Was there anything else you needed that we could provide you?" Soraya asked, ensuring Nari was as comfortable as she could get for the moment before she excused herself for a nap.
As an afterthought, the redhead added, "And thank you, Nari. For speaking with us. And for your thoughts. Please, know that my door is always open should you need a further listening ear."
Subject: Re: Settling in? Or... maybe not. Tue Feb 08, 2011 9:30 pm
Nari shook her head, but gave Soraya a watery smile. "Thanks. I should probably get back to the kitchen before Melanie thinks I changed my mind." She flashed a smile to Nait, then slipped out of the room and started walking back down to kitchens. Once there, Melanie introduced her to the other cooks working with her, then got her going on washing what was left of the lunch dishes. "You just get those done, then you can help me prepare dinner."
Nari started scrubbing the pots and pans, losing track of time, but actually glad for the work. Her mind wandered in thought and before she knew it, the dishes were done. Before she could do anything else, Melanie cornered her and started her on cleaning off different vegetables that would go in that night's dinner.
Subject: Re: Settling in? Or... maybe not. Tue Feb 08, 2011 10:12 pm
Soraya stood as she watched Nari take her leave, thankful that they had made some headway today in gaining the girl's trust. At least that would be the first step in the girl's rejoining their little society.
"That went better than I had expected," Soraya mused aloud to Naitachel. "Thank you for your help. I am quite sure things would have been much more difficult without it. Not that facing a past like that is easy, either way," she sighed with a shake of her head.
She stood a moment in pensive silence, before being forced to admit out loud that her body's need for sleep was becoming overwhelming. "Even after all that, I fear I am barely keeping my eyes open," she told the seraph plaintively. "Pray excuse me while I go rest awhile," she said. "I will catch up with you later?" she suggested before making her own sleepy way back to hers and Vlad's room.
She was soundly asleep and dead to the world only a few moments later.
"Yes, it went far better than I expected, as well. I feel that Michael may still be the key to her recovery, however... We shall have to see. Time will reveal all." Naitachel smiles and shrugs his wings slightly beneath his robes.
"Even after all that, I fear I am barely keeping my eyes open," she told the seraph plaintively. "Pray excuse me while I go rest awhile," she said. "I will catch up with you later?" she suggested before making her own sleepy way back to hers and Vlad's room.
"Of course." He rises when she does, and steps forward to set a kiss to her forehead gently, a silent blessing for her dreams, before watching her go.
Letting out a soft sigh, and releasing any tension with it, the Seraph turns to find Radu's rooms once more, in hopes that the vampire has finally returned from whatever business he was called away to earlier...
Subject: Re: Settling in? Or... maybe not.
EarthAftermath :: Roleplaying :: California :: Los Angeles


text:
Accommodation in Renfrewshire
There is a wide range of hotels, guest houses and bed & breakfasts available across Renfrewshire, perfect for you to stay in and explore this wonderful region. No matter what the season is, there is always plenty to see and do in Renfrewshire.
Area of Operations
Self Catering, Activities
Finlaystone Country Estate
Visit Finlaystone Country Estate for a fantastic family day out. Only ten minutes west of Glasgow Airport on the a8.
With beautiful gardens, waterfalls, woodland walks to suit all abilities - look out for the wildlife and birds - and a brilliant childrens play area (swings, slides, climbing frames, flying fox, wigwams, our own Pirate Ship - The Golden Larch and more!) there's something for everyone.
Bring a picnic to enjoy in one of our outdoor locations, some with built in BBQ, or reserve one of our small log cabins then you dont have to worry about the weather.
Open 10am to 5pm. Visitor Centre and Gift Shop open 11am to 5pm April to September and 11am to 4pm October to March. Tea room open weekends, School and Bank Holidays.
Dogs welcome but we ask that they be kept on the lead in play areas and gardens and that you clean up after them.
Admission - Adults £4.00 Children (3-16) and Concessions £3.00 Annual Membership available. Nurseries and Schools welcome
See www.finlaystone.co.uk for full details or tel - 01475 540505
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Hello & Happy Wednesday! I hope you all had the most wonderful long weekend and celebrated the 4th surrounded by family and friends.
This week you can also link up your Pinterest Account to gain some new followers and find some new blogs to follow! Have fun friends!
Thank you for hosting another great week.
Hey darling…. would you mind adding your posts to the actual link up part and then add your pinterest link to the top link up. Would hate to miss out on your recipes.
Thanks for hosting! Love stopping by and seeing all the great stuff!
We're thankful for your taking the time to stop by!
Thanks for sharing my Bacon Lover's Cauliflower Casserole from last week!
Our pleasure!! Thanks so much for joining us!!! We love having you!


Staring Mr. Punch, Judy, the Baby, the Policeman, Joey the Clown, the Ghost and the Crocodile etc. Each show lasts for 30 minutes and includes a traditional striped booth & PA system. By and large for a full day affair artist alternate 30 minutes on, 30 minutes off for spells longer than an hour.
Fees vary according to venue, date and time. Prices subject to VAT, availability, accommodation and transport costs where applicable. Prices include a million PL.
Punch and Judy is a popular puppet show featuring Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Punch and one other character. The show is traditionally performed by a single puppeteer, known as a Professor.
The Punch and Judy show can trace its roots to the 16th century to the Italian commedia dell'arte. The figure of Punch derives from the stock character of Pulcinella, which was Anglicized to Punchinello. He is a manifestation of the Lord of Misrule and Trickster figures of deep-rooted mythologies. Punch's wife was originally 'Joan'.
May 9, 1662 is traditionally reckoned by 'Professors' as Punch's UK birthday, for that was the first recorded date on which the figure who later became Mr. Punch was seen in Britain. The diarist Samuel Pepys observed a puppet show featuring an early version of the Punch character near St. Paul's Church in London's Covent Garden. It was performed by an Italian puppeteer, Pietro Gimonde operating as 'Signor Bologna'. Pepys described the event in his diary: '...an Italian puppet play, that is within the rails there, which is very pretty, the best that I ever saw, and great resort of gallants.' Pepys went back several more times and continued to be amused. The puppet he saw was a marionette, not a glove-puppet, and Gimonde did his show within a tent.
In the British 'Punch and Judy' show Punch wears a jester's motley and is a hunchback whose hooked nose almost meets his curved jutting chin. He carries a stick, as large as himself, which he freely uses upon all the other characters in the show. He speaks in a distinctive squawking voice, produced by a contrivance known as a swazzle or swatchel which the Professor holds in his mouth, transmitting his gleeful cackle� 'That's the way to do it'. So important is Mr. Punch's signature sound that it is a matter of some controversy within Punch and Judy circles as to whether a 'non swazzled' show can be considered a true Punch and Judy Show.
Many regional variants of Pulcinella were developed as the character spread across Europe. In Germany, Punch is called 'Kasperle' or Kaspar while Judy is 'Grete'. In the Netherlands it is Jan Klaassen (and Judy is Katrijn); in Denmark Mester Jackel; in Russia Petrushka; in Romania Vasilache; and in France Polichinelle.
In the late 18th and early 19th Century the familiar Punch and Judy hand puppet show that existed in Britain was performed in an easily-transportable booth (known as a fit-up).
The tale of Punch and Judy varies from puppeteer to puppeteer and has changed over time. It typically involves Punch behaving outrageously, struggling with his wife Judy and the Baby, and then triumphing in a series of encounters with the forces of law and order (and often the supernatural). The classic ending of the show has him dispatching the Devil himself, exclaiming 'Huzzah huzzah, I've killed the Devil!'.
All is performed in the spirit of outrageous comedy and is intended to provoke shocked laughter. Whilst the Victorian version of the show drew on the morality of its day, the 20th and 21st Century versions of the tale have evolved into something more akin to a primitive version of The Simpsons � in which a bizarre family is used as vehicle for grotesque visual comedy and a sideways look at contemporary society.
The stereotypical view of Punch casts him as a deformed, child-murdering, wife-beating psychopath who commits appalling acts of violence and cruelty upon all those around him and escapes scot-free � this is greatly enjoyed by small children. Terry Pratchett draws attention to this apparent paradox in his short story Theatre of Cruelty, the last line of which is 'That's not the way to do it.' In actual fact, Punch has long since reverted to his origins as a clown figure whose acts of violence are in the same tradition as those to be seen in all classic cartoons. The very stick he uses is a slapstick: the knockabout device which gave its name to a whole genre of broad physical comedy.
In 1828, the critic John Payne Collier published a Punch and Judy script under the title The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Punch and Judy. The script was illustrated by the well-known caricaturist George Cruikshank. Collier said his script was based on the version performed by the 'professor' Giovanni Piccini in the early 19th century. The Collier/Cruickshank Punch has been republished in facsimile several times and is now available on the web in PDF form (see External Links). As Collier later went on to have a career as a literary forger, it throws some doubt on the authenticity of the script which is rather literary in style and may well have been tidied up from the rough and tumble street theatre original. Punch is primarily an oral tradition, handed down (or copied) from live performances more than from scripts. It is thus constantly in development from many participants - exactly as Wikipedia functions. A transcript of a typical Punch and Judy show in London of the 1840s can be found in Henry Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor.